bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calculating average surface enhancement factors of randomly nanostructured electrodes by a combination of SERS and impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Kozuch J. , Petrusch N. , Gkogkou D. , Gernert U. , Weidinger I. M.
Published: January 2015

Simultaneous use of SERS and impedance spectroscopy allows determining electromagnetic field enhancement factors of electrode surfaces with random nanostructures.
Exploring the possibilities of two-dimensional transition metal carbides as anode materials for sodium batteries
Authors: Yang Eunjeong , Ji Hyunjun , Kim Jaehoon , Kim Heejin , Jung Yousung
Published: January 2015

MXenes are predicted to be a family of promising Na anode materials with desirable electrochemical properties using density functional theory.
Dimer domain swapping versus monomer folding in apo-myoglobin studied by molecular simulations
Authors: Ono Koji , Ito Mashiho , Hirota Shun , Takada Shoji
Published: January 2015

Using a coarse-grained symmetrized Go model, we performed a series of folding simulations of two apo-myoglobin molecules restrained at a high density, addressing competition of formation of a domain-swapped dimer with folding to two monomer structures.
Native like helices in a specially designed β peptide in the gas phase
Authors: Schubert Franziska , Pagel Kevin , Rossi Mariana , Warnke Stephan , Salwiczek Mario , Koksch Beate , von Helden Gert , Blum Volker , Baldauf Carsten , Scheffler Matthias
Published: January 2015

First principles simulations and gas phase spectroscopy suggest equilibrium of helices for an oligomer of open chain β amino acids.
A spectroscopic study of the cis/trans-isomers of penta-2,4-dienoic acid attached to gold nanoclusters
Authors: Latorre Federico , Guthmuller Julien , Marquetand Philipp
Published: January 2015

We simulate how one can spectroscopically discriminate between cis/trans isomers of a molecular switch attached to gold nanoclusters.
Extending the range of switchable-hydrophilicity solvents
Authors: Durelle Jeremy , Vanderveen Jesse R. , Quan Yi , Chalifoux Courtney B. , Kostin Julia E. , Jessop Philip G.
Published: January 2015

Adjusting CO2 pressure and water volume increases the range of switchable hydrophilicity solvents.
Specific oxyfunctionalisations catalysed by peroxygenases: opportunities, challenges and solutions
Authors: Bormann Sebastian , Gomez Baraibar Alvaro , Ni Yan , Holtmann Dirk , Hollmann Frank
Published: January 2015

Peroxygenases are promising oxyfunctionalisation catalysts for organic synthesis.
A Fe/Fe3O4/N-carbon composite with hierarchical porous structure and in situ formed N-doped graphene-like layers for high-performance lithium ion batteries
Authors: Li Yao , Meng Qing , Zhu Shen-min , Sun Zeng-hui , Yang Hao , Chen Zhi-xin , Zhu Cheng-ling , Guo Zai-ping , Zhang Di
Published: January 2015

A Fe/Fe3O4/N-carbon composite consisting of a porous carbon matrix containing a highly conductive N-doped graphene-like network and Fe/Fe3O4 nanoparticles was prepared.
Cobalt(iii)porphyrin to target G-quadruplex DNA
Authors: Sabater Laurent , Fang Pei-Ju , Chang Chi-Fon , De Rache Aurore , Prado Enora , Dejeu Jérôme , Garofalo Antonio , Lin Jung-Hsin , Mergny Jean-Louis , Defrancq Eric , Pratviel Geneviève
Published: January 2015

A bulky cationic cobalt(iii) porphyrin carrying two water molecules as axial ligands interacts in a π-stacking like mode with the 5′-external guanine quartet of G-quadruplex DNA.
A porous ZnGaNO photoanode for efficient water oxidation modified by a Co-based electrocatalyst
Authors: Yan S. C. , Zou Z. G.
Published: January 2015

Porous ZnGaNO microrods were synthesized by a single crystal internal decomposition route, and exhibited high performance in photoelectrochemical water splitting due to the high specific area and short charge transfer distance of the microstructure.
Nanocrystalline Ni5P4: a hydrogen evolution electrocatalyst of exceptional efficiency in both alkaline and acidic media
Authors: Laursen A. B. , Patraju K. R. , Whitaker M. J. , Retuerto M. , Sarkar T. , Yao N. , Ramanujachary K. V. , Greenblatt M. , Dismukes G. C.
Published: January 2015

Crystalline Ni5P4 evolves hydrogen with electrical-efficiency comparable to platinum—while being corrosion-resistant in both acid and base for >16 hours.
Visible-light driven heterojunction photocatalysts for water splitting – a critical review
Authors: Moniz Savio J. A. , Shevlin Stephen A. , Martin David James , Guo Zheng-Xiao , Tang Junwang
Published: January 2015

We summarise current state-of-the-art efficient visible-light driven heterojunction water splitting photo(electro)catalysts and describe how theoretical modelling of electronic structures at interfaces can explain their functionality.
Urea homogeneous nucleation mechanism is solvent dependent
Authors: Salvalaglio Matteo , Mazzotti Marco , Parrinello Michele
Published: January 2015

