bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reproductive success delays moult phenology in a polar mammal
Authors: Beltran Roxanne S. , Kirkham Amy L. , Breed Greg A. , Testa J. Ward , Burns Jennifer M.
Published: March 2019

Animals can respond to dynamic environments through phenological plasticity of life history events; however, changes in one part of the annual cycle can diminish the success of subsequent life history events. Our aims were to determine the associations between reproduction and moult phenology across years and to quantify phenological plasticity across varying environmental conditions. We conducted demographic surveys of 4,252 flipper-tagged Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in the Ross Sea, Antarctica during four austral summers. At each sighting, seals were assigned a moult code based on the visible presence of new fur and the start date of each animal’s moult was back-calculated. Reproductive success and parturition dates were obtained for the breeding season prior to and following the moult. We found that successful reproduction delayed moult by 16 days relative to non-parturient females. Phenology of the intervening moult was indicative of previous reproductive dynamics but not predictive of subsequent reproductive outcomes. Across years, moult phenology varied by about two weeks and covaried strongly with sea ice break-out timing for all reproductive categories. Our findings suggest these polar mammals have some flexibility within the annual cycle that allows adjustment of moult phenology to fluctuating environmental conditions without compromising future reproductive success.
Mutual interaction of red blood cells influenced by nanoparticles
Authors: Avsievich Tatiana , Popov Alexey , Bykov Alexander , Meglinski Igor
Published: March 2019

Despite extensive studies on different types of nanoparticles as potential drug carriers, the application of red blood cells (RBCs) as natural transport agents for systemic drug delivery is considered a new paradigm in modern medicine and possesses great potential. There is a lack of studies on the influence of drug carriers of different compositions on RBCs, especially regarding their potential impact on human health. Here, we apply conventional microscopy to observe the formation of RBC aggregates and optical tweezers to quantitatively assess the mutual interaction of RBCs incubated with inorganic and polymeric nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy is utilized for direct observation of nanoparticle localization on RBC membranes. The experiments are performed in a platelet-free blood plasma mimicking the RBC natural environment. We show that nanodiamonds influence mutual RBC interactions more antagonistically than other nanoparticles, resulting in higher aggregation forces and the formation of larger cell aggregates. In contrast, polymeric particles do not cause anomalous RBC aggregation. The results emphasize the application of optical tweezers for the direct quantitative assessment of the mutual interaction of RBCs influenced by nanomaterials.
Quality and bias of protein disorder predictors
Authors: Nielsen Jakob T. , Mulder Frans A. A.
Published: March 2019

Disorder in proteins is vital for biological function, yet it is challenging to characterize. Therefore, methods for predicting protein disorder from sequence are fundamental. Currently, predictors are trained and evaluated using data from X-ray structures or from various biochemical or spectroscopic data. However, the prediction accuracy of disordered predictors is not calibrated, nor is it established whether predictors are intrinsically biased towards one of the extremes of the order-disorder axis. We therefore generated and validated a comprehensive experimental benchmarking set of site-specific and continuous disorder, using deposited NMR chemical shift data. This novel experimental data collection is fully appropriate and represents the full spectrum of disorder. We subsequently analyzed the performance of 26 widely-used disorder prediction methods and found that these vary noticeably. At the same time, a distinct bias for over-predicting order was identified for some algorithms. Our analysis has important implications for the validity and the interpretation of protein disorder, as utilized, for example, in assessing the content of disorder in proteomes.
Introgression of a synthetic sex ratio distortion system from Anopheles gambiae into Anopheles arabiensis
Authors: Bernardini Federica , Kriezis Antonios , Galizi Roberto , Nolan Tony , Crisanti Andrea
Published: March 2019

I-PpoI is a homing endonuclease that has a high cleavage activity and specificity for a conserved sequence within the ribosomal rDNA repeats, located in a single cluster on the Anopheles gambiae X chromosome. This property has been exploited to develop a synthetic sex ratio distortion system in this mosquito species. When I-PpoI is expressed from a transgene during spermatogenesis in mosquitoes, the paternal X chromosome is shredded and only Y chromosome-bearing sperm are viable, resulting in a male-biased sex ratio of >95% in the progeny. These distorter male mosquitoes can efficiently suppress caged wild-type populations, providing a powerful tool for vector control strategies. Given that malaria mosquito vectors belong to a species complex comprising at least two major vectors, we investigated whether the sex distorter I-PpoI, originally integrated in the A. gambiae genome, could be transferred via introgression to the sibling vector species Anopheles arabiensis. In compliance with Haldane’s rule, F1 hybrid male sterility is known to occur in all intercrosses among members of the Anopheles gambiae complex. A scheme based on genetic crosses and transgene selection was used to bypass F1 hybrid male sterility and introgress the sex distorter I-PpoI into the A. arabiensis genetic background. Our data suggest that this sex distortion technique can be successfully applied to target A. arabiensis mosquitoes.
PMCA-replicated PrPD in urine of vCJD patients maintains infectivity and strain characteristics of brain PrPD: Transmission study
Authors: Cali Ignazio , Lavrich Jody , Moda Fabio , Kofskey Diane , Nemani Satish Kumar , Appleby Brian , Tagliavini Fabrizio , Soto Claudio , Gambetti Pierluigi , Notari Silvio
Published: March 2019

