bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imaging single DNA molecules for high precision NIPT
Authors: Dahl Fredrik , Ericsson Olle , Karlberg Olof , Karlsson Filip , Howell Mathias , Persson Fredrik , Roos Fredrik , Stenberg Johan , Ahola Tarja , Alftrén Ida , Andersson Björn , Barkenäs Emelie , Brandner Birgit , Dahlberg Jenny , Elfman Sara , Eriksson Magnus , Forsgren Per-Ola , Francois Niels , Gousseva Anna , Hakamali Faizan , Janfalk-Carlsson Åsa , Johansson Henrik , Lundgren Johanna , Mohsenchian Atefeh , Olausson Linus , Olofsson Simon , Qureshi Atif , Skarpås Björn , Sävneby Anna , Åström Eva , Öhman Ove , Westgren Magnus , Kopp-Kallner Helena , Fianu-Jonasson Aino , Syngelaki Argyro , Nicolaides Kypros
Published: March 2018

Cell-free DNA analysis is becoming adopted for first line aneuploidy screening, however for most healthcare programs, cost and workflow complexity is limiting adoption of the test. We report a novel cost effective method, the Vanadis NIPT assay, designed for high precision digitally-enabled measurement of chromosomal aneuploidies in maternal plasma. Reducing NIPT assay complexity is achieved by using novel molecular probe technology that specifically label target chromosomes combined with a new readout format using a nanofilter to enrich single molecules for imaging and counting without DNA amplification, microarrays or sequencing. The primary objective of this study was to assess the Vanadis NIPT assay with respect to analytical precision and clinical feasibility. Analysis of reference DNA samples indicate that samples which are challenging to analyze with low fetal-fraction can be readily detected with a limit of detection determined at <2% fetal-fraction. In total of 286 clinical samples were analysed and 30 out of 30 pregnancies affected by trisomy 21 were classified correctly. This method has the potential to make cost effective NIPT more widely available with more women benefiting from superior detection and false positive rates.
Genetic Contributions to The Association Between Adult Height and Head and Neck Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis
Authors: Pastorino Roberta , Puggina Anna , Carreras-Torres Robert , Lagiou Pagona , Holcátová Ivana , Richiardi Lorenzo , Kjaerheim Kristina , Agudo Antonio , Castellsagué Xavier , Macfarlane Tatiana V. , Barzan Luigi , Canova Cristina , Thakker Nalin S. , Conway David I. , Znaor Ariana , Healy Claire M. , Ahrens Wolfgang , Zaridze David , Szeszenia-Dabrowska Neonilia , Lissowska Jolanta , Fabianova Eleonora , Mates Ioan Nicolae , Bencko Vladimir , Foretova Lenka , Janout Vladimir , Brennan Paul , Gaborieau Valérie , McKay James D. , Boccia Stefania
Published: March 2018

With the aim to dissect the effect of adult height on head and neck cancer (HNC), we use the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to test the association between genetic instruments for height and the risk of HNC. 599 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified as genetic instruments for height, accounting for 16% of the phenotypic variation. Genetic data concerning HNC cases and controls were obtained from a genome-wide association study. Summary statistics for genetic association were used in complementary MR approaches: the weighted genetic risk score (GRS) and the inverse-variance weighted (IVW). MR-Egger regression was used for sensitivity analysis and pleiotropy evaluation. From the GRS analysis, one standard deviation (SD) higher height (6.9 cm; due to genetic predisposition across 599 SNPs) raised the risk for HNC (Odds ratio (OR), 1.14; 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI), 0.99–1.32). The association analyses with potential confounders revealed that the GRS was associated with tobacco smoking (OR = 0.80, 95% CI (0.69–0.93)). MR-Egger regression did not provide evidence of overall directional pleiotropy. Our study indicates that height is potentially associated with HNC risk. However, the reported risk could be underestimated since, at the genetic level, height emerged to be inversely associated with smoking.
Vacuum induced transparency and photon number resolved Autler-Townes splitting in a three-level system
Authors: Ding Jiang-hao , Huai Sai-nan , Ian Hou , Liu Yu-xi
Published: March 2018

We study the absorption spectrum of a probe field by a Λ-type three-level system, which is coupled to a quantized control field through the two upper energy levels. The probe field is applied to the ground and the second excited states. When the quantized control field is in vacuum, we derive a threshold condition to discern vacuum induced transparency (VIT) and vacuum induced Autler-Townes splitting (ATS). We also find that the parameter changing from VIT to vacuum induced ATS is very similar to that from broken PT symmetry to PT symmetry. Moreover, we find the photon number resolved spectrum in the parameter regime of vacuum induced ATS when the mean photon number of the quantized control field is changed from zero (vacuum) to a finite number. However, there is no photon number resolved spectrum in the parameter regime of VIT even that the quantized control field contains the finite number of photons. Finally, we further discuss possible experimental realization.
Dopamine D1 receptor density in the mPFC responds to cognitive demands and receptor turnover contributes to general cognitive ability in mice
Authors: Wass Christopher , Sauce Bruno , Pizzo Alessandro , Matzel Louis D.
Published: March 2018

