bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early aggregation preceding the nucleation of insulin amyloid fibrils as monitored by small angle X-ray scattering
Authors: Chatani Eri , Inoue Rintaro , Imamura Hiroshi , Sugiyama Masaaki , Kato Minoru , Yamamoto Masahide , Nishida Koji , Kanaya Toshiji
Published: October 2015

The nucleation event of amyloid fibrils is one of the most crucial processes that dictate the timing and rate of the pathology of diseases; however, information regarding how protein molecules associate to produce fibril nuclei is currently limited. In order to explore this issue in more detail, we performed time-resolved small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements on insulin fibrillation, in combination with additional multidirectional analyses of thioflavin T fluorescence, FTIR spectroscopy, light scattering and light transmittance, during the fibrillation process of bovine insulin. SAXS monitoring revealed that insulin molecules associated into rod-like prefibrillar aggregates in the very early stage of the reaction. After the formation of these early aggregates, they appeared to further coalesce mutually to form larger clusters and the SAXS profiles subsequently showed the further time evolution of conformational development towards mature amyloid fibrils. Distinct types of structural units in terms of shape in a nano-scale order, cross-β content and thioflavin T fluorescence intensity were observed in a manner that was dependent on the fibrillation pathways. These results suggest the presence of diverse substructures that characterize various fibrillation pathways and eventually, manifest polymorphisms in mature amyloid fibrils.
Complementarity among plant growth promoting traits in rhizospheric bacterial communities promotes plant growth
Authors: Singh Mangal , Awasthi Ashutosh , Soni Sumit K. , Singh Rakshapal , Verma Rajesh K. , Kalra Alok
Published: October 2015

An assessment of roles of rhizospheric microbial diversity in plant growth is helpful in understanding plant-microbe interactions. Using random combinations of rhizospheric bacterial species at different richness levels, we analysed the contribution of species richness, compositions, interactions and identity on soil microbial respiration and plant biomass. We showed that bacterial inoculation in plant rhizosphere enhanced microbial respiration and plant biomass with complementary relationships among bacterial species. Plant growth was found to increase linearly with inoculation of rhizospheric bacterial communities with increasing levels of species or plant growth promoting trait diversity. However, inoculation of diverse bacterial communities having single plant growth promoting trait, i.e., nitrogen fixation could not enhance plant growth over inoculation of single bacteria. Our results indicate that bacterial diversity in rhizosphere affect ecosystem functioning through complementary relationship among plant growth promoting traits and may play significant roles in delivering microbial services to plants.
Encrypted Three-dimensional Dynamic Imaging using Snapshot Time-of-flight Compressed Ultrafast Photography
Authors: Liang Jinyang , Gao Liang , Hai Pengfei , Li Chiye , Wang Lihong V.
Published: October 2015

Compressed ultrafast photography (CUP), a computational imaging technique, is synchronized with short-pulsed laser illumination to enable dynamic three-dimensional (3D) imaging. By leveraging the time-of-flight (ToF) information of pulsed light backscattered by the object, ToF-CUP can reconstruct a volumetric image from a single camera snapshot. In addition, the approach unites the encryption of depth data with the compressed acquisition of 3D data in a single snapshot measurement, thereby allowing efficient and secure data storage and transmission. We demonstrated high-speed 3D videography of moving objects at up to 75 volumes per second. The ToF-CUP camera was applied to track the 3D position of a live comet goldfish. We have also imaged a moving object obscured by a scattering medium.
Poly-L-ornithine promotes preferred differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells via ERK signalling pathway
Authors: Ge Hongfei , Tan Liang , Wu Pengfei , Yin Yi , Liu Xin , Meng Hui , Cui Gaoyu , Wu Nan , Lin Jiangkai , Hu Rong , Feng Hua
Published: October 2015

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) replacement therapies are the most attractive strategies to restore an injured brain. Key challenges of such therapies are enriching NSPCs and directing them differentiation into specific neural cell types. Here, three biomaterial substrates Poly-L-ornithine (PO), Poly-L-lysine (PLL) and fibronectin (FN) were investigated for their effects on proliferation and differentiation of rat NSPCs and the underlying mechanisms were also explored. The results showed PO significantly increased NSPCs proliferation and induced preferred differentiation, compared with PLL and FN. Checking protein markers of several neural cell subtypes, it is showed PO significantly induced NSPCs expressing Doublecortin (DCX) and Olig2, one for neuroblasts and young neurons and the other for young oligodendrocytes. It is suggested the ERK signaling pathway was involving in this process because an ERK antagonist U0126 could inhibit PO’s effects mentioned above, as well as an ERK pathway agonist Ceramide C6 could enhance them. Given that both neurons and oligodendrocytes are the most vulnerable cells in many neurological diseases, PO-induced preferred differentiation into neurons and oligodendrocytes is a potential paradigm for NSPCs-based therapies.
Security of Semi-Device-Independent Random Number Expansion Protocols
Authors: Li Dan-Dan , Wen Qiao-Yan , Wang Yu-Kun , Zhou Yu-Qian , Gao Fei
Published: October 2015

