bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing laser-driven proton acceleration by using micro-pillar arrays at high drive energy
Authors: Khaghani Dimitri , Lobet Mathieu , Borm Björn , Burr Loïc , Gärtner Felix , Gremillet Laurent , Movsesyan Liana , Rosmej Olga , Toimil-Molares Maria Eugenia , Wagner Florian , Neumayer Paul
Published: September 2017

The interaction of micro- and nano-structured target surfaces with high-power laser pulses is being widely investigated for its unprecedented absorption efficiency. We have developed vertically aligned metallic micro-pillar arrays for laser-driven proton acceleration experiments. We demonstrate that such targets help strengthen interaction mechanisms when irradiated with high-energy-class laser pulses of intensities ~1017–18 W/cm2. In comparison with standard planar targets, we witness strongly enhanced hot-electron production and proton acceleration both in terms of maximum energies and particle numbers. Supporting our experimental results, two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show an increase in laser energy conversion into hot electrons, leading to stronger acceleration fields. This opens a window of opportunity for further improvements of laser-driven ion acceleration systems.
Anti-Aβ single-chain variable fragment antibodies restore memory acquisition in a Drosophila model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Martin-Peña Alfonso , Rincon-Limas Diego E. , Fernandez-Funez Pedro
Published: September 2017

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder triggered by the accumulation of soluble assemblies of the amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) peptide. Despite remarkable advances in understanding the pathogenesis of AD, the development of palliative therapies is still lacking. Engineered anti-Aβ42 antibodies are a promising strategy to stall the progression of the disease. Single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies increase brain penetration and offer flexible options for delivery while maintaining the epitope targeting of full antibodies. Here, we examined the ability of two anti-Aβ scFv antibodies targeting the N-terminal (scFv9) and C-terminal (scFv42.2) regions of Aβ42 to suppress the progressive memory decline induced by extracellular deposition of Aβ42 in Drosophila. Using olfactory classical conditioning, we observe that both scFv antibodies significantly improve memory performance in flies expressing Aβ42 in the mushroom body neurons, which are intimately involved in the coding and storage of olfactory memories. The scFvs effectively restore memory at all ages, from one-day post-eclosion to thirty-day-old flies, proving their ability to prevent the toxicity of different pathogenic assemblies. These data support the application of this paradigm of Aβ42-induced memory loss in Drosophila to investigate the protective activity of Aβ42–binding agents in an AD-relevant functional assay.
Saturated mutagenesis of ketoisovalerate decarboxylase V461 enabled specific synthesis of 1-pentanol via the ketoacid elongation cycle
Authors: Chen Grey S. , Siao Siang Wun , Shen Claire R.
Published: September 2017

Iterative ketoacid elongation has been an essential tool in engineering artificial metabolism, in particular the synthetic alcohols. However, precise control of product specificity is still greatly challenged by the substrate promiscuity of the ketoacid decarboxylase, which unselectively hijacks ketoacid intermediates from the elongation cycle along with the target ketoacid. In this work, preferential tuning of the Lactococcus lactis ketoisovalerate decarboxylase (Kivd) specificity toward 1-pentanol synthesis was achieved via saturated mutagenesis of the key residue V461 followed by screening of the resulting alcohol spectrum. Substitution of V461 with the small and polar amino acid glycine or serine significantly improved the Kivd selectivity toward the 1-pentanol precursor 2-ketocaproate by lowering its catalytic efficiency for the upstream ketoacid 2-ketobutyrate and 2-ketovalerate. Conversely, replacing V461 with bulky or charged side chains displayed severely adverse effect. Increasing supply of the iterative addition unit acetyl-CoA by acetate feeding further drove 2-ketoacid flux into the elongation cycle and enhanced 1-pentanol productivity. The Kivd V461G variant enabled a 1-pentanol production specificity around 90% of the total alcohol content with or without oleyl alcohol extraction. This work adds insight to the selectivity of Kivd active site.
Heterogeneity Aware Random Forest for Drug Sensitivity Prediction
Authors: Rahman Raziur , Matlock Kevin , Ghosh Souparno , Pal Ranadip
Published: September 2017

Samples collected in pharmacogenomics databases typically belong to various cancer types. For designing a drug sensitivity predictive model from such a database, a natural question arises whether a model trained on diverse inter-tumor heterogeneous samples will perform similar to a predictive model that takes into consideration the heterogeneity of the samples in model training and prediction. We explore this hypothesis and observe that ensemble model predictions obtained when cancer type is known out-perform predictions when that information is withheld even when the samples sizes for the former is considerably lower than the combined sample size. To incorporate the heterogeneity idea in the commonly used ensemble based predictive model of Random Forests, we propose Heterogeneity Aware Random Forests (HARF) that assigns weights to the trees based on the category of the sample. We treat heterogeneity as a latent class allocation problem and present a covariate free class allocation approach based on the distribution of leaf nodes of the model ensemble. Applications on CCLE and GDSC databases show that HARF outperforms traditional Random Forest when the average drug responses of cancer types are different.
Urban heat island impacted by fine particles in Nanjing, China
Authors: Wu Hao , Wang Tijian , Riemer Nicole , Chen Pulong , Li Mengmeng , Li Shu
Published: September 2017

