bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Behavior of α‐synuclein–drug complexes during nanopore analysis with a superimposed AC field
Authors: Jakova Elisabet , Lee Jeremy S.
Published: August 2016

Seven α‐synuclein–drug complexes have been studied by nanopore analysis in which an AC field of 200 mV from 10 MHz to 1 GHz has been superimposed on the standard electrophoretic DC voltage of 100 mV. α‐Synuclein has a large dipole moment and in the absence of drug the AC field causes the molecule to oscillate at the entrance to the pore and reduces its ability to translocate through the pore. Thus more bumping events are observed in the current blockade histograms. The binding of drugs to α‐synuclein has a large effect on the event profiles depending on the region of α‐synuclein to which the drugs bind. Caffeine and (−)‐nicotine bind both the N‐ and C‐termini causing the protein to adopt a loop conformation that allows translocation even in the AC field. Metformin, which binds only to the C‐terminus also facilitates translocation. For these drugs there is good evidence that the AC field is causing the complex to dissociate as it enters the pore that has not been observed previously. In contrast, complexes with (+)‐amphetamine that has an N‐terminal binding site and cocaine that binds to the central region of the protein, show only small changes in the event profiles in an AC field.
Ecogeomorphic relations between marsh surface elevation and vegetation properties in a temperate multi‐species salt marsh
Authors: Belliard Jean‐Philippe , Temmerman Stijn , Toffolon Marco
Published: August 2016

Salt marshes represent a fascinating example of an ecosystem whose dynamic response to climate change is chiefly governed by a two‐way bio‐physical coupling between marsh ecology and geomorphology. Relationships between vegetation biomass and marsh surface elevation, and between vegetation biomass and its physical properties that influence sedimentation rates, have been progressively formulated in the literature in order to provide mechanistic understandings and mathematical model descriptions of these ecogeomorphic feedbacks. In this study, a field survey was conducted in a temperate salt marsh grown by multiple halophyte species in order to quantify and validate these empirical relationships, yet in a location characterized by different climatic and ecological conditions from the locations where these relationships were initially derived. Regression analysis revealed that vegetation biomass can be expressed as a linearly increasing function of marsh elevation, providing therefore a direct empirical validation for such a relationship previously reported in the literature and implemented in some ecogeomorphic models. However, previously documented allometric relationships between total standing biomass and vegetation morphometrics – namely stem diameter, stem density and projected plant area per unit volume – were not confirmed by our results, which only showed an allometric scaling for stem height. These results suggest that previously documented formulations of mineral sediment trapping processes modulated by plants, which are partly derived on the basis of these allometric relationships, are not generally validated for multi‐species salt marshes. Therefore, existing models that apply these process‐based equations to study marsh evolution in a multi‐species context may not capture in detail the vegetation‐induced geomorphic work. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Experimental study to better understand factors affecting the CO2 mineral trapping potential of basalt
Authors: Hellevang Helge , Haile Beyene Girma , Tetteh Abednego
Published: August 2016

The CO2 mineral trapping potential of basalt is reduced when smectites, zeolites, and various oxides form. To better understand the reactions competing for the divalent metal cations, we performed a systematic batch‐reactor experimental study varying pH, temperature (from 80 to 150°C), CO2 pressure, and initial aqueous metal ion composition. From the experiments we could not see any mineral carbonate formation at pH < 8 at 80°C and pH <7 at 100 and 150°C. Smectite, identified by XRD as a nontronite, was formed in all experiments. At higher pHs various forms of Ca‐carbonates formed together with the smectite. The effect of the smectite growth to deplete solutions of metal cations (Mg and Fe) appears not to be the main reason for the lack of predicted MgFe‐carbonates. Instead, data suggest that the lack of observable growth may come from a combination of inhibition of carbonate nucleation, and slow carbonate growth rates. The slow growth is mainly caused by a very large deviation of the aqueous Me2+/CO32− activity ratio (r) from the stoichiometric ratio of the secondary carbonates, leading to a 4‒5 order of magnitude drop in precipitation rates compared to stoichiometric solutions. Using transition state theory (TST)‐based rate laws to model basalt carbonatization will lead to corresponding orders of magnitude over‐predictions. In addition to reducing the carbonatization potential, smectites may also deteriorate permeability and CO2 injectivity if forming in pore throats and narrow fractures. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Low‐carbon policy options and scenario analysis on CO2 mitigation potential in China's transportation sector
Authors: Wen Zongguo , Li Huifang , Zhang Xueying , Chi Kin Lee Jason , Xu Chang
Published: August 2016

