bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Copper-catalyzed carbon–carbon bond cleavage of primary propargyl alcohols: β-carbon elimination of hemiaminal intermediates
Authors: Kang Ye-Won , Cho Yu Jin , Ko Kwang-Youn , Jang Hye-Young
Published: June 2015

The copper-catalyzed β-carbon elimination of primary propargyl alcohols via hemiaminals is studied under aerobic oxidation conditions.
Cyclodextrin and phosphorus(iii): a versatile combination for coordination chemistry and catalysis
Authors: Jouffroy Matthieu , Armspach Dominique , Matt Dominique
Published: June 2015

The relevance of cyclodextrins equipped with P(iii) atoms in coordination chemistry and homogeneous catalysis is discussed.
Selective oxidative C–C bond cleavage of a lignin model compound in the presence of acetic acid with a vanadium catalyst
Authors: Ma Yangyang , Du Zhongtian , Liu Junxia , Xia Fei , Xu Jie
Published: June 2015

The solvent has great effects on vanadium-catalyzed oxidative C–C bond cleavage of 2-phenoxy-1-phenylethanol with molecular oxygen.
S100A4 and its role in metastasis – computational integration of data on biological networks
Authors: Buetti-Dinh Antoine , Pivkin Igor V. , Friedman Ran
Published: June 2015

Characterising signal transduction networks is fundamental to our understanding of biology.
Improved metabolite profile smoothing for flux estimation
Authors: Dromms Robert A. , Styczynski Mark P.
Published: June 2015

We develop several methods to improve the estimation of metabolite concentrations and accumulation fluxes from noisy time-course data, including use of a sigmoidal impulse function and a resampling-based approach.
Catalysis of the hydro-dechlorination of 4-chlorophenol and the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by Pd/Fe3O4@SiO2@m-SiO2
Authors: Liu Yansheng , Zhang Wei , Li Xinlin , Le Xuanduong , Ma Jiantai
Published: June 2015

A Pd/Fe3O4@SiO2@m-SiO2catalyst with ultrahigh surface area is used in the catalysis of hydrodechlorination of 4-chlorophenol and reduction of 4-nitrophenol.
Acidity of the methyne group of poly(4-vinylpyridine) leads to side-chain protonation in pyridine
Authors: Vaganova Evgenia , Rozenberg Mark , Dubnikova Faina , Danovich David , Yitzchaik Shlomo
Published: June 2015

Radiation sensitivity of poly(4-vinylpyridine)/pyridine likely involves side-chain N-protonation. IR spectroscopy shows that the proton donor is the methyne group CH.
Laser directed writing of flat lenses on buckypaper
Authors: Deng Sunan , Penchev Pavel , Liu Jian , Wang Yongjing , Jiang Kyle , Dimov Stefan , Zhang Zhichun , Liu Yanju , Leng Jinsong , Butt Haider
Published: June 2015

Laser directed patterning of carbon nanotubes-based buckypaper for producing a diffractive optical device is presented here.
Bimetallic layer-by-layer films and their application in catalytic hydrogenation of olefin
Authors: Gao Shuiying , Li Weijin , Cao Rong
Published: June 2015

Our bimetallic LbL films exhibit a superior catalytic activity toward hydrogenation of olefin.
Planar copper and nickel triangles with a guanidine-derived ligand
Authors: Matsumoto Takuto , Sato Yamato , Shiga Takuya , Oshio Hiroki
Published: June 2015

A novel guanidine-derived ligand with three tetradentate N4 coordination sites and its trinuclear copper and nickel complexes, [Cu3] and [Ni3], were synthesized. X-ray structural analyses of [Cu3] and [Ni3] reveal the complexes to have planar triangular structures with pseudo C3 symmetry.
Analytical modeling of the sensing parameters for graphene nanoscroll-based gas sensors
Authors: Khaledian Mohsen , Ismail Razali , Saeidmanesh Mehdi , Khaledian Parviz
Published: June 2015

The current–voltage (I–V) model for a GNS-based gas sensor (like the FET-based structure) has been investigated under exposure to different NH3 gas concentrations at different temperatures.
A new methodology for optical biosensing with drop-casting fabrication of sensor chips and irradiation/detection of a single laser beam
Authors: Yoshikawa H. , Imura S. , Tamiya E.
Published: June 2015

The mechanism of glucose sensing based on the laser-induced morphology change.
Surface modification of a LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode with lithium boron oxide glass for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Du Chenqiang , Yang Man , Liu Jie , Sun Shuting , Tang Zhiyuan , Qu Deyang , Zhang Xinhe
Published: June 2015

Lithium boron oxide glass (LBO-glass) coated LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode materials have been synthesized by a solution method to enhance the electrochemical performances.
Bionic design for anticoagulant surface via synthesized biological macromolecules with heparin-like chains
Authors: Ran Fen , Song Haiming , Wu Jiayu , Ma Lang , Niu Xiaoqin , Fan Huili , Kang Long , Zhao Changsheng
Published: June 2015

A heparin-like anticoagulant membrane surface with functional groups and conjugated structure was constructed by blending a synthesized copolymer for blood purification.
Pathways involved in acetaminophen hepatotoxicity with specific targets for inhibition/downregulation
Authors: Karthivashan Govindarajan , Arulselvan Palanisamy , Fakurazi Sharida
Published: June 2015

