bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical utility of androgen receptor gene aberrations in circulating cell-free DNA as a biomarker for treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Sumiyoshi Takayuki , Mizuno Kei , Yamasaki Toshinari , Miyazaki Yu , Makino Yuki , Okasho Kosuke , Li Xin , Utsunomiya Noriaki , Goto Takayuki , Kobayashi Takashi , Terada Naoki , Inoue Takahiro , Kamba Tomomi , Fujimoto Akihiro , Ogawa Osamu , Akamatsu Shusuke
Published: March 2019

The therapeutic landscape of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) has rapidly expanded. There is a need to develop noninvasive biomarkers to guide treatment. We established a highly sensitive method for analyzing androgen receptor gene (AR) copy numbers (CN) and mutations in plasma circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and evaluated the AR statuses of patients with CRPC. AR amplification was detectable in VCaP cell line (AR amplified) genomic DNA (gDNA) diluted to 1.0% by digital PCR (dPCR). AR mutation were detectable in LNCaP cell line (AR T878A mutated) gDNA diluted to 0.1% and 1.0% by dPCR and target sequencing, respectively. Next, we analyzed AR status in cfDNA from 102 patients. AR amplification and mutations were detected in 47 and 25 patients, respectively. As a biomarker, AR aberrations in pretreatment cfDNA were associated with poor response to abiraterone, but not enzalutamide. In serial cfDNA analysis from 41 patients, most AR aberrations at baseline diminished with effective treatments, whereas in some patients with disease progression, AR amplification or mutations emerged. The analysis of AR in cfDNA is feasible and informative procedure for treating patients with CRPC. cfDNA may become a useful biomarker for precision medicine in CRPC.
The Effect of Electronic-Cigarette Vaping on Cardiac Function and Angiogenesis in Mice
Authors: Shi Huilin , Fan Xiaoming , Horton Austin , Haller Steven T. , Kennedy David J. , Schiefer Isaac T. , Dworkin Lance , Cooper Christopher J. , Tian Jiang
Published: March 2019

The rapid increase in use of electronic-cigarettes (e-cigarettes), especially among youth, raises the urgency for regulating bodies to make informed decisions, guidance, and policy on these products. This study evaluated cardiac function in an experimental model following exposure to e-cigarettes. We subjected C57BL/6 mice to e-cigarette vaping for 2-weeks, and cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography. Cardiac tissues were collected at the end of e-cigarette exposure for pathological analysis. The experimental data showed that e-cigarette vaping (3 h/day for 14 days) had no significant effect on cardiac contractility as measured by ejection fraction. However, it significantly increased angiogenesis in mouse heart tissue. We found that e-cigarette exposure increased the endothelial cell marker CD31 and CD34 to approximately 2 fold (p < 0.05) in heart tissue from female mice and about 150% (p < 0.05) in male mice. E-cigarette vaping also caused slower weight gain compared to mice exposed to room air. In addition, short-term e-cigarette exposure slightly increased collagen content in heart tissue but did not result in significant tissue fibrosis. These results suggest that short-term exposure to e-cigarettes has no acute effect on cardiac contractile function or tissue fibrosis, but it increases cardiac angiogenesis.
A Single-Step Route to Single-Crystal Molybdenum Disulphide (MoS2) Monolayer domains
Authors: Khan Hamid , Medina Henry , Tan Lee Kheng , Tjiu Wengweei , Boden Stuart A. , Teng Jinghua , Nandhakumar Iris
Published: March 2019

We report a simple, single-cycle synthetic method for forming highly-crystalline, micron-sized monolayer domains of phase-pure MoS2. This method combines liquid chemistry with discrete, layer-by-layer deposition from a novel Mo precursor. Single-crystalline MoS2 with domain sizes up to 100 μm have been obtained and characterised by optical and electron microscopy as well as Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy.
Combination of chick embryo and nutrient mixture prevent D-galactose-induced cognitive deficits, immune impairment and oxidative stress in aging rat model
Authors: Ma Jia , Wang Huaxin , Liu Bing , Shan Yujia , Zhou Huimin , Qi Xia , Wu Wenguo , Jia Li
Published: March 2019

Aging is spontaneous and inevitable processes that lead to changes in biological systems. The present paper was designed to investigate the anti-aging roles of chick embryo (CE) and nutrient mixture (NM) in aging rats. Aging was induced by administration of D-galactose (D-gal, 500 mg/kg/day for 90 days). CE and NM were administered to aging rats through different dose gavage once a day. Cognitive function assessment was performed using the Morris water maze test. At the end of experiment, serum and tissues were collected for immunity and antioxidation function. The organs and tissues were excised for histological study. The results demonstrated that CE plus NM was superior treatment to improve the histopathologic changes and reverse learning and memory impairment of the aging rats. CE plus NM also increased the spleen and thymus index as well as splenocyte proliferation, and reversed inflammatory cytokine levels. In addition, the biochemical index showed that CE plus NM could improve the antioxidant enzyme activity of the aging rats, decrease lipofuscin (LF) and glutamate content. CE plus NM also inhibited the activation of TLR4/NF-κB pathway stimulated by LPS in splenic B lymphocytes. Overall, these results seem to be implying that CE plus NM was used as potentially natural supplement or functional food for preventing aging.
Short-chain lipid-conjugated pH sensors for imaging of transporter activities in reconstituted systems and living cells
Authors: Kühnel Ronja Marie , Grifell-Junyent Marta , Jørgensen Ida Louise , Kemmer Gerdi Christine , Schiller Jürgen , Palmgren Michael , Justesen Bo Højen , Günther Pomorski Thomas
Published: March 2019

Short-chain lipid-linked fluorescent pH sensors allow for selective labelling of living cells and liposomes.
Frequency division multiplex HPLC-MS for simultaneous analyses
Authors: Kishi Hiroka , Kumazaki Takashi , Kitagawa Shinya , Ohtani Hajime
Published: March 2019

