bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protopanaxadiol inhibits epithelial–mesenchymal transition of hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting STAT3 pathway
Authors: Yang Lan , Zhang Xue-ying , Li Kun , Li An-ping , Yang Wen-dong , Yang Ru , Wang Peng , Zhao Zi-han , Cui Fang , Qin Yuan , Yang Jia-huan , Tao Hong-lian , Sun Tao , Chen Shuang , Yu Pei-hua , Liu Hui-juan , Yang Cheng
Published: August 2019

Diol-type ginsenosides, such as protopanaxadiol (PPD), exhibit antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and antitumor effects. However, the antitumor effect of these ginsenosides and the mechanism of PPD remain unclear. In this work, the antitumor effects of several derivatives, including PPD, Rg5, Rg3, Rh2, and Rh3, were evaluated in five different cancer cell lines. PPD demonstrated the best inhibitory effects on the proliferation and migration of the five cancer cell lines, especially the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. Therefore, the mechanism of action of PPD in HCC cells was elucidated. PPD inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot and immunofluorescence assay showed that PPD can alter the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition markers, increase E-cadherin expression, and decrease vimentin expression. Docking and biacore experiments revealed that STAT3 is the target protein of PPD, which formed hydrogen bonds with Gly583/Leu608/Tyr674 at the SH2 domain of STAT3. PPD inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 and its translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus, thereby inhibiting the expression of Twist1. PPD also inhibited tumor volume and tumor lung metastasis in PLC/PRF/5 xenograft model. In conclusion, PPD can inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells through the STAT3/Twist1 pathway.
Author Correction: A standard for near-scarless plasmid construction using reusable DNA parts
Authors: Ma Xiaoqiang , Liang Hong , Cui Xiaoyi , Liu Yurou , Lu Hongyuan , Ning Wenbo , Poon Nga Yu , Ho Benjamin , Zhou Kang
Published: August 2019

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Death anxiety, exposure to death, mortuary preferences, and religiosity in five countries
Authors: Jong Jonathan , Halberstadt Jamin , Bluemke Matthias , Kavanagh Christopher , Jackson Christopher
Published: August 2019

We present three datasets from a project about the relationship between death anxiety and religiosity. These include data from 1,838 individuals in the United States (n = 813), Brazil (n = 800), Russia (n = 800), the Philippines (n = 200), South Korea (n = 200), and Japan (n = 219). Measures were largely consistent across samples: they include measures of death anxiety, experience of and exposure to death, religious belief, religious behaviour, religious experience, and demographic information. Responses have also been back-translated into English where necessary, though original untranslated data are also included.
Support Vector Machine model for hERG inhibitory activities based on the integrated hERG database using descriptor selection by NSGA-II
Authors: Ogura Keiji , Sato Tomohiro , Yuki Hitomi , Honma Teruki
Published: August 2019

Assessing the hERG liability in the early stages of drug discovery programs is important. The recent increase of hERG-related information in public databases enabled various successful applications of machine learning techniques to predict hERG inhibition. However, most of these researches constructed the datasets from only one database, limiting the predictability and scope of the models. In this study, a hERG classification model was constructed using the largest dataset for hERG inhibition built by integrating multiple databases. The integrated dataset consisted of more than 291,000 structurally diverse compounds derived from ChEMBL, GOSTAR, PubChem, and hERGCentral. The prediction model was built by support vector machine (SVM) with descriptor selection based on Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II) to optimize the descriptor set for maximum prediction performance with the minimal number of descriptors. The SVM classification model using 72 selected descriptors and ECFP_4 structural fingerprints recorded kappa statistics of 0.733 and accuracy of 0.984 for the test set, substantially outperforming the prediction performance of the current commercial applications for hERG prediction. Finally, the applicability domain of the prediction model was assessed based on the molecular similarity between the training set and test set compounds.
Structure-function relationship of an Urokinase Receptor-derived peptide which inhibits the Formyl Peptide Receptor type 1 activity
Authors: Minopoli Michele , Polo Andrea , Ragone Concetta , Ingangi Vincenzo , Ciliberto Gennaro , Pessi Antonello , Sarno Sabrina , Budillon Alfredo , Costantini Susan , Carriero Maria Vincenza
Published: August 2019

The interaction between the short 88Ser-Arg-Ser-Arg-Tyr92 sequence of the urokinase receptor (uPAR) and the formyl peptide receptor type 1 (FPR1) elicits cell migration. We generated the Ac-(D)-Tyr-(D)-Arg-Aib-(D)-Arg-NH2 (RI-3) peptide which inhibits the uPAR/FPR1 interaction, reducing migration of FPR1 expressing cells toward N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLF) and Ser-Arg-Ser-Arg-Tyr (SRSRY) peptides. To understand the structural basis of the RI-3 inhibitory effects, the FPR1/fMLF, FPR1/SRSRY and FPR1/RI-3 complexes were modeled and analyzed, focusing on the binding pocket of FPR1 and the interaction between the amino acids that signal to the FPR1 C-terminal loop. We found that RI-3 shares the same binding site of fMLF and SRSRY on FPR1. However, while fMLF and SRSRY display the same agonist activation signature (i.e. the series of contacts that transmit the conformational transition throughout the complex), translating binding into signaling, RI-3 does not interact with the activation region of FPR1 and hence does not activate signaling. Indeed, fluorescein-conjugated RI-3 prevents either fMLF and SRSRY uptake on FPR1 without triggering FPR1 internalization and cell motility in the absence of any stimulus. Collectively, our data show that RI-3 is a true FPR1 antagonist and suggest a pharmacophore model useful for development of compounds that selectively inhibit the uPAR-triggered, FPR1-mediated cell migration.
Foraging activity of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) off the east coast of New Zealand
Authors: Giorli Giacomo , Goetz Kimberly T.
Published: August 2019

