bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel roles and therapeutic targets of Epstein–Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein 1-induced oncogenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Tao Yongguang , Shi Ying , Jia Jiantao , Jiang Yiqun , Yang Lifang , Cao Ya
Published: August 2015

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) was first discovered 50 years ago as an oncogenic gamma-1 herpesvirus and infects more than 90% of the worldwide adult population. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) poses a serious health problem in southern China and is one of the most common cancers among the Chinese. There is now strong evidence supporting a role for EBV in the pathogenesis of NPC. Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), a primary oncoprotein encoded by EBV, alters several functional and oncogenic properties, including transformation, cell death and survival in epithelial cells in NPC. LMP1 may increase protein modification, such as phosphorylation, and initiate aberrant signalling via derailed activation of host adaptor molecules and transcription factors. Here, we summarise the novel features of different domains of LMP1 and several new LMP1-mediated signalling pathways in NPC. When then focus on the potential roles of LMP1 in cancer stem cells, metabolism reprogramming, epigenetic modifications and therapy strategies in NPC.
Power-law exponent in the transition period of decay in grid turbulence
Authors: Djenidi L. , Kamruzzaman Md. , Antonia R. A.
Published: August 2015

Hot-wire measurements are carried out in grid-generated turbulence at moderate to low Taylor microscale Reynolds number $Re_{{\it\lambda}}$ to assess the appropriateness of the commonly used power-law decay for the mean turbulent kinetic energy (e.g. $k\sim x^{n}$, with $n\leqslant -1$). It is found that in the region outside the initial and final periods of decay, which we designate a transition region, a power law with a constant exponent $n$ cannot describe adequately the decay of turbulence from its initial to final stages. One is forced to use a family of power laws of the form $x^{n_{i}}$, where $n_{i}$ is a different constant over a portion $i$ of the decay time during the decay period. Accordingly, it is currently not possible to determine whether any grid-generated turbulence reported in the literature decays according to Saffman or Batchelor because the reported data fall in the transition period where $n$ differs from its initial and final values. It is suggested that a power law of the form $k\sim x^{n_{init}+m(x)}$, where $m(x)$ is a continuous function of $x$, could be used to describe the decay from the initial period to the final stage. The present results, which corroborate the numerical simulations of decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence of Orlandi & Antonia (J. Turbul., vol. 5, 2004, doi:10.1088/1468-5248/5/1/009) and Meldi & Sagaut (J. Turbul., vol. 14, 2013, pp. 24–53), show that the values of $n$ reported in the literature, and which fall in the transition region, have been mistakenly assigned to the initial stage of decay.
Assessing Emotional Intelligence in Leaders and Organisations: Reliability and Validity of the Emotional Capital Report (ECR)
Authors: Newman Martyn , Purse Judith , Smith Ken , Broderick John
Published: August 2015

This study examined the reliability and validity over a 5-year period of a new measure of emotional intelligence (EI), the Emotional Capital Report (Newman & Purse, 2007), in a sample of 6,874 professional people from 11 different geographical regions. Results indicated that the ECR had adequate factor structure and the component scales had good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Age and gender analyses revealed minor differences between males and females on seven ECR scales and significant age-related differences across all scales. The ECR scales had a meaningful pattern of convergent validities in relation to measures of normal personality, depression, and psychopathology. Construct validity revealed that although measuring similar constructs to personality and another well-known general measure of EI, the ECR was measuring something distinctive that pertains to the experience of people in professional roles. Furthermore, high scores on the ECR correlated with jobs involving high emotional labour requirements. Results indicated that these groups scored consistently higher on all ECR scales. It is recommended future research develop strategies for further validation of the ECR, as well as the construct of EI.
Maternal fatty acid desaturase genotype correlates with infant immune responses at 6 months
Authors: Muc Magdalena , Kreiner-Møller Eskil , Larsen Jeppe M. , Birch Sune , Brix Susanne , Bisgaard Hans , Lauritzen Lotte
Published: August 2015

Breast milk long-chain PUFA (LCPUFA) have been associated with changes in early life immune responses and may modulate T-cell function in infancy. We studied the effect of maternal fatty acid desaturase (FADS) genotype and breast milk LCPUFA levels on infants’ blood T-cell profiles and ex vivo-produced cytokines after anti-CD3/CD28 stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 6-month-old infants from the Copenhagen Prospective Study of Asthma in Childhood birth cohort. LCPUFA concentrations of breast milk were assessed at 4 weeks of age, and FADS SNP were determined in both mothers and infants (n 109). In general, breast milk arachidonic acid (AA) levels were inversely correlated with the production of IL-10 (r −0·25; P=0·004), IL-17 (r −0·24; P=0·005), IL-5 (r −0·21; P=0·014) and IL-13 (r −0·17; P=0·047), whereas EPA was positively correlated with the counts of blood regulatory T-cells and cytotoxic T-cells and decreased T-helper cell counts. The minor FADS alleles were associated with lower breast milk AA and EPA, and infants of mothers carrying the minor allele of FADS SNP rs174556 had higher production of IL-10 (r −0·23; P=0·018), IL-17 (r −0·25; P=0·009) and IL-5 (r −0·21; P=0·038) from ex vivo-activated immune cells. We observed no association between T-cell distribution and maternal or infant FADS gene variants. We conclude that increased maternal LCPUFA synthesis and breast milk AA are associated with decreased levels of IL-5, IL-13 (type-2 related), IL-17 (type-17 related) and IL-10 (regulatory immune responses), but not with interferon-γ and TNF-α, which could be due to an effect of the maternal FADS variants on the offspring immune response transferred via breast milk LCPUFA.
The Quest for Legal Certainty and the Reorganization of Power: Struggles over Forest Law, Permits, and Rights in Indonesia
Authors: Gellert Paul K. , Andiko
Published: August 2015

