bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Octahedral Ni-nanocluster (Ni85) for Efficient and Selective Reduction of Nitric Oxide (NO) to Nitrogen (N2)
Authors: Mahata Arup , Rawat Kuber Singh , Choudhuri Indrani , Pathak Biswarup
Published: May 2016

Nitric oxide (NO) reduction pathways are systematically studied on a (111) facet of the octahedral nickel (Ni85) nanocluster in the presence/absence of hydrogen. Thermodynamic (reaction free energies) and kinetic (free energy barriers and temperature dependent reaction rates) parameters are investigated to find out the most favoured reduction pathway for NO reduction. The catalytic activity of the Ni-nanocluster is investigated in greater detail toward the product selectivity (N2 vs. N2O vs. NH3). The previous theoretical (catalyzed by Pt, Pd, Rh and Ir) and experimental reports (catalyzed by Pt, Ag, Pd) show that direct N-O bond dissociation is very much unlikely due to the high-energy barrier but our study shows that the reaction is thermodynamically and kinetically favourable when catalysed by the octahedral Ni-nanocluster. The catalytic activity of the Ni-nanocluster toward NO reduction reaction is very much efficient and selective toward N2 formation even in the presence of hydrogen. However, N2O (one of the major by-products) formation is very much unlikely due to the high activation barrier. Our microkinetic analysis shows that even at high hydrogen partial pressures, the catalyst is very much selective toward N2 formation over NH3.
Palaeoneurological clues to the evolution of defining mammalian soft tissue traits
Authors: Benoit J. , Manger P. R. , Rubidge B. S.
Published: May 2016

A rich fossil record chronicles the distant origins of mammals, but the evolution of defining soft tissue characters of extant mammals, such as mammary glands and hairs is difficult to interpret because soft tissue does not readily fossilize. As many soft tissue features are derived from dermic structures, their evolution is linked to that of the nervous syutem and palaeoneurology offers opportunities to find bony correlates of these soft tissue features. Here, a CT scan study of 29 fossil skulls shows that non-mammaliaform Prozostrodontia display a retracted, fully ossified and non-ramified infraorbital canal for the infraorbital nerve, unlike more basal therapsids. The presence of a true infraorbital canal in Prozostrodontia suggests that a motile rhinarium and maxillary vibrissae were present. Also the complete ossification of the parietal fontanelle (resulting in the loss of the parietal foramen) and the development of the cerebellum in Probainognathia may be pleiotropically linked to the appearance of mammary glands and having body hair coverage since these traits are all controlled by the same homeogene, Msx2, in mice. These suggest that defining soft tissue characters of mammals were already present in their forerunners some 240 to 246 mya.
Impacts of complex behavioral responses on asymmetric interacting spreading dynamics in multiplex networks
Authors: Liu Quan-Hui , Wang Wei , Tang Ming , Zhang Hai-Feng
Published: May 2016

Information diffusion and disease spreading in communication-contact layered network are typically asymmetrically coupled with each other, in which disease spreading can be significantly affected by the way an individual being aware of disease responds to the disease. Many recent studies have demonstrated that human behavioral adoption is a complex and non-Markovian process, where the probability of behavior adoption is dependent on the cumulative times of information received and the social reinforcement effect of the cumulative information. In this paper, the impacts of such a non-Markovian vaccination adoption behavior on the epidemic dynamics and the control effects are explored. It is found that this complex adoption behavior in the communication layer can significantly enhance the epidemic threshold and reduce the final infection rate. By defining the social cost as the total cost of vaccination and treatment, it can be seen that there exists an optimal social reinforcement effect and optimal information transmission rate allowing the minimal social cost. Moreover, a mean-field theory is developed to verify the correctness of simulation results.
Mitochondrial genomes of praying mantises (Dictyoptera, Mantodea): rearrangement, duplication, and reassignment of tRNA genes
Authors: Ye Fei , Lan Xu-e , Zhu Wen-bo , You Ping
Published: May 2016

Insect mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) contain a conserved set of 37 genes for an extensive diversity of lineages. Previously reported dictyopteran mitogenomes share this conserved mitochondrial gene arrangement, although surprisingly little is known about the mitogenome of Mantodea. We sequenced eight mantodean mitogenomes including the first representatives of two families: Hymenopodidae and Liturgusidae. Only two of these genomes retain the typical insect gene arrangement. In three Liturgusidae species, the trnM genes have translocated. Four species of mantis (Creobroter gemmata, Mantis religiosa, Statilia sp., and Theopompa sp.-HN) have multiple identical tandem duplication of trnR, and Statilia sp. additionally includes five extra duplicate trnW. These extra trnR and trnW in Statilia sp. are erratically arranged and form another novel gene order. Interestingly, the extra trnW is converted from trnR by the process of point mutation at anticodon, which is the first case of tRNA reassignment for an insect. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed amongst mantodean mitogenomes with variable copies of tRNA according to comparative analysis of codon usage. Combined with phylogenetic analysis, the characteristics of tRNA only possess limited phylogenetic information in this research. Nevertheless, these features of gene rearrangement, duplication, and reassignment provide valuable information toward understanding mitogenome evolution in insects.
Transcriptomic profile of tobacco in response to Alternaria longipes and Alternaria alternata infections
Authors: Duan Shengchang , Ma Xiao , Chen Wei , Wan Wenting , He Yuqi , Ma Xiaoqin , Ma Yujin , Long Ni , Tan Yuntao , Wang Yangzi , Hou Yujie , Dong Yang
Published: May 2016

