bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intestinal bile acid receptors are key regulators of glucose homeostasis
Authors: Trabelsi Mohamed-Sami , Lestavel Sophie , Staels Bart , Collet Xavier
Published: November 2016

In addition to their well-known function as dietary lipid detergents, bile acids have emerged as important signalling molecules that regulate energy homeostasis. Recent studies have highlighted that disrupted bile acid metabolism is associated with metabolism disorders such as dyslipidaemia, intestinal chronic inflammatory diseases and obesity. In particular, type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with quantitative and qualitative modifications in bile acid metabolism. Bile acids bind and modulate the activity of transmembrane and nuclear receptors (NR). Among these receptors, the G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (TGR5) and the NR farnesoid X receptor (FXR) are implicated in the regulation of bile acid, lipid, glucose and energy homeostasis. The role of these receptors in the intestine in energy metabolism regulation has been recently highlighted. More precisely, recent studies have shown that FXR is important for glucose homeostasis in particular in metabolic disorders such as T2D and obesity. This review highlights the growing importance of the bile acid receptors TGR5 and FXR in the intestine as key regulators of glucose metabolism and their potential as therapeutic targets.
Alternative strategies for amphibian conservation: a response to Muths & Fisher
Authors: Andreone Franco
Published: November 2016

The so-called amphibian crisis is mostly managed by IUCN through the Species Survival Commission Amphibian Specialist Group in collaboration with the Amphibian Survival Alliance, and its management is considered to be the most important implementation of the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan (Gascon et al., 2007). In the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan  meeting held in 2005 several actions were planned and the investment needed for amphibian conservation was estimated. More than a decade later, however, much remains to be done, especially in response to heterogeneous emergencies that could cause amphibian extinctions. In this context Muths & Fisher (2015) suggest an alternative approach.
Low dairy calcium intake is associated with overweight and elevated blood pressure in Polish adults, notably in premenopausal women
Authors: Skowrońska-Jóźwiak Elżbieta , Jaworski Maciej , Lorenc Roman , Karbownik-Lewińska Małgorzata , Lewiński Andrzej
Published: November 2016

Objective

Dietary Ca is now being recognized to play an important role not only in skeletal integrity, but also in the regulation of energy and metabolism. The aim of the present study was to estimate the relationship of dairy Ca intake with BMI and blood pressure (BP) in a sample derived from the Polish population.

Design

Ca intake was calculated from an interviewer-administered semi-quantitative FFQ. BMI was calculated from measured weight and height, and BP was measured by a physician.

Setting

Cross-sectional epidemiological study on osteoporosis risk factors in Poland.

Subjects

Randomly selected healthy adult persons (n1259; 750 women and 509 men).

Results

Dairy Ca intake was significantly lower in individuals with overweight/obesity (BMI≥25·00 kg/m2) and/or with elevated BP (systolic/diastolic ≥140/≥90 mmHg) than in those with normal body mass and BP, respectively. Ca intake was negatively correlated with BMI (r=−0·12,P<0·001), systolic BP (r=−0·11,P<0·001) and diastolic BP (r=−0·08,P<0·01). Daily dairy Ca intake below 1000 mg was a predictor for BMI≥25·0 kg/m2(OR=1·44,P<0·005). This relationship was stronger in women, particularly premenopausal women.

Conclusions

The obtained results indicate the role of low dairy Ca intake in the development of obesity and hypertension, notably in premenopausal women.
Consumption of energy-dense diets in relation to metabolic syndrome and inflammatory markers in Iranian female nurses
Authors: Azadbakht Leila , Haghighatdoost Fahimeh , Keshteli Ammar Hassanzadeh , Larijani Bagher , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad
Published: November 2016

Objective

To examine the relationship between dietary energy density (DED) and risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), its components and inflammatory markers.

Design

Cross-sectional study. Dietary intakes were assessed using a validated dish-based semi-quantitative FFQ. DED was calculated by dividing energy intake (kcal/d) by the total weight of foods only (g/d). MetS was defined based on the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. All associations were examined in the quartiles of DED, with higher quartiles indicating more energy-dense diets.

Setting

Isfahan, Iran.

Subjects

Female nurses (n 1036) aged >30 years.

Results

After controlling for potential confounders, individuals in the top quartile of DED had 78 % greater chance of MetS compared with those in the first (OR=1·78; 95 % CI 1·36, 2·98; P<0·001). Individuals in the highest quartile of DED were more likely to be abdominally obese (OR=1·51; 95 % CI 1·00, 2·63) and have hypertriacylglycerolaemia (OR=2·95; 95 % CI 1·58, 3·91) and low HDL cholesterol levels (OR=1·36; 95 % CI 1·17, 2·54) compared with those in the lowest quartile. Mean concentration of plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) across increasing quartiles of DED was 1·7, 1·7, 2·0, 2·4 mg/l (P for trend=0·04). Such increasing concentrations across increasing quartiles of DED were also seen for TNF-α (4·1, 4·5, 4·5, 4·8 ng/l; P for trend=0·03) and IL-6 (1·6, 1·6, 1·5, 2·5 ng/l; P for trend <0·01).

