bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No tension between assembly models of super massive black hole binaries and pulsar observations
Authors: Middleton Hannah , Chen Siyuan , Del Pozzo Walter , Sesana Alberto , Vecchio Alberto
Published: February 2018

Pulsar timing arrays are presently the only means to search for the gravitational wave stochastic background from super massive black hole binary populations, considered to be within the grasp of current or near-future observations. The stringent upper limit from the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array has been interpreted as excluding (>90% confidence) the current paradigm of binary assembly through galaxy mergers and hardening via stellar interaction, suggesting evolution is accelerated or stalled. Using Bayesian hierarchical modelling we consider implications of this upper limit for a range of astrophysical scenarios, without invoking stalling, nor more exotic physical processes. All scenarios are fully consistent with the upper limit, but (weak) bounds on population parameters can be inferred. Recent upward revisions of the black hole–galaxy bulge mass relation are disfavoured at 1.6σ against lighter models. Once sensitivity improves by an order of magnitude, a non-detection will disfavour the most optimistic scenarios at 3.9σ.
Author Correction: RNAs coordinate nuclear envelope assembly and DNA replication through ELYS recruitment to chromatin
Authors: Aze Antoine , Fragkos Michalis , Bocquet Stéphane , Cau Julien , Méchali Marcel
Published: February 2018

In the original version of this Article, the affiliation details for Antoine Aze, Michalis Fragkos, Stéphane Bocquet, Julien Cau and Marcel Méchali incorrectly omitted ‘CNRS and the University of Montpellier’. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
A quantum optical study of thresholdless lasing features in high-β nitride nanobeam cavities
Authors: Jagsch Stefan T. , Triviño Noelia Vico , Lohof Frederik , Callsen Gordon , Kalinowski Stefan , Rousseau Ian M. , Barzel Roy , Carlin Jean-François , Jahnke Frank , Butté Raphaël , Gies Christopher , Hoffmann Axel , Grandjean Nicolas , Reitzenstein Stephan
Published: February 2018

Exploring the limits of spontaneous emission coupling is not only one of the central goals in the development of nanolasers, it is also highly relevant regarding future large-scale photonic integration requiring energy-efficient coherent light sources with a small footprint. Recent studies in this field have triggered a vivid debate on how to prove and interpret lasing in the high-β regime. We investigate close-to-ideal spontaneous emission coupling in GaN nanobeam lasers grown on silicon. Such nanobeam cavities allow for efficient funneling of spontaneous emission from the quantum well gain material into the laser mode. By performing a comprehensive optical and quantum-optical characterization, supported by microscopic modeling of the nanolasers, we identify high-β lasing at room temperature and show a lasing transition in the absence of a threshold nonlinearity at 156 K. This peculiar characteristic is explained in terms of a temperature and excitation power-dependent interplay between zero-dimensional and two-dimensional gain contributions.
Childhood epilepsy and ADHD comorbidity in an Indian tertiary medical center outpatient population
Authors: Choudhary Anita , Gulati Sheffali , Sagar Rajesh , Sankhyan Naveen , Sripada Kam
Published: February 2018

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and its characteristics and risk factors in children with epilepsy at a tertiary medical center in New Delhi. Children with active epilepsy, aged 6 to 12 years, were assessed for ADHD using DSM-IV-TR criteria. Epilepsy and psychiatric characteristics, sociodemographic indicators, and use of antiepileptic drugs were analyzed for differences between the ADHD and non-ADHD groups. Among the 73 children with epilepsy, 23% (n = 17) had comorbid ADHD, of whom 59% (n = 10) had predominantly inattentive type, 35% (n = 6) combined type, and 6% (n = 1) predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type. Lower IQ scores, epileptiform EEG activity, not attending school, and male sex were significantly associated with comorbid ADHD in children with epilepsy. Groups were similar in terms of age, socioeconomic indicators, family history of psychiatric disorders, seizure frequency in the last six months, seizure etiology, and seizure type. Epilepsy is a common pediatric neurological condition with frequent psychiatric comorbidities, including ADHD. Specialists should collaborate to optimize treatment for children with epilepsy and ADHD, especially for families in developing countries where the burden of disease can be great.
Epothilone B Speeds Corneal Nerve Regrowth and Functional Recovery through Microtubule Stabilization and Increased Nerve Beading
Authors: Wang Hanqing , Xiao Chengju , Dong Dong , Lin Cuipei , Xue Yunxia , Liu Jun , Wu Mingjuan , He Jingxin , Fu Ting , Pan Hongwei , Jiao Xinwei , Lu Dingli , Li Zhijie
Published: February 2018

The successful restoration of corneal innervation and function after a corneal injury is a clinically challenging issue. Structural and functional recovery after a nerve injury involves a complex series of steps in which microtubules play a key role. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of epothilone B (EpoB), a microtubule-stabilizing agent, on corneal innervation and the functional recovery of the corneal nerve in mice after corneal epithelial abrasion. The pretreatment of mice with EpoB has a remarkable effect on the stabilization of beta-III tubulin, as demonstrated by substantial increases in the visualization of beta-III tubulin, nerve beading, corneal reinnervation, and reaction to stimuli. Furthermore, a pharmacokinetic analysis showed that EpoB remains at a high concentration in the cornea and the trigeminal ganglion for at least 6 days after administration. In addition, the administration of EpoB at 24 hours after corneal abrasion has a marked therapeutic effect on nerve regrowth and functional recovery. In conclusion, EpoB treatment may have therapeutic utility for improving corneal reinnervation and restoring sensitivity following corneal injury.
Dielectric Jump and Negative Electrostriction in Metallosupramolecular Ionic Crystals
Authors: Yamashita Satoshi , Nakazawa Yasuhiro , Yamanaka Shusuke , Okumura Mitsutaka , Kojima Tatsuhiro , Yoshinari Nobuto , Konno Takumi
Published: February 2018