Semi-device-independent random number expansion (SDI-RNE) protocols require some truly random numbers to generate fresh ones, with making no assumptions on the internal working of quantum devices except for the dimension of the Hilbert space. The generated randomness is certified by non-classical correlation in the prepare-and-measure test. Until now, the analytical relations between the amount of the generated randomness and the degree of non-classical correlation, which are crucial for evaluating the security of SDI-RNE protocols, are not clear under both the ideal condition and the practical one. In the paper, first, we give the analytical relation between the above two factors under the ideal condition. As well, we derive the analytical relation under the practical conditions, where devices’ behavior is not independent and identical in each round and there exists deviation in estimating the non-classical behavior of devices. Furthermore, we choose a different randomness extractor (i.e., two-universal random function) and give the security proof.
A correlativity study of plasma APL1β28 and clusterin levels with MMSE/MoCA/CASI in aMCI patients
Authors: Meng Ying , Li Huiying , Hua Rui , Wang Huali , Lu Jian , Yu Xin , Zhang Chen
Published: October 2015

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is a sub-clinical condition characterized by memory deficits that are not severe enough to affect daily functioning. Here we investigated two potential biomarkers found in the cerebrospinal fluid of AD patients, APLP1-derived Aβ-like peptides 28 (APL1β28) and clusterin plasma levels, in terms of their relationship to cognitive function, as reflected in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Cognitive Assessment Screening Instrument (CASI) in aMCI patients. Forty-seven aMCI patients and thirty-five age- and gender-matched healthy adult controls were recruited for this study. Using the ELISA method, we found that the mean concentrations of both APL1β28 and clusterin were not significantly different between the control and aMCI groups. The APL1β28 levels were positively correlated with clusterin and that both were negatively correlated with the MMSE scores of the aMCI patients. Clusterin levels were negatively correlated with the MoCA and CASI scores of the aMCI patients. Using multivariate analysis, the correlation between clusterin and MMSE/MoCA/CASI was independent of other AD risk factors including age, education, sex, body mass index and ApoE genotype. The data presented here demonstrate that plasma clusterin levels reflect cognitive function in aMCI patients.
Genome survey and high-density genetic map construction provide genomic and genetic resources for the Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Yu Yang , Zhang Xiaojun , Yuan Jianbo , Li Fuhua , Chen Xiaohan , Zhao Yongzhen , Huang Long , Zheng Hongkun , Xiang Jianhai
Published: October 2015

The Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei is the dominant crustacean species in global seafood mariculture. Understanding the genome and genetic architecture is useful for deciphering complex traits and accelerating the breeding program in shrimp. In this study, a genome survey was conducted and a high-density linkage map was constructed using a next-generation sequencing approach. The genome survey was used to identify preliminary genome characteristics and to generate a rough reference for linkage map construction. De novo SNP discovery resulted in 25,140 polymorphic markers. A total of 6,359 high-quality markers were selected for linkage map construction based on marker coverage among individuals and read depths. For the linkage map, a total of 6,146 markers spanning 4,271.43 cM were mapped to 44 sex-averaged linkage groups, with an average marker distance of 0.7 cM. An integration analysis linked 5,885 genome scaffolds and 1,504 BAC clones to the linkage map. Based on the high-density linkage map, several QTLs for body weight and body length were detected. This high-density genetic linkage map reveals basic genomic architecture and will be useful for comparative genomics research, genome assembly and genetic improvement of L. vannamei and other penaeid shrimp species.
APOBEC3G Interacts with ssDNA by Two Modes: AFM Studies
Authors: Shlyakhtenko Luda S. , Dutta Samrat , Banga Jaspreet , Li Ming , Harris Reuben S. , Lyubchenko Yuri L.
Published: October 2015

APOBEC3G (A3G) protein has antiviral activity against HIV and other pathogenic retroviruses. A3G has two domains: a catalytic C-terminal domain (CTD) that deaminates cytidine and a N-terminal domain (NTD) that binds to ssDNA. Although abundant information exists about the biological activities of A3G protein, the interplay between sequence specific deaminase activity and A3G binding to ssDNA remains controversial. We used the topographic imaging and force spectroscopy modalities of Atomic Force Spectroscopy (AFM) to characterize the interaction of A3G protein with deaminase specific and nonspecific ssDNA substrates. AFM imaging demonstrated that A3G has elevated affinity for deaminase specific ssDNA than for nonspecific ssDNA. AFM force spectroscopy revealed two distinct binding modes by which A3G interacts with ssDNA. One mode requires sequence specificity, as demonstrated by stronger and more stable complexes with deaminase specific ssDNA than with nonspecific ssDNA. Overall these observations enforce prior studies suggesting that both domains of A3G contribute to the sequence specific binding of ssDNA.
PLK1 blockade enhances therapeutic effects of radiation by inducing cell cycle arrest at the mitotic phase
Authors: Inoue Minoru , Yoshimura Michio , Kobayashi Minoru , Morinibu Akiyo , Itasaka Satoshi , Hiraoka Masahiro , Harada Hiroshi
Published: October 2015