Conclusions

Consumption of high-energy-dense foods was associated with increased chance of MetS, most of its features and inflammatory markers including hs-CRP, TNF-α and IL-6.
Genetic diversity of high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit compositions in bread wheat landraces originated from Turkey
Authors: Temizgul Ridvan , Akbulut Mikail , Lafiandra Domenico
Published: November 2016

Focusing on 116 bread wheat landraces, this study investigated high molecular weight glutenin allele polymorphism, gene diversity, genetic variation and linkage disequilibrium (LD) inGlu-1loci. To identify gluten alleles, sodium dodesyl sulphate-polyacrylamide, gel electrophoresis was used and for statistical analyses POPGENE software was employed. The results indicated that average genetic variation (h) was the highest inGlu-B1(0.6421) and the lowest inGlu-A1locus (0.4548); genetic similarity ratio (I) was the highest inGlu-B1(1.4170); the highest average genetic diversity (Ht) was observed inGlu-B1(0.6575) and the lowest diversity was observed inGlu-A1(0.4558). It was also observed that genetic diversity inGlu-1locus was largely due to intra-population variations. Inter-population gene flow was also calculated as 4.0051. Marmara and Southeastern Anatolia regions, the results further indicated, had the highest (2.8691) and lowest (0.1694) heterozygosity. Genetic erosion risk for Turkish bread wheat landraces was also seen to be high. Considering the mutual analyses of subunits of nationwide wheat landraces, it is possible to speculate about a limited migration between the landraces. LD of the landraces was largely because of this limited migration and/or epistatic natural selection. Since Turkey is known as the gene centre for major cereals including wheat, barley, rye and oat, where they diversified and spread throughout the world, studying the gluten allele diversity of Turkish bread wheat landraces is important. In addition, this study has revealed the applicability of LD, and neutrality tests to gluten protein diversity for the first time.
Intra-arterial thrombolysis of digital artery occlusions in a patient with polycythemia vera
Authors: Jud Philipp , Hafner Franz , Gary Thomas , Ghanim Leyla , Lipp Rainer , Brodmann Marianne
Published: November 2016

Abstract. There are limited therapeutic options for the resolution of digital artery occlusions. Intra-arterial thrombolysis with anticoagulative and thrombolytic drugs successfully restored the blood flow in the affected digital arteries.
Erfahrungen von älteren Menschen und deren Familien mit einer Rund-um-die-Uhr Betreuung durch Care MigrantInnen
Authors: Petry Heidi , Naef Rahel , Dreizler Jutta , Rüesch Peter , Mahrer-Imhof Romy
Published: November 2016

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Die Betreuung durch Care MigrantInnen hat in den letzten Jahren stark zugenommen, da diese es gebrechlichen Menschen ermöglicht, zu Hause wohnen zu bleiben. Es ist wenig bekannt, wie sich diese Betreuungsform auf Familien auswirkt. Ziel: Die Studie hatte zum Ziel, Qualitätsmerkmale aus Familiensicht und Auswirkungen einer 24-Stunden-Betreuung durch Care MigrantInnen zu untersuchen. Methode: IKonstruktivistische Grounded Theory Studie mit 22 Familien, welche via Betreuungsagenturen in der Deutschschweiz rekrutiert wurden und an 29 Einzel- oder Paarinterviews teilnahmen. Ergebnisse: Eine Einsicht in die Notwendigkeit und das Finden eines innerfamilialen Konsensus ist eine wesentliche Voraussetzung für eine Rund-um-die-Uhr Betreuung. Das Zusammenleben mit der Care MigrantIn wird basierend auf ihren fachlichen und sozialen Kompetenzen gemeinsam verhandelt. Kommt es zu einer Passung im Beziehungssystem und einer guten Qualität der Betreuung, erfahren Familien ein gelungenes Betreuungsarrangement, welches sich positiv auf ihre Situation auswirkt: Es entstehen Stabilität und Gewissheit darüber, dass das gewählte Arrangement solide ist; ältere Menschen fühlen sich aufgehoben und Angehörige entlastet. Es entwickeln sich bereichernde Beziehungen im Familiennetz. Schlussfolgerungen: Ein gelungenes Betreuungsarrangement ist das Resultat aktiv gestalteter Beziehungen und eines ausgehandelten Zusammenlebens in einem familienähnlichen Netz. Es wirkt sich positiv auf das Wohlbefinden betreuter Personen und ihre Angehörigen aus. Dieses familienähnliche Netz braucht fachkundige Unterstützung und Begleitung.
Five States Put Energy and Environmental Issues on the Ballot
Authors: Jacobsen Elizabeth
Published: November 2016

From banning plastic bags to regulating solar power, states across the country asked voters to make important decisions on energy and the environment.
Genome editing in maize directed by CRISPR–Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes
Authors: Svitashev Sergei , Schwartz Christine , Lenderts Brian , Young Joshua K. , Mark Cigan A.
Published: November 2016

Targeted DNA double-strand breaks have been shown to significantly increase the frequency and precision of genome editing. In the past two decades, several double-strand break technologies have been developed. CRISPR–Cas9 has quickly become the technology of choice for genome editing due to its simplicity, efficiency and versatility. Currently, genome editing in plants primarily relies on delivering double-strand break reagents in the form of DNA vectors. Here we report biolistic delivery of pre-assembled Cas9–gRNA ribonucleoproteins into maize embryo cells and regeneration of plants with both mutated and edited alleles. Using this method of delivery, we also demonstrate DNA- and selectable marker-free gene mutagenesis in maize and recovery of plants with mutated alleles at high frequencies. These results open new opportunities to accelerate breeding practices in a wide variety of crop species.
Long-distance transport of radioactive plume by nocturnal local winds
Authors: Yoshikane Takao , Yoshimura Kei , Chang Eun-Chul , Saya Akane , Oki Taikan
Published: November 2016

