bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RNA-sequencing Reveals Global Transcriptomic Changes in Nicotiana tabacum Responding to Topping and Treatment of Axillary-shoot Control Chemicals
Authors: Singh Sanjay K. , Wu Yongmei , Ghosh Jayadri S. , Pattanaik Sitakanta , Fisher Colin , Wang Ying , Lawson Darlene , Yuan Ling
Published: December 2015

Removal of terminal buds (topping) and control of the formation of axillary shoots (suckers) are common agronomic practices that significantly impact the yield and quality of various crop plants. Application of chemicals (suckercides) to plants following topping is an effective method for sucker control. However, our current knowledge of the influence of topping and subsequent suckercide applications, to gene expression is limited. We analyzed the differential gene expression using RNA-sequencing in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) that are topped, or treated after topping by two different suckercides, the contact-localized-systemic, Flupro® (FP) and contact, Off-Shoot-T®. Among the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 179 were identified as common to all three conditions. DEGs, largely related to wounding, phytohormone metabolism and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, exhibited significant upregulation following topping and downregulation after suckercide treatments. DEGs related to photosynthetic processes were repressed following topping and suckercide treatments. Moreover, topping and FP-treatment affect the expression of auxin and cytokinin signaling pathway genes that are possibly involved in axillary shoot formation. Our results provide insights into the global change of plant gene expression in response to topping and suckercide treatments. The regulatory elements of topping-inducible genes are potentially useful for the development of a chemical-free sucker control system.
A New Route for High-Purity Organic Materials: High-Pressure-Ramp-Induced Ultrafast Polymerization of 2-(Hydroxyethyl)Methacrylate
Authors: Evlyukhin E. , Museur L. , Traore M. , Perruchot C. , Zerr A. , Kanaev A.
Published: December 2015

The synthesis of highly biocompatible polymers is important for modern biotechnologies and medicine. Here, we report a unique process based on a two-step high-pressure ramp (HPR) for the ultrafast and efficient bulk polymerization of 2-(hydroxyethyl)methacrylate (HEMA) at room temperature without photo- and thermal activation or addition of initiator. The HEMA monomers are first activated during the compression step but their reactivity is hindered by the dense glass-like environment. The rapid polymerization occurs in only the second step upon decompression to the liquid state. The conversion yield was found to exceed 90% in the recovered samples. The gel permeation chromatography evidences the overriding role of HEMA2••biradicals in the polymerization mechanism. The HPR process extends the application field of HP-induced polymerization, beyond the family of crystallized monomers considered up today. It is also an appealing alternative to typical photo- or thermal activation, allowing the efficient synthesis of highly pure organic materials.
The impact of natural modes in plasmonic imaging
Authors: Demetriadou Angela
Published: December 2015

Plasmonic imaging is crucial for understanding cellular behaviours for biological sciences, where is used to image and track organelles in cells, such as DNA and virus molecules. Due to the fast dynamics of the intra-cellular processes, it is essential to keep the cells under their native states (i.e. label-free), establishing plasmonic imaging as one of the most powerful tools for studying biological samples. In this article, a theoretical model is presented that accurately predicts the properties of a plasmonic image, paving the route towards the characterization of an imaged nano-object. It is shown that natural modes are not only excited, but actually dominate the intensity and shape of the observed plasmonic image. Hence, the proposed model explains the dynamics forming the plasmonic image and can be used to extract spectroscopy information from current plasmonic imaging techniques.
Stochasticity and homeostasis in the E. coli replication and division cycle
Authors: Adiciptaningrum Aileen , Osella Matteo , Moolman M. Charl , Cosentino Lagomarsino Marco , Tans Sander J.
Published: December 2015

How cells correct for stochasticity to coordinate the chromosome replication and cellular division cycle is poorly understood. We used time-lapse microscopy and fluorescently labelled SeqA to determine the timing of birth, initiation, termination and division, as well as cell size throughout the cell cycle. We found that the time between birth and initiation (B-period) compensates for stochastic variability in birth size and growth rate. The time between termination and division (D-period) also compensates for size and growth variability, invalidating the notion that replication initiation is the principal trigger for cell division. In contrast, the time between initiation and termination (C-period) did not display such compensations. Interestingly, the C-period did show small but systematic decreases for cells that spontaneously grew faster, which suggests a coupling between metabolic fluctuations and replication. An auto-regressive theoretical framework was employed to compare different possible models of sub-period control.
The principle and physical models of novel jetting dispenser with giant magnetostrictive and a magnifier
Authors: Zhou C. , Li J.H. , Duan J.A. , Deng G.L.
Published: December 2015

In order to develop jetting technologies of glue in LED and microelectronics packaging, giant-magnetostrictive-material (GMM) is firstly applied to increase jetting response and a new magnifying device including a lever and a flexible hinge is designed to improve jetting characteristics. Physical models of the jetting system are derived from the magnifying structure and working principle, which involves circuit model, electro-magneto-displacement model, dynamic model and fluid-solid coupling model. The system model is established by combining mathematical models with Matlab-Simulink. The effectiveness of the GMM-based dispenser is confirmed by simulation and experiments. The jetting frequency significantly increases to 250 Hz and dynamic behaviors jetting needle are evaluated that the velocity and displacement of the jetting needle reaches to 320 mm•s-1 and 0.11 mm respectively. With the increasing of the filling pressure or the amplitude of the current, the dot size will become larger. The dot size and working frequency can be easily adjusted.
Space-charge Effect on Electroresistance in Metal-Ferroelectric-Metal capacitors
Authors: Tian Bo Bo , Liu Yang , Chen Liu Fang , Wang Jian Lu , Sun Shuo , Shen Hong , Sun Jing Lan , Yuan Guo Liang , Fusil Stéphane , Garcia Vincent , Dkhil Brahim , Meng Xiang Jian , Chu Jun Hao
Published: December 2015

