bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reconstructing Druze population history
Authors: Marshall Scarlett , Das Ranajit , Pirooznia Mehdi , Elhaik Eran
Published: November 2016

The Druze are an aggregate of communities in the Levant and Near East living almost exclusively in the mountains of Syria, Lebanon and Israel whose ~1000 year old religion formally opposes mixed marriages and conversions. Despite increasing interest in genetics of the population structure of the Druze, their population history remains unknown. We investigated the genetic relationships between Israeli Druze and both modern and ancient populations. We evaluated our findings in light of three hypotheses purporting to explain Druze history that posit Arabian, Persian or mixed Near Eastern-Levantine roots. The biogeographical analysis localised proto-Druze to the mountainous regions of southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq and southeast Syria and their descendants clustered along a trajectory between these two regions. The mixed Near Eastern–Middle Eastern localisation of the Druze, shown using both modern and ancient DNA data, is distinct from that of neighbouring Syrians, Palestinians and most of the Lebanese, who exhibit a high affinity to the Levant. Druze biogeographic affinity, migration patterns, time of emergence and genetic similarity to Near Eastern populations are highly suggestive of Armenian-Turkish ancestries for the proto-Druze.
Tea-induced calmness: Sugar-sweetened tea calms consumers exposed to acute stressor
Authors: Samant Shilpa. S. , Wilkes Katherine , Odek Zephania , Seo Han-Seok
Published: November 2016

The food and beverage industry has been increasingly replacing sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners in their sweetened products to control or reduce total calories. Research comparing the effect of nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners on emotional state of participants exposed to acute stressors is still limited. This study aimed to determine the effect of drinking tea sweetened with either a nutritive sweetener (sugar) or a non-nutritive sweetener (sucralose or stevia) on emotional state, in terms of calmness and pleasantness, of participants exposed to an acute stressor. Effects of acute stress on sweetness intensity and overall liking of tea beverages were also determined. Results showed that the possibility of tea-induced calmness, calculated as the difference between calmness ratings after and before drinking a tea sample, was established on stress session in the sugar-sweetened tea. Overall liking, but not the sweetness intensity, of the sugar-sweetened tea was affected by acute stress. In conclusion, this study provides empirical evidence that the consumption of tea sweetened with nutritive sweetener, but not with non-nutritive sweetener, has calming effect on consumers with acute stress, suggesting that this effect may not be due to the sweet taste of sugar, but due to the caloric nature of the sweetener.
Cell senescence is an antiviral defense mechanism
Authors: Baz-Martínez Maite , Da Silva-Álvarez Sabela , Rodríguez Estefanía , Guerra Jorge , El Motiam Ahmed , Vidal Anxo , García-Caballero Tomás , González-Barcia Miguel , Sánchez Laura , Muñoz-Fontela César , Collado Manuel , Rivas Carmen
Published: November 2016

Cellular senescence is often considered a protection mechanism triggered by conditions that impose cellular stress. Continuous proliferation, DNA damaging agents or activated oncogenes are well-known activators of cell senescence. Apart from a characteristic stable cell cycle arrest, this response also involves a proinflammatory phenotype known as senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). This, together with the widely known interference with senescence pathways by some oncoviruses, had led to the hypothesis that senescence may also be part of the host cell response to fight virus. Here, we evaluate this hypothesis using vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) as a model. Our results show that VSV replication is significantly impaired in both primary and tumor senescent cells in comparison with non-senescent cells, and independently of the stimulus used to trigger senescence. Importantly, we also demonstrate a protective effect of senescence against VSV in vivo. Finally, our results identify the SASP as the major contributor to the antiviral defense exerted by cell senescence in vitro, and points to a role activating and recruiting the immune system to clear out the infection. Thus, our study indicates that cell senescence has also a role as a natural antiviral defense mechanism.
Modulation of NMDA channel gating by Ca2+ and Cd2+ binding to the external pore mouth
Authors: Tu Ya-Chi , Yang Ya-Chin , Kuo Chung-Chin
Published: November 2016

NMDA receptor channels are characterized by high Ca2+permeability. It remains unclear whether extracellular Ca2+could directly modulate channel gating and control Ca2+influxes. We demonstrate a pore-blocking site external to the activation gate for extracellular Ca2+and Cd2+, which has the same charge and radius as Ca2+but is impermeable to the channel. The apparent affinity of Cd2+or Ca2+is higher toward the activated (a steady-state mixture of the open and desensitized, probably chiefly the latter) than the closed states. The blocking effect of Cd2+is well correlated with the number of charges in the DRPEER motif at the external pore mouth, with coupling coefficients close to 1 in double mutant cycle analyses. The effect of Ca2+and especially Cd2+could be allosterically affected by T647A mutation located just inside the activation gate. A prominent “hook” also develops after wash-off of Cd2+or Ca2+, suggesting faster unbinding rates of Cd2+and Ca2+with the mutation. We conclude that extracellular Ca2+or Cd2+directly binds to the DRPEER motif to modify NMDA channel activation (opening as well as desensitization), which seems to involve essential regional conformational changes centered at the bundle crossing point A652 (GluN1)/A651(GluN2).
Population exposure to hazardous air quality due to the 2015 fires in Equatorial Asia
Authors: Crippa P. , Castruccio S. , Archer-Nicholls S. , Lebron G. B. , Kuwata M. , Thota A. , Sumin S. , Butt E. , Wiedinmyer C. , Spracklen D. V.
Published: November 2016

