bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of stoichiometry on the transport properties of crystalline phase-change materials
Authors: Zhang Wei , Wuttig Matthias , Mazzarello Riccardo 
Published: September 2015

AbstractIt has recently been shown that a metal-insulator transition due to disorder occurs in the crystalline state of the GeSb2Te4 phase-change compound. The transition is triggered by the ordering of the vacancies upon thermal annealing. In this work, we investigate the localization properties of the electronic states in selected crystalline (GeTe)x-(Sb2Te3)y compounds with varying GeTe content by large-scale density functional theory simulations. In our models, we also include excess vacancies, which are needed to account for the large carrier concentrations determined experimentally. We show that the models containing a high concentration of stoichiometric vacancies possess states at the Fermi energy localized inside vacancy clusters, as occurs for GeSb2Te4. On the other hand, the GeTe-rich models display metallic behavior, which stems from two facts: a) the tail of localized states shrinks due to the low probability of having sizable vacancy clusters, b) the excess vacancies shift the Fermi energy to the region of extended states. Hence, a stoichiometry-controlled metal-insulator transition occurs. In addition, we show that the localization properties obtained by scalar-relativistic calculations with gradient-corrected functionals are unaffected by the inclusion of spin-orbit coupling or the use of hybrid functionals.
Self-organization of waves and pulse trains by molecular motors in cellular protrusions
Authors: Yochelis A. , Ebrahim S. , Millis B. , Cui R. , Kachar B. , Naoz M. , Gov N. S. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractActin-based cellular protrusions are an ubiquitous feature of cells, performing a variety of critical functions ranging from cell-cell communication to cell motility. The formation and maintenance of these protrusions relies on the transport of proteins via myosin motors, to the protrusion tip. While tip-directed motion leads to accumulation of motors (and their molecular cargo) at the protrusion tip, it is observed that motors also form rearward moving, periodic and isolated aggregates. The origins and mechanisms of these aggregates and whether they are important for the recycling of motors, remain open puzzles. Motivated by novel myosin-XV experiments, a mass conserving reaction-diffusion-advection model is proposed. The model incorporates a non-linear cooperative interaction between motors, which converts them between an active and an inactive state. Specifically, the type of aggregate formed (traveling waves or pulse-trains) is linked to the kinetics of motors at the protrusion tip which is introduced by a boundary condition. These pattern selection mechanisms are found not only to qualitatively agree with empirical observations but open new vistas to the transport phenomena by molecular motors in general.
High-performance multi-functional reverse osmosis membranes obtained by carbon nanotube·polyamide nanocomposite
Authors: Inukai Shigeki , Cruz-Silva Rodolfo , Ortiz-Medina Josue , Morelos-Gomez Aaron , Takeuchi Kenji , Hayashi Takuya , Tanioka Akihiko , Araki Takumi , Tejima Syogo , Noguchi Toru , Terrones Mauricio , Endo Morinobu 
Published: September 2015

AbstractClean water obtained by desalinating sea water or by purifying wastewater, constitutes a major technological objective in the so-called water century. In this work, a high-performance reverse osmosis (RO) composite thin membrane using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and aromatic polyamide (PA), was successfully prepared by interfacial polymerization. The effect of MWCNT on the chlorine resistance, antifouling and desalination performances of the nanocomposite membranes were studied. We found that a suitable amount of MWCNT in PA, 15.5 wt.%, not only improves the membrane performance in terms of flow and antifouling, but also inhibits the chlorine degradation on these membranes. Therefore, the present results clearly establish a solid foundation towards more efficient large-scale water desalination and other water treatment processes.
Mixed gaits in small avian terrestrial locomotion
Authors: Andrada Emanuel , Haase Daniel , Sutedja Yefta , Nyakatura John A. , M. Kilbourne Brandon , Denzler Joachim , Fischer Martin S. , Blickhan Reinhard 
Published: September 2015

