bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tuning oxygen vacancy photoluminescence in monoclinic Y2WO6 by selectively occupying yttrium sites using lanthanum
Authors: Ding Bangfu , Han Chao , Zheng Lirong , Zhang Junying , Wang Rongming , Tang Zilong
Published: March 2015

The effect of isovalent lanthanum (La) doping on the monoclinic Y2WO6 photoluminescence was studied. Introducing the non-activated La3+ into Y2WO6 brings new excitation bands from violet to visible regions and strong near-infrared emission, while the bands position and intensity depend on the doping concentration. It is interesting to find that doping La3+ into Y2WO6 promotes the oxygen vacancy formation according to the first-principle calculation, Raman spectrum and synchrotron radiation analysis. Through the Rietveld refinement and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results, La3+ is found to mainly occupy the Y2 (2f) site in low-concentration doped samples. With increasing doping concentration, the La3+ occupation number at the Y3 (4g) site increases faster than those at the Y1 (2e) and Y2 (2f) sites. When La3+ occupies different Y sites, the localized energy states caused by the oxygen vacancy pair change their position in the forbidden band, inducing the variation of the excitation and emission bands. This research proposes a feasible method to tune the oxygen vacancy emission, eliminating the challenge of precisely controlling the calcination atmosphere.
The extent of inflammatory infiltration in primary cancer tissues is associated with lymphomagenesis in immunodeficient mice
Authors: Zhang Lianhai , Liu Yiqiang , Wang Xiaohong , Tang Zhiyu , Li Shuangxi , Hu Ying , Zong Xianglong , Wu Xiaojiang , Bu Zhaode , Wu Aiwen , Li Ziyu , Li Zhongwu , Huang Xiaozheng , Jia Ling , Kang Qiang , Liu Yong , Sutton David , Wang Lai , Luo Lusong , Ji Jiafu
Published: March 2015

Xenotransplantation of human cancers into immunodeficient mice is a very useful approach for studying human tumor biology. However, the occasional occurrence of lymphomagenesis in some mice can spoil the model and must be investigated in detail. We found that a high percentage (32.5%, 26/80) of cancer patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) resembled lymphoma in NOD/SCID mice. Of the 26 xenografts, 23 were human-derived expressing human CD45 (hCD45+) and proved to be of the B-cell subtype (CD3-/CD20+) and they were all positive for Epstein - Barr virus (EBV). The remaining 3 xenografts proved to be mouse-derived for both hCD45- and negative amplification of a human gene. The most interesting finding is that gastric cancer had much higher rates (24/126, 19.0%) of lymphoma formation in the PDX model than did colorectal cancer (1/43, 2.3%). Statistical analysis revealed that cancer type and inflammation in the parent tumor are significantly associated with lymphomagenesis. Further validation discovered lymphomagenesis by inoculating only gastritis mucosa. Therefore, our findings suggest that it is necessary to take precautions when directly xenografting cancer tissues with remarkable baseline inflammation, such as gastric cancer into immunodeficient NOD/SCID strains. Further, the established xenograft models should be validated by both leukocyte markers and human gene signatures.
Uncovering pharmacological mechanisms of Wu-tou decoction acting on rheumatoid arthritis through systems approaches: drug-target prediction, network analysis and experimental validation
Authors: Zhang Yanqiong , Bai Ming , Zhang Bo , Liu Chunfang , Guo Qiuyan , Sun Yanqun , Wang Danhua , Wang Chao , Jiang Yini , Lin Na , Li Shao
Published: March 2015

Wu-tou decoction (WTD) has been extensively used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Due to lack of appropriate methods, pharmacological mechanisms of WTD acting on RA have not been fully elucidated. In this study, a list of putative targets for compositive compounds containing in WTD were predicted by drugCIPHER-CS. Then, the interaction network of the putative targets of WTD and known RA-related targets was constructed and hub nodes were identified. After constructing the interaction network of hubs, four topological features of each hub, including degree, node betweenness, closeness and k-coreness, were calculated and 79 major hubs were identified as candidate targets of WTD, which were implicated into the imbalance of the nervous, endocrine and immune (NEI) systems, leading to the main pathological changes during the RA progression. Further experimental validation also demonstrated the preventive effects of WTD on inflammation and joint destruction in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats and its regulatory effects on candidate targets both in vitro and in vivo systems. In conclusion, we performed an integrative analysis to offer the convincing evidence that WTD may attenuate RA partially by restoring the balance of NEI system and subsequently reversing the pathological events during RA progression.
Mechanical interplay between invadopodia and the nucleus in cultured cancer cells
Authors: Revach Or-Yam , Weiner Allon , Rechav Katya , Sabanay Ilana , Livne Ariel , Geiger Benjamin
Published: March 2015

Invadopodia are actin-rich membrane protrusions through which cells adhere to the extracellular matrix and degrade it. In this study, we explored the mechanical interactions of invadopodia in melanoma cells, using a combination of correlative light and electron microscopy. We show here that the core actin bundle of most invadopodia interacts with integrin-containing matrix adhesions at its basal end, extends through a microtubule-rich cytoplasm and at its apical end, interacts with the nuclear envelope and indents it. Abolishment of invadopodia by microtubules or src inhibitors leads to the disappearance of these nuclear indentations. Based on the indentation profile and the viscoelastic properties of the nucleus, the force applied by invadopodia is estimated to be in the nanoNewton range. We further show that knockdown of the LINC complex components nesprin 2 or SUN1 leads to a substantial increase in the prominence of the adhesion domains at the opposite end of the invadopodia. We discuss this unexpected, long-range mechanical interplay between the apical and basal domains of invadopodia and its possible involvement in the penetration of invadopodia into the matrix.
Specificity of Hemodynamic Brain Responses to Painful Stimuli: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study
Authors: Yücel Meryem A. , Aasted Christopher M. , Petkov Mihayl P. , Borsook David , Boas David A. , Becerra Lino
Published: March 2015