The composition of the mother phase plays a primary role in crystallization processes, affecting both crystal nucleation and growth. In this work, the influence of solvents on urea nucleation has been investigated by means of enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations. We find that, depending on the solvent, the nucleation process can either follow a single-step or a two-step mechanism. While in methanol and ethanol a single-step nucleation process is favored, in acetonitrile a two-step process emerges as the most likely nucleation pathway. We also find that solvents have a minor impact on polymorphic transitions in the early stages of urea nucleation. The impact of finite size effects on the free energy surfaces is systematically considered and discussed in relation to the simulation setup.
Design of organosulfonic acid functionalized organosilica hollow nanospheres for efficient conversion of furfural alcohol to ethyl levulinate
Authors: Lu Bo , An Sai , Song Daiyu , Su Fang , Yang Xia , Guo Yihang
Published: January 2015

One-step prepared organosulfonic acid-functionalized organosilica hollow nanospheres exhibited excellent catalytic activity and stability in direct synthesis of ethyl levulinate from ethanolysis of biomass-derived furfural alcohol.
PGluS: prediction of protein S-glutathionylation sites with multiple features and analysis
Authors: Zhao Xiaowei , Ning Qiao , Ai Meiyu , Chai Haiting , Yin Minghao
Published: January 2015

S-Glutathionylation is a reversible protein post-translational modification, which generates mixed disulfides between glutathione (GSH) and cysteine residues, playing an important role in regulating protein stability, activity, and redox regulation.
SiO2–H3BO3promoted solvent-free, green and sustainable synthesis of bioactive 1-substituted-1H-tetrazole analogues
Authors: Parveen Mehtab , Ahmad Faheem , Mohammed Malla Ali , Azaz Shaista
Published: January 2015

Eco-friendly and expeditious synthesis of tetrazole derivatives.
Biological targets and mechanisms of action of natural products from marine cyanobacteria
Authors: Salvador-Reyes Lilibeth A. , Luesch Hendrik
Published: January 2015

Diversification of the screening platform coupled with innovative adaptation to natural products derived from marine cyanobacteria led to the characterization of intriguing mechanisms of action and a powerful display of potent bioactivities.
Ester coupling reactions – an enduring challenge in the chemical synthesis of bioactive natural products
Authors: Tsakos Michail , Schaffert Eva S. , Clement Lise L. , Villadsen Nikolaj L. , Poulsen Thomas B.
Published: January 2015

In this review we investigate the use of complex ester fragment couplings within natural product total syntheses. Using examples from the literature up to 2014 we illustrate the state-of-the-art as well as the challenges within this area of organic synthesis.
Size and nanocrystallinity controlled gold nanocrystals: synthesis, electronic and mechanical properties
Authors: Goubet N. , Tempra I. , Yang J. , Soavi G. , Polli D. , Cerullo G. , Pileni M. P.
Published: January 2015

Controlled synthesis of gold nanocrystals differing in their sizes and nanocrystallinity allows the study of their acoustic and electronic vibrations.
Degradable polyphosphoester-based silver-loaded nanoparticles as therapeutics for bacterial lung infections
Authors: Zhang Fuwu , Smolen Justin A. , Zhang Shiyi , Li Richen , Shah Parth N. , Cho Sangho , Wang Hai , Raymond Jeffery E. , Cannon Carolyn L. , Wooley Karen L.
Published: January 2015

Degradable polyphosphoester-based polymeric nanoparticles carrying silver cations via interactions with alkyne groups has been developed for lung infections.
Solid-state circularly polarised luminescence of atropisomeric fluorophores embedded in achiral myo-inositol-containing polyurethanes
Authors: Amako Tomoyuki , Nakabayashi Kazuki , Sudo Atsushi , Fujiki Michiya , Imai Yoshitane
Published: January 2015

Two chiral binaphthyl fluorophores in two myo-inositol based polyurethane matrices with high grass transition temperatures emitted circularly polarised luminescence with a high circular anisotropy factor.
A new single/few-layered graphene oxide with a high dielectric constant of 106: contribution of defects and functional groups
Authors: Kumar K. Santhosh , Pittala Suresh , Sanyadanam Srinath , Paik Pradip
Published: January 2015

In this study, we introduce a single/few-layered graphene oxide (GO) synthesized with ultrasonication, and demonstrate its high dielectric permittivity in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 2 MHz and temperature range of 30 °C to 180 °C.
Binding mechanism of tauroursodeoxycholic acid to human serum albumin: insights from NMR relaxation and docking simulations
Authors: Wu Di , Zhai Yuanming , Yan Jin , Xu Kailin , Wang Qing , Li Yuanzhi , Li Hui
Published: January 2015

Binding patterns and structure–affinity relationship of tauroursodeoxycholic acid with human serum albumin were established by NMR methodology and docking simulations.
Novel perovskite–spinel composite approach to enhance the magnetization of LaFeO3
Authors: Gaikwad Vishwajit M. , Acharya Smita A.
Published: January 2015

In the present work, the perovskite–spinel interface effect on the bulk magnetic behavior of lanthanum ferrite (LaFeO3) based composite systems is under investigation in view of the enhancement of the magnetization of LaFeO3.
Highly sensitive and selective toluene sensor based on Ce-doped coral-like SnO2
Authors: Qu Yang , Wang Hui , Chen Hao , Xiao Jie , Lin Zhidong , Dai Ke
Published: January 2015

Coral-like porous SnO2 was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal treatment. 1.5% CeO2-doped SnO2 shows high response and selectivity to toluene, as the Ce-dopant can enhance its sensitivity. This good performance may contribute to the catalytic oxidation effect of CeO2.
Novel magnetic nanocomposite injectables: calcium phosphate cements impregnated with ultrafine magnetic nanoparticles for bone regeneration
Authors: Perez Roman A. , Patel Kapil D. , Kim Hae-Won
Published: January 2015