Vegetation and peatland fires cause poor air quality and thousands of premature deaths across densely populated regions in Equatorial Asia. Strong El-Niño and positive Indian Ocean Dipole conditions are associated with an increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires in Indonesia and Borneo, enhancing population exposure to hazardous concentrations of smoke and air pollutants. Here we investigate the impact on air quality and population exposure of wildfires in Equatorial Asia during Fall 2015, which were the largest over the past two decades. We performed high-resolution simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry based on a new fire emission product. The model captures the spatio-temporal variability of extreme pollution episodes relative to space- and ground-based observations and allows for identification of pollution sources and transport over Equatorial Asia. We calculate that high particulate matter concentrations from fires during Fall 2015 were responsible for persistent exposure of 69 million people to unhealthy air quality conditions. Short-term exposure to this pollution may have caused 11,880 (6,153–17,270) excess mortalities. Results from this research provide decision-relevant information to policy makers regarding the impact of land use changes and human driven deforestation on fire frequency and population exposure to degraded air quality.
Optic phonons and anisotropic thermal conductivity in hexagonal Ge2Sb2Te5
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Saikat , Lindsay Lucas , Singh David J.
Published: November 2016

The lattice thermal conductivity (κ) of hexagonal Ge2Sb2Te5 (h-GST) is studied via direct first-principles calculations. We find significant intrinsic anisotropy (κa/κc~2) of κ in bulk h-GST, with the dominant contribution to κ from optic phonons, ~75%. This is extremely unusual as the acoustic phonon modes are the majority heat carriers in typical semiconductors and insulators. The anisotropy derives from varying bonding along different crystal directions, specifically from weak interlayer bonding along the c-axis, which gives anisotropic phonon dispersions. The phonon spectrum of h-GST has very dispersive optic branches with higher group velocities along the a-axis as compared to flat optic bands along the c-axis. The large optic mode contributions to the thermal conductivity in low-κ h-GST is unusual, and development of fundamental physical understanding of these contributions may be critical to better understanding of thermal conduction in other complex layered materials.
Inkjet printing of TiO2/AlOOH heterostructures for the formation of interference color images with high optical visibility
Authors: Yakovlev Aleksandr V. , Milichko Valentin A. , Pidko Evgeny A. , Vinogradov Vladimir V. , Vinogradov Alexandr V.
Published: November 2016

This paper describes a practical approach for the fabrication of highly visible interference color images using sol-gel ink technique and a common desktop inkjet printer. We show the potential of titania-boehmite inks for the production of optical heterostructures on various surfaces, which after drying on air produce optical solid layers with low and high refractive index. The optical properties of the surface heterostructures were adjusted following the principles of antireflection coating resulting in the enhancement of the interference color optical visibility of the prints by as much as 32%. Finally, the presented technique was optimized following the insights into the mechanisms of the drop-surface interactions and the drop-on-surface coalescence to make it suitable for the production of even thickness coatings suitable for printing at a large scale. We propose that the technology described herein is a promising new green and sustainable approach for color printing.
Prevalence of normal weight central obesity among Thai healthcare providers and their association with CVD risk: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Thaikruea Lakkana , Thammasarot Jiraporn
Published: November 2016

This study aims to determine the prevalence of health personnel with normal weight central obesity and to investigate whether this group had higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors than those of the people with normal weight and without central obesity. A waist-to-height ratio was calculated as waist circumference (at umbilical level) in cm divided by height in cm. The central obesity cut-off level was 0.5. The body mass index was calculated as weight in kg divided by height in meters squared. The obesity cut-off level was 25 kg/m2. The prevalence of health personnel with normal weight central obesity was 15.4% (499 out of 3235). When compare this group to 1787 health personnel who had normal weight and without central obesity, they were 2.03 times (95% CI of adjusted OR; 1.62 to 2.54) more likely to have at least one CVD factor. The waist-to-height ratio cut-off value of 0.5 can be used as a self-assessment tool for central obesity without the need for a standard measuring tape. It is feasible to be implemented in screening or self-monitoring for the general population.
The Impact of Heterogeneity and Awareness in Modeling Epidemic Spreading on Multiplex Networks
Authors: Scatà Marialisa , Di Stefano Alessandro , Liò Pietro , La Corte Aurelio
Published: November 2016

In the real world, dynamic processes involving human beings are not disjoint. To capture the real complexity of such dynamics, we propose a novel model of the coevolution of epidemic and awareness spreading processes on a multiplex network, also introducing a preventive isolation strategy. Our aim is to evaluate and quantify the joint impact of heterogeneity and awareness, under different socioeconomic conditions. Considering, as case study, an emerging public health threat, Zika virus, we introduce a data-driven analysis by exploiting multiple sources and different types of data, ranging from Big Five personality traits to Google Trends, related to different world countries where there is an ongoing epidemic outbreak. Our findings demonstrate how the proposed model allows delaying the epidemic outbreak and increasing the resilience of nodes, especially under critical economic conditions. Simulation results, using data-driven approach on Zika virus, which has a growing scientific research interest, are coherent with the proposed analytic model.
The caste- and sex-specific DNA methylome of the termite Zootermopsis nevadensis
Authors: Glastad Karl M. , Gokhale Kaustubh , Liebig Jürgen , Goodisman Michael A. D.
Published: November 2016

