bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High selectivity band‐stop filters using coaxial‐fed substrate integrated waveguide
Authors: Chen Rui‐Sen , Wong Sai‐Wai , Niu Bing‐Jian , Lin Jing‐Yu , Li Yin , Zhang Long , Wang Yun , He Yejun
Published: December 2019

A novel band‐stop filter (BSF) using coaxial‐fed slotted substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) is proposed in this article. The proposed BSF is designed using coaxial‐fed line with extended probes penetrating through the substrate and connecting each other, instead of using the main transmission line to dispose the resonators. The SIW cavities perform the resonators excited by the probes to produce a stopband. Then, two BSFs with one and two SIW cavities are firstly designed, both of them have SIW cavity resonator modes and lower‐band reflection zeroes. Then, two types of third‐order BSFs using two cavity resonators and one slot resonator are presented, the high selectivity is achieved by the RZs at both sides of the stopband. Finally, one of the proposed third‐order BSFs is fabricated and measured to verify the design method.
Wideband 90°phase shifter using modified composite resonant circuits for phase slope alignment
Authors: Jang Youna , Ahn Dal
Published: December 2019

This article proposes a new wideband 90°phase shifter, aligning the phase slope between a reference line and a mainline to reduce the slope deviation. The design theory of the proposed phase shifter using a modified composite resonant circuit is converted from the LC resonant circuit to the transmission line for easy fabrication. To validate the design theory, the conventional and proposed phase shifters are designed, fabricated, and measured. The fractional bandwidth of the proposed phase shifter is over 77% in terms of the magnitude and phase difference. Therefore, the measurement results agree well with the design theory within a 0.5 dB insertion loss and ± 10° phase deviation, except for fabrication errors.
Adaptive weighted log subtraction based on neural networks for markerless tumor tracking using dual‐energy fluoroscopy
Authors: Haytmyradov Maksat , Mostafavi Hassan , Cassetta Roberto , Patel Rakesh , Surucu Murat , Zhu Liangjia , Roeske John C.
Published: December 2019

Purpose

To present a novel method, based on convolutional neural networks (CNN), to automate weighted log subtraction (WLS) for dual‐energy (DE) fluoroscopy to be used in conjunction with markerless tumor tracking (MTT).

Methods

A CNN was developed to automate WLS (aWLS) of DE fluoroscopy to enhance soft tissue visibility. Briefly, this algorithm consists of two phases: training a CNN architecture to predict pixel‐wise weighting factors followed by application of WLS subtraction to reduce anatomical noise. To train the CNN, a custom phantom was built consisting of aluminum (Al) and acrylic (PMMA) step wedges. Per‐pixel ground truth (GT) weighting factors were calculated by minimizing the contrast of Al in the step wedge phantom to train the CNN. The pretrained model was then utilized to predict pixel‐wise weighting factors for use in WLS. For comparison, the weighting factor was manually determined in each projection (mWLS). A thorax phantom with five simulated spherical targets (5–25 mm) embedded in a lung cavity, was utilized to assess aWLS performance. The phantom was imaged with fast‐kV dual‐energy (120 and 60 kVp) fluoroscopy using the on‐board imager of a commercial linear accelerator. DE images were processed offline to produce soft tissue images using both WLS methods. MTT was compared using soft tissue images produced with both mWLS and aWLS techniques.

Results

Qualitative evaluation demonstrated that both methods achieved soft tissue images with similar quality. The use of aWLS increased the number of tracked frames by 1–5% compared to mWLS, with the largest increase observed for the smallest simulated tumors. The tracking errors for both methods produced agreement to within 0.1 mm.

Conclusions

A novel method to perform automated WLS for DE fluoroscopy was developed. Having similar soft tissue quality as well as bone suppression capability as mWLS, this method allows for real‐time processing of DE images for MTT.
Multicontext multitask learning networks for mass detection in mammogram
Authors: Shen Rongbo , Zhou Ke , Yan Kezhou , Tian Kuan , Zhang Jun
Published: December 2019

Purpose

In this paper, for the purpose of accurate and efficient mass detection, we propose a new deep learning framework, including two major stages: Suspicious region localization (SRL) and Multicontext Multitask Learning (MCMTL).

Methods

In the first stage, SRL focuses on finding suspicious regions [regions of interest (ROIs)] and extracting multisize patches of these suspicious regions. A set of bounding boxes with different size is used to extract multisize patches, which aim to capture diverse context information. In the second stage, MCMTL networks integrate features from multisize patches of suspicious regions for classification and segmentation simultaneously, where the purpose of this stage is to keep the true positive suspicious regions and to reduce the false positive suspicious regions.

Results

According to the experimental results on two public datasets (i.e., CBIS‐DDSM and INBreast), our method achieves the overall performance of 0.812 TPR@2.53 FPI and 0.919 TPR@0.12 FPI on test sets, respectively.