Atmospheric aerosol particles (especially particles with aerodynamic diameters equal to or less than 2.5 μm, called PM2.5) can affect the surface energy balance and atmospheric heating rates and thus may impact the intensity of urban heat islands. In this paper, the effect of fine particles on the urban heat island intensity in Nanjing was investigated via the analysis of observational data and numerical modelling. The observations showed that higher PM2.5 concentrations over the urban area corresponded to lower urban heat island (UHI) intensities, especially during the day. Under heavily polluted conditions, the UHI intensity was reduced by up to 1 K. The numerical simulation results confirmed the weakening of the UHI intensity due to PM2.5 via the higher PM2.5 concentrations present in the urban region than those in the suburban areas. The effects of the fine particles on the UHI reduction were limited to the lowest 500–1000 m. The daily range of the surface air temperature was also reduced by up to 1.1 K due to the particles’ radiative effects. In summary, PM2.5 noticeably impacts UHI intensity, which should be considered in future studies on air pollution and urban climates.
Hybrid organic-inorganic polariton laser
Authors: Paschos G. G. , Somaschi N. , Tsintzos S. I. , Coles D. , Bricks J. L. , Hatzopoulos Z. , Lidzey D. G. , Lagoudakis P. G. , Savvidis P. G.
Published: September 2017

Organic materials exhibit exceptional room temperature light emitting characteristics and enormous exciton oscillator strength, however, their low charge carrier mobility prevent their use in high-performance applications such as electrically pumped lasers. In this context, ultralow threshold polariton lasers, whose operation relies on Bose-Einstein condensation of polaritons – part-light part-matter quasiparticles, are highly advantageous since the requirement for high carrier injection no longer holds. Polariton lasers have been successfully implemented using inorganic materials owing to their excellent electrical properties, however, in most cases their relatively small exciton binding energies limit their operation temperature. It has been suggested that combining organic and inorganic semiconductors in a hybrid microcavity, exploiting resonant interactions between these materials would permit to dramatically enhance optical nonlinearities and operation temperature. Here, we obtain cavity mediated hybridization of GaAs and J-aggregate excitons in the strong coupling regime under electrical injection of carriers as well as polariton lasing up to 200 K under non-resonant optical pumping. Our demonstration paves the way towards realization of hybrid organic-inorganic microcavities which utilise the organic component for sustaining high temperature polariton condensation and efficient electrical injection through inorganic structure.
Dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as lysophosphatidylcholine, but not as free acid, enriches brain DHA and improves memory in adult mice
Authors: Sugasini Dhavamani , Thomas Riya , Yalagala Poorna C. R. , Tai Leon M. , Subbaiah Papasani V.
Published: September 2017

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is uniquely concentrated in the brain, and is essential for its function, but must be mostly acquired from diet. Most of the current supplements of DHA, including fish oil and krill oil, do not significantly increase brain DHA, because they are hydrolyzed to free DHA and are absorbed as triacylglycerol, whereas the transporter at blood brain barrier is specific for phospholipid form of DHA. Here we show that oral administration of DHA to normal adult mice as lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) (40 mg DHA/kg) for 30 days increased DHA content of the brain by >2-fold. In contrast, the same amount of free DHA did not increase brain DHA, but increased the DHA in adipose tissue and heart. Moreover, LPC-DHA treatment markedly improved the spatial learning and memory, as measured by Morris water maze test, whereas free DHA had no effect. The brain derived neurotrophic factor increased in all brain regions with LPC-DHA, but not with free DHA. These studies show that dietary LPC-DHA efficiently increases brain DHA content and improves brain function in adult mammals, thus providing a novel nutraceutical approach for the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases associated with DHA deficiency, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The causes and ecological correlates of head scale asymmetry and fragmentation in a tropical snake
Authors: Brown Gregory P. , Madsen Thomas , Dubey Sylvain , Shine Rick
Published: September 2017

The challenge of identifying the proximate causes and ecological consequences of phenotypic variation can be facilitated by studying traits that are usually but not always bilaterally symmetrical; deviations from symmetry likely reflect disrupted embryogenesis. Based on a 19-year mark-recapture study of >1300 slatey-grey snakes (Stegonotus cucullatus) in tropical Australia, and incubation of >700 eggs, we document developmental and ecological correlates of two morphological traits: asymmetry and fragmentation of head scales. Asymmetry was directional (more scales on the left side) and was higher in individuals with lower heterozygosity, but was not heritable. In contrast, fragmentation was heritable and was higher in females than males. Both scale asymmetry and fragmentation were increased by rapid embryogenesis but were not affected by hydric conditions during incubation. Snakes with asymmetry and fragmentation exhibited slightly lower survival and increased (sex-specific) movements, and females with more scale fragmentation produced smaller eggs. Counterintuitively, snakes with more asymmetry had higher growth rates (possibly reflecting trade-offs with other traits), and snakes with more fragmentation had fewer parasites (possibly due to lower feeding rates). Our data paint an unusually detailed picture of the complex genetic and environmental factors that, by disrupting early embryonic development, generate variations in morphology that have detectable correlations with ecological performance.
Urea deep placement reduces yield-scaled greenhouse gas (CH4 and N2O) and NO emissions from a ground cover rice production system
Authors: Yao Zhisheng , Zheng Xunhua , Zhang Yanan , Liu Chunyan , Wang Rui , Lin Shan , Zuo Qiang , Butterbach-Bahl Klaus
Published: September 2017