In both humans and mice, performance on tests of intelligence or general cognitive ability (GCA) is related to dopamine D1 receptor-mediated activity in the prelimbic cortex, and levels of DRD1 mRNA predict the GCA of mice. Here we assessed the turnover rate of D1 receptors as well as the expression level of the D1 chaperone protein (DRiP78) in the medial PPC (mPFC) of mice to determine whether rate of receptor turnover was associated with variations in the GCA of genetically heterogeneous mice. Following assessment of GCA (aggregate performance on four diverse learning tests) mice were administered an irreversible dopamine receptor antagonist (EEDQ), after which the density of new D1 receptors were quantified. GCA was positively correlated with both the rate of D1 receptor recovery and levels of DRiP78. Additionally, the density of D1 receptors was observed to increase within 60 min (or less) in response to intense demands on working memory, suggesting that a pool of immature receptors was available to accommodate high cognitive loads. These results provide evidence that innate general cognitive abilities are related to D1 receptor turnover rates in the prefrontal cortex, and that an intracellular pool of immature D1 receptors are available to accommodate cognitive demands.
High-mobility group box 1 facilitates migration of neural stem cells via receptor for advanced glycation end products signaling pathway
Authors: Xue Xin , Chen Xingxing , Fan Weili , Wang Guan , Zhang Liang , Chen Zongfeng , Liu Peng , Liu Mingyong , Zhao Jianhua
Published: March 2018

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) facilitates neural stem cells (NSCs) proliferation and differentiation into neuronal linage. However, the effect of HMGB1 on NSCs migration is still elusive. The present study is to investigate the corelation between HMGB1 and NSCs migration and the potential mechanism. The results indicated that 1 ng/ml HMGB1 promoted NSCs proliferation using CCK8 assays. Moreover, data showed that 1 ng/ml HMGB1 facilitated NSCs migration via filopodia formation using phase-contrast and transwell assays. Furthermore, 1 ng/ml HMGB1 upregulated the expression of RAGE, one of the HMGB1 receptor, using western blotting assays and immunofluorescence staining. In addition, 1 ng/ml HMGB1 increased the percentage of filopodia formation using phalloidin staining. Meanwhile, the enhanced migration effect could be abrogated by 50 nM FPS-ZM1, one of the RAGE antagonist, and RAGE-specific siRNA through immunofluorescence and phalloidin staining. Together, our data demonstrate that HMGB1/RAGE axis facilitates NSCs migration via promoting filopodia formation, which might serve as a candidate for central nervous system (CNS) injury treatment and/or a preconditioning method for NSCs implantation.
Modeling and Optimizing the Synthesis of Urea-formaldehyde Fertilizers and Analyses of Factors Affecting these Processes
Authors: Guo Yanle , Zhang Min , Liu Zhiguang , Tian Xiaofei , Zhang Shugang , Zhao Chenhao , Lu Hao
Published: March 2018

Previous research into the synthesis of urea-formaldehyde fertilizers was mostly based on orthogonal experimental designs or single factor tests; this led to low precision for synthesis and relatively large ranges of parameters for these processes. To obtain mathematical response models for the synthesis of urea-formaldehyde fertilizers with different nitrogen release properties, a central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology was used in our research to examine the effects of different reaction times, temperatures, and molar ratios on nitrogen insoluble in either hot or cold water. Our results showed that nitrogen insoluble in cold or hot water from urea-formaldehyde fertilizers were mainly affected by urea: formaldehyde molar ratios. Also, quadratic polynomial mathematical models were established for urea-formaldehyde. According to the models, the optimal process parameters which maximize cold-water-insoluble nitrogen and minimize hot-water-insoluble nitrogen for the synthesis of urea formaldehyde were as follows urea: formaldehyde molar ratio was 1.33, reaction temperature was 43.5 °C, and reaction time was 1.64 h. Under these conditions, the content of cold-water-insoluble nitrogen was 22.14%, and hot-water-insoluble nitrogen was 9.87%. The model could be an effective tool for predicting properties of urea-formaldehyde slow release fertilizers if the experimental conditions were held within the design limits.
miR-3140 suppresses tumor cell growth by targeting BRD4 via its coding sequence and downregulates the BRD4-NUT fusion oncoprotein
Authors: Tonouchi Erina , Gen Yasuyuki , Muramatsu Tomoki , Hiramoto Hidekazu , Tanimoto Kousuke , Inoue Jun , Inazawa Johji
Published: March 2018

Bromodomain Containing 4 (BRD4) mediates transcriptional elongation of the oncogene MYC by binding to acetylated histones. BRD4 has been shown to play a critical role in tumorigenesis in several cancers, and the BRD4-NUT fusion gene is a driver of NUT midline carcinoma (NMC), a rare but highly lethal cancer. microRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs that suppress target gene expression by binding to complementary mRNA sequences. Here, we show that miR-3140, which was identified as a novel tumor suppressive miRNA by function-based screening of a library containing 1090 miRNA mimics, directly suppressed BRD4 by binding to its coding sequence (CDS). miR-3140 concurrently downregulated BRD3 by bind to its CDS as well as CDK2 and EGFR by binding to their 3’ untranslated regions. miR-3140 inhibited tumor cell growth in vitro in various cancer cell lines, including EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant cells. Interestingly, we found that miR-3140 downregulated the BRD4-NUT fusion protein and suppressed in vitro tumor cell growth in a NMC cell line, Ty-82 cells. Furthermore, administration of miR-3140 suppressed in vivo tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. Our results suggest that miR-3140 is a candidate for the development of miRNA-based cancer therapeutics.
Structural changes in hand related cortical areas after median nerve injury and repair
Authors: Nordmark Per F. , Ljungberg Christina , Johansson Roland S.
Published: March 2018

