bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening of endogenous strong promoters for enhanced production of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates in Pseudomonas mendocina NK-01
Authors: Zhao Fengjie , Liu Xiangsheng , Kong Annie , Zhao Yuxin , Fan Xu , Ma Ting , Gao Weixia , Wang Shufang , Yang Chao
Published: February 2019

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) can be produced by microorganisms from renewable resources and is regarded as a promising bioplastic to replace petroleum-based plastics. Pseudomonas mendocina NK-01 is a medium-chain-length PHA (mcl-PHA)-producing strain and its whole-genome sequence is currently available. The yield of mcl-PHA in P. mendocina NK-01 is expected to be improved by applying a promoter engineering strategy. However, a limited number of well-characterized promoters has greatly restricted the application of promoter engineering for increasing the yield of mcl-PHA in P. mendocina NK-01. In this work, 10 endogenous promoters from P. mendocina NK-01 were identified based on RNA-seq and promoter prediction results. Subsequently, 10 putative promoters were characterized for their strength through the expression of a reporter gene gfp. As a result, five strong promoters designated as P4, P6, P9, P16 and P25 were identified based on transcriptional level and GFP fluorescence intensity measurements. To evaluate whether the screened promoters can be used to enhance transcription of PHA synthase gene (phaC), the three promoters P4, P6 and P16 were separately integrated into upstream of the phaC operon in the genome of P. mendocina NK-01, resulting in the recombinant strains NKU-4C1, NKU-6C1 and NKU-16C1. As expected, the transcriptional levels of phaC1 and phaC2 in the recombinant strains were increased as shown by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. The phaZ gene encoding PHA depolymerase was further deleted to construct the recombinant strains NKU-∆phaZ-4C1, NKU-∆phaZ-6C1 and NKU-∆phaZ-16C1. The results from shake-flask fermentation indicated that the mcl-PHA titer of recombinant strain NKU-∆phaZ-16C1 was increased from 17 to 23 wt% compared with strain NKU-∆phaZ. This work provides a feasible method to discover strong promoters in P. mendocina NK-01 and highlights the potential of the screened endogenous strong promoters for metabolic engineering of P. mendocina NK-01 to increase the yield of mcl-PHA.
A functional connectome phenotyping dataset including cognitive state and personality measures
Authors: Mendes Natacha , Oligschläger Sabine , Lauckner Mark E. , Golchert Johannes , Huntenburg Julia M. , Falkiewicz Marcel , Ellamil Melissa , Krause Sarah , Baczkowski Blazej M. , Cozatl Roberto , Osoianu Anastasia , Kumral Deniz , Pool Jared , Golz Laura , Dreyer Maria , Haueis Philipp , Jost Rebecca , Kramarenko Yelyzaveta , Engen Haakon , Ohrnberger Katharina , Gorgolewski Krzysztof J. , Farrugia Nicolas , Babayan Anahit , Reiter Andrea , Schaare H. Lina , Reinelt Janis , Röbbig Josefin , Uhlig Marie , Erbey Miray , Gaebler Michael , Smallwood Jonathan , Villringer Arno , Margulies Daniel S.
Published: February 2019

The dataset enables exploration of higher-order cognitive faculties, self-generated mental experience, and personality features in relation to the intrinsic functional architecture of the brain. We provide multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data and a broad set of state and trait phenotypic assessments: mind-wandering, personality traits, and cognitive abilities. Specifically, 194 healthy participants (between 20 and 75 years of age) filled out 31 questionnaires, performed 7 tasks, and reported 4 probes of in-scanner mind-wandering. The scanning session included four 15.5-min resting-state functional MRI runs using a multiband EPI sequence and a hig h-resolution structural scan using a 3D MP2RAGE sequence. This dataset constitutes one part of the MPI-Leipzig Mind-Brain-Body database.
Generation of a zebrafish SWATH-MS spectral library to quantify 10,000 proteins
Authors: Blattmann Peter , Stutz Vivienne , Lizzo Giulia , Richard Joy , Gut Philipp , Aebersold Ruedi
Published: February 2019

Sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra (SWATH-MS) requires a spectral library to extract quantitative measurements from the mass spectrometry data acquired in data-independent acquisition mode (DIA). Large combined spectral libraries containing SWATH assays have been generated for humans and several other organisms, but so far no publicly available library exists for measuring the proteome of zebrafish, a rapidly emerging model system in biomedical research. Here, we present a large zebrafish SWATH spectral library to measure the abundance of 104,185 proteotypic peptides from 10,405 proteins. The library includes proteins expressed in 9 different zebrafish tissues (brain, eye, heart, intestine, liver, muscle, ovary, spleen, and testis) and provides an important new resource to quantify 40% of the protein-coding zebrafish genes. We employ this resource to quantify the proteome across brain, muscle, and liver and characterize divergent expression levels of paralogous proteins in different tissues. Data are available via ProteomeXchange (PXD010876, PXD010869) and SWATHAtlas (PASS01237).
Characterization of deep neural network features by decodability from human brain activity
Authors: Horikawa Tomoyasu , Aoki Shuntaro C. , Tsukamoto Mitsuaki , Kamitani Yukiyasu
Published: February 2019

