bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacts of Bisphenol A and Ethinyl Estradiol on Male and Female CD-1 Mouse Spleen
Authors: Gear Robin B. , Belcher Scott M.
Published: April 2017

The endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) and the pharmaceutical 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE) are synthetic chemicals with estrogen-like activities. Despite ubiquitous human exposure to BPA, and the wide-spread clinical use of EE as oral contraceptive adjuvant, the impact of these estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on the immune system is unclear. Here we report results of in vivo dose response studies that analyzed the histology and microstructural changes in the spleen of adult male and female CD-1 mice exposed to 4 to 40,000 μg/kg/day BPA or 0.02 to 2 μg/kg/day EE from conception until 12–14 weeks of age. Results of that analysis indicate that both BPA and EE have dose- and sex-specific impacts on the cellular and microanatomical structures of the spleens that reveal minor alterations in immunomodulatory and hematopoietic functions. These findings support previous studies demonstrating the murine immune system as a sensitive target for estrogens, and that oral exposures to BPA and EE can have estrogen-like immunomodulatory affects in both sexes.
Assessing the calorific significance of episodes of human cannibalism in the Palaeolithic
Authors: Cole James
Published: April 2017

Episodes of Palaeolithic cannibalism have frequently been defined as ‘nutritional’ in nature, but with little empirical evidence to assess their dietary significance. This paper presents a nutritional template that offers a proxy calorie value for the human body. When applied to the Palaeolithic record, the template provides a framework for assessing the dietary value of prehistoric cannibalistic episodes compared to the faunal record. Results show that humans have a comparable nutritional value to those faunal species that match our typical body weight, but significantly lower than a range of fauna often found in association with anthropogenically modified hominin remains. This could suggest that the motivations behind homininanthropophagymay not have been purely nutritionally motivated. It is proposed here that the comparatively low nutritional value of hominin cannibalism episodes support more socially or culturally driven narratives in the interpretation of Palaeolithic cannibalism.
Badger macrophages fail to produce nitric oxide, a key anti-mycobacterial effector molecule
Authors: Bilham Kirstin , Boyd Amy C. , Preston Stephen G. , Buesching Christina D. , Newman Chris , Macdonald David W. , Smith Adrian L.
Published: April 2017

The European badger is recognised as a wildlife reservoir for bovine tuberculosis (bTB); the control of which is complex, costly and controversial. Despite the importance of badgers in bTB and the well-documented role for macrophages as anti-mycobacterial effector cells, badger macrophage (bdMφ) responses remain uncharacterised. Here, we demonstrate that bdMφ fail to produce nitric oxide (NO) or upregulate inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA following Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist treatment. BdMφ also failed to make NO after stimulation with recombinant badger interferon gamma (bdIFNγ) or a combination of bdIFNγ and lipopolysaccharide. Exposure of bdMφ to TLR agonists and/or bdIFNγ resulted in upregulated cytokine (IL1β, IL6, IL12 and TNFα) mRNA levels indicating that these critical pathways were otherwise intact. Although stimulation with most TLR agonists resulted in strong cytokine mRNA responses, weaker responses were evident after exposure to TLR9 agonists, potentially due to very low expression of TLR9 in bdMφ. Both NO and TLR9 are important elements of innate immunity to mycobacteria, and these features of bdMφ biology would impair their capacity to resist bTB infection. These findings have significant implications for the development of bTB management strategies, and support the use of vaccination to reduce bTB infection in badgers.
Electronic and optical properties of topological semimetal Cd3As2
Authors: Mosca Conte Adriano , Pulci Olivia , Bechstedt Friedhelm
Published: April 2017

Using ab initio density functional theory the band structure and the dielectric function of a bct Cd3As2 crystal are calculated. We find a Dirac semimetal with two Dirac nodes k± near the Γ point on the tetragonal axis. The bands near the Fermi level exhibit a linear behavior. The resulting Dirac cones are anisotropic and the electron-hole symmetry is destroyed along the tetragonal axis. Along this axis the symmetry-protected band linearity only exists in a small energy interval. The Dirac cones seemingly found by ARPES in a wider energy range are interpreted in terms of pseudo-linear bands. The behavior as 3D graphene-like material is traced back to As p orbital pointing to Cd vacancies, in directions which vary throughout the unit cell. Because of the Dirac nodes the dielectric functions (imaginary part) show a plateau for vanishing frequencies whose finite value is proportional to the Sommerfeld fine structure constant but varies with the light polarization. The consequences of the anisotropy of the Dirac cones are highlighted for the polarization dependence of the infrared optical conductivity.
Autogenic succession and deterministic recovery following disturbance in soil bacterial communities
Authors: Jurburg Stephanie D. , Nunes Inês , Stegen James C. , Le Roux Xavier , Priemé Anders , Sørensen Søren J. , Salles Joana Falcão
Published: April 2017