Conclusions

Our proposed method suggests comparable performance to the state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Detection of cortical malformations using enhanced synthetic contrast images derived from quantitative T1 maps
Authors: Nöth Ulrike , Gracien René‐Maxime , Maiworm Michelle , Reif Philipp S. , Hattingen Elke , Knake Susanne , Wagner Marlies , Deichmann Ralf
Published: December 2019

The detection of cortical malformations in conventional MR images can be challenging. Prominent examples are focal cortical dysplasias (FCD), the most common cause of drug‐resistant focal epilepsy. The two main MRI hallmarks of cortical malformations are increased cortical thickness and blurring of the gray (GM) and white matter (WM) junction. The purpose of this study was to derive synthetic anatomies from quantitative T1 maps for the improved display of the above imaging characteristics in individual patients.

On the basis of a T1 map, a mask comprising pixels with T1 values characteristic for GM is created from which the local cortical extent (CE) is determined. The local smoothness (SM) of the GM‐WM junctions is derived from the T1 gradient. For display of cortical malformations, the resulting CE and SM maps serve to enhance local intensities in synthetic double inversion recovery (DIR) images calculated from the T1 map.

The resulting CE‐ and/or SM‐enhanced DIR images appear hyperintense at the site of cortical malformations, thus facilitating FCD detection in epilepsy patients. However, false positives may arise in areas with naturally elevated CE and/or SM, such as large GM structures and perivascular spaces.

In summary, the proposed method facilitates the detection of cortical abnormalities such as cortical thickening and blurring of the GM‐WM junction which are typical FCD markers. Still, subject motion artifacts, perivascular spaces, and large normal GM structures may also yield signal hyperintensity in the enhanced synthetic DIR images, requiring careful comparison with clinical MR images by an experienced neuroradiologist to exclude false positives.
Generalized F‐discrepancy‐based point selection strategy for dependent random variables in uncertainty quantification of nonlinear structures
Authors: Yang Junyi , Tao Jinju , Sudret Bruno , Chen Jianbing
Published: December 2019

In the performance evaluation of structures under disastrous actions, for example, earthquakes, it is important to take into account the randomness of structural parameters. Generally, these random parameters are treated either as independent or perfectly dependent, but practically they are partly dependent. This article aims at developing a point selection strategy for uncertainty quantification of nonlinear structures involving probabilistically dependent random parameters characterized by copula function. For this purpose, the point selection strategy for structures involving independent basic variables is first revisited. As an improvement, a generalized F‐discrepancy diminishing oriented iterative screening algorithm is proposed. Then, combining with the conditional sampling method, a conditional point set rearrangement method and a conditional iterative screening‐rearrangement method are proposed for probabilistically dependent variables. These new point selection strategies are readily incorporated into the probability density evolution method for uncertainty quantification of nonlinear structures involving dependent random parameters, which is characterized by copula function. The proposed methods are illustrated by two examples including a shear frame with hysteretic restoring forces and a reinforced concrete frame structure with the damage constitutive model of concrete, where the material parameters are probabilistically dependent. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Problems to be studied are discussed.
An assessment of numerical techniques to find energy‐minimizing microstructures associated with nonconvex potentials
Authors: Kumar Siddhant , Vidyasagar A. , Kochmann Dennis M.
Published: December 2019

Microstructural patterns emerge ubiquitously during phase transformations, deformation twinning, or crystal plasticity. Challenges are the prediction of such microstructural patterns and the resulting effective material behavior. Mathematically, the experimentally observed patterns are energy‐minimizing sequences produced by an underlying non‐(quasi)convex strain energy. Therefore, identifying the microstructure and effective response is linked to finding the quasiconvex, relaxed energy. Due to its nonlocal nature, quasiconvexification has traditionally been limited to (semi‐)analytical techniques or has been dealt with by numerical techniques such as the finite element method (FEM). Both have been restricted to primarily simple material models. We here contrast three numerical techniques—FEM, a Fourier‐based spectral formulation, and a meshless maximum‐entropy (max‐ent) method. We demonstrate their performance by minimizing the energy of a representative volume element for both hyperelasticity and finite‐strain phase transformations. Unlike FEM, which fails to converge in most scenarios, the Fourier‐based spectral formulation (FFT) scheme captures microstructures of intriguingly high resolution, whereas max‐ent is superior at approximating the relaxed energy. None of the methods are capable of accurately predicting both microstructures and relaxed energy; yet, both FFT and max‐ent show significant advantages over FEM. Numerical errors are explained by the energy associated with microstructural interfaces in the numerical techniques compared here.
Antiferromagnetic Alkali Metal Oxohydroxoferrates(III) with Correlated Hydrogen Bonding Systems
Authors: Albrecht Ralf , Hunger Jens , Hölzel Markus , Block Theresa , Pöttgen Rainer , Doert Thomas , Ruck Michael
Published: December 2019

