bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alzheimer’s disease—subcortical vascular disease spectrum in a hospital-based setting: Overview of results from the Gothenburg MCI and dementia studies
Authors: Wallin Anders , Nordlund Arto , Jonsson Michael , Blennow Kaj , Zetterberg Henrik , Öhrfelt Annika , Stålhammar Jacob , Eckerström Marie , Carlsson Mårten , Olsson Erik , Göthlin Mattias , Svensson Johan , Rolstad Sindre , Eckerström Carl , Bjerke Maria
Published: July 2015

The ability to discriminate between Alzheimer’s disease (AD), subcortical vascular disease, and other cognitive disorders is crucial for diagnostic purposes and clinical trial outcomes. Patients with primarily subcortical vascular disease are unlikely to benefit from treatments targeting the AD pathogenic mechanisms and vice versa. The Gothenburg mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia studies are prospective, observational, single-center cohort studies suitable for both cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis that outline the cognitive profiles and biomarker characteristics of patients with AD, subcortical vascular disease, and other cognitive disorders. The studies, the first of which started in 1987, comprise inpatients with manifest dementia and patients seeking care for cognitive disorders at an outpatient memory clinic. This article gives an overview of the major published papers (neuropsychological, imaging/physiology, and neurochemical) of the studies including the ongoing Gothenburg MCI study. The main findings suggest that subcortical vascular disease with or without dementia exhibit a characteristic neuropsychological pattern of mental slowness and executive dysfunction and neurochemical deviations typical of white matter changes and disturbed blood–brain barrier function. Our findings may contribute to better healthcare for this underrecognized group of patients. The Gothenburg MCI study has also published papers on multimodal prediction of dementia, and cognitive reserve.
A Novel SPECT-Based Approach Reveals Early Mechanisms of Central and Peripheral Inflammation after Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Szigeti Krisztián , Horváth Ildikó , Veres Dániel S , Martinecz Bernadett , Lénárt Nikolett , Kovács Noémi , Bakcsa Erika , Márta Alexa , Semjéni Mariann , Máthé Domokos , Dénes Ádám
Published: July 2015

Inflammation that develops in the brain and peripheral organs after stroke contributes profoundly to poor outcome of patients. However, mechanisms through which inflammation impacts on brain injury and overall outcome are improperly understood, in part because the earliest inflammatory events after brain injury are not revealed by current imaging tools. Here, we show that single-photon emission computed tomography (NanoSPECT/CT Plus) allows visualization of blood brain barrier (BBB) injury after experimental stroke well before changes can be detected with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Early 99mTc-DTPA (diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) signal changes predict infarct development and systemic inflammation preceding experimental stroke leads to very early perfusion deficits and increased BBB injury within 2 hours after the onset of ischemia. Acute brain injury also leads to peripheral inflammation and immunosuppression, which contribute to poor outcome of stroke patients. The SPECT imaging revealed early (within 2 hours) changes in perfusion, barrier function and inflammation in the lungs and the gut after experimental stroke, with good predictive value for the development of histopathologic changes at later time points. Collectively, visualization of early inflammatory changes after stroke could open new translational research avenues to elucidate the interactions between central and peripheral inflammation and to evaluate in vivo ‘multi-system’ effects of putative anti-inflammatory treatments.
Impaired Vascular Remodeling after Endothelial Progenitor Cell Transplantation in MMP9-Deficient Mice Suffering Cortical Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Morancho Anna , Ma Feifei , Barceló Verónica , Giralt Dolors , Montaner Joan , Rosell Anna
Published: July 2015

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are being investigated for advanced therapies, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) has an important role in stroke recovery. Our aim was to determine whether tissue MMP9 influences the EPC-induced angiogenesis after ischemia. Wild-type (WT) and MMP9-deficient mice (MMP9/KO) were subjected to cerebral ischemia and treated with vehicle or outgrowth EPCs. After 3 weeks, we observed an increase in the peri-infarct vessel density in WT animals but not in MMP9/KO mice; no differences were found in the vehicle-treated groups. Our data suggest that tissue MMP9 has a crucial role in EPC-induced vascular remodeling after stroke.
Single-trial dynamics of motor cortex and their applications to brain-machine interfaces
Authors: Kao Jonathan C. , Nuyujukian Paul , Ryu Stephen I. , Churchland Mark M. , Cunningham John P. , Shenoy Krishna V.
Published: July 2015

Increasing evidence suggests that neural population responses have their own internal drive, or dynamics, that describe how the neural population evolves through time. An important prediction of neural dynamical models is that previously observed neural activity is informative of noisy yet-to-be-observed activity on single-trials, and may thus have a denoising effect. To investigate this prediction, we built and characterized dynamical models of single-trial motor cortical activity. We find these models capture salient dynamical features of the neural population and are informative of future neural activity on single trials. To assess how neural dynamics may beneficially denoise single-trial neural activity, we incorporate neural dynamics into a brain–machine interface (BMI). In online experiments, we find that a neural dynamical BMI achieves substantially higher performance than its non-dynamical counterpart. These results provide evidence that neural dynamics beneficially inform the temporal evolution of neural activity on single trials and may directly impact the performance of BMIs.
Flash Joule heating for ductilization of metallic glasses
Authors: Okulov I. V. , Soldatov I. V. , Sarmanova M. F. , Kaban I. , Gemming T. , Edström K. , Eckert J.
Published: July 2015