The response of bacterial communities to environmental change may affect local to global nutrient cycles. However the dynamics of these communities following disturbance are poorly understood, given that they are often evaluated over macro-ecological time scales and end-point measurements. In order to understand the successional trajectory of soil bacterial communities following disturbances and the mechanisms controlling these dynamics at a scale relevant for these organisms, we subjected soil microcosms to a heat disturbance and followed the community composition of active bacteria over 50 days. The disturbance imposed a strong selective pressure that persisted for up to 10 days, after which the importance of stochastic processes increased. Three successional stages were detected: a primary response in which surviving taxa increased in abundance; a secondary response phase during which community dynamics slowed down, and a stability phase (after 29 days), during which the community tended towards its original composition. Phylogenetic turnover patterns indicated that the community experienced stronger deterministic selection during recovery. Thus, soil bacterial communities, despite their extreme diversity and functional redundancy, respond to disturbances like many macro-ecological systems and exhibit path-dependent, autogenic dynamics during secondary succession. These results highlight the role of autogenic factors and successional dynamics in microbial recovery.
Linear filtering reveals false negatives in species interaction data
Authors: Stock Michiel , Poisot Timothée , Waegeman Willem , De Baets Bernard
Published: April 2017

Species interaction datasets, often represented as sparse matrices, are usually collected through observation studies targeted at identifying species interactions. Due to the extensive required sampling effort, species interaction datasets usually contain many false negatives, often leading to bias in derived descriptors. We show that a simple linear filter can be used to detect false negatives by scoring interactions based on the structure of the interaction matrices. On 180 different datasets of various sizes, sparsities and ecological interaction types, we found that on average in about 75% of the cases, a false negative interaction got a higher score than a true negative interaction. Furthermore, we show that this filter is very robust, even when the interaction matrix contains a very large number of false negatives. Our results demonstrate that unobserved interactions can be detected in species interaction datasets, even without resorting to information about the species involved.
Interactions of the periplasmic binding protein CeuE with Fe(III) n-LICAM4− siderophore analogues of varied linker length
Authors: Wilde Ellis J. , Hughes Adam , Blagova Elena V. , Moroz Olga V. , Thomas Ross P. , Turkenburg Johan P. , Raines Daniel J. , Duhme-Klair Anne-Kathrin , Wilson Keith S.
Published: April 2017

Bacteria use siderophores to mediate the transport of essential Fe(III) into the cell. In Campylobacter jejuni the periplasmic binding protein CeuE, an integral part of the Fe(III) transport system, has adapted to bind tetradentate siderophores using a His and a Tyr side chain to complete the Fe(III) coordination. A series of tetradentate siderophore mimics was synthesized in which the length of the linker between the two iron-binding catecholamide units was increased from four carbon atoms (4-LICAM4−) to five, six and eight (5-, 6-, 8-LICAM4−, respectively). Co-crystal structures with CeuE showed that the inter-planar angles between the iron-binding catecholamide units in the 5-, 6- and 8-LICAM4− structures are very similar (111°, 110° and 110°) and allow for an optimum fit into the binding pocket of CeuE, the inter-planar angle in the structure of 4-LICAM4− is significantly smaller (97°) due to restrictions imposed by the shorter linker. Accordingly, the protein-binding affinity was found to be slightly higher for 5- compared to 4-LICAM4− but decreases for 6- and 8-LICAM4−. The optimum linker length of five matches that present in natural siderophores such as enterobactin and azotochelin. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to investigate the relative importance of the Fe(III)-coordinating residues H227 and Y288.
Correction: Corrigendum: The human mitochondrial transcription factor A is a versatile G-quadruplex binding protein
Authors: Lyonnais Sébastien , Tarrés-Solé Aleix , Rubio-Cosials Anna , Cuppari Anna , Brito Reicy , Jaumot Joaquim , Gargallo Raimundo , Vilaseca Marta , Silva Cristina , Granzhan Anton , Teulade-Fichou Marie-Paule , Eritja Ramon , Solà Maria
Published: April 2017

Scientific Reports 7: Article number: 43992; published online: 09 March 2017; updated: 06 April 2017 The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Aleix Tarrés-Solé, which was incorrectly given as Aleix Tarrés-Soler. This error has now been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Association of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and malaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mbanefo Evaristus Chibunna , Ahmed Ali Mahmoud , Titouna Afaf , Elmaraezy Ahmed , Trang Nguyen Thi Huyen , Phuoc Long Nguyen , Hoang Anh Nguyen , Diem Nghi Tran , The Hung Bui , Van Hieu Mai , Ky Anh Nguyen , Huy Nguyen Tien , Hirayama Kenji
Published: April 2017

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency overlaps with malaria endemicity although it predisposes carriers to hemolysis. This fact supports the protection hypothesis against malaria. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the presence and the extent of protective association between G6PD deficiency and malaria. Thirteen databases were searched for papers reporting any G6PD alteration in malaria patients. Twenty-eight of the included 30 studies were eligible for the meta-analysis. Results showed absence of negative association between G6PD deficiency and uncomplicated falciparum malaria (odds ratio (OR), 0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.59–1.02; p = 0.07). However, this negative association happened in Africa (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.40–0.86; p = 0.007) but not in Asia (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.96–1.61; p = 0.10), and in the heterozygotes (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.57–0.87; p = 0.001) but not the homo/hemizygous (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.46–1.07; p = 0.10). There was no association between G6PD deficiency and total severe malaria (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.61–1.11; p = 0.20). Similarly, there was no association with other malaria species. G6PD deficiency can potentially protect against uncomplicated malaria in African countries, but not severe malaria. Interestingly, this protection was mainly in heterozygous, being x-linked thus related to gender.
Involvement of Epithelial Na+ Channel in the Elevated Myogenic Response in Posterior Cerebral Arteries from Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Choi Soo-Kyoung , Yeon Soo-In , Kwon Youngin , Byeon Seonhee , Lee Young-Ho
Published: April 2017

