bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition of transparent superhydrophobic film by using mixed functional alkoxysilanes
Authors: Tombesi Alessia , Li Shuhui , Sathasivam Sanjayan , Page Kristopher , Heale Frances L. , Pettinari Claudio , Carmalt Claire J. , Parkin Ivan P.
Published: May 2019

A method for the preparation of transparent superhydrophobic silica coatings on glass substrates via aerosol‐assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) is described. A multi-layer process to produce dual scale silica nanoparticles films, by using different functional alkoxysilanes was investigated. A first layer of 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) and a second layer of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) were deposited at different temperatures to generate micro and nano particles of silica. Finally, a layer of perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane was deposited on top of the two layers to achieve superhydrophobicity. The transparent superhydrophobic film showed transparency of 90% in the visible light region with a static water contact angle of 165° and a sliding angle lower than 1°. Various durability tests were performed on the transparent superhydrophobic film, showing a constant water repellency after corrosion and organic solvents tests, strong resistance under UV light, and thermal stability up to 400 °C. Sandpaper mechanical robustness durability test showed superhydrophobicity for up to 5 rubbing cycles. In this study, a novel strategy to achieve highly transparent superhydrophobic glass surfaces using AACVD of alkoxysilanes, to produce surfaces with excellent durability is described. This shows great potential to obtain silica superhydrophobic films for large–scale applications.
Aminophospholipids are signal-transducing TREM2 ligands on apoptotic cells
Authors: Shirotani Keiro , Hori Yuma , Yoshizaki Ryohei , Higuchi Eri , Colonna Marco , Saito Takashi , Hashimoto Shoko , Saito Takashi , Saido Takaomi C. , Iwata Nobuhisa
Published: May 2019

Variants of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) are associated with an increased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other neurodegenerative disorders. Using a newly developed, highly sensitive reporter cell model, consisting of Jurkat T cells stably overexpressing a reporter gene and a gene encoding TREM2DAP12 fusion protein, we show here that TREM2-dependent signal transduction in response to apoptotic Neuro2a cells is mediated by aminophospholipid ligands, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine, which are not exposed on the intact cell surface, but become exposed upon apoptosis. We also show that signal-transducing TREM2 ligands different from aminophospholipids, which appear to be derived from neurons, might be present in membrane fractions of mouse cerebral cortex. These results may suggest that TREM2 regulates microglial function by transducing intracellular signals from aminophospholipids on apoptotic cells, as well as unidentified ligands in the membranes of the cerebral cortex.
Heat shock proteins create a signature to predict the clinical outcome in breast cancer
Authors: Klimczak Marta , Biecek Przemyslaw , Zylicz Alicja , Zylicz Maciej
Published: May 2019

Utilizing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and KM plotter databases we identified six heat shock proteins associated with survival of breast cancer patients. The survival curves of samples with high and low expression of heat shock genes were compared by log-rank test (Mantel-Haenszel). Interestingly, patients overexpressing two identified HSPs – HSPA2 and DNAJC20 exhibited longer survival, whereas overexpression of other four HSPs – HSP90AA1, CCT1, CCT2, CCT6A resulted in unfavorable prognosis for breast cancer patients. We explored correlations between expression level of HSPs and clinicopathological features including tumor grade, tumor size, number of lymph nodes involved and hormone receptor status. Additionally, we identified a novel signature with the potential to serve as a prognostic model for breast cancer. Using univariate Cox regression analysis followed by multivariate Cox regression analysis, we built a risk score formula comprising prognostic HSPs (HSPA2, DNAJC20, HSP90AA1, CCT1, CCT2) and tumor stage to identify high-risk and low-risk cases. Finally, we analyzed the association of six prognostic HSP expression with survival of patients suffering from other types of cancer than breast cancer. We revealed that depending on cancer type, each of the six analyzed HSPs can act both as a positive, as well as a negative regulator of cancer development. Our study demonstrates a novel HSP signature for the outcome prediction of breast cancer patients and provides a new insight into ambiguous role of these proteins in cancer development.
Inter-cluster separation induced change in charge transport mechanism in Ni40Pd60 nanoclusters
Authors: Praveen S. G. , Bansal C. , Nagar D. Jaiswal
Published: May 2019

Nanoclusters offer a fascinating possibility of studying the evolution of properties of a physical system by varying the number, size and inter-cluster separation of a given cluster to go from one limit to another. By systematically varying the inter-cluster separation in a nanocluster assembly of Ni40Pd60alloy, that is known to be a metal in bulk, we observe an unusual and hitherto unreported, spatial dimension change as well as a change in the transport mechanism. In the nanocluster form, the temperature dependent resistance shows an activated behavior for virtually all inter-cluster separations, contrary to, the bulk metallic behaviour. At large average inter-cluster separation, the transport happens via three dimensional Efros-Shklovskii hopping, due to the opening of a Coulomb gap at the Fermi surface. With a reduction in the inter-cluster separation, the transport mechanism changes from three dimensional Efros-Shklovskii hopping to that of a three dimensional Mott variable range hopping (VRH) due to the closing up of the gap. With a further reduction in average inter-cluster separation, the three dimensional Mott VRH changes to that of a two dimensional Mott VRH with additional signatures of an insulator to a weak metal-like transition in this particular assembly. So, nanoclusters offer a paradigm for studying the important problem of evolution of charge transport in physical systems with the possibility of directly tuning the average inter-cluster separation enabling the system to go from insulating to metallic limit via intermediate changes in the charge transport mechanism.
Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 plays a pathogenic role in BSA-induced kidney injury in diabetic mice
Authors: Takagaki Yuta , Shi Sen , Katoh Makoto , Kitada Munehiro , Kanasaki Keizo , Koya Daisuke
Published: May 2019