Resistive switching through electroresistance (ER) effect in metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) capacitors has attracted increasing interest due to its potential applications as memories and logic devices. However, the detailed electronic mechanisms resulting in large ER when polarisation switching occurs in the ferroelectric barrier are still not well understood. Here, ER effect up to 1000% at room temperature is demonstrated in C-MOS compatible MFM nanocapacitors with a 8.8 nm-thick poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) homopolymer ferroelectric, which is very promising for silicon industry integration. Most remarkably, using theory developed for metal-semiconductor rectifying contacts, we derive an analytical expression for the variation of interfacial barrier heights due to space-charge effect that can interpret the observed ER response. We extend this space-charge model, related to the release of trapped charges by defects, to MFM structures made of ferroelectric oxides. This space-charge model provides a simple and straightforward tool to understand recent unusual reports. Finally, this work suggests that defect-engineering could be an original and efficient route for tuning the space-charge effect and thus the ER performances in future electronic devices.
Sustained intraocular VEGF neutralization results in retinal neurodegeneration in the Ins2Akita diabetic mouse
Authors: Hombrebueno Jose R. , Ali Imran HA. , Xu Heping , Chen Mei
Published: December 2015

Current therapies that target vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have become a mainstream therapy for the management of diabetic macular oedema. The treatment involves monthly repeated intravitreal injections of VEGF inhibitors. VEGF is an important growth factor for many retinal cells, including different types of neurons. In this study, we investigated the adverse effect of multiple intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (200 ng/μl/eye anti-mouse VEGF164, once every 2 weeks totalling 5–6 injections) to retinal neurons in Ins2Akita diabetic mice. Funduscopic examination revealed the development of cotton wool spot-like lesions in anti-VEGF treated Ins2Akita mice after 5 injections. Histological investigation showed focal swellings of retinal nerve fibres with neurofilament disruption. Furthermore, anti-VEGF-treated Ins2Akita mice exhibited impaired electroretinographic responses, characterized by reduced scotopic a- and b-wave and oscillatory potentials. Immunofluorescent staining revealed impairment of photoreceptors, disruptions of synaptic structures and loss of amacrine and retinal ganglion cells in anti-VEGF treated Ins2Akita mice. Anti-VEGF-treated WT mice also presented mild amacrine and ganglion cell death, but no overt abnormalities in photoreceptors and synaptic structures. At the vascular level, exacerbated albumin leakage was observed in anti-VEGF injected diabetic mice. Our results suggest that sustained intraocular VEGF neutralization induces retinal neurodegeneration and vascular damage in the diabetic eye.
TATA boxes in gene transcription and poly (A) tails in mRNA stability: New perspective on the effects of berberine
Authors: Yuan Zhi-Yi , Lu Xi , Lei Fan , Chai Yu-Shuang , Wang Yu-Gang , Jiang Jing-Fei , Feng Tian-Shi , Wang Xin-Pei , Yu Xuan , Yan Xiao-Jin , Xing Dong-Ming , Du Li-Jun
Published: December 2015

Berberine (BBR) is a natural compound with variable pharmacological effects and a broad panel of target genes. We investigated berberine’s pharmacological activities from the perspective of its nucleotide-binding ability and discovered that BBR directly regulates gene expression by targeting TATA boxes in transcriptional regulatory regions as well as the poly adenine (poly (A)) tail at the mRNA terminus. BBR inhibits gene transcription by binding the TATA boxes in the transcriptional regulatory region, but it promotes higher levels of expression by targeting the poly (A) tails of mRNAs. The present study demonstrates that TATA boxes and poly (A) tails are the first and second primary targets by which BBR regulates gene expression. The final outcome of gene regulation by BBR depends on the structure of the individual gene. This is the first study to reveal that TATA boxes and poly (A) tails are direct targets for BBR in its regulation of gene expression. Our findings provide a novel explanation for the complex activities of a small molecule compound in a biological system and a novel horizon for small molecule-compound pharmacological studies.
Production of Oxidation-Resistant Cu-Based Nanoparticles by Wire Explosion
Authors: Kawamura Go , Alvarez Samuel , Stewart Ian E. , Catenacci Matthew , Chen Zuofeng , Ha Yoon-Cheol
Published: December 2015

The low performance or high cost of commercially available conductive inks limits the advancement of printed electronics. This article studies the explosion of metal wires in aqueous solutions as a simple, low-cost and environmentally friendly method to prepare metallic nanoparticles consisting of Cu and Cu alloys for use in affordable, highly conductive inks. Addition of 0.2 M ascorbic acid to an aqueous explosion medium prevented the formation of Cu2O shells around Cu nanoparticles and allowed for the printing of conductive lines directly from these nanoparticles with no post-treatment. Cu alloy nanoparticles were generated from metal wires that were alloyed as purchased, or from two wires of different metals that were twisted together. Cu nanoparticles alloyed with 1% Sn, 5% Ag, 5% Ni and 30% Ni had electrical conductivities similar to Cu but unlike Cu, remained conductive after 24 hrs at 85 °C and 85% RH.
Interaction of MDM33 with mitochondrial inner membrane homeostasis pathways in yeast
Authors: Klecker Till , Wemmer Megan , Haag Mathias , Weig Alfons , Böckler Stefan , Langer Thomas , Nunnari Jodi , Westermann Benedikt
Published: December 2015

