bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Support for Sustainable Development Projects based on Real Options
Authors: Targiel Krzysztof S.
Published: August 2015

Project management is the most effective way of development. This applies especially to sustainable development. The complexity of modern projects makes the proper management of them crucial. The volatile environment of the twenty‐first century means that it is important to choose the right moment to start a project. In a situation where the decision to start is irreversible, we are dealing with a real option. The paper presents a method for choosing the right moment to start a project on the basis of multi‐state real options. The TOPSIS method was used to choose the efficient decision.
Factors influencing Diffusion of Health Technology
Authors: van der Watt AJ , Pretorius MW , Pretorius L
Published: August 2015

Health Technology is at the core of delivering quality healthcare service in many environments. To this end, the adoption of innovation plays an important role in ensuring the most current solutions are consistently applied in diagnosis and treatment. This paper reviews some of the emerging factors that influence the diffusion of health technology. The aim is to identify the new factors, which can be used to extend previous research in the field of modelling diffusion of innovation quantitatively through the application of System Dynamic analysis. A further dimension of the study is to see how a resource constrained environment would impact on diffusion of innovation. The paper concludes with listing a number of these factors and how they can be incorporated into future research.
Executable System of Systems Architecture Using OPM in Conjunction with Colored Petri Net: A Module for Flexible Intelligent and Learning Architectures for System of Systems
Authors: Wang Renzhong , Agarwal Siddhartha , Dagli Cihan H.
Published: August 2015

The ability to coordinate intricate operations in both intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) as well as search and rescue (SAR) operations is a complex issue. Such operations can be described as a System of Systems (SoS). Both object process methodology (OPM) and colored petri nets (CPN) can be used to create executable architecture models for an SoS. The modeling approach proposed in this study can capture the interactions that occur between either collaborating systems or components. It can also be used to analyze the behavioral aspects of an SoS. OPM models are easy to understand, giving stakeholders the ability to envision architecture's quality and scale. In contrast, the simulation capabilities of CPN can be used for accurate performance assessment. The proposed modelling approach facilitates decision making by providing a better estimation and confidence of the SoS's performance. The proposed system development framework and its enabling technology is domain neutral. This model can be applied to a broad range of SoS at various levels of abstractions. A case study for an ISR system is presented as an example.
Case description and initial analysis of Systems Engineering principles application to the design of integrated solutions for megacities ‐ Urban intervention in São Paulo: Tietê Arc
Authors: Zink Carlos H. L. , Marques Eduardo W. V.
Published: August 2015

The aim of this paper is to describe the use of objects and methods of systems engineering at the stage of exploratory research as an articulator of proposals for improving urban life quality in São Paulo, Brazil.

It exposes the case of application of the method for understanding the problem and generating preliminary concepts for urban intervention programs considering: regional economy, housing, mobility and accessibility, and environment.

The first results are presented and some good practices are identified. It is proposed that Systems Engineering application to megacities problems can foster innovation and collaborative process. It is suggested that SE is an important tool to support the proposition of integrated solutions for global challenges we face in the twenty‐first century.

A large spectrum of potential applications in which the diversity of actors and interfaces require structured and rigorous approaches is identified.
Visual and Digital Texts
Authors: Botzakis Stergios
Published: August 2015

This column provides reviews of adolescent and adult visual and digital texts and is a valuable resource for visual and digital text selection in and outside the classroom.
Print‐Based Texts
Authors: Blasingame James
Published: August 2015

This column provides reviews of adolescent and adult literature and is a valuable resource for literature selection in and outside the classroom.
Synthesis, Cytotoxic Evaluation, and In Silico Studies of 4‐Substituted Coumarins
Authors: Kaur Prabhjot , Gill Rupinder Kaur , Singh Gagandip , Bariwal Jitender
Published: August 2015

Two series of coumarins possessing the aniline‐ and heterocyclic ring at 4th position have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic activity against MCF‐7 cancer cell line in MTT assay. Structure activity relationship (SAR) studies reveal that the electron donor group at position‐8 of coumarin played an important role in cytotoxic activity. Compound VIId showed the potent cytotoxic activity followed by compound Xa with IC50 = 6.25 and 6.50 μM, respectively. A docking study has also been carried out for the most potent compound to get an insight into molecular interactions with p50 subunit of NF‐κB protein.
Palladium‐catalyzed decarboxylative cyanation of aromatic carboxylic acids using [13C] and [14C]‐KCN
Authors: Loreau Olivier , Georgin Dominique , Taran Frédéric , Audisio Davide
Published: August 2015

The development of robust and straightforward methods to efficiently label aromatic moieties starting from simple and convenient radio‐synthetic sources still represents a considerable challenge. In this report, a new palladium‐catalyzed decarboxylative cyanation protocol has been described. This procedure utilizes [14C]‐labeled potassium cyanide, one of the simplest and commercially available sources of carbon‐14. Under the optimized reaction conditions, a series of [13C] and [14C]‐aromatic nitriles were easily prepared (12–74% yield starting from potassium cyanide). The usefulness of this methodology is highlighted by a rare example of a formal two‐step [12C]–[14C] carbon isotope exchange. The current synthetic approach may represent a promising alternative to traditional preparations of relevant building blocks such as labeled aromatic nitriles.
Quantitative and qualitative determination of LiuweiDihuang preparations by ultra high performance liquid chromatography in dual‐wavelength fingerprinting mode and random forest
Authors: Qiu Yixing , Huang Jianhua , Jiang Xingming , Chen Yang , Liu Yang , Zeng Rong , Shehla Nuzhat , Liu Qiang , Liao Duanfang , Guo Dean , Liang Yizeng , Wang Wei
Published: August 2015

