bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the antibody response against EV71 capsid proteins in Chinese individuals by NEIBM-ELISA
Authors: Ding Yingying , Chen Xuguang , Qian Baohua , Wu Guorong , He Ting , Feng Jiaojiao , Gao Caixia , Wang Lili , Wang Jinhong , Li Xiangyu , Cao Mingmei , Peng Heng , Zhao Chunyan , Pan Wei
Published: May 2015

Human enterovirus 71 (EV71) has become the major pathogen of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) worldwide, while the anti-EV71 antibody responses other than neutralizing epitopes have not been characterized. In this study, EV71 capsid proteins VP1, VP3, VP0 and various VP1 antigens were constructed to analyze anti-EV71 response in severe HFMD cases, non-HFMD outpatient children and normal adults using a novel evolved immunoglobulin-binding molecule (NEIBM)-based ELISA. The high prevalence of antibody responses against all three capsid proteins was demonstrated and anti-EV71 VP1 showed the main antibody response. Anti-EV71 VP1 antibody response was found to predominantly target to epitopes based on the common enterovirus cross-reactive sequence. Moreover, inhibition pattern against anti-EV71 VP1 reactions in three groups was obviously different. Taken together, these results firstly characterized the anti-EV71 antibody responses which are predominantly against VP1 epitopes based on common enterovirus cross-reactive sequence. This finding could be helpful for the better understanding of anti-EV71 humoral immunity and useful for seroepidemiological surveillance.
The Cullin 4A/B-DDB1-Cereblon E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Complex Mediates the Degradation of CLC-1 Chloride Channels
Authors: Chen Yi-An , Peng Yi-Jheng , Hu Meng-Chun , Huang Jing-Jia , Chien Yun-Chia , Wu June-Tai , Chen Tsung-Yu , Tang Chih-Yung
Published: May 2015

Voltage-gated CLC-1 chloride channels play a critical role in controlling the membrane excitability of skeletal muscles. Mutations in human CLC-1 channels have been linked to the hereditary muscle disorder myotonia congenita. We have previously demonstrated that disease-associated CLC-1 A531V mutant protein may fail to pass the endoplasmic reticulum quality control system and display enhanced protein degradation as well as defective membrane trafficking. Currently the molecular basis of protein degradation for CLC-1 channels is virtually unknown. Here we aim to identify the E3 ubiquitin ligase of CLC-1 channels. The protein abundance of CLC-1 was notably enhanced in the presence of MLN4924, a specific inhibitor of cullin-RING E3 ligases. Subsequent investigation with dominant-negative constructs against specific subtypes of cullin-RING E3 ligases suggested that CLC-1 seemed to serve as the substrate for cullin 4A (CUL4A) and 4B (CUL4B). Biochemical examinations further indicated that CUL4A/B, damage-specific DNA binding protein 1 (DDB1) and cereblon (CRBN) appeared to co-exist in the same protein complex with CLC-1. Moreover, suppression of CUL4A/B E3 ligase activity significantly enhanced the functional expression of the A531V mutant. Our data are consistent with the idea that the CUL4A/B-DDB1-CRBN complex catalyses the polyubiquitination and thus controls the degradation of CLC-1 channels.
PAX6 does not regulate Nfia and Nfib expression during neocortical development
Authors: Bunt Jens , Lim Jonathan W. C. , Zhao Lu , Mason Sharon , Richards Linda J.
Published: May 2015

The Nuclear factor I (NFI) family of transcription factors regulates proliferation and differentiation throughout the developing central nervous system. In the developing telencephalon of humans and mice, reducedNfiexpression is associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum and other neurodevelopmental defects. Currently, little is known about howNfiexpression is regulated during early telencephalic development. PAX6, a transcription factor important for telencephalic development, has been proposed as an upstream regulator ofNfiexpression in the neocortex. Here we demonstrate that, in the developing neocortex of mice, NFIA and NFIB are endogenously expressed in gradients with high caudo-medial to low rostro-lateral expression and are most highly expressed in the cortical plate. We found that this expression pattern deviates from that of PAX6, suggesting that PAX6 does not driveNfiexpression. This is supported byin vitroreporter assays showing that PAX6 over-expression does not regulateNfipromoter activity. Similarly, we also found that in thePax6 Small Eyemutant, no changes inNfimRNA or protein expression are observed in the neocortical ventricular zone where PAX6 and the NFIs are expressed. Together these data demonstrate that in mice, PAX6 is not a transcriptional activator ofNfiexpression during neocortical development.
Efficient delivery of antigen to DCs using yeast-derived microparticles
Authors: Pan Ying , Li Xiaopeng , Kang Tianyi , Meng Hui , Chen Zhouli , Yang Li , Wu Yang , Wei Yuquan , Gou Maling
Published: May 2015

Some pathogens can be naturally recognized and internalized by antigen presentation cells (APCs) in vivo, providing a platform for efficient vaccine delivery. However, the biosafety concerns discourage the clinical applications of live pathogens. Here, yeast-derived microparticles were prepared for cancer vaccine delivery. By chemical treatment of bread yeast, capsular yeast shell (YS) microparticles were obtained. Ovalbumin (OVA), as a model antigen, was conjugated to the surface of YS. Results indicated that these YS microparticles with a uniform size of ~3.4 μm can be recognized and internalized by dendritic cells (DCs). The YS-mediated antigen delivery can enhance the cellular uptake of antigen by DCs, promote the maturation of DCs and trigger DCs to release immune co-stimulatory molecules. Immunization with YS-mediated antigen can induce an effective immune response against tumor cells in vivo, with contributions from both humoral and cellular immunity. This work suggests that yeast shell microparticles as efficient vaccine delivery system has promising applications in cancer immunotherapy.
New breast cancer prognostic factors identified by computer-aided image analysis of HE stained histopathology images
Authors: Chen Jia-Mei , Qu Ai-Ping , Wang Lin-Wei , Yuan Jing-Ping , Yang Fang , Xiang Qing-Ming , Maskey Ninu , Yang Gui-Fang , Liu Juan , Li Yan
Published: May 2015

