bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solid-diffusion-facilitated cleaning of copper foil improves the quality of CVD graphene
Authors: Nguyen Dinh-Tuan , Chiang Wan-Yu , Su Yen-Hsun , Hofmann Mario , Hsieh Ya-Ping
Published: January 2019

The quality of CVD-grown graphene is limited by the parallel nucleation of grains from surface impurities which leads to increased grain boundary densities. Currently employed cleaning methods cannot completely remove surface impurities since impurity diffusion from the bulk to the surface occurs during growth. We here introduce a new method to remove impurities not only on the surface but also from the bulk. By employing a solid cap during annealing that acts as a sink for impurities and leads to an enhancement of copper purity throughout the catalyst thickness. The high efficiency of the solid-diffusion-based transport pathway results in a drastic decrease in the surface particle concentration in a relatively short time, as evident in AFM and SIMS characterization of copper foils. Graphene grown on those substrates displays enhanced grain sizes and room-temperature, large-area carrier mobilities in excess of 5000 cm2/Vs which emphasizes the suitability of our approach for future graphene applications.
Effects of point mutations in the binding pocket of the mouse major urinary protein MUP20 on ligand affinity and specificity
Authors: Ricatti Jimena , Acquasaliente Laura , Ribaudo Giovanni , De Filippis Vincenzo , Bellini Marino , Llovera Ramiro Esteban , Barollo Susi , Pezzani Raffaele , Zagotto Giuseppe , Persaud Krishna C. , Mucignat-Caretta Carla
Published: January 2019

The mouse Major Urinary Proteins (MUPs) contain a conserved β-barrel structure with a characteristic central hydrophobic pocket that binds a variety of volatile compounds. After release of urine, these molecules are slowly emitted in the environment where they play an important role in chemical communication. MUPs are highly polymorphic and conformationally stable. They may be of interest in the construction of biosensor arrays capable of detection of a broad range of analytes. In this work, 14 critical amino acids in the binding pocket involved in ligand interactions were identified in MUP20 usingin silicotechniques and 7 MUP20 mutants were synthesised and characterised to produce a set of proteins with diverse ligand binding profiles to structurally different ligands. A single amino acid substitution in the binding pocket can dramatically change the MUPs binding affinity and ligand specificity. These results have great potential for the design of new biosensor and gas-sensor recognition elements.
Numerical Issues for Solving Eu-type Generalized Hydrodynamic Equations to Investigate Continuum-rarefied Gas Flows
Authors: Xiao Hong , He Qijiao , Wu Di
Published: January 2019

Eu-type generalized hydrodynamic equations have been derived from the Boltzmann kinetic theory and applied to investigate continuum and/or rarefied gas flows. This short communication first reports detailed and important issues in the use of the mixed discontinuous Galerkin method to solve Eu-type generalized hydrodynamic equations in multidimensions. Three major issues are reported. These include the treatment of solid boundary conditions for the nonlinear constitutive equations, a slope limiter to maintain high accuracy and avoid unphysical oscillations, and the computational efficiency compared with that of the particle method. In addition, we implement the present model to a rigid problem, which includes gas flows around the NACA0018 airfoil, a sharp wedge, a sphere and a three-dimensional Apollo configuration.
The neurotoxic secreted phospholipase A2 from the Vipera a. ammodytes venom targets cytochrome c oxidase in neuronal mitochondria
Authors: Šribar Jernej , Kovačič Lidija , Oberčkal Jernej , Ivanušec Adrijan , Petan Toni , Fox Jay W. , Križaj Igor
Published: January 2019

The β-neurotoxic secreted phospholipases A2 (sPLA2s) block neuro-muscular transmission by poisoning nerve terminals. Damage inflicted by such sPLA2s (β-ntx) on neuronal mitochondria is characteristic, very similar to that induced by structurally homologous endogenous group IIA sPLA2 when its activity is elevated, as, for example, in the early phase of Alzheimer’s disease. Using ammodytoxin (Atx), the β-ntx from the venom of the nose-horned viper (Vipera a. ammodytes), the sPLA2 receptor R25 has been detected in neuronal mitochondria. This receptor has been purified from porcine cerebral cortex mitochondria by a new Atx-affinity-based chromatographic procedure. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed R25 to be the subunit II of cytochrome c oxidase (CCOX), an essential constituent of the respiratory chain complex. CCOX was confirmed as being the first intracellular membrane receptor for sPLA2 by alternative Atx-affinity-labellings of purified CCOX, supported also by the encounter of Atx and CCOX in PC12 cells. This discovery suggests the explanation of the mechanism by which β-ntx hinders production of ATP in poisoned nerve endings. It also provides a new insight into the potential function and dysfunction of endogenous GIIA sPLA2 in mitochondria.
Efficient Excitation of Micro/Nano Resonators and Their Higher Order Modes
Authors: Jaber N. , Hafiz M. A. A. , Kazmi S. N. R. , Hasan M. H. , Alsaleem F. , Ilyas S. , Younis M. I.
Published: January 2019