Epigenetic inheritance plays an important role in mediating alternative phenotype in highly social species. In order to gain a greater understanding of epigenetic effects in societies, we investigated DNA methylation in the termiteZootermopsis nevadensis. Termites are the most ancient social insects, and developmentally distinct from highly-studied, hymenopteran social insects. We used replicated bisulfite-sequencing to investigate patterns of DNA methylation in both sexes and among castes ofZ. nevadensis.We discovered thatZ. nevadensisdisplayed some of the highest levels of DNA methylation found in insects. We also found strong differences in methylation between castes. Methylated genes tended to be uniformly and highly expressed demonstrating the antiquity of associations between intragenic methylation and gene expression. Differentially methylated genes were more likely to be alternatively spliced than not differentially methylated genes, and possessed considerable enrichment for development-associated functions. We further observed strong overrepresentation of multiple transcription factor binding sites and miRNA profiles associated with differential methylation, providing new insights into the possible function of DNA methylation. Overall, our results show that DNA methylation is widespread and associated with caste differences in termites. More generally, this study provides insights into the function of DNA methylation and the success of insect societies.
Insulin-IGF signaling affects cell transformation in the BALB/c 3T3 cell model
Authors: Poburski Doerte , Leovsky Christiane , Boerner Josefine Barbara , Szimmtenings Luisa , Ristow Michael , Glei Michael , Thierbach René
Published: November 2016

The increased cancer mortality of diabetes type 2 patients is most likely an evidence of the tight connection between tumor development and energy metabolism. A major focus of today’s research is still the identification of key proteins of both diseases and the development of corresponding inhibitors. In this study we combined the two-stage BALB/c-3T3 cell transformation assay (BALB-CTA) with the IR/IGF-1R inhibitor OSI-906 (linsitinib) and analyzed alterations in protein activity and energy parameters in non-transformed as well as transformed cells. OSI-906 successfully inhibited the phosphorylation of IR/IGF-1R and decreased cell growth in non-transformed cells. In the BALB-CTA, a permanent treatment with OSI-906 reduced cellular transformation dose-dependently, whereas a temporary treatment gave evidence for a preventive effect in the promotion phase. Furthermore, even though several key proteins were affected, it was possible to show that the phosphorylation of GSK3, Erk 1/2 and the S6 protein are not crucial for the cell foci reducing effect of OSI-906. Taken together, the BALB-CTA confirmed results of OSI-906 from animal studies and enhanced the knowledge of its mode of action. Therefore, the BALB-CTA offers the opportunity to analyze alterations in the transformation process more precisely and will be helpful to identify effective cancer treatments.
An automated approach to prepare tissue-derived spatially barcoded RNA-sequencing libraries
Authors: Jemt Anders , Salmén Fredrik , Lundmark Anna , Mollbrink Annelie , Fernández Navarro José , Ståhl Patrik L. , Yucel-Lindberg Tülay , Lundeberg Joakim
Published: November 2016

Sequencing the nucleic acid content of individual cells or specific biological samples is becoming increasingly common. This drives the need for robust, scalable and automated library preparation protocols. Furthermore, an increased understanding of tissue heterogeneity has lead to the development of several unique sequencing protocols that aim to retain or infer spatial context. In this study, a protocol for retaining spatial information of transcripts has been adapted to run on a robotic workstation. The method spatial transcriptomics is evaluated in terms of robustness and variability through the preparation of reference RNA, as well as through preparation and sequencing of six replicate sections of a gingival tissue biopsy from a patient with periodontitis. The results are reduced technical variability between replicates and a higher throughput, processing four times more samples with less than a third of the hands on time, compared to the standard protocol.
Optimal 2D-SIM reconstruction by two filtering steps with Richardson-Lucy deconvolution
Authors: Perez Victor , Chang Bo-Jui , Stelzer Ernst Hans Karl
Published: November 2016

Structured illumination microscopy relies on reconstruction algorithms to yield super-resolution images. Artifacts can arise in the reconstruction and affect the image quality. Current reconstruction methods involve a parametrized apodization function and a Wiener filter. Empirically tuning the parameters in these functions can minimize artifacts, but such an approach is subjective and produces volatile results. We present a robust and objective method that yields optimal results by two straightforward filtering steps with Richardson-Lucy-based deconvolutions. We provide a resource to identify artifacts in 2D-SIM images by analyzing two main reasons for artifacts, out-of-focus background and a fluctuating reconstruction spectrum. We show how the filtering steps improve images of test specimens, microtubules, yeast and mammalian cells.
Quantum dot-like excitonic behavior in individual single walled-carbon nanotubes
Authors: Wang Xu , Alexander-Webber Jack A. , Jia Wei , Reid Benjamin P. L. , Stranks Samuel D. , Holmes Mark J. , Chan Christopher C. S. , Deng Chaoyong , Nicholas Robin J. , Taylor Robert A.
Published: November 2016

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes are one-dimensional materials with great prospects for applications such as optoelectronic and quantum information devices. Yet, their optical performance is hindered by low fluorescent yield. Highly mobile excitons interacting with quenching sites are attributed to be one of the main non-radiative decay mechanisms that shortens the exciton lifetime. In this paper we report on time-integrated photoluminescence measurements on individual polymer wrapped semiconducting carbon nanotubes. An ultra narrow linewidth we observed demonstrates intrinsic exciton dynamics. Furthermore, we identify a state filling effect in individual carbon nanotubes at cryogenic temperatures as previously observed in quantum dots. We propose that each of the CNTs is segmented into a chain of zero-dimensional states confined by a varying local potential along the CNT, determined by local environmental factors such as the amount of polymer wrapping. Spectral diffusion is also observed, which is consistent with the tunneling of excitons between these confined states.
Colon cancer subtypes: concordance, effect on survival and selection of the most representative preclinical models
Authors: Sztupinszki Zsófia , Győrffy Balázs
Published: November 2016

