bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Live Neuron High-Content Screening Reveals Synaptotoxic Activity in Alzheimer Mouse Model Homogenates
Authors: Jiang Hao , Esparza Thomas J. , Kummer Terrance T. , Zhong Haining , Rettig Jens , Brody David L.
Published: February 2020

Accurate quantification of synaptic changes is essential for understanding the molecular mechanisms of synaptogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and synaptic toxicity. Here we demonstrate a robust high-content imaging method for the assessment of synaptic changes and apply the method to brain homogenates from an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model. Our method uses serial imaging of endogenous fluorescent labeled presynaptic VAMP2 and postsynaptic PSD95 in long-term cultured live primary neurons in 96 well microplates, and uses automatic image analysis to quantify the number of colocalized mature synaptic puncta for the assessment of synaptic changes in live neurons. As a control, we demonstrated that our synaptic puncta assay is at least 10-fold more sensitive to the toxic effects of glutamate than the MTT assay. Using our assay, we have compared synaptotoxic activities in size-exclusion chromatography fractioned protein samples from 3xTg-AD mouse model brain homogenates. Multiple synaptotoxic activities were found in high and low molecular weight fractions. Amyloid-beta immunodepletion alleviated some but not all of the synaptotoxic activities. Although the biochemical entities responsible for the synaptotoxic activities have yet to be determined, these proof-of-concept results demonstrate that this novel assay may have many potential mechanistic and therapeutic applications.
Virtual screening as a tool to discover new β-haematin inhibitors with activity against malaria parasites
Authors: de Sousa Ana Carolina C. , Combrinck Jill M. , Maepa Keletso , Egan Timothy J.
Published: February 2020

Malaria remains a major public health problem. With the loss of antimalarials to resistance, the malaria burden will likely continue for decades. New antimalarial scaffolds are crucial to avoid cross-resistance. Here, we present the first structure based virtual screening using the β-haematin crystal as a target for new inhibitor scaffolds by applying a docking method. The ZINC15 database was searched for compounds with high binding affinity with the surface of the β-haematin crystal using the PyRx Virtual Screening Tool. Top-ranked compounds predicted to interact with β-haematin were submitted to a second screen applyingin silicotoxicity and drug-likeness predictions using Osiris DataWarrior. Fifteen compounds were purchased for experimental testing. An NP-40 mediated β-haematin inhibition assay and parasite growth inhibition activity assay were performed. The benzoxazole moiety was found to be a promising scaffold for further development, showing intraparasitic haemozoin inhibition using a cellular haem fractionation assay causing a decrease in haemozoin in a dose dependent manner with a corresponding increase in exchangeable haem. A β-haematin inhibition hit rate of 73% was found, a large enrichment over random screening, demonstrating that virtual screening can be a useful and cost-effective approach in the search for new haemozoin inhibiting antimalarials.
A Comparison Study of Precipitation in the Poyang and the Dongting Lake Basins from 1960–2015
Authors: Guo Ruifang , Zhu Yaqiao , Liu Yuanbo
Published: February 2020

The Dongting Lake Basin and the Poyang Lake Basin, both located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, provide 30% of the total water volume for the Yangtze River. Under global climate change, precipitation patterns have undergone varying degrees of changes in different regions. Analysing temporal and spatial rainfall variations is important for understanding the variations in capacity of the two lake basins and the water intake variations by the Yangtze River. This study analyses the temporal and spatial variations of the two basins based on 33 rain-gauge data series from 1960–2015, using statistical methods, GIS spatial analysis and the M-K trend test. Our results showed that the annual precipitation generally increased in the Poyang Lake Basin and we found no obvious changes in the Dongting Lake Basin from 1960 to 2015. Seasonal precipitation levels at interannual scales were roughly consistent, but exhibited variability larger by an order of magnitude in the Poyang Lake Basin than in the Dongting Lake Basin. In general, an increasing trend dominated in spring and autumn while a decreasing trend was observed in summer and winter. The increasing trend was significant from the 1990s in the Poyang Lake Basin and from the late 1990s in the Dongting Lake Basin. It was found that annual precipitation with relatively larger anomalies appeared in ENSO (El Niño and Southern Oscillation) years in most cases, such as in 1963, 1997/1998 and 2002, while a few anomalies appeared in the previous or next year around an ENSO year, such as 1971 and 1978. All monthly precipitation periods with relatively larger or smaller anomalies coincided with ENSO events. In addition, El Niño and SOI (Southern Oscillation) events had significant relationships with negative monthly precipitation anomalies. El Niño and the SOI exerted more significant impacts on the Poyang Lake Basin than on the Dongting Lake Basin, which explains the conclusions regarding seasonal precipitation trends as mentioned above.
Association between ossification of the longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine and arteriosclerosis in the carotid artery
Authors: Oshima Yasushi , Doi Toru , Kato So , Taniguchi Yuki , Matsubayashi Yoshitaka , Nakajima Koji , Oguchi Fumihiko , Oka Hiroyuki , Hayashi Naoto , Tanaka Sakae
Published: February 2020