The oxohydroxoferrates(III) A2[Fe2O3(OH)2] (A=K, Rb, Cs) were synthesized under hydroflux conditions. Approximately equimolar mixtures of the alkali metal hydroxides and water were reacted with Fe(NO3)3 ⋅ 9H2O at about 200 °C. The product formation depends on the hydroxide concentration, therefore also other reaction products, such as KFeO2, K2−x[Fe4O7−x(OH)x] or α‐Fe2O3, are obtained. The crystal structures of the oxohydroxoferrates(III) A2[Fe2O3(OH)2] follow the same structural principle, yet differ in their layer stacking or/and their hydrogen bonding systems depending on A and temperature. In the resulting four different orthorhombic structure types, [FeO3OH]4− tetrahedra share their oxide corners to create folded
Fe2O3(OH)2]2− layers. The terminal hydroxide ligands form hydrogen bonds between and/or within the layers. The positions of the hydrogen atoms in these networks are correlated. The A+ cations are located between the folded anionic layers as well as in their trenches. Under reaction conditions, the potassium compound crystallizes in the space group Cmce (Pearson symbol oC88), showing a bimodal disorder of the hydrogen atoms in hydrogen bridges. In a virtually hysteresis‐less first‐order transition at 340(2) K, the structure slightly distorts into the room‐temperature modification with the subgroup Pbca (oP88), and the hydrogen atoms order. The rubidium and caesium compounds are isostructural to each other but not to the potassium compound, and are always obtained as mixtures of two modifications with space groups Cmce (oC88′) and Immb (oI88). Upon heating, the oxohydroxoferrates decompose into their anhydrides AFeO2 and water. The type of hydrogen bonding network influences the decomposition temperature, the structure and the morphology of the crystals. Despite the presence of iron(III), which was confirmed by 57Fe‐Mössbauer spectroscopy, K2[Fe2O3(OH)2] is diamagnetic in the investigated temperature range between 1.8 and 300 K. Neutron diffraction revealed strong antiferromagnetic coupling of the magnetic moments, which are inverted in neighboring tetrahedra.
Anthracene‐Based Amido−Amine Cage Receptor for Anion Recognition under Neutral Aqueous Conditions
Authors: Morozov Boris S. , Namashivaya Siva S. R. , Zakharko Marina A. , Oshchepkov Aleksandr S. , Kataev Evgeny A.
Published: December 2019

A new amido−amine cage receptor, which combines 1,8‐anthracene diacarboxamide subunit and a polyammonium azamacrocycle, is reported. Bearing both the hydrogen bond donor and the acceptor binding sites, the receptor is able to bind phosphate selectively under neutral (pH 7.2) aqueous conditions. The recognition events for phosphate and dicarboxylates are accomplished by a fluorescence enhancement in the anthracene emission. As revealed by experimental and theoretical studies, phosphate and oxalate show different recognition modes. Phosphate demonstrates hydrogen bond acceptor properties, while the coordination of oxalate favours the protonation of the receptor.
Bioinspired preparation of regular dual‐level micropillars on polypropylene surfaces with robust hydrophobicity inspired by green bristlegrass leaves
Authors: Xie Heng , Xu Wen‐hua , Wu Ting
Published: December 2019

The fine microstructure on the natural green bristlegrass leaf of Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv, which exhibits a contact angle (CA) of 155°±2° and a rolling angle (RA) of 79°±2°, is carefully observed. Based on the understanding of the underlying mechanisms for superhydrophobicity and moderate surface adhesion, an efficient replica molding strategy is proposed for mimicking the microstructures on green bristlegrass leaf surface to polypropylene (PP) surfaces. The bioinspired PP replica with dual‐level micropillars are molded by using the unitized template of steel Meshes A and B. Interestingly, the PP replica inherits both hydrophobicity and adhesion of the natural leaf. Furthermore, the PP replica can stabilize its hydrophobic state under a 980 Pa external pressure, which is attributed to the composite Cassie‐Wenzel mixed wetting state on the microstructured interface. The CA comparatively goes down and RA increases, resulting in superhydrophobic surface with moderate adhesion on the bioinspired surface. Hence, the microstructures and hydrophobicity are successfully replicated to the PP surface by only using the low cost, available and reliable steel meshes in the bioinspired replica molding process.
Simulation of crystallization evolution of polyoxymethylene during microinjection molding cycle
Authors: Anass Benayad , M'hamed Boutaous , Rabie El Otmani , Abdelhadi El Hakimi , Abdelhamid Touache , Musa Kamal R. , Salim Derdouri , Zakariaa Refaa , Siginer Dennis A.
Published: December 2019

A mathematical model coupled with a numerical investigation of the evolving material properties due to thermal and flow effects and in particular the evolution of the crystallinity during the full microinjection molding cycle of poly (oxymethylene) POM is presented using a multi‐scale approach. A parametric analysis is performed, including all the steps of the process using an asymmetrical stepped contracting part. The velocity and temperature fields are discussed. A parabolic distribution of the velocity across the part thickness, and a temperature rise in the thin zone toward the wall have been obtained. It is attributed to the viscous energy dissipation during the filling phase, but also to the involved characteristic times for the thermal behavior of the material. Depending on the molding conditions and the locations within the micro‐part, different evolution of crystallization rates are obtained leading to at least three to five morphological layers, obtained in the same part configuration of a previously work, allowing a clear understanding of the process‐material interaction.
Is the behavioral component in the Family Assessment Device uni‐ or multidimensional?
Authors: Tan Jason H. P. , Tsamparli Anastasia , Adamis Dimitrios
Published: December 2019

The Family Assessment Device is a tool that helps to see the extent of family functioning, and there have been many published articles concerning its psychometric properties. However, the Behavior Control subscale has shown consistent low Cronbach's α scores which suggests that this component may be multidimensional in construct.
Mechanisms of 1,4‐dipolar cycloaddition between propa‐1,2‐diene and imines catalyzed by PBu3: A DFT investigation
Authors: Zhou Da‐Gang
Published: December 2019

