The Magnitude of Trial-By-Trial Neural Variability Is Reproducible over Time and across Tasks in Humans.

PubMed

Arazi, Ayelet; Gonen-Yaacovi, Gil; Dinstein, Ilan

2017-01-01

Numerous studies have shown that neural activity in sensory cortices is remarkably variable over time and across trials even when subjects are presented with an identical repeating stimulus or task. This trial-by-trial neural variability is relatively large in the prestimulus period and considerably smaller (quenched) following stimulus presentation. Previous studies have suggested that the magnitude of neural variability affects behavior such that perceptual performance is better on trials and in individuals where variability quenching is larger. To what degree are neural variability magnitudes of individual subjects flexible or static? Here, we used EEG recordings from adult humans to demonstrate that neural variability magnitudes in visual cortex are remarkably consistent across different tasks and recording sessions. While magnitudes of neural variability differed dramatically across individual subjects, they were surprisingly stable across four tasks with different stimuli, temporal structures, and attentional/cognitive demands as well as across experimental sessions separated by one year. These experiments reveal that, in adults, neural variability magnitudes are mostly solidified individual characteristics that change little with task or time, and are likely to predispose individual subjects to exhibit distinct behavioral capabilities.

Waterborne Polyurethane Coatings with Covalently Linked Black Dye Sudan Black B

PubMed Central

Sun, Wei; Xu, Haiyan; Xu, Fei

2017-01-01

Colored waterborne polyurethanes have been widely used in paintings, leathers, textiles, and coatings. Here, a series of black waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) with different ratios of black dye, Sudan Black B (SDB), were prepared by step-growth polymerization. WPU emulsions as obtained exhibit low particle sizes and remarkable storage stability at the same time. At different dye loadings, essential structural, statistical and thermal properties are characterized. FTIR (fourier transform infrared) spectra indicate that SDB is covalently linked into waterborne polyurethane chains. All of the WPUs with covalently linked SDB show better color fastness and resistance of thermal migration than those with SDB mixed physically. Besides, WPUs incorporated SDB covalently with different polymeric diols, polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMG), polypropylene glycol (PPG), poly-1, 4-butylene adipate glycol (PBA) and polycaprolactone glycol (PCL), were prepared to obtain different properties to cater to a variety of practical demands. By a spraying method, the black WPUs can be directly used as metal coatings without complex dyeing process by simply mixing coating additive and other waterborne resins, which exhibit excellent coating performance. PMID:29143785

Dynamical Scaling Implications of Ferrari, Prähofer, and Spohn's Remarkable Spatial Scaling Results for Facet-Edge Fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Einstein, T. L.; Pimpinelli, Alberto

2014-06-01

Spurred by theoretical predictions from Ferrari et al. (Phys Rev E 69:035102(R), 2004), we rederived and extended their result heuristically. With experimental colleagues we used STM line scans to corroborate their prediction that the fluctuations of the step bounding a facet exhibit scaling properties distinct from those of isolated steps or steps on vicinal surfaces. The correlation functions was shown to go as , decidedly different from the behavior for fluctuations of isolated steps.

Cyclic alkyl amino carbene (CAAC) ruthenium complexes as remarkably active catalysts for ethenolysis

DOE PAGES

Marx, Vanessa M.; Sullivan, Alexandra H.; Melaimi, Mohand; ...

2014-12-17

In this paper, an expanded family of ruthenium-based metathesis catalysts bearing cyclic alkyl amino carbene (CAAC) ligands was prepared. These catalysts exhibited exceptional activity in the ethenolysis of the seed-oil derivative methyl oleate. In many cases, catalyst turnover numbers (TONs) of more than 100,000 were achieved, at a catalyst loading of only 3 ppm. Remarkably, the most active catalyst system was able to achieve a TON of 340 000, at a catalyst loading of only 1 ppm. Finally, this is the first time a series of metathesis catalysts has exhibited such high performance in cross-metathesis reactions employing ethylene gas, withmore » activities sufficient to render ethenolysis applicable to the industrial-scale production of linear α-olefins (LAOs) and other terminal-olefin products.« less

A highly-active and poison-tolerant Pt12 sub-nanocluster catalyst for the reductive amination of aldehydes with amines.

PubMed

Takahashi, Masaki; Imaoka, Takane; Hongo, Yushi; Yamamoto, Kimihisa

2013-12-07

A one-atom controlled platinum sub-nanocluster (under 1 nm) was synthesized using a phenylazomethine dendrimer template. This sub-nanocluster (SNC) catalyst exhibits a remarkable catalytic activity during reductive amination compared to the standard platinum nanoparticles of 2.2 ± 0.8 nm under mild conditions and a low catalyst loading. In addition, this catalyst has a remarkable poison-tolerance to amines without adding protic acid.

Synthesis and Supercapacitor Performance of Polyaniline/Nitrogen-Doped Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Kangjun; Zhang, Manman; Yang, Yang; Zhao, Long; Qi, Wei

2018-05-01

The electrochemical property of ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) can be changed significantly due to the incorporating of electron-donating heteroatoms into OMC. Here, we demonstrate the successful fabrication of nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon (NOMC) materials to be used as carbon substrates for loading polyaniline (PANI) by in situ polymerization. Compared with NOMC, the PANI/NOMC prepared with a different mass ratio of PANI and NOMC exhibits remarkably higher electrochemical specific capacitance. In a typical three-electrode configuration, the hybrid has a specific capacitance about 276.1 F/g at 0.2 A/g with a specific energy density about 38.4 Wh/kg. What is more, the energy density decreases very slowly with power density increasing, which is a different phenomenon from other reports. PANI/NOMC materials exhibit good rate performance and long cycle stability in alkaline electrolyte ( 80% after 5000 cycles). The fabrication of PANI/NOMC with enhanced electrochemical properties provides a feasible route for promoting its applications in supercapacitors.

A systematical rheological study of polysaccharide from Sophora alopecuroides L. seeds.

PubMed

Wu, Yan; Guo, Rui; Cao, Nannan; Sun, Xiangjun; Sui, Zhongquan; Guo, Qingbin

2018-01-15

The rheological properties of polysaccharide (SAP) from Sophora alopecuroides L. seeds were systematically investigated by fitting different models. The steady flow testing indicated that SAP exhibited shear-thinning behaviors, which were enhanced with increasing concentration and decreasing temperature. This was demonstrated quantitatively by Williamson and Arrhenius models. According to the generalized Morris equation, SAP exhibited random coil conformation with the potential to form weak gel-like network. On the other hand, multiple results of dynamic tests confirmed the viscoelastic properties of SAP, showing oscillatory behaviors between a dilute solution and an elastic gel. Furthermore, SAP solutions were thermorheologically stable without remarkable energetic interactions or structural heterogeneity, since their rheological patterns were successfully applied to Time-temperature superposition (TTS) principle, modified Cole-Cole analysis and Cox-Merz rule. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer cell death induced by the intracellular self-assembly of an enzyme-responsive supramolecular gelator.

PubMed

Tanaka, Akiko; Fukuoka, Yuki; Morimoto, Yuka; Honjo, Takafumi; Koda, Daisuke; Goto, Masahiro; Maruyama, Tatsuo

2015-01-21

We report cancer cell death initiated by the intracellular molecular self-assembly of a peptide lipid, which was derived from a gelator precursor. The gelator precursor was designed to form nanofibers via molecular self-assembly, after cleavage by a cancer-related enzyme (matrix metalloproteinase-7, MMP-7), leading to hydrogelation. The gelator precursor exhibited remarkable cytotoxicity to five different cancer cell lines, while the precursor exhibited low cytotoxicity to normal cells. Cancer cells secrete excessive amounts of MMP-7, which converted the precursor into a supramolecular gelator prior to its uptake by the cells. Once inside the cells, the supramolecular gelator formed a gel via molecular self-assembly, exerting vital stress on the cancer cells. The present study thus describes a new drug where molecular self-assembly acts as the mechanism of cytotoxicity.

Honeycomb-like Porous Carbon-Cobalt Oxide Nanocomposite for High-Performance Enzymeless Glucose Sensor and Supercapacitor Applications.

PubMed

Madhu, Rajesh; Veeramani, Vediyappan; Chen, Shen-Ming; Manikandan, Arumugam; Lo, An-Ya; Chueh, Yu-Lun

2015-07-29

Herein, we report the preparation of Pongam seed shells-derived activated carbon and cobalt oxide (∼2-10 nm) nanocomposite (PSAC/Co3O4) by using a general and facile synthesis strategy. The as-synthesized PSAC/Co3O4 samples were characterized by a variety of physicochemical techniques. The PSAC/Co3O4-modified electrode is employed in two different applications such as high performance nonenzymatic glucose sensor and supercapacitor. Remarkably, the fabricated glucose sensor is exhibited an ultrahigh sensitivity of 34.2 mA mM(-1) cm(-2) with a very low detection limit (21 nM) and long-term durability. The PSAC/Co3O4 modified stainless steel electrode possesses an appreciable specific capacitance and remarkable long-term cycling stability. The obtained results suggest the as-synthesized PSAC/Co3O4 is more suitable for the nonenzymatic glucose sensor and supercapacitor applications outperforming the related carbon based modified electrodes, rendering practical industrial applications.

Remarkable antiagglomeration effect of a yeast biosurfactant, diacylmannosylerythritol, on ice-water slurry for cold thermal storage.

PubMed

Kitamoto, D; Yanagishita, H; Endo, A; Nakaiwa, M; Nakane, T; Akiya, T

2001-01-01

Antiagglomeration effects of different surfactants on ice slurry formation were examined to improve the efficiency of an ice-water slurry system to be used for cold thermal storage. Among the chemical surfactants tested, a nonionic surfactant, poly(oxyethylene) sorbitan dioleate, was found to show a greater antiagglomeration effect on the slurry than anionic, cationic, or amphoteric surfactants. More interestingly, diacylmannosylerythritol, a glycolipid biosurfactant produced by a yeast strain of Candida antarctica, exhibited a remarkable effect on the slurry, attaining a high ice packing factor (35%) for 8 h at a biosurfactant concentration of 10 mg/L. These nonionic glycolipid surfactants are likely to effectively adsorb on the ice surface in a highly regulated manner to suppress the agglomeration or growth of the ice particles. This is the first report on the utilization of biosurfactant for thermal energy storage, which may significantly expand the commercial applications of the highly environmentally friendly slurry system.

Bacterial Molecular Signals in the Sinorhizobium fredii-Soybean Symbiosis

PubMed Central

López-Baena, Francisco J.; Ruiz-Sainz, José E.; Rodríguez-Carvajal, Miguel A.; Vinardell, José M.

2016-01-01

Sinorhizobium (Ensifer) fredii (S. fredii) is a rhizobial species exhibiting a remarkably broad nodulation host-range. Thus, S. fredii is able to effectively nodulate dozens of different legumes, including plants forming determinate nodules, such as the important crops soybean and cowpea, and plants forming indeterminate nodules, such as Glycyrrhiza uralensis and pigeon-pea. This capacity of adaptation to different symbioses makes the study of the molecular signals produced by S. fredii strains of increasing interest since it allows the analysis of their symbiotic role in different types of nodule. In this review, we analyze in depth different S. fredii molecules that act as signals in symbiosis, including nodulation factors, different surface polysaccharides (exopolysaccharides, lipopolysaccharides, cyclic glucans, and K-antigen capsular polysaccharides), and effectors delivered to the interior of the host cells through a symbiotic type 3 secretion system. PMID:27213334

The diverse density profiles of galaxy clusters with self-interacting dark matter plus baryons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Andrew; Massey, Richard; Eke, Vincent; Tulin, Sean; Yu, Hai-Bo; Bahé, Yannick; Barnes, David J.; Bower, Richard G.; Crain, Robert A.; Dalla Vecchia, Claudio; Kay, Scott T.; Schaller, Matthieu; Schaye, Joop

2018-05-01

We present the first simulated galaxy clusters (M200 > 1014 M⊙) with both self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) and baryonic physics. They exhibit a greater diversity in both dark matter and stellar density profiles than their counterparts in simulations with collisionless dark matter (CDM), which is generated by the complex interplay between dark matter self-interactions and baryonic physics. Despite variations in formation history, we demonstrate that analytical Jeans modelling predicts the SIDM density profiles remarkably well, and the diverse properties of the haloes can be understood in terms of their different final baryon distributions.

Investigation into chromophore excited-state coupling in allophycocyanin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xiguang; Zhao, Fuli; Wang, He Z.; Gao, Zhaolan; Yu, Zhenxin; Zhu, Jinchang; Xia, Andong; Jiang, Lijin

1994-08-01

Both theoretical and experimental studies are presented on chromophore excited-state coupling in linker-free allophycocyanin (APC), one of the antenna phycobiliproteins in algal photosynthesis. A three-site-coupling model has been introduced to describe the exciton interaction mechanism amoung the excited (beta) chromophore in APC, and the exciton energy splitting is estimated. Picosecond polarized fluorescence experiments both on monomeric and trimeric APC isolated from alga Spirulina platensis have been performed. The experimental results show that APC monomer and trimer exhibit remarkedly different spectropic characteristics, and satisfy the suggestion of strong excited- state coupling among chromophores in APC.

In Situ Analysis of Gas Generation in Lithium-Ion Batteries with Different Carbonate-Based Electrolytes.

PubMed

Teng, Xin; Zhan, Chun; Bai, Ying; Ma, Lu; Liu, Qi; Wu, Chuan; Wu, Feng; Yang, Yusheng; Lu, Jun; Amine, Khalil

2015-10-21

Gas generation in lithium-ion batteries is one of the critical issues limiting their safety performance and lifetime. In this work, a set of 900 mAh pouch cells were applied to systematically compare the composition of gases generated from a serial of carbonate-based composite electrolytes, using a self-designed gas analyzing system. Among electrolytes used in this work, the composite γ-butyrolactone/ethyl methyl carbonate (GBL/EMC) exhibited remarkably less gassing because of the electrochemical stability of the GBL, which makes it a promising electrolyte for battery with advanced safety and lifetime.

Primary Cilia and Dendritic Spines: Different but Similar Signaling Compartments

PubMed Central

Nechipurenko, Inna V.; Doroquez, David B.; Sengupta, Piali

2013-01-01

Primary non-motile cilia and dendritic spines are cellular compartments that are specialized to sense and transduce environmental cues and presynaptic signals, respectively. Despite their unique cellular roles, both compartments exhibit remarkable parallels in the general principles, as well as molecular mechanisms, by which their protein composition, membrane domain architecture, cellular interactions, and structural and functional plasticity are regulated. We compare and contrast the pathways required for the generation and function of cilia and dendritic spines, and suggest that insights from the study of one may inform investigations into the other of these critically important signaling structures. PMID:24048681

NSAI activity study of 4-phenyl-2-thioxo-benzo[4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives.

PubMed

Darias, V; Abdallah, S S; Tello, M L; Delgado, L D; Vega, S

1994-12-01

A series of 4-phenyl-2-thioxo-benzo[4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives endowed with anti-inflammatory and related pharmacological properties were submitted to a more extensive study to know their exact pharmacological profile and their possible side effects. The studied compounds possess a remarkable analgesic activity, devoid of central effects. They also show an interesting anti-inflammatory profile evidenced by their effectiveness in different experimental models of inflammation. In addition, these compounds exhibit none or very little activity on CNS, scarce toxicity and low gastrointestinal aggressivity.

Evaluation of Bacterial Expansin EXLX1 as a Cellulase Synergist for the Saccharification of Lignocellulosic Agro-Industrial Wastes

PubMed Central

Lin, Hui; Shen, Qi; Zhan, Ju-Mei; Wang, Qun; Zhao, Yu-Hua

2013-01-01

Various types of lignocellulosic wastes extensively used in biofuel production were provided to assess the potential of EXLX1 as a cellulase synergist. Enzymatic hydrolysis of natural wheat straw showed that all the treatments using mixtures of cellulase and an optimized amount of EXLX1, released greater quantities of sugars than those using cellulase alone, regardless of cellulase dosage and incubation time. EXLX1 exhibited different synergism and binding characteristics for different wastes, but this can be related to their lignocellulosic components. The cellulose proportion could be one of the important factors. However, when the cellulose proportion of different biomass samples exhibited no remarkable differences, a higher synergism of EXLX1 is prone to occur on these materials, with a high proportion of hemicellulose and a low proportion of lignin. The information could be favorable to assess whether EXLX1 is effective as a cellulase synergist for the hydrolysis of the used materials. Binding assay experiments further suggested that EXLX1 bound preferentially to alkali pretreated materials, as opposed to acid pretreated materials under the assay condition and the binding preference would be affected by incubation temperature. PMID:24086425

Titanium dioxide@polypyrrole core-shell nanowires for all solid-state flexible supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Minghao; Zeng, Yinxiang; Zhang, Chong; Lu, Xihong; Zeng, Chenghui; Yao, Chenzhong; Yang, Yangyi; Tong, Yexiang

2013-10-01

Herein, we developed a facile two-step process to synthesize TiO2@PPy core-shell nanowires (NWs) on carbon cloth and reported their improved electrochemical performance for flexible supercapacitors (SCs). The fabricated solid-state SC device based on TiO2@PPy core-shell NWs not only has excellent flexibility, but also exhibits remarkable electrochemical performance.Herein, we developed a facile two-step process to synthesize TiO2@PPy core-shell nanowires (NWs) on carbon cloth and reported their improved electrochemical performance for flexible supercapacitors (SCs). The fabricated solid-state SC device based on TiO2@PPy core-shell NWs not only has excellent flexibility, but also exhibits remarkable electrochemical performance. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details, XRD pattern, FT-IR absorption spectrum and CV curves of TiO2@PPy NWs, and SEM images of the PPy. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr03578f

Facile and gram-scale synthesis of metal-free catalysts: toward realistic applications for fuel cells.

PubMed

Kim, Ok-Hee; Cho, Yong-Hun; Chung, Dong Young; Kim, Min Jeong; Yoo, Ji Mun; Park, Ji Eun; Choe, Heeman; Sung, Yung-Eun

2015-03-02

Although numerous reports on nonprecious metal catalysts for replacing expensive Pt-based catalysts have been published, few of these studies have demonstrated their practical application in fuel cells. In this work, we report graphitic carbon nitride and carbon nanofiber hybrid materials synthesized by a facile and gram-scale method via liquid-based reactions, without the use of toxic materials or a high pressure-high temperature reactor, for use as fuel cell cathodes. The resulting materials exhibited remarkable methanol tolerance, selectivity, and stability even without a metal dopant. Furthermore, these completely metal-free catalysts exhibited outstanding performance as cathode materials in an actual fuel cell device: a membrane electrode assembly with both acidic and alkaline polymer electrolytes. The fabrication method and remarkable performance of the single cell produced in this study represent progressive steps toward the realistic application of metal-free cathode electrocatalysts in fuel cells.

Facile and Gram-scale Synthesis of Metal-free Catalysts: Toward Realistic Applications for Fuel Cells

PubMed Central

Kim, Ok-Hee; Cho, Yong-Hun; Chung, Dong Young; Kim, Min Jeong; Yoo, Ji Mun; Park, Ji Eun; Choe, Heeman; Sung, Yung-Eun

2015-01-01

Although numerous reports on nonprecious metal catalysts for replacing expensive Pt-based catalysts have been published, few of these studies have demonstrated their practical application in fuel cells. In this work, we report graphitic carbon nitride and carbon nanofiber hybrid materials synthesized by a facile and gram-scale method via liquid-based reactions, without the use of toxic materials or a high pressure-high temperature reactor, for use as fuel cell cathodes. The resulting materials exhibited remarkable methanol tolerance, selectivity, and stability even without a metal dopant. Furthermore, these completely metal-free catalysts exhibited outstanding performance as cathode materials in an actual fuel cell device: a membrane electrode assembly with both acidic and alkaline polymer electrolytes. The fabrication method and remarkable performance of the single cell produced in this study represent progressive steps toward the realistic application of metal-free cathode electrocatalysts in fuel cells. PMID:25728910

Spectrum-enhanced Au@ZnO plasmonic nanoparticles for boosting dye-sensitized solar cell performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qisheng; Wei, Yunwei; Shahid, Malik Zeeshan; Yao, Mingming; Xu, Bo; Liu, Guangning; Jiang, Kejian; Li, Cuncheng

2018-03-01

Spectrum-enhanced Au@ZnO plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) are developed for fabrication of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), and their remarkable enhanced performances are achieved due to Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) effects. When being doped different blended amounts of the Au@ZnO NPs within the photoanode layers, various enhanced effects in the SPR-based DSSCs are exhibited. Compared with the power conversion efficiency (PCE, 7.50%) achieved for bare DSSC, device with doped Au@ZnO NPs of 1.93% delivers the top PCE of 8.91%, exhibiting about 20% enhancement. To elaborate the charge transfer process in the Au@ZnO NPs blended DSSCs, the photoluminescence (PL), electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), etc are performed. We find that both the enhanced SPR absorption properties and the suppressed recombination process of charges contribute much to the improved performance of Au@ZnO-incorporated DSSCs.

Dynamic piezoresistive response of hybrid nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gbaguidi, Audrey; Anees, Muhammad; Namilae, Sirish; Kim, Daewon

2017-04-01

Hybrid nanocomposites with carbon nanotubes and graphitic platelets as fillers are known to exhibit remarkable electrical and mechanical properties with many potential strain and damage sensing applications. In this work, we fabricate hybrid nanocomposites with carbon nanotube sheet and coarse graphite platelets as fillers with epoxy matrix. We then examine the electromechanical behavior of these nanocomposites under dynamic loading. The electrical resistivity responses of the nanocomposites are measured in frequency range of 1 Hz to 50 Hz with different levels of induced strains. Axial cycling loading is applied using a uniaxial electrodynamic shaker, and transverse loading is applied on end-clamped specimen using modified speakers. In addition, a dynamic mechanical analysis of nanocomposite specimen is performed to characterize the thermal and dynamic behavior of the nanocomposite. Our results indicate that these hybrid nanocomposites exhibit a distinct piezoresistive response under a wide range of dynamic loading conditions, which can be beneficial for potential sensing applications.

Estrogen modulates sexually dimorphic contextual fear extinction in rats through estrogen receptor beta.

PubMed

Chang, Yao-Ju; Yang, Chih-Hao; Liang, Ying-Ching; Yeh, Che-Ming; Huang, Chiung-Chun; Hsu, Kuei-Sen

2009-11-01

Females and males are different in brain and behavior. These sex differences occur early during development due to a combination of genetic and hormonal factors and continue throughout the lifespan. Previous studies revealed that male rats exhibited significantly higher levels of contextual fear memory than female rats. However, it remains unknown whether a sex difference exists in the contextual fear extinction. To address this issue, male, normally cycling female, and ovariectomized (OVX) female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to contextual fear conditioning and extinction trials. Here we report that although male rats exhibited higher levels of freezing than cycling female rats after contextual fear conditioning, female rats subjected to conditioning in the proestrus and estrus stage exhibited an enhancement of fear extinction than male rats. An estrogen receptor (ER) beta agonist diarylpropionitrile but not an ERalpha agonist propyl-pyrazole-triol administration also enhanced extinction of contextual fear in OVX female rats, suggesting that estrogen-mediated facilitation of extinction involves the activation of ERbeta. Intrahippocampal injection of estradiol or diarylpropionitrile before extinction training in OVX female rats remarkably reduced the levels of freezing response during extinction trials. In addition, the locomotion or anxiety state of female rats does not vary across the ovarian cycle. These results reveal a crucial role for estrogen in mediating sexually dimorphic contextual fear extinction, and that estrogen-mediated enhancement of fear extinction involves the activation of ERbeta.

Slow Replication Fork Velocity of Homologous Recombination-Defective Cells Results from Endogenous Oxidative Stress.

PubMed

Wilhelm, Therese; Ragu, Sandrine; Magdalou, Indiana; Machon, Christelle; Dardillac, Elodie; Técher, Hervé; Guitton, Jérôme; Debatisse, Michelle; Lopez, Bernard S

2016-05-01

Replications forks are routinely hindered by different endogenous stresses. Because homologous recombination plays a pivotal role in the reactivation of arrested replication forks, defects in homologous recombination reveal the initial endogenous stress(es). Homologous recombination-defective cells consistently exhibit a spontaneously reduced replication speed, leading to mitotic extra centrosomes. Here, we identify oxidative stress as a major endogenous source of replication speed deceleration in homologous recombination-defective cells. The treatment of homologous recombination-defective cells with the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine or the maintenance of the cells at low O2 levels (3%) rescues both the replication fork speed, as monitored by single-molecule analysis (molecular combing), and the associated mitotic extra centrosome frequency. Reciprocally, the exposure of wild-type cells to H2O2 reduces the replication fork speed and generates mitotic extra centrosomes. Supplying deoxynucleotide precursors to H2O2-exposed cells rescued the replication speed. Remarkably, treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine strongly expanded the nucleotide pool, accounting for the replication speed rescue. Remarkably, homologous recombination-defective cells exhibit a high level of endogenous reactive oxygen species. Consistently, homologous recombination-defective cells accumulate spontaneous γH2AX or XRCC1 foci that are abolished by treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine or maintenance at 3% O2. Finally, oxidative stress stimulated homologous recombination, which is suppressed by supplying deoxynucleotide precursors. Therefore, the cellular redox status strongly impacts genome duplication and transmission. Oxidative stress should generate replication stress through different mechanisms, including DNA damage and nucleotide pool imbalance. These data highlight the intricacy of endogenous replication and oxidative stresses, which are both evoked during tumorigenesis and senescence initiation, and emphasize the importance of homologous recombination as a barrier against spontaneous genetic instability triggered by the endogenous oxidative/replication stress axis.

Rare Earth Oxide Fluoride Nanoparticles And Hydrothermal Method For Forming Nanoparticles

DOEpatents

Fulton, John L.; Hoffmann, Markus M.

2003-12-23

A hydrothermal method for forming nanoparticles of a rare earth element, oxygen and fluorine has been discovered. Nanoparticles comprising a rare earth element, oxygen and fluorine are also described. These nanoparticles can exhibit excellent refractory properties as well as remarkable stability in hydrothermal conditions. The nanoparticles can exhibit excellent properties for numerous applications including fiber reinforcement of ceramic composites, catalyst supports, and corrosion resistant coatings for high-temperature aqueous solutions.

Rare earth oxide fluoride nanoparticles and hydrothermal method for forming nanoparticles

DOEpatents

Fulton, John L [Richland, WA; Hoffmann, Markus M [Richland, WA

2001-11-13

A hydrothermal method for forming nanoparticles of a rare earth element, oxygen and fluorine has been discovered. Nanoparticles comprising a rare earth element, oxygen and fluorine are also described. These nanoparticles can exhibit excellent refractory properties as well as remarkable stability in hydrothermal conditions. The nanoparticles can exhibit excellent properties for numerous applications including fiber reinforcement of ceramic composites, catalyst supports, and corrosion resistant coatings for high-temperature aqueous solutions.

Candidate ionotropic taste receptors in the Drosophila larva.

PubMed

Stewart, Shannon; Koh, Tong-Wey; Ghosh, Arpan C; Carlson, John R

2015-04-07

We examine in Drosophila a group of ∼35 ionotropic receptors (IRs), the IR20a clade, about which remarkably little is known. Of 28 genes analyzed, GAL4 drivers representing 11 showed expression in the larva. Eight drivers labeled neurons of the pharynx, a taste organ, and three labeled neurons of the body wall that may be chemosensory. Expression was not observed in neurons of one taste organ, the terminal organ, although these neurons express many drivers of the Gr (Gustatory receptor) family. For most drivers of the IR20a clade, we observed expression in a single pair of cells in the animal, with limited coexpression, and only a fraction of pharyngeal neurons are labeled. The organization of IR20a clade expression thus appears different from the organization of the Gr family or the Odor receptor (Or) family in the larva. A remarkable feature of the larval pharynx is that some of its organs are incorporated into the adult pharynx, and several drivers of this clade are expressed in the pharynx of both larvae and adults. Different IR drivers show different developmental dynamics across the larval stages, either increasing or decreasing. Among neurons expressing drivers in the pharynx, two projection patterns can be distinguished in the CNS. Neurons exhibiting these two kinds of projection patterns may activate different circuits, possibly signaling the presence of cues with different valence. Taken together, the simplest interpretation of our results is that the IR20a clade encodes a class of larval taste receptors.

Sexual dimorphism and allometry in the sphecophilous rove beetle Triacrus dilatus.

PubMed

Marlowe, Maxwell H; Murphy, Cheryl A; Chatzimanolis, Stylianos

2015-01-01

The rove beetle Triacrus dilatus is found in the Atlantic forest of South America and lives in the refuse piles of the paper wasp Agelaia vicina. Adults of T. dilatus are among the largest rove beetles, frequently measuring over 3 cm, and exhibit remarkable variation in body size. To examine sexual dimorphism and allometric relationships we measured the length of the left mandible, ocular distance and elytra. We were interested in determining if there are quantifiable differences between sexes, if there are major and minor forms within each sex and if males exhibit mandibular allometry. For all variables, a t-test was run to determine if there were significant differences between the sexes. Linear regressions were run to examine if there were significant relationships between the different measurements. A heterogeneity of slopes test was used to determine if there were significant differences between males and females. Our results indicated that males had significantly larger mandibles and ocular distances than females, but the overall body length was not significantly different between the sexes. Unlike most insects, both sexes showed positive linear allometric relationships for mandible length and head size (as measured by the ocular distance). We found no evidence of major and minor forms in either sex.

Ab Initio Simulation of Charge Transfer at the Semiconductor Quantum Dot/TiO 2 Interface in Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells

DOE PAGES

Xin, Xukai; Li, Bo; Jung, Jaehan; ...

2014-07-24

Quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) have emerged as a promising solar architecture for next-generation solar cells. The QDSSCs exhibit a remarkably fast electron transfer from the quantum dot (QD) donor to the TiO 2 acceptor with size quantization properties of QDs that allows for the modulation of band energies to control photoresponse and photoconversion efficiency of solar cells. In order to understand the mechanisms that underpin this rapid charge transfer, the electronic properties of CdSe and PbSe QDs with different sizes on the TiO 2 substrate are simulated using a rigorous ab initio density functional method. Our method capitalizes onmore » localized orbital basis set, which is computationally less intensive. Quite intriguingly, a remarkable set of electron bridging states between QDs and TiO 2 occurring via the strong bonding between the conduction bands of QDs and TiO 2 is revealed. Such bridging states account for the fast adiabatic charge transfer from the QD donor to the TiO 2 acceptor, and may be a general feature for strongly coupled donor/acceptor systems. All the QDs/TiO 2 systems exhibit type II band alignments, with conduction band offsets that increase with the decrease in QD size. This facilitates the charge transfer from QDs donors to TiO 2 acceptors and explains the dependence of the increased charge transfer rate with the decreased QD size.« less

Region-specific associations between sex, social status, and oxytocin receptor density in the brains of eusocial rodents.

PubMed

Mooney, S J; Coen, C W; Holmes, M M; Beery, A K

2015-09-10

Naturally occurring variations in neuropeptide receptor distributions in the brain contribute to numerous mammalian social behaviors. In naked mole-rats, which live in large social groups and exhibit remarkable reproductive skew, colony-related social behaviors vary with reproductive status. Here we examined whether variation in social status is associated with variations in the location and/or density of oxytocin binding in this species. Autoradiography was performed to assess forebrain oxytocin receptor (OTR) densities in breeding and non-breeding naked mole-rats of both sexes. Overall, males exhibited higher OTR binding in the medial amygdala in comparison to females. While there were no main effects of reproductive status in any region, a sex difference in OTR binding in the nucleus accumbens was mediated by status. Specifically, breeding males tended to have more OTR binding than breeding females in the nucleus accumbens, while no sex difference was observed in subordinates. These effects suggest that oxytocin may act in a sex- and region-specific way that corresponds to reproductive status and associated social behaviors. Copyright © 2015 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Zero refractive index in time-Floquet acoustic metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koutserimpas, Theodoros T.; Fleury, Romain

2018-03-01

New scientific investigations of artificially structured materials and experiments have exhibited wave manipulation to the extreme. In particular, zero refractive index metamaterials have been on the front line of wave physics research for their unique wave manipulation properties and application potentials. Remarkably, in such exotic materials, time-harmonic fields have an infinite wavelength and do not exhibit any spatial variations in their phase distribution. This unique feature can be achieved by forcing a Dirac cone to the center of the Brillouin zone ( Γ point), as previously predicted and experimentally demonstrated in time-invariant metamaterials by means of accidental degeneracy between three different modes. In this article, we propose a different approach that enables true conical dispersion at Γ with twofold degeneracy and generates zero index properties. We break time-reversal symmetry and exploit a time-Floquet modulation scheme to demonstrate a time-Floquet acoustic metamaterial with zero refractive index. This behavior, predicted using stroboscopic analysis, is confirmed by full-wave finite element simulations. Our results establish the relevance of time-Floquet metamaterials as a novel reconfigurable platform for wave control.

Multifunctional biosynthesized silver nanoparticles exhibiting excellent antimicrobial potential against multi-drug resistant microbes along with remarkable anticancerous properties.

PubMed

Jha, Diksha; Thiruveedula, Prasanna Kumar; Pathak, Rajiv; Kumar, Bipul; Gautam, Hemant K; Agnihotri, Shrish; Sharma, Ashwani Kumar; Kumar, Pradeep

2017-11-01

This study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which were biosynthesized using the extracts of Citrus maxima plant. Characterization through UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) confirmed the formation of AgNps in nano-size range. These nanoparticles exhibited enhanced antioxidative activity and showed commendable antimicrobial activity against wide range of microbes including multi-drug resistant bacteria that were later confirmed by TEM. These particles exhibited minimal toxicity when cytotoxicity study was performed on normal human lung fibroblast cell line as well as human red blood cells. It was quite noteworthy that these particles showed remarkable cytotoxicity on human fibrosarcoma and mouse melanoma cell line (B16-F10). Additionally, the apoptotic topographies of B16-F10 cells treated with AgNps were confirmed by using acridine orange and ethidium bromide dual dye staining, caspase-3 assay, DNA fragmentation assay followed by cell cycle analysis using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Taken together, these results advocate promising potential of the biosynthesized AgNps for their use in therapeutic applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Highly planar diarylamine-fused porphyrins and their remarkably stable radical cations† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. CCDC 1469154–1469160. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c6sc02721k Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Fukui, Norihito; Cha, Wonhee; Shimizu, Daiki; Oh, Juwon

2017-01-01

Oxidative fusion reactions of meso-phenoxazino Ni(ii) porphyrin were found to be temperature dependent, giving rise to either a doubly phenylene-fused product at room temperature or a singly phenoxazine-fused product at 70 °C. The latter was further oxidized to a doubly phenoxazine-fused Ni(ii) porphyrin, which was subsequently converted to the corresponding free base porphyrin and Zn(ii) porphyrin. Compared to previously reported diphenylamine-fused porphyrins that displayed a molecular twist, doubly phenoxazine-fused porphyrins exhibited distinctly different properties owing to their highly planar structures, such as larger fluorescence quantum yields, formation of an offset face-to-face dimer both in solution and the solid state, and the generation of a mixed-valence π-radical cation dimer upon electrochemical oxidation. One-electron oxidation of the phenoxazine-fused Ni(ii) porphyrin with Magic Blue gave the corresponding radical cation, which was certainly stable and could be isolated by separation over a silica gel column but slowly chlorinated at the reactive β-positions in the solid state. This finding led to us to examine β,β′-dichlorinated phenoxazine-fused and diphenylamine-fused Ni(ii) porphyrins, which, upon treatment with Magic Blue, provided remarkably stable radical cations to an unprecedented level. It is actually possible to purify these radical cations by silica gel chromatography, and they can be stored for over 6 months without any sign of deterioration. Moreover, they exhibited no degradation even after the CH2Cl2 solution was washed with water. However, subtle structural differences (planar versus partly twisted) led to different crystal packing structures and solid-state magnetic properties. PMID:28451165

Diversity, Stability, and Reproducibility in Stochastically Assembled Microbial Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goyal, Akshit; Maslov, Sergei

2018-04-01

Microbial ecosystems are remarkably diverse, stable, and usually consist of a mixture of core and peripheral species. Here we propose a conceptual model exhibiting all these emergent properties in quantitative agreement with real ecosystem data, specifically species abundance and prevalence distributions. Resource competition and metabolic commensalism drive the stochastic ecosystem assembly in our model. We demonstrate that even when supplied with just one resource, ecosystems can exhibit high diversity, increasing stability, and partial reproducibility between samples.

Remarkable enhancement of charge carrier mobility of conjugated polymer field-effect transistors upon incorporating an ionic additive

PubMed Central

Luo, Hewei; Yu, Chenmin; Liu, Zitong; Zhang, Guanxin; Geng, Hua; Yi, Yuanping; Broch, Katharina; Hu, Yuanyuan; Sadhanala, Aditya; Jiang, Lang; Qi, Penglin; Cai, Zhengxu; Sirringhaus, Henning; Zhang, Deqing

2016-01-01

Organic semiconductors with high charge carrier mobilities are crucial for flexible electronic applications. Apart from designing new conjugated frameworks, different strategies have been explored to increase charge carrier mobilities. We report a new and simple approach to enhancing the charge carrier mobility of DPP-thieno[3,2-b]thiophene–conjugated polymer by incorporating an ionic additive, tetramethylammonium iodide, without extra treatments into the polymer. The resulting thin films exhibit a very high hole mobility, which is higher by a factor of 24 than that of thin films without the ionic additive under the same conditions. On the basis of spectroscopic grazing incidence wide-angle x-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy studies as well as theoretical calculations, the remarkable enhancement of charge mobility upon addition of tetramethylammonium iodide is attributed primarily to an inhibition of the torsion of the alkyl side chains by the presence of the ionic species, facilitating a more ordered lamellar packing of the alkyl side chains and interchain π-π interactions. PMID:27386541

Design and performance evaluation of a dispersion compensation unit using several chirping functions in a tanh apodized FBG and comparison with dispersion compensation fiber.

PubMed

Mohammed, Nazmi A; Solaiman, Mohammad; Aly, Moustafa H

2014-10-10

In this work, various dispersion compensation methods are designed and evaluated to search for a cost-effective technique with remarkable dispersion compensation and a good pulse shape. The techniques consist of different chirp functions applied to a tanh fiber Bragg grating (FBG), a dispersion compensation fiber (DCF), and a DCF merged with an optimized linearly chirped tanh FBG (joint technique). The techniques are evaluated using a standard 10 Gb/s optical link over a 100 km long haul. The linear chirp function is the most appropriate choice of chirping function, with a pulse width reduction percentage (PWRP) of 75.15%, lower price, and poor pulse shape. The DCF yields an enhanced PWRP of 93.34% with a better pulse quality; however, it is the most costly of the evaluated techniques. Finally, the joint technique achieved the optimum PWRP (96.36%) among all the evaluated techniques and exhibited a remarkable pulse shape; it is less costly than the DCF, but more expensive than the chirped tanh FBG.

Highly selective Ba2+ separations with acyclic, lipophilic di-[N-(X)sulfonyl carbamoyl] polyethers.

PubMed

Elshani, Sadik; Chun, Sangki; Amiri-Eliasi, Bijan; Bartsch, Richard A

2005-01-14

New lipophilic acyclic polyethers with two N-(X)sulfonyl carbamoyl groups of "tunable" acidity exhibit remarkable selectivity for Ba2+ over other alkaline earth metal ions in competitive solvent extraction and transport across polymer inclusion membranes.

Suppression of tunneling two-level systems in ultrastable glasses of indomethacin.

PubMed

Pérez-Castañeda, Tomás; Rodríguez-Tinoco, Cristian; Rodríguez-Viejo, Javier; Ramos, Miguel A

2014-08-05

Glasses and other noncrystalline solids exhibit thermal and acoustic properties at low temperatures anomalously different from those found in crystalline solids, and with a remarkable degree of universality. Below a few kelvin, these universal properties have been successfully interpreted using the tunneling model, which has enjoyed (almost) unanimous recognition for decades. Here we present low-temperature specific-heat measurements of ultrastable glasses of indomethacin that clearly show the disappearance of the ubiquitous linear contribution traditionally ascribed to the existence of tunneling two-level systems (TLS). When the ultrastable thin-film sample is thermally converted into a conventional glass, the material recovers a typical amount of TLS. This remarkable suppression of the TLS found in ultrastable glasses of indomethacin is argued to be due to their particular anisotropic and layered character, which strongly influences the dynamical network and may hinder isotropic interactions among low-energy defects, rather than to the thermodynamic stabilization itself. This explanation may lend support to the criticisms by Leggett and others [Yu CC, Leggett AJ (1988) Comments Condens Matter Phys 14(4):231-251; Leggett AJ, Vural DC (2013) J Phys Chem B 117(42):12966-12971] to the standard tunneling model, although more experiments in different kinds of ultrastable glasses are needed to ascertain this hypothesis.

Rickettsia infection in natural leech populations.

PubMed

Kikuchi, Y; Fukatsu, T

2005-02-01

Field-collected specimens of glossiphoniid leeches, Torix tagoi, Torix tukubana, Hemiclepsis marginata, and Hemiclepsis japonica, were surveyed for Rickettsia infection by using a diagnostic PCR assay. Rickettsia was detected in 96% (69/72) of T. tagoi, 83% (24/29) of T. tukubana, 29% (33/113) of H. marginata, and 0% (0/30) of H. japonica. The frequencies of Rickettsia infection were stably maintained in different seasons. In H. marginata and T. tukubana, distant local populations exhibited remarkably different frequencies of Rickettsia infection. Eggs carried by infected females of T. tagoi and H. marginata were all Rickettsia-positive, indicating nearly 100% vertical transmission. Analysis of 16S rDNA sequences revealed that phylogenetic relationship of the leech-associated Rickettsia reflected the specific and populational divisions of the host leeches. However, circumstantial lines of evidence strongly suggested that horizontal transmission of Rickettsia must have occurred in the ancestors of these leeches. In T. tagoi and T. tukubana, infected individuals were remarkably larger in size than uninfected individuals, wheras in H. marginata, infected and uninfected individuals were almost comparable in size. This study first provides information on ecological aspects of leech-bone endocellular bacteria of the genus Rickettsia. On the basis of these data, we discuss possible mechanisms whereby Rickettsia infection is maintained in natural populations of these leeches in the freshwater ecosystem.

Vapor-phase deposition of regioregular and oriented poly(3-hexylthiophene) structures and novel nanostructured composites of interpenetrating poly(3-hexylthiophene) and polyaniline exhibiting full-color wavelength (400-1000 nm) photoluminescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswas, A.; Bayer, I. S.; Karulkar, P. C.; Tripathi, A.; Avasthi, D. K.

2007-10-01

A promising solvent-free technique of electron-beam-assisted vapor-phase codeposition method is presented which allows uniform blending of different conjugated and nonconjugated polymers at the nanoscale. The technique allows direct incorporation of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) polymer with different structural orientations into conventional and semiconducting polymers without fractionation or degradation of P3HT while maintaining the nanoscale morphology of deposited organic films. The results of fabricated novel nanostructured organic composites (˜100-200nm) comprising regioregular and oriented P3HT and different conjugated and nonconjugated polymers including selective assembly of P3HT nanonodules into a copolymer template are presented. We show a typical example of blending of P3HT and polyaniline (PANI) that formed a unique nanoscale morphology comprising interpenetrating networks of different shapes and sizes of nanospherulites (˜100nm) of P3HT in PANI. The so fabricated nanocomposites (˜200nm) exhibited remarkable broadband photoluminescence features covering the entire blue, green, and red wavelength regions between 400 and 1000nm. Such organic nanocomposites might be useful for flexible full-color screen flat panel displays and organic white-light solid-state lighting applications.

Response of fractal penetration of magnetic flux to disorder landscape in superconducting films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Zuxin; Li, Qiang; Si, W. D.; Suenaga, M.; Solovyov, V. F.; Johnson, P. D.

2005-10-01

Magnetic flux front and induction contours in superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-δ films with defect size stilde ξ (superconducting coherence length) and s≫ξ are studied by magneto-optical imaging. Robust self-affine spatial correlation was observed using scaling analysis in the small pinning disorder-dominated ( stilde ξ) films. The roughness exponent α was determined to be ˜0.66 , independent of numbers of defects (or the film thickness). When the disorder landscape also included a distribution of large defects (s≫ξ) , the flux front and induction contours exhibited self-similarity, with a fractal dimension D determined to be ˜1.33 using the box-counting method. The remarkably different flux penetration patterns were shown to be the manifestation of self-organized criticality at different length scales.

High-frequency microrheology reveals cytoskeleton dynamics in living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigato, Annafrancesca; Miyagi, Atsushi; Scheuring, Simon; Rico, Felix

2017-08-01

Living cells are viscoelastic materials, dominated by an elastic response on timescales longer than a millisecond. On shorter timescales, the dynamics of individual cytoskeleton filaments are expected to emerge, but active microrheology measurements on cells accessing this regime are scarce. Here, we develop high-frequency microrheology experiments to probe the viscoelastic response of living cells from 1 Hz to 100 kHz. We report the viscoelasticity of different cell types under cytoskeletal drug treatments. On previously inaccessible short timescales, cells exhibit rich viscoelastic responses that depend on the state of the cytoskeleton. Benign and malignant cancer cells revealed remarkably different scaling laws at high frequencies, providing a unique mechanical fingerprint. Microrheology over a wide dynamic range--up to the frequency characterizing the molecular components--provides a mechanistic understanding of cell mechanics.

Equilibrium concentration profiles and sedimentation kinetics of colloidal gels under gravitational stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzzaccaro, S.; Secchi, E.; Brambilla, G.; Piazza, R.; Cipelletti, L.

2012-07-01

We study the sedimentation of colloidal gels by using a combination of light scattering, polarimetry and video imaging. The asymptotic concentration profiles φ(z,t → ∞) exhibit remarkable scaling properties: profiles for gels prepared at different initial volume fractions and particle interactions can be superimposed onto a single master curve by using suitable reduced variables. We show theoretically that this behavior stems from a power law dependence of the compressive elastic modulus versus φ, which we directly test experimentally. The sedimentation kinetics comprises an initial latency stage, followed by a rapid collapse where the gel height h decreases at constant velocity and a final compaction stage characterized by a stretched exponential relaxation of h toward a plateau. Analogies and differences with previous works are briefly discussed.

Neural correlates of socioeconomic status in the developing human brain.

PubMed

Noble, Kimberly G; Houston, Suzanne M; Kan, Eric; Sowell, Elizabeth R

2012-07-01

Socioeconomic disparities in childhood are associated with remarkable differences in cognitive and socio-emotional development during a time when dramatic changes are occurring in the brain. Yet, the neurobiological pathways through which socioeconomic status (SES) shapes development remain poorly understood. Behavioral evidence suggests that language, memory, social-emotional processing, and cognitive control exhibit relatively large differences across SES. Here we investigated whether volumetric differences could be observed across SES in several neural regions that support these skills. In a sample of 60 socioeconomically diverse children, highly significant SES differences in regional brain volume were observed in the hippocampus and the amygdala. In addition, SES × age interactions were observed in the left superior temporal gyrus and left inferior frontal gyrus, suggesting increasing SES differences with age in these regions. These results were not explained by differences in gender, race or IQ. Likely mechanisms include differences in the home linguistic environment and exposure to stress, which may serve as targets for intervention at a time of high neural plasticity. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A BPTTF-based self-assembled electron-donating triangle capable of C60 binding.

PubMed

Goeb, Sébastien; Bivaud, Sébastien; Dron, Paul Ionut; Balandier, Jean-Yves; Chas, Marcos; Sallé, Marc

2012-03-25

A kinetically stable self-assembled redox-active triangle is isolated. The resulting electron-donating cavity, which incorporates three BPTTF units, exhibits a remarkable binding ability for electron-deficient C(60), supported by a favorable combination of structural and electronic features.

Positron annihilation study of cavities in black Au films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melikhova, O.; Čížek, J.; Hruška, P.; Vlček, M.; Procházka, I.; Anwand, W.; Novotný, M.; Bulíř, J.

2017-01-01

Defects in a black Au film were studied using variable energy positron annihilation spectroscopy. Black Au films exhibit porous morphology similar to cauliflower. This type of structure enhances the optical absorption due to a multiple reflections in the micro-cavities. A nanostructured black Au film was compared with conventional smooth Au films with high reflectivity. The black Au film exhibited a remarkably enhanced S-parameter in sub-surface region. This is caused by a narrow para-Positronium contribution to the annihilation peak.

Spontaneous Scalarization of Black Holes and Compact Stars from a Gauss-Bonnet Coupling.

PubMed

Silva, Hector O; Sakstein, Jeremy; Gualtieri, Leonardo; Sotiriou, Thomas P; Berti, Emanuele

2018-03-30

We identify a class of scalar-tensor theories with coupling between the scalar and the Gauss-Bonnet invariant that exhibit spontaneous scalarization for both black holes and compact stars. In particular, these theories formally admit all of the stationary solutions of general relativity, but these are not dynamically preferred if certain conditions are satisfied. Remarkably, black holes exhibit scalarization if their mass lies within one of many narrow bands. We find evidence that scalarization can occur in neutron stars as well.

Structure, transport, and vertical coherence of the Gulf Stream from the Straits of Florida to the Southeast Newfoundland Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meinen, Christopher S.; Luther, Douglas S.

2016-06-01

Data from three independent and extensive field programs in the Straits of Florida, the Mid-Atlantic Bight, and near the Southeast Newfoundland Ridge are reanalyzed and compared with results from other historical studies to highlight the downstream evolution of several characteristics of the Gulf Stream's mean flow and variability. The three locations represent distinct dynamical regimes: a tightly confined jet in a channel; a freely meandering jet; and a topographically controlled jet on a boundary. Despite these differing dynamical regimes, the Gulf Stream in these areas exhibits many similarities. There are also anticipated and important differences, such as the loss of the warm core of the current by 42°N and the decrease in the cross-frontal gradient of potential vorticity as the current flows northward. As the Gulf Stream evolves it undergoes major changes in transport, both in magnitude and structure. The rate of inflow up to 60°W and outflow thereafter are generally uniform, but do exhibit some remarkable short-scale variations. As the Gulf Stream flows northward the vertical coherence of the flow changes, with the Florida Current and North Atlantic Current segments of the Gulf Stream exhibiting distinct upper and deep flows that are incoherent, while in the Mid-Atlantic Bight the Gulf Stream exhibits flows in three layers each of which tends to be incoherent with the other layers at most periods. These coherence characteristics are exhibited in both Eulerian and stream coordinates. The observed lack of vertical coherence indicates that great caution must be exercised in interpreting proxies for Gulf Stream structure and flow from vertically-limited or remote observations.

Structure, transport, and vertical coherence of the Gulf Stream from the Straits of Florida to the Southeast Newfoundland Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meinen, Christopher S.; Luther, Douglas S.

2016-05-01

Data from three independent and extensive field programs in the Straits of Florida, the Mid-Atlantic Bight, and near the Southeast Newfoundland Ridge are reanalyzed and compared with results from other historical studies to highlight the downstream evolution of several characteristics of the Gulf Stream's mean flow and variability. The three locations represent distinct dynamical regimes: a tightly confined jet in a channel; a freely meandering jet; and a topographically controlled jet on a boundary. Despite these differing dynamical regimes, the Gulf Stream in these areas exhibits many similarities. There are also anticipated and important differences, such as the loss of the warm core of the current by 42°N and the decrease in the cross-frontal gradient of potential vorticity as the current flows northward. As the Gulf Stream evolves it undergoes major changes in transport, both in magnitude and structure. The rate of inflow up to 60°W and outflow thereafter are generally uniform, but do exhibit some remarkable short-scale variations. As the Gulf Stream flows northward the vertical coherence of the flow changes, with the Florida Current and North Atlantic Current segments of the Gulf Stream exhibiting distinct upper and deep flows that are incoherent, while in the Mid-Atlantic Bight the Gulf Stream exhibits flows in three layers each of which tends to be incoherent with the other layers at most periods. These coherence characteristics are exhibited in both Eulerian and stream coordinates. The observed lack of vertical coherence indicates that great caution must be exercised in interpreting proxies for Gulf Stream structure and flow from vertically-limited or remote observations.

Remarkable cycle-activated capacity increasing in onion-like carbon nanospheres as lithium battery anode material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Jiajun; Zhang, Tong; Zhang, Dong; Zhang, Weiwei; Zhang, Huafang; Liu, Ran; Yao, Mingguang; Liu, Bingbing

2017-01-01

Onion-like carbon nanospheres (OCNSs) with an average diameter of 43 nm were produced on a large scale via a combustion method and examined as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. The OCNSs exhibit a remarkable electrochemical cycling behavior and a capacity much higher than that of graphite. The capacity increases significantly with increasing charge-discharge cycles and reaches a value of 178% of the initial value (from 586 mA h g-1to 1045 mA h g-1) after 200 cycles. Further investigation provides unambiguous experimental evidence that such a remarkable capacity increase is related to the stable onion-like structure of the OCNSs and to the existence of large numbers of disordered/short graphitic fragments, which gradually provide more active sites for Li ion storage. The unique electrochemical performance of OCNSs provides a new way to design a high-performance anode material for rechargeable batteries.

Do homologous thermophilic-mesophilic proteins exhibit similar structures and dynamics at optimal growth temperatures? A molecular dynamics simulation study.

PubMed

Basu, Sohini; Sen, Srikanta

2013-02-25

Structure and dynamics both are known to be important for the activity of a protein. A fundamental question is whether a thermophilic protein and its mesophilic homologue exhibit similar dynamics at their respective optimal growth temperatures. We have addressed this question by performing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a natural mesophilic-thermophilic homologue pair at their respective optimal growth temperatures to compare their structural, dynamical, and solvent properties. The MD simulations were done in explicit aqueous solvent under periodic boundary and constant pressure and temperature (CPT) conditions and continued for 10.0 ns using the same protocol for the two proteins, excepting the temperatures. The trajectories were analyzed to compare the properties of the two proteins. Results indicated that the dynamical behaviors of the two proteins at the respective optimal growth temperatures were remarkably similar. For the common residues in the thermophilic protein, the rms fluctuations have a general trend to be slightly higher compared to that in the mesophilic counterpart. Lindemann parameter values indicated that only a few residues exhibited solid-like dynamics while the protein as a whole appeared as a molten globule in each case. Interestingly, the water-water interaction was found to be strikingly similar in spite of the difference in temperatures while, the protein-water interaction was significantly different in the two simulations.

Flexible timing by temporal scaling of cortical responses

PubMed Central

Wang, Jing; Narain, Devika; Hosseini, Eghbal A.; Jazayeri, Mehrdad

2017-01-01

Musicians can perform at different tempos, speakers can control the cadence of their speech, and children can flexibly vary their temporal expectations of events. To understand the neural basis of such flexibility, we recorded from the medial frontal cortex of nonhuman primates trained to produce different time intervals with different effectors. Neural responses were heterogeneous, nonlinear and complex, and exhibited a remarkable form of temporal invariance: firing rate profiles were temporally scaled to match the produced intervals. Recording from downstream neurons in the caudate and thalamic neurons projecting to the medial frontal cortex indicated that this phenomenon originates within cortical networks. Recurrent neural network models trained to perform the task revealed that temporal scaling emerges from nonlinearities in the network and degree of scaling is controlled by the strength of external input. These findings demonstrate a simple and general mechanism for conferring temporal flexibility upon sensorimotor and cognitive functions. PMID:29203897

Copper foils with gradient structure in thickness direction and different roughnesses on two surfaces fabricated by double rolling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xi-yong; Liu, Xue-feng; Zou, Wen-jiang; Xie, Jian-xin

2013-12-01

Copper foils with gradient structure in thickness direction and different roughnesses on two surfaces were fabricated by double rolling. The two surface morphologies of double-rolled copper foils are quite different, and the surface roughness values are 61 and 1095 nm, respectively. The roughness value of matt surface can meet the requirement for bonding the resin matrix with copper foils used for flexible printed circuit boards, thus may omit traditional roughening treatment; the microstructure of double-rolled copper foils demonstrates an obviously asymmetric gradient feature. From bright surface to matt surface in thickness direction, the average grain size first increases from 2.3 to 7.4 μm and then decreases to 3.6 μm; compared with conventional rolled copper foils, the double-rolled copper foils exhibit a remarkably increased bending fatigue life, and the increased range is about 16.2%.

Polarized Neutron Study of Ni-Mn-Ga Alloys: Site-Specific Spin Density Affected by Martensitic Transformation.

PubMed

Lázpita, P; Barandiarán, J M; Gutiérrez, J; Mondelli, C; Sozinov, A; Chernenko, V A

2017-10-13

Polarized neutron scattering has been used to obtain the magnetic moment at specific crystallographic sites of the austenitic and martensitic phases of two nonstoichiometric Ni-Mn-Ga single crystals with close composition. These alloys have been chosen because they exhibit different structures in the paramagnetic state and inverse positions of the respective martensitic transformation and Curie temperature. The diffraction analysis revealed a remarkable result: Despite the similar alloy composition, the magnetic moments of Mn are quite different for the two alloys at the same crystallographic position. Furthermore, such a difference enabled us to assess that the exchange coupling between Mn atoms switches from ferro- to antiferromagnetic at a distance between 2.92 and 3.32 Å in the martensite. These results are of great importance to guide first principles calculations that, up to now, have not been contrasted with experiments at the atomic level.

Polarized Neutron Study of Ni-Mn-Ga Alloys: Site-Specific Spin Density Affected by Martensitic Transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lázpita, P.; Barandiarán, J. M.; Gutiérrez, J.; Mondelli, C.; Sozinov, A.; Chernenko, V. A.

2017-10-01

Polarized neutron scattering has been used to obtain the magnetic moment at specific crystallographic sites of the austenitic and martensitic phases of two nonstoichiometric Ni-Mn-Ga single crystals with close composition. These alloys have been chosen because they exhibit different structures in the paramagnetic state and inverse positions of the respective martensitic transformation and Curie temperature. The diffraction analysis revealed a remarkable result: Despite the similar alloy composition, the magnetic moments of Mn are quite different for the two alloys at the same crystallographic position. Furthermore, such a difference enabled us to assess that the exchange coupling between Mn atoms switches from ferro- to antiferromagnetic at a distance between 2.92 and 3.32 Å in the martensite. These results are of great importance to guide first principles calculations that, up to now, have not been contrasted with experiments at the atomic level.

Fluid Mechanical Properties of Silkworm Fibroin Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Akira

2005-11-01

The aqueous solution behavior of silk fibroin is of interest due to the assembly and processing of this protein related to the spinning of protein fibers that exhibit remarkable mechanical properties. To gain insight into the origins of this functional feature, it is desired to determine how the protein behaves under a range of solution conditions. Pure fibroin at different concentrations in water was studied for surface tension, as a measure of surfactancy. In addition, shear induced changes on these solutions in terms of structure and morphology was also determined. Fibroin solutions exhibited shear rate-sensitive viscosity changes and precipitated at a critical shear rate where a dramatic increase of 75-150% of the initial value was observed along with a decrease in viscosity. In surface tension measurements, critical micelle concentrations were in the range of 3-4% w/v. The influence of additional factors, such as sericin protein, divalent and monovalent cations, and pH on the solution behavior in relation to structural and morphological features will also be described.

Common ecology quantifies human insurgency.

PubMed

Bohorquez, Juan Camilo; Gourley, Sean; Dixon, Alexander R; Spagat, Michael; Johnson, Neil F

2009-12-17

Many collective human activities, including violence, have been shown to exhibit universal patterns. The size distributions of casualties both in whole wars from 1816 to 1980 and terrorist attacks have separately been shown to follow approximate power-law distributions. However, the possibility of universal patterns ranging across wars in the size distribution or timing of within-conflict events has barely been explored. Here we show that the sizes and timing of violent events within different insurgent conflicts exhibit remarkable similarities. We propose a unified model of human insurgency that reproduces these commonalities, and explains conflict-specific variations quantitatively in terms of underlying rules of engagement. Our model treats each insurgent population as an ecology of dynamically evolving, self-organized groups following common decision-making processes. Our model is consistent with several recent hypotheses about modern insurgency, is robust to many generalizations, and establishes a quantitative connection between human insurgency, global terrorism and ecology. Its similarity to financial market models provides a surprising link between violent and non-violent forms of human behaviour.

Electronic transport in NbSe₂ two-dimensional nanostructures: semiconducting characteristics and photoconductivity.

PubMed

Huang, Y H; Chen, R S; Zhang, J R; Huang, Y S

2015-12-07

The electronic transport properties of two-dimensional (2D) niobium diselenide (NbSe2) layer materials with two-hexagonal single-crystalline structures grown by chemical vapor transport were investigated. Those NbSe2 nanostructures isolated simply using mechanical exfoliation were found to exhibit lower conductivity and semiconducting properties, compared with their bulk metallic counterparts. Benefiting from lower dark conductivity, NbSe2 nanoflakes exhibit a remarkable photoresponse under different wavelengths and intensity excitations. The photocurrent responsivity and photoconductive gain can reach 3.8 A W(-1) and 300, respectively; these values are higher than those of graphene and MoS2 monolayers and are comparable with those of GaS and GaSe nanosheets. The presence of electron trap states at the surface was proposed as an explanation for the reduced dark conductivity and enhanced photoconductivity in the 2D NbSe2 nanostructures. This work identifies another possibility for the application of a metallic layer material as an optoelectronic component in addition to an ultrathin transparent conducting material.

Classical ferroelectriclike behavior of highly ordered Pb (S c1 /2N b1 /2)O3 studied by dielectric and Brillouin scattering spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivasubramanian, V.; Subramanian, V.; Kojima, S.

2016-02-01

The ferroelectric phase transition behavior in the highly ordered Pb (S c1 /2N b1 /2) O3 has been investigated by the dielectric and Brillouin spectroscopy. The dielectric permittivity ɛr exhibits a sharp maximum without any frequency dispersion at its Curie temperature Tc. In the temperature range far above Tc, it was noted that the dielectric permittivity exhibits a noticeable deviation from the Curie-Weiss law below the characteristic intermediate temperature T*=500 K , which is common to most of the Pb-based oxide perovskite relaxors. Upon cooling, the frequency of the longitudinal acoustic phonon mode exhibits a remarkable softening towards Tc. The relaxation time of the order parameter calculated using the Landau-Khalatnikov approach was determined to be more than one order of magnitude lower than that of the disordered Pb (S c1 /2N b1 /2)O3 and is very close to that observed in the paraelectric phase of the classical ferroelectric, BaTi O3 . The observed dielectric and relaxation features are qualitatively discussed in terms of the difference in the strength of the random electric fields.

Gyroscopic behavior exhibited by the optical Kerr effect in bimetallic Au-Pt nanoparticles suspended in ethanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández-Valdés, D.; Torres-Torres, C.; Martínez-González, C. L.; Trejo-Valdez, M.; Hernández-Gómez, L. H.; Torres-Martínez, R.

2016-07-01

The modification in the third-order nonlinear optical response exhibited by rotating bimetallic Au-Pt nanoparticles in an ethanol solution was analyzed. The samples were prepared by a sol-gel processing route. The anisotropy associated to the elemental composition of the nanoparticles was confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements. The size of the nanoparticles varies in the range from 9 to 13 nm, with an average size of 11 nm. Changes in the spatial orientation of the nanomaterials automatically generated a variation in their plasmonic response evaluated by UV-Vis spectroscopy. A two-wave mixing experiment was conducted to explore an induced birefringence at 532 nm wavelength with nanosecond pulses interacting with the samples. A strong optical Kerr effect was identified to be the main responsible effect for the third-order nonlinear optical phenomenon exhibited by the nanoparticles. It was estimated that the rotation of inhomogeneous nanostructures can provide a remarkable change in the participation of different surface plasmon resonances, if they correspond to multimetallic nanoparticles. Potential applications for developing low-dimensional gyroscopic systems can be contemplated.

Mass inflation and chaotic behaviour inside hairy black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breitenlohner, Peter; Lavrelashvili, George; Maison, Dieter

1998-07-01

We analyze the interior geometry of static, spherically symmetric black holes of the Einstein-Yang-Mills-Higgs theory. Generically the solutions exhibit a behaviour that may be described as ``mass inflation'', although with a remarkable difference between the cases with and without a Higgs field. Without Higgs field the YM field induces a kind of cyclic behaviour leading to repeated cycles of mass inflation - taking the form of violent explosions - interrupted by quiescent periods and subsequent approaches to an almost Cauchy horizon. With the Higgs field no such cycles occur in the asymptotic behaviour. In addition there are non-generic families with a Schwarzschild and a Reissner-Nordstrøm type singularity at r=0, respectively.

Prolonged longevity of hypopituitary dwarf mice.

PubMed

Bartke, A; Brown-Borg, H; Mattison, J; Kinney, B; Hauck, S; Wright, C

2001-01-01

In two types of mutant dwarf mice, congenital deficiencies in pituitary function are associated with remarkably increased life expectancy. In this review, we will describe the key phenotypic characteristics of these animals, the evidence that they exhibit delayed aging, and the mechanisms that are suspected to account for their prolonged longevity.

A top-down strategy to synthesize wurtzite Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals by green chemistry.

PubMed

Sun, Yiwen; Hu, Zhengqiao; Zhang, Junjun; Wang, Li; Wu, Chunyan; Xu, Jun

2016-07-28

Green synthesis of metastable wurtzite Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals through a top-down synthetic strategy is presented. Formation mechanisms associated with Kirkendall and etching effects are illustrated in detail. The nanocrystals exhibit remarkable photoluminescence properties at room temperature.

2006 Land and Maritime Supply Chains Business Conference and Exhibition

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-30

404 Patterson Fan Company.................................602 PDA, LLC........................................................303...210 TW Design & Manufacturing...........................616 Vermont Aerospace Manufacturing.................402 WW Williams ... William M. Lenaers, USA Commanding General, US Army TACOM “What Your Largest Customer Thinks” 1:55pm - Remarks 2:15pm Rear Admiral Charlie M. Lilli

Macromolecular Antioxidants and Dietary Fiber in Edible Seaweeds.

PubMed

Sanz-Pintos, Nerea; Pérez-Jiménez, Jara; Buschmann, Alejandro H; Vergara-Salinas, José Rodrigo; Pérez-Correa, José Ricardo; Saura-Calixto, Fulgencio

2017-02-01

Seaweeds are rich in different bioactive compounds with potential uses in drugs, cosmetics and the food industry. The objective of this study was to analyze macromolecular antioxidants or nonextractable polyphenols, in several edible seaweed species collected in Chile (Gracilaria chilensis, Callophyllis concepcionensis, Macrocystis pyrifera, Scytosyphon lomentaria, Ulva sp. and Enteromorpha compressa), including their 1st HPLC characterization. Macromolecular antioxidants are commonly ignored in studies of bioactive compounds. They are associated with insoluble dietary fiber and exhibit significant biological activity, with specific features that are different from those of both dietary fiber and extractable polyphenols. We also evaluated extractable polyphenols and dietary fiber, given their relationship with macromolecular antioxidants. Our results show that macromolecular antioxidants are a major polyphenol fraction (averaging 42% to total polyphenol content), with hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids and flavonols being the main constituents. This fraction also showed remarkable antioxidant capacity, as determined by 2 complementary assays. The dietary fiber content was over 50% of dry weight, with some samples exhibiting the target proportionality between soluble and insoluble dietary fiber for adequate nutrition. Overall, our data show that seaweed could be an important source of commonly ignored macromolecular antioxidants. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

A New Numerical Method for Z2 Topological Insulators with Strong Disorder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akagi, Yutaka; Katsura, Hosho; Koma, Tohru

2017-12-01

We propose a new method to numerically compute the Z2 indices for disordered topological insulators in Kitaev's periodic table. All of the Z2 indices are derived from the index formulae which are expressed in terms of a pair of projections introduced by Avron, Seiler, and Simon. For a given pair of projections, the corresponding index is determined by the spectrum of the difference between the two projections. This difference exhibits remarkable and useful properties, as it is compact and has a supersymmetric structure in the spectrum. These properties enable highly efficient numerical calculation of the indices of disordered topological insulators. The method, which we propose, is demonstrated for the Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang and Wilson-Dirac models whose topological phases are characterized by a Z2 index in two and three dimensions, respectively.

