bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renal Denervation Improves the Baroreflex and GABA System in Chronic Kidney Disease-induced Hypertension
Authors: Chen Hsin-Hung , Cheng Pei-Wen , Ho Wen-Yu , Lu Pei-Jung , Lai Chi-Cheng , Tseng Yang-Ming , Fang Hua-Chang , Sun Gwo-Ching , Hsiao Michael , Liu Chun-Peng , Tseng Ching-Jiunn
Published: December 2016

Hypertensive rats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) exhibit enhanced gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)B receptor function and regulation within the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). For CKD with hypertension, renal denervation (RD) interrupts the afferent renal sympathetic nerves, which are connecting to the NTS. The objective of the present study was to investigate how RD improves CKD-induced hypertension. Rats underwent 5/6 nephrectomy for 8 weeks, which induced CKD and hypertension. RD was induced by applying phenol to surround the renal artery in CKD. RD improved blood pressure (BP) by lowering sympathetic nerve activity and markedly restored the baroreflex response in CKD. The GABAB receptor expression was increased in the NTS of CKD; moreover, the central GABA levels were reduced in the cerebrospinal fluid, and the peripheral GABA levels were increased in the serum. RD restored the glutamic acid decarboxylase activity in the NTS in CKD, similar to the effect observed for central treatment with baclofen, and the systemic administration of gabapentin reduced BP. RD slightly improved renal function and cardiac load in CKD. RD may improve CKD-induced hypertension by modulating the baroreflex response, improving GABA system dysfunction and preventing the development and reducing the severity of cardiorenal syndrome type 4 in CKD rats.
Comparative phylogenomic analysis provides insights into TCP gene functions in Sorghum
Authors: Francis Aleena , Dhaka Namrata , Bakshi Mohit , Jung Ki-Hong , Sharma Manoj K. , Sharma Rita
Published: December 2016

Sorghumis a highly efficient C4 crop with potential to mitigate challenges associated with food, feed and fuel. TCP proteins are of particular interest for crop improvement programs due to their well-demonstrated roles in crop domestication and shaping plant architecture thereby, affecting agronomic traits. We identified 20 TCP genes fromSorghum. ExceptSbTCP8, all are either intronless or contain introns in the untranslated regions. Comparative phylogenetic analysis ofArabidopsis, rice,BrachypodiumandSorghumTCP proteins revealed two distinct classes categorized into ten sub-clades. Sub-clade F is dicot-specific, whereas A2, G1 and I1 groups only contained genes from grasses. Sub-clade B was missing inSorghum, whereas group A1 was missing in rice indicating species-specific divergence of TCP proteins. TCP proteins ofSorghumare enriched in disorder promoting residues with class I containing higher percent disorder than class II proteins. Seven pairs of paralogous TCP genes were identified fromSorghum, five of which seem to predate Rice-Sorghumdivergence. All of them have diverged in their expression. Based on the expression and orthology analysis, fiveSorghumgenes have been shortlisted for further investigation for their roles in regulating plant morphology. Whereas, three genes have been identified as candidates for engineering abiotic stress tolerance.
A Very Stable High Throughput Taylor Cone-jet in Electrohydrodynamics
Authors: Morad M. R. , Rajabi A. , Razavi M. , Sereshkeh S. R. Pejman
Published: December 2016

A stable capillary liquid jet formed by an electric field is an important physical phenomenon for formation of controllable small droplets, power generation and chemical reactions, printing and patterning, and chemical-biological investigations. In electrohydrodynamics, the well-known Taylor cone-jet has a stability margin within a certain range of the liquid flow rate (Q) and the applied voltage (V). Here, we introduce a simple mechanism to greatly extend the Taylor cone-jet stability margin and produce a very high throughput. For an ethanol cone-jet emitting from a simple nozzle, the stability margin is obtained within 1 kV for low flow rates, decaying with flow rate up to 2 ml/h. By installing a hemispherical cap above the nozzle, we demonstrate that the stability margin could increase to 5 kV for low flow rates, decaying to zero for a maximum flow rate of 65 ml/h. The governing borders of stability margins are discussed and obtained for three other liquids: methanol, 1-propanol and 1-butanol. For a gravity-directed nozzle, the produced cone-jet is more stable against perturbations and the axis of the spray remains in the same direction through the whole stability margin, unlike the cone-jet of conventional simple nozzles.
Refined purification strategy for reliable proteomic profiling of HDL2/3: Impact on proteomic complexity
Authors: Holzer Michael , Kern Sabine , Birner-Grünberger Ruth , Curcic Sanja , Heinemann Akos , Marsche Gunther
Published: December 2016

Proteomics have extended the list of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) associated proteins to about 90. One of the major issues of global protein characterization is establishing specificity of association as opposed to contamination, a fact which has never been addressed for isolated HDL. We have developed a refined purification strategy to isolate HDL by density, followed by purification by size to generate “highly purified” fractions of HDL2/3, which allow the reliable quantification of the HDL proteome for biomarker discovery. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the proteome of HDL2/3 is composed of 10–16 different proteins, which is in striking contrast to previous reports. Importantly, proteomic analysis revealed that many proteins which have recently been described to be associated with HDL, including α-1-antitrypsin, α-2-HS-glycoprotein, serotransferrin, apolipoprotein A-IV and others, are not associated with HDL2/3 and are exclusively found in a different molecular weight fraction containing human serum albumin, lipid-poor apolipoprotein A-I and other proteins. Interestingly, proteins found in this lower molecular weight fraction commonly share lipid-binding properties and enrichment of serum with free fatty acids/lysophophatidylcholine led to a significant increase in co-isolation of lipid-binding proteins such as albumin and α-1-antitrypsin. We propose that this refined method might become a standard in proteomic assessment of HDL2/3 making data from clinical cohorts more comparable and reproducible.
Robust contribution of decadal anomalies to the frequency of central-Pacific El Niño
Authors: Sullivan Arnold , Luo Jing-Jia , Hirst Anthony C. , Bi Daohua , Cai Wenju , He Jinhai
Published: December 2016