Novel magnetic nanocomposite injectables made of calcium phosphate cements and magnetite nanoparticles demonstrated excellent physico-chemical and biological properties effective for bone regeneration.
High coloration efficiency and fast switching speed of poly(amic acid-imide)s containing triphenylamine in acidic electrolyte
Authors: Wang Yanqiu , Liang Yu , Zhu Jiaying , Bai Xuduo , Jiang Xiankai , Zhang Qian , Niu Haijun
Published: January 2015

The PAA-IM-1 film showed excellent reversible electrochromic stability and short switching time in acidic electrolyte (MBSA).
Simple and rapid preparation of orange-yellow fluorescent gold nanoclusters using dl-homocysteine as a reducing/stabilizing reagent and their application in cancer cell imaging
Authors: Xu Shouming , Yang Hong , Zhao Kang , Li Jianguo , Mei Liyun , Xie Yun , Deng Anping
Published: January 2015

dl-Homocysteine was firstly used as a reducing/stabilizing reagent in a facile preparation of fluorescent Au NCs for bioimaging.
A new rhodamine derivative as a single optical probe for the recognition of Cu2+and Zn2+ions
Authors: Rai Abhishek , Kumari Niraj , Nair Rohini , Singh Kiran , Mishra Lallan
Published: January 2015

A rhodamine-based chemosensor exhibits pink color on addition of Cu2+ions and is returned to colorless by addition of aqueous solution of Na2EDTA. It fluoresces in the presence of Zn2+ions, displaying a color change from colorless to orange in the presence of UV light.
Effects of azide on current generation and microbial community in air-cathode MFCs
Authors: Zhou Xiangtong , Qu Youpeng , Kim Byung Hong , Li Henan , Liu Jia , Du Yue , Li Da , Dong Yue , Ren Nanqi , Feng Yujie
Published: January 2015

The microbial community enriched with azide was not significantly altered compared to the control.
Observation of a magnetic phase transition but absence of an electrical response in a new two-dimensional mixed-valence nickel-bis-dithiolene molecular crystal
Authors: Yang Hao , An De-Yue , Liu Jian-Lan , Ren Xiao-Ming , Zhou Lan-Cheng , Wang Hua-Bing
Published: January 2015

A two-dimensional mixed-valence molecular crystal of [Ni(dmit)2]3− shows a magnetic phase transition at ca. 77 K but absence of an electrical response in the same temperature interval.
Introduction of chiral 2-(aminoalkyl) substituents into 5-amino-1,3-oxazol-4-ylphosphonic acid derivatives and their use in phosphonodipeptide synthesis
Authors: Lukashuk O. I. , Abdurakhmanova E. R. , Kondratyuk K. M. , Golovchenko O. V. , Khokhlov K. V. , Brovarets V. S. , Kukhar V. P.
Published: January 2015

Starting from phthalimidoalkanoylamines 1 we have suggested a synthetic route to 5-amino-1,3-oxazol-4-ylphosphonic acid derivatives 5 , which have been further used to obtain phosphonodipeptides 8, 9, and 10 with the original optical purity retained.
Effect of the liquid crystal solute on the rotator phase transitions of n-alkanes
Authors: Mukherjee Prabir K.
Published: January 2015

Recent experimental studies have shown that the liquid crystal substance plays an important role in determining the structures and the phase transitions of the different rotator phases in binary mixtures ofn-alkane and liquid crystals.
Chalcomer assembly of optical chemosensors for selective Cu2+ and Ni2+ ion recognition
Authors: Singh Gurjaspreet , Singh Jandeep , Mangat Satinderpal Singh , Singh Jasbhinder , Rani Sunita
Published: January 2015

The o-, m- and p-isomeric units of chalconyl triazole-based, caged organosilicon complexes were efficiently synthesized and explored for their cationic chemosensing activities.
Size dependence of the equation of state for Ne nanoclusters from an effective two-body potential via molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Akbarzadeh Hamed , Abbaspour Mohsen
Published: January 2015

In this paper we have extended the equation of state (EoS) in terms of particle size for Ne nanoclusters using an effective two-body Hartree–Fock dispersion (HFD)-like potential by molecular dynamics simulations.
Solid-state NMR studies of nucleic acid components
Authors: Dračínský Martin , Hodgkinson Paul
Published: January 2015

Recent applications of solid-state NMR spectroscopy to studies of nucleic acids and their components.
Effect of reactive organoclay on physicochemical properties of vegetable oil-based waterborne polyurethane nanocomposites
Authors: Gurunathan T. , Mohanty Smita , Nayak Sanjay K.
Published: January 2015

The environmentally friendly vegetable oil-based waterborne polyurethane–organoclay nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized from castor oil polyols, isophorone diisocyanate and dimethylolpropionic acid.
Effect of hollow silica spheres on water vapor permeability of polyacrylate film
Authors: Bao Yan , Shi Chunhua , Yang Yongqiang , Ma Jianzhong , Sha Risong
Published: January 2015

Hollow silica spheres with different hollow size and shell thickness were synthesized via a template method using PS spheres as templates and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis.
Ruthenium(ii) complexes containing a phosphine-functionalized thiosemicarbazone ligand: synthesis, structures and catalytic C–N bond formation reactions via N-alkylation
Authors: Ramachandran Rangasamy , Prakash Govindan , Selvamurugan Sellappan , Viswanathamurthi Periasamy , Malecki Jan Grzegorz , Linert Wolfgang , Gusev Alexey
Published: January 2015