Novel multiplex HPLC-MS based on a frequency division multiplex method is developed for simultaneous analyses of plural samples.
Bioadhesive anisotropic nanogrooved microfibers directing three-dimensional neurite extension
Authors: Chen Yilin , Taskin Mehmet Berat , Zhang Zhongyang , Su Yingchun , Han Xiaojun , Chen Menglin
Published: March 2019

A longitudinal nanogrooved microfiber as an anisotropic 3D scaffold together with simultaneous adhesive pNE coating was, for the first time, achieved in one step using wet-electrospinning for 3D neural culture.
Lattice-plane bending angle modulation of Mg-doped GaN homoepitaxial layer observed by X-ray diffraction topography
Authors: Kim Jaemyung , Seo Okkyun , Song Chulho , Hiroi Satoshi , Chen Yanna , Irokawa Yoshihiro , Nabatame Toshihide , Koide Yasuo , Sakata Osami
Published: March 2019

We have studied the lattice-plane modulation of Mg-doped GaN homoepitaxial layers by X-ray diffraction topography.
Precise control of the interlayer spacing between graphene sheets by hydrated cations
Authors: Yang Yizhou , Mu Liuhua , Chen Liang , Shi Guosheng , Fang Haiping
Published: March 2019

Based on DFT computations, we show that different hydrated cations can precisely control the interlayer spacings between graphene sheets, which are smaller than that between graphene oxide sheets, indicating an ion sieving.
Plasmon-mediated nonradiative energy transfer from a conjugated polymer to a plane of graphene-nanodot-supported silver nanoparticles: an insight into characteristic distance
Authors: Wang Yunjing , Li Hanmei , Zhu Weiwei , He Futao , Huang Yongwei , Chong Ruifeng , Kou Dongxing , Zhang Wenkai , Meng Xianrui , Fang Xiaomin
Published: March 2019

The characteristic distance for plasmonic resonant energy transfer from a conjugated polymer film to sub-10 nm silver nanoparticles is determined.
A porous β-cyclodextrin-based terpolymer fluorescence sensor for in situ trinitrophenol detection
Authors: Danquah Michael K. , Wang Shan , Wang Qianyou , Wang Bo , Wilson Lee D.
Published: March 2019

Permanent porosity plays a key role in fluorescent-based polymers with “on–off” emissive properties due to the role of guest adsorption at accessible fluorophore sites of the polymer framework.
Accurate, hysteresis-free temperature sensor for health monitoring using a magnetic sensor and pristine polymer
Authors: Jeong Wooseong , Kim Mijin , Ha Jae-Hyun , Binti Zulkifli Nora Asyikin , Hong Jung-Il , Kim CheolGi , Lee Sungwon
Published: March 2019

Herein, a novel temperature sensor is proposed employing a planar Hall resistance (PHR) magnetic sensor, a magnet sheet, and an expanding polymer.
Indirect study of the effect of α-tocopherol and acetylsalicylic acid on the mineral composition of bone tissue in the offspring of female rats treated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin: long-term observations
Authors: Dobrzynski Maciej , Kuropka Piotr , Tarnowska Malgorzata , Dudek Krzysztof , Styczynska Marzena , Leskow Anna , Targonska Sara , Wiglusz Rafal J.
Published: March 2019

This paper discusses problems related to the influence of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on the mineral composition of the calvaria in the offspring of female rats.
A membrane-based electrochemical flow reactor for generation of ferrates at near neutral pH conditions
Authors: Cataldo-Hernández Macarena A. , Bonakdarpour Arman , English Joseph T. , Mohseni Madjid , Wilkinson David P.
Published: March 2019

We report the electrosynthesis of Fe(vi) in a flow reactor operating in batch recirculation mode at neutral conditions using boron doped diamond (BDD) and Fe(iii).
Analysis of student reasoning about Michaelis–Menten enzyme kinetics: mixed conceptions of enzyme inhibition
Authors: Rodriguez Jon-Marc G. , Towns Marcy H.
Published: March 2019

Student understanding regarding topics in upper-division courses, such as biochemistry, is not well represented in the literature. Herein we describe a study that investigated students’ reasoning about Michaelis–Menten enzyme kinetics and enzyme inhibition. Our qualitative study involved semistructured interviews with fourteen second-year students enrolled in an introductory biochemistry course. During the interviews students were provided an enzyme kinetics graph, which they were prompted to describe. Students were asked to look for patterns and trends in the data and interpret the graph to draw conclusions regarding the types of enzyme inhibition observed, providing the opportunity for the students to engage in the science practiceanalyzing and interpreting data. Findings indicate students were able to attend to the relevant parameters (VmaxandKm) in the graph and subsequently associate changes inVmaxandKmto different types of enzyme inhibitors. However, students expressed difficulty explaining why a specific type of inhibition caused the observed change in the kinetic parameters and there was confusion regarding the distinction between noncompetitive and uncompetitive inhibition. Based on our results, we suggest instruction on enzyme kinetics should emphasize qualitative descriptions of the particulate-level mechanisms related to competitive and noncompetitive inhibition, with less emphasis on discussions of uncompetitive and mixed inhibition in introductory biochemistry courses.
Humidity driven molecular switch based on photoluminescent DyIIICoIII single-molecule magnets
Authors: Chorazy Szymon , Zakrzewski Jakub J. , Reczyński Mateusz , Nakabayashi Koji , Ohkoshi Shin-ichi , Sieklucka Barbara
Published: March 2019

