bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The gravity dual of Rényi entropy
Authors: Dong Xi
Published: August 2016

A remarkable yet mysterious property of black holes is that their entropy is proportional to the horizon area. This area law inspired the holographic principle, which was later realized concretely in gauge-gravity duality. In this context, entanglement entropy is given by the area of a minimal surface in a dual spacetime. However, discussions of area laws have been constrained to entanglement entropy, whereas a full understanding of a quantum state requires Rényi entropies. Here we show that all Rényi entropies satisfy a similar area law in holographic theories and are given by the areas of dual cosmic branes. This geometric prescription is a one-parameter generalization of the minimal surface prescription for entanglement entropy. Applying this we provide the first holographic calculation of mutual Rényi information between two disks of arbitrary dimension. Our results provide a framework for efficiently studying Rényi entropies and understanding entanglement structures in strongly coupled systems and quantum gravity.
Fenamate NSAIDs inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome and protect against Alzheimer’s disease in rodent models
Authors: Daniels Michael J. D. , Rivers-Auty Jack , Schilling Tom , Spencer Nicholas G. , Watremez William , Fasolino Victoria , Booth Sophie J. , White Claire S. , Baldwin Alex G. , Freeman Sally , Wong Raymond , Latta Clare , Yu Shi , Jackson Joshua , Fischer Nicolas , Koziel Violette , Pillot Thierry , Bagnall James , Allan Stuart M. , Paszek Pawel , Galea James , Harte Michael K. , Eder Claudia , Lawrence Catherine B. , Brough David
Published: August 2016

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and COX-2 enzymes. The NLRP3 inflammasome is a multi-protein complex responsible for the processing of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β and is implicated in many inflammatory diseases. Here we show that several clinically approved and widely used NSAIDs of the fenamate class are effective and selective inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome via inhibition of the volume-regulated anion channel in macrophages, independently of COX enzymes. Flufenamic acid and mefenamic acid are efficacious in NLRP3-dependent rodent models of inflammation in air pouch and peritoneum. We also show therapeutic effects of fenamates using a model of amyloid beta induced memory loss and a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. These data suggest that fenamate NSAIDs could be repurposed as NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors and Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics.
Zeeman splitting and dynamical mass generation in Dirac semimetal ZrTe5
Authors: Liu Yanwen , Yuan Xiang , Zhang Cheng , Jin Zhao , Narayan Awadhesh , Luo Chen , Chen Zhigang , Yang Lei , Zou Jin , Wu Xing , Sanvito Stefano , Xia Zhengcai , Li Liang , Wang Zhong , Xiu Faxian
Published: August 2016

Dirac semimetals have attracted extensive attentions in recent years. It has been theoretically suggested that many-body interactions may drive exotic phase transitions, spontaneously generating a Dirac mass for the nominally massless Dirac electrons. So far, signature of interaction-driven transition has been lacking. In this work, we report high-magnetic-field transport measurements of the Dirac semimetal candidate ZrTe5. Owing to the large g factor in ZrTe5, the Zeeman splitting can be observed at magnetic field as low as 3 T. Most prominently, high pulsed magnetic field up to 60 T drives the system into the ultra-quantum limit, where we observe abrupt changes in the magnetoresistance, indicating field-induced phase transitions. This is interpreted as an interaction-induced spontaneous mass generation of the Dirac fermions, which bears resemblance to the dynamical mass generation of nucleons in high-energy physics. Our work establishes Dirac semimetals as ideal platforms for investigating emerging correlation effects in topological matters.
Determinants of patients’ needs in asthma treatment: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Loerbroks Adrian , Sheikh Aziz , Leucht Verena , Apfelbacher Christian J , Icks Andrea , Angerer Peter
Published: August 2016

Patients’ needs in asthma remain insufficiently understood and met. We therefore aimed to investigate the potential determinants of patients’ needs in asthma treatment. Our study was based on survey data on 189 adults with asthma. Needs were measured using the 13-item Needs in Asthma Treatment questionnaire, which yields a total score and subscale-specific scores (‘exacerbations’, ‘patient expertise’, ‘handling drugs’ and ‘drug effects’). We considered age, sex, education, years since diagnosis and anxiety/depression (measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-4) as potential determinants. Associations were estimated by multivariable linear regression. Overall, we observed that younger age, poor mental health and a more recently established asthma diagnosis were independently associated with increased needs. Information on drug effects was an exception to this pattern as the need in that domain was solely determined by sex (being greater in men). In conclusion, our study provides novel evidence on patient characteristics that are associated with needs in asthma treatment. If confirmed by future studies, our observations may assist healthcare professionals to identify asthma patients with potentially elevated information, support and training needs and could contribute to the development of tailored interventions.
Loophole-free Bell test using electron spins in diamond: second experiment and additional analysis
Authors: Hensen B. , Kalb N. , Blok M. S. , Dréau A. E. , Reiserer A. , Vermeulen R. F. L. , Schouten R. N. , Markham M. , Twitchen D. J. , Goodenough K. , Elkouss D. , Wehner S. , Taminiau T. H. , Hanson R.
Published: August 2016

