bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Universal Transient Dynamics of Electrowetting Droplets
Authors: Vo Quoc , Su Haibin , Tran Tuan
Published: January 2018

Droplet spreading on substrates by electrowetting exhibits either of the two transient behaviours: one characterised by contact line oscillation, and the other one by slow spreading dynamics. The transition between these behaviours remains elusive due to the current limited understanding of the spreading dynamics on the hydrodynamical and electrical properties of electrowetting systems. To understand this transition we propose a model capturing the transition’s occurrence based on both the hydrodynamical and electrical parameters. We derive the critical viscosity at which the transition occurs and reveal its subtle and often hidden dependence on the electrowetting dynamics. We find and experimentally verify that the condition for minimization of droplets’ actuation time is only achieved at the transition. Particularly, the transition time as a function of damping ratio exhibits the general feature of Kramers’ reaction-rate theory.
The crystal structure of D-xylonate dehydratase reveals functional features of enzymes from the Ilv/ED dehydratase family
Authors: Rahman Mohammad Mubinur , Andberg Martina , Koivula Anu , Rouvinen Juha , Hakulinen Nina
Published: January 2018

The Ilv/ED dehydratase protein family includes dihydroxy acid-, gluconate-, 6-phosphogluconate- and pentonate dehydratases. The members of this family are involved in various biosynthetic and carbohydrate metabolic pathways. Here, we describe the first crystal structure of D-xylonate dehydratase from Caulobacter crescentus (CcXyDHT) at 2.7 Å resolution and compare it with other available enzyme structures from the IlvD/EDD protein family. The quaternary structure of CcXyDHT is a tetramer, and each monomer is composed of two domains in which the N-terminal domain forms a binding site for a [2Fe-2S] cluster and a Mg2+ ion. The active site is located at the monomer-monomer interface and contains residues from both the N-terminal recognition helix and the C-terminus of the dimeric counterpart. The active site also contains a conserved Ser490, which probably acts as a base in catalysis. Importantly, the cysteines that participate in the binding and formation of the [2Fe-2S] cluster are not all conserved within the Ilv/ED dehydratase family, which suggests that some members of the IlvD/EDD family may bind different types of [Fe-S] clusters.
EPHB6 and testosterone in concert regulate epinephrine release by adrenal gland chromaffin cells
Authors: Wang Yujia , Shi Wei , Blanchette Alexandre , Peng Junzheng , Qi Shijie , Luo Hongyu , Ledoux Jonathan , Wu Jiangping
Published: January 2018

Erythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular receptor (EPH) B6 (EPHB6) is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family. We previously demonstrated that EPHB6 knockout reduces catecholamine secretion in male but not female mice, and castration reverses this phenotype. We showed here that male EPHB6 knockout adrenal gland chromaffin cells presented reduced acetylcholine-triggered Ca2+ influx. Such reduction depended on the non-genomic effect of testosterone. Increased large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel current densities were recorded in adrenal gland chromaffin cells from male EPHB6 knockout mice but not from castrated knockout or female knockout mice. Blocking of the large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel in adrenal gland chromaffin cells from male knockout mice corrected their reduced Ca2+ influx. We conclude that the absence of EPHB6 and the presence of testosterone would lead to augmented large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel currents, which limit voltage-gated calcium channel opening in adrenal gland chromaffin cells. Consequently, acetylcholine-triggered Ca2+ influx is reduced, leading to lower catecholamine release in adrenal gland chromaffin cells from male knockout mice. This explains the reduced resting-state blood catecholamine levels, and hence the blood pressure, in male but not female EPHB6 knock mice. These findings have certain clinical implications.
The characterization of the circadian clock in the olive fly Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae) reveals a Drosophila-like organization
Authors: Bertolini Enrico , Kistenpfennig Christa , Menegazzi Pamela , Keller Alexander , Koukidou Martha , Helfrich-Förster Charlotte
Published: January 2018

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, is the single most important pest for the majority of olive plantations. Oxitec’s self-limiting olive fly technology (OX3097D-Bol) offers an alternative management approach to this insect pest. Because of previously reported asynchrony in the mating time of wild and laboratory strains, we have characterized the olive fly circadian clock applying molecular, evolutionary, anatomical and behavioural approaches. Here we demonstrate that the olive fly clock relies on a Drosophila melanogaster-like organization and that OX3097D-Bol carries a functional clock similar to wild-type strains, confirming its suitability for operational use.
First description of behavior and immune system relationship in fish
Authors: Kirsten Karina , Fior Débora , Kreutz Luiz Carlos , Barcellos Leonardo José Gil
Published: January 2018

Considering the intriguing relationship between immune system and behavior recently described in mammals, and the lack of information of this relationship in fish, here we describe for the first time the interaction between the immune system and social and exploratory behavior in zebrafish. Fish high responders to novelty (HRN) presented a proinflammatory profile, with increased IL-1β and reduced IL-10 expression compared to fish low responders to novelty (LRN). Likewise, fish less responsive to social stimuli have a reduced expression of INF-γ. We show that fish with different behavior patterns have differences in the immune response. Our findings indicate that the interplay between immune system and behavior in zebrafish is similar to that found in mammalian models and that zebrafish should be considered as a potential model organism to study the relationship between immune system and behavior.
Using intracellular markers to identify a novel set of surface markers for live cell purification from a heterogeneous hIPSC culture
Authors: Paik Elizabeth J. , O’Neil Alison L. , Ng Shi-Yan , Sun Chicheng , Rubin Lee L.
Published: January 2018

