bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Two-dimensional metallic tantalum disulfide as a hydrogen evolution catalyst
Authors: Shi Jianping , Wang Xina , Zhang Shuai , Xiao Lingfeng , Huan Yahuan , Gong Yue , Zhang Zhepeng , Li Yuanchang , Zhou Xiebo , Hong Min , Fang Qiyi , Zhang Qing , Liu Xinfeng , Gu Lin , Liu Zhongfan , Zhang Yanfeng 
Published: October 2017

AbstractTwo-dimensional metallic transition metal dichalcogenides are emerging as prototypes for uncovering fundamental physical phenomena, such as superconductivity and charge-density waves, as well as for engineering-related applications. However, the batch production of such envisioned transition metal dichalcogenides remains challenging, which has hindered the aforementioned explorations. Herein, we fabricate thickness-tunable tantalum disulfide flakes and centimetre-sized ultrathin films on an electrode material of gold foil via a facile chemical vapour deposition route. Through temperature-dependent Raman characterization, we observe the transition from nearly commensurate to commensurate charge-density wave phases with our ultrathin tantalum disulfide flakes. We have obtained high hydrogen evolution reaction efficiency with the as-grown tantalum disulfide flakes directly synthesized on gold foils comparable to traditional platinum catalysts. This work could promote further efforts for exploring new efficient catalysts in the large materials family of metallic transition metal dichalcogenides, as well as exploiting their applications towards more versatile applications.
Mechanical on-chip microwave circulator
Authors: Barzanjeh S. , Wulf M. , Peruzzo M. , Kalaee M. , Dieterle P. B. , Painter O. , Fink J. M. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractNonreciprocal circuit elements form an integral part of modern measurement and communication systems. Mathematically they require breaking of time-reversal symmetry, typically achieved using magnetic materials and more recently using the quantum Hall effect, parametric permittivity modulation or Josephson nonlinearities. Here we demonstrate an on-chip magnetic-free circulator based on reservoir-engineered electromechanic interactions. Directional circulation is achieved with controlled phase-sensitive interference of six distinct electro-mechanical signal conversion paths. The presented circulator is compact, its silicon-on-insulator platform is compatible with both superconducting qubits and silicon photonics, and its noise performance is close to the quantum limit. With a high dynamic range, a tunable bandwidth of up to 30 MHz and an in situ reconfigurability as beam splitter or wavelength converter, it could pave the way for superconducting qubit processors with multiplexed on-chip signal processing and readout.
Investigating spatiotemporal changes of the land-surface processes in Xinjiang using high-resolution CLM3.5 and CLDAS: Soil temperature
Authors: Meng Xianyong , Wang Hao , Wu Yiping , Long Aihua , Wang Jianhua , Shi Chunxiang , Ji Xiaonan 
Published: October 2017

AbstractSoil temperature plays a key role in the land surface processes because this parameter affects a series of physical, chemical, and biological processes in the soil, such as water and heat fluxes. However, observation of soil temperature is quite limited, especially at the regional scale. Therefore, this study is to investigate the spatiotemporal features of soil temperature in Xinjiang, China, using the Community Land model 3.5 (CLM3.5) with the atmospheric near-surface forcing data of the China Meteorological Administration Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS). We use the observed soil temperature data collected from 105 national automatic stations during 2009 through 2012 in the study area to verify the simulation capability. The comparison results indicate that the CLM3.5 with the CLDAS driving field could well simulate the spatiotemporal patterns of the soil temperature at hourly, daily, and monthly time scales and at three depths (5 cm, 20 cm, and 80 cm). We also produce a soil temperature database of the region that is continuous both in time and space with high resolution (about 6.25 km). Overall, this study could help understand the regional and vertical characteristics of the soil temperature and provide an important scientific basis for other land-surface processes.
In vivo imaging of lung inflammation with neutrophil-specific 68Ga nano-radiotracer
Authors: Pellico Juan , Lechuga-Vieco Ana V. , Almarza Elena , Hidalgo Andrés , Mesa-Nuñez Cristina , Fernández-Barahona Irene , Quintana Juan A. , Bueren Juan , Enríquez Jose A. , Ruiz-Cabello Jesús , Herranz Fernando 
Published: October 2017