The classical traditional Chinese formulation LiuweiDihuang, shown to have clinical efficacy for “nourishing kidney‐yin” in traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for thousands of years in China. Little attention, however, has been paid to quality control methods for this formulation. Hence, a rapid and sensitive analytical technique is urgently needed for the evaluation of LiuweiDihuang preparations to assess its quality and pharmacological functionality. In this study, an ultra high performance liquid chromatography dual‐wavelength method was developed to simultaneously determine 11 constituents in LiuweiDihuang preparations. This robust approach provided a fast and comprehensive quantitative determination of the major bioactive markers within LiuweiDihuang preparations. To distinguish four dosage forms of LiuweiDihuang preparations, a random forest technique was applied on the spectrometric fingerprint data obtained. This combination approach of chromatographic techniques and data analyses might serve as a rapid and efficient tool to ensure the quality of LiuweiDihuang preparations and other Chinese medicinal formulations and can support quality control and scientific research into the pharmacological potential for these formulations.
Analysis of small carbohydrates in several bioactive botanicals by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Moldoveanu Serban , Scott Wayne , Zhu Jeff
Published: August 2015

Bioactive botanicals contain natural compounds with specific biological activity, such as antibacterial, antioxidant, immune stimulating, and taste improving. A full characterization of the chemical composition of these botanicals is frequently necessary. A study of small carbohydrates from the plant materials of 18 bioactive botanicals is further described. The study presents the identification of the carbohydrate using a gas chromatographic‐mass spectrometric analysis that allows detection of molecules as large as maltotetraose, after changing them into trimethylsilyl derivatives. A number of carbohydrates in the plant (fructose, glucose, mannose, sucrose, maltose, xylose, sorbitol, and myo‐, chiro‐, and scyllo‐inositols) were quantitated using a novel liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric technique. Both techniques involved new method developments. The gas chromatography with mass spectrometric analysis involved derivatization and separation on a Rxi®‐5Sil MS column with H2 as a carrier gas. The liquid chromatographic separation was obtained using a hydrophilic interaction type column, YMC‐PAC Polyamine II. The tandem mass spectrometer used an electrospray ionization source in multiple reaction monitoring positive ion mode with the detection of the adducts of the carbohydrates with Cs+ ions. The validated quantitative procedure showed excellent precision and accuracy allowing the analysis in a wide range of concentrations of the analytes.
Facial reanimation using hypoglossal‐facial neurorrhaphy with end‐to‐side coaptation between the jump interpositional nerve graft and hypoglossal nerve: Outcome and duration of preoperative paralysis
Authors: Okochi Masayuki , Ueda Kazuki , Okochi Hiromi , Asai Emiko , Sakaba Takao , Kajikawa Akiyoshi
Published: August 2015

Background

In this report, we described the use of hypoglossal‐facial neurorrhaphy with end‐to‐side coaptation between the jump interpositional nerve graft and the hypoglossal nerve for facial reanimation and analyzed the relationship between the outcome of surgery and duration of preoperative paralysis.

Methods

We performed hypoglossal‐facial neurorrhaphy with the jump interpositional nerve graft on nine men and 10 women with unilateral complete facial paralysis. The patients, with a mean age of 39.7 ± 18.1 years (range, 8–65 years) at the time of surgery, experienced preoperative paralysis ranging from 1 to 150 months (mean, 16.9 ± 34.9 months). The movement of the corners of the mouth was evaluated 12 months after surgery using a unique method based on the House–Brackmann grading scale.

Results

The mean follow‐up was 5.6 ± 1.6 years (range, 3–9 years). The movement of the corners of mouth was classified as excellent in two cases, good in seven cases, fair in two cases, and poor in eight cases. Nine of the 11 cases with preoperative paralysis of 6 months or less had excellent or good results, whereas none of the eight cases with preoperative paralysis of 7 months or longer yielded excellent or good results, showing a significant difference (P = 0.01).

Conclusions

To achieve successful reanimation of the corners of the mouth, hypoglossal‐facial neurorrhaphy with end‐to‐side coaptation between the jump interpositional nerve graft and the hypoglossal nerve should be performed within 6 months after the onset of facial nerve paralysis. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 36:460–466, 2016.
Supramicrosurgical lymphatic‐venous anastomosis for postsurgical subcutaneous lymphocele treatment
Authors: Gentileschi Stefano , Servillo Maria , Salgarello Marzia
Published: August 2015