Spectral, thermal, XRD and SEM studies of charge-transfer complexation of hexamethylenediamine and three types of acceptors: π-, σ- and vacant orbital acceptors that include quinol, picric acid, bromine, iodine, SnCl4 and ZnCl2 acceptors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, Abdel Majid A.; Refat, Moamen S.; Saad, Hosam A.

2013-11-01

In this work, structural, thermal, morphological and pharmacological characterization was performed on the interactions between a hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) donor and three types of acceptors to understand the complexation behavior of diamines. The three types of acceptors include π-acceptors (i.e., quinol (QL) and picric acid (PA)), σ-acceptors (i.e., bromine and iodine) and vacant orbital acceptors (i.e., tin(IV) tetrachloride (SnCl4) and zinc chloride (ZnCl2)). The characterization of the obtained CT complexes was performed using elemental analysis, infrared (IR), Raman, 1H NMR and electronic absorption spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. Their morphologies were studied using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX). The biological activities of the obtained CT complexes were tested for their antibacterial activities. The complex containing the QL acceptor exhibited a remarkable electronic spectrum with a strong, broad absorption band, which had an observed λmax that was at a much longer wavelength than those of the free reactants. In addition, this complex exhibited strong antimicrobial activities against various bacterial and fungal strains compared to standard drugs. The complexes containing the PA, iodine, Sn(IV) and Zn(II) acceptors exhibited good thermal stability up to 240, 330, 275 and 295 °C, respectively. The complexes containing bromine, Sn(IV) and Zn(II) acceptors exhibited good crystallinity. In addition to its good crystallinity properties, the complex containing the bromine acceptor exhibits a remarkable morphology feature.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ding, Ling; Zhong, Jie-Cen; Qiu, Xing-Tai

Two series of lanthanide-carboxylates, [Ln(2,2′-dtba)(2,2′-Hdtba)(EtOH)]{sub n} (I:Ln=Eu(1a), Dy(1b)) and [Ln(2,2′-dtba)(2,2′-Hdtba)(4,4′-bpy){sub 0.5}]{sub n} (II:Ln=Eu(2a), Dy(2b), Tb(2c) 2,2′-H{sub 2}dtba=2,2′-dithiodibenzoic acid, 4,4′-bpy=4,4′-bipyridine) have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Interestingly, the H{sub 2}dtba organic ligand was generated by in situ S–S reaction of 2-mercaptobenzoic acid. Compounds I and II possess different 2D layered structures based on similar 1D [Ln(2,2′-dtba)]{sup +} chains. Photoluminescence studies reveal that compounds I and II exhibit strong lanthanide characteristic emission bands. Remarkably, Compounds 1b and 2a both exhibit good photocatalytic activity for degradation of Rhodamine-B (Rh-B) under the simulated sunlight irradiation. - Graphical abstract: Two series of lanthanide-carboxylates have beenmore » in situ synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. The lanthanide-carboxylates exhibit strong lanthanide characteristic emission bands and good photocatalytic activity for degradation of Rhodamine-B. - Highlights: • 2D layered lanthanide-carboxylates with 2,2′-dithiodibenzoic acid. • In situ S–S reaction of 2-mercaptobenzoic acid under hydrothermal condition. • The Emission spectra of I and II exhibit the characteristic transition of lanthanide ions. • Compounds 1b and 2a exhibit good photocatalytic activity for degradation of Rhodamine-B.« less

Synthesis and enhanced electrochemical catalytic performance of monolayer WS2(1-x) Se2x with a tunable band gap.

PubMed

Fu, Qi; Yang, Lei; Wang, Wenhui; Han, Ali; Huang, Jian; Du, Pingwu; Fan, Zhiyong; Zhang, Jingyu; Xiang, Bin

2015-08-26

The first realization of a tunable band-gap in monolayer WS2(1-x) Se2x is demonstrated. The tuning of the bandgap exhibits a strong dependence of S and Se content, as proven by PL spectroscopy. Because of its remarkable electronic structure, monolayer WS2(1-x) Se2x exhibits novel electrochemical catalytic activity and offers long-term electrocatalytic stability for the hydrogen evolution reaction. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Modulation of hydrogel nanoparticle intracellular trafficking by multivalent surface engineering with tumor targeting peptide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karamchand, Leshern; Kim, Gwangseong; Wang, Shouyan; Hah, Hoe Jin; Ray, Aniruddha; Jiddou, Ruba; Koo Lee, Yong-Eun; Philbert, Martin A.; Kopelman, Raoul

2013-10-01

Surface engineering of a hydrogel nanoparticle (NP) with the tumor-targeting ligand, F3 peptide, enhances both the NP's binding affinity for, and internalization by, nucleolin overexpressing tumor cells. Remarkably, the F3-functionalized NPs consistently exhibited significantly lower trafficking to the degradative lysosomes than the non-functionalized NPs, in the tumor cells, after internalization. This is attributed to the non-functionalized NPs, but not the F3-functionalized NPs, being co-internalized with Lysosome-associated Membrane Protein-1 (LAMP1) from the surface of the tumor cells. Furthermore, it is shown that the intracellular trafficking of the F3-functionalized NPs differs significantly from that of the molecular F3 peptides (untethered to NPs). This has important implications for designing effective, chemically-responsive, controlled-release and multifunctional nanodrugs for multi-drug-resistant cancers.Surface engineering of a hydrogel nanoparticle (NP) with the tumor-targeting ligand, F3 peptide, enhances both the NP's binding affinity for, and internalization by, nucleolin overexpressing tumor cells. Remarkably, the F3-functionalized NPs consistently exhibited significantly lower trafficking to the degradative lysosomes than the non-functionalized NPs, in the tumor cells, after internalization. This is attributed to the non-functionalized NPs, but not the F3-functionalized NPs, being co-internalized with Lysosome-associated Membrane Protein-1 (LAMP1) from the surface of the tumor cells. Furthermore, it is shown that the intracellular trafficking of the F3-functionalized NPs differs significantly from that of the molecular F3 peptides (untethered to NPs). This has important implications for designing effective, chemically-responsive, controlled-release and multifunctional nanodrugs for multi-drug-resistant cancers. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Effect of Potassium depletion on F3 peptide subcellular localization, MTT cytotoxicity data for endocytic inhibitors, size and morphology characterizations of hydrogel PAA nanocarriers, and optimization data for nanocarrier surface functionalization with PEG molecules and F3 peptides. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00908d

KSC-2014-3137

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The grand opening of the new Great Balls of Fire exhibit was held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The grand opening featured remarks by former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, and Therrin Protze, chief operating officer at Delaware North Parks and Resorts at the visitor complex. Informational displays about future NASA exploration missions are featured along the wall of the new exhibit. Great Balls of Fire shares the story of the origins of our solar system, asteroids and comets and their possible impacts and risks. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit, located in the East Gallery of the IMAX theatre at the visitor complex, features several interactive displays, real meteorites and replica asteroid models. The exhibit is a production of The Space Science Institute's National Center for Interactive Learning. It is a traveling exhibition that also receives funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

High-value utilization of eucalyptus kraft lignin: Preparation and characterization as efficient dye dispersant.

PubMed

Zhang, Hui; Yu, Boming; Zhou, Wanpeng; Liu, Xinxin; Chen, Fangeng

2018-04-01

The dark color of industrial lignin is the main obstacle for their high value-added use in areas such as dyestuff dispersants. A kind of light-colored lignosulfonate with favorable dispersibility and remarkable stain resistance is prepared using fractionated eucalyptus kraft lignin. The fractionated lignins named as D (insoluble part) and X (soluble part) and sulfonated lignin fractions named as SD and SX are characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, 1 H NMR spectroscopy, GPC and brightness test. The results reveal that fraction X presents a lower molecular weight but a higher hydroxyl content than that of fraction D, which lead to the differences on the SO 3 H content, dispersibility and color performance of SD and SX. The sulfonated fractions perform a similar molecular weight to that of unsulfonated lignins and show light color due to the phenolic hydroxyl blocking of 1,4-BS (1,4-butane sultone) and the postprocessing of sodium borohydride. The SX that performs the best of all exhibits obvious decrease on phenolic hydroxyl groups and increase on brightness value which is improved by 85.8% compared with control sample. The SX reaches the highest level (grade 5) in the dispersibility test and presents remarkable stain resistance on different textiles, especially on the dacron and cotton. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sex-linked differences in the course of chronic kidney disease and congestive heart failure: a study in 5/6 nephrectomized Ren-2 transgenic hypertensive rats with volume overload induced using aorto-caval fistula.

PubMed

Červenka, Luděk; Škaroupková, Petra; Kompanowska-Jezierska, Elzbieta; Sadowski, Janusz

2016-10-01

The role of hypertension and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in sex-related differences in the course of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and congestive heart failure (CHF) remain unclear, especially when the two diseases are combined. In male and female Ren-2 transgenic rats (TGR), a model of hypertension with activation of endogenous RAS, CKD was induced by 5/6 renal mass reduction (5/6 NX) and CHF was elicited by volume overload achieved by creation of an aorto-caval fistula (ACF). The primary aim of the study was to examine long-term CKD- and CHF-related mortality, especially in animals with CKD and CHF combined, with particular interest in the potential sex-related differences. The follow-up period was 23 weeks after the first intervention (5/6 NX). We found, first, that TGR did not exhibit sexual dimorphism in the course of 5/6 NX-induced CKD. Second, in contrast, TGR exhibited important sex-related differences in the course of ACF-induced CHF-related mortality: intact female TGR showed higher survival rate than male TGR. This situation is reversed in the course of combined 5/6 NX-induced CKD and ACF-induced CHF-related mortality: intact female TGR exhibited poorer survival than male TGR. Third, the survival rate in animals with combined 5/6 NX-induced CKD and ACF-induced CHF was significantly worsened as compared with rat groups that were exposed to 'single organ disease'. Collectively, our present results clearly show that CKD aggravates long-term mortality of animals with CHF. In addition, TGR exhibit remarkable sexual dimorphism with respect to CKD- and CHF-related mortality, especially in animals with combined CKD and CHF. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

High-performance spider webs: integrating biomechanics, ecology and behaviour

PubMed Central

Harmer, Aaron M. T.; Blackledge, Todd A.; Madin, Joshua S.; Herberstein, Marie E.

2011-01-01

Spider silks exhibit remarkable properties, surpassing most natural and synthetic materials in both strength and toughness. Orb-web spider dragline silk is the focus of intense research by material scientists attempting to mimic these naturally produced fibres. However, biomechanical research on spider silks is often removed from the context of web ecology and spider foraging behaviour. Similarly, evolutionary and ecological research on spiders rarely considers the significance of silk properties. Here, we highlight the critical need to integrate biomechanical and ecological perspectives on spider silks to generate a better understanding of (i) how silk biomechanics and web architectures interacted to influence spider web evolution along different structural pathways, and (ii) how silks function in an ecological context, which may identify novel silk applications. An integrative, mechanistic approach to understanding silk and web function, as well as the selective pressures driving their evolution, will help uncover the potential impacts of environmental change and species invasions (of both spiders and prey) on spider success. Integrating these fields will also allow us to take advantage of the remarkable properties of spider silks, expanding the range of possible silk applications from single threads to two- and three-dimensional thread networks. PMID:21036911

Dynamics of Attentional Selection under Conflict: Toward a Rational Bayesian Account

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Angela J.; Dayan, Peter; Cohen, Jonathan D.

2009-01-01

The brain exhibits remarkable facility in exerting attentional control in most circumstances, but it also suffers apparent limitations in others. The authors' goal is to construct a rational account for why attentional control appears suboptimal under conditions of conflict and what this implies about the underlying computational principles. The…

In situ growth of NiCo(2)S(4) nanosheets on graphene for high-performance supercapacitors.

PubMed

Peng, Shengjie; Li, Linlin; Li, Chengchao; Tan, Huiteng; Cai, Ren; Yu, Hong; Mhaisalkar, Subodh; Srinivasan, Madhavi; Ramakrishna, Seeram; Yan, Qingyu

2013-10-03

We demonstrate a facile hydrothermal method for growth of ultrathin NiCo2S4 nanosheets on reduced graphene oxide (RGO), which exhibit remarkable electrochemical performance with higher capacitance and longer cycle life than the bare NiCo2S4 hollow spheres (HSs).

Gender-related similarities and differences in the body distribution of grape seed flavanols in rats.

PubMed

Margalef, Maria; Pons, Zara; Iglesias-Carres, Lisard; Arola, Lluís; Muguerza, Begoña; Arola-Arnal, Anna

2016-04-01

Dietary flavanols produce beneficial health effects, and once absorbed, they are recognized as xenobiotics and undergo phase-II enzymatic detoxification. Flavanols health-promoting properties are mainly attributed to their metabolic products. This work aimed to elucidate whether rats of the opposite sex exhibited differences in the metabolism and distribution of ingested flavanols. Acute doses of grape seed polyphenols were administered to male and female rats. After 1, 2 and 4 h, plasma, liver, mesenteric white adipose tissue (MWAT), brain and hypothalamus flavanol metabolites were quantified by HPLC-MS/MS. Results indicated important sex-related quantitative differences in plasma and brain. Moreover, remarkable sex-related differences in the distributions and types of flavanol metabolites were also observed between liver and brain. This study demonstrated that sex differentially influences the metabolism and distribution of flavanols throughout the bodies of rats, which may affect the physiological bioactivities of flavanols between males and females. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Distinct epigenomic landscapes of pluripotent and lineage-committed human cells.

PubMed

Hawkins, R David; Hon, Gary C; Lee, Leonard K; Ngo, Queminh; Lister, Ryan; Pelizzola, Mattia; Edsall, Lee E; Kuan, Samantha; Luu, Ying; Klugman, Sarit; Antosiewicz-Bourget, Jessica; Ye, Zhen; Espinoza, Celso; Agarwahl, Saurabh; Shen, Li; Ruotti, Victor; Wang, Wei; Stewart, Ron; Thomson, James A; Ecker, Joseph R; Ren, Bing

2010-05-07

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) share an identical genome with lineage-committed cells, yet possess the remarkable properties of self-renewal and pluripotency. The diverse cellular properties in different cells have been attributed to their distinct epigenomes, but how much epigenomes differ remains unclear. Here, we report that epigenomic landscapes in hESCs and lineage-committed cells are drastically different. By comparing the chromatin-modification profiles and DNA methylomes in hESCs and primary fibroblasts, we find that nearly one-third of the genome differs in chromatin structure. Most changes arise from dramatic redistributions of repressive H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 marks, which form blocks that significantly expand in fibroblasts. A large number of potential regulatory sequences also exhibit a high degree of dynamics in chromatin modifications and DNA methylation. Additionally, we observe novel, context-dependent relationships between DNA methylation and chromatin modifications. Our results provide new insights into epigenetic mechanisms underlying properties of pluripotency and cell fate commitment.

Structural and quantum chemical analysis of exciton coupling in homo- and heteroaggregate stacks of merocyanines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialas, David; Zitzler-Kunkel, André; Kirchner, Eva; Schmidt, David; Würthner, Frank

2016-09-01

Exciton coupling is of fundamental importance and determines functional properties of organic dyes in (opto-)electronic and photovoltaic devices. Here we show that strong exciton coupling is not limited to the situation of equal chromophores as often assumed. Quadruple dye stacks were obtained from two bis(merocyanine) dyes with same or different chromophores, respectively, which dimerize in less-polar solvents resulting in the respective homo- and heteroaggregates. The structures of the quadruple dye stacks were assigned by NMR techniques and unambiguously confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The heteroaggregate stack formed from the bis(merocyanine) bearing two different chromophores exhibits remarkably different ultraviolet/vis absorption bands compared with those of the homoaggregate of the bis(merocyanine) comprising two identical chromophores. Quantum chemical analysis based on an extension of Kasha's exciton theory appropriately describes the absorption properties of both types of stacks revealing strong exciton coupling also between different chromophores within the heteroaggregate.

Hybrid molecule from O2-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)diazeniumdiolate and oleanolic acid: a glutathione S-transferase π-activated nitric oxide prodrug with selective anti-human hepatocellular carcinoma activity and improved stability.

PubMed

Fu, Junjie; Liu, Ling; Huang, Zhangjian; Lai, Yisheng; Ji, Hui; Peng, Sixun; Tian, Jide; Zhang, Yihua

2013-06-13

A series of hybrids from O(2)-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)diazeniumdiolate and oleanolic acid (OA) were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated as novel nitric oxide (NO)-releasing prodrugs that could be activated by glutathione S-transferase π (GSTπ) overexpressed in a number of cancer cells. It was discovered that the most active compound, 21, released high levels of NO selectively in HCC cells but not in the normal cells and exhibited potent antiproliferative activity in vitro as well as remarkable tumor-retarding effects in vivo. Compared with the reported GSTπ-activated prodrugs JS-K and PABA/NO, 21 exhibited remarkably improved stability in the absence of GSTπ. Importantly, the decomposition of 21 occurred in the presence of GSTπ and was much more effective than in glutathione S-transferase α. Additionally, 21 induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells by arresting the cell cycle at the G2/M phase, activating both the mitochondrion-mediated pathway and the MAPK pathway and enhancing the intracellular production of ROS.

Turbulence as a Problem in Non-equilibrium Statistical Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldenfeld, Nigel; Shih, Hong-Yan

2017-05-01

The transitional and well-developed regimes of turbulent shear flows exhibit a variety of remarkable scaling laws that are only now beginning to be systematically studied and understood. In the first part of this article, we summarize recent progress in understanding the friction factor of turbulent flows in rough pipes and quasi-two-dimensional soap films, showing how the data obey a two-parameter scaling law known as roughness-induced criticality, and exhibit power-law scaling of friction factor with Reynolds number that depends on the precise form of the nature of the turbulent cascade. These results hint at a non-equilibrium fluctuation-dissipation relation that applies to turbulent flows. The second part of this article concerns the lifetime statistics in smooth pipes around the transition, showing how the remarkable super-exponential scaling with Reynolds number reflects deep connections between large deviation theory, extreme value statistics, directed percolation and the onset of coexistence in predator-prey ecosystems. Both these phenomena reflect the way in which turbulence can be fruitfully approached as a problem in non-equilibrium statistical mechanics.

KSC-2014-3136

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The grand opening of the new Great Balls of Fire exhibit was held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The grand opening featured remarks by former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, and Therrin Protze, chief operating officer at Delaware North Parks and Resorts at the visitor complex. Great Balls of Fire shares the story of the origins of our solar system, asteroids and comets and their possible impacts and risks. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit, located in the East Gallery of the IMAX theatre at the visitor complex, features several interactive displays, real meteorites and replica asteroid models. The exhibit is a production of The Space Science Institute's National Center for Interactive Learning. It is a traveling exhibition that also receives funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

KSC-2014-3134

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A real asteroid is on display at the new Great Balls of Fire exhibit at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The grand opening of the new attraction featured remarks by former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, and Therrin Protze, chief operating officer at Delaware North Parks and Resorts at the visitor complex. Great Balls of Fire shares the story of the origins of our solar system, asteroids and comets and their possible impacts and risks. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit, located in the East Gallery of the IMAX theatre at the visitor complex, features several interactive displays, real meteorites and replica asteroid models. The exhibit is a production of The Space Science Institute's National Center for Interactive Learning. It is a traveling exhibition that also receives funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Fractional charge and emergent mass hierarchy in diagonal two-leg t – J cylinders

DOE PAGES

Jiang, Yi-Fan; Jiang, Hong-Chen; Yao, Hong; ...

2017-06-06

Here, we define a class of “diagonal” tmore » $-$ J ladders rotated by π / 4 relative to the canonical lattice directions of the square lattice, and study it using density matrix renormalization group. Here, we focus on the two-leg cylinder with a doped hole concentration near x = $$\\frac{1}{4}$$ . At exactly x = $$\\frac{1}{4}$$, the system forms a period 4 charge density wave and exhibits spin-charge separation. Slightly away from $$\\frac{1}{4}$$ doping, we observe several topologically distinct types of solitons with well-defined fractionalized quantum numbers. Remarkably, given the absence of any obvious small parameter, the effective masses of the emergent solitons differ by several orders of magnitude.« less

Successful life outcome and management of real-world memory demands despite profound anterograde amnesia

PubMed Central

Duff, Melissa C.; Wszalek, Tracey; Tranel, Daniel; Cohen, Neal J.

2010-01-01

We describe the case of Angie, a 50 year-old woman with profound amnesia (General Memory Index = 49, Full Scale IQ = 126) following a closed head injury in 1985. This case is unique in comparison to other cases reported in the literature in that, despite the severity of her amnesia, she has developed remarkable real-world life abilities, shows impressive self awareness and insight into the impairment and sparing of various functional memory abilities, and exhibits ongoing maturation of her identity and sense of self following amnesia. The case provides insights into the interaction of different memory and cognitive systems in handling real-world memory demands, and has implications for rehabilitation and for successful life outcome after amnesia. PMID:18608659

Edge Singularities and Quasilong-Range Order in Nonequilibrium Steady States.

PubMed

De Nardis, Jacopo; Panfil, Miłosz

2018-05-25

The singularities of the dynamical response function are one of the most remarkable effects in many-body interacting systems. However in one dimension these divergences only exist strictly at zero temperature, making their observation very difficult in most cold atomic experimental settings. Moreover the presence of a finite temperature destroys another feature of one-dimensional quantum liquids: the real space quasilong-range order in which the spatial correlation functions exhibit power-law decay. We consider a nonequilibrium protocol where two interacting Bose gases are prepared either at different temperatures or chemical potentials and then joined. We show that the nonequilibrium steady state emerging at large times around the junction displays edge singularities in the response function and quasilong-range order.

A comprehensive study on the damage tolerance of ultrafine-grained copper

PubMed Central

Hohenwarter, A.; Pippan, R.

2012-01-01

In this study the fracture behavior of ultrafine-grained copper was assessed by means of elasto-plastic fracture mechanics. For the synthesis of the material high pressure torsion was used. The fracture toughness was quantitatively measured by JIC as a global measure by recording the crack growth resistance curve. Additionally, the initiation toughness in terms of the crack opening displacement (CODi) was evaluated as a local fracture parameter. The results presented here exhibit a low fracture initiation toughness but simultaneously a remarkably high fracture toughness in terms of JIC. The origin of the large difference between these two parameters, peculiarities of the fracture surface and the fracture mechanical performance compared to coarse grained copper will be discussed. PMID:23471016

Edge Singularities and Quasilong-Range Order in Nonequilibrium Steady States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Nardis, Jacopo; Panfil, Miłosz

2018-05-01

The singularities of the dynamical response function are one of the most remarkable effects in many-body interacting systems. However in one dimension these divergences only exist strictly at zero temperature, making their observation very difficult in most cold atomic experimental settings. Moreover the presence of a finite temperature destroys another feature of one-dimensional quantum liquids: the real space quasilong-range order in which the spatial correlation functions exhibit power-law decay. We consider a nonequilibrium protocol where two interacting Bose gases are prepared either at different temperatures or chemical potentials and then joined. We show that the nonequilibrium steady state emerging at large times around the junction displays edge singularities in the response function and quasilong-range order.

Actuators Based on Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Materials

PubMed Central

Jiang, Hongrui; Li, Chensha; Huang, Xuezhen

2013-01-01

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) exhibit a number of remarkable physical effects, including the unique, high-stroke reversible mechanical actuation when triggered by external stimuli. This article reviews some recent exciting developments in the field of LCEs materials with an emphasis on their utilization in actuator applications. Such applications include artificial muscles, industrial manufacturing, health and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). With suitable synthetic and preparation pathways and well-controlled actuation stimuli, such as heat, light, electric and magnetic field, excellent physical properties of LCE materials can be realized. By comparing the actuating properties of different systems, general relationships between the structure and the property of LCEs are discussed. How these materials can be turned into usable devices using interdisciplinary techniques is also described. PMID:23648966

Actuators based on liquid crystalline elastomer materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Hongrui; Li, Chensha; Huang, Xuezhen

2013-05-01

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) exhibit a number of remarkable physical effects, including the unique, high-stroke reversible mechanical actuation when triggered by external stimuli. This article reviews some recent exciting developments in the field of LCE materials with an emphasis on their utilization in actuator applications. Such applications include artificial muscles, industrial manufacturing, health and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). With suitable synthetic and preparation pathways and well-controlled actuation stimuli, such as heat, light, electric and magnetic fields, excellent physical properties of LCE materials can be realized. By comparing the actuating properties of different systems, general relationships between the structure and the properties of LCEs are discussed. How these materials can be turned into usable devices using interdisciplinary techniques is also described.

Regioconvergent and Enantioselective Rhodium-Catalyzed Hydroamination of Internal and Terminal Alkynes: A Highly Flexible Access to Chiral Pyrazoles.

PubMed

Haydl, Alexander M; Hilpert, Lukas J; Breit, Bernhard

2016-05-04

The rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric N-selective coupling of pyrazole derivatives with internal and terminal alkynes features an utmost chemo-, regio-, and enantioselective access to enantiopure allylic pyrazoles, readily available for incorporation in small-molecule pharmaceuticals. This methodology is distinguished by a broad substrate scope, resulting in a remarkable compatability with a variety of different functional groups. It furthermore exhibits an intriguing case of regio-, position-, and enantioselectivity in just one step, underscoring the sole synthesis of just one out of up to six possible products in a highly flexible approach to allylated pyrazoles by emanating from various internal and terminal alkynes. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Damping in flapping flight and its implications for manoeuvring, scaling and evolution.

PubMed

Hedrick, Tyson L

2011-12-15

Flying animals exhibit remarkable degrees of both stability and manoeuvrability. Our understanding of these capabilities has recently been improved by the identification of a source of passive damping specific to flapping flight. Examining how this damping effect scales among different species and how it affects active manoeuvres as well as recovery from perturbations provides general insights into the flight of insects, birds and bats. These new damping models offer a means to predict manoeuvrability and stability for a wide variety of flying animals using prior reports of the morphology and flapping motions of these species. Furthermore, the presence of passive damping is likely to have facilitated the evolution of powered flight in animals by providing a stability benefit associated with flapping.

Persistent mobility edges and anomalous quantum diffusion in order-disorder separated quantum films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Jianxin; Stocks, G. Malcolm

2007-01-01

A concept of order-disorder separated quantum films is proposed for the design of ultrathin quantum films of a few atomic layers thick with unconventional transport properties. The concept is demonstrated through studying an atomic bilayer comprised of an ordered layer and a disordered layer. Without the disordered layer or the ordered layer, the system is a conducting two-dimensional (2D) crystal or an insulating disordered 2D electron system. Without the order-disorder phase separation, a disordered bilayer is insulating under large disorder. In an order-disorder separated atomic bilayer, however, we show that the system behaves remarkably different from conventional ordered or disordered electron systems, exhibiting metal-insulator transitions with persistent mobility edges and superdiffusive anomalous quantum diffusion.

Ex vivo expansion of canine cytotoxic large granular lymphocytes exhibiting characteristics of natural killer cells.

PubMed

Shin, Dong-Jun; Park, Ji-Yun; Jang, Youn-Young; Lee, Je-Jung; Lee, Youn-Kyung; Shin, Myung-Geun; Jung, Ji-Youn; Carson, William E; Cho, Duck; Kim, Sang-Ki

2013-06-15

Canine NK cells still are not well-characterized due to the lack of information concerning specific NK cell markers and the fact that NK cells are not an abundant cell population. In this study, we selectively expanded the canine cytotoxic large granular lymphocytes (CLGLs) that exhibit morphologic, genetic, and functional characteristics of NK cells from normal donor PBMCs. The cultured CLGLs were characterized by a high proportion of CD5(dim) expressing cells, of which the majority of cells co-expressed CD3 and CD8, but did not express TCRαβ and TCRγδ. The phenotype of the majority of the CLGLs was CD5(dim)CD3(+)CD8(+) TCRαβ(-)TCRγδ(-)CD4(-)CD21(-)CD11c(+/-)CD11d(+/-)CD44(+). The expression of mRNAs for NK cell-associated receptors (NKG2D, NKp30, NKp44, Ly49, perforin, and granzyme B) were highly upregulated in cultured CLGLs. Specifically, NKp46 was remarkably upregulated in the cultured CLGLs compared to PBMCs. The mRNAs for the NKT-associated iTCRα gene in CLGLs was present at a basal level. The cytotoxic activity of the CLGLs against canine NK cell-sensitive CTAC cells was remarkably elevated in a dose-dependent manner, and the CLGLs produced large amounts of IFN-γ. The antitumor activity of CLGLs extended to different types of canine tumor cells (CF41.Mg and K9TCC-pu-AXC) without specific antigen recognition. These results are consistent with prior reports, and strongly suggest that the selectively expanded CLGLs represent a population of canine NK cells. The results of this study will contribute to future research on canine NK cells as well as NK cell-based immunotherapy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validation of the Thematic Mapper radiometric and geometric correction algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fischel, D.

1984-01-01

The radiometric and geometric correction algorithms for Thematic Mapper are critical to subsequent successful information extraction. Earlier Landsat scanners, known as Multispectral Scanners, produce imagery which exhibits striping due to mismatching of detector gains and biases. Thematic Mapper exhibits the same phenomenon at three levels: detector-to-detector, scan-to-scan, and multiscan striping. The cause of these variations has been traced to variations in the dark current of the detectors. An alternative formulation has been tested and shown to be very satisfactory. Unfortunately, the Thematic Mapper detectors exhibit saturation effects suffered while viewing extensive cloud areas, and is not easily correctable. The geometric correction algorithm has been shown to be remarkably reliable. Only minor and modest improvements are indicated and shown to be effective.

Controlled Growth of NiCo2O4 Nanorods and Ultrathin Nanosheets on Carbon Nanofibers for High-performance Supercapacitors

PubMed Central

Zhang, Genqiang; (David) Lou, Xiong Wen

2013-01-01

Two one-dimensional hierarchical hybrid nanostructures composed of NiCo2O4 nanorods and ultrathin nanosheets on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are controllably synthesized through facile solution methods combined with a simple thermal treatment. The structure of NiCo2O4 can be easily controlled to be nanorods or nanosheets by using different additives in the synthesis. These two different nanostructures are evaluated as electrodes for high performance supercapacitors, in view of their apparent advantages, such as high electroactive surface area, ultrathin and porous features, robust mechanical strength, shorter ion and electron transport path. Their electrochemical performance is systematically studied, and both of these two hierarchical hybrid nanostructures exhibit high capacitance and excellent cycling stability. The remarkable electrochemical performance will undoubtedly make these hybrid structures attractive for high-performance supercapacitors with high power and energy densities. PMID:23503561

Fusion of nacre, mussel, and lotus leaf: bio-inspired graphene composite paper with multifunctional integration.

PubMed

Zhong, Da; Yang, Qinglin; Guo, Lin; Dou, Shixue; Liu, Kesong; Jiang, Lei

2013-07-07

Multifunctional integration is an inherent characteristic for biological materials with multiscale structures. Learning from nature is an effective approach for scientists and engineers to construct multifunctional materials. In nature, mollusks (abalone), mussels, and the lotus have evolved different and optimized solutions to survive. Here, bio-inspired multifunctional graphene composite paper was fabricated in situ through the fusion of the different biological solutions from nacre (brick-and-mortar structure), mussel adhesive protein (adhesive property and reducing character), and the lotus leaf (self-cleaning effect). Owing to the special properties (self-polymerization, reduction, and adhesion), dopamine could be simultaneously used as a reducing agent for graphene oxide and as an adhesive, similar to the mortar in nacre, to crosslink the adjacent graphene. The resultant nacre-like graphene paper exhibited stable superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and remarkable mechanical properties underwater.

Origin of tension-compression asymmetry in ultrafine-grained fcc metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuru, T.

2017-08-01

A mechanism of anomalous tension-compression (T-C) asymmetry in ultrafine-grained (UFG) metals is proposed using large-scale atomistic simulations and dislocation theory. Unlike coarse-grained metals, UFG Al exhibits remarkable T-C asymmetry of the yield stress. The atomistic simulations reveal that the yield event is not related to intragranular dislocations but caused by dislocation nucleation from the grain boundaries (GBs). The dislocation core structure associated with the stacking fault energy in Al is strongly affected by the external stress compared with Cu; specifically, high tensile stress stabilizes the dissociation into partial dislocations. These dislocations are more likely to be nucleated from GBs and form deformation twins from an energetic viewpoint. The mechanism, which is different from well-known mechanisms for nanocrystalline and amorphous metals, is unique to high-strength UFG metals and can explain the difference in T-C asymmetry between UFG Cu and Al.

Self-Consistent Field Lattice Model for Polymer Networks.

PubMed

Tito, Nicholas B; Storm, Cornelis; Ellenbroek, Wouter G

2017-12-26

A lattice model based on polymer self-consistent field theory is developed to predict the equilibrium statistics of arbitrary polymer networks. For a given network topology, our approach uses moment propagators on a lattice to self-consistently construct the ensemble of polymer conformations and cross-link spatial probability distributions. Remarkably, the calculation can be performed "in the dark", without any prior knowledge on preferred chain conformations or cross-link positions. Numerical results from the model for a test network exhibit close agreement with molecular dynamics simulations, including when the network is strongly sheared. Our model captures nonaffine deformation, mean-field monomer interactions, cross-link fluctuations, and finite extensibility of chains, yielding predictions that differ markedly from classical rubber elasticity theory for polymer networks. By examining polymer networks with different degrees of interconnectivity, we gain insight into cross-link entropy, an important quantity in the macroscopic behavior of gels and self-healing materials as they are deformed.

Controlling periodic ripple microstructure formation on 4H-SiC crystal with three time-delayed femtosecond laser beams of different linear polarizations.

PubMed

He, Wanlin; Yang, Jianjun; Guo, Chunlei

2017-03-06

The control of laser-induced periodic ripple microstructures on 4H-SiC crystal surface is studied using temporally delayed collinear three femtosecond laser pulse trains linearly polarized in different directions. The ripple orientation appears to develop independent of the individual laser polarizations and exhibits non-monotonical change with variable time delays, whose variation tendency is also affected by the polarization intersection angles. Remarkably, the ripple period is observed to transfer from high- to low-spatial-frequency regions, accompanied by distinctly improved morphological uniformity and clearness. The results are satisfactorily interpreted based on a physical model of the surface wave excitation on a transient index metasurface, which is confirmed by further experiments. Our investigations indicate that transient noneqilibrium dynamics of the material surface provides an effective way to manipulate the laser-induced microstructures.

The problem of creating habits: establishing health-protective dental behaviors.

PubMed

McCaul, K D; Glasgow, R E; O'Neill, H K

1992-01-01

We describe three experiments testing treatments to promote the performance of health-protective dental behaviors. Subjects included 55 women from an introductory psychology course (Experiment 1), 45 men and women (Experiment 2), and 81 older-than-average students identified as at risk for gum disease (Experiment 3). The interventions, derived from social cognitive theory, included health education, skills training, and self-monitoring. In each study, we examined the contribution of additional treatment components, including social support (Experiment 1), intensive contact (Experiment 2), and flexible goal setting (Experiment 3). Across experiments, the behavioral results were remarkably similar: Subjects exhibited excellent adherence while in the study but, at follow-up, reported behavior that differed little from baseline. We discuss parallels between attempts to promote health-protective dental behaviors and other health-promotion programs, and we describe different perspectives from which to address the problem of creating healthy habits.

Exploring the Physical Conditions in Millisecond Pulsar Emission Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rankin, Joanna M.

2017-01-01

The five-component profile of the 2.7-ms pulsar J0337+1715 appears to exhibit the best example to date of a core/double-cone emission-beam structure in a millisecond pulsar (MSP). Moreover, three other MSPs, the Binary Pulsar B1913+16, B1953+29 and J1022+1001, seem to exhibit core/single-cone profiles. These configurations are remarkable and important because it has not been clear whether MSPs and slow pulsars exhibit similar emission-beam configurations despite having radically different magnetospheric sizes and magnetic field strengths. MSPs thus provide an extreme context for studying pulsar radio emission. Particle currents along the magnetic polar fluxtube connect processes just above the polar cap through the radio-emission region to the light-cylinder and the external environment. In slow pulsars radio-emission heights are typically about 500 km where the magnetic field is nearly dipolar, and estimates of the physical conditions there point to radiation below the plasma frequency and emission from charged solitons by the curvature process. We are able to estimate emission heights for the four MSPs and carry out a similar estimation of physical conditions in their much lower emission regions. We find strong evidence that MSPs also radiate by curvature emission from charged solitons.

A green surfactant-assisted synthesis of hierarchical TS-1 zeolites with excellent catalytic properties for oxidative desulfurization.

PubMed

Du, Shuting; Li, Fen; Sun, Qiming; Wang, Ning; Jia, Mingjun; Yu, Jihong

2016-02-25

Hierarchical TS-1 zeolites with uniform intracrystalline mesopores have been successfully synthesized through the hydrothermal method by using the green and cheap surfactant Triton X-100 as the mesoporous template. The resultant materials exhibit remarkably enhanced catalytic activity in oxidative desulfurization reactions compared to the conventional TS-1 zeolite.

Novel Keratinase from Bacillus subtilis S14 Exhibiting Remarkable Dehairing Capabilities

PubMed Central

Macedo, Alexandre J.; da Silva, Walter O. Beys; Gava, Renata; Driemeier, David; Henriques, João Antonio Pêgas; Termignoni, Carlos

2005-01-01

We report the isolation of a keratinolytic-producing Bacillus subtilis strain and the characterization of the exceptional dehairing properties of its subtilisin-like keratinase. This enzyme can be an alternative to sodium sulfide, the major pollutant from tanneries, and may completely replace it. Its unique nonactivity upon collagen enhances its industrial potential. PMID:15640244

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse on Film and Video

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Don; Hook, Joseph; Doescher, Russell; Wolf, Steven

2015-01-01

This month marks the 75th anniversary of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse. During a gale on Nov. 7, 1940, the bridge exhibited remarkable oscillations before collapsing spectacularly (Figs. 1-5). Physicists over the years have spent a great deal of time and energy studying this event. By using open-source analysis tools and digitized footage of…

Engineering Polymer Nanocomoposite Aerogels for Energy Storage and Harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Qifeng

Various porous polymer nanocomposite aerogels were synthesized using an environmentally friendly freeze-drying process. These polymer nanocomposite aerogels exhibit ultralow densities, high porosities, high specific surface areas and high flexibility. The advantages of these polymer nanocomposites aerogels for energy storage and energy harvesting applications have been demonstrated. Flexible supercapacitors (SCs) are particularly attractive for energy storage applications due to their high power densities and long life cycles. A novel type of highly flexible and all-solid-state SCs using cellulose nanofibril (CNF)-reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-carbon nanotube (CNT) aerogels as electrodes was developed. Due to the porous structure of the CNF/RGO/CNT aerogel electrodes, and the excellent electrolyte absorption properties of the CNFs present in the electrodes, the resulting all-solid-state SCs exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, superior flexibility and cycle stability. To further increase the capacitances and energy densities, pseudocapacitive materials (i.e., MoO3) were incorporated to prepare the free-standing and highly flexible CNF-RGO-molybdenum oxynitride (MoOxNy) aerogel film electrode. Supercapacitors made with the CNF/RGO/MoOxNy aerogel electrodes exhibited outstanding specific capacitances and remarkable energy densities in different electrolytes while maintaining the high power densities and superior cycle stability. Flexible nanogenerators (NGs) that can harvest ubiquitous mechanical energy from ambient environments have attracted significant attention during the past decade. A novel, simple, cost-effective, and scalable technique was developed to fabricate high-performance flexible compact NGs using porous CNF-poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) aerogel film. Under external stress, the resulting NGs exhibited very stable and high output signals. We hypothesized that the remarkable electric outputs would not only be attributable to the intrinsic piezoelectric properties of the CNFs, but also to the mechanoradicals generated by the porous PDMS coated on the surface of the CNF aerogel film, which can lead to a change in the electric dipole moments and consequently generate electric outputs. A series of systematic studies were carried out to substantiate this new mechanism. These systematic studies have demonstrated that high-performance NGs can be made from porous mechanoradical-generating polymer films. The elucidation of the mechanisms for this family of porous mechanoradical-generating polymers will lead to a new class of energy harvesting materials and high-performance flexible energy generation devices.

Comparison in anesthetic effects of propofol among patients with different ABO blood groups.

PubMed

Du, Yiri; Shi, Haixia; Yu, Jianshe

2017-05-01

Our study was aimed to investigate anesthetic effects of propofol in patients with different blood groups.A total of 72 participants were enrolled from patients arranged for surgeries of cholecystectomy, tonsillectomy, and spinal operation. Each blood group (A, B, AB, and O) contained 18 participants. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and bispectral index (BIS) were assayed with Philips monitor. These indexes were observed before propofol anesthesia (T0), and then were recorded when concentration of propofol was 1 μg/mL (T1), 2 μg/mL (T2), 3 μg/mL (T3), and 4 μg/mL (T4). The differences in MAP, HR, and BIS at T0 among groups were compared with the χ test. Multiple comparisons were adopted to calculate the differences in MAP, HR, and BIS between groups at T1, T2, T3, and T4.No significant differences in age, sex, and weight of all groups were found (P > .05). Before propofol anesthesia (T0), all the participants exhibited no differences in MAP, HR, and BIS (P > .05). Subsequently, we found obvious differences in ΔMAP, ΔHR, and ΔBIS between groups. The patients in the B blood group showed highest ΔMAP and ΔHR at each time point (P < .05 for both). As for ΔBIS, patients in A blood group exhibited highest value at T3 and T4 (P < .05).The blood group remarkably affects the anesthetic effects of propofol.

PHOBOS Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofman, David J.; Phobos Collaboration; Bbback; Baker, M. D.; Ballintijn, M.; Barton, D. S.; Betts, R. R.; Bickley, A. A.; Bindel, R.; Budzanowski, A.; Busza, W.; Carroll, A.; Chai, Z.; Decowski, M. P.; García, E.; Gburek, T.; George, N.; Gulbrandsen, K.; Gushue, S.; Halliwell, C.; Hamblen, J.; Hauer, M.; Heintzelman, G. A.; Henderson, C.; Hollis, R. S.; Hołyński, R.; Holzman, B.; Iordanova, A.; Johnson, E.; Kane, J. L.; Khan, N.; Kulinich, P.; Kuo, C. M.; Lin, W. T.; Manly, S.; Mignerey, A. C.; Nouicer, R.; Olszewski, A.; Pak, R.; Park, I. C.; Reed, C.; Roland, C.; Roland, G.; Sagerer, J.; Seals, H.; Sedykh, I.; Smith, C. E.; Stankiewicz, M. A.; Steinberg, P.; Stephans, G. S. F.; Sukhanov, A.; Tonjes, M. B.; Trzupek, A.; Vale, C.; van Nieuwenhuizen, G. J.; Vaurynovich, S. S.; Verdier, R.; Veres, G. I.; Wenger, E.; Wolfs, F. L. H.; Wosiek, B.; Kwoźniak; Wysłouch, B.

2006-11-01

A brief overview of the current results and conclusions from the PHOBOS experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) is given. No evidence is found for non-monotonic behavior of observables measured by PHOBOS in the RHIC energy region. Convincing evidence is found that we have created a state of matter with high energy-density, that is nearly net-baryon free and is strongly interacting. The data are found to exhibit "simple" scaling behaviors, which include extended longitudinal scaling and scaling with the number of participating nucleons. The Au+Au collision charged particle data also exhibit a remarkable factorization of collision energy and geometry.

Researching into the cellular shape, volume and elasticity of mesenchymal stem cells, osteoblasts and osteosarcoma cells by atomic force microscopy

PubMed Central

Docheva, Denitsa; Padula, Daniela; Popov, Cvetan; Mutschler, Wolf; Clausen-Schaumann, Hauke; Schieker, Matthias

2008-01-01

Abstract Within the bone lie several different cell types, including osteoblasts (OBs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The MSCs are ideal targets for regenerative medicine of bone due to their differentiation potential towards OBs. Human MSCs exhibit two distinct morphologies: rapidly self-renewing cells (RS) and flat cells (FC) with very low proliferation rates. Another cell type found in pathological bone conditions is osteosarcoma. In this study, we compared the topographic and morphometric features of RS and FC cells, human OBs and MG63 osteosarcoma cells by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results demonstrated clear differences: FC and hOB cells showed similar ruffled topography, whereas RS and MG63 cells exhibited smoother surfaces. Furthermore, we investigated how selected substrates influence cell morphometry. We found that RS and MG63 cells were flatter on fibrous substrates such as polystyrene and collagen I, but much more rounded on glass, the smoothest surface. In contrast, cells with large area, namely FC and hOB cells, did not exhibit pronounced changes in flatness with regards to the different substrates. They were, however, remarkably flatter in comparison to RS and MG63 cells. We could explain the differences in flatness by the extent of adhesion. Indeed, FC and hOB cells showed much higher content of focal adhesions. Finally, we used the AFM to determine the cellular Young's modulus. RS, FC and hOB cells showed comparable stiffness on the three different substrates, while MG63 cells demonstrated the unique feature of increased elasticity on collagen I. In summary, our results show, for the first time, a direct comparison between the morphometric and biophysical features of different human cell types derived from normal and pathological bone. Our study manifests the opinion that along with RNA, proteomic and functional research, morphological and biomechanical characterization of cells also reveals novel cell features and interrelationships. PMID:18419596

Air and moisture stable covalently-bonded tin(ii) coordination polymers.

PubMed

de Lima, G M; Walton, R I; Clarkson, G J; Bitzer, R S; Ardisson, J D

2018-06-05

Four covalently-bonded tin(ii) coordination polymers, (1)-(4), were hydrothermally prepared in aqueous alkaline media by the reactions of SnSO4 with 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid (1), 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (2), 4-hydroxypyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (3), and 1,3,5-cyclohexanetricarboxylic acid (4). All products were structurally authenticated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and the number of different tin centres and their oxidation states were confirmed by 119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy. In addition, the comparison between experimental and simulated X-ray powder diffraction patterns confirmed the authenticity of the samples. Our crystallographic results for (1)-(4) show that the Sn(ii) centres are tetracoordinated and exhibit distorted disphenoidal geometries, corroborating the presence of one stereochemically active lone electron pair at each metal site. Products (1) and (2) display bi-dimensional polymeric structures, (3) exhibits a one-dimensional architecture, whereas (4) shows a remarkable three-dimensional coordination network. Hirshfeld surface and supramolecular analyses for the repeating units of (1)-(4) were also performed in order to identify structurally important non-covalent interactions.

CuO nanoparticles encapsulated inside Al-MCM-41 mesoporous materials via direct synthetic route

PubMed Central

Huo, Chengli; Ouyang, Jing; Yang, Huaming

2014-01-01

Highly ordered aluminum-containing mesoporous silica (Al-MCM-41) was prepared using attapulgite clay mineral as a Si and Al source. Mesoporous complexes embedded with CuO nanoparticles were subsequently prepared using various copper sources and different copper loadings in a direct synthetic route. The resulting CuO/Al-MCM-41 composite possessed p6mm hexagonally symmetry, well-developed mesoporosity, and relatively high BET surface area. In comparison to pure silica, these mesoporous materials embedded with CuO nanoparticles exhibited smaller pore diameter, thicker pore wall, and enhanced thermal stability. Long-range order in the aforementioned samples was observed for copper weight percentages as high as 30%. Furthermore, a significant blue shift of the absorption edge for the samples was observed when compared with that of bulk CuO. H2-TPR measurements showed that the direct-synthesized CuO/Al-MCM-41 exhibited remarkable redox properties compared to the post-synthesized samples, and most of the CuO nanoparticles were encapsulated within the mesoporous structures. The possible interaction between CuO and Al-MCM-41 was also investigated. PMID:24419589

Immunosuppressive peptides and their therapeutic applications☆

PubMed Central

Thell, Kathrin; Hellinger, Roland; Schabbauer, Gernot; Gruber, Christian W.

2014-01-01

The immune system is vital for detecting and evading endogenous and exogenous threats to the body. Failure to regulate this homeostasis leads to autoimmunity, which is often associated with malfunctioning T cell signaling. Several medications are available to suppress over-reactive T lymphocytes, but many of the currently marketed drugs produce severe and life-threatening side-effects. Ribosomally synthesized peptides are gaining recognition from the pharmaceutical industry for their enhanced selectivity and decreased toxicity compared with small molecules; in particular, circular peptides exhibit remarkable stability and increased oral administration properties. For example, plant cyclotides effectively inhibit T lymphocyte proliferation. They are composed of a head-to-tail cyclized backbone and a cystine-knot motif, which confers them with remarkable stability, thus making them attractive pharmaceutical tools. PMID:24333193

Growth of different V2O5 nanostructures as a function of deposition duration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, Sujit K.; Sharma, Rabindar K.; Singh, Megha; Kumar, Prabhat; Reddy, G. B.

2018-05-01

Vanadium pentoxide nanostructured thin films are synthesized using plasma assisted sublimation process (PASP). The effect of deposition duration on the growth of V2O5 nanostructured thin films (NSTs) is studied in present paper. Raman and XRD results depict that all films exhibited only orthorhombic crystalline phase of vanadium oxide (i.e. V2O5). As duration increases the growth of V2O5 nanostructures preferentially aligned along (101) crystallographic plane. Scanning electron micrographs show that different morphologies are obtained with different duration of deposition. For low durations (i.e. 30 and 40 min.) the 1D nanostructures with random alignments are obtained, whereas for prolonged durations of deposition (50 and 60 min) the embedded nanopillers having vertical alignments with uniform distribution on entire substrate are found. The occurrence of remarkable increase in visible radiation from 8% to 13% on increasing duration again implies that the crystallinity and alignments of V2O5 nanostructures is getting improved with duration.

Templating effect of the substrate on the structure of Cu-phthalocyanine thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierantozzi, Gian Marco; Sbroscia, Marco; Ruocco, Alessandro

2018-03-01

An experimental study of electronic properties, structure and morphology of Copper-phthalocyanine films deposited onto Al(100) and Au(110), as a function of thickness up to tens of nanometers, is presented. The monolayers grown on these two model substrates are already known to exhibit very different behavior for what concerns both the degree of interaction with the substrate and the formation of long range order; in this experiment, by means of low energy electron scattering and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS), remarkable differences are revealed also in the successive growth. Exploiting the link between the crystal structure and the lineshape of HOMO-LUMO transition in EELS spectrum, two different structural phases are identified, compatible with α and β phases, respectively in the case of the film grown on aluminum and on gold. Besides, the evolution of the specular reflection elastic peak indicates the formation of islands on the gold substrate and a more homogeneous growth on the aluminum one.

KSC-2014-3135

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Samples of Earth rocks and real meteorites are featured in an interactive display at the new Great Balls of Fire exhibit at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The grand opening featured remarks by former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, and Therrin Protze, chief operating officer at Delaware North Parks and Resorts at the visitor complex. Great Balls of Fire shares the story of the origins of our solar system, asteroids and comets and their possible impacts and risks. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit, located in the East Gallery of the IMAX theatre at the visitor complex, features several interactive displays, real meteorites and replica asteroid models. The exhibit is a production of The Space Science Institute's National Center for Interactive Learning. It is a traveling exhibition that also receives funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Highly efficient cyclosarin degradation mediated by a β-cyclodextrin derivative containing an oxime-derived substituent.

PubMed

Zengerle, Michael; Brandhuber, Florian; Schneider, Christian; Worek, Franz; Reiter, Georg; Kubik, Stefan

2011-01-01

The potential of appropriately substituted cyclodextrins to act as scavengers for neurotoxic organophosphonates under physiological conditions was evaluated. To this end, a series of derivatives containing substituents with an aldoxime or a ketoxime moiety along the narrow opening of the β-cyclodextrin cavity was synthesized, and the ability of these compounds to reduce the inhibitory effect of the neurotoxic organophosphonate cyclosarin on its key target, acetylcholinesterase, was assessed in vitro. All compounds exhibited a larger effect than native β-cyclodextrin, and characteristic differences were noted. These differences in activity were correlated with the structural and electronic parameters of the substituents. In addition, the relatively strong effect of the cyclodextrin derivatives on cyclosarin degradation and, in particular, the observed enantioselectivity are good indications that noncovalent interactions between the cyclodextrin ring and the substrate, presumably involving the inclusion of the cyclohexyl moiety of cyclosarin into the cyclodextrin cavity, contribute to the mode of action. Among the nine compounds investigated, one exhibited remarkable activity, completely preventing acetylcholinesterase inhibition by the (-)-enantiomer of cyclosarin within seconds under the conditions of the assay. Thus, these investigations demonstrate that decoration of cyclodextrins with appropriate substituents represents a promising approach for the development of scavengers able to detoxify highly toxic nerve agents.

Highly efficient cyclosarin degradation mediated by a β-cyclodextrin derivative containing an oxime-derived substituent

PubMed Central

Zengerle, Michael; Brandhuber, Florian; Schneider, Christian; Worek, Franz; Reiter, Georg

2011-01-01

Summary The potential of appropriately substituted cyclodextrins to act as scavengers for neurotoxic organophosphonates under physiological conditions was evaluated. To this end, a series of derivatives containing substituents with an aldoxime or a ketoxime moiety along the narrow opening of the β-cyclodextrin cavity was synthesized, and the ability of these compounds to reduce the inhibitory effect of the neurotoxic organophosphonate cyclosarin on its key target, acetylcholinesterase, was assessed in vitro. All compounds exhibited a larger effect than native β-cyclodextrin, and characteristic differences were noted. These differences in activity were correlated with the structural and electronic parameters of the substituents. In addition, the relatively strong effect of the cyclodextrin derivatives on cyclosarin degradation and, in particular, the observed enantioselectivity are good indications that noncovalent interactions between the cyclodextrin ring and the substrate, presumably involving the inclusion of the cyclohexyl moiety of cyclosarin into the cyclodextrin cavity, contribute to the mode of action. Among the nine compounds investigated, one exhibited remarkable activity, completely preventing acetylcholinesterase inhibition by the (−)-enantiomer of cyclosarin within seconds under the conditions of the assay. Thus, these investigations demonstrate that decoration of cyclodextrins with appropriate substituents represents a promising approach for the development of scavengers able to detoxify highly toxic nerve agents. PMID:22238531

Cell wall reactivity of acidophilic and alkaliphilic bacteria determined by potentiometric titrations and Cd adsorption experiments.

PubMed

Kenney, Janice P L; Fein, Jeremy B

2011-05-15

In this study, we used potentiometric titrations and Cd adsorption experiments to determine the binding capacities of two acidophilic (A. cryptum and A. acidophilum) and two alkaliphilic (B. pseudofirmus and B. circulans) bacterial species in order to determine if any consistent trends could be observed relating bacterial growth environment to proton and Cd binding properties and to compare those binding behaviors to those of neutrophilic bacteria. All of the bacterial species studied exhibited significant proton buffering over the pH range in this study, with the alkaliphiles exhibiting significantly higher acidity constants than the acidophiles as well as the neutrophilic bacterial consortia. The calculated average site concentrations for each of the bacteria in this study are within 2σ experimental error of each other, with the exception of A. cryptum, which has a significantly higher Site 2 concentration than the other species. Despite differing acidity constants between the acidophiles and alkaliphiles, all bacteria except A. cryptum exhibited remarkably similar Cd adsorption behavior to each other, and the observed extent of adsorption was also similar to that predicted from a generalized model derived using neutrophilic bacterial consortia. This study demonstrates that bacteria that grow under extreme conditions exhibit similar proton and metal adsorption behavior to that of previously studied neutrophilic species and that a single set of proton and metal binding constants can be used to model the behavior of bacterial adsorption under a wide range of environmental conditions.

Quantitative analysis of lentiviral transgene expression in mice over seven generations.

PubMed

Wang, Yong; Song, Yong-tao; Liu, Qin; Liu, Cang'e; Wang, Lu-lu; Liu, Yu; Zhou, Xiao-yang; Wu, Jun; Wei, Hong

2010-10-01

Lentiviral transgenesis is now recognized as an extremely efficient and cost-effective method to produce transgenic animals. Transgenes delivered by lentiviral vectors exhibited inheritable expression in many species including those which are refractory to genetic modification such as non-human primates. However, epigenetic modification was frequently observed in lentiviral integrants, and transgene expression found to be inversely correlated with methylation density. Recent data showed that about one-third lentiviral integrants exhibited hypermethylation and low expression, but did not demonstrate whether those integrants with high expression could remain constant expression and hypomethylated during long term germline transmission. In this study, using lentiviral eGFP transgenic mice as the experimental animals, lentiviral eGFP expression levels and its integrant numbers in genome were quantitatively analyzed by fluorescent quantitative polymerase-chain reaction (FQ-PCR), using the house-keeping gene ribosomal protein S18 (Rps18) and the single copy gene fatty acid binding protein of the intestine (Fabpi) as the internal controls respectively. The methylation densities of the integrants were quantitatively analyzed by bisulfite sequencing. We found that the lentiviral integrants with high expression exhibited a relative constant expression level per integrant over at least seven generations. Besides, the individuals containing these integrants exhibited eGFP expression levels which were positively and almost linearly correlated with the integrant numbers in their genomes, suggesting that no remarkable position effect on transgene expression of the integrants analyzed was observed. In addition, over seven generations the methylation density of these integrants did not increase, but rather decreased remarkably, indicating that these high expressing integrants were not subjected to de novo methylation during at least seven generations of germline transmission. Taken together, these data suggested that transgenic lines with long term stable expression and no position effect can be established by lentiviral transgenesis.

Porous MoO2 nanowires as stable and high-rate negative electrodes for electrochemical capacitors.

PubMed

Zheng, Dezhou; Feng, Haobin; Zhang, Xiyue; He, Xinjun; Yu, Minghao; Lu, Xihong; Tong, Yexiang

2017-04-04

Free-standing porous MoO 2 nanowires with extraordinary capacitive performance are developed as high-performance electrodes for electrochemical capacitors. The as-obtained MoO 2 electrode exhibits a remarkable capacitance of 424.4 mF cm -2 with excellent electrochemical durability (no capacitance decay after 10 000 cycles at various scan rates).

Titanium dioxide@polypyrrole core-shell nanowires for all solid-state flexible supercapacitors.

PubMed

Yu, Minghao; Zeng, Yinxiang; Zhang, Chong; Lu, Xihong; Zeng, Chenghui; Yao, Chenzhong; Yang, Yangyi; Tong, Yexiang

2013-11-21

Herein, we developed a facile two-step process to synthesize TiO2@PPy core-shell nanowires (NWs) on carbon cloth and reported their improved electrochemical performance for flexible supercapacitors (SCs). The fabricated solid-state SC device based on TiO2@PPy core-shell NWs not only has excellent flexibility, but also exhibits remarkable electrochemical performance.

One-step synthesis of three-dimensional Pd polyhedron networks with enhanced electrocatalytic performance.

PubMed

Xu, You; Xu, Rui; Cui, Jianhua; Liu, Yang; Zhang, Bin

2012-04-21

Three-dimensional Pd polyhedron networks (Pd PNs) have been fabricated for the first time through a one-step, Cu(2+)-assisted, solution-chemical approach. These as-prepared 3D Pd PNs exhibit high stability and remarkably improved electrocatalytic activity toward formic acid oxidation over commercially available Pd black. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

Young People in Croatia in Times of Crisis and Some Remarks about Citizenship Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mrnjaus, Kornelija; Vrcelj, Sofija; Zlokovic, Jasminka

2014-01-01

In this paper, the authors address the youth as a research phenomenon and present the current position of young people in the Croatian society. The authors exhibit interesting results of a recent study of youth in Croatia and present the results of their research conducted among Croatian students aiming to explore the attitudes of young people and…

A supermolecular curcumin for enhanced antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities: molecular characteristics, computer modeling and in vivo pharmacokinetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Qunyou; Wu, Jianyong; Li, Yi; Mei, Hu; Zhao, Chunjing; Zhang, Jingqing

2013-01-01

The supermolecular curcumin (SMCCM) exhibiting remarkably improved solubility and release characteristics was fabricated to increase the oral bioavailability in rat as well as the antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities of curcumin (CCM) against human lung adenocarcinoma cell A549. SMCCM was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, morphology and structure, aqueous solubility, and release behavior in vitro. Computer modeling of the supermolecular structure was performed. The pharmacokinetics, antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities of SMCCM were evaluated. The mechanisms by which SMCCM inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis were identified. The formation of SMCCM was testified and the supermolecular structure was studied by a computer modeling technique. Compared to free CCM, SMCCM with much higher aqueous solubility exhibited obviously enhanced release and more favorable pharmacokinetic profiles, and, furthermore, SMCCM showed higher anticancer efficacy, enhanced induction of G2/M-phase arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells, which might be involved with the increases in reactive oxygen species production and intracellular Ca2+ accumulation, and a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. SMCCM remarkably enhanced not only the oral bioavailability but also the antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities of CCM along with improved solubility and release characteristics of CCM.

Simple and effective preparation of nano-pulverized curcumin by femtosecond laser ablation and the cytotoxic effect on C6 rat glioma cells in vitro.

PubMed

Tagami, Tatsuaki; Imao, Yukino; Ito, Shunsuke; Nakada, Akiko; Ozeki, Tetsuya

2014-07-01

The pulverization of poorly water-soluble drugs and drug candidates into nanoscale particles is a simple and effective means of increasing their pharmacological effect. Consequently, efficient methods for pulverizing compounds are being developed. Femtosecond lasers, which emit ultrashort laser pulses, can be used to generate nanoscale particles without heating and are finding in various fields, including pharmaceutical science. Laser ablation holds promise as a novel top-down pulverization method for obtaining drug nanoparticles. We used a poorly water-soluble compound, curcumin (diferuloyl methane), to understand the characteristics of femtosecond laser pulverization. Various factors such as laser strength, laser scan speed, and the buffer solution affected the size of the curcumin particles. The minimum curcumin particle size was approximately 500 nm; the particle size was stable after 30 days. In vitro studies suggested that curcumin nanoparticles exhibited a cytotoxic effect on C6 rat glioma cells, and remarkable intracellular uptake of the curcumin nanoparticles was observed. The results suggest that femtosecond laser ablation is a useful approach for preparing curcumin nanoparticles that exhibit remarkable therapeutic effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A supermolecular curcumin for enhanced antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities: molecular characteristics, computer modeling and in vivo pharmacokinetics.

PubMed

Tan, Qunyou; Wu, Jianyong; Li, Yi; Mei, Hu; Zhao, Chunjing; Zhang, Jingqing

2013-01-25

The supermolecular curcumin (SMCCM) exhibiting remarkably improved solubility and release characteristics was fabricated to increase the oral bioavailability in rat as well as the antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities of curcumin (CCM) against human lung adenocarcinoma cell A549. SMCCM was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, morphology and structure, aqueous solubility, and release behavior in vitro. Computer modeling of the supermolecular structure was performed. The pharmacokinetics, antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities of SMCCM were evaluated. The mechanisms by which SMCCM inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis were identified. The formation of SMCCM was testified and the supermolecular structure was studied by a computer modeling technique. Compared to free CCM, SMCCM with much higher aqueous solubility exhibited obviously enhanced release and more favorable pharmacokinetic profiles, and, furthermore, SMCCM showed higher anticancer efficacy, enhanced induction of G2/M-phase arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells, which might be involved with the increases in reactive oxygen species production and intracellular Ca(2+) accumulation, and a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. SMCCM remarkably enhanced not only the oral bioavailability but also the antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities of CCM along with improved solubility and release characteristics of CCM.

Strong coercivity reduction and high initial permeability in NiCoP coated BaFe12O19-polystyrene bilayer composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamad, Mahmoud A.; El-Sayed, Adly H.; Hemeda, O. M.; Tawfik, A.

2016-03-01

Soft-magnetic NiCoP coated hard-magnetic M-type ferrite BaFe12O19 (BaM)-polystyrene (PS) bilayer composite film was successfully synthesized. X-ray diffraction peaks exhibited no change in the structure of BaM after coating with PS. The NiCoP coated BaM-PS composite exhibited a wasp-waisted magnetic hysteretic loop with remarkable reduction in the coercivity, remanence and squareness with respect to BaM-PS, which is useful for the core of a magnetic switching device to control currents so large that they are unmanageable. Moreover, the initial permeability measurement exhibits initial permeability of around 100 000 and thermal stability up to 558 K, which is good for flux-amplifying components of smaller inductors.

Effect of Novel Quick Freezing Techniques Combined with Different Thawing Processes on Beef Quality

PubMed Central

Yoo, Seon-Mi; Han, Gui-Jung

2014-01-01

This study investigated the effect of various freezing and thawing techniques on the quality of beef. Meat samples were frozen using natural convection freezing (NF), individual quick freezing (IQF), or cryogenic freezing (CF) techniques, followed by natural convection thawing (NCT) or running water thawing (RT). The meat was frozen until the core temperature reached -12℃ and then stored at -24℃, followed by thawing until the temperature reached 5℃. Quality parameters, such as the pH, water binding properties, CIE color, shear force, and microstructure of the beef were elucidated. Although the freezing and thawing combinations did not cause remarkable changes in the quality parameters, rapid freezing, in the order of CF, IQF, and NF, was found to minimize the quality deterioration. In the case of thawing methods, NCT was better than RT and the meat quality was influence on the thawing temperature rather than the thawing rate. Although the microstructure of the frozen beef exhibited an excessive loss of integrity after the freezing and thawing, it did not cause any remarkable change in the beef quality. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CF and NCT form the best combination for beef processing; however, IQF and NCT may have practical applications in the frozen food industry. PMID:26761674

Breeds of risk-adjusted fundamentalist strategies in an order-driven market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LiCalzi, Marco; Pellizzari, Paolo

2006-01-01

This paper studies an order-driven stock market where agents have heterogeneous estimates of the fundamental value of the risky asset. The agents are budget-constrained and follow a value-based trading strategy which buys or sells depending on whether the price of the asset is below or above its risk-adjusted fundamental value. This environment generates returns that are remarkably leptokurtic and fat-tailed. By extending the study over a grid of different parameters for the fundamentalist trading strategy, we exhibit the existence of monotone relationships between the bid-ask spread demanded by the agents and several statistics of the returns. We conjecture that this effect, coupled with positive dependence of the risk premium on the volatility, generates positive feedbacks that might explain volatility bursts.

[Contents of diterpenoid pigments in didifferent parts of fruit from Gardenia jasminoides].

PubMed

Zhang, Cun; Xiao, Yongqing; Li, Li; Li, Wen; Yin, Xiaojie

2009-06-01

To compare the contents of diterpenoid pigments among the fruit, seed, and pericarp from Gardenia jasminoides. The separation of Crocin 1, Crocin 2, Crocin 3 were carried out simultaneously on a Kromasil C18 column at 35 degrees C with the methanol-acetonitrile-0.3% formic acid anhydrous in gradient elution as the mobile phrases. The detection wavelength was set at 440 nm and the flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1). The obtained linearity of the three components was better over 0.999 5 and the average recoveries were 97.50%, 98.76%, 97.67%, respectively. The results exhibited the remarkable variation among the different parts of the fruit. The contents of three constituents in seed were higher than in pericarp.

Wormlike Chain Theory and Bending of Short DNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazur, Alexey K.

2007-05-01

The probability distributions for bending angles in double helical DNA obtained in all-atom molecular dynamics simulations are compared with theoretical predictions. The computed distributions remarkably agree with the wormlike chain theory and qualitatively differ from predictions of the subelastic chain model. The computed data exhibit only small anomalies in the apparent flexibility of short DNA and cannot account for the recently reported AFM data. It is possible that the current atomistic DNA models miss some essential mechanisms of DNA bending on intermediate length scales. Analysis of bent DNA structures reveal, however, that the bending motion is structurally heterogeneous and directionally anisotropic on the length scales where the experimental anomalies were detected. These effects are essential for interpretation of the experimental data and they also can be responsible for the apparent discrepancy.

Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial activity of a new calcium complex using sodium 2-mercaptobenzothiazole and 1, 10-phenanthroline as ligands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulab, Hussain; Shah, Zarbad; Mahmood, Mazhar; Shah, Syed Raza; Ali, Sajid; Iqbal, Muhammad; Khan, Muhammad Naeem; Flörke, Ulrich; Khan, Shahid Ali

2018-02-01

A new Ca-complex (Ca (H2 O)4 (C12 H8 N2)2)(C7 H4 N S2)2 has been synthesized by the reaction of calcium chloride, sodium 2-mercaptobenzothiazole and 1,10-phenanthroline. The complex was characterized by using X-ray crystallography and FT-IR spectroscopy. The complex was tested against different bacterial strains i.e. Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumanni, Providencia stuartii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The complex was found to exhibit remarkable anti-bacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with an inhibition zone of 25 mm and good anti-bacterial activity against Acinetobacter baumanni with a zone of inhibition of 16 mm comparable to the Levofloxacin standard (zone of inhibition of 25 mm).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Qiannan; Zhu, Ding; Zhou, Wanhai

Highlights: • Effects of four different preparation processes were studied at 20/60 °C. • All NS + HT, RS and RS + HT processes can optimize the thermodynamic performance. • The HT process can provoke the precipitation of A{sub 2}B{sub 7} and leads to a poor cycling life. • Al exhibits the most remarkable dissolution for all the alloys, especially at 60 °C. - Abstract: In order to optimize the microstructure and high temperature electrochemical performances of low-cost AB{sub 5}-type Ml(NiMnAl){sub 4.2}Co{sub 0.3}Fe{sub 0.5} hydrogen storage electrode alloys, four different preparation methods including normal solidification (NS), normal solidification and 900more » °C heat treatment (NS + HT), rapid solidification (RS), rapid solidification and 900 °C heat treatment (RS + HT) were adopted in this work. All alloys exhibit CaCu{sub 5} type hexagonal structure and there is a small amount of A{sub 2}B{sub 7} phase in NS + HT and RS + HT alloys. It is found the using of HT process can decrease the hydrogen equilibrium plateau pressure, the plateau slope and hysteresis at 40, 60 and 80 °C. The NS + HT and RS + HT alloys also possess better activation, high rate discharge performance, larger discharge capacity, but poor cycling performance due to the existence of A{sub 2}B{sub 7} phase which can accelerate dissolution of Ni, Mn and Fe elements in KOH alkaline electrolyte. The RS process can make alloy exhibit the best cycling performance especially at 60 °C.« less

The birth of new neurons in the maternal brain: hormonal regulation and functional implications

PubMed Central

Leuner, Benedetta; Sabihi, Sara

2016-01-01

The maternal brain is remarkably plastic and exhibits multifaceted neural modifications. Neurogenesis has emerged as one of the mechanisms by which the maternal brain exhibits plasticity. This review highlights what is currently known about peripartum-associated changes in adult neurogenesis and the underlying hormonal mechanisms. We also consider the functional consequences of neurogenesis in the peripartum brain and extent to which this process may play a role in maternal care, cognitive function and postpartum mood. Finally, while most work investigating the effects of parenting on adult neurogenesis has focused on mothers, a few studies have examined fathers and these results are also discussed. PMID:26969795

Research progress of nanoparticles as enzyme mimetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, XiaoNa; Liu, JianBo; Hou, Shuai; Wen, Tao; Liu, WenQi; Zhang, Ke; He, WeiWei; Ji, YingLu; Ren, HongXuan; Wang, Qi; Wu, XiaoChun

2011-10-01

Natural enzymes as biological catalysts possess remarkable advantages, especially their highly efficient and selective catalysis under mild conditions. However, most natural enzymes are proteins, thus exhibiting an inherent low durability to harsh reaction conditions. Artificial enzyme mimetics have been pursued extensively to avoid this drawback. Quite recently, some inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have been found to exhibit unique enzyme mimetics. In addition, their much higher stability overcomes the inherent disadvantage of natural enzymes. Furthermore, easy mass-production and low cost endow them more benefits. As a new member of artificial enzyme mimetics, they have received intense attention. In this review article, major progress in this field is summarized and future perspectives are highlighted.

Inhibitory effect of flavonoids from citrus plants on Epstein-Barr virus activation and two-stage carcinogenesis of skin tumors.

PubMed

Iwase, Y; Takemura, Y; Ju-ichi, M; Ito, C; Furukawa, H; Kawaii, S; Yano, M; Mou, X Y; Takayasu, J; Tokuda, H; Nishino, H

2000-06-01

To search for possible anti-tumor promoters, thirteen flavones (1-13) obtained from the peel of Citrus plants were examined for their inhibitory effects on the Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation by a short-term in vitro assay. Of these flavones, 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptamethoxyflavone (HPT) (13) exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the EBV-EA activation induced by the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). Further, compound 13 exhibited remarkable inhibitory effects on mouse skin tumor promotion in an in vivo two-stage carcinogenesis test.

Ultrastructural pathology of cortical capillary pericytes in human traumatic brain oedema.

PubMed

Castejón, Orlando J

2011-01-01

In human traumatic brain oedema pericytes exhibit remarkable oedematous changes, increased vacuolar and vesicular transport, transient transpericytal channels, and tubular structures demonstrating pericyte brain barrier dysfunction. They show nuclear invaginations, actin and myosin-like filaments, and coupled interaction with endothelial cells through the macula occludens. Some pericytes display hypertrophic and necrotic changes, and phagocytic capacity. Hypertrophic pericytes induce basement membrane splitting. Degenerated pericytes exhibit lacunar enlargement of endoplasmic reticulum, dense osmiophilic bodies, glycogen granules, vacuolization, oedematous Golgi apparatus, and pleomorphic mitochondria. Certain micropinocytotic vesicles are orientated to the Golgi complex and multivesicular bodies, suggesting that pericytes play some role in oedema resolution.

Gaussian fluctuation of the diffusion exponent of virus capsid in a living cell nucleus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itto, Yuichi

2018-05-01

In their work [4], Bosse et al. experimentally showed that virus capsid exhibits not only normal diffusion but also anomalous diffusion in nucleus of a living cell. There, it was found that the distribution of fluctuations of the diffusion exponent characterizing them takes the Gaussian form, which is, quite remarkably, the same form for two different types of the virus. This suggests high robustness of such fluctuations. Here, the statistical property of local fluctuations of the diffusion exponent of the virus capsid in the nucleus is studied. A maximum-entropy-principle approach (originally proposed for a different virus in a different cell) is applied for obtaining the fluctuation distribution of the exponent. Largeness of the number of blocks identified with local areas of interchromatin corrals is also examined based on the experimental data. It is shown that the Gaussian distribution of the local fluctuations can be derived, in accordance with the above form. In addition, it is quantified how the fluctuation distribution on a long time scale is different from the Gaussian distribution.

Fabrication of nickel-foam-supported layered zinc-cobalt hydroxide nanoflakes for high electrochemical performance in supercapacitors.

PubMed

Yuan, Peng; Zhang, Ning; Zhang, Dan; Liu, Tao; Chen, Limiao; Liu, Xiaohe; Ma, Renzhi; Qiu, Guanzhou

2014-10-04

Nickel foam supported Zn-Co hydroxide nanoflakes were fabricated by a facile solvothermal method. Benefited from the unique structure of Zn-Co hydroxide nanoflakes on a nickel foam substrate, the as prepared materials exhibited an excellent specific capacitance of 901 F g(-1) at 5 A g(-1) and remarkable cycling stability as electrode materials in supercapacitors.

Striking antitumor activity of a methinium system with incorporated quinoxaline unit obtained by spontaneous cyclization.

PubMed

Bříza, T; Králová, J; Dolenský, B; Rimpelová, S; Kejík, Z; Ruml, T; Hajdúch, M; Džubák, P; Mikula, I; Martásek, P; Poučková, P; Král, V

2015-03-02

A novel pentamethinium salt was synthesized with an unforeseen expanded conjugated quinoxaline unit directly incorporated into a pentamethinium chain. The compound exhibited high fluorescence intensity, selective mitochondrial localization, high cytotoxicity, and selectivity toward malignant cell lines, and resulted in remarkable in vivo suppression of tumor growth in mice. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Evaporative lithographic patterning of binary colloidal films.

PubMed

Harris, Daniel J; Conrad, Jacinta C; Lewis, Jennifer A

2009-12-28

Evaporative lithography offers a promising new route for patterning a broad array of soft materials. In this approach, a mask is placed above a drying film to create regions of free and hindered evaporation, which drive fluid convection and entrained particles to regions of highest evaporative flux. We show that binary colloidal films exhibit remarkable pattern formation when subjected to a periodic evaporative landscape during drying.

Sodium-Ion Batteries: Improving the Rate Capability of 3D Interconnected Carbon Nanofibers Thin Film by Boron, Nitrogen Dual-Doping.

PubMed

Wang, Min; Yang, Yang; Yang, Zhenzhong; Gu, Lin; Chen, Qianwang; Yu, Yan

2017-04-01

Boron, nitrogen dual-doping 3D hard carbon nanofibers thin film is synthesized using a facile process. The nanofibers exhibit high specific capacity and remarkable high-rate capability due to the synergistic effect of 3D porous structure, large surface area, and enlarged carbon layer spacing, and the B, N codoping-induced defects.

Rapid and simple method of photobleaching to reduce background autofluorescence in lung tissue sections.

PubMed

Kumar, B Santhosh; Sandhyamani, S; Nazeer, Shaiju S; Jayasree, R S

2015-02-01

Autofluorescence exhibited by tissues often interferes with immunofluorescence. Using imaging and spectral analysis, we observed remarkable reduction of autofluorescence of formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues irradiated with light prior to incubation with immunofluorescent dyes. The technique of photobleaching offers significant improvement in the quality and specificity of immunofluorescence. This has the potential for better techniques for disease diagnosis.

Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE) Fluorophore Exhibits a Highly Ratiometric Fluorescent Response to Zn2+ in vitro and in Human Liver Cancer Cells.

PubMed

Mehdi, Hassan; Gong, Weitao; Guo, Huimin; Watkinson, Michael; Ma, Hua; Wajahat, Ali; Ning, Guiling

2017-09-21

Two novel organic fluorophores, containing bis-naphthylamide and quinoline motifs, have been designed and synthesized. One of the fluorophores contains an isobutylene unit and exhibits a significant aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and a remarkable highly selective ratiometric fluorescence response towards Zn 2+ in solution as well as in human liver cancer cells. The AIE behavior of this fluorophore was fully verified by fluorescence and UV/Vis spectroscopy, quantum yield calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which revealed an intricate crystal packing system. Conversely, a fluorophore that lacks the isobutylene moiety did not exhibit any significant fluorescent properties as a result of its more flexible molecular structure that presumably allows free intramolecular rotational processes to occur. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Segregation of Form, Color, Movement, and Depth: Anatomy, Physiology, and Perception

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livingstone, Margaret; Hubel, David

1988-05-01

Anatomical and physiological observations in monkeys indicate that the primate visual system consists of several separate and independent subdivisions that analyze different aspects of the same retinal image: cells in cortical visual areas 1 and 2 and higher visual areas are segregated into three interdigitating subdivisions that differ in their selectivity for color, stereopsis, movement, and orientation. The pathways selective for form and color seem to be derived mainly from the parvocellular geniculate subdivisions, the depth- and movement-selective components from the magnocellular. At lower levels, in the retina and in the geniculate, cells in these two subdivisions differ in their color selectivity, contrast sensitivity, temporal properties, and spatial resolution. These major differences in the properties of cells at lower levels in each of the subdivisions led to the prediction that different visual functions, such as color, depth, movement, and form perception, should exhibit corresponding differences. Human perceptual experiments are remarkably consistent with these predictions. Moreover, perceptual experiments can be designed to ask which subdivisions of the system are responsible for particular visual abilities, such as figure/ground discrimination or perception of depth from perspective or relative movement--functions that might be difficult to deduce from single-cell response properties.

Redox-dependent structure change and hyperfine nuclear magnetic resonance shifts in cytochrome c

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feng, Yiquing; Roder, H.; Englander, S.W.

1990-04-10

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance assignments for reduced and oxidized equine cytochrome c show that many individual protons exhibit different chemical shifts in the two protein forms, reflecting diamagnetic shift effects due to structure change, and in addition contact and pseudocontact shifts that occur only in the paramagnetic oxidized form. To evaluate the chemical shift differences for structure change, the authors removed the pseudocontact shift contribution by a calculation based on knowledge of the electron spin g tensor. The g-tensor calculation, when repeated using only 12 available C{sub {alpha}}H proton resonances for cytochrom c from tuna, proved to be remarkably stable.more » The derived g tensor was then used together with spatial coordinates for the oxidized form to calculate the pseudocontact shift contribution to proton resonances at 400 identifiable sites throughout the protein, so that the redox-dependent chemical shift discrepancy, could be evaluated. Large residual changes in chemical shift define the Fermi contact shifts, where are found as expected to be limited to the immediate covalent structure of the heme and its ligands and to be asymmetrically distributed over the heme. The chemical shift discrepancies observed appear in the main to reflect structure-dependent diamagnetic shifts rather than hyperfine effects due to displacements in the pseudocontact shift field. Although 51 protons in 29 different residues exhibit significant chemical shift changes, the general impressions one of small structural adjustments to redox-dependent strain rather than sizeable structural displacements or rearrangements.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yin, Wen-Yu; Zhuang, Guo-Yong; Huang, Zuo-Long

Three cadmium coordination polymers, [Cd(bismip)]{sub n} (1), {[Cd(bismip)(phen)]·H_2O}{sub n} (2) and {[Cd_2(bismip)_2(4,4′-bipy)]·2H_2O}{sub n} (3) (H{sub 2}bismip=5-(1H-benzoimidazol-2-ylsulfanylmethyl)-isophthalic acid, phen=1,10-phenanthroline, 4,4′-bipy=4,4′-bipyridine) have been prepared under solvothermal conditions. In 1, the [Cd{sub 4}(bismip){sub 3}] units are jointed by bismip ligands to afford a three-dimensional (3D) architecture. Complex 2 exhibits a 3D supramolecular framework based on the interconnection of 1D chains through hydrogen bonding interactions and π-π packing interactions. 3 is a two-fold interpenetrating 3D architecture with a (4·8{sup 2})(4{sup 2}·8{sup 4}) Schläfli symbol in which 2D layers are interlinked by 4,4′-bipy ligands. The diverse structures of compounds 1–3 indicate that the auxiliary ligandsmore » have significant effects on the final structures. The photoluminescent properties and photocatalytic properties of these coordination polymers in the solid state were also investigated. Remarkably, 3 shows the wide gap semiconductor nature and exhibit excellent photocatalytic performance. - Graphical abstract: Three cadmium coordination polymers with different architectures based on 5-(1H-benzoimidazol-2-ylsulfanylmethyl)-isophthalic acid have been prepared. Their photoluminescent properties were also investigated. - Highlights: • Three new Cd(II) Cps were synthesized based on H{sub 2}bismip. • Compounds 1 and 3 show 3D networks and 2 exhibits a 1D chain. • Compoud 3 exhibits good catalytic activity of methylene blue photodegradation.« less

The secreted fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase as a broad spectrum vaccine candidate against pathogenic bacteria in aquaculture.

PubMed

Sun, Zhongyang; Shen, Binbing; Wu, Haizhen; Zhou, Xiangyu; Wang, Qiyao; Xiao, Jingfan; Zhang, Yuanxing

2015-10-01

The development of aquaculture has been hampered by different aquatic pathogens that can cause edwardsiellosis, vibriosis, or other diseases. Therefore, developing a broad spectrum vaccine against different fish diseases is necessary. In this study, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA), a conserved enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, was demonstrated to be located in the non-cytoplasmic components of five aquatic pathogenic bacteria and exhibited remarkable protection and cross-protection against these pathogens in turbot and zebrafish. Further analysis revealed that sera sampled from vaccinated turbot had a high level of specific antibody and bactericidal activity against these pathogens. Meanwhile, the increased expressions of immune response-related genes associated with antigen recognition and presentation indicated that the adaptive immune response was effectively aroused. Taken together, our results suggest that FBA can be utilized as a broad-spectrum vaccine against various pathogenic bacteria of aquaculture in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enzymatic Detoxication, Conformational Selection, and the Role of Molten Globule Active Sites*

PubMed Central

Honaker, Matthew T.; Acchione, Mauro; Zhang, Wei; Mannervik, Bengt; Atkins, William M.

2013-01-01

The role of conformational ensembles in enzymatic reactions remains unclear. Discussion concerning “induced fit” versus “conformational selection” has, however, ignored detoxication enzymes, which exhibit catalytic promiscuity. These enzymes dominate drug metabolism and determine drug-drug interactions. The detoxication enzyme glutathione transferase A1–1 (GSTA1–1), exploits a molten globule-like active site to achieve remarkable catalytic promiscuity wherein the substrate-free conformational ensemble is broad with barrierless transitions between states. A quantitative index of catalytic promiscuity is used to compare engineered variants of GSTA1–1 and the catalytic promiscuity correlates strongly with characteristics of the thermodynamic partition function, for the substrate-free enzymes. Access to chemically disparate transition states is encoded by the substrate-free conformational ensemble. Pre-steady state catalytic data confirm an extension of the conformational selection model, wherein different substrates select different starting conformations. The kinetic liability of the conformational breadth is minimized by a smooth landscape. We propose that “local” molten globule behavior optimizes detoxication enzymes. PMID:23649628

Dorsal striatum is necessary for stimulus-value but not action-value learning in humans

PubMed Central

Vo, Khoi; Rutledge, Robb B.; Chatterjee, Anjan

2014-01-01

Several lines of evidence implicate the striatum in learning from experience on the basis of positive and negative feedback. However, the necessity of the striatum for such learning has been difficult to demonstrate in humans, because brain damage is rarely restricted to this structure. Here we test a rare individual with widespread bilateral damage restricted to the dorsal striatum. His performance was impaired and not significantly different from chance on several classic learning tasks, consistent with current theories regarding the role of the striatum. However, he also exhibited remarkably intact performance on a different subset of learning paradigms. The tasks he could perform can all be solved by learning the value of actions, while those he could not perform can only be solved by learning the value of stimuli. Although dorsal striatum is often thought to play a specific role in action-value learning, we find surprisingly that dorsal striatum is necessary for stimulus-value but not action-value learning in humans. PMID:25273995

Different electronic and charge-transport properties of four organic semiconductors Tetraazaperopyrenes derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yarui; Wei, Huiling; Liu, Yufang

2015-03-01

Tetraazaperopyrenes (TAPPs) derivatives are high-performance n-type organic semiconductor material families with the remarkable long-term stabilities. The charge carrier mobilities in TAPPs derivatives crystals were calculated by the density functional theory (DFT) method combined with the Marcus-Hush electron-transfer theory. The existence of considerable C-H…F-C bonding defines the conformation of the molecular structure and contributes to its stability. We illustrated how it is possible to control the electronic and charge-transport parameters of TAPPs derivatives as a function of the positions, a type of the substituents. It is found that the core substitution of TAPPs has a drastic influence on the charge-transport mobilities. The maximum electron mobility value of the core-brominated 2,9-bis (perfluoroalkyl)-substituted TAPPs is 0.521 cm2 V-1 s-1, which appear in the orientation angle 95° and 275°. The results demonstrate that the TAPPs with bromine substituents in ortho positions exhibit the best charge-transfer efficiency among the four different TAPP derivatives.

Fractal multi-level organisation of human groups in a virtual world.

PubMed

Fuchs, Benedikt; Sornette, Didier; Thurner, Stefan

2014-10-06

Humans are fundamentally social. They form societies which consist of hierarchically layered nested groups of various quality, size, and structure. The anthropologic literature has classified these groups as support cliques, sympathy groups, bands, cognitive groups, tribes, linguistic groups, and so on. Anthropologic data show that, on average, each group consists of approximately three subgroups. However, a general understanding of the structural dependence of groups at different layers is largely missing. We extend these early findings to a very large high-precision large-scale internet-based social network data. We analyse the organisational structure of a complete, multi-relational, large social multiplex network of a human society consisting of about 400,000 odd players of an open-ended massive multiplayer online game for which we know all about their various group memberships at different layers. Remarkably, the online players' society exhibits the same type of structured hierarchical layers as found in hunter-gatherer societies. Our findings suggest that the hierarchical organisation of human society is deeply nested in human psychology.

Probing He bubbles in naturally aged and annealed δ-Pu alloys using ultra-small-angle x-ray scattering

DOE PAGES

Jeffries, J. R.; Hammons, J. A.; Willey, T. M.; ...

2017-10-31

We report the self-irradiation of Pu alloys generates He that is trapped within the metal matrix in the form of He bubbles. The distribution of these He bubbles in δ-phase Pu-Ga alloys exhibits a peak near a radius of 0.7 nm, and this size is remarkably stable as function of time. When annealed, the He bubbles in δ-Pu alloys grow, coarsening the distribution. However, the magnitude of this coarsening is uncertain, as different experimental methods reveal bubbles that differ by at least one order of magnitude. Small-angle x-ray scattering results, which can probe a wide range of bubble sizes, implymore » only a mild coarsening of the He bubble distribution for an annealing treatment of 425 °C for 24 h, and analysis of the He bubble content suggests that He is actually lost from the bubbles with annealing.« less

Spontaneous topological charging of tactoids in a living nematic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genkin, Mikhail M.; Sokolov, Andrey; Aranson, Igor S.

2018-04-01

Living nematic is a realization of an active matter combining a nematic liquid crystal with swimming bacteria. The material exhibits a remarkable tendency towards spatio-temporal self-organization manifested in formation of dynamic textures of self-propelled half-integer topological defects (disclinations). Here we report on the study of such living nematic near normal inclusions, or tactoids, naturally realized in liquid crystals close to the isotropic-nematic (I–N) phase transition. On the basis of the computational analysis, we have established that tactoid’s I–N interface spontaneously acquire negative topological charge which is proportional to the tactoid’s size and depends on the concentration of bacteria. The observed negative charging is attributed to the drastic difference in the mobilities of +1/2 and ‑1/2 topological defects in active systems. The effect is described in the framework of a kinetic theory for point-like weakly-interacting defects with different mobilities. Our dedicated experiment fully confirmed the theoretical prediction. The results hint into new strategies for control of active matter.

Spontaneous topological charging of tactoids in a living nematic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Genkin, Mikhail M.; Sokolov, Andrey; Aranson, Igor S.

Living nematic is a realization of an active matter combining a nematic liquid crystal with swimming bacteria. The material exhibits a remarkable tendency towards spatio-temporal self-organization manifested in formation of dynamic textures of self-propelled half-integer topological defects (disclinations). Here we report on the study of such living nematic near normal inclusions, or tactoids, naturally realized in liquid crystals close to the isotropic-nematic (I-N) phase transition. On the basis of the computational analysis, we have established that tactoid's I-Ninterface spontaneously acquire negative topological charge which is proportional to the tactoid's size and depends on the concentration of bacteria. The observed negativemore » charging is attributed to the drastic difference in the mobilities of +1/2 and -1/2 topological defects in active systems. The effect is described in the framework of a kinetic theory for point-like weakly-interacting defects with different mobilities. Our dedicated experiment fully confirmed the theoretical prediction. Here, the results hint into new strategies for control of active matter.« less

Self-Reference Refractive Index Sensor Based on Independently Controlled Double Resonances in Side-Coupled U-Shaped Resonators.

PubMed

Ren, Xiaobin; Ren, Kun; Ming, Chengguo

2018-04-28

A plasmonic, refractive, index nanosensor is investigated theoretically and numerically in two U-shaped cavities side-coupled to a metal⁻dielectric⁻metal (MDM) waveguide. A transparency window between two transmission dips is observed. The physical origin of the transmission phenomenon is revealed by mapping the magnetic field distribution. Independent double resonances are realized through the proposed design. Double resonances showed diverse responses to the variations of the structural dimensions. In particular, they presented different dependences on a refraction index of the medium in an individual resonator. One resonance exhibited a remarkable shift with the increase of the refraction index; however, the other resonance remained unchanged. On the basis of this unique characteristic of differing sensitivities, self-reference sensing is discussed. The nanosensor yielded a high sensitivity of 917 nm/RIU and a figure of merit of 180 RIU −1 . This work is helpful in terms of the design of on-chip optical sensors with high sensitivity and improved detection accuracy in complicated environments.

Human induced rotation and reorganization of the brain of domestic dogs.

PubMed

Roberts, Taryn; McGreevy, Paul; Valenzuela, Michael

2010-07-26

Domestic dogs exhibit an extraordinary degree of morphological diversity. Such breed-to-breed variability applies equally to the canine skull, however little is known about whether this translates to systematic differences in cerebral organization. By looking at the paramedian sagittal magnetic resonance image slice of canine brains across a range of animals with different skull shapes (N = 13), we found that the relative reduction in skull length compared to width (measured by Cephalic Index) was significantly correlated to a progressive ventral pitching of the primary longitudinal brain axis (r = 0.83), as well as with a ventral shift in the position of the olfactory lobe (r = 0.81). Furthermore, these findings were independent of estimated brain size or body weight. Since brachycephaly has arisen from generations of highly selective breeding, this study suggests that the remarkable diversity in domesticated dogs' body shape and size appears to also have led to human-induced adaptations in the organization of the canine brain.

Fractal multi-level organisation of human groups in a virtual world

PubMed Central

Fuchs, Benedikt; Sornette, Didier; Thurner, Stefan

2014-01-01

Humans are fundamentally social. They form societies which consist of hierarchically layered nested groups of various quality, size, and structure. The anthropologic literature has classified these groups as support cliques, sympathy groups, bands, cognitive groups, tribes, linguistic groups, and so on. Anthropologic data show that, on average, each group consists of approximately three subgroups. However, a general understanding of the structural dependence of groups at different layers is largely missing. We extend these early findings to a very large high-precision large-scale internet-based social network data. We analyse the organisational structure of a complete, multi-relational, large social multiplex network of a human society consisting of about 400,000 odd players of an open-ended massive multiplayer online game for which we know all about their various group memberships at different layers. Remarkably, the online players' society exhibits the same type of structured hierarchical layers as found in hunter-gatherer societies. Our findings suggest that the hierarchical organisation of human society is deeply nested in human psychology. PMID:25283998

Nonlocal electrodynamics in Weyl semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenstein, B.; Kao, H. C.; Lewkowicz, M.

2017-02-01

Recently synthesized three-dimensional materials with Dirac spectrum exhibit peculiar electric transport qualitatively different from its two-dimensional analog, graphene. By neglecting impurity scattering, the real part of the conductivity is strongly frequency dependent, while the imaginary part is nonzero unlike in undoped, clean graphene. The Coulomb interaction between electrons is unscreened as in a dielectric and hence is long range. We demonstrate that the interaction correction renders the electrodynamics nonlocal on a mesoscopic scale. The longitudinal conductivity σL and the transverse conductivity σT are different in the long-wavelength limit and consequently the standard local Ohm's law description does not apply. This leads to several remarkable effects in optical response. The p -polarized light generates in these materials bulk plasmons as well as the transversal waves. At a specific frequency the two modes coincide, a phenomenon impossible in a local medium. For any frequency there is a Brewster angle where total absorption occurs, turning the Weyl semimetals opaque. The effect of the surface, including the Fermi arcs, is discussed.

Spontaneous topological charging of tactoids in a living nematic

DOE PAGES

Genkin, Mikhail M.; Sokolov, Andrey; Aranson, Igor S.

2018-04-13

Living nematic is a realization of an active matter combining a nematic liquid crystal with swimming bacteria. The material exhibits a remarkable tendency towards spatio-temporal self-organization manifested in formation of dynamic textures of self-propelled half-integer topological defects (disclinations). Here we report on the study of such living nematic near normal inclusions, or tactoids, naturally realized in liquid crystals close to the isotropic-nematic (I-N) phase transition. On the basis of the computational analysis, we have established that tactoid's I-Ninterface spontaneously acquire negative topological charge which is proportional to the tactoid's size and depends on the concentration of bacteria. The observed negativemore » charging is attributed to the drastic difference in the mobilities of +1/2 and -1/2 topological defects in active systems. The effect is described in the framework of a kinetic theory for point-like weakly-interacting defects with different mobilities. Our dedicated experiment fully confirmed the theoretical prediction. Here, the results hint into new strategies for control of active matter.« less

The biodistribution and toxicity of plutonium, americium and neptunium.

PubMed

Taylor, D M

1989-07-15

In the nuclear fuel cycle the transuranic radionuclides plutonium-239, americium-241 and neptunium-237 would probably present the most serious hazard to human health if released into the environment. Despite differences in their solution chemistry the three elements exhibit remarkable similarity in their biochemical behaviour, apparently sharing similar transport pathways in blood and cells. After entering the blood the elements deposit predominantly in liver and skeleton, where retention appears to be prolonged, with half-times of the order of years. The principal late effects of all three radionuclides are the induction of cancers of bone, lung or liver. For the latter tumours the induction risk per unit radiation dose appears similar for the three radionuclides. But in bone there are indications that, due to microscopic differences in the distribution of the alpha-particle radiation dose, the efficiency of bone cancer induction may increase in the order americium-241 less than plutonium-239 less than neptunium-237. No case of human cancer induced by these radionuclides is known.

Fractal multi-level organisation of human groups in a virtual world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuchs, Benedikt; Sornette, Didier; Thurner, Stefan

2014-10-01

Humans are fundamentally social. They form societies which consist of hierarchically layered nested groups of various quality, size, and structure. The anthropologic literature has classified these groups as support cliques, sympathy groups, bands, cognitive groups, tribes, linguistic groups, and so on. Anthropologic data show that, on average, each group consists of approximately three subgroups. However, a general understanding of the structural dependence of groups at different layers is largely missing. We extend these early findings to a very large high-precision large-scale internet-based social network data. We analyse the organisational structure of a complete, multi-relational, large social multiplex network of a human society consisting of about 400,000 odd players of an open-ended massive multiplayer online game for which we know all about their various group memberships at different layers. Remarkably, the online players' society exhibits the same type of structured hierarchical layers as found in hunter-gatherer societies. Our findings suggest that the hierarchical organisation of human society is deeply nested in human psychology.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Surface gravity determination in late-type stars (Morel+, 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morel, T.; Miglio, A.

2012-06-01

The frequency of maximum oscillation power measured in dwarfs and giants exhibiting solar-like pulsations provides a precise, and potentially accurate, inference of the stellar surface gravity. An extensive comparison for about 40 well-studied pulsating stars with gravities derived using classical methods (ionization balance, pressure-sensitive spectral features or location with respect to evolutionary tracks) supports the validity of this technique and reveals an overall remarkable agreement with mean differences not exceeding 0.05dex (although with a dispersion of up to ~0.2dex). It is argued that interpolation in theoretical isochrones may be the most precise way of estimating the gravity by traditional means in nearby dwarfs. Attention is drawn to the usefulness of seismic targets as benchmarks in the context of large-scale surveys. (1 data file).

Fractional motion model for characterization of anomalous diffusion from NMR signals.

PubMed

Fan, Yang; Gao, Jia-Hong

2015-07-01

Measuring molecular diffusion has been used to characterize the properties of living organisms and porous materials. NMR is able to detect the diffusion process in vivo and noninvasively. The fractional motion (FM) model is appropriate to describe anomalous diffusion phenomenon in crowded environments, such as living cells. However, no FM-based NMR theory has yet been established. Here, we present a general formulation of the FM-based NMR signal under the influence of arbitrary magnetic field gradient waveforms. An explicit analytic solution of the stretched exponential decay format for NMR signals with finite-width Stejskal-Tanner bipolar pulse magnetic field gradients is presented. Signals from a numerical simulation matched well with the theoretical prediction. In vivo diffusion-weighted brain images were acquired and analyzed using the proposed theory, and the resulting parametric maps exhibit remarkable contrasts between different brain tissues.

Fractional motion model for characterization of anomalous diffusion from NMR signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Yang; Gao, Jia-Hong

2015-07-01

Measuring molecular diffusion has been used to characterize the properties of living organisms and porous materials. NMR is able to detect the diffusion process in vivo and noninvasively. The fractional motion (FM) model is appropriate to describe anomalous diffusion phenomenon in crowded environments, such as living cells. However, no FM-based NMR theory has yet been established. Here, we present a general formulation of the FM-based NMR signal under the influence of arbitrary magnetic field gradient waveforms. An explicit analytic solution of the stretched exponential decay format for NMR signals with finite-width Stejskal-Tanner bipolar pulse magnetic field gradients is presented. Signals from a numerical simulation matched well with the theoretical prediction. In vivo diffusion-weighted brain images were acquired and analyzed using the proposed theory, and the resulting parametric maps exhibit remarkable contrasts between different brain tissues.

Substrate- and isoform-specific proteome stability in normal and stressed cardiac mitochondria.

PubMed

Lau, Edward; Wang, Ding; Zhang, Jun; Yu, Hongxiu; Lam, Maggie P Y; Liang, Xiangbo; Zong, Nobel; Kim, Tae-Young; Ping, Peipei

2012-04-27

Mitochondrial protein homeostasis is an essential component of the functions and oxidative stress responses of the heart. To determine the specificity and efficiency of proteome turnover of the cardiac mitochondria by endogenous and exogenous proteolytic mechanisms. Proteolytic degradation of the murine cardiac mitochondria was assessed by 2-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Mitochondrial proteases demonstrated a substrate preference for basic protein variants, which indicates a possible recognition mechanism based on protein modifications. Endogenous mitochondrial proteases and the cytosolic 20S proteasome exhibited different substrate specificities. The cardiac mitochondrial proteome contains low amounts of proteases and is remarkably stable in isolation. Oxidative damage lowers the proteolytic capacity of cardiac mitochondria and reduces substrate availability for mitochondrial proteases. The 20S proteasome preferentially degrades specific substrates in the mitochondria and may contribute to cardiac mitochondrial proteostasis.

The truly remarkable universality of half a standard deviation: confirmation through another look.

PubMed

Norman, Geoffrey R; Sloan, Jeff A; Wyrwich, Kathleen W

2004-10-01

In this issue of Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, Farivar, Liu, and Hays present their findings in 'Another look at the half standard deviation estimate of the minimally important difference in health-related quality of life scores (hereafter referred to as 'Another look') . These researchers have re-examined the May 2003 Medical Care article 'Interpretation of changes in health-related quality of life: the remarkable universality of half a standard deviation' (hereafter referred to as 'Remarkable') in the hope of supporting their hypothesis that the minimally important difference in health-related quality of life measures is undoubtedly closer to 0.3 standard deviations than 0.5. Nonetheless, despite their extensive wranglings with the exclusion of many articles that we included in our review; the inclusion of articles that we did not include in our review; and the recalculation of effect sizes using the absolute value of the mean differences, in our opinion, the results of the 'Another look' article confirm the same findings in the 'Remarkable' paper.

Role of wind forcing and eddy activity in the intraseasonal variability of the barrier layer in the South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Zhanlin; Xie, Qiang; Zeng, Lili; Wang, Dongxiao

2018-03-01

In addition to widely discussed seasonal variability, the barrier layer (BL) of the South China Sea (SCS) also exhibits significant intraseasonal variability (ISV) and plays an important role in the upper heat and salt balances. The characteristics and mechanisms of spatiotemporal variations in the BL are investigated using an eddy-resolving ocean model OFES (OGCM For the Earth Simulator) ouput and related atmospheric and oceanic processes. The active intraseasonal BL variability in the SCS occurs mainly during the late summer/autumn and winter and exhibits remarkable differences between these two periods. The BL ISV in late summer/autumn occurs in the southern basin, while in winter, it is limited to the northwestern basin. To further discuss the evolution and driving thermodynamic mechanisms, we quantify the processes that control the variability of intraseasonal BL. Different mechanisms for the intraseasonal BL variability for these two active periods are investigated based on the case study and composite analysis. During late summer/autumn, the active BL in the southern basin is generated by advected and local freshwater, and then decays rapidly with the enhanced wind. In winter, anticyclonic eddy activity is associated with the evolution of the BL by affecting the thermocline and halocline variations, while wind stress and wind stress curl have no obvious influence on BL.

Catalytic Ethanol Dehydration to Ethylene over Nanocrystalline χ- and γ-Al2O3 Catalysts.

PubMed

Janlamool, Jakrapan; Jongsomjit, Bunjerd

2017-01-01

The study is aimed to investigate the combination of nanocrystalline γ- and χ- alumina that displays the attractive chemical and physical properties for the catalytic dehydration of ethanol. The correlation between the acid density and ethanol conversion was observed. The high acid density apparently results in high catalytic activity, especially for the equally mixed γ- and χ- phase alumina (G50C50). In order to obtain a better understanding on how different catalysts would affect the ethylene yield, one of the most powerful techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed. Hence, the different O 1s surface atoms can be identified and divided into three types including lattice oxygen (O, 530.7 eV), surface hydroxyl (OH, 532.1 eV) and lattice water (H 2 O, 532.9 eV). It was remarkably found that the large amount of O 1s surface atoms in lattice water can result in increased ethylene yield. In summary, the appearance of metastable χ-alumina structure exhibited better catalytic activity and ethylene yield than γ- alumina. Thus, the introduction of metastable χ- alumina structure into γ- alumina enhanced catalytic activity and ethylene yield. As the result, it was found that the G50C50 catalyst exhibits the ethylene yield (80%) at the lowest reaction temperature ca. 250°C among other catalysts.

Mating system and ploidy influence levels of inbreeding depression in Clarkia (Onagraceae).

PubMed

Barringer, Brian C; Geber, Monica A

2008-05-01

Inbreeding depression is the reduction in offspring fitness associated with inbreeding and is thought to be one of the primary forces selecting against the evolution of self-fertilization. Studies suggest that most inbreeding depression is caused by the expression of recessive deleterious alleles in homozygotes whose frequency increases as a result of self-fertilization or mating among relatives. This process leads to the selective elimination of deleterious alleles such that highly selfing species may show remarkably little inbreeding depression. Genome duplication (polyploidy) has also been hypothesized to influence levels of inbreeding depression, with polyploids expected to exhibit less inbreeding depression than diploids. We studied levels of inbreeding depression in allotetraploid and diploid species of Clarkia (Onagraceae) that vary in mating system (each cytotype was represented by an outcrossing and a selfing species). The outcrossing species exhibited more inbreeding depression than the selfing species for most fitness components and for two different measures of cumulative fitness. In contrast, though inbreeding depression was generally lower for the polyploid species than for the diploid species, the difference was statistically significant only for flower number and one of the two measures of cumulative fitness. Further, we detected no significant interaction between mating system and ploidy in determining inbreeding depression. In sum, our results suggest that a taxon's current mating system is more important than ploidy in influencing levels of inbreeding depression in natural populations of these annual plants.

Frequency locking in auditory hair cells: Distinguishing between additive and parametric forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edri, Yuval; Bozovic, Dolores; Yochelis, Arik

2016-10-01

The auditory system displays remarkable sensitivity and frequency discrimination, attributes shown to rely on an amplification process that involves a mechanical as well as a biochemical response. Models that display proximity to an oscillatory onset (also known as Hopf bifurcation) exhibit a resonant response to distinct frequencies of incoming sound, and can explain many features of the amplification phenomenology. To understand the dynamics of this resonance, frequency locking is examined in a system near the Hopf bifurcation and subject to two types of driving forces: additive and parametric. Derivation of a universal amplitude equation that contains both forcing terms enables a study of their relative impact on the hair cell response. In the parametric case, although the resonant solutions are 1 : 1 frequency locked, they show the coexistence of solutions obeying a phase shift of π, a feature typical of the 2 : 1 resonance. Different characteristics are predicted for the transition from unlocked to locked solutions, leading to smooth or abrupt dynamics in response to different types of forcing. The theoretical framework provides a more realistic model of the auditory system, which incorporates a direct modulation of the internal control parameter by an applied drive. The results presented here can be generalized to many other media, including Faraday waves, chemical reactions, and elastically driven cardiomyocytes, which are known to exhibit resonant behavior.

Effect of d electrons on defect properties in equiatomic NiCoCr and NiCoFeCr concentrated solid solution alloys

DOE PAGES

Zhao, Shijun; Egami, Takeshi; Stocks, G. Malcolm; ...

2018-01-01

Here, the role of d electrons in determining distributions of formation and migration energies for point defects in equiatomic NiCoCr and NiCoFeCr concentrated solid solution alloys (CSAs) are studied regarding electron density deformation flexibility based on first-principles calculations. The disordered state is taken into account by constructing special quasirandom structures. The migration barriers are determined by directly optimizing the saddle point. It is found that the formation energies of interstitials in CSAs are lower than those in pure Ni, whereas the formation energies of vacancies are higher. In both NiCoCr and NiCoFeCr, Co-related dumbbell interstitials exhibit lower formation energies. Notably,more » the distributions of migration energies for Cr interstitials and vacancies exhibit a remarkable overlap region. A detailed analysis of electronic properties reveals that the electronic charge deformation flexibility regarding e g to t 2g transition has a dominant effect on defect energetics for different elements in CSAs. Thus the electron deformation ability is suggested as a key factor in understanding the peculiar defect behavior in CSAs.« less

Effect of d electrons on defect properties in equiatomic NiCoCr and NiCoFeCr concentrated solid solution alloys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, Shijun; Egami, Takeshi; Stocks, G. Malcolm

Here, the role of d electrons in determining distributions of formation and migration energies for point defects in equiatomic NiCoCr and NiCoFeCr concentrated solid solution alloys (CSAs) are studied regarding electron density deformation flexibility based on first-principles calculations. The disordered state is taken into account by constructing special quasirandom structures. The migration barriers are determined by directly optimizing the saddle point. It is found that the formation energies of interstitials in CSAs are lower than those in pure Ni, whereas the formation energies of vacancies are higher. In both NiCoCr and NiCoFeCr, Co-related dumbbell interstitials exhibit lower formation energies. Notably,more » the distributions of migration energies for Cr interstitials and vacancies exhibit a remarkable overlap region. A detailed analysis of electronic properties reveals that the electronic charge deformation flexibility regarding e g to t 2g transition has a dominant effect on defect energetics for different elements in CSAs. Thus the electron deformation ability is suggested as a key factor in understanding the peculiar defect behavior in CSAs.« less

Structural diversification and photocatalytic properties of three Cd(II) coordination polymers decorated with different auxiliary ligands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Wen-Yu; Zhuang, Guo-Yong; Huang, Zuo-Long; Cheng, Hong-Jian; Zhou, Li; Ma, Man-Hong; Wang, Hao; Tang, Xiao-Yan; Ma, Yun-Sheng; Yuan, Rong-Xin

2016-03-01

Three cadmium coordination polymers, [Cd(bismip)]n (1), {[Cd(bismip)(phen)]·H2O}n (2) and {[Cd2(bismip)2(4,4‧-bipy)]·2H2O}n (3) (H2bismip=5-(1H-benzoimidazol-2-ylsulfanylmethyl)-isophthalic acid, phen=1,10-phenanthroline, 4,4‧-bipy=4,4‧-bipyridine) have been prepared under solvothermal conditions. In 1, the [Cd4(bismip)3] units are jointed by bismip ligands to afford a three-dimensional (3D) architecture. Complex 2 exhibits a 3D supramolecular framework based on the interconnection of 1D chains through hydrogen bonding interactions and π-π packing interactions. 3 is a two-fold interpenetrating 3D architecture with a (4·82)(42·84) Schläfli symbol in which 2D layers are interlinked by 4,4‧-bipy ligands. The diverse structures of compounds 1-3 indicate that the auxiliary ligands have significant effects on the final structures. The photoluminescent properties and photocatalytic properties of these coordination polymers in the solid state were also investigated. Remarkably, 3 shows the wide gap semiconductor nature and exhibit excellent photocatalytic performance.

Emphasizing the role of surface chemistry on hydrophobicity and cell adhesion behavior of polydimethylsiloxane/TiO2 nanocomposite films.

PubMed

Yousefi, Seyedeh Zahra; Tabatabaei-Panah, Pardis-Sadat; Seyfi, Javad

2018-07-01

Improving the bioinertness of materials is of great importance for developing biomedical devices that contact human tissues. The main goal of this study was to establish correlations among surface morphology, roughness and chemistry with hydrophobicity and cell adhesion in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposites loaded with titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles. Firstly, wettability results showed that the nanocomposite loaded with 30 wt.% of TiO 2 exhibited a superhydrophobic behavior; however, the morphology and roughness analysis proved that there was no discernible difference between the surface structures of samples loaded with 20 and 30 wt.% of nanoparticles. Both cell culture and MTT assay experiments showed that, despite the similarity between the surface structures, the sample loaded with 30 wt.% nanoparticles exhibits the greatest reduction in the cell viability (80%) as compared with the pure PDMS film. According to the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results, the remarkable reduction in cell viability of the superhydrophobic sample could be majorly attributed to the role of surface chemistry. The obtained results emphasize the importance of adjusting the surface properties especially surface chemistry to gain the optimum cell adhesion behavior. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling familial Danish dementia in mice supports the concept of the amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease

PubMed Central

Coomaraswamy, Janaky; Kilger, Ellen; Wölfing, Heidrun; Schäfer, Claudia; Kaeser, Stephan A.; Wegenast-Braun, Bettina M.; Hefendehl, Jasmin K.; Wolburg, Hartwig; Mazzella, Matthew; Ghiso, Jorge; Goedert, Michel; Akiyama, Haruhiko; Garcia-Sierra, Francisco; Wolfer, David P.; Mathews, Paul M.; Jucker, Mathias

2010-01-01

Familial Danish dementia (FDD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with cerebral deposition of Dan-amyloid (ADan), neuroinflammation, and neurofibrillary tangles, hallmark characteristics remarkably similar to those in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have generated transgenic (tg) mouse models of familial Danish dementia that exhibit the age-dependent deposition of ADan throughout the brain with associated amyloid angiopathy, microhemorrhage, neuritic dystrophy, and neuroinflammation. Tg mice are impaired in the Morris water maze and exhibit increased anxiety in the open field. When crossed with TauP301S tg mice, ADan accumulation promotes neurofibrillary lesions, in all aspects similar to the Tau lesions observed in crosses between β-amyloid (Aβ)-depositing tg mice and TauP301S tg mice. Although these observations argue for shared mechanisms of downstream pathophysiology for the sequence-unrelated ADan and Aβ peptides, the lack of codeposition of the two peptides in crosses between ADan- and Aβ-depositing mice points also to distinguishing properties of the peptides. Our results support the concept of the amyloid hypothesis for AD and related dementias, and suggest that different proteins prone to amyloid formation can drive strikingly similar pathogenic pathways in the brain. PMID:20385796

Efficient biocatalyst by encapsulating lipase into nanoporous gold

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Lipases are one of the most important biocatalysts for biotechnological applications. Immobilization is an efficient method to increase the stability and reusability of lipases. In this study, nanoporous gold (NPG), a new kind of nanoporous material with tunable porosity and excellent biocompatibility, was employed as an effective support for lipase immobilization. The pore size of NPG and adsorption time played key roles in the construction of lipase-NPG biocomposites. The morphology and composition of NPG before and after lipase loading are verified using a scanning electron microscope, equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer. The resulting lipase-NPG biocomposites exhibited excellent catalytic activity and remarkable reusability. The catalytic activity of the lipase-NPG biocomposite with a pore size of 35 nm had no decrease after ten recycles. Besides, the lipase-NPG biocomposite exhibited high catalytic activity in a broader pH range and higher temperature than that of free lipase. In addition, the leaching of lipase from NPG could be prevented by matching the protein’s diameter and pore size. Thus, the encapsulation of enzymes within NPG is quite useful for establishing new functions and will have wide applications for different chemical processes. PMID:23601503

Multilocus patterns of nucleotide diversity and divergence reveal positive selection at candidate genes related to cold hardiness in coastal Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii).

Treesearch

A. Eckert; J. Wegrzyn; B. Pande; K. Jermstad; J. Lee; J. Liechty; B. Tearse; K. Krutovsky; D. Neale

2009-01-01

Forest trees exhibit remarkable adaptations to their environments. The genetic basis for phenotypic adaptation to climatic gradients has been established through a long history of common garden, provenance, and genecological studies. The identities of genes underlying these traits, however, have remained elusive and thus so have the patterns of adaptive molecular...

Benzimidazole-Based Antibacterial Agents Against F. tularensis

PubMed Central

Kumar, Kunal; Awasthi, Divya; Lee, Seung-Yub; Cummings, Jason E.; Knudson, Susan E.; Slayden, Richard A.; Ojima, Iwao

2013-01-01

Francisella tularensis is a highly virulent pathogenic bacterium. In order to identify novel potential antibacterial agents against F. tularensis, libraries of trisubstituted benzimidazoles were screened against F. tularensis LVS strain. In a preliminary screening assay, remarkably, 23 of 2,5,6- and 2,5,7-trisubstituted benzimidazoles showed excellent activity exhibiting greater than 90 % growth inhibition at 1 µg/mL. Among those hits, 21 compounds showed MIC90 values in the range of 0.35–48.6 µg/mL after accurate MIC determination. In ex-vivo efficacy assays, four of these compounds exhibited 2–3 Log reduction in colony forming units (CFU) per mL at concentrations of 10 and 50 µg/mL. PMID:23623254

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 173-dicarboxylethyl-pyropheophorbide-a amide derivatives for photodynamic therapy.

PubMed

Zhu, Wei; Wang, Lai-Xing; Chen, Dan-Ye; Gao, Ying-Hua; Yan, Yi-Jia; Wu, Xiao-Feng; Wang, Mi; Han, Yi-Ping; Chen, Zhi-Long

2017-12-19

Three novel 17 3 -dicarboxylethyl-pyropheophorbide-a amide derivatives as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT) were synthesized from pyropheophorbide-a (Ppa). Their photophysical and photochemical properties, intracellular localization, photocytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo were investigated. All target compounds exhibited low cytotoxicity in the dark and remarkable photocytotoxicity against human esophageal cancer cells. Among them, 1a showed highest singlet oxygen quantum yield. Upon light activation, 1a exhibited significant photocytotoxicity. After PDT treatment, the growth of Eca-109 tumor in nude mice was significantly inhibited. Therefore, 1a is a powerful and promising antitumor photosensitizer for PDT. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the Fatigue Crack Propagation Resistance and Damage Tolerance of 2524-T3 Alloy with Amorphous Electroless Ni-P Coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lai; Zeng, Diping; Liu, Zhiyi; Bai, Song; Li, Junlin

2018-02-01

The surface microhardness, as well as the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) resistance of 2524-T3 alloy, is improved by producing a 20-μm-thick amorphous electroless Ni-12% P coating on its surface. Compared to the substrate, this deposited EN coating possesses higher strength properties and exhibits a greater ability of accommodating the plastic deformation at the fatigue crack tip, thereby remarkably improving the FCP resistance in near-threshold and early Paris regimes. Regardless of the similar FCP rates in Paris regime (Δ K ≥ 16.2 MPa m0.5), the coated sample exhibits extended Paris regime and enhanced damage tolerance.

Black GE based on crystalline/amorphous core/shell nanoneedle arrays

DOEpatents

Javey, Ali; Chueh, Yu-Lun; Fan, Zhiyong

2014-03-04

Direct growth of black Ge on low-temperature substrates, including plastics and rubber is reported. The material is based on highly dense, crystalline/amorphous core/shell Ge nanoneedle arrays with ultrasharp tips (.about.4 nm) enabled by the Ni catalyzed vapor-solid-solid growth process. Ge nanoneedle arrays exhibit remarkable optical properties. Specifically, minimal optical reflectance (<1%) is observed, even for high angles of incidence (.about.75.degree.) and for relatively short nanoneedle lengths (.about.1 .mu.m). Furthermore, the material exhibits high optical absorption efficiency with an effective band gap of .about.1 eV. The reported black Ge can have important practical implications for efficient photovoltaic and photodetector applications on nonconventional substrates.

Conductance oscillations in molecularly linked Au nanoparticle film-superconductor systems.

PubMed

Dunford, Jeffrey L; Dhirani, Al-Amin

2008-01-16

Charge transport across a disordered normal-superconductor (DN-S) interface was studied using a macroscopic, molecularly linked Au nanoparticle film as the DN component. Low-temperature conductance versus voltage and magnetic field exhibit zero-bias and zero-field peaks, respectively. Importantly, the latter typically exhibit superimposed oscillations. Such oscillations are rarely seen in other DN-S systems and are remarkable given their robustness in these macroscopic films and interfaces. A number of observations indicate that conductance peaks and oscillations arise due to a 'reflectionless tunnelling' process. Scattering length scales extracted from the data using a reflectionless tunnelling picture are consistent with literature values. Factors resulting in the observation of oscillations in this system are discussed.

Hierarchical 3D NiFe2O4@MnO2 core-shell nanosheet arrays on Ni foam for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors.

PubMed

Zhang, Xinyang; Zhang, Ziqing; Sun, Shuanggan; Sun, Qiushi; Liu, Xiaoyang

2018-02-13

Hierarchical NiFe 2 O 4 @MnO 2 core-shell nanosheet arrays (NSAs) were synthesized on Ni foam as an integrated electrode for supercapacitors, using a facile two-step hydrothermal method followed by calcination treatment. The NiFe 2 O 4 nanosheets were designed as the core and ultrathin MnO 2 nanoflakes as the shell, creating a unique three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical electrode on Ni foam. The composite electrode exhibited remarkable electrochemical performance with a high specific capacitance of 1391 F g -1 at a current density of 2 mA cm -2 and long cycling stability at a high current density of 10 mA cm -2 (only 11.4% loss after 3000 cycles). Additionally, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device was fabricated with a NiFe 2 O 4 @MnO 2 composite as the positive electrode material and activated carbon (AC) as the negative one. The ASC device exhibited a high energy density (45.2 W h kg -1 ) at a power density of 174 W kg -1 , and an excellent cycling stability over 3000 cycles with 92.5% capacitance retention. The remarkable electrochemical performance demonstrated its great potential as a promising candidate for high-performance supercapacitors.

The predictive roles of neural oscillations in speech motor adaptability.

PubMed

Sengupta, Ranit; Nasir, Sazzad M

2016-06-01

The human speech system exhibits a remarkable flexibility by adapting to alterations in speaking environments. While it is believed that speech motor adaptation under altered sensory feedback involves rapid reorganization of speech motor networks, the mechanisms by which different brain regions communicate and coordinate their activity to mediate adaptation remain unknown, and explanations of outcome differences in adaption remain largely elusive. In this study, under the paradigm of altered auditory feedback with continuous EEG recordings, the differential roles of oscillatory neural processes in motor speech adaptability were investigated. The predictive capacities of different EEG frequency bands were assessed, and it was found that theta-, beta-, and gamma-band activities during speech planning and production contained significant and reliable information about motor speech adaptability. It was further observed that these bands do not work independently but interact with each other suggesting an underlying brain network operating across hierarchically organized frequency bands to support motor speech adaptation. These results provide novel insights into both learning and disorders of speech using time frequency analysis of neural oscillations. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Molecular phylogeny of the bivalve superfamily Galeommatoidea (Heterodonta, Veneroida) reveals dynamic evolution of symbiotic lifestyle and interphylum host switching

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Galeommatoidea is a superfamily of bivalves that exhibits remarkably diverse lifestyles. Many members of this group live attached to the body surface or inside the burrows of other marine invertebrates, including crustaceans, holothurians, echinoids, cnidarians, sipunculans and echiurans. These symbiotic species exhibit high host specificity, commensal interactions with hosts, and extreme morphological and behavioral adaptations to symbiotic life. Host specialization to various animal groups has likely played an important role in the evolution and diversification of this bivalve group. However, the evolutionary pathway that led to their ecological diversity is not well understood, in part because of their reduced and/or highly modified morphologies that have confounded traditional taxonomy. This study elucidates the taxonomy of the Galeommatoidea and their evolutionary history of symbiotic lifestyle based on a molecular phylogenic analysis of 33 galeommatoidean and five putative galeommatoidean species belonging to 27 genera and three families using two nuclear ribosomal genes (18S and 28S ribosomal DNA) and a nuclear (histone H3) and mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) protein-coding genes. Results Molecular phylogeny recovered six well-supported major clades within Galeommatoidea. Symbiotic species were found in all major clades, whereas free-living species were grouped into two major clades. Species symbiotic with crustaceans, holothurians, sipunculans, and echiurans were each found in multiple major clades, suggesting that host specialization to these animal groups occurred repeatedly in Galeommatoidea. Conclusions Our results suggest that the evolutionary history of host association in Galeommatoidea has been remarkably dynamic, involving frequent host switches between different animal phyla. Such an unusual pattern of dynamic host switching is considered to have resulted from their commensalistic lifestyle, in which they maintain filter-feeding habits even in symbiotic habitats. The results of the molecular phylogenetic analysis did not correspond with the current taxonomic circumscription. Galeommatidae and Lasaeidae were polyphyletic, and Basterotia, which is traditionally assigned to Cyamioidea, formed a monophyletic clade within Galeommatoidea. PMID:22954375

Nitric oxide signaling in the development and evolution of language and cognitive circuits.

PubMed

Funk, Owen H; Kwan, Kenneth Y

2014-09-01

The neocortex underlies not only remarkable motor and sensory capabilities, but also some of our most distinctly human cognitive functions. The emergence of these higher functions during evolution was accompanied by structural changes in the neocortex, including the acquisition of areal specializations such as Broca's speech and language area. The study of these evolutionary mechanisms, which likely involve species-dependent gene expression and function, represents a substantial challenge. These species differences, however, may represent valuable opportunities to understand the molecular underpinnings of neocortical evolution. Here, we discuss nitric oxide signaling as a candidate mechanism in the assembly of neocortical circuits underlying language and higher cognitive functions. This hypothesis was based on the highly specific mid-fetal pattern of nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1, previously nNOS) expression in the pyramidal (projection) neurons of two human neocortical areas respectively involved in speech and language, and higher cognition; the frontal operculum (FOp) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). This expression is transiently present during mid-gestation, suggesting that NOS1 may be involved in the development of these areas and the assembly of their neural circuits. As no other gene product is known to exhibit such exquisite spatiotemporal expression, NOS1 represents a remarkable candidate for these functions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

Intercomparison of the Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature v4 and v3b Datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jinping; Chen, Xianyao

2018-04-01

Version 4 (v4) of the Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST) dataset is compared with its precedent, the widely used version 3b (v3b). The essential upgrades applied to v4 lead to remarkable differences in the characteristics of the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly (SSTa) in both the temporal and spatial domains. First, the largest discrepancy of the global mean SSTa values around the 1940s is due to ship-observation corrections made to reconcile observations from buckets and engine intake thermometers. Second, differences in global and regional mean SSTa values between v4 and v3b exhibit a downward trend (around -0.032°C per decade) before the 1940s, an upward trend (around 0.014°C per decade) during the period of 1950-2015, interdecadal oscillation with one peak around the 1980s, and two troughs during the 1960s and 2000s, respectively. This does not derive from treatments of the polar or the other data-void regions, since the difference of the SSTa does not share the common features. Third, the spatial pattern of the ENSO-related variability of v4 exhibits a wider but weaker cold tongue in the tropical region of the Pacific Ocean compared with that of v3b, which could be attributed to differences in gap-filling assumptions since the latter features satellite observations whereas the former features in situ ones. This intercomparison confirms that the structural uncertainty arising from underlying assumptions on the treatment of diverse SST observations even in the same SST product family is the main source of significant SST differences in the temporal domain. Why this uncertainty introduces artificial decadal oscillations remains unknown.

Fuzzy control of a fluidized bed dryer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taprantzis, A.V.; Siettos, C.I.; Bafas, G.V.

1997-05-01

Fluidized bed dryers are utilized in almost every area of drying applications and therefore improved control strategies are always of great interest. The nonlinear character of the process, exhibited in the mathematical model and the open loop analysis, implies that a fuzzy logic controller is appropriate because, in contrast with conventional control schemes, fuzzy control inherently compensates for process nonlinearities and exhibits more robust behavior. In this study, a fuzzy logic controller is proposed; its design is based on a heuristic approach and its performance is compared against a conventional PI controller for a variety of responses. It is shownmore » that the fuzzy controller exhibits a remarkable dynamic behavior, equivalent if not better than the PI controller, for a wide range of disturbances. In addition, the proposed fuzzy controller seems to be less sensitive to the nonlinearities of the process, achieves energy savings and enables MIMO control.« less

Scaling in geology: landforms and earthquakes.

PubMed Central

Turcotte, D L

1995-01-01

Landforms and earthquakes appear to be extremely complex; yet, there is order in the complexity. Both satisfy fractal statistics in a variety of ways. A basic question is whether the fractal behavior is due to scale invariance or is the signature of a broadly applicable class of physical processes. Both landscape evolution and regional seismicity appear to be examples of self-organized critical phenomena. A variety of statistical models have been proposed to model landforms, including diffusion-limited aggregation, self-avoiding percolation, and cellular automata. Many authors have studied the behavior of multiple slider-block models, both in terms of the rupture of a fault to generate an earthquake and in terms of the interactions between faults associated with regional seismicity. The slider-block models exhibit a remarkably rich spectrum of behavior; two slider blocks can exhibit low-order chaotic behavior. Large numbers of slider blocks clearly exhibit self-organized critical behavior. Images Fig. 6 PMID:11607562

Lubrication with sputtered MoS2 films: Principles, operation, limitations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spalvins, T.

1991-01-01

The present practices, limitations, and understanding of thin sputtered MoS2 films are reviewed. Sputtered MoS2 films can exhibit remarkable tribological properties such as ultralow friction coefficients (0.01) and enhanced wear lives (millions of cycles) when used in vacuum or dry air. To achieve these favorable tribological characteristics, the sputtering conditions during deposition must be optimized for adequate film adherence and appropriate structure (morphology) and composition.

Low-pressure hydrogenation of carbon dioxide catalyzed by an iron pincer complex exhibiting noble metal activity.

PubMed

Langer, Robert; Diskin-Posner, Yael; Leitus, Gregory; Shimon, Linda J W; Ben-David, Yehoshoa; Milstein, David

2011-10-10

A highly active iron catalyst for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide and bicarbonates works under remarkably low pressures and achieves activities similar to some of the best noble metal catalysts. A mechanism is proposed involving the direct attack of an iron trans-dihydride on carbon dioxide, followed by ligand exchange and dihydrogen coordination. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Comparison of entrainment in constant volume and constant flux dense currents over sloping bottoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaganagar, K.; Nayamatullah, M.; Cenedese, C.

2014-12-01

Three dimensional high resolution large eddy simulations (LES) are employed to simulate lock-exchange and constant flux dense flows over inclined surface with the aim of investigating, visualizing and describing the turbulent structure and the evolution of bottom-propagating compositional density current at the channel bottom. The understanding of dynamics of density current is largely determined by the amount of interfacial mixing or entrainment between the ambient and dense fluids. No previous experimental or numerical studies have been done to estimate entrainment in classical lock-exchange system. The differences in entrainment between the lock-exchange and constant flux are explored. Comparing the results of flat bed with inclined surface results, flow exhibits significant differences near the leading edge or nose of the front of the density currents due to inclination of surface. Further, the instabilities are remarkably enhanced resulting Kelvin-Helmholtz and lobe-cleft type of instabilities arises much earlier in time. In this study, a brief analysis of entrainment on lock-exchange density current is presented using different bed slopes and a set of reduced gravity values (g'). We relate the entrainment value with different flow parameters such as Froude number (Fr) and Reynolds number (Re).

Three-dimensional computer simulations of feeding behaviour in red and giant pandas relate skull biomechanics with dietary niche partitioning.

PubMed

Figueirido, Borja; Tseng, Zhijie Jack; Serrano-Alarcón, Francisco J; Martín-Serra, Alberto; Pastor, Juan F

2014-01-01

The red (Ailurus fulgens) and giant (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) pandas are mammalian carnivores convergently adapted to a bamboo feeding diet. However, whereas Ailurus forages almost entirely on younger leaves, fruits and tender trunks, Ailuropoda relies more on trunks and stems. Such difference in foraging mode is considered a strategy for resource partitioning where they are sympatric. Here, we use finite-element analysis to test for mechanical differences and similarities in skull performance between Ailurus and Ailuropoda related to diet. Feeding simulations suggest that the two panda species have similar ranges of mechanical efficiency and strain energy profiles across the dentition, reflecting their durophagous diet. However, the stress distributions and peaks in the skulls of Ailurus and Ailuropoda are remarkably different for biting at all tooth locations. Although the skull of Ailuropoda is capable of resisting higher stresses than the skull of Ailurus, the latter is able to distribute stresses more evenly throughout the skull. These differences in skull biomechanics reflect their distinct bamboo feeding preferences. Ailurus uses repetitive chewing in an extended mastication to feed on soft leaves, and Ailuropoda exhibits shorter and more discrete periods of chomp-and-swallow feeding to break down hard bamboo trunks.

Differential serotonergic innervation of the amygdala in bonobos and chimpanzees

PubMed Central

Barger, Nicole; Taglialatela, Jared P.; Gendron-Fitzpatrick, Annette; Hof, Patrick R.; Hopkins, William D.; Sherwood, Chet C.

2016-01-01

Humans’ closest living relatives are bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), yet these great ape species differ considerably from each other in terms of social behavior. Bonobos are more tolerant of conspecifics in competitive contexts and often use sexual behavior to mediate social interactions. Chimpanzees more frequently employ aggression during conflicts and actively patrol territories between communities. Regulation of emotional responses is facilitated by the amygdala, which also modulates social decision-making, memory and attention. Amygdala responsiveness is further regulated by the neurotransmitter serotonin. We hypothesized that the amygdala of bonobos and chimpanzees would differ in its neuroanatomical organization and serotonergic innervation. We measured volumes of regions and the length density of serotonin transporter-containing axons in the whole amygdala and its lateral, basal, accessory basal and central nuclei. Results showed that accessory basal nucleus volume was larger in chimpanzees than in bonobos. Of particular note, the amygdala of bonobos had more than twice the density of serotonergic axons than chimpanzees, with the most pronounced differences in the basal and central nuclei. These findings suggest that variation in serotonergic innervation of the amygdala may contribute to mediating the remarkable differences in social behavior exhibited by bonobos and chimpanzees. PMID:26475872

How females of chirping and trilling field crickets integrate the 'what' and 'where' of male acoustic signals during decision making.

PubMed

Gabel, Eileen; Gray, David A; Matthias Hennig, R

2016-11-01

In crickets acoustic communication serves mate selection. Female crickets have to perceive and integrate male cues relevant for mate choice while confronted with several different signals in an acoustically diverse background. Overall female decisions are based on the attractiveness of the temporal pattern (informative about the 'what') and on signal intensity (informative about the 'where') of male calling songs. Here, we investigated how the relevant cues for mate choice are integrated during the decision process by females of five different species of chirping and trilling field crickets. Using a behavioral design, female preferences in no-choice and choice situations for male calling songs differing in pulse rate, modulation depth, intensities, chirp/trill arrangements and temporal shifts were examined. Sensory processing underlying decisions in female field crickets is rather similar as combined evidence suggested that incoming song patterns were analyzed separately by bilaterally paired networks for pattern attractiveness and pattern intensity. A downstream gain control mechanism leads to a weighting of the intensity cue by pattern attractiveness. While remarkable differences between species were observed with respect to specific processing steps, closely related species exhibited more similar preferences than did more distantly related species.

