bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contrasting expression patterns of coding and noncoding parts of the human genome upon oxidative stress
Authors: Giannakakis Antonis , Zhang Jingxian , Jenjaroenpun Piroon , Nama Srikanth , Zainolabidin Norliyana , Aau Mei Yee , Yarmishyn Aliaksandr A. , Vaz Candida , Ivshina Anna V. , Grinchuk Oleg V. , Voorhoeve Mathijs , Vardy Leah A. , Sampath Prabha , Kuznetsov Vladimir A. , Kurochkin Igor V. , Guccione Ernesto
Published: May 2015

Oxidative stress (OS) is caused by an imbalance between pro- and anti-oxidant reactions leading to accumulation of reactive oxygen species within cells. We here investigate the effect of OS on the transcriptome of human fibroblasts. OS causes a rapid and transient global induction of transcription characterized by pausing of RNA polymerase II (PolII) in both directions, at specific promoters, within 30 minutes of the OS response. In contrast to protein-coding genes, which are commonly down-regulated, this novel divergent, PolII pausing-phenomenon leads to the generation of thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with promoter-associated antisense lncRNAs transcripts (si-paancRNAs) representing the major group of stress-induced transcripts. OS causes transient dynamics of si-lncRNAs in nucleus and cytosol, leading to their accumulation at polysomes, in contrast to mRNAs, which get depleted from polysomes. We propose that si-lncRNAs represent a novel component of the transcriptional stress that is known to determine the outcome of immediate-early and later cellular stress responses and we provide insights on the fate of those novel mature lncRNA transcripts by showing that their association with polysomal complexes is significantly increased in OS.
Quantum Simulation of Dissipative Processes without Reservoir Engineering
Authors: Di Candia R. , Pedernales J. S. , del Campo A. , Solano E. , Casanova J.
Published: May 2015

We present a quantum algorithm to simulate general finite dimensional Lindblad master equations without the requirement of engineering the system-environment interactions. The proposed method is able to simulate both Markovian and non-Markovian quantum dynamics. It consists in the quantum computation of the dissipative corrections to the unitary evolution of the system of interest, via the reconstruction of the response functions associated with the Lindblad operators. Our approach is equally applicable to dynamics generated by effectively non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. We confirm the quality of our method providing specific error bounds that quantify its accuracy.
A bioinspired peptide scaffold with high antibiotic activity and low in vivo toxicity
Authors: Rabanal Francesc , Grau-Campistany Ariadna , Vila-Farrés Xavier , Gonzalez-Linares Javier , Borràs Miquel , Vila Jordi , Manresa Angeles , Cajal Yolanda
Published: May 2015

Bacterial resistance to almost all available antibiotics is an important public health issue. A major goal in antimicrobial drug discovery is the generation of new chemicals capable of killing pathogens with high selectivity, particularly multi-drug-resistant ones. Here we report the design, preparation and activity of new compounds based on a tunable, chemically accessible and upscalable lipopeptide scaffold amenable to suitable hit-to-lead development. Such compounds could become therapeutic candidates and future antibiotics available on the market. The compounds are cyclic, contain two D-amino acids for in vivo stability and their structures are reminiscent of other cyclic disulfide-containing peptides available on the market. The optimized compounds prove to be highly active against clinically relevant Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In vitro and in vivo tests show the low toxicity of the compounds. Their antimicrobial activity against resistant and multidrug-resistant bacteria is at the membrane level, although other targets may also be involved depending on the bacterial strain.
Quenched pinning and collective dislocation dynamics
Authors: Ovaska Markus , Laurson Lasse , Alava Mikko J.
Published: May 2015

Several experiments show that crystalline solids deform in a bursty and intermittent fashion. Power-law distributed strain bursts in compression experiments of micron-sized samples and acoustic emission energies from larger-scale specimens, are the key signatures of the underlying critical-like collective dislocation dynamics - a phenomenon that has also been seen in discrete dislocation dynamics (DDD) simulations. Here we show, by performing large-scale two-dimensional DDD simulations, that the character of the dislocation avalanche dynamics changes upon addition of sufficiently strong randomly distributed quenched pinning centres, present e.g. in many alloys as immobile solute atoms. For intermediate pinning strength, our results adhere to the scaling picture of depinning transitions, in contrast to pure systems where dislocation jamming dominates the avalanche dynamics. Still stronger disorder quenches the critical behaviour entirely.
The Bax inhibitor MrBI-1 regulates heat tolerance, apoptotic-like cell death and virulence in Metarhizium robertsii
Authors: Chen Yixiong , Duan Zhibing , Chen Peilin , Shang Yanfang , Wang Chengshu
Published: May 2015

Bax inhibitor 1 (BI-1) is a highly conserved protein originally identified as a suppressor of the proapoptotic protein Bax to inhibit cell death in animals and plants. The orthologs of BI-1 are widely distributed in filamentous fungi but their functions remain largely unknown. Herein, we report the identification and characterizations of MrBI-1, an ortholog of BI-1, in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii. First, we found that MrBI-1 could partially rescue mammalian Bax-induced cell death in yeast. Deletion of MrBI-1 impaired fungal development, virulence and heat tolerance in M. robertsii. We also demonstrated that inactivation of MrBI-1 reduced fungal resistance to farnesol but not to hydrogen peroxide, suggesting that MrBI-1 contributes to antiapoptotic-like cell death via the endoplasmic reticulum stress-signaling pathway rather than the classical mitochondrium-dependent pathway. In particular, we found that unlike the observations in yeasts and plants, expression of mammalian Bax did not lead to a lethal effect in M. robertsii; however, it did aggravate the fungal apoptotic effect of farnesol. The results of this study advance our understanding of BI-1-like protein functions in filamentous fungi.
The Oxidant Role of 4-Hydroxynonenal in Corneal Epithelium
Authors: Chen Longlong , Zong Rongrong , Zhou Jing , Ge Lianping , Zhou Tong , Ma Jian-xing , Liu Zuguo , Zhou Yueping
Published: May 2015