We demonstrate a simple and flexible technique to efficiently activate micro/nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) resonators at their fundamental and higher order vibration modes. The method is based on the utilization of the amplified voltage across an inductor, L, of an LC tank resonant circuit to actuate the MEMS/NEMS resonator. By matching the electrical and mechanical resonances, significant amplitude amplification is reported across the resonators terminals. We show experimentally amplitude amplification up to twelve times, which is demonstrated to efficiently excite several vibration modes of a microplate MEMS resonator and the fundamental mode of a NEMS resonator.
Knowing the past improves cooperation in the future
Authors: Danku Zsuzsa , Perc Matjaž , Szolnoki Attila
Published: January 2019

Cooperation is the cornerstone of human evolutionary success. Like no other species, we champion the sacrifice of personal benefits for the common good, and we work together to achieve what we are unable to achieve alone. Knowledge and information from past generations is thereby often instrumental in ensuring we keep cooperating rather than deteriorating to less productive ways of coexistence. Here we present a mathematical model based on evolutionary game theory that shows how using the past as the benchmark for evolutionary success, rather than just current performance, significantly improves cooperation in the future. Interestingly, the details of just how the past is taken into account play only second-order importance, whether it be a weighted average of past payoffs or just a single payoff value from the past. Cooperation is promoted because information from the past disables fast invasions of defectors, thus enhancing the long-term benefits of cooperative behavior.
The antidepressant impact of minocycline in rodents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Reis Daniel J. , Casteen Emily J. , Ilardi Stephen S.
Published: January 2019

Evidence from recent animal studies suggest that minocycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic capable of regulating immune processes, may possess antidepressant properties. These studies, however, have yet to be comprehensively reviewed. Accordingly, this systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the extant literature examining the effect of minocycline on depressive-like behavior in rodent models. PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for articles that met prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria, and standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated for each continuous measure of depressive-like behavior. The overall effect of minocycline on depressive-like behavior was estimated using robust variance estimation meta-analysis. Separate subgroup analyses were conducted on diseased vs healthy animal models, different rodent species, and immobility-based vs anhedonia-based measures of depressive-like behavior. A total of 22 preclinical studies (816 animals) were included. Overall, minocycline reduced depressive-like behavior in rodents (SMD = −1.07, 95% CI −1.41–−0.74, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed that minocycline reduced depressive-like behavior in diseased, but not healthy, animal models. Finally, minocycline was found to reduce both immobility-based and anhedonia-based outcomes. These findings suggest that minocycline may be an effective treatment of core depressive symptoms, and that further investigation of minocycline treatment for clinically relevant depression in humans is warranted.
Global regulation of methane emission from natural lakes
Authors: Sanches Lúcia Fernandes , Guenet Bertrand , Marinho Claudio Cardoso , Barros Nathan , de Assis Esteves Francisco
Published: January 2019

Methane (CH4) emissions from lakes are the largest of the emissions from freshwater ecosystems. We compile open water CH4 emission estimates from individual lakes from all over the world and consider the three main emission pathways: diffusive; ebullitive; and storage. The relationships between emissions, environmental variables, lake characteristics and methodological approaches are investigated for the measurements from 297 lakes. We show that environmental factors, such as temperature and precipitation, act as important driving factors for CH4 emissions, with higher emissions occurring where air temperature and precipitation are high. The diffusive flux of CH4 was found to be positively related to dissolved organic carbon concentration. Diffusive flux is the most frequently estimated component of the total flux, while the other emission pathways are often neglected. Based on the cases where all three components of the total flux were measured (30 lakes), we estimate that measuring the diffusive emission only, and then assuming that the value obtained is a good surrogate for the total emission, would have led to a 277% underestimation of the real total flux. In addition we show that the estimation of fluxes is method-dependent with substantial differences revealed between the flux estimates obtained from different measurement techniques. Some of this uncertainty is due to technical constraints which should not be neglected, and lake CH4 flux measurement techniques require thorough re-evaluation.
Factors explaining the yearly changes in minimum bottom dissolved oxygen concentrations in Lake Biwa, a warm monomictic lake
Authors: Fukushima Takehiko , Inomata Tomohiro , Komatsu Eiji , Matsushita Bunkei
Published: January 2019

Vertical profiles of dissolved oxygen (DO) and water temperature (WT) measured bi-monthly for 36 years (1980–2015) near the deepest part of a warm monomictic lake were analyzed with special reference to yearly minimum DO at bottom (DOmin). DOmin changed yearly (3.0 ± 1.2 mg l−1) and significant differences in DOmin were not observed between Period I (1980–1993; cooler and worse in water quality) and Period II (1994–2015; warmer and better in water quality). This unclear trend in DOmin was probably due to the offsetting influences between warming induced by global warming and oligotrophication attempted by local governments etc. for the study period. DOmin was positively correlated with disturbance time (timing of last cold water intrusion observed from Mar to Aug), which could be related to the start of DO depletion at bottom. Thus, the linear model using this parameter could predict yearly DOmin fairly well for the entire study period (r2 = 0.60). In addition, DOmin and time of disturbance were correlated negatively with water density at bottom in Jan and positively with water density equilibrated to air temperature (AT) in Mar. Higher lake water density after full depth mixing advances the disturbance time. In contrast, lower AT in Mar and/or higher density of influent water after Mar delays the time likely due to the larger amount of snowfall in the watershed. Further, DOmin was positively correlated with maximum wind velocity in Sep which probably induced the recovery of DO. Multiple-regression models to predict DOmin using these meteorological and water quality parameters were developed (r2 ≥ 0.38, worse performances than the model using disturbance time) to forecast future trends of DOmin through global warming and/or climate change. Significant influences of water or sediment oxygen demands on DOmin were not detected. We also discuss the applicability of the proposed models.
Damage to the right temporoparietal junction, but not lateral prefrontal or insular cortex, amplifies the role of goal-directed attention
Authors: Pedrazzini Elena , Ptak Radek
Published: January 2019

