bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Male Warrior Hypothesis: Testosterone-related Cooperation and Aggression in the Context of Intergroup Conflict
Authors: Muñoz-Reyes J. A. , Polo P. , Valenzuela N. , Pavez P. , Ramírez-Herrera O. , Figueroa O. , Rodriguez-Sickert C. , Díaz D. , Pita M.
Published: January 2020

The Male Warrior Hypothesis (MWH) establishes that men’s psychology has been shaped by inter-group competition to acquire and protect reproductive resources. In this context, sex-specific selective pressures would have favored cooperation with the members of one’s group in combination with hostility towards outsiders. We investigate the role of developmental testosterone, as measured indirectly through static markers of prenatal testosterone (2D:4D digit ratio) and pubertal testosterone (body musculature and facial masculinity), on both cooperation and aggressive behavior in the context of intergroup conflict among men. Supporting the MWH, our results show that the intergroup conflict scenario promotes cooperation within group members and aggression toward outgroup members. Regarding the hormonal underpinnings of this phenomenon, we find that body musculature is positively associated with aggression and cooperation, but only for cooperation when context (inter-group competition) is taken into account. Finally, we did not find evidence that the formidability of the group affected individual rates of aggression or cooperation, controlling for individual characteristics.
Real-time monitoring of bacterial growth kinetics in suspensions using laser speckle imaging
Authors: Loutfi Hadi , Pellen Fabrice , Le Jeune Bernard , Lteif Roger , Kallassy Mireille , Le Brun Guy , Abboud Marie
Published: January 2020

In microbiology, monitoring the growth of any microorganism in culture is important for studying and optimizing the growth kinetics, the biomass and the metabolite production. In this work, we show that laser speckle imaging is a reliable technique that can be used to perform real-time monitoring of bacteria growth kinetic in liquid culture media. Speckle parameters, specifically speckle grain size and the spatial contrast of the speckle images, and standard analytical parameters (optical density, pH and colony forming units) were measured during the culture of different strains ofBacillus thuringiensis. Our results show that both speckle grain size and spatial contrast decrease with bacterial growth. Furthermore, speckle parameters are sensitive to the fermentation conditions. Statistical analysis revealed a relatively high correlation between speckle and analytical parameters.
BAD sensitizes breast cancer cells to docetaxel with increased mitotic arrest and necroptosis
Authors: Mann Jasdeep , Yang Ning , Montpetit Rachel , Kirschenman Raven , Lemieux Hélène , Goping Ing Swie
Published: January 2020

Breast cancer patients are commonly treated with taxane (e.g. docetaxel) chemotherapy, despite poor outcomes and eventual disease relapse. We previously identified the Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD) as a prognostic indicator of good outcome in taxane-treated breast cancer patients. We also demonstrated that BAD expression in human breast carcinoma cells generated larger tumors in mouse xenograft models. These paradoxical results suggest that BAD-expressing tumors are differentially sensitive to taxane treatment. We validated this here and show that docetaxel therapy preferentially reduced growth of BAD-expressing xenograft tumors. We next explored the cellular mechanism whereby BAD sensitizes cells to docetaxel. Taxanes are microtubule inhibiting agents that cause cell cycle arrest in mitosis whereupon the cells either die in mitosis or aberrantly exit (mitotic slippage) and survive as polyploid cells. In response to docetaxel, BAD-expressing cells had lengthened mitotic arrest with a higher proportion of cells undergoing death in mitosis with decreased mitotic slippage. Death in mitosis was non-apoptotic and not dependent on Bcl-XL interaction or caspase activation. Instead, cell death was necroptotic, and dependent on ROS. These results suggest that BAD is prognostic for favourable outcome in response to taxane chemotherapy by enhancing necroptotic cell death and inhibiting the production of potentially chemoresistant polyploid cells.
Polycystin 2 is increased in disease to protect against stress-induced cell death
Authors: Brill Allison L. , Fischer Tom T. , Walters Jennifer M. , Marlier Arnaud , Sewanan Lorenzo R. , Wilson Parker C. , Johnson Eric K. , Moeckel Gilbert , Cantley Lloyd G. , Campbell Stuart G. , Nerbonne Jeanne M. , Chung Hee Jung , Robert Marie E. , Ehrlich Barbara E.
Published: January 2020

Polycystin 2 (PC2 or TRPP1, formerly TRPP2) is a calcium-permeant Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) cation channel expressed primarily on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane and primary cilia of all cell and tissue types. Despite its ubiquitous expression throughout the body, studies of PC2 have focused primarily on its role in the kidney, as mutations in PC2 lead to the development of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), a debilitating condition for which there is no cure. However, the endogenous role that PC2 plays in the regulation of general cellular homeostasis remains unclear. In this study, we measure how PC2 expression changes in different pathological states, determine that its abundance is increased under conditions of cellular stress in multiple tissues including human disease, and conclude that PC2-deficient cells have increased susceptibility to cell death induced by stress. Our results offer new insight into the normal function of PC2 as a ubiquitous stress-sensitive protein whose expression is up-regulated in response to cell stress to protect against pathological cell death in multiple diseases.
Vitamin D/VDR signaling induces miR-27a/b expression in oral lichen planus
Authors: Ge Xuejun , Yuan Lu , Wei Jizhen , Nguyen Tivoli , Tang Chenwei , Liao Wang , Li Ran , Yang Fang , Zhang Fang , Zhao Bin , Du Jie
Published: January 2020