Human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can provide sources for midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neural progenitors (NPCs) for cell therapy to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. However, the well-known line-to-cell line variability in the differentiation capacity of individual cell lines needs to be improved for the success of this therapy. To address this issue, we sought to identify mDA NPC specific cell surface markers for fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). Through RNA isolation after sorting for NPCs based on staining for cell-specific transcription factors followed by microarray, we identified two positive cell surface markers (CORIN and CD166) and one negative cell surface marker (CXCR4) for mDA NPC sorting. These three markers can enrich floor plate NPCs to 90% purity, and the sorted NPCs more efficiently differentiate to mature dopaminergic neurons compared to unsorted or CORIN+ alone mDA NPCs. This surface marker identification strategy can be used broadly to facilitate isolation of cell subtypes of interest from heterogeneous cultures.
Baicalin modulates NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling in porcine aortic vascular endothelial cells Infected by Haemophilus parasuis Causing Glässer’s disease
Authors: Fu Shulin , Liu Huashan , Xu Lei , Qiu Yinsheng , Liu Yu , Wu Zhongyuan , Ye Chun , Hou Yongqing , Hu Chien-An Andy
Published: January 2018

Haemophilus parasuis (H. parasuis)can cause vascular inflammatory injury, but the molecular basis of this effect remains unclear. In this study,we investigated the effect of the anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-oxidant agent, baicalin, on the nuclear factor (NF)-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway in pig primary aortic vascular endothelial cells. Activation of the NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway was induced inH. parasuis-infected cells. However, baicalin reduced the production of reactive oxygen species, apoptosis, and activation of the NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway in infected cells. These results revealed that baicalin can inhibitH. parasuis-induced inflammatory responses in porcine aortic vascular endothelial cells, and may thus offer a novel strategy for controlling and treatingH. parasuisinfection. Furthermore, the results suggest that piglet primary aortic vascular endothelial cells may provide an experimental model for future studies ofH. parasuisinfection.
Etiology of language network changes during recovery of aphasia after stroke
Authors: van Oers Casper A. M. M. , van der Worp H. Bart , Kappelle L. Jaap , Raemaekers Mathijs A. H. , Otte Willem M. , Dijkhuizen Rick M.
Published: January 2018

Knowledge of spatiotemporal patterns of language network changes may help in predicting outcome in aphasic stroke patients. Here we assessed language function and performed functional MRI four times during one year to measure language network activation and cerebrovascular reactivity (with breath-holding) in twelve left-hemispheric stroke patients, of whom two dropped out before the final measurement, and eight age-matched controls. Language outcome was related to increase of activation in left and right posterior inferior temporal gyrus over the first year, while activation increase in right inferior frontal gyrus was inversely correlated to language recovery. Outcome prediction improved by addition of early language-induced activation of the left posterior inferior temporal gyrus to a regression model with baseline language performance as first predictor. Variations in language-induced activation in right inferior frontal gyrus were primarily related to differences in vascular reactivity. Furthermore, several language-activation changes could not be linked to alterations in language proficiency nor vascular reactivity, and were assumed to be caused by unspecified intersession variability. In conclusion, early functional neuroimaging improves outcome prediction of aphasia after stroke. Controlling for cerebrovascular reactivity and unspecified intersession variability may result in more accurate assessment of the relationship between activation pattern shifts and function after stroke.
Exosome-mediated breast cancer chemoresistance via miR-155 transfer
Authors: Santos Juliana Carvalho , Lima Natália da Silva , Sarian Luis Otavio , Matheu Ander , Ribeiro Marcelo Lima , Derchain Sophie Françoise Mauricette
Published: January 2018

Breast cancer remains the most prevalent cause of cancer mortality in woman worldwide due to the metastatic process and therapy resistance. Resistance against cancer therapy is partially attributed to cancer stem cells (CSCs). These cells arise from epithelial cells undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and might be responsible for tumor recurrence. In this study, we reported the relevance of miR-155 upregulation in chemoresistant cells associated with EMT. Notably, we found miR-155 induction in exosomes isolated from CSCs and resistant cells, followed by resistant cells’ exosome transfer to the recipient sensitive cells. Functionally, miR-155 mimic assay showed an enrichment in miR-155 from exosome concomitant with miR-155 exosome transfer to breast cancer cells. In parallel to these effects, we also observed EMT change in miR-155 transfected cells. The chemoresistance phenotype transfer to sensitive cells and the migration capability was analyzed by MTT and scratch assays and our results suggest that exosomes may intermediate resistance and migration capacity to sensitive cells partly through exosome transfer of miR-155. Taken together, our findings establish the significance of exosome-mediate miR-155 chemoresistance in breast cancer cells, with implications for targeting miR-155 signaling as a possible therapeutic strategy.
Draxin regulates hippocampal neurogenesis in the postnatal dentate gyrus by inhibiting DCC-induced apoptosis
Authors: Tawarayama Hiroshi , Yamada Hirohisa , Amin Ruhul , Morita-Fujimura Yuiko , Cooper Helen M. , Shinmyo Yohei , Kawata Masakado , Ikawa Shuntaro , Tanaka Hideaki
Published: January 2018