The presence of abnormal, disease-related prion protein (PrPD) has recently been demonstrated by protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) in urine of patients affected with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), a prion disease typically acquired from consumption of prion contaminated bovine meat. The complexity and multistage process of urine excretion along with the obligatory use of PMCA raise the issue of whether strain characteristics of the PrPD present in vCJD brains, such as infectivity and phenotype determination, are maintained in urine excreted PrPD and following amplification by PMCA. We inoculated transgenic mice expressing normal human PrP with amplified urine and brain homogenate achieving the same 100% attack rate, similar incubation periods (in both cases extremely long) and histopathological features as for type and severity of the lesions. Furthermore, PrPD characteristics analyzed by immunoblot and conformational stability immunoassay were indistinguishable. Inoculation of raw vCJD urine caused no disease, confirming the extremely low concentration of PrPD in vCJD urine. These findings show that strain characteristics of vCJD brain PrPD, including infectivity, are preserved in PrPD present in urine and are faithfully amplified by means of PMCA; moreover, they suggest that the PrPD urine test might allow for the diagnosis and identification of disease subtype also in sporadic CJD.
Cellular level chemical changes in Scots pine heartwood during incipient brown rot decay
Authors: Belt Tiina , Altgen Michael , Mäkelä Mikko , Hänninen Tuomas , Rautkari Lauri
Published: March 2019

The heartwoods of many wood species have natural resistance to wood decay due to the accumulation of antifungal heartwood extractives. The natural durability of heartwoods has been extensively investigated, yet very little information is available on the initiation of heartwood decay. This experiment examined the onset of Rhodonia placenta brown rot decay in Scots pine heartwood in order to identify the key changes leading to heartwood decay. An imaging approach based on Raman imaging and multivariate image analysis revealed that the degradation of heartwood began in the innermost cell wall layers and then spread into the remaining cell walls and the middle lamella. Pinosylvins were extensively degraded in the cell walls, middle lamella and extractive deposits, while unidentified material most likely consisting of hemicelluloses and/or lipophilic extractives was removed from the inner cell wall layers. Changes similar to inner cell wall degradation were seen in the remaining cell walls in more advanced decay. The results indicate that the key change in incipient heartwood decay is the degradation of antifungal heartwood extractives. The inner cell wall degradation seen in this experiment may serve a nutritive purpose or facilitate the penetration of degradative agents into the cell walls and middle lamella.
Comment on “Decoding real space bonding descriptors in valence bond language” by A. Martín Pendás and E. Francisco, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018, 20, 12368
Authors: Hiberty Philippe C. , Danovich David , Shaik Sason
Published: March 2019

The high dipole moment of LiH is consistent with a major covalent structure, in which the hybrid atomic orbital of Li is strongly s–p hybridized and possesses a large dipole moment.
Polar functional groups anchored to a 2D MOF template for the stabilization of Pd(0) nps for the catalytic C–C coupling reaction
Authors: Adalikwu Stephen Adie , Mothika Venkata Suresh , Hazra Arpan , Maji Tapas Kumar
Published: March 2019

A 2D MOF with polar pendant carboxylate functional groups has been successfully employed for the stabilization of Pd-nps and the resulting composite exhibited excellent catalytic performance for Suzuki–Miyaura ‘C–C’ coupling reactions.
Salen complexes of zirconium and hafnium: synthesis, structural characterization and polymerization studies
Authors: Mandal Mrinmay , Ramkumar Venkatachalam , Chakraborty Debashis
Published: March 2019

Salen complexes of zirconium and hafnium were synthesized and used as effective catalysts for the polymerization of lactide and ε-CL and homopolymerization, copolymerization and coupling of epoxides with CO2.
Enhancement of the polymerase chain reaction by tungsten disulfide
Authors: Zhang Dong , Li Yingcun , Zhang Xuange , Cheng Yongqiang , Li Zhengping
Published: March 2019

WS2as a PCR enhancer can promote the PCR performance and extend PCR bioapplication.
Protection of silver and gold LSPR biosensors in corrosive NaCl environment by short alkanethiol molecules; characterized by extinction spectrum, helium ion microscopy and SERS
Authors: Haraguchi Hazuki , Frese Natalie , Gölzhäuser Armin , Takei Hiroyuki
Published: March 2019

We investigated the utility of localized surface plasmon resonance sensors in a biologically relevant environment containing NaCl.
Fundamental studies of carbon capture using CaO-based materials
Authors: Sun Hongman , Wang Jianqiao , Liu Xiaotong , Shen Boxiong , Parlett Christopher M. A. , Adwek George O. , John Anthony Edward , Williams Paul T. , Wu Chunfei
Published: March 2019

Detailed understanding of the mechanisms of fast stage CaO carbonation was given.
Functional, UV-curable coating for the capture of circulating tumor cells
Authors: Song Wanyun , Li Xinyi , Zhao Yuquan , Liu Chaoying , Xu Junying , Wang Huiyu , Zhang Tao
Published: March 2019

Facile UV-curable coating method to immobilize antibodies for the development of medical devices in order to capture the circulating tumor cells.
The phenomenon of conversion polymorphism in Bi-containing metastable perovskites
Authors: Khalyavin Dmitry D. , Salak Andrei N. , Fertman Elena L. , Kotlyar Oleksandr V. , Eardley Edwin , Olekhnovich Nikolai M. , Pushkarev Anatoli V. , Radyush Yury V. , Fedorchenko Alexey V. , Desnenko Vladimir A. , Manuel Pascal , Ding Lei , Čižmár Erik , Feher Alexander
Published: March 2019

The high-pressure stabilised BiFe1−yScyO3 perovskites exhibit annealing-stimulated irreversible phase transitions, which allows them to be obtained in different structural polymorphs.
One-pot synthesis of framework W-doped TS-1 zeolite with robust Lewis acidity for effective oxidative desulfurization
Authors: Lv Guojun , Deng Senlin , Yi Zhai , Zhang Xubin , Wang Fumin , Li Haichao , Zhu Yongqiang
Published: March 2019

