bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-invasive markers of cardiovascular risk in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 case control studies
Authors: Yao Kecheng , Zhao Tianming , Zeng Linghai , Yang Jianming , Liu Yanqun , He Qian , Zou Xiulan
Published: March 2018

It has been reported that subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is closely related to subclinical atherosclerosis. According to the impact of SCH on noninvasive markers of cardiovascular risk, we fulfilled a meta-analysis of included studies to provide an integrated overview. We searched electronic databases and included all relevant studies involving SCH and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), pulse wave velocity (PWV), flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and glyceryl trinitrate-induced dilation (GNT- induced dilation). The result was calculated in a meta-analysis to assess the impact of SCH on these markers. A total of 27 studies were entered in the final analysis. Compared with euthyroid subjects, SCH patients exhibited a significantly increased CIMT (SMD: 0.369 mm; 95%CI: 0.038, 0.700; P = 0.029) and EAT (SMD: 1.167 mm; 95%CI: 0.869, 1.466; P = 0.000) and increased PWV (SMD: 3.574 m/s; 95%CI: 0.935, 6.213, P = 0.008). We also found significantly lower FMD (SMD: −1.525%, 95%CI: −2.156, −0.894, P = 0.000) and lower GNT-induced dilation (SMD: −0.384%, 95%CI: −0.625, −0.142, P = 0.002). Sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis confirmed the above results. Our meta-analysis confirmed a significant association of SCH and cardiovascular risk with arterial wall thickening and stiffening and endothelial dysfunction. These findings will help to establish detailed cardiovascular prevention strategies for SCH patients.
Evaluation of the selective toxic effect of the charge switchable diethyldithiocarbamate-loaded nanoparticles between hepatic normal and cancerous cells
Authors: Abu-Serie Marwa M.
Published: March 2018

Liver cancer is mainly originated by cancer stem cells (CSCs). Due to difference in pH between normal and tumor cell microenvironments, targeting hepatic CSCs exploiting pH-dependent charge switchable nanoparticles (NPs) is extremely required to limit nonselective toxicity to normal hepatocytes (NHCs) and to completely eliminate the root of cancer origin. In this study, NPs were prepared from cationic chitosan and then coated with anionic albumin namely uncoated and coated NPs, respectively. Both NPs were loaded with diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) which is an inhibitor of the critical enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) 1A1, for CSCs survival. The charge switchable of coated DDC-loaded NPs in neutral and acidic pH (−19 and +28.5 mv, respectively) was illustrated. This special privilege of coated NPs mediated DDC releasing in a slightly acidic pH (tumor microenvironment) rather than a neutral pH (microenvironment of normal cells). Thence, these coated NPs showed the highest selective apoptosis-mediated toxicity only in murine hepatoma cells (Hepa) that may attribute to suppression of NF-κB expression and ALDH1A1 activity, subsequently collapsing 89.7% CD133+CSCs. These new findings declare that coated NPs could be promising safe selective anticancer drug for targeting hepatic CSCs and that requires additional future investigations using animal models of liver cancer.
Stimulation of alpha2-adrenergic receptors impairs influenza virus infection
Authors: Matsui Ken , Ozawa Makoto , Kiso Maki , Yamashita Makoto , Maekawa Toshihiko , Kubota Minoru , Sugano Sumio , Kawaoka Yoshihiro
Published: March 2018

Influenza A viruses cause seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics. The emergence of viruses resistant to neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors and M2 ion channel inhibitors underlines the need for alternate anti-influenza drugs with novel mechanisms of action. Here, we report the discovery of a host factor as a potential target of anti-influenza drugs. By using cell-based virus replication screening of a chemical library and several additional assays, we identified clonidine as a new anti-influenza agent in vitro. We found that clonidine, which is an agonist of the alpha2-adrenergic receptor (α2-AR), has an inhibitory effect on the replication of various influenza virus strains. α2-AR is a Gi-type G protein-coupled receptor that reduces intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels. In-depth analysis showed that stimulation of α2-ARs leads to impairment of influenza virus replication and that α2-AR agonists inhibit the virus assembly step, likely via a cAMP-mediated pathway. Although clonidine administration did not reduce lung virus titers or prevent body weight loss, it did suppress lung edema and improve survival in a murine lethal infection model. Clonidine may thus protect against lung damage caused by influenza virus infection. Our results identify α2-AR-mediated signaling as a key pathway to exploit in the development of anti-influenza agents.
On-target action of anti-tropomyosin drugs regulates glucose metabolism
Authors: Kee Anthony J. , Chagan Jayshan , Chan Jeng Yie , Bryce Nicole S. , Lucas Christine A. , Zeng Jun , Hook Jeff , Treutlein Herbert , Laybutt D. Ross , Stehn Justine R. , Gunning Peter W. , Hardeman Edna C.
Published: March 2018

