bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
2,5-Hexanedione mediates neuronal apoptosis through suppression of NGF via PI3K/Akt signaling in the rat sciatic nerve
Authors: Zuo Enjun , Zhang Cong , Mao Jun , Gao Chenxue , Hu Shuhai , Shi Xiaoxia , Piao Fengyuan
Published: January 2019

Because precise mechanism for 2,5-hexanedione (HD)-induced neuronal apoptosis largely remains unknown, we explored the potential mechanisms both in vivo and in vitro. Rats were intraperitoneally exposed to HD at different doses for 5 weeks, following which the expression levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), phosphorylation of Akt and Bad, dimerization of Bad and Bcl-xL, as well as the release of cytochrome c and the caspase-3 activity were measured. Moreover, these variables were also examined in vitro in HD-exposed VSC4.1 cells with or without a PI3K-specific agonist (IGF-1), and in HD-exposed VSC4.1 cells with or without a PI3K-specific inhibitor (LY294002) in the presence or absence of NGF. The data indicate that, as the concentration of HD increased, rats exhibited progressive gait abnormalities, and enhanced neuronal apoptosis in the rat sciatic nerve, compared with the results observed in the control group. Furthermore, HD significantly down-regulated NGF expression in the rat sciatic nerve. Moreover, suppression of NGF expression inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt and Bad. Meanwhile, an increase in the dimerization of Bad and Bcl-xL in mitochondria resulted in cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation. In contrast, HD-induced apoptosis was eliminated by IGF-1. Additionally, NGF supplementation reversed the decrease in phosphorylation of Akt and Bad, as well as reversing the neuronal apoptosis in HD-exposed VSC4.1 cells. However, LY294002 blocked these effects of NGF. Collectively, our results demonstrate that mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis is induced by HD through NGF suppression via the PI3K/Akt pathway both in vivo and in vitro.
Gene-based molecular characterization of cox1 and pnad5 in Hymenolepis nana isolated from naturally infected mice and rats in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Metwally Dina M. , Al-Enezy Huda A. , Al-Turaiki Isra M. , El-Khadragy Manal F. , Yehia Hany M. , Al-Otaibi Tahani T.
Published: January 2019

Mice and rats are animals commonly used in research and laboratory testing. Compared with other animal species, they harbor many more zoonotic agents. Hymenolepis nana (H. nana) is a common tapeworm that parasitizes both humans and rodents. Although this tapeworm is of socio-economic importance worldwide, information related to its mitochondrial genome is limited. The present study examined the sequence diversity of two mitochondrial (mt) genes, subunit I of cytochrome oxidase (cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (pnad5), of H. nana in mice and rats from two geographical regions of Saudi Arabia (Makkah and Riyadh). Partial sequences of cox1 and pnad 5 from individual H. nana isolates were separately amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. The GC contents of the sequences ranged between 31.6–33.5% and 27.2–28.6% for cox1 and pnad5, respectively. The genomic similarity among specimens determined via cox1 primer and pnad5 primer was 97.1% and 99.7%, respectively. Based on these primers, our data did not indicate any differences between H. nana from rat and mice isolates. Results demonstrated that the present species are deeply embedded in the genus Hymenolepis with close relationship to other Hymenolepis species, including H. nana as a putative sister taxon, and that the isolates cannot be categorized as belonging to two different groups with origins in Makkah and Riyadh.
Role of mast cells in the generation of a T-helper type 2 dominated anti-helminthic immune response
Authors: Ryan Nathan M. , Oghumu Steve
Published: January 2019

Mast cells are long-lived, innate immune cells of the myeloid lineage which are found in peripheral tissues located throughout the body, and positioned at the interface between the host and the environment. Mast cells are found in high concentrations during helminth infection. Using Kitw-sh mast cell deficient mice, a recently published study in Bioscience Reports by Gonzalez et al. (Biosci. Rep., 2018) focused on the role of mast cells in the immune response to infection by the helminth Hymenolepis diminuta. The authors showed that mast cells play a role in the modulation of Th2 immune response characterized by a unique IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 cytokine profile, as well as subsequent robust worm expulsion during H. diminuta infection. Unlike WT mice which expelled H. diminuta at day 10, Kitw-sh deficient mice displayed delayed worm expulsion (day 14 post infection). Further, a possible role for mast cells in the basal expression of cytokines IL-25, IL-33 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin was described. Deletion of neutrophils in Kitw-sh deficient mice enhanced H. diminuta expulsion, which was accompanied by splenomegaly. However, interactions between mast cells and other innate and adaptive immune cells during helminth infections are yet to be fully clarified. We conclude that the elucidation of mechanisms underlying mast cell interactions with cells of the innate and adaptive immune system during infection by helminths can potentially uncover novel therapeutic applications against inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases.
PCSK9 inhibition 2018: riding a new wave of coronary prevention
Authors: Ward Natalie C. , Page Michael M. , Watts Gerald F.
Published: January 2019

