bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Strengthened PAN-based carbon fibers obtained by slow heating rate carbonization
Authors: Kim Min-A , Jang Dawon , Tejima Syogo , Cruz-Silva Rodolfo , Joh Han-Ik , Kim Hwan Chul , Lee Sungho , Endo Morinobu 
Published: March 2016

AbstractLarge efforts have been made over the last 40 years to increase the mechanical strength of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers (CFs) using a variety of chemical or physical protocols. In this paper, we report a new method to increase CFs mechanical strength using a slow heating rate during the carbonization process. This new approach increases both the carbon sp3 bonding and the number of nitrogen atoms with quaternary bonding in the hexagonal carbon network. Theoretical calculations support a crosslinking model promoted by the interstitial carbon atoms located in the graphitic interlayer spaces. The improvement in mechanical performance by a controlled crosslinking between the carbon hexagonal layers of the PAN based CFs is a new concept that can contribute further in the tailoring of CFs performance based on the understanding of their microstructure down to the atomic scale.
Sn/Be Sequentially co-doped Hematite Photoanodes for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation: Effect of Be2+ as co-dopant
Authors: Annamalai Alagappan , Lee Hyun Hwi , Choi Sun Hee , Lee Su Yong , Gracia-Espino Eduardo , Subramanian Arunprabaharan , Park Jaedeuk , Kong Ki-jeong , Jang Jum Suk 
Published: March 2016

AbstractFor ex-situ co-doping methods, sintering at high temperatures enables rapid diffusion of Sn4+ and Be2+ dopants into hematite (α–Fe2O3) lattices, without altering the nanorod morphology or damaging their crystallinity. Sn/Be co-doping results in a remarkable enhancement in photocurrent (1.7 mA/cm2) compared to pristine α–Fe2O3 (0.7 mA/cm2), and Sn4+ mono-doped α-Fe2O3 photoanodes (1.0 mA/cm2). From first-principles calculations, we found that Sn4+ doping induced a shallow donor level below the conduction band minimum, which does not contribute to increase electrical conductivity and photocurrent because of its localized nature. Additionally, Sn4+-doping induce local micro-strain and a decreased Fe-O bond ordering. When Be2+ was co-doped with Sn4+-doped α–Fe2O3 photoanodes, the conduction band recovered its original state, without localized impurities peaks, also a reduction in micro-strain and increased Fe-O bond ordering is observed. Also the sequence in which the ex-situ co-doping is carried out is very crucial, as Be/Sn co-doping sequence induces many under-coordinated O atoms resulting in a higher micro-strain and lower charge separation efficiency resulting undesired electron recombination. Here, we perform a detailed systematic characterization using XRD, FESEM, XPS and comprehensive electrochemical and photoelectrochemical studies, along with sophisticated synchrotron diffraction studies and extended X-ray absorption fine structure.
Integrating Epitaxial-Like Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 Thin-Film into Silicon for Next-Generation Ferroelectric Field-Effect Transistor
Authors: Park Jae Hyo , Kim Hyung Yoon , Jang Gil Su , Seok Ki Hwan , Chae Hee Jae , Lee Sol Kyu , Kiaee Zohreh , Joo Seung Ki 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe development of ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM) technology with control of grain boundaries would result in a breakthrough for new nonvolatile memory devices. The excellent piezoelectric and electrical properties of bulk ferroelectrics are degraded when the ferroelectric is processed into thin films because the grain boundaries then form randomly. Controlling the nature of nucleation and growth are the keys to achieving a good crystalline thin-film. However, the sought after high-quality ferroelectric thin-film has so far been thought to be impossible to make, and research has been restricted to atomic-layer deposition which is extremely expensive and has poor reproducibility. Here we demonstrate a novel epitaxial-like growth technique to achieve extremely uniform and large rectangular-shaped grains in thin-film ferroelectrics by dividing the nucleation and growth phases. With this technique, it is possible to achieve 100-μm large uniform grains, even made available on Si, which is large enough to fabricate a field-effect transistor in each grain. The electrical and reliability test results, including endurance and retention test results, were superior to other FeRAMs reported so far and thus the results presented here constitute the first step toward the development of FeRAM using epitaxial-like ferroelectric thin-films.
Extract of Vernonia condensata, Inhibits Tumor Progression and Improves Survival of Tumor-allograft Bearing Mouse
Authors: Thomas Elizabeth , Gopalakrishnan Vidya , Somasagara Ranganatha R. , Choudhary Bibha , Raghavan Sathees C. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractMedicinal plants are considered as one of the ideal sources for cancer therapy due to their bioactive contents and low toxicity to humans. Vernonia genus is one of the common medicinal plants, which has wide spread usage in food and medicine. However, there are limited studies to explore its anticancer properties. In the current study, we have used Vernonia condensata, to explore its anticancer activity using various approaches. Here, we show that extract prepared from Vernonia condensata (VCE) exhibits cytotoxic properties against various cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Interestingly, when treated with VCE, there was no significant cytotoxicity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Flow cytometry analysis revealed that although VCE induced cell death, arrest was not observed. VCE treatment led to disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential in a concentration dependent manner resulting in activation of apoptosis culminating in cell death. Immunoblotting studies revealed that VCE activated intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. More importantly, VCE treatment resulted in tumor regression leading to significant enhancement in life span in treated mice, without showing any detectable side effects. Therefore, for the first time our study reveals the potential of extract from Vernonia condensata to be used as an anticancer agent.
Structure and dynamics of optically directed self-assembly of nanoparticles
Authors: Roy Debjit , Mondal Dipankar , Goswami Debabrata 
Published: March 2016