Hippocampal neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) is controlled by diffusible molecules that modulate neurogenic processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying hippocampal neurogenesis, we investigated the function of draxin, originally identified as a neural chemorepellent, in the regulation of neuronal survival in the DG. Draxin was expressed in Tbr2 (+) late progenitors and NeuroD1 (+) neuroblasts in the dentate granule cell lineage, whereas expression of its receptor DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer) was mainly detectable in neuroblasts. Our phenotypic analysis revealed that draxin deficiency led to enhanced apoptosis of DCC-expressing neuroblasts in the neurogenic areas. Furthermore, in vitro assays using a hippocampal neural stem/progenitor cell (HNSPC) line indicated that draxin inhibited apoptosis in differentiating HNSPCs, which express DCC. Taken together, we postulate that draxin plays a pivotal role in postnatal DG neurogenesis as a dependence receptor ligand for DCC to maintain and promote survival of neuroblasts.
Melatonin increases chilling tolerance in postharvest peach fruit by alleviating oxidative damage
Authors: Cao Shifeng , Shao Jiarong , Shi Liyu , Xu Liwei , Shen Ziming , Chen Wei , Yang Zhenfeng
Published: January 2018

Melatonin has been reported to alleviate chilling symptoms in postharvest peach fruit during cold storage, however, the mechanism involved is largely unknown. To better understand its role in chilling tolerance, here we investigated the effects of melatonin on oxidative damage in peach fruit subjected to chilling after harvest. Chilling injury of peaches was dramatically reduced by melatonin treatment. Melatonin induced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content at the early stage of storage but inhibited its accumulation thereafter. Meanwhile, melatonin also up-regulated the expression of genes involved in antioxidant responses in peaches. In addition, compared to the control fruit, peaches treated with melatonin displayed higher transcript abundance of ascorbic acid (AsA) biosynthetic genes and consequently increased the AsA content. Our results suggested that in response to melatonin during chilling, the high H2O2 level in the treated peaches at the initial time of storage, may work as a signaling molecule to induce protective mechanisms via up-regulating the expression of antioxidative genes and increasing AsA content. On the other hand, after the transient increase in the treated peaches, H2O2 was efficiently removed because of the activated antioxidant systems, which was associated with the higher chilling tolerance induced by melatonin.
Histone Variant MacroH2A1 Plays an Isoform-Specific Role in Suppressing Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Authors: Hodge Dayle Q. , Cui Jihong , Gamble Matthew J. , Guo Wenjun
Published: January 2018

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a biological program that plays key roles in various developmental and pathological processes. Although much work has been done on signaling pathways and transcription factors regulating EMT, the epigenetic regulation of EMT remains not well understood. Histone variants have been recognized as a key group of epigenetic regulators. Among them, macroH2A1 is involved in stem cell reprogramming and cancer progression. We postulated that macroH2A1 may play a role in EMT, a process involving reprogramming of cellular states. In this study, we demonstrate that expression of macroH2A1 is dramatically reduced during EMT induction in immortalized human mammary epithelial cells (HMLE). Moreover, ectopic expression of the macroH2A1.1 isoform, but not macroH2A1.2, can suppress EMT induction and reduce the stem-like cell population in HMLE. Interestingly, macroH2A1.1 overexpression cannot revert stable mesenchymal cells back to the epithelial state, suggesting a stage-specific role of macroH2A1.1 in EMT. We further pinpointed that the function of macroH2A1.1 in EMT suppression is dependent on its ability to bind the NAD+ metabolite PAR, in agreement with the inability to suppress EMT by macroH2A1.2, which lacks the PAR binding domain. Thus, our work discovered a previously unrecognized isoform-specific function of macroH2A1 in regulating EMT induction.
Quantitative imaging of translocated silver following nanoparticle exposure by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry
Authors: Bishop David P. , Grossgarten Mandy , Dietrich Dörthe , Vennemann Antje , Cole Nerida , Sperling Michael , Wiemann Martin , Doble Philip A. , Karst Uwe
Published: January 2018

We demonstrate the use of LA-ICP-MS for determining the location and quantification of silver in a rat spleen following nanoparticle exposure.
Sensitized near infrared emission through supramolecular d → f energy transfer within an ionic Ru(ii)–Er(iii) pair
Authors: Xu Hai-Bing , Chen Xue-Li , Deng Jian-Guo , Deng Zhi-Hua , Huang Shi-Liang , Kurmoo Mohamedally , Zeng Ming-Hua
Published: January 2018

Sensitized near-infrared lanthanide emission has been achieved through supramolecular d → f energy transfer within an ionic [Ru(bpy)2(dbim)]–[Er(hfac)4] pair.
Distinct effects of soluble and bound exopolymeric substances on algal bioaccumulation and toxicity of anatase and rutile TiO2 nanoparticles
Authors: Gao Xuan , Zhou Kaijun , Zhang Luqing , Yang Kun , Lin Daohui
Published: January 2018

Cell surface bound and soluble exopolymeric substances play an important role in the cell–NPs interaction and regulate the difference in the nanotoxicity of different NPs.
Oral declines and mastication deficiencies cause alteration of food bolus properties
Authors: Peyron M-A. , Santé-Lhoutellier V. , François O. , Hennequin M.
Published: January 2018