The annual growth rate of CO2 emissions from China's transportation sector exceeded the growth rate of emissions from the whole society, making transportation the third‐largest CO2 emissions sector after the industrial and household consumption sectors in China. This paper is intended to project CO2 emissions in China's transportation sector from 2010 to 2020 and to assess the effectiveness of possible reduction measures. A detailed bottom‐up model has been developed and four scenarios have been designed to describe the future development of the sector. The results indicate that under the business as usual (BAU) scenario, emissions would increase by 58%, reaching 1.38 billion tCO2 by 2020. Reduction potentials ranged from 96 to 515 million tCO2 under different scenarios. Road transportation alone accounted for more than 80% of total emissions on average, making it a key target for CO2 mitigation actions. Application of conventional transportation technology, together with accelerating the development of new‐energy technologies, was the most effective and contributed to more than 70% of reductions. These measures combined with traffic mode shifts in consumption patterns will lead to the sustainable and effective development of China's transportation sector. In addition, to avoid a rebound in transport fuel demand, policies combination is suggested. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fatigue in Parkinson's disease: The contribution of cerebral metabolic changes
Authors: Cho Sang Soo , Aminian Kelly , Li Crystal , Lang Anthony E. , Houle Sylvain , Strafella Antonio P.
Published: August 2016

Fatigue is a common and disabling non‐motor symptom in Parkinson's disease associated with a feeling of overwhelming lack of energy. The aim of this study was to identify the neural substrates that may contribute to the development of fatigue in Parkinson's disease. Twenty‐three Parkinson's disease patients meeting UK Brain Bank criteria for the diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease were recruited and completed the 2‐[18F]fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose (FDG)‐PET scan. The metabolic activities of Parkinson's disease patients with fatigue were compared to those without fatigue using statistical parametric mapping analysis. The Parkinson's disease group exhibiting higher level of fatigue showed anti‐correlated metabolic changes in cortical regions associated with the salience (i.e., right insular region) and default (i.e., bilateral posterior cingulate cortex) networks. The metabolic abnormalities detected in these brain regions displayed a significant correlation with level of fatigue and were associated with a disruption of the functional correlations with different cortical areas. These observations suggest that fatigue in Parkinson's disease may be the expression of metabolic abnormalities and impaired functional interactions between brain regions linked to the salience network and other neural networks. Hum Brain Mapp 38:283–292, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Extracellular vesicles carry microRNA‐195 to intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and improve survival in a rat model
Authors: Li Ling , Piontek Klaus , Ishida Masaharu , Fausther Michel , Dranoff Jonathan A. , Fu Rongdang , Mezey Esteban , Gould Stephen J. , Fordjour Francis K. , Meltzer Stephen J. , Sirica Alphonse E. , Selaru Florin M.
Published: August 2016

The cancer microenvironment plays a central role in cancer development, growth, and homeostasis. This paradigm suggests that cancer fibroblasts support cancers, probably in response to stimuli received from the cancer cells. We aimed at investigating whether extracellular vesicles (EVs) can shuttle microRNA (miR) species between cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and cancer cells. To this end, we extracted EVs according to published protocols. EVs were studied for their miR content by quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction. EVs were transfected with select miR species and utilized in vitro as well as in vivo in a rat model of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). We found that miR‐195 is down‐regulated in CCA cells, as well as in adjoining fibroblasts. Furthermore, we report that EVs shuttle miR‐195 from fibroblasts to cancer cells. Last, we show that fibroblast‐derived EVs, loaded with miR‐195, can be administered in a rat model of CCA, concentrate within the tumor, decrease the size of cancers, and improve survival of treated rats. Conclusion: EVs play a salient role in trafficking miR species between cancer cells and CAFs in human CCA. Understanding of these mechanisms may allow devising of novel therapeutics. (Hepatology 2017;65:501‐514).
Hippocampal and striatal M1‐muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are down‐regulated following bilateral vestibular loss in rats
Authors: Aitken Phillip , Benoit Alice , Zheng Yiwen , Philoxene Bruno , Le Gall Anne , Denise Pierre , Besnard Stephane , Smith Paul F.
Published: August 2016

Permanent vestibular loss has detrimental effects on the hippocampus, resulting in a disruption to spatial learning and memory, hippocampal theta rhythm and place cell field spatial coherence. Little is known about the vestibular system‐related hippocampal cholinergic transmission. Since the pharmacological blockade of muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors within the hippocampus produces deficits in learning and memory, we hypothesized that ACh receptors may at least partly support the integration of vestibular input. Consequently, we examined the expression of M1 muscarinic ACh receptors in the hippocampus at 7 and 30 days following bilateral vestibular lesions (BVL) in rats using autoradiography. Animals were divided into sham (n = 12) and BVL (n = 11) groups. BVL animals received intratympanic injections of sodium arsanilate (30 mg/0.1 ml) under isoflurane anesthesia and sham animals received the same volume of saline. Analysis of the brain tissue revealed a significant reduction in the number of M1 receptors throughout the hippocampus and striatum at 30 days (P ≤ 0.0001), but not at 7 days following BVL. This suggests that the changes in learning and memory seen following vestibular damage may be in part due to the loss of M1 muscarinic receptors in the hippocampus and striatum. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Does fire alter soil water repellency in subtropical coastal sandy environments?
Authors: White Amy M. , Lockington David A. , Gibbes Badin
Published: August 2016