4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE or HNE) is a main endogenous product of cellular lipid peroxidation in tissues and is reported to play pathogenic roles in eye diseases. Here we investigated the association between 4-HNE and oxidative stress in the corneal epithelium. 4-HNE suppressed the cell viability of human corneal epithelial cells (HCE) in a concentration dependent manner. 4-HNE significantly increased the level of 3-Nitrotyrosine (3-NT), a marker of oxidative stress, in HCE cells and corneal epithelium of rats by immunofluorescent staining and Western blot analysis. To its underlying mechanistic on ROS system, 4-HNE elevated the ROS generation enzyme NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) and induced the activation of NF-E2–related factor-2 (NRF2) and its downstream effectors: NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone 1) (NQO1) and glutathione S-transferase P (GSTP). Furthermore, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant and ROS scavenger, antagonized the inhibitory and oxidant effects of 4-HNE on the corneal epithelial cells. In conclusion, 4-HNE plays an oxidant role in the corneal epithelium and this work provides a new strategy for the pathogenesis and treatment of corneal diseases.
Polyphyly of nuclear lamin genes indicates an early eukaryotic origin of the metazoan-type intermediate filament proteins
Authors: Kollmar Martin
Published: May 2015

The nuclear lamina is a protein meshwork associated with the inner side of the nuclear envelope contributing structural, signalling and regulatory functions. Here, I report on the evolution of an important component of the lamina, the lamin intermediate filament proteins, across the eukaryotic tree of life. The lamins show a variety of protein domain and sequence motif architectures beyond the classical α-helical rod, nuclear localisation signal, immunoglobulin domain and CaaX motif organisation, suggesting extension and adaptation of functions in many species. I identified lamin genes not only in metazoa and Amoebozoa as previously described, but also in other opisthokonts including Ichthyosporea and choanoflagellates, in oomycetes, a sub-family of Stramenopiles and in Rhizaria, implying that they must have been present very early in eukaryotic evolution if not even the last common ancestor of all extant eukaryotes. These data considerably extend the current perception of lamin evolution and have important implications with regard to the evolution of the nuclear envelope.
RiboTALE: A modular, inducible system for accurate gene expression control
Authors: Rai Navneet , Ferreiro Aura , Neckelmann Alexander , Soon Amy , Yao Andrew , Siegel Justin , Facciotti Marc T. , Tagkopoulos Ilias
Published: May 2015

A limiting factor in synthetic gene circuit design is the number of independent control elements that can be combined together in a single system. Here, we present RiboTALEs, a new class of inducible repressors that combine the specificity of TALEs with the ability of riboswitches to recognize exogenous signals and differentially control protein abundance. We demonstrate the capacity of RiboTALEs, constructed through different combinations of TALE proteins and riboswitches, to rapidly and reproducibly control the expression of downstream targets with a dynamic range of 243.7 ± 17.6-fold, which is adequate for many biotechnological applications.
Molecularly Targeted Therapy of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Xenografts with Radio-iodinated Anti-VEGFR2 Murine-Human Chimeric Fab
Authors: Huang Jianfei , Tang Qi , Wang Changjun , Yu Huixin , Feng Zhenqing , Zhu Jin
Published: May 2015

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) is traditionally regarded as an important therapeutic target in a wide variety of malignancies, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We previously generated a murine-human anti-VEGFR2 chimeric Fab (cFab), named FA8H1, which has the potential to treat VEGFR2-overexpressing solid tumors. Here, we investigated whether FA8H1 can be used as a carrier in molecularly targeted therapy in HCC xenograft models. FA8H1 was labeled with131I and two HCC xenograft models were generated using BEL-7402 (high VEGFR2-expressing) and SMMC-7721 (low VEGFR2-expressing) cells, which were selected from five HCC cell lines. The biodistribution of131I-FA8H1 was determined in both models by Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography and therapeutic effects were monitored in nude mice bearing BEL-7402 xenografts. Finally, we determined the involvement of necrosis and apoptotic pathways in treated mice using immunohistochemistry.131I-FA8H1 levels were dramatically reduced in blood and other viscera. The therapeutic effect of131I-labeled FA8H1 in the BEL-7402 model was significantly better than that by131I and FA8H1 alone. We observed extensive necrosis in the treated tumors and both FasL and caspase 3 were up-regulated. Thus,131I-anti-VEGFR2 cFab has the potential to be used for molecularly targeted treatment of HCC overexpressing VEGFR2.
Irrelevant tactile stimulation biases visual exploration in external coordinates
Authors: Ossandón José P. , König Peter , Heed Tobias
Published: May 2015

