bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Construction of stable packaging cell lines for clinical lentiviral vector production
Authors: Sanber Khaled S. , Knight Sean B. , Stephen Sam L. , Bailey Ranbir , Escors David , Minshull Jeremy , Santilli Giorgia , Thrasher Adrian J. , Collins Mary K. , Takeuchi Yasuhiro
Published: March 2015

Lentiviral vectors are useful experimental tools for stable gene delivery and have been used to treat human inherited genetic disorders and hematologic malignancies with promising results. Because some of the lentiviral vector components are cytotoxic, transient plasmid transfection has been used to produce the large batches needed for clinical trials. However, this method is costly, poorly reproducible and hard to scale up. Here we describe a general method for construction of stable packaging cell lines that continuously produce lentiviral vectors. This uses Cre recombinase-mediated cassette exchange to insert a codon-optimised HIV-1 Gag-Pol expression construct in a continuously expressed locus in 293FT cells. Subsequently Rev, envelope and vector genome expression cassettes are serially transfected. Vector titers in excess of 106 transducing units/ml can be harvested from the final producer clones, which can be increased to 108 TU/ml by concentration. This method will be of use to all basic and clinical investigators who wish to produce large batches of lentiviral vectors.
Super adsorption capability from amorphousization of metal oxide nanoparticles for dye removal
Authors: Li L. H. , Xiao J. , Liu P. , Yang G. W.
Published: March 2015

Transitional metal oxide nanoparticles as advanced environment and energy materials require very well absorption performance to apply in practice. Although most metal oxides are based on crystalline, high activities can also be achieved with amorphous phases. Here, we reported the adsorption behavior and mechanism of methyl blue (MB) on the amorphous transitional metal oxide (Fe, Co and Ni oxides) nanoparticles and we demonstrated that the amorphousization of transitional metal oxide (Fe, Co and Ni oxides) nanoparticles driven by a novel process involving laser irradiation in liquid can create a super adsorption capability for MB and the maximum adsorption capacity of the fabricated NiO amorphous nanostructure reaches up to 10584.6 mgg−1, the largest value reported to date for all MB adsorbents. The proof-of-principle investigation of NiO amorphous nanophase demonstrated the broad applicability of this methodology for obtaining new super dyes adsorbents.
Ubiquitous distribution of salts and proteins in spider glue enhances spider silk adhesion
Authors: Amarpuri Gaurav , Chaurasia Vishal , Jain Dharamdeep , Blackledge Todd A. , Dhinojwala Ali
Published: March 2015

Modern orb-weaving spiders use micron-sized glue droplets on their viscid silk to retain prey in webs. A combination of low molecular weight salts and proteins makes the glue viscoelastic and humidity responsive in a way not easily achieved by synthetic adhesives. Optically, the glue droplet shows a heterogeneous structure, but the spatial arrangement of its chemical components is poorly understood. Here, we use optical and confocal Raman microscopy to show that salts and proteins are present ubiquitously throughout the droplet. The distribution of adhesive proteins in the peripheral region explains the superior prey capture performance of orb webs as it enables the entire surface area of the glue droplet to act as a site for prey capture. The presence of salts throughout the droplet explains the recent Solid-State NMR results that show salts directly facilitate protein mobility. Understanding the function of individual glue components and the role of the droplet's macro-structure can help in designing better synthetic adhesives for humid environments.
Electromagnetic induction heating for single crystal graphene growth: morphology control by rapid heating and quenching
Authors: Wu Chaoxing , Li Fushan , Chen Wei , Veeramalai Chandrasekar Perumal , Ooi Poh Choon , Guo Tailiang
Published: March 2015

The direct observation of single crystal graphene growth and its shape evolution is of fundamental importance to the understanding of graphene growth physicochemical mechanisms and the achievement of wafer-scale single crystalline graphene. Here we demonstrate the controlled formation of single crystal graphene with varying shapes and directly observe the shape evolution of single crystal graphene by developing a localized-heating and rapid-quenching chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system based on electromagnetic induction heating. Importantly, rational control of circular, hexagonal and dendritic single crystalline graphene domains can be readily obtained for the first time by changing the growth condition. Systematic studies suggest that the graphene nucleation only occurs during the initial stage, while the domain density is independent of the growth temperatures due to the surface-limiting effect. In addition, the direct observation of graphene domain shape evolution is employed for the identification of competing growth mechanisms including diffusion-limited, attachment-limited and detachment-limited processes. Our study not only provides a novel method for morphology-controlled graphene synthesis, but also offers fundamental insights into the kinetics of single crystal graphene growth.
An adenosine A3 receptor agonist inhibits DSS-induced colitis in mice through modulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway
Authors: Ren Tianhua , Tian Ting , Feng Xiao , Ye Shicai , Wang Hao , Wu Weiyun , Qiu Yumei , Yu Caiyuan , He Yanting , Zeng Juncheng , Cen Junwei , Zhou Yu
Published: March 2015

The role of the adenosine A3 receptor (A3AR) in experimental colitis is controversial. The A3AR agonist N6-(3-iodobenzyl)adenosine-5'-N-methyluronamide (IB-MECA) has been shown to have a clinical benefit, although studies in A3AR-deficient mice suggest a pro-inflammatory role. However, there are no studies on the effect of 2-Cl-IB-MECA and the molecular mechanism of action of A3AR in murine colitis models in vivo. Is it the same as that observed in vitro? The interaction between 2-CL-IB-MECA and A3AR in a murine colitis model and the signaling pathways associated with this interaction remain unclear. Here we demonstrate a role for the NF-κB signaling pathway and its effect on modifying the activity of proinflammatory factors in A3AR-mediated biological processes. Our results demonstrated that A3AR activation possessed marked effects on experimental colitis through the NF-κB signaling pathway.
TALEN mediated targeted editing of GM2/GD2-synthase gene modulates anchorage independent growth by reducing anoikis resistance in mouse tumor cells
Authors: Mahata Barun , Banerjee Avisek , Kundu Manjari , Bandyopadhyay Uday , Biswas Kaushik
Published: March 2015

