bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AAV vector-meditated expression of HLA-G reduces injury-induced corneal vascularization, immune cell infiltration, and fibrosis
Authors: Hirsch Matthew L. , Conatser Laura M. , Smith Sara M. , Salmon Jacklyn H. , Wu Jerry , Buglak Nicholas E. , Davis Rich , Gilger Brian C.
Published: December 2017

Over 1.5 million individuals suffer from cornea vascularization due to genetic and/or environmental factors, compromising visual acuity and often resulting in blindness. Current treatments of corneal vascularization are limited in efficacy and elicit undesirable effects including, ironically, vision loss. To develop a safe and effective therapy for corneal vascularization, adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy, exploiting a natural immune tolerance mechanism induced by human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G), was investigated. Self-complementary AAV cassettes containing codon optimized HLA-G1 (transmembrane) or HLA-G5 (soluble) isoforms were validated in vitro. Then, following a corneal intrastromal injection, AAV vector transduction kinetics, using a chimeric AAV capsid, were determined in rabbits. One week following corneal trauma, a single intrastromal injection of scAAV8G9-optHLA-G1 + G5 prevented corneal vascularization, inhibited trauma-induced T-lymphocyte infiltration (some of which were CD8+), and dramatically reduced myofibroblast formation compared to control treated eyes. Biodistribution analyses suggested AAV vectors persisted only in the trauma-induced corneas; however, a neutralizing antibody response to the vector capsid was observed inconsistently. The collective data demonstrate the clinical potential of scAAV8G9-optHLA-G to safely and effectively treat corneal vascularization and inhibit fibrosis while alluding to broader roles in ocular surface immunity and allogenic organ transplantation.
UV-B antagonises shade avoidance and increases levels of the flavonoid quercetin in coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
Authors: Fraser Donald P. , Sharma Ashutosh , Fletcher Taryn , Budge Simon , Moncrieff Chris , Dodd Antony N. , Franklin Keara A.
Published: December 2017

Despite controlling a diverse array of regulatory processes in plants, UV-B wavelengths (280–315 nm) are attenuated by common greenhouse materials such as glass and polycarbonate and are therefore depleted in many commercial growing environments. In this study, we analysed the architecture, pigment accumulation and antioxidant capacity of coriander (Coriandrum sativum, also known as cilantro) plants grown with and without supplementary UV-B (1.5 µmol m−2 s−1). We demonstrate that UV-B limits stem elongation responses to neighbour proximity perception (shade avoidance), promoting a more compact plant architecture. In addition, UV-B increased leaf quercetin content and total antioxidant capacity. Arabidopsis thaliana mutants deficient in flavonoid biosynthesis were not impaired in shade avoidance inhibition, suggesting that UV-B-induced flavonoid synthesis is not a component of this response. Our results indicate that UV-B supplementation may provide a method to manipulate the architecture, flavour and nutritional content of potted herbs whilst reducing the deleterious impacts of dense planting on product quality.
Adaptation of Stability during Perturbed Walking in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Martelli Dario , Luo Lan , Kang Jiyeon , Kang Un Jung , Fahn Stanley , Agrawal Sunil K.
Published: December 2017

Gait and balance disorders are major problems that contribute to falls among subjects with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Strengthening the compensatory responses through the use of balance perturbations may improve balance in PD. To date, it is unclear how PD affects the ability to react and adapt to perturbations delivered while walking. This study aims to investigate how PD affects the ability to walk, respond to balance perturbations, and produce acute short-term effects to improve compensatory reactions and gait stability. A cable-driven robot was used to train nine patients with PD and nine age-matched controls with multidirectional waist-pull perturbations while walking on a treadmill. Margin of stability and base of support were evaluated while walking without cables and reacting to the perturbations. PD was associated with a reduced stability in the forward direction and the inability to produce proactive anticipatory adjustments. Both groups were able to improve the response to the disturbances and produce short-term aftereffects of increased gait stability once the cables were removed. A single session of perturbation-based balance training produced acute effects that ameliorated gait instability in PD. This result is encouraging for designing new therapeutic interventions that remediate falls risk.
Synergistic enhancing effect for mechanical and electrical properties of tungsten copper composites using spark plasma infiltrating sintering of copper-coated graphene
Authors: Chen Wenge , Dong Longlong , Wang Jiaojiao , Zuo Ying , Ren Shuxin , Fu Yongqing
Published: December 2017

Successful applications of WCu alloys in high voltage electrical switches require their high strength and excellent conductivity. Unfortunately, the strategies for increasing their strength such as doping with fine particles and alloying often significantly decrease their conductivity. In this paper, we developed a new pathway for fabricating WCu alloys using spark plasma infiltrating sintering of copper-coated graphene (Cu@Gr) composite powders. Cu@Gr was found to partially prevent the formation of WC after sintering, and graphene was uniformly distributed on the surfaces of network Cu phases. Electrical conductivity of 38.512 M·S/m, thermal conductivity of 264 W·m−1·K−1 and microhardness of 278 HV were achieved for the sintered WCu composites doped with only 0.8 wt.% Cu@Gr powders, which showed 95.3%, 24.3%, 28% enhancement compared with those from the conventional sintering using the undoped WCu powders.
Phototaxis as a Collective Phenomenon in Cyanobacterial Colonies
Authors: Varuni P. , Menon Shakti N. , Menon Gautam I.
Published: December 2017