In natural ionic solids, cationic and anionic species are alternately arranged to minimize electrostatic energy. Aggregation of identical ionic species is commonly prohibited due to the repulsive, long-range nature of Coulombic interactions. Recently, we synthesized unique ionic solids, [AuI4CoIII2(dppe)2(d-pen)4]X2·nH2O (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, d-pen = d-penicillaminate), in which complex cations are self-assembled into a cationic supramolecular octahedron, while monovalent or divalent inorganic anions are aggregated into an anomalous anionic cluster accommodating several water molecules. This quite unusual aggregation manner originates from various molecular-level non-Coulombic interactions such as hydrogen bonds and CH-π interactions; thus, this class of ionic solids is referred to as non-Coulombic ionic solids, abbreviated as NCISs. Herein, we report that the NCISs with a peculiar charge-separated (CS) structure in a cubic lattice show a negative, isotropic electrostriction phenomenon that has never been found in any ionic solids, as well as an anomalously large relaxer-like dielectric jump phenomenon reaching to an application level of ε′/ε0 ~ 105. The appearance of these phenomena was explained by the cooperative dynamics of inorganic anions and dipolar water molecules in the pliable anionic clusters that are surrounded by a rather robust cationic metallosupramolecular framework with a meso-scopic scale.
Nonlinear effects for three-terminal heat engine and refrigerator
Authors: Wang Rongqian , Lu Jincheng , Wang Chen , Jiang Jian-Hua
Published: February 2018

The three-terminal heat device that consists of an electronic cavity and couples to a heat bath is studied both as a heat engine and as a refrigerator. We investigate the characteristic performance in the linear and nonlinear regime for both setups. It is our focus here to analyze how the efficiency of the heat engine and coefficient of performance of the refrigerator are affected by the nonlinear transport. With such considerations, the maximum efficiency and power are then optimized for various energy levels, temperatures and other parameters.
TGFβ1 reinforces arterial aging in the vascular smooth muscle cell through a long-range regulation of the cytoskeletal stiffness
Authors: Zhu Wanqu , Kim Byoung Choul , Wang Mingyi , Huang Jessie , Isak Abraham , Bexiga Natalia M. , Monticone Robert , Ha Taekjip , Lakatta Edward G. , An Steven S.
Published: February 2018

Here we report exquisitely distinct material properties of primary vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells isolated from the thoracic aorta of adult (8 months) vs. aged (30 months) F344XBN rats. Individual VSM cells derived from the aged animals showed a tense internal network of the actin cytoskeleton (CSK), exhibiting increased stiffness (elastic) and frictional (loss) moduli than those derived from the adult animals over a wide frequency range of the imposed oscillatory deformation. This discrete mechanical response was long-lived in culture and persistent across a physiological range of matrix rigidity. Strikingly, the pro-fibrotic transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) emerged as a specific modifier of age-associated VSM stiffening in vitro. TGFβ1 reinforced the mechanical phenotype of arterial aging in VSM cells on multiple time and length scales through clustering of mechanosensitive α5β1 and αvβ3 integrins. Taken together, these studies identify a novel nodal point for the long-range regulation of VSM stiffness and serve as a proof-of-concept that the broad-based inhibition of TGFβ1 expression, or TGFβ1 signal transduction in VSM, may be a useful therapeutic approach to mitigate the pathologic progression of central arterial wall stiffening associated with aging.
Identification of novel cell-impermeant fluorescent substrates for testing the function and drug interaction of Organic Anion-Transporting Polypeptides, OATP1B1/1B3 and 2B1
Authors: Patik Izabel , Székely Virág , Német Orsolya , Szepesi Áron , Kucsma Nóra , Várady György , Szakács Gergely , Bakos Éva , Özvegy-Laczka Csilla
Published: February 2018

Organic Anion-Transporting Polypeptides are multispecific membrane proteins that regulate the passage of crucial endobiotics and drugs across pharmacological barriers. OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 have been described to play a major role in the hepatic uptake of statins, antivirals and various chemotherapeutics; whereas the pharmacological role of the ubiquitously expressed OATP2B1 is less well characterized. According to current industry standards, in vitro testing for susceptibility to OATP1B1 and 1B3 mediated transport is recommended for drug candidates that are eliminated in part via the liver. Here we show that human OATP1B1, 1B3 and 2B1 transport a series of commercially available viability dyes that are generally believed to be impermeable to intact cells. We demonstrate that the intracellular accumulation of Zombie Violet, Live/Dead Green, Cascade Blue and Alexa Fluor 405 is specifically increased by OATPs. Inhibition of Cascade Blue or Alexa Fluor 405 uptake by known OATP substrates/inhibitors yielded IC50 values in agreement with gold-standard radioligand assays. The fluorescence-based assays described in this study provide a new tool for testing OATP1B/2B1 drug interactions.
Continuous depth profile of the rock strength in the Nankai accretionary prism based on drilling performance parameters
Authors: Hamada Yohei , Kitamura Manami , Yamada Yasuhiro , Sanada Yoshinori , Sugihara Takamitsu , Saito Saneatsu , Moe Kyaw , Hirose Takehiro
Published: February 2018

