bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The WD40-domain containing protein CORO2B is specifically enriched in glomerular podocytes and regulates the ventral actin cytoskeleton
Authors: Rogg M. , Yasuda-Yamahara M. , Abed A. , Dinse P. , Helmstädter M. , Conzelmann A. C. , Frimmel J. , Sellung D. , Biniossek M. L. , Kretz O. , Grahammer F. , Schilling O. , Huber T. B. , Schell C.
Published: November 2017

Podocytes are highly specialized epithelial cells essentially required to establish and maintain the kidney filtration barrier. Due to their complex cellular architecture these cells rely on an elaborated cytoskeletal apparatus providing plasticity as well as adaptive adhesion properties to withstand significant physical filtration forces. However, our knowledge about podocyte specific components of the cytoskeletal machinery is still incomplete. Employing cross-analysis of various quantitative omics-data sets we identify the WD40-domain containing protein CORO2B as a podocyte enriched protein. Furthermore, we demonstrate the distinct localization pattern of CORO2B to the ventral actin cytoskeleton serving as a physical linkage module to cell-matrix adhesion sites. Analysis of a novel Coro2b knockout mouse revealed that CORO2B modulates stress response of podocytes in an experimental nephropathy model. Using quantitative focal adhesome proteomics we identify the recruitment of CFL1 via CORO2B to focal adhesions as an underlying mechanism. Thus, we describe CORO2B as a novel podocyte enriched protein influencing cytoskeletal plasticity and stress adaptation.
A library of chemically defined human N-glycans synthesized from microbial oligosaccharide precursors
Authors: Hamilton Brian S. , Wilson Joshua D. , Shumakovich Marina A. , Fisher Adam C. , Brooks James C. , Pontes Alyssa , Naran Radnaa , Heiss Christian , Gao Chao , Kardish Robert , Heimburg-Molinaro Jamie , Azadi Parastoo , Cummings Richard D. , Merritt Judith H. , DeLisa Matthew P.
Published: November 2017

Synthesis of homogenous glycans in quantitative yields represents a major bottleneck to the production of molecular tools for glycoscience, such as glycan microarrays, affinity resins, and reference standards. Here, we describe a combined biological/enzymatic synthesis that is capable of efficiently converting microbially-derived precursor oligosaccharides into structurally uniform human-type N-glycans. Unlike starting material obtained by chemical synthesis or direct isolation from natural sources, which can be time consuming and costly to generate, our approach involves precursors derived from renewable sources including wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae glycoproteins and lipid-linked oligosaccharides from glycoengineered Escherichia coli. Following deglycosylation of these biosynthetic precursors, the resulting microbial oligosaccharides are subjected to a greatly simplified purification scheme followed by structural remodeling using commercially available and recombinantly produced glycosyltransferases including key N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases (e.g., GnTI, GnTII, and GnTIV) involved in early remodeling of glycans in the mammalian glycosylation pathway. Using this approach, preparative quantities of hybrid and complex-type N-glycans including asymmetric multi-antennary structures were generated and subsequently used to develop a glycan microarray for high-throughput, fluorescence-based screening of glycan-binding proteins. Taken together, these results confirm our combined synthesis strategy as a new, user-friendly route for supplying chemically defined human glycans simply by combining biosynthetically-derived precursors with enzymatic remodeling.
Air-oxidation from sulfur to sulfone-bridged Schiff-base macrocyclic complexes showing enhanced antimicrobial activities
Authors: Feng Genfeng , Shi Yunshan , Zhang Lei , Shi Rongguang , Huang Wei , Wang Ruiyong
Published: November 2017

Two embedded sulfur atoms in a novel [2 + 2] Schiff-base macrocyclic dinuclear Zn(II) complex were found to be easily autoxidized to the sulfone units on air exposure, and the resultant sulfone-functionalized macrocyclic complex was obtained by the post-modification strategy exhibiting enhanced antimicrobial activities because of the presence of dual active sites in comparison with the sulfur-containing Schiff-base macrocycle.
Association of Human Leukocyte Antigen Class 1 genes with Stevens Johnson Syndrome with severe ocular complications in an Indian population
Authors: Kannabiran Chitra , Ueta Mayumi , Sangwan Virender , Rathi Varsha , Basu Sayan , Tokunaga Katsushi , Kinoshita Shigeru
Published: November 2017

Stevens Johnson syndrome (SJS) is part of a spectrum of adverse drug reactions resulting in the destruction of skin, mucous membranes, and the ocular surface. A similar, more severe form of the disorder included in this spectrum is toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Approximately 35% of patients suffer chronic sequelae such as vascularization, corneal scarring, conjunctival inversion to the cornea, keratinization, symblepharon, scarring of the palpebral conjunctiva, trichiasis, and severe dry eye. We focused on 80 Indian patients with SJS/TEN with severe ocular complications (SOC) and investigated the association of alleles at HLA -A, HLA-B and HLA-C loci; the controls were 50 healthy Indian volunteers. Genotyping at HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-C loci showed a significant positive association with HLA-A*33:03, HLA-B*44:03, and HLA-C*07:01 alleles, and a significant negative association with HLA-B*57:01 and HLA-C*06:02. This indicates that HLA-A*33:03, HLA-B*44:03 and HLA-C*07:01 are risk alleles, and HLA-B*57:01 and HLA-C*06:02 are protective alleles in this population. We also found that the haplotypes consisting of HLA-B*44:03 and HLA-C*07:01 were strongly associated with SJS/TEN with SOC in our Indian population (p = 1.1 × 10−7, odds ratio = 11.0). Describing the association of the haplotype could facilitate the understanding of increased risk factors for developing SJS/TEN with SOC.
GWAS, QTL mapping and gene expression analyses in Brassica napus reveal genetic control of branching morphogenesis
Authors: He Yajun , Wu Daoming , Wei Dayong , Fu Ying , Cui Yixin , Dong Hongli , Tan Chuandong , Qian Wei
Published: November 2017

