bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EGFR-L858R mutant enhances lung adenocarcinoma cell invasive ability and promotes malignant pleural effusion formation through activation of the CXCL12-CXCR4 pathway
Authors: Tsai Meng-Feng , Chang Tzu-Hua , Wu Shang-Gin , Yang Hsiao-Yin , Hsu Yi-Chiung , Yang Pan-Chyr , Shih Jin-Yuan
Published: September 2015

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common clinical problem in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients; however, the underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown. Recent studies indicate that the frequency of the L858R mutant form of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR-L858R) is higher in lung adenocarcinoma with MPE than in surgically resected specimens, suggesting that lung adenocarcinoma cells harboring this mutation tend to invade the adjacent pleural cavity. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between the EGFR-L858R mutation and cancer cell invasion ability and to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of MPE. We found that expression of EGFR-L858R in lung cancer cells resulted in up-regulation of the CXCR4 in association with increased cancer cell invasive ability and MPE formation. Ectopic expression of EGFR-L858R in lung cancer cells acted through activation of ERK signaling pathways to induce the expression of CXCR4. We also indicated that Inhibition of CXCR4 with small interfering RNA, neutralizing antibody, or receptor antagonist significantly suppressed the EGFR-L858R–dependent cell invasion. These results suggest that targeting the production of CXCR4 and blocking the CXCL12-CXCR4 pathway might be effective strategies for treating NSCLCs harboring a specific type of EGFR mutation.
Effects of acoustic levitation on the development of zebrafish, Danio rerio, embryos
Authors: Sundvik Maria , Nieminen Heikki J. , Salmi Ari , Panula Pertti , Hæggström Edward
Published: September 2015

Acoustic levitation provides potential to characterize and manipulate material such as solid particles and fluid in a wall-less environment. While attempts to levitate small animals have been made, the biological effects of such levitation have been scarcely documented. Here, our goal was to explore if zebrafish embryos can be levitated (peak pressures at the pressure node and anti-node: 135 dB and 144 dB, respectively) with no effects on early development. We levitated the embryos (n = 94) at 2–14 hours post fertilization (hpf) for 1000 (n = 47) or 2000 seconds (n = 47). We compared the size and number of trunk neuromasts and otoliths in sonicated samples to controls (n = 94) and found no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). While mortality rate was lower in the control group (22.3%) compared to that in the 1000 s (34.0%) and 2000 s (42.6%) levitation groups, the differences were statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). The results suggest that acoustic levitation for less than 2000 sec does not interfere with the development of zebrafish embryos, but may affect mortality rate. Acoustic levitation could potentially be used as a non-contacting wall-less platform for characterizing and manipulating vertebrae embryos without causing major adverse effects to their development.
The impact of surface chemistry on the performance of localized solar-driven evaporation system
Authors: Yu Shengtao , Zhang Yao , Duan Haoze , Liu Yanming , Quan Xiaojun , Tao Peng , Shang Wen , Wu Jianbo , Song Chengyi , Deng Tao
Published: September 2015

This report investigates the influence of surface chemistry (or wettability) on the evaporation performance of free-standing double-layered thin film on the surface of water. Such newly developed evaporation system is composed of top plasmonic light-to-heat conversion layer and bottom porous supporting layer. Under solar light illumination, the induced plasmonic heat will be localized within the film. By modulating the wettability of such evaporation system through the control of surface chemistry, the evaporation rates are differentiated between hydrophilized and hydrophobized anodic aluminum oxide membrane-based double layered thin films. Additionally, this work demonstrated that the evaporation rate mainly depends on the wettability of bottom supporting layer rather than that of top light-to-heat conversion layer. The findings in this study not only elucidate the role of surface chemistry of each layer of such double-layered evaporation system, but also provide additional design guidelines for such localized evaporation system in applications including desalination, distillation and power generation.
Changes in Gene Expression Patterns of Circadian-Clock, Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid-1 and Nerve Growth Factor in Inflamed Human Esophagus
Authors: Yang Shu-Chuan , Chen Chien-Lin , Yi Chih-Hsun , Liu Tso-Tsai , Shieh Kun-Ruey
Published: September 2015

Circadian rhythm is driven by the molecular circadian-clock system and regulates many physiological functions. Diurnal rhythms in the gastrointestinal tract are known to be related to feeding pattern, but whether these rhythms are also related to the gastrointestinal damage or injuries; for example, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is unclear. This study was conducted to determine whether expression of circadian-clock genes or factors involved in vagal stimulation or sensitization were altered in the esophagus of GERD patients. Diurnal patterns of PER1, PER2, BMAL1, CRY2, TRPV1 and NGF mRNA expression were found in patient controls and these patterns were altered and significantly correlated to the GERD severity in GERD patients. Although levels of CRY1, TIM, CB1, NHE3, GDNF and TAC1 mRNA expression did not show diurnal patterns, they were elevated and also correlated with GERD severity in GERD patients. Finally, strong correlations among PER1, TRPV1, NGF and CRY2 mRNA expression and among PER2, TRPV1 and CRY2 expression were found. Expression levels of CRY1 mRNA highly correlated with levels of TIM, CB1, NHE3, GDNF and TAC1. This study suggests that the circadian rhythm in the esophagus may be important for the mediation of and/or the response to erosive damage in GERD patients.
Stability of a new cubic monoxide of Thorium under pressure
Authors: Sun Weiwei , Luo Wei , Ahuja Rajeev
Published: September 2015