MicroRNA-27a/b are small non-coding RNAs which are reported to regulate inflammatory response and cell proliferation. Although some studies have demonstrated that miR-27b is down-regulated in the oral specimens of patients suffering with oral lichen planus (OLP), the molecular mechanism of miR-27b decrease remains a large mystery, and the expression of miR-27a in OLP is not well explored. Here, we demonstrated both miR-27a and miR-27b, compared with healthy controls, were reduced in the oral biopsies, serum and saliva samples derived from OLP patients. The reductions of miR-27a/b were also confirmed in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- or activated CD4+ T cell-treated human oral keratinocytes (HOKs). Furthermore, we found vitamin D receptor (VDR) binding sites in the promoters of miR-27a/b genes and verified this finding. We also tested miR-27a/b levels in the oral epithelium from paricalcitol-treated, vitamin D deficient or VDR knockout mice. In the rescue experiments, we confirmed vitamin D and VDR inhibited LPS- or activated CD4+ T cell-induced miR-27a/b reductions in HOKs. In sum, our results show that vitamin D/VDR signaling induces miR-27a/b in oral lichen planus.
Tuning mitochondrial structure and function to criticality by fluctuation-driven mechanotransduction
Authors: Bartolák-Suki Erzsébet , Suki Béla
Published: January 2020

Cells in vascular walls are exposed to blood pressure variability (BPV)-induced cycle-by-cycle fluctuations in mechanical forces which vary considerably with pathology. For example, BPV is elevated in hypertension but reduced under anesthesia. We hypothesized that the extent of mechanical fluctuations applied to vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) regulates mitochondrial network structure near the percolation transition, which also influences ATP and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We stretched VSMCs in culture with cycle-by-cycle variability in area strain ranging from no variability (0%), as in standard laboratory conditions, through abnormally small (6%) and physiological (25%) to pathologically high (50%) variability mimicking hypertension, superimposed on 0.1 mean area strain. To explore how oxidative stress and ATP-dependent metabolism affect mitochondria, experiments were repeated in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and AMP-PNP, an ATP analog and competitive inhibitor of ATPases. Physiological 25% variability maintained activated mitochondrial cluster structure at percolation with a power law distribution and exponent matching the theoretical value in 2 dimensions. The 25% variability also maximized ATP and minimized cellular and mitochondrial ROS production via selective control of fission and fusion proteins (mitofusins, OPA1 and DRP1) as well as through stretch-sensitive regulation of the ATP synthase and VDAC1, the channel that releases ATP into the cytosol. Furthermore, pathologically low or high variability moved mitochondria away from percolation which reduced the effectiveness of the electron transport chain by lowering ATP and increasing ROS productions. We conclude that normal BPV is required for maintaining optimal mitochondrial structure and function in VSMCs.
Encapsulation boosts islet-cell signature in differentiating human induced pluripotent stem cells via integrin signalling
Authors: Legøy Thomas Aga , Vethe Heidrun , Abadpour Shadab , Strand Berit L. , Scholz Hanne , Paulo Joao A. , Ræder Helge , Ghila Luiza , Chera Simona
Published: January 2020

Cell replacement therapies hold great therapeutic potential. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the mechanisms governing the developmental processes is limited, impeding the quality of differentiation protocols. Generating insulin-expressing cells in vitro is no exception, with the guided series of differentiation events producing heterogeneous cell populations that display mixed pancreatic islet phenotypes and immaturity. The achievement of terminal differentiation ultimately requires the in vivo transplantation of, usually, encapsulated cells. Here we show the impact of cell confinement on the pancreatic islet signature during the guided differentiation of alginate encapsulated human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Our results show that encapsulation improves differentiation by significantly reshaping the proteome landscape of the cells towards an islet-like signature. Pathway analysis is suggestive of integrins transducing the encapsulation effect into intracellular signalling cascades promoting differentiation. These analyses provide a molecular framework for understanding the confinement effects on hiPSCs differentiation while confirming its importance for this process.
Enhanced production of sucrose in the fast-growing cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973
Authors: Lin Po-Cheng , Zhang Fuzhong , Pakrasi Himadri B.
Published: January 2020

Cyanobacteria are attractive microbial hosts for production of chemicals using light and CO2. However, their low productivity of chemicals is a major challenge for commercial applications. This is mostly due to their relatively slow growth rate and carbon partitioning toward biomass rather than products. Many cyanobacterial strains synthesize sucrose as an osmoprotectant to cope with salt stress environments. In this study, we harnessed the photosynthetic machinery of the fast-growing cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 to produce sucrose under salt stress conditions and investigated if the high efficiency of photosynthesis can enhance the productivity of sucrose. By expressing the sucrose transporter CscB, Synechococcus 2973 produced 8 g L−1 of sucrose with a highest productivity of 1.9 g L−1 day−1 under salt stress conditions. The salt stress activated the sucrose biosynthetic pathway mostly via upregulating the sps gene, which encodes the rate-limiting sucrose-phosphate synthase enzyme. To alleviate the demand on high concentrations of salt for sucrose production, we further overexpressed the sucrose synthesis genes in Synechococcus 2973. The engineered strain produced sucrose with a productivity of 1.1 g L−1 day−1 without the need of salt induction. The engineered Synechococcus 2973 in this study demonstrated the highest productivity of sucrose in cyanobacteria.
Diversity and seasonality of horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in Uruguay
Authors: Lucas Martín , Krolow Tiago K. , Riet-Correa Franklin , Barros Antonio Thadeu M. , Krüger Rodrigo F. , Saravia Anderson , Miraballes Cecilia
Published: January 2020

Horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) cause direct and indirect losses in livestock production and are important vectors of pathogens. The aim of this study was to determine the diversity and seasonality of horse fly species at an experimental farm in Tacuarembó and the diversity of species in different departments of Uruguay. For 20 months, systematic collections were performed in two different environments at the experimental farm using Nzi and Malaise traps. In addition, nonsystematic collections were performed at farms located in the departments of Paysandú, Tacuarembó and Colonia. A total of 3,666 horse flies were collected, and 16 species were identified. These species included three species that had not been previously recorded in Uruguay, namely,Dasybasis ornatissima(Brèthes),Dasybasis missionum(Macquart), andTabanus aff.platensisBrèthes, and a species that had not been previously taxonomically described (Tabanussp.1). Among the systematically captured samples, the most abundant species wereTabanus campestrisBrèthes,T.aff.platensisandD.missionum, representing 77.6% of the collected specimens. The horse fly season in Tacuarembó started in September and ended in May. No horse flies were caught during winter. Variations in the prevalences of species in the different departments were observed, which indicates the need for new sampling efforts.
A CBL-interacting protein kinase AdCIPK5 confers salt and osmotic stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco
Authors: Singh Naveen Kumar , Shukla Pawan , Kirti P. B.
Published: January 2020

CBL interacting protein kinases play important roles in adaptation to stress conditions. In the present study, we isolated a CBL-interacting protein kinase homolog(AdCIPK5)from a wild peanut (Arachis diogoi) with similarity toAtCIPK5of Arabidopsis. Expression analyses in leaves of the wild peanut showedAdCIPK5induction by exogenous signaling molecules including salicylic acid, abscisic acid and ethylene or abiotic stress factors like salt, PEG and sorbitol. The recombinant AdCIPK5-GFP protein was found to be localized to the nucleus, plasma membrane and cytoplasm. We overexpressedAdCIPK5in tobacco plants and checked their level of tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. While wild type and transgenic plants displayed no significant differences to the treatment with the phytopathogen,Phytophthora parasiticapvnicotianae, the expression ofAdCIPK5increased salt and osmotic tolerance in transgenic plants. Analysis of different physiological parameters revealed that the transgenic plants maintained higher chlorophyll content and catalase activity with lower levels of H2O2and MDA content during the abiotic stress conditions.AdCIPK5overexpression also contributed to the maintenance of a higher the K+/Na+ratio under salt stress. The enhanced tolerance of transgenic plants was associated with elevated expression of stress-related marker genes;NtERD10C,NtERD10D,NtNCED1,NtSus1,NtCATandNtSOS1. Taken together, these results indicate that AdCIPK5 is a positive regulator of salt and osmotic stress tolerance.
Author Correction: A zebrafish drug screening platform boosts the discovery of novel therapeutics for spinal cord injury in mammals
Authors: Chapela Diana , Sousa Sara , Martins Isaura , Cristóvão Ana Margarida , Pinto Patrícia , Corte-Real Sofia , Saúde Leonor
Published: January 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Author Correction: Lithospheric mantle buoyancy: the role of tectonic convergence and mantle composition
Authors: Boonma K. , Kumar A. , Garcia-Castellanos D. , Jiménez-Munt I. , Fernández M.
Published: January 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
A paper-based colorimetric assay system for sensitive cysteine detection using a fluorescent probe
Authors: Zhang Jian , Miao Yanqing , Cheng Zhao , Liang Lingling , Ma Xiaoya , Liu Chunye
Published: January 2020

Sensitive analysis of Cys on a paper-based platform via colorimetric detection which abandons sophisticated instruments.
A near-infrared ratiometric fluorescent probe based on the CN double bond for monitoring SO2 and its application in biological imaging
Authors: Zhang Tiange , Zhu Linlin , Ma Yanyan , Lin Weiying
Published: January 2020

A near-infrared ratiometric fluorescent probe based on CN double bond was developed for monitoring SO2 and its application in biological imaging.
Building an anti-interfering DNAzyme-powered micromachine resistant to being inhibited by biological matrices
Authors: Yang Peng , Deng Ping , Du Huan , Hou Xin , Zhang Jie , Chen Junbo , Hou Xiandeng , Zhou Rongxing
Published: January 2020

A DNAzyme-powered micromachine with anti-interfering properties and displaying resistance to being inhibited by biological matrices was built.
Vibrational spectra and chemical imaging of cyclo[18]carbon by tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Hussain Shafqat , Chen Huan , Zhang Zhenglong , Zheng Hairong
Published: January 2020

Vibrational modes and tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) of cyclo[18]carbon were studied by density functional theory. The TERS images demonstrate the position of the CC bonds.
Surface modification strategy for fluorescence solvatochromism of carbon dots prepared from p-phenylenediamine
Authors: Sato Kohei , Sato Rina , Iso Yoshiki , Isobe Tetsuhiko
Published: January 2020

Surface modification of p-phenylenediamine-derived carbon dots with decanoic acid and perfluorodecanoic acid successfully modulated fluorescence solvatochromism.
An asymmetric hydrocyanation/Michael reaction of α-diazoacetates via Cu(i)/chiral guanidine catalysis
Authors: Ruan Sai , Zhong Xia , Chen Quangang , Feng Xiaoming , Liu Xiaohua
Published: January 2020

An asymmetric one-pot hydrocyanation/Michael reaction of α-aryl diazoacetates with trimethylsilyl cyanide, tert-butanol, and N-phenylmaleimides has been realized using a chiral guanidinium salt/CuBr catalyst.
Isolable cyclic radical cations of heavy main-group elements
Authors: Cui Haiyan , Xiao Dengmengfei , Zhang Li , Ruan Huapeng , Fang Yong , Zhao Yue , Tan Gengwen , Zhao Lili , Frenking Gernot , Driess Matthias , Wang Xinping
Published: January 2020

