bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parkinson’s disease: proteinopathy or lipidopathy?
Authors: Fanning Saranna , Selkoe Dennis , Dettmer Ulf
Published: January 2020

Lipids play a more significant role in Parkinson’s disease and its related brain disorders than is currently recognized, supporting a “lipid cascade”. The 14 kDa protein α-synuclein (αS) is strongly associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), other synucleinopathies such as multiple system atrophy, and even certain forms of Alzheimer’s disease. Rigorously deciphering the biochemistry of αS in native systems is the key to developing treatments. αS is highly expressed in the brain, the second most lipid-rich organ, and has been proposed to be a lipid-binding protein that physiologically interacts with phospholipids and fatty acids (FAs). αS-rich cytoplasmic inclusions called Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites are the hallmark lesions of synucleinopathies. Excess αS–membrane interactions may trigger proteinaceous αS aggregation by stimulating its primary nucleation. However, αS may also exert its toxicity prior to or independent of its self-aggregation, e.g., via excessive membrane interactions, which may be promoted by certain lipids and FAs. A complex αS-lipid landscape exists, which comprises both physiological and pathological states of αS. As novel insights about the composition of Lewy lesions occur, new lipid-related PD drug candidates emerge, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) increasingly validate new hits in lipid-associated pathways, it seems timely to review our current knowledge of lipids in PD and consider the roles for these pathways in synucleinopathies.
NHC-gold compounds mediate immune suppression through induction of AHR-TGFβ1 signalling in vitro and in scurfy mice
Authors: Cheng Xinlai , Haeberle Stefanie , Shytaj Iart Luca , Gama-Brambila Rodrigo. A. , Theobald Jannick , Ghafoory Shahrouz , Wölker Jessica , Basu Uttara , Schmidt Claudia , Timm Annika , Taškova Katerina , Bauer Andrea S. , Hoheisel Jörg , Tsopoulidis Nikolaos , Fackler Oliver T. , Savarino Andrea , Andrade-Navarro Miguel A. , Ott Ingo , Lusic Marina , Hadaschik Eva N. , Wölfl Stefan.
Published: January 2020

Gold compounds have a long history of use as immunosuppressants, but their precise mechanism of action is not completely understood. Using our recently developed liver-on-a-chip platform we now show that gold compounds containing planarN-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands are potent ligands for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Further studies showed that the lead compound (MC3) activates TGFβ1 signaling and suppresses CD4+T-cell activation in vitro, in human and mouse T cells. Conversely, genetic knockdown or chemical inhibition of AHR activity or of TGFβ1-SMAD-mediated signaling offsets the MC3-mediated immunosuppression. In scurfy mice, a mouse model of human immunodysregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy X-linked syndrome, MC3 treatment reduced autoimmune phenotypes and extended lifespan from 24 to 58 days. Our findings suggest that the immunosuppressive activity of gold compounds can be improved by introducing planar NHC ligands to activate the AHR-associated immunosuppressive pathway, thus expanding their potential clinical application for autoimmune diseases.
An inner filter effect based sensing system for the determination of caffeine in beverage samples
Authors: González Natalia , Lantmann Corral Sara P. , Zanini Graciela , Montejano Hernán , Acebal Carolina C.
Published: January 2020

A chemosensing system for the determination of caffeine in beverage samples using glibenclamide as a fluorophore.
Why do silanes reduce electron-rich phosphine oxides faster than electron-poor phosphine oxides?
Authors: Kirk Alicia M. , O’Brien Christopher J. , Krenske Elizabeth H.
Published: January 2020

DFT calculations explain the counterintuitive phenomenon that silanes reduce electron-rich (alkyl) phosphine oxides faster than electron-poor (aryl) phosphine oxides.
A catalyst-free bis(triflyl)ethylation/benzannulation reaction: rapid access to carbazole-based superacidic carbon acids from alkynols
Authors: Martín-Mejías Irene , Aragoncillo Cristina , Yanai Hikaru , Hoshikawa Shoki , Fujimoto Yuuki , Matsumoto Takashi , Almendros Pedro
Published: January 2020

A metal- and irradiation-free preparation of Tf2CHCH2-decorated carbazoles from 1-(indol-2-yl)but-3-yn-1-ols under mild conditions with a 2-fluoropyridinium salt as the Tf2CCH2 source has been attained in a straightforward and selective manner.
Palladium-catalyzed aerobic synthesis of ortho-substituted phenols from cyclohexanones and primary alcohols
Authors: Zeng Huiying , Yu Jianjin , Li Chao-Jun
Published: January 2020

An aerobic palladium catalyzed site-specific synthesis of ortho-substituted phenols from cyclohexanones and primary alcohols via an oxidation/aldol/dehydration/aromatization process has been developed.
A gold(i)-catalysed chemoselective three-component reaction between phenols, α-diazocarbonyl compounds and allenamides
Authors: Yu Sifan , Chen Jinzhou , Liu Gengxin , Lei Jinping , Hu Wenhao , Qiu Huang
Published: January 2020