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is appeared to be higher risk of declining kidney function compared to non-diabetic kidney disease with same magnitude of albuminuria. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program of tubular epithelial cells (TECs) could be important for the production of the extracellular matrix in the kidney. Caveolin-1 (CAV1), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) and integrin β1 have shown to be involved in EMT program. Here, we found diabetic kidney is prone for albuminuria-induced TECs damage and DPP-4 plays a vital role in such parenchymal damages in diabetic mice. The bovine serum albumin (BSA) injection induced severe TECs damage and altered expression levels of DPP-4, integrin β1, CAV1, and EMT programs including relevant microRNAs in type 1 diabetic CD-1 mice when compared to non-diabetic mice; teneligliptin (TENE) ameliorated these alterations. TENE suppressed the close proximity among DPP-4, integrin β1 and CAV1 in a culture of HK-2 cells. These findings suggest that DPP-4 inhibition can be relevant for combating proteinuric DKD by targeting the EMT program induced by the crosstalk among DPP-4, integrin β1 and CAV1.
Optimizing the dynamics of protein expression
Authors: Trösemeier Jan-Hendrik , Rudorf Sophia , Loessner Holger , Hofner Benjamin , Reuter Andreas , Schulenborg Thomas , Koch Ina , Bekeredjian-Ding Isabelle , Lipowsky Reinhard , Kamp Christel
Published: May 2019

Heterologously expressed genes require adaptation to the host organism to ensure adequate levels of protein synthesis, which is typically approached by replacing codons by the target organism’s preferred codons. In view of frequently encountered suboptimal outcomes we introduce the codon-specific elongation model (COSEM) as an alternative concept. COSEM simulates ribosome dynamics during mRNA translation and informs about protein synthesis rates per mRNA in an organism- and context-dependent way. Protein synthesis rates from COSEM are integrated with further relevant covariates such as translation accuracy into a protein expression score that we use for codon optimization. The scoring algorithm further enables fine-tuning of protein expression including deoptimization and is implemented in the software OCTOPOS. The protein expression score produces competitive predictions on proteomic data from prokaryotic, eukaryotic, and human expression systems. In addition, we optimized and tested heterologous expression of manA and ova genes in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Superiority over standard methodology was demonstrated by a threefold increase in protein yield compared to wildtype and commercially optimized sequences.
Developing a New Marker of Dynamic Hyperinflation in Patients with Obstructive Airway Disease - an observational study
Authors: Chuang Ming-Lung , Hsieh Meng-Jer , Wu Tzu-Chin , Lin I-Feng
Published: May 2019

Tidal volume at peak exercise and vital capacity ratio (VTpeak/VC) and VTpeak/inspiratory capacity (IC) were used to differentiate lung expansion in subjects with normal health and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from that in subjects with restrictive ventilation. However, VC and IC variably change due to pseudorestriction of lung volumes. Thus, these variables are currently not recommended. In contrast, total lung capacity (TLC) does little change during exercise. The aims of the study investigated whether VTpeak/TLC is more significantly correlated with static air trapping and lung hyperinflation in patients with COPD than VTpeak/IC, VTpeak/FVC, and VTpeak/SVC (study 1), and developed a marker to replace dynamic IC maneuvers by evaluation of the relationship between end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) and VTpeak/TLC and identification of a cutoff value for VTpeak/TLC (study 2). One hundred adults with COPD (study 1) and 23 with COPD and 19 controls (study 2) were analyzed. Spirometry, lung volume, diffusing capacity, incremental cardiopulmonary exercise tests with dynamic IC maneuvers were compared between groups. An ROC curve was generated to identify a cut off value for VTpeak/TLC. In study 1, VTpeak/TLC was more significantly associated with airflow obstruction, static air trapping and hyperinflation. In study 2, VTpeak/TLC was highly correlated with EELV in the patients (r = −0.83), and VTpeak/TLC ≥ 0.27 predicted that 18% of the patients with static air trapping and hyperinflation can expand their VT equivalent to the controls. In conclusions, VTpeak/TLC was superior to other VTpeak/capacities. VTpeak/TLC may be a marker of dynamic hyperinflation in subjects with COPD, thereby avoiding the need for dynamic IC maneuvers. VTpeak/TLC < 0.27 identified approximately 82% of subjects with COPD who could not adequately expand their tidal volume. As most of our participants were male, further studies are required to elucidate whether the results of this study can be applied to female patients with COPD.
Comparison of cytotoxicity and membrane efflux pump inhibition in HepG2 cells induced by single-walled carbon nanotubes with different length and functional groups
Authors: Shen Zhuoyan , Wu Jialu , Yu Yue , Liu Su , Jiang Wei , Nurmamat Habiba , Wu Bing
Published: May 2019

