bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Residual β activity of particulate 234Th as a novel proxy for tracking sediment resuspension in the ocean
Authors: Lin Wuhui , Chen Liqi , Zeng Shi , Li Tao , Wang Yinghui , Yu Kefu
Published: June 2016

Sediment resuspension occurs in the global ocean, which greatly affects material exchange between the sediment and the overlying seawater. The behaviours of carbon, nutrients, heavy metals, and other pollutants at the sediment-seawater boundary will further link to climate change, eutrophication, and marine pollution. Residual β activity of particulate 234Th (RAP234) is used as a novel proxy to track sediment resuspension in different marine environments, including the western Arctic Ocean, the South China Sea, and the Southern Ocean. Sediment resuspension identified by high activity of RAP234 is supported by different lines of evidence including seawater turbidity, residence time of total 234Th, Goldschmidt’s classification, and ratio of RAP234 to particulate organic carbon. A conceptual model is proposed to elucidate the mechanism for RAP234 with dominant contributions from 234Th-238U and 212Bi-228Th. The ‘slope assumption’ for RAP234 indicated increasing intensity of sediment resuspension from spring to autumn under the influence of the East Asian monsoon system. RAP234 can shed new light on 234Th-based particle dynamics and should benefit the interpretation of historical 234Th-238U database. RAP234 resembles lithophile elements and has broad implications for investigating particle dynamics in the estuary-shelf-slope-ocean continuum and linkage of the atmosphere-ocean-sediment system.
The N-terminal zinc finger domain of Tgf2 transposase contributes to DNA binding and to transposition activity
Authors: Jiang Xia-Yun , Hou Fei , Shen Xiao-Dan , Du Xue-Di , Xu Hai-Li , Zou Shu-Ming
Published: June 2016

Active Hobo/Activator/Tam3 (hAT) transposable elements are rarely found in vertebrates. Previously, goldfish Tgf2 was found to be an autonomously active vertebrate transposon that is efficient at gene-transfer in teleost fish. However, little is known about Tgf2 functional domains required for transposition. To explore this, we first predicted in silico a zinc finger domain in the N-terminus of full length Tgf2 transposase (L-Tgf2TPase). Two truncated recombinant Tgf2 transposases with deletions in the N-terminal zinc finger domain, S1- and S2-Tgf2TPase, were expressed in bacteria from goldfish cDNAs. Both truncated Tgf2TPases lost their DNA-binding ability in vitro, specifically at the ends of Tgf2 transposon than native L-Tgf2TPase. Consequently, S1- and S2-Tgf2TPases mediated gene transfer in the zebrafish genome in vivo at a significantly (p < 0.01) lower efficiency (21%–25%), in comparison with L-Tgf2TPase (56% efficiency). Compared to L-Tgf2TPase, truncated Tgf2TPases catalyzed imprecise excisions with partial deletion of TE ends and/or plasmid backbone insertion/deletion. The gene integration into the zebrafish genome mediated by truncated Tgf2TPases was imperfect, creating incomplete 8-bp target site duplications at the insertion sites. These results indicate that the zinc finger domain in Tgf2 transposase is involved in binding to Tgf2 terminal sequences and loss of those domains has effects on TE transposition.
Correction: Corrigendum: Prognostic role of Gli1 expression in solid malignancies: a meta-analysis
Authors: Cheng Ji , Gao Jinbo , Tao Kaixiong
Published: June 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 22184; Published online: 22 February 2016; Updated: 02 June 2016 Peiwu Yu did not contribute directly to this study and has been removed from the author list. The Acknowledgements section now reads: “We sincerely appreciate Peiwu Yu for providing linguistic support.
Peripheral Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor Precursor Regulates Pain as an Inflammatory Mediator
Authors: Luo Cong , Zhong Xiao-Lin , Zhou Fiona H. , Li Jia-yi , Zhou Pei , Xu Jun-Mei , Song Bo , Li Chang-Qi , Zhou Xin-Fu , Dai Ru-Ping
Published: June 2016

The precursor of brain derived neurotrophic factor (proBDNF), the unprocessed BDNF gene product, binds to its receptors and exerts the opposing biologic functions of mature BDNF. proBDNF is expressed in the peripheral tissues but the functions of peripheral proBDNF remain elusive. Here we showed that proBDNF and its predominant receptor, p75 pan-neurotrophin receptor were upregulated in the nerve fibers and inflammatory cells in the local tissue in inflammatory pain. Neutralization of proBDNF by polyclonal antibody attenuated pain in different models of inflammatory pain. Unilateral intra-plantar supplementation of proBDNF by injecting exogenous proBDNF or ectopic overexpression resulted in pain hypersensitivity and induced spinal phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation. Exogenous proBDNF injection induced the infiltration of inflammatory cells and the activation of proinflammatory cytokines, suggesting that inflammatory reaction contributed to the pro-algesic effect of proBDNF. Finally, we generated monoclonal anti-proBDNF antibody that could biologically block proBDNF. Administration of monoclonal Ab-proBDNF attenuated various types of inflammatory pain and surgical pain. Thus, peripheral proBDNF is a potential pain mediator and anti-proBDNF pretreatment may alleviate the development of inflammatory pain.
How do changes in bulk soil organic carbon content affect carbon concentrations in individual soil particle fractions?
Authors: Yang X. M. , Drury C. F. , Reynolds W. D. , Yang J. Y.
Published: June 2016

