bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Depletion of Mageb16 induces differentiation of pluripotent stem cells predominantly into mesodermal derivatives
Authors: Gaspar John Antonydas , Srinivasan Sureshkumar Perumal , Sureshkumar Poornima , Doss Michael Xavier , Hescheler Jürgen , Papadopoulos Symeon , Sachinidis Agapios
Published: October 2017

The Melanoma-associated Antigen gene family (MAGE) generally encodes for tumour antigens. We had identified that one of the MAGE gene members, Mageb16 was highly expressed in undifferentiated murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs). While the role of Mageb16 in stemness and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells is completely unknown, here, in our current study, we have demonstrated that Mageb16 (41 kDa) is distributed in cytosol and/or in surface membrane in undifferentiated ESCs. A transcriptome study performed at  differentiated short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated Mageb16 knockdown (KD) ESCs and scrambled control (SCR) ESCs until a period of 22 days, revealed that Mageb16 KD ESCs mainly differentiated towards cells expressing mesodermal and cardiovascular lineage - gene markers. Gene markers of other mesoderm-oriented biological processes such as adipogenesis, osteogenesis, limb morphogenesis and spermatogenesis were also significantly enriched in the differentiated Mageb16 KD ESCs. The expression levels of contractile genes were higher in differentiated Mageb16 KD ESCs when compared to differentiated SCR and wild ESCs, suggesting a higher cardiomyogenic potential of Mageb16 depleted ESCs. Further analysis indicates  that regulative epigenetic networks and nucleocytoplasmic modifications induced by the depletion of Mageb16, may play a probable role in differentiation.
Selective Colorimetric Detection of Nitrite in Water using Chitosan Stabilized Gold Nanoparticles Decorated Reduced Graphene oxide
Authors: Amanulla Baishnisha , Palanisamy Selvakumar , Chen Shen-Ming , Chiu Te-Wei , Velusamy Vijayalakshmi , Hall James M. , Chen Tse-Wei , Ramaraj Sayee Kannan
Published: October 2017

Excess nitrite (NO2-) concentrations in water supplies is considered detrimental to the environment and human health, and is associated with incidence of stomach cancer. In this work, the authors describe a nitrite detection system based on the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using an aqueous solution of chitosan and succinic acid. The AuNPs-rGO nanocomposite was confirmed by different physicochemical characterization methods including transmission electron microscopy, elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, UV-visible (UV-vis) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The AuNPs-rGO nanocomposite was applicable to the sensitive and selective detection of NO2− with increasing concentrations quantifiable by UV–vis spectroscopy and obvious to the naked eye. The color of the AuNPs-rGO nanocomposite changes from wine red to purple with the addition of different concertation of NO2−. Therefore, nitrite ion concentrations can be quantitatively detected using AuNPs-rGO sensor with UV-vis spectroscopy and estimated with the naked eye. The sensor is able to detect NO2− in a linear response ranging from 1 to 20 μM with a detection limit of 0.1 μM by spectrophotometric method. The as-prepared AuNPs-rGO nanocomposite shows appropriate selectivity towards NO2− in the presence of potentially interfering metal anions.
Pharmacological preconditioning with gemfibrozil preserves cardiac function after heart transplantation
Authors: Benke Kálmán , Mátyás Csaba , Sayour Alex Ali , Oláh Attila , Németh Balázs Tamás , Ruppert Mihály , Szabó Gábor , Kökény Gábor , Horváth Eszter Mária , Hartyánszky István , Szabolcs Zoltán , Merkely Béla , Radovits Tamás
Published: October 2017

While heart transplantation (HTX) is the definitive therapy of heart failure, donor shortage is emerging. Pharmacological activation of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) and increased cGMP-signalling have been reported to have cardioprotective properties. Gemfibrozil has recently been shown to exert sGC activating effects in vitro. We aimed to investigate whether pharmacological preconditioning of donor hearts with gemfibrozil could protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury and preserve myocardial function in a heterotopic rat HTX model. Donor Lewis rats received p.o. gemfibrozil (150 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle for 2 days. The hearts were explanted, stored for 1 h in cold preservation solution, and heterotopically transplanted. 1 h after starting reperfusion, left ventricular (LV) pressure-volume relations and coronary blood flow (CBF) were assessed to evaluate early post-transplant graft function. After 1 h reperfusion, LV contractility, active relaxation and CBF were significantly (p < 0.05) improved in the gemfibrozil pretreated hearts compared to that of controls. Additionally, gemfibrozil treatment reduced nitro-oxidative stress and apoptosis, and improved cGMP-signalling in HTX. Pharmacological preconditioning with gemfibrozil reduces ischemia/reperfusion injury and preserves graft function in a rat HTX model, which could be the consequence of enhanced myocardial cGMP-signalling. Gemfibrozil might represent a useful tool for cardioprotection in the clinical setting of HTX surgery soon.
Skin dendritic cell and T cell activation associated with dengue shock syndrome
Authors: Duyen Huynh Thi Le , Cerny Daniela , Trung Dinh The , Pang Jassia , Velumani Sumathy , Toh Ying Xiu , Qui Phan Tu , Hao Nguyen Van , Simmons Cameron , Haniffa Muzlifah , Wills Bridget , Fink Katja
Published: October 2017