We evaluated the effect of irrelevant tactile stimulation on humans’ free-viewing behavior during the exploration of complex static scenes. Specifically, we address the questions of (1) whether task-irrelevant tactile stimulation presented to subjects’ hands can guide visual selection during free viewing; (2) whether tactile stimulation can modulate visual exploratory biases that are independent of image content and task goals; and (3) in which reference frame these effects occur. Tactile stimulation to uncrossed and crossed hands during the viewing of static images resulted in long-lasting modulation of visual orienting responses. Subjects showed a well-known leftward bias during the early exploration of images and this bias was modulated by tactile stimulation presented at image onset. Tactile stimulation, both at image onset and later during the trials, biased visual orienting toward the space ipsilateral to the stimulated hand, both in uncrossed and crossed hand postures. The long-lasting temporal and global spatial profile of the modulation of free viewing exploration by touch indicates that cross-modal cues produce orienting responses, which are coded exclusively in an external reference frame.
Activation of the TOR Signalling Pathway by Glutamine Regulates Insect Fecundity
Authors: Zhai Yifan , Sun Zhongxiang , Zhang Jianqing , Kang Kui , Chen Jie , Zhang Wenqing
Published: May 2015

The target of rapamycin (TOR) positively controls cell growth in response to nutrients such as amino acids. However, research on the specific nutrients sensed by TOR is limited. Glutamine (Gln), a particularly important amino acid involved in metabolism in organisms, is synthesised and catalysed exclusively by glutamine synthetase (GS) and our previous studies have shown that Gln may regulate fecundity in vivo levels of the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens. Until now, it has remained unclear whether Gln activates or inhibits the TOR signalling pathway. Here, we performed the combined analyses of iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification) and DGE (tag-based digital gene expression) data in N.lugens at the protein and transcript levels after GS RNAi and we found that 52 pathways overlap, including the TOR pathway. We further experimentally demonstrate that Gln activates the TOR pathway by promoting the serine/threonine protein kinase AKT and inhibiting the 5′AMP-activated protein kinase AMPK phosphorylation activity in the pest. Furthermore, TOR regulates the fecundity of N. lugens probably by mediating vitellogenin (Vg) expression. This work is the first report that Gln activates the TOR pathway in vivo.
Highly efficient red OLEDs using DCJTB as the dopant and delayed fluorescent exciplex as the host
Authors: Zhao Bo , Zhang Tianyou , Chu Bei , Li Wenlian , Su Zisheng , Wu Hairuo , Yan Xingwu , Jin Fangming , Gao Yuan , Liu Chengyuan
Published: May 2015

In this manuscript, we demonstrated a highly efficient DCJTB emission with delayed fluorescent exciplex TCTA:3P-T2T as the host. For the 1.0% DCJTB doped concentration, a maximum luminance, current efficiency, power efficiency and EQE of 22,767 cd m−2, 22.7 cd A−1, 21.5 lm W−1 and 10.15% were achieved, respectively. The device performance is the best compared to either red OLEDs with traditional fluorescent emitter or traditional red phosphor of Ir(piq)3 doped into CBP host. The extraction of so high efficiency can be explained as the efficient triplet excitons up-conversion of TCTA:3P-T2T and the energy transfer from exciplex host singlet state to DCJTB singlet state.
Diabetic silkworms for evaluation of therapeutically effective drugs against type II diabetes
Authors: Matsumoto Yasuhiko , Ishii Masaki , Hayashi Yohei , Miyazaki Shinya , Sugita Takuya , Sumiya Eriko , Sekimizu Kazuhisa
Published: May 2015

We previously reported that sugar levels in the silkworm hemolymph, i.e., blood, increase immediately (within 1 h) after intake of a high-glucose diet and that the administration of human insulin decreases elevated hemolymph sugar levels in silkworms. In this hyperglycemic silkworm model, however, administration of pioglitazone or metformin, drugs used clinically for the treatment of type II diabetes, have no effect. Therefore, here we established a silkworm model of type II diabetes for the evaluation of anti-diabetic drugs such as pioglitazone and metformin. Silkworms fed a high-glucose diet over a long time-period (18 h) exhibited a hyperlipidemic phenotype. In these hyperlipidemic silkworms, phosphorylation of JNK, a stress-responsive protein kinase, was enhanced in the fat body, an organ that functionally resembles the mammalian liver and adipose tissue. Fat bodies isolated from hyperlipidemic silkworms exhibited decreased sensitivity to human insulin. The hyperlipidemic silkworms have impaired glucose tolerance, characterized by high fasting hemolymph sugar levels and higher hemolymph sugar levels in a glucose tolerance test. Administration of pioglitazone or metformin improved the glucose tolerance of the hyperlipidemic silkworms. These findings suggest that the hyperlipidemic silkworms are useful for evaluating the hypoglycemic activities of candidate drugs against type II diabetes.
Multidimensional stationary probability distribution for interacting active particles
Authors: Maggi Claudio , Marconi Umberto Marini Bettolo , Gnan Nicoletta , Di Leonardo Roberto
Published: May 2015

We derive the stationary probability distribution for a non-equilibrium system composed by an arbitrary number of degrees of freedom that are subject to Gaussian colored noise and a conservative potential. This is based on a multidimensional version of the Unified Colored Noise Approximation. By comparing theory with numerical simulations we demonstrate that the theoretical probability density quantitatively describes the accumulation of active particles around repulsive obstacles. In particular, for two particles with repulsive interactions, the probability of close contact decreases when one of the two particle is pinned. Moreover, in the case of isotropic confining potentials, the radial density profile shows a non trivial scaling with radius. Finally we show that the theory well approximates the “pressure” generated by the active particles allowing to derive an equation of state for a system of non-interacting colored noise-driven particles.
Non-Linear Optical Flow Cytometry Using a Scanned, Bessel Beam Light-Sheet
Authors: Collier Bradley B. , Awasthi Samir , Lieu Deborah K. , Chan James W.
Published: May 2015