AbstractSelf-assembly of nanoparticles leading to the formation of colloidal clusters often serves as the representative analogue for understanding molecular assembly. Unravelling the in situ structure and dynamics of such clusters in liquid suspensions is highly challenging. Presently colloidal clusters are first isolated from their generating environment and then their structures are probed by light scattering methods. In order to measure the in situ structure and dynamics of colloidal clusters, we have generated them using the high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser pulse optical tweezer. Since the constituent of our dimer, trimer or tetramer clusters are 250 nm radius two-photon resonant fluorophore coated nanospheres under the optical trap, they inherently produce Two-Photon Fluorescence, which undergo intra-nanosphere Fluorescence Energy Transfer. This unique energy transfer signature, in turn, enables us to visualize structures and orientations of these colloidal clusters during the process of their formation and subsequent dynamics in a liquid suspension. We also show that due to shape-birefringence, orientation and structural control of these colloidal clusters are possible as the polarization of the trapping laser is changed from linear to circular. We thus report important progress in sampling the smallest possible aggregates of nanoparticles, dimers, trimers or tetramers, formed early in the self-assembly process.
Changing pattern in the basal ganglia: motor switching under reduced dopaminergic drive
Authors: Fiore Vincenzo G. , Rigoli Francesco , Stenner Max-Philipp , Zaehle Tino , Hirth Frank , Heinze Hans-Jochen , Dolan Raymond J. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAction selection in the basal ganglia is often described within the framework of a standard model, associating low dopaminergic drive with motor suppression. Whilst powerful, this model does not explain several clinical and experimental data, including varying therapeutic efficacy across movement disorders. We tested the predictions of this model in patients with Parkinson’s disease, on and off subthalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS), focussing on adaptive sensory-motor responses to a changing environment and maintenance of an action until it is no longer suitable. Surprisingly, we observed prolonged perseverance under on-stimulation, and high inter-individual variability in terms of the motor selections performed when comparing the two conditions. To account for these data, we revised the standard model exploring its space of parameters and associated motor functions and found that, depending on effective connectivity between external and internal parts of the globus pallidus and saliency of the sensory input, a low dopaminergic drive can result in increased, dysfunctional, motor switching, besides motor suppression. This new framework provides insight into the biophysical mechanisms underlying DBS, allowing a description in terms of alteration of the signal-to-baseline ratio in the indirect pathway, which better account of known electrophysiological data in comparison with the standard model.
Constructive influence of the induced electron pairing on the Kondo state
Authors: Domański T. , Weymann I. , Barańska M. , Górski G. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractSuperconducting order and magnetic impurities are usually detrimental to each other. We show, however, that in nanoscopic objects the induced electron pairing can have constructive influence on the Kondo effect originating from the effective screening interactions. Such situation is possible at low temperatures in the quantum dots placed between the conducting and superconducting reservoirs, where the proximity induced electron pairing cooperates with the correlations amplifying the spin-exchange potential. The emerging Abrikosov-Suhl resonance, which is observable in the Andreev conductance, can be significantly enhanced by increasing the coupling to superconducting lead. We explain this intriguing tendency within the Anderson impurity model using: the generalized Schrieffer-Wolff canonical transformation, the second order perturbative treatment of the Coulomb repulsion and the nonperturbative numerical renormalization group calculations. We also provide hints for experimental observability of this phenomenon.
Amyloid formation of growth hormone in presence of zinc: Relevance to its storage in secretory granules
Authors: Jacob Reeba S. , Das Subhadeep , Ghosh Saikat , Anoop Arunagiri , Jha Narendra Nath , Khan Tuhin , Singru Praful , Kumar Ashutosh , Maji Samir K. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAmyloids are cross-β-sheet fibrillar aggregates, associated with various human diseases and native functions such as protein/peptide hormone storage inside secretory granules of neuroendocrine cells. In the current study, using amyloid detecting agents, we show that growth hormone (GH) could be stored as amyloid in the pituitary of rat. Moreover, to demonstrate the formation of GH amyloidin vitro, we studied various conditions (solvents, glycosaminoglycans, salts and metal ions) and found that in presence of zinc metal ions (Zn(II)), GH formed short curvy fibrils. The amyloidogenic nature of these fibrils was examined by Thioflavin T binding, Congo Red binding, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Our biophysical studies also suggest that Zn(II) initiates the early oligomerization of GH that eventually facilitates the fibrillation process. Furthermore, using immunofluorescence study of pituitary tissue, we show that GH in pituitary significantly co-localizes with Zn(II), suggesting the probable role of zinc in GH aggregation within secretory granules. We also found that GH amyloid formedin vitrois capable of releasing monomers. The study will help to understand the possible mechanism of GH storage, its regulation and monomer release from the somatotrophs of anterior pituitary.
N-Palmitoylethanolamine Prevents the Run-down of Amplitudes in Cortical Spreading Depression Possibly Implicating Proinflammatory Cytokine Release
Authors: Richter Frank , Koulen Peter , Kaja Simon 
Published: March 2016

