bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consensusability of linear multi‐agent systems with time delay
Authors: Hou Wenying , Fu Min Yue , Zhang Huanshui
Published: October 2015

This paper studies the consensusability of a continuous‐time linear time‐invariant multi‐agent system (MAS) with time delay in an undirected network with N nodes. We show that the MAS can achieve consensus if and only if N − 1 time‐delay subsystems associated with the eigenvalues of the Laplacian matrix of the network are simultaneously asymptotically stable. By employing a linear matrix inequality (LMI) method, we present a controller design method for a MAS to reach consensus. We also obtain a bound on the maximum time delay for consensusability for a MAS with first‐order integrator dynamics by using frequency‐domain analysis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transcytosis‐Targeting Peptide: A Conductor of Liposomal Nanoparticles through the Endothelial Cell Barrier
Authors: Akita Hidetaka , Fujiwara Takahiro , Santiwarangkool Sarochin , Hossen Nazir , Kajimoto Kazuaki , El‐Sayed Ayman , Tabata Yasuhiko , Harashima Hideyoshi
Published: October 2015

The ultimate goal in the area of drug‐delivery systems is the development of a nanoparticle that can penetrate the endothelial cell monolayer for the targeting of tissue parenchyma. In the present study, we identify a transcytosis‐targeting peptide (TTP) that permits polyethyleneglycol (PEG)‐modified liposomes (PEG‐LPs) to penetrate through monolayers of brain‐derived endothelial cells. These endothelial cells were layered on a gelatin nanofiber sheet, a nanofiber meshwork that allows the evaluation of transcellular transport of nanosized particles (ca. 100 nm). Systematic modification of the sequences results in the identification of the consensus sequence of TTP as L(R/K)QZZZL, where Z denotes hydrophilic amino acids (R/K/S and partially D). The TTP‐modified liposomes are bound on the heparin sulfate proteoglycan, and are then taken up via lipid raft‐mediated endocytosis. Subsequent intracellular imaging of the particles reveals a unique intracellular sorting of TTP‐modified PEG liposomes (TTP‐PEG‐LPs); namely the TTP‐LPs are not localized with the lysosomes, whereas this co‐localization is dominant in the unmodified PEG liposomes (PEG‐LPs). The in vivo endothelial penetration of liposomes in adipose tissue is conferred by the dual modification of the particles with TTP and tissue‐targeting ligands. This technology promises innovations in intravenously available delivery system to tissue parenchyma.
Evaluation of an automated fetal myocardial performance index
Authors: Welsh A. W. , Maheshwari P. , Wang J. , Henry A. , Chang D. , Crispi F. , Gardiner H. M. , Hernandez‐Andrade E. , Meriki N. , Redmond S. , Yagel S.
Published: October 2015

Objective

To compare automated measurements of the fetal left myocardial performance index (MPI) with manual measurements for absolute value, repeatability and waveform acceptability.

Methods

This was a multicenter international online study using images from uncomplicated, morphologically normal singleton pregnancies (16–38 weeks' gestation). Single Doppler ultrasound cardiac cycle images of 25 cases were selected, triplicated and randomized (n = 75). Six senior observers, unaware of the repetition of images, manually calculated MPI for each waveform and the results were compared with automation. Intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and 95% CI. The agreement between each observer's manual MPI measurements and corresponding automated measurements was evaluated using Bland–Altman plots and ICCs with 95% CI. The degree of variation between experts in the classification of fetal MPI waveform quality was assessed using individual cardiac cycle left MPI images previously classified by two authors as ‘optimal’, ‘suboptimal’ or ‘unacceptable’, with 30 images selected for each quality group. Ten images in each category were duplicated and the resulting 120 images were randomized and then classified online by five observers. The kappa statistic (κ) was used to demonstrate interobserver and intraobserver agreement and agreement of classifications by the five observers.

Results

The automated measurement software returned the same value for any given image, resulting in an ICC of 1.00. Manual measurements had intraobserver repeatability ICC values ranging from 0.69 to 0.97, and the interobserver reproducibility ICC was 0.78. Comparison of automated vs manual MPI absolute measurements for each observer gave ICCs ranging from 0.77 to 0.96. Interobserver image quality classification agreement gave k = 0.69 (P < 0.001), and the intraobserver agreement was variable (κ ranging from 0.40 to 0.81).