Achievements of near human-level performance in object recognition by deep neural networks (DNNs) have triggered a flood of comparative studies between the brain and DNNs. Using a DNN as a proxy for hierarchical visual representations, our recent study found that human brain activity patterns measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be decoded (translated) into DNN feature values given the same inputs. However, not all DNN features are equally decoded, indicating a gap between the DNN and human vision. Here, we present a dataset derived from DNN feature decoding analyses, which includes fMRI signals of five human subjects during image viewing, decoded feature values of DNNs (AlexNet and VGG19), and decoding accuracies of individual DNN features with their rankings. The decoding accuracies of individual features were highly correlated between subjects, suggesting the systematic differences between the brain and DNNs. We hope the present dataset will contribute to revealing the gap between the brain and DNNs and provide an opportunity to make use of the decoded features for further applications.
MicroRNA expression profiles across blood and different tissues in cattle
Authors: Sun Hui-Zeng , Chen Yanhong , Guan Le Luo
Published: February 2019

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in regulating gene expression involved in various biological functions. The knowledge of miRNA expression profiles across different tissues in cattle is still limited. Using the miRNAs data generated from 158 samples in three studies, we characterized the miRNA expression profiles of bovine sera, exosomes and 11 different tissues. Totally 639 miRNAs were identified and 159 miRNAs were expressed in all samples. After relative log expression normalization, four miRNA expression clusters were generated: 1) sera and exosomes; 2) liver; 3) mammary gland; 4) rumen and gut tissues. The top 10 most abundant miRNAs accounted for >55% of total miRNA expression in each tissue. In addition, this study described a detailed pipeline for identification of both tissue and circulating miRNAs, and the shareable datasets can be re-used by researchers to investigate miRNA-related biological questions in cattle. In addition, a web-based repository was developed, which enables researchers to access the distribution range and raw counts number of the miRNA expression data (https://www.cattleomics.com/micrornaome).
Interdisciplinarity and Argumentation in Chemistry Education
Authors: Crujeiras-Pérez Beatriz , Jiménez-Aleixandre María Pilar
Published: February 2019

This chapter discusses the characterization of interdisciplinary learning, understood as the capacity to integrate knowledge and modes of thinking from two or more disciplines to produce a cognitive advancement in ways that would have been impossible or unlikely through single disciplinary means. The benefits and challenges for implementing interdisciplinary learning are also addressed, as well as its connection to argumentation. Furthermore, we present examples of interdisciplinary chemistry tasks set in real-life contexts that require participants’ engagement in a range of argumentation practices such as drawing evidence-based conclusions or evaluating arguments.
Assessment of Argumentation in Chemistry: A Model for Designing Items
Authors: Diana Ng Yee Ping
Published: February 2019

Although recent revisions to the primary and secondary science curricular of some countries incorporated argumentation as part of the learning outcomes, there are few guidelines on the assessment of these abilities. This chapter reviews existing learning progression research on scientific argumentation and proposes a model for the design and construction of test items.
Argumentation within Societal Contexts in Chemistry Education
Authors: Christodoulou Andri , Grace Marcus
Published: February 2019

In this chapter, we discuss socioscientific issues-based education and the role that argumentation plays within this in the context of chemistry education with two particular aims in mind; the first is to discuss the importance of formulating and developing socioscientific reasoning, and the second is the consideration of the engagement of young people with active citizenship as part of science education in general and chemistry education in particular. We present a pedagogical approach, socioscientific inquiry-based learning (SSIBL), which incorporates socioscientific reasoning and citizenship education within a wider framework of responsible research and innovation and discuss how the SSIBL framework and the concept of ‘Green and Sustainable Chemistry’ could be used to engage students in socioscientific argumentation within chemistry education.
Rapid detection of hypnotics using surface-enhanced Raman scattering based on gold nanoparticle co-aggregation in a wet system
Authors: Segawa Hiroki , Fukuoka Takao , Itoh Tamitake , Imai Yuichi , Iwata Yuko T. , Yamamuro Tadashi , Kuwayama Kenji , Tsujikawa Kenji , Kanamori Tatsuyuki , Inoue Hiroyuki
Published: February 2019

Sensitive detection of drugs using SERS in a wet system was developed for forensic drug analysis.
Metal-free desilylative C–C bond formation by visible-light photoredox catalysis
Authors: Uygur Mustafa , Danelzik Tobias , García Mancheño Olga
Published: February 2019

A novel metal-free desilylative C–C bond formation from simple organosilanes by visible-light acridinium photoredox catalysis is presented.
Hybrids of iridium–cobalt phosphates as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction in neutral solution
Authors: Wang Zhaoying , Lin Zheng , Diao Peng
Published: February 2019

Iridium–cobalt phosphates act as highly efficient electrocatalysts for water oxidation with an intrinsic activity even superior to iridium phosphate.
Reductive reactions via excess Li in mixture electrolytes of Li ion batteries: an ab initio molecular dynamics study
Authors: Choi Woon Ih , Park Min Sik , Shim Youngseon , Kim Dong Young , Kang Yoon-Sok , Lee Hyo Sug , Koh Meiten
Published: February 2019

Ab initio molecular dynamics with mixture electrolytes enables formation of gas molecules and the ingredients of a battery SEI.
Role of the carbon defects in the catalytic oxygen reduction by graphite nanoparticles: a spectromagnetic, electrochemical and computational integrated approach
Authors: Greco Claudio , Cosentino Ugo , Pitea Demetrio , Moro Giorgio , Santangelo Saveria , Patanè Salvatore , D’Arienzo Massimiliano , Fiore Michele , Morazzoni Franca , Ruffo Riccardo
Published: February 2019