Modern flow cytometry instruments have become vital tools for high-throughput analysis of single cells. However, as issues with the cellular labeling techniques often used in flow cytometry have become more of a concern, the development of label-free modalities for cellular analysis is increasingly desired. Non-linear optical phenomena (NLO) are of growing interest for label-free analysis because of the ability to measure the intrinsic optical response of biomolecules found in cells. We demonstrate that a light-sheet consisting of a scanned Bessel beam is an optimal excitation geometry for efficiently generating NLO signals in a microfluidic environment. The balance of photon density and cross-sectional area provided by the light-sheet allowed significantly larger two-photon fluorescence intensities to be measured in a model polystyrene microparticle system compared to measurements made using other excitation focal geometries, including a relaxed Gaussian excitation beam often used in conventional flow cytometers.
Oocyte quality is decreased in women with minimal or mild endometriosis
Authors: Xu Bo , Guo Nan , Zhang Xiao-min , Shi Wei , Tong Xian-hong , Iqbal Furhan , Liu Yu-sheng
Published: May 2015

Endometriosis, a pathological condition in which the endometrium grows outside the uterus, is one of the most common causes of female infertility; it is diagnosed in 25–40% of infertile women. The mechanism by which endometriosis affects the fertility of females remains largely unknown. We examined the ultrastructure of oocytes from patients with minimal or mild endometriosis and control females undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the physiological significance of oocyte quality for patients with minimal or mild endometriosis. The TEM results revealed that the oocytes from women with minimal or mild endometriosis exhibited abnormal mitochondrial structure and decreased mitochondria mass. Quantitative real time PCR analysis revealed that the mitochondrial DNA copy number was significantly reduced in the oocytes from women with minimal or mild endometriosis compared with those of the control subjects. Our results suggest that decreased oocyte quality because of impaired mitochondrial structure and functions probably an important factor affecting the fertility of endometriosis patients.
Multiplexing strategy for simultaneous detection of redox-, phospho- and total proteome – understanding TOR regulating pathways in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Rodrigues Silas P. , Alvarez Sophie , Werth Emily G. , Slade William O. , Gau Brian , Cahoon Edgar B. , Hicks Leslie M.
Published: May 2015

A multiplexing 2DE-based approach for parallel analysis of redox-, phospho- and total-proteome is presented and applied to the study ofChlamydomonasTOR pathway.
5-(p-Dimethylaminobenzylidene) rhodanine-modified magnetic halloysite nanotubes as a new solid phase sorbent for silver ions
Authors: Amjadi Mohammad , Samadi Azam , Manzoori Jamshid L. , Arsalani Naser
Published: May 2015

Magnetic halloysite nanotubes were modified with 5-(p-dimethylaminobenzylidene) rhodanine and used as a new magnetic sorbent for the separation and preconcentration of Ag(i) ions from environmental samples.
Micelle modified-carbon nanosphere enhanced chemiluminescence from reactive oxygen species for the detection of hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Pan Feng , Wei Pengkun , Zhang Manlin , Lu Chao
Published: May 2015

Micelle modified-carbon nanospheres could enhance three chemiluminescent systems and can be used for the detection of hydrogen peroxide.
Linear synthesis and immunological properties of a fully synthetic vaccine candidate containing a sialylated MUC1 glycopeptide
Authors: Thompson Pamela , Lakshminarayanan Vani , Supekar Nitin T. , Bradley Judy M. , Cohen Peter A. , Wolfert Margreet A. , Gendler Sandra J. , Boons Geert-Jan
Published: May 2015

A strategically designed sialyl-Tn building block was synthesized in a stereospecific manner for the rapid linear construction of a glycolipopeptide cancer vaccine.
Designed filamentous cell penetrating peptides: probing supramolecular structure-dependent membrane activity and transfection efficiency
Authors: Xu Dawei , Dustin Derek , Jiang Linhai , Samways Damien S. K. , Dong He
Published: May 2015

In this work, we will demonstrate the supramolecular assembly of single-chain cationic peptides into stable macromolecular filamentous nanostructures and investigate their supramolecular structure-dependent membrane activity for the development of highly efficient therapeutic carriers.
In aquo ppm level detection of acrylamide through S-to-N acyl transfer mediated activation of pro-sensors
Authors: Reddy M Amarendar , Srivastava Aasheesh
Published: May 2015

Water-soluble pro-sensors for acryl compounds including acrylamide (AM) were developed.
Self-assemblies of amphiphilic homopolymers: synthesis, morphology studies and biomedical applications
Authors: Zhang Jin , Liu Kelan , Müllen Klaus , Yin Meizhen
Published: May 2015

The need for a simplified access to supramolecular assemblies with enhanced tenability has led to the development of amphiphilic homopolymers (APHPs). This review highlights recent advances and future trends in APHP design, self-assembly, and biomedical applications.
Human serum biomarker detection based on a cascade signal amplification strategy by a DNA molecule machine
Authors: Liu Jing , Xin Xiaoyan , Zhou Hong , Zhang Shusheng
Published: May 2015