Computer-aided image analysis (CAI) can help objectively quantify morphologic features of hematoxylin-eosin (HE) histopathology images and provide potentially useful prognostic information on breast cancer. We performed a CAI workflow on 1,150 HE images from 230 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast. We used a pixel-wise support vector machine classifier for tumor nests (TNs)-stroma segmentation and a marker-controlled watershed algorithm for nuclei segmentation. 730 morphologic parameters were extracted after segmentation and 12 parameters identified by Kaplan-Meier analysis were significantly associated with 8-year disease free survival (P < 0.05 for all). Moreover, four image features including TNs feature (HR 1.327, 95%CI [1.001 - 1.759], P = 0.049), TNs cell nuclei feature (HR 0.729, 95%CI [0.537 - 0.989], P = 0.042), TNs cell density (HR 1.625, 95%CI [1.177 - 2.244], P = 0.003) and stromal cell structure feature (HR 1.596, 95%CI [1.142 - 2.229], P = 0.006) were identified by multivariate Cox proportional hazards model to be new independent prognostic factors. The results indicated that CAI can assist the pathologist in extracting prognostic information from HE histopathology images for IDC. The TNs feature, TNs cell nuclei feature, TNs cell density and stromal cell structure feature could be new prognostic factors.
Time-resolved imaging of pulse-induced magnetization reversal with a microwave assist field
Authors: Rao Siddharth , Rhensius Jan , Bisig Andre , Mawass Mohamad-Assaad , Weigand Markus , Kläui Mathias , Bhatia Charanjit S. , Yang Hyunsoo
Published: May 2015

The reversal of the magnetization under the influence of a field pulse has been previously predicted to be an incoherent process with several competing phenomena such as domain wall relaxation, spin wave-mediated instability regions and vortex-core mediated reversal dynamics. However, there has been no study on the direct observation of the switching process with the aid of a microwave signal input. We report a time-resolved imaging study of magnetization reversal in patterned magnetic structures under the influence of a field pulse with microwave assistance. The microwave frequency is varied to demonstrate the effect of resonant microwave-assisted switching. We observe that the switching process is dominated by spin wave dynamics generated as a result of magnetic instabilities in the structures and identify the frequencies that are most dominant in magnetization reversal.
Slow Spin Dynamics in Superconducting Ca0.9Ce0.1Fe2As2
Authors: Nadeem K. , Zhang W. , Chen D. Y. , Ren Z. A. , Qiu X. G.
Published: May 2015

Slow spin dynamics has been observed in superconducting under-doped Ca0.9Ce0.1Fe2As2 single crystal. Below 100 K, the system exhibits hysteresis in the cooling and warming protocols of temperature dependent resistivity due to first order tetragonal to orthorhombic structural transition with simultaneous magnetic transition from paramagnetic to spin density wave antiferromagnetic state of the iron (Fe) ions. Zero field cooled/field cooled (ZFC/FC) magnetization curves showed splitting at 32 K followed by a sharp increase of the FC curve and then FC plateau at low temperatures. Slow spin relaxation in both the ZFC and FC protocols was observed which is typical for spin-glass system. The system also showed features analogue to spin-glass behavior such as ZFC peak, FC plateau, ZFC slow spin relaxation, magnetic hysteresis and ZFC ac memory effect. The spin-glass like behavior was rather weak and vanished at higher fields. The origin of the slow spin dynamics could be the inhomogeneous distribution of the cerium (Ce) spins ordered along the c-axis OR interactions between Fe and Ce spins which lead to magnetic frustration of Ce spins. All these findings support the coexistence of slow spin dynamics of Ce spins and superconductivity in Ca0.9Ce0.1Fe2As2 single crystal.
Biodistribution and function of extracellular miRNA-155 in mice
Authors: Bala Shashi , Csak Timea , Momen-Heravi Fatemeh , Lippai Dora , Kodys Karen , Catalano Donna , Satishchandran Abhishek , Ambros Victor , Szabo Gyongyi
Published: May 2015

Circulating miRNAs can be found in extracellular vesicles (EV) and could be involved in intercellular communication. Here, we report the biodistribution of EV associated miR-155 using miR-155 KO mouse model. Administration of exosomes loaded with synthetic miR-155 mimic into miR-155 KO mice resulted in a rapid accumulation and clearance of miR-155 in the plasma with subsequent distribution in the liver, adipose tissue, lung, muscle and kidney (highest to lowest, respectively). miR-155 expression was detected in isolated hepatocytes and liver mononuclear cells of recipient KO mice suggesting its cellular uptake. In vitro, exosome-mediated restoration of miR-155 in Kupffer cells from miR-155 deficient mice augmented their LPS-induced MCP1 mRNA increase. The systemic delivery of wild type plasma to miR-155 KO mice also resulted in a rapid accumulation of miR-155 in the circulation and distribution to the liver and adipose tissue. In summary, our results demonstrate tissue biodistribution and biologic function of EV-associated miR-155.
Meta-analysis of the association of MTHFR polymorphisms with multiple myeloma risk
Authors: Ma Li-Min , Ruan Lin-Hai , Yang Hai-Ping
Published: May 2015