Transection of the median nerve typically causes lifelong restriction of fine sensory and motor skills of the affected hand despite the best available surgical treatment. Inspired by recent findings on activity-dependent structural plasticity of the adult brain, we used voxel-based morphometry to analyze the brains of 16 right-handed adults who more than two years earlier had suffered injury to the left or right median nerve followed by microsurgical repair. Healthy individuals served as matched controls. Irrespective of side of injury, we observed gray matter reductions in left ventral and right dorsal premotor cortex, and white matter reductions in commissural pathways interconnecting those motor areas. Only left-side injured participants showed gray matter reduction in the hand area of the contralesional primary motor cortex. We interpret these effects as structural manifestations of reduced neural processing linked to restrictions in the diversity of the natural manual dexterity repertoire. Furthermore, irrespective of side of injury, we observed gray matter increases bilaterally in a motion-processing visual area. We interpret this finding as a consequence of increased neural processing linked to greater dependence on vision for control of manual dexterity after median nerve injury because of a compromised somatosensory innervation of the affected hand.
VKORC1 sequence variants associated with resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides in Irish populations of Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus domesticus
Authors: Mooney Jean , Lynch Mark R. , Prescott Colin V. , Clegg Tracy , Loughlin Michael , Hannon Bernard , Moore Colm , Faulkner Richard
Published: March 2018

While resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides is known to occur in many European populations of Norway rat and house mouse, to-date no data is available on the occurrence in Ireland of such resistance. No genetic evidence for the occurrence of resistance was found in 65 Norway rat samples analysed, indicative of an absence, or low prevalence, of resistance in rats in at least the Eastern region of the island of Ireland. The presence of two of the most commonly found amino acid substitutions Leu128Ser and Tyr139Cys associated with house mouse resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides was confirmed. The occurrence of two such mutations is indicative of the occurrence of resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides in house mice in the Eastern region of the island of Ireland.
Genome analysis reveals evolutionary mechanisms of adaptation in systemic dimorphic fungi
Authors: Muñoz José F. , McEwen Juan G. , Clay Oliver K. , Cuomo Christina A.
Published: March 2018

Dimorphic fungal pathogens cause a significant human disease burden and unlike most fungal pathogens affect immunocompetent hosts. To examine the origin of virulence of these fungal pathogens, we compared genomes of classic systemic, opportunistic, and non-pathogenic species, includingEmmonsiaand two basal branching, non-pathogenic species in the Ajellomycetaceae,Helicocarpus griseusandPolytolypa hystricis. We found that gene families related to plant degradation, secondary metabolites synthesis, and amino acid and lipid metabolism are retained inH.griseusandP.hystricis. While genes involved in the virulence of dimorphic pathogenic fungi are conserved in saprophytes, changes in the copy number of proteases, kinases and transcription factors in systemic dimorphic relative to non-dimorphic species may have aided the evolution of specialized gene regulatory programs to rapidly adapt to higher temperatures and new nutritional environments. Notably, both of the basal branching, non-pathogenic species appear homothallic, with both mating type locus idiomorphs fused at a single locus, whereas all related pathogenic species are heterothallic. These differences revealed that independent changes in nutrient acquisition capacity have occurred in the Onygenaceae and Ajellomycetaceae, and underlie how the dimorphic pathogens have adapted to the human host and decreased their capacity for growth in environmental niches.
Laser damage resistance of polystyrene opal photonic crystals
Authors: Pan Lei , Xu Hongbo , Lv Ruizhen , Qiu Jun , Zhao Jiupeng , Li Yao
Published: March 2018

The laser damage behavior of three-dimensional photonic crystals (3D-PCs) with an opal structure is investigated using both experimental and simulation methods. Polystyrene (PS) colloidal crystals films with a reflection peak at 1064 nm are used as the model material. Disordered films (DF) are fabricated with PS microspheres as contrast samples. The laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of 3D-PCs is tested, which is as 2.35 times high as the LIDT of DF. All laser damages are derived from defects in 3D-PCs, implying that the LIDT of ideal 3D-PCs will be significantly increased. The simulation results show that the electric field is contained in the pores of 3D-PCs while it is reduced in the PS microspheres, which may decrease the absorption of laser energy by 3D-PCs. In contrast, the electric field distribution is irregular in DF. Enhanced electric field areas are located in both the pores and microspheres of DF. Considering higher electric field intensity causes more energy absorption and higher temperature, the DF have a lower LIDT. The 3D-PCs structure uses ordered vacancy to contain and strike back laser energy and can increase the LIDT without changing the chemical composition of materials.
Acrolein-stressed threshold adaptation alters the molecular and metabolic bases of an engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae to improve glutathione production
Authors: Zhou Wenlong , Yang Yan , Tang Liang , Cheng Kai , Li Changkun , Wang Huimin , Liu Minzhi , Wang Wei
Published: March 2018