The first stable radical cations bearing both heavy group 14 and 15 elements have been isolated and fully characterized.
Irreversible tautomerization as a powerful tool to access unprecedented functional porous organic polymers with a tris(β-keto-hydrazo)cyclohexane subunit (TKH-POPs)
Authors: Liu Xiangxiang , Luo Xian-Sheng , Fu Hao-Xi , Fan Wenhao , Chen Shi-Lu , Huang Mu-Hua
Published: January 2020

Irreversible tautomerization could lead to fascinating functional porous organic polymers such as TKH-POPs comprising tris(β-keto-hydrazo)-cyclohexane subunit.
Switching-on superparamagnetism in diluted magnetic Fe(iii) doped CdSe quantum dots
Authors: Yadav Amar Nath , Bindra Jasleen K. , Jakhar Narendra , Singh Kedar
Published: January 2020

Chemically prepared, 0.5% Fe(iii)-doped CdSe QDs exhibit superparamagnetism with weak ferromagnetic exchange interaction.
Characteristics and performance of rutile/anatase/brookite TiO2 and TiO2–Ti2O3(H2O)2(C2O4)·H2O multiphase mixed crystal for the catalytic degradation of emerging contaminants
Authors: Hu Kangkai , E Lei , Zhao Dan , Li Yajing , Zhao Wei , Rong Hui
Published: January 2020

The as-synthesized rutile/anatase TiO2 and rutile/anatase/brookite TiO2–Ti2O3(H2O)2(C2O4)·H2O, particularly rutile/anatase TiO2, showed excellent catalytic oxidation of organic contaminants (MO and HBA).
Embedding tetrahedral 3d transition metal TM4 clusters into the cavity of two-dimensional graphdiyne to construct highly efficient and nonprecious electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Ku Ruiqi , Yu Guangtao , Gao Jing , Huang Xuri , Chen Wei
Published: January 2020

Coupled with the high structural stability and good conductivity, all the new 2D composite nanostructures TM4@GDY (TM = Sc, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu) can uniformly exhibit considerably high catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction.
Heteroatom-bridged heterofluorenes: a theoretical study on molecular structures and optoelectronic properties
Authors: Qi Yuanyuan , Chen Cailin , Zheng Chao , Tang Yuting , Wan Yifang , Jiang He , Chen Ting , Tao Ye , Chen Runfeng
Published: January 2020

A double heteroatom introduction strategy was proposed and theoretically investigated to construct highly rigid π-conjugated small molecules and polymers for optoelectronic applications.
Dielectric phase transition of an A2BX4-type perovskite with a pentahedral to octahedral transformation
Authors: Chai Siqian , Xiong Jianbo , Zheng Yongshen , Shi Rongchao , Xu Jialiang
Published: January 2020

The as-synthesized 2D perovskite [C5H12N]2PbCl4 undergoes an above-room-temperature dielectric phase transition with a reversible pentahedral to octahedron transformation and a high dielectric constant being over twice of the low dielectric constant.
A study to develop platinum(iv) complex chemistry for peptide disulfide bond formation
Authors: Song Changying , Sun Jingjing , Zhao Xiaowei , Huo Shuying , Shen Shigang
Published: January 2020

Platinum(iv) complexes with a heterocyclic ligand and an ancillary ligand have been investigated and applied for the formation of disulfide bonds in peptides.
Se@SiO2@Au-PEG/DOX NCs as a multifunctional theranostic agent efficiently protect normal cells from oxidative damage during photothermal therapy
Authors: Kong Wenyan , Wang Qi , Deng Guoying , Zhao Hang , Zhao Linjing , Lu Jie , Liu Xijian
Published: January 2020

A multifunctional theranostic agent was exploited, which can efficiently prevent healthy cells from oxidative damage during photothermal therapy, thus solving the problem of hyperthermia therapy by introducing selenium.
Ultrahigh-efficiency desalination via a thermally-localized multistage solar still
Authors: Xu Zhenyuan , Zhang Lenan , Zhao Lin , Li Bangjun , Bhatia Bikram , Wang Chenxi , Wilke Kyle L. , Song Youngsup , Labban Omar , Lienhard John H. , Wang Ruzhu , Wang Evelyn N.
Published: January 2020

Passive vapor generation systems combining interfacial solar heating and vaporization enthalpy recycling enable high-efficient low-cost desalination.
Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) can enhance the uptake of silver-containing nanoparticles by a wetland plant
Authors: Niu Zuo-shun , Yang Yi , Tou Fei-yun , Guo Xing-pan , Huang Rong , Xu Jie , Chen Yu-ru , Hou Li-jun , Liu Min , Hochella Michael F.
Published: January 2020

The enhanced phyto-uptake of Ag-NPs in the presence of SRB, by transforming Ag0-NPs into secondary Ag sulfide-NPs.
The micromechanical model to computationally investigate cooperative and correlated phenomena in metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Rogge Sven M. J.
Published: January 2020

Through the here introduced micromechanical equations of state, long-range dynamic phenomena in MOFs can be investigated starting from atomistic information.
Tandem selective reduction of nitroarenes catalyzed by palladium nanoclusters
Authors: Yan Ziqiang , Xie Xiaoyu , Song Qun , Ma Fulei , Sui Xinyu , Huo Ziyu , Ma Mingming
Published: January 2020

Five categories of valuable N-containing compounds can be selectively synthesized by the catalytic tandem reduction of nitroarenes with in situ generated Pd nanoclusters as the catalyst.
An incisive optical recognition of monohydrogen phosphate by a fluorescein-based chemodosimeter
Authors: Asthana Sharad Kumar , Pandey Abha , Kumar Ajit , Upadhyay K. K.
Published: January 2020