AbstractScientists have historically categorized gaits discretely (e.g. regular gaits such as walking, running). However, previous results suggest that animals such as birds might mix or regularly or stochastically switch between gaits while maintaining a steady locomotor speed. Here, we combined a novel and completely automated large-scale study (over one million frames) on motions of the center of mass in several bird species (quail, oystercatcher, northern lapwing, pigeon and avocet) with numerical simulations. The birds studied do not strictly prefer walking mechanics at lower speeds or running mechanics at higher speeds. Moreover, our results clearly display that the birds in our study employ mixed gaits (such as one step walking followed by one step using running mechanics) more often than walking and, surprisingly, maybe as often as grounded running. Using a bio-inspired model based on parameters obtained from real quails, we found two types of stable mixed gaits. In the first, both legs exhibit different gait mechanics, whereas in the second, legs gradually alternate from one gait mechanics into the other. Interestingly, mixed gaits parameters mostly overlap those of grounded running. Thus, perturbations or changes in the state induce a switch from grounded running to mixed gaits or vice versa.
Establishment of immunoassay for detecting HPV16 E6 and E7 RNA
Authors: Ding Sen , Qian Steven Y. , Zhang Yang , Wu Wenlei , Lu Gensheng , Lu Yan , Feng Xiujing , Li Li , Shen Pingping 
Published: September 2015

AbstractCervical carcinoma is the most prevalent malignancy second only to breast cancer among women worldwide. Since more than 99% of cervical cancers are caused by human papilloma virus (HPV), measurement of HPV (HPV test) was commonly used in screening risk and/or early stage of cervical cancer as well as assessing the efficacies of the treatments that can decrease the incidence of cervical cancer. Many approaches that diagnose HPV infections have been developed, while most of them have distinct shortcomings. We here established a novel immunoassay method in which the pairs of unlabeled DNA probes firstly bind to HPV16 E6 and E7 RNAs to form the DNA-RNA hybrids and the hybrids will subsequently be identified by S9.6 antibody. The sensitivity of this highly specific method can reach ~0.923 pg/mL and ~0.424 pg/mL of in vitro transcribed HPV16 E6 and E7 RNA, respectively and reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification were no longer needed. Thus, our immunoassay approaches can precisely reflect the actually viral load that is related to the course of HPV infection. In addition, it has also fast and low cost characteristic feature.
Aphid-induced Defences in Chilli Affect Preferences of the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)
Authors: Saad Khalid A. , Mohamad Roff M. N. , Hallett Rebecca H. , Idris A. B. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe sweetpotato whitefly (WF),Bemisia tabaci, is a major pest that damages a wide range of vegetable crops in Malaysia. WF infestation is influenced by a variety of factors, including previous infestation of the host plant by other insect pests. This study investigated the effects of previous infestation of host chilli plants by the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) on the olfactory behavioural response ofB. tabaci, using free-choice bioassay with a Y-tube olfactometer. We analysed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by non-infested andM. persicae-infested chilli plants using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Our results showed that female WFs preferred non-infested to pre-infested plants. Collection and analysis of volatile compounds emitted by infested plants confirmed that there were significant increases in the production of monoterpenes (cymene; 1,8-cineole), sesquiterpenes (β–cadinene, α-copaene) and methyl salicylate (MeSA) compared to non-infested plants. Our results suggest that host plant infestation by aphids may induce production of secondary metabolites that deterB. tabacifrom settling on its host plants. These results provide important information for understanding WF host selection and dispersal among crops and also for manipulating WF behaviour to improve IPM in chilli.
Symmetry issues in the hybridization of multi-mode waves with resonators: an example with Lamb waves metamaterial
Authors: Rupin Matthieu , Roux Philippe , Lerosey Geoffroy , Lemoult Fabrice 
Published: September 2015