Cyanobacteria are a diverse group of photosynthetic bacteria that exhibit phototaxis, or motion in response to light. Cyanobacteria such as Synechocystis sp. secrete a mixture of complex polysaccharides that facilitate cell motion, while their type 4 pili allow them to physically attach to each other. Even though cells can respond individually to light, colonies are observed to move collectively towards the light source in dense finger-like projections. We present an agent-based model for cyanobacterial phototaxis that accounts for slime deposition as well as for direct physical links between bacteria, mediated through their type 4 pili. We reproduce the experimentally observed aggregation of cells at the colony boundary as a precursor to finger formation. Our model also describes the changes in colony morphology that occur when the location of the light source is abruptly changed. We find that the overall motion of cells toward light remains relatively unimpaired even if a fraction of them do not sense light, allowing heterogeneous populations to continue to mount a robust collective response to stimuli. Our work suggests that in addition to bio-chemical signalling via diffusible molecules in the context of bacterial quorum-sensing, short-ranged physical interactions may also contribute to collective effects in bacterial motility.
Dynamical Astrochemistry
Authors: Williams David A , Hartquist Thomas W , Rawlings Jonathan M C , Cecchi-Pestellini Cesare , Viti Serena
Published: December 2017

Astrochemistry is a well-established interdisciplinary subject and the methods for describing time-dependent chemistry in static or slowly-changing regions of interstellar space have been well-developed over many years. Existing astrochemical books normally describe the subject in terms of chemistry in static or slowly-varying astronomical situations but the most significant astronomical regions are those in which the physical conditions change on timescales that are comparable to or shorter than chemical timescales.

Written by leading experts in this area, this is the first book specifically devoted to the astrochemistry of dynamically evolving astronomical regions. It provides a comprehensive description of this important area of science, stressing in particular the methods that have been developed for specific purposes. It will be of interest to researchers in astrochemistry, including both chemists and physicists and could form the basis of a postgraduate course for research students in chemistry and physics.
Stimuli-responsively porating gels by condensation
Authors: Texter John , Kuriakose Naveen , Shendre Swaroop , Lewis Kendall , Venkatraman Sundar , Gupta Harshit
Published: December 2017

A polyurethane (PU) resin derived from glycerol and hexamethylene diisocyanate and an imidazolium bromide ionic liquid chain terminator yield a stimuli-responsive resin that reversibly porates as a solvation response.
Nonstoichiometry induced broadband tunable photoluminescence of monolayer WSe2
Authors: Su Weitao , Li Yongguang , Chen Leifeng , Huo Dexuan , Song Kaixin , Huang Xiwei , Shu Haibo
Published: December 2017

The PL bands of 1L WSe2 are modulated in the range of 810–690 nm; nonstoichiometry modifies Eg and exciton binding energy, inducing such wide modulation.
Salts with titanyl and vanadyl phthalocyanine radical anions. Molecular design and effect of cations on the structure and magnetic and optical properties
Authors: Konarev Dmitri V. , Kuzmin Alexey V. , Khasanov Salavat S. , Batov Mikhail S. , Otsuka Akihiro , Yamochi Hideki , Kitagawa Hiroshi , Lyubovskaya Rimma N.
Published: December 2017

Our recent data on radical anion salts of titanyl (TiIVOPc) and vanadyl (VIVOPc) phthalocyanines as well as additional new data are summarized.
Crystal structure of blue-colored ceria during redox reactions in a hydrogen atmosphere
Authors: Matsukawa Takeshi , Hoshikawa Akinori , Niwa Eiki , Yashima Masatomo , Ishigaki Toru
Published: December 2017

Neutron diffraction measurements revealed that the oxyhydroxide ceria CeO2Hy (0 ≦ y ≦1) was formed by the interaction of hydrogen under high temperature.
A new potential energy surface of the OH2+ system and state-to-state quantum dynamics studies of the O+ + H2 reaction
Authors: Li Wentao , Yuan Jiuchuang , Yuan Meiling , Zhang Yong , Yao Minghai , Sun Zhigang
Published: December 2017

A new global potential energy surface of the O+ + H2 system was constructed with neural network method, using about 63000 ab initio points, which were calculated by employing the multi-reference configuration interaction method with aug-cc-pVTZ and aug-cc-pVQZ basis sets.
Accuracy improvement of boron by molecular emission with a genetic algorithm and partial least squares regression model in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Zhu Zhihao , Li Jiaming , Guo Yangmin , Cheng Xiao , Tang Yun , Guo Lianbo , Li Xiangyou , Lu Yongfeng , Zeng Xiaoyan
Published: December 2017

We chose BO molecular emission to reduce the self-absorption effect in atomic LIBS and applied GA-PLSR to improve the molecular calibration.
Enhancing resistive-type hydrogen gas sensing properties of cadmium oxide thin films by copper doping
Authors: Sankarasubramanian K. , Soundarrajan P. , Logu T. , Sethuraman K. , Ramamurthi K.
Published: December 2017

The pure and Cu-doped CdO thin films with various doping concentrations (0.5 to 2 wt%) were deposited on amorphous glass substrates by a chemical spray pyrolysis technique for hydrogen gas sensor application.
A photoinduced cross-dehydrogenative-coupling (CDC) reaction between aldehydes and N-hydroxyimides by a TiO2–Co ascorbic acid nanohybrid under visible light irradiation
Authors: Feizpour Fahimeh , Jafarpour Maasoumeh , Rezaeifard Abdolreza
Published: December 2017