A gold(i)-catalysed highly chemoselective three-component reaction of phenols, α-diazocarbonyl compounds and allenamides is presented. This transformation features mild reaction conditions, high functional group tolerance, and broad applicability.
Effects of pillar size modulation on the magneto-structural coupling in self-assembled BiFeO3–CoFe2O4 heteroepitaxy
Authors: Amrillah Tahta , Chen Yu-Xun , Duong My Ngoc , Abdussalam Wildan , Simanjuntak Firman Mangasa , Chen Chia-Hao , Chu Ying-Hao , Juang Jenh-Yih
Published: January 2020

The magneto-structural coupling of BiFeO3 (BFO)–CoFe2O4 (CFO)/LaAlO3 (LAO) heteroepitaxy with various lateral sizes of CFO pillars embedded in a BFO matrix was investigated.
Nonsphericity in diferratetracarbaboranes having 2n + 2 Wadean skeletal electrons: deviations from closo deltahedral geometries and high-energy kinetically stable isomers
Authors: Attia Amr A. A. , Lupan Alexandru , King R. Bruce
Published: January 2020

The three Cp2Fe2C4Me4 isomers, produced under relatively mild conditions and having an “open” tetragonal or pentagonal face, correspond to the lowest energy structures not based on the 14-vertex closo deltahedron. The corresponding global minimum is an experimentally observed closo structure.
In situ observation of the potential-dependent structure of an electrolyte/electrode interface by heterodyne-detected vibrational sum frequency generation
Authors: Sayama Atsushi , Nihonyanagi Satoshi , Ohshima Yasuhiro , Tahara Tahei
Published: January 2020

HD-VSFG spectroscopy reveals the potential-dependent interfacial structure of an electrochemical interface at the molecular level.
First principle studies on the atmospheric oxidation of HFC-C1436 initiated by the OH radical
Authors: Bhuvaneswari R. , Senthilkumar K.
Published: January 2020

Study on the reactivity of HFC-C1436 with OH radical using electronic structure calculations.
Selective detection of Fe3+ ions based on fluorescence MXene quantum dots via a mechanism integrating electron transfer and inner filter effect
Authors: Zhang Qiuxia , Sun Yan , Liu Meiling , Liu Yang
Published: January 2020

Fluorescence quantum dots (QDs) are promising functional nanomaterials in chemical biology and environmental applications, where an analyte-induced responsive system is beneficial for detecting numerous life-related molecules and pollutants.
Advanced nanotechnology for hypoxia-associated antitumor therapy
Authors: Zhao Lirong , Fu Changhui , Tan Longfei , Li Ting , Zhong Hongshan , Meng Xianwei
Published: January 2020

Two major strategies of using and overcoming hypoxia in advanced nanotechnology.
Structure design and performance of photomultiplication-type organic photodetectors based on an aggregation-induced emission material
Authors: Guo Dechao , Xu Zeng , Yang Dezhi , Ma Dongge , Tang Benzhong , Vadim Agafonov
Published: January 2020

High performance photomultiplication-type organic photodetectors based on an AIE material were successfully fabricated by designing a device structure.
A new tandem peptide modified liposomal doxorubicin for tumor “ecological therapy”
Authors: Zhao Ting , Zhou Hongli , Lei Lei , Guo Chenqi , Yang Qin , Gong Ting , Sun Xun , Song Xu , Gong Tao , Zhang Zhirong
Published: January 2020

We develop a novel peptide-modified liposome incorporated into doxorubicin as a therapy system, which targets not only the cellular compartment such as cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor-associated macrophages but also extra-cellular components of breast cancer.
Seed-mediated evolution of hierarchical metal–organic framework quaternary superstructures
Authors: Feng Liang , Wang Kun-Yu , Yan Tian-Hao , Zhou Hong-Cai
Published: January 2020

Varying levels of hierarchy in metal–organic framework (MOF) superstructures are achieved through seed-mediated evolution of multiple MOF modules.
Enhanced electrolytic oxygen evolution by the synergistic effects of trimetallic FeCoNi boride oxides immobilized on polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide
Authors: Mao Hui , Guo Xi , Fu Yuanlin , Yang Haoran , Zhang Yu , Zhang Rui , Song Xi-Ming
Published: January 2020

Trimetallic FeCoNiBOx/PPy/rGO nanocomposites exhibit optimal OER activity due to the synergistic effects of each component.
Graphitic carbon nitride doped SnO2 enabling efficient perovskite solar cells with PCEs exceeding 22%
Authors: Chen Jinbo , Dong Hua , Zhang Lin , Li Jingrui , Jia Fuhao , Jiao Bo , Xu Jie , Hou Xun , Liu Jian , Wu Zhaoxin
Published: January 2020

The energy level alignment and carrier mobility of the charge transport layer are of crucial importance for electron extraction and transport in planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells (PSCs).
Creating life-long anglers: impacts of a high school fishing program on youth fishing, related knowledge, confidence and perception of barriers
Authors: Morales Nia A. , Paudyal Ramesh , Hughes Conor
Published: January 2020

Youth fishing programs are an important gateway into continued fishing participation. With the current focus on R3 (recruitment, retention, and reactivation), it is important to understand the impacts fishing programs can have on their participants' knowledge, confidence, and interest in continuation. In this study, we conducted retrospective pre-post surveys of participants in a high school fishing program in Florida, USA, and compared results to a group of non-participating peers. We found significant increases in knowledge and confidence related to fishing skills among participants and significantly higher skills and confidence reported by participants as compared to non-participants. We also saw higher levels of self-identity as an angler as well as more desire to continue fishing on their own as compared to non-participants. The positive impacts of programs like this are important to the recruitment and retention of young anglers and continued evaluation of their effectiveness will lead to improved outreach programming.
Living with the Unknown: A Qualitative Study of Parental Experience of Prognostic Uncertainty in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Krick Jeanne A. , Weiss Elliott Mark , Snyder Anna , Haldar Shefali , Campelia Georgina D. , Opel Douglas J.
Published: January 2020

Objective This study aims to characterize the experience of prognostic uncertainty for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents.