The prepared WTS(3/3) zeolite displays a superior catalytic activity in the oxidation of DBT in comparison to WS(29) and TS(29) zeolites.
Fluorescein propiolate: a propiolate-decorated fluorescent probe with remarkable selectivity towards cysteine
Authors: Karakuş Erman , Sayar Melike , Dartar Suay , Kaya Beraat Umur , Emrullahoğlu Mustafa
Published: March 2019

A fluorescent probe decorated with an alkynyl ester unit (e.g. propiolate) displayed a selective turn-on type fluorescent response towards cysteine.
Synthesis of Bi3TaO7–Bi4TaO8Br composites in ambient air and their high photocatalytic activity upon metal loading
Authors: Chatterjee Kaustav , Banoo Maqsuma , Mondal Sanjit , Sahoo Lipipuspa , Gautam Ujjal K.
Published: March 2019

Cocatalyst loading on ambient-air synthesized Bi3TaO7–Bi4TaO8X (X = Cl, Br) composites for highly suppressed exciton recombination and efficient solar light harvesting.
Red-emitting K3HF2WO2F4:Mn4+ for application in warm-white phosphor-converted LEDs – optical properties and magnetic resonance characterization
Authors: Jansen Thomas , Funke Lena Marie , Gorobez Jürgen , Böhnisch David , Hoffmann Rolf-Dieter , Heletta Lukas , Pöttgen Rainer , Hansen Michael Ryan , Jüstel Thomas , Eckert Hellmut
Published: March 2019

A novel efficient red-emitting Mn4+ phosphor of composition K3HF2MO2F4:Mn4+ (M = Mo, W).
Weak ferromagnetism derived from spin canting in an amido-bridged homochiral Mn(iii) 1-D coordination polymer
Authors: Kusumoto Sotaro , Koga Atsushi , Kobayashi Fumiya , Ohtani Ryo , Kim Yang , Lindoy Leonard F. , Hayami Shinya , Nakamura Masaaki
Published: March 2019

An amido-bridged homochiral one-dimensional (1D) Mn(iii) coordination polymer behaves as a weak ferromagnet arising from spin canting with a coercive field of 3.0 kOe.
Effective loading of cisplatin into a nanoscale UiO-66 metal–organic framework with preformed defects
Authors: Lin Shi-Xin , Pan Wei-Lun , Niu Ru-Jie , Liu Yan , Chen Jin-Xiang , Zhang Wen-Hua , Lang Jian-Ping , Young David J.
Published: March 2019

A high cisplatin loading of 256.5 mg g−1 (Zr6 : Pt = 1.5 : 1) was achieved by creating defects in the nano-sized UiO-66 metal–organic framework.
Discovery of highin vitroandin vivoantitumor activities of organometallic ruthenium(ii)–arene complexes with 5,7-dihalogenated-2-methyl-8-quinolinol
Authors: Meng Ting , Qin Qi-Pin , Chen Zi-Lu , Zou Hua-Hong , Wang Kai , Liang Fu-Pei
Published: March 2019

MClClQ-RuClinduced HeLa cell apoptosis was mediated by the inhibition of telomerase activity and dysfunction of mitochondria. Remarkably,MClClQ-RuClobviously inhibited HeLa xenograft tumor growthin vivo.
TbO+ in a calcium apatite matrix featuring a triple trigger-type relaxation of magnetization
Authors: Kazin Pavel E. , Zykin Mikhail A. , Magdysyuk Oxana V. , Utochnikova Valentina V. , Gorbachev Evgeny A. , Kremer Reinhard K. , Schnelle Walter , Felser Claudia , Jansen Martin
Published: March 2019

Magnetically bistable TbO+ embedded in the apatite lattice shows three switchable paths of the magnetization relaxation.
Carbon dots alleviate the toxicity of cadmium ions (Cd2+) toward wheat seedlings
Authors: Xiao Lian , Guo Huiyuan , Wang Shouxia , Li Junli , Wang Yunqiang , Xing Baoshan
Published: March 2019

Heavy metal pollution poses great toxicity to plants, which makes methods to mitigate the heavy metal-induced toxicity desirable.
Anticancer activity and mechanism of total saponins from the residual seed cake of Camellia oleifera Abel. in hepatoma-22 tumor-bearing mice
Authors: Wang Dongxu , Huo Ruiwen , Cui Chuanjian , Gao Qiang , Zong Jianfa , Wang Yijun , Sun Yue , Hou Ruyan
Published: March 2019

Total saponins from the residual seed cake of Camellia oleifera Abel. exhibited beneficial properties on anticancer activity in hepatoma-22 tumor-bearing mice and represents a promising species for food applications.
Synthesis of 2,3-bis-organochalcogenyl-benzo[b]chalcogenophenes promoted by Oxone®
Authors: Perin Gelson , Soares Liane K. , Hellwig Paola S. , Silva Marcio S. , Neto José S. S. , Roehrs Juliano A. , Barcellos Thiago , Lenardão Eder J.
Published: March 2019

We report here an alternative and tunable metal-free synthesis of benzo[b]chalcogenophenes via the electrophilic cyclization of 2-functionalized chalcogenoalkynes promoted by Oxone®.
Diosgenin-conjugated PCL–MPEG polymeric nanoparticles for the co-delivery of anticancer drugs: design, optimization, in vitro drug release and evaluation of anticancer activity
Authors: Ilkar Erdagi Sevinc , Yildiz Ufuk
Published: March 2019