Density functional theory has been applied to elucidate the stability of thorium monoxide (ThO). It is found out that the pressure can stabilize the rocksalt phase of ThO and the transition pressure is estimated between 14 and 22 GPa. The stability of ThO can be attributed due to the gradually filling 5f orbitals at the expense of 7s and 6d electrons in Th metal. For ThO, the pressure induces stronger Th-O bond reflected by the newly established 6d-2p hybridization which is the dominant cause of its stability. The phonon dispersion curves of the rocksalt phase show the positive frequencies which indicates its dynamical stability. Our successful prediction of the stabilization of the metallic ThO has proposed a route to synthesize novel actinide monoxides.
Electrophysiological evidences demonstrating differences in brain functions between nonmusicians and musicians
Authors: Zhang Li , Peng Weiwei , Chen Jie , Hu Li
Published: September 2015

Long-term music training can improve sensorimotor skills, as playing a musical instrument requires the functional integration of information related to multimodal sensory perception and motor execution. This functional integration often leads to functional reorganization of cerebral cortices, including auditory, visual and motor areas. Moreover, music appreciation can modulate emotions (e.g., stress relief) and long-term music training can enhance a musician’s self-control and self-evaluation ability. Therefore, the neural processing of music can also be related to certain higher brain cognitive functions. However, evidence demonstrating that long-term music training modulates higher brain functions is surprisingly rare. Here, we aimed to comprehensively explore the neural changes induced by long-term music training by assessing the differences of transient and quasi-steady-state auditory-evoked potentials between nonmusicians and musicians. We observed that compared to nonmusicians, musicians have (1) larger high-frequency steady-state responses, which reflect the auditory information processing within the sensory system and (2) smaller low-frequency vertex potentials, which reflect higher cognitive information processing within the novelty/saliency detection system. Therefore, we speculate that long-term music training facilitates “bottom-up” auditory information processing in the sensory system and enhances “top-down” cognitive inhibition of the novelty/saliency detection system.
Stabilizing synchrony by inhomogeneity
Authors: Bolhasani Ehsan , Valizadeh Alireza
Published: September 2015

We show that for two weakly coupled identical neuronal oscillators with strictly positive phase resetting curve, isochronous synchrony can only be seen in the absence of noise and an arbitrarily weak noise can destroy entrainment and generate intermittent phase slips. Small inhomogeneity–mismatch in the intrinsic firing rate of the neurons–can stabilize the phase locking and lead to more precise relative spike timing of the two neurons. The results can explain how for a class of neuronal models, including leaky integrate-fire model, inhomogeneity can increase correlation of spike trains when the neurons are synaptically connected.
Label-free detection of Phytophthora ramorum using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Yüksel Sezin , Schwenkbier Lydia , Pollok Sibyll , Weber Karina , Cialla-May Dana , Popp Jürgen
Published: September 2015

Label-free and species-specific detection of the plant pathogenPhytophthora ramorumfrom real samples employing SERS as an analytical tool.
Pharmacokinetic analysis of orally administered puerarin in human saliva using an indirect competition ELISA
Authors: Huihua Qu , Feng Wan , Wenchao Shan , Xueqian Wang , Jinjun Cheng , Hui Kong , Yan Zhao , Qingguo Wang
Published: September 2015

The pharmacokinetics of puerarin in human saliva following oral administration ofpuerariacapsules were successfully studied by an icELISA method.
The growth of filaments under macromolecular confinement using scaling theory
Authors: Zhu Lin , Pan Wei , Lu Xi , Li Desheng , Zhao Jiang , Liang Dehai
Published: September 2015

Macromolecular confinement regulates the growth rate, structure, and length of the filaments, which can be quantitatively described using scaling theory.
Solid state halogen bonded networks vs. dynamic assemblies in solution: explaining N⋯X interactions of multivalent building blocks
Authors: Tero Tiia-Riikka , Salorinne Kirsi , Malola Sami , Häkkinen Hannu , Nissinen Maija
Published: September 2015

In the solid state, pyridine functionalized resorcinarenes formed multidimensional networks with aryl halides. The solution behavior of these XB systems was analyzed by combining NMR spectroscopy and DFT computations.
The effect of the morphology of supported subnanometer Pt clusters on the first and key step of CO2 photoreduction
Authors: Yang Chi-Ta , Wood Brandon C. , Bhethanabotla Venkat R. , Joseph Babu
Published: September 2015

Other than the chemistry of the Pt cluster, the cluster morphology also determines CO2 binding, attributed to structural fluxionality and bonding competitions among Pt atoms and CO2.
Oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution in DMSO based electrolytes: the role of the electrocatalyst
Authors: Bondue C. J. , Reinsberg P. , Abd-El-Latif A. A. , Baltruschat H.
Published: September 2015

Electrochemical oxygen reduction to both peroxide and superoxide is an inner sphere reaction in DMSO.
Spin transitions in bis(amidinato)-N-heterocyclic carbene iron(ii) and iron(iii) complexes
Authors: Drake Jessica L. , Kaplan Hilan Z. , Wilding Matthew J. T. , Li Bo , Byers Jeffery A.
Published: September 2015