During year-to-year El Niño events in recent decades, major sea surface warming has occurred frequently in the central Pacific. This is distinct from the eastern Pacific warming pattern during canonical El Niño events. Accordingly, the central-Pacific El Niño exerts distinct impacts on ecosystems, climate and hurricanes worldwide. The increased frequency of the new type of El Niño presents a challenge not only for the understanding of El Niño dynamics and its change but also for the prediction of El Niño and its global impacts at present and future climate. Previous studies have proposed different indices to represent the two types of El Niño for better understanding, prediction and impact assessment. Here, we find that all popularly used indices for the central-Pacific El Niño show a dominant spectral peak at a decadal period with comparatively weak variance at interannual timescales. Our results suggest that decadal anomalies have an important contribution to the occurrence of the central-Pacific El Niño over past decades. Removing the decadal component leads to a significant reduction in the frequency of the central-Pacific El Niño in observations and in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 simulations of preindustrial, historical and future climate.
A novel open-type biosensor for the in-situ monitoring of biochemical oxygen demand in an aerobic environment
Authors: Yamashita Takahiro , Ookawa Natsuki , Ishida Mitsuyoshi , Kanamori Hiroyuki , Sasaki Harumi , Katayose Yuichi , Yokoyama Hiroshi
Published: December 2016

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is a widely used index of water-quality assessment. Since bioelectrochemical BOD biosensors require anaerobic conditions for anodic reactions, they are not directly used in aerobic environments such as aeration tanks. Normally, the BOD biosensors are closed-type, where the anode is packed inside a closed chamber to avoid exposure to oxygen. In this study, a novel bioelectrochemical open-type biosensor was designed for in-situ monitoring of BOD during intermittent aeration. The open-type anode, without any protection against exposure to oxygen, was directly inserted into an intermittently aerated tank filled with livestock wastewater. Anodic potential was controlled using a potentiostat. Interestingly, this novel biosensor generated similar levels of current under both aerating and non-aerating conditions, and showed a logarithmic correlation (R2 > 0.9) of current with BOD concentrations up to 250 mg/L. Suspended solids in the wastewater attached to and covered the whole anode, presumably leading to the production of anaerobic conditions inside the covered anode via biological oxygen removal. Exoelectrogenic anaerobes (Geobacter spp.) were detected inside the covered anode using the 16S-rRNA gene. This biosensor will have various practical applications, such as the automatic control of aeration intensity and the in-situ monitoring of natural water environments.
Bottom-up proteomics analysis of the secretome of murine islets of Langerhans in elevated glucose levels
Authors: Schmudlach Andrew , Felton Jeremy , Kennedy Robert T. , Dovichi Norman J.
Published: December 2016

Glucotoxicity is a causative agent of type-2 diabetes, where high glucose levels damage the islets of Langerhans resulting in oxidative damage and endoplasmic reticulum stress.
Synthesis and cellular activity of stereochemically-pure 2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-phosphorothioate oligonucleotides
Authors: Li M. , Lightfoot H. L. , Halloy F. , Malinowska A. L. , Berk C. , Behera A. , Schümperli D. , Hall J.
Published: December 2016

Stereochemically-pure 2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-phosphorothioate (PS-MOE) oligonucleotides were synthesized from new chiral oxazaphospholidine-containing nucleosides.
An efficient two-photon fluorescent probe for human NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (hNQO1) detection and imaging in tumor cells
Authors: Kwon Nahyun , Cho Myoung Ki , Park Sang Jun , Kim Dayoung , Nam Sang-Jip , Cui Lei , Kim Hwan Myung , Yoon Juyoung
Published: December 2016

The probe TPQ, which displays high selectivity and anti-interference ability, was successfully applied to endogenous hNQO1 imaging and for the identification of different cancer cells.
Hydrogen divacancy diffusion: a new perspective on H migration in MgH2 materials for energy storage
Authors: German Estefania , Gebauer Ralph
Published: December 2016

Energy barriers and schematic plots for hydrogen divacancy diffusion in bulk magnesium hydride.
The role of arsenic in the hydrolysis and DNA metalation processes in an arsenous acid–platinum(ii) anticancer complex
Authors: Marino T. , Parise A. , Russo N.
Published: December 2016

A DFT quantum chemical study on the aquation process of [Pt(μ-NHC(CH3)O)2ClAs(OH)2] arsenoplatinum compound and DNA purine base metalation by its aquated product has been undertaken to examine the differences and similarities with previously proposed platinum containing anticancer drugs.
Electronic properties of layered phosphorus heterostructures
Authors: Quhe Ruge , Feng Shenyan , Lu Jing , Lei Ming
Published: December 2016

