bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Silicon Carbide Nanosheet for High‐Performance Humidity Sensor
Authors: Sun Lian , Wang Bing , Wang Yingde
Published: January 2018

Two‐dimensional (2D) structure is a good candidate for fabricating humidity sensors due to its advantages including high surface/volume ratio, abundant active sites, and fast carrier motion rate. Here, an impedance‐type nonoxide humidity sensor based on silicon carbide nanosheets (SiC NSs) is prepared via carbothermal reduction between graphene oxide and silicon powder. The final product, with a high surface area of 90.1 m2 g−1, contains SiC with a thin oxide layer on the surface and some remained reduced graphene oxide. The synthesized SiC NSs exhibit excellent sensing properties such as a high sensitivity to water in ambient atmosphere (16991.1 at 95% relative humidity (RH)), a wide range of RH response (11–95%), short response time (3 s) and recovery time (3 s), and good linear response toward humidity, which are more excellent than the commercial SiC nanowires and most of the nanostructure humidity sensors in literature. The good humidity sensing performance of this sample can be contributed to the advantage of nanosheet structure, the fast electron transfer rate in the SiC semiconductor, and the donor effect of electrons. This report provides a technical guidance on the designing of novel 2D structure nonoxide humidity sensors.
Suppression of Grain Boundary Scattering in Multifunctional p‐Type Transparent γ‐CuI Thin Films due to Interface Tunneling Currents
Authors: Kneiß Max , Yang Chang , Barzola‐Quiquia José , Benndorf Gabriele , von Wenckstern Holger , Esquinazi Pablo , Lorenz Michael , Grundmann Marius
Published: January 2018

Transparent p‐type conductive γ‐CuI thin films typically exhibit unexpectedly high hole mobilities in the range of 10 cm2 V−1 s−1 even when heavily textured. To explain this phenomenon, the transport properties of such thin films are investigated. The temperature‐dependent resistivities of the textured (111)‐oriented films with different carrier concentration are fitted using the fluctuation‐induced tunneling conductivity (FITC) model in series with a power law. The FITC model describes barriers at the grain boundaries whereas the power law considers the scattering in the metallic interior of the grains. Magnetoresistance measurements performed on a reactively DC‐sputtered thin film at low temperatures (T < 8 K) suggest a 2D weak antilocalization effect with phase coherence lengths of about 50 nm. This is corroborated by a typical logarithmic temperature dependence of the zero‐field conductance. An n‐type inversion layer or a defect band at the interfaces of the grains as origin of the 2D carrier system and the barriers at the grain boundaries is proposed. This leads to a conclusive description of the electrical transport properties of γ‐CuI thin films and explains the high hole mobilities which are due to a suppressed backscattering at the grain boundaries in the presence of tunneling channels.
Bluetooth Low Energy‐Based Washable Wearable Activity Motion and Electrocardiogram Textronic Monitoring and Communicating System
Authors: Tao Xuyuan , Huang Tzu‐Hao , Shen Chien‐Lung , Ko Ya‐Chi , Jou Gwo‐Tsuen , Koncar Vladan
Published: January 2018

The miniaturized, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) encapsulated, reliable, and fully washable system composed of three textile stretchable electrodes and connected electronic module is designed, realized, and integrated to a sportswear. The electronic module is specifically developed and made on a flexible print circuit board in order to facilitate its integration. The software developed enables the recording of the electrocardiogram (ECG) high quality signs together with the skin temperature, the breathing rate, and acceleration outputs that are used for an activity monitoring. The electronic module transmits all the data to a smart phone via low energy Bluetooth. The specific dedicated application displays the ECG signal, the respiration rate, and the activity performed in a real time. This information is sent to a cloud. The system is tested in real conditions of utilization and washed following standards to test its reliability and verify its readiness for the market. The system is a next step in the instrumentation of clothing, comparing to existing heart rate monitoring modules, having a capacity to monitor the activities in real time and being fully washable without mechanical disconnecting of the electronic module as it is a case for almost all existing monitoring devices.
Covert Images Using Surface Plasmon‐Mediated Optical Polarization Conversion
Authors: Finlayson Ewan D. , Hooper Ian R. , Lawrence Christopher R. , Heath Mark , Anderson David , Sambles J. Roy , Vukusic Peter
Published: January 2018

Covert optical signatures are a vital element in anticounterfeiting technologies. Plasmonic surfaces offer a means of manipulating the properties of light including the realization of colored pixels and images. In this work, concealed images with accurate color reproduction using plasmonic pixel arrays are demonstrated. The spectral and spatial control of optical polarization conversion is accomplished by tailoring the interaction of light with surface plasmons through the design and arrangement of surface nanostructures. The latent image is revealed using a polarization‐sensitive optical system, which represents a means for the authentication of security features that can be created using these nanostructured devices. A red–green–blue color space is defined containing a wide gamut of chromaticities, enabling comprehensive full‐color image capability. The device concept extends the functionality of a polarization‐dependent plasmonic response to realize the encoding of a color image in covert form.
Shell‐Isolated Nanoparticle‐Enhanced Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopies: Synthesis and Applications
Authors: Xu Juan , Zhang Yue‐Jiao , Yin Hao , Zhong Han‐Liang , Su Min , Tian Zhong‐Qun , Li Jian‐Feng
Published: January 2018

