bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A community split among dolphins: the effect of social relationships on the membership of new communities
Authors: Nishita Miki , Shirakihara Miki , Amano Masao
Published: November 2015

Little is known about community splitting among dolphins because such events are rare in dolphin populations. A case of a community split was confirmed in a population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Japan, where a group of approximately 30 dolphins moved to a new habitat some 60 km from the original habitat. We examined the associations among the dolphins before the community split to determine whether the new community members were already socially different before the split, using 7-year identification data. Before the split, the males in the same community after the split more often associated with each other than they did with those in different community. In contrast, the association patterns among females and between sexes showed no relationships with their post-split community membership. These results indicate that the males of new community were socially different from the other males for a long time before the split, but the females might not have been different. Our findings suggest that at time of the community split, the factors determining the memberships of the subsequent communities are sex-linked. The long-term social relationships among males could be maintained in the subsequent communities.
In-depth proteomic analysis of shell matrix proteins of Pinctada fucata
Authors: Liu Chuang , Li Shiguo , Kong Jingjing , Liu Yangjia , Wang Tianpeng , Xie Liping , Zhang Rongqing
Published: November 2015

The shells of pearl oysters, Pinctada fucata, are composed of calcite and aragonite and possess remarkable mechanical properties. These shells are formed under the regulation of macromolecules, especially shell matrix proteins (SMPs). Identification of diverse SMPs will lay a foundation for understanding biomineralization process. Here, we identified 72 unique SMPs using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of proteins extracted from the shells of P. fucata combined with a draft genome. Of 72 SMPs, 17 SMPs are related to both the prismatic and nacreous layers. Moreover, according to the diverse domains found in the SMPs, we hypothesize that in addition to controlling CaCO3 crystallization and crystal organization, these proteins may potentially regulate the extracellular microenvironment and communicate between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Immunohistological localization techniques identify the SMPs in the mantle, shells and synthetic calcite. Together, these proteomic data increase the repertoires of the shell matrix proteins in P. fucata and suggest that shell formation in P. fucata may involve tight regulation of cellular activities and the extracellular microenvironment.
The distribution and characteristics of LDL receptor mutations in China: A systematic review
Authors: Jiang Long , Sun Li-Yuan , Dai Yan-Fang , Yang Shi-Wei , Zhang Feng , Wang Lu-Ya
Published: November 2015

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common and serious dominant genetic disease and its main pathogenic gene is the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene. This study aimed to perform a systematic review of LDLR mutations in China. Using PubMed, Embase, Wanfang (Chinese), the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (Chinese) and the Chinese Biological and Medical database (Chinese), public data were limited to December 2014. The Medical Subject Headings terms and the following key words were used: “familial hypercholesterolemia”, “Chinese”, “China”, “Hong Kong” and “Taiwan”. A total of 74 studies including 295 probands with 131 LDLR mutations were identified. Most of the mutations were located in exon 4 of LDLR and approximately 60% of the mutations were missense mutations. Thirty new mutations that were not recorded in the LDLR databases were found. In silico analysis revealed that most of the mutations were pathogenic. The primary LDLR mutations were C308Y, H562Y and A606T and all of the mutations had functional significance. Prevalence data suggest that there are nearly 3.8 million FH patients in China, although reported numbers are much smaller, suggesting that FH is widely misunderstood. This systematic review provides information that is specific to China for inclusion in the international FH database.
Enhancing Localized Evaporation through Separated Light Absorbing Centers and Scattering Centers
Authors: Zhao Dengwu , Duan Haoze , Yu Shengtao , Zhang Yao , He Jiaqing , Quan Xiaojun , Tao Peng , Shang Wen , Wu Jianbo , Song Chengyi , Deng Tao
Published: November 2015

This report investigates the enhancement of localized evaporation via separated light absorbing particles (plasmonic absorbers) and scattering particles (polystyrene nanoparticles). Evaporation has been considered as one of the most important phase-change processes in modern industries. To improve the efficiency of evaporation, one of the most feasible methods is to localize heat at the top water layer rather than heating the bulk water. In this work, the mixture of purely light absorptive plasmonic nanostructures such as gold nanoparticles and purely scattering particles (polystyrene nanoparticles) are employed to confine the incident light at the top of the solution and convert light to heat. Different concentrations of both the light absorbing centers and the light scattering centers were evaluated and the evaporation performance can be largely enhanced with the balance between absorbing centers and scattering centers. The findings in this study not only provide a new way to improve evaporation efficiency in plasmonic particle-based solution, but also shed lights on the design of new solar-driven localized evaporation systems.
Fitting Proportional Odds Model to Case-Control data with Incorporating Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhang Zehui , Li Xinmin , Li Qizhai
Published: November 2015

Genetic association studies have been proved to be an efficient tool to reveal the aetiology of many human complex diseases and traits. When the phenotype is binary, the logistic regression model is commonly employed to evaluate the association strength of the genetic variants predispose to human diseases because the maximum likelihood estimator of the odds ratio based on case-control data is equivalent to that from the same model by taking the data as being arisen prospectively. This equivalence does not hold for the proportional odds model and using it to analyze the case-control data directly often results in a substantial bias. Through putting a parameter of the minor allele frequency in the modified likelihood function under the condition that the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium law holds within controls, a consistent estimator is obtained. On the basis of it, we construct a score test statistic to test whether the genetic variant is associated with the diseases. Simulation studies show that the proposed estimator has smaller mean squared error than the existing methods when the genetic effect size is away from zero and the proposed test statistic has a good control of type I error rate and is more powerful than the existing procedures. Application to 45 single nucleotide polymorphisms located in the region of TRAF1-C5 genes for the association with four-level anticyclic citrullinated protein antibody from Genetic Analysis Workshop 16 further demonstrates its performance.
New fluorescent probe for Zn2+ imaging in living cells and plants
Authors: Shen Rong , Liu Di , Hou Chenchen , Cheng Ju , Bai Decheng
Published: November 2015