The surface defects of graphite play a key role in its catalytic activity towards the oxygen reduction reaction.
Metal substituted pyrochlore phase LixLa2−xCe1.8Ru0.2O7−δ (x = 0.0–0.6) as an effective catalyst for oxidative and auto-thermal steam reforming of ethanol
Authors: Hsieh Ho-Chen , Chang Yuan-Chia , Tsai Ping-Wen , Lin Yen-Yu , Chuang Yu-Chun , Sheu Hwo-Shuenn , Lee Chi-Shen
Published: February 2019

Pyrochlore phase LixLa2−xCe1.8Ru0.2O7−δ (x = 0.0–0.6) [LLCRO] substituted by Li and Ru in A and B sites was synthesized and studied for performance in oxidative steam and auto-thermal reforming of ethanol (OSRE, ATR).
Towards blue emitting monocyclometalated gold(iii) complexes – synthesis, characterization and photophysical investigations
Authors: Bachmann Michael , Fessler Reto , Blacque Olivier , Venkatesan Koushik
Published: February 2019

The electronic properties of cyclometalating ligands and ancillary ligands were successfully tailored to achieve blue emission in monocyclometalated gold(iii) complexes.
Diversity of PEGylation methods of liposomes and their influence on RNA delivery
Authors: Nosova A. S. , Koloskova O. O. , Nikonova A. A. , Simonova V. A. , Smirnov V. V. , Kudlay D. , Khaitov M. R.
Published: February 2019

A brief review and comparison of the methods of PEGylation of liposomal particles and their influence on the delivery of RNA.
Nano-MgO/AB decorated separator to suppress shuttle effect of lithium–sulfur battery
Authors: Sun Wenhao , Sun Xiaogang , Peng Qifan , Wang Hongyue , Ge Yunling , Akhtar Naseem , Huang Yaqin , Wang Kai
Published: February 2019

A nano-MgO/AB decorated separator is developed to suppress the shuttle of polysulfides, achieving a synergistic effect of chemisorption and electronic conductivity.
Boosting the performance and durability of Ni/YSZ cathode for hydrogen production at high current densities via decoration with nano-sized electrocatalysts
Authors: Ovtar Simona , Tong Xiaofeng , Bentzen Janet J. , Thydén Karl T. S. , Simonsen Søren Bredmose , Chen Ming
Published: February 2019

A relatively simple procedure of infiltrating nano-sized Ce0.8Gd0.2O2−δ electrocatalysts into the state-of-the-art Ni/YSZ cathode greatly enhanced the performance and durability of solid oxide electrolysis cells.
High performing AgNW transparent conducting electrodes with a sheet resistance of 2.5 Ω Sq−1 based upon a roll-to-roll compatible post-processing technique
Authors: Kumar D. , Stoichkov V. , Brousseau E. , Smith G. C. , Kettle J.
Published: February 2019

A report of transparent and conducting silver nanowires (AgNWs) that produce remarkable electrical performance, surface planarity and environmental stability is given.
The bioelectrochemical synthesis of high-quality carbon dots with strengthened electricity output and excellent catalytic performance
Authors: Zeng Libin , Li Xinyong , Fan Shiying , Li Jianan , Mu Jincheng , Qin Meichun , Wang Liang , Gan Guoqiang , Tadé Moses , Liu Shaomin
Published: February 2019

The emergence of microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology that can effectively recycle renewable energy from organic pollutants has been regarded as a promising and environmentally friendly route that could be widely used in numerous fields.
From glucose to enantiopure morpholino β-amino acid: a new tool for stabilizing γ-turns in peptides
Authors: Bucci Raffaella , Contini Alessandro , Clerici Francesca , Pellegrino Sara , Gelmi Maria Luisa
Published: February 2019

“Environmentally sustainable” synthesis of a new enantiopure morpholino β-amino acid from glucose: a new tool for exotic peptide architectures.
Asymmetric synthesis of fluoroalkylated N,O-ketals via an organocatalytic dehydration/aminalization/aza-Michael desymmetrization
Authors: Gui Yang , Liang Xinping , Li Yanan , Li Kuiliang , Zha Zhenggen , Wang Zhiyong
Published: February 2019

A chiral C–O bond delivering chiral N,O-ketals was developed via an organocatalytic dehydration/aminalization/aza-Michael desymmetrization.
Group 9 [Cp*MIII] complex-catalyzed C–H olefination of arenes in water at room temperature: a study on the catalytic activity
Authors: Zhang Hailong , Yang Zhongzhen , Liu Jinxing , Yu Xinling , Wang Qiantao , Wu Yong
Published: February 2019

Herein, we report our discovery of group 9 [Cp*MIII] complexes catalyzing the olefination of arenes in water at ambient temperature.
Effects of dairy manure biochar on adsorption of sulfate onto light sierozem and its mechanisms
Authors: Zhao Baowei , Xu Huan , Ma Fengfeng , Zhang Tao , Nan Xujun
Published: February 2019

Amendment of dairy manure biochar exhibits negative effect on sulfate adsorption onto light sierozem.
Nitrogen oxide removal by non-thermal plasma for marine diesel engines
Authors: Wang Zongyu , Kuang Hailang , Zhang Jifeng , Chu Lilin , Ji Yulong
Published: February 2019

The experimental study on exhaust denitration is carried out by using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor to generate non-thermal plasma (NTP).
Parameter optimization and degradation mechanism for electrocatalytic degradation of 2,4-diclorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicide by lead dioxide electrodes
Authors: Dargahi Abdollah , Ansari Amin , Nematollahi Davood , Asgari Ghorban , Shokoohi Reza , Samarghandi Mohammad Reza
Published: February 2019