We test the common assumption that organic carbon (OC) storage occurs on sand-sized soil particles only after the OC storage capacity on silt- and clay-sized particles is saturated. Soil samples from a Brookston clay loam in Southwestern Ontario were analysed for the OC concentrations in bulk soil, and on the clay (<2 μm), silt (2–53 μm) and sand (53–2000 μm) particle size fractions. The OC concentrations in bulk soil ranged from 4.7 to 70.8 g C kg−1 soil. The OC concentrations on all three particle size fractions were significantly related to the OC concentration of bulk soil. However, OC concentration increased slowly toward an apparent maximum on silt and clay, but this maximum was far greater than the maximum predicted by established C sequestration models. In addition, significant increases in OC associated with sand occurred when the bulk soil OC concentration exceeded 30 g C kg−1, but this increase occurred when the OC concentration on silt + clay was still far below the predicted storage capacity for silt and clay fractions. Since the OC concentrations in all fractions of Brookston clay loam soil continued to increase with increasing C (bulk soil OC content) input, we concluded that the concept of OC storage capacity requires further investigation.
How the initial level of visibility and limited resource affect the evolution of cooperation
Authors: Han Dun , Li Dandan , Sun Mei
Published: June 2016

This work sheds important light on how the initial level of visibility and limited resource might affect the evolution of the players’ strategies under different network structure. We perform the prisoner’s dilemma game in the lattice network and the scale-free network, the simulation results indicate that the average density of death in lattice network decreases with the increases of the initial proportion of visibility. However, the contrary phenomenon is observed in the scale-free network. Further results reflect that the individuals’ payoff in lattice network is significantly larger than the one in the scale-free network. In the lattice network, the visibility individuals could earn much more than the invisibility one. However, the difference is not apparent in the scale-free network. We also find that a high Successful-Defection-Payoff (SDB) and a rich natural environment have relatively larger deleterious cooperation effects. A high SDB is beneficial to raising the level of visibility in the heterogeneous network, however, that has adverse visibility consequences in homogeneous network. Our result reveals that players are more likely to cooperate voluntarily under homogeneous network structure.
Intracellular quantitative detection of human thymidylate synthase engagement with an unconventional inhibitor using tetracysteine-diarsenical-probe technology
Authors: Ponterini Glauco , Martello Andrea , Pavesi Giorgia , Lauriola Angela , Luciani Rosaria , Santucci Matteo , Pelà Michela , Gozzi Gaia , Pacifico Salvatore , Guerrini Remo , Marverti Gaetano , Costi Maria Paola , D’Arca Domenico
Published: June 2016

Demonstrating a candidate drug’s interaction with its target protein in live cells is of pivotal relevance to the successful outcome of the drug discovery process. Although thymidylate synthase (hTS) is an important anticancer target protein, the efficacy of the few anti-hTS drugs currently used in clinical practice is limited by the development of resistance. Hence, there is an intense search for new, unconventional anti-hTS drugs; there are approximately 1600 ongoing clinical trials involving hTS-targeting drugs, both alone and in combination protocols. We recently discovered new, unconventional peptidic inhibitors of hTS that are active against cancer cells and do not result in the overexpression of hTS, which is a known molecular source of resistance. Here, we propose an adaptation of the recently proposed tetracysteine-arsenic-binding-motif technology to detect and quantitatively characterize the engagement of hTS with one such peptidic inhibitor in cell lysates. This new model can be developed into a test for high-throughput screening studies of intracellular target-protein/small-molecule binding.
Resonant Effects in Nanoscale Bowtie Apertures
Authors: Ding Li , Qin Jin , Guo Songpo , Liu Tao , Kinzel Edward , Wang Liang
Published: June 2016

Nanoscale bowtie aperture antennas can be used to focus light well below the diffraction limit with extremely high transmission efficiencies. This paper studies the spectral dependence of the transmission through nanoscale bowtie apertures defined in a silver film. A realistic bowtie aperture is numerically modeled using the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method. Results show that the transmission spectrum is dominated by Fabry-Pérot (F-P) waveguide modes and plasmonic modes. The F-P resonance is sensitive to the thickness of the film and the plasmonic resonant mode is closely related to the gap distance of the bowtie aperture. Both characteristics significantly affect the transmission spectrum. To verify these numerical results, bowtie apertures are FIB milled in a silver film. Experimental transmission measurements agree with simulation data. Based on this result, nanoscale bowtie apertures can be optimized to realize deep sub-wavelength confinement with high transmission efficiency with applications to nanolithography, data storage and bio-chemical sensing.
Defense pattern of Chinese cork oak across latitudinal gradients: influences of ontogeny, herbivory, climate and soil nutrients
Authors: Wang Xiao-Fei , Liu Jian-Feng , Gao Wen-Qiang , Deng Yun-Peng , Ni Yan-Yan , Xiao Yi-Hua , Kang Feng-Feng , Wang Qi , Lei Jing-Pin , Jiang Ze-Ping
Published: June 2016