In this study, a polymeric nanoparticle-mediated dual anti-cancer drug delivery system was designed and developed.
A novel approach to finding mechanical properties of nanocrystal layers
Authors: Sinha Mayank , Izadi Alborz , Anthony Rebecca , Roccabianca Sara
Published: March 2019

The onset of bifurcations during bending is used to estimate the shear modulus of silicon nanocrystal layers on PDMS.
Investigations of the key macrolactamisation step in the synthesis of cyclic tetrapeptide pseudoxylallemycin A
Authors: Cameron Alan J. , Squire Christopher J. , Gérenton Ashley , Stubbing Louise A. , Harris Paul W. R. , Brimble Margaret A.
Published: March 2019

During total synthesis of pseudoxylallemycin A, an unstable intermediate was observed and appeared to be reactivated by coupling reagent by-products.
Alicyclic tertiary amine based hyperbranched polymers with excitation-independent emission: structure, fluorescence and applications
Authors: Sun Miao , Song Peng
Published: March 2019

Influence of the tertiary amine structure and its position in the hyperbranched macromolecules on the fluorescence.
Nitrogen-enriched carbon-coated flower-like bismuth sulfide architectures towards high-performance lithium-ion battery anodes
Authors: Wang Shuwen , Li Wenda , Song Haochen , Mao Changming , Zhang Zhonghua , Peng Hongrui , Li Guicun
Published: March 2019

The nitrogen-enriched carbon-coated flower-like bismuth sulfide architectures prepared by a simple synthetic progress offer a very high reversible capacity, an improved rate capability and a satisfactory cycle life.
Near-infrared light-induced shape memory, self-healable and anti-bacterial elastomers prepared by incorporation of a diketopyrrolopyrrole-based conjugated polymer
Authors: Zhang Yaling , Zhou Shiwei , Chong Kok Chan , Wang Shaowei , Liu Bin
Published: March 2019

Near-infrared light-induced shape memory, self-healable and antibacterial PCL–PU elastomers were prepared by incorporation of a diketopyrrolopyrrole-based conjugated polymer (PDPP3T).
Mechanical behavior of a hydrated perfluorosulfonic acid membrane at meso and nano scales
Authors: Feng Cong , Li Yan , Qu Kunnan , Zhang Zhiming , He Pengfei
Published: March 2019

Perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) is widely used as the membrane material for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, and its mechanical properties directly affect the stability and the life of the internal structure of the proton exchange membrane.
Defect structure in δ-Bi5PbY2O11.5
Authors: Borowska-Centkowska Anna , Liu Xi , Krynski Marcin , Leszczynska Marzena , Wrobel Wojciech , Malys Marcin , Hull Stephen , Norberg Stefan T. , Krok Franciszek , Abrahams Isaac
Published: March 2019

Total neutron scattering analysis and ab initio MD simulations reveal details of oxide ion vacancy ordering and migration pathways.
Heterodinuclear zinc and magnesium catalysts for epoxide/CO2 ring opening copolymerizations
Authors: Trott Gemma , Garden Jennifer A. , Williams Charlotte K.
Published: March 2019

Eight heterodinuclear catalysts comprising Zn(ii) and Mg(ii) metal centres show high activity and selectivity for CO2/epoxide ring-opening copolymerization. Detailed kinetic analyses are reported and a chain-shuttling mechanistic hypothesis proposed.
Surface reorganization engineering of the N-doped MoS2 heterostructures MoOx@N-doped MoS2−x by in situ electrochemical oxidation activation for efficient oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Wang Yuanzhe , LIu ShanShan , Hao Xianfeng , Luan Sunrui , You HuanHuan , Zhou Junshuang , Song Dandan , Wang Dong , Li Hou , Gao Faming
Published: March 2019

The unique heterostructure MoOx@N-doped MoS2−x was performed in situ by electrochemical oxidation, which showed remarkable OER activity.
A high-performance near-infrared light photovoltaic detector based on a multilayered PtSe2/Ge heterojunction
Authors: Wang Li , Li Jing-Jing , Fan Qi , Huang Zheng-Feng , Lu Ying-Chun , Xie Chao , Wu Chun-Yan , Luo Lin-Bao
Published: March 2019

Light detection in the near-infrared (NIR) region is of particular importance due to its wide application for both military and civil purposes.
Light diffusing, down-converting perovskite-on-polymer microspheres
Authors: Zhang Caicai , He Ziqian , Chen Hao , Zhou Le , Tan Guanjun , Wu Shin-Tson , Dong Yajie
Published: March 2019

Herein, we report a one-step method to synthesize water-stable perovskite-on-polymer microspheres (PPMs) with widely tunable, highly saturated colors and light-diffusing capability.
MiR-208a-3p functions as an oncogene in colorectal cancer by targeting PDCD4
Authors: Wu Henglan , Xu Lele , Chen Yaou , Xu Chunfang
Published: March 2019