Metallic glasses (MGs) inherit their amorphous structure from the liquid state, which predetermines their ability to withstand high loads approaching the theoretical limit. However, the absence of slip systems makes them very sensitive to the type of loading and extremely brittle in tension. The latter can be improved by precipitation of ductile crystals, which suppress a catastrophic propagation of shear bands in a glassy matrix. Here we report a novel approach to obtain MG-matrix composites with tensile ductility by flash Joule heating applied to Cu47.5Zr47.5Al5 (at.%) metallic glass. This homogeneous, volumetric and controllable rapid heat treatment allows achieving uniformly distributed metastable B2 CuZr crystals in the glassy matrix. It results in a significant tensile strain of 6.8±0.5%. Moreover, optimized adjustment of the heat-treatment conditions enables tuning of microstructure to achieve desired mechanical properties.
Central blockade of salusin β attenuates hypertension and hypothalamic inflammation in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Li Hong-Bao , Qin Da-Nian , Cheng Kang , Su Qing , Miao Yu-Wang , Guo Jing , Zhang Meng , Zhu Guo-Qing , Kang Yu-Ming
Published: July 2015

Salusin β is a multifunctional bioactive peptide and is considered as a promising candidate biomarker for predicting atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. The present study was designed to investigate the roles and mechanisms of salusin β in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in attenuating hypertension and hypothalamic inflammation and whether central salusin β blockade has protective effects in essential hypertension. Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were used in this study. The rats were chronic PVN infusion either specific salusin β blocker, antisalusin β IgG (SIgG), or control IgG (CIgG) for 2 weeks. Hypertensive rats had significantly increased salusin β expression compared with normotensive rats. Central blockade of salusin β attenuated hypertension, reduced circulating norepinephrine (NE) levels and improved cardiac hypertrophy and function in hypertensive rats. Salusin β blockade significantly reduced proinflammatory cytokines (PICs), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and altered renin-angiotensin system (RAS) components in the PVN of hypertensive rats. These findings suggest that the beneficial effects of salusin β blockade in essential hypertension are possibly due to down-regulate of inflammatory molecules and ROS in the PVN.
Potential surrogate endpoints for overall survival in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: an analysis of a phase III randomized trial
Authors: Chen Yu-Pei , Chen Yong , Zhang Wen-Na , Liang Shao-Bo , Zong Jing-Feng , Chen Lei , Mao Yan-Ping , Tang Ling-Long , Li Wen-Fei , Liu Xu , Guo Ying , Lin Ai-Hua , Liu Meng-Zhong , Sun Ying , Ma Jun
Published: July 2015

The gold standard endpoint in trials of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is overall survival (OS). Using data from a phase III randomized trial, we evaluated whether progression-free survival (PFS), failure-free survival (FFS), distant failure-free survival (D-FFS) or locoregional failure-free survival (LR-FFS) could be reliable surrogate endpoints for OS. Between July 2002 and September 2005, 316 eligible patients with stage III-IVB NPC were randomly assigned to receive either radiotherapy alone or chemoradiotherapy. 2- and 3-year PFS, FFS, D-FFS and LR-FFS were tested as surrogate endpoints for 5-year OS using Prentice’s four criteria. The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the strength of the associations. After a median follow-up time of 5.8 years, 2- and 3-year D-FFS and LR-FFS were not significantly different between treatment arms, in rejection of Prentice’s second criterion. Being consistent with all Prentice’s criteria, 2- and 3-year PFS and FFS were valid surrogate endpoints for 5-year OS; the rank correlation coefficient was highest (0.84) between 3-year PFS and 5-year OS. In conclusion, PFS and FFS at 2 and 3 years may be candidate surrogate endpoints for OS at 5 years; 3-year PFS may be more appropriate for early assessment of long-term survival.
Evaluation of microbubble contrast agents for dynamic imaging with x-ray phase contrast
Authors: Millard T. P. , Endrizzi M. , Everdell N. , Rigon L. , Arfelli F. , Menk R. H. , Stride E. , Olivo A.
Published: July 2015

X-rays are commonly used as a means to image the inside of objects opaque to visible light, as their short wavelength allows penetration through matter and the formation of high spatial resolution images. This physical effect has found particular importance in medicine where x-ray based imaging is routinely used as a diagnostic tool. Increasingly, however, imaging modalities that provide functional as well as morphological information are required. In this study the potential to use x-ray phase based imaging as a functional modality through the use of microbubbles that can be targeted to specific biological processes is explored. We show that the concentration of a microbubble suspension can be monitored quantitatively whilst in flow using x-ray phase contrast imaging. This could provide the basis for a dynamic imaging technique that combines the tissue penetration, spatial resolution and high contrast of x-ray phase based imaging with the functional information offered by targeted imaging modalities.
GSTM1 polymorphism contribute to colorectal cancer in Asian populations: a prospective meta-analysis
Authors: Li Jing , Xu Wen , Liu Fang , Huang Silin , He Meirong
Published: July 2015

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are enzymes which expressed in many tissues and play important roles in neutralization of toxic compounds and protecting hosts against cancer. Among several GSTs, Glutathione S-transferases mu (GSTM) has been drawn attention upon the association with the genetic risk for many types of cancers. But whether the GSTM1 polymorphisms confer the susceptibility to colorectal cancer in Asians has not been well established. We searched the PubMed database with GSTM1, polymorphism and colorectal cancer, attempting to identify the eligible studies. In total, 33 case-control studies in Asian populations with 8502 colorectal cancer patients and 13699 controls were included in the current meta-analysis. The association between the polymorphism and susceptibility to colorectal cancer was evaluated by the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The pooled meta-analysis suggested that GSTM1 null variant was correlated to the colorectal cancer risk in Asians. There was a marginal heterogeneity among these eligible studies. Nevertheless, cumulative meta-analysis observed a trend of an obvious association between the GSTM1 null genotype and colorectal cancer risk in Asians. In summary, the meta-analysis suggested that GSTM1 null polymorphism confer the susceptibility to colorectal cancer in Asians, especially in Chinese populations.
7α-Hydroxypregnenolone, a key neuronal modulator of locomotion, stimulates upstream migration by means of the dopaminergic system in salmon
Authors: Haraguchi Shogo , Yamamoto Yuzo , Suzuki Yuko , Hyung Chang Joon , Koyama Teppei , Sato Miku , Mita Masatoshi , Ueda Hiroshi , Tsutsui Kazuyoshi
Published: July 2015