Assessing pain in individuals not able to communicate (e.g. infants, under surgery, or following stroke) is difficult due to the lack of non-verbal objective measures of pain. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) being a portable, non-invasive and inexpensive method of monitoring cerebral hemodynamic activity has the potential to provide such a measure. Here we used functional NIRS to evaluate brain activation to an innocuous and a noxious electrical stimulus on healthy human subjects (n = 11). For both innocuous and noxious stimuli, we observed a signal change in the primary somatosensory cortex contralateral to the stimulus. The painful and non-painful stimuli can be differentiated based on their signal size and profile. We also observed that repetitive noxious stimuli resulted in adaptation of the signal. Furthermore, the signal was distinguishable from a skin sympathetic response to pain that tended to mask it. Our results support the notion that functional NIRS has a potential utility as an objective measure of pain.
Downregulation of ubiquitin inhibits the proliferation and radioresistance of non-small cell lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Tang Yiting , Geng Yangyang , Luo Judong , Shen Wenhao , Zhu Wei , Meng Cuicui , Li Ming , Zhou Xifa , Zhang Shuyu , Cao Jianping
Published: March 2015

Radioresistance has been an important factor in restricting efficacy of radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and new approaches to inhibit cancer growth and sensitize irradiation were warranted. Despite the important role of ubiquitin/proteasome system (UPS) during cancer progression and treatment, the expression and biological role of ubiquitin (Ub) in human NSCLC has not been characterized. In this study, we found that ubiquitin was significantly overexpressed in 75 NSCLC tissues, compared to their respective benign tissues by immunohistochemistry (P< 0.0001). Knock-down of ubiquitin by mixed shRNAs targeting its coding genesubiquitin B(UBB) andubiquitin C(UBC) suppressed the growth and increased the radiosensitivity in NSCLC H1299 cells. Apoptosis and γ H2AX foci induced by X-ray irradiation were enhanced by knock-down of ubiquitin. Western blot and immunostaining showed that knock-down of ubiquitin decreased the expression and translocation of NF-κB to the nucleus by reduced phospho-IκBα after irradiation. Suppression of ubiquitin decreased the proliferation and radioresistance of H1299 transplanted xenografts in nude mice by promoting apoptosis. Taken together, our results demonstrate the critical role of ubiquitin in NSCLC proliferation and radiosensitivity. Targeting ubiquitin may serve as a potentially important and novel approach for NSCLC prevention and therapy.
Fullerene mixing effect on carrier formation in bulk-hetero organic solar cell
Authors: Moritomo Yutaka , Yasuda Takeshi , Yonezawa Kouhei , Sakurai Takeaki , Takeichi Yasuo , Suga Hiroki , Takahashi Yoshio , Inami Nobuyuki , Mase Kazuhiko , Ono Kanta
Published: March 2015

Organic solar cells (OSCs) with a bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) are promising energy conversion devices, because they are flexible and environmental-friendly and can be fabricated by low-cost roll-to-roll process. Here, we systematically investigated the interrelations between photovoltaic properties and the domain morphology of the active layer in OSCs based on films of poly-(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-bithiophene) (F8T2)/[6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) blend annealed at various temperatures (Tan). The scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) revealed that fullerene mixing (ΦFullerene) in the polymer matrix decreases with increase in Tan while the domain size (L) is nearly independent of Tan. The TEM-S mapping image suggests that the polymer matrix consist of polymer clusters of several nm and fullerene. We found that the charge formation efficiency (ΦCF), internal quantum efficiency (ΦIQ) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) are dominantly determined by ΦFullerene. We interpreted these observations in terms of the polymer clusters within the polymer matrix.
Hidden relationships between metalloproteins unveiled by structural comparison of their metal sites
Authors: Valasatava Yana , Andreini Claudia , Rosato Antonio
Published: March 2015

Metalloproteins account for a substantial fraction of all proteins. They incorporate metal atoms, which are required for their structure and/or function. Here we describe a new computational protocol to systematically compare and classify metal-binding sites on the basis of their structural similarity. These sites are extracted from the MetalPDB database of minimal functional sites (MFSs) in metal-binding biological macromolecules. Structural similarity is measured by the scoring function of the available MetalS2 program. Hierarchical clustering was used to organize MFSs into clusters, for each of which a representative MFS was identified. The comparison of all representative MFSs provided a thorough structure-based classification of the sites analyzed. As examples, the application of the proposed computational protocol to all heme-binding proteins and zinc-binding proteins of known structure highlighted the existence of structural subtypes, validated known evolutionary links and shed new light on the occurrence of similar sites in systems at different evolutionary distances. The present approach thus makes available an innovative viewpoint on metalloproteins, where the functionally crucial metal sites effectively lead the discovery of structural and functional relationships in a largely protein-independent manner.
Causal relevance of circulating high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with cancer: a Mendelian randomization meta-analysis
Authors: Yang Chunhua , Tian Geng , Mi Jia , Wei Xiaodan , Li Xuri , Li Xianglin , Wang Wenming , Wang Bin
Published: March 2015