Although several risk factors have been reported for cervical ossification of the longitudinal ligament (OPLL), most evaluations made in the past were based on plain X-ray, not on computed tomography (CT) scan. In this study, we aimed to clarify novel risk factors for cervical OPLL in asymptomatic subjects undergoing CT scan as their routine medical checkups. A total of 1789 Japanese asymptomatic subjects who underwent CT scan for the whole body as their routine medical checkups were retrospectively reviewed. The medical checkup also included laboratory examinations, bone mineral status, and ultrasound of the carotid artery. As a result, cervical OPLL was seen in 120 subjects (6.7%). As we compared the demographic and clinical data between subjects with and without OPLL, OPLL group showed older age, higher proportion of male sex, higher BMI, higher incidence of hypertension, higher levels of blood HbA1c and triglyceride, and higher incidence of plaques in the carotid artery. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age (Odds ratio (OR):1.03), male sex (OR: 1.91), and the presence of plaque in the carotid artery (OR: 1.71) were risk factors for OPLL. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to reveal an association between OPLL and arteriosclerotic lesions.
Chimpanzee Coordination and Potential Communication in a Two-touchscreen Turn-taking Game
Authors: Voinov Pavel V. , Call Josep , Knoblich Günther , Oshkina Marina , Allritz Matthias
Published: February 2020

Recent years have seen a growing interest in the question of whether and how groups of nonhuman primates coordinate their behaviors for mutual benefit. On the one hand, it has been shown that chimpanzees in the wild and in captivity can solve various coordination problems. On the other hand, evidence of communication in the context of coordination problems is scarce. Here, we investigated how pairs of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) solved a problem of dynamically coordinating their actions for achieving a joint goal. We presented five pairs of chimpanzees with a turn-taking coordination game, where the task was to send a virtual target from one computer display to another using two touch-screens. During the joint practice of the game some subjects exhibited spontaneous gesturing. To address the question whether these gestures were produced to sustain coordination, we introduced a joint test condition in which we simulated a coordination break-down scenario: subjects appeared either unwilling or unable to return the target to their partner. The frequency of gesturing was significantly higher in these test trials than in the regular trials. Our results suggest that at least in some contexts chimpanzees can exhibit communicative behaviors to sustain coordination in joint action.
Dissolved organic matter-mediated photodegradation of anthracene and pyrene in water
Authors: Zhao Siyu , Xue Shuang , Zhang Jinming , Zhang Zhaohong , Sun Jijun
Published: February 2020

Toxicity and transformation process of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is strongly depended on the interaction between PAHs and dissolved organic matters (DOM). In this study, a 125W high-pressure mercury lamp was used to simulate the sunlight experiment to explore the inhibition mechanism of four dissolved organic matters (SRFA, LHA, ESHA, UMRN) on the degradation of anthracene and pyrene in water environment. Results indicated that the photodegradation was the main degradation approach of PAHs, which accorded with the first-order reaction kinetics equation. The extent of degradation of anthracene and pyrene was 36% and 24%, respectively. DOM influence mechanism on PAHs varies depending upon its source. SRFA, LHA and ESHA inhibit the photolysis of anthracene, however, except for SRFA, the other three DOM inhibit the photolysis of pyrene. Fluorescence quenching mechanism is the main inhibiting mechanism, and the binding ability of DOM and PAHs is dominantly correlated with its inhibiting effect. FTIR spectroscopies and UV–Visible were used to analyze the main structural changes of DOM binding PAHs. Generally, the stretching vibration of N–H and C–O of polysaccharide carboxylic acid was the key to affect its binding with anthracene and C–O–C in aliphatic ring participated in the complexation of DOM and pyrene.
Distinct surfaces on Cdc5/PLK Polo-box domain orchestrate combinatorial substrate recognition during cell division
Authors: Almawi Ahmad W. , Langlois-Lemay Laurence , Boulton Stephen , Rodríguez González Javier , Melacini Giuseppe , D’Amours Damien , Guarné Alba
Published: February 2020

Polo-like kinases (Plks) are key cell cycle regulators. They contain a kinase domain followed by a polo-box domain that recognizes phosphorylated substrates and enhances their phosphorylation. The regulatory subunit of the Dbf4-dependent kinase complex interacts with the polo-box domain of Cdc5 (the sole Plk in Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in a phosphorylation-independent manner. We have solved the crystal structures of the polo-box domain of Cdc5 on its own and in the presence of peptides derived from Dbf4 and a canonical phosphorylated substrate. The structure bound to the Dbf4-peptide reveals an additional density on the surface opposite to the phospho-peptide binding site that allowed us to propose a model for the interaction. We found that the two peptides can bind simultaneously and non-competitively to the polo-box domain in solution. Furthermore, point mutations on the surface opposite to the phosphopeptide binding site of the polo-box domain disrupt the interaction with the Dbf4 peptide in solution and cause an early anaphase arrest phenotype distinct from the mitotic exit defect typically observed in cdc5 mutants. Collectively, our data illustrates the importance of non-canonical interactions mediated by the polo-box domain and provide key mechanistic insights into the combinatorial recognition of substrates by Polo-like kinases.
Risk of cadmium, lead and zinc exposure from consumption of vegetables produced in areas with mining and smelting past
Authors: Ćwieląg-Drabek Małgorzata , Piekut Agata , Gut Klaudia , Grabowski Mateusz
Published: February 2020

