bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The invasive stoloniferous clonal plant Alternanthera philoxeroides outperforms its co-occurring non-invasive functional counterparts in heterogeneous soil environments – invasion implications
Authors: Wang Tong , Hu Jiangtao , Miao Linlin , Yu Dan , Liu Chunhua
Published: November 2016

Environmental heterogeneity is considered to play a defining role in promoting invasion success, and it favours clonal plants. Although clonality has been demonstrated to be correlated with the invasion success of several species of clonal invasive plants in heterogeneous environments, little is known about how the spatial scale of heterogeneity affects their performance. In addition, the factors that distinguish invasive from non-invasive clonal species and that enhance the invasive potential of clonal exotic invaders in heterogeneous environments remain unclear. In this study, we compared several traits of a noxious clonal invasive species, Alternanthera philoxeroides, with its co-occurring non-invasive functional counterparts, the native congener Alternanthera sessilis, the exotic Myriophyllum aquaticum and the native Jussiaea repens, in three manipulative substrates with different soil distribution patterns. We found that the invasive performance of A. philoxeroides was not enhanced by heterogeneity and that it was generally scale independent. However, A. philoxeroides showed some advantages over the three non-invasives with respect to trait values and phenotypic variation. These advantages may enhance the competitive capacity of A. philoxeroides and thus promote its invasion success in heterogeneous environments.
The Association between Smoking and Epiretinal Membrane
Authors: Wang Sheng-Zhan , Tong Qi-Hu , Wang Hui-Yun , Lu Qin-Kang , Xu Yu-feng
Published: November 2016

We conducted a meta-analysis of analytic and observational studies to evaluate the association between smoking and epiretinal membrane (ERM). The pertinent studies were identified via a literature search using three databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase) and the reference lists of retrieved studies. Cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies meeting the predefined criteria were included. We extracted the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from each study. Overall risk estimates were pooled using random-effects models. Subgroup analyses based on several stratified factors were also performed. Two cohort studies and six cross-sectional studies involving 46,837 subjects were included. The pooled effect of all eight studies showed an unexpected significant decreased association between smoking and the occurrence of ERM (OR, 0.72; 95% CI 0.61–0.84; p = 0.29, I2 = 17.9%). Subgroup analyses supported this finding, except for the age-unadjusted group (OR, 0.87; 95% CI 0.63–1.22), the ERM classification group (cellophane macular reflex (CMR) OR, 0.93; 95% CI 0.68–1.28; preretinal macular fibrosis (PMF) OR, 0.74; 95% CI 0.41–1.32), the Asian group (OR, 0.75; 95% CI 0.52–1.09) and the past smoker group (OR, 1.02; 95% CI 0.85–1.22). The pooled effects from the current literature suggested a declining association between smoking and ERM, which requires further studies to confirm.
Expression level and clinical significance of HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA in cervical cancer: a meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Shasha , Zhang Min , Qu Pengpeng
Published: November 2016

The long noncoding RNA HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) is associated with the development and progression of several types of cancer; however, its role in cervical cancer is unclear. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the expression levels and clinical significance of HOTAIR in cervical cancer tissue. Relevant literature published by January 2016 was identified in PubMed, EMBase, National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. We performed statistical analysis, calculated standard mean differences (SMDs), and determined combined odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals. A forest map was constructed. From the literature search, six papers (reporting 535 cases) were included from 578 papers selected according to the inclusion criteria established for the meta-analysis. The analysis showed that HOTAIR expression was significantly increased in cervical cancer compared with that in the normal control group. The ORs for tumour size and lymph node metastasis in patients with cervical cancer having high HOTAIR expression were 2.20 and 7.52, respectively. The combined hazard ratio, reflecting the influence of high HOTAIR expression in patients with cervical cancer on overall survival, was 2.56. High expression of HOTAIR affected the occurrence and development of cervical cancer.
Evaluation of association of common variants in HTR1A and HTR5A with schizophrenia and executive function
Authors: Guan Fanglin , Lin Huali , Chen Gang , Li Lu , Chen Teng , Liu Xinshe , Han Jiuqiang , Li Tao
Published: November 2016

The 5-HT1A receptor (HTR1A) and the 5-HT5A receptor (HTR5A) are key 5-HT receptors with distinct inhibitory functions. Studies have been conducted to investigate the association of a few HTR1A polymorphisms with schizophrenia, producing conflicting results, and the relationship between HTR5A and schizophrenia has not yet been well investigated. We aimed to examine the association of HTR1A and HTR5A with schizophrenia and executive function. The study included a discovery stage with 1,115 patients and 2,289 controls and a replication stage with 2,128 patients and 3,865 controls. A total of 30 common SNPs in HTR1A and HTR5A were genotyped in the discovery stage, and significantly associated SNPs were genotyped in the replication stage. We identified that two SNPs (rs878567 in HTR1A and rs1800883 in HTR5A) were significantly associated with schizophrenia in both datasets, and similar results were observed in imputation and haplotype association analyses. Moreover, we found that SNP rs1800883 significantly interacted with executive function when processing the perseverative error of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in patients. Our results provide further supportive evidence of the effect of HTR1A and HTR5A on the etiology of schizophrenia and suggest that the selected genetic variations in HTR5A may be involved in impaired executive function.
A Novel Therapeutic Peptide as a Partial Agonist of RANKL in Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Kurinami Hitomi , Shimamura Munehisa , Nakagami Hironori , Shimizu Hideo , Koriyama Hiroshi , Kawano Tomohiro , Wakayama Kouji , Mochizuki Hideki , Rakugi Hiromi , Morishita Ryuichi
Published: November 2016

