bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the design of CMOS phase shifters with small insertion‐loss variation for phased arrays and its validation at 24 GHz
Authors: Bae Juseok , Nguyen Cam
Published: June 2016

Body‐floating technique applied to n‐type metal‐oxide‐semiconductor transistors and transistor‐size optimization is studied for minimizing the insertion‐loss variation in phase shifters. A CMOS radio frequency integrated circuit 4‐bit digital phase shifter with low insertion‐loss variation across different phase states is designed at 24 GHz using a 0.18‐μm SiGe BiCMOS technology to verify the concepts. The phase shifter shows a measured insertion‐loss variation of 13 ± 2.5 dB, root mean square (RMS) amplitude error of 1.7 dB, and input 1‐dB power compression (P1dB) higher than 12.5 dBm across different phase states at 24 GHz. The measured input/output return loss better than 10 dB and RMS phase error of 2.4–26° over 21 to 27 GHz are obtained. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2203–2210, 2016
A small wilkinson power divider with complex isolation component
Authors: Wang Xiaolong , Ma Zhewang , Sakagami Iwata , Mase Atsushi , Yoshikawa Masayuki
Published: June 2016

By using complex isolation component, the proposed Wilkinson power divider occupy smaller area than that of conventional Wilkinson power divider. General design equations for complex isolation component are derived from even‐ and odd‐mode analysis. Various RLC circuits are chosen to realize complex isolation components, respectively. Considering the bandwidths of S22, S33 and S32, inductors in RLC circuits are omitted to get the widest bandwidths and easy fabrication. Compared with Trantanella's work, the proposed power divider provides wider bandwidths of S22, S33 and S32, and smaller capacitances under the same conditions, furthermore, the resistor in parallel RC circuit is constant value and suitable for industry applications. In experiment, one circuit was fabricated with parallel RC isolation component, experimental results showed good agreement with theoretical results. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2163–2168, 2016
A 3–5 GHz UWB impulse generator in 0.13 μm CMOS
Authors: Feng Weiwei , Li Nan , Li Xiuping
Published: June 2016

This article proposes a 3–5 GHz IR‐UWB (impulse radio ultra‐wide band) impulse generator. The impulse generator is mainly composed of an ultra‐narrow pulse generator and an on‐chip filter. The IR‐UWB impulse generator is implemented in 0.13 μm CMOS, while the chip size is 0.29 mm2. The peak‐to‐peak voltage of the output signals is 600 mV. When the data rate is 10 MHz, the circuit consumes 6.95 mW. The impulse generated can fulfill the FCC spectral mask for indoor UWB systems. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2242–2245, 2016
A compact shorted patch rectenna design with harmonic rejection properties for the applications of wireless power transmission
Authors: Chou Jui‐Hung , Lin Ding‐Bing , Hsiao Tsai‐Wen , Chou Hsi‐Tseng
Published: June 2016

This article presents a compact design of shorted patch rectenna with the harmonic rejection properties for the applications of wireless power transmission. To improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE), the harmonic rejection filter widely used in the conventional design is removed from the circuit to reduce the insertion loss. Instead, the rejection of higher order harmonic noise that was generated from the rectifying diodes is achieved by etching a U‐shape slot resonator on the shorted patch antenna. As a result, this method may improve the PCE without sacrificing the capability of higher order harmonic noise rejection. The design procedure and performance of the proposed shorted patch rectenna will be presented in detail in this article. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2250–2257, 2016
RF transceiver‐based wireless pressure monitoring system
Authors: Kumar Amarjit , Pathak Nagendra P.
Published: June 2016

This article reports the development and characterization of a robust RF transceiver system for wireless monitoring of the pressure variation in a gas pipeline installed in an industry. Proposed system consists of a monolithic silicon pressure sensor for converting applied pressure information to a DC voltage output, a varactor‐based voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) for converting DC voltages to RF signal, a power amplifier for amplifying the transmitting RF signal, and two wideband microstip fed filtering antennas used in transmitter and receiver modules. Transmitting antenna is used for radiating the selected RF signal (conditioned pressure information) while reflecting the undesired harmonics. Filtering antenna (Filtenna) at the receiver side is used to detect the desired RF signal while filtering out the undesired signal. Operating frequency band of proposed wireless pressure monitoring system is 2.2565–2.5804 GHz covering lower ISM band (2.4–2.5 GHz). As a proof of concept, experiment has been performed for monitoring of a pressure variation in the range 0–50 kPa and for a distance of 2 m between transmitting and receiving antennas. The measured pressure sensitivity of the proposed gas pressure monitoring system is 6.4786 MHz/kPa with a good linearity response. Calibration curve and curve fitting equations are provided for evaluating the pressure variation in a gas pipeline by detecting the received RF signal at the receiver end. Proposed system can be used for wirelessly monitoring the pressure of a gas pipeline installed in an industry. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2237–2242, 2016
Diagnostic accuracy of concentric needle jitter in myasthenia: Prospective study
Authors: C.N. Machado Flavia , A. Kouyoumdjian JOÃO , E. Marchiori Paulo
Published: June 2016