The recently reported violation of a Bell inequality using entangled electronic spins in diamonds (Hensen et al., Nature 526, 682–686) provided the first loophole-free evidence against local-realist theories of nature. Here we report on data from a second Bell experiment using the same experimental setup with minor modifications. We find a violation of the CHSH-Bell inequality of 2.35 ± 0.18, in agreement with the first run, yielding an overall value of S = 2.38 ± 0.14. We calculate the resulting P-values of the second experiment and of the combined Bell tests. We provide an additional analysis of the distribution of settings choices recorded during the two tests, finding that the observed distributions are consistent with uniform settings for both tests. Finally, we analytically study the effect of particular models of random number generator (RNG) imperfection on our hypothesis test. We find that the winning probability per trial in the CHSH game can be bounded knowing only the mean of the RNG bias. This implies that our experimental result is robust for any model underlying the estimated average RNG bias, for random bits produced up to 690 ns too early by the random number generator.
Systems Level Analysis of the Yeast Osmo-Stat
Authors: Talemi Soheil Rastgou , Tiger Carl-Fredrik , Andersson Mikael , Babazadeh Roja , Welkenhuysen Niek , Klipp Edda , Hohmann Stefan , Schaber Jörg
Published: August 2016

Adaptation is an important property of living organisms enabling them to cope with environmental stress and maintaining homeostasis. Adaptation is mediated by signaling pathways responding to different stimuli. Those signaling pathways might communicate in order to orchestrate the cellular response to multiple simultaneous stimuli, a phenomenon called crosstalk. Here, we investigate possible mechanisms of crosstalk between the High Osmolarity Glycerol (HOG) and the Cell Wall Integrity (CWI) pathways in yeast, which mediate adaptation to hyper- and hypo-osmotic challenges, respectively. We combine ensemble modeling with experimental investigations to test in quantitative terms different hypotheses about the crosstalk of the HOG and the CWI pathways. Our analyses indicate that for the conditions studied i) the CWI pathway activation employs an adaptive mechanism with a variable volume-dependent threshold, in contrast to the HOG pathway, whose activation relies on a fixed volume-dependent threshold, ii) there is no or little direct crosstalk between the HOG and CWI pathways and iii) its mainly the HOG alone mediating adaptation of cellular osmotic pressure for both hyper- as well as hypo-osmotic stress. Thus, by iteratively combining mathematical modeling with experimentation we achieved a better understanding of regulatory mechanisms of yeast osmo-homeostasis and formulated new hypotheses about osmo-sensing.
Localized Down-regulation of P-glycoprotein by Focused Ultrasound and Microbubbles induced Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in Rat Brain
Authors: Cho HongSeok , Lee Hwa-Youn , Han Mun , Choi Jong-ryul , Ahn Sanghyun , Lee Taekwan , Chang Yongmin , Park Juyoung
Published: August 2016

Multi-drug resistant efflux transporters found in Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) acts as a functional barrier, by pumping out most of the drugs into the blood. Previous studies showed focused ultrasound (FUS) induced microbubble oscillation can disrupt the BBB by loosening the tight junctions in the brain endothelial cells; however, no study was performed to investigate its impact on the functional barrier of the BBB. In this study, the BBB in rat brains were disrupted using the MRI guided FUS and microbubbles. The immunofluorescence study evaluated the expression of the P-glycoprotein (P-gp), the most dominant multi-drug resistant protein found in the BBB. Intensity of the P-gp expression at the BBB disruption (BBBD) regions was significantly reduced (63.2 ± 18.4%) compared to the control area. The magnitude of the BBBD and the level of the P-gp down-regulation were significantly correlated. Both the immunofluorescence and histologic analysis at the BBBD regions revealed no apparent damage in the brain endothelial cells. The results demonstrate that the FUS and microbubbles can induce a localized down-regulation of P-gp expression in rat brain. The study suggests a clinically translation of this method to treat neural diseases through targeted delivery of the wide ranges of brain disorder related drugs.
Performance comparison of MOF and other sorbent materials in removing key odorants emitted from pigpen slurry
Authors: Ahmed Ezaz , Deep Akash , Kwon Eilhann E. , Brown Richard J. C. , Kim Ki-Hyun
Published: August 2016

A batch-type dynamic headspace (HS) system was used to generate vapor-phase volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a pigpen slurry sample. Sorptive removal capability of MOF-199 and other sorbents (zeolite (ZL) and activated carbon (AC)) was assessed against a total of 13 slurry-borne odorants ((methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), isobutyl alcohol (i-BuAl), benzene (B), toluene (T), p-xylene (p-X), m-xylene (m-X), o-xylene (o-X), styrene (S), o-cresol (o-C), phenol (PhAl), p-cresol (p-C), indole (ID), and skatole (SK)). Adsorption capacity of MOF-199 and two sorbents, when assessed for the 13 odorants at a 10% breakthrough volume (BTV), was 22.6 ± 42.3, 0.70 ± 1.08, and 11.0 ± 18.3 μg g−1, respectively. The adsorption capacity (μg g−1) assessed at 10% BTV showed the superiority of MOF-199 towards phenolic and indolic compounds (such as o-C (0.31 ± 0.04), PhAl (61.6 ± 4.98), p-C (140 ± 7.95), ID (27.8 ± 2.23), and SK (63.9 ± 1.55)), demonstrating the feasibility of MOF as sorption media for treating certain nuisance components.
A universal explanation of tunneling conductance in exotic superconductors
Authors: Hong Jongbae , Abergel D. S. L.
Published: August 2016

