bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simpler, Faster, and Sensitive Zika Virus Assay Using Smartphone Detection of Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification on Paper Microfluidic Chips
Authors: Kaarj Kattika , Akarapipad Patarajarin , Yoon Jeong-Yeol
Published: August 2018

The recent Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak has prompted the need for field-ready diagnostics that are rapid, easy-to-use, handheld, and disposable while providing extreme sensitivity and specificity. To meet this demand, we developed a wax-printed paper microfluidic chip utilizing reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). The developed simple and sensitive ZIKV assay was demonstrated using undiluted tap water, human urine, and diluted (10%) human blood plasma. Paper type, pore size, and channel dimension of various paper microfluidic chips were investigated and optimized to ensure proper filtration of direct-use biological samples (tap water, urine, and plasma) during capillary action-driven flow. Once ZIKV RNA has flowed and reached to a detection area of the paper microfluidic chip, it was excised for the addition of an RT-LAMP mixture with a pH indicator, then placed on a hot plate at 68 °C. Visible color changes from successful amplification were observed in 15 minutes and quantified by smartphone imaging. The limit of detection was as low as 1 copy/μL. The developed platform can also be used for identifying other flaviviruses, such as Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Dengue virus (DENV), and potentially other quickly transmitted virus pathogens, towards field-based diagnostics.
The tyrosine phosphorylated pro-survival form of Fas intensifies the EGF-induced signal in colorectal cancer cells through the nuclear EGFR/STAT3-mediated pathway
Authors: Ta Ngoc Ly , Chakrabandhu Krittalak , Huault Sébastien , Hueber Anne-Odile
Published: August 2018

Tyrosine phosphorylation of Fas (TNFRSF6/CD95) in its death domain turns off Fas-mediated apoptosis, turns on the pro-survival signal, and has implications in different cancers types. We show here that Fas in its pro-survival state, phosphorylated at Y291 (pY291-Fas), functionally interacts with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a key cancer-driving protein and major therapeutic target. Using an evolution-guided pY291-Fas proxy, RNA interference, and site-specific phospho-protein detection, we show that pY291-Fas significantly intensifies EGFR signaling in anti-EGFR-resistant colorectal cancer cells via the Yes-1/STAT3-mediated pathway. The pY291-Fas is essential for the EGF-induced formation of the Fas-mediated nuclear EGFR/STAT3 signaling complex consisting of Fas, EGFR, Yes-1, Src, and STAT3. The pY291-Fas accumulates in the nucleus upon EGF treatment and promotes the nuclear localization of phospho-EGFR and phospho-STAT3, the expression of cyclin D1, the activation of STAT3-mediated Akt and MAPK pathways, and cell proliferation and migration. This novel cancer-promoting function of phosphorylated Fas in the nuclear EGFR signaling constitutes the foundation for developing pro-survival-Fas targeted anti-cancer therapies to overcome disease recurrence in patients with anti-EGFR resistant cancer.
ZNF542P is a pseudogene associated with LDL response to simvastatin treatment
Authors: Kim Kyungpil , Theusch Elizabeth , Kuang Yu-Lin , Dose Andrea , Mitchel Katrina , Cubitt Celia , Chen Yii-Der I. , Krauss Ronald M. , Medina Marisa W.
Published: August 2018

Statins are the most commonly prescribed cardiovascular disease drug, but their inter-individual efficacy varies considerably. Genetic factors uncovered to date have only explained a small proportion of variation in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) lowering. To identify novel markers and determinants of statin response, we used whole transcriptome sequence data collected from simvastatin and control incubated lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) established from participants of the Cholesterol and Pharmacogenetics (CAP) simvastatin clinical trial. We looked for genes whose statin-induced expression changes were most different between LCLs derived from individuals with high versus low plasma LDLC statin response during the CAP trial. We created a classification model of 82 “signature” gene expression changes that distinguished high versus low LDLC statin response. One of the most differentially changing genes was zinc finger protein 542 pseudogene (ZNF542P), the signature gene with changes most correlated with statin-induced change in cellular cholesterol ester, an in vitro marker of statin response. ZNF542P knock-down in a human hepatoma cell line increased intracellular cholesterol ester levels upon simvastatin treatment. Together, these findings imply a role for ZNF542P in LDLC response to simvastatin and, importantly, highlight the potential significance of noncoding RNAs as a contributing factor to variation in drug response.
The 8.2 ka cooling event in coastal East Asia: High-resolution pollen evidence from southwestern Korea
Authors: Park Jungjae , Park Jinheum , Yi Sangheon , Kim Jin Cheul , Lee Eunmi , Jin Qiuhong
Published: August 2018

In this study, we present a high-resolution multi-proxy record (pollen, magnetic susceptibility, and mean grain size) from Bigeum Island, South Korea, which mainly showed early Holocene paleoenvironmental change. Bigeum pollen records indicated that early Holocene climate variations in coastal East Asia were principally controlled by the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Most importantly, the 8.2 ka cooling event was clearly recognized for the first time in coastal East Asia, where few high-resolution proxy data, such as ice core and stalagmite δ18O records, are available. The insular vegetation in the study site was extremely susceptible to even short-term climate changes, such as the 8.2 ka cooling event, which allowed a detailed climate reconstruction from pollen data. Early Holocene climate teleconnections between coastal East Asia and other regions were identified through regional comparisons of Greenland, China, Brazil, Spain, Madagascar, and Korea. Coastal East Asia is one of world’s most populated regions and will be particularly vulnerable to future climate change. Accurate and detailed paleoclimate proxy data, such as the Bigeum pollen record, will therefore be increasingly important in this region.
Highly efficient broadband second harmonic generation mediated by mode hybridization and nonlinearity patterning in compact fiber-integrated lithium niobate nano-waveguides
Authors: Cai Lutong , Gorbach Andrey V. , Wang Yiwen , Hu Hui , Ding Wei
Published: August 2018