We summarized published data on the associations of apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene ε2/ε3/ε4 polymorphism with both cancer risk and circulating lipid profiles, aiming to examine the causal relevance between lipids and cancer risk. Article identification and data abstraction were conducted in duplicate and independently by two authors. Data were analyzed by STATA software. Twenty-five articles that examined the associations of APOE gene ε2/ε3/ε4 polymorphism with either cancer risk (n = 22) or circulating lipid changes (n = 4) were eligible. The presence of ε2 and ε4 alleles showed no overall associations with overall cancer risk when compared with ε3 allele. The ε4 allele was significantly associated with 1.40-fold (odds ratio or OR = 1.40; 95% confidence interval or CI: 1.00–1.94; P = 0.047) increased risk of developing cancer in Asian populations and the presence of heterogeneity was low (I2 = 37.6%). Carriers of ε3/ε4 genotype had a significant reduction in circulating HDL-C (WMD = −2.62; 95% CI: −4.19 to −1.04; P = 0.001) without heterogeneity (I2 = 16.6%). The predicted odds of having cancer for 1 mg/dL reduction in circulating HDL-C was 1.14 (95% CI: 1.00 to 1.89). The findings of this Mendelian randomization meta-analysis demonstrate that reduced circulating HDL-C might be a potentially causal risk factor for the development of overall cancer in Asians.
Fibulin1C peptide induces cell attachment and extracellular matrix deposition in lung fibroblasts
Authors: Ge Qi , Chen Ling , Jaffar Jade , Argraves William Scott , Twal Waleed O. , Hansbro Phil , Black Judith L. , Burgess Janette K. , Oliver Brian
Published: April 2015

Fibulin-1 is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein, levels of which are elevated in serum and lung tissue from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis compared to healthy volunteers. Inhibition of fibulin-1C, one of four fibulin-1 isoforms, reduced proliferation and wound healing in human airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells. This study identified the bioactive region/s of fibulin-1C which promotes fibrosis. Seven fibulin-1C peptides were synthesized and used to pre-coat tissue culture plates before lung derived ASM cells and fibroblasts from patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or neither disease (Control) were plated. Peptide effects on in vitro measures of fibrosis: cell attachment, proliferation and viability and ECM deposition, were examined. Among these peptides, peptide 1C1 (FBLN1C1) enhanced ASM cell and fibroblast attachment. FBLN1C1 increased mitochondrial activity and proliferation in fibroblasts. In addition, FBLN1C1 stimulated fibulin1 deposition in PF and COPD fibroblasts and augmented fibronectin and perlecan deposition in all three groups. Peptides FBLN1C2 to FBLN1C7 had no activity. The active fibulin-1C peptide identified in this study describes a useful tool for future studies. Ongoing investigation of the role of fibulin-1 may reveal the mechanisms underlying the pathphysiology of chronic lung diseases.
Association of PEDF polymorphisms with age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ma Li , Tang Shu Min , Rong Shi Song , Chen Haoyu , Young Alvin L. , Kumaramanickavel Govindasamy , Pang Chi Pui , Chen Li Jia
Published: March 2015

This study assesses the association of the pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) gene with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Publications in MEDLINE and EMBASE up to 21/08/2014 were searched for case-control association studies of PEDF with AMD and/or PCV. Reported studies giving adequate genotype and/or allele information were included. Pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of each polymorphism were estimated. Our literature search yielded 297 records. After excluding duplicates and reports with incomplete information, 8 studies were eligible for meta-analysis, involving 2284 AMD patients versus 3416 controls and 317 PCV patients versus 371 controls. Four PEDF polymorphisms were meta-analyzed: rs1136287, rs12150053, rs12948385 and rs9913583, but none was significantly associated with AMD or PCV. The most-investigated polymorphism, rs1136287, had a pooled-OR of 1.02 (95% CI: 0.94–1.11, P = 0.64) for AMD. In subgroup analysis by ethnicity, no significant association was identified. Polymorphisms present in single report showed no association. Therefore, existing data in literature does not support the role of PEDF in the genetic susceptibility of AMD and PCV, although replication in specific populations is warranted. Since the pooled-sample size for PCV was small, there is a need of PEDF genotyping in larger samples of PCV.
Multi-susceptibile Single-Phased Ceramics with Both Considerable Magnetic and Dielectric Properties by Selectively Doping
Authors: Liu Chuyang , Zhang Yujing , Jia Jingguo , Sui Qiang , Ma Ning , Du Piyi
Published: April 2015

Multiferroic ceramics with extraordinary susceptibilities coexisting are vitally important for the multi-functionality and integration of electronic devices. However, multiferroic composites, as the most potential candidates, will introduce inevitable interface deficiencies and thus dielectric loss from dissimilar phases. In this study, single-phased ferrite ceramics with considerable magnetic and dielectric performances appearing simultaneously were fabricated by doping target ions in higher valence than that of Fe3+, such as Ti4+, Nb5+ and Zr4+, into BaFe12O19. In terms of charge balance, Fe3+/Fe2+ pair dipoles are produced through the substitution of Fe3+ by high-valenced ions. The electron hopping between Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions results in colossal permittivity. Whilst the single-phased ceramics doped by target ions exhibit low dielectric loss naturally due to the diminishment of interfacial polarization and still maintain typical magnetic properties. This study provides a convenient method to attain practicable materials with both outstanding magnetic and dielectric properties, which may be of interest to integration and multi-functionality of electronic devices.
Sestrin2 inhibits mTORC1 through modulation of GATOR complexes
Authors: Kim Jeong Sig , Ro Seung-Hyun , Kim Myungjin , Park Hwan-Woo , Semple Ian A. , Park Haeli , Cho Uhn-Soo , Wang Wei , Guan Kun-Liang , Karin Michael , Lee Jun Hee
Published: March 2015