Complex ganglioside expression is highly deregulated in several tumors which is further dependent on specific ganglioside synthase genes. Here, we designed and constructed a pair of highly specific transcription-activator like effector endonuclease (TALENs) to disrupt a particular genomic locus of mouse GM2-synthase, a region conserved in coding sequence of all four transcript variants of mouse GM2-synthase. Our designed TALENs effectively work in different mouse cell lines and TALEN induced mutation rate is over 45%. Clonal selection strategy is undertaken to generate stable GM2-synthase knockout cell line. We have also demonstrated non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) mediated integration of neomycin cassette into the TALEN targeted GM2-synthase locus. Functionally, clonally selected GM2-synthase knockout clones show reduced anchorage-independent growth (AIG), reduction in tumor growth and higher cellular adhesion as compared to wild type Renca-v cells. Insight into the mechanism shows that, reduced AIG is due to loss in anoikis resistance, as both knockout clones show increased sensitivity to detachment induced apoptosis. Therefore, TALEN mediated precise genome editing at GM2-synthase locus not only helps us in understanding the function of GM2-synthase gene and complex gangliosides in tumorigenicity but also holds tremendous potential to use TALENs in translational cancer research and therapeutics.
The cholesterol biosynthesis enzyme oxidosqualene cyclase is a new target to impair tumour angiogenesis and metastasis dissemination
Authors: Maione Federica , Oliaro-Bosso Simonetta , Meda Claudia , Di Nicolantonio Federica , Bussolino Federico , Balliano Gianni , Viola Franca , Giraudo Enrico
Published: March 2015

Aberrant cholesterol homeostasis and biosynthesis has been observed in different tumour types. This paper investigates the role of the post-squalenic enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis, oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC), in regulating tumour angiogenesis and metastasis dissemination in mouse models of cancer. We showed that Ro 48-8071, a selective inhibitor of OSC, reduced vascular density and increased pericyte coverage, with a consequent inhibition of tumour growth in a spontaneous mouse model of pancreatic tumour (RIP-Tag2) and two metastatic mouse models of human colon carcinoma (HCT116) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (HPAF-II). Remarkably, the inhibition of OSC hampered metastasis formation in HCT116 and HPAF-II models. Ro 48-8071 induced tumour vessel normalization and enhanced the anti-tumoral and anti-metastatic effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in HCT116 mice. Ro 48-8071 exerted a strong anti-angiogenic activity by impairing endothelial cell adhesion and migration and by blocking vessel formation in angiogenesis assays. OSC inhibition specifically interfered with the PI3K pathway. According to in vitro results, Ro 48-8071 specifically inhibited Akt phosphorylation in both cancer cells and tumour vasculature in all treated models. Thus, our results unveil a crucial role of OSC in the regulation of cancer progression and tumour angiogenesis and indicate Ro 48-8071 as a potential novel anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic drug.
Characterization of the MCM homohexamer from the thermoacidophilic euryarchaeon Picrophilus torridus
Authors: Goswami Kasturi , Arora Jasmine , Saha Swati
Published: March 2015

The typical archaeal MCM exhibits helicase activity independently invitro. This study characterizes MCM from the euryarchaeon Picrophilus torridus. While PtMCM hydrolyzes ATP in DNA-independent manner, it displays very poor ability to unwind DNA independently and then too only under acidic conditions. The protein exists stably in complex with PtGINS in whole cell lysates, interacting directly with PtGINS under neutral and acidic conditions. GINS strongly activates MCM helicase activity, but only at low pH. In consonance with this, PtGINS activates PtMCM-mediated ATP hydrolysis only at low pH, with the amount of ATP hydrolyzed during the helicase reaction increasing more than fifty-fold in the presence of GINS. While the stimulation of MCM-mediated helicase activity by GINS has been reported in MCMs from P.furiosus, T.kodakarensis and very recently, T.acidophilum, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an MCM helicase demonstrating DNA unwinding activity only at such acidic pH, across all archaea and eukaryotes. PtGINS may induce/stabilize a conducive conformation of PtMCM under acidic conditions, favouring PtMCM-mediated DNA unwinding coupled to ATP hydrolysis. Our findings underscore the existence of divergent modes of replication regulation among archaea and the importance of investigating replication events in more archaeal organisms.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Fails to Track the Long-term Fate of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplanted into Heart
Authors: Ma Ning , Cheng Huaibing , Lu Minjie , Liu Qiong , Chen Xiuyu , Yin Gang , Zhu Hao , Zhang Lianfeng , Meng Xianmin , Tang Yue , Zhao Shihua
Published: March 2015

