bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maternal depressive symptoms and early childhood cognitive development: a meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Y. , Kaaya S. , Chai J. , McCoy D. C. , Surkan P. J. , Black M. M. , Sutter-Dallay A.-L. , Verdoux H. , Smith-Fawzi M. C.
Published: November 2016

Background

Previous findings have been mixed regarding the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and child cognitive development. The objective of this study was to systematically review relevant literature and to perform a meta-analysis.

Method

Three electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO) were searched. Initial screening was conducted independently by two reviewers. Studies selected for detailed review were read in full and included based on a set of criteria. Data from selected studies were abstracted onto a standardized form. Meta-analysis using the inverse variance approach and random-effects models was conducted.

Results

The univariate analysis of 14 studies revealed that maternal depressive symptoms are related to lower cognitive scores among children aged ⩽56 months (Cohen's d = −0.25, 95% CI −0.39 to −0.12). The synthesis of studies controlling for confounding variables showed that the mean cognitive score for children 6–8 weeks post-partum whose mothers had high depressive symptoms during the first few weeks postpartum was approximately 4.2 units lower on the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID) compared with children with non-symptomatic mothers (B̂ = −4.17, 95% CI −8.01 to −0.32).

Conclusions

The results indicated that maternal depressive symptoms are related to lower cognitive scores in early infancy, after adjusting for confounding factors. An integrated approach for supporting child cognitive development may include program efforts that promote maternal mental health in addition to family economic wellbeing, responsive caregiving, and child nutrition.
George Orwell on politics and war
Authors: Stone John
Published: November 2016

George Orwell is not generally remembered for his views on strategy. Nevertheless a careful reading of his written work reveals a coherent appreciation of war’s strategic dimension. For Orwell, war is a necessary adjunct to politics, and the utility of strategic action should be based on rational considerations of cost and benefit. He rejected pacifism and self-imposed restraints on warfare on the basis that such positions proceeded from unexamined emotional commitments, and were neither instrumentally nor morally sound. He also maintained that the enemy’s political values are an essential input into effective strategic calculations. On this latter basis he criticised the strategic prescriptions of H. G. Wells and B. H. Liddell Hart for limited war with Nazi Germany.
Persistent fever with chills and an endocardial mass in a child: an unusual presentation of Hughes–Stovin syndrome
Authors: Fabi Marianna , Lami Francesca , Zompatori Maurizio
Published: November 2016

A 12-year-old boy with a right atrium endocardial mass was initially diagnosed as having Lemierre’s syndrome on the basis of previous mastoiditis and jugular vein and cerebral venous thrombosis. Lack of response to antibiotics, persistent high fever with chills, acute-phase reactants, and peripheral arterial pseudoaneurysms made us reconsider the diagnosis. Only after the late appearance of radiological pulmonary lesions and recognition of pulmonary artery aneurysms, Hughes–Stovin syndrome was diagnosed. Hughes–Stovin syndrome is an exceedingly rare vasculitis, especially in childhood, consisting of multiple pulmonary artery aneurysms and deep venous thromboses. The lack of formal diagnostic criteria and the rarity of the disease make the diagnosis very challenging, especially when respiratory complaints are not present at onset, as in the presented case. The treatment aims to reduce inflammation, although there is debate about anticoagulation therapy because of the risk of pulmonary haemorrhage.
Narrative Modes in Acousmatic Music
Authors: Andean James
Published: November 2016

Beginning with a brief overview of acousmatic narrative, this article proposes that in listening to acousmatic music we select and move between distinct narrative modes, according to the requirements and implications of a given work, or shifting between modes as the work progresses. Similarities and differences with existing theory are considered. Ten narrative modes are proposed as relevant for acousmatic music and discussed. Finally, the appearance of narrative archetypes across multiple modes is considered, as well as similarities across other musics and other fields.
Effects of bi-isotropic coatings and bi-isotropic background media upon gain characteristics of an axially slotted cylinder
Authors: Awan Z. A.
Published: November 2016

An analysis about the effects of various bi-isotropic (BI) coatings and BI background media upon the gain characteristics of an axially slotted cylinder using numerical simulations is presented. It is investigated that chirality and Tellegen parameters of a coating and a background medium play a significant role in modifying the gain properties. It is further studied that an axially slotted cylinder when coated with a strong BI material and embedded in a free space background significantly enhances the gain in the forward direction. On the other hand, a strong Tellegen coating guides most of the radiated field from an axial slot toward rear side of the cylinder.
Does Top-Down Feedback Modulate the Encoding of Orthographic	Representations During Visual-Word Recognition?
Authors: Perea Manuel , Marcet Ana , Vergara-Martínez Marta
Published: November 2016

Abstract. In masked priming lexical decision experiments, there is a matched-case identity advantage for nonwords, but not for words (e.g., ERTAR-ERTAR <  ertar-ERTAR; ALTAR-ALTAR = altar-ALTAR). This dissociation has been interpreted in terms of feedback from higher levels of processing during orthographic encoding. Here, we examined whether a matched-case identity advantage also occurs for words when top-down feedback is minimized. We employed a task that taps prelexical orthographic processes: the masked prime same-different task. For “same” trials, results showed faster response times for targets when preceded by a briefly presented matched-case identity prime than when preceded by a mismatched-case identity prime. Importantly, this advantage was similar in magnitude for nonwords and words. This finding constrains the interplay of bottom-up versus top-down mechanisms in models of visual-word identification.
Unprecedented Views of Mercury Constrain Hollow Formation
Authors: Cook Terri
Published: November 2016

