bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
hTERT mediates gastric cancer metastasis partially through the indirect targeting of ITGB1 by microRNA-29a
Authors: He Bing , Xiao Yu-Feng , Tang Bo , Wu Yu-Yun , Hu Chang-Jiang , Xie Rui , Yang Xin , Yu Song-Tao , Dong Hui , Zhao Xiao-Yan , Li Ji-Liang , Yang Shi-Ming
Published: February 2016

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) plays a key role in tumor invasion and metastasis, but the mechanism of its involvement in these processes is not clear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible molecular mechanism of hTERT in the promotion of gastric cancer (GC) metastasis. We found that the up-regulation of hTERT in gastric cancer cells could inhibit the expression of miR-29a and enhance the expression of Integrin β1 (ITGB1). In addition, the invasive capacity of gastric cancer cells was also highly increased after hTERT overexpression. Our study also found that the restoration of miR-29a suppressed the expression of ITGB1 and inhibited GC cell metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our results suggested that hTERT may promote GC metastasis through the hTERT-miR-29a-ITGB1 regulatory pathway.
TRPV1 function is modulated by Cdk5-mediated phosphorylation: insights into the molecular mechanism of nociception
Authors: Jendryke Thomas , Prochazkova Michaela , Hall Bradford E. , Nordmann Grégory C. , Schladt Moritz , Milenkovic Vladimir M. , Kulkarni Ashok B. , Wetzel Christian H.
Published: February 2016

TRPV1 is a polymodally activated cation channel acting as key receptor in nociceptive neurons. Its function is strongly affected by kinase-mediated phosphorylation leading to hyperalgesia and allodynia. We present behavioral and molecular data indicating that TRPV1 is strongly modulated by Cdk5-mediated phosphorylation at position threonine-407(mouse)/T406(rat). Increasing or decreasing Cdk5 activity in genetically engineered mice has severe consequences on TRPV1-mediated pain perception leading to altered capsaicin consumption and sensitivity to heat. To understand the molecular and structural/functional consequences of TRPV1 phosphorylation, we generated various rTRPV1T406 receptor variants to mimic phosphorylated or dephosphorylated receptor protein. We performed detailed functional characterization by means of electrophysiological whole-cell and single-channel recordings as well as Ca2+-imaging and challenged recombinant rTRPV1 receptors with capsaicin, low pH, or heat. We found that position T406 is critical for the function of TRPV1 by modulating ligand-sensitivity, activation and desensitization kinetics as well as voltage-dependence. Based on high resolution structures of TRPV1, we discuss T406 being involved in the molecular transition pathway, its phosphorylation leading to a conformational change and influencing the gating of the receptor. Cdk5-mediated phosphorylation of T406 can be regarded as an important molecular switch modulating TRPV1-related behavior and pain sensitivity.
An integrated lipidomics and metabolomics reveal nephroprotective effect and biochemical mechanism of Rheum officinale in chronic renal failure
Authors: Zhang Zhi-Hao , Vaziri Nosratola D. , Wei Feng , Cheng Xian-Long , Bai Xu , Zhao Ying-Yong
Published: February 2016

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a major public health problem worldwide. Earlier studies have revealed salutary effects of rhubarb extracts in CRF. In this study, we employed lipidomic and metabolomic approaches to identify the plasma biomarkers and to determine the effect of treatment with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts of rhubarb in a rat model of CRF with adenine-induced chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy. In addition, clinical biochemistry, histological evaluation and pro-fibrotic protein expression were analyzed. Significant changes were found between the CRF and control groups representing characteristic phenotypes of rats with CRF. Treatment with the three rhubarb extracts improved renal injury and dysfunction, either fully or partially reversed the plasma metabolites abnormalities and attenuated upregulation of pro-fibrotic proteins including TGF-β1, α-SMA, PAI-1, CTGF, FN and collagen-1. The nephroprotective effect of ethyl acetate extract was better than other extracts. The differential metabolites were closely associated with glycerophospholipid, fatty acid and amino acid metabolisms. The results revealed a strong link between renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and glycerophospholipid metabolism and L-carnitine metabolism in the development of CRF. Amelioration of CRF with the three rhubarb extracts was associated with the delayed development and/or reversal the disorders in key metabolites associated with adenine-induced CRF.
Statins Improve Long Term Patency of Arteriovenous Fistula for Hemodialysis
Authors: Chang Hao-Hsiang , Chang Yu-Kang , Lu Chia-Wen , Huang Chi-Ting , Chien Chiang-Ting , Hung Kuan-Yu , Huang Kuo-Chin , Hsu Chih-Cheng
Published: February 2016

The protective effects of statins against stenosis for permanent hemodialysis access have been repeatedly demonstrated in animal studies, but remain controversial in human studies. This study aims to evaluate the association between statin use and permanent hemodialysis access patency using a nationwide hemodialysis cohort. A total of 9862 pairs of statin users and non-users, matched by age and gender, were selected for investigation from 75404 new hemodialysis patients during 2000–2008. The effect of statins on permanent hemodialysis access patency was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. Compared with non-users, statin users had an overall 18% risk reduction in the composite endpoint in which angioplasty and recreation were combined (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.82 [95%CI, 0.78–0.87]) and 21% in recreation of permanent hemodialysis access (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.79 [95%CI, 0.69–0.80]). Specifically, the protective effect was found for arteriovenous fistula (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.78[95% CI, 0.73–0.82] for composite endpoint and 0.74 [95% CI, 0.69–0.80] for vascular recreation), but not for arteriovenous grafts (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.10 [95% CI, 0.98–1.24] and 0.94 [95% CI, 0.83–1.07]). Statins possess a protective effect for arteriovenous fistula against the recreation of permanent hemodialysis access. The results provide a pharmaco-epidemiologic link between basic research and clinical evidence.
Oxidative stress, anti-oxidants and the cross-sectional and longitudinal association with depressive symptoms: results from the CARDIA study
Authors: Black C N , Penninx B W J H , Bot M , Odegaard A O , Gross M D , Matthews K A , Jacobs D R
Published: February 2016