The development of novel small molecule inhibitors of the cancer-associated tropomyosin 3.1 (Tpm3.1) provides the ability to examine the metabolic function of specific actin filament populations. We have determined the ability of these anti-Tpm (ATM) compounds to regulate glucose metabolism in mice. Acute treatment (1 h) of wild-type (WT) mice with the compounds (TR100 and ATM1001) led to a decrease in glucose clearance due mainly to suppression of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) from the pancreatic islets. The impact of the drugs on GSIS was significantly less in Tpm3.1 knock out (KO) mice indicating that the drug action is on-target. Experiments in MIN6 β-cells indicated that the inhibition of GSIS by the drugs was due to disruption to the cortical actin cytoskeleton. The impact of the drugs on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake (ISGU) was also examined in skeletal muscle ex vivo. In the absence of drug, ISGU was decreased in KO compared to WT muscle, confirming a role of Tpm3.1 in glucose uptake. Both compounds suppressed ISGU in WT muscle, but in the KO muscle there was little impact of the drugs. Collectively, this data indicates that the ATM drugs affect glucose metabolism in vivo by inhibiting Tpm3.1’s function with few off-target effects.
Discrete shear band plasticity through dislocation activities in body-centered cubic tungsten nanowires
Authors: Wang Jiangwei , Wang Yanming , Cai Wei , Li Jixue , Zhang Ze , Mao Scott X.
Published: March 2018

Shear band in metallic crystals is localized deformation with high dislocation density, which is often observed in nanopillar deformation experiments. The shear band dynamics coupled with dislocation activities, however, remains unclear. Here, we investigate the dynamic processes of dislocation and shear band in body-centered cubic (BCC) tungsten nanowires via an integrated approach of in situ nanomechanical testing and atomistic simulation. We find a strong effect of surface orientation on dislocation nucleation in tungsten nanowires, in which {111} surfaces act as favorite sites under high strain. While dislocation activities in a localized region give rise to an initially thin shear band, self-catalyzed stress concentration and dislocation nucleation at shear band interfaces cause a discrete thickening of shear band. Our findings not only advance the current understanding of defect activities and deformation morphology of BCC nanowires, but also shed light on the deformation dynamics in other microscopic crystals where jerky motion of deformation band is observed.
Lagrangian coherent structure assisted path planning for transoceanic autonomous underwater vehicle missions
Authors: Ramos A. G. , García-Garrido V. J. , Mancho A. M. , Wiggins S. , Coca J. , Glenn S. , Schofield O. , Kohut J. , Aragon D. , Kerfoot J. , Haskins T. , Miles T. , Haldeman C. , Strandskov N. , Allsup B. , Jones C. , Shapiro J.
Published: March 2018

Transoceanic Gliders are Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) for which there is a developing and expanding range of applications in open-seas research, technology and underwater clean transport. Mature glider autonomy, operating depth (0–1000 meters) and low energy consumption without a CO2 footprint enable evolutionary access across ocean basins. Pursuant to the first successful transatlantic glider crossing in December 2009, the Challenger Mission has opened the door to long-term, long-distance routine transoceanic AUV missions. These vehicles, which glide through the water column between 0 and 1000 meters depth, are highly sensitive to the ocean current field. Consequently, it is essential to exploit the complex space-time structure of the ocean current field in order to plan a path that optimizes scientific payoff and navigation efficiency. This letter demonstrates the capability of dynamical system theory for achieving this goal by realizing the real-time navigation strategy for the transoceanic AUV named Silbo, which is a Slocum deep-glider (0–1000 m), that crossed the North Atlantic from April 2016 to March 2017. Path planning in real time based on this approach has facilitated an impressive speed up of the AUV to unprecedented velocities resulting in major battery savings on the mission, offering the potential for routine transoceanic long duration missions.
Subcellular localisation modulates ubiquitylation and degradation of Ascl1
Authors: Gillotin Sébastien , Davies John D. , Philpott Anna
Published: March 2018

The proneural transcription factor Ascl1 is a master regulator of neurogenesis, coordinating proliferation and differentiation in the central nervous system. While its expression is well characterised, post-translational regulation is much less well understood. Here we demonstrate that a population of chromatin-bound Ascl1 can be found associated with short chains of ubiquitin while cytoplasmic Ascl1 harbours much longer ubiquitin chains. Only cytoplasmic ubiquitylation targets Ascl1 for destruction, which occurs by conjugation of ubiquitin to lysines in the basic helix-loop-helix domain of Ascl1 and requires the E3 ligase Huwe1. In contrast, chromatin-bound Ascl1 associated with short ubiquitin-chains, which can occur on lysines within the N-terminal region or the bHLH domain and is not mediated by Huwe1, is not targeted for ubiquitin-mediated destruction. We therefore offer further insights into post-translational regulation of Ascl1, highlighting complex regulation of ubiquitylation and degradation in the cytoplasm and on chromatin.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: In vitro evaluation of the toxic effects of MgO nanostructure in Hela cell line
Authors: Akram M. Waseem , Fakhar-e-Alam Muhammad , Atif M. , Butt Alvina Rafique , Asghar Ali , Jamil Yasir , Alimgeer K. S. , Wang Zhiming M.
Published: March 2018