We report the coordination flexibility of phosphino-thiosemicarbazone in ruthenium(ii) complexes, together with their catalytic properties with regards to N-alkylation.
Stability and electronic structures of triazine-based carbon nitride nanotubes
Authors: Shojaei Fazel , Kang Hong Seok
Published: January 2015

In contrast to the case of carbon nanotubes, the negative strain energy indicates that single-walled and double-walled triazine-based carbon nitride nanotubes (TACNNTs) are appreciably more stable than the single layer and the bilayer of gt-C3N4, respectively. Boron-doping turns the material into a magnetic semiconductor.
The number density effect of N-substituted dyes on the TiO2 surface in dye sensitized solar cells: a theoretical study
Authors: Surakhot Yaowarat , Rattanawan Rattanawalee , Ronyhut Kritsada , Mangsachart Ponlawat , Sudyoadsuk Taweesak , Promarak Vinich , Namuangruk Supawadee , Kungwan Nawee , Jungsuttiwong Siriporn
Published: January 2015

The bulky of the donor moiety reduces the number density of the adsorbed Dye3 on the surface dramatically, corresponding to poorer energy conversion efficiency of 3.91% in Dye3 compared to the significantly better performance of 5.45% in Dye2.
Effect of film thickness and crystallinity on the thermoelectric properties of doped P3HT films
Authors: Hong Cheon Taek , Yoo Youngjae , Kang Young Hun , Ryu Juwhan , Cho Song Yun , Jang Kwang-Suk
Published: January 2015

Influence of film thickness and crystallinity of poly(3-hexylthiopene) (P3HT) on the thermoelectric properties of doped P3HT films was systematically investigated.
Light trapping in hematite-coated transparent particles for solar fuel generation
Authors: Danaei Davood , Saeidi Raheleh , Dabirian Ali
Published: January 2015

We propose and theoretically evaluate transparent TiO2 particles coated with an extremely thin hematite layer as building blocks for hematite photoanodes using combined host–guest and Mie resonance concepts to achieve significant optical absorption.
Safranin and cysteine capped gold nanoparticles: spectroscopic qualitative and quantitative studies
Authors: Aghajanloo F. , Nouroozi S. , Rostamizadeh K.
Published: January 2015

The interaction between cysteine and safranin with citrate capped gold nanoparticles was studied.
Fluorous solid-phase extraction (F-SPE) as a pilot tool for quantitative determination of perfluorochemicals in water samples coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Xu Chen , Zhu Jiajun , Li Yan , Yu Yingjia , Duan Gengli
Published: January 2015

As a large group of stable existing organofluorine compounds widely present in the environment, perfluorochemicals (PFCs) could pose potential adverse effects on human health.
Coumarin-based supramolecular gelator: a case of selective detection of F− and HP2O73−
Authors: Ghosh Kumaresh , Panja Santanu
Published: January 2015

Coumarin-based small molecular gelator 1 forms stable, fluorescent gel from CHCl3–petroleum ether (1 : 1, v/v). The gel is selectively disintegrated in the presence of F− and hydrogen pyrophosphate.
An “all-water” strategy for regiocontrolled synthesis of 2-aryl quinoxalines
Authors: Tanwar Babita , Purohit Priyank , Raju Banothu Naga , Kumar Dinesh , Kommi Damodara N. , Chakraborti Asit K.
Published: January 2015

CascadeN-aroylmethylation–reduction–condensation process as novel strategy of “all water chemistry” for first generalized regioselective synthesis of 2-aryl quinoxalines.
Metal oxidation states in biological water splitting
Authors: Krewald Vera , Retegan Marius , Cox Nicholas , Messinger Johannes , Lubitz Wolfgang , DeBeer Serena , Neese Frank , Pantazis Dimitrios A.
Published: January 2015

A central question in biological water splitting concerns the oxidation states of the manganese ions that comprise the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II.
Three-dimensional Au0.5/reduced graphene oxide/Au0.5/reduced graphene oxide/carbon fiber electrode and its high catalytic performance toward ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline media
Authors: Wang Caiqin , Wang Huiwen , Zhai Chunyang , Ren Fangfang , Zhu Mingshan , Yang Ping , Du Yukou
Published: January 2015

Highly efficient catalytic activity for the ethanol electrooxidation reaction was achieved using a three-dimensional layer-by-layer Au0.5/RGO/Au0.5/RGO/CF electrode in alkaline medium.
The anion effect on the oxygen reduction of MnX (X = O, S, and Se) catalysts
Authors: Liu Xue , Du Jing , Li Chun , Han Xiaopeng , Hu Xiaofei , Cheng Fangyi , Chen Jun
Published: January 2015

In this study, a series of Mn-based compounds, MnX (X = O, S, and Se), were prepared and investigated as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
Co-liposomes of redox-active alkyl-ferrocene modified low MW branched PEI and DOPE for efficacious gene delivery in serum
Authors: Kumar Krishan , Vulugundam Gururaja , Kondaiah Paturu , Bhattacharya Santanu
Published: January 2015

Ferrocenylated lipopolymers based on low molecular weight, branched polyethylenimine (BPEI 800 Da) for redox controlled gene delivery.
Cellulose nanofiber–titania nanocomposites as potential drug delivery systems for dermal applications
Authors: Galkina O. L. , Ivanov V. K. , Agafonov A. V. , Seisenbaeva G. A. , Kessler V. G.
Published: January 2015