Hypertension is characterized by increased peripheral vascular resistance which is related with elevated myogenic response. Recent findings have indicated that epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is involved in mechanotransduction of the myogenic response. The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement of ENaC in the elevated myogenic response of posterior cerebral arteries (PCAs) from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Sixteen to eighteen weeks old male wistar kyoto rats (WKYs) and SHRs were used in this study. We found that wall to lumen (W/L) ratio was increased in the PCAs from SHRs compared with WKYs at the resting state. Interestingly, amiloride significantly inhibited myogenic response in the PCAs from SHRs and WKYs, however, the magnitude of the blockade was greater in SHRs. The transfection of γENaC-siRNA significantly reduced the expression of γENaC protein and inhibited myogenic response in the PCAs from SHRs. Furthermore, these data were supported by the findings that serum/glucocorticoid-induced kinase (Sgk1) and neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated gene 4-2 (Nedd4-2) were increased in SHRs compared with WKYs. Our results suggest that γENaC may play an important role in the elevated myogenic response in PCAs from SHRs.
In search of tail-anchored protein machinery in plants: reevaluating the role of arsenite transporters
Authors: Maestre-Reyna Manuel , Wu Shu-Mei , Chang Yu-Ching , Chen Chi-Chih , Maestre-Reyna Alvaro , Wang Andrew H.-J. , Chang Hsin-Yang
Published: April 2017

Although the mechanisms underlying selective targeting of tail-anchored (TA) membrane proteins are well established in mammalian and yeast cells, little is known about their role in mediating intracellular membrane trafficking in plant cells. However, a recent study suggested that, in green algae, arsenite transporters located in the cytosol (ArsA1 and ArsA2) control the insertion of TA proteins into the membrane-bound organelles. In the present work, we overproduced and purified these hydrophilic proteins to near homogeneity. The analysis of their catalytic properties clearly demonstrates that C. reinhardtii ArsA proteins exhibit oxyanion-independent ATPase activity, as neither arsenite nor antimonite showed strong effects. Co-expression of ArsA proteins with TA-transmembrane regions showed not only that the former interact with the latter, but that ArsA1 does not share the same ligand specificity as ArsA2. Together with a structural model and molecular dynamics simulations, we propose that C. reinhadtii ArsA proteins are not arsenite transporters, but a TA-protein targeting factor. Further, we propose that ArsA targeting specificity is achieved at the ligand level, with ArsA1 mainly carrying TA-proteins to the chloroplast, while ArsA2 to the endoplasmic reticulum.
Nosocomial and Community-Acquired Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis in patients with liver cirrhosis in China: Comparative Microbiology and Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Shi Lei , Wu Dan , Wei Lei , Liu Suxia , Zhao Peng , Tu Bo , Xie Yangxin , Liu Yanan , Wang Xinhua , Liu Liying , Zhang Xin , Xu Zhe , Wang Fusheng , Qin Enqiang
Published: April 2017

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a common complication of liver cirrhosis. This study was performed to compare the microbiological characteristics of nosocomial and community-acquired episodes of bacterial peritonitis in China. Five hundred and seventy-five strains were isolated from the ascitic fluid of cirrhotic patients from the Beijing 302 Hospital from January 2014 to December 2014. The patients in the community-acquired SBP (n = 264) and the nosocomial SBP (n = 311) groups exhibited significant differences in clinical symptoms (P < 0.01). In both groups, most of the bacteria were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, coagulase-negative staphylococcus and Enterococcus. There were more frequent gram-positive cocci (G+ C) in the nosocomial group (n = 170). Compared with the community-acquired group, the proportion of Enterococcus was significantly increased in the nosocomial group (9.0% vs. 16.6%, P < 0.05). The resistance rate of the main pathogenic bacteria to the recommended first-line drug in the guideline was very high. Community-acquired and nosocomial SBP groups exhibited differences in clinical symptoms and antibiotic susceptibility tests. Optimal treatments should be provided for these patients. We recommend that cefoperazone/sulbactam or piperacillin/tazobactam should be used for the empirical treatment of SBP.
Diplosporous development in Boehmeria tricuspis: Insights from de novo transcriptome assembly and comprehensive expression profiling
Authors: Tang Qing , Zang Gonggu , Cheng Chaohua , Luan Mingbao , Dai Zhigang , Xu Ying , Yang Zemao , Zhao Lining , Su Jianguang
Published: April 2017

Boehmeria tricuspis includes sexually reproducing diploid and apomictic triploid individuals. Previously, we established that triploid B. tricuspis reproduces through obligate diplospory. To understand the molecular basis of apomictic development in B. tricuspis, we sequenced and compared transcriptomic profiles of the flowers of sexual and apomictic plants at four key developmental stages. A total of 283,341 unique transcripts were obtained from 1,463 million high-quality paired-end reads. In total, 18,899 unigenes were differentially expressed between the reproductive types at the four stages. By classifying the transcripts into gene ontology categories of differentially expressed genes, we showed that differential plant hormone signal transduction, cell cycle regulation, and transcription factor regulation are possibly involved in apomictic development and/or a polyploidization response in B. tricuspis. Furthermore, we suggest that specific gene families are possibly related to apomixis and might have important effects on diplosporous floral development. These results make a notable contribution to our understanding of the molecular basis of diplosporous development in B. tricuspis.
Potential application of an Aspergillus strain in a pilot biofilter for benzene biodegradation
Authors: Sun Da , Zhang Kun , Duan Chuanren , Wu Wei , Deng Daiyong , Yu Donghong , Shahzad M. Babar , Xu Dake , Tang Ju , Luo Li , Chen Jia , Wang Jinxuan , Chen Yidan , Xie Xiang , Wang Guixue
Published: April 2017