MgO is an attractive choice for carcinogenic cell destruction in photodynamic therapy, as confirmed by manifold analysis. The prime focus of the presented research is to investigate the toxicity caused by morphologically different MgO nanostructures obtained by annealing at various annealing temperatures. Smart (stimuli-responsive) MgO nanomaterials are a very promising class of nanomaterials, and their properties can be controlled by altering their size, morphology, or other relevant characteristics. The samples investigated here were grown by the co-precipitation technique. Toxicity-dependent parameters were assessed in a HeLa cell model after annealing the grown samples at 350 °C, 450 °C, and 550 °C. After the overall characterization, an analysis of toxicity caused by changes in the MgO nanostructure morphology was tested in a HeLa cell model using a neutral red assay and microscopy. The feasibility of using MgO for PDT was assessed. Empirical modelling was applied to corroborate the experimental results obtained from assessing cell viability losses and reactive oxygen species. The results indicate that MgO is an excellent candidate material for medical applications and could be utilized for its potential ability to upgrade conventionally used techniques.
Cancer Vaccine Therapy Using Carcinoembryonic Antigen - expressing Dendritic Cells generated from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Kitadani Junya , Ojima Toshiyasu , Iwamoto Hiromitsu , Tabata Hirotaka , Nakamori Mikihito , Nakamura Masaki , Hayata Keiji , Katsuda Masahiro , Miyajima Masayasu , Yamaue Hiroki
Published: March 2018

Clinical application of dendritic cell (DC) vaccine therapy is hindered by the need for a large quantity of DCs generated from peripheral blood monocytes of the patient. We investigated whether genetically modified human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived dendritic cells (hiPSDCs) expressing carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) could induce CEA-specific cytotoxic T cells in a human model and whether genetically modified mouse iPSDCs (miPSDCs) expressing CEA showed an actual antitumor effect using a CEA transgenic mouse model. We differentiated hiPSDCs from iPSCs of three healthy donors and transduced CEA cDNA into the hiPSDCs. The surface marker expression, cytokine secretion and migratory capacity of the hiPSDCs were equivalent to those of human monocyte-derived DCs (hMoDCs). Cytotoxic T cells activated by hiPSDCs-CEA exhibited CEA-specific cytotoxic activity against the target cells expressing CEA. Furthermore, in the CEA transgenic mouse model, cytotoxic T cells activated in mice immunized with miPSDCs-CEA displayed CEA-specific cytotoxic activity against MC38-CEA. In the subcutaneous tumour model, vaccination with miPSDCs-CEA achieved a significant growth inhibitory effect on MC38-CEA. No adverse events caused by the administration of miPSDCs were observed. Genetic modification of iPSDCs, inducing the expression of CEA, is a promising tool for clinical applications of vaccine therapy for treating gastrointestinal cancer patients.
Structure and nitrite reduction reactivity study of bio-inspired copper(i)–nitro complexes in steric and electronic considerations of tridentate nitrogen ligands
Authors: Chang Yu-Lun , Lin Ya-Fan , Chuang Wan-Jung , Kao Chai-Lin , Narwane Manmath , Chen Hsing-Yin , Chiang Michael Y. , Hsu Sodio C. N.
Published: March 2018

Two bio-inspired copper(i)–nitro complexes bearing steric bulky neutral Tpm3-tBuand anionic Tp3-tBuwere synthesized to release NO gas under acidic conditions.
A dipeptide with enhanced anion binding affinity enables cell uptake and protein delivery
Authors: Li Mao , Mosel Stefanie , Knauer Shirley K. , Schmuck Carsten
Published: March 2018

Enhancing the anion binding properties of guanidinium cations through the combination of ion-pairing and H-bonds resulted in a dipeptide that can efficiently penetrate into cells with negligible cytotoxicity and can transport a large model protein into cells.
Online coupling of tandem liquid-phase extraction with HPLC-UV for the determination of trace N-nitrosamines in food products
Authors: Li Weixia , Chen Ning , Zhao Yonggang , Guo Weiqiang , Muhammd Nadeem , Zhu Yan , Huang Zhongping
Published: March 2018

N-Nitrosamines (NAs) are potent carcinogens and have been found in food products.
Lightweight, compressible and electrically conductive polyurethane sponges coated with synergistic multiwalled carbon nanotubes and graphene for piezoresistive sensors
Authors: Ma Zhonglei , Wei Ajing , Ma Jianzhong , Shao Liang , Jiang Huie , Dong Diandian , Ji Zhanyou , Wang Qian , Kang Songlei
Published: March 2018

Lightweight, compressible and electrically conductive MWCNT/RGO@PU sponges fabricated by the LBL electrostatic assembly for piezoresistive sensors.
Hierarchical SnS2/SnO2 nanoheterojunctions with increased active-sites and charge transfer for ultrasensitive NO2 detection
Authors: Hao Juanyuan , Zhang Dan , Sun Quan , Zheng Shengliang , Sun Jianyong , Wang You
Published: March 2018

An ultrasensitive NO2 sensing material was fabricated using ultrafine SnO2 nanoparticle-modified hierarchical SnS2 nanoflowers.
Photoredox-catalyzed cascade annulation of methyl(2-(phenylethynyl)phenyl)sulfanes and methyl(2-(phenylethynyl)phenyl)selanes with sulfonyl chlorides: synthesis of benzothiophenes and benzoselenophenes
Authors: Yan Jianxiang , Xu Jian , Zhou Yao , Chen Jinglong , Song Qiuling
Published: March 2018

A photoredox-catalyzed cascade annulation of methyl(2-(phenylethynyl)phenyl)sulfanes and methyl(2-(phenylethynyl)phenyl)selanes with sulfonyl chlorides was developed.
Scaffold diversity-oriented synthesis of limonoid dimers: discovery of an axially chiral agent within vivoanti-breast cancer activity
Authors: Li Wan-Shan , Yang Yang , Liu Jun-Jun , Shen Li , Shi Zhi , Wu Jun
Published: March 2018