The cytotoxicity of ionizing radiation depends on the cell cycle phase; therefore, its pharmacological manipulation, especially the induction of cell cycle arrest at the radiosensitive mitotic-phase (M-phase), has been attempted for effective radiation therapy. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a serine/threonine kinase that functions in mitotic progression and is now recognized as a potential target for radiosensitization. We herein investigated whether PLK1 blockade enhanced the cytotoxic effects of radiation by modulating cell cycle phases of cancer cells using the novel small molecule inhibitor of PLK1, TAK-960. The TAK-960 treatment exhibited radiosensitizing effects in vitro, especially when it increased the proportion of M-phase cells. TAK-960 did not sensitize cancer cells to radiation when an insufficient amount of time was provided to induce mitotic arrest. The overexpression of a PLK1 mutant, PLK1-R136G&T210D, which was confirmed to cancel the TAK-960-mediated increase in the proportion of mitotic cells, abrogated the radiosensitizing effects of TAK-960. A tumor growth delay assay also demonstrated that the radiosensitizing effects of TAK-960 depended on an increase in the proportion of M-phase cells. These results provide a rational basis for targeting PLK1 for radiosensitization when considering the therapeutic time window for M-phase arrest as the best timing for radiation treatments.
Long-term rice cultivation stabilizes soil organic carbon and promotes soil microbial activity in a salt marsh derived soil chronosequence
Authors: Wang Ping , Liu Yalong , Li Lianqing , Cheng Kun , Zheng Jufeng , Zhang Xuhui , Zheng Jinwei , Joseph Stephen , Pan Genxing
Published: October 2015

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration with enhanced stable carbon storage has been widely accepted as a very important ecosystem property. Yet, the link between carbon stability and bio-activity for ecosystem functioning with OC accumulation in field soils has not been characterized. We assessed the changes in microbial activity versus carbon stability along a paddy soil chronosequence shifting from salt marsh in East China. We used mean weight diameter, normalized enzyme activity (NEA) and carbon gain from straw amendment for addressing soil aggregation, microbial biochemical activity and potential C sequestration, respectively. In addition, a response ratio was employed to infer the changes in all analyzed parameters with prolonged rice cultivation. While stable carbon pools varied with total SOC accumulation, soil respiration and both bacterial and fungal diversity were relatively constant in the rice soils. Bacterial abundance and NEA were positively but highly correlated to total SOC accumulation, indicating an enhanced bio-activity with carbon stabilization. This could be linked to an enhancement of particulate organic carbon pool due to physical protection with enhanced soil aggregation in the rice soils under long-term rice cultivation. However, the mechanism underpinning these changes should be explored in future studies in rice soils where dynamic redox conditions exist.
Glass transition of aqueous solutions involving annealing-induced ice recrystallization resolves liquid-liquid transition puzzle of water
Authors: Zhao Li-Shan , Cao Ze-Xian , Wang Qiang
Published: October 2015

Liquid-liquid transition of water is an important concept in condensed-matter physics. Recently, it was claimed to have been confirmed in aqueous solutions based on annealing-induced upshift of glass-liquid transition temperature, "Equation missing". Here we report a universal water-content, "Equation missing", dependence of "Equation missing" for aqueous solutions. Solutions with "Equation missing" vitrify/devitrify at a constant temperature, "Equation missing", referring to freeze-concentrated phase with "Equation missing" left behind ice crystallization. Those solutions with "Equation missing" totally vitrify at "Equation missing" under conventional cooling/heating process though, "Equation missing" of the samples annealed at temperatures  "Equation missing" to effectively evoke ice recrystallization is stabilized at "Equation missing". Experiments on aqueous glycerol and 1,2,4-butanetriol solutions in literature were repeated and the same samples subject to other annealing treatments equally reproduce the result. The upshift of "Equation missing" by annealing is attributable to freeze-concentrated phase of solutions instead of ‘liquid II phase of water’. Our work also provides a reliable method to determine hydration formula and to scrutinize solute-solvent interaction in solution.
A self-stabilized coherent phonon source driven by optical forces
Authors: Navarro-Urrios D. , Capuj N. E. , Gomis-Bresco J. , Alzina F. , Pitanti A. , Griol A. , Martínez A. , Sotomayor Torres C. M.
Published: October 2015

We report a novel injection scheme that allows for “phonon lasing” in a one-dimensional opto-mechanical photonic crystal, in a sideband unresolved regime and with cooperativity values as low as 10−2. It extracts energy from a cw infrared laser source and is based on the triggering of a thermo-optical/free-carrier-dispersion self-pulsing limit-cycle, which anharmonically modulates the radiation pressure force. The large amplitude of the coherent mechanical motion acts as a feedback that stabilizes and entrains the self-pulsing oscillations to simple fractions of the mechanical frequency. A manifold of frequency-entrained regions with two different mechanical modes (at 54 and 122 MHz) are observed as a result of the wide tuneability of the natural frequency of the self-pulsing. The system operates at ambient conditions of pressure and temperature in a silicon platform, which enables its exploitation in sensing, intra-chip metrology or time-keeping applications.
Hyper sensitive protein detection by Tandem-HTRF reveals Cyclin D1 dynamics in adult mouse
Authors: Zampieri Alexandre , Champagne Julien , Auzemery Baptiste , Fuentes Ivanna , Maurel Benjamin , Bienvenu Frédéric
Published: October 2015

We present here a novel method for the semi-quantitative detection of low abundance proteins in solution that is both fast and simple. It is based on Homogenous Time Resolved Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (HTRF), between a lanthanide labeled donor antibody and a d2 or XL665 labeled acceptor antibody that are both raised against different epitopes of the same target. This novel approach we termed “Tandem-HTRF”, can specifically reveal rare polypeptides from only a few microliters of cellular lysate within one hour in a 384-well plate format. Using this sensitive approach, we observed surprisingly that the core cell cycle regulator Cyclin D1 is sustained in fully developed adult organs and harbors an unexpected expression pattern affected by environmental challenge. Thus our method, Tandem-HTRF offers a promising way to investigate subtle variations in the dynamics of sparse proteins from limited biological material.
Latticed pentamode acoustic cloak
Authors: Chen Yi , Liu Xiaoning , Hu Gengkai
Published: October 2015