The association of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms with multiple myeloma (MM) risk has been explored, but the results remain controversial. Thus, a meta-analysis was performed to provide a comprehensively estimate. The case-control studies about MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms with MM risk were collected by searching PubMed, Elsevier, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Databases. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to assess the strength of association. Overall, no significant association was found between MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and MM risk under all four genetic models (AC vs. AA, OR = 0.99, 95%CI = 0.82-1.20; CC vs. AA, OR = 1.14, 95%CI = 0.77-1.68; recessive model, OR = 1.10, 95%CI = 0.76-1.59; dominant model, OR = 1.01, 95%CI = 0.84-1.22). The risk was also not significantly altered for C677T polymorphism and MM in overall comparisons (CT vs. CC, OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 0.93-1.17; TT vs. CC, OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 0.98-1.37; recessive model, OR = 1.13, 95%CI = 0.98-1.32; dominant model, OR = 1.07, 95%CI = 0.96-1.20). In subgroup analyses by ethnicity, no significant association was observed in both Caucasians and Asians. This meta-analysis suggested that MTHFR polymorphisms were not associated with MM risk.
A Late Devonian Fertile Organ with Seed Plant Affinities from China
Authors: Wang Deming , Liu Le , Guo Yun , Xue Jinzhuang , Meng Meicen
Published: May 2015

Seed plants underwent first major evolutionary radiation in the Late Devonian (Famennian), as evidenced by the numerous ovules described to date. However, the early pollen organs are underrepresented, so that their structure and evolution remain poorly known. Here we report a new taxon of pollen organ Placotheca minuta from the Late Devonian. The synangium consists of many basally and more or less laterally fused microsporangia borne on the margin of a pad. The prepollen is spherical and trilete. The appearance of Famennian synangia especially in Placotheca does not support the current understanding that the earliest pollen organs closely resembled the fructifications of the ancestral progymnosperms. Placotheca indicates earlier diversification of pollen organs than previously expected and is highly derived among the early pollen organs with trilete prepollen. It is suggested that, immediately after the origination of seed plants, pollen organs had evolved at a rapid rate, whereas their prepollen remained primitively spore-like.
Electromagnetically induced absorption in a three-resonator metasurface system
Authors: Zhang Xueqian , Xu Ningning , Qu Kenan , Tian Zhen , Singh Ranjan , Han Jiaguang , Agarwal Girish S. , Zhang Weili
Published: May 2015

Mimicking the quantum phenomena in metamaterials through coupled classical resonators has attracted enormous interest. Metamaterial analogs of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) enable promising applications in telecommunications, light storage, slow light and sensing. Although the EIT effect has been studied extensively in coupled metamaterial systems, excitation of electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) through near-field coupling in these systems has only been sparsely explored. Here we present the observation of the EIA analog due to constructive interference in a vertically coupled three-resonator metamaterial system that consists of two bright and one dark resonator. The absorption resonance is one of the collective modes of the tripartite unit cell. Theoretical analysis shows that the absorption arises from a magnetic resonance induced by the near-field coupling of the three resonators within the unit cell. A classical analog of EIA opens up opportunities for designing novel photonic devices for narrow-band filtering, absorptive switching, optical modulation and absorber applications.
Follower ants in a tandem pair are not always naïve
Authors: Schultheiss Patrick , Raderschall Chloé A , Narendra Ajay
Published: May 2015

In addition to foraging individually several species of ants guide nestmates to a goal by tandem running. We found that the Australian ant, Camponotus consobrinus, forages both individually and by tandem running to head to the same goal, nest-specific native Australian trees on which they forage. While paths of solitary foragers and initial paths of tandem followers showed no differences in heading directions or straightness, tandem followers moved at about half the speed of solitary runs. When leaders were experimentally removed, follower ants initially engaged in a systematic search around the point of interruption, following which they either (a) headed directly towards and successfully reached the foraging trees, or (b) continued searching or (c) returned to the nest. The high incidence of followers that successfully navigated towards the foraging trees on their own provides strong evidence that many tandem followers are in fact experienced foragers. Detailed analysis of the searching behaviour revealed that even seemingly lost followers displayed a directional bias towards the foraging trees in their search path. Our results show that in a foraging context follower ants in a tandem pair are not always naïve.
Signal detection analysis of blindsight in monkeys
Authors: Yoshida Masatoshi , Isa Tadashi
Published: May 2015

Macaque monkeys with a unilateral lesion in V1 have been used as an animal model of blindsight. While objective proof of blindsight requires that the two aspects of blindsight (residual forced-choice localization and attenuated yes-no detection) should be tested under identical stimulus conditions using bias-free measures of sensitivity, these have not been attained in studies of nonhuman primates. Here we tested two macaque monkeys with a unilateral V1 lesion with two saccade tasks using identical stimuli: a forced-choice (FC) task and a yes-no (YN) task. An analysis based on signal detection theory revealed that sensitivity in the FC task was significantly higher than that in the YN task. Such dissociation of sensitivity between the two tasks was not observed when near-threshold visual stimuli were presented in the normal, unaffected hemifield. These results suggest that the V1-lesioned monkeys resemble the well-studied blindsight patient G.Y., whose visual experience per se was completely abolished.
Necking and notch strengthening in metallic glass with symmetric sharp-and-deep notches
Authors: Sha Z. D. , Pei Q. X. , Liu Z. S. , Zhang Y. W. , Wang T. J.
Published: May 2015

