bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exercise training as a novel primary treatment for localised prostate cancer: a multi-site randomised controlled phase II study
Authors: Bourke L. , Stevenson R. , Turner R. , Hooper R. , Sasieni P. , Greasley R. , Morrissey D. , Loosemore M. , Fisher A. , Payne H. , Taylor S. J. C. , Rosario D. J.
Published: May 2018

Alternative management strategies for localised prostate cancer are required to reduce morbidity and overtreatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety and acceptability of exercise training (ET) with behavioural support as a primary therapy for low/intermediate risk localised prostate cancer. Men with low/intermediate-risk prostate cancer were randomised to 12 months of ET or usual care with physical activity advice (UCwA) in a multi-site open label RCT. Feasibility included acceptability, recruitment, retention, adherence, adverse events and disease progression. Secondary outcomes included quality of life and cardiovascular health indices. Of the 50 men randomised to ET (n = 25) or UCwA (n = 25), 92% (n = 46) completed 12 month assessments. Three men progressed to invasive therapy (two in UCwA). In the ET group, men completed mean: 140 mins per week for 12 months (95% CI 129,152 mins) (94% of target dose) at 75% Hrmax. Men in the ET group demonstrated improved body mass (mean reduction: 2.0 kg; 95% CI −2.9,−1.1), reduced systolic (mean: 13 mmHg; 95%CI 7,19) and diastolic blood pressure (mean:8 mmHg; 95% CI 5,12) and improved quality of life (EQ.5D mean:13 points; 95% CI 7,18). There were no serious adverse events. ET in men with low/intermediate risk prostate cancer is feasible and acceptable with a low progression rate to radical treatment. Early signals on clinically relevant markers were found which warrant further investigation.
Transport of Live Cells Under Sterile Conditions Using a Chemotactic Droplet
Authors: Holler Silvia , Porcelli Carlotta , Ieropoulos Ioannis A. , Hanczyc Martin M.
Published: May 2018

1-Decanol droplets, formed in an aqueous medium containing decanoate at high pH, become chemotactic when a chemical gradient is placed in the external aqueous environment. We investigated if such droplets can be used as transporters for living cells. We developed a partially hydrophobic alginate capsule as a protective unit that can be precisely placed in a droplet and transported along chemical gradients. Once the droplets with cargo reached a defined final destination, the association of the alginate capsule and decanol droplet was disrupted and cargo deposited. Both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis cells survived and proliferated after transport even though transport occurred under harsh and sterile conditions.
Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification-Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Analysis for Detection and Differentiation of Wild-type and Vaccine Strains of Mink Enteritis Virus
Authors: Lin Peng , Wang Honglin , Cheng Yuening , Song Shanshan , Sun Yaru , Zhang Miao , Guo Li , Yi Li , Tong Mingwei , Cao Zhigang , Li Shuang , Cheng Shipeng , Wang Jianke
Published: May 2018

Broad coverage of mink enteritis virus (MEV) vaccination program in northeast of China has provided effective protection from mink viral enteritis. Nevertheless, MEV vaccine failures were reported due to continually evolving and changing virulence of field variants or wild-type MEV. In this study, a combined loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) method, named LAMP-SNP assay, was developed for detection and differentiation of wild-type and vaccine strains of MEV. Four primers in MEV-VP2-LAMP were used to detect both wild-type and vaccine strains of MEV in our previous publication, and other four primers in LAMP-SNP were designed to amplify the NS1 gene in wild-type MEV and only used to detect wild-type viruses. The LAMP-SNP assay was performed in a water bath held at a constant temperature of 65 °C for 60 min. LAMP-SNP amplification can be judged by both electrophoresis and visual assessment with the unaided eyes. In comparison with virus isolation as the gold standard in testing 171 mink samples, the percentage of agreement and relative sensitivity and specificity of the LAMP-SNP assay were 97.1, 100%, and 94.0%, respectively. There were no cross-reactions with other mink viruses. The LAMP-SNP assay was found to be a rapid, reliable and low-cost method to differentiate MEV vaccine and field variant strains.
Dynamic Visual Cues for Differentiating Mirror and Glass
Authors: Tamura Hideki , Higashi Hiroshi , Nakauchi Shigeki
Published: May 2018

Mirror materials (perfect specular surfaces such as polished metal) and glass materials (transparent and refraction media) are quite commonly encountered in everyday life. The human visual system can discriminate these complex distorted images formed by reflection or transmission of the surrounding environment even though they do not intrinsically possess surface colour. In this study, we determined the cues that aid mirror and glass discrimination. From video analysis, we found that glass objects have more opposite motion components relative to the direction of object rotation. Then, we hypothesised a model developed using motion transparency because motion information is not only present on the front side, but also on the rear side of the object surface in the glass material object. In materials judging experiments, we found that human performance with rotating video stimuli is higher than that with static stimuli (simple images). Subsequently, we compared the developed model derived from motion coherency to human rating performance for transparency and specular reflection. The model sufficiently identified the different materials using dynamic information. These results suggest that the visual system relies on dynamic cues that indicate the difference between mirror and glass.
Effect of distillery yeast sludge on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and slaughter parameters in Japanese quails
Authors: Sharif M. , Shoaib M. , Rahman M. Aziz Ur , Ahmad F. , Rehman Shahid Ur
Published: May 2018