The pathogenesis of severe dengue remains unclear, particularly the mechanisms underlying the plasma leakage that results in hypovolaemic shock in a small proportion of individuals. Maximal leakage occurs several days after peak viraemia implicating immunological pathways. Skin is a highly vascular organ and also an important site of immune reactions with a high density of dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages and T cells. We obtained skin biopsies and contemporaneous blood samples from patients within 24 hours of onset of dengue shock syndrome (DSS), and from healthy controls. We analyzed cell subsets by flow cytometry, and soluble mediators and antibodies by ELISA; the percentage of migratory CD1a+ dermal DCs was significantly decreased in the DSS patients, and skin CD8+ T cells were activated, but there was no accumulation of dengue-specific antibodies. Inflammatory monocytic cells were not observed infiltrating the skin of DSS cases on whole-mount histology, although CD14dim cells disappeared from blood.
Swainson’s Thrushes do not show strong wind selectivity prior to crossing the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Bolus Rachel T. , Diehl Robert H. , Moore Frank R. , Deppe Jill L. , Ward Michael P. , Smolinsky Jaclyn , Zenzal Theodore J.
Published: October 2017

During long-distance fall migrations, nocturnally migrating Swainson’s Thrushes often stop on the northern Gulf of Mexico coast before flying across the Gulf. To minimize energetic costs, trans-Gulf migrants should stop over when they encounter crosswinds or headwinds, and depart with supportive tailwinds. However, time constrained migrants should be less selective, balancing costs of headwinds with benefits of continuing their migrations. To test the hypotheses that birds select supportive winds and that selectivity is mediated by seasonal time constraints, we examined whether local winds affected Swainson’s Thrushes’ arrival and departure at Ft. Morgan, Alabama, USA at annual, seasonal, and nightly time scales. Additionally, migrants could benefit from forecasting future wind conditions, crossing on nights when winds are consistently supportive across the Gulf, thereby avoiding the potentially lethal consequences of depleting their energetic reserves over water. To test whether birds forecast, we developed a movement model, calculated to what extent departure winds were predictive of future Gulf winds, and tested whether birds responded to predictability. Swainson’s Thrushes were only slightly selective and did not appear to forecast. By following the simple rule of avoiding only the strongest headwinds at departure, Swainson’s Thrushes could survive the 1500 km flight between Alabama and Veracruz, Mexico.
The Phe362Tyr mutation conveying resistance to organophosphates occurs in high frequencies in salmon lice collected from wild salmon and trout
Authors: Fjørtoft Helene Børretzen , Besnier Francois , Stene Anne , Nilsen Frank , Bjørn Pål Arne , Tveten Ann-Kristin , Finstad Bengt , Aspehaug Vidar , Glover Kevin Alan
Published: October 2017

The parasitic salmon louse, and its resistance to chemical delousing agents, represents one of the largest challenges to the salmon aquaculture industry. We genotyped lice sampled from wild salmon and sea trout throughout Norway with the recently identifiedPhe362Tyrmutation that conveys resistance to organophosphates. These results were compared to data from lice sampled on farmed salmon in the same regions. The resistant (R) allele was observed in salmon lice from wild salmon and sea trout throughout Norway, although its frequency was highest in farming-intense regions. In most regions, the frequency of the R allele was higher in lice collected from wild sea trout than wild Atlantic salmon, and in all regions, the frequency of the R allele was similar in lice collected from wild sea trout and farmed Atlantic salmon. The R allele is only selected for in fish-farms where organophosphates are used for delousing. Therefore, our results suggest extensive exchange of lice between farmed and wild hosts, and indicate that in farming-dense regions in Norway, aquaculture represents a major driver of salmon louse population structure. Finally, these data suggest that the wild hosts within the regions studied will not delay the spread of resistance when organophosphates are used.
Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genomes of Maiestas dorsalis and Japananus hyalinus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and comparison with other Membracoidea
Authors: Du Yimin , Zhang Chunni , Dietrich Christopher H. , Zhang Yalin , Dai Wu
Published: October 2017

Only six mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) have been previously published for Cicadellidae, the largest family of Hemiptera. This study provides complete, annotated mitogenomes of two additional cicadellid, species Maiestas dorsalis and Japananus hyalinus, and the first comparative mitogenome analysis across the superfamily Membracoidea. The mitogenomes of both sequenced species are similar to those of other studied hemipteran mitogenomes in organization and the lengths are 15,352 and 15,364 bp with an A + T content of 78.7% and 76.6%, respectively. In M. dorsalis, all sequenced genes are arranged in the putative ancestral insect gene arrangement, while the tRNA cluster trnW-trnC-trnY is rearranged to trnY-trnW-trnC in J. hyalinus, the first reported gene rearrangement in Membracoidea. Phylogenetic analyses of the 11 available membracoid mitogenomes and outgroups representing the other two cicadomorphan superfamilies supported the monophyly of Membracoidea, and indicated that treehoppers are a derived lineage of leafhoppers. ML and BI analyses yielded topologies that were congruent except for relationships among included representatives of subfamily Deltocephalinae. Exclusion of third codon positions of PCGs improved some node support values in ML analyses.
A Process-Based Model for Bioturbation-Induced Mixing
Authors: Aquino Tomás , Roche Kevin R. , Aubeneau Antoine , Packman Aaron I. , Bolster Diogo
Published: October 2017