Environmental risk of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is receiving increasing attentions owing to their wide study and application. However, little is known on the influence of length and functional groups on SWCNT cytotoxicity. In this study, six types of SWCNTs with different functional groups (pristine, carboxyl group and hydroxyl group) and lengths (1–3 μm and 5–30 μm) were chosen. Cytotoxicities in human hepatoma HepG2 cells induced by these SWCNTs were compared based on cell viability, oxidative stress, plasma membrane fluidity and ABC transporter activity assays. Results showed that all the SWCNTs decreased cell viability of HepG2, increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, and damaged plasma membrane in a concentration-dependent manner. Long SWCNTs had stronger cytotoxic effects than short SWCNTs, which might be due to weaker aggregation for the long SWCNTs. Functionalization changed the toxic effects of the SWCNTs, and different influence was found between long SWCNTs and short SWCNTs. Moreover, the six types of SWCNTs at low concentrations changed plasma membrane fluidity, inhibited transmembrane ABC transporter (efflux pump) activity, and acted as chemosensitizer to improve the sensitivity of cells to arsenic, indicating the chemosensitive effect should be considered as toxic endpoint of SWCNTs. Comparison of different toxic endpoints among the six types of SWCNTs showed that short hydroxyl-SWCNT might be safer than other SWCNTs. This study provides insights into toxicities of SWCNTs, which is of great value for the risk assessment and application of SWCNTs.
Trk1-mediated potassium uptake contributes to cell-surface properties and virulence of Candida glabrata
Authors: Llopis-Torregrosa Vicent , Vaz Catarina , Monteoliva Lucia , Ryman Kicki , Engstrom Ylva , Gacser Attila , Gil Concha , Ljungdahl Per O. , Sychrová Hana
Published: May 2019

The absence of high-affinity potassium uptake in Candida glabrata, the consequence of the deletion of the TRK1 gene encoding the sole potassium-specific transporter, has a pleiotropic effect. Here, we show that in addition to changes in basic physiological parameters (e.g., membrane potential and intracellular pH) and decreased tolerance to various cell stresses, the loss of high affinity potassium uptake also alters cell-surface properties, such as an increased hydrophobicity and adherence capacity. The loss of an efficient potassium uptake system results in diminished virulence as assessed by two insect host models, Drosophila melanogaster and Galleria mellonella, and experiments with macrophages. Macrophages kill trk1Δ cells more effectively than wild type cells. Consistently, macrophages accrue less damage when co-cultured with trk1Δ mutant cells compared to wild-type cells. We further show that low levels of potassium in the environment increase the adherence of C. glabrata cells to polystyrene and the propensity of C. glabrata cells to form biofilms.
Compressed glassy carbon maintaining graphite-like structure with linkage formation between graphene layers
Authors: Shibazaki Yuki , Kono Yoshio , Shen Guoyin
Published: May 2019

Amorphous diamond, formed by high-pressure compression of glassy carbon, is of interests for new carbon materials with unique properties such as high compressive strength. Previous studies attributed the ultrahigh strength of the compressed glassy carbon to structural transformation from graphite-like sp2-bonded structure to diamond-like sp3-bonded structure. However, there is no direct experimental determination of the bond structure of the compressed glassy carbon, because of experimental challenges. Here we succeeded to experimentally determine pair distribution functions of a glassy carbon at ultrahigh pressures up to 49.0 GPa by utilizing our recently developed double-stage large volume cell. Our results show that the C-C-C bond angle in the glassy carbon remains close to 120°, which is the ideal angle for the sp2-bonded honey-comb structure, up to 49.0 GPa. Our data clearly indicate that the glassy carbon maintains graphite-like structure up to 49.0 GPa. In contrast, graphene interlayer distance decreases sharply with increasing pressure, approaching values of the second neighbor C-C distance above 31.4 GPa. Linkages between the graphene layers may be formed with such a short distance, but not in the form of tetrahedral sp3 bond. The unique structure of the compressed glassy carbon may be the key to the ultrahigh strength.
A molecular phylogeny of the genus Drimia (Asparagaceae: Scilloideae: Urgineeae) in India inferred from non-coding chloroplast and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences
Authors: Saha Partha S. , Jha Sumita
Published: May 2019

The evolutionary history of the medicinally important bulbous geophyteDrimia(subfamily: Scilloideae) has long been considered as a matter of debate in the monocot systematics. In India the genus is represented by a species complex, however, the taxonomic delimitation among them is ill-defined till date. In the present study, a comprehensive phylogenetic relationship among Indian species of this genus has been inferred for the first time based on chloroplast DNAtrnLintron,rps16-trnKintergenic spacer,atpB-rbcLintergenic spacer and ribosomal DNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequences, leaf morphology, anatomy, stomatal characteristics and pollen exine ornamentations. The present findings revealed the monophyletic origin of the Indian members ofDrimiaand grouped them into two possible lineages (clade- I and II). The phylogenetic tree based on cpDNA concatenated sequences further resolved the clade-I into two distinct subclades (I and II) and clarified the intraspecies relationship among the studied members. The present study suggested a strong relationship between the molecular phylogeny and the morphological characteristics of the species studied. A possible trend of evolution of two important traits: ‘type of palisade cells’ in leaf and ‘pollen exine patterns’ among the members ofDrimiain India was also suggested.
Rubber tail illusion is weakened in Ca2+-dependent activator protein for secretion 2 (Caps2)-knockout mice
Authors: Wada Makoto , Ide Masakazu , Atsumi Takeshi , Sano Yoshitake , Shinoda Yo , Furuichi Teiichi , Kansaku Kenji
Published: May 2019