Knowledge of latitudinal patterns in plant defense and herbivory is crucial for understanding the mechanisms that govern ecosystem functioning and for predicting their responses to climate change. Using a widely distributed species in East Asia, Quercus variabilis, we aim to reveal defense patterns of trees with respect to ontogeny along latitudinal gradients. Six leaf chemical (total phenolics and total condensed tannin concentrations) and physical (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and dry mass concentration) defensive traits as well as leaf herbivory (% leaf area loss) were investigated in natural Chinese cork oak (Q. variabilis) forests across two ontogenetic stages (juvenile and mature trees) along a ~14°-latitudinal gradient. Our results showed that juveniles had higher herbivory values and a higher concentration of leaf chemical defense substances compared with mature trees across the latitudinal gradient. In addition, chemical defense and herbivory in both ontogenetic stages decreased with increasing latitude, which supports the latitudinal herbivory-defense hypothesis and optimal defense theory. The identified trade-offs between chemical and physical defense were primarily determined by environmental variation associated with the latitudinal gradient, with the climatic factors (annual precipitation, minimum temperature of the coldest month) largely contributing to the latitudinal defense pattern in both juvenile and mature oak trees.
Inhibition of Osteoclast Differentiation and Bone Resorption by Bisphosphonate-conjugated Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Lee Donghyun , Heo Dong Nyoung , Kim Han-Jun , Ko Wan-Kyu , Lee Sang Jin , Heo Min , Bang Jae Beum , Lee Jung Bok , Hwang Deok-Sang , Do Sun Hee , Kwon Il Keun
Published: June 2016

In recent years, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been reported to affect the regeneration of bone tissue. The goal of this study was to improve bone tissue regeneration by using targeted GNPs. We fabricated a functionalized GNPs conjugated with alendronate (ALD), of the bisphosphonate group. Subsequently, the ALD, GNPs, and ALD conjugated GNPs (GNPs-ALD) were analyzed by ultraviolet-visible absorbance (UV-vis) spectrophotometer, Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (ATR-FTIR), and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The prepared GNPs-ALD were used to investigate their inhibitory effects on the receptor activator of nuclear factor- κb ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs). Additionally, the GNPs-ALD were applied to ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporotic mice and the experiments were evaluated. ALD was found to be successfully conjugated to the GNPs surface, and it displayed significant adhesion onto the bone surface. The in-vitro study indicated that the GNPs, ALD and GNPs-ALD suppressed osteoclast formation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, in the OVX mouse model, the mice treated GNPs-ALD had higher bone density as compared to other OVX mice groups. The results from these tests indicated that GNPs-ALD can be useful agents for preventing and treating osteoporosis.
Inlay osteotome sinus floor elevation with concentrated growth factor application and simultaneous short implant placement in severely atrophic maxilla
Authors: Chen Yonghui , Cai Zhiyu , Zheng Dingguo , Lin Pei , Cai Yahua , Hong Shuxin , Lai Yiwei , Wu Dong
Published: June 2016

Sinus floor elevation with simultaneous implant placement in severely atrophic maxilla is challenging. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the short-term performance of modified osteotome sinus floor elevation (OSFE) with concentrated growth factor (CGF) application and concurrent placement of a short implant in cases with residual bone height (RBH) of 2–4 mm. Twenty-five short implants were installed in 16 patients with mean RBH of 3.23 mm using modified OSFE with CGFs from January 2012 to April 2014. Postoperatively, the implants were clinically evaluated, and vertical bone gain (VBG) was measured using cone beam computed tomography. The mean duration of follow-up was 19.88 months (12–32 months). All the implants were stable with an overall survival rate of 100%. The mean VBG immediately after surgery was 9.21 mm. Six months later, significant reduction of alveolar bone height (2.90 ± 0.22 mm) was found (P < 0.05). During the second 6-month period, further alveolar bone resorption (0.14 ± 0.11 mm) was noted but without significance (P > 0.05). Within the limits of this study, modified OSFE with CGF application and simultaneous short implant placement could yield predictable clinical results for severely atrophic maxilla with RBH of 2–4 mm.
Paramagnetic lanthanide chelates for multicontrast MRI
Authors: Cakić Nevenka , Savić Tanja , Stricker-Shaver Janice , Truffault Vincent , Platas-Iglesias Carlos , Mirkes Christian , Pohmann Rolf , Scheffler Klaus , Angelovski Goran
Published: June 2016

A paramagnetic chelator that serves as a platform for multicontrast MRI is presented. It can be utilized as a T1-weighted, paraCEST or 19F MRI contrast agent.
Double-hole codoped huge-gap semiconductor ZrO2 for visible-light photocatalysis
Authors: Wang Jiajun , Huang Jing , Meng Jie , Li Qunxiang , Yang Jinlong
Published: June 2016

Anionic codoping pairs make the huge-gap semiconductor ZrO2 a promising catalyst for solar-driven water splitting.
Femtosecond photodissociation dynamics of 1,4-diiodobenzene by gas-phase X-ray scattering and photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Stankus Brian , Budarz James M. , Kirrander Adam , Rogers David , Robinson Joseph , Lane Thomas J. , Ratner Daniel , Hastings Jerome , Minitti Michael P. , Weber Peter M.
Published: June 2016