The enhanced receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) ligand (RANKL) and its receptor (RANK) signal have been reported to attenuate ischemic brain injury through inhibition of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4-mediated inflammation. However, augmentation of the RANKL/RANK signal also accelerates osteoporosis, which is a potential problem in clinical use of RANKL. Therefore, we developed novel peptides, microglial healing peptides (MHPs), which were based on the DE and/or EF loop of RANKL. Among them, MHP1 was the most effective inhibitor of TLR4-induced inflammations in microglia/macrophages. The effects depended on RANK, as confirmed by knockdown experiments. In contrast to RANKL, MHP1 did not stimulate osteoclast differentiation. Unexpectedly, MHP1 inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation. These findings suggested that MHP1 was a partial agonist of RANKL, and administration of MHP1 attenuated ischemic injury by decreasing inflammation. MHP1 could be a novel therapeutic agent for treating ischemic stroke.
Visualization and Pathological Characteristics of Hepatic Alveolar Echinococcosis with Synchrotron-based X-ray Phase Sensitive Micro-tomography
Authors: Liu Huiqiang , Ji Xuewen , Sun Li , Xiao Tiqiao , Xie Honglan , Fu Yanan , Zhao Yuan , Liu Wenya , Zhang Xueliang , Lin Renyong
Published: November 2016

Propagation-based phase-contrast computed tomography (PPCT) utilizes highly sensitive phase-contrast technology applied to X-ray micro-tomography, especially with the extensive use of synchrotron radiation (SR). Performing phase retrieval (PR) on the acquired angular projections can enhance image contrast and enable quantitative imaging. We employed the combination of SR-PPCT and PR for the histopathological evaluation of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) disease and demonstrated the validity and superiority of PR-based SR-PPCT. A high-resolution angular projection data set of a human postoperative specimen of HAE disease was acquired, which was processed by graded ethanol concentration fixation (GECF). The reconstructed images from both approaches, with the projection data directly used and preprocessed by PR for tomographic reconstruction, were compared in terms of the tissue contrast-to-noise ratio and density spatial resolution. The PR-based SR-PPCT was selected for microscale measurement and the 3D visualization of HAE disease. Our experimental results demonstrated that the PR-based SR-PPCT technique is greatly suitable for the discrimination of pathological tissues and the characterization of HAE. In addition, this new technique is superior to conventional hospital CT and microscopy for the three-dimensional, non-destructive microscale measurement of HAE. This PR-based SR-PPCT technique has great potential for in situmicroscale histopathological analysis and diagnosis, especially for applications involving soft tissues and organs.
Fluorinated benzalkylsilane molecular rectifiers
Authors: Lamport Zachary A. , Broadnax Angela D. , Harrison David , Barth Katrina J. , Mendenhall Lee , Hamilton Clayton T. , Guthold Martin , Thonhauser Timo , Welker Mark E. , Jurchescu Oana D.
Published: November 2016

We report on the synthesis and electrical properties of nine new alkylated silane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) – (EtO)3Si(CH2)nN = CHPhX where n = 3 or 11 and X = 4-CF3, 3,5-CF3, 3-F-4-CF3, 4-F, or 2,3,4,5,6-F, and explore their rectification behavior in relation to their molecular structure. The electrical properties of the films were examined in a metal/insulator/metal configuration, with a highly-doped silicon bottom contact and a eutectic gallium-indium liquid metal (EGaIn) top contact. The junctions exhibit high yields (>90%), a remarkable resistance to bias stress, and current rectification ratios (R) between 20 and 200 depending on the structure, degree of order, and internal dipole of each molecule. We found that the rectification ratio correlates positively with the strength of the molecular dipole moment and it is reduced with increasing molecular length.
Dysbiosis by neutralizing commensal mediated inhibition of pathobionts
Authors: Herrero Esteban Rodriguez , Slomka Vera , Boon Nico , Bernaerts Kristel , Hernandez-Sanabria Emma , Quirynen Marc , Teughels Wim
Published: November 2016

Dysbiosis in the periodontal microbiota is associated with the development of periodontal diseases. Little is known about the initiation of dysbiosis. It was hypothesized that some commensal bacteria suppress the outgrowth of pathobionts by H2O2 production. However, serum and blood components released due to inflammation can neutralize this suppressive effect, leading to the initiation of dysbiosis. Agar plate, dual-species and multi-species ecology experiments showed that H2O2 production by commensal bacteria decreases pathobiont growth and colonization. Peroxidase and blood components neutralize this inhibitory effect primarily by an exogenous peroxidase activity without stimulating growth and biofilm formation of pathobionts directly. In multi-species environments, neutralization of H2O2 resulted in 2 to 3 log increases in pathobionts, a hallmark for dysbiosis. Our data show that in oral biofilms, commensal species suppress the amounts of pathobionts by H2O2 production. Inflammation can neutralize this effect and thereby initiates dysbiosis by allowing the outgrowth of pathobionts.
Growth hormone biases amygdala network activation after fear learning
Authors: Gisabella B , Farah S , Peng X , Burgos-Robles A , Lim S H , Goosens K A
Published: November 2016

