bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facial expressions of pain in cats: the development and validation of a Feline Grimace Scale
Authors: Evangelista Marina C. , Watanabe Ryota , Leung Vivian S. Y. , Monteiro Beatriz P. , O’Toole Elizabeth , Pang Daniel S. J. , Steagall Paulo V.
Published: December 2019

Grimace scales have been used for pain assessment in different species. This study aimed to develop and validate the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) to detect naturally-occurring acute pain. Thirty-five client-owned and twenty control cats were video-recorded undisturbed in their cages in a prospective, case-control study. Painful cats received analgesic treatment and videos were repeated one hour later. Five action units (AU) were identified: ear position, orbital tightening, muzzle tension, whiskers change and head position. Four observers independently scored (0–2 for each AU) 110 images of control and painful cats. The FGS scores were higher in painful than in control cats; a very strong correlation with another validated instrument for pain assessment in cats was observed (rho = 0.86, p < 0.001) as well as good overall inter-rater reliability [ICC = 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85–0.92)], excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC > 0.91), and excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89). The FGS detected response to analgesic treatment (scores after analgesia were lower than before) and a cut-off score was determined (total pain score > 0.39 out of 1.0). The FGS is a valid and reliable tool for acute pain assessment in cats.
The first global deep-sea stable isotope assessment reveals the unique trophic ecology of Vampire Squid Vampyroteuthis infernalis (Cephalopoda)
Authors: Golikov Alexey V. , Ceia Filipe R. , Sabirov Rushan M. , Ablett Jonathan D. , Gleadall Ian G. , Gudmundsson Gudmundur , Hoving Hendrik J. , Judkins Heather , Pálsson Jónbjörn , Reid Amanda L. , Rosas-Luis Rigoberto , Shea Elizabeth K. , Schwarz Richard , Xavier José C.
Published: December 2019

Vampyroteuthis infernalis Chun, 1903, is a widely distributed deepwater cephalopod with unique morphology and phylogenetic position. We assessed its habitat and trophic ecology on a global scale via stable isotope analyses of a unique collection of beaks from 104 specimens from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Cephalopods typically are active predators occupying a high trophic level (TL) and exhibit an ontogenetic increase in δ15N and TL. Our results, presenting the first global comparison for a deep-sea invertebrate, demonstrate that V. infernalis has an ontogenetic decrease in δ15N and TL, coupled with niche broadening. Juveniles are mobile zooplanktivores, while larger Vampyroteuthis are slow-swimming opportunistic consumers and ingest particulate organic matter. Vampyroteuthis infernalis occupies the same TL (3.0–4.3) over its global range and has a unique niche in deep-sea ecosystems. These traits have enabled the success and abundance of this relict species inhabiting the largest ecological realm on the planet.
Discovery of Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids as potential inhibitors against Dengue virus NS2B-NS3 protease
Authors: Bharadwaj Shiv , Lee Kyung Eun , Dwivedi Vivek Dhar , Yadava Umesh , Panwar Aleksha , Lucas Stuart. J. , Pandey Amit , Kang Sang Gu
Published: December 2019

Dengue virus (DENV) infection causes serious health problems in humans for which no drug is currently available. Recently, DENV NS2B-NS3 protease has been proposed as a primary target for anti-dengue drug discovery due to its important role in new virus particle formation by conducting DENV polyprotein cleavage. Triterpenoids from the medicinal fungus Ganoderma lucidum have been suggested as pharmacologically bioactive compounds and tested as anti-viral agents against various viral pathogens including human immunodeficiency virus. However, no reports are available concerning the anti-viral activity of triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum against DENV. Therefore, we employed a virtual screening approach to predict the functional triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum as potential inhibitors of DENV NS2B-NS3 protease, followed by an in vitro assay. From in silico analysis of twenty-two triterpenoids of Ganoderma lucidum, four triterpenoids, viz. Ganodermanontriol (−6.291 kcal/mol), Lucidumol A (−5.993 kcal/mol), Ganoderic acid C2 (−5.948 kcal/mol) and Ganosporeric acid A (−5.983 kcal/mol) were predicted to be viral protease inhibitors by comparison to reference inhibitor 1,8-Dihydroxy-4,5-dinitroanthraquinone (−5.377 kcal/mol). These results were further studied for binding affinity and stability using the molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area method and Molecular Dynamics simulations, respectively. Also, in vitro viral infection inhibition suggested that Ganodermanontriol is a potent bioactive triterpenoid.
Human immune cells infiltrate the spinal cord and impair recovery after spinal cord injury in humanized mice
Authors: Carpenter Randall S. , Jiang Roselyn R. , Brennan Faith H. , Hall Jodie C. E. , Gottipati Manoj K. , Niewiesk Stefan , Popovich Phillip G.
Published: December 2019

Humanized mice can be used to better understand how the human immune system responds to central nervous system (CNS) injury and inflammation. The optimal parameters for using humanized mice in preclinical CNS injury models need to be established for appropriate use and interpretation. Here, we show that the developmental age of the human immune system significantly affects anatomical and functional outcome measures in a preclinical model of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Specifically, it takes approximately 3–4 months for a stable and functionally competent human immune system to develop in neonatal immune compromised mice after they are engrafted with human umbilical cord blood stem cells. Humanized mice receiving a SCI before or after stable engraftment exhibit significantly different neuroinflammatory profiles. Importantly, the development of a mature human immune system was associated with worse lesion pathology and neurological recovery after SCI. In these mice, human T cells infiltrate the spinal cord lesion and directly contact human macrophages. Together, data in this report establish an optimal experimental framework for using humanized mice to help translate promising preclinical therapies for CNS injury.
Author Correction: Epigenetic patterns associated with an ascidian invasion: a comparison of closely related clades in their native and introduced ranges
Authors: Hawes Nicola A. , Amadoru Achira , Tremblay Louis A. , Pochon Xavier , Dunphy Brendon , Fidler Andrew E. , Smith Kirsty F.
Published: December 2019