We present a multifaceted investigation into the initial photodissociation dynamics of 1,4-diiodobenzene (DIB) following absorption of 267 nm radiation. We combine ultrafast time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray scattering experiments performed at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) to study the initial electronic excitation and subsequent rotational alignment, and interpret the experiments in light of Complete Active Space Self-Consistent Field (CASSCF) calculations of the excited electronic landscape. The initially excited state is found to be a bound 1B1 surface, which undergoes ultrafast population transfer to a nearby state in 35 ± 10 fs. The internal conversion most likely leads to one or more singlet repulsive surfaces that initiate the dissociation. This initial study is an essential and prerequisite component of a comprehensive study of the complete photodissociation pathway(s) of DIB at 267 nm. Assignment of the initially excited electronic state as a bound state identifies the mechanism as predissociative, and measurement of its lifetime establishes the time between excitation and initiation of dissociation, which is crucial for direct comparison of photoelectron and scattering experiments.
A sensitive speciation analysis of chromium in natural and industrial effluents by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry after a novel ligandless mixed-micelle dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction
Authors: Meeravali Noorbasha N. , Madhavi K. , Kumar Sunil Jai
Published: June 2016

Micelle and mixed-micelle sequential and simultaneous speciation of Cr(iii), Cr(vi) and Cr (total) can be performed for microlitre volumes on site.
Unraveling the conformational determinants of LARP7 and 7SK small nuclear RNA by theoretical approaches
Authors: Xu Lei , Kong Ren , Zhu Jingyu , Sun Huiyong , Chang Shan
Published: June 2016

LARP7, a member of the La-related proteins (LARPs), shares a conserved La module comprising the La-motif (LAM) and the RNA-recognition motif (RRM1), binding exclusively to the non-coding RNA 7SK.
Analysis of the productivity of DNA encoded libraries
Authors: Eidam Oliv , Satz Alexander L.
Published: June 2016

Analysis of physical properties and structural diversity of 57 molecules derived from screening 5–16 DNA encoded libraries against two protein targets. DNA encoded library size is not predictive of productivity.
Enantioselective direct vinylogous aldol-cyclization cascade reaction between β,γ-unsaturated amides and o-quinones
Authors: Jiang Yu , Fu Jun-Hao , Li Tian-Ze , Sha Feng , Wu Xin-Yan
Published: June 2016

The first enantioselective vinylogous reaction with 1,2-dikeones as aldol donors has been developed to provide chiral spirocyclic dihydropyranones.
Reductive triblock copolymer micelles with a dynamic covalent linkage deliver antimiR-21 for gastric cancer therapy
Authors: He Changyu , Zhang Zhen , Yang Qinglai , Chang Qing , Shao Zhifeng , Gong Bing , Shen Yu-Mei , Liu Bingya , Zhu Zhenggang
Published: June 2016

Triblock copolymer micelles with a double disulphide linkage in the backbone directed by H-bonding association were synthesized and evaluated as an antimiRNA delivery carrier.
Investigating the propagation kinetics of a novel class of nitrogen-containing methacrylates via PLP-SEC
Authors: Kockler Katrin B. , Fleischhaker Friederike , Barner-Kowollik Christopher
Published: June 2016

The Mark–Houwink–Kuhn–Sakurada parameters as well as Arrhenius parameters of the propagation rate coefficient for a new group of nitrogen-containing methacrylates were determined via triple detector SEC and pulsed laser polymerization–size exclusion chromatography, respectively.
Plasmons of topological crystalline insulator SnTe with nanostructured patterns
Authors: Wang Huan , Wang Jianfeng , Wang Tong , Li Menglei , Zhao Lu , Vial Alexandre , Duan Wenhui
Published: June 2016

Using the finite-difference time-domain method and density functional theory, we theoretically investigate the plasmons of topological crystalline insulator (TCI) SnTe with nanostructured patterns.
A first-principles study on the magnetic properties of Sc, V, Cr and Mn-doped monolayer TiS3
Authors: Zheng Huiling , Zhu Mingfeng , Zhang Jianmin , Du Xiaobo , Yan Yu
Published: June 2016

Substitutional doping of V, Cr and Mn atoms can induce the magnetic moment in monolayer TiS3.
Radical exchange reaction of multi-spin isoindoline nitroxides followed by EPR spectroscopy
Authors: Wessely I. , Mugnaini V. , Bihlmeier A. , Jeschke G. , Bräse S. , Tsotsalas M.
Published: June 2016

The synthesis and exchange reaction of a rigid, isoindoline-functionalized tetraphenylmethane multi-spin system is described. The exchange reaction was followed using EPR spectroscopy.
Cinchona alkaloid and di-tert-butyldicarbonate–DMAP promoted efficient synthesis of (E)-nitroolefins
Authors: Poomathi Nataraj , Perumal Paramasivan T.
Published: June 2016

A simple and efficient metal-free methodology for the synthesis of β-nitroolefins has been developed from arylidinemalononitrile using bifunctional cinchona alkaloid along with di-tert-butyldicarbonate–DMAP in high yields with total selectivity.
A mechanically improved virus-based hybrid scaffold for bone tissue regeneration
Authors: Lee Jae Yoon , Chung Woo-Jae , Kim GeunHyung
Published: June 2016

A hybrid scaffold (M13-phage/alginate and PCL) was proposed as a biomedical scaffold.
Hierarchical structured polymers for light-absorption enhancement of silicon-based solar power systems
Authors: Leem Jung Woo , Choi Minkyu , Dudem Bhaskar , Yu Jae Su
Published: June 2016