Irregular wetting, water repellency, and preferential flow are well‐documented properties of coastal sandy podzols, though little is known about the effect of fire on unsaturated zone processes in this environment. This study investigates water repellency at and below the soil surface in two coastal sandy podzols following bushfire. Water drop penetration time tests were applied to burned and unburned soils at a high dune field site in South East Queensland, Australia. It was found that the mean water drop penetration time of the burned soil was four times that of the unburned soil, but both soils were largely non‐repellent. Post‐fire repellency peaked below the surface in a patchy layer, in contrast to the laterally extensive layer reported in other studies, and high organic matter content in the soil did not appear to significantly influence repellency post‐burn. Non‐parametric statistics were used to quantify the high spatial variability in water repellency, which was ultimately insufficiently captured by atypically large (n = 1000 drop) datasets. This study confirms the presence of naturally occurring repellency and patchy infiltration in sandy soils while demonstrating that conclusively describing the influence of fire is challenging in a soil with heterogeneous infiltration characteristics. With respect to this uncertainty, it appears that fire does not increase soil water repellency such that infiltration and runoff processes due to fire‐induced water repellency would differ post‐burn.
The electrochemical behavior of nitinol in simulated gastric fluid
Authors: Pound Bruce G.
Published: August 2016

Increased use is being made of nitinol for implants that are exposed to gastric fluid. However, few corrosion studies have involved nitinol in an appropriate acidified chloride solution. In this work, the electrochemical behavior of electropolished (EP) nitinol was examined in simulated gastric fluid, the corresponding neutral solution with the same concentration (0.6%) of NaCl, and 0.9% NaCl. Cyclic potentiodynamic polarization was used to evaluate the susceptibility to pitting corrosion, while electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to examine the passive oxide film. The potentiodynamic tests showed that the susceptibility of EP nitinol to pitting corrosion is affected by chloride concentration and pH. Acidification, in particular, resulted in the susceptibility being markedly higher in gastric fluid compared with that in the corresponding neutral NaCl solution. The impedance data could be fitted using a parallel resistance‐capacitance (as a constant phase element) circuit associated with the oxide film. The thickness of the oxide was determined from the capacitive component and found to be little affected by chloride concentration. In contrast, acidification increased the solubility of the oxide enough to decrease the thickness of the film from 5.3 nm in 0.6% NaCl to 4.2 nm in gastric fluid. The resistivity of the oxide obtained from the resistance was affected by chloride concentration (0.7 × 1011 and 1.7 × 1011 Ω m in 0.9% and 0.6% NaCl, respectively) and particularly by pH (6.3 × 1011 Ω m in gastric fluid). The resistivity values suggest that the oxide was more defective in the neutral solutions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B:2394–2400, 2017.
A crowdsourced nickel‐and‐dime approach to analog OBM research: A behavioral economic framework for understanding workforce attrition
Authors: Henley Amy J. , DiGennaro Reed Florence D. , Reed Derek D. , Kaplan Brent A.
Published: August 2016

Incentives are a popular method to achieve desired employee performance; however, research on optimal incentive magnitude is lacking. Behavioral economic demand curves model persistence of responding in the face of increasing cost and may be suitable to examine the reinforcing value of incentives on work performance. The present use‐inspired basic study integrated an experiential human operant task within a crowdsourcing platform to evaluate the applicability of behavioral economics for quantifying changes in workforce attrition. Participants included 88 Amazon Mechanical Turk Workers who earned either a $0.05 or $0.10 incentive for completing a progressively increasing response requirement. Analyses revealed statistically significant differences in breakpoint between the two groups. Additionally, a novel translation of the Kaplan‐Meier survival‐curve analyses for use within a demand curve framework allowed for examination of elasticity of workforce attrition. Results indicate greater inelastic attrition in the $0.05 group. We discuss the benefits of a behavioral economic approach to modeling employee behavior, how the metrics obtained from the elasticity of workforce attrition analyses (e.g., P
max) may be used to set goals for employee behavior while balancing organizational costs, and how economy type may have influenced observed outcomes.
In vivo triglyceride composition of abdominal adipose tissue measured by 1H MRS at 3T
Authors: Hamilton Gavin , Schlein Alexandra N. , Middleton Michael S. , Hooker Catherine A. , Wolfson Tanya , Gamst Anthony C. , Loomba Rohit , Sirlin Claude B.
Published: August 2016

Purpose

To investigate the regional variability of adipose tissue triglyceride composition in vivo using 1H MRS, examining potential confounders and corrections for artifacts, to allow for adipose tissue spectrum estimation.

Materials and Methods

1H magnetic resonance (MR) stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) spectra were acquired in vivo at 3T from 340 adult patients (mean age 48.9 years, range 21–79 years; 172 males, 168 females; mean body mass index [BMI] 34.0, range 22–49 kg/m2) with known or suspected nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in deep (dSCAT), surface (sSCAT) subcutaneous adipose tissue, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Triglyceride composition was characterized by the number of double bonds (ndb) and number of methylene‐interrupted double bonds (nmidb). A subset of patients (dSCAT n = 80, sSCAT n = 55, VAT n = 194) had the acquisition repeated three times to examine the repeatability of ndb and nmidb estimation.

Results

Mean ndb and nmidb showed significant (P < 0.0001) differences between depots except for dSCAT and sSCAT nmidb (dSCAT ndb 2.797, nmidb 0.745; sSCAT ndb 2.826, nmidb 0.737; VAT ndb 2.723, nmidb 0.687). All ndb and nmidb estimates were highly repeatable (VAT ndb ICC = 0.888, nmidb ICC = 0.853; sSCAT: ndb ICC = 0.974, nmidb ICC = 0.964; dSCAT: ndb ICC = 0.959, nmidb ICC = 0.948).