The study reveals links between disturbed geochemical environment being the result of mining and smelting activities with consumers exposure to toxic and carcinogenic metallic trace elements (MTEs). This study focused on evaluation on vegetable and soil pollution in family allotment gardens (FAGs), considering in the aspects of consumer exposure to cadmium, lead and zinc. Study material consisted of 219 soil samples from FAGs located in one of the most polluted areas in Poland, and 64 samples of edible plants. Contents of analyzed MTEs in topsoil in the studied area were spatially diversified and depended primarily on the location of industrial pollution sources. The average content of cadmium (0.52 mg kg−1fresh weight) and lead (0.57 mg kg−1fresh weight) in vegetables exceeded maximum permissible concentrations according to the European Quality Standards. Human health risk assessment was based on three scenarios of dietary exposure to cadmium, lead and zinc. In every scenario the highest average daily dose for all three elements was estimated for potatoes which are one of the main components of Poles’ diet. Presented study showed that consumption of vegetables cultivated in FAGs located in Silesia Province may pose a significant health risk for their consumers.
Rational Design of Photo-Electrochemical Hybrid Devices Based on Graphene and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Light-Harvesting Proteins
Authors: Ortiz-Torres Martha I. , Fernández-Niño Miguel , Cruz Juan C. , Capasso Andrea , Matteocci Fabio , Patiño Edgar J. , Hernández Yenny , González Barrios Andrés Fernando
Published: February 2020

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been highlighted as the promising alternative to generate clean energy based on low pay-back time materials. These devices have been designed to mimic solar energy conversion processes from photosynthetic organisms (the most efficient energy transduction phenomenon observed in nature) with the aid of low-cost materials. Recently, light-harvesting complexes (LHC) have been proposed as potential dyes in DSSCs based on their higher light-absorption efficiencies as compared to synthetic dyes. In this work, photo-electrochemical hybrid devices were rationally designed by adding for the first time Leu and Lys tags to heterologously expressed light-harvesting proteins from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, thus allowing their proper orientation and immobilization on graphene electrodes. The light-harvesting complex 4 from C. reinhardtii (LHC4) was initially expressed in Escherichia coli, purified via affinity chromatography and subsequently immobilized on plasma-treated thin-film graphene electrodes. A photocurrent density of 40.30 ± 9.26 μA/cm2 was measured on devices using liquid electrolytes supplemented with a phosphonated viologen to facilitate charge transfer. Our results suggest that a new family of graphene-based thin-film photovoltaic devices can be manufactured from rationally tagged LHC proteins and opens the possibility to further explore fundamental processes of energy transfer for biological components interfaced with synthetic materials.
Natural selection supports escape from concerted evolution of a recently duplicated CEACAM1 paralog in the ruminant CEA gene family
Authors: Hänske Jana , Hammacher Tim , Grenkowitz Franziska , Mansfeld Martin , Dau Tung Huy , Maksimov Pavlo , Friedrich Christin , Zimmermann Wolfgang , Kammerer Robert
Published: February 2020

Concerted evolution is often observed in multigene families such as the CEA gene family. As a result, sequence similarity of paralogous genes is significantly higher than expected from their evolutionary distance. Gene conversion, a “copy paste” DNA repair mechanism that transfers sequences from one gene to another and homologous recombination are drivers of concerted evolution. Nevertheless, some gene family members escape concerted evolution and acquire sufficient sequence differences that orthologous genes can be assigned in descendant species. Reasons why some gene family members can escape while others are captured by concerted evolution are poorly understood. By analyzing the entire CEA gene family in cattle (Bos taurus) we identified a member (CEACAM32) that was created by gene duplication and cooption of a unique transmembrane domain exon in the most recent ancestor of ruminants. CEACAM32 shows a unique, testis-specific expression pattern. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that CEACAM32 is not involved in concerted evolution of CEACAM1 paralogs in ruminants. However, analysis of gene conversion events revealed that CEACAM32 is subject to gene conversion but remarkably, these events are found in the leader exon and intron sequences but not in exons coding for the Ig-like domains. These findings suggest that natural selection hinders gene conversion affecting protein sequences of the mature protein and thereby support escape of CEACAM32 from concerted evolution.
Leucine-rich alpha 2 glycoprotein is a new marker for active disease of tuberculosis
Authors: Fujimoto Minoru , Matsumoto Tomoshige , Serada Satoshi , Tsujimura Yusuke , Hashimoto Shoji , Yasutomi Yasuhiro , Naka Tetsuji
Published: February 2020

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a global health problem. At present, prior exposure to Mtb can be determined by blood-based interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), but active TB is not always detectable by blood tests such as CRP and ESR. This study was undertaken to investigate whether leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG), a new inflammatory biomarker, could be used to assess active disease of TB. Cynomolgus macaques pretreated with or without Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination were inoculated with Mtb to induce active TB. Blood was collected over time from these animals and levels of LRG as well as CRP and ESR were quantified. In the macaques without BCG vaccination, Mtb inoculation caused extensive TB and significantly increased plasma CRP and LRG levels, but not ESR. In the macaques with BCG vaccination, whereas Mtb challenge caused pulmonary TB, only LRG levels were significantly elevated. By immunohistochemical analysis of the lung, LRG was visualized in epithelioid cells and giant cells of the granulation tissue. In humans, serum LRG levels in TB patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls and declined one month after anti-tubercular therapy. These findings suggest that LRG is a promising biomarker when performed following IGRA for the detection of active TB.
Publisher Correction: Integrated photonic guided metalens based on a pseudo-graded index distribution
Authors: Hassan Karim , Dallery Jacques-Alexandre , Brianceau Pierre , Boutami Salim
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Poly(ionic liquid) composites
Authors: Zhang Su-Yun , Zhuang Qiang , Zhang Miao , Wang Hong , Gao Zhiming , Sun Jian-Ke , Yuan Jiayin
Published: February 2020

