bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transition of radiative recombination channels from delocalized states to localized states in a GaInP alloy with partial atomic ordering: a direct optical signature of Mott transition?
Authors: Su Z. C. , Ning J. Q. , Deng Z. , Wang X. H. , Xu S. J. , Wang R. X. , Lu S. L. , Dong J. R. , Yang H.
Published: February 2016

Direct observation of transition of radiative recombination channels from delocalized states to Anderson localized states in the GaInP layer of a single junction solar cell.
Inhibition of amyloid fibrillation of hen egg-white lysozyme by the natural and synthetic curcuminoids
Authors: Mohammadi Fakhrossadat , Mahmudian Afshin , Moeeni Marzieh , Hassani Leila
Published: February 2016

As one of the strategies for synthesis of novel amyloid inhibitors, chemical modification of the natural curcuminoids framework can be introduced.
Isoliquiritigenin attenuates the invasive capacity of breast cancer cells via up-regulating the tumor suppressor RECK
Authors: Ning Shilong , Mu Juan , Shen Zhaoxia , Zhu Dongmei , Jiang Fei , Wang Xingxing , Li Yuan , Li Zhong
Published: February 2016

Isoliquiritigenin attenuated the invasion via reducing miR-21 expression, accompanied by induction of RECK and reduction of enzyme activity of MMP9 in breast cancer cells. Our study added novel understandings on the anti-tumor effects of ISL.
Efficiency of energy funneling in the photosystem II supercomplex of higher plants
Authors: Kreisbeck Christoph , Aspuru-Guzik Alán
Published: February 2016

Energy transfer in the C2S2M2 supercomplex is sensitive to structural modulations induced e.g. by the reorganization process, and is limited by the uphill transfer from CP47 to the RC core.
Shear-induced amyloid fibrillization: the role of inertia
Authors: McBride Samantha A. , Sanford Sean P. , Lopez Juan M. , Hirsa Amir H.
Published: February 2016

Agitation of protein is known to induce deleterious effects on protein stability and structure, with extreme agitation sometimes resulting in complete aggregation into amyloid fibrils.
In vitro digestion of Pickering emulsions stabilized by soft whey protein microgel particles: influence of thermal treatment
Authors: Sarkar Anwesha , Murray Brent , Holmes Melvin , Ettelaie Rammile , Abdalla Azad , Yang Xinyi
Published: February 2016

The heat-treated “fused” whey protein microgel particles at the O/W interface was more beneficial in delaying lipid digestion in presence of pure lipase/bile salts as compared to intact one.
Light management: porous 1-dimensional nanocolumnar structures as effective photonic crystals for perovskite solar cells
Authors: Ramos F. Javier , Oliva-Ramírez Manuel , Nazeeruddin Mohammad Khaja , Graetzel Michael , González-Elipe Agustín R. , Ahmad Shahzada
Published: February 2016

A strategy such as the use of photonic crystal structure can further push the power conversion efficiency in perovskite solar cells.
The nature of ultrabrightness of nanoporous fluorescent particles with physically encapsulated fluorescent dyes
Authors: Kalaparthi V. , Palantavida S. , Sokolov I.
Published: February 2016

We describe why fluorescent dyes can be packed in very high concentrations inside nanochannels of silica particles without quenching/dimerization.
In silico prediction of the developmental toxicity of diverse organic chemicals in rodents for regulatory purposes
Authors: Basant Nikita , Gupta Shikha , Singh Kunwar P.
Published: February 2016

The figure shows performance of the local and global QSAR and ISC-QSAAR models in predicting the developmental toxicity potential of chemicals in rodents.
Raman chemical imaging of the rhizosphere bacterium Pantoea sp. YR343 and its co-culture with Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Polisetti Sneha , Bible Amber N. , Morrell-Falvey Jennifer L. , Bohn Paul W.
Published: February 2016

Raman micro-spectroscopy and confocal Raman imaging are used to study the rhizosphere bacterial isolate, Pantoea sp. YR343, and its co-culture with model plant Arabidopsis thaliana by combining enhanced Raman spectroscopies with electron microscopy and principal component analysis.
Development of a facile and sensitive fluorimetric derivatization reagent for detecting formaldehyde
Authors: Liu Chao , Cheng An-Wei , Xia Xue-Kui , Liu Yu-Fa , He Sheng-Wen , Guo Xu , Sun Jin-Yue
Published: February 2016

In this study, a rapid, facile and sensitive derivatization reagent for detecting formaldehyde has been developed.
A new green switchable hydrophobic–hydrophilic transition dispersive solid–liquid microextraction of selenium in water samples
Authors: Naeemullah Naeemullah , Tuzen Mustafa , Kazi Tasneem Gul , Citak Demirhan
Published: February 2016

A novel switchable hydrophobic–hydrophilic transition dispersive solid–liquid microextraction (SHT-DSLME) method has been used for the first time as a dispersive/extractive method for the removal of total selenium from real samples.
First-principles studies on the structural and spectral properties of C72 isomers and the chlorinated derivative C72Cl4
Authors: Qi Jiayuan , Hu Xiaoying , Zhu Huanhuan , Zheng Mei
Published: February 2016

The electronic/geometrical structures, X-ray and UV-vis spectra from first-principles simulations of the elusive C2v-, D6d-C72 and C2-C72Cl4 have been explored.
Temperature dependence of superparamagnetism in CoFe2O4 nanoparticles and CoFe2O4/SiO2 nanocomposites
Authors: Blanco-Gutiérrez V. , Climent-Pascual E. , Sáez-Puche R. , Torralvo-Fernández María J.
Published: February 2016