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Oxidized-monolayer tunneling barrier for strong Fermi-level depinning in layered InSe transistors
Authors: Chen Yi-Hsun , Cheng Chih-Yi , Chen Shao-Yu , Rodriguez Jan Sebastian Dominic , Liao Han-Ting , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Chen Chun-Wei , Sankar Raman , Chou Fang-Cheng , Chiu Hsiang-Chih , Wang Wei-Hua
Published: December 2019

In two-dimensional (2D)-semiconductor-based field-effect transistors and optoelectronic devices, metal–semiconductor junctions are one of the crucial factors determining device performance. The Fermi-level (FL) pinning effect, which commonly caused by interfacial gap states, severely limits the tunability of junction characteristics, including barrier height and contact resistance. A tunneling contact scheme has been suggested to address the FL pinning issue in metal–2D-semiconductor junctions, whereas the experimental realization is still elusive. Here, we show that an oxidized-monolayer-enabled tunneling barrier can realize a pronounced FL depinning in indium selenide (InSe) transistors, exhibiting a large pinning factor of 0.5 and a highly modulated Schottky barrier height. The FL depinning can be attributed to the suppression of metal- and disorder-induced gap states as a result of the high-quality tunneling contacts. Structural characterizations indicate uniform and atomically thin-surface oxidation layer inherent from nature of van der Waals materials and atomically sharp oxide–2D-semiconductor interfaces. Moreover, by effectively lowering the Schottky barrier height, we achieve an electron mobility of 2160 cm2/Vs and a contact barrier of 65 meV in two-terminal InSe transistors. The realization of strong FL depinning in high-mobility InSe transistors with the oxidized-monolayer presents a viable strategy to exploit layered semiconductors in contact engineering for advanced electronics and optoelectronics.
3D paper-based microfluidic device: a novel dual-detection platform of bisphenol A
Authors: Yukird Jutiporn , Soum Veasna , Kwon Oh-Sun , Shin Kwanwoo , Chailapakul Orawon , Rodthongkum Nadnudda
Published: December 2019

A novel platform of 3D paper-based microfluidic device (μPADs) was fabricated by a digital plotter for high precision analysis of bisphenol A using electrochemistry along with LDI-MS detection.
The label-free separation and culture of tumor cells in a microfluidic biochip
Authors: Zhou Jian , Tu Chunlong , Liang Yitao , Huang Bobo , Fang Yifeng , Liang Xiao , Ye Xuesong
Published: December 2019

An integrated microfluidic biochip was designed for the streamlined separation, capture, in situ culture and/or immunofluorescence characterization of tumor cells.
Mesoporous yolk–shell structure molecularly imprinted magnetic polymers for the extraction and detection of 17β-estradiol
Authors: Yang Yinpeng , Sun Yuan , Chen Hang , Dang Xueping , Ai Youhong , Liu Xiaolan , Chen Huaixia
Published: December 2019

Novel mesoporous yolk–shell structure magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MYS-MMIPs) were synthesized using E2 as a template followed by chemical selective etching for the rapid, selective extraction and sensitive detection of 17β-estradiol (E2).
One-pot solution synthesis of carbon-coated silicon nanoparticles as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Wang Fei , Song Changsheng , Zhao Baoxun , Sun Lin , Du Hongbin
Published: December 2019

Carbon-coated silicon nanoparticles were synthesized via a one-pot solution method, delivering excellent performance in lithium ion batteries.
Enhancing K+ transport activity and selectivity of synthetic K+ channels via electron-donating effects
Authors: Zeng Landley Ziluo , Zhang Hao , Wang Tianxiang , Li Tianhu
Published: December 2019

Electron-withdrawing groups enhance ion transport activity by 160% and selectivity by >50%, leading to high K+/Na+ selectivity of 14.0.
The amplified circularly polarized luminescence regulated from D–A type AIE-active chiral emitters via liquid crystals system
Authors: Li Yang , Liu Kerui , Li Xiaojing , Quan Yiwu , Cheng Yixiang
Published: December 2019

Two pairs of D–A type AIE-active chiral dyes doped into host 5CB form N*-LCs and regulate the amplified CPL signals. R-/S-2 with stronger D–A structure and more planar conformation could induce higher CPL response (glum = ±0.37) in N*-LCs system.
A 2,3-dialkoxynaphthalene-based naphthocage
Authors: Lu Song-Bo , Chai Hongxin , Ward Jas S. , Quan Mao , Zhang Jin , Rissanen Kari , Luo Ray , Yang Liu-Pan , Jiang Wei
Published: December 2019

A 2,3-dialkoxynaphthalene-based naphthocage was synthesized. It shows similarly strong binding affinity to organic cations as the 2,6-dialkoxynaphthalene-based naphthocage but different guest preference and conformational response.
Cracking mechanism and spectral properties of Er,Yb:CaGdAlO4 crystals grown by the LHPG method
Authors: Zhang Na , Wang Haoyuan , Yin Yuqing , Wang Tao , Jia Zhitai , Zhang Jian , Hu Qiangqiang , Lin Na , Fu Xiuwei , Tao Xutang
Published: December 2019