Nanocomposites with potential for dermal drug delivery have been developed using nanotitania chemically grafted onto nanocellulose as an active ingredient for enhanced uptake and controlled release of model drug loads.
Validation of a dendron concept to tune colloidal stability, MRI relaxivity and bioelimination of functional nanoparticles
Authors: Walter A. , Garofalo A. , Parat A. , Jouhannaud J. , Pourroy G. , Voirin E. , Laurent S. , Bonazza P. , Taleb J. , Billotey C. , Vander Elst L. , Muller R. N. , Begin-Colin S. , Felder-Flesch D.
Published: January 2015

A dendritic coating induces colloidal stability of nanoparticles through electrostatic and steric interactions.
Integrating silver compounds and nanoparticles into ceria nanocontainers for antimicrobial applications
Authors: Gagnon J. , Clift M. J. D. , Vanhecke D. , Kuhn D. A. , Weber P. , Petri-Fink A. , Rothen-Rutishauser B. , Fromm K. M.
Published: January 2015

Silver compounds and nanoparticles (NPs) are gaining increasing interest in medical applications, specifically in the treatment and prevention of biomaterial-related infections.
Phase transition and piezoelectricity of sol–gel-processed Sm-doped BiFeO3 thin films on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates
Authors: Sun Wei , Li Jing-Feng , Yu Qi , Cheng Li-Qian
Published: January 2015

We prepared high-quality Bi1−xSmxFeO3 films on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by sol–gel processing and found rhombohedral–orthorhombic phase transition with enhanced piezoelectricity.
Almost multiphase sequences based on Chu sequences
Authors: Gantmakher V.E. , Zaleshin M.V.
Published: January 2015

A new family of almost multiphase sequences (AMPSs) with perfect periodic autocorrelation function (PACF) is offered. The obtained sequences are based on Chu sequences and differ from them by the structure, the peak‐factor which is nearly equal to one, and by fewer phases for the same periods.
Quad‐band filter with high skirt selectivity using stub‐loaded nested dual‐open loop resonators
Authors: Wu Bian , Qiu Feng , Lin Lei
Published: January 2015

A quad‐band filter with compact size and high skirt selectivity utilising stub‐loaded nested dual‐open loop resonators is presented. By loading open‐ended stubs at the centre of the two nested resonators, two odd modes as well as two even modes can be independently adjusted to realise a flexible quad‐band filtering response. Moreover, both a pair of zero‐degree feed lines and the frequency transformation method are adopted to introduce multiple transmission zeroes, which rightly enhance the out‐of‐band selectivity. According to the topology circuit design and coupling matrix synthesis, a quad‐band filter operating at 1.58/1.81/2.50/2.66 GHz is finally designed and fabricated.
Compact FSS absorber design using resistively loaded quadruple hexagonal loops for bandwidth enhancement
Authors: Zabri S.N. , Cahill R. , Schuchinsky A.
Published: January 2015

The design of a thin microwave absorber which exhibits a −10 dB reflectivity bandwidth of 108% at normal incidence and 16% for simultaneous suppression of TE and TM polarised waves over the angular range 0–45° is presented. The structure consists of a 3 mm‐thick metal backed frequency selective surface (FSS) with four resistively loaded hexagonal loop elements in each unit cell. The surface resistivity and width of the loops are carefully chosen to maximise the bandwidth by merging the reflection nulls that are generated by the multi‐resonant absorber. Measurement and simulation results are in good agreement over the broad frequency range 7.8–24 GHz.
Fast wavelength conversion to generate 560 nm fluorescence for data transmission in polymer optical fibres
Authors: Ribeiro R.M. , Silva V.N.H. , Barbero A.P.L. , Alves C.M. , Rodrigues C.R.L.
Published: January 2015

The use of a fluorescent fibre (15.5 mm in length) pumped in a forward direction with a 520 nm emitting LED for fast wavelength conversion to 560 nm is reported. In addition to the fact that this wavelength matches the attenuation minima of poly‐methyl‐methacrylate polymer optical fibres (POFs), the presented results show an external conversion efficiency of 4.7% and a bandwidth of 52.5 MHz. The device is a simple, inexpensive, compact, eye‐safe and lightweight optical source at 560 nm. It can be suitable for single‐channel ‘long‐distance’ (>400 m) or WDM‐based links using POFs, presenting a bandwidth–distance product of 50–100 MHz/100 m.
Sparse covariance‐based high resolution time delay estimation for spread spectrum signals
Authors: Park H.R. , Li J.
Published: January 2015

A new approach to time delay estimation for spread spectrum signals which is based on a covariance‐based fitting criterion is introduced. Since the conventional correlation method cannot resolve the spread spectrum signals that are separated less than a pseudo‐noise chip apart, a further process may be necessary for correlation outputs to increase the resolution capability. To this end, a sparse covariance‐based estimation algorithm that was originally proposed for direction‐of‐arrival estimation is adopted and its superiority is verified, especially in correlated signal environments.
Mitigation of stationary clutter in vital‐sign‐monitoring linear‐frequency‐modulated continuous‐wave radars
Authors: Muñoz‐Ferreras José‐María , Wang Guochao , Li Changzhi , Gómez‐García Roberto
Published: January 2015