This review highlights recent advances in the development of poly(ionic liquid)-based composites for diverse materials applications.
Retracted Article: Synergistic action of star-shaped Au/Ag nanoparticles decorated on AgFeO2 for ultrasensitive SERS detection of a chemical warfare agent on real samples
Authors: Barveen Nazar Riswana , Wang Tzyy-Jiann , Chang Yu-Hsu
Published: February 2020

A novel SERS substrate with AgFeO2@Au/Ag NPs is prepared to detect paraoxon ethyl with a low LOD, high enhancement factor and good reproducibility.
Retracted Article: Dynamic Adsorption Self-assembly of Au nanocube (NC) for opposite charge Au nanoparticles (NPs) in real time
Authors: Li Chang , Zhang Ke , Hu Jin-Song
Published: February 2020

Using in situ liquid cell TEM imaging, the dynamic process of dimer and trimer formation were captured. The kinetic energy of NPs and the NC- Electrostatic Shielding Length (NC-ESL) are...
A ratiometric19F MR-based method for the quantification of Ca2+using responsive paramagnetic probes
Authors: Gambino Giuseppe , Gambino Tanja , Pohmann Rolf , Angelovski Goran
Published: February 2020

A custom made lanthanide complex with a high number of fluorine atoms was used to develop a quantitative method to assess calcium ion concentration by means of19F chemical shift imaging.
Nature of thermoelectric properties occurring in defected Sn2P2S6chalcogenide crystals
Authors: Babuka T. , Glukhov K. , Kohutych A. , Vysochanskii Yu. , Makowska-Janusik M.
Published: February 2020

Detailed first-principles calculations were performed to explain the physical nature of the thermoelectric properties occurring in Sn2P2S6(SPS) crystals with deviation from stoichiometry.
Methane activation by heteronuclear diatomic AuRh+cation: comparison with homonuclear Au2+and Rh2+
Authors: Wang Meng-Meng , Zhao Yan-Xia , Ding Xun-Lei , Li Wei , He Sheng-Gui
Published: February 2020

Heteronuclear diatomic AuRh+cation exhibits higher reactivity than homonuclear Au2+and possible higher selectivity than Rh2+in reactions with methane, showing an interesting doping effect in bimetallic catalysts.
Gradient heterostructure perovskite single crystals enable the improvement of radiative recombination for scintillator application
Authors: Shao Wenyi , Li Yang , Wang Xiang , Ouyang Xiao , Cai Jiafa , Li Chen , Ouyang Xiaoping , Wu Zhengyun , Xu Qiang
Published: February 2020

Halide funnel-typed perovskite materials have been synthesized by simply solution-processed method. This gradient heterostructure materials have been investigated that helpful for charges radiative recombination and suppress non-radiative recombination in the interfaces.
Electric-field control of single-molecule tautomerization
Authors: Mangel Shai , Skripnik Maxim , Polyudov Katharina , Dette Christian , Wollandt Tobias , Punke Paul , Li Dongzhe , Urcuyo Roberto , Pauly Fabian , Jung Soon Jung , Kern Klaus
Published: February 2020

The combination of a graphene field-effect transistor and a gate-tunable scanning tunneling microscope enables independent control over the electric field. Using this method, we studied the electric field effect on the tautomerization reaction.
Growth and auto-oxidation of Pd on single-layer AgOx/Ag(111)
Authors: Mehar Vikram , O’Connor Christopher R. , Egle Tobias , Karatok Mustafa , Madix Robert J. , Friend Cynthia M. , Weaver Jason F.
Published: February 2020

Pd is auto-oxidized during deposition onto AgOx and undergoes a transition from single to bi-layer growth at low Pd coverage.
Coordination compounds in lithium storage and lithium-ion transport
Authors: Liu Jingwei , Xie Daixi , Shi Wei , Cheng Peng
Published: February 2020

The application of coordination compounds for lithium storage and lithium-ion transport.
Efficient and stable Sr3Eu2B4O12 red phosphor benefiting from low symmetry and distorted local environment
Authors: Li Gui-Hua , Yang Nian , Guo Jian-Gang , Wang Zheng-Liang , Cai Ge-Mei , Wang Xiao-Jun
Published: February 2020

In Sr3Eu2B4O12 phosphor with 100% activator Eu3+, the disorderly co-occupation of Sr and Eu evokes excellent thermal stability and perfect color purity. This new red phosphor is applied to fabricate a warm WLED with good color rendering index.
Perspectives of genetically engineered microbes for groundwater bioremediation
Authors: Janssen Dick B. , Stucki Gerhard
Published: February 2020

Bacteria degrading 1,2,3-trichloropropane were constructed by genetic engineering and may be applicable for groundwater bioremediation, following the example of 1,2-dichloroethane.
Simultaneously formed and embedding-type ternary MoSe2/MoO2/nitrogen-doped carbon for fast and stable Na-ion storage
Authors: Yun Yuanxing , Shao Jie , Shang Xuefang , Wang Wei , Huang Weibo , Qu Qunting , Zheng Honghe
Published: February 2020