A biofilter with fungus was developed for efficient degradation of benzene, which can overcome the potential risk of leakage commonly found in such services. Results indicated that the optimum parameter values were temperature 40 °C, pH 6, and 500 mg L−1 of the initial benzene concentration. Besides, the empty bed residence time and inlet load range of biofilter were set to 20 s and 21.23–169.84 g m−3 h−1 respectively. Under these conditions, this biofilter can obtain the maximum removal efficiency of more than 90%, the eliminating capacity could be up to 151.67 g m−3 h−1. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate three filler materials for packing fungus biofilm. This is the first study introducing an Aspergillus strain for benzene removal and these results highlight that the development of this biofilter has the potential scaling-up application as gas-processing of industrial wastes.
An improved method for identification of small non-coding RNAs in bacteria using support vector machine
Authors: Barman Ranjan Kumar , Mukhopadhyay Anirban , Das Santasabuj
Published: April 2017

Bacterial small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) are not translated into proteins, but act as functional RNAs. They are involved in diverse biological processes like virulence, stress response and quorum sensing. Several high-throughput techniques have enabled identification of sRNAs in bacteria, but experimental detection remains a challenge and grossly incomplete for most species. Thus, there is a need to develop computational tools to predict bacterial sRNAs. Here, we propose a computational method to identify sRNAs in bacteria using support vector machine (SVM) classifier. The primary sequence and secondary structure features of experimentally-validated sRNAs of Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 (SLT2) was used to build the optimal SVM model. We found that a tri-nucleotide composition feature of sRNAs achieved an accuracy of 88.35% for SLT2. We validated the SVM model also on the experimentally-detected sRNAs of E. coli and Salmonella Typhi. The proposed model had robustly attained an accuracy of 81.25% and 88.82% for E. coli K-12 and S. Typhi Ty2, respectively. We confirmed that this method significantly improved the identification of sRNAs in bacteria. Furthermore, we used a sliding window-based method and identified sRNAs from complete genomes of SLT2, S. Typhi Ty2 and E. coli K-12 with sensitivities of 89.09%, 83.33% and 67.39%, respectively.
Dislocation-pipe diffusion in nitride superlattices observed in direct atomic resolution
Authors: Garbrecht Magnus , Saha Bivas , Schroeder Jeremy L. , Hultman Lars , Sands Timothy D.
Published: April 2017

Device failure from diffusion short circuits in microelectronic components occurs via thermally induced migration of atoms along high-diffusivity paths: dislocations, grain boundaries, and free surfaces. Even well-annealed single-grain metallic films contain dislocation densities of about 1014 m−2; hence dislocation-pipe diffusion (DPD) becomes a major contribution at working temperatures. While its theoretical concept was established already in the 1950s and its contribution is commonly measured using indirect tracer, spectroscopy, or electrical methods, no direct observation of DPD at the atomic level has been reported. We present atomically-resolved electron microscopy images of the onset and progression of diffusion along threading dislocations in sequentially annealed nitride metal/semiconductor superlattices, and show that this type of diffusion can be independent of concentration gradients in the system but governed by the reduction of strain fields in the lattice.
Genetic Mutation and Exosome Signature of Human Papilloma Virus Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer
Authors: Kannan Anbarasu , Hertweck Kate L. , Philley Julie V. , Wells Robert B. , Dasgupta Santanu
Published: April 2017

Human papilloma virus-16 (HPV-16) associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPVOPC) is increasing alarmingly in the United States. We performed whole genome sequencing of a 44 year old, male HPVOPC subject diagnosed with moderately differentiated tonsillar carcinoma. We identified new somatic mutation in MUC16 (A.k.a. CA-125), MUC12, MUC4, MUC6, MUC2, SIRPA, HLA-DRB1, HLA-A and HLA-B molecules. Increased protein expression of MUC16, SIRPA and decreased expression of HLA-DRB1 was further demonstrated in this HPVOPC subject and an additional set of 15 HPVOPC cases. Copy number gain (3 copies) was also observed for MUC2, MUC4, MUC6 and SIRPA. Enhanced expression of MUC16, SIRPA and HPV-16-E7 protein was detectable in the circulating exosomes of numerous HPVOPC subjects. Treatment of non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial cells with exosomes derived from aggressive HPVOPC cells harboring MUC16, SIRPA and HPV-16-E7 proteins augmented invasion and induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) accompanied by an increased expression ratio of the EMT markers Vimentin/E-cadherin. Exosome based screening of key HPVOPC associated molecules could be beneficial for early cancer diagnosis, monitoring and surveillance.
Acidic pH environment induces autophagy in osteoblasts
Authors: Zhang Zhichao , Lai Qingguo , Li Yanan , Xu Chao , Tang Xiaopeng , Ci Jiangbo , Sun Shaolong , Xu Bingbing , Li Yan
Published: April 2017