A TiO2–Co ascorbic acid nanohybrid as an efficient photocatalyst catalyzed the selective synthesis of N-hydroxyimide esters through visible light irradiation.
Understanding the structure and reactivity of the C–S linkage in biologically active 5-arylthio-5H-chromenopyridines
Authors: Grice Kyle A. , Patil Renukadevi , Ghosh Anandita , Paner Jesse D. , Guerrero Michael A. , Camacho Ehxciquiel Jaeroume M. , Sun Cao Phoebus , Niyazi Aeshah H. , Zainab Sitwat , Sommer Roger D. , Waris Gulam , Patil Shivaputra
Published: December 2017

Biologically-active 5-arylthio-5H-chromenopyridines were examined to understand their chemical properties.
Divergent synthesis of 3,4-dihydrodibenzo[b,d]furan-1(2H)-ones and isocoumarins via additive-controlled chemoselective C–C or C–N bond cleavage
Authors: Zuo Youpeng , He Xinwei , Ning Yi , Zhang Lanlan , Wu Yuhao , Shang Yongjia
Published: December 2017

Rh(iii)-Catalyzed C–C/C–O bond formation between cyclic 2-diazo-1,3-diketones and salicylamides with additive-controlled chemoselectivity.
Self-assembly of near-unity helical Ce1−xMxO2 (x = 0.1, M = Ni and Bi) solid solutions with tunable optical activity
Authors: Chen Jing , Li Songmei , Du Juan , Liu Jianhua , Yu Mei , Tang Zhiyong
Published: December 2017

Ce1−xMxO2 solid solutions show tunable optical activity throughout the whole UV–visible range ascribed to electronic exciton coupling between left-handed helical structures.
A versatile platform for the highly efficient preparation of graphene quantum dots: photoluminescence emission and hydrophilicity–hydrophobicity regulation and organelle imaging
Authors: Wu Xiaolong , Ma Liling , Sun Shan , Jiang Kai , Zhang Ling , Wang Yuhui , Zeng Haibo , Lin Hengwei
Published: December 2017

A versatile platform for the highly efficient preparation of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with diverse properties was developed.
Technical challenges of working with extracellular vesicles
Authors: Ramirez Marcel I. , Amorim Maria G. , Gadelha Catarina , Milic Ivana , Welsh Joshua A. , Freitas Vanessa M. , Nawaz Muhammad , Akbar Naveed , Couch Yvonne , Makin Laura , Cooke Fiona , Vettore Andre L. , Batista Patricia X. , Freezor Roberta , Pezuk Julia A. , Rosa-Fernandes Lívia , Carreira Ana Claudia O. , Devitt Andrew , Jacobs Laura , Silva Israel T. , Coakley Gillian , Nunes Diana N. , Carter Dave , Palmisano Giuseppe , Dias-Neto Emmanuel
Published: December 2017

Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) are gaining interest as central players in liquid biopsies, with potential applications in diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic guidance in most pathological conditions.
β-NiS modified CdS nanowires for photocatalytic H2 evolution with exceptionally high efficiency
Authors: Guan Shundong , Fu Xiuli , Zhang Yu , Peng Zhijian
Published: December 2017

Synthesis of an exceptionally highly efficient NiS–CdS hybrid photocatalyst for H2 evolution.
How to tame a palladium terminal oxo
Authors: Munz Dominik
Published: December 2017

The isolation of terminal oxo complexes of the late transition metals promises new avenues in oxidation catalysis like the selective and catalytic hydroxylation of unreactive CH bonds, the activation of water, or the upgrading of olefins.
MPC motion planning‐based sliding mode control for underactuated WPS vehicle via Olfati transformation
Authors: Yue Ming , An Cong , Ding Liang , Zhou Yafu
Published: December 2017

This study presents a model predictive control (MPC) motion planning‐based sliding mode control (SMC) for a wheeled pendular‐like suspension (WPS) vehicle by using Olfati transformation. To improve the tracking efficiency and enhance the control performance of the vehicle system, the mobile platform is required to follow the reference trajectory fast enough, while the swing of the suspension needs to be within an acceptable domain. To achieve these multi‐objectives, a two‐step design strategy consisting of a motion planning stage and a velocity tracking control design stage is proposed to control such an underactuated system. Specifically, a novel MPC, which satisfies various physical constraints of the WPS vehicle, is presented by which the nonholonomic constraint is dealt with as well. The SMC is then constructed in the second step to make the vehicle track the desired velocities generated by motion planning. As far as the steering subsystem is concerned, the global terminal SMC is used to ensure the fast convergence of the steering tracking; as for the forward subsystem, a composite sliding mode manifold is successfully introduced thanks to the underactuated dynamics decoupling by Olfati transformation. The numerical simulation validates the effectiveness of proposed control approaches even in the presence of sophisticated disturbance and physical limitations.
Extended Kalman filtering for state estimation of a Hill muscle model
Authors: Mohammadi Hanieh , Yao Hong , Khademi Gholamreza , Nguyen Thang T. , Simon Dan , Richter Hanz
Published: December 2017

