bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of IL‐33‐mediated signaling
Authors: Pinto Sneha M. , Nirujogi Raja Sekhar , Rojas Pamela Leal , Patil Arun H. , Manda Srikanth S. , Subbannayya Yashwanth , Roa Juan Carlos , Chatterjee Aditi , Prasad T. S. Keshava , Pandey Akhilesh
Published: November 2014

Interleukin‐33 (IL‐33) is a novel member of the IL‐1 family of cytokines that plays diverse roles in the regulation of immune responses. IL‐33 exerts its effects through a heterodimeric receptor complex resulting in the production and release of proinflammatory cytokines. A detailed understanding of the signaling pathways activated by IL‐33 is still unclear. To gain insights into the IL‐33‐mediated signaling mechanisms, we carried out a SILAC‐based global quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis that resulted in the identification of 7191 phosphorylation sites derived from 2746 proteins. We observed alterations in the level of phosphorylation in 1050 sites corresponding to 672 proteins upon IL‐33 stimulation. We report, for the first time, phosphorylation of multiple protein kinases, including mitogen‐activated protein kinase activated protein kinase 2 (Mapkapk2), receptor (TNFRSF) interacting serine‐threonine kinase 1 (Ripk1), and NAD kinase (Nadk) that are induced by IL‐33. In addition, we observed IL‐33‐induced phosphorylation of several protein phosphatases including protein tyrosine phosphatase, nonreceptor‐type 12 (Ptpn12), and inositol polyphosphate‐5‐phosphatase D (Inpp5d), which have not been reported previously. Network analysis revealed an enrichment of actin binding and cytoskeleton reorganization that could be important in macrophage activation induced by IL‐33. Our study is the first quantitative analysis of IL‐33‐regulated phosphoproteome. Our findings significantly expand the understanding of IL‐33‐mediated signaling events and have the potential to provide novel therapeutic targets pertaining to immune‐related diseases such as asthma where dysregulation of IL‐33 is observed. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000984 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000984).
Rapid cell mode switching and dual laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for elemental bioimaging
Authors: Wehe Christoph A. , Niehoff Ann‐Christin , Thyssen Georgina M. , Sperling Michael , Karst Uwe
Published: November 2014

RATIONALE

Two different approaches to improve the limits of detection (LODs) in elemental bioimaging have been developed. They both consider the fact that for the widely applied quadrupole‐based instruments, metals in the mass range <100 u are analyzed with the best figures of merit in the kinetic energy discrimination (KED) mode; much better LODs are achieved for some metalloids and nonmetals by the introduction of more reactive gases, e.g., oxygen, into the collision/reaction cell (CRC).

METHODS

While the first approach simultaneously utilizes two inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) detectors hyphenated to one laser ablation (LA) system, the second is based on a single ICP‐MS instrument with fast cell mode switching (CMS) of the CRC between individual line scans.

RESULTS

Both methods were evaluated concerning their respective improvements by the analysis of rat brain samples. The utilization of two detectors showed improved LODs compared with conventional KED‐only analysis in dependency on the gas flow splitting ratio, e.g., for sulfur by about 3.5 orders of magnitude. CMS provided even better results with a further improvement by a factor of 1.6.

CONCLUSIONS

As a CRC with a small inner volume was used, fast cell gas switches at the end of every line prevented issues related to the reproducibility of the laser ablation stage for the CMS approach. Linear interpolation was found to be a valuable tool without affecting the spatial resolution of the images. In addition, a software macro is presented, which facilitates data evaluation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Population Trends, Bend Use Relative to Available Habitat and Within‐River‐Bend Habitat Use of Eight Indicator Species of Missouri and Lower Kansas River Benthic Fishes: 15 Years After Baseline Assessment
Authors: Wildhaber M. L. , Yang W.‐H. , Arab A.
Published: November 2014

A baseline assessment of the Missouri River fish community and species‐specific habitat use patterns conducted from 1996 to 1998 provided the first comprehensive analysis of Missouri River benthic fish population trends and habitat use in the Missouri and Lower Yellowstone rivers, exclusive of reservoirs, and provided the foundation for the present Pallid Sturgeon Population Assessment Program (PSPAP). Data used in such studies are frequently zero inflated. To address this issue, the zero‐inflated Poisson (ZIP) model was applied. This follow‐up study is based on PSPAP data collected up to 15 years later along with new understanding of how habitat characteristics among and within bends affect habitat use of fish species targeted by PSPAP, including pallid sturgeon. This work demonstrated that a large‐scale, large‐river, PSPAP‐type monitoring program can be an effective tool for assessing population trends and habitat usage of large‐river fish species. Using multiple gears, PSPAP was effective in monitoring shovelnose and pallid sturgeons, sicklefin, shoal and sturgeon chubs, sand shiner, blue sucker and sauger. For all species, the relationship between environmental variables and relative abundance differed, somewhat, among river segments suggesting the importance of the overall conditions of Upper and Middle Missouri River and Lower Missouri and Kansas rivers on the habitat usage patterns exhibited. Shoal and sicklefin chubs exhibited many similar habitat usage patterns; blue sucker and shovelnose sturgeon also shared similar responses. For pallid sturgeon, the primary focus of PSPAP, relative abundance tended to increase in Upper and Middle Missouri River paralleling stocking efforts, whereas no evidence of an increasing relative abundance was found in the Lower Missouri River despite stocking. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genetic mapping of resistance to Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov) biotype 2 in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) accession CI2401
Authors: Fazel-Najafabadi Mehdi , Peng Junhua , Peairs Frank B. , Simkova Hana , Kilian Andrzej , Lapitan Nora L. V.
Published: November 2014