Bioturbation refers to the transport processes carried out by living organisms and their physical effects on soils and sediments. It is widely recognized as an important mixing mechanism, particularly at the sediment-water interface in many natural systems. In order to quantify its impact on mixing, we propose a process-based model based on simple assumptions about organism burrowing behavior. Specifically, we consider burrowing events to be stochastic but memoryless, leading to exponential inter-burrow waiting times and depths. We then explore the impact of two different transport mechanisms on the vertical concentration distributions predicted by the model for a conservative (inert) tracer. We compare the results of our model to experimental data from a recent laboratory study of bioturbation by the freshwater oligochaete worm Lumbriculus variegatus, and find good quantitative agreement.
Impact of intracellular glyceraldehyde-derived advanced glycation end-products on human hepatocyte cell death
Authors: Sakasai-Sakai Akiko , Takata Takanobu , Takino Jun-ichi , Takeuchi Masayoshi
Published: October 2017

Hepatocyte cell death is a key feature of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); however, the pathogenesis of NASH currently remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the effects of intracellular glyceraldehyde (GA)-derived advanced glycation end-products (GA-AGEs) on human hepatocyte cell death. The accumulation of intracellular GA-AGEs has been associated with the induction of DNA damage and hepatocyte necrotic cell death. Among intracellular GA-AGEs, caspase-3 has been identified as a GA-AGE-modified protein with abrogated protein function. Furthermore, the activation of caspase-3 and induction of hepatocyte apoptosis by camptothecin, a DNA-damaging agent, was suppressed by a treatment with GA. These results suggest the inhibitory effects of GA-AGE-modified caspase-3 on the induction of DNA-damage-induced apoptosis, which is associated with hepatocyte necrosis. Therefore, the suppression of necrosis, the inflammatory form of cell death, by the accumulation of GA-AGEs and GA-AGE-modified caspase-3 may represent a novel therapeutic target for the pathogenesis of NASH.
Analgesic effects and pharmacologic mechanisms of the Gelsemium alkaloid koumine on a rat model of postoperative pain
Authors: Xiong Bo-Jun , Xu Ying , Jin Gui-Lin , Liu Ming , Yang Jian , Yu Chang-Xi
Published: October 2017

Postoperative pain (POP) of various durations is a common complication of surgical procedures. POP is caused by nerve damage and inflammatory responses that are difficult to treat. The neuroinflammation-glia-steroid network is known to be important in POP. It has been reported that the Gelsemium alkaloid koumine possesses analgesic, anti-inflammatory and neurosteroid modulating activities. This study was undertaken to test the analgesic effects of koumine against POP and explore the underlying pharmacologic mechanisms. Our results showed that microglia and astroglia were activated in the spinal dorsal horn post-incision, along with an increase of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1β, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor α). Both subcutaneous and intrathecal (i.t.) koumine treatment after incision significantly prevented mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, inhibited microglial and astroglial activation, and suppressed expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Moreover, the analgesic effects of koumine were antagonized by i.t. administration of translocator protein (18 kDa) (TSPO) antagonist PK11195 and GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline. Together, koumine prevented mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia caused by POP. The pharmacologic mechanism of koumine-mediated analgesia might involve inhibition of spinal neuroinflammation and activation of TSPO. These data suggested that koumine might be a potential pharmacotherapy for the management of POP.
Community structure of gut bacteria of Dendroctonus armandi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) larvae during overwintering stage
Authors: Wang Juan , Chen Hui , Tang Ming
Published: October 2017

Survival rate at low temperature becomes a crucial strategy since temperature change often leads to fluctuations in the insect population. Microbes play important roles in the process of resisting low temperature. In this study, we analyzed gut bacterial communities from Chinese white pine beetle Dendroctonus armandi which remained overwintering process under natural conditions from October 2015 to January 2016, monthly, in the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi, China using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. A total of 835,227 high-quality sequences and 48 singleton operational taxonomic units were obtained. Gut bacterial communities showed variation in relative abundance during the overwintering stage. As ambient temperature declined, Proteobacteria (mostly γ-proteobacteria) became the predominant phylum in the larvae guts, and followed with Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, respectively. In particular, there was no Deinococcus-Thermus in January 2016. Thermoleophilia appeared in November and December 2015, but not for October 2015 and January 2016, nor did δ-proteobacteria. By contrast, gut bacterial community compositions increased in relative abundance in November and December 2015. This study provided initial evidence that gut bacterial communities were associated with the larvae overwintering process at low temperature. Moreover, no complementary studies combining overwintering process of Coleoptera insect and high-throughput sequencing were carried out, paying particular attention to insect in cold season.
Reversible regulating of crystal structures based on isomerization of phenylhydrazones
Authors: Ma Lulu , Yuan Zexing , Huang Zhenguo , Jin Jingyi , Cao Duxia , Guan Ruifang , Chen Qifeng , Sun Xuan
Published: October 2017

Reversible crystal transformation for phenylhydrazones1between the orthorhombic microporous1-Ecrystal and monoclinic herringbone1-Zcrystal induced by light and heating respectively.
Liquid-to-gel transition for visual and tactile detection of biological analytes
Authors: Fedotova Tatiana A. , Kolpashchikov Dmitry M.
Published: October 2017

Analyte-dependent association of two DNA strands results in polymerization of acrylamide which can be sensed not only visually but also by touch.
Fluorogenic reaction-based prodrug conjugates as targeted cancer theranostics
Authors: Lee Min Hee , Sharma Amit , Chang Min Jung , Lee Jinju , Son Subin , Sessler Jonathan L. , Kang Chulhun , Kim Jong Seung
Published: October 2017