Prolonged stress exposure is a risk factor for developing posttraumatic stress disorder, a disorder characterized by the ‘over-encoding’ of a traumatic experience. A potential mechanism by which this occurs is through upregulation of growth hormone (GH) in the amygdala. Here we test the hypotheses that GH promotes the over-encoding of fearful memories by increasing the number of neurons activated during memory encoding and biasing the allocation of neuronal activation, one aspect of the process by which neurons compete to encode memories, to favor neurons that have stronger inputs. Viral overexpression of GH in the amygdala increased the number of amygdala cells activated by fear memory formation. GH-overexpressing cells were especially biased to express the immediate early gene c-Fos after fear conditioning, revealing strong autocrine actions of GH in the amygdala. In addition, we observed dramatically enhanced dendritic spine density in GH-overexpressing neurons. These data elucidate a previously unrecognized autocrine role for GH in the regulation of amygdala neuron function and identify specific mechanisms by which chronic stress, by enhancing GH in the amygdala, may predispose an individual to excessive fear memory formation.
Are adolescents more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis than adults? A placebo-controlled study in human males
Authors: Mokrysz C , Freeman T P , Korkki S , Griffiths K , Curran H V
Published: November 2016

Preclinical research demonstrates that cannabinoids have differing effects in adolescent and adult animals. Whether these findings translate to humans has not yet been investigated. Here we believe we conducted the first study to compare the acute effects of cannabis in human adolescent (n=20; 16–17 years old) and adult (n=20; 24–28 years old) male cannabis users, in a placebo-controlled, double-blind cross-over design. After inhaling vaporized active or placebo cannabis, participants completed tasks assessing spatial working memory, episodic memory and response inhibition, alongside measures of blood pressure and heart rate, psychotomimetic symptoms and subjective drug effects (for example, ‘stoned’, ‘want to have cannabis’). Results showed that on active cannabis, adolescents felt less stoned and reported fewer psychotomimetic symptoms than adults. Further, adults but not adolescents were more anxious and less alert during the active cannabis session (both pre- and post-drug administration). Following cannabis, cognitive impairment (reaction time on spatial working memory and prose recall following a delay) was greater in adults than adolescents. By contrast, cannabis impaired response inhibition accuracy in adolescents but not in adults. Moreover, following drug administration, the adolescents did not show satiety; instead they wanted more cannabis regardless of whether they had taken active or placebo cannabis, while the opposite was seen for adults. These contrasting profiles of adolescent resilience (blunted subjective, memory, physiological and psychotomimetic effects) and vulnerability (lack of satiety, impaired inhibitory processes) show some degree of translation from preclinical findings, and may contribute to escalated cannabis use by human adolescents.
Soluble lipoprotein receptor-related protein immunoreactive species in cell culture media and serum replacement supplements
Authors: Fitzsimmons Chantel , Johnstone Daniel , Conant Katherine , St Hillaire Coryse , Parsons Carl H. , Stins Monique , Moir Robert , Milward Elizabeth A.
Published: November 2016

The low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) is a large multifunctional cell surface membrane receptor capable of binding over 50 ligands.
The preparation of an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) active DNA nanoprobe for label-free and amplified ECL sensing of microRNA
Authors: Yao Xiunan , Guo Zhihui , Zheng Xingwang
Published: November 2016

In this work, we report a new scheme to prepare a DNA nanoprobe by adsorbing oligonucleotides on the surface of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) active chitosan/Ru(bpy)32+/silica nanoparticles (CRuS NPs).
A highly defective mesoporous carbon – ionic liquid paste electrode toward the sensitive electrochemical determination of rutin
Authors: Mohammadi Nourali , Adeh Narmin Bahrami , Najafi Mostafa
Published: November 2016

In this paper, a highly defective mesoporous carbon (DMC) and room temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM·PF6) were applied to fabricate a novel carbon paste electrode for the electrochemical sensing of rutin.
3D cuboidal vanadium diselenide embedded reduced graphene oxide hybrid structures with enhanced supercapacitor properties
Authors: Marri Subba R. , Ratha Satyajit , Rout Chandra Sekhar , Behera J. N.
Published: November 2016

Hydrothermal synthesis of VSe2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has been reported and its supercapacitor performance was evaluated in a typical CR2032 coin cell setup. A specific capacitance of 680 F g−1and an ultra-high energy density of 212 W h kg−1were achieved.
Highly efficient redox-driven reversible color switching of dye molecules via hydrogenation/oxygenation
Authors: Jiang Yi-Fan , Yuan Cheng-Zong , Zhou Xiao , Guo Hong-Li , Liu Ya-Nan , Jiang Nan , Xu An-Wu
Published: November 2016

A novel color switching system based on one-pot hydrogenation/oxygenation reactions, which could find applications in rewritable papers, security and so on, is reported.
Reactivity of the nitrogen-centered tryptophanyl radical in the catalysis by the radical SAM enzyme NosL
Authors: Qianzhu Haocheng , Ji Wenjuan , Ji Xinjian , Chu Leixia , Guo Chuchu , Lu Wei , Ding Wei , Gao Jiangtao , Zhang Qi
Published: November 2016

The nitrogen-centered tryptophanyl radical produced by the radical SAM enzyme NosL can undergo both Cα–Cβ and Cα–C homolytic cleavages, and we show that the Cα–Cβ homolysis is energetically more favorable. The kinetics of NosL catalysis are also reported in this Communication.
Simulation of selective thermodynamic deposition in nanoholes
Authors: Pinto O. A. , López de Mishima B. A. , Leiva E. P. M. , Oviedo O. A.
Published: November 2016

The deposition of particles in nanoholes is analyzed, taking into account the curvature of their inner walls.
2T2g ← 1A1g photo-electron spectrum of octahedral tungsten hexacarbonyl
Authors: Nikoobakht Behnam
Published: November 2016