Acrolein (Acr) was used as a selection agent to improve the glutathione (GSH) overproduction of the prototrophic strain W303-1b/FGPPT. After two rounds of adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE), an unexpected result was obtained wherein identical GSH production was observed in the selected isolates. Then, a threshold selection mechanism of Acr-stressed adaption was clarified based on the formation of an Acr-GSH adduct, and a diffusion coefficient (0.36 ± 0.02 μmol·min−1·OD600−1) was calculated. Metabolomic analysis was carried out to reveal the molecular bases that triggered GSH overproduction. The results indicated that all three precursors (glutamic acid (Glu), glycine (Gly) and cysteine (Cys)) needed for GSH synthesis were at a relativity higher concentration in the evolved strain and that the accumulation of homocysteine (Hcy) and cystathionine might promote Cys synthesis and then improve GSH production. In addition to GSH and Cys, it was observed that other non-protein thiols and molecules related to ATP generation were at obviously different levels. To divert the accumulated thiols to GSH biosynthesis, combinatorial strategies, including deletion of cystathionine β-lyase (STR3), overexpression of cystathionine γ-lyase (CYS3) and cystathionine β-synthase (CYS4), and reduction of the unfolded protein response (UPR) through up-regulation of protein disulphide isomerase (PDI), were also investigated.
Membrane-association of EMR2/ADGRE2-NTF is regulated by site-specific N-glycosylation
Authors: Huang Yi-Shu , Chiang Nien-Yi , Chang Gin-Wen , Lin Hsi-Hsien
Published: March 2018

The evolutionarily conserved adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) play critical roles in biological processes as diverse as brain development, cell polarity and innate immune functions. A defining feature of aGPCRs is the GPCR autoproteolysis inducing (GAIN) domain capable of self-catalytic cleavage, resulting in the generation of an extracellular N-terminal fragment (NTF) and a seven-transmembrane C-terminal fragment (CTF) involved in the cellular adhesion and signaling functions, respectively. Interestingly, two different NTF subtypes have previously been identified, namely an NTF that couples non-covalently with the CTF and a membrane-associated NTF that tethers on cell surface independently. The two NTF subtypes are expected to regulate aGPCR signaling via distinct mechanisms however their molecular characteristics are largely unknown. Herein, the membrane-associated NTF of EMR2/ADGRE2 is investigated and found to be modified by differential N-glycosylation. The membrane association of EMR2-NTF occurs in post-ER compartments and site-specific N-glycosylation in the GAIN domain is involved in modulating its membrane-association ability. Finally, a unique amphipathic α-helix in the GAIN domain is identified as a putative membrane anchor of EMR2-NTF. These results provide novel insights into the complex interaction and activation mechanisms of aGPCRs.
Sediment disturbance by Ediacaran bulldozers and the roots of the Cambrian explosion
Authors: Buatois Luis A. , Almond John , Mángano M. Gabriela , Jensen Sören , Germs Gerard J. B.
Published: March 2018

Trace fossils of sediment bulldozers are documented from terminal Ediacaran strata of the Nama Group in Namibia, where they occur in the Spitskop Member of the Urusis Formation (Schwarzrand Subgroup). They consist of unilobate to bilobate horizontal to subhorizontal trace fossils describing scribbles, circles and, more rarely, open spirals and meanders, and displaying an internal structure indicative of active fill. Their presence suggests that exploitation of the shallow infaunal ecospace by relatively large bilaterians was already well underway at the dawn of the Phanerozoic. Efficient burrowing suggests coelom development most likely linked to metazoan body-size increase. These trace fossils are the earliest clear representatives so far recorded of sediment bulldozing, an activity that may have had a negative impact on suspension-feeding and/or osmotroph communities, as well as on matgrounds, representing early examples of ecosystem engineering and trophic-group amensalism. The occurrence of sediment bulldozers may have promoted the establishment of gradients in horizontal and vertical distribution of organic material in connection with spatially heterogeneous environments on the sea floor at a critical time in Earth evolution.
Invariant errors reveal limitations in motor correction rather than constraints on error sensitivity
Authors: Kim Hyosub E. , Morehead J. Ryan , Parvin Darius E. , Moazzezi Reza , Ivry Richard B.
Published: March 2018

Implicit sensorimotor adaptation is traditionally described as a process of error reduction, whereby a fraction of the error is corrected for with each movement. Here, in our study of healthy human participants, we characterize two constraints on this learning process: the size of adaptive corrections is only related to error size when errors are smaller than 6°, and learning functions converge to a similar level of asymptotic learning over a wide range of error sizes. These findings are problematic for current models of sensorimotor adaptation, and point to a new theoretical perspective in which learning is constrained by the size of the error correction, rather than sensitivity to error.
Structure and dynamics of triplet-exciton pairs generated from singlet fission studied via magnetic field effects
Authors: Wakasa Masanobu , Yago Tomoaki , Sonoda Yoriko , Katoh Ryuzi
Published: March 2018

Singlet fission is the conversion of a singlet exciton to a pair of triplet excitons followed by a diffusion process to form two free triplet excitons. The quantum yield of singlet fission per photon can exceed 100%. Singlet fission is thus an attractive way to enhance solar-cell performance. However, singlet fission events are not well characterized. In particular, the structure and diffusion pathways of triplet-exciton pairs, which strongly affect the efficiency of the singlet fission event, are unclear. Here we study the magnetic field effects (MFEs) on the singlet fission of diphenylhexatriene (DPH) and fluorinated DPHs crystals. Their fluorescence intensities show clear MFEs and the shape of the MFE curve depends on the crystal structure. Analysis of MFEs with the stochastic Liouville equation reproduces the MFE curve well. This use of MFEs allows one to determine the structure and diffusion pathways of triplet-exciton pairs, and to predict the efficiency of singlet fission events.
Slow DNA Binding
Authors: Lincoln Per , Wilhelmsson L. Marcus , Nordén Bengt
Published: March 2018