Amid the rapid expansion of oil palm plantations, the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry finds its authority over the forested areas (kawasan hutan) under pressure and continues to pursue strategies to legally maintain the areas within its jurisdiction. Combining insights from legal studies with political economy, this article applies the concept of “political forests” to contemporary contestations and the development of “rule of law” in relation to Indonesia's forested areas. Establishing legal certainty and “rule of law” are widely asserted to be important but never fully achieved. Two cases demonstrate this: the first focuses on the negotiated resolution of overlapping permits in thekawasan hutanbetween the center and the region in Central Kalimantan Province. The second examines the maneuvers of the Ministry of Forestry to (re)assert its authority overkawasan hutanby classifying palm oil as a tree crop. The article concludes that the widespread quest for certainty and rule of law is quixotic because it ignores the realities of political economy, including social conflict, beneath the veneer of law.
Liberalism and the British Empire in India
Authors: Sen Sudipta
Published: August 2015

It is hard to argue against the view that liberalism and empire have historically shared the same terrain of political ideas. If Raymond Williams is correct, then there is indeed an older set of implications attached to the words “liberal” and “liberalism” dating back to uses of the word “liberty,” commonly known in Shakespearean England, especially as expressed in “liberties of the subject,” that is, to a far more limited construction of the word “liberty” than its modern usage would allow (Williams 1976, 180). Liberty in this instance was the recognition of certain rights granted to subjects of a sovereign authority. In this brief essay on how historians and political theorists in recent years have debated the tortuous relationship between the ideas of empire and liberty in British India, I would like to pause on this constricted and negative definition of liberty rather than its widest possible connotation in terms of human freedom and reflect on how the British Empire in India provided a critical arena for the exercise of sovereign power in the name of both freedom and responsibility. It might be worth stressing that the term “liberal” itself, with its various connotations ranging from licentious to the humane, predates the narrower body of ideas typically attributed to political liberalism, and moreover, that liberalism by far precedes imperialism as a coherent doctrine.
Impact of dietary fat on the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Ldlr−/− mice
Authors: Jump Donald B. , Depner Christopher M. , Tripathy Sasmita , Lytle Kelli A.
Published: August 2015

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has increased in parallel with central obesity and is now the most common chronic liver disease in developed countries. NAFLD is defined as excessive accumulation of lipid in the liver, i.e. hepatosteatosis. The severity of NAFLD ranges from simple fatty liver (steatosis) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Simple steatosis is relatively benign until it progresses to NASH, which is characterised by hepatic injury, inflammation, oxidative stress and fibrosis. Hepatic fibrosis is a risk factor for cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Our studies have focused on the impact of diet on the onset and progression of NASH. We developed a mouse model of NASH by feeding Ldlr−/− mice a western diet (WD), a diet moderately high in saturated and trans-fat, sucrose and cholesterol. The WD induced a NASH phenotype in Ldlr−/− mice that recapitulates many of the clinical features of human NASH. We also assessed the capacity of the dietary n-3 PUFA, i.e. EPA (20 : 5,n-3) and DHA (22 : 6,n-3), to prevent WD-induced NASH in Ldlr−/− mice. Histologic, transcriptomic, lipidomic and metabolomic analyses established that DHA was equal or superior to EPA at attenuating WD-induced dyslipidemia and hepatic injury, inflammation, oxidative stress and fibrosis. Dietary n-3 PUFA, however, had no significant effect on WD-induced changes in body weight, body fat or blood glucose. These studies provide a molecular and metabolic basis for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of using dietary n-3 PUFA to prevent NASH in human subjects.
Whole-genome amplification: a useful approach to characterize new genes in unculturable protozoan parasites such asBonamia exitiosa
Authors: PRADO-ALVAREZ MARIA , COURALEAU YANN , CHOLLET BRUNO , TOURBIEZ DELPHINE , ARZUL ISABELLE
Published: August 2015

Bonamia exitiosais an intracellular parasite (Haplosporidia) that has been associated with mass mortalities in oyster populations in the Southern hemisphere. This parasite was recently detected in the Northern hemisphere including Europe. Some representatives of theBonamiagenus have not been well categorized yet due to the lack of genomic information. In the present work, we have applied Whole-Genome Amplification (WGA) technique in order to characterize the actin gene in the unculturable protozoanB. exitiosa. This is the first protein coding gene described in this species. Molecular analysis revealed thatB. exitiosaactin is more similar toBonamia ostreaeactin gene-1. Actin phylogeny placed theBonamiasp. infected oysters in the same clade where the herein describedB. exitiosaactin resolved, offering novel information about the classification of the genus. Our results showed that WGA methodology is a promising and valuable technique to be applied to unculturable protozoans whose genomic material is limited.
EVIDENCE FOR THE DECREASING IMPACT OF COGNITIVE ABILITY ON SECOND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AS PROFICIENCY INCREASES
Authors: Serafini Ellen J. , Sanz Cristina
Published: August 2015