By using ab initio approaches, the electronic properties of vertical heterostructured compounds of different structural phases of layered phosphorus have been studied.
Computational studies on the interactions of glycine amino acid with graphene, h-BN and h-SiC monolayers
Authors: Larijani H. Tavassoli , Jahanshahi M. , Ganji M. Darvish , Kiani M. H.
Published: December 2016

In the present work, the adsorption of glycine amino acid and its zwitterionic form onto three different hexagonal sheets, namely graphene, boron-nitride (h-BN) and silicon carbide (h-SiC), has been investigated within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
Polyelectrolyte multilayer-cushioned fluid lipid bilayers: a parachute model
Authors: Shao Jingxin , Wen Caixia , Xuan Mingjun , Zhang Hongyue , Frueh Johannes , Wan Mingwei , Gao Lianghui , He Qiang
Published: December 2016

Both experimental and theoretical studies demonstrate that a polyelectrolyte multilayer-supported fluid lipid bilayer could be successfully fabricated via a so-called parachute model.
Solvent effects on the triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion of diiodo-Bodipy and perylene
Authors: Zhou Qiaohui , Zhou Miaomiao , Wei Yaxiong , Zhou Xiaoguo , Liu Shilin , Zhang Song , Zhang Bing
Published: December 2016

Solvent effect plays a very important role in triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA) upconversion system and the upconversion efficiency is controlled by different solvent viscosity and polarity.
Proton-conducting crystalline porous materials
Authors: Meng Xing , Wang Hai-Ning , Song Shu-Yan , Zhang Hong-Jie
Published: December 2016

This review summarizes the emerging studies of proton-conducting materials, and discusses the synthetic strategies and possible mechanisms, identifying key structural factors.
Dependence of the irradiation conditions and crystalline phases of TiO2 nanoparticles on their toxicity to Daphnia magna
Authors: Lu Huiting , Fan Wenhong , Dong Haifeng , Liu Lingling
Published: December 2016

Crystalline phases and irradiation conditions played critical roles in the oxidative stress-related toxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles to Daphnia magna.
Combined hollow cathode vs. Grimm cell: semiconductive and nonconductive samples
Authors: Gubal A. , Ganeev A. , Hoffmann V. , Voronov M. , Brackmann V. , Oswald S.
Published: December 2016

The Grimm and the combined hollow cathode GD cells were compared in the scope of semiconductive and nonconductive sample analysis.
Improvements in the direct analysis of advanced materials using ICP-based measurement techniques
Authors: Limbeck Andreas , Bonta Maximilian , Nischkauer Winfried
Published: December 2016

The analysis of advanced materials using ICP-based solid sampling approaches offers many advantages and possibilities. Recent developments are discussed in this review..
Image processing and analysis system for development and use of free flow electrophoresis chips
Authors: Kochmann Sven , Krylov Sergey N.
Published: December 2016

An image processing and analysis system facilitates quantitative characterization of performance of free-flow-electrophoresis chips.
Modeling ion permeation through a bacterial voltage-gated calcium channel CaVAb using molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Adiban Jamal , Jamali Yousef , Rafii-Tabar Hashem
Published: December 2016

Ca2+ion binds tightly to the center of the selectivity filter of voltage-gated calcium channels.
Synthesis and characterization of photoaffinity labelling reagents towards the Hsp90 C-terminal domain
Authors: Simon Binto , Huang Xuexia , Ju Huangxian , Sun Guoxuan , Yang Min
Published: December 2016

The synthesis of diazirine type photoaffinity labelling reagents to probe the Hsp90 C-terminal domain binding pocket and the structure–activity relationship. The structure illustrates probe positions only.
The 5-chlorouracil:7-deazaadenine base pair as an alternative to the dT:dA base pair
Authors: Eremeeva E. , Abramov M. , Marlière P. , Herdewijn P.
Published: December 2016

The 5-Cl-dU:7-deaza-dA base pair can be a substitute for the dT:dA base pair in an enzymatic replication process of 2 kb DNA.
From acyclic to cyclic α-amino vinylphosphonates by using ring-closing metathesis
Authors: Adler Pauline , Fadel Antoine , Prunet Joëlle , Rabasso Nicolas
Published: December 2016

Acyclic α-amino vinylphosphonates were alkylated through the Mitsunobu reaction then diolefinic compounds hence formed were subjected to RCM.
Optimization of ionic liquid based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with dispersive micro-solid phase extraction for the spectrofluorimetric determination of sulfasalazine in aqueous samples by response surface methodology
Authors: Sadeghi Susan , Oliaei Samieh
Published: December 2016

A new method based on fluorescent IL-DLLME and μ-SPE was applied for the pretreatment of sulfasalazine (SSZ) prior to determination by fluorimetry.
Influences of doping and thermal stability on the catalytic performance of CuO/Ce20M1Ox (M = Zr, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Sn) catalysts for NO reduction by CO
Authors: Deng Changshun , Qian Junning , Yu Chuxuan , Yi Yunan , Zhang Pan , Li Wei , Dong Lihui , Li Bin , Fan Minguang
Published: December 2016

The doping of variable valence metal cations into CeO2 is beneficial for catalytic NO reduction by CO.
Hybrid Mn3O4–NiO nanocomposites as efficient photoelectrocatalysts towards water splitting under neutral pH conditions
Authors: Rahaman Hasimur , Barman Koushik , Jasimuddin Sk. , Ghosh Sujit Kumar
Published: December 2016