Graphene plasmons embedded in a gain medium: layer and ribbon plasmons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altares Menendez, Galaad; Rosolen, Gilles; Maes, Bjorn

2016-12-01

Graphene plasmonics has attracted much attention due to its remarkable properties such as tunable conductivity and extreme confinement. However, losses remain one of the major drawbacks to developing more efficient devices based on graphene plasmons. Here we show that when a gain medium is introduced around a 1D graphene sheet, lossless propagation can be achieved for a critical gain value. Both numerics and analytics are employed; and with the Drude approximation the analytical expression for this critical gain becomes remarkably simple. Furthermore, we examine a single 2D graphene nanoribbon within a gain environment. We report that the plasmonic resonant modes exhibit a spasing effect for a specific value of the surrounding gain. This feature is indicated by an absorption cross section that strongly increases and narrows. Finally, we manage to connect the ribbon results to the 1D sheet critical gain, by taking external coupling into account.

Mammalian diversity: gametes, embryos and reproduction.

PubMed

Behringer, Richard R; Eakin, Guy S; Renfree, Marilyn B

2006-01-01

The class Mammalia is composed of approximately 4800 extant species. These mammalian species are divided into three subclasses that include the monotremes, marsupials and eutherians. Monotremes are remarkable because these mammals are born from eggs laid outside of the mother's body. Marsupial mammals have relatively short gestation periods and give birth to highly altricial young that continue a significant amount of 'fetal' development after birth, supported by a highly sophisticated lactation. Less than 10% of mammalian species are monotremes or marsupials, so the great majority of mammals are grouped into the subclass Eutheria, including mouse and human. Mammals exhibit great variety in morphology, physiology and reproduction. In the present article, we highlight some of this remarkable diversity relative to the mouse, one of the most widely used mammalian model organisms, and human. This diversity creates challenges and opportunities for gamete and embryo collection, culture and transfer technologies.

Remarkable NO oxidation on single supported platinum atoms

DOE PAGES

Narula, Chaitanya K.; Allard, Lawrence F.; Stocks, G. M.; ...

2014-11-28

Our first-principles density functional theoretical modeling suggests that NO oxidation is feasible on fully oxidized single θ-alumina-supported platinum atoms via a modified Langmuir-Hinshelwood pathway. This is in contrast to the known decrease in NO oxidation activity of supported platinum with decreasing Pt particle size believed to be due to increased platinum oxidation. In order to validate our theoretical study, we evaluated single θ-Al 2O 3-supported platinum atoms and found them to exhibit remarkable NO oxidation activity. A comparison of turnover frequencies (TOF) of single supported Pt atoms with those of platinum particles for NO oxidation shows that single supported Ptmore » atoms are as active as fully formed platinum particles. The overall picture of NO oxidation on supported Pt is that NO oxidation activity decreases with decreasing Pt particle size but accelerates when Pt is present only as single atoms.« less

Investigation of the bipolar effect in the thermoelectric material CaMg2Bi2 using a first-principles study.

PubMed

Gong, J J; Hong, A J; Shuai, J; Li, L; Yan, Z B; Ren, Z F; Liu, J-M

2016-06-28

The bipolar effect in relatively narrow band-gap thermoelectric (TE) compounds is a negative process deteriorating the TE properties particularly at higher temperatures. In this work, we investigate the TE performance of the compound CaMg2Bi2 using the first-principles calculation and semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory in combination with our experimental data. It is revealed that this compound exhibits a remarkable bipolar effect and temperature-dependent carrier concentration. The bipolar effect imposes remarkable influence on all the electron-transport related TE parameters. An effective carrier concentration neff as a function of temperature is proposed to account for the bipolar effect induced carrier excitations. The as-evaluated TE parameters then show good consistency with measured results. This work may shed light on our understanding of the bipolar effect in TE compounds.

Surface effects on the mechanical elongation of AuCu nanowires: De-alloying and the formation of mixed suspended atomic chains

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lagos, M. J.; Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia-LNNANO, 13083-970 Campinas-SP; Autreto, P. A. S.

2015-03-07

We report here an atomistic study of the mechanical deformation of Au{sub x}Cu{sub (1−x)} atomic-size wires (nanowires (NWs)) by means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy experiments. Molecular dynamics simulations were also carried out in order to obtain deeper insights on the dynamical properties of stretched NWs. The mechanical properties are significantly dependent on the chemical composition that evolves in time at the junction; some structures exhibit a remarkable de-alloying behavior. Also, our results represent the first experimental realization of mixed linear atomic chains (LACs) among transition and noble metals; in particular, surface energies induce chemical gradients on NW surfacesmore » that can be exploited to control the relative LAC compositions (different number of gold and copper atoms). The implications of these results for nanocatalysis and spin transport of one-atom-thick metal wires are addressed.« less

Predicting financial market crashes using ghost singularities.

PubMed

Smug, Damian; Ashwin, Peter; Sornette, Didier

2018-01-01

We analyse the behaviour of a non-linear model of coupled stock and bond prices exhibiting periodically collapsing bubbles. By using the formalism of dynamical system theory, we explain what drives the bubbles and how foreshocks or aftershocks are generated. A dynamical phase space representation of that system coupled with standard multiplicative noise rationalises the log-periodic power law singularity pattern documented in many historical financial bubbles. The notion of 'ghosts of finite-time singularities' is introduced and used to estimate the end of an evolving bubble, using finite-time singularities of an approximate normal form near the bifurcation point. We test the forecasting skill of this method on different stochastic price realisations and compare with Monte Carlo simulations of the full system. Remarkably, the approximate normal form is significantly more precise and less biased. Moreover, the method of ghosts of singularities is less sensitive to the noise realisation, thus providing more robust forecasts.

Analysis and application of ERTS-1 data for regional geological mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gold, D. P.; Parizek, R. R.; Alexander, S. A.

1973-01-01

Combined visual and digital techniques of analysing ERTS-1 data for geologic information have been tried on selected areas in Pennsylvania. The major physiolographic and structural provinces show up well. Supervised mapping, following the imaged expression of known geologic features on ERTS band 5 enlargements (1:250,000) of parts of eastern Pennsylvania, delimited the Diabase Sills and the Precambrian rocks of the Reading Prong with remarkable accuracy. From unsupervised mapping, transgressive linear features are apparent in unexpected density, and exhibit strong control over river valley and stream channel directions. They are unaffected by bedrock type, age, or primary structural boundaries, which suggests they are either rejuvenated basement joint directions on different scales, or they are a recently impressed structure possibly associated with a drifting North American plate. With ground mapping and underflight data, 6 scales of linear features have been recognized.

Antibacterial activity of essential oils extracted from Satureja hortensis against selected clinical pathogens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Görmez, Arzu; Yanmiş, Derya; Bozari, Sedat; Gürkök, Sumeyra

2017-04-01

The antibiotic resistance of pathogenic microorganisms has become a worldwide concern to public health. To overcome the current resistance problem, new antimicrobial agents are extremely needed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Satureja hortensis essential oils against seven clinical pathogens. Chemical compositions of hydro distillated essential oils from S. hortensis were analyzed by GS-MS. The antibacterial activity was investigated against Corynebacterium diphtheria, Salmonella typhimurium, Serratia plymuthica Yersinia enterocolitica, Y. frederiksenii, Y. pseudotuberculosis and Vibrio cholerae by the use of disc diffusion method and broth micro dilution method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of essential oils were found as low as 7.81 µg/mL. Notably, essential oils of S. hortensis exhibited remarkable antimicrobial activities against the tested clinical pathogens. The results indicate that these essential oils can be used in treatment of different infectious diseases.

Remarkable modification of light curves for shadowing effects on irregular surfaces - The case of the asteroid 37 Fides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zappala, V.; Di Martino, M.; Scaltriti, F.; Burchi, R.; Milano, L.; Young, J. W.; Wahlgren, G.; Pavlovski, K.

1983-01-01

Photometric observations of the asteroid 37 Fides carried out at four observatories are reported. The data were taken at phase angles ranging from approximately 2-23 deg. A composite of the light curves obtained revealed that, considering a period of 7.33 hr, the full cycle light curve exhibits one maximum and one minimum. An increase in brightness was observed following a primary minimum, a factor that indicated the cyclical appearance and disappearance of a large topographical feature. It is concluded that the 7.33 hr period is the rotational speed of the asteroid, in contrast with a previously held 14.66 hr rotational period. The method is concluded useful for identifying rotational periods of asteroids when only partial light curve data from different sources is available, and when the projections can be checked observationally.

Interfacing insect brain for space applications.

PubMed

Di Pino, Giovanni; Seidl, Tobias; Benvenuto, Antonella; Sergi, Fabrizio; Campolo, Domenico; Accoto, Dino; Maria Rossini, Paolo; Guglielmelli, Eugenio

2009-01-01

Insects exhibit remarkable navigation capabilities that current control architectures are still far from successfully mimic and reproduce. In this chapter, we present the results of a study on conceptualizing insect/machine hybrid controllers for improving autonomy of exploratory vehicles. First, the different principally possible levels of interfacing between insect and machine are examined followed by a review of current approaches towards hybridity and enabling technologies. Based on the insights of this activity, we propose a double hybrid control architecture which hinges around the concept of "insect-in-a-cockpit." It integrates both biological/artificial (insect/robot) modules and deliberative/reactive behavior. The basic assumption is that "low-level" tasks are managed by the robot, while the "insect intelligence" is exploited whenever high-level problem solving and decision making is required. Both neural and natural interfacing have been considered to achieve robustness and redundancy of exchanged information.

Effects of surfactants on the microstructure of porous ceramic scaffolds fabricated by foaming for bone tissue engineering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang Xi, E-mail: nano-sun@hotmail.com; Ruan Jianming; Chen Qiyuan

2009-06-03

A porous scaffold comprising a {beta}-tricalcium phosphate matrix and bioactive glass powders was fabricated by foaming method and the effects of surfactants as foaming agent on microstructure of scaffolds were investigated. Foaming capacity and foam stability of different surfactants in water firstly were carried out to evaluate their foam properties. The porous structure and pore size distribution of the scaffolds were systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and an optical microscopy connected to an image analyzer. The results showed that the foam stability of surfactant has more remarkable influence on their microstructure such as pore shape, size and interconnectivitymore » than the foaming ability of one. Porous scaffolds fabricated using nonionic surfactant Tween 80 with large foam stability exhibited higher open and total porosities, and fully interconnected porous structure with a pore size of 750-850 {mu}m.« less

Kondo behavior and metamagnetic phase transition in the heavy-fermion compound CeBi2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, W.; Xu, C. Q.; Li, B.; Sankar, R.; Zhang, F. M.; Qian, B.; Cao, C.; Dai, J. H.; Lu, Jianming; Jiang, W. X.; Qian, Dong; Xu, Xiaofeng

2018-05-01

Heavy fermions represent an archetypal example of strongly correlated electron systems which, due to entanglement among different interactions, often exhibit exotic and fascinating physics involving Kondo screening, magnetism, and unconventional superconductivity. Here we report a comprehensive study on the transport and thermodynamic properties of a cerium-based heavy-fermion compound CeBi2 which undergoes an antiferromagnetic transition at TN˜3.3 K . Its high-temperature paramagnetic state is characterized by an enhanced heat capacity with Sommerfeld coefficient γ over 200 mJ mol-1K-2 . The magnetization in the magnetically ordered state features a metamagnetic transition. Remarkably, a large negative magnetoresistance associated with the magnetism was observed in a wide temperature and field-angle range. Collectively, CeBi2 may serve as an intriguing system to study the interplay between the f electrons and the itinerant Fermi sea.

Freshwater biodiversity and aquatic insect diversification.

PubMed

Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B; Monaghan, Michael T; Pauls, Steffen U

2014-01-01

Inland waters cover less than 1% of Earth's surface but harbor more than 6% of all insect species: Nearly 100,000 species from 12 orders spend one or more life stages in freshwater. Little is known about how this remarkable diversity arose, although allopatric speciation and ecological adaptation are thought to be primary mechanisms. Freshwater habitats are highly susceptible to environmental change and exhibit marked ecological gradients. Standing waters appear to harbor more dispersive species than running waters, but there is little understanding of how this fundamental ecological difference has affected diversification. In contrast to the lack of evolutionary studies, the ecology and habitat preferences of aquatic insects have been intensively studied, in part because of their widespread use as bioindicators. The combination of phylogenetics with the extensive ecological data provides a promising avenue for future research, making aquatic insects highly suitable models for the study of ecological diversification.

Predicting financial market crashes using ghost singularities

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

We analyse the behaviour of a non-linear model of coupled stock and bond prices exhibiting periodically collapsing bubbles. By using the formalism of dynamical system theory, we explain what drives the bubbles and how foreshocks or aftershocks are generated. A dynamical phase space representation of that system coupled with standard multiplicative noise rationalises the log-periodic power law singularity pattern documented in many historical financial bubbles. The notion of ‘ghosts of finite-time singularities’ is introduced and used to estimate the end of an evolving bubble, using finite-time singularities of an approximate normal form near the bifurcation point. We test the forecasting skill of this method on different stochastic price realisations and compare with Monte Carlo simulations of the full system. Remarkably, the approximate normal form is significantly more precise and less biased. Moreover, the method of ghosts of singularities is less sensitive to the noise realisation, thus providing more robust forecasts. PMID:29596485

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of new derivatives of glycyrrhetinic acid with antiviral activity. Molecular docking study.

PubMed

Zígolo, M Antonela; Salinas, Maximiliano; Alché, Laura; Baldessari, Alicia; Liñares, Guadalupe García

2018-08-01

We present an efficient approach to the synthesis of a series of glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives. Six derivatives, five of them new compounds, were obtained through chemoenzymatic reactions in very good to excellent yield. In order to find the optimal reaction conditions, the influence of various parameters such as enzyme source, nucleophile:substrate ratio, enzyme:substrate ratio, solvent and temperature was studied. The excellent results obtained by lipase catalysis made the procedure very efficient considering their advantages such as mild reaction conditions and low environmental impact. Moreover, in order to explain the reactivity of glycyrrhetinic acid and the acetylated derivative to different nucleophiles in the enzymatic reactions, molecular docking studies were carried out. In addition, one of the synthesized compounds exhibited remarkable antiviral activity against TK + and TK- strains of Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), sensitive and resistant to acyclovir (ACV) treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None available

For the purpose of this STI product and unless otherwise stated, hybrid fuel cell systems are power generation systems in which a high temperature fuel cell is combined with another power generating technology. The resulting system exhibits a synergism in which the combination performs with an efficiency far greater than can be provided by either system alone. Hybrid fuel cell designs under development include fuel cell with gas turbine, fuel cell with reciprocating (piston) engine, and designs that combine different fuel cell technologies. Hybrid systems have been extensively analyzed and studied over the past five years by the Department ofmore » Energy (DOE), industry, and others. These efforts have revealed that this combination is capable of providing remarkably high efficiencies. This attribute, combined with an inherent low level of pollutant emission, suggests that hybrid systems are likely to serve as the next generation of advanced power generation systems.« less

Toda hierarchies and their applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takasaki, Kanehisa

2018-05-01

The 2D Toda hierarchy occupies a central position in the family of integrable hierarchies of the Toda type. The 1D Toda hierarchy and the Ablowitz–Ladik (aka relativistic Toda) hierarchy can be derived from the 2D Toda hierarchy as reductions. These integrable hierarchies have been applied to various problems of mathematics and mathematical physics since 1990s. A recent example is a series of studies on models of statistical mechanics called the melting crystal model. This research has revealed that the aforementioned two reductions of the 2D Toda hierarchy underlie two different melting crystal models. Technical clues are a fermionic realization of the quantum torus algebra, special algebraic relations therein called shift symmetries, and a matrix factorization problem. The two melting crystal models thus exhibit remarkable similarity with the Hermitian and unitary matrix models for which the two reductions of the 2D Toda hierarchy play the role of fundamental integrable structures.

A facile molten-salt route to graphene synthesis.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaofeng; Giordano, Cristina; Antonietti, Markus

2014-01-15

Efficient synthetic routes are continuously pursued for graphene in order to implement its applications in different areas. However, direct conversion of simple monomers to graphene through polymerization in a scalable manner remains a major challenge for chemists. Herein, a molten-salt (MS) route for the synthesis of carbon nanostructures and graphene by controlled carbonization of glucose in molten metal chloride is reported. In this process, carbohydrate undergoes polymerization in the presence of strongly interacting ionic species, which leads to nanoporous carbon with amorphous nature and adjustable pore size. At a low precursor concentration, the process converts the sugar molecules (glucose) to rather pure few-layer graphenes. The MS-derived graphenes are strongly hydrophobic and exhibit remarkable selectivity and capacity for absorption of organics. The methodology described may open up a new avenue towards the synthesis and manipulation of carbon materials in liquid media. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Observation of Metal Nanoparticles for Acoustic Manipulation

PubMed Central

Chen, Mian; Cai, Feiyan; Wang, Chen; Wang, Zhiyong; Meng, Long; Li, Fei; Zhang, Pengfei; Liu, Xin

2017-01-01

Use of acoustic trapping for the manipulation of objects is invaluable to many applications from cellular subdivision to biological assays. Despite remarkable progress in a wide size range, the precise acoustic manipulation of 0D nanoparticles where all the structural dimensions are much smaller than the acoustic wavelength is still present challenges. This study reports on the observation of metal nanoparticles with different nanostructures for acoustic manipulation. Results for the first time exhibit that the hollow nanostructures play more important factor than size in the nanoscale acoustic manipulation. The acoustic levitation and swarm aggregations of the metal nanoparticles can be easily realized at low energy and clinically acceptable acoustic frequency by hollowing their nanostructures. In addition, the behaviors of swarm aggregations can be flexibly regulated by the applied voltage and frequency. This study anticipates that the strategy based on the unique properties of the metal hollow nanostructures and the manipulation method will be highly desirable for many applications. PMID:28546912

Observation of Metal Nanoparticles for Acoustic Manipulation.

PubMed

Chen, Mian; Cai, Feiyan; Wang, Chen; Wang, Zhiyong; Meng, Long; Li, Fei; Zhang, Pengfei; Liu, Xin; Zheng, Hairong

2017-05-01

Use of acoustic trapping for the manipulation of objects is invaluable to many applications from cellular subdivision to biological assays. Despite remarkable progress in a wide size range, the precise acoustic manipulation of 0D nanoparticles where all the structural dimensions are much smaller than the acoustic wavelength is still present challenges. This study reports on the observation of metal nanoparticles with different nanostructures for acoustic manipulation. Results for the first time exhibit that the hollow nanostructures play more important factor than size in the nanoscale acoustic manipulation. The acoustic levitation and swarm aggregations of the metal nanoparticles can be easily realized at low energy and clinically acceptable acoustic frequency by hollowing their nanostructures. In addition, the behaviors of swarm aggregations can be flexibly regulated by the applied voltage and frequency. This study anticipates that the strategy based on the unique properties of the metal hollow nanostructures and the manipulation method will be highly desirable for many applications.

Exploring the charge localization and band gap opening of borophene: a first-principles study.

PubMed

Kistanov, Andrey A; Cai, Yongqing; Zhou, Kun; Srikanth, Narasimalu; Dmitriev, Sergey V; Zhang, Yong-Wei

2018-01-18

Recently synthesized two-dimensional (2D) boron, borophene, exhibits a novel metallic behavior rooted in the s-p orbital hybridization, distinctively different from other 2D materials such as sulfides/selenides and semi-metallic graphene. This unique feature of borophene implies new routes for charge delocalization and band gap opening. Herein, using first-principles calculations, we explore the routes to localize the carriers and open the band gap of borophene via chemical functionalization, ribbon construction, and defect engineering. The metallicity of borophene is found to be remarkably robust against H- and F-functionalization and the presence of vacancies. Interestingly, a strong odd-even oscillation of the electronic structure with width is revealed for H-functionalized borophene nanoribbons, while an ultra-high work function (∼7.83 eV) is found for the F-functionalized borophene due to its strong charge transfer to the atomic adsorbates.

Real-time monitoring of Lévy flights in a single quantum system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Issler, M.; Höller, J.; Imamoǧlu, A.

2016-02-01

Lévy flights are random walks where the dynamics is dominated by rare events. Even though they have been studied in vastly different physical systems, their observation in a single quantum system has remained elusive. Here we analyze a periodically driven open central spin system and demonstrate theoretically that the dynamics of the spin environment exhibits Lévy flights. For the particular realization in a single-electron charged quantum dot driven by periodic resonant laser pulses, we use Monte Carlo simulations to confirm that the long waiting times between successive nuclear spin-flip events are governed by a power-law distribution; the corresponding exponent η =-3 /2 can be directly measured in real time by observing the waiting time distribution of successive photon emission events. Remarkably, the dominant intrinsic limitation of the scheme arising from nuclear quadrupole coupling can be minimized by adjusting the magnetic field or by implementing spin echo.

Radio-Loud AGN: The Suzaku View

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sambruna, Rita

2009-01-01

We review our Suzaku observations of Broad-Line Radio Galaxies (BLRGs). The continuum above 2 approx.keV in BLRGs is dominated by emission from an accretion flow, with little or no trace of a jet, which is instead expected to emerge at GeV energies and be detected by Fermi. Concerning the physical conditions of the accretion disk, BLRGs are a mixed bag. In some sources the data suggest relatively high disk ionization, in others obscuration of the innermost regions, perhaps by the jet base. While at hard X-rays the distinction between BLRGs and Seyferts appears blurry, one of the cleanest observational differences between the two classes is at soft X-rays, where Seyferts exhibit warm absorbers related to disk winds while BLRGs do not. We discuss the possibility that jet formation inhibits disk winds, and thus is related to the remarkable dearth of absorption features at soft X-rays in BLRGs and other radio-loud AGN.

Electron teleportation and statistical transmutation in multiterminal Majorana islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaeli, Karen; Landau, L. Aviad; Sela, Eran; Fu, Liang

2017-11-01

We study a topological superconductor island with spatially separated Majorana modes coupled to multiple normal-metal leads by single-electron tunneling in the Coulomb blockade regime. We show that low-temperature transport in such a Majorana island is carried by an emergent charge-e boson composed of a Majorana mode and an electronic excitation in leads. This transmutation from Fermi to Bose statistics has remarkable consequences. For noninteracting leads, the system flows to a non-Fermi-liquid fixed point, which is stable against tunnel couplings anisotropy or detuning away from the charge-degeneracy point. As a result, the system exhibits a universal conductance at zero temperature, which is a fraction of the conductance quantum, and low-temperature corrections with a universal power-law exponent. In addition, we consider Majorana islands connected to interacting one-dimensional leads, and find different stable fixed points near and far from the charge-degeneracy point.

Effect of phosphorylation on antioxidant activities of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo, Lady godiva) polysaccharide.

PubMed

Song, Yi; Ni, Yuanying; Hu, Xiaosong; Li, Quanhong

2015-11-01

Phosphorylated derivatives of pumpkin polysaccharide with different degree of substitution were synthesized using POCl3 and pyridine. Antioxidant activities and cytoprotective effects of unmodified polysaccharide and phosphorylated derivatives were investigated employing various in vitro systems. Results showed that high ratio of POCl3/pyridine could increase the degree of substitution and no remarkable degradation occurred in the phosphorylation process. Characteristic absorption of phosphorylation appeared both in the IR and (31)P NMR spectrum. The df values between 2.27 and 2.55 indicated the relatively expanded conformation of the phosphorylated derivatives. All the phosphorylated polysaccharides exhibited higher antioxidant activities. H2O2-induced oxidative damages on rat thymic lymphocyte were also prevented by the derivatives. In general, phosphorylation could improve the antioxidant activities of pumpkin polysaccharide both in vitro and in a cell system. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Room-temperature Synthesis of Amorphous Molybdenum Oxide Nanodots with Tunable Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances.

PubMed

Zhu, Chuanhui; Xu, Qun; Ji, Liang; Ren, Yumei; Fang, Mingming

2017-12-05

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors have recently emerged as a remarkable class of plasmonic alternative to conventional noble metals. However, tuning of their plasmonic resonances towards different wavelengths in the visible-light region with physical or chemical methods still remains challenging. In this work, we design a simple room-temperature chemical reaction route to synthesize amorphous molybdenum oxide (MoO 3-x ) nanodots that exhibit strong localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) in the visible and near-infrared region. Moreover, tunable plasmon resonances can be achieved in a wide range with the changing surrounding solvent, and accordingly the photoelectrocatalytic activity can be optimized with the varying LSPR peaks. This work boosts the light-matter interaction at the nanoscale and could enable photodetectors, sensors, and photovoltaic devices in the future. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Superelastic SMA U-shaped dampers with self-centering functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Bin; Zhu, Songye

2018-05-01

As high-performance metallic materials, shape memory alloys (SMAs) have been investigated increasingly by the earthquake engineering community in recent years, because of their remarkable self-centering (SC) and energy-dissipating capabilities. This paper systematically presents an experimental study on a novel superelastic SMA U-shaped damper (SMA-UD) with SC function under cyclic loading. The mechanical properties, including strength, SC ability, and energy-dissipating capability with varying loading amplitudes and strain rates are evaluated. Test results show that excellent and stable flag-shaped hysteresis loops are exhibited in multiple loading cycles. Strain rate has a negligible effect on the cyclic behavior of the SMA-UD within the dynamic frequency range of typical interest in earthquake engineering. Furthermore, a numerical investigation is performed to understand the mechanical behavior of the SMA-UD. The numerical model is calibrated against the experimental results with reasonable accuracy. Then, the stress–strain states with different phase transformations are also discussed.

High-quality bulk hybrid perovskite single crystals within minutes by inverse temperature crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saidaminov, Makhsud I.; Abdelhady, Ahmed L.; Murali, Banavoth; Alarousu, Erkki; Burlakov, Victor M.; Peng, Wei; Dursun, Ibrahim; Wang, Lingfei; He, Yao; Maculan, Giacomo; Goriely, Alain; Wu, Tom; Mohammed, Omar F.; Bakr, Osman M.

2015-07-01

Single crystals of methylammonium lead trihalide perovskites (MAPbX3; MA=CH3NH3+, X=Br- or I-) have shown remarkably low trap density and charge transport properties; however, growth of such high-quality semiconductors is a time-consuming process. Here we present a rapid crystal growth process to obtain MAPbX3 single crystals, an order of magnitude faster than previous reports. The process is based on our observation of the substantial decrease of MAPbX3 solubility, in certain solvents, at elevated temperatures. The crystals can be both size- and shape-controlled by manipulating the different crystallization parameters. Despite the rapidity of the method, the grown crystals exhibit transport properties and trap densities comparable to the highest quality MAPbX3 reported to date. The phenomenon of inverse or retrograde solubility and its correlated inverse temperature crystallization strategy present a major step forward for advancing the field on perovskite crystallization.

A universal cooperative assembly-directed method for coating of mesoporous TiO2 nanoshells with enhanced lithium storage properties

PubMed Central

Guan, Bu Yuan; Yu, Le; Li, Ju; Lou, Xiong Wen (David)

2016-01-01

TiO2 is exceptionally useful, but it remains a great challenge to develop a universal method to coat TiO2 nanoshells on different functional materials. We report a one-pot, low-temperature, and facile method that can rapidly form mesoporous TiO2 shells on various inorganic, organic, and inorganic-organic composite materials, including silica-based, metal, metal oxide, organic polymer, carbon-based, and metal-organic framework nanomaterials via a cooperative assembly-directed strategy. In constructing hollow, core-shell, and yolk-shell geometries, both amorphous and crystalline TiO2 nanoshells are demonstrated with excellent control. When used as electrode materials for lithium ion batteries, these crystalline TiO2 nanoshells composed of very small nanocrystals exhibit remarkably long-term cycling stability over 1000 cycles. The electrochemical properties demonstrate that these TiO2 nanoshells are promising anode materials. PMID:26973879

The Impact of Halloysite on the Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composites.

PubMed

Gaaz, Tayser Sumer; Sulong, Abu Bakar; Kadhum, Abdul Amir H; Al-Amiery, Ahmed A; Nassir, Mohamed H; Jaaz, Ahed Hameed

2017-05-20

Nanotubular clay minerals, composed of aluminosilicate naturally structured in layers known as halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), have a significant reinforcing impact on polymer matrixes. HNTs have broad applications in biomedical applications, the medicine sector, implant alloys with corrosion protection and manipulated transportation of medicines. In polymer engineering, different research studies utilize HNTs that exhibit a beneficial enhancement in the properties of polymer-based nanocomposites. The dispersion of HNTs is improved as a result of pre-treating HNTs with acids. The HNTs' percentage additive up to 7% shows the highest improvement of tensile strength. The degradation of the polymer can be also significantly improved by doping a low percentage of HNTs. Both the mechanical and thermal properties of polymers were remarkably improved when mixed with HNTs. The effects of HNTs on the mechanical and thermal properties of polymers, such as ultimate strength, elastic modulus, impact strength and thermal stability, are emphasized in this study.

Antimicrobial peptides and proteins of the horse - insights into a well-armed organism

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Antimicrobial peptides play a pivotal role as key effectors of the innate immune system in plants and animals and act as endogenous antibiotics. The molecules exhibit an antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotic pathogens with different specificities and potencies depending on the structure and amino-acid composition of the peptides. Several antimicrobial peptides were comprehensively investigated in the last three decades and some molecules with remarkable antimicrobial properties have reached the third phase of clinical studies. Next to the peptides themselves, numerous organisms were examined and analyzed regarding their repertoire of antimicrobial peptides revealing a huge number of candidates with potencies and properties for future medical applications. One of these organisms is the horse, which possesses numerous peptides that are interesting candidates for therapeutical applications in veterinary medicine. Here we summarize investigations and knowledge on equine antimicrobial peptides, point to interesting candidates, and discuss prospects for therapeutical applications. PMID:21888650

Sensitive and rapid determination of quinoline yellow in drinks using polyvinylpyrrolidone-modified electrode.

PubMed

Zhang, Shenghui; Shi, Zhen; Wang, Jinshou

2015-04-15

A novel electrochemical sensor using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-modified carbon paste electrode was developed for the sensitive and rapid determination of quinoline yellow. In 0.1M, pH 6.5 phosphate buffer, an irreversible oxidation wave at 0.97 V was observed for quinoline yellow. PVP exhibited strong accumulation ability to quinoline yellow, and consequently increased the oxidation peak current of quinoline yellow remarkably. The effects of pH value, amount of PVP, accumulation potential and time were studied on the oxidation signals of quinoline yellow. The linear range was from 5×10(-8) to 1×10(-6) M, and the limit of detection was evaluated to be 2.7×10(-8) M. It was used to detect quinoline yellow in different drink samples, and the results consisted with the values that obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anomalous Galactic Cosmic Rays in the Framework of AMS-02

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khiali, Behrouz; Haino, Sadakazu; Feng, Jie, E-mail: behrouz.khiali@cern.ch

2017-02-01

The cosmic-ray (CR) energy spectra of protons and helium nuclei, which are the most abundant components of cosmic radiation, exhibit a remarkable hardening at energies above 100 GeV/nucleon. Recent data from AMS-02 confirm this feature with a higher significance. These data challenge the current models of CR acceleration in Galactic sources and propagation in the Galaxy. Here, we explain the observed break in the spectra of protons and helium nuclei in light of recent advances in CR diffusion theories in turbulent astrophysical sources as being a result of a transition between different CR diffusion regimes. We reconstruct the observed CRmore » spectra using the fact that a transition from normal diffusion to superdiffusion changes the efficiency of particle acceleration and causes the change in the spectral index. We find that calculated proton and helium spectra match the data very well.« less

New insights into olivo-cerebellar circuits for learning from a small training sample.

PubMed

Tokuda, Isao T; Hoang, Huu; Kawato, Mitsuo

2017-10-01

Artificial intelligence such as deep neural networks exhibited remarkable performance in simulated video games and 'Go'. In contrast, most humanoid robots in the DARPA Robotics Challenge fell down to ground. The dramatic contrast in performance is mainly due to differences in the amount of training data, which is huge and small, respectively. Animals are not allowed with millions of the failed trials, which lead to injury and death. Humans fall only several thousand times before they balance and walk. We hypothesize that a unique closed-loop neural circuit formed by the Purkinje cells, the cerebellar deep nucleus and the inferior olive in and around the cerebellum and the highest density of gap junctions, which regulate synchronous activities of the inferior olive nucleus, are computational machinery for learning from a small sample. We discuss recent experimental and computational advances associated with this hypothesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel styrylbenzothiazolium dye-based sensor for mercury, cyanide and hydroxide ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwon, Seon-Young; Rao, Boddu Ananda; Kim, Hak-Soo; Son, Young-A.; Kim, Sung-Hoon

2015-06-01

We report the design and synthesis of a novel styrylbenzothiazolium (3) derivative developed as a fluorescent and colorimetric chemodosimeter with high selectivity toward Hg2+, CN- and OH- ions. An obvious loss of pink color in the presence of Hg2+ and CN- ions could make it a suitable "naked eye" indicator. We propose a sensing mechanism whereby the benzenoid form is changed to a quinoid form upon Hg2+ binding in a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio. More significantly, the styrylbenzothiazolium-Hg2+ and styrylbenzothiazolium-CN- complexes exhibited a dual-channel chromo-fluorogenic response. The sensors exhibit remarkable Hg2+-, CN--, and OH--selective red fluorescence but remain dark-green in the presence of a wide range of tested metal ions and anions.

Spatial structure of morphological and neutral genetic variation in Brook Trout

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kazyak, David C.; Hilderbrand, Robert H.; Keller, Stephen R.; Colaw, Mark C.; Holloway, Amanda E.; Morgan, Raymond P.; King, Timothy L.

2015-01-01

Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis exhibit exceptional levels of life history variation, remarkable genetic variability, and fine-scale population structure. In many cases, neighboring populations may be highly differentiated from one another to an extent that is comparable with species-level distinctions in other taxa. Although genetic samples have been collected from hundreds of populations and tens of thousands of individuals, little is known about whether differentiation at neutral markers reflects phenotypic differences among Brook Trout populations. We compared differentiation in morphology and neutral molecular markers among populations from four geographically proximate locations (all within 24 km) to examine how genetic diversity covaries with morphology. We found significant differences among and/or within streams for all three morphological axes examined and identified the source stream of many individuals based on morphology (52.3% classification efficiency). Although molecular and morphological differentiation among streams ranged considerably (mean pairwise FST: 0.023–0.264; pairwise PST: 0.000–0.339), the two measures were not significantly correlated. While in some cases morphological characters appear to have diverged to a greater extent than expected by neutral genetic drift, many traits were conserved to a greater extent than were neutral genetic markers. Thus, while Brook Trout exhibit fine-scale spatial patterns in both morphology and neutral genetic diversity, these types of biological variabilities are being structured by different ecological and evolutionary processes. The relative influences of genetic drift versus selection and phenotypic plasticity in shaping morphology appear to vary among populations occupying nearby streams.

Memory of Germinant Stimuli in Bacterial Spores

PubMed Central

Wang, Shiwei; Faeder, James R.; Setlow, Peter

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Bacterial spores, despite being metabolically dormant, possess the remarkable capacity to detect nutrients and other molecules in their environment through a biochemical sensory apparatus that can trigger spore germination, allowing the return to vegetative growth within minutes of exposure of germinants. We demonstrate here that bacterial spores of multiple species retain memory of transient exposures to germinant stimuli that can result in altered responses to subsequent exposure. The magnitude and decay of these memory effects depend on the pulse duration as well as on the separation time, incubation temperature, and pH values between the pulses. Spores of Bacillus species germinate in response to nutrients that interact with germinant receptors (GRs) in the spore’s inner membrane, with different nutrient types acting on different receptors. In our experiments, B. subtilis spores display memory when the first and second germinant pulses target different receptors, suggesting that some components of spore memory are downstream of GRs. Furthermore, nonnutrient germinants, which do not require GRs, exhibit memory either alone or in combination with nutrient germinants, and memory of nonnutrient stimulation is found to be more persistent than that induced by GR-dependent stimuli. Spores of B. cereus and Clostridium difficile also exhibit germination memory, suggesting that memory may be a general property of bacterial spores. These observations along with experiments involving strains with mutations in various germination proteins suggest a model in which memory is stored primarily in the metastable states of SpoVA proteins, which comprise a channel for release of dipicolinic acid, a major early event in spore germination. PMID:26604257

Hierarchically Flower-like N-Doped Porous Carbon Materials Derived from an Explosive 3-Fold Interpenetrating Diamondoid Copper Metal-Organic Framework for a Supercapacitor.

PubMed

Li, Zuo-Xi; Zou, Kang-Yu; Zhang, Xue; Han, Tong; Yang, Ying

2016-07-05

A peculiar copper metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) was synthesized by a self-assembly method, which presents a 3-fold interpenetrating diamondoid net based on the square-planar Cu(II) node. Although it exhibits a high degree of interpenetration, the Cu-MOF still exhibits a one-dimensional channel, which provides a template for constructing porous materials through the "precursor" strategy. Furthermore, the explosive ClO4(-) ion, which resided in the channel, could induce the quick decomposition of organic ingredients and release a huge amount of gas, which is beneficial for the porosity of postsynthetic materials. Significantly, we first utilize this explosive MOF to prepare a series of Cu@C composites through the calcination-thermolysis method at different temperatures, which contain copper particles exhibiting various shapes and combinations with the carbon substrate. Considering the hole-forming effect of copper particles, Cu@C composites were etched by HCl to afford a sequence of hierarchically flower-like N-doped porous carbon materials (NPCs), which retain the original morphology of the Cu-MOF. Interestingly, NPC-900, originating from the calcination of the Cu-MOF at 900 °C, exhibits a more regular flower-like morphology, the largest specific surface area, abundant porosities, and multiple nitrogen functionalities. The remarkable specific capacitances are 138 F g(-1) at 5 mV s(-1) and 149 F g(-1) at 0.5 A g(-1) for the NPC-900 electrode in a 6 M potassium hydroxide aqueous solution. Moreover, the retention of capacitance remains 86.8% (125 F g(-1)) at 1 A g(-1) over 2000 cycles, which displays good chemical stability. These findings suggest that NPC-900 can be applied as a suitable electrode for a supercapacitor.

Biosynthesis of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Using Extracts of Callus Cultures of Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima).

PubMed

Iyer, R Indira; Panda, Tapobrata

2018-08-01

The potential of callus cultures and field-grown organs of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles of the noble metals gold and silver has been investigated. Biosynthesis of AuNPs (gold nanoparticles) and AgNPs (silver nanoparticles) was obtained with flowers of C. maxima but not with pulp and seeds. With callus cultures established in MS-based medium the biogenesis of both AuNPs and AgNPs could be obtained. At 65 °C the biogenesis of AuNPs and AgNPs by callus extracts was enhanced. The AuNPs and AgNPs have been characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, TEM, DLS and XRD. Well-dispersed nanoparticles, which exhibited a remarkable diversity in size and shape, could be visualized by TEM. Gold nanoparticles were found to be of various shapes, viz., rods, triangles, star-shaped particles, spheres, hexagons, bipyramids, discoid particles, nanotrapezoids, prisms, cuboids. Silver nanoparticles were also of diverse shapes, viz., discoid, spherical, elliptical, triangle-like, belt-like, rod-shaped forms and cuboids. EDX analysis indicated that the AuNPs and AgNPs had a high degree of purity. The surface charges of the generated AuNPs and AgNPs were highly negative as indicated by zeta potential measurements. The AuNPs and AgNPs exhibited remarkable stability in solution for more than four months. FTIR studies indicated that biomolecules in the callus extracts were associated with the biosynthesis and stabilisation of the nanoparticles. The synthesized AgNPs could catalyse degradation of methylene blue and exhibited anti-bacterial activity against E. coli DH5α. There is no earlier report of the biosynthesis of nanoparticles by this plant species. Callus cultures of Cucurbita maxima are effective alternative resources of biomass for synthesis of nanoparticles.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singh, Sadanand; Pablo, Juan J. de

Recently, novel organic glassy materials that exhibit remarkable stability have been prepared by vapor deposition. The thermophysical properties of these new ''stable'' glasses are equivalent to those that common glasses would exhibit after aging over periods lasting thousands of years. The origin of such enhanced stability has been elusive; in the absence of detailed models, past studies have discussed the formation of new polyamorphs or that of nanocrystals to explain the observed behavior. In this work, an atomistic molecular model of trehalose, a disaccharide of glucose, is used to examine the properties of vapor-deposited stable glasses. Consistent with experiment, themore » model predicts the formation of stable glasses having a higher density, a lower enthalpy, and higher onset temperatures than those of the corresponding ''ordinary'' glass formed by quenching the bulk liquid. Simulations reveal that newly formed layers of the growing vapor-deposited film exhibit greater mobility than the remainder of the material, thereby enabling a reorganization of the film as it is grown. They also reveal that ''stable'' glasses exhibit a distinct layered structure in the direction normal to the substrate that is responsible for their unusual properties.« less

Effect of treatment with probiotics as water additives on tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) growth performance and immune response.

PubMed

Zhou, Xuxia; Tian, Ziqiang; Wang, Yanbo; Li, Weifen

2010-09-01

A feeding trial was conducted for 40 days to delineate the effect of treatment with probiotics as water additives on tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) growth performance and immune response. About 360 juveniles were randomly distributed into four treatment groups, each with three replicates. Different probiotics (T-1, Bacillus subtilis B10; T-2, Bacillus coagulans B16; T-3, Rhodopseudomonas palustris G06) were added to the water of tanks at final concentration of 1 x 10(7) cfu ml(-1) every 2 days, with no probiotic added to control tanks. At the end of the feeding trial, fish treated with B. coagulans B16 (T-2) and R. palustris G06 (T-3) had significantly (P < 0.05) higher final weight, daily weight gain, and specific growth rate compared with those treated with B. subtilis B10 (T-1) and those without probiotics (control). The highest (P < 0.05) content of total serum protein was found in T-2 compared with that in T-1, T-3, and the control. However, albumin concentration and albumin/globulin ratio were not affected by the probiotics treatments. Compared with the control, probiotic supplementation remarkably improved activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase (P < 0.05). T-2 fish exhibited higher average myeloperoxidase activity than the control, T-1, and T-3 groups. Regarding serum lysozyme content in tilapia, assays showed no difference (P > 0.05) among the treatment groups. Furthermore, probiotics treatments remarkably increased respiratory burst activity compared with control, with T-2 showing higher values than T-1 and T-3. This indicated that treatment with probiotics, B. coagulans B16 and R. palustris G06, as water additives could be used to enhance immune and health status, thereby improving growth performance of O. niloticus.

Yeast Microcapsule-Mediated Targeted Delivery of Diverse Nanoparticles for Imaging and Therapy via the Oral Route.

PubMed

Zhou, Xing; Zhang, Xiangjun; Han, Songling; Dou, Yin; Liu, Mengyu; Zhang, Lin; Guo, Jiawei; Shi, Qing; Gong, Genghao; Wang, Ruibing; Hu, Jiang; Li, Xiaohui; Zhang, Jianxiang

2017-02-08

Targeting of nanoparticles to distant diseased sites after oral delivery remains highly challenging due to the existence of many biological barriers in the gastrointestinal tract. Here we report targeted oral delivery of diverse nanoparticles in multiple disease models, via a "Trojan horse" strategy based on a bioinspired yeast capsule (YC). Diverse charged nanoprobes including quantum dots (QDs), iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), and assembled organic fluorescent nanoparticles can be effectively loaded into YC through electrostatic force-driven spontaneous deposition, resulting in different diagnostic YC assemblies. Also, different positive nanotherapies containing an anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin (IND) or an antitumor drug paclitaxel (PTX) are efficiently packaged into YC. YCs containing either nanoprobes or nanotherapies may be rapidly endocytosed by macrophages and maintained in cells for a relatively long period of time. Post oral administration, nanoparticles packaged in YC are first transcytosed by M cells and sequentially endocytosed by macrophages, then transported to neighboring lymphoid tissues, and finally delivered to remote diseased sites of inflammation or tumor in mice or rats, all through the natural route of macrophage activation, recruitment, and deployment. For the examined acute inflammation model, the targeting efficiency of YC-delivered QDs or IONPs is even higher than that of control nanoprobes administered at the same dose via intravenous injection. Assembled IND or PTX nanotherapies orally delivered via YCs exhibit remarkably potentiated efficacies as compared to nanotherapies alone in animal models of inflammation and tumor, which is consistent with the targeting effect and enhanced accumulation of drug molecules at diseased sites. Consequently, through the intricate transportation route, nanoprobes or nanotherapies enveloped in YC can be preferentially delivered to desired targets, affording remarkably improved efficacies for the treatment of multiple diseases associated with inflammation.

Variability in spectral signatures of terrestrial volcanic rocks and implications for volcanology on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Francis, P. W.

1987-01-01

The LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) studies of 2.2 my old ignimbrites in a test area around the Cerro Galan Caldera, N. W. Argentina, show that the ignimbrites exhibit a remarkable range of spectral characteristics dependent both on intrinsic and extrinsic properties resulting from aeolian weathering processes. Spectral profiles of the ignimbrite in four contrasted environments were constructed using 6 TM bands. The textural and structural characteristics of ignimbrites on Mars were evaluated.

Qubit-Based Memcapacitors and Meminductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shevchenko, Sergey N.; Pershin, Yuriy V.; Nori, Franco

2016-07-01

It is shown that superconducting charge and flux quantum bits (qubits) can be classified as memory capacitive and inductive systems, respectively. We demonstrate that such memcapacitive and meminductive devices offer remarkable and rich response functionalities. In particular, when subjected to periodic input, qubit-based memcapacitors and meminductors exhibit unusual hysteresis curves. Our work not only extends the set of known memcapacitive and meminductive systems to qubit-based devices, but also highlights their unique properties potentially useful for future technological applications.

Voltage-sensing phosphatase: its molecular relationship with PTEN.

PubMed

Okamura, Yasushi; Dixon, Jack E

2011-02-01

Voltage-sensing phosphoinositide phosphatase (VSP) contains voltage sensor and cytoplasmic phosphatase domains. A unique feature of this protein is that depolarization-induced motions of the voltage sensor activate PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) and PtdIns(4,5)P(2) phosphatase activities. VSP exhibits remarkable structural similarities with PTEN, the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10. These similarities include the cytoplasmic phosphatase region, the phosphoinositide binding region, and the putative membrane interacting C2 domain.

Significant long-term reduction in n-channel MESFET subthreshold leakage using ammonium-sulfide surface treated gates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neudeck, P. G.; Carpenter, M. S.; Melloch, Michael R.; Cooper, James A., Jr.

1991-01-01

Ammonium-sulfide (NH4)2S treated gates have been employed in the fabrication of GaAs MESFETs that exhibit a remarkable reduction in subthreshold leakage current. A greater than 100-fold reduction in drain current minimum is observed due to a decrease in Schottky gate leakage. The electrical characteristics have remained stable for over a year during undesiccated storage at room temperature, despite the absence of passivation layers.

Remarkably Enhanced Room-Temperature Hydrogen Sensing of SnO₂ Nanoflowers via Vacuum Annealing Treatment.

PubMed

Liu, Gao; Wang, Zhao; Chen, Zihui; Yang, Shulin; Fu, Xingxing; Huang, Rui; Li, Xiaokang; Xiong, Juan; Hu, Yongming; Gu, Haoshuang

2018-03-23

In this work, SnO₂ nanoflowers synthesized by a hydrothermal method were employed as hydrogen sensing materials. The as-synthesized SnO₂ nanoflowers consisted of cuboid-like SnO₂ nanorods with tetragonal structures. A great increase in the relative content of surface-adsorbed oxygen was observed after the vacuum annealing treatment, and this increase could have been due to the increase in surface oxygen vacancies serving as preferential adsorption sites for oxygen species. Annealing treatment resulted in an 8% increase in the specific surface area of the samples. Moreover, the conductivity of the sensors decreased after the annealing treatment, which should be attributed to the increase in electron scattering around the defects and the compensated donor behavior of the oxygen vacancies due to the surface oxygen adsorption. The hydrogen sensors of the annealed samples, compared to those of the unannealed samples, exhibited a much higher sensitivity and faster response rate. The sensor response factor and response rate increased from 27.1% to 80.2% and 0.34%/s to 1.15%/s, respectively. This remarkable enhancement in sensing performance induced by the annealing treatment could be attributed to the larger specific surface areas and higher amount of surface-adsorbed oxygen, which provides a greater reaction space for hydrogen. Moreover, the sensors with annealed SnO₂ nanoflowers also exhibited high selectivity towards hydrogen against CH₄, CO, and ethanol.

Seedling growth and biomass allocation of endemic and threatened shrubs of rupestrian fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Negreiros, Daniel; Fernandes, G. Wilson; Silveira, Fernando A. O.; Chalub, Clarissa

2009-03-01

The increasing anthropogenic pressure in the rare rupestrian fields in southeastern Brazil has led to the expansion of degraded areas on the extremely nutrient-deficient quartzitic soils. On the other hand, the use of rupestrian field native species in reclamation programmes has been hampered by the lack of studies involving seedling physiological ecology. The present study evaluated biomass allocation and seedling growth rate during early seedling growth of four Fabaceae shrubs: Collaea cipoensis, Calliandra fasciculata, Chamaecrista ramosa, and Mimosa foliolosa. The following hypotheses were tested: (i) species proportionally allocate higher biomass to the roots, presenting a high root/shoot ratio; and (ii) species exhibit low phenotypic variation because they have adapted to poor nutritional environments. A 12-month greenhouse experiment was carried out to evaluate seedling growth and biomass allocation performance in substrates with contrasting levels of soil fertility. The four species studied presented values of root/shoot ratio lower than one in both fertility conditions of the substrate. Growth parameters for Collaea and Calliandra increased with increasing soil fertility, while no differences were observed for Mimosa and Chamaecrista. Although the four species are naturally adapted to low nutritional quality soils, seedling development was not hindered by high fertility substrate conditions. Despite the remarkable differences in fertility between the substrates, the responsiveness in growth and allocation in Chamaecrista and Mimosa was lower than that expected if the species would exhibit high phenotypic variation. The implications for rupestrian field restoration are discussed.

Static and dynamic factors in an information-based multi-asset artificial stock market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponta, Linda; Pastore, Stefano; Cincotti, Silvano

2018-02-01

An information-based multi-asset artificial stock market characterized by different types of stocks and populated by heterogeneous agents is presented. In the market, agents trade risky assets in exchange for cash. Beside the amount of cash and of stocks owned, each agent is characterized by sentiments and agents share their sentiments by means of interactions that are determined by sparsely connected networks. A central market maker (clearing house mechanism) determines the price processes for each stock at the intersection of the demand and the supply curves. Single stock price processes exhibit volatility clustering and fat-tailed distribution of returns whereas multivariate price process exhibits both static and dynamic stylized facts, i.e., the presence of static factors and common trends. Static factors are studied making reference to the cross-correlation of returns of different stocks. The common trends are investigated considering the variance-covariance matrix of prices. Results point out that the probability distribution of eigenvalues of the cross-correlation matrix of returns shows the presence of sectors, similar to those observed on real empirical data. As regarding the dynamic factors, the variance-covariance matrix of prices point out a limited number of assets prices series that are independent integrated processes, in close agreement with the empirical evidence of asset price time series of real stock markets. These results remarks the crucial dependence of statistical properties of multi-assets stock market on the agents' interaction structure.

Earth as art three

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2010-01-01

For most of us, deserts, mountains, river valleys, coastlines even dry lakebeds are relatively familiar features of the Earth's terrestrial environment. For earth scientists, they are the focus of considerable scientific research. Viewed from a unique and unconventional perspective, Earth's geographic attributes can also be a surprising source of awe-inspiring art. That unique perspective is space. The artists for the Earth as Art Three exhibit are the Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 satellites, which orbit approximately 705 kilometers (438 miles) above the Earth's surface. While studying the images these satellites beam down daily, researchers are often struck by the sheer beauty of the scenes. Such images inspire the imagination and go beyond scientific value to remind us how stunning, intricate, and simply amazing our planet's features can be. Instead of paint, the medium for these works of art is light. But Landsat satellite sensors don't see light as human eyes do; instead, they see radiant energy reflected from Earth's surface in certain wavelengths, or bands, of red, green, blue, and infrared light. When these different bands are combined into a single image, remarkable patterns, colors, and shapes emerge. The Earth as Art Three exhibit provides fresh and inspiring glimpses of different parts of our planet's complex surface. The images in this collection were chosen solely based on their aesthetic appeal. Many of the images have been manipulated to enhance color variations or details. They are not intended for scientific interpretation only for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Odorant-binding proteins display high affinities for behavioral attractants and repellents in the natural predator Chrysopa pallens.

PubMed

Li, Zhao-Qun; Zhang, Shuai; Luo, Jun-Yu; Wang, Si-Bao; Dong, Shuang-Lin; Cui, Jin-Jie

2015-07-01

Chrysopa pallens is an important natural predator of various pests in many different cropping systems. Understanding the sophisticated olfactory system of insect antennae is crucial for studying the physiological bases of olfaction and could also help enhance the effectiveness of C. pallens in biological control. However, functional studies of the olfactory genes in C. pallens are still lacking. In this study, we cloned five odorant-binding protein (OBP) genes from C. pallens (CpalOBPs). Quantitative RT-PCR results indicated that the five CpalOBPs had different tissue expression profiles. Ligand-binding assays showed that farnesol, farnesene, cis-3-hexenyl hexanoate, geranylacetone, beta-ionone, octyl aldehyde, decanal, nerolidol (Ki<20 μM), and especially 2-pentadecanone (Ki=1.19 μM) and 2-hexyl-1-decanol (Ki=0.37 μM) strongly bound to CpalOBP2. CpalOBP15 exhibited high binding affinities for beta-ionone, 2-tridecanone, trans-nerolidol, and dodecyl aldehyde. Behavioral trials using the 14 compounds exhibiting high binding affinities for the CpalOBPs revealed that nine were able to elicit significant behavioral responses from C. pallens. Among them, farnesene and its corresponding alcohol, farnesol, elicited remarkable repellent behavioral responses from C. pallens. Our study provides several compounds that could be selected to develop slow-release agents that attract/repel C. pallens and to improve the search for strategies to eliminate insect pests. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Super-hydrophobic multilayer coatings with layer number tuned swapping in surface wettability and redox catalytic anti-corrosion application.

PubMed

Syed, Junaid Ali; Tang, Shaochun; Meng, Xiangkang

2017-06-30

The wetting characteristic of a metal surface can be controlled by employing different coating materials and external stimuli, however, layer number (n) modulated surface swapping between hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity in a multilayer structure to achieve prolonged anti-corrosion ability was not taken into consideration. In this study, we proposed a layer-by-layer (LbL) spin assembled polyaniline-silica composite/tetramethylsilane functionalized silica nanoparticles (PSC/TMS-SiO 2 ) coating with the combined effect of super-hydrophobicity and enhanced anti-corrosion ability. Interestingly, the hierarchical integration of two coating materials with inherently different surface roughness and energy in a multilayer structure allows the wetting feature to swap from hydrophobic to hydrophilic state by modulating n with decreasing hydrophilicity. The samples with odd n (TMS-SiO 2 surface) are hydrophobic while the samples with even n (PSC surface) exhibits the hydrophilic character. The TMS-SiO 2 content was optimized to achieve super-hydrophobic coating with significantly high water contact angle (CA) 153° ± 2° and small sliding angle (SA) 6° ± 2°. Beside its self-cleaning behavior, the electro-active PSC/TMS-SiO 2 coating also exhibits remarkably enhanced corrosion resistance against aggressive media. The corrosion resistance of the coating was remained stable even after 240 h of exposure, this enhancement is attributed to super-hydrophobicity and anodic shift in corrosion potential.

Short-wavelength sensitive opsin (SWS1) as a new marker for vertebrate phylogenetics

PubMed Central

van Hazel, Ilke; Santini, Francesco; Müller, Johannes; Chang, Belinda SW

2006-01-01

Background Vertebrate SWS1 visual pigments mediate visual transduction in response to light at short wavelengths. Due to their importance in vision, SWS1 genes have been isolated from a surprisingly wide range of vertebrates, including lampreys, teleosts, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The SWS1 genes exhibit many of the characteristics of genes typically targeted for phylogenetic analyses. This study investigates both the utility of SWS1 as a marker for inferring vertebrate phylogenetic relationships, and the characteristics of the gene that contribute to its phylogenetic utility. Results Phylogenetic analyses of vertebrate SWS1 genes produced topologies that were remarkably congruent with generally accepted hypotheses of vertebrate evolution at both higher and lower taxonomic levels. The few exceptions were generally associated with areas of poor taxonomic sampling, or relationships that have been difficult to resolve using other molecular markers. The SWS1 data set was characterized by a substantial amount of among-site rate variation, and a relatively unskewed substitution rate matrix, even when the data were partitioned into different codon sites and individual taxonomic groups. Although there were nucleotide biases in some groups at third positions, these biases were not convergent across different taxonomic groups. Conclusion Our results suggest that SWS1 may be a good marker for vertebrate phylogenetics due to the variable yet consistent patterns of sequence evolution exhibited across fairly wide taxonomic groups. This may result from constraints imposed by the functional role of SWS1 pigments in visual transduction. PMID:17107620

Declarative and Non-declarative Memory Consolidation in Children with Sleep Disorder.

PubMed

Csábi, Eszter; Benedek, Pálma; Janacsek, Karolina; Zavecz, Zsófia; Katona, Gábor; Nemeth, Dezso

2015-01-01

Healthy sleep is essential in children's cognitive, behavioral, and emotional development. However, remarkably little is known about the influence of sleep disorders on different memory processes in childhood. Such data could give us a deeper insight into the effect of sleep on the developing brain and memory functions and how the relationship between sleep and memory changes from childhood to adulthood. In the present study we examined the effect of sleep disorder on declarative and non-declarative memory consolidation by testing children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) which is characterized by disrupted sleep structure. We used a story recall task to measure declarative memory and Alternating Serial Reaction time (ASRT) task to assess non-declarative memory. This task enables us to measure two aspects of non-declarative memory, namely general motor skill learning and sequence-specific learning. There were two sessions: a learning phase and a testing phase, separated by a 12 h offline period with sleep. Our data showed that children with SDB exhibited a generally lower declarative memory performance both in the learning and testing phase; however, both the SDB and control groups exhibited retention of the previously recalled items after the offline period. Here we showed intact non-declarative consolidation in SDB group in both sequence-specific and general motor skill. These findings suggest that sleep disorders in childhood have a differential effect on different memory processes (online vs. offline) and give us insight into how sleep disturbances affects developing brain.

Declarative and Non-declarative Memory Consolidation in Children with Sleep Disorder

PubMed Central

Csábi, Eszter; Benedek, Pálma; Janacsek, Karolina; Zavecz, Zsófia; Katona, Gábor; Nemeth, Dezso

2016-01-01

Healthy sleep is essential in children’s cognitive, behavioral, and emotional development. However, remarkably little is known about the influence of sleep disorders on different memory processes in childhood. Such data could give us a deeper insight into the effect of sleep on the developing brain and memory functions and how the relationship between sleep and memory changes from childhood to adulthood. In the present study we examined the effect of sleep disorder on declarative and non-declarative memory consolidation by testing children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) which is characterized by disrupted sleep structure. We used a story recall task to measure declarative memory and Alternating Serial Reaction time (ASRT) task to assess non-declarative memory. This task enables us to measure two aspects of non-declarative memory, namely general motor skill learning and sequence-specific learning. There were two sessions: a learning phase and a testing phase, separated by a 12 h offline period with sleep. Our data showed that children with SDB exhibited a generally lower declarative memory performance both in the learning and testing phase; however, both the SDB and control groups exhibited retention of the previously recalled items after the offline period. Here we showed intact non-declarative consolidation in SDB group in both sequence-specific and general motor skill. These findings suggest that sleep disorders in childhood have a differential effect on different memory processes (online vs. offline) and give us insight into how sleep disturbances affects developing brain. PMID:26793090

Polarization-sensitive color in butterfly scales: polarization conversion from ridges with reflecting elements.

PubMed

Zhang, Ke; Tang, Yiwen; Meng, Jinsong; Wang, Ge; Zhou, Han; Fan, Tongxiang; Zhang, Di

2014-11-03

Polarization-sensitive color originates from polarization-dependent reflection or transmission, exhibiting abundant light information, including intensity, spectral distribution, and polarization. A wide range of butterflies are physiologically sensitive to polarized light, but the origins of polarized signal have not been fully understood. Here we systematically investigate the colorful scales of six species of butterfly to reveal the physical origins of polarization-sensitive color. Microscopic optical images under crossed polarizers exhibit their polarization-sensitive characteristic, and micro-structural characterizations clarify their structural commonality. In the case of the structural scales that have deep ridges, the polarization-sensitive color related with scale azimuth is remarkable. Periodic ridges lead to the anisotropic effective refractive indices in the parallel and perpendicular grating orientations, which achieves form-birefringence, resulting in the phase difference of two different component polarized lights. Simulated results show that ridge structures with reflecting elements reflect and rotate the incident p-polarized light into s-polarized light. The dimensional parameters and shapes of grating greatly affect the polarization conversion process, and the triangular deep grating extends the outstanding polarization conversion effect from the sub-wavelength period to the period comparable to visible light wavelength. The parameters of ridge structures in butterfly scales have been optimized to fulfill the polarization-dependent reflection for secret communication. The structural and physical origin of polarization conversion provides a more comprehensive perspective on the creation of polarization-sensitive color in butterfly wing scales. These findings show great potential in anti-counterfeiting technology and advanced optical material design.

Age differences in spatial working memory contributions to visuomotor adaptation and transfer.

PubMed

Langan, Jeanne; Seidler, Rachael D

2011-11-20

Throughout our life span we encounter challenges that require us to adapt to the demands of our changing environment; this entails learning new skills. Two primary components of motor skill learning are motor acquisition, the initial process of learning the skill, and motor transfer, when learning a new skill is benefitted by the overlap with a previously learned one. Older adults typically exhibit declines in motor acquisition compared to young adults, but remarkably, do not demonstrate deficits in motor transfer [10]. Our recent work demonstrates that a failure to engage spatial working memory (SWM) is associated with skill learning deficits in older adults [16]. Here, we investigate the role that SWM plays in both motor learning and transfer in young and older adults. Both age groups exhibited performance savings, or positive transfer, at transfer of learning for some performance variables. Measures of spatial working memory performance and reaction time correlated with both motor learning and transfer for young adults. Young adults recruited overlapping brain regions in prefrontal, premotor, parietal and occipital cortex for performance of a SWM and a visuomotor adaptation task, most notably during motor learning, replicating our prior findings [12]. Neural overlap between the SWM task and visuomotor adaptation for the older adults was limited to parietal cortex, with minimal changes from motor learning to transfer. Combined, these results suggest that age differences in engagement of cognitive strategies have a differential impact on motor learning and transfer. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Age differences in spatial working memory contributions to visuomotor adaptation and transfer

PubMed Central

Langan, Jeanne; Seidler, Rachael. D.

2011-01-01

Throughout our life span we encounter challenges that require us to adapt to the demands of our changing environment; this entails learning new skills. Two primary components of motor skill learning are motor acquisition, the initial process of learning the skill, and motor transfer, when learning a new skill is benefitted by the overlap with a previously learned one. Older adults typically exhibit declines in motor acquisition compared to young adults, but remarkably, do not demonstrate deficits in motor transfer (Seidler, 2007). Our recent work demonstrates that a failure to engage spatial working memory (SWM) is associated with skill learning deficits in older adults (Anguera et al., 2011). Here, we investigate the role that SWM plays in both motor learning and transfer in young and older adults. Both age groups exhibited performance savings, or positive transfer, at transfer of learning for some performance variables. Measures of spatial working memory performance and reaction time correlated with both motor learning and transfer for young adults. Young adults recruited overlapping brain regions in prefrontal, premotor, parietal and occipital cortex for performance of a SWM and a visuomotor adaptation task, most notably during motor learning, replicating our prior findings (Anguera et al., 2010). Neural overlap between the SWM task and visuomotor adaptation for the older adults was limited to parietal cortex, with minimal changes from motor learning to transfer. Combined, these results suggest that age differences in engagement of cognitive strategies have a differential impact on motor learning and transfer. PMID:21784106

Variations in the incidence and burden of illnesses and injuries among non-retiree service members in the earliest, middle, and last 6 months of their careers, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2000-2015.

PubMed

Uptegraft, Colby C; Stahlman, Shauna

2018-06-01

This report uses routinely collected data in the Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS) to characterize the incidence and burden of medical conditions throughout the careers of service members separating from the active component of the U.S. Armed Forces between 1 October 2014 and 30 September 2015. Three surveillance periods between 30 September 2000 and 30 September 2015 were defined by each individual's time in service: early (first 6 months), middle (middle 6 months), and late (last 6 months). Overall, separating service members were most often aged 25-34 years (59.4%), male (84.0%), non-Hispanic white (64.0%), junior enlisted (52.4%), in the Marine Corps (33.1%), serving in a repair/engineering occupation (33.0%), and had never deployed (52.5%). The top five burden of disease categories across surveillance periods by sex were remarkably similar, including mental health disorders, which exhibited similar upward trends across the three surveillance periods (males: 1.3%, 17.0%, and 35.6%; females: 1.8%, 15.1%, and 32.4%, respectively). The most common diagnoses exhibiting upward, downward, or bimodal trends by incidence rate differences were mental health disorders, respiratory infections/diseases, and musculoskeletal diseases, respectively.

Social Cognition in Williams Syndrome: Face Tuning

PubMed Central

Pavlova, Marina A.; Heiz, Julie; Sokolov, Alexander N.; Barisnikov, Koviljka

2016-01-01

Many neurological, neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and psychosomatic disorders are characterized by impairments in visual social cognition, body language reading, and facial assessment of a social counterpart. Yet a wealth of research indicates that individuals with Williams syndrome exhibit remarkable concern for social stimuli and face fascination. Here individuals with Williams syndrome were presented with a set of Face-n-Food images composed of food ingredients and in different degree resembling a face (slightly bordering on the Giuseppe Arcimboldo style). The primary advantage of these images is that single components do not explicitly trigger face-specific processing, whereas in face images commonly used for investigating face perception (such as photographs or depictions), the mere occurrence of typical cues already implicates face presence. In a spontaneous recognition task, participants were shown a set of images in a predetermined order from the least to most resembling a face. Strikingly, individuals with Williams syndrome exhibited profound deficits in recognition of the Face-n-Food images as a face: they did not report seeing a face on the images, which typically developing controls effortlessly recognized as a face, and gave overall fewer face responses. This suggests atypical face tuning in Williams syndrome. The outcome is discussed in the light of a general pattern of social cognition in Williams syndrome and brain mechanisms underpinning face processing. PMID:27531986

Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis of the enterocin P structural gene of Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from nonfermented animal foods.

PubMed

Arlindo, Samuel; Calo, Pilar; Franco, Carlos; Prado, Marta; Cepeda, Alberto; Barros-Velázquez, Jorge

2006-12-01

The bacteriocins produced by two lactic acid bacteria isolated from nonfermented fresh meat and fish, respectively, and exhibiting a remarkable antilisterial activity, were characterized. Bacteriocinogenic strains were identified as Enterococcus faecium and the maximum bacteriocin production by both strains was detected in the stationary phase of growth. The activity against Listeria monocytogenes was maintained in pH range of 3-7 and was stable in both strains after heating at 100 or 121 degrees C. The genes coding for enterocin P were detected, isolated, and sequenced in both E. faecium strains. They exhibited DNA/DNA homology in the 87.1-97.2% range with respect to the other four enterocin P genes reported so far. Three single nucleotide polymorphism events, silent at the amino acid level, were detected at nucleotide positions 45 (G/A), 75 (A/G), and 90 (T/C) in E. faecium LHICA 28-4 and may explain the differences reported for those loci in other enterocin P-producing E. faecium strains. This work provides the first description of enterocin P-producing E. faecium strains in nonfermented foodstuffs and, in the case of E. faecium LHICA 51, the first report of an enterocin P-producing strain isolated from fish so far.

Luminomagnetic Eu3+- and Dy3+-doped hydroxyapatite for multimodal imaging.