Whether an object captures attention depends on the interplay between its saliency and current behavioral predispositions of the observer. Neuroimaging work has implied a ventral attention network, comprising the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) and the insula, in attentional orienting toward salient events. Activity of the TPJ is driven by novel and unexpected objects, while the lateral prefrontal cortex is involved in stimulus-driven as well as goal-directed processing. The insula in turn, is part of a saliency network, which has been implicated in detecting biologically salient signals. These roles predict that damage to the TPJ, lPFC, or insula should affect performance in tasks measuring the capture of attention by salient and behaviorally relevant events. Here, we show that patients with lesions to the right TPJ have a characteristic increase of attentional capture by relevant distracters. In contrast, damage to the lPFC or insular cortex only increases reaction times, irrespective of the task-relevant properties of distracters. These findings show that acquired damage to the TPJ pathologically amplifies the capture of attention by task-relevant information, and thus indicate that the TPJ has a decisive role in goal-directed orienting.
Partial depletion of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra impairs olfaction and alters neural activity in the olfactory bulb
Authors: Zhang Wenfeng , Sun Changcheng , Shao Yufeng , Zhou Zheng , Hou Yiping , Li Anan
Published: January 2019

Olfactory dysfunction is a major non-motor symptom that appears during the early stages of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Depletion of SN dopaminergic neurons by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) is widely used as a model for PD and ultimately results in motor deficits. However, it is largely unknown whether olfactory behavior and, more importantly, neural activity in the olfactory bulb (OB) are impaired prior to the appearance of motor deficits. We partially depleted the SN dopaminergic population in mice by injection of 6-OHDA. Seven days after injection of 6-OHDA, motor ability was unchanged but olfactory-driven behaviors were significantly impaired. Injection of 6-OHDA into the SN significantly increased the power of the ongoing local field potential in the OB for all frequency bands, and decreased odor-evoked excitatory beta responses and inhibitory high-gamma responses. Moreover, 6-OHDA treatment led to increased odor-evoked calcium responses in the mitral cells in the OB of awake mice. These data suggest that the olfactory deficits caused by depletion of the SN dopaminergic population are likely due to abnormal hyperactivity of the mitral cells in the OB.
Lithography-Free Planar Band-Pass Reflective Color Filter Using A Series Connection of Cavities
Authors: Ghobadi Amir , Hajian Hodjat , Soydan Mahmut Can , Butun Bayram , Ozbay Ekmel
Published: January 2019

In this article, a lithography-free multilayer based color filter is realized using a proper series connection of two cavities that shows relatively high efficiency, high color purity, and a wide view angle. The proposed structure is a metal-insulator-metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIMIS) design. To optimize the device performance, at the first step, transfer matrix method (TMM) modeling is utilized to find the right choices of materials for each layer. Simulations are carried out later on to optimize the geometries of the layers to obtain our desired colors. Finally, the optimized devices are fabricated and experimentally characterized to evaluate our modelling findings. The characterization results of the fabricated samples prove the successful formation of efficient and wide view angle color filters. Unlike previously reported FP based designs that act as a band-stop filter in reflection mode (absorbing a narrow frequency range and reflecting the rest of the spectrum), this design generates a specific color by reflecting a narrow spectral range and absorbing the rest of the spectrum. The findings of this work can be extended to other multilayer structures where an efficient connection of cavities in a tandem scheme can propose functionalities that cannot be realized with conventional FP resonators.
Dynamic colour change and the confusion effect against predation
Authors: Murali Gopal , Kumari Kajal , Kodandaramaiah Ullasa
Published: January 2019

The confusion effect - the decreased attack-to-kill ratio of a predator with increase in prey group size - is thought to be one of the main reasons for the evolution of group living in animals. Despite much interest, the influence of prey coloration on the confusion effect is not well understood. We hypothesized that dynamic colour change in motion (due to interference coloration or flash marks), seen widely in many group living animals, enhances the confusion effect. Utilizing a virtual tracking task with humans, we found targets that dynamically changed colour during motion were more difficult to track than targets with background matching patterns, and this effect was stronger at larger group sizes. The current study thus provides the first empirical evidence for the idea that dynamic colour change can benefit animals in a group and may explain the widespread occurrence of dynamic colorations in group-living animals.
Multipartite state generation in quantum networks with optimal scaling
Authors: Wallnöfer J. , Pirker A. , Zwerger M. , Dür W.
Published: January 2019