Salmon migrate upstream against an opposing current in their natal river. However, the molecular mechanisms that stimulate upstream migratory behavior are poorly understood. Here, we show that 7α-hydroxypregnenolone (7α-OH PREG), a newly identified neuronal modulator of locomotion, acts as a key factor for upstream migration in salmon. We first identified 7α-OH PREG and cytochrome P450 7α-hydroxylase (P4507α), a steroidogenic enzyme producing 7α-OH PREG, in the salmon brain and then found that 7α-OH PREG synthesis in the brain increases during upstream migration. Subsequently, we demonstrated that 7α-OH PREG increases upstream migratory behavior of salmon. We further found that 7α-OH PREG acts on dopamine neurons in the magnocellular preoptic nucleus during upstream migration. Thus, 7α-OH PREG stimulates upstream migratory behavior through the dopaminergic system in salmon. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of fish upstream migration.
LK6/Mnk2a is a new kinase of alpha synuclein phosphorylation mediating neurodegeneration
Authors: Zhang Shiqing , Xie Jiang , Xia Ying , Yu Shu , Gu Zhili , Feng Ruili , Luo Guanghong , Wang Dong , Wang Kai , Jiang Meng , Cheng Xiao , Huang Hai , Zhang Wu , Wen Tieqiao
Published: July 2015

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a movement disorder due to the loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra. Alpha-synuclein phosphorylation and α-synuclein inclusion (Lewy body) become a main contributor, but little is known about their formation mechanism. Here we used protein expression profiling of PD to construct a model of their signalling network from drsophila to human and nominate major nodes that regulate PD development. We found in this network that LK6, a serine/threonine protein kinase, plays a key role in promoting α-synuclein Ser129 phosphorylation by identification of LK6 knockout and overexpression. In vivo test was further confirmed that LK6 indeed enhances α-synuclein phosphorylation, accelerates the death of dopaminergic neurons, reduces the climbing ability and shortens the the life span of drosophila. Further, MAP kinase-interacting kinase 2a (Mnk2a), a human homolog of LK6, also been shown to make α-synuclein phosphorylation and leads to α-synuclein inclusion formation. On the mechanism, the phosphorylation mediated by LK6 and Mnk2a is controlled through ERK signal pathway by phorbolmyristate acetate (PMA) avtivation and PD98059 inhibition. Our findings establish pivotal role of Lk6 and Mnk2a in unprecedented signalling networks, may lead to new therapies preventing α-synuclein inclusion formation and neurodegeneration.
Neuronal Representation of Ultraviolet Visual Stimuli in Mouse Primary Visual Cortex
Authors: Tan Zhongchao , Sun Wenzhi , Chen Tsai-Wen , Kim Douglas , Ji Na
Published: July 2015

The mouse has become an important model for understanding the neural basis of visual perception. Although it has long been known that mouse lens transmits ultraviolet (UV) light and mouse opsins have absorption in the UV band, little is known about how UV visual information is processed in the mouse brain. Using a custom UV stimulation system and in vivo calcium imaging, we characterized the feature selectivity of layer 2/3 neurons in mouse primary visual cortex (V1). In adult mice, a comparable percentage of the neuronal population responds to UV and visible stimuli, with similar pattern selectivity and receptive field properties. In young mice, the orientation selectivity for UV stimuli increased steadily during development, but not direction selectivity. Our results suggest that, by expanding the spectral window through which the mouse can acquire visual information, UV sensitivity provides an important component for mouse vision.
Sirt1-deficiency causes defective protein quality control
Authors: Tomita Takuya , Hamazaki Jun , Hirayama Shoshiro , McBurney Michael W. , Yashiroda Hideki , Murata Shigeo
Published: July 2015

Protein quality control is an important mechanism to maintain cellular homeostasis. Damaged proteins have to be restored or eliminated by degradation, which is mainly achieved by molecular chaperones and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The NAD+-dependent deacetylase Sirt1 has been reported to play positive roles in the regulation of cellular homeostasis in response to various stresses. However, its contribution to protein quality control remains unexplored. Here we show that Sirt1 is involved in protein quality control in both an Hsp70-dependent and an Hsp70-independent manner. Loss of Sirt1 led to the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins in cells and tissues, especially upon heat stress, without affecting proteasome activities. This was partly due to decreased basal expression of Hsp70. However, this accumulation was only partially alleviated by overexpression of Hsp70 or induction of Hsp70 upon heat shock in Sirt1-deficient cells and tissues. These results suggest that Sirt1 mediates both Hsp70-dependent and Hsp70-independent protein quality control. Our findings cast new light on understanding the role of Sirt1 in maintaining cellular homeostasis.
Study of the Binding Energies between Unnatural Amino Acids and Engineered Orthogonal Tyrosyl-tRNA Synthetases
Authors: Ren Wei , Truong Tan M. , Ai Hui-wang
Published: July 2015