Functional materials incorporating cyanido-bridged DyIIICoIII molecules combine visible photoluminescence and slow magnetic relaxation, both switchable by the level of humidity within the reversible room temperature dehydration process.
Immobilization of ssDNA on a metal–organic framework derived magnetic porous carbon (MPC) composite as a fluorescent sensing platform for the detection of arsenate ions
Authors: Muppidathi Marieeswaran , Perumal Panneerselvam , Ayyanu Ravikumar , Subramanian Sivanesan
Published: March 2019

In this work, we fabricated a metal–organic framework derived magnetic porous carbon (MPC) and with ssDNA achieved specific and efficient recognition of harmful arsenate ions. The detection limit was achieved at 630 pM.
Nanogold hybrid silica gel and its 1-octadecanethiol self-assembled modified composite as a stationary phase for liquid chromatography
Authors: Wang Yuhuan , Wang Ruyan , Wang Lei , Wang Licheng , Guo Yong , Liang Xiaojing , Wang Shuai
Published: March 2019

Au nanoparticle-hybridized silica (Au@sil) spheres were synthesized in one step as a liquid chromatographic stationary phase for the first time.
Smart construction of an efficient enantioselective sensing device based on bioactive tripeptide
Authors: Ye Qiumin , Hu Jihong , Wu Datong , Yang Baozhu , Tao Yongxin , Qin Yong , Kong Yong
Published: March 2019

Tryptophan enantiomers can be well recognized due to the chiral microenvironment of glutathione and the well-retained spatial configuration of glutathione.
Fast inline tobacco classification by near-infrared hyperspectral imaging and support vector machine-discriminant analysis
Authors: Marcelo Marcelo C. A. , Soares Frederico L. F. , Ardila Jorge A. , Dias Jailson C. , Pedó Ricardo , Kaiser Samuel , Pontes Oscar F. S. , Pulcinelli Carlos E. , Sabin Guilherme P.
Published: March 2019

Classification systems are frequently used in tobacco Green Leaf Threshing (GLT) facilities to assess the chemical characteristics and quality of tobacco leaves.
A chemoselective reaction between protein N-homocysteinylation and azides catalyzed by heme(ii)
Authors: Chen Nan , Qiao Zeyu , Wang Chu
Published: March 2019

Chemoselective labelling of protein N-homocysteinylation with bioorthogonal azide probes.
Hexagonal array formation by intermolecular halogen bonding using a binary blend of linear building blocks: STM study
Authors: Kikkawa Yoshihiro , Nagasaki Mayumi , Koyama Emiko , Tsuzuki Seiji , Hiratani Kazuhisa
Published: March 2019

A bicomponent blend of linear building blocks leads to intermolecular halogen bonding, resulting in the formation of hexagonal arrays.
Boosting electrocatalytic N2 reduction to NH3 on β-FeOOH by fluorine doping
Authors: Zhu Xiaojuan , Liu Zaichun , Wang Huanbo , Zhao Runbo , Chen Hongyu , Wang Ting , Wang Faxing , Luo Yonglan , Wu Yuping , Sun Xuping
Published: March 2019

A β-FeO(OH,F) nanorod acts as an efficient electrocatalyst for the conversion of N2 to NH3 in 0.5 M LiClO4, achieving a remarkably large NH3 yield of 42.38 μg h−1 mgcat.−1 and a high FE of 9.02%.
Redox- and light-switchable N-heterocyclic carbenes: a “soup-to-nuts” course on contemporary structure–activity relationships
Authors: Ryu Yeonkyeong , Ahumada Guillermo , Bielawski Christopher W.
Published: March 2019

This Feature Article offers in-depth, design-to-application discussions of redox-switchable N-heterocyclic carbenes that have been field tested.
Reinforced Ni(ii)-cyclam derivatives as dual1H/19F MRI probes
Authors: Pujales-Paradela Rosa , Savić Tanja , Brandariz Isabel , Pérez-Lourido Paulo , Angelovski Goran , Esteban-Gómez David , Platas-Iglesias Carlos
Published: March 2019

Extremely inert paramagnetic nickel(ii) complexes based on a cross-bridged cyclam platform present responses at the1H (CEST) and19F frequencies.
Magnetically induced current density in triple-layered beryllium–boron clusters
Authors: Đorđević Slađana , Radenković Slavko
Published: March 2019

Magnetically induced current densities reveal the double aromatic character of the examined Be–B clusters.
Single-particle correlation study: chemical interface damping induced by biotinylated proteins with sulfur in plasmonic gold nanorods
Authors: Moon Seong Woo , Ha Ji Won
Published: March 2019

Plasmonic gold nanoparticles can be an efficient source of hot electrons that can transfer to adsorbed molecules for photochemistry, followed by broadening of the homogeneous localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) linewidth.
New insight into the enhanced catalytic performance of ZnPt/HZSM-5 catalysts for direct dehydrogenation of propane to propylene
Authors: Chen Chong , Sun Minglei , Hu Zhongpan , Ren Jintao , Zhang Shoumin , Yuan Zhong-Yong
Published: March 2019

Framework Zn species and small-sized PtZn particles in ZnPt/HZSM-5 catalyst function cooperatively in PDH, showing excellent performance at 525 °C.
Intramolecular electronic coupling for persistent room-temperature luminescence for smartphone based time-gated fingerprint detection
Authors: Tian Di , Zhu Zece , Xu Li , Cong Hengjiang , Zhu Jintao
Published: March 2019

CzDPS emits persistent luminescence in both crystals and polymer matrixes, and can be used for time-gated luminescence imaging of fingerprints.
New 2D–π–2A organic dyes with bipyridine anchoring groups for DSSCs
Authors: Jia Hai-Lang , Peng Zhi-Jie , Gong Bing-Quan , Huang Cheng-Yan , Guan Ming-Yun
Published: March 2019

Two new 2D–π–2A-type organic dyes with bipyridine anchoring groups were synthesized and applied in dye-sensitized solar cells.
The usage of unremovable artefacts for the quantitative “reading” of nanonoises in voltammetry
Authors: Nigmatullin R. R. , Vorobev A. S. , Budnikov H. C. , Sidelnikov A. V. , Badikova A. D. , Maksyutova E. I.
Published: March 2019