MRI for in vivo stem cell tracking remains controversial. Here we tested the hypothesis that MRI can track the long-term fate of the superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles labelled mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) following intramyocardially injection in AMI rats. MSCs (1 × 106) from male rats doubly labeled with SPIO and DAPI were injected 2 weeks after myocardial infarction. The control group received cell-free media injection. In vivo serial MRI was performed at 24 hours before cell delivery (baseline), 3 days, 1, 2 and 4 weeks after cell delivery, respectively. Serial follow-up MRI demonstrated large persistent intramyocardial signal-voids representing SPIO during the follow-up of 4 weeks and MSCs did not moderate the left ventricular dysfunction. The TUNEL analysis confirmed that MSCs engrafted underwent apoptosis. The histopathological studies revealed that the site of cell injection was infiltrated by inflammatory cells progressively and the iron-positive cells were macrophages identified by CD68 staining, but very few or no DAPI-positive stem cells at 4 weeks after cells transplantation. The presence of engrafted cells was confirmed by real-time PCR, which showed that the amount of Y-chromosome-specific SRY gene was consistent with the results. MRI may not reliably track the long-term fate of SPIO-labeled MSCs engraftment in heart.
The Nuclear Receptor Nr4a1 Controls CD8 T Cell Development Through Transcriptional Suppression of Runx3
Authors: Nowyhed Heba N. , Huynh Tridu R. , Blatchley Amy , Wu Runpei , Thomas Graham D. , Hedrick Catherine C.
Published: March 2015

The NR4A nuclear receptor family member Nr4a1 is strongly induced in thymocytes undergoing selection and has been shown to control the development of Treg cells; however the role of Nr4a1 in CD8+ T cells remains undefined. Here we report a novel role for Nr4a1 in regulating the development and frequency of CD8+ T cells through direct transcriptional control of Runx3. We discovered that Nr4a1 recruits the corepressor, CoREST to suppress Runx3 expression in CD8+ T cells. Loss of Nr4a1 results in increased Runx3 expression in thymocytes which consequently causes a 2-fold increase in the frequency and total number of intrathymic and peripheral CD8+ T cells. Our findings establish Nr4a1 as a novel and critical player in the regulation of CD8 T cell development through the direct suppression of Runx3.
Multiple strategies of oxygen supply in Drosophila malignancies identify tracheogenesis as a novel cancer hallmark
Authors: Grifoni Daniela , Sollazzo Manuela , Fontana Elisabetta , Froldi Francesca , Pession Annalisa
Published: March 2015

Angiogenesis is the term used to describe all the alterations in blood vessel growth induced by a tumour mass following hypoxic stress. The occurrence of multiple strategies of vessel recruitment favours drug resistance, greatly complicating the treatment of certain tumours. In Drosophila, oxygen is conveyed to the internal organs by the tracheal system, a closed tubular network whose role in cancer growth is so far unexplored. We found that, as observed in human cancers, Drosophila malignant cells suffer from oxygen shortage, release pro-tracheogenic factors, co-opt nearby vessels and get incorporated into the tracheal walls. We also found that the parallelisms observed in cellular behaviours are supported by genetic and molecular conservation. Finally, we identified a molecular circuitry associated with the differentiation of cancer cells into tracheal cells. In summary, our findings identify tracheogenesis as a novel cancer hallmark in Drosophila, further expanding the power of the fly model in cancer research.
Strong magnetic field-assisted growth of carbon nanofibers and its microstructural transformation mechanism
Authors: Luo Chengzhi , Fu Qiang , Pan Chunxu
Published: March 2015

It is well-known that electric and magnetic fields can control the growth direction, morphology and microstructure of one-dimensional carbon nanomaterials (1-DCNMs), which plays a key role for its potential applications in micro-nano-electrics and devices. In this paper, we introduce a novel process for controlling growth of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with assistance of a strong magnetic field (up to 0.5 T in the center) in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system. The results reveal that: 1) The CNFs get bundled when grown in the presence of a strong magnetic field and slightly get aligned parallel to the direction of the magnetic field; 2) The CNFs diameter become narrowed and homogenized with increase of the magnetic field; 3) With the increase of the magnetic field, the microstructure of CNFs is gradually changed, i.e., the strong magnetic field makes the disordered “solid-cored” CNFs transform into a kind of bamboo-liked carbon nanotubes; 4) We propose a mechanism that the reason for these variations and transformation is due to diamagnetic property of carbon atoms, so that it has direction selectivity in the precipitation process.
Structure, Function and Inhibition of the Phosphoethanolamine Methyltransferases of the Human Malaria Parasites Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium knowlesi
Authors: Garg Aprajita , Lukk Tiit , Kumar Vidya , Choi Jae-Yeon , Augagneur Yoann , Voelker Dennis R. , Nair Satish , Mamoun Choukri Ben
Published: March 2015

Phosphoethanolamine methyltransferases (PMTs) catalyze the three-step methylation of phosphoethanolamine to form phosphocholine, a critical step in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine in a select number of eukaryotes including human malaria parasites, nematodes and plants. Genetic studies in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have shown that the methyltransferase PfPMT plays a critical function in parasite development and differentiation. The presence of PMT orthologs in other malaria parasites that infect humans and their absence in mammals make them ideal targets for the development of selective antimalarials with broad specificity against different Plasmodium species. Here we describe the X-ray structures and biochemical properties of PMT orthologs from Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium knowlesi and show that both enzymes are inhibited by amodiaquine and NSC158011, two drugs with potent antimalarial activity. Metabolic studies in a yeast mutant that relies on PkPMT or PvPMT for survival demonstrated that these compounds inhibit phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis from ethanolamine. Our structural and functional data provide insights into the mechanism of catalysis and inhibition of PMT enzymes and set the stage for a better design of more specific and selective antimalarial drugs.
High chemiluminescence activity of an FeIII–TAML activator in aqueous–organic media and its use in the determination of organic peroxides
Authors: Demiyanova Alexandra S. , Sakharov Ivan Yu.
Published: March 2015