Insights on molecular/immunological mechanisms involve in APAP hepatotoxicity and pave way for researchers/clinicians/pharma bodies to identify novel biomarkers, effective bioactive candidates and fruitful therapy against APAP hepatotoxicity.
New sodium dodecyl sulfate-assisted preparation of Nd2O3 nanostructures via a simple route
Authors: Mortazavi-Derazkola Sobhan , Zinatloo-Ajabshir Sahar , Salavati-Niasari Masoud
Published: June 2015

The effect of the anionic shape- and size-controller on the morphology and size of Nd2O3 prepared by a new simple approach was studied.
Morphology control synthesis of Au–Cu2S metal-semiconductor hybrid nanostructures by modulating reaction constituents
Authors: Sinha S. K. , Srivastava C. , Sampath S. , Chattopadhyay K.
Published: June 2015

Hybrid nanoparticles containing solid solution Au–Cu and Cu2S phases.
Synthesis of different CuO nanostructures by a new catalytic template method as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Ma Xiao-Hang , Zeng Shuang-Shuang , Zou Bang-Kun , Liang Xin , Liao Jia-Ying , Chen Chun-Hua
Published: June 2015

CuO powders composed of different rod-like clusters or dandelion-like nanospheres are prepared by a low-temperature thermal decomposition process of Cu(OH)2 precursors, which are obtained via a catalytic template method.
Unstrained C–C bond activation and directed fluorination through photocatalytically-generated radical cations
Authors: Pitts Cody Ross , Bloom Michelle Sheanne , Bume Desta Doro , Zhang Qinze Arthur , Lectka Thomas
Published: June 2015

Unstrained C–C activationviaputative radical cation formation promotes a directed radical fluorination event using Selectfluor, catalytic 9-fluorenone, and light.
Tetraarylborate polymer networks as single-ion conducting solid electrolytes
Authors: Van Humbeck Jeffrey F. , Aubrey Michael L. , Alsbaiee Alaaeddin , Ameloot Rob , Coates Geoffrey W. , Dichtel William R. , Long Jeffrey R.
Published: June 2015

A new family of solid polymer electrolytes based upon anionic tetrakis(phenyl)borate tetrahedral nodes and linear bis-alkyne linkers is reported.
Dynamic photoinduced realignment processes in photoresponsive block copolymer films: effects of the chain length and block copolymer architecture
Authors: Sano Masami , Shan Feng , Hara Mitsuo , Nagano Shusaku , Shinohara Yuya , Amemiya Yoshiyuki , Seki Takahiro
Published: June 2015

The realignment process of microphase separated cylinder structure in azobenezene-containing liquid crystalline block copolymer films was significantly affected by the polymer architecture as revealed by in situ synchrotron GI-SAXS measurements.
Shape allophiles improve entropic assembly
Authors: Harper Eric S. , Marson Ryan L. , Anderson Joshua A. , van Anders Greg , Glotzer Sharon C.
Published: June 2015

Squares are cut into halves (here, triangular) and then shaped allophilically with the goal of increasing the directional entropic forces that lead to a high propensity for self-assembling the original square lattice.
AIMs: a new strategy to control physical aging and gas transport in mixed-matrix membranes
Authors: Kitchin Melanie , Teo Jesse , Konstas Kristina , Lau Cher Hon , Sumby Christopher J. , Thornton Aaron W. , Doonan Christian J. , Hill Matthew R.
Published: June 2015

The effect of controlling interactions between the components in a mixed-matrix membrane at the molecular level has been explored.
Co-electrolysis of H2O and CO2in a solid oxide electrolysis cell with hierarchically structured porous electrodes
Authors: Yang Chenghao , Li Jiao , Newkirk James , Baish Valerie , Hu Renzong , Chen Yu , Chen Fanglin
Published: June 2015

A solid oxide electrolysis cell with novel asymmetric-porous structured electrodes has been fabricated by freeze-drying tape-casting and impregnation methods. The straight channel-like pores in the porous electrode facilitate mass transport while the nano- or sub-micron-sized catalysts promote the electrode electrochemical reactions.
AIEgens for real-time naked-eye sensing of hydrazine in solution and on a paper substrate: structure-dependent signal output and selectivity
Authors: Zhang Ruoyu , Zhang Chong-Jing , Song Zhegang , Liang Jing , Kwok Ryan Tsz Kin , Tang Ben Zhong , Liu Bin
Published: June 2015

AIEgens for real-time naked-eye sensing of hydrazine in solution and on a paper substrate are reported with a structure-dependent signal output and selectivity.
Automatic image annotation by a loosely joint non‐negative matrix factorisation
Authors: Rad Roya , Jamzad Mansour
Published: June 2015

Nowadays, the number of digital images has increased so that the management of this volume of data needs an efficient system for browsing, categorising and searching. Automatic image annotation is designed for assigning tags to images for more accurate retrieval. Non‐negative matrix factorisation (NMF) is a traditional machine learning technique for decomposing a matrix into a set of basis and coefficients under the non‐negative constraints. In this study, the authors propose a two‐step algorithm for designing an automatic image annotation system that employs the NMF framework for its first step and a variant of K‐nearest neighbourhood as its second step. In the first step, a new multimodal NMF algorithm is proposed to extract the latent factors which reflect the content of images. This is done by jointly factorising the visual and textual data feature matrices so that they have close representation, although not necessarily the same. In the second step, after mapping images to the latent factors space a few tags are predicted for the new images based on a weighted average of similar data. They evaluated the performance of the proposed method and compared it to the state‐of‐the‐art literature. Comparison results demonstrate the effectiveness and potential of the proposed method in image annotation applications.
Tumour localisation in ultrasound‐guided high‐intensity focused ultrasound ablation using improved gradient and direction vector flow
Authors: Le Yi , Xu Xianze , Zha Li , Zhao Wencheng , Zhu Yanyan
Published: June 2015