Depression may be accompanied by increased oxidative stress and decreased circulating anti-oxidants. This study examines the association between depressive symptoms, F2-isoprostanes and carotenoids in a US community sample. The study includes 3009 participants (mean age 40.3, 54.2% female) from CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults). Cross-sectional analyses were performed on data from the year 15 examination (2000–2001) including subjects whose depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and had measurements of plasma F2-isoprostanes (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) or serum carotenoids (high-performance liquid chromatography). Carotenoids zeaxanthin/lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, α-carotene, β-carotene were standardized and summed. Longitudinal analyses were conducted using the data from other examinations at 5-year intervals. Cross-lagged analyses investigated whether CES-D predicted F2-isoprostanes or carotenoids at the following exam, and vice versa. Regression analyses were controlled for sociodemographics, health and lifestyle factors. F2-isoprostanes were higher in subjects with depressive symptoms (CES-D⩾16) after adjustment for sociodemographics (55.7 vs 52.0 pg ml−1; Cohen’s d=0.14, P<0.001). There was no difference in F2-isoprostanes after further adjustment for health and lifestyle factors. Carotenoids were lower in those with CES-D scores ⩾16, even after adjustment for health and lifestyle factors (standardized sum 238.7 vs 244.0, Cohen’s d=−0.16, P<0.001). Longitudinal analyses confirmed that depression predicts subsequent F2-isoprostane and carotenoid levels. Neither F2-isoprostanes nor carotenoids predicted subsequent depression. In conclusion, depressive symptoms were cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with increased F2-isoprostanes and decreased carotenoids. The association with F2-isoprostanes can largely be explained by lifestyle factors, but lower carotenoids were independently associated with depressive symptoms.
Dual-emissive fluorescence measurements of hydroxyl radicals using a coumarin-activated silica nanohybrid probe
Authors: Liu Saisai , Zhao Jun , Zhang Kui , Yang Lei , Sun Mingtai , Yu Huan , Yan Yehan , Zhang Yajun , Wu Lijun , Wang Suhua
Published: February 2016

A novel dual-emissive fluorescence measurement method was developed for detecting hydroxyl radicals by using a coumarin-activated silica nanohybrid probe.
Rapid and efficient lead(ii) ion removal from aqueous solutions using Malva sylvestris flower as a green biosorbent
Authors: Salahandish Razieh , Ghaffarinejad Ali , Norouzbeigi Reza
Published: February 2016

Malva sylvestrisflower as a natural adsorbent was used for efficient removal of toxic Pb2+ions from aqueous solutions.
A sensitive enzyme-free hydrogen peroxide sensor based on a chitosan–graphene quantum dot/silver nanocube nanocomposite modified electrode
Authors: Jiang Yingying , Li Yuhui , Li Yancai , Li Shunxing
Published: February 2016

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and silver nanocubes (AgNCs) were synthesized successfully and characterized by UV-vis and fluorescence (FL) spectra, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Two-dimensional tricycle arsenene with a direct band gap
Authors: Ma ShuangYing , Zhou Pan , Sun L. Z. , Zhang K. W.
Published: February 2016

Based on a comprehensive investigation includingab initiophonon and finite-temperature molecular dynamics calculations, we find that two-dimensional tricycle-shaped arsenene (T-As) is robust and even stable under high temperature.
Mechanistic and microkinetic analysis of CO2 hydrogenation on ceria
Authors: Cheng Zhuo , Lo Cynthia S.
Published: February 2016

We evaluate the formate and carbonate routes for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol on oxygen-deficient ceria using thermochemistry and microkinetic analyses.
Photodissociation dynamics of propyne at 193 nm: a trajectory surface hopping study
Authors: Ghosh Subhendu , Rauta Akshaya Kumar , Maiti Biswajit
Published: February 2016

Photodissociation dynamics of propyne at 193 nm are studied using the fewest switches nonadiabatic trajectory surface hopping method on its first excited singlet electronic state (11A′′).
Rotational effects on the dissociation dynamics of CHD3 on Pt(111)
Authors: Füchsel Gernot , Thomas Phillip S. , den Uyl Jurriaan , Öztürk Yesim , Nattino Francesco , Meyer Hans-Dieter , Kroes Geert-Jan
Published: February 2016

MCTDH calculations suggest that experiments on the effect of alignment on dissociation of CH4 on metal surfaces are affected by steering.
Next-generation ammonia pretreatment enhances cellulosic biofuel production
Authors: da Costa Sousa Leonardo , Jin Mingjie , Chundawat Shishir P. S. , Bokade Vijay , Tang Xiaoyu , Azarpira Ali , Lu Fachuang , Avci Utku , Humpula James , Uppugundla Nirmal , Gunawan Christa , Pattathil Sivakumar , Cheh Albert M. , Kothari Ninad , Kumar Rajeev , Ralph John , Hahn Michael G. , Wyman Charles E. , Singh Seema , Simmons Blake A. , Dale Bruce E. , Balan Venkatesh
Published: February 2016