Using FeIII–TAML, highly active peroxidase mimic, the sensitive chemiluminescence assays for the determination of benzoyl peroxide and tert-butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of organic solvents were developed.
A firmly hybridizable, DNA-like architecture with DAD/ADA- and ADD/DAA-type nonnatural base pairs as an extracellular genetic candidate
Authors: Shirato Wataru , Chiba Junya , Inouye Masahiko
Published: March 2015

New artificial DNA molecules exclusively consisting of four types of alkynyl C-nucleotides with four types of nonnatural bases are described.
Protein stabilization by an amphiphilic short monodisperse oligo(ethylene glycol)
Authors: Sadhukhan Nabanita , Muraoka Takahiro , Ui Mihoko , Nagatoishi Satoru , Tsumoto Kouhei , Kinbara Kazushi
Published: March 2015

Phenyl-appended octa(ethylene glycol) suppresses aggregation of thermally and chemically denatured lysozyme, demonstrating that octa(ethylene glycol) is almost the shortest oligoethylene glycol for providing the capability of stabilizing proteins to molecules.
Molecular thermodynamics of metabolism: quantum thermochemical calculations for key metabolites
Authors: Hadadi N. , Ataman M. , Hatzimanikatis V. , Panayiotou C.
Published: March 2015

Comprehensive and consistent quantum chemical calculations of thermochemical quantities for metabolites in neutral and ionic form.
Materials analyses and electrochemical impedance of implantable metal electrodes
Authors: Howlader Matiar M. R. , Alam Arif Ul , Sharma Rahul P. , Deen M. Jamal
Published: March 2015

The increase of electrochemical impedance of the implantable electrodes was influenced by the oxidation of the electrode/adhesion-layers confirmed by XPS.
Influence of electric potentials on friction of sliding contacts lubricated by an ionic liquid
Authors: Dold Christian , Amann Tobias , Kailer Andreas
Published: March 2015

Tribological investigations on the macroscopic scale revealed that friction can be influencedin situby applying electric potentials, if electrically conductive fluid such as an ionic liquid is used as a lubricant.
Lithium boride sheet and nanotubes: structure and hydrogen storage
Authors: Zhang Hong , Wang Jing , Tian Zhi-Xue , Liu Ying
Published: March 2015

A stable lithium boride sheet and its corresponding nanotubes are proposed as potential candidates for hydrogen storage.
Uphill diffusion in multicomponent mixtures
Authors: Krishna Rajamani
Published: March 2015

Diffusional coupling effects may cause uphill transport of a species against its concentration gradient. Transient overshoots and serpentine equilibration trajectories in composition space are fingerprints of uphill diffusion. Serpentine diffusion trajectories may enter meta-stable zones, leading to spontaneous emulsification and the Ouzo effect.
Palladium catalyzed oxidative carbonylation of alcohols: effects of diphosphine ligands
Authors: Amadio Emanuele , Freixa Zoraida , van Leeuwen Piet W. N. M. , Toniolo Luigi
Published: March 2015

The best catalytic performance was exhibited by a Lewis base P∩P ligand with a relatively wide bite angle capable of maintaining a cis geometry.
Polyoxometalate – conductive polymer composites for energy conversion, energy storage and nanostructured sensors
Authors: Herrmann Sven , Ritchie Chris , Streb Carsten
Published: March 2015

The design, synthesis, and applications of polyoxometalate-conductive polymer (POM/CP) composites are critically discussed and future directions for their use in energy materials, sensors and supramolecular materials chemistry are envisioned.
Microtubule appendages mediating T-cell motility and polarity
Authors: Arkhipov Sergey N. , Maly Ivan V.
Published: March 2015

Motility and polarity of T cells are mediated in large measure by differential adhesion through the long, flexible microtubule-based appendages.
Proteomic analysis of human glioblastoma cell lines differently resistant to a nitric oxide releasing agent
Authors: Leone Roberta , Giussani Paola , De Palma Sara , Fania Chiara , Capitanio Daniele , Vasso Michele , Brioschi Loredana , Riboni Laura , Viani Paola , Gelfi Cecilia
Published: March 2015

NO exposure of two human high grade glioma cell lines (CCF-STTG1 and T98G) characterized by a different proteomic profile shows differential ceramide distribution and proliferation.
Binding of bivalent metal cations by α-l-guluronate: insights from the DFT-MD simulations
Authors: Plazinski Wojciech , Drach Mateusz
Published: March 2015

Theoretically calculated free energy profiles give insight into the molecular aspects of metal ion binding by uronate biopolymers.
Controlled surface functionality of magnetic nanoparticles by layer-by-layer assembled nano-films
Authors: Choi Daheui , Son Boram , Park Tai Hyun , Hong Jinkee
Published: March 2015

We report the development of various functionalized MNPs (F-MNPs) generated using the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly method. To provide broad functional opportunities, we fabricated F-MNP bio-toolbox by using three different materials: synthetic polymers, natural polymers, and carbon materials.
Amide-containing zinc(ii) metal–organic layered networks: a structure–CO2 capture relationship
Authors: Lee Cheng-Hua , Wu Jing-Yun , Lee Gene-Hsiang , Peng Shie-Ming , Jiang Jyh-Chiang , Lu Kuang-Lieh
Published: March 2015

An intimate interrelationship between the structural characteristics and their CO2 adsorption behavior has been demonstrated in this study.
Synthesis, structure, and alkyne insertion of a mixed-sandwich zirconacarborane alkyl
Authors: Liu Dongmei , Qiu Zaozao , Xie Zuowei
Published: March 2015

