bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Style, Information Depth and Textual Characteristics Influence the Usefulness of General Practitioners’ Reviews
Authors: Lockie Maree , Waiguny Martin K.J. , Grabner-Kräuter Sonja
Published: February 2015

Online reviews provide increasingly important sources of information for different types of consumer decisions. The gaining popularity of online reviews in the realm of health services implies the need for a better understanding of their role in informed patient decision-making processes. This paper reports a qualitative study that investigates which textual and content elements are related to the perceived usefulness of online reviews for doctors (general practitioners). We investigated 234 online reviews and applied decision tree analysis to find patterns. The findings indicate that readers of online reviews for general practitioners are concerned with the whole content of the review and do not solely look at the valence or rating of a review. Furthermore, it was found that reviews with a more narrative or experiential style were overall perceived as more useful than more fact based or very short reviews.
CHF5074 (CSP‐1103) stabilizes human transthyretin in mice humanized at the transthyretin and retinol‐binding protein loci
Authors: Mu Yanshuang , Jin Shoude , Shen Jingling , Sugano Aki , Takaoka Yutaka , Qiang Lixia , Imbimbo Bruno P. , Yamamura Ken-ichi , Li Zhenghua
Published: February 2015

Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy is one type of protein misfolding disease. Transthyretin (TTR) tetramer dissociation is the limiting step for amyloid fibril formation. CHF5074 (CSP‐1103) stabilizes TTR tetramer in vitro by binding to the T4 binding site. Here, we used three strains of double humanized mice (mTtrhTTRVal30/hTTRVal30, mTtrhTTRVal30/hTTRMet30, and mTtrhTTRMet30/hTTRMet30) to assess whether CHF5074 stabilizes TTR tetramers in vivo. Treatment of mice with CHF5074 increased serum TTR levels by stabilizing TTR tetramers. Although the binding affinities of CHF5074 and diflunisal with TTRMet30 were similar, CHF5074 bound TTRVal30 more strongly than did diflunisal, suggesting the potent TTR‐stabilizing activity of CHF5074.
An Investigation of Ultramarathon-Associated Visual Impairment
Authors: Høeg Tracy B. , Corrigan Genevieve K. , Hoffman Martin D.
Published: February 2015

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics under which ultramarathon-associated visual impairment occurs and to seek to identify its physiological basis and risk factors.

Methods

Through an online questionnaire, distributed worldwide, we obtained information from 173 self-identified ultramarathon runners who had experienced visual impairment during an ultramarathon. We attempted to characterize this vision impairment—its symptoms, duration, and the conditions under which it occurs. Select characteristics were compared with a reference group of 412 registrants of the 161-km Western States Endurance Run.

Results

Ultramarathon-associated visual impairment was typically characterized as painless clouding of vision that resolved either during (13.5%) or after racing within a median of 3.5 hours (range 0 to 48 hours) upon cessation of running. The mean (±SD) distance at which vision impairment occurred was 73 ± 40 km, and the 161-km distance was the most frequent race distance (46.8%) in which visual impairment occurred. Visual impairment was often recurrent, with respondents reporting having it develop during a median of 2 races. Respondents with a history of refractive surgery had more episodes than those without such history (median 3.5 vs 2 episodes, P = .010). Compared with the reference group, runners with visual impairment were nearly twice as likely (23.7% vs 12.1%, P < .001) to have had refractive surgery.

Conclusions

Ultramarathon-associated visual impairment typically presents as a painless clouding of vision that is self-limited but tends to recur in certain runners. Risk appears higher among those with a history of refractive surgery, which is relevant for ultramarathon runners who are considering, or who have a history of, refractive surgery.
Emergency medicine residents’ beliefs about contributing to an online collaborative slideshow
Authors: Archambault Patrick M. , Thanh Jasmine , Blouin Danielle , Gagnon Susie , Poitras Julien , Fountain Renée-Marie , Fleet Richard , Bilodeau Andrea , van de Belt Tom H. , Légaré France
Published: February 2015

Objective

Collaborative writing applications (CWAs), such as the Google DocsTM platform, can improve skill acquisition, knowledge retention, and collaboration in medical education. Using CWAs to support the training of residents offers many advantages, but stimulating them to contribute remains challenging. The purpose of this study was to identify emergency medicine (EM) residents’ beliefs about their intention to contribute summaries of landmark articles to a Google DocsTM slideshow while studying for their Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) certification exam.

Method

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, the authors interviewed graduating RCPSC EM residents about contributing to a slideshow. Residents were asked about behavioral beliefs (advantages/disadvantages), normative beliefs (positive/negative referents), and control beliefs (barriers/facilitators). Two reviewers independently performed qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts to identify salient beliefs in relation to the defined behaviors.

Results

Of 150 eligible EM residents, 25 participated. The main reported advantage of contributing to the online slideshow was learning consolidation (n=15); the main reported disadvantage was information overload (n=3). The most frequently reported favorable referents were graduating EM residents writing the certification exam (n=16). Few participants (n=3) perceived any negative referents. The most frequently reported facilitator was peer-reviewed high-quality scientific information (n=9); and the most frequently reported barrier was time constraints (n=22).