The objectives of this study are five‐fold: (i) design an extended Kalman filter (EKF) for the single‐muscle and two‐muscle Hill models; (ii) design an EKF for unknown‐input estimation of the muscle models; (iii) investigate the detectability of the muscle models; (iv) examine the robustness of the EKF to modeling errors; and (v) improve state estimation by incorporating physical constraints into the estimator. Two noisy measurements are available for state estimation: muscle length, which is measured from joint angles; and muscle activation, which is measured from electromyography sensors. Simulation results verify that the EKF is an effective approach for estimation of the activation signals and the states of the system if the system is detectable; the EKF outperforms the high gain observer; and the EKF is robust to modeling errors. The standard deviations of the estimation errors are in the range 0.01–0.1 mm for the muscle lengths, which is one to two orders of magnitude more accurate than the measurements. The standard deviations of the dimensionless muscle activation estimation errors are in the range 0.01–0.02, which is one order of magnitude more accurate than the measurements. A projection approach accounts for constraints to further improve the estimates.
Recursive filtering for complex networks using non‐linearly coupled UKF
Authors: Li Wenling , Meng Cong , Jia Yingmin , Du Junping
Published: December 2017

This study is concerned with the recursive filtering problem for a class of discrete‐time complex networks with non‐linearly coupled terms. A coupled unscented Kalman filter (UKF) is developed, where the sigma points of the UKF are propagated by introducing the coupled terms. By using the stochastic analysis technique, a sufficient condition is established to guarantee the boundedness of the estimation errors, where an upper bound for the coupling strength is derived. It is shown that the upper bound of the coupling strength is inversely proportional to the number of nodes. A numerical example involving tracking of multiple interacting targets is provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed filter.
Robust asymptotic stability of parametric switched linear systems with dwell time
Authors: Bagherzadeh Mohamad Ali , Askari Javad , Ghaisari Jafar , Mojiri Mohsen
Published: December 2017

Switched linear systems with dwell time constraints constitute a very popular class of switched systems. In this study, impact of uncertain parameters on the stability of Parametrised switched linear (SL) systems with dwell time is investigated. Sufficient conditions are first proposed to analyse the global asymptotic stability of SL systems with dwell time. The conditions are then generalised to the case with parametric uncertainties to determine upper bounds on parametric uncertainties such that robust asymptotic stability is assured under dwell time constraints. Finally, an off‐line computational algorithm is proposed to enlarge the estimated stability intervals. Effectiveness and simplicity of the computations are shown by a numerical example.
Networked filtering with Markov transmission delays and packet disordering
Authors: Liu Andong , Zhang Wen‐an , Chen Bo , Yu Li
Published: December 2017

This is concerned with the filtering problem for a class of networked systems with Markov transmission delays and packet disordering. The transmission delays are considered to be a Markov chain with finite states, and a packet reordering mechanism is proposed to deal with the packet disordering. According to the original transition probability matrix of Markov delays, a new method is developed to calculate the reordered transition probability matrix. A sufficient condition is derived such that the filtering error system is exponentially stable in the mean‐square sense. Moreover, an optimal filter is designed by solving a convex optimisation problem. An illustrative example is provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed filtering method.
Adaptive output feedback tracking control for non‐linear switched stochastic systems with unknown control directions
Authors: Ma Hongjun , Liu Yanli , Ye Dan
Published: December 2017

The problem of adaptive fuzzy output feedback tracking control for a class of switched stochastic non‐linear systems with time‐varying delay and unknown control directions is addressed in this study. During the adaptive controller design procedure, a state observer is introduced to estimate the unmeasurable system states, an appropriate stochastic Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional is utilised to compensate the time‐varying delay terms, and fuzzy logic systems are employed to approximate a suitable unknown function which is composed of all the unknown non‐linearities of the switched systems. In addition, the Nussbaum‐type function is used to detect the unknown control directions. With the help of the designed controller independent of switching signals, the semi‐globally uniformly ultimately boundedness of all the closed‐loop signals is guaranteed and the tracking error converges to a small neighbourhood of the origin. Finally, a simulation example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Kalman filters for linear continuous‐time fractional‐order systems involving coloured noises using fractional‐order average derivative
Authors: Yang Chao , Gao Zhe , Liu Fanghui
Published: December 2017

In this study, Kalman filters for continuous‐time linear fractional‐order systems are studied with fractional‐order coloured process and measurement noise, respectively. By fractional‐order average derivative, linear fractional‐order systems with coloured fractional‐order process or measurement noise are discretised. To deal with coloured noises, the authors construct an augmented system with respect to the state, the process noise and the measurement noise. Furthermore, fractional‐order Kalman filter using the fractional‐order average derivative is proposed. This filter improves the accuracy of the state estimation and the filtering effect for coloured process and measurement noises. Finally, they give two examples to verify the correctness and validity of the proposed algorithm.
Secure filtering for stochastic non‐linear systems under multiple missing measurements and deception attacks
Authors: Yuan Huanhuan , Xia Yuanqing
Published: December 2017

In this study, a secure filtering problem is investigated for a class of uncertain stochastic non‐linear systems. A novel multiple channel attack model is established to account for the missing measurements and random deception attacks, which are assumed to occur in the insecure networks. The concept of ‐level security is proposed to quantify the degree of security. With the techniques of stochastic analysis, sufficient conditions are derived to provide the filtering systems ‐level security. Moreover, secure filtering gains are characterised by the solution to a set of inequality constraints. Numerical simulations on a power grid system are exploited to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design methodology.
Fault‐tolerant control of two‐dimensional discrete‐time systems
Authors: Raajananthini K. , Sakthivel R. , Ahn Choon Ki , Marshal Anthoni S.
Published: December 2017