Accumulating evidences have shown microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the progression of human cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the biological function and molecular mechanism of miRNAs in CRC still remains to be further investigated. Using microarray, we found and confirmed that miR-208a-3p was up-regulated in CRC tissues. Its high expression was statistically associated with distant metastasis and TNM stage. Functional assays revealed inhibition of miR-208a-3p suppressed proliferation, invasion and migration, and induced cell apoptosis of CRC cells. Moreover, we identified programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4), a well-known tumor suppressor, is a direct target of miR-208a-3p. We also found that overexpression of PDCD4 suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Importantly, silencing of PDCD4 efficiently abrogated the promoting effects on CRC cells proliferation, invasion, and migration caused by inhibition of miR-208a-3p. Our findings confirmed the oncogenic role of miR-208a-3p via targeting PDCD4 in CRC, identifying miR-208a-3p as a potential diagnosis and therapeutic biomarker for CRC.
UBE2C functions as a potential oncogene by enhancing cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cells
Authors: Xiong Yu , Lu Jing , Fang Qinliang , Lu Yuyan , Xie Chengrong , Wu Huita , Yin Zhenyu
Published: March 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Recently, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C (UBE2C) has been reported to be overexpressed in human cancers and act as a potential oncogene. However, little is known about the functional roles of UBE2C in HCC progression. In the present study, analysis of UBE2C mRNA expression in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset reveals that significantly higher UBE2C mRNA levels was found in HCC tissues and associated with higher HCC grade. Elevated UBE2C mRNA levels in HCC indicated worsened survival probabilities. Through performing loss-of-function assays, we demonstrated that knockdown of UBE2C expression obviously suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells in vitro. Moreover, HCC cells with UBE2C knockdown showed higher sensitivity for the treatment of chemotherapeutic drug, including adriamycin (ADR) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Silencing of UBE2C also increased the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib, an approved treatment for patients with advanced-stage HCC. Our findings strongly suggest that UBE2C emerges as a marker for prognosis in HCC, and blocking UBE2C may be a novel strategy for HCC therapies.
Relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the 3′UTR of amyloid precursor protein and risk of Alzheimer’s disease and its mechanism
Authors: Zhou Qiong , Luo Lian , Wang Xiaohang , Li Xiang
Published: March 2019

Background and objective: Deregulation of the expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) can lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recent studies have shown that many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of APP are associated with the development of AD. Since microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the regulation of APP expression, we believe that the APP 3′UTR polymorphism may affect the regulation of APP expression in miRNAs. Results: The levels of miR-101-3p, miR-153-3p, miR-144-3p, miR-381-3p, and miR-383-5p in plasma of patients with AD were significantly lower than those in the control group. The APP-534G/A site A allele was a protective factor for AD risk (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.700, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.573–0.840, P<0.001). The APP-369C/G site variation was not associated with AD risk. The APP-118C/A site A allele was a protective factor for AD (adjusted OR = 0.762, 95% CI: 0.639–0.897, P=0.001). The APP-534G/A site mutation affects the regulation of APP protein expression by miR-101-3p, miR-144-3p, miR-153-3p, and miR-381-3p, and the mutation of the APP-118C/A site affects miR-101-3p, miR-144-3p, miR-153-3p, and miR-383-5p regulation of APP expression. Conclusion: APP 3′UTR polymorphisms can affect the regulation of APP expression by miRNAs and thus affect the occurrence of AD.
Ageing in Pgc-1β−/− mice modelling mitochondrial dysfunction induces differential expression of a range of genes regulating ventricular electrophysiology
Authors: Edling Charlotte E. , Fazmin Ibrahim T. , Chadda Karan R. , Ahmad Shiraz , Valli Haseeb , Grace Andrew A. , Huang Christopher L.-H. , Jeevaratnam Kamalan
Published: March 2019

Mice deficient in mitochondrial promoter peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ co-activator-1β (Pgc-1β−/−) is a valuable model for metabolic diseases and has been found to present with several pathologies including ventricular arrhythmia. In the present study, our aim was to shed light on the molecular mechanisms behind the observed arrhythmic substrate by studying how the expression of selected genes critical for cardiac function differs in wild-type (WT) compared with Pgc-1β knockout mice and young compared with aged mice. We found that a clear majority of genes are down-regulated in the Pgc-1β−/− ventricular tissue compared with the WT. Although most individual genes are not significantly differentially expressed, a pattern is apparent when the genes are grouped according to their functional properties. Genes encoding proteins relating to ATPase activity, potassium ion channels relating to repolarisation and resting membrane potential, and genes encoding proteins in the cAMP pathway are found to be significantly down-regulated in the Pgc-1β deficient mice. On the contrary, the pacemaker channel genes Hcn3 and Hcn4 are up-regulated in subsets of the Pgc-1β deficient tissue. Furthermore, we found that with age, especially in the Pgc-1β−/− genotype, most genes are up-regulated including genes relating to the resting membrane potential, calcium homeostasis, the cAMP pathway, and most of the tested adrenoceptors. In conclusion, we here demonstrate how a complex pattern of many modest changes at gene level may explain major functional differences of the action potential related to ageing and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Kinetic and structural analysis of human ALDH9A1
Authors: Končitíková Radka , Vigouroux Armelle , Kopečná Martina , Šebela Marek , Moréra Solange , Kopečný David
Published: March 2019

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) constitute a superfamily of NAD(P)+-dependent enzymes, which detoxify aldehydes produced in various metabolic pathways to the corresponding carboxylic acids. Among the 19 human ALDHs, the cytosolic ALDH9A1 has so far never been fully enzymatically characterized and its structure is still unknown. Here, we report complete molecular and kinetic properties of human ALDH9A1 as well as three crystal forms at 2.3, 2.9, and 2.5 Å resolution. We show that ALDH9A1 exhibits wide substrate specificity to aminoaldehydes, aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes with a clear preference for γ-trimethylaminobutyraldehyde (TMABAL). The structure of ALDH9A1 reveals that the enzyme assembles as a tetramer. Each ALDH monomer displays a typical ALDHs fold composed of an oligomerization domain, a coenzyme domain, a catalytic domain, and an inter-domain linker highly conserved in amino-acid sequence and folding. Nonetheless, structural comparison reveals a position and a fold of the inter-domain linker of ALDH9A1 never observed in any other ALDH so far. This unique difference is not compatible with the presence of a bound substrate and a large conformational rearrangement of the linker up to 30 Å has to occur to allow the access of the substrate channel. Moreover, the αβE region consisting of an α-helix and a β-strand of the coenzyme domain at the dimer interface are disordered, likely due to the loss of interactions with the inter-domain linker, which leads to incomplete β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) binding pocket.
Intermittent control for demand‐side management of a class of networked smart grids
Authors: Wang Jinhuan , Gao Xiaoye , Xu Yong
Published: March 2019

