bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of zirconium element on the microstructure and deuterium retention of W–Zr/Sc2O3 composites
Authors: Chen Hongyu , Luo Laima , Chen Jingbo , Zan Xiang , Zhu Xiaoyong , Xu Qiu , Luo Guangnan , Chen Junling , Wu Yucheng
Published: September 2016

Dense W and W–Zr composites reinforced with Sc2O3 particles were produced through powder metallurgy and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1700 °C and 58 MPa. Results showed that the W–1vol.%Zr/2vol.%Sc2O3 composites exhibited optimal performance with the best relative density of up to 98.93% and high Vickers microhardness of approximately 583 Hv. The thermal conductivity of W–Zr/Sc2O3 composites decreased initially and then increased as the Zr content increased. The moderate Zr alloying element could combine well with Sc2O3 particles and W grains and form a solid solution. However, excess Zr element leads to agglomeration in the grain boundaries. W–1vol.%Zr/2vol.%Sc2O3 composite had a good deuterium irradiation resistance very closing to pure tungsten compared with the other Zr element contents of composites. Under 500 K, D2 retention and release of them were similar to those of commercial tungsten, even lower between 400 K to 450 K. Pre-irradiation with 5 keV-He+ ions to a fluence of 1 × 1021 He+/m2 resulted in an increase in deuterium retention (deuterium was implanted after He+ irradiation), thereby shifting the desorption peak to a high temperature from 550 K to 650 K for the W–1vol.%Zr/2vol.%Sc2O3 composite.
Lysyl oxidase-like 4 involvement in retinoic acid epithelial wound healing
Authors: Comptour Aurélie , Rouzaire Marion , Belville Corinne , Bonnin Nicolas , Daniel Estelle , Chiambaretta Frédéric , Blanchon Loïc , Sapin Vincent
Published: September 2016

Vitamin A and its active forms (retinoic acids/RAs) are known to have pro-healing properties, but their mechanisms of action are still poorly understood. This work aimed to identify the cellular and molecular processes by which atRA (all-trans RA) improves wound healing, using an in vivo model of mouse corneal alkali burns and an in vitro cellular human corneal epithelial injury model. Regulation by atRA has been studied on most of the cellular events that occur in wound healing. We investigated the direct influence of atRA on a specific target gene known to be involved in the extracellular matrix (ECM) dynamics, one of the pathways contributing to epithelial repair. Our results demonstrate that atRA promotes corneal epithelial wound healing by acting preferentially on migration. The induction of lysyl oxidase-like 4 (LOXL4) expression by atRA in the corneal epithelium environment was established as essential in the mechanism of atRA-dependent wound healing. Our study describes for the first time a direct link between a retinoic-induced gene and protein, LOXL4, and its general clinical pro-healing properties in ECM dynamics.
On the interplay between neoclassical tearing modes and nonlocal transport in toroidal plasmas
Authors: Ji X. Q. , Xu Y. , Hidalgo C. , Diamond P. H. , Liu Yi , Pan O. , Shi Z. B. , Yu D. L.
Published: September 2016

This Letter presents the first observation on the interplay between nonlocal transport and neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) during transient nonlocal heat transport events in the HL-2A tokamak. The nonlocality is triggered by edge cooling and large-scale, inward propagating avalanches. These lead to a locally enhanced pressure gradient at the q = 3/2 (or 2/1) rational surface and hence the onset of the NTM in relatively low β plasmas (βN < 1). The NTM, in return, regulates the nonlocal transport by truncation of avalanches by local sheared toroidal flows which develop near the magnetic island. These findings have direct implications for understanding the dynamic interaction between turbulence and large-scale mode structures in fusion plasmas.
Polysaccharide enhances Radix Saposhnikoviae efficacy through inhibiting chromones decomposition in intestinal tract
Authors: Yang Jing-Ming , Jiang Hua , Dai Hong-Liang , Wang Zi-Wei , Jia Gui-Zhi , Meng Xiang-Cai
Published: September 2016

Vegetative but not reproductive stage of Saposhnikovia divaricate (Turxz.) schischk possesses pharmacological activities. However, our recent study showed that reproductive S. divaricate supplemented with polysaccharide showed evidently elevated pharmacological activities and increased cimifugin content in rat serum. The aims of present study were to assess the influence of polysaccharides on the chromones pharmacological activities in Radix Saposhnikoviae (RS), the dried root of vegetative stage of S. divaricate, and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Only cimifugin was detected in the plasma of chromone treated animals and RS polysaccharide significantly increased the plasma content of cimifugin. It was shown that neither cimifugin absorption nor glycoside components transformation in simulated digestive fluid was affected by RS polysaccharide. However, a significant promotion of transformation of cimifugin to more stable prime-O-glucosylcimifugin (PGCN) by RS polysaccharide, and a protective effect of polysaccharide on chromone components were observed in small intestine solutions. Meanwhile, RS polysaccharide produced a significant elevation of cimifugin and PGCN concentration in vivo. Based on these findings, we concluded that RS polysaccharide could greatly increase the content of cimifugin, which might be related to its degradation-proof effect on cimifugin, via transforming cimifugin to comparatively more stable PGCN and spatial structure protection.
Viruses-to-mobile genetic elements skew in the deep Atlantis II brine pool sediments
Authors: Adel Mustafa , Elbehery Ali H. A. , Aziz Sherry K. , Aziz Ramy K. , Grossart Hans-Peter , Siam Rania
Published: September 2016