The RWA, Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov), is a devastating insect pest of wheat (Triticumaestivum L.) and barley (Hordeumvulgare) in the United States and in many parts of the world. The use of D. noxia-resistant cultivars is an economically useful approach for protecting cereals from this aphid. However, there are few genes conferring resistance to the most predominant US biotype (Biotype RWA2). Wheat line CI2401, originating from Tajikistan, has been identified to be resistant to RWA2. An F2-derived F3 (F2:3) segregating population developed from a cross between CI2401 and Glupro (a high quality susceptible wheat cultivar) was used to genetically map the resistance in CI2401. Seedlings from F2 individuals and F3 families were infested with RWA2 aphids. Seedling reactions were scored as resistant or susceptible based on the degrees of leaf rolling and chlorosis. The observed segregation ratios in the F2 and F3 generations indicate the presence of a major dominant gene controlling resistance to RWA2. The gene, named Dn2401, was genetically mapped to the short arm of chromosome 7D. Xbarc214 mapped 1.1 cM and Xgwm473 mapped 1.8 cM distal and proximal, respectively, to the gene. Association studies using more than 12,000 SNPs and SilicoDArTs confirmed the presence of a major signal associated with resistance on chromosome 7DS. In addition, a minor signal was detected in chromosome 1D. The markers developed in this study will be useful for marker-assisted-breeding for resistance to RWA2.
Differential expression of microRNA501‐5p affects the aggressiveness of clear cell renal carcinoma
Authors: Mangolini Alessandra , Bonon Anna , Volinia Stefano , Lanza Giovanni , Gambari Roberto , Pinton Paolo , Russo Gian Rosario , del Senno Laura , Dell'Atti Lucio , Aguiari Gianluca
Published: November 2014

Renal cell carcinoma is a common neoplasia of the adult kidney that accounts for about 3% of adult malignancies. Clear cell renal carcinoma is the most frequent subtype of kidney cancer and 20–40% of patients develop metastases. The absence of appropriate biomarkers complicates diagnosis and prognosis of this disease. In this regard, small noncoding RNAs (microRNAs), which are mutated in several neoplastic diseases including kidney carcinoma, may be optimal candidates as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of this kind of cancer. Here we show that patients with clear cell kidney carcinoma that express low levels of miR501‐5p exhibited a good prognosis compared with patients with unchanged or high levels of this microRNA. Consistently, in kidney carcinoma cells the downregulation of miR501‐5p induced an increased caspase‐3 activity, p53 expression as well as decreased mTOR activation, leading to stimulation of the apoptotic pathway. Conversely, miR501‐5p upregulation enhanced the activity of mTOR and promoted both cell proliferation and survival. These biological processes occurred through p53 inactivation by proteasome degradation in a mechanism involving MDM2‐mediated p53 ubiquitination. Our results support a role for miR501‐5p in balancing apoptosis and cell survival in clear cell renal carcinoma. In particular, the downregulation of microRNA501‐5p promotes a good prognosis, while its upregulation contributes to a poor prognosis, in particular, if associated with p53 and MDM2 overexpression and mTOR activation. Thus, the expression of miR501‐5p is a possible biomarker for the prognosis of clear cell renal carcinoma.
High-Rayleigh-number convection of a reactive solute in a porous medium
Authors: Ward T. J. , Jensen O. E. , Power H. , Riley D. S.
Published: November 2014

We consider two-dimensional one-sided convection of a solute in a fluid-saturated porous medium, where the solute decays via a first-order reaction. Fully nonlinear convection is investigated using high-resolution numerical simulations and a low-order model that couples the dynamic boundary layer immediately beneath the distributed solute source to the slender vertical plumes that form beneath. A transient-growth analysis of the boundary layer is used to characterise its excitability. Three asymptotic regimes are investigated in the limit of high Rayleigh number $\mathit{Ra}$, in which the domain is considered deep, shallow or of intermediate depth, and for which the Damköhler number $\mathit{Da}$ is respectively large, small or of order unity. Scaling properties of the flow are identified numerically and rationalised via the analytic model. For fully established high-$\mathit{Ra}$ convection, analysis and simulation suggest that the time-averaged solute transfer rate scales with $\mathit{Ra}$ and the plume horizontal wavenumber with $\mathit{Ra}^{1/2}$, with coefficients modulated by $\mathit{Da}$ in each case. For large $\mathit{Da}$, the rapid reaction rate limits the plume depth and the boundary layer restricts the rate of solute transfer to the bulk, whereas for small $\mathit{Da}$ the average solute transfer rate is ultimately limited by the domain depth and the convection is correspondingly weaker.
Assessment of cannabis use disorders: a systematic review of screening and diagnostic instruments
Authors: López-Pelayo H. , Batalla A. , Balcells M. M. , Colom J. , Gual A.
Published: November 2014

Background.

Cannabis use and misuse have become a public health problem. There is a need for reliable screening and assessment tools to identify harmful cannabis use at an early stage. We conducted a systematic review of published instruments used to screen and assess cannabis use disorders.

Method.