The consistently shallow depths of the depressions scattered across Mercury's surface suggest their morphology is not determined by the thickness of a volatile-rich outer layer.
Academia and the Military Can Be Valuable Partners
Authors: Reddy Christopher , Valentine David , Ziebold Jason
Published: November 2016

The common cause of protecting people and the environment from disasters can and should unite academics and military personnel.
Improved survival for patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the era of chemo-immunotherapy: a Danish population-based study of 10455 patients
Authors: da Cunha-Bang C , Simonsen J , Rostgaard K , Geisler C , Hjalgrim H , Niemann C U
Published: November 2016

The treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is in rapid transition, and during recent decades both combination chemotherapy and immunotherapy have been introduced. To evaluate the effects of this development, we identified all CLL patients registered in the nation-wide Danish Cancer Register between 1978 and 2013. We identified 10 455 CLL patients and 508 995 CLL-free control persons from the general population. Compared with the latter, the relative mortality rate between CLL patients and their controls decreased from 3.4 (95% CI 3.2–3.6) to 1.9 (95% CI 1.7–2.1) for patients diagnosed in 1978–1984 and 2006–2013, respectively. The improved survival corresponded to a decreasing risk of death from malignant hematological diseases, whereas the risk of death from infections was stable during the study period. These population-based data substantiate the improved survival for patients treated with chemo-immunotherapy demonstrated in clinical studies.
More frequent intense and long-lived storms dominate the springtime trend in central US rainfall
Authors: Feng Zhe , Leung L. Ruby , Hagos Samson , Houze Robert A. , Burleyson Casey D. , Balaguru Karthik
Published: November 2016

The changes in extreme rainfall associated with a warming climate have drawn significant attention in recent years. Mounting evidence shows that sub-daily convective rainfall extremes are increasing faster than the rate of change in the atmospheric precipitable water capacity with a warming climate. However, the response of extreme precipitation depends on the type of storm supported by the meteorological environment. Here using long-term satellite, surface radar and rain-gauge network data and atmospheric reanalyses, we show that the observed increases in springtime total and extreme rainfall in the central United States are dominated by mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), the largest type of convective storm, with increased frequency and intensity of long-lasting MCSs. A strengthening of the southerly low-level jet and its associated moisture transport in the Central/Northern Great Plains, in the overall climatology and particularly on days with long-lasting MCSs, accounts for the changes in the precipitation produced by these storms.
Mass and stiffness spectrometry of nanoparticles and whole intact bacteria by multimode nanomechanical resonators
Authors: Malvar O. , Ruz J. J. , Kosaka P. M. , Domínguez C. M. , Gil-Santos E. , Calleja M. , Tamayo J.
Published: November 2016

The identification of species is a fundamental problem in analytical chemistry and biology. Mass spectrometers identify species by their molecular mass with extremely high sensitivity (<10−24 g). However, its application is usually limited to light analytes (<10−19 g). Here we demonstrate that by using nanomechanical resonators, heavier analytes can be identified by their mass and stiffness. The method is demonstrated with spherical gold nanoparticles and whole intact E. coli bacteria delivered by electrospray ionization to microcantilever resonators placed in low vacuum at 0.1 torr. We develop a theoretical procedure for obtaining the mass, position and stiffness of the analytes arriving the resonator from the adsorption-induced eigenfrequency jumps. These results demonstrate the enormous potential of this technology for identification of large biological complexes near their native conformation, a goal that is beyond the capabilities of conventional mass spectrometers.
Mitigating Herding in Hierarchical Crowdsourcing Networks
Authors: Yu Han , Miao Chunyan , Leung Cyril , Chen Yiqiang , Fauvel Simon , Lesser Victor R. , Yang Qiang
Published: November 2016

Hierarchical crowdsourcing networks (HCNs) provide a useful mechanism for social mobilization. However, spontaneous evolution of the complex resource allocation dynamics can lead to undesirable herding behaviours in which a small group of reputable workers are overloaded while leaving other workers idle. Existing herding control mechanisms designed for typical crowdsourcing systems are not effective in HCNs. In order to bridge this gap, we investigate the herding dynamics in HCNs and propose a Lyapunov optimization based decision support approach - the Reputation-aware Task Sub-delegation approach with dynamic worker effort Pricing (RTS-P) - with objective functions aiming to achieve superlinear time-averaged collective productivity in an HCN. By considering the workers’ current reputation, workload, eagerness to work, and trust relationships, RTS-P provides a systematic approach to mitigate herding by helping workers make joint decisions on task sub-delegation, task acceptance, and effort pricing in a distributed manner. It is an individual-level decision support approach which results in the emergence of productive and robust collective patterns in HCNs. High resolution simulations demonstrate that RTS-P mitigates herding more effectively than state-of-the-art approaches.
Mixing of quantum states: A new route to creating optical activity
Authors: Baimuratov Anvar S. , Tepliakov Nikita V. , Gun’ko Yurii K. , Baranov Alexander V. , Fedorov Anatoly V. , Rukhlenko Ivan D.
Published: November 2016