This study investigated whether the role of working memory capacity varies over the course of second language (L2) morphosyntactic development. Eighty-seven beginning, intermediate, and advanced university L2 Spanish learners completed two nonverbal tasks measuring executive function (EF) and phonological working memory (PWM) in their native language (English) and two tasks measuring knowledge of ten grammatical structures in Spanish at three points during and after a semester of instruction. Robust relationships between both working memory components, especially PWM, and L2 performance, emerged only for lower level learners, particularly at the start of instruction and 3.5 months later. Findings demonstrate that the facilitative effects of cognitive ability appear to lessen with increasing L2 proficiency and empirically support a developmental perspective of L2 learning.
The crypsis hypothesis explained: a reply to Jayasuriya et al. (2015)
Authors: Paulsen Torbjørn R. , Colville Louise , Daws Matthew I. , Eliassen Sigrunn , Högstedt Göran , Kranner Ilse , Thompson Ken , Vandvik Vigdis
Published: August 2015

In imbibing seeds, resumption of metabolism leads to the unavoidable release of volatile by-products that are perceived as cues by rodent seed predators. The crypsis hypothesis proposes that the primary function of a water-impermeable, hard seed coat is to reduce rodent seed predation by rendering seeds olfactorily cryptic. In an opinion paper, Jayasuriya et al. (2015) find the crypsis hypothesis unscientific and ‘not consistent with Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection’. It is unfortunate that Jayasuriya et al. (2015) did not appreciate that the crypsis hypothesis offers an alternative explanation for the evolution of water-impermeable seeds: released seed volatiles are cues used by rodents to locate seeds, and variation in seed-coat permeability leading to differences in seed volatile release represents the variable under selection. Furthermore, the sealing of water-impermeable seed coats imposes a cost of increased generation time and, therefore, dormancy-release mechanisms are expected to subsequently evolve in response to local environmental conditions. We also disagree with most other claims by Jayasuriya et al. (2015), who failed to appreciate how species with dimorphic seeds – one morph with permeable and the other with impermeable seed coats – benefit from rodent caching behaviour and population dynamics. We welcome this opportunity to clarify and elaborate on key features and the evolution of water-impermeable seed coats according to the crypsis hypothesis.
Estimating usual intakes mainly affects the micronutrient distribution among infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers from the 2012 Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey
Authors: Piernas Carmen , Miles Donna R , Deming Denise M , Reidy Kathleen C , Popkin Barry M
Published: August 2015

Objective

To compare estimates from one day with usual intake estimates to evaluate how the adjustment for within-person variability affected nutrient intake and adequacy in Mexican children.

Design

In order to obtain usual nutrient intakes, the National Cancer Institute’s method was used to correct the first 24 h dietary recall collected in the entire sample (n 2045) with a second 24 h recall collected in a sub-sample (n 178). We computed estimates of one-day and usual intakes of total energy, fat, Fe, Zn and Na.

Setting

2012 Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey.

Subjects

A total of 2045 children were included: 0–5·9 months old (n 182), 6–11·9 months old (n 228), 12–23·9 months old (n 537) and 24–47·9 months old (n 1098). From these, 178 provided an additional dietary recall.

Results

Although we found small or no differences in energy intake (kJ/d and kcal/d) between one-day v. usual intake means, the prevalence of inadequate and excessive energy intake decreased somewhat when using measures of usual intake relative to one day. Mean fat intake (g/d) was not different between one-day and usual intake among children >6 months old, but the prevalence of inadequate and excessive fat intake was overestimated among toddlers and pre-schoolers when using one-day intake (P<0·05). Compared with usual intake, estimates from one day yielded overestimated prevalences of inadequate micronutrient intakes but underestimated prevalences of excessive intakes among children aged >6 months.

Conclusions

There was overall low variability in energy and fat intakes but higher for micronutrients. Because the usual intake distributions are narrower, the prevalence of inadequate/excessive intakes may be biased when estimating nutrient adequacy if one day of data is used.
Formulating policy activities to promote healthy and sustainable diets
Authors: Lawrence Mark A , Friel Sharon , Wingrove Kate , James Sarah W , Candy Seona
Published: August 2015

Objective

To develop a policy formulation tool for strategically informing food and nutrition policy activities to promote healthy and sustainable diets (HSD).

Design

A policy formulation tool consisting of two complementary components was developed. First, a conceptual framework of the environment–public health nutrition relationship was constructed to characterise and conceptualise the food system problem. Second, an ‘Orders of Food Systems Change’ schema drawing on systems dynamics thinking was developed to identify, assess and propose policy options to redesign food systems.

Setting

Food and nutrition policy activities to promote HSD have been politicised, fragmented and lacking a coherent conceptual and strategic focus to tackle complex food system challenges.

Results

The tool’s conceptual framework component comprises three integrated dimensions: (i) a structure built around the environment and public health nutrition relationship that is mediated via the food system; (ii) internal mechanisms that operate through system dynamics; and (iii) external interactions that frame its nature and a scope within ecological parameters. The accompanying schema is structured around three orders of change distinguished by contrasting ideological perspectives on the type and extent of change needed to ‘solve’ the HSD problem.