Branch number is an important trait in plant architecture that can influence crop yield and quality in Brassica napus. Here, we detected the QTLs responsible for branch number in a DH population and its reconstructed F2 population over two years. Further, a GWAS research on branch number was performed using a panel of 327 accessions with 33186 genomic SNPs from the 60 K Brassica Illumina® Infinium SNP array. Through combining linkage analysis and association mapping, a new QTL was fine mapped onto C03. Subsequently, we tested the correlations between the SNP polymorphisms and mRNA expression levels of genes in the target interval to identify potential loci or genes that control branch number through expression. The results show that 4 SNP loci are associated with the corresponding gene expression levels, and one locus (BnaC03g63480D) exhibited a significant correlation between the phenotype variation and gene expression levels. Our results provide insights into the genetic basis for branching morphogenesis and may be valuable for optimizing architecture in rapeseed breeding.
Energy Reduction Effect of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China
Authors: Zhao Yong , Zhu Yongnan , Lin Zhaohui , Wang Jianhua , He Guohua , Li Haihong , Li Lei , Wang Hao , Jiang Shan , He Fan , Zhai Jiaqi , Wang Lizhen , Wang Qingming
Published: November 2017

The North China Plain, with a population of approximately 150 million, is facing severe water scarcity. The over-exploitation of groundwater in the region, with accumulation amounts reaching more than 150 billion m3, causes a series of hydrological and geological problems together with the consumption of a significant amount of energy. Here, we highlight the energy and greenhouse gas-related environmental co-benefits of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP). Moreover, we evaluate the energy-saving effect of SNWDP on groundwater exploitation based on the groundwater-exploitation reduction program implemented by the Chinese government. Our results show that the transferred water will replace about 2.97 billion m3 of exploited groundwater in the water reception area by 2020 and hence reduce energy consumption by 931 million kWh. Further, by 2030, 6.44 billion m3 of groundwater, which accounts for 27% of the current groundwater withdrawal, will save approximately 7% of Beijing’s current thermal power generation output.
Ultrasonographic measurement of the optic nerve sheath diameter and its association with eyeball transverse diameter in 585 healthy volunteers
Authors: Kim Dong Hwan , Jun Jin-Sun , Kim Ryul
Published: November 2017

The optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) is considered as an indirect marker for intracranial pressure (ICP). However, the optimal cut-off value for an abnormal ONSD indicating elevated ICP and its associated factors have been unclear. Thus, we investigated normative values for the ONSD using ultrasonography and investigate the potential factors affecting it. We prospectively recruited healthy volunteers between September 2016 and March 2017. A total of 585 individuals were included, in which the mean ONSD was 4.11 mm [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.09–4.14 mm]. Although ONSD was correlated with sex (p = 0.015), height (p = 0.003), and eyeball transverse diameter (ETD) (p < 0.001) in simple linear regression analyses, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that only ETD was independently associated with ONSD (p < 0.001). Accordingly, we further established a normative value for the ONSD/ETD ratio and its associated factors. The mean ONSD/ETD ratio was 0.18 (95% CI, 0.18–0.18), but the ONSD/ETD ratio was not correlated with sex, height, weight, body mass index, and head circumference. Our findings suggest that the ONSD had a strong correlation with ETD, and ONSD/ETD ratio might provide more reliable data than ONSD itself as a marker of ICP.
AFM-based detection of glycocalyx degradation and endothelial stiffening in the db/db mouse model of diabetes
Authors: Targosz-Korecka Marta , Jaglarz Magdalena , Malek-Zietek Katarzyna E. , Gregorius Aleksandra , Zakrzewska Agnieszka , Sitek Barbara , Rajfur Zenon , Chlopicki Stefan , Szymonski Marek
Published: November 2017

Degradation of the glycocalyx and stiffening of endothelium are important pathophysiological components of endothelial dysfunction. However, to our knowledge, these events have not been investigated in tandem in experimental diabetes. Here, the mechanical properties of the glycocalyx and endothelium in ex vivo mouse aorta were determined simultaneously in indentation experiments with an atomic force microscope (AFM) for diabetic db/db and control db/+ mice at ages of 11–19 weeks. To analyze highly heterogeneous aorta samples, we developed a tailored classification procedure of indentation data based on a bi-layer brush model supplemented with Hertz model for quantification of nanomechanics of endothelial regions with and without the glycocalyx surface. In db/db mice, marked endothelial stiffening and reduced glycocalyx coverage were present already in 11-week-old mice and persisted in older animals. In contrast, reduction of the effective glycocalyx length was progressive and was most pronounced in 19-week-old db/db mice. The reduction of the glycocalyx length correlated with an increasing level of glycated haemoglobin and decreased endothelial NO production. In conclusion, AFM nanoindentation analysis revealed that stiffening of endothelial cells and diminished glycocalyx coverage occurred in early diabetes and were followed by the reduction of the glycocalyx length that correlated with diabetes progression.
Discrimination of CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutants of rice seeds using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging
Authors: Feng Xuping , Peng Cheng , Chen Yue , Liu Xiaodan , Feng Xujun , He Yong
Published: November 2017