We propose two modified and rather “universal” methods for the quantitative evaluation of electrochemical noises registered in running voltammetric sensor systems in the presence of unremovable artefacts.
Theoretical study on a boron phosphide nanocage doped with superalkalis: novel electrides having significant nonlinear optical response
Authors: Ullah Faizan , Kosar Naveen , Ayub Khurshid , Gilani Mazhar Amjad , Mahmood Tariq
Published: March 2019

Three series of compounds Li2F@B12P12, Li3O@B12P12 and Li4N@B12P12 are theoretically designed and investigated for their nonlinear optical response using density functional theory (DFT).
A fluorescent sensor for thymine based on bis-BODIPY containing butanediamido bridges
Authors: Bi Jiahui , Ji Xiaoyu , Guo Meiyan , Guo Hongyu , Yang Fafu
Published: March 2019

A fluorescent sensor for thymine based on bis-BODIPY containing butanediamido bridges was prepared and applied in the sensitive detection of thymine in living cell imaging.
Template protection of gold nanoclusters for the detection of organophosphorus pesticides
Authors: Li Huan , Chen Hongyu , Li Mingxia , Lu Qiujun , Zhang Youyu , Yao Shouzhuo
Published: March 2019

A simple and economic fluorescence sensing method has been developed. This method based on trypsin digestion of the template of BSA-AuNCs for the sensitive detection of OPs.
Investigating the luminescence mechanism of Mn-doped CsPb(Br/Cl)3 nanocrystals
Authors: Ma Jinjin , Yao Qianting , McLeod John A. , Chang Lo-Yueh , Pao Chih-Wen , Chen Jiatang , Sham Tsun-Kong , Liu Lijia
Published: March 2019

XEOL and XANES measurements reveal the luminescence mechanisms and local structures of Mn-doped CsPb(Br/Cl)3 NCs.
New lead-free perovskite Rb7Bi3Cl16 nanocrystals with blue luminescence and excellent moisture-stability
Authors: Xie Jie-Ling , Huang Zhao-Qian , Wang Bin , Chen Wei-Jun , Lu Wen-Xiu , Liu Xin , Song Jun-Ling
Published: March 2019

The development of nontoxic and stable all-inorganic perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) represents a major challenge to unlock widely practical applications in photoelectric fields.
Aggregation induced non-emissive-to-emissive switching of molecular platinum clusters
Authors: George Anu , Maman Manju P. , Bhattacharyya Kalishankar , Das Chakraborty Sudeshna , S Anjusree , Das Bikas C. , Senapati Dulal , Datta Ayan , Mandal Sukhendu
Published: March 2019

The aggregation-induced emission mechanism and solvatochromic impact of Pt-SG clusters were studied and the possible applications utilizing these properties are demonstrated.
Sulfonyl-bridged (copper-immobilized nickel ferrite) with activated montmorillonite, [(NiFe2O4@Cu)SO2(MMT)]: a new class of magnetically separable clay nanocomposite systems towards Hantzsch synthesis of coumarin-based 1,4-dihydropyridines
Authors: Zeynizadeh Behzad , Rahmani Soleiman
Published: March 2019

In this study, the synthesis of a new class of magnetic clay-based nanocomposites by bridging of sulfonyl groups between copper-immobilized nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4@Cu) and activated montmorillonite is described.
Tannic acid-stabilized gold nano-particles are superior to native tannic acid in inducing ROS-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis in colorectal carcinoma cellsviathe p53/AKT axis
Authors: Nag Sayoni , Manna Krishnendu , Saha Krishna Das
Published: March 2019

Tannic acid and AuNP-TA lead to death of colon cancer cellsviathe ROS/p53/Akt pathway, and AuNP-TA is more potent.
Two-dimensional additive diethylammonium iodide promoting crystal growth for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells
Authors: Huang Xin , Cui Qiuhong , Bi Wentao , Li Ling , Jia Pengcheng , Hou Yanbing , Hu Yufeng , Lou Zhidong , Teng Feng
Published: March 2019

Two-dimensional diethylammonium iodide as an additive to promote crystal growth of perovskite film for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells.
Protein-induced low molecular weight hydrogelator self-assembly through a self-sustaining process
Authors: Rodon Fores Jennifer , Criado-Gonzalez Miryam , Schmutz Marc , Blanck Christian , Schaaf Pierre , Boulmedais Fouzia , Jierry Loïc
Published: March 2019

Electrostatic interaction between a protein and suitable peptides allows the continuous formation of hydrogelators which self-assemble from the protein.
Sonochemical deposition of ultrafine metallic Pt nanoparticles on CdS for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Liu Shuzi , Guo Zhuang , Qian Xianhao , Zhang Jingyi , Liu Jinxin , Lin Jun
Published: March 2019

Ultrasonic irradiation drives the reduction of Pt4+ and tight adherence of the resulting metallic Pt nanoparticles to CdS to boost photocatalytic H2 evolution.
Molecular curvature, specific intermolecular interactions and the twist-bend nematic phase: the synthesis and characterisation of the 1-(4-cyanobiphenyl-4′-yl)-6-(4-alkylanilinebenzylidene-4′-oxy)hexanes (CB6O.m)
Authors: Walker Rebecca , Pociecha Damian , Strachan Grant J. , Storey John M. D. , Gorecka Ewa , Imrie Corrie T.
Published: March 2019

The syntheses and characterisation of the first ten homologues of the 1-(4-cyanobiphenyl-4′-yl)-6-(4-alkylanilinebenzylidene-4′-oxy)hexanes (CB6O.m) are reported.
Mechanofusion-derived Si-alloy/graphite composite electrode materials for Li-ion batteries
Authors: Cao Yidan , Hatchard T. D. , Dunlap R. A. , Obrovac M. N.
Published: March 2019