Conclusions

The conceptual framework’s systems analysis of the environment–public health nutrition relationship sets out the food system challenges for HSD. The schema helps account for political realities in policy making and is a key link to operationalise the framework’s concepts to actions aimed at redesigning food systems. In combination they provide a policy formulation tool to strategically inform policy activities to redesign food systems and promote HSD.
PARAMETRIZING ELLIPTIC CURVES BY MODULAR UNITS
Authors: BRUNAULT FRANÇOIS
Published: August 2015

It is well known that every elliptic curve over the rationals admits a parametrization by means of modular functions. In this short note, we show that only finitely many elliptic curves over $\mathbf{Q}$ can be parametrized by modular units. This answers a question raised by W. Zudilin in a recent work on Mahler measures. Further, we give the list of all elliptic curves $E$ of conductor up to 1000 parametrized by modular units supported in the rational torsion subgroup of $E$. Finally, we raise several open questions.
Adapting brief Behavioural Activation (BA) for adolescent depression: a case example
Authors: Pass Laura , Brisco Gemma , Reynolds Shirley
Published: August 2015

There is an increasing evidence base for the effectiveness of Behavioural Activation in treating adult depression; however, there has been little investigation of using this approach with adolescents. This article reports on the adaptation of brief Behavioural Activation for Depression (BATD) for adolescents (BATD-A). A case study is reported to illustrate the brief structured approach, treatment response as indicated by routine outcome measures, and the family's view of the intervention. The adaptations made to the adult BATD manual are discussed including parental input, adapted values and activities, and engagement issues. It is hoped that following further evaluation, BATD-A could be successfully delivered as a low-intensity intervention for depression.
EARLY STRUCTURAL REASONING. GENTZEN 1932
Authors: MORICONI ENRICO
Published: August 2015

This paper is a study of the opening section of Gentzen’s first publication of 1932,Über die Existenz unabhängiger Axiomensysteme zu unendlichen Satzsystemen, a text which shows the relevance of Hertz’s work of the 1920’s for the young Gentzen. In fact, Gentzen borrowed from Hertz the analysis of the notion of consequence, which was given in terms of the rules of thinning (Verdünnung) and cut (Schnitt) on sequents (there called “sentences”(Sätze)). Moreover, following Hertz again, he also judged it necessary to justify the forms of inference of the system by providing a semantics for them, so that it became possible to make precise the informal notion of consequence, and to show that the inference rules adopted are correct and sufficient.
The Paradoxical Religiosity Effect: Religion and Politics in Indonesia and the United States
Authors: Sumaktoyo Nathanael Gratias , Ottati Victor , Untoro Vinaya
Published: August 2015

We argue that personal religiosity and political religiosity are distinct attributes of a political candidate. Personal religiosity reflects a candidate's level of personal religious commitment and political religiosity reflects the candidate's policy regarding separating versus blending religion and politics. The paradoxical religiosity hypothesis predicts that, within a democracy, personal religiosity will increase voters' endorsement of a candidate whereas political religiosity will decrease voters' endorsement. We test this hypothesis comparatively in two experiments, one performed within a long-standing democracy containing predominantly Christian voters (the United States), and the other within a more recent democracy containing predominantly Muslim voters (Indonesia). We demonstrate the robustness of the paradoxical religiosity effect and its persistence across the two countries, suggesting that Muslim Indonesians are no less capable than Christian Americans in separating the sacred and the secular.
Systematic chromatin state comparison of epigenomes associated with diverse properties including sex and tissue type
Authors: Yen Angela , Kellis Manolis
Published: August 2015

Epigenomic data sets provide critical information about the dynamic role of chromatin states in gene regulation, but a key question of how chromatin state segmentations vary under different conditions across the genome has remained unaddressed. Here we present ChromDiff, a group-wise chromatin state comparison method that generates an information-theoretic representation of epigenomes and corrects for external covariate factors to better isolate relevant chromatin state changes. By applying ChromDiff to the 127 epigenomes from the Roadmap Epigenomics and ENCODE projects, we provide novel group-wise comparative analyses across sex, tissue type, state and developmental age. Remarkably, we find that distinct sets of epigenomic features are maximally discriminative for different group-wise comparisons, in each case revealing distinct enriched pathways, many of which do not show gene expression differences. Our methodology should be broadly applicable for epigenomic comparisons and provides a powerful new tool for studying chromatin state differences at the genome scale.
The molecular mechanism of Zinc acquisition by the neisserial outer-membrane transporter ZnuD
Authors: Calmettes Charles , Ing Christopher , Buckwalter Carolyn M. , El Bakkouri Majida , Chieh-Lin Lai Christine , Pogoutse Anastassia , Gray-Owen Scott D. , Pomès Régis , Moraes Trevor F.
Published: August 2015

Invading bacteria from the Neisseriaceae, Acinetobacteriaceae, Bordetellaceae and Moraxellaceae families express the conserved outer-membrane zinc transporter zinc-uptake component D (ZnuD) to overcome nutritional restriction imposed by the host organism during infection. Here we demonstrate that ZnuD is required for efficient systemic infections by the causative agent of bacterial meningitis, Neisseria meningitidis, in a mouse model. We also combine X-ray crystallography and molecular dynamics simulations to gain insight into the mechanism of zinc recognition and transport across the bacterial outer-membrane by ZnuD. Because ZnuD is also considered a promising vaccine candidate against N. meningitidis, we use several ZnuD structural intermediates to map potential antigenic epitopes, and propose a mechanism by which ZnuD can maintain high sequence conservation yet avoid immune recognition by altering the conformation of surface-exposed loops.
Reversible heart rhythm complexity impairment in patients with primary aldosteronism
Authors: Lin Yen-Hung , Wu Vin-Cent , Lo Men-Tzung , Wu Xue-Ming , Hung Chi-Sheng , Wu Kwan-Dun , Lin Chen , Ho Yi-Lwun , Stowasser Michael , Peng Chung-Kang
Published: August 2015