PubMed

Tesch, Annemarie; Wenisch, Christoph; Herrmann, Karl-Heinz; Reichenbach, Jürgen R; Warncke, Paul; Fischer, Dagmar; Müller, Frank A

2017-12-01

Multimodal imaging has recently attracted much attention due to the advantageous combination of different imaging modalities, like photoluminescence (PL) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In the present study, luminescent and magnetic hydroxyapatites (HAp) were prepared via doping with europium (Eu 3+ ) and dysprosium (Dy 3+ ), respectively. Co-doping of Eu 3+ and Dy 3+ was used to combine the desired physical properties. Both lanthanide ions were successfully incorporated in the HAp crystal lattice, where they preferentially occupied calcium(I) sites. While Eu-doped HAp (Eu:HAp) exhibits dopant concentration dependent persistent PL properties, Dy-doped HAp (Dy:HAp) shows paramagnetic behavior due to the high magnetic moment of Dy 3+ . Co-doped HAp (Eu:Dy:HAp) nanoparticles combine both properties in one single crystal. Remarkably, multimodal co-doped HAp features enhanced PL properties due to an energy transfer from Dy 3+ sensitizer to Eu 3+ activator ions. Eu:Dy:HAp exhibits strong transverse relaxation effects with a maximum transverse relaxivity of 83.3L/(mmol·s). Due to their tunable PL, magnetic properties and cytocompatibility Eu:-, Dy:- and Eu:Dy:HAp represent promising biocompatible ceramic materials for luminescence imaging that simultaneously may serve as a contrast agent for MRI in permanent implants or functional coatings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improved Efficiency and Enhanced Color Quality of Light-Emitting Diodes with Quantum Dot and Organic Hybrid Tandem Structure.

PubMed

Zhang, Heng; Feng, Yuanxiang; Chen, Shuming

2016-10-03

Light-emitting diodes based on organic (OLEDs) and colloidal quantum dot (QLEDs) are widely considered as next-generation display technologies because of their attractive advantages such as self-emitting and flexible form factor. The OLEDs exhibit relatively high efficiency, but their color saturation is quite poor compared with that of QLEDs. In contrast, the QLEDs show very pure color emission, but their efficiency is lower than that of OLEDs currently. To combine the advantages and compensate for the weaknesses of each other, we propose a hybrid tandem structure which integrates both OLED and QLED in a single device architecture. With ZnMgO/Al/HATCN interconnecting layer, hybrid tandem LEDs are successfully fabricated. The demonstrated hybrid tandem devices feature high efficiency and high color saturation simultaneously; for example, the devices exhibit maximum current efficiency and external quantum efficiency of 96.28 cd/A and 25.90%, respectively. Meanwhile, the full width at half-maximum of the emission spectra is remarkably reduced from 68 to 44 nm. With the proposed hybrid tandem structure, the color gamut of the displays can be effectively increased from 81% to 100% NTSC. The results indicate that the advantages of different LED technologies can be combined in a hybrid tandem structure.

2D Hybrid Nanomaterials for Selective Detection of NO2 and SO2 Using "Light On and Off" Strategy.

PubMed

Chen, Aimin; Liu, Rui; Peng, Xiao; Chen, Qiaofen; Wu, Jianmin

2017-10-25

In order to distinguish NO 2 and SO 2 gas with one sensor, we designed a paper chip assembled with a 2D g-C 3 N 4 /rGO stacking hybrid fabricated via a layer-by-layer self-assembly approach. The g-C 3 N 4 /rGO hybrid exhibited a remarkable photoelectric property due to the construction of a van der Waals heterostructure. For the first time, we have been able to selectively detect NO 2 and SO 2 gas using a "light on and off" strategy. Under the "light off" condition, the g-C 3 N 4 /rGO sensor exhibited a p-type semiconducting behavior with a low detection limit of 100 ppb of NO 2 , but with no response toward SO 2 . In contrast, the sensor showed n-type semiconducting behavior which could detect SO 2 at concentration as low as 2 ppm under UV light irradiation. The effective electron transfer among the 2D structure of g-C 3 N 4 and rGO nanosheets as well as highly porous structures could play an important role in gas sensing. The different sensing mechanisms at "light on and off" circumstances were also investigated in detail.

Enhanced kinetics of polysulfide redox reactions on Mo2C/CNT in lithium-sulfur batteries.

PubMed

Razaq, Rameez; Sun, Dan; Xin, Ying; Li, Qian; Huang, Taizhong; Zheng, Lei; Zhang, Zhaoliang; Huang, Yunhui

2018-07-20

Among different energy storage devices, the lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is the subject of recent attention. However, the capacity decay caused by polysulfide shuttle leading to sluggish kinetics of polysulfide redox reactions is the main hindrance for its practical application in Li-S batteries. Herein, molybdenum carbide nanoparticles anchored on carbon nanotubes (Mo 2 C/CNT) are reported to serve as an efficient cathode material to enhance the electrochemical kinetics of polysulfide conversion in Li-S batteries. Mo 2 C/CNT shows strong adsorption and activation of polar polysulfides and therefore accelerates the redox kinetics of polysulfides, reduces the energy barrier, effectively mitigates the polarization and polysulfide shuttle, thus improving the electrochemical performance. The S-Mo 2 C/CNT composite with 70 wt% sulfur loading exhibits high specific discharge capacity (1206 mA h g -1 at 0.5 C), excellent high-rate performance, long cycle life (900 cycles), and outstanding Coulombic efficiency (∼100%) at a high rate (2 C) corresponding to a capacity decay of only 0.05%. Remarkably, the S-Mo 2 C/CNT cathode with high areal sulfur loading of 2.5 mg cm -2 exhibits high-rate capacities and stable cycling performance over 100 cycles, offering the potential for use in high energy Li-S batteries.

Enhanced kinetics of polysulfide redox reactions on Mo2C/CNT in lithium–sulfur batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razaq, Rameez; Sun, Dan; Xin, Ying; Li, Qian; Huang, Taizhong; Zheng, Lei; Zhang, Zhaoliang; Huang, Yunhui

2018-07-01

Among different energy storage devices, the lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery is the subject of recent attention. However, the capacity decay caused by polysulfide shuttle leading to sluggish kinetics of polysulfide redox reactions is the main hindrance for its practical application in Li–S batteries. Herein, molybdenum carbide nanoparticles anchored on carbon nanotubes (Mo2C/CNT) are reported to serve as an efficient cathode material to enhance the electrochemical kinetics of polysulfide conversion in Li–S batteries. Mo2C/CNT shows strong adsorption and activation of polar polysulfides and therefore accelerates the redox kinetics of polysulfides, reduces the energy barrier, effectively mitigates the polarization and polysulfide shuttle, thus improving the electrochemical performance. The S-Mo2C/CNT composite with 70 wt% sulfur loading exhibits high specific discharge capacity (1206 mA h g‑1 at 0.5 C), excellent high-rate performance, long cycle life (900 cycles), and outstanding Coulombic efficiency (∼100%) at a high rate (2 C) corresponding to a capacity decay of only 0.05%. Remarkably, the S-Mo2C/CNT cathode with high areal sulfur loading of 2.5 mg cm‑2 exhibits high-rate capacities and stable cycling performance over 100 cycles, offering the potential for use in high energy Li–S batteries.

Gene-environment interactions and the neurobiology of social conflict.

PubMed

Suomi, Stephen J

2003-12-01

Recent research has disclosed marked individual differences in biobehavioral responses to social conflicts exhibited by rhesus monkeys across the life span. For example, approximately 5-10% of rhesus monkeys growing up in the wild consistently exhibit impulsive and/or inappropriately aggressive responses to mildly stressful situations throughout development; those same individuals also show chronic deficits in their central serotonin metabolism. These characteristic patterns of biobehavioral response emerge early in life and remain remarkably stable from infancy to adulthood. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that although these characteristics are highly heritable, they are also subject to major modification by specific early experiences, particularly those involving early social attachment relationships. Moreover, genetic and early experience factors can interact, often in dramatic fashion. For example, a specific polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene is associated with deficits in early neurobehavioral functioning and serotonin metabolism, extreme aggression, and excessive alcohol consumption among monkeys who experienced insecure early attachment relationships, but not in monkeys who developed secure attachment relationships with their mothers during infancy. Because daughters tend to develop the same type of attachment relationships with their own offspring that they experienced with their mothers early in life, such early experiences provide a possible nongenetic mechanism for transmitting these patterns to subsequent generations.

Cognitive and affective theory of mind share the same local patterns of activity in posterior temporal but not medial prefrontal cortex

PubMed Central

Hofstetter, Christoph; Vuilleumier, Patrik

2014-01-01

Understanding emotions in others engages specific brain regions in temporal and medial prefrontal cortices. These activations are often attributed to more general cognitive ‘mentalizing’ functions, associated with theory of mind and also necessary to represent people’s non-emotional mental states, such as beliefs or intentions. Here, we directly investigated whether understanding emotional feelings recruit similar or specific brain systems, relative to other non-emotional mental states. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging with multivoxel pattern analysis in 46 volunteers to compare activation patterns in theory-of-mind tasks for emotions, relative to beliefs or somatic states accompanied with pain. We found a striking dissociation between the temporoparietal cortex, that exhibited a remarkable voxel-by-voxel pattern overlap between emotions and beliefs (but not pain), and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, that exhibited distinct (and yet nearby) patterns of activity during the judgment of beliefs and emotions in others. Pain judgment was instead associated with activity in the supramarginal gyrus, middle cingulate cortex and middle insular cortex. Our data reveal for the first time a functional dissociation within brain networks sub-serving theory of mind for different mental contents, with a common recruitment for cognitive and affective states in temporal regions, and distinct recruitment in prefrontal areas. PMID:23770622

Social Cognition in Williams Syndrome: Face Tuning.

PubMed

Pavlova, Marina A; Heiz, Julie; Sokolov, Alexander N; Barisnikov, Koviljka

2016-01-01

Many neurological, neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and psychosomatic disorders are characterized by impairments in visual social cognition, body language reading, and facial assessment of a social counterpart. Yet a wealth of research indicates that individuals with Williams syndrome exhibit remarkable concern for social stimuli and face fascination. Here individuals with Williams syndrome were presented with a set of Face-n-Food images composed of food ingredients and in different degree resembling a face (slightly bordering on the Giuseppe Arcimboldo style). The primary advantage of these images is that single components do not explicitly trigger face-specific processing, whereas in face images commonly used for investigating face perception (such as photographs or depictions), the mere occurrence of typical cues already implicates face presence. In a spontaneous recognition task, participants were shown a set of images in a predetermined order from the least to most resembling a face. Strikingly, individuals with Williams syndrome exhibited profound deficits in recognition of the Face-n-Food images as a face: they did not report seeing a face on the images, which typically developing controls effortlessly recognized as a face, and gave overall fewer face responses. This suggests atypical face tuning in Williams syndrome. The outcome is discussed in the light of a general pattern of social cognition in Williams syndrome and brain mechanisms underpinning face processing.

Photosensitizer-Loaded Branched Polyethylenimine-PEGylated Ceria Nanoparticles for Imaging-Guided Synchronous Photochemotherapy.

PubMed

Yang, Zhang-You; Li, Hong; Zeng, Yi-Ping; Hao, Yu-Hui; Liu, Cong; Liu, Jing; Wang, Wei-Dong; Li, Rong

2015-11-04

A multifunctional theranostic platform based on photosensitizer (chlorin e6, Ce6)-loaded branched polyethylenimine-PEGylated ceria nanoparticles (PPCNPs-Ce6) was created for the development of effective cancer treatments involving the use of imaging-guided synchronous photochemotherapy. PPCNPs-Ce6 with high Ce6 photosensitizer loading (Ce6: cerium ∼40 wt %) significantly enhanced the delivery of Ce6 into cells and its accumulation in lysosomes, remarkably improving photodynamic therapeutic (PDT) efficacy levels compared to those in the administration of free Ce6 at ultralow drug doses (∼200 nM). Interestingly, PPCNPs-Ce6 efficiently induced HeLa cell death even at low concentrations (∼10 μM) without the use of laser irradiation and exhibit chemocytotoxicity. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and biology transmission electron microscopy (Bio-TEM) analyses demonstrated that ceria nanoparticles enter cells abundantly and accumulate in lysosomes or large vesicles. We then evaluated the effects of the different materials on lysosomal integrity and function, which revealed that PPCNPs-Ce6 catastrophically impaired lysosomal function compared to results with PPCNPs and Ce6. Studies of apoptosis revealed greater induction of apoptosis by PPCNPs-Ce6 treatment. This multifunctional nanocarrier also exhibited a high degree of solubility and stability in aqueous solutions, suggesting its applicability for extensive biomedical application.

Understanding how animal groups achieve coordinated movement

PubMed Central

Herbert-Read, J. E.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Moving animal groups display remarkable feats of coordination. This coordination is largely achieved when individuals adjust their movement in response to their neighbours' movements and positions. Recent advancements in automated tracking technologies, including computer vision and GPS, now allow researchers to gather large amounts of data on the movements and positions of individuals in groups. Furthermore, analytical techniques from fields such as statistical physics now allow us to identify the precise interaction rules used by animals on the move. These interaction rules differ not only between species, but also between individuals in the same group. These differences have wide-ranging implications, affecting how groups make collective decisions and driving the evolution of collective motion. Here, I describe how trajectory data can be used to infer how animals interact in moving groups. I give examples of the similarities and differences in the spatial and directional organisations of animal groups between species, and discuss the rules that animals use to achieve this organisation. I then explore how groups of the same species can exhibit different structures, and ask whether this results from individuals adapting their interaction rules. I then examine how the interaction rules between individuals in the same groups can also differ, and discuss how this can affect ecological and evolutionary processes. Finally, I suggest areas of future research. PMID:27707862

Combination of Oxaliplatin and Vit.E-TPGS in Lipid Nanosystem for Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy in Colon Cancers.

PubMed

Wang, Yanlei; Zhang, Xiang; Zhang, Wenqiang; Dong, Hao; Zhang, Wenjie; Mao, Jiajia; Dai, Yong

2018-01-08

The main aim of present study was to prepare the oxaliplatin (OXL)-loaded D-α-Tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS)-based lipid nanoparticles to enhance the anticancer effect in colon cancer cells. The nanoparticles were nanosized and spherical shaped and exhibited controlled release kinetics. Flow cytometer and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed a remarkable uptake of nanoparticles in cancer cells in a time-dependent manner. The presence of TPGS remarkably increased the anticancer effect of OXL in HT-29 colon cancer cells. The IC50 value of free OXL was 4.25 μg/ml whereas IC50 value of OXL-loaded TPGS-based lipid nanoparticles (OXL/TLNP) was 1.12 μg/ml. The 3-fold lower IC50 value of OXL/TLNP indicates the superior anticancer effect of nanoparticle-based OXL. Consistently, OXL/TLNP induced a remarkable apoptosis of cancer cells. Approximately, ~52% of cells were in early apoptosis phase and ~13% of cells were in late apoptosis phase indicating the potent anticancer effect of the formulations. The findings from this study provide novel insights into the use of TPGS and lipid nanoparticle together for the better antitumor effect in colon cancers. Future studies will involve the detailed in vitro and in vivo studies on clinically relevant animals.

Unlocking Resources: Self-Guided Student Explorations of Science Museum and Aquarium Exhibits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirkby, K. C.; Phipps, M.; Hamilton, P.

2010-12-01

Remarkably few undergraduate programs take full advantage of the rich resources provided by science museums, aquariums and other informal science education institutions. This is not surprising considering the logistical hurdles of class trips, but an even more fundamental barrier is that these institutions’ exhibit text seldom explicitly convey their information at a level suitable for undergraduate curriculum. Traditionally, this left the burden of interpretation on individual instructors, who rarely have the time to undertake it. To overcome these hurdles, the University of Minnesota has partnered with the Science Museum of Minnesota and Underwater Adventures Aquarium to test the efficacy of self-guided student explorations in revealing the rich data encoded in museum and aquarium exhibits. An initial module at the Science Museum of Minnesota focused on interpreting animal designs, specifically exploring how differences in dinosaur skeletal features reflected variations in the animals’ lifestyles. Students learn to interpret diet and lifestyle not only from characteristics of the skull and teeth, but also from variations in vertebrae and rib design or the relative proportion of limb elements. A follow-up module, based on exhibits at Underwater Adventures Aquarium focuses on interpreting energy flow through ecosystems from the behavior of living organisms. Students explore the information on lifestyle and diet that is encoded in a sturgeon’s ceaseless glide or a muskellunge’s poised stillness. These modules proved to be immensely popular with students. In classes with up to 500 students, half to two-thirds of the students volunteered to complete the modules, despite the additional expense and distances of up to 13 miles between the University and partner institutions. More importantly, quantitative assessment with pre-instruction and post-instruction surveys demonstrate that these ungraded, self-guided explorations match or exceed the efficacy of traditional graded lab instruction and completely eclipse the range of gains normally achieved by traditional lecture instruction. In addition, the modules accomplish the remarkable goal of integrating undergraduate earth science instruction into students’ social life. Over three-fourths of the students complete the explorations with friends or family who were not enrolled in the class, expanding the course to include a broader, more diverse, audience. A third module, currently in development, will use a walking tour of Saint Anthony Falls to highlight the impact of geological processes on human society. Students will explore the waterfalls’ evolution, its early interpretation by 18th and 19th century Dakota and Euro-America societies, as well as its subsequent social and economic impacts on human history. The outdoor nature of this self-guided exploration is a first step towards expanding the modules’ concept to integrate self-guided field trips into undergraduate earth science curriculums.

Solar Wind Turbulent Cascade from MHD to Sub-ion Scales: Large-size 3D Hybrid Particle-in-cell Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franci, Luca; Landi, Simone; Verdini, Andrea; Matteini, Lorenzo; Hellinger, Petr

2018-01-01

Properties of the turbulent cascade from fluid to kinetic scales in collisionless plasmas are investigated by means of large-size 3D hybrid (fluid electrons, kinetic protons) particle-in-cell simulations. Initially isotropic Alfvénic fluctuations rapidly develop a strongly anisotropic turbulent cascade, mainly in the direction perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field. The omnidirectional magnetic field spectrum shows a double power-law behavior over almost two decades in wavenumber, with a Kolmogorov-like index at large scales, a spectral break around ion scales, and a steepening at sub-ion scales. Power laws are also observed in the spectra of the ion bulk velocity, density, and electric field, at both magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and kinetic scales. Despite the complex structure, the omnidirectional spectra of all fields at ion and sub-ion scales are in remarkable quantitative agreement with those of a 2D simulation with similar physical parameters. This provides a partial, a posteriori validation of the 2D approximation at kinetic scales. Conversely, at MHD scales, the spectra of the density and of the velocity (and, consequently, of the electric field) exhibit differences between the 2D and 3D cases. Although they can be partly ascribed to the lower spatial resolution, the main reason is likely the larger importance of compressible effects in the full 3D geometry. Our findings are also in remarkable quantitative agreement with solar wind observations.

Toward the definition of a peptidome signature and protease profile in chronic periodontitis.

PubMed

Trindade, Fábio; Amado, Francisco; Oliveira-Silva, Rui P; Daniel-da-Silva, Ana L; Ferreira, Rita; Klein, Julie; Faria-Almeida, Ricardo; Gomes, Pedro S; Vitorino, Rui

2015-10-01

Chronic periodontitis (CP) is a complex immuno-inflammatory disease that results from preestablished gingivitis. We investigated potential differences in salivary peptidome in health and CP. Saliva was collected from nine CP patients and ten healthy subjects, from which five CP and five healthy were enriched following endoProteoFASP approach, separated and identified by nanoHPLC-MALDI-TOF/TOF. Protease prediction was carried out in silico with Proteasix. Parallel gelatin and collagen (I) zymographies were performed to study proteolytic activity in CP. An association of CP with increased gelatinolytic and collagenolytic activity was observed, which is mainly attributed to metalloproteases, remarkably MMP9. Protease prediction revealed distinct protease profiles in CP and in health. Peptidomic data corroborated the inflammatory status, and demonstrated that intact histatin 1 may play an important role in the defense response against oral pathogens. The application of the endoProteoFASP approach to study the salivary peptidome of CP subjects resulted in the identification of eight surrogate peptide markers, which may be used in multiplex to identify CP. These peptides belong to acidic PRP and to P-B peptide. Particularly, P-B peptide fragments exhibited domains with potential predicted antimicrobial activity, corroborating an antimicrobial function. The comparison between the salivary peptidome obtained by control and CP samples showed a specific association of eight peptides to CP, with remarkable predicted antimicrobial activity, which should be further validated in studies with large number of subjects. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis and Structural Data of Tetrabenzo[8]circulene

PubMed Central

Miller, Robert W.; Duncan, Alexandra K.; Schneebeli, Severin T.; Gray, Danielle L.; Whalley, Adam C.

2015-01-01

In 1976, the first attempted synthesis of the saddle-shaped molecule [8]circulene was reported. The next 37 years produced no advancement towards the construction of this complicated molecule. Remarkably, however, over the last six months a flurry of progress has been made with two groups reporting independent and strikingly different strategies for the synthesis of [8]circulene derivatives. Herein, we present a third synthetic method in which we target tetrabenzo[8]circulene. Our approach employs a Diels-Alder reaction and a palladium-catalyzed arylation reaction as the key steps. Despite calculations describing the instability of [8]circulene, coupled with the reported instability of synthesized derivatives of the parent molecule, the addition of four fused benzenoid rings around the periphery of the molecule provides a highly stable structure. This increased stability over the parent [8]circulene was predicted using Clar’s theory of aromatic sextets and is a result of the compound becoming fully benzenoid upon incorporation of these additional rings. The synthesized compound exhibits remarkable stability under ambient conditions – even at elevated temperatures – with no signs of decomposition over several months. The solid-state structure of this compound is significantly twisted compared to the calculated structure primarily as a result of crystal packing forces in the solid state. Despite this contortion from the lowest energy structure, a range of structural data is presented confirming the presence of localized aromaticity in this large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. PMID:24615957

Snake venomics of Lachesis muta rhombeata and genus-wide antivenomics assessment of the paraspecific immunoreactivity of two antivenoms evidence the high compositional and immunological conservation across Lachesis.

PubMed

Pla, Davinia; Sanz, Libia; Molina-Sánchez, Pedro; Zorita, Virginia; Madrigal, Marvin; Flores-Díaz, Marietta; Alape-Girón, Alberto; Núñez, Vitelbina; Andrés, Vicente; Gutiérrez, José María; Calvete, Juan J

2013-08-26

We report the proteomic analysis of the Atlantic bushmaster, Lachesis muta rhombeata, from Brazil. Along with previous characterization of the venom proteomes of L. stenophrys (Costa Rica), L. melanocephala (Costa Rica), L. acrochorda (Colombia), and L. muta muta (Bolivia), the present study provides the first overview of the composition and distribution of venom proteins across this wide-ranging genus, and highlights the remarkable similar compositional and pharmacological profiles across Lachesis venoms. The paraspecificity of two antivenoms, produced at Instituto Vital Brazil (Brazil) and Instituto Clodomiro Picado (Costa Rica) using different conspecific taxa in the immunization mixtures, was assessed using genus-wide comparative antivenomics. This study confirms that the proteomic similarity among Lachesis sp. venoms is mirrored in their high immunological conservation across the genus. The clinical and therapeutic consequences of genus-wide venomics and antivenomics investigations of Lachesis venoms are discussed. The proteomics characterization of L. m. rhombeata venom completes the overview of Lachesis venom proteomes and confirms the remarkable toxin profile conservation across the five clades of this wide-ranging genus. Genus-wide antivenomics showed that two antivenoms, produced against L. stenophrys or L. m. rhombeata, exhibit paraspecificity towards all other congeneric venoms. Our venomics study shows that, despite the broad geographic distribution of the genus, monospecific antivenoms may achieve clinical coverage for any Lachesis sp. envenoming. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Narcolepsy and Orexins: An Example of Progress in Sleep Research

PubMed Central

De la Herrán-Arita, Alberto K.; Guerra-Crespo, Magdalena; Drucker-Colín, René

2011-01-01

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurodegenerative disease caused by a deficiency of orexin-producing neurons in the lateral hypothalamus. It is clinically characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and by intrusions into wakefulness of physiological aspects of rapid eye movement sleep such as cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations. The major pathophysiology of narcolepsy has been recently described on the bases of the discovery of the neuropeptides named orexins (hypocretins) in 1998; considerable evidence, summarized below, demonstrates that narcolepsy is the result of alterations in the genes involved in the pathology of the orexin ligand or its receptor. Deficient orexin transmission is sufficient to produce narcolepsy, as we describe here, animal models with dysregulated orexin signaling exhibit a narcolepsy-like phenotype. Remarkably, these narcoleptic models have different alterations of the orexinergic circuit, this diversity provide us with the means for making comparison, and have a better understanding of orexin-cell physiology. It is of particular interest that the most remarkable findings regarding this sleep disorder were fortuitous and due to keen observations. Sleep is a highly intricate and regulated state, and narcolepsy is a disorder that still remains as one of the unsolved mysteries in science. Nevertheless, advances and development of technology in neuroscience will provide us with the necessary tools to unravel the narcolepsy puzzle in the near future. Through an evaluation of the scientific literature we traced an updated picture of narcolepsy and orexins in order to provide insight into the means by which neurobiological knowledge is constructed. PMID:21541306

Synthesis and characterizations of melamine-based epoxy resins.

PubMed

Ricciotti, Laura; Roviello, Giuseppina; Tarallo, Oreste; Borbone, Fabio; Ferone, Claudio; Colangelo, Francesco; Catauro, Michelina; Cioffi, Raffaele

2013-09-05

A new, easy and cost-effective synthetic procedure for the preparation of thermosetting melamine-based epoxy resins is reported. By this innovative synthetic method, different kinds of resins can be obtained just by mixing the reagents in the presence of a catalyst without solvent and with mild curing conditions. Two types of resins were synthesized using melamine and a glycidyl derivative (resins I) or by adding a silane derivative (resin II). The resins were characterized by means of chemical-physical and thermal techniques. Experimental results show that all the prepared resins have a good thermal stability, but differ for their mechanical properties: resin I exhibits remarkable stiffness with a storage modulus value up to 830 MPa at room temperature, while lower storage moduli were found for resin II, indicating that the presence of silane groups could enhance the flexibility of these materials. The resins show a pot life higher than 30 min, which makes these resins good candidates for practical applications. The functionalization with silane terminations can be exploited in the formulation of hybrid organic-inorganic composite materials.

Synthesis and Characterizations of Melamine-Based Epoxy Resins

PubMed Central

Ricciotti, Laura; Roviello, Giuseppina; Tarallo, Oreste; Borbone, Fabio; Ferone, Claudio; Colangelo, Francesco; Catauro, Michelina; Cioffi, Raffaele

2013-01-01

A new, easy and cost-effective synthetic procedure for the preparation of thermosetting melamine-based epoxy resins is reported. By this innovative synthetic method, different kinds of resins can be obtained just by mixing the reagents in the presence of a catalyst without solvent and with mild curing conditions. Two types of resins were synthesized using melamine and a glycidyl derivative (resins I) or by adding a silane derivative (resin II). The resins were characterized by means of chemical-physical and thermal techniques. Experimental results show that all the prepared resins have a good thermal stability, but differ for their mechanical properties: resin I exhibits remarkable stiffness with a storage modulus value up to 830 MPa at room temperature, while lower storage moduli were found for resin II, indicating that the presence of silane groups could enhance the flexibility of these materials. The resins show a pot life higher than 30 min, which makes these resins good candidates for practical applications. The functionalization with silane terminations can be exploited in the formulation of hybrid organic-inorganic composite materials. PMID:24013372

Nanometric MIL-125-NH2 Metal–Organic Framework as a Potential Nerve Agent Antidote Carrier

PubMed Central

Vilela, Sérgio M. F.; Salcedo-Abraira, Pablo; Colinet, Isabelle; Salles, Fabrice; Serre, Christian; Horcajada, Patricia

2017-01-01

The three-dimensional (3D) microporous titanium aminoterephthalate MIL-125-NH2 (MIL: Material of Institut Lavoisier) was successfully isolated as monodispersed nanoparticles, which are compatible with intravenous administration, by using a simple, safe and low-cost synthetic approach (100 °C/32 h under atmospheric pressure) so that for the first time it could be considered for encapsulation and the release of drugs. The nerve agent antidote 2-[(hydroxyimino)methyl]-1-methyl-pyridinium chloride (2-PAM or pralidoxime) was effectively encapsulated into the pores of MIL-125-NH2 as a result of the interactions between 2-PAM and the pore walls being mediated by π-stacking and hydrogen bonds, as deduced from infrared spectroscopy and Monte Carlo simulation studies. Finally, colloidal solutions of MIL-125-NH2 nanoparticles exhibited remarkable stability in different organic media, aqueous solutions at different pH and under relevant physiological conditions over time (24 h). 2-PAM was rapidly released from the pores of MIL-125-NH2 in vitro. PMID:29023426

Comparison of Cellular Alterations in Fat Cells Harvested With Laser-Assisted Liposuction and Suction-Assisted Liposuction.

PubMed

Yildiz, Kemalettin; Taşli, Pakize Neslihan; Şahin, Fikrettin; Güneren, Ethem

2016-05-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the viability and proliferative capacity of adipose-derived stem cells obtained by laser-assisted liposuction (LAL). Fat tissue was obtained from 7 male patients treated surgically for gynecomastia. On one side, harvesting was made before LAL, while it was implemented after LAL on the contralateral side. Viability, cell surface antigens, pluripotency, and apoptosis were assessed and compared in these samples. Cells harvested before and after LAL did not exhibit any significant difference in terms of surface cell markers. Number of viable stem cells was lower initially after exposure to laser, while this difference was reversed at the end of 72 hours. Genetic indicators of cellular differentiation were similar in both groups. Apoptosis indicators were increased remarkably after laser exposure in the first 24 hours, but this increase was absent 72 hours after LAL procedure. The authors' results have promising clinical relevance since mesenchymal stem cells harvested during LAL have maintained appropriate cellular features to be used for autologous fat transfer and fat grafting.

Spontaneous emergence of milling (vortex state) in a Vicsek-like model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costanzo, A.; Hemelrijk, C. K.

2018-04-01

Collective motion is of interest to laymen and scientists in different fields. In groups of animals, many patterns of collective motion arise such as polarized schools and mills (i.e. circular motion). Collective motion can be generated in computational models of different degrees of complexity. In these models, moving individuals coordinate with others nearby. In the more complex models, individuals attract each other, aligning their headings, and avoiding collisions. Simpler models may include only one or two of these types of interactions. The collective pattern that interests us here is milling, which is observed in many animal species. It has been reproduced in the more complex models, but not in simpler models that are based only on alignment, such as the well-known Vicsek model. Our aim is to provide insight in the minimal conditions required for milling by making minimal modifications to the Vicsek model. Our results show that milling occurs when both the field of view and the maximal angular velocity are decreased. Remarkably, apart from milling, our minimal model also exhibits many of the other patterns of collective motion observed in animal groups.

Oxidation and sensing of ascorbic acid and dopamine on self-assembled gold nanoparticles incorporated within polyaniline film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Wenya; Zhou, Qun; Li, Shuangshuang; Zhao, Wei; Li, Na; Zheng, Junwei

2015-10-01

Electrochemical biosensors based on conducting polymers incorporated with metallic nanoparticles can greatly enhance sensitivity and selectivity. Herein, we report a facile fabrication approach for polyaniline (PAN) incorporated with a gold nanoparticle (AuNP) composite electrode by electrodeposition of PAN on a self-assembled AuNP layer on the surface of an indium tin oxide electrode. The resulting AuNP/PAN composite electrode exhibits a remarkable synergistic effect on the electrocatalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA) and dopamine (DA). It is demonstrated that the oxidation reaction of AA mainly occurs at AuNPs inside the PAN film as the ascorbate anions are doped into the polymer during the oxidation of the PAN film. Conversely, the oxidation of positively charged DA may only take place at the PAN/solution interface. The different mechanisms of the electrode reactions result in the oxidation of AA and DA occurring at different potentials. As a result, the AuNP/PAN composite electrode can be employed to simultaneously detect AA and DA with a good linear range, high sensitivity, and low detection limit.

Ionic strength independence of charge distributions in solvation of biomolecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Virtanen, J. J.; Sosnick, T. R.; Freed, K. F.

2014-12-01

Electrostatic forces enormously impact the structure, interactions, and function of biomolecules. We perform all-atom molecular dynamics simulations for 5 proteins and 5 RNAs to determine the dependence on ionic strength of the ion and water charge distributions surrounding the biomolecules, as well as the contributions of ions to the electrostatic free energy of interaction between the biomolecule and the surrounding salt solution (for a total of 40 different biomolecule/solvent combinations). Although water provides the dominant contribution to the charge density distribution and to the electrostatic potential even in 1M NaCl solutions, the contributions of water molecules and of ions to the total electrostatic interaction free energy with the solvated biomolecule are comparable. The electrostatic biomolecule/solvent interaction energies and the total charge distribution exhibit a remarkable insensitivity to salt concentrations over a huge range of salt concentrations (20 mM to 1M NaCl). The electrostatic potentials near the biomolecule's surface obtained from the MD simulations differ markedly, as expected, from the potentials predicted by continuum dielectric models, even though the total electrostatic interaction free energies are within 11% of each other.

Time-dependent gel to gel transformation of a peptide based supramolecular gelator.

PubMed

Baral, Abhishek; Basak, Shibaji; Basu, Kingshuk; Dehsorkhi, Ashkan; Hamley, Ian W; Banerjee, Arindam

2015-06-28

A dipeptide with a long fatty acid chain at its N-terminus gives hydrogels in phosphate buffer in the pH range 7.0-8.5. The hydrogel with a gelator concentration of 0.45% (w/v) at pH 7.46 (physiological pH) provides a very good platform to study dynamic changes within a supramolecular framework as it exhibits remarkable change in its appearance with time. Interestingly, the first formed transparent hydrogel gradually transforms into a turbid gel within 2 days. These two forms of the hydrogel have been thoroughly investigated by using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopic (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HR-TEM) imaging, FT-IR and rheometric analyses. The SAXS and low angle PXRD studies substantiate different packing arrangements for the gelator molecules for these two different gel states (the freshly prepared and the aged hydrogel). Moreover, rheological studies of these two gels reveal that the aged gel is stiffer than the freshly prepared gel.

Otolithic and extraocular muscle proprioceptive influences on the spatial organization of the vestibulo- and cervico-ocular quick phases.

PubMed

Pettorossi, V E; Manni, E; Errico, P; Ferraresi, A; Bortolami, R

1997-03-01

The cervico-ocular reflex (COR) was studied alone or in combination with the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in the rabbit. Step stimulations of the body with respect to the fixed head induced small slow compensatory responses followed by large compensatory quick phases (QP). These responses remained aligned with the horizon at different head pitch angles. The QP reorientation in space was due to the gravity influence on the otolithic receptors. The vestibular induced QPs exhibit a similar pattern. Because of this reorientation, the reduction of the amplitude of the vestibular induced QPs, due to the addition of the COR, was maintained even at different static head positions. The electrolytic lesion of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve deeply affected the space orientation of the COR. In particular, the cervically induced compensatory QPs of the eye ipsilateral to the lesion showed a remarkable variability of their trajectories and they lost space reorientation. These findings suggest that the coordinate system controlling the QPs is influenced by signals originating from both head position in space and eye position in the orbit.

The role of support morphology on the performance of Cu/ZnO-catalyst for hydrogenation of CO{sub 2} to methanol

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tasfy, Sara Faiz Hanna, E-mail: miss25208@gmail.com; Zabidi, Noor Asmawati Mohd, E-mail: noorasmawati-mzabidi@petronas.com.my; Shaharun, Maizatul Shima, E-mail: maizats@petronas.com.my

The effects of SBA-15 support morphology on the activity of Cu/ZnO catalyst in the hydrogenation of CO{sub 2} to methanol was investigated. In the hydrogenation of CO{sub 2} to methanol at 210°C, 2.25 MPa, H{sub 2}/CO{sub 2} ratio of three remarkable difference was obtained using Cu/ZnO catalyst supported on SBA-15 with different morphology. The catalysts were characterized using N{sub 2}-adsorption, field emission scanning microscopy (FESEM/EDX), transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). Characterization of the catalyst showed that support morphology, surface area, metals dispersion, and reducibility influenced the catalytic performance. On the fiber-shaped SBA-15, copper dispersion was 29 % whereasmore » on the spherical-shaped SBA-15, the dispersion was 20 %. The experimental results showed that the catalyst supported over fiber-shaped SBA-15 exhibit higher CO{sub 2} conversion (13.96 %) and methanol selectivity (91.32 %) compare to catalyst supported over spherical-shaped SBA-15.« less

Quantitative and functional interrogation of parent-of-origin allelic expression biases in the brain

PubMed Central

Perez, Julio D; Rubinstein, Nimrod D; Fernandez, Daniel E; Santoro, Stephen W; Needleman, Leigh A; Ho-Shing, Olivia; Choi, John J; Zirlinger, Mariela; Chen, Shau-Kwaun; Liu, Jun S; Dulac, Catherine

2015-01-01

The maternal and paternal genomes play different roles in mammalian brains as a result of genomic imprinting, an epigenetic regulation leading to differential expression of the parental alleles of some genes. Here we investigate genomic imprinting in the cerebellum using a newly developed Bayesian statistical model that provides unprecedented transcript-level resolution. We uncover 160 imprinted transcripts, including 41 novel and independently validated imprinted genes. Strikingly, many genes exhibit parentally biased—rather than monoallelic—expression, with different magnitudes according to age, organ, and brain region. Developmental changes in parental bias and overall gene expression are strongly correlated, suggesting combined roles in regulating gene dosage. Finally, brain-specific deletion of the paternal, but not maternal, allele of the paternally-biased Bcl-x, (Bcl2l1) results in loss of specific neuron types, supporting the functional significance of parental biases. These findings reveal the remarkable complexity of genomic imprinting, with important implications for understanding the normal and diseased brain. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07860.001 PMID:26140685

Functional Convergence of Neurons Generated in the Developing and Adult Hippocampus

PubMed Central

Piatti, Verónica C; Morgenstern, Nicolás A; Zhao, Chunmei; van Praag, Henriette; Gage, Fred H; Schinder, Alejandro F

2006-01-01

The dentate gyrus of the hippocampus contains neural progenitor cells (NPCs) that generate neurons throughout life. Developing neurons of the adult hippocampus have been described in depth. However, little is known about their functional properties as they become fully mature dentate granule cells (DGCs). To compare mature DGCs generated during development and adulthood, NPCs were labeled at both time points using retroviruses expressing different fluorescent proteins. Sequential electrophysiological recordings from neighboring neurons of different ages were carried out to quantitatively study their major synaptic inputs: excitatory projections from the entorhinal cortex and inhibitory afferents from local interneurons. Our results show that DGCs generated in the developing and adult hippocampus display a remarkably similar afferent connectivity with regard to both glutamate and GABA, the major neurotransmitters. We also demonstrate that adult-born neurons can fire action potentials in response to an excitatory drive, exhibiting a firing behavior comparable to that of neurons generated during development. We propose that neurons born in the developing and adult hippocampus constitute a functionally homogeneous neuronal population. These observations are critical to understanding the role of adult neurogenesis in hippocampal function. PMID:17121455

Unexpectedly large difference of the electron density at the nucleus in the 4p ^2{P}_{{1}/{2},{3}/{2}} fine-structure doublet of Ca^+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, C.; Gebert, F.; Gorges, C.; Kaufmann, S.; Nörtershäuser, W.; Sahoo, B. K.; Surzhykov, A.; Yerokhin, V. A.; Berengut, J. C.; Wolf, F.; Heip, J. C.; Schmidt, P. O.

2017-01-01

We measured the isotope shift in the ^2{S}_{{1}/{2}} → ^2{P}_{{3}/{2}} (D2) transition in singly ionized calcium ions using photon recoil spectroscopy. The high accuracy of the technique enables us to compare the difference between the isotope shifts of this transition to the previously measured isotopic shifts of the ^2{S}_{{1}/{2}} → ^2{P}_{{1}/{2}} (D1) line. This so-called splitting isotope shift is extracted and exhibits a clear signature of field shift contributions. From the data, we were able to extract the small difference of the field shift coefficient and mass shifts between the two transitions with high accuracy. This J-dependence is of relativistic origin and can be used to benchmark atomic structure calculations. As a first step, we use several ab initio atomic structure calculation methods to provide more accurate values for the field shift constants and their ratio. Remarkably, the high-accuracy value for the ratio of the field shift constants extracted from the experimental data is larger than all available theoretical predictions.

Enhancement of ZnO-based flexible nano generators via a sol-gel technique for sensing and energy harvesting applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajagopalan, P.; Singh, Vipul; Palani, I. A.

2018-03-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a remarkable inorganic semiconductor with exceptional piezoelectric properties compared to other semiconductors. However, in comparison to lead-based hazardous piezoelectric materials, its properties have undesired limitations. Here we report a 5˜6 fold enhancement in piezoelectric features via chemical doping of copper matched to intrinsic ZnO. A flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator (F-PENG) device was fabricated using an unpretentious solution process of spin coating, with other advantages such as robustness, low-weight, improved adhesion, and low cost. The device was used to demonstrate energy harvesting from a standard weight as low as 4 gm and can work as a self-powered mass sensor in a broad range of 4 to 100 gm. The device exhibited a novel energy harvesting technique from a wind source due to its inherent flexibility. At three different velocities (10˜30 m s-1) and five different angles of attack (0˜180 degrees), the device validated the ability to discern different velocities and directions of flow. The device will be useful for mapping the flow of air apart from harvesting the energy. The simulation was done to verify the underlining mechanism of aerodynamics involved.

The separation distance distribution in electron-donor-acceptor systems and the wavelength dependence of free ion yields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Jinwei; Findley, Bret R.; Braun, Charles L.; Sutin, Norman

2001-06-01

We recently reported that free radical ion quantum yields for electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) systems of alkylbenzenes-tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) exhibit a remarkable wavelength dependence in dichloromethane, a medium polarity solvent. We proposed that weak absorption by long-distance, unassociated or "random" D⋯A pairs is mainly responsible for the free radical ion yield. Here a model for the wavelength dependence of the free ion yield is developed for four systems in which differing degrees of EDA complex formation are present: 1,3,5-tri-tert-butylbenzene-TCNE in which only random pairs exist due to the bulky groups on the electron donor, and toluene—TCNE, 1,3,5-triethylbenzene-TCNE and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene-TCNE. Mulliken-Hush theory is used to determine the excitation distance distribution of unassociated, random pairs at different wavelengths. For each absorption distribution, free radical ion yields at different wavelengths are then calculated using Onsager's result for the ion separation probability. Encouraging agreement between the calculated yields and our experimental results is obtained. As far as we are aware, this is the first time that photoexcitation of unassociated donor/acceptor pairs has been invoked as the source of separated radical ion pairs.

Is Memory Search Governed by Universal Principles or Idiosyncratic Strategies?

PubMed Central

Healey, M. Karl; Kahana, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Laboratory paradigms have provided an empirical foundation for much of psychological science. Some have argued, however, that such paradigms are highly susceptible to idiosyncratic strategies and that rather than reflecting fundamental cognitive principles, many findings are artifacts of averaging across participants who employ different strategies. We develop a set of techniques to rigorously test the extent to which average data are distorted by such strategy differences and apply these techniques to free recall data from the Penn Electrophysiology of Encoding and Retrieval Study (PEERS). Recall initiation showed evidence of subgroups: the majority of participants initiate recall from the last item in the list, but one subgroup show elevated initiation probabilities for items 2–4 back from the end of the list and another showed elevated probabilities for the beginning of the list. By contrast, serial position curves and temporal and semantic clustering functions were remarkably consistent, with almost every participant exhibiting a recognizable version of the average function, suggesting that these functions reflect fundamental principles of the memory system. The approach taken here can serve as a model for evaluating the extent to which other laboratory paradigms are influenced by individual differences in strategy use. PMID:23957279

Enhancement of ZnO-based flexible nano generators via a sol-gel technique for sensing and energy harvesting applications.

PubMed

Rajagopalan, P; Singh, Vipul; Palani, I A

2018-02-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a remarkable inorganic semiconductor with exceptional piezoelectric properties compared to other semiconductors. However, in comparison to lead-based hazardous piezoelectric materials, its properties have undesired limitations. Here we report a 5∼6 fold enhancement in piezoelectric features via chemical doping of copper matched to intrinsic ZnO. A flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator (F-PENG) device was fabricated using an unpretentious solution process of spin coating, with other advantages such as robustness, low-weight, improved adhesion, and low cost. The device was used to demonstrate energy harvesting from a standard weight as low as 4 gm and can work as a self-powered mass sensor in a broad range of 4 to 100 gm. The device exhibited a novel energy harvesting technique from a wind source due to its inherent flexibility. At three different velocities (10∼30 m s -1 ) and five different angles of attack (0∼180 degrees), the device validated the ability to discern different velocities and directions of flow. The device will be useful for mapping the flow of air apart from harvesting the energy. The simulation was done to verify the underlining mechanism of aerodynamics involved.

Heterogeneity in microbial exposure in schools in Sweden, Poland and Jordan revealed by analysis of chemical markers.

PubMed

Wady, Loay; Shehabi, Asem; Szponar, Bogumila; Pehrson, Christina; Sheng, Yezhou; Larsson, Lennart

2004-07-01

We used gas chromatography--tandem mass spectrometry to analyze microbial components in 85 samples of airborne dust from schools in Jordan, Sweden, and Poland. To collect the samples, we allowed dust to settle on plexiglass plates hanging in the breathing zone in school buildings during both summer and winter. In each of the three countries, we conducted such sampling in two schools: one in an urban environment and the other in rural surroundings. The microbial marker profiles differed significantly between the schools and seasons. For example, samples from Jordan contained remarkably low levels of ergosterol (marker of fungal biomass) and high levels of 3-hydroxy acids (markers of lipopolysaccharide) of 10, 12, and 14 carbon chain lengths relative to such acids of 16 and 18 carbons in comparison with samples from Sweden and Poland. This dissimilarity in 3-hydroxy fatty acid distribution indicates significant differences in the populations of Gram-negative bacteria. We also noted that muramic acid (marker of bacterial biomass) exhibited the smallest variation between schools and seasons. In summary, our results demonstrate that exposure to microorganisms in indoor air in school buildings may differ markedly between countries, between seasons, and between urban and rural environments.

Examination of long-term visual memorization capacity in the Clark's nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana).

PubMed

Qadri, Muhammad A J; Leonard, Kevin; Cook, Robert G; Kelly, Debbie M

2018-02-15

Clark's nutcrackers exhibit remarkable cache recovery behavior, remembering thousands of seed locations over the winter. No direct laboratory test of their visual memory capacity, however, has yet been performed. Here, two nutcrackers were tested in an operant procedure used to measure different species' visual memory capacities. The nutcrackers were incrementally tested with an ever-expanding pool of pictorial stimuli in a two-alternative discrimination task. Each picture was randomly assigned to either a right or a left choice response, forcing the nutcrackers to memorize each picture-response association. The nutcrackers' visual memorization capacity was estimated at a little over 500 pictures, and the testing suggested effects of primacy, recency, and memory decay over time. The size of this long-term visual memory was less than the approximately 800-picture capacity established for pigeons. These results support the hypothesis that nutcrackers' spatial memory is a specialized adaptation tied to their natural history of food-caching and recovery, and not to a larger long-term, general memory capacity. Furthermore, despite millennia of separate and divergent evolution, the mechanisms of visual information retention seem to reflect common memory systems of differing capacities across the different species tested in this design.

Controllably annealed CuO-nanoparticle modified ITO electrodes: Characterisation and electrochemical studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tong; Su, Wen; Fu, Yingyi; Hu, Jingbo

2016-12-01

In this paper, we report a facile and controllable two-step approach to produce indium tin oxide electrodes modified by copper(II) oxide nanoparticles (CuO/ITO) through ion implantation and annealing methods. After annealing treatment, the surface morphology of the CuO/ITO substrate changed remarkably and exhibited highly electroactive sites and a high specific surface area. The effects of annealing treatment on the synthesis of CuO/ITO were discussed based on various instruments' characterisations, and the possible mechanism by which CuO nanoparticles were generated was also proposed in this work. Cyclic voltammetric results indicated that CuO/ITO electrodes exhibited effective catalytic responses toward glucose in alkaline solution. Under optimal experimental conditions, the proposed CuO/ITO electrode showed sensitivity of 450.2 μA cm-2 mM-1 with a linear range of up to ∼4.4 mM and a detection limit of 0.7 μM (S/N = 3). Moreover, CuO/ITO exhibited good poison resistance, reproducibility, and stability properties.

The Positively Charged Hyperbranched Polymers with Tunable Fluorescence and the Cell Imaging Application.

PubMed

Ma, Hengchang; Qin, Yanfang; Yang, Zenming; Yang, Manyi; Ma, Yucheng; Yin, Pei; Yang, Yuan; Wang, Tao; Lei, Ziqiang; Yao, Xiaoqiang

2018-04-25

Fluorescence-tunable materials are becoming increasingly attractive for their potential application in optics, electronics, and biomedical technology. Herein, a multi-color molecular pixel system is realized using simple copolymerization method. Bleeding both of complementary colors from blue and yellow fluorescence segments, reproduced a serious multicolor fluorescence materials. Interestingly, the emission colors of the polymers can be fine-tuned in solid state, solution phase, and in hydrogel state. More importantly, the positive fluorescent polymers exhibited cell-membrane permeable ability, and were found to accumulate on the cell nucleus, exhibiting remarkable selectivity to give bright fluorescence. The DNA/RNA selectivity experiments in vitro and in vivo verified that [tris(4-(pyridin-4-yl)phenyl)amine]-[1,8-dibromooctane] (TPPA-DBO) has prominent selectivity to DNA over RNA inside cells.

Cupiennin 1a exhibits a remarkably broad, non-stereospecific cytolytic activity on bacteria, protozoan parasites, insects, and human cancer cells.

PubMed

Kuhn-Nentwig, Lucia; Willems, Jean; Seebeck, Thomas; Shalaby, Tarek; Kaiser, Marcel; Nentwig, Wolfgang

2011-01-01

Cupiennin 1a, a cytolytic peptide isolated from the venom of the spider Cupiennius salei, exhibits broad membranolytic activity towards bacteria, trypanosomes, and plasmodia, as well as human blood and cancer cells. In analysing the cytolytic activity of synthesised all-D: - and all-L: -cupiennin 1a towards pro- and eukaryotic cells, a stereospecific mode of membrane destruction could be excluded. The importance of negatively charged sialic acids on the outer leaflet of erythrocytes for the binding and haemolytic activity of L: -cupiennin 1a was demonstrated. Reducing the overall negative charges of erythrocytes by partially removing their sialic acids or by protecting them with tri- or pentalysine results in reduced haemolytic activity of the peptide.

Generalized uncertainty principles and quantum field theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husain, Viqar; Kothawala, Dawood; Seahra, Sanjeev S.

2013-01-01

Quantum mechanics with a generalized uncertainty principle arises through a representation of the commutator [x^,p^]=if(p^). We apply this deformed quantization to free scalar field theory for f±=1±βp2. The resulting quantum field theories have a rich fine scale structure. For small wavelength modes, the Green’s function for f+ exhibits a remarkable transition from Lorentz to Galilean invariance, whereas for f- such modes effectively do not propagate. For both cases Lorentz invariance is recovered at long wavelengths.

Empirical tests of Zipf's law mechanism in open source Linux distribution.

PubMed

Maillart, T; Sornette, D; Spaeth, S; von Krogh, G

2008-11-21

Zipf's power law is a ubiquitous empirical regularity found in many systems, thought to result from proportional growth. Here, we establish empirically the usually assumed ingredients of stochastic growth models that have been previously conjectured to be at the origin of Zipf's law. We use exceptionally detailed data on the evolution of open source software projects in Linux distributions, which offer a remarkable example of a growing complex self-organizing adaptive system, exhibiting Zipf's law over four full decades.

Progress in utilisation of graphene for electrochemical biosensors.

PubMed

Lawal, Abdulazeez T

2018-05-30

This review discusses recent graphene (GR) electrochemical biosensor for accurate detection of biomolecules, including glucose, hydrogen peroxide, dopamine, ascorbic acid, uric acid, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, DNA, metals and immunosensor through effective immobilization of enzymes, including glucose oxidase, horseradish peroxidase, and haemoglobin. GR-based biosensors exhibited remarkable performance with high sensitivities, wide linear detection ranges, low detection limits, and long-term stabilities. Future challenges for the field include miniaturising biosensors and simplifying mass production are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flexible and weaveable capacitor wire based on a carbon nanocomposite fiber.

PubMed

Ren, Jing; Bai, Wenyu; Guan, Guozhen; Zhang, Ye; Peng, Huisheng

2013-11-06

A flexible and weaveable electric double-layer capacitor wire is developed by twisting two aligned carbon nanotube/ordered mesoporous carbon composite fibers with remarkable mechanical and electronic properties as electrodes. This capacitor wire exhibits high specific capacitance and long life stability. Compared with the conventional planar structure, the capacitor wire is also lightweight and can be integrated into various textile structures that are particularly promising for portable and wearable electronic devices. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Circadian oscillation of starch branching enzyme gene expression in the sorghum endosperm

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mutisya, J.; Sun, C.; Jansson, C.

2009-08-31

Expression of the three SBE genes, encoding starch branching enzymes, in the sorghum endosperm exhibited a diurnal rhythm during a 24-h cycle. Remarkably, the oscillation in SBE expression was maintained in cultured spikes after a 48-h dark treatment, also when fed a continuous solution of sucrose or abscisic acid. Our findings suggest that the rhythmicity in SBE expression in the endosperm is independent of cues from the photosynthetic source and that the oscillator resides within the endosperm itself.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Jue; Zeng, Min, E-mail: min-zeng@buaa.edu.cn, E-mail: rhyu@buaa.edu.cn; Dong, Hangrong

Flower-like Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/Bi{sub 2}MoO{sub 6} has been prepared via a facile two-step thermosynthesis method. The composite displays high photocatalytic activity in Rhodamine B decomposition under visible light irradiation. Bi{sub 2}MoO{sub 6} with flower-like structure that has high specific surface area guarantees excellent photocatalytic performance. Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} retards electron-hole recombination that contributes to photocatalytic property. Further, the stable composite exhibits remarkable reusability due to the incorporation of magnetic particle.

Common mechanisms of human perceptual and motor learning

PubMed Central

Censor, Nitzan; Sagi, Dov; Cohen, Leonardo G.

2016-01-01

The adult mammalian brain has a remarkable capacity to learn in both the perceptual and motor domains through the formation and consolidation of memories. Such practice-enabled procedural learning results in perceptual and motor skill improvements. Here, we examine evidence supporting the notion that perceptual and motor learning in humans exhibit analogous properties, including similarities in temporal dynamics and the interactions between primary cortical and higher-order brain areas. These similarities may point to the existence of a common general mechanism for learning in humans. PMID:22903222

H2 spillover enhanced hydrogenation capability of TiO2 used for photocatalytic splitting of water: a traditional phenomenon for new applications.

PubMed

Zhu, Yingming; Liu, Dongsheng; Meng, Ming

2014-06-07

Black TiO2 was usually obtained via hydrogenation at high pressure and high temperature. Herein, we reported a facile hydrogenation of TiO2 in the presence of a small amount of Pt at relatively low temperature and atmospheric pressure. The hydrogen spillover from Pt to TiO2 accounts well for the greatly enhanced hydrogenation capability. The as-synthesized Pt/TiO2 exhibits remarkably improved photocatalytic activity for water splitting.

Surface-mounted MOF templated fabrication of homochiral polymer thin film for enantioselective adsorption of drugs.

PubMed

Gu, Zhi-Gang; Fu, Wen-Qiang; Liu, Min; Zhang, Jian

2017-01-26

A self-polymerized chiral monomer 3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine (l-DOPA) has been introduced into the pores of an achiral surface-mounted metal organic framework (SURMOF), and then the homochiral poly(l-DOPA) thin film has been successfully formed after UV light irradiation and etching of the SURMOF. Remarkably, such a poly(l-DOPA) thin film exhibited enantioselective adsorption of naproxen. This study opened a SURMOF-templated approach for preparing porous polymer thin films.

Hybrid Lead Halide Layered Perovskites with Silsesquioxane Interlayers.

PubMed

Kataoka, Sho; Kaburagi, Wako; Mochizuki, Hiroyuki; Kamimura, Yoshihiro; Sato, Kazuhiko; Endo, Akira

2018-01-01

Hybrid organic-lead halide perovskites exhibit remarkable properties as semiconductors and light absorbers. Here, we report the formation of silsesquioxane-lead halide hybrid layered perovskites. We prepared silsesquioxane with a cubic cage-like structure and fabricated hybrid silsesquioxane-lead halide layered perovskites in a self-assembled manner. It is demonstrated that the silsesquioxane maintain their cage-like structure between lead halide perovskite layers. The silsesquioxane-lead halide perovskites also show excitonic absorption and emission in the visible light region similar to typical lead halide layered perovskites.

Hybrid photodetector based on CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals and PC71BM fullerene derivative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tengteng; Liu, Meihong; Li, Qingyan; Chen, Run; Liu, Xin

2018-05-01

Here, a hybrid perovskite-organic photodetector was fabricated by integrating CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (NCs) with [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM), exhibiting remarkable optoelectronic properties in terms of photoresponsivity (1.72 A/W), detectivity (1.76 × 107 Jones), external quantum efficiency (EQE) (530%) under the illumination of 405 nm laser, and photoresponse time is shorter than 0.1 ms due to the assistance of heterojunction on the separation of photoexcitons.

Virtually Instantaneous, Room-temperature [11C]-Cyanation Using Biaryl Phosphine Pd(0) Complexes

PubMed Central

Lee, Hong Geun; Milner, Phillip J.; Placzek, Michael S.; Buchwald, Stephen L.; Hooker, Jacob M.

2015-01-01

A new radiosynthetic protocol for the preparation of [11C]aryl nitriles has been developed. This process is based on the direct reaction of in situ prepared L•Pd(Ar)X complexes (L=biaryl phosphine) with [11C]HCN. The strategy is operationally simple, exhibits a remarkably wide substrate scope with short reaction times, and demonstrates superior reactivity compared to previously reported systems. With this procedure, a variety of [11C]nitrile-containing pharmaceuticals were prepared with high radiochemical efficiency. PMID:25565277

On the Evolution from Non-Plasmonic Metal Nanoclusters to Plasmonic Nanocrystals

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-24

structures as well as for thiol binding on extended gold surfaces in self-assembled-monolayer (SAM) systems. Figure 1. Total structure of Au36( SPh ...thiolate ligands (Fig. 2). Remarkably, the Au133(SR)52 nanocluster (where, R = SPh -p-But) exhibits aesthetic orderings in structure from the gold kernel...and the trimeric and monomeric staples. As the smallest member in the TBBT (abbreviation of SPh -But) “magic series”, Au20(TBBT)16 together with Au28

The Interplay of Temperature and Genotype on Patterns of Alternative Splicing in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Jakšić, Ana Marija; Schlötterer, Christian

2016-09-01

Alternative splicing is the highly regulated process of variation in the removal of introns from premessenger-RNA transcripts. The consequences of alternative splicing on the phenotype are well documented, but the impact of the environment on alternative splicing is not yet clear. We studied variation in alternative splicing among four different temperatures, 13, 18, 23, and 29°, in two Drosophila melanogaster genotypes. We show plasticity of alternative splicing with up to 10% of the expressed genes being differentially spliced between the most extreme temperatures for a given genotype. Comparing the two genotypes at different temperatures, we found <1% of the genes being differentially spliced at 18°. At extreme temperatures, however, we detected substantial differences in alternative splicing-with almost 10% of the genes having differential splicing between the genotypes: a magnitude similar to between species differences. Genes with differential alternative splicing between genotypes frequently exhibit dominant inheritance. Remarkably, the pattern of surplus of differences in alternative splicing at extreme temperatures resembled the pattern seen for gene expression intensity. Since different sets of genes were involved for the two phenotypes, we propose that purifying selection results in the reduction of differences at benign temperatures. Relaxed purifying selection at temperature extremes, on the other hand, may cause the divergence in gene expression and alternative splicing between the two strains in rarely encountered environments. Copyright © 2016 by the Genetics Society of America.

Facile Synthesis of Nitrogen Doped Graphene Oxide from Graphite Flakes and Powders: A Comparison of Their Surface Chemistry.

PubMed

Yokwana, Kholiswa; Ray, Sekhar C; Khenfouch, Mohammad; Kuvarega, Alex T; Mamba, Bhekie B; Mhlanga, Sabelo D; Nxumalo, Edward N

2018-08-01

Nitrogen-doped graphene oxide (NGO) nanosheets were prepared via a facile one-pot modified Hummer's approach at low temperatures using graphite powder and flakes as starting materials in the presence of a nitrogen precursor. It was found that the morphology, structure, composition and surface chemistry of the NGO nanosheets depended on the nature of the graphite precursor used. GO nanosheets doped with nitrogen atoms exhibited a unique structure with few thin layers and wrinkled sheets, high porosity and structural defects. NGO sheets made from graphite powder (NGOp) exhibited excellent thermal stability and remarkably high surface area (up to 240.53 m2 ·g-1) compared to NGO sheets made from graphite flakes (NGOf) which degraded at low temperatures and had an average surface area of 24.70 m2 ·g-1. NGOf sheets had a size range of 850 to 2200 nm while NGOp sheets demonstrated obviously small sizes (460-1600 nm) even when exposed to different pH conditions. The NGO nanosheets exhibited negatively charged surfaces in a wide pH range (1 to 12) and were found to be stable above pH 6. In addition, graphite flakes were found to be more suitable for the production of NGO as they produced high N-doping levels (0.65 to 1.29 at.%) compared to graphite powders (0.30 to 0.35 at.%). This study further demonstrates that by adjusting the amount of N source in the host GO, one can tailor its thermal stability, surface morphology, surface chemistry and surface area.

Remodeling in bone without osteocytes: Billfish challenge bone structure–function paradigms

PubMed Central

Atkins, Ayelet; Dean, Mason N.; Habegger, Maria Laura; Motta, Phillip J.; Ofer, Lior; Repp, Felix; Shipov, Anna; Weiner, Steve; Currey, John D.; Shahar, Ron

2014-01-01

A remarkable property of tetrapod bone is its ability to detect and remodel areas where damage has accumulated through prolonged use. This process, believed vital to the long-term health of bone, is considered to be initiated and orchestrated by osteocytes, cells within the bone matrix. It is therefore surprising that most extant fishes (neoteleosts) lack osteocytes, suggesting their bones are not constantly repaired, although many species exhibit long lives and high activity levels, factors that should induce considerable fatigue damage with time. Here, we show evidence for active and intense remodeling occurring in the anosteocytic, elongated rostral bones of billfishes (e.g., swordfish, marlins). Despite lacking osteocytes, this tissue exhibits a striking resemblance to the mature bone of large mammals, bearing structural features (overlapping secondary osteons) indicating intensive tissue repair, particularly in areas where high loads are expected. Billfish osteons are an order of magnitude smaller in diameter than mammalian osteons, however, implying that the nature of damage in this bone may be different. Whereas billfish bone material is as stiff as mammalian bone (unlike the bone of other fishes), it is able to withstand much greater strains (relative deformations) before failing. Our data show that fish bone can exhibit far more complex structure and physiology than previously known, and is apparently capable of localized repair even without the osteocytes believed essential for this process. These findings challenge the unique and primary role of osteocytes in bone remodeling, a basic tenet of bone biology, raising the possibility of an alternative mechanism driving this process. PMID:25331870

Rare-earth organic frameworks involving three types of architecture tuned by the lanthanide contraction effect: hydrothermal syntheses, structures and luminescence.

PubMed

Deng, Zhao-Peng; Kang, Wei; Huo, Li-Hua; Zhao, Hui; Gao, Shan

2010-07-21

The first example of rare-earth organic frameworks with 3-aminopyrazine-2-carboxylic acid (Hapca) was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, PL, TG, powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These ten complexes exhibit three different structure types with decreasing lanthanide radii: [La(apca)(3)](n) () for type I, {[Ln(apca)(ox)(H(2)O)(2)].H(2)O}(n) (Ln = Pr (2), Nd (3), ox = oxalate) for type II, and [Ln(2)(apca)(4)(OH)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](n) (Ln = Sm (4), Eu (5), Gd (6), Tb (7), Dy (8), Er (9), Y (10)) for type III. The structure of type I consists of 1D "snowflake" chains along a-axis, which are further interconnected by hydrogen bonds to produce a 3D sra net topology containing infinite (-C-O-La-)(n) rod-shaped SBU. Type II has 2D Ln-apca-ox 4(4)-net, in which a planar udud water tetramers (H(2)O)(4) are formed by coordinated and free water molecules. Type III also comprises of 2D 4(4)-layer network constructed from Ln-apca-OH. The structure diversity is mainly caused by the variation of coordinated ligand and lanthanide contraction effect. Remarkably, the oxalate in type II was in situ synthesized from 3-aminopyrazine-2-carboxylic acid through an oxidation-hydrolysis reaction. The luminescent investigations reveal that complex exhibits strong blue emission and complex exhibits characteristic luminescence of Eu(3+).

Tetrahydroindazolone substituted 2-aminobenzamides as fluorescent probes: switching metal ion selectivity from zinc to cadmium by interchanging the amino and carbamoyl groups on the fluorophore.

PubMed

Jia, Jia; Xu, Qin-Chao; Li, Ri-chen; Tang, Xi; He, Ying-Fang; Zhang, Meng-Yu; Zhang, Yuan; Xing, Guo-Wen

2012-08-21

Three fluorescent probes CdABA', CdABA and ZnABA', which are structural isomers of ZnABA, have been designed with N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine (BPEA) as chelator and 2-aminobenzamide as fluorophore. These probes can be divided into two groups: CdABA, CdABA' for Cd(2+) and ZnABA, ZnABA' for Zn(2+). Although there is little difference in their chemical structures, the two groups of probes exhibit totally different fluorescence properties for preference of Zn(2+) or Cd(2+). In the group of Zn(2+) probes, ZnABA/ZnABA' distinguish Zn(2+) from Cd(2+) with F(Zn)(2+)-F(Cd)(2+) = 1.87-2.00. Upon interchanging the BPEA and carbamoyl groups on the aromatic ring of the fluorophore, the structures of ZnABA/ZnABA' are converted into CdABA/CdABA'. Interestingly, the metal ions selectivity of CdABA/CdABA' was switched to discriminate Cd(2+) from Zn(2+) with F(Cd)(2+)-F(Zn)(2+) = 2.27-2.36, indicating that a small structural modification could lead to a remarkable change of the metal ion selectivity. (1)H NMR titration and ESI mass experiments demonstrated that these fluorescent probers exhibited different coordination modes for Zn(2+) and Cd(2+). With CdABA' as an example, generally, upon addition of Cd(2+), the fluorescence response possesses PET pathway to display no obvious shift of maximum λ(em) in the absence or presence of Cd(2+). However, an ICT pathway could be employed after adding Zn(2+) into the CdABA' solution, resulting in a distinct red-shift of maximal λ(em).

Combined Proteomic and Transcriptomic Interrogation of the Venom Gland of Conus geographus Uncovers Novel Components and Functional Compartmentalization*

PubMed Central

Safavi-Hemami, Helena; Hu, Hao; Gorasia, Dhana G.; Bandyopadhyay, Pradip K.; Veith, Paul D.; Young, Neil D.; Reynolds, Eric C.; Yandell, Mark; Olivera, Baldomero M.; Purcell, Anthony W.