Stationary clutter can seriously degrade the performance of radar sensors. In the specific context of vital‐sign monitoring, this deterioration can lead to the impossibility of tracking the desired motions. Pure linear‐frequency‐modulated continuous‐wave (LFMCW) radars have arisen as an interesting solution to monitor vital signs, featuring both an increased phase‐based range precision and an advantageous range‐isolation capability. In this study, the impact of clutter on healthcare LFMCW radars is mathematically analysed and a Doppler high‐pass filtering technique is proposed for its suppression. Simulation results are provided to highlight the key aspects of the derived mathematical framework and associated Doppler processing. Real experiments are also conducted to prove the validity of the devised clutter‐mitigation procedure.
Determining the exact number of dye molecules attached to colloidal CdSe/ZnS quantum dots in Förster resonant energy transfer assemblies
Authors: Kaiser Uwe , Jimenez de Aberasturi Dorleta , Vázquez-González Margarita , Carrillo-Carrion Carolina , Niebling Tobias , Parak Wofgang J. , Heimbrodt Wolfram
Published: January 2015

Semiconductor quantum dots functionalized with organic dye molecules are important tools for biological sensor applications. Energy transfer between the quantum dot and the attached dyes can be utilized for sensing. Though important, the determination of the real number of dye molecules attached per quantum dot is rather difficult. In this work, a method will be presented to determine the number of ATTO-590 dye molecules attached to CdSe/ZnS quantum dots based on time resolved spectral analysis. The energy transfer from the excited quantum dot to the attached ATTO-590 dye leads to a reduced lifetime of the quantum dot's excitons. The higher the concentration of dye molecules, the shorter the excitonic lifetime becomes. However, the number of dye molecules attached per quantum dot will vary. Therefore, for correctly explaining the decay of the luminescence upon photoexcitation of the quantum dot, it is necessary to take into account the distribution of the number of dyes attached per quantum dot. A Poisson distribution of the ATTO-590 dye molecules not only leads to excellent agreement between experimental and theoretical decay curves but also additionally yields the average number of dye molecules attached per quantum dot. In this way, the number of dyes per quantum dot can be conveniently determined.
Hot electron energy relaxation in lattice-matched InAlN/AlN/GaN heterostructures: The sum rules for electron-phonon interactions and hot-phonon effect
Authors: Zhang J.-Z. , Dyson A. , Ridley B. K.
Published: January 2015

Using the dielectric continuum (DC) and three-dimensional phonon (3DP) models, energy relaxation (ER) of the hot electrons in the quasi-two-dimensional channel of lattice-matched InAlN/AlN/GaN heterostructures is studied theoretically, taking into account non-equilibrium polar optical phonons, electron degeneracy, and screening from the mobile electrons. The electron power dissipation (PD) and ER time due to both half-space and interface phonons are calculated as functions of the electron temperature Te using a variety of phonon lifetime values from experiment, and then compared with those evaluated by the 3DP model. Thereby, particular attention is paid to examination of the 3DP model to use for the hot-electron relaxation study. The 3DP model yields very close results to the DC model: With no hot phonons or screening, the power loss calculated from the 3DP model is 5% smaller than the DC power dissipation, whereas slightly larger 3DP power loss (by less than 4% with a phonon lifetime from 0.1 to 1 ps) is obtained throughout the electron temperature range from room temperature to 2500 K after including both the hot-phonon effect (HPE) and screening. Very close results are obtained also for ER time with the two phonon models (within a 5% of deviation). However, the 3DP model is found to underestimate the HPE by 9%. The Mori-Ando sum rule is restored by which it is proved that the PD values obtained from the DC and 3DP models are in general different in the spontaneous phonon emission process, except when scattering with interface phonons is sufficiently weak, or when the degenerate modes condition is imposed, which is also consistent with Register's scattering rate sum rule. The discrepancy between the DC and 3DP results is found to be caused by how much the high-energy interface phonons contribute to the ER: their contribution is enhanced in the spontaneous emission process but is dramatically reduced after including the HPE. Our calculation with both phonon models has obtained a great fall in ER time at low electron temperatures (Te < 750 K) and slow decrease at the high temperatures with the use of decreasing phonon lifetime with Te. The calculated temperature dependence of the relaxation time and the high-temperature relaxation time ∼0.09 ps are in good agreement with experimental results.
Spin orbital torque driven magnetization switching in magnetic tunnel junction with inter-layer exchange coupling
Authors: Xu Lei , Ma Zhongshui , Wei Dan
Published: January 2015

The switching processes of elliptically shaped magnetic tunnel junction bits with the structure Ta/CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB have been studied by the micromagnetic models. By comparing the tunneling magneto-resistance minor and major loops calculated by our model with related experimental results, we found that the inter-layer exchange coupling between the two CoFeB layers and a reduced saturation magnetization Ms distribution at the edge of the elliptical bit should be included. The chosen strength of the inter-layer exchange coupling also matches well with experimental observations. The current induced magnetization switching is generated from the spin Hall effect in the Ta layer. The critical switching currents calculated by our model are coincident with experiment. This shows the reliability of our micromagnetic model with the spin orbital torque term.
Ability to recover overrides the negative effects of flooding on growth of tropical grasses Chloris gayana and Panicum coloratum
Authors: Imaz José A. , Giménez Daniel O. , Grimoldi Agustín A. , Striker Gustavo G.
Published: January 2015