We utilized several computational approaches to evaluate the binding energies of tyrosine (Tyr) and several unnatural Tyr analogs, to several orthogonal aaRSes derived fromMethanocaldococcus jannaschiiandEscherichia colityrosyl-tRNA synthetases. The present study reveals the following: (1) AutoDock Vina and ROSETTA were able to distinguish binding energy differences for individual pairs of favorable and unfavorable aaRS-amino acid complexes, but were unable to cluster together all experimentally verified favorable complexes from unfavorable aaRS-Tyr complexes; (2) MD-MM/PBSA provided the best prediction accuracy in terms of clustering favorable and unfavorable enzyme-substrate complexes, but also required the highest computational cost; and (3) MM/PBSA based on single energy-minimized structures has a significantly lower computational cost compared to MD-MM/PBSA, but still produced sufficiently accurate predictions to cluster aaRS-amino acid interactions. Although amino acid-aaRS binding is just the first step in a complex series of processes to acylate a tRNA with its corresponding amino acid, the difference in binding energy, as shown by MD-MM/PBSA, is important for a mutant orthogonal aaRS to distinguish between a favorable unnatural amino acid (unAA) substrate from unfavorable natural amino acid substrates. Our computational study should assist further designing and engineering of orthogonal aaRSes for the genetic encoding of novel unAAs.
Efficient removal of crystal violet using Fe3O4-coated biochar: the role of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles and modeling study their adsorption behavior
Authors: Sun Pengfei , Hui Cai , Azim Khan Rashid , Du Jingting , Zhang Qichun , Zhao Yu-Hua
Published: July 2015

Biochar shows great promise for use in adsorbing pollutants. However, a process for enhancing its adsorption capacity and re-collection efficiency is yet to be further developed. Hence, in this study, we developed a type of biochar coated with magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (i.e., magnetic biochar (MBC)) and assessed its use for crystal violet (CV) adsorption as well as its recycling potential. The coating of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which was not only on the surface, but also in the interior of biochar, performed two functions. Firstly, it produced a saturation magnetization of 61.48 emu/g, which enabled the biochar being efficiently re-collected using a magnet. Secondly, it significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity of the biochar (from 80.36 to 99.19 mg/g). The adsorption capacity of the MBC was determined to be the largest by so far (349.40 mg/g) for an initial CV concentration of 400 mg/L, pH of 6.0 and temperature of 40 °C and the adsorption capacity of re-collected MBC was 73.31 mg/g. The adsorption of CV by the MBC was found to be a spontaneous and endothermic physical process in which the intraparticle diffusion was the limiting step. These findings inspire us to use other similar materials to tackle the menace of pollutions.
Three-dimensional imaging of microvasculature in the rat spinal cord following injury
Authors: Cao Yong , Wu Tianding , yuan Zhou , Li Dongzhe , Ni Shuangfei , Hu Jianzhong , Lu Hongbin
Published: July 2015

Research studies on the three-dimensional (3D) morphological alterations of the spinal cord microvasculature after injury provide insight into the pathology of spinal cord injury (SCI). Knowledge in this field has been hampered in the past by imaging technologies that provided only two-dimensional (2D) information on the vascular reactions to trauma. The aim of our study is to investigate the 3D microstructural changes of the rat spinal cord microvasculature on day 1 post-injury using synchrotron radiation micro-tomography (SRμCT). This technology provides high-resolution 3D images of microvasculature in both normal and injured spinal cords and the smallest vessel detected is approximately 7.4 μm. Moreover, we optimized the 3D vascular visualization with color coding and accurately calculated quantitative changes in vascular architecture after SCI. Compared to the control spinal cord, the damaged spinal cord vessel numbers decreased significantly following injury. Furthermore, the area of injury did not remain concentrated at the epicenter; rather, the signs of damage expanded rostrally and caudally along the spinal cord in 3D. The observed pathological changes were also confirmed by histological tests. These results demonstrate that SRμCT is an effective technology platform for imaging pathological changes in small arteries in neurovascular disease and for evaluating therapeutic interventions.
Colorimetric detection of sequence-specific microRNA based on duplex-specific nuclease-assisted nanoparticle amplification
Authors: Wang Qian , Li Ru-Dong , Yin Bin-Cheng , Ye Bang-Ce
Published: July 2015

Developing simple and rapid methods for sequence-specific microRNA (miRNA) analysis is imperative to the miRNA study and use in clinical diagnosis.
HPLC-LTQ-orbitrap MSn profiling method to comprehensively characterize multiple chemical constituents in xiao-er-qing-jie granules
Authors: Li Yun , Liu Ying , Liu Rongrong , Liu Siyi , Zhang Xiuping , Wang Zijian , Zhang Jiayu , Lu Jianqiu
Published: July 2015

91 constituents were identified by HPLC-LTQ-orbitrap in xiao-er-qing-jie granules.
Highly sensitive and selective coumarin probe for hydrogen sulfide imaging in living cells
Authors: Chen Sheng , Ma Chao , Wang Dong-En , Han Xiang , Zhang Longlong , Wang Jinyi
Published: July 2015

A new coumarin-based probe DNPOCA was developed for H2S detection with colorimetric and fluorescent dual signaling.
The role of carrier ligands of platinum(ii) anticancer complexes in the protein recognition of Pt–DNA adducts
Authors: He Yafeng , Yuan Jian , Qiao Yuchen , Wang Dan , Chen Weizhong , Liu Xichun , Chen Hao , Guo Zijian
Published: July 2015

A series of DNA probes has been constructed to systematically investigate the influence of carrier ligands on the interaction of Pt-DNA adducts with damage recognition proteins.
Anthraquinone dyes for superhydrophobic cotton
Authors: Salabert J. , Sebastián R. M. , Vallribera A.
Published: July 2015