Dual oxide Mn3O4–NiO nanocomposites synthesised by seed-mediated epitaxial growth have been exploited as electrocatalysts towards water splitting at an applied overpotential of 280 mV under neutral pH conditions.
Preparation of graphene oxide by cyanuric chloride as an effective and non-corrosive oxidizing agent
Authors: Khani M. , Mehdipour E. , Faghani A. , Guday G. , Donskyi I. S. , Unger W. E. S. , Haag R. , Adeli Mohsen
Published: December 2016

In this work, we report a new method for the synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) using cyanuric chloride as a non-corrosive oxidizing agent.
Localized polarons in in situ synthesized polyaniline nanocomposite improve the morphology and the thermal and electrical conductivity
Authors: Niranjana M. , Yesappa L. , Ashokkumar S. P. , Vijeth H. , Raghu S. , Devendrappa H.
Published: December 2016

This paper reports the localized polarons improves the morphology, thermal and electrical conductivity of dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) surfactant based polyaniline (PANI) – cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nano have synthesized by using in situ chemical reaction method.
Transporter oligomerization: form and function
Authors: Alguel Yilmaz , Cameron Alexander D. , Diallinas George , Byrne Bernadette
Published: December 2016

Transporters are integral membrane proteins with central roles in the efficient movement of molecules across biological membranes. Many transporters exist as oligomers in the membrane. Depending on the individual transport protein, oligomerization can have roles in membrane trafficking, function, regulation and turnover. For example, our recent studies on UapA, a nucleobase ascorbate transporter, from Aspergillus nidulans, have revealed both that dimerization of this protein is essential for correct trafficking to the membrane and the structural basis of how one UapA protomer can affect the function of the closely associated adjacent protomer. Here, we review the roles of oligomerization in many particularly well-studied transporters and transporter families.
High‐performance engineered gate transistor‐based compact digital circuits
Authors: Kumar S. , Loan S.A. , Alamoud A.M.
Published: December 2016

A novel method for designing and realising compact digital circuits by engineering MOSFET gate electrode is proposed. The novelty is the use of gate engineered single devices in the pull‐up (PU) and pull‐down (PD) paths of a static CMOS gate instead of multiple transistors as used in conventional CMOS implementations of circuits. Herein, two input NAND, NOR, and exclusive‐OR (XOR) gates employing the proposed gate engineering concept are designed and simulated. Engineered gate N‐type MOS and P‐type MOS are used for PD and pull‐up circuits, respectively. Since only two devices are used for a complete circuit: one in PU network and other in PD network; therefore, area and power of the proposed circuits get reduced significantly in comparison with the conventional static CMOS circuits. Mixed mode simulations have shown that the proposed technique realises NAND, NOR and XOR operations perfectly and it can be extended to realise other combinational and sequential circuits easily.
Control of current distribution between parallel‐connected NTC thermistors
Authors: Kang D.‐W. , Jeon W. , Choi J. , Jo J.
Published: December 2016

At power turn‐on in electronic equipments, a large current peak is observed due to large capacitance in the circuit. This current peak can be avoided by inserting negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistors. A new design of high‐reliability, lowcost NTC thermistors is tried. Parallel connection of the thermistors is investigated, where the thermistors were thermally connected by ceramic package. It is shown that the thermal connection between the thermistors plays an important role in current distribution.
Beamforming design for MISO non‐orthogonal multiple access systems
Authors: Cui Jingjing , Ding Zhiguo , Fan Pingzhi
Published: December 2016

Non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is a promising multiple access scheme to enhance the spectrum efficiency of fifth generation networks. In this study, the authors study a downlink multiple‐input single‐output (MISO) system combined with NOMA, where a single beamforming (BF) vector is shared by a group of users. A joint BF and power allocation algorithm is proposed to maximise the sum rate of the users with better channel conditions while guaranteeing the quality of service at the user with poor channel conditions. The formulated problem for sum rate maximisation can be shown as non‐deterministic Polynomial‐time‐hard, and therefore an effective solution based on branch and bound (BB) techniques is proposed. Numerical results are provided to verify that the proposed NOMA‐BF system with the BB algorithm improves the sum capacity significantly compared with the NOMA‐BF system with zero forcing.
Secure transmission in multiuser peer‐to‐peer relay network with finite alphabet input
Authors: Cao Kuo , Cai Yueming , Yang Weiwei
Published: December 2016

This study considers linear precoding for secure transmission in a multiuser peer‐to‐peer relay network with finite alphabet input. Under the assumption that the global channel‐state‐information is available, the achievable secrecy rate is derived. However, the computational complexity to evaluate the achievable secrecy rate grows exponentially with respect to the number of pair users. To reduce the computational complexity caused by the multiuser interference, an accurate approximation of the achievable secrecy rate is derived. Based on Karush–Kuhn–Tucker analysis, necessary conditions for the optimal precoder which maximises the approximated achievable secrecy rate are presented. In light of this, an iterative gradient method is developed to find the optimal precoder. Numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves significant gains in terms of the secrecy rate over schemes designed for Gaussian input.
Hierarchical nearly cyclic pursuit for consensus in large‐scale multi‐agent systems
Authors: Iqbal Muhammad , Leth John , Dung Ngo Trung
Published: December 2016