Conclusion

Salient beliefs exist regarding EM residents’ intention to contribute content to an online collaborative writing project using a Google DocsTM slideshow. Overall, participants perceived more advantages than disadvantages to contributing and believed that this initiative would receive wide support. However, participants reported several barriers that need to be addressed to increase contributions. Our intention is for the beliefs identified in this study to contribute to the design of a theory-based questionnaire to explore determinants of residents' intentions to contribute to an online collaborative writing project. This will help develop implementation strategies for increasing contributions to other CWAs in medical education.
Unusual airway injury following a motor vehicle collision
Authors: Sampson Christopher
Published: February 2015

A 16-year-old male presented to the emergency department following a single-truck motor vehicle collision. The patient was the driver of an older model pickup truck that he lost control of while driving and went off of the road. He was restrained with a lap belt only, given the age of the vehicle. His only complaint at the presenting hospital was left-sided neck pain and hoarseness.
FRACTAL INTERPOLATION SURFACES ON RECTANGULAR GRIDS
Authors: RUAN HUO-JUN , XU QIANG
Published: February 2015

In this paper, we present a general framework to construct fractal interpolation surfaces (FISs) on rectangular grids. Then we introduce bilinear FISs, which can be defined without any restriction on interpolation points and vertical scaling factors.
The Irony of Southern Modernism
Authors: DAVIS DAVID A.
Published: February 2015

In the first half of the 20th century, the US South lagged behind the Northeast in social and economic development, but in the 1920s and 1930s writers from the US South produced texts that used modernist aesthetic forms to depict poor, rural living conditions. This essay argues that ruralism in the South was a product of modernization, and that cultural development in southern literature preceded modernization, yielding texts that employ a discontinuous narrative technique to depict the rural regions, such as William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying and James Agee's and Walker Evans Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.
International Law and its Methodology: Introducing a NewLeiden Journal of International LawSeries
Authors: VENZKE INGO
Published: February 2015

Questions about methodology are questions of disciplinary identity. It is thus not surprising that they provoke such heated debates. The state of methodological debates is indicative of the condition of a discipline. If those debates advance to the centre of attention within any specific field of scholarly practice, it typically indicates a moment of crisis or – less dramatically – a push for change. In other times of relative stability, questions of methodology tend to stay on the margins of the field. Scholarly practice goes about its routine business along well-established lines. It uses the tools of a discipline without further ado.
Case-fatality of hand, foot and mouth disease associated with EV71: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: ZHAO Y. Y. , JIN H. , ZHANG X. F. , WANG B.
Published: February 2015

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) associated with enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a growing public health concern. This study aimed to estimate the case-fatality of HFMD associated with EV71 on the basis of a meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, Elsevier, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases. Two authors independently selected relevant studies. The pooled estimate of case-fatality was calculated using a random-effects model. Potential sources of heterogeneity were explored using subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis and meta-regression. We identified 14 eligible studies with a total population of 112 546. The random-effects pooled case-fatality was 1·7% (95% confidence interval 1·2–2·4). The funnel plot was asymmetrical. The estimate of case-fatality was highest in mainland China (1·8%). Removal of eight local Chinese studies decreased the original estimate. The pooled case-fatality in the period of 1998–2007 (1·5%) was lower than that in the period 2008–2012 (1·8%). Control measures for HFMD associated with EV71 are essential because of the increased case-fatality over time, especially in East Asia.
A time-free uniform solution to subset sum problem by tissue P systems with cell division
Authors: SONG BOSHENG , SONG TAO , PAN LINQIANG
Published: February 2015

Tissue P systems are a class of bio-inspired computing models motivated by biochemical interactions between cells in a tissue-like arrangement. Tissue P systems with cell division offer a theoretical device to generate an exponentially growing structure in order to solve computationally hard problems efficiently with the assumption that there exists a global clock to mark the time for the system, the execution of each rule is completed in exactly one time unit. Actually, the execution time of different biochemical reactions in cells depends on many uncertain factors. In this work, with this biological inspiration, we remove the restriction on the execution time of each rule, and the computational efficiency of tissue P systems with cell division is investigated. Specifically, we solve subset sum problem by tissue P systems with cell division in a time-free manner in the sense that the correctness of the solution to the problem does not depend on the execution time of the involved rules.
Die Wandlung der postinfektiösen Glomerulonephritis
Authors: Fischer Andreas
Published: February 2015

Das klassische Bild der akuten poststreptokokken Glomerulonephritis nach einer Pharyngitis oder einer Impetigo wird heutzutage seltener beobachtet als früher. Diese Krankheit bleibt eine häufige Ursache vom akuten nephritischen Syndrom bei Kindern in Entwicklungsländern. In industrialisierten Ländern werden postinfektiöse Glomerulonephritiden zunehmend bei älteren Erwachsenen mit Risikofaktoren wie Diabetes mellitus, chronischem Alkoholismus, maligner Neoplasie oder intravenösem Drogenkonsum diagnostiziert. Der Infekt ist zum Zeitpunkt der Diagnose in der Regel noch aktiv, betrifft häufiger die Haut oder innere Organe als die oberen Luftwege. Der Erreger ist am häufigsten Staphylokokkus aureus. Die Prognose der postinfektiösen Glomerulonephritis bei älteren Patienten ist deutlich schlechter als bei Kindern und jungen Erwachsenen. Trotz adäquater Behandlung des Infektes wird bei bis zu einem Drittel der geriatrischen Patienten eine terminale Niereninsuffizienz beobachtet. Besonders bei Diabetikern mit nicht heilenden Wunden und Patienten mit intravenösem Drogenkonsum muss im Fall eines Kreatininanstiegs oder eines aktiven Urinsediments an die Möglichkeit einer postinfektiösen Glomerulonephritis gedacht werden.
IgA-Nephropathie und Purpura Schönlein-Henoch – ein breites Spektrum
Authors: Mani Laila-Yasmin , Huynh-Do Uyen , Vogt Bruno , Ackermann Daniel
Published: February 2015