A longstanding mystery in understanding cuprate superconductors is the inconsistency between the experimental data measured by scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). In particular, the gap between prominent side peaks observed in STS is much bigger than the superconducting gap observed by ARPES measurements. Here, we reconcile the two experimental techniques by generalising a theory which was previously applied to zero-dimensional mesoscopic Kondo systems to strongly correlated two-dimensional (2D) exotic superconductors. We show that the side peaks observed in tunneling conductance measurements in all these materials have a universal origin: They are formed by coherence-mediated tunneling under bias and do not directly reflect the underlying density of states (DOS) of the sample. We obtain theoretical predictions of the tunneling conductance and the density of states of the sample simultaneously and show that for cuprate and pnictide superconductors, the extracted sample DOS is consistent with the superconducting gap measured by ARPES.
Application of ADA1 as a new marker enzyme in sandwich ELISA to study the effect of adenosine on activated monocytes
Authors: Liu Chengqian , Skaldin Maksym , Wu Chengxiang , Lu Yuanan , Zavialov Andrey V.
Published: August 2016

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a valuable technique to detect antigens in biological fluids. Horse radish peroxidase (HRP) is one of the most common enzymes used for signal amplification in ELISA. Despite new advances in technology, such as a large-scale production of recombinant enzymes and availability of new detection systems, limited research is devoted to finding alternative enzymes and their substrates to amplify the ELISA signals. Here, HRP-avidin was substituted with the human adenosine deaminase (hADA1)-streptavidin complex and adenosine as a detection system in commercial ELISA kits. The hADA1 ELISA was successfully used to demonstrate that adenosine, bound to A1 and A3 adenosine receptors, increases cytokine secretion by LPS activated monocytes. We show that hADA1-based ELISA has the same sensitivity and also provides identical results, as HRP ELISA. In addition, the sensitivity of hADA1-based ELISA could be easily adjusted by changing the adenosine concentration and the incubation time. Therefore, hADA1 could be used as a detection enzyme with any commercial ELISA kit with a wide range of concentration of antigens.
Influence of grain boundary characteristics on thermal stability in nanotwinned copper
Authors: Niu Rongmei , Han Ke , Su Yi-feng , Besara Tiglet , Siegrist Theo M. , Zuo Xiaowei
Published: August 2016

High density grain boundaries provide high strength, but may introduce undesirable features, such as high Fermi levels and instability. We investigated the kinetics of recovery and recrystallization of Cu that was manufactured to include both nanotwins (NT) and high-angle columnar boundaries. We used the isothermal Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov (JMAK) model to estimate activation energy values for recovery and recrystallization and compared those to values derived using the non-isothermal Kissinger equation. The JMAK model hinges on an exponent that expresses the growth mechanism of a material. The exponent for this Cu was close to 0.5, indicating low-dimensional microstructure evolution, which is associated with anisotropic twin coarsening, heterogeneous recrystallization and high stability. Since this Cu was of high purity, there was a negligible impurity-drag-effect on boundaries. The twin coarsening and heterogeneous recrystallization resulted from migration of high-angle columnar boundaries with their triple junctions in one direction, assisted by the presence of high concentration vacancies at boundaries. Analyses performed by electron energy loss spectroscopy of atomic columns at twin boundaries (TBs) and in the interior showed similar plasma peak shapes and L3 edge positions. This implies that values for conductivity and Fermi level are equal for atoms at TBs and in the interior.
Basin entropy: a new tool to analyze uncertainty in dynamical systems
Authors: Daza Alvar , Wagemakers Alexandre , Georgeot Bertrand , Guéry-Odelin David , Sanjuán Miguel A. F.
Published: August 2016

In nonlinear dynamics, basins of attraction link a given set of initial conditions to its corresponding final states. This notion appears in a broad range of applications where several outcomes are possible, which is a common situation in neuroscience, economy, astronomy, ecology and many other disciplines. Depending on the nature of the basins, prediction can be difficult even in systems that evolve under deterministic rules. From this respect, a proper classification of this unpredictability is clearly required. To address this issue, we introduce the basin entropy, a measure to quantify this uncertainty. Its application is illustrated with several paradigmatic examples that allow us to identify the ingredients that hinder the prediction of the final state. The basin entropy provides an efficient method to probe the behavior of a system when different parameters are varied. Additionally, we provide a sufficient condition for the existence of fractal basin boundaries: when the basin entropy of the boundaries is larger than log2, the basin is fractal.
Mitochondria-Mediated Protein Regulation Mechanism of Polymorphs-Dependent Inhibition of Nanoselenium on Cancer Cells
Authors: Wang Ge , Guo Yuming , Yang Gai , Yang Lin , Ma Xiaoming , Wang Kui , Zhu Lin , Sun Jiaojiao , Wang Xiaobing , Zhang Hua
Published: August 2016

The present study was (i) to prepare two types of selenium nanoparticles, namely an amorphous form of selenium quantum dots (A-SeQDs) and a crystalline form of selenium quantum dots (C-SeQDs); and (ii) to investigate the nano-bio interactions of A-SeQDs and C-SeQDs in MCF-7, HepG2, HeLa, NIH/3T3, L929 cells and BRL-3A cells. It was found that A-SeQDs could induce the mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, necrosis and death of cells, while C-SeQDs had much weaker effects. This polymorphs-dependent anti-proliferative activity of nano-selenium was scarcely reported. Further investigation demonstrated that A-SeQDs could differentially regulate 61 proteins and several pathways related to stress response, protein synthesis, cell migration and cell cycle, including “p38 MAPK Signaling”, “p53 Signaling”, “14-3-3-mediated Signaling”, “p70S6K Signaling” and “Protein Ubiquitination Pathway”. This was the first report to demonstrate the involvement of protein synthesis and post-translational modification pathways in the anti-proliferative activity associated with NMs. Compared with previously fragmentary studies, this study use a nanomics approach combining bioinformatics and proteomics to systematically investigate the nano-bio interactions of selenium nanoparticles in cancer cells.
Neuroprotective effects of apigenin against inflammation, neuronal excitability and apoptosis in an induced pluripotent stem cell model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Balez Rachelle , Steiner Nicole , Engel Martin , Muñoz Sonia Sanz , Lum Jeremy Stephen , Wu Yizhen , Wang Dadong , Vallotton Pascal , Sachdev Perminder , O’Connor Michael , Sidhu Kuldip , Münch Gerald , Ooi Lezanne
Published: August 2016