The authors solve the rendezvous problem of multi‐agent systems using nearly cyclic pursuit (NCP) and hierarchical NCP (HNCP). First, the control law designed under the NCP strategy enables agents to converge at a point dictated by a beacon. Second, they elevate the NCP strategy into the generalised L ‐layer HNCP, so that a large‐scale system under the NCP can be divided into small groups in the hierarchical structure, leading to increasing its convergence rate compared with the original NCP. Finally, they prove that the HNCP strategy with fewer communication links achieves the same convergence rate as the hierarchical cyclic pursuit. They provide simulation results to demonstrate their method.
Complete protection scheme for fault detection, classification and location estimation in HVDC transmission lines using support vector machines
Authors: Johnson Jenifer Mariam , Yadav Anamika
Published: December 2016

This paper presents a complete protection scheme for detecting, classifying and locating the fault in HVDC transmission lines using support vector machines (SVM). SVM has been used for protective relaying application in HVAC transmission line, however very limited works have been reported for HVDC transmission line. In this work, a ±500 kV HVDC transmission system is developed in PSCAD/EMTDC and the measurement signals obtained are analyzed in MATLAB. The rectifier side AC RMS voltage, DC voltage and current on both the poles are continuously monitored, and given as input to the SVM binary classifier in order to detect the presence of fault in the line. Once a fault is detected, the SVM multi‐class classification module predicts the type of fault and the SVM regression algorithm predicts the location of fault. The feature vector used in the classification and location modules is the standard deviation of the signals over half cycle before and after the occurrence of fault. The method proposed is simple as it requires single‐end data and a direct standard deviation of one cycle data gives very accurate results. The detection and classification modules are 100% accurate whereas the fault location module has a mean error of 0.03%.
System-size effects in ionic fluids under periodic boundary conditions
Authors: Thompson Jeff P. , Sanchez Isaac C.
Published: December 2016

We investigate the system-size dependence of the thermodynamic properties of ionic fluids under periodic boundary conditions. Following an approach previously developed in the context of quantum Monte Carlo simulations of many-electron systems, we show that the leading-order finite-size artifact in the Coulomb energy per particle of a classical fluid of N structureless ions at given density and temperature is simply −kBT(2N)−1. Analytical approximations for the periodicity-induced size dependence of the excess thermodynamic properties of the fluid in the weak-coupling regime are obtained within the linearized Debye–Hückel theory. Theoretical results are compared with published simulations of the one-component plasma and our own simulations of a primitive-model electrolyte solution. Our work is directly relevant to estimating finite-size corrections in simulations of charged fluids comprising structureless ions embedded in continuous media. We outline in the Appendix how some of our formal results may be generalized to molecular fluids with mobile ions; e.g., electrolyte solutions with explicit solvent.
Transparent, immiscible, surrogate liquids with matchable refractive indexes: Increased range of density and viscosity ratios
Authors: Cadillon Jérémy , Saksena Rajat , Pearlstein Arne J.
Published: December 2016

By replacing the “heavy” silicone oil used in the oil phase of Saksena, Christensen, and Pearlstein [“Surrogate immiscible liquid pairs with refractive indexes matchable over a wide range of density and viscosity ratios,” Phys. Fluids 27, 087103 (2015)] by one with a twentyfold higher viscosity, and replacing the “light” silicone oil in that work by one with a viscosity fivefold lower and a density about 10% lower, we have greatly extended the range of viscosity ratio accessible by index-matching the adjustable-composition oil phase to an adjustable-composition 1,2-propanediol + CsBr + H2O aqueous phase and have also extended the range of accessible density ratios. The new system of index-matchable surrogate immiscible liquids is capable of achieving the density and viscosity ratios for liquid/liquid systems consisting of water with the entire range of light or medium crude oils over the temperature range from 40 °F (4.44 °C) to 200 °F (93.3 °C) and can access the density and viscosity ratios for water with some heavy crude oils over part of the same temperature range. It also provides a room-temperature, atmospheric-pressure surrogate for the liquid CO2 + H2O system at 0 °C over almost all of the pressure range of interest in sub-seabed CO2 sequestration.
Electrostatic energy harvesting device with dual resonant structure for wideband random vibration sources at low frequency
Authors: Zhang Yulong , Wang Tianyang , Zhang Ai , Peng Zhuoteng , Luo Dan , Chen Rui , Wang Fei
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we present design and test of a broadband electrostatic energy harvester with a dual resonant structure, which consists of two cantilever-mass subsystems each with a mass attached at the free edge of a cantilever. Comparing to traditional devices with single resonant frequency, the proposed device with dual resonant structure can resonate at two frequencies. Furthermore, when one of the cantilever-masses is oscillating at resonance, the vibration amplitude is large enough to make it collide with the other mass, which provides strong mechanical coupling between the two subsystems. Therefore, this device can harvest a decent power output from vibration sources at a broad frequency range. During the measurement, continuous power output up to 6.2-9.8 μW can be achieved under external vibration amplitude of 9.3 m/s2 at a frequency range from 36.3 Hz to 48.3 Hz, which means the bandwidth of the device is about 30% of the central frequency. The broad bandwidth of the device provides a promising application for energy harvesting from the scenarios with random vibration sources. The experimental results indicate that with the dual resonant structure, the vibration-to-electricity energy conversion efficiency can be improved by 97% when an external random vibration with a low frequency filter is applied.
Isotropic wave turbulence with simplified kernels: Existence, uniqueness, and mean-field limit for a class of instantaneous coagulation-fragmentation processes
Authors: Merino-Aceituno Sara
Published: December 2016