Sestrins are stress-inducible metabolic regulators that suppress a wide range of age- and obesity-associated pathologies, many of which are due to mTORC1 overactivation. Upon various stresses, the Sestrins inhibit mTORC1 activity through an indirect mechanism that is still unclear. GATORs are recently identified protein complexes that regulate the activity of RagB, a small GTPase essential for mTORC1 activation. GATOR1 is a GTPase activating protein (GAP) for RagB whereas GATOR2 functions as an inhibitor of GATOR1. However, how the GATORs are physiologically regulated is unknown. Here we show that Sestrin2 binds to GATOR2 and liberates GATOR1 from GATOR2-mediated inhibition. Released GATOR1 subsequently binds to and inactivates RagB, ultimately resulting in mTORC1 suppression. Consistent with this biochemical mechanism, genetic ablation of GATOR1 nullifies the mTORC1-inhibiting effect of Sestrin2 in both cell culture and Drosophila models. Collectively, we elucidate a new signaling cascade composed of Sestrin2-GATOR2-GATOR1-RagB that mediates stress-dependent suppression of mTORC1 activity.
A mobile biosafety microanalysis system for infectious agents
Authors: Beniac Daniel R. , Hiebert Shannon L. , Siemens Christine G. , Corbett Cindi R. , Booth Tim F.
Published: March 2015

Biological threats posed by pathogens such as Ebola virus must be quickly diagnosed, while protecting the safety of personnel. Scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis requires minimal specimen preparation and can help to identify hazardous agents or substances. Here we report a compact biosafety system for rapid imaging and elemental analysis of specimens, including powders, viruses and bacteria, which is easily transportable to the site of an incident.
In situ changes of tropical crustose coralline algae along carbon dioxide gradients
Authors: Fabricius K. E. , Kluibenschedl A. , Harrington L. , Noonan S. , De'ath G.
Published: April 2015

Crustose coralline algae (CCA) fulfill important ecosystem functions in coral reefs, including reef framework stabilization and induction of larval settlement. To investigate in situ the effects of high carbon dioxide on CCA communities, we deployed settlement tiles at three tropical volcanic CO2 seeps in Papua New Guinea along gradients spanning from 8.1 to 7.4 pH. After 5 and 13 months deployment, there was a steep transition from CCA presence to absence around pH 7.8 (660 μatm pCO2): 98% of tiles had CCA at pH > 7.8, whereas only 20% of tiles had CCA at pH ≤ 7.8. As pH declined from 8.0 to 7.8, the least and most sensitive CCA species lost 43% and 85% of cover, respectively. Communities on upward facing surfaces exposed to high light and high grazing pressure showed less steep losses than those on shaded surfaces with low grazing. Direct CO2 effects on early life stages were the main mechanisms determining CCA cover, rather than competitive interactions with other benthic groups. Importantly, declines were steepest at near-ambient pH, suggesting that CCA may have already declined in abundance due to the recent seawater pH decline of 0.1 units and that future severe losses are likely with increasing ocean acidification.
Porous ZrO2 sheets synthesized using an ionothermal method and their absorption properties
Authors: Yamada Tetsuya , Katsumata Ken-ichi , Matsushita Nobuhiro , Okada Kiyoshi
Published: March 2015

Porous ZrO2 sheets were synthesized by combining an ionothermal method and heat treatment. NH4Zr2F9 with a sheet-like structure was obtained using the ionothermal method.
Structural and photoluminescence properties of stannate based displaced pyrochlore-type red phosphors: Ca3−xSn3Nb2O14:xEu3+
Authors: Sreena T. S. , Prabhakar Rao P. , Linda Francis T. , Raj Athira K. V. , Babu Parvathi S.
Published: March 2015

New stannate based displaced pyrochlore-type red phosphors, Ca3−xSn3Nb2O14:xEu3+, exhibit local cation disorder through the absence of characteristic MD transition splitting.
Concise synthesis of spergualin-inspired molecules with broad-spectrum antibiotic activity
Authors: Assimon Victoria A. , Shao Hao , Garneau-Tsodikova Sylvie , Gestwicki Jason E.
Published: March 2015

There is a growing need to identify new, broad-spectrum antibiotics. Here, we report a concise route to an antibiotic based on the privileged structure of the natural product spergualin.
Color tuning in thermally stable Sm3+-activated CaWO4nanophosphors
Authors: Maheshwary Maheshwary , Singh B. P. , Singh R. A.
Published: March 2015

Sm3+(Sm3+= 2, 5, 7 and 10 at%) doped CaWO4nanophosphors exhibit a wide range emission in blue, green and red regions of the visible spectrum.
Esterase- and pH-responsive poly(β-amino ester)-capped mesoporous silica nanoparticles for drug delivery
Authors: Fernando Isurika R. , Ferris Daniel P. , Frasconi Marco , Malin Dmitry , Strekalova Elena , Yilmaz M. Deniz , Ambrogio Michael W. , Algaradah Mohammed M. , Hong Michael P. , Chen Xinqi , Nassar Majed S. , Botros Youssry Y. , Cryns Vincent L. , Stoddart J. Fraser
Published: March 2015

Gating of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with the stimuli-responsive poly(β-amino ester) has been achieved.
Proliferation of preosteoblasts on TiO2nanotubes is FAK/RhoA related
Authors: Zhang He , Yang Sheng , Masako Nagasawa , Lee Dong Joon , Cooper Lyndon F. , Ko Ching-Chang
Published: March 2015