We included papers published until January 2013 from seven different databases, following the PRISMA guidelines and a predetermined set of criteria for article selection. Only tools including a quantification of cannabis use and/or a measurement of the severity of dependence were considered.

Results.

We identified 34 studies, of which 25 included instruments that met our inclusion criteria: 10 scales to assess cannabis use disorders, seven structured interviews, and eight tools to quantify cannabis use. Both cannabis and substance use scales showed good reliability and were validated in specific populations. Structured interviews were also reliable and showed good validity parameters. Common limitations were inadequate time-frames for screening, lack of brevity, undemonstrated validity for some populations (e.g. psychiatric patients, female gender, adolescents), and lack of relevant information that would enable routine use (e.g. risky use, regular users). Instruments to quantify consumption did not measure grams of the psychoactive compounds, which hampered comparability among different countries or regions where tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations may differ.

Conclusions.

Current instruments available for assessing cannabis use disorders need to be further improved. A standard cannabis unit should be studied and existing instruments should be adapted to this standard unit in order to improve cannabis use assessment.
(Ad-)ventures in faith: a critique of Bishop's doxastic-venture model
Authors: GRIFFIOEN AMBER L.
Published: November 2014

While some philosophical models reduce religious faith to either mere belief or affect, more recent accounts have begun to look at the volitional component of faith. In this spirit, John Bishop has defended the notion of faith as a ‘doxastic venture’. In this article, I consider Bishop's view in detail and attempt to show that his account proves on the one hand too permissive and on the other too restrictive. Thus, although the doxastic-venture model offers certain advantages over other prominent views in the philosophy of religion, it still falls short of providing us with an ultimately satisfactory account of religious faith.
Optical emission spectroscopy study on flashover along insulator surface due to particle contamination
Authors: Tewari Somesh Vinayak , Kshirsagar R.J. , Roy Amitava , Sarathi R. , Sharma Archana , Mittal K.C.
Published: November 2014

The surface flashover behavior in ambient air and nitrogen are studied at a pressure of 1 kg/cm2 using optical emission spectroscopy. A high dc voltage is applied to Rogowski profile electrodes with polyoxymethylene as the insulator between the electrodes. Three different conditions of needle protrusion along the surface of polyoxymethylene are used to study the variation in spectral characteristics due to particle contamination. When the insulator is placed between the spark gap electrodes, the OES spectra are dominated by the Hα line in air and nitrogen medium. It was found that the intensity of N2+ (B-X) emission is less in air surrounding the insulator medium. The plasma temperature during bulk breakdown in air is 0.433 eV, which increases to 0.434 eV with the pressurized nitrogen, which further increases in the presence of insulator to 0.441 eV and 0.44 eV in nitrogen and air, respectively. The electron density is obtained from the N emission line at 746.8 nm and the estimated peak value is 2.85 × 1012 cm−3 in the presence of insulator. The plasma temperature decreases with increase in distance of particle contamination from cathode. The increase in electron density in air, as compared to nitrogen implies more material desorption in air which is also supported by the comparisons of Hα lines.
Bilingual access of homonym meanings: Individual differences in bilingual access of homonym meanings
Authors: ARÊAS DA LUZ FONTES ANA BEATRIZ , SCHWARTZ ANA ISABEL
Published: November 2014

The goal of the present study was to identify the cognitive processes that underlie lexical ambiguity resolution in a second language (L2). We examined which cognitive factors predict the efficiency in accessing subordinate meanings of L2 homonyms in a sample of highly-proficient, Spanish–English bilinguals. The predictive ability of individual differences in (1) homonym processing in the L1, (2) working memory capacity and (3) sensitivity to cross-language form overlap were examined. In two experiments, participants were presented with cognate and noncognate homonyms as either a prime in a lexical decision task (Experiment 1) or embedded in a sentence (Experiment 2). In both experiments speed and accuracy in accessing subordinate meanings in the L1 was the strongest predictor of speed and accuracy in accessing subordinate meanings in the L2. Sensitivity to cross-language form overlap predicted performance in lexical decision while working memory capacity predicted processing in sentence comprehension.
Brain Dysfunctions, Psychopathologies, and Body Image Distortions
Authors: Mohr Christine , Messina Sabrina
Published: November 2014

The major features in eating disorders are a preoccupation with food and its consumption and body dissatisfaction. Diagnostic manuals provide clusters of criteria according to which affected individuals can be categorized into one or other group of eating disorder. Yet, when considering the high proportion of comorbidities and ignoring the content of the symptoms (food, body), the major features seem to yield obsessional-compulsive, addictive, and impulsive qualities. In the present article, we review studies from the neuroscientific literature (mainly lesion studies) on eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, impulse control disorder, and addiction to investigate the possibility of a wider phenotype that can be related to a common brain network. The literature localizes this network to the right frontal lobe and its connectivities. This network, when dysfunctional, might result in a behavior that favors the preoccupation with particular thoughts, behaviors, anxieties, and uncontrollable urges that are accompanied by little scope for ongoing behavioral adjustments (e.g., impulse control). We reason that this network may turn out to be equally involved in understudied mental conditions of dysfunctional body processing such as muscle dysmorphia, body dysmorphic disorder (including esthetic surgery), and xelomelia. We finally consider previous notions of a wider phenotype approach to current diagnostic practice (using DSM), such as the possibility of a model with a reduced number of diagnostic categories and primary and secondary factors, and to etiological models of mental health conditions.
Bispecific T‐cell engagers for cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Huehls Amelia M , Coupet Tiffany A , Sentman Charles L
Published: November 2014