A convenient method is presented employing a DNA machine for the detection of biomarkers without corresponding aptamers, with signal amplification.
Correction: Evaluation of water displacement energetics in protein binding sites with grid cell theory
Authors: Gerogiokas G. , Southey M. W. Y. , Mazanetz M. P. , Hefeitz A. , Bodkin M. , Law R. J. , Michel J.
Published: May 2015

Correction for ‘Evaluation of water displacement energetics in protein binding sites with grid cell theory’ by G. Gerogiokas et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015, 17, 8416–8426.
Facet-dependent photocatalytic and antibacterial properties of α-Ag2WO4crystals: combining experimental data and theoretical insights
Authors: Roca R. A. , Sczancoski J. C. , Nogueira I. C. , Fabbro M. T. , Alves H. C. , Gracia L. , Santos L. P. S. , de Sousa C. P. , Andrés J. , Luz G. E. , Longo E. , Cavalcante L. S.
Published: May 2015

We have combined experimental results and calculations with new paths to explain the photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of α-Ag2WO4crystals.
Modeling of the hydrophobic microenvironment of water-soluble molybdoenzymes in an aqueous micellar solution
Authors: Hasenaka Yuki , Okamura Taka-aki , Onitsuka Kiyotaka
Published: May 2015

A molybdoenzyme model complex containing bulky hydrophobic groups catalyzes the biomimetic reduction of an amine N-oxide by an NADH analog in an aqueous micellar solution.
Metal organic frameworks for photo-catalytic water splitting
Authors: Meyer K. , Ranocchiari M. , van Bokhoven J. A.
Published: May 2015

Metal organic frameworks offer an impressive physical, chemical and electronic mutability for sustaining water splitting half-reactions under several catalytic regimes.
Determination of the isoflavone composition and estrogenic activity of commercial dietary supplements based on soy or red clover
Authors: Andres Susanne , Hansen Ulf , Niemann Birgit , Palavinskas Richard , Lampen Alfonso
Published: May 2015

Consumers are overloaded with commercial isoflavone-rich dietary supplements based on soy or red clover. The isoflavone composition and quantity as well as estrogenic activity can vary considerably between different supplements.
Iodine catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative C–S coupling by C(sp2)–H bond activation: direct access to aryl sulfides from aryl thiols
Authors: Parumala Santosh Kumar Reddy , Peddinti Rama Krishna
Published: May 2015

An efficient, simple and facile green protocol for the direct sulfenylation of electron-rich species from readily available aryl thiols with the aid of molecular iodine under solvent-free, metal-free and aerobic conditions provides a variety of aryl sulfides in excellent yields.
Laboratory-based characterization of plutonium in soil particles using micro-XRF and 3D confocal XRF
Authors: McIntosh K. G. , Cordes N. L. , Patterson B. M. , Havrilla G. J.
Published: May 2015

Multiple laboratory-based techniques including confocal XRF, which provides 3D elemental maps, have been used to nondestructively detect and characterize Pu in contaminated soil particles.
Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae adiponectin receptor homolog Izh2 is involved in the regulation of zinc, phospholipid and pH homeostasis
Authors: Mattiazzi Ušaj Mojca , Prelec Metod , Brložnik Mojca , Primo Cecilia , Curk Tomaž , Ščančar Janez , Yenush Lynne , Petrovič Uroš
Published: May 2015

Izh2 acts as an integrator of intra- and extracellular signals. It dispatches a single input signal – a change in extracellular Zn concentration – into regulatory networks of several cellular processes, whereby it acts as the second line of cellular adaptation to perturbations to zinc homeostasis.
Programmed liquid crystal elastomers with tunable actuation strain
Authors: Ware T. H. , White T. J.
Published: May 2015

Liquid crystal elastomers with tunable actuation strain are synthesized with simple techniques that enable complexly patterned actuation.
The effect of polymer branching and average molar mass on the formation, stabilization and thermoresponsive properties of gold nanohybrids stabilized by poly(N-isopropylacrylamides)
Authors: Nguyen Hong Hanh , Brûlet Annie , Goudounèche Dominique , Saint-Aguet Pascale , Lauth-de Viguerie Nancy , Marty Jean-Daniel
Published: May 2015

The architecture of PNIPAM based polymers strongly influences both their thermoresponsiveness and their abilities to control and stabilize AuNP formation.
A generic transport model for separation of gas mixtures by glassy polymer membranes based on Maxwell–Stefan formulation
Authors: Ghoreyshi A. A. , Asadi H. , Pirzadeh K.
Published: May 2015

A comparison of experimental and predicted selectivities using the conventional dual modes transport model and the developed model.
High performance Na-doped lithium zinc titanate as anode material for Li-ion batteries
Authors: Chen Wei , Zhou Zhengrong , Wang Rongrong , Wu Zhengtao , Liang Hanfeng , Shao Lianyi , Shu Jie , Wang Zhoucheng
Published: May 2015

This finding can provide an experimental support to synthesize high performance Ti-based materials by Na doping.
Kinetic characterisation of the FAD dependent monooxygenase TropB and investigation of its biotransformation potential
Authors: Abood Amira , Al-Fahad Ahmed , Scott Alan , Hosny Alaa El-Dein M. S. , Hashem Amal M. , Fattah Azza M. A. , Race Paul R. , Simpson Thomas J. , Cox Russell J.
Published: May 2015

