bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Positive changes in ideal CVH metrics reduce the incidence of stroke
Authors: Yang Xiaomeng , Wang Anxin , Liu Xiaoxue , An Shasha , Chen Shuohua , Wang Yilong , Wang Yongjun , Wu Shouling
Published: January 2016

The American Heart Association defined 7 ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics and the benefits of them in reducing the incidence of stroke are well established, but it is unclear whether changes in them alter stroke risk. We calculated the changes of 7 ideal CVH metrics from 2006 to 2008 among 64,373 participants in the Kailuan study. We tested whether changes in the numbers and total scores for the CVH metrics were associated with the incidence of stroke in the 4.89 person-years follow-up. Cox regression modeling was used to estimate the risk of stroke. By year 2008, CVH metrics number of 32.54% participants improved (change ≥+1); 31.90% deteriorated (≤−1); 35.56% stayed the same; In the follow-up,we identified1,182 incident stroke events. Each increase in CVH metrics and every 1-point increase in total CVH score from 2006 to 2008 were associated with reduced odds of total stroke (hazard ratio = 0.87; 95% confidence interval; 0.83–0.92 and 0.89[0.86–0.92] respectively), after adjusting for age, gender, educational level, income and scores for the metrics of ideal CVH at baseline. Positive changes in ideal CVH metrics reduce the incidence of stroke. Our results support the concept that achieving ideal CVH helps to prevent stroke.
IFNα enhances the production of IL-6 by human neutrophils activated via TLR8
Authors: Zimmermann Maili , Arruda-Silva Fabio , Bianchetto-Aguilera Francisco , Finotti Giulia , Calzetti Federica , Scapini Patrizia , Lunardi Claudio , Cassatella Marco A. , Tamassia Nicola
Published: January 2016

Recently, we reported that human neutrophils produce biologically active amounts of IL-6 when incubated with agonists activating TLR8, a receptor recognizing viral single strand RNA. In this study, we demonstrate that IFNα, a cytokine that modulates the early innate immune responses toward viral and bacterial infections, potently enhances the production of IL-6 in neutrophils stimulated with R848, a TLR8 agonist. We also show that such an effect is not caused by an IFNα-dependent induction of TLR7 and its consequent co-activation with TLR8 in response to R848, but, rather, it is substantially mediated by an increased production and release of endogenous TNFα. The latter cytokine, in an autocrine manner, leads to an augmented synthesis of the IkBζ co-activator and an enhanced recruitment of the C/EBPβ transcription factor to the IL-6 promoter. Moreover, we show that neutrophils from SLE patients with active disease state, hence displaying an IFN-induced gene expression signature, produce increased amounts of both IL-6 and TNFα in response to R848 as compared to healthy donors. Altogether, data uncover novel effects that type I IFN exerts in TLR8-activated neutrophils, which therefore enlarge our knowledge on the various biological actions which type I IFN orchestrates during infectious and autoimmune diseases.
Unique pioneer microbial communities exposed to volcanic sulfur dioxide
Authors: Fujimura Reiko , Kim Seok-Won , Sato Yoshinori , Oshima Kenshiro , Hattori Masahira , Kamijo Takashi , Ohta Hiroyuki
Published: January 2016

Newly exposed volcanic substrates contain negligible amounts of organic materials. Heterotrophic organisms in newly formed ecosystems require bioavailable carbon and nitrogen that are provided from CO2 and N2 fixation by pioneer microbes. However, the knowledge of initial ecosystem developmental mechanisms, especially the association between microbial succession and environmental change, is still limited. This study reports the unique process of microbial succession in fresh basaltic ash, which was affected by long-term exposure to volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2). Here we compared the microbial ecosystems among deposits affected by SO2 exposure at different levels. The results of metagenomic analysis suggested the importance of autotrophic iron-oxidizing bacteria, particularly those involved in CO2 and N2 fixation, in the heavily SO2 affected site. Changes in the chemical properties of the deposits after the decline of the SO2 impact led to an apparent decrease in the iron-oxidizer abundance and a possible shift in the microbial community structure. Furthermore, the community structure of the deposits that had experienced lower SO2 gas levels showed higher similarity with that of the control forest soil. Our results implied that the effect of SO2 exposure exerted a selective pressure on the pioneer community structure by changing the surrounding environment of the microbes.
New insights into transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) formation from precursor materials at various Na+/Ca2+ ratios
Authors: Meng Shujuan , Liu Yu
Published: January 2016

Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) are planktonic, organic microgels which play significant roles in cycling of carbon and trace elements, aggregation of particles, feeding and accommodating microbes as well as development of biofilms. However, few studies are available on the mechanism of TEP formation in various water environments. Here we investigate the formation of TEP with alginate blocks as precursors at various Na+/Ca2+ ratios to simulate the situations in different aquatic environments (e.g. freshwater and seawater). We found that the formation of TEP from precursor materials studied was essentially determined by the Ca2+ concentration at a fixed sodium concentration, while Na+ at high Na+/Ca2+ ratio out-competed Ca2+ for the binding sites on the precursor molecules, leading to a significantly decreased trend of TEP formation. Our results indicate that a more abundant TEP could be expected in freshwater than in seawater and we also discuss the engineering implications of the findings.
A novel non-fluorescent excited state intramolecular proton transfer phenomenon induced by intramolecular hydrogen bonds: an experimental and theoretical investigation
Authors: Yin Hang , Li Hui , Xia Guomin , Ruan Chengyan , Shi Ying , Wang Hongming , Jin Mingxing , Ding Dajun
Published: January 2016

