bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A compact four elements UWB MIMO antenna with on‐demand WLAN rejection
Authors: Khan Saeed M. , Iftikhar Adnan , Asif Sajid M. , Capobianco Antonio‐Daniele , Braaten Benjamin D.
Published: December 2015

This article presents a four elements frequency reconfigurable ultrawideband (UWB) multiple‐input‐multiple‐output (MIMO) design, capable of rejecting on‐demand WLAN band ranging from 4.8 to 6.2 GHz. The proposed design consists of two U‐shaped monopole UWB radiators and two circular slotted‐monopole radiators. These monopole radiators are placed orthogonally with respect to each other to exploit polarization diversity, whereas the PIN diodes are used to connect the band‐stop design with the ground plane to introduce the on‐demand band rejection feature. An isolation of better than 17 dB between the four UWB‐MIMO elements is achieved in the 2.7–12 GHz frequency range for the both PIN diodes biased and unbiased states. The simulations and measurements results showed good agreement over the band of interest. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:270–276, 2016
Wideband planar monopole antennas for GPS/WLAN/WiMAX/UWB and X‐band applications
Authors: Bozdag Goksenin , Kustepeli Alp
Published: December 2015

In this article, two printed planar monopole antennas (PPMA) are presented. In the design of the first PPMA, the structure is divided into sections and they are optimized in the sense of bottom to up strategy. Tapered transitions and inset feed are employed to increase the bandwidth. The antenna operates between 2.37 GHz and 12 GHz with VSWR<2 and an average peak realized gain of 4.95 dB. Therefore, it is suitable for WLAN, WiMAX, UWB, and X‐Band applications. The second PPMA is designed by implementing slots on the previous one to include GPS. The resulting antenna operates in the 1.38–1.60 GHz and 2.33–13.74 GHz bands with VSWR<2. As a result, it also includes GPS in addition to the previous bands. The peak realized gain in GPS is 0.47 dB at 1.575 GHz and the average peak realized gain is 4.41 dB for the 2.33–13.74 GHz band. The group delay performances of the proposed PPMAs are also examined and the maximum group delay deviations of the first and the second PPMAs are observed as 1 ns and 1.33 ns, respectively. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:257–261, 2016
A selective robust SRR providing notched band in conical monopole UWB antenna
Authors: Jang Eun Seok , Kim Kyungsoo , Park Jeung Keun , Kim Che‐Young
Published: December 2015

This study presents a systematic design method for a conical‐type monopole antenna exclusively for use in an ultrawide band (UWB). The suggested antenna adopts a structure called the split ring resonator (SSR), in which one resonant element can be easily attached and detached. It is possible to adjust the size of the SSR and the gaps; this SSR, operating at the relevant frequency, can be attached to and removed from the antenna, making it easier to adjust the rejection band. The suggested antenna covers a UWB ranging from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz. Through a simulation, we found that the rejection characteristics of the suggested antenna can be changed among WLAN (5.75 GHz), C‐band (4 GHz), WiMAX (3.5 GHz), and X‐band (7.8 GHz), and that the measurements in the WLAN and WiMAX bands show rejection characteristics. Additionally, the suggested antenna has a peak gain of over 3 dBi in the operation band and shows omnidirectional radiation patterns. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:332–337, 2016
Dual‐band, low‐profile, vertically polarized annular ring slot antenna embedded in a small metallic UAV
Authors: Sun Ling , Sun Baohua , Yuan Jiangpeng , Tang Wending
Published: December 2015

A dual‐band, low‐profile, vertically‐polarized annular ring slot antenna is presented. The antenna consists of an annular ring slot structure and a ring‐shaped structure. The ring‐shaped structure is attached on the back of the annular ring slot structure using two sets of conductive vias to avoid increasing the size of the proposed antenna. Dual‐band characteristic is realized by adjusting the radius of the annular ring slot structure and the ring‐shaped structure. Analysis of the dual‐band characteristic of the proposed antenna is discussed. The proposed antenna is vertically polarized and provides a monopole‐like radiation pattern on both the frequency bands. The ground size of the proposed antenna is the same size as the antenna radius. The ground plane is relatively small comparing with most of the other vertically polarized patch antennas. The edge of the proposed antenna is shorted by a set of conductive vias. The proposed antenna is insensitive to the surrounding environment and thus can be embedded in a metallic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). A prototype with a height of 3.048 mm (0.03λ) and radius of 55 mm (0.45λ) is designed, fabricated, and measured. The proposed antenna works at 2.38 and 2.58 GHz. In addition, the proposed antenna embedded in a metallic UAV is simulated. The results show that the metallic UAV has small effect on the performance of the antenna. The proposed antenna is suitable for the operations of being controlled by a ground control station (GCS) and transmitting data to the GCS simultaneously for a small UAV. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:323–328, 2016
Dual‐band CPW‐fed rectangular patch antenna reactively loaded with a circular slot
Authors: Mebaoudj Hicham , Bouslimani Yassine , Sellal Kheireddine
Published: December 2015