The inherent trade-off between efficiency and bandwidth of three-wave mixing processes in χ2 nonlinear waveguides is the major impediment for scaling down many well-established frequency conversion schemes onto the level of integrated photonic circuit. Here, we show that hybridization between modes of a silica microfiber and a LiNbO3 nanowaveguide, amalgamated with laminar χ2 patterning, offers an elegant approach for engineering broadband phase matching and high efficiency of three-wave mixing processes in an ultra-compact and natively fiber-integrated setup. We demonstrate exceptionally high normalized second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of up to ηnor ≈ 460% W−1 cm−2, combined with a large phase matching bandwidth of Δλ ≈ 100 nm (bandwidth-length product of Δλ · L ≈ 5 μm2) near the telecom bands, and extraordinary adjustment flexibility.
Inertial-Based Filtration Method for Removal of Microcarriers from Mesenchymal Stem Cell Suspensions
Authors: Moloudi Reza , Oh Steve , Yang Chun , Teo Kim Leng , Lam Alan Tin-Lun , Warkiani Majid Ebrahimi , Naing May Win
Published: August 2018

Rapidly evolving cell-based therapies towards clinical trials demand alternative approaches for efficient expansion of adherent cell types such as human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Using microcarriers (100–300 µm) in a stirred tank bioreactor offers considerably enhanced surface to volume ratio of culture environment. However, downstream purification of the harvested cell product needs to be addressed carefully due to distinctive features and fragility of these cell products. This work demonstrates a novel alternative approach which utilizes inertial focusing to separate microcarriers (MCs) from the final cell suspension. First, we systematically investigated MC focusing dynamics inside scaled-up curved channels with trapezoidal and rectangular cross-sections. A trapezoidal spiral channel with ultra-low-slope (Tan(α) = 0.0375) was found to contribute to strong MC focusing (~300 < Re < ~400) while managing high MC volume fractions up to ~1.68%. Accordingly, the high-throughput trapezoidal spiral channel successfully separated MCs from hMSC suspension with total cell yield~94% (after two passes) at a high volumetric flow rate of ~30 mL/min (Re~326.5).
A spatio-temporal land use and land cover reconstruction for India from 1960–2010
Authors: Moulds Simon , Buytaert Wouter , Mijic Ana
Published: August 2018

In recent decades India has undergone substantial land use/land cover change as a result of population growth and economic development. Historical land use/land cover maps are necessary to quantify the impact of change at global and regional scales, improve predictions about the quantity and location of future change and support planning decisions. Here, a regional land use change model driven by district-level inventory data is used to generate an annual time series of high-resolution gridded land use/land cover maps for the Indian subcontinent between 1960–2010. The allocation procedure is based on statistical analysis of the relationship between contemporary land use/land cover and various spatially explicit covariates. A comparison of the simulated map for 1985 against remotely-sensed land use/land cover maps for 1985 and 2005 reveals considerable discrepancy between the simulated and remote sensing maps, much of which arises due to differences in the amount of land use/land cover change between the inventory data and the remote sensing maps.
The HAM10000 dataset, a large collection of multi-source dermatoscopic images of common pigmented skin lesions
Authors: Tschandl Philipp , Rosendahl Cliff , Kittler Harald
Published: August 2018

Training of neural networks for automated diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions is hampered by the small size and lack of diversity of available datasets of dermatoscopic images. We tackle this problem by releasing the HAM10000 (“Human Against Machine with 10000 training images”) dataset. We collected dermatoscopic images from different populations acquired and stored by different modalities. Given this diversity we had to apply different acquisition and cleaning methods and developed semi-automatic workflows utilizing specifically trained neural networks. The final dataset consists of 10015 dermatoscopic images which are released as a training set for academic machine learning purposes and are publicly available through the ISIC archive. This benchmark dataset can be used for machine learning and for comparisons with human experts. Cases include a representative collection of all important diagnostic categories in the realm of pigmented lesions. More than 50% of lesions have been confirmed by pathology, while the ground truth for the rest of the cases was either follow-up, expert consensus, or confirmation by in-vivo confocal microscopy.
Size-dependent adsorption and its application in determining the number of surfactant molecule adsorbed on multimodal SiO2 particles by 2D-DCS
Authors: Tian Guolan , Chen Lan , Liu Renxiao , Ge Guanglu
Published: August 2018

One and two-layered adsorption of CTAB molecules onto silica NPs with multi-modal dispersion is quantitatively determined by 2D-DCS.
Automated chemical identification and library building using dispersion plots for differential mobility spectrometry
Authors: Rajapakse Maneeshin Y. , Borras Eva , Yeap Danny , Peirano Daniel J. , Kenyon Nicholas J. , Davis Cristina E.
Published: August 2018

Differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) based detectors require rapid data analysis capabilities, embedded into the devices to achieve the optimum detection capabilities as portable trace chemical detectors.
In situlow-immunogenic albumin-conjugating-corona guiding nanoparticles for tumor-targeting chemotherapy
Authors: Li Zhenbao , Li Dan , Li Qingsong , Luo Cong , Li Jing , Kou Longfa , Zhang Dong , Zhang Haotian , Zhao Songyan , Kan Qiming , Liu Jie , Zhang Peng , Liu Xiaohong , Sun Yinghua , Wang Yongjun , He Zhonggui , Sun Jin
Published: August 2018