Anthraquinone reactive dyes are covalently grafted onto cotton fabrics for obtaining bright colored superhydrophobic textiles.
Mesoporous silica film-assisted amplified electrochemiluminescence for cancer cell detection
Authors: Wu Mei-Sheng , Sun Xiao-Tao , Zhu Meng-Jiao , Chen Hong-Yuan , Xu Jing-Juan
Published: July 2015

A novel mesoporous silica film-assisted amplification method is reported for the sensitive electrochemiluminescence detection of cancer cells.
The influence of phosphorothioate on charge migration in single and double stranded DNA: a theoretical approach
Authors: Karwowski Boleslaw T.
Published: July 2015

The SOMO of radical anion forms of d[GPOG], [SP] d[GPSG] and [RP] d[GPSG], calculated at the M06-2X/6-31+G** level of theory.
Finite pulse effects in CPMG pulse trains on paramagnetic materials
Authors: Leskes Michal , Grey Clare P.
Published: July 2015

The lifetime of the NMR signal is extended when CPMG is used to measure static 7Li NMR transverse relaxation in paramagnetic Li-containing compounds.
Atomistic modeling of a KRT35/KRT85 keratin dimer: folding in aqueous solution and unfolding under tensile load
Authors: Duchstein Patrick , Clark Tim , Zahn Dirk
Published: July 2015

We present an atomistic model of a full KRT35/KRT85 dimer, a fundamental building block of human hair.
On the particular importance of vibrational contributions to the static electrical properties of model linear molecules under spatial confinement
Authors: Zaleśny Robert , Góra Robert W. , Luis Josep M. , Bartkowiak Wojciech
Published: July 2015

The influence of the spatial confinement on the electronic and vibrational contributions to longitudinal electric-dipole properties of model linear molecules including HCN, HCCH and CO2 is analyzed.
Group 14 inorganic hydrocarbon analogues
Authors: Rivard Eric
Published: July 2015

This Review article deals with the synthesis and properties of inorganic hydrocarbon analogues: binary chemical species that contain heavier Group 14 elements (Si, Ge, Sn or Pb) and hydrogen as components. Rapid advances in our general knowledge of these species have enabled the development of industrially relevant processes such as the hydrosilylation of unsaturated substrates and the chemical vapor deposition of semi-conducting films.
Luminescence properties of some monomeric and dimeric cycloplatinated(ii) complexes containing biphosphine ligands
Authors: Aghakhanpour Reza Babadi , Nabavizadeh S. Masoud , Rashidi Mehdi , Kubicki Maciej
Published: July 2015

The effect of ligands on the luminescent properties of some monomeric and dimeric cycloplatinated(ii) complexes containing biphosphine ligands was investigated.
A trinuclear CuII complex with functionalized s-heptazine N-ligands: molecular chemistry from a g-C3N4 fragment
Authors: Maxwell Lindley , Gómez-Coca Silvia , Weyhermüller Thomas , Panyella David , Ruiz Eliseo
Published: July 2015

Synthesis and characterization of a new type of metal complex and N-ligand based on heptazine derivatives with appealing photochemical properties.
Supercritical methanol as solvent and carbon source in the catalytic conversion of 1,2-diaminobenzenes and 2-nitroanilines to benzimidazoles
Authors: Sun Zhuohua , Bottari Giovanni , Barta Katalin
Published: July 2015

Benzimidazoles andN-methylbenzimidazoles were synthesized by simply heating 1,2-diaminobenzenes in supercritical methanol over copper-doped porous metal oxides.
Next-generation analysis of gene expression regulation – comparing the roles of synthesis and degradation
Authors: McManus Joel , Cheng Zhe , Vogel Christine
Published: July 2015

Technological advances have enabled multi-dimensional analyses of gene expression regulation and its dynamics.
Preparation and characterization of Cu–Co alloy nanoparticles from double complex salts by chemical reduction
Authors: Kahani Seyed Abolghasem , Shahrokh Mansoure
Published: July 2015

This work is a novel study of the synthesis of Cu–Co nanoalloy from double complex salts by chemical reduction method.
Mechanistic insights into the ANRORC-like rearrangement between methylhydrazine and 1,2,4-oxadiazole derivatives
Authors: Gallardo-Fuentes Sebastián , Contreras Renato
Published: July 2015

The first in-depth theoretical study devoted to elucidate the mechanism of the ANRORC reaction between 1,2,4-oxadiazole derivatives and methylhydrazine is described.
Organic base-promoted enantioselective electrophilic cyanation of β-keto esters by using chiral phase-transfer catalysts
Authors: Chen Min , Huang Zhi-Tang , Zheng Qi-Yu
Published: July 2015

Highly enantioselective electrophilic cyanation of β-keto esters with hypervalent iodine(iii) as the cyanating reagent induced by cinchona alkaloid-based chiral phase-transfer catalysts using an organic base is reported.
Recent synthetic additions to the visible light photoredox catalysis toolbox
Authors: Angnes Ricardo A. , Li Zhou , Correia Carlos Roque D. , Hammond Gerald B.
Published: July 2015

The boom in visible light photoredox catalysis (VLPC) research has demonstrated that this novel synthetic approach is here to stay.
Multi-responsive behavior of highly water-soluble poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(phenyl isocyanide) block copolymers
Authors: Su Ming , Shi Sheng-Yu , Wang Qian , Liu Na , Yin Jun , Liu Chunhua , Ding Yunsheng , Wu Zong-Quan
Published: July 2015