High quality Er,Yb:CaGdAlO4 (Er,Yb:CALGO) single crystals with a diameter around 1 mm were successfully grown and investigated for the first time by the laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) method.
Anomalous thermal fluctuation distribution sustains proto-metabolic cycles and biomolecule synthesis
Authors: Ball Rowena , Brindley John
Published: December 2019

Anomalous thermal fluctuation distribution may reflect transient non-Boltzmann populations of internal quantized modes and favour primordial chemical evolution.
Efficient ferronematic coupling with polymer-brush particles
Authors: Koch Karin , Kundt Matthias , Eremin Alexey , Nadasi Hajnalka , Schmidt Annette M.
Published: December 2019

Switching of liquid crystal phases is of enormous technological importance and enables digital displays, thermometers and sensors.
The catalytic combustion of CH2Cl2 over SO42−–TixSn1−x modified with Ru
Authors: Zhao Jian , Tu Chensheng , Sun Wei , Xia Hangqi , Zhang Hao , Dai Qiguang , Wang Xingyi
Published: December 2019

Ru/SO42−–TixSn1−x presented high activity and selectivity due to the stable oxidization activity of Ru and super-strong acidity from SO42−.
Modulating magnetic dynamics through tailoring the terminal ligands in Dy2 single-molecule magnets
Authors: Cen Peipei , Liu Xiangyu , Zhang Yi-Quan , Ferrando-Soria Jesús , Xie Gang , Chen Sanping , Pardo Emilio
Published: December 2019

The alternation of terminal ligands leads to distinct arrangements of anisotropy axes and magnetic interactions in two Dy2 complexes which present different dynamic magnetic behaviors.
Summation of disinfection by-product CHO cell relative toxicity indices: sampling bias, uncertainty, and a path forward
Authors: McKenna Elizabeth , Thompson Kyle A. , Taylor-Edmonds Lizbeth , McCurry Daniel L. , Hanigan David
Published: December 2019

Predicted toxicity has been used to determine if a treatment process is either beneficial or detrimental to the overall DBP toxicological profile of water samples. Selection of the DBPs to measure is important and may result in biased conclusions.
Solvometallurgical process for extraction of copper from chalcopyrite and other sulfidic ore minerals
Authors: Li Xiaohua , Monnens Wouter , Li Zheng , Fransaer Jan , Binnemans Koen
Published: December 2019

Copper is extracted from sulfidic ores by a leaching-electrodeposition system, thereby producing metallic copper and regenerating the oxidizing agent FeCl3.
A stably discrete 31-nuclearity silver(i) thiolate nanocluster luminescent thermometer supported by DMF auxiliary ligands
Authors: Feng Yu-Hui , Lin Zhi-Sheng , Liu Si-Qing , Shi Ju-Feng , Zhou Kun , Ji Jiu-Yu , Bi Yan-Feng
Published: December 2019

The stably discrete [Ag31S3(StBu)17(CF3COO)7(CO3)0.5(CF3COOH)0.5(DMF)4] nanocluster in Ag31S20-DMF (1) shaped in a turtle-like structure exhibits temperature-sensitive luminescence properties.
Enhanced photocatalytic activity of anatase by the rational modification of the {001} facets with Fe(iii) ions
Authors: Guo Na , Sun Lei , Yu Hongwen
Published: December 2019

Fe(iii) ion-modified TiO2 exhibits the highest reaction efficiency for the decomposition of dye molecules and p-chlorophenol due to electron-trapping centers.
Dysprosium-based linear helicate clusters: syntheses, structures, and magnetism
Authors: Lu Jingjing , Li Xiao-Lei , Jin Chaoyi , Yu Yang , Tang Jinkui
Published: December 2019

Three new dysprosium-based linear helicate Dy4, Dy6and Dy10clusters have been assembled under different reaction conditions by utilizing a versatile hydrazone ligand.
Ultra-high adsorption of tetracycline antibiotics on garlic skin-derived porous biomass carbon with high surface area
Authors: Liu Shujian , Pan Mingdi , Feng Zhongmin , Qin Yangchun , Wang Yun , Tan Lili , Sun Ting
Published: December 2019

A porous carbon material with ultra-high specific surface area was prepared from waste garlic skin, and exhibited excellent adsorption properties to TCs in a water environment.
Camphor-based phosphine-carbonyl ligands for Ni catalyzed ethylene oligomerization
Authors: Behzadi Shabnam , Chi Mingjun , Pang Wenmin , Liang Tao , Tan Chen
Published: December 2019

Ni and Pd complexes of camphor-based phosphine-carbonyl ligands containing biaryl moiety are designed and synthesized. The Ni complexes can catalyze ethylene oligomerization and generate waxy higher olefins as well as oily lower olefins.
Tunable bending modulus and bending limit of oxidized graphene
Authors: Liu Lizhao , Li Xinying , Liu Zheng , Dai Shuyu , Huang Xiaoming , Zhao Jijun
Published: December 2019

Oxidized graphene can be more rigid or flexible than graphene depending on the functional group and bending direction. Above a critical bending curvature, transition from O⋯H hydrogen bonds to O–H covalent bonds can occur in the oxidized graphene.
Correction: Pine cone mold: a toolbox for fabricating unique metal/carbon nanohybrid electrocatalysts
Authors: Han Hyunwoo , Noh Seonmyeong , Chae Subin , Kim Semin , Choi Yunseok , Le Thanh-Hai , Chang Mincheol , Kim Hyungwoo , Yoon Hyeonseok
Published: December 2019