The 8-aminoquinoline based probe exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity toward Zn2+ under a physiological pH. Moreover, its high cell permeability grants the access to employ L1 as Zn(ii) detector in both human cells and plant tissues.
Raspberry-like hollow carbon nanospheres with enhanced matrix-free peptide detection profiles
Authors: Liu Tingting , Qu Lili , Qian Kun , Liu Jian , Zhang Qiao , Liu Lihong , Liu Shaomin
Published: November 2015

This communication reports the facile synthesis of hollow carbon spheres with a smooth and raspberry-like shell by the extension of Stöber’s method.
A zeolite CAN-type aluminoborate with gigantic 24-ring channels
Authors: Cao Gao-Juan , Wei Qi , Cheng Jian-Wen , Cheng Lin , Yang Guo-Yu
Published: November 2015

A well crystalline chiral aluminoborate with extra-large 24-ring channels was solvothermally made by using amines as templates. It exhibits a rare zeolite CAN-type net with very low framework density and high nonframework volume by incorporating B5O10 clusters and AlO4 tetrahedra.
Visible light-promoted C–H functionalization of ethers and electron-deficient arenes
Authors: Devari Shekaraiah , Shah Bhahwal Ali
Published: November 2015

Photocatalyst-free visible-light-mediated C–H arylation of ethers via C(Sp2)–C(Sp3) C–H functionalization involving hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) pathway.
Highly enantioselective hydrogenation of α-oxy functionalized α,β-unsaturated acids catalyzed by a ChenPhos–Rh complex in CF3CH2OH
Authors: Yao Lin , Wen Jialin , Liu Shaodong , Tan Renchang , Wood Noel Marie , Chen Weiping , Zhang Shengyong , Zhang Xumu
Published: November 2015

A Chenphos–Rh complex is demonstrated to be a highly efficient catalyst for asymmetric hydrogenation of α-oxy functionalized α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acidsviaan ionic interaction between the ligand and the substrate.
Water oxidation catalysis: an amorphous quaternary Ba-Sr-Co-Fe oxide as a promising electrocatalyst for the oxygen-evolution reaction
Authors: Zhang Cuijuan , Berlinguette Curtis P. , Trudel Simon
Published: November 2015

An amorphous quaternary Ba-Sr-Co-Fe (a-BSCF) oxide film was fabricated by a simple and scalable photochemical thin-film deposition method. a-BSCF demonstrates superior electrocatalytic activity towards the oxygen evolution reaction in 0.1 M KOH solution.
Thermodynamics of solvent interaction with the metal–organic framework MOF-5
Authors: Akimbekov Zamirbek , Wu Di , Brozek Carl K. , Dincă Mircea , Navrotsky Alexandra
Published: November 2015

The inclusion of solvent in metal–organic framework (MOF) materials is a highly specific form of guest–host interaction.
The effect of iron re-deposition on the corrosion of impurity-containing magnesium
Authors: Höche Daniel , Blawert Carsten , Lamaka Sviatlana V. , Scharnagl Nico , Mendis Chamini , Zheludkevich Mikhail L.
Published: November 2015

Magnesium corrosion and the negative difference effect have been explained by linking an iron re-deposition mechanism and electrochemical desorption reactions (Heyrovsky-type) to recent experimental results.
Influence of alkali metals on Pd/TiO2catalysts for catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde at room temperature
Authors: Li Yaobin , Zhang Changbin , He Hong , Zhang Jianghao , Chen Min
Published: November 2015

We previously observed that sodium (Na) addition had a dramatic promotion effect on Pd/TiO2catalysts for formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation.
Catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of palmitic acid over a bifunctional Co-doped MoO2/CNTs catalyst: an insight into the promoting effect of cobalt
Authors: Ding Ranran , Wu Yulong , Chen Yu , Chen Hao , Wang Jianlong , Shi Yanchun , Yang Mingde
Published: November 2015

HDO of palmitic acid into C16 hydrocarbons was successfully achieved over Co doped MoO2/CNTs catalysts at a much lower temperature. Co could promote the formation of Lewis acidic sites, oxygen vacancies and Mo2C particles, which are all decisive factors for better catalytic activity.
Performance of Ag/Al2O3catalysts in the liquid phase oxidation of glycerol – effect of preparation method and reaction conditions
Authors: Skrzyńska E. , Zaid S. , Addad A. , Girardon J.-S. , Capron M. , Dumeignil F.
Published: November 2015

A series of silver supported catalysts have been developed and proposed for mild oxidation of glycerol in the liquid phase. High selectivity to glycolic acid, stability in both continuous-flow and periodic mode of reaction, and good resistance to crude glycerol impurities have been achieved.
The growth mode of ZnO on HZSM-5 substrates by atomic layer deposition and its catalytic property in the synthesis of aromatics from methanol
Authors: Wang Fei , Xiao Weiyin , Gao Lijing , Xiao Guomin
Published: November 2015

The resulting ZnO film on zeolites could effectively prevent exposing the HZSM-5 framework to steam during the reaction and regeneraton processes.
Carbonic anhydrase mimics for enhanced CO2 absorption in an amine-based capture solvent
Authors: Kelsey Rachael A. , Miller David A. , Parkin Sean R. , Liu Kun , Remias Joe E. , Yang Yue , Lightstone Felice C. , Liu Kunlei , Lippert Cameron A. , Odom Susan A.
Published: November 2015