Tobacco brown spot caused by Alternaria fungal species is one of the most damaging diseases, and results in significant yield losses. However, little is known about the systematic response of tobacco to this fungal infection. To fill this knowledge gap, de novo assemblies of tobacco leaf transcriptomes were obtained in cultivars V2 and NC89 after the inoculation of either Alternaria longipes (AL) or Alternaria alternata (AA) at three different time points. We studied the gene expression profile of each cultivar-pathogen combination, and identified eight differentially expressed genes shared among all combinations. Gene ontology enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed genes revealed key components during the fungal infection, which included regulation of gene expression (GO:0010468), regulation of RNA metabolic process (GO:0051252), tetrapyrrole binding (GO:0046906), and external encapsulating structure (GO:0030312). Further analyses of the continuously upregulated/downregulated genes and the resistance genes demonstrated that the gene expression profile upon fungal infection was contingent on the specific cultivar and pathogen. In conclusion, this study provides a solid foundation for the investigation of plant-pathogen interaction, and is of great importance for disease prevention and molecular breeding.
Multilayer Patterning of High Resolution Intrinsically Stretchable Electronics
Authors: Tybrandt Klas , Stauffer Flurin , Vörös Janos
Published: May 2016

Stretchable electronics can bridge the gap between hard planar electronic circuits and the curved, soft and elastic objects of nature. This has led to applications like conformal displays, electronic skin and soft neuroprosthetics. A remaining challenge, however, is to match the dimensions of the interfaced systems, as all require feature sizes well below 100 μm. Intrinsically stretchable nanocomposites are attractive in this context as the mechanical deformations occur on the nanoscale, although methods for patterning high performance materials have been lacking. Here we address these issues by reporting on a multilayer additive patterning approach for high resolution fabrication of stretchable electronic devices. The method yields highly conductive 30 μm tracks with similar performance to their macroscopic counterparts. Further, we demonstrate a three layer micropatterned stretchable electroluminescent display with pixel sizes down to 70 μm. These presented findings pave the way towards future developments of high definition displays, electronic skins and dense multielectrode arrays.
Comparison of community structures of Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera-like bacteria of NC10 phylum in different freshwater habitats
Authors: Shen Li-dong , Wu Hong-sheng , Gao Zhi-qiu , Liu Xu , Li Ji
Published: May 2016

Methane oxidation coupled to nitrite reduction is mediated by ‘Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera’ (M. oxyfera), which belongs to the NC10 phylum. In this study, the community composition and diversity of M. oxyfera-like bacteria of NC10 phylum were examined and compared in four different freshwater habitats, including reservoir sediments (RS), pond sediments (PS), wetland sediments (WS) and paddy soils (PAS), by using Illumina-based 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The recovered NC10-related sequences accounted for 0.4–2.5% of the 16S rRNA pool in the examined habitats and the highest percentage was found in WS. The diversity of NC10 bacteria were the highest in RS, medium in WS and lowest in PS and PAS. The observed number of OTUs (operational taxonomic unit; at 3% cut-off) were 97, 46, 61 and 40, respectively, in RS, PS, WS and PAS. A heterogeneous distribution of NC10 bacterial communities was observed in the examined habitats, though group B members were the dominant bacteria in each habitat. The copy numbers of NC10 bacterial 16S rRNA genes ranged between 5.8 × 106 and 3.2 × 107 copies g−1 sediment/soil in the examined habitats. These results are helpful for a systematic understanding of NC10 bacterial communities in different types of freshwater habitats.
Urinary arsenic profiles reveal exposures to inorganic arsenic from private drinking water supplies in Cornwall, UK
Authors: Middleton D. R. S. , Watts M. J. , Hamilton E. M. , Ander E. L. , Close R. M. , Exley K. S. , Crabbe H. , Leonardi G. S. , Fletcher T. , Polya D. A.
Published: May 2016

Private water supplies (PWS) in Cornwall, South West England exceeded the current WHO guidance value and UK prescribed concentration or value (PCV) for arsenic of 10 μg/L in 5% of properties surveyed (n = 497). In this follow-up study, the first of its kind in the UK, volunteers (n = 207) from 127 households who used their PWS for drinking, provided urine and drinking water samples for total As determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and urinary As speciation by high performance liquid chromatography ICP-MS (HPLC-ICP-MS). Arsenic concentrations exceeding 10 μg/L were found in the PWS of 10% of the volunteers. Unadjusted total urinary As concentrations were poorly correlated (Spearman’s ρ = 0.36 (P < 0.001)) with PWS As largely due to the use of spot urine samples and the dominance of arsenobetaine (AB) from seafood sources. However, the osmolality adjusted sum, U-AsIMM, of urinary inorganic As species, arsenite (AsIII) and arsenate (AsV), and their metabolites, methylarsonate (MA) and dimethylarsinate (DMA), was found to strongly correlate (Spearman’s ρ: 0.62 (P < 0.001)) with PWS As, indicating private water supplies as the dominant source of inorganic As exposure in the study population of PWS users.
Therapeutic inhibition of mitochondrial function induces cell death in starvation-resistant renal cell carcinomas
Authors: Isono Takahiro , Chano Tokuhiro , Yonese Junji , Yuasa Takeshi
Published: May 2016