Postsurgical subcutaneous lymphocele is caused by accidental lesion of a lymphatic vessel that keeps on flowing lymph under the scar. Traditional treatments include aspiration and compression, with probable recurrence, and sclerotherapy which destroys both lymphatic cyst and vessel, creating risk of lymphedema. We describe the case of a postsurgical subcutaneous lymphocele of the left leg that was treated by supramicrosurgical lympatic‐venous anastomosis. A single anastomosis was performed end‐to‐end, between one lymphatic vessel, individuated through indocyanine green lymphography, and one subcutaneous vein, distally to the lymphocele, under sedation and local anesthesia. Postoperative course was uneventful; the lymphocele completely resolved and never recurred during the nine months followup. This technique may heal the lymphocele with no impairing of lymph drainage function. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 35:565–568, 2015.
An ultrathin penta‐band polarization‐insensitive compact metamaterial absorber for airborne radar applications
Authors: Bhattacharya Anamiya , Bhattacharyya Somak , Ghosh Saptarshi , Chaurasiya Devkinandan , Vaibhav Srivastava Kumar
Published: August 2015

In this article, an ultrathin penta‐band polarization‐insensitive metamaterial absorber has been presented, which consists of an array of a closed ring embedded in a tetra‐arrow resonator. The proposed ultrathin (∼λ0/18 corresponding to the highest absorption frequency) structure exhibits five distinct absorption peaks at 3.4, 8.34, 9.46, 14.44, and 16.62 GHz with peak absorptivities of 98.6%, 96.6%, 90.1%, 97.8%, and 93.1%, respectively. Due to fourfold symmetry the structure provides nearly unity absorption for all polarization angles under normal incidence. The structure also exhibits high absorption peaks (∼80%) up to 45° incident angles for both TE and TM polarizations. Surface current and electric field distributions for different absorption frequencies have been analyzed to visualize the absorption mechanism of the structure. Finally, the structure has been fabricated and experimentally measured responses are in good agreement with the simulated ones. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2519–2524, 2015
Temperature dependance of elctromagnetic radiation from terahertz photoconductive antennas
Authors: Zangeneh‐Nejad Farzad , Barani Navid , Safian Reza
Published: August 2015

In this article, a modified equivalent circuit model for analysis of terahertz (THz) photoconductive antennas has been introduced to investigate the effect of temperature on the performance of this device. Based on this modified equivalent circuit model, the effect of temperature on various parameters of a THz photoconductive antenna such as excited THz photocurrent, radiated electromagnetic field and optical‐to‐THz power conversion efficiency has been studied. The model predicts that an increase in the operational temperature of photoconductive antennas results in lower induced THz photocurrent, lower radiated electromagnetic field and also lower optical‐to‐THz power conversion efficiency which is in accordance with experimental results. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2475–2479, 2015
Analysis and design of a dielectric insular image guide
Authors: Jin Lukui , Lee Razak , Robertson Ian
Published: August 2015

In this article, a detailed theoretical analysis of the dielectric insular image guide (DIIG) is presented to provide a solution for low‐loss millimeter‐wave (mm‐wave) transmission lines. The effective dielectric constant method is utilized to design a DIIG prototype in the Ka‐band, which is then fabricated using a standard low temperature cofired ceramic technique. Results from measurements agree well with theoretical calculations and simulations. A loss of 0.012 dB/mm at 35 GHz is achieved, which indicates great potential for further development to realize highly integrated low‐loss mm‐wave components and systems. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2465–2467, 2015
Compact substrate integrated waveguide six‐port directional coupler for X‐band applications
Authors: Venanzoni Giuseppe , Mencarelli Davide , Morini Antonio , Farina Marco , Losito Onofrio , Prudenzano Francesco
Published: August 2015

A substrate integrated waveguide six‐port directional coupler is designed and characterized. The circuit exploits a very compact size and good reflection and transmission characteristics, as it exhibits both return loss and isolation higher than 15 dB over a 13% bandwidth. The device is made by connecting all ports to a single junction which mixes all signals. Some prototypes have been built and experimental results show a very good agreement with simulations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2589–2592, 2015
Research on the half complementary split‐ring resonator and its application for designing miniaturized patch antenna
Authors: Cai Yang , Qian Zuping , Cao Wenquan , Zhang Yingsong
Published: August 2015

In this letter, a novel half complementary split‐ring resonator (HCSRR) is investigated, and the employment for designing miniaturized patch antenna is researched. Through parameter‐study, the proposed HCSRR shows almost the same resonant characteristic as the original CSRR structure. When the half‐miniaturized CSRR is sandwiched in the middle of half patch antenna, which sharing the same virtual magnetic wall with HCSRR, the resonant frequency of the patch antenna can be lowered in a much degree. To validate the proposed concept, the miniaturized antenna operating at 2.21 GHz is fabricated and measured. The measured results show good accordance with the simulated ones and stable radiation pattern of patch mode can be maintained, which validate the characteristic of the proposed HCSRR structure. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2601–2604, 2015
Novel quad‐band circularly polarized capacitive‐fed microstrip antenna for C‐band applications
Authors: Singh Dinesh Kumar , Kanaujia Binod Kumar , Dwari Santanu , Pandey Ganga Prasad , Kumar Sandeep
Published: August 2015