Study Design We conducted a qualitative interview study of current and former NICU parents regarding their experience with prognostic uncertainty in the NICU. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a grounded theory methodology.

Results Twenty-four parents were interviewed before achieving thematic saturation. Three phases of the parental experience of prognostic uncertainty emerged: shock, gray daze, and looking forward. These phases often, but not always, occurred sequentially. In shock, parents felt overwhelmed by uncertainty and were unable to visualize a future for their family. In gray daze, parents felt frustrated by the continued uncertainty. While accepting the possibility of a future for their family, they could not conceptualize a path by which to achieve it. In looking forward, parents accepted uncertainty as inevitable and incorporated it into their vision of the future.

Conclusion While each parent experienced the prognostic uncertainty in the neonatal intensive care unit in their own way, we found three common experiential phases. By understanding how a parent experiences prognostic uncertainty in these phases, providers may become better able to communicate and form therapeutic relationships with parents.
Relative-path-based algorithm for link prediction on complex networks using a basic similarity factor
Authors: Li Shibao , Huang Junwei , Liu Jianhang , Huang Tingpei , Chen Haihua
Published: January 2020

Complex networks have found many applications in various fields. An important problem in theories of complex networks is to find factors that aid link prediction, which is needed for network reconstruction and to study network evolution mechanisms. Though current similarity-based algorithms study factors of common neighbors and local paths connecting a target node pair, they ignore factor information on paths between a node and its neighbors. Therefore, this paper first supposes that paths between nodes and neighbors provide basic similarity features. Accordingly, we propose a so-called relative-path-based method. This method utilizes factor information on paths between nodes and neighbors, besides paths between node pairs, in similarity calculation for link prediction. Furthermore, we solve the problem of determining the parameters in our algorithm as well as in other algorithms after a series of discoveries and validations. Experimental results on six disparate real networks demonstrate that the relative-path-based method can obtain greater prediction accuracy than other methods, as well as performance robustness.
200-mm segmented cylindrical figured crystal for von Hamos x-ray spectrometer
Authors: Rani Sunita , Lee Jae Hyuk , Kim Yongsam
Published: January 2020

A von Hamos Bragg crystal spectrometer at 1C beamline of Pohang Accelerator Laboratory for x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) is described. Diced Si crystals of different orientations ([111], [110], [100], and [311]) are glued onto a planoconcave glass substrate having 250/500 mm radius of curvature. To enhance the spectrometer efficiency, the length of the crystal analyzer is kept 200 mm. The emission spectra of Cu foil and Fe foil and elastic scattering from Al foil are measured using the von Hamos geometry in which curved crystals disperse the x-rays. Spectrometer efficiency and energy resolution are measured at various x-ray photon energies. X-rays are incident at 6.54 keV, 9.00 keV, 9.205 keV, and 11.51 keV for Si(440), Si(444), Si(800), and Si(933) crystal analyzers, respectively. The cylindrical figured analyzer is placed near 80° with respect to the sample, which gives better energy resolution. The spectrometer efficiency of the Si(444) crystal analyzer increases by ∼2 times when the length of the analyzer is increased from 100 mm to 200 mm. Furthermore, to measure Fe Kα1, Kα2, and Kβ simultaneously, we made a mixed crystal analyzer in which alternative strips of Si[111] and Si[110] are glued onto one preshaped cylindrical substrate. The enhanced efficiency and simultaneous measurement of Kα and Kβ emission lines will give an edge over in situ and time-resolved x-ray emission spectroscopy studies. The information extracted with a high efficiency spectrometer from low intensity XES emission lines will be useful for the in situ elemental characterization in catalytic reactions.
3D particle-in-cell simulations of electron magnetic confinement in electron cyclotron resonance ion sources
Authors: Jin Xiaolin , Lei Li , Li Jibo , Huang Tao , Zhang Xiaoyan , Yang Zhonghai , Li Bin
Published: January 2020

The electron confinement in an electron cyclotron resonance ion source is considered a critical factor that has a great influence on the working efficiency. In this paper, a three-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell code is presented for simulations of the electron confinement in minimum-B structures. Electron dynamics under the effect of electromagnetic fields is modeled through a leapfrog scheme by solving Maxwell’s equations and the particle equations of motion iteratively. Some characteristics of electron magnetic confinement are obtained through a benchmarking example. Preliminary results of the simulation show good agreement with the well-known effects.
Lead-free hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites for solar cell applications
Authors: Tuoc Vu Ngoc , Huan Tran Doan
Published: January 2020