An embedding-type ternary MoSe2/MoO2/carbon nanocomposite is simultaneously synthesized and manifests stable and fast Na-ion storage capability.
Colorimetric and visual detection of cyanide ions based on the morphological transformation of gold nanobipyramids into gold nanoparticles
Authors: Sasikumar Thangarasu , Ilanchelian Malaichamy
Published: February 2020

In this study, we developed a facile, rapid, selective and sensitive colorimetric method for the detection of cyanide ions (CN−) by using gold nanobipyramids (Au NBPs).
Copper-catalyzed alkenylation of novel N-iodoarylated allylic ketopiperazinonates with unactivated alkenes
Authors: Beng Timothy K. , Moreno Antonio
Published: February 2020

Novel N-iodoarylated allylic ketopiperazines have been engaged in a CuBr-catalyzed alkenylation protocol with simple alkenes, leading to epimerization-free, efficient, and regioselective synthesis of N-stilbeno-ketopiperazines
Rectification ratio and direction controlled by temperature in copper phthalocyanine ensemble molecular diodes
Authors: Sergi Lopes Carolina , Merces Leandro , de Oliveira Rafael Furlan , de Camargo Davi Henrique Starnini , Bof Bufon Carlos César
Published: February 2020

Ensemble molecular diodes employing carbon-based nanomaterials reveal a controllable current rectification ratio and rectification direction inversion, both driven by temperature.
Base-catalyzed C-alkylation of potassium enolates with styrenes via a metal–ene reaction: a mechanistic study
Authors: Barham Joshua P. , Fouquet Thierry N. J. , Norikane Yasuo
Published: February 2020

Base-catalyzed, C-Alkylation of potassium (K) Enolates with Syrenes (CAKES) enables practical synthesis or elaboration of pharmaceutical cores via a thusfar elusive mechanism. Herein, computational (DFT) and kinetic studies back a metal-ene reaction.
Synergistic anti-tumor efficacy by combination therapy of a self-assembled nanogel vaccine with an immune checkpoint anti-PD-1 antibody
Authors: Miura Risako , Sawada Shin-ichi , Mukai Sada-atsu , Sasaki Yoshihiro , Akiyoshi Kazunari
Published: February 2020

Combination therapy of OVA/CHP nanogel vaccine with anti-PD-1 antibody synergistically improved anti-tumor effect and survival rate without side effects.
Efficient one-pot synthesis of functionalised imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines and unexpected synthesis of novel tetracyclic derivatives by nucleophilic aromatic substitution
Authors: Changunda Charles R. K. , Venkatesh B. C. , Mokone William K. , Rousseau Amanda L. , Brady Dean , Fernandes Manuel A. , Bode Moira L.
Published: February 2020

An efficient one-pot procedure for isocyanide preparation and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine synthesis gave products able to undergo intramolecular ring-closure to afford novel tetracycles.
Visualizing intracellular particles and precise control of drug release using an emissive hydrazone photochrome
Authors: Guo Xing , Shao Baihao , Zhou Shaobing , Aprahamian Ivan , Chen Zi
Published: February 2020

A light-triggered NP drug delivery system was assembled using amphiphilic copolymers modified with fluorescent and bistable hydrazone photoswitches, where switching results in NP expansion and emission quenching, which was used to assess the amount of drug released.
Selective glucose sensing in complex media using a biomimetic receptor
Authors: Tromans Robert A. , Samanta Soumen K. , Chapman Andy M. , Davis Anthony P.
Published: February 2020

A highly selective receptor, circular dichroism and chiral competition are combined in this versatile method ford-glucose analysis.
Structural reduced graphene oxide supercapacitors mechanically enhanced with tannic acid
Authors: Flouda Paraskevi , Yun Junyeong , Loufakis Dimitrios , Shah Smit A. , Green Micah J. , Lagoudas Dimitris C. , Lutkenhaus Jodie L.
Published: February 2020

Noncovalent bonding of graphene/aramid nanofiber electrodes with tannic acid leads to enhanced mechanical properties while maintaining good energy storage.
Two-photon probes for the endoplasmic reticulum: its detection in a live tissue by two-photon microscopy
Authors: Choi Ji-Woo , Choi Seung-Hye , Hong Seung Taek , Kim Mun Seok , Ryu Seong Shick , Yoon Yeo Uk , Paik Kyu Cheol , Han Man So , Sim Taebo , Cho Bong Rae
Published: February 2020

BER-blue and FER-green can detect the endoplasmic reticulum in a live tissue by two-photon microscopy.
A supersalt-type copper(i)-thiolate cluster with applications for mechano/thermochromism and the oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Hu Lanxia , Zheng Aiping , Kang Yao , Wen Tian , Zhang Jian
Published: February 2020

A new supersalt-type copper(i)–thiolate cluster with a cat–anionic Cu12S6 core structure for the first time exhibited multifunctional applications: mechanochromism, thermochromism, and electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction.
The impact of the Cambridge Structural Database and the small molecule crystal structures it contains: a bibliographic and literature study
Authors: Willett Peter , Cole Jason C. , Bruno Ian J.
Published: February 2020