Food bolus produced by a masticator apparatus simulating oral deficiencies displays specific physical alterations.
Milk-derived bioactive peptides protect against oxidative stress in a Caco-2 cell model
Authors: Tonolo F. , Sandre M. , Ferro S. , Folda A. , Scalcon V. , Scutari G. , Feller E. , Marin O. , Bindoli A. , Rigobello M. P.
Published: January 2018

Milk-derived bioactive peptides are able to prevent oxidative stress in Caco-2 cell model.
Fortification of dark chocolate with microencapsulated phytosterols: chemical and sensory evaluation
Authors: Tolve Roberta , Condelli Nicola , Caruso Marisa Carmela , Barletta Diego , Favati Fabio , Galgano Fernanda
Published: January 2018

Chocolate is one of the most consumed delicacies in the world.
Endogenous sialic acid-engineered micelles: a multifunctional platform for on-demand methotrexate delivery and bone repair of rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Xu Xiao-Ling , Li Wei-Shuo , Wang Xiao-Juan , Du Yang-Long , Kang Xu-Qi , Hu Jing-Bo , Li Shu-Juan , Ying Xiao-Ying , You Jian , Du Yong-Zhong
Published: January 2018

A multifunctional carrier for methotrexate delivery and bone repair of rheumatoid arthritis.
Transiently malleable multi-healable hydrogel nanocomposites based on responsive boronic acid copolymers
Authors: Amaral Adérito J. R. , Emamzadeh Mina , Pasparakis George
Published: January 2018

Dynamic multi-responsive gel nanocomposites with rapid self-healing and cell encapsulation properties are presented.
Remediation of trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated groundwater by persulfate oxidation: a field-scale study
Authors: Chang Yu-Chen , Chen Ting-Yu , Tsai Yung-Pin , Chen Ku-Fan
Published: January 2018

This study uses a trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated site to determine the efficacy of persulfate oxidation for the treatment of TCE-contaminated groundwater.
Yeast fermentation inspired Ca-alginate hydrogel membrane: lower transparency, hierarchical pore structure and higher hydrophobicity
Authors: Xing Lijuan , Li Zhigang , Zhang Qingsong , Zhang Yixuan , Liu Pengfei , Zhang Kailin
Published: January 2018

CO2 from yeast fermentation was used to prepare a porous hydrogel membrane with decreased transparency, hierarchical pores and increased hydrophobicity.
Glucose monitoring in living cells with single fluorescent protein-based sensors
Authors: Hu Hanyang , Wei Yufeng , Wang Daocheng , Su Ni , Chen Xianjun , Zhao Yuzheng , Liu Guixia , Yang Yi
Published: January 2018

Glucose is the main source of energy and carbon in organisms and plays a central role in metabolism and cellular homeostasis.
Enhancement of CO2 capture performance of aqueous MEA by mixing with [NH2e-mim][BF4]
Authors: Wang Mei , Wang Mingming , Rao Na , Li Jiale , Li Jianfen
Published: January 2018

Alcohol amine solutions have a high absorption capacity and rate for CO2 capture, however, there are some shortcomings such as high energy-consumption and low stability.
Terminal aspartic acids promote the self-assembly of collagen mimic peptides into nanospheres
Authors: Yao Linyan , He Manman , Li Dongfang , Tian Jing , Liu Huanxiang , Xiao Jianxi
Published: January 2018

Amphiphile-like collagen mimic peptides with terminal aspartic acids may provide a general and convenient strategy to create well-defined nanostructures.
Biochemical characterization of a novel ulvan lyase from Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain PLSV
Authors: Qin Hui-Min , Xu Panpan , Guo Qianqian , Cheng Xiaotao , Gao Dengke , Sun Dengyue , Zhu Zhangliang , Lu Fuping
Published: January 2018

Ulvans, complex polysaccharides found in the ulvales (green seaweed) cell wall, contain predominantly 3-sulfated rhamnose (Rha3S) linked to either d-glucuronic acid, l-iduronic acid or d-xylose.
Self-assembled MoS2/rGO nanocomposites with tunable UV-IR absorption
Authors: Wang Wei , Kapitanova Olesya O. , Ilanchezhiyan Pugazhendi , Xi Sixing , Panin Gennady N. , Fu Dejun , Kang Tae Won
Published: January 2018

MoS2/rGO layered nanocomposites synthesized by hydrothermal process exhibit a wide UV-IR absorption in the wavelength range from 280 to 973 nm, which is attractive for highly efficient multiband solar cells and advanced photonics.
Ti3C2MXene: a promising microwave absorbing material
Authors: Feng Wanlin , Luo Heng , Wang Yu , Zeng Sifan , Deng Lianwen , Zhou Xiaosong , Zhang Haibin , Peng Shuming
Published: January 2018

A novel microwave absorbing material with Ti3C2MXene nanosheets.
Three-dimensional macroporous graphene monoliths with entrapped MoS2nanoflakes from single-step synthesis for high-performance sodium-ion batteries
Authors: Fei Linfeng , Xu Ming , Jiang Juan , Ng Sheung Mei , Shu Longlong , Sun Li , Xie Keyu , Huang Haitao , Leung Chi Wah , Mak Chee Leung , Wang Yu
Published: January 2018