Superparamagnetic (SP) behavior is described by high effective magnetic moments (a) and low saturation fields (b). A gradual transition to the paramagnetic regime (P) is detected when the effective superparamagnetic moment decreases and the saturation field increases, respectively.
Promoting effect of zirconium oxide on Cu–Al2O3 catalyst for the hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-propanediol
Authors: Cai Fufeng , Zhu Wei , Xiao Guomin
Published: February 2016

The ZrO2-promoted Cu–Al2O3 catalyst presented excellent catalytic activity for the hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-propanediol.
Mechanistic understanding of ternary Ag/AgCl@La(OH)3 nanorods as novel visible light plasmonic photocatalysts
Authors: Xiao Xiang , Zhang Wendong , Yu Jiayan , Sun Yanjuan , Zhang Yuxin , Dong Fan
Published: February 2016

A new visible light mechanism was revealed for ternary Ag/AgCl@La(OH)3 nanorods with highly enhanced activity toward NO removal.
Phosphaalkene-oxazoline copolymers with styrene as chiral ligands for rhodium(i)
Authors: Serin Spencer C. , Dake Gregory R. , Gates Derek P.
Published: February 2016

The radical-initiated copolymerization of phosphaalkene-oxazoline, MesPC(Ph)CMe2Ox [1, Ox = CNOCH(iPr)CH2] with different loadings of styrene affords poly(methylenephosphine-co-styrene)s [2a (1 : S = 1 : 2): Mw = 7400 g mol−1, PDI = 1.1; 2b (1 : S = 1 : 5): Mw = 18 000 g mol−1, PDI = 1.2; 2c (1 : S = 1 : 10): Mw = 16 000 g mol−1, PDI = 1.3].
The photochemistry of mono- and dinuclear cyclometalated bis(tridentate)ruthenium(ii) complexes: dual excited state deactivation and dual emission
Authors: Kreitner Christoph , Heinze Katja
Published: February 2016

A low-energy3LL′CT state efficiently depopulates the emissive3MLCT state in cyclometalated [Ru(dpb-R)(tpy)]+complexes (dpbH = 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)benzene, tpy = 2,2′;6′,2′′-terpyridine).
Chromatography-free synthesis of monodisperse oligo(ethylene glycol) mono-p-toluenesulfonates and quantitative analysis of oligomer purity
Authors: Wawro Adam M. , Muraoka Takahiro , Kinbara Kazushi
Published: February 2016

Oligo(ethylene glycol) monotosylates are prepared on a multigram scale and in high purity with a new chromatography-free process.
Mixed [2 : 6] hetero-arm star polymers based on Janus POSS with precisely defined arm distribution
Authors: Shao Yu , Yin Hang , Wang Xiao-Man , Han Shuai-Yuan , Yan Xuesheng , Xu Jun , He Jinlin , Ni Peihong , Zhang Wen-Bin
Published: February 2016

A series of mixed [2 : 6] hetero-arm star polymers are prepared, whose arms (polystyrene and poly(ε-caprolactone)) are precisely arranged on a cubic scaffold of T8polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS).
Sensitive electrochemiluminescence detection of cancer cells based on a CdSe/ZnS quantum dot nanocluster by multibranched hybridization chain reaction on gold nanoparticles
Authors: Jie Guitao , Jie Guifen
Published: February 2016

We prepared a novel amplified electrochemiluminescence signal probe based on CdSe/ZnS quantum dots by multibranched DNA hybridization chain reaction on gold nanoparticles, and developed a sensitive ECL biosensor for detection of cancer cells.
Cooperative chiral salen TiIV catalysts with built-in phase-transfer capability accelerate asymmetric sulfoxidation in water
Authors: Zhao Guangwu , Tan Rong , Zhang Yaoyao , Luo Xuanfeng , Xing Chen , Yin Donghong
Published: February 2016

Double chiral salen TiIV complexes were flexibly combined into a single molecule through a PEG-based di-imidazolium IL bridge, which provided cooperative, phase transfer catalysts for efficient asymmetric sulfoxidation in water with H2O2.
Hydrophobic myristic acid modified PAMAM dendrimers augment the delivery of tamoxifen to breast cancer cells
Authors: Matai Ishita , Gopinath P.
Published: February 2016

In the present study, cationic generation 5 polyamido amine (G5 PAMAM) dendrimers were hydrophobically modified by grafting the surface with lipid-like myristic acid (My) tails to augment their potential as a drug delivery vectorin vitro.
Cyanide-bridged iron complexes as biomimetics of tri-iron arrangements in maturases of the H cluster of the di-iron hydrogenase
Authors: Lunsford Allen M. , Beto Christopher C. , Ding Shengda , Erdem Özlen F. , Wang Ning , Bhuvanesh Nattamai , Hall Michael B. , Darensbourg Marcetta Y.
Published: February 2016

Concepts from organometallic chemistry are used to define possibilities of cyanide as a docking unit for bioassembly processes.
Rational tuning of high-energy visible light absorption for panchromatic small molecules by a two-dimensional conjugation approach
Authors: He Bo , Zherebetskyy Danylo , Wang Hongxia , Kolaczkowski Matthew A. , Klivansky Liana M. , Tan Tianwei , Wang Linwang , Liu Yi
Published: February 2016

Rational design leads to panchromatic absorption in small molecules by extension of conjugation on two orthogonal axes of an indigo-derived electron acceptor.
RGD-decorated redox-responsived-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol succinate–poly(lactide) nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery
Authors: Guo Yuanyuan , Niu Boning , Song Qingle , Zhao Yongdan , Bao Yuling , Tan Songwei , Si Luqin , Zhang Zhiping
Published: February 2016