Osteoblasts (OBs) play an important role in bone fracture healing, yet the extreme adverse microenvironment in fracture sites has a negative impact on the survival of OBs. Therefore, it is important to study how OBs behave in the complex fracture microenvironment. Studies have shown that autophagy plays a pivotal role in maintaining cellular homeostasis and defending the cell against adverse microenvironments. In this study we found the induction of autophagy in OBs at femoral bone fracture sites, which may be a result of ischemia, oxidative stress and hypoxia within the local area. At fracture sites a low pH environment also developed. Until now it has been unclear whether the induction of autophagy in osteoblasts is triggered by the acidic pH environment. Therefore, we cultured OBs in vitro in media of different pH values, and found both autophagy and apoptosis increased in OBs in acidic conditions. However, when autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) was used, apoptosis increased significantly compared with that without CQ. Thus indicating that inhibition of autophagy may promote apoptosis in OBs in an acidic environment, which may provide a new therapeutic strategy to decrease cell apoptosis in OBs through the use of drugs that modulate the autophagic state.
Radiation induces progenitor cell death, microglia activation, and blood-brain barrier damage in the juvenile rat cerebellum
Authors: Zhou Kai , Boström Martina , Ek C. Joakim , Li Tao , Xie Cuicui , Xu Yiran , Sun Yanyan , Blomgren Klas , Zhu Changlian
Published: April 2017

Posterior fossa tumors are the most common childhood intracranial tumors, and radiotherapy is one of the most effective treatments. However, irradiation induces long-term adverse effects that can have significant negative impacts on the patient’s quality of life. The purpose of this study was to characterize irradiation-induced cellular and molecular changes in the cerebellum. We found that irradiation-induced cell death occurred mainly in the external germinal layer (EGL) of the juvenile rat cerebellum. The number of proliferating cells in the EGL decreased, and 82.9% of them died within 24 h after irradiation. Furthermore, irradiation induced oxidative stress, microglia accumulation, and inflammation in the cerebellum. Interestingly, blood-brain barrier damage and blood flow reduction was considerably more pronounced in the cerebellum compared to other brain regions. The cerebellar volume decreased by 39% and the migration of proliferating cells to the internal granule layer decreased by 87.5% at 16 weeks after irradiation. In the light of recent studies demonstrating that the cerebellum is important not only for motor functions, but also for cognition, and since treatment of posterior fossa tumors in children typically results in debilitating cognitive deficits, this differential susceptibility of the cerebellum to irradiation should be taken into consideration for future protective strategies.
Alternative probe for the determination of the hydrogen-bond acidity of ionic liquids and their aqueous solutions
Authors: Madeira Pedro P. , Passos Helena , Gomes Joana , Coutinho João A. P. , Freire Mara G.
Published: April 2017

The alternative probe pyridine-N-oxide allows the determination of the hydrogen-bond acidity of both neat ionic liquids and their aqueous solutions based on 13C NMR chemical shifts.
Reverse Trojan-horse effect decreased wastewater toxicity in the presence of inorganic nanoparticles
Authors: Martín-de-Lucía Idoia , Campos-Mañas Marina C. , Agüera Ana , Rodea-Palomares Ismael , Pulido-Reyes Gerardo , Leganés Francisco , Fernández-Piñas Francisca , Rosal Roberto
Published: April 2017

The toxicity interaction of wastewater with inorganic nanoparticles led to antagonistic mixtures due to the adsorption of micropollutants.
Preparation, characterization and catalytic application of hierarchically porous LaFeO3from a pomelo peel template
Authors: Zhao Shaojun , Wang Ying , Wang Li , Jin Yunlong
Published: April 2017

Hierarchically porous LaFeO3perovskites are synthesized through a facile process by using pomelo peel as a biotemplate.
Green preparation of a cellulose nanocrystals/polyvinyl alcohol composite superhydrophobic coating
Authors: Huang Jingda , Lyu Shaoyi , Fu Feng , Wu Yan , Wang Siqun
Published: April 2017

Organic solvents, which are often used in the preparation process of superhydrophobic coatings, are volatile and toxic.
DNA-spheres decorated with magnetic nanocomposites based on terminal transfer reactions for versatile target detection and cellular targeted drug delivery
Authors: Guo Yingshu , Wang Yujie , Li Shuang , Niu Li , Wei Di , Zhang Shusheng
Published: April 2017

We present an elegant approach to make a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) conjugated DNA-sphere (MNP/DNA-SP) which is integrated with disulfide (MNP/DS-SP) or an aptamer (MNP/sgc8-SP) for GSH detection, selective cancer cell recognition, effective drug delivery, and bioimaging.
Construction of a bicontinuous donor–acceptor hybrid material at the molecular level by inserting inorganic nanowires into porous MOFs
Authors: Liu Jian-Jun , Guan Ying-Fang , Li Ling , Chen Yong , Dai Wen-Xin , Huang Chang-Cang , Lin Mei-Jin
Published: April 2017

An unprecedent hybrid structure has been formed by a precise insertion of inorganic nanowires into porous MOF, which offers the first bicontinuous D–A hybrid structure at the molecular level.
Fullerenes for catalysis: metallofullerenes in hydrogen transfer reactions
Authors: Vidal Sara , Marco-Martínez Juan , Filippone Salvatore , Martín Nazario
Published: April 2017