As one of the key technologies in ultrasound (US)‐guided high‐intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation systems, a precise and automatic US image segmentation method for tumour localisation can contribute to ablation of the diseased tissues and avoiding unwanted destruction of the healthy tissues. Owing to the speckle noise and the irregular shapes of target tumours in US images, traditional image segmentation methods are not suitable for tumour localisation. In this study, the authors proposed an improved gradient and direction vector flow (G&DVF) model to segment US images for tumour localisation. The conventional G&DVF model was improved in three aspects to obtain a better segmentation for tumour localisation. The straight lines were changed into fold lines to increase their flexibility in guiding the active contour. Several weighting parameters were added to the energy functional to control the influences of these different lines. Moreover, a novel vector field was defined to reduce the computational complexity and save the computation time. With these three aspects improved, the improved G&DVF model was applied in US image segmentation for tumour localisation. The experimental results demonstrate that this proposed model is reliable, accurate and time saving in US image segmentation for tumour localisation.
Design and implementation of 15‐level cascaded multi‐level voltage source inverter with harmonics elimination pulse‐width modulation using differential evolution method
Authors: Salam Zainal , Majed Ahmed , Amjad Abdul Moeed
Published: June 2015

This study describes the application of a soft computing method – known as differential evolution (DE) to implement the harmonics elimination pulse‐width modulation (HEPWM) for a 15‐level, multi‐level voltage source inverter (MVSI). The main feature of this technique is the wide range of fundamental output voltage that can be achieved, while maintaining a very low total harmonics distortion (below 6%). The fundamental voltage can be controlled very precisely (very small step size) and the trajectories of the HEPWM angles are continuous over the whole range of modulation index – making it very suitable for utility and variable speed drives application. The study details the procedures to obtain the HEPWM angles trajectories, which include the formulation of objective functions, appropriate selection of the DE evolutionary parameters and stopping criterions. The viability of the proposed method is simulated using MATLAB/Simulink and verified by a three‐phase, cascaded‐type MVSI test rig. Experimentally, The HEPWM waveforms are implemented using the Altera field programmable gate array, whereas the 15‐level MVSI is built using metal–oxide semiconductor field effect transistor H‐bridge. Selected results are presented; the simulation and hardware results are found to be in very close agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Performance evaluation of a multistring photovoltaic module with distributed DC–DC converters
Authors: Grasso Alfio Dario , Pennisi Salvatore , Ragusa Massimiliano , Tina Giuseppe Marco , Ventura Cristina
Published: June 2015

Photovoltaic (PV) systems, especially the ones installed in urban and suburban areas, operate often under non‐uniform distribution of solar irradiance and PV cells temperature over the PV array. At this purpose, an architecture of the PV system based on distributed DC–DC converters, that performs the maximum power point tracking algorithm (DMPPT) can effectively counteract the reduction of power efficiency because of electrical, thermal and irradiance mismatch phenomena. Aim of this study is to experimentally assess the effect of the use of DC–DC boost converters with MPPT capability, directly applied at the substring level of a single PV module. The novelty of the approach here proposed with respect to the state‐of‐the‐art is that the outputs of the converters are connected in parallel. Comparing the power efficiency of a conventional PV module with that of the considered prototype where the three substrings are connected to a dedicated DC–DC converter, a remarkable improvement of the extracted power ranging from 11 to 25% under non‐uniform solar radiation was found.
Molecular dynamics simulation of radiation damage cascades in diamond
Authors: Buchan J. T. , Robinson M. , Christie H. J. , Roach D. L. , Ross D. K. , Marks N. A.
Published: June 2015

Radiation damage cascades in diamond are studied by molecular dynamics simulations employing the Environment Dependent Interaction Potential for carbon. Primary knock-on atom (PKA) energies up to 2.5 keV are considered and a uniformly distributed set of 25 initial PKA directions provide robust statistics. The simulations reveal the atomistic origins of radiation-resistance in diamond and provide a comprehensive computational analysis of cascade evolution and dynamics. As for the case of graphite, the atomic trajectories are found to have a fractal-like character, thermal spikes are absent and only isolated point defects are generated. Quantitative analysis shows that the instantaneous maximum kinetic energy decays exponentially with time, and that the timescale of the ballistic phase has a power-law dependence on PKA energy. Defect recombination is efficient and independent of PKA energy, with only 50% of displacements resulting in defects, superior to graphite where the same quantity is nearly 75%.
Geometric and electronic structures of potassium-adsorbed rubrene complexes
Authors: Li Tsung-Lung , Lu Wen-Cai
Published: June 2015