Bispecific T‐cell engagers (BiTEs) are a new class of immunotherapeutic molecules intended for the treatment of cancer. These molecules enhance the patient's immune response to tumors by retargeting T cells to tumor cells. BiTEs are constructed of two single‐chain variable fragments (scFv) connected in tandem by a flexible linker. One scFv binds to a T‐cell‐specific molecule, usually CD3, whereas the second scFv binds to a tumor‐associated antigen. This structure and specificity allows a BiTE to physically link a T cell to a tumor cell, ultimately stimulating T‐cell activation, tumor killing and cytokine production. BiTEs have been developed, which target several tumor‐associated antigens, for a variety of both hematological and solid tumors. Several BiTEs are currently in clinical trials for their therapeutic efficacy and safety. This review examines the salient structural and functional features of BiTEs, as well as the current state of their clinical and preclinical development.
Spinmotive force due to motion of magnetic bubble arrays driven by magnetic field gradient
Authors: Yamane Yuta , Hemmatiyan Shayan , Ieda Jun'ichi , Maekawa Sadamichi , Sinova Jairo
Published: November 2014

Interaction between local magnetization and conduction electrons is responsible for a variety of phenomena in magnetic materials. It has been recently shown that spin current and associated electric voltage can be induced by magnetization that depends on both time and space. This effect, called spinmotive force, provides for a powerful tool for exploring the dynamics and the nature of magnetic textures, as well as a new source for electromotive force. Here we theoretically demonstrate the generation of electric voltages in magnetic bubble array systems subjected to a magnetic field gradient. It is shown by deriving expressions for the electric voltages that the present system offers a direct measure of phenomenological parameter β that describes non-adiabaticity in the current induced magnetization dynamics. This spinmotive force opens a door for new types of spintronic devices that exploit the field-gradient.
Isoquinolino[4,3,2-de]phenanthridine: synthesis and its use in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions to form nitrogen-containing polyaromatic hydrocarbons
Authors: Ito S. , Tokimaru Y. , Nozaki K.
Published: November 2014

The synthesis of the novel azomethine ylide, isoquinolino[4,3,2-de]phenanthridine, and its use in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with various alkenes and alkynes to form the corresponding fused pyrrolidines and pyrroles is reported.
Co-solvent exfoliation and suspension of hexagonal boron nitride
Authors: Marsh K. L. , Souliman M. , Kaner R. B.
Published: November 2014

A simple method is presented for exfoliating and suspending hexagonal boron nitride using a co-solvent approach. A 60 w/w% concentration of tert-butanol in water is very effective at exfoliating boron nitride especially when compared to the individual components alone as indicated by UV-vis and transmission electron microscopy. Molecular weight and surface tension are found to play inverse roles in the exfoliation.
Intramolecular annulation of aromatic rings with N-sulfonyl 1,2,3-triazoles: divergent synthesis of 3-methylene-2,3-dihydrobenzofurans and 3-methylene-2,3-dihydroindoles
Authors: Tang Xiang-Ying , Zhang Yong-Sheng , He Lv , Wei Yin , Shi Min
Published: November 2014

The controllable synthesis of 3-methylene-2,3-dihydrobenzofurans2and 3-methylene-2,3-dihydroindoles5has been developed via cycloisomerization of N/O-tethered aryltriazoles.
Active yet extremely durable Co3O4 spheroids of different texture without/with Au deposition for CO oxidation
Authors: Yao Y. , Su Q. , Feng X. Z. , Sun B. , Ji W. J. , Au C. T.
Published: November 2014

Co3O4 spheroids of different texture without/with Au deposition were highly active yet very durable at 60–90 °C for CO oxidation. The calcined Co3O4-based catalysts and the yolk–shell type one were even more durable. The catalysts encountered obvious enhancement in CO oxidation activity via in situ pretreatment.
Acidity enhancement of unsaturated bases of group 15 by association with borane and beryllium dihydride. Unexpected boron and beryllium Brønsted acids
Authors: Martín-Sómer Ana , Mó Otilia , Yáñez Manuel , Guillemin Jean-Claude
Published: November 2014

BeH2and BH3association with unsaturated bases of group 15 increases their acidity and changes the trend. Ethynyl : BeH2complexes unexpectedly behave as Be acids.
Indistinguishability and distinguishability between amide and ester moieties in the construction and properties of M6L8 octahedral nanocages
Authors: Noh Tae Hwan , Hong Woosik , Lee Haeri , Jung Ok-Sang
Published: November 2014

A series of octahedral nanocages with ester, amide, and mixed ester/amide spacers in construction and valuable functions have been investigated.
Stabilization of Cu2O nanoparticles on a 2D metal–organic framework for catalytic Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction
Authors: Jayaramulu Kolleboyina , Suresh Venkata M. , Maji Tapas Kumar
Published: November 2014

A 2D porous matrix with stabilized Cu2O NPs (Cu2O@MOF) has been studied for use in the catalytic 1,3-dipolar Huisgen cycloaddition reaction for the preparation of 1,2,3-triazoles.
Heterogenization of homogenous reaction system on carbon surface with ionic liquid as mediator
Authors: Ding Yuxiao , Zhang Bingsen , Gupta Neeraj , Su Dang Sheng
Published: November 2014