AbstractLocally resonant metamaterials derive their effective properties from hybridization between their resonant unit cells and the incoming wave. This phenomenon is well understood in the case of plane waves that propagate in media where the unit cell respects the symmetry of the incident field. However, in many systems, several modes with orthogonal symmetries can coexist at a given frequency, while the resonant unit cells themselves can have asymmetric scattering cross-sections. In this paper we are interested in the influence of symmetry breaking on the hybridization of a wave field that includes multiple propagative modes. The A0 and S0 Lamb waves that propagate in a thin plate are good candidates for this study, as they are either anti-symmetric or symmetric. First we designed an experimental setup with an asymmetric metamaterial made of long rods glued to one side of a metallic plate. We show that the flexural resonances of the rods induce a break of the orthogonality between the A0/S0 modes of the free-plate. Finally, based on numerical simulations we show that the orthogonality is preserved in the case of a symmetric metamaterial leading to the presence of two independent polariton curves in the dispersion relation.
Tailoring optical complex field with spiral blade plasmonic vortex lens
Authors: Rui Guanghao , Zhan Qiwen , Cui Yiping 
Published: September 2015

AbstractOptical complex fields have attracted increasing interests because of the novel effects and phenomena arising from the spatially inhomogeneous state of polarizations and optical singularities of the light beam. In this work, we propose a spiral blade plasmonic vortex lens (SBPVL) that offers unique opportunities to manipulate these novel fields. The strong interaction between the SBPVL and the optical complex fields enable the synthesis of highly tunable plasmonic vortex. Through theoretical derivations and numerical simulations we demonstrated that the characteristics of the plasmonic vortex are determined by the angular momentum (AM) of the light and the geometrical topological charge of the SBPVL, which is govern by the nonlinear superposition of the pitch and the number of blade element. In addition, it is also shown that by adjusting the geometric parameters, SBPVL can be utilized to focus and manipulate optical complex field with fractional AM. This miniature plasmonic device may find potential applications in optical trapping, optical data storage and many other related fields.
CRISPR/Cas9 nickase-mediated disruption of hepatitis B virus open reading frame S and X
Authors: Karimova Madina , Beschorner Niklas , Dammermann Werner , Chemnitz Jan , Indenbirken Daniela , Bockmann Jan-Hendrik , Grundhoff Adam , Lüth Stefan , Buchholz Frank , Wiesch Julian Schulze zur , Hauber Joachim 
Published: September 2015

AbstractCurrent antiviral therapies cannot cure hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection; successful HBV eradication would require inactivation of the viral genome, which primarily persists in host cells as episomal covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and, to a lesser extent, as chromosomally integrated sequences. However, novel designer enzymes, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 RNA-guided nuclease system, provide technologies for developing advanced therapy strategies that could directly attack the HBV genome. For therapeutic application in humans, such designer nucleases should recognize various HBV genotypes and cause minimal off-target effects. Here, we identified cross-genotype conserved HBV sequences in the S and X region of the HBV genome that were targeted for specific and effective cleavage by a Cas9 nickase. This approach disrupted not only episomal cccDNA and chromosomally integrated HBV target sites in reporter cell lines, but also HBV replication in chronically and de novo infected hepatoma cell lines. Our data demonstrate the feasibility of using the CRISPR/Cas9 nickase system for novel therapy strategies aiming to cure HBV infection.
Electrically Tunable and Negative Schottky Barriers in Multi-layered Graphene/MoS2 Heterostructured Transistors
Authors: Qiu Dongri , Kim Eun Kyu 
Published: September 2015