[60]Fullerene hybrids have successfully been used as catalysts in hydrogen transfer reactions, namely ketone reduction and N-alkylation of amines with alcohols.
Light up detection of heparin based on aggregation-induced emission and synergistic counter ion displacement
Authors: Li Shiwu , Gao Meng , Wang Shuxia , Hu Rongrong , Zhao Zujin , Qin Anjun , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: April 2017

An easily accessible fluorescent light up probe HPQ-TBP-I is developed for sensitive and selective detection of heparin based on a synergistic strategy of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and displacement of the fluorescence quencher iodide ion.
Rh-catalyzed direct arylation of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane
Authors: Imoto Hiroaki , Wada Satoshi , Naka Kensuke
Published: April 2017

Conjugation of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) with the π-electrons of functional organic units has recently attracted much attention. This is the first example of catalytic direct arylation of a POSS.
Activity of methanogenic biomass after heat and freeze drying in air
Authors: Bhattad Ujwal , Venkiteshwaran Kaushik , Cherukuri Keerthi , Maki James S. , Zitomer Daniel H.
Published: April 2017

This study successfully demonstrated that methanogenic communities can retain activity after freeze and heat drying in air.
Exploring catalyst passivation with NMR relaxation
Authors: Robinson Neil , Gladden Lynn F. , D’Agostino Carmine
Published: April 2017

NMR relaxation has recently emerged as a novel and non-invasive tool for probing the surface dynamics of adsorbate molecules within liquid-saturated mesoporous catalysts. The elucidation of such dynamics is of particular relevance to the study and development of solvated green catalytic processes, such as the production of chemicals and fuels from bio-resources. In this paper we develop and implement a protocol using high field 1H NMR spin–lattice relaxation as a probe of the reorientational dynamics of liquids imbibed within mesoporous oxide materials. The observed relaxation of liquids within mesoporous materials is highly sensitive to the adsorbed surface layer, giving insight into tumbling behaviour of spin-bearing chemical environments at the pore surface. As a prototypical example of relevance to liquid-phase catalytic systems, we examine the mobility of liquid methanol within a range of common catalyst supports. In particular, through the calculation and comparison of a suitable interaction parameter, we assess and quantify changes to these surface dynamics upon replacing surface hydroxyl groups with hydrophobic alkyl chains. Our results indicate that the molecular tumbling of adsorbed methanol is enhanced upon surface passivation due to the suppression of surface-adsorbate hydrogen bonding interactions, and tends towards that of the unrestricted bulk liquid. A complex analysis in which we account for the influence of changing pore structure and surface chemistry upon passivation is discussed. The results presented highlight the use of NMR spin–lattice relaxation measurements as a non-invasive probe of molecular dynamics at surfaces of interest to liquid-phase heterogeneous catalysis.
The role of halogens in on-surface Ullmann polymerization
Authors: Galeotti Gianluca , Di Giovannantonio Marco , Lipton-Duffin Josh , Ebrahimi Maryam , Tebi Stefano , Verdini Alberto , Floreano Luca , Fagot-Revurat Yannick , Perepichka Dmitrii F. , Rosei Federico , Contini Giorgio
Published: April 2017

Ullmann coupling is the most common approach to form surface-confined one- and two-dimensional conjugated structures from haloaryl derivatives. The dimensions of the formed nanostructures can be controlled by the number and location of halogens within the molecular precursors. Our study illustrates that the type of halogen plays an essential role in the design, orientation, and extent of the surface-confined organometallic and polymeric nanostructures. We performed a comparative analysis of five 1,4-dihalobenzene molecules containing chlorine, bromine, and iodine on Cu(110) using scanning tunneling microscopy, fast-X-ray photoelectron and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopies. Our experimental data identify different molecular structures, reaction temperatures and kinetics depending on the halogen type. Climbing image nudged elastic band simulations further clarify these observations by providing distinct diffusion paths for each halogen species. We show that in addition to the structure of the building blocks, the halogen type has a direct influence on the morphology of surface-confined polymeric structures based on Ullmann coupling.
Triple-stimuli-responsive ferrocene-containing homopolymers by RAFT polymerization
Authors: Jiang Xue , Li Ruru , Feng Chun , Lu Guolin , Huang Xiaoyu
Published: April 2017

This article presents a new type of well-defined ferrocene-containing homopolymer obtained from RAFT polymerization, showing pH/CO2 and redox responsiveness.
An H-shaped, small molecular non-fullerene acceptor for efficient organic solar cells with an impressive open-circuit voltage of 1.17 V
Authors: Gupta Akhil , Rananaware Anushri , Srinivasa Rao Pedada , Duc La Duong , Bilic Ante , Xiang Wanchun , Li Jingliang , Evans Richard A. , Bhosale Sidhanath V. , Bhosale Sheshanath V.
Published: April 2017

An H-shaped, non-fullerene small molecular electron acceptor displayed promising optoelectronic properties and afforded an encouraging efficiency of 5.42%.
Aroyl chlorides as novel acyl radical precursors via visible-light photoredox catalysis
Authors: Xu Shi-Ming , Chen Jian-Qiang , Liu Dan , Bao Yun , Liang Yong-Min , Xu Peng-Fei
Published: April 2017