The central rift of the Red Sea has 25 brine pools with different physical and geochemical characteristics. Atlantis II (ATIID), Discovery Deeps (DD) and Chain Deep (CD) are characterized by high salinity, temperature and metal content. Several studies reported microbial communities in these brine pools, but few studies addressed the brine pool sediments. Therefore, sediment cores were collected from ATIID, DD, CD brine pools and an adjacent brine-influenced site. Sixteen different lithologic sediment sections were subjected to shotgun DNA pyrosequencing to generate 1.47 billion base pairs (1.47 × 109 bp). We generated sediment-specific reads and attempted to annotate all reads. We report the phylogenetic and biochemical uniqueness of the deepest ATIID sulfur-rich brine pool sediments. In contrary to all other sediment sections, bacteria dominate the deepest ATIID sulfur-rich brine pool sediments. This decrease in virus-to-bacteria ratio in selected sections and depth coincided with an overrepresentation of mobile genetic elements. Skewing in the composition of viruses-to-mobile genetic elements may uniquely contribute to the distinct microbial consortium in sediments in proximity to hydrothermally active vents of the Red Sea and possibly in their surroundings, through differential horizontal gene transfer.
Na2CO3-responsive mechanisms in halophyte Puccinellia tenuiflora roots revealed by physiological and proteomic analyses
Authors: Zhao Qi , Suo Jinwei , Chen Sixue , Jin Yudan , Ma Xiaolin , Yin Zepeng , Zhang Yuhong , Wang Tai , Luo Ji , Jin Wenhai , Zhang Xia , Zhou Zhiqiang , Dai Shaojun
Published: September 2016

Soil alkalization severely affects crop growth and agricultural productivity. Alkali salts impose ionic, osmotic, and high pH stresses on plants. The alkali tolerance molecular mechanism in roots from halophyte Puccinellia tenuiflora is still unclear. Here, the changes associated with Na2CO3 tolerance in P. tenuiflora roots were assessed using physiological and iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analyses. We set up the first protein dataset in P. tenuiflora roots containing 2,671 non-redundant proteins. Our results showed that Na2CO3 slightly inhibited root growth, caused ROS accumulation, cell membrane damage, and ion imbalance, as well as reduction of transport and protein synthesis/turnover. The Na2CO3-responsive patterns of 72 proteins highlighted specific signaling and metabolic pathways in roots. Ca2+ signaling was activated to transmit alkali stress signals as inferred by the accumulation of calcium-binding proteins. Additionally, the activities of peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase, and the peroxiredoxin abundance were increased for ROS scavenging. Furthermore, ion toxicity was relieved through Na+ influx restriction and compartmentalization, and osmotic homeostasis reestablishment due to glycine betaine accumulation. Importantly, two transcription factors were increased for regulating specific alkali-responsive gene expression. Carbohydrate metabolism-related enzymes were increased for providing energy and carbon skeletons for cellular metabolism. All these provide new insights into alkali-tolerant mechanisms in roots.
Tissue-specific Co-expression of Long Non-coding and Coding RNAs Associated with Breast Cancer
Authors: Wu Wenting , Wagner Erin K. , Hao Yangyang , Rao Xi , Dai Hongji , Han Jiali , Chen Jinhui , Storniolo Anna Maria V. , Liu Yunlong , He Chunyan
Published: September 2016

Inference of the biological roles of lncRNAs in breast cancer development remains a challenge. Here, we analyzed RNA-seq data in tumor and normal breast tissue samples from 18 breast cancer patients and 18 healthy controls and constructed a functional lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network. We revealed two distinctive co-expression patterns associated with breast cancer, reflecting different underlying regulatory mechanisms: (1) 516 pairs of lncRNA-mRNAs have differential co-expression pattern, in which the correlation between lncRNA and mRNA expression differs in tumor and normal breast tissue; (2) 291 pairs have dose-response co-expression pattern, in which the correlation is similar, but the expression level of lncRNA or mRNA differs in the two tissue types. We further validated our findings in TCGA dataset and annotated lncRNAs using TANRIC. One novel lncRNA, AC145110.1 on 8p12, was found differentially co-expressed with 127 mRNAs (including TOX4 and MAEL) in tumor and normal breast tissue and also highly correlated with breast cancer clinical outcomes. Functional enrichment and pathway analyses identified distinct biological functions for different patterns of co-expression regulations. Our data suggested that lncRNAs might be involved in breast tumorigenesis through the modulation of gene expression in multiple pathologic pathways.
Active Thermal Extraction and Temperature Sensing of Near-field Thermal Radiation
Authors: Ding D. , Kim T. , Minnich A. J.
Published: September 2016

Recently, we proposed an active thermal extraction (ATX) scheme that enables thermally populated surface phonon polaritons to escape into the far-field. The concept is based on a fluorescence upconversion process that also occurs in laser cooling of solids (LCS). Here, we present a generalized analysis of our scheme using the theoretical framework for LCS. We show that both LCS and ATX can be described with the same mathematical formalism by replacing the electron-phonon coupling parameter in LCS with the electron-photon coupling parameter in ATX. Using this framework, we compare the ideal efficiency and power extracted for the two schemes and examine the parasitic loss mechanisms. This work advances the application of ATX to manipulate near-field thermal radiation for applications such as temperature sensing and active radiative cooling.
Luteolin Attenuates Airway Mucus Overproduction via Inhibition of the GABAergic System
Authors: Shen Mei-Lin , Wang Chen-Hung , Lin Ching-Huei , Zhou Ning , Kao Shung-Te , Wu Dong Chuan
Published: September 2016