Membrane homeostasis affects mitochondrial dynamics, morphology and function. Here we report genetic and proteomic data that reveal multiple interactions of Mdm33, a protein essential for normal mitochondrial structure, with components of phospholipid metabolism and mitochondrial inner membrane homeostasis. We screened for suppressors of MDM33 overexpression-induced growth arrest and isolated binding partners by immunoprecipitation of cross-linked cell extracts. These approaches revealed genetic and proteomic interactions of Mdm33 with prohibitins, Phb1 and Phb2, which are key components of mitochondrial inner membrane homeostasis. Lipid profiling by mass spectrometry of mitochondria isolated from Mdm33-overexpressing cells revealed that high levels of Mdm33 affect the levels of phosphatidylethanolamine and cardiolipin, the two key inner membrane phospholipids. Furthermore, we show that cells lacking Mdm33 show strongly decreased mitochondrial fission activity indicating that Mdm33 is critical for mitochondrial membrane dynamics. Our data suggest that MDM33 functionally interacts with components important for inner membrane homeostasis and thereby supports mitochondrial division.
Lacritin Salvages Human Corneal Epithelial Cells from Lipopolysaccharide Induced Cell Death
Authors: Vantaku Venkat Rao , Gupta Geetika , Rapalli Krishna Chaitanya , Karnati Roy
Published: December 2015

Innate immunity of the corneal epithelium is conferred by proteinaceous secretions from the epithelium and associated lacrimal and meibomian glands. Lacritin, an eye-specific protein with anti-microbial, cytoprotective and wound-healing properties, predominantly secreted by lacrimal glands, is absent in conditions such as Dry eye and Keratitis. In view of the biological significance of lacritin in human eye, we investigated its role in human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced infection. LPS-challenged HCE cells demonstrated apoptosis-mediated cell death and elevated lacritin levels. The LPS-induced cell death is alleviated with exogenous supplementation of recombinant lacritin. This cytoprotective effect of lacritin is mediated through Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). This study is the first to highlight the protective role of lacritin and mechanism of its action during bacterial infection of cornea in vitro.
Physiological response to elevated temperature and pCO2 varies across four Pacific coral species: Understanding the unique host+symbiont response
Authors: Hoadley Kenneth D. , Pettay D. Tye , Grottoli Andréa G. , Cai Wei-Jun , Melman Todd F. , Schoepf Verena , Hu Xinping , Li Qian , Xu Hui , Wang Yongchen , Matsui Yohei , Baumann Justin H. , Warner Mark E.
Published: December 2015

The physiological response to individual and combined stressors of elevated temperature and pCO2 were measured over a 24-day period in four Pacific corals and their respective symbionts (Acropora millepora/Symbiodinium C21a, Pocillopora damicornis/Symbiodinium C1c-d-t, Montipora monasteriata/Symbiodinium C15 and Turbinaria reniformis/Symbiodinium trenchii). Multivariate analyses indicated that elevated temperature played a greater role in altering physiological response, with the greatest degree of change occurring within M. monasteriata and T. reniformis. Algal cellular volume, protein and lipid content all increased for M. monasteriata. Likewise, S. trenchii volume and protein content in T. reniformis also increased with temperature. Despite decreases in maximal photochemical efficiency, few changes in biochemical composition (i.e. lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) or cellular volume occurred at high temperature in the two thermally sensitive symbionts C21a and C1c-d-t. Intracellular carbonic anhydrase transcript abundance increased with temperature in A. millepora but not in P. damicornis, possibly reflecting differences in host mitigated carbon supply during thermal stress. Importantly, our results show that the host and symbiont response to climate change differs considerably across species and that greater physiological plasticity in response to elevated temperature may be an important strategy distinguishing thermally tolerant vs. thermally sensitive species.
A small molecule compound IMB-LA inhibits HIV-1 infection by preventing viral Vpu from antagonizing the host restriction factor BST-2
Authors: Mi Zeyun , Ding Jiwei , Zhang Quan , Zhao Jianyuan , Ma Ling , Yu Haisheng , Liu Zhenlong , Shan Guangzhi , Li Xiaoyu , Zhou Jinming , Wei Tao , Zhang Liguo , Guo Fei , Liang Chen , Cen Shan
Published: December 2015

Human BST-2 inhibits HIV-1 replication by tethering nascent virions to the cell surface. HIV-1 codes Vpu that counteracts BST-2 by down-regulating this restriction factor from the cell surface. This important function makes Vpu a potential therapeutic target. Yet, no agents have been reported to block Vpu from antagonizing BST-2. In this study, we report a small molecule compound IMB-LA that abrogates the function of Vpu and thereby strongly suppresses HIV-1 replication by sensitizing the virus to BST-2 restriction. Further studies revealed that IMB-LA specifically inhibits Vpu-mediated degradation of BST-2 and restores the expression of BST-2 at the cell surface. Although IMB-LA does not prevent Vpu from interacting with BST-2 or β-TrCP2-containing ubiquitin E3 ligase, sorting of BST-2 into lysosomes in Vpu-expressing cells is blocked by IMB-LA. Most importantly, HIV-1 release and infection is inhibited by IMB-LA only in BST-2-expressing cells. In summary, results herein demonstrated that IMB-LA could specifically inhibit the degradation of BST-2 induced by Vpu and impair HIV-1 replication in a BST-2 dependent manner, suggesting the feasibility of utilizing small molecule compounds to disable the antagonist function of Vpu and thereby expose HIV-1 to the restriction by BST-2.
Efficient generation of region-specific forebrain neurons from human pluripotent stem cells under highly defined condition
Authors: Yuan Fang , Fang Kai-Heng , Cao Shi-Ying , Qu Zhuang-Yin , Li Qi , Krencik Robert , Xu Min , Bhattacharyya Anita , Su Yu-Wen , Zhu Dong-Ya , Liu Yan
Published: December 2015