Radioactive plumes can spread far and wide depending on wind conditions. The plumes often frequently reached the Tokyo metropolitan area, which is approximately 200 km away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, under spatially heterogeneous wind fields in March 2011. To reduce exposure to radioactive plumes, the behaviour of the plumes must be known. However, the transport mechanism of radioactive plumes is not fully understood. Using a regional climate model, we show that multiple diurnal cycle processes play a key role in the frequent transport of radioactive plumes to the Tokyo metropolitan area. The observed data and hindcast results indicate that the radioactive plume moves along the local winds, which comprise the northeasterly local wind (NELW) associated with the meso-scale low-pressure system (meso-low) and the northerly sea wind (NSW) during the night. The long-term analysis and sensitivity simulations also show the nocturnal processes that the NELW caused by the meso-low and the NSW are formed east of the Tokyo metropolitan area and from Fukushima offshore east of the Tokyo metropolitan area, respectively, when neither winter monsoons nor extra-tropical cyclones are predominant. These findings indicate that the radioactive plumes could reach faraway places frequently via nocturnal local processes.
PiHOG1, a stress regulator MAP kinase from the root endophyte fungus Piriformospora indica, confers salinity stress tolerance in rice plants
Authors: Jogawat Abhimanyu , Vadassery Jyothilakshmi , Verma Nidhi , Oelmüller Ralf , Dua Meenakshi , Nevo Eviatar , Johri Atul Kumar
Published: November 2016

In this study, yeast HOG1 homologue from the root endophyte Piriformospora indica (PiHOG1) was isolated and functionally characterized. Functional expression of PiHOG1 in S. cerevisiae ∆hog1 mutant restored osmotolerance under high osmotic stress. Knockdown (KD) transformants of PiHOG1 generated by RNA interference in P. indica showed that genes for the HOG pathway, osmoresponse and salinity tolerance were less stimulated in KD-PiHOG1 compared to the wild-type under salinity stress. Furthermore, KD lines are impaired in the colonization of rice roots under salinity stress of 200 mM NaCl, and the biomass of the host plants, their shoot and root lengths, root number, photosynthetic pigment and proline contents were reduced as compared to rice plants colonized by WT P. indica. Therefore, PiHOG1 is critical for root colonisation, salinity tolerance and the performance of the host plant under salinity stress. Moreover, downregulation of PiHOG1 resulted not only in reduced and delayed phosphorylation of the remaining PiHOG1 protein in colonized salinity-stressed rice roots, but also in the downregulation of the upstream MAP kinase genes PiPBS2 and PiSSK2 involved in salinity tolerance signalling in the fungus. Our data demonstrate that PiHOG1 is not only involved in the salinity response of P. indica, but also helping host plant to overcome salinity stress.
Influence of leaf vein density and thickness on hydraulic conductance and photosynthesis in rice (Oryza sativa L.) during water stress
Authors: Tabassum Muhammad Adnan , Zhu Guanglong , Hafeez Abdul , Wahid Muhammad Atif , Shaban Muhammad , Li Yong
Published: November 2016

The leaf venation architecture is an ideal, highly structured and efficient irrigation system in plant leaves. Leaf vein density (LVD) and vein thickness are the two major properties of this system. Leaf laminae carry out photosynthesis to harvest the maximum biological yield. It is still unknown whether the LVD and/or leaf vein thickness determines the plant hydraulic conductance (Kplant) and leaf photosynthetic rate (A). To investigate this topic, the current study was conducted with two varieties under three PEG-induced water deficit stress (PEG-IWDS) levels. The results showed that PEG-IWDS significantly decreased A, stomatal conductance (gs), and Kplant in both cultivars, though the IR-64 strain showed more severe decreases than the Hanyou-3 strain. PEG-IWDS significantly decreased the major vein thickness, while it had no significant effect on LVD. A, gs and Kplant were positively correlated with each other, and they were negatively correlated with LVD. A, gs and Kplant were positively correlated with the inter-vein distance and major vein thickness. Therefore, the decreased photosynthesis and hydraulic conductance in rice plants under water deficit conditions are related to the decrease in the major vein thickness.
An insecticide resistance-breaking mosquitocide targeting inward rectifier potassium channels in vectors of Zika virus and malaria
Authors: Swale Daniel R. , Engers Darren W. , Bollinger Sean R. , Gross Aaron , Inocente Edna Alfaro , Days Emily , Kanga Fariba , Johnson Reed M. , Yang Liu , Bloomquist Jeffrey R. , Hopkins Corey R. , Piermarini Peter M. , Denton Jerod S.
Published: November 2016