Airway mucus overproduction is one of the most common symptoms of asthma that causes severe clinical outcomes in patients. Despite the effectiveness of general asthma therapies, specific treatments that prevent mucus overproduction in asthma patients remain lacking. Recent studies have found that activation of GABAA receptors (GABAAR) is important for promoting mucus oversecretion in lung airway epithelia. Here, we report that luteolin, a natural flavonoid compound, suppresses mucus overproduction by functionally inhibiting the GABAergic system. This hypothesis was investigated by testing the effects of luteolin on goblet cell hyperplasia, excessive mucus secretion, and GABAergic transmission using histological and electrophysiological approaches. Our results showed that 10 mg/kg luteolin significantly decreased the number of goblet cells in the lung tissue and inhibited mucus overproduction in an in vivo asthma model induced by ovalbumin (OVA) in mice. Patch-clamp recordings showed that luteolin inhibited GABAAR-mediated currents in A549 cells. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of luteolin on OVA-induced goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus overproduction were occluded by the GABAAR antagonist picrotoxin. In conclusion, our observations indicate that luteolin effectively attenuates mucus overproduction at least partially by inhibiting GABAARs, suggesting the potential for therapeutic administration of luteolin in the treatment of mucus overproduction in asthma patients.
Next-generation sequencing-based molecular diagnosis of 35 Hispanic retinitis pigmentosa probands
Authors: Zhang Qi , Xu Mingchu , Verriotto Jennifer D. , Li Yumei , Wang Hui , Gan Lin , Lam Byron L. , Chen Rui
Published: September 2016

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited retinal diseases. The prevalence of RP and the mutation spectrum vary across populations. Hispanic people account for approximately 17% of the United States population, and the genetic etiologies of RP of this ethnic group still remain not well defined. Utilizing next-generation sequencing (NGS), we screened mutations in known retinal disease-causing genes in an RP cohort of 35 unrelated Hispanic probands from the Miami area. We achieved a solving rate of 66% and identified 15 novel putative pathogenic mutations, including a frequent founder mutation disrupting PRPF31 splicing. Our data show that the mutation spectrum of Hispanic RP receives a significant impact from disease-causing alleles of Spanish origin and may also contain population-specific alleles.
Preservation and phylogeny of Cambrian ecdysozoans tested by experimental decay of Priapulus
Authors: Sansom Robert S.
Published: September 2016

The exceptionally preserved Cambrian fossil record provides unique insight into the early evolutionary history of animals. Understanding of the mechanisms of exceptional soft tissue preservation frames all interpretations of the fauna and its evolutionary significance. This is especially true for recent interpretations of preserved nervous tissues in fossil ecdysozoans. However, models of soft tissue preservation lack empirical support from actualistic studies. Here experimental decay of the priapulid Priapulus reveal consistent bias towards rapid loss of internal non-cuticular anatomy compared with recalcitrant cuticular anatomy. This is consistent with models of Burgess Shale-type preservation and indicates that internal tissues are unlikely to be preserved with fidelity if organically preserved. This pattern, along with extreme body margin distortion, is consistent with onychophoran decay, and is therefore resolved as general for early ecdysozoans. Application of these patterns to phylogenetic data finds scalidophoran taxa to be very sensitive to taphonomically informed character coding, but not panarthropodan taxa. Priapulid decay also have unexpected relevance for interpretation of myomeres in fossil chordates. The decay data presented serve not only as a test of models of preservation but also a framework with which to interpret ecdysozoan fossil anatomies, and the subsequent evolutionary inferences drawn from them.
Fungicidal activities of soil humic/fulvic acids as related to their chemical structures in greenhouse vegetable fields with cultivation chronosequence
Authors: Wu Meng , Song Mengya , Liu Ming , Jiang Chunyu , Li Zhongpei
Published: September 2016

In the background of rapid expansion of plastic greenhouse vegetable production in China, many environmental risks have emerged in recent years. In this study, the soils with a chronosequence in greenhouse vegetable fields were collected and the soil humic acids (HAs) and fluvic acids (FAs) were extracted and purified. The soil HAs and FAs were found to show inhibition activities against phytopathogenic fungi for the first time. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was performed to investigate the chemical structures of HAs and FAs. The variation of relative peak areas indicated the chemical structure of HAs become more complex and stable under continuous cultivation. The PCA analysis showed HAs and FAs could be distinctly separated from each other and cultivation years mainly determined the variation. Mantel test and RDA analysis indicated the active components (aliphatic peaks for HAs and COOH, OH peaks for FAs) had positive correlation with the inhibition rates of HAs and FAs against phytopathogenic fungi. According to our research, the active fungicidal components in soil HAs and FAs decreased along with the extension of cultivation years, which made the soil suffer more risk to phytopathogenic fugi. So we believe continuous cultivation too many years in PGVP systems is inadvisable.
Alteration of interleaflet coupling due to compounds displaying rapid translocation in lipid membranes
Authors: Reigada Ramon
Published: September 2016

The spatial coincidence of lipid domains at both layers of the cell membrane is expected to play an important role in many cellular functions. Competition between the surface interleaflet tension and a line hydrophobic mismatch penalty are conjectured to determine the transversal behavior of laterally heterogeneous lipid membranes. Here, by a combination of molecular dynamics simulations, a continuum field theory and kinetic equations, I demonstrate that the presence of small, rapidly translocating molecules residing in the lipid bilayer may alter its transversal behavior by favoring the spatial coincidence of similar lipid phases.
MicroRNA in sperm from Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire boars
Authors: Kasimanickam Vanmathy , Kastelic John
Published: September 2016