A new method for evaluating the in situ rock strength beneath the seafloor is proposed and applied to the Nankai Trough accretionary prism. The depth-continuous in situ rock strength is a critical parameter for numerous studies in earth science, particularly for seismology and tectonics at plate convergence zones; yet, measurements are limited owing to a lack of drilled cores. Here, we propose a new indicator of strength, the equivalent strength (EST), which is determined only by drilling performance parameters such as drill string rotational torque, bit depth, and string rotational speed. A continuous depth profile of EST was drawn from 0 to 3000 m below the seafloor (mbsf) across the forearc basin and accretionary prism in the Nankai Trough. The EST did not show a significant increase around the forearc basin–accretionary prism boundary, but it did show a clear increase within the prism, ca. below 1500 mbsf. This result may indicate that even the shallow accretionary prism has been strengthened by horizontal compression derived from plate subduction. The EST is a potential parameter to continuously evaluate the in situ rock strength during drilling, and its accuracy of the absolute value can be improved by combining with laboratory drilling experiments.
Conserved, unstructured regions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PilO are important for type IVa pilus function
Authors: Leighton T. L. , Mok M. C. , Junop M. S. , Howell P. L. , Burrows L. L.
Published: February 2018

Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses long, thin fibres called type IV pili (T4P) for adherence to surfaces, biofilm formation, and twitching motility. A conserved subcomplex of PilMNOP is required for extension and retraction of T4P. To better understand its function, we attempted to co-crystallize the soluble periplasmic portions of PilNOP, using reductive surface methylation to promote crystal formation. Only PilOΔ109 crystallized; its structure was determined to 1.7 Å resolution using molecular replacement. This new structure revealed two novel features: a shorter N-terminal α1-helix followed by a longer unstructured loop, and a discontinuous β-strand in the second αββ motif, mirroring that in the first motif. PISA analysis identified a potential dimer interface with striking similarity to that of the PilO homolog EpsM from the Vibrio cholerae type II secretion system. We identified highly conserved residues within predicted unstructured regions in PilO proteins from various Pseudomonads and performed site-directed mutagenesis to assess their role in T4P function. R169D and I170A substitutions decreased surface piliation and twitching motility without disrupting PilO homodimer formation. These residues could form important protein-protein interactions with PilN or PilP. This work furthers our understanding of residues critical for T4aP function.
Effects of the Ketogenic diet in overweight divers breathing Enriched Air Nitrox
Authors: Bosco Gerardo , Rizzato Alex , Quartesan Silvia , Camporesi Enrico , Mangar Devanand , Paganini Matteo , Cenci Lorenzo , Malacrida Sandro , Mrakic-Sposta Simona , Moretti Sara , Paoli Antonio
Published: February 2018

Central Nervous System Oxygen Toxicity (CNS-OT) is one of the most harmful effects of Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN) diving. Protective factors of the Ketogenic Diet (KD) are antioxidant activity, the prevention of mitochondrial damage and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. We aimed to investigate if a short-term KD may reduce oxidative stress and inflammation during an hyperoxic dive. Samples from six overweight divers (mean ± SD, age: 55.2 ± 4.96 years; BMI: 26.7 ± 0.86 kg/m2) were obtained a) before and after a dive breathing Enriched Air Nitrox and performing 20-minute mild underwater exercise, b) after a dive (same conditions) performed after 7 days of KD. We measured urinary 8-isoprostane and 8-OH-2-deoxyguanosine and plasmatic IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels. The KD was successful in causing weight loss (3.20 ± 1.31 Kgs, p < 0.01) and in limiting lipid peroxidation (3.63 ± 1.16 vs. 1.11 ± 0.22; p < 0.01) and inflammatory response (IL-1β = 105.7 ± 25.52 vs. 57.03 ± 16.32, p < 0.05; IL-6 = 28.91 ± 4.351 vs. 14.08 ± 1.74, p < 0.001; TNF-α = 78.01 ± 7.69 vs. 64.68 ± 14.56, p < 0.05). A short-term KD seems to be effective in weight loss, in decreasing inflammation and protective towards lipid peroxidation during hyperoxic diving.
Ileal pouch of ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis patients exhibit modulation of autophagy markers
Authors: Paiva Nielce Maria , Pascoal Lívia Bitencourt , Negreiros Leandro Minatel Vidal , Portovedo Mariana , Coope Andressa , Ayrizono Maria de Lourdes Setsuko , Coy Claudio Saddy Rodrigues , Milanski Marciane , Leal Raquel Franco
Published: February 2018

Total retocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the surgery of choice for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) that are refractory to clinical treatment. Pouchitis is one of the most common complications after this procedure. Defects in autophagy have been reported in inflammatory bowel diseases. However, there are no studies on the IP. Therefore, we studied markers for autophagy in the IP mucosa of UC and FAP patients comparing them to controls with a normal distal ileum. Sixteen patients with IP in “J” shape, asymptomatic and with endoscopically normal IP were evaluated. The control group consisted of eight patients with normal colonoscopy. There was a significant decrease in the transcriptional levels ofATG5, MAP1LC3AandBAXin the FAP group. There was also a decrease in the protein level of Beclin-1 in the UC and FAP compared to the control group. Although the LC3II levels by immunoblot were higher in the UC group, LC3/p62 co-localization were lower in the immunofluorescence analysis in the UC and FAP compared to the control group. Corroborating these results, there was an increase of p62 by immunoblot in the UC group. These findings indicated a modulation of macroautophagy markers in the IP, which may explain the mucosa inflammation predisposition.
Ethyl-substitutive Thioflavin T as a highly-specific fluorescence probe for detecting G-quadruplex structure
Authors: Guan Ai-jiao , Zhang Xiu-Feng , Sun Xin , Li Qian , Xiang Jun-Feng , Wang Li-Xia , Lan Ling , Yang Feng-Min , Xu Shu-Juan , Guo Xiao-Meng , Tang Ya-Lin
Published: February 2018