The mechanisms for the 1,4‐dipolar catalytic cycloaddition between ethyl 2‐methylbuta‐2,3‐dienoate and (E)‐N‐ethylidene‐4‐methylbenzenesulfonamide were studied with M06‐2X‐D3/6‐311+G(d,p) level, and IEFPCM was applied to simulate the solvent effect of DCM. The computational results suggested that ethyl 2‐methylbuta‐2,3‐dienoate and tributylphosphine first had an interaction; then, an electrophilic reaction occurred, and one new C─C bond has been formed; lastly, there are two possible processes to achieve this reaction. The Gibbs free energy surfaces indicate that the favor path is that PBu3 as the catalyst and oxidant can help to accelerate this reaction to yield the final product ethyl 6‐methyl‐1‐tosyl‐1,2,5,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐3‐carboxylate with lower energy barrier. Our results demonstrated that these reactions can take place at a certain condition, in good agreement with the experimental observation.
Pore sealing mechanism in OSG low‐k films under ion bombardment
Authors: Voronina Ekaterina N. , Sycheva Anastasia A. , Lopaev Dmitry V. , Rakhimova Tatyana V. , Rakhimov Alexander T. , Proshina Olga V. , Voloshin Dmitry G. , Zyryanov Sergey M. , Zotovich Alexey I. , Mankelevich Yuri A.
Published: December 2019

Organosilicate glass (OSG) nanoporous films with a low dielectric constant (low‐k) are used as interlayer‐dielectric insulators for advanced interconnects of ultra‐large‐scale integration devices. Plasma treatment of these materials can lead to their degradation resulting in increasing k‐value and reducing lifetime and reliability. However, for some OSG films, the densification of the uppermost surface layer and pore sealing was observed under ion irradiation. This paper presents the results of a combined experimental and modeling study of mechanisms of low‐k film densification by ion bombardment depending on the film‐pore size, ion type, and energy. The obtained results reveal that experimentally observed densification and pore sealing of uppermost layers of OSG films occur via collapse of near‐surface pores under the impact of energetic ions.
How does the moderate wavy surface affect the discharge behavior in an atmospheric helium dielectric barrier discharge model?
Authors: Wang Qiao , Ning Wenjun , Dai Dong , Zhang Yuhui
Published: December 2019

A conventional parallel‐plate dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) model but with one dielectric layer having a wavy surface is purposely built for better understanding the plasma–surface interaction. The results of simulation under a kilohertz‐level alternating current voltage source indicate that the surface tends to impair the discharge uniformity and stimulate complementary filamentation. Upon analyzing the detailed transient processes, it is found that the alternations of filament positions in positive and negative discharges are mainly attributed to the local residual electrons and the electric field distortion near the wavy surface. Furthermore, the trends of discharge intensity and filament number under the variation of surface fluctuation are also revealed. The conclusions drawn here are general and would be helpful in understanding the plasma–surface interaction of the DBD with surface fluctuation.
Development of Propellant Compositions for Vat Photopolymerization Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Straathof Michiel H. , van Driel Chris A. , van Lingen Joost N. J. , Ingenhut Bastiaan L. J. , ten Cate A. Tessa , Maalderink Hessel H.
Published: December 2019

A photocurable energetic resin was developed for photopolymerization additive manufacturing. The composition contains 50 wt % RDX, 25 wt % acrylate binder, and 25 wt % energetic plasticizer. The material was characterized in terms of compatibility, printability, mechanical properties and (ballistic) performance. The possibility of printing energetic items of increasing complexity was demonstrated through various print trials. The culmination of the research effort was the firing of a 30 mm gun setup with 3D‐printed propellant.
Performance of BCHMX in Small Charges
Authors: Lewczuk Rafał , Koślik Piotr , Rećko Judyta
Published: December 2019

Energetic materials are rarely utilized in a pure form but knowing their properties is important from the scientific perspective. In this work we did some experiments to assess explosive properties of BCHMX in the charges with small diameters. First, the compound was recrystallized from different solvents to obtain particles with appropriate shape and size distribution. The samples were characterized mainly with SEM and sensitivity testing. The detonation velocity of BCHMX with charge diameters of 5.0 mm and 7.5 mm was measured with short circuit sensors. Underwater explosion test was conducted to determine the initiation power of detonators containing BCHMX and RDX. Both materials had high performance under the test conditions.
Realization of Monophased LaCoOx Films with Ordered Oxygen Vacancies
Authors: An Qichang , Meng Meng , Wang Zhenzhen , Wang Yade , Zhang Qinghua , Xia Yuxuan , Gu Lin , Yang Fang , Guo Jiandong
Published: December 2019

Compared to their parent materials, oxygen vacancy (VO)–ordered phases of complex oxides exhibit distinct physical properties and show great potential in multifunctional devices. With the expected unique behaviors, however, most of the VO‐ordered oxide films are extremely difficult to synthesize due to their thermodynamic instabilities. Herein, using LaCoOx as an example, the synthesis of large‐scale monophased VO‐ordered LaCoO2.67 and LaCoO2.5 films is realized by annealing as‐grown perovskite LaCoO3 films in vacuum with a special heating method. Their macroscopic properties, including the magnetic and electric transport and optical properties, are measured. It is demonstrated that the functionalities of LaCoOx films can be manipulated by tuning the concentration and ordering of the VO. The method in this work can be applied to fabricate a wide range of VO‐ordered oxide films.
Fe5−xGe2Te2—a New Exfoliable Itinerant Ferromagnet with High Curie Temperature and Large Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy
Authors: Jothi Palani R. , Scheifers Jan P. , Zhang Yuemei , Alghamdi Mohammed , Stekovic Dejan , Itkis Mikhail E. , Shi Jing , Fokwa Boniface P. T.
Published: December 2019