A novel quad‐band circularly polarized capacitive coupled stacked patch antenna with wideband characteristics is presented for C‐band applications (4–8GHz). In the proposed design, only two truncated patches with horizontal slits and inclined slot are stacked together to generate quad‐band circular polarization operation and broadband behavior. The proposed antenna has achieved a bandwidth of 55.46% in the frequency band of 4.97–8.49 GHz and the 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidths of 0.98%, 4.275%, 0.8869%, and 1.35% in four distinct bands of 5.1223–5.1729 GHz, 5.4710–5.7100 GHz, 6.2747–6.3306 GHz, and 7.6775–7.7822 GHz, respectively. The measured results show the good agreement with simulated results of the presented antenna and confirm the validity of design. The proposed antenna is useful for various C‐band applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2622–2628, 2015
Design of compact planar rat‐race and branch‐line hybrid couplers using polar curves
Authors: Joubert Johan , Odendaal Johann W.
Published: August 2015

An approach where polar curves are used to miniaturize hybrid couplers is presented. The design of such couplers can be done with the optimization of a few parameters using full‐wave analysis software. The results show similar or better electrical performance for a rat‐race and branch‐line coupler with, respectively, a 75 and 50% size reduction. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2637–2640, 2015
A compact CPW‐fed wideband metamaterial antenna using Ω‐shaped interdigital capacitor for mobile applications
Authors: Mishra Naveen , Gupta Ashish , Chaudhary Raghvendra Kumar
Published: August 2015

In this article, a compact bandwidth enhanced CPW‐fed metamaterial antenna is presented. The band broadening is accomplished by combining the resonant modes (n = 0, 1, 2). The antenna is operated in series resonant mode, and therefore, resonant characteristics can be controlled effectively by varying series parameters. Coupling among patches are responsible for originating number of modes which is made nearer to the original mode (n = 0 mode) to enhance the bandwidth. Proposed antenna offers measured fractional bandwidth of 54.3% at 3. 41 GHz (center frequency). Ω (Ohm)‐shaped IDC is used to provide the series gap which improves impedance matching significantly. It is illustrated that the zeroth‐order resonating frequency depends on the series parameters by demonstrating the equivalent circuit model. The antenna has an average peak gain of 2.36 dB and average radiation efficiency of 92.81%, throughout the operating band (S11 < −10 dB). The proposed antenna has the advantages of simple fabrication, compactness, and omnidirectional radiation pattern makes it suitable for modern wireless communication such as WLAN/Wi‐Fi (2.4–2.49 GHz), WiMAX (2.5–2.69 GHz, 3.4–3.6 GHz), Bluetooth (2.4–2.48 GHz). Furthermore, prototype of the antenna is fabricated and measured and is in good agreement with the simulated one. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2558–2562, 2015
A Miniaturized 3‐dB hybrid coupler using the comb line
Authors: Pei Guo‐Hua , Choi Hak‐Keun
Published: August 2015

In this article, a comb‐line architecture is proposed for miniaturization of a 3‐dB hybrid transmission coupler. The comb‐line coupler uses a periodic structure of distributed capacitance and inductance, thereby reducing the physical length of the coupler compared with conventional structures. Using the above principle, a miniaturized 3‐dB comb‐line hybrid coupler (operational range 1.71–2.17 GHz) was designed and manufactured, and its performance was compared with that of a conventional 3‐dB hybrid coupler. The size of the 3‐dB comb‐line hybrid coupler was reduced by 22.6% while maintaining the same performance as a conventional general hybrid coupler. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2641–2645, 2015
CPW‐fed monopole antenna with reduced radiation hazards toward human head using metallic thin‐wire mesh for 802.11ac applications
Authors: Gunavathi N. , Sriramkumar D.
Published: August 2015

This article presents a planar monopole antenna with reduced radiation hazard toward human head using thin‐wire mesh which is needed in smart phone (mobile) for less crowded 801.11ac (5 GHz Wi‐Fi) applications. The antenna consists of a rectangular radiating element with a particular rectangular part being removed from it to increase the electrical length of the antenna for miniaturization. CPW—feed and radiating element are printed on the topside of the double sided PCB. Radiation hazards toward human head has been reduced using a metallic thin‐wire mesh in the backside of the PCB. Orientation of metallic thin wire mesh play a vital role. It has been placed in such a way to disturb the fringing field coupled toward head direction (positive X direction). The proposed antenna offers an impedance bandwidth of 1.47 GHz from 4.35 GHz to 5.82 GHz with resonant frequency 5.18 GHz when it printed on an FR4‐epoxy substrate with dielectric constant (εr) of 4.4. It is over all in dimension of 21.7 × 25.5 × 1.6 mm3. It has been designed and optimized using parametric study on the geometrical dimensions are investigated using electromagnetic simulation software HFSS 13.0 (High Frequency Structure Simulator). © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2684–2687, 2015
Advantages of utilizing through‐silicon‐vias in SiGe HBT RF low‐noise amplifier design
Authors: Song Ickhyun , Cho Moon‐Kyu , Jung Seungwoo , Ju Inchan , Cressler John D.
Published: August 2015