In contrast to high spin pyridyl diimine iron(ii) dichloride complexes, analogous bis(amidinato)-N-heterocyclic carbene iron(ii) and iron(iii) complexes demonstrate complex magnetic behaviour.
Controlled reaction for improved CH3NH3PbI3transition in perovskite solar cells
Authors: Zhao J. J. , Wang P. , Liu Z. H. , Wei L. Y. , Yang Z. , Chen H. R. , Fang X. Q. , Liu X. L. , Mai Y. H.
Published: September 2015

It is found that the optimum PCE of the loading time in the CH3NH3I solution is possible only at a relatively short time. A suitable loading time dramatically improves the charge transport within the perovskite layer, explaining the outstanding performances of meso-superstructured solar cells based on this loading time.
Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production by introducing the carboxylic acid group into cobaloxime catalysts
Authors: Wang Junfei , Li Chao , Zhou Qianxiong , Wang Weibo , Hou Yuanjun , Zhang Baowen , Wang Xuesong
Published: September 2015

[Co(iii)(dmgH)2(py-m-CH2CH2COOH)Cl] showed a much improved photocatalytic H2production activity compared to Co(iii)(dmgH)2(py)Cl], and the COOH group may serve as a proton relay to account for its promising performance.
A combined kinetico-mechanistic and computational study on the competitive formation of seven- versus five-membered platinacycles; the relevance of spectator halide ligands
Authors: Aullón Gabriel , Crespo Margarita , Font-Bardia Mercè , Jover Jesús , Martínez Manuel , Pike Jack
Published: September 2015

The selective formation of seven- or five-membered platinacycles is kinetically directed by the nature of a spectator halido (X = Br, Cl) ligand on the PtII centre.
A spatiotemporally controllable chemical gradient generator via acoustically oscillating sharp-edge structures
Authors: Huang Po-Hsun , Chan Chung Yu , Li Peng , Nama Nitesh , Xie Yuliang , Wei Cheng-Hsin , Chen Yuchao , Ahmed Daniel , Huang Tony Jun
Published: September 2015

An active, spatiotemporally controllable chemical gradient generator is demonstrated utilizing the acoustic streaming effects induced by acoustically oscillating sharp-edge structures.
Phosphate functionalized activated carbon as an efficient metal-free electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Zhao Shunyan , Li Chuanxi , Huang Hui , Liu Yang , Kang Zhenhui
Published: September 2015

Phosphate functionalized activated carbon as a metal-free electrocatalyst exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction in an alkaline medium.
Investigation of sample partitioning in quantitative near-infrared analysis of soil organic carbon based on parametric LS-SVR modeling
Authors: Chen Hua-Zhou , Shi Kai , Cai Ken , Xu Li-Li , Feng Quan-Xi
Published: September 2015

A framework for sample partitioning is proposed to take into account the tunable ratio of numbers of calibration and prediction samples, in consideration with the randomness, stability and robustness of calibration models.
Controllable synthesis of graphene using novel aromatic 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene molecules on Rh(111)
Authors: Qi Yue , Zhou Xiebo , Liu Mengxi , Li Qiucheng , Ma Donglin , Zhang Yanfeng , Liu Zhongfan
Published: September 2015

1,3,5-Triethynylbenzene is selected as carbon precursor for graphene synthesis on Rh(111). The temperature-programmed annealing and direct annealing growth pathways are designed to synthesize high-quality graphene.
High-performance fluorinated polyimide/pure silica zeolite nanocrystal hybrid films with a low dielectric constant
Authors: Huang Zhenxun , Liu Shumei , Yuan Yanchao , Zhao Jianqing
Published: September 2015

A simple strategy for preparing the low-κ FPI hybrids with enhanced properties.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated enhanced anti-candidal activity of ZnS–ZnO nanocomposites with low inhibitory concentrations
Authors: Suyana P. , Nishanth Kumar S. , Madhavan Nimisha , Dileep Kumar B. S. , Nair Balagopal N. , Mohamed A. Peer , Warrier K. G. K. , Hareesh U. S.
Published: September 2015

Enhanced antifungal activity against the yeast species Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was displayed by ZnS–ZnO nanocomposites prepared by a simple precipitation technique.
Comparisons between gelatin-tussah silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite and gelatin-Bombyx mori silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite nano-composites for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Ran Jiabing , Hu Jingxiao , Sun Guanglin , Chen Si , Chen Li , Shen Xinyu , Tong Hua
Published: September 2015

Enhancement mechanism of tussah silk fibroin to gelatin-tussah silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite composite.
Ab initio investigations on the gas phase basicity and nonlinear optical properties of FLinOH species (n = 2–5)
Authors: Srivastava Ambrish Kumar , Misra Neeraj
Published: September 2015

The superalkali hydroxide (FLi5OH) possesses alkalide characteristics which is responsible for its remarkable mean hyperpolarizability i.e. NLO properties.
Surface functionalization of coconut fibers by enzymatic biografting of syringaldehyde for the development of biocomposites
Authors: Thakur Kamini , Kalia Susheel , Kaith B. S. , Pathania Deepak , Kumar Amit
Published: September 2015