Layered van der Waals (vdW) crystals with intrinsic magnetic properties such as high Curie temperature (TC) and large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) are key to the development and application of spintronic devices. The ferromagnetic vdW metal Fe3−xGeTe2 (FGT) has gained prominence recently due to its high TC (220 K) and strong PMA. Herein, a new metallic vdW ferromagnet, Fe5−xGe2Te2 or FG2T, is introduced, which is successfully synthesized and fully characterized. FG2T is a metal that orders ferromagnetically with a very sharp transition at 250 K (bulk and single‐crystal thin flakes) and shows large PMA, as found by both experimental and computational studies. Novel heterostructure devices with near‐room‐temperature capabilities using FG2T as a spin injector are enabled by this work.
Genistein protects against amyloid‐beta‐induced toxicity in SH‐SY5Y cells by regulation of Akt and Tau phosphorylation
Authors: Petry Fernanda dos Santos , Coelho Bárbara Paranhos , Gaelzer Mariana Maier , Kreutz Fernando , Guma Fátima Theresinha Costa Rodrigues , Salbego Christianne Gazzana , Trindade Vera Maria Treis
Published: December 2019

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by extracellular deposition of amyloid‐β (Aβ) peptide and hyperphosphorylation of Tau protein, which ultimately leads to the formation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and cell death. Increasing evidence indicates that genistein, a soy isoflavone, has neuroprotective effects against Aβ‐induced toxicity. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in its neuroprotection are not well understood. In this study, we have established a neuronal damage model using retinoic‐acid differentiated SH‐SY5Y cells treated with different concentrations of Aβ25–35to investigate the effect of genistein against Aβ‐induced cell death and the possible involvement of protein kinase B (PKB, also termed Akt), glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK‐3β), and Tau as an underlying mechanism to this neuroprotection. Differentiated SH‐SY5Y cells were pre‐treated for 24 hr with genistein (1 and 10 nM) and exposed to Aβ25–35(25 μM), and we found that genistein partially inhibited Aβ induced cell death, primarily apoptosis. Furthermore, the protective effect of genistein was associated with the inhibition of Aβ‐induced Akt inactivation and Tau hyperphosphorylation. These findings reinforce the neuroprotective effects of genistein against Aβ toxicity and provide evidence that its mechanism may involve regulation of Akt and Tau proteins.
Effects of crocin and saffron aqueous extract on gene expression of SIRT1, AMPK, LOX1, NF‐κB, and MCP‐1 in patients with coronary artery disease: A randomized placebo‐controlled clinical trial
Authors: Abedimanesh Nasim , Motlagh Behrooz , Abedimanesh Saeed , Bathaie S. Zahra , Separham Ahmad , Ostadrahimi Alireza
Published: December 2019

This trial evaluated the potential impacts of saffron aqueous extract (SAE) and its main carotenoid on some of the atherosclerosis‐related gene expression and serum levels of oxidized low‐density cholesterol (ox‐LDL) and Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP‐1) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Participants of this randomized controlled trial included 84 CAD patients who categorized into three groups: Group 1 received crocin (30 mg/day), Group 2 SAE (30 mg/day), and Group 3 placebo for 8 weeks. Gene expression of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), 5'‐adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK), Lectin‐like oxidized LDL receptor 1 (LOX1), nuclear factor kappa‐light‐chain‐enhancer of activated B cells (NF‐κB), and MCP‐1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells assessed by real‐time PCR. Furthermore, serum ox‐LDL and MCP‐1 levels measured at the beginning and end of the intervention. Compared with the placebo group, gene expression of SIRT1 and AMPK increased significantly in the crocin group (p = .001), and the expression of LOX1 and NF‐κB decreased significantly (p = .016 and .004, respectively). Serum ox‐LDL levels decreased significantly in the crocin group after the intervention (p = .002) while MCP‐1 levels decreased both in crocin and SAE groups (p = .001). Crocin may have beneficial effects on CAD patients by increasing the gene expression of SIRT1 and AMPK and decreasing the expression of LOX1 and NF‐κB.
The effect of coplanar sensor spacing on determining the angular acceleration of vehicles
Authors: Cocchiola Gregory J. , Joodaky Amin , Batt Gregory S. , Gibert James M.
Published: December 2019