This article presents a rectangular patch antenna designed to work at Global Positioning System and C frequency bands. The dual‐band operation is obtained by combining the capacitive‐coupled coplanar waveguide with the reactive loading method, which consists of a circular slot etched on the rectangular patch. This latter was designed first to resonate at the principal frequency f10 then a circular slot was etched on the radiator to enhance the electric characteristics of the secondary frequency f30. The simulated and fabricated antenna resonates at 1.575 and 4.6 GHz. The achieved work shows a good concordance between the simulated and experimental results. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:360–363, 2016
Patch array antenna with cavity‐backed SIW feed for X‐band applications
Authors: Kamalzadeh Saeed , Arand Bijan Abbasi
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT

In this article, a new arrangement of patch array antenna incorporated with cavity back substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) and stacked structure is which operating at X‐band, is presented. The proposed structure enhances the gain and bandwidth of the array antenna markedly. The prototype antenna contains a 2 × 2 patch array formation with compact feed network that helps to miniaturize the structure and improve radiation properties in antenna. The inner metallic posts inside of the antenna limit the propagation of the lower mode and therefore TM220 mode is propagated as a dominant mode. For designing of the antenna, equivalent cavity model is used, but for the final full wave simulations, it is replaced with SIW configuration. The stack layer is added to the antenna to improve its bandwidth, efficiency, and gain. The proposed antenna is fabricated on RO4003 substrate with thickness of about 0.8 mm, and total dimensions of 38 × 38 mm2 and stacked layers are etched on RT‐Duroid 5880 substrate with thickness of 1.6 mm. An acceptable agreement is obtained between measured and simulated results. The proposed antenna has 2.7% bandwidth and at the center frequency (9.01 GHz) its gain is 10.8 dBi with 95% efficiency and 25.02 dB front to back ratio. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:319–323, 2016
Design of 5 GHz‐compact reconfigurable DGS‐bandpass filter using varactor‐diode device and coupling matrix technique
Authors: Boutejdar Ahmed
Published: December 2015

In this work, a novel electrical reconfigurable second order microstrip bandpass filter is presented. The investigated filter structure consists of two neighbor coupled octagonal‐DGS resonators. The capacitor and varactor are placed on the DGS‐shape. According to the tunable characteristic of discrete lumped capacitors and varactor diode, the resonant frequencies can be tunable. The proposed filter occupies an area of 2.5 × 1.5 cm2. The coupling method has been applied and leads to an extended coupling matrix that assumes multiple couplings between both filter resonators. The measured relative tuning range of the bandpass filter is 23.5% with a fractional bandwidth of 12%. Varactors loaded on the octagonal DGS resonator allow us to control the center frequency with quasi constant bandwidth as well as to have a large tuning bandwidth. Based on the detailed analysis, the varactor‐tuned DGS bandpass filter is designed, in which the tuning bandwidth reaches 12% of the center frequency at 5 GHz. The proposed reconfigurable bandpass filter was fabricated and tested. The measured results show a variation of the center frequency from 4.3 GHz (0V) to 5.4 GHz (15V) tunable range, while the insertion loss varies from 5 to 3 dB. The measured performance of the tunable bandpass filter agrees well with the simulation results. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:304–309, 2016
Patch crossover with bandpass filtering function
Authors: Gao Teng , Li Yong Chao , Zheng Shao Yong , Bao Yan Xiang
Published: December 2015

Filtering patch crossovers with single‐ and dual‐band operation are implemented for the first time. For the single‐band filtering crossover, it is composed of four inset fed input/output ports and a circular patch. The dual‐band property can be easily realized with high flexibility by loading four open stubs. To verify the design concept, three filtering crossovers are implemented. The measured results agree well with the simulation, exhibiting crossover characteristics throughout the specific passband and high rejection level within the suppression band. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:301–304, 2016
Design of a dual band V‐shaped patch antenna using shorting posts
Authors: Borah Pranjal , Bhattacharyya Satyajib
Published: December 2015

In this article, shorting posts at the tips of a probe fed V‐shaped patch antenna is used for dual band communication. Measurements are performed for shorting posts placed at different distances from the tip of the arm and are compared with the V‐patch without shorting posts. The measured results show good return loss performance in the C‐ and X‐band. Radiation pattern in the broadside direction is observed for the lower resonant frequency whereas it tilts away from the broadside for the upper resonant frequency. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:376–378, 2016
Differential‐fed UWB antenna with dual band‐notched characteristics
Authors: Tang Zhaoyang , Lian Ruina , Yin Yingzeng
Published: December 2015

In this letter, a differential‐fed ultrawideband (UWB) antenna with dual band‐notched characteristics is proposed. The proposed antenna mainly consists of two UWB rectangular ring monopole antennas which are placed face‐to‐face and a square ground plane with a modified square slot. To avoid the electromagnetic interference within the UWB band, a C‐shaped stub connected with the ring monopole is adopted to reject 3.5‐GHz WiMAX while an inverted‐Ω shaped slot embedded in the monopole antenna is used to filter 5.5‐GHz WLAN. A prototype of the antenna with the optimized parameters is fabricated and tested. Measured results show that the 10‐dB impedance bandwidth is from 2.53 to more than 11 GHz, along with dual notched bands of 3.27–4.13 and 4.95–6.28 GHz. In addition, the antenna has good radiation patterns and stable gain in the whole operating band. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:351–355, 2016
Comact varactor‐tuned wideband bandpass filter using lumped‐element tri‐mode resonator
Authors: Xu Jin
Published: December 2015