Die IgA-Nephropathie ist mit Abstand die häufigste Glomerulonephritis in Europa. Sie wurde 1968 durch einen Zufall in Paris entdeckt. Um die Diagnose stellen zu können, wird eine Nierenbiopsie benötigt. Die Krankheit kann beim Kind und beim Erwachsenen auftreten. Beim Kind ist die häufigste Form die sogenannte rheumatoide Purpura Schönlein-Henoch, beim Erwachsenen die auf die Niere begrenzte IgA-Nephropathie, auch Bergersche Krankheit („maladie de Berger“) genannt. Selten kann es sich beim Erwachsenen um eine systemische Vaskulitis handeln. Eine rheumatoide Purpura Schönlein-Henoch beim Kind ist relativ häufig und hat einen gutartigen Verlauf, beim Erwachsenen tritt sie selten auf, ist meist durch Medikamente ausgelöst, und hat eine schlechte Prognose. Pathognomonisch sind bei allen Formen die mesangialen IgA-Ablagerungen in den Glomeruli. Die genaue Pathogenese ist nicht bekannt. Man geht davon aus, dass eine zu geringe Glykosylierung von IgA1-Proteinen mit Bildung von Autoantikörpern das grundlegende Problem ist. Therapeutisch ist vor allem eine gute Blutdruckeinstellung wichtig. Bestimmte Formen der IgA-Nephropathie profitieren von einer Steroidtherapie.
Selecting the Best Items for a Short-Form of the Experiences in Close	Relationships Questionnaire
Authors: Lafontaine Marie-France , Brassard Audrey , Lussier Yvan , Valois Pierre , Shaver Philip R. , Johnson Susan M.
Published: February 2015

Abstract. Five studies were conducted to develop a short form of the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) questionnaire with optimal psychometric properties. Study 1 involved Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses of the responses of 2,066 adults, resulting in a 12-item form of the ECR containing the most discriminating items. The psychometric properties of the ECR-12 were further demonstrated in two longitudinal studies of community samples of couples (Studies 2 and 3), in a sample of individuals in same-sex relationships (Study 4), and with couples seeking therapy (Study 5). The psychometric properties of the ECR-12 are as good as those of the original ECR and superior to those of an existing short form. The ECR-12 can confidently be used by researchers and mental health practitioners when a short measure of attachment anxiety and avoidance is required.
Radio Blackout! Ham Radio as an Operational and Scientific Instrument
Authors: Zastrow Mark
Published: February 2015

Monitoring solar activity that disrupts communications can be helped by crowdsourced and automated reports from amateur radio operators.
How a River Gets Its Width
Authors: Betz Eric O.
Published: February 2015

A new model of deposition and erosion on river banks allows scientists to study how the banks control their stream’s width.
Low expression of long noncoding RNA PANDAR predicts a poor prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer and affects cell apoptosis by regulating Bcl-2
Authors: Han L , Zhang E-b , Yin D-d , Kong R , Xu T-p , Chen W-m , Xia R , Shu Y-q , De W
Published: February 2015

Recently, a novel class of transcripts, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), is involved in diseases including cancer. Here, we investigated the the role of lncRNA PANDAR in the progression of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). PANDAR, interacting with NF-YA, was generally downregulated in NSCLC tissues. In a cohort of 140 NSCLC patients, decreased PANDAR expression was negatively correlated with greater tumor size (P<0.001) and advanced TNM stage (P=0.002). Moreover, PANDAR could serve as an independent predictor for overall survival in NSCLC (P=0.015). Further experiments demonstrated that PANDAR expression was induced by p53, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays confirmed that PANDAR was a direct transcriptional target of p53 in NSCLC cells. PANDAR overexpression significantly repressed the proliferation in vitro and in vivo. We also showed that PANDAR-mediated growth regulation is in part due to the transcriptional modulation of Bcl-2 by interacting with NF-YA, thus affecting NSCLC cell apoptosis. To our knowledge, this is the first report which showed the role of PANDAR in the progression of NSCLC. The p53/PANDAR/NF-YA/Bcl-2 interaction might serve as targets for NSCLC diagnosis and therapy.
Withanolide E sensitizes renal carcinoma cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by increasing cFLIP degradation
Authors: Henrich C J , Brooks A D , Erickson K L , Thomas C L , Bokesch H R , Tewary P , Thompson C R , Pompei R J , Gustafson K R , McMahon J B , Sayers T J
Published: February 2015