Within materials informatics, a rapidly developing subfield of materials research, past (curated) data are mined and learned for either discovering new materials or identifying new functionalities of known materials. This paper provides an example of this process. Starting from a recently developed (very diverse) dataset which includes 1346 hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs), we downselect a subset of 350 three dimensional HOIPs to a final set of four lead-free HOIPs, including CH3NH3SnI3, HC(NH2)2SnI3, NH2NH3SnI3, and NH2(CH2)3SnI3, in which the first two were experimentally synthesized and the others remain hypothetical. Using first-principles based computational methods, we show that these HOIPs have preferable electronic band structures and carrier effective mass, good optical properties, and high spectroscopic limited maximum efficiency. Compared to the experimental data, we find that state-of-the-art numerical methods can predict the electronic and optical properties fairly well, while the current model for the spectroscopic limited maximum efficiency is inadequate for capturing the power conversion efficiency of a solar absorber. We suggest that the HOIP dataset should be expanded to include larger structures of HOIPs, thereby being more useful for future data-mining and machine-learning approaches.
Neutron backscatter edge: A measure of the hydrodynamic properties of the dense DT fuel at stagnation in ICF experiments
Authors: Crilly A. J. , Appelbe B. D. , Mannion O. M. , Forrest C. J. , Gopalaswamy V. , Walsh C. A. , Chittenden J. P.
Published: January 2020

The kinematic lower bound for the single scattering of neutrons produced in deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion reactions produces a backscatter edge in the measured neutron spectrum. The energy spectrum of backscattered neutrons is dependent on the scattering ion velocity distribution. As the neutrons preferentially scatter in the densest regions of the capsule, the neutron backscatter edge presents a unique measurement of the hydrodynamic conditions in the dense DT fuel. It is shown that the spectral shape of the edge is determined by the scattering rate weighted fluid velocity and temperature of the dense DT fuel layer during neutron production. In order to fit the neutron spectrum, a model for the various backgrounds around the backscatter edge is developed and tested on synthetic data produced from hydrodynamic simulations of OMEGA implosions. It is determined that the analysis could be utilized on current inertial confinement fusion experiments in order to measure the dense fuel properties.
Effect of electron concentration on electrical conductivity in in situ Al-TiB2 nanocomposites
Authors: Pan Shuaihang , Yuan Jie , Zhang Peng , Sokoluk Maximilian , Yao Gongcheng , Li Xiaochun
Published: January 2020

Electrical conductivity is important for the applications of metals containing nanoparticles, and a thorough understanding of how nanoparticles affect their electrical conductivity is much needed. In this paper, an in situ Al-TiB2 nanocomposite is used as a model system to study its electrical behavior from 10–300 K with Hall scanning up to ±6 T. By experimentally identifying the respective contributions from the nanoparticle size, grain boundaries, dislocation density, and nanoparticle volume percentage, it suggests that a low volume percent of TiB2 nanoparticles can reduce the electron concentration significantly to decrease the electrical conductivity of the Al-TiB2 nanocomposites, while yielding less effect on the electron mobility. Moreover, the results show that the intrinsically enhanced electron-phonon interaction and the interfacial bound states by TiB2 nanoparticles play a role in lowering the electron concentration. This understanding of how nanoparticles affect the electrical conductivity provides useful insights into the rational design and optimization of metal matrix nanocomposites for numerous applications.
The alchemical energy landscape for a pentameric cluster
Authors: Morgan John W. R. , Glotzer Sharon C.
Published: January 2020

We investigate the energy landscape of an alchemical system of point particles in which the parameters of the interparticle potential are treated as degrees of freedom. Using geometrical optimization, we locate minima and transition states on the landscape for pentamers. We show that it is easy to find the parameters that give the lowest energy minimum and that the distribution of minima on the alchemical landscape is concentrated in particular areas. In contrast to the usual changes to an energy landscape when adding more degrees of freedom, we find that introducing alchemical degrees of freedom can reduce the number of minima. Moreover, compared to landscapes of the same system with fixed parameters, these minima on the alchemical landscape are separated by high barriers. We classify transition states on the alchemical landscape by whether they become minima or remain transition states when the potential parameters are fixed at the stationary point value. We show that those that become minima have a significant alchemical component in the direction of the pathway, while those that remain as transition states can be characterized mainly in terms of atomic displacements.
Development of 4H-SiC Schottky np diode with high blocking voltage and ultralow on-resistance
Authors: Kojima Kazutoshi , Okumura Hajime
Published: January 2020

A Schottky np diode (SNPD) was fabricated on a 4H-SiC C-face epitaxial wafer, and its I-V characteristics were investigated. The diode showed a high blocking voltage of 300 V and ultralow on-resistance of 0.18 m Ω cm2 at a forward bias of 2.4 V. This value is almost the same as the resistance of the 4H-SiC bulk substrate, indicating that the resistance of the drift layer is almost zero and does not contribute to the observed on-resistance. As the temperature was increased, the forward I-V curve moved in parallel as the built-in bias shifted to a lower voltage due to the reduction in the barrier height of the np junction. This means that the resistance of SNPD above built-in bias is the same regardless of temperature. These results suggest that the diode is different from the conventional Schottky diodes and pn diodes. This diode has great potential for devices with both ultralow on-resistance and high blocking voltage.
Strain-tunable electronic and magnetic properties of two-dimensional gallium nitride with vacancy defects
Authors: Yeoh K. H. , Chew K.-H. , Yoon T. L. , Rusi  , Ong D. S.
Published: January 2020