Extractive ammonia pretreatment converts crystalline cellulose Iβ to a highly digestible cellulose IIII and selectively extracts up to ∼45% of the lignin from lignocellulosic biomass with near-quantitative retention of all polysaccharides.
Pd and Pd–Au nanocatalysts supported on exfoliated graphite for high throughput dehalogenation by nanocomposite membranes
Authors: Crock Christopher A. , Tarabara Volodymyr V.
Published: February 2016

Exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnPs) are proposed as a support material in the design of hierarchical Pd-based nanocatalysts for reductive dehalogenation.
Rapid, direct determination of strontium in natural waters by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Popov Andrey M. , Drozdova Anastasiya N. , Zaytsev Sergey M. , Biryukova Daria I. , Zorov Nikita B. , Labutin Timur A.
Published: February 2016

We report a LIBS technique for Sr determination in different types of natural waters, which provides sufficient sensitivity for strontium quantification in marine studies, and for the safety control of drinking waters.
Solid state carbon nanotube device for controllable trion electroluminescence emission
Authors: Liang Shuang , Ma Ze , Wei Nan , Liu Huaping , Wang Sheng , Peng Lian-Mao
Published: February 2016

Semiconducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a direct chirality-dependent bandgap and reduced dimensionality-related quantum confinement effects, which are closely related to the performance of optoelectronic devices.
Nonlinear absorption in tetrathia[22]porphyrin(2.1.2.1)s: visualizing strong reverse saturable absorption at non-resonant excitation
Authors: Singh Kamaljit , Arora Shafali , Makhal Krishnandu , Kaur Paramjit , Goswami Debabrata
Published: February 2016

meso-Substituted neutral, aromatic tetrathia[22]porphyrin(2.1.2.1)s represent a new entry in the family of nonlinear optically active porphyrins. The low fluence threshold values of these porphyrins endorse potential application as optical limiters.
Enhanced osteogenic differentiation and biomineralization in mouse mesenchymal stromal cells on a β-TCP robocast scaffold modified with collagen nanofibers
Authors: Zou Fen , Zhao Naru , Fu Xiaoling , Diao Jingjing , Ma Yijuan , Cao Xiaodong , Wan Shuangyan , Zhong Shizhen , Wang Yingjun
Published: February 2016

B-TCP robocast scaffolds modified with collagen nanofibers promote osteoblastic differentiation and biomineralization of mMSCs.
Longan fruit juice mediated synthesis of uniformly dispersed spherical AuNPs: cytotoxicity against human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, antioxidant and fluorescent properties
Authors: Khan Arif Ullah , Yuan Qipeng , Wei Yun , Khan Shahab Ullah , Tahir Kamran , Khan Zia Ul Haq , Ahmad Aftab , Ali Farman , Ali Shafqat , Nazir Sadia
Published: February 2016

In the present work AuNPs were synthesized by an eco-friendly, fast, one-pot and green synthetic route using Longan fruit juice as a reducing, capping and stabilizing agent.
Environmentally friendly fire-resistant epoxy resins based on a new oligophosphonate with high flame retardant efficiency
Authors: Hamciuc Corneliu , Vlad-Bubulac Tachita , Serbezeanu Diana , Carja Ionela-Daniela , Hamciuc Elena , Lisa Gabriela , Pérez Vicente Forrat
Published: February 2016

New fire resistant epoxy resins were prepared. The kinetic processing of thermogravimetric data was performed using Friedman and Vyazovkin methods.
Quantitative description of the SABRE process: rigorous consideration of spin dynamics and chemical exchange
Authors: Knecht Stephan , Pravdivtsev Andrey N. , Hövener Jan-Bernd , Yurkovskaya Alexandra V. , Ivanov Konstantin L.
Published: February 2016

A consistent theoretical description of the spin dynamics and chemical kinetics underlying the SABRE (Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange) process is proposed and validated experimentally.
A carboxylesterase-selective ratiometric fluorescent two-photon probe and its application to hepatocytes and liver tissues
Authors: Park Sang Jun , Lee Hyo Won , Kim Hye-Ri , Kang Chulhun , Kim Hwan Myung
Published: February 2016

A ratiometric two-photon fluorescent probe for quantitative detection of carboxylesterase activity in live cells and tissues was reported.
In vitro electrochemical characterization of polydopamine melanin as a tissue stimulating electrode material
Authors: Kwon Ik Soo , Kim Young Jo , Klosterman Luke , Forssell Mats , Fedder Gary K. , Bettinger Christopher J.
Published: February 2016

The properties of redox active polydopamine melanin (PDM) films as a coating material for tissue stimulation electrodes were evaluated.
Facile synthesis of highly uniform selenium nanoparticles using glucose as the reductant and surface decorator to induce cancer cell apoptosis
Authors: Nie Tianqi , Wu Hualian , Wong Ka-Hing , Chen Tianfeng
Published: February 2016