Achieving regio-specific hydroxylation of aromatic compounds remains a major challenge in synthetic chemistry.
Effect of maleimide-functionalized gold nanoparticles on hybrid biohydrogels properties
Authors: García-Astrain C. , Ahmed I. , Kendziora D. , Guaresti O. , Eceiza A. , Fruk L. , Corcuera M. A. , Gabilondo N.
Published: May 2015

Nanoparticle cross-linking. Nanocomposite hydrogels with remarkable viscoelastic properties are prepared using maleimide coated gold nanoparticles as co cross-linkers for furan modified gelatin.
Rational design of triazatruxene-based hole conductors for perovskite solar cells
Authors: Ramos F. Javier , Rakstys Kasparas , Kazim Samrana , Grätzel Michael , Nazeeruddin Mohammad Khaja , Ahmad Shahzada
Published: May 2015

Solution processable, triazatruxene based hole-transporting materials were synthesized using inexpensive precursors with state forward synthetic steps and integrated in perovskite based solar cells.
A green method for the quantitative assessment of neutral oil in palm fatty acid distillates by single bounce attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Kamboh Muhammad Afzal , Chang Abdul Sattar , Wan Ibrahim Wan Aini , Sanagi Mohd Marsin , Mahesar Sarfaraz Ahmed , Sirajuddin Sirajuddin , Hussain Sherazi Syed Tufail
Published: May 2015

Green, reliable, rapid and novel SB-ATR FT-IR method has been reported in which only one drop of sample is required, and less than 2 min are required to take results for the quantitative assessment of neutral oil present in PFAD.
A novel cyclometalated Iridium(iii) complex containing dibenzo-24-crown-8: synthesis, luminescence and application in highly efficient green phosphorescent OLEDs
Authors: Liang Aihui , Huang Gui , Chen Shuiliang , Hou Haoqing
Published: May 2015

Several novel dibenzo-24-crown-8 substituted iridium complexes have been obtained, which emit green light with a high ΦPL ranging from 0.56 to 0.63. The PLEDs with G3 as a dopant display the best EL performances with a LE of 29.6 cd A−1.
A series of polyoxometalate-based compounds including infinite Ag belts and circles constructed by two tolyl-1H-tetrazole isomers
Authors: Tian Ai-Xiang , Hou Xue , Ying Jun , Liu Guo-Cheng , Yang Yang , Ning Ya-Li , Li Tian-Jiao , Wang Xiu-Li
Published: May 2015

Three novel Keggin-based complexes constructed by two new isomeric ligands 5-o-tolyl-1H-tetrazole and 5-m-tolyl-1H-tetrazole have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions via changing the types of POM anions and organic ligands.
A carbon fiber based three-phase heterostructure composite CF/Co0.2Fe2.8O4/PANI as an efficient electromagnetic wave absorber in the Ku band
Authors: Fang Jiyong , Chen Zheng , Wei Wei , Li Yunxi , Liu Tao , Liu Zhi , Yue Xigui , Jiang Zhenhua
Published: May 2015

The synthesized three-phase heterostructure composite CF/Co0.2Fe2.8O4/PANI shows an excellent EM wave attenuation performance in the Ku band and the minimum RL values are all lower than −20 dB with an absorber thickness of 3.1–4.1 mm.
Dielectric elastomers, with very high dielectric permittivity, based on silicone and ionic interpenetrating networks
Authors: Yu Liyun , Madsen Frederikke Bahrt , Hvilsted Søren , Skov Anne Ladegaard
Published: May 2015

Dielectric elastomers (DEs), which represent an emerging actuator and generator technology, admittedly have many favourable properties, but their high driving voltages are one of the main obstacles to commercialisation.
Electronic and charge transport properties of dimers of dithienothiophenes: effect of structural symmetry and linking mode
Authors: Li Ping , Cui Yahui , Song Chongping , Zhang Houyu
Published: May 2015

The effects of structural symmetry and linking mode on the electronic and transport properties of trithiophene-based dimerization materials are investigated by means of a theoretical approach.
Stable and reversible doping of graphene by using KNO3 solution and photo-desorption current response
Authors: Khan M. Farooq , Iqbal M. Zahir , Iqbal M. Waqas , Iermolenko Volodymyr M. , Waseem Khalil H. M. , Nam Jungtae , Kim Keun Soo , Noh Hwayong , Eom Jonghwa
Published: May 2015

We found stable n-type doping and carrier mobility improvement of graphene by using KNO3 solution and investigated photo-desorption current response.
Effect of di ethyl ether on the performance and emission characteristics of a diesel engine using biodiesel–eucalyptus oil blends
Authors: Senthil R. , Sivakumar E. , Silambarasan R.
Published: May 2015

The performance and exhaust emission parameters of a single cylinder direct injection diesel engine using pongamia biodiesel (PB) and eucalyptus oil (Eu) were measured.
Molecular insight into the dynamical adsorption behavior of nanoscale water droplets on a heterogeneous surface
Authors: Zhang Jun , Zhong Jie , Li Wen , Wang Muhan , Liu Bing , Li Zhen , Yan Youguo
Published: May 2015

A heterogeneous surface is constructed by adding one hydrophilic patch at the center of a hydrophobic surface, and the dynamical adsorption process of nanoscale water droplets is investigated adopting molecular dynamics simulations.
A novel approach for detection and quantification of magnetic nanomarkers using a spin valve GMR-integrated microfluidic sensor
Authors: Devkota J. , Kokkinis G. , Berris T. , Jamalieh M. , Cardoso S. , Cardoso F. , Srikanth H. , Phan M. H. , Giouroudi I.
Published: May 2015