AbstractWe fabricated multi-layered graphene/MoS2heterostructured devices by positioning mechanically exfoliated bulk graphite and single-crystalline 2H-MoS2onto Au metal pads on a SiO2/Si substrateviaa contamination-free dry transfer technique. We also studied the electrical transport properties of Au/MoS2junction devices for systematic comparison. A previous work has demonstrated the existence of a positive Schottky barrier height (SBH) in the metal/MoS2system. However, analysis of the SBH indicates that the contacts of the multi-layered graphene/MoS2have tunable negative barriers in the range of 300 to −46 meV as a function of gate voltage. It is hypothesized that this tunable SBH is responsible for the modulation of the work function of the thick graphene in these devices. Despite the large number of graphene layers, it is possible to form ohmic contacts, which will provide new opportunities for the engineering of highly efficient contacts in flexible electronics and photonics.
Assembling strategy to synthesize palladium modified kaolin nanocomposites with different morphologies
Authors: Li Xiaoyu , Ouyang Jing , Zhou Yonghua , Yang Huaming 
Published: September 2015

AbstractNanocomposites of aluminosilicate minerals, kaolins (kaolinite and halloysite) with natural different morphologies assembling with palladium (Pd) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized through strong electrostatic adsorption and chemical bonding after surface modification with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES). Meanwhile, the influence of different morphologies supports on catalytic hydrogenation properties was explored. The surface concentration of amino groups on the kaolins was related to the morphology and surface nature. Electronmicroscopy revealed that the monodisperse Pd nanoparticles were uniformly deposited onto the surface of kaolins, ranging in diameter from 0.5 nm to 5.5 nm. The functional groups could not only improve the dispersion of kaolins with different morphologies in solution, but also enhance the interaction between Pd precursors and kaolins, thus preventing small Pd nanoparticles from agglomerating and leading to high activity for the catalytic hydrogenation of styrene. Pd-FK@APTES was more active compared to other samples. Selecting the kaolin morphology with a different surface nature allows the selective surface modification of a larger fraction of the reactive facets on which the active sites can be enriched and tuned. This desirable surface coordination of catalytically active atoms could substantially improve catalytic activity.
Genetic association of RIT2 rs12456492 polymorphism and Parkinson’s disease susceptibility in Asian populations: a meta-analysis
Authors: Lu Yanjun , Liu Wei , Tan Kun , Peng Jing , Zhu Yaowu , Wang Xiong 
Published: September 2015

AbstractRecent studies investigating the association of the Ras-like without CAAX 2 (RIT2) polymorphism, rs12456492, with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are controversial. We performed a meta-analysis to study the association between rs12456492 and PD susceptibility in Asian populations. Literature searches of PubMed and Embase were performed up to June 3, 2015 and the strength of the association between rs12456492 and PD was evaluated by odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Four studies conducted between 2013 and 2015, comprising 2017 PD cases and 2010 controls, were included in the meta-analysis. Significant association of rs12456492 with PD was found in the dominant (GG + AG vs. AA: OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.20–1.44, P = 0.00) and additive models (GG vs. AA: OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.03–1.83, P = 0.030). Although sensitivity analysis found that the overall result was stable only in the dominant genetic model, a publication bias was also detected. Therefore, the results should be treated with caution. The current meta-analysis suggested that rs12456492 might be associated with increased PD risk in Asian populations, but studies using larger sample sizes and different ethnic populations will be needed to further confirm this association.
Multi-wavelength emission through self-induced second-order wave-mixing processes from a Nd3+ doped crystalline powder random laser
Authors: Moura André L. , Jerez Vladimir , Maia Lauro J. Q. , Gomes Anderson S. L. , de Araújo Cid B. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractRandom lasers (RLs) based on neodymium ions (Nd3+) doped crystalline powders rely on multiple light scattering to sustain laser oscillation. Although Stokes and anti-Stokes Nd3+ RLs have been demonstrated, the optical gain obtained up to now was possibly not large enough to produce self-frequency conversion. Here we demonstrate self-frequency upconversion from Nd3+ doped YAl3(BO3)4 monocrystals excited at 806 nm, in resonance with the Nd3+ transition 4I9/2 → 4F5/2. Besides the observation of the RL emission at 1062 nm, self-converted second-harmonic at 531 nm and self-sum-frequency generated emission at 459 nm due to the RL and the excitation laser at 806 nm, are reported. Additionally, second-harmonic of the excitation laser at 403 nm was generated. These results exemplify the first multi-wavelength source of radiation owing to nonlinear optical effect in a Nd3+ doped crystalline powder RL. Contrary to the RLs based on dyes, this multi-wavelength light source can be used in photonic devices due to the large durability of the gain medium.
Brain Transcriptional Profiles of Male Alternative Reproductive Tactics and Females in Bluegill Sunfish
Authors: Partridge Charlyn G. , MacManes Matthew D. , Knapp Rosemary , Neff Bryan D. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractBluegill sunfish are one of the classic systems for studying male alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) in teleost fishes. In this species, there are two distinct life histories: parental and cuckolder, encompassing three reproductive tactics, parental, satellite, and sneaker. The parental life history is fixed, whereas individuals who enter the cuckolder life history transition from the sneaker to the satellite tactic as they grow. For this study, we used RNAseq to characterize the brain transcriptome of the three male tactics and females during spawning to identify gene categories associated with each tactic and identify potential candidate genes influencing their different spawning behaviors. We found that sneaker males had higher levels of gene differentiation compared to the other two male tactics. Sneaker males also had high expression in ionotropic glutamate receptor genes, specifically AMPA receptors, which may be important for increased working spatial memory while attempting to cuckold parental males at their nests. Larger differences in gene expression also occurred among male tactics than between males and females. We found significant expression differences in several candidate genes that were previously identified in other species with ARTs and suggest a previously undescribed role for cAMP-responsive element modulator (crem) in influencing parental male behaviors during spawning.
U.S. oil company stock returns and currency fluctuations
Authors: Mollick Andre , Nguyen Khoa H 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this is paper is to pay a closer look at the 2008-2009 financial crisis (and its aftermath) and analyzes stock returns of nine major US oil companies as well as the oil and gas sector under daily data from January 1992 to April 2012.