Renal cell carcinomas (RCC) have two types of cells for carbon metabolism and for cell signaling under nutrient-deprivation conditions, namely starvation-resistant and starvation-sensitive cells. Here, we evaluated the mitochondrial characteristics of these cell types and found that the resistant type possessed higher activities for both mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis than the sensitive types. These higher activities were supported by the stored carbon, lipid and carbohydrate sources, and by a low level of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to sustained SOD2 expression in the resistant RCC cells. In metastatic RCC cases, higher SOD2 expression was associated with a significantly shorter survival period. We found that treatment with the drugs etomoxir and buformin significantly reduced mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and induced cell death under glucose-deprivation conditions in starvation-resistant RCC cells. Our data suggest that inhibitory targeting of mitochondria might offer an effective therapeutic option for metastatic RCC that is resistant to current treatments.
The feasibility of in vivo imaging of infiltrating blood cells for predicting the functional prognosis after spinal cord injury
Authors: Yokota Kazuya , Saito Takeyuki , Kobayakawa Kazu , Kubota Kensuke , Hara Masamitsu , Murata Masaharu , Ohkawa Yasuyuki , Iwamoto Yukihide , Okada Seiji
Published: May 2016

After a spinal cord injury (SCI), a reliable prediction of the potential functional outcome is essential for determining the optimal treatment strategy. Despite recent advances in the field of neurological assessment, there is still no satisfactory methodology for predicting the functional outcome after SCI. We herein describe a novel method to predict the functional outcome at 12 hours after SCI using in vivo bioluminescence imaging. We produced three groups of SCI mice with different functional prognoses: 50 kdyn (mild), 70 kdyn (moderate) and 90 kdyn (severe). Only the locomotor function within 24 hours after SCI was unable to predict subsequent functional recovery. However, both the number of infiltrating neutrophils and the bioluminescence signal intensity from infiltrating blood cells were found to correlate with the severity of the injury at 12 hours after SCI. Furthermore, a strong linear relationship was observed among the number of infiltrating neutrophils, the bioluminescence signal intensity and the severity of the injury. Our findings thus indicate that in vivo bioluminescence imaging is able to accurately predict the long-term functional outcome in the hyperacute phase of SCI, thereby providing evidence that this imaging modality could positively contribute to the future development of tailored therapeutic approaches for SCI.
N6-Methyladenosine: a conformational marker that regulates the substrate specificity of human demethylases FTO and ALKBH5
Authors: Zou Shui , Toh Joel D. W. , Wong Kendra H. Q. , Gao Yong-Gui , Hong Wanjin , Woon Esther C. Y.
Published: May 2016

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is currently one of the most intensively studied post-transcriptional modifications in RNA. Due to its critical role in epigenetics and physiological links to several human diseases, it is also of tremendous biological and medical interest. The m6A mark is dynamically reversed by human demethylases FTO and ALKBH5, however the mechanism by which these enzymes selectively recognise their target transcripts remains unclear. Here, we report combined biophysical and biochemical studies on the specificity determinants of m6A demethylases, which led to the identification of an m6A-mediated substrate discrimination mechanism. Our results reveal that m6A itself serves as a ‘conformational marker’, which induces different conformational outcomes in RNAs depending on sequence context. This critically impacts its interactions with several m6A-recognising proteins, including FTO and ALKBH5. Remarkably, through the RNA-remodelling effects of m6A, the demethylases were able to discriminate substrates with very similar nucleotide sequences. Our findings provide novel insights into the biological functions of m6A modifications. The mechanism identified in this work is likely of significance to other m6A-recognising proteins.
Bafetinib (INNO-406) reverses multidrug resistance by inhibiting the efflux function of ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters
Authors: Zhang Yun-Kai , Zhang Guan-Nan , Wang Yi-Jun , Patel Bhargav A. , Talele Tanaji T. , Yang Dong-Hua , Chen Zhe-Sheng
Published: May 2016

ATP-Binding Cassette transporters are involved in the efflux of xenobiotic compounds and are responsible for decreasing drug accumulation in multidrug resistant (MDR) cells. Discovered by structure-based virtual screening algorithms, bafetinib, a Bcr-Abl/Lyn tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was found to have inhibitory effects on both ABCB1- and ABCG2-mediated MDR in this in-vitro investigation. Bafetinib significantly sensitized ABCB1 and ABCG2 overexpressing MDR cells to their anticancer substrates and increased the intracellular accumulation of anticancer drugs, particularly doxorubicin and [3H]-paclitaxel in ABCB1 overexpressing cells; mitoxantrone and [3H]-mitoxantrone in ABCG2 overexpressing cells, respectively. Bafetinib stimulated ABCB1 ATPase activities while inhibited ABCG2 ATPase activities. There were no significant changes in the expression level or the subcellular distribution of ABCB1 and ABCG2 in the cells exposed to 3 μM of bafetinib. Overall, our study indicated that bafetinib reversed ABCB1- and ABCG2-mediated MDR by blocking the drug efflux function of these transporters. These findings might be useful in developing combination therapy for MDR cancer treatment.
Fabrication of Ultra-Thin Printed Organic TFT CMOS Logic Circuits Optimized for Low-Voltage Wearable Sensor Applications
Authors: Takeda Yasunori , Hayasaka Kazuma , Shiwaku Rei , Yokosawa Koji , Shiba Takeo , Mamada Masashi , Kumaki Daisuke , Fukuda Kenjiro , Tokito Shizuo
Published: May 2016