Carbonic anhydrase converts CO2 to HCO3− in physiological conditions, but in the highly basic amine-containing solutions used industrially for carbon capture, the enzyme does not function. Instead small molecule mimics can catalyze CO2 hydration.
A chiral lanthanide metal–organic framework for selective sensing of Fe(iii) ions
Authors: Zhao Xiao-Lin , Tian Dan , Gao Qiang , Sun Hong-Wei , Xu Jian , Bu Xian-He
Published: November 2015

A new luminescent lanthanide metal–organic framework was successfully synthesized, featuring rare 1D chiral helical channels and a highly selective luminescence quenching response to Fe3+ ions.
A pH-responsive folate conjugated magnetic nanoparticle for targeted chemo-thermal therapy and MRI diagnosis
Authors: Gupta Jagriti , Mohapatra Jeotikanta , Bhargava Parag , Bahadur D.
Published: November 2015

Schematic representation of chemo and thermal therapy of folate conjugated magnetic nanoparticles (FA-MNPs) against cancer cells.
Towards quantitative molecular mapping of cells by Raman microscopy: using AFM for decoupling molecular concentration and cell topography
Authors: Boitor Radu , Sinjab Faris , Strohbuecker Stephanie , Sottile Virginie , Notingher Ioan
Published: November 2015

Raman micro-spectroscopy (RMS) is a non-invasive technique for imaging live cells in vitro. However, obtaining quantitative molecular information from Raman spectra is difficult because the intensity of a Raman band is proportional to the number of molecules in the sampled volume, which depends on the local molecular concentration and the thickness of the cell. In order to understand these effects, we combined RMS with atomic force microscopy (AFM), a technique that can measure accurately the thickness profile of the cells. Solution-based calibration models for RNA and albumin were developed to create quantitative maps of RNA and proteins in individual fixed cells. The maps were built by applying the solution-based calibration models, based on partial least squares fitting (PLS), on raster-scan Raman maps, after accounting for the local cell height obtained from the AFM. We found that concentrations of RNA in the cytoplasm of mouse neuroprogenitor stem cells (NSCs) were as high as 25 ± 6 mg ml−1, while proteins were distributed more uniformly and reached concentrations as high as ∼50 ± 12 mg ml−1. The combined AFM–Raman datasets from fixed cells were also used to investigate potential improvements for normalization of Raman spectral maps. For all Raman maps of fixed cells (n = 10), we found a linear relationship between the scores corresponding to the first component (PC1) and the cell height profile obtained by AFM. We used PC1 scores to reconstruct the relative height profiles of independent cells (n = 10), and obtained correlation coefficients with AFM maps higher than 0.99. Using this normalization method, qualitative maps of RNA and protein were used to obtain concentrations for live NSCs. While this study demonstrates the potential of using AFM and RMS for measuring concentration maps for individual NSCs in vitro, further studies are required to establish the robustness of the normalization method based on principal component analysis when comparing Raman spectra of cells with large morphological differences.
Bioaccessibility of provitamin A carotenoids from fruits: application of a standardised static in vitro digestion method
Authors: Estévez-Santiago R. , Olmedilla-Alonso B. , Fernández-Jalao I.
Published: November 2015

β-Cryptoxanthin bioaccessibility is similar to or higher than that of β-carotene in fruits using a standardisedin vitrodigestion method.
Identifying thermal phase transitions of lignin–solvent mixtures using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Klett Adam S. , Gamble Jordan A. , Thies Mark C. , Roberts Mark E.
Published: November 2015

A new approach to measuring the phase-transition temperature of lignin–solvent systems using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is reported.
Towards quantitative and scalable transformation of furfural to cyclopentanone with supported gold catalysts
Authors: Zhang Gao-Shuo , Zhu Ming-Ming , Zhang Qi , Liu Yong-Mei , He He-Yong , Cao Yong
Published: November 2015

Coupling of small gold nanoparticles with anatase TiO2 affords by far the most selective and efficient catalytic hydrogenation system to date capable of quantitatively converting bio-derived furfural into renewable cyclopentanone in water.
Palladium nanoparticles stabilized with N-doped porous carbons derived from metal–organic frameworks for selective catalysis in biofuel upgrade: the role of catalyst wettability
Authors: Chen Yu-Zhen , Cai Guorui , Wang Yanmei , Xu Qiang , Yu Shu-Hong , Jiang Hai-Long
Published: November 2015

Tiny Pd nanoparticles stabilized with MOF-derived N-doped porous carbon with great hydrophilicity have been demonstrated to be highly efficient and selective in catalysis for biofuel upgrade.
Electrochemically catalyzed amino-oxygenation of styrenes: n-Bu4NI induced C–N followed by a C–O bond formation cascade for the synthesis of indolines
Authors: Liang Sen , Zeng Cheng-Chu , Luo Xu-Gang , Ren Fa-zheng , Tian Hong-Yu , Sun Bao-Guo , Little R. Daniel
Published: November 2015

An efficient indirect electrochemical amino-oxygenation of styrenes has been developed for the synthesis of 3-alkoxyindolines.
Time series modeling of live-cell shape dynamics for image-based phenotypic profiling
Authors: Gordonov Simon , Hwang Mun Kyung , Wells Alan , Gertler Frank B. , Lauffenburger Douglas A. , Bathe Mark
Published: November 2015

Live-cell imaging can be used to capture spatio-temporal aspects of cellular responses that are not accessible to fixed-cell imaging.
Rigorous buoyancy driven bubble mixing for centrifugal microfluidics
Authors: Burger S. , Schulz M. , von Stetten F. , Zengerle R. , Paust N.
Published: November 2015