Surface modification of coconut fibers was carried out by laccase-assisted biografting of syringaldehyde for their use as reinforcing material in the preparation of biocomposites.
Sequential generation of hydrogen and lipids from starch by combination of dark fermentation and microalgal cultivation
Authors: Ren Hong-Yu , Liu Bing-Feng , Kong Fanying , Zhao Lei , Ren Nan-Qi
Published: September 2015

Dark fermentative hydrogen production and microalgal lipid production was successfully combined to enhance the energy conversion from starch with simultaneous treatment of volatile fatty acids in the effluent.
ONO pincer type Pd(ii) complexes: synthesis, crystal structure and catalytic activity towards C-2 arylation of quinoline scaffolds
Authors: Arumugam Vignesh , Kaminsky Werner , Nallasamy Dharmaraj
Published: September 2015

Four new palladium(ii) complexes featuring ONO pincer type hydrazone ligands were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic and single-crystal XRD analysis. Utility of these complexes to catalyze C–C bond formation in quinoline scaffolds were assessed.
Encapsulation of photoactive porphyrinoids in polyelectrolyte hollow microcapsules viewed by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)
Authors: Teixeira Raquel , Serra Vanda Vaz , Paulo Pedro M. R. , Andrade Suzana M. , Costa Sílvia M. B.
Published: September 2015

Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) was used to investigate the encapsulation of porphyrinoids in multilayer hollow microcapsules assembled layer by layer with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH).
Facile synthesis of CeO2 nanoparticle sensitized CdS nanorod photocatalyst with improved visible-light photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B
Authors: Gu Shansi , Chen Yaoning , Yuan Xingzhong , Wang Hou , Chen Xiaohong , Liu Yang , Jiang Qian , Wu Zhibin , Zeng Guangming
Published: September 2015

A heterostructure photocatalyst consisting of one-dimensional (1D) CdS nanorods (NRs) and cerium dioxide (CeO2) nanoparticles (NPs) was successfully synthesized via a solvothermal method.
Structure and electrical properties of tetragonal tungsten bronze Ba2CeFeNb4O15
Authors: Ma Hongqiang , Lin Kun , Liu Laijun , Yang Baoling , Rong Yangchun , Chen Jun , Deng Jinxia , Kawaguchi Shogo , Kato Kenichi , Xing Xianran
Published: September 2015

The crystal structure and electrical property of a tetragonal tungsten bronze ceramic, BaCeFeNb4O15, were investigated by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, selected area electron diffraction, and AC impedance spectroscopy.
Light triggered addition/annulation of 2-isocyanobiphenyls toward 6-trifluoromethyl-phenanthridines under photocatalyst-free conditions
Authors: Tang Xiangyang , Song Shuang , Liu Cuibo , Zhu Rongjiao , Zhang Bin
Published: September 2015

A photocatalyst-free, light promoted sequential radical addition/annulation of 2-isocyanobiphenyls to 6-trifluoromethyl phenanthridines with high efficiency is presented.
Correction: Effect of dye end groups in non-fullerene fluorene- and carbazole-based small molecule acceptors on photovoltaic performance
Authors: Kim Yujeong , Song Chang Eun , Moon Sang-Jin , Lim Eunhee
Published: September 2015

Correction for ‘Effect of dye end groups in non-fullerene fluorene- and carbazole-based small molecule acceptors on photovoltaic performance’ by Yujeong Kim et al., RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 62739–62746.
Mixed matrix membranes composed of two-dimensional metal–organic framework nanosheets for pre-combustion CO2 capture: a relationship study of filler morphology versus membrane performance
Authors: Kang Zixi , Peng Yongwu , Hu Zhigang , Qian Yuhong , Chi Chenglong , Yeo Ling Yong , Tee Lincoln , Zhao Dan
Published: September 2015

Mixed matrix membranes containing metal–organic frameworks were fabricated for pre-combustion CO2 capture.
Synthesis of boron nitride nanostructures from borates of alkali and alkaline earth metals
Authors: Matveev Andrei T. , Firestein Konstantin L. , Steinman Alexander E. , Kovalskii Andrey M. , Sukhorukova Irina V. , Lebedev Oleg I. , Shtansky Dmitry V. , Golberg Dmitri
Published: September 2015

Boron nitride nanostructures (nanotubes, graphene-like petals, and columnar porous flakes) grew in reactions of alkali and alkaline earth borates with ammonia.
Antimicrobial surfaces grafted random copolymers with REDV peptide beneficial for endothelialization
Authors: Yang Jing , Khan Musammir , Zhang Li , Ren Xiangkui , Guo Jintang , Feng Yakai , Wei Shuping , Zhang Wencheng
Published: September 2015

Multifunctional surfaces have been created by surface modification and click reactions. These surfaces possess excellent hemocompatibility and endothelialization, as well as effective antimicrobial activity.
Extracellular matrix-inspired BMP-2-delivering biodegradable fibrous particles for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Shin Young Min , La Wan-Geun , Lee Min Suk , Yang Hee Seok , Lim Youn-Mook
Published: September 2015

A heparin conjugated fibrous particle resembling the structure of an extracellular matrix was developed. The BMP-2 loaded particles promoted osteogenic differentiation and healing of a bone defect, in vitro and in vivo.
Surface self-assembled hybrid nanocomposites with electroactive nanoparticles and enzymes confined in a polymer matrix for controlled electrocatalysis
Authors: Zhu Nan , Ulstrup Jens , Chi Qijin
Published: September 2015