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a hepatic enzyme that regulates the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) receptor and thus circulating LDL-c levels. With overwhelming evidence now supporting the reduction in LDL-c to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, PCSK9 inhibitors represent an important therapeutic target, particularly in high-risk populations. Here, we summarise and update the science of PCSK9, including its discovery and the development of various inhibitors, including the now approved monoclonal antibodies. In addition, we summarise the clinical applications of PCSK9 inhibitors in a range of patient populations, as well as the major randomised controlled trials investigating their use in coronary prevention.
Performance evaluation of T‐COFDM under combined noise in PLC with log‐normal channel gain using exact derived noise distributions
Authors: Al‐Rubaye Ghanim A. , Tsimenidis Charalampos C. , Johnston Martin
Published: January 2019

In this study, the performance analyses of the proposed turbo‐coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (T‐COFDM) are investigated over the power‐line communication with lognormal channel gain based on derived effective complex‐valued ratio distributions of the individual and combined noise samples at the zero‐forcing equaliser output. The effective noise samples are derived in the presence of Nakagami‐m background interference (BI) noise, Middleton class A impulsive noise (MCAIN) and their combination. The performance of the turbo code has been improved by computing the exact log‐likelihood ratio using derived distributions, with the derivation of pairwise error probability and the average upper‐bounds (AUBs). Moreover, the bit error rate (BER) degradation in the conventional T‐COFDM system has been improved by deriving two clipping thresholds to combat the effect of the non‐Gaussian noise, the first one has been derived in the presence of the impulsive noise only modelled by MCAIN model and the second one in the presence of combined Nakagami‐m BI noise and MCAIN model. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the significant BER improvements of the proposed T‐COFDM system compared to the improved conventional T‐COFDM system with a close agreement to the AUBs derivation and analytical BER expression.
Design and implementation of a novel adaptive backstepping control scheme for a PMSM with unknown load torque
Authors: Sun Xiaofei , Yu Haisheng , Yu Jinpeng , Liu Xudong
Published: January 2019

In this study, a novel adaptive backstepping control method is proposed to handle the position tracking problem of the permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) system with unknown load torque. Firstly, a novel load torque update law which is different from the traditional load torque update law is obtained based on the position error and estimated torque error. Then, a novel adaptive backstepping controller is presented under the circumstance of estimated load torque. The asymptotic stability of the overall system is verified by using Lyapunov stability theory. The novel load torque update law guarantees the accurate estimation and improves the convergence speed of the estimated load torque. The designed controller improves the position tracking performance and ensures stability of the closed‐loop system. Finally, real‐time experiment results with LINKS‐RT platform intuitively exhibit that the proposed control method ensures position tracking performance and retains good load torque disturbance attenuation.
Real‐time implementation of improved predictive model control for standalone power generation system based PV renewable energy
Authors: Ikaouassen Halima , Raddaoui Abderraouf , Rezkallah Miloud , Chandra Ambrish
Published: January 2019

In this study, improved predictive model control (PMC) strategy with prediction horizon of one sampling time for standalone solar photovoltaic (PV) system is discussed. Two control strategies based on the improved PMC approach are designed and implemented to ensure a fast and accurate stability of the system. Enhanced PMC‐based maximum power point tracking is developed and implemented to extract maximum power and achieve high performance from solar PV under the presence of severe conditions by estimating the equivalent system resistance and output PV voltage. Furthermore, to achieve high performance without saturation issue, adaptive proportional–integral controller with anti‐windup is employed. In addition, modelling as well as the parameters design method are offered. An efficient dc–dc boost converter is employed. To regulate the output ac voltage and frequency, as well as, supply a clean power to the connected load, improved PMC controller is developed and implemented. To predict the attitude of the output ac voltage at each sampling prediction interval for all possible switching states, the cost function is defined and evaluated as a standard to select the position function of the switches. The performances of the proposed system and their enhanced control strategies are verified using MATLAB/Simulink, and validated in real time using laboratory prototype.
Integrated dead‐time compensation and elimination approach for model predictive power control with fixed switching frequency
Authors: Hu Bihua , Kang Longyun , Cheng Jiancai , Linghu Jinqing , Zhang Zhi
Published: January 2019

To solve the problem of variable switching frequency in conventional model predictive power control (MPPC), many modified MPPCs with fixed switching frequency have been proposed. However, as the switching frequency increases, additional current harmonics caused by the dead‐time are added into the grid current. In this study, an integrated approach with compensation process and elimination process is proposed to eliminate the adverse effect of dead‐time. The elimination process with improving gate signals is applied when the phase current is large enough. In contrast, the compensation process is utilised when the phase current is relatively small and the elimination process is troubled by the misjudgement of the current polarity. The experimental results with different dead‐time and active power reference are provided to demonstrate the validity of the integrated approach. The integrated approach can further reduces the total harmonic distortion compared to the pure dead‐time compensation approach and almost removes the current harmonics caused by the dead‐time. Besides, the static error of the power caused by dead‐time is dramatically reduced by utilising the integrated approach.
Study on a modified reactive power allocation strategy of WF management system considering electrical loss reduction and flexibility in practical operation
Authors: Yoo Yeuntae , Lee Jae‐Hyeong , Jang Gilsoo , Yoon Minhan , Jung Seungmin
Published: January 2019