Eight new limonoid dimers of four skeletons were synthesized. The axially chiral dimer5bexhibitedin vivoanti-breast cancer activity.
Random anion distribution in MSxSe2−x (M = Mo, W) crystals and nanosheets
Authors: Nguyen Minh An T. , Gupta Arnab Sen , Shevrin Jacob , Akamatsu Hirofumi , Xu Pengtao , Lin Zhong , Wang Ke , Zhu Jun , Gopalan Venkatraman , Terrones Mauricio , Mallouk Thomas E.
Published: March 2018

Nanosheets exfoliated from single crystals of the group VIb sulfoselenides (MSxSe2−x, M = Mo, W) are solid solutions at the atomic level.
Efficient image encryption method based on improved Lorenz chaotic system
Authors: Kaur M , Kumar V
Published: March 2018

A new image encryption method based on permutation–diffusion architecture is proposed. Permutation and diffusion operations are performed row‐wise and column‐wise on input image. To permute and diffuse the pixels, Lorenz‐like chaotic system with varying bifurcation parameter is used to generate six random sequences. Initially, three sequences help in change the pixel’s position and next three used to diffuse the pixels. The main benefit of this method is that it is more sensitive to input image. Since input parameters required for secure key generation depend upon the input image.
Double‐layer suspended stripline resonator with high quality factor for base‐station diplexer application
Authors: Xia Lei , Song Lei , Wu Bian , Bo Xiaodong , Chen Jianzhong
Published: March 2018

A novel double‐layer suspended stripline (DSSL) resonator with high unloaded quality factor is proposed. The DSSL resonator consists of a thin substrate with metal strips on both sides connected by a metallic via hole suspended in the centre of an air‐filled cavity, which leads to a much higher unloaded quality factor than the conventional single‐layer suspended stripline resonator with an identical resonant frequency. The resonance characteristics of the DSSL resonator are parametric analysed. For demonstration, a compact diplexer for base‐station application with channel centre frequencies at 1.95 and 2.14 GHz and absolute bandwidths of 60 MHz is designed, fabricated and measured. The synthesised, simulated and measured results show a good agreement.
High‐speed based adaptive beamforming handover scheme in LTE‐R
Authors: Zhao Junhui , Liu Yunyi , Wang Chuanyun , Xiong Lei , Fan Lisheng
Published: March 2018

In recent years, high‐speed railways (HSRs) are being developed rapidly all over the world because of their convenience, safety, comfort, and other advantages. However, the reliability and security of HSR wireless communication systems have faced severe challenges, such as the Doppler effect, complicated wireless channel model, frequent handovers and so on. The International Union of Railways is pushing the evolution of the global system for mobile communications for railway (GSM‐R) internationally. In this study, a high‐speed based adaptive beamforming handover scheme is proposed to improve the handover performance for HSR wireless communication systems. When the high‐speed train enters the overlapping region, the serving evolved NodeB (eNodeB) and target eNodeB are using beamforming with different gain factors to improve the received signal quality. In addition, this scheme can dynamically adjust the handover hysteresis margins of the reference signal receiving power (RSRP) and the reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ) based on the speed and position. Simulation results have demonstrated that the proposed handover scheme can improve the handover performance by increasing the handover trigger probability and success probability effectively.
Joint multicast beamforming and user scheduling in large‐scale antenna systems
Authors: Zhou Longfei , Xu Zi , Jiang Wei , Luo Wu
Published: March 2018

The joint multicast beamforming and user scheduling problem is studied, with the objective of minimising total transmitting power across multiple channels by jointly assigning each user to appropriate channel and designing multicast beamformer for each channel. The problem of interest is formulated in two different optimisation problems, a mixed binary quadratically constrained quadratic program and a highly‐structured non‐smooth program. Two different algorithms, based on convex relaxation and convex restriction, respectively, are proposed to solve the problem. The performance ratio between the approximate solution provided by the convex‐relaxation‐based algorithm and optimal solution is proven to be upper bounded by a constant independent of problem data. The convex‐restriction‐based algorithm is guaranteed to converge to a critical point to the non‐smooth formulation problem. Finally, extensive simulation results verify the theoretical analysis and demonstrate the advantage of the proposed co‐design scheme over conventional fixed scheduling and random scheduling in terms of power consumption.
Improved visible light communication positioning algorithm based on image sensor tilting at room corners
Authors: Fu Minglei , Zhu Weijun , Le Zichun , Manko Dmytro
Published: March 2018

We developed an improved algorithm for an indoor positioning system based on an image sensor. By using the algorithm that tilts the image sensor when it is placed at room corners, the authors reduced the positioning error at the corners and increased the effective positioning area. When in room corners, the image sensor is placed at an appropriate angle that allows the reception of light from all three light‐emitting diodes (LEDs). The unknown sensor position is calculated from the geometrical relations among the LED images created on the tilted image sensor plane. According to the obtained experimental results, signal–to‐noise ratio of the received signal can be improved when the image sensor tilts at certain angle at the corner. It was found that the effective range of the tilt angle of the image sensor is estimated to be within the range of 30°–60° at the corners. The root mean‐square of the positioning error obtained with the developed algorithm is 0.6 mm when the image sensor is located within the effective positioning area. The effective positioning area was increased by 15.3% at the corner areas when the image sensor was tilted by the optimal angle.
Event‐triggered gradient‐based distributed optimisation for multi‐agent systems with state consensus constraint
Authors: Wang Aijuan , Liao Xiaofeng , Dong Tao
Published: March 2018