AbstractCortical spreading depression (CSD), a wave of neuronal depolarization in the cerebral cortex following traumatic brain injury or cerebral ischemia, significantly aggravates brain damage. Here, we tested whether N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA), a substance that effectively reduces lesion volumes and neurological deficits after ischemic stroke, influences CSD. CSD was elicited chemically in adult rats and occurrence, amplitude, duration and propagation velocity of CSD was determined prior to and for 6 hours after intraperitoneal injection of PEA. The chosen systemic administration of PEA stabilized the amplitude of CSD for at least four hours and prevented the run-down of amplitudes that is typically observed and was also seen in untreated controls. The propagation velocity of the CSD waves was unaltered indicating stable neuronal excitability. The stabilization of CSD amplitudes by PEA indicates that inhibition or prevention of CSD does not underlie PEA’s profound neuroprotective effect. Rather, PEA likely inhibits proinflammatory cytokine release thereby preventing the run-down of CSD amplitudes. This contribution of PEA to the maintenance of neuronal excitability in healthy tissue during CSD potentially adds to neuroprotection outside a damaged area, while other mechanisms control PEA-mediated neuroprotection in damaged tissue resulting from traumatic brain injury or cerebral ischemia.
Corneal Epithelium Thickness Profile in 614 Normal Chinese Children Aged 7–15 Years Old
Authors: Ma Yingyan , He Xiangui , Zhu Xiaofeng , Lu Lina , Zhu Jianfeng , Zou Haidong 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe purpose of the study is to describe the values and distribution of corneal epithelium thickness (CET) in normal Chinese school-aged children, and to explore associated factors with CET. CET maps were measured by Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) in normal Chinese children aged 7 to 15 years old from two randomly selected schools in Shanghai, China. Children with normal intraocular pressure were further examined for cycloplegic autorefraction, corneal curvature radius (CCR) and axial length. Central (2-mm diameter area), para-central (2- to 5-mm diameter area), and peripheral (5- to 6-mm diameter area) CET in the superior, superotemporal, temporal, inferotemporal, inferior, inferonasal, nasal, superonasal cornea; minimum, maximum, range, and standard deviation of CET within the 5-mm diameter area were recorded. The CET was thinner in the superior than in the inferior and was thinner in the temporal than in the nasal. The maximum CET was located in the inferior zone, and the minimum CET was in the superior zone. A thicker central CET was associated with male gender (p = 0.009) and older age (p = 0.037) but not with CCR (p = 0.061), axial length (p = 0.253), or refraction (p = 0.351) in the multiple regression analyses. CCR, age, and gender were correlated with para-central and peripheral CET.
Paclitaxel-loaded phosphonated calixarene nanovesicles as a modular drug delivery platform
Authors: Mo Jingxin , Eggers Paul K. , Yuan Zhi-xiang , Raston Colin L. , Lim Lee Yong 
Published: March 2016