Hierarchical structured polymer (i.e., HS-NOA63) layer with antireflection/light-scattering and self-cleaning functions efficiently improves the efficiency of silicon-based solar power systems.
Structural evolution of TiAl during rapid solidification processing revealed by molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Li Peng-tao , Yang Yan-Qing , Zhang Wei , Luo Xian , Jin Na , Liu Gang
Published: June 2016

In this paper, the processes of rapid solidification in TiAl was investigated by molecular dynamics simulations.
Facile synthesis and performance of Na-doped porous lithium-rich cathodes for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Wang Di , Liu Meihong , Wang Xianyou , Yu Ruizhi , Wang Gang , Ren Qifang , Yang Xiukang
Published: June 2016

Na-doped porous lithium-rich (Li-rich) cathode microspheres (∼1 μm) were firstly prepared via the solvothermal method and subsequently a high-temperature calcination process.
Molecular mechanism of CO2 absorption in phosphonium amino acid ionic liquid
Authors: Prakash Prabhat , Venkatnathan Arun
Published: June 2016

The time-scale and site preferential interaction of CO2 absorption in tetra-butylphosphonium lysinate amino acid ionic liquid is examined using molecular dynamics simulations.
Super-resolution imaging of STAT3 cellular clustering during nuclear transport
Authors: Gao Jing , Wang Feng , Chen Junling , Wang Jianzhong , Cai Mingjun , Xu Haijiao , Jiang Junguang , Wang Hongda
Published: June 2016

STAT3 cellular clustering revealed by super-resolution fluorescence microscopy.
Thiourea modified polyacrylnitrile fibers as efficient Pd(ii) scavengers
Authors: Cao Jian , Xu Gang , Xie Yujia , Tao Minli , Zhang Wenqin
Published: June 2016

N-(2-Aminoethyl)thiourea functionalized polyacrylonitrile fiber was prepared and used for scavenging Pd in the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
Ammonium ion detection in solution using vertically grown ZnO nanorod based field-effect transistor
Authors: Ahmad Rafiq , Tripathy Nirmalya , Khan Muhammad Yasir , Bhat Kiesar Sideeq , Ahn Min-sang , Hahn Yoon-Bong
Published: June 2016

Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods based fabricated FET providing a well-defined large surface area for ammonium ion detection in solution.
Reproducible magnetic carbon nanocomposites derived from polystyrene with superior tetrabromobisphenol A adsorption performance
Authors: Gu Hongbo , Lou Han , Tian Jinglin , Liu Shulin , Tang Yulin
Published: June 2016

Easily reproducible magnetic carbon nanoadsorbents derived from plastic polystyrene (PS) by direct calcination of functionalized PS with an iron salt for effective TBBPA adsorption.
Analysis of Performance on Cognitive Test Measures Before, During, and After 6 Months of Hearing Aid Use: A Single-Subject Experimental Design
Authors: Desjardins Jamie L.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The present study examined the effect of hearing aid use on cognitive test performance using a single-subject treatment design.

Method

Six participants 54 to 64 years old with sensorineural hearing loss were fitted with hearing aids. Participants used the hearing aids for approximately 8 hr each day for the duration of the study. A battery of cognitive tests was administered to participants during baseline (pre–hearing aid fitting), treatment (hearing aid use), and withdrawal (post–hearing aid use) study phases over a period of 6 months of hearing aid use.

Results

All participants showed significant improvements in performance on the cognitive test measures with hearing aid use. The most significant treatment effects were evidenced at 2 to 4 weeks of hearing aid use on the Listening Span Test and an auditory selective attention task. In many cases, cognitive performance scores returned to baseline levels after the participant stopped using the hearing aids.

Conclusion

The findings from this study are consistent with the hypothesis that hearing aid use may improve cognitive performance by improving audibility and decreasing the cognitive load of the listening task.
Kernel spectral angle mapper
Authors: Camps‐Valls G.
Published: June 2016

This communication introduces a very simple generalisation of the familiar spectral angle mapper (SAM) distance. SAM is perhaps the most widely used distance in chemometrics, hyperspectral imaging, and remote sensing applications. It is shown that a nonlinear version of SAM can be readily obtained by measuring the angle between pairs of vectors in a reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. The kernel SAM generalises the angle measure to higher‐order statistics, it is a valid reproducing kernel, it is universal, and it has consistent geometrical properties that permit deriving a metric easily. We illustrate its performance in a target detection problem using very high resolution imagery. Excellent results and insensitivity to parameter tuning over competing methods make it a valuable choice for many applications.
Improved self‐blocking flip‐flop design
Authors: Xu Daiguo , Xu Shiliu , Wang Yuxin
Published: June 2016

An improved self‐blocking flip‐flop design is proposed. With smaller clock load and simpler structure, the proposed design is compared with previous flip‐flop structures. In the same size of input/output transistors and load capacitance, the proposed structure shows a better performance in speed improvement and power saving by simulation.
Slot antenna single layer fed by step impedance strip line for Wi‐Fi and Wi‐Max applications
Authors: Abed A.T. , Singh M.S.J.
Published: June 2016