This work studies the demand‐side management problem and intermittent control for a class of networked smart grids. Firstly, the networked smart grid is modelled into a special networked evolutionary game via the semi‐tensor product of matrices. Secondly, to minimise the overall cost of all the communities and reduce the control execution time, intermittent control is designed for some communities, in which these players work as controllers at some special strategy profiles. By designing the intermittent open‐loop control, a necessary and sufficient condition is provided to assure the stabilisation of the networked smart grid. Then, an intermittent state feedback control is designed, based on which, the smart grid can converge to the desired strategy profile globally. Algorithms that can compute the state feedback controllers are given. Finally, a numerical example is worked out to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed theoretical results.
Structure preserving balanced proper orthogonal decomposition for second‐order form systems via shifted Legendre polynomials
Authors: Xiao Zhi‐Hua , Jiang Yao‐Lin , Qi Zhen‐Zhong
Published: March 2019

This study considers structure preserving balanced proper orthogonal decomposition for second‐order form systems via shifted Legendre polynomials. The proposed approach is to use time interval empirical Gramians of the first‐order representation, which are constructed from impulse responses by solving block tridiagonal linear systems, to generate approximate balanced system for the large‐scale second‐order form system. The balancing transformation is directly computed from the expansion coefficients of impulse responses in the space spanned by shifted Legendre polynomials, without computing the full Gramians for the first‐order representation. Then, the reduced second‐order model is constructed by truncating the states corresponding to the small approximate singular values. Furthermore, in combination with the dominant subspace projection method, the authors modify the reduction procedure to alleviate the shortcoming of the above method, which may unexpectedly lead to unstable systems even though the original one is stable. The stability preservation of the reduced model is briefly discussed. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed methods is demonstrated by two numerical experiments.
Developing new participation model of thermal generating units in flexible ramping market
Authors: Khoshjahan Mohammad , Moeini‐Aghtaie Moein , Fotuhi‐Firuzabad Mahmud
Published: March 2019

Uncertainty and variability in the supply sector of renewable‐penetrated power systems is becoming a new challenge for secure operation of these systems which if not responded properly may cause large amounts of load and supply curtailments. To meet this challenge, some ISOs recently have employed a new product named Flexible Ramping Product (FRP) into their markets which enhances the capability of the system to overcome such uncertainties by reserving additional ramp rates. In this regard, a new framework for implementing FRP in real‐time market is proposed here. The proposed framework provides a proper opportunity for participation of thermal generating units in procuring FRP requirements. The developed model is implemented on the IEEE‐118 bus test system and simulation results demonstrate significant effectiveness of this mechanism in reducing load and supply curtailments and run the electricity market more efficiently.
Fish‐shaped ultra‐wideband patch antenna with tilt‐folded patch feed
Authors: Chen Bingjie , Yang Xuesong , Hu Dacheng
Published: March 2019

This article introduces a low‐profile fish‐shaped antenna for ultra‐wideband applications. The proposed antenna exhibits an impedance bandwidth of 132% (4.28 to 21 GHz) with a size of (where is the wavelength at 4.28 GHz). By using a U‐shaped slot and stepped arms on the upper patch, as well as a tilt‐folded patch feed, four resonances are produced and then wide bandwidth is achieved. By introducing a shorting wall standing between the fish‐shaped patch and the ground plane, the antenna size is reduced. The simulation and measurement results show that the antenna provides excellent performance in different bands, meaning that acceptable gain and stable radiation patterns are obtained simultaneously.
Direct path interference suppression for short‐range passive bistatic synthetic aperture radar imaging based on atomic norm minimisation and Vandermonde decomposition
Authors: Feng Weike , Friedt Jean‐Michel , Cherniak Grigory , Hu Zhipeng , Sato Motoyuki
Published: March 2019

A novel direct path interference (DPI) suppression method is proposed for passive bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging applications. Conventional time‐domain processing methods cannot mitigate the DPI completely and will introduce errors into the target position estimation. By exploiting the sparsity of the DPI signal and the properties of its covariance matrix, the proposed method solves these problems by accurately estimating the time delay of DPI based on the atomic minimisation algorithm and Vandermonde decomposition in the frequency domain. The amplitude of DPI is then calculated by the least squares method. Simulations and experimental results of Wireless Fidelity‐based passive bistatic SAR imaging of short‐range targets show that the proposed method can suppress DPI more effectively and estimate the position of the target more accurately than the classical method.
Array diagnosis and angle estimation in bistatic MIMO radar under array antenna failures
Authors: Chen Jinli , Zhuo Qigang , Li Jiaqiang , Zhu Yanping
Published: March 2019