This article presents a compact microstrip varactor‐tuned wideband bandpass filter (BPF) using lumped‐element tri‐mode resonator (LE‐TMR). Theoretically, the proposed LE‐TMR has three transmission zeros at most, resulting in high passband selectivity. The fabricated tunable wideband BPF occupies a compact size of 0.029λg × 0.118λg. The measured results show that the passband can be tuned in a frequency range from 0.724 to 1.041 GHz with an almost 3 dB constant fractional bandwidth of 44 ± 1%. Within the tuning range, the measured insertion loss varies from 1.4 to 0.9 dB and the measured return loss is better than 11 dB for all states. The simulation agrees very well with measurement. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:368–372, 2016
A fractal‐based compact broadband polarization insensitive metamaterial absorber using lumped resistors
Authors: Munaga Praneeth , Ghosh Saptarshi , Bhattacharyya Somak , Srivastava Kumar Vaibhav
Published: December 2015

In this article, a broadband polarization insensitive metamaterial absorber has been proposed for C‐band (4–8 GHz) applications using lumped resistors. The unit cell of the proposed structure is based on an inverted Minkowski fractal loop, where four lumped resistors are mounted to obtain a broad absorption band at the expense of 5 mm thick dielectric substrate, which is only 0.033λ0 with respect to the lowest operating frequency. The proposed structure is polarization insensitive and also wide angle absorptive. A prototype of the proposed structure has been fabricated, which is experimentally verified with the simulated responses. The designed structure is much compact compared with other reported structures due to its unique design and thus can be considered as a compact broadband absorber for C‐band applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:343–347, 2016
Multiband FSS with wideband and sharp falling down characteristics
Authors: Luo Hui , Wu Weiwei , Xie Shaoyi , Fan Jiawu , Yuan Naichang
Published: December 2015

A multiband frequency selective surface (FSS) with wideband and sharp falling down characteristics is proposed. Measured results agree well with simulated ones and indicate that the proposed FSS performs well for any polarization. A study on how the parameters affect performances is proceeded and a guideline of how to regulate the related parameters to achieve desired resonant frequencies is introduced. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:378–382, 2016
Compact miniaturized half‐mode waveguide/high pass‐filter design based on SIW technology screens transmit‐IEEE C‐band signals
Authors: Rabah Mohamed Amine , Abri Mehadji , Badaoui Hadjira Abri , Tao Junwu , Vuong Tan‐Hoa
Published: December 2015

In this article, a novel compact structure with a compact size and low insertion loss half‐mode substrate integrated waveguide/high pass‐filter dedicated for microwave signal guiding and high signal filtering that screen transmit‐IEEE C‐band signals is optimized, fabricated, and measured. The measurements results of the S parameters are compared with those provided by the commercial software CST Microwave Studio. Agreements between measurements data and the CST software results were achieved. It numerically compares how the transmission in C‐band can be successfully achieved with HMSIW. The Half‐Mode SIW Waveguide/High Pass‐Filter design size achieved is 7.5 × 35 mm2. A size reduction of about 50% in comparison with a similar SIW Waveguide/High Pass‐Filter has been achieved. The measured insertion loss is below −2 dB while the return loss is less than 10 dB. It is attractive which can be used for the radio communication system applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:414–418, 2016
Interferometer method using abel inversion to deduce a mapping of helium gas density and temperature
Authors: Benyahia D. , Lemerini M.
Published: December 2015

In this work is presented an optical method using the Mach–Zehnder Interferometer for diagnose a pure helium gas subjected to a stationary point‐plane corona dischargeat atmospheric pressure, and visualize the spatial map of refraction index, density and temperature.The Mach‐Zehnder interferometer that we have applied here is assumed to be cylindrically symmetric and the distance between electrodes equals 6 mm.By studying the interferograms obtained in the experiment, it is possible to determine the distribution of the refraction index and extract the density and temperature through the Gladstone–Dale relation and the ideal gas law respectively. The obtained results are in close agreement with values available in the literature.The obtained results show that the rate variation of the density is varying from 20 to 40% in all the space. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:393–398, 2016
Stabilization effect by the temperature of immersion liquid in the 3–6 GHz microwave tomography system
Authors: Kim Jang‐Yeol , Lee Kwang‐Jae , Son Seong‐Ho , Kim Hyuk‐Je , Lee Jong‐Moon , Jeon Soon‐Ik , Kim Nam
Published: December 2015

A study on temperature stabilization effect of the immersion liquid in a 3‐6 GHz microwave tomography (MT) system for medical diagnosis is presented. The designed temperature control device unit is applied in the MT system for the analysis of the temperature impact. This control unit with an advanced control method is required to precisely maintain the temperature of the immersion liquid for obtaining stable measurement data. If the temperature of the liquid is maintained ideally, the peak to peak deviation of the measured amplitude and phase are very small within approximately 0.18 dB and 1.3 degree over the entire frequency range. The temperature variation of the liquid is a key factor for high spatial resolution to detect small tumors. The detailed results are presented and discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:461–464, 2016
Wideband dielectric resonator antenna using CPW fed segments
Authors: Nawaz Hamza , Shahid Saleem , Gentili G. Guido
Published: December 2015