Introduction: The aim of this study was to estimate jitter parameters in the orbicularis oculi muscle using a concentric needle electrode (CNE) in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and to determine its diagnostic accuracy for jitter analysis (CNEMG‐jitter). Methods: CNEMG‐jitter was performed in 20 healthy subjects and 33 MG patients using the voluntary contraction technique. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to determine cut‐off points with the best sensitivity/specificity combination for jitter analysis. Results: CNEMG‐jitter yielded high positivity rates for ocular MG (92.3%) and generalized MG (100%). The ROC curve cut‐off point that provided the highest sensitivity without false positives was 24.7 μs for mean jitter and 33.1 μs for the 18th highest value. Sensitivity was 93.9% for both parameters. Diagnostic accuracy of CNEMG‐jitter was > 96%. Conclusions: CNEMG‐jitter yielded high sensitivity and specificity rates. Our reference values were lower than previously published values, possibly due to less technical variation between the different recordings. Muscle Nerve 55: 190–194, 2017
On structural shape optimization using an embedding domain discretization technique
Authors: Riehl Stefan , Steinmann Paul
Published: June 2016

This contribution presents a novel approach to structural shape optimization that relies on an embedding domain discretization technique. The evolving shape design is embedded within a uniform finite element background mesh which is then used for the solution of the physical state problem throughout the course of the optimization. We consider a boundary tracking procedure based on adaptive mesh refinement to separate between interior elements, exterior elements, and elements intersected by the physical domain boundary. A selective domain integration procedure is employed to account for the geometric mismatch between the uniform embedding domain discretization and the evolving structural component. Thereby, we avoid the need to provide a finite element mesh that conforms to the structural component for every design iteration, as it is the case for a standard Lagrangian approach to structural shape optimization. Still, we adopt an explicit shape parametrization that allows for a direct manipulation of boundary vertices for the design evolution process. In order to avoid irregular and impracticable design updates, we consider a geometric regularization technique to render feasible descent directions for the course of the optimization. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Obesity and associated adverse health outcomes among US military members and veterans: Findings from the millennium cohort study
Authors: Rush Toni , LeardMann Cynthia A. , Crum‐Cianflone Nancy F.
Published: June 2016

Objective

To assess the prevalence of obesity and associated health outcomes among US service members and veterans.

Methods

Data from three survey cycles (2001–2008) of the Millennium Cohort Study were used to examine the prevalence of obesity and associated health outcomes.

Results

Of the 42,200 individuals, 25% were of normal weight in 2007/2008. Rates of obesity were significantly higher among veterans (32%) compared with service members (20%). Over a 7‐year period, obesity rates doubled among both service members (10%–20%) and veterans (14%–32%). Participants with obesity were significantly more likely to be male, older, less educated, in the Army or Navy, and separated/retired from the military. Hypertension, diabetes, and sleep apnea were significantly more common among individuals with obesity compared with participants with normal weight (all P < 0.05). Individuals with obesity also had significantly higher rates of depression and post‐traumatic stress disorder than individuals with normal weight and had lower mental and physical functional scores (all P < 0.05).

Conclusions

These findings indicate an urgent need to enhance strategies for preventing and reducing excess weight gain within the military and veteran populations. Such strategies should aim to ensure a fit military force and promote health after military service.
Cutaneous malignant melanoma in children and adolescents treated in pediatric oncology units
Authors: Réguerre Yves , Vittaz Marie , Orbach Daniel , Robert Caroline , Bodemer Christine , Mateus Christina , Plantaz Dominique , Plouvier Emmanuel , Lutz Patrick , Rakotonjanahary Josue , Fraitag Sylvie , Martin Ludovic
Published: June 2016

Objectives

Recent progress in the understanding of tumor biology and new targeted therapies has led to improved survival in adults with malignant melanoma (MM). MM is rare in children, especially before puberty. We report here our experience with pediatric patients with MM, describe the clinical presentation, treatment and evolution, and compare prepubescent and postpubescent disease.

Methods

A retrospective, descriptive, national multicenter study was undertaken of 52 cases of MM in children and adolescents. Demographic, histopathology, treatment evolution data, and survival distributions are described.

Results

Median age was 15 years (5–18). The tumors were often amelanotic (45%) and raised (83%), and Breslow thickness was greater than 4 mm in 35% of cases. Histological examination showed superficial spreading (n = 16) or spitzoid (n = 16) or nodular (n = 9) pattern. Twelve children (23%) were less than 10 years of age. The spitzoid histotype was more frequent in prepubescent children (seven of 12). Seventeen patients relapsed, of whom four had skin lesions initially diagnosed as benign. Ten patients died after relapse. Five‐year event‐free survival and overall survival were 62.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 45.3–76) and 75.5% (95% CI: 56.8–87.1), respectively.

Conclusions

MM appears to be different in prepubescent children, of whom most had a spitzoid histotype. Diagnosis can be difficult, leading to delay in treatment. New biological tools to identify targets for treatment in MM and to differentiate spitzoid melanomas from Spitz nevi now exist. As effective targeted therapies are now available, we recommend requesting biological examination of all melanocyte‐derived skin lesions in children that could be malignant.
The association between cinacalcet use and missed in‐center hemodialysis treatment rate
Authors: Brunelli Steven M. , Sibbel Scott , Dluzniewski Paul J. , Cooper Kerry , Bensink Mark E. , Bradbury Brian D.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

Missed in‐center hemodialysis treatments (MHT) are a general indicator of health status in hemodialysis patients. This analysis was conducted to estimate the association between cinacalcet use and MHT rate.