G-quadruplex has attracted considerable attention due to their prevalent distribution in functional genomic regions and transcripts, which can importantly influence biological processes such as regulation of telomere maintenance, gene transcription and gene translation. Artificial receptor study has been developed for accurate identification of G-quadruplex from DNA species, since it is important for the G-quadruplex related basic research, clinical diagnosis, and therapy. Herein, fluorescent dye ThT-E, a derivative of the known fluorescence probe Thioflavin T (ThT), was designed and synthesized to effectively differentiate various G-quadruplex structures from other nucleic acid forms. Compared with methyl groups in ThT, three ethyl groups were introduced to ThT-E, which leads to strengthened affinity, selectivity and little inducing effect on the G-quadruplex formation. More importantly, ThT-E could be served as a visual tool to directly differentiate G-quadruplex solution even with naked eyes under illumination of ultraviolet light. Thus, this probe reported herein may hold great promise for high-throughput assay to screen G-quadruplex, which may widely apply to G-quadruplex-based potential diagnosis and therapy.
Depiction of pneumothoraces in a large animal model using x-ray dark-field radiography
Authors: Hellbach Katharina , Baehr Andrea , De Marco Fabio , Willer Konstantin , Gromann Lukas B. , Herzen Julia , Dmochewitz Michaela , Auweter Sigrid , Fingerle Alexander A. , Noël Peter B. , Rummeny Ernst J. , Yaroshenko Andre , Maack Hanns-Ingo , Pralow Thomas , van der Heijden Hendrik , Wieberneit Nataly , Proksa Roland , Koehler Thomas , Rindt Karsten , Schroeter Tobias J. , Mohr Juergen , Bamberg Fabian , Ertl-Wagner Birgit , Pfeiffer Franz , Reiser Maximilian F.
Published: February 2018

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of x-ray dark-field radiography to detect pneumothoraces in a pig model. Eight pigs were imaged with an experimental grating-based large-animal dark-field scanner before and after induction of a unilateral pneumothorax. Image contrast-to-noise ratios between lung tissue and the air-filled pleural cavity were quantified for transmission and dark-field radiograms. The projected area in the object plane of the inflated lung was measured in dark-field images to quantify the collapse of lung parenchyma due to a pneumothorax. Means and standard deviations for lung sizes and signal intensities from dark-field and transmission images were tested for statistical significance using Student’s two-tailed t-test for paired samples. The contrast-to-noise ratio between the air-filled pleural space of lateral pneumothoraces and lung tissue was significantly higher in the dark-field (3.65 ± 0.9) than in the transmission images (1.13 ± 1.1; p = 0.002). In case of dorsally located pneumothoraces, a significant decrease (−20.5%; p > 0.0001) in the projected area of inflated lung parenchyma was found after a pneumothorax was induced. Therefore, the detection of pneumothoraces in x-ray dark-field radiography was facilitated compared to transmission imaging in a large animal model.
Type IV collagen α6 chain is a regulator of keratin 10 in keratinization of oral mucosal epithelium
Authors: Komori Taishi , Ono Mitsuaki , Hara Emilio Satoshi , Ueda Junji , Nguyen Ha Thi Thu , Nguyen Ha Thi , Yonezawa Tomoko , Maeba Takahiro , Kimura-Ono Aya , Takarada Takeshi , Momota Ryusuke , Maekawa Kenji , Kuboki Takuo , Oohashi Toshitaka
Published: February 2018

Keratinized mucosa is of fundamental importance to maintain healthy gingival tissue, and understanding the mechanisms of oral mucosa keratinization is crucial to successfully manage healthy gingiva. Previous studies have shown a strong involvement of the basement membrane in the proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells. Therefore, first, to identify the keratinized mucosa-specific basement membrane components, immunohistochemical analysis for the six alpha chains of type IV collagen was performed in 8-week-old mice. No difference in the expression pattern of type IV collagen α1(IV) and α2(IV) chains was observed in the keratinized and non-keratinized mucosa. Interestingly, however, type IV collagen α5(IV) and α6(IV) chains specifically were strongly detected in the keratinized mucosa. To analyze the functional roles of the type IV collagen isoform α6(IV) in oral mucosa keratinization, we analyzed Col4a6-knockout mice. Epithelial developmental delay and low levels of KRT10 were observed in new-born Col4a6-knockout mice. Additionally, in vitro experiments with loss-of function analysis using human gingival epithelial cells confirmed the important role of α6(IV) chain in epithelial keratinization. These findings indicate that α112:α556 (IV) network, which is the only network that includes the α6(IV) chain, is one regulator of KRT10 expression in keratinization of oral mucosal epithelium.
Low-Loss Photonic Reservoir Computing with Multimode Photonic Integrated Circuits
Authors: Katumba Andrew , Heyvaert Jelle , Schneider Bendix , Uvin Sarah , Dambre Joni , Bienstman Peter
Published: February 2018