In this article, a wideband dielectric resonator antenna with relative bandwidth of 81.25% is proposed. The antenna is coplanar waveguide fed and is provided with two different dielectric loadings to obtain the desired results. The antenna has been fabricated using FR4 as a substrate and Roger RT/duroid 5880 and Roger RT/duroid 6010 as dielectric resonators with a total size of 42 × 36 × 6.6 mm3. The proposed antenna is suitable for wide‐band applications, has a rather uniform radiation pattern, and a high radiation efficiency throughout the operational bandwidth along with being low‐profile and small in size. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:441–445, 2016
Dual‐band on‐body antenna for in‐on‐on WBAN repeater applications
Authors: Kang Do‐Gu , Tak Jinpil , Choi Jaehoon
Published: December 2015

A dual‐band on‐body antenna for in‐on‐on wireless body area network repeater applications is proposed. This antenna consists of a dual‐patch antenna and a zeroth‐order resonance (ZOR) element. The two patch antenna elements form dual resonances that cover the 2.4 GHz ISM band. In addition, a triangle cut made at the lower edge of patch Element 1 improves the impedance matching in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. The ZOR element operates in the 403 MHz MICS band. The antenna has near surface radiation in the 2.4 GHz ISM band and nearly omnidirectional radiation in the 403 MHz MICS band. To evaluate the performance of the antenna on a human body, the proposed antenna is placed on a human equivalent flat phantom. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:436–441, 2016
Reconfigurable vivaldi antenna with improved gain for UWB applications
Authors: Herzi Rabiaa , Zairi Hsan , Gharsallah Ali
Published: December 2015

This article presents a new reconfigurable modified Vivaldi antenna with improved gain. A simple Vivaldi antenna is modified by adding slots in the extremities to demonstrate good radiation characteristics. The antenna reconfiguration is attended by inserting diodes PIN switches at specific localizations in the aperture antenna to change its resonance frequency. A wide bandwidth from 2 to 5 GHz and several narrow bands are obtained. This antenna is a good candidate for multi‐applications necessitating frequency reconfigurable antenna. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:490–494, 2016
An optoelectronic multiplexer for wireless transmissions of high‐speed data‐modulated microwave sub‐carriers
Authors: Gutiérrez‐Martínez Celso , Santos‐Aguilar Joel , Morales‐Díaz Adolfo , Torres‐Fórtiz José Alfredo , Meza‐Pérez Jacobo
Published: December 2015

In this article, an optoelectronic multiplexing scheme is reported. This scheme results from the association of a multimode laser and the chromatic dispersion on standard single mode optical fiber. The frequency response of this system shows a series of microwave band‐pass windows, which can be used for allocating modulated microwave subcarriers. Under this operating principle, the multiplexing of two data‐modulated microwave subcarriers at 2.4 and 7.2 GHz is described in this work. 100 Mbps‐NRZ and vector digital data (QPSK, mQAM) were transmitted and evaluated. The performance of the multiplexing scheme shows that it can be used for high‐speed wired or wireless transmissions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:486–490, 2016
Ground plane booster antenna technology using a self‐diplexed matching network for multiband operation
Authors: Picher Cristina , Anguera Jaume , Bujalance Adrian , Andújar Aurora
Published: December 2015

The non‐stop evolution of wireless handset devices together with the apparition of new communication standards encourage antenna engineers to design new concepts able to satisfy the current market demands. The objective of the present article is to provide a radiating system for a smartphone platform capable of operating at the most common mobile frequency bands (LTE‐800, GSM‐850, GSM‐900, LTE‐1700, LTE‐1800/GSM‐1800, GSM‐1900, LTE‐2100/UMTS, and LTE‐2300). The proposed design is based on a non‐resonant element only requiring a volume of 250 mm3 able to provide radiation thanks to the ground plane and a self‐diplexed matching network. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:453–461, 2016
Analysis of antenna gain enhancement using new frequency selective surface superstate
Authors: Bouslama Moufida , Traii Moubarek , Gharsallah Ali , Denidni Tayeb Ahmed
Published: December 2015

In this article, a new high‐gain resonant cavity (RC) antenna with a frequency selective surface (FSS) superstrate is presented at 6 GHz operating frequency. The high‐gain FSS antenna is constructed by a new FSS superstrate layer, providing more freedom to improve the radiation pattern characteristics. A hybrid FSS element placed on top of the antenna is also investigated to estimate the required number of unit cells. The achieved simulation results for this antenna are thoroughly studied and the FSS superstrate enhancing the proposed antenna gain is discussed. Moreover, parametric studies for the patch antenna with and without FSS superstrate are also presented to demonstrate the effect of the new FSS superstrate on the radiation pattern characteristics. The measured results are achieved to support the simulation ones. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:448–453, 2016
Miniaturized unilateral coplanar waveguide‐fed asymmetric planar antenna with reduced radiation hazards for 802.11ac applications
Authors: Gunavathi N. , Kumar D. Sriram
Published: December 2015