Insecticide resistance is a growing threat to mosquito control programs around the world, thus creating the need to discover novel target sites and target-specific compounds for insecticide development. Emerging evidence suggests that mosquito inward rectifier potassium (Kir) channels represent viable molecular targets for developing insecticides with new mechanisms of action. Here we describe the discovery and characterization of VU041, a submicromolar-affinity inhibitor of Anopheles (An.) gambiae and Aedes (Ae.) aegypti Kir1 channels that incapacitates adult female mosquitoes from representative insecticide-susceptible and -resistant strains of An. gambiae (G3 and Akron, respectively) and Ae. aegypti (Liverpool and Puerto Rico, respectively) following topical application. VU041 is selective for mosquito Kir channels over several mammalian orthologs, with the exception of Kir2.1, and is not lethal to honey bees. Medicinal chemistry was used to develop an analog, termed VU730, which retains activity toward mosquito Kir1 but is not active against Kir2.1 or other mammalian Kir channels. Thus, VU041 and VU730 are promising chemical scaffolds for developing new classes of insecticides to combat insecticide-resistant mosquitoes and the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases, such as Zika virus, without harmful effects on humans and beneficial insects.
Dynamics of adsorbed polymers on attractive homogeneous surfaces
Authors: Yang Qing-Hui , Luo Meng-Bo
Published: November 2016

Dynamic behaviors of polymer chains adsorbed on an attractive, homogeneous surface are studied by using dynamic Monte Carlo simulations. The translational diffusion coefficient Dxy parallel to the surface decreases as the intra-polymer attraction strength EPP or the polymer-surface attraction strength EPS increases. The rotational relaxation time τR increases with EPS, but the dependence of τR on EPP is dependent on the adsorption state of the polymer. We find that τR decreases with increasing EPP for a partially adsorbed polymer but it increases with EPP for a fully adsorbed polymer. Scaling relations Dxy ~ N−α and τR ~ Nβ are found for long polymers. The scaling exponent α is independent of EPS for long polymers but increases with EPP from α = 1.06 at EPP = 0. While β ≈ 2.7 is also roughly independent of EPS for the adsorbed polymer at EPP = 0, but β increases with EPS at EPP > 0. Moreover, we find that β always decreases with increasing EPP. Our results reveal different effects of the attractive surface on the diffusion and rotation of adsorbed polymers.
Run-and-pause dynamics of cytoskeletal motor proteins
Authors: Hafner Anne E. , Santen Ludger , Rieger Heiko , Shaebani M. Reza
Published: November 2016

Cytoskeletal motor proteins are involved in major intracellular transport processes which are vital for maintaining appropriate cellular function. When attached to cytoskeletal filaments, the motor exhibits distinct states of motility: active motion along the filaments, and pause phase in which it remains stationary for a finite time interval. The transition probabilities between motion and pause phases are asymmetric in general, and considerably affected by changes in environmental conditions which influences the efficiency of cargo delivery to specific targets. By considering the motion of individual non-interacting molecular motors on a single filament as well as a dynamic filamentous network, we present an analytical model for the dynamics of self-propelled particles which undergo frequent pause phases. The interplay between motor processivity, structural properties of filamentous network, and transition probabilities between the two states of motility drastically changes the dynamics: multiple transitions between different types of anomalous diffusive dynamics occur and the crossover time to the asymptotic diffusive or ballistic motion varies by several orders of magnitude. We map out the phase diagrams in the space of transition probabilities, and address the role of initial conditions of motion on the resulting dynamics.
Forms and Lability of Phosphorus in Algae and Aquatic Macrophytes Characterized by Solution 31P NMR Coupled with Enzymatic Hydrolysis
Authors: Feng Weiying , Zhu Yuanrong , Wu Fengchang , He Zhongqi , Zhang Chen , Giesy John P.
Published: November 2016

Solution Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) spectroscopy coupled with enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) with commercially available phosphatases was used to characterize phosphorus (P) compounds in extracts of the dominant aquatic macrophytes and algae in a eutrophic lake. Total extractable organic P (Po) concentrations ranged from 504 to 1643 mg kg−1 and 2318 to 8395 mg kg−1 for aquatic macrophytes and algae, respectively. Using 31P NMR spectroscopy, 11 Po species were detected in the mono- and diester region. Additionally, orthophosphate, pyrophosphate and phosphonates were also detected. Using EH, phytate-like P was identified as the prevalent class of enzyme-labile Po, followed by labile monoester- and diester-P. Comparison of the NMR and EH data indicated that the distribution pattern of major P forms in the samples determined by the two methods was similar (r = 0.712, p < 0.05). Additional 31P NMR spectroscopic analysis of extracts following EH showed significant decreases in the monoester and pyrophosphate regions, with a corresponding increase in the orthophosphate signal, as compared to unhydrolyzed extracts. Based on these quantity and hydrolysis data, we proposed that recycling of Po in vegetative biomass residues is an important mechanism for long-term self-regulation of available P for algal blooming in eutrophic lakes.
Performance error-related activity in monkey striatum during social interactions
Authors: Báez-Mendoza Raymundo , Schultz Wolfram
Published: November 2016

Monitoring our performance is fundamental to motor control while monitoring other’s performance is fundamental to social coordination. The striatum is hypothesized to play a role in action selection, action initiation, and action parsing, but we know little of its role in performance monitoring. Furthermore, the striatum contains neurons that respond to own and other’s actions. Therefore, we asked if striatal neurons signal own and conspecific’s performance errors. Two macaque monkeys sitting across a touch-sensitive table in plain view of each other took turns performing a simple motor task to obtain juice rewards while we recorded single striatal neurons from one monkey at a time. Both monkeys made more errors after individually making an error but made fewer errors after a conspecific error. Thus, monkeys’ behavior was influenced by their own and their conspecific’s past behavior. A population of striatal neurons responded to own and conspecific’s performance errors independently of a negative reward prediction error signal. Overall, these data suggest that monkeys are influenced by social errors and that striatal neurons signal performance errors. These signals might be important for social coordination, observational learning and adjusting to an ever-changing social landscape.
Epidemiology Characteristics, Methodological Assessment and Reporting of Statistical Analysis of Network Meta-Analyses in the Field of Cancer
Authors: Ge Long , Tian Jin-hui , Li Xiu-xia , Song Fujian , Li Lun , Zhang Jun , Li Ge , Pei Gai-qin , Qiu Xia , Yang Ke-hu
Published: November 2016