The occurrence and distribution of sperm whales in New Zealand waters is mainly known from whaling records or opportunistic sightings by the public and a systematic estimation of the abundance and distribution has never been conducted. In this study, we investigated the foraging activity and occurrence of sperm whales off the Eastern coast of New Zealand using passive acoustic monitoring techniques. Three acoustic recorders were moored to the ocean floor at different locations on the east side of the North and South Island to collect passive acoustic data from June 2016 until August 2017. A total of 53,823 echolocation click trains were recorded and analyzed to understand the spatial and temporal variation of sperm whale foraging activity. No difference in the foraging activity was found between night-time and day-time periods at any of the locations. Click train detections increased toward the south, suggesting increased foraging activity near Kaikoura. At each station, sperm whale foraging activity varied by month.
atlasBREX: Automated template-derived brain extraction in animal MRI
Authors: Lohmeier Johannes , Kaneko Takaaki , Hamm Bernd , Makowski Marcus R. , Okano Hideyuki
Published: August 2019

We proposed a generic template-derived approach for (semi-) automated brain extraction in animal MRI studies and evaluated our implementation with different animal models (macaque, marmoset, rodent) and MRI protocols (T1, T2). While conventional MR-neuroimaging studies perform brain extraction as an initial step priming subsequent image-registration from subject to template, our proposed approach propagates an anatomical template to (whole-head) individual subjects in reverse order, which is challenging due to the surrounding extracranial tissue, greater differences in contrast pattern and larger areas with field inhomogeneity. As a novel approach, the herein introduced brain extraction algorithm derives whole-brain segmentation using rigid and non-rigid deformation based on unbiased anatomical atlas building with a priori estimates from study-cohort and an initial approximate brain extraction. We evaluated our proposed method in comparison to several other technical approaches including “Marker based watershed scalper”, “Brain-Extraction-Tool”, “3dSkullStrip”, “Primatologist-Toolbox”, “Rapid Automatic Tissue Segmentation” and “Robust automatic rodent brain extraction using 3D pulse-coupled neural networks” with manual skull-stripping as reference standard. ABX demonstrated best performance with accurate (≥92%) and consistent results throughout datasets and across species, age and MRI protocols. ABX was made available to the public with documentation, templates and sample material (https://www.github.com/jlohmeier/atlasBREX).
Cell wall integrity signaling regulates cell wall-related gene expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Cronmiller Evan , Toor Deepak , Shao Nai Chun , Kariyawasam Thamali , Wang Ming Hsiu , Lee Jae-Hyeok
Published: August 2019

An intact cell wall is critical for cellular interactions with the environment and protecting the cell from environmental challenges. Signaling mechanisms are necessary to monitor cell wall integrity and to regulate cell wall production and remodeling during growth and division cycles. The green alga, Chlamydomonas, has a proteinaceous cell wall of defined structure that is readily removed by gametolysin (g-lysin), a metalloprotease released during sexual mating. Naked cells treated with g-lysin induce the mRNA accumulation of >100 cell wall-related genes within an hour, offering a system to study signaling and regulatory mechanisms for de novo cell wall assembly. Combining quantitative RT-PCR and luciferase reporter assays to probe transcript accumulation and promoter activity, we revealed that up to 500-fold upregulation of cell wall-related genes was driven at least partly by transcriptional activation upon g-lysin treatment. To investigate how naked cells trigger this rapid transcriptional activation, we tested whether osmotic stress and cell wall integrity are involved in this process. Under a constant hypotonic condition, comparable levels of cell wall-gene activation were observed by g-lysin treatment. In contrast, cells in an iso- or hypertonic condition showed up to 80% reduction in the g-lysin-induced gene activation, suggesting that osmotic stress is required for full-scale responses to g-lysin treatment. To test whether mechanical perturbation of cell walls is involved, we isolated and examined a new set of cell wall mutants with defective or little cell walls. All cell wall mutants examined showed a constitutive upregulation of cell wall-related genes at a level that is only achieved by treatment with g-lysin in wild-type cells. Our study suggests a cell wall integrity monitoring mechanism that senses both osmotic stress and mechanical defects of cell walls and regulates cell wall-gene expression in Chlamydomonas, which may relate to cell wall integrity signaling mechanisms in other organisms.
Exhaustion of CD4+ T-cells mediated by the Kynurenine Pathway in Melanoma
Authors: Rad Pour Soudabeh , Morikawa Hiromasa , Kiani Narsis A. , Yang Muyi , Azimi Alireza , Shafi Gowhar , Shang Mingmei , Baumgartner Roland , Ketelhuth Daniel F. J. , Kamleh Muhammad Anas , Wheelock Craig E. , Lundqvist Andreas , Hansson Johan , Tegnér Jesper
Published: August 2019