To design a slot antenna intended to work at four bandwidth frequency groups, which meet the specifications of (DO,1xRTT‐3G), (WiMAX‐IEEE802.11e), (WiMAX‐IEEE802.16m) and (Wi‐Fi.802.11b,g, & n) communications. The slot in the proposed antenna taken the form of the character (Q) that was feed by step impedance micro strip line design open mouth ended. The surface current distribution at resonant frequencies and the effect of varying the dimensions of the parameters on impedance bandwidth had been studied carefully in this research to enhance the performance of resonant frequency.
DC–DC converter design with ferrite core inductor for implantable neurostimulation device compatible with MRI
Authors: Bai Bing , Jiang Changqing , Zhang Feng , Li Luming
Published: June 2016

DC–DC converting circuit with ferrite core inductor has many advantages in circuit design of implantable neurostimulation devices such as deep brain stimulation device. However, it may be problematic under MRI because of the saturation of the ferrite core of the inductor which would lead to dramatic decline of inductance. To address this issue, the influence of the ferrite core inductor saturation on the circuit functionality of the stimulator is systematically analysed. It was revealed that under proper conditions, it was possible to maintain the normal stimulation output even if the ferrite core saturated. The results were validated by simulation and experiment and the circuit design criteria were derived.
Hybrid bilateral filtering algorithm based on edge detection
Authors: Leng Xiangguang , Ji Kefeng , Xing Xiangwei , Zou Huanxin , Zhou Shilin
Published: June 2016

Bilateral filtering is a technique to smooth images while preserving edges; it employs both geometric closeness and intensity similarity of neighbouring pixels. When intensity similarity of neighbouring pixels is very high, however, bilateral filtering weakens into Gaussian filtering. The performance does not improve significantly while the computation is still expensive. Many existing accelerated algorithms, however, ignored this basic fact. In this study, a hybrid bilateral filtering algorithm based on edge detection is proposed. By making use of edge detection, the proposed algorithm combines bilateral filtering and Gaussian filtering and its degree can be controlled by a threshold. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is able to reduce the computation efficiently and achieve better performance. What is more, the proposed algorithm shows potential to speed up existing accelerated bilateral filtering algorithms.
Synthesis and design of asymmetrical dual‐band bandpass filters with modified Richard's transformation
Authors: Zhang Runqi , Luo Sha , Zhu Lei
Published: June 2016

An exact synthesis method for asymmetrical dual‐band bandpass filter (BPF) designs is presented with the proposed modified Richard's transformation (MRT). The MRT parameters are calculated first. Next, the filtering response is obtained according to the filter design specifications. Then, the component values of the LC circuit are obtained by an optimisation method. Finally, the LC circuit is transformed to its corresponding transmission line circuit. The discussions on the MRT are divided into two aspects. From the filtering response side, a set of parameters of the MRT is used so as to map a normalised symmetrical to an asymmetrical filtering response. By doing so, the bandwidths and the frequency ratio of the two passbands can be obtained with their desired values. From the circuit side, given that the classical Richard's transformation is a function of tan(θ) while the proposed MRT is a function of tan(θ/nd), dual‐section commensurate transmission lines are used instead of the commonly used single‐section ones. As synthesis and design examples, two second order and a cascading asymmetrical dual‐band BPFs are demonstrated in a step‐by‐step procedure. Their experimental results are in a good agreement with the predicted ones thereby verifying the MRT‐based synthesis procedure.
An isolated point in the Heinis spectrum
Authors: Turki Ramzi
Published: June 2016

This paper continues the study initiated by Alex Heinis of the set H of pairs (α,β) obtained as the lower
and upper limit of the ratio of complexity and length for an infinite word. Heinis proved
that this set contains no point under a certain curve. We extend this result by proving
that there are only three points on this curve, namely
(1,1),
(3/2, 5/3) and (2,2), and moreover the
point
(3/2, 5/3) is an isolated point in the
set H. For
this, we use Rauzy graphs, generalizing techniques of Ali Aberkane.
A short proof that shuffle squares are 7-avoidable
Authors: Guégan Guillaume , Ochem Pascal
Published: June 2016

A shuffle square is a word that can be partitioned into two identical words. We obtain a
short proof that there exist exponentially many words over the 7 letter alphabet
containing no shuffle square as a factor. The method is a generalization of the so-called
power series method using ideas of the entropy compression method as developped by
Gonçalves et al. [Entropy compression method applied to graph colorings.
arXiv:1406.4380].
Superconductor digital electronics: Scalability and energy efficiency issues (Review Article)
Authors: Tolpygo Sergey K.
Published: June 2016

Superconductor digital electronics using Josephson junctions as ultrafast switches and magnetic-flux encoding of information was proposed over 30 years ago as a sub-terahertz clock frequency alternative to semiconductor electronics based on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors. Recently, interest in developing superconductor electronics has been renewed due to a search for energy saving solutions in applications related to high-performance computing. The current state of superconductor electronics and fabrication processes are reviewed in order to evaluate whether this electronics is scalable to a very large scale integration (VLSI) required to achieve computation complexities comparable to CMOS processors. A fully planarized process at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, perhaps the most advanced process developed so far for superconductor electronics, is used as an example. The process has nine superconducting layers: eight Nb wiring layers with the minimum feature size of 350 nm, and a thin superconducting layer for making compact high-kinetic-inductance bias inductors. All circuit layers are fully planarized using chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of SiO2 interlayer dielectric. The physical limitations imposed on the circuit density by Josephson junctions, circuit inductors, shunt and bias resistors, etc., are discussed. Energy dissipation in superconducting circuits is also reviewed in order to estimate whether this technology, which requires cryogenic refrigeration, can be energy efficient. Fabrication process development required for increasing the density of superconductor digital circuits by a factor of ten and achieving densities above 107 Josephson junctions per cm2 is described.
Spin dephasing in pseudomagnetic fields: Susceptibility and geometry
Authors: Tokatly I. V. , Sherman E. Ya.
Published: June 2016