Thein siturecruited albumin corona enables NPs' tumor-targeting and enhanced antitumor activityin vivo.
Binding and neurotoxicity mitigation of toxic tau oligomers by synthetic heparin like oligosaccharides
Authors: Wang Peng , Lo Cascio Filippa , Gao Jia , Kayed Rakez , Huang Xuefei
Published: August 2018

Heparin oligosaccharides can mitigate the cytotoxic effects of tau oligomers towards neuronal cells.
Recent advances in the sulfonylation of alkenes with the insertion of sulfur dioxide via radical reactions
Authors: Qiu Guanyinsheng , Lai Lifang , Cheng Jiang , Wu Jie
Published: August 2018

Recent advances in the sulfonylation of alkenes via the insertion of sulfur dioxide are summarized. Two strategies for the sulfonylation of alkenes with the insertion of sulfur dioxide have been developed.
Olefin methylation and cracking reactions in H-SSZ-13 investigated with ab initio and DFT calculations
Authors: Plessow Philipp N. , Studt Felix
Published: August 2018

The olefin cycle of the methanol-to-olefins process is investigated for the zeolite H-SSZ-13 using periodic, van-der-Waals corrected DFT calculations, together with MP2 corrections derived from cluster models, which are essential for accurate barriers.
Significantly increased catalytic activity ofCandida antarcticalipase B for the resolution ofcis-(±)-dimethyl 1-acetylpiperidine-2,3-dicarboxylate
Authors: Shen Jiang-Wei , Qi Jia-Mei , Zhang Xiao-Jian , Liu Zhi-Qiang , Zheng Yu-Guo
Published: August 2018

Structure-based semi-rational engineering approach was applied to alter the binding pocket and substrate channel for enhancing the activity of CALB towards moxifloxacin chiral intermediate.
Extending surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) of atmospheric aerosol particles to the accumulation mode (150–800 nm)
Authors: Tirella Peter N. , Craig Rebecca L. , Tubbs Darrell B. , Olson Nicole E. , Lei Ziying , Ault Andrew P.
Published: August 2018

Due to their small size, measurements of the complex composition of atmospheric aerosol particles and their surfaces are analytically challenging.
6-Gingerol as an arginase inhibitor prevents urethane-induced lung carcinogenesis by reprogramming tumor supporting M2 macrophages to M1 phenotype
Authors: Yao Jingjing , Du Zhenhua , Li Zibo , Zhang Shuhui , Lin Yukun , Li Haiyun , Zhou Lin , Wang Yuehua , Yan Guixi , Wu Xianchuang , Duan Yongjian , Du Gangjun
Published: August 2018

6-Gingerol (6-G) is the main bioactive component in Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe).
(−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) inhibits starch digestion and improves glucose homeostasis through direct or indirect activation of PXR/CAR-mediated phase II metabolism in diabetic mice
Authors: Li Xiaopeng , Li Shuyi , Chen Mo , Wang Jingyi , Xie Bijun , Sun Zhida
Published: August 2018

As a major component of green tea, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has attracted interest from scientists owing to its potential to combat a variety of human diseases including abnormal glucose metabolism in obesity and diabetes.
Transformative reduction of carbon dioxide through organocatalysis with silanes
Authors: Pramudita Ria Ayu , Motokura Ken
Published: August 2018

Various organocatalysts are developed to accelerate the carbon dioxide utilisation as feedstock to value-added organic chemicals synthesis with silanes as strategic reducing agents.
Hg isotope ratio measurements of methylmercury in fish tissues using HPLC with off line cold vapour generation MC-ICPMS
Authors: Entwisle John , Malinovsky Dmitriy , Dunn Philip J. H. , Goenaga-Infante Heidi
Published: August 2018

Species-specific Hg isotope ratio data has increasingly become an important tool in understanding biogeochemistry of mercury.
Rapid, quantitative, and non-destructive SR-WD-XRF mapping of trace platinum in Byzantine Roman Empire gold coins
Authors: Van Loon Lisa L. , Banerjee Neil R. , Hinds Michael W. , Gordon Robert , Bevan George , Burgess R. W.
Published: August 2018

A non-destructive SR-WD-XRF method for quickly measuring Pt in large sample suites of ancient Roman gold coins.
Medicinal chemistry of acridine and its analogues
Authors: Prasher Parteek , Sharma Mousmee
Published: August 2018

‘Acridine’ along with its functional analogue ‘Acridone’ is the most privileged pharmacophore in medicinal chemistry with diverse applications ranging from DNA intercalators, endonuclease mimics, ratiometric selective ion sensors, and P-glycoprotein inhibitors in countering the multi-drug resistance, enzyme inhibitors, and reversals of neurodegenerative disorders.
Aqueous photo(electro)catalysis with eumelanin thin films
Authors: Migliaccio Ludovico , Gryszel Maciej , Đerek Vedran , Pezzella Alessandro , Głowacki Eric Daniel
Published: August 2018

The ubiquitous biopigment eumelanin can function as a photocatalytic and photofaradaic material.
Pt nanoparticle tethered DNA assemblies for enhanced catalysis and SERS applications
Authors: Sankar Selvasundarasekar Sam , Sangeetha Kumaravel , Karthick Kannimuthu , Anantharaj Sengeni , Ede Sivasankara Rao , Kundu Subrata
Published: August 2018

Synthesized Pt NPs tethered on DNA showed good catalytic activity and act as a potential substrate for SERS studies.
High-Q, low-mode-volume and multiresonant plasmonic nanoslit cavities fabricated by helium ion milling
Authors: Chen Kai , Razinskas Gary , Vieker Henning , Gross Heiko , Wu Xiaofei , Beyer André , Gölzhäuser Armin , Hecht Bert
Published: August 2018