Rigorous mixing is achieved in a centrifugal microfluidic mixing chamber by inserting gas bubbles that rise rapidly due to increased buoyancy.
The proteome of methylmalonic acidemia (MMA): the elucidation of altered pathways in patient livers
Authors: Caterino Marianna , Chandler Randy J. , Sloan Jennifer L. , Dorko Kenneth , Cusmano-Ozog Kristina , Ingenito Laura , Strom Stephen C. , Imperlini Esther , Scolamiero Emanuela , Venditti Charles P. , Ruoppolo Margherita
Published: November 2015

Hepatic proteomics of methylmalonic acidemia (MMA).
Two-step synthesis of nanocomposite LiFePO4/C cathode materials for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Ding Juan , Su Zhi , Zhang Yanhui
Published: November 2015

A LiFePO4/C nanocomposite was fabricated via a novel two-step method, which effectively controlled the particle size.
A sweet spot for highly efficient growth of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotube forests enabling their unique structures and properties
Authors: Chen Guohai , Davis Robert C. , Futaba Don N. , Sakurai Shunsuke , Kobashi Kazufumi , Yumura Motoo , Hata Kenji
Published: November 2015

We report the existence of a SWCNT “sweet spot” in the CNT diameter and spacing domain for highly efficient synthesis, within which SWCNTs possessed a unique set of characteristics.
Reduction of interfacial friction in commensurate graphene/h-BN heterostructures by surface functionalization
Authors: Guo Yufeng , Qiu Jiapeng , Guo Wanlin
Published: November 2015

Surface functionalization can control and reduce the interfacial friction in commensurate graphene/h-BN heterostructures.
Particulates vs. fibers: dimension featured magnetic and visible light driven photocatalytic properties of Sc modified multiferroic bismuth ferrite nanostructures
Authors: Sakar M. , Balakumar S. , Saravanan P. , Bharathkumar S.
Published: November 2015

The dimension dependent magnetic and visible light driven photocatalytic properties of Sc substituted bismuth ferrite nanostructures have been demonstrated.
Iron oxide nanoparticles protected by NIR-active multidentate-polymers as multifunctional nanoprobes for NIRF/PA/MR trimodal imaging
Authors: Wu Yayun , Gao Duyang , Zhang Pengfei , Li Chuansheng , Wan Qian , Chen Chi , Gong Ping , Gao Guanhui , Sheng Zonghai , Cai Lintao
Published: November 2015

Compact NIR-active iron oxide nanoparticles protected by near-infrared catechol-multidentate polymers for NIRF/PA/MR trimodal imaging.
Polar-solvent-free colloidal synthesis of highly luminescent alkylammonium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals
Authors: Vybornyi Oleh , Yakunin Sergii , Kovalenko Maksym V.
Published: November 2015

A novel synthesis of colloidal CH3NH3PbX3, (X = Br or I) nanocrystals that does not involve the use of polar solvents is presented.
A 3D porous Ni–Cu alloy film for high-performance hydrazine electrooxidation
Authors: Sun Ming , Lu Zhiyi , Luo Liang , Chang Zheng , Sun Xiaoming
Published: November 2015

A porous Ni–Cu alloy film was fabricated by a one-step electrodeposition method and performed high activity and stability in HzOR.
Selective and directional actuation of elastomer films using chained magnetic nanoparticles
Authors: Mishra Sumeet R. , Dickey Michael D. , Velev Orlin D. , Tracy Joseph B.
Published: November 2015

One-dimensional arrangement of magnetic nanoparticles in chains imparts anisotropy to their magnetic response, which is used for mechanical 3D actuation.
Water-soluble nanocrystalline cellulose films with highly transparent and oxygen barrier properties
Authors: Cheng Shaoling , Zhang Yapei , Cha Ruitao , Yang Jinliang , Jiang Xingyu
Published: November 2015

By mixing a guar gum (GG) solution with a nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) dispersion using a novel circular casting technology, we manufactured biodegradable films as packaging materials with improved optical and mechanical properties.
Size effects in the alkali metal ion-templated formation of oligo(ethylene glycol)-containing [2]catenanes
Authors: Lee Yong-Jay , Ho Tsung-Hsien , Lai Chien-Chen , Chiu Sheng-Hsien
Published: November 2015

The most suitable alkali metal ions for templating the assembly of various homo- and hetero-[2]catenanes from the diamines containing central di-, tri-, and tetra(ethylene glycol) motifs, and isophthalaldehyde are investigated.
Enantiodiscrimination of carboxylic acids using the diphenylprolinol NMR chiral solvating agents
Authors: Li Gaowei , Cao Jiangming , Zong Wen , Lei Xinxiang , Tan Renxiang
Published: November 2015

Enantiopure diphenylprolinols have been developed as effective and practical NMR chiral solvating agents for the enantiodiscrimination of diverse α-carboxylic acids.
Rh(iii)-catalyzed redox-neutral annulation of azo and diazo compounds: one-step access to cinnolines
Authors: Sun Peng , Wu Youzhi , Huang Yue , Wu Xiaoming , Xu Jinyi , Yao Hequan , Lin Aijun
Published: November 2015

Cinnolines were synthesized in one step from azo and diazo compounds via a Rh(iii)-catalyzed redox-neutral C–H activation and C–N bond formation strategy.
β-NiMoO4nanowire arrays grown on carbon cloth for 3D solid asymmetry supercapacitors
Authors: Wang Chuanshen , Xi Yi , Hu Chenguo , Dai Shuge , Wang Mingjun , Cheng Lu , Xu Weina , Wang Guo , Li Wenlong
Published: November 2015