Kynurenine pathway (KP) activation by the enzymatic activity of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase1 (IDO1) and kynurenine (KYN) production represents an attractive target for reducing tumour progression and improving anti-tumour immunity in multiple cancers. However, immunomodulatory properties of other KP metabolites such as 3-hydroxy kynurenine (3-HK) and kynurenic acid (KYNA) are poorly understood. The association of the kynurenine metabolic pathway with T-cell status in the tumour microenvironment were characterized, using gene expression data of 368 cutaneous skin melanoma (SKCM) patients from the TCGA cohort. Based on the identified correlations, we characterized the production of KYN, 3-HK, and KYNA in vitro using melanoma-derived cell lines and primary CD4+ CD25− T-cells. Activation of the CD4+ T-cells produced IFNγ, which yielded increased levels of KYN and KYNA. Concurrently, kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) expression and proliferation of CD4+ T-cells were reduced, whereas exhaustion markers such as PD-L1, AHR, FOXP3, and CTLA4 were increased. Additionally, an analysis of the correlation network reconstructed using TCGA-SKCM emphasized KMO and KYNU with high variability among BRAF wild-type compared with V600E, which underscored their role in distinct CD4+ T-cell behavior in tumour immunity. Our results suggest that, in addition to IDO1, there is an alternative immune regulatory mechanism associated with the lower KMO expression and the higher KYNA production, which contributes to dysfunctional effector CD4+ T-cell response.
Variation of spatiotemporal parameters in school children carrying different backpack loads: a cross sectional study
Authors: Paez-Moguer Joaquin , Montes-Alguacil Jesus , Garcia-Paya Irene , Medina-Alcantara Miguel , Evans Angela Margaret , Gijon-Nogueron Gabriel
Published: August 2019

The purpose of this study was to analyze spatiotemporal parameters of gait in children using varyingly loaded Backpacks(BP). This cross-sectional study examined 231 schoolchildren (118 boys, 113 girls) aged six to 12 years, carrying a traditional BP to manipulate loading (Crossing Backpack Children Arpenaz 7 Litres, Junior Red Quechua). Load was added to the BPs in increments of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of the child’s body weight. Spatio-temporal parameters were measured with the OptoGait system. Significant differences were observed in single support (p < 0.001), and double support (p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed in step length (p = 0.959) between the five loading conditions. Similarly, no statistically significant differences were found in the contact phase (p = 0.208), although significant changes were seen between baseline, 15% of body weight (p < 0.005), and 20% of body weight (p < 0.005). The effect sizes from the ANOVA in the single support was low (0.015), and double support was moderate (0.02). Increased weight in BPs reduced both children’s balance and single support, increased double support, but did not change step length. The children increase double support with heavier loads to help their balance. The spatio-temporal changes were most evident with BP loads between 15–20% of body weight. Affective responses, including the perception of heaviness or difficulty in carrying the schoolbags need to be included in further and prospective investigations.
Prolongation of The Activation Time in Ischemic Myocardium is Associated with J-wave Generation in ECG and Ventricular Fibrillation
Authors: Azarov Jan E. , Ovechkin Alexey O. , Vaykshnorayte Marina A. , Demidova Marina M. , Platonov Pyotr G.
Published: August 2019

J-wave pattern has been recognized as an arrhythmic risk marker, particularly in myocardial infarction patients. Mechanisms underlying J-wave development in ischemia remain unknown. In myocardial infarction model, we evaluated activation time delay as a prerequisite of J-wave appearance and predictor of ventricular fibrillation. Body surface ECGs and myocardial unipolar electrograms were recorded in 14 anesthetized pigs. 48 intramural leads were positioned across ventricular free walls and interventricular septum. Myocardial ischemia was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery and the recordings were done during 40-minute coronary occlusion. The local activation times were determined as instants of dV/dt minimum during QRS complex in unipolar electrograms. During occlusion, ventricular local activation time prolonged in the middle portion of the left ventricular free wall, and basal and middle portions of septum, while J-waves appeared in precordial leads in 11 animals. In logistic regression and ROC curve analyses, activation time delay at a given time-point was associated with J-wave development, and a longer activation time was associated with ventricular fibrillation appearance. In experimental coronary occlusion, activation delay in ischemic myocardium was associated with generation of the J waves in the body surface ECG and predicted ventricular fibrillation.
Hybrid methods combining atmospheric reanalysis data and a parametric typhoon model to hindcast storm surges in Tokyo Bay
Authors: Liu Fei , Sasaki Jun
Published: August 2019

Reanalysis data and a parametric typhoon model formula are often used to prepare wind and pressure fields for storm surge hindcasting. However, their optimum selection and usage have not been well established. To enhance the accuracy of wind and pressure fields, two hybrid methods were proposed by applying a parametric typhoon model of Mitsuta–Fujii’s formula, which is determined from the typhoon center to a certain radius of Rb, and then switching to the reanalysis data of ERA-Interim in the outer region through the interpolated transition bandwidth of Wb. In hybrid model I, Rb and Wb were fixed because the time-varying radius of the maximum wind speed was determined by the typhoon formula. In hybrid model II, these parameters were determined to minimize the mean difference between the reanalysis data and the fields obtained by typhoon formula in the transition band at each time step of the typhoon track. The hindcasting of eight significant typhoon events approaching Tokyo Bay was performed. This validated the proposed methods in comparison with the observed storm surge anomalies. Both models performed satisfactorily. Hybrid model II was found to be superior in terms of the balance of accuracy and preparation cost.
Humans, but not their dogs, displace pumas from their kills: An experimental approach
Authors: Suraci Justin P. , Smith Justine A. , Clinchy Michael , Zanette Liana Y. , Wilmers Christopher C.
Published: August 2019