Herein, we demonstrated a new and facial synthesis of highly uniformed SeNPs using glucose as the reductant and surface decorator. Glu–SeNPs induced cancer cell apoptosisviainduction of apoptosis by triggering intracellular ROS overproduction and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Self-assembly of a redox active water soluble Pd6L8 ‘molecular dice’
Authors: Roy Bijan , Zangrando Ennio , Mukherjee Partha Sarathi
Published: February 2016

Self-assembly of a water soluble redox active Pd(ii) “molecular dice” was achieved employing a tri-cationic donor. The Pd6 dice is quite stable in water in a wide range of temperatures despite the expected weaker donor ability of the cationic pyridyl donor.
An in situ self-assembled Cu4I4–MOF-based mixed matrix membrane: a highly sensitive and selective naked-eye sensor for gaseous HCl
Authors: Zhao Chao-Wei , Ma Jian-Ping , Liu Qi-Kui , Wang Xue-Ru , Liu Yi , Yang Jing , Yang Jia-Shi , Dong Yu-Bin
Published: February 2016

A Cu4I4–MOF-based mixed matrix membrane which can be a highly sensitive and selective naked-eye sensor for gaseous HCl is reported.
Continuum modeling of hydrodynamic particle–particle interactions in microfluidic high-concentration suspensions
Authors: Ley Mikkel W. H. , Bruus Henrik
Published: February 2016

A continuum model is established for numerical studies of hydrodynamic particle–particle interactions in microfluidic high-concentration suspensions.
Stabilization of epigenetic states of CpG islands by local cooperation
Authors: Sormani Giulia , Haerter Jan O. , Lövkvist Cecilia , Sneppen Kim
Published: February 2016

DNA methylation at CpG sites is an epigenetic mark that correlates with gene expresssion. Dense regions of CpG sites, so-called CpG islands, are often either fully methylated or fully unmethylated, hinting at a bistable dynamical process by which sites undergo coordinated methylation activity. We here explore a process by which CpG sites can protect others from becoming methylated, thereby re-enforcing the bistable dynamics.
Syntheses of exactly-defined multi-graft polymers with two or more graft chains per branch point by a new iterative methodology
Authors: Ito Shotaro , Senda Saeko , Ishizone Takashi , Hirao Akira
Published: February 2016

A new type of multi-graft polymers has been successfully synthesized by living anionic polymerization using a difunctional core agent.
Recyclable polyisobutylene (PIB)-bound organic photoredox catalyst catalyzed polymerization reactions
Authors: Liang Yannan , Bergbreiter David E.
Published: February 2016

The preparation of a recyclable polyisobutylene-bound 10-phenylphenothiazine (PIB-PTH) organophotoredox catalyst and its application in radical polymerization of acrylates are discussed.
Silicon effect of dendritic polyphenyl derivatives: enhancement of aggregation-induced emission and emission color adjustment
Authors: Wang Xuefeng , Xu Lichao , Mu Dan , Wang Hua , Feng Shengyu
Published: February 2016

Polyphenyl compounds could not emit strong fluorescence and adjust the emission colors. The “silicon effect” appeared to resolve this problem.
Isolation, resolution and biological evaluation of pestalachlorides E and F containing both point and axial chirality
Authors: Xing Qian , Gan Li-She , Mou Xiao-Feng , Wang Wei , Wang Chang-Yun , Wei Mei-Yan , Shao Chang-Lun
Published: February 2016

Pestalachlorides E and F containing both point and axial chirality were isolated from a marine-derived Pestalotiopsis (ZJ-2009-7-6) fungus.
Improvement in the photovoltaic properties of hybrid solar cells by incorporating a QD-composite in the hole transport layer
Authors: Najeeb Mansoor Ani , Abdullah Shahino Mah , Aziz Fakhra , Azmer Mohamad Izzat , Swelm Wageh , Al-Ghamdi Ahmed A. , Ahmad Zubair , Supangat Azzuliani , Sulaiman Khaulah
Published: February 2016

A hybrid solar cell (HSC) based on a ZnSe and CdSe QDs-composite with improved power conversion efficiency has been demonstrated.
Self-cleaning pH/thermo-responsive cotton fabric with smart-control and reusable functions for oil/water separation
Authors: Wu J. D. , Zhang C. , Jiang D. J. , Zhao S. F. , Jiang Y. L. , Cai G. Q. , Wang J. P.
Published: February 2016

Our study developed a pH and temperature dual-responsive system with self-cleaning and reusable functions for oil/water separation.
Coupling fullerene into porous aromatic frameworks for gas selective sorption
Authors: Yuan Ye , Cui Peng , Tian Yuyang , Zou Xiaoqin , Zhou Yingxi , Sun Fuxing , Zhu Guangshan
Published: February 2016

Fullerene molecules were connected to form fullerene-based PAFs. The porous structure could adsorb H2and exhibit some selectivity of CO2.
Easy fabrication of superporous zeolite templated carbon electrodes by electrospraying on rigid and flexible substrates
Authors: Rosas Juana M. , Ruiz-Rosas Ramiro , Berenguer Raúl , Cazorla-Amorós Diego , Morallón Emilia , Nishihara Hirotomo , Kyotani Takashi , Rodríguez-Mirasol José , Cordero Tomás
Published: February 2016

Electrospraying of superporous zeolite templated carbon nanoparticles is herein proposed for the controlled deposition of continuous carbon coatings over different substrates.
Prosody and Semantics Are Separate but Not Separable Channels in the Perception of Emotional Speech: Test for Rating of Emotions in Speech
Authors: Ben-David Boaz M. , Multani Namita , Shakuf Vered , Rudzicz Frank , van Lieshout Pascal H. H. M.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

Our aim is to explore the complex interplay of prosody (tone of speech) and semantics (verbal content) in the perception of discrete emotions in speech.