Shell‐isolated nanoparticles (SHINs) composed of a protective shell and a plasmonic metal core have been extensively used in plasmon‐enhanced Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy. Whereby, SHIN‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy has effectively overcome the material and morphology limitations for traditional surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy and demonstrates advanced properties in various fields including surface science, chemical analysis, biological and medical assays, and material science. Meanwhile, the fluorescence of the optical species can be enhanced smartly by SHINs due to the localized surface‐plasmon resonance effect of the SHINs, the so called SHIN‐enhanced fluorescence. In this review, the synthesis of the SHINs is discussed according to the shell materials. Then, the developments and advancements in application of the SHINs in Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies are comprehensively described. Finally, potential future developments for SHINs and SHIN‐enhanced spectroscopy are presented.
Direct Synthesis of Sulfinamides by the Copper‐Catalyzed Electrophilic Amidation of Sulfenate Anions
Authors: Dai Qiang , Zhang Junliang
Published: January 2018

A method for the construction of sulfinamides via the copper‐catalyzed electrophilic amination of sulfenate anions using N‐benzoyloxyamines as the amination reagents. This procedure featured with the capture of in‐situ generated sulfenate anions from β‐sulfinyl esters under mild conditions, which provides an efficient strategy for the synthesis of diverse sulfinamides in moderate to good yields.

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All‐Hand‐Drawn Zn–Air Batteries: Toward User‐Customized On‐the‐Fly Power Sources
Authors: Choi Keun‐Ho , Kim Hyun‐Woo , Lee Seong‐Sun , Yoo JongTae , Lee Dong‐Gue , Lee Sang‐Young
Published: January 2018

The upcoming ubiquitous era, which will foresee the widespread popularity of Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable electronics, is in urgent need of high‐performance/flexible power sources with various form factors. Here, a new class of user‐customized, on‐the‐fly power source based on an all‐hand‐drawn primary zinc (Zn)–air battery system is demonstrated. The all‐hand‐drawn Zn–air batteries are fabricated directly on A4 paper (serving as a mechanical substrate and gas diffusion layer) under ambient conditions by using a simple pen/pencil‐based hand drawing technique. The Zn–air batteries consist of pen‐drawn silver current collectors, pen‐drawn Zn anodes, pencil‐drawn carbon air cathodes, and pen‐drawn gel electrolytes. Notably, oil painting‐inspired Zn anode ink presents well‐tailored rheological properties for the pen drawing. Subsequent UV curing enables the pen‐drawn Zn anode to show dimensional stability and long‐term structural integrity. The resulting Zn–air batteries exhibit reliable electrochemical performance and on‐demand control of cell voltage/capacity. The all‐hand‐drawn Zn–air batteries are aesthetically unitized with various IoT devices including an e‐sketch of a light bulb and a smart paper lampshade as an unprecedented on‐the‐fly power source, underscoring the exceptional process simplicity, ubiquitous portability and design versatility that lie far beyond those achievable with conventional battery technologies.
Directly Assembled 3D Molybdenum Disulfide on Silicon Wafer for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Reduction
Authors: Andoshe Dinsefa Mensur , Jin Gangtae , Lee Chang‐Soo , Kim Changyeon , Kwon Ki Chang , Choi Seokhoon , Sohn Woonbae , Moon Cheon Woo , Lee Seung Hee , Suh Jun Min , Kang Sungwoo , Park Jaehyun , Heo Hoseok , Kim Jong Kyu , Han Seungwu , Jo Moon‐Ho , Jang Ho Won
Published: January 2018

MoS2 composed of earth‐abundant elements is considered as a promising hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst for p‐type Si photocathode owing to its appropriate hydrogen adsorption free energy for the edge sites and high photochemical stability in acidic electrolytes. However, the direct synthesis of uniform and atomically thin MoS2 on Si by usual chemical vapor deposition techniques remains challenging because of the weak van der Waals interaction between Si and MoS2. Herein, by controlling the gas phase kinetics during metal–organic chemical vapor deposition, wafer‐scale direct synthesis of 3D MoS2 films on TiO2‐coated p‐type Si substrates is demonstrated. The 3D MoS2 layer with a number of edge sites exposed to ambient substantially reduces the HER overpotential of Si photocathode and simultaneously increases the saturation current density due to the antireflection effect. Directly grown 3D MoS2 thin films are stable under extended water reduction duration. The strategy paves the way for efficient assembly of transition metal disulfide HER catalysts on the p‐type photocathode.
Effects of monomer length on α‐olefins polymerization using a conventional Ziegler–Natta catalyst
Authors: Shirbakht Sedigheh , Mirmohammadi Seyed Amin , Didehban Khadijeh , Sadjadi Samaheh , Bahri‐Laleh Naeimeh
Published: January 2018

α‐Olefin monomers with different lengths from C4 to C10 were polymerized via a conventional Ziegler–Natta catalyst. It was found that activity of the catalyst decreases with increase in the monomer length as well as introduction of external donor. GPC results exhibited a steady decrease in molecular weight from poly1‐butene to poly1‐decene; however, PDI did not show a clear trend. Based on differential scanning calorimetry and X‐ray diffraction analyses, poly1‐butene and poly1‐decene represented crystalline structure with one and two melting points, respectively, while poly1‐hexene and poly1‐octene showed amorphous nature. The content of isotactic pentads increased from poly1‐butene to poly1‐octene, with maximum value of mmmm = 76%, but decreased again in poly1‐decene. Calculated ΔEre‐si values showed a peak by increasing monomer length which was in line with the experimental results for isotactic content.
Graphene oxide, an effective nanoadditive for a development of hollow fiber nanocomposite membrane with antifouling properties
Authors: Alam Javed , Shukla Arun Kumar , Alhoshan Mansour , Arockiasamy Dass Lawrence , Muthumareeswaran Muthu Ramamoorthy , Khan Aslam , Ahmed Ali Fekri Abdulraqeb
Published: January 2018