Domestic dogs are the most abundant large carnivore on the planet, and their ubiquity has led to concern regarding the impacts of dogs as predators of and competitors with native wildlife. If native large carnivores perceive dogs as threatening, impacts could extend to the community level by altering interactions between large carnivores and their prey. Dog impacts may be further exacerbated if these human-associated predators are also perceived as indicators of risk from humans. However, observational approaches used to date have led to ambiguity regarding the effects of dog presence on wildlife. We experimentally quantified dog impacts on the behavior of a native large carnivore, presenting playbacks of dog vocalizations to pumas in central California. We show that the perceived presence of dogs has minimal impacts on puma behavior at their kill sites, and is no more likely to affect total feeding time at kills than non-threatening controls. We previously demonstrated that pumas exhibit strong responses to human cues, and here show that perceived risk from human presence far exceeds that from dogs. Our results suggest that protected areas management policies that restrict dogs but permit human access may in some cases be of limited value for large carnivores.
Author Correction: Predictors for success in renal denervation–a single centre retrospective analysis
Authors: Reshetnik Alexander , Gohlisch Christopher , Scheurig-Münkler Christian , De Bucourt Maximilian , Zidek Walter , Tölle Markus , van der Giet Markus
Published: August 2019

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper
Publisher Correction: Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, temperature regulation and the role of heat shock proteins in non-asthmatic recreational marathon and half-marathon runners
Authors: Bekos Christine , Zimmermann Matthias , Unger Lukas , Janik Stefan , Mitterbauer Andreas , Koller Michael , Fritz Robert , Gäbler Christian , Didcock Jessica , Kliman Jonathan , Klepetko Walter , Ankersmit Hendrik Jan , Moser Bernhard
Published: August 2019

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper
Introduction to Immunosensors
Authors: Lim Syazana Abdullah , Ahmed Minhaz Uddin
Published: August 2019

The immunosensor has long been a popular analytical instrument due to its excellent detection performance in terms of selectivity and sensitivity. The recent advancements of immunosensors allows detection to be incorporated with the latest digital technology and for them to be miniaturized without compromising performance. This introductory chapter describes the fundamental set-ups and latest transduction strategies of immunosensors. The working principles, analytical constituents and latest progress in immunosensing development will be discussed. As a conclusion, the future outlook of immunosensors as a valuable detection platform will be put forward.
Nanostructure-based Sensitive Electrochemical Immunosensors
Authors: Tran Hoang Vinh , Lam Tran Dai
Published: August 2019

It is well-known that electrochemical immunosensors have many advantages, including but not limited to high sensitivity, simplicity in application, low-cost production, automated control and potential miniaturization. Due to specific antigen–antibody recognition, electrochemical immunosensors also have provided exceptional possibilities for real-time trace detection of analytical biotargets, which consists of small molecules (such as natural toxins and haptens), macromolecules, cells, bacteria, pathogens or viruses. Recently, the advances in the development of electrochemical immunosensors can be classified into the following directions: the first is using electrochemical detection techniques (voltammetric, amperometric, impedance spectroscopic, potentiometric, piezoelectric, conductometric and alternating current voltammetric) to achieve high sensitivity regarding the electrochemical change of electrochemical signal transduction; the second direction is developing sensor configurations (microfluidic and paper-based platforms, microelectrodes and electrode arrays) for simultaneous multiplex high-throughput analyses; and the last is designing nanostructured materials serving as sensing interfaces to improve sensor sensitivity and selectivity. This chapter introduces the working principle and summarizes the state-of-the-art of electrochemical immunosensors during the past few years with practically relevant details for: (a) metal nanoparticle- and quantum dot-labeled immunosensors; (b) enzyme-labeled immunosensors; and (c) magnetoimmunosensors. The importance of various types of nanomaterials is also thoroughly reviewed to obtain an insight into understanding the theoretical basis and practical orientation for the next generation of diagnostic devices.
Rapid and Repeated Measurement of Mite Allergens Using a Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Immunosensor
Authors: Toma K. , Arakawa T. , Mitsubayashi K.
Published: August 2019

Mite allergens are one of the major causes of allergic disease. Those that are airborne are particularly harmful because people exposed to them can inhale them without noticing, which does not often happen when the allergens are contained in dust. This chapter provides an overview of the technologies relevant to airborne allergen monitoring systems, which will be useful in preventing exposure. Immunosensors are powerful devices with the ability to detect allergens with high selectivity and sensitivity due to the high specificity of antibodies to antigens. However, immunosensors are not always suitable for monitoring because antibodies are possibly denatured and lose their functions during sensor surface regeneration. To overcome this problem, we give an example of an immunosensor that relies on a surface acoustic wave device and a pH resistant surface architecture. The SAW immunosensor allows repeated and rapid measurement of a house dust mite allergen, Dermatophagoides farinae group 1 (Der f 1). Together with other useful state-of-the-art technologies for the monitoring system, such as bioaerosol samplers and sensors with promising characteristics, the current advances in mite allergen sensors are summarized.
Immunosensors for Food Allergens: An Overview
Authors: Selvolini G. , Hosu O. , Marrazza G.
Published: August 2019