Optimization of process parameters by the CCD method and electrocatalytic degradation and the electrochemical degradation mechanism of 2,4-D using modified electrode anodes were investigated.
Amphoteric behavior of hydrogen (H+1andH−1) in complex hydrides from van der Waals interaction-includingab initiocalculations
Authors: Kiruthika S. , Fjellvåg H. , Ravindran P.
Published: February 2019

The simultaneous presence of positively and negatively charged hydrogen ions in the same structure improves the volumetric hydrogen storage capacity.
Versatile, transferrable 3-dimensionally nanofabricated Au catalysts with high-index crystal planes for highly efficient and robust electrochemical CO2 reduction
Authors: Cho Minhyung , Kim Jong Min , Kim Beomil , Yim Soonmin , Kim Ye Ji , Jung Yeon Sik , Oh Jihun
Published: February 2019

Au nanowires from the S-nTP process have high product selectivity (∼93%) and mass activity (172.66 A g−1) for electrochemical CO2 reduction.
Electrochemical synthesis of multicolor fluorescent N-doped graphene quantum dots as a ferric ion sensor and their application in bioimaging
Authors: Fu Yang , Gao Guanyue , Zhi Jinfang
Published: February 2019

A novel electrochemical strategy for simple and facile synthesis of semicarbazide functionalized nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) was reported, based on direct exfoliation and oxidation from graphite rods.
Ordered mesoporous carbon-covered carbonized silk fabrics for flexible electrochemical dopamine detection
Authors: Liu Xiongyu , Xi Xin , Chen Changlong , Liu Feng , Wu Dongqing , Wang Laiyu , Ji Wei , Su Yuezeng , Liu Ruili
Published: February 2019

Flexible dopamine sensors were fabricated with ordered mesoporous carbon-covered carbonized silk fabrics (OMC/CSFs) as the working electrodes, which exhibited high sensitivity, good selectivity, a large linear detection range of 0.2–80 μM, and a low limit detection of 0.11 μM.
Photoresponsive triazole-based donor–acceptor molecules: color change and heat/air-stable diradicals
Authors: Zhang Ning-Ning , Sa Rong-Jian , Sun Shan-Shan , Li Ming-De , Wang Ming-Sheng , Guo Guo-Cong
Published: February 2019

An unprecedented series of triazole-based donor–acceptor molecules were found to form highly air/heat-stable triplet diradicals in the solid state accompanied by a color change after photoinduced intramolecular charge separation.
Transition metal complexes of antimony centered ligands based upon acenaphthyl scaffolds. Coordination non-innocent or not?
Authors: Furan Sinas , Hupf Emanuel , Boidol Julian , Brünig Julian , Lork Enno , Mebs Stefan , Beckmann Jens
Published: February 2019

In some cases, the antimony atoms not only provide electron density to the transition metal, but also act as acceptor for chloride ions.
Syntheses, structures, magnetism and electrocatalytic oxygen evolution for four cobalt, manganese and copper complexes with dinuclear, 1D and 3D structures
Authors: Zhong Li , Xie Shang-Fang , He Jian-Qiang , Zhong Qi-Sui , Yang Meng , Chen Wen-Bin , Dong Wen
Published: February 2019

Structures, magnetism and electrocatalytic oxygen evolution for four dinuclear, 1D and 3D complexes based on transition metals were reported.
Protective effect of mulberry (Morus atropurpurea) fruit against diphenoxylate-induced constipation in mice through the modulation of gut microbiota
Authors: Hu Teng-Gen , Wen Peng , Fu Hui-Zhan , Lin Guang-Yue , Liao Sen-Tai , Zou Yu-Xiao
Published: February 2019

The protective effect of mulberry (Morus atropurpurea) fruit against diphenoxylate-induced constipation in mice through the modulation of gut microbiota.
Highly efficient copper-catalyzed direct C–H amidation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with amidates under microwave irradiation
Authors: Yuan Jinwei , Zhu Junliang , Fu Junhao , Yang Liangru , Xiao Yongmei , Mao Pu , Du Xue , Qu Lingbo
Published: February 2019

A novel and convenient protocol for the construction of 3-amidated quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones was developed via copper-catalyzed direct oxidative amidation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with amidates using K2S2O8 as an oxidant, and under microwave irradiation.
Biomimetic folding of small organic molecules driven by multiple non-covalent interactions
Authors: Xiao Tangxin , Xu Lixiang , Wang Jie , Li Zheng-Yi , Sun Xiao-Qiang , Wang Leyong
Published: February 2019

The supramolecular self-folding of UPy-based monomers with low molecular weight driven by multiple non-covalent interactions has been developed.
Recycling of vitrimer blends with tunable thermomechanical properties
Authors: Zhang Biao , Yuan Chao , Zhang Wang , Dunn Martin L. , Qi H. Jerry , Liu Zhuangjian , Yu Kai , Ge Qi
Published: February 2019

A composite-based strategy to prepare vitrimer blends with tunable thermomechanical properties utilizing the good weldability of vitrimers.
Depressing the irreversible reactions on a three-dimensional interface towards a high-areal capacity lithium metal anode
Authors: Deng Wei , Liang Shanshan , Zhou Xufeng , Zhao Fei , Zhu Wenhua , Liu Zhaoping
Published: February 2019

An ultrathin and conformal ion conductive coating is realized on 3D current collectors for preventing the irreversible reaction between the electrolyte and Li metal, which has been confirmed by in situ optical observation. At the high areal capacity of 10 mA h cm−2 for the Li metal anode, a stable CE of 98.9% for 800 h can be achieved.
On the resonant frequencies of dual‐band patch antennas
Authors: Abdullah Muhammad , Chen Xiaoming , Li Qinlong
Published: February 2019