DNA targeting based on slow binding is often hard to assess experimentally and impossible to predict in silico. This is so because selectivity and binding geometry of equilibrium states are relatively straightforward to determine, whereas the path along which the drug reaches this state, the mechanism of binding and the resulting kinetics are harder to predict. Investigating the kinetics of the binding and dissociation reaction could substantially increase our understanding about the structure and dynamics of DNA itself and can, for cases where the interaction kinetics are slow, reveal intermediate binding sites that might be significant in the action of a drug. An overview of the field of slow DNA binding is given, focusing on cases of threading intercalation, i.e. on ligands that have bulky or polar substituents tethered to a part of the molecule that gets intercalated, requiring this part to be threaded through the DNA-base stack so that the resulting complex has one bulky substituent in each groove. Attention is drawn to the counter-intuitive finding that bigger, more hydrophobic substituents may show faster threading kinetics than smaller, more polar ones. This behaviour is attributed to transition states where a hydrophobic moiety interacts with unstacked DNA bases in the opening of a hole through the nucleic acid stack, thus catalysing threading.
Binding of Small Molecules to Trinucleotide DNA Repeats Associated with Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Hou Ming-Hon , Satange Roshan , Chang Chung-ke
Published: March 2018

Repetitive DNA sequences within genes play a vital role in maintaining normal function and pathology. Abnormal increases in the number of repeating units, or expansion, of repetitive sequences have been associated with more than 30 different types of hereditary diseases. Among these, expansion of trinucleotide repeats (TNRs) are arguably the most important, accounting for at least 14 diseases including Huntington's and fragile X syndrome. Small molecules that bind to specific TNR DNA sequences could find application as diagnostic tools as well as therapeutic agents. Understanding how these compounds interact with TNR DNA should provide clues to their mechanisms of action and empower the development of novel therapeutics. Various biochemical and biophysical methods are required to elucidate the interaction between these compounds and TNR DNA. This chapter will summarize the different types of compounds that interact with abnormal trinucleotide repeat expansions in DNA. We will discuss their respective mechanisms in the light of experimental evidence, and discuss how this information can lead to potential applications.
Molecular Modelling Approaches for Assessing Quadruplex–Small Molecule Interactions
Authors: Kuta Martyna , Islam Barira , Haider Shozeb , Neidle Stephen
Published: March 2018

Quadruplex nucleic acids are discrete higher-order four-stranded structures formed from short repetitive guanine-rich DNA or RNA sequences. They are over-represented in eukaryotic telomeric DNA sequences, in promoter sequences and in untranslated regions, especially of genes involved in cancer initiation and progression. Quadruplexes, once formed, can be impediments to transcription, translation or replication, depending on their genomic context and on whether there are cellular mechanisms to unravel them. Cancer cells can have defects in DNA repair, so that otherwise transient quadruplexes may be stabilised with the aid of quadruplex-selective small molecules. This chapter discusses the application of molecular modelling and simulation methods to the in silico study of quadruplex–small-molecule interactions. These approaches can facilitate the determination and systematic exploration of plausible low-energy binding geometries, optimise the evaluation of a library of compounds, and can enable the determination of binding energies with accuracy that can be similar to that of experiment. The various methods in common use in the quadruplex field are illustrated with examples.
Targeting DNA Mismatches with Coordination Complexes
Authors: Barton Jacqueline K. , Boynton Adam N. , Boyle Kelsey M.
Published: March 2018

DNA base pair mismatches occur naturally in cells as a result of incorporation errors and damage. Most cells are able to identify and correct these mistakes before replication, allowing for high genome fidelity between cellular generations. In some forms of cancer, however, proteins involved in the machinery of mismatch repair (MMR) undergo mutation, making those cells unable to correct mismatches and leading to an increase in mutations. Since higher mismatch frequency serves as an early indicator of cancer progression, for many researchers mismatches have provided a novel target for the design of organic and inorganic small-molecule therapeutics. In particular, transition metal complexes have shown great promise in this context owing to their valuable spectroscopic and photophysical properties and flexibility with respect to modification of their coordination spheres. Thus far, experimental designs have ranged from targeting the thermodynamic destabilization of mismatched sites to the hydrogen-bonding pattern of specific mismatched base pairs. Here, we review the diversity, practical application, and evolution of mismatch-targeting small molecules, with an emphasis on rhodium metalloinsertors and luminescent ruthenium compounds. Importantly, we highlight the discovery of metalloinsertion, a noncovalent DNA binding mode that is specific towards destabilized sites, such as mismatches, within the DNA duplex.
Multiple aromatic C–H bond activations by a dirhenium carbonyl complex
Authors: Adams Richard D. , Dhull Poonam , Tedder Jonathan D.
Published: March 2018