Conclusion

Adipose tissue composition can be estimated repeatably using 1H MRS and different fat depots have different triglyceride compositions.

Level of Evidence: 2

J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;45:1455–1463
Non‐destructive detection of dicyandiamide in infant formula powder using multi‐spectral imaging coupled with chemometrics
Authors: Liu Changhong , Liu Wei , Yang Jianbo , Chen Ying , Zheng Lei
Published: August 2016

BACKGROUND

Dicyandiamide (DCD) contamination of milk and milk products has become an urgent and broadly recognised topic as a result of several food safety scares. This study investigated the potential of using multi‐spectral imaging (405–970 nm) coupled with chemometrics for detection of DCD in infant formula powder. Partial least squares (PLS), least squares‐support vector machines (LS‐SVM), and back‐propagation neural network (BPNN) were applied to develop quantitative models.

RESULTS

Compared with PLS and LS‐SVM, BPNN considerably improved the prediction performance with coefficient of determination in prediction () = 0.935 and 0.873, residual predictive deviation (RPD) = 3.777 and 3.060 for brand 1 and brand 2 of infant formula powders, respectively. Besides, multi‐spectral imaging was able to differentiate unadulterated infant formula powder from samples containing 0.01% DCD with no misclassification using BPNN model.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrated that multi‐spectral imaging combined with chemometrics enables rapid and non‐destructive detection of DCD in infant formula powder. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Response rates of hepatic arterial infusion pump therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer liver metastases refractory to all standard chemotherapies
Authors: Cercek Andrea , Boucher Taryn M. , Gluskin Jill S. , Aguiló Ariel , Chou Joanne F. , Connell Louise C. , Capanu Marinela , Reidy‐Lagunes Diane , D'Angelica Michael , Kemeny Nancy E.
Published: August 2016

Background and Objectives

To evaluate the role of hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) liver metastases (LM) refractory to oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and fluorouracil‐based treatments.

Methods

A search identified patients with mCRC treated after tumor progression on at least three standard systemic therapies.

Results

One hundred and ten patients met criteria for inclusion (i.e., progression on at least three standard agents). Fifty seven patients had LM‐only and 53 patients had LM and low volume extrahepatic metastases (LME). Patients with LM‐only and LME had a response rate (RR) of 33% and 36%, median survival of 20 months and 11.4 months, respectively. Patients with LM‐only had progression free survival of 6 months and hepatic progression free survival of 7.56 months. In a secondary analysis, 46 patients were RECIST‐refractory to all standard therapies: LM‐only (n = 24) and LME (n = 22). LM‐only and LME had a RR of 29% and 36%, and median survival 17.2 months and 9.1 months, respectively.

Conclusions

Patients with refractory mCRC LM can achieve a response to HAI resulting in antitumor activity and improvement in survival. Responses are rarely seen in such heavily treated patients with systemic therapy alone, suggesting a regional directed approach is useful. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:655–663. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparison of critical methods developed for fatty acid analysis: A review
Authors: Wu Zhuona , Zhang Qi , Li Ning , Pu Yiqiong , Wang Bing , Zhang Tong
Published: August 2016

Fatty acids are important nutritional substances and metabolites in living organisms. These acids are abundant in Chinese herbs, such as Brucea javanica, Notopterygium forbesii, Isatis tinctoria, Astragalus membranaceus, and Aconitum szechenyianum. This review illustrates the types of fatty acids and their significant roles in the human body. Many analytical methods are used for the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of fatty acids. Some of the methods used to analyze fatty acids in more than 30 kinds of plants, drugs, and other samples are presented in this paper. These analytical methods include gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, near‐infrared spectroscopy, and NMR spectroscopy. The advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are described and compared. This review provides a valuable reference for establishing methods for fatty acid determination.
Experimental Investigation on Upgrading of Lignin‐Derived Bio‐Oils: Kinetic Analysis of Anisole Conversion on Sulfided CoMo/Al2O3 Catalyst
Authors: Rahimpour Hamid Reza , Saidi Majid , Rostami Parisa , Gates Bruce C. , Rahimpour Mohammad Reza
Published: August 2016

Kinetics of the hydroprocessing of anisole, a compound representative of lignin‐derived bio‐oils, catalyzed by a commercial sulfided CoMo/Al2O3, was determined at 8–20 bar pressure and 573–673 K with a once‐through flow reactor. The catalyst was sulfided in an atmosphere of H2 + H2S prior to the measurement of its performance. Selectivity‐conversion data were used as a basis for determining an approximate, partially quantified reaction network showing that hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), hydrogenolysis, and alkylation reactions take place simultaneously. The data indicate that these reactions can be stopped at the point where HDO is virtually completed and hydrogenation reactions (and thus H2 consumption) are minimized. Phenol was the major product of the reactions, with direct deoxygenation of anisole to give benzene being kinetically almost insignificant under our conditions. We infer that the scission of the Cmethyl–O bond is more facile than the scission of the Caromatic–O bond, so that the HDO of anisole likely proceeds substantially through the reactive intermediate phenol to give transalkylation products such as 2‐methylphenol. The data determine rates of formation of the major primary products. The data show that if oxygen removal is the main processing goal, higher temperatures and lower pressures are favored.
Layer‐by‐Layer Coating of Solid Drug Cores: A Versatile Method to Improve Stability, Control Release and Tune Surface Properties
Authors: Polomska Anna , Leroux Jean‐Christophe , Brambilla Davide
Published: August 2016