A novel kind of copolymer, TPGS-SS-PLA, was successfully synthesized and applied in targeted drug delivery.
Fault diagnosis of railway point machines using dynamic time warping
Authors: Kim H. , Sa J. , Chung Y. , Park D. , Yoon S.
Published: February 2016

A practical condition monitoring method is proposed for the fault diagnosis of railway point machines (RPMs) by considering the difficulty of obtaining in‐field failure data. Failures in RPMs have a significant effect on railway train operations, and it is very crucial to detect abnormal conditions in RPMs. However, it is generally difficult to obtain in‐field failure data for a classifier training step. A diagnosis method using dynamic time warping is proposed to manage the variation in durations of RPM movement without a training step. On the basis of the experimental results with RPMs operated in Korea, it is believed that the proposed method without a training step can detect abnormal electric‐current shapes more accurately than previous training‐based methods.
Generalised selection at multi‐antenna sources in two‐way relay networks
Authors: Wang Xinjie , Yang Nan , Zhang Hao , Hoang Tiep Minh , Gulliver Thomas Aaron
Published: February 2016

A generalised selection transmission (GST) and generalised selection combining (GSC) scheme is proposed for two‐way relay networks where two multi‐antenna sources exchange information via a single‐antenna relay. New exact and asymptotic expressions are derived for the outage probability and symbol error rate (SER) in Rayleigh fading. Moreover, a tight upper bound on the ergodic sum‐rate is presented. These results are used to demonstrate that the proposed GST/GSC scheme preserves the full diversity order, which equals the minimum number of antennas at the two sources. It is also shown that the impact of the number of selected antennas lies in the array gain only. Furthermore, the GST/GSC scheme significantly improves the performance relative to single‐antenna selection, and only incurs a negligible reduction in performance relative to all‐antenna beamforming. Finally, the optimal relay location that minimises the SER is determined analytically. It is observed that the optimal relay location shifts towards one source when the number of selected or available antennas at the other source increases.
Adaptive neural network cascade control system with entropy‐based design
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Zhou Shuqing , Ren Mifeng , Yue Hong
Published: February 2016

A neural network (NN)‐based cascade control system is developed, in which the primary proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller is constructed by NN. A new entropy‐based measure, named the centred error entropy (CEE) index, which is a weighted combination of the error cross‐correntropy (ECC) criterion and the error entropy criterion (EEC), is proposed to tune the NN‐PID controller. The purpose of introducing CEE in controller design is to ensure that the uncertainty in the tracking error is minimised and also the peak value of the error probability density function being controlled toward zero. The NN‐controller design based on this new performance function is developed and the convergent conditions are investigated using a linearisation technique. During the control process, the CEE index is estimated by a Gaussian kernel function. Adaptive rules are developed to update the kernel size in order to achieve more accurate estimation of the CEE index. This NN cascade control approach is applied to superheated steam temperature control of a simulated power plant system, from which the effectiveness and strength of the proposed strategy are discussed by comparison with NN‐PID controllers tuned with EEC and ECC criterions.
On quasigeostrophic dynamics near the tropopause
Authors: Asselin Olivier , Bartello Peter , Straub David N.
Published: February 2016

Under quasigeostrophic (QG) dynamics, the presence of a sharp transition in the stratification profile leads to the formation of comparably sharp vertical gradients of buoyancy. When the QG potential vorticity is assumed to be confined to the jump region, as in surface quasigeostrophy (SQG), the sharp gradients are present initially in the buoyancy field. If smoothly varying initial conditions are considered instead, jump-scale features nevertheless emerge after a few turnover times. Inspection of the omega equation reveals that vertical velocity is vertically smoother than buoyancy. As such, the vertical velocity cannot compensate for the sharpness of the stratification jump in the buoyancy equation. Consequently, buoyancy evolves differently above and below the model tropopause, quickly generating sharp vertical gradients. This is confirmed by numerical simulations. The introduction of this small scale, h, characterizing the tropopause implies a larger Froude number, thereby undermining the validity of the quasigeostrophic approximation. For fixed h, scale analysis gives a characteristic horizontal velocity, U, above which not only does QG break down, but statically unstable conditions also develop. Using typical atmospheric values for the Brunt-Väisälä frequency, N = 0.01 s−1, and the jump width, h = 100 m, we argue that U must be less than about 1 ms−1 for static stability to hold (and smaller still for quasigeostrophy to be formally valid). Therefore, quasigeostrophic dynamics are consistent only with very weak near-tropopause flows and thus can hardly account for the observed wind profiles (e.g., the Nastrom and Gage spectral break). We also find that initially smooth flows exhibit secondary roll-up of filaments and shallow slopes near the model tropopause, reminiscent of SQG dynamics. These flows, however, are not SQG-like in the sense they have non-vanishing vertical velocities at the tropopause.
Mean velocity scaling for compressible wall turbulence with heat transfer
Authors: Trettel Andrew , Larsson Johan
Published: February 2016

The current state-of-the-art in accounting for mean property variations in compressible turbulent wall-bounded flows is the Van Driest transformation, which is inaccurate for non-adiabatic walls. An alternative transformation is derived, based on arguments about log-layer scaling and near-wall momentum conservation. The transformation is tested on supersonic turbulent channel flows and boundary layers, and it is found to produce an excellent collapse of the mean velocity profile at different Reynolds numbers, Mach numbers, and rates of wall heat transfer. In addition, the proposed transformation mathematically derives the semi-local scaling of the wall-normal coordinate and unifies the scaling of the velocity, the Reynolds stresses, and the wall-normal coordinate.
Disentangling regular and chaotic motion in the standard map using complex network analysis of recurrences in phase space
Authors: Zou Yong , Donner Reik V. , Thiel Marco , Kurths Jürgen
Published: February 2016