The ability to induce optical activity in nanoparticles and dynamically control its strength is of great practical importance due to potential applications in various areas, including biochemistry, toxicology, and pharmaceutical science. Here we propose a new method of creating optical activity in originally achiral quantum nanostructures based on the mixing of their energy states of different parities. The mixing can be achieved by selective excitation of specific states or via perturbing all the states in a controllable fashion. We analyze the general features of the so produced optical activity and elucidate the conditions required to realize the total dissymmetry of optical response. The proposed approach is applicable to a broad variety of real systems that can be used to advance chiroptical devices and methods.
Erratum: Thymic DCs derived IL-27 regulates the final maturation of CD4+ SP thymocytes
Authors: Tang Hui , Zhang Jie , Sun Xiuyuan , Qian Xiaoping , Zhang Yu , Jin Rong
Published: November 2016

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep30448
Tracking modern human population history from linguistic and cranial phenotype
Authors: Reyes-Centeno Hugo , Harvati Katerina , Jäger Gerhard
Published: November 2016

Languages and genes arguably follow parallel evolutionary trajectories, descending from a common source and subsequently differentiating. However, although common ancestry is established within language families, it remains controversial whether language preserves a deep historical signal. To address this question, we evaluate the association between linguistic and geographic distances across 265 language families, as well as between linguistic, geographic, and cranial distances among eleven populations from Africa, Asia, and Australia. We take advantage of differential population history signals reflected by human cranial anatomy, where temporal bone shape reliably tracks deep population history and neutral genetic changes, while facial shape is more strongly associated with recent environmental effects. We show that linguistic distances are strongly geographically patterned, even within widely dispersed groups. However, they are correlated predominantly with facial, rather than temporal bone, morphology, suggesting that variation in vocabulary likely tracks relatively recent events and possibly population contact.
Molecular inotropy mediated by cardiac miR-based PDE4D/PRKAR1α/phosphoprotein signaling
Authors: Bedada Fikru B. , Martindale Joshua J. , Arden Erik , Metzger Joseph M.
Published: November 2016

Molecular inotropy refers to cardiac contractility that can be modified to affect overall heart pump performance. Here we show evidence of a new molecular pathway for positive inotropy by a cardiac-restricted microRNA (miR). We report enhanced cardiac myocyte performance by acute titration of cardiac myosin-embedded miR-208a. The observed positive effect was independent of host gene myosin effects with evidence of negative regulation of cAMP-specific 3′,5′-cyclic phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) and the regulatory subunit of PKA (PRKAR1α) content culminating in PKA-site dependent phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and phospholamban (PLN). Further, acute inhibition of miR-208a in adult myocytes in vitro increased PDE4D expression causing reduced isoproterenol-mediated phosphorylation of cTnI and PLN. Next, rAAV-mediated miR-208a gene delivery enhanced heart contractility and relaxation parameters in vivo. Finally, acute inducible increases in cardiac miR-208a in vivo reduced PDE4D and PRKAR1α, with evidence of increased content of several complementary miRs harboring the PDE4D recognition sequence. Physiologically, this resulted in significant cardiac cTnI and PLN phosphorylation and improved heart performance in vivo. As phosphorylation of cTnI and PLN is critical to myocyte function, titration of miR-208a represents a potential new mechanism to enhance myocardial performance via the PDE4D/PRKAR1α/PKA phosphoprotein signaling pathway.
The cytotoxic synergy of nanosecond electric pulses and low temperature leads to apoptosis
Authors: Muratori Claudia , Pakhomov Andrei G. , Gianulis Elena C. , Jensen Sarah Damsbo , Pakhomova Olga N.
Published: November 2016

Electroporation by nanosecond electric pulses (nsEP) is an emerging modality for tumor ablation. Here we show the efficient induction of apoptosis even by a non-toxic nsEP exposure when it is followed by a 30-min chilling on ice. This chilling itself had no impact on the survival of U-937 or HPAF-II cells, but caused more than 75% lethality in nsEP-treated cells (300 ns, 1.8-7 kV/cm, 50-700 pulses). The cell death was largely delayed by 5-23 hr and was accompanied by a 5-fold activation of caspase 3/7 (compared to nsEP without chilling) and more than 60% cleavage of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (compared to less than 5% in controls or after nsEP or chilling applied separately). When nsEP caused a transient permeabilization of 83% of cells to propidium iodide, cells placed at 37 °C resealed in 10 min, whereas 60% of cells placed on ice remained propidium-permeable even in 30 min. The delayed membrane resealing caused cell swelling, which could be blocked by an isosmotic addition of a pore-impermeable solute (sucrose). However, the block of swelling did not prevent the delayed cell death by apoptosis. The potent enhancement of nsEP cytotoxicity by subsequent non-damaging chilling may find applications in tumor ablation therapies.
A 30-InDel Assay for Genetic Variation and Population Structure Analysis of Chinese Tujia Group
Authors: Shen Chunmei , Zhu Bofeng , Yao Tianhua , Li Zhidan , Zhang Yudang , Yan Jiangwei , Wang Bo , Bie Xiaohua , Tai Fadao
Published: November 2016