This Tutorial Review will describe various fluorogenic reaction-based prodrug strategies used for targeted theranostic drug delivery.
A robust viologen and Mn-based porous coordination polymer with two types of Lewis acid sites providing high affinity for H2O, CO2 and NH3
Authors: Leblanc A. , Mercier N. , Allain M. , Dul M.-C. , Weber G. , Geoffroy N. , Bellat J.-P. , Bezverkhyy I.
Published: October 2017

A water stable PCP with two kinds of Lewis acid sites, open Mn2+ cations and viologen, shows high affinity for H2O, CO2 and NH3.
Computational study of selectivity in the [PtIICl4]2−-catalysed arylation of arenes by diaryliodonium reagents: arene activation at PtIV centres
Authors: Canty Allan J. , Ariafard Alireza
Published: October 2017

The mechanism for the [PtIICl4]2−-catalysed reaction of Ph2IIII(TFA) (TFA = trifluoroacetate) with naphthalene (NapH) to give β-phenylation over α-phenylation of naphthalene has been examined by computational methods.
Phase formation of nanolaminated Mo2AuC and Mo2(Au1−xGax)2C by a substitutional reaction within Au-capped Mo2GaC and Mo2Ga2C thin films
Authors: Lai Chung-Chuan , Fashandi Hossein , Lu Jun , Palisaitis Justinas , Persson Per O. Å. , Hultman Lars , Eklund Per , Rosen Johanna
Published: October 2017

Au-containing nanolaminated carbides Mo2AuC and Mo2(Au1−xGax)2C were synthesized by a thermally induced substitutional reaction in Mo2GaC and Mo2Ga2C, respectively.
A novel Fe–N–C catalyst for efficient oxygen reduction reaction based on polydopamine nanotubes
Authors: Tang Feng , Lei Haitao , Wang Shujun , Wang Huixin , Jin Zhaoxia
Published: October 2017

An efficient 1D Fe–N–C electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) derived from porous polydopamine nanotubes has been fabricated.
Self-assembled nano-leaf/vein bionic structure of TiO2/MoS2 composites for photoelectric sensors
Authors: Wang Qianyu , Yu Peng , Bai Lu , Bao Ruiying , Wang Ning , Cheng Chuanbing , Liu Zhengying , Yang Mingbo , Yang Wei , Guo Zhanhu
Published: October 2017

A self-assembled nano-leaf/vein structure of TiO2/MoS2 composites which can induce reversible photochromic reactions of methylene blue (MB) is fabricated and the potential applications of TiO2/MoS2/MB system in photoelectric sensors are demonstrated.
Chemoselective N-arylation of aminobenzamides via copper catalysed Chan–Evans–Lam reactions
Authors: Liu Shuai , Zu Weisai , Zhang Jinli , Xu Liang
Published: October 2017

Chemoselective N-arylation of unprotected aminobenzamides was achieved via Cu-catalysed Chan–Evans–Lam cross-coupling with aryl boronic acids for the first time.
Preparation of a flame retardant phosphorus-containing polyacrylate/α-zirconium phosphate nanocomposite through in situ emulsion polymerization
Authors: Li Kunquan , Lei Huimin , Zeng Xingrong , Li Hongqiang , Lai Xuejun , Chai Shengyong
Published: October 2017

An acrylamide modified α-zirconium phosphate was prepared by intercalating acrylamide into the α-zirconium phosphate, and was utilized to synthesize a flame retardant phosphorus-containing nanocompositevia in situemulsion polymerization.
Theoretical study on homolytic B–B cleavages of diboron(4) compounds
Authors: Wang Jiaoyang , Zheng Wenrui , Zheng Yuanyuan
Published: October 2017

The B–B BDEs of diboron(4) compounds and the Pt–B and Cu–B BDEs of their corresponding complexes were investigated by SOGGA11-X method.
A novel dual-emission QDs/PCDs assembled composite nanoparticle for high sensitive visual detection of Hg2+
Authors: Cui Jian , Liu Tianjiao , Liang Dapeng , Liu Jiale , Zhang Kai , Yang Bai , Ning Yang
Published: October 2017

Traditional fluorescent probe detection is an established technique for enhancing or quenching luminescence intensity; however, a color changeable fluorescent material is still a challenge in many target detection fields.
Stability of liquid bridges with elastic interface
Authors: Hoyer Paulo , Alvarado Vladimir
Published: October 2017

Experimental demonstration that the enhanced elastic response of the brine–crude oil interface under low-salinity conditions increase the stability of the oil–brine interface as shown by uniquely designed bridge experiments.
How to make nanobiosensors: surface modification and characterisation of nanomaterials for biosensing applications
Authors: Yüce Meral , Kurt Hasan
Published: October 2017

This report aims to provide the audience with a guideline for construction and characterisation of nanobiosensors that are based on widely used affinity probes including antibodies and aptamers.
Direct monitoring of trace water in Li-ion batteries using operando fluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Ren Xiaoyan , Wang Jiawei , Peng Zhangquan , Lu Lehui
Published: October 2017

Operando fluorescence spectroscopy provides an effective platform for the direct monitoring of trace water in an operating Li-ion battery, with the assistance of nanosized coordination polymers as fluorescent probes.
Machine learning for quantum dynamics: deep learning of excitation energy transfer properties
Authors: Häse Florian , Kreisbeck Christoph , Aspuru-Guzik Alán
Published: October 2017