A new concept of ionic liquid mono-dispersing catalyst on nanocarbon surface is presented with enhanced catalytic activity.
Organo-photocatalysts for photoinduced electron transfer-reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization
Authors: Xu Jiangtao , Shanmugam Sivaprakash , Duong Hien T. , Boyer Cyrille
Published: November 2014

In this work, we demonstrate the use of organophotoredox catalysts under visible light to perform photoinduced electron transfer-reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) for the polymerization of methacrylate monomers.
Effect of the morphology of CuS upon the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes
Authors: Tanveer M. , Cao Chuanbao , Aslam Imran , Ali Zulfiqar , Idrees Faryal , Tahir Muhammad , Khan Waheed S. , Butt Faheem K. , Mahmood Asif
Published: November 2014

A variety of super complex architectures of covellite copper sulfide have been successfully prepared by a simple solvothermal approach and a precise comparison has been carried out in phot-degrading various organic dyes under natural light irradiation.
Thermal stability of p-dimethylaminophenylpentazole
Authors: Yang Yu-zhang , Li Yu-chuan , Zhang Ru-bo , Sun Cheng-hui , Pang Si-ping
Published: November 2014

A thorough thermal stability study of p-dimethylaminophenylpentazole was investigated through integration of rapid, stepwise and constant heating model.
Comprehensive study of the adsorption of an acylhydrazone derivative by serum albumin: unclassical static quenching
Authors: Tong Jin-Qiang , Tian Fang-Fang , Liu Yi , Jiang Feng-Lei
Published: November 2014

NCH binds to both HSA and BSA in site I and causes unclassical static quenching.
Study of ion-pair and triple-ion origination of an ionic liquid ([bmmim][BF4]) predominant in solvent systems
Authors: Roy Mahendra Nath , Ray Tanusree , Chandra Roy Milan , Datta Biswajit
Published: November 2014

Electrolytic conductivities, densities, viscosities, and FT-IR spectra of 1-butyl-2,3 dimethylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmmim][BF4]) have been studied in tetrahydrofuran, dimethylacetamide and methyl cellosolve at different temperatures.
Dual-frequency microwave-driven resonant excitations of skyrmions in nanoscale magnets
Authors: Wang Han , Dai Yingying , Yang Teng , Ren Weijun , Zhang Zhidong
Published: November 2014

The polygon-like resonant excitation of coupled skyrmions can be controlled in nanoscale magnets by a dual-frequency microwave field.
Study of chromium(vi) removal from aqueous solution using nitrogen-enriched activated carbon based bamboo processing residues
Authors: Zhang Ji , Shang Tongxin , Jin Xiaojuan , Gao Jianmin , Zhao Qiang
Published: November 2014

Nitrogen functional groups were introduced by urea and melamine onto the surface of two bamboo processing residues derived activated carbons (ACs) and Cr(vi) adsorption was investigated by changing various parameters.
Butterfly-scale architecture directed electrodeposition of Ag microband arrays for electrochemical detection
Authors: Guo Xingmei , Zhang Tang , Li Jingwen , Fan Tongxiang
Published: November 2014

The ridge array architecture ofTroides aeacusbutterfly scales was used as guidance to gather electric field compactly around the ridge tips to obtain an Ag microband array by electrodeposition.
On the chiroptical properties of Au(i)–thiolate glycoconjugate precursors and their influence on sugar-protected gold nanoparticles (glyconanoparticles)
Authors: Pourceau Gwladys , Valle-Carrandi Lourdes del , Di Gianvincenzo Paolo , Michelena Olatz , Penadés Soledad
Published: November 2014

The structure of d/l sugar thiolate conjugates used in the preparation of Au(i)–thiolate polymers determines their chiroptical properties.
Study of electronic properties, stabilities and magnetic quenching of molybdenum-doped germanium clusters: a density functional investigation
Authors: Trivedi Ravi , Dhaka Kapil , Bandyopadhyay Debashis
Published: November 2014

The evolution of electronic structures, properties and stabilities of neutral and cationic molybdenum encapsulated germanium clusters (Mo@Gen, n = 1 to 20) has been investigated.
Increased disulfide peptide sequence coverage via “cleavage ON/OFF” switch during nanoelectrospray
Authors: Li Gongyu , Yin Yue , Huang Guangming
Published: November 2014

Disulfide peptide sequence coverage could be increasedviaswitching “cleavage ON/OFF” modes between conventional and induced nanoelectrospray MS within 1 min.
Spontaneous formation of giant vesicles with tunable sizes based on jellyfish-like graft copolymers
Authors: Gao Ke-Jing , Liu Xiao-Zhou , Li Guangtao , Xu Bo-Qing , Yi Jianjun
Published: November 2014

For self-assembly studies, a series of “jellyfish-like” graft copolymers with short hydrophilic backbones and long hydrophobic branch chains was adopted. It was found that these special graft copolymers in 1,4-dioxane–water mixtures could self-assemble into giant vesicles with diameter in the range of 0.5–54 μm.
Effect of interaction heterogeneity on colloidal arrangements at a curved oil–water interface
Authors: Lee Mina , Lee Daeyeon , Park Bum Jun
Published: November 2014