Mechanofusion processing results in Si-alloy/graphite composites with superior cycling performance.
Hollow anisotropic semiconductor nanoprisms with highly crystalline frameworks for high-efficiency photoelectrochemical water splitting
Authors: Zhang Erhuan , Liu Jia , Ji Muwei , Wang Hongzhi , Wan Xiaodong , Rong Hongpan , Chen Wenxing , Liu Jiajia , Xu Meng , Zhang Jiatao
Published: March 2019

Construction of hollow anisotropic semiconductor nanostructures that possess excellent crystallinity, flexibly tunable structure/morphology and aqueous dispersity is of special interest for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting
Exosome-based nanocarriers as bio-inspired and versatile vehicles for drug delivery: recent advances and challenges
Authors: Zhang Mengjun , Zang Xinlong , Wang Mingyue , Li Zhen , Qiao Mingxi , Hu Haiyang , Chen Dawei
Published: March 2019

Exosomes as drug vehicles have attracted increasing attention due to their ability of shuttling proteins, lipids and genes among cells and natural affinity to target cells.
MoS2 quantum dots as a unique fluorescent “turn-off–on” probe for the simple and rapid determination of adenosine triphosphate
Authors: Zhong Yaping , Yi Tao
Published: March 2019

MoS2 quantum dots were prepared as a fluorescent “turn-off–on” probe for the simple and rapid determination of adenosine triphosphate.
Efficient and versatile mechanochromic luminescence of phenanthroimidazolylbenzothiadiazoles: tricolor switching and directional control over the chromism
Authors: Nagai Sayaka , Yamashita Maho , Tachikawa Takashi , Ubukata Takashi , Asami Masatoshi , Ito Suguru
Published: March 2019

Red- and blue-shifted mechanochromic luminescence (MCL) and single-particle level observation of tricolor MCL of phenanthroimidazolylbenzothiadiazoles are described.
Paper‐based uniplanar ultra‐wideband frequency‐selective surface design
Authors: Kim H.J. , Cho S.S. , Kwon O.B. , Kim Y.J. , Hong I.P.
Published: March 2019

A paper‐based uniplanar ultra‐wideband (UWB) frequency‐selective surface (UWB FSS) design was developed to achieve UWB radar signal cut‐off. The proposed structure includes a unit cell combining a square‐loop structure and fan‐blades structure arranged on a 0.2 mm‐thick paper. Resistive ink was used to introduce a resistive element, thereby securing incident angle stability. To verify the performance of the designed structure, a screen‐printing method was used to introduce the conductive patterns and resistive element. The free‐space measurement showed that the vertical incident wave has wideband characteristics of 4.5 to 11.4 GHz at −10 dB blocking, with relatively stable polarisation and incident angle stability.
Evolution of light‐current characteristic shape in high‐power semiconductor quantum well lasers
Authors: Sokolova Z.N. , Pikhtin N.A. , Asryan L.V.
Published: March 2019

The light‐current characteristic (LCC) of semiconductor quantum well lasers is theoretically studied. It is discussed here that, due to internal optical absorption loss, which depends on the electron and hole densities in the optical confinement layer, (i) roll‐over of the LCC occurs with increasing injection current, and, (ii) depending on the parameters of laser structures, the LCC can have two branches, i.e. the optical emission at two different output powers will be possible within a certain range of injection currents.
Read‐decoupled 8T1R non‐volatile SRAM with dual‐mode option and high restore yield
Authors: Lin Zhiting , Wang Yong , Peng Chunyu , Lu Wenjuan , Li Xuan , Wu Xiulong , Chen Junning
Published: March 2019

This Letter proposes a read‐decoupled (RD) and average 8T1R non‐volatile static RAM (SRAM), RD‐8T1R. It uses only one memristor to achieve store energy reduction and higher restore yield compared with other two memristors based non‐volatile SRAMs. In addition, this structure can offer two alternative SRAM modes unlike previously known non‐volatile SRAMs, i.e. a high speed and a stable mode. Compared with existing technologies, the simulation results in TSMC‐65 nm show that the proposed scheme provides a remarkable restore yield. There are 154% improvement in the read static noise margin (@typical–typical (@TT) corner and stable mode) and 23% improvement in the read delay (@TT corner and high speed mode) compared with the previous 6T/7T/8 T non‐volatile SRAMs.
Sparsity‐aware reuse of coefficients normalised least mean squares
Authors: Resende L.C. , Haddad D.B. , Ferreira G.da.R , Campelo P.H. , Petraglia M.R.
Published: March 2019

Noise is an ubiquitous phenomenon that hampers adaptive filtering‐based system identification procedures. Recently, the coefficient reuse strategy has been proposed to address the challenging case where the signal‐to‐noise ratio is low. In this Letter, a new derivation approach that incorporates both coefficient reusing (which reduces the oscillation magnitude of each adaptive coefficient) and norm‐constrained adaptation (that penalises non‐sparse solutions) is advanced. The proposed algorithm performs relaxed projections into hyperplanes of interest in order to obtain the desired robustness and high convergence rate in sparse scenarios with low computation burden and reduced number of adjustable parameters. The resulting method can be implemented in both normalised and non‐normalised versions.
Non‐local weighted fuzzy energy‐based active contour model with level set evolution starting with a constant function
Authors: Lv Hongli , Fu Shujun , Zhang Caiming , Liu Xuya
Published: March 2019