Ground cover rice production system (GCRPS), i.e., paddy soils being covered by thin plastic films with soil moisture being maintained nearly saturated status, is a promising technology as increased yields are achieved with less irrigation water. However, increased soil aeration and temperature under GCRPS may cause pollution swapping in greenhouse gas (GHG) from CH4 to N2O emissions. A 2-year experiment was performed, taking traditional rice cultivation as a reference, to assess the impacts of N-fertilizer placement methods on CH4, N2O and NO emissions and rice yields under GCRPS. Averaging across all rice seasons and N-fertilizer treatments, the GHG emissions for GCRPS were 1973 kg CO2-eq ha−1 (or 256 kg CO2-eq Mg−1), which is significantly lower than that of traditional cultivation (4186 kg CO2-eq ha−1or 646 kg CO2-eq Mg−1). Furthermore, if urea was placed at a 10–15 cm soil depth instead of broadcasting, the yield-scaled GHG emissions from GCRPS were further reduced from 377 to 222 kg CO2-eq Mg−1, as N2O emissions greatly decreased while yields increased. Urea deep placement also reduced yield-scaled NO emissions by 54%. Therefore, GCRPS with urea deep placement is a climate- and environment-smart management, which allows for maximal rice yields at minimal GHG and NO emissions.
Differential landscape of non-CpG methylation in embryonic stem cells and neurons caused by DNMT3s
Authors: Lee Jong-Hun , Park Sung-Joon , Nakai Kenta
Published: September 2017

Methylated non-CpGs (mCpH; H means A, C, and T) have emerged as key epigenetic marks in mammalian embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and neurons, regulating cell type-specific functions. In these two cell types, mCpHs show distinct motifs and correlations to transcription that could be a key in understanding the cell type-specific regulations. Thus, we attempted to uncover the underlying mechanism of the differences in ESCs and neurons by conducting a comprehensive analysis of public whole genome bisulfite sequencing data. Remarkably, there were cell type-specific mCpH patterns around methylated CpGs (mCpGs), resulted from preferential methylation at different contexts by DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 3a and 3b. These DNMTs are differentially expressed in ESCs and brain tissues, resulting in distinct mCpH motifs in these two cell types. Furthermore, in ESCs, DNMT3b interacts with histone H3 tri-methylated at lysine 36 (H3K36me3), resulting in hyper-methylation at CpHs upon actively transcribed genes, including those involved in embryo development. Based on the results, we propose a model to explain the differential establishment of mCpHs in ESCs and neurons, providing insights into the mechanism underlying cell type-specific formation and function of mCpHs.
Oleic acid induces apoptosis and autophagy in the treatment of Tongue Squamous cell carcinomas
Authors: Jiang Lin , Wang Wei , He Qianting , Wu Yuan , Lu Zhiyuan , Sun Jingjing , Liu Zhonghua , Shao Yisen , Wang Anxun
Published: September 2017

Oleic acid (OA), a main ingredient of Brucea javanica oil (BJO), is widely known to have anticancer effects in many tumors. In this study, we investigated the anticancer effect of OA and its mechanism in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). We found that OA effectively inhibited TSCC cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. OA treatment in TSCC significantly induced cell cycle G0/G1 arrest, increased the proportion of apoptotic cells, decreased the expression of CyclinD1 and Bcl-2, and increased the expression of p53 and cleaved caspase-3. OA also obviously induced the formation of autolysosomes and decreased the expression of p62 and the ratio of LC3 I/LC3 II. The expression of p-Akt, p-mTOR, p-S6K, p-4E-BP1 and p-ERK1/2 was significantly decreased in TSCC cells after treatment with OA. Moreover, tumor growth was significantly inhibited after OA treatment in a xenograft mouse model. The above results indicate that OA has a potent anticancer effect in TSCC by inducing apoptosis and autophagy via blocking the Akt/mTOR pathway. Thus, OA is a potential TSCC drug that is worthy of further research and development.
Sorafenib suppresses extrahepatic metastasis de novo in hepatocellular carcinoma through inhibition of mesenchymal cancer stem cells characterized by the expression of CD90
Authors: Yoshida Mariko , Yamashita Taro , Okada Hikari , Oishi Naoki , Nio Kouki , Hayashi Takehiro , Nomura Yoshimoto , Hayashi Tomoyuki , Asahina Yoshiro , Ohwada Mika , Sunagozaka Hajime , Takatori Hajime , Colombo Federico , Porretti Laura , Honda Masao , Kaneko Shuichi
Published: September 2017

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a pivotal target for eradicating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We previously reported that distinctive CSCs regulating tumorigenicity (EpCAM+ CSCs) and metastasis (CD90+ CSCs) have different epithelial/mesenchymal gene expression signatures. Here, we examined the influence of sorafenib, a multiple-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor used as a first-line treatment for advanced HCC, on EpCAM+ and CD90+ CSCs. CD90+ cells showed higher c-Kit gene/protein expression than EpCAM+ cells. Sorafenib treatment reduced the number of CD90+ cells with attenuated c-Kit phosphorylation, whereas it enriched the EpCAM+ cell population. We evaluated the role of CD90+ and EpCAM+ CSCs in vivo by subcutaneously injecting these CSCs together in immune-deficient mice. We observed that sorafenib subtly affected the suppression of primary tumor growth maintained by EpCAM+ CSCs, but completely inhibited the lung metastasis mediated by CD90+ CSCs. We further evaluated the effect of sorafenib on extracellular vesicle (EV) production and found that sorafenib suppressed the production of EVs containing TGF-β mRNA in CD90+ cells and inhibited the cell-cell communication and motility of EpCAM+ cells. Our data suggest the following novel effects of sorafenib: suppressing CD90+ CSCs and inhibiting the production of EVs regulating distant metastasis.
Investigating the neural correlates of smoking: Feasibility and results of combining electronic cigarettes with fMRI
Authors: Wall Matthew B. , Mentink Alexander , Lyons Georgina , Kowalczyk Oliwia S. , Demetriou Lysia , Newbould Rexford D.
Published: September 2017