Recurrence in the phase space of complex systems is a well-studied phenomenon, which has provided deep insights into the nonlinear dynamics of such systems. For dissipative systems, characteristics based on recurrence plots have recently attracted much interest for discriminating qualitatively different types of dynamics in terms of measures of complexity, dynamical invariants, or even structural characteristics of the underlying attractor's geometry in phase space. Here, we demonstrate that the latter approach also provides a corresponding distinction between different co-existing dynamical regimes of the standard map, a paradigmatic example of a low-dimensional conservative system. Specifically, we show that the recently developed approach of recurrence network analysis provides potentially useful geometric characteristics distinguishing between regular and chaotic orbits. We find that chaotic orbits in an intermittent laminar phase (commonly referred to as sticky orbits) have a distinct geometric structure possibly differing in a subtle way from those of regular orbits, which is highlighted by different recurrence network properties obtained from relatively short time series. Thus, this approach can help discriminating regular orbits from laminar phases of chaotic ones, which presents a persistent challenge to many existing chaos detection techniques.
Multi-mode sliding mode control for precision linear stage based on fixed or floating stator
Authors: Fang Jiwen , Long Zhili , Wang Michael Yu , Zhang Lufan , Dai Xufei
Published: February 2016

This paper presents the control performance of a linear motion stage driven by Voice Coil Motor (VCM). Unlike the conventional VCM, the stator of this VCM is regulated, which means it can be adjusted as a floating-stator or fixed-stator. A Multi-Mode Sliding Mode Control (MMSMC), including a conventional Sliding Mode Control (SMC) and an Integral Sliding Mode Control (ISMC), is designed to control the linear motion stage. The control is switched between SMC and IMSC based on the error threshold. To eliminate the chattering, a smooth function is adopted instead of a signum function. The experimental results with the floating stator show that the positioning accuracy and tracking performance of the linear motion stage are improved with the MMSMC approach.
Electronic localization and bad-metallicity in pure and electron-doped troilite: A local-density-approximation plus dynamical-mean-field-theory study of FeS for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Craco L. , Faria J. L. B.
Published: February 2016

Iron sulfides are promising candidates for the next generation of rechargeable lithium-ion battery materials. Motivated thereby, we present a detailed study of correlation- and doping-induced electronic reconstruction in troilite. Based on local-density-approximation plus dynamical-mean-field-theory, we stress the importance of multi-orbital Coulomb interactions in concert with first-principles band structure calculations for a consistent understanding of intrinsic Mott-Hubbard insulating state in FeS. We explore the anomalous nature of electron doping-induced insulator-bad metal transition, showing that it is driven by orbital-selective dynamical spectral weight transfer. Our results are relevant for understanding charge dynamics upon electrochemical lithiation of iron monosulfides electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
Optimal planning of bundled wind-thermal generation systems: A case study of China
Authors: Dong Jizhe , Xie Kaigui , Hu Bo
Published: February 2016

To handle the challenges created by the integration of large-scale wind power for the normal operations of power systems, the development of bundled wind-thermal generation systems (BWTGSs) is now being considered in China. This paper proposes a two-stage optimal planning method to determine the optimal scheme of matched thermal generating units (TGUs) in a BWTGS and the optimal load that the BWTGS should take. In the first stage, a basic optimization model taking into account the operation characteristics of BWTGS and the load pattern of the receiving power system is constituted to obtain the optimal TGU scheme. In the second stage, a heuristic method called the window search method is designed to optimize the base load of the BWTGS and further reduce the system unit generation cost. Numerical analyses demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Tensile-strained germanium microdisks with circular Bragg reflectors
Authors: El Kurdi M. , Prost M. , Ghrib A. , Elbaz A. , Sauvage S. , Checoury X. , Beaudoin G. , Sagnes I. , Picardi G. , Ossikovski R. , Boeuf F. , Boucaud P.
Published: February 2016

We demonstrate the combination of germanium microdisks tensily strained by silicon nitride layers and circular Bragg reflectors. The microdisks with suspended lateral Bragg reflectors form a cavity with quality factors up to 2000 around 2 μm. This represents a key feature to achieve a microlaser with a quasi-direct band gap germanium under a 1.6% biaxial tensile strain. We show that lowering the temperature significantly improves the quality factor of the quasi-radial modes. Linewidth narrowing is observed in a range of weak continuous wave excitation powers. We finally discuss the requirements to achieve lasing with these kind of structures.
Fabrication and characterization of polyelectrolyte microcarriers for microorganism cultivation through a microfluidic droplet system
Authors: Chen Yan-Yu , Wang Hsiang-Yu
Published: February 2016