The recent development of a number of advanced wind farm (WF) operation strategies, using designed verification studies, has resulted in various operational and economic improvements. These applications focused on stabilised conditions to confirm the improved effect derived from a maximum power extraction condition. In the case of large‐scale WFs, however, a physical area with realistic environmental variations should be considered in order to conduct applicable case studies. In this study, the authors propose a modified reactive power allocation strategy, based on proportional techniques, with the system components of a WF structure for utilisation under a variety of practical situations. The proposed method introduces a modified loss prediction model, which takes the resistive components of the wind turbine into consideration. Each analysis is conducted to confirm the feasibility of active reference assignment in terms of loss reduction and flexibility. The simulations are based on electromagnetic transients using DC software tools to perform electrical loss estimation, in order to verify the effectiveness of this strategy.
Modal response analysis of non‐uniform and asymmetric DL under plane‐wave illumination
Authors: Yang Jinpeng , Sun Xiaoying , Zhao Yu , Chen Jian , Sun Tiegang
Published: January 2019

In this study, the mode‐generation mechanism due to non‐uniformity and asymmetry in a differential line (DL) circuit illuminated by a plane wave was analysed using a modal perturbation technique. Through modal decomposition, the field‐to‐line coupling equation was reformulated in terms of a differential mode (DM) and common mode, and the perturbation technique was applied, interpreting the geometrical unbalance as the mathematical equivalent modal distributed sources. Three types of typical DL structures above a loss ground with different conductivities in the frequency and time domains are discussed. The results show that the non‐uniformity of a DL will cause mode perturbation, while asymmetry can lead to mode conversion. The time‐domain results show that under plane‐wave illumination, the DM response of an asymmetric non‐uniform DL (NDL) increases significantly compared with that of a symmetric NDL and uniform DL. With the decrease in ground conductivity, the distortion of the modal response waveform is aggravated and extended with time.
Fuzzy inference system based 3D geographic routing in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Shivappa Nagesha , Manvi Sunilkumar S.
Published: January 2019

The 3D geographic routing in mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSNs) is gaining importance because of its simplicity, effectiveness, scalability and low cost. This study proposes a 3D geographic routing for multimedia traffic in MWSNs where the node which captures/senses an event establishes the route to the sink. If distance of an event node (source node) to the sink is within the sensing range, then the event data is transmitted to the sink. Otherwise, event node broadcasts bandwidth requirement to nodes. The surrounding nodes reply with bandwidth availability which is computed using fuzzy inference system situated in the node. The reply also comprises of node's residual energy and its distance to the sink. Event node identifies neighbour nodes which can provide the required bandwidth. The event node then selects the forwarder node from the list of neighbour nodes based on their residual energy and distance to the sink using another fuzzy inference system. The selected forwarder node becomes the source node and the process is repeated until one of the forwarder node finds the sink as neighbour. The algorithm is compared with dynamic 3D fuzzy routing based on traffic probability algorithm and novel fuzzy clustering scheme to demonstrate the improved performance.
SAPIL: single access point based indoor localisation using Wi‐Fi L‐shaped antenna array
Authors: Tian Zengshan , Lian Yinghui , Zhou Mu , Pu Qiaolin
Published: January 2019

Single access point (AP) based indoor localisation (SAPIL) has attracted much attention recently. Most of the existing SAPIL systems require frequency hopping, which cannot be easily achieved in commercial APs. In response to this compelling problem, the authors proposed the SAPIL using Wi‐Fi L‐shaped antenna array without modifying the existing Wi‐Fi protocol. Specifically, the scenario in which the target is located is determined based on the maximum weight firstly. If the target is located in the line‐of‐sight scenario, the angle‐of‐arrival (AoA) corresponding to direct path is identified from the AoAs of multipath signals which are estimated using the smooth multiple signal classification algorithm. Meanwhile, the adaptive signal propagation model trained from the channel impulse response in offline phase is adopted to calculate the distance of direct path. Then the target is located by the estimated AoA and distance of direct path. Otherwise the target is located by combining its speed and heading with pedestrian dead reckoning. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system achieves the median AoA estimation error of 5°, median distance estimation error of 0.5 m, and median localisation error of 1.8 m.
Dual‐switch forward converter with an additional reset capacitor for hold‐up operation
Authors: Jin Xiaoguang , Wan Lanruo , Xu Jun , Qian Bin , Lu Zhengyu
Published: January 2019

An improved scheme of a dual‐switch forward converter is proposed in this paper. Compared with the original converter, the new one can provide higher resetting voltage during the hold‐up time interval under the action of an additional reset capacitor. Namely, it allows the converter's duty cycle to be larger than 50%. As a result, the proposed method can transfer more energy stored in the bulk capacitor to the load side during the hold‐up interval. Therefore, a smaller bulk capacitor can be used for the converter's hold‐up time requirement. Since the additional reset capacitor acts only as a compensation, it would not affect other performance of the converter. The additional circuit can be applied for the dual‐switch forward converter when small‐volume and high power density are required. The working principle and the performance of the converter are analysed, and the relevant theory formulas are deduced. Then the parameters of key components are given. Finally, the theoretical analysis is validated through a 200 W experimental prototype.
Analysis of the influence of the filter breaker restrike on the AC filters
Authors: Yiming Ji , Fangjie Wu , Yong Huang
Published: January 2019