Identifying individuals with target mutant phenotypes is a significant procedure in mutant exploitation for implementing genome editing technology in a crop breeding programme. In the present study, a rapid and non-invasive method was proposed to identify CRISPR/Cas9-induced rice mutants from their acceptor lines (huaidao-1 and nanjing46) using hyperspectral imaging in the near-infrared (NIR) range (874.41–1733.91 nm) combined with chemometric analysis. The hyperspectral imaging data were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) for exploratory purposes, and a support vector machine (SVM) and an extreme learning machine (ELM) were applied to build discrimination models for classification. Meanwhile, PCA loadings and a successive projections algorithm (SPA) were used for extracting optimal spectral wavelengths. The SVM-SPA model achieved best performance, with classification accuracies of 93% and 92.75% being observed for calibration and prediction sets for huaidao-1 and 91.25% and 89.50% for nanjing46, respectively. Furthermore, the classification of mutant seeds was visualized on prediction maps by predicting the features of each pixel on individual hyperspectral images based on the SPA-SVM model. The above results indicated that NIR hyperspectral imaging together with chemometric data analysis could be a reliable tool for identifying CRISPR/Cas9-induced rice mutants, which would help to accelerate selection and crop breeding processes.
High performance affinity chromatography and related separation methods for the analysis of biological and pharmaceutical agents
Authors: Zhang Chenhua , Rodriguez Elliott , Bi Cong , Zheng Xiwei , Suresh Doddavenkatana , Suh Kyungah , Li Zhao , Elsebaei Fawzi , Hage David S.
Published: November 2017

The last few decades have witnessed the development of many high-performance separation methods that use biologically related binding agents.
Catalytic double hydroarylation of alkynes to 9,9-disubstituted 9,10-dihydroacridine derivatives by an electrophilic phenoxyphosphonium dication
Authors: LaFortune James H. W. , Bayne Julia M. , Johnstone Timothy C. , Fan Louie , Stephan Douglas W.
Published: November 2017

An electrophilic pyridinium-substituted phenoxyphosphonium dicationic salt catalyzes the double hydroarylation of alkynes with diarylamines to give dihydroacridine derivatives.
Monitoring of Au(iii) species in plants using a selective fluorescent probe
Authors: Li Zhen , Xu Yuqing , Fu Jie , Zhu Hailiang , Qian Yong
Published: November 2017

A colorimetric and ratiometric probe with a push–pull chromophore dicyanoisophorone system, AuP, has been developed for the detection of Au(iii) species with highly sensitive and selective response to real-water samples and living tissues of Arabidopsis thaliana.
UV-Vis spectrophotometry of quinone flow battery electrolyte for in situ monitoring and improved electrochemical modeling of potential and quinhydrone formation
Authors: Tong Liuchuan , Chen Qing , Wong Andrew A. , Gómez-Bombarelli Rafael , Aspuru-Guzik Alán , Gordon Roy G. , Aziz Michael J.
Published: November 2017

We use in situ UV spectrophotometry to quantify molecular complexation and electrochemical behavior of redox-active quinones in an aqueous flow battery.
Carbon adsorption on doped cementite surfaces for effective catalytic growth of diamond-like carbon: a first-principles study
Authors: Yang Yang , Cui Juan , Li Lei , Lu Hao , Li D. Y. , Yan M. F.
Published: November 2017

Catalytic activities of alloyed Fe3C for diamond-like carbon growth are predicted.
Why pregnenolone and progesterone, two structurally similar steroids, exhibit remarkably different cocrystallization with aromatic molecules
Authors: Luo Ziling , Friščić Tomislav , Khaliullin Rustam Z.
Published: November 2017

Selective binding of steroid molecules is of paramount importance for designing drugs that can target the biological pathways of only individual steroids.
Debye ring diffraction elucidation of 2D photonic crystal self-assembly and ordering at the air–water interface
Authors: Smith N. L. , Coukouma A. , Dubnik S. , Asher S. A.
Published: November 2017

Diffraction intensities and Debye ring widths depend on the colloidal particle ordering of the 2D photonic crystals.
Layered double hydroxide anchored ionic liquids as amphiphilic heterogeneous catalysts for the Knoevenagel condensation reaction
Authors: Li Tengfei , Zhang Wei , Chen Wei , Miras Haralampos N. , Song Yu-Fei
Published: November 2017

In this paper, three solid base catalysts of LDH-IL-Cn (n = 4, 8, 12) were synthesized by adopting an exfoliation/assembly approach. The as-prepared catalyst showed excellent activity and selectivity for the Knoevenagel reaction in aqueous solution.
Effects of nucleophilic ligands on the chain initiation efficiency of polar monomer polymerizations catalyzed by 2-methoxyethylaminobis(phenolate)yttrium complexes: a DFT study
Authors: Yang Jimin , Yu Yang , Qu Jingping , Luo Yi
Published: November 2017

DFT calculations suggest that less steric hindrance and a good orbital match induced by nucleophilic ligands are beneficial to the chain initiation of ROP and GTP, respectively.
Synthesis and characterization of new H-shaped triphenylene discotic room-temperature liquid crystal tetramers by a copper-free click reaction
Authors: Zhang Kan , Bai Yuefeng , Feng Chun , Ning Guanghui , Ni Hailiang , Yu Wenhao , Zhao Keqing , Wang Biqin , Hu Ping
Published: November 2017

A series of new H-shaped triphenylene discotic liquid crystal tetramers has been designed and synthesized using a copper-free [3+2] cycloaddition reaction.
A rationally designed perfluorinated host for the extraction of PFOA from water utilising non-covalent interactions
Authors: Omorodion Harrison , Palenzuela Miguel , Ruether Manuel , Twamley Brendan , Platts James A. , Baker Robert J.
Published: November 2017

Three hosts for the encapsulation of perfluorooctanoic acid have been synthesized. The host:guest complexes have been characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy in solution and the solid state.
Differential array sensing for cancer cell classification and novelty detection
Authors: Gade Alexandra M. , Meadows Margaret K. , Ellington Andrew D. , Anslyn Eric V.
Published: November 2017