The isotropic 4-wave kinetic equation is considered in its weak formulation using model (simplified) homogeneous kernels. Existence and uniqueness of solutions is proven in a particular setting where the kernels have a rate of growth at most linear. We also consider finite stochastic particle systems undergoing instantaneous coagulation-fragmentation phenomena and give conditions in which this system approximates the solution of the equation (mean-field limit).
Definition of the Riesz derivative and its application to space fractional quantum mechanics
Authors: Bayın Selçuk Ş.
Published: December 2016

We investigate and compare different representations of the Riesz derivative, which plays an important role in anomalous diffusion and space fractional quantum mechanics. In particular, we show that a certain representation of the Riesz derivative, Rxα, that is generally given as also valid for α = 1, behaves no differently than the other definition given in terms of its Fourier transform. In the light of this, we discuss the α → 1 limit of the space fractional quantum mechanics and its consistency.
Overview: Application of heterogeneous nucleation in grain-refining of metals
Authors: Greer A. L.
Published: December 2016

In all of metallurgical processing, probably the most prominent example of nucleation control is the “inoculation” of melts to suppress columnar solidification and to obtain fine equiaxed grain structures in the as-cast solid. In inoculation, a master alloy is added to the melt to increase its solute content and to add stable particles that can act as nucleants for solid grains. This is important for alloys of many metals, and in other cases such as ice nucleation in living systems, but inoculation of aluminum alloys using Al–5Ti–1B (wt.%) master alloy is the exemplar. The key elements are (i) that the chemical interactions between nucleant TiB2 particles and the melt ensure that the solid phase (α-Al) exists on the surface of the particles even above the liquidus temperature of the melt, (ii) that these perfect nucleants can initiate grains only when the barrier for free growth of α-Al is surmounted, and (iii) that (depending on whether the melt is spatially isothermal or not) the release of latent heat, or the limited extent of constitutional supercooling, can act to limit the number of grains that is initiated and therefore the degree of grain refinement that can be achieved. We review recent studies that contribute to better understanding, and improvement, of grain refinement in general. We also identify priorities for future research. These include the study of the effects of nanophase dispersions in melts. Preliminary studies show that such dispersions may be especially effective in achieving grain refinement, and raise many questions about the underlying mechanisms. The stimulation of icosahedral short-range ordering in the liquid has been shown to lead to grain refinement, and is a further priority for study, especially as the refinement can be achieved with only minor additions of solute.
Magnetic anisotropy at the buried CoO/Fe interface
Authors: Giannotti D. , Hedayat H. , Vinai G. , Picone A. , Calloni A. , Berti G. , Riva M. , Bussetti G. , Boschini F. , Torelli P. , Panaccione G. , Carpene E. , Dallera C. , Finazzi M. , Brambilla A.
Published: December 2016

Interfaces between antiferromagnetic CoO and ferromagnetic Fe are typically characterized by the development of Fe oxides. Recently, it was shown that the use of a proper ultra-thin Co buffer layer prevents the formation of Fe oxides [Brambilla et al., Appl. Surf. Sci. 362, 374 (2016)]. In the present work, we investigate the magnetic properties of such an interface, and we find evidence for an in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, which is characterized by a multijump reversal behavior in the magnetization hysteresis loops. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and element-sensitive hysteresis loops reveal that the occurrence of such an anisotropy is a phenomenon developing at the very interface.
Self-modulated field electron emitter: Gated device of integrated Si tip-on-nano-channel
Authors: Huang Zhijun , Huang Yifeng , Pan Zhangxu , She Juncong , Deng Shaozhi , Chen Jun , Xu Ningsheng
Published: December 2016

We report the featured gated field electron emission devices of Si nano-tips with individually integrated Si nano-channels and the interpretation of the related physics. A rational procedure was developed to fabricate the uniform integrated devices. The electrical and thermal conduction tests demonstrated that the Si nano-channel can limit both the current and heat flows. The integrated devices showed the specialties of self-enhancement and self-regulation. The heat resistance results in the heat accumulation at the tip-apex, inducing the thermally enhanced field electron emission. The self-regulated effect of the electrical resistance is benefit for impeding the current overloading and prevents the emitters from a catastrophic breakdown. The nano-channel-integrated Si nano-tip array exhibited emission current density up to 24.9 mA/cm2 at a gate voltage of 94 V, much higher than that of the Si nano-tip array without an integrated nano-channel.
Spin transport in nanoscale Si-based spin-valve devices
Authors: Hiep Duong Dinh , Tanaka Masaaki , Hai Pham Nam
Published: December 2016

We investigated the spin transport in nano-scale silicon (Si)-based spin-valve devices with Fe electrodes, MgO/Ge tunnel barriers, and a 20 nm-long Si channel. We observed a clear spin-valve effect when a magnetic field was applied in the film plane along and perpendicular to the Si channel transport direction. Systematic investigations of the bias voltage dependence, temperature dependence, and magnetic-field direction dependence of the magnetoresistance indicate that the observed spin-valve effect is governed by the spin transport through the nano-scale Si channel. The spin-valve effect remains observable up to 200 K. For the device with MgO/Ge tunnel barriers, with a bias voltage of 1.7 V at 50 K, the spin-dependent output voltage is 13 mV, which is among the highest values reported so far.
Improved interface properties of GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor device with non-polar plane and AlN passivation layer
Authors: Wu Xian , Liang Renrong , Guo Lei , Liu Lei , Xiao Lei , Shen Shanshan , Xu Jun , Wang Jing
Published: December 2016