A series of hollow fiber (HF) membranes made from nanocomposites of polyethersulfone (PES) and graphene oxide (GO) at GO concentrations of 0.2%, 0.5%, and 1.0% were prepared by the dry–wet spinning process. The structure and the properties of as‐prepared HF membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM); atomic force microscopy (AFM); measurements of contact angle, zeta potential, molecular weight cut‐off (MWCO), and porosity; thermogravimetric analysis (TGA); and tensile testing. Long‐term filtration tests were performed with the proteins bovine serum albumin (BSA), pepsin, trypsin, and lysozyme, which are common model organic foulants used in membrane fouling studies. The results showed that HF membrane made from PES/GO nanocomposite dope had a water permeability of 30 ± 1.5 Lm−2 hr−1 bar−1, which is an increase of approximately 36% compared to that of a PES HF membrane. Among the membranes containing GO, the membrane with a 0.5 wt% GO loading exhibited the best antifouling performance, that is, this membrane recovered more than approximately 96% of its initial pure water flux, demonstrating a high resistance to the irreversible fouling. In addition, the same membrane showed an improvement in MWCO, an approximately 15% increase in porosity, along with optimum mechanical and thermal properties.
Oxygen‐Vacancy Abundant Ultrafine Co3O4/Graphene Composites for High‐Rate Supercapacitor Electrodes
Authors: Yang Shuhua , Liu Yuanyue , Hao Yufeng , Yang Xiaopeng , Goddard William A. , Zhang Xiao Li , Cao Bingqiang
Published: January 2018

The metal oxides/graphene composites are one of the most promising supercapacitors (SCs) electrode materials. However, rational synthesis of such electrode materials with controllable conductivity and electrochemical activity is the topical challenge for high‐performance SCs. Here, the Co3O4/graphene composite is taken as a typical example and develops a novel/universal one‐step laser irradiation method that overcomes all these challenges and obtains the oxygen‐vacancy abundant ultrafine Co3O4 nanoparticles/graphene (UCNG) composites with high SCs performance. First‐principles calculations show that the surface oxygen vacancies can facilitate the electrochemical charge transfer by creating midgap electronic states. The specific capacitance of the UCNG electrode reaches 978.1 F g−1 (135.8 mA h g−1) at the current densities of 1 A g−1 and retains a high capacitance retention of 916.5 F g−1 (127.3 mA h g−1) even at current density up to 10 A g−1, showing remarkable rate capability (more than 93.7% capacitance retention). Additionally, 99.3% of the initial capacitance is maintained after consecutive 20 000 cycles, demonstrating enhanced cycling stability. Moreover, this proposed laser‐assisted growth strategy is demonstrated to be universal for other metal oxide/graphene composites with tuned electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity.
Improve the Performance of the All‐Small‐Molecule Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells through Enhancing the Crystallinity of Acceptors
Authors: Li Huan , Zhao Yifan , Fang Jin , Zhu Xiangwei , Xia Benzheng , Lu Kun , Wang Zhen , Zhang Jianqi , Guo Xuefeng , Wei Zhixiang
Published: January 2018

Significant development has been achieved in nonfullerene organic solar cells. However, most of the high‐efficiency nonfullerene systems are composed of polymer donors and fused‐ring acceptors, and only a few small molecule donors can work well. Herein, a new A–D–A small molecule donor named NDTSR with naphtho[1,2‐b:5,6‐b′]dithiophene (NDT) as building blocks is synthesized. Two energy levels well‐matched fused‐ring acceptors ITIC and IDIC are chosen to construct all‐small‐molecule solar cells with NDTSR, respectively. When mixed with IDIC, a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.05% is achieved, which is the highest efficiency for NDT‐based small molecule donor. However, the NDTSR:ITIC system only exhibits a low PCE of 1.77%. The big difference in the performance of these two systems should be attributed to the different morphology and phase separation resulting from the crystallinity and aggregation ability of the acceptors. The results demonstrate that NDT‐based small molecule is a promising candidate donor for all‐small‐molecule systems, while the crystallinity of fused‐ring acceptors is a critical factor for optimizing the phase separation in the active layer.
Dual Phase Change Thermal Diodes for Enhanced Rectification Ratios: Theory and Experiment
Authors: Cottrill Anton L. , Wang Song , Liu Albert Tianxiang , Wang Wen‐Jun , Strano Michael S.
Published: January 2018

Thermal diodes are materials that allow for the preferential directional transport of heat and are highly promising devices for energy conservation, energy harvesting, and information processing applications. One form of a thermal diode consists of the junction between a phase change and phase invariant material, with rectification ratios that scale with the square root of the ratio of thermal conductivities of the two phases. In this work, the authors introduce and analyse the concept of a Dual Phase Change Thermal Diode (DPCTD) as the junction of two phase change materials with similar phase boundary temperatures but opposite temperature coefficients of thermal conductivity. Such systems possess a significantly enhanced optimal scaling of the rectification ratio as the square root of the product of the thermal conductivity ratios. Furthermore, the authors experimentally design and fabricate an ambient DPCTD enabled by the junction of an octadecane‐impregnated polystyrene foam, polymerized using a high internal phase emulsion template (PFH‐O) and a poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) aqueous solution. The DPCTD shows a significantly enhanced thermal rectification ratio both experimentally (2.6) and theoretically (2.6) as compared with ideal thermal diodes composed only of the constituent materials.
A New Hydrophilic Binder Enabling Strongly Anchoring Polysulfides for High‐Performance Sulfur Electrodes in Lithium‐Sulfur Battery
Authors: Chen Wei , Lei Tianyu , Qian Tao , Lv Weiqiang , He Weidong , Wu Chunyang , Liu Xuejun , Liu Jie , Chen Bo , Yan Chenglin , Xiong Jie
Published: January 2018