Interaction heterogeneity affects the particle arrangements at the curved oil–water interface, leading to diversity in the arrangement structures.
Two-step mechanism involving active-site conformational changes regulates human telomerase DNA binding
Authors: Tomlinson Christopher G. , Moye Aaron L. , Holien Jessica K. , Parker Michael W. , Cohen Scott B. , Bryan Tracy M.
Published: November 2014

The ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase maintains telomeres and is essential for cellular immortality in most cancers. Insight into the telomerase mechanism can be gained from syndromes such as dyskeratosis congenita, in which mutation of telomerase components manifests in telomere dysfunction. We carried out detailed kinetic and thermodynamic analyses of wild-type telomerase and two disease-associated mutations in the reverse transcriptase domain. Differences in dissociation rates between primers with different 3′ ends were independent of DNA affinities, revealing that initial binding of telomerase to telomeric DNA occurs through a previously undescribed two-step mechanism involving enzyme conformational changes. Both mutations affected DNA binding, but through different mechanisms: P704S specifically affected protein conformational changes during DNA binding, whereas R865H showed defects in binding to the 3′ region of the DNA. To gain further insight at the structural level, we generated the first homology model of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase domain; the positions of P704S and R865H corroborate their observed mechanistic defects, providing validation for the structural model. Our data reveal the importance of protein interactions with the 3′ end of telomeric DNA and the role of protein conformational change in telomerase DNA binding, and highlight naturally occurring disease mutations as a rich source of mechanistic insight.
Energy efficiency maximisation in downlink multi‐cell networks via coordinated resource allocation
Authors: Tong Zhao , Li Bingbing , Hui Yongtao
Published: November 2014

There is a great interest in considering the energy efficiency (EE) as an important performance evaluation recently for its contribution to both energy saving and environmental conservation. In this study, the authors focus on the optimal energy‐efficient design for downlink multi‐cell environment with coordinated scheduling and beamforming. The EE is defined as bit‐per‐joule capacity to indicate how efficiently energy is consumed for transmitting information. They set up the optimum model for maximising the EE of coordinated cells subject to a total power constraint at each base station and study the resource allocation (RA) for it, including user selection, power allocation and beamforming vectors optimisation. They consider an equivalent non‐fractional form of the original problem and propose an iterative algorithm to optimise the spectrum RA and beamforming vectors alternatively. In each iteration, the beamforming vectors are updated by the iterative algorithm based on the first‐order optimality conditions, while the user scheduling policy is updated by the enhanced greedy algorithm. Performance studies show that the proposed algorithm has a rapid speed of convergence and achieves significant performance gain in EE for cellular networks.
Enhanced unequal error protection coding scheme of Luby transform codes
Authors: Yan Wang , Rongke Liu
Published: November 2014

A Luby transform (LT) coding scheme providing unequal error protection (UEP) is proposed. As an enhanced method, the proposed UEP‐LT coding scheme can be easily applied to the existing UEP rateless codes to achieve further bit error rate (BER) performance improvement. In the proposed UEP‐LT encoder, a number of the so‐called fixed symbols are added to the original source symbols. The level of importance of them can be assigned as that of any subset of the original source symbols. When the encoded symbols are generated, the proposed encoder only XOR the original source symbols. Therefore the efficiency of the UEP‐LT codes remains unchanged. It is found that this can benefit the belief propagation decoding. Using the And–Or tree analysis technique, the asymptotic BER performance of the proposed method is analysed in detail. Compared with some existing UEP rateless codes, the asymptotic BERs of the proposed UEP‐LT codes are much lower when the parameters are properly chosen. Besides, the proposed method needs less decoding iterations to converge, which means the source symbols can be recovered earlier. Simulation results show that the BER performances are improved when the proposed scheme is applied to the existing UEP rateless codes.
Constructive criterion algorithm of the global controllability for a class of planar polynomial systems
Authors: Li Qianqian , Xu Xueli , Sun Yimin
Published: November 2014

In this study, a constructive criterion algorithm of the global controllability for a class of planar polynomial systems is obtained. This algorithm is imposed on the coefficients of polynomials only and can be realised easily by computer. The analysis is based on a classical result in real algebraic geometry – Sturm theorem and its modern progress. According to this algorithm, the global controllability of the system can be determined in finite steps arithmetic operations. Finally, the authors give some examples to show the application of the author's results.
Electron holography of devices with epitaxial layers
Authors: Gribelyuk M. A. , Ontalus V. , Baumann F. H. , Zhu Z. , Holt J. R.
Published: November 2014

Applicability of electron holography to deep submicron Si devices with epitaxial layers is limited due to lack of the mean inner potential data and effects of the sample tilt. The mean inner potential V0 = 12.75 V of the intrinsic epitaxial SiGe was measured by electron holography in devices with Ge content CGe = 18%. Nanobeam electron diffraction analysis performed on the same device structure showed that SiGe is strain-free in [220] direction. Our results showed good correlation with simulations of the mean inner potential of the strain-free SiGe using density function theory. A new method is proposed in this paper to correct electron holography data for the overlap of potentials of Si and the epitaxial layer, which is caused by the sample tilt. The method was applied to the analysis of the dopant diffusion in p-Field-effect Transistor devices with the identical gate length L = 30 nm, which had alternative SiGe geometry in the source and drain regions and was subjected to different thermal processing. Results have helped to understand electrical data acquired from the same devices in terms of dopant diffusion.
Buckling transition in long α-helices
Authors: Palenčár Peter , Bleha Tomáš
Published: November 2014