The geometric and electronic structures of potassium-adsorbed rubrene complexes are studied in this article. It is found that the potassium-rubrene (K1RUB) complexes inherit the main symmetry characteristics from their pristine counterparts and are thus classified into D2- and C2h-like complexes according to the relative orientations of the four phenyl side groups. The geometric structures of K1RUB are governed by two general effects on the total energy: Deformation of the carbon frame of the pristine rubrene increases the total energy, while proximity of the potassium ion to the phenyl ligands decreases the energy. Under these general rules, the structures of D2- and C2h-like K1RUB, however, exhibit their respective peculiarities. These peculiarities can be illustrated by their energy profiles of equilibrium structures. For the potassium adsorption-sites, the D2-like complexes show minimum-energy basins, whereas the C2h-like ones have single-point minimum-energies. If the potassium atom ever has the energy to diffuse from the minimum-energy site, the potassium diffusion path on the D2-like complexes is most likely along the backbone in contrast to the C2h-like ones. Although the electronic structures of the minimum-energy structures of D2- and C2h-like K1RUB are very alike, decompositions of their total spectra reveal insights into the electronic structures. First, the spectral shapes are mainly determined by the facts that, in comparison with the backbone carbons, the phenyl carbons have more uniform chemical environments and far less contributions to the electronic structures around the valence-band edge. Second, the electron dissociated from the potassium atom mainly remains on the backbone and has little effects on the electronic structures of the phenyl groups. Third, the two phenyls on the same side of the backbone as the potassium atom have more similar chemical environments than the other two on the opposite side, which leads to the largely enhanced resemblance of the simulated to the experimental spectra. Fourth, the HOMO and LUMO are mainly the α and β components of the 2p orbitals of the backbone carbons, respectively.
Synthesis and characterization of nitrogen-doped graphene films using C5NCl5
Authors: Cai Wei , Wang Cong , Fang Xiaohong , Yang Liyou , Chen Xiaoyuan
Published: June 2015

To modify the electrical properties of graphene, we have synthesized nitrogen-doped graphene films using pentachloropyridine and methane by a two-step growth process with the N/C ratio of 2.5%–4%. The nitrogen-doped graphene presoma synthesized at 350 °C can be transformed into nitrogen-doped graphene fragments by annealing at 1000 °C. The introduction of methane as a second carbon source plays a key role in the formation of continuous uniform nitrogen-doped graphene films. The as-obtained N-doped graphene films exhibit n-type conduction with the electron mobility and density of 375 cm2 V−1 s−1 and 2.38 × 1013 cm−2 at room temperature, respectively.
Microfluidic based high throughput synthesis of lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles with tunable diameters
Authors: Feng Qiang , Zhang Lu , Liu Chao , Li Xuanyu , Hu Guoqing , Sun Jiashu , Jiang Xingyu
Published: June 2015

Core-shell hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery have attracted numerous attentions due to their enhanced therapeutic efficacy and good biocompatibility. In this work, we fabricate a two-stage microfluidic chip to implement a high-throughput, one-step, and size-tunable synthesis of mono-disperse lipid-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) NPs. The size of hybrid NPs is tunable by varying the flow rates inside the two-stage microfluidic chip. To elucidate the mechanism of size-controllable generation of hybrid NPs, we observe the flow field in the microchannel with confocal microscope and perform the simulation by a numerical model. Both the experimental and numerical results indicate an enhanced mixing effect at high flow rate, thus resulting in the assembly of small and mono-disperse hybrid NPs. In vitro experiments show that the large hybrid NPs are more likely to be aggregated in serum and exhibit a lower cellular uptake efficacy than the small ones. This microfluidic chip shows great promise as a robust platform for optimization of nano drug delivery system.
Artificial dispersion of all-dielectric gradient nanostructures: Frequency-selective interfaces and tunneling-assisted broadband antireflection coatings
Authors: Shkatula S. V. , Volpian O. D. , Shvartsburg A. B. , Obod Yu. A.
Published: June 2015

The non-locality of optical properties of gradient dielectric nanofilms, stipulated by smooth spatial distributions of refractive index, is shown to create the peculiar plasma-like dispersion of non-polar dielectric films, determined by the shapes and sizes of these distributions. Gradient all-dielectric nanostructures, characterized by the artificial heterogeneity-induced nonlocal dispersion and providing the broadband antireflection tunneling regime of energy transport in the visible and infrared ranges, are designed and tested. The wave energy flow in these structures is supported due to interference of evanescent and antievanescent modes formed by the non-Fresnel reflections of these modes on the discontinuities of gradient of refractive index on the boundaries of adjacent nanofilms. The transmittance spectra of these structures in the visible and infrared ranges, characterized by strong dispersion nearby the red edge of visible range, almost constant high transmittance in the near infrared range and weak dependence of tunneling energy flow upon the multilayer structure thickness, are calculated; the experimental verifications of these effects are presented. The perspectives to use the tunneling of light in gradient media for reconsideration of Hartman paradox are shown. Potential of periodical gradient all-dielectric nanostructures for optimized design of optical dispersive elements and broadband antireflection coatings for the visible and IR spectral range, respectively, is discussed.
Structures and magnetic properties of Co-Zr-B magnets studied by first-principles calculations
Authors: Zhao Xin , Ke Liqin , Nguyen Manh Cuong , Wang Cai-Zhuang , Ho Kai-Ming
Published: June 2015

The structures and magnetic properties of Co-Zr-B alloys near the composition of Co5Zr with B at. % ≤6% were studied using adaptive genetic algorithm and first-principles calculations. The energy and magnetic moment contour maps as a function of chemical composition were constructed for the Co-Zr-B magnet alloys through extensive structure searches and calculations. We found that Co-Zr-B system exhibits the same structure motif as the “Co11Zr2” polymorphs, and such motif plays a key role in achieving strong magnetic anisotropy. Boron atoms were found to be able to substitute cobalt atoms or occupy the “interruption” sites. First-principles calculations showed that the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energies of the boron-doped alloys are close to that of the high-temperature rhombohedral Co5Zr phase and larger than that of the low-temperature Co5.25Zr phase. Our calculations provide useful guidelines for further experimental optimization of the magnetic performances of these alloys.
Structure dependent hydrogen induced etching features of graphene crystals
Authors: Thangaraja Amutha , Shinde Sachin M. , Kalita Golap , Papon Remi , Sharma Subash , Vishwakarma Riteshkumar , Sharma Kamal P. , Tanemura Masaki
Published: June 2015