Two molecules, 1-hydroxypyrene-2-carbaldehyde (HP) and 1-methoxypyrene-2-carbaldehyde (MP) were explored. We investigated their photophysical properties, using experimental transient absorption and theoretical density functional theory/time-dependent density functional theory (DFT/TDDFT). HP and MP have similar geometric conformations but exhibit entirely different photophysical properties upon excitation into the S1 state. In contrast to traditional excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in molecules that exhibit either single or dual fluorescence, HP has an unusual non-fluorescent property. Specifically, the ultrafast ESIPT process occurs in 158 fs and is followed by an intersystem crossing (ISC) component of 11.38 ps. In contrast to HP, MP undergoes only an 8 ps timescale process, which was attributed to interactions between solute and solvent. We concluded that this difference arises from intramolecular hydrogen bonds (IMHBs), which induce drastic structural alterntion upon excitation.
Super Soft All-Ethylene Oxide Polymer Electrolyte for Safe All-Solid Lithium Batteries
Authors: Porcarelli Luca , Gerbaldi Claudio , Bella Federico , Nair Jijeesh Ravi
Published: January 2016

Here we demonstrate that by regulating the mobility of classic −EO− based backbones, an innovative polymer electrolyte system can be architectured. This polymer electrolyte allows the construction of all solid lithium-based polymer cells having outstanding cycling behaviour in terms of rate capability and stability over a wide range of operating temperatures. Polymer electrolytes are obtained by UV-induced (co)polymerization, which promotes an effective interlinking between the polyethylene oxide (PEO) chains plasticized by tetraglyme at various lithium salt concentrations. The polymer networks exhibit sterling mechanical robustness, high flexibility, homogeneous and highly amorphous characteristics. Ambient temperature ionic conductivity values exceeding 0.1 mS cm−1 are obtained, along with a wide electrochemical stability window (>5 V vs. Li/Li+), excellent lithium ion transference number (>0.6) as well as interfacial stability. Moreover, the efficacious resistance to lithium dendrite nucleation and growth postulates the implementation of these polymer electrolytes in next generation of all-solid Li-metal batteries working at ambient conditions.
Towards the next generation of biomedicines by site-selective conjugation
Authors: Hu Qi-Ying , Berti Francesco , Adamo Roberto
Published: January 2016

Bioconjugates represent an emerging class of medicines, which offer therapeutic opportunities overtaking those of the individual components.
E–H (E = B, Si, Ge) bond activation of pinacolborane, silanes, and germanes by nucleophilic palladium carbene complexes
Authors: Comanescu Cezar C. , Iluc Vlad M.
Published: January 2016

The polarity of the Pd–C bond can be tuned by the phosphine substituents of palladium carbene complexes as shown by the reactions of these compounds with silanes.
The discovery and characterization of a novel scaffold as a potent hepatitis C virus inhibitor
Authors: Liu Na , Zhu Shiping , Zhang Xianghua , Yin Xunkui , Dong Guoqiang , Yao Jianzhong , Miao Zhenyuan , Zhang Wannian , Zhang Xiaonan , Sheng Chunquan
Published: January 2016

A novel anti-HCV benzothiazole scaffold was discovered by phenotypic screening. Further target characterization and structural optimization led to the identification of potent anti-HCV molecules targeting NS5A.
Characterising the role of water in sildenafil citrate by NMR crystallography
Authors: Abraham Anuji , Apperley David C. , Byard Stephen J. , Ilott Andrew J. , Robbins Andrew J. , Zorin Vadim , Harris Robin K. , Hodgkinson Paul
Published: January 2016

A combination of solid-state NMR techniques, including13C/1H correlation,2H magic-angle spinning NMR and first principles calculation are employed to characterise the role of water in different hydration states of sildenafil citrate.
Role of electrostatic interactions in the adsorption kinetics of nanoparticles at fluid–fluid interfaces
Authors: Dugyala Venkateshwar Rao , Muthukuru Jyothi Sri , Mani Ethayaraja , Basavaraj Madivala G.
Published: January 2016

The dynamic surface tension measurements are used to elucidate the contribution of electrostatic interaction energy barriers for the adsorption of nano-particles to the interfaces.
Low threshold photonic crystal laser based on a Rhodamine dye doped high gain polymer
Authors: Shi Lan-Ting , Jin Feng , Zheng Mei-Ling , Dong Xian-Zi , Chen Wei-Qiang , Zhao Zhen-Sheng , Duan Xuan-Ming
Published: January 2016

We demonstrate low threshold lasing emission in a photonic crystal laserviaisomerization oftert-butyl Rhodamine B. A single-mode lasing beam with a Gaussian intensity profile verifies its prospect in photonic devices.
Cross-plane heat transfer through single-layer carbon structures
Authors: Zhang Huaichen , Nedea Silvia V. , Rindt Camilo C. M. , Smeulders David M. J.
Published: January 2016

The heat transfer across graphene and different sized carbon nanotubes submerged in water is investigated using molecular dynamics simulations.
A porous metal–organic framework with a unique hendecahedron-shaped cage: structure and controlled drug release
Authors: Wei Lian-Qiang , Chen Qing , Tang Li-Le , Zhuang Chong , Zhu Wen-Run , Lin Ning
Published: January 2016

A porous MOF with [Cu2(COO)4] SBU was constructed from tricarboxylic acid ligand and pyrazine, which features a unique hendecahedron cage-liked cavity with good stability and a high BET surface, showing good controlled drug release properties of ibuprofen over anethole and guaiacol.
Postcomplexation synthetic routes to dipyrrin complexes
Authors: Perl David , Bisset Sean W. , Telfer Shane G.
Published: January 2016