We report in this work a practical design of pentamode acoustic cloak with microstructure. The proposed cloak is assembled by pentamode lattice made of a single-phase solid material. The function of rerouting acoustic wave round an obstacle has been demonstrated numerically. It is also revealed that shear related resonance due to weak shear resistance in practical pentamode lattices punctures broadband feature predicted based on ideal pentamode cloak. As a consequence, the latticed pentamode cloak can only conceal the obstacle in segmented frequency ranges. We have also shown that the shear resonance can be largely reduced by introducing material damping and an improved broadband performance can be achieved. These works pave the way for experimental demonstration of pentamode acoustic cloak.
Efficacy and Safety of Bevacizumab Combined with Chemotherapy for Managing Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Li Qin , Yan Han , Zhao Pengfei , Yang Yifan , Cao Bangwei
Published: October 2015

Although the FDA revoked metastatic breast cancer (MBC) from bevacizumab (BEV) indication in 2011, BEV combined with paclitaxel has been written in the breast cancer NCCN guidelines. This systematic assessment was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BEV + chemotherapy (CHE) for managing MBC. PubMed and EMBASE were searched for original articles written in English and published before July, 2015. Progression-free survival was significantly improved in the CHE + BEV arms compared to the CHE arms in overall group and in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative group (HR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.68–0.84, P < 0.001; HR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.69–0.82, P < 0.001). There were no significant improvement in overall survival in the CHE + BEV arms compared to the CHE arms. Significantly more grade 3 febrile neutropenia, hypertension, proteinuria and cardiac events were observed in the CHE + BEV arm, which are controllable and reversible. Severe bleeding occurred more in the BEV + taxane arms and in patients with brain metastases. Therefore, CHE + BEV significantly increases progression-free survival in patients with MBC, it should be considered as a treatment option for these patients under the premise of reasonable selection of target population and combined CHE drugs.
Secrets of virtuoso: neuromuscular attributes of motor virtuosity in expert musicians
Authors: Furuya Shinichi , Oku Takanori , Miyazaki Fumio , Kinoshita Hiroshi
Published: October 2015

Musical performance requires extremely fast and dexterous limb movements. The underlying biological mechanisms have been an object of interest among scientists and non-scientists for centuries. Numerous studies of musicians and non-musicians have demonstrated that neuroplastic adaptations through early and deliberate musical training endowed superior motor skill. However, little has been unveiled about what makes inter-individual differences in motor skills among musicians. Here we determined the attributes of inter-individual differences in the maximum rate of repetitive piano keystrokes in twenty-four pianists. Among various representative factors of neuromuscular functions, anatomical characteristics and training history, a stepwise multiple regression analysis and generalized linear model identified two predominant predictors of the maximum rate of repetitive piano keystrokes; finger tapping rate and muscular strength of the elbow extensor. These results suggest a non-uniform role of individual limb muscles in the production of extremely fast repetitive multi-joint movements. Neither age of musical training initiation nor the amount of extensive musical training before age twenty was a predictor. Power grip strength was negatively related to the maximum rate of piano keystrokes only during the smallest tone production. These findings highlight the importance of innate biological nature and explicit training for motor virtuosity.
Massive Dirac Fermion Observed in Lanthanide-Doped Topological Insulator Thin Films
Authors: Harrison S. E. , Collins-McIntyre L. J. , Schönherr P. , Vailionis A. , Srot V. , van Aken P. A. , Kellock A. J. , Pushp A. , Parkin S. S. P. , Harris J. S. , Zhou B. , Chen Y. L. , Hesjedal T.
Published: October 2015

The breaking of time reversal symmetry (TRS) in three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators (TIs) and thus the opening of a ‘Dirac-mass gap’ in the linearly dispersed Dirac surface state, is a prerequisite for unlocking exotic physical states. Introducing ferromagnetic long-range order by transition metal doping has been shown to break TRS. Here, we present the study of lanthanide (Ln) doped Bi2Te3, where the magnetic doping with high-moment lanthanides promises large energy gaps. Using molecular beam epitaxy, single-crystalline, rhombohedral thin films with Ln concentrations of up to ~35%, substituting on Bi sites, were achieved for Dy, Gd and Ho doping. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy shows the characteristic Dirac cone for Gd and Ho doping. In contrast, for Dy doping above a critical doping concentration, a gap opening is observed via the decreased spectral intensity at the Dirac point, indicating a topological quantum phase transition persisting up to room-temperature.
Maternal sensitivity, infant limbic structure volume and functional connectivity: a preliminary study
Authors: Rifkin-Graboi A , Kong L , Sim L W , Sanmugam S , Broekman B F P , Chen H , Wong E , Kwek K , Saw S-M , Chong Y-S , Gluckman P D , Fortier M V , Pederson D , Meaney M J , Qiu A
Published: October 2015