The BP1113 filter breaker restrikes after being switched off, leading to the triggering of capacitor unbalance protection of this filter and the other on‐bus filters in LingZhou station. This study focuses on the mechanism how the restrike of breaker influences the corresponding filter and other on‐bus filters on the basis of the practical data. First, the whole‐process waveform record was analysed, to find that the discharge of capacitor bottom frame is the cause of the unbalance current of capacitor. Second, the discharge circuits were analysed, the cause of the filter overvoltage and the theoretical functional form of the overcurrent in filters were determined and the influence rules of the restrike on filters were concluded, including the overcurrent distribution in filters, the highest overvoltage and the insulation key point. Third, the theoretical analysis and the detailed practical waveform were compared, further validating the conclusions. The research revealed the possible accompanying fault caused by the filter restrike and the specific mechanism, and some suggestions to prevent it.
Evaluation of metro stray current corrosion based on finite element model
Authors: Zhichao Cai , Cheng Hao
Published: January 2019

Leakage currents from DC traction power supply system of metro will reduce the lifetime of the buried pipeline. This study illustrates a real contribution in the analysis of dynamic stray current and the evaluation of the corrosion status of the buried pipeline. The metro locomotives dynamic operation process was established through traction calculation, and then analysed the dynamic influence of stray current distribution under transient finite element model. Finally, a comparison of corrosion influence of stray current is also presented. According to the simulation results, the distribution of stray current is affected by many factors, the relative position of the cathodic protection pipeline and unprotected pipeline has significant influence on stray current.
Gaia Data Release 2
Authors: Katz D. , Sartoretti P. , Cropper M. , Panuzzo P. , Seabroke G. M. , Viala Y. , Benson K. , Blomme R. , Jasniewicz G. , Jean-Antoine A. , Huckle H. , Smith M. , Baker S. , Crifo F. , Damerdji Y. , David M. , Dolding C. , Frémat Y. , Gosset E. , Guerrier A. , Guy L. P. , Haigron R. , Janßen K. , Marchal O. , Plum G. , Soubiran C. , Thévenin F. , Ajaj M. , Allende Prieto C. , Babusiaux C. , Boudreault S. , Chemin L. , Delle Luche C. , Fabre C. , Gueguen A. , Hambly N. C. , Lasne Y. , Meynadier F. , Pailler F. , Panem C. , Royer F. , Tauran G. , Zurbach C. , Zwitter T. , Arenou F. , Bossini D. , Gerssen J. , Gómez A. , Lemaitre V. , Leclerc N. , Morel T. , Munari U. , Turon C. , Vallenari A. , Žerjal M.
Published: January 2019

Context. For Gaia DR2, 280 million spectra collected by the Radial Velocity Spectrometer instrument on board Gaia were processed, and median radial velocities were derived for 9.8 million sources brighter than GRVS = 12 mag.

Aims. This paper describes the validation and properties of the median radial velocities published in Gaia DR2.

Methods. Quality tests and filters were applied to select those of the 9.8 million radial velocities that have the quality to be published in Gaia DR2. The accuracy of the selected sample was assessed with respect to ground-based catalogues. Its precision was estimated using both ground-based catalogues and the distribution of the Gaia radial velocity uncertainties. Results. Gaia DR2 contains median radial velocities for 7 224 631 stars, with Teff in the range [3550, 6900] K, which successfully passed the quality tests. The published median radial velocities provide a full-sky coverage and are complete with respect to the astrometric data to within 77.2% (for G ≤ 12.5 mag). The median radial velocity residuals with respect to the ground-based surveys vary from one catalogue to another, but do not exceed a few 100 m s−1. In addition, the Gaia radial velocities show a positive trend as a function of magnitude, which starts around GRVS ~ 9 mag and reaches about + 500 m s−1 at GRVS = 11.75 mag. The origin of the trend is under investigation, with the aim to correct for it in Gaia DR3. The overall precision, estimated from the median of the Gaia radial velocity uncertainties, is 1.05 km s−1. The radial velocity precision is a function of many parameters, in particular, the magnitude and effective temperature. For bright stars, GRVS ∈ [4, 8] mag, the precision, estimated using the full dataset, is in the range 220–350 m s−1, which is about three to five times more precise than the pre-launch specification of 1 km s−1. At the faint end, GRVS = 11.75 mag, the precisions for Teff = 5000 and 6500 K are 1.4 and 3.7 km s−1, respectively.
A UV and optical study of 18 old novae with Gaia DR2 distances: mass accretion rates, physical parameters, and MMRD
Authors: Selvelli Pierluigi , Gilmozzi Roberto
Published: January 2019