The postcomplexation reactivity of 5-thiomethyldipyrrin complexes provides a synthetic route to hitherto inaccessible dipyrrin complexes.
Structural transformation of Bi1−x/3V1−xMoxO4 solid solutions for light-driven water oxidation
Authors: Terebilenko Kateryna V. , Bychkov Konstantin L. , Baumer Vyacheslav N. , Slobodyanik Nikolay S. , Pavliuk Mariia V. , Thapper Anders , Tokmenko Inna I. , Nasieka Iurii M. , Strelchuk Viktor V.
Published: January 2016

The influence of Mo content in the solid solutions of Bi1−x/3V1−xMoxO4 (x = 0.05–0.20) on the morphology, band gap, structure and light-driven water oxidation properties has been studied by SEM, powder XRD and vibrational spectroscopy.
Bioactive polyphenol interactions with β amyloid: a comparison of binding modelling, effects on fibril and aggregate formation and neuroprotective capacity
Authors: Das Sukanya , Stark Lina , Musgrave Ian F. , Pukala Tara , Smid Scott D.
Published: January 2016

Plant polyphenols such as the lignin honokiol pictured are able to bind to specific regions in the amyloid β oligomer and this may be associated with neuroprotective effects in neuronal cells.
A 3D alcoholic liver disease model on a chip
Authors: Lee JaeSeo , Choi BongHwan , No Da Yoon , Lee GeonHui , Lee Seung-ri , Oh HyunJik , Lee Sang-Hoon
Published: January 2016

A spheroid-basedin vitro3D ALD model with perfusion culture can establish the reversible and irreversible states of ALD.
Using Hansen solubility parameters to predict the dispersion of nano-particles in polymeric films
Authors: Gårdebjer S. , Andersson M. , Engström J. , Restorp P. , Persson M. , Larsson A.
Published: January 2016

A new surface modification followed by calculation of Hansen solubility parameters to predict dispersability of cellulose nanocrystals in LDPE is presented.
A new methylviologen-templated zinc gallophosphate zeolite with photo-/thermochromism, fluorescent and photoelectric properties
Authors: Tao Chunyao , Wu Junbiao , Yan Yan , Shi Chao , Li Jiyang
Published: January 2016

The second methylviologen (MV)-templated zeolite JU104 exhibits interesting photochromism and thermochromism with multi-colours, as well as fluorescent and photoelectric properties.
Graphene production via supercritical fluids
Authors: Gao Hanyang , Hu Guoxin
Published: January 2016

The process of SCFs intercalation and exfoliation method is decomposed into three stages: pretreatment of graphite chunk, intercalation and exfoliation. The mechanisms and influence factors for each stage are analyzed in this review.
Controlled growth of silver nanoparticles on carbon fibers for reinforcement of both tensile and interfacial strength
Authors: Wang Caifeng , Li Jun , Sun Shaofan , Li Xiaoyu , Wu Guangshun , Wang Yuwei , Xie Fei , Huang Yudong
Published: January 2016

We have developed an electro-chemical deposition approach to synthesize various structures of Ag NPs on carbon fibers. This improved both the tensile strength and the interfacial property as much as 57.2% and 27.2%, respectively.
Synthesis of graphene oxide functionalized surface-imprinted polymer for the preconcentration of tetracycline antibiotics
Authors: Liu Dan , Song Naizhong , Feng Wei , Jia Qiong
Published: January 2016

In this work, we synthesized graphene oxide functionalized a surface-imprinted polymer based on the self-polymerization of dopamine to generate the imprinted cavity.
Electronic structure and thermoelectric properties of p-type half-Heusler compound NbFeSb: a first-principles study
Authors: Fang Teng , Zheng Shuqi , Chen Hong , Cheng Hui , Wang Lijun , Zhang Peng
Published: January 2016

Unchanged S2σ/τ with increasing n indicates that further increasing n can't improve the S2σ/τ when n reaches ∼2.6 × 1021 cm−3.
Catalytic activity of bare and porous palladium nanostructures in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol
Authors: Kalekar Ajit M. , Sharma Kiran Kumar K. , Luwang Meitram N. , Sharma Geeta K.
Published: January 2016

The catalytic activity of bare and porous palladium nanostructures viz. palladium nanoballs (PdNBs) and palladium urchins (Pdurc) synthesized in surfactant based liquid crystalline mesophase have been investigated in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol.
Enhanced photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical activity via sensitization and doping of novel TiO2 nanowire/nanoleaf arrays: dual synergistic effects between TiO2–N and CdS–Mn
Authors: Li Songtian , Du Pengwei , Yang Xiao , Yao Lu , Cao Kesheng
Published: January 2016

A novel hybrid TiO2 nanostructure doped with nitrogen and sensitized by Mn-doped CdS QDs was prepared and displayed a double synergistic effect.
Preparation of glyco-silica materials via thiol-ene click chemistry for adsorption and separation
Authors: Jin Gaowa , Yu Dongping , Guo Zhimou , Yang Duo , Zhang Hongtao , Shen Aijin , Yan Jingyu , Liang Xinmiao
Published: January 2016

A saccharide bonding method based on thiol-ene chemistry was developed and the resulting glyco-silica materials demonstrated great potential in separation science.
Silver nanoparticle-loaded hydroxyapatite coating: structure, antibacterial properties, and capacity for osteogenic induction in vitro
Authors: Tian Bo , Chen Wei , Dong Yufeng , Marymont John V. , Lei Yong , Ke Qinfei , Guo Yaping , Zhu Zhenan
Published: January 2016