We present a numerical study of a passive integrated photonics reservoir computing platform based on multimodal Y-junctions. We propose a novel design of this junction where the level of adiabaticity is carefully tailored to capture the radiation loss in higher-order modes, while at the same time providing additional mode mixing that increases the richness of the reservoir dynamics. With this design, we report an overall average combination efficiency of 61% compared to the standard 50% for the single-mode case. We demonstrate that with this design, much more power is able to reach the distant nodes of the reservoir, leading to increased scaling prospects. We use the example of a header recognition task to confirm that such a reservoir can be used for bit-level processing tasks. The design itself is CMOS-compatible and can be fabricated through the known standard fabrication procedures.
Concurrent Presence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Elevated Homocysteine Levels Exacerbate the Development of Hypertension: A KoGES Six-year Follow-up Study
Authors: Kim Jinkwan , Lee Seung Ku , Yoon Dae Wui , Shin Chol
Published: February 2018

Accumulating evidence has revealed that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and high homocysteine (Hcy) levels play important roles in the increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether the presence of elevated Hcy levels among individuals with OSA increase the risk of hypertension in a cohort study. A total of 1825 participants were selected from the cohort study. A high homocysteine level (Hcy) was defined as those in the 75th percentile of Hcy levels of the study cohort. The prevalence of hypertension was higher among subjects with OSA and high Hcy levels than among the other groups stratified by the presence of OSA and high Hcy levels. The incidence of hypertension at 6-year follow-up was: Hcy[−]/OSA[−] vs. Hcy[+]/OSA[−] vs. Hcy[−]/OSA[+] vs. Hcy[+]/OSA[+], 14.2% vs. 19.8% vs. 24.2% vs. 36.1%. After adjusting for confounding factors, subjects with OSA and high Hcy levels had a 1.86-fold risk of developing hypertension compared to those without OSA and high Hcy levels. Moderate to severe OSA group with the highest tertile of Hcy levels had a 2.31-fold increased risk of developing hypertension. Interaction between Hcy and OSA on development of hypertension was significant, suggesting that these conditions may constitute an important determinant.
Skeletal myosin binding protein-C isoforms regulate thin filament activity in a Ca2+-dependent manner
Authors: Lin Brian Leei , Li Amy , Mun Ji Young , Previs Michael J. , Previs Samantha Beck , Campbell Stuart G. , dos Remedios Cristobal G. , Tombe Pieter de P. , Craig Roger , Warshaw David M. , Sadayappan Sakthivel
Published: February 2018

Muscle contraction, which is initiated by Ca2+, results in precise sliding of myosin-based thick and actin-based thin filament contractile proteins. The interactions between myosin and actin are finely tuned by three isoforms of myosin binding protein-C (MyBP-C): slow-skeletal, fast-skeletal, and cardiac (ssMyBP-C, fsMyBP-C and cMyBP-C, respectively), each with distinct N-terminal regulatory regions. The skeletal MyBP-C isoforms are conditionally coexpressed in cardiac muscle, but little is known about their function. Therefore, to characterize the functional differences and regulatory mechanisms among these three isoforms, we expressed recombinant N-terminal fragments and examined their effect on contractile properties in biophysical assays. Addition of the fragments to in vitro motility assays demonstrated that ssMyBP-C and cMyBP-C activate thin filament sliding at low Ca2+. Corresponding 3D electron microscopy reconstructions of native thin filaments suggest that graded shifts of tropomyosin on actin are responsible for this activation (cardiac > slow-skeletal > fast-skeletal). Conversely, at higher Ca2+, addition of fsMyBP-C and cMyBP-C fragments reduced sliding velocities in the in vitro motility assays and increased force production in cardiac muscle fibers. We conclude that due to the high frequency of Ca2+ cycling in cardiac muscle, cardiac MyBP-C may play dual roles at both low and high Ca2+. However, skeletal MyBP-C isoforms may be tuned to meet the needs of specific skeletal muscles.
REM sleep respiratory behaviours match mental content in narcoleptic lucid dreamers
Authors: Oudiette Delphine , Dodet Pauline , Ledard Nahema , Artru Emilie , Rachidi Inès , Similowski Thomas , Arnulf Isabelle
Published: February 2018

Breathing is irregular during rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep, whereas it is stable during non-REM sleep. Why this is so remains a mystery. We propose that irregular breathing has a cortical origin and reflects the mental content of dreams, which often accompany REM sleep. We tested 21 patients with narcolepsy who had the exceptional ability to lucid dream in REM sleep, a condition in which one is conscious of dreaming during the dream and can signal lucidity with an ocular code. Sleep and respiration were monitored during multiple naps. Participants were instructed to modify their dream scenario so that it involved vocalizations or an apnoea, -two behaviours that require a cortical control of ventilation when executed during wakefulness. Most participants (86%) were able to signal lucidity in at least one nap. In 50% of the lucid naps, we found a clear congruence between the dream report (e.g., diving under water) and the observed respiratory behaviour (e.g., central apnoea) and, in several cases, a preparatory breath before the respiratory behaviour. This suggests that the cortico-subcortical networks involved in voluntary respiratory movements are preserved during REM sleep and that breathing irregularities during this stage have a cortical/subcortical origin that reflects dream content.
Effect on absorption and electron transfer by using Cd(ii) or Cu(ii) complexes with phenanthroline as auxiliary electron acceptors (A) in D–A–π–A motif sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Xia Chang , Zhu Chunxiao , Zhao Xiaomei , Chen Xu , Chen Tianqi , Wan Ting , Xu Zehua , Wen Gaofeng , Pei Yong , Zhong Chaofan
Published: February 2018