Helium ion milling of chemically-synthesized micron-sized gold flakes is performed to fabricate ultra-narrow nanoslit cavities with a varying length and width down to 5 nm.
A 1D conical nanotubular TiO2/CdS heterostructure with superior photon-to-electron conversion
Authors: Zazpe R. , Sopha H. , Prikryl J. , Krbal M. , Mistrik J. , Dvorak F. , Hromadko L. , Macak J. M.
Published: August 2018

A novel 1D conical nanotubular CdS/TiO2heterostructure possesses synergic effects that yield a superior photon-to-electron conversion and shows promising perspectives in photovoltaics.
Nanoscale mechanics of microgel particles
Authors: Aufderhorst-Roberts Anders , Baker Daniel , Foster Richard J. , Cayre Olivier , Mattsson Johan , Connell Simon D.
Published: August 2018

Through a multi-scale approach, the internal mechanics of microgel particles are probed, characterising radial differences in mechanical response.
Monodisperse Cu/Cu2O@C core–shell nanocomposite supported on rGO layers as an efficient catalyst derived from a Cu-based MOF/GO structure
Authors: Yang Ke , Yan Yu , Wang Haiyang , Sun Zhixuan , Chen Wen , Kang Hongtao , Han Yi , Zahng Wenquan , Sun Xiaohua , Li Zhenxing
Published: August 2018

Monodisperse Cu/Cu2O@C core–shell nanocomposite on rGO layers was synthesized by one-step pyrolysis of Cu-MOFs/GO structure for reduction of 4-nitrophenol.
Molecular tweezers with a rotationally restricted linker and freely rotating porphyrin moieties
Authors: Murphy Rhys B. , Pham Duc-Truc , White Jonathan M. , Lincoln Stephen F. , Johnston Martin R.
Published: August 2018

The different host–guest behaviour of non-interconvertible bis-porphyrin tweezer isomers was examined, contributing to ongoing discussions regarding rigidity/flexibility and preorganisation in synthetic receptors.
Rational design of a highly reactive dicysteine peptide tag for fluorogenic protein labelling
Authors: Strmiskova Miroslava , Tsao Kelvin , Keillor Jeffrey W.
Published: August 2018

Rationally designed libraries of a short helical peptide sequence containing two cysteine residues were screened kinetically for their reactivity towards complementary dimaleimide fluorogens.
Recent advances in the delivery of hydrogen sulfide via a macromolecular approach
Authors: Urquhart Matthew C. , Ercole Francesca , Whittaker Michael R. , Boyd Ben J. , Davis Thomas P. , Quinn John F.
Published: August 2018

This mini review highlights recent advances in the design of macromolecular materials that can deliver hydrogen sulfide either spontaneously or in response to chemical and physical triggers.
A fluorine-functionalized microporous In-MOF with high physicochemical stability for light hydrocarbon storage and separation
Authors: Fan Weidong , Liu Xiuping , Wang Xia , Li Yue , Xing Chengyong , Wang Yutong , Guo Wenyue , Zhang Liangliang , Sun Daofeng
Published: August 2018

An ultra-stable fluoro-functional microporous In-MOF with high acetylene and propene/propane adsorption capability and efficient potential for light hydrocarbon separation.
Novel chiral aggregation induced emission molecules: self-assembly, circularly polarized luminescence and copper(ii) ion detection
Authors: Huang Guangxi , Wen Rongsen , Wang Zhiming , Li Bing Shi , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: August 2018

Two novel chiral molecules1and2were designed and synthesized.1displayed evident CPL activity, whereas2served as a highly selective and sensitive “turn-off” fluorescent chemosensor for Cu2+.
Small-molecule fluorescent probes and their design
Authors: Fu Yanhua , Finney Nathaniel S.
Published: August 2018

Small-molecule fluorescent probes allow light to be used as a tool to advance the study of biology, discover new drugs, and further the detection of cancer. This tutorial review introduces important concepts related to fluorescent probe development.
Preparation of triangular silver nanoplates by silver seeds capped with citrate-CTA+
Authors: Zhong Yuanzhi , Liang Guorun , Jin Wenxiu , Jian Zhichao , Wu Zhixiong , Chen Qingyuan , Cai Yuchun , Zhang Wanzhong
Published: August 2018

Due to the competitive growth on the crystal face of seed, it is always difficult to control the morphology of the formation of nanoparticles precisely by a seed-mediated growth method.
Understanding the tribological impacts of alkali element on lubrication of binary borate melt
Authors: Tran Bach H. , Tieu Kiet , Wan Shanhong , Zhu Hongtao , Cui Shaogang , Wang Liping
Published: August 2018

The involvement of sodium induces dramatic transformation in lubrication potentials of boron oxide melt.
Synthesis, characterization andn-hexane hydroisomerization performances of Pt supported on alkali treated ZSM-22 and ZSM-48
Authors: Li Haoran , Liu Chenglian , Wang Yan , Zheng Jiajun , Fan Binbin , Li Ruifeng
Published: August 2018

ZSM-48 and ZSM-22 zeolites with similar Si/Al molar ratio have been treated with alkali to modify the pore structures and acidity, and they have been characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, N2adsorption/desorption, NMR, NH3-TPD and Py-FTIR.
Influence of residual sodium ions on the structure and properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)
Authors: Cho Hangyeol , Cho Wonseok , Kim Youngno , Lee Jin-geun , Kim Jung Hyun
Published: August 2018