Cigarette addiction is driven partly by the physiological effects of nicotine, but also by the distinctive sensory and behavioural aspects of smoking, and understanding the neural effects of such processes is vital. There are many practical difficulties associated with subjects smoking in the modern neuroscientific laboratory environment, however electronic cigarettes obviate many of these issues, and provide a close simulation of smoking tobacco cigarettes. We have examined the neural effects of ‘smoking’ electronic cigarettes with concurrent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The results demonstrate the feasibility of using these devices in the MRI environment, and show brain activation in a network of cortical (motor cortex, insula, cingulate, amygdala) and sub-cortical (putamen, thalamus, globus pallidus, cerebellum) regions. Concomitant relative deactivations were seen in the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex. These results reveal the brain processes involved in (simulated) smoking for the first time, and validate a novel approach to the study of smoking, and addiction more generally.
CHA2DS2-VASc score as predictor of ischemic stroke in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Tian Yaohua , Yang Chenlu , Liu Hui
Published: September 2017

Ischemic stroke following coronary revascularization procedures remains one of the most potentially devastating complications. CHA2DS2-VASc score has been widely used for stroke risk stratification in AF patients. The aim of this nationwide study was to examine the association between the CHA2DS2-VASc score and ischemic stroke following coronary revascularization procedures. We identified patients undergoing coronary revascularization procedures, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), using the electronic Hospitalization Summary Reports. Logistic regression models were applied to evaluate the association of CHA2DS2-VASc score with the risk of post-procedural ischemic stroke. We identified 54,714 patients undergoing CABG and 263,063 patients undergoing PCI from 2013 to 2015. The CHA2DS2-VASc score had a positive graded association with the risk of post-procedural ischemic stroke in both CABG and PCI (P for trend <0.001). The adjusted risk of post-procedural ischemic stroke increased by an estimated 122.4% (odds ratio [OR], 2.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.11–2.35) and 34.7% (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.31–1.39) for each additional 1 point in the CHA2DS2-VASc score in CABG and PCI, respectively. In conclusion, these findings suggested that CHA2DS2-VASc score was an independent predictor of the development of post-procedural ischemic stroke in patients undergoing CABG and PCI.
Exploring priming responses involved in peach fruit acclimation to cold stress
Authors: Tanou Georgia , Minas Ioannis S. , Scossa Federico , Belghazi Maya , Xanthopoulou Aliki , Ganopoulos Ioannis , Madesis Panagiotis , Fernie Alisdair , Molassiotis Athanassios
Published: September 2017

Cold storage of fruit may induce the physiological disorder chilling injury (CI); however, the molecular basis of CI development remains largely unexplored. Simulated conditions of CI priming and suppression provided an interesting experimental system to study cold response in fruit. Peaches (cv. June Gold) at the commercial harvest (CH) or tree-ripe (TR) stages were immediately exposed to cold treatment (40 d, 0 °C) and an additional group of CH fruits were pre-conditioned 48 h at 20 °C prior to low-temperature exposure (pre-conditioning, PC). Following cold treatment, the ripening behaviour of the three groups of fruits was analysed (3 d, 20 °C). Parallel proteomic, metabolomic and targeted transcription comparisons were employed to characterize the response of fruit to CI expression. Physiological data indicated that PC suppressed CI symptoms and induced more ethylene biosynthesis than the other treatments. Differences in the protein and metabolic profiles were identified, both among treatments and before and after cold exposure. Transcriptional expression patterns of several genes were consistent with their protein abundance models. Interestingly, metabolomic and gene expression results revealed a possible role for valine and/or isoleucine in CI tolerance. Overall, this study provides new insights into molecular changes during fruit acclimation to cold environment.
Geometric Phase Generated Optical Illusion
Authors: Yue Fuyong , Zang Xiaofei , Wen Dandan , Li Zile , Zhang Chunmei , Liu Huigang , Gerardot Brian D. , Wang Wei , Zheng Guoxing , Chen Xianzhong
Published: September 2017

An optical illusion, such as “Rubin’s vase”, is caused by the information gathered by the eye, which is processed in the brain to give a perception that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source. Metasurfaces are metamaterials of reduced dimensionality which have opened up new avenues for flat optics. The recent advancement in spin-controlled metasurface holograms has attracted considerate attention, providing a new method to realize optical illusions. We propose and experimentally demonstrate a metasurface device to generate an optical illusion. The metasurface device is designed to display two asymmetrically distributed off-axis images of “Rubin faces” with high fidelity, high efficiency and broadband operation that are interchangeable by controlling the helicity of the incident light. Upon the illumination of a linearly polarized light beam, the optical illusion of a ‘vase’ is perceived. Our result provides an intuitive demonstration of the figure-ground distinction that our brains make during the visual perception. The alliance between geometric metasurface and the optical illusion opens a pathway for new applications related to encryption, optical patterning, and information processing.
Alteration of PD-L1 expression and its prognostic impact after concurrent chemoradiation therapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients
Authors: Fujimoto Daichi , Uehara Keiichiro , Sato Yuki , Sakanoue Ichiro , Ito Munehiro , Teraoka Shunsuke , Nagata Kazuma , Nakagawa Atsushi , Kosaka Yasuhiro , Otsuka Kojiro , Imai Yukihiro , Hamakawa Hiroshi , Takahashi Yutaka , Kokubo Masaki , Tomii Keisuke
Published: September 2017

Concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) is the treatment of choice for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). Several clinical trials that combine programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) axis inhibitors with radiotherapy are in development for patients with LA-NSCLC. However, the effect of CCRT on programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression on tumor cells is unknown. In this study, we analysed paired NSCLC specimens that had been obtained pre- and post-CCRT. PD-L1 expression on tumor cells was studied by immunohistochemistry. A total of 45 patients with LA-NSCLC were included, among which there were sufficient pre- and post-CCRT specimens in 35 patients. Overall, the percentage of tumor cells with PD-L1 expression significantly decreased between pre- and post-CCRT specimens (P = 0.024). Sixteen, 15, and 4 patients had decreased, unchanged, or increased PD-L1 expression after CCRT, respectively. Median OS of patients with decreased, unchanged, or increased PD-L1 expression was 85.1, 92.8, and 14.6 months, respectively (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the percentage of PD-L1-positive tumor cells significantly decreased after CCRT. Alteration of PD-L1 expression after neoadjuvant CCRT was associated with prognosis in patients with LA-NSCLC. These data should be considered when developing the optimal approach of integrating PD-1 axis inhibitors with CCRT.
Erratum: “Calibration-on-the-spot”: How to calibrate an EMCCD camera from its images
Authors: Mortensen Kim I. , Flyvbjerg Henrik
Published: September 2017

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 28680; published online: 06 July 2016; updated: 06 September 2017. In the original version of this Article, the Supplementary Software files were omitted. This has been corrected in the HTML version of the Article; the PDF version was correct at the time of publication.
Frequency characterization of flow magnitude and phase in resonant microfluidic circuits
Authors: Jain Rahil , Darling Robert B. , Lutz Barry
Published: September 2017

Microfluidic equivalents of electrical resonant circuits exhibit predicted resonance behavior in both magnitude and phase of the harmonic flow as evidenced by two independent characterization techniques.
Squamous cell carcinoma DNA detection using ultrabright SERS nanorattles and magnetic beads for head and neck cancer molecular diagnostics
Authors: Vohra P. , Ngo H. T. , Lee W. T. , Vo-Dinh T.
Published: September 2017

A rise in head and neck cancers in low and middle countries over recent years has prompted the need for low-cost, resource-efficient diagnostic technologies.
Mild synthesis of monodisperse tin nanocrystals and tin chalcogenide hollow nanostructures
Authors: Zhao Xixia , Di Qian , Wu Xiaotong , Liu Yubin , Yu Yikang , Wei Guijuan , Zhang Jun , Quan Zewei
Published: September 2017

A mild but robust synthetic strategy was developed to synthesize monodisperse Sn nanocrystals with tunable size by using tungsten hexacarbonyl as the reducing agent, and novel tin chalcogenide nanostructures have also been prepared using Sn nanocrystals as templates.
A combined NMR and DFT study of conformational dynamics in lanthanide complexes of macrocyclic DOTA-like ligands
Authors: Blahut Jan , Hermann Petr , Tošner Zdeněk , Platas-Iglesias Carlos
Published: September 2017

A NMR study of the conformational dynamics of paramagnetic Eu3+ complexes provides parameters for isomer interconversion with unprecedented accuracy, while DFT reveals mechanistic details at the molecular level.
Anticancer effects of ginsenoside Rk3 on non-small cell lung cancer cells: in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Duan Zhiguang , Deng Jianjun , Dong Yangfang , Zhu Chenhui , Li Weina , Fan Daidi
Published: September 2017

Ginsenoside-Rk3 inhibited proliferation, arrested the cell cycle, induced apoptosisviadeath receptor-mediated mitochondria-dependent pathways and suppressed angiogenesis and tumor growth.
Columnar bent-core liquid crystals with two oxadiazole units and two or four alkyl chains and their phase-dependent fluorescence
Authors: Ferreira M. , Westphal E. , Ballottin M. V. , Bechtold I. H. , Bortoluzzi A. J. , Mezalira D. Z. , Gallardo H.
Published: September 2017

Bent-core containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole units and strongly polar substituents are found to show a pronounced tendency to form hexagonal columnar mesophases.
Incorporation of CuO NPs into modified UiO-66-NH2 metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with melamine for catalytic C–O coupling in the Ullmann condensation
Authors: Sadeghi Samira , Jafarzadeh Mohammad , Reza Abbasi Amir , Daasbjerg Kim
Published: September 2017

The UiO-66-NH2 is initially modified with melamine via a post-synthetic approach. CuO NPs are then anchored via the available functional groups on the surface of the modified MOF.
Versatile “click” synthesis of 1-hydroxy-1,1-methylenebisphosphonic acids with thioalkoxy substituents for the preparation of stable gold nanoparticles
Authors: Aufaure R. , Buendia R. , Motte L. , Hardouin J. , Lalatonne Y. , Guénin E.
Published: September 2017

Click synthesis of pegylated bisphosphonates for one pot preparation of stable gold nanoparticles.
Diterpenoids of terrestrial origin
Authors: Hanson James R.
Published: September 2017