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have potential to differentiate to unlimited number of neural cells, which provide powerful tools for neural regeneration. To date, most reported protocols were established with an animal feeder system. However, cells derived on this system are inappropriate for the translation to clinical applications because of the introduction of xenogenetic factors. In this study, we provided an optimized paradigm to generate region-specific forebrain neurons from hPSCs under a defined system. We assessed five conditions and found that a vitronectin-coated substrate was the most efficient method to differentiate hPSCs to neurons and astrocytes. More importantly, by applying different doses of purmorphamine, a small-molecule agonist of sonic hedgehog signaling, hPSCs were differentiated to different region-specific forebrain neuron subtypes, including glutamatergic neurons, striatal medium spiny neurons and GABA interneurons. Our study offers a highly defined system without exogenetic factors to produce human neurons and astrocytes for translational medical studies, including cell therapy and stem cell-based drug discovery.
Portable and quantitative monitoring of mercury ions using DNA-gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles using a glucometer readout
Authors: Liang Xiaoling , Wang Lin , Wang Dou , Zeng Lingwen , Fang Zhiyuan
Published: December 2015

A novel glucometer biosensor was developed for the quantitative detection of mercury ions (Hg2+) based on glucose-loaded DNA-gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs).
Syntheses, crystal structures and photocatalytic properties of four hybrid iodoargentates with zero- and two-dimensional structures
Authors: Lei Xiao-Wu , Yue Cheng-Yang , Feng Li-Juan , Han Yong-Fang , Meng Rong-Rong , Yang Jiang-Tao , Ding Hao , Gao Chuan-Sheng , Wang Chun-Yan
Published: December 2015

Four new hybrid iodoargentates have been solvothermally prepared and structurally characterized. The title compounds possess semiconductor characterizations and efficient photocatalytic activities under visible light irradiation.
Hydrothermal assembly of various dimensional pure-inorganic copper–molybdenum frameworks
Authors: Zhao Yifang , Yuan Youyou , Du Xin , Lin Xiaohuan , Liao Fuhui , Xie Jinglin , Lin Jianhua , Sun Junliang
Published: December 2015

CMF-1 to CMF-3 were firstly obtained by using [Mo7O24]6− and Cu tetrahedra, and all showed excellent performance for the degradation of methylene blue.
A slowing down of proton motion from HPTS to water adsorbed on the MCM-41 surface
Authors: Alarcos Noemí , Cohen Boiko , Douhal Abderrazzak
Published: December 2015

Photodynamics of HPTS within a water droplet and on the hydrated MCM-41 surface.
Enhanced photocatalytic performance of an Ag3PO4photocatalyst via fullerene modification: first-principles study
Authors: Luo Cai-Yun , Huang Wei-Qing , Xu Liang , Yang Yin-Cai , Li Xiaofan , Hu Wangyu , Peng P. , Huang Gui-Fang
Published: December 2015

The coupling of carbon nanomaterials with semiconductor photocatalysts is a promising route to improve their photocatalytic performance.
Global optimization of clusters of rigid molecules using the artificial bee colony algorithm
Authors: Zhang Jun , Dolg Michael
Published: December 2015

The global optimization of molecular clusters is an important topic encountered in many fields of chemistry. Our free and black-box software ABCluster is a useful tool in solving this problem.
Contrasting ring-opening propensities in UV-excited α-pyrone and coumarin
Authors: Murdock Daniel , Ingle Rebecca A. , Sazanovich Igor V. , Clark Ian P. , Harabuchi Yu , Taketsugu Tetsuya , Maeda Satoshi , Orr-Ewing Andrew J. , Ashfold Michael N. R.
Published: December 2015

Ring-opening quantum yields following UV-photoexcitation of coumarin and α-pyrone are influenced by the dynamics through, rather than just the geometries of, conical intersections.
Aggregation of α-crystallins in kynurenic acid-sensitized UVA photolysis under anaerobic conditions
Authors: Sherin P. S. , Zelentsova E. A. , Sormacheva E. D. , Yanshole V. V. , Duzhak T. G. , Tsentalovich Yu. P.
Published: December 2015

Extensive protein aggregation is the major outcome of kynurenic acid-sensitized photolysis of α-crystallin under anaerobic conditions. The main lens antioxidants ascorbate and glutathione effectively inhibit the protein aggregation.
Multilevel fluidic flow control in a rotationally-driven polyester film microdevice created using laser print, cut and laminate
Authors: Ouyang Yiwen , Li Jingyi , Phaneuf Christopher , Riehl Paul S. , Forest Craig , Begley Matthew , Haverstick Doris M. , Landers James P.
Published: December 2015

A simple and cost-effective polyester toner microchip was fabricated to provide fluid handling on a centrifugal platform.
Correction: A proteomic study of Shengmai injection's mechanism on preventing cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury via energy metabolism modulation
Authors: Zhan Shuyu , Fan Xiaohui , Zhang Feng , Wang Yi , Kang Liyuan , Li Zheng
Published: December 2015

Correction for ‘A proteomic study of Shengmai injection's mechanism on preventing cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury via energy metabolism modulation’ by Shuyu Zhan et al., Mol. BioSyst., 2015, 11, 540–548.
Rapid, morphology-controllable synthesis of GdOF:Ln3+ (Ln = Eu, Tb) crystals with multicolor-tunable luminescence properties
Authors: Li Ruiqing , Xiong Hailong , Liang Yimai , Liu Yali , Zhang Nannan , Gan Shucai
Published: December 2015