In this study, we investigated the effects of metal ions, namely sodium ions, on the structure of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) during polymerization and the resulting electrical and optical properties.
Screening of ferrocenyl–phosphines identifies a gold-coordinated derivative as a novel anticancer agent for hematological malignancies
Authors: Verma Navin Kumar , Sadeer Abdul , Kizhakeyil Atish , Pang Jia Hao , Angela Chiu Qi Yun , Tay Shan Wen , Kumar Pankaj , Pullarkat Sumod A.
Published: August 2018

Development of organometallic compounds as novel anticancer agents.
Functionalization of silver nanoparticles with mPEGylated luteolin for selective visual detection of Hg2+ in water sample
Authors: Qing Weixia , Zhao Mengnan , Kou Conghui , Lu Minghua , Wang Yong
Published: August 2018

A novel colorimetric sensor for selective detection of Hg2+ based on mPEGylated luteolin functionalized silver nanoparticles was prepared.
Controlled organocatalyzed d,l-lactide ring-opening polymerizations: synthesis of low molecular weight oligomers
Authors: Newman M. R. , Russell S. G. , Benoit D. S. W.
Published: August 2018

A systematic approach to the synthesis of organocatalyzed oligo(d,l-lactide) demonstrates that choice of initiator, catalytic ratio, and reaction time yields well-controlled oligomers.
Revealing biomedically relevant cell and lectin type-dependent structure–activity profiles for glycoclusters by using tissue sections as an assay platform
Authors: Kaltner Herbert , Manning Joachim C. , García Caballero Gabriel , Di Salvo Claudia , Gabba Adele , Romero-Hernández Laura L. , Knospe Clemens , Wu Dan , Daly Harrison C. , O'Shea Donal F. , Gabius Hans-Joachim , Murphy Paul V.
Published: August 2018

Introducing tissue sections for testing glycocluster activity as inhibitors of lectin binding close toin vivoconditions.
Enhanced visible transmittance and reduced transition temperature for VO2 thin films modulated by index-tunable SiO2 anti-reflection coatings
Authors: Zhu Maodong , Qi Hongji , Wang Bin , Wang Hu , Zhang Dongping , Lv Weizhong
Published: August 2018

Index-tunable anti-reflection SiO2 coatings prepared on the surface of VO2 films by sol–gel dip-coating technique to enhance the visible and infrared transmittance of SiO2/VO2 films.
Synthesis of ZSM-5/KIT-6 with a tunable pore structure and its catalytic application in the hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene and diesel oil
Authors: Gao Qi , Zhang Yan , Zhou Kangdi , Wu Huadong , Guo Jia , Zhang Linfeng , Duan Aijun , Zhao Zhen , Zhang Fuqing , Zhou Yuxin
Published: August 2018

Porous material with tunable pore structure ZSM-5/KIT-6 was prepared by adjusting the addition amount of n-butanol. NiMo/ZK-3 and NiMo/AZK-3 catalysts exhibit good catalytic performances in the HDS of DBT and diesel oil, respectively.
The effect of iron binding on uranyl(v) stability
Authors: Faizova Radmila , White Sarah , Scopelliti Rosario , Mazzanti Marinella
Published: August 2018

The tripodal heptadentate Schiff base trensal3− ligand allowed the synthesis and characterization of stable uranyl(v) complexes presenting UO2+⋯K+ or UO2+⋯Fe2+ cation–cation interactions. The presence of Fe2+ bound to the uranyl(v) oxygen leads to increased stability with respect to proton induced disproportionation and to an increased range of stability of the uranyl(v) species with respect both to oxidation and reduction reactions.
Biocatalyst–artificial metalloenzyme cascade based on alcohol dehydrogenase
Authors: Morra Simone , Pordea Anca
Published: August 2018

Alcohol dehydrogenase with a dual role: host for metal catalysts and enzyme for ketone reduction.
Salt-dependent properties of a coacervate-like, self-assembled DNA liquid
Authors: Jeon Byoung-jin , Nguyen Dan T. , Abraham Gabrielle R. , Conrad Nathaniel , Fygenson Deborah K. , Saleh Omar A.
Published: August 2018

Liquid DNA droplets, made of self-assembled DNA particles (‘nanostars’), show salt-dependent viscosity, self-diffusion, and surface tension due mainly to basepairing thermodynamics. Yet, certain aspects indicate a heterogeneous liquid structure. These results are compared to other coacervate systems.
Inhibition of lithium dendrite growth by forming rich polyethylene oxide-like species in a solid-electrolyte interphase in a polysulfide/carbonate electrolyte
Authors: Zhao JunNian , Yu HaiLong , Ben LiuBin , Zhan YuanJie , Wu YiDa , Huang XueJie , Zhou Zhibin
Published: August 2018

Polyethylene oxide-like polymers form in solid-electrolyte interphase films with the addition of polysulfide ions into a carbonate electrolyte.
Highly reversible sorption of H2S and CO2 by an environmentally friendly Mg-based MOF
Authors: Sánchez-González Elí , Mileo Paulo G. M. , Sagastuy-Breña Mónica , Álvarez J. Raziel , Reynolds Joseph E. , Villarreal Aline , Gutiérrez-Alejandre Aída , Ramírez Jorge , Balmaseda Jorge , González-Zamora Eduardo , Maurin Guillaume , Humphrey Simon M. , Ibarra Ilich A.
Published: August 2018

Mg-CUK-1 exhibited high chemical stability towards H2S and H2O. Monte Carlo Simulations correlated with H2S uptake.
A building block exchange strategy for the rational fabrication of de novo unreachable amino-functionalized imine-linked covalent organic frameworks
Authors: Qian Hai-Long , Li Yang , Yan Xiu-Ping
Published: August 2018