Sperm contain microRNAs (miRNAs), which may have roles in epigenetic control. Regarding phylogenetic relationships among various swine breeds, Yorkshire and Landrace, are considered phenotypically and genetically very similar, but distinctly different from Duroc. The objective of the present study was to compare abundance of boar sperm miRNAs in these three breeds. Overall, 252 prioritized miRNAs were investigated using real-time PCR; relative expression of miRNAs in sperm was similar in Yorkshire and Landrace boars, but significantly different compared to Duroc. Seventeen miRNAs (hsa-miR-196a-5p, hsa-miR-514a-3p, hsa-miR-938, hsa-miR-372-3p, hsa-miR-558, hsa-miR-579-3p, hsa-miR-595, hsa-miR-648, hsa-miR-524-3p, hsa-miR-512-3p, hsa-miR-429, hsa-miR-639, hsa-miR-551a, hsa-miR-624-5p, hsa-miR-585-3p, hsa-miR-508-3p and hsa-miR-626) were down-regulated (P < 0.05; fold regulation ≤−2) in Yorkshire and Landrace sperm, compared to Duroc sperm. Furthermore, three miRNAs (hsa-miR-9-5p, hsa-miR-150-5p, and hsa-miR-99a-5p) were significantly up-regulated in Yorkshire and Landrace sperm compared to Duroc sperm, However, 240 miRNAs were not significantly different (within + 2 fold) between Yorkshire and Landrace sperm. We concluded that miRNAs in sperm were not significantly different between Yorkshire and Landrace boars, but there were significant differences between those two breeds and Duroc boars. Furthermore, integrated target genes for selected down-regulated miRNAs (identified via an in-silico method) appeared to participate in spermatogenesis and sperm functions.
A new analytical solar radiation pressure model for current BeiDou satellites: IGGBSPM
Authors: Tan Bingfeng , Yuan Yunbin , Zhang Baocheng , Hsu Hou Ze , Ou Jikun
Published: September 2016

An analytical solar radiation pressure (SRP) model, IGGBSPM (an abbreviation for Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics BeiDou Solar Pressure Model), has been developed for three BeiDou satellite types, namely, geostationary orbit (GEO), inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO) and medium earth orbit (MEO), based on a ray-tracing method. The performance of IGGBSPM was assessed based on numerical integration, SLR residuals and analyses of empirical SRP parameters (except overlap computations). The numerical results show that the integrated orbit resulting from IGGBSPM differs from the precise ephemerides by approximately 5 m and 2 m for GEO and non-GEO satellites, respectively. Moreover, when IGGBSPM is used as an a priori model to enhance the ECOM (5-parameter) model with stochastic pulses, named ECOM + APR, for precise orbit determination, the SLR RMS residual improves by approximately 20–25 percent over the ECOM-only solution during the yaw-steering period and by approximately 40 percent during the yaw-fixed period. For the BeiDou GEO01 satellite, improvements of 18 and 32 percent can be achieved during the out-of-eclipse season and during the eclipse season, respectively. An investigation of the estimated ECOM D0 parameters indicated that the β-angle dependence that is evident in the ECOM-only solution is no longer present in the ECOM + APR solution.
A nanostructured surface increases friction exponentially at the solid-gas interface
Authors: Phani Arindam , Putkaradze Vakhtang , Hawk John E. , Prashanthi Kovur , Thundat Thomas
Published: September 2016

According to Stokes’ law, a moving solid surface experiences viscous drag that is linearly related to its velocity and the viscosity of the medium. The viscous interactions result in dissipation that is known to scale as the square root of the kinematic viscosity times the density of the gas. We observed that when an oscillating surface is modified with nanostructures, the experimentally measured dissipation shows an exponential dependence on kinematic viscosity. The surface nanostructures alter solid-gas interplay greatly, amplifying the dissipation response exponentially for even minute variations in viscosity. Nanostructured resonator thus allows discrimination of otherwise narrow range of gaseous viscosity making dissipation an ideal parameter for analysis of a gaseous media. We attribute the observed exponential enhancement to the stochastic nature of interactions of many coupled nanostructures with the gas media.
Phenotypic and Genetic Correlations Between the Lobar Segments of the Inferior Fronto-occipital Fasciculus and Attention
Authors: Leng Yuan , Shi Yonggang , Yu Qiaowen , Van Horn John Darrell , Tang Haiyan , Li Junning , Xu Wenjian , Ge Xinting , Tang Yuchun , Han Yan , Zhang Dong , Xiao Min , Zhang Huaqiang , Pang Zengchang , Toga Arthur W. , Liu Shuwei
Published: September 2016