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, yet current therapeutic treatments are inadequate due to a complex disease pathogenesis. The plant polyphenol apigenin has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties in a number of cell and animal models; however a comprehensive assessment has not been performed in a human model of AD. Here we have used a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) model of familial and sporadic AD, in addition to healthy controls, to assess the neuroprotective activity of apigenin. The iPSC-derived AD neurons demonstrated a hyper-excitable calcium signalling phenotype, elevated levels of nitrite, increased cytotoxicity and apoptosis, reduced neurite length and increased susceptibility to inflammatory stress challenge from activated murine microglia, in comparison to control neurons. We identified that apigenin has potent anti-inflammatory properties with the ability to protect neurites and cell viability by promoting a global down-regulation of cytokine and nitric oxide (NO) release in inflammatory cells. In addition, we show that apigenin is able to protect iPSC-derived AD neurons via multiple means by reducing the frequency of spontaneous Ca2+ signals and significantly reducing caspase-3/7 mediated apoptosis. These data demonstrate the broad neuroprotective action of apigenin against AD pathogenesis in a human disease model.
Facial feedback and autonomic responsiveness reflect impaired emotional processing in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Balconi Michela , Pala Francesca , Manenti Rosa , Brambilla Michela , Cobelli Chiara , Rosini Sandra , Benussi Alberto , Padovani Alessandro , Borroni Barbara , Cotelli Maria
Published: August 2016

Emotional deficits are part of the non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease but few attention has been paid to specific aspects such as subjective emotional experience and autonomic responses. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of emotional recognition in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) using the following levels: explicit evaluation of emotions (Self-Assessment Manikin) and implicit reactivity (Skin Conductance Response; electromyographic measure of facial feedback of the zygomaticus and corrugator muscles). 20 PD Patients and 34 healthy controls were required to observe and evaluate affective pictures during physiological parameters recording. In PD, the appraisal process on both valence and arousal features of emotional cues were preserved, but we found significant impairment in autonomic responses. Specifically, in comparison to healthy controls, PD patients revealed lower Skin Conductance Response values to negative and high arousing emotional stimuli. In addition, the electromyographic measures showed defective responses exclusively limited to negative and high arousing emotional category: PD did not show increasing of corrugator activity in response to negative emotions as happened in heathy controls. PD subjects inadequately respond to the emotional categories which were considered more “salient”: they had preserved appraisal process, but impaired automatic ability to distinguish between different emotional contexts.
Urothelium muscarinic activation phosphorylates CBSSer227 via cGMP/PKG pathway causing human bladder relaxation through H2S production
Authors: d’Emmanuele di Villa Bianca Roberta , Mitidieri Emma , Fusco Ferdinando , Russo Annapina , Pagliara Valentina , Tramontano Teresa , Donnarumma Erminia , Mirone Vincenzo , Cirino Giuseppe , Russo Giulia , Sorrentino Raffaella
Published: August 2016

The urothelium modulates detrusor activity through releasing factors whose nature has not been clearly defined. Here we have investigated the involvement of H2S as possible mediator released downstream following muscarinic (M) activation, by using human bladder and urothelial T24 cell line. Carbachol stimulation enhances H2S production and in turn cGMP in human urothelium or in T24 cells. This effect is reversed by cysthationine-β-synthase (CBS) inhibition. The blockade of M1 and M3 receptors reverses the increase in H2S production in human urothelium. In T24 cells, the blockade of M1 receptor significantly reduces carbachol-induced H2S production. In the functional studies, the urothelium removal from human bladder strips leads to an increase in carbachol-induced contraction that is mimicked by CBS inhibition. Instead, the CSE blockade does not significantly affect carbachol-induced contraction. The increase in H2S production and in turn of cGMP is driven by CBS-cGMP/PKG-dependent phosphorylation at Ser227 following carbachol stimulation. The finding of the presence of this crosstalk between the cGMP/PKG and H2S pathway downstream to the M1/M3 receptor in the human urothelium further implies a key role for H2S in bladder physiopathology. Thus, the modulation of the H2S pathway can represent a feasible therapeutic target to develop drugs for bladder disorders.
The caffeine-binding adenosine A2A receptor induces age-like HPA-axis dysfunction by targeting glucocorticoid receptor function
Authors: Batalha Vânia L. , Ferreira Diana G. , Coelho Joana E. , Valadas Jorge S. , Gomes Rui , Temido-Ferreira Mariana , Shmidt Tatiana , Baqi Younis , Buée Luc , Müller Christa E. , Hamdane Malika , Outeiro Tiago F. , Bader Michael , Meijsing Sebastiaan H. , Sadri-Vakili Ghazaleh , Blum David , Lopes Luísa V.
Published: August 2016