The benefits of using through‐silicon‐vias (TSVs) in silicon‐germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) low‐noise amplifiers (LNAs) over the conventional wire bonding have been investigated for the first time. The parasitics associated with wire bonding can be significantly minimized with TSVs, thereby reducing the LNA performance degradation at the packaging level. To verify simulations and theoretical analysis, a prototype K‐band TSV‐integrated LNA was implemented in a SiGe HBT platform. The parasitic inductance of TSVs was effectively utilized as an adjustable matching element for the optimum LNA performance. The proposed LNA exhibits minimal degradation compared to the (unpackaged) LNA with probe‐supplied ground. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2703–2706, 2015
A novel broadband reflectarray antenna with lattice stubs on square element for Ku‐band application
Authors: Qotolo Sajjad Faraji , Hassani Hamid Reza , Naser‐Moghadasi Mohammad
Published: August 2015

In this article, a single layer unit cell reflectarray antenna comprising a fixed square patch to which is attached a lattice of symmetric open ended stubs is proposed. The phase response of the proposed unit cell element is governed by the length of the lattice, providing more than 600° of reflection phase variation. The unit cell element of 0.54λ0 × 0.54λ0, has a thin dielectric substrate thickness of 0.036λ0 and is placed above an air layer making the overall unit cell thickness of 0.126λ0. A 15 × 15 elements Ku‐band reflectarray antenna is designed with an area of 18 × 18 cm2. The reflectarray is center fed by a linearly polarized pyramidal horn antenna. The planar reflectarray antenna is fabricated and has wide −1 dB gain bandwidth, about 20% covering 12.1–14.8 GHz. The measured antenna gain at 13.5 GHz is 25 dB which is equivalent to 39% efficiency. The proposed unit cell and the reflectarray antenna are simulated through CST and HFSS software packages. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2699–2702, 2015
Dual‐wideband U‐shape open‐slot antenna for the lte metal‐framed tablet computer
Authors: Wong Kin‐Lu , Tsai Chih‐Yu
Published: August 2015

The open‐slot antenna is very suitable for applications in the metal‐framed tablet device, such as the tablet computer, to achieve a low profile with wideband or multiband operation. This article presents a U‐shape open‐slot (U‐slot) antenna with a low profile of 7 mm to the top edge of the metal‐framed tablet computer for the LTE operation. The U‐slot has a simple structure of length 70 mm and the two slot openings thereof are disposed at the metal frame. The U‐slot antenna is fed using an end‐shorted 50‐Ω microstrip feedline, with a wideband matching network embedded therein. The antenna can support a 0.5‐wavelength slot resonant mode supported by the U‐slot itself and a 0.25‐wavelength slot resonant mode created by the open‐slot radiator (denoted as Slot 1 in this study) formed between one slot opening and the microstrip feedline as a virtual shorting. By further using an inverted‐U strip connecting across the U‐slot, the antenna can create an additional open‐slot radiator (denoted as Slot 2 in this study) to generate a 0.25‐wavelength slot resonant mode at lower frequencies. The resonant modes supported by the U‐slot, Slot 1, and Slot 2 can form two wideband operating bands to cover the LTE operation in the 698–960 and 1710–2690 MHz bands. Details of the proposed U‐slot antenna and the effects of the inverted‐U strip connecting across the U‐slot and the matching network are addressed. Experimental results of the fabricated U‐slot antenna are also presented. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2677–2683, 2015
Are different measures of depressive symptoms in old age comparable? An analysis of the CES‐D and Euro‐D scales in 13 countries
Authors: Courtin Emilie , Knapp Martin , Grundy Emily , Avendano‐Pabon Mauricio
Published: August 2015

The Centre for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression (CES‐D) and the Euro‐D are commonly used depressive symptom scales but their comparability has not been assessed to date. This article aims to contribute to the literature comparing the drivers of depression in old age across countries by examining whether CES‐D (in its eight‐item short version) and Euro‐D are comparable. Data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, N = 15,487) covering 13 countries was used to examine the scales’ distributional properties, systematic differences between population subgroups, sensitivity and specificity, and associations with established risk factors for depression in old age. CES‐D and Euro‐D were strongly correlated (r = 0.6819, p < 0.000). However, agreement between the two scales was moderate. There were systematic discrepancies in scores by demographic characteristics. CES‐D captures a more extreme pool of depressed individuals than Euro‐D. Although associations with risk factors are always in the same direction, they are often stronger for CES‐D than Euro‐D. Findings highlight the need to be cautious when comparing depression levels and associations with risk factors between surveys using different measures of depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hematopoietic cyclooxygenase‐2 deficiency increases adipose tissue inflammation and adiposity in obesity
Authors: Adi Nikhil , Perriotte‐Olson Curtis , V. Desouza Cyrus , Ramalingam Ramesh , Saraswathi Viswanathan
Published: August 2015

Objective

Adipose tissue (AT) macrophages mediate AT inflammation in obesity, and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) is a major inflammatory gene. It was hypothesized that deletion of hematopoietic COX‐2 will inhibit AT inflammation in obesity.

Methods

Lethally irradiated wild‐type (WT) mice were injected with bone marrow (BM) cells collected from WT or COX‐2 knock‐out (COX‐2−/−) donor mice and fed a high‐fat diet for 16 weeks.