Nowadays, foodborne allergies and illnesses have become a global menace on public health. Product mislabeling, accidental cross-contamination or intentional adulteration with low quality or unsafe ingredients for economic purposes could constitute a serious drawback: thus, safety and quality are of paramount importance in the food industry. Analytical strategies for on-site sensitive detection and screening of food allergens and food contaminants are becoming fundamental, since a huge development is being made in functional foods and new food manufacturing technologies. From the perspective of a quick and accurate analysis, immunosensors represent ideal tools that are able to provide a specific and fast response, since they are portable devices of low-cost and are easy to use. Among the different types of immunosensors, electrochemical immunosensors are widely accepted because of their large applicability such as screening, monitoring or diagnosing. This chapter summarizes a general overview of allergens, the applied nanotechnology and the fundamentals of immunosensors built to be applied in food analysis. The approaches used to develop electrochemical immunosensors for detecting foodborne allergens are emphasized.
Gold-nanoparticles Interface-based Electrochemical Immunosensors for Tumor Biomarkers
Authors: Halawa Mohamed Ibrahim , Lou Baohua , Xu Guobao
Published: August 2019

The implementation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in electrochemical immunoassays of cancer biomarkers has been in place for several years. AuNPs play crucial roles in the development of a convenient interface for the immobilization of antibodies, facilitating the electron transfer process through a developed interface and signal amplification by several orders of magnitude. Additionally, because of the unique properties of AuNPs, AuNPs-based electrochemical immunosensors offer ultrasensitive, biocompatible, rapid and inexpensive sensing approaches with the feasibility of on-line monitoring and simultaneous sensing of multiple cancer biomarkers. Herein, we summarize different synthetic strategies of AuNPs and their main roles in the design of electrochemical immunosensors. Moreover, the different applications of AuNPs in developing electrochemical immunosensors for very common tumor biomarkers such as PSA, CEA, AFP, CA125 and hCG are briefly discussed in this chapter.
Composition and charge state influence on the ion-neutral collision cross sections of protonated N-linked glycopeptides: an experimental and theoretical deconstruction of coulombic repulsion vs. charge solvation effects
Authors: Gelb Abby S. , Lai Rui , Li Hui , Dodds Eric D.
Published: August 2019

This study suggests the possibility of predicting and delineating glycopeptide-enriched regions of mass vs. mobility space for applications in glycoproteomics.
Silk fibroin-alginate based beads for human mesenchymal stem cell differentiation in 3D
Authors: Patil Smita , Singh Neetu
Published: August 2019

Silk fibroin alginate beads support proliferation of hMSCs and induce differentiation solely due to functional groups within 14 days.
Deep-eutectic-solvent synthesis of N/O self-doped hollow carbon nanorods for efficient energy storage
Authors: Xue Danfeng , Zhu Dazhang , Duan Hui , Wang Zhiwei , Lv Yaokang , Xiong Wei , Li Liangchun , Liu Mingxian , Gan Lihua
Published: August 2019

Novel N/O self-doped hollow carbon nanorods with porous walls are fabricated for efficient energy storage, based on a new deep-eutectic-solvent as an “all-in-one” carbon precursor, self-template, and self-dopant agent.
Photocatalytic transformation of climbazole and 4-chlorophenol formation using a floral array of chromium-substituted magnetite nanoparticles activated with peroxymonosulfate
Authors: Zhong Yuanhong , Chen Zhi-Feng , Yan Shi-Chao , Wei Wen-Wen , Zhang Qianxin , Liu Guoguang , Cai Zongwei , Yu Lin
Published: August 2019

Cr incorporation was significant to the formation of magnetite with floral morphology and effectively improved the photocatalytic transformation of climbazole.
Photocatalyst with a metal-free electron–hole pair double transfer mechanism for pharmaceutical and personal care product degradation
Authors: Chen Tiansheng , Zhang Qianxin , Zheng Xiaoshan , Xie Zhijie , Zeng Yongqin , Chen Ping , Liu Haijin , Liu Yang , Lv Wenying , Liu Guoguang
Published: August 2019

Advanced photocatalytic oxidation processes for water purification have been the subject of extensive research over the past several years; however, the low efficiency utilization of photogenerated carriers remains a major challenge.
Electromagnetic three dimensional liquid metal manipulation
Authors: Jeong Jinwon , Lee Jeong-Bong , Chung Sang Kug , Kim Daeyoung
Published: August 2019

In this paper, we report three-dimensional (3-D) liquid metal manipulation using electromagnets, which can be applied to electrical switching applications.
Metal-promoted Mo6S8 clusters: a platform for probing ensemble effects on the electrochemical conversion of CO2 and CO to methanol
Authors: Perryman Joseph T. , Ortiz-Rodríguez Jessica C. , Jude Joshua W. , Hyler Forrest P. , Davis Ryan C. , Mehta Apurva , Kulkarni Ambarish R. , Patridge Christopher J. , Velázquez Jesús M.
Published: August 2019

Presented herein is an investigation of a promising ternary metal sulfide catalyst that is capable of electrochemically converting CO2 to liquid and gas fuels such as methanol and hydrogen.
Hierarchical CuAl-layered double hydroxide/CoWO4 nanocomposites with enhanced efficiency for use in supercapacitors with long cycling stability
Authors: Sanati Soheila , Rezvani Zolfaghar , Abazari Reza , Hou Zhiquan , Dai Hongxing
Published: August 2019