Highly water-soluble block copolymers containing conjugated poly(3-hexylthiophene) and hydrophilic poly(phenyl isocyanide) segments were found to be responsive to multiple stimuli, such as temperature, pH and solvents.
Visible light driven photocatalytic elimination of organic- and microbial pollution by rutile-phase titanium dioxides: new insights on the dynamic relationship between morpho-structural parameters and photocatalytic performance
Authors: Veréb G. , Gyulavári T. , Pap Zs. , Baia L. , Mogyorósi K. , Dombi A. , Hernádi K.
Published: July 2015

For the visible light driven photocatalytic performance of rutile the presence of Ti–O–O– entities is more preferable than Ti3+.
Charge heterogeneity induced binding and phase stability in β-lacto-globulin–gelatin B gels and coacervates at their common pI
Authors: Pathak Jyotsana , Rawat Kamla , Bohidar H. B.
Published: July 2015

An understanding of the interactions between gelatin B (GB) and β-lacto-globulin (β-Lg) mainly arising from surface selective patch binding occurring at their common pI (≈5.0 ± 0.5) in the absence of added salt.
Enhancement of the O2 gas sensing properties of mesoporous Sr0.9La0.1TiO3 films by increasing the pore connectivity
Authors: Park Chang-Sun , Mahadik D. B. , Park Hyung-Ho
Published: July 2015

The structural and gas sensing properties of mesoporous Sr0.9La0.1TiO3 films for oxygen sensing applications were investigated as a function of surfactant concentration.
Di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) promoted dehydrogenative coupling: an expedient and metal-free synthesis of oxindoles via intramolecular C(sp2)–H and C(sp3)–H bond activation
Authors: Mondal Biplab , Roy Brindaban
Published: July 2015

An efficient di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) promoted synthesis of oxindole has been developed. This methodology involves C(sp3)–H and C(sp2)–H bond activation under metal-free conditions.
A tunable ratiometric pH sensor based on phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole covalently linked with vinylpyridine
Authors: Beneto Arockiam Jesin , Thiagarajan Viruthachalam , Siva Ayyanar
Published: July 2015

We synthesized phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole in combination with thiophene tethered pyridine as our target moleculePITP. Under different pH conditions either the imidazolyl or the pyridinyl nitrogen is protonated and red shifted by more than 115 nm.
Facile fabrication of three-dimensional hierarchical CuO nanostructures with enhanced lithium storage capability
Authors: Zhu Yuxuan , Sun Ningning , Lin Weiwei , Ma Yue , Lai Chao , Wang Qinghong
Published: July 2015

3D hierarchical CuO nanostructures with flower-like and urchin-like morphologies have been prepared by a solvothermal method. They display high discharge capacity, good rate capability and long cycle life as anode materials for lithium-ion battery.
Effect of alkyl chain length on one-electron oxidation of bis(alkyl carboxylic acid) selenides: implication on their antioxidant ability
Authors: Singh B. G. , Nadkarni S. A. , Jain V. K. , Priyadarsini K. I.
Published: July 2015

Formation of a stable five membered transient in seleno bis(propanoic acid) reduces its radiolytic degradation and enhances its peroxyl radical scavenging activity.
Dynamic imine chemistry in metal–organic polyhedra
Authors: Vardhan Harsh , Mehta Akshay , Nath Ipsita , Verpoort Francis
Published: July 2015

This review highlights the intercession of Schiff base ligands in the preparation of self-assembled architectures mainly metal–organic polyhedra and describes their unprecedented role in various key applications.
Electrospun carbon nitride supported on poly(vinyl) alcohol as an electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reactions
Authors: Jindal Amandeep , Basu Suddhasatwa , P. Aby C.
Published: July 2015

Dense, multi-layered poly(vinyl) alcohol nanofibers dispersed with catalytically active carbon nitride nanoparticles were synthesized using an electrospinning process.
Synthesis of mesoporous NiCo2O4–rGO by a solvothermal method for charge storage applications
Authors: Umeshbabu Ediga , Rajeshkhanna G. , Justin Ponniah , Rao G. Ranga
Published: July 2015

A facile and cost-effective solvothermal method is described for the synthesis of mesoporous NiCo2O4–rGO electrode material using PVP polymeric surfactant for supercapacitor application.
A methanol VOC sensor using divalent metal ion-modified 2D DNA lattices
Authors: Kim Hyeong-U , Dugasani Sreekantha Reddy , Kulkarni Atul , Gnapareddy Bramaramba , Kim Jang Ah , Park Sung Ha , Kim Taesung
Published: July 2015

Metal ion modified DNA synthesized by a substrate-assisted growth method were utilized for a VOC gas sensor. Co-DNA lattices with defined periodicity efficiently yield an enhancement in reflected intensities within TLV of methanol vapor selectively.
One-step synthesis of C–Bi2WO6 crystallites with improved photo-catalytic activities under visible light irradiation
Authors: Liu Dinghan , Huang Jianfeng , Tao Xingwang , Wang Dan
Published: July 2015

C–Bi2WO6 crystallites with improved photo-catalytic activities under visible light irradiation were prepared by a facile and efficient one-step microwave hydrothermal synthetic route.
Self-assembly of three shapes of anatase TiO2 nanocrystals into horizontal and vertical two-dimensional superlattices
Authors: Zhang Yong , Liu Fa-Min
Published: July 2015

Bone-cuboid (a and b), spindle (c and d) and rhombic (e and f) TiO2 nanocrystals are all self-assembled into horizontal and vertical ordered two-dimensional superlattices.
Electrocatalytic properties of iron chalcogenides as low-cost counter electrode materials for dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Guo Jiahao , Liang Suxia , Shi Yantao , Li Bo , Hao Ce , Wang Xuchun , Ma Tingli
Published: July 2015