Understanding the relationship between the structure of light-harvesting systems and their excitation energy transfer properties is of fundamental importance in many applications including the development of next generation photovoltaics.
Construction of an autonomously concatenated hybridization chain reaction for signal amplification and intracellular imaging
Authors: Wei Jie , Gong Xue , Wang Qing , Pan Min , Liu Xiaoqing , Liu Jing , Xia Fan , Wang Fuan
Published: October 2017

The concatenated hybridization chain reaction (C-HCR) was constructed as a versatile and robust tool for signal amplification and intracellular imaging, which was attributed to the synergistic amplification effect between HCR-1 and HCR-2.
The Lewis superacid Al[N(C6F5)2]3 and its higher homolog Ga[N(C6F5)2]3 – structural features, theoretical investigation and reactions of a metal amide with higher fluoride ion affinity than SbF5
Authors: Kögel J. F. , Sorokin D. A. , Khvorost A. , Scott M. , Harms K. , Himmel D. , Krossing I. , Sundermeyer J.
Published: October 2017

Lewis superacid with higher fluoride ion affinity than SbF5.
Observing enzyme ternary transition state analogue complexes by 19F NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Ampaw Anna , Carroll Madison , von Velsen Jill , Bhattasali Debabrata , Cohen Alejandro , Bowler Matthew W. , Jakeman David L.
Published: October 2017

Ternary transition state analogue (TSA) complexes probing the isomerization of β-d-glucose 1-phosphate (G1P) into d-glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) catalyzed by catalytically active, fluorinated (5-fluorotryptophan), β-phosphoglucomutase (βPGM) have been observed directly by 19F NMR spectroscopy.
Molecular rigidity and enthalpy–entropy compensation in DNA melting
Authors: Vargas-Lara Fernando , Starr Francis W. , Douglas Jack F.
Published: October 2017

Enthalpy–entropy compensation is observed in diverse molecular binding processes of importance to living systems and manufacturing applications. We suggest that variations in molecular rigidity might provide a common origin of this phenomenon in the binding of complex molecules such as DNA.
Ion transport mechanisms in lamellar phases of salt-doped PS–PEO block copolymer electrolytes
Authors: Sethuraman Vaidyanathan , Mogurampelly Santosh , Ganesan Venkat
Published: October 2017

Ion transport in lamellar phases of salt doped PS–PEO block copolymers is studied at the atomistic level.
Self-spreading of the wetting ridge during stick-slip on a viscoelastic surface
Authors: Park S. J. , Bostwick J. B. , De Andrade V. , Je J. H.
Published: October 2017

Synchrotron X-ray nano-imaging reveals the dynamics of viscoelastic wetting ridges, directly visualizing the ridge-height “lowering” and the ridge-base “broadening” in real-time.
Ergodicity breaking of iron displacement in heme proteins
Authors: Seyedi Salman , Matyushov Dmitry V.
Published: October 2017

Ergodicity breaking leads to the dynamical transition of atomic displacements in proteins.
Simulational insights into the mechanical response of prestretched double network filled elastomers
Authors: Wang Wenhui , Zhang Zhiyu , Davris Theodoros , Liu Jun , Gao Yangyang , Zhang Liqun , Lyulin Alexey V.
Published: October 2017

Validation of the MD simulation method by exploring the mechanical properties of prestretched tri-block copolymers with a competitive double network.
Beam steering by liquid crystal elastomer fibres
Authors: Nocentini S. , Martella D. , Wiersma D. S. , Parmeggiani C.
Published: October 2017

A liquid crystalline elastomer based beam steerer is demonstrated able to address the impinging signal in every in-plane direction.
A nanohybrid consisting of NiPS3 nanoparticles coupled with defective graphene as a pH-universal electrocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution
Authors: Zhang Jian , Cui Renjie , Li Xing'ao , Liu Xiaoheng , Huang Wei
Published: October 2017

The nanohybrids (NiPS3@DG) exhibit impressively low overpotentials at all pH values, which can even surpass those of Pt/C.
TiO2-rGO nanocomposite hollow spheres: large scale synthesis and application as an efficient anode material for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Mondal Aniruddha , Maiti Sandipan , Singha Krishnadipti , Mahanty Sourindra , Panda Asit Baran
Published: October 2017

A synthetic protocol for TiO2-rGO nanocomposite hollow spheres with excellent Li-storage capacity is developed.
Realizing bias-induced spin transition with high-spin MnII complexes at room temperature
Authors: Hao Hua , Jia Ting , Zheng Xiaohong , Song Lingling , Zeng Zhi
Published: October 2017

Complexes in the ground state with high-spin magnetic ions (3d5/3d4) can be used to realize the electrically-induced spin-state transition and build room-temperature molecular transistors or memory devices.
Cytoplasmic transport and nuclear import of plasmid DNA
Authors: Bai Haiqing , Lester Gillian M. Schiralli , Petishnok Laura C. , Dean David A.
Published: October 2017