This review covers the isolation and chemistry of diterpenoids from terrestrial as opposed to marine sources and includes labdanes, clerodanes, abietanes, pimaranes, kauranes, cembranes and their cyclization products. The literature from January to December, 2016 is reviewed.
Supported pulmonary surfactant bilayers on silica nanoparticles: formulation, stability and impact on lung epithelial cells
Authors: Mousseau F. , Puisney C. , Mornet S. , Borgne R. Le , Vacher A. , Airiau M. , Baeza-Squiban A. , Berret J.-F.
Published: September 2017

Supported lipid bilayers on 40 nm silica nanoparticles from an exogenous pulmonary surfactant.
Nanocarriers for TRAIL delivery: driving TRAIL back on track for cancer therapy
Authors: Wu Xu , Wang Shengpeng , Li Mingxing , Wang Anqi , Zhou Yangyang , Li Peng , Wang Yitao
Published: September 2017

TRAIL-based nanotherapies improve stability, prolong half-life in plasma, specifically deliver to a target site, and overcome resistance of TRAIL.
Modulation in the acidity constant of acridine dye with cucurbiturils: stimuli-responsive pKa tuning and dye relocation into live cells
Authors: Khurana R. , Barooah N. , Bhasikuttan A. C. , Mohanty J.
Published: September 2017

Cucurbit[7/8]uril–acridine complexes result in striking modulation of the excited state properties of acridine and allowed a tunable upward pKa shift, which is applied for controlled relocation of the dye from the host to live cells.
Cationic disulfide-functionalized worm gels
Authors: Ratcliffe L. P. D. , Bentley K. J. , Wehr R. , Warren N. J. , Saunders B. R. , Armes S. P.
Published: September 2017

Two types of cationic disulfide diblock copolymer worm gels are prepared by reacting cystamine with epoxy groups located within the steric stabilizer chains.
Ionic liquid assisted hydrothermal syntheses of Au doped TiO2 NPs for efficient visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production from water, electrochemical detection and photochemical detoxification of hexavalent chromium (Cr6+)
Authors: Ravishankar T. N. , Vaz Mauricio de O. , Ramakrishnappa T. , Teixeira Sergio R. , Dupont J.
Published: September 2017

Au/TiO2 NPs have been successfully prepared via ionic liquid assisted hydrothermal method and utilizing Au/TiO2 NPs for photocatalytic hydrogen production and photochemical and electrochemical reduction of Cr6+ to Cr3+.
Facile and sensitive chemiluminescence detection of H2O2 and glucose by a gravity/capillary flow and cloth-based low-cost platform
Authors: Li Huijie , Wang Dan , Liu Cuiling , Liu Rui , Zhang Chunsun
Published: September 2017

A gravity/capillary flow and cloth-based low-cost platform is proposed for the facile and sensitive chemiluminescence detection of H2O2 and glucose.
Temperature, ultrasound and redox triple-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) block copolymer: synthesis, characterization and controlled release
Authors: Lin Yin-Ku , Yu Yung-Ching , Wang Shiu-Wei , Lee Ren-Shen
Published: September 2017

Triple stimuli-responsive polymers PNiPAAm-S-S-PXCL containing a disulfide (–S–S–) bond as a junction point between hydrophilic and hydrophobic chains were synthesized and characterized.
Selenium–phycocyanin from selenium-enriched cultures of Nostoc sp. isolated from rice field prevents human kidney cells from paraquat-induced damage
Authors: He Hongzhi , Liu Saijun , Li Huashou , Chen Tianfeng
Published: September 2017

Herein we demonstrate that Se-containing phycocyanin (Se–PC) purified from Se-enriched cultures of Nostoc sp. could reverse paraquat (PQ)-induced DNA cell apoptosis through inhibition of superoxide overproduction in human kidney cells.
Fabrication of nanoporous copper with tunable ligaments and promising sonocatalytic performance by dealloying Cu–Y metallic glasses
Authors: Wang Ning , Pan Ye , Wu Shikai , Zhang Enming , Dai Weiji
Published: September 2017

Nanoporous copper (NPC) with tunable ligaments was prepared by dealloying new Cu–Y binary metallic glasses. The sono-Fenton-like process of NPC with desired microstructure shows great potential in degrading organic dyes.
Electrospun API-loaded mixed matrix membranes for controlled release
Authors: Castro-Dominguez B. , Moroney K. , Schaller B. , O'Connor S. , Cloonan A. , Vo T. T. N. , Walker G. , O'Reilly E. J.
Published: September 2017

The development of biocompatible membrane materials capable of delivering active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) over a fixed time period offers significant advantages to the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries alike.
A 2.5D approach to the mechanics of electrospun fibre mats
Authors: Zündel Manuel , Mazza Edoardo , Ehret Alexander E.
Published: September 2017

In this paper, a discrete random network modelling approach specific to electrospun networks is presented.
Dual photoluminescence centers from inorganic-salt-functionalized carbon dots for ratiometric pH sensing
Authors: Hu Shengliang , Meng Xun , Tian Fei , Yang Wenliang , Li Ning , Xue Chaorui , Yang Jinlong , Chang Qing
Published: September 2017

A controlled and effective strategy is offered for synthesizing carbon dots (CDs) with dual photoluminescence peaks and reliable fluorescence ratiometric pH sensing.
Genotoxicity of ortho-quinones: reactive oxygen species versus covalent modification
Authors: Penning Trevor M.
Published: September 2017

o-Quinones are formed metabolically from natural and synthetic estrogens as well as upon exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and contribute to estrogen and PAH carcinogenesis by genotoxic mechanisms.
Lambertian and photonic light trapping analysis with thickness for GaAs solar cells based on 2D periodic pattern
Authors: Gupta Nikhil Deep , Janyani Vijay
Published: September 2017