We introduce a repeater scheme to efficiently distribute multipartite entangled states in a quantum network with optimal scaling. The scheme allows to generate graph states such as 2D and 3D cluster states of growing size or GHZ states over arbitrary distances, with a constant overhead per node/channel that is independent of the distance. The approach is genuine multipartite, and is based on the measurement-based implementation of multipartite hashing, an entanglement purification protocol that operates on a large ensemble together with local merging/connection of elementary building blocks. We analyze the performance of the scheme in a setting where local or global storage is limited, and compare it to bipartite and hybrid approaches that are based on the distribution of entangled pairs. We find that the multipartite approach offers a storage advantage, which results in higher efficiency and better performance in certain parameter regimes. We generalize our approach to arbitrary network topologies and different target graph states.
Complementary relation of quantum coherence and quantum correlations in multiple measurements
Authors: Fan Zeyang , Peng Yi , Zhang Yu-Ran , Liu Shang , Mu Liang-Zhu , Fan Heng
Published: January 2019

Quantum coherence and quantum correlations lie in the center of quantum information science, since they both are considered as fundamental reasons for significant features of quantum mechanics different from classical mechanics. We present a group of complementary relations for quantum coherence and quantum correlations; specifically, we focus on thermal discord and conditional information in scenarios of multiple measurements. We show that the summation of quantum coherence quantified in different bases has a lower bound, resulting from entropic uncertainty relations with multiple measurements. Similar results are also obtained for thermal discord and for post-measurement conditional information with multiple measurements in a multipartite system. These results indicate the general applications of the uncertainty principle to various concepts of quantum information.
Analysis of genetic diversity of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae populations in Taiwan
Authors: Chien Chih-Cheng , Chou Mei-Yi , Chen Chun-Yi , Shih Ming-Che
Published: January 2019

Rice bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is a major rice disease. In Taiwan, the tropical indica type of Oryza sativa originally grown in this area is mix-cultivated with the temperate japonica type of O. sativa, and this might have led to adaptive changes of both rice host and Xoo isolates. In order to better understand how Xoo adapts to this unique environment, we collected and analyzed fifty-one Xoo isolates in Taiwan. Three different genetic marker systems consistently identified five groups. Among these groups, two of them had unique sequences in the last acquired ten spacers in the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) region, and the other two had sequences that were similar to the Japanese isolate MAFF311018 and the Philippines isolate PXO563, respectively. The genomes of two Taiwanese isolates with unique CRISPR sequence features, XF89b and XM9, were further completely sequenced. Comparison of the genome sequences suggested that XF89b is phylogenetically close to MAFF311018, and XM9 is close to PXO563. Here, documentation of the diversity of groups of Xoo in Taiwan provides evidence of the populations from different sources and hitherto missing information regarding distribution of Xoo populations in East Asia.
Globin E is a myoglobin-related, respiratory protein highly expressed in lungfish oocytes
Authors: Lüdemann Julia , Verissimo Kellen Matos , Dreger Kimberley , Fago Angela , Schneider Igor , Burmester Thorsten
Published: January 2019

Globins are a classical model system for the studies of protein evolution and function. Recent studies have shown that – besides the well-known haemoglobin and myoglobin – additional globin-types occur in vertebrates that serve different functions. Globin E (GbE) was originally identified as an eye-specific protein of birds that is distantly related to myoglobin. GbE is also present in turtles and the coelacanth but appeared to have been lost in other vertebrates. Here, we show that GbE additionally occurs in lungfish, the closest living relatives of the tetrapods. Each lungfish species harbours multiple (≥5) GbE gene copies. Surprisingly, GbE is exclusively and highly expressed in oocytes, with mRNA levels that exceed that of myoglobin in the heart. Thus, GbE is the first known oocyte-specific globin in vertebrates. No GbE transcripts were found in the ovary or egg transcriptomes of other vertebrates, suggesting a lungfish-specific function. Spectroscopic analysis and kinetic studies of recombinant GbE1 of the South American lungfish Lepidosiren paradoxa revealed a typical pentacoordinate globin with myoglobin-like O2-binding kinetics, indicating similar functions. Our findings suggest that the multiple copies of GbE evolved to enhance O2-supply in the developing embryo of lungfish, analogous to the embryonic and fetal haemoglobins of other vertebrates. In evolution, GbE must have changed its expression site from oocytes to eyes, or vice versa.
Long-term outcome of intrastromal corneal ring segments in keratoconus: Five-year follow up
Authors: Kang Min-Ji , Byun Yong-Soo , Yoo Young-Sik , Whang Woong-Joo , Joo Choun-Ki
Published: January 2019

To evaluate the effectiveness of intrastromal corneal ring segment (ICRS) use in keratoconus after five years. ICRS has been widely used to correct astigmatism and improve visual acuity in keratoconus. Although the short-term outcome is well known to be effective, long-term outcome has rarely been reported. A retrospective chart review was done. A total of 30 eyes diagnosed with keratoconus and treated with INTACS (Addition Technology, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) were included. Visual acuity, refraction, indices of corneal irregularity, and higher-order aberration were evaluated at preoperative, two months, one year, three years, and five years postoperatively. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and spherical and spherical equivalent were improved (p < 0.05) for three years. However, they worsened (p < 0.05) at five years to preoperative values. On the other hand, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was improved for five years (p < 0.05). Topographic keratometry was flattened, and corneal irregularity indices were improved at five years (all p < 0.05). Coma RMS was improved (p < 0.05) continuously for five years. ICRS has advantages in improving CDVA with topographic stabilization and decreasing coma in keratoconus for five years.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae ASN1 and ASN2 are asparagine synthetase paralogs that have diverged in their ability to polymerize in response to nutrient stress
Authors: Noree Chalongrat , Sirinonthanawech Naraporn , Wilhelm James E.
Published: January 2019