A neutral mixed-sandwich zirconacarborane alkyl reacts with both internal and terminal alkynes to give the Zr–C σ bond mono-insertion products, in which both electronic and steric factors play a role in the regioselectivity.
Free radicals, natural antioxidants, and their reaction mechanisms
Authors: Nimse Satish Balasaheb , Pal Dilipkumar
Published: March 2015

The normal biochemical reactions in our body, increased exposure to the environment, and higher levels of dietary xenobiotic's result in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS).
Fingering patterns during droplet impact on heated surfaces
Authors: Khavari Mohammad , Sun Chao , Lohse Detlef , Tran Tuan
Published: March 2015

A droplet impinging on a sufficiently heated surface may be cushioned by its own vapor and never touch the surface.
Synthesis and photophysical, electrochemical, antibacterial, and DNA binding studies of triazinocalix[2]arenes
Authors: Rajavelu Kannan , Rajakumar Perumal
Published: March 2015

The synthesized calix[2]arene[2]triazine derivatives bind effectively to DNA and exhibit efficient antibacterial activity against B. cereus, S. aureus and E. coli bacteria as supported by docking studies.
Room temperature threshold switching behaviors of Bi0.9Nd0.1Fe1−xCoxO3 nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang Hong , Liu Weifang , Wu Ping , Guo Minchen , Xu Xunling , Xi Xiaojuan , gao Ju , Rao Guanghui , Wang Shouyu
Published: March 2015

Many investigations have reported threshold switching (TS) effects in amorphous semiconductors, but it is rarely observed in BiFeO3 nanoparticles.
Distyrylbenzene-aldehydes: identification of proteins in water
Authors: Kumpf Jan , Freudenberg Jan , Bunz Uwe H. F.
Published: March 2015

Herein we describe the discrimination of different albumins using fluorescence changes in a simple three-compound array and apply this system in the differentiation of protein shake powders.
Lewis acid-assisted detection of nerve agents in water
Authors: Butala Rahul R. , Creasy William R. , Fry Roderick A. , McKee Michael L. , Atwood David A.
Published: March 2015

Salen(tBu)Al(Ac), formed in situ from Salen(tBu)Al(Br) and NH4Ac, forms coordination compounds in which the nerve agents sarin and soman are identified intact by ESI-MS.
Tetrabenzocircumpyrene: a nanographene fragment with an embedded peripentacene core
Authors: Dorel Ruth , Manzano Carlos , Grisolia Maricarmen , Soe We-Hyo , Joachim Christian , Echavarren Antonio M.
Published: March 2015

A new disc-shaped highly symmetric C54H20 nanographene fragment, tetrabenzocircumpyrene, has been synthesized and characterized by scanning tunnelling microscopy, demonstrating the potential of this technique for identifying highly insoluble graphenic molecules.
Near-infrared-induced electron transfer of an uranyl macrocyclic complex without energy transfer to dioxygen
Authors: Davis Christina M. , Ohkubo Kei , Ho I-Ting , Zhang Zhan , Ishida Masatoshi , Fang Yuanyuan , Lynch Vincent M. , Kadish Karl M. , Sessler Jonathan L. , Fukuzumi Shunichi
Published: March 2015

An uranyl macrocyclic complex acts as an NIR-absorbing photosensitiser with a low triplet excited state energy, undergoing NIR-induced electron transfer.
Facile fabrication of microsphere-polymer brush hierarchically three-dimensional (3D) substrates for immunoassays
Authors: Ma Jiao , Luan Shifang , Song Lingjie , Yuan Shuaishuai , Yan Shunjie , Jin Jing , Yin Jinghua
Published: March 2015

A facile strategy was developed to create a microsphere-polymer brush hierarchically three-dimensional substrate for high signal and low noise in immunoassays.
A low molecular weight hydrogel with unusual gel aging
Authors: Draper Emily R. , McDonald Tom O. , Adams Dave J.
Published: March 2015

We report an unusual surface-initiated transition from a turbid gel to a transparent gel.
Prediction of a stable associated liquid of short amyloidogenic peptides
Authors: Luiken Jurriaan A. , Bolhuis Peter G.
Published: March 2015

The fibril formation of short amyloidogenic peptides may proceed via a novel associated liquid phase.
Towards optimal seeding for the synthesis of ordered nanoparticle arrays on alumina/Ni3Al(111)
Authors: Olmos-Asar Jimena A. , Vesselli Erik , Baldereschi Alfonso , Peressi Maria
Published: March 2015

Adsorption and nucleation of different transition metals on alumina/Ni3Al(111) have been studied to shed light on the first stages of the synthesis of supported nanoparticles, rationalizing the experimental evidence that Pd seeding is the optimal choice to give rise to highly ordered patterns.
Fullerene recognition with molecular tweezers made up of efficient buckybowls: a dispersion-corrected DFT study
Authors: Josa Daniela , Rodríguez-Otero Jesús , Cabaleiro-Lago Enrique M.
Published: March 2015

An excellent buckycatcher is theoretically devised using a buckybowl (a bowl-shaped hexabenzocoronene) as a tether and efficient buckybowls as pincers: an increase of 152% is obtained compared to the original tweezers.
Post deposition annealing of epitaxial Ce1−xPrxO2−δfilms grown on Si(111)
Authors: Wilkens H. , Spieß W. , Zoellner M. H. , Niu G. , Schroeder T. , Wollschläger J.
Published: March 2015

In this work the structural and morphological changes of Ce1−xPrxO2−δ(x= 0.20, 0.35 and 0.75) films grown on Si(111) due to post deposition annealing are investigated by low energy electron diffraction combined with a spot profile analysis.
Mesityl phenanthroline-modified 2′-deoxyuridine for heteroleptic complexes in metal ion-mediated assembly of DNA
Authors: Ensslen Philipp , Wagenknecht Hans-Achim
Published: March 2015