Correction for ‘Pine cone mold: a toolbox for fabricating unique metal/carbon nanohybrid electrocatalysts’ by Hyunwoo Han et al., Nanoscale, 2019, DOI: 10.1039/c9nr06794a.
Cucurbit[7]uril-driven modulation of ligand–DNA interactions by ternary assembly
Authors: Chernikova Ekaterina Y. , Ruleva Anna Y. , Tsvetkov Vladimir B. , Fedorov Yuri V. , Novikov Valentin V. , Aliyeu Tseimur M. , Pavlov Alexander A. , Shepel Nikolay E. , Fedorova Olga A.
Published: December 2019

Cucurbit[7]uril induces a change in the ligand–DNA binding mode and destroys dye aggregates templated by DNA through the formation of a ternary complex.
Novel cage-like MOF for gas separation, CO2 conversion and selective adsorption of an organic dye
Authors: Li Yong-Zhi , Wang Gang-Ding , Yang Hong-Yun , Hou Lei , Wang Yao-Yu , Zhu Zhonghua
Published: December 2019

A Zn-MOF was constructed by a F-decorated ligand and bipyridyl linkers, displaying selective adsorption for CO2, C2H6, C2H2 over CH4, catalysis for CO2 conversion and selective adsorption for methyl blue.
Self-assembly of azaphthalocyanine–oligodeoxynucleotide conjugates into J-dimers: towards biomolecular logic gates
Authors: Demuth Jiri , Miletin Miroslav , Kucera Radim , Ruzicka Ales , Havlinova Zuzana , Libra Antonin , Novakova Veronika , Zimcik Petr
Published: December 2019

Unique spatial self-assembly of azaphthalocyanine–oligonucleotide–fluorescein conjugates can be selectively dissociated by a complementary sequence or coordinating solvent and used for the development of biomolecular logic gates.
A microbial fuel cell configured for the remediation of recalcitrant pollutants in soil environment
Authors: Mohanakrishna Gunda , Al-Raoush Riyadh I. , Abu-Reesh Ibrahim M. , Pant Deepak
Published: December 2019

Bioelectroremediation of petroleum-based hydrocarbons contaminated soil was successfully performed through microbial fuel cells (MFCs).
Dual functional oyster shell-derived Ag/ZnO/CaCO3 nanocomposites with enhanced catalytic and antibacterial activities for water purification
Authors: Chang Lin , Feng Yan , Wang Bingqing , Huang Xiaoyu , Yang Da-Peng , Lu Youguang
Published: December 2019

Oyster shell was used as an efficient template for synthesis Ag/ZnO/CaCO3 nanocomposites, which showed the enhanced catalytic and antibacterial activities.
Highly water-dispersible calcium lignosulfonate-capped MnO nanoparticles as a T1 MRI contrast agent with exceptional colloidal stability, low toxicity and remarkable relaxivity
Authors: Arian Mahdi , Zamanian Ali , Taheri Salman
Published: December 2019

A simple and efficient method to synthesize highly water-dispersible calcium lignosulfonate-coated manganese oxide nanoparticles as a potential candidate for the current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T1 contrast agents was reported.
Peptide conformation and oligomerization characteristics of surface-mediated assemblies revealed by molecular dynamics simulations and scanning tunneling microscopy
Authors: Zou Yimin , Tu Bin , Yu Lanlan , Zheng Yongfang , Lin Yuchen , Luo Wendi , Yang Yanlian , Fang Qiaojun , Wang Chen
Published: December 2019

The characteristics of peptide conformations in both solution and surface-bound states, using poly-glycine as a model structure, are analyzed by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM).
Homogeneous synthesis of hydroxylamine hydrochloride via acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of nitromethane
Authors: Huo Fanglin , Lu Yangcheng
Published: December 2019

A continuous homogeneous synthesis of NH2OH·HCl was achieved and well described with a segmented semi-empirical kinetics model.
High-performance tungsten carbide electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Huang Jingwen , Hong Wenting , Li Jing , Wang Bao , Liu Wei
Published: December 2019

High charge transport efficiency and a large specific surface are two critical factors for the hydrogen evolution reaction.
The role of the medium in the effective-sphere interpretation of holographic particle characterization data
Authors: Odete Mary Ann , Cheong Fook Chiong , Winters Annemarie , Elliott Jesse J. , Philips Laura A. , Grier David G.
Published: December 2019

Holographic particle characterization measurements can be interpreted with the effective-sphere model to obtain the size, refractive index and porosity of porous and irregularly shaped colloidal particles.
Electronic structure modulation of bifunctional oxygen catalysts for rechargeable Zn–air batteries
Authors: Yang Jian , Chang Le , Guo Heng , Sun Jiachen , Xu Jingyin , Xiang Fei , Zhang Yanning , Wang Zhiming , Wang Liping , Hao Feng , Niu Xiaobin
Published: December 2019

The electronic structure modulation via ruthenium doping and post oxidation treatment is an effect way to enhance the oxygen catalytic activities for rechargeable Zn–air battery.
Electrochemical formation of PtRu bimetallic nanoparticles for highly efficient and pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Li Lu , Zhang Gengwei , Wang Bin , Yang Tao , Yang Shengchun
Published: December 2019

The synergistic effect between Pt and Ru in PtRu/CC1500 catalyst results in a promising catalytic activity toward HER, which displays a performance dozens of times higher than that of commercial Pt/C.
Correction: Efficient polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on chiral [Pt(C^N)(N^O)] complexes with near-infrared (NIR) luminescence and circularly polarized (CP) light
Authors: Fu Guorui , He Yani , Li Wentao , Wang Baowen , Lü Xingqiang , He Hongshan , Wong Wai-Yeung
Published: December 2019