A CuAl-LDH/CoWO4 nanocomposite was used in an asymmetric supercapacitor, providing 35.87 W h kg−1 energy density and 10 188 W kg−1 power density.
Tandem arylation and regioselective allylic etherification of 2,3-allenol via Pd/B cooperative catalysis
Authors: Li Hongfang , Li Tao , Hsueh Yu Jen , Wu Xue , Xu Feng , Zhang Yong Jian
Published: August 2019

An efficient method for the construction of arylated allylic ethers was developed via three-component tandem arylation and allylic etherification of 2,3-allenol with aryl iodides and alcohols.
Reaction engineering and photophysical studies of fully enriched C-vinyl-1,2,3-triazoles
Authors: Surendra Reddy G. , Ramachary Dhevalapally B.
Published: August 2019

A library of fluorogenic C-vinyl-1,2,3-triazoles were synthesized in very good yields with excellent selectivity by using an organocatalytic formal [3 + 2]-cycloaddition. One of the coumarin-triazoles 4ba has shown excellent fluorescence properties (λem = 533 nm).
Molecular docking, pharmacophore based virtual screening and molecular dynamics studies towards the identification of potential leads for the management of H. pylori
Authors: Damale Manoj G. , Patil Rajesh B. , Ansari Siddique Akber , Alkahtani Hamad M. , Almehizia Abdulrahman A. , Shinde Devanand B. , Arote Rohidas , Sangshetti Jaiprakash
Published: August 2019

Computational approaches such as pharmacophore modeling, virtual screening and MD simulations were explored to find the potential hits as H. pylori specific panC inhibitors for the management of gastric ulcers and gastric cancers.
Accelerated start-up, long-term performance and microbial community shifts within a novel upflow porous-plated anaerobic reactor treating nitrogen-rich wastewater via ANAMMOX process
Authors: Zhang Dachao , Xu Shi , Antwi Philip , Xiao Longwen , Luo Wuhui , Liu Zuwen , Li Jianzheng , Su Hao , Lai Cheng , Ayivi Frederick
Published: August 2019

Schematic diagram of the upflow porous-plate anaerobic reactor and nitrogen removal pathways occurring within the reactor.
Preparation and characterization of cyanazine–hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complex
Authors: Gao Shuang , Bie Chao , Ji Qiuyu , Ling Haiyang , Li Chunyan , Fu Ying , Zhao Lixia , Ye Fei
Published: August 2019

Cyanazine/HPβCD inclusion complex was prepared to improve water solubility and thermal stability and herbicidal activity of cyanazine.
Localized exciton emission in CsPbBr3nanocrystals synthesized with excess bromide ions
Authors: Liu Wenqiang , Yuan Guodong , Zhang Yang , Wang Qi , Zhao Shuai , Liu Zhiqiang , Wei Tongbo , Wang Junxi , Li Jinmin
Published: August 2019

Br-rich CsPbBr3NCs with a PLQY of 97% were prepared using an excess Br of Br/Pb of 4.5/1. Br interstitials form the strong localized states, being responsible for the high emission efficiency.
Topological nodal line state in superconducting NaAlSi compound
Authors: Jin Lei , Zhang Xiaoming , He Tingli , Meng Weizhen , Dai Xuefang , Liu Guodong
Published: August 2019

NaAlSi manifests both topological band structures and superconductivity, which is promising to realize a topological superconducting state.
Thermal-guided interfacial confinement to fabricate flexible structural color composites for durable applications
Authors: Meng Fantao , Umair Malik Muhammad , Zhang Shufen , Jin Xin , Tang Bingtao
Published: August 2019

A novel strategy to fabricate flexible and mechanically robust composite films of noniridescent structural color patterns is proposed.
Correction: Tuning the Bi3+-photoemission color over the entire visible region by manipulating secondary cations modulation in the ScVxP1−xO4:Bi3+ (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) solid solution
Authors: Kang Fengwen , Sun Guohuan , Boutinaud Philippe , Gao Fei , Wang Zhenhu , Lu Jian , Li Yang Yang , Xiao Sanshui
Published: August 2019

Correction for ‘Tuning the Bi3+-photoemission color over the entire visible region by manipulating secondary cations modulation in the ScVxP1−xO4:Bi3+ (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) solid solution’ by Fengwen Kang et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 2019, DOI: 10.1039/c9tc01385g.
RhoBTB1 interacts with ROCKs and inhibits invasion
Authors: Haga Raquel B. , Garg Ritu , Collu Francesca , Borda D'Agua Bárbara , Menéndez Sofia T. , Colomba Audrey , Fraternali Franca , Ridley Anne J.
Published: August 2019

RhoBTB1 is an atypical Rho GTPase with two BTB domains in addition to its Rho domain. Although most Rho GTPases regulate actin cytoskeletal dynamics, RhoBTB1 is not known to affect cell shape or motility. We report that RhoBTB1 depletion increases prostate cancer cell invasion and induces elongation in Matrigel, a phenotype similar to that induced by depletion of ROCK1 and ROCK2. We demonstrate that RhoBTB1 associates with ROCK1 and ROCK2 and its association with ROCK1 is via its Rho domain. The Rho domain binds to the coiled-coil region of ROCK1 close to its kinase domain. We identify two amino acids within the Rho domain that alter RhoBTB1 association with ROCK1. RhoBTB1 is a substrate for ROCK1, and mutation of putative phosphorylation sites reduces its association with Cullin3, a scaffold for ubiquitin ligases. We propose that RhoBTB1 suppresses cancer cell invasion through interacting with ROCKs, which in turn regulate its association with Cullin3. Via Cullin3, RhoBTB1 has the potential to affect protein degradation.
Relationship Between Working Memory and Speech-in-Noise Recognition in Young and Older Adult Listeners With Age-Appropriate Hearing
Authors: Vermeire Katrien , Knoop Allart , De Sloovere Marleen , Bosch Peggy , van den Noort Maurits
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between working memory (WM) capacity and speech recognition in noise in both a group of young adults and a group of older adults.