A bibliographic and literature-based analysis of the impact of the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and the papers associated with crystal structures in the CSD has been undertaken.
Luminescent spherical particles of lanthanide-based infinite coordination polymers with tailorable sizes
Authors: Arroyos Guilherme , Frem Regina C. G.
Published: February 2020

The influence of three different synthetic routes on the size and morphology of luminescent lanthanide-based infinite coordination polymers was investigated.
Selective formic acid dehydrogenation at low temperature over a RuO2/COF pre-catalyst synthesized on the gram scale
Authors: Gonçalves Liliana P. L. , Christensen David B. , Meledina Maria , Salonen Laura M. , Petrovykh Dmitri Y. , Carbó-Argibay Enrique , Sousa Juliana P. S. , Soares O. Salomé G. P. , Pereira M. Fernando R. , Kegnæs Søren , Kolen'ko Yury V.
Published: February 2020

Selective formic acid dehydrogenation over an efficient RuO2/COF pre-catalyst with good dispersion of the active metal and large N-content on the COF support.
Computational studies of DNA base repair mechanisms by nonheme iron dioxygenases: selective epoxidation and hydroxylation pathways
Authors: Latifi Reza , Minnick Jennifer L. , Quesne Matthew G. , de Visser Sam P. , Tahsini Laleh
Published: February 2020

A detailed QM/MM and DFT study into the structure and reactivity of AlkB repair enzymes with alkylated DNA bases is reported. In particular, we investigate the aliphatic hydroxylation and CC epoxidation mechanisms of the enzymes by a high-valent iron(iv)–oxo intermediate.
Influence of sodium content on the thermal behavior of low vacancy Prussian white cathode material
Authors: Ojwang Dickson O. , Häggström Lennart , Ericsson Tore , Ångström Jonas , Brant William R.
Published: February 2020

Sodium content dictates the thermal stability, decomposition temperature and hydration degree of Prussian white.
Synergistic ligand effect for the construction of titanium–oxo clusters with planar chirality and high solution stability
Authors: Ding Qing-Rong , Xu Gui-Lan , Zhang Jian , Zhang Lei
Published: February 2020

Synergistic effect between dimethylglyoxime and nonlinear dicarboxylate ligands has been developed for the construction of planar chiral titanium-oxo clusters, which showed high solution stability confirmed by recrystallization studies.
Versatile magnetic microdiscs for the radio enhancement and mechanical disruption of glioblastoma cancer cells
Authors: Leulmi Pichot Selma , Bentouati Sabrina , Ahmad Saif S. , Sotiropoulos Marios , Jena Raj , Cowburn Russell
Published: February 2020

First study demonstrating the use of physically engineered magnetic particles that display two functionalities for cancer treatment.
A lattice-matched interface betweenin situ/artificial SEIs inhibiting SEI decomposition for enhanced lithium storage
Authors: Song Xiaosheng , Li Shiyu , Li Xifei , Zhang Yaohui , Wang Xiaobing , Bai Zhimin , Kheimeh Sari Hirbod Maleki , Zhao Yong , Zhang Jiujun
Published: February 2020

Lattice-matched interfaces are introduced between thein situSEI and the artificial LiAlO2layer and demonstrated their substantial advantages in inhibiting the decomposition of thein situSEI and boosting the cycling stability of LIBs.
Synthesis of an MXene/polyaniline composite with excellent electrochemical properties
Authors: Xu Huizhong , Zheng Dehua , Liu Faqian , Li Wei , Lin Jianjian
Published: February 2020

We synthesized a new MXene/PANI composite by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline monomers with enhanced electrochemical performances.
Visible-light driven photocatalytic hydrogen generation by water-soluble all-inorganic core–shell silicon quantum dots
Authors: Sugimoto Hiroshi , Zhou Hao , Takada Miho , Fushimi Junichiro , Fujii Minoru
Published: February 2020

Photocatalytic H2 generation by B,P-codoped Si quantum dots (QDs) with diameters in the quantum confinement regime is investigated. The H2 generation rate is enhanced by the increase of reduction ability of Si QDs owing to the quantum size effect.
Why a d-β-hydroxybutyrate monoester?
Authors: Soto-Mota Adrian , Norwitz Nicholas G. , Clarke Kieran
Published: February 2020

Much of the world's prominent and burdensome chronic diseases, such as diabetes, Alzheimer's, and heart disease, are caused by impaired metabolism. By acting as both an efficient fuel and a powerful signalling molecule, the natural ketone body, d-β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB), may help circumvent the metabolic malfunctions that aggravate some diseases. Historically, dietary interventions that elevate βHB production by the liver, such as high-fat diets and partial starvation, have been used to treat chronic disease with varying degrees of success, owing to the potential downsides of such diets. The recent development of an ingestible βHB monoester provides a new tool to quickly and accurately raise blood ketone concentration, opening a myriad of potential health applications. The βHB monoester is a salt-free βHB precursor that yields only the biologically active d-isoform of the metabolite, the pharmacokinetics of which have been studied, as has safety for human consumption in athletes and healthy volunteers. This review describes fundamental concepts of endogenous and exogenous ketone body metabolism, the differences between the βHB monoester and other exogenous ketones and summarises the disease-specific biochemical and physiological rationales behind its clinical use in diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, heart failure, sepsis related muscle atrophy, migraine, and epilepsy. We also address the limitations of using the βHB monoester as an adjunctive nutritional therapy and areas of uncertainty that could guide future research.
300 GHz optical waveform measurement by novel THz‐wave autocorrelator
Authors: Yamamoto R. , Ichiyama K. , Che M. , Kuboki T. , Ito H. , Ishibashi T. , Kato K.
Published: February 2020