In the present study, thirty autosomal insertion and deletion polymorphic loci were simultaneously amplified and genotyped in a multiplex system, and their allelic frequencies as well as several forensic parameters were obtained in a sample of 236 unrelated healthy Tujia individuals. All the loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after applying a Bonferroni correction and all pair-wise loci showed no significant linkage disequilibrium. These loci were observed to be relatively informative and discriminating, quite efficient for forensic applications. Allelic frequencies of 30 loci were compared between the Tujia group and other reference populations, and the results of analysis of molecular variance indicated the Tujia group showed the least significant differences with the Shanghai Han at one locus, and the most with Central Spanish population at 22 loci. We analyzed the population genetic structure by the principal component analysis, the clustering of STRUCTURE program and a Neighbor-Joining tree, and then evaluated the genetic relationships among Tujia and other 15 populations.
Systemic inoculation of Escherichia coli causes emergency myelopoiesis in zebrafish larval caudal hematopoietic tissue
Authors: Hou Yuelan , Sheng Zhen , Mao Xiaobing , Li Chenzheng , Chen Jingying , Zhang Jingjing , Huang Honghui , Ruan Hua , Luo Lingfei , Li Li
Published: November 2016

Emergency granulopoiesis occurs in response to severe microbial infection. However, whether and how other blood components, particularly monocytes/macrophages and their progenitors, including hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), participate in the process and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we challenged zebrafish larvae via direct injection of Escherichia coli into the bloodstream, which resulted in systemic inoculation with this microbe. The reaction of hematopoietic cells, including HSPCs, in the caudal hematopoietic tissue was carefully analysed. Both macrophages and neutrophils clearly expanded following the challenge. Thus, emergency myelopoiesis, including monopoiesis and granulopoiesis, occurred following systemic bacterial infection. The HSPC reaction was dependent on the bacterial burden, manifesting as a slight increase under low burden, but an obvious reduction following the administration of an excessive volume of bacteria. Pu.1 was important for the effective elimination of the microbes to prevent excessive HSPC apoptosis in response to stress. Moreover, Pu.1 played different roles in steady and emergency monopoiesis. Although Pu.1 was essential for normal macrophage development, it played suppressive roles in emergency monopoiesis. Overall, our study established a systemic bacterial infection model that led to emergency myelopoiesis, thereby improving our understanding of the function of Pu.1 in this scenario.
Protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPN3 promotes drug resistance and stem cell-like characteristics in ovarian cancer
Authors: Li Shuqin , Cao Jian , Zhang Wei , Zhang Fan , Ni Guantai , Luo Qian , Wang Man , Tao Xiang , Xia Hongping
Published: November 2016

The current standard treatment for ovarian cancer is aggressive surgery followed by platinum-based combination chemotherapy. Recurrence and chemotherapeutic drug resistance are the two main factors that account for the high mortality of most ovarian cancers. Liposomal doxorubicin is primarily used for the treatment of ovarian cancer when the disease has progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy. However, relatively little is known about the genomic changes that contribute to both cisplatin and doxorubicin resistance in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) under the selective pressure of chemotherapy. Here, we found that protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPN3 gene expression was substantially increased in both cisplatin and doxorubicin-resistant ovarian cancer cells. Silencing of PTPN3 restored sensitivity to cisplatin and doxorubicin in resistant ovarian cancer cells. Down-regulation of PTPN3 also inhibited cell cycle progression, migration, stemness in vitro and the tumorigenicity of resistant ovarian cancer cells in vivo. Meanwhile, the expression of PTPN3 was found to be regulated by miR-199 in resistant ovarian cancer cells. These findings suggest that PTPN3 promotes tumorigenicity, stemness and drug resistance in ovarian cancer, and thus is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Murine hypothalamic destruction with vascular cell apoptosis subsequent to combined administration of human papilloma virus vaccine and pertussis toxin
Authors: Aratani Satoko , Fujita Hidetoshi , Kuroiwa Yoshiyuki , Usui Chie , Yokota Shumpei , Nakamura Ikuro , Nishioka Kusuki , Nakajima Toshihiro
Published: November 2016

Vaccination is the most powerful way to prevent human beings from contracting infectious diseases including viruses. In the case of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, an unexpectedly novel disease entity, HPV vaccination associated neuro-immunopathetic syndrome (HANS), has been reported and remains to be carefully verified. To elucidate the mechanism of HANS, we applied a strategy similar to the active experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) model - one of the most popular animal models used to induce maximum immunological change in the central nervous system. Surprisingly, mice vaccinated with pertussis toxin showed neurological phenotypes that include low responsiveness of the tail reflex and locomotive mobility. Pathological analyses revealed the damage to the hypothalamus and circumventricular regions around the third ventricle, and these regions contained apoptotic vascular endothelial cells. These data suggested that HPV-vaccinated donners that are susceptible to the HPV vaccine might develop HANS under certain environmental factors. These results will give us the new insight into the murine pathological model of HANS and help us to find a way to treat of patients suffering from HANS.
Climate variations of Central Asia on orbital to millennial timescales
Authors: Cheng Hai , Spötl Christoph , Breitenbach Sebastian F. M. , Sinha Ashish , Wassenburg Jasper A. , Jochum Klaus Peter , Scholz Denis , Li Xianglei , Yi Liang , Peng Youbing , Lv Yanbin , Zhang Pingzhong , Votintseva Antonina , Loginov Vadim , Ning Youfeng , Kathayat Gayatri , Edwards R. Lawrence
Published: November 2016