2014-01-01

Cone snails are highly successful marine predators that use complex venoms to capture prey. At any given time, hundreds of toxins (conotoxins) are synthesized in the secretory epithelial cells of the venom gland, a long and convoluted organ that can measure 4 times the length of the snail's body. In recent years a number of studies have begun to unveil the transcriptomic, proteomic and peptidomic complexity of the venom and venom glands of a number of cone snail species. By using a combination of DIGE, bottom-up proteomics and next-generation transcriptome sequencing the present study identifies proteins involved in envenomation and conotoxin maturation, significantly extending the repertoire of known (poly)peptides expressed in the venom gland of these remarkable animals. We interrogate the molecular and proteomic composition of different sections of the venom glands of 3 specimens of the fish hunter Conus geographus and demonstrate regional variations in gene expression and protein abundance. DIGE analysis identified 1204 gel spots of which 157 showed significant regional differences in abundance as determined by biological variation analysis. Proteomic interrogation identified 342 unique proteins including those that exhibited greatest fold change. The majority of these proteins also exhibited significant changes in their mRNA expression levels validating the reliability of the experimental approach. Transcriptome sequencing further revealed a yet unknown genetic diversity of several venom gland components. Interestingly, abundant proteins that potentially form part of the injected venom mixture, such as echotoxins, phospholipase A2 and con-ikots-ikots, classified into distinct expression clusters with expression peaking in different parts of the gland. Our findings significantly enhance the known repertoire of venom gland polypeptides and provide molecular and biochemical evidence for the compartmentalization of this organ into distinct functional entities. PMID:24478445

Antiplasmodial activity of two marine polyherbal preparations from Chaetomorpha antennina and Aegiceras corniculatum against Plasmodium falciparum.

PubMed

Ravikumar, Sundaram; Ramanathan, Ganesan; Inbaneson, Samuel Jacob; Ramu, Andy

2011-01-01

The ocean covers more than 70% of earth surface and hosts most 300,000 described species of plants and animals to use, which have been virtually unexploited for the development of medicines. Marine plants are the good source of biologically active entities which exhibit therapeutic properties, when applied single or in combination of different plant extracts (polyherbal). Polyherbal preparations are always a complex mixture of different forms and thus different compounds, which might act as agonistic, synergistic, complementary, antagonistic or toxic way. The present study was initially carried out to test the antiplasmodial activity of 13 mangrove plants and eight seaweeds species distributed along the coast of south India. Of these, mangrove species Aegiceras corniculatum and the seaweed species Chaetomorpha antennina have shown maximum antiplasmodial activity. Hence, the present study was mooted out to increase the percentage of antiplasmodial activity when applied as polyherbal preparations. The effect of marine polyherbal preparations from the methanolic extracts of two marine plants A. corniculatum and C. antennina for their antiplasmodial activity was tested. It shows that the polyherbal extract showed 63.50 ± 0.408% suppression of parasitaemia against Plasmodium falciparum at 1.5 mg ml⁻¹ concentration. In vivo test was carried out with rat animal model to find out the effectiveness of the polyherbal extracts in the live system, which reveals that polyherbal extracts have exhibited remarkable antiplasmodial activity (50.57 ± 0.465%) against Plasmodium berghei at 120 mg kg⁻¹ bw. This study shows that combinations of mangrove plants and seaweeds extracts had a source of lead compounds for the development of new drugs for the treatment of malaria.

Differential serotonergic innervation of the amygdala in bonobos and chimpanzees.

PubMed

Stimpson, Cheryl D; Barger, Nicole; Taglialatela, Jared P; Gendron-Fitzpatrick, Annette; Hof, Patrick R; Hopkins, William D; Sherwood, Chet C

2016-03-01

Humans' closest living relatives are bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), yet these great ape species differ considerably from each other in terms of social behavior. Bonobos are more tolerant of conspecifics in competitive contexts and often use sexual behavior to mediate social interactions. Chimpanzees more frequently employ aggression during conflicts and actively patrol territories between communities. Regulation of emotional responses is facilitated by the amygdala, which also modulates social decision-making, memory and attention. Amygdala responsiveness is further regulated by the neurotransmitter serotonin. We hypothesized that the amygdala of bonobos and chimpanzees would differ in its neuroanatomical organization and serotonergic innervation. We measured volumes of regions and the length density of serotonin transporter-containing axons in the whole amygdala and its lateral, basal, accessory basal and central nuclei. Results showed that accessory basal nucleus volume was larger in chimpanzees than in bonobos. Of particular note, the amygdala of bonobos had more than twice the density of serotonergic axons than chimpanzees, with the most pronounced differences in the basal and central nuclei. These findings suggest that variation in serotonergic innervation of the amygdala may contribute to mediating the remarkable differences in social behavior exhibited by bonobos and chimpanzees. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Divergence in cryptic leaf colour provides local camouflage in an alpine plant.

PubMed

Niu, Yang; Chen, Zhe; Stevens, Martin; Sun, Hang

2017-10-11

The efficacy of camouflage through background matching is highly environment-dependent, often resulting in intraspecific colour divergence in animals to optimize crypsis in different visual environments. This phenomenon is largely unexplored in plants, although several lines of evidence suggest they do use crypsis to avoid damage by herbivores. Using Corydalis hemidicentra, an alpine plant with cryptic leaf colour, we quantified background matching between leaves and surrounding rocks in five populations based on an approximate model of their butterfly enemy's colour perception. We also investigated the pigment basis of leaf colour variation and the association between feeding risk and camouflage efficacy. We show that plants exhibit remarkable colour divergence between populations, consistent with differences in rock appearances. Leaf colour varies because of a different quantitative combination of two basic pigments-chlorophyll and anthocyanin-plus different air spaces. As expected, leaf colours are better matched against their native backgrounds than against foreign ones in the eyes of the butterfly. Furthermore, improved crypsis tends to be associated with a higher level of feeding risk. These results suggest that divergent cryptic leaf colour may have evolved to optimize local camouflage in various visual environments, extending our understanding of colour evolution and intraspecific phenotype diversity in plants. © 2017 The Author(s).

Escaping compound eye ancestry: the evolution of single-chamber eyes in holometabolous larvae.

PubMed

Buschbeck, Elke K

2014-08-15

Stemmata, the eyes of holometabolous insect larvae, have gained little attention, even though they exhibit remarkably different optical solutions, ranging from compound eyes with upright images, to sophisticated single-chamber eyes with inverted images. Such optical differences raise the question of how major transitions may have occurred. Stemmata evolved from compound eye ancestry, and optical differences are apparent even in some of the simplest systems that share strong cellular homology with adult ommatidia. The transition to sophisticated single-chamber eyes occurred many times independently, and in at least two different ways: through the fusion of many ommatidia [as in the sawfly (Hymenoptera)], and through the expansion of single ommatidia [as in tiger beetles (Coleoptera), antlions (Neuroptera) and dobsonflies (Megaloptera)]. Although ommatidia-like units frequently have multiple photoreceptor layers (tiers), sophisticated image-forming stemmata tend to only have one photoreceptor tier, presumably a consequence of the lens only being able to efficiently focus light on to one photoreceptor layer. An interesting exception is found in some diving beetles [Dytiscidae (Coleoptera)], in which two retinas receive sharp images from a bifocal lens. Taken together, stemmata represent a great model system to study an impressive set of optical solutions that evolved from a relatively simple ancestral organization. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Fermi Detection of Gamma-Ray Emission from the M2 Soft X-Ray Flare on 2010 June 12

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Allafort, A.; Atwood, W. B.; Baldini, L.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Bechtol, K.; Bellazzini, R.; Bhat, P. N.;

Human lagochilascariasis—A rare helminthic disease

PubMed Central

Campos, Dulcinea Maria Barbosa; Barbosa, Alverne Passos; de Oliveira, Jayrson Araújo; Tavares, Giovana Galvão; Cravo, Pedro Vitor Lemos; Ostermayer, Alejandro Luquetti

2017-01-01

Lagochilascariasis is a parasitic disease caused by a helminth of the order Ascaroidea, genus Lagochilascaris that comprises 6 species, among which only Lagochilascaris minor Leiper, 1909, is implicated in the human form of the disease. It is remarkable that the majority of cases of human lagochilascariasis in the Americas have been reported in Brazil. The natural definitive hosts of this parasite seem to be wild felines and canines. Lagochilascariasis is mostly a chronic human disease that can persist for several years, in which the parasite burrows into the subcutaneous tissues of the neck, paranasal sinuses, and mastoid. L. minor exhibits remarkable ability to migrate through the tissues of its hosts, destroying even bone tissue. Fatal cases have been described in which the parasite was found in the lungs or central nervous system. Treatment is often palliative, with recurrence of lesions. This paper summarizes the main features of the disease and its etiologic agent, including prevalence, life cycle, clinical course, and treatment. PMID:28640884

Fermi Detection Of γ-Ray Emission From The M2 Soft X-Ray Flare On 2010 June 12

DOE PAGES

Ackermann, M.

2012-01-12

The GOES M2-class solar flare, SOL2010-06-12T00:57, was modest in many respects yet exhibited remarkable acceleration of energetic particles. The flare produced an ~50 s impulsive burst of hard X- and γ-ray emission up to at least 400 MeV observed by the Fermi GBM and LAT experiments. The remarkably similar hard X-ray and high-energy γ-ray time profiles suggest that most of the particles were accelerated to energies &300 MeV with a delay of ~10 s from mildly relativistic electrons, but some reached these energies in as little as ~3 s. The γ-ray line fluence from this flare was about ten timesmore » higher than that typically observed from this modest GOES class of X-ray flare. There is no evidence for time-extended >100 MeV emission as has been found for other flares with high-energy rays.« less

Remarkable Effect of Sodium Alginate Aqueous Binder on Anatase TiO2 as High-Performance Anode in Sodium Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Ling, Liming; Bai, Ying; Wang, Zhaohua; Ni, Qiao; Chen, Guanghai; Zhou, Zhiming; Wu, Chuan

2018-02-14

Sodium alginate (SA) is investigated as the aqueous binder to fabricate high-performance, low-cost, environmentally friendly, and durable TiO 2 anodes in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) for the first time. Compared to the conventional polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) binder, electrodes using SA as the binder exhibit significant promotion of electrochemical performances. The initial Coulombic efficiency is as high as 62% at 0.1 C. A remarkable capacity of 180 mAh g -1 is achieved with no decay after 500 cycles at 1 C. Even at 10 C (3.4 A g -1 ), it remains 82 mAh g -1 after 3600 cycles with approximate 100% Coulombic efficiency. TiO 2 electrodes with SA binder display less electrolyte decomposition, fewer side reactions, high electrochemistry reaction activity, effective suppression of polarization, and good electrode morphology, which is ascribed to the rich carboxylic groups, high Young's modulus, and good electrochemical stability of SA binder.

Effects of aleurone layer on rice cooking: A histological investigation.

PubMed

Wu, Jianyong; Chen, Jun; Liu, Wei; Liu, Chengmei; Zhong, Yejun; Luo, Dawen; Li, Zhongqiang; Guo, Xiaojuan

2016-01-15

Understanding how aleurone layer (AL) affects rice cooking behaviour is important for rice processing. Individual effects of AL on rice cooking behaviour were evaluated and histological characters of AL before and after cooking were investigated. AL slightly affected rice cooking quality (optimum cooking time, water absorption, volume expansion ratio and total solids loss) while remarkably affected rice texture (hardness and adhesiveness) and peak viscosity. Histological investigation showed that channels were formed in AL during cooking. The channels facilitated the penetration of water, which could explain why AL exhibited slight effects on rice cooking quality. In addition, thick cell walls and thermally stable aleurone grains were widely distributed in AL. Leached components accumulated on them and formed a reinforced coated film on rice surface during cooking, which may be a possible mechanism accounting for the remarkable effect of AL on rice texture. Histological characters of AL are closely related with rice cooking behaviour. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Valproic acid sensitizes metformin-resistant human renal cell carcinoma cells by upregulating H3 acetylation and EMT reversal.

PubMed

Wei, Muyun; Mao, Shaowei; Lu, Guoliang; Li, Liang; Lan, Xiaopeng; Huang, Zhongxian; Chen, Yougen; Zhao, Miaoqing; Zhao, Yueran; Xia, Qinghua

2018-04-17

Metformin (Met) is a widely available diabetic drug and shows suppressed effects on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metabolism and proliferation. Laboratory studies in RCC suggested that metformin has remarkable antitumor activities and seems to be a potential antitumor drug. But the facts that metformin may be not effective in reducing the risk of RCC in cancer clinical trials made it difficult to determine the benefits of metformin in RCC prevention and treatment. The mechanisms underlying the different conclusions between laboratory experiments and clinical analysis remains unclear. The goal of the present study was to determine whether long-term metformin use can induce resistance in RCC, whether metformin resistance could be used to explain the disaccord in laboratory and clinical studies, and whether the drug valproic acid (VPA), which inhibits histone deacetylase, exhibits synergistic cytotoxicity with metformin and can counteract the resistance of metformin in RCC. We performed CCK8, transwell, wound healing assay, flow cytometry and western blotting to detect the regulations of proliferation, migration, cell cycle and apoptosis in 786-O, ACHN and metformin resistance 786-O (786-M-R) cells treated with VPA, metformin or a combination of two drugs. We used TGF-β, SC79, LY294002, Rapamycin, protein kinase B (AKT) inhibitor to treat the 786-O or 786-M-R cells and detected the regulations in TGF-β /pSMAD3 and AMPK/AKT pathways. 786-M-R was refractory to metformin-induced antitumor effects on proliferation, migration, cell cycle and cell apoptosis. AMPK/AKT pathways and TGF-β/SMAD3 pathways showed low sensibilities in 786-M-R. The histone H3 acetylation diminished in the 786-M-R cells. However, the addition of VPA dramatically upregulated histone H3 acetylation, increased the sensibility of AKT and inhibited pSMAD3/SMAD4, letting the combination of VPA and metformin remarkably reappear the anti-tumour effects of metformin in 786-M-R cells. VPA not only exhibits synergistic cytotoxicity with metformin but also counteracts resistance to metformin in renal cell carcinoma cell. The re-sensitization to metformin induced by VPA in metformin-resistant cells may help treat renal cell carcinoma patients.

Alkoxybenzothiadiazole-Based Fullerene and Nonfullerene Polymer Solar Cells with High Shunt Resistance for Indoor Photovoltaic Applications.

PubMed

Park, Song Yi; Li, Yuxiang; Kim, Jaewon; Lee, Tack Ho; Walker, Bright; Woo, Han Young; Kim, Jin Young

2018-01-31

We synthesized three semicrystalline polymers (PTTBT BO , PDTBT BO , and P2FDTBT BO ) by modulating the intra- and intermolecular noncovalent Coulombic interactions and investigated their photovoltaic characteristics under various light intensities. Low series (R s ) and high shunt (R sh ) resistances are essential prerequisites for good device properties under standard illumination (100 mW cm -2 ). Considering these factors, among three polymers, PDTBT BO polymer solar cells (PSCs) exhibited the most desirable characteristics, with peak power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 7.52 and 9.60% by being blended with PC 71 BM under standard and dim light (2.5 mW cm -2 ), respectively. P2FDTBT BO PSCs exhibited a low PCE of 3.69% under standard light due to significant charge recombination with high R s (9.42 Ω cm 2 ). However, the PCE was remarkably improved by 2.3 times (8.33% PCE) under dim light, showing negligible decrease in open-circuit voltage and remarkable increase in fill factor, which is due to an exceptionally high R sh of over 1000 kΩ cm 2 . R s is less significant under dim light because the generated current is too small to cause noticeable R s -induced voltage losses. Instead, high R sh becomes more important to avoid leakage currents. This work provides important tips to further optimize PSCs for indoor applications with low-power electronic devices such as Internet of things sensors.

Homogeneous and heterogenized iridium water oxidation catalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macchioni, Alceo

2014-10-01

The development of an efficient catalyst for the oxidative splitting of water into molecular oxygen, protons and electrons is of key importance for producing solar fuels through artificial photosynthesis. We are facing the problem by means of a rational approach aimed at understanding how catalytic performance may be optimized by the knowledge of the reaction mechanism of water oxidation and the fate of the catalytic site under the inevitably harsh oxidative conditions. For the purposes of our study we selected iridium water oxidation catalysts, exhibiting remarkable performance (TOF > 5 s-1 and TON > 20000). In particular, we recently focused our attention on [Cp*Ir(N,O)X] (N,O = 2-pyridincarboxylate; X = Cl or NO3) and [IrCl(Hedta)]Na water oxidation catalysts. The former exhibited a remarkable TOF whereas the latter showed a very high TON. Furthermore, [IrCl(Hedta)]Na was heterogenized onto TiO2 taking advantage of the presence of a dandling -COOH functionality. The heterogenized catalyst maintained approximately the same catalytic activity of the homogeneous analogous with the advantage that could be reused many times. Mechanistic studies were performed in order to shed some light on the rate-determining step and the transformation of catalysts when exposed to "oxidative stress". It was found that the last oxidative step, preceding oxygen liberation, is the rate-determining step when a small excess of sacrificial oxidant is used. In addition, several intermediates of the oxidative transformation of the catalyst were intercepted and characterized by NMR, X-Ray diffractometry and ESI-MS.

Depression-related increases and decreases in appetite reveal dissociable patterns of aberrant activity in reward and interoceptive neurocircuitry

PubMed Central

Simmons, W. Kyle; Burrows, Kaiping; Avery, Jason A.; Kerr, Kara L.; Bodurka, Jerzy; Savage, Cary R.; Drevets, Wayne C.

2016-01-01

Objective Appetite and weight changes are common but variable diagnostic markers in major depressive disorder: some depressed individuals manifest increased appetite, while others lose their appetite. Many of the brain regions implicated in appetitive responses to food have also been implicated in depression. It is thus remarkable that there exists no published research comparing the neural responses to food stimuli of depressed patients with increased versus decreased appetites. Method Using functional magnetic resonance imaging we compared brain activity in unmedicated depressed patients with increased or decreased appetite, and healthy control subjects, while viewing photographs of food and non-food objects. We also measured how resting-state functional connectivity related to subjects’ food pleasantness ratings. Results Within putative reward regions, depressed participants with increased appetites exhibited greater hemodynamic activity to food stimuli than both those reporting appetite decreases and healthy control subjects. In contrast, depressed subjects experiencing appetite loss exhibited hypoactivation within a region of the mid-insula implicated in interoception, with no difference observed in this region between healthy subjects and those with depression-related appetite increases. Mid-insula activity was negatively correlated with food pleasantness ratings of depressed participants with increased appetites, and its functional connectivity to reward circuitry was positively correlated with food pleasantness ratings. Conclusions Depression-related increases in appetite are associated with hyperactivation of putative mesocorticolimbic reward circuitry, while depression-related appetite loss is associated with hypoactivation of insular regions that support monitoring the body’s physiological state. Importantly, the interactions among these regions also contribute to individual differences in the depression-related appetite changes. PMID:26806872

Raman characterization of Avocado Sunblotch viroid and its response to external perturbations and self-cleavage

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Viroids are the smallest pathogens of plants. To date the structural and conformational details of the cleavage of Avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBVd) and the catalytic role of Mg2+ ions in efficient self-cleavage are of crucial interest. Results We report the first Raman characterization of the structure and activity of ASBVd, for plus and minus viroid strands. Both strands exhibit a typical A-type RNA conformation with an ordered double-helical content and a C3′-endo/anti sugar pucker configuration, although small but specific differences are found in the sugar puckering and base-stacking regions. The ASBVd(-) is shown to self-cleave 3.5 times more actively than ASBVd(+). Deuteration and temperature increase perturb differently the double-helical content and the phosphodiester conformation, as revealed by corresponding characteristic Raman spectral changes. Our data suggest that the structure rigidity and stability are higher and the D2O accessibility to H-bonding network is lower for ASBVd(+) than for ASBVd(-). Remarkably, the Mg2+-activated self-cleavage of the viroid does not induce any significant alterations of the secondary viroid structure, as evidenced from the absence of intensity changes of Raman marker bands that, however exhibit small but noticeable frequency downshifts suggesting several minor changes in phosphodioxy, internal loops and hairpins of the cleaved viroids. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy in monitoring structural and conformational changes of the viroid and constitute the basis for further studies of its interactions with therapeutic agents and cell membranes. PMID:24655924

Depression-Related Increases and Decreases in Appetite: Dissociable Patterns of Aberrant Activity in Reward and Interoceptive Neurocircuitry.

PubMed

Simmons, W Kyle; Burrows, Kaiping; Avery, Jason A; Kerr, Kara L; Bodurka, Jerzy; Savage, Cary R; Drevets, Wayne C

2016-04-01

Appetite and weight changes are common but variable diagnostic markers in major depressive disorder: some depressed individuals manifest increased appetite, while others lose their appetite. Many of the brain regions implicated in appetitive responses to food have also been implicated in depression. It is thus remarkable that there exists no published research comparing the neural responses to food stimuli of depressed patients with increased versus decreased appetites. Using functional MRI, brain activity was compared in unmedicated depressed patients with increased or decreased appetite and healthy control subjects while viewing photographs of food and nonfood objects. The authors also measured how resting-state functional connectivity related to subjects' food pleasantness ratings. Within putative reward regions, depressed participants with increased appetites exhibited greater hemodynamic activity to food stimuli than both those reporting appetite decreases and healthy control subjects. In contrast, depressed subjects experiencing appetite loss exhibited hypoactivation within a region of the mid-insula implicated in interoception, with no difference observed in this region between healthy subjects and those with depression-related appetite increases. Mid-insula activity was negatively correlated with food pleasantness ratings of depressed participants with increased appetites, and its functional connectivity to reward circuitry was positively correlated with food pleasantness ratings. Depression-related increases in appetite are associated with hyperactivation of putative mesocorticolimbic reward circuitry, while depression-related appetite loss is associated with hypoactivation of insular regions that support monitoring the body's physiological state. Importantly, the interactions among these regions also contribute to individual differences in the depression-related appetite changes.

Introducing a multivariate model for predicting driving performance: the role of driving anger and personal characteristics.

PubMed

Roidl, Ernst; Siebert, Felix Wilhelm; Oehl, Michael; Höger, Rainer

2013-12-01

Maladaptive driving is an important source of self-inflicted accidents and this driving style could include high speeds, speeding violations, and poor lateral control of the vehicle. The literature suggests that certain groups of drivers, such as novice drivers, males, highly motivated drivers, and those who frequently experience anger in traffic, tend to exhibit more maladaptive driving patterns compared to other drivers. Remarkably, no coherent framework is currently available to describe the relationships and distinct influences of these factors. We conducted two studies with the aim of creating a multivariate model that combines the aforementioned factors, describes their relationships, and predicts driving performance more precisely. The studies employed different techniques to elicit emotion and different tracks designed to explore the driving behaviors of participants in potentially anger-provoking situations. Study 1 induced emotions with short film clips. Study 2 confronted the participants with potentially anger-inducing traffic situations during the simulated drive. In both studies, participants who experienced high levels of anger drove faster and exhibited greater longitudinal and lateral acceleration. Furthermore, multiple linear regressions and path-models revealed that highly motivated male drivers displayed the same behavior independent of their emotional state. The results indicate that anger and specific risk characteristics lead to maladaptive changes in important driving parameters and that drivers with these specific risk factors are prone to experience more anger while driving, which further worsens their driving performance. Driver trainings and anger management courses will profit from these findings because they help to improve the validity of assessments of anger related driving behavior. © 2013.

Fractal nematic colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashemi, S. M.; Jagodič, U.; Mozaffari, M. R.; Ejtehadi, M. R.; Muševič, I.; Ravnik, M.

2017-01-01

Fractals are remarkable examples of self-similarity where a structure or dynamic pattern is repeated over multiple spatial or time scales. However, little is known about how fractal stimuli such as fractal surfaces interact with their local environment if it exhibits order. Here we show geometry-induced formation of fractal defect states in Koch nematic colloids, exhibiting fractal self-similarity better than 90% over three orders of magnitude in the length scales, from micrometers to nanometres. We produce polymer Koch-shaped hollow colloidal prisms of three successive fractal iterations by direct laser writing, and characterize their coupling with the nematic by polarization microscopy and numerical modelling. Explicit generation of topological defect pairs is found, with the number of defects following exponential-law dependence and reaching few 100 already at fractal iteration four. This work demonstrates a route for generation of fractal topological defect states in responsive soft matter.

Ultrathin Au-Alloy Nanowires at the Liquid-Liquid Interface.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Dipanwita; Shetty, Shwetha; Müller-Caspary, Knut; Grieb, Tim; Krause, Florian F; Schowalter, Marco; Rosenauer, Andreas; Ravishankar, Narayanan

2018-03-14

Ultrathin bimetallic nanowires are of importance and interest for applications in electronic devices such as sensors and heterogeneous catalysts. In this work, we have designed a new, highly reproducible and generalized wet chemical method to synthesize uniform and monodispersed Au-based alloy (AuCu, AuPd, and AuPt) nanowires with tunable composition using microwave-assisted reduction at the liquid-liquid interface. These ultrathin alloy nanowires are below 4 nm in diameter and about 2 μm long. Detailed microstructural characterization shows that the wires have an face centred cubic (FCC) crystal structure, and they have low-energy twin-boundary and stacking-fault defects along the growth direction. The wires exhibit remarkable thermal and mechanical stability that is critical for important applications. The alloy wires exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation in an alkaline medium.

Hierarchically Macroporous Graphitic Nanowebs Exhibiting Ultra-fast and Stable Charge Storage Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, Young Soo

2018-02-01

The macro/microstructures of carbon-based electrode materials for supercapacitor applications play a key role in their electrochemical performance. In this study, hierarchically macroporous graphitic nanowebs (HM-GNWs) were prepared from bacterial cellulose by high-temperature heating at 2400 °C. The HM-GNWs were composed of well-developed graphitic nanobuilding blocks with a high aspect ratio, which was entangled as a nanoweb structure. The morphological and microstructural characteristics of the HM-GNWs resulted in remarkable charge storage performance. In particular, the HM-GNWs exhibited very fast charge storage behaviors at scan rates ranging from 5 to 100 V s-1, in which area capacitances ranging from 8.9 to 3.8 mF cm-2 were achieved. In addition, 97% capacitance retention was observed after long-term cycling for more than 1,000,000 cycles.

Nitrogen, Fluorine, and Boron Ternary Doped Carbon Fibers as Cathode Electrocatalysts for Zinc-Air Batteries.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Wang, Yueqing; Wu, Mingguang; Wei, Zengxi; Cui, Chunyu; Mao, Minglei; Zhang, Jintao; Han, Xiaopeng; Liu, Quanhui; Ma, Jianmin

2018-05-01

Zinc-air batteries with high-density energy are promising energy storage devices for the next generation of energy storage technologies. However, the battery performance is highly dependent on the efficiency of oxygen electrocatalyst in the air electrode. Herein, the N, F, and B ternary doped carbon fibers (TD-CFs) are prepared and exhibited higher catalytic properties via the efficient 4e - transfer mechanism for oxygen reduction in comparison with the single nitrogen doped CFs. More importantly, the primary and rechargeable Zn-air batteries using TD-CFs as air-cathode catalysts are constructed. When compared to batteries with Pt/C + RuO 2 and Vulcan XC-72 carbon black catalysts, the TD-CFs catalyzed batteries exhibit remarkable battery reversibility and stability over long charging/discharging cycles. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The vestibular system of the owl

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Money, K. E.; Correia, M. J.

1973-01-01

Five owls were given vestibular examinations, and two of them were sacrificed to provide serial histological sections of the temporal bones. The owls exhibited a curious variability in the postrotatory head nystagmus following abrupt deceleration; sometimes a brisk nystagnus with direction opposite to that appropriate to the stimulus would occur promptly after deceleration. It was found also that owls can exhibit a remarkable head stability during angular movement of the body about any axis passing through the skull. The vestibular apparatus in the owl is larger than in man, and a prominent crista neglecta is present. The tectorial membrane, the cupula, and the otolithic membranes of the utricle, saccule, and lagena are all attached to surfaces in addition to the surfaces hearing hair cells. These attachments are very substantial in the utricular otolithic membrane and in the cupula.

Co(II)-Doped Cd-MOF as an Efficient Water Oxidation Catalyst: Doubly Interpenetrated Boron Nitride Network with the Encapsulation of Free Ligand Containing Pyridine Moieties.

PubMed

Maity, Kartik; Bhunia, Kousik; Pradhan, Debabrata; Biradha, Kumar

2017-11-01

Development of an efficient and inexpensive water oxidation electrocatalyst using the earth-abundant elements is still far to go. Herein, a novel strategy has been demonstrated for developing the OER electrocatalyst by doping Co(II) in to a three-dimensional Cd-based MOF that contains a naked pyridine moieties in the form of uncoordinated ligand. Electrochemically active CoCd-MOF was resulted through the doping of Co(II) into the inactive Cd-MOF. CoCd-MOF exhibited very high catalytic activity in water oxidation reaction. An overpotential of 353 mV is required to produce an anodic current density of 1 mA/cm 2 under alkaline conditions. Further, the CoCd-MOF exhibits remarkable recyclability over 1000 cycles.

Driving self-assembly and emergent dynamics in colloidal suspensions by time-dependent magnetic fields

DOE PAGES

Martin, James E.; Snezhko, Alexey

2013-11-05

In this review we discuss recent research on driving self assembly of magnetic particle suspensions subjected to alternating magnetic fields. The variety of structures and effects that can be induced in such systems is remarkably broad due to the large number of variables involved. The alternating field can be uniaxial, biaxial or triaxial, the particles can be spherical or anisometric, and the suspension can be dispersed throughout a volume or confined to a soft interface. In the simplest case the field drives the static or quasi-static assembly of unusual particle structures, such as sheets, networks and open-cell foams. More complex,more » emergent collective behaviors evolve in systems that can follow the time-dependent field vector. In these cases energy is continuously injected into the system and striking °ow patterns and structures can arise. In fluid volumes these include the formation of advection and vortex lattices. At air-liquid and liquid-liquid interfaces striking dynamic particle assemblies emerge due to the particle-mediated coupling of the applied field to surface excitations. These out-of-equilibrium interface assemblies exhibit a number of remarkable phenomena, including self-propulsion and surface mixing. In addition to discussing various methods of driven self assembly in magnetic suspensions, some of the remarkable properties of these novel materials are described.« less

Volcanoes: effusions and explosions. Interactive exhibits to understand how volcanoes work.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nostro, C.; Freda, L.; Castellano, C.; Arcoraci, L.; Baroux, E.

2009-04-01

The Educational & Outreach Group (EOG) of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica & Vulcanologia created a portable museum to provide educational opportunities in volcanology, volcanic risk and Earth science for students and visitors. The EOG developed this project for the "Festival della Scienza", organized in Genoa, Italy, in October - November, 2007, which was a parade of over 200 events, including scientific and technological exhibitions, workshops, meetings, lectures, books and video presentations. In this museum visitors can successively see many posters and movies and play with interactive exhibits. A little 3D-movie shows the Big Bang, the formation of Solar System and, in particular the formation of the Earth. Many interactive exhibits illustrate why, where and when earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur around the world and allow to introduce the visitor to the plate tectonics theory. A 3D magnetic plate tectonic puzzle can be put down and reconstructed by visitors to understand the Earth's surface configuration. Then two other 3D Earth models show what drives the plates and the inner Earth structure. An interactive program illustrates where and when earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in accelerated time on maps of various areas around the world. Playing with a block diagram it is possible to produce an earthquake along a 1 meter long strike slip fault in a destroying all the man-made constructions close to it. A little movie introduces to volcanoes' world. Two small interactive exhibits allow visitors to understand the mechanism for the explosive and the effusive eruptions. Two other exciting interactive exhibits allow visitors to "create" two different eruptions: the explosive and the effusive ones. It is possible to get inside a volcano (a 2 meter high interactive exhibit) to attend an eruption from the magmatic chamber to the Earth surface. A big hall is completed dedicated to Italian volcanoes (Vesuvio, Campi Flegrei, Etna, Stromboli, Vulcano, Colli Albani); some of them are reproduced with 3D models or described by short movies. The museum finishes with the visit of the volcanic survey hall of Stromboli, seeing - in real time - seismic data, three different webcams, geochemical and strain data. The INGV Museum had remarkably successful, reaching more than 7,500 children and adults yet in 13 days, also thanks to 30 volcanologists as very special guides. The Educational & Outreach Group: M. Pignone, A. Tertulliani, M. De Lucia, M. Di Vito, P. Landi, P. Madonia, M. Martini, R. Nave, M. Neri, P. Scarlato, J. Taddeucci, R. Moschillo, S. Tarquini, G. Vilardo, A. Bonforte, L. Calderone, F. Cannavò, W. De Cesare, P. Ficeli, S. Inguaggiato, M. Mattia, G. Puglisi, S. Morici, D. Reitano, D. Richichi, G. Scarpato, B. Angioni, F. Di Laura, S. Palone, D. Riposati.

A regenerated electrochemical biosensor for label-free detection of glucose and urea based on conformational switch of i-motif oligonucleotide probe.

PubMed

Gao, Zhong Feng; Chen, Dong Mei; Lei, Jing Lei; Luo, Hong Qun; Li, Nian Bing

2015-10-15

Improving the reproducibility of electrochemical signal remains a great challenge over the past decades. In this work, i-motif oligonucleotide probe-based electrochemical DNA (E-DNA) sensor is introduced for the first time as a regenerated sensing platform, which enhances the reproducibility of electrochemical signal, for label-free detection of glucose and urea. The addition of glucose or urea is able to activate glucose oxidase-catalyzed or urease-catalyzed reaction, inducing or destroying the formation of i-motif oligonucleotide probe. The conformational switch of oligonucleotide probe can be recorded by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Thus, the difference of electron transfer resistance is utilized for the quantitative determination of glucose and urea. We further demonstrate that the E-DNA sensor exhibits high selectivity, excellent stability, and remarkable regenerated ability. The human serum analysis indicates that this simple and regenerated strategy holds promising potential in future biosensing applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diversity of immunoglobulin lambda light chain gene usage over developmental stages in the horse.

PubMed

Tallmadge, Rebecca L; Tseng, Chia T; Felippe, M Julia B

2014-10-01

To further studies of neonatal immune responses to pathogens and vaccination, we investigated the dynamics of B lymphocyte development and immunoglobulin (Ig) gene diversity. Previously we demonstrated that equine fetal Ig VDJ sequences exhibit combinatorial and junctional diversity levels comparable to those of adult Ig VDJ sequences. Herein, RACE clones from fetal, neonatal, foal, and adult lymphoid tissue were assessed for Ig lambda light chain combinatorial, junctional, and sequence diversity. Remarkably, more lambda variable genes (IGLV) were used during fetal life than later stages and IGLV gene usage differed significantly with time, in contrast to the Ig heavy chain. Junctional diversity measured by CDR3L length was constant over time. Comparison of Ig lambda transcripts to germline revealed significant increases in nucleotide diversity over time, even during fetal life. These results suggest that the Ig lambda light chain provides an additional dimension of diversity to the equine Ig repertoire. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inkjet Printing Based Mono-layered Photonic Crystal Patterning for Anti-counterfeiting Structural Colors.

PubMed

Nam, Hyunmoon; Song, Kyungjun; Ha, Dogyeong; Kim, Taesung

2016-08-04

Photonic crystal structures can be created to manipulate electromagnetic waves so that many studies have focused on designing photonic band-gaps for various applications including sensors, LEDs, lasers, and optical fibers. Here, we show that mono-layered, self-assembled photonic crystals (SAPCs) fabricated by using an inkjet printer exhibit extremely weak structural colors and multiple colorful holograms so that they can be utilized in anti-counterfeit measures. We demonstrate that SAPC patterns on a white background are covert under daylight, such that pattern detection can be avoided, but they become overt in a simple manner under strong illumination with smartphone flash light and/or on a black background, showing remarkable potential for anti-counterfeit techniques. Besides, we demonstrate that SAPCs yield different RGB histograms that depend on viewing angles and pattern densities, thus enhancing their cryptographic capabilities. Hence, the structural colorations designed by inkjet printers would not only produce optical holograms for the simple authentication of many items and products but also enable a high-secure anti-counterfeit technique.

Facile Synthesis of Wormhole-Like Mesoporous Tin Oxide via Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly and the Enhanced Gas-Sensing Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaoyu; Peng, Kang; Dou, Yewei; Chen, Jiasheng; Zhang, Yue; An, Gai

2018-01-01

Wormhole-like mesoporous tin oxide was synthesized via a facile evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method, and the gas-sensing properties were evaluated for different target gases. The effect of calcination temperature on gas-sensing properties of mesoporous tin oxide was investigated. The results demonstrate that the mesoporous tin oxide sensor calcined at 400 °C exhibits remarkable selectivity to ethanol vapors comparison with other target gases and has a good performance in the operating temperature and response/recovery time. This might be attributed to their high specific surface area and porous structure, which can provide more active sites and generate more chemisorbed oxygen spices to promote the diffusion and adsorption of gas molecules on the surface of the gas-sensing material. A possible formation mechanism of the mesoporous tin oxide and the enhanced gas-sensing mechanism are proposed. The mesoporous tin oxide shows prospective detecting application in the gas sensor fields.

The rice endophyte Harpophora oryzae genome reveals evolution from a pathogen to a mutualistic endophyte

PubMed Central

Xu, Xi-Hui; Su, Zhen-Zhu; Wang, Chen; Kubicek, Christian P.; Feng, Xiao-Xiao; Mao, Li-Juan; Wang, Jia-Ying; Chen, Chen; Lin, Fu-Cheng; Zhang, Chu-Long

2014-01-01

The fungus Harpophora oryzae is a close relative of the pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae and a beneficial endosymbiont of wild rice. Here, we show that H. oryzae evolved from a pathogenic ancestor. The overall genomic structures of H. and M. oryzae were found to be similar. However, during interactions with rice, the expression of 11.7% of all genes showed opposing trends in the two fungi, suggesting differences in gene regulation. Moreover, infection patterns, triggering of host defense responses, signal transduction and nutritional preferences exhibited remarkable differentiation between the two fungi. In addition, the H. oryzae genome was found to contain thousands of loci of transposon-like elements, which led to the disruption of 929 genes. Our results indicate that the gain or loss of orphan genes, DNA duplications, gene family expansions and the frequent translocation of transposon-like elements have been important factors in the evolution of this endosymbiont from a pathogenic ancestor. PMID:25048173

Chemomechanical synchronization in heterogeneous self-oscillating gels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yashin, Victor V.; Balazs, Anna C.

2008-04-01

Using computational modeling, we introduce patches of self-oscillating gels undergoing the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction into a nonreactive polymer network and thereby demonstrate how these BZ gels can be harnessed to impart remarkable functionality to the entire system. By first focusing on two adjacent patches of BZ gels, we show that the patches’ oscillations can become synchronized in phase or out of phase, with the oscillation frequency depending on the synchronization mode and the spatial separation between these domains. We then apply these results to an array of five adjacent BZ patches and by varying the distance between these pieces, we dramatically alter the dynamical behavior of the patterned gel. For example, the sample can be made to exhibit a unidirectional traveling wave or display a concerted expansion and contraction, properties that are valuable for creating gel-based devices, such as micropumps and microactuators. The findings point to a “modular” design approach, which can impart different functionality simply by arranging identical pieces of BZ gels into distinct spatial arrangements within a polymer matrix.

Development of crayfish bio-based plastic materials processed by small-scale injection moulding.

PubMed

Felix, Manuel; Romero, Alberto; Cordobes, Felipe; Guerrero, Antonio

2015-03-15

Protein has been investigated as a source for biodegradable polymeric materials. This work evaluates the development of plastic materials based on crayfish and glycerol blends, processed by injection moulding, as a fully biodegradable alternative to conventional polymer-based plastics. The effect of different additives, namely sodium sulfite or bisulfite as reducing agents, urea as denaturing agent and L-cysteine as cross-linking agent, is also analysed. The incorporation of any additive always yields an increase in energy efficiency at the mixing stage, but its effect on the mechanical properties of the bioplastics is not so clear, and even dampened. The additive developing a greater effect is L-cysteine, showing higher Young's modulus values and exhibiting a remnant thermosetting potential. Thus, processing at higher temperature yields a remarkable increase in extensibility. This work illustrates the feasibility of crayfish-based green biodegradable plastics, thereby contributing to the search for potential value-added applications for this by-product. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Laser surface melting of 10 wt% Mo alloyed hardfacing Stellite 12 plasma transferred arc deposits: Structural evolution and high temperature wear performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dilawary, Shaikh Asad Ali; Motallebzadeh, Amir; Afzal, Muhammad; Atar, Erdem; Cimenoglu, Huseyin

2018-05-01

Laser surface melting (LSM) process has been applied on the plasma transferred arc (PTA) deposited Stellite 12 and 10 wt% Mo alloyed Stellite 12 in this study. Following the LSM process, structural and mechanical property comparison of the LSM'ed surfaces has been made. Hardness of the LSM'ed surfaces was measured as 549 HV and 623 HV for the Stellite 12 and Stellite 12 + 10 wt% Mo deposits, respectively. Despite their different hardness and structural features, the LSM'ed surfaces exhibited similar tribological performance at room temperature (RT), where fatigue wear mechanism operates. However, the wear at 500 °C promotes tribo-oxide layer formation whose composition depended on the alloying with Mo. Thus, addition of 10 wt% Mo into Stellite 12 PTA deposit has remarkably enhanced the high temperature wear performance of the LSM'ed surface as a result of participation of complex oxide (CoMoO4) in tribo-oxide layer.

Cellular Cations Control Conformational Switching of Inositol Pyrophosphate Analogues

PubMed Central

Hager, Anastasia; Wu, Mingxuan; Wang, Huanchen; Brown, Nathaniel W.; Shears, Stephen B.

2016-01-01

The inositol pyrophosphate messengers (PP-InsPs) are emerging as an important class of cellular regulators. These molecules have been linked to numerous biological processes, including insulin secretion and cancer cell migration, but how they trigger such a wide range of cellular responses has remained unanswered in many cases. Here, we show that the PP-InsPs exhibit complex speciation behaviour and propose that a unique conformational switching mechanism could contribute to their multifunctional effects. We synthesised non-hydrolysable bisphosphonate analogues and crystallised the analogues in complex with mammalian PPIP5K2 kinase. Subsequently, the bisphosphonate analogues were used to investigate the protonation sequence, metal-coordination properties, and conformation in solution. Remarkably, the presence of potassium and magnesium ions enabled the analogues to adopt two different conformations near physiological pH. Understanding how the intrinsic chemical properties of the PP-InsPs can contribute to their complex signalling outputs will be essential to elucidate their regulatory functions. PMID:27460418

The YBa2Cu3O7- anomalous second peak and irreversible magnetic field in the magnetization hysteresis cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taoufik, A.; Ramzi, A.; Senoussi, S.; Labrag, A.

2004-05-01

The flux jumps, the second peak and the irreversible magnetic field in the magnetization hysteresis cycles have been investigated in the high temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7- single crystals. These cycles were obtained for different temperature values, the applied magnetic fields up to 6 T and the angle between the applied magnetic field and c-axis. The magnetization curves exhibit a remarkable second peak fishtail, this second peak was not observed for the low temperature, but we observed the flux jumps saw tooth. The temperature dependence of the irreversible magnetic field, Hirr, for the applied magnetic field perpendicular to the ab planes is given by an extended expression, Hirr α (1-T/Tc )α, where α is a constant, the Abrikosov flux dynamics can explain this behavior. The Hirr as a function of has been strongly influenced by the flux pinning and the thermally assisted flux motion.

Ship-bridge collision monitoring system based on flexible quantum tunneling composite with cushioning capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Qiaofeng; Han, Baoguo; Ou, Jinping

2018-07-01

In this paper, a ship-bridge collision monitoring system based on flexible quantum tunneling composite (QTC) with cushioning capability is proposed by investigating the sensing capability and positioning capability of QTC to collisions. QTCs with different rubber matrix and thickness were fabricated, and collision tests between steel ball and QTCs sensors were designed to simulate ship-bridge collision. The results show that QTCs have a sensing range over 50 MPa with stress resolution ranging between 0.017 and 0.13 MPa, enough to achieve the full-time monitoring of ship-bridge collision. The system has instant and repeatable respond to impact load, and can accurately position the collisions. Moreover, QTC can remarkably absorb the kinetic energy during collisions, exhibiting excellent cushioning capability. These findings indicate the proposed ship-bridge collision monitoring system has great potential for application to detecting collision information such as collision occurrence and duration, impact load and collision location, as well as providing basis for citizen evacuation, post-accident damage estimation and rescue strategy.

Electrochemical Performance of Glucose/Oxygen Biofuel Cells Based on Carbon Nanostructures.

PubMed

Koo, Min-Hye; Das, Gautam; Yoon, Hyon Hee

2016-03-01

The electrochemical performance of glucose/oxygen biofuel cells based on carbon nanostructures was investigated in the present study. Different types of carbon nanomaterials, including multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), functionalized MWCNT (f-MWCNT), carbon nanofibers (CNF), and functionalized CNF (f-CNF) were examined for electrode fabrications. The anode for glucose/oxygen biofuel cells were prepared by sequential coating of carbon nanomaterials, charge transfer complex (CTC), glucose oxidase (GOx) and nafion membrane. The anode was then integrated with a bilirubin oxidase-immobilized cathode for the biofuel cell test. It was found that the electrochemical performance of the enzyme electrodes was remarkably enhanced by the amalgamation of carbon nanomaterials with the CTC. The biofuel cell with anode comprising of f-CNF and the cathode with MWCNT exhibited the best electrochemical performance with a maximum power density of 210 μW/cm2 at a cell voltage of 0.44 V for 20 mM glucose concentration, which is comparable with the best power density value reported earlier.

Inkjet Printing Based Mono-layered Photonic Crystal Patterning for Anti-counterfeiting Structural Colors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nam, Hyunmoon; Song, Kyungjun; Ha, Dogyeong; Kim, Taesung

2016-08-01

Photonic crystal structures can be created to manipulate electromagnetic waves so that many studies have focused on designing photonic band-gaps for various applications including sensors, LEDs, lasers, and optical fibers. Here, we show that mono-layered, self-assembled photonic crystals (SAPCs) fabricated by using an inkjet printer exhibit extremely weak structural colors and multiple colorful holograms so that they can be utilized in anti-counterfeit measures. We demonstrate that SAPC patterns on a white background are covert under daylight, such that pattern detection can be avoided, but they become overt in a simple manner under strong illumination with smartphone flash light and/or on a black background, showing remarkable potential for anti-counterfeit techniques. Besides, we demonstrate that SAPCs yield different RGB histograms that depend on viewing angles and pattern densities, thus enhancing their cryptographic capabilities. Hence, the structural colorations designed by inkjet printers would not only produce optical holograms for the simple authentication of many items and products but also enable a high-secure anti-counterfeit technique.

Learning to classify wakes from local sensory information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsalman, Mohamad; Colvert, Brendan; Kanso, Eva; Kanso Team

2017-11-01

Aquatic organisms exhibit remarkable abilities to sense local flow signals contained in their fluid environment and to surmise the origins of these flows. For example, fish can discern the information contained in various flow structures and utilize this information for obstacle avoidance and prey tracking. Flow structures created by flapping and swimming bodies are well characterized in the fluid dynamics literature; however, such characterization relies on classical methods that use an external observer to reconstruct global flow fields. The reconstructed flows, or wakes, are then classified according to the unsteady vortex patterns. Here, we propose a new approach for wake identification: we classify the wakes resulting from a flapping airfoil by applying machine learning algorithms to local flow information. In particular, we simulate the wakes of an oscillating airfoil in an incoming flow, extract the downstream vorticity information, and train a classifier to learn the different flow structures and classify new ones. This data-driven approach provides a promising framework for underwater navigation and detection in application to autonomous bio-inspired vehicles.

Infergen Stimulated Macrophages Restrict Mycobacterium tuberculosis Growth by Autophagy and Release of Nitric Oxide

PubMed Central

Pahari, Susanta; Khan, Nargis; Aqdas, Mohammad; Negi, Shikha; Kaur, Jagdeep; Agrewala, Javed N.

2016-01-01

IFN alfacon-1 (Infergen) is a synthetic form of Interferon (IFN)-α2b. Infergen has immunomodulatory activity and is effective against hepatitis C virus. However, the effect of Infergen (IFG) on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has not yet been reported. Therefore, for the first time, we have studied the influence of IFG in constraining the survival of Mtb in human macrophages. We observed that IFG significantly enhanced the maturation and activation of macrophages. Further, it substantially augmented the secretion of IL-6, nitric oxide (NO) and antigen uptake. Moreover, macrophages exhibited remarkably higher bactericidal activity, as evidenced by reduction in the Mtb growth. Infergen-mediated mechanism was different from the type-1 interferons; since it worked through the activation of NF-κB, phosphorylation of STAT-3 and Akt-PI3K that improved the bactericidal activity through autophagy and NO release. In future, IFG immunotherapy can be a novel strategy for treating patients and controlling TB. PMID:28000752

Realization of Both High-Performance and Enhanced Durability of Fuel Cells: Pt-Exoskeleton Structure Electrocatalysts.

PubMed

Kim, Ok-Hee; Cho, Yoon-Hwan; Jeon, Tae-Yeol; Kim, Jung Won; Cho, Yong-Hun; Sung, Yung-Eun

2015-07-01

Core-shell structure nanoparticles have been the subject of many studies over the past few years and continue to be studied as electrocatalysts for fuel cells. Therefore, many excellent core-shell catalysts have been fabricated, but few studies have reported the real application of these catalysts in a practical device actual application. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of platinum (Pt)-exoskeleton structure nanoparticles as cathode catalysts with high stability and remarkable Pt mass activity and report the outstanding performance of these materials when used in membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) within a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. The stability and degradation characteristics of these materials were also investigated in single cells in an accelerated degradation test using load cycling, which is similar to the drive cycle of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell used in vehicles. The MEAs with Pt-exoskeleton structure catalysts showed enhanced performance throughout the single cell test and exhibited improved degradation ability that differed from that of a commercial Pt/C catalyst.

Scent of a queen—cuticular hydrocarbons specific for female reproductives in lower termites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weil, Tobias; Hoffmann, Katharina; Kroiss, Johannes; Strohm, Erhard; Korb, Judith

2009-02-01

In social insects, it is assumed that signals of the queen inform nestmates about her reproductive status. Thus, workers forego their own reproduction if the queen signals high fertility. In hemimetabolous termites, little is known about reproductive inhibition, but evidence exists for a royal-pair control. Workers of lower termites exhibit a high developmental flexibility and are potentially able to become reproductives, but the presence of a fertile reproductive restrains them from reaching sexual maturity. The nature of this control, however, remains unknown. Here, we report on qualitative differences in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles between queens and workers of the basal drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus. Queens were characterized by a shift to long-chained and branched hydrocarbons. Most remarkably, similar chemical patterns are regarded as fertility cues of reproductives in social Hymenoptera. This might suggest that both groups of social insects convergently evolved similar chemical signatures. The present study provides deeper insights into how termites might have socially exploited these signatures from sexual communication in their cockroach-like ancestor.

Digital image analysis of fingernail colour in cadavers comparing carbon monoxide poisoning to controls.

PubMed

Langlois, Neil E I

2010-03-01

Carbon monoxide is a component of motor vehicle exhaust fumes, provided a functional catalytic converter is not present. This gas binds avidly to the hemoglobin molecule in red blood cells preventing its oxygen transport function, effectively poisoning the body by starving it of oxygen. In binding to hemoglobin, carbon monoxide forms carboxyhemoglobin, which has a characteristic bright pink color. It has been remarked that the fingernails of victims of carbon monoxide tend to exhibit pink color, otherwise fingernails of deceased bodies tend towards a dark red to blue color. This study sought to objectively determine by using digital image analysis if a color difference occurred between the fingernails of a group of cadavers with carbon monoxide poisoning compared to a group of controls. The fingernails of the carbon monoxide group did tend to be more red than the controls, but due to overlap between the two groups assessment of the fingernails cannot be recommended as a rapid screening test.

Strong mechanically induced effects in DC current-biased suspended Josephson junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDermott, Thomas; Deng, Hai-Yao; Isacsson, Andreas; Mariani, Eros

2018-01-01

Superconductivity is a result of quantum coherence at macroscopic scales. Two superconductors separated by a metallic or insulating weak link exhibit the AC Josephson effect: the conversion of a DC voltage bias into an AC supercurrent. This current may be used to activate mechanical oscillations in a suspended weak link. As the DC-voltage bias condition is remarkably difficult to achieve in experiments, here we analyze theoretically how the Josephson effect can be exploited to activate and detect mechanical oscillations in the experimentally relevant condition with purely DC current bias. We unveil how changing the strength of the electromechanical coupling results in two qualitatively different regimes showing dramatic effects of the oscillations on the DC-voltage characteristic of the device. These include the appearance of Shapiro-type plateaus for weak coupling and a sudden mechanically induced retrapping for strong coupling. Our predictions, measurable in state-of-the-art experimental setups, allow the determination of the frequency and quality factor of the resonator using DC only techniques.

Effect of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seed extract on stability of olive oil.

PubMed

Özcan, Mehmet Musa; Al Juhaimi, Fahad

2015-02-01

In this study, the antioxidant effect of date (Phoenix dactylifera L., Arecaceae) seed extracts at different concentrations (0.5 %, 1.0 % and 1.5 %) on the oxidative stability of olive oil at 60 °C was determined. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) was used as positive control in the experiment. All extracts exhibited antioxidant activity compared to BHA up to 21 days. When antioxidant effect of extract concentrations were compared with BHA, the effect of 0.5 % extract concentration was more remarkable for olive oil up to 21 days. After 14 days of assay, all of seed extracts was effective at 60 °C in comparison with control. On the other hand, an important increase was observed in both the peroxide and free fatty acidity values during the experiment period. It concluded that date seed extract could be used as a oxidative inhibitor agent in oil and oil products.

The limitation and applicability of Musher-Sturman equation to two dimensional lower hybrid wave collapse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tam, Sunny W. Y.; Chang, Tom

1995-01-01

The existence of localized regions of intense lower hybrid waves in the auroral ionosphere recently observed by rocket and satellite experiments can be understood by the study of a non-linear two-timescale coupling process. In this Letter, we demonstrate that the leading non-linear term in the standard Musher-Sturman equation vanishes identically in strict two-dimensions (normal to the magnetic field). Instead, the new two-dimensional equation is characterized by a much weaker non-linear term which arises from the ponderomotive force perpendicular to the magnetic field, particularly that due to the ions. The old and new equations are compared by means of time-evolution calculations of wave fields. The results exhibit a remarkable difference in the evolution of the waves as governed by the two equations. Such dissimilar outcomes motivate our investigation of the limitation of Musher-Sturman equation in quasi-two-dimensions. Only within all these limits can Musher-Sturman equation adequately describe the collapse of lower hybrid waves.

Robustness of chimera states in complex dynamical systems

PubMed Central

Yao, Nan; Huang, Zi-Gang; Lai, Ying-Cheng; Zheng, Zhi-Gang

2013-01-01

The remarkable phenomenon of chimera state in systems of non-locally coupled, identical oscillators has attracted a great deal of recent theoretical and experimental interests. In such a state, different groups of oscillators can exhibit characteristically distinct types of dynamical behaviors, in spite of identity of the oscillators. But how robust are chimera states against random perturbations to the structure of the underlying network? We address this fundamental issue by studying the effects of random removal of links on the probability for chimera states. Using direct numerical calculations and two independent theoretical approaches, we find that the likelihood of chimera state decreases with the probability of random-link removal. A striking finding is that, even when a large number of links are removed so that chimera states are deemed not possible, in the state space there are generally both coherent and incoherent regions. The regime of chimera state is a particular case in which the oscillators in the coherent region happen to be synchronized or phase-locked. PMID:24343533

Renormalization-group theory for finite-size scaling in extreme statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Györgyi, G.; Moloney, N. R.; Ozogány, K.; Rácz, Z.; Droz, M.

2010-04-01

We present a renormalization-group (RG) approach to explain universal features of extreme statistics applied here to independent identically distributed variables. The outlines of the theory have been described in a previous paper, the main result being that finite-size shape corrections to the limit distribution can be obtained from a linearization of the RG transformation near a fixed point, leading to the computation of stable perturbations as eigenfunctions. Here we show details of the RG theory which exhibit remarkable similarities to the RG known in statistical physics. Besides the fixed points explaining universality, and the least stable eigendirections accounting for convergence rates and shape corrections, the similarities include marginally stable perturbations which turn out to be generic for the Fisher-Tippett-Gumbel class. Distribution functions containing unstable perturbations are also considered. We find that, after a transitory divergence, they return to the universal fixed line at the same or at a different point depending on the type of perturbation.

Functionalization of gold nanoparticles as antidiabetic nanomaterial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatachalam, M.; Govindaraju, K.; Mohamed Sadiq, A.; Tamilselvan, S.; Ganesh Kumar, V.; Singaravelu, G.

2013-12-01

In the present investigation, functionalization of gold nanoparticles synthesized using propanoic acid 2-(3-acetoxy-4,4,14-trimethylandrost-8-en-17-yl) (PAT) an active biocomponent isolated from Cassia auriculata is studied in detail. On reaction of PAT with aqueous HAuCl4, rapid formation of stable gold nanoparticles was achieved. Formation of gold nanoparticles was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy, XRD, GC-MS, FTIR, TEM and SEM with EDAX. Gold nanoparticles mostly were monodisperse, spherical in shape and ranged in size 12-41 nm. Gold nanoparticles synthesised using PAT was administered to alloxan (150 mg/kg body weight) induced diabetic male albino rats at different doses (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 mg/kg body weight) for 28 days. Plasma glucose level, cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly (p < 0.001) reduced in experimental animals treated with gold nanoparticles at dosage of 0.5 mg/kg body weight and plasma insulin increased significantly. The newly genre green gold nanoparticles exhibit remarkable protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitory activity.

Fabrication and Characterization of Large-Area Unpatterned and Patterned Plasmonic Gold Nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Do, Minh Thanh; Tong, Quang Cong; Luong, Mai Hoang; Lidiak, Alexander; Ledoux-Rak, Isabelle; Lai, Ngoc Diep

2016-05-01

We report fabrication of Au nanoisland films on different substrates by thermally annealing a sputtered Au nanolayer and investigation of their structure, morphology, and optical properties. It was found that high-temperature annealing leads to transformation of the initial, continuous film into the forms of hillock and isolated island film. The final nanoisland films exhibit remarkably enhanced and localized plasmon resonance spectra with respect to the original sputtered film. The strong dependence of the resonance band spectra of the resulting structures on the annealing temperature and supporting substrate is presented and analyzed, suggesting that both of these factors could be used to tune the optical spectroscopic properties of such structures. Moreover, we propose and demonstrate a novel and effective approach for fabrication of patterned Au structures by thermally annealing the Au layer deposited onto modulated-surface substrates. The experimental results indicate that this method could become a promising approach for manufacturing plasmonic array structures, which have been extensively investigated and widely applied in many fields.

Magnetorheology of dimorphic magnetorheological fluids based on nanofibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bombard, Antonio J. F.; Gonçalves, Flavia R.; Morillas, Jose R.; de Vicente, Juan

2014-12-01

We report a systematic experimental investigation on the use of nanofibers to enhance the magnetorheological (MR) effect in conventional (microsphere-based) MR fluids formulated in polyalphaolefin oil/1-octanol. Two kinds of nanofibers are employed that have very similar morphology but very different magnetic properties. On the one hand we use non-magnetic goethite nanofibers. On the other hand we employ magnetic chromium dioxide nanofibers. For appropriate concentrations the on-state relative yield stress increases up to 80% when incorporating the nanofibers in the formulation. A similar yield stress enhancement is found for both nanofibers investigated (magnetic and non-magnetic) suggesting that the main factor behind this MR enhancement is the particle shape anisotropy. The relative yield stresses obtained by partial substitution of carbonyl iron particles with nanofibers are significantly larger than those measured in previous works on MR fluids formulated by partial substitution with non-magnetic micronsized spherical particles. We also demonstrate that these dimorphic MR fluids also exhibit remarkably larger long-term sedimentation stability while keeping the same penetration and redispersibility characteristics.

Site-specific Installation and Study of Electroactive Units in Every Layer of Dendrons

PubMed Central

Azagarsamy, Malar A.; Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam; Sivanandan, Kulandaivelu; Thayumanavan, S.

2009-01-01

While encapsulation of functional groups at the core of dendrimers is well-understood, very little is known about their intermediate layers or even the periphery. Here we report on a systematic investigation of every layer of dendrimers by incorporating a single ferrocene unit in well-defined locations in dendrons. Site-specific incorporation of the ferrocene unit was achieved utilizing the dendrimer sequencing methodology. We show here that the redox potential values of ferrocene at intermediate layers were remarkably different from that at the core and the periphery. While redox potential values were location-dependent, no significant change in the rate of heterogeneous electron transfer (k0) was observed with respect to locations. This was attributed to the possibility that free rotation of dendrimer nullifies the distance between the electrode and ferrocene unit. Finally, we also show that no Faradaic current was observed for the amphiphilic assemblies of these dendrons, while the same dendron did exhibit significant Faradaic current in non-assembling solvent environments. PMID:19905006

Low trap states in in situ SiN{sub x}/AlN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor structures grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, Xing; Ma, Jun; Jiang, Huaxing

2014-09-08

We report the use of SiN{sub x} grown in situ by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition as the gate dielectric for AlN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures. Two kinds of trap states with different time constants were identified and characterized. In particular, the SiN{sub x}/AlN interface exhibits remarkably low trap state densities in the range of 10{sup 11}–10{sup 12 }cm{sup −2}eV{sup −1}. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses revealed that the in situ SiN{sub x} layer can provide excellent passivation without causing chemical degradation to the AlN surface. These results imply the great potential of in situ SiN{sub x} as an effectivemore » gate dielectric for AlN/GaN MIS devices.« less

Electrochemical Determination of Baicalin in Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on the Enhancement Effect of MoO3-Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Weibing; Zhang, Wen; Wang, Meng; Feng, Fu

2018-02-01

The nanocomposites of MoO3-reduced graphene oxide (MoO3-RGO) were synthesized by hydrothermal reduction using MoCl5 and graphene oxide as precursors. The resulting composites were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and Raman spectra, and were further used to modify the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). After optimizing the parameters, the electrochemical behavior of baicalin on different types of electrodes was investigated. The MoO3-RGO composite-modified GCE exhibited remarkably enhanced electrochemical signals of baicalin. After 90 s, under open circuit potential, oxidation and reduction peaks appeared at 0.207 V and 0.103 V, respectively. A sensitive and simple electrochemical method was proposed for the determination of baicalin in which the calibration curve ranges from 1.0 × 10-9 M to 4.3 × 10-5 M, and the detection limit is 3.81 × 10-10 M.

The flaring activity of Markarian 421 during April 2000

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fegan, D. J.; VERITAS Collaboration

2001-08-01

Evidence for correlated TeV γ and X-ray flaring of the extreme blazar Mrk421 during April 2000 is presented and discussed. The remarkably persistent TeV flare of April 30th 2000 (40 σ significance), exhibiting structure over almost six hours of continuous observation, is analysed in detail. 1 Extreme BL Lac objects The most extreme members of the Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) family are BL Lac objects and optically violently variable (OVV) quasars, collectively known as blazars. These objects are dominated by the presence of relativistic jets. For jets fortuitously aligned with an observers line of sight, emission may exhibit dramatic variability over very short time scales, in turn implying remarkably compact emission regions. For blazars, the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) is dominated by non-thermal continuum emission, extending from radio to TeV gamma rays. The broadband nature of the blazar emission offers unique insights into energetic physical processes at work in a very compact region, close to the base of the jet and near the underlying central engine, most likely a supermassive black hole. BL Lacs are very effectively characterized on the basis of their SED shape. X-ray and radio flux limited surveys apear to display a bimodal distribution of properties, with LBL (Low-energy peaked, or "Red" BL Lacs) having synchrotron peaks in the IR-optical bands, and HBL (High-energy peaked, or "Blue" BL Lacs) in the UV to soft X-ray band. Recent comprehensive surveys such as DXRBS, REX and RGB have extended, by almost two orders of magnitude, the range of observable synchrotron peak frequencies. For blazar class objects, broadband emission confirms that the synchrotron peak may span the entire IR Xray range, thus accounting for the multi-frequency emission properties of this class of object. Mrk421, Mrk501, 1ES2344 and 1H1426 all exhibit broadband emission properties, high

Light microscopic detection of sugar residues in glycoconjugates of salivary glands and the pancreas with lectin-horseradish peroxidase conjugates. I. Mouse.

PubMed

Schulte, B A; Spicer, S S

1983-12-01

Mouse salivary glands and pancreases were stained with a battery of ten horseradish peroxidase-conjugated lectins. Lectin staining revealed striking differences in the structure of oligosaccharides of stored intracellular secretory glycoproteins and glycoconjugates associated with the surface of epithelial cells lining excretory ducts. The percentage of acinar cells containing terminal alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine residues varied greatly in submandibular glands of 30 male mice, but all submandibular acinar cells contained oligosaccharides with terminal sialic acid and penultimate beta-galactose residues. The last named dimer was abundant in secretory glycoprotein of all mucous acinar cells in murine sublingual glands and an additional 20-50% of these cells in all glands contained terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues. In contrast, terminal alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine was abundant in sublingual serous demilune secretions. Serous acinar cells in the exorbital lacrimal gland, posterior lingual gland, parotid gland and pancreas exhibited a staining pattern unique to each organ. In contrast, the apical cytoplasm and surface of striated duct epithelial cells in the submandibular, sublingual, parotid and exorbital lacrimal gland stained similarly. A comparison of staining with conjugated lectins reported biochemically to have very similar carbohydrate binding specificity has revealed some remarkable differences in their reactivity, suggesting different binding specificity for the same terminal sugars having different glycosidic linkages or with different penultimate sugar residues.

Understanding how animal groups achieve coordinated movement.

PubMed

Herbert-Read, J E

2016-10-01

Moving animal groups display remarkable feats of coordination. This coordination is largely achieved when individuals adjust their movement in response to their neighbours' movements and positions. Recent advancements in automated tracking technologies, including computer vision and GPS, now allow researchers to gather large amounts of data on the movements and positions of individuals in groups. Furthermore, analytical techniques from fields such as statistical physics now allow us to identify the precise interaction rules used by animals on the move. These interaction rules differ not only between species, but also between individuals in the same group. These differences have wide-ranging implications, affecting how groups make collective decisions and driving the evolution of collective motion. Here, I describe how trajectory data can be used to infer how animals interact in moving groups. I give examples of the similarities and differences in the spatial and directional organisations of animal groups between species, and discuss the rules that animals use to achieve this organisation. I then explore how groups of the same species can exhibit different structures, and ask whether this results from individuals adapting their interaction rules. I then examine how the interaction rules between individuals in the same groups can also differ, and discuss how this can affect ecological and evolutionary processes. Finally, I suggest areas of future research. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Benjamin P. Flower (1962-2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hastings, David W.; Shevenell, Amelia E.; Kennett, James P.

2012-10-01

Benjamin P. Flower, a gifted paleoceanographer and marine geologist, supportive colleague, and dedicated educator at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Marine Science (CMS) passed away on 1 July 2012 from complications related to a rare genetic immune dysfunction, Common Variable Immunodeficiency. He was 49 years old. During his brief illness, Ben's love of life and boundless high spirits were an inspiration to his family, friends, and colleagues. He exhibited remarkable courage and kept his sense of humor in face of adversity. Ben's intellectualism and enduring love of science remained intact, even in his last hours.

Oscillatory persistent currents in self-assembled quantum rings.

PubMed

Kleemans, N A J M; Bominaar-Silkens, I M A; Fomin, V M; Gladilin, V N; Granados, D; Taboada, A G; García, J M; Offermans, P; Zeitler, U; Christianen, P C M; Maan, J C; Devreese, J T; Koenraad, P M

2007-10-05

We report the direct measurement of the persistent current carried by a single electron by means of magnetization experiments on self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum rings. We measured the first Aharonov-Bohm oscillation at a field of 14 T, in perfect agreement with our model based on the structural properties determined by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. The observed oscillation magnitude of the magnetic moment per electron is remarkably large for the topology of our nanostructures, which are singly connected and exhibit a pronounced shape asymmetry.

Small-bandgap polymer solar cells with unprecedented short-circuit current density and high fill factor.