Methods

We studied patients receiving hemodialysis and prescription benefits services from a large dialysis organization. Incident cinacalcet users were propensity score matched to controls on 31 demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables. We applied inverse probability (IP) of censoring and crossover weights to account for informative censoring. Weighted negative binomial modeling was used to estimate MHT rates and pooled logistics models were used to estimate the association between cinacalcet use and MHT.

Results

Baseline demographic and clinical variables included serum calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, and vitamin D use, and were balanced between 15,474 new cinacalcet users and 15,474 matched controls. In an analysis based on intention‐to‐treat principles, 40.8% of cinacalcet users and 46.5% of nonusers were censored. MHT rate was 13% lower among cinacalcet initiators versus controls: IP of censoring weighted incidence rate ratio was 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84–0.90 p < 0.001). In analyses based on as‐treated principles, 72.8% and 61.5% of cinacalcet users and nonusers, respectively, crossed over or were censored. MHT rate was 15% lower among cinacalcet initiators versus controls: IP of censoring/crossover weighted incidence rate ratio was 0.85 (95%CI: 0.82–0.87 p < 0.001).

Conclusions

After controlling for indication and differential censoring, cinacalcet treatment was associated with lower MHT rates, which may reflect better health status. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling of moisture‐induced stress in PMMA: A simple approach to consider sorption behavior in FEM
Authors: Geertz Guru , Wieser Jürgen , Alig Ingo , Heinrich Gert
Published: June 2016

Moisture‐induced stresses in amorphous thermoplastics are studied in detail using the finite element method (FEM). The approach is based on the coefficient of moisture expansion which is derived from the sorption behavior (i.e., changes of mass, density and elastic properties). The required model parameters were obtained by isothermal diffusion and swelling experiments at different levels of relative humidity at room temperature. In the analysis, the evolutions of moisture‐induced stresses in a model system have been analyzed, i.e., drying sheets of poly(methyl methacrylate). The calculated stresses during drying are discussed with regards to the sorption models. Results indicate that these computational models are essential in capturing the accurate moisture‐induced stress. Finally, the simulation results were verified by three‐point bending. The implemented method shows the potential to predict environmental stress cracking due to humidity by FEM. This is important for the improved design of plastics parts. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:3–12, 2017. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
One‐scale basicities of diaminobenzenes and diaminonaphthalenes: from aniline to proton sponge
Authors: Vlasenko Marina P. , Ozeryanskii Valery A.
Published: June 2016

Basicity constants, pKa, for a wide range of mono‐protonated diaminobenzenes and diaminonaphthalenes, including dimethylamino derivatives were for the first time uniformly measured in 20% aqueous ethanol (29 compounds) and 80% aqueous dioxane (39 compounds) spanning from aniline to 1,8‐bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene (‘proton sponge’). The dioxane system proved to be more versatile and because of better solubility of N‐alkylated polyaminoarenes allowed to add to the same scale some superbasic bis(dialkylamino)‐, tetrakis(dialkylamino)‐, and hexakis(dialkylamino)naphthalenes, thus extending the scale for almost 10 pKa units, revealing possible limits of basicity changes in aromatic amines. The basicity of reference bases, pyridine and triethylamine, was also measured in these solvent systems. A group of N‐alkylated compounds was found to be less basic in aqueous dioxane when compared with their NH2‐analogs. This anomaly was not observed in aqueous ethanol. Other basicity trends and correlations between different basicity scales were also discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Insecticide ADME for support of early‐phase discovery: combining classical and modern techniques
Authors: David Michael D
Published: June 2016

The two factors that determine an insecticide's potency are its binding to a target site (intrinsic activity) and the ability of its active form to reach the target site (bioavailability). Bioavailability is dictated by the compound's stability and transport kinetics, which are determined by both physical and biochemical characteristics. At BASF Global Insecticide Research, we characterize bioavailability in early research with an ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion) approach, combining classical and modern techniques. For biochemical assessment of metabolism, we purify native insect enzymes using classical techniques, and recombinantly express individual insect enzymes that are known to be relevant in insecticide metabolism and resistance. For analytical characterization of an experimental insecticide and its metabolites, we conduct classical radiotracer translocation studies when a radiolabel is available. In discovery, where typically no radiolabel has been synthesized, we utilize modern high‐resolution mass spectrometry to probe complex systems for the test compounds and its metabolites. By using these combined approaches, we can rapidly compare the ADME properties of sets of new experimental insecticides and aid in the design of structures with an improved potential to advance in the research pipeline. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Permanent annihilation of thermally activated defects which limit the lifetime of float‐zone silicon
Authors: Grant Nicholas E. , Markevich Vladimir P. , Mullins Jack , Peaker Anthony R. , Rougieux Fiacre , Macdonald Daniel , Murphy John D.
Published: June 2016