Multiple aromatic CH activations by a dirhenium complex have provided meta-related dimetallated arene rings in the complexes Re2(CO)8(μ-H)(μ-η2-1,2-μ-η2-3,4-C14H8)Re2(CO)8(μ-H), 3 and Re2(CO)8(μ-H)(μ-η1-1,μ-η1-3-C6H4)Re2(CO)8(μ-H), 4.
Edge defect switched dual spin filter in zigzag hexagonal boron nitride nanoribbons
Authors: Guo Yan-Dong , Liu Hui-Feng , Zeng Hong-Li , Yan Xiao-Hong , Song Xiao-Chen
Published: March 2018

Edge defects make a zigzag hexagonal boron nitride nanoribbon operate as a dual-spin filter, and this is not affected by the ribbon's width and the defect's length.
Abnormal linear elasticity in polycrystalline phosphorene
Authors: Liu Ning , Pidaparti Ramana , Wang Xianqiao
Published: March 2018

Unlike other two-dimension materials with planar crystalline structure, polycrystalline phosphorene sheets are almost linear elastic, resulting from its high bending stiffness due to its intrinsic buckled crystalline structure.
Evaluation of the metal-dependent cytotoxic behaviour of coordination compounds
Authors: Grau Jordi , Renau Cristina , Caballero Ana B. , Caubet Amparo , Pockaj Marta , Lorenzo Julia , Gamez Patrick
Published: March 2018

The[Cu(L)Cl2]2and[Pt(L)Cl2]complexes were prepared from the simple Schiff-base ligand (E)-phenyl-N-((pyridin-2-yl)methylene)methanamine (L) and respectively, CuCl2andcis-[PtCl2(DMSO)2].
An expeditious route to the synthesis of the enantioenriched tetracyclic core of ergot alkaloids via an organocatalytic aldol reaction
Authors: Bhunia Subhajit , Chaudhuri Saikat , De Subhadip , Babu K. Naresh , Bisai Alakesh
Published: March 2018

A concise route to the synthesis of the enantiopure tetracyclic scaffold of ergot alkaloids has been developed via a key organocatalytic aldol reaction using paraformaldehyde as the C1-unit in the presence of thiourea ligand followed by a Pd-catalyzed directed coupling.
A study of the density of states of ZnCoO:H from resistivity measurements
Authors: Cheon Miyeon , Cho Yong , Park Chul-Hong , Cho Chae Ryong , Jeong Se-Young
Published: March 2018

Ambipolar behavior in a hydrogenated Zn0.8Co0.2O (ZnCoO:H) film is investigated via resistivity and magnetoresistance measurements and first-principles calculations of the DOS. Evidence for the existence of Co–H–Co in ZnCoO:H is suggested.
Enhancement of cellular glucose uptake by reactive species: a promising approach for diabetes therapy
Authors: Kumar Naresh , Shaw Priyanka , Razzokov Jamoliddin , Yusupov Maksudbek , Attri Pankaj , Uhm Han Sup , Choi Eun Ha , Bogaerts Annemie
Published: March 2018

Influenence of biocompatible microsecond dielectric barrier discharge (μs-DBD) plasma in glucose uptake and cell differentiation.
Bilayers of Janus and homogeneous particle mixtures trapped at an air/water interface
Authors: Kozina Anna , Ramos Salvador , Díaz-Leyva Pedro , Castillo Rolando
Published: March 2018

We study mixtures of amphiphilic Janus and homogeneous hydrophobic particles trapped at an air/water interface.
Development and characterization of a scintillating cell imaging dish for radioluminescence microscopy
Authors: Sengupta Debanti , Kim Tae Jin , Almasi Sepideh , Miller Stuart , Marton Zsolt , Nagarkar Vivek , Pratx Guillem
Published: March 2018

Radioluminescence microscopy is an emerging modality that can be used to image radionuclide probes with micron-scale resolution.
Functional conjugated pyridines via main-group element tuning
Authors: Stolar Monika , Baumgartner Thomas
Published: March 2018

The functional properties arising from a combination of main-group elements with pyridine-based organic conjugated scaffolds are highlighted.
Introduction of carbon–boron atomic groups as an efficient strategy to boost formic acid production toward CO2electrochemical reduction
Authors: Cao Yun , Geng Zhigang , Chen Weiwei , Cai Fan , Wang Guoxiong , Wang Zhengfei , Zeng Jie
Published: March 2018

Introducing C–B diatomic groups in carbon-doped hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) flakes resulted in high activity and selectivity for HCOOH in CO2electroreduction.
Stacking sequences of black phosphorous allotropes and the corresponding few-layer phosphorenes
Authors: Wei Ying , Lu Feng , Zhou Tiege , Luo Xiaoguang , Zhao Yuanchun
Published: March 2018

Possible bulk black phosphorus (BP) allotropes are constructed based on single-layer BP with various stacking sequences.
Does Rashba splitting in CH3NH3PbBr3 arise from 2 × 2 surface reconstruction?
Authors: Che Xiaoyang , Traore Boubacar , Katan Claudine , Kepenekian Mikaël , Even Jacky
Published: March 2018

Based on first-principles calculations, we examine the emergence of spin–orbit induced splitting at the methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3) perovskite surface.
Designing a novel dual bed reactor to realize efficient ethanol synthesis from dimethyl ether and syngas
Authors: Gao Xinhua , Xu Bolian , Yang Guohui , Feng Xiaobo , Yoneyama Yoshiharu , Taka Ushio , Tsubaki Noritatsu
Published: March 2018