A single-step, template-free, high-throughput synthesis method is developed to produce graphene/MoS2composites for improved performances in sodium-ion batteries.
Pressurized carbonization of mixed plastics into porous carbon sheets on magnesium oxide
Authors: Ma Jiali , Liu Jie , Song Jiangfeng , Tang Tao
Published: January 2018

Mixed thermoplastics were converted into porous carbon sheets over a magnesium oxide template with high yield in an autoclave reactor at 500 °C.
Transparent and flexible Sb-doped SnO2 films with a nanoscale AgTi alloyed interlayer for heat generation and shielding applications
Authors: Cho Kyung-Su , Kim Han-Ki
Published: January 2018

Transparent and flexible ATO films with a nanoscale AgTi alloyed interlayer were fabricated for high performance heat generating and shielding films in smart windows.
Amino acid composition and nutritional value evaluation of Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima Blume) and its protein subunit
Authors: Yang Fang , Huang Xingjian , Zhang Conglan , Zhang Mei , Huang Chao , Yang Hao
Published: January 2018

Chinese chestnut (DIAAS > 90%) with low molecular weight subunits is a good source of plant protein for human nutrition.
Adsorption of an Au atom and dimer on a thin θ-Al2O3/NiAl(100) film: dependence on the thickness of the θ-Al2O3 film
Authors: Hsia Ching-Lun , Wang Jeng-Han , Luo Meng-Fan
Published: January 2018

The adsorption behavior of a single Au atom and a dimer on thin-film θ-Al2O3(001)/NiAl(100) varies with the thickness of the film.
Preparation of morphology-controllable PGMA-DVB microspheres by introducing Span 80 into seed emulsion polymerization
Authors: Cong Hailin , Yu Bing , Gao Lilong , Yang Bo , Gao Fei , Zhang Hongbo , Liu Yangchun
Published: January 2018

The obtained PGMA-DVB microspheres showed a variety of morphologies by adjusting the amount of Span 80 in the seeded emulsion polymerization.
A new twist in the photophysics of the GFP chromophore: a volume-conserving molecular torsion couple
Authors: Conyard Jamie , Heisler Ismael A. , Chan Yohan , Bulman Page Philip C. , Meech Stephen R. , Blancafort Lluís
Published: January 2018

Dynamics of a nonplanar GFP chromophore are studied experimentally and theoretically. Coupled torsional motion is responsible for the ultrafast decay.
Performance tuning of giant electrorheological fluids by interfacial tailoring
Authors: Xu Zhichao , Hong Yaying , Zhang Mengying , Wu Jinbo , Wen Weijia
Published: January 2018

To fine-tune the competitive performance of GER fluids, we modified the surface of the GER particles by adding silicone polyether.
2D expanded conjugated polymers with non-fullerene acceptors for efficient polymer solar cells
Authors: Wen Shuguang , Chen Weichao , Huang Gongyue , Shen Wenfei , Liu Huizhou , Duan Linrui , Zhang Jun , Yang Renqiang
Published: January 2018

2D expanded conjugated polymers show a power conversion efficiency of 8.03% in non-fullerene solar cell devices with a high JSC of over 17 mA cm−2.
Color-tunable luminescent hydrogels with tough mechanical strength and self-healing ability
Authors: Yang Daqing , Wang Yige , Li Zhiqiang , Xu Yang , Cheng Fei , Li Peng , Li Huanrong
Published: January 2018

A series of robust, color-tunable and self-healing luminescent hydrogels were constructed via self-assembly strategy driven by the electrostatic interaction of positively-charged luminescent micelles consisting of lanthanide complexes and negatively-charged clay nanosheets in aqueous solution.
Effects of sub-chronic exposure to atmospheric PM2.5on fibrosis, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis in the livers of rats
Authors: Li Ruijin , Zhang Mei , Wang Ying , Yung Ken Kin Lam , Su Ruijun , Li Zhuoyu , Zhao Liping , Dong Chuan , Cai Zongwei
Published: January 2018

Epidemiological studies have revealed that exposure to PM2.5is linked to liver cancer.
Adjustably transconductance enhanced bulk‐driven OTA with the CMOS technologies scaling
Authors: Wang Yongqing , Zhao Xiao , Zhang Qisheng , Lv Xiaolong
Published: January 2018

An adjustably transconductance enhanced bulk‐driven operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) working at weak inversion region is presented. Based on the traditional positive feedback source degeneration technique, a proposed current‐shunt auxiliary amplifier is employed here to modulate the gate of input differential pairs, achieving a further improvement of the effective transconductance with the CMOS technologies scaling. In addition, an adjustable transconductance enhancement factor is obtained, leading to an enhanced stability performance. Both conventional and proposed bulk‐driven OTAs are designed and simulated on CSMC 180 nm process. The simulated results demonstrate that the unity gain‐bandwidth of the proposed bulk‐driven OTA is improved by 120% compared to that of the conventional counterpart with a little neglected increased power consumption.
Combined linear and non‐linear controller design for motor position regulation
Authors: Cheng Guoqing
Published: January 2018

A composite robust controller is proposed for typical motor servo systems subject to control saturation and unknown disturbance. The controller contains a linear servo control law which achieves a fast response, and a non‐linear control part to suppress the overshoot. The unknown disturbance is assumed to have a constant rate of change, and is treated as an extended state of the system. A reduced‐order observer is then designed to estimate the unmeasurable state and disturbance for control and compensation. The controller is applied to a permanent magnet synchronous motor for position regulation, and digital simulation and experimental test are conducted to verify the superior performance and robustness of the design.
Group consensus control for discrete‐time heterogeneous first‐ and second‐order multi‐agent systems
Authors: Feng Yuanzhen , Zheng Wei Xing
Published: January 2018