AbstractIn vivo detection and quantification of inflammation is a major goal in molecular imaging. Furthermore, cell-specific detection of inflammation would be a tremendous advantage in the characterization of many diseases. Here, we show how this goal can be achieved through the synergistic combination of nanotechnology and nuclear imaging. One of the most remarkable features of this hybrid approach is the possibility to tailor the pharmacokinetics of the nanomaterial-incorporated biomolecule and radionuclide. A good example of this approach is the covalent binding of a large amount of a neutrophil-specific, hydrophobic peptide on the surface of 68Ga core-doped nanoparticles. This new nano-radiotracer has been used for non-invasive in vivo detection of acute inflammation with very high in vivo labelling efficiency, i.e. a large percentage of labelled neutrophils. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the tracer is neutrophil-specific and yields images of neutrophil recruitment of unprecedented quality. Finally, the nano-radiotracer was successfully detected in chronic inflammation in atherosclerosis-prone ApoE−/− mice after several weeks on a high-fat diet.
Trios—promising in silico biomarkers for differentiating the effect of disease on the human microbiome network
Authors: Ma Zhanshan , Ye Dandan 
Published: October 2017

AbstractRecent advances in the HMP (human microbiome project) research have revealed profound implications of the human microbiome to our health and diseases. We postulated that there should be distinctive features associated with healthy and/or diseased microbiome networks. Following Occam’s razor principle, we further hypothesized that triangle motifs or trios, arguably the simplest motif in a complex network of the human microbiome, should be sufficient to detect changes that occurred in the diseased microbiome. Here we test our hypothesis with six HMP datasets that cover five major human microbiome sites (gut, lung, oral, skin, and vaginal). The tests confirm our hypothesis and demonstrate that the trios involving the special nodes (e.g., most abundant OTU or MAO, and most dominant OTU or MDO, etc.) and interactions types (positive vs. negative) can be a powerful tool to differentiate between healthy and diseased microbiome samples. Our findings suggest that 12 kinds of trios (especially, dominantly inhibitive trio with mixed strategy, dominantly inhibitive trio with pure strategy, and fully facilitative strategy) may be utilized as in silico biomarkers for detecting disease-associated changes in the human microbiome, and may play an important role in personalized precision diagnosis of the human microbiome associated diseases.
Impact of Coulomb Correlations on Magnetic Anisotropy in Mn3Ga Ferrimagnet
Authors: Saha Srijan Kumar , Liu Zhen , Dutta Gargi 
Published: October 2017

AbstractTraditional density functional theory (DFT) miserably fails to reproduce the experimental volume and magnetic anisotropy of D022 Mn3Ga, which has recently become one of the most sought-after materials in order to achieve a stable spin switching at low current density. Despite great progress over the last 10 years, this issue has hitherto remained unsolved. Here, taking into account the effects of strong electronic correlations beyond what is included in standard DFT, we show by comparison with the experiment that the DFT+U method is capable of quantitatively describing the volume and the magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) in this alloy with physically meaningful choice of onsite Coulomb-U parameter. For the first time using a plane-wave code, we decompose MAE into spin channel-resolved components in order to determine spin-flip and spin-conserving contributions. The Mn atom at the tetrahedral site is identified as the primary source of the high perpendicular MAE with the most dominant spin-orbit coupling (SOC) occurring between its two orbital pairs: ↑↑ coupling and ↓↓ coupling between $${{\boldsymbol{d}}}_{{{\boldsymbol{x}}}^{{\bf{2}}}-{{\boldsymbol{y}}}^{{\bf{2}}}}$$

d

x

2

−

y

2

and d
xy
, and ↑↓ coupling between d
yz
and $${{\boldsymbol{d}}}_{{{\boldsymbol{z}}}^{{\bf{2}}}}$$