A novel THz‐wave autocorrelator consisting of an optical delay line and high‐speed photodiodes was proposed for the measurement of optical waveforms with a high rate of repetition. In this system, the waveform is delayed at the optical domain and correlated at the THz domain. Experimental results show clear autocorrelations of 100, 200 and 300 GHz sinusoidal waveforms which indicate the feasibility of the proposed method.
Voxel area sculpturing‐based 3D scene reconstruction from single‐pass CSAR data
Authors: Zhou Chaowei , Zhou Yejian , Suo Zhiyong , Li Zhenfang
Published: February 2020

3D scene reconstruction from single‐pass circular synthetic aperture radar (CSAR) data has been a research hot spot in various remote sensing applications. Among existing literature, radargrammetry techniques and model assistant methods are two dominant approaches. However, the performance of these methods is limited in practical applications: radargrammetry techniques obtain merely one height value along vertical; model assistant approaches only work when valid models are given. A single‐pass CSAR 3D scene point cloud reconstruction method is proposed. First, the connection between an object and its projections in multi‐aspect SAR images is established with no auxiliary model. On the basis of the connection, voxels are classified into inner voxels (voxels beneath the target profile) and outside voxels (voxels outside of the target profile). Discarded all the outside voxels, the remained inner voxels are combined to form the 3D point cloud of the target. It is similar to the sculpturing process from a raw material to a piece of craft. Finally, a 3D scene is retrieved through assembling all reconstructed targets into a unified coordinate system. The feasibility of the proposed method is validated by the Gotcha Volumetric SAR Data Set.
Simulation study on the effect of automated driving in a road network environment
Authors: Wang Qi , Li Li , Hou Dezao , Li Zhiheng , Hu Jianming
Published: February 2020

Automated driving, which is considered to be able to reduce driving workload, enhance driving safety and improve traffic efficiency, has become a research hotspot in recent years. It is believed that traffic flow will consist of manual vehicles and automated vehicles at different automation levels in the near future. Researchers have carried out many studies on mixed traffic; most of them focus on the highway scenario. However, the majority of traffic occurs in urban/suburban road networks, which contains many different scenarios, such as expressways, merging/diverging areas, signalised intersections, trunk roads, branch roads, etc. To evaluate the effect of automated driving in a more realistic way, the authors first take adaptive cruise control (ACC) and cooperative ACC as representatives of automated driving. Then, the authors make simulations at the road network level and investigate macroscopic fundamental diagram in different scenarios. Results show that compared to a highway, the improvement of traffic flow is significantly limited in the road network.
Unbiased Monte Carlo continuum radiative transfer in optically thick regions
Authors: Krieger A. , Wolf S.
Published: February 2020

Radiative transfer describes the propagation of electromagnetic radiation through an interacting medium. This process is often simulated by the use of the Monte Carlo method, which involves the probabilistic determination and tracking of simulated photon packages. In the regime of high optical depths, this approach encounters difficulties since a proper representation of the various physical processes can only be achieved by considering high numbers of simulated photon packages. As a consequence, the demand for computation time rises accordingly and thus practically puts a limit on the optical depth of models that can be simulated. Here we present a method that aims to solve the problem of high optical depths in dusty media, which relies solely on the use of unbiased Monte Carlo radiative transfer. For that end, we identified and precalculated repeatedly occuring and simulated processes, stored their outcome in a multidimensional cumulative distribution function, and immediately replaced the basic Monte Carlo transfer during a simulation by that outcome. During the precalculation, we generated emission spectra as well as deposited energy distributions of photon packages traveling from the center of a sphere to its rim. We carried out a performance test of the method to confirm its validity and gain a boost in computation speed by up to three orders of magnitude. We then applied the method to a simple model of a viscously heated circumstellar disk, and we discuss the necessity of finding a solution for the optical depth problem with regard to a proper temperature calculation. We find that the impact of an incorrect treatment of photon packages in highly optically thick regions extents even to optically thin regions, thus, changing the overall observational appearance of the disk.
Discovery of technetium- and niobium-rich S stars: The case for bitrinsic stars
Authors: Shetye S. , Van Eck S. , Goriely S. , Siess L. , Jorissen A. , Escorza A. , Van Winckel H.
Published: February 2020

Context. S stars are late-type giants with overabundances of s-process elements. They come in two flavors depending on the presence or lack of presence of technetium (Tc), an element without stable isotopes. Intrinsic S stars are Tc-rich and genuine asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, while extrinsic S stars owe their s-process over abundances to the pollution from a former AGB companion, which is now a white dwarf (WD). In addition to Tc, another distinctive feature between intrinsic and extrinsic S stars is the overabundance of niobium (Nb) in the latter class. Indeed, since the mass transfer occurred long ago, 93Zr had time to decay into the only stable isotope of Nb, 93Nb, causing its overabundance.

Aims. We discuss the case of the S stars BD+79°156 and o1 Ori, whose specificity lies in sharing the distinctive features of both intrinsic and extrinsic S stars, namely the presence of Tc along with a Nb overabundance.