This study was planned to evaluate the effect of distillery yeast sludge (DYS) as a protein source on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and slaughtering parameters in Japanese quail birds. For this purpose, six hundred day-old quails were randomly distributed into six dietary treatments. These dietary treatments were; G1 (Control Group) fed a basal diet (CP 24%, ME 2900 kcal/kg) without DYS, while other dietary treatments were G2, G3, G4, G5 and G6 fed basal diet containing DYS @ 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0 and 7.5%, respectively. It was observed that feed intake and weight gain tended to increase (P < 0.05) up to 3% DYS. Better (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed in birds fed diet containing DYS at the level of 1.5 and 3%. Dry matter and crude protein digestibility decreased with increasing levels of DYS (P < 0.05). Cost of production per 100 g of weight gain was also less in birds fed diet containing 3% DYS. Study revealed that inclusion of distillery yeast sludge in the diet of Japanese quails up to 3% improves the growth performance and economics efficacy.
Crosstalk among lncRNAs, microRNAs and mRNAs in the muscle ‘degradome’ of rainbow trout
Authors: Paneru Bam , Ali Ali , Al-Tobasei Rafet , Kenney Brett , Salem Mohamed
Published: May 2018

In fish, protein-coding and noncoding genes involved in muscle atrophy are not fully characterized. In this study, we characterized coding and noncoding genes involved in gonadogenesis-associated muscle atrophy, and investigated the potential functional interplay between these genes. Using RNA-Seq, we compared expression pattern of mRNAs, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs of atrophying skeletal muscle from gravid females and control skeletal muscle from age-matched sterile individuals. A total of 852 mRNAs, 1,160 lncRNAs and 28 microRNAs were differentially expressed (DE) between the two groups. Muscle atrophy appears to be mediated by many genes encoding ubiquitin-proteasome system, autophagy related proteases, lysosomal proteases and transcription factors. Transcripts encoding atrogin-1 and mir-29 showed exceptional high expression in atrophying muscle, suggesting an important role in bulk muscle proteolysis. DE genes were co-localized in the genome with strong expression correlation, and they exhibited extensive ‘lncRNA-mRNA’, ‘lncRNA-microRNA’, ‘mRNA-microRNA’ and ‘lncRNA-protein’ physical interactions. DE genes exhibiting potential functional interactions comprised the highly correlated ‘lncRNA-mRNA-microRNA’ gene network described as ‘degradome’. This study pinpoints extensive coding and noncoding RNA interactions during muscle atrophy in fish, and provides valuable resources for future mechanistic studies.
Radiation-induced overexpression of transthyretin inhibits retinol-mediated hippocampal neurogenesis
Authors: Kang JiHoon , Kim Wanyeon , Seo HyunJeong , Kim EunGi , Son Beomseok , Lee Sungmin , Park Gaeul , Jo Sunmi , Moon Changjong , Youn HyeSook , Youn BuHyun
Published: May 2018

Cranial irradiation is the main therapeutic strategy for treating primary and metastatic brain tumors. However, radiation is well-known to induce several unexpected side effects including emotional disorders. Although radiation-induced depression may cause decreased quality of life after radiotherapy, investigations of its molecular mechanism and therapeutic strategies are still insufficient. In this study, we found that behavioral symptoms of depression on mice models with the decrease of BrdU/NeuN- and Dcx-positive populations and MAP-2 expression in hippocampus were induced by cranial irradiation, and transthyretin (TTR) was highly expressed in hippocampus after irradiation. It was shown that overexpression of TTR resulted in the inhibition of retinol-mediated neuritogenesis. PAK1 phosphorylation and MAP-2 expression were significantly reduced by TTR overexpression following irradiation. Moreover, we observed that treatment of allantoin and neferine, the active components of Nelumbo nucifera, interrupted irradiation-induced TTR overexpression, consequently leading to the increase of PAK1 phosphorylation, neurite extension, BrdU/NeuN- and Dcx-positive populations, and MAP-2 expression. Behavioral symptoms of depression following cranial irradiation were also relieved by treatment of allantoin and neferine. These findings demonstrate that TTR plays a critical role in neurogenesis after irradiation, and allantoin and neferine could be potential drug candidates for recovering the effects of radiation on neurogenesis and depression.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: The toxicity and therapeutic effects of single-and multi-wall carbon nanotubes on mice breast cancer
Authors: Kavosi Arghavan , Hosseini Ghale Noei Saeideh , Madani Samaneh , Khalighfard Solmaz , Khodayari Saeed , Khodayari Hamid , Mirzaei Malihe , Kalhori Mohammad Reza , Yavarian Majid , Alizadeh Ali Mohammad , Falahati Mojtaba
Published: May 2018

Herein, we have investigated the toxicity of SWCNTs and MWCNTs in vitro and in vivo, and assessed their therapeutic effects on a typical animal model of breast cancer in order to obtain: first, the cytotoxicity effects of CNTs on MC4L2 cell and mice, second the impact of CNTs on ablation of breast tumor. CNTs especially SWCNTs were toxic to organs and induced death at high dosages. In this case, some of the liver cells showed a relative shrinkage which was also confirmed by Annexin test in MC4L2 cells. Moreover, CNTs decreased the tumor volume. BCL2 gene was down-regulated, and BAX and Caspase-3 were also up-regulated in the treated groups with CNTs. As a result, CNTs especially MWCNT in lower dosages can be used as a promising drug delivery vehicle for targeted therapy of abnormal cells in breast cancer.
Palladium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Aldehydes from Aryl Iodides and Formic acid with Propylphosphonic Anhydride as the Activator
Authors: Wu Xiao-Feng
Published: May 2018