Model for FAK/RhoA modulation of topography-regulated proliferation.
The repressive effect of miR-520a on NF-κB/IL-6/STAT-3 signal involved in the glabridin-induced anti-angiogenesis in human breast cancer cells
Authors: Mu Juan , Ning Shilong , Wang Xingxing , Si Lu , Jiang Fei , Li Yuan , Li Zhong
Published: March 2015

Our study offers a novel mechanism in GLA anti-angiogenesis by the microRNA-520a (miR-520a)-mediated inhibition of the NF-κB/IL-6/STAT-3 signal pathway in breast cancer cells.
High-quality phosphorus-doped MoS2 ultrathin nanosheets with amenable ORR catalytic activity
Authors: Huang Hao , Feng Xun , Du Cuicui , Song Wenbo
Published: March 2015

Ultrathin phosphorus-doped MoS2 nanosheets are pyrolytically achieved, which exhibit dramatically enhanced catalytic activity for ORR.
Polyoxometalate-based organic–inorganic hybrid compounds containing transition metal mixed-organic-ligand complexes of N-containing and pyridinecarboxylate ligands
Authors: Zhao De-Chuan , Hu Yang-Yang , Ding Hong , Guo Hai-Yang , Cui Xiao-Bing , Zhang Xiao , Huo Qi-Sheng , Xu Ji-Qing
Published: March 2015

Five compounds exhibiting novel structures constructed from polyoxoanions and metal mixed-organic-ligand complexes have been synthesized and characterized.
A new 3-D open-framework cadmium borovanadate with plane-shaped channels and high catalytic activity for the oxidation of cyclohexanol
Authors: Feng Yuquan , Qiu Dongfang , Fan Huitao , Li Min , Huang Qunzeng , Shi Hengzhen
Published: March 2015

A new 3-D open-framework cadmium borovanadate with 6-connected topology was hydrothermally obtained and exhibited interesting absorption properties and high catalytic activities for the oxidation of cyclohexanol.
A cellulose sponge with robust superhydrophilicity and under-water superoleophobicity for highly effective oil/water separation
Authors: Wang Gang , He Yi , Wang He , Zhang Lin , Yu Quanyao , Peng Shusen , Wu Xuedong , Ren Tianhui , Zeng Zhixiang , Xue Qunji
Published: March 2015

A cellulose sponge with properties of superhydrophilicity and under-water superoleophobicity gives 99.94% separation efficiency in oil–water emulsion separation.
Structure-based virtual screening for fragment-like ligands of the G protein-coupled histamine H4receptor
Authors: Istyastono Enade P. , Kooistra Albert J. , Vischer Henry F. , Kuijer Martien , Roumen Luc , Nijmeijer Saskia , Smits Rogier A. , de Esch Iwan J. P. , Leurs Rob , de Graaf Chris
Published: March 2015

Structure-based virtual screening using H1R- and β2R-based histamine H4R homology models identified 9 fragments with an affinity ranging from 0.14 to 6.3 μm for H4R.
Novel synthesis of fluorochrome-coupled zoledronate with preserved functional activity on gamma/delta T cells and tumor cells
Authors: Chandrasekaran Vijayanand , Kalyan Shirin , Biel Valentina , Lettau Marcus , Nerdal Patrik Theodor , Oberg Hans-Heinrich , Wesch Daniela , Lindhorst Thisbe K. , Kabelitz Dieter
Published: March 2015

A novel fluorescent derivative of bisphosphonate zoledronate was synthesized and shown to have comparable functional activity as native zoledronate.
Tumor microenvironment in focus: LA-ICP-MS bioimaging of a preclinical tumor model upon treatment with platinum(iv)-based anticancer agents
Authors: Theiner Sarah , Kornauth Christoph , Varbanov Hristo P , Galanski Mathea S , Van Schoonhoven Sushilla , Heffeter Petra , Berger Walter , Egger Alexander E , Keppler Bernhard K
Published: March 2015

The selection of drug candidates for entering clinical development relies on in vivo testing in (solid) tumor animal models. However, the heterogeneity of tumor tissue (e.g. in terms of drug uptake or tissue composition) is rarely considered when testing novel drug candidates. Therefore, we used the murine colon cancer CT-26 tumor model to study the spatially-resolved drug distribution in tumor tissue upon repetitive treatment of animals over two weeks with three investigational platinum(iv)-based anticancer agents, oxaliplatin or satraplatin. A quantitative laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) imaging method revealed a heterogeneous platinum distribution, which correlated well with the histologic features of the tumor and surrounding tissue at the microscopic level. In most of the cases, higher amounts of intratumoral platinum were found in the surrounding tissue than in the malignant parts of the sample. This indicates that determination of average platinum amounts (e.g. by microwave-assisted digestion of the sample followed by analysis with ICP-MS) might overestimate the drug uptake in tumor tissue causing misleading conclusions. In addition, we studied the platinum distribution in the kidneys of treated animals to probe if accumulation in the cortex and medulla predict potential nephrotoxicity. A 10-fold increase of platinum in the cortex of the kidney over the medulla was observed for oxaliplatin and satraplatin. Although these findings are similar to those in the platinum distribution of the nephrotoxic anticancer drug cisplatin, treatment with the compounds of our study did not show signs of nephrotoxicity in clinical use or clinical trials (oxaliplatin, satraplatin) and did not result in the alteration of renal structures. Thus, predicting the side effects based on bioimaging data by LA-ICP-MS should be considered with caution. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first LA-ICP-MS study on spatially-resolved platinum accumulation in tissues after repetitive platinum-based anticancer drug treatment of mice bearing a preclinical tumor model.
Novel fluorescent probes based on rhodamine for naked-eye detection of Fe3+ and their application of imaging in living cells
Authors: Yang Meipan , Meng Wenfei , Ding Qingli , Su Na , Liu Xiaojing , Zhang Ming , Yang Bingqin
Published: March 2015