Notched metallic glasses (MGs) have received much attention recently due to their intriguing mechanical properties compared to their unnotched counterparts, but so far no fundamental understanding of the correlation between failure behavior and notch depth/sharpness exists. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we report necking and large notch strengthening in MGs with symmetric sharp-and-deep notches. Our work reveals that the failure mode and strength of notched MGs are strongly dependent on the notch depth and notch sharpness. By increasing the notch depth and the notch sharpness, we observe a failure mode transition from shear banding to necking and also a large notch strengthening. This necking is found to be caused by the combined effects of large stress gradient at the notch roots and the impingement and subsequent arrest of shear bands emanating from the notch roots. The present study not only shows the failure mode transition and the large notch strengthening in notched MGs, but also provides significant insights into the deformation and failure mechanisms of notched MGs that may offer new strategies for the design and engineering of MGs.
Electrochemical luminescence modulation in a Eu(iii) complex-modified TiO2 electrode
Authors: Kanazawa Kenji , Nakamura Kazuki , Kobayashi Norihisa
Published: May 2015

Electrochemical modulation of red luminescence from a europium(iii) complex has been demonstrated.
Photoinduced cytotoxicity of a photochromic diarylethene via caspase cascade activation
Authors: Okuda Jun-ya , Tanaka Yukimi , Kodama Ryuhei , Sumaru Kimio , Morishita Kana , Kanamori Toshiyuki , Yamazoe Seiji , Hyodo Kengo , Yamazaki Shohei , Miyatake Tomohiro , Yokojima Satoshi , Nakamura Sinichiro , Uchida Kingo
Published: May 2015

The photo-generated closed-ring isomer of a diarylethene showed cytotoxicity to induce the apoptosis to the MDCK cells upon 436 nm light irradiation.
Facile and efficient exfoliation of inorganic layered materials using liquid alkali metal alloys
Authors: Feng Hongbin , Hu Zhongbo , Liu Xiangfeng
Published: May 2015

Liquid alkali metal alloys have been applied to efficiently exfoliate MoS2, WS2and BN with high mono-layer yields.
An in situ assembly of a DNA–streptavidin dendrimer nanostructure: a new amplified quartz crystal microbalance platform for nucleic acid sensing
Authors: Zhao Yan , Wang Huaming , Tang Wei , Hu Shichao , Li Na , Liu Feng
Published: May 2015

A target-triggered in situ assembly of a DNA–streptavidin dendrimer nanostructure was developed to create a facile platform for nucleic acid sensing.
Combining gas phase electron capture and IRMPD action spectroscopy to probe the electronic structure of a metastable reduced organometallic complex containing a non-innocent ligand
Authors: Katari Madanakrishna , Payen de la Garanderie Eleonore , Nicol Edith , Steinmetz Vincent , van der Rest Guillaume , Carmichael Duncan , Frison Gilles
Published: May 2015

Gas-phase reduction of a Zn(ii) complex followed by IR spectroscopy shows that the incoming electron is localized on the metal rather than on the ligand.
Stability and ionic mobility in argyrodite-related lithium-ion solid electrolytes
Authors: Chen Hao Min , Maohua Chen , Adams Stefan
Published: May 2015

Stabilities and migration barriers of argyrodite-type fast Li+ion-conducting solids and related compounds are systematically explored by computational methods.
Molecular dynamics study of a CNT–buckyball-enabled energy absorption system
Authors: Chen Heng , Zhang Liuyang , Becton Matthew , Nie Hong , Chen Jinbao , Wang Xianqiao
Published: May 2015

By employing molecular dynamics simulations, this work unravels the novel design of a CNT–buckyball-enabled energy absorption system and its relevant mechanical principles.
On the Ag+–cytosine interaction: the effect of microhydration probed by IR optical spectroscopy and density functional theory
Authors: Berdakin Matias , Steinmetz Vincent , Maitre Philippe , Pino Gustavo A.
Published: May 2015

Single water molecule hydration stabilizes two quasi-isoenergetic complexes of cytosine⋯Ag+.
Self-reactions in the HCl+ (DCl+) + HCl system: a state-selective investigation of the role of rotation
Authors: Uhlemann Till , Wallauer Jens , Weitzel Karl-Michael
Published: May 2015

The cross sections for the self-reaction of state-selected HCl+ (DCl+) ions with HCl are shown to depend characteristically on the rotational velocity of the ion relative to that of the neutral.
SERS investigation of ciprofloxacin drug molecules on TiO2 nanoparticles
Authors: Yang Libin , Qin Xiaoyu , Jiang Xin , Gong Mengdi , Yin Di , Zhang Yingjiu , Zhao Bing
Published: May 2015

TiO2 nanoparticles with different crystallinity were synthesized and served as SERS-active substrates for SERS detection of ciprofloxacin (CIP) drug molecules.
Highly efficient triphenyl(3-sulfopropyl)phosphonium functionalized phosphotungstic acid on silica as a solid acid catalyst for selective mono-allylation of acetals
Authors: Kamble Sumit B. , Shinde Suhas H. , Rode Chandrashekhar V.
Published: May 2015

A silica-supported zwitterion-functionalized phosphotungstic acid catalyst developed for the selective Hosomi–Sakurai reaction giving 93–99% yield of homoallyl ethers.
Efficient synthesis of a statin precursor in high space-time yield by a new aldehyde-tolerant aldolase identified from Lactobacillus brevis
Authors: Jiao Xue-Cheng , Pan Jiang , Xu Guo-Chao , Kong Xu-Dong , Chen Qi , Zhang Zhi-Jun , Xu Jian-He
Published: May 2015