Abundant and inexpensive aroyl chlorides have been employed for the first time as novel acyl radical precursors in visible-light photocatalysis.
The unprecedented iridal lactone and adducts of spiroiridal and isoflavonoid from Belamcanda chinensis
Authors: Ni Gang , Shi Guo-Ru , Li Jia-Yuan , Yu De-Quan
Published: April 2017

Five novel iridal-type triterpenoid derivatives have been isolated from the rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis, along with five known compounds. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis.
Thiol–ene click reaction on cellulose sponge and its application for oil/water separation
Authors: Wu Zhenzhen , Li Yingzhan , Zhang Linping , Zhong Yi , Xu Hong , Mao Zhiping , Wang Bijia , Sui Xiaofeng
Published: April 2017

Thiol–ene click reaction was employed to synthesize a flexible hydrophilic cellulose sponge. The sponge can be circular used in oil/water mixture (emulsion) separation and hold separation efficiency high separation efficiency.
Copper-catalyzed C–C direct cross-coupling: an efficient approach to phenyl-2-(phenylthiophenyl)-methanones
Authors: Zhang Qi , Wang Wei , Gao Chong , Cai Rong-Rong , Xu Run-Sheng
Published: April 2017

An efficient copper-catalyzed C–C bond direct cross-coupling reaction has been developed. This new methodology provides an economical and environmentally friendly approach toward C(sp2)–C(sp2) bond formation.
Potassium fulvate-functionalized graft copolymer of polyacrylic acid from cellulose as a promising selective chelating sorbent
Authors: Essawy Hisham A. , Mohamed Magdy F. , Ammar Nabila S. , Ibrahim Hanan S.
Published: April 2017

(Cell-g-PAA)/KF is a promising selective chelating graft copolymer for heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions.
Rapid formation of self-organised Ag nanosheets with high efficiency and selectivity in CO2electroreduction to CO
Authors: Lee Chong-Yong , Zhao Yong , Wang Caiyun , Mitchell David R. G. , Wallace Gordon G.
Published: April 2017

Rapid formation of hierarchical AgCl nanosheets is achieved through rational optimization of anodisation parameters. The electroreduced halide-derived Ag nanosheets exhibit excellent performance with a ∼95% CO2to CO conversion efficiency at an overpotential as low as 0.29 V.
Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation using carbazole-based sensitizers
Authors: Manfredi Norberto , Monai Matteo , Montini Tiziano , Salamone Matteo , Ruffo Riccardo , Fornasiero Paolo , Abbotto Alessandro
Published: April 2017

Sulphur-free carbazole derivatives have been synthesized and used as photosensitizers in photocatalytic hydrogen generation yielding greatly enhanced H2 production.
Co2+xTi1−xO4 nano-octahedra as high performance anodes for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Xing Zheng , Ji Xiang , Zhao Yulong , Ren Haipeng , Deng Yichen , Ju Zhicheng , Zhuang Quan-chao
Published: April 2017

Single crystal Co2+xTi1−xO4 nano-octahedra enclosed by {111} planes with an average edge length of 200 nm were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal approach using economical TiO2 as a titanium source.
V2Ox-based hole-selective contacts for c-Si interdigitated back-contacted solar cells
Authors: Masmitjà Gerard , Gerling Luís G. , Ortega Pablo , Puigdollers Joaquim , Martín Isidro , Voz Cristóbal , Alcubilla Ramón
Published: April 2017

Ni/V2Oxstacks applied to an interdigitated back-contacted n-type c-Si solar cell structure are explored, reaching cell efficiencies up to 19.7%.
Quick one-pot synthesis of amorphous carbon-coated cobalt–ferrite twin elliptical frustums for enhanced lithium storage capability
Authors: Xiang Yang , Wu Hu , Zhang Kelvin H. L. , Coto Mike , Zhao Teng , Chen Sheng , Dong Bitao , Lu Shiyao , Abdelkader Amr , Guo Yuzhen , Zhang Yanfeng , Ding Shujiang , Xi Kai , Gao Guoxin
Published: April 2017

A novel hierarchical hybrid nanostructure of carbon-coated CoFe2O4 twin elliptical frustums (CoFe2O4@C TEFs) has been developed with excellent performance in lithium ion batteries.
Electron paramagnetic resonance and electric characterization of a [CH3NH2NH2][Zn(HCOO)3] perovskite metal formate framework
Authors: Šimėnas Mantas , Balčiūnas Sergejus , Trzebiatowska Monika , Ptak Maciej , Mączka Mirosław , Völkel Georg , Pöppl Andreas , Banys Jūras
Published: April 2017

We present an EPR and electric characterization study of structural phase transitions in a novel methylhydrazinium formate framework.
Syntheses of Diverse Natural Products via Dual-Mode Lewis Acid Induced Cascade Cyclization Reactions
Authors: Lee Chi-Sing , Du Guangyan , Wang Gaopeng , Ma Wenjing , Yang Qianqian , Bao Wenli , Liang Xuefeng , Zhu Lizhi
Published: April 2017

The σ/π-binding properties of a series of Lewis acids was studied using DFT calculations. The results led to the identification of Zn(II)/In(III) as a suitable dual-mode Lewis acid for use in promoting cascade cyclization reactions. Based on this finding, we developed three new types of dual-mode Lewis acid induced cascade cyclization reactions and have demonstrated the utilities of each process in natural product synthesis.