Layer‐by‐layer coating is a simple and versatile technique based on the sequential deposition of molecular species on planar surfaces or colloidal templates. Its relevance in drug delivery primarily emerges from its versatility to control the release rate of the cargo encapsulated within the colloidal core. The focus of this review is the layer‐by‐layer encapsulation of colloidal particles purely composed of drug, including the core fabrication step, coating materials and techniques, multilayer shell permeability control, and reported in vitro and in vivo outcomes.

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U‐shape broadband monopole antenna with modified ground plane
Authors: Mondal Kalyan , Sarkar Partha Pratim
Published: August 2016

In this article an U‐shape broadband monopole antenna with rectangular slots loaded ground plane has been designed and analysis. The proposed antenna covers the frequency band of (1.55–8.55 GHz) with multiresonating frequency at 1.65, 2.9, and 7.95 GHz. The effect of movement of radiating patch on the dielectric substrate and the effect of slots on the ground plane are studied. The maximum impedance bandwidth of 138% (simulated) and 142% (measured) with maximum peak gain 3.59 dBi (simulated) and 4 dBi (measured) are obtained. It is very much useful in modern wireless communication systems as an electronics device. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2544–2547, 2016
Wideband circularly polarized SIW Cavity‐Backed slot antenna with sequential rotation feeding
Authors: Kulkarni Pushkar B. , van der Weide Daniel
Published: August 2016

We present a dual resonant substrate integrated waveguide cavity‐backed slot antenna with over 34% bandwidth at X‐band. A sequential rotation feeding scheme is employed to achieve circular polarization using two differential ports, resulting in excellent isolation. The antenna achieves wideband circularly polarized radiation with symmetric patterns in both principal planes. The full‐wave simulation results demonstrate a peak gain of 6.0 dB and a radiation efficiency >96% over the operating impedance bandwidth. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2566–2570, 2016
A UWB antenna with band‐notched filters using slot‐type split ring resonators
Authors: Tsai Lin‐Chuan , Chen Wei‐Jie
Published: August 2016

In this article, a new configuration of ultra‐wideband (UWB) monopole antenna employs two slot‐type split ring resonators (SRRs) with band‐notched filters in 5‐6 GHz WiMAX/WLAN bands. The UWB antenna consists of the octagonal, heptagonal, and triangular patches. A 50 microstrip feedline is employed to stimulate the monopole antenna. With adjusting the size and the position of two slot‐type SRRs on the ground plane, the UWB antenna produce a single band‐notched and decrease interference with the WiMAX/WLAN bands. The results for VSWR, far‐field H‐ and E‐plane radiation patterns and gain of the proposed antennas are presented and discussed. The radiation area of the design antenna is 24 × 17.4 mm2. The measured results show a good agreement with the simulated results. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2595–2598, 2016
A printed volcano smoke antenna for personal communication systems
Authors: Garduño‐Nolasco Edson , Sosa‐Pedroza Jorge , Jardón‐Aguilar Hildeberto
Published: August 2016

A novel printed version of the classic volcano smoke antenna is presented. Its remarkable bandwidth goes from 700 MHz up to 6 GHz for a VSWR < 2, which covers the actual personal communication systems including the LTE emerging system. The antenna gain remains in values above 3 dB in all its bandwidth meanwhile its total efficiency is >90%. The radiation patterns stay almost omnidirectional. The simulated results and the measurement data exhibited an excellent agreement. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2592–2595, 2016
Modeling a mim capacitor including series resistance and inductance for characterizing nanometer high‐K dielectric films
Authors: Cortés‐Hernández Diego M. , Valderrama‐B René , Torres‐Torres Reydezel , Molina Joel
Published: August 2016

A model to represent the parasitic series resistance and inductance inherent to the capacitor plates is proposed. The model is used to determine the frequency‐dependent permittivity and loss tangent of high‐k dielectrics (HfO2 and Al2O3) in metal‐insulator‐metal capacitors. Experimental results are in agreement with nominal values reported in the literature. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2599–2602, 2016
Metamaterial‐inspired microwave sensor for measurement of complex permittivity of materials
Authors: Raj Aakriti , Kumar Jha Abhishek , Ansari M. Arif Hussain , Akhtar M. Jaleel , Panda Sidhartha
Published: August 2016