Four new polymeric metal complex dyes (PBDTT-PhenCd, PBDTT-PhenCu, PPV-PhenCd and PPV-PhenCu) with donor–acceptor–π-bridge-acceptor (D–A–π–A) structure were designed and synthesized.
Thickness dependent Raman spectra and interfacial interaction between Ag and epitaxial graphene on 6H-SiC(0001)
Authors: Liu Xiangtai , Fang Qinglong , Hu Tingwei , Ma Dayan , Zhang Xiaohe , Liu Shuai , Ma Fei , Xu Kewei
Published: February 2018

This work demonstrates that the interfacial interaction between Ag and epitaxial graphene on SiC is sensitive to the thickness of graphene.
Mechanism of SAPO-34 catalyst deactivation in the course of MTO conversion in a slurry reactor
Authors: Konnov Stanislav V. , Pavlov Vladimir S. , Kots Pavel A. , Zaytsev Vladimir B. , Ivanova Irina I.
Published: February 2018

The mechanism of SAPO-34 deactivation in the course of the MTO conversion has been studied in a slurry reactor in polydimethylsiloxane medium.
Carbon dots with efficient solid-state red-light emission through the step-by-step surface modification towards light-emitting diodes
Authors: Zhu Jinyang , Bai Xue , Chen Xu , Xie Zhifeng , Zhu Yongsheng , Pan Gencai , Zhai Yue , Zhang Hanzhuang , Dong Biao , Song Hongwei
Published: February 2018

Carbon dots with efficient solid-state red-light emission through step-by-step surface modification.
Formate complexes of titanium(iv) supported by a triamido-amine ligand
Authors: Paparo A. , van Krüchten F. D. , Spaniol T. P. , Okuda J.
Published: February 2018

A series of tetravalent titanium complexes supported by the trianionic triamido-amine ligand (Me3SiNCH2CH2)3N3− including terminal and bridging formate has been prepared and structurally characterized.
Rapid flow in multilayer microfluidic paper-based analytical devices
Authors: Channon Robert B. , Nguyen Michael P. , Scorzelli Alexis G. , Henry Elijah M. , Volckens John , Dandy David S. , Henry Charles S.
Published: February 2018

Multilayer paper devices are used to generate fast flow rates (1.56 cm s−1) which are 145-fold quicker than classical single-layer paper device designs. These self-pumping devices are demonstrated for the sequential injection stripping analysis of cadmium.
Toxic heavy metal – Pb, Cd, Sn – complexation by the octadentate hydroxypyridinonate ligand archetype 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO)
Authors: Deblonde Gauthier J.-P. , Lohrey Trevor D. , An Dahlia D. , Abergel Rebecca J.
Published: February 2018

The toxicity of heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and tin (Sn) has long been known but accidental exposures of large populations to these elements remain unfortunately a topical issue.
Carbon dots derived from carboxymethylcellulose for sensing isoniazid and H2O2
Authors: Wang Yingyi , Wang Shanshan , Yang Xiaoming
Published: February 2018

Herein, blue-fluorescence carbon dots (CDs) derived from carboxymethylcellulose have been innovatively synthesized with well-distributed sizes.
Iron, iron everywhere: synthesis and characterization of iron 5,10,15-triferrocenylcorrole complexes
Authors: Jiang X. , Pomarico G. , Bischetti M. , Galloni P. , Cicero D. O. , Cui Y. , Kadish K. M. , Paolesse R.
Published: February 2018

A new series of iron triferrocenylcorroles with three different axial ligands, NO, Cl−and σ-Ph, is synthesized and characterized using1H NMR, electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical techniques in nonaqueous media.
Solution-processable, durable, scalable, fluorine-grafted graphene-based superhydrophobic coating for highly efficient oil/water separation under harsh environment
Authors: Guo Gailan , Liu Libin , Zhang Qiang , Pan Chenguang , Zou Qiqi
Published: February 2018

The coating composed of f-rGO and OPBA as molecular glue can densely adhere on the surface of various commercial materials.
Synthesis of Cu2O–CuFe2O4 microparticles from Fenton sludge and its application in the Fenton process: the key role of Cu2O in the catalytic degradation of phenol
Authors: Faheem Muhammad , Jiang Xinbai , Wang Lianjun , Shen Jinyou
Published: February 2018

The higher catalytic activity of Cu2O–CuFe2O4 could be attributed to the availability of both Cu(i) and Cu(ii) as well as Fe(ii)/Fe(iii).
Grade perceptions of students in chemistry coursework at all levels
Authors: Webb Jeffrey A. , Karatjas Andrew G.
Published: February 2018

Various reasons are attributed to poor student performance in physical science courses such as lack of motivation, lack of ability, and/or the overall difficulty of these courses. One overlooked reason is a lack of self-awareness as to preparation level. Through a study over a two-year period, students at all levels (freshman through M.S.) of a chemistry program were surveyed and asked to self-report predictions of their score on examinations. At all levels, strong evidence of the Kruger–Dunning effect was seen where higher performing students tended to underpredict their examination scores while the lowest performing students tended to grossly overpredict their scores.
Incredible PCE enhancement induced by damaged perovskite layers: deeply understanding the working principle of additives in bulk heterojunction perovskite solar cells
Authors: Gao Liguo , Wang Likun , Ding Xiaogang , Zhao Erling , Yang Shuzhang , Zhao Yingyuan , Li Yanqiang , Wang Shufeng , Ma Tingli
Published: February 2018