We combine the results of our earlier study of the UV characteristics of 18 classical novae (CNe) with data from the literature and with the recent precise distance determinations from the Gaia satellite to investigate the statistical properties of old novae. All final parameters for the sample include a detailed treatment of the errors and their propagation. The physical properties reported here include the absolute magnitudes at maximum and minimum, a new maximum magnitude versus rate of decline (MMRD) relation, and the inclination-corrected 1100–6000 Å accretion disk luminosity. Most importantly, these data have allowed us to derive a homogenous set of accretion rates in quiescence for the 18 novae. All novae in the sample were super-Eddington during outburst, with an average absolute magnitude at maximum of −7.5 ± 1.0. The average absolute magnitude at minimum corrected for inclination is 3.9 ± 1.0. The median mass accretion rate is log Ṁ1 M⊙ = −8.52 (using 1 M⊙ as WD mass for all novae) or log ṀMWD = −8.48 (using the individual WD masses). These values are lower than those assumed in studies of CNe evolution and appear to attenuate the need for a hibernation hypothesis to interpret the nova phenomenon. We identified a number of correlations among the physical parameters of the quiescent and eruptive phases, some already known but others new and even surprising. Several quantities correlate with the speed class t3 including, unexpectedly, the mass accretion rate (Ṁ). This rate correlates also with the absolute magnitude at minimum corrected for inclination, and with the outburst amplitude, providing new and simple ways to estimate Ṁ through its functional dependence on (more) easily observed quantities. There is no correlation between Ṁ and the orbital period.
Blobs, spiral arms, and a possible planet around HD 169142
Authors: Gratton R. , Ligi R. , Sissa E. , Desidera S. , Mesa D. , Bonnefoy M. , Chauvin G. , Cheetham A. , Feldt M. , Lagrange A. M. , Langlois M. , Meyer M. , Vigan A. , Boccaletti A. , Janson M. , Lazzoni C. , Zurlo A. , De Boer J. , Henning T. , D’Orazi V. , Gluck L. , Madec F. , Jaquet M. , Baudoz P. , Fantinel D. , Pavlov A. , Wildi F.
Published: January 2019

Context. Young planets are expected to cause cavities, spirals, and kinematic perturbations in protostellar disks that may be used to infer their presence. However, a clear detection of still-forming planets embedded within gas-rich disks is still rare.

Aims. HD 169142 is a very young Herbig Ae-Be star surrounded by a pre-transitional disk, composed of at least three rings. While claims of sub-stellar objects around this star have been made previously, follow-up studies remain inconclusive. The complex structure of this disk is not yet well understood.

Methods. We used the high contrast imager SPHERE at ESO Very large Telescope to obtain a sequence of high-resolution, high-contrast images of the immediate surroundings of this star over about three years in the wavelength range 0.95–2.25 μm. This enables a photometric and astrometric analysis of the structures in the disk.

Results. While we were unable to definitively confirm the previous claims of a massive sub-stellar object at 0.1–0.15 arcsec from the star, we found both spirals and blobs within the disk. The spiral pattern may be explained as due to the presence of a primary, a secondary, and a tertiary arm excited by a planet of a few Jupiter masses lying along the primary arm, likely in the cavities between the rings. The blobs orbit the star consistently with Keplerian motion, allowing a dynamical determination of the mass of the star. While most of these blobs are located within the rings, we found that one of them lies in the cavity between the rings, along the primary arm of the spiral design.

Conclusions. This blob might be due to a planet that might also be responsible for the spiral pattern observed within the rings and for the cavity between the two rings. The planet itself is not detected at short wavelengths, where we only see a dust cloud illuminated by stellar light, but the planetary photosphere might be responsible for the emission observed in the K1 and K2 bands. The mass ofthis putative planet may be constrained using photometric and dynamical arguments. While uncertainties are large, the mass should be between 1 and 4 Jupiter masses. The brightest blobs are found at the 1:2 resonance with this putative planet.
Modeling and stabilization of current-controlled piezo-electric beams with dynamic electromagnetic field
Authors: Özer Ahmet Özkan , Morris Kirsten A.
Published: January 2019

Piezoelectric materials can be controlled with current (or charge) as the electrical input, instead of voltage. The main purpose of this paper is to derive the governing equations for a current-controlled piezo-electric beam and to investigate stabilizability. The magnetic permeability in piezo-electric materials is generally neglected in models. However, it has a significant qualitative effect on properties of the control system such as stabilizability. Besides the consideration of current control, there are several new aspects to the model. Most importantly, a fully dynamic magnetic model is included. Also, electrical potential and magnetic vector potential are chosen to be quadratic-through thickness to include the induced effects of the electromagnetic field. Hamilton’s principle is used to derive a boundary value problem that models a single piezo-electric beam actuated by a current (or charge) source at the electrodes. Two sets of decoupled system of partial differential equations are obtained; one for stretching of the beam and another one for bending motion. Since current (or charge) controller only affects the stretching motion, attention is focused on control of the stretching equations in this paper. It is shown that the Lagrangian of the beam is invariant under certain transformations. A Coulomb type gauge condition is used. This gauge condition decouples the electrical potential equation from the equations of the magnetic potential. A semigroup approach is used to prove that the Cauchy problem is well-posed. Unlike voltage actuation, a bounded control operator in the natural energy space is obtained. The paper concludes with analysis of stabilizability and comparison with other actuation approaches and models.
Control and improvement of antenna gain by using multilayer non-uniform metasurfaces
Authors: Han Jiaqi , Li Long , Zhang Tianliang , Xi Rui
Published: January 2019