A series of semi-specific peptides reported in the literature to bind various epitopes on cell surfaces were used in a differential sensing array to pattern cell line identity.
Dissociative reactions of benzonorbornadienes with tetrazines: scope of leaving groups and mechanistic insights
Authors: Xu M. , Galindo-Murillo R. , Cheatham T. E. , Franzini R. M.
Published: November 2017

Hetero-substituted benzonorbornadiene derivatives react rapidly with tetrazines to release diverse leaving groups in high yields.
Radical fluorination reactions by thermal and photoinduced methods
Authors: Lantaño Beatriz , Postigo Al
Published: November 2017

Radical fluorination reactions of aliphatic Csp3 and Csp2 atoms, decarboxylative fluorination, and fluorination of (hetero)aromatics can be accomplished with electrophilic fluorinating reagents such as Selectfluor and NFSI.
Using a multi-tier diagnostic test to explore the nature of students’ alternative conceptions on reaction kinetics
Authors: Yan Yaw Kai , Subramaniam R.
Published: November 2017

This study focused on grade 12 students’ understanding of reaction kinetics. A 4-tier diagnostic instrument was developed for this purpose and administered to 137 students in the main study. Findings showed that reaction kinetics is a difficult topic for these students, with a total of 25 alternative conceptions (ACs) being uncovered. Except for one AC, the other ACs uncovered have not been reported before in the literature. An interesting point emerging from this study is that nearly 70% of the ACs were obtained from questions that featured graphs. Overall, the 4-tier format for the diagnostic instrument demonstrates good utility for probing students’ understanding of reaction kinetics as well as uncovering their ACs. The confidence-related measures, which are more commonly used in the educational psychology literature, have also permitted further insights to be gained into how the students performed in the test as well as the classification of the ACs.
Exciton coupling in diketopyrrolopyrrole–helicene derivatives leads to red and near-infrared circularly polarized luminescence
Authors: Dhbaibi Kais , Favereau Ludovic , Srebro-Hooper Monika , Jean Marion , Vanthuyne Nicolas , Zinna Francesco , Jamoussi Bassem , Di Bari Lorenzo , Autschbach Jochen , Crassous Jeanne
Published: November 2017

Helicene-bis-diketopyrrolopyrrole derivatives display strong circular dichroism and red circularly polarized emission originating from exciton coupling chirality.
SREBP-1c as a molecular bridge between lipogenesis and cell cycle progression of clear cell renal carcinoma
Authors: Sethi Gautam , Shanmugam Muthu K. , Kumar Alan Prem
Published: November 2017

Sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) promotes lipogenesis and tumor growth in various cancers. It is well known that clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a major subtype of the kidney cancers, exhibits elevated lipid accumulation. However, it has not been fully understood how lipid metabolism might be associated with cell cycle regulation in ccRCC. In a recent issue, Lee et al. (Molecular and Cellular Biology (2017) pii: MCB.00265-17) demonstrate that SREBP-1c is up-regulated in ccRCC by ring finger protein 20 (RNF20) down-regulation, leading to aberrant lipid storage and pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 (PTTG1)-dependent cell cycle progression. These findings suggest that SREBP-1c serves as a molecular bridge between lipid metabolism and cell cycle control in ccRCC tumorigenesis.
Effective image enhancement techniques for fog‐affected indoor and outdoor images
Authors: Kim Kyungil , Kim Soohyun , Kim Kyung‐Soo
Published: November 2017

Over the past decade, much research has been done to improve single‐fog images. However, most of these have concentrated on outdoor environments and little has been done for indoor environments. In this study, an effective method of removing fog from images both indoors and outdoors is presented. A new single image enhancement approach is based on mixture of dark channel prior (DCP) and contrast limited adaptive histogram equalisation with discrete wavelet transform (CLAHE‐DWT) algorithms. With the DCP algorithm using modified transmission map, the authors obtained fast processing speed and clean dehazed image without refining process. The CLAHE and DWT methods improved the contrast and sharpness of images. Finally, an enhanced image was produced by fusing the CLAHE and DWT images. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, the authors performed objective image quality assessments, and so on. Through a variety of experiments for various indoor and outdoor images with fog, the proposed method was proven to be highly effective.
CAD oriented improved cavity model to investigate a 30°–60°–90° right angled triangular patch antenna on single, composite and suspended substrate for the application in portable wireless equipments
Authors: Biswas Manotosh , Dam Mihir
Published: November 2017

This study presents an improved model for resonant frequency, input impedance, bandwidth and gain for a 30°–60°–90° right angled triangular patch antenna printed on a single, composite and suspended substrate. Merits of this model include low computation cost and mathematical simplicity. It is useful for direct application in computer aided design (CAD) programs. The model is based on the classical methods: (i) the cavity model determining the resonant frequency and input resistance at resonance, (ii) the dynamic and effective permittivity to take into account the influence of fringing field at the edge of the patch and (iii) the equivalent resonant parallel R–L–C circuit for determination of input impedance. The present model shows very close agreements with the experimental and software computational results compared with the other models available in open literature for wide range of variation of antenna and substrate geometric and electrical parameters.
Quad band electric field‐driven LC resonator‐based polarisation‐insensitive metamaterial absorber
Authors: Sood Deepak , Tripathi Chandra Charu
Published: November 2017