Recent work has found that many metabolic enzymes have the ability to polymerize in response to metabolic changes or environmental stress. This ability to polymerize is well conserved for the few metabolic enzyme paralogs that have been studied in yeast. Here we describe the first set of paralogs, Asn1p and Asn2p, that have differential assembly behavior. Asn1p and Asn2p both co-assemble into filaments in response to nutrient limitation. However, the ability of Asn2p to form filaments is strictly dependent on the presence of Asn1p. Using mutations that block enzyme activity but have differential effects on Asn1p polymerization, we have found that Asn1p polymers are unlikely to have acquired a moonlighting function. Together these results provide a novel system for understanding the regulation and evolution of metabolic enzyme polymerization.
Streamlined procedure for gene knockouts using all-in-one adenoviral CRISPR-Cas9
Authors: Jin Yuan-Hu , Joo Hyunjeong , Lee Kwangjun , Kim Hyeongseok , Didier Ruth , Yang Young , Shin Heungsop , Lee Choogon
Published: January 2019

CRISPR-Cas9 is a powerful gene editing technique that can induce mutations in a target gene of interest in almost any mammalian cell line. However, its practicality can be limited if target cell lines are difficult to transfect and do not proliferate. In the current study, we have developed a streamlined approach for CRISPR-based gene knockouts with three key advantages, which allows phenotypic assay of gene knockouts without clonal selection and expansion. First, it integrates into a single, all-in-one vector transgenes for Cas9, sgRNA, and a fluorescence marker. Second, we used the Gateway system to rapidly clone specific sgRNAs into the all-in-one vector through PCR and in vitro recombination, without conventional enzyme digestion and ligation. Third, it uses adenovirus for the capacity to package the all-in-one vector, and for its high efficiency of transduction. We tested the all-in-one adenoviral CRISPR-Cas9 in a circadian clock model cell line U2OS, and demonstrated that essential clock genes such as Bmal1 and Per1 were knocked out so efficiently that functional assays could be performed from the heterogenic population without any clonal selection and expansion. This streamlined approach may prove invaluable for rapid functional assays of candidate genes in diverse biological pathways, including the circadian clock.
Digital Biosensing by Foundry-Fabricated Graphene Sensors
Authors: Goldsmith Brett R. , Locascio Lauren , Gao Yingning , Lerner Mitchell , Walker Amy , Lerner Jeremy , Kyaw Jayla , Shue Angela , Afsahi Savannah , Pan Deng , Nokes Jolie , Barron Francie
Published: January 2019

The prevailing philosophy in biological testing has been to focus on simple tests with easy to interpret information such as ELISA or lateral flow assays. At the same time, there has been a decades long understanding in device physics and nanotechnology that electrical approaches have the potential to drastically improve the quality, speed, and cost of biological testing provided that computational resources are available to analyze the resulting complex data. This concept can be conceived of as “the internet of biology” in the same way miniaturized electronic sensors have enabled “the internet of things.” It is well established in the nanotechnology literature that techniques such as field effect biosensing are capable of rapid and flexible biological testing. Until now, access to this new technology has been limited to academic researchers focused on bioelectronic devices and their collaborators. Here we show that this capability is retained in an industrially manufactured device, opening access to this technology generally. Access to this type of production opens the door for rapid deployment of nanoelectronic sensors outside the research space. The low power and resource usage of these biosensors enables biotech engineers to gain immediate control over precise biological and environmental data.
Selective magnetic mercury(ii) ion capturing ligand-doped silica gel for water analysis
Authors: Khor Soo Wei , Lee Yean Kee , Tay Kheng Soo
Published: January 2019

This study demonstrates a simplified method for the synthesis of a magnetic adsorbent, which is selective towards the adsorption of mercury(ii) ions (Hg2+).
Unraveling structural dynamics in isoenergetic excited S1 and multi-excitonic 1(TT) states of 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene (BPEA) in solution via ultrafast Raman loss spectroscopy
Authors: Jana Sanjib , Yapamanu Adithya Lakshmanna , Umapathy Siva
Published: January 2019

Ultrafast Raman loss spectroscopy provides a direct evidence for the structural changes that occur during the evolution from the S1 to the 1(TT) state of BPEA in solution.
Novel adamantane-based hole transport materials for perovskite solar cells: a computational approach
Authors: Gapol Maebienne Anjelica B. , Kim Dong Hee
Published: January 2019

Designing adamantane-based HTMs for perovskite solar cells and utilizing electrostatic potential maps to evaluate the hole mobility.
On/off fluorescence emission induced by encapsulation, exchange and reversible encapsulation of a BODIPY-guest in self-assembled organometallic cages
Authors: Gou Xing-Xing , Peng Jia-Xin , Das Rajorshi , Wang Yao-Yu , Han Ying-Feng
Published: January 2019

A reversible fluorescence turn off/on switch induced by the encapsulation and release of a guest molecule within an organometallic cage was presented.
Chloroform compatible, thiol-ene based replica molded micro chemical devices as an alternative to glass microfluidic chips
Authors: Geczy Reka , Sticker Drago , Bovet Nicolas , Häfeli Urs O. , Kutter Jörg P.
Published: January 2019