Novel fluorescent probes for Fe3+ and their application of imaging in living cells.
Monitoring the length-controlled synthesis of one-dimensional metalloporphyrin-containing coordination polymer particles and their photocatalytic properties
Authors: Sun Yu , Yoo Bongyoung
Published: March 2015

We investigated the length-controlled synthesis of 1D metalloporphyrin coordination polymer particles and achieved the formation of nanorod and nanowire structures, which showed good photocatalytic ability towards methylene blue decomposition.
Co/Cu2O assisted growth of graphene oxide on carbon nanotubes and its water splitting activities
Authors: Li Chunxiang , Wang Jiankang , Jiang Zhaohua , Hu Pingan
Published: March 2015

Graphene oxide (GO) is formed in the fabrication process of CNT/Co materials from the exfoliated tube wall of CNT.
Efficient approach to 2-hydroxy-2,3-dihydrofuran derivatives and its application for the synthesis of novel 4-(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyridazines
Authors: Ma Jun-Rui , Shu Wen-Ming , Zheng Kai-Lu , Ni Fan , Yin Guo-Dong , Wu An-Xin
Published: March 2015

A highly efficient method for the synthesis of 2-hydroxy-2,3-dihydrofuran derivatives from 1,4-enediones and phenacyl pyridinium halides via a domino reaction has been developed. At the same time, we also synthesize the novel 4-(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyridazine skeleton.
Influence of non-covalent preorganization on supramolecular effective molarities
Authors: Sun Hongmei , Navarro Cristina , Hunter Christopher A.
Published: March 2015

Formation of H-bonding interactions, which restrict the conformational mobility of a flexible linker, have no effect on chelate cooperativity in a family of porphyrin-pyridine complexes.
Properties and photocatalytic performance of polypyrrole and polythiophene modified g-C3N4 nanocomposites
Authors: Hu Shaozheng , Ma Lin , Wang Haoying , Zhang Lei , Zhao Yanfeng , Wu Guang
Published: March 2015

Polythiophene modified g-C3N4 exhibits a stronger interaction with g-C3N4 and higher electron–hole separation rate than that of polypyrrole, and thus shows better photocatalytic activity and stability.
The influence of hierarchical TiO2 microspheres on the trap state distribution and charge transport/recombination dynamics in quantum dot sensitized solar cells
Authors: Shi Xiao-Juan , Wang Yi , Wu Dapeng , Qin Yujun , Ai Xi-Cheng , Xu Dongsheng , Zhang Jian-Ping
Published: March 2015

The trap state distributions in hierarchical TiO2 microspheres and their influence on charge transport/recombination dynamics.
Sequential palladium catalyzed coupling–cyclocondensation–coupling (C3) four-component synthesis of intensively blue luminescent biarylsubstituted pyrazoles
Authors: Denißen Melanie , Nordmann Jan , Dziambor Julian , Mayer Bernhard , Frank Walter , Müller Thomas J. J.
Published: March 2015

Highly blue-fluorescent 1-, 3-, and 5-biarylsubstituted pyrazoles can be efficiently prepared by a MW-assisted consecutive four-component synthesis based upon a sequential Pd-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling–condensation–Suzuki coupling (C3) process.
Correction: Colorimetric sensors with different reactivity for the quantitative determination of cysteine, homocysteine and glutathione in a mixture
Authors: Niu Li-Ya , Jia Ming-Yan , Chen Peng-Zhong , Chen Yu-Zhe , Zhang Yuan , Wu Li-Zhu , Duan Chun-Feng , Tung Chen-Ho , Guan Ya-Feng , Feng Liang , Yang Qing-Zheng
Published: March 2015

Correction for ‘Colorimetric sensors with different reactivity for the quantitative determination of cysteine, homocysteine and glutathione in a mixture’ by Li-Ya Niu et al., RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 13042–13045.
Identification of large channels in cationic PEGylated cubosome nanoparticles by synchrotron radiation SAXS and Cryo-TEM imaging
Authors: Angelov Borislav , Angelova Angelina , Drechsler Markus , Garamus Vasil M. , Mutafchieva Rada , Lesieur Sylviane
Published: March 2015

Liquid crystalline cationic cubosome nanoparticles with very large aqueous channels (Cryo-TEM image and the corresponding FFT pattern).
Quasi-2d fluids of dipolar superballs in an external field
Authors: Linse Per
Published: March 2015

(Top) Dipolar superballs with dipole moment in 001, 011, and 111-direction and (bottom) structure in quasi-2d fluids with an external field in the horizontal direction. The degree of attraction between strings depends and the structures formed depends decisively on the direction of the dipole in the principal axis system of the superballs.
Highly fluorescent polymeric nanoparticles based on melamine for facile detection of TNT in soil
Authors: Liu Jie , Yang Shenghong , Li Fengyun , Dong Lijun , Liu Jingjing , Wang Xiayan , Pu Qiaosheng
Published: March 2015

One-step synthesis of highly fluorescent polymeric nanoparticles and their successful application in detecting trace TNT in different typical kinds of soil samples.
Tailoring molecular architectures of Fe phthalocyanine on nanocarbon supports for high oxygen reduction performance
Authors: Zhang Shiming , Zhang Heyou , Hua Xing , Chen Shengli
Published: March 2015

Tailored molecular architectures of FePc on nanocarbon supports from nanorods to uniform shells exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline solution.
What's on Your Mind? Conversation Topics Chosen by People With Degenerative Cognitive-Linguistic Disorders for Communication Boards
Authors: Fried-Oken Melanie , Daniels Darlene , Ettinger Olivia , Mooney Aimee , Noethe Glory , Rowland Charity
Published: April 2015

Purpose

Conversational topics chosen by a group of adults with degenerative cognitive-linguistic disorders for personalized communication board development were examined. The patient-generated themes commonly selected are presented to guide treatment planning and communication board development.