Multiple gene-expression-based subtypes have been proposed for the molecular subdivision of colon cancer in the last decade. We aimed to cross-validate these classifiers to explore their concordance and their power to predict survival. A gene-chip-based database comprising 2,166 samples from 12 independent datasets was set up. A total of 22 different molecular subtypes were re-trained including the CCHS, CIN25, CMS, ColoGuideEx, ColoGuidePro, CRCassigner, MDA114, Meta163, ODXcolon, Oncodefender, TCA19, and V7RHS classifiers as well as subtypes established by Budinska, Chang, DeSousa, Marisa, Merlos, Popovici, Schetter, Yuen, and Watanabe (first authors). Correlation with survival was assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression for each classifier using relapse-free survival data. The highest efficacy at predicting survival in stage 2–3 patients was achieved by Yuen (p = 3.9e-05, HR = 2.9), Marisa (p = 2.6e-05, HR = 2.6) and Chang (p = 9e-09, HR = 2.35). Finally, 61 colon cancer cell lines from four independent studies were assigned to the closest molecular subtype.
Overlooked Role of Mesoscale Winds in Powering Ocean Diapycnal Mixing
Authors: Jing Zhao , Wu Lixin , Ma Xiaohui , Chang Ping
Published: November 2016

Diapycnal mixing affects the uptake of heat and carbon by the ocean as well as plays an important role in global ocean circulations and climate. In the thermocline, winds provide an important energy source for furnishing diapycnal mixing primarily through the generation of near-inertial internal waves. However, this contribution is largely missing in the current generation of climate models. In this study, it is found that mesoscale winds at scales of a few hundred kilometers account for more than 65% of near-inertial energy flux into the North Pacific basin and 55% of turbulent kinetic dissipation rate in the thermocline, suggesting their dominance in powering diapycnal mixing in the thermocline. Furthermore, a new parameterization of wind-driven diapycnal mixing in the ocean interior for climate models is proposed, which, for the first time, successfully captures both temporal and spatial variations of wind-driven diapycnal mixing in the thermocline. It is suggested that as mesoscale winds are not resolved by the climate models participated in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) due to insufficient resolutions, the diapycnal mixing is likely poorly represented, raising concerns about the accuracy and robustness of climate change simulations and projections.
Controlling signal transport in a carbon nanotube opto-transistor
Authors: Li Jinjin , Chu Yanhui , Zhu Ka-Di
Published: November 2016

With the highly competitive development of communication technologies, modern information manufactures place high importance on the ability to control the transmitted signal using easy miniaturization materials. A controlled and miniaturized optical information device is, therefore, vital for researchers in information and communication fields. Here we propose a controlled signal transport in a doubly clamped carbon nanotube system, where the transmitted signal can be controlled by another pump beam. Pump off results in the transmitted signal off, while pump on results in the transmitted signal on. The more pump, the more amplified output signal transmission. Analogous with traditional cavity optomechanical system, the role of optical cavity is played by a localized exciton in carbon nanotube while the role of the mechanical element is played by the nanotube vibrations, which enables the realization of an opto-transistor based on carbon nanotube. Since the signal amplification and attenuation have been observed in traditional optomechanical system, and the nanotube optomechanical system has been realized in laboratory, the proposed carbon nanotube opto-transistor could be implemented in current experiments and open the door to potential applications in modern optical networks and future quantum networks.
Intrinsic cellular signaling mechanisms determine the sensitivity of cancer cells to virus-induced apoptosis
Authors: Wang Yunfei , Li Dawei , Luo Jian , Tian Guimei , Zhao Lisa Y. , Liao Daiqing
Published: November 2016

Cancer cells of epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes exhibit different sensitivities to apoptosis stimuli, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain partly understood. We constructed a novel recombinant adenovirus expressing Ad12 E1A (Ad-E1A12) that can strongly induce apoptosis. Ad-E1A12 infection of epithelial cancer cells displayed dramatic detachment and apoptosis, whereas cancer cells of mesenchymal phenotypes with metastatic propensity were markedly more resistant to this virus. Notably, forced detachment of epithelial cells did not further sensitize them to Ad-E1A12-induced apoptosis, suggesting that cell detachment is a consequence rather than the cause of Ad-E1A12-induced apoptosis. Ad-E1A12 increased phosphorylation of AKT1 and ribosomal protein S6 through independent mechanisms in different cell types. Ad-E1A12–induced AKT1 phosphorylation was PI3K-dependent in epithelial cancer cells, and mTOR-dependent in mesenchymal cancer cells. Epithelial cancer cells upon Ad-E1A12-induced detachment could not sustain AKT activation due to AKT1 degradation, but AKT1 activation was maintained in mesenchymal cancer cells. Expression of epithelial cell-restricted miR-200 family in mesenchymal cells limited mTOR signaling and sensitized them to Ad-E1A12-induced cell killing. Thus, epithelial cancer cells rely on the canonical PI3K-AKT signaling pathway for survival, while mesenchymal cancer cells deploy the PI3K-independent mTORC2-AKT axis in response to strong death stimuli.
The high-affinity metal Transporters NRAMP1 and IRT1 Team up to Take up Iron under Sufficient Metal Provision
Authors: Castaings Loren , Caquot Antoine , Loubet Stéphanie , Curie Catherine
Published: November 2016

Iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) are essential metals which, when scarce in the growth medium, are respectively taken up by the root high affinity transporters IRT1 and NRAMP1 in Arabidopsis thaliana. The molecular bases for low affinity transport however remained unknown. Since IRT1 and NRAMP1 have a broad range of substrates among metals, we tested the hypothesis that they might be functionally redundant by generating nramp1 irt1 double mutants. These plants showed extreme Fe-deficiency symptoms despite optimal provision of the metal. Their phenotype, which includes low Fe and Mn contents and a defect of Fe entry into root cells as revealed by Fe staining, is rescued by high Fe supply. Using a promoter swap-based strategy, we showed that root endodermis retains the ability to carry out high affinity Fe transport and furthermore might be important to high-affinity Mn uptake. We concluded that NRAMP1 plays a pivotal role in Fe transport by cooperating with IRT1 to take up Fe in roots under replete conditions, thus providing the first evidence for a low affinity Fe uptake system in plants.
Employing Escherichia coli-derived outer membrane vesicles as an antigen delivery platform elicits protective immunity against Acinetobacter baumannii infection
Authors: Huang Weiwei , Wang Shijie , Yao Yufeng , Xia Ye , Yang Xu , Li Kui , Sun Pengyan , Liu Cunbao , Sun Wenjia , Bai Hongmei , Chu Xiaojie , Li Yang , Ma Yanbing
Published: November 2016

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) have proven to be highly immunogenic and induced an immune response against bacterial infection in human clinics and animal models. We sought to investigate whether engineered OMVs can be a feasible antigen-delivery platform for efficiently inducing specific antibody responses. In this study, Omp22 (an outer membrane protein of A. baumannii) was displayed on E. coli DH5α-derived OMVs (Omp22-OMVs) using recombinant gene technology. The morphological features of Omp22-OMVs were similar to those of wild-type OMVs (wtOMVs). Immunization with Omp22-OMVs induced high titers of Omp22-specific antibodies. In a murine sepsis model, Omp22-OMV immunization significantly protected mice from lethal challenge with a clinically isolated A. baumannii strain, which was evidenced by the increased survival rate of the mice, the reduced bacterial burdens in the lung, spleen, liver, kidney, and blood, and the suppressed serum levels of inflammatory cytokines. In vitro opsonophagocytosis assays showed that antiserum collected from Omp22-OMV-immunized mice had bactericidal activity against clinical isolates, which was partly specific antibody-dependent. These results strongly indicated that engineered OMVs could display a whole heterologous protein (~22 kDa) on the surface and effectively induce specific antibody responses, and thus OMVs have the potential to be a feasible vaccine platform.
Mitigation of radiation-induced hematopoietic injury by the polyphenolic acetate 7, 8-diacetoxy-4-methylthiocoumarin in mice
Authors: Venkateswaran Kavya , Shrivastava Anju , Agrawala Paban K. , Prasad Ashok , Kalra Namita , Pandey Parvat R. , Manda Kailash , Raj Hanumantharao G. , Parmar Virinder S. , Dwarakanath Bilikere S.
Published: November 2016

Protection of the hematopoietic system from radiation damage, and/or mitigation of hematopoietic injury are the two major strategies for developing medical countermeasure agents (MCM) to combat radiation-induced lethality. In the present study, we investigated the potential of 7, 8-diacetoxy-4-methylthiocoumarin (DAMTC) to ameliorate radiation-induced hematopoietic damage and the associated mortality following total body irradiation (TBI) in C57BL/6 mice. Administration of DAMTC 24 hours post TBI alleviated TBI-induced myelo-suppression and pancytopenia, by augmenting lymphocytes and WBCs in the peripheral blood of mice, while bone marrow (BM) cellularity was restored through enhanced proliferation of the stem cells. It stimulated multi-lineage expansion and differentiation of myeloid progenitors in the BM and induced proliferation of splenic progenitors thereby, facilitating hematopoietic re-population. DAMTC reduced the radiation-induced apoptotic and mitotic death in the hematopoietic compartment. Recruitment of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages in spleen contributed to the immune-protection linked to the mitigation of hematopoietic injury. Recovery of the hematopoietic compartment correlated well with mitigation of mortality at a lethal dose of 9 Gy, leading to 80% animal survival. Present study establishes the potential of DAMTC to mitigate radiation-induced injury to the hematopoietic system by stimulating the re-population of stem cells from multiple lineages.
Silver-cotton nanocomposites: Nano-design of microfibrillar structure causes morphological changes and increased tenacity
Authors: Nam Sunghyun , Condon Brian D. , Delhom Christopher D. , Fontenot Krystal R.
Published: November 2016