Body ownership is a fundamental aspect of self-consciousness. Illusion of body ownership is caused by updating body representation through multisensory integration. Synchronous visuotactile stimulation of a hand and rubber hand leads to illusory changes in body ownership in humans, but this is impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We previously reported that mice also exhibit body ownership illusion. With synchronous stroking of a tail and rubber tail, mice responded as if their own tails were being touched when the rubber tails were grasped (‘rubber tail illusion’). However, it remains unknown whether deficits in illusion of body ownership occur in mouse models of autism. Here, we examined whether the ‘rubber tail illusion’ occurred in Ca2+-dependent activator protein for secretion 2-knockout (Caps2-KO) mice, which exhibit autistic-like phenotypes. During the synchronous stroking, response rates were significantly lower in Caps2-KO mice than in wild-type mice. There were no significant differences between the response rates of wild-type and Caps2-KO mice during the asynchronous stroking. The ‘rubber tail illusion’ was weak in Caps2-KO mice, suggesting that Caps2-KO mice experienced weaker visuotactile integration during the task. The rubber tail task will be a useful tool in mouse models of autism to evaluate atypical sensory processing.
Revealing latent characteristics of mobility networks with coarse-graining
Authors: Hamedmoghadam Homayoun , Ramezani Mohsen , Saberi Meead
Published: May 2019

Previous theoretical and data-driven studies on urban mobility uncovered the repeating patterns in individual and collective human behavior. This paper analyzes the travel demand characteristics of mobility networks through studying a coarse-grained representation of individual trips. Building on the idea of reducing the complexity of the mobility network, we investigate the preserved spatial and temporal information in a simplified representations of large-scale origin-destination matrices derived from more than 16 million taxi trip records from New York and Chicago. We reduce the numerous individual flows on the network into four major groups, to uncover latent collective mobility patterns in those cities. The new simplified representation of the origin-destination matrices leads to categorization of trips into distinctive flow types with specific temporal and spatial properties in each city under study. Collocation of the descriptive statistics of flow types within the two cities suggests the generalizability of the proposed approach. We extract an overall displacement metric from each of the major flows to analyze the evolution of their temporal attributes. The new representation of the demand network reveals insightful properties of the mobility system which could not have been identified from the original disaggregated representation.
A model for the impact of FFPE section thickness on gene copy number measurement by FISH
Authors: Yu Jiyan , Wang Qi , Xue Pu , Zheng Li , Mo Juanfen , Chen Liangye , Yin Manxiang , Huang Yueyan , Bao Yi , Ding Feng
Published: May 2019

Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) assays to detect gene amplification such as HER2 or MET in tumors are used for prognosis evaluation and selection of targeted therapies. Although FISH guidelines recommended 4~6 μm FFPE sections, many laboratories use 2~3 μm sections, which is a common practice for H&E staining and immunohistochemistry. A former study concluded that section thickness did not affect FISH results. We found, however, that thinner FFPE sections may lead to false negative results for gene amplification. A mathematic model was constructed and cell-line based controls with known gene copy number were prepared, and the model had a reasonable fit with the experimental data. The model revealed that even when counting the apparently full-sized nuclear images, many of them have partial volumes, which leads to under-estimation of gene copy number. Therefore, improperly thinner sections are prone to give false negative results, and thicker sections give a better approximation to the true value. The discrepancy between this and the former study was discussed. In summary, the model applies generally to FISH/ISH detection of gene copy number, and section thickness is an important parameter to control for precision medicine research, assay development, clinical trials and daily practice in pathology laboratory.
Analysis of extracellular vesicles generated from monocytes under conditions of lytic cell death
Authors: Baxter Amy A. , Phan Thanh Kha , Hanssen Eric , Liem Michael , Hulett Mark D. , Mathivanan Suresh , Poon Ivan K. H.
Published: May 2019

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an important class of membrane-bound structures that have been widely investigated for their roles in intercellular communication in the contexts of tumor progression, vascular function, immunity and regenerative medicine. Much of the current knowledge on the functions of EVs pertains to those derived from viable cells (e.g. exosomes and microvesicles) or apoptotic cells (e.g. apoptotic bodies) whilst the generation of EVs from dying cells under non-apoptotic conditions remains poorly characterized. Herein, the release of EVs from THP-1 monocytes under conditions of primary necrosis, secondary necrosis and pyroptosis, was investigated. A comprehensive analysis of THP-1-derived EVs revealed that cells undergoing lytic forms of cell death generated a high number of EVs compared with viable or apoptotic cells in vitro. Differential centrifugation via 16,000 g and 100,000 g revealed that dying THP-1 cells release both medium and small EVs, respectively, consistent with the known characteristics of microvesicles and/or exosomes. In addition, large EVs isolated via 2000 g centrifugation were also present in all samples. These findings suggest that lytic cell death under both sterile and non-sterile inflammatory conditions induces monocytes to generate EVs, which could potentially act as mediators of cell-to-cell communication.
Enhanced Ultra-Sensitive Metamaterial Resonance Sensor based on Double Corrugated Metal stripe for Terahertz Sensing
Authors: Niknam Sajad , Yazdi Mehran , Behboudi Amlashi Salman
Published: May 2019

In this paper, an ultra-sensitive metamaterial terahertz sensor is proposed. The resonance sensor is designed based on a novel double corrugation form to enhance the ability of the sensor in the terms of sensitivity, Q-factor and the maximum sensible thickness of an analyte. The introduced structure can support the spoof surface plasmon and can resonate strongly at the tuned frequencies. Moreover, the structure of the terahertz sensor is investigated thoroughly from different points of view including frequency shifts due to variations in the thickness or refractive index of the analyte. In addition, the sensitivity of the sensor is approximated with a biharmonic fitting function for different combinations of refractive index and analyte thickness as “sensitivity surface”. The sensor shows the maximum sensitivity of 1.75 THz/RIU for refractive index between 1–1.2 with a maximum thickness of 80 μm. Moreover, the simulation results approved that the double corrugation on the metal stripe improves the electromagnetic field interaction in the metal part greatly in comparison with the previously reported works. According to this work, the proposed structure can be applied for terahertz sensing with more abilities to sense even thicker biologic tissues.
Evidence of large genetic influences on dog ownership in the Swedish Twin Registry has implications for understanding domestication and health associations
Authors: Fall Tove , Kuja-Halkola Ralf , Dobney Keith , Westgarth Carri , Magnusson Patrik K. E.
Published: May 2019