We present a theory of spin dynamics caused by spin-orbit coupling for two-dimensional gases of cold atoms and other quasiparticles with pseudospin 1/2 moving in orbital gauge fields. Our approach is based on the gauge transformation in the form of a SU(2) rotation gauging out the spin-orbit coupling. As a result, the analysis of the spin dynamics is reduced to calculation of the density-related susceptibility of the system without spin-orbit coupling at the wavevector determined by the spin-rotation length. This approach allows one to treat the spin dynamics in terms of the linear response theory for bosonic and fermionic ensembles. We study different regimes of irreversible spin relaxation and coherent spin dynamics in these systems. For bosonic gases the effects of low temperature are crucial due to accumulation of particles in the small-momentum subspace even if the Bose–Einstein condensation does not occur due to the system low dimensionality.
Velocity fluctuations and population distribution in clusters of settling particles at low Reynolds number
Authors: Boschan A. , Ocampo B. L. , Annichini M. , Gauthier G.
Published: June 2016

A study on the spatial organization and velocity fluctuations of non-Brownian spherical particles settling at low Reynolds number in a vertical Hele-Shaw cell is reported. The particle volume fraction ranged from 0.005 to 0.05, while the distance between cell plates ranged from 5 to 15 times the particle radius. Particle tracking revealed that particles were not uniformly distributed in space but assembled in transient settling clusters. The population distribution of these clusters followed an exponential law. The measured velocity fluctuations are in agreement with that predicted theoretically for spherical clusters, from the balance between the apparent weight and the drag force. This result suggests that particle clustering, more than a spatial distribution of particles derived from random and independent events, is at the origin of the velocity fluctuations.
Encapsulating “armchair” carbon nanotubes with “zigzag” chains of Fe atoms
Authors: Boutko V. G. , Gusev A. A. , Shevtsova T. N. , Pashkevich Yu. G.
Published: June 2016

Ab initio calculations of structural, electron, and magnetic properties of “armchair” carbon nanotubes (NT) encapsulated by a “zigzag” chain of Fe atoms Fe2@(n,n)m (m = 1, 2; n = 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), are performed within the framework of the density functional theory. It is shown that optimizing the structure along the NT axis can significantly impact the binding energy of the NT and the Fe atom chain. It follows from the calculations that Fe2@(5,5) is the most stable of all the investigated encapsulated nanotubes. A two-fold decrease in the concentration of Fe in an encapsulated NT converts the system from exothermic to endothermic (Fe2@(5,5)m) and vice versa (Fe2@(6,6)m)). For large radii of an encapsulated NT (>4.13 Å) the binding energy of the NT and the Fe atom chain goes to zero, and the magnetic moments of the Fe atoms and the deviation of the Fe atoms from the NT axis go toward analogous values of the free “zigzag” Fe atom chain.
Comment on “Existence domains of slow and fast ion-acoustic solitons in two-ion space plasmas” [Phys. Plasmas 22, 032313 (2015)]
Authors: Olivier C. P. , Maharaj S. K. , Bharuthram R.
Published: June 2016

In a series of papers by Maharaj et al., including “Existence domains of slow and fast ion-acoustic solitons in two-ion space plasmas” [Phys. Plasmas 22, 032313 (2015)], incorrect expressions for the Sagdeev potential are presented. In this paper, we provide the correct expression of the Sagdeev potential. The correct expression was used to generate the numerical results for the above-mentioned series of papers, so that all results and conclusions are correct, despite the wrong Sagdeev potential expressions printed in the papers. The correct expression of the Sagdeev potential presented here is a very useful generic expression in the sense that a single expression can be used to study nonlinear structures associated with any acoustic mode, despite the fact that the supersonic and subsonic species would vary if solitons associated with different linear modes are studied.
Formation of nanostructure in magnesium diboride based materials with high superconducting characteristics
Authors: Prikhna T. A. , Shapovalov A. P. , Grechnev G. E. , Boutko V. G. , Gusev A. A. , Kozyrev A. V. , Belogolovskiy M. A. , Moshchil V. E. , Sverdun V. B.
Published: June 2016

The paper presents an analysis of the properties of bulk superconducting magnesium diboride-based materials obtained by heating at high quasi-hydrostatic pressures (1–2 GPa), hot pressing (30 MPa), spark plasma sintering (16–96 MPa) and loose powder sintering. It is shown that the optimization of impurity distribution in MgB2 can be achieved by varying the synthesis conditions and introducing dopants. In particular, polycrystalline MgB2 materials synthesized at 2 GPa and containing a high amount of impurity oxygen demonstrates high critical current densities (106 and 103 A/cm2 at 20 K in magnetic fields of 1 and 8.5 T, respectively). It is found that the oxygen impurities are mainly localized in nanolayers or nanoinclusions, homogeneously distributed in the matrix. They act as pinning centers, while the MgB2 matrix also contains small amounts of dissolved oxygen. Impurity or intentionally added carbon entering the magnesium diboride structure leads to an increase in the critical magnetic fields up to Bc2 (22 K) = 15 T and Birr (18.5 K) = 15 T. The results of ab initio calculations of the electronic structure and stability of the magnesium diboride compounds with partial oxygen or carbon substitution for boron show that it is energetically favorable for carbon to distribute homogeneously in MgB2 structure, while oxygen atoms replace boron pairwise in neighboring positions or form zigzag chains.
Light-trapping in perovskite solar cells
Authors: Du Qing Guo , Shen Guansheng , John Sajeev
Published: June 2016