As one of the important ingredients in lithium‐sulfur battery, the binders greatly impact the battery performance. However, conventional binders have intrinsic drawbacks such as poor capability of absorbing hydrophilic lithium polysulfides, resulting in severe capacity decay. This study reports a new type of binder by polymerization of hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether with polyethylenimine, which enables strongly anchoring polysulfides for high‐performance lithium sulfur batteries, demonstrating remarkable improvement in both mechanical performance for standing up to 100 g weight and an excellent capacity retention of 72% over 400 cycles at 1.5 C. Importantly, in situ micro‐Raman investigation verifies the effectively reduced polysulfides shuttling from sulfur cathode to lithium anode, which shows the greatly suppressed shuttle effect by the polar‐functional binder. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis into the discharge intermediates upon battery cycling reveals that the hydrophilic binder endows the sulfur electrodes with multidimensional Li‐O, Li‐N, and S‐O interactions with sulfur species to effectively mitigate lithium polysulfide dissolution, which is theoretically confirmed by density‐functional theory calculations.
Antibiotic use patterns in endoscopic sinus surgery: a survey of the American Rhinologic Society membership
Authors: Fang Christina H. , Fastenberg Judd H. , Fried Marvin P. , Jerschow Elina , Akbar Nadeem A. , Abuzeid Waleed M.
Published: January 2018

Background

There is a paucity of data supporting antibiotic use in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). The objective of this study is to determine perioperative antibiotic use patterns and factors which influence use in ESS.

Methods

An online‐based survey was distributed to members of the American Rhinologic Society (ARS). Outcomes included timing of perioperative antibiotic use, practice environment, years of experience, and patient factors that influenced antibiotic use.

Results

There were 204 responses (response rate 18.3%); 36.8% of respondents were in academic positions, 32.8% were in private practice, and 30.4% were in academic‐affiliated private practice; 20.6% routinely gave preoperative antibiotics, most commonly to reduce bacterial burden (59.5%) and mucosal inflammation (59.5%); 54.4% routinely gave intraoperative antibiotics, most commonly to reduce the risk of postoperative infection (63.1%); 62.3% routinely gave postoperative antibiotics, citing the need to reduce the risk of postoperative infection (75.6%). Diagnosis influenced postoperative antibiotic use in 63.0%. Preoperative antibiotics were more likely to be prescribed by respondents with more than 5 years of experience (odds ratio [OR] 2.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 8.54; p = 0.043). Compared to private practitioners, academicians were more likely to give intraoperative antibiotics (OR 2.68; 95% CI, 1.39 to 5.17; p = 0.003), but not preoperative or postoperative antibiotics. Use of nonabsorbable packing was significantly associated with use of postoperative antibiotics (OR 2.01; 95% CI, 1.07 to 3.77; p = 0.031).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the significant variation in perioperative antibiotic use among otolaryngologists. These results provide support for the establishment of evidence‐based practice guidelines for perioperative antibiotic use in ESS.
Vernetzung/Massenspektrometrie zur Untersuchung von Proteinstrukturen und Protein‐Protein‐Wechselwirkungen: Wo stehen wir und welchen Weg wollen wir einschlagen?
Authors: Sinz Andrea
Published: January 2018

Die strukturelle Massenspektrometrie (MS) gewinnt zunehmend an Bedeutung für die Ableitung dreidimensionaler Strukturinformationen von Proteinen und Proteinkomplexen. Sie findet immer breitere Anwendung als komplementäre Methode zur NMR‐Spektroskopie oder Röntgenkristallographie. Der Begriff “strukturelle MS” vereint unterschiedliche MS‐basierte Ansätze, wie Wasserstoff‐Deuterium‐Austausch, native MS, Ionenmobilitätsspektroskopie, Proteinmarkierung und Vernetzung/MS, die zum Ziel haben, grundlegende Fragen der Strukturbiologie zu beantworten. In diesem Kurzaufsatz soll vorrangig auf die Kombination der chemischen Vernetzung mit MS eingegangen werden. Mit dieser Technik werden zum einen Informationen zur Tertiärstruktur von Proteinen erhalten, zum anderen können Protein‐Interaktionsnetzwerke in vitro und in vivo aufgeklärt werden. Vernetzung/MS stellt momentan einen der vielversprechendsten Ansätze dar, um Strukturinformationen sowohl von sehr großen Proteinen als auch von transienten Komplexen und intrinsisch ungeordneten Proteinen zu gewinnen.
Ultrathin FeOOH Nanolayers with Abundant Oxygen Vacancies on BiVO4 Photoanodes for Efficient Water Oxidation
Authors: Zhang Beibei , Wang Lei , Zhang Yajun , Ding Yong , Bi Yingpu
Published: January 2018

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a promising method for storing solar energy in the form of hydrogen fuel, but it is greatly hindered by the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a facile solution impregnation method is developed for growing ultrathin (2 nm) highly crystalline β‐FeOOH nanolayers with abundant oxygen vacancies on BiVO4 photoanodes. These exhibited a remarkable photocurrent density of 4.3 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), AM 1.5 G), which is approximately two times higher than that of amorphous FeOOH fabricated by electrodeposition. Systematic studies reveal that the excellent PEC activity should be attributed to their ultrathin crystalline structure and abundant oxygen vacancies, which could effectively facilitate the hole transport/trapping and provide more active sites for water oxidation.
A Non‐Heme Iron Photocatalyst for Light‐Driven Aerobic Oxidation of Methanol
Authors: Chen Juan , Stepanovic Stepan , Draksharapu Apparao , Gruden Maja , Browne Wesley R.
Published: January 2018