Dogs were the first domesticated animal and, according to the archaeological evidence, have had a close relationship with humans for at least 15,000 years. Today, dogs are common pets in our society and have been linked to increased well-being and improved health outcomes in their owners. A dog in the family during childhood is associated with ownership in adult life. The underlying factors behind this association could be related to experiences or to genetic influences. We aimed to investigate the heritability of dog ownership in a large twin sample including all twins in the Swedish Twin Registry born between 1926 and 1996 and alive in 2006. Information about dog ownership was available from 2001 to 2016 from national dog registers. The final data set included 85,542 twins from 50,507 twin pairs with known zygosity, where information on both twins were available in 35,035 pairs. Structural equation modeling was performed to estimate additive genetic effects (the heritability), common/shared environmental, and unique/non-shared environmental effects. We found that additive genetic factors largely contributed to dog ownership, with heritability estimated at 57% for females and 51% for males. An effect of shared environmental factors was only observed in early adulthood. In conclusion, we show a strong genetic contribution to dog ownership in adulthood in a large twin study. We see two main implications of this finding: (1) genetic variation may have contributed to our ability to domesticate dogs and other animals and (2) potential pleiotropic effects of genetic variation affecting dog ownership should be considered in studies examining health impacts of dog ownership.
Toroidal metasurface resonances in microwave waveguides
Authors: Zografopoulos Dimitrios C. , Algorri José Francisco , Ferraro Antonio , García-Cámara Braulio , Sánchez-Pena José Manuel , Beccherelli Romeo
Published: May 2019

We theoretically investigate the possibility to load microwave waveguides with dielectric particle arrays that emulate the properties of infinite, two-dimensional, all-dielectric metasurfaces. First, we study the scattering properties and the electric and magnetic multipole modes of dielectric cuboids and identify the conditions for the excitation of the so-called anapole state. Based on the obtained results, we design metasurfaces composed of a square lattice of dielectric cuboids, which exhibit strong toroidal resonances. Then, three standard microwave waveguide types, namely parallel-plate waveguides, rectangular waveguides, and microstrip lines, loaded with dielectric cuboids are designed, in such a way that they exhibit the same resonant features as the equivalent dielectric metasurface. The analysis shows that parallel-plate and rectangular waveguides can almost perfectly reproduce the metasurface properties at the resonant frequency. The main attributes of such resonances are also observed in the case of a standard impedance-matched microstrip line, which is loaded with only a small number of dielectric particles. The results demonstrate the potential for a novel paradigm in the design of “metasurface-loaded” microwave waveguides, either as functional elements in microwave circuitry, or as a platform for the experimental study of the properties of dielectric metasurfaces.
Little evidence of reduced global tropical cyclone activity following recent volcanic eruptions
Authors: Camargo Suzana J. , Polvani Lorenzo M.
Published: May 2019

The impact of volcanic aerosols on recent global tropical cyclone (TC) activity is examined in observations, reanalysis, and models (the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 - CMIP5 multi-model, and one single model large ensemble). In observations, we find a reduction of TC activity only in the North Atlantic following the last three strong volcanic eruptions; that signal, however, cannot be clearly attributed to volcanoes, as all three eruptions were simultaneous with El Niño events. In reanalyses, we find no robust impact of volcanic eruptions on potential intensity (PI) and genesis indices. In models, we find a reduction in PI after volcanic eruptions in the historical simulations, but this effect is significantly reduced when differences between the model environment and observations are accounted for. Morever, the CMIP5 multi-model historical ensemble shows no effect of volcanic eruptions on a TC genesis index. Finally, there is no robust and consistent reduction in recent TC activity following recent volcanic eruptions in a large set of synthetic TCs downscaled from these simulations. Taken together, these results show that in recent eruptions volcanic aerosols did not reduce global TC activity.
Robust skill of decadal climate predictions
Authors: Smith D. M. , Eade R. , Scaife A. A. , Caron L.-P. , Danabasoglu G. , DelSole T. M. , Delworth T. , Doblas-Reyes F. J. , Dunstone N. J. , Hermanson L. , Kharin V. , Kimoto M. , Merryfield W. J. , Mochizuki T. , Müller W. A. , Pohlmann H. , Yeager S. , Yang X.
Published: May 2019

There is a growing need for skilful predictions of climate up to a decade ahead. Decadal climate predictions show high skill for surface temperature, but confidence in forecasts of precipitation and atmospheric circulation is much lower. Recent advances in seasonal and annual prediction show that the signal-to-noise ratio can be too small in climate models, requiring a very large ensemble to extract the predictable signal. Here, we reassess decadal prediction skill using a much larger ensemble than previously available, and reveal significant skill for precipitation over land and atmospheric circulation, in addition to surface temperature. We further propose a more powerful approach than used previously to evaluate the benefit of initialisation with observations, improving our understanding of the sources of skill. Our results show that decadal climate is more predictable than previously thought and will aid society to prepare for, and adapt to, ongoing climate variability and change.
Dry release transfer of graphene and few-layer h-BN by utilizing thermoplasticity of polypropylene carbonate
Authors: Kinoshita Kei , Moriya Rai , Onodera Momoko , Wakafuji Yusai , Masubuchi Satoru , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Machida Tomoki
Published: May 2019