Based on density functional theory, we have investigated the effects of in-plane biaxial strain on the electronic and magnetic properties of the two-dimensional GaN (2D GaN) with Ga- (VGa) or N-vacancy (VN). We considered two different levels of vacancy concentration, i.e., θ=1/62 and θ=1/34. While the pristine GaN 2D structures are intrinsically semiconducting, the 2D GaN with VGa defects under tensile/compressive biaxial strains is metallic, except at a high compressive strain of 6%. In addition, the 2D GaN exhibits a strain-tunable magnetic property by introducing the VGa defects, where the magnetic moment can be modulated by applying a biaxial strain on the material. A compressive strain larger than 2% tends to suppress the magnetic effect. A drastic reduction of the total magnetization from 2.21 μB to 0.16 μB is clearly visible for a lower VGa concentration of θ=1/62. On the other hand, the 2D GaN with VN defects is nonmagnetic, and this behavior is not affected by the biaxial strain.
Direct detection of rare earth ion distributions in gallium nitride and its influence on growth morphology
Authors: Mitchell B. , Timmerman D. , Zhu W. , Lin J. Y. , Jiang H. X. , Poplawsky J. , Ishii R. , Kawakami Y. , Dierolf V. , Tatebayashi J. , Ichikawa S. , Fujiwara Y.
Published: January 2020

The dopant distribution and surface and structural properties of Er- and Eu-doped GaN samples were investigated using atom probe tomography (APT) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Erbium accumulation within host GaN threading dislocations was directly detected by APT allowing for the dislocations to be imaged in three dimensions. In addition, photoluminescence spectroscopy with high lateral resolution, by means of scanning near-field optical microscopy, was performed on Eu-doped GaN samples. By combining these results with AFM mappings of the same area, it was concluded that Eu3+ ions also accumulate at threading dislocations. Moreover, high-resolution surface profiles of both samples show that even dilute doping (<0.2%) of Eu and Er has a significant influence on the growth morphology of the GaN host material and the nature of the threading dislocations within it. Transmission electron microscopy techniques were used to show the influence of rare-earth incorporation on the growth of GaN lattice and the propagation of threading dislocations.
Dynamical coexistence in moderately polydisperse hard-sphere glasses
Authors: Campo Matteo , Speck Thomas
Published: January 2020

We perform extensive numerical simulations of a paradigmatic model glass former, the hard-sphere fluid with 10% polydispersity. We sample from the ensemble of trajectories with fixed observation time, whereby single trajectories are generated by event-driven molecular dynamics. We show that these trajectories can be characterized in terms of the local structure, and we find a dynamical-structural (active-inactive) phase transition between two dynamical phases: one dominated by liquidlike trajectories with a low degree of local order and one dominated by glassylike trajectories with a high degree of local order. We show that both phases coexist and are separated by a spatiotemporal interface. Sampling exceptionally long trajectories allows us to perform a systematic finite-size scaling analysis. We find excellent agreement with Binder’s scaling theory for first-order transitions. Interestingly, the coexistence region narrows at higher densities, supporting the idea of a critical point controlling the dynamic arrest. Scaling of the susceptibility suggests that the critical behavior falls into the universality class of directed percolation in 3 + 1 dimensions.
Actively controlled local drug delivery using conductive polymer-based devices
Authors: Chapman Christopher A. R. , Cuttaz Estelle A. , Goding Josef A. , Green Rylie A.
Published: January 2020

Localized and actively controlled delivery of drugs presents an opportunity for improving bioavailability, therapeutic efficacy, and long-term treatment of injury or disease. Conductive polymer (CP) based systems present a unique opportunity for using inherent electrochemical and actuating properties to ensure that drugs are delivered or retained using charge controlled mechanisms. A number of CP formats have been explored spanning CP films, composites of CPs with polymeric carriers, and organic electronic ion pumps (OEIPs). Each of these designs can be used to deliver drugs with ionic properties that take advantage of the doping and dedoping characteristics of CPs during electrical pulsing or cycling. However, CP composites that use actuation and OEIPs are emerging technologies that can better address the need for the delivery of a wide range of drugs with varying net charge properties. These systems also allow a high drug loading profile, and with an appropriate configuration, they can use additional electrodes to drive drugs into the tissues. There are also innovative opportunities in the delivery of multiple drug types with varying charge properties that can be individually addressed. The future of CP based drug delivery systems will be strongly influenced by translational challenges including the need for regulatory approvals prior to the use of these novel material platforms in the clinic. Multidisciplinary collaboration will be critical to driving technology development and creating a new paradigm in personalized bioelectronic delivery of therapeutics.
High-resolution deep view microscopy of cells and tissues
Authors: Schneckenburger H. , Richter V. , Gelleri M. , Ritz S. , Vaz Pandolfo R. , Schock F. , von Hase J. , Birk U. , Cremer C.
Published: January 2020

Methods, experimental setups and perspectives of three-dimensional deep view imaging microscopy of cell or tissue samples are reported. Preliminary biophysical and clinically relevant examples are presented.
Laser speckle contrast imaging of blood microcirculation in pancreatic tissues during laparoscopic interventions
Authors: Potapova E.V. , Seryogina E.S. , Dremin V.V. , Stavtsev D.D. , Kozlov I.O. , Zherebtsov E.A. , Mamoshin A.V. , Ivanov Yu.V. , Dunaev A.V.
Published: January 2020