Non‐heme (L)FeIII and (L)FeIII‐O‐FeIII(L) complexes (L=1,1‐di(pyridin‐2‐yl)‐N,N‐bis(pyridin‐2‐ylmethyl)ethan‐1‐amine) underwent reduction under irradiation to the FeII state with concomitant oxidation of methanol to methanal, without the need for a secondary photosensitizer. Spectroscopic and DFT studies support a mechanism in which irradiation results in charge‐transfer excitation of a FeIII−μ‐O−FeIII complex to generate [(L)FeIV=O]2+ (observed transiently during irradiation in acetonitrile), and an equivalent of (L)FeII. Under aerobic conditions, irradiation accelerates reoxidation from the FeII to the FeIII state with O2, thus closing the cycle of methanol oxidation to methanal.
In Vivo EPR Characterization of Semi‐Synthetic [FeFe] Hydrogenases
Authors: Mészáros Lívia S. , Németh Brigitta , Esmieu Charlène , Ceccaldi Pierre , Berggren Gustav
Published: January 2018

EPR spectroscopy reveals the formation of two different semi‐synthetic hydrogenases in vivo. [FeFe] hydrogenases are metalloenzymes that catalyze the interconversion of molecular hydrogen and protons. The reaction is catalyzed by the H‐cluster, consisting of a canonical iron–sulfur cluster and an organometallic [2Fe] subsite. It was recently shown that the enzyme can be reconstituted with synthetic cofactors mimicking the composition of the [2Fe] subsite, resulting in semi‐synthetic hydrogenases. Herein, we employ EPR spectroscopy to monitor the formation of two such semi‐synthetic enzymes in whole cells. The study provides the first spectroscopic characterization of semi‐synthetic hydrogenases in vivo, and the observation of two different oxidized states of the H‐cluster under intracellular conditions. Moreover, these findings underscore how synthetic chemistry can be a powerful tool for manipulation and examination of the hydrogenase enzyme under in vivo conditions.
Governance and Finance: Availability of Community and Social Development Infrastructures in Rural China
Authors: Wang Jing , Li Bingqin
Published: January 2018

This article studies the causes for unequal access to rural community and social development infrastructures in China. We use a dataset in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011–2012), the National Baseline Survey of Communities, to examine the availability of four types of infrastructures: public transportation, sanitation, health care and aged care. Three hundred and seven villages are included in this study. The findings suggest that the primary funder of infrastructures and the status of village governance have impacts on the unequal availability of rural infrastructures. The effects vary by the type of infrastructures under discussion. This is the first attempt to combine planning, finance and governance factors in explaining rural infrastructure availability. It has strong policy implications and shed important light on state–society relations and the urbanisation trends in China.
Generalised Probabilistic Control Design for Uncertain Stochastic Control Systems
Authors: Herzallah Randa
Published: January 2018

In this paper a novel generalised fully probabilistic controller design for the minimisation of the Kullback‐Leibler divergence between the actual joint probability density function (pdf) of the closed loop control system, and an ideal joint pdf is presented for a linear Gaussian uncertain class of stochastic systems. A single layer neural network is used to approximate the probability density function of the system dynamics. The generalised probabilistic control law is obtained by solving the recurrence equation of dynamic programming to the fully probabilistic design control problem while taking into consideration the dependency of the parameters of the estimated probability density function of the system dynamics on the input values. It is shown to be of the class of cautious type controllers which accurately minimises the value of the Kullback‐Leibler divergence without disregarding the variance of the model prediction as an element to be minimised. Comparison of theoretical and numerical results obtained from the F‐16 fighter aircraft application with existing state‐of‐the‐art demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.
L∞ Observer for Uncertain Linear Systems
Authors: Han Weixin , Wang Zhenhua , Shen Yi , Qi Juntong
Published: January 2018

In this paper, an L∞ observer design method is proposed for linear system subject to parameter uncertainty and bounded disturbance. The proposed L∞ observer, which satisfies a peak‐to‐peak disturbances attenuation performance, is designed to overbound the estimation error. Moreover, sufficient conditions for the design of L∞ observer are derived and expressed in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The novelty of the proposed method is that we develop an L∞ observer that not only can attenuate bounded disturbance but also provides an upper bound of estimation error norm. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Hierarchical Model Predictive Control for Parallel Hybrid Electrical Vehicles
Authors: Fu Jiangtao , Song Shuzhong , Fu Zhumu , Ma Jianwei
Published: January 2018

One purpose of the control strategy for a parallel hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is to control the state of charge (SOC) of the battery to achieve a maximum powertrain efficiency. Because of the nonlinearity of the powertrain, the control strategy should implement nonlinear optimization in real time. This paper presents a new hierarchical optimal control design to execute real‐time optimization on the basis of a model predictive control concept. The proposed control architecture suggests a two‐layer control subjected to the related constraints according to the changing rate of different parameters. The prime controller optimizes the best trajectory of the state of charge according to the load detected by a load prediction module, while the second controller will apply the output signal from the prime controller along with the signal from the prediction module and the driver inputs to control the powertrain. Additionally, a new methodology to predict the future load imposed on the wheels is introduced. Through simulation and experiment results, it is shown that the proposed prediction control can effectively reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emission.
Synthesis, Cytotoxic, and Antibacterial Evaluation of Quinazolinone Derivatives with Substituted Amino Moiety
Authors: Zhan Xiaoping , Xu Yun , Qi Qi , Wang Yaolin , Shi Huiying , Mao Zhenmin
Published: January 2018