This study experimentally investigates the generation of polyelectrolyte droplets, and subsequently, cured microcarriers for application in microorganism cultivation. Microcarriers containing an mature microorganism culture can replace in situ biofilms in microfluidic bioprocesses to reduce the startup duration and facilitate the replenishment of functional microorganisms. This study examines the effects of particulate solutes (polystyrene (PS) microparticles, Chlorella vulgaris, and Escherichia coli) on polyelectrolyte solution properties (zeta potential, contact angle, and interfacial tension) and droplet/microcarrier formation. The results indicated that, except for interfacial tension and shear stress, the colloidal stability and morphology of particulate solutes should also be considered when generating droplets. A particulate solute resulting in a dispersed phase with colloidal stability was beneficial for the predictable droplet generation. A particulate solute increasing the affinity between the disperse phase and the channel wall hastened the droplet generation to shift from the dripping region to the jetting region. Adding particulate solutes with consistent size and morphology into the dispersed phase was less likely to affect the droplet formation and the droplet size. In this study, adding PS microparticles and C. vulgaris into a diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DDA) solution resulted in a more hydrophilic solution and higher interfacial tension compared with adding DDA solution alone. These particulate solutes also tended to cause incipient colloidal instability. The incipient instability of the C. vulgaris solution led to various droplet sizes. However, the droplet sizes of the PS microparticle solution, which had solution properties similar to those of the C. vulgaris solution, were more uniform because of the consistent size and morphology of PS microparticles. Adding moderate amounts of E. coli resulted in a more hydrophobic solution, lower interfacial tension, and satisfactory colloidal stability. The droplets containing microorganisms were cured to generate poly-DDA (PDDA) microcarriers, and E. coli cultivated in PDDA microcarriers had the same viability as those cultivated in suspension. However, C. vulgaris cultivated in PDDA microcarriers failed to proliferate possibly due to the blockage of the nutrient intake by the quaternary ammonium cation of DDA.
Experts' opinions on the effects of renewable energy development on ecosystem services in the Alpine region
Authors: Grilli Gianluca , Balest Jessica , De Meo Isabella , Garegnani Giulia , Paletto Alessandro
Published: February 2016

Renewable energies—such as solar photovoltaic power, hydropower, wind power, and forest biomass—have a key role in the European Union (EU) policy aimed at enhancing energy security and mitigating climate change. The new target established by European Commission for 2030 is a 30% improvement in energy efficiency, 40% less greenhouses gas emissions, and 27% increase in energy generation from renewable sources. In order to achieve this target, it will be necessary to define a political strategy to increase renewable energies' production. The renewable energies' production generates different kinds of environmental impacts, depending mainly on the energy source. For this reason, transdisciplinary and local expertise are crucial in order to assess impacts on various ecosystem services and to choose the best renewable energy sources to develop. This study evaluates the potential effects of renewable energies development on Alpine ecosystem services using a questionnaire-based survey. The questionnaire was administrated to a sample of 45 experts in several Alpine areas. Experts' opinions are fundamental for anticipating potential social costs and benefits caused by renewable energies and ensuring a successful formulation and implementation of energy policies, reducing conflicts and improving cooperation among the different groups of interest.
Piezoelectrically-driven production of sub 10 micrometer smart microgels
Authors: Kim Dowan , Kim Dongwan , Lee Eunji , Yoon Jinhwan
Published: February 2016

It is highly desirable to prepare crosslinked microgels whose diameters are comparable to that of a single mammalian cell (i.e., ∼10 μm) with desired monomers for potential biomedical applications. In this study, we have prepared a large number of stimuli-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgels through photo-polymerization in oil of aqueous monomer droplets ejected from a microdroplet generator. The crosslinked microgels as small as 8 μm in diameter could be prepared with a uniform shape and narrow size distribution, and their size could be controlled by adjusting the applied voltages. The size of microgels with LCST behavior was shown to be reduced to ∼5.7 μm with increases in the temperature. Furthermore, the functional monomers, such as fluorescent moieties and photothermal graphene oxide, could be incorporated within the polymer matrices, which introduces the possibility for practical applications such as on-demand drug release systems, tissue engineering, and soft actuators of these microgels.
Detection of a magnetic bead by hybrid nanodevices using scanning gate microscopy
Authors: Corte-León H. , Krzysteczko P. , Marchi F. , Motte J.-F. , Manzin A. , Schumacher H. W. , Antonov V. , Kazakova O.
Published: February 2016

Hybrid ferromagnetic(Py)/non-magnetic metal(Au) junctions with a width of 400 nm are studied by magnetotransport measurements, magnetic scanning gate microscopy (SGM) with a magnetic bead (MB) attached to the probe, and micromagnetic simulations. In the transverse geometry, the devices demonstrate a characteristic magnetoresistive behavior that depends on the direction of the in plane magnetic field, with minimum/maximum variation when the field is applied parallel/perpendicular to the Py wire. The SGM is performed with a NdFeB bead of 1.6 μm diameter attached to the scanning probe. Our results demonstrate that the hybrid junction can be used to detect this type of MB. A rough approximation of the sensing volume of the junction has the shape of elliptical cylinder with the volume of ∼1.51 μm3. Micromagnetic simulations coupled to a magnetotransport model including anisotropic magnetoresistance and planar Hall effects are in good agreement with the experimental findings, enabling the interpretation of the SGM images.
Electrical transport properties of CoMn0.2−xGaxFe1.8O4 ferrites using complex impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Tsay Chien-Yie , Lin Yi-Hsiang , Wang Yao-Ming , Chang Horng-Yi , Lei Chien-Ming , Jen Shien-Uang
Published: February 2016