Caffeine is associated with procognitive effects in humans by counteracting overactivation of the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR), which is upregulated in the human forebrain of aged and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. We have previously shown that an anti-A2AR therapy reverts age-like memory deficits, by reestablishment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis feedback and corticosterone circadian levels. These observations suggest that A2AR over-activation and glucocorticoid dysfunction are key events in age-related hippocampal deficits; but their direct connection has never been explored. We now show that inducing A2AR overexpression in an aging-like profile is sufficient to trigger HPA-axis dysfunction, namely loss of plasmatic corticosterone circadian oscillation, and promotes reduction of GR hippocampal levels. The synaptic plasticity and memory deficits triggered by GR in the hippocampus are amplified by A2AR over-activation and were rescued by anti-A2AR therapy; finally, we demonstrate that A2AR act on GR nuclear translocation and GR-dependent transcriptional regulation. We provide the first demonstration that A2AR is a major regulator of GR function and that this functional interconnection may be a trigger to age-related memory deficits. This supports the idea that the procognitive effects of A2AR antagonists, namely caffeine, on Alzheimer’s and age-related cognitive impairments may rely on its ability to modulate GR actions.
Distribution of coniferin in freeze-fixed stem of Ginkgo biloba L. by cryo-TOF-SIMS/SEM
Authors: Aoki Dan , Hanaya Yuto , Akita Takuya , Matsushita Yasuyuki , Yoshida Masato , Kuroda Katsushi , Yagami Sachie , Takama Ruka , Fukushima Kazuhiko
Published: August 2016

To clarify the role of coniferinin planta, semi-quantitative cellular distribution of coniferin in quick-frozenGinkgo biloba L. (ginkgo) was visualized by cryo time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy (cryo-TOF-SIMS/SEM) analysis. The amount and rough distribution of coniferin were confirmed through quantitative chromatography measurement using serial tangential sections of the freeze-fixed ginkgo stem. The lignification stage of the sample was estimated using microscopic observations. Coniferin distribution visualized at the transverse and radial surfaces of freeze-fixed ginkgo stem suggested that coniferin is stored in the vacuoles and showed good agreement with the assimilation timing of coniferin to lignin in differentiating xylem. Consequently, it is suggested that coniferin is stored in the tracheid cells of differentiating xylem and is a lignin precursor.
Determination of fifteen water and fat-soluble UV filters in cosmetics by pressurized liquid extraction followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Vila Marlene , Facorro Rocio , Lamas J. Pablo , Garcia-Jares Carmen , Dagnac Thierry , Llompart Maria
Published: August 2016

An analytical method based on pressurized liquid extraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the simultaneous analysis of fifteen organic UV filters.
Recent approaches for optical smartphone sensing in resource-limited settings: a brief review
Authors: McCracken Katherine E. , Yoon Jeong-Yeol
Published: August 2016

Developments in the emerging fields of smartphone chemical and biosensing have dovetailed with increased interest in environmental and health monitoring for resource-limited environments, culminating in research toward field-ready smartphone sensors.
A highly efficient Li2O2 oxidation system in Li–O2 batteries
Authors: Hase Yoko , Seki Juntaro , Shiga Tohru , Mizuno Fuminori , Nishikoori Hidetaka , Iba Hideki , Takechi Kensuke
Published: August 2016

We demonstrated a novel indirect charging system for Li–O2 batteries, chemical regeneration, which reduces both charging time and capacity fade.
In situ gas/solid reaction for the formation of luminescent quantum confined CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite planar film
Authors: Zhang Taiyang , Li Ge , Xu Feng , Wang Yipeng , Guo Nanjie , Qian Xufang , Zhao Yixin
Published: August 2016

We demonstrate a facile gas solid reaction of PbBr2 film with CH3NH2 gas under ambient conditions to form a luminescent quantum confined CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite film.
The effect of water on discharge product growth and chemistry in Li–O2batteries
Authors: Kwabi David G. , Batcho Thomas P. , Feng Shuting , Giordano Livia , Thompson Carl V. , Shao-Horn Yang
Published: August 2016

Understanding what controls Li–O2battery discharge product chemistry and morphology is key to enabling its practical deployment as a low-cost, high-specific-energy energy conversion technology.
Stepwise collapse of highly overlapping electrical double layers
Authors: Zachariah Z. , Espinosa-Marzal R. M. , Spencer N. D. , Heuberger M. P.
Published: August 2016

When two charged surfaces and their accompanying double layers (EDL) approach each other in an electrolyte solution, the EDLs first begin to overlap and finally collapse under confinement. Precise surface force measurements reveal the underlying structural elements.
The influence of LiH on the rehydrogenation behavior of halide free rare earth (RE) borohydrides (RE = Pr, Er)
Authors: Heere Michael , Payandeh GharibDoust Seyed Hosein , Frommen Christoph , Humphries Terry D. , Ley Morten B. , Sørby Magnus H. , Jensen Torben R. , Hauback Bjørn C.
Published: August 2016

The physical mixture of the desorbed Er(BH4)3 with 50 wt% of LiH was also investigated upon rehydrogenation. At 400 °C, under 100 bar H2, the crystalline reaction products, ErH3 and LiBH4, appeared during cooling. The presence of LiH improves the crystallinity and rehydrogenation properties.
Solvent effects on the properties of hyperbranched polythiophenes
Authors: Torras Juan , Zanuy David , Aradilla David , Alemán Carlos
Published: August 2016

QM/MM-MD simulations of dendrimers using explicit solvent molecules capture the conformational flexibility and microfluctuations induced by different types of solvents.
Platinum(ii) O,S complexes as potential metallodrugs against Cisplatin resistance
Authors: Hildebrandt Jana , Häfner Norman , Görls Helmar , Kritsch Daniel , Ferraro Giarita , Dürst Matthias , Runnebaum Ingo B. , Merlino Antonello , Weigand Wolfgang
Published: August 2016