A series of novel quinazolinone derivatives containing a substituted amino moiety were synthesized, evaluated for their cytotoxic and antibacterial activities. The results of MTT assay showed that all synthesized target compounds 5A – 5O showed potent cytotoxicity against SGC‐7901 (IC50, 0.72 – 1.41 μm). Moreover, the compounds 5D, 5I, and 5K showed better selectivity as compared with positive controls pemetrexed and MTX due to weak cytotoxicity against normal tissue cell line HUVSMC. Among synthesized compounds, the compounds 5E, 5J, 5L, and 5N showed broad‐spectrum cytotoxic activities against at least four cancer cell lines at a micromolar level. The results of antibacteria evaluation revealed that all synthesized compounds showed good to moderate antibacterial activities against Gram‐negative bacteria Escherichia coli. Among them, the MIC values of the compounds 5C, 5F, and 5M were 0.31 μg/mL.
Acid‐Filling Level Determinations as Criterion in Checks of Absorbant Glass Mat Lead‐Acid Starter Batteries
Authors: Börger Alexander , Burow Daniel
Published: January 2018

Der vermehrte Einsatz von absorbant glass mat (AGM)‐Bleistarterbatterien erfordert eine Erweiterung des üblichen Methodenspektrums der Batterieprüfung. Die Bestimmung des Säurefüllgrads hat sich zu einem Standardverfahren der Qualitätskontrolle von AGM‐Batterien entwickelt. Die Verteilung der Säurefüllgrade über die Batteriezellen lässt sich jedoch auch als Kriterium zur Beurteilung von Alterungsmechanismen heranziehen. Die Säurefüllgrade sowohl im Labor als auch im Feld gealterter Batterien wurden bestimmt und Hypothesen zur Korrelation mit verschiedenen Betriebsszenarien aufgestellt.
Demand, Supply, and Price Trends for Mineral Raw Materials Relevant to the Renewable Energy Transition Wind Energy, Solar Photovoltaic Energy, and Energy Storage
Authors: Buchholz Peter , Brandenburg Torsten
Published: January 2018

For the next decades, wind and solar photovoltaic power generation is predicted to have the largest growth rates among renewable energy systems. This includes new stationary energy storage systems such as redox flow or Li‐ion battery systems, which are almost none existent in current electricity networks. The demand, supply, and price situation for base and minor metals most relevant for these renewable energy technologies is reviewed and future demand scenarios are considered. Further market specific differences for base and minor metal markets are demonstrated and future challenges for their supply are outlined.
Status of Flexibilization Concepts for Biogas Plants to Cover Residual Load Rises
Authors: Peters Lena , Uhlenhut Frank , Biernacki Piotr , Steinigeweg Sven
Published: January 2018

Durch klimabedingte Schwankungen in der Wind‐ und Solarenergie und den steigenden Bedarf an erneuerbaren Energien rücken alternative Systeme wie die bedarfsorientierte Biogaserzeugung immer weiter in den Fokus. Daher werden die aktuell untersuchten Konzepte zur Flexibilisierung von Biogasanlagen aufgezeigt. Zu den Ansätzen gehören die Biogasspeicherung sowie die bedarfsorientierte Biogasproduktion durch Fütterungsmanagement, variable Verstromung, Desintegrations‐ oder Festbettfermenter‐Verfahren. Auch die Kopplung mit Power‐to‐Gas‐ oder Power‐to‐Heat‐Systemen erscheint vielversprechend.
Der melodische Leitfähigkeitsprüfer – low cost mit großer Leistung
Authors: Bee Ulrich , Jansen David
Published: January 2018

Der melodische Leitfähigkeitsprüfer (LF‐Prüfer) ist nicht nur in der Lage qualitativ zu überprüfen, ob ein Stoff elektrisch leitfähig ist, sondern ermöglicht auch quantitative Aussagen. Zwar lässt sich nicht wie bei einem kommerziellen Konduktometer die genaue Leitfähigkeit ablesen, je nach Leitfähigkeit sind jedoch unterschiedliche auditive Charakteristika wahrnehmbar. Sogar die elektrische Leitfähigkeit von entionisiertem Wasser lässt sich nachweisen!
Maximizing availability for task scheduling in on‐demand computing–based transaction processing system using ant colony optimization
Authors: Mahato Dharmendra Prasad , Singh Ravi Shankar
Published: January 2018

Maximization of availability and minimization of the makespan for transaction scheduling in an on‐demand computing system is an emerging problem. The existing approaches to find the exact solutions for this problem are limited. This paper proposes a task scheduling algorithm using ant colony optimization (MATS_ACO) to solve the mentioned problem. In this method, first, availability of the system is computed, and then, the transactions are scheduled using the foraging behavior of ants to find the optimal solutions. We also modify two known meta‐heuristic algorithms such as genetic algorithm (GA) and extremal optimization (EO) to obtain transaction scheduling algorithms for the purpose of comparison with our proposed algorithm. The compared results show that the proposed algorithm performs better than others.
Deep Bayesian network architecture for Big Data mining
Authors: Njah Hasna , Jamoussi Salma , Mahdi Walid
Published: January 2018