Vehicle vibration presents challenges to a packaged product that is inevitable in any distribution environment. Typically products are tested in only a single, vertical axis; researchers have shown that there is energy in all six axes of motion. In this work, we study the recording methods of the six degrees of freedom (6DOF) motion of a transport vehicle. Using a co‐planar sensor array, three tri‐axial linear accelerometers and three angular rate sensors mounted in a L shape are used to calculate the rotational accelerations that occur in the back of a vehicle. Missing from prior work is a scientific study designed to determine the minimum sensor spacing necessary to accurately capture the yaw, pitch, and roll of transport vehicles. A sensitivity study is conducted to determine the effect of the misplacement and misorientation of sensors on the angular acceleration calculation. A laboratory study is used to determine the distance error begins to accumulate in the angular acceleration calculation in response to a sinusoidal input. A field study is conducted to calculate the rotational motions of a vehicle on a rough road. It is found that a mounting fixture is valuable in assuring the necessary sensor placement accuracy needed to accurately determine angular accelerations of a truck. Additionally, laboratory and field analysis show that as the sensor spacing location approaches the origin sensor, angular acceleration calculation error increases due to a loss in distinctiveness. It is desired for a close sensor mounting array, but there is a trade off between measurement accuracy and compactness of the recording array. A limit exists where the sensors can not be mounted in close proximity.
Rapid adjustment and post‐processing of temperature forecast trajectories
Authors: Schuhen N. , Thorarinsdottir T. L. , Lenkoski A.
Published: December 2019

Modern weather forecasts are commonly issued as consistent multi‐day forecast trajectories with a time resolution of 1–3 hours. Prior to issuing, statistical post‐processing is routinely used to correct systematic errors and misrepresentations of the forecast uncertainty. However, once the forecast has been issued, it is rarely updated before it is replaced in the next forecast cycle of the numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. This paper shows that the error correlation structure within the forecast trajectory can be utilized to substantially improve the forecast between the NWP forecast cycles by applying additional post‐processing steps each time new observations become available. The proposed rapid adjustment is applied to temperature forecast trajectories from the UK Met Office's convective‐scale ensemble MOGREPS‐UK. MOGREPS‐UK is run four times daily and produces hourly forecasts for up to 36 hours ahead. Our results indicate that the rapidly adjusted forecast from the previous NWP forecast cycle outperforms the new forecast for the first few hours of the next cycle, or until the new forecast itself can be rapidly adjusted, suggesting a new strategy for updating the forecast cycle.
On the opposing roles of the Boussinesq and non‐Boussinesq baroclinic torques in surface gravity wave propagation
Authors: Heifetz Eyal , Maor Ron , Guha Anirban
Published: December 2019

Here we suggest an alternative understanding of the surface gravity wave propagation mechanism based on the baroclinic torque, which operates to translate the interfacial vorticity anomalies at the air–water interface. We demonstrate how the non‐Boussinesq term of the baroclinic torque acts against the Boussinesq one to hinder wave propagation. By standard vorticity inversion and mirror imaging, we then show how the existence of the bottom boundary affects the two types of torque. Since the opposing non‐Boussinesq torque results solely from the mirror image, it vanishes in the deep‐water limit and its magnitude is half of the Boussinesq torque in the shallow‐water limit. This reveals that the Boussinesq approximation is valid in the deep‐water limit, even though the density contrast between air and water is large. The mechanistic roles played by the Boussinesq and non‐Boussinesq parts of the baroclinic torque remain obscured in the standard derivation where the time‐dependent Bernoulli equation is implemented instead of the interfacial vorticity equation. Finally, we note on passing that the Virial theorem for surface gravity waves can be obtained solely from considerations of the dynamics at the air–water interface.
The measurement of KRAS G12 mutants using multiplexed selected reaction monitoring and ion mobility mass spectrometry
Authors: Norman Rachel L , Singh Rajinder , Langridge James I. , Ng Leong L. , Jones Donald J.L.
Published: December 2019

Rationale

There is a considerable clinical demand to determine key mutations in genes involved with cancer which necessitates the deployment of highly specific and robust analytical methods. Multiplex liquid chromatography with selected reaction monitoring (LC/SRM) assays offer the ability to achieve quantitation down to levels expected to be present in clinical samples. Ion mobility mass spectrometry (IMS/MS) assays can provide increased peak capacity and hence separation in an extremely short time frame, and in addition provide physicochemical data regarding the collision cross‐section of an analyte which can be used in conjunction with the m/z value of an ion to increase detection specificity.

Methods

For LC/SRM, unlabelled peptides and corresponding stable‐isotope‐labelled standards were spiked into digested human plasma and analysed using ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer to enable the generation of analyte‐specific calibration lines. Synthetic unlabelled peptides were infused into a Synapt G2 mass spectrometer for travelling wave ion mobility separation and TWCCSN2 values were derived from comparison with previously generated TWCCSN2 calibration values.

Results

Linear calibration lines (0.125 to 25 fmol/μL) were established for each of the KRAS peptides. UHPLC separated the peptides and hence enabled them to be split into different retention time functions/windows. This separation enabled detection of three or four transitions for each light and heavy peptide with at least 10 points per peak for accurate quantitation. All six KRAS G12 peptides were separated using IMS/MS, enabling precise TWCCSN2 values to be determined. Although some of the G12 peptides chromatographically co‐eluted, all the peptides were distinguished by m/z, retention time and/or drift time.