The 2T2g ← 1A1g photo-electron spectrum of octahedral tungsten hexacarbonyl W(CO)6 is investigated quantum dynamically.
The role of water in the degradation process of paper using1H HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Corsaro Carmelo , Mallamace Domenico , Vasi Sebastiano , Pietronero Luciano , Mallamace Francesco , Missori Mauro
Published: November 2016

We combine1H HR MAS NMR and multi-component relaxation time to study the dynamic properties of the different components of cellulose–paper and water separately.
Atmospheric chemistry of Z- and E-CF3CHCHCF3
Authors: Østerstrøm Freja F. , Andersen Simone Thirstrup , Sølling Theis I. , Nielsen Ole John , Sulbaek Andersen Mads P.
Published: November 2016

The first determination of the atmospheric chemistry of E-CF3CHCHCF3 and of the Cl and O3 initiated atmospheric chemistry of Z-CF3CHCHCF3.
Cyclometalated Ir(iii) complexes containing quinoline–benzimidazole-based N^N ancillary ligands: structural and luminescence modulation by varying the substituent groups or the protonation/deprotonation state of imidazole units
Authors: Gong Dan-Ping , Gao Tai-Bao , Cao Deng-Ke , Ward Michael D.
Published: November 2016

Four Ir(iii) complexes have been prepared, showing structural and luminescence modulation upon varying their substituent groups or protonation/deprotonation state.
Abnormal pH elevation in the Chaobai River, a reclaimed water intake area
Authors: He Bao-nan , He Jiang-tao , Wang Jian , Li Jie , Wang Fei
Published: November 2016

Understanding the main reasons causing pH elevation in river water has important implications for river ecosystem management and improvement of water quality and can provide a theoretical basis for the direction of water quality improvement.
The biphasic dose effect of lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) pulp phenolic extract on alcoholic liver disease in mice
Authors: Xiao Juan , Zhang Ruifen , Huang Fei , Liu Lei , Deng Yuanyuan , Wei Zhencheng , Zhang Yan , Liu Dong , Zhang Mingwei
Published: November 2016

Lychee pulp phenolic extract (LPPE) has a biphasic dose response in ethanol-induced liver injury in mice.
Solid base catalyzed depolymerization of lignin into low molecular weight products
Authors: Chaudhary Richa , Dhepe Paresh L.
Published: November 2016

We report the depolymerization of high molecular weight lignin (60 000 Da) over various recyclable solid base catalysts at 250 °C over 1 h.
The highly selective aerobic oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol over V2O5@TiO2 under simulated solar light irradiation
Authors: Yang Dexin , Wu Tianbin , Chen Chunjun , Guo Weiwei , Liu Huizhen , Han Buxing
Published: November 2016

V2O5@TiO2 is very efficient for the photocatalytic oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol under simulated solar light irradiation.
Selective remote esterification of 8-aminoquinoline amides via copper(ii)-catalyzed C(sp2)–O cross-coupling reaction
Authors: Xia Chengcai , Wang Kai , Xu Jun , Shen Chao , Sun Di , Li Hongshuang , Wang Guodong , Zhang Pengfei
Published: November 2016

The remote C–O coupling of quinoline amides at the C5 position has been established using cheap and readily available copper catalyst under mild conditions.
A biocompatible macromolecular two-photon initiator based on hyaluronan
Authors: Tromayer Maximilian , Gruber Peter , Markovic Marica , Rosspeintner Arnulf , Vauthey Eric , Redl Heinz , Ovsianikov Aleksandr , Liska Robert
Published: November 2016

Binding a two-photon-initiator to hyaluronan hinders trans-membrane migration into cells and reduces cyto- and phototoxicity, enhancing biocompatibility.
A study of cyclic carbonate aminolysis at room temperature: effect of cyclic carbonate structures and solvents on polyhydroxyurethane synthesis
Authors: Cornille Adrien , Blain Marine , Auvergne Rémi , Andrioletti Bruno , Boutevin Bernard , Caillol Sylvain
Published: November 2016

In recent years, intensive research and development have been carried out for the synthesis of isocyanate free polyurethanes from the reaction between five-membered cyclic carbonates and amines to yield polyhydroxyurethanes (PHU).
End group modification of poly(acrylates) obtained via ATRP: a user guide
Authors: Anastasaki Athina , Willenbacher Johannes , Fleischmann Carolin , Gutekunst Will R. , Hawker Craig J.
Published: November 2016

The versatile and high yielding end-functionalization with a varienty of functional groups is presented for poly(acrylates) obtained by ATRP.
2-in-1: catalyst and reaction medium
Authors: Haley Rebecca A. , Mack James , Guan Hairong
Published: November 2016

Vials, balls, foils, and pellets used in high-speed ball mills can be catalysts by themselves.
Iodine-mediated regioselective 5-endo-dig electrophilic cyclization reaction of selenoenynes: synthesis of selenophene derivatives
Authors: Pistoia Renan P. , Roehrs Juliano A. , Back Davi F. , Zeni Gilson
Published: November 2016

Selenoenynes underwent electrophilic cyclization reactions with iodine in the presence of an appropriate nucleophile to give 3-iodo-selenophenes and 3-organoselenyl-selenophenes.
New reactivity of ethynyl benziodoxolone: modulating iron-catalyzed dehydration of propargyl alcohols
Authors: Chen Huiyu , Shao Xiaoru , Wang Huifei , Zhai Hongbin
Published: November 2016