Withanolide E, a steroidal lactone from Physalis peruviana, was found to be highly active for sensitizing renal carcinoma cells and a number of other human cancer cells to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis. Withanolide E, the most potent and least toxic of five TRAIL-sensitizing withanolides identified, enhanced death receptor-mediated apoptotic signaling by a rapid decline in the levels of cFLIP proteins. Other mechanisms by which TRAIL sensitizers have been reported to work: generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), changes in pro-and antiapoptotic protein expression, death receptor upregulation, activation of intrinsic (mitochondrial) apoptotic pathways, ER stress, and proteasomal inhibition proved to be irrelevant to withanolide E activity. Loss of cFLIP proteins was not due to changes in expression, but rather destabilization and/or aggregation, suggesting impairment of chaperone proteins leading to degradation. Indeed, withanolide E treatment altered the stability of a number of HSP90 client proteins, but with greater apparent specificity than the well-known HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin. As cFLIP has been reported to be an HSP90 client, this provides a potentially novel mechanism for sensitizing cells to TRAIL. Sensitization of human renal carcinoma cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by withanolide E and its lack of toxicity were confirmed in animal studies. Owing to its novel activity, withanolide E is a promising reagent for the analysis of mechanisms of TRAIL resistance, for understanding HSP90 function, and for further therapeutic development. In marked contrast to bortezomib, among the best currently available TRAIL sensitizers, withanolide E’s more specific mechanism of action suggests minimal toxic side effects.
Gate-controlled generation of optical pulse trains using individual carbon nanotubes
Authors: Jiang M , Kumamoto Y , Ishii A , Yoshida M , Shimada T , Kato Y. K.
Published: February 2015

In single-walled carbon nanotubes, electron–hole pairs form tightly bound excitons because of limited screening. These excitons display a variety of interactions and processes that could be exploited for applications in nanoscale photonics and optoelectronics. Here we report on optical pulse-train generation from individual air-suspended carbon nanotubes under an application of square-wave gate voltages. Electrostatically induced carrier accumulation quenches photoluminescence, while a voltage sign reversal purges those carriers, resetting the nanotubes to become luminescent temporarily. Frequency-domain measurements reveal photoluminescence recovery with characteristic frequencies that increase with excitation laser power, showing that photoexcited carriers provide a self-limiting mechanism for pulsed emission. Time-resolved measurements directly confirm the presence of an optical pulse train synchronized to the gate voltage signal, and flexible control over pulse timing and duration is also demonstrated. These results identify an unconventional route for optical pulse generation and electrical-to-optical signal conversion, opening up new prospects for controlling light at the nanoscale.
North Atlantic storm track changes during the Last Glacial Maximum recorded by Alpine speleothems
Authors: Luetscher Marc , Boch R. , Sodemann H. , Spötl C. , Cheng H. , Edwards R. L. , Frisia S. , Hof F. , Müller W.
Published: February 2015

The European Alps are an effective barrier for meridional moisture transport and are thus uniquely placed to record shifts in the North Atlantic storm track pattern associated with the waxing and waning of Late-Pleistocene Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. The lack of well-dated terrestrial proxy records spanning this time period, however, renders the reconstruction of past atmospheric patterns difficult. Here we present a precisely dated, continuous terrestrial record of meteoric precipitation in Europe between 30 and 14.7 ka. In contrast to present-day conditions, our speleothem data provide strong evidence for preferential advection of moisture from the South across the Alps supporting a southward shift of the storm track during the local Last Glacial Maximum (that is, 26.5–23.5 ka). Moreover, our age control indicates that this circulation pattern preceded the Northern Hemisphere precession maximum by ~3 ka, suggesting that obliquity may have played a considerable role in the Alpine ice aggradation.
Facile synthesis of the Ti3+ self-doped TiO2-graphene nanosheet composites with enhanced photocatalysis
Authors: Qiu Bocheng , Zhou Yi , Ma Yunfei , Yang Xiaolong , Sheng Weiqin , Xing Mingyang , Zhang Jinlong
Published: February 2015

This study developed a facile approach for preparing Ti3+ self-doped TiO2-graphene photocatalyst by a one-step vacuum activation technology involved a relative lower temperature, which could be activated by the visible light owing to the synergistic effect among Ti3+ doping, some new intersurface bonds generation and graphene oxide reduction. Compared with the traditional methods, the vacuum activation involves a low temperature and low-costing, which can achieve the reduction of GO, the self doping of Ti3+ in TiO2 and the loading of TiO2 nanoparticles on GR surface at the same time. These resulting TiO2-graphene composites show the high photodegradation rate of MO, high hydrogen evolution activity and excellent IPCE in the visible light irradiation. The facile vacuum activation method can provide an effective and practical approach to improve the performance of TiO2-graphene and other metal oxides-graphene towards their practical photocatalytic applications.
Breakdown of Continuum Fracture Mechanics at the Nanoscale
Authors: Shimada Takahiro , Ouchi Kenji , Chihara Yuu , Kitamura Takayuki
Published: February 2015