AbstractA modular p-phosphonated calix[4]arene vesicle (PCV) loaded with paclitaxel (PTX) and conjugated with folic acid as a cancer targeting ligand has been prepared using a thin film-sonication method. It has a pH-responsive capacity to trigger the release of the encapsulated PTX payload under mildly acidic conditions. PTX-loaded PCV conjugated with alkyne-modified PEG-folic acid ligands prepared via click ligation (fP-PCVPTX) has enhanced potency against folate receptor (FR)-positive SKOV-3 ovarian tumour cells over FR-negative A549 lung tumour cells. Moreover, fP-PCVPTX is also four times more potent than the non-targeting PCVPTX platform towards SKOV-3 cells. Overall, as a delivery platform the PCVs have the potential to enhance efficacy of anticancer drugs by targeting a chemotherapeutic payload specifically to tumours and triggering the release of the encapsulated drug in the vicinity of cancer cells.
Crucial roles of XCR1-expressing dendritic cells and the XCR1-XCL1 chemokine axis in intestinal immune homeostasis
Authors: Ohta Tomokazu , Sugiyama Masanaka , Hemmi Hiroaki , Yamazaki Chihiro , Okura Soichiro , Sasaki Izumi , Fukuda Yuri , Orimo Takashi , Ishii Ken J. , Hoshino Katsuaki , Ginhoux Florent , Kaisho Tsuneyasu 
Published: March 2016

AbstractIntestinal immune homeostasis requires dynamic crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune cells. Dendritic cells (DCs) exist as multiple phenotypically and functionally distinct sub-populations within tissues, where they initiate immune responses and promote homeostasis. In the gut, there exists a minor DC subset defined as CD103+CD11b− that also expresses the chemokine receptor XCR1. In other tissues, XCR1+ DCs cross-present antigen and contribute to immunity against viruses and cancer, however the roles of XCR1+ DCs and XCR1 in the intestine are unknown. We showed that mice lacking XCR1+ DCs are specifically deficient in intraepithelial and lamina propria (LP) T cell populations, with remaining T cells exhibiting an atypical phenotype and being prone to death and are also more susceptible to chemically-induced colitis. Mice deficient in either XCR1 or its ligand, XCL1, similarly possess diminished intestinal T cell populations and an accumulation of XCR1+ DCs in the gut. Combined with transcriptome and surface marker expression analysis, these observations lead us to hypothesise that T cell-derived XCL1 facilitates intestinal XCR1+ DC activation and migration and that XCR1+ DCs in turn provide support for T cell survival and function. Thus XCR1+ DCs and the XCR1/XCL1 chemokine axis have previously-unappreciated roles in intestinal immune homeostasis.
Ingestion of Bt corn pollen containing Cry1Ab/2Aj or Cry1Ac does not harm Propylea japonica larvae
Authors: Liu Yanmin , Liu Qingsong , Wang Yanan , Chen Xiuping , Song Xinyuan , Romeis Jörg , Li Yunhe , Peng Yufa 
Published: March 2016