We have observed very large changes in the minority carrier lifetime when high purity float‐zone (FZ) silicon wafers are subject to heat‐treatments in the range of 200–1100 °C. Recombination centres were found to become activated upon annealing at 450–700 °C, causing significant reductions in the bulk lifetime, detrimental for high efficiency solar cells and stable high powered devices. Photoluminescence imaging of wafers annealed at 500 °C revealed concentric circular patterns, with lower lifetimes occurring in the centre, and higher lifetimes around the periphery. Deep level transient spectroscopy measurements on samples extracted from the centre of an n‐type FZ silicon wafer annealed at 500 °C revealed a large variety of defects with activation energies ranging between 0.16–0.36 eV. Our measurements indicate that vacancy related defects are causing the severe degradation in lifetime when FZ wafers are annealed at 450–700 °C. Upon annealing FZ silicon at temperatures >800 °C, the lifetime is completely recovered, whereby the defect‐rich regions vanish and do not reappear (permanently annihilated). Our results indicate that, in general, as‐grown FZ silicon should not be assumed to be defect lean, nor can it be assumed that the bulk lifetime will remain stable during thermal processing, unless annealed at temperatures >1000 °C.
Comparison of aircraft‐derived observations with in situ research aircraft measurements
Authors: Mirza Andrew K. , Ballard Susan P. , Dance Sarah L. , Maisey Paul , Rooney Gabriel G. , Stone Edmund K.
Published: June 2016

Mode Selective Enhanced Surveillance (Mode‐S EHS) reports are aircraft‐based observations that have value in numerical weather prediction (NWP). These reports contain the aircraft's state vector in terms of its speed, direction, altitude and Mach number. Using the state vector, meteorological observations of temperature and horizontal wind can be derived. However, Mode‐S EHS processing reduces the precision of the state vector from 16‐bit to 10‐bit binary representation. We use full precision data from research‐grade instruments, on board the UK's Facility for Atmospheric Airborne Measurements, to emulate Mode‐S EHS reports and to compare with derived observations. We aim to understand the observation errors due to the reduced precision of Mode‐S EHS reports. We derive error models to estimate these observation errors. The temperature error increases from 1.25 to 2.5 K between an altitude of 10 km and the surface due to its dependency on Mach number and also Mode‐S EHS precision. For the cases studied, the zonal wind error is around 0.50 m s−1 and the meridional wind error is 0.25 m s−1. The wind is also subject to systematic errors that are directionally dependent. We conclude that Mode‐S EHS‐derived horizontal winds are suitable for data assimilation in high‐resolution NWP. Temperature reports may be usable when aggregated from multiple aircraft. While these reduced precision, high‐frequency data provide useful, albeit noisy, observations, direct reports of the higher‐precision data would be preferable.
Diurnal variations of the areas and temperatures in tropical cyclone clouds
Authors: Wu Qiaoyan , Ruan Zhenxin
Published: June 2016

Diurnal variations of the areas and temperatures in tropical cyclone convective cloud systems in the western North Pacific were estimated using pixel‐resolution infrared (IR) brightness temperature (BT) and best‐track data for 2000–2013. The mean areal extent of very cold cloud cover (IR BTs < 208 K) reached a maximum in the early morning (0000–0300 local solar time (LST)), then decreased after sunrise. This was followed by increasing cloud cover between 208 and 240 K, reaching its maximum areal extent in the afternoon (1500–1800 LST). The time at which cloud cover reached a maximum was sensitive to the temperature thresholds used over the ocean. IR BTs < 240 K reached minima in the morning (0300–0600 LST), and IR BTs > 240 K reached minima in the afternoon (1500–1800 LST). The out‐of‐phase relationships between IR BTs < 240 K and IR BTs > 240 K, and between the maximum coverage times of IR BTs < 208 K and 208 K < IR BTs < 240 K, can both lead to the radius‐averaged IR temperature having two minima per day. The different diurnal evolutions under different cloud conditions suggest tropical cyclone convective cloud systems are best described in terms of both areal extent and cloud‐top temperature. Maximum occurrence of clouds with IR BTs < 208 K in the morning and maximum occurrence of clouds with 208 K < IR BTs < 240 K in the afternoon suggest that two different mechanisms might be involved in causing diurnal variations under these two types of tropical cyclone cloud conditions.
Improving seasonal forecasting through tropical ocean bias corrections
Authors: Mulholland David P. , Haines Keith , Balmaseda Magdalena Alonso
Published: June 2016

Initialization shock is often discussed in the context of coupled atmosphere–ocean forecasting, but its detection has remained elusive. In this article, the presence of initialization shock in seasonal forecasts is clearly identified in the variability of the tropical thermocline. The specific source of shock studied here is the use of a bias correction procedure to account for errors in equatorial wind stress forcing during ocean initialization. It is shown that the abrupt removal of the bias correction at the beginning of the forecast leads to rapid adjustments in the upper ocean, creating a shock that remains in the system for at least 3 months. By contrast, gradual removal of the correction term, over 20 days, greatly reduces the initialization shock. Evidence is presented of substantial increases in sea surface temperature (SST) seasonal forecast skill, at around 3–7 months' lead time, when the gradual removal approach is used. Gains in skill of up to 0.05, as measured by the anomaly correlation coefficient for SST in the Niño‐4 region, are found, using a modest hindcast set covering four seasonal start dates. The results show that improvements in coupled initialization aimed at reducing shocks may considerably benefit seasonal forecasting.
Testing conditional independence in sets ofI×Jtables by means of moment and correlation score tests with application to HPV vaccine
Authors: Iannario Maria , Lang Joseph B.
Published: June 2016