Method

Communication boards were created for 109 adults as part of a larger research project. One autobiographical topic that each participant would enjoy discussing multiple times was represented on each communication board with 16 pictures and word labels. For this review, topics were collapsed into general themes through a consensus process and examined by gender and age.

Results

Sixty unique conversational topics were identified from 109 participants and collapsed into 9 general themes: Hobbies, Family, Travel, Work, Home/Places I've Lived, Sports/Fitness, Religion, Animals, and World War II. Age and gender produced variations in themes chosen, though no significance in rank orders was found across groups.

Conclusions

Topics selected by adults with degenerative cognitive-linguistic disorders for communication boards resemble common conversational adult themes and do not center around basic needs or medical issues. Differences in gender and age for topic selection tend to be based on traditional roles. These general themes should be used when creating personalized communication boards for those who benefit from conversational aids.
Compact and high‐selectivity microstrip bandpass filter using two‐stage twist‐modified asymmetric split‐ring resonators
Authors: Li Jian , Huang Yongjun , Wen Guangjun , Xue Xiaolin , Song Jiaming
Published: April 2015

A compact and high frequency selectivity two‐stage microstrip bandpass filter is designed and experimentally demonstrated. Such a kind of filter is composed of two pairs of twist‐modified asymmetric split‐ring resonators (SRRs) to achieve three transmission poles within the passband and four transmission zeros at low and high rejection bands. Sharply out‐of‐band reductions contributing to the high frequency selectivity are obtained by properly detuning the gaps among the SRRs. The measured results show that the proposed filter with dimensions of 0.088 × 0.088λ2 has a 3 dB passband of 15.2% centred at 1.98 GHz. This filter can be flexibly integrated in miniaturised radio‐frequency/microwave circuits.
Saliency model based on a discrete centre‐surround
Authors: Jin Zuolun , Han Jing , Zhang Yi , Bai Lianfa
Published: April 2015

A novel saliency model based on a discrete centre‐surround (C‐S) is proposed. By addressing the problem of filter scales selection commonly existing in the state‐of‐the‐art saliency methods, the contrast map, obtained by a discrete C‐S, can uniformly highlight salient objects. Furthermore, a saliency probability measure is derived from the combination of the discrete C‐S and saliency priors, which further enhances the object's saliency. Experimental results on a dataset containing 1000 test images with ground truths demonstrate that the proposed model clearly outperforms previous saliency models.
Pentacene organic thin‐film transistor with HfYO gate dielectric made on adhesive vacuum tape
Authors: Han C.Y. , Tang W.M. , Leung C.H. , Lai P.T.
Published: April 2015

Pentacene organic thin‐film transistor (OTFT) with HfYO as gate dielectric has been fabricated at room temperature on adhesive flexible vacuum tape and shows high performance. The threshold voltage is as low as −1.77 V due to the high‐κ gate dielectric employed. A small sub‐threshold swing (SS) of 0.145 V/dec indicates good interface between the gate dielectric and pentacene film. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals that large pentacene gains form on the HfYO gate dielectric, leading to a high carrier mobility of 0.236 cm2V−1s−1. These good results suggest that the adhesive vacuum tape can be used as the substrate for adhesive flexible OTFT, and HfYO is a promising gate dielectric for high‐performance pentacene OTFT.
Slotted ground microstrip antenna with FSS reflector for high‐gain horizontal polarisation
Authors: Ram Krishna R.V.S. , Kumar R.
Published: March 2015

The design of a high‐gain horizontally polarised antenna for ultra‐wideband (UWB) operation is presented and experimentally demonstrated. Gain enhancement is achieved by using a frequency selective surface (FSS) reflector. Both the antenna and the FSS have simple structures and are printed on a similar substrate. The antenna is a three‐stepped narrow rectangular slot excited using a three‐stepped microstrip feed line. By optimising the lengths and widths of the sections of the slot and the feed line, an ultra‐wide impedance bandwidth (3.2–12 GHz, measured) has been achieved. The FSS is a two‐layer structure where each layer is an array of rectangular patches printed on one side of the substrate. With the application of the FSS, the antenna gain is enhanced by 3–4 dBi over most of the band. The polarisation purity (in terms of the measured cross‐polar difference) is also improved with the FSS. Such an antenna–FSS combination will be useful for high‐gain UWB applications requiring horizontal polarisation.
Effects of local peak detection on attributed scattering centre extraction in SAR
Authors: Farmer J. , Saville M.A.
Published: April 2015

Attributed scattering centres in synthetic aperture radar imagery reveal information that would otherwise be unknown to an analyst. How the method used for pixel qualification affects the attribution is considered. Using the well‐known Prony method as the standard, the effects of position estimation from local peak detection and the two‐dimensional (2D) Prony method on pixel attribution to canonical scattering centres are shown. The efficacy of using 3D attributed scattering centres to characterise a commercial vehicle is also demonstrated.
Wide‐area control through aggregation of power systems
Authors: Vahidnia Arash , Ledwich Gerard , Palmer Edward , Ghosh Arindam
Published: April 2015