A novel 2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate aldolase (LbDERA) was identified from Lactobacillus brevis, with high activity, excellent thermostability and high tolerance against aldehyde substrates.
The effect of metal ions on photocatalytic performance based on an isostructural framework
Authors: Shao Zhichao , Huang Chao , Han Xiao , Wang Huarui , Li Angran , Han Yanbing , Li Kai , Hou Hongwei , Fan Yaoting
Published: May 2015

The different central metal ions in CPs have a variety of electronic configurations, which can produce a great impact on the photocatalytic properties.
Oxygen-tolerant proton reduction catalysis: much O2 about nothing?
Authors: Wakerley David W. , Reisner Erwin
Published: May 2015

This perspective summarises strategies for avoiding adverse effects of O2 on H2-evolving enzymatic systems, molecular synthetic catalysts and catalytic surfaces.
Defect migration in methylammonium lead iodide and its role in perovskite solar cell operation
Authors: Azpiroz Jon M. , Mosconi Edoardo , Bisquert Juan , De Angelis Filippo
Published: May 2015

Anion/cation vacancies located at different interfaces in perovskite solar cells may modify the electronic energy landscape, hampering charge extraction, and presumably contributing to the observed J–V hysteresis.
Effect of T68A/N126Y mutations on the conformational and ligand binding landscape of Coxsackievirus B3 3C protease
Authors: Bhakat Soumendranath
Published: May 2015

3C protease of Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) plays an essential role in the viral replication cycle, and therefore, emerged as an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of human diseases caused by CVB3 infection.
Effects of preparation conditions on Mn-based activated carbon catalysts for desulfurization
Authors: Guo Jia-Xiu , Qu Yi-Fan , Shu Song , Wang Xue-Jiao , Yin Hua-Qiang , Chu Ying-Hao
Published: May 2015

Ultrasonic oscillation cannot change the formation of Mn oxides and types of functional groups, but calcination temperatures are key factors.
Serine/threonine ligation for natural cyclic peptide syntheses
Authors: Lee Chi Lung , Lam Hiu Yung , Li Xuechen
Published: May 2015

The effectiveness of Ser/Thr ligation-mediated peptide cyclization has been demonstrated by the synthesis of cyclic peptide natural products, such as daptomycin, cyclomontanin B, yunnanin C and mahafacyclin B.
Theoretical investigations of the reaction between 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol and azomethine imines: mechanisms and diastereoselectivity
Authors: Zheng Linjie , Qiao Yan , Lu Mengxue , Chang Junbiao
Published: May 2015

The detailed mechanism of the DABCO-catalyzed reaction between 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol and azomethine imines.
Macroporous monoliths for trace metal extraction from seawater
Authors: Yue Yanfeng , Mayes Richard T. , Gill Gary , Kuo Li-Jung , Wood Jordana , Binder Andrew , Brown Suree , Dai Sheng
Published: May 2015

Macroporous monolith adsorbents were prepared from acrylonitrile and crosslinker based on cryogel methods and were tested for uranium seawater mining.
Learning about the nucleation pathway of MgO·Al2O3spinel from an Fe–O–Al–Mg melt using a two-step nucleation mechanism
Authors: Zong Nanfu , Liu Yang , He Ping
Published: May 2015

MgO·Al2O3spinel nucleation is attributed to the organization of clusters into ordered lattice structures by a multi-step nucleation pathway.
Bioactive Ti alloy with hydrophilicity, antibacterial activity and cytocompatibility
Authors: Prabu Vinod , Karthick P. , Rajendran Archana , Natarajan Duraipandy , Kiran M. S. , Pattanayak Deepak K.
Published: May 2015

Schematic representation of Ti64 alloy with antibacterial activity, bioactivity and cell compatibility.
Fe3O4 nanopearl decorated carbon nanotubes stemming from carbon onions with self-cleaning and microwave absorption properties
Authors: Lu Xianyong , Wu Yanzi , Cai Hongyan , Qu Xingyuan , Ni Lingmei , Teng Chao , Zhu Ying , Jiang Lei
Published: May 2015

A water shedding carbon onion/carbon nanotube@Fe3O4 nanocomposite film prepared using a flame strategy possesses self-cleaning and microwave absorption properties.
Controlled synthesis of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode materials with superior electrochemical performance through urea-based solution combustion synthesis
Authors: Zhu Chunyu , Han Cheng-gong , Akiyama Tomohiro
Published: May 2015

High-voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode materials were synthesized using urea-based solution combustion synthesis combined with a calcination treatment.
Adsorption of Cr(vi) onto a magnetic CoFe2O4/MgAl-LDH composite and mechanism study
Authors: Deng Lin , Shi Zhou , Peng Xiaoxu
Published: May 2015

Magnetic materials as adsorbents can provide effective removal and quickly separate pollutants in wastewater treatment.
Synthesis of novel Zn0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4@TiO2 nanotube arrays with enhanced photoelectrocatalytic properties
Authors: Pan Jingqiang , Li Xinyong , Zhao Qidong , Zhang Dongke
Published: May 2015

Zn0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles contribute to widening of the spectral response range and reducing the charge recombination of TiO2 nanotube arrays.
A state-of-the-art review and analysis on the design of dry adhesion materials for applications such as climbing micro-robots
Authors: Sahay Rahul , Low Hong Yee , Baji Avinash , Foong Shaohui , Wood Kristin L.
Published: May 2015