This is the first example of using only a catalytic amount of silyl-EBX in a dehydration reaction since its discovery. Preliminary mechanistic studies ruled out the radical pathways and supported an E1 process.
Site-selective Cp*Rh(iii)-catalyzed C–H amination of indolines with anthranils
Authors: Mishra Neeraj Kumar , Jeon Mijin , Oh Yongguk , Jo Hyeim , Park Jihye , Han Sangil , Sharma Satyasheel , Han Sang Hoon , Jung Young Hoon , Kim In Su
Published: November 2016

The pyrimidinyl-directed C–H functionalization of indolines with anthranils as amination sources under rhodium(iii) catalysis is described to afford a range of C7-aminated indoline derivatives with excellent site-selectivity and functional group compatibility.
Probing the synergism of halloysite nanotubes and electrospinning on crystallinity, polymorphism and piezoelectric performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride)
Authors: Khalifa Mohammed , Mahendran Arunjunairaj , Anandhan S.
Published: November 2016

Halloysite nanotubes (HNT) and electrospinning synergistically promoted the formation of β-phase in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) from which a maximum piezoelectric response of 955 mV was obtained under a load of 100 g.
Theoretical study on the mechanism of the gas phase reaction of methoxybenzene with ozone
Authors: Sun Jianfei , Cao Haijie , Zhang Shiqing , Li Xin , He Maoxia
Published: November 2016

Methoxybenzene (MB), is seen as a potential air pollutant which may cause environmental issues in the troposphere.
One-step, subwavelength patterning of plasmonic gratings in metal–polymer composites
Authors: Chaudhary R. P. , Ummethala G. , Jaiswal A. , Hawal S. , Saxena S. , Shukla S.
Published: November 2016

Two photon patterning of sub-wavelength resolved metallic nanostructures using single photon absorbing photo initiator.
Facile synthesis of methyl propylaminopropanoate functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for removal of acid red 114 from aqueous solution
Authors: Galangash Mohsen Mohammadi , Kolkasaraei Zahra Niyazi , Ghavidast Atefeh , Shirzad-Siboni Mehdi
Published: November 2016

The removal of AR-114 from aqueous solution by novel nano-adsorbent Fe3O4@SiO2–MPAP through hydrogen bonding interactions.
A separator modified by spray-dried hollow spherical cerium oxide and its application in lithium sulfur batteries
Authors: Qian Xinye , Zhao Di , Jin Lina , Yao Shanshan , Rao Dewei , Shen Xiangqian , Zhou Youyuan , Xi Xiaoming
Published: November 2016

Large-scale application of lithium sulfur batteries (LSBs) has been hindered by certain intrinsic obstacles, particularly the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) generated during the redox process.
Mechanisms of reactions of Ru(iii)-based drug NAMI-A and its aquated products with DNA purine bases: a DFT study
Authors: Shah Pramod Kumar , Bhattacharjee Kanika , Shukla Pradeep Kumar
Published: November 2016

The mechanism of reaction of NAMI-A with guanine has been investigated theoretically using density functional theory.
Oil organogel system for magnetorheological fluid
Authors: Yang Jianjian , Yan Hua , Zhang Hansong , Wang Xuemei
Published: November 2016

A new approach to dispersing magnetic particles via an oil organogel formed by a low molecular weight gelator to prepare MRF.
Two new models for viscosity prediction of binary, ternary and higher order liquid mixtures
Authors: Saini Akanksha , Verma Shashwat , Harshavardhan Aditya , Dey Ranjan
Published: November 2016

Two new equations have been proposed for predicting viscosity of binary, ternary and higher order liquid mixtures.
Mechanism of water transport in graphene oxide laminates
Authors: Deng Junjiao , You Yi , Bustamante Heriberto , Sahajwalla Veena , Joshi Rakesh K.
Published: November 2016

The water transport mechanisms recently proposed by various researchers suggest that membranes composed of graphene oxide laminates could be regarded as an assembly of many tiny carbon nanotubes stacked together with attached functional groups as spacers.
Changes of coordination modes of Cu-based coordination complexes as tuneable proton-conducting solid electrolytes
Authors: Wei Mei-Jie , Fu Jia-Qi , Wang Yi-Di , Gu Jing-Yang , Liu Bai-Ling , Zang Hong-Ying , Zhou En-Long , Shao Kui-Zhan , Su Zhong-Min
Published: November 2016

We have synthesised three proton-conducting coordination complexes as solid proton-conducting electrolytes. Changes of sulfonate group coordination modes and different packing modes, as well as introduction of halide ions may remarkably enhance the proton conductivity of coordination compounds.
The role of oxygen defects in a bismuth doped ScVO4 matrix: tuning luminescence by hydrogen treatment
Authors: Zhang Hai-Shan , Kang Fengwen , Zhao Yu-Jun , Peng Mingying , Lei Dang Yuan , Yang Xiao-Bao
Published: November 2016

We have theoretically investigated the bismuth doped ScVO4 matrix, where tunable photoemission could be achieved by controlling hydrogen with oxygen defects.
Tuning the properties of F:SnO2 (FTO) nanocomposites with S:TiO2 nanoparticles – promising hazy transparent electrodes for photovoltaics applications
Authors: Zhang Shan-Ting , Foldyna Martin , Roussel Hervé , Consonni Vincent , Pernot Etienne , Schmidt-Mende Lukas , Rapenne Laetitia , Jiménez Carmen , Deschanvres Jean-Luc , Muñoz-Rojas David , Bellet Daniel
Published: November 2016