AgNP-HAC has the potential to be used on the surfaces of orthopedic and dental implants for infection prophylaxis.
One-pot synthesis of multidimensional conducting polymer nanotubes for superior performance field-effect transistor-type carcinoembryonic antigen biosensors
Authors: Park Jin Wook , Na Wonjoo , Jang Jyongsik
Published: January 2016

Aptamer FET sensors based on carboxylated polypyrrole multidimensional nanotubes show ultrahigh sensitivity and selectivity toward CEA, and superior lifetimes.
A mild deposition of metallic materials on a plastic film enabled by phage display peptides
Authors: Swaminathan Swathi , Cui Yue
Published: January 2016

We demonstrate for the first time a mild deposition of metallic materials on a plastic film, (poly)ethylene tetraphthalate (PET), enabled by phage displayed peptides.
Energy-efficient degradation of rhodamine B in a LED illuminated photocatalytic fuel cell with anodic Ag/AgCl/GO and cathodic ZnIn2S4 catalysts
Authors: Liu Yuanyuan , Liu Lifen , Yang Fenglin
Published: January 2016

A PFC with anodic Ag/AgCl/GO and cathodic ZnIn2S4 catalysts was constructed for organic compound degradation and electricity generation.
Facile growth of Bi2MoO6 nanosheet arrays on Ni foam as an electrode for electrochemical applications
Authors: Ma Ying , Jia Yulong , Wang Lina , Yang Min , Bi Yingpu , Qi Yanxing
Published: January 2016

Bi2MoO6 nanosheet arrays on Ni foam and carbon cloth were synthesized and characterized. The Ni foam supported Bi2MoO6 nanosheet array exhibits a larger specific capacitance and higher cycling stability than the carbon cloth based electrode.
Preparation of graphene oxide by dry planetary ball milling process from natural graphite
Authors: Dash Pranita , Dash Tapan , Rout Tapan Kumar , Sahu Ashok Kumar , Biswal Surendra Kumar , Mishra Barada Kanta
Published: January 2016

Graphene oxides (GO) with different degrees of oxidation have been prepared by an in-house designed horizontal high energy planetary ball milling process.
Graphene composite coated carbon fiber: electrochemical synthesis and application in electrochemical sensing
Authors: Bai Jie , Qi Pengfei , Ding Xiaoteng , Zhang Huimin
Published: January 2016

A universal method for the fabrication of graphene composite modified carbon fiber is reported.
Synthesis of 1,2,4-triazine derivatives via [4 + 2] domino annulation reactions in one pot
Authors: Tang Dong , Wang Jing , Wu Ping , Guo Xin , Li Ji-Hui , Yang Sen , Chen Bao-Hua
Published: January 2016

Simple and efficient [4 + 2] domino annulation reactions have been developed for the synthesis of 1,2,4-triazine derivatives.
Predominant green emission of Ce3+–Tb3+ activated Y7O6F9 phosphors
Authors: Yang Wonseok , Park Sangmoon
Published: January 2016

Ce3+–Tb3+-doped Y7O6F9 vernier phosphors composed of Y7(1−m−n)Ce7mTb7nO6F9 (m = 0.01–0.1, n = 0–0.15) were prepared using a flux-assisted solid-state reaction.
Solvent strategy for unleashing the Lewis acidity of titanocene dichloride for rapid Mannich reactions
Authors: Wu Ya , Wang Xiu , Luo Yanlong , Wang Jing , Jian Yajun , Sun Huaming , Zhang Guofang , Zhang Weiqiang , Gao Ziwei
Published: January 2016

The remarkable activation effect of alcohol solvent on kinetically inert titanocene dichloride was found to promote rapid three-component Mannich reactions.
Structure and electrochemical properties of Sm-doped Li4Ti5O12 as anode material for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Li Zhanyu , Li Jianling , Zhao Yuguang , Yang Kai , Gao Fei , Li Xiao
Published: January 2016

Sm doping has a great impact on discharge capacity, rate capability and cycling performance of LTO anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
Deactivation of Mn/TiO2 catalyst for NH3-SCR reaction: effect of phosphorous
Authors: Yang Ning-zhi , Guo Rui-tang , Wang Qing-shan , Pan Wei-guo , Chen Qi-lin , Lu Chen-zi , Wang Shu-xian
Published: January 2016

The deactivation mechanism of phosphorous on a Mn/TiO2 catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 was investigated in this study.
Directing group assisted meta-hydroxylation by C–H activation
Authors: Maji Arun , Bhaskararao Bangaru , Singha Santanu , Sunoj Raghavan B. , Maiti Debabrata
Published: January 2016

The first template assisted meta-hydroxylation strategy and its use in the synthesis of resveratrol precursor and QR-activity inducer with detailed experimental and in-silico mechanistic understanding.
A mechanochemically synthesized covalent organic framework as a proton-conducting solid electrolyte
Authors: Shinde Digambar Balaji , Aiyappa Harshitha Barike , Bhadra Mohitosh , Biswal Bishnu P. , Wadge Pritish , Kandambeth Sharath , Garai Bikash , Kundu Tanay , Kurungot Sreekumar , Banerjee Rahul
Published: January 2016

Mechanochemically synthesized bipyridine based covalent organic framework showing high proton conductivity of 0.014 S cm−1 with improved performance over the solvothermal one giving a stable Open Circuit Voltage (0.93 V at 50 °C) on fabrication in PEM fuel cell.
Enhanced piezoelectricity and half-metallicity of fluorinated AlN nanosheets and nanoribbons: a first-principles study
Authors: Ding Yi , Wang Yanli
Published: January 2016