This work investigates a facile and mass-production method to synthesize multiform morphologies of GdOF and obtains multicolor emissions in GdOF:Tb3+,Eu3+ samples.
Theoretical investigation of photophysical properties for a series of iridium(iii) complexes with different substituted 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole
Authors: Shang Xiaohong , Li Yanan , Zhan Qing , Zhang Gang
Published: December 2015

A quantum chemical investigation from structural and electronic properties and some charge-transport parameter viewpoints was performed on several homoleptic iridium complexes [(C∧N)2Ir(pic)] with the 2,5-diaryl-1,3,4-oxadia-zoles moiety in C∧N ligands, where pic represents the picolinate ancillary ligand.
Hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite with uniform mesopores and improved catalytic properties
Authors: Serrano D. P. , Escola J. M. , Sanz R. , Garcia R. A. , Peral A. , Moreno I. , Linares M.
Published: December 2015

Uniform mesopores are generated in hierarchical ZSM-5 by a mesopore narrowing treatment, showing enhanced activity in the acylation of 2-methoxynaphthalene.
Fragmentation reactions using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry: an important tool for the structural elucidation and characterization of synthetic and natural products
Authors: Demarque Daniel P. , Crotti Antonio E. M. , Vessecchi Ricardo , Lopes João L. C. , Lopes Norberto P.
Published: December 2015

This review article explores the most common fragmentation reactions for ions generated by ESI in positive and negative modes.
Study of thiol–ene chemistry on polymer brushes and application to surface patterning and protein adsorption
Authors: Tan Khooi Y. , Ramstedt Madeleine , Colak Burcu , Huck Wilhelm T. S. , Gautrot Julien E.
Published: December 2015

The functionalisation and patterning of polymer brushes via thiol–ene chemistry is studied via ellipsometry, XPS and AFM.
A novel Fe3O4/CdTe fluorescence probe for sialic acid detection based on a phenylboronic acid–sialic acid recognition system
Authors: Wang Jinna , Xu Guanhong , Wei Fangdi , Yang Jing , Zhou Ping , Hu Qin
Published: December 2015

A novel fluorescence method was established for detecting sialic acid (SA) by using phenylboronic acid (PBA)-functionalized Fe3O4/CdTe magnetic nanoparticles as fluorescence probe.
Design, synthesis and characterization of near-infrared long persistent phosphors Ca4(PO4)2O:Eu2+,R3+ (R = Lu, La, Gd, Ce, Tm, Y)
Authors: Chen Wenbo , Wang Yuhua , Zeng Wei , Li Gen , Guo Haijie
Published: December 2015

Eu2+-activated phosphate NIR long persistent phosphors.
Alkyl detection facilitated by a DNA conjugate with an α-hemolysin nanopore
Authors: Hu Zheng-Li , Cao Chan , Wang Hui-Feng , Yan Bing-Yong
Published: December 2015

A novel α-hemolysin nanopore (α-HL) based strategy for the detection of an alkyl linker at the single-molecule level.
Peroxide-free synthesis of benzo[b][1,4]thiazine 1,1-dioxides and their antimicrobial study
Authors: Mitra Shubhanjan , Mukherjee Sayani , Hajra Alakananda
Published: December 2015

A peroxide-free reaction protocol for the oxidation of benzo[b][1,4]thiazines has been developed under mild conditions. An in vitro antimicrobial study along with statistical analysis, MIC study and bacterial killing kinetics were investigated.
Preparation of Y-doped ZrO2 coatings on MnO2 electrodes and their effect on electrochemical performance for MnO2 electrochemical supercapacitors
Authors: Zhang Yuqing , Zhai Yufeng
Published: December 2015

To enhance the cycling stability and conductivity of MnO2 electrodes for supercapacitors, Y-doped ZrO2 coatings on MnO2 electrodes are prepared, so protecting the electrodes and enhancing the electrochemical performance of electrodes in electrolytes.
Mesoporous CoFe2O4 octahedra with high-capacity and long-life lithium storage properties
Authors: Guo Jinxue , Zhang Xiaohong , Sun Yanfang , Zhang Xiao
Published: December 2015

Mesoporous CoFe2O4 octahedra have been synthesized through sol–gel method, and their large and stable reversible capacity, high capacity retention, good rate capability, and ultralong cycling life have also been demonstrated.
Role of iron oxidation byproducts in the removal of phosphate from aqueous solution
Authors: Sleiman Nathalie , Deluchat Véronique , Wazne Mahmoud , Courtin Alexandra , Saad Zeinab , Kazpard Véronique , Baudu Michel
Published: December 2015

Synthesis and characterization of iron oxidation byproducts, in different experimental conditions (aging and dissolved oxygen concentration); study of their phosphate adsorption capacity.
Facile synthesis of functionalized 6-cyano-2-oxa-7-azabicyclo[4.1.0]hept-3-en-1-yl acetates: a catalyst free approach to access the pyran fused 2-acetoxy-NH-aziridines
Authors: Mukherjee Prasun , Das Asish R.
Published: December 2015

Novel pyran fused 2-acetoxy-NH-aziridine scaffold was constructed by reacting the enamine fragment of 4-H-pyrans and spiropyrans using iodobenzene diacetate under catalyst free environment.
Separated-pair approximation and separated-pair pair-density functional theory
Authors: Odoh Samuel O. , Manni Giovanni Li , Carlson Rebecca K. , Truhlar Donald G. , Gagliardi Laura
Published: December 2015