Because of the methodological complexity of network meta-analyses (NMAs), NMAs may be more vulnerable to methodological risks than conventional pair-wise meta-analysis. Our study aims to investigate epidemiology characteristics, conduction of literature search, methodological quality and reporting of statistical analysis process in the field of cancer based on PRISMA extension statement and modified AMSTAR checklist. We identified and included 102 NMAs in the field of cancer. 61 NMAs were conducted using a Bayesian framework. Of them, more than half of NMAs did not report assessment of convergence (60.66%). Inconsistency was assessed in 27.87% of NMAs. Assessment of heterogeneity in traditional meta-analyses was more common (42.62%) than in NMAs (6.56%). Most of NMAs did not report assessment of similarity (86.89%) and did not used GRADE tool to assess quality of evidence (95.08%). 43 NMAs were adjusted indirect comparisons, the methods used were described in 53.49% NMAs. Only 4.65% NMAs described the details of handling of multi group trials and 6.98% described the methods of similarity assessment. The median total AMSTAR-score was 8.00 (IQR: 6.00–8.25). Methodological quality and reporting of statistical analysis did not substantially differ by selected general characteristics. Overall, the quality of NMAs in the field of cancer was generally acceptable.
Challenges and constraints of dynamically emerged source and sink in atomtronic circuits: From closed-system to open-system approaches
Authors: Lai Chen-Yen , Chien Chih-Chun
Published: November 2016

While batteries offer electronic source and sink for electronic devices, atomic analogues of source and sink and their theoretical descriptions have been a challenge in cold-atom systems. Here we consider dynamically emerged local potentials as controllable source and sink for bosonic atoms. Although a sink potential can collect bosons in equilibrium and indicate its usefulness in the adiabatic limit, sudden switching of the potential exhibits low effectiveness in pushing bosons into it. This is due to conservation of energy and particle in isolated systems such as cold atoms. By varying the potential depth and interaction strength, the systems can further exhibit averse response, where a deeper emerged potential attracts less bosonic atoms into it. To explore possibilities for improving the effectiveness, we investigate what types of system-environment coupling can help bring bosons into a dynamically emerged sink, and a Lindblad operator corresponding to local cooling is found to serve the purpose.
A colloidal system of polythiophene-grafted edge-gold-coated silver nanoprisms with enhanced optical properties and stability
Authors: Jeong Sugyeong , Lee Dongki , Kim Joon Ki , Jang Du-Jeon
Published: November 2016

P3HT has been grafted to edge-gold-coated silver nanoprisms to have feasible-process ability, enhanced optical properties, and high stability.
Engineering proximal vs. distal heme–NO coordination via dinitrosyl dynamics: implications for NO sensor design
Authors: Kekilli Demet , Petersen Christine A. , Pixton David A. , Ghafoor Dlzar D. , Abdullah Gaylany H. , Dworkowski Florian S. N. , Wilson Michael T. , Heyes Derren J. , Hardman Samantha J. O. , Murphy Loretta M. , Strange Richard W. , Scrutton Nigel S. , Andrew Colin R. , Hough Michael A.
Published: November 2016

Distal versus proximal binding of nitric oxide to haem is controlled via a ‘balance of affinities’ kinetic mechanism.
C10H4O2S2/graphene composite as a cathode material for sodium-ion batteries
Authors: Chen Xiaoju , Wu Yiwen , Huang Zhongkang , Yang Xiaoyun , Li Weijie , Yu Laura Chuan , Zeng Ronghua , Luo Yifan , Chou Shu-Lei
Published: November 2016

BDT uniformly disperse into graphene with layer like structure, resulting in greatly improved electrochemical performance in comparison with pure BDT.
A visible-light active catechol–metal oxide carbonaceous polymeric material for enhanced photocatalytic activity
Authors: Karthik P. , Vinoth R. , Selvam P. , Balaraman E. , Navaneethan M. , Hayakawa Y. , Neppolian B.
Published: November 2016

Designing new materials for sustainable energy and environmental applications is one of the prime focuses in chemical science.
Modulating stem cell–chondrocyte interactions for cartilage repair using combinatorial extracellular matrix-containing hydrogels
Authors: Wang Tianyi , Lai Janice H. , Han Li-Hsin , Tong Xinming , Yang Fan
Published: November 2016

Combinatorial ECM-containing hydrogels with decoupled mechanical and biochemical cues modulate cartilage formation by a stem cell and chondrocyte co-culture in 3D.
2 × VDD output buffer with 36.4% slew rate improvement using leakage current compensation
Authors: Wang C.‐C. , Tsai T.‐Y. , Lee T.‐J. , Ruan K.‐W.
Published: November 2016