This study assessed the flooding tolerance of the tropical grasses Chloris gayana Kunth and Panicum coloratum L. at different times of the year: (i) late winter flooding for 50 days (WF), (ii) early spring flooding (SF) for 20 days, and (iii) long-term flooding covering both periods (WF + SF, 70 days). A growth period under well-watered conditions was allowed after each flooding event to assess recovery of plant species. Plants were harvested after each flooding event and at the end of the recovery period. Panicum coloratum had higher tolerance to WF than C. gayana. Treatment WF did not affect biomass in P. coloratum, whereas it reduced biomass of flooded plants by 38% in C. gayana. Treatment SF did not differentiate the species for tolerance; both registered moderate reduction in their growth (20–30%). Under WF + SF, C. gayana showed additional reduction in its growth over that observed when subjected separately to either WF or SF, whereas P. coloratum did not. Both species displayed remarkably fast recovery from flooding when temperatures rose during early summer, attaining biomass equivalent to that of non-flooded plants 1 month after water subsided. Therefore, although P. coloratum appears slightly more tolerant during flooding than C. gayana, both species are promising for introduction in temperate lowland grasslands.
Disputes over the 15-point agreement on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia
Authors: Beha Adem
Published: January 2015

This paper examines the 15-point agreement on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Two mainstream discourses have prevailed since the agreement was ratified by both countries: on one hand, the Government of Kosovo has branded this agreement as historic, given the fact that in the last century no agreement has ever been reached between Kosovo and Serbia. On the other hand, Kosovo's political opposition has critiqued this agreement stressing that the 15-point agreement devastates Kosovo's statehood. Beyond both extreme stances, we argue that an enhanced autonomy for four northern Serb municipalities ought to be seen as a tool for integration, rather than disintegration of Kosovo statehood. This paper concludes that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia as a top-down arrangement lacks transparency, and this might jeopardize the achievements reached through this process. Moreover, the EU position should be clearly articulated that redrawing and rearranging the borders of Kosovo and Serbia might overturn the EU's and USA's immense investments in stability, peace, and prosperity in the Western Balkans.
The betrayal of the intellectuals
Authors: Iye Ali Moussa
Published: January 2015

The world has evolved, yet in the Horn of Africa people continue to settle ancient scores amongst themselves. As at the time of the Crusades, they confront one another along the same battlelines and from the same ideological trenches. The intellectuals of the region have proved unable to emancipate themselves from the dominant discourses of their societies and cultures and their power structures. Intellectuals throughout the region have been seduced, suborned and instrumentalised by power. They have rallied to every flag of convenience raised by powerholders and powerseekers, In so doing, they have betrayed their calling and their people. What this region needs is intellectuals with integrity and the will to resist the temptation of power. It is time for the intellectuals of the Horn of Africa to launch a ‘liberation movement’ of and for themselves. A movement for the emancipation of critical thought and its use for the benefit of the common man and woman.
The Ethiopian-Eritrea war
Authors: Lata Leenco
Published: January 2015

The Ethiopia-Eritrea war of 1998–2000 stands apart from other contemporary conflicts in Africa in a number of critical ways. First, the multiplicity of its proximate and distant historical causes, coupled with its diverse forms of manifestation, renders fitting it into neat conventional categories a very challenging undertaking. Analysing and adopting policies and measures demands a prior ability to fit conflicts into known categories. Conflicts are commonly believed to fit into either the (1) inter-state (inter-national) or (2) the intra-state (domestic) categories. The latter is further divided into (a) inter-communal or inter-ethnic and (b) intra-communal or intra-ethnic. The main argument of this paper is that the Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict defies attempts to fit it neatly into just one of these types.
State collapse in Somalia: second thoughts
Authors: Menkhaus Ken
Published: January 2015

Somalia's protracted crisis of complete state collapse is unprecedented and has defied easy explanation. Disaggregating the Somali debacle into three distinct crises – collapse of central government, protracted armed conflict, and lawlessness – helps to produce more nuanced analysis. Significant changes have occurred in the nature and intensity of conflict and lawlessness in Somalia since the early 1990s, with conflicts becoming more localized and less bloody, and criminality more constrained by customary law and private security forces. These trends are linked to changing interests on the part of the political and economic elite, who now profit less from war and banditry and more from commerce and service business that require a predictable operating environment. The prolonged collapse of Somalia's central government cannot be explained as a reflection of local interests. The country's elite would profit greatly from the revival of a recognized but ineffective ‘paper’ state. The inability of Somalia's leaders to cobble together such a state is best explained as a product of risk aversion. Political and economic actors in collapsed states fear a change in the operating environment which, though far from ideal, is one in which they have learned to survive and profit.
Sudan: liberation movements, regional armies, ethnic militias & peace
Authors: Young John
Published: January 2015

At the time this article was written – autumn 2002 – peace talks were underway between the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) and the Government of Sudan (GoS) in Machakos, Kenya. For the first time since the outbreak of the conflict nineteen years ago, the July 20th Protocol reached between the belligerents under the auspices of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) at Machakos raised the possibility of a negotiated resolution of the conflict. Sudan's civil war has been part of the political landscape of Africa for so long, that most people believe it to be intractable. Even more difficult to envisage is an effective government, autonomous or independent, in Southern Sudan. Therefore, it is time to consider the issue of governance in the South, taking into account the administrative and political capacity of the SPLM/A, as well as the challenge posed by a host of rival armed movements loosely grouped under the umbrella of the South Sudan Democratic Front (SSDF), plus a dozen or more tribal militias
Anatomy of a conflict: Afar & Ise Ethiopia
Authors: Markakis John
Published: January 2015