H2 induced etching of graphene is of significant interest to understand graphene growth process as well as to fabricate nanoribbons and various other structures. Here, we demonstrate the structure dependent H2 induced etching behavior of graphene crystals. We synthesized graphene crystals on electro-polished Cu foil by an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition process, where some of the crystals showed hexagonal shaped snowflake-dendritic morphology. Significant differences in H2 induced etching behavior were observed for the snowflake-dendritic and regular graphene crystals by annealing in a gas mixture of H2 and Ar. The regular graphene crystals were etched anisotropically creating hexagonal holes with pronounced edges, while etching of all the dendritic crystals occurred from the branches of lobs creating symmetrical fractal structures. The etching behavior provides important clue of graphene nucleation and growth as well as their selective etching to fabricate well-defined structures for nanoelectronics.
Electrical/thermal transport and electronic structure of the binary cobalt pnictides CoPn2 (Pn = As and Sb)
Authors: Goto Yosuke , Miyao Syuhei , Kamihara Yoichi , Matoba Masanori
Published: June 2015

We demonstrate the electrical and thermal transport properties of polycrystalline CoPn2 (Pn = As and Sb) between 300 and 900 K. CoAs2 shows semiconducting electrical transport up to 900 K, while CoSb2 exhibits degenerate conduction. Sign inversion of the Seebeck coefficient is observed at ∼310 and ∼400 K for CoAs2 and CoSb2, respectively. Thermal conductivity at 300 K is 11.7 Wm−1K−1 for CoAs2 and 9.4 Wm−1K−1 for CoSb2. The thermoelectric power factor of CoAs2 is ∼10 μWcm−1K−2, although the dimensionless figure of merit is limited to ∼0.1 due to relatively high thermal conductivity. Using electronic structure calculations, the band gap value is calculated to be 0.55 eV for CoAs2 and 0.26 eV for CoSb2.
The histone methyltransferase SETDB1 represses endogenous and exogenous retroviruses in B lymphocytes
Authors: Collins Patrick L. , Kyle Katherine E. , Egawa Takeshi , Shinkai Yoichi , Oltz Eugene M.
Published: June 2015

Significance

Mammalian genomes are replete with silent endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). Inappropriate ERV activation in dividing cells is particularly dangerous because it can produce oncogenic mutations via new ERV insertions. Here, we show that endogenous and exogenous retroviruses are repressed in B lymphocytes from adult mice by methylation of histones that package viral DNA into repressive chromatin. These findings contrast with current models, which posit that histone methylation is dispensable for ERV repression in postembryonic tissues. We also show that ERV activation upon loss of histone methylation relies on specific sets of transcription factors in a given cell type. Our findings uncover new mechanisms of genome stability and viral repression in mammalian cells of adult origin.
Adolescent impatience decreases with increased frontostriatal connectivity
Authors: van den Bos Wouter , Rodriguez Christian A. , Schweitzer Julie B. , McClure Samuel M.
Published: June 2015

Significance

Compared with children and adults, teens and young adults often exhibit greater impulsivity and corresponding increases in emergency room visits, accidents from drug or alcohol use, and increased mortality risk. However, it remains poorly understood how increased impulsivity during adolescence may be explained in terms of brain and cognitive development. We focused on impatience, a central component of impulsiveness. We relate impatient behavior on a decision-making task to changes in connectivity within the brain’s frontostriatal circuitry. Our results suggest that relative future orientation, not sensitivity to immediate rewards, determines adolescent impatience. These findings may help to design interventions to prevent the detrimental effects of adolescent impulsiveness and serve as a template for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders.
Environmental CO
2
inhibits
Caenorhabditis elegans
egg-laying by modulating olfactory neurons and evokes widespread changes in neural activity
Authors: Fenk Lorenz A. , de Bono Mario
Published: June 2015

Significance

Carbon dioxide (CO
2
) gradients are ubiquitous, but fluctuations in CO
2
provide an important cue shaping animal behavior. This paradox suggests that CO
2
provides contextual information that is integrated with other inputs. Here, we show that
Caenorhabditis elegans
CO
2
-sensing circuits are much more sophisticated than assumed hitherto. A surprisingly large number of neurons, including nociceptors, gustatory neurons, and olfactory neurons, respond to CO
2
in vivo. Glia also exhibit large Ca
2+
responses to CO
2
. Worms therefore may couple detection of CO
2
and other cues at the earliest stages of sensory processing. Besides avoiding CO
2
,
C
.
elegans
stops laying eggs at high CO
2
. Inhibition of oviposition involves sustained activation of the AWC olfactory neurons by CO
2
and enduring inhibition of neurons innervating the egg-laying muscles.
Cellular immune correlates analysis of an HIV-1 preexposure prophylaxis trial
Authors: Kuebler Peter J. , Mehrotra Megha L. , McConnell J. Jeff , Holditch Sara J. , Shaw Brian I. , Tarosso Leandro F. , Leadabrand Kaitlyn S. , Milush Jeffrey M. , York Vanessa A. , Raposo Rui André Saraiva , Cheng Rex G. , Eriksson Emily M. , McMahan Vanessa , Glidden David V. , Shiboski Stephen , Grant Robert M. , Nixon Douglas F. , Kallás Esper G.
Published: June 2015