The treatment of bending and buckling of stiff biopolymer filaments by the popular worm-like chain model does not provide adequate understanding of these processes at the microscopic level. Thus, we have used the atomistic molecular-dynamic simulations and the Amber03 force field to examine the compression buckling of α-helix (AH) filaments at room temperature. It was found that the buckling instability occurs in AHs at the critical force fc in the range of tens of pN depending on the AH length. The decrease of the force fc with the contour length follows the prediction of the classic thin rod theory. At the force fc the helical filament undergoes the swift and irreversible transition from the smoothly bent structure to the buckled one. A sharp kink in the AH contour arises at the transition, accompanied by the disruption of the hydrogen bonds in its vicinity. The kink defect brings in an effective softening of the AH molecule at buckling. Nonbonded interactions between helical branches drive the rearrangement of a kinked AH into the ultimate buckled structure of a compact helical hairpin described earlier in the literature.
Ion firehose instability in plasmas with plasma particles described by product bi-kappa distributions
Authors: dos Santos M. S. , Ziebell L. F. , Gaelzer R.
Published: November 2014

We investigate the dispersion relation for low frequency electromagnetic waves propagating parallel to the ambient magnetic field, considering that the velocity distributions of ions and electrons can be either bi-Maxwellian of product bi-kappa distributions. The effect of the anisotropy and non-thermal features associated to the product-bi-kappa distributions on the firehose instability are numerically investigated. The general conclusion to be drawn from the results obtained is that the increase in non-thermal features which is consequence of the decrease of the κ indexes in the ion distribution contributes to increase the instability in magnitude and wave number range, in comparison with bi-Maxwellian distributions with similar temperature anisotropy, and that the increase of non-thermal features in the electron distribution contributes to the quenching of the instability, which is nevertheless driven by the anisotropy in the ion distribution. Significant differences between results obtained either considering product-bi-kappa distributions or bi-kappa distributions are also reported.
Photo-controllable thermoelectric properties with reversibility and photo-thermoelectric effects of tungsten trioxide accompanied by its photochromic phenomenon
Authors: Azuma Chiori , Kawano Takuto , Kakemoto Hirofumi , Irie Hiroshi
Published: November 2014

The addition of photo-controllable properties to tungsten trioxide (WO3) is of interest for developing practical applications of WO3 as well as for interpreting such phenomena from scientific viewpoints. Here, a sputtered crystalline WO3 thin film generated thermoelectric power due to ultraviolet (UV) light-induced band-gap excitation and was accompanied by a photochromic reaction resulting from generating W5+ ions. The thermoelectric properties (electrical conductivity (σ) and Seebeck coefficient (S)) and coloration of WO3 could be reversibly switched by alternating the external stimulus between UV light irradiation and dark storage. After irradiating the film with UV light, σ increased, whereas the absolute value of S decreased, and the photochromic (coloration) reaction was detected. Notably, the opposite behavior was exhibited by WO3 after dark storage, and this reversible cycle could be repeated at least three times. Moreover, photo-thermoelectric effects (photo-conductive effect (photo-conductivity, σphoto) and photo-Seebeck effect (photo-Seebeck coefficient, Sphoto)) were also detected in response to visible-light irradiation of the colored WO3 thin films. Under visible-light irradiation, σphoto and the absolute value of Sphoto increased and decreased, respectively. These effects are likely attributable to the excitation of electrons from the mid-gap visible light absorption band (W5+ state) to the conduction band of WO3. Our findings demonstrate that the simultaneous, reversible switching of multiple properties of WO3 thin film is achieved by the application of an external stimulus and that this material exhibits photo-thermoelectric effects when irradiated with visible-light.
Strong nonlinear current–voltage behaviour in iron oxyborate
Authors: Song Yuanjun , Xu Yingying , Song Yujun , Li Jianqi , Wang Rongming
Published: November 2014

Strong nonlinear resistance has been found in the charge ordered ferroelectric iron oxyborate (Fe2OBO3) with a high dielectric constant and giant converse magnetoelectric effect. In low temperature range the I-V nonlinearity increases quickly with decreasing temperature. Transport measurements on polycrystalline and single crystal Fe2OBO3 indicate that the nonlinearity is not induced by grain boundaries. The nonlinear I-V behavior is intrinsically correlated with the charge order phase melting in Fe2OBO3 by detailed in-situ TEM investigations. These results provide an insight into structure-activity relationship of resistance switching effects at atomic and electric scales, which is essential for its potential application as varistors and storage media.
Electronic structures of GeSi nanoislands grown on pit-patterned Si(001) substrate
Authors: Ye Han , Yu Zhongyuan
Published: November 2014

Patterning pit on Si(001) substrate prior to Ge deposition is an important approach to achieve GeSi nanoislands with high ordering and size uniformity. In present work, the electronic structures of realistic uncapped pyramid, dome, barn and cupola nanoislands grown in {105} pits are systematically investigated by solving Schrödinger equation for heavy-hole, which resorts to inhomogeneous strain distribution and nonlinear composition-dependent band parameters. Uniform, partitioned and equilibrium composition profile (CP) in nanoisland and inverted pyramid structure are simulated separately. We demonstrate the huge impact of composition profile on localization of heavy-hole: wave function of ground state is confined near pit facets for uniform CP, at bottom of nanoisland for partitioned CP and at top of nanoisland for equilibrium CP. Moreover, such localization is gradually compromised by the size effect as pit filling ratio or pit size decreases. The results pave the fundamental guideline of designing nanoislands on pit-patterned substrates for desired applications.
Nanofocusing performance of the crescent-shaped cylinder for various surrounding media
Authors: Wu Hong-Wei , Deng Yu-Qiang , Zhou Yu , Dong Ye-Qing , Fan Ren-Hao
Published: November 2014