An interesting palladium-catalyzed carbonylative procedure for the synthesis of aromatic aldehydes from aryl iodides has been developed. By using propylphosphonic anhydride as the activator for formic acid, moderate to good yields of the corresponding aldehydes were produced with formic acid as the carbonyl and hydrogen donors. Interestingly, neither additional phosphine ligand nor inert gas protection is needed here.
Current-constrained density-matrix theory to calculate molecular conductivity with increased accuracy
Authors: Sajjan Manas , Mazziotti David A.
Published: May 2018

Molecular conductivity is the quantum flow of electrons through a molecule. Since its conception by Aviram and Ratner, molecular conductivity has been realized experimentally in molecules and molecular-scale circuits. Significant challenges, however, remain for its prediction with popular theoretical methods often overpredicting conductance by as much as an order of magnitude. Here we report a current-constrained, electronic structure-based variational principle for molecular conductivity. Unlike existing theories, which set the voltage to compute the current, the current-constrained variational principle determines the voltage from an electronic structure calculation in which the current is added as a constraint. We apply the variational principle to benezenedithiol with gold and nickel leads where it matches experimental values and trends, improving upon previous theory by as much as 1–2 orders of magnitude. The current constraint produces a conducting steady state that includes all many-body effects treatable by the electronic structure calculation.
Manganese-52: applications in cell radiolabelling and liposomal nanomedicine PET imaging using oxine (8-hydroxyquinoline) as an ionophore
Authors: Gawne Peter , Man Francis , Fonslet Jesper , Radia Riya , Bordoloi Jayanta , Cleveland Matthew , Jimenez-Royo Pilar , Gabizon Alberto , Blower Philip J. , Long Nicholas , de Rosales Rafael T. M.
Published: May 2018

The ionophore 8-hydroxyquinoline (oxine) has been used to radiolabel cells and liposomal nanomedicines with the PET radiometal manganese-52.
NIXANTPHOS: a highly active ligand for palladium catalyzed Buchwald–Hartwig amination of unactivated aryl chlorides
Authors: Mao Jianyou , Zhang Jiadi , Zhang Shuguang , Walsh Patrick J.
Published: May 2018

The NIXANTPHOS-based catalyst outperformed the parent ligand Xantphos in Pd catalyzed amination reaction of aryl chlorides at room temperature.
Revealing the charge/discharge mechanism of Na–O2 cells by in situ soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy
Authors: N. Banis Mohammad , Yadegari Hossein , Sun Qian , Regier Tom , Boyko Teak , Zhou Jigang , Yiu Yun M. , Li Ruying , Hu Yongfeng , Sham Tsun K. , Sun Xueliang
Published: May 2018

Developing high energy density batteries, such as metal–air systems, requires a good understanding of their underlying electrochemical principles.
A super hygroscopic hydrogel for harnessing ambient humidity for energy conservation and harvesting
Authors: Nandakumar Dilip Krishna , Ravi Sai Kishore , Zhang Yaoxin , Guo Na , Zhang Chun , Tan Swee Ching
Published: May 2018

Atmospheric humidity, an abundant source of water, is widely considered as a redundant resource demanding expense of energy to maintain it under comfortable levels for human habitation.
Structural features and their functions in surfactant-armoured methylammonium lead iodide perovskites for highly efficient and stable solar cells
Authors: Jung Minsu , Shin Tae Joo , Seo Jangwon , Kim Gwisu , Seok Sang Il
Published: May 2018

Octylammonium cations induce armoured MAPbI3 crystals with preferential orientation for highly efficient and stable solar cells.
Phase behavior of cholesterol in mixtures with hypo- and hypercholesterolemic lipids
Authors: Esperança Eduardo de Souza , Bonatto Mariane Soares , Shimamoto Gustavo Giraldi , Tubino Matthieu , Costa Mariana Conceição , Meirelles Antonio José de Almeida , Maximo Guilherme José
Published: May 2018

This work reports how the phase behavior of cholesterol is altered in mixtures with hypercholesterolemic bioactives, as well as in the presence of hypercholesterolemic fatty compounds.
Correction: Ameliorative role of camel whey protein and rosuvastatin on induced dyslipidemia in mice
Authors: El-Shinnawy Nashwa Ahmed , Abd-Elhalem Sahar Sobhy , Haggag Nawal Zakaria , Badr Gamal
Published: May 2018

Correction for ‘Ameliorative role of camel whey protein and rosuvastatin on induced dyslipidemia in mice’ by Nashwa Ahmed El-Shinnawy et al., Food Funct., 2018, 9, 1038–1047.
Reconstructing a plasmonic metasurface for a broadband high-efficiency optical vortex in the visible frequency
Authors: Lu Bing-Rui , Deng Jianan , Li Qi , Zhang Sichao , Zhou Jing , Zhou Lei , Chen Yifang
Published: May 2018

We optimized a Berry-phase-based metasurface for high quality vortex generation in optical frequencies with a >20% efficiency enhancement in a broad waveband.
A reprogrammable multifunctional chalcogenide guided-wave lens
Authors: Cao Tun , Wei Chen-Wei , Cen Meng-Jia , Guo Bao , Kim Yong-June , Zhang Shuang , Qiu Cheng-Wei
Published: May 2018

An ultrafast reconfigurable and reprogrammable 3D transformation optics device made of chalcogenide glass with a refractive index gradient.
Exploiting the biomolecular corona: pre-coating of nanoparticles enables controlled cellular interactions
Authors: Simon Johanna , Müller Laura K. , Kokkinopoulou Maria , Lieberwirth Ingo , Morsbach Svenja , Landfester Katharina , Mailänder Volker
Published: May 2018