We demonstrate the application of a spin valve giant magneto-resistance (GMR) integrated microfluidic sensor for the detection and quantification of superparamagnetic nanomarkers.
Polycrystalline zinc stannate as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries
Authors: Wang Luyuan Paul , Zhao Yi , Wei Chao , Wong Chuiling , Srinivasan Madhavi , Xu Zhichuan J.
Published: May 2015

Nanoparticle derived ZnSnO3was tested for the first time as an anode material for sodium ion batteries. Hollow cubes were synthesized by a highly reproducible co-precipitation/annealing method.
Facile synthesis of one-dimensional LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 microrods as advanced cathode materials for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Wu Naiteng , Wu Hao , Yuan Wei , Liu Shengjie , Liao Jinyu , Zhang Yun
Published: May 2015

One-dimensional LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 microrods are synthesized through chemical lithiation of mixed Ni, Co, and Al oxalate microrod. The rod-like morphology together with structural stability endows it with superior rate capability and cycle performance for highly reversible lithium storage.
Soft segment free thermoplastic polyester elastomers with high performance
Authors: Liu Fei , Zhang Junwu , Wang Jinggang , Liu Xiaoqing , Zhang Ruoyu , Hu Guohua , Na Haining , Zhu Jin
Published: May 2015

A soft segment free thermoplastic polyester elastomer is fabricated by adjusting the cis-1,4-cyclohexylene ring moiety in poly(butylene 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate) from 12% to 71%.
Bioconjugation of hydrogen-bonded organic semiconductors with functional proteins
Authors: Głowacki E. D. , Tangorra R. R. , Coskun H. , Farka D. , Operamolla A. , Kanbur Y. , Milano F. , Giotta L. , Farinola G. M. , Sariciftci N. S.
Published: May 2015

We report on bioconjugation strategies to functionalize hydrogen-bonded pigment semiconductors with proteins, and demonstrate hybrid bioelectronics devices operating under aqueous conditions.
D–A–π–A featured sensitizers by modification of auxiliary acceptor for preventing “trade-off” effect
Authors: Zhu Haibo , Liu Bo , Liu Jingchuan , Zhang Weiwei , Zhu Wei-Hong
Published: May 2015

The two thiophene groups grafted onto the auxiliary quinoxaline acceptor successfully overcome the unfavorable “trade-off” effect between the photocurrent and photovoltage.
32 Gbit/s QPSK transmission at 385 GHz using coherent fibre‐optic technologies and THz double heterodyne detection
Authors: Ducournau G. , Engenhardt K. , Szriftgiser P. , Bacquet D. , Zaknoune M. , Kassi R. , Lecomte E. , Lampin J.‐F.
Published: May 2015

The first quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) data link at 385 GHz, using a photonic‐based terahertz (THz) emission and a double heterodyne THz detection, is reported. The QPSK signalling is investigated up to 16 Gbaud (32 Gbit/s) on a short range distance, with 20 µW received power levels.
Automatic interleaving technique using single interleaving bus for paralleling power converters
Authors: Kudtongngam Jasada , Liutanakul Pisit , Chunkag Viboon
Published: May 2015

This study introduces a novel synchronous and encoding data technique on a single interleaving bus for automatic interleaving system of distributed power supply (DPS). Unlike the conventional interleaving techniques, this technique proposes replacing and removing one or more converter modules without interfering with the still‐working converters. With encoding data technique, each controller can determine the number of modules on the interleaving bus without any communication protocol. Besides, this technique is expected to perform a masterless control system and to enable automatic phase displacement, without any additional bus. A single current waveform on the interleaving bus carries information about the number of modules in its magnitude and phase displacements in its ramp that help the DPS in overcoming module failure and maintaining the operation. A prototype of the proposed automatic interleaving technique was designed, implemented and tested. The replacing and removing modules’ scenarios with still‐working modules were demonstrated by the experimental results obtained on the four‐module interleaving prototype.
Investigation of the accuracy of historical irradiance products and interannual variability of solar irradiance using Met Office ground data
Authors: Burgess Peter , Vahdati Maria , Essah Emmanuel
Published: May 2015

Met Office station data from 1980 to 2012 has been used to characterise the interannual variability of incident solar irradiance across the UK. The same data are used to evaluate four popular historical irradiance products to determine which are most suitable for use by the UK PV industry for site selection and system design. The study confirmed previous findings that interannual variability is typically 3–6% and weighted average probability of a particular percentage deviation from the mean at an average site in the UK was calculated. This weighted average showed that fewer than 2% of site‐years could be expected to fall below 90% of the long‐term site mean. The historical irradiance products were compared against Met Office station data from the input years of each product. This investigation has found that all products perform well. No products have a strong spatial trend. Meteonorm 7 is most conservative (MBE = −2.5%), CMSAF is most optimistic (MBE = +3.4%) and an average of all four products performs better than any one individual product (MBE = 0.3%).
Pseudogap from ARPES experiment: Three gaps in cuprates and topological superconductivity (Review Article)
Authors: Kordyuk A. A.
Published: May 2015