A quad band polarisation‐insensitive metamaterial absorber comprising electric field‐driven LC resonator has been proposed in this study. The unit cell of the proposed structure is designed with a metallic pattern on the top of a grounded dielectric substrate. The geometric parameters of the unit cell are optimised in such a way that the proposed absorber exhibits quad band absorption at C, X and Ku bands. The absorber exhibits polarisation insensitivity under normal incidence and provides high absorption for wide angles of the incident wave up to 60° for both TE and TM polarisation. The absorption mechanism has been studied by analysing the surface current and field distributions for all the four absorption frequencies. The proposed design is compact in its unit cell size and ultra‐thin with a thickness of 0.019λ0. Finally, a prototype of the proposed absorber structure has been fabricated and its performance is experimentally verified. The measured responses are observed in agreement with simulation results.
Harmonic suppressing control strategy for MMC–HVDC
Authors: Ruimin Duan , Kangsheng Cui , Jun Wen , Rong Li , Han Yan , Xiaobin Zhao
Published: November 2017

Modular multi‐level converter based high‐voltage direct current transmission (MMC–HVDC), which combines the high‐power capacity of conventional HVDC and the excellent dynamic performance of flexible HVDC, is the hotspot of research and application. Recent research finds MMC may produce harmonic current on its DC side and as the same as a line‐commutated‐converter, there is also harmonic coupling phenomenon between an MMC's AC side and DC side. In order to suppress the harmonics in MMC–HVDC and prevent the occurrence of AC–DC harmonic instability, this study analyses the current path of harmonics in an MMC. On this basis, a harmonic suppressing control strategy (HSCS) for MMC–HVDC is proposed, which includes an AC harmonic suppressing strategy and a DC harmonic suppressing strategy. PSCAD/EMTDC show that the proposed control strategy can effectively suppress the harmonics in MMC–HVDC and block the transmission of harmonics through the converter between AC and DC side, which is beneficial to the stable and reliable operation of MMC–HVDC.
Short‐circuit current analysis of grid‐connected LCL VSC by operational inductance
Authors: Liu Jingyi , Hu Jiabing , Chang Yuanzhu , Tang Wangqianyun , Tang Haiyan
Published: November 2017

With the increasing use of grid‐connected voltage‐source converter with LCL filter (LCL‐VSC) in modern power system, analysing its fault behaviour is therefore of utmost importance. Different from the synchronous generation (SG), the fault behaviour of LCL‐VSC is in relation to the variation of its filter circuit and inner current control, which makes the multi‐input multi‐output system of high‐order complexity. Here, the operational inductance of the LCL‐VSC is first derived for analysing the influence of the filter circuit and current control on its short‐circuit current characteristics. Besides, a reasonably simple unified formula and equivalent circuits are developed, which makes it possible to describe its current components, associated decay time constants, and initial value clearly. Eventually, the analytical results are validated by simulated results in MATLAB/Simulink.
Two transitional type Ia supernovae located in the Fornax cluster member NGC 1404: SN 2007on and SN 2011iv
Authors: Gall C. , Stritzinger M. D. , Ashall C. , Baron E. , Burns C. R. , Hoeflich P. , Hsiao E. Y. , Mazzali P. A. , Phillips M. M. , Filippenko A. V. , Anderson J. P. , Benetti S. , Brown P. J. , Campillay A. , Challis P. , Contreras C. , Elias de la Rosa N. , Folatelli G. , Foley R. J. , Fraser M. , Holmbo S. , Marion G. H. , Morrell N. , Pan Y.-C. , Pignata G. , Suntzeff N. B. , Taddia F. , Torres Robledo S. , Valenti S.
Published: November 2017

We present an analysis of ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared observations of the fast-declining Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) 2007on and 2011iv, hosted by the Fornax cluster member NGC 1404. TheB-band light curves of SN 2007on and SN 2011iv are characterised byΔm15(B) decline-rate values of 1.96 mag and 1.77 mag, respectively. Although they have similar decline rates, their peakB- andH-band magnitudes differ by ~ 0.60 mag and ~0.35 mag, respectively. After correcting for the luminosity vs. decline rate and the luminosity vs. colour relations, the peakB-band andH-band light curves provide distances that differ by ~ 14% and ~ 9%, respectively. These findings serve as a cautionary tale for the use of transitional SNe Ia located in early-type hosts in the quest to measure cosmological parameters. Interestingly, even though SN 2011iv is brighter and bluer at early times, by three weeks past maximum and extending over several months, itsB−Vcolour is 0.12 mag redder than that of SN 2007on. To reconcile this unusual behaviour, we turn to guidance from a suite of spherical one-dimensional Chandrasekhar-mass delayed-detonation explosion models. In this context,56Ni production depends on both the so-called transition density and the central density of the progenitor white dwarf. To first order, the transition density drives the luminosity–width relation, while the central density is an important second-order parameter. Within this context, the differences in theB−Vcolour evolution along the Lira regime suggest that the progenitor of SN 2011iv had a higher central density than SN 2007on.
Searching for reflected light from τ Bootis b with high-resolution ground-based spectroscopy: Approaching the 10−5 contrast barrier
Authors: Hoeijmakers H. J. , Snellen I. A. G. , van Terwisga S. E.
Published: November 2017

Context. It is challenging to measure the starlight reflected from exoplanets because of the extreme contrast with their host stars. For hot Jupiters, this contrast is in the range of 10−6 to 10−4, depending on their albedo, radius and orbital distance. Searches for reflected light have been performed since the first hot Jupiters were discovered, but with very limited success because hot Jupiters tend to have low albedo values due to the general absence of reflective cloud decks.

Aims. The aim of this study is to search for reflected light from τ Boo b, a hot Jupiter with one of the brightest host stars. Since its discovery in 1997, it has been the subject of several reflected-light searches using high-dispersion spectroscopy. Here we aim to combine these data in to a single meta-analysis.