This study focuses on the event‐triggered gradient‐based algorithm for a distributed optimisation problem of multi‐agent system subject to state consensus constraint over directed networks, where each agent has local access to its own strongly convex utility function. A novel gradient‐based optimisation consensus algorithm is proposed to solve the optimisation consensus problem, where the event‐triggered strategy based on sample‐data is employed. In contrast to previous optimisation consensus work, their algorithm guarantees that the equilibrium point of the multi‐agent systems is optimal solution, and it uses the constant step‐size in the optimisation term. Under the algorithm, it can be proved that there exists a certain vector established with the optimal solution is the system equilibrium point and also the consensus point. Moreover, the sufficient condition on optimisation consensus for multi‐agent systems is derived. Finally, a numerical simulation example is given to illustrate the theoretical analysis.
Event triggered control for a switched LPV system with applications to aircraft engines
Authors: Zhu Kongwei , Ma Dan , Zhao Jun
Published: March 2018

The event triggered control for a kind of switched linear parameter varying (LPV) systems is studied. The authors present two event triggering schemes for such systems, depending on whether the controllers are pre‐designed or to be designed. In the cases of pre‐designed controllers, they present the state and parameters dependent event triggering scheme. In the case of controllers to be designed, two event triggering schemes are given, depending on the state and parameters, respectively. The feasible linear matrix inequality (LMI) conditions are given for designing controllers and event triggering thresholds. The minimum of trigger time intervals is obtained as a positive number. Under the average dwell time switching mechanism, the switched parameter‐varying system is exponentially stable. Finally, the validity of designed approaches is verified through a simulation example for an aircraft engine model.
Event‐triggered control for a class of non‐linear systems: an exponential approximation method
Authors: Ding Sanbo , Wang Zhanshan , Zhang Huaguang
Published: March 2018

This brief investigates the event‐triggered control for a class of non‐linear systems by proposing an exponential approximation method. The core idea is that some time‐varying exponential terms which consist of two sign functions and a tunable scalar are developed to approximate the continuous states/outputs of closed‐loop system. These exponential terms are utilised to design the state/output feedback controllers and the associated event‐triggered mechanisms, respectively. The numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed method can essentially reduce the amount of samplings compared to the ones without the exponential terms.
Computationally efficient model predictive control for a class of linear parameter‐varying systems
Authors: Cavanini Luca , Cimini Gionata , Ippoliti Gianluca
Published: March 2018

The use of linear parameter varying (LPV) prediction models has been proven to be an effective solution to develop model predictive control (MPC) algorithms for linear and non‐linear systems. However, the computational effort is a crucial issue for LPV‐MPC, which has severely limited its application especially in embedded control. Indeed, for dynamical systems of dimension commonly found in embedded applications, the time needed to form the quadratic programming (QP) problem at each time step, can be substantially higher than the average time to solve it, making the approach infeasible in many control boards. This study presents an algorithm that drastically reduces this computational complexity for a particular class of LPV systems. They show that when the input matrix is right‐invertible, the rebuild phase of the QP problem can be accelerated by means of a coordinate transformation which approximates the original formulation. Then they introduce a variant of the algorithm, able to further reduce this time, at the cost of a slightly increased sub‐optimality. The presented results on vehicle dynamics and electrical motor control confirm the effectiveness of the two novel methods, especially in those applications where computational load is a key indicator for success.
Detecting heel strikes for gait analysis through acceleration flow
Authors: Sun Yan , Hare Jonathon S. , Nixon Mark S.
Published: March 2018

In some forms of gait analysis, it is important to be able to capture when the heel strikes occur. In addition, in terms of video analysis of gait, it is important to be able to localise the heel where it strikes on the floor. In this study, a new motion descriptor, acceleration flow, is introduced for detecting heel strikes. The key frame of heel strike can be determined by the quantity of acceleration flow within the region of interest, and positions of the strike can be found from the centre of rotation caused by radial acceleration. Our approach has been tested on a number of databases which were recorded indoors and outdoors with multiple views and walking directions for evaluating the detection rate under various environments. Experiments show the ability of our approach for both temporal detection and spatial positioning. The immunity of this new approach to three anticipated types of noises in real CCTV footage is also evaluated in our experiments. The authors acceleration flow detector is shown to be less sensitive to Gaussian white noise, whilst being effective with images of low‐resolution and with incomplete body position information when compared with other techniques.
High impedance fault detection method based on the short‐time Fourier transform
Authors: Lima Érica Mangueira , dos Santos Junqueira Caio Marco , Brito Núbia Silva Dantas , de Souza Benemar Alencar , de Almeida Coelho Rodrigo , Gayoso Meira Suassuna de Medeiros Hugo
Published: March 2018

A method to detect high impedance faults (HIFs) based on low‐order harmonics is proposed. Short‐time Fourier transform (STFT) is used to extract the main harmonic components of phase current, as magnitude and phase of the third harmonic and magnitude of the second and fifth harmonics, which are used to identify HIF occurrence. In addition, this study presents an analysis of the window length and type used in STFT and its suitability for the application. The method proposed is able to detect HIF occurrence at various points of the test system, as well as HIF happening on different soil surfaces. It is also capable of distinguishing HIF events from similar distribution system disturbances such as capacitor banks switching and feeder energising. Furthermore, it is effective when real HIF oscillography is applied, indicating its tolerance to typical noises present on real signals.
Effect of added resonators in RFID system at 13.56 MHz
Authors: Benamara Megdouda , Grzeskowiak Marjorie , Diet Antoine , Conessa Christophe , Lissorgues Gaëlle , Le Bihan Yann
Published: March 2018