We herein devised an incisive chromofluorogenic chemodosimeter (FLH) for detecting HPO42− over other phosphates, viz. H2PO4−, PO43−, and PPi.
Supramolecular organogels based on mesogenic 2,7-difunctionalized triphenylenes as a simple system for water content assessment in light alcohols
Authors: Vadra Nahir , Huck-Iriart Cristián , Giovanetti Lisandro J. , Di Chenna Pablo H. , Cukiernik Fabio D.
Published: January 2020

Self-assembly of di-hydroxylated triphenylenes in columnar mesophases and organogels depends on the spacer length and allows water quantification in alcohols.
Synthesis, photophysics and biomolecule interactive studies of new hybrid benzo-2,1,3-thiadiazoles
Authors: Neto José S. S. , Krüger Roberta , Balaguez Renata A. , Fronza Mariana G. , Acunha Thiago V. , Oliboni Robson S. , Savegnago Lucielli , Iglesias Bernardo A. , Alves Diego
Published: January 2020

New hybrid molecules containing benzo-2,1,3-thiadiazole, benzofuran and arylselanyl moieties were synthesized and their photophysics and biomolecule interactive studies were performed.
Copper-based homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts for electrochemical water oxidation
Authors: Lee Husileng , Wu Xiujuan , Sun Licheng
Published: January 2020

The recent progress in the development of homogeneous and heterogeneous Cu-based WOCs for electrochemical catalysis.
High resolution noncontact atomic force microscopy imaging with oxygen-terminated copper tips at 78 K
Authors: Yesilpinar Damla , Schulze Lammers Bertram , Timmer Alexander , Amirjalayer Saeed , Fuchs Harald , Mönig Harry
Published: January 2020

AFM experiments at 78 K with an atomically defined O-terminated Cu tip allow determining bond lengths of an organic molecule with high precision.
Synthesis of 1,4-diazepinone derivatives via a domino aza-Michael/SN2 cyclization of 1-azadienes with α-halogenoacetamides
Authors: Yuan Chunhao , Zhang Hui , Yuan Mengna , Xie Lei , Cao Xiaoqun
Published: January 2020

A novel cyclization of N-alkoxy α-halogenoacetamides with N-sulfonyl-1-aza-1,3-butadienes has been developed for the efficient preparation of 1,4-diazepinones in one step under transition metal-free conditions.
Janus MXene nanosheets for macroscopic assemblies
Authors: Zhao Sai , Li Lulu , Zhang Hao-Bin , Qian Bingqing , Luo Jia-Qi , Deng Zhiming , Shi Shaowei , Russell Thomas P. , Yu Zhong-Zhen
Published: January 2020

Amphiphilic Janus MXene nanosheets are synthesized for the first time by a one-step transferring method, which can act as promising solid surfactants to stabilize emulsions, and assemble into macroscopic 2D ultrathin MXene films and 3D MXene aerogels.
Polyoxymethylene/silica/polylactic acid-grafted polyethylene glycol nanocomposites: structure, morphology, and mechanical properties and ozone and UV durability
Authors: Nguyen Thuy Chinh , Tran Thi Mai , Trinh Anh Truc , Nguyen Anh Hiep , Dam Xuan Thang , Vu Quoc Trung , Tran Dai Lam , Nguyen Duy Trinh , Le Truong Giang , Thai Hoang
Published: January 2020

The combined addition of nanosilica (NS) and polylactic acid-grafted polyethylene glycol (PELA) enhanced some properties of polyoxymethylene (POM).
Study on non-bioparticles and Staphylococcus aureus by dielectrophoresis
Authors: Chen Qiaoying , Cao Zhongqing , Yuan Yong J.
Published: January 2020

This article demonstrated a chip device with alternating current (AC) dielectrophoresis (DEP) for separation of non-biological micro-particle and bacteria mixtures.
Controlled dye release from a metal–organic framework: a new luminescent sensor for water
Authors: Xiao Fan , Zhang Jun , Gan Jiulin , Tang Ying , Cui Yuanjing , Yu Yang , Qian Guodong
Published: January 2020

A turn-on trace water sensor was obtained via the single-crystal to single-crystal transformation process of a metal–organic framework.
Synthesis and dielectric properties of the eco-friendly insulating gas thiazyl trifluoride
Authors: Deng Jiayan , Peng Min , Gao Zhanyang , Wang Yi , Wang Baoshan , Zhou Wenjun , Peng Ruichao , Luo Yunbai
Published: January 2020

An efficient two-step synthetic method of a brand-new environment-friendly insulating gas thiazyl trifluoride was introduced.
Functional metabolomics using UPLC-Q/TOF-MS combined with ingenuity pathway analysis as a promising strategy for evaluating the efficacy and discovering amino acid metabolism as a potential therapeutic mechanism-related target for geniposide against alcoholic liver disease
Authors: Qiu Shi , Zhang Ai-hua , Guan Yu , Sun Hui , Zhang Tian-lei , Han Ying , Yan Guang-li , Wang Xi-jun
Published: January 2020

Metabolomics has been used as a strategy to evaluate the efficacy of and potential targets for natural products.
Protein corona formation moderates the release kinetics of ion channel antagonists from transferrin-functionalized polymeric nanoparticles
Authors: Naidu Priya S. R. , Denham Eleanor , Bartlett Carole A. , McGonigle Terry , Taylor Nicolas L. , Norret Marck , Smith Nicole. M. , Dunlop Sarah A. , Iyer K. Swaminathan , Fitzgerald Melinda
Published: January 2020