Mechanisms underlying the profound parental effects on cognitive, emotional and social development in humans remain poorly understood. Studies with nonhuman models suggest variations in parental care affect the limbic system, influential to learning, autobiography and emotional regulation. In some research, nonoptimal care relates to decreases in neurogenesis, although other work suggests early-postnatal social adversity accelerates the maturation of limbic structures associated with emotional learning. We explored whether maternal sensitivity predicts human limbic system development and functional connectivity patterns in a small sample of human infants. When infants were 6 months of age, 20 mother–infant dyads attended a laboratory-based observational session and the infants underwent neuroimaging at the same age. After considering age at imaging, household income and postnatal maternal anxiety, regression analyses demonstrated significant indirect associations between maternal sensitivity and bilateral hippocampal volume at six months, with the majority of associations between sensitivity and the amygdala demonstrating similar indirect, but not significant results. Moreover, functional analyses revealed direct associations between maternal sensitivity and connectivity between the hippocampus and areas important for emotional regulation and socio-emotional functioning. Sensitivity additionally predicted indirect associations between limbic structures and regions related to autobiographical memory. Our volumetric results are consistent with research indicating accelerated limbic development in response to early social adversity, and in combination with our functional results, if replicated in a larger sample, may suggest that subtle, but important, variations in maternal care influence neuroanatomical trajectories important to future cognitive and emotional functioning.
BDNF–TrkB signaling in the nucleus accumbens shell of mice has key role in methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms
Authors: Ren Q , Ma M , Yang C , Zhang J-C , Yao W , Hashimoto K
Published: October 2015

Depression is a core symptom of methamphetamine (METH) withdrawal during the first several weeks of abstinence. However, the precise mechanisms underlying METH withdrawal symptoms remain unknown. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its specific receptor, tropomyosin-related kinase (TrkB), have a role the in pathophysiology of depression. In this study, we examined the role of BDNF–TrkB signaling in different brain regions of male mice with METH withdrawal symptoms. Repeated METH (3 mg kg−1 per day for 5 days) administration to mice caused a long-lasting depression-like behavior including anhedonia. Western blot analysis showed that BDNF levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of METH-treated mice were significantly higher than those of control mice whereas BDNF levels in other regions, including the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, were not altered. METH-induced depression-like behavior, behavioral sensitization and dendritic changes in the NAc shell were improved by subsequent subchronic administration of TrkB antagonist ANA-12 (0.5 mg kg−1 per day for 14 days), but not TrkB agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (10 mg kg−1 per day for 14 days). In vivo microdialysis showed that METH (1 mg kg−1)-induced dopamine release in NAc shell of METH-treated mice was attenuated after subsequent subchronic ANA-12 administration. Interestingly, a single bilateral infusion of ANA-12 into the NAc shell, but not NAc core, showed a rapid and long-lasting therapeutic effect. However, ketamine and paroxetine had no effect. These findings suggest that increased BDNF–TrkB signaling in the NAc shell has an important role in the behavioral abnormalities after withdrawal from repeated METH administration, and that TrkB antagonists are potential therapeutic drugs for withdrawal symptoms in METH abusers.
A supersandwich fluorescence in situ hybridization strategy for highly sensitive and selective mRNA imaging in tumor cells
Authors: Huang Jin , Wang He , Yang Xiaohai , Yang Yanjing , Quan Ke , Ying Le , Xie Nuli , Ou Min , Wang Kemin
Published: October 2015

This strategy uses two fluorophore-labeled signal probes to generate a supersandwich product, which in turn generates numerous signal probes located at the target mRNA position, resulting in thein situfluorescence signal amplification.
Photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional calculations of CnSm− (n = 2–7; m = 1, 2) clusters
Authors: Xu Xi-Ling , Deng Xiao-Jiao , Xu Hong-Guang , Zheng Wei-Jun
Published: October 2015

The vertical detachment energies of both CnS− and CnS2− (n = 2–7) clusters exhibit a strong odd–even alternation with an increasing number of carbon atoms.
Direct determination of ionic transference numbers in ionic liquids by electrophoretic NMR
Authors: Gouverneur Martin , Kopp Jakob , van Wüllen Leo , Schönhoff Monika
Published: October 2015

Transference numbers of ions in a series of ionic liquids are obtained from electrophoretic mobilities by eNMR.
Hydrogen bond mediated stabilization of the salt bridge structure for the glycine dimer anion
Authors: Heiles S. , Cooper Richard J. , Berden Giel , Oomens Jos , Williams Evan R.
Published: October 2015

The formation of a salt bridge in deprotonated glycine dimer anions in a solvent-free environment is investigated using both infrared multiple photon dissociation spectroscopy between 600 and 1800 cm−1 and theory.
Conformation-selective coordination-driven self-assembly of a ditopic donor with PdII acceptors
Authors: Howlader Prodip , Mukherjee Sandip , Saha Rajat , Mukherjee Partha Sarathi
Published: October 2015

Different binding conformations of 3-(5-(pyridin-3-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)pyridine (L) yielded a self-assembled 3D cube and 2D macrocycles selectively depending on the nature of acceptors. Selection of a particular conformation of the donor L by a specific metal acceptor during self-assembly was corroborated well by a theoretical study.
Structural basis for differing electrocatalytic water oxidation by the cubic, layered and spinel forms of lithium cobalt oxides
Authors: Gardner Graeme , Al-Sharab Jafar , Danilovic Nemanja , Go Yong Bok , Ayers Katherine , Greenblatt Martha , Charles Dismukes G.
Published: October 2015

Comparison of the OER activity of cubic and layered LiCoO2shows a convergence to the catalytically active LiCo2O4spinel phase, which demonstrates excellent performance in membrane-based alkaline electrolysis.
Versatile ternary organic solar cells: a critical review
Authors: An Qiaoshi , Zhang Fujun , Zhang Jian , Tang Weihua , Deng Zhenbo , Hu Bin
Published: October 2015