A 2 × VDD output buffer using leakage current compensation is demonstrated. With the proposed leakage current compensation circuit, the SR (slew rate) is improved 36.4–101.89% based on on‐silicon measurement results given different VDDIO (1.0/1.2/1.8 V) and temperatures (from 0 to 100°C). The data rate is 510/630/400 MHz for VDDIO at 1.8/1.2/1.0 V, respectively. Moreover, the reliability problem, the gate oxide overstress and the hot carrier degradation is avoided. The proposed design is implemented using a typical 90 nm CMOS process. The active area is 0.425 × 0.0563 mm. The SR is measured in the range from 0.766 to 2.585 V/ns.
Optimal cooperative repair strategy for (n = 2k + s,k) Suh–Ramchandran code
Authors: Wang Lisha , Tang Xiaohu , Ma Zheng
Published: November 2016

An (n = 2k + s,k) Suh–Ramchandran code is shown, where s > 0 is a positive integer, is a minimum storage regeneration code, and can also achieve the optimal repair bandwidth for multiple systematic nodes failure repair.
Analysis of produce recognition system with taxonomist's knowledge using computer vision and different classifiers
Authors: Chaw Jun‐Kit , Mokji Musa
Published: November 2016

Supermarkets nowadays are equipped with barcode scanners to speed up the checkout process. Nevertheless, most of the agricultural products cannot be pre‐packaged and thus must be weighted. The development of produce recognition system based on computer vision could help the cashiers in the supermarkets with the pricing of these weighted products. This work proposes a hybrid approach of object classification and attribute classification for the produce recognition system which involves the cooperation and integration of statistical approaches and semantic models. The integration of attribute learning into the produce recognition system was proposed due to the fact that attribute learning has emerged as a promising paradigm for bridging the semantic gap and assisting in object recognition in many fields of study. This could tackle problems occurred when less training data are available, i.e. less than 10 samples per class. The experiments show that the correct classification rate of the hybrid approach were 60.55, 75.37 and 86.42% with 2, 4 and 8 training examples, respectively, which were higher than other individual classifiers. A well‐balanced specificity, sensitivity and F1 score were achieved by the hybrid approach for each produce type.
Switching regulator using a DC–DC step‐down non‐cascading converter
Authors: Loera‐Palomo Rodrigo , Morales‐Saldaña Jorge Alberto , Peña‐Gallardo Rafael , Delgado‐Antillón Carmen Patricia
Published: November 2016

In this study a DC–DC switching regulator with step‐down capacity is presented. It uses a converter based on non‐cascading structures. A model of the converter, as well as a controller design procedure to achieve the regulation task, is presented. For the controller design, a control scheme that consists of two control loops is applied. The inner loop is built using the inductor current as feedback. The outer loop is implemented using a proportional‐integral controller. The tuning procedure of the controller parameters was developed from the state‐space non‐linear averaged model of the converter, where the necessary conditions for the existence of an unique operating point and stability in closed‐loop are obtained. To prove the effectiveness of the switching regulator, numerical simulations and experimental results are presented.
Symmetry effects on naturally arising chimera states in mechanical oscillator networks
Authors: Blaha Karen , Burrus Ryan J. , Orozco-Mora Jorge L. , Ruiz-Beltrán Elvia , Siddique Abu B. , Hatamipour V. D. , Sorrentino Francesco
Published: November 2016

Coupled oscillators were believed to exclusively exist in a state of synchrony or disorder until Kuramoto theoretically proved that the two states could coexist, called a chimera state, when portions of the population had a spatial dependent coupling. Recent work has demonstrated the spontaneous emergence of chimera states in an experiment involving mechanical oscillators coupled through a two platform swing. We constructed an experimental apparatus with three platforms that each contains a population of mechanical oscillators in order investigate the effects of a network symmetry on naturally arising chimera states. We considered in more detail the case of 15 metronomes per platform and observed that chimera states emerged as a broad range of parameters, namely, the metronomes' nominal frequency and the coupling strength between the platforms. A scalability study shows that chimera states no longer arise when the population size is reduced to three metronomes per platform. Furthermore, many chimera states are seen in the system when the coupling between platforms is asymmetric.
What influences personal purchases of new energy vehicles in China? An empirical study based on a survey of Chinese citizens
Authors: Hao Yu , Dong Xiao-Ying , Deng Yu-Xin , Li Ling-Xi , Ma Ye
Published: November 2016

Currently, many Chinese cities are suffering from the mounting pressures of deteriorating environmental quality, particularly in the form of serious air pollution that contributes to fog and haze. An important reason for urban air pollution is the rapid increase in automobile ownership and usage, which has increased gasoline consumption and waste gas production. Thus, it is important—and even necessary—to develop new energy vehicles (NEVs) to mitigate the environmental problems associated with automobile usage. However, the market share of NEVs in China is still relatively low. For the sake of boosting NEV sales, research should be conducted on this market, particularly regarding Chinese consumers' preferences for and intentions to purchase environmentally friendly vehicles. This study employs a carefully designed questionnaire survey of potential electronic vehicle consumers in seven Chinese cities. An empirical analysis based on the survey data is performed to investigate the main factors influencing the purchase of electronic vehicles. The estimation results indicate that monthly income, the number of cars a family owns, sustainability and vehicle comfort strongly influence consumers' purchasing behavior. Furthermore, age, marital status, city of residence, the number of cars a family owns, and the extent of police familiarity concerning NEVs are all proven to be significantly determinants of consumers' purchasing intentions. Moreover, based on our results, several political suggestions are provided to encourage the development of the Chinese NEV market.
Achieving bifunctional cloak via combination of passive and active schemes
Authors: Lan Chuwen , Bi Ke , Gao Zehua , Li Bo , Zhou Ji
Published: November 2016