A robust fault‐tolerant controller design for a class of two‐dimensional discrete‐time systems with mixed actuator faults, stochastic uncertainties and non‐linear perturbation in delayed states is proposed in this study. The authors' aim is to investigate the stochastic stabilisation issue with an adequate level of an extended dissipative performance index where the considered system contains failures occurring among the pre‐specified subset of actuators with admissible uncertainties. More precisely, the considered stochastic system uncertainties are assumed to follow mutually uncorrelated Bernoulli distributed sequences along with their probability rules. Furthermore, a practical actuator fault model consisting of both linear and non‐linear fault terms is proposed. By utilising some inequalities and extended dissipativity theory, the authors develop a robust stochastic stability criterion of the addressed system in the linear matrix inequality framework. Lastly, a simulation example is provided to verify the correctness and significance of the designed fault‐tolerant control strategy.
Finite‐time elimination of disagreement of opinion dynamics via covert noise
Authors: Su Wei , Chen Ge , Yu Yongguang
Published: December 2017

Eliminating disagreement in a group is usually beneficial to social stability. In this study, the authors initiate a design of practical noise intervention to eliminate group disagreement. For the well‐known Hegselmann–Krause ‐based divisive system, the authors propose a quite simple but promising noise intervention strategy that could resolve the group disagreement in finite time and induce the opinions synchronised to a targeted value. To be specific, the authors intentionally introduce a weak random noise to only one agent to affect its evolutionary opinion and also a leader agent with a fixed opinion in a divisive group, then strictly prove that the disagreement is finally eliminated and opinions get synchronised to the leader's opinion in finite time. Moreover, the authors calculate the finite time, which is a new stopping time, when opinions synchronously reach the objective opinion value. It is interesting to find that the finite stopping time is integrable when the noise is oriented, while not integrable when the noise is neutral. This could provide a further guide for designing more efficient intervention strategies for elimination of divergence.
Local similarity refinement of shape‐preserved warping for parallax‐tolerant image stitching
Authors: Li Wei , Jin Cheng‐Bin , Liu Mingjie , Kim Hakil , Cui Xuenan
Published: December 2017

This study proposes a local similarity refinement strategy to handle the parallax problem in image stitching. The proposed method is combined with deconvolution to acquire high‐accuracy matching between corresponding source images. Shape‐preserving half‐projective warp was used to eliminate distortion across the non‐overlapping region caused by the global projective transformation. The proposed refinement method further refines the warping result within the overlapping region, where it suppresses the parallax. The method was compared with various state‐of‐the‐art methods: projective (global homography), AutoStitch, Zaragoza's method, Zhang's method, and Chang's approach. All comparisons are based on both public data sets and a proposed Inha University Computer Vision Lab (ICVL) stitching data set. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is robust for handling the parallax in image stitching.
New colour morphological operators on hypergraph
Authors: Wang Junping , Liang Gangming , Wu Yao , Li Yong , Hu Jing
Published: December 2017

New colour morphological operators on hypergraph are proposed to avoid the loss of details caused by fixed structure element effectively. Hypergraph, the most general structure in discrete mathematics, is also a subset of a finite set. Being a structured representation of information, the ordinary image can be transformed into a hypergraph model, which can integrate hypergraph theory with mathematical morphology theory. As hypergraphs have good performance in structuring information, first of all, this study designs a reasonable algorithm for turning colour images into hypergraph space. Then based on hypergraph theory and colour distance, new colour morphological operators on hypergraph are defined. Experiments show that using the new operator can avoid the loss of detail information and the destruction of colour topology, which improve the precision of image processing.
Entropy‐based feature extraction and classification of vibroarthographic signal using complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise
Authors: Nalband Saif , Prince Amalin , Agrawal Anita
Published: December 2017

Non‐invasive methods accomplished by a computer aided diagnosis of knee‐joint disorders provide an effective tool. The objective of this study is to analyse vibroarthographic (VAG) signals using non‐linear signal processing technique. This study includes different entropy‐based feature extraction techniques to attain highly distinguishable features. The authors proposed to use a non‐linear method known as complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive white noise to decompose the VAG signals into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Entropy‐based features involving approximate entropy, sample entropy, Shannon entropy, Rényi entropy, Tsallis entropy and permutation entropy (PeEn) are computed from dominant IMFs and reconstructed VAG signals. These extracted features are given as input to the least squares support vector machine as a classifier. The results illustrated that PeEn performed better with respect to other entropies. PeEn gives a classification accuracy of 86.61% and Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.7082. The computational complexity of entropies was also analysed. Results inferred that PeEn has a computational complexity of O(N) provided a simple, robust and low computational feature extraction technique. Analysis of VAG signals using non‐linear preprocessing and entropy‐based features can provide highly distinguishable features for accurate detection of knee‐joint disorders.
Initial fine alignment based on self‐contained measurement in erection manoeuvre
Authors: Li Jianli , Li Yiqi , Zhai Fengguang
Published: December 2017