The study proposes designs using 2D photonic crystal (PhC) structure‐based thin film heterojunction gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cell with a periodic pattern having PhC structure extends from top transparent conducting oxide (TCO) to inside the p‐AlGaAs window layer placed just above the active layer of GaAs material in one design and in another PhC structure is etched only in TCO. The work presents the comparative analysis of the proposed structure with Lambertian light trapping limits and the planar cell, taken as reference. The study is also performed for double‐layer anti‐reflective coating (ARC) structure. The study presents the quantitative analysis of the effect of PhC structure in the performance of the design and how the effect varies with the thickness of absorption layer. It has been found that a considerable increase in efficiency has been achieved, especially for thinner active layers, demonstrating the advantage of a wavelength‐scale, PhC‐based structures for thin‐film solar cells. The results have shown that PhC structure (etched till inside p‐AlGaAs)‐based solar cell exceeds the efficiency of the double ARC‐based structure by more than 18% for 50 nm thin active layer cell. The parameters have been optimised and calculated by means of rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA).
Computer‐aided noise analysis of a multiwall carbon nanotube
Authors: Günel Tayfun
Published: September 2017

In this work, a novel approach for the computer‐aided noise analysis of a multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) is proposed. A transmission line model of the MWCNT and a noise correlation matrix based on admittance representation are used for the computer‐aided noise analysis. This work presents a simple, fast and effective noise analysis approach for the MWCNT. The noise figure is computed for different values of the parameters of the MWCNT for determining the effects of parameter values on the noise figure of the MWCNT. The results of the computer‐aided noise analysis of the MWCNT are given and discussed in detail. According to the results, the variation of the distance from the ground plane of the outer shell has little effect on the value of noise figure, when the value of inner radius or the total number of shells increases the value of noise figure decreases. Therefore the noise figure decreases with increasing diameter because the diameter increases with the increasing value of inner radius and the total number of shells. The value of noise figure increases when the value of nanotube length or physical absolute temperature increases. The value of noise figure decreases with the decreasing value of source admittance.
Begehrte Jugend
Authors: Kohrs Jens
Published: September 2017

Wie begeistert man junge Menschen für die Krankenhaustechnik? Dieser Frage müssen sich angesichts vieler Technik-Chefs im Rentenalter nicht nur die Krankenhausmanager stellen. Auch der FKT als Sprachrohr des Sektors droht eine schmerzhafte Lücke. Als Trumpfkarte setzen die Verantwortlichen unter anderem auf neue Medien für die Wissensvermittlung. Sie bieten Webinare für die Fortbildung am heimischen PC an, haben eine Wissensdatenbank gestartet und planen eine „Frag-den-Experten-Funktion“. Darüber sollen alte Hasen jungen Kollegen bei Problemen helfen. Der Ansatz zielt in die richtige Richtung, nur löst er nicht das Problem, dass sich der Nachwuchs nur schwer zur aktiven Mitarbeit im Verband bewegen lassen mag. Bei einem herbstlichen Strategiemeeting will die FKT-Führung neue Ideen entwickeln – damit es bald mehr Hoffnungsträger gibt wie Tobias Mundt. Der 35-jährige Technik-Chef der Uniklinik Rostock ist bereit, die Regionalgruppe in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern zu leiten. Zudem zeichnet sich ab, dass das Pendant in Baden-Württemberg bald von einer Frau geführt wird. Die Beispiele machen Mut, doch bleibt zu hoffen, dass der Nachwuchs nicht mit zu hohen Erwartungen überfordert wird. Verbandsarbeit bedeutet Zusatzarbeit, für die man auch die entsprechende Zeit aufbringen können muss.
Frühinfekt in der Endoprothetik
Authors: Citak Mustafa , Zahar Akos , Kendoff Daniel
Published: September 2017

Trotz präventiver Maßnahmen bleibt die periprothetische Infektion (PPI) nach einem künstlichen Gelenk die schwerwiegendste Komplikation. Die Zahl der periprothetischen Infektionen wird aufgrund des Anstieges der implantierten Prothesen weiter zunehmen und entsprechend ein Problem für das Gesundheitssystem darstellen. Frühzeitige Diagnosestellung und entsprechende Therapie sind erforderlich, um eine erfolgreiche Infektsanierung zu erzielen. Die Therapiewahl entscheidet sich nach der Art der Infektion. Das Therapieziel bei einer periprothetischen Frühinfektion ist der Prothesenerhalt. Dieser Artikel präsentiert eine Übersicht über die diagnostischen und therapeutischen Möglichkeiten der periprothetischen Frühinfektion.
Warten mit Sinn
Authors: Krüger Lars
Published: September 2017

One Minute Wonder Seit über einem halben Jahr werden im Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW auf einer Intensivstation der Klinik für Thorax-
und Kardiovaskularchirurgie sogenannte „One Minute Wonder“ verwendet. Sie dienen der Fortbildung an Orten, an denen klassischerweise
Wartezeiten entstehen. Durch eine Evaluation sind nun erstmals Daten zum „Lernen in nur einer Minute“ vorhanden.
Oxygen- and photoresist-related interface states of 4H-SiC Schottky diode observed by deep-level transient spectroscopy
Authors: Kang Hong Jeon , Moon Jeong Hyun , Bahng Wook , Lee Suhyeong , Kim Hyunwoo , Koo Sang-Mo , Lee Dohyun , Lee Dongwha , Cho Hoon-Young , Heo Jaeyeong , Kim Hyeong Joon
Published: September 2017