d

z

2

. Using the SOC-perturbation theory model, we provide interpretation of our numerical results. These results are important for quantitative microscopic understanding of the large perpendicular MAE observed in this material, and should assist in harnessing its potential for applications in futuristic spintronic devices.
Dual-Drug Containing Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Lung Cancer Therapy
Authors: Menon Jyothi U. , Kuriakose Aneetta , Iyer Roshni , Hernandez Elizabeth , Gandee Leah , Zhang Shanrong , Takahashi Masaya , Zhang Zhang , Saha Debabrata , Nguyen Kytai T. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractLate-stage diagnosis of lung cancer occurs ~95% of the time due to late manifestation of its symptoms, necessitating rigorous treatment following diagnosis. Existing treatment methods are limited by lack of specificity, systemic toxicity, temporary remission, and radio-resistance in lung cancer cells. In this research, we have developed a folate receptor-targeting multifunctional dual drug-loaded nanoparticle (MDNP) containing a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-carboxymethyl chitosan shell and poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) core for enhancing localized chemo-radiotherapy to effectively treat lung cancers. The formulation provided controlled releases of the encapsulated therapeutic compounds, NU7441 - a potent radiosensitizer, and gemcitabine - an FDA approved chemotherapeutic drug for lung cancer chemo-radiotherapy. The MDNPs showed biphasic NU7441 release and pH-dependent release of gemcitabine. These nanoparticles also demonstrated good stability, excellent hemocompatibility, outstandingin vitrocytocompatibility with alveolar Type I cells, and dose-dependent caveolae-mediatedin vitrouptake by lung cancer cells. In addition, they could be encapsulated with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles and visualized by MRIin vivo. Preliminaryin vivoresults demonstrated the low toxicity of these particles and their use in chemo-radiotherapy to effectively reduce lung tumors. These results indicate that MDNPs can potentially be used as nano-vehicles to provide simultaneous chemotherapy and radiation sensitization for lung cancer treatment.
Experimental verification of the rotational type of chiral spin spiral structures by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy
Authors: Haze Masahiro , Yoshida Yasuo , Hasegawa Yukio 
Published: October 2017

AbstractWe report on experimental verification of the rotational type of chiral spin spirals in Mn thin films on a W(110) substrate using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) with a double-axis superconducting vector magnet. From SP-STM images using Fe-coated W tips magnetized to the out-of-plane and [001] directions, we found that both Mn mono- and double-layers exhibit cycloidal rotation whose spins rotate in the planes normal to the propagating directions. Our results agree with the theoretical prediction based on the symmetry of the system, supporting that the magnetic structures are driven by the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction.
Facile Solution Synthesis of Tungsten Trioxide Doped with Nanocrystalline Molybdenum Trioxide for Electrochromic Devices
Authors: Hasani Amirhossein , Le Quyet Van , Nguyen Thang Phan , Choi Kyoung Soon , Sohn Woonbae , Kim Jang-Kyo , Jang Ho Won , Kim Soo Young 
Published: October 2017

AbstractA facile, highly efficient approach to obtain molybdenum trioxide (MoO3)-doped tungsten trioxide (WO3) is reported. An annealing process was used to transform ammonium tetrathiotungstate [(NH4)2WS4] to WO3in the presence of oxygen. Ammonium tetrathiomolybdate [(NH4)2MoS4] was used as a dopant to improve the film for use in an electrochromic (EC) cell. (NH4)2MoS4at different concentrations (10, 20, 30, and 40 mM) was added to the (NH4)2WS4precursor by sonication and the samples were annealed at 500 °C in air. Raman, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements confirmed that the (NH4)2WS4precursor decomposed to WO3and the (NH4)2MoS4–(NH4)2WS4precursor was transformed to MoO3-doped WO3after annealing at 500 °C. It is shown that the MoO3-doped WO3film is more uniform and porous than pure WO3, confirming the doping quality and the privileges of the proposed method. The optimal MoO3-doped WO3used as an EC layer exhibited a high coloration efficiency of 128.1 cm2/C, which is larger than that of pure WO3(74.5 cm2/C). Therefore, MoO3-doped WO3synthesized by the reported method is a promising candidate for high-efficiency and low-cost smart windows.
Long non-coding HCG18 promotes intervertebral disc degeneration by sponging miR-146a-5p and regulating TRAF6 expression
Authors: Xi Yanhai , Jiang Tingwang , Wang Weiheng , Yu Jiangming , Wang Yang , Wu Xueming , He Yunfei 
Published: October 2017

AbstractIntervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is associated with the deterioration of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells due to hypertrophic differentiation and calcification. Emerging studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in the development of IDD. Using bioinformatics prediction, we hereby sought to identify the lncRNAs that regulate the expression of microRNA-146a-5p (miR-146a-5p), an IDD-related inflammatory factor. Our study demonstrated that lncRNA HCG18 acted as an endogenous sponge to down-regulate miR-146a-5p expression in the NP cells by directly binding to miR-146a-5p. In addition, HCG18 expression was up-regulated in the patients with IDD, bulging or herniated discs, and its level was positively correlated with the disc degeneration grade. In vitro, miR-146a-5p up-regulation HCG18 retarded the growth of NP cells by decreasing S phase of cell cycle, inducing cell apoptosis, recruitment of macrophages and hypercalcification. Conversely, down-regulation of miR-146a-5p exerted opposite effects. Furthermore, we elucidated that TRAF6, a target gene by miR-146a-5p, was modulated by HCG18 expression. Restore of TRAF6 expression by virus infection reserved the effect of HCG18 on the NP cells. Altogether, our data indicated that HCG18 suppressed the growth of NP cells and promoted the IDD development via the miR-146a-5p/TRAF6/NFκB axis.
Three-dimensional Layered Water-Soluble Cellulose Acetate/Polyacrylamide Composites with Ultrahigh Ductility and Stretchability
Authors: Pang Jinhui , Wu Miao , Liu Xin , Wang Bo , Yang Jun , Xu Feng , Ma Mingguo , Zhang Xueming 
Published: October 2017

AbstractWater-soluble cellulose acetate (WSCA), one of the most important cellulose derivatives, possesses biocompatibility, biodegradability and broad chemical modifying capacities. In this work, highly polymerized WSCA was firstly synthesized and used as cross-linker to fabricate highly ductile, tough and resilient WSCA/polyacrylamide (PAM) composite hydrogels. The results showed that the WSCA/PAM nanocomposite hydrogels exhibited extraordinary toughness and ductility with a tensile strength of 297 kPa and elongation at break of about 4020%. The enhancement of mechanical properties and stretchability were due to the synergistic effect from the hydrogen bonding and physical entanglement between the composite matrixes. Under stretching conditions, hydrogen bonds and the dense entanglement between WSCA chains and PAM could dynamically break and rearrange to dissipate energy. At the same time, the filaments of PAM embedded in layered WSCA matrix became unfolded or fractured to dissipate energy and maintained the conformation of hydrogels. It was envisioned that the introduction of WSCA into polymeric matrix would generate a facile method to fabricate multiple layered hybrid hydrogel network and significantly widen the WSCA applications in the preparation of high performance supramolecular systems.
RNA-Seq transcriptome profiling of mouse oocytes after in vitro maturation and/or vitrification
Authors: Gao Lei , Jia Gongxue , Li Ai , Ma Haojia , Huang Zhengyuan , Zhu Shien , Hou Yunpeng , Fu Xiangwei 
Published: October 2017

AbstractIn vitro maturation (IVM) and vitrification have been widely used to prepare oocytes before fertilization; however, potential effects of these procedures, such as expression profile changes, are poorly understood. In this study, mouse oocytes were divided into four groups and subjected to combinations of in vitro maturation and/or vitrification treatments. RNA-seq and in silico pathway analysis were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that may be involved in oocyte viability after in vitro maturation and/or vitrification. Our results showed that 1) 69 genes were differentially expressed after IVM, 66 of which were up-regulated. Atp5e and Atp5o were enriched in the most significant gene ontology term “mitochondrial membrane part”; thus, these genes may be promising candidate biomarkers for oocyte viability after IVM. 2) The influence of vitrification on the transcriptome of oocytes was negligible, as no DEGs were found between vitrified and fresh oocytes. 3) The MII stage is more suitable for oocyte vitrification with respect to the transcriptome. This study provides a valuable new theoretical basis to further improve the efficiency of in vitro maturation and/or oocyte vitrification.
Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase and cardiovascular or all-cause mortality risk in dialysis patients: A meta-analysis
Authors: Fan Yu , Jin Xin , Jiang Menglin , Fang Na 
Published: October 2017