Methods. We analysed more than 2000 archival high-dispersion spectra obtained with the UVES, ESPaDOnS, NARVAL UES and HARPS-N spectrographs during various epochs between 1998 and 2013. Each spectrum was first cleaned of the stellar spectrum and subsequently cross-correlated with a PHOENIX model spectrum. These were then Doppler shifted to the planet rest-frame and co-added in time, weighted according to the expected signal-to-noise of the planet signal.

Results. We reach a 3σ upper limit of the planet-to-star contrast of 1.5 × 10−5. Assuming a planet radius of 1.15 RJ, this corresponds to an optical albedo of 0.12 between 400–700 nm. A low albedo is in line with secondary eclipse and phase curve observations of other hot Jupiters using space-based observatories, as well as theoretical predictions of their reflective properties.
The Gaia-ESO Survey: Lithium enrichment histories of the Galactic thick and thin disc
Authors: Fu X. , Romano D. , Bragaglia A. , Mucciarelli A. , Lind K. , Delgado Mena E. , Sousa S. G. , Randich S. , Bressan A. , Sbordone L. , Martell S. , Korn A. J. , Abia C. , Smiljanic R. , Jofré P. , Pancino E. , Tautvaišienė G. , Tang B. , Magrini L. , Lanzafame A. C. , Carraro G. , Bensby T. , Damiani F. , Alfaro E. J. , Flaccomio E. , Morbidelli L. , Zaggia S. , Lardo C. , Monaco L. , Frasca A. , Donati P. , Drazdauskas A. , Chorniy Y. , Bayo A. , Kordopatis G.
Published: November 2017

Lithium abundance in most of the warm metal-poor main sequence stars shows a constarnt plateau (A(Li) ~ 2.2 dex) and then the upper envelope of the lithium vs. metallicity distribution increases as we approach solar metallicity. Meteorites, which carry information about the chemical composition of the interstellar medium (ISM) at the solar system formation time, show a lithium abundance A(Li) ~ 3.26 dex. This pattern reflects the Li enrichment history of the ISM during the Galaxy lifetime. After the initial Li production in big bang nucleosynthesis, the sources of the enrichment include asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, low-mass red giants, novae, type II supernovae, and Galactic cosmic rays. The total amount of enriched Li is sensitive to the relative contribution of these sources. Thus different Li enrichment histories are expected in the Galactic thick and thin disc. We investigate the main sequence stars observed with UVES in Gaia-ESO Survey iDR4 catalogue and find a Li- [α/Fe] anticorrelation independent of [Fe/H], Teff, and log (g). Since in stellar evolution different α enhancements at the same metallicity do not lead to a measurable Li abundance change, the anticorrelation indicates that more Li is produced during the Galactic thin disc phase than during the Galactic thick disc phase. We also find a correlation between the abundance of Li and s-process elements Ba and Y, and they both decrease above the solar metallicity, which can be explained in the framework of the adopted Galactic chemical evolution models.
Exploring the Remote Reactivity of π-Extended Carbonyl Compounds: The Vinylogous Alkylidene Malononitrile Activation Strategy
Authors: Zanardi Franca , Curti Claudio , Sartori Andrea , Battistini Lucia
Published: November 2017

The installation of malononitrile into π-extended carbonyl compounds gives rise to vinylogous alkylidene malononitriles (also known as π-extended dicyanovinylidenes), the direct functionalization of which at remote C(sp3) pronucleophilic sites becomes possible and viable. Starting from easily accessible representative polyunsaturated malononitriles, mild conditions were found to directly couple them to complementary enal acceptors. In all cases, the malononitrile handle proved an indispensable (and optionally traceless) activating ingredient for the vinylogous reactions to proceed efficiently and selectively. Merging the vinylogy concept with the malononitrile HOMO-raising activation strategy and complementary organocatalytic activation modalities (i.e. LUMO-lowering iminium ion activation) turned out to be a successful option, as demonstrated by the number of diverse carbocyclic and heterocyclic chiral products that were (stereo)selectively accessed through this chemistry.

1 Introduction

2 Reactions of Cyclohexenylidene Malononitriles with Enals

3 Reactions of Allylidene Malononitriles with Enals

4 Reactions of Indolylmethylene Malononitriles with Enals

5 Conclusion
The Omental Free Flap—A Review of Usage and Physiology
Authors: Mazzaferro Daniel , Song Ping , Massand Sameer , Jaiswal Rohit , Pu Lee , Mirmanesh Michael
Published: November 2017

Background The omental flap has a rich history of use over the last century, and specifically as a free flap in the last four decades. It has a wide variety of applications in reconstructive surgery and has shown itself to be a reliable donor tissue. We seek to review the properties that make the omental free flap a valuable tool in reconstruction, as well as its many surgical applications in all anatomic regions of the body.

Methods We conducted a narrative review of the literature on Medline and Google Scholar. We reviewed basic science articles discussing the intrinsic properties of omental tissue, along with clinical papers describing its applications.

Results The omental free flap is anatomically suitable for harvest and wound coverage and has molecular properties that promote healing and improve function at recipient sites. It has demonstrated utility in a wide variety of reconstructive procedures spanning the head and neck, extremities, and viscera and for several purposes, including wound coverage, lymphedema treatment, and vascularization. It is also occasionally employed in the thoracic cavity and chest wall, though more often as a pedicled flap. More novel uses include its use for cerebrospinal fluid leaks.