Pre-coating of nanoparticles is a feasible strategy to engineer the protein corona for targeted cell interactions.
High performance low dielectric polysiloxanes with high thermostability and low water uptake
Authors: Chen Xiaoyao , Wang Jiajia , Sun Jing , Fang Qiang
Published: May 2018

Two novel low dielectric polysiloxanes with high thermostability and low water uptake were developed.
Influence of surface treatment on PEDOT coatings: surface and electrochemical corrosion aspects of newly developed Ti alloy
Authors: Madhan Kumar A. , Hussein M. A. , Adesina Akeem Yusuf , Ramakrishna Suresh , Al-Aqeeli N.
Published: May 2018

Surface treatment of metallic materials prior to the application of polymer coatings plays an important role in providing improved surface features and enhanced corrosion protection.
Novel SrTiO3/NaTaO3 and visible-light-driven SrTiO3/NaTaO3:N nano-heterojunctions with high interface-lattice matching for efficient photocatalytic removal of organic dye
Authors: Wang Sai , Xu Xuewen , Luo Han , Cao Chaochao , Song Xiaoyu , Zhao Jianling , Zhang Jun , Tang Chengchun
Published: May 2018

Novel SrTiO3/NaTaO3 and visible-light-driven SrTiO3/NaTaO3:N nano-heterojunctions with high interface–lattice match were synthesized for efficient photocatalytic removal of organic dye.
3D zinc@carbon fiber composite framework anode for aqueous Zn–MnO2 batteries
Authors: Dong Wei , Shi Ji-Lei , Wang Tai-Shan , Yin Ya-Xia , Wang Chun-Ru , Guo Yu-Guo
Published: May 2018

Synthesis of a 3D Zn@CFs anode through constant voltage electrodeposition to realize a dendrite-free cycling performance in an aqueous Zn/MnO2 battery.
Revealing the role of oxygen vacancies on the phase transition of VO2 film from the optical-constant measurements
Authors: Fan Lele , Wang Xiangqi , Wang Feng , Zhang Qinfang , Zhu Lei , Meng Qiangqiang , Wang Baolin , Zhang Zengming , Zou Chongwen
Published: May 2018

Optical conductivity spectroscopy was performed to reveal the role of oxygen vacancies during VO2 metal–insulator transition.
Upconversion from fluorophosphate glasses prepared with NaYF4:Er3+,Yb3+ nanocrystals
Authors: Ojha N. , Tuomisto M. , Lastusaari M. , Petit L.
Published: May 2018

The direct doping method was applied to fabricate upconverter fluorophosphate glasses in the system (90NaPO3-(10-x)Na2O-xNaF) (mol%) by adding NaYF4:Er3+,Yb3+ nanocrystals.
Phospholipid-mediated exfoliation as a facile preparation method for graphene suspensions
Authors: Williams Aled T. , Donno Roberto , Tirelli Nicola , Dryfe Robert A. W.
Published: May 2018

A simple, inexpensive and ‘green’ method of production for graphene in colloidal dispersion.
Correction: Graphene material preparation through thermal treatment of graphite oxide electrochemically synthesized in aqueous sulfuric acid
Authors: Gurzęda B. , Buchwald T. , Nocuń M. , Bąkowicz A. , Krawczyk P.
Published: May 2018

Correction for ‘Graphene material preparation through thermal treatment of graphite oxide electrochemically synthesized in aqueous sulfuric acid’ by B. Gurzęda et al., RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 19904–19911.
Core–shell patterning of synthetic hydrogels via interfacial bioorthogonal chemistry for spatial control of stem cell behavior
Authors: Dicker K. T. , Song J. , Moore A. C. , Zhang H. , Li Y. , Burris D. L. , Jia X. , Fox J. M.
Published: May 2018

A new technique is described for the patterning of cell-guidance cues in synthetic extracellular matrices.
Sunlight-driven water-splitting using two-dimensional carbon based semiconductors
Authors: Kumar Pawan , Boukherroub Rabah , Shankar Karthik
Published: May 2018

2D carbon semiconductors and composites are highly promising photocatalysts.
Wearable and flexible sensors for user-interactive health-monitoring devices
Authors: Ha Minjeong , Lim Seongdong , Ko Hyunhyub
Published: May 2018

The development of flexible and wearable healthcare devices facilitates a real-time monitoring of body activities as well as detecting various biosignals, which provided useful information to manage one's health condition for personal health monitoring.
Bridging Oral and Written Language: An Oral Narrative Language Intervention Study With Writing Outcomes
Authors: Spencer Trina D. , Petersen Douglas B.
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Despite literature showing a correlation between oral language and written language ability, there is little evidence documenting a causal connection between oral and written language skills. The current study examines the extent to which oral language instruction using narratives impacts students' writing skills.

Method

Following multiple baseline design conventions to minimize threats to internal validity, 3 groups of 1st-grade students were exposed to staggered baseline, intervention, and maintenance conditions. During the intervention condition, groups received 6 sessions of small-group oral narrative instruction over 2 weeks. Separated in the school day from the instruction, students wrote their own stories, forming the dependent variable across baseline, intervention, and maintenance conditions. Written stories were analyzed for story structure and language complexity using a narrative scoring flow chart based on current academic standards.

Results

Corresponding to the onset of oral narrative instruction, all but 1 student showed meaningful improvements in story writing. All 4 students, for whom improvements were observed and maintenance data were available, continued to produce written narratives above baseline levels once the instruction was withdrawn.