Results

The mice that received BM cells from COX‐2−/− mice (BM‐COX‐2−/−) gained increased body weight, fat mass, and visceral AT (VAT) mass. These mice exhibited reduced inflammatory markers in the VAT stromal vascular cells (SVC). However, the inflammatory markers were increased in adipocyte fraction and/or whole VAT. The activation of ERK1/2 MAPK, a pro‐inflammatory signaling pathway, was increased in BM‐COX‐2−/− mice. The molecular markers of adipogenesis were increased in the VAT or adipocyte fraction. Wnt signaling markers which inhibit adipogenesis, including Wnt3A and DVL3, were reduced, and Wnt5a/b which promotes inflammation was increased in the VAT and/or adipocytes. Finally, an increase in hepatic triglyceride levels in BM‐COX‐2−/− mice was noted.

Conclusions

The data suggest that COX‐2 deletion in hematopoietic cells reduces SVC inflammation but increases VAT inflammation and promotes adiposity likely via altered Wnt signaling.
Protein 2DE reference map of the anterior midgut of the blood‐sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus
Authors: Vieira Larissa Rezende , Polomé Andy , Mesquita Rafael Dias , Salmon Didier , Braz Glória Regina Cardoso , Bousbata Sabrina
Published: August 2015

Rhodnius prolixus is an important vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas’ disease, an illness that affects 20% of Latin America population. The obligatory course of the parasite in the vector digestive tract has made it an important target for investigation in order to control the parasite transmission and thus interrupt its biological cycle in the insect vector. Therefore, an insight into the vector midgut physiology is valuable for insect control as well as to provide potential novel targets for drugs and vaccines development and thus disease treatment. In this study, the first 2DE map of R. prolixus anterior midgut is described. Proteins were separated by 2DE and analyzed by nano‐LC MS/MS. The results yielded 489 proteins from 475 spots. These proteins were classified into 28 functional groups and their physiological roles in the insect midgut are discussed. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifiers PXD001488 and PXD001489 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD001488, http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD001489).
Consolidation of proteomics data in the Cancer Proteomics database
Authors: Arntzen Magnus Ø. , Boddie Paul , Frick Rahel , Koehler Christian J. , Thiede Bernd
Published: August 2015

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth and one of the major reasons for human deaths. Proteins are involved in the molecular mechanisms leading to cancer, furthermore they are affected by anti‐cancer drugs, and protein biomarkers can be used to diagnose certain cancer types. Therefore, it is important to explore the proteomics background of cancer. In this report, we developed the Cancer Proteomics database to re‐interrogate published proteome studies investigating cancer. The database is divided in three sections related to cancer processes, cancer types, and anti‐cancer drugs. Currently, the Cancer Proteomics database contains 9778 entries of 4118 proteins extracted from 143 scientific articles covering all three sections: cell death (cancer process), prostate cancer (cancer type) and platinum‐based anti‐cancer drugs including carboplatin, cisplatin, and oxaliplatin (anti‐cancer drugs). The detailed information extracted from the literature includes basic information about the articles (e.g., PubMed ID, authors, journal name, publication year), information about the samples (type, study/reference, prognosis factor), and the proteomics workflow (Subcellular fractionation, protein, and peptide separation, mass spectrometry, quantification). Useful annotations such as hyperlinks to UniProt and PubMed were included. In addition, many filtering options were established as well as export functions. The database is freely available at http://cancerproteomics.uio.no.
A decade of metaproteomics: Where we stand and what the future holds
Authors: Wilmes Paul , Heintz‐Buschart Anna , Bond Philip L.
Published: August 2015

We are living through exciting times during which we are able to unravel the “microbial dark matter” in and around us through the application of high‐resolution “meta‐omics”. Metaproteomics offers the ability to resolve the major catalytic units of microbial populations and thereby allows the establishment of genotype‐phenotype linkages from in situ samples. A decade has passed since the term “metaproteomics” was first coined and corresponding analyses were carried out on mixed microbial communities. Since then metaproteomics has yielded many important insights into microbial ecosystem function in the various environmental settings where it has been applied. Although initial progress in analytical capacities and resulting numbers of proteins identified was extremely fast, this trend slowed rapidly. Here, we discuss several representative metaproteomic investigations of activated sludge, acid mine drainage biofilms, freshwater and seawater microbial communities, soil, and human gut microbiota. By using these case studies, we highlight current challenges and possible solutions for metaproteomics to realize its full potential, i.e. to enable conclusive links between microbial community composition, physiology, function, interactions, ecology, and evolution in situ.
Deciphering the biochemistry and identifying biomarkers to multiple sclerosis
Authors: Martins‐de‐Souza Daniel , Farias Alessandro S.
Published: August 2015

Multiple sclerosis is an idiopathic demyelinating disease of the CNS. Despite being extensively studied during the last decades, many molecular aspects of the disease are still to be elucidated. Moreover, biomarkers for treatment and early diagnosis are major issues to be tackled. In this edition of Kroksveen et al. (Proteomics 2015, 15, 3361–3369) present biomarker candidates for the early detection of multiple sclerosis. Despite the need for validation in larger sets of samples, this dataset contributes to resolve open questions associated to multiple sclerosis.
Pleistocene Ventifacts and Ice‐Marginal Conditions, New Jersey, USA
Authors: Demitroff Mark
Published: August 2015