Classical Datamining methods are facing various challenges in the era of Big Data. Between the need of fast knowledge extraction and the high flows of data acquired in small slots of time, these methods became shifted. The variability and the veracity of the Big Data perplex the Machine Learning process. The high volume of Big Data yields to a congested learning because the classic methods are designed for small sets of features. Deep Learning has recently emerged in the aim of handling voluminous data. The concept of the Deep induces the conversion of the features into a new abstracted representation in order to optimize an objective. Although the Deep Learning methods are experimentally promising, their parameterization is exhaustive and empirical. To tackle these problems, we utilize the causality and the uncertainty of the Bayesian Network in order to propose a new Deep Bayesian Network architecture. We provide a new learning algorithm for this multi‐layered Bayesian Network with latent variables. We evaluate the proposed architecture and learning algorithms over benchmark datasets. We used high‐dimensional data in order to simulate the Big Data challenges, which are imposed by the volume and veracity aspects. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our contribution under these constraints.
Bulky Counterions: Enhancing the Two‐Photon Excited Fluorescence of Gold Nanoclusters
Authors: Bertorelle Franck , Moulin Christophe , Soleilhac Antonin , Comby‐Zerbino Clothilde , Dugourd Philippe , Russier‐Antoine Isabelle , Brevet Pierre‐François , Antoine Rodolphe
Published: January 2018

The front cover artwork is provided by the SpectroBio research group of the Institut Lumière Matière in Lyon. The image shows the structure of Au15(SR)13, a thiolated (SR) gold nanocluster and a pictoral view of ion‐pairing of surface ligands with bulky counterions. With such ion‐pairing, a 30‐fold increase in two‐photon excited fluorescence signal at ≈600 nm can be observed. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/cphc.201701186.
Synthesis of Nontoxic Protoflavone Derivatives through Selective Continuous‐Flow Hydrogenation of the Flavonoid B‐Ring
Authors: Ötvös Sándor B. , Vágvölgyi Máté , Girst Gábor , Kuo Ching‐Ying , Wang Hui‐Chun , Fülöp Ferenc , Hunyadi Attila
Published: January 2018

Invited for this month's cover is the group of Prof. Ferenc Fülöp (University of Szeged, Hungary). The cover picture shows an aerial view of the Bicaz Gorge (Transylvania) with a set of twisty hairpin turns symbolizing the challenges of selective hydrogenation of the flavonoid B‐ring. The synthetic method presented can help suppress the toxic bioactivity properties of protoflavonoids thereby opening new avenues in the pharmacological investigation of these unique natural products and their synthetic analogs. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/cplu.201700463.
Trifluoroethoxy‐Coated Subphthalocyanines Attract Small Arenes in Their π‐Concave Cavity
Authors: Mori Satoru , Wang Jiandong , Tokunaga Etsuko , Shiro Motoo , Matsumoto Takashi , Tsuzuki Seiji , Shibata Norio
Published: January 2018

Invited for this month's cover is the group of Prof. Norio Shibata based at the Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan. The cover picture shows the crystal structures of trifluoroethoxy‐substituted subphthalocyanines which form crystalline clathrates with one small aromatic molecule, such as toluene or benzene, in their concave cavity. Twelve trifluoroethoxy substituents flexibly surround the small molecule to hold it on the 14π‐electron conjugated surface of the subphthalocyanines. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/cplu.201700508.
Polypropylene Nonwoven Fabric@Poly(ionic liquid)s for Switchable Oil/Water Separation, Dye Absorption, and Antibacterial Applications
Authors: Ren Yongyuan , Guo Jiangna , Lu Qian , Xu Dan , Qin Jing , Yan Feng
Published: January 2018

Pollutants in wastewater include oils, dyes, and bacteria, making wastewater cleanup difficult. Multifunctional wastewater treatment media consisting of poly(ionic liquid)‐grafted polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabrics (PP@PIL) are prepared by a simple and scalable surface‐grafting process. The fabricated PP@PIL fabrics exhibit impressive switchable oil/water separation (η>99 %) and dye absorption performance (q=410 mg g−1), as well as high antibacterial properties. The oil/water separation can be easily switched by anion exchanging of the PIL segments. Moreover, the multiple functions (oil/water separation, dye absorption, and antibacterial properties) occurred at the same time, and did not interfere with each other. The multifunctional fibrous filter can be easily regenerated by washing with an acid solution, and the absorption capacity is maintained after many recycling tests. These promising features make PIL‐grafted PP nonwoven fabric a potential one‐step treatment for multicomponent wastewater.
Pyran‐Bridged Indacenodithiophene as a Building Block for Constructing Efficient A–D–A‐Type Nonfullerene Acceptors for Polymer Solar Cells
Authors: Wen Shuguang , Wu Yao , Wang Yingying , Li Yi , Liu Ling , Jiang Huanxiang , Liu Zhitian , Yang Renqiang
Published: January 2018

Invited for this month′s cover is the group of Renqiang Yang at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The image shows a new strategy of designing non‐fullerene acceptors for polymer solar cells by introducing the oxygen atom into the conjugated backbone. The Full Paper itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.201701917.
Secure IoT solution for wearable health care applications, case study Electric Imp development platform
Authors: Benadda Belkacem , Beldjilali Bilal , Mankouri Abdelkrim , Taleb Omar
Published: January 2018

Internet expansion affects currently diverse entities on the physical world and daily life. The democratization of the technology called Internet of Things (IoT) brings back many problems associated with the security of the transmitted data, autonomy, and ease of use, with the central constraint of gathering momentum. The use of an embedded development platform for IoT operating through Wi‐Fi and cloud technology is in our case the solution that fits the internet model objects for wearable health care application. This work involves the study and implementation of wearable IoT secure solution dedicated to health care devoted to old and dependent people. The proposed hardware, powered by solar cells, operate through smart sleep and wake up events. The relevant part of the developed IoT operating software exploits the multiagent behavior. Case study, based on the exploitation of the Electric Imp platform, is proposed.
Development of Wireless LAN Base Station with QoS Control Based on Web‐QoE by Bandwidth Control and Priority Control
Authors: ASANO SHIHO , ITO YOSHIHIRO
Published: January 2018