New work principle of additives in bulk heterojunction PSCs (BHJ-PSCs) were proposed by self-designed experiment, where crystallization of perovskite layer was hampered and recombination risk increased.
Enhancement of the Donnan effect through capacitive ion increase using an electroconductive rGO-CNT nanofiltration membrane
Authors: Hu Chengzhi , Liu Zhongtao , Lu Xinglin , Sun Jingqiu , Liu Huijuan , Qu Jiuhui
Published: February 2018

Enhanced Donnan repulsion through increase in capacitive ions contributes to the remarkable salt rejection ability of the GCM under electrochemical assistance.
Efficient heat dissipation by ion-mediation assembled reduced graphene oxide
Authors: Lee Jeong Seok , Kim Taewoo , Lee Hong H. , Kim Yong Hyup
Published: February 2018

We achieved a 36.5% improvement in the heat dissipation performance through a simple, easily scalable ion-mediated assembly (IMA) process.
Solvent-based de-emulsification dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with UPLC-MS/MS for the fast determination of ultratrace levels of nitrated and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples
Authors: Guiñez María , Canales Romina , Martinez Luis D. , Cerutti Soledad
Published: February 2018

Novel SD-DLLME coupled with UHPLC-(+)APCI-MS/MS for fast and efficient determination of nitrated and oxygenated PAHs in river and drinking water samples.
Unravelling Lawesson's reagent: the structure of monomeric (4-methoxyphenyl)phosphine disulfide
Authors: Mardyukov Artur , Niedek Dominik , Schreiner Peter R.
Published: February 2018

(4-Methoxyphenyl)phosphine disulfide molecule was generated and subsequently isolated in solid noble gas matrices for the first time.
Enhanced hydrogen spillover to fullerene at ambient temperature
Authors: Nishihara Hirotomo , Simura Tomoya , Kyotani Takashi
Published: February 2018

Enhanced hydrogen spillover on molecular fullerene C60, which represents extremely curved graphene sheets, is experimentally demonstrated around ambient temperature. Since the spillover hydrogen is strongly attracted by C60, the increase of C60mass can be directly confirmed by mass spectroscopy.
Exploring eukaryotic versus prokaryotic ribosomal RNA recognition with aminoglycoside derivatives
Authors: Sabbavarapu Narayana Murthy , Pieńko Tomasz , Zalman Bat-Hen , Trylska Joanna , Baasov Timor
Published: February 2018

New aminoglycosides containing 6′-carboxylic acid or 6′-amide were designed, synthesized and their ability to readthrough nonsense mutations was examined.
Correction: Synthesis, characterization and biological application of 5-quinoline 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazole based platinum(ii) complexes
Authors: Lunagariya Miral V. , Thakor Khyati P. , Varma Reena R. , Waghela Bhargav N. , Pathak Chandramani , Patel Mohan N.
Published: February 2018

Correction for ‘Synthesis, characterization and biological application of 5-quinoline 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazole based platinum(ii) complexes’ by Miral V. Lunagariya et al., MedChemComm, 2018, DOI: 10.1039/c7md00472a.
Sensitive 3-chlorophenol sensor development based on facile Er2O3/CuO nanomaterials for environmental safety
Authors: Sheikh Tahir Ali , Rahman Mohammed M. , Asiri Abdullah M. , Marwani Hadi M.
Published: February 2018

Low-dimensional Er2O3/CuO nanomaterials were synthesized by wet-chemical process and totally characterized with various conventional methods. The electrochemical approach could be a pioneer development in selective 3-CP sensor development using doped nano-structural materials by an electrochemical method for the various phenolic sensor applications for environmental safety in broad scales.
Efficient multi-barrier thin film encapsulation of OLED using alternating Al2O3 and polymer layers
Authors: Wu Jie , Fei Fei , Wei Changting , Chen Xiaolian , Nie Shuhong , Zhang Dongyu , Su Wenming , Cui Zheng
Published: February 2018

The work demonstrates the WVTR value of 3 dyads alternative 30 nm Al2O3 and 500 nm parylene C encapsulation structure is less than 10−5 g m−2 per day. And this TFE technology successfully applies for OLED device encapsulation.
The Effect of Remote Masking on the Reception of Speech by Young School-Age Children
Authors: Youngdahl Carla L. , Healy Eric W. , Yoho Sarah E. , Apoux Frédéric , Holt Rachael Frush
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Psychoacoustic data indicate that infants and children are less likely than adults to focus on a spectral region containing an anticipated signal and are more susceptible to remote masking of a signal. These detection tasks suggest that infants and children, unlike adults, do not listen selectively. However, less is known about children's ability to listen selectively during speech recognition. Accordingly, the current study examines remote masking during speech recognition in children and adults.

Method

Adults and 7- and 5-year-old children performed sentence recognition in the presence of various spectrally remote maskers. Intelligibility was determined for each remote-masker condition, and performance was compared across age groups.

Results

It was found that speech recognition for 5-year-olds was reduced in the presence of spectrally remote noise, whereas the maskers had no effect on the 7-year-olds or adults. Maskers of different bandwidth and remoteness had similar effects.