The synthesis of a new DNA building block that bears the metal ion ligand 2,9-bis-mesityl-3-ethynyl-phenanthroline attached to the 5-position of 2′-deoxyuridine is presented.
Stoichiometric and catalytic Si–N bond formation using the p-block base Al(NMe2)3
Authors: Allen Lucy K. , García-Rodríguez Raúl , Wright Dominic S.
Published: March 2015

The aluminium reagent Al(NMe2)3 acts as a stoichiometric or catalytic reagent in dehydrogenic Si–N bond formation using amines and silanes. The observed catalytic rate law suggests a mechanism involving the silane component in the deprotonation of the amine.
Structures and photophysical properties of copper(i) complexes bearing diphenylphenanthroline and bis(diphenylphosphino)alkane: the effect of phenyl groups on the phenanthroline ligand
Authors: Tsubomura Taro , Kimura Kaoru , Nishikawa Michihiro , Tsukuda Toshiaki
Published: March 2015

Emissive copper(i) complexes bearing a phenanthroline ligand having diphenyl groups and diphosphines were synthesized. The quantum yields are enhanced by the diphenyl groups on the phenanthroline ligand.
Selective adsorption of oil–water mixtures using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)–graphene sponges
Authors: Tran Diana N. H. , Kabiri Shervin , Sim Ting Rui , Losic Dusan
Published: March 2015

Porous 3-D PDMS–graphene sponges with hydrophobic and oleophilic properties were successfully prepared for the removal of mixed oil from water.
Co-electrolysis of steam and CO2 in full-ceramic symmetrical SOECs: a strategy for avoiding the use of hydrogen as a safe gas
Authors: Torrell M. , García-Rodríguez S. , Morata A. , Penelas G. , Tarancón A.
Published: March 2015

The use of cermets as fuel electrodes for solid oxide electrolysis cells requires permanent circulation of reducing gas, e.g. H2 or CO, so called safe gas, in order to avoid oxidation of the metallic phase. Replacing metallic based electrodes by pure oxides is therefore proposed as an advantage for the industrial application of solid oxide electrolyzers. In this work, full-ceramic symmetrical solid oxide electrolysis cells have been investigated for steam/CO2 co-electrolysis. Electrolyte supported cells with La0.75Sr0.25Cr0.5Mn0.5O3−δ reversible electrodes have been fabricated and tested in co-electrolysis mode using different fuel compositions, from pure H2O to pure CO2, at temperatures between 850–900 °C. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic measurements have been carried out for the mechanistic understanding of the symmetrical cell performance. The content of H2 and CO in the product gas has been measured by in-line gas micro-chromatography. The effect of employing H2 as a safe gas has also been investigated. Maximum density currents of 750 mA cm−2 and 620 mA cm−2 have been applied at 1.7 V for pure H2O and for H2O : CO2 ratios of 1 : 1, respectively. Remarkable results were obtained for hydrogen-free fuel compositions, which confirmed the interest of using ceramic oxides as a fuel electrode candidate to reduce or completely avoid the use of safe gas in operation minimizing the contribution of the reverse water shift reaction (RWSR) in the process. H2 : CO ratios close to two were obtained for hydrogen-free tests fulfilling the basic requirements for synthetic fuel production. An important increase in the operation voltage was detected under continuous operation leading to a dramatic failure by delaminating of the oxygen electrode.
In situ trapping of enol intermediates with alcohol during acid-catalysed de-polymerisation of lignin in a nonpolar solvent
Authors: Kaiho Atsushi , Kogo Makiko , Sakai Ryo , Saito Kaori , Watanabe Takashi
Published: March 2015

Acid-catalysed degradation of wood in toluene–MeOH yields the lignin monomers homovanillyl aldehyde dimethyl acetal and homosyringaldehyde dimethyl acetal selectively.
Thermodynamics of force-dependent folding and unfolding of small protein and nucleic acid structures
Authors: Yao Mingxi , Chen Hu , Yan Jie
Published: March 2015

A theoretical framework for understanding equilibrium mechanical stretching of single proteins.
Insights into a defined secondary binding region on β-adrenoceptors and putative roles in ligand binding and drug design
Authors: Soriano-Ursúa M. A. , Trujillo-Ferrara J. G. , Arias-Montaño J. A. , Villalobos-Molina R.
Published: March 2015

Putative roles of a secondary binding region shared among beta-adrenoceptors.
An extended siderophore suite from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 revealed by LC-ICPMS-ESIMS
Authors: Boiteau Rene M. , Repeta Daniel J.
Published: March 2015

New members of the synechobactin siderophore suite with variable hydroxamate chain length were discovered using an LCMS based pipeline for the sensitive characterization of iron complexes.
Ni3+doped monolayer layered double hydroxide nanosheets as efficient electrodes for supercapacitors
Authors: Zhao Yufei , Wang Qing , Bian Tong , Yu Huijun , Fan Hua , Zhou Chao , Wu Li-Zhu , Tung Chen-Ho , O'Hare Dermot , Zhang Tierui
Published: March 2015

Ni3+doped NiTi-LDH monolayer nanosheets with lateral dimensions ∼20 nm and a ultrathin thickness of ∼0.9 nm prepared through a facile bottom-up approach exhibit excellent supercapacitive performances, including extremely high specific capacitance (2310 F g−1at 1.5 A g−1) and long-term cycling life compared with bulk LDH.
An ab initio and DFT study of the autoxidation of THF and THP
Authors: Matsubara Hiroshi , Suzuki Syouhei , Hirano Shun
Published: March 2015