A β-NiMoO4NW supercapacitor lights one LED for 260 s and delivers a large specific capacitance (414.7 F g−1at 0.25 A g−1), high energy density (36.86 W h kg−1), a maximum power density of 1100 W kg−1and 65.96% capacity retention after 6000 cycles.
Highly transparent conducting cerium incorporated CdO thin films deposited by a spray pyrolytic technique
Authors: Velusamy P. , Babu R. Ramesh , Ramamurthi K. , Dahlem M. S. , Elangovan E.
Published: November 2015

In the present work, a spray pyrolysis technique was employed to deposit cerium (Ce) doped cadmium oxide (CdO) thin films with low level doping concentrations (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 wt%).
Ion size, loading, and charge determine the mechanical properties, surface apatite, and cell growth of silver and tantalum doped calcium silicate
Authors: Seyed Shirazi Seyed Farid , Gharehkhani Samira , Cornelis Metselaar Hendrik Simon , Nasiri-Tabrizi Bahman , Yarmand Hooman , Ahmadi Mahdi , Abu Osman Noor Azuan
Published: November 2015

This study describes how various loadings of two ions with different size and charge, such as silver and tantalum, can affect the mechanical and biological properties of calcium silicate (CS).
A supramolecular hydrogel for generation of a benign DNA-hydrogel
Authors: Dey B. , Mondal R. K. , Mukherjee S. , Satpati B. , Mukherjee N. , Mandal A. , Senapati D. , Sinha Babu S. P.
Published: November 2015

A DNA-hydrogel, produced using calf-thymus DNA and a 2′,4′,6′-tri(4-pyridyl)pyridine based luminescent supramolecular hydrogel, can stabilize sunray mediated photochemically synthesized bio-compatible, luminous Ag-NPs.
Sassafras oil, carrot bits and microwaves: green lessons learned from the formal total synthesis of (−)-talampanel
Authors: Omori Alvaro Takeo , de Oliveira Camila de Souza , Andrade Kleber Tellini , Capeletto Marina Gonçalves
Published: November 2015

A formal total synthesis of (−)-talampanel (1), a 2,3-benzodiazepine is described. This work was undertaken to utilize greener reaction conditions.
Synthesis, molecular structure and electrochemical properties of nickel(ii) benzhydrazone complexes: influence of ligand substitution on DNA/protein interaction, antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity
Authors: Raj Kumar Ramasamy , Ramesh Rengan
Published: November 2015

Four new nickel(ii) benzhydrazone complexes were synthesized and characterized. The influence of ligand substitution on DNA/protein binding, antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity is described. The complexes are able to induce apoptosis in cancer cells.
General transfer hydrogenation by activating ammonia-borane over cobalt nanoparticles
Authors: Zhao Tian-Jian , Zhang Ya-Nan , Wang Kai-Xue , Su Juan , Wei Xiao , Li Xin-Hao
Published: November 2015

Cobalt nanoparticles containing both Co2+ and Co0 species supported on carbon nitride can function as heterogeneous nanocatalysts for a general transfer hydrogenation reaction in aqueous ammonia-borane solution at room temperature.
A simple chemical route for composition graded Cu(In,Ga)S2 thin film solar cells: multi-stage paste coating
Authors: Park Se Jin , An Hee Sang , Kim Ji Eun , Jeon Hyo Sang , Yoon Sam S. , Hwang Yun Jeong , Kim Jihyun , Kim Dong-Wook , Min Byoung Koun
Published: November 2015

In order to realize the modulation of band-gap profile in low-cost and printable CuInxGa1−xS2 thin-film solar cells, a simple chemical route, namely a multi-stage paste coating method, was developed.
Colorimetric detection of Maize chlorotic mottle virus by reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) with hydroxynapthol blue dye
Authors: Liu Zhanmin , Xia Xueying , Yang Cuiyun , Huang Junyi
Published: November 2015

Maize chlorotic mottle virus causes corn lethal necrosis disease, and can be transmitted via infected maize seeds. A colorimetric assay for the detection of Maize chlorotic mottle virus was developed which utilises RT-LAMP and hydroxynapthol blue dye (HNB).
Effect of hydrophobic montmorillonite (MMT) on PVDF and PEI hollow fiber membranes in gas–liquid contacting process: a comparative study
Authors: Rezaei-DashtArzhandi M. , Ismail A. F. , Bakeri Gh. , Hashemifard S. A. , Matsuura T.
Published: November 2015

Porous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyetherimide (PEI) hollow fiber mixed matrix membranes are successfully fabricated for CO2 absorption via membrane contactor.
3-Methylene-2,4-chromandione in situ trapping: introducing molecular diversity on 4-hydroxycoumarin
Authors: Montagut-Romans Adrien , Boulven Manon , Lemaire Marc , Popowycz Florence
Published: November 2015

3-Methylene-2,4-chromandione trapped in a solid-state stable Mannich adduct, is released in solution.
A first-principles study on the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of (Nb1−xTix)C complex carbides based on virtual crystal approximation
Authors: Hua Guomin , Li Dongyang
Published: November 2015

Tailoring the properties of complex carbides was achieved by component control, which enables it as a better candidate for specific application.
Facile synthesis of porous Fe2TiO5microparticulates serving as anode material with enhanced electrochemical performances
Authors: Guo Shimei , Wang Shenyu , Wu Nannan , Liu Jiurong , Ni Yuxing , Liu Wei
Published: November 2015

Porous Fe2TiO5microparticulates exhibited superior electrochemical performances as LIBs anode material due to the synergistic effect of TiO2and Fe2O3.
Single-crystalline rutile TiO2 nano-flower hierarchical structures for enhanced photocatalytic selective oxidation from amine to imine
Authors: Bu Jing , Fang Jun , Leow Wan Ru , Zheng Kaihong , Chen Xiaodong
Published: November 2015