The Pleistocene environment of the New Jersey Pine Barrens has been interpreted as either cool and moist, with boreal forest, or cold and dry, with semi‐desert conditions. The presence of ventifacts is often cited as perfunctory evidence for strong Pleistocene wind action and sparse vegetation. This study examines sites where ventifacts had been reported and identifies abundant pebble‐ to boulder‐sized samples with a wide suite of erosional forms. Faceting occurred when the land was sparsely vegetated, allowing abundant wind‐entrained abradants to etch gravel and rocks as a consequence of katabatic winds blowing off the nearby Laurentide Ice Sheet. Most ventifacts occur on upland surfaces and attest to geomorphic stability in this part of the region's otherwise low‐relief landscape. Ventifacts were reworked and incorporated within deposits attributed to periglacial mass movement, particularly during climatic amelioration. Aeolian features such as pavement einkante, scallops and weathering pits can evolve only where sustained wind velocities are very high, sand sources are abundant and vegetation is absent. The Pine Barrens' ventifacts provide evidence of cold, dry and windy conditions and aid in the interpretation of landscape evolution. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Doping efficiency and limits in (Mg,Zn)O:Al,Ga thin films with two‐dimensional lateral composition spread
Authors: Mavlonov Abdurashid , Richter Steffen , von Wenckstern Holger , Schmidt‐Grund Rüdiger , Lenzner Jörg , Lorenz Michael , Grundmann Marius
Published: August 2015

We have investigated structural, optical, and electrical properties of MgZnO:(Al/Ga) thin films in dependence on Mg and Al/Ga concentrations. For this purpose, thin films with two perpendicular, lateral composition gradients, i.e., the Mg composition is varied in one direction whereas the Al/Ga concentration is varied in a perpendicular direction were grown at by pulsed‐laser deposition (PLD) using a threefold segmented PLD target and 2‐inch in diameter c‐plane sapphire substrates. It has been found that compensation by intrinsic acceptors limits efficient doping to dopant concentrations of about . Further, the electrical data suggests, that the compensating defect is doubly chargeable hinting to the zinc vacancy as microscopic origin. Increasing the dopant concentration above leads to a degradation of electrical and structural properties.
Enhancement of surface electrical current on silicon via nanodiamond particles deposited by pulsed spray technique
Authors: Cicala Grazia , Massaro Alessandro , Velardi Luciano , Senesi Giorgio Saverio , Perna Giuseppe , Marzulli Domenico , Melisi Domenico , De Pascali Giuseppe , Valentini Antonio , Capozzi Vito
Published: August 2015

The deposition of as‐received nanodiamond (ND) particles on silicon substrate was performed by the pulsed spray technique, using a dispersion of 250 nm ND in 1,2‐dichloroethane. A set of samples was sprayed by varying the number of pulses from 1 to 500. The morphology of the samples was characterized and monitored by means of optical, atomic force, and confocal microscopies. At a low number of pulses, sparse diamond particles were observed, whereas at a high number of pulses dense/quasi‐continuous ND layers were formed. The electrical conductivity measurements of surface silicon substrate evidenced a remarkable change for the presence of ND particles. This behavior is also found by theoretical simulations (finite element method). Finally, a comparison between the electrical resistances measured on these samples versus the pulse number and the inverse current density calculated as a function of the number of ND particles, showed a good agreement. The experimental results highlighted an increase of the electrical current by using a number of pulses <100, whereas the simulation results proved the enhancement of current density and its surface rectification by employing a specific number of particles. The current increased by increasing the temperature and during the heating–cooling cycles hysteresis was observed.

(a) Scheme of the sprayed ND particles on silicon substrate, (b) 3D AFM image 5 × 5 μm2 of 10 pulses sample, (c) trends of measured R and calculated 1/J.
Positive stabilization for switched linear systems under asynchronous switching
Authors: Liu Jiao , Wang Dong , Wang Wei , Zhuang Yan
Published: August 2015

This paper is concerned with the positive stabilization for a class of switched systems under asynchronous switching signals. Because it inevitably takes some time to identify the active subsystem in the real systems and activate the corresponding controller, the switching of controllers lags behind that of subsystems, which arises the problem of the asynchronous switching. By analyzing the solution of dynamic systems, the mode‐dependent controllers are designed to guarantee the positivity and exponential stability for the resultant closed‐loop switched linear systems under asynchronous switching signals in continuous‐time and discrete‐time cases, respectively. Sufficient conditions for the existence of admissible state‐feedback controllers are developed, and the corresponding switching signals are designed. Furthermore, a synchronous switching phenomenon is discussed as a special case. Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the results. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local outlier factor use for the network flow anomaly detection
Authors: Paulauskas Nerijus , Bagdonas Ąžuolas Faustas
Published: August 2015