Ab initio and DFT calculations were carried out to investigate the difference in reactivity for the autoxidation of THP (tetrahydropyran) and THF.
A Maitland–Japp inspired synthesis of dihydropyran-4-ones and their stereoselective conversion to functionalised tetrahydropyran-4-ones
Authors: Clarke Paul A. , Sellars Philip B. , Nasir Nadiah Mad
Published: March 2015

New variations of the Maitland–Japp reaction have been developed to enable the synthesis of dihydropyrans and tetrahydropyrans with tertiary and quaternary stereocentres, including the functionalised tetrahydropyrans in Civet and the A-ring of lasonolide A.
One-pot synthesis of highly cross-linked fluorescent polyphosphazene nanoparticles for cell imaging
Authors: Meng Lingjie , Xu Chengqiang , Liu Tianhui , Li Hua , Lu Qinghua , Long Jiangang
Published: March 2015

Highly cross-linked and fluorescent polyphosphazene nanoparticles with excellent biocompatibility and improved resistance to photobleaching and protein interference were prepared for cell imaging.
Evaluation of the dynamic electrochemical stability of ionic liquid–metal interfaces against reactive oxygen species using an in situ electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance
Authors: Xiao Chunhui , Rehman Abdul , Zeng Xiangqun
Published: March 2015

The dynamic interactions between the electrochemically generated superoxide radical (O2˙−) and three structurally different ionic liquids (ILs) were characterized using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance.
Photophysical insights into fullerene–porphyrazine supramolecular interactions in solution
Authors: Ray Anamika , Pal Haridas , Bhattacharya Sumanta
Published: March 2015

This communication reports supramolecular interactions of a porphyrazine derivative, namely, 2,7,12,17-tetra-tert-butyl-5,10,15,20-tetraaza-21H,23H-porphine (1) with C60 and C70 in toluene and dichlorobenzene.
Sulfur-doped porous carbon nanosheets as high performance electrocatalysts for PhotoFuelCells
Authors: Sfaelou Stavroula , Zhuang Xiaodong , Feng Xinliang , Lianos Panagiotis
Published: March 2015

New sulfur-doped highly porous carbon nanosheets applicable as electrocatalysts in PhotoFuelCells.
Construction and performance evaluation of a highly efficient mixed foaming system
Authors: Dai Caili , Ding Qinfang , Zhao Mingwei , Zhao Jianhui , Fang Jichao , Li Hui
Published: March 2015

A fluorocarbon surfactant was synthesized and mixed with SDS to create a highly efficient foaming system.
Synthesis and tensioactive properties of PEO-b-polyphosphate copolymers
Authors: Vanslambrouck S. , Clément B. , Riva R. , Koole L. H. , Molin D. G. M. , Broze G. , Lecomte P. , Jérôme C.
Published: March 2015

Investigation of the micellization of degradable polyphosphoester based surfactants following a solvent-free process: the role of the pendent chain.
Porous and single crystalline Co3O4 nanospheres for pseudocapacitors with enhanced performance
Authors: Gong Yuyin , Gong Feilong , Wang Chaofei , Zheng Hegen , Li Feng
Published: March 2015

Co3O4 supercrystals for pseudocapacitors: the stepwise splitting of nanocuboids can generate porous and single crystalline Co3O4 hemispheres with highly enhanced performances in storing charges.
Novel amphoteric polyurethane dispersions with postpolymerization crosslinking function derived from hydroxylated tung oil: synthesis and properties
Authors: Ren Zhiyong , Liu Lu , Wang Huafen , Fu Yang , Jiang Lei , Ren Baixia
Published: March 2015

Reactive novel hydroxylated tung oil-based amphoteric polyurethanes show adjustable mechanical properties, resistance to seven solvents and potential polymer surfactant characterization.
N-Trinitroethyl-substituted azoxyfurazan: high detonation performance energetic materials
Authors: Yu Qiong , Wang Zhixin , Yang Hongwei , Wu Bo , Lin Qiuhan , Ju Xuehai , Lu Chunxu , Cheng Guangbin
Published: March 2015

An N-nitrated trinitroethylamino azoxyfurazan derivative reported here possesses oxygen balance of near zero (+2.5%) and exhibits outstanding properties (ΔfHm, 962.1 kJ mol−1; D, 9458 m s−1; P, 41.2 GPa).
Structure elucidation of nigricanoside A through enantioselective total synthesis
Authors: Chen Jie , Koswatta Panduka , DeBergh J. Robb , Fu Peng , Pan Ende , MacMillan John B. , Ready Joseph M.
Published: March 2015

Total synthesis enabled the assignment of relative and absolute stereochemistry of nigricanoside A, which was reported to show potent cytotoxicity.
Enhanced thermal conductivity of PEG/diatomite shape-stabilized phase change materials with Ag nanoparticles for thermal energy storage
Authors: Qian Tingting , Li Jinhong , Min Xin , Guan Weimin , Deng Yong , Ning Lei
Published: March 2015

The thermal conductivity was 0.82 W m−1 K−1 for 7.2% AgNPs in PEG/diatomite, which was enhanced by 127% compared to PEG/diatomite.
Morphology and local electrical properties of PTB7:PC71BM blends
Authors: Alekseev Alexander , Hedley Gordon J. , Al-Afeef Alaa , Ageev Oleg A. , Samuel Ifor D. W.
Published: March 2015