Ultrathin electronic circuits that can be manufactured by using conventional printing technologies are key elements necessary to realize wearable health sensors and next-generation flexible electronic devices. Due to their low level of power consumption, complementary (CMOS) circuits using both types of semiconductors can be easily employed in wireless devices. Here, we describe ultrathin CMOS logic circuits, for which not only the source/drain electrodes but also the semiconductor layers were printed. Both p-type and n-type organic thin film transistor devices were employed in a D-flip flop circuit in the newly developed stacked structure and exhibited excellent electrical characteristics, including good carrier mobilities of 0.34 and 0.21 cm2 V−1 sec−1 and threshold voltages of nearly 0 V with low operating voltages. These printed organic CMOS D-flip flop circuits exhibit operating frequencies of 75 Hz and demonstrate great potential for flexible and printed electronics technology, particularly for wearable sensor applications with wireless connectivity.
High oxygen-reduction activity and durability of nitrogen and sulfur dual doped porous carbon microspheres
Authors: Zhang Junchuan , Zhou Junshuang , Hou Li , Gao Faming
Published: May 2016

Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped monodisperse carbon microspheres (NS-CMSs) have been successfully synthesized as a new kind of outstanding metal-free ORR catalyst through a one-pot solvothermal reaction.
Safety evaluation and antihyperlipidemia effect of aqueous extracts from fermented puerh tea
Authors: Xu Ping , Ying Le , Wu Jing , Kong Dedong , Wang Yuefei
Published: May 2016

In the present paper, a safety evaluation of aqueous extracts from fermented puerh tea (EFPT) was performed, including an oral acute toxicity study in rats and mice, mutation tests, a mouse micronucleus test, mouse sperm abnormality test and a 30 day feeding study in rats.
Base excision DNA repair in the embryonic development of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus intermedius
Authors: Torgasheva Natalya A. , Menzorova Natalya I. , Sibirtsev Yurii T. , Rasskazov Valery A. , Zharkov Dmitry O. , Nevinsky Georgy A.
Published: May 2016

We have characterized the profile of several key base excision repair activities in the developing embryo of the grey sea urchin,Strongylocentrotus intermedius, at several stages of development.
Reply to the ‘Comment on “Observation of mutual diffusion of macromolecules in PS/PMMA binary films by confocal Raman microscopy”’ by J. Pablo Tomba, Soft Matter, 2016, 12, DOI: 10.1039/C5SM02735G
Authors: Hu Chenglong , Chen Xudong , Chen Jian , Zhang Weihong , Zhang Ming Qiu
Published: May 2016

A response to the comments raised by J. Pablo Tomba regarding our 2012 paper in Soft Matter.
Detection of UVA/UVC-induced damage of p53 fragment by rolling circle amplification with AIEgens
Authors: Ou Xiaowen , Wei Benmei , Zhang Zhenyu , Zhang Mengshi , Zhuang Yuan , Gao Pengcheng , Lou Xiaoding , Xia Fan , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: May 2016

A new strategy combining the rolling circle amplification and the aggregation-induced emission molecule is achieved to differentiate damaged and undamaged p53 fragments.
Label-free quantification of cell-penetrating peptide translocation into liposomes
Authors: Jobin Marie-Lise , Alves Isabel D.
Published: May 2016

Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) are small molecules capable of crossing lipid membranes and transporting cargos of varied sizes and nature inside cells.
Calcium carbide in mangoes: an electrochemical way for detection
Authors: Ramachandra Bhat Lakshmishri , Gumpu Manju Bhargavi , Nesakumar Noel , Krishnan Uma Maheswari , Rayappan John Bosco Balaguru
Published: May 2016

Calcium carbide (CaC2), a carcinogen, is widely used for artificial ripening of mangoes.
Silicon quantum dot sensors for an explosive taggant, 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB)
Authors: Kim Jin Soo , Cho Bomin , Cho Soo Gyeong , Sohn Honglae
Published: May 2016

Conduction band edge dependent photoluminescence (PL) quenching by electron transfer was observed. PL from silicon quantum dots (Si QDs) was quenched by 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB), however PL from cadmium selenide (CdSe QDs) was not quenched by DMNB.
Reversible regulation of the supramolecular chirality of a cyanine dye by using the G-quadruplex structure as a template
Authors: Shi Yunhua , Sun Hongxia , Xiang Junfeng , Chen Hongbo , Zhang Suge , Guan Aijiao , Li Qian , Xu Shujuan , Tang Yalin
Published: May 2016

Multiple cycle regulation of the supramolecular chirality of a cyanine dye has been successfully achieved by using DNA G-quadruplexes as templates, which is easily controllable by repeated addition of Ag+ and cysteine (Cys).
Interaction of BODIPY dyes with bovine serum albumin: a case study on the aggregation of a click-BODIPY dye
Authors: Jameson Laramie P. , Smith Nicholas W. , Annunziata Onofrio , Dzyuba Sergei V.
Published: May 2016

BSA-induced disaggregation and binding are responsible for a significant fluorescent enhancement upon click-BODIPY dye interaction with BSA.
The first UV absorption band ofl-tryptophan is not due to two simultaneous orthogonal electronic transitions differing in the dipole moment
Authors: Catalán Javier
Published: May 2016

The difference between the emission spectrum ofl-tryptophan in ethanol obtained at 113 K and at 293 K.
Correlating single-molecule and ensemble-average measurements of peptide adsorption onto different inorganic materials
Authors: Kim Seong-Oh , Jackman Joshua A. , Mochizuki Masahito , Yoon Bo Kyeong , Hayashi Tomohiro , Cho Nam-Joon
Published: May 2016

The coating of solid-binding peptides (SBPs) on inorganic material surfaces holds significant potential for improved surface functionalization at nano-bio interfaces.
Protonation induces base rotation of purine nucleotides pdGuo and pGuo
Authors: Wu R. R. , He C. C. , Hamlow L. A. , Nei Y.-w. , Berden G. , Oomens J. , Rodgers M. T.
Published: May 2016