The extent to which climate variability in Central Asia is causally linked to large-scale changes in the Asian monsoon on varying timescales remains a longstanding question. Here we present precisely dated high-resolution speleothem oxygen-carbon isotope and trace element records of Central Asia’s hydroclimate variability from Tonnel’naya cave, Uzbekistan and Kesang cave, western China. On orbital timescales, the supra-regional climate variance, inferred from our oxygen isotope records, exhibits a precessional rhythm, punctuated by millennial-scale abrupt climate events, suggesting a close coupling with the Asian monsoon. However, the local hydroclimatic variability at both cave sites, inferred from carbon isotope and trace element records, shows climate variations that are distinctly different from their supra-regional modes. Particularly, hydroclimatic changes in both Tonnel’naya and Kesang areas during the Holocene lag behind the supra-regional climate variability by several thousand years. These observations may reconcile the apparent out-of-phase hydroclimatic variability, inferred from the Holocene lake proxy records, between Westerly Central Asia and Monsoon Asia.
Increase phosphorus availability from the use of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L) green manure in rice (Oryza sativa L.) agroecosystem
Authors: Gao Xiaoye , Shi Dongyan , Lv Aimin , Wang Shengyin , Yuan Shili , Zhou Peng , An Yuan
Published: November 2016

Alfalfa is a good green manure source, but its effect on rice growth has not been fully elucidated. Two green manure species, alfalfa and broad bean (Vicia faba L.), and two N fertilizer levels, alone or combination, were applied to a rice field. The results indicated that alfalfa had more pronounced effects on increasing soil labile phosphorus (P) fractions (including NaHCO3-Pi, NaOH-Pi), P uptake and soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, urease, acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase) than broad bean and N fertilizer. The transformation of NaHCO3-Po to labile P regulated by alfalfa played a significant direct and indirect effect on grain yield. Although a much lower N input from alfalfa addition, a similar grain yield with N fertilizer treatment was achieved, and the integration of alfalfa with N fertilizer produced the highest grain yield and P availability, which was associated with the highest urease, acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase activity in soil. These results indicate that alfalfa green manure had a great ability of increasing grain yield through enhancing P availability in rice paddy, which could give us a way to reduce N fertilizer application by enhancing P availability.
Transport of Ions, DNA Polymers, and Microtubules in the Nanofluidic Regime
Authors: Stein D. , van den Heuvel M. G. L. , Dekker C.
Published: November 2016

Nanofluidic devices provide an arena for interesting science and new technological applications. We review experimental work that illustrates qualitative differences in the behavior of ions, polymers, and molecular motors at the nanoscale as compared with their behavior at macroscopic scales. Ionic transport is governed by the surface charge density inside a nanofluidic device and the overlap of Debye screening layers becomes significant. Furthermore, pressure-driven fluid flows entrain significant ionic streaming currents, and this electrokinetic effect has been used to probe the phenomenon of surface charge inversion and to harness mechanical work and convert it into electrical power. Polymers like DNA must pay an entropic penalty under nanofluidic confinement, which governs its configurational statistics, and in turn influences DNA's transport characteristics in pressure-driven fluid flows and in more complex electrokinetic flows driven by electric fields. Finally, the molecular motor kinesin has been incorporated into fluidic devices in order to drive the motion of microtubules. Within a network of fluidic channels, electric fields can be applied to steer and sort kinesin-driven microtubules, and to probe the mechanical bending of single microtubules.
Nanopillars, Nanowires and Nanoballs for DNA and Protein Analysis
Authors: Kaji Noritada , Yasui Takao , Tokeshi Manabu , Baba Yoshinobu
Published: November 2016

Recent development of nanofluidic devices using nanopillars, nanowires, and nanoballs for high-performance biomolecules analysis are reviewed in this chapter. Two approaches, “top-down” fabrication techniques and “bottom-up” self-assemble techniques, were applied to construct nanospace inside microchannels, and various biomolecules including DNA, RNA and proteins were successfully separated within a few seconds. These separation techniques enabled high throughput analysis that had never achieved by natural or synthetic polymers and explored a new bioanalytical field based on molecular dynamics in nanospace. Hybrid use of the both approaches might be promising for future home diagnostic devices and clinical applications.
Single Molecule Protein Unfolding Using a Nanopore
Authors: Freedman Kevin J. , Haq S. Raza , Edel Joshua B. , Jemth Per , Kim MinJun
Published: November 2016

A likely candidate for next-generation protein sensing is solid-state nanopores. The pores developed here are fabricated in a 50 nm thick silicon nitride membrane and a single nanopore is drilled using a focused ion beam or a focused electron beam. The detection method employed is largely based on resistive pulse sensing where analytes are electrokinetically transported through a pore and identified by their unique modulation of ionic current (i.e. an ionic blockade). Since the dimensions of the nanopore are on the same scale as the molecule being sensed, only a single molecule can enter the pore allowing individual protein kinetics to be probed. Traditionally proteins are detected by ensemble averaging which hides important kinetics and sub-populations of molecules that may be important to understanding protein misfolding. In this chapter, it was discovered that the voltage which drives the protein through the pore also has denaturing effects. The unfolding data supports a gradual unfolding mechanism rather than the cooperative transition observed by classical urea denaturation experiments. Lastly it is shown that the voltage-mediated unfolding is a function of the stability of the protein by comparing two mutationally destabilized variants of the protein.
Coupling of capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers for reversed phase liquid chromatography and ESI-MS for the determination of proteins in a urine matrix
Authors: Wang Lei , Pierson Marissa A. , Marcus R. Kenneth
Published: November 2016