Conclusions

Results suggest that narrative instruction delivered exclusively in an oral modality had a positive effect on students' writing. Implications include the efficiency and inclusiveness of oral language instruction to improve writing quality, especially for young students.
Hierarchical optimal planning approach for plug‐in electric vehicle fast charging stations based on temporal‐SoC charging demand characterisation
Authors: Sun Siyang , Yang Qiang , Yan Wenjun
Published: May 2018

Fast charging stations are critical infrastructures to enable a high penetration level of plug‐in electric vehicles (PEVs) into future distribution networks. The fast charging stations need to be carefully planned to meet the PEV charging demand as well as reduce costs. This study addresses this technical challenge and proposes a hierarchical planning solution for both sitting and sizing of PEV fast charging stations based on a temporal‐SoC (state‐of‐charge) characterisation and modelling of PEV fast charging demand. The optimal sitting of fast charging stations is firstly determined to ensure minimising the total number of stations and meeting the PEV fast charging demand considering the constraints of transportation networks and the expected PEV remaining mileage. Then the sizing (number of chargers and waiting spaces) of fast charging station is optimised by the use of M/M/s/N queuing model, so as to maximise the expected profit of the operator. The proposed solution is evaluated through a set of case studies for a range of scenarios, and numerical simulation results have confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed solution.
Design of a Ka‐band MW‐level high efficiency gyroklystron for accelerators
Authors: Wang Li , Dong Kun , He Wenlong , Wang Jianxun , Luo Yong , Cross Adrian W. , Ronald Kevin , Phelps Alan D. R.
Published: May 2018

Design of a three‐cavity Ka‐band MW‐level gyroklystron operating in the TE02 mode in the output cavity while the input cavity and buncher are operating with the TE01 mode is presented. The optimised design of the magnetron injection gun (MIG) and interaction circuit has been completed by particle‐in‐cell simulation and analytically using a MATLAB code. The simulations show the gyroklystron can deliver an output power of more than 1.5 MW with a gain of >35 dB at 36 GHz. The achieved efficiency exceeds 40% when driven by a 95 kV, 45 A beam. The optimised MIG has a transverse velocity spread of <3% when the velocity ratio is around 1.3.
Fractional sparse energy representation method for ISAR imaging
Authors: Zhao Zhichun , Tao Ran , Li Gang , Wang Yue
Published: May 2018

Inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) is an effective radar imaging technology to obtain high‐resolution images of manoeuvring targets. To improve the cross‐range resolution of ISAR images, a fractional sparse energy representation method is proposed for ISAR imaging of rotating targets by combining fractional Fourier transform with sparse representation technique. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithms can efficiently realise high‐quality imaging in addition to robustness against noise.
On the Hadronic light-by-light contribution to the muon g – 2
Authors: Bijnens Johan
Published: May 2018

This talk is about the hadronic light-by-light contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment, mainly our old work but including some newer results as well. It concentrates on the model calculations. Most attention is paid to pseudo-scalar exchange and the pion loop contribution. Scalar, a1-exchange and other contributions are shortly discussed as well. For the π0-exchange a possible large cancellation between connected and disconnected diagrams is expected.
Measuring the leading hadronic contribution to the muon g-2 via the -e elastic scattering.
Authors: Marconi Umberto , Piccinini Fulvio
Published: May 2018

The precision measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment g-2 of the muon presently exhibits a 3.5 σ deviation between theory and experiments. In the next few years the anomalous magnetic moment will be measured to higher precisions at Fermilab and J-PARC. The theoretical prediction can be improved by reducing the uncertainty on the leading hadronic correction HLO μ to the g-2. Here we present a novel approach to determine aHLO μ with space-like data, by means of precise measurement of the hadronic shift of the effective electromagnetic coupling α exploiting the elastic scattering of 150 GeV muons (currently available at CERN North area) on atomic electrons of a low-Z target. The direct measurement of aHLO μ in the space-like region will provide a new independent determination competitive with the time-like dispersive approach, and will consolidate the theoretical prediction of the muon g-2 in the Standard Model. It will allow therefore a firmer interpretation of the measurements of the future muon g-2 experiments at Fermilab and J-PARC
Hadronic Leading Order Contribution to the Muon g-2
Authors: Nomura Daisuke
Published: May 2018

We calculate the Standard Model (SM) prediction for the muon anomalous magnetic moment. By using the latest experimental data for e+e- → hadrons as input to dispersive integrals, we obtain the values of the leading order (LO) and the next-to-leading-order (NLO) hadronic vacuum polarisation contributions as ahad, LO VPμ = (693:27 ± 2:46) × 10-10 and ahad, NLO VP μ = (_9.82 ± 0:04) × 1010-10, respectively. When combined with other contributions to the SM prediction, we obtain aμ(SM) = (11659182:05 ± 3.56) × 10-10; which is deviated from the experimental value by Δaμ(exp) _ aμ(SM) = (27.05 ± 7.26) × 10-10. This means that there is a 3.7 σ discrepancy between the experimental value and the SM prediction. We also discuss another closely related quantity, the running QED coupling at the Z-pole, α(M2 Z). By using the same e+e- → hadrons data as input, our result for the 5-flavour quark contribution to the running QED coupling at the Z pole is Δ(5)had(M2 Z) = (276.11 ± 1.11) × 10-4, from which we obtain Δ(M2 Z) = 128.946 ± 0.015.
Charged lepton flavour violation searches at the Paul Scherrer Institut: Status of the MEGII and Mu3e experiments
Authors: Papa Angela
Published: May 2018