Productive transfection and gene transfer require not simply the entry of DNA into cells and subsequent transcription from an appropriate promoter, but also a number of intracellular events that allow the DNA to move from the extracellular surface of the cell into and through the cytoplasm, and ultimately across the nuclear envelope and into the nucleus before any transcription can initiate. Immediately upon entry into the cytoplasm, naked DNA, either delivered through physical techniques or after disassembly of DNA–carrier complexes, associates with a large number of cellular proteins that mediate subsequent interactions with the microtubule network for movement toward the microtubule organizing center and the nuclear envelope. Plasmids then enter the nucleus either upon the mitotic disassembly of the nuclear envelope or through nuclear pore complexes in the absence of cell division, using a different set of proteins. This review will discuss our current understanding of these pathways used by naked DNA during the transfection process. While much has been elucidated on these processes, much remains to be discerned, but with the development of a number of model systems and approaches, great progress is being made.
Expanded alleles of the FMR1 gene are related to unexplained recurrent miscarriages
Authors: Wang Xin-hua , Song Xiao-hua , Wang Yan-lin , Diao Xing-hua , Li Tong , Li Qing-chun , Zhang Xiang-hui , Deng Xiao-hui
Published: October 2017

Up to 50% of recurrent miscarriage cases in women occur without an underlying etiology. In the current prospective case–control study, we determined the impact of CGG trinucleotide expansions of the fragile-X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene in 49 women with unexplained recurrent miscarriages. Case group consisted of women with two or more unexplained consecutive miscarriages. Blood samples were obtained and checked for the presence of expanded alleles of the FMR1 gene using PCR. Patients harboring the expanded allele, with a threshold set to 40 repeats, were further evaluated by sequencing. The number of abortions each woman had, was not associated with her respective CGG repeat number (P=0.255). The repeat sizes of CGG expansion in the FMR1 gene were significantly different in the two population groups (P=0.027). All the positive cases involved intermediate zone carriers. Hence, the CGG expanded allele of the FMR1 gene might be associated with unexplained multiple miscarriages; whether such an association is coincidental or causal can be confirmed by future studies using a larger patient cohort.
A novel G-quadruplex motif in the Human MET promoter region
Authors: Yan Jing , Zhao Deming , Dong Liping , Pan Shuang , Hao Fengjin , Guan Yifu
Published: October 2017

It is known that the guanine-rich strands in proto-oncogene promoters can fold into G-quadruplex structures to regulate gene expression. An intramolecular parallel G-quadruplex has been identified in MET promoter. It acts as a repressor in regulating MET expression. However, the full guanine-rich region in MET promoter forms a hybrid parallel/antiparallel G-quadruplex structure under physiological conditions, which means there are some antiparallel and hybrid parallel/antiparallel G-quadruplex structures in this region. In the present study, our data indicate that g3-5 truncation adopts an intramolecular hybrid parallel/antiparallel G-quadruplex under physiological conditions in vitro. The g3-5 G-quadruplex structure significantly stops polymerization by Klenow fragment in K+ buffer. Furthermore, the results of circular dichroism (CD) spectra and polymerase stop assay directly demonstrate that the G-quadruplex structure in g3-5 fragment can be stabilized by the G-quadruplex ligand TMPyP4 (5,10,15,20-tetra-(N-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphine). But the dual luciferase assay indicates TMPyP4 has no effect on the formation of g3-5 G-quadruplex in HepG2 cells. The findings in the present study will enrich our understanding of the G-quadruplex formation in proto-oncogene promoters and the mechanisms of gene expression regulation.
Platelet mitochondrial dysfunction and the correlation with human diseases
Authors: Wang Li , Wu Qiang , Fan Zhijia , Xie Rufeng , Wang Zhicheng , Lu Yuan
Published: October 2017

The platelet is considered as an accessible and valuable tool to study mitochondrial function, owing to its greater content of fully functional mitochondria compared with other metabolically active organelles. Different lines of studies have demonstrated that mitochondria in platelets have function far more than thrombogenesis regulation, and beyond hemostasis, platelet mitochondrial dysfunction has also been used for studying mitochondrial-related diseases. In this review, the interplay between platelet mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, mitochondrial DNA lesions, electron transfer chain impairments, mitochondrial apoptosis and mitophagy has been outlined. Meanwhile, considerable efforts have been made towards understanding the role of platelet mitochondrial dysfunction in human diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, sepsis and neurodegenerative disorders. Alongside this, we have also articulated our perspectives on the development of potential biomarkers of platelet mitochondrial dysfunction in mitochondrial-related diseases.
Post-prandial hyperlipidaemia results in systemic nitrosative stress and impaired cerebrovascular function in the aged
Authors: Marley Christopher J. , Hodson Danielle , Brugniaux Julien V. , Fall Lewis , Bailey Damian M.
Published: October 2017

Post-prandial hyperlipidaemia (PPH) acutely impairs systemic vascular endothelial function, potentially attributable to a free radical-mediated reduction in vascular nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability (oxidative–nitrosative stress). However, it remains to be determined whether this extends to the cerebrovasculature. To examine this, 38 (19 young (≤35 years) and 19 aged (≥60 years)) healthy males were recruited. Cerebrovascular function (middle cerebral artery velocity, MCAv) and cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnea (CVRCO2Hyper) and hypocapnea (CVRCO2Hypo) were determined via trans-cranial Doppler ultrasound and capnography. Venous blood samples were obtained for the assessment of triglycerides (photometry), glucose (photometry), insulin (radioimmunoassay), ascorbate free radical (A•−, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy) and nitrite (NO2–, ozone-based chemiluminescence) in the fasted state prior to and 4 h following consumption of a standardized high-fat meal (1362 kcal; 130 g of fat). Circulating triglycerides, glucose and insulin increased in both groups following the high-fat meal (P<0.05), with triglycerides increasing by 1.37 ± 1.09 mmol/l in the young and 1.54 ± 1.00 mmol/l in the aged (P<0.05). This resulted in an increased systemic formation of free radicals in the young (P<0.05) but not the aged (P>0.05) and corresponding reduction in NO2– in both groups (P<0.05). While the meal had no effect on MCAv in either age group, CVRCO2Hyper was selectively impaired in the aged (P<0.05). These findings indicate that PPH causes acute cerebrovascular dysfunction in the aged subsequent to systemic nitrosative stress.
A Clear Speech Approach to Accent Management
Authors: Behrman Alison
Published: October 2017

Purpose

A 5-session twice-weekly clear speech protocol with daily home practice was developed to enable Spanish-accented speakers of English to code-switch for increased listener ease of understanding. This study provides preliminary data to test the hypothesis that this protocol results in increased ease of understanding for native English listeners, not in decreased talker accentedness.