We report on platinum(ii) complexes with different cinnamic acid derivatives as ligands with cytotoxic activity against Cisplatin resistant ovarian cancer cell line subcultures of SKOV3 and A2780.
Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric effects in epitaxial La0.67Ba0.33Ti0.02Mn0.98O3 ferromagnetic thin films grown on 001-oriented SrTiO3 substrates
Authors: Oumezzine Marwène , Galca Aurelian Catalin , Pasuk Iuliana , Chirila Cristina Florentina , Leca Aurel , Kuncser Victor , Tanase Liviu Cristian , Kuncser Andrei , Ghica Corneliu , Oumezzine Mohamed
Published: August 2016

Epitaxial La0.67Ba0.33Ti0.02Mn0.98O3 (denoted as LBTMO hereafter) thin films of approximately 95 nm thickness were deposited by a pulsed laser deposition technique onto SrTiO3 (STO) (001) substrates.
Aggregation-induced enhanced green light emission from a simple donor–π–acceptor (D–π–A) material: a structure–property relationship study
Authors: Gupta Vinod Kumar , Singh Ram Adhar
Published: August 2016

Organic D–π–A materials, possessing intramolecular charge transfer, have attracted much scientific attention in recent years because of their potential applications in the development of organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). Two new compounds, A1 and A2, having a D–π–A skeleton have been synthesized and single crystals were grown by the solution growth technique. Both compounds were characterized for crystallographic, thermal and photophysical properties. Upon photo-excitation in the solid state, A1 showed very strong green light emission while A2 gave sky-blue emission with much lower intensity. A single crystal X-ray diffraction study revealed that in the crystal lattice of A1, both the donor and acceptor groups are involved in the intermolecular interactions. This results in the restricted intramolecular rotation (RIR) of the D and A moieties, and enables A1 to emit more intensely in the solid state due to aggregation-induced emission (AIE). Intense green light emission, along with a good crystalline nature indicates that A1 might be a potential candidate for opto-electronic devices.
Biocatalytic transamination with near-stoichiometric inexpensive amine donors mediated by bifunctional mono- and di-amine transaminases
Authors: Galman James L. , Slabu Iustina , Weise Nicholas J. , Iglesias Cesar , Parmeggiani Fabio , Lloyd Richard C. , Turner Nicholas J.
Published: August 2016

Bifunctional transaminases enable a strategy for the production of chiral amines using small excesses of diamine donors.
Two in one: use of azide functionality for controlled photo-crosslinking and click-modification of polymer microspheres
Authors: Albuszis Marco , Roth Peter J. , Pauer Werner , Moritz Hans-Ulrich
Published: August 2016

UV-Irradiation of azide-functional microspheres for several minutes is shown to result in efficient crosslinking based on nitrene chemistry and to spare a controllable amount of azide functionality which is amenable to click-modification through CuAAC.
CO2-Responsive polymer materials
Authors: Liu Hanbin , Lin Shaojian , Feng Yujun , Theato Patrick
Published: August 2016

This paper reviews the chemical fundamentals of CO2-responsive polymers as well as the latest reported “smart” material systems switched by CO2.
Manganese protoporphyrin IX reconstituted myoglobin capable of epoxidation of the CC bond with Oxone®
Authors: Cai Yuan-Bo , Yao Si-Yu , Hu Mo , Liu Xiaoyun , Zhang Jun-Long
Published: August 2016

Myoglobin with three distal histidines stabilizes KHSO5, facilitates the O–O bond heterocleavage, and firstly catalyzes epoxidation with the MnPPIX cofactor.
Theoretical study of the cis–trans isomerization mechanism of a pendant metal-bound azobenzene
Authors: Yin Ting-Ting , Zhao Zeng-Xia , Zhang Hong-Xing
Published: August 2016

Theoretical study of the cis–trans isomerization mechanism of azobenzene substituents in rhenium complexes.
Kinetics and mechanism of degradation of chitosan by combining sonolysis with H2O2/ascorbic acid
Authors: Wu Tiantian , Wu Chunhua , Xiang Yingchun , Huang Jiaqi , Luan Lanlan , Chen Shiguo , Hu Yaqin
Published: August 2016

This study demonstrated the combined use of sonolysis with the H2O2/ascorbic acid (Vc) redox reaction to degrade chitosan (CS).
Role of space charges inside a dielectric polymer in the electrohydrodynamic structure formation on a prepatterned polymer (ESF-PP)
Authors: Tian Hongmiao , Shao Jinyou , Hu Hong , Wang Li , Ding Yucheng
Published: August 2016

Mushroom-shaped structures with a high aspect ratio are fabricated based on the action of space charges inside the dielectric polymer.
Theoretical study and design of cyclometalated platinum complexes bearing innovatively a highly-rigid terdentate ligand with carboranyl as a chelating unit
Authors: Xu Yanyan , Luo Yafei , Zhang Wenting , Li Wenqian , Li Ming , Shen Wei
Published: August 2016

The phosphorescence quantum efficiency can be greatly enhanced through suppression of the non-emissive 3MC population by modifications in the ancillary ligand.
Theoretical study of intermolecular interactions in crystalline arene–perhaloarene adducts in terms of the electron density
Authors: Landeros-Rivera Bruno , Moreno-Esparza Rafael , Hernández-Trujillo Jesús
Published: August 2016

The intermolecular interactions in C6X6–arene crystals (X = F, Cl) and the halogen substitution effect can be quantified by the electron density.
Synthesis and optical characterization of a high-quality ZnS substrate for optoelectronics and UV solar-energy conversion
Authors: Ho Ching-Hwa , Lin Min-Han
Published: August 2016