A building block exchange strategy was developed for the fabrication of de novo unreachable ICOFs-NH2.
Phase polymorphism and electronic structures of TeSe2
Authors: Debela Tekalign Terfa , Kang Hong Seok
Published: August 2018

Polymorphic phases of TeSe2 can be transformed into one another, exhibiting either hidden or chiral spin polarization.
Approach in companding‐quantisation‐inspired PAM constellation design
Authors: Vlajkov Slobodan , Jovanović Aleksandra , Perić Zoran
Published: August 2018

In this study, a very simple but successful method for designing the pulse‐amplitude modulation (PAM) constellations with non‐equiprobable symbols and not equally spaced amplitudes is presented. The method, inspired by companding quantisation, introduces a constellation design function having a feature that maps the non‐uniformly distributed constellations points into uniform ones. In particular, two classes of piecewise‐linear constellation design function having two segments are provided. In PAM constellation designed by the proposed method, the set of constellation points is divided into two uniform subsets. Each of these subsets is characterised by a certain probability of constellation points and by a constant distance between adjacent points. For this model of PAM constellation, the formulas that enable the elegant assessment of the signal energy and the symbol error probability are derived. Results obtained analytically and verified through simulations show that, in terms of the symbol error probability, the proposed PAM constellations outperforms conventional uniform PAM constellation as well as the other models of piecewise‐uniform PAM constellations.
Optimal PMU placement for power system observability considering network expansion and N − 1 contingencies
Authors: Asgari Abdolrahim , Firouzjah Khalil Gorgani
Published: August 2018

The determination of the appropriate number and location of the phasor measurement units (PMUs) has raised the issue of the system monitoring as the main challenge. In this study, the problem of optimal PMU placement (OPMUP) is carried out in order to achieve a fully observable power system under normal and contingency conditions considering network expansion.‏ For this purpose, network expansion is investigated considering two fixed and flexible PMU placement scenarios. The contingency index is introduced through the modelling process of N  − 1 contingency states. This index is inserted as a new term in the objective function by compromising the observability confidence level and the number of PMUs. Other goals including minimising the number of PMUs, measurement channels and redundancy are considered along with the OPMUP process. The IEEE 57‐bus standard network in the MATLAB is studied during the expansion time horizon with the proposed algorithms to achieve the above goals.
Virtual inertia optimisation control of DFIG and assessment of equivalent inertia time constant of power grid
Authors: Tian Xinshou , Wang Weisheng , Chi Yongning , Li Yan , Liu Chao
Published: August 2018

Due to decoupling between mechanical part and electrical part of doubly fed induction generator (DFIG), the DFIG has no natural frequency response capability, which results in decreasing of total rotary inertia of power grid, and the frequency stability of power grid will face larger challenges. This study proposes an assessment method of equivalent inertia time constant, further gives the assessment value of equivalent inertia time constant of DFIG. Then, a virtual inertia optimisation control of DFIG using rotor current direct control based on status assessment value is proposed, which includes conventional function, status assessment and additional virtual inertia control. The assessment values of equivalent inertia time constant of wind farms, synchronous generator and power grid connected with multi‐type generators are calculated, which are related to penetration of wind power and control strategies. The simulation results verify the efficacious of the proposed virtual inertia optimisation control and the accuracy of assessment method of equivalent inertia time constant, and the frequency stability of power grid is improved in the condition of different active power of wind farms and penetration of wind power.
Inertia emulation and dynamic voltage support scheme for MMC‐based dc systems
Authors: Li Bin , Zhang Weixin , He Jiawei
Published: August 2018

Modular multilevel converter (MMC) based dc system has become an effective solution for renewable energy integration and power transmission. However, the converters based on power electronic devices have no significant inertia characteristics. This study presents an inertia emulation and dynamic voltage support scheme for MMC‐based dc systems. The proposed scheme enables the converter to contribute an inertial response to the interconnected ac network by varying the sub‐module (SM) capacitor voltage. Meanwhile dc system voltage can be kept to the rating or a permitted range by dynamically adjusting the number of SMs switched on according to the variation of capacitor voltage. The implementation and different stages of the proposed scheme are discussed. The inertia support ability of the scheme is also investigated. Simulations under various power disturbances on PSCAD/EMTDC are given to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of the proposed scheme.
Load frequency control by de‐loaded wind farm using the optimal fuzzy‐based PID droop controller
Authors: Abazari Ahmadreza , Monsef Hassan , Wu Bin
Published: August 2018

In this study, the authors represent a modelling to analyse and simulate renewable power generation for two area power systems in the presence of high penetrated wind farm. The performance of assumed power systems may hazard without appropriate frequency amelioration methodologies. To complete the LFC model for two area power systems, the combination of automatic generation control and automatic voltage regulation of thermal units is considered. Due to the decline in the total inertia of power system associated with wind farm contribution, the self‐tuning and adaptive fuzzy‐based PID droop can be proposed in the structure of wind turbines instead of the fixed/traditional PID droop in de‐loaded area to ameliorate the frequency excursions. Besides, the artificial bee colony algorithm can tune the parameters of membership functions for input and output signals based on a multi‐objective function (MOF). The proposed strategy control is proved to be accurately stable under various load changes and yields more satisfactory performance in comparison to the conventional PID droop. This research generally includes wind farm collaboration in the frequency control by inertia, primary and secondary frequency control.
Feasibility of an automotive radar antenna at 77 GHz on LTCC substrate
Authors: Galvis Salzburg Carlos , Vaupel Thomas , Bertuch Thomas , Wilhelm Marko , Wichmann Thomas , Tejero Alfageme Simon
Published: August 2018