1 Introduction

2 Dual-Mode Lewis Acids

3 Prins/Conia-Ene Cascade Reaction and its Applications

4 Diels–Alder/Carbocyclization Cascade Reaction and Applications

4.1 First Generation Diels–Alder/Carbocyclization Cascade Reaction and its Application

4.2 Second Generation Diels–Alder/Carbocyclization Cascade Reaction and its Applications

5 Michael/Conia-Ene Cascade Reaction and its Applications

6 Conclusion
Lost in success: women’s maritime careers in Eastern and Southern Africa
Authors: Bhirugnath-Bhookhun Meenaksi , Kitada Momoko
Published: April 2017

This article examines how women managers in the maritime sector in Eastern and Southern Africa perceive the meaning of “success” in their careers and how their work impacts on their lives. Eastern and Southern Africa have experienced the highest economic growth of the sub-African regions in the last few decades. As the majority of these countries are either coastal states or islands, the role of the maritime sector is large, contributing significantly to boosting the local economies. Despite the sector’s traditionally male-dominated work environment, some women have reached managerial positions and have performed as remarkably as their male counterparts. However, this study highlights that to be successful in their maritime careers, women managers tend to live a work-led life rather than one that is work-life balanced. There is a lack of research on the work-life balance of the women labour force in Eastern and Southern Africa, particularly in the maritime sector. Here, a phenomenological method was adopted in which a survey was conducted to address this gap. A total of 45 responses were analysed to identify the challenges that Eastern and Southern African women managers are facing in the maritime sector today. Interviews were also carried out to further understand the meaning of career success to these women professionals engaged in the maritime sector. Although opportunities for women to participate in the formal economy have increased as a result of rapid industrialization in the regions, women are still expected to carry out the majority of domestic jobs associated with their traditional gender roles. The research concludes that the lack of a work-life balance model failed to increase women managers’ agency within the “man-made” system of the maritime industry. Given the particularities of each country, which impact on the actual realization of these women’s aspirations, the article also acknowledges the importance of targeted capacity-building programmes by the International Maritime Organization for women at a regional and international level. This article is published as part of a collection on the role of women in management and the workplace.
Effects of pre-buckling on the bending of organic electronic structures
Authors: Asare J. , Türköz E. , Agyei-Tuffour B. , Oyewole O. K. , Fashina A. A. , Du J. , Kana M. G. Zebaze , Soboyejo W. O.
Published: April 2017

This paper explores the extent to which pre-buckling of layers (in thin film multilayered structures) can be used to increase the flexibility of organic electronic devices. The deformation of wavy/buckle profiles, with a range of nano- and micro-scale wavelengths, is modeled using finite element simulations. The predictions from the models are then validated using experiments that involve the bending of layered structures that are relevant to flexible organic electronics. The introduction of pre-buckled profiles is shown to increase the range of deformation that is applied to model structures, prior to onset of significant stresses and strains. The implications of the work are discussed for the design of robust flexible organic solar cells.
Numerical investigations on aerodynamic forces of deformable foils in hovering motions
Authors: Su Xiaohui , Yin Zhen , Cao Yuanwei , Zhao Yong
Published: April 2017

In this paper, the aerodynamic forces of deformable foils for hovering flight are numerically investigated by a two-dimensional finite-volume arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian Navier-Stokes solver. The effects of deformation on the lift force generation mechanisms of deformable wings in hovering flight are studied by comparison and analysis of deformable and rigid wing results. The prescribed deformation of the wings changes their morphing during hovering motion in both camber and angle of incidence. The effects of deflection amplitude, deflection phase, and rotation location on the aerodynamic performances of the foils, as well as the associated flow structures, are investigated in details, respectively. Results obtained show that foil morphing changes both Leading Edge Vortex (LEV) and Trailing Edge Vortex (TEV) generation and development processes. Consequently, the lift force generation mechanisms of deformable wings differ from those of rigid foil models. For the full deformation foil model studied, the effect of foil deformation enhances its lift force during both wake capture and delayed stall. There is an optimized camber amplitude, which was found to be 0.1*chord among those cases simulated. Partial deformation in the foil does not enhance its lift force due to unfavorable foil camber. TEV is significantly changed by the local angle of attack due to the foil deformation. On the other hand, Trailing Edge Flap (TEF) deflection in the hinge connected two-rigid-plate model directly affects the strength of both the LEV and TEV, thus influencing the entire vortex shedding process. It was found that lift enhancement can reach up to 33.5% just by the TEF deflection alone.
Experimental investigation on electrical characteristics and dose measurement of dielectric barrier discharge plasma device used for therapeutic application
Authors: Shahbazi Rad Zahra , Abbasi Davani Fereydoun
Published: April 2017

In this research, a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma device operating in air has been made. The electrical characteristics of this device like instantaneous power, dissipated power, and discharge capacitance have been measured. Also, the effects of applied voltage on the dissipated power and discharge capacitance of the device have been investigated. The determination of electrical parameters is important in DBD plasma device used in living tissue treatment for choosing the proper treatment doses and preventing the destructive effects. The non-thermal atmospheric pressure DBD plasma source was applied for studying the acceleration of blood coagulation time, in vitro and wound healing time, in vivo. The citrated blood drops coagulated within 5 s treatment time by DBD plasma. The effects of plasma temperature and electric field on blood coagulation have been studied as an affirmation of the applicability of the constructed device. Also, the effect of constructed DBD plasma on wound healing acceleration has been investigated.