In this study, a reader antenna including resonators is proposed to improve detection of a small moving tag in the case of tracking a radiofrequency identification (RFID) system. The near‐field RFID technology is based on load modulation, the input impedance on the reader coil and the mutual inductance between the reader and tag coils are the main parameters for performing detection. They are calculated from the impedance matrix parameters. The added resonators change all the parameters of the impedance matrix consequently the input impedance and mutual inductance are also changed. In this study, analytical formulation defining the equivalent impedance matrix parameters is developed. These formulae are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed design according to the tag misalignment (lateral and angular). From the calculation and simulation results, a frequency shift in the equivalent input impedance is found. To avoid this problem, optimising the positioning of the resonators on the reader coil is performed. This study is confirmed by measures of RFID detection for a reader prototype (with and without resonators) and a small commercial tag. Both the surface and volume of detection of the small moving tag (lateral and angular misalignment) are improved by the principle of added resonators.
Envelope aligned inverse power scanning for direction‐of‐arrival estimation of circular and non‐circular wideband source signals
Authors: Huang Yulin , Xu Yougen , Lu Ying , Liu Zhiwen
Published: March 2018

In practical applications of wideband antenna‐array processing, the signals to be processed may include either circular or non‐circular or both circular and non‐circular ones. The problem of direction‐of‐arrival (DOA) estimation for wideband circular/non‐circular source signals is addressed in this study. The presented method is based on the incorporation of the envelope alignment and inverse power techniques, involving no steps such as matrix eigendecomposition and preliminary DOA estimation. The performance of the method in terms of the resolution capability and DOA estimation accuracy has been evaluated by extensive simulations and compared with some existing popular wideband DOA estimators.
All‐optical NOT and XOR logic gates using photonic crystal nano‐resonator and based on an interference effect
Authors: Mohebzadeh‐Bahabady Ahmad , Olyaee Saeed
Published: March 2018

In this study, a small size, low power, simple and high contrast ratio (CR) structure was designed and simulated to use in photonic crystal‐based all‐optical logic gates. This structure can be used for both all‐optical logic NOT and XOR gates. The suggested structure is composed of three waveguides and a nano‐resonator. The nano‐resonator was designed by removing two dielectric rods. For use as an optical NOT logic gate, one of the input ports enters the control signal. In this case, the CR between logic levels ‘0’ and ‘1’ is 20.53 dB, which is higher than that of the provided gates based on structures published recently. The CR for the XOR gate is 19.95 dB. The response time to the input signal of the designed gate is 0.466 ps. The simplicity of the structure, small size, and high CR are the advantages of this structure compared to previously provided logic gates. The results have proven a superior prospect for the proposed structure to use in all optical integrated circuits.
Current sensorless sliding mode control for direct current–alternating current inverter with load variations via a USDO approach
Authors: Wang Zuo , Li Shihua , Yang Jun , Li Qi
Published: March 2018

In this study, a current sensorless sliding mode control (SMC) approach is proposed for a direct current–alternating current inverter system. The SMC scheme shows advantages in dealing with matched disturbances and model uncertainties. However, it fails to remove the effects of mismatched disturbances. In distributed generation systems, wide range of load variations and effects of non‐linear loads result in performance degradation. Load disturbances, as the mismatched disturbances, entry the system via a channel different from the control input. Load variations are coupled with the output voltage, resulting in periodic disturbances. Meanwhile, the cost increases significantly due to the requirement of wideband current sensors. In the existing current sensorless approaches, observers are designed to reconstruct current without considering disturbances. Addressing it, a novel universal state and disturbance observer (USDO) is developed to reconstruct the inductor current and load disturbances. By integrating the estimations into the design of sliding surface, a current sensorless sliding mode controller is proposed. Rigorous stability analysis for the closed‐loop system is presented. Furthermore, considering higher‐order harmonics, the baseline USDO is extended to reject these harmonics. Experimental results are illustrated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Review of technical issues influencing the decoupling of DG converter design from the distribution system protection strategy
Authors: Manditereza Patrick T. , Bansal Ramesh C.
Published: March 2018

Several issues need to be considered in the design and control of converters for converter‐interfaced distributed generators (DGs). Under fault conditions, the semiconductor devices withstand ratings must not be exceeded. The converter control strategy is also required to facilitate fault ride through (FRT) capability. On the other hand, protection against fault is better served by employing control strategies that allow the converter‐interfaced DGs to contribute short duration fault current sufficient to aid the detection of faults. Semiconductor devices protection and FRT capability have the same objective of limiting the magnitude of the fault current. Protection coordination in the complex DG‐integrated network is difficult and may result in protection settings that are not optimal or contribute to long relay operating times that may impact FRT support. On this basis, this study proposes the de‐coupling of the protection solution from FRT and semiconductor device considerations. This study critically reviews various strategies proposed in the literature for the protection of the DG‐integrated distribution system and develops an argument that aims to influence a paradigm shift towards voltage‐based protection that may see protection design decoupled from inverter design and control, since fault current contribution may not be required to achieve effective protection.
Lenvatinib als Erstlinientherapie geeignet?
Authors: Heinzl Susanne
Published: March 2018