This article presents the design and development of a metamaterial inspired planar microwave sensor for the measurement of complex permittivity of the solid and liquid sample under test (SUT). A hexagonal complementary split ring resonator (CSSR) is etched on the ground plane of a 50 Ω microstrip line, which is excited by the electric field component normal to the ground plane. The proposed hexagonal sensor possesses a good sensitivity, and the SUT placed over the CSSR perturbs the electric field associated with the CSRR giving rise to a change in the resonance frequency and peak attenuation of the transmission coefficient under loaded condition. An empirical relation between sensor resonance characteristics and the complex permittivity of the SUT is derived to determine the complex permittivity of the SUT. The designed sensor is fabricated on an FR4 substrate and is experimentally validated for various standard solid samples and hazardous chemical liquids. The proposed sensor is working in the frequency range of 5.3–8.2 GHz and is capable of measuring a number of samples with their dielectric properties varying over a wide range. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2577–2581, 2016
Fabrication of microstrip patch antenna using novel hybrid printing technology
Authors: Hussain Shah Syed Imran , Lee Dongju , Tentzeris Manos M. , Lim Sungjoon
Published: August 2016

In this article, a novel hybrid printing technology that realizes a microstrip patch antenna is introduced. The proposed hybrid printing technology uses both two‐ and three‐dimensional (2D and 3D) printing technologies. The antenna's dielectric materials are built using a 3D printer. The metallic pattern is printed using a commercial inkjet printer. Polylactic acid (PLA) is used for the filament of the 3D printer and silver nanoparticle ink is printed on paper using the inkjet printer. For a highly efficient antenna design with lossy PLA material, the mesh PLA is printed and its electromagnetic parameters are characterized. Finally, the printed patch antenna shows a return loss of 24 dB and a peak gain of 7 dBi at 1.9 GHz. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2602–2606, 2016
A new launching scheme for ECR plasma based on two‐waveguides‐array
Authors: Torrisi G. , Sorbello G. , Leonardi O. , Mascali D. , Celona L. , Gammino S.
Published: August 2016

This article describes the design, the simulations, and the tests of a microwave launcher for alternative plasma‐heating schemes in the Flexible Plasma Trap (FPT). A waveguide‐phased array has been designed to tilt the wave injection angle: this will allow modal conversion to generate Electrostatic Bernstein Waves and then to obtain overdense plasmas. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2629–2634, 2016
Asymmetric peak to average power ratio impacts on direct‐detected optical OFDM transmission link
Authors: Won Yong‐Yuk , Kim Chang‐Hun , Han Sang‐Kook , Seo Dongsun
Published: August 2016

In this article, the impact of asymmetric peak to average power ratio (PAPR) of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal is investigated in direct detection OFDM transmission for the first time. The asymmetric PAPR is produced due to the positive definiteness of direct optical OFDM modulation. It gets bigger and bigger due to the generation of different time delay of each OFDM subcarrier, which is caused by chromatic dispersion. The performance of direct detection optical OFDM link in the presence of asymmetric PAPR is evaluated measuring error vector magnitude (EVM) of quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) and 16‐qudrature amplitude modulation (QAM) symbols according to the optical transmission length and the transmission rate; 14% EVM (bit error rate of 10−3) of QPSK symbol is observed at the optical transmission length of 400 km despite the usage of channel equalization as well as the insertion of cyclic prefix when the asymmetric PAPR of input optical OFDM signal is above 25 dB. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2662–2665, 2016
A novel compact dual‐band filter based on quarter‐mode substrate integrated waveguide and complementary split‐ring resonator
Authors: Wang Ke , Tang Hongyan , Wu Runmiao , Yu Chao , Zhang Jian , Wang Xiaotong
Published: August 2016

This article proposes a novel miniaturized dual‐band filter, which is implemented by combining quarter‐mode substrate integrated waveguide (QMSIW) and complementary split‐ring resonator (CSRR). The resonator consists of a QMSIW cavity and CSRR structure, which can miniaturize SIW filter by increasing electrical length of the CSRR. With the combination of two second‐order QMSIW filters of different size, two propagating passbands can be generated. Based on the proposed structure, a dual‐band prototype is designed, fabricated, and measured. The measured passbands are centered at 3.5 GHz with about 3.3% bandwidth and 5.7 GHz with about 6.4% bandwidth. The measured minimum insertion loss for lower and upper bands is 0.98dB and 0.81dB respectively. While the insertion loss for all passbands is better than 2dB. The propose dual‐band filter has good performance in insertion loss with compact size, which has a great potential in the application of communication systems. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2704–2707, 2016
An ultra thin polarization insensitive and angularly stable miniaturized frequency selective surface
Authors: Varuna A.B. , Ghosh Saptarshi , Srivastava Kumar Vaibhav
Published: August 2016

In this article, a novel polarization‐insensitive and angularly stable miniaturized frequency selective surface (FSS) has been presented. The proposed structure has a single bandpass operation centred at 1.42 GHz, which is printed on an ultra‐thin (0.00127λ0) dielectric substrate. Compared with earlier reported structures, the designed FSS demonstrates a better miniaturization performance having unit cell dimension of 0.0378λ0 × 0.0378λ0, where λ0 refers to free space wavelength corresponding to resonant frequency. Furthermore, an equivalent circuit model has been derived whose circuit simulation matches well with the full‐wave analysis. Finally, a prototype of proposed FSS is fabricated and the measured responses are in good agreement with the simulated results under normal as well as oblique incidence. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2713–2717, 2016
Corrugated conical horn antenna with wide beamwidth at 60 GHz band
Authors: OrihuelaVargas Carlos E. , Coelho Fabiano V.S. , Siqueira Glaucio L. , Magri Vanessa P.R. , Matos Leni J.
Published: August 2016