This study investigates the group consensus problem for heterogeneous multi‐agent systems composed of discrete‐time first‐ and second‐order agents. Two kinds of distributed group consensus protocols are proposed based on the information of the agent itself and its neighbours. Model transformation is introduced and some sufficient conditions are derived for heterogeneous multi‐agent systems with directed communication topology to reach group consensus by utilising the matrix theory and the graph theory. Finally, simulation examples are given to validate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
CT and MR image information fusion scheme using a cascaded framework in ripplet and NSST domain
Authors: Singh Sneha , Anand Radhey Shyam , Gupta Deep
Published: January 2018

The fusion of multimodal medical information is considered as an assisted approach for the medical professionals. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance (CT–MR) medical image fusion are able to help the radiologist in precise diagnosis of disease and deciding the required treatment in accord with the patient's condition. Therefore, a cascaded framework is proposed in this study that presents a fusion approach for multimodal medical information in ripplet transform (RT) and non‐subsampled shearlet (NSST) domain. The RT and NSST having different features are utilised in a cascade manner that provides several directional decomposition coefficients and increases shift invariance information in the fused images. At the first stage decomposition, a biologically inspired neural model, motivated by novel sum‐modified Laplacian and spatial frequency is utilised to fuse the low‐ and high‐frequency coefficients, respectively, and the max fusion rule based on regional energy is utilised at stage 2. This model is used to preserve the redundant information also. The fusion performance is also validated by extensive simulations performed on different CT–MR image datasets of different diseases. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method provides better fused images in terms of visual quality along with the quantitative indices compared with several existing fusion approaches.
Hybrid modular converter for DC microgrids
Authors: Revathi B.Sri , Mahalingam Prabhakar
Published: January 2018

A novel non‐isolated high step‐up high‐power DC–DC converter based on coupled inductor (CI) and voltage multiplier cell (VMC) for renewable energy DC microgrids is presented in this study. A hybrid combination of three‐phase interleaved boost converter with three CIs is chosen to reduce the current ripple at the input and meet the high‐power requirement. Three VMCs connected at the secondary side of the CIs serve as gain extension cells. The voltage stress experienced by the switches is only a fraction of the output voltage as the gain extension is mainly achieved at the secondary side of CIs. Practical results obtained from the proposed converter which operated from a 60 V input and provided an output voltage of 1.1 kV while delivering 3 kW of output power prove the correctness of the design details and validate the proposed concept.
Radar high‐resolution range profile feature extraction method based on multiple kernel projection subspace fusion
Authors: Li Long , Liu Zheng , Li Tao
Published: January 2018

For radar automatic target recognition, the features should be extracted with sufficient target information, high discrimination, noise robustness and low feature vector dimension. In this study, a novel method for HRRP feature extraction is proposed, named as multiple kernel projection subspace fusion (MKPSF) method. For MKPSF, the statistical characteristics of both strong and weak scattering range cells are effectively exploited with an improved projection subspace extraction method. Therefore, the integrity of target information and the noise robustness can be ensured for HRRP recognition. In addition, a novel criterion function is constructed based on feature fusion and Fisher criterion theories. In this criterion function, the within‐class correlation and between‐class discrimination are maximised to guarantee high discrimination for feature vectors. Besides, the redundancy and dimensionality of the feature vectors are reduced by a fusion operation within the criterion function. This facilitates the reduction of the computational complexity in the practical radar target recognition system. Experimental results with measured datasets validate the efficiency of the proposed method.
Comment la recherche concertée contribue à l'écologie territoriale
Authors: Queste Jérôme , Wassenaar Tom
Published: January 2018

La concertation semble en passe de devenir une norme en matière de gestion des ressources naturelles et de l'environnement. Pourtant, son impact reste difficile à caractériser, ce qui génère une forme de désenchantement auprès de ses promoteurs. Au cours d'un projet de recherche concertée à La Réunion, nous avons cherché à mieux comprendre comment la concertation influence l'écologie territoriale. Pour ce faire, nous avons réalisé un double suivi, du processus de concertation et de ses produits d'une part, des changements en lien avec l'objet de la concertation survenant sur le territoire d'autre part. Le second suivi a conduit à une série de récits d'innovation au sein desquels nous avons pu mettre en évidence les contributions des produits de la concertation. Les produits de la concertation ayant contribué aux changements sont des apprentissages individuels et collectifs et une reproblématisation partagée de la situation. Cette reproblématisation que nous qualifions de mythe rationalisé se compose d'un problème à résoudre – le gaspillage de nutriments dû à une mauvaise gestion des déchets organiques – et d'une solution sociotechnique susceptible de résoudre ce problème – une filière intégrée de recyclage de ces déchets sous la forme de produits fertilisants normés. Ces produits contribuent aux changements en d'autres lieux que les arènes de concertation et selon d'autres agendas que celui du projet. Ils participent à un ensemble de micro-changements non planifiés mais alignés dans une direction commune. Le mythe rationalisé assure ici une fonction de coordination informelle. Nos résultats suggèrent que la prise en compte du contexte dans lequel les processus participatifs se déroulent améliore l'évaluation des effets de la concertation. Ils soulignent également la pertinence du recours à une recherche concertée dans le domaine de l'écologie territoriale.
Analysis of the impact of the eastern ring road of Lodz on selected components of the environment
Authors: Janas, Monika , Zawadzka Alicja
Published: January 2018