A square patch radiator supports both TM01 and TM10 modes with equal resonant frequencies. Feeding the patch in its diagonal can excite both modes with equal amplitudes and phases. By utilising this property, an effective technique is proposed to realise dual‐band dual‐polarised patch antenna. While the lower resonant frequency can be calculated using an existing analytical formula, an expression of the higher resonant frequency is still missing in the literature. To this end, an approximate expression of the higher resonant frequency is devised using the equivalent transmission line model in this work. It is a function of the distance between the shorting post and the feeding location. In order to validate the accuracy of the expression, three different antenna configurations are designed and manufactured. Good agreements between theoretical, simulated, and measured results are observed.
Achievable rate of hybrid precoding for hardware impaired MIMO underground mine channel
Authors: Belaoura W. , Ghanem K. , Shakir M.Z. , Nedil M. , Bousbia‐Salah H.
Published: February 2019

Hybrid precoding has become a well‐accepted approach to enhance the achievable rate in the adverse millimetre‐wave (mm‐Wave) MIMO channels. Transceiver impairments are inherent to any practical communication system, yet they are generally omitted when investigating the performance of wireless systems. More particularly, for the case of mm‐Wave underground channels, no study has been reported yet. To overcome this limitation, in this Letter, a new architecture encompassing hybrid precoded mm‐Wave MIMO structure, in which the hardware impairments have been incorporated in the transceiver processing, is presented. Furthermore, the geometrical one ring model is applied on the underground mm‐Wave measured channel in which the architecture is tested.
Analysis of resonance and harmonic amplification for grid‐connected inverters
Authors: Xie Bao , Zhou Lin , Mao Mingxuan
Published: February 2019

The stability and control performances of grid‐connected inverters can be significantly influenced due to the uncertain grid impedance and large grid voltage background harmonics. The system stability and resonance of the grid‐connected inverter were investigated separately. Thus, their relationship needs to be identified further. In this study, the equivalent impedance model and the current control model of the grid‐connected inverter are established. Based on the three resonance cases: positive incomplete resonance, complete resonance, and negative incomplete resonance, the relationship between the system stability and resonance is identified. Moreover, the principle of harmonic amplification of the grid injected current is analysed thoroughly. It is revealed that the harmonic amplification is always accompanied by low stability of the system, and the centre frequency of harmonic distribution is where the system has the lowest stability. In order to alleviate the harmonics of the grid injected current, it is inevitable to ensure that the system maintains a sufficient phase margin to thwart the grid voltage background harmonics and the inverter output voltage harmonics. Finally, the simulation has been accomplished in MATLAB/SIMULINK software, and the hardware platforms are built with a single phase grid‐connected inverter in order to verify the proposed comprehensive analysis further.
Unified two‐stage reconfiguration method for resilience enhancement of distribution systems
Authors: Liu Jiancun , Yu Yixin , Qin Chao
Published: February 2019

Fast load restoration based on network reconfiguration is a key step to enhance the resilience of distribution systems (DSs). For DSs equipped with remote‐controlled switches (RCSs), the reconfiguration can be completed promptly. However, when the branch is equipped with manual switches only, it cannot be operated immediately, and its post‐event state is determined by its pre‐event state. Considering these facts, this study proposes a unified two‐stage reconfiguration method for the resilience enhancement of DSs. In the pre‐event stage, the allocation of RCSs and the reconfiguration of the network are determined to prepare the system for a set of possible fault scenarios caused by upcoming extreme weather. In the post‐event stage, network reconfiguration based on the placed RCSs is performed for fast load restoration to minimise the loss of load expectation (LOLE). A new mathematical expression is proposed to ensure the radial operation of DSs with islanded DSs and islanded microgrids. To improve the computational efficiency, the scenario decomposition algorithm is employed to decompose the proposed model into several subproblems, which can be solved in parallel. The results show that the proposed method can significantly reduce the LOLE caused by extreme weather events, thus enhancing the resilience of DSs.
Design of a fractal inspired antipodal vivaldi antenna with enhanced radiation characteristics for wideband applications
Authors: Karmakar Anirban , Bhattacharjee Anindita , Saha Anuradha , Bhawal Abhirup
Published: February 2019

A novel fractal inspired antipodal Vivaldi antenna is proposed for wideband applications. A step‐by‐step procedure has been employed to design and optimise the performance of the proposed antenna. First, a conventional antipodal Vivaldi antenna (CAVA) is designed as a reference antenna and then a Koch fractal‐shaped parasitic lens is introduced in the CAVA. Finally, a fractal‐shaped dielectric lens has been added as an extension of the antenna substrate. The presence of parasitic fractal lens in the flare aperture and fractal dielectric lens enhances the antenna bandwidth and also improves field coupling between the antenna arms and produces stronger radiation in the end fire direction which in turn increases the gain and directivity of the antenna. The optimised antenna is fabricated and tested showing|S11| below −10 dB from 4.2–42 GHz band. The dimension of the proposed antenna is 186 × 66 × 1.524 mm3. Results show that |S11| characteristics and other parameters are in good agreement with the simulation counterpart.
High‐efficiency Doherty power amplifier with wide OPBO range for base station systems
Authors: Cheng Zhiqun , Xiong Guoping , Liu Yan , Zhang Ting , Tian Jianting , Guo Y. Jay
Published: February 2019