A novel dual bed reactor packed with H-ferrierite and CuZnAl catalysts for efficient ethanol synthesis from DME and syngas.
Electronic structure and luminescence properties of unique complexes: cyclometalated iridium(iii) chelated by o-carboranyl-pyridine ligands
Authors: Zhang Huize , Li Wenqian , Yan Xi , Cai Wanlin , Li Ming , He Rongxing , Shen Wei
Published: March 2018

Iridium(iii) complexes that use o-carborane as a chelating ligand have been theoretically investigated for the first time. The superior properties of complexes will potentially promote the discovery of efficient blue-emitting complexes.
Catalyst-controlled synthesis of 4-amino-isoquinolin-1(2H)-one and oxazole derivatives
Authors: Niu Ben , Liu Ruixing , Wei Yin , Shi Min
Published: March 2018

A facile synthetic method for the preparation of oxazole and 4-amino-isoquinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives has been developed from the reaction of N-(pivaloyloxy)-amides and ynamides by using different metal catalysts.
Stable adaptive NSOF domain FOPID controller for a class of non‐linear systems
Authors: Biswas Debasish , Das Sharma Kaushik , Sarkar Gautam
Published: March 2018

The present study proposes a new approach for designing stable adaptive fractional‐order proportional–integral–derivative (FOPID) controllers, which employs non‐sinusoidal orthogonal function (NSOF) domain‐based design approach. The objective is to design a self‐adaptive FOPID controller such that the designed controller can guarantee desired stability and simultaneously it can provide satisfactory transient performance. The proposed design methodology simplifies and eliminates the complexity of solving fractional‐order system dynamics by converting it into the algebraic vector–matrix equation with the help of NSOF. The conventional FOPID, NSOF‐based FOPID and NSOF‐based adaptive FOPID controllers are implemented for benchmark simulation case studies and real‐life experimentation and their results demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed approach.
Optimising regulation of aggregated thermostatically controlled loads based on multi‐swarm PSO
Authors: Ma Kai , Yuan Chenliang , Xu Xia , Yang Jie , Liu Zhixin
Published: March 2018

Thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) have been shown to be able to provide regulation service in ancillary service markets. In this work, an online optimisation model of TCLs was established to track the automatic generation control signal. In the optimisation model, the TCLs are regulated with different control commands, and the cluster‐based control structure of the TCLs is proposed for implementation. To solve the optimisation problem, a mapping between the temperature setpoint variation and the on/off state of TCLs was established. Hence, the problem was transformed into a 0–1 non‐linear programming, which can be solved by the binary dynamic multi‐swarm particle swarm optimisation with cooperative learning strategy (DMS‐PSO‐CLS). Simulation results demonstrate that the binary DMS‐PSO‐CLS algorithm is an efficient method to solve the optimisation problem. It is promising to control the TCLs individually to serve for the frequency regulation in power grid.
Statistical‐based approach for driving style recognition using Bayesian probability with kernel density estimation
Authors: Han Wei , Wang Wenshuo , Li Xiaohan , Xi Junqiang
Published: March 2018

Driving style recognition plays a crucial role in eco‐driving, road safety, and intelligent vehicle control. This study proposes a statistical‐based recognition method to deal with driver behaviour uncertainty in driving style recognition. First, the authors extract discriminative features using the conditional kernel density function to characterise path‐following behaviour. Meanwhile, the posterior probability of each selected feature is computed based on the full Bayesian theory. Second, they develop an efficient Euclidean distance‐based method to recognise the path‐following style for new input datasets at a low computational cost. By comparing the Euclidean distance of each pair of elements in the feature vector, then they classify driving styles into seven levels from normal to aggressive. Finally, they employ a cross‐validation method to evaluate the utility of their proposed approach by comparing with a fuzzy logic (FL) method. The experiment results show that the proposed statistical‐based recognition method integrating with the kernel density is more efficient and robust than the FL method.
High‐power efficiency aperiodic phased array antenna for space‐borne SAR
Authors: Lu Junqi , Yang Hu , Liu Taolin , Wen Gongjian , Li Deren
Published: March 2018

An innovative aperiodic phased array antenna architecture with quantised excitation for space‐borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is presented. Compared to traditional periodic arrays, the proposed array antenna enjoys two major advantages including (i) much higher overall power efficiency and (ii) phase‐only control for both transmitting (TX) and receiving (RX) patterns to fit different space SAR beam shaping and steering requirements. The unprecedented studies on the quasi‐optimum TX and RX pattern strategies for space SAR are carried out and this strategy is utilised in the design of the proposed aperiodic phased array. Performance of the proposed array when being applied to space SAR are evaluated. Moreover, the authors obtained positive results which endorse the design.
Design and implementation of a Ku‐band cross‐coupled gap waveguide filter using non‐resonating negative coupling node
Authors: Arezoomand Masoud , Pirhadi Abbas , Karimian Shokrollah
Published: March 2018