In this work, adjustable broadband light harvesting and field enhancement on the surface of a crescent-shaped cylinder were achieved by considering the surrounding medium in conformal transformation theory. The continuous absorption spectrum shows that the broadband effect is quite robust to the surrounding media. By considering the material properties, we provide a comprehensive discussion of how the material properties of the nanosystem affect the field enhancement and nanofocusing. Furthermore, an optical gain medium is employed to compensate for the absorption losses in the materials. A considerable field enhancement and super-nanofocusing are thus expected. The presented results provide important guidance for optimizing such a nanosystem in experimental studies.
The MuSK activator agrin has a separate role essential for postnatal maintenance of neuromuscular synapses
Authors: Tezuka Tohru , Inoue Akane , Hoshi Taisuke , Weatherbee Scott D. , Burgess Robert W. , Ueta Ryo , Yamanashi Yuji
Published: November 2014

Significance

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a synapse between the motor nerve and myotube essential for controlling skeletal muscle contraction. Motor nerve-derived glycoprotein agrin is indispensable for the formation and maintenance of NMJs, and genetic defects in agrin underlie a congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS). Agrin’s role has been thought to be activation of the muscle-specific receptor kinase MuSK. Here, we demonstrate that forced activation of MuSK in agrin-deficient mice restored embryonic formation, but not postnatal maintenance, of NMJs, demonstrating that agrin plays an essential role distinct from MuSK activation in the postnatal maintenance of NMJs. Given that CMSs frequently show postnatal onset, this finding provides key insights not only into NMJ homeostasis but also into CMS pathology with unknown etiology.
Single Lgr5- or Lgr6-expressing taste stem/progenitor cells generate taste bud cells ex vivo
Authors: Ren Wenwen , Lewandowski Brian C. , Watson Jaime , Aihara Eitaro , Iwatsuki Ken , Bachmanov Alexander A. , Margolskee Robert F. , Jiang Peihua
Published: November 2014

Significance

Taste tissue regenerates continuously throughout the life span in mammals. Here, using lineage tracing and a culture system, we show that leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5-expressing and leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 6-expressing taste stem/progenitor cells generate mature taste cells in vivo and ex vivo. Importantly, our ex vivo studies show that single-progenitor cells can generate all mature taste cell types and that differentiated taste cells form in the absence of innervation. This ex vivo model mimics the development of taste bud cells in taste papillae, recapitulates the process of taste renewal from adult taste stem cells to mature taste cells, and provides a means to study the regulation of taste cell generation and to understand the origins and cell lineage relationships within taste buds.
Tissue-specific regulation and function of Grb10 during growth and neuronal commitment
Authors: Plasschaert Robert N. , Bartolomei Marisa S.
Published: November 2014

Growth-factor receptor bound protein 10 (Grb10) is a signal adapter protein encoded by an imprinted gene that has roles in growth control, cellular proliferation, and insulin signaling. Additionally, Grb10 is critical for the normal behavior of the adult mouse. These functions are paralleled byGrb10’s unique tissue-specific imprinted expression; the paternal copy ofGrb10is expressed in a subset of neurons whereas the maternal copy is expressed in most other adult tissues in the mouse. The mechanism that underlies this switch between maternal and paternal expression is still unclear, as is the role for paternally expressedGrb10in neurons. Here, we review recent work and present complementary data that contribute to the understanding ofGrb10gene regulation and function, with specific emphasis on growth and neuronal development. Additionally, we show that in vitro differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into alpha motor neurons recapitulates the switch from maternal to paternal expression observed during neuronal development in vivo. We postulate that this switch in allele-specific expression is related to the functional role of Grb10 in motor neurons and other neuronal tissues.
Cannabinoid CB
2
receptors modulate midbrain dopamine neuronal activity and dopamine-related behavior in mice
Authors: Zhang Hai-Ying , Gao Ming , Liu Qing-Rong , Bi Guo-Hua , Li Xia , Yang Hong-Ju , Gardner Eliot L. , Wu Jie , Xi Zheng-Xiong
Published: November 2014

Significance

Although early studies suggested that cannabinoid CB
2
receptors (CB
2
Rs) are absent in the brain, this view has been challenged by recent findings of significant brain CB
2
R involvement in several dopamine (DA)-related CNS disorders. The cellular mechanisms underlying these actions are unclear, however. Using multiple approaches, we found that CB
2
R genes and receptors are expressed in midbrain DA neurons, and that activation of CB
2
Rs inhibits DA neuronal firing and i.v. cocaine self-administration. These findings not only challenge the long-held view that brain CB
2
Rs are not expressed in neurons, but also suggest that neuronal CB
2
Rs modulate DA neuronal activity and DA-regulated behavior. Thus, brain CB
2
Rs may constitute a new therapeutic target in medication development for treatment of a number of CNS disorders.