A new testing approach is described for improving statistical tests of independence in sets of tables stratified on one or more relevant factors in case of categorical (nominal or ordinal) variables. Common tests of independence that exploit the ordinality of one of the variables use a restricted‐alternative approach. A different, relaxed‐null method is presented. Specifically, the M‐moment score tests and the correlation tests are introduced. Using multinomial‐Poisson homogeneous modeling theory, it is shown that these tests are computationally and conceptually simple, and simulation results suggest that they can perform better than other common tests of conditional independence. To illustrate, the proposed tests are used to better understand the human papillomavirus type‐specific infection by exploring the intention to vaccinate. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aggregation induced emission (AIE) active carbazole styryl fluorescent molecular rotor as viscosity sensor
Authors: Kumbhar Haribhau S. , Deshpande Saurabh S. , Shankarling Ganapati S.
Published: June 2016

The carbazole styryl based fluorescent molecular rotors (FMRs) with different chemical functionalities at C=C bond were synthesized and characterized spectroscopically. These compounds exhibits bright solid state fluorescent and also exhibits aggregation induced emission (AIE) and fluorescent response towards viscosity. Apart from traditional p‐(dialkylamino)‐benzylidene malonitriles motifs, we have used carbazole styryl dyes as viscosity sensors. In this study we have discussed about the effect of chemical functionalities/ substituents on the fluorescent properties, aggregation induced emission (AIE) and viscosity sensitivity. These compounds can find potential applications in biomedical field as fluorescent molecular rotors for viscosity determination.
LiOtBu Promoted 5‐Exo–dig Cyclization of Propargyl Alcohols and Isocyanates for the Synthesis of Multisubstituted 3H‐Oxazol‐2‐ones and Oxazolidin‐2‐ones
Authors: Savarimuthu S. Antony , Thomas S. Augustine , Prakash D. G. Leo , Gandhi Thirumanavelan
Published: June 2016

This study presents an efficient procedure for synthesis of 3,4,5‐trisubstituted 3H‐oxazol‐2‐ones and 3,4‐disubstituted (Z)‐oxazolidin‐2‐ones from substituted propargyl alcohols and aryl/alkyl isocyanates in the presence of LiOtBu, a base, and DMF, a solvent. This one‐step, low‐cost and gram scale synthesis exhibits superior atom economy, good to excellent yields, enhanced substrate scope and, high functional group tolerance and uses column chromatography‐free purifications. Further, a product containing bromo substituent was successfully examined for Suzuki coupling with a view to amplifying the complexity of the molecule. Finally, the three component (aniline, Di‐tert‐butyldicarbonate and propargyl alcohol) reaction was demonstrated to get the oxazolon‐2‐ones (3H‐oxazol‐2‐one and oxazolidin‐2‐one).
Reductive Amination of Aldehyde Ester from Vegetable Oils to Produce Amino Ester in the Presence of Anhydrous Ammonia
Authors: Louis Kévin , Beauchene Emmanuel , Vivier Laurence , Dubois Jean‐luc , Vigier Karine De Oliveira , Pouilloux Pr. Yannick
Published: June 2016

Reductive amination has been reported in the literature in the presence of amine or liquid ammonia and Ni catalysts for instance. However, to the best of our knowledge it is the first time that anhydrous ammonia was used to produce methyl‐9‐aminononanoate from methyl‐9‐oxononanoate in the presence of hydrogen, methanol and Pd/C catalyst. A yield of 74 % of the primary amino ester (methyl‐9‐aminononanoate) was obtained at 50 °C after 2 h of reaction under 100 bar of hydrogen in the presence of anhydrous ammonia. It was shown that in order to avoid the poisoning of the catalyst, anhydrous ammonia and hydrogen should be added at the beginning of the reaction to maintain the catalytic properties of Pd/C. Moreover, the catalyst was recyclable and the leaching of Pd was rather low under these conditions. These reaction conditions allow the formation of a renewable synthon which can be used in polymer industry.
ContainerCloudSim: An environment for modeling and simulation of containers in cloud data centers
Authors: Piraghaj Sareh Fotuhi , Dastjerdi Amir Vahid , Calheiros Rodrigo N. , Buyya Rajkumar
Published: June 2016

Containers are increasingly gaining popularity and becoming one of the major deployment models in cloud environments. To evaluate the performance of scheduling and allocation policies in containerized cloud data centers, there is a need for evaluation environments that support scalable and repeatable experiments. Simulation techniques provide repeatable and controllable environments, and hence, they serve as a powerful tool for such purpose. This paper introduces ContainerCloudSim, which provides support for modeling and simulation of containerized cloud computing environments. We developed a simulation architecture for containerized clouds and implemented it as an extension of CloudSim. We described a number of use cases to demonstrate how one can plug in and compare their container scheduling and provisioning policies in terms of energy efficiency and SLA compliance. Our system is highly scalable as it supports simulation of large number of containers, given that there are more containers than virtual machines in a data center. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential regulation of spontaneous and evoked inhibitory synaptic transmission in somatosensory cortex by retinoic acid
Authors: Yee Ada X. , Chen Lu
Published: June 2016