Attention deficits may present dysfunctions in any one or two components of attention (alerting, orienting, and executive control (EC)). However, these various forms of attention deficits generally have abnormal microstructure integrity of inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). In this work, we aim to deeply explore: (1) associations between microstructure integrities of IFOF (including frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, and insular segments) and attention by means of structural equation models and multiple regression analyses; (2) genetic/environmental effects on IFOF, attention, and their correlations using bivariate genetic analysis. EC function was attributed to the fractional anisotropy (FA) of left (correlation was driven by genetic and environmental factors) and right IFOF (correlation was driven by environmental factors), especially to left frontal part and right occipital part (correlation was driven by genetic factors). Alerting was associated with FA in parietal and insular parts of left IFOF. No significant correlation was found between orienting and IFOF. This study revealed the advantages of lobar-segmental analysis in structure-function correlation study and provided the anatomical basis for kinds of attention deficits. The common genetic/environmental factors implicated in the certain correlations suggested the common physiological mechanisms for two traits, which should promote the discovery of single-nucleotide polymorphisms affecting IFOF and attention.
A smart material for the in situ detection of mercury in fish
Authors: García-Calvo José , Vallejos Saúl , García Félix C. , Rojo Josefa , García José M. , Torroba Tomás
Published: September 2016

A new polymeric sensing material acts as a smart label for the fluorescent detection of Hg2+ and MeHg+ in fish samples.
Affinity modulation of photoresponsive hosts for fullerenes: light-gated corannulene tweezers
Authors: Barbero Héctor , Ferrero Sergio , Álvarez-Miguel Lucía , Gómez-Iglesias Patricia , Miguel Daniel , Álvarez Celedonio M.
Published: September 2016

Photo-reversible molecular tweezers based on bis-corannulene azobenzene derivatives have been assessed as host for fullerenes.
Micro-Cu4I4-MOF: reversible iodine adsorption and catalytic properties for tandem reaction of Friedel–Crafts alkylation of indoles with acetals
Authors: Zhu Neng-Xiu , Zhao Chao-Wei , Wang Jian-Cheng , Li Yan-An , Dong Yu-Bin
Published: September 2016

I2@Cu4I4-MOF can be a highly heterogeneous catalyst to promote the tandem reaction of Friedel–Crafts alkylation of indoles with acetals under solvent-free conditions at room temperature.
Influence of electric potential on the apparent viscosity of an ionic liquid: facts and artifacts
Authors: Ploss Moritz A. , Rutland Mark W. , Glavatskih Sergei
Published: September 2016

A study on the electro-rheology of an ionic liquid that identifies and explains the occurrence of measurement artifacts in cone-on-plate viscometry.
Effects of temperature and gas–liquid mass transfer on the operation of small electrochemical cells for the quantitative evaluation of CO2reduction electrocatalysts
Authors: Lobaccaro Peter , Singh Meenesh R. , Clark Ezra Lee , Kwon Youngkook , Bell Alexis T. , Ager Joel W.
Published: September 2016

The effect of bulk electrolyte CO2depletion and temperature on catalyst evaluation were explored when using high electrode surface area to electrolyte volume electrochemical cells for CO2reduction.
Effect of the grafting agent on the structure and catalytic performance of Ti-MCM-22
Authors: Chang Chih-Cheng , Jin Fang , Jang Ling-Yun , Lee Jyh-Fu , Cheng Soofin
Published: September 2016

Ti-MCM-22 prepared by grafting with Ti(OEt)4 has more Ti(iv) at Td sites than those prepared with Ti(OPr)4 and Ti(OBu)4, and gives higher catalytic activities in cyclohexene and cyclooctene epoxidation using t-butylhydrogen peroxide as the oxidant.
Cost-efficient method for unsymmetrical meso-aryl porphyrins and iron oxide-porphyrin hybrids prepared thereof
Authors: Henriques César A. , Pinto Sara M. A. , Pina João , Serpa Carlos , Fernandes Auguste , Rossi Liane M. , Ribeiro M. Filipa , Pereira Mariette M. , Calvete Mário J. F.
Published: September 2016

Synthesis, characterisation and photophysical properties of magnetic iron oxide-porphyrin hybrids starting from unsymmetrical porphyrins, which are prepared by a cost-efficient methodology.
Single oxygen generation sensitized by spiro(dipyridinogermole)(dithienogermole)s
Authors: Ohshita J. , Hayashi Yuya , Murakami Kazuya , Enoki Toshiaki , Ooyama Yousuke
Published: September 2016

Three spiro(dipyridinogermole)(dithienogermole) derivatives (1–3), including newly prepared spiro(dipyridinogermole)[di(2-pyridyl)dithienogermole] (3), were examined as photosensitizers for singlet oxygen (1O2) generation in dichloromethane–methanol.
Synthesis of a highly reactive form of WO2Cl2, its conversion into nanocrystalline mono-hydrated WO3and coordination compounds with tetramethylurea
Authors: Bortoluzzi Marco , Evangelisti Claudio , Marchetti Fabio , Pampaloni Guido , Piccinelli Fabio , Zacchini Stefano
Published: September 2016

A new form of WO2Cl2was prepared from WCl6. Conversion of WO2Cl2into nanocrystalline WO3·H2O occurred upon air exposure at room temperature. The first coordination complexes of WO2Cl2with an alkylurea are reported.
“CLICKable” azide-functionalized phosphonates for the surface-modification of molecular and solid-state metal oxides
Authors: Schönweiz S. , Knoll S. , Anjass M. , Braumüller M. , Rau S. , Streb C.
Published: September 2016

A bifunctional phosphonate azide tether is reported which enables surface modification of molecular and solid state metal oxides as well as subsequent modification by CLICK chemistry.
Amine dehydrogenases: efficient biocatalysts for the reductive amination of carbonyl compounds
Authors: Knaus Tanja , Böhmer Wesley , Mutti Francesco G.
Published: September 2016