Excess aldosterone secretion in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) impairs their cardiovascular system. Heart rhythm complexity analysis, derived from heart rate variability (HRV), is a powerful tool to quantify the complex regulatory dynamics of human physiology. We prospectively analyzed 20 patients with aldosterone producing adenoma (APA) that underwent adrenalectomy and 25 patients with essential hypertension (EH). The heart rate data were analyzed by conventional HRV and heart rhythm complexity analysis including detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and multiscale entropy (MSE). We found APA patients had significantly decreased DFAα2 on DFA analysis and decreased area 1–5, area 6–15 and area 6–20 on MSE analysis (all p < 0.05). Area 1–5, area 6–15, area 6–20 in the MSE study correlated significantly with log-transformed renin activity and log-transformed aldosterone-renin ratio (all p < = 0.01). The conventional HRV parameters were comparable between PA and EH patients. After adrenalectomy, all the altered DFA and MSE parameters improved significantly (all p < 0.05). The conventional HRV parameters did not change. Our result suggested that heart rhythm complexity is impaired in APA patients and this is at least partially reversed by adrenalectomy.
Enzyme replacement in the CSF to treat metachromatic leukodystrophy in mouse model using single intracerebroventricular injection of self-complementary AAV1 vector
Authors: Hironaka Kohei , Yamazaki Yoshiyuki , Hirai Yukihiko , Yamamoto Motoko , Miyake Noriko , Miyake Koichi , Okada Takashi , Morita Akio , Shimada Takashi
Published: August 2015

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by a functional deficiency in human arylsulfatase A (hASA). We recently reported that ependymal cells and the choroid plexus are selectively transduced by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of adeno-associated virus serotype 1 (AAV1) vector and serve as a biological reservoir for the secretion of lysosomal enzymes into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In the present study, we examined the feasibility of this AAV-mediated gene therapy to treat MLD model mice. Preliminary experiments showed that the hASA level in the CSF after ICV injection of self-complementary (sc) AAV1 was much higher than in mice injected with single-stranded AAV1 or scAAV9. However, when 18-week-old MLD mice were treated with ICV injection of scAAV1, the concentration of hASA in the CSF gradually decreased and was not detectable at 12 weeks after injection, probably due to the development of anti-hASA antibodies. As a result, the sulfatide levels in brain tissues of treated MLD mice were only slightly reduced compared with those of untreated MLD mice. These results suggest that this approach is potentially promising for treating MLD, but that controlling the immune response appears to be crucial for long-term expression of therapeutic proteins in the CSF.
Lattice Strain Mapping of Platinum Nanoparticles on Carbon and SnO2 Supports
Authors: Daio Takeshi , Staykov Aleksandar , Guo Limin , Liu Jianfeng , Tanaka Masaki , Matthew Lyth Stephen , Sasaki Kazunari
Published: August 2015

It is extremely important to understand the properties of supported metal nanoparticles at the atomic scale. In particular, visualizing the interaction between nanoparticle and support, as well as the strain distribution within the particle is highly desirable. Lattice strain can affect catalytic activity and therefore strain engineering via e.g. synthesis of core-shell nanoparticles or compositional segregation has been intensively studied. However, substrate-induced lattice strain has yet to be visualized directly. In this study, platinum nanoparticles decorated on graphitized carbon or tin oxide supports are investigated using spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (Cs-corrected STEM) coupled with geometric phase analysis (GPA). Local changes in lattice parameter are observed within the Pt nanoparticles and the strain distribution is mapped. This reveals that Pt nanoparticles on SnO2 are more highly strained than on carbon, especially in the region of atomic steps in the SnO2 lattice. These substrate-induced strain effects are also reproduced in density functional theory simulations and related to catalytic oxygen reduction reaction activity. This study suggests that tailoring the catalytic activity of electrocatalyst nanoparticles via the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) is possible. This technique also provides an experimental platform for improving our understanding of nanoparticles at the atomic scale.
Increasing Boiling Heat Transfer using Low Conductivity Materials
Authors: Rahman Md Mahamudur , Pollack Jordan , McCarthy Matthew
Published: August 2015

We report the counterintuitive mechanism of increasing boiling heat transfer by incorporating low-conductivity materials at the interface between the surface and fluid. By embedding an array of non-conductive lines into a high-conductivity substrate, in-plane variations in the local surface temperature are created. During boiling the surface temperature varies spatially across the substrate, alternating between high and low values and promotes the organization of distinct liquid and vapor flows. By systematically tuning the peak-to-peak wavelength of this spatial temperature variation, a resonance-like effect is seen at a value equal to the capillary length of the fluid. Replacing ~18% of the surface with a non-conductive epoxy results in a greater than 5x increase in heat transfer rate at a given superheat temperature. This drastic and counterintuitive increase is shown to be due to optimized bubble dynamics, where ordered pathways allow for efficient removal of vapor and the return of replenishing liquid. The use of engineered thermal gradients represents a potentially disruptive approach to create high-efficiency and high-heat-flux boiling surfaces which are naturally insensitive to fouling and degradation as compared to other approaches.
Experimental Demonstration of Underwater Acoustic Scattering Cancellation
Authors: Rohde Charles A. , Martin Theodore P. , Guild Matthew D. , Layman Christopher N. , Naify Christina J. , Nicholas Michael , Thangawng Abel L. , Calvo David C. , Orris Gregory J.
Published: August 2015