One-pot synthesized single-crystalline 3D rutile TiO2 nano-flower hierarchical structures exhibited superior reactivity toward photocatalytic selective oxidation from amine to imine.
A simple and sensitive detection of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity based on fluorescence quenching of bovine serum albumin
Authors: Chen Miao , Rong Liya , Chen Xiaoqing
Published: November 2015

It is well known that Cu(ii) can coordinate withl-alanine (Cu–Ala), which can be destroyed through the addition of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) since GPT can effectively catalyze the conversion ofl-alanine into keto-acetic acid.
Many Mg–Mg bonds form the core of the Mg16Cp*8Br4K cluster anion: the key to a reassessment of the Grignard reagent (GR) formation process?
Authors: Kruczyński T. , Henke F. , Neumaier M. , Bowen K. H. , Schnöckel H.
Published: November 2015

It caused a sensation eight years ago, when the first room temperature stable molecular compound with a Mg–Mg bond (LMgMgL, L = chelating ligand) containing magnesium in the oxidation state +1 was prepared.
Influence of steric bulk on the oxidative stability of phenolate-based magnesium-ion battery electrolytes
Authors: Crowe Adam J. , Bartlett Bart M.
Published: November 2015

A compilation of electrolytes within the standard RPhOMgCl and AlCl3 in a THF electrolyte system with varying alkyl-based steric bulks about the phenol ring were prepared and cycled electrochemically. For R = 2,4,6-Me3, excellent cycling (>200 h cycle life at C/10 current) with Mo6S8 Cheverel is observed.
Micro–mesoporous iron oxides with record efficiency for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide: morphology driven catalysis for the degradation of organic contaminants
Authors: Datta K. J. , Gawande M. B. , Datta K. K. R. , Ranc V. , Pechousek J. , Krizek M. , Tucek J. , Kale R. , Pospisil P. , Varma R. S. , Asefa T. , Zoppellaro G. , Zboril R.
Published: November 2015

A template-free solid-state synthesis of a highly organized and morphologically controlled iron(iii)oxide micro–mesoporous Fenton catalyst is reported.
Hybrid-dimensional magnetic microstructure based 3D substrates for remote controllable and ultrafast water remediation
Authors: Du Ran , Feng Qingliang , Ren Huaying , Zhao Qiuchen , Gao Xin , Zhang Jin
Published: November 2015

By boosting surface roughness via devising hybrid dimensional magnetic microstructures on 3D substrates, a remote controllable, superhydrophobic/superoleophilic melamine foam (MM-RSF) was obtained, showing magnetic-driven oil sorption behavior and great potential in oil/water separation.
Tetrahedrites as thermoelectric materials: an overview
Authors: Chetty R. , Bali A. , Mallik R. C.
Published: November 2015

This review discusses about the crystal structure, chemical bonding, and the electronic band structure of tetrahedrite materials. Also, this review outlines the effect of different doping elements on the thermoelectric properties of tetrahedrite materials.
S-sulfhydration as a cellular redox regulation
Authors: Iciek Małgorzata , Kowalczyk-Pachel Danuta , Bilska-Wilkosz Anna , Kwiecień Inga , Górny Magdalena , Włodek Lidia
Published: November 2015

For many years reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) have been recognized as key messengers in the process of thiol-based redox regulation. Relatively recently, literature reports began to mention reactive sulfur species (RSS) and their role in thiol regulation. This review is focused on biogenesis and biological properties of RSS, including: hydropersulfides, polysulfides and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Based on the most up-to-date literature data, the paper presents biological significance of S-sulfhydration process. In this reaction, sulfane sulfur is transferred to the–SH groups forming hydropersulfides. Protein cysteine residues, called ‘redox switches’ are susceptible to such reversible modifications. In line with the most recent reports, it was emphasized that sulfane sulfur-containing compounds (mainly hydrogen persulfides and polysulfides) are real and better mediators of S-sulfhydration-based signalling than H2S. We also overviewed proteins participating in the formation and transport of RSS and in mitochondrial H2S oxidation. In addition, we reviewed many reports about proteins unrelated to sulfur metabolism which are modified by S-sulfhydration that influences their catalytic activity. We also addressed the problem of the regulatory function of S-sulfhydration reaction in the activation of KATP channels (vasorelaxant) and transcription factors (e.g. NFκB) as well as in the mechanism of therapeutic action of garlic-derived sulfur compounds. Some aspects of comparison between RNS and RSS are also discussed in this review.
Regulation of amino acid transporter trafficking by mTORC1 in primary human trophoblast cells is mediated by the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2
Authors: Rosario Fredrick J. , Dimasuay Kris Genelyn , Kanai Yoshikatsu , Powell Theresa L. , Jansson Thomas
Published: November 2015

Changes in placental amino acid transfer directly contribute to altered fetal growth, which increases the risk for perinatal complications and predisposes for the development of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life. Placental amino acid transfer is critically dependent on the expression of specific transporters in the plasma membrane of the trophoblast, the transporting epithelium of the human placenta. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating this process are largely unknown. Nedd4-2 is an ubiquitin ligase that catalyses the ubiquitination of proteins, resulting in proteasomal degradation. We hypothesized that inhibition of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) decreases amino acid uptake in primary human trophoblast (PHT) cells by activation of Nedd4-2, which increases transporter ubiquitination resulting in decreased transporter expression in the plasma membrane. mTORC 1 inhibition increased the expression of Nedd4-2, promoted ubiquitination and decreased the plasma membrane expression of SNAT2 (an isoform of the System A amino acid transporter) and LAT1 (a System L amino acid transporter isoform), resulting in decreased cellular amino acid uptake. Nedd4-2 silencing markedly increased the trafficking of SNAT2 and LAT1 to the plasma membrane, which stimulated cellular amino acid uptake. mTORC1 inhibition by silencing of raptor failed to decrease amino acid transport following Nedd4-2 silencing. In conclusion, we have identified a novel link between mTORC1 signalling and ubiquitination, a common posttranslational modification. Because placental mTORC1 is inhibited in fetal growth restriction and activated in fetal overgrowth, we propose that regulation of placental amino acid transporter ubiquitination by mTORC1 and Nedd4-2 constitutes a molecular mechanisms underlying abnormal fetal growth.
Demonstrating 1 nm‐oxide‐equivalent‐thickness La2O3 and HfO2 multi‐layer composite oxides on In0.53Ga0.47As MOS capacitor
Authors: Wu Wen‐Hao , Lin Yueh‐Chin , Hou Tzu‐Ching , Lin Tai‐Wei , Hsu Hisang‐Hua , Wong Yuen‐Yee , Iwai Hiroshi , Kakushima Kuniyuki , Chang Edward Yi
Published: November 2015