Ternary organic solar cells enjoy both the enhanced light absorption by incorporating multiple organic materials in tandem solar cells and the simplicity of processing conditions that are used in single bulk heterojunction solar cells.
Optimizing nanoparticle perovskite for bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysis
Authors: Jung Jae-Il , Risch Marcel , Park Seungkyu , Kim Min Gyu , Nam Gyutae , Jeong Hu-Young , Shao-Horn Yang , Cho Jaephil
Published: October 2015

The successful synthesis of bifunctional perovskite electrocatalysts ∼50 nm in size towards the development of energy storage systems with high power density is presented.
Non-covalent functionalization of high-surface area nanomaterials: a new class of sorbent materials
Authors: Nell Kara M. , Fontenot Sean A. , Carter Timothy G. , Warner Marvin G. , Warner Cynthia L. , Addleman R. Shane , Johnson Darren W.
Published: October 2015

A non-covalent approach to functionalizing nanostructured materials with high-specificity ligands yields effective sorbents for capture of trace metal ions from water.
On-chip automation of cell-free protein synthesis: new opportunities due to a novel reaction mode
Authors: Georgi V. , Georgi L. , Blechert M. , Bergmeister M. , Zwanzig M. , Wüstenhagen D. A. , Bier F. F. , Jung E. , Kubick S.
Published: October 2015

The microfluidic device for cell-free protein synthesis enables a novel reaction mode with continuous in vitro transcription and translation in separate compartments combined by magnetic and microfluidic actuated mRNA transfer.
Improved CO2 adsorption capacity and cyclic stability of CaO sorbents incorporated with MgO
Authors: Daud Farah Diana Mohd , Vignesh Kumaravel , Sreekantan Srimala , Mohamed Abdul Rahman
Published: October 2015

The CO2 adsorption capacity of CaO sorbents with different MgO wt% (calcination temperature 800 °C, carbonation at 650 °C with 100% CO2, and de-carbonation at 800 °C in 100% N2).
Adsorption of doxorubicin on citrate-capped gold nanoparticles: insights into engineering potent chemotherapeutic delivery systems
Authors: Curry Dennis , Cameron Amanda , MacDonald Bruce , Nganou Collins , Scheller Hope , Marsh James , Beale Stefanie , Lu Mingsheng , Shan Zhi , Kaliaperumal Rajendran , Xu Heping , Servos Mark , Bennett Craig , MacQuarrie Stephanie , Oakes Ken D. , Mkandawire Martin , Zhang Xu
Published: October 2015

Doxorubicin adsorption onto citrate-capped gold nanoparticles is mainly governed by cationic–π and carbonyl coordination chemistry.
STD NMR and molecular modelling insights into interaction of novel mannose-based ligands with DC-SIGN
Authors: Kotar Anita , Tomašič Tihomir , Lenarčič Živković Martina , Jug Gregor , Plavec Janez , Anderluh Marko
Published: October 2015

STD-NMR and molecular modelling study of four α-d-mannosides show new contacts in DC-SIGN binding site to help develop potent DC-SIGN antagonists.
Kinetic isotope effect of proton-coupled electron transfer in a hydrogen bonded phenol—pyrrolidino[60]fullerene
Authors: Ravensbergen Janneke , Brown Chelsea L. , Moore Gary F. , Frese Raoul N. , van Grondelle Rienk , Gust Devens , Moore Thomas A. , Moore Ana L. , Kennis John T. M.
Published: October 2015

Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) plays a central role in photosynthesis and potentially in solar-to-fuel systems. We report a spectroscopy study on a phenol—pyrrolidino[60]fullerene. Quenching of the singlet excited state from 1 ns to 250 ps is assigned to PCET. A H/D exchange study reveals a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of 3.0, consistent with a concerted PCET mechanism.
Improved photovoltaic performance in perovskite solar cells based on CH3NH3PbI3 films fabricated under controlled relative humidity
Authors: Lv Minghang , Dong Xu , Fang Xiang , Lin Bencai , Zhang Shuai , Xu Xueqing , Ding Jianning , Yuan Ningyi
Published: October 2015

The relative humidity and solvent is demonstrated for the controlled ambient crystallization of dense uniform hybrid-perovskite films for high-efficiency solar cells.
Wear and friction behaviour of TiAl matrix self-lubricating composites filled with WS2, MoO3 or multilayer graphene
Authors: Xu Zengshi , Zhang Qiaoxin , Zhai Wenzheng
Published: October 2015

FESEM micrographs of cross-sections of worn surfaces of TiAl matrix self-lubricating composites filled with WS2 (a), MoO3 (b) or multilayer graphene (c).
GaN nanorod array as a precursor to enhance GaN:Mn ferromagnetism
Authors: Ji Cheng , Jiang Shengxiang , Zhang Yan , Xing Haiyin , Yang Zhijian , Wang Cunda , Yu Tongjun , Zhang Guoyi
Published: October 2015

A GaN nanorod was, for the first time, used as a precursor to obtain magnetically enhanced GaN:Mn film.
Influence of thermal and solvent annealing on the morphology and photovoltaic performance of solution processed, D–A–D type small molecule-based bulk heterojunction solar cells
Authors: Kumar C. H. Pavan , Ganesh K. , Suresh T. , Sharma Abhishek , Bhanuprakash K. , Sharma G. D. , Chandrasekharam Malapaka
Published: October 2015