The feasibility of microstrip planar antenna arrays printed on a low‐temperature co‐fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate for an automotive long‐range radar application at the frequency of 77 GHz is investigated. The antenna configuration consists of three receiving (RX) and two transmitting (TX) microstrip patch antennas. The full three‐dimensional electromagnetic simulations show, despite the high permittivity and losses of the LTCC substrate, that the achievable impedance matching is wider than 1 GHz and the combination of TX and RX radiation patterns satisfies typical requirements in the azimuthal and elevation planes. Problematic, however, is the reduced antenna gain that can be achieved for a given radiation pattern shape due to the relatively high‐dielectric losses.
Radio‐frequency interference to automotive radar sensors
Authors: Stove Andrew , Baker Chris
Published: August 2018

Cases of interference between pulsed radars, frequency‐modulated continuous wave and noise‐modulated automotive radars at frequencies around 24 and 77 GHz are considered, and it is shown that pulse‐ and frequency‐modulated waveforms are very robust to interference from each other if the radar receiver is properly designed. Noise modulations are much harder to handle efficiently. Interference from other sources and the potential for deliberate jamming are also considered.
Antibacterial and photocatalytic activity of anatase phase Ag‐doped TiO2 nanoparticles
Authors: Madadi Mahsa , Ghorbanpour Mohammad , Feizi Atabak
Published: August 2018

A simple and new solid‐state molten‐salt method to synthesise silver (Ag)‐doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles for solar light‐induced photocatalytic applications is examined. Ag‐doped TiO2 nanoparticles with varied Ag content ranging from 3 to 10% were synthesised by a single‐step molten‐salt synthesis method. The effect of Ag content on the antibacterial and photocatalytic activity of nanoparticles was tested. The prepared nanoparticles were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX) spectrometry, ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) diffusive reflectance spectrometer (UV–vis DRS) and powder X‐ray diffraction. The SEM image of nanoparticles clearly showed the presence of agglomerated spherical particles. The EDX analysis of the particles confirmed successful doping of particles in the presence of the Ag in the particles. The doping of Ag in TiO2 produced TiO2 pure anatase phase. According to UV–vis DRS results, increasing Ag‐doped content in the Ag‐doped TiO2 resulted in a higher visible absorption capability of the materials. Ag doping also improved the antibacterial and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles. The maximum photocatalytic activity under light irradiation was observed for 5% Ag‐doped TiO2.
GaiaDR2 study of Herbig Ae/Be stars
Authors: Vioque M. , Oudmaijer R. D. , Baines D. , Mendigutía I. , Pérez-Martínez R.
Published: August 2018

Aims.We useGaiaData Release 2 (DR2) to place 252 Herbig Ae/Be stars in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram and investigate their characteristics and properties.

Methods.For all known Herbig Ae/Be stars with parallaxes inGaiaDR2, we collected their atmospheric parameters and photometric and extinction values from the literature. To these data we added near-infrared and mid-infrared photometry, and collected Hαemission line properties such as equivalent widths and line profiles, and their binarity status. In addition, we developed a photometric variability indicator fromGaia’s DR2 information.

Results.We provide masses, ages, luminosities, distances, photometric variabilities and IR excesses homogeneously derived for the most complete sample of Herbig Ae/Be stars to date. We find that high-mass stars have a much smaller IR excess and have much lower optical variabilities compared to lower-mass stars, with the break at around 7M⊙. Hαemission is generally correlated with IR excess, with the correlation being stronger for IR emission at wavelengths tracing the hot dust closest to the star. The variability indicator as developed by us shows that ∼25% of all Herbig Ae/Be stars are strongly variable. We observe that the strongly variable objects display doubly peaked Hαline profiles, indicating an edge-on disk.

Conclusions.The fraction of strongly variable Herbig Ae stars is close to that found for A-type UX Ori stars. It had been suggested that this variability is in most cases due to asymmetric dusty disk structures seen edge-on. The observation here is in strong support of this hypothesis. Finally, the difference in dust properties occurs at 7M⊙, while various properties traced at UV/optical wavelengths differ at a lower mass, 3M⊙. The latter has been linked to different accretion mechanisms at work, whereas the differing IR properties and photometric variabilities are related to different or differently acting (dust-)disk-dispersal mechanisms.
Milky Way demographics with the VVV survey
Authors: Alonso-García Javier , Saito Roberto K. , Hempel Maren , Minniti Dante , Pullen Joyce , Catelan Márcio , Ramos Rodrigo Contreras , Cross Nicholas J. G. , Gonzalez Oscar A. , Lucas Philip W. , Palma Tali , Valenti Elena , Zoccali Manuela
Published: August 2018

Context. The inner regions of the Galaxy are severely affected by extinction, which limits our capability to study the stellar populations present there. The Vista Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) ESO Public Survey has observed this zone at near-infrared wavelengths where reddening is highly diminished.

Aims. By exploiting the high resolution and wide field-of-view of the VVV images we aim to produce a deep, homogeneous, and highly complete database of sources that cover the innermost regions of our Galaxy.

Methods. To better deal with the high crowding in the surveyed areas, we have used point spread function (PSF)-fitting techniques to obtain a new photometry of the VVV images, in the ZY JHKs near-infrared filters available.