Utilizing a non-polar plane substrate and an ultra-thin AlN passivation layer results in significantly improved interface properties of a GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) device. After depositing an Al2O3 gate dielectric layer on GaN substrates with polar c-plane and non-polar m-plane surfaces, it is found that the devices on the non-polar surface show much better interface properties than those on the polar surface. To further improve the interface properties, an amorphous ultra-thin AlN layer is deposited on the substrate before the Al2O3 deposition. The interface properties of both devices on the c-plane and m-plane are dramatically improved by the AlN passivation layer. The interface trap density of the Al/Al2O3/AlN/GaN MOS capacitor on the non-polar surface is reduced by two orders of magnitude compared to that on the polar surface.
X-ray and optical characterizations of DNA-mediated Janus nanostructures
Authors: Wang Geng , Xu Lifeng , Wu Longlong , Meng Ke , Wang Xiao , Liu Zhou , Fan Chunhai , Chen Gang
Published: December 2016

The structural and optical properties of DNA-mediated Au-Ag Janus nanostructures (JNs) are comprehensively studied by X-ray and optical techniques. The theoretical model for small angle X-ray scattering of Au-Ag JNs is proposed, and the fitting process is outlined. A hybrid junction consists of DNA and Ag is introduced in order to reconcile the discrepancy between the experimental and simulated optical spectra of Au-Ag JNs. The physical origins and controlling factors of the localized surface plasmon resonance modes are determined, which lay the foundations for managing and exploiting the unique plasmonic properties of Au-Ag JNs.
III-Nitride-on-silicon microdisk lasers from the blue to the deep ultra-violet
Authors: Sellés J. , Crepel V. , Roland I. , El Kurdi M. , Checoury X. , Boucaud P. , Mexis M. , Leroux M. , Damilano B. , Rennesson S. , Semond F. , Gayral B. , Brimont C. , Guillet T.
Published: December 2016

We present a series of microdisk lasers realized within the same GaN-on-Si photonic platform scheme, and operating at room temperature under pulsed optical pumping over a broad spectral range extending over λ = 275 nm–470 nm. The III-nitride microdisks embed either binary GaN/AlN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) for UV operation, or ternary InGaN/GaN MQWs for violet and blue operation. This demonstrates the versatility of this nitride-on-silicon platform, and the realization on this platform of efficient active layers for lasing action over a 200 nm broad UV to visible spectral range. We probe the lasing threshold carrier density over the whole spectral range and found that it is similar whatever the emission wavelength for these Q > 1000 microdisk resonators with a constant material quality until quantum confined Stark effect takes over. The threshold is also found independent of microdisk diameters from 3 to 12 μm, with a β factor intermediate between the one of vertical cavity lasers and the one of small modal volume “thresholdless” lasers.
Zinc tin oxide as high-temperature stable recombination layer for mesoscopic perovskite/silicon monolithic tandem solar cells
Authors: Werner Jérémie , Walter Arnaud , Rucavado Esteban , Moon Soo-Jin , Sacchetto Davide , Rienaecker Michael , Peibst Robby , Brendel Rolf , Niquille Xavier , De Wolf Stefaan , Löper Philipp , Morales-Masis Monica , Nicolay Sylvain , Niesen Bjoern , Ballif Christophe
Published: December 2016

Perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem solar cells have the potential to reach efficiencies beyond those of silicon single-junction record devices. However, the high-temperature process of 500 °C needed for state-of-the-art mesoscopic perovskite cells has, so far, been limiting their implementation in monolithic tandem devices. Here, we demonstrate the applicability of zinc tin oxide as a recombination layer and show its electrical and optical stability at temperatures up to 500 °C. To prove the concept, we fabricate monolithic tandem cells with mesoscopic top cell with up to 16% efficiency. We then investigate the effect of zinc tin oxide layer thickness variation, showing a strong influence on the optical interference pattern within the tandem device. Finally, we discuss the perspective of mesoscopic perovskite cells for high-efficiency monolithic tandem solar cells.
A multiple-selenization process for enhanced reproducibility of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells
Authors: Neuwirth Markus , Zhou Huijuan , Schnabel Thomas , Ahlswede Erik , Kalt Heinz , Hetterich Michael
Published: December 2016

A multiple-selenization process for wet-chemically fabricated kesterite-type Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells is reported that significantly improves the overall sample quality of the absorber layer and especially the reproducibility of device characteristics. Conversion efficiencies of up to 7.2% are obtained. With this method, the absorber forms a very compact, hole- and crack-free layer and avoids the formation of multilayer or trilayer structures. Mainly, the series resistance and therefore the short-circuit current can be stabilized, which leads to lower fluctuation of the energy conversion efficiency of the solar cells on the same sample.
Characterization of Mg and Fe doped Sb2Se3 thin films for photovoltaic application
Authors: Li Yang , Zhou Ying , Zhu Yining , Chen Chao , Luo Jiajun , Ma Jingyuan , Yang Bo , Wang Xiaojie , Xia Zhe , Tang Jiang
Published: December 2016