A high-grade cubic ZnS substrate crystal with longer range order and a strong band-edge emission was clearly demonstrated.
Thermal decomposition kinetics of light polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as surrogate biomass tar
Authors: Gai Chao , Dong Yuping , Yang Shuai , Zhang Zhaoling , Liang Jingcui , Li Jingdong
Published: August 2016

Thermal decomposition of the two light polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) naphthalene and anthracene as tar model compounds was investigated with a lab-scale fluidized bed reactor.
Preparation of high encapsulation efficiency fragrance microcapsules and their application in textiles
Authors: Zhao Di , Jiao Xin , Zhang Miaomiao , Ye Kai , Shi Xiaodi , Lu Xihua , Qiu Gao , Shea Kenneth J.
Published: August 2016

Poly(1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate) (PBDDMA) microcapsules with PBDDMA as the shell and dementholized peppermint oil (DPO) fragrance as the core material have been synthesized through a novel interfacial free-radical polymerization.
Chemical modification of starch and its application as an adsorbent material
Authors: Haroon Muhammad , Wang Li , Yu Haojie , Abbasi Nasir M. , Zain-ul-Abdin Zain-ul-Abdin , Saleem Muhammad , Khan Rizwan Ullah , Ullah Raja Summe , Chen Qing , Wu Jialiang
Published: August 2016

Starch is a biopolymer of plant origin which is cheap, abundant and has many applications in food and non-food industries.
Synthesis, characterization, and air stability study of pyrimido[4,5-g]quinazoline-4,9-dione-based polymers for organic thin film transistors
Authors: Quinn Jesse , He Yinghui , Khan Daid A. , Rasmussen Jonathan , Patel Haritosh , Haider Fezza , Kapadia Wasim , Li Yuning
Published: August 2016

This study reports the synthesis of two novel π-conjugated pyrimido[4,5-g]quinazoline-4,9-dione (PQ) based polymers and reveals that the air stability of PQ based polymers is critically affected by the donor comonomer.
In situ synchrotron small- and wide-angle X-ray study on the structural evolution of Kevlar fiber under uniaxial stretching
Authors: Li Xiaoyun , Tian Feng , Zhou Ping , Yang Chunming , Li Xiuhong , Bian Fenggang , Wang Jie
Published: August 2016

In situ SAXS and WAXS study on the structural evolution and mechanism of two different Kevlar fibers during stretching.
Evaluation of the inhibitory potential of HPMC, PVP and HPC polymers on nucleation and crystal growth
Authors: Chavan Rahul B. , Thipparaboina Rajesh , Kumar Dinesh , Shastri Nalini R.
Published: August 2016

Supersaturated drug delivery systems are generally developed for improving solubility and dissolution of poorly soluble drugs.
Controllable NO release from Cu1.6S nanoparticle decomposition of S-nitrosoglutathiones following photothermal disintegration of polymersomes to elicit cerebral vasodilatory activity
Authors: Kao Po-Tsung , Lee I-Ju , Liau Ian , Yeh Chen-Sheng
Published: August 2016

A photo-responsive polymersome was designed to demonstrate the photo-controlled release of NO and its vasodilatory activity on zebrafish.
Photothermal-enhanced catalysis in core–shell plasmonic hierarchical Cu7S4microsphere@zeolitic imidazole framework-8
Authors: Wang Feifan , Huang Yanjie , Chai Zhigang , Zeng Min , Li Qi , Wang Yuan , Xu Dongsheng
Published: August 2016

A strategy to improve reaction activityviathe photothermal effect of plasmonic semiconductor nanomaterials is demonstrated in a core–shell structured catalyst.
Surfactant-assisted ZnO processing as a versatile route to ZIF composites and hollow architectures with enhanced dye adsorption
Authors: El-Hankari Samir , Aguilera-Sigalat Jordi , Bradshaw Darren
Published: August 2016

Surfactant-assisted surface passivation of ZnO allows the preparation of ZnO@ZIF-8 core–shell composites with high selectivity for rhodamine B separation and full retention of template morphology. The oxide cores can be etched to access a range of hollow or yolk–shell structures.
2D WS2/carbon dot hybrids with enhanced photocatalytic activity
Authors: Atkin P. , Daeneke T. , Wang Y. , Carey B. J. , Berean K. J. , Clark R. M. , Ou J. Z. , Trinchi A. , Cole I. S. , Kalantar-zadeh K.
Published: August 2016

Novel 2D WS2/carbon dot hybrids were synthesised using liquid phase exfoliation and microwave irradiation leading to enhanced photocatalytic activity.
CuS–Pt(iv)–PEG–FA nanoparticles for targeted photothermal and chemotherapy
Authors: Bi Huiting , Dai Yunlu , Xu Jiating , Lv Ruichan , He Fei , Gai Shili , Yang Dan , Yang Piaoping
Published: August 2016

CuS–Pt(iv) nanoparticles exhibited high in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor efficiency, which was caused by the integrated Pt drug-induced chemotherapy and CuS nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) upon irradiation with near infrared (NIR) light.
Glass–iron oxide, glass–iron and glass–iron–carbon composite hollow particles with tunable electromagnetic properties
Authors: An Zhenguo , Zhang Jingjie
Published: August 2016