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis provides a great deal of analytical information as a detection mode when coupled with liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) separations of proteins.
High energy density MnO4−/MnO42− redox couple for alkaline redox flow batteries
Authors: Colli Alejandro N. , Peljo Pekka , Girault Hubert H.
Published: November 2016

The MnO4−/MnO42− redox couple has a positive redox potential, high electrochemical reversibility and high solubility, up to 3.62 M at room temperature.
Silica core/conjugated polymer shell particles via seeded Knoevenagel dispersion polymerization – laser action in whispering gallery mode resonators
Authors: Ciftci Sibel , Mikosch Annabel , Haehnle Bastian , Witczak Łukasz , Kuehne Alexander J. C.
Published: November 2016

Here, we present a seeded Knoevenagel dispersion polymerization to generate hybrid particles with a conjugated polymer shell on inorganic silica cores.
A nano-sized container for specific encapsulation of isolated water molecules
Authors: Lavendomme Roy , Marcélis Lionel , Wouters Johan , Luhmer Michel , Jabin Ivan
Published: November 2016

This calix[4]arene-based molecular box is able to encapsulate specifically two isolated water molecules in both non-protic and protic solvents.
Trigeminal star-like platinum complexes induce cancer cell senescence through quadruplex-mediated telomere dysfunction
Authors: Zheng Xiao-Hui , Mu Ge , Zhong Yi-Fang , Zhang Tian-Peng , Cao Qian , Ji Liang-Nian , Zhao Yong , Mao Zong-Wan
Published: November 2016

Trigeminal star-like platinum complexes induce cancer cell senescence through quadruplex-mediated telomeric DNA damage and telomere end-loss.
Multipronged mapping to the dynamics of a barium atom deposited on argon clusters
Authors: Awali S. , Gaveau M.-A. , Briant M. , Mestdagh J.-M. , Soep B. , Gobert O. , Maksimenka R. , Poisson L.
Published: November 2016

Dynamics of an electronically excited Ba atom at the surface of an Ar≈500 cluster in a nanosecond frequency-resolved and femtosecond time-resolved multipronged approach.
Dynamics and yields for CHBrCl2photodissociation from 215–265 nm
Authors: Merrill Wyatt G. , Crim F. Fleming , Case Amanda S.
Published: November 2016

We characterize the energy partitioning and spin–orbit yields for CHBrCl2photodissociation. Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization selectively detects the Br and Br* product channels. Time of flight mass spectrometry and velocity-map imaging permit measurement of relative quantum yields, as well as kinetic and internal energy distributions. We further interpret the energy partitioning through use of impulsive models.
A systematic study of 25Mg NMR in paramagnetic transition metal oxides: applications to Mg-ion battery materials
Authors: Lee Jeongjae , Seymour Ieuan D. , Pell Andrew J. , Dutton Siân E. , Grey Clare P.
Published: November 2016

Solid-state 25Mg paramagnetic nuclear magnetic resonance spectra were studied both experimentally and with density functional theory calculations.
The electronic structure and spin states of 2D graphene/VX2 (X = S, Se) heterostructures
Authors: Popov Z. I. , Mikhaleva N. S. , Visotin M. A. , Kuzubov A. A. , Entani S. , Naramoto H. , Sakai S. , Sorokin P. B. , Avramov P. V.
Published: November 2016

The structural, magnetic and electronic properties of 2D VX2 (X = S, Se) monolayers and graphene/VX2 heterostructures were studied using a DFT+U approach.
Water-tunable solvatochromic and nanoaggregate fluorescence: dual colour visualisation and quantification of trace water in tetrahydrofuran
Authors: Tanioka Masaru , Kamino Shinichiro , Muranaka Atsuya , Shirasaki Yoshinao , Ooyama Yousuke , Ueda Masashi , Uchiyama Masanobu , Enomoto Shuichi , Sawada Daisuke
Published: November 2016

The spirolactone form of aminobenzopyranoxanthenes (ABPXs) exhibited dual solvatochromic and nanoaggregate fluorescence. This intriguing dual fluorescence presented a new detection principle for naked-eye visualisation and quantification of water in tetrahydrofuran.
Nanoscale thermal cloaking in graphene via chemical functionalization
Authors: Ye Zhen-Qiang , Cao Bing-Yang
Published: November 2016

We achieved thermal cloaking at the nanoscale for the first time.
Ce3+-Doped garnet phosphors: composition modification, luminescence properties and applications
Authors: Xia Zhiguo , Meijerink Andries
Published: November 2016

Crystal chemistry, luminescence and applications of Ce3+-doped garnets are reviewed and the tuning of optical properties is explainedviacombined insights from experiments and theory.
Regio- and stereo-selective polymerization of 1,3-butadiene catalyzed by phosphorus–nitrogen PN3-pincer cobalt(ii) complexes
Authors: Gong Dirong , Zhang Xuequan , Huang Kuo-Wei
Published: November 2016