This article presents a printed asymmetric planar antenna with unilateral CPW feed for smart mobile phone technology for recently developed, less crowded 802.11ac (5 GHz Wi‐Fi) applications. The unilateral CPW feed as well as asymmetric (inverted L shaped) radiating elements have been printed on low cost single sided PCB. The proposed antenna offers a wider impedance bandwidth from 4.35 GHz to 5.82 GHz, compactness of about 40.659% compared to conventional CPW‐fed antenna and reduced radiation hazards. It has been printed on a FR4‐epoxy substrate with dielectric constant (εr) of 4.4. The overall dimension of the antenna is 18 mm × 18 mm × 1.6 mm. The impact of all the geometrical parameters on return loss plots and other antenna parameters have been studied using electromagnetic simulation software High Frequency Structured Simulator 14.0. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:467–471, 2016
Life and Death in Neolithic Southeastern Italy: The Strontium Isotopic Evidence
Authors: Tafuri M. A. , Fullagar P. D. , O'Connell T. C. , Belcastro M. G. , Iacumin P. , Conati Barbaro C. , Sanseverino R. , Robb J.
Published: December 2015

There is a strong relation between people's structured identities and their chemical biographies: these can reflect the way individuals choose to reside and/or move. The strontium isotope ratio (87Sr/86Sr) of skeletal remains is considered a useful proxy to assess residential mobility and social practices in past populations; however, so far, it has only occasionally been applied to prehistoric contexts in the Mediterranean. In this paper, we present 87Sr/86Sr data of human and animal samples from several Neolithic sites in the Apulian Tavoliere (southeastern Italy), namely, Grotta Scaloria, Passo di Corvo, Masseria Candelaro and La Torretta/Poggio Imperiale. Data obtained from dental enamel reflect the local origin of the individuals and allowed us to differentiate function and meaning of the sites examined. In particular, within a generally homogeneous background of Sr signatures, the range of 87Sr/86Sr at Scaloria Cave is greater than at the other sites, with variation likely to be related to funerary practices. We interpret this as the evidence of the ritual use of the cave, which implied the gathering of people of different origin. The relative variation of the Sr signature among individuals, either intersite or intrasite can be tentatively associated with mobility during life as well as with social practices, such as access to foods from geologically different environments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Management and Outcome of Ewing Sarcoma of the Head and Neck
Authors: Grevener Knut , Haveman Lianne M. , Ranft Andreas , van den Berg Henk , Jung Susanne , Ladenstein Ruth , Klco‐Brosius Stephanie , Juergens Heribert , Merks J Hans M. , Dirksen Uta
Published: December 2015

Background

Ewing sarcoma (EWS) of the head and neck is rare. Multimodal treatment consists of chemotherapy and local treatment; however, local treatment for EWS of the head and neck is challenging. The first objective was to describe local treatment administered to the patients with localized EWS of the head and neck according to the EURO‐E.W.I.N.G.99‐trial, and to assess the impact on survival. The second objective was to systematically review the scientific literature available for this topic.

Procedure

Fifty‐one patients were included. Local control consisted of surgery and/or radiotherapy (RT). Event‐free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were determined. Outcome was analyzed by comparing local treatment approaches. A Medline search was performed for EWS of the head and neck.

Results

Eighty‐six percent of patients had localized disease. Most common primary sites included the skull (45%), maxilla (14%), and mandible (12%). Three‐year EFS was 74% and 3‐year OS was 87% for patients with localized disease. EFS was 40% for patients >15 years compared to 81% for patients <15 years. Local control consisted of surgery (S; 33%), RT (18%), or S + RT (45%). Related 3‐year EFS was 81% (S), 80% (RT), and 72% (S + RT); 3‐year OS was 80%, 76%, and 81%, respectively.

Conclusions

In patients with EWS of the head and neck, age, and stage are important prognostic factors. Although not statistically significant, large tumor volume seems to be a negative prognostic factor. No difference in EFS and OS could be found when comparing patients treated with surgery, RT, or combined surgery and RT.
Intensity‐Modulated Radiation Therapy With Dose Painting: A Brain‐Sparing Technique for Intracranial Germ Cell Tumors
Authors: Yang Joanna C. , Terezakis Stephanie A. , Dunkel Ira J. , Gilheeney Stephen W. , Wolden Suzanne L.
Published: December 2015

Background

We sought to assess patterns of failure in pediatric patients with intracranial germ cell tumors (GCT) treated with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy with dose painting (DP‐IMRT).

Procedure

Between July 2007 and October 2013, 11 patients with localized GCT—five germinomas and six nongerminoma GCT (NGGCT)—received definitive treatment with DP‐IMRT. Three representative patients were selected for replanning with (i) whole ventricular irradiation (WVI) with opposed lateral beams plus IMRT to the primary tumor and (ii) sequential IMRT. These plans were compared to the patients’ original DP‐IMRT plans for dosimetric analyses.

Results

Four patients with germinoma received radiation therapy alone: 45 Gy in 1.8 Gy fractions to the primary tumor and 25 Gy in 1.0 Gy fractions to whole ventricles using a dose‐painting plan. One patient with germinoma received a reduced dose of 30.6 Gy to the primary tumor after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with NGGCT (n = 6) underwent multimodality treatment including chemotherapy (n = 6) and surgery (n = 3). These patients received 54 Gy to the primary tumor and 32.4–36 Gy to the whole ventricles. Dosimetric analyses showed DP‐IMRT delivered decreased mean dose to whole brain, temporal lobes, hippocampi, cochleae, and optic nerves. With median follow‐up of 4 years, 3‐year failure‐free survival was 100% for patients with germinoma and 67% for patients with NGGCT. One patient with a pineal NGGCT experienced a local recurrence within the high dose–volume while another experienced an isolated biochemical failure.