Synergistic IRMPD spectroscopy and computations find that protonation of the guanine nucleotides (pdGuo and pGuo) occurs preferentially at N7 and induces changes in the base orientation and sugar puckering.
Polymers with pendant ferrocenes
Authors: Pietschnig Rudolf
Published: May 2016

Charges make the difference in the arrangement of smart polymer chains and networks.
FePd alloy nanoparticles assembled on reduced graphene oxide as a catalyst for selective transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes to anilines using ammonia borane as a hydrogen source
Authors: Metin Önder , Mendoza-Garcia Adriana , Dalmızrak Diğdem , Gültekin Mehmet Serdar , Sun Shouheng
Published: May 2016

rGO–Fe48Pd52is an efficient, selective and robust catalyst for transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes to anilines using ammonia borane as a hydrogen source.
The effects of the Mo–Sn contact interface on the oxidation reaction of dimethyl ether to methyl formate at a low reaction temperature
Authors: Zhang Zhenzhou , Zhang Qingde , Jia Lingyu , Wang Wenfeng , Tian Shao Peng , Wang Peng , Xiao He , Han Yizhuo , Tsubaki Noritatsu , Tan Yisheng
Published: May 2016

With increasing degrees of Mo–Sn interface contact, the molar ratio of methyl formate (MF) to methanol (MeOH) and formaldehyde (FA) was found to linearly increase simultaneously.
Controls on metal exposure to aquatic organisms in urban streams
Authors: Turpin-Nagel Katelyn , Vadas Timothy M.
Published: May 2016

Streams in urban ecosystems receive metal inputs primarily from stormwater runoff and wastewater effluent.
Screening dietary flavonoids for the reversal of P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance in cancer
Authors: Mohana S. , Ganesan M. , Agilan B. , Karthikeyan R. , Srithar G. , Beaulah Mary R. , Ananthakrishnan D. , Velmurugan D. , Rajendra Prasad N. , Ambudkar Suresh V.
Published: May 2016

P-Glycoprotein (P-gp) serves as a therapeutic target for the development of inhibitors to overcome multidrug resistance in cancer cells.
The bovine milk microbiota: insights and perspectives from -omics studies
Authors: Addis M. F. , Tanca A. , Uzzau S. , Oikonomou G. , Bicalho R. C. , Moroni P.
Published: May 2016

Recent findings and future perspectives of -omics studies on the bovine milk microbiota, focusing on its impact on animal health.
A systems biology and proteomics-based approach identifies SRC and VEGFA as biomarkers in risk factor mediated coronary heart disease
Authors: V. Alexandar , Nayar Pradeep G. , Murugesan R. , S. Shajahan , Krishnan Jayalakshmi , Ahmed Shiek S. S. J.
Published: May 2016

We propose a novel systems biology approach that relates causative genes, interactomes and pathways to elucidate the risk factors mediating the molecular mechanisms and biomarkers of coronary heart disease for feasible diagnosis.
Recent advances in research on lignans and neolignans
Authors: Teponno Rémy Bertrand , Kusari Souvik , Spiteller Michael
Published: May 2016

Lignans and neolignans encompass an enormous group of naturally occurring phenols which are widely spread mostly within the plant kingdom. Here, we review the naturally occurring lignans, neolignans, and their glycosides, which have been isolated between 2009 and 2015.
Iridium(iii)-catalyzed regioselective C7-sulfonamidation of indoles
Authors: Song Zengqiang , Antonchick Andrey P.
Published: May 2016

Iridium(iii)-catalyzed direct C7-sulfonamidation of indoles with sulfonyl azides is described.
σ-p Conjugated copolymers via dehydrocoupling polymerization of phenylsilane and mesitylborane
Authors: Puneet Puhup , Vedarajan Raman , Matsumi Noriyoshi
Published: May 2016

A novel σ-p conjugated copolymer of phenylsilane and mesitylborane was synthesized by dehydrocoupling polymerization using a rhodium catalyst.
Molecular and microstructural characterization of lecithin-based oleogels made with vegetable oil
Authors: Bodennec Maxime , Guo Qing , Rousseau Dérick
Published: May 2016

Lecithin-based oleogels consist of a worm-like entangled fibrous 3D network. Small angle X-ray diffraction suggests that these microfibres are formed by the packing of reverse hexagonal (HII) tubules parallel to the axis of fibres.
Simultaneous adsorption of fluoride and hexavalent chromium by synthetic mesoporous alumina: performance and interaction mechanism
Authors: Li Tianguo , Xie Daolei , He Changhua , Xu Xiaojun , Huang Bin , Nie Rui , Liu Shuli , Duan Zhengyang , Liu Wei
Published: May 2016

Combined pollution by fluoride (F−) and hexavalent chromium (Cr(vi)) in water bodies causes much environmental concern and its treatment is of the utmost importance.
A new strategy for detecting dopamine in human serum using polymer brushes reinforced with carbon nanotubes
Authors: Recco Lucas C. , Crulhas Bruno P. , Parra João P. R. L. L. , Pedrosa Valber A.
Published: May 2016

Schematic of dopamine detection in blood serum in presence of ascorbic acid and uric acid using polymer brushes reinforced with MWNTs.
Surface modification by physical treatments on biomedical grade metals to improve adhesion for bonding hybrid non-isocyanate urethanes
Authors: Rossi de Aguiar K. M. F. , Specht U. , Maass J. F. , Salz D. , Picon C. A. , Noeske P.-L. M. , Rischka K. , Rodrigues-Filho U. P.
Published: May 2016