Method

We implement a novel tool, the Test for Rating of Emotions in Speech. Eighty native English speakers were presented with spoken sentences made of different combinations of 5 discrete emotions (anger, fear, happiness, sadness, and neutral) presented in prosody and semantics. Listeners were asked to rate the sentence as a whole, integrating both speech channels, or to focus on one channel only (prosody or semantics).

Results

We observed supremacy of congruency, failure of selective attention, and prosodic dominance. Supremacy of congruency means that a sentence that presents the same emotion in both speech channels was rated highest; failure of selective attention means that listeners were unable to selectively attend to one channel when instructed; and prosodic dominance means that prosodic information plays a larger role than semantics in processing emotional speech.

Conclusions

Emotional prosody and semantics are separate but not separable channels, and it is difficult to perceive one without the influence of the other. Our findings indicate that the Test for Rating of Emotions in Speech can reveal specific aspects in the processing of emotional speech and may in the future prove useful for understanding emotion-processing deficits in individuals with pathologies.
Simple analytical solution for selective harmonic elimination technique
Authors: Ahmed M. , Hendawi E. , Taha I.B.M.
Published: February 2016

A new simple analytical and closed‐form solution for the harmonic content injected in the five‐level inverters at low switching control technique is proposed. The equations of the fundamental and the third harmonic are formulated and solved. The switching angles have been calculated to fix the fundamental voltage at a specified value and cancel the third‐order harmonic. Two approaches have been proposed based on the modulation index. The proposed method can be feasible for a wide range of modulation index.
Optimised limit for polarimetric calibration of fully polarised SAR systems
Authors: Chen Jie , Guo Wei , Li Zhuo , Liu Wei
Published: February 2016

The optimised limit for polarimetric calibration of fully polarised synthetic aperture radar systems is derived by establishing an error model as a function of cross‐talk, channel imbalance and system noise. Compared with noise equivalent sigma zero, the polarimetric error below the optimised limit is too small to affect the signal of cross‐polarised channel. Thus, polarimetric calibration could be relaxed or even ignored in this case. With the backscatter model, optimised limits for cross‐talk and channel imbalance at X, C and L‐bands are presented. Moreover, when ignoring channel imbalance, the limit for cross‐talk is given in a quantitative way. These results are very useful in practice, allowing significant reduction in calibration cost.
Suboptimal aperture radar imaging by combination of pseudo‐polar formatting and gridless sparse recovery method
Authors: Bao Qian , Peng Xueming , Lin Yun , Zhang Bingchen , Hong Wen
Published: February 2016

Imaging radar with a suboptimal aperture length usually has a poor azimuth resolution due to the limited aperture length and sparse non‐uniform linear array configuration. To address this problem, an imaging algorithm combining pseudo‐polar formatting and gridless sparse recovery method is proposed. After pseudo‐polar formatting the echo signal, reweighted atomic norm minimisation is implemented for azimuth imaging to achieve performance with improved resolution and free of off‐grid effect. Experiments on ground‐based synthetic aperture radar verify the performance of the proposed algorithm.
Closely spaced tri‐band frequency selective surfaces based on split ring slots
Authors: Fabian‐Gongora H. , Martynyuk A.E. , Rodriguez‐Cuevas J. , Martinez‐Lopez J.I.
Published: February 2016

A tri‐band frequency selective surface (FSS) with close band spacing based on split ring slots for y‐polarised incident waves is investigated. The close band response is obtained by reducing the strong mutual coupling between the closely packed concentric rings through splitting the ring slots and redistributing the location of the surface currents at resonances. To validate the proposed FSS, a Ka band FSS was designed, fabricated and tested. Experimental results showed closely spaced resonances at 27.3, 31.7 and 36.2 GHz. Frequency ratios of 1.16 for the second to the first resonance, and 1.14 for the third to the second one were obtained. Also, good stability is observed for oblique incidence.
Weighted sum throughput maximisation for cooperative relay‐aided multi‐cell orthogonal frequency division multiple access cellular networks considering partial fairness
Authors: Moghaddam Mohammad Hossein , Mohamed‐pour Kamal , Andargoli Seyed Mehdi Hosseini
Published: February 2016

This study addresses resource allocation problem with partial fairness, considering weighted sum throughput maximisation for an orthogonal frequency‐division multiple access system with half‐duplex decode‐and‐forward relaying. In the system formulation, multi‐cell co‐channel interference as one of the critical factors in multi‐cell processing has been taken into account and its effect on system performance is evaluated. It has been shown that the problem is in the form of combinatorial non‐convex optimisation problems (NP‐hard). Avoiding to solve NP‐hard problem, the authors have made suboptimal solutions according to iterative methods to satisfy the system requirements in the best way. In this way, the resulting non‐convex optimisation problem has been solved by dual Lagrangian decomposition, and iterative resource allocation algorithms are proposed to find solutions which satisfy Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions. Two resource allocation strategies based on centralised and distributed scenarios are derived to maximise the average system throughput (bit/s/Hz) considering partial fairness. Simulation results indicate that the authors’ proposed methods work better than interference threshold methods and other conventional algorithms such as single cell methods which use local information processing.
Event‐triggered fault‐tolerant control for networked systems with dynamic quantiser
Authors: Duan Kai , Zhang Weidong
Published: February 2016