We explore an acoustic scattering cancellation shell for buoyant hollow cylinders submersed in a water background. A thin, low-shear, elastic coating is used to cancel the monopole scattering from an air-filled, neutrally buoyant steel shell for all frequencies where the wavelength is larger than the object diameter. By design, the uncoated shell also has an effective density close to the aqueous background, independently canceling its dipole scattering. Due to the significantly reduced monopole and dipole scattering, the compliant coating results in a hollow cylindrical inclusion that is simultaneously impedance and sound speed matched to the water background. We demonstrate the proposed cancellation method with a specific case, using an array of hollow steel cylinders coated with thin silicone rubber shells. These experimental results are matched to finite element modeling predictions, confirming the scattering reduction. Additional calculations explore the optimization of the silicone coating properties. Using this approach, it is found that scattering cross-sections can be reduced by 20 dB for all wavelengths up tok0a = 0.85.
Functional traits drive the contribution of solar radiation to leaf litter decomposition among multiple arid-zone species
Authors: Pan Xu , Song Yao-Bin , Liu Guo-Fang , Hu Yu-Kun , Ye Xue-Hua , Cornwell William K. , Prinzing Andreas , Dong Ming , Cornelissen Johannes H.C.
Published: August 2015

In arid zones, strong solar radiation has important consequences for ecosystem processes. To better understand carbon and nutrient dynamics, it is important to know the contribution of solar radiation to leaf litter decomposition of different arid-zone species. Here we investigated: (1) whether such contribution varies among plant species at given irradiance regime, (2) whether interspecific variation in such contribution correlates with interspecific variation in the decomposition rate under shade; and (3) whether this correlation can be explained by leaf traits. We conducted a factorial experiment to determine the effects of solar radiation and environmental moisture for the mass loss and the decomposition constantk-values of 13 species litters collected in Northern China. The contribution of solar radiation to leaf litter decomposition varied significantly among species. Solar radiation accelerated decomposition in particular in the species that already decompose quickly under shade. Functional traits, notably specific leaf area, might predict the interspecific variation in that contribution. Our results provide the first empirical evidence for how the effect of solar radiation on decomposition varies among multiple species. Thus, the effect of solar radiation on the carbon flux between biosphere and atmosphere may depend on the species composition of the vegetation.
Schizophrenia: a tale of two critical periods for prefrontal cortical development
Authors: Selemon L D , Zecevic N
Published: August 2015

Schizophrenia is a disease of abnormal brain development. Considerable evidence now indicates that environmental factors have a causative role in schizophrenia. Elevated incidence of the disease has been linked to a wide range of disturbances in the prenatal environment and to social factors and drug intake during adolescence. Here we examine neurodevelopment of the prefrontal cortex in the first trimester of gestation and during adolescence to gain further insight into the neurodevelopmental processes that may be vulnerable in schizophrenia. Early embryonic development of the prefrontal cortex is characterized by cell proliferation, including renewal of progenitor cells, generation of early transient cell populations and neurogenesis of subcortical populations. Animal models show that curtailing early gestational cell proliferation produces schizophrenia-like pathology in the prefrontal cortex and mimics key behavioral and cognitive symptoms of the disease. At the other end of the spectrum, elimination of excitatory synapses is the fundamental process occurring during adolescent maturation in the prefrontal cortex. Adverse social situations that elevate stress increase dopamine stimulation of the mesocortical pathway and may lead to exaggerated synaptic pruning during adolescence. In a non-human primate model, dopamine hyperstimulation has been shown to decrease prefrontal pyramidal cell spine density and to be associated with profound cognitive dysfunction. Development of the prefrontal cortex in its earliest stage in gestation and in its final stage in adolescence represents two critical periods of vulnerability for schizophrenia in which cell proliferation and synaptic elimination, respectively, may be influenced by environmental factors.
Elevated baseline serum glutamate as a pharmacometabolomic biomarker for acamprosate treatment outcome in alcohol-dependent subjects
Authors: Nam H W , Karpyak V M , Hinton D J , Geske J R , Ho A M C , Prieto M L , Biernacka J M , Frye M A , Weinshilboum R M , Choi D-S
Published: August 2015

Acamprosate has been widely used since the Food and Drug Administration approved the medication for treatment of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in 2004. Although the detailed molecular mechanism of acamprosate remains unclear, it has been largely known that acamprosate inhibits glutamate action in the brain. However, AUD is a complex and heterogeneous disorder. Thus, biomarkers are required to prescribe this medication to patients who will have the highest likelihood of responding positively. To identify pharmacometabolomic biomarkers of acamprosate response, we utilized serum samples from 120 alcohol-dependent subjects, including 71 responders (maintained continuous abstinence) and 49 non-responders (any alcohol use) during 12 weeks of acamprosate treatment. Notably, baseline serum glutamate levels were significantly higher in responders compared with non-responders. Importantly, serum glutamate levels of responders are normalized after acamprosate treatment, whereas there was no significant glutamate change in non-responders. Subsequent functional studies in animal models revealed that, in the absence of alcohol, acamprosate activates glutamine synthetase, which synthesizes glutamine from glutamate and ammonia. These results suggest that acamprosate reduces serum glutamate levels for those who have elevated baseline serum glutamate levels among responders. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that elevated baseline serum glutamate levels are a potential biomarker associated with positive acamprosate response, which is an important step towards development of a personalized approach to treatment for AUD.
A guanidinium modified rhodamine-based fluorescent probe for in vitro/vivo imaging of gold ions
Authors: Karakuş Erman , Cakan-Akdogan Gulcin , Emrullahoğlu Mustafa
Published: August 2015