Here we present the separated-pair approximation for wave function theory and show that it performs almost as well as the more demanding complete active space approximation. We show that the combination of an SP wave function with an on-top density functional yields comparable accuracy to CASPT2 at a small fraction of the cost.
Two-dimensional net-like SnO2/ZnO heteronanostructures for high-performance H2S gas sensor
Authors: Fu Diyu , Zhu Chunling , Zhang Xitian , Li Chunyan , Chen Yujin
Published: December 2015

Net-like SnO2/ZnO heteronanostructures with a porous feature and heterojunctions at the interfaces were successfully designed and fabricated by a facile method. Importantly, they could detect 10 ppb H2S even at a working temperature of 100 °C.
Facile synthesis of ternary CdMnS QD-based hollow nanospheres as fluorescent/magnetic probes for bioimaging
Authors: Zhao Bingxia , Huang Peng , Rong Pengfei , Wang Yu , Gao Mengyu , Huang Haiyan , Sun Kang , Chen Xiaoyuan , Li Wanwan
Published: December 2015

Fluorescent/magnetic dual-functional CdMnS hollow nanospheres with bright tunable emission and strong MR signal were synthesized via a facile Ostwald-ripening process with promising applications in bioimaging.
Asymmetric AltBOC modulation and its generalised form for BeiDou B2 signals
Authors: Huang Xinming , Zhu Xiangwei , Tang Xiaomei , Ou Gang
Published: December 2015

Asymmetric AltBOC modulation and its unequal power generalised form are proposed to multiplex three QPSK signals on two sidebands. The new constant envelope modulations provide a solution to dual‐frequency constant envelope multiplexing problem confronted by BeiDou B2 signals.
Mainlobe interference suppression with eigenprojection algorithm and similarity constraints
Authors: Qian Junhui , He Zishu
Published: December 2015

Here a novel mainlobe interference suppression technique based on eigenprojection algorithm and beam pattern similarity constraints is proposed. This method can effectively suppress the multiple mainlobe interferences and sidelobe interferences. The output of adaptive beamforming is calculated via adaptive weight vector obtained by the convex objective function and processed echo data based on the eigenprojection matrix. The simulations have been presented to evaluate the theoretical analysis.
Image denoising in bidimensional empirical mode decomposition domain: the role of Student's probability distribution function
Authors: Lahmiri Salim
Published: December 2015

Hybridisation of the bi‐dimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) with denoising techniques has been proposed in the literature as an effective approach for image denoising. In this Letter, the Student's probability density function is introduced in the computation of the mean envelope of the data during the BEMD sifting process to make it robust to values that are far from the mean. The resulting BEMD is denoted tBEMD. In order to show the effectiveness of the tBEMD, several image denoising techniques in tBEMD domain are employed; namely, fourth order partial differential equation (PDE), linear complex diffusion process (LCDP), non‐linear complex diffusion process (NLCDP), and the discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Two biomedical images and a standard digital image were considered for experiments. The original images were corrupted with additive Gaussian noise with three different levels. Based on peak‐signal‐to‐noise ratio, the experimental results show that PDE, LCDP, NLCDP, and DWT all perform better in the tBEMD than in the classical BEMD domain. It is also found that tBEMD is faster than classical BEMD when the noise level is low. When it is high, the computational cost in terms of processing time is similar. The effectiveness of the presented approach makes it promising for clinical applications.
Validation of a Russian Language Oswestry Disability Index Questionnaire
Authors: Yu Elizabeth M. , Nosova Emily V. , Falkenstein Yuri , Prasad Priya , Leasure Jeremi M. , Kondrashov Dimitriy G.
Published: December 2015

Study Design

Retrospective reliability and validity study.

Objective

To validate a recently translated Russian language version of the Oswestry Disability Index (R-ODI) using standardized methods detailed from previous validations in other languages.

Methods

We included all subjects who were seen in our spine surgery clinic, over the age of 18, and fluent in the Russian language. R-ODI was translated by six bilingual people and combined into a consensus version. R-ODI and visual analog scale (VAS) questionnaires for leg and back pain were distributed to subjects during both their initial and follow-up visits. Test validity, stability, and internal consistency were measured using standardized psychometric methods.

Results

Ninety-seven subjects participated in the study. No change in the meaning of the questions on R-ODI was noted with translation from English to Russian. There was a significant positive correlation between R-ODI and VAS scores for both the leg and back during both the initial and follow-up visits ( p < 0.01 for all). The instrument was shown to have high internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.82) and moderate test–retest stability (interclass correlation coefficient = 0.70).

Conclusions

The R-ODI is both valid and reliable for use among the Russian-speaking population in the United States.
Perioperative Complications of Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy
Authors: Daubs Michael D. , Brodke Darrel S. , Annis Prokopis , Lawrence Brandon D.
Published: December 2015

Study Design

Retrospective case series.

Objective

To describe the perioperative complications (0 to 90 days) associated with pedicle subtraction osteotomies (PSOs) performed at a tertiary spine center by two experienced spine surgeons who recently adopted the technique.

Methods

We reviewed all 65 patients (47 women and 18 men; mean age 60 years, range 24 to 80) who underwent a PSO at our institution. Descriptive data and analysis of complications were limited to the perioperative time (within 90 days of surgery). Data analyzed included operative time, length of stay (LOS), estimated blood loss (EBL), blood products, comorbidities, neurologic complications, and medical complications. Complications were rated as major and minor. Radiographic data was also analyzed.