Significance

The demonstration and clinical relevance of HIV-1–specific immune responses in exposed but uninfected seronegative individuals have been controversial. Studies seeking to detect these responses have generally been small in size and have varied in study population, methods of detection, and control groups. We conducted a large case–control immunology study of participants in the Preexposure Prophylaxis Initiative (iPrEx) chemoprophylaxis trial, selecting preinfection time points for those who became infected compared with persistently HIV-1–negative controls. We confirmed that HIV-1–specific responses are present in exposed uninfected individuals, sometimes at very high magnitude. HIV-1–specific responses also correlated with infection risk.
Synaptic clusters function as odor operators in the olfactory bulb
Authors: Migliore Michele , Cavarretta Francesco , Marasco Addolorata , Tulumello Eleonora , Hines Michael L. , Shepherd Gordon M.
Published: June 2015

Significance

How the olfactory bulb organizes and processes odor inputs through fundamental operations of its microcircuits is still controversial. To reveal these operations we hypothesize that one of the key mechanisms underlying odor coding is the interaction among spatially restricted and well-defined clusters of potentiated mitral–granule cell synapses. These experimentally observed clusters selectively gate the propagation of neuronal activity within the olfactory bulb and extensively contribute to sculpting the mitral cell output to the cortex. We show and discuss how their interaction and computational roles can be described by a theoretical framework that can be used to derive, analyze, and predict the olfactory bulb network operations on an odor input.
Discovery of an intrinsic tenase complex inhibitor: Pure nonasaccharide from fucosylated glycosaminoglycan
Authors: Zhao Longyan , Wu Mingyi , Xiao Chuang , Yang Lian , Zhou Lutan , Gao Na , Li Zi , Chen Jun , Chen Jianchao , Liu Jikai , Qin Hongbo , Zhao Jinhua
Published: June 2015

Significance

Selective inhibition of the intrinsic coagulation pathway is a promising strategy for developing safer anticoagulants without serious bleeding consequences. We prepared and identified a series of oligosaccharides as inhibitors of the intrinsic tenase, which is the final and rate-limiting enzyme complex in the intrinsic coagulation pathway and is an attractive but less explored target for anticoagulants due to the lack of a pure selective inhibitor. Analysis of these purified oligosaccharides reveals the precise structure of fucosylated glycosaminoglycan. Among these oligosaccharides, nonasaccharide is the minimum fragment that retains potent anticoagulant activity by selective inhibition of the intrinsic tenase while avoiding adverse effects and, thus, it may pave the way for the development of better treatments for thromboembolic diseases.
Structural and functional insights into
Escherichia coli
α
2
-macroglobulin endopeptidase snap-trap inhibition
Authors: Garcia-Ferrer Irene , Arêde Pedro , Gómez-Blanco Josué , Luque Daniel , Duquerroy Stephane , Castón José R. , Goulas Theodoros , Gomis-Rüth F. Xavier
Published: June 2015

Significance

Proteolytic enzymes are inhibited in vivo by protein inhibitors. Such inhibitors are used by symbiotic bacteria in our gut to protect themselves from digestive peptidases. This is the case for
Escherichia coli
, which has acquired a large, multidomain inhibitor of broad inhibitory spectrum [
Escherichia coli
α
2
-macroglobulin (ECAM)]. We studied ECAM and found it is cleaved by host peptidases, which triggers large conformational rearrangement of the inhibitor—shown by protein crystallography and electron microscopy reconstructions—as well as covalent binding of the peptidase. The latter is blocked similarly to a mouse by a snap trap, which prevents damage to the bacterial envelope. Prey peptidases, however, can still be active in the digestion of intake proteins.
DNA damage during the G0/G1 phase triggers RNA-templated, Cockayne syndrome B-dependent homologous recombination
Authors: Wei Leizhen , Nakajima Satoshi , Böhm Stefanie , Bernstein Kara A. , Shen Zhiyuan , Tsang Michael , Levine Arthur S. , Lan Li
Published: June 2015

Significance

Unrepaired DNA strand breaks at transcriptionally active sites are expected to be more deleterious than elsewhere in the genome because the integrity of the coding regions is likely to be compromised. The commonly recognized homologous recombination (HR) process occurs in the G2/M phase and depends on the presence of sister chromatids as a donor template. Our data demonstrate a Cockayne syndrome protein B- and RNA-dependent mechanism of transcription-associated HR in the G0/G1 phase and offer insight into double strand break repair at sites of active transcription. The data suggest that a deficiency in this repair mechanism might explain why neurodegeneration as well as tumorigenesis may be associated with seemingly stable, terminally differentiated (G0) cell populations.
N-linked glycosylation of protease-activated receptor-1 at extracellular loop 2 regulates G-protein signaling bias
Authors: Soto Antonio G. , Smith Thomas H. , Chen Buxin , Bhattacharya Supriyo , Cordova Isabel Canto , Kenakin Terry , Vaidehi Nagarajan , Trejo JoAnn
Published: June 2015