The interactions of nanoparticles with polymer hosts have important implications for directing the macroscopic properties of composite fibers, yet little is known about such interactions with hierarchically ordered natural polymers due to the difficulty of achieving uniform dispersion of nanoparticles within semi-crystalline natural fiber. In this study we have homogeneously dispersed silver nanoparticles throughout an entire volume of cotton fiber. The resulting electrostatic interaction and distinct supramolecular structure of the cotton fiber provided a favorable environment for the controlled formation of nanoparticles (12 ± 3 nm in diameter). With a high surface-to-volume ratio, the extensive interfacial contacts of the nanoparticles efficiently “glued” the structural elements of microfibrils together, producing a unique inorganic-organic hybrid substructure that reinforced the multilayered architecture of the cotton fiber.
In-situ catalyzation approach for enhancing the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation kinetics of MgH2 powders with Ni particles
Authors: El-Eskandarany M. Sherif , Shaban Ehab , Ali Naser , Aldakheel Fahad , Alkandary Abdullah
Published: November 2016

One practical solution for utilizing hydrogen in vehicles with proton-exchange fuel cells membranes is storing hydrogen in metal hydrides nanocrystalline powders. According to its high hydrogen capacity and low cost of production, magnesium hydride (MgH2) is a desired hydrogen storage system. Its slow hydrogenation/dehydrogenation kinetics and high thermal stability are the major barriers restricting its usage in real applications. Amongst the several methods used for enhancing the kinetics behaviors of MgH2 powders, mechanically milling the powders with one or more catalyst species has shown obvious advantages. Here we are proposing a new approach for gradual doping MgH2 powders with Ni particles upon ball milling the powders with Ni-balls milling media. This proposed is-situ method showed mutually beneficial for overcoming the agglomeration of catalysts and the formation of undesired Mg2NiH4 phase. Moreover, the decomposition temperature and the corresponding activation energy showed low values of 218 °C and 75 kJ/mol, respectively. The hydrogenation/dehydrogenation kinetics examined at 275 °C of the powders milled for 25 h took place within 2.5 min and 8 min, respectively. These powders containing 5.5 wt.% Ni performed 100-continuous cycle-life time of hydrogen charging/discharging at 275 °C within 56 h without failure or degradation.
Non-neutralizing antibodies induced by seasonal influenza vaccine prevent, not exacerbate A(H1N1)pdm09 disease
Authors: Kim Jin Hyang , Reber Adrian J. , Kumar Amrita , Ramos Patricia , Sica Gabriel , Music Nedzad , Guo Zhu , Mishina Margarita , Stevens James , York Ian A. , Jacob Joshy , Sambhara Suryaprakash
Published: November 2016

The association of seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) with increased infection by 2009 pandemic H1N1 (A(H1N1)pdm09) virus, initially observed in Canada, has elicited numerous investigations on the possibility of vaccine-associated enhanced disease, but the potential mechanisms remain largely unresolved. Here, we investigated if prior immunization with TIV enhanced disease upon A(H1N1)pdm09 infection in mice. We found that A(H1N1)pdm09 infection in TIV-immunized mice did not enhance the disease, as measured by morbidity and mortality. Instead, TIV-immunized mice cleared A(H1N1)pdm09 virus and recovered at an accelerated rate compared to control mice. Prior TIV immunization was associated with potent inflammatory mediators and virus-specific CD8 T cell activation, but efficient immune regulation, partially mediated by IL-10R-signaling, prevented enhanced disease. Furthermore, in contrast to suggested pathological roles, pre-existing non-neutralizing antibodies (NNAbs) were not associated with enhanced virus replication, but rather with promoted antigen presentation through FcR-bearing cells that led to potent activation of virus-specific CD8 T cells. These findings provide new insights into interactions between pre-existing immunity and pandemic viruses.
Photo/chemo dual-controlled reversible morphological conversion and chiral modulation of supramolecular nanohelixes with nanosquares and nanofibers
Authors: Zhang Wen , Chen Yong , Yu Jie , Zhang Xu-Jie , Liu Yu
Published: November 2016

A photo/chemo dually interconvertible system was constructed with switchable morphologies among a nanohelix, nanofiber and nanosquare.
A butterfly motion of formic acid and cyclobutanone in the 1 : 1 hydrogen bonded molecular cluster
Authors: Evangelisti Luca , Spada Lorenzo , Li Weixing , Blanco Susana , López Juan Carlos , Lesarri Alberto , Grabow Jens-Uwe , Caminati Walther
Published: November 2016

Large tunnelling splittings reveal the relative motions and the inversion pathway in the formic acid–cyclobutanone cluster.
Insights into enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity of C60 modified g-C3N4 hybrids: the role of nitrogen
Authors: Li Quan , Xu Liang , Luo Kai-Wu , Huang Wei-Qing , Wang Ling-Ling , Li Xiao-Fei , Huang Gui-Fang , Yu Ya-Bin
Published: November 2016

Unsaturated N2 atoms in the interfaces play a major role in promoting the photocatalytic performance of C60 modified g-C3N4 hybrids.
Mutual relationships between structural and functional changes in a PsbM-deletion mutant of photosystem II
Authors: Uto S. , Kawakami K. , Umena Y. , Iwai M. , Ikeuchi M. , Shen J.-R. , Kamiya N.
Published: November 2016