We demonstrate the dry release transfer of single-layer and bi-layer graphene and few-layer h-BN by utilizing poly(propylene) carbonate (PPC) films. Because of the strong adhesion between PPC and 2D materials around room temperature, we demonstrate that single-layer to few-layer graphene, as well as few-layer h-BN can be fabricated on a spin-coated PPC film/SiO2/Si substrate via the mechanical exfoliation method. In addition, we show that these single-layer to few-layer crystals are clearly distinguishable using an optical microscope with the help of optical interference. Because of the thermoplastic properties of PPC film, the adhesion between the 2D materials and PPC significantly decreases at about 70 °C. Therefore, by tuning the temperature, the graphene and h-BN flakes on PPC can be easily dry-transferred onto another h-BN substrate. We demonstrate the fabrication of encapsulated h-BN/graphene/h-BN devices and graphene/few-layer h-BN/graphene vertical-tunnel-junction devices using this method. Our finding provides a simple method for constructing high-quality graphene and h-BN-based van der Waals heterostructures with a minimum amount of polymer contamination.
Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of ultrathin two-dimensional porphyrin nanodisks via covalent organic framework exfoliation
Authors: Fan Zeyu , Nomura Kota , Zhu Mingshan , Li Xinxi , Xue Jiawei , Majima Tetsuro , Osakada Yasuko
Published: May 2019

Two dimensional polymers have emerged in recent years as useful materials for the development of catalysts for future energy demand. However, the synthesis of ultrathin organic two dimensional polymers is still limited and further development is necessary. Here we present the synthesis of nanometer-thick two-dimensional (2D) porphyrin polymer nanodisks via the exfoliation of covalent organic frameworks, and evaluate their performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction under irradiation with broadband light. The nanodisks are synthesized through the simultaneous axial coordination of pyridines and metal ions to produce 2D porphyrin nanodisks of 1 nm average thickness. Importantly, the polymer composite with platinum-reduced graphene oxide exhibits hydrogen evolution activity upon irradiation with visible and NIR light. These results represent the use of 2D ultrathin polymer nanodisks derived from covalent organic frameworks in heterogeneous photocatalytic processes.
Efficient one-pot green synthesis of tetrakis(acetonitrile)copper(i) complex in aqueous media
Authors: Kritchenkov Ilya S. , Shakirova Julia R. , Tunik Sergey P.
Published: May 2019

New simple, fast, effective and environmentally friendly one-pot method for the synthesis of extensively used tetrakis(acetonitrile)copper(i) complexes with BF4−, PF6−and ClO4−counterions is invented and optimized.
Development of effective sequence multi-barrier reactive media for nitrate remediation in groundwater systems
Authors: Dahiru Muntaka , Nor Kartini Abu Bakar , Yusoff Ismail
Published: May 2019

Using surface characterization and a decomposition study, carbonaceous materials are found to have longevity potential in novel reactive media forin situdenitrification.
Role of gallium and yttrium dopants on the stability and performance of solution processed indium oxide thin-film transistors
Authors: Jaehnike Felix , Pham Duy Vu , Bock Claudia , Kunze Ulrich
Published: May 2019

We study the effect of gallium and yttrium doping on both the electrical performance and the stability of indium based metal-oxide thin-film transistors (MOTFTs) at varied concentrations.
AgNPs decorated Mg-doped ZnO heterostructure with dramatic SERS activity for trace detection of food contaminants
Authors: Yao Jiacheng , Quan Yingnan , Gao Ming , Gao Renxian , Chen Lei , Liu Yang , Lang Jihui , Shen He , Zhang Yongjun , Yang Lili , Yang Jinghai
Published: May 2019

Compared with noble metals, semiconductors have been gradually exploited more as another type of SERS substrate materials due to their distinctive advantages.
Role of filamentous fungi in migration of radioactive cesium in the Fukushima forest soil environment
Authors: Ohnuki Toshihiko , Sakamoto Fuminori , Kozai Naofumi , Nanba Kenji , Neda Hitoshi , Sasaki Yoshito , Niizato Tadafumi , Watanabe Naoko , Kozaki Tamotsu
Published: May 2019

The fate of radioactive Cs deposited after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident and its associated radiological impacts are largely dependent on its mobility from surface soils to forest ecosystems.
Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in the surface water and sediment of two typical estuaries in Bohai Bay, China
Authors: Wu Nan , Zhang Ying , Zhang Xiaohan , Zhao Ze , He Jiahui , Li Wenpeng , Ma Yongzheng , Niu Zhiguang
Published: May 2019

Estuaries are considered to be seriously polluted by microplastics.
The sources and mechanisms of bioactive ingredients in coffee
Authors: Hu G. L. , Wang X. , Zhang L. , Qiu M. H.
Published: May 2019

The sources and mechanism of action of coffee active ingredients are detailed and their joint roles in the prevention of common human diseases are summarized.
Novel 3D hierarchically structured cauliflower-shaped SnO2 nanospheres as effective photoelectrodes in hybrid photovoltaics
Authors: Mahmood Khalid , Imran Muhammad , Hameed Madsar , Rehman Faisal , Ahmad Syed Waqas , Nawaz Faisal
Published: May 2019

Optical and electrical characteristics of wide bandgap metal oxides, namely the charge mobility, bandgap and energy level, directly define the performance and stability of photovoltaics.
An NIR triphenylamine grafted BODIPY derivative with high photothermal conversion efficiency and singlet oxygen generation for imaging guided phototherapy
Authors: Zhu Jianwei , Zou Jianhua , Zhang Zhanjie , Zhang Jie , Sun Yang , Dong Xiaochen , Zhang Qi
Published: May 2019