Lenvatinib ist in der Wirkung auf das Gesamtüberleben bei Patienten mit nicht resezierbarem Leberzellkarzinom der Standardtherapie Sorafenib nicht unterlegen. Dies zeigen die Daten der offenen Phase-III-Studie REFLECT, die bei einer Pressekonferenz während der DGHO-Tagung 2017 vorgestellt wurden.
Der Ausschuss „Gesundheitswirtschaft und E-Health“ – 25. Ausschusssitzung in Krefeld
Authors: Müller-Mielitz Stefan , Lux Thomas
Published: March 2018

Mitte November 2017 haben sich 21 Teilnehmer und Teilnehmerinnen des Ausschusses „Gesundheitswirtschaft und
E-Health“ sowie einige interessierte Studierende am Fachbereich Gesundheitswesen der Hochschule Niederrhein in
Krefeld getroffen, um sechs Themen rund um E-Health zu referieren und ausgiebig zu diskutieren. Dieser Bericht
fasst die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse zusammen.
Die Wertigkeit des gemeinsamen Faches Orthopädie-Unfallchirurgie im 2. Staatsexamen – Vergleich der schriftlichen 2. Staatsexamina mit dem Nationalen Kompetenzbasierten Lernzielkatalog Chirurgie
Authors: Sterz Jasmina , Britz Vanessa , Münzberg Matthias , Kadmon Martina , Schleicher Iris , Meder Adrian , Kamp Rainer , Janko Maren , Marzi Ingo , Rüsseler Miriam
Published: March 2018

Hintergrund Der Nationale Kompetenzbasierte Lernzielkatalog Chirurgie (NKLC) definiert für jedes seiner 230 Lernziele eine Kompetenzebene von „Kompetenzebene 1: Faktenwissen“ bis zu „Kompetenzebene 3: selbstständiges Handeln“. Trotz des erwiesenen Einflusses von summativen Prüfungen auf das Lernverhalten von Studierenden bilden diese Lernziele nicht die Grundlage für das 2. Staatsexamen. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht, inwiefern die Prüfungsfragen des 2. Staatsexamens bereits die orthopädisch-unfallchirurgischen Lernziele des NKLC adressieren und welche thematische Schwerpunktsetzung hierbei erfolgt.

Material und Methoden Es erfolgte eine retrospektive Analyse basierend auf den Examensfragen von Herbst (H) 2009 bis Herbst 2014 (n = 11). Zunächst wurden im NKLC durch 5 Ober- und Fachärzte die Lernziele aus den Bereichen Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie identifiziert. Nachfolgend wurden aus den 11 untersuchten Staatsexamina die Fragen definiert, die sich auf die orthopädisch-unfallchirurgischen Lernziele bezogen. Analysiert wurden die Gesamtzahl der Fragen, die Anzahl der Fragen pro Examen sowie pro Lernziel und Kompetenzebene.

Ergebnisse Insgesamt konnten 113 Lernziele des NKLC (entspricht 49,1% aller Lernziele des NKLC) dem Fach Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie zugeordnet werden. Im Studienzeitraum adressierten 543 Fragen diese 113 Lernziele (entspricht 15,6% aller 3480 Fragen). Pro Examen konnten durchschnittlich 49,36 ± 14,1 (Min. 30; Max. 80) Fragen mit Bezug zu Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie identifiziert werden. Insgesamt wurden 13,45 ± 6,39 (Min. 6; Max. 24) Fragen zu Lernzielen (LZ) der Kompetenzebene 3a und b, 21,45 ± 9,94 (Min. 9; Max. 39) Fragen zu LZ der Kompetenzebene 2 und 14,45 ± 6,36 (Min. 6; Max. 25) Fragen zu LZ der Kompetenzebene 1 gestellt. Die Mehrheit der Fragen adressierten „Erkrankungen des rheumatischen Formenkreises“ (n = 16 im Herbst 2009).

Schlussfolgerung Die Anzahl der Fragen mit unfallchirurgisch-orthopädischem Schwerpunkt im 2. Staatsexamen erscheint in Relation zur Gesamtzahl aller gestellten Fragen ausreichend hoch. Allerdings liegt eine thematische Imbalance vor, und gerade klinisch wichtige Lernziele mit hoher Kompetenzebene werden nicht ausreichend häufig geprüft. Eine bessere Abstimmung der Staatsprüfung mit den Lernzielkatalogen ist erforderlich.
Incidence of Diabetic Ketoacidosis of New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents in Different Countries Correlates with Human Development Index (HDI): An Updated Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression
Authors: Große Johann , Hornstein Henriette , Manuwald Ulf , Kugler Joachim , Glauche Ingmar , Rothe Ulrike
Published: March 2018