Method

Thirty-three older adults with a mean age of 71.0 (range: 60.4–82.7) years and 27 young adults with a mean age of 21.7 (range: 19.1–25.0) years participated in the study. All participants had age-appropriate hearing and no history of central nervous system dysfunction. WM capacity was measured using the van den Noort version of the Reading Span Test, and recognition of sentences in the presence of a stationary speech-shaped noise was measured as the speech reception threshold for 50% correct identification by using the Leuven Intelligibility Sentence Test.

Results

The older adults had significantly worse WM capacity scores,
t
(58) = 8.266,
p
< .001, and significantly more difficulty understanding sentences in noise than the younger adults,
t
(58) = −6.068,
p
< .001. In the group of older adults, a correlation was found (
r
= −.488,
n
= 33,
p
= .004) between the results of the WM capacity test (Reading Span Test) and the results of the speech-recognition-in-noise test (Leuven Intelligibility Sentence Test), meaning that the higher the WM performance was, the better was the speech recognition in noise. This correlation cannot be found in young normal-hearing listeners.

Conclusions

This study shows deleterious effects of age on both WM capacity and speech recognition in noise. Interestingly, only in the group of older adults was a significant relation found between WM capacity and speech recognition in noise. The current results caution against the assumption that WM necessarily supports speech-in-noise identification independently of the age and hearing status of the listener.
Test–Retest Reproducibility of Response Duration in Tinnitus Patients With Positive Residual Inhibition
Authors: Deklerck Ann N. , Degeest Sofie , Dhooge Ingeborg J. M. , Keppler Hannah
Published: August 2019

Purpose

Functional imaging is often used to try to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanism of tinnitus. Residual inhibition, the temporary suppression of tinnitus after application of a masking noise, could be an interesting technique to modulate tinnitus perception in functional imaging paradigms. The purposes of this study were to primarily assess reproducibility of the (partial) positive residual inhibition response duration in patients with tinnitus and to explore its utility in experimental designs.

Method

Patients with tinnitus exhibiting a (partial) positive residual inhibition response or tinnitus reduction after a 1-min white noise presentation were selected from a broad consulting tinnitus population. In 27 patients, this response was tested 4 times: twice during initial testing and twice during a retest of the psychoacoustic tinnitus measures, 4–8 weeks after initial consultation. In 17 patients with stable residual inhibition responses, reproducibility of response duration, the duration of tinnitus reduction up to pretesting state, was analyzed.

Results

Initial testing showed a residual inhibition duration of 29.5 s on average. Test–retest reproducibility of response duration was shown to be reliable with an ICC(3, 4) of .871 (95% CI [0.733, 0.948]) and a standard error of measurement of 6.64 s.

Conclusions

This study indicates the good test–retest reproducibility of residual inhibition duration in our subset of 17 patients with stable (partial) positive residual inhibition. Residual inhibition is, therefore, a technique that can potentially be used for temporary tinnitus manipulation in experimental paradigms to unravel tinnitus pathophysiology.
Blind symbol packing ratio estimation for faster‐than‐Nyquist signalling based on deep learning
Authors: Song Peiyang , Gong Fengkui , Li Qiang
Published: August 2019

This Letter proposes a blind symbol packing ratio estimation for faster‐than‐Nyquist (FTN) signalling based on state‐of‐the‐art deep learning technology. The symbol packing ratio (also named speeding parameter, time packing parameter etc.) is a vital parameter to obtain the real symbol rate and recover the origin symbols from the received symbols by calculating the intersymbol interference. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first effective estimation approach for symbol packing ratio in FTN signalling and has shown its fast convergence and robustness to signal‐to‐noise ratio by numerical simulations. Benefiting from the proposed blind estimation, the packing‐ratio‐based adaptive FTN transmission without dedicate channel or control frame becomes available. Also, the secure FTN communications based on the secret symbol packing ratio can be easily cracked.
Recursive identification for Wiener non‐linear systems with non‐stationary disturbances
Authors: Dong Shijian , Yu Li , Zhang Wen‐An , Chen Bo
Published: August 2019