Fabrication and innovative characterization of new hazy S:TiO2–FTO nanocomposites with lower Rs thanks to the conductive S:TiO2 nanoparticles.
Controlling of the electronic properties of WS2 and graphene oxide heterostructures from first-principles calculations
Authors: Yang Mingye , Wang Lu , Hou Tingjun , Li Youyong
Published: November 2016

We investigated the structural stability and electronic properties of WS2 and graphene oxide (GO) heterostructures via first-principles calculations. It is found that the band gap and the work function of the WS2/GO heterostructures can be efficiently tuned by changing the oxygen functionals and its concentrations.
TrpC5 regulates differentiation through the Ca2+/Wnt5a signalling pathway in colorectal cancer
Authors: Chen Zhen , Tang Chunlei , Zhu Yaodan , Xie Mingxu , He Dongxu , Pan Qiongxi , Zhang Peng , Hua Dong , Wang Teng , Jin Linfang , Qi Xiaowei , Zhu Yifei , Yao Xiaoqiang , Jin Jian , Ma Xin
Published: November 2016

Transient receptor potential channel 5 (TrpC5) is a member of the TrpC subgroup, and it forms a receptor-activated, non-selective Ca2+ channel. The architecture of the TrpC5 channel is poorly understood. In the present study, we report that TrpC5 is a key factor in regulating differentiation in colorectal cancer (CRC). Through a study of specimens from a large cohort of patients with CRC, we found that TrpC5 was highly expressed and its cellular level correlated with tumour grade. We showed further that up-regulated TrpC5 caused a robust rise in intracellular calcium concentration [Ca2+]i, increased Wnt5a expression and the nuclear translocation of β-catenin, leading to a reduction in cancer differentiation and an increase in cancer cell stemness. Notably, patients with tumours that expressed high levels of TrpC5 showed significantly poorer disease-free and overall survival. Therefore, our findings suggest that TrpC5 is an independent adverse prognostic factor for death in CRC, reducing differentiation through the Ca2+/Wnt5a signalling pathway.
Audiology India (Non-Governmental Organization): Background, Mission, and Accomplishments
Authors: Manchaiah Vinaya , Easwar Vijayalakshmi , Boothalingam Sriram , Thammaiah Spoorthi
Published: November 2016

Hearing loss is a global health concern, particularly in the low- and middle-income countries. Some of the reasons for this include, higher prevalence of hearing loss in these countries, lack of adequate awareness on hearing loss and its consequences, limited access to hearing care services to in suburban/rural areas, and high cost of such services. To make matters worse, health care services provided by the government in developing countries such as India are limited, and services provided by for-profit institutions are expensive. Therefore, there is a need for other stakeholders (e.g., non-governmental organizations) to bridge this service gap. In this paper, we introduce Audiology India (AI) to readers, an organization that is striving to improve ear and hearing health care services in India.

We begin this paper by providing an overview of the current status of hearing care services in India. Next, we describe the background of AI, its mission, and accomplishments. Briefly, the goals of AI are: (a) to provide community-based hearing care services to individuals with no access to mainstream ear-care; (b) to conduct campaigns to raise public awareness about hearing loss and avenues for its prevention; (c) to carry out need-based research to continuously fine-tune our services and advance audiology in India; and (d) to offer consultancy services related to ear and hearing care.
Zeroing dynamics based motion control scheme for parallel manipulators
Authors: Zhang Yunong , He Liangyu , Li Shuai , Chen Dechao , Ding Yaqiong
Published: November 2016

Zeroing dynamics (ZD), as a powerful method proposed for time‐varying problems solving, has found successful applications in motion control of serial manipulators. Compared with serial manipulators, parallel manipulators possess some attractive advantages such as high carrying capacity and high operation accuracy. However, the inherent differences between parallel and serial manipulators set great difficulties on the applications of ZD to the control of parallel manipulators. Making progress along this direction, the first ZD based motion controller of parallel manipulators is proposed and the design procedure of the ZD based scheme is presented. As a typical application, the proposed scheme is utilised to control a Stewart platform for tracking a quatrefoil‐shaped path, which illustrates the effectiveness of the ZD based scheme.
Analysis of physiological signals using state space correlation entropy
Authors: Tripathy Rajesh Kumar , Deb Suman , Dandapat Samarendra
Published: November 2016

In this letter, the authors propose a new entropy measure for analysis of time series. This measure is termed as the state space correlation entropy (SSCE). The state space reconstruction is used to evaluate the embedding vectors of a time series. The SSCE is computed from the probability of the correlations of the embedding vectors. The performance of SSCE measure is evaluated using both synthetic and real valued signals. The experimental results reveal that, the proposed SSCE measure along with SVM classifier have sensitivity value of 91.60%, which is higher than the performance of both sample entropy and permutation entropy features for detection of shockable ventricular arrhythmia.
Topology identification of a class of complex spatio‐temporal networks with time delay
Authors: Zhou Dan‐Dan , Guan Zhi‐Hong , Liao Rui‐Quan , Chi Ming , Xiao Jiang‐Wen , Jiang Xiao‐Wei
Published: November 2016

The problem of topology identification is valuable to understand and control complex networks. Furthermore, many complex networks are spatio‐temporal in the real world. This study proposes a method to identify the topology of complex spatio‐temporal networks with coupling time delay. Adaptive observer and novel updating laws are designed to provide the estimation of the topology. Finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The result is general and can be applicable to contemporary network science and engineering.
Robust state and fault estimation for linear descriptor stochastic systems with disturbances: a DC motor application
Authors: Bessaoudi Talel , Ben Hmida Fayçal , Hsieh Chien‐Shu
Published: November 2016