Optimised dual-enzyme (AmDH–FDH) reductive amination of a broad range of carbonyl compounds affords enantiopure amines with a conversion of up to 99% using ammonia as an amine donor and formate as a reducing reagent.
Polymerase chain reaction in microfluidic devices
Authors: Ahrberg Christian D. , Manz Andreas , Chung Bong Geun
Published: September 2016

Developments of microfluidic-based time/space domain PCR, digital PCR, and isothermal nucleic acid amplification.
Identification of potential CCR5 inhibitors through pharmacophore-based virtual screening, molecular dynamics simulation and binding free energy analysis
Authors: Wang Juan , Shu Mao , Wang Yuanqiang , Hu Yong , Wang Yuanliang , Luo Yanfeng , Lin Zhihua
Published: September 2016

Employing the combined strategy to identify novel CCR5 inhibitors and provide a basis for rational drug design.
Substrate induced morphology in a hydrosulfide-molybdenum complex
Authors: Mitra Joyee , Sarkar Sabyasachi
Published: September 2016

Self-assembly of [Mo2O4(bpy)2(SH)2] using multiple substrates revealed morphological variations from cuboid, spheroid and diamondoid nanocrystals to garlands studded with flowers.
Spectroscopic studies of the interaction of 3-(2-thienyl)-[1,2,3]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine with 2,6-dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin and ctDNA
Authors: Cifuentes T. , Cayupi J. , Celis-Barros C. , Zapata-Torres G. , Ballesteros Rafael , Ballesteros-Garrido Rafael , Abarca B. , Jullian C.
Published: September 2016

The studied effect of the inclusion complex on the ctDNA interaction indicates that the TTP-DMβCD complex binds similarly to ctDNA compared to free TTP.
Synthesis of rotaxanes and catenanes using an imine clipping reaction
Authors: Han Xie , Liu Guotao , Liu Sheng Hua , Yin Jun
Published: September 2016

In this review, we summarize the recent progress on the synthesis of rotaxanes and catenanes using an imine clipping reaction and describe their applications.
Lipid structure influences the ability of glucose monocorynomycolate to signal through Mincle
Authors: van der Peet Phillip L. , Nagata Masahiro , Shah Sayali , White Jonathan M. , Yamasaki Sho , Williams Spencer J.
Published: September 2016

Complex, long-chain lipid structures are required for robust signalling of 6-O-acylglucoses through the pattern recognition receptor Mincle.
Polymeric prodrug combination to exploit the therapeutic potential of antimicrobial peptides against cancer cells
Authors: Kelly G. J. , Kia A. Foltyn-Arfa , Hassan F. , O'Grady S. , Morgan M. P. , Creaven B. S. , McClean S. , Harmey J. H. , Devocelle M.
Published: September 2016

The first targeted anticancer polymeric prodrug candidates of antimicrobial peptides, intended for combination therapy with another polymeric prodrug of an approved antineoplastic agent (doxorubicin) are reported.
The active role of excited states of phenothiazines in photoinduced metal free atom transfer radical polymerization: singlet or triplet excited states?
Authors: Jockusch Steffen , Yagci Yusuf
Published: September 2016

The active role of phenothiazine excited states in photoinduced metal-free atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was investigated by using laser flash photolysis, fluorescence, phosphorescence and electron spin resonance spectroscopy.
Facile and sensitive detection of influenza viruses using SERS antibody probes
Authors: Moon Jeong , Yi So Yeon , Hwang Ahreum , Eom Gayoung , Sim Jieun , Jeong Jinyoung , Lim Eun-Kyung , Chung Bong Hyun , Kim Bongsoo , Jung Juyeon , Kang Taejoon
Published: September 2016

We report facile and sensitive influenza virus detection method using surface-enhanced Raman scattering antibody probes.
A hydrothermal route for synthesizing highly luminescent sulfur- and nitrogen-co-doped carbon dots as nanosensors for Hg2+
Authors: Wang Chunfeng , Sun Dong , Chen Yujuan , Zhuo Kelei
Published: September 2016

Sulfur- and nitrogen-co-doped carbon dots were synthesized by the one step hydrothermal treatment of pyritinol hydrochloride in the presence of graphene oxide, and could be used as an effective fluorescent probe for the detection of Hg2+.
Facile synthesis of nickel based nanostructures from Ni[EMIM]Cl2 ionic liquid precursor: effects of thermal and chemical methods on the properties of nanoparticles
Authors: Alsalme Ali , Toraba Meshary A. , Khan Mujeeb , Alzaqri Nabil A. , Alshammari Saad G. , Alotaibi Mshari A. , Siddiqui M. Rafiq H.
Published: September 2016

Graphical representation of the preparation of ionic liquid precursor for the preparation of Ni nanostructures.
Facile synthesis of core–shell carbon nanotubes@MnOOH nanocomposites with remarkable dielectric loss and electromagnetic shielding properties
Authors: Zhang Zhifan , Dang Wenhui , Dong Chengjun , Chen Gang , Wang Yude , Guan Hongtao
Published: September 2016

Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) favors the formation of carbon nanotubes@MnOOH core–shell nanostructures with excellent shielding properties.
Effect of phosphonium based ionic liquid on structural, electrochemical and thermal behaviour of polymer poly(ethylene oxide) containing salt lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide
Authors: Gupta Himani , Shalu Shalu , Balo Liton , Singh Varun Kumar , Chaurasia Sujeet Kumar , Singh Rajendra Kumar
Published: September 2016