This article highlights the design considerations for the development of robust and durable bio-inspired synthetic adhesives.
Morphological evolution of gold nanoparticles on silicon nanowires and their plasmonics
Authors: Li Yuan , Shi Wenwu , Gupta Aditya , Chopra Nitin
Published: May 2015

One-dimensional heterostructures composed of silicon (Si) nanowires and uniformly decorated with gold (Au) nanoparticles were fabricated and used as a substrate for organic detection based on the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.
Nitrogen-enriched activated carbons from waste particleboard used as electrode materials for supercapacitors: effects of activating agent on surface characteristics
Authors: Shang T. X. , Zhang J. , Fan F. L. , Jin X. J.
Published: May 2015

The nitrogen-enriched activated carbon electrodes prepared from waste particleboard exhibits high gravimetric specific capacitances, good rate capability, and excellent lone-term stability, making such electrode material a promising candidate for supercapacitors.
Conducting polyaniline based cell culture substrate for embryonic stem cells and embryoid bodies
Authors: Bober Patrycja , Humpolíček Petr , Pacherník Jiří , Stejskal Jaroslav , Lindfors Tom
Published: May 2015

Noncytotoxic polyaniline–poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate) films which are electrically conducting at the physiological pH were applied as cell culture substrate. The films demonstrate selective interaction with specific target cells.
One-step preparation of nitrogen doped titanium oxide/Au/reduced graphene oxide composite thin films for photocatalytic applications
Authors: Datcu A. , Duta L. , Pérez del Pino A. , Logofatu C. , Luculescu C. , Duta A. , Perniu D. , György E.
Published: May 2015

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and TiO2/Au/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite thin films were grown by ultraviolet matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation in controlled O2 or N2 atmospheres.
Solution processable low bandgap thienoisoindigo-based small molecules for organic electronic devices
Authors: Han Pei , Gong Xiaohui , Lin Baoping , Jia Zhenhong , Ye Shanghui , Sun Ying , Yang Hong
Published: May 2015

Two new low-band gap thienoisoindigo-based small molecules applied in OFET and OPV devices.
Solubilization of waste activated sludge using a garbage enzyme produced from different pre-consumer organic waste
Authors: Arun C. , Sivashanmugam P.
Published: May 2015

The garbage enzyme was produced from different types of pre-consumer organic waste. The garbage enzyme solution have the capability to solubilize the complex (i.e.) insoluble organic compounds in waste activated sludge to soluble organic compounds.
Controllable gold nanoparticle deposition on carbon nanotubes and their application in immunosensing
Authors: Das Ritu , Upadhyay Sanjay , Sharma Mukesh K. , Shaik M. , Rao V. K. , Srivastava Divesh N.
Published: May 2015

A CNT–AuNPs hybrid nanocomposite platform was prepared from nanodisperse AuNPs in N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (EDAS) sol–gel matrices with purified MWCNT.
Dy/chitosan: a highly efficient and recyclable heterogeneous nano catalyst for the synthesis of hexahydropyrimidines in aqueous media
Authors: Ahmed Nayeem , Tarannum Saima , Siddiqui Zeba N.
Published: May 2015

Dy(iii)/chitosan as a recyclable and heterogeneous catalyst is used for the sustainable preparation of hexahydropyrimidine derivatives in aqueous media.
Antibacterial and hemostatic performance of chitosan–organic rectorite/alginate composite sponge
Authors: Zhang Honghui , Lv Xiaoxing , Zhang Xinping , Wang Hongjun , Deng Hongbing , Li Yuejun , Xu Xiaoli , Huang Rong , Li Xueyong
Published: May 2015

We fabricate a novel chitosan–OREC/SA composite sponge and study the antibacterial and hemostatic performances.
A polymer chip-integrable piezoelectric micropump with low backpressure dependence
Authors: Conde A. J. , Bianchetti A. , Veiras F. E. , Federico A. , Cabaleiro J. M. , Dufva M. , Madrid R. E. , Fraigi L.
Published: May 2015

A polymer piezoelectric micropump fabricated with conventional machining methods that can be embedded in laminated microfluidic chips.
Tristearin bilayers: structure of the aqueous interface and stability in the presence of surfactants
Authors: Hughes Zak E. , Walsh Tiffany R.
Published: May 2015

Molecular dynamics simulations predict that sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate surfactant molecules embed themselves in a tristearin bilayer, packing commensurate with the hexagonally packed lattice formed by the acyl tails of tristearin.
Green renewable energy production from Myxosarcina sp.: media optimization and assessment of biodiesel fuel properties
Authors: Jawaharraj Kalimuthu , Karpagam Rathinasamy , Ashokkumar Balasubramaniem , Kathiresan Shanmugam , Varalakshmi Perumal
Published: May 2015

In this study,Myxosarcinasp. was evaluated for biomass and lipid productionviathe supplementation of sugar industrial waste (SIW) and sodium chloride (NaCl), and medium optimization with response surface methodology (RSM) for biodiesel production.
A smart all-in-one theranostic platform for CT imaging guided tumor microwave thermotherapy based on IL@ZrO2nanoparticles
Authors: Shi Haitang , Niu Meng , Tan Longfei , Liu Tianlong , Shao Haibo , Fu Changhui , Ren Xiangling , Ma Tengchuang , Ren Jun , Li Linlin , Liu Huiyu , Xu Ke , Wang Jianxin , Tang Fangqiong , Meng Xianwei
Published: May 2015