Fluorinated AlN nanosheets present an enhanced piezoelectric performance and the corresponding nanoribbons can exhibit a half-metallic behaviour.
Solution-processed bulk heterojunction solar cells based on porphyrin small molecules with very low energy losses comparable to perovskite solar cells and high quantum efficiencies
Authors: Gao Ke , Xiao Liangang , Kan Yuanyuan , Yang Binglin , Peng Junbiao , Cao Yong , Liu Feng , Russell Thomas P. , Peng Xiaobin
Published: January 2016

The BHJ OSCs presented in this work show an energy loss of 0.53 eV but a maximum external quantum efficiency up to 61%.
The shift of the optical absorption band edge of ZnO/ZnS core/shell nanotube arrays beyond quantum effects
Authors: Tarish Samar , Al-Haddad Ahmed , Xu Rui , Cao Dawei , Wang Zhijie , Qu Shengchun , Nabi Ghulam , Lei Yong
Published: January 2016

In this work, we demonstrate that geometrical parameters could impact the optical absorption of the core/shell nanostructure arrays, without concerning the quantum effects.
Chiral fluorescent films of gold nanoclusters and photonic cellulose with modulated fluorescence emission
Authors: Qu Dan , Zhang Jianan , Chu Guang , Jiang Haijing , Wu Changfeng , Xu Yan
Published: January 2016

AuNC–CNC films demonstrate modulated fluorescence emission and lifetime decay due to the photonic crystal-photoemission coupling effect.
A niobium-necked cluster [As3Nb(As3Sn3)]3−with aromatic Sn32−
Authors: Pan Fu-Xing , Xu Cong-Qiao , Li Lei-Jiao , Min Xue , Wang Jian-Qiang , Li Jun , Zhai Hua-Jin , Sun Zhong-Ming
Published: January 2016

A new Zintl cluster [As3Nb(As3Sn3)]3−was synthesized and characterized, in which an As3triangle and a bowl-type As3Sn3ligand are bridged by a niobium atom. The Sn3ring is found to have σ-aromaticity featured by a delocalized Sn–Sn–Sn σ orbital.
Exploitation of antenna directivity for compressed indoor radar imaging with ghost suppression
Authors: Muqaibel Ali Hussain
Published: January 2016

The impulse‐responses of ultra‐wideband antennas vary with the angles of transmission and arrival. In urban radar applications, unless exploited, this directivity degrades the localisation accuracy and defocusses the imaged targets. Moreover, multipath reflections caused by surrounding walls result in ghosts that appear in the indoor radar images. Compressive sensing (CS) is needed to attain the high image resolution with reduced sampling rate. In this study, the author design directional multipath dictionary to be utilised in CS algorithms to account for the directivity of the antenna and suppress ghosts during the sensing stage. Numerical results show the ability of the proposed directional dictionary to compensate for antenna directivity and to suppress ghosts with reduced number of measurements.
Preparation and characterisation of rutile titanium dioxide of special hollow microspheres
Authors: Liu Lin , Peng Dan , Ma Quanliang , Jiang Zhigang , Wang Jianwei , Qian Jianhua
Published: January 2016

Special rutile titanium dioxide (TiO2) hollow microspheres were prepared successfully through hydrothermal methods when tetrabutyl titanate was adopted as raw material, β ‐cyclodextrin as template agent and polyvinylpyrrolidone as auxiliary agent. The effect of the concentration of hydrochloric acid and the temperature on the formation of TiO2 morphology was discussed and the structure of the powders confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope. The colour of products changed from black to white after roasted, and the results of FT‐IR and XRD measures showed its structure conforming to the rutile TiO2. It was found that the TiO2 powders were hollow microspheres, and its surface tightly wrapped by nanorods for uniform, smooth, and orientation rule, which was of larger specific surface area.
Preparation of tunable structural colour film by coating PS with titania on glass
Authors: Wang Fen , Gou Zijuan , Ge Yancheng , An Kaini
Published: January 2016

Titania (TiO2) coated polystyrene (PS) (PS/TiO2 core‐shell) colloids were prepared by sol–gel process and self‐assembled into photonic crystals through the vertical deposition method. The PS/TiO2 core‐shell colloidal particles were characterised using SEM, laser particle size analyser, FTIR and EDS. The results show that the colour is shifted gradually from blue to red with the increase of titania shell thickness which changes both the particle size and the contrast index.
Performance of SnO2/carbon nanotube composite electrode materials synthesised by the Pechini method
Authors: Liu Rui , Yang Wein‐Duo , Fang Hsin‐Yun
Published: January 2016

SnO2/CNT (CNT: carbon nanotube) composite electrode materials have been successfully synthesised using the Pechini method. The crystal structures of SnO2/CNTs were identified by X‐ray diffraction. The surface morphology and internal structure, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, indicated that SnO2 nanoparticles were embedded in the CNT matrix or dispersed homogeneously on the outer walls of the CNTs. Furthermore, the charge–discharge properties of SnO2/CNT composite electrode materials showed that the reversible discharge capacities of the SnO2/CNT composite electrode materials were enhanced to 1062 mAh/g compared with that of pure SnO2 nanoparticles, and the capacity retention remained at approximately 91% after the 12th cycle, improving the lifetime of the lithium batteries greatly.
Fracture mechanism of movable part in micro‐electro‐mechanical systems device based on empirical electron theory
Authors: Wang Fu‐Fu , Lou Wen‐Zhong , Feng Yue
Published: January 2016