Correction for ‘Efficient polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on chiral [Pt(C^N)(N^O)] complexes with near-infrared (NIR) luminescence and circularly polarized (CP) light’ by Guorui Fu et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 2019, 7, 13743–13747.
A nanobiosensor based on graphene oxide and DNA binding dye for multi-microRNAs detection
Authors: Rahaie Mahdi , Noroozi Saman Khayat
Published: December 2019

Multiplex assays for detection of biomarkers, provide advantageous analyses of different factors related to diagnoses of diseases. The Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common disease in old people in societies which is increasing, significantly. A group of microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in developing the disease which can be considered as early stage biomarkers. Since, selective, sensitive, simple and rapid method for detection of these miRNAs in a single test is critical for early diagnosis and efficient therapy of the disease, herein, we report a sensitive fluorescence assay based on enzyme-free and isothermal hybridization chain reaction with SYBR Green and graphene oxide (GOX) for early detection of miR-137 and miR-142, as two Alzheimer’s biomarkers. Fluorescence spectrophotometry based on SYBR Green signal and GOX as the fluorescence quencher was used for detection and quantification of targets’ miRNAs and change in fluorescence intensity due to absence and presence of the targets was measured. The limit of detection in the newly designed nanobiosensor was achieved as 82 pM with a sensitive detection of the miRNAs from 0.05 to 5 nM, that is critical for detecting the biomarkers. Given the real range of concentrations of miRNAs in blood (from nanomolar to femtomolar values), the method holds great promise in dual and multiple targets detection due to its sensitivity, rapidness, inexpensive and specificity which provides a convenient detection method of Alzheimer’s in early stage.
RNA-sequencing analysis reveals the potential contribution of lncRNAs in palmitic acid-induced insulin resistance of skeletal muscle cells
Authors: Han Mei , You Lianghui , Wu Yanting , Gu Nan , Wang Yan , Feng Xiaodan , Xiang Lanlan , Chen Yajun , Zeng Yu , Zhong Tianying
Published: December 2019

Insulin resistance (IR) has been considered as the common pathological basis and developmental driving force for most metabolic diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as pivotal regulators in modulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the comprehensive profile of lncRNAs in skeletal muscle cells under the insulin resistant status and the possible biological effects of them were not fully studied. In this research, using C2C12 myotubes as cell models in vitro, deep RNA-sequencing was performed to profile lncRNAs and mRNAs between palmitic acid-induced IR C2C12 myotubes and control ones. The results revealed that a total of 144 lncRNAs including 70 up-regulated and 74 down-regulated (|fold change| > 2, q < 0.05) were significantly differentially expressed in palmitic acid-induced insulin resistant cells. In addition, functional annotation analysis based on the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) databases revealed that the target genes of the differentially expressed lncRNAs were significantly enriched in fatty acid oxidation, lipid oxidation, PPAR signaling pathway, and insulin signaling pathway. Moreover, Via qPCR, most of selected lncRNAs in myotubes and db/db mice skeletal muscle showed the consistent expression trends with RNA-sequencing. Co-expression analysis also explicated the key lncRNA–mRNA interactions and pointed out a potential regulatory network of candidate lncRNA ENSMUST00000160839. In conclusion, the present study extended the skeletal muscle lncRNA database and provided novel potential regulators for future genetic and molecular studies on insulin resistance, which is helpful for prevention and treatment of the related metabolic diseases.
The association between dietary protein intake and esophageal cancer risk: a meta-analysis
Authors: Kong Fanjuan , Geng Erdong , Ning Juan , Liu Zhiyu , Wang Aihua , Zhang Siyu , Wang Hua
Published: December 2019

Several papers studied dietary protein intake as a potential influence factor for esophageal cancer, but their findings were inconsistent. Thus, this meta-analysis was performed to identify the effect of protein intake on esophageal cancer risk. Potential case–control studies or cohort studies from the databases of Embase, Web of Science and PubMed were searched. The strength of association was quantified by pooling odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). In total, 11 articles involving 2537 cases and 11432 participants were included in this meta-analysis. As a result, dietary protein intake had non-significant association on esophageal cancer risk overall (pooled OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.88–1.40). Meanwhile, we obtained consistent results in the subgroups analyses by study design, protein type, geographic locations and number of cases. Interestingly, dietary protein intake could significantly increase the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (pooled OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.02–1.62), instead of other disease type. To sum up, dietary protein intake had no significant association with esophageal cancer risk in the overall analysis; but, protein intake may be associated with the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. While some limitations existed in the present paper, more studies with large sample size are warranted to further confirm this result.
A protocell with fusion and division
Authors: Xu Bo-Ying , Xu Jian , Yomo Tetsuya
Published: December 2019

A protocell is a synthetic form of cellular life that is constructed from phospholipid vesicles and used to understand the emergence of life from a nonliving chemical network. To be considered ‘living’, a protocell should be capable of self-proliferation, which includes successive growth and division processes. The growth of protocells can be achieved via vesicle fusion approaches. In this review, we provide a brief overview of recent research on the formation of a protocell, fusion and division processes of the protocell, and encapsulation of a defined chemical network such as the genetic material. We also provide some perspectives on the challenges and future developments of synthetic protocell research.
Building Emotional Intelligence for Student Success: A Pilot Study
Authors: Shah Amee P. , Galantino Mary Lou
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Nationwide, upward trends exist in student issues with anxiety, stress, depression, and lowered classroom performance. As emotional awareness and emotional regulation skills are typically not addressed in professional discipline-specific courses, students experience challenges in their academic performance. This pilot research explored the effect of brief targeted classroom practices within an empowerment-based framework on domains of emotional intelligence.