Materials fail by the nucleation and propagation of a crack, the critical condition of which is quantitatively described by fracture mechanics that uses an intensity of singular stress field characteristically formed near the crack-tip. However, the continuum assumption basing fracture mechanics obscures the prediction of failure of materials at the nanoscale due to discreteness of atoms. Here, we demonstrate the ultimate dimensional limit of fracture mechanics at the nanoscale, where only a small number of atoms are included in a singular field of continuum stress formed near a crack tip. Surprisingly, a singular stress field of only several nanometers still governs fracture as successfully as that at the macroscale, whereas both the stress intensity factor and the energy release rate fail to describe fracture below a critically confined singular field of 2–3 nm, i.e., breakdown of fracture mechanics within the framework of the continuum theory. We further propose an energy-based theory that explicitly accounts for the discrete nature of atoms and demonstrate that our theory not only successfully describes fracture even below the critical size but also seamlessly connects the atomic to macroscales. It thus provides a more universal fracture criterion and novel atomistic insights into fracture.
A ratiometric fluorescent molecular probe for visualization of mitochondrial temperature in living cells
Authors: Homma Mitsumasa , Takei Yoshiaki , Murata Atsushi , Inoue Takafumi , Takeoka Shinji
Published: February 2015

Mitochondrial thermodynamics is the key to understand cellular activities related to homeostasis and energy balance.
Conformal growth of copper sulfide thin films on highly textured surface via microreactor-assisted solution deposition
Authors: Vas-Umnuay Paravee , Kim Ki-Joong , Kim Dae-Hwan , Chang Chih-Hung
Published: February 2015

In this work, the preparation of copper sulfide (CuxS) thin films via microreactor-assisted solution deposition (MASD), consisting of separation of the homogeneous reaction and deposition from the molecular level heterogeneous surface reaction, is demonstrated.
Ultrathin undoped tetrahedral amorphous carbon films: thickness dependence of the electronic structure and implications for their electrochemical behaviour
Authors: Protopopova V. S. , Wester N. , Caro M. A. , Gabdullin P. G. , Palomäki T. , Laurila T. , Koskinen J.
Published: February 2015

Complex experimental investigation of the physical properties of prospective electrode material based on Ti/ta-C bilayers in relation to their electrochemical behaviour, supported by computational simulation.
Mechanism of visible light photocatalytic NOxoxidation with plasmonic Bi cocatalyst-enhanced (BiO)2CO3hierarchical microspheres
Authors: Sun Yanjuan , Zhao Zaiwang , Dong Fan , Zhang Wei
Published: February 2015

The visible light photocatalysis mechanism is revealed for plasmonic Bi cocatalyst-enhanced (BiO)2CO3hierarchical microspheres developed by a solvent-controlled strategy.
Pu-erh tea polysaccharides decrease blood sugar by inhibition of α-glucosidase activity in vitro and in mice
Authors: Deng Yea-Tyz , Lin-Shiau Shoei-Yn , Shyur Lie-Fen , Lin Jen-Kun
Published: February 2015

In this report we describe a group of carbohydrates found in pu-erh tea polysaccharide (PTPS) that can decrease blood sugar by inhibiting alpha-glucosidase.
Novel non-substrate modulators of the transmembrane efflux pump P-glycoprotein (ABCB1)
Authors: Krawczyk Sören , Baumert Christiane , Molnár Joséf , Ritter Christoph , Höpner Jens , Kloft Charlotte , Hilgeroth Andreas
Published: February 2015

Novel non-substrate modulators of the transmembrane efflux pump P-gp have been profiled as nontoxic and mdr reversing agents.
Unique features of laterally aligned GeSi nanowires self-assembled on the vicinal Si (001) surface misoriented toward the [100] direction
Authors: Zhou Tong , Vastola Guglielmo , Zhang Yong-Wei , Ren Qijun , Fan Yongliang , Zhong Zhenyang
Published: February 2015

Naturally aligned in-plane (without post-growth assembly), defect-free (without a metal catalyst) and controllable GeSi nanowires are discovered via self-assembly of Ge on miscut Si (001) substrates by an angle θ (θ < 11°) toward the [100] direction.
Conformationally restricted 3′-modified ABA analogs for controlling ABA receptors
Authors: Takeuchi Jun , Ohnishi Toshiyuki , Okamoto Masanori , Todoroki Yasushi
Published: February 2015

(+)-PAO4 is a conformationally restricted analog of AS6 that was synthesized to improve the affinity for PYL proteins.
γ-Al2O3 supported Pd@CeO2 core@shell nanospheres: salting-out assisted growth and self-assembly, and their catalytic performance in CO oxidation
Authors: Wang Xiao , Liu Dapeng , Li Junqi , Zhen Jiangman , Wang Fan , Zhang Hongjie
Published: February 2015

Highly active Pd@CeO2 core@shell nanospheres with tunable Pd core sizes for catalytic CO oxidation.
Aqueous phase nitric oxide detection by an amine-decorated metal–organic framework
Authors: Desai Aamod V. , Samanta Partha , Manna Biplab , Ghosh Sujit K.
Published: February 2015

Selective and sensitive aqueous phase nitric oxide (NO) detection by ligand modulation in an amine-functionalized metal–organic framework has been demonstrated.
Retracted Article: Ni/Ti layered double hydroxide: synthesis, characterization and application as a photocatalyst for visible light degradation of aqueous methylene blue
Authors: Roy Chowdhury Priyadarshi , Bhattacharyya Krishna G.
Published: February 2015

Hydrothermally synthesized 2 : 1 Ni/Ti layered double hydroxide (LDH) exhibits ∼99.8 % photocatalytic degradation of aqueous methylene blue under visible light irradiation.
Modular microfluidics for point-of-care protein purifications
Authors: Millet L. J. , Lucheon J. D. , Standaert R. F. , Retterer S. T. , Doktycz M. J.
Published: February 2015