Conclusions

DP‐IMRT is dosimetrically superior to standard IMRT techniques for sparing of normal tissues. Disease control in this small series appears at least comparable to published results.
First‐trimester maternal serum ADAM12‐s and PAPP‐A levels are altered in pregnancies conceived after assisted reproduction techniques (ART)
Authors: Sahraravand Maarit , Laitinen Päivi , Järvelä Ilkka , Ryynänen Markku
Published: December 2015

Objective

The objective of this article is to estimate whether the maternal serum levels of A disintegrin and metalloprotease domain 12 (ADAM12‐s), pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A), and free beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (fβ‐hCG) are altered in assisted reproduction techniques (ART) pregnancies.

Method

A retrospective cohort study with a control group was performed. Two hundred eighty‐three ART pregnancies and 1008 controls were studied. The patients were divided into groups according to the type of conception: (1) controls, (2) fresh embryo transfer (ET) following controlled ovarian stimulation (COH) and in vitro fertilization (IVF), (3) fresh ET following COH and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), (4) frozen ET during natural menstrual cycle (NC‐FET), and (5) frozen ET using hormone replacement therapy. The cases and controls were matched for gestational and maternal age and for the storage time of the samples.

Results

The ADAM12‐s levels were statistically significantly higher in the entire ART group, IVF and ICSI groups, and NC‐FET group when compared with those in the controls. The PAPP‐A levels were decreased only in the ICSI group compared with those in the controls. fβ‐hCG levels were not altered in assisted pregnancies. The ADAM12‐s levels tended to increase with advanced gestational age. ADAM12‐s levels were correlated with PAPP‐A and fβ‐hCG levels in several subgroups of ART pregnancies.

Conclusion

ADAM12‐s and PAPP‐A levels are altered in several subgroups of ART pregnancies. Larger studies are required to confirm these findings. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thiophene π bridge effect on bulky side‐chained benzodithiophene‐based photovoltaic polymers
Authors: Sheng Ruiying , Liu Qian , Chen Weiye , Sun Mingliang , Zheng Huilin , Ren Jing , Yang Renqiang
Published: December 2015

Recently, we have used terthiophene side chain to modify benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene (BDT) to form novel building block for BDT polymers. In this paper, this building block is used to copolymerized with thieno[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione (TPD) and thieno[3,4‐b]thiophene (TT). This building block and TPD‐ or TT‐based polymers (P1 and P3) show high open circuit voltage (VOC) (ca. 0.9–0.95 V) and low energy loss (Eg–eVOC) in solar cells devices compared with similar polymers without bulky side chain. We further introduce thiophene π bridge into these polymers backbone to form two other polymers (P2 and P4). We find this thiophene π bridge does contribute to this bulky side chained benzodithiophene polymer photovoltaic performances, especially for power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). The polymer solar cells (PSCs) performances are moderate in this article due to the serious aggregation in the PSCs active layer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 1615–1622
On the threshold for the Maker‐Breaker H‐game
Authors: Nenadov Rajko , Steger Angelika , Stojaković Miloš
Published: December 2015

We study the Maker‐Breaker H‐game played on the edge set of the random graph . In this game two players, Maker and Breaker, alternately claim unclaimed edges of , until all edges are claimed. Maker wins if he claims all edges of a copy of a fixed graph H; Breaker wins otherwise.

In this paper we show that, with the exception of trees and triangles, the threshold for an H‐game is given by the threshold of the corresponding Ramsey property of with respect to the graph H. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 49, 558–578, 2016
Four random permutations conjugated by an adversary generate Sn with high probability
Authors: Pemantle Robin , Peres Yuval , Rivin Igor
Published: December 2015

We prove a conjecture dating back to a 1978 paper of D.R. Musser [11], namely that four random permutations in the symmetric group Sn generate a transitive subgroup with probability for some independent of n, even when an adversary is allowed to conjugate each of the four by a possibly different element of . In other words, the cycle types already guarantee generation of a transitive subgroup; by a well known argument, this implies generation of An or except for probability as . The analysis is closely related to the following random set model. A random set is generated by including each independently with probability . The sumset is formed. Then at most four independent copies of are needed before their mutual intersection is no longer infinite. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 49, 409–428, 2016
Human Adipose Stromal/Stem Cells from Obese Donors Show Reduced Efficacy in Halting Disease Progression in the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Model of Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Strong Amy L. , Bowles Annie C. , Wise Rachel M. , Morand Joseph P. , Dutreil Maria F. , Gimble Jeffrey M. , Bunnell Bruce A.
Published: December 2015