Retinoic acid (RA), a developmental morphogen, has emerged in recent studies as a novel synaptic signaling molecule that acts in mature hippocampal neurons to modulate excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in the context of homeostatic synaptic plasticity. However, it is unclear whether RA is capable of modulating neural circuits outside of the hippocampus, and if so, whether the mode of RA's action at synapses is similar to that within the hippocampal network. Here we explore for the first time RA's synaptic function outside the hippocampus and uncover a novel function of all‐trans retinoic acid at inhibitory synapses. Acute RA treatment increases spontaneous inhibitory synaptic transmission in L2/3 pyramidal neurons of the somatosensory cortex, and this effect requires expression of RA's receptor RARα both pre‐ and post‐synaptically. Intriguingly, RA does not seem to affect evoked inhibitory transmission assayed with either extracellular stimulation or direct activation of action potentials in presynaptic interneurons at connected pairs of interneurons and pyramidal neurons. Taken together, these results suggest that RA's action at synapses is not monotonous, but is diverse depending on the type of synaptic connection (excitatory versus inhibitory) and circuit (hippocampal versus cortical). Thus, synaptic signaling of RA may mediate multi‐faceted regulation of synaptic plasticity. In addition to its classic roles in brain development, retinoic acid (RA) has recently been shown to regulate excitatory and inhibitory transmission in the adult brain. Here, the authors show that in layer 2/3 (L2/3) of the somatosensory cortex (S1), acute RA induces increases in spontaneous but not action‐potential evoked transmission, and that this requires retinoic acid receptor (RARα) both in presynaptic PV‐positive interneurons and postsynaptic pyramidal (PN) neurons.
Selected mapping technique for reducing PAPR of single‐carrier signals
Authors: Boonkajay Amnart , Adachi Fumiyuki
Published: June 2016

Single‐carrier transmission with frequency‐domain equalization (SC‐FDE) is widely known as a promising transmission technique providing low error probability with low peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR) of transmit signal. However, the low‐PAPR property of SC‐FDE cannot be maintained if multi‐level data modulation is introduced. The low‐PAPR property of SC‐FDE can be maintained by applying transmit filtering with roll‐off factor at the expense of spectrum efficiency. In this paper, we propose two types of selected mapping (SLM) to reduce the PAPR of SC‐FDE transmit signal. The first SLM technique is conducted in the frequency domain, where the phase rotation is applied to subcarriers similar to the SLM technique for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing transmission. The second SLM technique is conducted in the time domain, where the phase rotation is applied directly to data‐modulated symbol sequence. Computer simulation confirms that both SLM techniques are able to reduce the PAPR of SC‐FDE signal without significant degradation of bit‐error rate performance and spectrum efficiency. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A phase I study of BI 811283, an Aurora B kinase inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors
Authors: Mross Klaus , Richly Heike , Frost Annette , Scharr Dirk , Nokay Bahar , Graeser Ralph , Lee Chooi , Hilbert James , Goeldner Rainer-George , Fietz Oliver , Scheulen Max E.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This phase I study investigated the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and antitumor activity of the Aurora B kinase inhibitor BI 811283 in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Methods

BI 811283 was administered via 24-h infusion on Days 1 and 15 of a 4-week cycle (schedule A) or Day 1 of a 3-week cycle (schedule B) in a modified 3 + 3 dose-escalation design. Pharmacodynamic assessments included immunohistochemistry for phosphorylated histone H3 (pHH3) on skin biopsies to determine Aurora B kinase inhibition and plasma concentrations of caspase-cleaved CK-18 (apoptosis marker).

Results

A total of 121 patients were treated. The MTDs of BI 811283 were 125 mg (schedule A) and 230 mg (schedule B). Dose-limiting toxicities were primarily hematological (febrile neutropenia and grade 4 neutropenia); the most common drug-related adverse effects included neutropenia, fatigue, leukopenia, nausea, alopecia, diarrhea, and decreased appetite. A trend toward a decrease in pHH3 was observed, with increasing BI 811283 doses, indicating target engagement; there was no consistent trend regarding caspase-cleaved CK-18 levels. No objective response was observed although 19 patients in each schedule achieved clinical benefit (stable disease).

Conclusions

BI 811283 demonstrated a generally manageable safety profile and disease stabilization in some patients.

Trial registration

EudraCT No: 2007-000191-17, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00701324.
Multiplex gene editing of the Yarrowia lipolytica genome using the CRISPR-Cas9 system
Authors: Gao Shuliang , Tong Yangyang , Wen Zhiqiang , Zhu Li , Ge Mei , Chen Daijie , Jiang Yu , Yang Sheng
Published: June 2016