This study considers the problem of simultaneously estimating the state and the fault of an uncertain direct current (DC) motor in light of the unknown input filtering framework. The objective is to derive an optimal filter in order to achieve a robust descriptor state and fault estimation in the presence of parameter uncertainties. To achieve the aim, the uncertain descriptor system with faults is first transformed into an equivalent standard state‐space system with faults and unknown inputs. Then, it is shown that the previously proposed robust two‐stage Kalman filter can be applied to yield the optimal robust state and fault estimator, which is free of the unknown inputs. Finally, a direct application to DC motor is included to show the effectiveness of the proposed optimal robust filter.
Piecewise variable parameter model for precise analysis of iron losses in induction motors
Authors: Haisen Zhao , Yilong Wang , Dongdong Zhang , Yang Zhan , Guorui Xu , Yingli Luo
Published: November 2016

This study proposes a two‐term piecewise variable parameter model for precise prediction of iron losses in induction motors. In this model, two additional flux density terms reflect the non‐linear magnetisation and the harmonic fields in the motors, and the main loss parameters are piecewisely variable with the magnitude and frequency of flux density, so that higher accuracy of iron loss prediction can be achieved for a large range of flux density frequencies and magnitudes. Meanwhile, the fine analysis of the fundamental and harmonic iron losses can also be carried out with the proposed model, and the influence of the harmonic fields on the hysteresis and eddy current losses can be revealed. Experimental validations are carried out on the laminated steels, DR510 and DW470, as well as, the Y132S‐4, 5.5 kW and YX3‐250M‐4, 55 kW induction motors whose cores are made of the above steels. The experiments on the motors are performed with the voltage supply of different magnitudes, and both the proposed model and Bertotti model are used to predict the iron losses. It is shown that the iron losses predicted by the proposed model agree well with the test results over a wide range of supply voltages. This study contributes the technical support for the development of new premium efficiency motors.
Wide‐b‐and circularly polarised slot antenna by using artificial transmission line
Authors: Ghaffarian Mohammad Saeid , Moradi Gholamreza , Mousavi Pedram
Published: November 2016

A novel single‐feed wide band planar single layer circularly polarised (CP) slot antenna is presented. This low cost slot antenna consists of an L‐shaped feeding stub with metamaterial inspired complementary split ring resonator (MICSRR) and a wide 45° rotated symmetric square aperture. Broadband impedance and CP radiation bandwidth (BW) is achieved by using a novel artificial exciting stub with defecting CSRRs on it. By controlling the excitation phase of L‐shaped stub, a desirable circular polarisation can be generated and both impedance and CP BWs are considerably increased by up to 89%. The operating frequency ranges in S/C band about 1.5 octaves from 2.4–6.22GHz that covers most of the commercial wireless communication systems, such as WLAN (IEEE 802.11 (2.4/3.6/4.9/5/5.9GHz)), LTE and WiMAX (2.5/3.5/5.8GHz). The measured BWs of 3‐dB axial ratio and voltage standing wave ratio  < 2 are around 91% (2.4–6.4GHz) and 89% (2.4–6.22GHz), respectively. The measured boresight gain is less than 6 dBic over the CP BW.
Cognitive radar sequence design under the spectral compatibility requirements
Authors: Ge Peng , Cui Guolong , Karbasi Seyyed Muhammad , Kong Lingjiang , Yang Jianyu
Published: November 2016

As the increasing demands of military detection, wireless communication and remote sensing make the spectrum even more crowded, radar sequence design meeting spectral compatibility requirement is a challenging and urgent problem. This study is devoted to designing optimised phase‐coded sequences which keep spectral‐compatible with the overlaid electromagnetic radiators and at the same time optimise the signal‐to‐interference‐plus‐noise ratio (SINR). First, an intelligent dynamic spectrum information around the radar system is achieved by a radio environmental map. The information is introduced to form a constrained optimisation process aimed at improving the spectral compatibility and the radar detection performance. Second, the unimodularity requirement is necessary to make full use of transmit power and a similarity constraint is enforced to keep desired ambiguity function feature. Third, to resolve the resulting non‐convex optimisation quadratically constrained quadratic problem, a relaxation and a randomisation procedure are applied. Therefore, the technique behaves a polynomial computational complexity. Finally, the performance analysis is given to show its effectiveness in terms of the SINR, the spectral shape, and the resulting auto‐correlation function.
Non‐circular generalised‐ESPRIT algorithm for direction of arrival estimation
Authors: Wang Zheng , Xiaofei Zhang , Huapu Sun , Renzheng Cao
Published: November 2016

The problem of direction of arrival (DOA) estimation of non‐circular (NC) signal for non‐uniform linear array is investigated. A generalised‐ESPRIT (GESPRIT) algorithm can be treated as an improvement of ESPRIT algorithm and the inter‐elements spacing of the array geometry can be uniform or non‐uniform within a half wavelength. The authors combine the GESPRIT algorithm and the NC property, and propose an NC‐GESPRIT algorithm to obtain the DOAs of NC signals, which requires spectrum peak searching. Moreover, a computationally efficient search‐free root NC‐GESPRIT algorithm, which is based on polynomial rooting, is also proposed to depress the computational cost. The proposed NC‐GESPRIT algorithms have much better estimation performance than the conventional GESPRIT algorithm and it can detect 2M − 1 sources with only M sensors due to the NC property. Furthermore, the proposed algorithms can work well without estimating NC phase. The effectiveness and improvement of the proposed algorithms will be proved in the following simulation results.
Low probability of intercept based multicarrier radar jamming power allocation for joint radar and wireless communications systems
Authors: Shi Chenguang , Wang Fei , Sellathurai Mathini , Zhou Jianjiang
Published: November 2016