Laser speckle contrast imaging of the microcirculatory bed of the pancreas is performed, which allows its condition to be assessed and thereby is an additional valuable tool for making a diagnostic decision and dynamically monitoring the effectiveness of the treatment for pathology of the abdominal organs. Laparoscopic operations on the pancreas are low-traumatic and in most cases avoid open surgical interventions. For the first time an experimental system for recording speckle images, combined with a commercially available five-millimetre rigid laparoscope, is presented. The sensitivity of the system to the fluid motion in a capillary at different velocities is determined, and the possibility of finding areas of blood microcirculation disturbance in modelling pancreatic ischemia in an experiment on laboratory animals is revealed. The laparoscope illumination channel is verified by comparison with speckle dynamics under external illumination of the studied object.
Structural and optical properties of nanoparticles formed by laser ablation of porous silicon in liquids: Perspectives in biophotonics
Authors: Zabotnov S.V. , Kurakina D.A. , Kashaev F.V. , Skobelkina A.V. , Kolchin A.V. , Kaminskaya T.P. , Khilov A.V. , Agrba P.D. , Sergeeva E.A. , Kashkarov P.K. , Kirillin M.Yu. , Golovan L.A.
Published: January 2020

The paper discusses the possibility of manufacturing silicon nanoparticles, which are suitable for contrasting biological tissues imaged by optical coherence tomography, by femtosecond laser ablation of porous silicon in various liquids. The manufactured nanoparticles are characterised by average sizes of 87, 112, and 102 nm for cases of ablation in water, ethanol, and liquid nitrogen, respectively, as well as a relatively narrow size distribution, which provides additional advantages for subsequent delivery into biological tissues. Electrochemical etching, which results in the formation of layers of porous silicon, allows the yield of ablation products to be increased several-fold by lowering the ablation threshold, thereby increasing the light scattering efficiency of the prepared suspensions compared with the case of using crystalline silicon as targets. The possibility of obtaining high-contrast images of a biotissue phantom based on an agar gel with embedded nanoparticles is shown. The magnitude of the contrast depends on the liquid used for ablation and correlates with the values of the reduced scattering coefficient of the studied suspensions.
Comparative analysis of the methods for quantitative determination of water content in skin from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy data
Authors: Yakimov B.P. , Davydov D.A. , Fadeev V.V. , Budylin G.S. , Shirshin E.A.
Published: January 2020

The predictive properties of methods aimed for estimating the water content in skin from the spectral diffuse reflection characteristics near the water absorption line in the near-IR spectral range are analysed. Numerical simulation data, experimental data on diffuse reflection from human skin phantoms, and data from the reference data set of human skin reflectance spectra are used to consider the possibility of gaining additional information about the water distribution in skin. The influence of variations in the scattering coefficient and oxyhaemoglobin concentration on the water content estimates is investigated.
Control of the optical properties of gum and dentin tissue of a human tooth at laser spectral lines in the range of 200 – 800 nm
Authors: Selifonov A.A. , Tuchin V.V.
Published: January 2020

A change in the optical properties of the tissue of the gums and dentin of a human tooth is experimentally investigatedin vitrowith the application of a 99.5 % glycerol solution. The kinetics of the total transmittance in the spectral range of 200 – 800 nm on characteristic laser lines is studied. It is shown that the effectiveness of optical clearing, expressed as a relative increase in the total transmittance, for gum tissue in the laser radiation range of 200 – 800 nm can vary significantly (by an order of magnitude). In this case, the absolute values of optical transmittance in the UV region are relatively small due to the strong absorption by the endogenous chromophores of the studied tissues, and in the visible and NIR regions, on the contrary, they are significant, which is due to the absence of strongly absorbing chromophores. The effectiveness of dentin clearing in the entire visible and NIR spectral regions is on average 25 % for 300 minutes of immersion of the sample in a 99.5 % glycerol solution. The presented results are necessary for increasing the efficiency of laser therapy and methods for optical monitoring of morphological changes in biological tissues for the purpose of early diagnosis of diseases.
Improved protein structure prediction using predicted interresidue orientations
Authors: Yang Jianyi , Anishchenko Ivan , Park Hahnbeom , Peng Zhenling , Ovchinnikov Sergey , Baker David
Published: January 2020

The prediction of interresidue contacts and distances from coevolutionary data using deep learning has considerably advanced protein structure prediction. Here, we build on these advances by developing a deep residual network for predicting interresidue orientations, in addition to distances, and a Rosetta-constrained energy-minimization protocol for rapidly and accurately generating structure models guided by these restraints. In benchmark tests on 13th Community-Wide Experiment on the Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction (CASP13)- and Continuous Automated Model Evaluation (CAMEO)-derived sets, the method outperforms all previously described structure-prediction methods. Although trained entirely on native proteins, the network consistently assigns higher probability to de novo-designed proteins, identifying the key fold-determining residues and providing an independent quantitative measure of the “ideality” of a protein structure. The method promises to be useful for a broad range of protein structure prediction and design problems.
An anticancer gold(III)-activated porphyrin scaffold that covalently modifies protein cysteine thiols
Authors: Tong Ka-Chung , Lok Chun-Nam , Wan Pui-Ki , Hu Di , Fung Yi Man Eva , Chang Xiao-Yong , Huang Song , Jiang Haibo , Che Chi-Ming
Published: January 2020