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is usually diagnosed by insulin deficiency at a young age. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) represents a severe complication occurring before the first diagnosis of T1DM. Actually, the data situation is still unsettled in assessing the current state of diagnosis. This study summarizes the latest rates of DKA of new-onset T1DM in children and adolescents in different countries available over the last five years. Different T1DM-related, geographical and socioeconomic moderators are suitable to explain the heterogeneity of observed DKA rates. A systematic literature search using PubMed, EMBASE*, and MedLine* (*via OVID) was conducted to extract worldwide DKA rates covering publications from April 2011 to May 2016. We define DKA consistently by pH<7.3 or bicarbonate<15 mmol/l. We identified 34 suitable studies covering DKA rates in 25 countries. Overall DKA rates were compared to earlier studies to identify a temporal trend. We further applied a random effects meta-analysis and used meta-regression to reveal moderators of DKA rate heterogeneity. This review evaluating 34 studies includes 47 000 children and adolescents in total. DKA rates varied from 14.7% (Denmark) to 79.8% (Saudi Arabia). DKA rates are still high but a decline can also be recognized. The meta-regression shows that latitude (p<0.000) and human development index (HDI) (p<0.000) are moderators of DKA rates. The frequency of DKA rates occurrence varies widely for different countries. Both latitude and HDI partially explain the observed heterogeneity, while other moderators such as density of physicians showed no obvious correlation.
Modeling, simulation, and optimization of a solar water heating system in different climate regions
Authors: Yaman Kaan , Arslan Gökhan
Published: March 2018

To design an effective solar water heating system (SWHS), parameters such as the energy consumption rate, total cost, and climatic region characteristics must be analyzed during the time interval (annual or seasonal) of the predicted use. In this paper, the optimum dimensions of a SWHS were determined using the life cycle cost (LCC) analysis constraint by the 40% solar fraction for the different regions of Turkey for annual and seasonal periods. Particle swarm optimization/Hooke and Jeeves hybrid optimization algorithm was applied. The optimum number of solar collectors and the volume of the hot water storage tank of the SWHS were determined. The optimization process showed that LCC could be reduced for all regions in the range of 3.3%–5.8% in the annual simulation period and 1.8%–4.8% in the period of the summer season simulation. The optimization process carried out in the winter season revealed that the optimization results obtained over different time periods can make a difference in the relations between the optimization parameters. Accordingly, the performance of the SWHS could be improved using a design according to the optimum results obtained at the time interval of the usage. The optimization results obtained in the summer season led to a saving in LCC, while the results obtained in the winter season led to an improvement in the system's thermal performance. Finally, the relative influence of possible operating parameters on an optimum SWHS was investigated through sensitivity analysis.
Stochastic optimal reactive power planning and active power dispatch with large penetration of wind generation
Authors: Gupta Neeraj
Published: March 2018

In this paper, an optimal probabilistic reactive power planning and active power dispatch method considering uncertain loads and intermittent wind generation is proposed. Four types of wind generator models, viz, simple PQ model of an induction generator and pitch regulated fixed speed, semi-variable speed, and doubly fed induction generator models, have been considered in this work. The objective of the planning strategy adopted is to maximize the annual profit of the utility. To maximize the profit, a modified particle swarm optimization gravitational search algorithm based optimization technique has been developed. The performance of this developed technique has been compared with those obtained from genetic algorithm, gravitational search algorithm, and modified particle swarm optimization gravitational search algorithm optimization methods. Extensive simulation studies on IEEE-30, IEEE-57, and IEEE-118 bus systems show that the performance of the modified algorithm technique is superior to that of other methods in terms of the value of both the objective function and the reproducibility of results.
Mutual conversion of singlet and triplet ordering in singlet superconductor junctions with ferromagnetic nickel
Authors: Rudenko E. M. , Krakovny A. A. , Korotash I. V. , Belogolovskii M. A.
Published: March 2018

A study of the density of quasiparticle states of a lead film, which is a conventional superconductor with spin-singlet electron pairing, as a function of the nanoscale ferromagnetic nickel layer thickness that is in direct contact with the lead (inverse proximity effect). It is found that the penetration depth of superconducting correlations into the ferromagnetic nickel is of the same order of magnitude as in contacts involving lead and a normal metal. This behavior can be explained by the appearance of an inhomogeneous exchange field at the interface, which leads to the effective conversion of spin-singlet (rapidly decaying in a ferromagnet) Cooper pairs into spin-triplet pairs, which are stable with respect to exchange interaction.
Microstructure and microhardness in horizontally solidified Al–7Si–0.15Fe–(3Cu; 0.3Mg) alloys
Authors: Souza F. , Lima J. , Rizziolli C. , Magno I. , Barros A. , Moreira A. , Rocha O.
Published: March 2018

Transient horizontal directional solidification (THDS) experiments have been carried out with Al–7wt.%Si–0.15Fe, Al–7wt.%Si–3wt.%Cu–0.15wt.%Fe and Al–7wt.%Si–0.3wt.%Mg–0.15wt.%Fe alloys, to identify experimental relationships between growth rates ( GR), cooling rates ( CR), tertiary dendrite arm spacings (λ3) and microhardness (HV). Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS) were used to perform a comprehensive microstructural characterisation of the β-Al5FeSi, ω-Al7Cu2Fe, θ-Al2Cu, π-Al8Mg3FeSi6 and α-Mg2Si intermetallic phases. The addition of Cu and Mg to the Al–7wt.%Si–0.15wt.%Fe alloy led to the precipitation of ω and π phases from the β phase. It has been found for all analysed alloys that power experimental functions given by λ3 = constant.( GR)-1.1 and λ3 = constant.( CR)-0.55 best describe the variation of λ3 with corresponding thermal and microstructural parameters.