Customizable 3-D fluidic bridges enable low-volume, leak-free connections between multiple masters for integrated point-of-care protein purification strategies in microfluidics.
Selenopeptides and elemental selenium in Thunbergia alata after exposure to selenite: quantification method for elemental selenium
Authors: Aborode Fatai Adigun , Raab Andrea , Foster Simon , Lombi Enzo , Maher William , Krupp Eva M , Feldmann Joerg
Published: February 2015

Three month old Thunbergia alata were exposed for 13 days to 10 μM selenite to determine the biotransformation of selenite in their roots. Selenium in formic acid extracts (80 ± 3%) was present as selenopeptides with Se–S bonds and selenium–PC complexes (selenocysteinyl-2-3-dihydroxypropionyl-glutathione, seleno-phytochelatin2, seleno-di-glutathione). An analytical method using HPLC-ICPMS to detect and quantify elemental selenium in roots of T. alata plants using sodium sulfite to quantitatively transform elemental selenium to selenosulfate was also developed. Elemental selenium was determined as 18 ± 4% of the total selenium in the roots which was equivalent to the selenium not extracted using formic acid extraction. The results are in an agreement with the XAS measurements of the exposed roots which showed no occurrence of selenite or selenate but a mixture of selenocysteine and elemental selenium.
Flow synthesis of ethyl isocyanoacetate enabling the telescoped synthesis of 1,2,4-triazoles and pyrrolo-[1,2-c]pyrimidines
Authors: Baumann Marcus , Rodriguez Garcia Antonio M. , Baxendale Ian R.
Published: February 2015

The efficient flow synthesis of important heterocyclic building blocks based on the 1,2,4-triazole and pyrrolo[1,2-c]pyrimidine scaffold has been achieved.
Synthesis and therapeutic applications of biocompatible or biodegradable hyperbranched polymers
Authors: Huang Yu , Wang Dali , Zhu Xinyuan , Yan Deyue , Chen Rongjun
Published: February 2015

The recent progress in the synthesis, modifications and therapeutic applications of biocompatible or biodegradable hyperbranched polymers has been reviewed.
Folate-decorated polymeric Pt(ii) prodrug micelles for targeted intracellular delivery and cytosolic glutathione-triggered release of platinum anticancer drugs
Authors: Tabatabaei Rezaei Seyed Jamal , Amani Vahid , Nabid Mohammad Reza , Safari Nasser , Niknejad Hassan
Published: February 2015

Bioreducible FA-PEG-b-P(α-Pt(ii)-SS-CL/CL) conjugates have been successfully developed in order to build redox-responsive micelles with targeting and site-specific drug releasing abilities.
Polytellurophenes provide imaging contrast towards unravelling the structure–property–function relationships in semiconductor:insulator polymer blends
Authors: Jahnke Ashlee A. , Yu Liyang , Coombs Neil , Scaccabarozzi Alberto D. , Tilley Andrew J. , DiCarmine Paul M. , Amassian Aram , Stingelin Natalie , Seferos Dwight S.
Published: February 2015

Use of organometallic polymers assists in clarifying relevant structure–property–function relationships in multicomponent systems such as semiconductor:insulator blends.
What can be learned from optical two-color diffusion and thermodiffusion experiments on ternary fluid mixtures?
Authors: Gebhardt M. , Köhler W.
Published: February 2015

A number of optical techniques have been developed during the recent years for the investigation of diffusion and thermodiffusion in ternary fluid mixtures, both on ground and on-board the International Space Station. All these methods are based on the simultaneous measurement of refractive index changes at two different wavelengths. Here, we discuss and compare different techniques with the emphasis on optical beam deflection (OBD), optical digital interferometry, and thermal diffusion forced Rayleigh scattering (TDFRS). We suggest to formally split the data evaluation into a phenomenological parameterization of the measured transients and a subsequent transformation from the refractive index into the concentration space. In all experiments, the transients measured at two different detection wavelengths can be described by four amplitudes and two eigenvalues of the diffusion coefficient matrix. It turns out that these six parameters are subjected to large errors and cannot be determined reliably. Five good quantities, which can be determined with a high accuracy, are the stationary amplitudes, the initial slopes as defined in TDFRS experiments and by application of a heuristic criterion for similar curves, a certain mean diffusion coefficient. These amplitudes and slopes are directly linked to the Soret and thermodiffusion coefficients after transformation with the inverse contrast factor matrix, which is frequently ill-conditioned. Since only five out of six free parameters are reliably determined, including the single mean diffusion coefficient, the determination of the four entries of the diffusion matrix is not possible. We apply our results to new OBD measurements of the symmetric (mass fractions 0.33/0.33/0.33) ternary benchmark mixture n-dodecane/isobutylbenzene/1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene and existing literature data for the same system.
Counting the number of excited states in organic semiconductor systems using topology
Authors: Catanzaro Michael J. , Shi Tian , Tretiak Sergei , Chernyak Vladimir Y.
Published: February 2015

Exciton scattering theory attributes excited electronic states to standing waves in quasi-one-dimensional molecular materials by assuming a quasi-particle picture of optical excitations. The quasi-particle properties at branching centers are described by the corresponding scattering matrices. Here, we identify the topological invariant of a scattering center, referred to as its winding number, and apply topological intersection theory to count the number of quantum states in a quasi-one-dimensional system.
An efficient implementation of the localized operator partitioning method for electronic energy transfer
Authors: Nagesh Jayashree , Izmaylov Artur F. , Brumer Paul
Published: February 2015