Two 90‐degree conical horn antennas prototypes were designed and characterized to achieve wide beamwidth at 60 GHz in order to receive multipath signals in a mobile environment. The antennas consist of a circular waveguide and a flange with one and three annular slots. A simulated half‐power beamwidth of 112 degrees was reached for the antenna with one annular slot and 115 degrees for the antenna with three annular slots. Some tests were realized and the results compared with the simulated ones showing good agreement.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2731–2738, 2016
Design of a 75–110‐GHz millimeter‐wave 90‐nm CMOS highly isolated transmitter/receiver switch by leakage‐cancellation technique
Authors: Chou Chien‐Chang , Huang Shih‐Chiao , Lai Wen‐Chian , Kuo H.‐C. , Chuang Huey‐Ru
Published: August 2016

This article presents 75‐110‐GHz highly isolated T/R switch in 90nm CMOS. The proposed T/R switch circuit design is focused on highly isolation performance which is achieved by using both parallel inductors and leakage‐cancellation techniques. To also reduce insertion loss which is also an important design key point, series‐shunt single‐pole double throw (SPDT) switch with optimizing transistors size and body‐floating technique are adopted. From the experiment results, the designed switch has good performance of the return loss, insertion loss and isolation in W‐band. Compared with some previously reported works, the designed switch has the best isolation performance of 48 dB at 94‐GHz, and IP1dB is > 9dBm, respectively.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2725–2731, 2016
A laguerre‐based time‐domain discontinuous Galerkin finite element‐boundary integral method
Authors: Tian Cheng‐Yi , Shi Yan , Liu Zhi‐Qi , Liang Chang‐Hong
Published: August 2016

This article develops a Laguerre‐based discontinuous Galerkin finite element‐boundary integral method for solving Maxwell's equations in the time domain. A set of hierarchical vector functions and weighted Laguerre polynomials as spatial and temporal basis functions are used to expand transient electromagnetic fields, respectively. The electromagnetic fields at truncated boundary are solved by the time‐domain boundary integral method and used in the partial penalized numerical flux in the discontinuous Galerkin time‐domain method, thus avoiding the use of absorbing boundary condition. With the use of the Galerkin temporal testing procedure, the Laguerre‐based algorithm eliminates the time variable, and hence the explicit time integration solution procedure is replaced by a recursive solution procedure in terms of the orders of temporal testing functions. The use of the partial penalized numerical flux with an optimized penalty factor can improve the accuracy of the proposed algorithm compared with the widely used central flux and upwind flux. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed method becomes increasingly accurate with increase of the order of the spatial basis functions.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2774–2780, 2016
Implantable ferrite antenna for biomedical applications
Authors: Fazeli Maxwell , Hong Yang‐Ki , Lee Woncheol , Park Jihoon
Published: August 2016

We have developed a miniaturized implantable ferrite antenna, operating in the industrial, scientific, and medical band (2.4–2.5 GHz). The dip‐coated NiCo ferrite films effectively reduces the antenna resonance by 110 MHz, with a 4.2 dB reflection coefficient improvement as compared with an antenna without ferrite. The ferrite antenna also reveals a 6 dBi and 35 MHz improvement in realized gain and −10 dB bandwidth, respectively, at resonance. The effects of ferrite film loading on antenna performance are further investigated with parametric simulations and experimental comparisons.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2745–2749, 2016
Cigarette Smoking Is Associated With Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
Authors: Suzuki Taku , Iwamoto Takuji , Ochi Kensuke , Mito Kazuaki , Nakamura Toshiyasu , Suzuki Katsuji , Yamada Harumoto , Sato Kazuki
Published: August 2016

Introduction

The aim of this study was to validate the potential association between cigarette smoking and cubital tunnel syndrome (CubTS).

Methods

One hundred patients with CubTS were compared with 100 controls with ulnar abutment syndrome matched for age, gender, and body mass index. The smoking status was compared between patients and controls using the sign test and the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate the association between CubTS and pack‐years smoked.

Results

A significant association was found between increased pack‐years smoked and CubTS. A significant difference in the number of never smokers and ever smokers was observed between the patients with CubTS and controls. The difference in mean pack‐years in the patients and controls was highly significant. A dose‐dependent association with pack‐years was found between patients and controls.