Results

Ten patients (15.4%) had a major complication, and 15 (23%) had a minor complication. There were three perioperative deaths. The most common major complication was neurologic deficit (6.2%, 4/65), three with a permanent foot drop, and one with paraplegia secondary to postoperative hematoma. There were no differences between patients with and without a major complication in regard to age, gender, comorbidities, operative time, number of levels fused, and EBL ( p > 0.05). Patients with a major complication had a longer intensive care unit stay ( p = 0.04). There was no difference in the rate of major complications between the initial and later cases performed.

Conclusion

The major complication rate for pedicle subtraction osteotomy was 15% and the minor complication rate was 23%. The most common major complication was neurologic deficit in 6.2%. The complication rate did not change with increased surgeon experience.
Perioperative Complications of Cervical Spine Surgery: Analysis of a Prospectively Gathered Database through the Association for Collaborative Spinal Research
Authors: Leckie Steven , Yoon S. Tim , Isaacs Robert , Radcliff Kris , Fessler Richard , Haid Regis , Traynelis Vincent
Published: December 2015

Study Design

Retrospective review of prospectively gathered data.

Objective

To report the rate and impact of perioperative complications in cervical spine surgery. To our knowledge, no prior study of the cervical spine has analyzed a large prospectively gathered data set for adverse events, based on surgical subgroup.

Methods

The ProSTOS database features prospectively documented perioperative adverse events for 1,269 patients who had cervical spine surgery at multiple centers in North America between 2008 and 2011. We subgrouped patients by approach, whether surgery was a primary or revision operation, and by the number of levels involved. Multivariate analysis with stepwise logistic regression was used to relate complication rates to gender, age, smoking status, body mass index, approach, revision status, and number of levels involved. Follow-up was 41%.

Results

Adverse events occurred significantly more frequently in posterior and combined procedures than in anterior procedures. Revision surgery had significantly more complications than primary surgery. For patients who had anterior surgery, those who had one, two, and three or more levels operated had no significant difference in complication rates. Patients who had posterior surgery had significantly more complications if they had two or more levels operated compared with one level. The lowest rates of complications were for one-level primary surgery (<5%), and multilevel posterior, revision posterior, and revision combined surgery had complication rates over 6 times higher (>28%). Patients who had complications were significantly older than patients who did not. The most common adverse events were dysphagia and cardiac complications. The most severe morbid complications, in terms of increased treatment needs and hospital stay, were paraparesis and seizure.

Conclusions

Perioperative complication rates in cervical spine surgery are significantly lower in younger patients, surgery performed through an anterior approach (compared with a posterior or combined approach), with fewer levels involved (particularly in posterior surgery), and in primary (compared with revision) procedures.
Abschätzung des ambulanten palliativmedizinischen Versorgungsgrades regionaler palliativmedizinischer Konsiliardienste in Westfalen-Lippe
Authors: Dasch B. , Blum K. , Bausewein C.
Published: December 2015

Hintergrund: Daten zur Abschätzung des palliativmedizinischen Versorgungsbedarfs und dessen ambulanter Abdeckungsgrad sind vom gesundheitspolitischen Interesse.

Methodik: Der theoretische Bedarf einer palliativmedizinischen Versorgung wurde an Tumorpatienten mit fortgeschrittenem Krankheitsstadium festgemacht. Diese Patientengruppe wurde anhand der Todesursache aus ausgewerteten Totenscheinen des Jahres 2011 der Städte Bochum (BO) und Münster (MS) sowie der westfälischen Landkreise Coesfeld (COE) und Borken (BOR) ermittelt. Die so bestimmte Patientenzahl wurde mit anonymisierten Leistungsdaten der regionalen ambulanten palliativmedizinischen Konsiliardienste (PKDs) in Bezug gesetzt und hieraus ein prozentueller Versorgungsgrad abgeleitet.

Ergebnis: Ausgewertet wurden n=12 424 Totenscheine. Bei 22,1% (n=2 751) lag per definitionem ein palliativmedizinischer Versorgungsbedarf vor dem Versterben vor. Im gleichen Jahr betreuten die palliativmedizinischen Konsiliardienste 2 396 Patienten, wobei 1 288 Tumorpatienten verstarben. Hieraus leitete sich folgender ambulanter Versorgungsgrad ab: BO 54,2% (567/1 046), MS 60,6% (385/635), COE 54,4% (210/386), BOR 18,4% (126/684).

Schlussfolgerung: Jeder fünfte Todesfall weist vor Ableben einen palliativmedizinischen Versorgungsbedarf auf. Mehr als 50% dieser Patienten erfuhren rein rechnerisch in den westfälischen Studienregionen Bochum, Münster und dem Kreis Coesfeld im Jahre 2011 eine Betreuung durch einen ambulanten palliativmedizinischen Konsiliardienst. Der Landkreis Borken wies einen Versorgungsgrad<20% auf.
Non-commutative Nash inequalities
Authors: Kastoryano Michael , Temme Kristan
Published: December 2015

A set of functional inequalities—called Nash inequalities—are introduced and analyzed in the context of quantum Markov process mixing. The basic theory of Nash inequalities is extended to the setting of non-commutative 𝕃p spaces, where their relationship to Poincaré and log-Sobolev inequalities is fleshed out. We prove Nash inequalities for a number of unital reversible semigroups.
Frequency-comb-assisted precision laser spectroscopy of CHF3 around 8.6 μm
Authors: Gambetta Alessio , Coluccelli Nicola , Cassinerio Marco , Fernandez Toney Teddy , Gatti Davide , Castrillo Antonio , Ceausu-Velcescu Adina , Fasci Eugenio , Gianfrani Livio , Santamaria Luigi , Di Sarno Valentina , Maddaloni Pasquale , De Natale Paolo , Laporta Paolo , Galzerano Gianluca
Published: December 2015