The initial alignment is vital to the inertial navigation system of a cruise vehicle. The existing initial fine alignment methods in the erection process are mostly dependent on other equipment to provide measurements, which increase the complexity and cost of the system and may cause some measurement error and noise. To solve this problem, an initial fine alignment method based on self‐contained measurement is proposed and executed during the erection process with a static base. The self‐contained measurement is obtained through the modelling of a multi‐level dynamic lever arm. Using the self‐contained measurement, the fine alignment model is derived and the precision of initial fine alignment can be improved. Finally, experiments were carried out and verified the validity of the proposed method.
Efficient analytical method for the coupling to penetrated transmission line in multiple enclosures based on electromagnetic topology
Authors: Gong Yanfei , Hao Jianhong , Jiang Luhang
Published: December 2017

An efficient analytical model based on electromagnetic (EM) topology has been developed for predicting the EM field coupling with a lossless penetrated transmission line (TL) of which the termination loads are located in two enclosures, respectively, excited by an internal vertical monopole and an external plane wave of oblique incidence. Firstly, the electric fields generated by the plane wave are calculated based on Bethe's aperture coupling theory and scalar wave function method. Then, the topology network of the EM interaction is established according to the analysis of the interference paths and the coupling mechanism from sources to the TL. Finally, the electric current induced at the line terminations is obtained by combining the generalised Baum–Liu–Tesche equation and the Agrawal's model. The analytical model has been successfully verified by the finite difference time domain method over a broad frequency range, and costs less time and fewer computational resources than numerical methods, which provides guidance for the field‐to‐line coupling in complex multiple enclosures against different sources.
Compact system for onsite calibration of 1000 kV voltage transformers
Authors: Zhao Shuangshuang , Huang Qifeng , Lei Min
Published: December 2017

This study describes the development and evaluation of a compact system for onsite calibration of 1000 kV voltage transformers in ultra‐high‐voltage (UHV) AC power transmission projects. The proposed compact system consists of a 1000 kV electromagnetic voltage transformer as a standard, a high‐voltage resonant power supply, and a voltage transformer test set, which are assembled and mounted on a calibration truck. The developed system accuracy is 0.05% in ratio and 0.058 mrad in phase angle, respectively. Also, the total basic uncertainty is about ±0.028% and ±0.03 mrad under field conditions. The compact system can be automatically set up and taken down quickly on site requiring no substation cranes or utility operating crews. It has successfully undergone complete field tests and calibrated 63 1000 kV voltage transformers in total at 5 UHV substations. The feasibility of an automatic and efficient approach to calibrating UHV voltage transformers on site has been demonstrated.
Fault diagnosis of wind turbine planetary gearbox based on order analysis and divergence index
Authors: Chengbing He , Shunkai Cai , Dakang Sun , Lei Song
Published: December 2017

Gearbox is one of the key components of wind turbine, whose fault will directly affect the safety and the operation of the overall wind turbine. This study develops a fault diagnosis method of wind turbine planetary gearbox. Using the order resampling method, the original non‐stationary time‐domain vibration signal is converted into a signal having a smooth angular domain or quasi‐stationary characteristics. The angle domain signal is conducted by empirical mode decomposition method. According to correlation coefficient criteria, the information mode function that contains fault feature is selected for signal reconstruction. The reconstructed signal is carried on by spectrum analysis. According to the classification of planetary gearbox, the fault feature parameters are extracted. J‐divergence and KL‐divergence (Kullback–Leibler divergence) calculated through the fault feature parameters are used to determine the fault location and describe the severity degree of the fault. Results of the experiments have revealed that the proposed method can be effective and accurate to the fault diagnosis of wind turbine planetary gearbox.
Analysis of pole‐to‐pole fault characteristics of flexible DC system and design of current‐limiting device
Authors: Xu Yan , Liu Jingyan
Published: December 2017

On the basis of the study of fault characteristics, this research study builds a ring DC system model based on three‐terminal VSC and explores the influence of the change of line parameters on the fault characteristics. Based on this, the current‐limiting method of the parallel capacitor is proposed, and the feasibility is verified by simulation. The results show that the device can effectively reduce the peak value of the fault current and make the arrival time of the current peak prolong and reduce the difficulty of protection.
Reliability evaluation of PV power systems with consideration of time‐varying factors
Authors: Li Hongtao , Ding Jie , Huang Jingsheng , Dong Yinghua , Li Xiaoyan
Published: December 2017

With the large‐scale grid‐connected operation of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in recent years, the accurate assessment of its reliability level has received increasing focus. This study obtained a probability model for system power output by analysing the structural characteristics of the PV power system and by examining its component failure mode and the effect of the component failure mode on the output power. The algorithmic model for the reliability evaluation of the PV power system was established based on the sequential Monte Carlo method, the weather conditions, component ageing, and light intensity. Finally, the six states model and their reliability indices of the PV power system were studied considering the resource constraint and the structural characteristics of the PV power system. The results showed that the model can fully reflect the actual operation reliability of a PV power system.
Linear demagnetizing strategy of DFIG‐based WTs for improving LVRT responses
Authors: Chang Yuanzhu , Kong Xiangping
Published: December 2017

As doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)‐based wind turbines (WTs) have already become a significant power source in modern power systems, its dynamic performance under grid fault is ordered strictly by low‐voltage ride through (LVRT) grid codes, namely maintain grid‐connected and inject required current rapidly. In this study, LVRT responses of DFIG‐based WT, with different LVRT solutions, are analysed and evaluated by natural flux and its corresponding transient recovery period of control ability. Compared to exponential damping characteristics under traditional schemes, linear demagnetising strategy is proposed to realise the optimal damping characteristic in natural flux by making the most of current capacity in rotor‐side converter. As a result, LVRT responses are improved effectively, namely transient recovery time and oscillation of required current are decreased, to meet future grid codes. Finally, the superiority of proposed strategy is verified with an insulated gate bipolar transistor‐detailed simulation on a general electric (GE) 1.5 MW WT.
TiCl4-Mediated Synthesis of 3,4-Hetero-Disubstituted Isocoumarins by Means of Isocyanide Insertion Reactions
Authors: El Kaïm Laurent , Grimaud Laurence , Vitale Maxime , Ponra Sudipta , Nyadanu Aude , Maurin Sylvie
Published: December 2017

The isocyanide insertion into sulfanyl-phthalides under Lewis acid conditions is reported with full details. This sequential three-component reaction affords a new straightforward and highly convenient method for the preparation of 3-amino-4-sulfanyl isocoumarins, the potential of which is still unexplored.
Kikuchi–Fujimoto's Disease in a Pediatric Patient with Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection
Authors: Alali Muayad , Schulte Jefree J. , Hendrickson Barbara A.
Published: December 2017

Kikuchi–Fujimoto's disease (KFD), alternatively termed histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, was first described in 1972. KFD is rare in children, with most of the cases occurring between the ages of 20 and 30 years with a female-to-male ratio of 4:1. The etiology is unknown, although infectious and autoimmune mechanisms have been proposed. KFD manifests with a spectrum of nonspecific clinical symptoms and laboratory findings. KFD is without a definitive diagnostic test and is a diagnosis of exclusion, which must be differentiated from other disease processes with associated lymphadenopathy. Significant overlap in both clinical presentation and histological features with other diseases, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, systemic lupus erythematosus, and active tuberculosis (TB), presents challenges in diagnosis. A small number of case reports have been published describing the coexistence of KFD and active TB. Most reported cases occur in TB endemic areas. In the largest analysis of KFD, TB infection was concurrent in 2% of cases. Most of the cases occurred in adult patients. To our knowledge, there have been no pediatric cases of KFD with concurrent TB infection reported in the United States. This study describes a case of KFD with concurrent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in a young male from the United States.
Operieren während der Schwangerschaft – Regelungen und Bedarfe
Authors: Fritze-Büttner Frauke , Dittmar Ronny , Niethard Maya
Published: December 2017

Aufgrund der deutlichen Zunahme von Frauen in der Medizin gewinnen berufspolitische Diskussionen zur Gleichstellung von Ärztinnen immer mehr Beachtung. Eine Thematik ist dabei das „Operieren in der Schwangerschaft“. Durch die bislang geltende Gesetzgebung und föderale Regelung war es schwangeren Chirurginnen bislang kaum möglich, ihre operative Tätigkeit fortzusetzen. Nach der Zustimmung des Bundesrats soll das reformierte Mutterschutzgesetz zum 01.01.2018 in Kraft treten. Es soll für Ärztinnen zukünftig dadurch leichter sein, auch in der Schwangerschaft zu operieren. Im Vordergrund steht dabei die Umgestaltung des Arbeitsplatzes anhand individueller Gefährdungsbeurteilungen unter Mitsprache der Frau, sodass ein risikoadaptiertes Operieren ermöglicht wird und vorzeitige Beschäftigungsverbote gegen den Wunsch der Schwangeren verhindert werden.
Wie beeinflusst der Diabetes mellitus das frühpostoperative und onkochirurgische Langzeit-„Outcome“ beim Rektumkarzinom?
Authors: Gebauer Björn , Meyer Frank , Ptok Henry , Steinert Ralf , Otto Ronny , Lippert Hans , Gastinger Ingo
Published: December 2017

Einleitung Ziel war es, den Einfluss von Diabetes mellitus (DM) auf das frühpostoperative und langfristige „Outcome“ nach operativer Intervention beim Rektumkarzinom anhand prospektiv-multizentrisch gewonnener Daten einer repräsentativen Patientenzahl zu untersuchen.

Methode Es wurden Daten der Qualitätssicherungsstudie „Rektum-Karzinom (Primärtumor) – Elektiv-Operation“ der Jahre 2008 – 2011 herangezogen, die über einen Erfassungsbogen mit 68 Items dokumentiert wurden. Über ein freiwilliges und regelmäßiges „Follow-up“ wurden Langzeitdaten eruiert. Unterteilt wurde in Patienten ohne DM und solche mit nicht- bzw. insulinpflichtigem DM (NIDDM bzw. IDDM).

Ergebnisse Insgesamt wurden 10 442 Patienten eingeschlossen, zu 11,0 % NIDDM- und zu 7,2 % IDDM-Patienten. Patienten ohne DM waren mit durchschnittlich 67,3 (95 %-KI: 67,07; 67,55) Jahren jünger als IDDM- mit 71,7 (95 %-KI: 71,01; 72,35) Jahren oder NIDDM-Patienten mit 70,9 (95 %-KI: 70,41; 71,45) Jahren (p < 0,001). Die UICC-Tumorstadien waren vergleichbar (p = 0,547). Diabetiker zeigten häufiger kardiovaskuläre/renale Risikofaktoren sowie Adipositas und hatten eine höhere ASA-Klassifikation (je p < 0,001). Die postoperative Morbidität (in der Altersgruppe 65 – 74 Jahre; p = 0,006) und Krankenhaus-Sterblichkeit (< 65 Jahre; p = 0,011) war beim Vorliegen eines DM erhöht. Das 5-Jahres-„Overall-Survival“ (OS) betrug bei Nicht-Diabetikern 60,6 %. IDDM (46,4 %) und NIDDM (53,3 %) bedingten ein schlechteres OS (je p < 0,001). Das 5-Jahres-„Disease-free survival“ (DFS) war ebenfalls bei IDDM (p < 0,001) und NIDDM (p = 0,004) vermindert. Für die 5-Jahres-Lokalrezidivrate wurden bei IDDM (p = 0,524) und NIDDM (p = 0,058) keine signifikanten Einflüsse gefunden.