Significance

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest class of mammalian signaling receptors and mediate vast physiological responses. The capacity to modulate GPCR signaling therapeutically is important for treatment of various diseases, and discovering new aspects of receptor signaling is critical for drug development. Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) is GPCR for thrombin. Similar to other GPCRs, PAR1 is promiscuous and couples to multiple heterotrimeric G-protein subtypes in the same cell. How a single GPCR can couple to multiple G-protein subtypes concurrently has remained an enigma. We demonstrate that N-linked glycosylation of PAR1 regulates G-protein coupling specificity and differentially controls cellular responses. Thus, the status of GPCR glycosylation is a critical determinant for specifying coupling to distinct G-protein subtypes.
Early procurement of scarlet macaws and the emergence of social complexity in Chaco Canyon, NM
Authors: Watson Adam S. , Plog Stephen , Culleton Brendan J. , Gilman Patricia A. , LeBlanc Steven A. , Whiteley Peter M. , Claramunt Santiago , Kennett Douglas J.
Published: June 2015

Significance

New accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS)14C dates of scarlet macaw (Ara macao) skeletons from Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico reveal the earliest (A.D. 900–975) direct evidence for procurement of this Neotropical species by Pueblo people from Mesoamerica. By directly dating the macaws, we demonstrate the existence of long-distance acquisition networks throughout much (A.D. 900–1150) of Chaco’s history. In contrast to models of societal evolution that attribute procurement of macaws to the 11th-century peak of Chacoan influence and architectural expansion, most14C dates significantly predate this period. We propose that access to and control of these important status markers from Mesoamerica before A.D. 1040 was thus linked to the early formalization of social hierarchy in Chaco.
Medical term formation in English and Japanese
Authors: Herrero-Zorita Carlos , Molina Clara , Moreno-Sandoval Antonio
Published: June 2015

This paper presents a translingual study of medical lexicology in English and Japanese that compares the meaning and usage of three suffixes often found in medical discourse: -gram, -graph and -graphy. By means of an in-depth observation of frequency counts and semantic profiling in actual usage, we present a proposal regarding which roots each of the suffixes allow, together with an analysis of the meaning subtleties of the affixes. This work, informed by both cognitive and corpus linguistics, advances the presence of a concurrent pattern in English-Japanese morphology within medical discourse. After presenting a number of parallelisms and differences within the corpora, the work concludes with an explanation of how and why the three suffixes under inspection display quite distinct meaning nuances that restrain them from being used at random, both in English and in Japanese.
Conceptual metaphor in the complex dynamics of illocutionary meaning
Authors: Baicchi Annalisa
Published: June 2015

This article aims to illustrate the role that conceptual metaphor plays in the complex dynamics of interpersonal communication, with the focus being placed upon the synergistic relationship that metaphor holds with other Idealized Cognitive Models (Lakoff, 1987) in the construction of illocutionary meaning. This goal is pursued under the scope of the Cost-Benefit Cognitive Model(Baicchi & Ruiz de Mendoza, 2010), which has been elaborated to overcome the shortcomings of traditional relevance-theoretic approaches and to ground illocutionary activity within the constructionist strand of Cognitive Linguistics. The qualitative analysis of Webcorp data retrieved for the suggesting high-level situational cognitive model offers an exemplification of the interplay that metaphor holds with frames, image schemas, and metonymy.
Beyond compare
Authors: Cuenca Maria Josep
Published: June 2015

This paper deals with the formal properties and discourse features of “A és com B” (“A is like B”) similes in Catalan. In contrast with most previous approaches, the examples are naturally-occurring and the whole text has been analyzed so that their context, and not only the similes, is considered. The analysis of similes in interaction puts forward that: (i) a simile is a three-slot comparative construction, including a target and a source belonging to different conceptual domains, and an optional but frequent and highly significant elaboration; (ii) a simile is a figurative comparison between a source and a target (grammatically expressed by noun phrases or clauses) generally considered completely distinct or non-comparable; (iii) similes are powerful mechanisms to catch the addressee’s attention and put in a nutshell someone’s opinion, and (iv) they tend to have a prominent text status and are often found as headlines.
Exploiting the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anticancer potential of
Rubus
species.
Authors: Grabek-Lejko D.
Published: June 2015

Rubus
is one of a hundred genera in the family
Rosaceae
. The genus
Rubus
comprises about 700 species naturally occurring in temperate zones. The worldwide popularity of
Rubus
fruits has increased because they are considered a healthy and nutritious food, containing many antioxidants. Antioxidants play a major role in protecting our body from disease by reducing the oxidative damage to cellular component caused by reactive oxygen species. Many investigations suggest that the plant origin antioxidants, like from
Rubus
species, with free-radical scavenging properties may have great therapeutic importance in free-radical mediated diseases such as cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, cardiovascular diseases, ageing, gastrointestinal diseases and arthritis. In this paper, current literature connected with strong antioxidant potential of various
Rubus
species and its possibility of pharmacological usage (such as antibacterial, antiviral, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, etc.) is being reviewed. Antioxidant potentials and other biological properties of more than 40
Rubus
species, their cultivars, various parts of the plants (flowers, leaves, buds, roots and stem) and different extraction methods have been reported in this review.
Temporal Variation in Diet Composition and Use of Pulsed Resource Subsidies by Juvenile Sablefish
Authors: Coutré K. M. , Beaudreau A. H. , Malecha P. W.
Published: June 2015