The localized operator partitioning method [Y. Khan and P. Brumer, J. Chem. Phys. 137, 194112 (2012)] rigorously defines the electronic energy on any subsystem within a molecule and gives a precise meaning to the subsystem ground and excited electronic energies, which is crucial for investigating electronic energy transfer from first principles. However, an efficient implementation of this approach has been hindered by complicated one- and two-electron integrals arising in its formulation. Using a resolution of the identity in the definition of partitioning, we reformulate the method in a computationally efficient manner that involves standard one- and two-electron integrals. We apply the developed algorithm to the 9 − ((1 − naphthyl) − methyl) − anthracene (A1N) molecule by partitioning A1N into anthracenyl and CH2 − naphthyl groups as subsystems and examine their electronic energies and populations for several excited states using configuration interaction singles method. The implemented approach shows a wide variety of different behaviors amongst the excited electronic states.
Free-complement local-Schrödinger-equation method for solving the Schrödinger equation of atoms and molecules: Basic theories and features
Authors: Nakatsuji Hiroshi , Nakashima Hiroyuki
Published: February 2015

The free-complement (FC) method is a general method for solving the Schrödinger equation (SE): The produced wave function has the potentially exact structure as the solution of the Schrödinger equation. The variables included are determined either by using the variational principle (FC-VP) or by imposing the local Schrödinger equations (FC-LSE) at the chosen set of the sampling points. The latter method, referred to as the local Schrödinger equation (LSE) method, is integral-free and therefore applicable to any atom and molecule. The purpose of this paper is to formulate the basic theories of the LSE method and explain their basic features. First, we formulate three variants of the LSE method, the AB, HS, and HTQ methods, and explain their properties. Then, the natures of the LSE methods are clarified in some detail using the simple examples of the hydrogen atom and the Hooke’s atom. Finally, the ideas obtained in this study are applied to solving the SE of the helium atom highly accurately with the FC-LSE method. The results are very encouraging: we could get the world’s most accurate energy of the helium atom within the sampling-type methodologies, which is comparable to those obtained with the FC-VP method. Thus, the FC-LSE method is an easy and yet a powerful integral-free method for solving the Schrödinger equation of general atoms and molecules.
From the depletion attraction to the bridging attraction: The effect of solvent molecules on the effective colloidal interactions
Authors: Chen Jie , Kline Steven R. , Liu Yun
Published: February 2015

Depletion attraction induced by non-adsorbing polymers or small particles in colloidal solutions has been widely used as a model colloidal interaction to understand aggregation behavior and phase diagrams, such as glass transitions and gelation. However, much less attention has been paid to study the effective colloidal interaction when small particles/molecules can be reversibly attracted to large colloidal particles. At the strong attraction limit, small particles can introduce bridging attraction as it can simultaneously attach to neighbouring large colloidal particles. We use Baxter’s multi-component method for sticky hard sphere systems with the Percus-Yevick approximation to study the bridging attraction and its consequence to phase diagrams, which are controlled by the concentration of small particles and their interaction with large particles. When the concentration of small particles is very low, the bridging attraction strength increases very fast with the increase of small particle concentration. The attraction strength eventually reaches a maximum bridging attraction (MBA). Adding more small particles after the MBA concentration keeps decreasing the attraction strength until reaching a concentration above which the net effect of small particles only introduces an effective repulsion between large colloidal particles. These behaviors are qualitatively different from the concentration dependence of the depletion attraction on small particles and make phase diagrams very rich for bridging attraction systems. We calculate the spinodal and binodal regions, the percolation lines, the MBA lines, and the equivalent hard sphere interaction line for bridging attraction systems and have proposed a simple analytic solution to calculate the effective attraction strength using the concentrations of large and small particles. Our theoretical results are found to be consistent with experimental results reported recently.
Heavy fermion Ce3Co4Sn13 compound under pressure
Authors: Collave J. R. , Borges H. A. , Ramos S. M. , Hering E. N. , Fontes M. B. , Baggio-Saitovitch E. , Mendonça-Ferreira L. , Bittar E. M. , Pagliuso P. G.
Published: February 2015

The non-magnetic heavy fermion compound Ce3Co4Sn13 was studied under pressure. We report single crystalline measurements of electrical resistivity as a function of temperature ρ(T) under pressure. Some characteristic features related to a structural transition (TS), crystalline field effects (TCEF), and a low temperature maximum (Tmax), possibly connected simultaneously to the onset of Kondo lattice coherence and short range magnetic correlations, were identified in the ρ(T) data. A pressure-temperature phase diagram with TS and Tmax was constructed by mapping these features. Like for most Ce-based heavy fermion compounds, Tmax moves to higher temperatures with pressure, indicating that it is related to the Kondo energy scale, due to the increase of hybridization induced by pressure. On the other hand, TS, associated to a superlattice distortion and probably combined with a charge density wave transition, decreases as a function of pressure. However, differently from the Sr3−xCaxIr4Sn13 system, where a superlattice quantum phase transition is observed [L. E. Klintberg et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 237 008 (2012)], in Ce3Co4Sn13 TS ∼ 154 K, at ambient pressure (P = 0), seems to stabilize at around 143 K for P ≥ 19 kilobars. We also investigated ρ(T) in external magnetic fields, at P = 0. Negative magnetoresistance and increase of Tmax are observed, suggesting suppression of low temperature short range magnetic correlations.
Systematic characterization of protein folding pathways using diffusion maps: Application to Trp-cage miniprotein
Authors: Kim Sang Beom , Dsilva Carmeline J. , Kevrekidis Ioannis G. , Debenedetti Pablo G.
Published: February 2015