Internet users and computer networks constantly suffer from increasing number of cyberattacks. During the process of seeking how to reduce the risk and possible consequences of the attacks, it is very important to identify the attacks at the initial stage of their realization. For this purpose, the anomaly detection systems, a subset of intrusion detection systems, can be applied. The main advantage of anomaly‐based systems is the ability to detect unknown attacks. We propose a novel approach to detect the network flow anomalies. The method relies on aggregated network flow metrics and is based on local outlier factor algorithm, which evaluates each event's uniqueness on the basis of distance from the k‐nearest neighbours. In our research, 15 different groups of features (a total of 74 features) were suggested to detect anomalous network flows. According to experimental results, the best groups of features were identified with the highest values of precision, recall and F‐measure. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interaction of a novel starch‐capped CdS quantum dots with human serum albumin and bovine serum albumin
Authors: Bardajee Ghasem Rezanejade , Hooshyar Zari
Published: August 2015

A novel CdS quantum dots (QDs) were successfully synthesized in aqueous phase using poly (acrylic acid) grafted onto starch (starch‐g‐PAA). UV–vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) techniques proved that the prepared starch‐capped CdS QDs are composed of a CdS core and a polymeric shell with homogeneous size distributions. In order to study its biological behavior, multi‐spectroscopic techniques were adopted to investigate their conjugation with human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) proteins. The recorded UV–vis spectra, cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis, and the calculated rate of HSA and BSA fluorescence quenching by the QDs demonstrated that the interaction between them leads to the formation of QDs‐HSA and QDs‐BSA complexes. Moreover, FT‐IR spectra showed the conformational changes of the protein in the presence of obtained QDs, indicating the presence of interaction between modified QDs and proteins.
Comparison studies on covalently and non‐covalently modified MWNTs using chitosan and their starch nanocomposites
Authors: Gou Zhenqiong , Xu Dan , Dong Quan , Wu Xiyu
Published: August 2015

Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were separately modified using chitosan (CS) through covalent grafting (MWNTs‐CS) and non‐covalent blending (MWNTs/CS). The modified MWNTs were characterized by FTIR, SEM, XRD, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and UV‐vis spectroscopy. Then, they were incorporated into starch to compare their effects on the structure and properties of the resulting nano‐composite films. The results showed that CS and MWNTs were homogeneously mixed in MWNTs‐CS, while they were self‐aggregated in MWNTs/CS. Moreover, MWNTs‐CS presented a better dispersion property in aqueous solution and in starch matrix, compared with MWNTs/CS. Loading of MWNTs‐CS into starch not only improved the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the composite films, but also simultaneously increased the elongation at break. However, addition of MWNTs/CS just made the composite films more brittle. Furthermore, the migration rate of MWNTs‐CS from films to aqueous solution was lower than that of MWNTs/CS when their composite films were immersed in water. The better performance of the composite films containing MWNTs‐CS compared with those containing MWNTs/CS can be attributed to the enhanced dispersion of MWNTs‐CS and improved interfacial adhesion with starch. Therefore, MWNTs‐CS are regarded as promising nano‐fillers to reinforce biopolymers and thus promote their applications in food packaging and biomedical areas.
Removal of heavy metal ions in water by starch esters
Authors: Soto Diana , Urdaneta José , Pernía Kelly , León Orietta , Muñoz‐Bonilla Alexandra , Fernandez‐García Marta
Published: August 2015

Corn starch has been modified with naturally occurring compounds, maleic acid (MA) and itaconic acid (IA), by esterification in an aqueous medium catalyzed by NaOH to produce adsorbents for heavy metals removal in water. The ester formation has been confirmed by wide angle x‐ray scattering (WAXS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of the mono and di‐substitution with both acids, on the solubility and the swelling capacity of the modified starch have been investigated. The materials modified with maleic acid exhibited high water solubility, fact that made difficult their characterization and thus their application as adsorbents. In contrast, itaconate esters derivatives demonstrated superabsorbent characteristics and a typical polyelectrolyte behavior. Semiester derivative with greater content of carboxylic acid groups underwent the highest water uptake (H∞ = 1292%). Additionally, the capability of the modified starches with itaconic acid to adsorb aqueous metal cations such as Ni2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ was investigated and the results were compared with the native corn starch. The modified and native starches exhibited reasonable adsorption capacity for all the cations. It was demonstrated that the native starch does not exhibit selectivity for any of the cations, whereas the itaconate starches remove higher content of Pb2+ with the lowest hydration radius in comparison with other ions.
Rheological characterization of pH‐responsive carboxymethyl starch/β‐cyclodextrin microgels
Authors: Zhang Bao , Long Jie , Xie Qiutao , Tian Yaoqi , Xu Xueming , Jin Zhengyu
Published: August 2015

Carboxymethyl starch (CMS)/β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) microgels with pH and ionic strength sensitivities have been synthesized by chemical crosslinking. The characterization of microgels was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, zeta potential measurements, swelling, and rheological analyses. Thermogravimetric analysis data showed that the initial degradation temperature of microgels was higher than that of CMS, but lower than that of β‐CD. The zeta potentials of microgels decreased with increasing weight ratio Rβ‐CD/CMS and ionic strength, but increased with increasing pH. The swelling degree of microgels showed an abrupt increase in the pH range 3–6 due to the ionization of carboxylic groups, and then remained almost constant. However, it decreased with increasing ionic strength. Viscosity results revealed that all samples exhibited non‐Newtonian shear‐thinning behavior. All microgels exhibited dominant elastic behavior over the entire frequency range with polymer concentrations of 7%. These results suggested that the properties of microgels could be controlled by pH and ionic strength.