Three-dimensional interfacial nanocomposites consisting of a polymer matrix, electroactive nanoparticles and enzymes are synthesized on electrode surfaces via surface self-assembly chemistry. The nanocomposites show promising observations for achieving fast electron transfer and efficient electrocatalysis.
Light guiding and optical resonances in ZnS microstructures doped with Ga or In
Authors: Sotillo B. , Fernández P. , Piqueras J.
Published: September 2015

In this work, the resonant (Fabry–Pérot and whispering gallery) modes in optical cavities based on ZnS microstructures have been studied.
Solution-processable electron injection materials for organic light-emitting devices
Authors: Chiba Takayuki , Pu Yong-Jin , Kido Junji
Published: September 2015

Solution-processed organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) have progressed as potential candidates for cost-effective solid-state lighting and flat panel displays.
An Adapted Assessment Model for Emergent Literacy Conducted via Telepractice
Authors: Fissel Schea N. , Mitchell Pamela R. , Alvares Robin L.
Published: September 2015

Children with complex communication needs (CCN) exhibit multiple needs in a variety of domains, including language, literacy, and speech. Children with CCN often require augmentative/alternative communication (AAC), a mode of communication designed to compensate for the communication and related disability patterns of individuals with CCN (Light, Beukelman, & Reichle, 2003). Given the diverse needs of this population, service provision presents challenges to teachers and therapists alike. Telepractice service provision offers solutions to guide service delivery for children with CCN, who may be located in remote settings with limited access to AAC specialists. The tele-AAC working group of the International Society on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) 2012 Research Symposium highlighted a need for increased information on telepractice service delivery for children with CCN in the area of literacy. To date, evidence-based practices for assessment of literacy skills in children with CCN are limited. In addition, literacy assessment for children with CCN via telepractice presents challenges requiring adaptation for telepractice service delivery. This paper summarizes existing literature examining literacy assessment and intervention, and applies these principles to development and implementation of adapted literacy assessment methods conducted via telepractice for a child with CCN.
Degradation of (InAlGa)N-based UV-B light emitting diodes stressed by current and temperature
Authors: Glaab Johannes , Ploch Christian , Kelz Rico , Stölmacker Christoph , Lapeyrade Mickael , Ploch Neysha Lobo , Rass Jens , Kolbe Tim , Einfeldt Sven , Mehnke Frank , Kuhn Christian , Wernicke Tim , Weyers Markus , Kneissl Michael
Published: September 2015

The degradation of the electrical and optical properties of (InAlGa)N-based multiple quantum well light emitting diodes (LEDs) emitting near 308 nm under different stress conditions has been studied. LEDs with different emission areas were operated at room temperature and at constant current densities of 75 A/cm2, 150 A/cm2, and 225 A/cm2. In addition, the heat sink temperature was varied between 15 °C and 80 °C. Two main modes for the reduction of the optical power were found, which dominate at different times of operation: (1) Within the first 100 h, a fast drop of the optical power is observed scaling exponentially with the temperature and having an activation energy of about 0.13 eV. The drop in optical power is accompanied by changes of the current-voltage (I-V) characteristic. (2) For operation times beyond 100 h, the optical power decreases slowly which can be reasonably described by a square root time dependence. Here, the degradation rate depends on the current density, rather than the current. Again, the rate of optical power reduction of the second mode depends exponentially on the temperature with an activation energy of about 0.21 eV. The drop in the optical power is accompanied by an increased reverse-bias leakage current.
Evaporation of water droplets on Pt-surface in presence of external electric field—A molecular dynamics study
Authors: Hens Abhiram , Biswas Gautam , De Sudipta
Published: September 2015

Evaporation of a sessile droplet on a hot solid substrate is an important problem in fluid mechanics. It is relevant to theoretical issues in heat transfer as well as several practical applications. This study investigates the spreading and evaporation of a nanoscale water droplet on a solid platinum surface. The major objective was to analyze the effect of an external electric field on these phenomena. Varying the intensity and direction of the external electric field, a series of molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to understand these phenomena at a molecular level. The results reveal that a horizontal electric field assists in droplet spreading, whereas a vertical electric field enhances the rate of evaporation for a certain range of field intensities. It also shows that the substrate temperature plays an important role in such processes. It is seen that the effect of an external electric field on droplet evaporation becomes significant at an intermediate range of surface temperatures and this effect is not clearly visible for either very high or very low range of surface temperatures.
Differential heating: A versatile method for thermal conductivity measurements in high-energy-density matter
Authors: Ping Y. , Fernandez-Panella A. , Sio H. , Correa A. , Shepherd R. , Landen O. , London R. A. , Sterne P. A. , Whitley H. D. , Fratanduono D. , Boehly T. R. , Collins G. W.
Published: September 2015

We propose a method for thermal conductivity measurements of high energy density matter based on differential heating. A temperature gradient is created either by surface heating of one material or at an interface between two materials by different energy deposition. The subsequent heat conduction across the temperature gradient is observed by various time-resolved probing techniques. Conceptual designs of such measurements using laser heating, proton heating, and x-ray heating are presented. The sensitivity of the measurements to thermal conductivity is confirmed by simulations.
The role of intermolecular interactions in the prediction of the phase equilibria of carbon dioxide hydrates
Authors: Costandy Joseph , Michalis Vasileios K. , Tsimpanogiannis Ioannis N. , Stubos Athanassios K. , Economou Ioannis G.
Published: September 2015