This paper develops a simple multifunctional theranostic platform using an IL@ZrO2nanostructure for CT imaging guided tumor microwave thermotherapy.
Compensation topology for flat spiral coil inductive power transfer systems
Authors: Liao Yanhua , Yuan Xueqing
Published: May 2015

Inductive power transfer technology is now widely used to provide power into various devices, such as battery based vehicles, implant devices, portable equipment etc. Despite the rapid development of power electronics components, inductive power transfer technology still has some drawbacks. The output power is vulnerable to the magnetic coupling efficiency of two coils. If misalignment and displacement of the coils occur the output power can drop sharply. This study proposes a new design that can transfer rated power at various coupling coefficients. The characteristics of the proposed topology are discussed. All discussions and conclusions are obtained for the condition that the coil self‐inductance remains unchanged during misalignment. Analytical and experimental results are presented in this article, to support the proposed design.
Optimal hop position‐based minimum energy routing protocol for underwater acoustic sensor networks
Authors: Geethu K.S. , Babu A.V.
Published: May 2015

Development of energy‐efficient routing protocols is a major concern in the design of underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs) since UASN nodes are typically powered by batteries, which are difficult to replace or recharge in aquatic environments. This study proposes an optimal hop position‐based energy‐efficient routing protocol for UASNs. Initially, the authors present an analytical model to compute the total energy consumption in a multi‐hop UASN for deep water scenario, taking into account dependence of usable bandwidth on transmission distance and propagation characteristics of underwater acoustic channel. They derive analytical solution for the optimal hop distance that minimises total energy consumption in the network. They then propose an energy‐efficient routing protocol that relies on the computation of optimal hop distance. In their routing scheme, selection of forwarding nodes are based on their depth, residual energy and closeness to the computed optimal hop position corresponding to source node. Simulation results show that total energy consumption of the network gets reduced drastically, leading to improvement in network lifetime. Moreover, the proposed routing scheme makes use of courier nodes to handle coverage‐hole problem. The efficient movement of courier nodes improves packet delivery ratio and network throughput.
Conformal phase transition: QCD like theories with a large number of fermion flavors and all that
Authors: Miransky V. A.
Published: May 2015

The notion of the conformal phase transiton (CPhT) is discussed. As its realization, the dynamics with an infrared stable fixed point in the conformal window in QCD like theories with a relatively large number of fermion flavors is reviewed. The emphasis is on the description of a clear signature for the conformal window, which in particular can be useful for lattice computer simulations of these gauge theories. A possibility of the relevance of the CPhT in graphene is mentioned.
Effects of the positive feedback loop in polymerization on the reaction-induced phase separation of polymer mixtures
Authors: Furubayashi Y. , Kawakubo R. , Nakanishi H. , Norisuye T. , Tran-Cong-Miyata Q.
Published: May 2015

Phase separation of mixtures composed of a guest polymer dissolved in monomer of a host polymer was induced by photopolymerization. From the polymerization kinetics, it was found that for the host polymer with the glass transition temperature (Tg) higher than the experimental temperature, the Trommsdorff-Norrish effect emerges, providing a method to terminate the phase separation at various intermediate stages of the process and thereby a variety of morphologies can be constructed. For the host polymers with (Tg) lower than the experimental temperature, the freezing process of morphology is not complete, leading to the secondary phase separation inside the domains already generated by the primary process. The kinetics of this secondary phase separation indicates that the peculiar morphology like “sunny-side-up egg”-like structures was generated via spinodal decomposition. The experimental results obtained in this study show that the competition between photopolymerization and phase separation can provide a useful method of materials design in the micro- and sub-micrometer scales.
The Higgs effect and the magnetoelastic gap in ferromagnets
Authors: Baryakhtar V. G. , Danilevich A. G.
Published: May 2015

It is shown that the manifestation of a magnetoelastic gap in a ferromagnet is caused by the same effect that endows the Higgs boson with mass. The “easy plane” state is studied in a uniaxial ferromagnet, taking into account magnetoelastic interaction. The strain tensor components of the ferromagnet in the ground state, magnetoelastic gap, and the renormalization of the magnetic anisotropy constant, are determined.
Magnetization mechanisms in ordered arrays of polycrystalline Fe100−xCox nanowires
Authors: Viqueira M. S. , Bajales N. , Urreta S. E. , Bercoff P. G.
Published: May 2015

Magnetization reversal processes and coercivity mechanisms in polycrystalline Fe100−xCox nanowire arrays, resulting from an AC electrodeposition process, are investigated. The array coercivity is described on the basis of polarization reversal mechanisms operating in individual wires, under the effect of inter-wire dipolar interactions described by a mean field approximation. For individual wires, a reversal mechanism involving the nucleation and further expansion of domain-wall like spin configuration is considered. The wires have a mean grain size larger than both the nanowire diameter and the exchange length, so localized and non-cooperative nucleation modes are considered. As the Co content increases, the alloy saturation polarization gradually decreases, but the coercive field and the relative remanence of the arrays increase, indicating that they are not controlled by the shape anisotropy in all the composition range. The coercive field dependence on the angle between the applied field and the wire long axis is not well described by reversal mechanisms involving nucleation and further displacement of neither vortex nor transverse ideal domain walls. On the contrary, the angular dependence of the coercive field observed at room temperature is well predicted by a model considering nucleation of inverse domains by localized curling, in regions smaller than the grain size, exhibiting quite small aspect ratios as compared to those of the entire nanowire. In arrays with higher Co contents, a transition from an initial (small angle) localized curling nucleation mechanism to another one, involving localized coherent rotation is observed at about π/4.
Diffusion anisotropy of poor metal solute atoms in hcp-Ti
Authors: Scotti Lucia , Mottura Alessandro
Published: May 2015