Yarrowia lipolytica is categorized as a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) organism and is a heavily documented, unconventional yeast that has been widely incorporated into multiple industrial fields to produce valuable biochemicals. This study describes the construction of a CRISPR-Cas9 system for genome editing in Y. lipolytica using a single plasmid (pCAS1yl or pCAS2yl) to transport Cas9 and relevant guide RNA expression cassettes, with or without donor DNA, to target genes. Two Cas9 target genes, TRP1 and PEX10, were repaired by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination, with maximal efficiencies in Y. lipolytica of 85.6 % for the wild-type strain and 94.1 % for the ku70/ku80 double-deficient strain, within 4 days. Simultaneous double and triple multigene editing was achieved with pCAS1yl by NHEJ, with efficiencies of 36.7 or 19.3 %, respectively, and the pCASyl system was successfully expanded to different Y. lipolytica breeding strains. This timesaving method will enable and improve synthetic biology, metabolic engineering and functional genomic studies of Y. lipolytica.
Functional characterization of a geraniol synthase-encoding gene from Camptotheca acuminata and its application in production of geraniol in Escherichia coli
Authors: Chen Fei , Li Wei , Jiang Liangzhen , Pu Xiang , Yang Yun , Zhang Guolin , Luo Yinggang
Published: June 2016

Geraniol synthase (GES) catalyzes the conversion of geranyl diphosphate (GPP) into geraniol, an acyclic monoterpene alcohol that has been widely used in many industries. Here we report the functional characterization of CaGES from Camptotheca acuminata, a camptothecin-producing plant, and its application in production of geraniol in Escherichia coli. The full-length cDNA of CaGES was obtained from overlap extension PCR amplification. The intact and N-terminus-truncated CaGESs were overexpressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity. Recombinant CaGES showed the conversion activity from GPP to geraniol. To produce geraniol in E. coli using tCaGES, the biosynthetic precursor GPP should be supplied and transferred to the catalytic pocket of tCaGES. Thus, ispA(S80F), a mutant of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase, was prepared to produce GPP via the head-to-tail condensation of isoprenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). A slight increase of geraniol production was observed in the fermentation broth of the recombinant E. coli harboring tCaGES and ispA(S80F). To enhance the supply of IPP and DMAPP, the encoding genes involved in the whole mevalonic acid biosynthetic pathway were introduced to the E. coli harboring tCaGES and the ispA(S80F) and a significant increase of geraniol yield was observed. The geraniol production was enhanced to 5.85 ± 0.46 mg L−1 when another copy of ispA(S80F) was introduced to the above recombinant strain. The following optimization of medium composition, fermentation time, and addition of metal ions led to the geraniol production of 48.5 ± 0.9 mg L−1. The present study will be helpful to uncover the biosynthetic enigma of camptothecin and tCaGES will be an alternative to selectively produce geraniol in E. coli with other metabolic engineering approaches.
A brief review of co-doping
Authors: Zhang Jingzhao , Tse Kinfai , Wong Manhoi , Zhang Yiou , Zhu Junyi
Published: June 2016

Dopants and defects are important in semiconductor and magnetic devices. Strategies for controlling doping and defects have been the focus of semiconductor physics research during the past decades and remain critical even today. Co-doping is a promising strategy that can be used for effectively tuning the dopant populations, electronic properties, and magnetic properties. It can enhance the solubility of dopants and improve the stability of desired defects. During the past 20 years, significant experimental and theoretical efforts have been devoted to studying the characteristics of co-doping. In this article, we first review the historical development of co-doping. Then, we review a variety of research performed on co-doping, based on the compensating nature of co-dopants. Finally, we review the effects of contamination and surfactants that can explain the general mechanisms of co-doping.
Comparison of perinatal outcomes following fresh and frozen‐thawed blastocyst transfer
Authors: Pereira Nigel , Petrini Allison C. , Lekovich Jovana P. , Schattman Glenn L. , Rosenwaks Zev
Published: June 2016

Objective

To investigate the effect of ovarian stimulation on endometrial receptivity by comparing singleton pregnancy and perinatal outcomes following fresh or frozen‐thawed blastocyst transfers.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study enrolled patients undergoing fresh or frozen‐thawed blastocyst transfers that resulted in live deliveries between January 1, 2010 and September 30, 2013 at a single academic center. Implantation, clinical pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, and live delivery rates were calculated. The incidence of term delivery, preterm delivery, low birth weight, term low birth weight, and very low birth weight were also recorded. To detect a 10% difference in the implantation rate, a minimum sample size of at least 415 transfer cycles in each group was estimated.

Results

The study included data from 918 fresh and 1273 frozen‐thawed cycles. Patients in both groups were of similar age and there was no difference in the grading of blastocysts. No differences were observed in the implantation (37.3% vs 37.7%), clinical pregnancy (50.2% vs 49.4%), spontaneous abortion (7.3% vs 9.3%), and live delivery (42.9% vs 40.6%) rates of the two groups. A sub‐analysis of all live singleton and twin deliveries revealed no difference in perinatal outcomes between the two techniques.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrated equivalent singleton pregnancy and perinatal outcomes when comparing frozen‐thawed and fresh blastocyst transfer procedures.
Comparison of the clinical outcomes of transobturator and single‐incision slings for stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Wu Ling‐Ying , Yang Tsai‐Hwa , Kung Fu‐Tsai , Chuang Fei‐Chi , Huang Kuan‐Hui
Published: June 2016