Four new small molecules CSDPP9–CSDPP12 were obtained with appended electron donating units in the molecular terminals of a DPP core. On solvent and thermal annealing, for the CSDPP11:PC71BM blend, the BHJ device displayed a PCE of 5.47%.
Cubic Ag/AgBr–graphene oxide nanocomposite: sono-synthesis and use as a solar photocatalyst for the degradation of DCF as a pharmaceutical pollutant
Authors: Esmaeili A. , Entezari M. H.
Published: October 2015

In this study, novel Ag/AgBr/graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were successfully preparedviaa facile and fast sonochemical route for the first time, and ultrasound has a key role in the preparation process.
Electrochemical fabrication of gold nanoparticles decorated on activated fullerene C60: an enhanced sensing platform for trace level detection of toxic hydrazine in water samples
Authors: Palanisamy Selvakumar , Thirumalraj Balamurugan , Chen Shen-Ming
Published: October 2015

Schematic representation for fabrication of AC60–AuNPs composite modified SPCE and sensing of hydrazine.
Promoting the cyclic and rate performance of lithium-rich ternary materials via surface modification and lattice expansion
Authors: Mezaal Mohammed Adnan , Qu Limin , Li Guanghua , Zhang Rui , Xuejiao Jiang , Zhang Ke , Liu Wei , Lei Lixu
Published: October 2015

Nickel-rich layered lithium transition-metal oxides have been studied intensively as high-energy positive-electrode materials for lithium batteries because of their high specific capacity and relatively low-cost.
Silica supported palladium-phosphine as a reusable catalyst for alkoxycarbonylation and aminocarbonylation of aryl and heteroaryl iodides
Authors: Mane Rajendra Shivaji , Sasaki Takehiko , Bhanage Bhalchandra Mahadeo
Published: October 2015

Novel, simple, stable and reusable silica-supported palladium phosphine complexes were prepared and found to be highly efficient for the carbonylation of unprotected hydroxy, amino, iodoindole and iodopyrazole under optimized conditions.
Green synthesis of fluorescent hydrophobic carbon quantum dots and their use for 2,4,6-trinitrophenol detection
Authors: Cheng Fangliang , An Xueqin , Zheng Cui , Cao Sisheng
Published: October 2015

Fluorescent hydrophobic carbon dots are synthesized in a green way and used for determination of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol in a hydrophobic medium for the first time.
Improved adhesion properties of poly-p-phenyleneterephthamide fibers with a rubber matrix via UV-initiated grafting modification
Authors: Sa Rina , Yan Yan , Wang Lei , Li Yuan , Zhang Liqun , Ning Nanying , Wang Wencai , Tian Ming
Published: October 2015

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation induced graft polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was performed to modify the surface properties of poly-p-phenyleneterephthamide (PPTA) fibers and the adhesion with rubber matrix was studied.
Silicon-supported aluminum oxide membranes with ultrahigh aspect ratio nanopores
Authors: Jang Bumjin , Chen Xiang-Zhong , Siegfried Reto , Montero Moreno Josep M. , Özkale Berna , Nielsch Kornelius , Nelson Bradley J. , Pané Salvador
Published: October 2015

A new integrative process that supports a highly-ordered nanoporous membrane with tunable pore parameters on a mechanically-robust substrate was developed.
Chemoselective palladium-catalyzed deprotonative arylation/[1,2]-Wittig rearrangement of pyridylmethyl ethers
Authors: Gao Feng , Kim Byeong-Seon , Walsh Patrick J.
Published: October 2015

Control of chemoselectivity is one of the most challenging problems facing chemists and is particularly important in the synthesis of bioactive compounds and medications.
Good hydration and cell-biological performances of superparamagnetic calcium phosphate cement with concentration-dependent osteogenesis and angiogenesis induced by ferric iron
Authors: Zhang J. , Shi H. S. , Liu J. Q. , Yu T. , Shen Z. H. , Ye J. D.
Published: October 2015

Superparamagnetic Fe3+-doped calcium phosphate cement (Fe-CPC) has prospective applications in bone remodeling due to its good hydration properties and significant effect on osteogenesis and angiogenesis.
Glycosylated gold nanoparticle libraries for label-free multiplexed lectin biosensing
Authors: Richards Sarah-Jane , Otten Lucienne , Gibson Matthew I.
Published: October 2015

Glycosylated nanoparticle libraries are developed to enable ‘barcode’ sensing of lectins and toxins.
Co-titration of AgNO3 and HAuCl4: a new route to the synthesis of Ag@Ag–Au core–frame nanocubes with enhanced plasmonic and catalytic properties
Authors: Sun Xiaojun , Qin Dong
Published: October 2015

We report a new strategy for the synthesis of Ag@Ag–Au core–frame nanocubes by co-titrating AgNO3 and HAuCl4 concomitantly into an aqueous suspension of Ag nanocubes in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) at room temperature.
Simple flux‐based Lagrangian formulation to model nonlinearity of concentrated‐winding switched reluctance motors
Authors: Umetani K. , Yamamoto M. , Hiraki E.
Published: October 2015

Practical applications of switched reluctance motors (SRMs) require control techniques that can solve large torque ripple and large current ripple in power supply. To promote development of these techniques, a simple Lagrangian formulation for flux‐based nonlinear SRM models is proposed. This formulation can be analysed in combination with Lagrangian circuit models of motor drivers. The properness of the formulation is supported by an example of the analysis of the operation of a simple SRM driving system.
Adaptive precoding scheme with efficient joint processing for downlink coordinated multi‐point transmission system
Authors: Ryu Young‐Su , Jung Su‐Hyun , Song Hyoung‐Kyu
Published: October 2015