Results. Our final catalogs contain close to one billion sources, with precise photometry in up to five near-infrared filters, and they are already being used to provide an unprecedented view of the inner Galactic stellar populations. We make these catalogs publicly available to the community. Our catalogs allow us to build the VVV giga-CMD, a series of color-magnitude diagrams of the inner regions of the Milky Way presented as supplementary videos. We provide a qualitative analysis of some representative CMDs of the inner regions of the Galaxy, and briefly mention some of the studies we have developed with this new dataset so far.
Oxygen containing Si–H nanoparticles: a potential electrode for Li–ion battery
Authors: Francis Priya , Ghaisas Subhash V
Published: August 2018

Using density functional theory based computations; the role of vacancy and defects in hydrogen terminated silicon nano particles (NP) in the lithium intercalation process is investigated. The study shows that Li cannot bind to the NPs without vacancy or defects. The presence of a single dangling bond or defects such as O or OH radical substituting H, induces interaction between Li atoms and NPs. The Si–Si coordination number reduces with increasing Li intake however, total average coordination of Si increases beyond 5. Presence of H, O and OH is seen to be conducive for the intercalation process. The average electrode potential with respect to Li/Li+ is seen to vary between 2.4 and 0.05 V over NPs with various defects. It is observed that one of the stable electrode material can be Si10H8O4NPs. Electronic structure calculations of the intercalation of up to13 Li in Si10H8O4NPs was carried out. It corresponds to a specific capacity of 988 mAh g−1for these NPs. The results can be extrapolated for higher intake, making this material a potential anode. The stability analysis shows that Si:H NPs containing oxygen are stable and are promising material for anode in lithium battery under deep discharge.
Influence of serum on DNA protection ability and transfection efficiency of cationic lipid-based nanoparticles for gene delivery
Authors: Pengnam Supusson , Leksantikul Lalita , Tonglairoum Prasopchai , Opanasopit Praneet , Ni-yomtham Nattisa , Yingyongnarongkul Boon-Ek , Plianwong Samarwadee
Published: August 2018

Cationic lipid-based nanoparticulate systems are delivery systems that has been widely used in pharmaceutical field including gene delivery. There are many barriers obstructing genetic materials and their delivery systems to reach the target. Serum is one of the imperative factor that should be investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effect of serum on DNA protection ability of spermine-liposomes and niosomes by evaluating the percentage of transfection efficiency in Hela cell and observing the DNA degradation band using agarose gel electrophoresis in the presence of serum. The results showed that the percentage of transfection efficiency of spermine-liposomes was dramatically decreased when serum is presented (p< 0.05). In contrast, whether or not the serum is presented, the spermine-niosomes showed no significant difference in transfection efficiency. Concisely, liposomes could slightly protect DNA from DNase in the serum, whereas, niosomes had potential ability to protect DNA from the enzymes in serum. This result revealed an advantage of the cationic niosomes system as a gene carrier over the cationic liposomes.
A design of HDPE flexible spline of harmonics gear
Authors: Chotiprayanakul Pholchai , Khamsri Nattakul , Kumjaroen Neeracha
Published: August 2018

In a design of a small robot, selecting a servo-motor is the most important method in designing process. Common miniature servo motors for small robots normally use conventional gear train set or planetary gear set. Gear train and planetary gear give very low gear ratio whereas its weight is too heavy. On the other hand, Harmonic gear system, which is developed from strain wave drive gearing, gives better the highest gear ratio per weight than those two gear systems. In this paper, a plastic flexible spline gear is presented in order to replace a thin metal spline. The plastic flexible spline gear is designed under gear physical requirement and servo-motor properties. The spline thicknesses are varied in a range of 1 to 4 millimetre and simulations on strength, fatigue, and torque requirement are made to verify the designs.
Conversion of metal-organic halide perovskite from PbI2 precursor films grown by hot-wall method
Authors: Seto Satoru , Shimizu Rintaro , Tokuda Makoto
Published: August 2018

We report on metal-organic halide perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 films converted from PbI2 precursors for planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells. PbI2 films as a precursor were deposited by hot-wall method and conventional vacuum evaporation. The conversion to perovskite phase from the PbI2 films were performed by annealing in methyl ammonium iodine (MAI) vapour at 120-150 °C. We confirmed that no residual PbI2 phase can be detected in the converted perovskite films by x-ray diffraction measurements. The surface morphology of the perovskite films was measured by AFM. Roughness Ra of the films is 17.8 nm, which is comparable value to the reported ones. Using the converted perovskite films we fabricated tentative perovskite solar cells with a device architecture of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/Perovskite/C60/Ag. The power conversion efficiencies of the fabricated solar cells from a conventional evaporation and the hot-wall method exhibited 2.22 and 2.33%, respectively.
Surface morphology and wettability for thin films of beta-iron disilicide produced through direct-current sputtering utilizing a pair of facing targets
Authors: Charoenyuenyao Peerasil , Promros Nathaporn , Chaleawpong Rawiwan , Yoshitake Tsuyoshi
Published: August 2018

In the current work, beta-FeSi2 films were epitaxially produced onto Si(111) wafer substrates via usage of facing-targets direct-current sputtering (FTDCS). The temperature for substrate heating was maintained at 600 °C and the sputtering pressure was set at 1.33 × 10-1Pa. The surface morphology and contact angles of the beta-FeSi2films were explored consistently in this research. Images of three-dimensional AFM and FESEM for the beta-FeSi2 film surface revealed a smooth surface with a root mean square roughness of 1.31 nm and a porous area. The average contact angle between the dropped water and beta-FeSi2film surface was found to be 98.7°, establishing that the surface of the beta-FeSi2films was hydrophobic. The acquired experimental results revealed the commencement of the hydrophobic surface feature of the beta-FeSi2films produced via FTDCS approach.