The geographical location of Poland and the pursuit of economic growth make it necessary to build a sufficiently equipped and compact network of expressways and motorways. Such investments do not, however, leave the environment unaffected. The work analyzes changes that have occurred in the natural environment under the influence of the construction and operation of Lodz eastern ring road being a section of the A1 motorway commissioned in August 2016. Changes in the pollution of air, soil and acoustic climate are discussed in detail.
Research on chromium and arsenic speciation in atmospheric particulate matter: short review
Authors: Nocoń Katarzyna , Rogula-Kozłowska Wioletta , Widziewicz Kamila
Published: January 2018

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) plays an important role in the distribution of elements in the environment. The PM-bound elements penetrates into the other elements of the environment, in two basic forms - those dissolved in the atmospheric precipitation and those permanently bound to PM particles. Those forms differs greatly in their mobility, thus posing a potential threat to living organisms. They can also be an immediate threat, while being inhaled. Chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As) belong to the group of elements whose certain chemical states exhibit toxic properties, that is Cr(VI) and As(III). Thus, recognition of the actual threat posed by Cr and As in the environment, including those present in PM, is possible only through the in depth speciation analysis. Research on the Cr and As speciation in PM, more than the analogous studies of their presence in other compartments of the environment, have been undertaken quite rarely. Hence the knowledge on the speciation of PM-bound As and Cr is still limited. The state of knowledge in the field of PM-bound Cr and As is presented in the paper. The issues related to the characterization and occurrence of Cr and As species in PM, the share of Cr and As species mass in different PM size fractions, and in PM of different origin is also summarized. The analytical techniques used in the speciation analysis of PM-bound Cr and As are also discussed. In the existing literature there is no data on the physical characteristics of Cr and As (bound to a different PM size fractions), and thus it still lack of data needed for a comprehensive assessment of the actual environmental and health threat posed by airborne Cr and As.
Preliminary comparative assessment and elements of equivalence of air pollution measurement results of portable monitoring stations with using stochastic models
Authors: Owczarek Tomasz , Rogulski Mariusz , Badyda Artur
Published: January 2018

This article is an attempt to assess the suitability of new non-reference mobile measuring devices for the analysis of PM10 concentrations. The aim is to compare the concentration daily values measured by these devices with the concentrations obtained by the reference device. It also examines the possibility of building models that correct these values to equivalent reference values. The analysis allows to conclude that the properties of the obtained measurements indicate a good chance of constructing an effective model of correcting the concentration values. Comparison of frequency, time variation and correlation of concentrations indicates the ability to demonstrate the equivalence of mobile devices with the reference method.
Application of fuzzy logic to determine the odour intensity of model gas mixtures using electronic nose
Authors: Szulczyński Bartosz , Gębicki Jacek , Namieśnik Jacek
Published: January 2018

The paper presents the possibility of application of fuzzy logic to determine the odour intensity of model, ternary gas mixtures (α-pinene, toluene and triethylamine) using electronic nose prototype. The results obtained using fuzzy logic algorithms were compared with the values obtained using multiple linear regression (MLR) model and sensory analysis. As the results of the studies, it was found the electronic nose prototype along with the fuzzy logic pattern recognition system can be successfully used to estimate the odour intensity of tested gas mixtures. The correctness of the results obtained using fuzzy logic was equal to 68%.
ATLAS Tile Calorimeter calibration and monitoring systems
Authors: Cortés-González Arely
Published: January 2018

The ATLAS Tile Calorimeter is the central section of the hadronic calorimeter of the ATLAS experiment and provides important information for reconstruction of hadrons, jets, hadronic decays of tau leptons and missing transverse energy. This sampling calorimeter uses steel plates as absorber and scintillating tiles as active medium. The light produced by the passage of charged particles is transmitted by wavelength shifting fibres to photomultiplier tubes, located in the outer part of the calorimeter. Neutral particles may also produce a signal after interacting with the material and producing charged particles. The readout is segmented into about 5000 cells, each of them being read out by two photomultipliers in parallel. To calibrate and monitor the stability and performance of each part of the readout chain during the data taking, a set of calibration systems is used. This comprises Cesium radioactive sources, Laser, charge injection elements and an integrator based readout system. Information from all systems allows to monitor and equalise the calorimeter response at each stage of the signal production, from scintillation light to digitisation. Calibration runs are monitored from a data quality perspective and used as a cross-check for physics runs. The data quality efficiency achieved during 2016 was 98.9%. These calibration and stability of the calorimeter reported here show that the TileCal performance is within the design requirements and has given essential contribution to reconstructed objects and physics results.
Improving gross count gamma-ray logging in uranium mining with the NGRS probe
Authors: Carasco C. , Pérot B. , Ma J.-L. , Toubon H. , Dubille-Auchère A.
Published: January 2018