A high‐efficiency, S‐band Doherty power amplifier (DPA) with wide output power back‐off (OPBO) range is presented. A novel parasitic capacitance compensation approach is applied at the output of Cree's GaN high‐electron‐mobility transistor to achieve high saturation efficiency in a wide OPBO range. Specifically, a parallel shorting microstrip line between the transistor output and its match network is adopted to realise parasitic capacitance compensation. The measurement results indicate good Doherty behaviour with 10 dB back‐off efficiency of 40.6–44.2% and saturation efficiency of 70.2–73.3% over 2.9–3.3 GHz. When stimulated by a 20‐MHz LTE signal with 7.5 dB PAPR, the proposed Doherty amplifier power, combined with digital pre‐distortion, achieved adjacent channel leakage ratios below −47.2 dBc. The DPA demonstrate superior performance in OPBO range and efficiency, which makes it an ideal component for base station communication systems.
Design of a full W‐band detector based on Schottky diode with quartz substrate
Authors: Guo Jian , Cheng Haifeng , Xu Jie , Qian Cheng
Published: February 2019

A power detector based on Schottky diode with a quartz substrate is proposed in this study. A three‐dimensional model of the Schottky diode is built for accurate performance evaluation. A broadband input DC grounding circuit is designed based on two sets of radial stubs. An output chocking circuit is implemented using a single compact microstrip resonator cell, which features compact size and broad stopband. Input and output matching circuits are also introduced to achieve flat frequency response. Measured results agree well with simulated ones. The voltage sensitivity is about 6000–9500 mV/mW with −30 dBm drive power at the full W‐band (75–110 GHz). The detector also has outstanding temperature stability. The output voltage varies <6.3% with −3 dBm drive power when ambient temperature changes from −40 to +60°C.
Sensitivity enhancement using silicon‐black phosphorus‐TDMC coated surface plasmon resonance biosensor
Authors: Pal Sarika , Verma Alka , Saini Jai Prakash , Prajapati Yogendra Kumar
Published: February 2019

The proposed configuration of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor consists of layers of the black phosphorus (BP), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC), i.e. WS2, WSe2 nanomaterials and silicon (Si). Sensitivity, minimum reflectivity (Rmin) and full‐width half maxima are calculated as performance parameters. The maximum sensitivity of 184.6°/RIU is achieved without TMDCs. After incorporation of single‐layer TMDCs as a protective layer for BP, the sensitivity of 163.1°/RIU is obtained for a single layer of WS2. This decrement in sensitivity is due to absorption properties of TMDCs. The proposed result shows that the sensitivity of proposed biosensor having Si, BP with TMDCs is better in comparison to results obtained for Si‐graphene and Si‐TMDCs‐based SPR biosensor in the existing literature.
Optimal switching strategy of an SVC to improve the power quality in a distribution network
Authors: De Subhra , Debnath Sudipta
Published: February 2019

This study presents a scheme for improvement of power quality in electrical distribution systems using a static VAr compensator (SVC). The switching of the SVC has been controlled with an objective to improve the overall power quality at the distribution level. The reduction of the degree of unbalance and improvement of power factor along with minimisation of harmonics injected into the system due to the operation of SVC are identified as the objectives of the SVC switching scheme. The proposed scheme can minimise a wider range of harmonics injected into the system without any external filter. The optimised switching angles have been calculated using the particle swarm optimisation technique. An artificial neural network has been designed to predict the optimum triggering angles and the performance of the scheme for fast changing loads has been evaluated in the laboratory using a data acquisition system. Practical evaluation of power quality has been carried out at each stage of simulation and experimentation to highlight the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. The results obtained from the proposed scheme have been compared with other recent works to prove the efficacy of the system.
Cancer adjuvant chemotherapy prediction model for non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Alanni Russul , Hou Jingyu , Azzawi Hasseeb , Xiang Yong
Published: February 2019

Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most popular and dangerous type of lung cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) is the main treatment after surgery resection to prevent the patient from cancer recurrence. However, ACT could be toxic and unhelpful in some cases. Therefore, it is highly desired in clinical applications to predict the treatment outcomes of chemotherapy. Conventional methods of predicting cancer treatment rely solely on histopathology and the results are not reliable in some cases. This study aims at building a predictive model to identify who needs ACT treatment and who should avoid it. To this end, the authors propose an innovative method to identify NSCLC‐related prognostic genes from microarray gene‐expression datasets. They also propose a new model using gene‐expression programming algorithm for ACT classification. The proposed model was evaluated on integrated microarray datasets from four institutes and compared with four representative methods: general regression neural network, decision tree, support vector machine and naive Bayes. Evaluation results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed model with accuracy 89.8% which is higher than other representative models. They obtained four probes (four genes) that can get good prediction results. These genes are 204891_s_at (LCK), 208893_s_at (DUSP6), 202454_s_at (ERBB3) and 201076_at (MMD).
Magnetically separable Ag NWs/Fe3O4@mTiO2 nanowires: fabrication and photocatalytic activity
Authors: Cai Yinling , Zhang Min , Miao Teng , Xu Jingli , Zheng Jing , Asiri Abdullah M. , Alamry Khalid A.
Published: February 2019