AbstractPropylea japonica(Thunberg) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a prevalent pollen consumer in corn fields and is therefore exposed to insecticidal proteins contained in the pollen of insect-resistant transgenic corn cultivars expressing Cry proteins derived fromBacillus thuringiensis(Bt). In the present study, the potential effect of Cry1Ab/2Aj- or Cry1Ac-containing transgenicBtcorn pollen on the fitness ofP. japonicalarvae was evaluated. The results show that the larval developmental time was significantly shorter whenP. japonicalarvae were fed pollen fromBtcorn cultivars rather than control pollen but that pupation rate, eclosion rate, and adult fresh weight were not significantly affected. In the feeding experiments, the stability of the Cry proteins in the food sources was confirmed. WhenBtcorn pollen passed through the gut ofP. japonica, 23% of Cry1Ab/2Aj was digested. The results demonstrate that consumption ofBtcorn pollen containing Cry1Ab/2Aj or Cry1Ac has no detrimental effect onP. japonicalarvae; the shortened developmental time of larvae that consumed these proteins was likely attributable to unknown differences in the nutritional composition between theBt-transgenic and control corn pollen.
The chemosensory receptors of codling moth Cydia pomonella–expression in larvae and adults
Authors: Walker William B. , Gonzalez Francisco , Garczynski Stephen F. , Witzgall Peter 
Published: March 2016

AbstractOlfaction and gustation play critical roles in the life history of insects, mediating vital behaviors such as food, mate and host seeking. Chemosensory receptor proteins, including odorant receptors (ORs), gustatory receptors (GRs) and ionotropic receptors (IRs) function to interface the insect with its chemical environment. Codling moth, Cydia pomonella, is a worldwide pest of apple, pear and walnut and behavior-modifying semiochemicals are used for environmentally safe control. We produced an Illumina-based transcriptome from antennae of males and females as well as neonate head tissue, affording a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the codling moth chemosensory receptor repertoire. We identified 58 ORs, 20 GRs and 21 IRs and provide a revised nomenclature that is consistent with homologous sequences in related species. Importantly, we have identified several OR transcripts displaying sex-biased expression in adults, as well as larval-enriched transcripts. Our analyses have expanded annotations of the chemosensory receptor gene families and provide first-time transcript abundance estimates for codling moth. The results presented here provide a strong foundation for future work on codling moth behavioral physiology and ecology at the molecular level and may lead to the development of more precise biorational control strategies.
Miniature Compressive Ultra-spectral Imaging System Utilizing a Single Liquid Crystal Phase Retarder
Authors: August Isaac , Oiknine Yaniv , AbuLeil Marwan , Abdulhalim Ibrahim , Stern Adrian 
Published: March 2016

AbstractSpectroscopic imaging has been proved to be an effective tool for many applications in a variety of fields, such as biology, medicine, agriculture, remote sensing and industrial process inspection. However, due to the demand for high spectral and spatial resolution it became extremely challenging to design and implement such systems in a miniaturized and cost effective manner. Using a Compressive Sensing (CS) setup based on a single variable Liquid Crystal (LC) retarder and a sensor array, we present an innovative Miniature Ultra-Spectral Imaging (MUSI) system. The LC retarder acts as a compact wide band spectral modulator. Within the framework of CS, a sequence of spectrally modulated images is used to recover ultra-spectral image cubes. Using the presented compressive MUSI system, we demonstrate the reconstruction of gigapixel spatio-spectral image cubes from spectral scanning shots numbering an order of magnitude less than would be required using conventional systems.
Weak, Quiet Magnetic Fields Seen in the Venus Atmosphere
Authors: Zhang T. L. , Baumjohann W. , Russell C. T. , Luhmann J. G. , Xiao S. D. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe existence of a strong internal magnetic field allows probing of the interior through both long term changes of and short period fluctuations in that magnetic field. Venus, while Earth’s twin in many ways, lacks such a strong intrinsic magnetic field, but perhaps short period fluctuations can still be used to probe the electrical conductivity of the interior. Toward the end of the Venus Express mission, an aerobraking campaign took the spacecraft below the ionosphere into the very weakly electrically conducting atmosphere. As the spacecraft descended from 150 to 140 km altitude, the magnetic field became weaker on average and less noisy. Below 140 km, the median field strength became steady but the short period fluctuations continued to weaken. The weakness of the fluctuations indicates they might not be useful for electromagnetic sounding of the atmosphere from a high altitude platform such as a plane or balloon, but possibly could be attempted on a lander.