The use of a high k composite dielectric composed of La2O3 and HfO2 layers as the gate dielectric for In0.53Ga0.47As MOS application is proposed. Two multi‐layer structures of La2O3 (1 nm)/HfO2 (1 nm) and La2O3 (0.5 nm)/HfO2 (0.5 nm) were deposited and annealed at 450 and 500°C for device performance comparison. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, TEM and C–V measurements were used for the interface analysis between the oxide and the semiconductor. Finally, a 1 nm equivalent‐oxide‐thickness dielectric with small hysteresis of 88 mV and Dit of 1.9 × 1012 cm−2 eV−1 was achieved for six layers of an La2O3 (0.5 nm)/HfO2 (0.5 nm) composite oxide structure on an In0.53Ga0.47As MOS capacitor with a post‐deposition annealing temperature of 450°C.
Design and analysis of bearingless flywheel motor specially for flywheel energy storage
Authors: Yuan Ye , Sun Yukun , Huang Yonghong
Published: November 2015

A novel bearingless motor is proposed – the position of rotor and stator in switched reluctance motor is exchanged to obtain the single winding bearingless flywheel motor (SWBFM), in which the outer rotor is levitated and can directly drive the flywheel with less mechanical transmission by the combination of the levitation forces and torques. The electromagnetic characteristics are analysed by finite element analysis and the results verify the SWBFM has better torque and suspension characteristics.
Wideband out‐of‐phase power divider using tightly coupled lines and microstrip to slotline transitions
Authors: Ahmed U.T. , Abbosh A.M.
Published: November 2015

A broadband out‐of‐phase power divider in a compact structure employing a microstrip technology is presented. The proposed power divider consists of a T‐junction of microstrip to slotline transition at the input ports along with a pair of tightly coupled microstrip lines at the two output ports. The main features of the proposed device are the employment of a dumbbell‐shaped slot terminated with a chip resistor under the tightly coupled lines to improve the isolation between the output ports and shunt open‐ended stubs at the output ports to improve their impedance matching. The overall size of the structure is 30 × 60 mm using the substrate Rogers RO4003C with a dielectric constant of 3.38 and thickness of 0.4 mm. The simulated and experimental results of the developed device show wide bandwidths (120% fractional bandwidth) with isolation >15 dB across the investigated band 1–4 GHz. In addition, the output ports are out‐of‐phase with <1° phase imbalance across the whole frequency band.
Design of new selective CIC filter functions with passband‐droop compensation
Authors: Stošić B.P. , Pavlović V.D.
Published: November 2015

The main aim of this reported work was to design new selective cascaded‐integrator‐comb (CIC) filter functions. The theoretical design equations and impulse response coefficients, as well as the frequency response characteristics of the novel filter functions are presented. Compared with existing filter functions in the literature, the proposed functions not only have improved insertion loss but also a multiplierless architecture, better passband characteristics and lower impulse response coefficients.
Hardware impairments impact on fixed‐gain AF relaying performance in Nakagami‐m fading
Authors: Maletic N. , Cabarkapa M. , Neskovic N. , Budimir D.
Published: November 2015

The effects of joint hardware impairments on the performance of fixed‐gain amplify‐and‐forward (AF) relaying are studied. By considering IQ imbalance at the source and destination and the nonlinear relay the outage probability over Nakagami‐m fading channels is derived, and the effects of fading and hardware impairments on the system are analysed. The analytical results are verified by Monte Carlo simulations.
Enhanced BlockACK method for A‐MPDU transmission in IEEE 802.11n/ac/ad WLANs
Authors: Liu Jilong , Yao Mingwu , Qiu Zhiliang
Published: November 2015

An enhanced block acknowledgement (BlockACK) method for the aggregate MAC protocol data unit (A‐MPDU) transmission is proposed. In the proposed method, the position information of each aggregated subframe is carried by the A‐MPDU using the reserved bits and a novel position information control is used to acknowledge the A‐MPDU. By utilising the enhanced BlockACK method, the aggregation level of the A‐MPDU transmission will not be constrained by the effect of lost subframes. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate that the enhanced BlockACK method can achieve a more stable aggregation level and higher throughput than the conventional one.
200 μm APD OEIC in 0.35 μm BiCMOS
Authors: Jukić T. , Steindl B. , Enne R. , Zimmermann H.
Published: November 2015

An optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC) in a 0.35 μm BiCMOS technology is presented. The receiver designed for optical wireless communication and communication over plastic optical fibre for data rates up to 2 Gbit/s has a 200 μm diameter avalanche photodiode (APD). Thanks to a thick intrinsic zone the APD has a low capacitance of 0.5 pF. The chip requires a supply voltage of 3.3 V and has a current consumption of 76 mA. The OEIC provides a single‐ended output swing of 550 mV on 50 Ω and a total transimpedence of 260 kΩ with a bandwidth of 1.08 GHz. The OEIC achieves a sensitivity of −32.2 dBm at a BER of 10−9 for a data rate of 2 Gbit/s.
Multistage decision‐based heart sound delineation method for automated analysis of heart sounds and murmurs
Authors: Nivitha Varghees V. , Ramachandran K.I.
Published: November 2015