Decrement in conductivity and flexibility of polymer electrolytes at higher ionic liquid concentration due to the crowding of anions.
A facile and rapid route for synthesis of g-C3N4 nanosheets with high adsorption capacity and photocatalytic activity
Authors: Zou Lan-Rong , Huang Gui-Fang , Li Dong-Feng , Liu Jin-Hua , Pan An-Lian , Huang Wei-Qing
Published: September 2016

A graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheet and its nanocomposites have recently attracted increasing interest due to their massive potentials in applications ranging from fluorescence imaging to solar energy conversion.
Cellular uptake, genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticles in human breast cells
Authors: Aşık Elif , Akpınar Yeliz , Güray N. Tülin , İşcan Mesude , Demircigil Gonca Çakmak , Volkan Mürvet
Published: September 2016

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been increasingly used for many years as MRI agents and for gene delivery and hyperthermia therapy, although there have been conflicting results on their safety.
The HemQ coprohaem decarboxylase generates reactive oxygen species: implications for the evolution of classical haem biosynthesis
Authors: Hobbs Charlie , Dailey Harry A. , Shepherd Mark
Published: September 2016

Bacteria require a haem biosynthetic pathway for the assembly of a variety of protein complexes, including cytochromes, peroxidases, globins, and catalase. Haem is synthesised via a series of tetrapyrrole intermediates, including non-metallated porphyrins, such as protoporphyrin IX, which is well known to generate reactive oxygen species in the presence of light and oxygen. Staphylococcus aureus has an ancient haem biosynthetic pathway that proceeds via the formation of coproporphyrin III, a less reactive porphyrin. Here, we demonstrate, for the first time, that HemY of S. aureus is able to generate both protoporphyrin IX and coproporphyrin III, and that the terminal enzyme of this pathway, HemQ, can stimulate the generation of protoporphyrin IX (but not coproporphyrin III). Assays with hydrogen peroxide, horseradish peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase confirm that this stimulatory effect is mediated by superoxide. Structural modelling reveals that HemQ enzymes do not possess the structural attributes that are common to peroxidases that form compound I [FeIV==O]+, which taken together with the superoxide data leaves Fenton chemistry as a likely route for the superoxide-mediated stimulation of protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase activity of HemY. This generation of toxic free radicals could explain why HemQ enzymes have not been identified in organisms that synthesise haem via the classical protoporphyrin IX pathway. This work has implications for the divergent evolution of haem biosynthesis in ancestral microorganisms, and provides new structural and mechanistic insights into a recently discovered oxidative decarboxylase reaction.
Zombie Shakespeare
Authors: Cummings Brian
Published: September 2016

The year 2016 has seen an unprecedented level of interest occasioned by the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. This interest is in marked contrast to the surviving information concerning the event: the cause, place and even date of Shakespeare’s demise are all unknown. Moreover, attention to the mere fact of death adds nothing to knowledge of Shakespeare’s work; rather it distracts attention. This article surveys the anniversary celebrations in relation to the contrasting life records, arguing that the Anniversary has produced a “Zombie Shakespeare”, a twenty-first century biographical fantasy indicative of commodification rather than literary or creative imagination. This article is published as part of a collection on Shakespeare studies.
The roll-up and merging of coherent structures in shallow mixing layers
Authors: Lam M. Y. , Ghidaoui M. S. , Kolyshkin A. A.
Published: September 2016

The current study seeks a fundamental explanation to the development of two-dimensional coherent structures (2DCSs) in shallow mixing layers. A nonlinear numerical model based on the depth-averaged shallow water equations is used to investigate the temporal evolution of shallow mixing layers, where the mapping from temporal to spatial results is made using the velocity at the center of the mixing layers. The flow is periodic in the streamwise direction. Transmissive boundary conditions are used in the cross-stream boundaries to prevent reflections. Numerical results are compared to linear stability analysis, mean-field theory, and secondary stability analysis. Results suggest that the onset and development of 2DCS in shallow mixing layers are the result of a sequence of instabilities governed by linear theory, mean-field theory, and secondary stability theory. The linear instability of the shearing velocity gradient gives the onset of 2DCS. When the perturbations reach a certain amplitude, the flow field of the perturbations changes from a wavy shape to a vortical (2DCS) structure because of nonlinearity. The development of the vertical 2DCS does not appear to follow weakly nonlinear theory; instead, it follows mean-field theory. After the formation of 2DCS, separate 2DCSs merge to form larger 2DCS. In this way, 2DCSs grow and shallow mixing layers develop and grow in scale. The merging of 2DCS in shallow mixing layers is shown to be caused by the secondary instability of the 2DCS. Eventually 2DCSs are dissipated by bed friction. The sequence of instabilities can cause the upscaling of the turbulent kinetic energy in shallow mixing layers.
Design of practical alignment device in KSTAR Thomson diagnostic
Authors: Lee J. H. , Lee S. H. , Yamada I.
Published: September 2016

The precise alignment of the laser path and collection optics in Thomson scattering measurements is essential for accurately determining electron temperature and density in tokamak experiments. For the last five years, during the development stage, the KSTAR tokamak’s Thomson diagnostic system has had alignment fibers installed in its optical collection modules, but these lacked a proper alignment detection system. In order to address these difficulties, an alignment verifying detection device between lasers and an object field of collection optics is developed. The alignment detection device utilizes two types of filters: a narrow laser band wavelength for laser, and a broad wavelength filter for Thomson scattering signal. Four such alignment detection devices have been successfully developed for the KSTAR Thomson scattering system in this year, and these will be tested in KSTAR experiments in 2016. In this paper, we present the newly developed alignment detection device for KSTAR’s Thomson scattering diagnostics.
New compact and efficient local oscillator optic system for the KSTAR electron cyclotron emission imaging system
Authors: Nam Y. B. , Lee D. J. , Lee J. , Kim C. , Yun G. S. , Lee W. , Park H. K.
Published: September 2016