In this paper, a new high-gain antenna with beam control based on multilayer non-uniform metasurfaces (MNMSs) is proposed. The MNMS consists of multilayer non-uniform square and ring metal patches array. The phase-shift of the MNMS element can achieve 310° with the variation of geometrical sizes. Moreover, four high-gain antennas based on MNMS element are designed, fabricated, and measured to realize 0°, 30°, 45°, and 60° beam control in pitching plane, respectively. Relative bandwidth of the proposed high-gain antenna is above 12%. The simulated and measured results of the proposed antennas show that the wide-angle and azimuth direction beam control capability can be effectively realized by integrating different MNMS with the feeding horn antenna.
The originality of Ibn Maḍāʾ’s linguistic ideas: prescriptive rules versus methodology insideal-Raddʿalā al-nuḥāt
Authors: Campanelli Marta
Published: January 2019

Ibn Maḍāʾ represents the first scholar who overtly condemned the tradition of grammatical studies formulated in the eastern Mediterranean lands. However, his invective does not undermine the Arabic grammatical theory in its entirety but leaves the majority of its normative contents intact. Indeed, Ibn Maḍāʾ attacks a series of elements representative of the method adopted by Arab grammarians in dealing with such contents: the concept of government (ʿamal), the analogical reasoning (qiyās), the concealment of linguistic elements (ʾiḍmār), the secondary and tertiary causes (ʿilal ṯawānin wa-ṯawāliṯ). The present paper analyses the effective originality of his invective, comparing it to some ideas expressed by Eastern grammarians, especially those belonging to the Kūfan tradition, showing the main points of analogy.
Copper-Catalyzed Synthesis of Fused Imidazopyrazine N-Oxide Skeletons
Authors: Taşdemir Volkan , Kuzu Burak , Tan Meltem , Genç Hasan , Menges Nurettin
Published: January 2019

N-Propargyl-2-aroylimidazoles synthesized and converted into the corresponding ketoximes. Under various conditions, several mono- and diketoxime imidazole derivatives were formed by converting the carbonyl or carbonyl and propargyl groups into oxime groups. N-Propargyl monooxime imidazole derivatives were cyclized by treatment with CuI to give various imidazopyrazine N-­oxides. Several copper salts, such as CuOAc, CuSO4, and CuOTf, formed the same cyclization product. This cyclization reaction occurred only in the presence of Cu(I) or Cu(II) salts; other transition metals such as Au, Ag, In, and Fe did not yield cyclic products. The nucleus-independent chemical shift method was used to calculate the aromaticity of the bicyclic rings.
Copper(I) Iodide-Catalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis of Optically Active Tertiary α-Allenols
Authors: Liu Qi , Cao Tao , Han Yulin , Jiang Xingguo , Tang Yang , Zhai Yizhan , Ma Shengming
Published: January 2019

A facile CuI-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of chiral tertiary α-allenols with up to 95% ee starting from common tertiary propargylic alcohols and aldehydes has been developed. The amount of chiral ­ligand used in this transformation can be as low as 2.5 mol%.
Asymmetric Transformations of α-Hydroxy Enamides Catalyzed by Chiral Brønsted Acids
Authors: Rajkumar Subramani , Wang Jiawen , Yang Xiaoyu
Published: January 2019

2-Aminoallyl cations are reactive intermediates that undergo diverse reactions, such as cycloadditions, direct nucleophilic additions, Nazarov electrocyclizations, and rearrangements. We review recent development in asymmetric catalytic reactions (nucleophilic additions and Nazarov electrocyclizations) based on chiral counteranion-paired 2-aminoallyl cation intermediates generated through activation of α-hydroxy enamides in the presence of chiral Brønsted acid catalysts. With an understanding of their asymmetric catalysis modes and mechanisms, we expect more asymmetric catalytic reactions will be developed on the basis of this strategy in the near future.
Preoperative Embolization to Improve Surgical Management and Outcome of Pulmonary Sequestration
Authors: Ukirde Vivek , Joshi Saurabh , Bansal Ashank , Borde Arvind , Lahoti Amol
Published: January 2019

Pulmonary sequestration is a rare embryonic malformation of lung tissue with no identifiable bronchial communication receiving its blood supply from one or more anomalous systemic arteries or aorta. The authors present a case report of an adult woman who presented with untreatable hemoptysis. She was treated with anti-Koch's therapy for her nonresolving hemoptysis. She underwent preoperative vascular embolization and operative surgical resection.
Laparoscopic Transhiatal Thoracic Duct Ligation for Chylothorax after Esophagectomy
Authors: Yamagata Yukinori , Saito Kazuyuki , Hirano Kosuke , Oya Masatoshi
Published: January 2019

In esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer, chylothorax may develop at a certain frequency. For chylothorax, conservative treatment is selected first, but if it is not improved, thoracic duct (TD) ligation is considered. In general, transthoracic approach is chosen to reach the TD. However, it is sometimes difficult to identify the TD due to adhesion in the thoracic cavity. Hence, we selected a laparoscopic transhiatal approach to the TD. We introduce the procedure of our laparoscopic transhiatal TD ligation technique.
Atypical Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis in a Young Child: Implications for Change in Vaccination Strategy
Authors: Azad Chandrika , Arya Adhi , Raina Deepti , Gupta Rekha
Published: January 2019