The direct phase coexistence methodology was used to predict the three-phase equilibrium conditions of carbon dioxide hydrates. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed in the isobaric–isothermal ensemble for the determination of the three-phase coexistence temperature (T3) of the carbon dioxide–water system, at pressures in the range of 200–5000 bar. The relative importance of the water–water and water–guest interactions in the prediction of T3 is investigated. The water–water interactions were modeled through the use of TIP4P/Ice and TIP4P/2005 force fields. The TraPPE force field was used for carbon dioxide, and the water–guest interactions were probed through the modification of the cross-interaction Lennard-Jones energy parameter between the oxygens of the unlike molecules. It was found that when using the classic Lorentz–Berthelot combining rules, both models fail to predict T3 accurately. In order to rectify this problem, the water–guest interaction parameters were optimized, based on the solubility of carbon dioxide in water. In this case, it is shown that the prediction of T3 is limited only by the accuracy of the water model in predicting the melting temperature of ice.
Wakefield-induced ionization injection in beam-driven plasma accelerators
Authors: Martinez de la Ossa A. , Mehrling T. J. , Schaper L. , Streeter M. J. V. , Osterhoff J.
Published: September 2015

We present a detailed analysis of the features and capabilities of Wakefield-Induced Ionization (WII) injection in the blowout regime of beam driven plasma accelerators. This mechanism exploits the electric wakefields to ionize electrons from a dopant gas and trap them in a well-defined region of the accelerating and focusing wake phase, leading to the formation of high-quality witness-bunches [Martinez de la Ossa et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 245003 (2013)]. The electron-beam drivers must feature high-peak currents (Ib0≳8.5 kA) and a duration comparable to the plasma wavelength to excite plasma waves in the blowout regime and enable WII injection. In this regime, the disparity of the magnitude of the electric field in the driver region and the electric field in the rear of the ion cavity allows for the selective ionization and subsequent trapping from a narrow phase interval. The witness bunches generated in this manner feature a short duration and small values of the normalized transverse emittance (kpσz∼kpϵn∼0.1). In addition, we show that the amount of injected charge can be adjusted by tuning the concentration of the dopant gas species, which allows for controlled beam loading and leads to a reduction of the total energy spread of the witness beams. Electron bunches, produced in this way, fulfil the requirements to drive blowout regime plasma wakes at a higher density and to trigger WII injection in a second stage. This suggests a promising new concept of self-similar staging of WII injection in steps with increasing plasma density, giving rise to the potential of producing electron beams with unprecedented energy and brilliance from plasma-wakefield accelerators.
Response to “Comment on ‘Two-dimensional positive column structure in a discharge tube with radius discontinuity’” [Phys. Plasmas 22, 094701 (2015)]
Authors: Zobnin A. V. , Usachev A. D. , Petrov O. F. , Fortov V. E.
Published: September 2015

For a quantitative validation of the nonlocal approach for simulation of positive column of dc gas discharge in neon, we have performed a comparative self-consistent calculations of parameters of longitudinally uniform positive column using two approaches—a full kinetic equation with a radially inhomogeneous electron distribution function (exact calculation) and a nonlocal approach. The calculations were performed for discharge current 1 mA and neon pressures 40 and 90 Pa. It is shown that discrepancies between parameters calculated with the two approaches—radial distributions of electron number densities, ionization rates, space potentials—are minor. Physical reasons of a validity of the nonlocal approach for present conditions are discussed.
High yield neutron generator based on a high-current gasdynamic electron cyclotron resonance ion source
Authors: Skalyga V. , Izotov I. , Golubev S. , Sidorov A. , Razin S. , Strelkov A. , Tarvainen O. , Koivisto H. , Kalvas T.
Published: September 2015

In present paper, an approach for high yield compact D-D neutron generator based on a high current gasdynamic electron cyclotron resonance ion source is suggested. Results on dense pulsed deuteron beam production with current up to 500 mA and current density up to 750 mA/cm2 are demonstrated. Neutron yield from D2O and TiD2 targets was measured in case of its bombardment by pulsed 300 mA D+ beam with 45 keV energy. Neutron yield density at target surface of 109 s−1 cm−2 was detected with a system of two 3He proportional counters. Estimations based on obtained experimental results show that neutron yield from a high quality TiD2 target bombarded by D+ beam demonstrated in present work accelerated to 100 keV could reach 6 × 1010 s−1 cm−2. It is discussed that compact neutron generator with such characteristics could be perspective for a number of applications like boron neutron capture therapy, security systems based on neutron scanning, and neutronography.
A new LiNbO3-type polar oxide with closed-shell cations: ZnPbO3
Authors: Yu Runze , Hojo Hajime , Mizoguchi Teruyasu , Azuma Masaki
Published: September 2015