Method

Twenty-two students in an undergraduate speech-language pathology class received a 13-week, biweekly, 15-min session of empowerment-based worksheet exercises to develop increased self-esteem, emotional awareness and regulation, and communication. Assessments of self-esteem, emotional intelligence, communication competence, and communication apprehension were conducted using validated scales, namely, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (
Rosenberg, 1965
), the Quick Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessment (
Mohapel, 2015
), the Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale (
McCroskey & McCroskey, 2013
), and the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (
McCroskey, 1982
), respectively. Midsemester and semester-end student reflections were collected.

Results

Paired
t
tests were significant in self-esteem and emotional quotient, including subdomains of emotional awareness, emotional management, social emotional awareness, and relational management. Significance was noted in communication competence in the subdomains of dyad interaction, stranger interaction, and acquaintance. Students' reflection showed significant improvement in empowerment and self-rated improvements in confidence, communication, connections with peers, and trust with instructor.

Conclusion

Preliminary evidence demonstrates positive outcomes with integration of intentional classroom exercises to build emotional intelligence (including emotional awareness and regulation), self-esteem, and communication. This empowerment model may assist faculty in developing effective pedagogical strategies to build students' self-resiliency.
Review of image processing approaches for detecting plant diseases
Authors: Sinha Aditya , Shekhawat Rajveer Singh
Published: December 2019

There is intense pressure on agricultural productivity due to the ever‐growing population. Several diseases affect crop yield and thus, effective control of these can significantly improve the production of food for all. In this regard, detection of diseases at an early stage and quantification of the severity, in general, has acquired urgent attention of the researchers. In this study, a summary of prevalent techniques and methodologies used for the detection, quantification and classification of diseases is presented to understand the scope of improvement. The study pays attention to critical gaps that exist in available approaches and enhance them for the early prediction of diseases. Diseases affect almost all parts of plants, e.g. root, stem, flower, leaf; a manifestation in different ways for different parts of the plant of the same disease presents a challenge for researchers. This study extends the review work published by JGA Barbedo in 2013, as there have been significant advances and numerous new techniques introduced since then. A novel approach of classifying and categorisation of the existing techniques based on pathogen types is a significant contribution by the authors in this study.
Texture and colour region separation based image retrieval using probability annular histogram and weighted similarity matching scheme
Authors: Pradhan Jitesh , Kumar Sumit , Pal Arup Kumar , Banka Haider
Published: December 2019

Content‐based image retrieval (CBIR) uses primitive image features for retrieval of similarimages from a dataset. Generally, researchers extract these visual features fromthe whole image. Therefore, the extracted features contain overlappedinformation of texture, colour, and shape features, and it is a criticalchallenge in the field of CBIR. This problem can be overcome by extracting thecolour features from the colour as well as shape and texture features from theintensity dominant part only. In this study, the authors have proposed aniterative algorithm to separate colour and texture dominant part of the imageinto two different images. Here, a combination of edge maps and gradients hasbeen used to achieve separate colour and texture images. Further,scale‐invariant feature transform and 2D dual‐tree complex wavelet transform hasbeen realised to extract unique shape and texture features from the textureimage. Simultaneously, a probability‐based semantic centred annular histogramhas been suggested to extract unique colour features from the colour image.Finally, a novel weighted distance‐based feature comparison scheme has beenproposed for similarity matching and retrieval. All the image retrievalexperiments have been carried out on seven standard datasets and demonstratedsignificant improvements over other state‐of‐arts CBIR systems
Training‐free moving target detection with uncertain a priori knowledge for airborne radar
Authors: Li Ming , Sun Guohao , Tong Jun , He Zishu
Published: December 2019

This study examines moving target detection for airborne radar in heterogeneous environments. The non‐homogeneity of the clutter may lead to a shortage of training samples in practice. In contrast to detectors assuming rich training data, the authors consider a knowledge‐aided treatment for training data‐limited scenarios by incorporating a priori knowledge of the clutter subspace. The proposed detector is developed within the generalised likelihood ratio test framework, based on the sparsity of the clutter response in the space‐time domain. It does not require training samples and allows the usage of uncertain a priori knowledge of the clutter subspace, which may be erroneous. The maximum likelihood estimate of the target amplitude is obtained via oblique projection, which provides more accurate estimates compared with the conventional orthogonal projection. Moreover, they jointly exploit the sparsity of the clutter signal, the block‐Toeplitz nature of the clutter covariance matrix, and the a priori knowledge about the clutter subspace, and develop an atomic norm minimisation approach to achieve super‐resolution estimation of the clutter response. The simulation results indicate that the proposed detector outperforms several state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Design of torque system for electric bicycle based on fuzzy PID
Authors: Zheng Yunhong , Dai Rongsheng , Zhou Zongjie
Published: December 2019

This article analyses the structure and working principle of the brushless DC motor, the advantages and disadvantages of PID regulation and fuzzy control are analysed as well, and puts forward the fuzzy PID motor control technology with both advantages. The speed control of the brushless DC motor is carried out and the simulation model is built. The results show that, compared with the traditional PID adjustment, the fuzzy PID makes the motor speed more stable and the speed fluctuation decreases obviously, which satisfies the requirement of the speed control of the electric bicycle.
Indoor positioning and navigation based on two‐dimensional code and database
Authors: Zhang Yue , Zhang Yang , Fan Shiwei , Wang Kai , Jiang Pan
Published: December 2019