A term first coined by Mott back in 1968 a “pseudogap” is the depletion of the electronic density of states at the Fermi level, and pseudogaps have been observed in many systems. However, since the discovery of the high-temperature superconductors (HTSC) in 1986, the central role attributed to the pseudogap in these systems has meant that by many researchers now associate the term pseudogap exclusively with the HTSC phenomenon. Recently, the problem has got a lot of new attention with the rediscovery of two distinct energy scales (“two-gap scenario”) and charge density waves patterns in the cuprates. Despite many excellent reviews on the pseudogap phenomenon in HTSC, published from its very discovery up to now, the mechanism of the pseudogap and its relation to superconductivity are still open questions. The present review represents a contribution dealing with the pseudogap, focusing on results from angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and ends up with the conclusion that the pseudogap in cuprates is a complex phenomenon which includes at least three different “intertwined” orders: spin and charge density waves and preformed pairs, which appears in different parts of the phase diagram. The density waves in cuprates are competing to superconductivity for the electronic states but, on the other hand, should drive the electronic structure to vicinity of Lifshitz transition, that could be a key similarity between the superconducting cuprates and iron-based superconductors. One may also note that since the pseudogap in cuprates has multiple origins there is no need to recoin the term suggested by Mott.
Toy model of superconductivity
Authors: Grigorishin Konstantin V. , Lev Bohdan I.
Published: May 2015

The model of hypothetical superconductivity, where the energy gap asymptotically approaches zero as temperature or magnetic field increases, has been proposed. Formally the critical temperature and the second critical field for such a superconductor is equal to infinity. Thus the material is in superconducting state always.
Electronic spectrum of atomic chain with Fano-Anderson impurities
Authors: Skrypnyk Yuriy V.
Published: May 2015

Electronic spectrum of one-dimensional system with a low concentration of weakly bound Fano-Anderson impurities is considered. It is assumed that the energy of the impurity resonance is located in a vicinity of the band center of the host system. It is demonstrated that with increasing the impurity concentration the dispersion of states with the low damping undergoes a transformation. This transformation passes in a threshold manner and results in the reproduction of some characteristic features inherent in the cross-type spectrum rearrangement. At that, the density of states at the energy of the impurity resonance manifests a steady growth.
Electronic and magnetic properties of graphite quantum dots
Authors: Abdelsalam Hazem , Espinosa-Ortega T. , Luk'yanchuk Igor
Published: May 2015

We study the electronic and magnetic properties of multilayer quantum dots (MQDs) of graphite in the nearest-neighbor approximation of tight-binding model. We calculate the electronic density of states and orbital susceptibility of the system as function of the Fermi level location. We demonstrate that properties of MQD depend strongly on the shape of the system, on the parity of the layer number and on the form of the cluster edge. The special emphasis is given to reveal the new properties with respect to the monolayer graphene quantum dots. The most interesting results are obtained for the triangular MQD with zig-zag edge at near-zero energies. The asymmetrically smeared multipeak feature is observed at Dirac point within the size-quantized energy gap region, where monolayer graphene flakes demonstrate the highly-degenerate zero-energy state. This feature, provided by the edge-localized electronic states results in the splash-wavelet behavior in diamagnetic orbital susceptibility as function of energy.
The theory of nonequilibrium Anderson impurity model for strongly correlated electron systems
Authors: Moskalenko V. A. , Dohotaru L. A. , Digor D. F.
Published: May 2015

The nonequilibrium theory of strongly correlated systems is proposed theory which is grounded on the generalized Wick theorem. This theorem is employed for calculation of the thermal averages of the contour arranged products of electron operators by generalizing Keldysh formalism. Perturbation expansion is realized for Anderson impurity model in which we consider the Coulomb interaction of the impurity electrons as a main parameter of the model and the mixing interaction between impurity and conduction electrons as a perturbation. The first two approximations are used and is obtained the value of the current between one of the leads and central region of interacting electrons. The contribution of the strong correlations and of irreducible diagrams is analyzed.
Observing heme doming in myoglobin with femtosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Levantino M. , Lemke H. T. , Schirò G. , Glownia M. , Cupane A. , Cammarata M.
Published: May 2015

We report time-resolved X-ray absorption measurements after photolysis of carbonmonoxy myoglobin performed at the LCLS X-ray free electron laser with nearly 100 fs (FWHM) time resolution. Data at the Fe K-edge reveal that the photoinduced structural changes at the heme occur in two steps, with a faster (∼70 fs) relaxation preceding a slower (∼400 fs) one. We tentatively attribute the first relaxation to a structural rearrangement induced by photolysis involving essentially only the heme chromophore and the second relaxation to a residual Fe motion out of the heme plane that is coupled to the displacement of myoglobin F-helix.
Broadband light absorption enhancement in moth’s eye nanostructured organic solar cells
Authors: Lan Weixia , Cui Yanxia , Yang Qingyi , Lo Ming-Fai , Lee Chun-Sing , Zhu Furong
Published: May 2015

A comprehensive study on inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) with a moth’s eye nanostructured (MEN) active layer was carried out. Performance of the MEN-based OSCs and the corresponding control planar cells, fabricated with blend of poly[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-bA] dithiophene-2, 6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2- ethylhexyl) carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]-thiophenediyl] (PTB7):[6,6]- phenyl-C70- butyric-acid-methyl-ester (PC70BM) was analyzed. The efficiency of the MEN-based OSCs was optimized by adjusting the height of MEN pattern in the active layer. Our experimental and theoretical results reveal that the MEN pattern enhances light absorption in the PTB7:PC70BM active layer, especially over the long wavelength region. This leads to a 7.8% increase in short circuit current density and a 6.1% increase in power conversion efficiency over those of the control planar cell.