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the white matter of the central nervous system and involves inflammation and demyelination. The recent advances in our understanding of adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs) and the utilization of these cells in clinical settings to treat diseases have made it essential to identify the most effective ASCs for therapy. Studies have not yet investigated the impact of obesity on the therapeutic efficacy of ASCs. Obesity is characterized by adipocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy and can extend to metabolic and endocrine dysfunction. Investigating the impact obesity has on ASC biology will determine whether these cells are suitable for use in regenerative medicine. The therapeutic efficacy of ASCs isolated from lean subjects (body mass index [BMI] < 25; lnASCs) and obese subjects (BMI > 30; obASCs) were determined in murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of multiple sclerosis. Compared with the EAE disease-modifying effects of lnASCs, obASCs consistently failed to alleviate clinical symptoms or inhibit inflammation in the central nervous system. When activated, obASCs expressed higher mRNA levels of several pro-inflammatory cytokines compared with lnASCs. Additionally, conditioned media (CM) collected from the obASCs markedly enhanced the proliferation and differentiation of T cells; whereas, CM from lnASC did not. These results indicate that obesity reduces, or eliminates, the anti-inflammatory effects of human ASCs such that they may not be a suitable cell source for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The data suggest that donor demographics may be particularly important when identifying suitable stem cells for treatment.
Charmed baryons circa 2015
Authors: Cheng Hai-Yang
Published: December 2015

This is essentially an update of Ref. [1] [H. Y. Cheng, Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 24 (Suppl. 1), 593 (2009)], a review of charmed baryon physics around 2007. Topics covered in this review include the spectroscopy, strong decays, lifetimes, nonleptonic and semileptonic weak decays, and electromagnetic decays of charmed baryons.
Temporal Variation of Physico-chemical Parameters and Ostracoda Population, off Rameswaram, Gulf of Mannar, Southeast Coast of Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Baskar K. , Sridhar S.G.D. , Sivakumar T. , Hussain S.M. , Maniyarasan S.
Published: December 2015

Seasonal observation on physico-chemical parameters were correlated with population of ostracoda in southern region off Rameswaram, Gulf of Mannar, Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu, southeast coast of India, by collecting bottom sediment and water samples in the inner shelf region. 11 samples were collected every season, for four different seasons, namely, northeast monsoon (October 2010), winter (January 2011), summer (April 2011) and southwest monsoon (July 2011) seasons. Spatial and seasonal variation in physico-chemical and hydrographic parameters and sampling stations having higher population of ostracoda were critically analysed with the observed parameters. Highest population of ostracoda was recorded during summer followed by southwest monsoon, northeast monsoon and winter season. Cluster analysis reveal that station 9 falls in all seasons under favourable location, during different seasons and is having the most congenial environment for ostracoda to thrive. Depth, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, EC, TDS, nitrite and silica show positive correlation, and turbidity, nitrate and phosphate show negative correlation with total population of ostracoda.
Development of Ground Fissures: A Case Study from Southern Parts of Uttar Pradesh, India
Authors: Gaur V. P. , Kar S. K. , Srivastava Mridul
Published: December 2015

In recent past several incidences of ground fissures have been reported from different parts of Uttar Pradesh. The area had witnessed several drought years followed by heavy rainfall, immediately after which the fissures were noticed. This had been a cause of concern for the public and planners in general and the scientific community in particular. The authors carried out investigation of these fissures for identifying possible mechanism for their development. The studies have indicated that sudden heavy rainfall after several drought years along with the composition of the soil profile, lowering of base level of erosion in the nearby major streams are the triggering factor in the development of the cracks. The sub-surface piping inside the ground at shallow depth and collapse of the overburden inside the pipe is the possible mechanism for their formation.

The development of ground fissures/cracks is a local phenomenon, related to aseismic causes and as such there does not appear to create a panic situation. As the large trees with branching roots, were not affected by the ground fissures, the plantation of such trees may prevent the areas from further extension and development of ground cracks.
Wavelet Analysis of Residual Gravity Anomaly Profiles: Modeling of Jharia Coal Basin, India
Authors: Singh Arvind , Singh Upendra K.
Published: December 2015

In recent years, the wavelet transform has widely been used in gravity data processing and interpretation due to the good property of multi-scale analysis, and it has become an important method for mapping the crustal thickness. In this paper, an attempt is made to map the thickness of sedimentary basin (Jharia coal basin) using continuous Wavelet transform (CWT) of gravity data. As gravity anomalies map is corresponding to different geological object with different scales buried at depth. CWT technique provides source parameters such as the location, depth, structure and geometry of geological bodies and interfaces in an easy and effective way without any priori information and thus can be further used for modelling. This observation was demonstrated with a synthetic gravity data and also applied to field residual gravity anomalies over Jharia coal basin. In order to verify the results made by CWT, Euler Deconvolution Method (EDM) and Tilt-Depth Method (TDM) were also utilized to estimate the depth of the sedimentary basement. We found that CWT gives satisfactory and better results than the EDM and TDM, and the obtained results are well correlated with known models. All the above advance techniques provide consistent results. Therefore CWT offers primary information of major coal thickness that provides a basis for modeling of gravity anomaly over Jharia coal basin.
Protection Measures on the Failed Cut-slope along the Free Expressway, Chembur, Mumbai, India
Authors: Singh P. K. , Kainthola Ashutosh , Prasad Shyo , Singh T. N.
Published: December 2015