Transferrin (Tf)-functionalized p(HEMA-ran-GMA) nanoparticles were designed to incorporate and release a water-soluble combination of three ion channel antagonists, identified as a promising therapy for secondary degeneration following neurotrauma.
Dual-enzymatically crosslinked and injectable hyaluronic acid hydrogels for potential application in tissue engineering
Authors: Wang Luyu , Li Jinrui , Zhang Dan , Ma Shanshan , Zhang Junni , Gao Feng , Guan Fangxia , Yao Minghao
Published: January 2020

A new hyaluronic acid hydrogel dual-enzymatically cross-linked by HRP and GalOX and application for three-dimensional stem cell culture and tissue engineering.
Lychee-like TiO2@TiN dual-function composite material for lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Xu Wei , Pang Huimei , Zhou Heliang , Jian Zhixu , Hu Riming , Xing Yalan , Zhang Shichao
Published: January 2020

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are promising candidates for next generation rechargeable batteries because of their high energy density of 2600 W h kg−1.
Synthesis, characterization, and comparison of antibacterial effects and elucidating the mechanism of ZnO, CuO and CuZnO nanoparticles supported on mesoporous silica SBA-3
Authors: Qiu Songfa , Zhou Hongjun , Shen Zhichuan , Hao Li , Chen Huayao , Zhou Xinhua
Published: January 2020

Silanized iminodiacetic acid (GLYMO–IDA) modified mesoporous silica (G-SBA) was prepared following a co-condensation method.
HfS2/MoTe2 vdW heterostructure: bandstructure and strain engineering based on first-principles calculation
Authors: Yang Xinge , Qin Xiande , Luo Junxuan , Abbas Nadeem , Tang Jiaoning , Li Yu , Gu Kunming
Published: January 2020

In this study, a multilayered van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure, HfS2/MoTe2, was modeled and simulated using density functional theory (DFT).
Simultaneous catalytic reduction of SO2 and NO from flue gas using H2S as a reductant at low temperatures
Authors: Lü Xianghong , Li Hao , Du Xiaohui , Wang Xue , Lan Minyi , Wu Jianlin , Zhu Jin , Sun Jianliang , Jiang Feng
Published: January 2020

High-efficiency simultaneous removal of NO and SO2 in flue gas can be realized by catalytic reduction with H2S on CeO2–AT catalyst in the low temperature range of 240 to 280 °C.
Refinery integration of lignocellulose for automotive fuel production via the bioCRACK process and two-step co-hydrotreating of liquid phase pyrolysis oil and heavy gas oil
Authors: Treusch Klara , Huber Anna , Reiter Samir , Lukasch Mario , Hammerschlag Berndt , Außerleitner Julia , Painer Daniela , Pucher Peter , Siebenhofer Matthäus , Schwaiger Nikolaus
Published: January 2020

Co-hydroprocessing of liquid phase pyrolysis oil with refinery intermediates was performed for fuel production with 8–9% renewable carbon content.
Dynamic design: manipulation of millisecond timescale motions on the energy landscape of cyclophilin A
Authors: Juárez-Jiménez Jordi , Gupta Arun A. , Karunanithy Gogulan , Mey Antonia S. J. S. , Georgiou Charis , Ioannidis Harris , De Simone Alessio , Barlow Paul N. , Hulme Alison N. , Walkinshaw Malcolm D. , Baldwin Andrew J. , Michel Julien
Published: January 2020

Molecular simulations were used to design large scale loop motions in the enzyme cyclophilin A and NMR and biophysical methods were employed to validate the models.
Singlet oxygen stimulus for switchable functional organic cages
Authors: Mongin Cédric , Ardoy Alejandro Mendez , Méreau Raphaël , Bassani Dario M. , Bibal Brigitte
Published: January 2020

Allosteric switchable organic cages allow variability in cation recognition.
Multi-color tunable circularly polarized luminescence in one single AIE system
Authors: Shang Hongxing , Ding Zeyang , Shen Yue , Yang Bing , Liu Minghua , Jiang Shimei
Published: January 2020

A multi-color tunable circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) xerogel film with a large luminescence dissymmetry factor (glum) is achieved using a single compound upon protonation.
Sulfoxide-mediated oxidative cross-coupling of phenols
Authors: He Zhen , Perry Gregory J. P. , Procter David J.
Published: January 2020

A metal-free, oxidative coupling of phenols with various nucleophiles, including arenes, 1,3-diketones and other phenols, is reported.
Surface chemistry of gold nanoparticles for health-related applications
Authors: Zhang Jiangjiang , Mou Lei , Jiang Xingyu
Published: January 2020

Functionalization of gold nanoparticles is crucial for the effective utilization of these materials in health-related applications.
Stable cycling of Li–S batteries by simultaneously suppressing Li-dendrite growth and polysulfide shuttling enabled by a bioinspired separator
Authors: Yang Yanfei , Wang Wankai , Li Lingxiao , Li Bucheng , Zhang Junping
Published: January 2020

A bioinspired separator was designed to simultaneously inhibit the growth of Li dendrites, polysulfide shuttling, and improve the performance of Li–S batteries.
Superior performance and stability of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis: pH-controlled copper cobalt oxide nanoparticles for the oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Jang Myeong Je , Yang Juchan , Lee Jongmin , Park Yoo Sei , Jeong Jaehoon , Park Seong Min , Jeong Jae-Yeop , Yin Yadong , Seo Min-Ho , Choi Sung Mook , Lee Kyu Hwan
Published: January 2020

Cu0.5Co2.5O4 nanoparticles are obtained by changes in the pH and applied as the anode in anion exchange membrane water electrolysis.
Advanced nanoporous separators for stable lithium metal electrodeposition at ultra-high current densities in liquid electrolytes
Authors: Yang Jingling , Wang Chun-Yao , Wang Chun-Chieh , Chen Kuei-Hsien , Mou Chung-Yuan , Wu Heng-Liang
Published: January 2020