Conclusions The omental free flap is a valuable option for reconstructive efforts in nearly all anatomic regions. This is a result of its inherent anatomy and vascularity, and its angiogenic, immunogenic, and lymphatic properties.
Impact of Pregnancy History and 17-Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate on Cervical Cytokines and Matrix Metalloproteinases
Authors: Hankins Gary , Hebert Mary , Haas David , Ahmed Mahmoud , Simhan Hyagriv , Haneline Laura , Harris John , Chang Justine , Famy Alyssa , Yorio Patrick , Ren Zhaoxia , D'Alton Mary , Venkataramanan Raman , Caritis Steve
Published: November 2017

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of pregnancy history and 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) treatment on cervical fluid cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).

Study Design Cervical fluid was obtained between 160/7 and 246/7 weeks from women with only prior term births (controls, n = 26), women with one or more prior spontaneous preterm births (SPTBs) choosing to receive 17-OHPC (17-OHPC, n = 24), or to not receive 17-OHPC (refusers, n = 12). Cervical fluid collections were repeated 2, 4, and 8 weeks after the first sample and concentrations of MMPs and cytokines were measured by multiplex immune assay.

Results Among women whose earliest prior delivery occurred between 16 and 23 weeks, cervical fluid concentration of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α at baseline were significantly elevated when compared with cervical cytokines of women whose earliest delivery occurred between 32 and 36 weeks (relative risk ratio was 3.37 for IL-6 [95% confidence interval, CI, 1.08–10.53, p < 0.05], 2.81 for IL-10 [95% CI, 1.39–5.70, p < 0.05], and 6.34 for TNF-α [95% CI, 2.19–18.68, p < 0.001]). Treatment with 17-OHPC had no significant impact on these cytokines.

Conclusion The cervical fluid of women with a history of an early prior SPTB is characterized by inflammation that is unaffected by 17-OHPC.
Femoral, Direct, and Rare Inguinal Hernias in Children—An Update
Authors: Gödeke Jan , Muensterer Oliver
Published: November 2017

Pediatric surgeons deal with inguinal hernias on a regular basis. While most of these are straightforward in terms of diagnosis and therapy, occasionally what initially sounds like a routine case turns out to be a perplexing conundrum. This review discusses rare and unusual findings in the groin area that may mimic an indirect inguinal hernia, but are not. To provide good and effective care, pediatric surgeons should be readily familiar with the possible differential diagnosis of these entities, along with their specific management. In general, laparoscopy is one of the most useful interventions to discern unusual groin pathology from standard indirect inguinal hernias and in many cases provides an effective treatment option at the same time.
Arbeitshilfen Bessere Kommunikation – Sicherer kommunizieren mittels SBAR
Authors: Holtel Markus
Published: November 2017

Auf ihren Atom-U-Booten suchte die US-Navy vor 50 Jahren nach Mitteln, um Missverständnisse, unvollständige und unsichere Kommunikation zu
vermeiden. Das damals entwickelte Instrument SBAR lässt sich gut in andere Hochrisiko-Umgebungen übertragen.
„Standard Changing News Onkologie“ in der Tumorchirurgie
Authors: Königsrainer Alfred
Published: November 2017

Die chirurgische Onkologie gilt als wesentliche Säule der primären Tumortherapie, ist aber vielfach Teil multimodaler Konzepte. Zum einen
beobachtet man erhebliche Anstrengungen der Minimalisierung des operativen Traumas, aber zum anderen auch Strategien einer maximalen
Response-adaptierten Chirurgie in Verbindung mit systemischer Therapie. Gerade in diesem Zusammenhang spielt die funktionelle Bildgebung
eine wichtige Rolle. Ebenso werden vermehrt in der Palliativsituation Eingriffe zur Erhaltung bzw. Verbesserung der Lebensqualität
indiziert. In diesem Übersichtsbeitrag werden die minimalinvasive Ösophaguschirurgie, Aspekte der Magenchirurgie beim fortgeschrittenen
Magenkarzinom, die neuesten Ergebnisse der kurativ intendierten Radio-Chemotherapie beim Rektumkarzinom, die Rationale der Chirurgie bei
gastrointestinalen neuroendokrinen Tumoren mit Metastasen beim älteren Patienten und ein sehr innovatives Konzept beim Pankreaskarzinom
vorgestellt. Zuletzt folgt noch ein Hinweis auf eine neue chirurgische Option bei Patienten mit irresektablen kolorektalen
Lebermetastasen.
Personalisierte Tumortherapie bei metastasierten gastrointestinalen Tumoren
Authors: Bartholomäus Hanna , Ettrich Thomas J. , Seufferlein Thomas
Published: November 2017

Personalisierte Therapiestrategien haben sich in den letzten Jahren auch in der gastrointestinalen Onkologie etabliert. Personalisierte
Therapiestrategien umfassen Substanzen, die gezielt am Tumor angreifen, sog. „targeted therapies“. Zunehmende Bedeutung als Targets gewinnen
das Microenvironment des Tumors und das Immunsystem. Parallel zu den neuen Substanzen werden Biomarker identifiziert, die den Einsatz einer
bestimmten Substanz sinnvoll erscheinen lassen oder ausschließen. Dies ist nicht nur vorteilhaft für Patienten, die so Therapien mit hoher
Aussicht auf Wirksamkeit erhalten, sondern auch für das Gesundheitswesen, dem Kosten für nicht wirksame Therapien erspart bleiben. Diese
Übersicht soll den aktuellen Stand von personalisierten Therapiestrategien bei kolorektalen, Pankreas- und Magenkarzinomen darstellen und in
den klinischen Kontext einordnen.
Coherent population trapping atomic clock by phase modulation for wide locking range
Authors: Yano Yuichiro , Kajita Masatoshi , Ido Tetsuya , Hara Motoaki
Published: November 2017