Photosystem II (PSII) is a membrane protein complex that performs light-induced electron transfer and oxygen evolution from water. PSII consists of 19 or 20 subunits in its crystal form and binds various cofactors such as chlorophyll a, plastoquinone, carotenoid, and lipids. After initial light excitation, the charge separation produces an electron, which is transferred to a plastoquinone molecule (QA) and then to another plastoquinone (QB). PsbM is a low-molecular-weight subunit with one transmembrane helix, and is located in the monomer–monomer interface of the PSII dimer. The function of PsbM has been reported to be stabilization of the PSII dimer and maintenance of electron transfer efficiency of PSII based on previous X-ray crystal structure analysis at a resolution of 4.2 Å. In order to elucidate the structure–function relationships of PsbM in detail, we improved the quality of PSII crystals from a PsbM-deleted mutant (ΔPsbM-PSII) of Thermosynechococcus elongatus, and succeeded in improving the diffraction quality to a resolution of 2.2 Å. X-ray crystal structure analysis of ΔPsbM-PSII showed that electron densities for the PsbM subunit and neighboring carotenoid and detergent molecules were absent in the monomer–monomer interface. The overall structure of ΔPsbM-PSII was similar to wild-type PSII, but the arrangement of the hydrophobic transmembrane subunits was significantly changed by the deletion of PsbM, resulting in a slight widening of the lipid hole involving QB. The lipid hole-widening further induced structural changes of the bicarbonate ion coordinated to the non-heme Fe(ii) atom and destabilized the polypeptide chains around the QB binding site located far from the position of PsbM. The fluorescence decay measurement indicated that the electron transfer rate from QA to QB was decreased in ΔPsbM-PSII compared with wild-type PSII. The functional change in electron transfer efficiency was fully interpreted based on structural changes caused by the deletion of the PsbM subunit.
Synthesis of α-methylene-δ-oxo-γ-amino esters via Rh(ii)-catalyzed coupling of 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles with Morita–Baylis–Hillman adducts
Authors: Jeon Hyun Ji , Kwak Mi Soo , Jung Da Jung , Bouffard Jean , Lee Sang-gi
Published: November 2016

A rhodium(ii)-catalyzed coupling of 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles, prepared from 1-alkynes and sulfonyl azides, with Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) adducts afforded highly functionalized α-methylene-δ-oxo-γ-amino esters in excellent yields with broad functional group tolerance.
Synergistic effects of hyperosmotic polymannitol based non-viral vectors and nanotopographical cues for enhanced gene delivery
Authors: Garg PanKaj , Pandey Shambhavi , Kim Hong-Nam , Seonwoo Hoon , Park Sunho , Choi Kyoung Soon , Jang Kyoung-Je , Hyun Hoon , Choung Phil-Hoon , Kim Jangho , Chung Jong Hoon
Published: November 2016

Here, we report the synergistic effects of hyperosmotic and nanotopographical cues designed using non-viral vectors and nanopatterned matrices for gene delivery.
Iron nanoparticles with a square pyramidal structure in mesoporous carbons as an effective catalyst toward oxygen reduction
Authors: Liu Shou-Heng , Yang Sheng-Wei , Chen Shih-Che
Published: November 2016

FeAMC-1273, with more pyridinic-N and pyridinic-N–Fe for the creation of a square pyramidal planar geometry around iron, exhibits the best ORR activity.
Preparation of luminescent graphitic C3N4 NS and their composites with RGO for property controlling
Authors: Liu Yumeng , Zhang Xiao , Wang Junpeng , Yang Ping
Published: November 2016

g-C3N4 QDs/RGO composites were obtained by hydrothermal co-assembly. They are highly sensitive and selective in ion sensing, and have superior photocatalytic activity.
Visual saliency detection in colour images based on density estimation
Authors: Sidibé D. , Mériaudeau F.
Published: November 2016

A simple and effective method for visual saliency detection in colour images is presented. The method is based on the common observation that local salient regions exhibit distinct geometric and texture patterns from neighbouring regions. The colour distribution of local image patches is modelled with a Gaussian density and measure the saliency of each patch as the statistical distance from that density. Experimental results with public datasets and comparison with other state‐of‐the‐art methods show the effectiveness of the method.
Highly optimised reconfigurable hardware architecture of 64 bit block ciphers MISTY1 and KASUMI
Authors: Yasir  , Wu Ning , Zhang Xiao Qiang , Yahya Muhammad Rehan
Published: November 2016

Highly optimised reconfigurable hardware architecture is proposed of 64 bit block ciphers MISTY1 and KASUMI for wide‐area cryptographic applications. The reconfigurable hardware architecture is comprised of reconfigurable components consisting of FL function, FO/FI function and XOR function designed to perform MISTY1 and KASUMI algorithms round transformation functions. In addition, reconfigurable FO/FI function is adequate to generate MISTY1 extended keys for onward use in MISTY1 round transformation function. The substitution functions S9 and S7 for MISTY1 and KASUMI algorithms are optimised for area and throughput. Common sub‐expression elimination for AND‐XOR logic combined with permutation/combination technique for AND gates reduces the area considerably, whereas parallel execution improves the throughput. With this design approach, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) implementations using Synopsys Design Complier, SMIC 0.18 µm at 1.8 V achieved an area of 3481 NAND gates having throughput of 130.2 and 154.56 Mbits/s for MISTY1 and KASUMI, respectively. Synthesised FPGA implementation using Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA yielded an area of 487 configurable logic block (CLB) Slices having throughput of 209.43 and 248.7 Mbits/s for MISTY1 and KASUMI, respectively. Detailed design and performance analysis of reconfigurable hardware architecture of 64 bit block ciphers MISTY1 and KASUMI for ASIC implementations is described.
Cybersecurity for distributed energy resources and smart inverters
Authors: Qi Junjian , Hahn Adam , Lu Xiaonan , Wang Jianhui , Liu Chen‐Ching
Published: November 2016