This work aims to improve the adhesion of a hybrid non-isocyanate polydimethylsiloxane urethane (PDMSUr) coating by producing active layers on titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) and stainless steel (SS316L) applying pulsed Nd:YAG laser and oxygen plasma.
Risk assessment of environmental mixture effects
Authors: Heys Kelly A. , Shore Richard F. , Pereira M. Glória , Jones Kevin C. , Martin Francis L.
Published: May 2016

Determining interactions of multi-component environmental mixtures towards accurate risk assessment.
Correlations between crystal structure and dielectric properties of high-Q materials in rock-salt structure Li2O–MgO–BO2(B = Ti, Sn, Zr) systems at microwave frequency
Authors: Wu Haitao , Kim Eung Soo
Published: May 2016

A series of ultra-low loss microwave dielectric materials Li2O–MgO–BO2(B = Ti, Sn, Zr) were prepared by the conventional solid-state method.
Dielectric relaxation and charge carrier mechanism in nanocrystalline Ce–Dy ionic conductors
Authors: Anirban Sk. , Dutta Abhigyan
Published: May 2016

Ion dynamics in pure and Dy containing nanoceria has been investigated in the light of different defect associates and their mutual interactions.
Copolymerization of l-lactide and ε-caprolactone catalyzed by mono-and dinuclear salen aluminum complexes bearing bulky 6,6′-dimethylbipheyl-bridge: random and tapered copolymer
Authors: Kan Chao , Ma Haiyan
Published: May 2016

Mono- and dinuclear salen aluminum complexes bearing a racemic 6,6′-dimethyl-biphenyl bridge could efficiently catalyze the copolymerization of l-LA and ε-CL in the melt, producing practically random and tapered copolymers, respectively.
Facile hydrolysis synthesis of Bi4O5Br2 photocatalyst with excellent visible light photocatalytic performance for the degradation of resorcinol
Authors: Li Min , Cui Yujin , Jin Yongsheng , Li Hui
Published: May 2016

A Bi4O5Br2 photocatalyst had been synthesized successfully through a facile, one-step, and energy-saving hydrolysis route.
Theoretical studies on the spin trapping of the 2-chloro-5-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone radical by 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO): the identification of the C–O bonding spin adduct
Authors: Feng Wenling , Ren Cong , Wang Weihua , Guo Chao , Sun Qiao , Li Ping
Published: May 2016

The C–O bonding spin adduct has been identified in the spin trapping of 2-chloro-5-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone radical by DMPO.
Energetic interpenetrating polymer network (EIPN): enhanced thermo-mechanical properties of NCO-fMWCNTs/HTPB PU and alkyne-fMWCNTs/acyl-GAP based nanocomposite and its propellants
Authors: Tanver Abbas , Huang Mu-Hua , Luo Yunjun
Published: May 2016

Novel energetic interpenetrating polymer network (EIPN) nanocomposite comprised of fMWCNTs covalently attached to HTPB and GAP by facilein situpolymerization technique.
Facile synthesis of selenium/potassium tartrate derived porous carbon composite as an advanced Li–Se battery cathode
Authors: Zhao Chenhao , Xu Libin , Hu Zhibiao , Qiu Sheng'en , Liu Kaiyu
Published: May 2016

The element Se with amorphous structure is uniformly encapsulated into the porous (micro- and small meso-porous) structure of potassium tartrate derived carbon, the obtained Se/C composite show good electrochemical performance.
Influence of CrB2 target current on the microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of Cr–B–C–N coatings in water
Authors: Ma Qiang , Zhou Fei , Wang Qianzhi , Wu Zhiwei , Chen Kangmin , Zhou Zhifeng , Kwok-Yan Li Lawrence
Published: May 2016

Cr–B–C–N coatings with different boron contents (24.6–27.2 at%) were deposited on Si(100) wafers and 316L stainless steels by using closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering via adjusting the CrB2 target current.
Effect of lanthanum doping on modulating the thermochromic properties of VO2thin films
Authors: Wang Ning , Chew Shun Nigel Tan , Duchamp Martial , Dunin-Borkowski Rafal E. , Li Zhong , Long Yi
Published: May 2016

La doping is found to be effective for enhancing the luminous transmission and solar modulating abilities simultaneously for VO2thin films, and they exhibit a lowτcreducing rate of −1.1 °C per at%.
Turn up the cellular power generator with vitamin E analogue formulation
Authors: Wen Ru , Dhar Shanta
Published: May 2016

We report cancer cell selective activation of mitochondrial ATP synthase using a suitably designed chemical formulation of alpha-tocopheryl succinate.
Structural changes correlated with magnetic spin state isomorphism in the S2 state of the Mn4CaO5 cluster in the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II
Authors: Chatterjee Ruchira , Han Guangye , Kern Jan , Gul Sheraz , Fuller Franklin D. , Garachtchenko Anna , Young Iris D. , Weng Tsu-Chien , Nordlund Dennis , Alonso-Mori Roberto , Bergmann Uwe , Sokaras Dimosthenis , Hatakeyama Makoto , Yachandra Vittal K. , Yano Junko
Published: May 2016

Mn XAS indicating different structures in the spin isomers of the S2 state of PSII
Tandem reactions in self-sorted catalytic molecular hydrogels
Authors: Singh Nishant , Zhang Kai , Angulo-Pachón César A. , Mendes Eduardo , van Esch Jan H. , Escuder Beatriu
Published: May 2016

We report the orthogonal assembly of two structurally dissimilar catalytic hydrogelators with mutually incompatible functional groups able to retain their individual catalytic activity and thus catalyse tandem reactions in one pot.
Ultrathin porous NiO nanoflake arrays on nickel foam as an advanced electrode for high performance asymmetric supercapacitors
Authors: Wu Shuxing , Hui K. S. , Hui K. N. , Kim Kwang Ho
Published: May 2016