In this study, a simple and delicate approach to realizing manipulation of multi-physics field simultaneously through combination of passive and active schemes is proposed. In the design, one physical field is manipulated with passive scheme while the other with active scheme. As a proof of this concept, a bifunctional device is designed and fabricated to behave as electric and thermal invisibility cloak simultaneously. It is found that the experimental results are consistent with the simulated ones well, confirming the feasibility of our method. Furthermore, the proposed method could also be extended to other multi-physics fields, which might lead to potential applications in thermal, electric, and acoustic areas.
Nucleation and growth mechanisms of Al2O3 atomic layer deposition on synthetic polycrystalline MoS2
Authors: Zhang H. , Chiappe D. , Meersschaut J. , Conard T. , Franquet A. , Nuytten T. , Mannarino M. , Radu I. , Vandervorst W. , Delabie A.
Published: November 2016

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are of great interest for applications in nano-electronic devices. Their incorporation requires the deposition of nm-thin and continuous high-k dielectric layers on the 2D TMDs. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of high-k dielectric layers is well established on Si surfaces: the importance of a high nucleation density for rapid layer closure is well known and the nucleation mechanisms have been thoroughly investigated. In contrast, the nucleation of ALD on 2D TMD surfaces is less well understood and a quantitative analysis of the deposition process is lacking. Therefore, in this work, we investigate the growth of Al2O3 (using Al(CH3)3/H2O ALD) on MoS2 whereby we attempt to provide a complete insight into the use of several complementary characterization techniques, including X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy, elastic recoil detection analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. To reveal the inherent reactivity of MoS2, we exclude the impact of surface contamination from a transfer process by direct Al2O3 deposition on synthetic MoS2 layers obtained by a high temperature sulfurization process. It is shown that Al2O3 ALD on the MoS2 surface is strongly inhibited at temperatures between 125°C and 300°C, with no growth occurring on MoS2 crystal basal planes and selective nucleation only at line defects or grain boundaries at MoS2 top surface. During further deposition, the as-formed Al2O3 nano-ribbons grow in both vertical and lateral directions. Eventually, a continuous Al2O3 film is obtained by lateral growth over the MoS2 crystal basal plane, with the point of layer closure determined by the grain size at the MoS2 top surface and the lateral growth rate. The created Al2O3/MoS2 interface consists mainly of van der Waals interactions. The nucleation is improved by contributions of reversible adsorption on the MoS2 basal planes by using low deposition temperature in combination with short purge times. While this results in a more two-dimensional growth, additional H and C impurities are incorporated in the Al2O3 layers. To conclude, our growth study reveals that the inherent reactivity of the MoS2 basal plane for ALD is extremely low, and this confirms the need for functionalization methods of the TMD surface to enable ALD nucleation.
Analysis of biomass gasification in bubbling fluidized bed with two-fluid model
Authors: Chen Juhui , Yin Weijie , Wang Shuai , Meng Cheng , Yu Guangbin , Hu Ting , Lin Feng
Published: November 2016

The framework of theoretical method is two-fluid model coupled with reaction process. The k-ε model is used for gas phase, and the kinetic theory of granular flow is employed for solid phase. In the simulation, gasification process consists of three parts: pyrolysis, homogenous reaction, and heterogeneous reaction. In the first stage, biomass particles crack into carbon particles and volatile gases upon entering the reactor. Subsequently, the carbon particles and volatile gases react with oxygen, which includes both homogenous reaction and heterogeneous reaction. The effect of equivalence ratio (ER) is studied. It is found that all the products have same tendency with the increase of ER. H2 and CH4 change linearly with ER; CO and CO2 change cubically with ER. This is because the mechanism of formation of CO and CO2 is more complex than that of H2 and CH4. H2 and CH4 are consumed by O2, so they tend to decrease with the increase of ER, whose value corresponds to the amount of O2 fed. For CO and CO2, however, things are more complicated: the extents at which CO and CO2 decrease are converse. CO decreases significantly and then reaches a plateau and finally decreases again, while CO2 decreases moderately at the beginning and then decreases sharply and finally becomes flat. The conclusion is that when oxygen concentration is low, increment of oxygen favors production of CO2, and when oxygen concentration reaches a certain level, increment of oxygen favors production of CO, and when oxygen concentration continually increases, increment of oxygen favors production of CO2 again.
A chaotic model for the epidemic of Ebola virus disease in West Africa (2013–2016)
Authors: Mangiarotti Sylvain , Peyre Marisa , Huc Mireille
Published: November 2016

An epidemic of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) broke out in Guinea in December 2013. It was only identified in March 2014 while it had already spread out in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The spill over of the disease became uncontrollable and the epidemic could not be stopped before 2016. The time evolution of this epidemic is revisited here with the global modeling technique which was designed to obtain the deterministic models from single time series. A generalized formulation of this technique for multivariate time series is introduced. It is applied to the epidemic of EVD in West Africa focusing on the period between March 2014 and January 2015, that is, before any detected signs of weakening. Data gathered by the World Health Organization, based on the official publications of the Ministries of Health of the three main countries involved in this epidemic, are considered in our analysis. Two observed time series are used: the daily numbers of infections and deaths. A four-dimensional model producing a very complex dynamical behavior is obtained. The model is tested in order to investigate its skills and drawbacks. Our global analysis clearly helps to distinguish three main stages during the epidemic. A characterization of the obtained attractor is also performed. In particular, the topology of the chaotic attractor is analyzed and a skeleton is obtained for its structure.
Electronic and structural properties of ultrathin germanium nanowires by density functional theory calculations
Authors: Sun Shih-Jye , Yang Po-Yu , Ju Shin-Pon , Lai Zhu-Min
Published: November 2016