The MEG experiment has recently set a new upper limit on the branching ratio of the μ+ → e+γ decay, B(μ+ → e+γ) < 4.2 × 10-13 (at 90% confidence level) and un upgrade of the experiment (the MEGII experiment) is ongoing with the aim of improving the single event sensitivity (SES) by one order of magnitude with respect to the previous MEG experiment’s SES. The strong scientific motivation associated with the charged Lepton Flavour Violation (cLFV) searches pushes also towards searching for the complementary muon cLFV μ+ → e+e+e- decay with the Mu3e experiment aiming at a SES improved by at least three orders of magnitude with respect to the previous SINDRUM experiment’s SES (phase I) up to an ultimate SES of few ×10-16. Both experiments will be hosted at the Paul Scherrer Institut which delivers the most intense continuous low energy muon beam in the world up to few ×108 μ/s. The status of both the MEGII and Mu3e experiments is given.
Status of the PADME experiment and review of dark photon searches
Authors: Raggi M.
Published: May 2018

While accelerator particle physics has traditionally focused on exploring dark matter through highenergy experiments, testing dark-sectors hypothesis requires innovative low energy experiments that use highintensity beams and high-sensitivity detectors. In this scenario attractive opportunities are offered to low energy machines and flavour experiments. In this paper we will focus our attention on the Dark Photon (DP) scenario, reviewing the current status of searches and new opportunities with particular attention to the PADME experiment at Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati.
Hadronic vacuum polarization and e+e− → μ+μ− cross section: Reanalysis with new precise data for σh with 4π final states included
Authors: Sauli Vladimir
Published: May 2018

The interference effect between leptonic radiative corrections and hadronic polarization functions is calculated via optical theorem for μ–pair production in vicinity of narrow resonances. Within seven most dominant exclusive channels of the production cross section σh(e+e− → hadrons) one achieves high acuracy which is necessary for the comparison with experiments. The result is compared with KLOE and KLOE2 experiments for μ−μ+ and μ−μ+γ productions at φ and ω/ρ meson energy.
Simulation of Combustion Air Flow in the Gasification Biomass Boiler
Authors: Patsch Marek , Pilát Peter
Published: May 2018

The article deals with the optimization of biomass combustion in a small heat source by means of an optimal distribution of combustion air. The uneven distribution of combustion air has been observed in certification tests and in real operation of used heat source and it has an influence on uneven combustion of biomass in the gasification chamber, on increase emissions and combustion losses. At this stage of the research, optimization of the combustion air distribution is performed by CFD simulations, which will be later verified by PIV measuring of the velocity fields in gasification and combustion chambers of the experimental heat source. CFD simulations and subsequent PIV measurements on the experimental device are realized without real combustion, only the air flow in the empty gasification chamber and in the combustion chamber is investigated. This approach has been chosen to simplify calculations and experiments, and on the assumption that when the combustion air distribution is optimal in empty chambers, it will be optimal even during real combustion. The primary air flow in the gasification chamber is in real operation affected by the size and shape of the inserted biomass and its placement in chamber and this effect is accidental and difficult to verifiable.
Conceptual design of the mobile granulation line for production fertilizers from digestates and ash mixtures
Authors: Wróbel Marek , Jewiarz Marcin , Mudryk Krzysztof , Frączek Jarosław , Dziedzic Krzysztof
Published: May 2018

Paper presents a concept of the mobile line for the production of granulated fertilizer from digestates and ash mixtures. The main assumption of the designed line is its mobility which allows line work in the place of production of digestate. The premise for developing such model of line was the fact that the transport of highly hydrated digestate, as well as its dried form, is not advisable for economic reasons. More advantageous solution is to collect the digestate at the place of its production and it is processed into a fertilizer. Loose components, characterized by high bulk density, can be delivered to the place of production and the same means of transport can be used to transport the produced fertilizer to warehouse. This production model allows to process the digestate produced in several biogas plants, using one production line and reducing the cost of production. of fertilizer granules and the mobile line is transported to the next post-fermentation production point. Based on an analysis of the raw material characteristics and preliminary research on the raw materials mixture granulation process it was assumed that the stage of 3 hrs mixture stabilization time is required in the line.
Extrusion in Hydroenvironment in Laboratory Conditions
Authors: Moravec Ján
Published: May 2018

The application of liquid environment in forward extrusion is described in this paper. Theoretical part states findings from fluidic mechanics applied in the experimental part. Design solution of the tool is also presented. The experiments were done in laboratory conditions. The findings are stated with their limitations.
Experimental investigation of the boundary layer transition on the prismatic blade using infrared thermography
Authors: Flídr Erik , Jelínek Tomáš
Published: May 2018

Topic of this contribution is the detection of the laminar-turbulent boundary layer transition on the prismatic blade using infrared thermography. Several Reynolds and Mach numbers were investigated, and their influence on the boundary layer transition was evaluated. Results are in good agreement with experiments that were performed earlier with hot-film anemometry.
Transformation of Waste Heat into Electricity
Authors: Richter Aleš , Koloničný Jan , Janša Jan
Published: May 2018

The aim of this article is to introduce the transformation of waste heat into electricity using conventional Rankine steam cycle. Uncommon part of this cycle is a special designed turbine generator, whose impeller is fitted with rows of steel wires instead of turbine blades. For this reason wet steam can be fed into the turbine. The article describes the principle of connection of research unit together with measured data from the operational measurement and graphical and table outputs.
Krankheitskostenanalyse bei Patienten mit chronischen
neuropathischen Schmerzen
Authors: Ossendorf Andreas
Published: May 2018

Zielsetzung In Deutschland leiden rund fünf Millionen Menschen unter
neuropathischen Schmerzen, die zu einer chronischen Erkrankung werden können.
Chronische Erkrankungen gehen einher mit Multimorbidität und verursachen hohe
Krankheitskosten für das Gesundheitswesen. Hieraus ergibt sich die
Notwendigkeit, die verfügbaren Ressourcen rational einzusetzen.