A method of detecting Coherent Population Trapping resonance by phase modulation (PM) was studied to expand the frequency locking range (LR). We calculated error signals by density matrix analysis using an eigenvector algorithm and verified the calculated result using an 87Rb vapor cell and a Rb-D1 vertical cavity surface-emitting laser. By comparing the error signal for PM with that for conventional frequency modulation (FM), it was found that the LR with PM is one order of magnitude wider than that with FM without degrading the frequency stability.
Temperature and chain length dependence of ultrafast vibrational dynamics of thiocyanate in alkylimidazolium ionic liquids: A random walk on a rugged energy landscape
Authors: Brinzer Thomas , Garrett-Roe Sean
Published: November 2017

Ultrafast two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy of a thiocyanate vibrational probe (SCN−) was used to investigate local dynamics in alkylimidazolium bis-[trifluoromethylsulfonyl]imide ionic liquids ([Imn,1][Tf2N], n = 2, 4, 6) at temperatures from 5 to 80 °C. The rate of frequency fluctuations reported by SCN− increases with increasing temperature and decreasing alkyl chain length. Temperature-dependent correlation times scale proportionally to temperature-dependent bulk viscosities of each ionic liquid studied. A multimode Brownian oscillator model demonstrates that very low frequency (<10 cm−1) modes primarily drive the observed spectral diffusion and that these modes broaden and blue shift on average with increasing temperature. An Arrhenius analysis shows activation barriers for local motions around the probe between 5.5 and 6.5 kcal/mol that are very similar to those for translational diffusion of ions. [Im6,1][Tf2N] shows an unexpected decrease in activation energy compared to [Im4,1][Tf2N] that may be related to mesoscopically ordered polar and nonpolar domains. A model of dynamics on a rugged potential energy landscape provides a unifying description of the observed Arrhenius behavior and the Brownian oscillator model of the low frequency modes.
Phase stability and mechanical properties of Mo1-xNx with 0 ≤ x ≤ 1
Authors: Balasubramanian Karthik , Huang Liping , Gall Daniel
Published: November 2017

First-principle density-functional calculations coupled with the USPEX evolutionary phase-search algorithm are employed to calculate the convex hull of the Mo-N binary system. Eight molybdenum nitride compound phases are found to be thermodynamically stable: tetragonal β-Mo3N, hexagonal δ-Mo3N2, cubic γ-Mo11N8, orthorhombic ε-Mo4N3, cubic γ-Mo14N11, monoclinic σ-MoN and σ-Mo2N3, and hexagonal δ-MoN2. The convex hull is a straight line for 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.44 such that bcc Mo and the five listed compound phases with x ≤ 0.44 are predicted to co-exist in thermodynamic equilibrium. Comparing the convex hulls of cubic and hexagonal Mo1-xNx indicates that cubic structures are preferred for molybdenum rich (x < 0.3) compounds, and hexagonal phases are favored for nitrogen rich (x > 0.5) compositions, while similar formation enthalpies for cubic and hexagonal phases at intermediate x = 0.3–0.5 imply that kinetic factors play a crucial role in the phase formation. The volume per atom Vo of the thermodynamically stable Mo1-xNx phases decreases from 13.17 to 9.56 Å3 as x increases from 0.25 to 0.67, with plateaus at Vo = 11.59 Å3 for hexagonal and cubic phases and Vo = 10.95 Å3 for orthorhombic and monoclinic phases. The plateaus are attributed to the changes in the average coordination numbers of molybdenum and nitrogen atoms, which increase from 2 to 6 and decrease from 6 to 4, respectively, indicating an increasing covalent bonding character with increasing x. The change in bonding character and the associated phase change from hexagonal to cubic/orthorhombic to monoclinic cause steep increases in the isotropic elastic modulus E = 387–487 GPa, the shear modulus G = 150–196 GPa, and the hardness H = 14–24 GPa in the relatively narrow composition range x = 0.4–0.5. This also causes a drop in Poisson's ratio from 0.29 to 0.24 and an increase in Pugh's ratio from 0.49 to 0.64, indicating a ductile-to-brittle transition between x = 0.44 and 0.5.
Photofragmentation of gas-phase acetic acid and acetamide clusters in the vacuum ultraviolet region
Authors: Berholts Marta , Myllynen Hanna , Kooser Kuno , Itälä Eero , Granroth Sari , Levola Helena , Laksman Joakim , Oghbaiee Shabnam , Oostenrijk Bart , Nõmmiste Ergo , Kukk Edwin
Published: November 2017

Photofragmentation of gas-phase acetamide and acetic acid clusters produced by a supersonic expansion source has been studied using time-of-flight mass spectrometry and the partial ion yield (PIY) technique combined with tunable vacuum-ultraviolet synchrotron radiation. Appearance energies of the clusters and their fragments were experimentally determined from the PIY measurements. The effect of clusterization conditions on the formation and fragmentation of acetic acid clusters was investigated. Ab initio quantum mechanical calculations were performed on both samples’ dimers to find their neutral and ionized geometries as well as proton transfer energy barriers leading to the optimal geometries. In the case of the acetamide dimer, the reaction resulting in the production of ammoniated acetamide was probed, and the geometry of the obtained ion was calculated.
Hybrid functional study of native point defects and impurities in ZnGeN2
Authors: Adamski Nicholas L. , Zhu Zhen , Wickramaratne Darshana , Van de Walle Chris G.
Published: November 2017

Using hybrid density functional theory, we investigate the properties of native point defects and hydrogen and oxygen impurities in ZnGeN2, a wide-band-gap semiconductor that is promising for applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices. We find that cation antisites have the lowest formation energies amongst all of the native point defects for a wide range of chemical potential conditions. However, native point defects cannot act as sources of doping. Unintentional n-type conductivity in ZnGeN2 must be attributed to impurities: substitutional oxygen on a nitrogen site and interstitial hydrogen act as donors.