Employing the basin-hopping method with the Stillinger–Weber potential and penalty function, four germanium nanowires with the most stable energies were obtained at cross-section radii of 1.8 Å, 2.0 Å, 2.4 Å, and 2.9 Å, respectively. Because the coordination numbers and orbital hybridizations of Ge atoms in these nanostructures are different from bulk Ge, their density of states (DOS) profiles are distinctly different from that of bulk. Besides, the discrepancies of DOS among these nanowires arising from different electron density overlaps induce the different Coulomb interactions. Furthermore, the enhanced Coulomb interaction and the quantum confinement in germanium nanowires cause the original p-orbitals below Fermi-level shift up to cross the Fermi-level, which leads Ge nanowires to be conductors.
Temporal coupled mode theory linking to surface-wave dispersion relations in near-field electromagnetic heat transfer
Authors: Iizuka Hideo , Fan Shanhui
Published: November 2016

We provide a detailed discussion of the use of coupled mode theory to describe near-field heat transfer. We consider a simple physical model system of coupled harmonic oscillators with each oscillator maintaining at a different temperature, where heat transfer between the oscillators can be analytically treated from first-principles using the Newton's equation and the fluctuation dissipation theorem. Applying a slowly varying envelope approximation to the Newton's equation, we derive a coupled mode theory formalism. We then apply this coupled mode theory formalism in the study of the near-field heat transfer between either silicon carbide plates or between two graphene sheets. The coupled mode theory provides a quantitative link between the dispersion relation of the coupled system and the heat transfer, and agrees with exact numerical results over all range of wavevectors. To obtain such complete agreement, the key observation here is that one should include the frequency shift, that is, the frequency of the individual mode used in the coupled mode theory should be different from the frequency of the mode of an isolated structure. Finally, we show that the coupled mode theory can be applied even when more than two modes are involved in the heat transfer. As an example, we extend our formalism to the near-field heat transfer in a four-layer graphene structure.
Charging and discharging model of lithium-ion battery for charge equalization control using particle swarm optimization algorithm
Authors: Hoque M. M. , Hannan M. A. , Mohamed A.
Published: November 2016

This study presents a charging and discharging controller of a lithium-ion battery for charge equalization control of a battery storage system using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The charge equalization controller is designed using a bidirectional flyback DC–DC converter for exchanging the amount of energy from a battery series stack to an overdischarged cell to be charged and vice versa. The constant current–constant voltage charge proportional–integral (PI) control and discontinuous current mode control are applied to charge and discharge the lithium-ion battery on a flyback converter operation. This proposed system utilizes the PSO algorithm to optimize the values of the PI controller parameters. Optimization results produce the ideal values of the PI controller parameters with minimum error indices, thereby regulating the pulse-width modulation to the MOSFET switching drive of the flyback converter and upgrading the battery charge performance for charge equalization. The PSO algorithmic approach-based developed system is proven to be robust and competent for high-tech storage systems toward the advancement of sustainable electric vehicle technologies and renewable source of applications.
Possible n/p-type conductivity of two-dimensional graphene oxide by boron and nitrogen doping: Evaluated via constrained excitation
Authors: Wang Dan , Han Dong , Li Xian-Bin , Xie Sheng-Yi , Chen Nian-Ke , Tian Wei Quan , Zhang Shengbai , Sun Hong-Bo
Published: November 2016

As the first-principles calculations using the supercell approximation give widely scattered results in a two-dimensional charged system, making the evaluation of defect ionization energy difficult, here an alternative constrained excitation is applied to overcome this problem for defect analysis. As an example in graphene oxide with 50% oxygen coverage (according to the popular epoxy-chain-plus-hydroxyl-chain model), the structures, stabilities, and electronic properties of nitrogen and boron dopants are investigated. Generally, boron prefers to replace carbon in the sp3 region as an acceptor while nitrogen has a tendency to substitute the sp2 carbon close to the boundary between the sp2 region and the sp3 region as a donor. Their ionization energies are 0.24–0.42 eV for boron and 0.32–0.67 eV for nitrogen. However, a special case of nitrogen doped in the boundary-sp3 carbon can change to be an acceptor with the assistance of its neighboring (epoxy) oxygen “Lift-off,” leading to the shallowest ionization energy of 0.12 eV and the best candidate for p-type conductivity. The present study offers the detailed pictures of boron and nitrogen defects in graphene oxide for the potential n- and p-type conductivity.
Zero dark leakage current single-walled carbon nanotube diodes
Authors: Dhakras Prathamesh , Lee Ji Ung
Published: November 2016

We describe measurements of diode leakage currents in p-n and p-i-n diodes formed along individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in the ranges well below the direct detection limit. When cooled, these diodes exhibit leakage currents down in the range of 10−25 A or equivalent to 1 electron/19 days. To verify our measurement of such low leakage currents, we use the photovoltaic property under varying temperatures to extract the dark diode leakage currents. Since nanotubes are sensitive in the near IR spectrum, these diodes show promise as zero dark current noise, near-infrared detectors.