We devised a rhodamine-based fluorescent probe functionalized with a guanidinium moiety, which both operates efficiently in pure aqueous media and displays a selective fluorescence response to Au3+ ions.
Rapid screening and quantification of synthetic cannabinoids in herbal products with NMR spectroscopic methods
Authors: Fowler Faith , Voyer Brandy , Marino Michael , Finzel Jordan , Veltri Mercurio , Wachter Nanette M. , Huang Ling
Published: August 2015

1-D and 2-D NMR methods were used exclusively to rapidly screen for and quantify synthetic cannabinoids in herbal products with direct and simple NMR-solvent extraction.
A sea anemone-like CuO/Co3O4 composite: an effective catalyst for electrochemical water splitting
Authors: Li Xiumin , Guan Guoqing , Du Xiao , Cao Ji , Hao Xiaogang , Ma Xuli , Jagadale Ajay D. , Abudula Abuliti
Published: August 2015

A sea anemone-like CuO/Co3O4 composite with 3D hierarchical structure exhibits excellent performance for water electrolysis at a low overpotential with high stability.
A hierarchically core/shell-structured titanosilicate with multiple mesopore systems for highly efficient epoxidation of alkenes
Authors: Li Chen-Geng , Lu Yiqun , Wu Haihong , Wu Peng , He Mingyuan
Published: August 2015

A novel core/shell hierarchical TS-1 zeolite has been prepared through one-pot desilication–recrystallization with the assistance of alkali and Gemini-type surfactant. Possessing multiple mesoporosities, the resultant material is highly active to alkene epoxidation.
A bio-inspired sensor coupled with a bio-bar code and hybridization chain reaction for Hg2+ assay
Authors: Xu Huifeng , Zhu Xi , Ye Hongzhi , Yu Lishuang , Chen Guonan , Chi Yuwu , Liu Xianxiang
Published: August 2015

In this article, a bio-inspired DNA sensor is developed, which coupled with bio-bar code and hybridization chain reaction. This bio-inspired sensor has high sensitivity to Hg2+, and has been used to assay Hg2+ in the extraction of traditional Chinese medicine.
Rapid quantification of starch molecular order through multivariate modelling of13C CP/MAS NMR spectra
Authors: Flanagan Bernadine M. , Gidley Michael J. , Warren Frederick J.
Published: August 2015

A partial least squares model has been generated enabling the rapid assessment of ordered molecular structure in a semi-crystalline polymer, starch, directly from solid state NMR spectra.
Triphosgene–pyridine mediated stereoselective chlorination of acyclic aliphatic 1,3-diols
Authors: Villalpando Andrés , Saputra Mirza A. , Tugwell Thomas H. , Kartika Rendy
Published: August 2015

We describe stereoselective chlorination of acyclic aliphatic 1,3-diols to the corresponding 1,3-dichlorides using triphosgene–pyridine activation.
Extracting biomolecule collision cross sections from the high-resolution FT-ICR mass spectral linewidths
Authors: Jiang Ting , Chen Yu , Mao Lu , Marshall Alan G. , Xu Wei
Published: August 2015

A linewidth correction method was introduced, which enables the measurement of biomolecule CCSs in FT-ICR cells at 10−10 Torr.
Adsorption of 2-propanol on ice probed by ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Newberg John T. , Bluhm Hendrik
Published: August 2015

The interaction of 2-propanol with ice was examined via ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS), a surface sensitive technique that probes the adsorbed 2-propanol directly with submonolayer resolution.
Flexible structural and electronic properties of a pentagonal B2C monolayer via external strain: a computational investigation
Authors: Li Fengyu , Tu Kaixiong , Zhang Haijun , Chen Zhongfang
Published: August 2015

A pentagonal B2C monolayer shows flexible structural and electronic properties under external strain.
Ultrafine Mo2C nanoparticles encapsulated in N-doped carbon nanofibers with enhanced lithium storage performance
Authors: Li Ruirui , Wang Shuguang , Wang Wei , Cao Minhua
Published: August 2015

The as-synthesized Mo2C–NCNFs hybrid showed excellent lithium storage performance when used as an anode material for lithium ion batteries.
Solid-state structure, solution-state behaviour and catalytic activity of electronically divergent C,N-chelating palladium–N-heterocyclic carbene complexes
Authors: Chapman Michael R. , Lake Benjamin R. M. , Pask Christopher M. , Nguyen Bao N. , Willans Charlotte E.
Published: August 2015

Electronically diverse pyridyl-substituted Pd(ii)-NHC complexes have been employed in Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling to yield a sterically congested tetra-ortho-substituted biaryl product.
Synthesis and structural analysis of tungsten-carbonyl dimers bridged with oligo(2,5-dialkoxy-1,4-phenylene vinylene)s through pyridine coordination
Authors: Yorsaeng Sakkawet , Tsutsumi Ken , Kitiyanan Boonyarach , Nomura Kotohiro
Published: August 2015