An inorganic mesoporous MSTF⊥AAO separator with good wettability and straight nanopores exhibited ultra-stable lithium metal electrodeposition ability in Li metal batteries.
Correction: Engineering spin and antiferromagnetic resonances to realize an efficient direction-multiplexed visible meta-hologram
Authors: Ansari Muhammad Afnan , Kim Inki , Rukhlenko Ivan D. , Zubair Muhammad , Yerci Selcuk , Tauqeer Tauseef , Mehmood Muhammad Qasim , Rho Junsuk
Published: January 2020

Correction for ‘Engineering spin and antiferromagnetic resonances to realize an efficient direction-multiplexed visible meta-hologram’ by Muhammad Afnan Ansari et al., Nanoscale Horiz., 2020, 5, 57–64.
Correction: Highly stable hetero-structured green-emitting cesium lead bromide nanocrystals via ligand-mediated phase control
Authors: Grandhi G. Krishnamurthy , Viswanath N. S. M. , Cho Han Bin , Kim Seong Min , Im Won Bin
Published: January 2020

Correction for ‘Highly stable hetero-structured green-emitting cesium lead bromide nanocrystals via ligand-mediated phase control’ by G. Krishnamurthy Grandhi et al., Nanoscale, 2019, 11, 21137–21146.
Dicarbonyl derived post-translational modifications: chemistry bridging biology and aging-related disease
Authors: Sibbersen Christian , Johannsen Mogens
Published: January 2020

In living systems, nucleophilic amino acid residues are prone to non-enzymatic post-translational modification by electrophiles. α-Dicarbonyl compounds are a special type of electrophiles that can react irreversibly with lysine, arginine, and cysteine residues via complex mechanisms to form post-translational modifications known as advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). Glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and 3-deoxyglucosone are the major endogenous dicarbonyls, with methylglyoxal being the most well-studied. There are several routes that lead to the formation of dicarbonyl compounds, most originating from glucose and glucose metabolism, such as the non-enzymatic decomposition of glycolytic intermediates and fructosyl amines. Although dicarbonyls are removed continuously mainly via the glyoxalase system, several conditions lead to an increase in dicarbonyl concentration and thereby AGE formation. AGEs have been implicated in diabetes and aging-related diseases, and for this reason the elucidation of their structure as well as protein targets is of great interest. Though the dicarbonyls and reactive protein side chains are of relatively simple nature, the structures of the adducts as well as their mechanism of formation are not that trivial. Furthermore, detection of sites of modification can be demanding and current best practices rely on either direct mass spectrometry or various methods of enrichment based on antibodies or click chemistry followed by mass spectrometry. Future research into the structure of these adducts and protein targets of dicarbonyl compounds may improve the understanding of how the mechanisms of diabetes and aging-related physiological damage occur.
Associations Between Parenting Stress, Language Comprehension, and Inhibitory Control in Children With Hearing Loss
Authors: Blank Andrew , Frush Holt Rachael , Pisoni David B. , Kronenberger William G.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Parenting stress has been studied as a potential predictor of developmental outcomes in children with normal hearing and children who are deaf and hard of hearing. However, it is unclear how parenting stress might underlie at-risk spoken language and neurocognitive outcomes in this clinical pediatric population. We investigated parenting stress levels and the shared relations between parenting stress, language comprehension, and inhibitory control skills in children with and without hearing loss (HL) using a cross-sectional design.

Method

Families of children with HL (
n =
39) and with normal hearing (
n =
41) were tested. Children completed an age-appropriate version of the Concepts & Following Directions subtest of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals and the NIH Toolbox Flanker Test of Attention and Inhibitory control. Caregivers completed the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form 4.

Results

Parenting stress levels were not significantly different between parents of children with and without HL. A significant negative association was observed between parenting stress and our measure of language comprehension in children with HL. A negative association between parenting stress and inhibitory control skills was also found in families of children with HL, but not hearing children. The parenting stress–inhibitory control relationship was indirectly accounted for by delayed language comprehension skills in children with HL.

Conclusion

Even at moderate levels of parenting stress similar to parents of children with normal hearing, increases in parenting stress were associated with lower scores on our measures of language comprehension and inhibitory control in children with HL. Thus, parenting stress may underlie some of the variability in at-risk pediatric HL outcomes.
Slot antenna excited by novel substrate integrated coaxial line cavity for millimetre wave application
Authors: Baghel N. , Mukherjee S.
Published: January 2020

In this Letter, a novel compact slot antenna has been realised using substrate integrated coaxial line (SICL) cavity. SICL technology helps to achieve cavity size of while maintaining its inherent advantage of self shielded and low loss transmission line at millimetre frequencies. A SICL cavity is designed by shorting the middle conductor at the two edges and keeping the other two edges separated from the sidewall. The eigenmode analysis affirms the presence of a dominant TEM mode at 28 GHz along with the presence of SICL even and odd modes. A half wavelength diagonal slot is etched on the bottom plate of the cavity to disturb the TEM mode surface current at 28 GHz. Measurement results show the SICL cavity backed slot antenna exhibits a gain of 5.6 dBi at 28.6 GHz and high front‐to‐back ratio better than 17 dB. The SICL‐based cavity exhibits millimetre wave resonance with much smaller size, which helps to improve the compactness of the design. The proposed antenna can be used for millimetre wave applications like handheld mobile devices at millimetre‐wave frequencies.
Synchronous vibration control for magnetically suspended control moment gyros using optimal notch filter
Authors: Peng Cong , Zhu Mengting , Liu Xiaoyue , Chao Shan , Zhen Ziyang
Published: January 2020