We numerically demonstrate enhanced light harvesting efficiency in both CH3NH3PbI3 and CH(NH2)2PbI3-based perovskite solar cells using inverted vertical-cone photonic-crystal nanostructures. For CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells, the maximum achievable photocurrent density (MAPD) reaches 25.1 mA/cm2, corresponding to 92% of the total available photocurrent in the absorption range of 300 nm to 800 nm. Our cell shows 6% absorption enhancement compared to the Lambertian limit (23.7 mA/cm2) and has a projected power conversion efficiency of 12.9%. Excellent solar absorption is numerically demonstrated over a broad angular range from 0 to 60 degree for both S- and P- polarizations. For the corresponding CH(NH2)2PbI3 based perovskite solar cell, with absorption range of 300 nm to 850 nm, we find a MAPD of 29.1 mA/cm2, corresponding to 95.4% of the total available photocurrent. The projected power conversion efficiency of the CH(NH2)2PbI3 based photonic crystal solar cell is 23.4%, well above the current world record efficiency of 20.1%.
Thickness dependence of spin Hall magnetoresistance in FeMn/Pt bilayers
Authors: Yang Yumeng , Xu Yanjun , Yao Kui , Wu Yihong
Published: June 2016

We investigated spin Hall magnetoresistance in FeMn/Pt bilayers, which was found to be one order of magnitude larger than that of heavy metal and insulating ferromagnet or antiferromagnet bilayer systems, and comparable to that of NiFe/Pt bilayers. The spin Hall magnetoresistance shows a non-monotonic dependence on the thicknesses of both FeMn and Pt. The former can be accounted for by the thickness dependence of net magnetization in FeMn thin films, whereas the latter is mainly due to spin accumulation and diffusion in Pt. Through analysis of the Pt thickness dependence, the spin Hall angle, spin diffusion length of Pt and the real part of spin mixing conductance were determined to be 0.2, 1.1 nm, and 5.5 × 1014 Ω−1m−2, respectively. The results corroborate the spin orbit torque effect observed in this system recently.
Extrapolating human judgments from skip-gram vector representations of word meaning
Authors: Hollis Geoff , Westbury Chris , Lefsrud Lianne
Published: June 2016

There is a growing body of research in psychology that attempts to extrapolate human lexical judgments from computational models of semantics. This research can be used to help develop comprehensive norm sets for experimental research, it has applications to large-scale statistical modelling of lexical access and has broad value within natural language processing and sentiment analysis. However, the value of extrapolated human judgments has recently been questioned within psychological research. Of primary concern is the fact that extrapolated judgments may not share the same pattern of statistical relationship with lexical and semantic variables as do actual human judgments; often the error component in extrapolated judgments is not psychologically inert, making such judgments problematic to use for psychological research. We present a new methodology for extrapolating human judgments that partially addresses prior concerns of validity. We use this methodology to extrapolate human judgments of valence, arousal, dominance, and concreteness for 78,286 words. We also provide resources for users to extrapolate these human judgments for three million English words and short phrases. Applications for large sets of extrapolated human judgments are demonstrated and discussed.
Mythic Origins, Mythic Archaeology: Etruscan Antiquities in Sixteenth-Century Narratives of the Foundation of Florence
Authors: Hillard Caroline S.
Published: June 2016

In the 1540s, Giambattista Gelli and Pierfrancesco Giambullari introduced a controversial theory concerning the foundation of Florence. Marshaling spurious textual sources and archaeological remains, they claimed that the city was Etruscan, challenging the long-standing belief in its Roman origin. In a painstaking rebuttal, Vincenzo Borghini rejected their sources, methods, and conclusions. Their three treatises are among the earliest efforts to develop critical methods to establish an artifact’s culture of origin, whether Etruscan, Roman, or medieval. While history has looked more favorably on the work of Borghini, all three manipulated the histories of artifacts to serve competing narratives of Florence’s past.
Social Background and Promotion Prospects in the Royal Navy, 1775–1815
Authors: Wilson Evan
Published: June 2016

The professions in eighteenth-century Britain included sons of the aristocracy and sons of the middling sort. This article uses naval officers as a case-study for exploring the relationship between social status and merit. Using techniques made possible by the emergence of large quantities of digitised source material, it revises the work of Michael Lewis by describing and analysing a database of 556 commissioned officers who served in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Officers came from lower down the social spectrum than Lewis found, and, above a certain social threshold, there does not seem to have been any correlation between an officer’s social background and his promotion prospects. The pressures of more than two decades of war meant that senior naval officers could not afford to overlook able candidates for promotion in favour of the social elite. For naval professionals, social background mattered less than merit; however, merit retained elements of birth-right and lineage as traditionally defined in early modern Europe. The research presented here suggests that the case of naval officers differs somewhat from the existing historiography of the professions.