Methods. We used high-resolution HERMES optical spectra, MARCS model atmospheres of S stars, Gaia DR2 parallaxes, and STAREVOL evolutionary tracks to determine the stellar parameters and chemical abundances of the two S stars, and to locate them in the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram.

Results. BD+79°156 is the first clear case of a bitrinsic star, that is, a doubly s-process-enriched object, first through mass transfer in a binary system and then through internal nucleosynthesis that is responsible for the Tc-enrichment in BD+79°156, which must, therefore, have reached the AGB phase of its evolution. This hybrid nature of the s-process pattern in BD+79°156 is supported by its binary nature and its location in the HR diagram that is just beyond the onset of the third dredge-up on the AGB. The Tc-rich, binary S-star o1 Ori with a WD companion was another long-standing candidate for a similar hybrid s-process enrichment. However, the marginal overabundance of Nb derived in o1 Ori does not allow one to trace evidence of large amounts of pollution coming from the AGB progenitor of its current WD companion unambiguously. As a side product, the current study offers a new way of detecting binary AGB stars with WD companions by identifying their Tc-rich nature along with a Nb overabundance.
New white dwarf envelope models and diffusion
Authors: Koester D. , Kepler S. O. , Irwin A. W.
Published: February 2020

Context.Recent studies of the atmospheres of carbon-rich (DQ) white dwarfs have demonstrated the existence of two different populations that are distinguished by the temperature range, but more importantly, by the extremely high masses of the hotter group. The classical DQ below 10 000 K are well understood as the result of dredge-up of carbon by the expanding helium convection zone. The high-mass group poses several problems regarding their origin and also an unexpected correlation of effective temperature with mass.

Aims.We propose to study the envelopes of these objects to determine the total hydrogen and helium masses as possible clues to their evolution.

Methods.We developed new codes for envelope integration and diffusive equilibrium that are adapted to the unusual chemical composition, which is not necessarily dominated by hydrogen and helium.

Results.Using the new results for the atmospheric parameters, in particular, the masses obtained usingGaiaparallaxes, we confirm that the narrow sequence of carbon abundances withTeffin the cool classical DQ is indeed caused by an almost constant helium to total mass fraction, as found in earlier studies. This mass fraction is smaller than predicted by stellar evolution calculations. For the warm DQ above 10 000 K, which are thought to originate from double white dwarf mergers, we obtain extremely low hydrogen and helium masses. The correlation of mass withTeffremains unexplained, but another possible correlation of helium layer masses withTeffas well as the gravitational redshifts casts doubt on the reality of both and suggests possible shortcomings of current models.
Les âgés sans être vieux : les 55-75
Authors: Pourrat Frank
Published: February 2020

Une nouvelle tranche d’âge intègre nos cabinets d’orthodontie. Les différentes techniques actuelles plus ou moins visibles peuvent leur permettre d’assumer les traitements d’orthodontie avec une certaine qualité de vie.
Thioesterification and Selenoesterification of Amides via Selective N–C Cleavage at Room Temperature: N–C(O) to S/Se–C(O) Interconversion
Authors: Rahman Md. Mahbubur , Li Guangchen , Szostak Michal
Published: February 2020

The direct nucleophilic addition to amides represents an attractive methodology in organic synthesis that tackles amidic resonance by ground-state destabilization. This approach has been recently accomplished with carbon, nitrogen and oxygen nucleophiles. Herein, we report an exceedingly mild method for the direct thioesterification and selenoesterification of amides by selective N–C(O) bond cleavage in the absence of transition metals. Acyclic amides undergo N–C(O) to S/Se–C(O) interconversion to give the corresponding thioesters and selenoesters in excellent yields at room temperature via a tetrahedral intermediate pathway (cf. an acyl metal).
Well-posedness and general decay of a nonlinear damping porous-elastic system with infinite memory
Authors: Khochemane Houssem Eddine , Djebabla Abdelhak , Zitouni Salah , Bouzettouta Lamine
Published: February 2020

In the present work, we consider a one-dimensional porous-elastic system with infinite memory and a nonlinear damping term. We establish the well-posedness of the system using semigroup theory and show the general decay for the case of nonequal speeds of wave propagation. Introducing some conditions on the kernel of the infinite memory term helps estimate the nonequal speed term even if this complementary control is not strong enough to stabilize the system exponentially. Our result is an extension of many other works in this area.
On-chip waveguide-coupled opto-electro-mechanical system for nanoscale displacement sensing
Authors: Galeotti Federico , Seršić Vollenbroek Ivana , Petruzzella Maurangelo , Pagliano Francesco , van Otten Frank W. M. , Zobenica Žarko , Mohtashami Abbas , Marnani Hamed Sadeghian , van der Heijden Rob W. , Fiore Andrea
Published: February 2020

Miniaturization of displacement sensors for nanoscale metrology is a key requirement in many applications such as accelerometry, mass sensing, and atomic force microscopy. While optics provides high resolution and bandwidth, integration of sensor readout is required to achieve low-cost, compact, and parallelizable devices. Here, we present a novel integrated opto-electro-mechanical device for displacement sensing that has sub-nanometer resolution. The proposed sensor is a micron-sized double-membrane photonic crystal cavity with integrated electro-optical readout, directly addressed via an on-chip waveguide. This sensor displays a noise floor down to 7 fm/Hz and is suitable for the realization of integrated arrays.