In this study, the authors mainly focus on the event‐triggered control design problem of networked control systems (NCSs) with dynamic quantisation and fault. The research contents are divided into two parts. The first part assumes that quantised measurements of the state are available, asymptotic stability analysis and feedback controller design of the event‐triggered NCSs with constant sensor fault and actuator fault are accomplished. The second part assumes that quantised measurements of the input are available, stochastic actuator fault, which is modelled by the Bernoulli distributed white sequence is considered in this situation, and a robust feedback controller is designed. At the end, numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results.
Review of the Empirical Business Services Sourcing Literature: An Update and Future Directions
Authors: Lacity Mary C , Khan Shaji A. , Yan Aihua
Published: February 2016

The 2010 Journal of Information Technology (JIT) article, ‘A Review of the IT Outsourcing Empirical Literature and Future Research Directions,’ analyzed 741 findings on the determinants of Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) decisions and outcomes from 164 empirical articles published between 1992 and 2010. Using the same coding method, the 2011 JIT article, ‘Business Process Outsourcing Studies: A Critical Review and Research Directions,’ analyzed 615 findings on the determinants of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) decisions and outcomes from 67 empirical articles published between 1996 and 2011. Taken together, these two reviews found that the preponderance of evidence from both ITO and BPO research streams produced largely consistent results pertaining to the categories of independent variables that affected outsourcing decisions and outcomes. To investigate the most current research findings on business services, which comprise ITO and BPO, and to compare the results with the prior JIT reviews, we replicated the method used in the prior JIT reviews. In this update, we examined 174 newly published articles across 78 academic journals published between 2010 and 2014. We found that researchers have significantly expanded the variables of interest in the last 4 years. In all, researchers investigated 69 new variables. Compared with earlier research, this review of recent articles found a deeper exploration of the direct effects of transaction attributes, sourcing motivations, client and provider capabilities, and governance on sourcing decisions and outcomes. Researchers have also studied a broader variety of sourcing decisions, including shared services, captive centers, rural sourcing and backsourcing. This update also found a more nuanced understanding of relational governance and its interaction with contractual governance. We assessed the research progress that has been made on ten previously identified gaps in knowledge. We proposed a future research agenda that includes continued, incremental progress on ‘normal science’ research questions, as well as more ambitious research goals. We challenged researchers to investigate how sourcing clients, providers, and advisors can protect jobs, protect the environment, and ensure security in an increasingly automated world.
Degradation of agricultural biodegradable plastics in the soil under laboratory conditions
Authors: Barragán D. H. , Pelacho A. M. , Martin-Closas Ll.
Published: February 2016

Mulches, usually consisting of polyethylene films, are used in agriculture to improve production. The main drawback of using polyethylene is its extremely high stability. Removing it from the field is usually not feasible, and so wastes remain accumulating in the field and pollute the environment. As an alternative, five potentially biodegradable plastic films for mulching (maize thermoplastic starch–copolyester, cereal flour–copolyester, polylactic acid–copolyester, polyhydroxybutyrate, and potato thermoplastic starch–copolyester) were tested to evaluate their degradation in an agricultural soil. Polyethylene film was used as control. A soil burial test was carried out during 6 months under laboratory conditions and film weight loss, chemical changes and soil microbial activity were monitored. Weight loss was fastest for the polyhydroxybutyrate film, followed by potato thermoplastic starch–copolyester and cereal flour–copolyester. Maize thermoplastic starch–copolyester and polylactic acid–copolyester required 5–6 months to disintegrate. Concomitant to the weight loss, chemical changes in the films and an increase in soil microbial activity were noticed. From the disintegration and biodegradation results of the biodegradable tested films, it is concluded that these films are an alternative for avoiding the soil pollution drawbacks of the polyethylene mulching films.
Dynamic Antarctic ice sheet during the early to mid-Miocene
Authors: Gasson Edward , DeConto Robert M. , Pollard David , Levy Richard H.
Published: February 2016

Significance

Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are projected to exceed 500 ppm in the coming decades. It is likely that the last time such levels of atmospheric CO
2
were reached was during the Miocene, for which there is geologic data for large-scale advance and retreat of the Antarctic ice sheet. Simulating Antarctic ice sheet retreat is something that ice sheet models have struggled to achieve because of a strong hysteresis effect. Here, a number of developments in our modeling approach mean that we are able to simulate large-scale variability of the Antarctic ice sheet for the first time. Our results are also consistent with a recently recovered sedimentological record from the Ross Sea presented in a companion article.
RETRACTED: Solar photothermochemical alkane reverse combustion
Authors: Chanmanee Wilaiwan , Islam Mohammad Fakrul , Dennis Brian H. , MacDonnell Frederick M.
Published: February 2016