A new lithium-niobate (LiNbO3)-type polar compound, namely, ZnPbO3 (a = 5.41605(7) Å and c = 14.33151(3) Å), with closed-shell ions only was synthesized under high pressure and high temperature (8 GPa and 1273 K). A point-charge-model calculation based on atomic positions refined by Rietveld analysis of synchrotron X-ray diffraction data gave an electrical ionic polarization of 77 μC/cm2 along the hexagonal c-axis. Detailed structural analysis indicated that the contribution of Pb4+ in ZnPbO3 to the polarization was almost twice as large as that of Sn4+ in ZnSnO3. Transport measurement showed metallic behavior of ZnPbO3 from room temperature to low temperature despite the fact that both cations are closed-shell ions.
Effective Young’s modulus of the artificial muscle twisted by fishing lines: Analysis and experiment
Authors: Yue Donghua , Zhang Xingyi , Zhou Jun , Zhou You-He
Published: September 2015

Artificial muscles transformed by fishing lines or sewing thread, have distinguished advantages, e. g., fast, scalable, nonhysteretic, and long-life, which have been proposed by Haines et al. [Science 343, 868 (2014)]. In this paper, we present a geometrical model to predict the effective Young’s modulus of the basic structure that is twisted by three fishing lines with the same diameter. Moreover, series of experiments are carried out to verify the present model, and it is found the theoretical calculations take good agreements with the experimental results.
The pronounced role of impurity phases in the optical properties of Mn catalyzed ZnS nanostructures
Authors: Nosheen U. , Shehzad M. A. , Rehman S. , Hafeez M. , Khan M. A. , Manzoor U. , Bhatti A. S.
Published: September 2015

We report the effect of Mn self-doping in Mn catalyzed ZnS nanostructures grown via vapor liquid solid mechanism, which also resulted in the formation of additional impurity minority phases like ZnO and MnO2. The synthesized ZnS nanostructures were subsequently annealed in the range of 500 °C – 700 °C in an inert environment to remove impurity phases and enhance the incorporation of dopant. Room temperature photoluminescence showed strong defect assisted luminescence. It was observed that green emission due to intrinsic defects of ZnS nanostructures was reduced in magnitude and Mn related orange/red luminescence increased in magnitude in nanostructures annealed at high temperature. The presence of impurity phases led to the observation of surface optical and interface phonon modes as observed in the Raman spectroscopy. Dielectric continuum and phonon confinement models were employed to determine the correlation lengths of the optical phonon modes.
The flexoelectric effect associated size dependent pyroelectricity in solid dielectrics
Authors: Bai Gang , Liu Zhiguo , Xie Qiyun , Guo Yanyan , Li Wei , Yan Xiaobing
Published: September 2015

A phenomenological thermodynamic theory is used to investigate the effect of strain gradient on the pyroelectric effect in centrosymmetric dielectric solids. Direct pyroelectricity can exist as external mechanical stress is applied to non-pyroelectric dielectrics with shapes such as truncated pyramids, due to elastic strain gradient induced flexoelectric polarization. Effective pyroelectric coefficient was analyzed in truncated pyramids. It is found to be controlled by size, ambient temperature, stress, and aspect ratio and depends mainly on temperature sensitivity of flexoelectric coefficient (TSFC) and strain gradient of the truncated pyramids dielectric solids. These results show that the pyroelectric property of Ba0.67Sr0.33TiO3 above Tc similar to PZT and other lead-based ferroelectrics can be obtained. This feature might widely broaden the selection of materials for infrared detectors with preferable properties.
Studies on the control of ZnO nanostructures by wet chemical method and plausible mechanism
Authors: Rana Amit Kumar , Kumar Yogendra , Saxena Niharika , Das Rajasree , Sen Somaditya , Shirage Parasharam M.
Published: September 2015

This research article provides a pathway of controlled growth of ZnO nano-rods, -flowers, -needles or -tubes without external chemical catalysis, via a simple wet chemical method by control of synthesis temperature. Morphological effects on structural and optical properties are studied by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy shows slight enhancement in the band gap, with increasing synthesis temperature. Photoluminescence (PL) data indicates the existence of defect in the nanomaterials, which is more elaborately explained by schematic band diagram. A sharp and strong peak in Raman spectroscopy is observed at ∼438cm−1 is assigned to the E2high optical mode of the ZnO, indicating the wurtzite hexagonal phase with high crystallinity.
Sputter deposited Terfenol-D thin films for multiferroic applications
Authors: Mohanchandra K. P. , Prikhodko S. V. , Wetzlar K. P. , Sun W. Y. , Nordeen P. , Carman G. P.
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we study the sputter deposition and crystallization process to produce high quality Terfenol-D thin film (100 nm) with surface roughness below 1.5 nm. The Terfenol-D thin film was produced using DC magnetron sputtering technique with various sputtering parameters and two different crystallization methods, i.e. substrate heating and post-annealing. Several characterization techniques including WDS, XRD, TEM, AFM, SQUID and MOKE were used to determine the physical and magnetic properties of the Terfenol-D films. TEM studies reveal that the film deposited on the heated substrate has large grains grown along the film thickness producing undesirable surface roughness while the film crystallized by post-annealing method shows uniformly distributed small grains producing a smooth surface. The Terfenol-D film was also deposited onto (011) cut PMN-PT single crystal substrate. With the application of an electric field the film exhibited a 1553 Oe change in coercivity with an estimated saturation magnetostriction of λs = 910 x 10−6.
Fasciola gigantica infection in large ruminants in northern Laos: smallholder knowledge and practices
Authors: Rast L. , Nampanya S. , Toribio J.-A. L. M. L. , Khounsy S. , Windsor P. A.
Published: September 2015