A new family of cobalt complexes (CoCl2-H, CoCl2-Me, CoCl2-iPr, CoBr2-H, CoBr2-Me, CoBr2-iPr, CoI2-H, CoI2-Me, and CoI2-iPr) supported by a PN3 ligand (6-(N,N′-di-t-butylphosphino)-2-pyrazol-yl-aminopyridine) have been prepared and fully characterized by FT-IR, elemental analysis, and X-ray analysis.
Conformational states of HAMP domains interacting with sensory rhodopsin membrane systems: an integrated all-atom and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation approach
Authors: Sahoo Bikash Ranjan , Fujiwara Toshimichi
Published: November 2016

The mechanistic and structural basis of srII–htrII signaling mediated by a HAMP four-helix bundle inNatronomonas pharaonis.
Fabrication of circular polarized luminescent helical fibers from chiral phenanthro[9,10]imidazole derivatives
Authors: Li Bing Shi , Wen Rongsen , Xue Shan , Shi Lin , Tang Zhiyong , Wang Zhiming , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: November 2016

Violet fluorescent helical nanofibers with circular polarized luminescence fabricated by the self-assembly of chiral phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole (PIM) derivatives.
Highly elastic polymer substrates with tunable mechanical properties for stretchable electronic applications
Authors: Gandla Srinivas , Gupta Harshad , Pininti Anil Reddy , Tewari Amit , Gupta Dipti
Published: November 2016

Stretchable electronic devices have recently gained a lot of attention because of their applications in healthcare and wearable electronics and their other innovative applications.
Interaction between mercuric chloride and extracellular polymers of biofilm-forming mercury resistant marine bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis PW-05
Authors: Dash Hirak R. , Das Surajit
Published: November 2016

The interaction mechanism of mercury (Hg2+) with extracellular polymers (EPS) produced from a mercury resistant marine bacteriumBacillus thuringiensisPW-05 was studied.
Investigation of free radicals and carbon structures in chars generated from pyrolysis of antibiotic fermentation residue
Authors: Hong Chen , Wang Zhiqiang , Xing Yi , Li Yifei , Yang Qiang , Jia Mengmeng , Feng Lihui
Published: November 2016

The aromatization level of AFR was enhanced sharply with the increase of pyrolysis temperature, and the free radicals in raw AFR samples gradually transformed into carbon free radicals on the aromatic structures in chars.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of heterocyclic hydrazone transition metal complexes as potential anticancer agents
Authors: Du Yunpeng , Chen Wei , Fu Xiang , Deng Hang , Deng JunGang
Published: November 2016

Only the [Cu(L)2] complex can significantly increase the intracellular ROS levels, leading to relatively high antiproliferative potency.
High-pressure circular dichroism spectroscopy up to 400 MPa using polycrystalline yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) as pressure-resistant optical windows
Authors: Nagata Yuuya , Takeda Ryohei , Suginome Michinori
Published: November 2016

Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy at high pressure (≤400 MPa) was accomplished by using polycrystalline yttrium aluminum garnet (Y3Al5O12, YAG) as pressure-resistant optical windows.
Correction: A facile method to synthesize [A′(D′AD)2]-based push–pull small molecules for organic photovoltaics
Authors: Shaker Mohamed , Lee Jong-Hoon , Trinh Cuc Kim , Kim Wonbin , Lee Kwanghee , Lee Jae-Suk
Published: November 2016

Correction for “A facile method to synthesize [A′(D′AD)2]-based push–pull small molecules for organic photovoltaics” by Mohamed Shaker et al., RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 66005–66012.
Sonogashira diversification of unprotected halotryptophans, halotryptophan containing tripeptides; and generation of a new to nature bromo-natural product and its diversification in water
Authors: Corr M. J. , Sharma S. V. , Pubill-Ulldemolins C. , Bown R. T. , Poirot P. , Smith D. R. M. , Cartmell C. , Abou Fayad A. , Goss R. J. M.
Published: November 2016

Aqueous Sonogashira cross-coupling of unprotected bromotryptophan, tripeptides and a new to nature natural product (accessed through biosynthetic manipulation) is reported.
Photo-assisted synthesis of Au@PtAu core–shell nanoparticles with controllable surface composition for methanol electro-oxidation
Authors: Tan Tiening , Xie Hao , Xie Jingjing , Ping Hang , Su Bao-Lian , Wang Weimin , Wang Hao , Munir Zuhair A. , Fu Zhengyi
Published: November 2016

Au@PtAu core–shell nanoparticles with controllable surface composition for enhanced methanol electro-oxidation.
Reconstructing ZnO quantum dot assembled tubular structures from nanotubes within graphene matrix via ongoing pulverization towards high-performance lithium storage
Authors: Li Zihua , Yu Xiao , Liu Yong , Zhao Wenxia , Zhang Hao , Xu Ruimei , Wang Donghai , Shen Hui
Published: November 2016

The electrode pulverization can be a blessing in disguise for improving Li-ion storage by rationally designing graphene-wrapped ZnO nanotubes.
Histidine-enriched multifunctional peptide vectors with enhanced cellular uptake and endosomal escape for gene delivery
Authors: Meng Zhao , Luan Liang , Kang Ziyao , Feng Siliang , Meng Qingbin , Liu Keliang
Published: November 2016

Peptide vectors offer a promising gene delivery approach because of their biocompatibility and ease of functionalization.
A highly adhesive siloxane LED encapsulant optimized for high thermal stability and optical efficiency
Authors: Kim Yong Ho , Lim Young-Woo , Lee Daewon , Kim Yun Hyeok , Bae Byeong-Soo
Published: November 2016