Diskussion Die metabolische Störung DM stellt wahrscheinlich neben dem patienteneigenen Risikopotenzial durch die Kombination der vergesellschafteten Komorbiditäten einen relevanten Einflussfaktor auf das „Outcome“ nach Rektumkarzinom-Chirurgie dar. Die postoperative Morbidität und Letalität werden erhöht, das onkochirurgische Überleben verringert.
Note: Hybrid active/passive force feedback actuator using hydrostatic transmission
Authors: Park Yea-Seok , Lee Juwon , Kim Kyung-Soo , Kim Soohyun
Published: December 2017

A hybrid actuator for haptic devices is proposed in this paper. The actuator is composed of a DC motor and a magneto-rheological (MR) brake to realize transparency and stable force control. Two piston cylinders are connected with a flexible tube to lighten the weight of the structures on the endpoint that interacts with an operator. Also, the MR brake is designed to be suitable for hydraulic transmission. For the proposed hybrid actuator, a cooperative force control method using a pressure sensor instead of a force sensor is proposed. To verify the proposed control algorithm, a virtual wall collision experiment was conducted using a developed prototype of the hybrid actuator.
Embodied carbon emissions accounting, decomposition, and allocation of responsibilities in global trade: Based on the generalized hypothetical extraction method
Authors: Deng Guangyao , Lei Xiaoting , Liu Guanchun , He Qiao
Published: December 2017

This paper uses the 1995–2009 World Input-Output Databases, the multi-regional input-output analysis, and the generalized hypothetical extraction method to study the effect of the international trade on the embodied carbon emission of 41 countries. The results calculated by the hypothetical extraction method show that (1) America, Japan, and Germany were the top three countries with the largest gap of the embodied carbon emissions in 1995, and America, China, and Germany became the top three countries in 2009; (2) compared with the final goods trade, the intermediate input trade had a greater influence on the embodied carbon emissions for most countries in 1995 and 2009; the effect of the intermediate input trade on the emissions decreased, while the effect of the final goods trade increased from 1995 to 2009; and (3) the developed countries replaced the production of emission intensive goods by importing from the developing countries. These results implied that both producers and consumers should share the responsibilities for the carbon emissions.
A compact membrane-driven diamond anvil cell and cryostat system for nuclear resonant scattering at high pressure and low temperature
Authors: Zhao J. Y. , Bi W. , Sinogeikin S. , Hu M. Y. , Alp E. E. , Wang X. C. , Jin C. Q. , Lin J. F.
Published: December 2017

A new miniature panoramic diamond anvil cell (mini-pDAC) as well as a unique gas membrane-driven mechanism is developed and implemented to measure electronic, magnetic, vibrational, and thermodynamic properties of materials using the nuclear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (NRIXS) and the synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy (SMS) simultaneously at high pressure (over Mbar) and low temperature (T < 10 K). The gas membrane system allows in situ pressure tuning of the mini-pDAC at low temperature. The mini-pDAC fits into a specially designed compact liquid helium flow cryostat system to achieve low temperatures, where liquid helium flows through the holder of the mini-pDAC to cool the sample more efficiently. The system has achieved sample temperatures as low as 9 K. Using the membrane, sample pressures of up to 1.4 Mbar have been generated from this mini-pDAC. The instrument has been routinely used at 3-ID, Advanced Photon Source, for NRIXS and SMS studies. The same instrument can easily be used for other X-ray techniques, such as X-ray radial diffraction, X-ray Raman scattering, X-ray emission spectroscopy, and X-ray inelastic scattering under high pressure and low temperature. In this paper, technical details of the mini-pDAC, membrane engaging mechanism, and the cryostat system are described, and some experimental results are discussed.
Revealing the glass transition in shape memory polymers using Brillouin spectroscopy
Authors: Steelman Zachary A. , Weems Andrew C. , Traverso Andrew J. , Szafron Jason M. , Maitland Duncan J. , Yakovlev Vladislav V.
Published: December 2017

Emerging medical devices which employ shape memory polymers (SMPs) require precise measurements of the glass transition temperature (Tg) to ensure highly controlled shape recovery kinetics. Conventional techniques like differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) have limitations that prevent utilization for certain devices, including limited accuracy and the need for sacrificial samples. In this report, we employ an approach based on Brillouin spectroscopy to probe the glass transition of SMPs rapidly, remotely, and nondestructively. Further, we compare the Tg obtained from Brillouin scattering with DMA- and DSC-measured Tg to demonstrate the accuracy of Brillouin scattering for this application. We conclude that Brillouin spectroscopy is an accurate technique for obtaining the glass transition temperature of SMPs, aligning closely with the most common laboratory standards while providing a rapid, remote, and nondestructive method for the analysis of unique polymeric medical devices.