Conclusions

High cumulative cigarette smoking is associated with CubTS. Muscle Nerve 54: 1136–1138, 2016
Comparative study of peripheral nerve Mri and ultrasound in multifocal motor neuropathy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Jongbloed Bas A. , Haakma Wieke , Goedee H. Stephan , Bos Jeroen W. , Bos Clemens , Hendrikse Jeroen , Van Den Berg Leonard H. , Van Der Pol W. Ludo
Published: August 2016

Introduction: Differentiating multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is important, as MMN is a difficult, but treatable disorder. Methods: We studied peripheral nerve imaging techniques in differentiating MMN from ALS by measuring the cross‐sectional area (CSA) of the median and ulnar nerves in the forearms using high resolution ultrasound (HRUS) and MRI. Results: HRUS CSA values of the median nerve in the forearm (P = 0.002) and the ulnar nerve distal to the sulcus (P = 0.009) were significantly enlarged in patients with MMN. There was a positive correlation between CSA as measured with HRUS and MRI (Spearman rho 0.60; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Peripheral nerve imaging is a potentially powerful technique to distinguish MMN from ALS. Muscle Nerve, 2016 Muscle Nerve 54: 1133–1135, 2016
A local RBF collocation method for band structure computations of 2D solid/fluid and fluid/solid phononic crystals
Authors: Zheng Hui , Zhang Chuanzeng , Wang Yuesheng , Chen Wen , Sladek Jan , Sladek Vladimir
Published: August 2016

In this paper, an efficient local radial basis function collocation method (LRBFCM) is presented for computing the band structures of the two‐dimensional (2D) solid/fluid and fluid/solid phononic crystals. Both systems of solid scatterers embedded in a fluid matrix (solid/fluid phononic crystals) and fluid scatterers embedded in a solid matrix (fluid/solid phononic crystals) are investigated. The solid–fluid interactions are taken into account by properly formulating and treating the continuity/equilibrium conditions on the solid–fluid interfaces, which require an accurate computation of the normal derivatives of the displacements and the pressure on the fluid–solid interfaces and the unit‐cell boundaries. The developed LRBFCM for the mixed wave propagation problems in 2D solid/fluid and fluid/solid phononic crystals is validated by the corresponding results obtained by the finite element method (FEM). To the best knowledge of the authors, the present LRBFCM has yet not been applied to the band structure computations of 2D solid/fluid and fluid/solid phononic crystals. For different lattice forms, scatterers' shapes, acoustic impedance ratios, and material combinations (solid scatterers in fluid matrix or fluid scatterers in solid matrix), numerical results are presented and discussed to reveal the efficiency and the accuracy of the developed LRBFCM for calculating the band structures of 2D solid/fluid and fluid/solid phononic crystals. A comparison of the present numerical results with that of the FEM shows that the present LRBFCM is much more efficient than the FEM for the band structure computations of the considered 2D solid/fluid and fluid/solid phononic crystals. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The genetic architecture of body mass index from infancy to adulthood modified by parental education
Authors: Silventoinen Karri , Huppertz Charlotte , van Beijsterveldt Catharina E.M. , Bartels Meike , Willemsen Gonneke , Boomsma Dorret I.
Published: August 2016

Objective

A higher prevalence of obesity in lower socioeconomic classes is common in Western societies. This study examined the role of gene–environment interactions in the association between parental education and body mass index (BMI) from infancy to the onset of adulthood.

Methods

Parentally reported BMI from 1 to 13 and self‐reported BMI from 14 to 20 years of age were collected in 16,646 complete Dutch twin pairs and analyzed by genetic twin modeling.

Results

At 7 to 8 years of age, children whose parents had middle or low educational levels had more excess weight than the children of more highly educated parents, and the difference increased until 18 to 20 years of age. The major part of the BMI variation was explained by additive genetic factors (a2 = 0.55–0.85), but environmental factors common for co‐twins also played a significant role, especially from 3 to 7–8 years of age (c2 = 0.15–0.29). The genetic variation in BMI was higher in children whose parents had middle or low educational levels compared with children whose parents had a high educational level.

Conclusions

The interaction between genetic factors and the childhood social environment may contribute to the formation of socioeconomic differences in obesity.
Body mass index and all‐cause mortality among older adults
Authors: Cheng Feon W. , Gao Xiang , Mitchell Diane C. , Wood Craig , Still Christopher D. , Rolston David , Jensen Gordon L.
Published: August 2016

Objective

To examine the association between baseline body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and all‐cause mortality in a well‐characterized cohort of older persons.

Methods

The association between BMI (both as a categorical and continuous variable) and all‐cause mortality was investigated using 4,565 Geisinger Rural Aging Study participants with baseline age 74.0 ± 4.7 years (mean ± SD) and BMI 29.5 ± 5.3 kg/m2 over a mean of 10.9 ± 3.8 years of follow‐up.

Results

The relationship between BMI (as a continuous variable) and all‐cause mortality was found to be U‐shaped (P nonlinearity <0.001). Controlling for age, sex, smoking, alcohol, laboratory values, medications, and comorbidity status, underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) individuals had significantly greater adjusted risk of all‐cause mortality than persons of BMI 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2 (reference range). Participants with overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2) and class I obesity (BMI 30.0–34.9 kg/m2) had significantly lower adjusted‐risk of all‐cause mortality. Those with classes II/III obesity (BMI ≥ 35.0 kg/m2) did not have significantly greater adjusted‐risk of all‐cause mortality. Findings were consistent using propensity score weights and among never‐smokers with 2‐ and 5‐year lag analysis and among those with no identified chronic disease.

Conclusions

A U‐shaped association was observed between BMI and all‐cause mortality with lower risk among older persons with overweight and class I obesity in comparison with those with BMI 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2.