Conclusions

In accord with psychoacoustic data, young children do not appear to focus on a spectral region of interest and ignore other regions during speech recognition. This tendency may help account for their typically poorer speech perception in noise. This study also appears to capture an important developmental stage, during which a substantial refinement in spectral listening occurs.
Wideband filtering impedance transformer based on transversal interaction concept
Authors: Chen Shiyong , Zhao Guoqiang , Tang Mingchun , Yu Yantao
Published: February 2018

A wideband filtering impedance transformer (WFIT) based on transversal interaction concept is presented. The proposed WFIT has four reflection zeros in the passband to broaden the operating bandwidth. Moreover, two transmission zeros are generated to enhance the selectivity. For verification, a prototype is designed, simulated and measured. The measured results show that the proposed WFIT has about 60% bandwidth in terms of S11 larger than 20 dB and the rejection out‐of‐band is better than 30 dB.
Repetition rate control of optical self‐injected passively mode‐locked quantum‐well lasers: experiment and simulation
Authors: Auth D. , Drzewietzki L. , Weber C. , Klehr A. , Knigge A. , Breuer S.
Published: February 2018

The pulse repetition rate (RR) tuning and locking range (LR) as well as the pulse train timing stability of passively mode‐locked quantum‐well (QW) semiconductor lasers (SCLs) subject to single‐cavity optical self‐feedback (OFB) are investigated experimentally and by simulations. A simple and universal stochastic time‐domain model confirms the experimentally observed RR control and LR as well as timing jitter (TJ) improvement in QW SCLs subject to very long OFB cavities with lengths up to 73.1 m. In particular, the model allows predicting control potential and limits of the RR tuning, locking and TJ improvement depending on the choice of OFB delay length for time‐delay mode‐locked semiconductor laser stabilisation experiments.
Saliency‐based dark channel prior model for single image haze removal
Authors: Zhang Libao , Wang Shiyi , Wang Xiaohan
Published: February 2018

Images degraded by haze usually have low contrast and fide colours, and thus have bad effects on applications such as object tracking, face recognition, and intelligent surveillance. So the purpose of dehazing is to recover the image contrast without colour distortion. The dark channel prior (DCP) is widely used in the field of haze removal because of its simplicity and effectiveness. However, when faced with bright white objects, DCP overestimates the haze from its true value and thus causes colour distortion. In this study, the authors propose a dehazing model combining saliency detection with DCP to obtain recovered images with little colour distortion. There are three main contributions. First, they introduce a novel saliency detection method, focusing on superpixel intensity contrast, to extract bright white objects in the hazy image. Those objects are not used to estimate the atmospheric light and transmission in the dark channel image. Second, a self‐adaptive upper bound is set for the scene radiance to prevent some regions being too bright. Third, they propose a quantitative indicator, colour variance distance, to evaluate the colour restoration. Experimental results show that their proposed model generates less colour distortion and has better comprehensive performance than competing models.
Feature selection‐based approach for urban short‐term travel speed prediction
Authors: Zheng Liang , Zhu Chuang , Zhu Ning , He Tian , Dong Ni , Huang Helai
Published: February 2018

This study proposes a feature selection‐based approach to identify reasonable spatial–temporal traffic patterns related to the target link, in order to improve the online‐prediction performance. The prediction task is composed of two steps: one hybrid intelligent algorithm‐based feature selector (FS) is proposed to optimise original state vectors, which are designed empirically during the offline process and optimised state vectors are employed to carry out the online prediction. Numerical experiments by three non‐parametric algorithms are conducted with taxis’ global positioning system data in an urban road network of Changsha, China. It is concluded that: (i) under optimised state vectors, the prediction accuracies improve or almost maintain the same; (ii) K‐nearest neighbour (KNN) with the simplest state vectors obtains the greatest improvement of prediction performance; (iii) although the performance improvement of ɛ‐support vector regression is limited with optimised state vectors, it always outperforms backward‐propagation neural network and KNN ; and (iv) three non‐parametric approaches with optimised state vectors outperform auto‐regressive integrated moving average in relatively longer prediction horizons. In conclusion, such FS‐based approach is able to improve or guarantee the prediction performance under the remarkably reduced model complexity, and is a promising methodology for short‐term traffic prediction.
Implementation of all‐optical Pauli‐Y gate by the integrated phase and polarisation encoding
Authors: Dey Shuvra , Mukhopadhyay Sourangshu
Published: February 2018

Pauli‐Y type of quantum gate is a significant name in the logic family of quantum gates, as this gate deals with complex qubits. It has many significant applications in quantum computing. In this study, the authors propose a new method of generation of Pauli‐Y gate by the proper uses of optical polarisation encoding and phase encoding jointly. This quantum gate can be implemented by dibit and tribit mechanisms instead of single qubit system, where tribit‐based system deals with the high degree of error sensitivity.
Mutual event observations of solar system objects by SRC on Mars Express
Authors: Ziese R. , Willner K.
Published: February 2018

Context. Both Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, have been observed during several imaging campaigns by the Super Resolution Channel (SRC) on the Mars Express probe. Several tens of images are obtained during mutual event observations – when the Martian moons are both observed or together with another solar system body. These observations provide new opportunities to determine the bodies’ positions in their orbits.

Aims. A method was sought to automate the observation of the positions of the imaged bodies. Within one image sequence a similarly accurate localization of the objects in all images should be possible.

Methods. Shape models of Phobos and Deimos are applied to simulate the appearance of the bodies in the images. Matching the illuminated simulation against the observation provides a reliable determination of the bodies’ location within the image. To enhance the matching confidence several corrections need to be applied to the simulation to closely reconstruct the observation.

Results. A list of 884 relative positions between the different objects is provided through the Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS).
Recent results from CMS
Authors: Chapon Émilien
Published: February 2018

Recent results from the CMS Collaboration are reported, covering the wide variety of probes accessible to the experiment.