We render thiol-ene polymers exceptionally solvent resistant by applying heat post-fabrication. The method is simple, effective, and universal for various thiol-enes and solvents.
Dual-network sparse graph regularized matrix factorization for predicting miRNA–disease associations
Authors: Gao Ming-Ming , Cui Zhen , Gao Ying-Lian , Liu Jin-Xing , Zheng Chun-Hou
Published: January 2019

Combined dual network,L2,1-norm and graph regularized matrix factorization for predicting miRNA–disease associations.
Ultralow surface energy self-assembled monolayers of iodo-perfluorinated alkanes on silica driven by halogen bonding
Authors: Shou Keyun , Hong Jun Ki , Wood Elliot S. , Hook James M. , Nelson Andrew , Yin Yanting , Andersson Gunther G. , Abate Antonio , Steiner Ullrich , Neto Chiara
Published: January 2019

Self-assembled monolayers of iodo-perfluoro alkanes are shown to form on silica surfaces, guided by halogen bonding.
Electrochemical stability of (La,Sr)CoO3−δ in (La,Sr)CoO3−δ/(Ce, Gd)O2−δ heterostructures
Authors: dos Santos-Gómez Lucía , Sanna Simone , Norby Poul , Pryds Nini , Losilla Enrique R. , Marrero-López David , Esposito Vincenzo
Published: January 2019

A modulated coherent (La,Sr)CoO3−δ/(Ce,Gd)O2−δ heterostructure is characterized for the first time for its electronic and chemical properties.
Defective WO3−x nanowire: possible long lifetime semiconductor nanowire point electron source
Authors: Lin Zufang , Zhan Runze , Chen Yicong , She Juncong , Deng Shaozhi , Xu Ningsheng , Chen Jun
Published: January 2019

Defect-related electrical transport and the Nottingham effect induce a non-catastrophic breakdown phenomenon in defective WO3−x nanowires, which could extend its lifetime.
Unveiling lasing mechanism in CsPbBr3 microsphere cavities
Authors: Du Wenna , Zhang Shuai , Wu Zhiyong , Shang Qiuyu , Mi Yang , Chen Jie , Qin Chaochao , Qiu Xiaohui , Zhang Qing , Liu Xinfeng
Published: January 2019

The mechanism of single-mode lasing in CsPbBr3 microsphere shifts from exciton–exciton scattering to exciton–phonon scattering with the increase in temperature from 77 to 300 K, and two different phonon modes were involved in the exciton–phonon scattering process.
An aligned octahedral core in a nanocage: synthesis, plasmonic, and catalytic properties
Authors: Khairullina Evgeniia , Mosina Kseniia , Choueiri Rachelle M. , Paradis Andre Philippe , Petruk Ariel Alcides , Sciaini German , Krivoshapkina Elena , Lee Anna , Ahmed Aftab , Klinkova Anna
Published: January 2019

Plasmonic metal nanostructures with complex morphologies provide an important route to tunable optical responses and local electric field enhancement at the nanoscale for a variety of applications including sensing, imaging, and catalysis.
Photoreversible luminescence switching of CsPbI3 nanocrystals sensitized by photochromic AgI nanocrystals
Authors: Li Pengli , Yang Di , Zhong Qixuan , Zhang Yong , Chen Min , Jiang Shu , Chen Jinxing , Cao Muhan , Zhang Qiao , Yin Yadong
Published: January 2019

A reversible fluorescence switching of CsPbI3 nanocrystals (NCs) was realized using photosensitive AgI NCs under light on/off and applied for a rewritable platform.
Intense one-band near-infrared upconversion luminescence induced by using spontaneous polarization BiOCl sheet crystals as hosts for Yb3+ and Tm3+ ions
Authors: Song Yapai , Liu Tong , Wang Shasha , Li Yongjin , Qiu Jianbei , Yang Zhengwen , Han Jin , Wang Qi , Yin Zhaoyi , Song Zhiguo
Published: January 2019

A new scheme that utilizes the anisotropic polarization of layered hosts to easily produce an efficient single-band NIR UC emission of Tm3+ ions.
Comparison of transition metal (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) containing tri-metal layered double hydroxides (LDHs) prepared by urea hydrolysis
Authors: Naseem Sajid , Gevers Bianca , Boldt Regine , Labuschagné Frederick J. W. J. , Leuteritz Andreas
Published: January 2019

This paper details a successful synthesis and comparison of a range of tri-metal hydrotalcite-like layered double hydroxides (LDHs) using urea hydrolysis.
One-step sulfuration synthesis of hierarchical NiCo2S4@NiCo2S4 nanotube/nanosheet arrays on carbon cloth as advanced electrodes for high-performance flexible solid-state hybrid supercapacitors
Authors: Xie Jinlei , Yang Yefeng , Li Geng , Xia Hanchun , Wang Peijia , Sun Peiheng , Li Xiaolong , Cai Haoran , Xiong Jie
Published: January 2019

One-step sulfuration synthesis of NiCo2S4@NiCo2S4 core–shell arrays on carbon cloth.
Evolution of ligand-capped nanoparticle multilayers toward a near unique thickness
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Mala , Hazra S.
Published: January 2019