We report a high-precision spectroscopic study of room-temperature trifluoromethane around 8.6 μm, using a CW quantum cascade laser phase-locked to a mid-infrared optical frequency comb. This latter is generated by a nonlinear down-conversion process starting from a dual-branch Er:fiber laser and is stabilized against a GPS-disciplined rubidium clock. By tuning the comb repetition frequency, several transitions falling in the υ5 vibrational band are recorded with a frequency resolution of 20 kHz. Due to the very dense spectra, a special multiple-line fitting code, involving a Voigt profile, is developed for data analysis. The combination of the adopted experimental approach and survey procedure leads to fractional accuracy levels in the determination of line center frequencies, down to 2 × 10−10. Line intensity factors, pressure broadening, and shifting parameters are also provided.
Solidification and loss of hydrostaticity in liquid media used for pressure measurements
Authors: Torikachvili M. S. , Kim S. K. , Colombier E. , Bud’ko S. L. , Canfield P. C.
Published: December 2015

We carried out a study of the pressure dependence of the solidification temperature in nine pressure transmitting media that are liquid at ambient temperature, under pressures up to 2.3 GPa. These fluids are 1:1 isopentane/n-pentane, 4:6 light mineral oil/n-pentane, 1:1 isoamyl alcohol/n-pentane, 4:1 methanol/ethanol, 1:1 FC72/FC84 (Fluorinert), Daphne 7373, isopentane, and Dow Corning PMX silicone oils 200 and 60 000 cS. We relied on the high sensitivity of the electrical resistivity of Ba(Fe1−xRux)2As2 single crystals to the freezing of the pressure media and cross-checked with corresponding anomalies observed in the resistance of the manganin coil that served as the ambient temperature resistive manometer. In addition to establishing the temperature-pressure line separating the liquid (hydrostatic) and frozen (non-hydrostatic) phases, these data permit rough estimates of the freezing pressure of these media at ambient temperature. This pressure establishes the extreme limit for the medium to be considered hydrostatic. For higher applied pressures, the medium has to be treated as non-hydrostatic.
Anomalous degradation of low-field mobility in short-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors
Authors: Natori Kenji , Iwai Hiroshi , Kakushima Kuniyuki
Published: December 2015

The anomalous degradation of the low-field mobility observed in short-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors is analyzed by collating various reported data in experiments and simulations. It is inferred that the degradation is not caused by the channel scattering of the carriers. The origin is proposed to be the backscattering of channel carriers on injection into the drain. The expression of the low-field mobility, including the backscattering effect, is derived. The inverse of the low-field mobility is a linear function of the inverse of channel length, the expression of which reproduces that empirically derived by Bidal's group. By fitting the expression to simulated as well as experimental data, we can estimate the value of parameters related to the channel scattering and also to the backscattering from the drain. We find that these values are in reasonable magnitude.
Fock expansion of multimode pure Gaussian states
Authors: Cariolaro Gianfranco , Pierobon Gianfranco
Published: December 2015

The Fock expansion of multimode pure Gaussian states is derived starting from their representation as displaced and squeezed multimode vacuum states. The approach is new and appears to be simpler and more general than previous ones starting from the phase-space representation given by the characteristic or Wigner function. Fock expansion is performed in terms of easily evaluable two-variable Hermite–Kampé de Fériet polynomials. A relatively simple and compact expression for the joint statistical distribution of the photon numbers in the different modes is obtained. In particular, this result enables one to give a simple characterization of separable and entangled states, as shown for two-mode and three-mode Gaussian states.
Thermal vibration characteristics of armchair boron-nitride nanotubes
Authors: Chandra Anirban , Patra Puneet Kumar , Bhattacharya Baidurya
Published: December 2015

A nanomechanical resonator based sensor works by detecting small changes in the natural frequency of the device in presence of external agents. In this study, we address the length and the temperature-dependent sensitivity of precompressed armchair Boron-Nitride nanotubes towards their use as sensors. The vibrational data, obtained using molecular dynamics simulations, are analyzed for frequency content through the fast Fourier transformation. As the temperature of the system rises, the vibrational spectrum becomes noisy, and the modal frequencies show a red-shift irrespective of the length of the nanotube, suggesting that the nanotube based sensors calibrated at a particular temperature may not function desirably at other temperatures. Temperature-induced noise becomes increasingly pronounced with the decrease in the length of the nanotube. For the shorter nanotube at higher temperatures, we observe multiple closely spaced peaks near the natural frequency, that create a masking effect and reduce the sensitivity of detection. However, longer nanotubes do not show these spurious frequencies, and are considerably more sensitive than the shorter ones.
Effects of the plasma profiles on photon and pair production in ultrahigh intensity laser solid interaction
Authors: Tian Y. X. , Jin X. L. , Yan W. Z. , Yu J. Q. , Li J. Q. , Li B.
Published: December 2015

The model of photon and pair production in strong field quantum electrodynamics is implemented into our 1D3V particle-in-cell code with Monte Carlo algorithm. Using this code, the evolution of the particles in ultrahigh intensity laser (∼1023 W/cm2) interaction with aluminum foil target is observed. Four different initial plasma profiles are considered in the simulations. The effects of initial plasma profiles on photon and pair production, energy spectra, and energy evolution are analyzed. The results imply that one can set an optimal initial plasma profile to obtain the desired photon distributions.