A one-step, gas-phase photothermocatalytic process for the synthesis of hydrocarbons, including liquid alkanes, aromatics, and oxygenates, with carbon numbers (C
n
) up to C
13
, from CO
2
and water is demonstrated in a flow photoreactor operating at elevated temperatures (180–200 °C) and pressures (1–6 bar) using a 5% cobalt on TiO
2
catalyst and under UV irradiation. A parametric study of temperature, pressure, and partial pressure ratio revealed that temperatures in excess of 160 °C are needed to obtain the higher C
n
products in quantity and that the product distribution shifts toward higher C
n
products with increasing pressure. In the best run so far, over 13% by mass of the products were C
5
+ hydrocarbons and some of these, i.e., octane, are drop-in replacements for existing liquid hydrocarbons fuels. Dioxygen was detected in yields ranging between 64% and 150%. In principle, this tandem photochemical–thermochemical process, fitted with a photocatalyst better matched to the solar spectrum, could provide a cheap and direct method to produce liquid hydrocarbons from CO
2
and water via a solar process which uses concentrated sunlight for both photochemical excitation to generate high-energy intermediates and heat to drive important thermochemical carbon-chain-forming reactions.
Convective flow reversal in self-powered enzyme micropumps
Authors: Ortiz-Rivera Isamar , Shum Henry , Agrawal Arjun , Sen Ayusman , Balazs Anna C.
Published: February 2016

Significance

Surface-bound enzymes act as pumps in the presence of their specific substrates or promoters, thereby combining sensing and fluidic pumping into a single self-powered microdevice. Using a combination of theory and experiments, we have elucidated the mechanism of the prototypical urease-based pump. We find that even simple enzymatic reactions can drive complex, time-dependent flows whose direction and speed depend critically on the relative diffusivities and expansion coefficients of the reactants and products. Our approach allows us to accurately predict the behavior of new pump designs under different conditions.
ImmunoPET/MR imaging allows specific detection of
Aspergillus fumigatus
lung infection in vivo
Authors: Rolle Anna-Maria , Hasenberg Mike , Thornton Christopher R. , Solouk-Saran Djamschid , Männ Linda , Weski Juliane , Maurer Andreas , Fischer Eliane , Spycher Philipp R. , Schibli Roger , Boschetti Frederic , Stegemann-Koniszewski Sabine , Bruder Dunja , Severin Gregory W. , Autenrieth Stella E. , Krappmann Sven , Davies Genna , Pichler Bernd J. , Gunzer Matthias , Wiehr Stefan
Published: February 2016

Significance

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a frequently fatal lung disease of immunocompromised patients, and is being increasingly reported in individuals with underlying respiratory diseases. Proven diagnosis of IPA currently relies on lung biopsy and detection of diagnostic biomarkers in serum, or in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids. This study supports the use of immunoPET/MR imaging for the diagnosis of IPA, which is so far not used for diagnosis. The antibody-guided imaging technique allows accurate, noninvasive and rapid detection of fungal lung infection and discrimination of IPA from bacterial lung infections and general inflammatory responses. This work demonstrates the applicability of molecular imaging for IPA detection and its potential for aiding clinical diagnosis and management of the disease in the neutropenic host.
Differences in codon bias and GC content contribute to the balanced expression of TLR7 and TLR9
Authors: Newman Zachary R. , Young Janet M. , Ingolia Nicholas T. , Barton Gregory M.
Published: February 2016

Significance

Codon bias, the unequal use of synonymous codons to encode amino acids, is known to influence protein expression. Our work finds that codon bias can limit the expression of Toll-like receptor 7, a receptor implicated in autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Surprisingly, we find that the improved protein production associated with codon optimization is not caused by increased translation but instead is caused by an increased rate of transcription. We attribute this change in transcription to increased guanine-cytosine (GC) content following codon optimization. Thus, our work not only addresses a fundamental aspect of immune regulation but also provides mechanistic insight into the controversial issue of how codon bias and GC content influence protein expression.
Intensification of phosphorus cycling in China since the 1600s
Authors: Liu Xin , Sheng Hu , Jiang Songyan , Yuan Zengwei , Zhang Chaosheng , Elser James J.
Published: February 2016

Significance

The biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus (P) has been massively altered in China, challenging its food security and causing eutrophication of freshwaters. This study shows, for the first time to our knowledge, how P cycling in China was intensified in the past four centuries to sustain the increasing population and its demand for animal protein. Our analysis also reveals the spatial disparity of its concomitant eutrophication impact. The findings advance the knowledge base needed for closing the P cycle to sustain future food production and maintain healthy rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Facultative cheating supports the coexistence of diverse quorum-sensing alleles
Authors: Pollak Shaul , Omer-Bendori Shira , Even-Tov Eran , Lipsman Valeria , Bareia Tasneem , Ben-Zion Ishay , Eldar Avigdor
Published: February 2016

Significance

Bacteria cooperate by secretion of public good molecules, which benefit the entire community. Such cooperative behaviors are often regulated by cell–cell signaling mechanisms. In many species, these signaling systems are highly diversified in their signal–receptor specificity, but the causal link between the function of signaling and the maintenance of high genetic diversity was unclear. Here we demonstrate experimentally that signaling diversity is maintained by facultative cheating—a minority strain with one signaling system will exploit the public goods production of a majority strain that possesses a different system, but resumes cooperation on its own. Mutual facultative cheating demonstrates the complexity of social strategies attained by bacteria through the regulation of cooperative behaviors and their impact on population genetics parameters.
Ultrafast energy relaxation in single light-harvesting complexes
Authors: Malý Pavel , Gruber J. Michael , Cogdell Richard J. , Mančal Tomáš , van Grondelle Rienk
Published: February 2016