Conclusions

This study advocates that LC/SRM and IMS/MS could both be used to identify single amino acid substitutions in KRAS as an alternative to commonly used methods such as circulating tumour DNA analysis.
Spinal parenchymal occupation by neural stem cells after subpial delivery in adult immunodeficient rats
Authors: Marsala Martin , Kamizato Kota , Tadokoro Takahiro , Navarro Michael , Juhas Stefan , Juhasova Jana , Marsala Silvia , Studenovska Hana , Proks Vladimir , Hazel Tom , Johe Karl , Kakinohana Manabu , Driscoll Shawn , Glenn Thomas , Pfaff Samuel , Ciacci Joseph
Published: December 2019

Neural precursor cells (NSCs) hold great potential to treat a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and injuries to the spinal cord. However, current delivery techniques require an invasive approach in which an injection needle is advanced into the spinal parenchyma to deliver cells of interest. As such, this approach is associated with an inherent risk of spinal injury, as well as a limited delivery of cells into multiple spinal segments. Here, we characterize the use of a novel cell delivery technique that employs single bolus cell injections into the spinal subpial space. In immunodeficient rats, two subpial injections of human NSCs were performed in the cervical and lumbar spinal cord, respectively. The survival, distribution, and phenotype of transplanted cells were assessed 6-8 months after injection. Immunofluorescence staining and mRNA sequencing analysis demonstrated a near-complete occupation of the spinal cord by injected cells, in which transplanted human NSCs (hNSCs) preferentially acquired glial phenotypes, expressing oligodendrocyte (Olig2, APC) or astrocyte (GFAP) markers. In the outermost layer of the spinal cord, injected hNSCs differentiated into glia limitans-forming astrocytes and expressed human-specific superoxide dismutase and laminin. All animals showed normal neurological function for the duration of the analysis. These data show that the subpial cell delivery technique is highly effective in populating the entire spinal cord with injected NSCs, and has a potential for clinical use in cell replacement therapies for the treatment of ALS, multiple sclerosis, or spinal cord injury.

Significance statement This article describes a novel subpial spinal cell delivery technique that does not require direct spinal tissue needle penetration and is associated with robust spinal cord occupation by subpially injected cells. The effectiveness of this cell delivery technique was validated in long-term studies in immunodeficient rats receiving subpial injection of human neural precursors. This is the first report to demonstrate the successful spinal cell occupation by neural stem cells, which do not require invasive central nervous system or spinal cord cell delivery. Because of the simplicity of this approach, the use of this technique can substantially improve current clinical protocols aimed at spinal delivery of therapeutic cells in the treatment of spinal neurodegenerative disorders.
Contribution of green infrastructure to the implementation of green economy in the context of sustainable development
Authors: Khoshnava Seyed Meysam , Rostami Raheleh , Zin Rosli Mohamad , Štreimikiene Dalia , Yousefpour Alireza , Mardani Abbas , Alrasheedi Melfi
Published: December 2019

The green term, as the concurrence of opinion between infrastructure and economy, has the ability to integrate natural resources and environmental services into the national income and wealth account. However, the mutual effects of green infrastructure (GI) and green economy (GE) are not always clear. This study aims to develop the influences of GI criteria into the implementation of GE in the context of sustainable development (SD) through using novel hybrid methods: the decision‐making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method was used to examine the efficiency and interrelationship among GI criteria; the analytical network process (ANP) was used to prioritize GI criteria based on their influences on three GE indicators; and the remaining two stages applied the hybridization and integration methods, with MATLAB software, to finalize the results. Results from the hybridization method showed that the weights of the GI criteria differed based on three GE indicators. Affordability is a prime GI criteria at 61% based on the socio‐economic indicator. However, this prime weight was at 43% based on the eco‐environment indicator, and at 32% based on resource efficiency plus 31% based on socio‐environment indicator. The final results were finalized with integration method, which demonstrated the contribution GI criteria made to GE implementation. The highest weight percentages appertained to affordability (61%) and resource efficiency (21%), while the minority weight of 18% went to the rest of the GI criteria. Primarily, the affordability and resource efficiency categories were found to empower green infrastructure for the implementation of green economy in the SD context.
Association measures for clustered competing risks
Authors: Su Chien‐Lin , Lakhal‐Chaieb Lajmi
Published: December 2019

We propose a semiparameteric model for multivariate clustered competing risks data when the cause‐specific failure times and the occurrence of competing risk events among subjects within the same cluster are of interest. The cause‐specific hazard functions are assumed to follow Cox proportional hazard models, and the associations between failure times given the same or different cause events and the associations between occurrences of competing risk events within the same cluster are investigated through copula models. A cross‐odds ratio measure is explored under our proposed models. Two‐stage estimation procedure is proposed in which the marginal models are estimated in the first stage, and the dependence parameters are estimated via an expectation‐maximization algorithm in the second stage. The proposed estimators are shown to yield consistent and asymptotically normal under mild regularity conditions. Simulation studies are conducted to assess finite sample performance of the proposed method. The proposed technique is demonstrated through an application to a multicenter Bone Marrow transplantation dataset.
Optimizing interim analysis timing for Bayesian adaptive commensurate designs
Authors: Wu Xiao , Xu Yi , Carlin Bradley P.
Published: December 2019