Methodik Im Rahmen einer prospektiven Beobachtungsstudie wurden u. a. 53
Patienten mit chronischen neuropathischen Schmerzen in sechs Berliner
Schmerzambulanzen konsekutiv rekrutiert und mit Hilfe eines standardisierten
Fragebogens interviewt. Zielsetzung der Studie war es, die Inanspruchnahme von
Patienten mit chronischen neuropathischen Schmerzen im Gesundheitswesen
abzubilden und die Krankheitskosten zu berechnen.

Ergebnisse Patienten mit chronischen neuropathischen Schmerzen
verursachten jährliche durchschnittliche Gesamtkosten in Höhe von 30 467,- Euro,
wobei die direkten Krankheitskosten 8480 Euro sowie die indirekten Kosten 21 987
Euro betrugen.

Schlussfolgerung Im Hinblick auf die Allokation knapper Ressourcen im
Gesundheitswesen erscheint es dringend geboten, dass Patienten mit
neuropathischen Schmerzen frühzeitig Spezialambulanzen für Schmerzen
konsultieren.
Novel Colloidal Microstructures of β-Escin and the Liposomal
Components Cholesterol and DPPC
Authors: de Groot Carolin , Müsken Mathias , Müller-Goymann Christel
Published: May 2018

The discovery of immunostimulating complex formation by the saponin Quil A from
the plant Quillaja saponaria with cholesterol and a phospholipid opened
up new avenues for the development of drug delivery systems for vaccine
application with additional adjuvant properties. In this study, β-escin,
a monodesmosidic triterpene saponin from horse chestnut, was investigated in
terms of its interaction with liposomal components (cholesterol,
dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine) by Langmuir film balance studies and with regard
to particle formation visualized by transmission electron microscopy. A strong
interaction of β-escin with cholesterol was observed by Langmuir
isotherms due to the intercalation of the saponin into the monolayer, whereas no
interaction occurred with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine. Transmission electron
microscopy studies also confirmed the strong interaction of β-escin with
cholesterol. In aqueous pseudo-ternary systems (β-escin,
dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, cholesterol) and in pseudo-binary systems
(β-escin, cholesterol), new colloidal structures built up from
ring-like and worm-like subunits were observed with a size of about
100 – 200 nm. These colloidal structures are formed in pseudo-binary systems by
aggregation of the subunits, whereas in pseudo-ternary systems, they are formed
among others by attacking the liposomal membrane. The rehydration of the
liposomal dispersions in NANOpure water or Tris buffer pH 7.4 (140 mM) resulted
in the same particle formation. In contrast, the sequence of the dispersionsʼ
production process affected the particle formation. Unless adding the saponin to
the other components from the beginning, just a liposomal dispersion was formed
without any colloidal aggregates of the subunits mentioned above.
Ethnobotany and Medicinal Plant Biotechnology: From Tradition to
Modern Aspects of Drug Development
Authors: Kayser Oliver
Published: May 2018

Secondary natural products from plants are important drug leads for the
development of new drug candidates for rational clinical therapy and exhibit a
variety of biological activities in experimental pharmacology and serve as
structural template in medicinal chemistry. The exploration of plants and
discovery of natural compounds based on ethnopharmacology in combination with
high sophisticated analytics is still today an important drug discovery to
characterize and validate potential leads. Due to structural complexity, low
abundance in biological material, and high costs in chemical synthesis,
alternative ways in production like plant cell cultures, heterologous
biosynthesis, and synthetic biotechnology are applied. The basis for any
biotechnological process is deep knowledge in genetic regulation of pathways and
protein expression with regard to todays “omics” technologies. The high number
genetic techniques allowed the implementation of combinatorial biosynthesis and
wide genome sequencing. Consequently, genetics allowed functional expression of
biosynthetic cascades from plants and to reconstitute low-performing pathways in
more productive heterologous microorganisms. Thus, de novo biosynthesis
in heterologous hosts requires fundamental understanding of pathway
reconstruction and multitude of genes in a foreign organism. Here, actual
concepts and strategies are discussed for pathway reconstruction and genome
sequencing techniques cloning tools to bridge the gap between
ethnopharmaceutical drug discovery to industrial biotechnology.
Temperature-based model for monthly average hourly global solar radiation for the Caribbean island of Trinidad
Authors: De Souza Keith
Published: May 2018