Electron cyclotron emission imaging (ECEI) diagnostic on Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research utilizes quasi-optical heterodyne-detection method to measure 2D (vertical and radial) Te fluctuations from two toroidally separated poloidal cross section of the plasma. A cylindrical lens local oscillator (LO) optics with optical path length (OPL) 2–2.5 m has been used in the current ECEI system to couple the LO source to the 24 vertically aligned array of ECE detectors. For efficient and compact LO optics employing the Powell lens is proposed so that the OPL of the LO source is significantly reduced from ∼2.0 m to 0.4 m with new optics. The coupling efficiency of the LO source is expected to be improved especially at the edge channels. Results from the optical simulation together with the laboratory test of the prototype optics will be discussed in this paper.
High-performance bio-piezoelectric nanogenerator made with fish scale
Authors: Ghosh Sujoy Kumar , Mandal Dipankar
Published: September 2016

Energy harvesting performance of an efficient flexible bio-piezoelectric nanogenerator (BPNG) is demonstrated, where “bio-waste” transparent fish scale (FSC), composed of self-assembled and ordered collagen nano-fibrils, serves as a self-poled piezoelectric active component, exhibiting intrinsic piezoelectric strength of −5.0 pC/N. The dipolar orientation (∼19%) of the self-polarized FSC collagen is confirmed by the angular dependent near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The BPNG is able to scavenge several types of ambient mechanical energies such as body movements, machine and sound vibrations, and wind flow which are abundant in living environment. Furthermore, as a power source, it generates the output voltage of 4 V, the short circuit current of 1.5 μA, and the maximum output power density of 1.14 μW/cm2 under repeated compressive normal stress of 0.17 MPa. In addition, serially integrated four BPNGs are able to produce enhanced output voltage of 14 V that turn on more than 50 blue light emitting diodes instantly, proving its essentiality as a sustainable green power source for next generation self-powered implantable medical devices as well as for personal portable electronics with reduced e-waste elements.
Development and characterization of a high yield transportable pulsed neutron source with efficient and compact pulsed power system
Authors: Verma Rishi , Mishra Ekansh , Dhang Prosenjit , Sagar Karuna , Meena Manraj , Shyam Anurag
Published: September 2016

The results of characterization experiments carried out on a newly developed dense plasma focus device based intense pulsed neutron source with efficient and compact pulsed power system are reported. Its high current sealed pseudospark switch based low inductance capacitor bank with maximum stored energy of ∼10 kJ is segregated into four modules of ∼2.5 kJ each and it cumulatively delivers peak current in the range of 400 kA–600 kA (corresponding to charging voltage range of 14 kV–18 kV) in a quarter time period of ∼2 μs. The neutron yield performance of this device has been optimized by discretely varying deuterium filling gas pressure in the range of 6 mbar–11 mbar at ∼17 kV/550 kA discharge. At ∼7 kJ/8.5 mbar operation, the average neutron yield has been measured to be in the order of ∼4 × 109 neutrons/pulse which is the highest ever reported neutron yield from a plasma focus device with the same stored energy. The average forward to radial anisotropy in neutron yield is found to be ∼2. The entire system is contained on a moveable trolley having dimensions 1.5 m × 1 m × 0.7 m and its operation and control (up to the distance of 25 m) are facilitated through optically isolated handheld remote console. The overall compactness of this system provides minimum proximity to small as well as large samples for irradiation. The major intended application objective of this high neutron yield dense plasma focus device development is to explore the feasibility of active neutron interrogation experiments by utilization of intense pulsed neutron sources.
Distributed state machine supervision for long-baseline gravitational-wave detectors
Authors: Rollins Jameson Graef
Published: September 2016

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of two identical yet independent, widely separated, long-baseline gravitational-wave detectors. Each Advanced LIGO detector consists of complex optical-mechanical systems isolated from the ground by multiple layers of active seismic isolation, all controlled by hundreds of fast, digital, feedback control systems. This article describes a novel state machine-based automation platform developed to handle the automation and supervisory control challenges of these detectors. The platform, called Guardian, consists of distributed, independent, state machine automaton nodes organized hierarchically for full detector control. User code is written in standard Python and the platform is designed to facilitate the fast-paced development process associated with commissioning the complicated Advanced LIGO instruments. While developed specifically for the Advanced LIGO detectors, Guardian is a generic state machine automation platform that is useful for experimental control at all levels, from simple table-top setups to large-scale multi-million dollar facilities.
Approximate cluster synchronization in networks with symmetries and parameter mismatches
Authors: Sorrentino Francesco , Pecora Louis
Published: September 2016

We study cluster synchronization in networks with symmetries in the presence of small generic parametric mismatches of two different types: mismatches affecting the dynamics of the individual uncoupled systems and mismatches affecting the network couplings. We perform a stability analysis of the nearly synchronous cluster synchronization solution and reduce the stability problem to a low-dimensional form. We also show how under certain conditions the low dimensional analysis can be used to predict the overall synchronization error, i.e., how close the individual nearly synchronous trajectories are to each other.