Synthesis, structural analysis and basic optical properties of tungsten carbonyl dimers bridged with oligo(2,5-dialkoxy-1,4-phenylene vinylene)s through coordination with pyridine have been explored.
A monolithically integrated, intrinsically safe, 10% efficient, solar-driven water-splitting system based on active, stable earth-abundant electrocatalysts in conjunction with tandem III–V light absorbers protected by amorphous TiO2 films
Authors: Verlage Erik , Hu Shu , Liu Rui , Jones Ryan J. R. , Sun Ke , Xiang Chengxiang , Lewis Nathan S. , Atwater Harry A.
Published: August 2015

A monolithically integrated device, protected by a TiO2 stabilization layer, splits water using sunlight.
The weathering and transformation process of lead in China's shooting ranges
Authors: Li Yeling , Zhu Yongbing , Zhao Sanping , Liu Xiaodong
Published: August 2015

Environmental conditions impact the transformation process and fate of lead originating from steel-core bullets disposed in shooting ranges of China.
Synthesis and catalytic, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity evaluation of gold and silver nanoparticles using biodegradable, Π-conjugated polyamic acid
Authors: Kariuki Victor M. , Yazgan Idris , Akgul Ali , Kowal Andrzej , Parlinska Magdalena , Sadik Omowunmi A.
Published: August 2015

We hereby report a rapid and simple synthesis of silver (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using conductive, electroactive and biodegradable poly(amic)acid (PAA) polymer as both the reductant and stabilizer.
An interchangeable homogeneous ⇔ heterogeneous catalyst system for furfural upgrading
Authors: Wang Lu , Chen Eugene Y.-X.
Published: August 2015

Intercalation of benzimidazolium cations [BI]+into the nanogalleries of Na+/montmorillonite (MMT) clay leads to generation of recyclable supported precatalysts [BI]+/MMT, which, upon treatment with a base, catalyze furfural self-condensation coupling reaction into furoin in almost constant yields of >96% over the three cycles investigated.
Identification of module biomarkers from the dysregulated ceRNA–ceRNA interaction network in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Shao Tingting , Wu Aiwei , Chen Juan , Chen Hong , Lu Jianping , Bai Jing , Li Yongsheng , Xu Juan , Li Xia
Published: August 2015

The dysregulated ceRNA–ceRNA interaction network in lung adenocarcinoma.
Electrically conductive polyaniline sensitized defective-TiO2for improved visible light photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performance: a synergistic effect
Authors: Ansari Mohd Omaish , Khan Mohammad Mansoob , Ansari Sajid Ali , Cho Moo Hwan
Published: August 2015

A proposed scheme for the synthesis of s-Pani@m-TiO2nanocomposites.
Systematic investigation of the synthesis and light-absorption broadening of a novel diketopyrrolopyrrole conjugated polymer of low and high molecular weight with thermo-labile groups
Authors: Yang Long , Yu Yuyan , Gong Yulong , Li Jiarong , Ge Feijie , Jiang Long , Gao Fang , Dan Yi
Published: August 2015

Removal of the thermo-labilet-Boc groups in a DPP-carbazole copolymer leads to the broadening of light-absorption and increased π–π stacking.
Tuneable pH-regulated supramolecular copolymerisation by mixing mismatched dendritic peptide comonomers
Authors: Ahlers P. , Frisch H. , Besenius P.
Published: August 2015

The co-assembly of oppositely charged phenylalanine-rich dendritic comonomers yields supramolecular alternating copolymers, whose stability and pH-triggered disassembly is tuned by mismatching a strong with a weak β-sheet encoded comonomer.
Bubble morphological evolution and surface defect formation mechanism in the microcellular foam injection molding process
Authors: Zhang Lei , Zhao Guoqun , Dong Guiwei , Li Shuai , Wang Guilong
Published: August 2015

A multiphase model was established to simulate the bubble morphological evolution in MFIM, and a new phenomenon of surface collapse and pits with the gradient depth was discovered.
Preparation of nano-Ni/meso-Ce–TiO2 by one-step in a sol–gel system and its catalytic performance for hydrogenolysis of xylitol
Authors: Zhou Zhiwei , Dai Songshan , Qin Juan , Yu Pengcheng , Wu Wenliang
Published: August 2015

Nano-Ni/meso-Ce–TiO2 samples with well-dispersed Ni nanoparticles were prepared by one-step in the AcHE sol–gel system. The Ni and Ce could be directly incorporated into mesoporous TiO2.
Direct covalent attachment of Mn(iii) salophen complex to the hydroxyapatite-encapsulated γ-Fe2O3 nanocrystallites: an efficient magnetic and reusable catalyst for oxidation of alcohols
Authors: Saffar-Teluri Ali
Published: August 2015

In the present work, the highly efficient oxidation of alcohols catalyzed by manganese(iii) salophen acetate, [Mn(salophen)OAc], supported on hydroxyapatite coated magnetite nanoparticles, HAp–Fe2O3, is reported.
Synthesis of CuxNi1−x alloy nanoparticles from double complex salts and investigation of their magnetoimpedance effects
Authors: Kahani Seyed Abolghasem , Shahrokh Mansoure
Published: August 2015

This work is a novel study of the synthesis of CuxNi1−x nanoalloy from double complex salts by chemical reduction method.