The increased penetration of distributed energy resources (DER) will significantly increase the number of devices that are owned and controlled by consumers and third‐parties. These devices have a significant dependency on digital communication and control, which presents a growing risk from cyber‐attacks. This study proposes a holistic attack‐resilient framework to protect the integrated DER and the critical power grid infrastructure from malicious cyber‐attacks, helping ensure the secure integration of DER without harming the grid reliability and stability. Specifically, the authors discuss the architecture of the cyber‐physical power system with a high penetration of DER and analyse the unique cybersecurity challenges introduced by DER integration. Next, they summarise important attack scenarios against DER, propose a systematic DER resilience analysis methodology, and develop effective and quantifiable resilience metrics and design principles. Finally, they introduce attack prevention, detection, and response measures specifically designed for DER integration across cyber, physical device, and utility layers of the future smart grid.
Multiscale spatially regularised correlation filters for visual tracking
Authors: Gu Xiaodong , Huang Xinyu , Tokuta Alade
Published: November 2016

Recently, discriminative correlation filter based trackers have achieved extremely successful results in many competitions and benchmarks. These methods utilise a periodic assumption of the training samples to efficiently learn a classifier. However, this assumption will produce unwanted boundary effects which severely degrade the tracking performance. Correlation filters with limited boundaries and spatially regularised discriminative correlation filters were proposed to reduce boundary effects. However, their methods use the fixed scale mask or pre‐designed weights function, respectively, which are unsuitable for large‐scale variation. In this study, the authors proposed multiscale spatially regularised correlation filters (MSRCF) for visual tracking. The authors’ augmented objective can reduce the boundary effect even in large‐scale variation, leading to more discriminative model. The proposed multiscale regularisation matrix makes MSRCF fast convergence. The authors’ online tracking algorithm performs favourably against state‐of‐the‐art trackers on OTB‐2013 and OTB‐2015 Benchmark in terms of efficiency, accuracy and robustness.
Analysing Metamaterial Layer by Simpler Approach Based on Mode Matching Technique
Authors: Kalantari Mohsen , Paran Kian
Published: November 2016

Analysis of metamaterial layer is carried out by a simple method in this study. In this analysis, a metamaterial element is modelled by a planar discontinuity located transversely in a transverse electromagnetic waveguide. The existence of a discontinuity in the way of a propagating wave causes scattering waves to form in the vicinity of discontinuity. With the aid of modal analysis, the scattering waves in this model are expanded into different modes propagated in this structure. To obtain the amplitude of each mode, an equation is formed and solved in a way which obviates the authors’ need for directly considering boundary conditions on both sides of discontinuity. Using this method, the amplitude of excited modes is achieved in a simpler, faster and more straightforward manner. This technique can be applied to any arbitrary‐shaped metasurface. The steps needed to derive the new relation are presented herein. Simulation results with full‐wave software, then, confirm the reasonable accuracy of the proposed method with the aid of several examples. Simulation results agree fairly well with each other.
Very small planar broadband monopole antenna with hybrid trapezoidal–elliptical radiator
Authors: Dastranj Aliakbar
Published: November 2016

A compact and broadband printed monopole antenna (PMA) with a hybrid trapezoidal–elliptical radiator is proposed. An overlap region between the trapezoidal and elliptical patches is introduced to enhance the impedance bandwidth. Meanwhile, by etching two symmetrical quarter‐elliptical slots on the ground plane and optimising the ellipticity ratio, further improvement in the impedance bandwidth is achieved. Measured results show that the antenna can cover the frequency range of 2.4–18.6 GHz (|S11| < −10 dB) while its total size is only 25 × 25 × 1.2 mm3. In addition, omnidirectional radiation patterns, desirable gain, high radiation efficiency and nearly constant group delay are obtained. Compared with recent PMAs, the proposed antenna has a smaller size and wider bandwidth, simultaneously.
Chiral fermion dynamics in 2d magnetic vortices: Manifestation of momentum-spin-locking
Authors: Pötz W. , Hammer René
Published: November 2016

The electronic surface-states of a topological insulator in the presence of an in-plane magnetization vortex M(ϕ)=M(cos(Φ+νϕ), sin(Φ+νϕ)) are investigated theoretically. For a general angle of magnetization Φ∈[0,2π) and topological charge ν = 1, the modifications to the zero-mass single Dirac cone dispersion are treated exactly and the spectrum of bound eigenstates which forms in the energy window ±M cos(Φ) is derived. The space-time resolved dynamics of Dirac fermions in the presence of such vortices is studied numerically using a single-cone (2 + 1)D finite-difference scheme. In the continuous spectral region, Φ-dependent scattering of Dirac fermions at the vortex is observed. Depending on the type of vortex (Φ, ν) and the impact parameter, the propagation direction of the Dirac fermion is changed: the magnetization of the vortex exerts a torque onto the fermion spin which, by momentum-spin locking associated with the helical Dirac states, results in an in-plane rotation of the propagation direction of the scattered Dirac fermion. In head-on collisions of a Gaussian wave-packet with ν = 1 vortices a Φ-dependent lensing effect is seen in our simulations. Depending on the direction of incidence, the vortex Φ=−π/2, ν = 2 is identified as a coherent particle-beam splitter or “condenser” in head-on collisions.