Herein, a highly adhesive LED encapsulant (HAEncap) is proposed based on a phenyl siloxane hybrid material with a high thermal stability, refractive index, and transparency which uses cost-effective radical polymerization.
Cinetics: Fueling Entrepreneurial Innovations through Crowdfunding
Authors: Li Zhuoxin , Jarvenpaa Sirkka L. , Pattan Nisha
Published: November 2016

The case examines how the founder of a startup company came up with the entrepreneurial idea and used Kickstarter as a platform to establish and grow his company. The case describes in detail the history of the company and charts out the crowdfunding campaigns that provided the company the initial funding. The case concludes at the point at which the founder is considering different funding options to scale the company even further. The case can be used in a variety of classes including digital business, open innovation, strategic IT management, digital innovation and entrepreneurship, and digital marketing.
Nonadiabatic dynamics in intense continuous wave laser fields and real-time observation of the associated wavepacket bifurcation in terms of spectrogram of induced photon emission
Authors: Mizuno Yuta , Arasaki Yasuki , Takatsuka Kazuo
Published: November 2016

We propose a theoretical principle to directly monitor the bifurcation of quantum wavepackets passing through nonadiabatic regions of a molecule that is placed in intense continuous wave (CW) laser fields. This idea makes use of the phenomenon of laser-driven photon emission from molecules that can undergo nonadiabatic transitions between ionic and covalent potential energy surfaces like Li+ F− and LiF. The resultant photon emission spectra are of anomalous yet characteristic frequency and intensity, if pumped to an energy level in which the nonadiabatic region is accessible and placed in a CW laser field. The proposed method is designed to take the time-frequency spectrogram with an appropriate time-window from this photon emission to detect the time evolution of the frequency and intensity, which depends on the dynamics and location of the relevant nuclear wavepackets. This method is specifically designed for the study of dynamics in intense CW laser fields and is rather limited in scope than other techniques for femtosecond chemical dynamics in vacuum. The following characteristic features of dynamics can be mapped onto the spectrogram: (1) the period of driven vibrational motion (temporally confined vibrational states in otherwise dissociative channels, the period and other states of which dramatically vary depending on the CW driving lasers applied), (2) the existence of multiple nuclear wavepackets running individually on the field-dressed potential energy surfaces, (3) the time scale of coherent interaction between the nuclear wavepackets running on ionic and covalent electronic states after their branching (the so-called coherence time in the terminology of the theory of nonadiabatic interaction), and so on.
Surface segregation in a binary mixture of ionic liquids: Comparison between high-resolution RBS measurements and moleculardynamics simulations
Authors: Nakajima Kaoru , Nakanishi Shunto , Chval Zdeněk , Lísal Martin , Kimura Kenji
Published: November 2016

Surface structure of equimolar mixture of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([C2C1Im][Tf2N]) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([C2C1Im][BF4]) is studied using high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (HRBS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Both HRBS and MD simulations show enrichment of [Tf2N] in the first molecular layer although the degree of enrichment observed by HRBS is more pronounced than that predicted by the MD simulation. In the subsurface region, MD simulation shows a small depletion of [Tf2N] while HRBS shows a small enrichment here. This discrepancy is partially attributed to the artifact of the MD simulations. Since the number of each ion is fixed in a finite-size simulation box, surface enrichment of particular ion results in its artificial depletion in the subsurface region.
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scaling method to evaluate the ion–electron potential of crystalline solids
Authors: Shao Xuecheng , Mi Wenhui , Xu Qiang , Wang Yanchao , Ma Yanming
Published: November 2016

We propose a simple O(NlogN) scaling expression in reciprocal space for evaluating the ion–electron potential of crystalline solids. The expression replaces the long-range ion–electron potential with an equivalent localized charge distribution and corresponding boundary conditions on the unit cell. Given that no quadratic scaling structure factor is required—as used in traditional methods—the expression shows the inherent O(NlogN) behavior, and is well suited to simulating large-scale systems within orbital-free density functional theory. The scheme is implemented in the ATLAS software package and benchmarked by using a solid Mg body-centered cubic lattice containing tens of thousands of atoms in the unit cell. The test results show that the method can efficiently simulate large scale crystals with high computational accuracy.
Experimental study on the fluorescence spectrum in the near-ultraviolet and visible regions of a carbon dioxide gas Cerenkov medium
Authors: Guan Xingyin , Hu Huasi , Song Zhaohui , Han Hetong
Published: November 2016

We investigated the faint fluorescence spectrum of carbon dioxide in the near-ultraviolet and visible regions using an intense relativistic electron beam accelerator with an energy of 0.2–0.3 MeV. Monte Carlo simulations were carried out in advance to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio and a self-normalization pulse experimental layout was designed to overcome the shot-to-shot fluctuations in different pulses of the accelerator. Ultimately, the relative proportion sequences in the near-ultraviolet and visible regions of a carbon dioxide fluorescence spectrum were successfully obtained for the first time. The result shows that there exists distinct difference between fluorescence spectrum and Cerenkov spectrum, which can therefore provide basic support for selectively reducing the unwanted below-threshold fluorescence response of a carbon dioxide gas Cerenkov medium.