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a serious neurological complication of measles with no satisfactory treatment options. The prolonged incubation period makes it rare in young children. The occurrence of primary measles infection in infants before age of vaccination can be prevented only by ensuring adequate vaccination of all females in childbearing age. Here, we present a case of an atypical presentation of SSPE in a toddler who contracted measles at 6 months of age.
Sensitivity of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Evaluation of Patients with Hip Joint Pain
Authors: Singhania Akhita , Dhande Rajasbala P. , Gupta Suvarn , Singhania Shraddha , Jain Shashank
Published: January 2019

Introduction Modern magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has a great sensitivity in detecting hip joint abnormalities, and because of its property of excellent visualization of soft tissue and nonionizing radiation, it is the modality of choice these days in not only adults but also pediatric musculoskeletal pathologies.

Materials and Methods It was a prospective study performed in a tertiary care institute from 2016 to 2018. Total 64 cases with hip pathology attending orthopedics OPD (out patient department) and consenting to participate were included in the study. All the consenting participants were subjected to MRI scan.

Results The most common pathology detected was avascular necrosis consisting of 28 cases. The next most common abnormality detected was infective arthritis, found in seven cases. Three patients were diagnosed with metastasis.

Conclusion MRI is the diagnostic modality of choice for pathologies of hip for which radiographic and clinical findings are inconclusive. With MRI, one can stage the pathology to prognosticate and influence therapeutic decisions.
Synchronization transition in Sakaguchi-Kuramoto model on complex networks with partial degree-frequency correlation
Authors: Kundu Prosenjit , Pal Pinaki
Published: January 2019

We investigate transition to synchronization in the Sakaguchi-Kuramoto (SK) model on complex networks analytically as well as numerically. Natural frequencies of a percentage (f) of higher degree nodes of the network are assumed to be correlated with their degrees and that of the remaining nodes are drawn from some standard distribution, namely, Lorentz distribution. The effects of variation of f and phase frustration parameter α on transition to synchronization are investigated in detail. Self-consistent equations involving critical coupling strength (λc) and group angular velocity (Ωc) at the onset of synchronization have been derived analytically in the thermodynamic limit. For the detailed investigation, we considered the SK model on scale-free (SF) as well as Erdős-Rényi (ER) networks. Interestingly, explosive synchronization (ES) has been observed in both networks for different ranges of values of α and f. For SF networks, as the value of f is set within 10%≤f≤70%, the range of the values of α for existence of the ES is greatly enhanced compared to the fully degree-frequency correlated case when scaling exponent γ<3. ES is also observed in SF networks with γ>3, which is never observed in fully degree-frequency correlated environment. On the other hand, for random networks, ES observed is in a narrow window of α when the value of f is taken within 30%≤f≤50%. In all the cases, critical coupling strengths for transition to synchronization computed from the analytically derived self-consistent equations show a very good agreement with the numerical results. Finally, we observe ES in the metabolic network of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans in partially degree-frequency correlated environment.
Strain relaxation in Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys studied by in situ neutron diffraction experiments
Authors: Ruiz-Larrea I. , López-Echarri A. , Gómez-Cortés J. F. , Nó M. L. , Brown D. W. , Balogh L. , Breczewski T. , San Juan J.
Published: January 2019

In situ neutron diffraction is used to study the strain relaxation on a single crystal and other powdered Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys (SMAs) around martensitic transformation temperatures. This work is focused on the analysis of the strain evolution along the temperature memory effect appearing in these alloys after partial thermal transformations. A careful study of the influence of partial cycling on the neutron diffraction spectra in the martensitic phase is presented. Two different effects are observed, the d-spacing position shift and the narrowing of various diffraction peaks, along uncompleted transformation cycles during the thermal reverse martensitic transformation. These changes are associated with the relaxation of the mechanical stresses elastically stored around the martensitic variants, due to the different self-accommodating conditions after uncompleted transformations. The evolution of the stresses is measured through the strain relaxation, which is accessible by neutron diffraction. The observed effects and the measured strain relaxations are in agreement with the predictions of the model proposed to explain this behavior in previous calorimetric studies. In addition, the thermal expansion coefficients of both martensite and austenite phases were measured. The neutron experiments have allowed a complete description of the strains during martensitic transformation, and the obtained conclusions can be extrapolated to other SMA systems.
Deterministic fabrication of circular Bragg gratings coupled to single quantum emitters via the combination of in-situ optical lithography and electron-beam lithography
Authors: Kolatschek S. , Hepp S. , Sartison M. , Jetter M. , Michler P. , Portalupi S. L.
Published: January 2019