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of anti‐incontinence surgeries employing the transobturator sling and single‐incision sling (SIS). Our hypothesis is that the outcome of the SIS is not inferior to the obturator sling. This retrospective study reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent anti‐incontinence surgery with the transobturator sling or SIS from July 2005 to November 2014. Patients who underwent concomitant pelvic organ reconstruction with an artificial mesh were excluded. Assessments included preoperative and postoperative urodynamic examinations, perioperative complications, and postoperative urogenital symptoms. A total of 122 women were recruited according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among them, 68 patients underwent transobturator sling procedures while 54 patients underwent SIS procedures. The subjective failure rate of the transobturator sling and SIS were 10.2% and 18.5%, respectively (p = 0.292). The objective failure rate, defined as a pad test showing more than 2 g of urine, was 10.2% for the transobturator sling and 12.9% for the SIS (p = 0.777). SIS resulted in less blood loss, operative time, length of hospital stay, and transient voiding dysfunction after the operation. No major complication occurred after either surgical intervention. In conclusion, SIS and transobturator slings might have similar efficacy, safety, and effects on new‐onset urogenital symptoms.
Predictors for the Number of Warning Information Sources During Tornadoes
Authors: Cong Zhen , Luo Jianjun , Liang Daan , Nejat Ali
Published: June 2016

People may receive tornado warnings from multiple information sources, but little is known about factors that affect the number of warning information sources (WISs). This study examined predictors for the number of WISs with a telephone survey on randomly sampled residents in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Joplin, Missouri, approximately 1 year after both cities were struck by violent tornadoes (EF4 and EF5) in 2011. The survey included 1006 finished interviews and the working sample included 903 respondents. Poisson regression and Zero-Inflated Poisson regression showed that older age and having an emergency plan predicted more WISs in both cities. Education, marital status, and gender affected the possibilities of receiving warnings and the number of WISs either in Joplin or in Tuscaloosa. The findings suggest that social disparity affects the access to warnings not only with respect to the likelihood of receiving any warnings but also with respect to the number of WISs. In addition, historical and social contexts are important for examining predictors for the number of WISs. We recommend that the number of WISs should be regarded as an important measure to evaluate access to warnings in addition to the likelihood of receiving warnings. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:168–172)
The Perverse Consequences of Policy Restrictions in the Presence of Asymmetric Information
Authors: Hortala-Vallve Rafael , Larcinese Valentino
Published: June 2016

Institutions have the power to limit a government’s policy options. Policy restrictions are often used as solutions to coordination failures or time inconsistency problems. However, policy constraints can have significant drawbacks and these disadvantages have, to date, been overlooked in the literature. When institutional constraints tie a government’s hands, citizens will have less incentive to become informed about politics and participate in collective decision-making. This is because policy restrictions lower the private returns of political information. A fiscal policy restriction, for example, may decrease redistribution by lowering a poorer voters’ acquisition of political information. We illustrate our theoretical findings with numerical simulations and find that in one in three cases these policy restrictions make poorer voters worse off.
Impact of low-carbohydrate diet on renal function: a meta-analysis of over 1000 individuals from nine randomised controlled trials
Authors: Oyabu Chikako , Hashimoto Yoshitaka , Fukuda Takuya , Tanaka Muhei , Asano Mai , Yamazaki Masahiro , Fukui Michiaki
Published: June 2016

We aimed to clarify the effect of low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) on renal function in overweight and obese individuals without chronic kidney disease (CKD). Literature searches were performed using EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library until December 2015. We selected articles that reported human studies from their inception until December 2015 in English using the following searching terms: ‘Low carbohydrate diet’ AND (‘Clinical trial’ OR ‘Clinical study’ OR ‘Clinical investigation’ OR ‘Observational study’ OR ‘Cohort study’). We compared the effects of LCD on renal function, defined as change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), assessed in randomised-controlled trials. We calculated the mean change in eGFR and the mean change in standard deviations by eGFR or creatinine clearance, and compared the mean change in eGFR and standard deviations in LCD with those in the control diet using fixed-effects models. We selected nine randomised controlled trials including 1687 participants (861 were fed LCD and 826 were fed the control diet). The mean change in eGFR in the LCD group was −4·7 to 24·0 ml/min per 1·73 m2and that in the control diet group was −4·1 to 10·8 ml/min per 1·73 m2. The mean change in eGFR in the LCD group was greater than that in the control diet (0·13 ml/min per 1·73 m2; 95 % CI 0·00, 0·26). In the present meta-analysis, we identified that the increase in eGFR was greater in LCD compared with the control diet in overweight and obese individuals without CKD.
‘How to stop a nosebleed’: an assessment of the quality of epistaxis treatment advice on YouTube
Authors: Haymes A T , Harries V
Published: June 2016

Objective:

Video hosting websites are increasingly being used to disseminate health education messages. This study aimed to assess the quality of advice contained within YouTube videos on the conservative management of epistaxis.

Method:

YouTube.com was searched using the phrase ‘how to stop a nosebleed’. The first 50 videos were screened. Objective advice scores and subjective production quality scores were attributed by independent raters.

Results:

Forty-five videos were analysed. The mean advice score was 2.0 out of 8 and the mean production quality score was 1.6 out of 3. There were no correlations between a video's advice score and its search results rank (ρ = −0.28, p = 0.068), its view count (ρ = 0.20, p = 0.19) or its number of ‘likes’ (ρ = 0.21, p = 0.18).

Conclusion:

The quality of information on conservative epistaxis management within YouTube videos is extremely variable. A high search rank is no indication of video quality. Many videos proffer inappropriate and dangerous ‘alternative’ advice. We do not recommend YouTube as a source for patient information.