Three iron chalcogenides were successfully prepared and tested as CE materials in DSSCs. The devices using FeS2, FeSe2 and FeTe2 obtained high photovoltaic conversion efficiencies of 8.00, 7.92 and 7.21%, respectively, which were also confirmed by theoretical calculations.
Highly photostable luminescent open-shell (3,5-dihalo-4-pyridyl)bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methyl radicals: significant effects of halogen atoms on their photophysical and photochemical properties
Authors: Hattori Yohei , Kusamoto Tetsuro , Nishihara Hiroshi
Published: July 2015

Highly photostable luminescent radicals, X2PyBTM (X = Br, Cl, F), were investigated. Br2PyBTM showed the highest photostability and F2PyBTM displayed the highest photoluminescence quantum yield of the three radicals.
Fluorescent carbon dot–molecular salt hydrogels
Authors: Cayuela Angelina , Kennedy Stuart R. , Soriano M. Laura , Jones Christopher D. , Valcárcel Miguel , Steed Jonathan W.
Published: July 2015

We report the incorporation of functionalised carbon nanodots within a low molecular weight salt hydrogel enhancing the gelation and fluorescence properties of both the gel and carbon nanomaterial.
Direct electrochemical detection of individual collisions between magnetic microbead/silver nanoparticle conjugates and a magnetized ultramicroelectrode
Authors: Yoo Jason J. , Kim Joohoon , Crooks Richard M.
Published: July 2015

Magnetic fields and silver nanoparticles increase the frequency and current signature of collisions between individual particles and electrode surfaces.
Efficient oxygen reduction reaction using mesoporous Ni-doped Co3O4 nanowire array electrocatalysts
Authors: Tong Xili , Xia Xinhui , Guo Congxiu , Zhang Yongqi , Tu Jiangping , Fan Hong Jin , Guo Xiang-Yun
Published: July 2015

Mesoporous Ni-doped Co3O4 nanowire arrays synthesized via a simple hydrothermal process exhibit high electrochemical activity and a four-electron transfer characteristic, with superior tolerance to methanol and CO, and better stability compared to a commercial Pt/C catalyst.
Theoretical investigation of armchair silicene nanoribbons with application in stretchable electronics
Authors: Ma Tengying , Wen Shizheng , Wu Caixia , Yan Likai , Zhang Min , Kan Yuhe , Su Zhongmin
Published: July 2015

The electronic and transport properties of a series of 11-ASiNRs (armchair silicene nanoribbons) at different torsion angles were studied by using density functional theory combined with nonequilibrium Green's function method.
Blue to green emission and energy transfer between Ce3+ ions in Ca15Si20O10N30
Authors: Li Yanyan , Ding Jianyan , Wu Quansheng , Long Qiang , Wang Xicheng , Wang Yuhua
Published: July 2015

The dominant emission wavelength can be tuned from about 470 to 520 nm as the content of Ce3+ increases.
Self-polarized piezoelectric thin films: preparation, formation mechanism and application
Authors: Li Baozhang , Xu Chengyi , Zhang Feifei , Zheng Jianming , Xu Chunye
Published: July 2015

A PVDF film prepared on a salt solution is discovered to be self-polarized and is successfully applied in energy harvesting and pressure sensor.
Dengue NS3, an RNAi suppressor, modulates the human miRNA pathways through its interacting partner
Authors: Kakumani Pavan Kumar , Rajgokul K.S. , Ponia Sanket Singh , Kaur Inderjeet , Mahanty Srikrishna , Medigeshi Guruprasad R. , Banerjea Akhil C. , Chopra Arun Prasad , Malhotra Pawan , Mukherjee Sunil K. , Bhatnagar Raj K.
Published: July 2015

RNAi acts as a host immune response against non-self molecules, including viruses. Viruses evolved to neutralize this response by expressing suppressor proteins. In the present study, we investigated dengue virus non structural protein 3 (dvNS3), for its RNAi-suppressor activity in human cell lines. Dengue virus (DV) NS3 reverts the GFP expression in GFP-silenced cell lines. Pull-down assays of dvNS3 revealed that it interacts with the host factor human heat shock cognate 70 (hHSC70). Down-regulation of hHSC70 resulted in accumulation of dengue viral genomic RNA. Also, the interaction of dvNS3 with hHSC70 perturbs the formation of RISC (RNA-induced silencing complex)-loading complex (RLC), by displacing TRBP (TAR RNA-binding protein) and possibly impairing the downstream activity of miRNAs. Interestingly, some of these miRNAs have earlier been reported to be down-regulated upon DV infection in Huh7 cells. Further studies on the miRNA–mRNA relationship along with mRNA profiling of samples overexpressing dvNS3 revealed up-regulation of TAZ (tafazzin) and SYNGR1 (synaptogyrin 1), known dengue viral host factors (DVHFs). Importantly, overexpression of dvNS3 in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293T cells resulted in modulation of both mature and precursor miRNAs in human cell lines. Subsequent analysis suggested that dvNS3 induced stage-specific down-regulation of miRNAs. Taken together, these results suggest that dvNS3 affects biogenesis and function of host miRNAs to regulate DVHFs for favouring DV replication.
Improvement of Segmental Lordosis in Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Comparison of Two Techniques
Authors: Rice James W. , Sedney Cara L. , Daffner Scott D. , Arner Justin W. , Emery Sanford E. , France John C.
Published: July 2015

Study Design

Retrospective review.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine the radiographic impact of a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) versus a cantilever TLIF technique on segmental lordosis, segmental coronal alignment, and disk height.

Methods

A retrospective review was done of all patients undergoing TLIF procedures from 2006 to 2011 by three spine surgeons. Traditional TLIF versus cantilever TLIF results were compared, and radiographic outcomes were assessed.