The detailed structure of PTB7:PC71BM blends deposited with and without addition of diiodooctane studied by transmission electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy.
Strong solid emission and mechanofluorochromism of carbazole-based terephthalate derivatives adjusted by alkyl chains
Authors: Xue Pengchong , Sun Jiabao , Chen Peng , Gong Peng , Yao Boqi , Zhang Zhenqi , Qian Chong , Lu Ran
Published: March 2015

Carbazole-based terephthalate derivatives could emit strong fluorescence in both solution and the solid state, and the emission response to force stimuli in the solid state could be controlled by the length of alkyl chains.
3D photonic crystals from highly monodisperse FRET-based red luminescent PMMA spheres
Authors: Galisteo-López J. F. , Ibisate M. , Muñoz A. , López C.
Published: March 2015

Tunable luminescent materials are fabricated from sub-micron spheres containing a FRET pair and assembled into 3D photonic crystals.
A Taxonomy of Voice Therapy
Authors: Van Stan Jarrad H. , Roy Nelson , Awan Shaheen , Stemple Joseph , Hillman Robert E.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

Voice therapy practice and research, as in most types of rehabilitation, is currently limited by the lack of a taxonomy describing what occurs during a therapy session (with enough precision) to determine which techniques/components contribute most to treatment outcomes. To address this limitation, a classification system of voice therapy is proposed that integrates descriptions of therapeutic approaches from the clinical literature into a framework that includes relevant theoretical constructs.

Method

Literature searches identified existing rehabilitation taxonomies/therapy classification schemes to frame an initial taxonomic structure. An additional literature search and review of clinical documentation provided a comprehensive list of therapy tasks. The taxonomy's structure underwent several iterations to maximize accuracy, intuitive function, and theoretical underpinnings while minimizing redundancy. The taxonomy was then used to classify established voice therapy programs.

Results

The taxonomy divided voice therapy into direct and indirect interventions delivered using extrinsic and/or intrinsic methods, and Venn diagrams depicted their overlapping nature. A dictionary was developed of the taxonomy's terms, and 7 established voice therapy programs were successfully classified.

Conclusion

The proposed taxonomy represents an important initial step toward a standardized voice therapy classification system expected to facilitate outcomes research and communication among clinical stakeholders.
Child Modifiability as a Predictor of Language Abilities in Deaf Children Who Use American Sign Language
Authors: Mann Wolfgang , Peña Elizabeth D. , Morgan Gary
Published: March 2015

Purpose

This research explored the use of dynamic assessment (DA) for language-learning abilities in signing deaf children from deaf and hearing families.

Method

Thirty-seven deaf children, aged 6 to 11 years, were identified as either stronger (n= 26) or weaker (n= 11) language learners according to teacher or speech-language pathologist report. All children received 2 scripted, mediated learning experience sessions targeting vocabulary knowledge—specifically, the use of semantic categories that were carried out in American Sign Language. Participant responses to learning were measured in terms of an index of child modifiability. This index was determined separately at the end of the 2 individual sessions. It combined ratings reflecting each child's learning abilities and responses to mediation, including social–emotional behavior, cognitive arousal, and cognitive elaboration.

Results

Group results showed that modifiability ratings were significantly better for stronger language learners than for weaker language learners. The strongest predictors of language ability were cognitive arousal and cognitive elaboration.

Conclusion

Mediator ratings of child modifiability (i.e., combined score of social-emotional factors and cognitive factors) are highly sensitive to language-learning abilities in deaf children who use sign language as their primary mode of communication. This method can be used to design targeted interventions.
Transmission line fault detection and localisation methodology using PMU measurements
Authors: Gopakumar Pathirikkat , Reddy Maddikara Jaya Bharata , Mohanta Dusmanta Kumar
Published: March 2015

Rapid advancements pertaining to measurements and computational technology have brought a paradigm shift for operational architecture of power grids across the globe. Self‐healing, a vital operational feature of emerging power grids, necessitates real‐time identification and localisation of transmission line faults for the entire power network. This study proposes a novel support vector machine‐based fault localisation methodology to precisely identify and localise all types of transmission line faults occurring at any location in the power grid based on phasor measurement unit (PMU) measurements. Detection of fault is achieved through PMU measurements only from a single generator bus for the entire grid. Bus associated with fault, faulty branch and location of fault in faulty branch are calculated using fast Fourier transform analysis of variations pertaining to equivalent voltage phasor angle (EVPA) and equivalent current phasor angle (ECPA). The proposed methodology has been validated through extensive case studies for Western System Coordinating Council (WSCC)‐9 and IEEE‐14 bus systems. The main contribution of the proposed methodology is that the fault location information can significantly contribute to system protection center for restoration of the line within shortest time span and initiate appropriate wide area control actions to maintain stability.
Hybrid power system state estimation using Taguchi differential evolution algorithm
Authors: Basetti Vedik , Chandel Ashwani K.
Published: March 2015

Hybridising of different optimisation techniques provides a scope to improve global exploration capability of the resulting method. In this study, an enhanced differential evolution (DE) algorithm, called hybrid Taguchi‐differential evolution (TDE) algorithm is proposed to solve power system state estimation problem as an optimisation problem. TDE combines the positive properties of the Taguchi's method to the classical DE algorithm for improving the accuracy and reliability of state estimation problem. The systematic reasoning ability of the Taguchi method is incorporated after crossover operation of DE algorithm to obtain the potential chromosome, better convergence rate and subsequently, to improve the robustness of the results. The proposed method is tested on IEEE test bus systems along with two ill‐conditioned systems under different simulated conditions. The results reveal that solutions yield towards global optimum and it compares far better than conventional DE, particle swarm optimisation, gravitational search algorithm and weighted least square based state estimation techniques in terms of optimisation performance, solution quality and the statistical error analysis.