This paper develops a wireless local area network (LAN) base station with quality of service control based on Web quality of experience (QoE) by bandwidth control and priority control; it evaluates the performance of the developed system by experiments with subjects. By using the relationship between importance of data of a Web service and the distribution of the length of IP packets, the base station can reduce the bandwidth consumption over a wireless LAN without worsening of QoE. The authors have implemented by adopting two technologies for priority control: OpenFlow and Wi‐Fi multimedia. In the experiment, the authors treat three actual Web services and assess QoE for them. From the experimental results, the authors show the effectiveness of the developed base station.
H‐Mediated Magnetic Interactions between Layers in a 2D MnII–Dicyanamide Polymer: Neutron Diffraction, DFT, and Quantum Monte Carlo Calculations
Authors: Gillon Béatrice , Hammerschmied Albert , Gukasov Arsen , Cousson Alain , Cauchy Thomas , Ruiz Eliseo , Schlueter John A. , Manson Jamie L.
Published: January 2018

Invited for the cover of this issue are Beatrice Gillon from LLB (CEA‐CNRS), France, Jamie L. Manson from Eastern Washington University, USA, and co‐workers. The cover image shows the experimental magnetic phase diagram of a quasi bidimensional MnII–dca polymer and the magnetic structures of the ordered phases. The spin density, as determined in the paramagnetic phase, validates an important magnetic pathway mediated by interlayer hydrogen bonds.
Self‐Assembly of a Pd4L8 Double‐Walled Square Partly Takes Place Through the Formation of Kinetically Trapped Species
Authors: Tateishi Tomoki , Zhu Wenchao , Foianesi‐Takeshige Leonardo Hayato , Kojima Tatsuo , Ogata Kazuho , Hiraoka Shuichi
Published: January 2018

We investigated the self‐assembly process of a Pd4L8 double‐walled square (DWS) from [PdPy*4]2+ (Py*: 3‐chloropyridine used as the leaving ligand on the PdII center) and an organic ditopic ligand by QASAP (quantitative analysis of self‐assembly process). DWS is assembled mainly through three pathways. Within 5 minutes of the self‐assembly, all of the substrates, the metal source and the organic ditopic ligand, were completely consumed and converted into primary intermediates. In 2 h, the primary intermediates afforded 30 % of DWS, 200‐nm‐sized large intermediates, and a relatively stable transient intermediate. This stable intermediate was characterized as a kinetically trapped Pd3L6 double‐walled triangle (DWT) by NMR and mass measurements. From 2 h to 1 day, 19 % of DWS was formed from the 200‐nm‐sized large intermediate with the aid of Py*, which is not a component of the final assembly. After 1 day, the remaining large intermediate and DWT afforded 39 % of DWS with the aid of Py* again. This self‐assembly process is quite different from that of previously reported single‐walled macrocycles, and the change in the self‐assembly pathway would arise from the difference in the flexibility of ditopic ligands. This study revealed a complicated multiplicity, not a simple single pathway, of the self‐assembly process of DWS.
Group 11 Metal Complexes Coordinated by the (Nitronyl Nitroxide)‐2‐ide Radical Anion: Facile Oxidation of Stable Radicals Controlled by Metal–Carbon Bonds in Radical‐Metalloids
Authors: Tanimoto Ryu , Yamada Kiyomi , Suzuki Shuichi , Kozaki Masatoshi , Okada Keiji
Published: January 2018

A series of group 11 metal complexes coordinated by (nitronyl nitroxide)‐2‐ide radical anion NN‐M(dtpb) [NN: nitronyl nitroxide; M: CuI, AgI, and AuI; dtpb: 1,2‐bis(di‐2‐tolylphosphanyl)benzene)] was prepared. Their structures, electrochemical properties, and related theoretical calculations were investigated. The oxidation potential (Eox, V vs. Fc/Fc+) of the NN‐moiety in these radical‐metalloids significantly shifted to the negative direction in comparison to that of the unsubstituted nitronyl nitroxide (NN‐H, Eox = +0.38 V); this is strongly dependant on the metal ion (Eox = –0.37 V for M = CuI, –0.31 V for AgI, and –0.28 V for AuI). The Eox values correlated with the energy level of the HOMO (SOMO) and also with the natural atomic charge of the C2 carbon atom attached to the metal ion, indicating that the ionic character of the metal–C2–carbon bond is a key factor in controlling the oxidation potential of these radical metalloids.
Living under threat: Mutual threat perception drives anti‐Muslim and anti‐Western hostility in the age of terrorism
Authors: Obaidi Milan , Kunst Jonas R. , Kteily Nour , Thomsen Lotte , Sidanius James
Published: January 2018

This research demonstrates a common psychology of outgroup hostility driven by perceived intergroup threat among three groups and seven cultural contexts: non‐Muslim Westerners, Muslims in Western societies, and Muslims in the Middle East. In Study 1, symbolic, but not realistic and terroristic threats, predicted non‐Muslim Norwegians' intentions to join anti‐Islamic movements. In Study 2, symbolic and realistic, but not terroristic threat, predicted non‐Muslim Americans' willingness to persecute Muslims. In Studies 3 and 4, symbolic threat predicted support and behavioral intentions against the West among Swedish and Turkish Muslims. Finally, in Study 5, a comparison demonstrated that symbolic and realistic threats had the same effects on violent intentions among non‐Muslim and Muslim Danes, and Muslims in Afghanistan. Meta‐analysis showed that symbolic threat was most strongly associated with intergroup hostility. Across studies, participants with high religious group identification experienced higher levels of threat. Implications for intergroup research and prejudice reduction are discussed.