In the present work, we investigate the coupling of deterministically pre-selected In(Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) to low Q circular Bragg grating cavities by employing a combination of state-of-the-art low-temperature in-situ optical lithography and electron-beam lithography. The spatial overlap between the cavity mode and quantum emitter is ensured through the accurate determination of the QD position via precise interferometric position readout. Simultaneously, the high precision of the electron-beam lithography is exploited for the cavity fabrication. In order to optimize the spectral overlap, prior to cavity fabrication, finite-difference time-domain simulations are performed to estimate the spectral position of the cavity mode. A Purcell factor of 2 together with an increased count rate is reported for a deterministically positioned cavity where the emission line is detuned by 3.9 nm with respect to the cavity mode. This non-negligible Purcell enhancement for large detunings and, thus, the large range where this can be achieved points towards the possibility of using the cavity for the simultaneous enhancement of spectrally distinct transitions from the same quantum emitter located spatially in the mode maximum. Furthermore, investigations on the bending of the cavity membrane and the effects on the cavity mode and QD emission are presented.
Interpretation of Young’s equation for a liquid droplet on a flat and smooth solid surface: Mechanical and thermodynamic routes with a simple Lennard-Jones liquid
Authors: Yamaguchi Yasutaka , Kusudo Hiroki , Surblys Donatas , Omori Takeshi , Kikugawa Gota
Published: January 2019

In this study, we carried out molecular dynamics simulations of a cylindrical Lennard-Jones droplet on a flat and smooth solid surface and showed that Young’s equation as the relation among solid-liquid, solid-vapor, and liquid-vapor interfacial tensions γSL, γSV, and γLV, respectively, was applicable only under a very restricted condition. Using the fluid stress-tensor distribution, we examined the force balance in the surface-lateral direction exerted on a rectangular control volume set around the contact line. As the mechanical route, the fluid stress integrals along the two control surfaces normal to the solid-fluid interface were theoretically connected with γSL and γSV relative to the solid-vacuum interfacial tension γS0 by Bakker’s equation extended to solid-related interfaces via a thought experiment, for which the position of the solid-fluid interface plane was defined at the limit that the fluid molecules could reach. On the other hand, the fluid stress integral along the control surface lateral to the solid-fluid interface was connected with γLV by the Young-Laplace equation. Through this connection, we showed that Young’s equation was valid for a system in which the net lateral force exerted on the fluid molecules from the solid surface was zero around the contact line. Furthermore, we compared γSL − γS0 and γSV − γS0 obtained by the mechanical route with the solid-liquid and solid-vapor works of adhesion obtained by the dry-surface method as one of the thermodynamic routes and showed that both routes resulted in a good agreement. In addition, the contact angle predicted by Young’s equation with these interfacial tensions corresponded well to the apparent droplet contact angle determined by using the previously defined position of the solid-fluid interface plane; however, our theoretical derivation indicated that this correspondence was achieved because the zero-lateral force condition was satisfied in the present system with a flat and smooth solid surface. These results indicated that the contact angle should be predicted not only by the interfacial tensions but also by the pinning force exerted around the contact line.
Topological insulator Bi2Se3 films on rare earth iron garnets and their high-quality interfaces
Authors: Chen C. C. , Chen K. H. M. , Fanchiang Y. T. , Tseng C. C. , Yang S. R. , Wu C. N. , Guo M. X. , Cheng C. K. , Huang S. W. , Lin K. Y. , Wu C. T. , Hong M. , Kwo J.
Published: January 2019

The integration of quantum materials like topological insulators (TIs) with magnetic insulators (MIs) has important technological implications for spintronics and quantum computing. Here, we report excellent crystallinity of c-axis oriented epitaxial TI films of Bi2Se3 grown on MI films, a rare earth iron garnet (ReIG), such as thulium iron garnet (Tm3Fe5O12, TmIG), by molecular beam epitaxy using Se-buffered low-temperature growth technique. Strained-TmIG films with robust perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were deposited by off-axis sputtering. We demonstrated a streaky reflection high-energy electron diffraction pattern starting from the very first quintuple layer of Bi2Se3, indicating the high-quality interface between TmIG and Bi2Se3, a prerequisite for studying interfacial exchange coupling effects. The strong interfacial exchange interaction was manifested by the observation of an anomalous Hall effect in the Bi2Se3/TmIG bilayer and a shift of the ferromagnetic resonance field of TmIG induced by Bi2Se3. We have reproducibly grown high-quality Bi2Se3/ReIG and interfaces using this TI growth method, which may be applied to grow other types of van der Waals hetero-structures.
Tubular catalytic micromotors in transition from unidirectional bubble sequences to more complex bidirectional motion
Authors: Naeem S. , Naeem F. , Manjare M. , Liao F. , Bolaños Quiñones V. A. , Huang G. S. , Li Y. , Zhang J. , Solovev A. A. , Mei Y. F.
Published: January 2019

The generation of oxygen microbubbles in catalytic microtubes has attracted tremendous attention towards the exploration of unidirectional and overloaded bubble ejection regimes, leading to simple and more complex motions of micromotors. While it is widely believed that a bubble's frequency in a unidirectional regime (i.e., a bubble ejected from a single tubular opening) is random, this study shall demonstrate that periodic oxygen bubble frequencies and sequences can be experimentally controlled using various concentrations of hydrogen peroxide fuel and surfactants. When released from a substrate, unidirectional micromotors self-propel in straight, circular, and helical trajectories, leading to a class of well-predictable or simple micromachines. Under overloaded conditions, micromotors generate bubbles at both tubular openings, which influence the trajectories of micromotor motion strongly. A one-dimensional reaction-diffusion equation is formulated to explain the possible mechanisms of mass transport in microtubes and the transition from the unidirectional to the overloaded regime of micromotors.