The fracture of movable part is a serious issue in micro‐electro‐mechanical systems (MEMS) device application. However, its fracture mechanism is not clear yet. The fracture mechanism of movable part based on empirical electron theory (EET) of solids and molecules, in which fracture model is built based on valence electron structure and broken bond of the crystal plane is clarified. Simulation and test results match EET‐fracture model quite well with low errors of 8.22 and 5.95%, respectively, which shows a good accuracy among existing fracture models. It is believed that EET‐fracture model is quite effective and useful to evaluate movable part function in the research of MEMS devices.
Rapid fabrication of circular channel microfluidic flow‐focusing devices for hydrogel droplet generation
Authors: Parker Benjamin , Samanipour Roya , Ahmadi Ali , Kim Keekyoung
Published: January 2016

A rapid method to fabricate a flow‐focusing microfluidic device with circular channels for droplet generation is presented. To create the desired ‘polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)’ channel geometry, moulds using a rapid and cheap three dimensional (3D) printing process comparing with conventional microfabrication method have been fabricated. The 3D printer with a 16 μm layer resolution utilised to fabricate 100 μm half circular microfluidic moulds. The finished moulds were baked and silanized prior to casting to avoid the incomplete curing problem of the ‘PDMS’ castings. Casted ‘PDMS’ halves were aligned and bonded together to build complete microfluidic chips by an oxygen plasma treatment. Due to the resolution limitation of 3D printing, the channels were not perfectly circular rather than elliptical. A liquid ‘PDMS’ injection process was used and optimised to create fully circular channels, and also address challenges regarding the misalignment of the upper and lower halves of the microfluidic chip. Circular channels were successfully formed in the flow‐focusing microfluidic device through the post ‘PDMS’ injection process without any blockage of the cross junction. The device functioned well to create ∼200 μm droplets.
Seeding approach to crystal nucleation
Authors: Espinosa Jorge R. , Vega Carlos , Valeriani Chantal , Sanz Eduardo
Published: January 2016

We present a study of homogeneous crystal nucleation from metastable fluids via the seeding technique for four different systems: mW water, Tosi-Fumi NaCl, Lennard-Jones, and Hard Spheres. Combining simulations of spherical crystal seeds embedded in the metastable fluid with classical nucleation theory, we are able to successfully describe the nucleation rate for all systems in a wide range of metastability. The crystal-fluid interfacial free energy extrapolated to coexistence conditions is also in good agreement with direct calculations of such parameter. Our results show that seeding is a powerful technique to investigate crystal nucleation.
First-principles study of the structural and dynamic properties of the liquid and amorphous Li–Si alloys
Authors: Chiang Han-Hsin , Lu Jian-Ming , Kuo Chin-Lung
Published: January 2016

We have performed density functional theory calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics to investigate the structures and dynamic properties of the liquid and amorphous LixSi alloys over a range of composition from x = 1.0 − 4.8. Our results show that Si atoms can form a variety of covalently bonded polyanions with diverse local bonding structures in the liquid alloys. Like in c-LiSi, Si atoms can form a continuous bond network in liquid Li1.0Si at 1050 K, while it gradually disintegrates into many smaller Si polyanions as the Li content increases in the alloys. The average sizes of Si polyanions in these liquid alloys were found to be relatively larger than those in their crystalline counterparts, which can even persist in the highly lithiated Li4.81Si alloy at 1500 K. Our results also show that amorphous LixSi alloys have similar local bonding structures but a largely increased short-range order as compared to their liquid counterparts. The differences between the average coordination number of each atomic pair in amorphous solids and that in the liquids are less than 1.1. Furthermore, our calculations reveal that Li and Si atoms can exhibit very distinct dynamic behaviors in the liquids and their diffusivities appear to be largely dependent on the chemical composition of the alloys. The diffusivity of Li was found to increase with the Li content in the alloys primarily because of the reduced interactions between Li and Si atoms, while the Si diffusivity also increases due to the gradual disintegration of the strongly interconnected Si bond network. The diffusivity of Li in amorphous LixSi was predicted to lie in the range between 10−7 and 10−9 cm2/s at 300 K, which is more than 20-fold larger than that of Si over the composition range considered. Our calculations further show that the diffusivities of both Li and Si can increase by two orders of magnitude as x increases from 1.0 to 3.57 in amorphous LixSi, indicating a more profound dependence on the alloy composition than those in the liquid state.
Enhancement of microfluidic particle separation using cross-flow filters with hydrodynamic focusing
Authors: Chiu Yun-Yen , Huang Chen-Kang , Lu Yen-Wen
Published: January 2016

A microfluidic chip is proposed to separate microparticles using cross-flow filtration enhanced with hydrodynamic focusing. By exploiting a buffer flow from the side, the microparticles in the sample flow are pushed on one side of the microchannels, lining up to pass through the filters. Meanwhile a larger pressure gradient in the filters is obtained to enhance separation efficiency. Compared with the traditional cross-flow filtration, our proposed mechanism has the buffer flow to create a moving virtual boundary for the sample flow to actively push all the particles to reach the filters for separation. It further allows higher flow rates. The device only requires soft lithograph fabrication to create microchannels and a novel pressurized bonding technique to make high-aspect-ratio filtration structures. A mixture of polystyrene microparticles with 2.7 μm and 10.6 μm diameters are successfully separated. 96.2 ± 2.8% of the large particle are recovered with a purity of 97.9 ± 0.5%, while 97.5 ± 0.4% of the small particle are depleted with a purity of 99.2 ± 0.4% at a sample throughput of 10 μl/min. The experiment is also conducted to show the feasibility of this mechanism to separate biological cells with the sample solutions of spiked PC3 cells in whole blood. By virtue of its high separation efficiency, our device offers a label-free separation technique and potential integration with other components, thereby serving as a promising tool for continuous cell filtration and analysis applications.
Remling’s theorem on canonical systems
Authors: Acharya Keshav Raj
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we extend the Remling’s theorem on canonical systems that the ω limit points of the Hamiltonian under the shift map are reflectionless on the support of the absolutely continuous part of the spectral measure of a canonical system.
Roles of grain boundary and oxygen vacancies in Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 films for resistive switching device application
Authors: Yan Xiaobing , Li Yucheng , Zhao Jianhui , Li Yan , Bai Gang , Zhu Siqi
Published: January 2016