AREVA Mines and the Nuclear Measurement Laboratory of CEA Cadarache are collaborating to improve the sensitivity and precision of uranium concentration measurement by means of gamma ray logging. The determination of uranium concentration in boreholes is performed with the Natural Gamma Ray Sonde (NGRS) based on a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. The total gamma count rate is converted into uranium concentration using a calibration coefficient measured in concrete blocks with known uranium concentration in the AREVA Mines calibration facility located in Bessines, France. Until now, to take into account gamma attenuation in a variety of boreholes diameters, tubing materials, diameters and thicknesses, filling fluid densities and compositions, a semi-empirical formula was used to correct the calibration coefficient measured in Bessines facility. In this work, we propose to use Monte Carlo simulations to improve gamma attenuation corrections. To this purpose, the NGRS probe and the calibration measurements in the standard concrete blocks have been modeled with MCNP computer code. The calibration coefficient determined by simulation, 5.3 s-1.ppmU-1 ± 10%, is in good agreement with the one measured in Bessines, 5.2 s-1.ppmU-1. Based on the validated MCNP model, several parametric studies have been performed. For instance, the rock density and chemical composition proved to have a limited impact on the calibration coefficient. However, gamma self-absorption in uranium leads to a nonlinear relationship between count rate and uranium concentration beyond approximately 1% of uranium weight fraction, the underestimation of the uranium content reaching more than a factor 2.5 for a 50 % uranium weight fraction. Next steps will concern parametric studies with different tubing materials, diameters and thicknesses, as well as different borehole filling fluids representative of real measurement conditions.
Gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements and simulations for uranium mining
Authors: Marchais T. , Pérot B. , Carasco C. , Allinei P-G , Chaussonnet P. , Ma J-L , Toubon H.
Published: January 2018

AREVA Mines and the Nuclear Measurement Laboratory of CEA Cadarache are collaborating to improve the sensitivity and precision of uranium concentration evaluation by means of gamma measurements. This paper reports gamma-ray spectra, recorded with a high-purity coaxial germanium detector, on standard cement blocks with increasing uranium content, and the corresponding MCNP simulations. The detailed MCNP model of the detector and experimental setup has been validated by calculation vs. experiment comparisons. An optimization of the detector MCNP model is presented in this paper, as well as a comparison of different nuclear data libraries to explain missing or exceeding peaks in the simulation. Energy shifts observed between the fluorescence X-rays produced by MCNP and atomic data are also investigated. The qualified numerical model will be used in further studies to develop new gamma spectroscopy approaches aiming at reducing acquisition times, especially for ore samples with low uranium content.
Detection of tiny amounts of fissile materials in large-sized containers with radioactive waste
Authors: Batyaev V.F. , Skliarov S.V.
Published: January 2018

The paper is devoted to non-destructive control of tiny amounts of fissile materials in large-sized containers filled with radioactive waste (RAW). The aim of this work is to model an active neutron interrogation facility for detection of fissile ma-terials inside NZK type containers with RAW and determine the minimal detectable mass of U-235 as a function of various param-eters: matrix type, nonuniformity of container filling, neutron gen-erator parameters (flux, pulse frequency, pulse duration), meas-urement time. As a result the dependence of minimal detectable mass on fissile materials location inside container is shown. Nonu-niformity of the thermal neutron flux inside a container is the main reason of the space-heterogeneity of minimal detectable mass in-side a large-sized container. Our experiments with tiny amounts of uranium-235 (<1 g) confirm the detection of fissile materials in NZK containers by using active neutron interrogation technique.
A Photofission Delayed γ-ray Spectra Calculation Tool for the Conception of a Nuclear Material Characterization Facility
Authors: BERNARD D. , SEROT O. , SIMON E. , BOUCHER L. , PLUMERI S.
Published: January 2018

The photon interrogation analysis is a nondestructive technique allowing to identify and quantify fissile materials in nuclear waste packages. This paper details an automatic procedure which has been developed to simulate the delayed γ-ray spectra for several actinide photofissions. This calculation tool will be helpful for the fine conception (collimation, shielding, noise background optimizations, etc.) and for the on-line analysis of such a facility.
Characterization of Low Level Wastes: a new design for calorimetric measurement
Authors: Galliez Kévin , Jossens Guillaume , Godot Alain , Mathonat Christophe
Published: January 2018

Calorimetry is one of the best solutions to estimate the overall quantity of nuclear material on a wide range of masses, from a few milligrams up to kilograms of radionuclides, by measuring the overall thermal power due to the radioactive decay coming from the waste contained in a metallic drum or a different type of container. It has many advantages as it features a non-destructive method which remains independent of matrix effect or the chemical composition. Until now, calorimetry allows to measure at the lowest 0.5 to 1 mW for samples up to 385 liters. But nowadays, thanks to new technological breakthroughs, KEP-Technologies calorimeters are able to measure as low as 50 μW for 40 liters samples. The μLVC is based on a new design with twin cells, a new temperature regulation loop and a heat-flow measurement system inside a vacuum chamber (Patent deposit P005299 LA/VL). The μLVC is a differential heat-flow calorimeter for precise measurement independent of the residual fluctuations caused by environmental changes. The new calorimeter is an industrial product able to work in environmental conditions with wide temperature variations. The first results have shown a great improvement in the detection of very low thermal effect thanks to the thermal noise reduction. The paper presents the developments in Large Volume Calorimetry as a new tool for quantification of nuclear material to characterize Pu-Am samples, i-graphite, and low tritium samples with high precision and reliability.