Significance

The excitation energy transfer in light-harvesting complexes is usually studied either by ultrafast bulk spectroscopy or by single-molecule spectroscopy. These methods are to a high degree complementary: Bulk spectroscopy measures ultrafast processes averaged over thousands of complexes, whereas single-molecule spectroscopy observes much slower dynamics in individual complexes. In this work, we combine these approaches using a recently developed ultrafast single-molecule spectroscopy technique. This enables us, for the first time (to our knowledge), to observe ultrafast energy relaxation with a rate around 100 fs in individual light-harvesting complexes. We determine the distribution of the relaxation times, observe changes of the relaxation time in one complex, and find how the relaxation depends on excitation wavelength.
Phylogenetically resolving epidemiologic linkage
Authors: Romero-Severson Ethan O. , Bulla Ingo , Leitner Thomas
Published: February 2016

Significance

Phylogenetic inference of who infected whom has great value in epidemiological investigations because it should provide an objective test of an explicit hypothesis about how transmission(s) occurred. Until now, however, there has not been a systematic evaluation of which phylogeny to expect from different transmission histories, and thus the interpretation of what an observed phylogeny actually means has remained somewhat elusive. Here, we show that certain types of phylogenies associate with different transmission histories, which may make it possible to exclude possible intermediary links or identify cases where a common source was likely but not sampled. Our systematic classification and evaluation of expected topologies should make future interpretation of phylogenetic results in epidemiological investigations more objective and informative.
Inability to suppress salient distractors predicts low visual working memory capacity
Authors: Gaspar John M. , Christie Gregory J. , Prime David J. , Jolicœur Pierre , McDonald John J.
Published: February 2016

Significance

Humans can remember the features of three or four visual objects for short periods of time. Individual differences in this working memory capacity, which accurately predict fluid intelligence and performance in numerous cognitive tasks, have been hypothesized to reflect variations in attentional processes that govern access to the memory system. However, the specific attention mechanism that differentiates high- and low-capacity individuals is unknown. Here, we show that differences in working memory capacity are specifically related to distractor-suppression activity in visual cortex. Our electrophysiological measures reveal that although high-capacity individuals are able to actively suppress distractors, low-capacity individuals cannot suppress them in time to prevent distractors from capturing attention.
Tetratricopeptide repeat protein protects photosystem I from oxidative disruption during assembly
Authors: Heinnickel Mark , Kim Rick G. , Wittkopp Tyler M. , Yang Wenqiang , Walters Karim A. , Herbert Stephen K. , Grossman Arthur R.
Published: February 2016

Significance

Our results demonstrate that
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
CGL71, a tetratricopeptide repeat protein, is involved in protecting photosystem I from oxidative disruption during assembly; this process may reflect oxygen sensitivity of the iron sulfur clusters that are integral to the complex. During the early evolution of photosynthesis, the atmosphere of the Earth was anoxic, making protection of complexes and assembly processes from the highly reactive oxygen molecule unnecessary. However, as atmospheric oxygen accumulated, mechanisms and factors evolved to stabilize the complexes during assembly. This need for oxidative protection is not exclusive to the photosynthetic machinery but would apply to any complex with cofactors and features susceptible to oxidizing conditions.
Presynaptic serotonin 2A receptors modulate thalamocortical plasticity and associative learning
Authors: Barre Alexander , Berthoux Coralie , De Bundel Dimitri , Valjent Emmanuel , Bockaert Joël , Marin Philippe , Bécamel Carine
Published: February 2016

Significance

Higher-level cognitive processes strongly depend on a complex interplay between the mediodorsal thalamus and the prefrontal cortex. Alteration of thalamofrontal connectivity has been involved in schizophrenia. Prefrontal serotonin (5-HT)
2A
receptors play an essential role in cortical network activity but the mechanism underlying their modulation of synaptic plasticity remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate—to our knowledge for the first time—a physiological role of presynaptic 5-HT
2A
receptors in the NMDA-operated induction of temporal-dependent plasticity at thalamocortical synapses. We show that 5-HT
2A
−/−
mice exhibit alterations in plasticity and associative memory that are rescued by re-expressing receptors in the thalamus. These findings highlight a critical role of presynaptic 5-HT
2A
receptor dysfunction in cognitive symptoms observed in schizophrenia.
Riemann hypothesis for period polynomials of modular forms
Authors: Jin Seokho , Ma Wenjun , Ono Ken , Soundararajan Kannan
Published: February 2016

Significance

Critical values of modular
L
-functions are objects of central importance in arithmetic geometry and number theory. These numbers are predicted to encode deep arithmetic information by the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture and the Bloch–Kato conjecture. Here we consider the generating functions for these values, the so-called period polynomials. The Riemann hypothesis for these polynomials is the assertion that the zeros of these polynomials are located on the circle of symmetry that arises from the standard functional equations. The truth of this hypothesis places strong constraints on the size of the critical
L
-values. This assertion is proved here.
Quantitative proteomic analyses of mammary organoids reveals distinct signatures after exposure to environmental chemicals
Authors: Williams Katherine E. , Lemieux George A. , Hassis Maria E. , Olshen Adam B. , Fisher Susan J. , Werb Zena
Published: February 2016

Significance

We demonstrate that exposure to three environmental chemicals suggested to affect breast development—bisphenol A, mono-n-butyl phthalate, and polychlorinated biphenyl 153—at physiologically relevant doses results in unique responses and alterations in the proteome. This study provides insights into how the mammary epithelium changes in response to physiologically relevant exposures to xenobiotic chemicals. These changes could be correlated with increased risk of transformation or important changes in function.