A robust multistage decision‐based heart sound delineation (MDHSD) method is presented for automatically determining the boundaries and peaks of heart sounds (S1, S2, S3, and S4), systolic, and diastolic murmurs (early, mid, and late) and high‐pitched sounds (HPSs) of the phonocardiogram (PCG) signal. The proposed MDHSD method consists of the Gaussian kernels based signal decomposition (GSDs) and multistage decision‐based delineation (MDBD). The GSD algorithm first removes the low‐frequency (LF) artefacts and then decomposes the filtered signal into two subsignals: the LF sound part (S1, S2, S3, and S4) and the high‐frequency sound part (murmurs and HPSs). The MDBD algorithm consists of absolute envelope extraction, adaptive thresholding, and fiducial point determination. The accuracy and robustness of the proposed method is evaluated using various types of normal and pathological PCG signals. Results show that the method achieves an average sensitivity of 98.22%, positive predictivity of 97.46%, and overall accuracy of 95.78%. The method yields maximum average delineation errors of 4.52 and 4.14 ms for determining the start‐point and end‐point of sounds. The proposed multistage delineation algorithm is capable of improving the delineation accuracy under time‐varying amplitudes of heart sounds and various types of murmurs. The proposed method has significant potential applications in heart sounds and murmurs classification systems.
Baseline wander removal of electrocardiogram signals using multivariate empirical mode decomposition
Authors: Gupta Praveen , Sharma Kamalesh Kumar , Joshi Shiv Dutt
Published: November 2015

A new method for removing the baseline wander (BW) noise based on multivariate empirical mode decomposition is presented. The proposed method is compared with recently introduced technique for BW removal using Hilbert vibration decomposition in terms of correlation coefficient criterion and signal‐to‐noise ratio. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, real BW signals are added to synthetic and clinical electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. It is shown that presented methodology has significant scope of removing BW noise in real world ECG signals.
Decoding of binary quadratic residue codes with hash table
Authors: Chen Yan‐Haw , Huang Ching‐Fu , Chang Jack
Published: November 2015

An efficient decoding of quadratic residue (QR) codes utilising hashing search to find error patterns is presented in this study. The key idea behind the proposed decoding method is theoretically based on the existence of a one‐to‐one mapping between the single primary known syndrome and correctable error patterns. Compared with the binary search time approach, one of the advantages of utilising this method presented in this study is that the hashing search time can be reduced by a factor of two. This method would help reduce the binary search time for finding error patterns when decoding the (23, 12, 7), (41, 21, 9), and (47, 24, 11) QR codes. Furthermore, it would reduce the decoding time by 45% using the fast lookup table decoding method to decode the (71, 36, 11) QR code. Ultimately, the proposed decoding algorithm for QR codes can be made regular, simple, and suitable for software implementations.
Incremental stability of switched non‐linear systems
Authors: Yang Hao , Jiang Bin
Published: November 2015

This study considers incremental stability problem of switched non‐linear systems with each mode being local incrementally asymptotically stable. A new concept named ‘steady‐state inclusion’ is proposed to describe the relations among incremental stability regions of modes. Based on such a concept, sufficient incremental stability conditions of the switched systems are established, which cover the global incremental stability as a special case. The new result is applied to synchronisation problem of coupled identical systems with switching coupling.
Single image dehazing via multi‐scale gradient domain contrast enhancement
Authors: Mi Zetian , Zhou Huan , Zheng Yijun , Wang Minghui
Published: November 2015

Outdoor images captured under bad weathers often suffer from low visibility. In this study, a novel method is presented to improve the visibility of a single input hazy image. On the basis of the observation that degradation of a hazy image occurs both in contrast and colour, the authors method aims at compensating the contrast and colour of the image, respectively. To achieve this, they propose a multi‐scale gradient domain contrast enhancement approach that handles the different residual images rather than the entire image, and correct the attenuation of colour according to the estimated transmission. Since there is no need to recover the scene radiance by the degradation model, their method depends less on the accuracy of transmission and does not require the estimation of atmospheric light. Experiments on a variety types of hazy images show that their method yields accurate results with fine details and vivid colour, even better than other state‐of‐the‐art dehazing methods.
Fast coding unit decision and mode selection for intra‐frame coding in high‐efficiency video coding
Authors: Tseng Chao‐Feng , Lai Yen‐Tai
Published: November 2015

High‐efficiency video coding (HEVC) is a new video coding compression standard. As the successor to H.264/AVC, it provides better performance and supports higher resolution. However, the encoding complexity increases drastically. One of the major reasons is that the coding unit (CU) in HEVC is multi‐sized and adjustable rather than fixed as in H.264. In addition, the number of prediction modes used in intra‐frame coding is expanded from 9 to 35. The authors analysed the statistical correlations of CU depth to the deviation of pixels in the largest coding unit (LCU) and rate‐distortion cost (RDcost). Accordingly, a fast CU decision method is proposed, which contains two steps: first, the depth to begin searching is determined according to the deviation of the LCU and then splitting the current CU further is decided according to RDcost. For intra‐prediction, we also propose a fast mode selection method to reduce complexity. This method can quickly determine the modes for rate‐distortion optimisation when the combination of most probable modes reveals the pattern direction. Software simulations show that the proposed methods reduce encoding time by more than 50% with an average of 1.4% increase of BD‐rate compared to reference software HM12.0.