Osteosarcoma, the most common malignant bone tissue tumor, with a high degree of malignancy, strong metastasis, and early lung metastasis, can result in extremely high mortality, and is a serious threat to human health.
Oxidation of amine α-carbon to amide: a review on direct methods to access the amide functionality
Authors: Nagaraaj P. , Vijayakumar V.
Published: May 2019

A number of methods have been adopted for the synthesis of amides; among these methods, the oxidation of an amine to an amide is growing in interest as a means to prepare this imperative functional group.
In vitroselection of DNA aptamers for the development of chemiluminescence aptasensor for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) detection
Authors: Zheng Yue , Zhao Yunwang , Di Ya , He Lei , Liao Shiqi , Li Dongdong , Liu Xiaofei
Published: May 2019

Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is one of the most commonly used serum tumor biomarker in clinical practice for small cell lung cancer screening, early diagnosis, evaluation of therapeutic efficacy and prognosis.
Aromatic molecular junctions between graphene sheets: a molecular dynamics screening for enhanced thermal conductance
Authors: Di Pierro Alessandro , Bernal Maria Mar , Martinez Diego , Mortazavi Bohayra , Saracco Guido , Fina Alberto
Published: May 2019

The tuning of covalently bound molecular junctions could increase heat transfer between graphene platelets inside nanocomposites materials.
Tailoring pore distribution in polymer films via evaporation induced phase separation
Authors: Pervin Rumiaya , Ghosh Pijush , Basavaraj Madivala G.
Published: May 2019

The work contributes to a fundamental understanding of how to regulate the microstructure of porous polymer films fabricated via evaporation induced phase separation (EIPS).
An innovative biotransformation to produce resveratrol by Bacillus safensis
Authors: Hu Xiaoyan , Liu Yexue , Li Dengke , Feng Wei , Ni Hanmeng , Cao Shan , Lu Fuping , Li Yu
Published: May 2019

The transformation ability of Bacillus safensis and the antimicrobial activity of resveratrol.
Alkylammonium thiostannate inorganic/organic hybrids as high-performance photocatalysts with a decoupled adsorption–photodegradation mechanism
Authors: Hao Xiufang , Cui Xiaoyan , Hu Meiqi , Jia Yiming , Li Xinxin , Wei Shuo , Lu Jun
Published: May 2019

For traditional photocatalysts, the adsorption and successive surface reaction constitute a coupled and integrated process, owing to the limited number of catalytic active centres available.
Effect of reduction temperature on the structure and hydrodesulfurization performance of Na doped Ni2P/MCM-41 catalysts
Authors: Jiang Nan , Zhang Fuyong , Song Hua
Published: May 2019

The removal of sulfur compounds from petroleum is increasingly important because of the environmental pollution caused by sulfur compounds.
Surfactant-dependant thermally induced nonlinear optical properties of l-ascorbic acid-stabilized colloidal GNPs and GNP–PVP thin films
Authors: Sunatkari A. L. , Talwatkar S. S. , Tamgadge Y. S. , Muley G. G.
Published: May 2019

Gold nanoparticle (GNP) colloids stabilized with various concentrations of l-ascorbic acid were synthesized by the chemical reduction method and characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, FT-IR spectroscopy and TEM.
CO2-philic moderate selective layer mixed matrix membranes containing surface functionalized NaX towards highly-efficient CO2 capture
Authors: Maleh Mohammad Salehi , Raisi Ahmadreza
Published: May 2019

A functional moderate selective layer mixed matrix membrane (F-MSL-MMM) is a promising candidate to obtain superior separation of industrial gases, compared to commonly mixed matrix membranes.
Nature of intramolecular O–H⋯π interactions as elucidated by QTAIM dual functional analysis with QC calculations
Authors: Hayashi Satoko , Nishide Taro , Nakanishi Waro
Published: May 2019

Intramolecular OH–*–C(π), O–*–C(π) and O–*–H(π) interactions are detected as having a vdW nature, which is typical of an HB with no covalency.
Efficient access to chiral dihydrobenzoxazinones via Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation
Authors: Chen Ziyi , Yin Xuguang , Dong Xiu-Qin , Zhang Xumu
Published: May 2019

Rh/(S)-DTBM-SegPhos-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral (Z)-2-(2-oxo-2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazin-3(4H)-ylidene)acetate esters was successfully developed to prepare various chiral dihydrobenzoxazinones with good to excellent results.
Metabolism and pharmacokinetics of medium chain fatty acids after oral administration of royal jelly to healthy subjects
Authors: Yamaga Masayuki , Tani Hiroko , Yamaki Ayanori , Tatefuji Tomoki , Hashimoto Ken
Published: May 2019

The royal jelly fatty acids were metabolized to dicarboxylic acids, absorbed into the circulation and then excreted in the urine.
The synergistic effect of cation mixing in mesoporous BixFe1−xVO4 heterojunction photoanodes for solar water splitting
Authors: Zhang Mengyuan , Pham Huu Khue , Fang Yanan , Tay Ying Fan , Abdi Fatwa F. , Wong Lydia H.
Published: May 2019

Mixed metal vanadates are an interesting class of materials due to their favorable bandgap for visible light absorption and their catalytic activity.
Atomically tailoring vacancy defects in FeF2.2(OH)0.8 toward ultra-high rate and long-life Li/Na-ion batteries
Authors: Wang Qun , Yang Zhenhua , Liu Hanghui , Wang Xianyou , Shi Xingqiang
Published: May 2019