Stepwise combustion–calcination route to low-density glass–iron oxide, glass–iron and glass–iron–carbon composite shelly hollow particles with tunable electromagnetic property.
Increased thermal stabilization of polymer photovoltaic cells with oligomeric PCBM
Authors: Ramanitra Hasina H. , Dowland Simon A. , Bregadiolli Bruna A. , Salvador Michael , Santos Silva Hugo , Bégué Didier , Graeff Carlos F. O. , Peisert Heiko , Chassé Thomas , Rajoelson Sambatra , Osvet Andres , Brabec Christoph J. , Egelhaaf Hans-Joachim , Morse Graham E. , Distler Andreas , Hiorns Roger C.
Published: August 2016

Both crystalline and amorphous polymer-based organic photovoltaic devices are stabilized against thermal degradation by an ATRAP prepared PCBM oligomer.
Mechanisms of Hsp90 regulation
Authors: Prodromou Chrisostomos
Published: August 2016

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a molecular chaperone that is involved in the activation of disparate client proteins. This implicates Hsp90 in diverse biological processes that require a variety of co-ordinated regulatory mechanisms to control its activity. Perhaps the most important regulator is heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), which is primarily responsible for upregulating Hsp90 by binding heat shock elements (HSEs) within Hsp90 promoters. HSF1 is itself subject to a variety of regulatory processes and can directly respond to stress. HSF1 also interacts with a variety of transcriptional factors that help integrate biological signals, which in turn regulate Hsp90 appropriately. Because of the diverse clientele of Hsp90 a whole variety of co-chaperones also regulate its activity and some are directly responsible for delivery of client protein. Consequently, co-chaperones themselves, like Hsp90, are also subject to regulatory mechanisms such as post translational modification. This review, looks at the many different levels by which Hsp90 activity is ultimately regulated.
Positive effects of duckweed polycultures on starch and protein accumulation
Authors: Li Yang , Zhang Fantao , Daroch Maurycy , Tang Jie
Published: August 2016

The effect of duckweed species composition (Lemna aequinoctialis 5505, Landoltia punctata 5506 and Spirodela polyrhiza 5507) in polyculture and monoculture on biomass and starch/protein content were investigated at different levels of temperature, light intensity, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations. The three growth parameters significantly affect duckweed biomass accumulation. Different combinations of duckweed species greatly varied in starch/protein content. Although all the polycultures showed a median relative growth rate and the majority of the polycultures showed a median and starch/protein content as compared with their respective monocultures, some of the polycultures were found to promote the accumulation of starch/protein at different growth conditions. These findings indicated that proper combination of duckweed species could facilitate desirable biomass accumulation and improve biomass quality. The present study provides useful references for future large-scale duckweed cultivation.
Energy‐efficient power allocation algorithm in cognitive radio networks
Authors: Zhou Mingyue , Zhao Xiaohui
Published: August 2016

Most of traditional power allocation algorithms are often based on maximum capacity technology (MCT) in cognitive radio networks (CRNs) at the expense of higher energy consumption. The optimisation of energy efficiency power allocation schemes are important performance in green communication. This study investigates the energy efficient power allocation for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing based CRNs in underlay mode. The authors’ scheme is obtained by optimising an objective function consisting of the users’ performance degradation and the network interference, in the same time to track time‐varying target of signal to inference plus noise ratio (SINR) under maximum transmit power for each cognitive user and interference power constraint from primary user. A convex optimisation problem is formulated where the tradeoff between energy consumption and transmission capacity is considered, and a distributed algorithm is developed to solve this problem. Simulation results show that the authors’ proposed algorithm can guarantee an acceptable target SINR for all cognitive users and significantly improves energy efficiency compared with throughput per Joule and MCT schemes. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm with the introduced appropriate weight parameters can get higher transmission capacity.
Communication‐efficient distributed strategy for reactive power optimisation considering the uncertainty of renewable generation
Authors: Li Jing , Xin Huanhai , Wei Wei , Dai Wenzhan
Published: August 2016

Due to the non‐linear power flow equality constraints and uncertain injected power of renewable generation, the reactive power optimisation problem is stochastic and non‐convex, which is hard to be solved efficiently. Therefore, the discrete probability model of renewable generation is utilised to build the multi‐scenario deterministic formulation of the stochastic problem, which is further changed to a conic optimisation model via the second‐order conic relaxation. By using the skill of splitting buses and the augmented Lagrangian decomposition, the problem is separated into several smaller manageable sub‐problems. Moreover, on the basis of the accelerated local augmented Lagrangian, a fully distributed conic optimisation algorithm is developed and the global optimal solution can be obtained iteratively in a parallel fashion. During the iterative procedure of the algorithm, only partial local message, without central coordination, need to be exchanged between the neighbouring subsystems. Each subsystem is interested in knowing only some components rather than the entire information, which improves communication efficiency. Simulations verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Quantum friction of pseudorotation in Jahn-Teller system: Passage through conical intersection
Authors: Pae Kaja , Hizhnyakov Vladimir
Published: August 2016

A theoretical study of the relaxation of an excited impurity center with strong E × e-type Jahn-Teller effect, caused by the emission of phonons to the bulk, is presented. The dependence of the passing the system through the conical intersection of the potential surface on the momentum of the pseudorotation is figured out. An analytical description of the quantum states of the conical intersection (Slonczewski resonances) is given. It is found that for realistic vibronic interactions with phonons, the characteristic time of the energy loss is several tenths of mean periods of phonons, i.e., it is in the picosecond range. It is also found that there is a finite probability of the speeding-up of the pseudorotation of the system at the intermediate stage of relaxation. In particular, this probability increases close to the Slonczewski resonances. During the relaxation, the system may change the direction of the pseudomoment; the probability of such a change also increases near the resonances.