In this study, we report the influence of Ga content on the microstructural, magnetic, and AC impedance properties of Co-based ferrites with compositions of CoMn0.2−xGaxFe1.8O4 (x=0, 0.1, and 0.2) prepared by the solid-state reaction method. Experimental results showed that the as-prepared Co-based ferrites had a single-phase spinel structure; the Curie temperature of Co-based ferrites decreased with increasing Ga content. All ferrite samples exhibited a typical hysteresis behavior with good values of saturation magnetization at room temperature. The electrical properties of Co-based ferrites were investigated using complex impedance spectroscopy analysis in the frequency range of 100 kHz-50 MHz at temperatures of 150 to 250 oC. The impedance analysis revealed that the magnitudes of the real part (Z’) and the imaginary part (Z”) of complex impedance decreased with increasing temperature. Only one semicircle was observed in each complex impedance plane plot, which revealed that the contribution to conductivity was from the grain boundaries. It was found that the relaxation time for the grain boundary (τgb) also decreased with increasing temperature. The values of resistance for the grain boundary (Rgb) significantly increased with increasing Ga content, which indicated that the incorporation of Ga into Co-based ferrites enhanced the electrical resistivity.
Effects from magnetic boundary conditions in superconducting-magnetic proximity systems
Authors: Baker Thomas E. , Bill Andreas
Published: February 2016

A superconductor-magnetic proximity system displays singlet-triplet pair correlations in the magnetization as a function of inhomogeneities of the magnetic profile. We discuss how the magnetic boundary conditions affects differently the curvature and winding number of rotating magnetizations in the three commonly used structures to generate long range triplet components: an exchange spring, a helical structure and a misaligned magnetic multilayer. We conclude that the choice of the system is dictated by the goal one wishes to achieve in designing a spintronic device but note that only the exchange spring presently offers an experimentally realizable magnetic profile that is tunable.
Modeling silica aerogel optical performance by determining its radiative properties
Authors: Zhao Lin , Yang Sungwoo , Bhatia Bikram , Strobach Elise , Wang Evelyn N.
Published: February 2016

Silica aerogel has been known as a promising candidate for high performance transparent insulation material (TIM). Optical transparency is a crucial metric for silica aerogels in many solar related applications. Both scattering and absorption can reduce the amount of light transmitted through an aerogel slab. Due to multiple scattering, the transmittance deviates from the Beer-Lambert law (exponential attenuation). To better understand its optical performance, we decoupled and quantified the extinction contributions of absorption and scattering separately by identifying two sets of radiative properties. The radiative properties are deduced from the measured total transmittance and reflectance spectra (from 250 nm to 2500 nm) of synthesized aerogel samples by solving the inverse problem of the 1-D Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE). The obtained radiative properties are found to be independent of the sample geometry and can be considered intrinsic material properties, which originate from the aerogel’s microstructure. This finding allows for these properties to be directly compared between different samples. We also demonstrate that by using the obtained radiative properties, we can model the photon transport in aerogels of arbitrary shapes, where an analytical solution is difficult to obtain.
Bipolar resistive switching behaviors of ITO nanowire networks
Authors: Li Qiang , Gong Zhina , Wang Shuai , Wang Jiangteng , Zhang Ye , Yun Feng
Published: February 2016

We have fabricated indium tin oxide (ITO) nanowire (NW) networks on aluminum electrodes using electron beam evaporation. The Ag/ITO-NW networks/Al capacitor exhibits bipolar resistive switching behavior. The resistive switching characteristics of ITO-NW networks are related to the morphology of NWs. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to obtain the chemical nature from the NWs surface, investigating the oxygen vacancy state. A stable switching voltages and a clear memory window were observed in needle-shaped NWs. The ITO-NW networks can be used as a new two-dimensional metal oxide material for the fabrication of high-density memory devices.
Reduction of threading dislocation density in Ge/Si using a heavily As-doped Ge seed layer
Authors: Lee Kwang Hong , Bao Shuyu , Wang Bing , Wang Cong , Yoon Soon Fatt , Michel Jurgen , Fitzgerald Eugene A. , Tan Chuan Seng
Published: February 2016

High quality germanium (Ge) epitaxial film is grown directly on silicon (001) substrate with 6° off-cut using a heavily arsenic (As) doped Ge seed layer. The growth steps consists of (i) growth of a heavily As-doped Ge seed layer at low temperature (LT, at 400 °C), (ii) Ge growth with As gradually reduced to zero at high temperature (HT, at 650 °C), (iii) pure Ge growth at HT. This is followed by thermal cyclic annealing in hydrogen at temperature ranging from 600 to 850 °C. Analytical characterization have shown that the Ge epitaxial film with a thickness of ∼1.5 µm experiences thermally induced tensile strain of 0.20% with a treading dislocation density (TDD) of mid 106/cm2 which is one order of magnitude lower than the control group without As doping and surface roughness of 0.37 nm. The reduction in TDD is due to the enhancement in velocity of dislocations in an As-doped Ge film.
Theoretical analysis on shear-bending deflection of a ring-shape piezoelectric plate
Authors: Yu Zejun , Dong Shuxiang , Fang Daining
Published: February 2016

In this paper, the electromechanical coupling field in shear-bending mode for a ring-shape piezoelectric plate was theoretically established. According to the classical small bending elastic plate theory and piezoelectric constitutive equations, the analytical solution to the bending deformation of the piezo-actuator under electric field and a concentrated or uniformly distributed mechanical load was achieved. The mechanism for generating bending deformation is attributed to axisymmetric shear strain, which further induces the bending deformation of the single ring-shape piezoelectric plate. This mechanism is significant different from that of piezoelectric bimorph or unimorph actuators reported before. Our analysis offers guidance for the optimum design of a ring-shape shear-bending piezo-actuator.
Expression and functional analysis of PhEOL1 and PhEOL2 during flower senescence in petunia
Authors: Liu Juanxu , Zhao Ji , Xiao Zhina , Chang Xinlei , Chen Guoju , Yu Yixun
Published: February 2016