Combining two‐dimensional code recognition technology with database technology, indoor location and navigation methods which are not easy to be interfered by other signals and have low cost are studied, and indoor location and navigation system based on two‐dimensional code and database is designed. The research results show that the two‐dimensional code recognition technology and database technology can achieve efficient and precise indoor location and navigation, and improve the efficiency and reduce the efficiency.
Deep learning approach for microarray cancer data classification
Authors: Basavegowda Hema Shekar , Dagnew Guesh
Published: December 2019

Analysis of microarray data is a highly challenging problem due to the inherent complexity in the nature of the data associated with higher dimensionality, smaller sample size, imbalanced number of classes, noisy data‐structure, and higher variance of feature values. This has led to lesser classification accuracy and over‐fitting problem. In this work, the authors aimed to develop a deep feedforward method to classify the given microarray cancer data into a set of classes for subsequent diagnosis purposes. They have used a 7‐layer deep neural network architecture having various parameters for each dataset. The small sample size and dimensionality problems are addressed by considering a well‐known dimensionality reduction technique namely principal component analysis. The feature values are scaled using the Min–Max approach and the proposed approach is validated on eight standard microarray cancer datasets. To measure the loss, a binary cross‐entropy is used and adaptive moment estimation is considered for optimisation. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated using classification accuracy, precision, recall, f ‐measure, log‐loss, receiver operating characteristic curve, and confusion matrix. A comparative analysis with state‐of‐the‐art methods is carried out and the performance of the proposed approach exhibit better performance than many of the existing methods.
Structural analysis of massive galaxies using HST deep imaging at z < 0.5
Authors: dos Reis Sandra N. , Buitrago Fernando , Papaderos Polychronis , Matute Israel , Afonso José , Amarantidis Stergios , Breda Iris , Gomes Jean M. , Humphrey Andrew , Lobo Catarina , Lorenzoni Silvio , Pappalardo Cirino , Paulino-Afonso Ana , Scott Tom
Published: December 2019

Context. The most massive galaxies (Mstellar ≥ 1011 M⊙) in the local Universe are characterized by a bulge-dominated morphology and old stellar populations, in addition to being confined to a tight mass-size relation. Identifying their main components can provide insights into their formation mechanisms and subsequent mass assembly.

Aims. Taking advantage of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) CANDELS data, we analyze the lowest redshift (z <  0.5) massive galaxies in the H and I band in order to disentangle their structural constituents and study possible faint non-axisymmetric features.

Methods. Our final sample consists of 17 massive galaxies. Due to the excellent HST spatial resolution for intermediate redshift objects, they are hard to model by purely automatic parametric fitting algorithms. We performed careful single and double (bulge-disk decompositions) Sérsic fits to their galaxy surface brightness profiles. We compare the model color profiles with the observed ones and also derive multi-component global effective radii attempting to obtain a better interpretation of the mass-size relation. Additionally, we test the robustness of our measured structural parameters via simulations.

Results. We find that the Sérsic index does not offer a good proxy for the visual morphological type for our sample of massive galaxies. Our derived multi-component effective radii give a better description of the size of our sample galaxies than those inferred from single Sérsic models with GALFIT. Our galaxy population lies on the scatter of the local mass-size relation, indicating that these massive galaxies have not experienced a significant growth in size since z ∼ 0.5. Interestingly, the few outliers are late-type galaxies, indicating that spheroids must reach the local mass-size relation earlier. For most of our sample galaxies, both single- and multi-component Sérsic models with GALFIT show substantial systematic deviations from the observed surface brightness profiles in the outskirts. These residuals may be partly due to several factors, namely a nonoptimal data reduction for low surface brightness features or the existence of prominent stellar haloes for massive galaxies, or they could also arise from conceptual shortcomings of parametric 2D image decomposition tools. They consequently propagate into galaxy color profiles. This is a significant obstacle to the exploration of the structural evolution of galaxies, which calls for a critical assessment and refinement of existing surface photometry techniques.
Influences of protoplanet-induced three-dimensional gas flow on pebble accretion
Authors: Kuwahara Ayumu , Kurokawa Hiroyuki
Published: December 2019

Context.The pebble accretion model has the potential to explain the formation of various types of planets. The main difference between this and the planetesimal accretion model is that pebbles not only experience the gravitational interaction with the growing planet but also a gas drag force from the surrounding protoplanetary disk gas.

Aims.A growing planet embedded in a disk induces three-dimensional (3D) gas flow, which may influence pebble accretion. However, so far the conventional pebble accretion model has only been discussed in the unperturbed (sub-)Keplerian shear flow. In this study, we investigate the influence of 3D planet-induced gas flow on pebble accretion.

Methods.Assuming a nonisothermal, inviscid gas disk, we perform 3D hydrodynamical simulations on the spherical polar grid, which has a planet located at its center. We then numerically integrate the equation of motion of pebbles in 3D using hydrodynamical simulation data.

Results.We find that the trajectories of pebbles in the planet-induced gas flow differ significantly from those in the unperturbed shear flow for a wide range of investigated pebble sizes (St = 10−3–100, where St is the Stokes number). The horseshoe flow and outflow of the gas alter the motion of the pebbles, which leads to a reduction of the width of the accretion window,wacc, and the accretion cross section,Aacc. On the other hand, the changes in trajectories also cause an increase in the relative velocity of pebbles to the planet, which offsets the reduction ofwaccandAacc. As a consequence, in the Stokes regime, the accretion probability of pebbles,Pacc, in the planet-induced gas flow is comparable to that in the unperturbed shear flow except when the Stokes number is small, St ~ 10−3, in 2D accretion, or when the thermal mass of the planet is small,m= 0.03, in 3D accretion. In contrast, in the Epstein regime,Paccin the planet-induced gas flow becomes smaller than that in the shear flow in the Stokes regime in both 2D and 3D accretion, regardless of assumed St andm.