Bloodshed at Galalu
23 March 2002: Dawn came that day to find a group of about thirty Afar warriors lying in ambush alongside the road to Djibouti. Newly re-surfaced, Ethiopia's sole link to the sea cuts a straight dark line through the desiccated Alligedhi plain. No vehicles were on the road at that early hour. Lorry drivers avoid night travel, preferring to spend evenings in the shantytowns that dot the road, where they find food, drink and women for sale. A bridge nearby takes the road over the dry bed of the Galalu, a seasonal stream that brings rainwater from the Asebot Mountains to the south. Rain had not fallen in many months, and the emaciated animals on the plain were herded to the Awash River, the area's only permanent source of water some distance to the west. A single well on the Galalu streambed keeps water throughout the year, a precious resource for pastoralists in this parched land, and a bone of violent contention in times of drought.
Somaliland: choosing politics over violence
Authors: Bradbury Mark , Abokor Adan Yusuf , Yusuf Haroon Ahmed
Published: January 2015

Since breaking away from Somalia in 1991, the people of Somaliland have charted a different path from Somalia away from violent conflict towards constitutional politics. Unrecognised by the international community, political reconstruction in Somaliland has largely been an internal affair. While lack of formal recognition has had its costs, it has also has given Somalilanders the opportunity to craft a system of government rooted in their local culture and values that is appropriate to their needs. For the past decade this has comprised a system of government that fuses traditional forms of social and political organisation with Western-style institutions of government. In December 2002 Somaliland took the first step towards changing this system by holding multi-party elections for district councils. These were followed in April 2003 by presidential elections. This paper describes the process of political transition in Somaliland and the first democratic elections in this region for 33 years.
Briefings
Authors: Mohammed Adan Azain
Published: January 2015

Tribal fights have claimed thousands of lives in recent years in Darfur region of western Sudan. Competition over scarce and diminishing resources is the usual cause of conflict, pitting nomads against nomads, nomads against cultivators, migrants from Chad across the border against local inhabitants, and Arabs against Fur. While men do the fighting, some women have the role of appraising men's conduct in war. They can make or break a man's reputation with their poems and songs that praise aggression and bravery and ridicule timidity and cowardice.
Exact Lagrangian immersions with a single double point
Authors: Ekholm Tobias , Smith Ivan
Published: January 2015

We show that if a closed orientable

2
k

2k

-manifold

K
K

,

k
>
2

k>2

, with Euler characteristic

χ
(
K
)
≠
−
2

\chi (K)\ne -2

admits an exact Lagrangian immersion into

C

2
k

\mathbb {C}^{2k}

with one transverse double point and no other self-intersections, then

K
K

is diffeomorphic to the sphere. The proof combines Floer homological arguments with a detailed study of moduli spaces of holomorphic disks with boundary in a monotone Lagrangian submanifold obtained by Lagrange surgery on

K
K

.
MADGiC: a model-based approach for identifying driver genes in cancer
Authors: Korthauer Keegan D. , Kendziorski Christina
Published: January 2015

Motivation: Identifying and prioritizing somatic mutations is an important and challenging area of cancer research that can provide new insights into gene function as well as new targets for drug development. Most methods for prioritizing mutations rely primarily on frequency-based criteria, where a gene is identified as having a driver mutation if it is altered in significantly more samples than expected according to a background model. Although useful, frequency-based methods are limited in that all mutations are treated equally. It is well known, however, that some mutations have no functional consequence, while others may have a major deleterious impact. The spatial pattern of mutations within a gene provides further insight into their functional consequence. Properly accounting for these factors improves both the power and accuracy of inference. Also important is an accurate background model.

Results: Here, we develop a Model-based Approach for identifying Driver Genes in Cancer (termed MADGiC) that incorporates both frequency and functional impact criteria and accommodates a number of factors to improve the background model. Simulation studies demonstrate advantages of the approach, including a substantial increase in power over competing methods. Further advantages are illustrated in an analysis of ovarian and lung cancer data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project.

Availability and implementation: R code to implement this method is available at http://www.biostat.wisc.edu/ kendzior/MADGiC/.

Contact: kendzior@biostat.wisc.edu

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
DDIG-in: detecting disease-causing genetic variations due to frameshifting indels and nonsense mutations employing sequence and structural properties at nucleotide and protein levels
Authors: Folkman Lukas , Yang Yuedong , Li Zhixiu , Stantic Bela , Sattar Abdul , Mort Matthew , Cooper David N. , Liu Yunlong , Zhou Yaoqi
Published: January 2015

Motivation: Frameshifting (FS) indels and nonsense (NS) variants disrupt the protein-coding sequence downstream of the mutation site by changing the reading frame or introducing a premature termination codon, respectively. Despite such drastic changes to the protein sequence, FS indels and NS variants have been discovered in healthy individuals. How to discriminate disease-causing from neutral FS indels and NS variants is an understudied problem.

Results: We have built a machine learning method called DDIG-in (FS) based on real human genetic variations from the Human Gene Mutation Database (inherited disease-causing) and the 1000 Genomes Project (GP) (putatively neutral). The method incorporates both sequence and predicted structural features and yields a robust performance by 10-fold cross-validation and independent tests on both FS indels and NS variants. We showed that human-derived NS variants and FS indels derived from animal orthologs can be effectively employed for independent testing of our method trained on human-derived FS indels. DDIG-in (FS) achieves a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.59, a sensitivity of 86%, and a specificity of 72% for FS indels. Application of DDIG-in (FS) to NS variants yields essentially the same performance (MCC of 0.43) as a method that was specifically trained for NS variants. DDIG-in (FS) was shown to make a significant improvement over existing techniques.

Availability and implementation: The DDIG-in web-server for predicting NS variants, FS indels, and non-frameshifting (NFS) indels is available at http://sparks-lab.org/ddig.

Contact: yaoqi.zhou@griffith.edu.au

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.