An adaptive precoding scheme with efficient joint processing (JP) is proposed for the downlink coordinated multi‐point transmission system. This scheme selects one JP technique and one precoding technique according to channel state information from the user equipment. The system‐level simulation results show that the bit error rate performance of the proposed scheme is better than that of the conventional scheme.
Focusing translational‐variant bistatic forward‐looking synthetic aperture radar data using extended azimuth non‐linear chirp scaling algorithm
Authors: Zhang Shun‐Sheng , Liu Chan , Wang Wen‐Qin
Published: October 2015

Translational‐variant bistatic forward‐looking synthetic aperture radar (TV‐BFSAR) introduces three difficulties for the imaging algorithm, namely, large range cell migration (RCM), severe range–azimuth coupling and large azimuth spatial variance. To address these problems, an extended azimuth non‐linear chirp scaling (EANLCS) algorithm is proposed. The essence is to remove the linear RCM and Doppler centroid and compensate the residual RCM and range–azimuth coupling terms with secondary range compression. Thereafter, the EANLCS operation is applied to eliminate the azimuth‐dependent frequency‐modulation rate and cubic phase terms. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm in focusing TV‐BFSAR data.
Hierarchical soft clustering tree for fast approximate search of binary codes
Authors: Choi S. , Lee S. , Yang H.S.
Published: October 2015

Binary codes play an important role in many computer vision applications. They require less storage space while allowing efficient computations. However, a linear search to find the best matches among binary data creates a bottleneck for large‐scale datasets. Among the approximation methods used to solve this problem, the hierarchical clustering tree (HCT) method is a state‐of the‐art method. However, the HCT performs a hard assignment of each data point to only one cluster, which leads to a quantisation error and degrades the search performance. As a solution to this problem, an algorithm to create hierarchical soft clustering tree (HSCT) by assigning a data point to multiple nearby clusters in the Hamming space is proposed. Through experiments, the HSCT is shown to outperform other existing methods.
Self co‐articulation detection and trajectory guided recognition for dynamic hand gestures
Authors: Singha Joyeeta , Laskar Rabul Hussain
Published: October 2015

Hand gestures are a natural way of communication among humans in everyday life. Presence of spatiotemporal variations and unwanted movements within a gesture called self co‐articulation makes the segmentation a challenging task. The study reveals that the self co‐articulation may be used as one of the feature to enhance the performance of hand gesture recognition system. It was detected from the gesture trajectory by addition of speed information along with the pause in the gesture spotting phase. Moreover, a new set of novel features in the feature extraction stage was used such as position of the hand, self co‐articulated features, ratio and distance features. The ANN and SVM were used to develop two independent models using new set of features as input. The models based on CRF and HCRF was used to develop the baseline system for the present study. The experimental results suggest that the proposed new set of features provides improvement in terms of accuracy using ANN (7.48%) and SVM (9.38%) based models as compared with baseline CRF based model. There are also significant improvements in the performances of both ANN (2.08%) and SVM (3.98%) based models as compared with HCRF based model.
Weighted averaging fusion for multi‐view skeletal data and its application in action recognition
Authors: Azis Nur Aziza , Jeong Young‐Seob , Choi Ho‐Jin , Iraqi Youssef
Published: October 2015

Existing studies in skeleton‐based action recognition mainly utilise skeletal data taken from a single camera. Since the quality of skeletal tracking of a single camera is noisy and unreliable, however, combining data from multiple cameras can improve the tracking quality and hence increase the recognition accuracy. In this study, the authors propose a method called weighted averaging fusion which merges skeletal data of two or more camera views. The method first evaluates the reliability of a set of corresponding joints based on their distances to the centroid, then computes the weighted average of selected joints, that is, each joint is weighted by the overall reliability of the camera reporting the joint. Such obtained, fused skeletal data are used as the input to the action recognition step. Experiments using various frame‐level features and testing schemes show that more than 10% improvement can be achieved in the action recognition accuracy using these fused skeletal data as compared with the single‐view case.
Optimisation of excitation tolerances for robust beamforming in linear arrays
Authors: Anselmi Nicola , Rocca Paolo , Salucci Marco , Massa Andrea
Published: October 2015

A method for robust amplitude beamforming in linear antenna arrays is presented. The admissible tolerances on the array excitations, described as real‐valued intervals, are maximised regardless their nominal values, while guaranteeing that the bounds of the radiated power patterns fit a‐priori defined mask constraints. A set of representative numerical results, concerned with different mask constraints as well as comparisons with state‐of‐the‐art approaches, is reported and discussed to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Solar photovoltaic‐based stand‐alone scheme incorporating a new boost inverter
Authors: Debnath Dipankar , Chatterjee Kishore
Published: October 2015

This study considers the design of a solar photovoltaic (PV)‐based stand‐alone system using a battery for energy storage. Its main feature is a new boost inverter, derived by integrating a dc–dc buck–boost converter and a full bridge dc–ac inverter, which can perform simultaneous voltage boosting and dc–ac conversion. Inclusion of this inverter has led to the development of a three stage stand‐alone scheme which can operate with low voltage level(s) for the PV and the battery. The logical evolution and operating principles of this inverter are presented, followed by an overview of the entire stand‐alone scheme and its control structure. The complete scheme is validated both by detailed simulation studies and exhaustive experimental studies on a laboratory prototype.