Formation of a near unique thickness layer of nanoparticles due to a long-range hydrophobic–hydrophobic interaction mediated net attraction toward a substrate, and a short-range hydrophilic–hydrophobic interaction mediated repulsion and/or thermal energy induced fluctuation.
An amplification label of core–shell CdSe@CdS QD sensitized GO for a signal-on photoelectrochemical immunosensor for amyloid β-protein
Authors: Feng Jinhui , Li Faying , Li Xiaojian , Ren Xiang , Fan Dawei , Wu Dan , Ma Hongmin , Du Bin , Zhang Nuo , Wei Qin
Published: January 2019

Core–shell CdSe@CdS QDs conjugated with GO can enhance the photocurrent intensity.
Synergistic effect of graphene oxide@phosphate-intercalated hydrotalcite for improved anti-corrosion and self-healable protection of waterborne epoxy coating in salt environments
Authors: Chen Chunlin , He Yi , Xiao Guoqing , Zhong Fei , Li Hongjie , Wu Youqing , Chen Jingyu
Published: January 2019

Waterborne epoxy coatings (WECs), with significant anti-corrosion and self-healable performance were obtained through electrostatic self-assembly of graphene oxide (GO) and phosphate (PO43−)-intercalated hydrotalcite (PIH).
Characterization of the housekeeping sortase from the human pathogen Propionibacterium acnes: first investigation of a class F sortase
Authors: Di Girolamo Salvatore , Puorger Chasper , Castiglione Mara , Vogel Maren , Gébleux Rémy , Briendl Manfred , Hell Tamara , Beerli Roger R. , Grawunder Ulf , Lipps Georg
Published: January 2019

Sortase enzymes play an important role in Gram-positive bacteria. They are responsible for the covalent attachment of proteins to the surface of the bacteria and perform this task via a highly sequence-specific transpeptidation reaction. Since these immobilized proteins are often involved in pathogenicity of Gram-positive bacteria, characterization of this type of enzyme is also of medical relevance. Different classes of sortases (A–F) have been found, which recognize characteristic recognition sequences present in substrate proteins. Up to date, sortase A from Staphylococcus aureus, a housekeeping class A sortase, is the most thoroughly studied representative of the sortase family of enzymes. Here we report the in-depth characterization of the class F sortase from Propionibacterium acnes, a class of sortases that has not been investigated before. As Sortase F is the only transpeptidase found in the P. acnes genome, it is the housekeeping sortase of this organism. Sortase F from P. acnes shows a behavior similar to sortases from class A in terms of pH dependence, recognition sequence and catalytic activity; furthermore, its activity is independent of bivalent ions, which contrasts to sortase A from S. aureus. We demonstrate that sortase F is useful for protein engineering applications, by producing a site-specifically conjugated homogenous antibody–drug conjugate with a potency similar to that of a conjugate prepared with sortase A. Thus, the detailed characterization presented here will not only enable the development of anti-virulence agents targeting P. acnes but also provides a powerful alternative to sortase A for protein engineering applications.
Group A Streptococcus co-ordinates manganese import and iron efflux in response to hydrogen peroxide stress
Authors: Turner Andrew G. , Djoko Karrera Y. , Ong Cheryl-lynn Y. , Barnett Timothy C. , Walker Mark J. , McEwan Alastair G.
Published: January 2019

Bacterial pathogens encounter a variety of adverse physiological conditions during infection, including metal starvation, metal overload and oxidative stress. Here, we demonstrate that group A Streptococcus (GAS) utilises Mn(II) import via MtsABC during conditions of hydrogen peroxide stress to optimally metallate the superoxide dismutase, SodA, with Mn. MtsABC expression is controlled by the DtxR family metalloregulator MtsR, which also regulates the expression of Fe uptake systems in GAS. Our results indicate that the SodA in GAS requires Mn for full activity and has lower activity when it contains Fe. As a consequence, under conditions of hydrogen peroxide stress where Fe is elevated, we observed that the PerR-regulated Fe(II) efflux system PmtA was required to reduce intracellular Fe, thus protecting SodA from becoming mismetallated. Our findings demonstrate the co-ordinate action of MtsR-regulated Mn(II) import by MtsABC and PerR-regulated Fe(II) efflux by PmtA to ensure appropriate Mn(II) metallation of SodA for optimal superoxide dismutase function.
Performance analysis of coordinate interleaved PLC system with Rayleigh channel gain under Nakagami‐m additive noise
Authors: Sikri Aman , Mathur Aashish , Srinivas K.V.
Published: January 2019

Power line communication (PLC) is an emerging field of communication that makes use of the existing power line infrastructure for the transmission of data and power. However, the presence of additive and multiplicative power line noises deteriorate the performance of a PLC system. Background and impulsive noises are the two main categories of additive noise, whereas channel gain accounts for the multiplicative noise. In this study, the authors propose coordinate interleaving (CI) technique and investigate its performance for a PLC system under the combined effect of Nakagami‐m additive background noise and Rayleigh channel gain. They assume perfect channel state information at the transmitter and receiver of the PLC link. By interleaving the coordinates of the symbols sent over different channel realisations, CI results in significant improvement in the performance of a PLC system. Both the simulated and analytical results shown in this study reveal the effectiveness of the proposed technique in achieving better performance.
Hybrid beamforming for millimetre wave massive MU‐MIMO systems with IQ imbalance
Authors: Zhang Nana , Yin Huarui , Wang Weidong
Published: January 2019