In the traditional active contour models, global region‐based methods fail to segment images with intensity inhomogeneity, and local region‐based methods are sensitive to initial contour. In this study, a novel fuzzy energy‐based active contour model is proposed to segment medical images, which are always corrupted by intensity inhomogeneity. In order to deal with intensity inhomogeneity, a local energy term is first constructed by substituting a non‐local weight for Gaussian kernel widely used in traditional local region‐based models. Second, the defined adaptive force can drive the level set function to adaptively increase or decrease according to image intensity information. Therefore, the initial contour can be initialised as a constant function, which eliminates the problem caused by contour initialisation. Moreover, the proposed active contour model is a convex function. Thus, the problem, resulting from optimising a non‐convex functional in the traditional active contour models, can be avoided. Experimental results validate the superiorities and effectiveness of the proposed model for image segmentation with comparisons of those yielded by several state‐of‐the‐art techniques.
PixTextGAN: structure aware text image synthesis for license plate recognition
Authors: Wu Shilian , Zhai Wei , Cao Yang
Published: March 2019

Rapid progress on text image recognition has been achieved with the development of deep‐learning techniques. However, it is still a great challenge to achieve a comprehensive license plate recognition in the real scenes, since there are no publicly available large diverse datasets for the training of deep learning models. This paper aims at synthesising of license plate images with generative adversarial networks (GAN), refraining from collecting a vast amount of labelled data. The authors thus propose a novel PixTextGAN that leverages a controllable architecture that generates specific character structures for different text regions to generate synthetic license plate images with reasonable text details. Specifically, a comprehensive structure‐aware loss function is presented to preserve the key characteristic of each character region and thus to achieve appearance adaption for better recognition. Qualitative and quantitative experiments demonstrate the superiority of authors’ proposed method in text image synthetisation over state‐of‐the‐art GANs. Further experimental results of license plate recognition on ReId and CCPD dataset demonstrate that using the synthesised images by PixTextGAN can greatly improve the recognition accuracy.
Impact of renewables and FACT device on deregulated thermal system having sine cosine algorithm optimised fractional order cascade controller
Authors: Tasnin Washima , Saikia Lalit Chandra
Published: March 2019

This study highlights the operation under the bilateral scenario of the deregulated environment, considering a three unequal area thermal system, wherein several renewable sources namely geothermal plant (GTP), solar thermal and wind had been integrated to analyse their effect both through dynamic responses as well as analytically from the aspect of GENCO participation, related to the price based environment. Later a flexible alternating current transmission (FACT) device, interline power flow controller (IPFC) is being connected to the above‐considered system at different positions. Various observations are made for checking if there is an optimal location for the placement of IPFC and it reflects that IPFC placed between the tie lines of area 1 and area 3 shall economically be the most feasible option. The considered thermal systems are provided with suitable generation rate constraints. In this study, an initiative has been taken to use a new combination of fractional order (FO) cascade controller, FO integral‐FO proportional‐derivative as secondary controller and its capability is being checked with the traditional controllers revealing it to outperform the others. The gains and other required parameters of all the secondary controllers are optimised by means of the stochastic sine cosine algorithm.
Conduction mechanisms in metal/self‐assembled monolayer/metal junctions
Authors: Etor David , Dodd Linzi E. , Balocco Claudio , Wood David
Published: March 2019

The conduction mechanisms in metal–insulator–metal junctions where the insulator consists of a self‐assembled monolayer are investigated. Temperature dependence measurements from 2.5 to 300 K, show that the conduction is dominated by tunnelling only for temperatures below 20 K, while at higher temperatures surface‐limited and bulk‐limited mechanisms are observed. The experimental results are explained using a combination of direct (Simmons) tunnelling, Schottky emission, and Poole–Frenkel theory. Further insight is gained through numerical simulations based on the non‐equilibrium Green‐function formalism.
Hierarchical copper oxide microspheres prepared in an ordinary household microwave oven
Authors: Li Jiwei , Li Wei
Published: March 2019

Hierarchical copper oxide (CuO) microspheres were prepared by a simple microwave‐assisted preparation method in an ordinary household microwave oven under ambient pressure. The CuO microspheres were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Characterisation results show that the hierarchical CuO microspheres are assembled by spine‐like nanorods and have high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area of 25.0 m2/g.
A multi-scale exploration of a massive young stellar object
Authors: Frost A. J. , Oudmaijer R. D. , de Wit W. J. , Lumsden S. L.
Published: March 2019

Context.The rarity of young massive stars combined with the fact that they are often deeply embedded has limited the understanding of the formation of stars larger than 8M⊙. Ground based mid-infrared (IR) interferometry is one way of securing the spatial resolution required to probe the circumstellar environments of massive young stellar objects (MYSOs). Given that the spatial-frequency coverage of such observations is often incomplete, direct-imaging can be supplementary to such a dataset. By consolidating these observations with modelling, the features of a massive protostellar environment can be constrained.

Aims.This paper aims to detail the physical characteristics of the protostellar environment of the MYSO G305.20+0.21 at three size-scales by fitting one 2.5D radiative transfer model to three different types of observations simultaneously, providing an extensive view of the accreting regions of the MYSO.

Methods.Interferometry, imaging and a multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) are combined to study G305.20+0.21. The high-resolution observations were obtained using the Very Large Telescope’s MIDI and VISIR instruments, producing visibilities in theN-band and near-diffraction-limited imaging in theQ-band respectively. By fitting simulated observables, derived from the radiative transfer model, to our observations the properties of the MYSO are constrained.

Results.The VISIR image shows elongation at 100 mas scales and also displays a degree of asymmetry. From the simulated observables derived from the radiative transfer model output we find that a central protostar with a luminosity of ~5 × 104L⊙surrounded by a low-density bipolar cavity, a flared 1M⊙disk and an envelope is sufficient to fit all three types of observational data for G305.20+0.21. The weak silicate absorption feature within the SED requires low-density envelope cavities to be successfully fit and is an atypical characteristic in comparison to previously studied MYSOs.