We report ultrathin porous NiO nanoflake arrays on nickel foam as an advanced electrode, which exhibits excellent electrochemical performance in supercapacitors.
Synergistic sodiation of cobalt oxide nanoparticles and conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for sodium-ion batteries
Authors: Li Qianqian , Wu Jinsong , Xu Junming , Dravid Vinayak P.
Published: May 2016

A novel synergetic sodiation of Co3O4 nanoparticles on CNTs, facilitated by Na-diffusion along the CNT backbone has been studied at atomic resolution by in situ TEM.
3D ultralong nanowire arrays with a tailored hydrogen titanate phase as binder-free anodes for Li-ion capacitors
Authors: Que Lanfang , Wang Zhenbo , Yu Fuda , Gu Daming
Published: May 2016

3D structured hydrogen-titanate-based nanowire arrays as binder-free anodes exhibit superior electrochemical properties for Li-ion capacitors.
Electrochemical discharge performance of the Mg–Al–Pb–Ce–Y alloy as the anode for Mg–air batteries
Authors: Feng Yan , Xiong Wenhui , Zhang Junchang , Wang Richu , Wang Naiguang
Published: May 2016

The electrochemical discharge performance of the Mg–Al–Pb–Ce–Y alloy in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution is investigated by using electrochemical techniques and compared with that of pure magnesium, AZ31, and Mg–Al–Pb alloys.
Sandwich-like CoP/C nanocomposites as efficient and stable oxygen evolution catalysts
Authors: Bai Yuanjuan , Zhang Huijuan , Feng Yangyang , Fang Li , Wang Yu
Published: May 2016

Nowadays, the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been a bottleneck factor in water electrolysis.
Correction: Update on anode materials for Na-ion batteries
Authors: Kang Hongyan , Liu Yongchang , Cao Kangzhe , Zhao Yan , Jiao Lifang , Wang Yijing , Yuan Huatang
Published: May 2016

Correction for ‘Update on anode materials for Na-ion batteries’ by Hongyan Kang et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2015, 3, 17899–17913.
Polymer-based nanoparticles for protein delivery: design, strategies and applications
Authors: Zhao Hong , Lin Zhi Yuan , Yildirimer Lara , Dhinakar Arvind , Zhao Xin , Wu Jun
Published: May 2016

Therapeutic proteins have attracted significant attention as they perform vital roles in various biological processes. Polymeric nanoparticles can offer not only physical protection from environmental stimuli but also targeted delivery of such proteins to specific sites, enhancing their therapeutic efficacy.
Flexible photodetectors based on phase dependent PbI2 single crystals
Authors: Zhong Mianzeng , Huang Le , Deng Hui-Xiong , Wang Xiaoting , Li Bo , Wei Zhongming , Li Jingbo
Published: May 2016

Single-crystalline quasi-2D PbI2 nanosheets and quasi-1D nanowires, which showed different crystallographic symmetries, were controllably synthesized and utilized in flexible photodetectors with excellent mechanical stability and durability.
Skew cancellation technique for >256‐Gbyte/s high‐bandwidth memory (HBM)
Authors: Ahn K. , Yoo C.
Published: May 2016

The skews among multi‐Gbit/s data signals of through‐silicon‐via‐based parallel DRAM interface are cancelled without any overhead on DRAM dies. All the skew cancelling circuits are realised on a logic die which cancels the write and read path skews separately. A prototype chip with the proposed skew cancellation has been implemented in a 65 nm standard CMOS technology. After the skew cancellation, the residual skew of read and write paths are 12 and 18 ps, respectively.
Robust adaptive beamforming using IAA‐based interference‐plus‐noise covariance matrix reconstruction
Authors: Wang Yasen , Bao Qinglong , Chen Zengping
Published: May 2016

A novel robust adaptive beamforming algorithm based on a reconstructed covariance matrix is proposed to combat the desired signal look direction error. First, the iterative adaptive approach (IAA) algorithm is performed to acquire the true signal direction and the spatial spectrum simultaneously. Secondly, the IAA spatial spectrum is used to reconstruct the interference‐plus‐noise covariance matrix. Compared with other reconstruction‐based algorithms, this approach is capable of dealing with coherent interferences without any optimisation procedures.
Blind source separation using analysis sparse constraint
Authors: Fang Wanting , Wang Haolong , Xu Biao , Zhang Ye
Published: May 2016

A novel algorithm based on the analysis sparse constraint of the source over an adaptive dictionary is proposed to solve the blind source separation problem. In the algorithm, the dictionary for each source is adaptively learned from the corresponding source, which is estimated from the mixtures. Moreover, then the analysis sparse representation of the source can be obtained with the learning dictionary. The representation of the source is the constraint that can be employed to extract the source from the mixtures. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method improves separation performance.
Effect of a magnetically coupled resistive loop on antiresonance
Authors: Davis A.K.
Published: May 2016

The equivalent impedance of two parallel capacitors having different self‐resonant frequencies produces a pole between the two frequencies known as antiresonance. Its peak value reduces with Q factor of the system which increases with inductance and decreases with losses. The effect of a nearby magnetically coupled resistive loop on antiresonance is studied. The value of the resistor in the loop which produces the minimum antiresonance peak, is calculated theoretically. The antiresonance peak under this condition is also derived. The theory is validated with simulation and experimental results. The concepts can be applied to suppress the antiresonance introduced when lines are used to transport power.
W‐band inductor compensated doubly balanced I/Q mixer
Authors: Chen Zhe , Zhu Fang
Published: May 2016