This study investigates the robust recursive identification problem for Wiener non‐linear systems with non‐stationary disturbance and measurement white Gaussian noise. Non‐stationary disturbances cannot be eliminated by conventional statistical strategy. To overcome such problem, the non‐stationary disturbance signal is modelled as a dynamic parameter with a small change rate which is to be estimated step. Utilising the forgetting factor (FF) and the auxiliary model strategy, a discrete‐time recursive least‐squares algorithm is designed by augmenting the parameter vector and the information vector. To facilitate the steady asymptotic convergence of the time‐invariant system parameters and the dynamic tracking ability of the disturbance, two adaptive FFs are proposed to construct a new matrix FF scheme that is used to update the covariance matrix. Moreover, several asymptotic convergence conditions are also derived based on the stochastic statistical theory under persistent excitation condition. Finally, one illustrative example with non‐stationary disturbance is employed to show the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed algorithms.
Particle‐filter‐based human target tracking in image domain for through‐wall imaging radar
Authors: Chen Guohao , Cui Guolong , Kong Lingjiang , Guo Shisheng , Cao Lingxiao
Published: August 2019

This study deals with a tracking problem for hidden human targets using time‐division multiple‐input‐multiple‐output through‐wall imaging radar (TWIR). An efficient image‐domain tracking algorithm is proposed. Specifically, the authors first utilise back‐projection algorithm and the phase coherence factor (PCF) to obtain multi‐frame high quality images. Then a tracking algorithm via amplitude‐distribution‐based particle filter is proposed. Experimental data validates that this algorithm has a commendable effectiveness for hidden target tracking.
Robust knowledge‐aided sparse recovery STAP method for non‐homogeneity clutter suppression
Authors: Peng Hao , Sun Yuze , Yang Xiaopeng , Yang Jian
Published: August 2019

Conventional space–time adaptive processing (STAP) methods would suffer severely performance loss in the complex clutter environment of an airborne‐phased array radar, especially when the estimated clutter covariance matrix (CCM) is corrupted by the interference targets (outliers). In order to improve the clutter suppression in a practical complex clutter, a robust knowledge‐aided sparse recovery STAP method for non‐homogeneity clutter suppression is proposed. In the proposed method, the spectral profiles of the clutter and outliers are firstly estimated by sparse recovery processing. Then based on the system prior parameters, the clutter mask is constructed to select the space–time steering vectors corresponding to the clutter components. Afterwards the clutter suppression is achieved based on the clutter subspace obtained from the selected space–time steering vectors. Since the clutter and outlier profiles are effectively estimated and distinguished by the knowledge‐aided sparse recovery processing, robust clutter subspace estimation can be achieved for clutter suppression. Through the simulated and actual airborne‐phased array radar data, it is verified that the proposed method can effectively improve the STAP performance in a non‐homogeneous environment.
Design of a compact ultra‐wideband MIMO antenna
Authors: Youcheng Wang , Yanjiao Yang , Qingxi Chi , Hucheng Pei
Published: August 2019

A compact ultra‐wideband (UWB) multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna is presented. The MIMO antenna consists of four monopoles which are printed on FR4 substrate, whose impedance bandwidth is from 2 to 12 GHz, and the isolation of two adjacent antennas is less than−20 dB in mostly frequency band. The current distribution of the antenna is discussed by simulation, and the radiation characteristics of the antenna are improved by increasing the parasitic radiation patch and digging holes in the radiation patch. Four monopoles are placed with polarisation orthogonality, and the adjacent units are separated by slot to cut off the coupling current on the floor, thus effectively improving the isolation of the antenna.
SA‐ISAR imaging algorithm based on the gradient signal recovery method
Authors: Ji Bingren , Zhao Bin , Wang Yong , Xu Rongqing
Published: August 2019

As the radar system tends to be complex, obtaining well‐focused images with discontinued apertures becomes a challenge. Here, a new sparse aperture inverse synthetic aperture radar (SA‐ISAR) imaging approach through the signal recovery method is proposed. Considering the available samples of data sets as fixed values and the missing samples as variables, the algorithm employs a gradient‐based method to approach the true values of missing samples by iterations. The algorithm can recover the complete signals with a high precision. Experiments based on the measured data are carried out to validate the superiority of the novel algorithm.
Hybrid optimisation method of improved genetic algorithm and IFT for linear thinned array
Authors: Wang Zheng , Sun Yuze , Yang Xiaopeng , Li Shuai
Published: August 2019

The array thinning technique can greatly reduce the number of the array elements while keeping the performance of the array almost the same. However, the existing algorithms have slow convergence rates and are easy to fall into local optimum. To improve the optimisation performance, a hybrid method based on improved genetic algorithm (GA) and iterative Fourier transform (IFT) technique for linear thinned array is proposed in this study. The population is divided into improved GA group and IFT group according to the convergence of the population and different operations can be done paralleled to generate offspring in each iteration. In the improved GA processing, adaptive crossover rate and mutation rate are used. The mechanism that keeps the fill factor stable is removed for larger search range. The IFT processing is executed paralleled for fast convergence velocity. The proposed hybrid method can obtain the fast convergence velocity and avoid being trapped into the local optimum by the combination of the two approaches. Several examples are simulated to validate the performance of the proposed method.
Generalised RAO test for polarimetric target detection
Authors: Shen Lei , Liu Zhiwen , Xu Yougen
Published: August 2019

Here, a generalised Rao test method is presented for polarimetric multichannel adaptive signal detection. By introducing several tunable parameters into the Rao test detection statistics, the proposed polarimetric detector is quite general with the modified Rao test detector, the adaptive‐matched filter detector, and the adaptive subspace detector being its special cases. The performance of the proposed polarimetric detector has been demonstrated with synthetic and real data. The results show that the new detector provides more flexibility of being adjustable than the current modified Rao test detector, against target steering vector mismatch.