Conclusions.The fact that the presence of a dusty disk provides the best fit to the MIDI visibilities implies that this MYSO is following a scaled-up version of the low-mass star formation process. The low density, low extinction environment implies the object is a more evolved MYSO and this combined with large inner radius of the disk suggests that it could be an example of a transitional disk around an MYSO.
HD 2685 b: a hot Jupiter orbiting an early F-type star detected by TESS
Authors: Jones Matías I. , Brahm Rafael , Espinoza Nestor , Wang Songhu , Shporer Avi , Henning Thomas , Jordán Andrés , Sarkis Paula , Paredes Leonardo A. , Hodari-Sadiki James , Henry Todd , Cruz Bryndis , Nielsen Louise D. , Bouchy François , Pepe Francesco , Ségransan Damien , Turner Oliver , Udry Stéphane , Marmier Maxime , Lovis Christophe , Bakos Gaspar , Osip David , Suc Vincent , Ziegler Carl , Tokovinin Andrei , Law Nick M. , Mann Andrew W. , Relles Howard , Collins Karen A. , Bayliss Daniel , Sedaghati Elyar , Latham David W. , Seager Sara , Winn Joshua N. , Jenkins Jon M. , Smith Jeffrey C. , Davies Misty , Tenenbaum Peter , Dittmann Jason , Vanderburg Andrew , Christiansen Jessie L. , Haworth Kari , Doty John , Furész Gabor , Laughlin Greg , Matthews Elisabeth , Crossfield Ian , Howell Steve , Ciardi David , Gonzales Erica , Matson Rachel , Beichman Charles , Schlieder Joshua
Published: March 2019

We report on the confirmation of a transiting giant planet around the relatively hot (Teff = 6801 ± 76 K) star HD 2685, whose transit signal was detected in Sector 1 data of NASA’s TESS mission. We confirmed the planetary nature of the transit signal using Doppler velocimetric measurements with CHIRON, CORALIE, and FEROS, as well as using photometric data obtained with the Chilean-Hungarian Automated Telescope and the Las Cumbres Observatory. From the joint analysis of photometry and radial velocities, we derived the following parameters for HD 2685 b: P = 4.12688−0.00004+0.00005 days, e = 0.091−0.047+0.039, MP = 1.17 ± 0.12 MJ, and RP =1.44 ± 0.05 RJ. This system is a typical example of an inflated transiting hot Jupiter in a low-eccentricity orbit. Based on the apparent visual magnitude (V = 9.6 mag) of the host star, this is one of the brightest known stars hosting a transiting hot Jupiter, and it is a good example of the upcoming systems that will be detected by TESS during the two-year primary mission. This is also an excellent target for future ground- and space-based atmospheric characterization as well as a good candidate for measuring the projected spin-orbit misalignment angle through the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect.
Occurrence of alien spirlin (Alburnoidessp.) in the Neretva river basin
Authors: Vukić Jasna , Eliášová Kristýna , Marić Dario , Šanda Radek
Published: March 2019

Northern Mediterranean region is characterised by an exceptional richness of the freshwater ichthyofauna. Many fish species of this region are endemic to a single or a few river basins. This is also the case of the Neretva river basin (Adriatic Sea slope), where 17 out of 34 native species are endemic solely to this river basin. However, these unique Mediterranean freshwater ecosystems are fragile and are susceptible to human-induced changes, including introduction of alien fish species. We report here a finding of the 32ndalien fish species in the Neretva river basin, spirlinAlburnoidessp., which was found at two localities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The spirlin species was identified by molecular means as so far unnamed species with the native range in the Sava river basin (Danube river basin, Black Sea slope). Based on the comparison ofcytochrome bsequences, the introduced population originated most probably from nearby rivers of the Danube basin in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Vrbas and Bosna river basins). Such a high number of alien fish species reported in a single river basin is alarming and pointing to a necessity of raising public awareness, especially among local fishermen.
Activation of Primary Amines by Copper(I)-Based Lewis Acid Promoters in the Solventless Synthesis of Secondary Propargylamines
Authors: Cimarelli Cristina , Navazio Federica , Rossi Federico , Del Bello Fabio , Marcantoni Enrico
Published: March 2019

Primary amines are activated by copper(I)-based Lewis acid promoters in an A3-coupling one-pot solventless reaction with aldehydes and phenylacetylene for the synthesis of secondary propargylamines. The reaction is promoted by a CuSO4/NaI system, a practical precursor of the in situ generated effective CuI/I2 system, that worked well, but only in a restricted number of examples. Substitution of I2 with CeCl3·7H2O in a one-pot two-step reaction provided good yields and a wider applicability, with the added value given by a safer procedure.
Using a Miniature Stapler to Divide a Mucosal Bridge at the Anastomosis after Gastric Pull-up for Iatrogenic Tracheoesophageal Fistula
Authors: Kawano Takafumi , Muensterer Oliver
Published: March 2019

We report the first use of a miniature stapler to divide a mucosal bridge at the gastroesophageal junction after complex esophageal atresia (EA) repair. A 4-year-old girl was referred to our center after treatment of EA elsewhere. On our initial enodoscopy, a large iatrogenic tracheoesophageal fistula had formed, prompting us to perform a tracheoplasty and gastric interposition. One year after recovery, she had dysphagia with solid food. Upon endoscopy, a mucosal bridge was noted at the gastroesophageal anastomosis. This bridge was divided under endoscopy using a 5 mm miniature stapler. No complications were noted. Upon follow-up, she had no more complaints with solid food. Our report shows that the mucosal bridges may cause dysphagia after EA repair and can be safely divided using a miniature stapler.
Recurrence Risk after First Symptomatic Distal versus Proximal Deep Vein Thrombosis According to Baseline Risk Factors
Authors: Valerio Luca , Ambaglio Chiara , Barone Marisa , Ciola Mariella , Konstantinides Stavros , Mahmoudpour Seyed , Picchi Chiara , Pieresca Carla , Trinchero Alice , Barco Stefano
Published: March 2019

Background It remains unclear whether the distal location of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is independently associated with a lower risk of recurrence in all patients, or represents a marker of the presence and severity of provoking factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Methods We investigated the impact of distal (vs. proximal) DVT location on the risk of developing symptomatic, objectively confirmed recurrent VTE in 831 patients with a first acute symptomatic DVT not associated with pulmonary embolism (PE), who were stratified by the presence of transient or persistent risk factors at baseline. The primary outcome was symptomatic, objectively diagnosed recurrent VTE, including proximal DVT and PE.