Design/methodology/approach
– The authors adopt the arbitrage pricing theory model to examine the relationship between stock returns and their influences including oil price return, yield spreads, and US dollar index return. The authors also provide a test for structural changes in each regression model of return series to capture for multiple breaks. To examine the asymmetric effect of oil price returns on stock returns, the authors separate oil price returns series into two series: positive changes in oil price and negative changes in oil price.

Findings
– The authors find stock returns of oil companies as well as the oil and gas sector are positively affected by oil prices and have stronger effects in the downward direction. Interestingly, The authors find the effects of oil price movements on stock returns increase over time. The authors examine the possibility that investors wishing to hedge against a weakening USD invest in US oil companies and find that more than half of these companies benefit from a weaker USD against the JPY, while all strongly benefit from a weaker USD against major currencies.

Originality/value
– The authors employ daily data for two-decade period including the last global financial crisis. Due to the long-term period covered in this study, sequential Bai-Perron tests are used to detect structural breaks of stock return series. In addition, the data-dependent procedures result in good specifications throughout with white-noise processes in almost all cases.
The effects of reward system on bank credit losses – an agent-based model
Authors: Jonsson Sara 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the design of loan officer reward systems affects bank credit losses caused by commercial clients.Design/methodology/approach– This paper uses an agent-based model to investigate how the design of reward systems affects bank credit losses. Two different systems are compared: competitive and a cooperative. The model is designed according to the theoretically derived assumption that a cooperative reward system will make agents more likely to share knowledge with each other in the processes of granting and monitoring credit.Findings– The results show that a cooperative reward system have potential to reduce bank credit losses. The reduction of errors in evaluating company’s probability of default thus mitigates variations induced by variations in industry, region, and firm-specific returns.Practical implications– The findings imply that reward system design should be considered in credit risk management. Further, managerial issues (e.g. reward systems) should be considered in risk modeling.Originality/value– The results presented in this paper provide evidence to the value of considering the downside (e.g. loss) when designing reward systems in banks.