Oxygen vacancies are widely thought to be responsible for resistive switching (RS) effects based on polycrystalline oxides films. It is also well known that grain boundaries (GB) serve as reservoirs for accumulating oxygen vacancies. Here, Ar gas was introduced to enlarge the size of GB and increase the quantity of oxygen vacancies when the Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) films were deposited by pulse laser deposition technique. The experimental results indicate that the RS properties of the device exhibits better in the Ar-introduced BST films than in the O2-grown BST films. High resolution transmission electron microscopy images show that an amorphous region GB with large size appears between two lattice planes corresponding to oxygen vacancies defects in the Ar-introduced BST. Fourier-transform infrared reflectivity spectroscopy results also reveal highly accumulated oxygen vacancies in the Ar-introduced BST films. And we propose that the conduction transport of the cell was dominantly contributed from not ions migration of oxygen vacancies but the electrons in our case according to the value of activation energies of two kinds of films.
The morphology of graphene on a non-developable concave substrate
Authors: Chen Yuli , Ma Yong , Wang Shengtao , Zhou Yanguang , Liu Hao
Published: January 2016

The performances of graphene sheet in micro- and nano-electronics and devices are significantly affected by its morphology, which depends on the surface features of the supporting substrate. The substrates with non-developable concave surface are widely used with graphene sheet in applications but rarely studied. Therefore, a theoretical model is established based on the energy analysis to explain the adhesion mechanisms and predict the morphology of the graphene sheet on a non-developable concave surface. Four different morphologies of the graphene sheet are revealed, and the critical conditions are established to predict which morphology the graphene/substrate system belongs to. For the monolayer graphene sheets much larger than the concave of substrate, the final equilibrium morphology is dominated by the half cone angle of the concave. The graphene sheet conforms completely to the SiO2 substrate if the half cone angle is less than 27.5° and spans over the concave if the angel is larger than 27.5°. For graphene sheets smaller than the concave, they fall into the concave and the final morphology depends only on the ratio of graphene radius to concave radius. The monolayer graphene sheet conforms to the concave if the radius ratio is less than 0.51 and wrinkles if the ratio is larger than 0.51. The theoretical results are verified by a series of molecular dynamics simulations on various graphene/substrate systems. This work can provide guidelines to design high quality graphene-coated functional materials and devices, and can offer criterion for graphene-derived nano-electronics and nano-sensors.
Insights into the dominant factors of porous gold for CO oxidation
Authors: Kameoka Satoshi , Tanabe Toyokazu , Miyamoto Kanji , Tsai An Pang
Published: January 2016

Three different porous Au catalysts that exhibit high catalytic activity for CO oxidation were prepared by the leaching of Al from an intermetallic compound, Al2Au, with 10 wt. %-NaOH, HNO3, or HCl aqueous solutions. The catalysts were investigated using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements, synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Broad diffraction peaks generated during the leaching process correlated with high activity for all the porous Au catalysts. CO oxidation catalyzed by porous Au leached with NaOH and HNO3 is considered to be dominated by different mechanisms at low (< 320 K) and high (> 370 K) temperatures. Activity in the low-temperature region is mainly attributed to the perimeter interface between residual Al species (AlOx) and porous Au, whereas activity in the high-temperature region results from a high density of lattice defects such as twins and dislocations, which were evident from diffraction peak broadening and were observed with high-resolution TEM in the porous Au leached with NaOH. It is proposed that atoms located at lattice defects on the surfaces of porous Au are the active sites for catalytic reactions.
Optimization of the combined proton acceleration regime with a target composition scheme
Authors: Yao W. P. , Li B. W. , Zheng C. Y. , Liu Z. J. , Yan X. Q. , Qiao B.
Published: January 2016

A target composition scheme to optimize the combined proton acceleration regime is presented and verified by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations by using an ultra-intense circularly polarized (CP) laser pulse irradiating an overdense hydrocarbon (CH) target, instead of a pure hydrogen (H) one. The combined acceleration regime is a two-stage proton acceleration scheme combining the radiation pressure dominated acceleration (RPDA) stage and the laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) stage sequentially together. Protons get pre-accelerated in the first stage when an ultra-intense CP laser pulse irradiating an overdense CH target. The wakefield is driven by the laser pulse after penetrating through the overdense CH target and propagating in the underdense tritium plasma gas. With the pre-accelerate stage, protons can now get trapped in the wakefield and accelerated to much higher energy by LWFA. Finally, protons with higher energies (from about 20 GeV up to about 30 GeV) and lower energy spreads (from about 18% down to about 5% in full-width at half-maximum, or FWHM) are generated, as compared to the use of a pure H target. It is because protons can be more stably pre-accelerated in the first RPDA stage when using CH targets. With the increase of the carbon-to-hydrogen density ratio, the energy spread is lower and the maximum proton energy is higher. It also shows that for the same laser intensity around 1022 W cm−2, using the CH target will lead to a higher proton energy, as compared to the use of a pure H target. Additionally, proton energy can be further increased by employing a longitudinally negative gradient of a background plasma density.
Evidence for oxygen vacancies movement during wake-up in ferroelectric hafnium oxide
Authors: Starschich S. , Menzel S. , Böttger U.
Published: January 2016