This work has developed a facile strategy to create magnetically separable, core‐shell structured composites consisting of a magnetic Ag nanowires (NWs)/Fe3O4 cores and an outer mesoporous TiO2 (mTiO2) shell using a sol–gel process and subsequent hydrothermal treatment. Benefiting from the mesoporous anatase TiO2 as well as the unique structures of the composite, the resulting Ag NWs/Fe3O4@mTiO2 composite was employed as a catalyst for removal of the organic contaminants through a colorimetric photocatalytic degradation assay using methylene blue (MB) as a model contaminant. Moreover, the photocatalysts can be easily separated and recycled with an external magnetic field and possess prominent recoverability.
Atomistic simulation of size‐dependent heat capacity of liquid in molecular scale confinement at different temperatures
Authors: Mahmud Rifat , Morshed A.K.M. Monjur , Paul Titan C.
Published: February 2019

An enhancement of heat capacity (Cv) of nanoconfined liquid is reported using equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations using Lennard–Jones type solid–liquid molecular model. Liquid molecules are confined in between two solid surfaces with separation distance varying from 0.6 to 17.55 nm and temperature 100 K to 140 K. The obtained heat capacity of the bulk liquid is in excellent agreement with the published literature. However, in case of nanoconfined liquid, for a particular temperature and gap thickness band, a significant enhancement of heat capacity results in. For 100 K temperature and a gap thickness of 4 nm, the obtained molar heat capacity of the nanoconfined liquid is 46.45 J/mol K, i.e. the heat capacity is enhanced by 133% compared to its bulk counterpart (19.95 J/mol K). However, this broad maximum value of heat capacity shifts to a lower value at a higher temperature. At 120 and 140 K, the maximum heat capacity becomes 29.56 and 26.97 J/mol.K and the enhancement becomes 51% and 40%, respectively. The enhancement of heat capacity is attributed to the variation in density distribution, ballistic transport of thermal phonons, reduced molecular motion and a larger contribution of interfacial thermal resistance.
Strip‐based nano‐silver biocomposite construct for rapid screening of aqueous mercury
Authors: Dugyala Raju , Zahoor Gul Mir , Kumar Sriramoju Manoj , Rao Beedu Sashidhar
Published: February 2019

A simple, rapid and a cost‐effective colorimetric method for detection of Hg2+ in an aqueous system using silver nanoparticle (AgNP) has been developed in the present study. AgNPs were synthesised using gum kondagogu (GK), a natural biopolymer that acts as both reducing and stabilising agent. The stability of GK‐AgNPs composites was determined by zeta potential and was observed to be −30.43 mV. The yellow colour spot on the nitrocellulose membrane turned colourless at Hg2+ concentration of 20 ppm in aqueous solution, which can be observed visually. By using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, it was observed that as the concentration of Hg2+ increases the Ag concentration decreased. Further, scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy were used to confirm the morphological changes on membrane before and after treating with Hg2 +. The interference of other metal ions was also studied to validate Hg2+ specificity. This method was successfully employed to screen Hg2+ in industrial effluents. In summary, this study entails the development of a nitrocellulose membrane based mercury sensor that has practical applicability for on‐site screening of Hg2+ contamination in the aqueous system.
PSJ LDMOS with a VK dielectric layer
Authors: Wu Lijuan , Wu Yiqing , Lei Bing , Zhang Yinyan , Huang Ye , Zhu Lin
Published: February 2019

A partial super junction lateral double‐diffused metal–oxide–semiconductor field‐effect transistor with a variable‐k dielectric layer (PSJ VK LDMOS) is proposed in this Letter. Low‐k material and PSJ are introduced into the device. PSJ provides a low‐resistance channel to reduce the specific on‐resistance (Ron,sp). Furthermore, according to an enhanced dielectric layer field, low‐k buried layer can sustain the high breakdown voltage (BV). To eliminate substrate‐assisted depletion effect and improve the lateral BV of the proposed structure, the charge compensation layer in the device adopts a variation of lateral doping technique and is combined with the N pillar in PSJ. Ultimately, the simulation results show that BV of 795.5 V and the figure of merit (FOM) of 6.1 MW cm−2 are achieved for PSJ VK LDMOS. BV and FOM are enhanced by 71.4 and 81.1%, respectively, compared with con. PSJ SOI LDMOS with the drift region length of 46.5 μm. Furthermore, Ron,sp of 103.4 mΩ cm2 is reduced by 31.2% compared with the ‘silicon limit’ at the same BV class, which breaks the ‘silicon limit’.
Study on intercalation in layered structure of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs)
Authors: Cheng Zhi‐Lin , Cao Bao‐Chong , Liu Zan
Published: February 2019

The organic‐intercalated clay composites have aroused attractable interest due to their tremendous application in industry. As a new type of the layered‐structure material, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were employed to explore the intercalation relationship between the interlayer property and intercalating agents, which were more significant for the potential application. For this purpose, this work systematically studied the intercalation behaviours of dimethyl sulphoxide, potassium acetate, N ‐methylformamide, methanol, and acrylamide in the layered‐structure HNTs, respectively. The organics‐intercalated HNT composites were determined by a series of characterisations.
Preparation and characterisation of new microporous Elvaloy4170 coated PVDF membrane for desalination by air gap membrane distillation
Authors: Kebria Mohammadreza Shirzad , Rahimpour Ahmad , Abedini Reza
Published: February 2019