The development of a W‐band inductor compensated doubly balanced I/Q mixer in 0.1 μm GaAs pHEMT technology is presented. The I/Q mixer consists of two ring‐diode mixer cells, Marchand balun and Lange coupler for quadrature LO input signal. An inductance is utilised to resonate with the parasitic capacitance of the mixer core. The relationship between the compensating inductance and the diode model parameter is theoretically analysed and derived for the first time. With the compensating inductance, the return loss of the LO port is greatly improved, and thus no need for the matching network of LO port. Measured results show good performance: the typical conversion gain is −10 dB for RF from 75 to 96 GHz, and intermediate frequency of DC to 12 GHz, with the LO power level of +14 dBm. Image rejection is above 21 dB. Due to the doubly balanced topology, high LO‐RF isolation is observed with a minimum value of 43 dB across the whole operation frequency band.
Method of timing estimation for FTN signalling with high‐order modulation
Authors: Liang Xiaohu , Liu Aijun , Gao Bin , Wang Ke
Published: May 2016

In the digital communications, due to the timing‐offset existing between the transmitter and receiver, timing synchronisation is a critical problem which may have dramatic effect on the transmission performance in the faster‐than‐Nyquist (FTN) signalling system. For solving this problem, considering the intentionally intersymbol interference introduced by FTN, a new non‐data aided timing‐delay estimation scheme is proposed. Moreover, the proposed method can be also applied into the M‐ary quadrature amplitude modulation. In the end, the performance of the proposed scheme for FTN system is tested and verified.
Unified approach for probability of detection evaluation over generalised fading channels
Authors: El Ayadi Moataz M.H. , Ismail Mahmoud H. , Alhennawi Husam R.
Published: May 2016

In this study, the authors revisit energy detection‐based spectrum sensing cognitive radio systems operating over generalised fading channels. In particular, they derive closed‐form exact expressions as well as low‐ and high‐signal‐to‐noise ratio asymptotic expansions for the misdetection probability over the Fox's H‐function fading channel. The closed‐form expression is given in terms of the bivariate Fox's H‐function and subsumes most of the expressions previously presented in the literature. Also, the obtained asymptotic expressions are very easy to compute and can be used to get various performance insights. We verified, theoretically and numerically, the validity of the exact expression for important special cases previously reported in the literature, namely the Nakagami‐m and the extended generalised‐K fading distributions. Numerical results also demonstrate the high accuracy of the asymptotic expansions.
Towards eco‐aware timetabling: evolutionary approach and cascading initialisation strategy for the bi‐objective optimisation of train running times
Authors: Lejeune Aurélien , Chevrier Rémy , Vandanjon Pierre‐Olivier , Rodriguez Joaquìn
Published: May 2016

In railway planning, the timetabling step needs, as input, the train running times, which are calculated from a train dynamic model. Usually, this model determines the most energy‐efficient train trajectory for a predefined time. However, this time may not correspond to the timetable‐makers’ needs. They should have the choice among a set of solutions, more or less energy‐consuming. This study proposes a method capable of producing a set of alternative running times with the associated mechanical energy required. To this end, the authors’ contribution is to set up an efficient evolutionary multi‐objective algorithm builds a set of well‐spread and diversified solutions which approximate a Pareto front. The solutions are all compromises between running time and energy‐consumption, the two minimisation objectives concurrently optimised. Given that an evolutionary algorithm is strongly dependent on the initialisation phase, the efficiency of the algorithm is improved through a specific and original mechanism connecting multiple initialisations in cascade in order to accelerate the convergence towards the best solutions. A set of results obtained on randomly‐generated instances is analysed and discussed.
Virtual dynamic message signs: a future mode for basic public traveller information
Authors: Ma Jiaqi , Zhou Fang
Published: May 2016

The most common mode for en‐route public traveller information is dynamic message signs (DMSs). Despite their effectiveness, they are costly and limited in the amount of information they can deliver. The wide availability of smart mobile devices and communication technologies offers possibilities to provide traveller information not only through in‐vehicle devices without incurring huge infrastructure costs, but also in a more flexible manner to selected individuals and at specific locations without geographical constraints. This study proposed the concept of virtual DMSs (VDMSs) to improve public traveller information provision. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of such systems, the study first prototyped a smartphone‐based VDMS application and conducted a focused group user experience survey, which revealed a positive attitude towards VDMS in terms of both usefulness and satisfaction. Second, a driving simulator study was conducted to analyse two other critical aspects of VDMS, message comprehension and driver distraction. Results revealed that VDMS generally performs better than DMS across different amounts of information provision and under different driving conditions regardless of driver age. It is recommended that transportation agencies give full consideration to VDMS as a future strategy for delivering public traffic information in a connected vehicle environment.
Ultra‐fast MHz range driving circuit for SiC MOSFET using frequency multiplier with eGaN FET
Authors: Kim Taekyun , Jang Minsoo , Agelidis Vassilios G.
Published: May 2016

This study proposes a MHz gate driving solution for silicon carbide (SiC) metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), which enables multiplication of the switching frequency by using the n‐type eGaN FET technology and by connecting half‐bridges in parallel. Phase‐shifted pulse width modulation is used to multiple the output frequency by a factor of n, depending on the number of half‐bridges connected in parallel. The proposed gate driver is analysed and experimentally validated for the operational performance of a 600 W non‐isolated dc–dc boost converter operating at 2 MHz. In addition, the performance of a 5 MHz two‐parallel‐connected gate driver is presented.