Conclusions.Our results combined with the spacial variety of turbulence strength and pebble size in a disk, suggest that the 3D planet-induced gas flow may be helpful to explain the distribution of exoplanets and the architecture of the Solar System.
Peering into the formation history of β Pictoris b with VLTI/GRAVITY long-baseline interferometry
Authors:   GRAVITY Collaboration, Nowak M. , Lacour S. , Mollière P. , Wang J. , Charnay B. , van Dishoeck E. F. , Abuter R. , Amorim A. , Berger J. P. , Beust H. , Bonnefoy M. , Bonnet H. , Brandner W. , Buron A. , Cantalloube F. , Collin C. , Chapron F. , Clénet Y. , Coudé du Foresto V. , de Zeeuw P. T. , Dembet R. , Dexter J. , Duvert G. , Eckart A. , Eisenhauer F. , Förster Schreiber N. M. , Fédou P. , Garcia Lopez R. , Gao F. , Gendron E. , Genzel R. , Gillessen S. , Haußmann F. , Henning T. , Hippler S. , Hubert Z. , Jocou L. , Kervella P. , Lagrange A.-M. , Lapeyrère V. , Le Bouquin J.-B. , Léna P. , Maire A.-L. , Ott T. , Paumard T. , Paladini C. , Perraut K. , Perrin G. , Pueyo L. , Pfuhl O. , Rabien S. , Rau C. , Rodríguez-Coira G. , Rousset G. , Scheithauer S. , Shangguan J. , Straub O. , Straubmeier C. , Sturm E. , Tacconi L. J. , Vincent F. , Widmann F. , Wieprecht E. , Wiezorrek E. , Woillez J. , Yazici S. , Ziegler D.
Published: December 2019

Context. β Pictoris is arguably one of the most studied stellar systems outside of our own. Some 30 yr of observations have revealed a highly-structured circumstellar disk, with rings, belts, and a giant planet: β Pictoris b. However very little is known about how this system came into being.

Aims. Our objective is to estimate the C/O ratio in the atmosphere of β Pictoris b and obtain an estimate of the dynamical mass of the planet, as well as to refine its orbital parameters using high-precision astrometry.

Methods. We used the GRAVITY instrument with the four 8.2 m telescopes of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer to obtain K-band spectro-interferometric data on β Pic b. We extracted a medium resolution (R = 500) K-band spectrum of the planet and a high-precision astrometric position. We estimated the planetary C/O ratio using two different approaches (forward modeling and free retrieval) from two different codes (ExoREM and petitRADTRANS, respectively). Finally, we used a simplified model of two formation scenarios (gravitational collapse and core-accretion) to determine which can best explain the measured C/O ratio.

Results. Our new astrometry disfavors a circular orbit for β Pic b (e = 0.15−0.04+0.05). Combined with previous results and with HIPPARCOS/Gaia measurements, this astrometry points to a planet mass of M = 12.7 ± 2.2 MJup. This value is compatible with the mass derived with the free-retrieval code petitRADTRANS using spectral data only. The forward modeling and free-retrieval approches yield very similar results regarding the atmosphere of β Pic b. In particular, the C/O ratios derived with the two codes are identical (0.43 ± 0.05 vs. 0.43−0.03+0.04). We argue that if the stellar C/O in β Pic is Solar, then this combination of a very high mass and a low C/O ratio for the planet suggests a formation through core-accretion, with strong planetesimal enrichment.
Search for neutron dark decay: n → χ + e+e−
Authors: Sun X. , Adamek E. , Allgeier B. , Blatnik M. , Bowles T.J. , Broussard L.J. , Brown M.A.-P. , Carr R. , Clayton S. , Cude-Woods C. , Currie S. , Dees E.B. , Ding X. , Filippone B.W. , García A. , Geltenbort P. , Hasan S. , Hickerson K.P. , Hoagland J. , Hong R. , Hogan G.E. , Holley A.T. , Ito T.M. , Kneckt A. , Liu C.-Y. , Liu J. , Makela M. , Mammei R. , Martin J.W. , Melconian D. , Mendenhall M.P. , Moore S.D. , Morris C.L. , Nepal S. , Nouri N. , Pattie R.W. , Galván A.P. , Phillips II D.G. , Picker R. , Pitt M.L. , Plaster B. , Ramsey J.C. , Rios R. , Salvat D.J. , Saunders A. , Sondheim W. , Sjue S. , Slutsky S. , Swank C. , Swift G. , Tatar E. , Vogelaar R.B. , VornDick B. , Wanchun W. , Wang Z. , Wexler J. , Womack T. , Wrede C. , Young A.R. , Zeck B.A.
Published: December 2019

In January, 2018, Fornal and Grinstein proposed that a previously unobserved neutron decay branch to a dark matter particle (χ) could account for the discrepancy in the neutron lifetime observed in two different types of experiments. One of the possible final states discussed includes a single χ along with an e+e− pair. We use data from the UCNA (Ultracold Neutron Asymmetry) experiment to set limits on this decay channel. Coincident electron-like events are detected with ∼ 4π acceptance using a pair of detectors that observe a volume of stored Ultracold Neutrons (UCNs). We use the timing information of coincidence events to select candidate dark sector particle decays by applying a timing calibration and selecting events within a physically-forbidden timing region for conventional n → p + e- + ν̅e decays. The summed kinetic energy (Ee+e−) from such events is reconstructed and used to set limits, as a function of the χ mass, on the branching fraction for this decay channel.