Understanding the mechanisms by which proteins fold from disordered amino-acid chains to spatially ordered structures remains an area of active inquiry. Molecular simulations can provide atomistic details of the folding dynamics which complement experimental findings. Conventional order parameters, such as root-mean-square deviation and radius of gyration, provide structural information but fail to capture the underlying dynamics of the protein folding process. It is therefore advantageous to adopt a method that can systematically analyze simulation data to extract relevant structural as well as dynamical information. The nonlinear dimensionality reduction technique known as diffusion maps automatically embeds the high-dimensional folding trajectories in a lower-dimensional space from which one can more easily visualize folding pathways, assuming the data lie approximately on a lower-dimensional manifold. The eigenvectors that parametrize the low-dimensional space, furthermore, are determined systematically, rather than chosen heuristically, as is done with phenomenological order parameters. We demonstrate that diffusion maps can effectively characterize the folding process of a Trp-cage miniprotein. By embedding molecular dynamics simulation trajectories of Trp-cage folding in diffusion maps space, we identify two folding pathways and intermediate structures that are consistent with the previous studies, demonstrating that this technique can be employed as an effective way of analyzing and constructing protein folding pathways from molecular simulations.
Effect of plastic deformation on deuterium retention and release in tungsten
Authors: Terentyev D. , De Temmerman G. , Morgan T. W. , Zayachuk Y. , Lambrinou K. , Minov B. , Dubinko A. , Bystrov K. , Van Oost G.
Published: February 2015

The effect of severe plastic deformation on the deuterium retention in tungsten exposed to high-flux low-energy plasma (flux ∼ 1024 D/m2/s, energy ∼ 50 eV, and fluence up to 3 × 1026 D/m2) at the plasma generator Pilot-PSI was studied by thermal desorption spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The desorption spectra in both reference and plastically deformed samples were deconvolved into three contributions attributed to the detrapping from dislocations, deuterium-vacancy clusters, and pores, respectively. The plastically induced deformation, resulting in high dislocation density, does not change the positions of the three peaks, but alters their amplitudes as compared to the reference material. The appearance of blisters detected by scanning electron microscopy and the desorption peak attributed to the release from pores (i.e., deuterium bubbles) were suppressed in the plastically deformed samples but only up to a certain fluence. Beyond 5 × 1025 D/m2, the release from the bubbles in the deformed material is essentially higher than in the reference material. Based on the presented results, we suggest that a dense dislocation network increases the incubation dose needed for the appearance of blisters, associated with deuterium bubbles, by offering numerous nucleation sites for deuterium clusters eventually transforming into deuterium-vacancy clusters by punching out jogs on dislocation lines.
Parallel equilibrium current effect on existence of reversed shear Alfvén eigenmodes
Authors: Xie Hua-sheng , Xiao Yong
Published: February 2015

A new fast global eigenvalue code, where the terms are segregated according to their physics contents, is developed to study Alfvén modes in tokamak plasmas, particularly, the reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode (RSAE). Numerical calculations show that the parallel equilibrium current corresponding to the kink term is strongly unfavorable for the existence of the RSAE. An improved criterion for the RSAE existence is given for with and without the parallel equilibrium current. In the limits of ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and zero-pressure, the toroidicity effect is the main possible favorable factor for the existence of the RSAE, which is however usually small. This suggests that it is necessary to include additional physics such as kinetic term in the MHD model to overcome the strong unfavorable effect of the parallel current in order to enable the existence of RSAE.
Perpendicular-bias-field control of coupled vortex oscillations in nanodot networks
Authors: Han Dong-Soo , Cho Young-Jun , Jeong Han-Byeol , Kim Sang-Koog
Published: February 2015

We studied, by combined micromagnetic numerical simulations and analytical derivations, coupled-vortex dynamics in one-dimensional (1D) arrays composed of two or more dipolar-coupled-vortex-state disks under perpendicular bias fields. We derived analytical expressions that could provide physical insights into the observed dynamic behaviors. The effects of perpendicular bias fields on the interaction strengths between the coupled-vortex oscillators and their characteristic band structures were examined and explained in terms of field strength and direction. Those effects showed that the normal modes and dispersion relations of collective vortex gyration, and the signal-transfer rate, can be tailored according to the derived explicit forms. The band width and gap of 1D coupled-vortex oscillator magnonic crystals, for example, are essential to the control of gyration-signal transfer in vortex-state dot networks. All of the analytical calculation results showed quantitatively good agreement with the micromagnetic simulation results, indicating that the perpendicular-bias-field dependence of coupled-vortex gyrations can be expressed simply as a function of the dynamic parameters under the zero field as well as the field strength and direction. This work provides not only a fundamental understanding of the effects of perpendicular bias fields on coupled-vortex oscillators but also an efficient practical means of dynamically manipulating collective vortex gyrations.