Pulsed resources create an influx of energy that can provide individual and population level benefits to their consumers. As consumers, Sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria experience strong seasonal pulses in prey resources during their critical period of juvenile growth in the nearshore marine environment. This study described temporal patterns in diet composition of Sablefish (N = 1,081) ranging in size from 226 to 455 mm FL during July and September in St. John Baptist Bay, Alaska. Juvenile Sablefish exploited a large variety of prey taxa characteristic of a generalist predator and experienced significant diet shifts among sampling periods revealing seasonal and interannual variation in resource use. Diets appeared more diverse in 2012 when more invertebrate taxa were consumed compared with 2013 when diets were dominated by herring and salmonid offal. In September of both years, spawning Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha were observed within the study area and juvenile Sablefish capitalized on this high energy subsidy, and salmon carcasses were among the top contributors to their diets by weight. However, Sablefish also exploited in situ prey of lower energy, such as benthic invertebrates, suggesting that Sablefish are not entirely reliant on seasonally pulsed, high‐energy prey. This study further emphasizes the significance of salmon as a vector of energy across ecosystems and is one of the first to document a marine teleost species scavenging on adult salmon carcasses in coastal marine waters.
Environmental factors that shape biofilm formation
Authors: Toyofuku Masanori , Inaba Tomohiro , Kiyokawa Tatsunori , Obana Nozomu , Yawata Yutaka , Nomura Nobuhiko
Published: June 2015

Cells respond to the environment and alter gene expression. Recent studies have revealed the social aspects of bacterial life, such as biofilm formation. Biofilm formation is largely affected by the environment, and the mechanisms by which the gene expression of individual cells affects biofilm development have attracted interest. Environmental factors determine the cell’s decision to form or leave a biofilm. In addition, the biofilm structure largely depends on the environment, implying that biofilms are shaped to adapt to local conditions. Second messengers such as cAMP and c-di-GMP are key factors that link environmental factors with gene regulation. Cell-to-cell communication is also an important factor in shaping the biofilm. In this short review, we will introduce the basics of biofilm formation and further discuss environmental factors that shape biofilm formation. Finally, the state-of-the-art tools that allow us investigate biofilms under various conditions are discussed.
Mamed Emin Rasulzadeh and the establishment of the Azerbaijani state and nation in the early twentieth century
Authors: Balayev Aydin
Published: June 2015

This article studies the processes involved in the formation of the Azerbaijani nation at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This is done within the context of modernist theory of nationalism, contesting notions of the spontaneous or inevitable formation of nation states. Unlike primordialists, who view nations as objective (or natural) phenomena, modernists argue from different viewpoints that nations are the products of transition from agrarian society to an industrial one. Proceeding from the basic provisions of this theory, the writer essays an innovative interpretation of key stages in the formation of the Azerbaijani nationstate. Analysing the confrontations between different projects of national construction in Azerbaijan in the early twentieth century, the writer studies the roles of prominent representatives of the Azerbaijani intelligentsia in the development of the basis for a national ideology for Azerbaijani Turks. In this endeavour, particular attention is given to a study of the work of Mamed Emin Rasulzadeh, the founder of modern Azerbaijani statehood.
Sincell: an R/Bioconductor package for statistical assessment of cell-state hierarchies from single-cell RNA-seq
Authors: Juliá Miguel , Telenti Amalio , Rausell Antonio
Published: June 2015

Summary: Cell differentiation processes are achieved through a continuum of hierarchical intermediate cell states that might be captured by single-cell RNA seq. Existing computational approaches for the assessment of cell-state hierarchies from single-cell data can be formalized under a general framework composed of (i) a metric to assess cell-to-cell similarities (with or without a dimensionality reduction step) and (ii) a graph-building algorithm (optionally making use of a cell clustering step). The Sincell R package implements a methodological toolbox allowing flexible workflows under such a framework. Furthermore, Sincell contributes new algorithms to provide cell-state hierarchies with statistical support while accounting for stochastic factors in single-cell RNA seq. Graphical representations and functional association tests are provided to interpret hierarchies. The functionalities of Sincell are illustrated in a real case study, which demonstrates its ability to discriminate noisy from stable cell-state hierarchies.

Availability and implementation:  Sincell is an open-source R/Bioconductor package available at http://bioconductor.org/packages/sincell. A detailed manual and a vignette are provided with the package.

Contact:  antonio.rausell@isb-sib.ch

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Syphilis? An Unusual Cause of Surgical Emergency in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Man
Authors: Bender Ignacio Rachel A. , Koch Lisa L. , Dhanireddy Shireesha , Charmie Godornes B. , Lukehart Sheila A. , Marrazzo Jeanne M.
Published: June 2015

We report on a human immunodeficiency virus-infected man undergoing urgent anorectal surgery, with multi-centimeter fungating masses discovered inside the anus. Initial pathology was inconclusive. After the patient developed a disseminated rash postoperatively determined to be secondary syphilis, the anorectal pathology was reviewed and Treponema pallidum DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction from the mass.
An ignored high fill-out, extreme mass ratio contact binary V1222 Tauri
Authors: Liu Liang , Qian Sheng-Bang , Soonthornthum Boonrucksar , Zhu Liying , He Jia-Jia , Zhao Er-Gang
Published: June 2015

Two color light curves of V1222 Tau were analyzed by using the latest version of the W–D code. The results show that V1222 Tau is an extreme mass ratio (q = 8.884 ± 0.149), high fill-out (f = 53.2% ± 1.9%) contact binary system. The period of V1222 Tau might have a parabolic variation according to a preliminary (O − C) analysis, with a possibly large long-term increase rate, dP/dt = +8.19 × 10−6 d yr−1.