Trap levels play an important role in semiconductor power devices. The barrier height of a metal-semiconductor junction, one of the important factors of unipolar devices, is influenced by the trap levels at its interface, i.e., interface states. However, there has not been much research on the interface states of Schottky diodes yet. Here, we report newly found KI1, KI2, and KI3 interface states of 4H-SiC Schottky diodes. We observed their changes after the first deep-level transient spectroscopy measurements, in which temperature rises to 750 K, and discussed the origins of these changes by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The KI1 was related to oxygen and photoresist (PR) residue, the KI2 was related to oxygen, and the KI3 was related to the PR residue.
The quantum structure of anionic hydrogen clusters
Authors: Calvo F. , Yurtsever E.
Published: September 2017

A flexible and polarizable interatomic potential has been developed to model hydrogen clusters interacting with one hydrogen anion, (H2)nH−, in a broad range of sizes n = 1–54 and parametrized against coupled cluster quantum chemical calculations. Using path-integral molecular dynamics simulations at 1 K initiated from the putative classical global minima, the equilibrium structures are found to generally rely on icosahedral shells with the hydrogen molecules pointing toward the anion, producing geometric magic numbers at sizes n = 12, 32, and 44 that are in agreement with recent mass spectrometry measurements. The energetic stability of the clusters is also connected with the extent of vibrational delocalization, measured here by the fluctuations among inherent structures hidden in the vibrational wave function. As the clusters grow, the outer molecules become increasingly free to rotate, and strong finite size effects are also found between magic numbers, associated with more prominent vibrational delocalization. The effective icosahedral structure of the 44-molecule cluster is found to originate from quantum nuclear effects as well, the classical structure showing no particular symmetry.
Investigation of the ozone formation reaction pathway: Comparisons of full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo and fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo with contracted and uncontracted MRCI
Authors: Powell Andrew D. , Dattani Nikesh S. , Spada Rene F. K. , Machado Francisco B. C. , Lischka Hans , Dawes Richard
Published: September 2017

The association/dissociation reaction path for ozone (O2 + O ↔ O3) is notoriously difficult to describe accurately using ab initio electronic structure theory, due to the importance of both strong and dynamic electron correlations. Experimentally, spectroscopic studies of the highest lying recorded vibrational states combined with the observed negative temperature dependence of the kinetics of oxygen isotope exchange reactions confirm that the reaction is barrierless, consistent with the latest potential energy surfaces. Previously reported potentials based on Davidson-corrected internally contracted multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) suffer from a spurious reef feature in the entrance channel even when extrapolated towards the complete basis set limit. Here, we report an analysis of comparisons between a variety of electronic structure methods including internally contracted and uncontracted MRCI (with and without Davidson corrections), as well as full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo, fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo, and density matrix renormalization group.
Ultra-broadband and planar sound diffuser with high uniformity of reflected intensity
Authors: Fan Xu-Dong , Zhu Yi-Fan , Liang Bin , Yang Jing , Yang Jun , Cheng Jian-Chun
Published: September 2017

Schroeder diffusers, as a classical design of acoustic diffusers proposed over 40 years ago, play key roles in many practical scenarios ranging from architectural acoustics to noise control to particle manipulation. Despite the great success of conventional acoustic diffusers, it is still worth pursuing ideal acoustic diffusers that are essentially expected to produce perfect sound diffuse reflection within the unlimited bandwidth. Here, we propose a different mechanism for designing acoustic diffusers to overcome the basic limits in intensity uniformity and working bandwidth in the previous designs and demonstrate a practical implementation by acoustic metamaterials with dispersionless phase-steering capability. In stark contrast to the existing production of diffuse fields relying on random scattering of sound energy by using a specific mathematical number sequence of periodically distributed unit cells, we directly mold the reflected wavefront into the desired shape by precisely manipulating the local phases of individual subwavelength metastructures. We also benchmark our design via numerical simulation with a commercially available Schroeder diffuser, and the results verify that our proposed diffuser scatters incident acoustic energy into all directions more uniformly within an ultra-broad band regardless of the incident angle. Furthermore, our design enables further improvement of the working bandwidth just by simply downscaling each individual element. With ultra-broadband functionality and high uniformity of reflected intensity, our metamaterial-based production of the diffusive field opens a route to the design and application of acoustic diffusers and may have a significant impact on various fields such as architectural acoustics and medical ultrasound imaging/treatment.
Numerical simulations of interchange/tearing instabilities in 2D slab with a numerical model for edge plasma
Authors: Miura Hideaki , Zheng Linjin , Horton Wendell
Published: September 2017

Numerical simulations of interchange/tearing instabilities in a 2D slab with a numerical model for edge plasma resistivity are carried out. Plasma outside the Last Closed Flux Surface (LCFS), or the scrape-off layer (SOL), can be characterized by open magnetic fields which terminate on the divertor plates in the outside. A numerical model with current diffusivity is developed to enforce a low-level saturated current profile in the SOL region as well as a current jump across the LCFS. The numerical simulations show that interchange modes can transform into tearing modes, as the current-interchange tearing modes which has been proposed by Zheng and Furukawa [Phys. Plasmas 17, 052508 (2010)]. An applicability of the model to the tokamak edge stability and ELM studies is discussed.