The synchronous vibration in magnetically suspended control moment gyros is a common problem due to unavoidable rotor mass imbalance. This work proposes an optimal notch filter for suppressing the synchronous vibration force. The synchronous vibration force is firstly modelled, and the preliminary design of phase‐shift notch filter is given to ensure the system stability. Then the optimal phase of notch filter is discussed, and its theoretical expression is given. Finally, simulation results illustrate the superiority of the notch filter with optimal phase, and experimental results verify the effectiveness of optimal notch filter.
Behavioural mechanism and stability control of VSC–HVDC/weak AC hybrid grid after large disturbances
Authors: Zhang Xin , Zheng Chao , Tang Yong , Ma Shiying , Li Huiling
Published: January 2020

Flexible DC transmission technology based on voltage source converter (VSC) is an effective solution to solve the reliability of power supply to weak AC systems. In this study, a VSC–high‐voltage DC (HVDC) electromechanical transient simulation model is established based on the Chongqing‐Hubei flexible DC transmission project which is the highest voltage level and the largest transmission capacity in the world. This model can be used to simulate the behaviour of the limiters and AC fault ride through strategies. A large disturbance measurement method for VSC's non‐linear power characteristics is proposed. Stability of flexible DC and weak AC hybrid grid under large disturbance are analysed, behaviour mechanisms and key influence factors of different instability forms are revealed. In this way, a solution is proposed to improve the hybrid grid's ability against large disturbances. By the construction of the VSC–HVDC electromechanical transient simulation model, the correctness of the mechanism analysis and effectiveness of the solution are verified.
Adaptive spline‐based PLL for synchronisation and power quality improvement in distribution system
Authors: Saxena Hemant , Singh Alka , Rai Jitendra Nath
Published: January 2020

A new type of non‐linear adaptive phase‐locked loop (PLL) has been proposed here, which is based on spline interpolation. The study discusses the method of cubic spline, which is used to extract the fundamental voltage component, its phase angle and frequency. Test results under varying grid conditions viz. normal and distorted conditions such as the presence of harmonics, noise, phase and frequency variations etc. are presented for the developed PLL. An application of the proposed PLL to power quality improvement of grid current using shunt active power filter is further discussed here. The study demonstrates that the spline‐based controller can be effectively employed as a PLL and to achieve improvement in the power quality of a three‐phase, three‐wire power distribution system.
Modelling for switching impulse breakdown of live working gaps between equipotential worker and transmission towers
Authors: Fang Yaqi , Wang Linong , Li Rui , Gao Jiachen , Song Bin , Liu Kai
Published: January 2020

Air gap discharge voltage is the key parameter to determine the minimum approach distance for live working. In this study, a mathematical–physical model for predicting 50% discharge voltage of the transmission line air gaps considering the effect of live line worker is developed based on the continuous leader inception criterion. Also, the tower structure coefficient ST is proposed to represent the influence of various tower structures and ST is calculated by finite element method. Finally, the switching impulse discharge tests of the equipotential worker‐tower structure gaps are carried out on 750 kV transmission lines to verify the proposed model. The research results show that the errors between the calculation and experimental data are within ±4.03% which demonstrates the feasibility of discharge voltage prediction for complicated live working gaps. This model offers a possible way to determine the safety air gap distance for live working by analytical and numerical calculation rather than costly and time‐consuming experiments.
Design of coordination mechanisms for price anticipatory transactive microgrids
Authors: Akter Most Nahida , Mahmud Md Apel , Haque Md Enamul , Oo Amanullah M. T.
Published: January 2020

In this study, coordination mechanisms are designed for price anticipatory transactive microgrids. The mechanisms are designed by considering the neighbourhood energy transactions among different consumers in a residential microgrid as well as energy trading among several microgrids within an area. The energy trading framework among different consumers in a microgrid is developed based on a non‐cooperative leader–follower game theoretic approach to maximise the utilities of both sellers and buyers. The energy transactions among different parties within a microgrid are defined, in this study, as intra‐microgrid energy trading. A double‐auction mechanism is used for energy trading among different microgrids where energy shortage and excess information from each microgrid are coordinated. The proposed mechanisms are developed by considering the physical properties of microgrids, e.g. power flow and voltage variations. The performance of the proposed mechanism is evaluated through the investigation of different properties, e.g. individual rationality of participants, budget balance, operational efficiencies in terms of cost saving, and optimality to achieve the grid independency.
Self‐healing enhancement through co‐deployment of automatic switches and electric vehicle PLs in an electricity distribution network
Authors: Mohammadi Hosseininejad Seyed Mohsen , Mirsaeedi Hamed , Heydari Shoeib , Fereidunian Alireza , Lesani Hamid
Published: January 2020

Accomplishing highly reliable distribution grids is more and more important to today's modern society. Along the same line, self‐healing is one of the most distinguishing features of the smart grid that could improve the reliability of the system up to a logical extent. In this study, the reliability of the electrical distribution grid has been improved by optimal allocation of automatic switches and parking lots (PLs). Thus, the optimal places of switches and PLs are determined with the purposes of minimising a combined effect of the customer‐based (system average interruption duration index) and cost‐based [total reliability cost (TRC)] reliability indices. The TRC includes customer interruption costs, PLs and automatic switches investment costs, and the total cost of PLs incorporation in the service restoration process. The proposed approach is implemented in three different planning scenarios: switch placement, PL placement, and joint switch and PL placement. The particle swarm optimisation method is employed to solve optimisation problems. Finally, a standard reliability test system bus number four of the Roy Billinton test system (RBTS 4) is used to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method.