The wake-up effect which is observed in ferroelectric hafnium oxide is investigated in yttrium doped hafnium oxide prepared by chemical solution deposition. It can be shown that not the amount of cycles but the duration of the applied electrical field is essential for the wake-up. Temperature dependent wake-up cycling in a range of −160 °C to 100 °C reveals a strong temperature activation of the wake-up, which can be attributed to ion rearrangement during cycling. By using asymmetrical electrodes, resistive valence change mechanism switching can be observed coincident with ferroelectric switching. From the given results, it can be concluded that redistribution of oxygen vacancies is the origin of the wake-up effect.
Two-dimensional arrays of cell-laden polymer hydrogel modules
Authors: Wang Yihe , Li Yunfeng , Thérien-Aubin Héloïse , Ma Jennifer , Zandstra Peter W. , Kumacheva Eugenia
Published: January 2016

Microscale technologies offer the capability to generate in vitro artificial cellular microenvironments that recapitulate the spatial, biochemical, and biophysical characteristics of the native extracellular matrices and enable systematic, quantitative, and high-throughput studies of cell fate in their respective environments. We developed a microfluidic platform for the generation of two-dimensional arrays of micrometer-size cell-laden hydrogel modules (HMs) for cell encapsulation and culture. Fibroblast cells (NIH 3T3) and non-adherent T cells (EL4) encapsulated in HMs showed high viability and proliferation. The platform was used for real-time studies of the effect of spatial constraints and structural and mechanical properties of HMs on cell growth, both on the level of individual cells. Due to the large number of cell-laden HMs and stochastic cell distribution, cell studies were conducted in a time- and labor efficient manner. The platform has a broad range of applications in the exploration of the role of chemical and biophysical cues on individual cells, studies of in vitro cell migration, and the examination of cell-extracellular matrix and cell-cell interactions.
Dielectric model for Chinese hamster ovary cells obtained by dielectrophoresis cytometry
Authors: Salimi E. , Braasch K. , Butler M. , Thomson D. J. , Bridges G. E.
Published: January 2016

We present a dielectric model and its parameters for Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells based on a double-shell structure which includes the cell membrane, cytoplasm, nuclear envelope, and nucleoplasm. Employing a dielectrophoresis (DEP) based technique and a microfluidic system, the DEP response of many single CHO cells is measured and the spectrum of the Clausius-Mossotti factor is obtained. The dielectric parameters of the model are then extracted by curve-fitting to the measured spectral data. Using this approach over the 0.6–10 MHz frequency range, we report the values for CHO cells' membrane permittivity, membrane thickness, cytoplasm conductivity, nuclear envelope permittivity, and nucleoplasm conductivity. The size of the cell and its nuclei are obtained using optical techniques.
Wind tunnel investigation on the two- and three-blade Savonius rotor with central shaft at different gap ratio
Authors: Chen Liu , Chen Jian , Xu Hongtao , Yang Hongxing , Ye Changwen , Liu Di
Published: January 2016

The Savonius rotor seems to be a promising wind turbine as it not only has the simplest and cheapest design but also is capable of yielding a higher annual energy output at low wind speed than the Darrieus rotor. Moreover, the Savonius rotor can also be used in ventilation systems, for local electricity production, as the start-up device for the Darrieus rotor, and small hydrokinetic turbines operating at low velocity. As a two-blade Savonius rotor suffers from negative average static torque coefficient (ACTS) at some azimuth angles and large-amplitude variation of ACTS, several studies have been conducted in recent years to improve ACTS. The three-blade rotor seems to be a potential candidate for ACTS improvement. However, less research has been done on three-blade rotors with a 180° arc and central shaft at different gap ratios (GRs) for different wind speeds. Therefore, the focus of the present work is to compare the two- and three-blade rotor in terms of ACTS and power coefficient (CP) through a wind tunnel experiment. Results show that the wind speed had a small effect on ACTS. However, negative azimuth angle range is narrowed and the negative azimuth angle range is moved upward as GR increased. Hence, the Savonius rotor with three blades could not only eliminate the negative range of ACTS but also smooth ACTS curves. In terms of the CP, the maximum power coefficient of the two-blade configuration was approximately 1.5 times that of the three-blade configuration. The 1/6 GR test data exhibited the attainment of super performance for all wind speed and blade number.
Genetic evaluation of adult ewe bodyweight and condition: relationship with lamb growth, reproduction, carcass and wool production
Authors: Walkom S. F. , Brown D. J.
Published: January 2016

This paper reports on genetic variation in the growth, wool production, carcass, reproduction and the bodyweight and body condition of ewes managed in the Information Nucleus Flock (INF), with a focus on evaluating the potential value of including adult ewe bodyweight and condition change traits in the Australian national sheep genetic evaluations provided by Sheep Genetics. Data were collected over a 7-year period (2007–2013) at eight research sites across southern Australia. Approximately 13 700 ewes were weighed and condition scored with ewes on average mated four times during the study. Adult ewe weight and body condition were recorded across the production cycle and the impact of the physiological status and change in status of the ewe on the genetic relationships with lamb growth, carcass and wool production traits was evaluated. Strong genetic correlations between measurements across the production cycle for adult ewe bodyweight and condition, low heritability of change traits, along with weak genetic relationships between change traits and key production traits suggest that in production systems where nutritional challenges can be managed, change traits provide no improvement to the current practice of using static bodyweight and condition records. The genetic variation in weight and body condition and their genetic relationships with production traits were highly consistent across ages and the production cycle. As a result, the current practice by Sheep Genetics to treat adult weight as a single trait with repeat records is most likely sufficient. However, the inclusion of body condition within the Sheep Genetics evaluation has potential to assist in improving maternal performance, and the feed costs associated with maintaining ewe body condition.