The ethylene biosynthesis pathway controls flower senescence. Previous studies have shown that Arabidopsis ETHYLENE-OVERPRODUCER1 (ETO1) interacts specifically with and negatively regulates type 2 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthases (ACSs), the rate-limiting enzymes of ethylene biosynthesis. The ethylene biosynthesis pathway controls flower senescence in petunias (Petunia hybrida Juss.). However, the role of ETO1-like genes (EOLs) during flower senescence has not been investigated. Here, two full-length petunia EOL cDNAs, PhEOL1 and PhEOL2, were isolated. RT–PCR assays indicated that the expression of PhEOL1 and PhEOL2 increased after exogenous ethylene treatment. The VIGS-mediated silencing of PhEOL1 accelerated flower senescence and produced more ethylene than the control condition, whereas the silencing of PhEOL2 did not. Notably, the effects caused by PhEOL1 suppression were not enhanced by PhEOL2 suppression in corollas. In addition, the expression of two petunia type 2 PhACS genes increased during flower senescence and after ethylene treatment. A yeast two-hybrid assay showed that PhEOL1 interacts with both PhACS2 and PhACS3. It is possible that PhEOL1 is involved in flower senescence by interacting with type 2 PhACSs in petunias.
Spanish migrants to European Union countries: predictors of psychological adjustment / Españoles que emigran a países de la Unión Europea: predictores de su ajuste psicológico
Authors: Elgorriaga Edurne , Ibabe Izaskun , Arnoso Ainara
Published: February 2016

In recent years, the migration of Spanish people to other countries in Europe has increased; however, there are hardly any studies on this phenomenon. The aim of this study is to identify the predictive sociodemographic and psychosocial factors of psychological adjustment (life satisfaction and absence of internalizing symptoms) of emigrants and to determine the indirect effects of these factors through perceived stress. This study also seeks to examine whether the psychological adjustment of Spanish emigrants was similar to Spanish non-emigrants. The sample was made up of a group of Spanish emigrants to Germany and England ( n = 858) and an equivalent control group of Spanish non-emigrants ( n = 328). The results show that fulfilment of expectations, emotional support and job quality are the best predictors of perceived stress and psychological adjustment. These factors are confirmed to have indirect effects on psychological adjustment through perceived stress. Finally, the mental health of emigrants and non-emigrants was similar, and the implications of these findings are discussed.
Potential Medications for the Treatment of Alcohol use Disorder: An Evaluation of Clinical Efficacy and Safety
Authors: Litten Raye Z. , Wilford Bonnie B. , Falk Daniel E. , Ryan Megan L. , Fertig Joanne B.
Published: February 2016

Alcohol use disorder (AUD), as currently defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM–5), is a heterogeneous disorder stemming from a complex interaction of neurobiological, genetic, and environmental factors. As a result of this heterogeneity, there is no one treatment for AUD that will work for everyone. During the past 2 decades, efforts have been made to develop a menu of medications to give patients and clinicians more choices when seeking a therapy that is both effective and which has limited side effects. To date, 3 medications have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat alcohol dependence: disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate. In addition to these approved medications, researchers have identified new therapeutic targets and, as a result, a number of alternative medications are now being evaluated for treatment of AUD in human studies. Although not approved by the FDA for the treatment of AUD, in some cases, these alternative medications are being used off-label by clinicians for this purpose. These potential medications are reviewed here. They include nalmefene, varenicline, gabapentin, topiramate, zonisamide, baclofen, ondansetron, levetiracetam, quetiapine, aripiprazole, and serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The effectiveness of these medications has been mixed—some show good efficacy with side effects that are mild to moderate in intensity; others have mixed or promising results but are awaiting findings from ongoing studies; and still others show poor efficacy, despite promising preliminary results. Medications development remains a high priority. Key initiatives for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) include supporting the discovery and development of more effective and safer medications, advancing the field of personalized medicine, and forging public and private partnerships to investigate new and more effective compounds.
Development of nitrilase promoter-derived inducible vectors for Streptomyces
Authors: Matsumoto Masako , Hashimoto Yoshiteru , Saitoh Yuki , Kumano Takuto , Kobayashi Michihiko
Published: February 2016

An inducible expression vector, pSH19, which harbors regulatory expression system PnitA-NitR, for streptomycetes was constructed previously. Here, we have modified pSH19 to obtain shuttle vectors for Streptomyces-E. coli by introducing the replication origin of a plasmid for E. coli (ColE1) and an antibiotic-resistant gene. Six inducible shuttle vectors, pESH19cF, pESH19cR, pESH19kF, pESH19kR, pESH19aF, and pESH19aR, for Streptomyces-E. coli, were successfully developed. The stability of these vectors was examined in five different E. coli strains and Streptomyces lividans TK24. The stability test showed that the pSH19-derived shuttle vectors were stable in E. coli Stbl2 and S. lividans TK24. Heterologous expression experiments involving each of the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase, nitrilase, and N-substituted formamide deformylase genes as a reporter gene showed that pESH19cF, pESH19kF, and pESH19aF possess inducible expression ability in S. lividans TK24. Thus, these vectors were found to be useful expression tools for experiments on both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial genes.
Cytotoxic evaluation of natural and synthetic callipeltins: a revision of cytotoxicity of callipeltin B
Authors: Kikuchi Mari , Konno Hiroyuki
Published: February 2016