Method

Using a single-case experimental design, 6 adult native Spanish speakers with English proficiency participated in the protocol. Ease of understanding and accentedness were probed at least 5 times pretraining, at each training session, and once per week for 5 weeks posttraining. Thirty native English–speaking listeners assessed the probes using 7-point scales for each measure.

Results

Ease of understanding improved for all participants (mean improvement = 3.5 points; effect size range = 6.98 to 15.33). Accentedness improved for 4 of 6 participants (mean improvement = 2.3 points; effect size range = 4.04 to 10.48). At the outset, most participants expressed concern that this approach would highlight speech errors. Upon follow-up, all participants reported confidence in using the approach and found it helpful in daily communication.

Conclusions

Further research should explore the effects of this protocol on intelligibility and acoustic metrics and their relationship to ease of understanding and accentedness.
Inductive ensemble clustering using kernel support matching
Authors: Park S. , Hah J. , Lee J.
Published: October 2017

A novel inductive ensemble clustering method is proposed. In the proposed method, kernel support matching is applied to a co‐association matrix that aggregates arbitrary basic partitions in order to detect clusters of complicated shape. It also has the advantage of naturally detecting the number of clusters and assigning clusters for out‐of‐sample data. In the proposed method, a new similarity is learned from various clustering results of the basic partition, and a kernel support function capable of clustering learning data and test data is constructed. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method is effective with respect to clustering quality and has the robustness to induce clusters of out‐of‐sample data.
Machine learning an alternate technique to estimate the state of charge of energy storage devices
Authors: Zahid Taimoor , Xu Kun , Li Weimin
Published: October 2017

State of charge (SOC) estimation plays a critical role in the operation of an electric vehicle (EV) power battery. In this Letter, the authors propose machine learning (ML) algorithms as alternate to the existing filtering algorithms used for SOC estimation of an EV battery. The SOC estimation approach is evaluated by the simulation experiments in advanced vehicle simulator (ADVISOR). For the modelling of ML algorithms, the input parameters that affect the SOC estimation are battery current, battery module temperature, power out of the battery (available and requested), battery power loss and heat removed from the battery. Training and testing stages of the models are carried out using the data collected from ADVISOR. As the drive cycle conditions provided by ADVISOR are universal therefore present method is applicable to all kinds of batteries used in EVs including lithium ion, nickel metal hydride and lead acid batteries. Thus, the proposed models for SOC estimation provide an alternative approach in SOC estimation.
Cascade recurrent neural network for image caption generation
Authors: Wu Jie , Hu Haifeng
Published: October 2017

A new cascade recurrent neural network (CRNN) for image caption generation is proposed. Different from the classical multimodal recurrent neural network, which only uses a single network for extracting unidirectional syntactic features, CRNN adopts a cascade network for learning visual‐language interactions from forward and backward directions, which can exploit the deep semantic contexts contained in the image. In the proposed framework, two embedding layers for dense word expression are constructed. A new stacked Gated Recurrent Unit is designed for learning image‐word mappings. The effectiveness of the CRNN model is verified with adopting the commonly used MSCOCO datasets, where the results indicate CRNN can achieve better performance compared with the state‐of‐the‐art image captioning methods such as Google NIC, multimodal recurrent neural network and so on.
Analytically calculate shielding effectiveness of enclosure with horizontal curved edges aperture
Authors: HongYi Liu , Su DongLin , Yao Chen , ZiHua Zhao
Published: October 2017

An analytical method is presented for calculating the shielding effectiveness (SE) of an enclosure with a horizontal curved edges aperture. Based on the transmission line theory, the horizontal curved edges aperture is treated as many short coplanar strip transmission lines connected in series. Then the equivalent impedance of the curved edges aperture is calculated by the iterative formula proposed in this Letter. Submitting the equivalent impedance into the existing equivalent circuit, the SE of the enclosure with a horizontal curved edges aperture can be calculated efficiently and precisely. The proposed method was validated with measurements and the transmission line matrix algorithm.
Space diversity‐based low‐complexity sensing using phase inversion and its simple analyses
Authors: Narieda S.
Published: October 2017

A computational complexity reduction technique for space diversity‐based spectrum sensing is presented. First, the received signals are combined, and a statistic for signal detection is computed from the combined signal. Phase inversion is introduced to avoid attenuation of the combined signal. As the computation of only one statistic is required regardless of the number of receive antenna, the complexity can be reduced. Numerical examples and simple analyses verify the effectiveness of the presented technique.
E‐band data transmission over 80 km of non‐zero dispersion fibre link using bismuth‐doped fibre amplifier
Authors: Melkumov M.A. , Mikhailov V. , Hegai A.M. , Riumkin K.E. , Westbrook P.S. , DiGiovanni D.J. , Dianov E.M.
Published: October 2017