The presence of fault antennas in bistatic multiple‐input–multiple‐output (MIMO) radar causes a significant degradation of angle estimation performance. In this study, the authors present a signal‐processing scheme for bistatic MIMO radar with impaired receive array including array diagnosis as well as angle estimation. The damaged antenna in the receiver, which is incapable of receiving the target signals and leaves only the thermal noise generated within the receiver itself, leads to a decrease in the entropy of its received data. The dissimilarity of the entropy values between the damaged and normal receive antennas is used for array diagnosis. Thereafter, the useless noise data of the detected fault antennas is removed in the receive signal matrix, so that the successive data missing occurs along the row directions of the signal subspace matrix. A low‐rank block‐Hankel structured matrix is constructed from the incomplete signal subspace matrix, which can facilitate the exploitation of the matrix completion technique to recover that successive missing data. On the basis of the restored rotational invariance structure of the complete signal subspace, the estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance technique can then be applied for angle estimation. Simulation results confirm the validity of the proposed methods.
Bistatic ISAR distortion mitigation of a space target via exploiting the orbital prior information
Authors: Shi Lin , Guo Baofeng , Han Ning , Ma Juntao , Zhao Lizhi , Shang Chaoxuan
Published: March 2019

The linear‐geometry distortion and image defocus are induced by the time‐varying bistatic angle in a bistatic inverse synthetic aperture radar (Bi‐ISAR) system. Here, a distortion mitigation algorithm of a space target is proposed via exploiting the orbital prior information. First, the linear/quadratic distortions are analysed in the Range‐Doppler (RD) image formation mathematics. The coefficients of the time‐varying bistatic angle are estimated by means of the orbit information of the target and the imaging geometry. Second, the equivalent rotation centre (RC) is estimated iteratively based on the maximum image contrast criterion. Third, the linear‐geometry distortion and quadratic distortion related with the range position are restored by the compensation of the spatial‐varying phase terms. Finally, the well‐focused image is achieved by applying the matching Fourier transform (MFT) along the cross‐range direction. Experimental results based on both the ideal point scatterers model and numerical electromagnetic (EM) data are provided to support the algorithm.
Sapere aude: Erkühne dich, weise zu sein
Authors: Ulrich Josef
Published: March 2019

Frau B. wurde im Endstadium ihrer Krebserkrankung aus der Klinik in das Hospiz entlassen. Als 3 Jahre später ihr Mann sterbend in die Klinik eingeliefert wurde, erinnerte sich die ihn aufnehmende Krankenschwester an ihn, als er damals seine Frau begleitete. Sie dachte sich: Jetzt stirbt er ihr hinterher! Völlig überrascht war sie jedoch, als 3 Tage später seine Frau kam, um ihn zu besuchen. Sie hatte im Hospiz neue Lebenskraft erfahren.
Efficient Flow Electrochemical Alkoxylation of Pyrrolidine-1-carbaldehyde
Authors: Amri Nasser , Skilton Ryan A. , Guthrie Duncan , Wirth Thomas
Published: March 2019

We report on the optimization of the alkoxylation of pyrrolidine-1-carbaldehyde by using a new electrochemical microreactor. Precise control of the reaction conditions permits the synthesis of either mono- or dialkoxylated reaction products in high yields.
Acetic Acid-Promoted Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed Hydroarylation of Terminal Alkynes
Authors: Duan Chang-Lin , Liu Xing-Yu , Tan Yun-Xuan , Ding Rui , Yang Shiping , Tian Ping , Lin Guo-Qiang
Published: March 2019

Rhodium(III)-catalyzed hydroarylation of terminal alkynes has not previously been achieved because of the inevitable oligomerization and other side reactions. Here, we report a novel Cp*Rh(III)-catalyzed hydroarylation of terminal alkynes in acetic acid as solvent to facilitate the C–H bond activation and subsequent transformations. This reaction proceeds under mild conditions, providing an effective approach to the synthesis of alkenylated heterocycles in high to excellent yields (31–99%) with a broad substrate scope (37 examples) and good functional-group compatibility. In this transformation, the loading of the alkyne can be reduced to 1.2 equivalents, which indicates the significant role of HOAc in lowering the reaction temperature and suppressing the oligomerization of the terminal alkyne. Preliminary mechanistic studies are also presented.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Metabolic Liver Diseases and Hepatic Fibrosis
Authors: Maiers Jessica , Malhi Harmeet
Published: March 2019

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a major contributor to liver disease and hepatic fibrosis, but the role it plays varies depending on the cause and progression of the disease. Furthermore, ER stress plays a distinct role in hepatocytes versus hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which adds to the complexity of understanding ER stress and its downstream signaling through the unfolded protein response (UPR) in liver disease. Here, the authors focus on the current literature of ER stress in nonalcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver diseases, how ER stress impacts hepatocyte injury, and the role of ER stress in HSC activation and hepatic fibrosis. This review provides insight into the complex signaling and regulation of the UPR, parallels and distinctions between different liver diseases, and how ER stress may be targeted as an antisteatotic or antifibrotic therapy to limit the progression of liver disease.
Sexual Function and Quality of Life in a Cohort of Brazilian Users of Two Kind of Intrauterine Contraceptives
Authors: Ferreira Jéssica Mayra , Carreiro Andréa Vieira , Fernandes Arlete , Bahamondes Luis
Published: March 2019

Objective To compare sexual function and quality of life (QOL) among intrauterine contraceptive (copper-intrauterine device [Cu-IUD] or the 52-mg 20 µg/day levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system [LNG-IUS]) users.