Cysteine thiols of many cancer-associated proteins are attractive targets of anticancer agents. Herein, we unequivocally demonstrate a distinct thiol-targeting property of gold(III) mesoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (AuMesoIX) and its anticancer activities. While the binding of cysteine thiols with metal complexes usually occurs via M–S bond formation, AuMesoIX is unique in that the
meso
-carbon atom of the porphyrin ring is activated by the gold(III) ion to undergo nucleophilic aromatic substitution with thiols. AuMesoIX was shown to modify reactive cysteine residues and inhibit the activities of anticancer protein targets including thioredoxin, peroxiredoxin, and deubiquitinases. Treatment of cancer cells with AuMesoIX resulted in the formation of gold-bound sulfur-rich protein aggregates, oxidative stress-mediated cytotoxicity, and accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. Importantly, AuMesoIX exhibited effective antitumor activity in mice. Our study has uncovered a gold(III)-induced ligand scaffold reactivity for thiol targeting that can be exploited for anticancer applications.
The formation of the thumb requires direct modulation of
Gli3
transcription by Hoxa13
Authors: Bastida Maria Félix , Pérez-Gómez Rocío , Trofka Anna , Zhu Jianjian , Rada-Iglesias Alvaro , Sheth Rushikesh , Stadler H. Scott , Mackem Susan , Ros Marian A.
Published: January 2020

Significance

To understand the special morphology of the thumb (digit 1), an important adaptation of the human hand, we studied
Hoxa13
-null mice that specifically lack this digit. We show that
Hoxa13
mutant limbs specifically lose
Hoxd13
expression in the presumptive digit 1 region, correlating with increased
Gli3
transcription and Gli3 repressor activity. We also show that Hox13 paralogs regulate
Gli3
transcription by negatively modulating the activity of
Gli3
enhancers. Our results indicate that mutual antagonism between Gli3 and Hox13 paralogs determines the anterior−posterior asymmetry of the handplate and that Hoxa13 acts hierarchically to initiate formation of a digit 1 territory by attenuating
Gli3
transcription and enabling second-phase expansion of
5′Hoxd
expression.
Role-space in VRS and VRI
Authors: Lee Robert G.
Published: January 2020

This chapter explores issues related to Video Relay Services
(VRS), a telephone access service for Deaf people and Video Remote
Interpreting (VRI). First there is a discussion of Deaf people and
specifically users of sign language and how they negotiate remote
communicative interactions (initially without direct access to audio-only
technologies such as the telephone). Similarities and differences between
VRS services for Deaf people and remote interpreted interactions (which can
involve signed and spoken or solely spoken language interlocutors) are then
explored.

The concept of role-space (Llewellyn-Jones and Lee 2014) is then introduced as a lens
through which these interactions can be analysed. A discussion of VRI
situations through the role-space dimensions of interaction management,
participant alignment and presentation of self is presented. Finally,
recommendations for factors to be considered to make VRI situations more
effective are presented.
On the role of the interlocutor in second
language development
Authors: Philp Jenefer , Gurzynski-Weiss Laura
Published: January 2020

In this chapter we examine
the role of the interlocutor in second language
(L2) learning and use from a
cognitive-interactionist perspective,
concentrating on oral interaction in face-to-face
and (written and/or video) chat-based contexts. We
center our discussion on the ways relationship,
status, proficiency, or familiarity between
interlocutors impact L2 interaction and
opportunities for development, as well as how
interlocutor individual differences play a part in
the interaction. Finally, we outline ways to
continue this line of work, including suggestions
for researchers, teachers, and students alike.
Variationist perspective(s) on interlocutor
individual differences
Authors: Geeslin Kimberly L.
Published: January 2020

The variationist
perspective provides tools for modeling language
use in context by incorporating the influences of
social and linguistic factors in the interactional
setting. These influencing factors include speaker
characteristics (age, regional origin),
characteristics of the setting (formality), and
characteristics of other participants in the
interaction (Geeslin & Long, 2014). In second
language research, these factors can describe
change over time (i.e., development) and the
acquisition of sociolinguistic competence (i.e.,
the ability to modify one’s speech in socially
acceptable ways across settings) (Canale & Swain,
1980; Tarone, 2007). While the variationist
perspective is well equipped for addressing the
role of the interlocutor, the potential of
variationist tools has not been fully exploited.
The present chapter reviews existing variationist
research, provides a new model that includes these
interlocutor-related factors, and proposes a
research agenda for moving forward.
Complexity Theory
Authors: Larsen-Freeman Diane
Published: January 2020

Complexity theorists are interested in
understanding the relations among
components in a complex system and how individual
differences in the components affect their
relationship to other components. Specific to our
interests here, the ability of speakers to adjust
their speech depends on the relationship with the person with whom they
interact. Further, all interactions involve mutual
influence (Ricca, 2012). Larsen-Freeman and Cameron
(2008a) call this bidirectional influence
“co-adaptation.”