As for FeF2.2(OH)0.8, introducing appropriate vacancy defects has been recently discovered to be a new experimental method for the improvement of the lithium storage performance.
Unique characteristics of 2D Ruddlesden–Popper (2DRP) perovskite for future photovoltaic application
Authors: Zheng Yiting , Niu Tingting , Ran Xueqin , Qiu Jian , Li Bixin , Xia Yingdong , Chen Yonghua , Huang Wei
Published: May 2019

Unique characteristics of 2D Ruddlesden–Popper (2DRP) perovskite for future photovoltaic application.
Fabrication and characterization of a high-surface area MoS2@WS2 heterojunction for the ultra-sensitive NO2 detection at room temperature
Authors: Ikram Muhammad , Liu Lujia , Liu Yang , Ma Laifeng , Lv He , Ullah Mohib , He Lang , Wu Hongyuan , Wang Ruihong , Shi Keying
Published: May 2019

Hydrothermally prepared vertical multilayer WS2 nanosheets on the surface of few-layer MoS2 for the ultra-sensitive NO2 detection at room temperature.
Enhanced thermoelectric performance of GeTe through in situ microdomain and Ge-vacancy control
Authors: Bayikadi Khasim Saheb , Sankar Raman , Wu Chien Ting , Xia Chengliang , Chen Yue , Chen Li-Chyong , Chen Kuei-Hsien , Chou Fang-Cheng
Published: May 2019

The thermoelectric figure-of-merit (ZT) for GeTe powder is able to be raised from ∼0.8 to 1.37 at high temperature near ∼500 °C by tuning the Ge vacancy level through a reversible in situ route.
Ladder-like conjugated polymers used as hole-transporting materials for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells
Authors: Zhang Liren , Wu Jionghua , Li Dongmei , Li Wenhua , Meng Qingbo , Bo Zhishan
Published: May 2019

Intramolecular S–O interactions were adopted for designing HTMs with high hole mobility and a suitable HOMO energy level in PVSK.
Liquid metal acetate assisted preparation of high-efficiency and stable inverted perovskite solar cells
Authors: Wu Yulei , Wan Li , Fu Sheng , Zhang Wenxiao , Li Xiaodong , Fang Junfeng
Published: May 2019

MAPbI3 solar cells fabricated by introducing liquid Zr(Ac)4 as an additive present excellent performance and stability.
Unravelling steady-state bulk recombination dynamics in thick efficient vacuum-deposited perovskite solar cells by transient methods
Authors: Kiermasch David , Gil-Escrig Lidón , Baumann Andreas , Bolink Henk J. , Dyakonov Vladimir , Tvingstedt Kristofer
Published: May 2019

By evaluating perovskite solar cells up to 820 nm thick using charge extraction and transient photovoltage, first and second order recombination dynamics can for the first time be identified under operational conditions in complete devices.
Design and preparation of nanoporous Ag–Cu alloys by dealloying Mg–(Ag,Cu)–Y metallic glasses for antibacterial applications
Authors: Wang Xiao , Li Ran , Li Zian , Xiao Ruijuan , Chen Xiao-Bo , Zhang Tao
Published: May 2019

Highly antibacterial and long-term oxidation-resistant nanoporous Ag–Cu alloys were fabricated by dealloying Mg–(Ag,Cu)–Y metallic glasses.
Synthesis of gold nanocluster-loaded lysozyme nanoparticles for label-free ratiometric fluorescent pH sensing: applications to enzyme–substrate systems and cellular imaging
Authors: Chandirasekar Shanmugam , You Jyun-Guo , Xue Jhe-Hong , Tseng Wei-Lung
Published: May 2019

We have demonstrated the synthesis of gold nanocluster-loaded lysozyme nanoparticles as a dual-emission probe for ratiometric sensing of pH changes in enzyme–substrate systems and live cells.
Thermo-sensitive luminescence of lanthanide complexes, clusters, coordination polymers and metal–organic frameworks with organic photosensitizers
Authors: Hasegawa Yasuchika , Kitagawa Yuichi
Published: May 2019

Historical and recent advances of lanthanide mononuclear complexes, polynuclear clusters, coordination polymers (CPs) and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with temperature-dependent luminescence are reviewed for future thermo-sensitive paints.
Versatile hydrochromic fluorescent materials based on a 1,8-naphthalimide integrated fluorophore-receptor system
Authors: Ni Yanhai , Sun Zhimin , Wang Yali , Nour Hany F. , Sue Andrew C.-H. , Finney Nathaniel S. , Baldridge Kim K. , Olson Mark A.
Published: May 2019

A pyridinium-based design principle that leads to solution processable napthalimide-derived salts, which exhibit solid state fluorescence hydrochromism in response to changes in relative humidity.
Prospects and challenges of the electrocaloric phenomenon in ferroelectric ceramics
Authors: Kumar Ajeet , Thakre Atul , Jeong Dae-Yong , Ryu Jungho
Published: May 2019

The electrocaloric effect (ECE), which refers to changes in the temperature of a material when an electric field is applied to or removed from the material, is one of the key phenomena of future highly efficient solid-state refrigeration devices.
An ultra-high yield of spherical K2NaScF6:Mn4+ red phosphor and its application in ultra-wide color gamut liquid crystal displays
Authors: Ming Hong , Liu Lili , He Shengan , Peng Jiaqing , Du Fu , Fu Junxiang , Yang Fengli , Ye Xinyu
Published: May 2019

A novel Mn4+-doped double-perovskite red phosphor K2NaScF6:Mn4+ with ultra-high synthetic yield and uniform spherical morphology was developed for ultra-wide color gamut LCDs.