Operation of single‐stage, single‐pump E‐band bismuth‐doped fibre amplifier with gain, noise figure and efficiency comparable to the state‐of‐the‐art erbium‐doped fibre amplifier of the same complexity and the gain bandwidth of 50 nm is demonstrated. The amplification of 10 Gbit/s intensity modulation/direct detection signal with power penalty below 1.5 dB is reported.
Eight‐way radial power splitter including ring‐shape isolation network
Authors: Yu T. , Lin B.‐S. , Chang Y.
Published: October 2017

A radial power splitter is used to distribute signal power to the following stages locating radially around all directions. A well‐known disadvantage of a radial power splitter implemented on a planar circuit board is the poor performance in output matching and output port isolation. An eight‐way radial power splitter including the proposed ring‐shape isolation network is presented. The ring‐shape isolation network, comprising several series high‐impedance lines and capacitors, plays the crucial role of significantly improving output matching and isolation of the eight‐way power splitter. The background principle and design of the ring‐shape isolation network are described. An eight‐way radial power splitter is designed, simulated and fabricated on a printed circuit board. The measurement results, decently matching the simulations, show the input and output reflection coefficients as low as –20 dB at 1 GHz. The measured output isolation coefficients are below –20 dB at 0.7–1.14 GHz between any two output ports, exhibiting the widest isolation bandwidth among the reported radial power splitters.
Spatial rotation technique with application to unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) sonar arrays
Authors: Liang Guolong , Hao Yu , Fan Zhan
Published: October 2017

A spatial rotation technique in application to unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) sonar arrays is proposed. The essence of the technique is to rotate the signals of interest from the array coordinates to geodetic coordinates while providing robustness against interferences and preserving the white noise property at the output. Convex formulation of the rotation matrix design problem is derived using the semi‐definite relaxation technique and the optimal solution is obtained by rank‐one decomposition theorems. Using the authors’ technique, the subspace‐based direction of arrival estimation methods can get large snapshot support for weak sources in the UUV motion‐case.
Trajectory tracking for wheeled mobile robots via model predictive control with softening constraints
Authors: Yang Hongjiu , Guo Mingchao , Xia Yuanqing , Cheng Lei
Published: October 2017

In this study, model predictive control with softening constraints is applied to a non‐holonomic wheeled mobile robot for trajectory tracking in the presence of external disturbances. In order to improve real‐time robustness of the wheeled mobile robot, a linearised tracking error model is used to predict system behaviours. The proposed control scheme contains a feedforward controller and a feedback controller, in which both control constraints and control increment constraints are considered to achieve trajectory tracking smoothly. Finally, numerical simulations demonstrate the performances of the control scheme.
Stability of positive delay systems with delayed impulses
Authors: Yang Huitao , Zhang Yu
Published: October 2017

This study investigates the global exponential stability of positive delay systems with delayed impulses. By using linear copositive Lyapunov functions together with Razumikhin techniques, a number of criteria for global exponential stability of positive delay systems with delayed impulses are provided. It should be noted that it is the first time that the Razumikhin type exponential stability results for positive delay systems with delayed impulses are given. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the derived results.
Fault location based on travelling wave identification using an adaptive extended Kalman filter
Authors: Xi Yanhui , Li Zewen , Zeng Xiangjun , Tang Xin , Zhang Xiaodong , Xiao Hui
Published: October 2017

The fault location in transmission systems remains a challenging problem, primarily due to the fault location near the substation ends or the weak fault signals. In this study, an adaptive extended Kalman filter (EKF) based on the maximum likelihood (ML) is proposed to estimate the instantaneous amplitudes of the travelling waves. In this method, the EKF algorithm is used to estimate the optimal states (the clean travelling waves) with additive white noise while ML is used to adaptively optimise the error covariance matrices and the initial conditions of the EKF algorithm. Using the proposed method, the singularity points of travelling waves can be detected, and the exact arrival time of the initial wave head at the substations M and N can be easily yielded. Thus the fault distance can be calculated precisely. The effectiveness of exacting mutation feature using the proposed method has been demonstrated by a simulated instantaneous pulse. Also, the proposed method has been tested with different types of faults, such as different fault locations, different fault resistances and different fault inception angles using ATP simulation. The accuracy of fault location using the proposed method has been compared with conventional wavelet transformation scheme.
Collaborative filtering model for enhancing fingerprint image
Authors: Bian Weixin , Ding Shifei , Jia Weikuan
Published: October 2017

Fingerprint enhancement plays a very important role in automatic fingerprint identification system. In order to ensure reliable fingerprint identification and improve fingerprint ridge structure, a novel method based on the collaborative filtering model for fingerprint enhancement is proposed. The proposed method consists of two stages. First, the original fingerprint is pre‐enhanced by using Gabor filter and linear contrast stretching. Next, the pre‐enhanced fingerprint is partitioned into patches in spatial domain, and then the patches are enhanced based on spectra diffusion by using the two‐dimensional (2D) angular‐pass filter and the 2D Butterworth band‐pass filter. The proposed method takes full advantage of the ridge information and spectra diffusion with higher quality to recover the lost ridge information. To evaluate proposed method, the databases FVC2004 are employed, and the comparison experiments are carried out using various methods. Comparative experimental results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing state‐of‐the‐art methods on fingerprint enhancement.