Atom migration mechanisms influence a wide range of phenomena: solidification kinetics, phase equilibria, oxidation kinetics, precipitation of phases, and high-temperature deformation. In particular, solute diffusion mechanisms in α-Ti alloys can help explain their excellent high-temperature behaviour. The purpose of this work is to study self- and solute diffusion in hexagonal close-packed (hcp)-Ti, and its anisotropy, from first-principles using the 8-frequency model. The calculated diffusion coefficients show that diffusion energy barriers depend more on bonding characteristics of the solute rather than the size misfit with the host, while the extreme diffusion anisotropy of some solute elements in hcp-Ti is a result of the bond angle distortion.
Study on the frequency characteristics of nanogap electron devices
Authors: Xu Ji , Wang Qilong , Qi Zhiyang , Zhai Yusheng , Zhang Xiaobing
Published: May 2015

Ballistic electron transport in the nanogap devices will make it practical to combine the advantages of solid-state devices and vacuum electron devices including high integration and high frequency characteristics. Although a number of experiments have been exploited on frequency characteristic in nanogap, less modeling or calculations were investigated at such scale yet. In this paper, the concept of mean flight time is proposed in order to theoretically determine the frequency in nanoscale. Traditionally, we have to first determine the frequency response diagram and then deduce the cut-off frequency. This work presents a new method for exploring the frequency characteristics of electron transport in a nanogap structure by calculations and numerical simulations. A double-gate structure was applied in the simulations, and the results suggest that the nanogap structure can perform in the THz range. Additionally, an equivalent circuit model was adopted to demonstrate the validity of this method. Our results provide a model for the intrinsic ballistic transportation of electrons inside the nanogap electron devices.
Unusual spiral wave dynamics in the Kessler-Levine model of an excitable medium
Authors: Oikawa N. , Bodenschatz E. , Zykov V. S.
Published: May 2015

The Kessler-Levine model is a two-component reaction-diffusion system that describes spatiotemporal dynamics of the messenger molecules in a cell-to-cell signaling process during the aggregation of social amoeba cells. An excitation wave arising in the model has a phase wave at the wave back, which simply follows the wave front after a fixed time interval with the same propagation velocity. Generally speaking, the medium excitability and the refractoriness are two important factors which determine the spiral wave dynamics in any excitable media. The model allows us to separate these two factors relatively easily since the medium refractoriness can be changed independently of the medium excitability. For rigidly rotating waves, the universal relationship has been established by using a modified free-boundary approach, which assumes that the front and the back of a propagating wave are thin in comparison to the wave plateau. By taking a finite thickness of the domain boundary into consideration, the validity of the proposed excitability measure has been essentially improved. A novel method of numerical simulation to suppress the spiral wave instabilities is introduced. The trajectories of the spiral tip observed for a long refractory period have been investigated under a systematic variation of the medium refractoriness.
Epitaxial ZnO/LiNbO3/ZnO stacked layer waveguide for application to thin-film Pockels sensors
Authors: Akazawa Housei , Fukuda Hiroshi
Published: May 2015

We produced slab waveguides consisting of a LiNbO3 (LN) core layer that was sandwiched with Al-doped ZnO cladding layers. The ZnO/LN/ZnO stacked layers were grown on sapphire C-planes by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma sputtering and were subjected to structural, electrical, and optical characterizations. X-ray diffraction confirmed that the ZnO and LN layers were epitaxial without containing misoriented crystallites. The presence of 60°-rotational variants of ZnO and LN crystalline domains were identified from X-ray pole figures. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images revealed a c-axis orientated columnar texture for LN crystals, which ensured operation as electro-optic sensors based on optical anisotropy along longitudinal and transversal directions. The interfacial roughness between the LN core and ZnO bottom layers as well as that between the ZnO top and the LN core layers was less than 20 nm, which agreed with surface images observed with atomic force microscopy. Outgrowth of triangular LN crystalline domains produced large roughness at the LN film surface. The RMS roughness of the LN film surface was twice that of the same structure grown on sapphire A-planes. Vertical optical transmittance of the stacked films was higher than 85% within the visible and infrared wavelength range. Following the approach adopted by Teng and Man [Appl. Phys. Lett. 56, 1734 (1990)], ac Pockels coefficients of r33 = 24-28 pm/V were derived for c-axis oriented LN films grown on low-resistive Si substrates. Light propagation within a ZnO/LN/ZnO slab waveguide as well as within a ZnO single layer waveguide was confirmed. The birefringence of these waveguides was 0.11 for the former and 0.05 for the latter.
Spin-current injection and detection in κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br
Authors: Qiu Z. , Uruichi M. , Hou D. , Uchida K. , Yamamoto H. M. , Saitoh E.
Published: May 2015

Spin-current injection into an organic semiconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br film induced by the spin pumping from an yttrium iron garnet (YIG) film. When magnetization dynamics in the YIG film is excited by ferromagnetic or spin-wave resonance, a voltage signal was found to appear in the κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br film. Magnetic-field-angle dependence measurements indicate that the voltage signal is governed by the inverse spin Hall effect in κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br. We found that the voltage signal in the κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br/YIG system is critically suppressed around 80 K, around which magnetic and/or glass transitions occur, implying that the efficiency of the spin-current injection is suppressed by fluctuations which critically enhanced near the transitions.