High prevalence of Fasciola spp. infection in smallholder large ruminant farming systems has been confirmed in many regions of South-East Asia, yet information on trematode knowledge and any control practices of large ruminant farmers is lacking. We surveyed smallholder farmers (n = 326) in northern Laos on knowledge of liver fluke and its management in their large ruminants, identifying 93.1% of farmers had no knowledge and 6.9% minimal knowledge of the parasite and impacts on large ruminant production. The survey further confirmed anecdotal reports that control or prevention measures were lacking, with none of the surveyed producers using effective anthelminthic treatments or grazing strategies to control Fasciola spp. This was despite 20.6% of farmers having reported observing leaf-shaped parasites in the liver of their cattle or buffalo when slaughtered in the past. With increasing demand for red meat in the region, subsistence smallholder farmers are able to supply this market and increase their income. Athough the production impact of fascioliasis in large ruminants in these farming systems still needs to be quantified, farmer knowledge and control of fascioliasis in this region is likely to increase livestock productivity and improve rural livelihoods. This would help to address regional rural poverty and food insecurity, but requires improved knowledge to address the identified knowledge and practice gaps on presence, impact and control of fasciolosis. The majority (95.4%) of surveyed farmers indicated a desire to learn more about fascioliasis in large ruminants, suggesting that extension methods used in the past need adapting to result in more effective knowledge transfer and changed practices in future.
Synthesis and Characterization of Bradykinin Derivatives Based on a β-Cyclodextrin Core
Authors: Stephenson Rachel J. , Wolber Fran , Plieger Paul G. , Harding David R. K.
Published: September 2015

Mono-6A-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonylamino-mono-6X-succinyl-β-cyclodextrin (1), an amino acid-based bi-functionalized derivative of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), has been functionalized with the bioactive peptide, bradykinin and/or sulfonamides using fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). The all-in-one molecule contains a carrier (cyclodextrin), targeting agent (bradykinin), and/or model drug (sulfonamide). Varying combinations of these bradykinin-focussed molecules have been synthesized using Fmoc SPPS on Rink amide resin. The positioning of the sulfonamide group, the bradykinin peptide and the cyclodextrin carrier are essential for biological activity. The inclusion of spacers is also important. Structure–activity studies performed on three cancer cell lines in vitro support these conclusions.
Non-semantic contributions to “semantic” redundancy gain
Authors: Shepherdson Peter , Miller Jeff
Published: September 2015

Recently, two groups of researchers have reported redundancy gains (enhanced performance with multiple, redundant targets) in tasks requiring semantic categorization. Here we report two experiments aimed at determining whether the gains found by one of these groups resulted from some form of semantic coactivation. We asked undergraduate psychology students to complete choice RT tasks requiring the semantic categorization of visually presented words, and compared performance with redundant targets from the same semantic category to performance with redundant targets from different semantic categories. If the redundancy gains resulted from the combination of information at a semantic level, they should have been greater in the former than the latter situation. However, our results showed no significant differences in redundancy gain (for latency and accuracy) between same-category and different-category conditions, despite gains appearing in both conditions. Thus, we suggest that redundancy gain in the semantic categorization task may result entirely from statistical facilitation or combination of information at non-semantic levels.
Put on that colour, it fits your emotion: Colour appropriateness as a function of expressed emotion
Authors: Dael Nele , Perseguers Marie-Noëlle , Marchand Cynthia , Antonietti Jean-Philippe , Mohr Christine
Published: September 2015

People associate affective meaning with colour, and this may influence decisions about colours. Hue is traditionally considered the most salient descriptor of colour and colour–affect associations, although colour brightness and saturation seem to have particularly strong affective connotations. To test whether colour choices can be driven by emotion, we investigated whether and how colour hue, brightness, and saturation are systematically associated with bodily expressions of positive (joy) and negative (fear) emotions. Twenty-five non-colour-blind participants viewed videos of these expressions and selected for each video the most appropriate colour using colour sliders providing values for hue, brightness, and saturation. The overall colour choices were congruent with the expressed emotion—that is, participants selected brighter and more saturated colours for joy expressions than for fear expressions. Also, colours along the red–yellow spectrum were deemed more appropriate for joy expressions and cyan–bluish hues for fear expressions. The current study adds further support to the role of emotion in colour choices by (a) showing that emotional information is spontaneously used in an unconstrained choice setting, (b) extending to ecologically valid stimuli occurring in everyday encounters (dressed bodies), and (c) suggesting that all colour parameters are likely to be important when processing affective nonverbal person information, though not independently from each other.
DIGGIT: a Bioconductor package to infer genetic variants driving cellular phenotypes
Authors: Alvarez Mariano J. , Chen James C. , Califano Andrea
Published: September 2015

Summary: Identification of driver mutations in human diseases is often limited by cohort size and availability of appropriate statistical models. We propose a method for the systematic discovery of genetic alterations that are causal determinants of disease, by prioritizing genes upstream of functional disease drivers, within regulatory networks inferred de novo from experimental data. Here we present the implementation of Driver-gene Inference by Genetical-Genomic Information Theory as an R-system package.

Availability and implementation: The diggit package is freely available under the GPL-2 license from Bioconductor (http://www.bioconductor.org).

Contact:  ma2581@cumc.columbia.edu or ac2248@cumc.columbia.edu