PubMed

Choi, Hyosung; Ko, Seo-Jin; Kim, Taehyo; Morin, Pierre-Olivier; Walker, Bright; Lee, Byoung Hoon; Leclerc, Mario; Kim, Jin Young; Heeger, Alan J

2015-06-03

Small-bandgap polymer solar cells (PSCs) with a thick bulk heterojunction film of 340 nm exhibit high power conversion efficiencies of 9.40% resulting from high short-circuit current density (JSC ) of 20.07 mA cm(-2) and fill factor of 0.70. This remarkable efficiency is attributed to maximized light absorption by the thick active layer and minimized recombination by the optimized lateral and vertical morphology through the processing additive. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

New poly(butylene succinate)/layered silicate nanocomposites: preparation and mechanical properties.

PubMed

Ray, Suprakas Sinha; Okamoto, Kazuaki; Maiti, Pralay; Okamoto, Masami

2002-04-01

New poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/layered silicate nanocomposites have been successfully prepared by simple melt extrusion of PBS and octadecylammonium modified montmorillonite (C18-mmt) at 150 degrees C. The d-spacing of both C18-mmt and intercalated nanocomposites was investigated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction analysis. Bright-field transmission electron microscopic study showed several stacked silicate layers with random orientation in the PBS matrix. The intercalated nanocomposites exhibited remarkable improvement of mechanical properties in both solid and melt states as compared with that of PBS matrix without clay.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of febrifugine analogues.

PubMed

Mai, Huong Doan Thi; Thanh, Giang Vo; Tran, Van Hieu; Vu, Van Nam; Vu, Van Loi; Le, Cong Vinh; Nguyen, Thuy Linh; Phi, Thi Dao; Truong, Bich Ngan; Chau, Van Minh; Pham, Van Cuong

2014-12-01

A series of febrifugine analogues were designed and synthesized. Antimalarial activity evaluation of the synthetic compounds indicated that these derivatives had a strong inhibition against both chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Many of them were found to be more active than febrifugine hydrochloride. The tested analogues had also a significant cytotoxicity against four cancer cell lines (KB, MCF7, LU1 and HepG2). Among the synthetic analogues, two compounds 17b and 17h displayed a moderate cytotoxicity while they exhibited a remarkable antimalarial activity.

Green-emitting MADF complex for OLED applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimes, Kody; Zhu, Zhi-Qiang; Holloway, Sean; Li, Jian

2016-09-01

In this article, we demonstrated an exceptional palladium complex that exhibits both phosphorescence and delayed fluorescence for use as an efficient emitter in OLEDs. Devices employing PdN3N achieved external quantum efficiencies in excess of 22% and remarkable device operational lifetime to 90% initial luminance estimated at over 30,000 h at a practical luminance of 100 cd/m2. Further tuning of the phosphorescent and delayed fluorescent emission should have a great impact in the development of efficient and stable emitters for deep blue or white OLEDs.

Fractional Brownian motors and stochastic resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goychuk, Igor; Kharchenko, Vasyl

2012-05-01

We study fluctuating tilt Brownian ratchets based on fractional subdiffusion in sticky viscoelastic media characterized by a power law memory kernel. Unlike the normal diffusion case, the rectification effect vanishes in the adiabatically slow modulation limit and optimizes in a driving frequency range. It is shown also that the anomalous rectification effect is maximal (stochastic resonance effect) at optimal temperature and can be of surprisingly good quality. Moreover, subdiffusive current can flow in the counterintuitive direction upon a change of temperature or driving frequency. The dependence of anomalous transport on load exhibits a remarkably simple universality.

Negative Compressibility and Inverse Problem for Spinning Gas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vasily Geyko and Nathaniel J. Fisch

2013-01-11

A spinning ideal gas in a cylinder with a smooth surface is shown to have unusual properties. First, under compression parallel to the axis of rotation, the spinning gas exhibits negative compressibility because energy can be stored in the rotation. Second, the spinning breaks the symmetry under which partial pressures of a mixture of gases simply add proportional to the constituent number densities. Thus, remarkably, in a mixture of spinning gases, an inverse problem can be formulated such that the gas constituents can be determined through external measurements only.

Synthesis and Insecticidal Activity of Mesoionic Pyrido[1,2-α]pyrimidinone Derivatives Containing a Neonicotinoid Moiety.

PubMed

Pan, Jianke; Yu, Lu; Liu, Dengyue; Hu, Deyu

2018-05-19

Mesoionic pyrido[1,2-α]pyrimidinone derivatives containing a neonicotinoid moiety were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their insecticidal activity. Some of the title compounds showed remarkable insecticidal properties against Aphis craccivora . Compound I13 exhibited satisfactory insecticidal activity against A. craccivora . Meanwhile, label-free proteomics analysis of compound I13 treatment identified a total of 821 proteins. Of these, 35 proteins were up-regulated, whereas 108 proteins were down-regulated. Differential expressions of these proteins reflected a change in cellular structure and metabolism.

Electrochemistry in hollow-channel paper analytical devices.

PubMed

Renault, Christophe; Anderson, Morgan J; Crooks, Richard M

2014-03-26

In the present article we provide a detailed analysis of fundamental electrochemical processes in a new class of paper-based analytical devices (PADs) having hollow channels (HCs). Voltammetry and amperometry were applied under flow and no flow conditions yielding reproducible electrochemical signals that can be described by classical electrochemical theory as well as finite-element simulations. The results shown here provide new and quantitative insights into the flow within HC-PADs. The interesting new result is that despite their remarkable simplicity these HC-PADs exhibit electrochemical and hydrodynamic behavior similar to that of traditional microelectrochemical devices.

S193: another non-eclipsing SW Sex star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez-Pais, I. G.; Rodríguez-Gil, P.; Casares, J.

1999-05-01

We present time-resolved optical spectroscopy of the cataclysmic variable S193. The emission lines are remarkably similar to those of V795 Her and exhibit high-velocity S-waves and complex absorptions that are modulated with the orbital period. Evidence for transient anomalous spectral features is seen during the first two nights of our run. We propose that S193 and V795 Her are non-eclipsing SW Sex stars. Finally, we show that the `disc overflow' model fails to explain the Balmer line orbital behaviour in these low-inclination systems.

Caroline Crachami, the Sicilian Fairy: a case of bird-headed dwarfism.

PubMed

Bondeson, J

1992-09-15

One of the most remarkable cases of extreme dwarfism on record is Caroline Crachami, the Sicilian Fairy. She was born in 1815, and was taken to London to be exhibited for money in 1824. Due to her proportional dwarfism, severe intrauterine growth retardation, and typical "bird-headed" profile, Caroline Crachami has by some been diagnosed as a case of the autosomal recessive Seckel syndrome. In this historical vignette, the Sicilian Fairy's life and death are presented in some detail using new material, and the problem of her correct diagnosis is discussed.

Scaling of F-actin network rheology to probe single filament elasticity and dynamics.

PubMed

Gardel, M L; Shin, J H; MacKintosh, F C; Mahadevan, L; Matsudaira, P A; Weitz, D A

2004-10-29

The linear and nonlinear viscoelastic response of networks of cross-linked and bundled cytoskeletal filaments demonstrates remarkable scaling with both frequency and applied prestress, which helps elucidate the origins of the viscoelasticity. The frequency dependence of the shear modulus reflects the underlying single-filament relaxation dynamics for 0.1-10 rad/sec. Moreover, the nonlinear strain stiffening of such networks exhibits a universal form as a function of prestress; this is quantitatively explained by the full force-extension relation of single semiflexible filaments.

Electroacupuncture improves cerebral blood flow and attenuates moderate ischemic injury via Angiotensin II its receptors-mediated mechanism in rats.

PubMed

Li, Jing; He, Jiaojun; Du, Yuanhao; Cui, Jingjun; Ma, Ying; Zhang, Xuezhu

2014-11-11

To investigate the effects and potential mechanism of electroacupuncture intervention on expressions of Angiotensin II and its receptors-mediated signaling pathway in experimentally induced cerebral ischemia. Totally 126 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, model group and EA group. The latter two were further divided into ten subgroups (n = 6) following Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO). Changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and expressions of Angiotensin II and its receptors (AT1R, AT2R), as well as effector proteins in phosphatidyl inositol signal pathway were monitored before and at different times after MCAO. MCAO-induced decline of ipsilateral rCBF was partially suppressed by electroacupuncture, and contralateral blood flow was also superior to that of model group. Angiotensin II level was remarkably elevated immediately after MCAO, while electroacupuncture group exhibited significantly lower levels at 1 to 3 h and the value was significantly increased thereafter. The enhanced expression of AT1R was partially inhibited by electroacupuncture, while increased AT2R level was further induced. Electroacupuncture stimulation attenuated and postponed the upregulated-expressions of Gq and CaM these upregulations. ELISA results showed sharply increased expressions of DAG and IP3, which were remarkably neutralized by electroacupuncture. MCAO induced significant increases in expression of Angiotensin II and its receptor-mediated signal pathway. These enhanced expressions were significantly attenuated by electroacupuncture intervention, followed by reduced vasoconstriction and improved blood supply in ischemic region, and ultimately conferred beneficial effects on cerebral ischemia.

Lipoglycopeptide Antibacterial Agents in Gram-Positive Infections: A Comparative Review.

PubMed

Van Bambeke, Françoise

2015-12-01

Oritavancin, telavancin, and dalbavancin are recently marketed lipoglycopeptides that exhibit remarkable differences to conventional molecules. While dalbavancin inhibits the late stages of peptidoglycan synthesis by mainly impairing transglycosylase activity, oritavancin and telavancin anchor in the bacterial membrane by the lipophilic side chain linked to their disaccharidic moiety, disrupting membrane integrity and causing bacteriolysis. Oritavancin keeps activity against vancomycin-resistant enterocococci, being a stronger inhibitor of transpeptidase than of transglycosylase activity. These molecules have potent activity against Gram-positive organisms, most notably staphylococci (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and to some extent vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus), streptococci (including multidrug-resistant pneumococci), and Clostridia. All agents are indicated for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, and telavancin, for hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia. While telavancin is administered daily at 10 mg/kg, the remarkably long half-lives of oritavancin and dalbavancin allow for infrequent dosing (single dose of 1200 mg for oritavancin and 1000 mg at day 1 followed by 500 mg at day 8 for dalbavancin), which could be exploited in the future for outpatient therapy. Among possible safety issues evidenced during clinical development were an increased risk of developing osteomyelitis with oritavancin; taste disturbance, nephrotoxicity, and risk of corrected QT interval prolongation (especially in the presence of at-risk co-medications) with telavancin; and elevation of hepatic enzymes with dalbavancin. Interference with coagulation tests has been reported with oritavancin and telavancin. These drugs proved non-inferior to conventional treatments in clinical trials but their advantages may be better evidenced upon future evaluation in more severe infections.

Immunohistochemical demonstration of keratins in the epidermal layers of the Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica), with remarks on the evolution of the integumental scale armour.

PubMed

Meyer, W; Liumsiricharoen, M; Suprasert, A; Fleischer, L G; Hewicker-Trautwein, M

2013-09-16

Using immunohistochemistry, the study demonstrates the distribution of keratins (pan-keratin with CK1-8, 10, 14-16, 19; keratins CK1, 5, 6, 9, 10; hair keratins AE13, AE14) in the epidermis of the Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica). A varying reaction spectrum was observed for pan-keratin, with body region-dependent negative to very strong reaction intensities. The dorsolateral epidermis exhibited positive reactions only in its vital layers, whereas the abdominal epidermis showed strong positive reactions in the soft two outer strata. The single acidic and basic-to-neutral (cyto)keratins produced clear variations compared to the pan-keratin tinging. E.g., CK1 appeared in all epidermal layers of both body regions, except for the ventral stratum corneum, whereas CK5, 6, 9, 10 were restricted to the soft ventral epidermis. Here, distinctly positive reactions were confined to the stratum granulosum, except for CK6 that appeared in the soft stratum corneum. A different staining pattern was obvious for the hair keratins, i.e., positive reactions of AE13 concentrated only in the granular layer of the dorsal epidermis. In the abdominal epidermis, remarkable tinging for AE14 was visible in the stratum basale, decreasing toward the corneal layer, but was also found in the outer root sheath cells of the hair follicles in the ventral body part. Our findings are discussed related to the evolution of the horny dorsal scales of the pangolin, which may have started from the tail root, projecting forward to the head.

Factors affecting individual foraging specialization and temporal diet stability across the range of a large “generalist” apex predator

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenblatt, Adam E.; Nifong, James C.; Heithaus, Michael R.; Mazzotti, Frank J.; Cherkiss, Michael S.; Jeffery, Brian M.; Elsey, Ruth M.; Decker, Rachel A.; Silliman, Brian R.; Guillette, Louis J.; Lowers, Russell H.; Larson, Justin C.

2015-01-01

Individual niche specialization (INS) is increasingly recognized as an important component of ecological and evolutionary dynamics. However, most studies that have investigated INS have focused on the effects of niche width and inter- and intraspecific competition on INS in small-bodied species for short time periods, with less attention paid to INS in large-bodied reptilian predators and the effects of available prey types on INS. We investigated the prevalence, causes, and consequences of INS in foraging behaviors across different populations of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), the dominant aquatic apex predator across the southeast US, using stomach contents and stable isotopes. Gut contents revealed that, over the short term, although alligator populations occupied wide ranges of the INS spectrum, general patterns were apparent. Alligator populations inhabiting lakes exhibited lower INS than coastal populations, likely driven by variation in habitat type and available prey types. Stable isotopes revealed that over longer time spans alligators exhibited remarkably consistent use of variable mixtures of carbon pools (e.g., marine and freshwater food webs). We conclude that INS in large-bodied reptilian predator populations is likely affected by variation in available prey types and habitat heterogeneity, and that INS should be incorporated into management strategies to efficiently meet intended goals. Also, ecological models, which typically do not consider behavioral variability, should include INS to increase model realism and applicability.

Antimicrobial Action and Cell Agglutination by the Eosinophil Cationic Protein Are Modulated by the Cell Wall Lipopolysaccharide Structure

PubMed Central

Pulido, David; Moussaoui, Mohammed; Andreu, David; Nogués, M. Victòria

2012-01-01

Antimicrobial proteins and peptides (AMPs) are essential effectors of innate immunity, acting as a first line of defense against bacterial infections. Many AMPs exhibit high affinity for cell wall structures such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent endotoxin able to induce sepsis. Hence, understanding how AMPs can interact with and neutralize LPS endotoxin is of special relevance for human health. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is an eosinophil secreted protein with high activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. ECP has a remarkable affinity for LPS and a distinctive agglutinating activity. By using a battery of LPS-truncated E. coli mutant strains, we demonstrate that the polysaccharide moiety of LPS is essential for ECP-mediated bacterial agglutination, thereby modulating its antimicrobial action. The mechanism of action of ECP at the bacterial surface is drastically affected by the LPS structure and in particular by its polysaccharide moiety. We have also analyzed an N-terminal fragment that retains the whole protein activity and displays similar cell agglutination behavior. Conversely, a fragment with further minimization of the antimicrobial domain, though retaining the antimicrobial capacity, significantly loses its agglutinating activity, exhibiting a different mechanism of action which is not dependent on the LPS composition. The results highlight the correlation between the protein's antimicrobial activity and its ability to interact with the LPS outer layer and promote bacterial agglutination. PMID:22330910

Antimicrobial action and cell agglutination by the eosinophil cationic protein are modulated by the cell wall lipopolysaccharide structure.

PubMed

Pulido, David; Moussaoui, Mohammed; Andreu, David; Nogués, M Victòria; Torrent, Marc; Boix, Ester

2012-05-01

Antimicrobial proteins and peptides (AMPs) are essential effectors of innate immunity, acting as a first line of defense against bacterial infections. Many AMPs exhibit high affinity for cell wall structures such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent endotoxin able to induce sepsis. Hence, understanding how AMPs can interact with and neutralize LPS endotoxin is of special relevance for human health. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is an eosinophil secreted protein with high activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. ECP has a remarkable affinity for LPS and a distinctive agglutinating activity. By using a battery of LPS-truncated E. coli mutant strains, we demonstrate that the polysaccharide moiety of LPS is essential for ECP-mediated bacterial agglutination, thereby modulating its antimicrobial action. The mechanism of action of ECP at the bacterial surface is drastically affected by the LPS structure and in particular by its polysaccharide moiety. We have also analyzed an N-terminal fragment that retains the whole protein activity and displays similar cell agglutination behavior. Conversely, a fragment with further minimization of the antimicrobial domain, though retaining the antimicrobial capacity, significantly loses its agglutinating activity, exhibiting a different mechanism of action which is not dependent on the LPS composition. The results highlight the correlation between the protein's antimicrobial activity and its ability to interact with the LPS outer layer and promote bacterial agglutination.

Simultaneous Detection of Dopamine and Uric Acid Using a Poly(l-lysine)/Graphene Oxide Modified Electrode

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yuehua; Lei, Wu; Xu, Yujuan; Xia, Xifeng; Hao, Qingli

2016-01-01

A novel, simple and selective electrochemical method was investigated for the simultaneous detection of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA) on a poly(l-lysine)/graphene oxide (GO) modified glassy carbon electrode (PLL/GO/GCE) by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The electrochemically prepared PLL/GO sensory platform toward the oxidation of UA and DA exhibited several advantages, including high effective surface area, more active sites and enhanced electrochemical activity. Compared to the PLL-modified GCE (PLL/GCE), GO-modified GCE and bare GCE, the PLL/GO/GCE exhibited an increase in the anodic potential difference and a remarkable enhancement in the current responses for both UA and DA. For the simultaneous detection of DA and UA, the detection limits of 0.021 and 0.074 μM were obtained, while 0.031 and 0.018 μM were obtained as the detection limits for the selective detection of UA and DA, using DPV in the linear concentration ranges of 0.5 to 20.0 and 0.5 to 35 μM, respectively. In addition, the PLL/GO/GCE demonstrated good reproducibility, long-term stability, excellent selectivity and negligible interference of ascorbic acid (AA). The proposed modified electrode was successfully implemented in the simultaneous detection of DA and UA in human blood serum, urine and dopamine hydrochloride injection with satisfactory results. PMID:28335305

The origin of conodonts and of vertebrate mineralized skeletons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murdock, Duncan J.E.; Dong, Xi-Ping; Repetski, John E.; Marone, Federica; Stampanoni, Marco; Donoghue, Philip C.J.

2013-01-01

Conodonts are an extinct group of jawless vertebrates whose tooth-like elements are the earliest instance of a mineralized skeleton in the vertebrate lineage, inspiring the ‘inside-out’ hypothesis that teeth evolved independently of the vertebrate dermal skeleton and before the origin of jaws. However, these propositions have been based on evidence from derived euconodonts. Here we test hypotheses of a paraconodont ancestry of euconodonts using synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy to characterize and compare the microstructure of morphologically similar euconodont and paraconodont elements. Paraconodonts exhibit a range of grades of structural differentiation, including tissues and a pattern of growth common to euconodont basal bodies. The different grades of structural differentiation exhibited by paraconodonts demonstrate the stepwise acquisition of euconodont characters, resolving debate over the relationship between these two groups. By implication, the putative homology of euconodont crown tissue and vertebrate enamel must be rejected as these tissues have evolved independently and convergently. Thus, the precise ontogenetic, structural and topological similarities between conodont elements and vertebrate odontodes appear to be a remarkable instance of convergence. The last common ancestor of conodonts and jawed vertebrates probably lacked mineralized skeletal tissues. The hypothesis that teeth evolved before jaws and the inside-out hypothesis of dental evolution must be rejected; teeth seem to have evolved through the extension of odontogenic competence from the external dermis to internal epithelium soon after the origin of jaws.

Cities through the Prism of People’s Spending Behavior

PubMed Central

Hawelka, Bartosz; Murillo Arias, Juan; Ratti, Carlo

2016-01-01

Scientific studies of society increasingly rely on digital traces produced by various aspects of human activity. In this paper, we exploit a relatively unexplored source of data–anonymized records of bank card transactions collected in Spain by a big European bank, and propose a new classification scheme of cities based on the economic behavior of their residents. First, we study how individual spending behavior is qualitatively and quantitatively affected by various factors such as customer’s age, gender, and size of his/her home city. We show that, similar to other socioeconomic urban quantities, individual spending activity exhibits a statistically significant superlinear scaling with city size. With respect to the general trends, we quantify the distinctive signature of each city in terms of residents’ spending behavior, independently from the effects of scale and demographic heterogeneity. Based on the comparison of city signatures, we build a novel classification of cities across Spain in three categories. That classification exhibits a substantial stability over different city definitions and connects with a meaningful socioeconomic interpretation. Furthermore, it corresponds with the ability of cities to attract foreign visitors, which is a particularly remarkable finding given that the classification was based exclusively on the behavioral patterns of city residents. This highlights the far-reaching applicability of the presented classification approach and its ability to discover patterns that go beyond the quantities directly involved in it. PMID:26849218

Rathke's Cleft Cyst as Origin of a Pediatric Papillary Craniopharyngioma.

PubMed

Schlaffer, Sven-Martin; Buchfelder, Michael; Stoehr, Robert; Buslei, Rolf; Hölsken, Annett

2018-01-01

A 6-year old patient presented with an intra and suprasellar cystic lesion accompanied with impairment of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and partial hypopituitarism. The most likely cause of sellar lesions in this age group are adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (adaCP) or Rathke´s cleft cysts (RCCs). AdaCP are characterized by CTNNB1 mutations accompanied with aberrant nuclear beta-catenin expression. RCC show neither nuclear beta-catenin expression nor BRAF mutation. The latter is a hallmark of papillary craniopharyngiomas (papCP) that exhibit remarkable histological similarity with metaplasia of RCC. Diagnosis of the patient was elucidated by CTNNB1 and BRAF mutation screening, utilizing different approaches, as well as histological examination of markers, e.g., beta-catenin, claudin-1, EpCAM and the mutated BRAFV600E protein, which are known to be differentially expressed in sellar lesions. The case presented reveals extraordinary aspects for two reasons. Firstly, the lesion appeared clinically, on MRI, intraoperatively and histologically as RCC with prominent squamous metaplasia, but showing an expression pattern of markers also found in papCP, whilst exhibiting a hitherto undescribed BRAF V 600 E mutation. This important result documents a supposable transition of RCC metaplasia into a papillary craniopharyngioma (papCP). Secondly, this intriguing case shows unexpectedly that although papCP usually occurs almost exclusively in adults, it can also arise in childhood.

Differences in betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase expression, ER stress response and liver injury between alcohol-fed mice and rats

PubMed Central

Shinohara, Masao; Ji, Cheng; Kaplowitz, Neil

2009-01-01

Chronic ethanol infusion resulted in greater serum ALT elevation, lipid accumulation, necroinflammation, and focal hepatic cell death in mice than rats. Mice exhibited a remarkable hyperhomocysteinemia but no increase was seen in rats. Similarly, a high methionine low folate diet (HMLF) induced less steatosis, serum ALT increase, and hyperhomocysteinemia in rats than in mice. Western blot analysis of betaine homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) expression showed that rats fed either ethanol or HMLF had significantly increased BHMT expression which did not occur in mice. Nuclear NFκB p65 was increased in mouse in response to alcohol feeding. The human BHMT promoter was repressed by homocysteine in mouse hepatocytes but not rat hepatocytes. BHMT induction was faster and greater in primary rat hepatocytes than mouse hepatocytes in response to exogenous homocysteine exposure. Mice fed ethanol i.g. exhibited an increase in GRP78 and IRE1 which was not seen in the rat and SREBP-1 was increased to a greater extent in mice than rats. Thus, rats are more resistant to ethanol induced steatosis, ER stress and hyperhomocysteinemia and this correlates with induction of BHMT in rats. These findings support the hypothesis that a critical factor in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury is the enhanced ability of rat or impaired ability of mouse to up-regulate BHMT which prevents hyperhomocysteinemia, ER stress and liver injury. PMID:20069651

Differential expression profiles of poplar MAP kinase kinases in response to abiotic stresses and plant hormones, and overexpression of PtMKK4 improves the drought tolerance of poplar.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Su, Hongyan; Han, Liya; Wang, Chuanqi; Sun, Yanlin; Liu, Fenghong

2014-07-15

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are universal signal transduction modules that play essential roles in plant growth, development and stress response. MAPK kinases (MAPKKs), which link MAPKs and MAPKK kinases (MAPKKKs), are integral in mediating various stress responses in plants. However, to date few data about the roles of poplar MAPKKs in stress signal transduction are available. In this study, we performed a systemic analysis of poplar MAPKK gene family expression profiles in response to several abiotic stresses and stress-associated hormones. Furthermore, Populus trichocarpa MAPKK4 (PtMKK4) was chosen for functional characterization. Transgenic analysis showed that overexpression of the PtMKK4 gene remarkably enhanced drought stress tolerance in the transgenic poplar plants. The PtMKK4-overexpressing plants also exhibited much lower levels of H2O2 and higher antioxidant enzyme activity after exposure to drought stress compared to the wide type lines. Besides, some drought marker genes including PtP5CS, PtSUS3, PtLTP3 and PtDREB8 exhibited higher expression levels in the transgenic lines than in the wide type under drought conditions. This study provided valuable information for understanding the putative functions of poplar MAPKKs involved in important signaling pathways under different stress conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vesta Mineralogy after Dawn Global Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

ChristinaDeSanctis, Maria; Ammannito, E.; Capaccioni, F.; Cparia, M. T.; Carraro, F.; Fonte, S.; Frigeri, A.; Longobardo, A.; Marchi, S.; Palomba, E.;

Intraspecific variation in mitochondrial genome sequence, structure, and gene content in Silene vulgaris, an angiosperm with pervasive cytoplasmic male sterility.

PubMed

Sloan, Daniel B; Müller, Karel; McCauley, David E; Taylor, Douglas R; Storchová, Helena

2012-12-01

In angiosperms, mitochondrial-encoded genes can cause cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), resulting in the coexistence of female and hermaphroditic individuals (gynodioecy). We compared four complete mitochondrial genomes from the gynodioecious species Silene vulgaris and found unprecedented amounts of intraspecific diversity for plant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Remarkably, only about half of overall sequence content is shared between any pair of genomes. The four mtDNAs range in size from 361 to 429 kb and differ in gene complement, with rpl5 and rps13 being intact in some genomes but absent or pseudogenized in others. The genomes exhibit essentially no conservation of synteny and are highly repetitive, with evidence of reciprocal recombination occurring even across short repeats (< 250 bp). Some mitochondrial genes exhibit atypically high degrees of nucleotide polymorphism, while others are invariant. The genomes also contain a variable number of small autonomously mapping chromosomes, which have only recently been identified in angiosperm mtDNA. Southern blot analysis of one of these chromosomes indicated a complex in vivo structure consisting of both monomeric circles and multimeric forms. We conclude that S. vulgaris harbors an unusually large degree of variation in mtDNA sequence and structure and discuss the extent to which this variation might be related to CMS. © 2012 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

Avian Egg Latebra as Brain Tissue Water Diffusion Model

PubMed Central

Maier, Stephan E.; Mitsouras, Dimitris; Mulkern, Robert V.

2013-01-01

Purpose Simplified models of non-monoexponential diffusion signal decay are of great interest to study the basic constituents of complex diffusion behaviour in tissues. The latebra, a unique structure uniformly present in the yolk of avian eggs, exhibits a non-monoexponential diffusion signal decay. This model is more complex than simple phantoms based on differences between water and lipid diffusion, but is also devoid of microscopic structures with preferential orientation or perfusion effects. Methods Diffusion scans with multiple b-values were performed on a clinical 3 Tesla system in raw and boiled chicken eggs equilibrated to room temperature. Diffusion encoding was applied over the ranges 5–5,000 and 5–50,000 s/mm2. A low read-out bandwidth and chemical shift was used for reliable lipid/water separation. Signal decays were fitted with exponential functions. Results The latebra, when measured over the 5–5,000 s/mm2 range, exhibited independent of preparation clearly biexponential diffusion, with diffusion parameters similar to those typically observed in in-vivo human brain. For the range 5–50,000 s/mm2 there was evidence of a small third, very slow diffusing water component. Conclusion The latebra of the avian egg contains membrane structures, which may explain a deviation from a simple monoexponential diffusion signal decay, which is remarkably similar to the deviation observed in brain tissue. PMID:24105853

Factors affecting individual foraging specialization and temporal diet stability across the range of a large "generalist" apex predator.

PubMed

Rosenblatt, Adam E; Nifong, James C; Heithaus, Michael R; Mazzotti, Frank J; Cherkiss, Michael S; Jeffery, Brian M; Elsey, Ruth M; Decker, Rachel A; Silliman, Brian R; Guillette, Louis J; Lowers, Russell H; Larson, Justin C

2015-05-01

Individual niche specialization (INS) is increasingly recognized as an important component of ecological and evolutionary dynamics. However, most studies that have investigated INS have focused on the effects of niche width and inter- and intraspecific competition on INS in small-bodied species for short time periods, with less attention paid to INS in large-bodied reptilian predators and the effects of available prey types on INS. We investigated the prevalence, causes, and consequences of INS in foraging behaviors across different populations of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), the dominant aquatic apex predator across the southeast US, using stomach contents and stable isotopes. Gut contents revealed that, over the short term, although alligator populations occupied wide ranges of the INS spectrum, general patterns were apparent. Alligator populations inhabiting lakes exhibited lower INS than coastal populations, likely driven by variation in habitat type and available prey types. Stable isotopes revealed that over longer time spans alligators exhibited remarkably consistent use of variable mixtures of carbon pools (e.g., marine and freshwater food webs). We conclude that INS in large-bodied reptilian predator populations is likely affected by variation in available prey types and habitat heterogeneity, and that INS should be incorporated into management strategies to efficiently meet intended goals. Also, ecological models, which typically do not consider behavioral variability, should include INS to increase model realism and applicability.

Cities through the Prism of People's Spending Behavior.

PubMed

Sobolevsky, Stanislav; Sitko, Izabela; Tachet des Combes, Remi; Hawelka, Bartosz; Murillo Arias, Juan; Ratti, Carlo

2016-01-01

Scientific studies of society increasingly rely on digital traces produced by various aspects of human activity. In this paper, we exploit a relatively unexplored source of data-anonymized records of bank card transactions collected in Spain by a big European bank, and propose a new classification scheme of cities based on the economic behavior of their residents. First, we study how individual spending behavior is qualitatively and quantitatively affected by various factors such as customer's age, gender, and size of his/her home city. We show that, similar to other socioeconomic urban quantities, individual spending activity exhibits a statistically significant superlinear scaling with city size. With respect to the general trends, we quantify the distinctive signature of each city in terms of residents' spending behavior, independently from the effects of scale and demographic heterogeneity. Based on the comparison of city signatures, we build a novel classification of cities across Spain in three categories. That classification exhibits a substantial stability over different city definitions and connects with a meaningful socioeconomic interpretation. Furthermore, it corresponds with the ability of cities to attract foreign visitors, which is a particularly remarkable finding given that the classification was based exclusively on the behavioral patterns of city residents. This highlights the far-reaching applicability of the presented classification approach and its ability to discover patterns that go beyond the quantities directly involved in it.

Hydrophobic and Metallophobic Surfaces: Highly Stable Non-wetting Inorganic Surfaces Based on Lanthanum Phosphate Nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sankar, Sasidharan; Nair, Balagopal N.; Suzuki, Takehiro; Anilkumar, Gopinathan M.; Padmanabhan, Moothetty; Hareesh, Unnikrishnan Nair S.; Warrier, Krishna G.

2016-03-01

Metal oxides, in general, are known to exhibit significant wettability towards water molecules because of the high feasibility of synergetic hydrogen-bonding interactions possible at the solid-water interface. Here we show that the nano sized phosphates of rare earth materials (Rare Earth Phosphates, REPs), LaPO4 in particular, exhibit without any chemical modification, unique combination of intrinsic properties including remarkable hydrophobicity that could be retained even after exposure to extreme temperatures and harsh hydrothermal conditions. Transparent nanocoatings of LaPO4 as well as mixture of other REPs on glass surfaces are shown to display notable hydrophobicity with water contact angle (WCA) value of 120° while sintered and polished monoliths manifested WCA greater than 105°. Significantly, these materials in the form of coatings and monoliths also exhibit complete non-wettability and inertness towards molten metals like Ag, Zn, and Al well above their melting points. These properties, coupled with their excellent chemical and thermal stability, ease of processing, machinability and their versatile photo-physical and emission properties, render LaPO4 and other REP ceramics utility in diverse applications.

Hydrophobic and Metallophobic Surfaces: Highly Stable Non-wetting Inorganic Surfaces Based on Lanthanum Phosphate Nanorods.

PubMed

Sankar, Sasidharan; Nair, Balagopal N; Suzuki, Takehiro; Anilkumar, Gopinathan M; Padmanabhan, Moothetty; Hareesh, Unnikrishnan Nair S; Warrier, Krishna G

2016-03-09

Metal oxides, in general, are known to exhibit significant wettability towards water molecules because of the high feasibility of synergetic hydrogen-bonding interactions possible at the solid-water interface. Here we show that the nano sized phosphates of rare earth materials (Rare Earth Phosphates, REPs), LaPO4 in particular, exhibit without any chemical modification, unique combination of intrinsic properties including remarkable hydrophobicity that could be retained even after exposure to extreme temperatures and harsh hydrothermal conditions. Transparent nanocoatings of LaPO4 as well as mixture of other REPs on glass surfaces are shown to display notable hydrophobicity with water contact angle (WCA) value of 120° while sintered and polished monoliths manifested WCA greater than 105°. Significantly, these materials in the form of coatings and monoliths also exhibit complete non-wettability and inertness towards molten metals like Ag, Zn, and Al well above their melting points. These properties, coupled with their excellent chemical and thermal stability, ease of processing, machinability and their versatile photo-physical and emission properties, render LaPO4 and other REP ceramics utility in diverse applications.

Bringing dinosaurs back to life: exhibiting prehistory at the American Museum of Natural History.

PubMed

Rieppel, Lukas

2012-09-01

This essay examines the exhibition of dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History during the first two decades of the twentieth century. Dinosaurs provide an especially illuminating lens through which to view the history of museum display practices for two reasons: they made for remarkably spectacular exhibits; and they rested on contested theories about the anatomy, life history, and behavior of long-extinct animals to which curators had no direct observational access. The American Museum sought to capitalize on the popularity of dinosaurs while mitigating the risks of mounting an overtly speculative display by fashioning them into a kind of mixed-media installation made of several elements, including fossilized bone, shellac, iron, and plaster. The resulting sculptures provided visitors with a vivid and lifelike imaginative experience. At the same time, curators, who were anxious to downplay the speculative nature of mounted dinosaurs, drew systematic attention to the material connection that tied individual pieces of fossilized bone to the actual past. Freestanding dinosaurs can therefore be read to have functioned as iconic sculptures that self-consciously advertised their indexical content.

Sound source localization inspired by the ears of the Ormia ochracea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuntzman, Michael L.; Hall, Neal A.

2014-07-01

The parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea has the remarkable ability to locate crickets using audible sound. This ability is, in fact, remarkable as the fly's hearing mechanism spans only 1.5 mm which is 50× smaller than the wavelength of sound emitted by the cricket. The hearing mechanism is, for all practical purposes, a point in space with no significant interaural time or level differences to draw from. It has been discovered that evolution has empowered the fly with a hearing mechanism that utilizes multiple vibration modes to amplify interaural time and level differences. Here, we present a fully integrated, man-made mimic of the Ormia's hearing mechanism capable of replicating the remarkable sound localization ability of the special fly. A silicon-micromachined prototype is presented which uses multiple piezoelectric sensing ports to simultaneously transduce two orthogonal vibration modes of the sensing structure, thereby enabling simultaneous measurement of sound pressure and pressure gradient.

Realizing the measure-device-independent quantum-key-distribution with passive heralded-single photon sources

PubMed Central

Wang, Qin; Zhou, Xing-Yu; Guo, Guang-Can

2016-01-01

In this paper, we put forward a new approach towards realizing measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with passive heralded single-photon sources. In this approach, both Alice and Bob prepare the parametric down-conversion source, where the heralding photons are labeled according to different types of clicks from the local detectors, and the heralded ones can correspondingly be marked with different tags at the receiver’s side. Then one can obtain four sets of data through using only one-intensity of pump light by observing different kinds of clicks of local detectors. By employing the newest formulae to do parameter estimation, we could achieve very precise prediction for the two-single-photon pulse contribution. Furthermore, by carrying out corresponding numerical simulations, we compare the new method with other practical schemes of measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution. We demonstrate that our new proposed passive scheme can exhibit remarkable improvement over the conventional three-intensity decoy-state measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with either heralded single-photon sources or weak coherent sources. Besides, it does not need intensity modulation and can thus diminish source-error defects existing in several other active decoy-state methods. Therefore, if taking intensity modulating errors into account, our new method will show even more brilliant performance. PMID:27759085

A comparative biomechanical study of bone ingrowth in two porous hydroxyapatite bioceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Li-Mei; Todo, Mitsugu; Arahira, Takaaki; Yoshikawa, Hideki; Myoui, Akira

2012-12-01

Calcium phosphate-based bioceramics have been widely used as artificial bone substitute materials because of their superior biocompatibility and osteoconductivity. In the present study, mechanical properties changes of two hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramics induced by bone ingrowth were tested and evaluated in a rabbit model. Both materials (NEOBONE®, Apaceram-AX®) have highly interconnected pores with a porosity of 75-85%. The major structural difference between them lies in that Apaceram-AX® has micropores smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter, whereas NEOBONE® does not contain such micropores. Both materials were implanted into the femoral condyles of rabbits for the specified observation period (1, 5, 12, 24, and 48 weeks) and then evaluated by experimental approach in combination with finite element method (FEM). Results indicate that two porous bioceramics exhibit different degradability in vivo, and remarkably different variation of total stiffness, elastic modulus distribution, as well as strain energy density distribution calculated by FE simulation. These results demonstrate how the internal microstructures affect the progress of bone regeneration and mechanical properties with the duration of implantation, emphasizing the importance of biomaterial design tailored to various clinic applications. Additionally, this study showed a potential for applying the computational method to monitor the time-dependent biomechanical changes of implanted porous bioceramics.

Changes in the composition of intestinal fungi and their role in mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis.

PubMed

Qiu, Xinyun; Zhang, Feng; Yang, Xi; Wu, Na; Jiang, Weiwei; Li, Xia; Li, Xiaoxue; Liu, Yulan

2015-05-27

Intestinal fungi are increasingly believed to greatly influence gut health. However, the effects of fungi on intestinal inflammation and on gut bacterial constitution are not clear. Here, based on pyrosequencing method, we reveal that fungal compositions vary in different intestinal segments (ileum, cecum, and colon), prefer different colonization locations (mucosa and feces), and are remarkably changed during intestinal inflammation in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-colitis mouse models compare to normal controls: Penicillium, Wickerhamomyces, Alternaria, and Candida are increased while Cryptococcus, Phialemonium, Wallemia and an unidentified Saccharomycetales genus are decreased in the guts of DSS-colitis mice. Fungi-depleted mice exhibited aggravated acute DSS-colitis associated with gain of Hallella, Barnesiella, Bacteroides, Alistipes, and Lactobacillus and loss of butyrate-producing Clostridium XIVa, and Anaerostipes compare with normal control. In contrast, bacteria-depleted mice show attenuated acute DSS-colitis. Mice with severely chronic recurrent DSS-colitis show increased plasma (1,3)-β-D-glucan level and fungal translocation into the colonic mucosa, mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen. This work demonstrate the different roles of fungi in acute and chronic recurrent colitis: They are important counterbalance to bacteria in maintaining intestinal micro-ecological homeostasis and health in acutely inflamed intestines, but can harmfully translocate into abnormal sites and could aggravate disease severity in chronic recurrent colitis.

Tuning electronic and magnetic properties of Mn-mullite oxide sub-nanoclusters via MnOn polyhedron units.

PubMed

Li, Hui; Cho, Kyeongjae; Li, Shunfang; Wang, Weichao

2018-06-13

Ternary oxide nano-clusters compared to unary metallic and binary ones potentially exhibit more remarkable properties due to their higher stoichiometric flexibility in addition to cluster size variations. Herein, by combining with the structural searching scheme CALYPSO, we have built a series of Mn-mullite oxide clusters (SmxMnyOz)n {(xyz) = (125); (115); n = 1-4, 8} prior to investigation of their geometric and electronic structures via first-principles calculations. In small size regime (n < 4), (SmxMnyOz)n prefer nonstoichiometric (Sm1Mn1O5)n phases composed of nonmagnetic MnO4 tetrahedrons. When n ≧ 4, the clusters tend to develop as stoichiometric (Sm1Mn2O5)n species, including magnetic MnOn polyhedrons and Mn-Mn dimers, which contribute 3d-orbitals (dz2 and/or dx2-y2) around the Fermi levels. The different magnetic behaviors of nonstoichiometric and stoichiometric species originate from the distinct couplings of MnOn polyhedronal units, wherein Mn atoms experience different ligand fields and thus display different spin states. Such findings enable the tuning of electronic properties and potential applications in heterogeneous catalysis, electrochemical catalysis, and the related fields via engineering cluster size and stoichiometry.

Asynchronous evolution of physiology and morphology in Anolis lizards.

PubMed

Hertz, Paul E; Arima, Yuzo; Harrison, Alexis; Huey, Raymond B; Losos, Jonathan B; Glor, Richard E

2013-07-01

Species-rich adaptive radiations typically diversify along several distinct ecological axes, each characterized by morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations. We test here whether different types of adaptive traits share similar patterns of evolution within a radiation by investigating patterns of evolution of morphological traits associated with microhabitat specialization and of physiological traits associated with thermal biology in Anolis lizards. Previous studies of anoles suggest that close relatives share the same "structural niche" (i.e., use the same types of perches) and are similar in body size and shape, but live in different "climatic niches" (i.e., use habitats with different insolation and temperature profiles). Because morphology is closely tied to structural niche and field active body temperatures are tied to climatic niches in Anolis, we expected phylogenetic analyses to show that morphology is more evolutionarily conservative than thermal physiology. In support of this hypothesis, we find (1) that thermal biology exhibits more divergence among recently diverged Anolis taxa than does morphology; and (2) diversification of thermal biology among all species often follows diversification in morphology. These conclusions are remarkably consistent with predictions made by anole biologists in the 1960s and 1970s. © 2013 The Author(s). Evolution © 2013 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Three causes of variation in the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) in evergreen conifers.

PubMed

Wong, Christopher Y S; Gamon, John A

2015-04-01

The photochemical reflectance index (PRI) reflects diurnal xanthophyll cycle activity and is also influenced by seasonally changing carotenoid : Chl pigment ratios. Both changing pigment pools and xanthophyll cycle activity contribute to photoprotection in evergreen conifers exposed to boreal winters, but they operate over different timescales, and their relative contribution to the PRI signal has often been unclear. To clarify these responses and their contribution to the PRI signal, leaf PRI, pigment composition, temperature and irradiance were monitored over 2 yr for two evergreen conifers (Pinus contorta and Pinus ponderosa) in a boreal climate. PRI was affected by three distinct processes operating over different timescales and exhibiting contrasting spectral responses. Over the 2 yr study period, the greatest change in PRI resulted from seasonally changing carotenoid : Chl pigment ratios, followed by a previously unreported shifting leaf albedo during periods of deep cold. Remarkably, the smallest change was attributable to the xanthophyll cycle. To properly distinguish these three effects, interpretation of PRI must consider temporal context, physiological responses to evolving environmental conditions, and spectral response. Consideration of the separate mechanisms affecting PRI over different timescales could greatly improve efforts to monitor changing photosynthetic activity using optical remote sensing. © 2014 The Authors New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

The effect of parasitism on personality in a social insect.

PubMed

Turner, Joe; Hughes, William O H

2018-06-10

Individuals are known to differ consistently in various aspects of their behaviour in many animal species, a phenomenon that has come to be referred to as animal personalities. These individual differences are likely to have evolutionary and ecological significance, and it is therefore important to understand the precise nature of how environmental and physiological factors affect animal personalities. One factor which may affect personality is disease, but while the effects of disease on many aspects of host behaviour are well known, the effects on animal personalities have been little studied. Here we show that wood ants, Formica rufa, exhibit consistent individual differences in three personality traits: boldness, sociability and aggressiveness. However, experimental exposure to a virulent fungal parasite, Metarhizium pingshaense, had surprisingly little effect on the personality traits. Parasite-challenged ants showed marginal changes in sociability at high doses of parasite but no change in boldness or aggressiveness even when close to death. There was similarly little effect of other physiological stresses on ant personalities. The results suggest that individual personality in ants can be remarkably resilient to physiological stress, such as that caused by parasite infection. Future studies are needed to determine whether there is a similar resilience in solitary animals, as well as in other social species. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of ZnO based flexible nano generators via sol gel technique for sensing and energy harvesting applications.

PubMed

Rajagopalan, Pandey; Singh, Vipul; I A, Palani

2018-01-10

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a remarkable inorganic semiconductor with exceptional piezoelectric properties compared to other semiconductors. However, in comparison to lead-based hazardous piezoelectric materials, its features have undesired limitations. Here we report the 5~6 folds enhancement in the piezoelectric properties via chemical doping of copper matched to intrinsic ZnO. The flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator (F-PENG) device was fabricated using an unpretentious solution process of spin coating with other advantages like robust, low weight, improved adhesion, and low cost. The devices were used to demonstrate energy harvesting from a Standard weight as low as 4 gm and can work as a self-powered mass sensor in a broad range of 4 to 100 gm. The device exhibited a novel energy harvesting technique from a wind source due to its inherent flexibility. At three different velocities (10~30 m/s) and five different angles of attack (0~180 degrees), the device validated the ability to discern different velocities and directions of flow. The device will be useful for mapping the flow of air apart from harvesting the energy. The simulation was done to verify the underlining mechanism of aerodynamics involved in it. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

A Carbon-Cotton Cathode with Ultrahigh-Loading Capability for Statically and Dynamically Stable Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

DOE PAGES

Chung, Sheng-Heng; Chang, Chi-Hao; Manthiram, Arumugam

2016-10-26

Sulfur exhibits a high theoretical capacity of 1675 mA h g -1 via a distinct conversion reaction, which is different from the insertion reactions in commercial lithium-ion batteries. In consideration of its conversion reaction battery chemistry, a custom design for electrode materials could establish the way for attaining high-loading capability while simultaneously maintaining high electrochemical utilization and stability. In this study, this process is undertaken by introducing carbon cotton as an attractive electrode-containment material for enhancing the dynamic and static stabilities of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. The carbon cotton possessing a hierarchical macro-/microporous architecture exhibits a high surface area of 805more » m 2 g -1 and high microporosity with a micropore area of 557 m 2 g -1. The macroporous channels allow the carbon cotton to load and stabilize a high amount of active material. The abundant microporous reaction sites spread throughout the carbon cotton facilitate the redox chemistry of the high-loading/content Li-S system. As a result, the high-loading carbon-cotton cathode exhibits (i) enhanced cycle stability with a good dynamic capacity retention of 70% after 100 cycles and (ii) improved cellstorage stability with a high static capacity retention of above 93% and a low time-dependent self-discharge rate of 0.12% per day after storing for a long period of 60 days. In conclusion, these carbon-cotton cathodes with the remarkably highest values reported so far of both sulfur loading (61.4 mg cm -2) and sulfur content (80 wt %) demonstrate enhanced electrochemical utilization with the highest areal, volumetric, and gravimetric capacities simultaneously.« less

A Carbon-Cotton Cathode with Ultrahigh-Loading Capability for Statically and Dynamically Stable Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chung, Sheng-Heng; Chang, Chi-Hao; Manthiram, Arumugam

Sulfur exhibits a high theoretical capacity of 1675 mA h g -1 via a distinct conversion reaction, which is different from the insertion reactions in commercial lithium-ion batteries. In consideration of its conversion reaction battery chemistry, a custom design for electrode materials could establish the way for attaining high-loading capability while simultaneously maintaining high electrochemical utilization and stability. In this study, this process is undertaken by introducing carbon cotton as an attractive electrode-containment material for enhancing the dynamic and static stabilities of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. The carbon cotton possessing a hierarchical macro-/microporous architecture exhibits a high surface area of 805more » m 2 g -1 and high microporosity with a micropore area of 557 m 2 g -1. The macroporous channels allow the carbon cotton to load and stabilize a high amount of active material. The abundant microporous reaction sites spread throughout the carbon cotton facilitate the redox chemistry of the high-loading/content Li-S system. As a result, the high-loading carbon-cotton cathode exhibits (i) enhanced cycle stability with a good dynamic capacity retention of 70% after 100 cycles and (ii) improved cellstorage stability with a high static capacity retention of above 93% and a low time-dependent self-discharge rate of 0.12% per day after storing for a long period of 60 days. In conclusion, these carbon-cotton cathodes with the remarkably highest values reported so far of both sulfur loading (61.4 mg cm -2) and sulfur content (80 wt %) demonstrate enhanced electrochemical utilization with the highest areal, volumetric, and gravimetric capacities simultaneously.« less

DNA replication-timing analysis of human chromosome 22 at high resolution and different developmental states.

PubMed

White, Eric J; Emanuelsson, Olof; Scalzo, David; Royce, Thomas; Kosak, Steven; Oakeley, Edward J; Weissman, Sherman; Gerstein, Mark; Groudine, Mark; Snyder, Michael; Schübeler, Dirk

2004-12-21

Duplication of the genome during the S phase of the cell cycle does not occur simultaneously; rather, different sequences are replicated at different times. The replication timing of specific sequences can change during development; however, the determinants of this dynamic process are poorly understood. To gain insights into the contribution of developmental state, genomic sequence, and transcriptional activity to replication timing, we investigated the timing of DNA replication at high resolution along an entire human chromosome (chromosome 22) in two different cell types. The pattern of replication timing was correlated with respect to annotated genes, gene expression, novel transcribed regions of unknown function, sequence composition, and cytological features. We observed that chromosome 22 contains regions of early- and late-replicating domains of 100 kb to 2 Mb, many (but not all) of which are associated with previously described chromosomal bands. In both cell types, expressed sequences are replicated earlier than nontranscribed regions. However, several highly transcribed regions replicate late. Overall, the DNA replication-timing profiles of the two different cell types are remarkably similar, with only nine regions of difference observed. In one case, this difference reflects the differential expression of an annotated gene that resides in this region. Novel transcribed regions with low coding potential exhibit a strong propensity for early DNA replication. Although the cellular function of such transcripts is poorly understood, our results suggest that their activity is linked to the replication-timing program.

Molecular dynamics simulations to calculate glass transition temperature and elastic constants of novel polyethers.

PubMed

Sarangapani, Radhakrishnan; Reddy, Sreekantha T; Sikder, Arun K

2015-04-01

Molecular dynamics simulations studies are carried out on hydroxyl terminated polyethers that are useful in energetic polymeric binder applications. Energetic polymers derived from oxetanes with heterocyclic side chains with different energetic substituents are designed and simulated under the ensembles of constant particle number, pressure, temperature (NPT) and constant particle number, volume, temperature (NVT). Specific volume of different amorphous polymeric models is predicted using NPT-MD simulations as a function of temperature. Plots of specific volume versus temperature exhibited a characteristic change in slope when amorphous systems change from glassy to rubbery state. Several material properties such as Young's, shear, and bulk modulus, Poisson's ratio, etc. are predicted from equilibrated structures and established the structure-property relations among designed polymers. Energetic performance parameters of these polymers are calculated and results reveal that the performance of the designed polymers is comparable to the benchmark energetic polymers like polyNIMMO, polyAMMO and polyBAMO. Overall, it is worthy remark that this molecular simulations study on novel energetic polyethers provides a good guidance on mastering the design principles and allows us to design novel polymers of tailored properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Velocity locking and pulsed invasions of fragmented habitats with seasonal growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korolev, Kirill; Wang, Ching-Hao

From crystal growth to epidemics, spatial spreading is a common mechanism of change in nature. Typically, spreading results from two processes: growth and dispersal in ecology or chemical reactions and diffusion in physics. These two processes combine to produce a reaction-diffusion wave, an invasion front advancing at a constant velocity. We show that the properties of these waves are remarkably different depending whether space and time are continuous, as they are for a chemical reaction, or discrete, as they are for a pest invading a patchy habitat in seasonal climates. For discrete space and time, we report a new type of expansions with velocities that can lock into specific values and become insensitive to changes in dispersal and growth, i.e. the dependence of the velocity on model parameters exhibits plateaus or pauses. As a result, the evolution and response to perturbations in locked expansions can be markedly different compared to the expectations based on continuous models. The phenomenon of velocity locking requires cooperative growth and does not occur when per capita growth rate decline monotonically with population density. We obtain both numerical and analytical results describing highly non-analytic properties of locked expansions.

Convergence, recurrence and diversification of complex sperm traits in diving beetles (Dytiscidae)

PubMed Central

Higginson, Dawn M.; Miller, Kelly B.; Segraves, Kari A.; Pitnick, Scott

2013-01-01

Sperm display remarkable morphological diversity among even closely related species, a pattern that is widely attributed to postcopulatory sexual selection. Surprisingly few studies have used phylogenetic analyses to discern the details of evolutionary diversification in ornaments and armaments subject to sexual selection, and the origins of novel sperm traits and their subsequent modification are particularly poorly understood. Here we investigate sperm evolution in diving beetles (Dytiscidae), revealing dramatic diversification in flagellum length, head shape, presence of sperm heteromorphism, and the presence/type of sperm conjugation, an unusual trait where two or more sperm unite for motility or transport. Sperm conjugation was found to be the ancestral condition in diving beetles, with subsequent diversification into three forms, each exhibiting varying degrees of evolutionary loss, convergence and recurrence. Sperm head shape, but not length or heteromorphism, was found to evolve in a significantly correlated manner with conjugation, consistent with the different mechanisms of head alignment and binding required for the different forms of conjugation. Our study reveals that sperm morphological evolution is channeled along particular evolutionary pathways (i.e., conjugate form), yet subject to considerable diversification within those pathways through modification in sperm length, head shape and heteromorphism. PMID:22519797

[Study on Monosaccharide Compositions of Polysaccharide in Dendrobium Stems of Different Resources by PMP-HPCE].

PubMed

Chen, Nai-dong; Meng, Yun-fei; Yao, Hou-jun; Cao, Cai-yun; Chen, Chen; Li, Jun

2015-08-01

To establish a PMP-HPCE method for comparing the monosaccharides of polysaccharide in tissue-cultured and wild Dedrobium huoshanese and Dedrobium moniliforme as well as wild Dedrobium henanese, in order to investigate the similarities of their bioactive components. The PMP-monosaccharides of polysaccharide from the five investigated Dedrobium samples were separated by HPCE on a fused silica capillary column(100 cm x 50 µm) at 25 °C with 350 mmol/L BAS (adjusted to pH 10 with 1.0 mol/L NaOH) as running buffer for 34 min. The applied voltage was 20 kV and the detection wavelength was set at 250 nm. Total six monosaccharides including xylose, glucose, mannose, galactose, galacturonic acid and ribose were detected in the five Dendrobiurms samples and the similarity coefficients between the ten batches of the same Dendrobium species were all above 0. 98,while remarkable dissimilarity were exhibited among species and different resources. PMP-HPCE technique combined with chemometrics is simple, convenient, precise, reproducible and proved to be an effective strategy for identifying the species and origins, especially in the quality assessment of Dendrobium stems.

Matching characteristics of different buffer layers with VO2 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kai; Zhang, Dongping; Liu, Yi; Guan, Tianrui; Qin, Xiaonan; Zhong, Aihua; Cai, Xingmin; Fan, Ping; Lv, Weizhong

2016-10-01

VO2 thin films were fabricated by reactive DC magnetron sputtering on different buffer layers of MgF2, Al2O3 and TiO2, respectively. The crystallinity and orientation relationship, thickness of VO2 thin films, atoms vibrational modes, optical and electrical property, surface morphology of films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering microscopy, step profiler, spectrophotometer, four-probe technique, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. XRD results investigated that the films have preferential crystalline planes VO2 (011). The crystallinity of VO2 films grown on TiO2 buffer layers are superior to VO2 directly deposited on soda-lime glass. The Raman bands of the VO2 films correspond to an Ag symmetry mode of VO2 (M). The sample prepared on 100nm TiO2 buffer layer appears nanorods structure, and exhibits remarkable solar energy modulation ability as high as 5.82% in full spectrum and 23% in near infrared spectrum. Cross-sectional SEM image of the thin films samples indicate that MgF2 buffer layer has clear interface with VO2 layer. But there are serious interdiffusion phenomenons between Al2O3, TiO2 buffer layer with VO2 layer.

Antihypertensive properties of lactoferricin B-derived peptides.

PubMed

Ruiz-Giménez, Pedro; Ibáñez, Aida; Salom, Juan B; Marcos, Jose F; López-Díez, Jose Javier; Vallés, Salvador; Torregrosa, Germán; Alborch, Enrique; Manzanares, Paloma

2010-06-09

A set of eight lactoferricin B (LfcinB)-derived peptides was examined for inhibitory effects on angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and ACE-dependent vasoconstriction, and their hypotensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Peptides were derived from different elongations both at the C-terminal and N-terminal ends of the representative peptide LfcinB(20-25), which is known as the LfcinB antimicrobial core. All of the eight LfcinB-derived peptides showed in vitro inhibitory effects on ACE activity with different IC(50) values. Moreover, seven of them showed ex vivo inhibitory effects on ACE-dependent vasoconstriction. No clear correlation between in vitro and ex vivo inhibitory effects was found. Only LfcinB(20-25) and one of its fragments, F1, generated after a simulated gastrointestinal digestion, showed significant antihypertensive effects in SHR after oral administration. Remarkably, F1 did not show any effect on ACE-dependent vasoconstriction in contrast to the inhibitory effect showed by LfcinB(20-25). In conclusion, two LfcinB-derived peptides lower blood pressure and exhibit potential as orally effective antihypertensive compounds, yet a complete elucidation of the mechanism(s) involved deserves further ongoing research.

Micromechanical Properties of Nanostructured Clay-Oxide Multilayers Synthesized by Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly.

PubMed

Hou, Dongwei; Zhang, Guoping; Pant, Rohit Raj; Wei, Zhongxin; Shen, Shuilong

2016-11-08

Clay-based nanostructured multilayers, such as clay-polymer multilayers and clay-oxide multilayers, have attracted growing attention owing to their remarkable mechanical properties and promising application in various fields. In this paper, synthesis of a new kind of nanostructured clay-oxide multilayers by layer-by-layer self-assembly was explored. Nano-mechanical characterization of 18 clay-based multilayer samples, prepared under as-deposited (i.e., air-dried) and annealing conditions at 400 °C/600 °C with different precursor cations and multilayer structure, were carried out using nanoindentation testing, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The influencing factors, including as-deposited and annealing conditions and clay concentrations on the mechanical properties were analyzed. Results show that all of the multilayers exhibit high bonding strength between interlayers. Higher modulus and hardness of clay-based multilayers were obtained with lower clay concentrations than that with higher clay concentrations. Different relationships between the modulus and hardness and the annealing temperature exist for a specific type of clay-oxide multilayer. This work offers the basic and essential knowledge on design of clay-based nanostructured multilayers by layer-by-layer self-assembly.

Modulation of flagellum attachment zone protein FLAM3 and regulation of the cell shape in Trypanosoma brucei life cycle transitions

PubMed Central

Sunter, Jack D.; Benz, Corinna; Andre, Jane; Whipple, Sarah; McKean, Paul G.; Gull, Keith; Ginger, Michael L.; Lukeš, Julius

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT The cell shape of Trypanosoma brucei is influenced by flagellum-to-cell-body attachment through a specialised structure – the flagellum attachment zone (FAZ). T. brucei exhibits numerous morphological forms during its life cycle and, at each stage, the FAZ length varies. We have analysed FLAM3, a large protein that localises to the FAZ region within the old and new flagellum. Ablation of FLAM3 expression causes a reduction in FAZ length; however, this has remarkably different consequences in the tsetse procyclic form versus the mammalian bloodstream form. In procyclic form cells FLAM3 RNAi results in the transition to an epimastigote-like shape, whereas in bloodstream form cells a severe cytokinesis defect associated with flagellum detachment is observed. Moreover, we demonstrate that the amount of FLAM3 and its localisation is dependent on ClpGM6 expression and vice versa. This evidence demonstrates that FAZ is a key regulator of trypanosome shape, with experimental perturbations being life cycle form dependent. An evolutionary cell biology explanation suggests that these differences are a reflection of the division process, the cytoskeleton and intrinsic structural plasticity of particular life cycle forms. PMID:26148511

Cellulose nanocrystals with tunable surface charge for nanomedicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseinidoust, Zeinab; Alam, Md Nur; Sim, Goeun; Tufenkji, Nathalie; van de Ven, Theo G. M.

2015-10-01

Crystalline nanoparticles of cellulose exhibit attractive properties as nanoscale carriers for bioactive molecules in nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine. For applications in imaging and drug delivery, surface charge is one of the most important factors affecting the performance of nanocarriers. However, current methods of preparation offer little flexibility for controlling the surface charge of cellulose nanocrystals, leading to compromised colloidal stability under physiological conditions. We report a synthesis method that results in nanocrystals with remarkably high carboxyl content (6.6 mmol g-1) and offers continuous control over surface charge without any adjustment to the reaction conditions. Six fractions of nanocrystals with various surface carboxyl contents were synthesized from a single sample of softwood pulp with carboxyl contents varying from 6.6 to 1.7 mmol g-1 and were fully characterized. The proposed method resulted in highly stable colloidal nanocrystals that did not aggregate when exposed to high salt concentrations or serum-containing media. Interactions of these fractions with four different tissue cell lines were investigated over a wide range of concentrations (50-300 μg mL-1). Darkfield hyperspectral imaging and confocal microscopy confirmed the uptake of nanocrystals by selected cell lines without any evidence of membrane damage or change in cell density; however a charge-dependent decrease in mitochondrial activity was observed for charge contents higher than 3.9 mmol g-1. A high surface carboxyl content allowed for facile conjugation of fluorophores to the nanocrystals without compromising colloidal stability. The cellular uptake of fluoresceinamine-conjugated nanocrystals exhibited a time-dose dependent relationship and increased significantly with doubling of the surface charge.Crystalline nanoparticles of cellulose exhibit attractive properties as nanoscale carriers for bioactive molecules in nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine. For applications in imaging and drug delivery, surface charge is one of the most important factors affecting the performance of nanocarriers. However, current methods of preparation offer little flexibility for controlling the surface charge of cellulose nanocrystals, leading to compromised colloidal stability under physiological conditions. We report a synthesis method that results in nanocrystals with remarkably high carboxyl content (6.6 mmol g-1) and offers continuous control over surface charge without any adjustment to the reaction conditions. Six fractions of nanocrystals with various surface carboxyl contents were synthesized from a single sample of softwood pulp with carboxyl contents varying from 6.6 to 1.7 mmol g-1 and were fully characterized. The proposed method resulted in highly stable colloidal nanocrystals that did not aggregate when exposed to high salt concentrations or serum-containing media. Interactions of these fractions with four different tissue cell lines were investigated over a wide range of concentrations (50-300 μg mL-1). Darkfield hyperspectral imaging and confocal microscopy confirmed the uptake of nanocrystals by selected cell lines without any evidence of membrane damage or change in cell density; however a charge-dependent decrease in mitochondrial activity was observed for charge contents higher than 3.9 mmol g-1. A high surface carboxyl content allowed for facile conjugation of fluorophores to the nanocrystals without compromising colloidal stability. The cellular uptake of fluoresceinamine-conjugated nanocrystals exhibited a time-dose dependent relationship and increased significantly with doubling of the surface charge. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Additional results are presented in the ESI in Fig. S1 through S4. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr02506k

Extensive preclinical investigation of polymersomal formulation of doxorubicin versus Doxil-mimic formulation.

PubMed

Alibolandi, Mona; Abnous, Khalil; Mohammadi, Marzieh; Hadizadeh, Farzin; Sadeghi, Fatemeh; Taghavi, Sahar; Jaafari, Mahmoud Reza; Ramezani, Mohammad

2017-10-28

Due to the severe cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin, its usage is limited. This shortcoming could be overcome by modifying pharmacokinetics of the drugs via preparation of various nanoplatforms. Doxil, a well-known FDA-approved nanoplatform of doxorubicin as antineoplastic agent, is frequently used in clinics in order to reduce cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin. Since Doxil shows some shortcomings in clinics including hand and food syndrome and very slow release pattern thus, there is a demand for the development and preparation of new doxorubicin nanoformulation with fewer side effects. The new formulation of the doxorubicin, synthesized previously by our group was extensively examined in the current study. This new formulation is doxorubicin encapsulated in PEG-PLGA polymersomes (PolyDOX). The main aim of the study was to compare the distribution and treatment efficacy of a new doxorubicin-polymersomal formulation (PolyDOX) with regular liposomal formulation (Doxil-mimic) in murine colon adenocarcinoma model. Additionally, the pathological, hematological changes, pharmacodynamics, biodistribution, tolerated dose and survival rate in vivo were evaluated and compared. Murine colon cancer model was induced by subcutaneous inoculation of BALB/c mice with C26 cells. Afterwards, either Doxil-mimic or PolyDOX was administered intravenously. The obtained results from biodistribution study showed a remarkable difference in the distribution of drugs in murine organs. In this regard, Doxil-mimic exhibited prolonged (48h) presence within liver tissues while PolyDOX preferentially accumulate in tumor and the presence in liver 48h post-treatment was significantly lower than that of Doxil-mimic. Obtained results demonstrated comparable final length of life for mice receiving either Doxil-mimic or PolyDOX formulations whereas tolerated dose of mice receiving Doxil-mimic was remarkably higher than those receiving PolyDOX. Therapeutic efficacy of formulation in term of tumor growth rate after one injection of formulations (5mg/kg, 10mg/kg or 15mg/kg) demonstrated better efficacy at lower dose for PolyDOX. Analysis of Kaplan Meier curve was in favor of both formulations in their treatment-dose. Pathological and hematological surveys of mice treated with both formulations did not show considerable difference except for a small atrophy in liver observed after successive administration of Doxil-mimic. It could be concluded that PolyDOX can potentially limit off-site effects of Doxil due to its biodegradability and sustained release properties while it exhibited favorable safety profile comparable to Doxil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical performance of a solvent-free hybrid ceramic-polymer electrolyte based on Li7La3Zr2O12 in P(EO)15LiTFSI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, Marlou; Appetecchi, Giovanni Battista; Kim, Guk-Tae; Sharova, Varvara; Schneider, Meike; Schuhmacher, Jörg; Roters, Andreas; Passerini, Stefano

2017-06-01

The preparation of hybrid ceramic-polymer electrolytes, consisting of 70 wt% of Li+ cation conducting Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) and 30 wt% of P(EO)15LiTFSI polymer electrolyte, through a solvent-free procedure is reported. The LLZO-P(EO)15LiTFSI hybrid electrolytes exhibit remarkable improvement in terms of flexibility and processability with respect to pure LLZO ceramic electrolytes. The physicochemical and electrochemical investigation shows the effect of LLZO annealing, resulting in ion conduction gain. However, slow charge transfer at the ceramic-polymer interface is also observed especially at higher temperatures. Nevertheless, improved compatibility with lithium metal anodes and good Li stripping/plating behavior are exhibited by the LLZO-P(EO)15LiTFSI hybrid electrolytes with respect to P(EO)15LiTFSI.

Regional aerosol chemistry of the Amazon Basin during the dry season

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talbot, R. W.; Harriss, R. C.; Andreae, M. O.; Andreae, T. W.