In this study, the design of Ku‐band cross‐coupled filter based on gap waveguide (GW) technology is presented. The proposed cross‐coupled filter is designed and implemented based on advanced filter design techniques, by incorporating two transmission zeros in the vicinity of its passband. In doing so, the appropriate filter order and its topology is first identified. The associated coupling matrix is then obtained. Towards achieving the main goal of this work, the proposed cross‐coupled filter is then implemented based on GW structures. This included the design of resonators, the coupling between resonators and coupling of input and output ports. The extracted coupling matrix contains negative elements, which represent the negative coupling between resonators. The main challenge here is to realise the negative coupling between GW resonators. The newly proposed configuration, named suspended ridge GW, which operates as a non‐resonating node in the operating frequency of the filter is used to realise the negative coupling effect. Simulation and measurement results of the filter confirm the validity of the proposed technique in the design of the cross‐coupled filter, and creating the desired transmission zeros in the vicinity of its passband.
Optimisation of current harmonics for three‐level VSI based induction motor drive suitable for traction application
Authors: Steczek Marcin , Chatterjee Arunava , Chatterjee Debashis
Published: March 2018

A method for minimisation of current harmonics spectrum for asynchronous traction motor fed from three‐level neutral point clamped voltage‐source inverter is described in this study. A selective harmonic elimination and mitigation‐based algorithm using particle swarm optimisation has been utilised. Since the load is an induction motor suitable for traction application, a modified objective function with constraint of individual current harmonics has been proposed in this study to obtain improved harmonic elimination and control with low switching frequency. The proposed method has been compared with conventional technique considering only torque spectrum as objective function. Moreover, a suitable formulation for loss calculation has been proposed to optimise both the motor losses and torque harmonics. Suitable simulations along with experiments are performed with a practical induction motor of cage type to justify the proposed method.
Low‐cost SPLL‐based electrical faults identification for three‐phase squirrel cage induction motor using handheld Doppler radar signal analysis
Authors: Barusu Madhusudhana Reddy , Sethurajan Umamaheswari , Deivasigamani Meganathan
Published: March 2018

The condition monitoring of an induction motor performs by contact or non‐contact methods. The contact methods execute via vibration signal, temperature measurement, current signature analysis and so on, and the non‐contact methods accomplish via thermal imaging, temperature measurement and acoustic emission measurement. The contact method requires human expertise to evaluate failures and it is laborious. The authors propose a novel, low‐cost and non‐contact method using software phase locked loop (SPLL) for electrical fault identification in the three‐phase squirrel cage induction motor. The handheld Doppler ultra wideband radar transmitted signal is focused on the induction motor and the reflected signal is analysed with SPLL. The SPLL error signal correlates the faults. From the experimental results, the fault identification of motor in the earlier stage achieves better accuracy of the different motor fault condition. The pattern of error signal provides the information of various faults in squirrel cage induction motor.
Efficient FPGA‐based real‐time implementation of an SVPWM algorithm for a delta inverter
Authors: Alouane Asma , Rhouma Asma Ben , Hamouda Mahmoud , Khedher Adel
Published: March 2018

This study proposes an efficient field programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation method of an enhanced space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) algorithm for a delta inverter. The overall hardware configuration of the FPGA is made graphically using the high‐level Xilinx system generator (XSG) programming tools. The proposed descriptive XSG model is first evaluated by running a hardware co‐simulation test. The comparative study with computer simulations performed with Simulink shows a good agreement between the results of both methods, which approves the accuracy of the proposed descriptive XSG model. Moreover, an experimental test is carried out on a laboratory prototype of the delta inverter feeding an induction machine. The obtained high quality of the load currents confirms the feasibility of the proposed enhanced SVPWM algorithm and the effectiveness of its implementation method on FPGA.
Tracking the performance of photovoltaic systems: a tool for minimising the risk of malfunctions and deterioration
Authors: Spiliotis Evangelos , Legaki Nikoletta Zampeta , Assimakopoulos Vassilios , Doukas Haris , El Moursi Mohamed Shawky
Published: March 2018

The environmental and economic impact of photovoltaic (PV) systems is continuously growing, serving as an effective alternative energy source. Yet, failures and underperformance, e.g. due to soiling and deterioration, can significantly affect PV production and shrink the capacity available. This becomes an important issue, especially when the plant is not easily accessible for manual checking. Typical monitoring tools can help energy managers to deal with such issues. However, their diagnostics might be misleading as reduced performance could also be caused by low radiation and other relative factors, which are difficult to identify given the non‐linear and stochastic relation of energy production and weather variables. In addition, accurate component‐based models that use local weather measurements as inputs are not always applicable. In this regard, a methodological approach for tracking the performance of PV systems is proposed, which uses an artificial neural network, trained using reported system data and irradiation predictions. Possible abnormalities are identified through the model and alerts are generated to proceed with maintenance actions. The approach is implemented into a decision support system for smart cities, demonstrating encouraging results.
Overview of MEA key technology and system integration
Authors: Yannian Hui , Yuanli Kang
Published: March 2018

More electric aircraft (MEA) becomes a trend for next generation aircraft to respond to the global wide energy shortage. The technological advancement in power electronics makes MEA possible. Airbus and Boeing have advanced their research and application 30 years or earlier than China does. As a major civil aircraft manufacturer in China, COMAC can play an important role in applying and promoting new technologies for next generation aircraft. Based on authors' practice in recent years MEA development project, in this study, the challenge for MEA design is identified and the key technologies for MEA are elaborated from the aircraft, system and component level, and an attempt is made to address the challenge encountered. The method for MEA system integration is given in lieu of ARP 4754A. Finally, an innovative collaboration between original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and suppliers is suggested to achieve win–win situation in developing next generation aircraft.