The downlink communication of a single‐cell millimetre wave (mmWave) massive multi‐user multiple‐input multiple‐output (MU‐MIMO) system with hybrid beamforming (HBF) is studied. The authors consider the system with in‐phase and quadrature‐phase imbalance (IQI) at the radio‐frequency (RF) chains. Firstly, they provide the HBF designs based on the complex‐valued effective channel and augmented real‐valued equivalent channel, respectively. Then, they study the impact of IQI on the achievable downlink sum rate and derive the approximation of the achievable sum rate on various HBF schemes. Results show that the sum rate of the receiver designed based on real‐valued equivalent channel increases without bound, but the performance of the receiver designed based on complex‐valued presentation exhibits a finite ceiling, as the number of BS antennas increases. Furthermore, both receivers limit to finite ceiling rates due to IQI as the transmit power goes to infinity. Moreover, the HBF system reaches a peak sum rate at a certain value of the number of users, and IQI has an ignorable impact on the value. Meanwhile, the impact of the amplitude imbalance is more significant on the performance degradation of the HBF system than that of the phase imbalance.
Two new transformerless high step‐down DC–DC converters
Authors: Saadatizadeh Zahra , Chavoshipour Heris Pedram , Sabahi Mehran , Babaei Ebrahim
Published: January 2019

In this study, two new high step‐down DC–DC converters are proposed. The proposed converters are designed transformerless and have similar power circuits. For controlling the switches of the proposed converters, two distinct switching patterns are applied. The first switching pattern is interleaved pulse‐width modulation pulses with 180° phase shifts, which are applied for the first proposed converter, therefore, the first converter has an interleaved switching pattern and its structure is symmetrical, the voltage stress on its elements decreased. On the other hand, there will be two conversion ratio equations for the first proposed converter for duty cycles larger and less than 0.5. The second switching pattern is applied to the proposed second converter; therefore, in this case, the constant voltage gain is obtained for the whole ranges of duty cycles. The sum of voltage stress on its switches and diodes are a little more than the first converter. The proposed converters are analysed for all of their operating modes. To verify the theoretical results, a prototype of the first and second proposed converter for 500/26 and 800/20.5 V, respectively, and 430 W is implemented in laboratory and the extracted results are compared with calculated ones.
Vehicle detection and classification using LTE‐CommSense
Authors: Sardar Santu , Mishra Amit K. , Khan Mohammed Zafar Ali
Published: January 2019

The authors demonstrated a vehicle detection and classification method based on long‐term evolution (LTE) communication infrastructure‐based environment‐sensing instrument, termed as LTE‐CommSense by the authors. This technology is a novel passive sensing system which focuses on the reference signals embedded in the sub‐frames of LTE resource grid. It compares the received signal with the expected reference signal, extracts the evaluated channel state information (CSI) and analyses it to estimate the change in the environment. For vehicle detection and subsequent classification, authors’ setup is similar to a passive radar in forward scattering radar (FSR) mode. Instead of performing the radio frequency (RF) signals directly, the authors take advantage of the processing that happens in a LTE receiver user equipment (UE). The authors tap into the channel estimation and equalisation block and extract the CSI value. CSI value reflects the property of the communication channel between communication base station (eNodeB) and UE. The authors use CSI values for with vehicle and without vehicle case in outdoor open road environment. Being a receiver‐only system, there is no need for any transmission and related regulations. Therefore, this system is low cost, power‐efficient and difficult to detect. Also, most of its processing will be done by the existing LTE communication receiver (UE). Here, the authors establish authors’ claim by analysing field‐collected data. Live LTE downlink (DL) signal is captured using modelled LTE UE using software defined radio (SDR). The detection analysis and classification performance show promising results and ascertain that LTE‐CommSense is capable of detection and classification of different types of vehicles in outdoor road environment.
Automation enhancement and accuracy investigation of a portable single‐camera gait analysis system
Authors: Yang Cheng , Ugbolue Ukadike Chris , McNicol Davis , Stankovic Vladimir , Stankovic Lina , Kerr Andrew , Carse Bruce , Kaliarntas Konstantinos , Rowe Philip J.
Published: January 2019

While optical motion analysis systems can provide high‐fidelity gait parameters, they are usually impractical for local clinics and home use, due to high cost, requirement for large space, and lack of portability. In this study, the authors focus on a cost‐effective and portable, single‐camera gait analysis solution, based on video acquisition with calibration, autonomous detection of frames‐of‐interest, Kalman‐filter + structural‐similarity‐based marker tracking, and autonomous knee angle calculation. The proposed system is tested using 15 participants, including 10 stroke patients and 5 healthy volunteers. The evaluation of autonomous frames‐of‐interest detection shows only 0.2% difference between the frame number of the detected frame compared to the frame number of the manually labelled ground truth frame, and thus can replace manual labelling. The system is validated against a gold standard optical motion analysis system, using knee angle accuracy as metric of assessment. The accuracy investigation between the RGB‐ and the greyscale‐video marker tracking schemes shows that the greyscale system suffers from negligible accuracy loss with a significant processing speed advantage. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system can automatically estimate the knee angle, with R‐squared value larger than 0.95 and Bland‐Altman plot results smaller than 3.0127° mean error.