Results A total of 205 (24.7%) patients presented with a transient risk factor, 189 (22.7%) with a minor persistent risk factor, 202 (24.3%) with unprovoked DVT, and 235 (28.3%) with cancer-associated DVT. One-hundred twenty-five patients (15.0%) experienced recurrent DVT or PE. The largest relative difference between patients with distal (vs. proximal) DVT was observed in the absence of identifiable risk factors (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.11; 95% CI [confidence interval]: 0.03–0.45). In patients with cancer, distal and proximal DVT had a comparable risk of recurrence (aHR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.28–1.78]).

Conclusions The distal (vs. proximal) location of first acute symptomatic DVT represented, in the absence of any identifiable transient or persistent risk factors, a favorable prognostic factor for recurrence. In contrast, the prognostic impact of DVT location was weaker if persistent provoking risk factors for VTE were present, notably cancer.
Numerical simulations of two-photon absorption time-resolved photoluminescence to extract the bulk lifetime of semiconductors under varying surface recombination velocities
Authors: Chin Robert Lee , Pollard Michael , Trupke Thorsten , Hameiri Ziv
Published: March 2019

We investigate the limitations of two-photon absorption time-resolved photoluminescence to measure the low-injection bulk lifetime of different semiconductor materials under varying surface recombination. The excitation source is assumed to be a sub-bandgap pulsed laser and the localized absorption and carrier generation was modeled using a focused TEM00 Gaussian beam under the assumption of diffraction-limited performance. The subsequent carrier kinetics were simulated by applying the finite-difference time-domain method to the continuity equation. Three typical semiconductor materials were modeled: direct bandgap low-mobility material (such as CZTS), direct bandgap high mobility (such as GaAs), and indirect bandgap high mobility (such as float-zone silicon). The extracted effective lifetime as a function of surface recombination velocity was compared to the bulk lifetime and the effective lifetime calculated using an analytical 1D approximation. For the direct bandgap materials, focusing inside the material yields an effective lifetime within a few percent of the bulk lifetime, regardless of the surface recombination velocity, while for excitation close to the surface it is up to 30% lower than the bulk lifetime at high surface recombination velocities (>104 cm/s). For the indirect bandgap material, the effective lifetime is dominated by the surface, making the bulk lifetime inaccessible, even at surface recombination velocities of 100 cm/s. Finally, we use the 1D approximation to find under what conditions the bulk lifetime can be extracted by this method and determine that both the bulk diffusion length and the product of the bulk lifetime and surface recombination velocity must be much less than twice the device thickness.
Chemical vapor deposition of monolayer-thin WS2 crystals from the WF6 and H2S precursors at low deposition temperature
Authors: Groven B. , Claes D. , Nalin Mehta A. , Bender H. , Vandervorst W. , Heyns M. , Caymax M. , Radu I. , Delabie A.
Published: March 2019

Monolayer-thin WS2 with (0002) texture grows by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from gas-phase precursors WF6 and H2S at a deposition temperature of 450 °C on 300 mm Si wafers covered with an amorphous Al2O3 starting surface. We investigate the growth and nucleation mechanism during the CVD process by analyzing the morphology of the WS2 crystals. The CVD process consists of two distinct growth regimes. During (i) the initial growth regime, a fast and self-limiting reaction of the CVD precursors with the Al2O3 starting surface forms predominantly monolayer-thin WS2 crystals and AlF3 crystals that completely cover the starting surface. During (ii) the steady-state growth regime, a much slower, anisotropic reaction on the bottom, first WS2 layer proceeds with the next WS2 layer growing preferentially in the lateral dimensions. We propose that the precursor adsorption reaction rate strongly diminishes when the precursors have no more access to the Al2O3 surface as soon as the WS2 layer completely covers the Al2O3 surface and that the WS2 crystal basal planes and AlF3 crystals have a low reactivity for WF6 adsorption at 450 °C. Nonetheless, a second layer of WS2 starts to form before the first WS2 layer completely covers the starting surface, albeit the surface coverage of the second layer is low (<20%, after 25 min of CVD reaction). During the steady-state growth regime, predominantly the WS2 crystals in the second monolayer continue to grow in lateral dimensions up to ∼40 nm. These crystals reach larger lateral dimensions compared to the crystals in the bottom, first layer due to low reactivity for WF6 adsorption on the WS2 basal plane compared to Al2O3. Presumably, they grow laterally by precursor species that adsorb on and diffuse across the WS2 surface, before being incorporated at the more reactive edges of the WS2 crystals in the second layer. Such a process proceeds slowly with only up to 40% surface coverage of the second WS2 layer after 150 min of CVD reaction. The CVD reaction is mediated by the starting surface: WF6 precursor preferentially adsorbs on Al2O3, whereas adsorption is not observed on SiO2. Nevertheless, WS2 grows on SiO2 in close proximity to Al2O3 in 90 nm pitch Al2O3/SiO2 line patterns. Hence, functionalization of the starting surface (e.g., SiO2 with Al2O3) can provide opportunities to grow monolayer-thin WS2 crystals at predetermined locations by selective, lateral growth with tunable crystal size, even at low deposition temperatures.