1988-01-01

The distribution and chemical composition of the atmospheric aerosol over the Amazon Basin forest were determined during the 1985 July-August dry season, using data on the aerosol chemical constituent concentration collected during the NASA Global Tropospheric Experiment Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment 2A mission. The results of the analyses suggest that there is a remarkable compositional and spatial homogeneity of the atmospheric aerosol on an extensive regional scale. Particulate organic carbon is the dominant component of the atmospheric aerosol, exhibiting an average concentration of about 740 nmol/cu m in the mixed layer and about 220 nmol/cu m in free tropospheric air. Oxalate and SO4(2-) exhibited the greatest enrichment in the mixed layer, while Cl(-) showed essentially no enrichment. The aerosol in the Amazonian atmosphere is essentially acid-base neutral, primarily as a result of incorporation of NH(+), which is presumably derived from NH3 released by the forest ecosystem.

Vinblastine 20' Amides: Synthetic Analogues That Maintain or Improve Potency and Simultaneously Overcome Pgp-Derived Efflux and Resistance.

PubMed

Lukesh, John C; Carney, Daniel W; Dong, Huijun; Cross, R Matthew; Shukla, Vyom; Duncan, Katharine K; Yang, Shouliang; Brody, Daniel M; Brütsch, Manuela M; Radakovic, Aleksandar; Boger, Dale L

2017-09-14

A series of 180 vinblastine 20' amides were prepared in three steps from commercially available starting materials, systematically exploring a typically inaccessible site in the molecule enlisting a powerful functionalization strategy. Clear structure-activity relationships and a structural model were developed in the studies which provided many such 20' amides that exhibit substantial and some even remarkable enhancements in potency, many that exhibit further improvements in activity against a Pgp overexpressing resistant cancer cell line, and an important subset of the vinblastine analogues that display little or no differential in activity against a matched pair of vinblastine sensitive and resistant (Pgp overexpressing) cell lines. The improvements in potency directly correlated with target tubulin binding affinity, and the reduction in differential functional activity against the sensitive and Pgp overexpressing resistant cell lines was found to correlate directly with an impact on Pgp-derived efflux.

Fractal nematic colloids

PubMed Central

Hashemi, S. M.; Jagodič, U.; Mozaffari, M. R.; Ejtehadi, M. R.; Muševič, I.; Ravnik, M.

2017-01-01

Fractals are remarkable examples of self-similarity where a structure or dynamic pattern is repeated over multiple spatial or time scales. However, little is known about how fractal stimuli such as fractal surfaces interact with their local environment if it exhibits order. Here we show geometry-induced formation of fractal defect states in Koch nematic colloids, exhibiting fractal self-similarity better than 90% over three orders of magnitude in the length scales, from micrometers to nanometres. We produce polymer Koch-shaped hollow colloidal prisms of three successive fractal iterations by direct laser writing, and characterize their coupling with the nematic by polarization microscopy and numerical modelling. Explicit generation of topological defect pairs is found, with the number of defects following exponential-law dependence and reaching few 100 already at fractal iteration four. This work demonstrates a route for generation of fractal topological defect states in responsive soft matter. PMID:28117325

Photo current generation in RGO - CdS nanorod thin film device

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chakraborty, Koushik; Chakrabarty, Sankalpita; Ibrahim, Sk.

2016-05-23

Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) - cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanocomposite materials. The reduction of GO, formation of CdS and decoration of CdS onto RGO sheets were done in a one- pot solvothermal process. We have observed that the PL intensity for CdS nanorods remarkably quenched after the attachment of RGO, which established the photo induced charge transformation from the CdS nanorod to RGO sheets through the RGO-CdS interface. The optoelectronic transport properties of our fabricated large area thin film device exhibits excellent photo induced charge generation under simulated solar light illumination. The photomore » sensitivity of the device increases linearly with the increase of illuminated light intensity. The RGO-CdS composite exhibits enhance photocatalytic dye degradation efficiency in compare to control CdS under simulated solar light illumination.« less

The Universe in Your City - Nineteen Capitals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scarpa, D.; Más, A.

2010-10-01

The programme, The Universe in Your City - Nineteen Capitals, took us to each of Uruguay's nineteen provincial capitals. In each capital we erected our Kappa Crucis Digital Mobile Planetarium and were able to reach a wide range of children of school age, and especially children in "critical contexts" (i.e. socially and economically deprived children). We transported our equipment, together with the exhibition materials for the IYA2009 Cornerstone project, From Earth To The Universe - and set it up in open public spaces, staying in each location for one week and offering an average of nine daily 40-minute presentations. Each session featured information on Galileo Galilei's discoveries, the Uruguayan night sky and the cultural heritage provided by the sky. A record number of 46 428 people participated in the 884 sessions held between April and September; while many more simply visited the exhibition. This reflects the remarkable success of the project.

Exotic topological density waves in cold atomic Rydberg-dressed fermions

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaopeng; Sarma, S Das

2015-01-01

Versatile controllability of interactions in ultracold atomic and molecular gases has now reached an era where quantum correlations and unconventional many-body phases can be studied with no corresponding analogues in solid-state systems. Recent experiments in Rydberg atomic gases have achieved exquisite control over non-local interactions, allowing novel quantum phases unreachable with the usual local interactions in atomic systems. Here we study Rydberg-dressed atomic fermions in a three-dimensional optical lattice predicting the existence of hitherto unheard-of exotic mixed topological density wave phases. By varying the spatial range of the non-local interaction, we find various chiral density waves with spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking, whose quasiparticles form three-dimensional quantum Hall and Weyl semimetal states. Remarkably, certain density waves even exhibit mixed topologies beyond the existing topological classification. Our results suggest gapless fermionic states could exhibit far richer topology than previously expected. PMID:25972134

Open Source Drug Discovery: Highly Potent Antimalarial Compounds Derived from the Tres Cantos Arylpyrroles

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The development of new antimalarial compounds remains a pivotal part of the strategy for malaria elimination. Recent large-scale phenotypic screens have provided a wealth of potential starting points for hit-to-lead campaigns. One such public set is explored, employing an open source research mechanism in which all data and ideas were shared in real time, anyone was able to participate, and patents were not sought. One chemical subseries was found to exhibit oral activity but contained a labile ester that could not be replaced without loss of activity, and the original hit exhibited remarkable sensitivity to minor structural change. A second subseries displayed high potency, including activity within gametocyte and liver stage assays, but at the cost of low solubility. As an open source research project, unexplored avenues are clearly identified and may be explored further by the community; new findings may be cumulatively added to the present work. PMID:27800551

Actin isoform specificity is required for the maintenance of lactation

PubMed Central

Weymouth, Nate; Shi, Zengdun; Rockey, Don C.

2014-01-01

Smooth muscle α-actin (Acta2) is one of six highly conserved mammalian actin isoforms that appear to exhibit functional redundancy. Nonetheless, we have postulated a specific functional role for the smooth muscle specific isoform. Here, we show that Acta2 deficient mice have a remarkable mammary phenotype such that dams lacking Acta2 are unable to nurse their offspring effectively. The phenotype was rescued in cross fostering experiments with wild type mice, excluding a developmental defect in Acta2 null pups. The mechanism for the underlying phenotype is due to myoepithelial dysfunction postpartum resulting in precocious involution. Further, we demonstrate a specific defect in myoepithelial cell contractility in Acta2 null mammary glands, despite normal expression of cytoplasmic actins. We conclude that Acta2 specifically mediates myoepithelial cell contraction during lactation and that this actin isoform therefore exhibits functional specificity. PMID:22123032

Citric acid induced W18O49 electrochromic films with enhanced optical modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Junliang; Song, Bin; Zhao, Gaoling; Han, Gaorong

2018-06-01

Electrochromic materials exhibit promising applications in energy-saving fields for their ability to control heat from outdoors. Nanostructured W18O49 has drawn attention for its one-dimensional structure to transfer charge efficiently as a remarkable electrochromic material. W18O49 bi-layer films were fabricated through a facile one-step solvothermal process with citric acid as a chelating agent. The addition of citric acid improved the deposition on the substance, and a nanostructured film with a denser layer at the bottom and a tussock-like upper layer was obtained. The bi-layer film exhibited an enhanced optical modulation of 68.7%, a coloration efficiency of 82.1 cm2/C with stability over 400 cycles, and fast response times (1.4 s and 2.3 s for bleaching and coloring), with expectation to be applied in the electrochromic field.

Reusable self-healing hydrogels realized via in situ polymerization.

PubMed

Vivek, Balachandran; Prasad, Edamana

2015-04-09

In this work, a self-healing hydrogel has been prepared using in situ polymerization of acrylic acid and acrylamide in the presence of glycogen. The hydrogel was characterized using NMR, SEM, FT-IR, rheology, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies. The developed hydrogel exhibits self-healing properties at neutral pH, high swelling ability, high elasticity, and excellent mechanical strength. The hydrogel exhibits modulus values (G', G″) as high as 10(6) Pa and shows an exceptionally high degree of swelling ratio (∼3.5 × 10(3)). Further, the polymer based hydrogel adsorbs toxic metal ions (Cd(2+), Pb(2+), and Hg(2+)) and organic dyes (methylene blue and methyl orange) from contaminated water with remarkable efficiency (90-98%). The mechanistic analysis indicated the presence of pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics. The reusability of the hydrogel has been demonstrated by repeating the adsorption-desorption process over five cycles with identical results in the adsorption efficiency.

Photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4 nanoparticle/TiO2 nanobelt heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ruoyu; Hu, Peiguang; Chen, Shaowei

2012-10-01

Heterostructures based on Ag3PO4 nanoparticles and TiO2 nanobelts were prepared by a coprecipitation method. The crystalline structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction measurements. Electron microscopic studies showed that the Ag3PO4 nanoparticles and TiO2 nanobelts were in intimate contact which might be exploited to facilitate charge transfer between the two semiconductor materials. In fact, the heterostructures exhibited markedly enhanced photocatalytic activity as compared with unmodified TiO2 nanobelts or commercial TiO2 colloids in the photodegradation of methyl orange under UV irradiation. This was accounted for by the improved efficiency of interfacial charge separation thanks to the unique alignments of their band structures. Remarkably, whereas the photocatalytic activity of the heterostructure was comparable to that of Ag3PO4 nanoparticles alone, the heterostructures exhibited significantly better stability and reusability in repeated tests than the Ag3PO4 nanoparticles.

Anti-arthritic activity of aqueous-methanolic extract and various fractions of Berberis orthobotrys Bien ex Aitch.

PubMed

Alamgeer; Uttra, Ambreen Malik; Hasan, Umme Habiba

2017-07-18

The roots and stem bark of Berberis orthobotrys (Berberidaceae) have long been used traditionally to treat joint pain. Though, it has not been pharmacologically assessed for rheumatoid arthritis. The current study explores anti-arthritic activity and phytochemical analysis of aqueous-methanolic extract (30:70) and fractions (ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous) of Berberis orthobotrys roots. Anti-arthritic potential was evaluated in vitro using protein denaturation (bovine serum albumin and egg albumin) and membrane stabilization methods at 12.5-800 μg/ml concentration and in vivo via turpentine oil, formaldehyde and Complete Freund Adjuvant (CFA) models at 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg doses. Also, in vitro antioxidant ability was appraised by reducing power assay. Moreover, total flavonoid content, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and High performance liquid chromatography of n-butanol fraction were performed. The results revealed concentration dependent inhibition of albumin denaturation and notable RBC membrane stabilization, with maximum results obtained at 800 μg/ml. Similarly, plant exhibited dose dependent anti-arthritic effect in turpentine oil and formaldehyde models, with maximum activity observed at 150 mg/kg. The results of CFA model depicted better protection against arthritic lesions and body weight alterations. Also, B.orthobotrys remarkably ameliorated altered hematological parameters, rheumatoid factor and positively modified radiographic and histopathological changes. Additionally, plant exhibited remarkable anti-oxidant activity. Moreover, phytochemical analysis revealed polyphenols and flavonoids. Taken together, these results support traditional use of B.orthobotrys as potent anti-arthritic agent that may be proposed for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pestov, Nikolay B., E-mail: korn@mail.ibch.ru; Dmitriev, Ruslan I.; Kostina, Maria B.

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Full-length secretory pathway Ca-ATPase (SPCA2) cloned from rat duodenum. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ATP2C2 gene (encoding SPCA2) exists only in genomes of Tetrapoda. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Rat and pig SPCA2 are expressed in intestines, lung and some secretory glands. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Subcellular localization of SPCA2 may depend on tissue type. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In rat duodenum, SPCA2 is localized in plasma membrane-associated compartments. -- Abstract: Secretory pathway Ca-ATPases are less characterized mammalian calcium pumps than plasma membrane Ca-ATPases and sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPases. Here we report analysis of molecular evolution, alternative splicing, tissue-specific expression and subcellular localization of the second isoform of the secretory pathway Ca-ATPase (SPCA2),more » the product of the ATP2C2 gene. The primary structure of SPCA2 from rat duodenum deduced from full-length transcript contains 944 amino acid residues, and exhibits 65% sequence identity with known SPCA1. The rat SPCA2 sequence is also highly homologous to putative human protein KIAA0703, however, the latter seems to have an aberrant N-terminus originating from intron 2. The tissue-specificity of SPCA2 expression is different from ubiquitous SPCA1. Rat SPCA2 transcripts were detected predominantly in gastrointestinal tract, lung, trachea, lactating mammary gland, skin and preputial gland. In the newborn pig, the expression profile is very similar with one remarkable exception: porcine bulbourethral gland gave the strongest signal. Upon overexpression in cultured cells, SPCA2 shows an intracellular distribution with remarkable enrichment in Golgi. However, in vivo SPCA2 may be localized in compartments that differ among various tissues: it is intracellular in epidermis, but enriched in plasma membranes of the intestinal epithelium. Analysis of SPCA2 sequences from various vertebrate species argue that ATP2C2 gene radiated from ATP2C1 (encoding SPCA1) during adaptation of tetrapod ancestors to terrestrial habitats.« less

Effects of different mechanized soil fertilization methods on corn nutrient accumulation and yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Qingwen; Bai, Chunming; Wang, Huixin; Wu, Di; Song, Qiaobo; Dong, Zengqi; Gao, Depeng; Dong, Qiping; Cheng, Xin; Zhang, Yahao; Mu, Jiahui; Chen, Qinghong; Liao, Wenqing; Qu, Tianru; Zhang, Chunling; Zhang, Xinyu; Liu, Yifei; Han, Xiaori

2017-05-01

Aim: Experiments for mechanized corn soil fertilization were conducted in Faku demonstration zone. On this basis, we studied effects on corn nutrient accumulation and yield traits at brown soil regions due to different mechanized soil fertilization measures. We also evaluated and optimized the regulation effects of mechanized soil fertilization for the purpose of crop yield increase and production efficiency improvement. Method: Based on the survey of soil background value in the demonstration zone, we collected plant samples during different corn growth periods to determine and make statistical analysis. Conclusions: Decomposed cow dung, when under mechanical broadcasting, was able to remarkably increase nitrogen and potassium accumulation content of corns at their ripe stage. Crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage would remarkably increase phosphorus accumulation content of corn plants. When compared with top application, crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage would remarkably increase corn thousand kernel weight (TKW). Mechanized broadcasting of granular organic fertilizer and crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage, when compared with surface application, were able to boost corn yield in the in the demonstration zone.

Comparing a Japanese and a German hospital information system.

PubMed

Jahn, F; Issler, L; Winter, A; Takabayashi, K

2009-01-01

To examine the architectural differences and similarities of a Japanese and German hospital information system (HIS) in a case study. This cross-cultural comparison, which focuses on structural quality characteristics, offers the chance to get new insights into different HIS architectures, which possibly cannot be obtained by inner-country comparisons. A reference model for the domain layer of hospital information systems containing the typical enterprise functions of a hospital provides the basis of comparison for the two different hospital information systems. 3LGM(2) models, which describe the two HISs and which are based on that reference model, are used to assess several structural quality criteria. Four of these criteria are introduced in detail. The two examined HISs are different in terms of the four structural quality criteria examined. Whereas the centralized architecture of the hospital information system at Chiba University Hospital causes only few functional redundancies and leads to a low implementation of communication standards, the hospital information system at the University Hospital of Leipzig, having a decentralized architecture, exhibits more functional redundancies and a higher use of communication standards. Using a model-based comparison, it was possible to detect remarkable differences between the observed hospital information systems of completely different cultural areas. However, the usability of 3LGM(2) models for comparisons has to be improved in order to apply key figures and to assess or benchmark the structural quality of health information systems architectures more thoroughly.

A visitor study approach to INGV exhibition at Genova Science Festival 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nave, R.; D'Addezio, G.; Carosi, A.

2012-04-01

The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) is one of the largest European scientific institution dealing with Earth Sciences research and seismic and volcanic surveillance. We organizes every year intense educational and outreach activities focalizing in particular on causes of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and how to behave properly and deal with these events. This approach derived from the consciousness on the social role of a correct information on natural hazards and on the awareness that preparedness is the best way to live with and to mitigate natural hazard. The Genova Science Festival, held since 2003, is the most remarkable among the Italian Science Communication events and for or the 2011 edition, the INGV realized an exibition called COME E' PROFONDO IL MARE, la geofisica in acqua (HOW DEEP THE SEA IS, geophysics in water). The exhibition shows and explains the main geodinamic processes trough interactive exhibits and colorful panels exploring events as earthquakes, volcanic eruption and tsunami, their impact on our territory. In order to approach a visitor study related to this scientific educational path we elaborated questionnaires designed for students, for teacher and for general public. We have chosen this survey instrument for its advantage to get a wide variety of information and quantitative data. In developing the questionnaire three main aspects were taken in account: its shortness, clarity in the questions, and answers structure able to grade different indicator of visitor opinion and exhibition impact. That will also allow us to combine indicators scores during data elaboration phase. The questionnaire goes through all the section of the educational path, trying to have a feedback on the proposed layout and its efficacy. The Science Festival lasted 2 weeks and was visited by about 8000 people. During the event were handed out and recollected about 300 questionnaires that allows us to make a reliable assessment on the impact of our exhibition. This first effort of visitor study has the aim to have a framework for exhibition impact and its edutaiment appeal, and represent a starting point in a wider and specific study on visitor learning. These kind of survey contribute to set up a reliable feedback loops between scientists and end users of natural hazards information that can help to close the gap between science and society.

Emodin induces neurite outgrowth through PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β-mediated signaling pathways in Neuro2a cells.

PubMed

Park, Shin-Ji; Jin, Mei Ling; An, Hyun-Kyu; Kim, Kyoung-Sook; Ko, Min Jung; Kim, Cheol Min; Choi, Young Whan; Lee, Young-Choon

2015-02-19

In this study, a neurite outgrowth-inducing substance was isolated from the ethylacetate extract of the Polygonum multiflorum roots and identified as emodin by gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR. Emodin displayed remarkable neurite outgrowth-inducing activity in Neuro2a cells, as demonstrated by morphological changes and immunocytochemistry for class III β-tubulin. Emodin exhibited a stronger neutrophic activity than retinoic acid (RA) known as inducer of neurite outgrowth in Neuro2a cells. Emodin treatment resulted in marked increases in phosphorylation of Akt a direct downstream signaling molecule of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), but upstream of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB). These augmentations and neurite-bearing cells induced by emodin were remarkably reduced by the addition of PI3K inhibitor LY294002. These results demonstrate that emodin induces neuronal differentiation of Neuro2a cells via PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Charge-carrier relaxation in sonochemically fabricated dendronized CaSiO3-SiO2-Si nanoheterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savkina, Rada; Smirnov, Aleksey; Kirilova, Svitlana; Shmid, Volodymyr; Podolian, Artem; Nadtochiy, Andriy; Odarych, Volodymyr; Korotchenkov, Oleg

2018-04-01

We present systematic studies of charge-carrier relaxation processes in sonochemically nanostructured silicon wafers. Impedance spectroscopy and transient photovoltage techniques are employed. It is found that interface potential in Si wafers remarkably increases upon their exposure to sonochemical treatments in Ca-rich environments. In contrast, the density of fast interface electron states remains almost unchanged. It is found that the initial photovoltage decay, taken before ultrasonic treatments, exhibits the involvement of shorter- and longer time recombination and trapping centers. The decay speeds up remarkably due to cavitation treatments, which is accompanied by a substantial quenching of the photovoltage magnitude. It is also found that, before the treatments, the photovoltage magnitude is markedly non-uniform over the wafer surface, implying the existence of distributed sites affecting distribution of photoexcited carriers. The treatments cause an overall broadening of the photovoltage distribution. Furthermore, impedance measurements monitor the progress in surface structuring relevant to several relaxation processes. We believe that sonochemical nanostructuring of silicon wafers with dendronized CaSiO3 may enable new promising avenue towards low-cost solar energy efficiency multilayered solar cell device structures.

Core-shell-shell heterostructures of α-NaLuF4:Yb/Er@NaLuF4:Yb@MF2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) with remarkably enhanced upconversion luminescence.

PubMed

Su, Yue; Liu, Xiuling; Lei, Pengpeng; Xu, Xia; Dong, Lile; Guo, Xianmin; Yan, Xingxu; Wang, Peng; Song, Shuyan; Feng, Jing; Zhang, Hongjie

2016-07-05

Core-shell-shell heterostructures of α-NaLuF4:Yb/Er@NaLuF4:Yb@MF2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) have been successfully fabricated via the thermal decomposition method. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), upconversion luminescence (UCL) spectroscopy, etc. Under 980 nm excitation, the emission intensities of the UCNPs are remarkably enhanced after coating the MF2 (M = Ca, Sr, and Ba) shell. Among these samples, CaF2 coated UCNPs show the strongest overall emission, while BaF2 coated UCNPs exhibit the longest lifetime. These results demonstrate that alkaline earth metal fluorides are ideal materials to improve the UCL properties. Meanwhile, although the lattice mismatch between the ternary NaREF4 core and the binary MF2 (M = Sr and Ba) shell is relatively large, the successfully synthesized NaLuF4:Yb/Er@NaLuF4:Yb@MF2 indicates a new outlook on the fabrication of heterostructural core-shell UCNPs.

Transmissible cancers in an evolutionary context.

PubMed

Ujvari, Beata; Papenfuss, Anthony T; Belov, Katherine

2016-07-01

Cancer is an evolutionary and ecological process in which complex interactions between tumour cells and their environment share many similarities with organismal evolution. Tumour cells with highest adaptive potential have a selective advantage over less fit cells. Naturally occurring transmissible cancers provide an ideal model system for investigating the evolutionary arms race between cancer cells and their surrounding micro-environment and macro-environment. However, the evolutionary landscapes in which contagious cancers reside have not been subjected to comprehensive investigation. Here, we provide a multifocal analysis of transmissible tumour progression and discuss the selection forces that shape it. We demonstrate that transmissible cancers adapt to both their micro-environment and macro-environment, and evolutionary theories applied to organisms are also relevant to these unique diseases. The three naturally occurring transmissible cancers, canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) and Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) and the recently discovered clam leukaemia, exhibit different evolutionary phases: (i) CTVT, the oldest naturally occurring cell line is remarkably stable; (ii) DFTD exhibits the signs of stepwise cancer evolution; and (iii) clam leukaemia shows genetic instability. While all three contagious cancers carry the signature of ongoing and fairly recent adaptations to selective forces, CTVT appears to have reached an evolutionary stalemate with its host, while DFTD and the clam leukaemia appear to be still at a more dynamic phase of their evolution. Parallel investigation of contagious cancer genomes and transcriptomes and of their micro-environment and macro-environment could shed light on the selective forces shaping tumour development at different time points: during the progressive phase and at the endpoint. A greater understanding of transmissible cancers from an evolutionary ecology perspective will provide novel avenues for the prevention and treatment of both contagious and non-communicable cancers. © 2016 The Authors. BioEssays published by WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

A multi-scale analysis of bull sperm methylome revealed both species peculiarities and conserved tissue-specific features.

PubMed

Perrier, Jean-Philippe; Sellem, Eli; Prézelin, Audrey; Gasselin, Maxime; Jouneau, Luc; Piumi, François; Al Adhami, Hala; Weber, Michaël; Fritz, Sébastien; Boichard, Didier; Le Danvic, Chrystelle; Schibler, Laurent; Jammes, Hélène; Kiefer, Hélène

2018-05-29

Spermatozoa have a remarkable epigenome in line with their degree of specialization, their unique nature and different requirements for successful fertilization. Accordingly, perturbations in the establishment of DNA methylation patterns during male germ cell differentiation have been associated with infertility in several species. While bull semen is widely used in artificial insemination, the literature describing DNA methylation in bull spermatozoa is still scarce. The purpose of this study was therefore to characterize the bull sperm methylome relative to both bovine somatic cells and the sperm of other mammals through a multiscale analysis. The quantification of DNA methylation at CCGG sites using luminometric methylation assay (LUMA) highlighted the undermethylation of bull sperm compared to the sperm of rams, stallions, mice, goats and men. Total blood cells displayed a similarly high level of methylation in bulls and rams, suggesting that undermethylation of the bovine genome was specific to sperm. Annotation of CCGG sites in different species revealed no striking bias in the distribution of genome features targeted by LUMA that could explain undermethylation of bull sperm. To map DNA methylation at a genome-wide scale, bull sperm was compared with bovine liver, fibroblasts and monocytes using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and immunoprecipitation of methylated DNA followed by microarray hybridization (MeDIP-chip). These two methods exhibited differences in terms of genome coverage, and consistently, two independent sets of sequences differentially methylated in sperm and somatic cells were identified for RRBS and MeDIP-chip. Remarkably, in the two sets most of the differentially methylated sequences were hypomethylated in sperm. In agreement with previous studies in other species, the sequences that were specifically hypomethylated in bull sperm targeted processes relevant to the germline differentiation program (piRNA metabolism, meiosis, spermatogenesis) and sperm functions (cell adhesion, fertilization), as well as satellites and rDNA repeats. These results highlight the undermethylation of bull spermatozoa when compared with both bovine somatic cells and the sperm of other mammals, and raise questions regarding the dynamics of DNA methylation in bovine male germline. Whether sperm undermethylation has potential interactions with structural variation in the cattle genome may deserve further attention.

Phenotypic, Molecular and Symbiotic Characterization of the Rhizobial Symbionts of Desmanthus paspalaceus (Lindm.) Burkart That Grow in the Province of Santa Fe, Argentina

PubMed Central

Fornasero, Laura Viviana; Del Papa, María Florencia; López, José Luis; Albicoro, Francisco Javier; Zabala, Juan Marcelo; Toniutti, María Antonieta; Pensiero, José Francisco; Lagares, Antonio

2014-01-01

Desmanthus paspalaceus (Lindm.) Burkart belongs to the D. virgatus complex, subfamily Mimosoidae. The known potential as livestock fodder of several of these legumes prompted us to undertake a phenotypic, molecular, and symbiotic characterization of the D. paspalaceus symbionts in the Santa Fe province, Argentina. The rhizobia collected—containing isolates with different abiotic-stress tolerances—showed a remarkable genetic diversity by PCR fingerprinting, with 11 different amplification profiles present among 20 isolates. In selected isolates 16S-rDNA sequencing detected mesorhizobia (60%) and rhizobia (40%) within the collection, in contrast to the genus of the original inoculant strain CB3126—previously isolated from Leucaena leucocephala—that we typified here through its 16S rDNA as Sinorhizobium terangae. The results revealed the establishment by diverse bacterial genera -rhizobia, sinorhizobia, and mesorhizobia- of full N2-fixing symbiotic associations with D. paspalaceus. This diversity was paralleled by the presence of at least two different nodC allelic variants. The identical nodC alleles of the Mesorhizobia sp. 10.L.4.2 and 10.L.5.3 notably failed to group within any of the currently described rhizo-/brady-/azorhizobial nodC clades. Interestingly, the nodC from S. terangae CB3126 clustered close to homologs from common bean nodulating rhizobia, but not with the nodC from S. terangae WSM1721 that nodulates Acacia. No previous data were available on nod-gene phylogeny for Desmanthus symbionts. A field assay indicated that inoculation of D. paspalaceus with the local Rhizobium sp. 10L.11.4 produced higher aerial-plant dry weights compared to S. teranga CB3126–inoculated plants. Neither the mesorhizobia 10.L.4.2 or 10.L.5.3 nor the rhizobium 10L.11.4 induced root nodules in L. leucocephala or P. vulgaris. The results show that some of the local isolates have remarkable tolerances to several abiotic stresses including acidity, salt, and temperature; while exhibiting prominent N2 fixation; thus indicating suitability as candidates for inoculation of D. paspalaceus. PMID:25153989

Pharmacological synergism of bee venom and melittin with antibiotics and plant secondary metabolites against multi-drug resistant microbial pathogens.

PubMed

Al-Ani, Issam; Zimmermann, Stefan; Reichling, Jürgen; Wink, Michael

2015-02-15

The goal of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of bee venom and its main component, melittin, alone or in two-drug and three-drug combinations with antibiotics (vancomycin, oxacillin, and amikacin) or antimicrobial plant secondary metabolites (carvacrol, benzyl isothiocyanate, the alkaloids sanguinarine and berberine) against drug-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant microbial pathogens. The secondary metabolites were selected corresponding to the molecular targets to which they are directed, being different from those of melittin and the antibiotics. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were evaluated by the standard broth microdilution method, while synergistic or additive interactions were assessed by checkerboard dilution and time-kill curve assays. Bee venom and melittin exhibited a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against 51 strains of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with strong anti-MRSA and anti-VRE activity (MIC values between 6 and 800 µg/ml). Moreover, bee venom and melittin showed significant antifungal activity (MIC values between 30 and 100 µg/ml). Carvacrol displayed bactericidal activity, while BITC exhibited bacteriostatic activity against all MRSA and VRE strains tested (reference strains and clinical isolates), both compounds showed a remarkable fungicidal activity with minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values between 30 and 200 µg/ml. The DNA intercalating alkaloid sanguinarine showed bactericidal activity against MRSA NCTC 10442 (MBC 20 µg/ml), while berberine exhibited bacteriostatic activity against MRSA NCTC 10442 (MIC 40 µg/ml). Checkerboard dilution tests mostly revealed synergism of two-drug combinations against all the tested microorganisms with FIC indexes between 0.24 and 0.50, except for rapidly growing mycobacteria in which combinations exerted an additive effect (FICI = 0.75-1). In time-kill assays all three-drug combinations exhibited a powerful bactericidal synergistic effect against MRSA NCTC 10442, VRE ATCC 51299, and E. coli ATCC 25922 with a reduction of more than 3log10 in the colony count after 24 h. Our findings suggest that bee venom and melittin synergistically enhanced the bactericidal effect of several antimicrobial agents when applied in combination especially when the drugs affect several and differing molecular targets. These results could lead to the development of novel or complementary antibacterial drugs against MDR pathogens. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Did the reporting of prognostic studies of tumour markers improve since the introduction of REMARK guideline? A comparison of reporting in published articles

PubMed Central

Mallett, Susan; Altman, Douglas G.; Sauerbrei, Willi

2017-01-01

Although biomarkers are perceived as highly relevant for future clinical practice, few biomarkers reach clinical utility for several reasons. Among them, poor reporting of studies is one of the major problems. To aid improvement, reporting guidelines like REMARK for tumour marker prognostic (TMP) studies were introduced several years ago. The aims of this project were to assess whether reporting quality of TMP-studies improved in comparison to a previously conducted study assessing reporting quality of TMP-studies (PRE-study) and to assess whether articles citing REMARK (citing group) are better reported, in comparison to articles not citing REMARK (not-citing group). For the POST-study, recent articles citing and not citing REMARK (53 each) were identified in selected journals through systematic literature search and evaluated in same way as in the PRE-study. Ten of the 20 items of the REMARK checklist were evaluated and used to define an overall score of reporting quality. The observed overall scores were 53.4% (range: 10%-90%) for the PRE-study, 57.7% (range: 20%-100%) for the not-citing group and 58.1% (range: 30%-100%) for the citing group of the POST-study. While there is no difference between the two groups of the POST-study, the POST-study shows a slight but not relevant improvement in reporting relative to the PRE-study. Not all the articles of the citing group, cited REMARK appropriately. Irrespective of whether REMARK was cited, the overall score was slightly higher for articles published in journals requesting adherence to REMARK than for those published in journals not requesting it: 59.9% versus 51.9%, respectively. Several years after the introduction of REMARK, many key items of TMP-studies are still very poorly reported. A combined effort is needed from authors, editors, reviewers and methodologists to improve the current situation. Good reporting is not just nice to have but is essential for any research to be useful. PMID:28614415

Self-assembled biomimetic antireflection coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linn, Nicholas C.; Sun, Chih-Hung; Jiang, Peng; Jiang, Bin

2007-09-01

The authors report a simple self-assembly technique for fabricating antireflection coatings that mimic antireflective moth eyes. Wafer-scale, nonclose-packed colloidal crystals with remarkable large hexagonal domains are created by a spin-coating technology. The resulting polymer-embedded colloidal crystals exhibit highly ordered surface modulation and can be used directly as templates to cast poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) molds. Moth-eye antireflection coatings with adjustable reflectivity can then be molded against the PDMS master. The specular reflection of replicated nipple arrays matches the theoretical prediction using a thin-film multilayer model. These biomimetic films may find important technological application in optical coatings and solar cells.

Triggering up states in all-to-all coupled neurons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngo, H.-V. V.; Köhler, J.; Mayer, J.; Claussen, J. C.; Schuster, H. G.

2010-03-01

Slow-wave sleep in mammalians is characterized by a change of large-scale cortical activity currently paraphrased as cortical Up/Down states. A recent experiment demonstrated a bistable collective behaviour in ferret slices, with the remarkable property that the Up states can be switched on and off with pulses, or excitations, of same polarity; whereby the effect of the second pulse significantly depends on the time interval between the pulses. Here we present a simple time-discrete model of a neural network that exhibits this type of behaviour, as well as quantitatively reproduces the time dependence found in the experiments.

Self-organized layered hydrogenation in black Mg2NiHx switchable mirrors.

PubMed

Lohstroh, W; Westerwaal, R J; Noheda, B; Enache, S; Giebels, I A M E; Dam, B; Griessen, R

2004-11-05

In addition to a mirrorlike (Mg2Ni) and a transparent (Mg2NiH4) state, thin films of Mg2NiHx exhibit a remarkable black state with low reflection over the entire visible spectrum, essentially zero transmission and a low electrical resistivity. Such a black state is not explicable for a homogeneous layer since a large absorption coefficient always yields substantial reflection. We show that it results from a self-organized and reversible double layering of metallic Mg2NiH0.3 and semiconducting Mg2NiH4.

Controlling quantum interference in phase space with amplitude.

PubMed

Xue, Yinghong; Li, Tingyu; Kasai, Katsuyuki; Okada-Shudo, Yoshiko; Watanabe, Masayoshi; Zhang, Yun

2017-05-23

We experimentally show a quantum interference in phase space by interrogating photon number probabilities (n = 2, 3, and 4) of a displaced squeezed state, which is generated by an optical parametric amplifier and whose displacement is controlled by amplitude of injected coherent light. It is found that the probabilities exhibit oscillations of interference effect depending upon the amplitude of the controlling light field. This phenomenon is attributed to quantum interference in phase space and indicates the capability of controlling quantum interference using amplitude. This remarkably contrasts with the oscillations of interference effects being usually controlled by relative phase in classical optics.

11-Step Total Synthesis of Araiosamines

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

A concise route to a small family of exotic marine alkaloids known as the araiosamines has been developed, and their absolute configuration has been assigned. The dense array of functionality, high polarity, and rich stereochemistry coupled with equilibrating topologies present an unusual challenge for chemical synthesis and an opportunity for innovation. Key steps involve the use of a new reagent for guanidine installation, a remarkably selective C–H functionalization, and a surprisingly simple final step that intersects a presumed biosynthetic intermediate. Synthetic araiosamines were shown to exhibit potency against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria despite a contrary report of no activity. PMID:27748593

Three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene as an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for the detection of dopamine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xiaomiao; Zhang, Yu; Zhou, Jinhua; Li, Yi; Chen, Shufen; Zhang, Lei; Ma, Yanwen; Wang, Lianhui; Yan, Xiaohong

2015-01-01

Three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene (3D N-doped graphene) was prepared through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) by using porous nickel foam as a substrate. As a model, a dopamine biosensor was constructed based on the 3D N-doped graphene porous foam. Electrochemical experiments exhibited that this biosensor had a remarkable detection ability with a wide linear detection range from 3 × 10-6 M to 1 × 10-4 M and a low detection limit of 1 nM. Moreover, the fabricated biosensor also showed an excellent anti-interference ability, reproducibility, and stability.

Three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene as an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for the detection of dopamine.

PubMed

Feng, Xiaomiao; Zhang, Yu; Zhou, Jinhua; Li, Yi; Chen, Shufen; Zhang, Lei; Ma, Yanwen; Wang, Lianhui; Yan, Xiaohong

2015-02-14

Three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene (3D N-doped graphene) was prepared through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) by using porous nickel foam as a substrate. As a model, a dopamine biosensor was constructed based on the 3D N-doped graphene porous foam. Electrochemical experiments exhibited that this biosensor had a remarkable detection ability with a wide linear detection range from 3 × 10(-6) M to 1 × 10(-4) M and a low detection limit of 1 nM. Moreover, the fabricated biosensor also showed an excellent anti-interference ability, reproducibility, and stability.

Highly efficient and low voltage silver nanowire-based OLEDs employing a n-type hole injection layer.

PubMed

Lee, Hyungjin; Lee, Donghwa; Ahn, Yumi; Lee, Eun-Woo; Park, Lee Soon; Lee, Youngu

2014-08-07

Highly flexible and efficient silver nanowire-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been successfully fabricated by employing a n-type hole injection layer (HIL). The silver nanowire-based OLEDs without light outcoupling structures exhibited excellent device characteristics such as extremely low turn-on voltage (3.6 V) and high current and power efficiencies (44.5 cd A(-1) and 35.8 lm W(-1)). In addition, flexible OLEDs with the silver nanowire transparent conducting electrode (TCE) and n-type HIL fabricated on plastic substrates showed remarkable mechanical flexibility as well as device performance.

Ecology and genomics of Bacillus subtilis.

PubMed

Earl, Ashlee M; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

2008-06-01

Bacillus subtilis is a remarkably diverse bacterial species that is capable of growth within many environments. Recent microarray-based comparative genomic analyses have revealed that members of this species also exhibit considerable genomic diversity. The identification of strain-specific genes might explain how B. subtilis has become so broadly adapted. The goal of identifying ecologically adaptive genes could soon be realized with the imminent release of several new B. subtilis genome sequences. As we embark upon this exciting new era of B. subtilis comparative genomics we review what is currently known about the ecology and evolution of this species.

Optimizing the network topology of block copolymer liquid crystal elastomers for enhanced extensibility and toughness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowak, Christian; Escobedo, Fernando A.

2017-08-01

Molecular simulations are used to study the effect of synthesis conditions on the tensile response of liquid-crystalline elastomers formed by block copolymer chains. Remarkably, it is found that despite the significant presence of trapped entanglements, these networks can exhibit the sawtooth tensile response previously predicted for ideal unentangled networks. It is also found that the monomer concentration during crosslinking can be tuned to limit the extent of entanglements and inhomogeneities while also maximizing network extensibility. It is predicted that networks synthesized at a "critical" concentration will have the greatest toughness.

Selective binding and magnetic separation of His-tagged proteins using Fe3O4/PAM/NTA-Ni2+ Magnetic Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Huiling; Li, Mengyun; Tu, Shu; Sun, Honghao

2018-03-01

Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with polyacrylamide (PAM) were synthesized. The magnetic core, with an average hydrodynamic size of 235.5 nm, allowed the magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) rapid separation from solutions under an external magnetic field. NTA-Ni2+ was modified on the surface of Fe3O4/PAM MNPs to selectively trap his-tagged green fluorescent protein (GFP). The results showed that Fe3O4/PAM/NTA-Ni2+ MNPs exhibited remarkable capability of selective binding and separating his-tagged GFP. The adsorption efficiency was 93.37%.

Number of Hydroxyl Groups on the B-Ring of Flavonoids Affects Their Antioxidant Activity and Interaction with Phorbol Ester Binding Site of PKCδ C1B Domain: In Vitro and in Silico Studies.

PubMed

Kongpichitchoke, Teeradate; Hsu, Jue-Liang; Huang, Tzou-Chi

2015-05-13

Although flavonoids have been reported for their benefits and nutraceutical potential use, the importance of their structure on their beneficial effects, especially on signal transduction mechanisms, has not been well clarified. In this study, three flavonoids, pinocembrin, naringenin, and eriodictyol, were chosen to determine the effect of hydroxyl groups on the B-ring of flavonoid structure on their antioxidant activity. In vitro assays, including DPPH scavenging activity, ROS quantification by flow cytometer, and proteins immunoblotting, and in silico analysis by molecular docking between the flavonoids and C1B domain of PKCδ phorbol ester binding site were both used to complete this study. Eriodictyol (10 μM), containing two hydroxyl groups on the B-ring, exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity than pinocembrin and naringenin. The IC50 values of eriodictyol, naringenin, and pinocembrin were 17.4 ± 0.40, 30.2 ± 0.61, and 44.9 ± 0.57 μM, respectively. In addition, eriodictyol at 10 μM remarkably inhibited the phosphorylation of PKCδ at 63.4% compared with PMA-activated RAW264.7, whereas pinocembrin and naringenin performed inhibition activity at 76.8 and 72.6%, respectively. According to the molecular docking analysis, pinocembrin, naringenin, and eriodictyol showed -CDOCKER_energy values of 15.22, 16.95, and 21.49, respectively, reflecting that eriodictyol could bind with the binding site better than the other two flavonoids. Interestingly, eriodictyol had a remarkably different pose to bind with the kinase as a result of the two hydroxyl groups on its B-ring, which consequently contributed to greater antioxidant activity over pinocembrin and naringenin.

Practical remarks on the heart rate and saturation measurement methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowal, M.; Kubal, S.; Piotrowski, P.; Staniec, K.

2017-05-01

A surface reflection-based method for measuring heart rate and saturation has been introduced as one having a significant advantage over legacy methods in that it lends itself for use in special applications such as those where a person’s mobility is of prime importance (e.g. during a miner’s work) and excluding the use of traditional clips. Then, a complete ATmega1281-based microcontroller platform has been described for performing computational tasks of signal processing and wireless transmission. In the next section remarks have been provided regarding the basic signal processing rules beginning with raw voltage samples of converted optical signals, their acquisition, storage and smoothing. This chapter ends with practical remarks demonstrating an exponential dependence between the minimum measurable heart rate and the readout resolution at different sampling frequencies for different cases of averaging depth (in bits). The following section is devoted strictly to the heart rate and hemoglobin oxygenation (saturation) measurement with the use of the presented platform, referenced to measurements obtained with a stationary certified pulsoxymeter.

Can vaccinia virus be replaced by MVA virus for testing virucidal activity of chemical disinfectants?

PubMed

Rabenau, Holger F; Rapp, Ingrid; Steinmann, Jochen

2010-06-23

Vaccinia virus strain Lister Elstree (VACV) is a test virus in the DVV/RKI guidelines as representative of the stable enveloped viruses. Since the potential risk of laboratory-acquired infections with VACV persists and since the adverse effects of vaccination with VACV are described, the replacement of VACV by the modified vaccinia Ankara strain (MVA) was studied by testing the activity of different chemical biocides in three German laboratories. The inactivating properties of different chemical biocides (peracetic acid, aldehydes and alcohols) were tested in a quantitative suspension test according to the DVV/RKI guideline. All tests were performed with a protein load of 10% fetal calf serum with both viruses in parallel using different concentrations and contact times. Residual virus was determined by endpoint dilution method. The chemical biocides exhibited similar virucidal activity against VACV and MVA. In three cases intra-laboratory differences were determined between VACV and MVA - 40% (v/v) ethanol and 30% (v/v) isopropanol are more active against MVA, whereas MVA seems more stable than VACV when testing with 0.05% glutardialdehyde. Test accuracy across the three participating laboratories was high. Remarkably inter-laboratory differences in the reduction factor were only observed in two cases. Our data provide valuable information for the replacement of VACV by MVA for testing chemical biocides and disinfectants. Because MVA does not replicate in humans this would eliminate the potential risk of inadvertent inoculation with vaccinia virus and disease in non-vaccinated laboratory workers.

Medicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology of Origanum onites (L.): A Review.

PubMed

Tepe, Bektas; Cakir, Ahmet; Sihoglu Tepe, Arzuhan

2016-05-01

Origanum onites L., known as Turkish oregano, has great traditional, medicinal, preservative, and commercial importance. It is used for the treatment of several kinds of ailments, such as gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, high cholesterol, leukemia, bronchitis, etc. In this review, traditional use, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of O. onites reported between 1988 and 2014 were discussed. This review was prepared based on literature survey on scientific journals and books from libraries and electronic sources, such as Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, etc. All databases were searched up to June 2014. Several different classes of terpenoids, triterpene acids, phenolic acids, hydroquinones, flavonoids, hydrocarbons, sterols, pigments, fatty acids, tocopherols, and inorganic compounds were detected mainly in the aerial parts of this plant. Pharmacological studies revealed that extracts obtained from several solvents and individual compounds exhibited antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, insecticidal, anticancer, hepatoprotective, genotoxic, antidiabetic, cholinesterase inhibitory, anti-inflammatory, analgesic activities, etc. O. onites, in general, exhibited remarkable activity potential in almost all test systems. The results of toxicity studies indicated that O. onites did not show any significant toxicity and mutagenicity on Drosophila and Salmonella. Toxicity of the extracts/essential oils and also individual compounds should be evaluated on mammalian cells to ensure their safety. The bioactivity of individual compounds aside from terpenoids should also be assessed in detail. Additionally, mode of action for the bioactive compounds should be evaluated to understand the complex pharmacological effects of these phytochemicals. © 2016 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

Dual photo- and pH-responsive supramolecular nanocarriers based on water-soluble pillar[6]arene and different azobenzene derivatives for intracellular anticancer drug delivery.

PubMed

Hu, Xiao-Yu; Jia, Keke; Cao, Yu; Li, Yan; Qin, Shan; Zhou, Fan; Lin, Chen; Zhang, Dongmei; Wang, Leyong

2015-01-12

Two novel types of supramolecular nanocarriers fabricated by the amphiphilic host-guest inclusion complex formed from water-soluble pillar[6]arene (WP6) and azobenzene derivatives G1 or G2 have been developed, in which G1 is structurally similar to G2 but has an extra phenoxy group in its hydrophobic region. Supramolecular micelles can be initially formed by WP6 with G1, which gradually transform into layered structures with liquid-crystalline properties, whereas stable supramolecular vesicles are obtained from WP6 and G2, which exhibit dual photo- and pH-responsiveness. Notably, the resulting WP6⊃G2 vesicles can efficiently encapsulate anticancer drug mitoxantrone (MTZ) to achieve MTZ-loaded vesicles, which maintain good stability in a simulated normal physiological environment, whereas in an acid environment similar to that of tumor cells or with external UV irradiation, the encapsulated drug is promptly released. More importantly, cytotoxicity assay indicates that such vesicles have good biocompatibility and the MTZ-loaded vesicles exhibit comparable anticancer activity to free MTZ, especially with additional UV stimulus, whereas its cytotoxicity for normal cells was remarkably reduced. Flow cytometric analysis further confirms that the cancer cell death caused by MTZ-loaded vesicles is associated with apoptosis. Therefore, the dual pH- and UV-responsive supramolecular vesicles are a potential platform for controlled release and targeted anticancer drug delivery. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Starvation stress affects the interplay among shrimp gut microbiota, digestion and immune activities.

PubMed

Dai, Wen-Fang; Zhang, Jin-Jie; Qiu, Qiong-Fen; Chen, Jiong; Yang, Wen; Ni, Sui; Xiong, Jin-Bo

2018-05-24

Aquatic animals are frequently suffered from starvation due to restricted food availability or deprivation. It is currently known that gut microbiota assists host in nutrient acquisition. Thus, exploring the gut microbiota responses would improve our understanding on physiological adaptation to starvation. To achieve this, we investigated how the gut microbiota and shrimp digestion and immune activities were affected under starvation stress. The results showed that the measured digestion activities in starved shrimp were significantly lower than in normal cohorts; while the measured immune activities exhibited an opposite trend. A structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that changes in the gut bacterial community were directly related to digestive and immune enzyme activities, which in turn markedly affected shrimp growth traits. Notably, several gut bacterial indicators that characterized the shrimp nutrient status were identified, with more abundant opportunistic pathogens in starved shrimp, although there were no statistical differences in the overall diversity and the structures of gut bacterial communities between starved and normal shrimp. Starved shrimp exhibited less connected and cooperative interspecies interaction as compared with normal cohorts. Additionally, the functional pathways involved in carbohydrate and protein digestion, glycan biosynthesis, lipid and enzyme metabolism remarkably decreased in starved shrimp. These attenuations could increase the susceptibility of starved shrimp to pathogens infection. In summary, this study provides novel insights into the interplay among shrimp digestion, immune activities and gut microbiota in response to starvation stress. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Magnesium/Lithium-Ion Hybrid Battery with High Reversibility by Employing NaV3O8·1.69H2O Nanobelts as a Positive Electrode.

PubMed

Rashad, Muhammad; Li, Xianfeng; Zhang, Huamin

2018-06-27

Recently, magnesium-ion batteries (MIBs) have been under remarkable research focus owing to their appealingly high energy density and natural abundance of magnesium. Nevertheless, MIBs exhibit a very limited performance because of sluggish solid-state Mg 2+ ion diffusion and high polarizability, which hinder their progress toward commercialization. Herein, we report a Mg 2+ /Li + hybrid-ion battery (MLIB) with NaV 3 O 8 ·1.69H 2 O (NVO) nanobelts synthesized at room temperature working as the positive electrode. In the hybrid-ion system, Li + intercalates/deintercalates along with a small amount of Mg 2+ adsorption at the NVO cathode, whereas the anode side of the cell is dominated by Mg 2+ deposition/dissolution. As a result, the MLIB exhibits a much higher rate capability (i.e., 446 mA h g -1 at 20 mA g -1 ) than the previously reported MLIBs. MLIB maintains a high specific capacity of 200 mA h g -1 at 80 mA g -1 for 150 cycles, showing excellent stability. Moreover, the effect of different Li-ion concentrations (i.e., 0.5-2.0 M) in the electrolyte and cutoff voltage (ranging from 2 to 2.6 V) on the specific capacities are investigated. The current study highlights a strategy to exploit the Mg 2+ /Li + hybrid electrolyte system with various electrode materials for high-performance MIBs.

Sexualized behaviors in cohorts of children in the child welfare system.

PubMed

Grossi, Laura M; Lee, Austin F; Schuler, Ann; Ryan, Julie L; Prentky, Robert A

2016-02-01

The current retrospective archival study investigated the patterns of normative sexualized behavior (NSB), problematic sexualized behavior (PSB), and sexual perpetration for three age cohorts of boys and girls in a high-risk child welfare sample. All children in the present sample had exhibited some form of PSB in the past. We hypothesized that the incidence rates (IR) of NSBs would increase linearly from the early childhood cohort (Ages 2/3-7) to the middle childhood cohort (Ages 8-11) to the preadolescence/adolescence cohort (Ages 12-17), for girls and boys. Although the base rate of sexual behaviors generally increases as children age, children tend to hide sexual behaviors starting at an early age. We therefore hypothesized that a concave quadratic trend would be evident for most PSBs. We further predicted that older children would have a greater incidence of PSB, as well as more victims, compared with younger children. We found the predicted upward linear trend for NSB for both girls and boys, with minimal IR differences between the early childhood and middle childhood cohorts. IRs were remarkably high and comparable across age groups for both boys and girls, with respect to the same three PSBs. For the two perpetration history variables, there was a concave effect, with girls and boys in the middle childhood cohort exhibiting the lowest IR. Results are explained in the context of previously established patterns of sexualized behavior, as well as the reporting of such behaviors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

pH-dependent solubility of indomethacin-saccharin and carbamazepine-saccharin cocrystals in aqueous media.

PubMed

Alhalaweh, Amjad; Roy, Lilly; Rodríguez-Hornedo, Naír; Velaga, Sitaram P

2012-09-04

Cocrystals constitute an important class of pharmaceutical solids for their remarkable ability to modulate solubility and pH dependence of water insoluble drugs. Here we show how cocrystals of indomethacin-saccharin (IND-SAC) and carbamazepine-saccharin (CBZ-SAC) enhance solubility and impart a pH-sensitivity different from that of the drugs. IND-SAC exhibited solubilities 13 to 65 times higher than IND at pH values of 1 to 3, whereas CBZ-SAC exhibited a 2 to 10 times higher solubility than CBZ dihydrate. Cocrystal solubility dependence on pH predicted from mathematical models using cocrystal K(sp), and cocrystal component K(a) values, was in excellent agreement with experimental measurements. The cocrystal solubility increase relative to drug was predicted to reach a limiting value for a cocrystal with two acidic components. This limiting value is determined by the ionization constants of cocrystal components. Eutectic constants are shown to be meaningful indicators of cocrystal solubility and its pH dependence. The two contributions to solubility, cocrystal lattice and solvation, were evaluated by thermal and solubility determinations. The results show that solvation is the main barrier for the aqueous solubility of these drugs and their cocrystals, which are orders of magnitude higher than their lattice barriers. Cocrystal increase in solubility is thus a result of decreasing the solvation barrier compared to that of the drug. This work demonstrates the favorable properties of cocrystals and strategies that facilitate their meaningful characterization.

High-Performance Flexible Organic Nano-Floating Gate Memory Devices Functionalized with Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Jung, Ji Hyung; Kim, Sunghwan; Kim, Hyeonjung; Park, Jongnam; Oh, Joon Hak

2015-10-07

Nano-floating gate memory (NFGM) devices are transistor-type memory devices that use nanostructured materials as charge trap sites. They have recently attracted a great deal of attention due to their excellent performance, capability for multilevel programming, and suitability as platforms for integrated circuits. Herein, novel NFGM devices have been fabricated using semiconducting cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles (NPs) as charge trap sites and pentacene as a p-type semiconductor. Monodisperse CoFe2O4 NPs with different diameters have been synthesized by thermal decomposition and embedded in NFGM devices. The particle size effects on the memory performance have been investigated in terms of energy levels and particle-particle interactions. CoFe2O4 NP-based memory devices exhibit a large memory window (≈73.84 V), a high read current on/off ratio (read I(on)/I(off)) of ≈2.98 × 10(3), and excellent data retention. Fast switching behaviors are observed due to the exceptional charge trapping/release capability of CoFe2O4 NPs surrounded by the oleate layer, which acts as an alternative tunneling dielectric layer and simplifies the device fabrication process. Furthermore, the NFGM devices show excellent thermal stability, and flexible memory devices fabricated on plastic substrates exhibit remarkable mechanical and electrical stability. This study demonstrates a viable means of fabricating highly flexible, high-performance organic memory devices. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Seasonal variations of gas exchange and water relations in deciduous and evergreen trees in monsoonal dry forests of Thailand.

PubMed

Ishida, Atsushi; Harayama, Hisanori; Yazaki, Kenichi; Ladpala, Phanumard; Sasrisang, Amornrat; Kaewpakasit, Kanokwan; Panuthai, Samreong; Staporn, Duriya; Maeda, Takahisa; Gamo, Minoru; Diloksumpun, Sapit; Puangchit, Ladawan; Ishizuka, Moriyoshi

2010-08-01

This study compared leaf gas exchange, leaf hydraulic conductance, twig hydraulic conductivity and leaf osmotic potential at full turgor between two drought-deciduous trees, Vitex peduncularis Wall. and Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) W. Theob., and two evergreen trees, Hopea ferrea Lanessan and Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels, at the uppermost canopies in tropical dry forests in Thailand. The aims were to examine (i) whether leaf and twig hydraulic properties differ in relation to leaf phenology and (ii) whether xylem cavitation is a determinant of leaf shedding during the dry season. The variations in almost all hydraulic traits were more dependent on species than on leaf phenology. Evergreen Hopea exhibited the lowest leaf-area-specific twig hydraulic conductivity (leaf-area-specific K(twig)), lamina hydraulic conductance (K(lamina)) and leaf osmotic potential at full turgor (Ψ(o)) among species, whereas evergreen Syzygium exhibited the highest leaf-area-specific K(twig), K(lamina) and Ψ(o). Deciduous Xylia had the highest sapwood-area-specific K(twig), along with the lowest Huber value (sapwood area/leaf area). More negative osmotic Ψ(o) and leaf osmotic adjustment during the dry season were found in deciduous Vitex and evergreen Hopea, accompanied by low sapwood-area-specific K(twig). Regarding seasonal changes in hydraulics, no remarkable decrease in K(lamina) and K(twig) was found during the dry season in any species. Results suggest that leaf shedding during the dry season is not always associated with extensive xylem cavitation.

Plant water use efficiency over geological time--evolution of leaf stomata configurations affecting plant gas exchange.

PubMed

Assouline, Shmuel; Or, Dani

2013-01-01

Plant gas exchange is a key process shaping global hydrological and carbon cycles and is often characterized by plant water use efficiency (WUE - the ratio of CO2 gain to water vapor loss). Plant fossil record suggests that plant adaptation to changing atmospheric CO2 involved correlated evolution of stomata density (d) and size (s), and related maximal aperture, amax . We interpreted the fossil record of s and d correlated evolution during the Phanerozoic to quantify impacts on gas conductance affecting plant transpiration, E, and CO2 uptake, A, independently, and consequently, on plant WUE. A shift in stomata configuration from large s-low d to small s-high d in response to decreasing atmospheric CO2 resulted in large changes in plant gas exchange characteristics. The relationships between gas conductance, gws , A and E and maximal relative transpiring leaf area, (amax ⋅d), exhibited hysteretic-like behavior. The new WUE trend derived from independent estimates of A and E differs from established WUE-CO2 trends for atmospheric CO2 concentrations exceeding 1,200 ppm. In contrast with a nearly-linear decrease in WUE with decreasing CO2 obtained by standard methods, the newly estimated WUE trend exhibits remarkably stable values for an extended geologic period during which atmospheric CO2 dropped from 3,500 to 1,200 ppm. Pending additional tests, the findings may affect projected impacts of increased atmospheric CO2 on components of the global hydrological cycle.

Some remarks on the numerical solution of parabolic partial differential equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campagna, R.; Cuomo, S.; Leveque, S.; Toraldo, G.; Giannino, F.; Severino, G.

2017-11-01

Numerous environmental/engineering applications relying upon the theory of diffusion phenomena into chaotic environments have recently stimulated the interest toward the numerical solution of parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs). In the present paper, we outline a formulation of the mathematical problem underlying a quite general diffusion mechanism in the natural environments, and we shortly emphasize some remarks concerning the applicability of the (straightforward) finite difference method. An illustration example is also presented.

A holistic view of dietary carbohydrate utilization in lobster: digestion, postprandial nutrient flux, and metabolism.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Viera, Leandro; Perera, Erick; Casuso, Antonio; Perdomo-Morales, Rolando; Gutierrez, Odilia; Scull, Idania; Carrillo, Olimpia; Martos-Sitcha, Juan A; García-Galano, Tsai; Mancera, Juan Miguel

2014-01-01

Crustaceans exhibit a remarkable variation in their feeding habits and food type, but most knowledge on carbohydrate digestion and utilization in this group has come from research on few species. The aim of this study was to make an integrative analysis of dietary carbohydrate utilization in the spiny lobster Panulirus argus. We used complementary methodologies such as different assessments of digestibility, activity measurements of digestive and metabolic enzymes, and post-feeding flux of nutrients and metabolites. Several carbohydrates were well digested by the lobster, but maize starch was less digestible than all other starches studied, and its inclusion in diet affected protein digestibility. Most intense hydrolysis of carbohydrates in the gastric chamber of lobster occurred between 2-6 h after ingestion and afterwards free glucose increased in hemolymph. The inclusion of wheat in diet produced a slow clearance of glucose from the gastric fluid and a gradual increase in hemolymph glucose. More intense hydrolysis of protein in the gastric chamber occurred 6-12 h after ingestion and then amino acids tended to increase in hemolymph. Triglyceride concentration in hemolymph rose earlier in wheat-fed lobsters than in lobsters fed other carbohydrates, but it decreased the most 24 h later. Analyses of metabolite levels and activities of different metabolic enzymes revealed that intermolt lobsters had a low capacity to store and use glycogen, although it was slightly higher in wheat-fed lobsters. Lobsters fed maize and rice diets increased amino acid catabolism, while wheat-fed lobsters exhibited higher utilization of fatty acids. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the type of carbohydrate ingested had a profound effect on overall metabolism. Although we found no evidence of a protein-sparing effect of dietary carbohydrate, differences in the kinetics of their digestion and absorption impacted lobster metabolism determining the fate of other nutrients.

A Holistic View of Dietary Carbohydrate Utilization in Lobster: Digestion, Postprandial Nutrient Flux, and Metabolism

PubMed Central

Casuso, Antonio; Perdomo-Morales, Rolando; Gutierrez, Odilia; Scull, Idania; Carrillo, Olimpia; Martos-Sitcha, Juan A.; García-Galano, Tsai; Mancera, Juan Miguel

2014-01-01

Crustaceans exhibit a remarkable variation in their feeding habits and food type, but most knowledge on carbohydrate digestion and utilization in this group has come from research on few species. The aim of this study was to make an integrative analysis of dietary carbohydrate utilization in the spiny lobster Panulirus argus. We used complementary methodologies such as different assessments of digestibility, activity measurements of digestive and metabolic enzymes, and post-feeding flux of nutrients and metabolites. Several carbohydrates were well digested by the lobster, but maize starch was less digestible than all other starches studied, and its inclusion in diet affected protein digestibility. Most intense hydrolysis of carbohydrates in the gastric chamber of lobster occurred between 2–6 h after ingestion and afterwards free glucose increased in hemolymph. The inclusion of wheat in diet produced a slow clearance of glucose from the gastric fluid and a gradual increase in hemolymph glucose. More intense hydrolysis of protein in the gastric chamber occurred 6–12 h after ingestion and then amino acids tended to increase in hemolymph. Triglyceride concentration in hemolymph rose earlier in wheat-fed lobsters than in lobsters fed other carbohydrates, but it decreased the most 24 h later. Analyses of metabolite levels and activities of different metabolic enzymes revealed that intermolt lobsters had a low capacity to store and use glycogen, although it was slightly higher in wheat-fed lobsters. Lobsters fed maize and rice diets increased amino acid catabolism, while wheat-fed lobsters exhibited higher utilization of fatty acids. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the type of carbohydrate ingested had a profound effect on overall metabolism. Although we found no evidence of a protein-sparing effect of dietary carbohydrate, differences in the kinetics of their digestion and absorption impacted lobster metabolism determining the fate of other nutrients. PMID:25268641

D/H Ratios in Lipids as a Tool to Elucidate Microbial Metabolism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijker, R. S.; Sessions, A. L.

2015-12-01

Large D/H fractionations have been observed in the lipids and growth water of most organisms studied today. These fractionations have generally been assumed to be constant across most biota because they originate solely from isotope effects imposed by the highly conserved lipid biosynthetic pathway. Recent data is illustrating this conclusion as incomplete. Lipids from field and laboratory samples exhibit huge variations in D/H fractionation. In environmental samples, lipids vary in δD by up to 300 ‰ and in laboratory cultures the documented variation is up to 500 ‰ within the same organism. Remarkably, the isotope fractionation appears to be correlated with the type of metabolism employed by the host organism. However, the underlying biochemical mechanisms leading to these isotopic variations are not yet fully understood. Because the largest proportion of H-bound C in fatty acids is derived directly from NADPH during biosynthesis, the original hypothesis was that large differences in the isotopic composition of NADPH, generated by different central metabolic pathways, were the primary source of D/H variation in lipids. However, recent observations indicate that this cannot be the whole story and lead us to the conclusion that additional processes must affect the isotope composition of NADPH. These processes may include the isotopic exchange of NADPH with water as well as fractionation of NADPH by transhydrogenases, interconverting NADH to NADPH by exhibiting large isotope effects. In this project, our objective is to ascertain whether D/H fractionation and these biochemical processes are correlated. We investigate correlations between cellular NADPH/NADP+ as well as NADH/NAD+ pool sizes and the D/H fractionation in a set of different microorganisms and will present the first trends here. Our results will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the basic biological regulations over D/H fractionation and potentially enables their use as tracers and proxies across earth and biological sciences.

D/H Ratios in Lipids as a Tool to Elucidate Microbial Metabolism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijker, Reto S.; Sessions, Alex L.

2016-04-01

Large D/H fractionations have been observed in the lipids and growth water of most organisms studied today. These fractionations have generally been assumed to be constant across most biota because they originate solely from isotope effects imposed by the highly conserved lipid biosynthetic pathway. Recent data is illustrating this conclusion as incomplete. Lipids from field and laboratory samples exhibit huge variations in D/H fractionation. In environmental samples, lipids vary in δD by up to 300 ‰ and in laboratory cultures the documented variation is up to 500 ‰ within the same organism. Remarkably, the isotope fractionation appears to be correlated with the type of metabolism employed by the host organism. However, the underlying biochemical mechanisms leading to these isotopic variations are not yet fully understood. Because the largest proportion of H-bound C in fatty acids is derived directly from NADPH during biosynthesis, the original hypothesis was that large differences in the isotopic composition of NADPH, generated by different central metabolic pathways, were the primary source of D/H variation in lipids. However, recent observations indicate that this cannot be the whole story and lead us to the conclusion that additional processes must affect the isotope composition of NADPH. These processes may include the isotopic exchange of NADPH with water as well as fractionation of NADPH by transhydrogenases, interconverting NADH to NADPH by exhibiting large isotope effects. In this project, our objective is to ascertain whether D/H fractionation and these biochemical processes are correlated. We investigate correlations between cellular NADPH/NADP+ as well as NADH/NAD+ pool sizes and the D/H fractionation in a set of different microorganisms and will present the trends here. Our results will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the basic biological regulations over D/H fractionation and potentially enables their use as tracers and proxies across earth and biological sciences.

Distributions of oxytocin and vasopressin 1a receptors in the Taiwan vole and their role in social monogamy.

PubMed

Chappell, A R; Freeman, S M; Lin, Y K; LaPrairie, J L; Inoue, K; Young, L J; Hayes, L D

2016-06-01

Social monogamy is a mating strategy rarely employed by mammalian species. Laboratory studies in socially monogamous prairie voles ( Microtus ochrogaster ) demonstrate that oxytocin and vasopressin act within the mesolimbic dopamine pathway to facilitate pair-bond formation. Species differences in oxytocin receptor (OTR) and vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) distribution in this pathway are associated with species differences in mating strategy. Here we characterize the neuroanatomical distribution of OTR and V1aR binding sites in naturally occurring populations of Taiwan voles ( M. kikuchii ), which purportedly display social monogamy. Live trapping was conducted at two sites in 2009-2010 and receptor autoradiography for OTR and V1aR was performed on brains from 24 animals. OTR binding in two brain regions where OTR signaling regulates pair-bonding were directly compared with that of prairie voles. Our results show that like prairie voles, Taiwan voles exhibit OTR in the prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, claustrum, nucleus accumbens, caudate-putamen, dorsal lateral septal nucleus, central amygdala, and ventromedial hypothalamus. Unlike prairie voles, Taiwan voles exhibit OTR binding in the CA3 pathway of the hippocampus, as well as the indusium griseum, which has only previously been documented in tuco-tucos ( Ctenomys haigi, C. sociabilis ), Syrian hamsters ( Mesocricetus auratus ) and naked mole-rats ( Heterocephalus glaber ). V1aR binding was present in the ventral pallidum, lateral septum, nucleus basalis, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, hippocampus, medial amygdala, and anterior, ventromedial and dorsomedial hypothalamus. Marked individual differences in V1aR binding were noted in the cingulate cortex and several thalamic nuclei, remarkably similar to prairie voles. While pharmacological studies are needed to determine whether oxytocin and vasopressin are involved in pair-bond formation in this species, our results lay a foundation for future investigations into the role of these neuropeptides in Taiwan vole social behavior.