In developing products for rare diseases, statistical challenges arise due to the limited number of patients available for participation in drug trials and other clinical research. Bayesian adaptive clinical trial designs offer the possibility of increased statistical efficiency, reduced development cost and ethical hazard prevention via their incorporation of evidence from external sources (historical data, expert opinions, and real‐world evidence), and flexibility in the specification of interim looks. In this paper, we propose a novel Bayesian adaptive commensurate design that borrows adaptively from historical information and also uses a particular payoff function to optimize the timing of the study's interim analysis. The trial payoff is a function of how many samples can be saved via early stopping and the probability of making correct early decisions for either futility or efficacy. We calibrate our Bayesian algorithm to have acceptable long‐run frequentist properties (Type I error and power) via simulation at the design stage. We illustrate our approach using a pediatric trial design setting testing the effect of a new drug for a rare genetic disease. The optimIA R package available at https://github.com/wxwx1993/Bayesian_IA_Timing provides an easy‐to‐use implementation of our approach.
Importance of Volume Ratio in Photonic Effects of Lanthanide‐Doped LaPO4 Nanocrystals
Authors: Luo Yuxia , Li Liyi , Wong Hon Tung , Wong Ka‐Leung , Tanner Peter A.
Published: December 2019

Experimental variation of the volume ratio (filling factor: i.e., volume of nanoparticles (NPs) compared with that of medium) of nanocomposite materials with doped lanthanide ions demonstrates that it has a significant affect upon local field effects. Lanthanum orthophosphate NPs are doped with Eu3+ and/or Tb3+ and immersed in organic solvents and lead borate glasses for Tb3+ 5D4 lifetime measurements. For media with a refractive index (nmed) less than that of LaPO4 (nnp = 1.79), the 5D4 emission decay rate increases with increasing volume ratio of the NPs, whereas for nmed > 1.79, the decay rate decreases with increasing volume ratio. Fitting with the model of Pukhov provides an estimation of the radiative lifetime of 5D4 and the quantum yield. Energy transfer (ET) from Tb3+ to Eu3+ occurs in co‐doped LaPO4 NPs with excitation into a Tb3+ absorption band. The ET rate is independent on nmed and the energy transfer efficiency decreases with an increase in nmed. The behavior of ET rate with regard to the local field is consistent with the Dexter, but not Förster, equation for ET rate involving the electric dipole–electric dipole mechanism. This has consequences when using the spectroscopic ruler approach to measure distances between donor–acceptor chromophores.
Efficient Antimony‐Based Solar Cells by Enhanced Charge Transfer
Authors: Nie Riming , Seok Sang Il
Published: December 2019

The main mechanism of most solar cells is that the light produces photogenerated electrons and holes, which are transferred to the electron transport layer and the hole transport layer (HTL), respectively. Then, these holes and electrons are transported to the anode and cathode, respectively, to generate electric current. Thus, charge transfer is a crucial process to fabricate efficient solar cells. Here, a fast vapor process is developed to fabricate SbSI and SbSI‐interlayered Sb2S3 solar cells by annealing an Sb2S3 film and SbI3 powder in an inert gas atmosphere. The charge transfer of the vapor‐processed SbSI solar cells is increased by shortening the path length from SbSI to the HTL. This is achieved by an intimate contact between SbSI and the HTL, which is obtained by optimizing the morphology of SbSI, resulting in a record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.62% in pure SbSI‐based solar cells under standard illumination at 100 mW cm−2. In addition, the charge transfer of the SbSI‐interlayered Sb2S3 solar cells is enhanced by increasing the external driving force, an energetically favorable driving force provided by the TiO2/Sb2S3/SbSI/HTM structure, and the best‐performing SbSI‐interlayered Sb2S3 solar cell exhibits a PCE of 6.08%.
Chalcogen‐Fused Perylene Diimides‐Based Nonfullerene Acceptors for High‐Performance Organic Solar Cells: Insight into the Effect of O, S, and Se
Authors: Li Gang , Wang Shuaihua , Li Dandan , Liu Tao , Yan Cenqi , Li Jiewei , Yang Wenbin , Luo Zhenghui , Ma Ruijie , Wang Xinyu , Cui Guanwei , Wang Yilin , Ma Wei , Huo Lijun , Chen Kai , Yan He , Tang Bo
Published: December 2019

Three perylene diimide (PDI) tetramers annulated by oxygen (O), sulfur (S), and selenium (Se), named as SF‐4PDI‐O, SF‐4PDI‐S, and SF‐4PDI‐Se, are designed, synthesized, and paired with polymeric donor PDBT‐T1 to construct organic solar cells. The heteroatoms' effects on photoelectric properties, chemical geometry, charge transport, active‐layer morphology, and photovoltaic performance are investigated in detail. These PDI acceptors exhibit a similar absorption profile, whereas the highest occupied molecular orbitals and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals are simultaneously upshifted when heteroatoms are altered from O and S to Se due to the gradually weakening electronegativity. Alongside PDBT‐T1, SF‐4PDI‐O achieves an outstanding power conversion efficiency of 8.904% with a high fill factor of 0.706, outcompeting its S‐annulated and Se‐annulated counterparts. The superiority of the PDBT‐T1:SF‐4PDI‐O system lies in its stronger crystallinity, more balanced hole and electron mobilities, and weaker bimolecular recombination, coupled with more efficient charge transfer and collection. These results shed light on the invention of high‐performance PDI acceptors by oxygen‐decorated methodology.