The cytotoxic evaluation of natural and synthetic callipeltins is described. Cyclic depsipeptide callipeltin B and linear peptides callipeltins E and M synthesized by us showed no cytotoxic activity. In contrast, natural callipeltin B purified from Callipelta sp. showed CC50 = 130 μM against Hela cells. We found that purified callipeltin B included the contamination of callipeltins C and H at a ratio of approximately 15%. These results suggested that the cytotoxicity of natural callipeltin B was derived from callipeltins C and H.
ERECTA contributes to non-host resistance to Magnaporthe oryzae in Arabidopsis
Authors: Takahashi Toshiharu , Shibuya Haruki , Ishikawa Atsushi
Published: February 2016

ERECTA controls both developmental processes and disease resistance in Arabidopsis. We investigated the function of ERECTA in non-host resistance to Magnaporthe oryzae in Arabidopsis. In the pen2 er mutant, penetration resistance and post-penetration resistance to M. oryzae were compromised. These results suggest that ERECTA is involved in both penetration and post-penetration resistance to M. oryzae in Arabidopsis.
Assembly, molecular organization, and membrane-binding properties of development-specific septins
Authors: Garcia Galo , Finnigan Gregory C. , Heasley Lydia R. , Sterling Sarah M. , Aggarwal Adeeti , Pearson Chad G. , Nogales Eva , McMurray Michael A. , Thorner Jeremy
Published: February 2016

Septin complexes display remarkable plasticity in subunit composition, yet how a new subunit assembled into higher-order structures confers different functions is not fully understood. Here, this question is addressed in budding yeast, where during meiosis Spr3 and Spr28 replace the mitotic septin subunits Cdc12 and Cdc11 (and Shs1), respectively. In vitro, the sole stable complex that contains both meiosis-specific septins is a linear Spr28–Spr3–Cdc3–Cdc10–Cdc10–Cdc3–Spr3–Spr28 hetero-octamer. Only coexpressed Spr3 and Spr28 colocalize with Cdc3 and Cdc10 in mitotic cells, indicating that incorporation requires a Spr28-Spr3 protomer. Unlike their mitotic counterparts, Spr28-Spr3–capped rods are unable to form higher-order structures in solution but assemble to form long paired filaments on lipid monolayers containing phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate, mimicking presence of this phosphoinositide in the prospore membrane. Spr28 and Spr3 fail to rescue the lethality of a cdc11Δ cdc12Δ mutant, and Cdc11 and Cdc12 fail to restore sporulation proficiency to spr3Δ/spr3Δ spr28Δ/spr28Δ diploids. Thus, specific meiotic and mitotic subunits endow septin complexes with functionally distinct properties.
Strong contraction and influences in tail spaces
Authors: Heilman Steven , Mossel Elchanan , Oleszkiewicz Krzysztof
Published: February 2016

We study contraction under a Markov semi-group and influence bounds for functions in

L
2

L^2

tail spaces, i.e., functions all of whose low level Fourier coefficients vanish. It is natural to expect that certain analytic inequalities are stronger for such functions than for general functions in

L
2

L^2

. In the positive direction we prove an

L

p

L^{p}

Poincaré inequality and moment decay estimates for mean

0
0

functions and for all

1
>
p
>
∞

1>p>\infty

, proving the degree one case of a conjecture of Mendel and Naor as well as the general degree case of the conjecture when restricted to Boolean functions. In the negative direction, we answer negatively two questions of Hatami and Kalai concerning extensions of the Kahn-Kalai-Linial and Harper Theorems to tail spaces. That is, we construct a function

f
:
{
−
1
,
1

}

n

→
{
−
1
,
1
}

f\colon \{-1,1\}^{n}\to \{-1,1\}

whose Fourier coefficients vanish up to level

c
log
⁡
n

c \log n

, with all influences bounded by

C
log
⁡
n

/

n

C \log n/n

for some constants

0
>
c
,
C
>
∞

0>c,C> \infty

. We also construct a function

f
:
{
−
1
,
1

}

n

→
{
0
,
1
}

f\colon \{-1,1\}^{n}\to \{0,1\}

with nonzero mean whose remaining Fourier coefficients vanish up to level

c
′

log
⁡
n

c’ \log n

, with the sum of the influences bounded by

C
′

(

E

f
)
log
⁡
(
1

/

E

f
)

C’(\mathbb {E}f)\log (1/\mathbb {E}f)

for some constants

0
>

c
′

,

C
′

>
∞

0>c’,C’>\infty

.
Network of protein interactions within the
Drosophila
inner kinetochore
Authors: Richter Magdalena M. , Poznanski Jaroslaw , Zdziarska Anna , Czarnocki-Cieciura Mariusz , Lipinszki Zoltan , Dadlez Michal , Glover David M. , Przewloka Marcin R.
Published: February 2016

The kinetochore provides a physical connection between microtubules and the centromeric regions of chromosomes that is critical for their equitable segregation. The trimeric Mis12 sub-complex of the
Drosophila
kinetochore binds to the mitotic centromere using CENP-C as a platform. However, knowledge of the precise connections between Mis12 complex components and CENP-C has remained elusive despite the fundamental importance of this part of the cell division machinery. Here, we employ hydrogen–deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry to reveal that Mis12 and Nnf1 form a dimer maintained by interacting coiled-coil (CC) domains within the carboxy-terminal parts of both proteins. Adjacent to these interacting CCs is a carboxy-terminal domain that also interacts with Nsl1. The amino-terminal parts of Mis12 and Nnf1 form a CENP-C-binding surface, which docks the complex and thus the entire kinetochore to mitotic centromeres. Mutational analysis confirms these precise interactions are critical for both structure and function of the complex. Thus, we conclude the organization of the Mis12–Nnf1 dimer confers upon the Mis12 complex a bipolar, elongated structure that is critical for kinetochore function.