This study proposes a new method for stabilising disturbed power systems using wide‐area measurement and controllable devices. A new control algorithm based on kinetic energy is proposed to be applied on the controllers to improve the first swing stability of power systems following large disturbances while also damping the subsequent inter‐area oscillations. The wide‐area controller is implemented by using the Kalman filter estimation of the area‐based model of the system, to stabilise the inter‐area dynamic and improve the stability margin of the system. The proposed approach is simulated on several test systems and the results show significant improvement in the first swing and damping stability of the test systems.
Hybrid technique for the analysis of circular waveguide junctions loaded with ferrite posts
Authors: Kusiek Adam
Published: March 2015

This study presents a hybrid technique for the analysis of circular waveguide junctions loaded with axially symmetrical ferrite posts of irregular shape. The method is based on a combination of the finite‐difference frequency‐domain technique with a mode‐matching technique. The proposed approach is validated by comparing the presented results with numerical ones obtained from commercial software. The application of a cylindrical junction loaded with ferrite posts with reciprocal and non‐reciprocal devices is presented and discussed.
Integrated reconfigurable multiple‐input–multiple‐output antenna system with an ultra‐wideband sensing antenna for cognitive radio platforms
Authors: Hussain Rifaqat , Sharawi Mohammad S.
Published: March 2015

A compact, novel multi‐mode, multi‐band frequency reconfigurable multiple‐input–multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna system, integrated with ultra‐wideband (UWB) sensing antenna, is presented. The developed model can be used as a complete antenna platform for cognitive radio applications. The antenna system is developed on a single substrate area of dimensions 65 × 120 mm2. The proposed sensing antenna is used to cover a wide range of frequency bands from 710 to 3600 MHz. The frequency reconfigurable dual‐element MIMO antenna is integrated with P‐type, intrinsic, N‐type (PIN) diodes for frequency agility. Different modes of selection are used for the MIMO antenna system reconfigurability to support different wireless system standards. The proposed MIMO antenna configuration is used to cover various frequency bands from 755 to 3450 MHz. The complete system comprising the multi‐band reconfigurable MIMO antennas and UWB sensing antenna for cognitive radio applications is proposed with a compact form factor.
Switched reluctance motor drive converter operating in continuous conduction mode with high demagnetisation voltage
Authors: Deriszadeh Adel , Adib Ehsan , Farzanehfard Hosein , Saghaeian Nejad Seyed Mortaza
Published: April 2015

A new switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive converter requiring only one switch per phase with the capability of providing high demagnetisation voltage is presented. To increase the output torque of the SRM drive system, the phase excitation area must be increased; however, during the demagnetisation interval, this would cause the phase current to extend into the negative torque generation area. To eliminate this problem, the proposed converter provides high demagnetisation voltage in order to perform the phase current commutation faster. The proposed converter inherently operates in continuous conduction mode (CCM); thus, innovative aspect of the proposed converter is exploiting the advantages of operating with high demagnetisation voltage in CCM. The converter operating modes are analysed and the effectiveness of the proposed converter on improvement of SRM drive torque per ampere capability is demonstrated by simulation and experimental results.
Smart meter deployment optimisation and its analysis for appliance load monitoring
Authors: Khwaja Ahmed Shaharyar , Naeem Muhammad , Anpalagan Alagan , Venetsanopoulos Tas A. , Venkatesh Bala
Published: April 2015

In this study, the authors study the problem of smart meter deployment optimisation for appliance load monitoring, that is, to monitor a number of devices without any ambiguity using the minimum number of low‐cost smart meters. The importance of this problem is due to the fact that the number of meters should be reduced to decrease the deployment cost, improve reliability and decrease congestion. In this way, in future, smart meters can provide additional information about the type and number of distinct devices connected, besides their normal functionalities concerned with providing overall energy measurements and their communication. The authors present two exact smart meter deployment optimisation algorithms, one based on exhaustive search and the other based on efficient implementation of the exhaustive search. They formulate the problem mathematically and present computational complexity analysis of their algorithms. Simulation scenarios show that for a typical number of home appliances, the efficient search method is significantly faster compared to the exhaustive search and can provide the same optimal solution. The authors also show the dependency of their method on the distribution of the load pattern that can potentially be in a typical household.
Coupled wake boundary layer model of wind-farms
Authors: Stevens Richard J. A. M. , Gayme Dennice F. , Meneveau Charles
Published: March 2015

We present and test a coupled wake boundary layer (CWBL) model that describes the distribution of the power output in a wind-farm. This model couples the traditional, industry-standard wake model approach with a “top-down” model for the overall wind-farm boundary layer structure. The wake model captures the effect of turbine positioning, while the “top-down” portion of the model adds the interactions between the wind-turbine wakes and the atmospheric boundary layer. Each portion of the model requires specification of a parameter that is not known a-priori. For the wake model, the wake expansion coefficient is required, while the “top-down” model requires an effective spanwise turbine spacing within which the model's momentum balance is relevant. The wake expansion coefficient is obtained by matching the predicted mean velocity at the turbine from both approaches, while the effective spanwise turbine spacing depends on turbine positioning and thus can be determined from the wake model. Coupling of the constitutive components of the CWBL model is achieved by iterating these parameters until convergence is reached. We illustrate the performance of the model by applying it to both developing wind-farms including entrance effects and to fully developed (deep-array) conditions. Comparisons of the CWBL model predictions with results from a suite of large eddy simulations show that the model closely represents the results obtained in these high-fidelity numerical simulations. A comparison with measured power degradation at the Horns Rev and Nysted wind-farms shows that the model can also be successfully applied to real wind-farms.