Sb2Se3 holds a great potential for low-cost thin film photovoltaics because of its very attractive material and optoelectronic properties, and the demonstrated 5.6% certified efficiency and decent device stability. A full understanding of the influence of external impurities on the properties of Sb2Se3 films would help the further improvement of Sb2Se3 solar cells. In this work, we carefully characterized the Mg and Fe doping in Sb2Se3 films. Both Kelvin probe force microscope and Hall measurements revealed that Mg was largely inert while Fe introduced the n-type doping. Temperature-dependent conductivity and admittance further demonstrated that Fe doping introduced two defect levels within the bandgap with their positions ∼0.3 eV and ∼0.4 eV below the conduction band. We caution that iron contamination should be minimized for high efficiency Sb2Se3 solar cells.
Spin-orbit torques in Ta/TbxCo100-x ferrimagnetic alloy films with bulk perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
Authors: Ueda Kohei , Mann Maxwell , Pai Chi-Feng , Tan Aik-Jun , Beach Geoffrey S. D.
Published: December 2016

We quantified the bulk perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and spin-orbit torques (SOTs) in bilayer Ta/TbxCo100-x ferrimagnetic alloy films with varying Tb concentration. The coercivity increases dramatically with increasing TbxCo100-x thickness and is enhanced by the presence of a Ta underlayer. The Ta underlayer simultaneously serves as a source of SOT due to the spin Hall effect, which we show provides an efficient means to manipulate the magnetization in bulk PMA materials. It is further shown that the sign of the anomalous Hall voltage is different for rare-earth (RE) and transition-metal (TM) dominated alloy compositions, whereas the sign of the SOT effective field remains the same, suggesting that the former is related to the TM sublattice magnetization whereas the latter is related to the net magnetization. Our results suggest that Ta/TbxCo100-x is a potential candidate for spin-orbitronic device applications and give insight into spin transport and SOTs in rare-earth/transition-metal alloys.
Hybrid superconductor-quantum point contact devices using InSb nanowires
Authors: Gill S. T. , Damasco J. , Car D. , Bakkers E. P. A. M. , Mason N.
Published: December 2016

Proposals for studying topological superconductivity and Majorana bound states in a nanowire proximity coupled to superconductors require that transport in the nanowire is ballistic. Previous works on hybrid nanowire-superconductor systems have shown evidence for Majorana bound states, but these experiments were also marked by disorder, which disrupts ballistic transport. In this paper, we demonstrate ballistic transport in the InSb nanowires interfaced directly with superconducting Al by observing quantized conductance at zero-magnetic field. Additionally, we demonstrate that the nanowire is proximity coupled to the superconducting contacts by observing Andreev reflection. These results are important steps for robustly establishing topological superconductivity in the InSb nanowires.
Enhancement of magneto-photogalvanic effect in periodic GaAs dot arrays by p-n junctions coupling
Authors: Zhou J. K. , Wang T. , Wang W. , Chen S. W. , Cao Y. , Liu H. P. , Si M. S. , Gao C. X. , Yang D. Z. , Xue D. S.
Published: December 2016

To control the semiconductor device under low magnetic field is still a great challenge for semiconductor magnetoelectronics. In this work, we report the observation of the magneto-photogalvanic effect in periodic GaAs dot arrays. With an increase in magnetic field from 0 to 1500 Oe, the photovoltage increases linearly for a wide temperature range from 80 to 430 K. Compared with GaAs without the dot arrays, periodic GaAs dot arrays have a hundredfold increase of the magnetic-field-modulated photovoltage at room temperature. By changing the magnetic field orientation, the angular dependence of photovoltage reveals that the magneto-photogalvanic effect stems from the Hall electric field caused by optical current, and the enhancement of magneto-photogalvanic effect is attributed to the p-n junction coupling between GaAs dots. When the coupling between the GaAs dots is broken at the high temperatures, i.e., T = 430 K, we demonstrate that the enhancement effect disappears as expected. Our results not only illustrate the magnetic control of energy flow in light harvest, but also provide an applicable way for semiconductor magnetoelectronics by utilizing p-n junction coupling.
A power-adjustable superconducting terahertz source utilizing electrical triggering phase transitions in vanadium dioxide
Authors: Hao L. Y. , Zhou X. J. , Yang Z. B. , Zhang H. L. , Sun H. C. , Cao H. X. , Dai P. H. , Li J. , Hatano T. , Wang H. B. , Wen Q. Y. , Wu P. H.
Published: December 2016

We report a practical superconducting terahertz (THz) source, comprising a stack of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJs) and a vanadium dioxide (VO2) tunable attenuator with coplanar interdigital contacts. The electrical triggering phase transitions are observed not only at room temperature, but also at low temperatures, which provides a proof of the electrical triggering. Applying this, the VO2 attenuator is implemented for the independent regulations on the emission powers from the IJJ THz emitter, remaining frequencies and temperatures unchanged. The attenuation can be tuned smoothly and continuously within a couple of volts among which the maximum is, respectively, −5.6 dB at 20 K or −4.3 dB at 25 K. Such a power-adjustable radiation source, including the VO2 attenuator, can further expand its practicability in cryogenic THz systems, like superconducting THz spectrometers.