The present work summarizes the investigations made during the stability analysis of a cut slope across the basaltic rock mass of the Deccan traps. Kinematic analysis was done to understand the relation between the structural discontinuities and surface topography and to determine the probable modes of failure. The concerned slope was in very poor condition because of the discontinuity ornamentation and other construction activities in the vicinity. Due to steep cut slope and blocky nature of rock mass, rockfall investigation was done to identify the rockfall trajectory, bounce height and kinetic energy in order to design proper support systems against falling mass. Material model was later simulated using the Hoek and Brown parameters in a finite element method considering different structural discontinuities. The safety factor at this state was less than one, the result of which was the recurrent slope failure and hassled traffic movement along the expressway. Finally, with the help of field observations, investigations from rockfall analysis and numerical simulation, necessary remedial measures were suggested and implemented that showed tremendous results in terms of safety and stability.
Stable (δ13C and δ15N) Isotopes and Magnetic Susceptibility Record of Late Holocene Climate Change from a Lake Profile of the Northeast Himalaya
Authors: Agrawal Shailesh , Srivastava Pradeep , Sonam  , Meena N. K. , Rai Santosh K. , Bhushan R. , Misra D. K. , Gupta A. K.
Published: December 2015

This study aims at reconstructing paleovegetation history in the northeast Himalaya during the past 2700 yrs using a 100 cm long sedimentary section selected near Anini village, Dibang valley, Arunachal Pradesh (India). Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N); and total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) content in organic matter as well as magnetic susceptibility were determined. Results obtained show a strong correlation between TOC-TN indicating similar source for organic matter. δ13C and TOC/TN ratio throughout the stratigraphic unit seems to be poorly correlated which suggests that the primary carbon isotope signatures are preserved in the sedimentary environment. Overall, δ13C values of the organic matter in the section vary in the range from −23.9 to −21.2 ‰ which is typical of mixed C3-C4 plants.. A distinguishable increasing trend in δ13C during 2700 to 1300 yrs indicates change in vegetation pattern from C3 to C4 plants due to significant climate change from wetter to drier conditions. After 1300 yrs δ13C values decrease rapidly by 1.3‰ and suggest increasing abundance of C3 plants in wetter climatic condition. The relatively small variation in δ13C values in the upper part of the section during 1200 yrs to present suggest a stable climatic condition.
Iron Oxides Mapping from E0-1 Hyperion Data
Authors: Raj S. Kiran , Ahmed S. A. , Srivatsav S. K. , Gupta P. K.
Published: December 2015

The spatial and spectral capabilities of hyperion were considered highly suitable for mineral potential mapping. This study aimed to map iron oxide minerals from hyperion data set by following a procedure involving data pre-processing, atmospheric calibration and image classification. By several steps, the noise in the spectral and spatial domains was removed. These include the angular shift, along-track de-striping to remove the vertical stripes from the data set and reducing low-frequency spectral effect (smile). The Fast Line-of-sight Atmospheric Analysis of Spectral Hypercubes (FLAASH) algorithm in combination with the radiance transfer code MODTRAN4 was applied for quantification and removal of the atmospheric effect and retrieval of the surface reflectance. The reflectance values were compared with the spectra obtained from USGS spectral library and with the spectra obtained from radiometric measurements. Results derived from the visible and near infrared and shortwave infrared bands of hyperion between 400 to 2500nm represented iron oxide minerals signature at 465, 650 and 850–950 nm.
Fusion of Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Mani V. R. S. , Arivazhagan S.
Published: December 2015

Recently, there has been greater interest in the Hyper spectral (HS) sensing technology as the information that resides in the HS spectral domain provides significant advantages over the traditional Multi spectral images. The inherent tradeoff between the spectral and spatial resolutions has resulted in the development of remote sensing systems that include fusion of Hyper spectral image and Multi spectral image taken over the same image scene. In this proposed work Matrix Factorization (MF) Un mixing based fusion method is used for the fusion of the HS image and the MS image to produce a fused image data that will be enhanced in terms of its both spatial and spectral qualities which in turn contributes for the accurate identification and classification of various materials in the observed image scene. This algorithm is very straight forward and easy to implement owing to its simple update rules. The effectiveness of the proposed fusion technique for fusion of HS image and MS image over the other traditional fusion techniques like wavelet based fusion and IHS fusion, is analyzed in terms of the spatial and spectral performance metrics.
The role of best friends in educational identity formation in adolescence
Authors: van Doeselaar Lotte , Meeus Wim , Koot Hans M. , Branje Susan
Published: December 2015

This 4‐year longitudinal study examined over‐time associations between adolescents' educational identity, perceived best friends' balanced relatedness, and best friends' educational identity. Adolescents (N = 464, Mage = 14.0 years at baseline, 56.0% males, living in the Netherlands) and their self‐nominated best friends reported on their educational commitment, in‐depth exploration, and reconsideration. Target adolescents also reported on the level of balanced relatedness provided by their best friend. Cross‐lagged panel models showed that balanced relatedness significantly predicted adolescents' reconsideration, and was predicted by in‐depth exploration and, in an inconsistent pattern, by commitment. Best friends' educational identity did not positively predict adolescents' educational identity. Perceiving a best friend as high on balanced relatedness seems to reduce adolescents' problematic educational reconsideration, while, in turn, adaptive educational identity processes might foster balanced relatedness.