The demand to fabricate membranes much cheaper than usual expensive methods creates an opportunity to find low‐cost and more available modifying agents for synthesising an appropriate membrane for membrane distillation (MD) process. In this work, reactive ethylene terpolymer was applied to modify a commercial polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane for using in the desalination process. Elvaloy4170 with a hydrophobic structure containing three different functional groups was coated (different contents of 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 wt%) on the top surface of the microporous commercial PVDF membrane and the resultant membranes were analysed under air‐gap MD process. The fabricated membrane structures were determined by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy to investigate their elemental and topographical properties. After experiments, the membrane with 1.5 wt% of Elvaloy4170 showed water vapour flux of 1.93 kg/m2 h and salt rejection of >99.7 which confirmed its suitability to be used in the desalination process. Moreover, to assess the anti‐fouling properties of the membranes, real seawater was used as feed solution, and as a result the membrane with 1.5 wt% of Elvaloy4170 presented flux recovery of 87% indicating its enhanced anti‐fouling properties compared with the commercial PVDF membrane (flux recovery of 71%).
Colloidal stability of Mn1−x Znx Fe2O4 nanoparticles in transformer oil: role of Zn substitution
Authors: Kaur Navjot , Chudasama Bhupendra
Published: February 2019

Colloidal stability of magnetic fluids with desirable magnetic properties plays an important role in cooling applications in power transformers. Colloidal stability largely depends on nanoparticles’ characteristics and quality of their dispersion in transformer oil. In this work, a detailed discussion on the development of synthesis protocols for Mn1−x Znx Fe2O4 (MZ) fluids is described. The effect of degree of Zn‐ion substitution under an optimised condition of MZ nanoparticles on the dispersion quality of MZ fluids and their magnetic properties are investigated in this work.
Preliminary investigation of the effect of environmental humidity on the nanoscale mechanical removal of KDP crystal
Authors: Zhou Zitong , Jiang Liang , Liu Jinwei , Deng Changbang , Qian Linmao
Published: February 2019

In this paper, the effect of environmental humidity on the mechanical removal of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystal was preliminarily investigated using an environment control atomic force microscope at the nanoscale. The results reveal that the pre‐wear storage time in humid environments has nearly no impact on the removal of KDP crystal with ∼50 nm wear depth whereas the post‐wear storage time imposes remarkable influence. Moreover, the material removal volume gradually increases from 29 × 105 to 127 × 105 nm3 when the relative humidity (RH) increases from 0 to 60%. Such significant increment is mainly attributed to the synergism of mechanical force and deliquescence. More specifically, mechanical force‐enhanced deliquescence is achieved by the acceleration of the deliquescence rate in the plastic deformation zone probably due to the high concentrations of catalytically active sites for water molecules adsorption; deliquescence‐enhanced mechanical force is achieved by the formation of a thin deliquescence layer with much reduced mechanical strength and the resultant promotion of the material removal. With the increase of RH, more water molecules will be adsorbed on the KDP crystal surface, leading to the continuous mutual promotion between mechanical force and deliquescence, and thereby the material removal volume greatly increases in a high RH environment.
CADOR “Core with Adding DOppleR effect” concept application to sodium fast reactors
Authors: Zaetta Alain , Fontaine Bruno , Sciora Pierre , Lavastre Romain , Jacqmin Robert , Pascal Vincent , Pelletier Michel , Mignot Gérard , Jankowiak Aurélien
Published: February 2019

Generation-IV sodium fast reactors (SFR) will only become acceptable and accepted if they can safely prevent or accommodate reactivity insertion accidents that could lead to the release of large quantities of mechanical energy, in excess of the reactor containment's capacity. The CADOR approach based on reinforced Doppler reactivity feedback is shown to be an attractive means of effectively preventing such reactivity insertion accidents. The accrued Doppler feedback is achieved by combining two effects: (i) introducing a neutron moderator material in the core so as to soften the neutron spectrum; and (ii) lowering the fuel temperature in nominal conditions so as to increase the margin to fuel melting. This study shows that, by applying this CADOR approach to a Generation-IV oxide-fuelled SFR, the resulting core can be made inherently resistant to reactivity insertion accidents, while also having increased resistance to loss-of-coolant accidents. These preliminary results have to be confirmed and completed to meet multiple safety objectives. In particular, some margin gains have to be found to guarantee against the risk of sodium boiling during unprotected loss of supply power accidents. The main drawback of the CADOR concept is a drastically reduced core power density compared to conventional designs. This has a large impact on core size and other parameters.
Analysis of couple-stresses and piezo-viscous effects in a layered connecting-rod bearing
Authors: Laouadi Bouzid , Lahmar Mustapha , Bou-saïd Benyebka , Boucherit Hamid , Mouassa Ahcene
Published: February 2019

In this work, the combined effects of couple-stresses and piezo-viscosity on the dynamic behavior of a compression ignition engine big-end connecting-rod bearing with elastic layer are investigated using the V. K. Stokes micro-continuum theory. It is assumed that the journal (crankpin) is rigid and the big-end bearing consists of a thin compressible elastic liner fixed in an infinitely stiff housing. The governing Reynolds' equation and the viscous dissipation term appearing on the RHS of energy equation are modified using the V. K. Stokes micro-continuum theory. The non-Newtonian effect is introduced by a new material constant η, which is responsible for couple-stress property, and the piezo-viscosity effect by the pressure–viscosity coefficient α appearing in the well-known Barus' law. In the proposed model, the nonlinear transient modified Reynolds equation is discretized by the finite difference method, and the resulting system of algebraic equations is solved by means of the subrelaxed successive substitutions method to obtain the fluid-film pressure field as well as the film thickness distribution. The crankpin center trajectories for a given load diagram are determined iteratively by solving the nonlinear equilibrium equations of the journal bearing system with the improved and damped Newton–Raphson method for each time step or crankshaft rotation angle. According to the obtained results, the effects of couple-stresses and piezo-viscosity on the nonlinear dynamic behavior of dynamically loaded bearings with either stiff or compliant liners are significant and cannot be overlooked.