Due to the high demand for new wireless services and shortage of available radio frequency (RF) spectrum, joint radar and communication system is considered as a coexistence solution to the RF spectrum congestion problem. Therefore, joint radar and communication system has become an attractive platform for target parameter estimation. In this study, the problem of low probability of intercept (LPI) performance based orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) radar jamming power allocation is addressed for a joint radar and communication system. Given the knowledge of the radar transmitted signal, the communication signal, the channel impulse responses, and the propagation losses of the corresponding channels provided by the jammer, three different LPI‐based criteria for radar noise jamming power allocation are proposed, whose purposes are to minimise the total noise jamming power by optimising the multicarrier jamming power allocation while the achieved mutual information between the received echoes and the target impulse response is enforced to be less than a predefined threshold. The presented optimisation problems are solved analytically and their solutions represent the optimum power allocation for each subcarrier in the OFDM jamming waveform. Numerical simulations show that the LPI performance of the jammer is considerably improved by the proposed strategies.
Bayesian generalised likelihood ratio tests for distributed target detection in interference and noise
Authors: Gao Yongchan , Liao Guisheng , Liu Weijian , Zuo Lei
Published: November 2016

This study addresses the problem of detecting a distributed target in interference and noise with low sample support. The target signal and interference lie in two linearly independent subspaces and the spectral property of the noise is unknown. The number of available training data is too small to form a non‐singular sample covariance matrix. To overcome the difficulty, the authors resort to the Bayesian framework and design two generalised likelihood ratio tests. Both detectors can reduce training requirement by utilising the a prior knowledge of the noise covariance matrix. Numerical results show that the proposed detectors provide better detection performance than the conventional solutions in training‐limited scenarios.
3D reconstruction of high‐speed moving targets based on HRR measurements
Authors: Yanxian Bi , Shaoming Wei , Jun Wang
Published: November 2016

Three‐dimensional (3D) target reconstruction from inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) data has a wide application in target scattering modelling, detection, and identification. In ISAR imaging of targets with complex motions such as the non‐cooperative manoeuvring targets, the scattering centres on the target may rotate slowly in 3D space during the observation time. In this study, the authors have developed a new formulation for 3D target geometry reconstruction from the scattering centres high‐resolution range (HRR) measurements, based on target motion features. First, after the translation compensation, the multi‐view HRR of the scattering centres is extracted by HR spectral estimation technique. Then, the multi‐view measurements data without correspondence information are associated using the multiple hypotheses tracking algorithm. Finally, the 3D target geometry and motion are reconstructed from the singular value decomposition of the correlated HRR data matrix. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by both simulated and real data experiment results.
Photo‐induced characteristics of azobenzene based gold nanoparticles
Authors: Aralapura Yuvaraj Rajkumar , Rahman Md Lutfor , Yusoff Mashitah Mohd , Kular Sandeep
Published: November 2016

The azobenzene based gold nanomaterials was synthesised through Au‐S bonding between thiol substituted azobenzene derivatives with gold nanomaterials core. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance, IR, transmission electron microscopy and UV‐Vis spectroscopic techniques. The photoisomerisation effect was investigated for the synthesised compounds using the absorption studies. The photosaturation was occurred at ∼24 s and back relaxation was found at ∼315 min. The sterical hindrance developed by the multiple attachments of azobenzene molecules to the central gold nanoparticle core is the reason for the lengthening of photo‐switching time duration. This study gives good information about the light induced characters of azobenzene based gold nanoparticles.
Synthesis, characterisation and in vitro release of paclitaxel‐loaded polymeric micelles
Authors: Li Zi Ling , Huang You Sheng , Xiong Xiang Yuan , Qin Xiang , Luo Yue Yuan
Published: November 2016

A novel folic acid (FA) poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)/poly (lactic acid) (PLA) block copolymer conjugate (FA‐PEO‐PLA) was successfully synthesised by a two‐step reaction. FA‐PEO‐PLA can form mixed micelles with low critical micelle concentration (3.2 × 10−3 wt%). The physical properties and the structure of micelles were characterised by size distribution and transmission electron microscopy. The micelles exhibited uniform spherical structure and the average diameter was 107.9 nm with narrow size distribution (polydispersity index 0.214). Paclitaxel was loaded in micelles and the encapsulation efficiency of paclitaxel was 43%. The in vitro release of paclitaxel from micelles was initially fast in the first 8 h followed by sustained release. The Weibull model was the most appropriate mechanism for describing the release procedure. These results indicated that the FA‐PEO‐PLA can be used as a carrier for hydrophobic anticancer drugs.
A DDFV method for a Cahn−Hilliard/Stokes phase field model with dynamic boundary conditions
Authors: Boyer Franck , Nabet Flore
Published: November 2016

In this paper we propose a “Discrete Duality Finite Volume” method (DDFV for short) for the diffuse interface modelling of incompressible two-phase flows. This numerical method is, conservative, robust and is able to handle general geometries and meshes. The model we study couples the Cahn−Hilliard equation and the unsteady Stokes equation and is endowed with particular nonlinear boundary conditions called dynamic boundary conditions. To implement the scheme for this model we have to derive new discrete consistent DDFV operators that allows an energy stable coupling between both discrete equations. We are thus able to obtain the existence of a family of solutions satisfying a suitable energy inequality, even in the case where a first order time-splitting method between the two subsystems is used. We illustrate various properties of such a model with some numerical results.