Hourly global solar radiation data are required to optimize various solar energy based designs. In this study, a new empirical temperature-based model for determining monthly average hourly global solar radiation on a horizontal surface for the Caribbean island of Trinidad was developed and validated using calibration and validation datasets of hourly global solar radiation and temperature from 2001 to 2005 and 2006 to 2010, respectively. The new model was evaluated alongside five existing monthly average hourly radiation ratio models due to Whillier/Liu and Jordan, Collares-Pereira and Rabl, Gueymard, Newell, and Jain. For all six models, measured and calculated monthly average hourly global solar radiation over the five-year validation period 2006–2010 were compared statistically using mean bias error, root mean square error, correlation coefficient, and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency. For an average year, the temperature-based model was the best performing model for two months, the Collares-Pereira and Rabl and Gueymard models for ten months, and the Whillier/Liu and Jordan model for one month. Over an average year, the temperature-based and Gueymard models yielded root mean square errors of 0.12 MJ m−2 h−1 and 0.10 MJ m−2 h−1, respectively. Over the single years from 2006 to 2010, the models were evaluated for performance and robustness toward inter-annual fluctuations in global solar radiation and temperature. Some re-distribution of the same four models occurred among the months over the years, but overall, they were in agreement with those obtained for an average year. The Newell model was the most robust. Over these five years, the temperature-based and Gueymard models yielded root mean square errors of 0.17 MJ m−2 h−1 and 0.14 MJ m−2 h−1, respectively. For modeling of monthly average hourly global solar radiation on both yearly and average year bases, the temperature-based and Gueymard models were most suitable with root mean square errors of 0.15 MJ m−2 h−1 and 0.12 MJ m−2 h−1, respectively. Advantageously, the temperature-based model is independent of global solar radiation input unlike the other models.
Intergranular stress study of TC11 titanium alloy after laser shock peening by synchrotron-based high-energy X-ray diffraction
Authors: Su R. , Li L. , Wang Y. D. , Nie Z. H. , Ren Y. , Zhou X. , Wang J.
Published: May 2018

The distribution of residual lattice strain as a function of depth were carefully investigated by synchrotron-based high energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD) in TC11 titanium alloy after laser shock peening (LSP). The results presented big compressive residual lattice strains at surface and subsurface, then tensile residual lattice strains in deeper region, and finally close to zero lattice strains in further deep interior with no plastic deformation thereafter. These evolutions in residual lattice strains were attributed to the balance of direct load effect from laser shock wave and the derivative restriction force effect from surrounding material. Significant intergranular stress was evidenced in the processed sample. The intergranular stress exhibited the largest value at surface, and rapidly decreased with depth increase. The magnitude of intergranular stress was proportional to the severity of the plastic deformation caused by LSP. Two shocks generated larger intergranular stress than one shock.
A two and three-dimensional CFD investigation into performance prediction and wake characterisation of a vertical axis turbine
Authors: Mannion Brian , Leen Seán B. , Nash Stephen
Published: May 2018

The emergence of tidal energy as a key renewable energy source requires the development of computational design models for accurate prediction of turbine performance and wake effects whilst also being computationally efficient. In this paper, we develop and validate a three-dimensional CFD model for vertical axis turbines, which achieves high accuracy. We also investigate the limitations of two-dimensional models and present a blockage correction for improved prediction. The two-dimensional blockage correction model is potentially attractive for preliminary design studies due to its computational advantage over three-dimensional models.
Review: Biomaterial systems to resolve brain inflammation after traumatic injury
Authors: Maclean Francesca L. , Horne Malcolm K. , Williams Richard J. , Nisbet David R.
Published: May 2018

The inflammatory response within the central nervous system (CNS) is a tightly regulated cascade of events which is a balance of both cytotoxic and cytotrophic effects which determine the outcome of an injury. The two effects are inextricably linked, particularly in traumatic brain injury or stroke, where permanent dysfunction is often observed. Chronic brain inflammation is a key barrier to regeneration. This is considered a toxic, growth inhibitory mechanism; yet, the inflammatory response must also be considered as a mechanism that can be exploited as protective and reparative. Repurposing this complex response is the challenge for tissue engineers: to design treatments to repair and regenerate damaged tissue after brain insult. Astrocytes are important cells within the CNS which play a key role after traumatic brain injury. A comprehensive understanding of their functions—both cytotrophic and cytotoxic—will enable designed materials and drug delivery approaches for improved treatment options post traumatic injury. Understanding, evaluating, and designing biomaterials that match the healthy neural environment to temporally alter the inflammatory cascade represent a promise neural tissue engineering strategy to optimise repair and regeneration after injury.
Graphene-MoS2 spacer on metal-insulator-metal structure for enhanced surface plasmon coupled emission
Authors: Masnad Md Mahadi , Mominuzzaman Sharif Mohammad
Published: May 2018

In fluorescence microscopy, surface plasmon coupled emission (SPCE) has become a state-of-art technique for efficient detection of analytes at a very low concentration, where lights emitted from excited fluorophores couple to the surface plasmon mode of nearby thin metal film and result in a highly directional emission. In this work, we present the use of graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as the spacer materials on the metal-insulator-metal structure for enhanced SPCE signal. In conventional SPCE studies a thin layer of glass acts as the spacer layer on a single silver or gold film. But the glass contributes nothing to signal enhancement. In our proposed structure, in addition to enhancing the electric field configuration on the metal surface, the spacer facilitates the participation of non-vertically oriented fluorophores in the sample in the coupling of fluorescence-plasmon, by establishing π − π interactions with the fluorescent molecules. Moreover, instead of a single metal layer, the adoption of a dielectric layer of gallium arsenide flanked by two silver films amplifies the excitation field as well as the SPCE signal. Here we report a 75-fold enhancement of signal intensity compared to isotropic fluorescence radiation at our frequency of interest, and a ∼ 2-fold amplification with respect to the peak intensity obtainable in the conventional SPCE structure. This enhancement is attributed to the very high electric field confinement of the 2D plasmonic nanostructures– graphene and MoS2.