Results

One hundred one patients were included in the study. Patients undergoing the cantilever TLIF procedure had a significantly greater change in segmental lordosis and disk height compared with those who underwent the traditional procedure ( p > 0.0001).

Conclusions

The cantilever TLIF technique can lead to greater change in segmental lordosis based upon radiographic outcomes.
Current Trends in the Use of Patient-Reported Outcome Instruments in Degenerative Cervical Spine Surgery
Authors: Ueda Haruki , Cutler Holt S. , Guzman Javier Z. , Cho Samuel K.
Published: July 2015

Study Design

Bibliometric analysis.

Objective

To determine trends, frequency, and distribution of patient-reported outcome instruments (PROIs) in degenerative cervical spine surgery literature over the past decade.

Methods

A search was conducted via PubMed from 2004 to 2013 on five journals ( The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, The Bone and Joint Journal, The Spine Journal, European Spine Journal, and Spine), which were chosen based on their impact factors and authors’ consensus. All abstracts were screened and articles addressing degenerative cervical spine surgery using PROIs were included. Articles were then analyzed for publication date, study design, journal, level of evidence, and PROI trends. Prevalence of PROIs and level of evidence of included articles were analyzed.

Results

From 19,736 articles published, 241 articles fulfilled our study criteria. Overall, 53 distinct PROIs appeared. The top seven most frequently used PROIs were: Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (104 studies), visual analog scale for pain (100), Neck Disability Index (72), Short Form-36 (38), Nurick score (25), Odom criteria (21), and Oswestry Disability Index (15). Only 11 PROIs were used in 5 or more articles. Thirty-three of the PROIs were appeared in only 1 article. Among the included articles, 16% were of level 1 evidence and 32% were of level 4 evidence.

Conclusion

Numerous PROIs are currently used in degenerative cervical spine surgery. A consensus on which instruments to use for a given diagnosis or procedure is lacking and may be necessary for better communication and comparison, as well as for the accumulation and analysis of vast clinical data across multiple studies.
Calibration of time of flight detectors using laser-driven neutron source
Authors: Mirfayzi S. R. , Kar S. , Ahmed H. , Krygier A. G. , Green A. , Alejo A. , Clarke R. , Freeman R. R. , Fuchs J. , Jung D. , Kleinschmidt A. , Morrison J. T. , Najmudin Z. , Nakamura H. , Norreys P. , Oliver M. , Roth M. , Vassura L. , Zepf M. , Borghesi M.
Published: July 2015

Calibration of three scintillators (EJ232Q, BC422Q, and EJ410) in a time-of-flight arrangement using a laser drive-neutron source is presented. The three plastic scintillator detectors were calibrated with gamma insensitive bubble detector spectrometers, which were absolutely calibrated over a wide range of neutron energies ranging from sub-MeV to 20 MeV. A typical set of data obtained simultaneously by the detectors is shown, measuring the neutron spectrum emitted from a petawatt laser irradiated thin foil.
Humidity sensor using a single molecular transistor
Authors: Ray S. J.
Published: July 2015

Nanoelectronic devices have attracted significant interest for their potential as chemical/gas sensors. In this work, the performance and operation of a novel single molecular transistor based humidity sensor are demonstrated for the first time using density function theory based Ab-initio calculations. The device has a novel design, which can allow real-time detection through the charge stability diagram. It is found that this method can allow large temperature range of operation with extremely high detection sensitivity than the presently available sensors, while the simplistic design can be useful for practical experimental realisation.
Reliable prediction of three-body intermolecular interactions using dispersion-corrected second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory
Authors: Huang Yuanhang , Beran Gregory J. O.
Published: July 2015

Three-body and higher intermolecular interactions can play an important role in molecular condensed phases. Recent benchmark calculations found problematic behavior for many widely used density functional approximations in treating 3-body intermolecular interactions. Here, we demonstrate that the combination of second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2) perturbation theory plus short-range damped Axilrod-Teller-Muto (ATM) dispersion accurately describes 3-body interactions with reasonable computational cost. The empirical damping function used in the ATM dispersion term compensates both for the absence of higher-order dispersion contributions beyond the triple-dipole ATM term and non-additive short-range exchange terms which arise in third-order perturbation theory and beyond. Empirical damping enables this simple model to out-perform a non-expanded coupled Kohn-Sham dispersion correction for 3-body intermolecular dispersion. The MP2 plus ATM dispersion model approaches the accuracy of O(N6) methods like MP2.5 or even spin-component-scaled coupled cluster models for 3-body intermolecular interactions with only O(N5) computational cost.
A multi-agent quantum Monte Carlo model for charge transport: Application to organic field-effect transistors
Authors: Bauer Thilo , Jäger Christof M. , Jordan Meredith J. T. , Clark Timothy
Published: July 2015

We have developed a multi-agent quantum Monte Carlo model to describe the spatial dynamics of multiple majority charge carriers during conduction of electric current in the channel of organic field-effect transistors. The charge carriers are treated by a neglect of diatomic differential overlap Hamiltonian using a lattice of hydrogen-like basis functions. The local ionization energy and local electron affinity defined previously map the bulk structure of the transistor channel to external potentials for the simulations of electron- and hole-conduction, respectively. The model is designed without a specific charge-transport mechanism like hopping- or band-transport in mind and does not arbitrarily localize charge. An electrode model allows dynamic injection and depletion of charge carriers according to source-drain voltage. The field-effect is modeled by using the source-gate voltage in a Metropolis-like acceptance criterion. Although the current cannot be calculated because the simulations have no time axis, using the number of Monte Carlo moves as pseudo-time gives results that resemble experimental I/V curves.