Existing research on interaction
is briefly surveyed before turning to the view of
interlocutor interaction that Complexity Theory inspires.
Before concluding, research attesting to the
effect of interlocutor individual differences
(age, experience, sex, status, similarity,
identity, first language) is reviewed. Finally,
four considerations for enhancing future research
on interlocutor individual differences are
proposed.
Impact of growth kinetics on the interface morphology and magnetization in La1/3Sr2/3FeO3/La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 heterostructures
Authors: Waschk M , Sarkar A , Barthel J , Voigt J , Schröder S , Zakalek P , Schmitz M , Kirby B J , Pütter S , Schubert J , Brückel T
Published: January 2020

The ability to create atomically perfect, epitaxial heterostructures of correlated complex perovskite oxides using state-of-art thin film deposition techniques has generated new physical phenomena at engineered interfaces. Here we report on the impact of growth kinetics on the magnetic structure and exchange coupling at the interface in heterostructures combining layers of antiferromagnetic La1/3Sr2/3FeO3 (LSFO) and ferromagnetic La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO) on (0 0 1)-oriented SrTiO3 (STO) substrates. Two growth orders are investigated, (a) LSMO/LSFO/STO(0 0 1) and (b) LSFO/LSMO/STO(0 0 1), where the LSFO layer is grown by molecular beam epitaxy and the LSMO layer by high oxygen pressure sputtering. The interface has been investigated using electron microscopy and polarized neutron reflectometry. Interdiffusion over seven monolayers is observed in LSMO/LSFO (a) with an almost 50% reduction in magnetization at the interface and showing no exchange coupling. However, the exchange bias effect (

mT at 10 K) could be realized when the interface is atomically sharp, as in LSFO/LSMO (b). Our study therefore reveals that, even for well ordered and lattice-matched structures, the kinetics involved in the growth processes drastically influences the interface quality with a strong correlation to the magnetic properties.
A soft gripper with programmable effective length, tactile and curvature sensory feedback
Authors: Hao Yufei , Liu Zemin , Liu Jiaqi , Fang Xi , Fang Bin , Nie Shilin , Guan Yingchun , Sun Fuchun , Wang Tianmiao , Wen Li
Published: January 2020

Soft grippers based on fluidic elastomer actuators have the characteristics of gentle and adaptable grasping that is difficult to realize by rigid grippers. However, it remains challenging to implement a compact gripping device that has multiple bending configurations to exert appropriate force, and sensory capabilities to evaluate the grasping state. Here, we present a soft gripper with variable effective lengths (VELs) that is achieved by rapidly softening selective shape memory polymer sections (within 0.6 s) via a flexible heater. A vortex tube is used to jet cold airflow to accelerate the stiffening process (within 14 s). We show that the soft gripper can not only identify objects but also exert higher gripping force by setting appropriate length according to pneumatic-thermal hybrid actuation. We further propose a touch-reconfiguration-grasp strategy to showcase the synergy of VELs and sensory feedback. The gripper first touches the object under the fully softened state and evaluates the grasping condition based on the sensors’ feedback, then reconfigures the bending length and grasps the object until successful. We envision that soft grippers with sensing ability and reconfigurable grasping configurations would be promising for future applications in unconstructed environments.
Strategies of object polarization and their role in electrosensory information gathering
Authors: Caputi Angel A , Aguilera Pedro A
Published: January 2020

Weakly electric fish polarize the nearby environment with a stereotyped electric field and gain information by detecting the changes imposed by objects with tuned sensors. Here we focus on polarization strategies as paradigmatic bioinspiring mechanisms for sensing devices. We begin this research developing a toy model that describes three polarization strategies exhibited by three different groups of fish. We then report an experimental analysis which confirmed predictions of the model and in turn predicted functional consequences that were explored in behavioral experiments in the pulse fishGymnotus omarorum. In the experiments, polarization was evaluated by estimating the object’s stamp (i.e. the electric source that produces the same electric image as the object) as a function of object impedance, orientation, and position. Signal detection and discrimination was explored inG. omarorumby provoking novelty responses, which are known to reflect the increment in the electric image provoked by a change in nearby impedance. To achieve this, we stepped the longitudinal impedance of a cylindrical object between two impedances (either capacitive or resistive). Object polarization and novelty responses indicate thatG. omarorumhas two functional regions in the electrosensory field. At the front of the fish, there is a foveal field where object position and orientation are encoded in signal intensity, while the qualia associated with impedance is encoded in signal time course. On the side of the fish there is a peripheral field where the complexity of the polarizing field facilitates detection of objects oriented in any angle with respect to the fish´s longitudinal axis. These findings emphasize the importance of articulating field generation, sensor tuning and the repertoire of exploratory movements to optimize performance of artificial active electrosensory systems.
Kit’s development for automation mechanical transmission of a cargo vehicle
Authors: Vashurin A S , Butin D A , Yarzhemsky A D
Published: January 2020

The article describes the electric drive design for clutch control. A feature of the developed electric drive is the compensation mechanism use that allowed reducing the electric motor drive power. The developed electric drive controls the car clutch via a standard hydraulic system. The electric hydraulic clutch control does not have a pump and a flow control valve, but it is based on the piston movement in the main clutch cylinder. The main design steps were: determination of the diaphragm clutch spring parameters and operating cycles; choice of the compensation mechanism power characteristics; electric motor and gear ratio selection. The device operation was tested by simulation in a computer programs package. The calculation showed that the use of the compensation mechanism allowed to reduce the electric motor power in the electric drive by 5.7 times. This enabled to decrease energy consumption during the electric drive operation as well as to reduce its dimensions and cost.