AbstractStudies on serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and mortality risk in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis have yielded conflicting results. This meta-analysis was designed to assess the association of serum ALP levels with cardiovascular or all-cause mortality risk among patients on dialysis. PubMed and Embase databases were searched until March 2017 for studies evaluating the association of serum ALP levels and cardiovascular or all-cause mortality risk in adult patients with ESRD undergoing maintenance hemodialysis or chronic peritoneal dialysis. Twelve studies enrolling 393,200 patients on dialysis were included. Compared with the reference low serum ALP category, pooled adjusted hazard risk (HR) of all-cause mortality was 1.46 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30–1.65) for patients on hemodialysis and 1.93 (95% CI 1.71–2.17) for peritoneal patients on dialysis. In addition, elevated serum ALP significantly increased cardiovascular mortality among patients on peritoneal dialysis (HR 2.39; 95% CI 1.23–4.65) but not in patients on hemodialysis (HR 1.08; 95% CI 0.84–1.40). Elevated serum ALP was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality among patients on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Further well-designed prospective studies are needed to investigate the association of high serum ALP levels with cardiovascular mortality among patients on dialysis.
Highly sensitive and specific Alu-based quantification of human cells among rodent cells
Authors: Funakoshi Kodai , Bagheri Mozhdeh , Zhou Ming , Suzuki Ryoji , Abe Hiroshi , Akashi Hideo 
Published: October 2017

AbstractAlu elements are primate-specific short interspersed elements (SINEs), over 1 million copies of which are present in the human genome; thus, Alu elements are useful targets for detecting human cells. However, previous Alu-based techniques for detecting human genomic DNA do not reach the theoretical limits of sensitivity and specificity. In this study, we developed a highly sensitive and specific Alu-based real-time PCR method for discriminating human cells from rodent cells, using a primer and probe set carefully designed to avoid possible cross-reactions with rodent genomes. From 100 ng of mixed human and rodent genomes, 1 fg of human genome, equivalent to 1 human cell in 100 million rodent cells, was detectable. Furthermore, in vivo mouse subrenal capsule xenotransplantation assays revealed that 10 human cells per mouse organ were detectable. In addition, after intravenous injection of human mesenchymal stem cells into NOD/SCID mice via tail vein, the biodistribution of human cells was trackable in the mouse lungs and kidneys for at least 1 week. Our findings indicate that our primer and probe set is applicable for the quantitative detection of tiny amounts of human cells, such as xenotransplanted human cancer or stem cells, in rodents.
EEG topographies provide subject-specific correlates of motor control
Authors: Pirondini Elvira , Coscia Martina , Minguillon Jesus , Millán José del R. , Van De Ville Dimitri , Micera Silvestro 
Published: October 2017

AbstractElectroencephalography (EEG) of brain activity can be represented in terms of dynamically changing topographies (microstates). Notably, spontaneous brain activity recorded at rest can be characterized by four distinctive topographies. Despite their well-established role during resting state, their implication in the generation of motor behavior is debated. Evidence of such a functional role of spontaneous brain activity would provide support for the design of novel and sensitive biomarkers in neurological disorders. Here we examined whether and to what extent intrinsic brain activity contributes and plays a functional role during natural motor behaviors. For this we first extracted subject-specific EEG microstates and muscle synergies during reaching-and-grasping movements in healthy volunteers. We show that, in every subject, well-known resting-state microstates persist during movement execution with similar topographies and temporal characteristics, but are supplemented by novel task-related microstates. We then show that the subject-specific microstates’ dynamical organization correlates with the activation of muscle synergies and can be used to decode individual grasping movements with high accuracy. These findings provide first evidence that spontaneous brain activity encodes detailed information about motor control, offering as such the prospect of a novel tool for the definition of subject-specific biomarkers of brain plasticity and recovery in neuro-motor disorders.
Interacting Learning Processes during Skill Acquisition: Learning to control with gradually changing system dynamics
Authors: Ludolph Nicolas , Giese Martin A. , Ilg Winfried 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThere is increasing evidence that sensorimotor learning under real-life conditions relies on a composition of several learning processes. Nevertheless, most studies examine learning behaviour in relation to one specific learning mechanism. In this study, we examined the interaction between reward-based skill acquisition and motor adaptation to changes of object dynamics. Thirty healthy subjects, split into two groups, acquired the skill of balancing a pole on a cart in virtual reality. In one group, we gradually increased the gravity, making the task easier in the beginning and more difficult towards the end. In the second group, subjects had to acquire the skill on the maximum, most difficult gravity level. We hypothesized that the gradual increase in gravity during skill acquisition supports learning despite the necessary adjustments to changes in cart-pole dynamics. We found that the gradual group benefits from the slow increment, although overall improvement was interrupted by the changes in gravity and resulting system dynamics, which caused short-term degradations in performance and timing of actions. In conclusion, our results deliver evidence for an interaction of reward-based skill acquisition and motor adaptation processes, which indicates the importance of both processes for the development of optimized skill acquisition schedules.