Methods This was part of a cross-sectional study. Women aged between 18 and 49 years old, in a heterosexual relationship, reporting sexual intercourse in the previous 4 weeks, using Cu-IUD (Group 1) or LNG-IUS (Group 2) responded to a questionnaire with sociodemographic information, to the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), to the World Health Organization QOL Questionnaire Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF), and to a questionnaire about the contraceptive method used. The Student t-test, the Pearson χ2 test or the Fisher exact test, and the Mann-Whitney test were used for the analysis. For the adjusted comparison, we have used the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). A multiple regression analyzing factors related to FSFI ≤ 26.55 was done. Significance was established at p < 0.05.

Results A total of 347 women in Group 1 (mean age of 32.3 ± 7.5 years old) and of 298 in Group 2 (mean age of 32.7 ± 6.4 years old) completed the questionnaires. Most women had ≥ 8 years of schooling, were in a monogamous relationship, and had had ≤ 2 pregnancies. A total of 122 Cu-IUD and of 87 LNG-IUS users scored ≤ 26.55 on the FSFI. Significant lower scores in physical, environmental, and overall QOL domains in the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire were found in Group 1. More women using the Cu-IUD were not satisfied with the method.

Conclusion We did not find significant differences in sexual function; there was a lower score in some domains of QOL among women who used the Cu-IUD. It was not possible to ensure that those differences were related to the contraceptive method.
Impact of Design on Force between Flexor Tendons and Distal Radius Volar Plates
Authors: Hinchcliff Katharine M. , Volk Ido , Ivanova Xenia , Taylor Sandra , Szabo Robert M.
Published: March 2019

Background Flexor tendon injury is a rare but serious complication of distal radius volar plating.

Purpose This study aims to determine whether the design of distal radius volar plates impacts the amount of force exerted on the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) and flexor pollicis longus (FPL) tendons when the plates are placed proximal and distal to the watershed line.

Methods Three commercially available plates were applied to 10 fresh, matched-pair upper extremity specimens. Cyclical loading was applied to the tendons, and the force generated between tendon and plate was measured. Linear mixed effect models were used to evaluate differences in maximum and mean forces by plate position, plate design, and the interaction between position and design.

Results Forces on the tendons differed significantly by position but not plate design. For the FPL tendon, the average maximum force with a plate in Soong's grade 2 was 4.50 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.8–7.3) times higher than when the plate was in a Soong's grade 0 placement, and 4.63 (95% CI: 2.82–7.61) times higher for the FDP tendon. While not statistically significant, lower observed force values with thinner plates when plates were placed distal to the watershed line suggest that that plate thickness could also be a critical plate characteristic for distally placed plates.

Conclusion Despite differences in plate design, the main determinant of plate prominence and therefore flexor tendon injury potential is placement in relation to the watershed line.

Clinical Relevance This study may help to guide surgeon implant selection and volar plate design.
Exploring the use of mobile phone data for national migration statistics
Authors: Lai Shengjie , Erbach-Schoenberg Elisabeth zu , Pezzulo Carla , Ruktanonchai Nick W. , Sorichetta Alessandro , Steele Jessica , Li Tracey , Dooley Claire A. , Tatem Andrew J.
Published: March 2019

Statistics on internal migration are important for keeping estimates of subnational population numbers up-to-date, as well as urban planning, infrastructure development, and impact assessment, among other applications. However, migration flow statistics typically remain constrained by the logistics of infrequent censuses or surveys. The penetration rate of mobile phones is now high across the globe with rapid recent increases in ownership in low-income countries. Analyzing the changing spatiotemporal distribution of mobile phone users through anonymized call detail records (CDRs) offers the possibility to measure migration at multiple temporal and spatial scales. Based on a dataset of 72 billion anonymized CDRs in Namibia from October 2010 to April 2014, we explore how internal migration estimates can be derived and modeled from CDRs at subnational and annual scales, and how precision and accuracy of these estimates compare to census-derived migration statistics. We also demonstrate the use of CDRs to assess how migration patterns change over time, with a finer temporal resolution compared with censuses. Moreover, we show how gravity-type spatial interaction models built using CDRs can accurately capture migration flows. The results highlight that estimates of migration flows made using mobile phone data is a promising avenue for complementing more traditional national migration statistics and obtaining more timely and local data.
Remarks on Chern-Simons gauged O(3) sigma model in one space dimension
Authors: Jin Guanghui , Huh Hyungjin
Published: March 2019

We find the stationary solutions of the Chern-Simons gauged O(3) sigma model in one space dimension and study an initial value problem under the gauge condition A1 = 0. We also study low regularity local well-posedness using bilinear estimates for wave-Sobolev space H1, θ. As a by-product, we construct a finite energy global solution by considering the conservation of energy.
High-precision synchronization detection method for bistatic radar
Authors: Du Baoqiang , Feng Dazheng , Sun Xiyan
Published: March 2019

To improve the accuracy of radar ranging and positioning under complex backgrounds, a high-precision synchronization detection method for bistatic radar is proposed based on different-frequency phase processing. First, the transmit signal and receive signal are converted to radio frequency pulses by frequency conversion. Then, the transmit signal is roughly measured with a field-programmable gate array. The obtained rough signal is used as the reference signal under the control of the direct digital synthesizer frequency synthesizer. Second, the transmit signal and receive signal are each synchronized with the reference signal in a different-frequency phase detection. These detection results are used as the starting signal and stopping signal of the counter gate. Finally, all the signals are counted, and the time synchronization between the transmit signal and the receive signal is implemented by processing the counting value. The experimental results show that a time synchronization precision of 1.5 ps and a frequency stability of 6.2 × 10−13/s can be reached. This method has the advantages of a fast time response, good noise suppression, and high measurement precision and strong system reliability.