Conclusions

Automated fetal MPI provides superior repeatability and reproducibility to manual methodology. Additionally, experts vary significantly when classifying suitability of fetal MPI waveforms. Automated MPI may facilitate clinical translation by removing human subjectivity. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Random walk loop soups and conformal loop ensembles
Authors: van de Brug Tim , Camia Federico , Lis Marcin
Published: October 2015

The random walk loop soup is a Poissonian ensemble of lattice loops; it has been extensively studied because of its connections to the discrete Gaussian free field, but was originally introduced by Lawler and Trujillo Ferreras as a discrete version of the Brownian loop soup of Lawler and Werner, a conformally invariant Poissonian ensemble of planar loops with deep connections to conformal loop ensembles (CLEs) and the Schramm–Loewner evolution (SLE). Lawler and Trujillo Ferreras showed that, roughly speaking, in the continuum scaling limit, “large” lattice loops from the random walk loop soup converge to “large” loops from the Brownian loop soup. Their results, however, do not extend to clusters of loops, which are interesting because the connection between Brownian loop soup and CLE goes via cluster boundaries. In this paper, we study the scaling limit of clusters of “large” lattice loops, showing that they converge to Brownian loop soup clusters. In particular, our results imply that the collection of outer boundaries of outermost clusters composed of “large” lattice loops converges to CLE.
Superdiffusive transport in laboratory and astrophysical plasmas
Authors: Zimbardo G. , Amato E. , Bovet A. , Effenberger F. , Fasoli A. , Fichtner H. , Furno I. , Gustafson K. , Ricci P. , Perri S.
Published: October 2015

In the last few years it has been demonstrated, both by data analysis and by numerical simulations, that the transport of energetic particles in the presence of magnetic turbulence can be superdiffusive rather than normal diffusive (Gaussian). The term ‘superdiffusive’ refers to the mean square displacement of particle positions growing superlinearly with time, as compared to the normal linear growth. The so-called anomalous transport, which in general comprises both subdiffusion and superdiffusion, has gained growing attention during the last two decades in many fields including laboratory plasma physics, and recently in astrophysics and space physics. Here we show a number of examples, both from laboratory and from astrophysical plasmas, where superdiffusive transport has been identified, with a focus on what could be the main influence of superdiffusion on fundamental processes like diffusive shock acceleration and heliospheric energetic particle propagation. For laboratory plasmas, superdiffusion appears to be due to the presence of electrostatic turbulence which creates long-range correlations and convoluted structures in perpendicular transport: this corresponds to a similar phenomenon in the propagation of solar energetic particles (SEPs) which leads to SEP dropouts. For the propagation of energetic particles accelerated at interplanetary shocks in the solar wind, parallel superdiffusion seems to be prevailing; this is based on a pitch-angle scattering process different from that envisaged by quasi-linear theory, and this emphasizes the importance of nonlinear interactions and trapping effects. In the case of supernova remnant shocks, parallel superdiffusion is possible at quasi-parallel shocks, as occurring in the interplanetary space, and perpendicular superdiffusion is possible at quasi-perpendicular shocks, as corresponding to Richardson diffusion: therefore, cosmic ray acceleration at supernova remnant shocks should be formulated in terms of superdiffusion. The possible relations among anomalous transport in laboratory, heliospheric, and astrophysical plasmas will be indicated.
A comparison of cognitive functioning in long-term care and short-stay nursing home residents
Authors: MANSBACH WILLIAM E. , MACE RYAN A. , CLARK KRISTEN M. , FIRTH ISABELLA M.
Published: October 2015

It can be challenging to provide person-centred care for individuals with cognitive impairment if they are unable to communicate their needs to facility providers clearly. The high base rates of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in US nursing homes is well documented; however, our understanding of the unique prevalence of cognitive levels in long-term care and short-stay residents is limited. Our aim is to determine whether there are significant differences in specific cognitive levels between these two groups. Long-term care and short-stay residents (N = 579) were randomly selected from 18 Maryland, US skilled nursing facilities; 345 met inclusion criteria for participation (mean age 79.41) and completed a cognitive test (Brief Cognitive Assessment Tool (BCAT)). Based on BCAT scores, 78.9 per cent of the long-term care residents had dementia compared to 61.4 per cent for short-stay residents. The proportions of MCI, mild, and moderate to severe dementia were significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.00). The odds of residents having moderate to severe dementia were 2.76 times greater for long-term care compared to short-stay residents. BCAT total and factor scores were significantly different between long-term care and short-stay nursing home residents (p < 0.001). We discuss the implications of these empirical findings in terms of facilitating person-centred care in nursing homes.
The Changing Tide of Title to Cultural Heritage Objects in UK Museums
Authors: Woodhead Charlotte
Published: October 2015

UK museums are required to present themselves as the ethical guardians rather than simply the owners of their collections (Museums Association Code of Ethics principles 1.0 and 1.3). Museums which are members of the International Council of Museums are required, when acquiring objects for their collections, to ensure that they obtain valid title, rather than simply strict legal title, to the object (ICOM Code of Ethics, principle 2.2). This notion of valid title focuses on the relationship between the current possessor (the museum) and the object. However, one can also see the concept of claimants having moral claims to cultural heritage objects developing in the context of the notion of the “rightful owner” which is a term increasingly deployed to signify the person who has a valid moral, rather than legal, claim to the cultural heritage object (Seventh Report of the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee 1999-2000 [193]).

Since 2000 the UK has introduced mechanisms to resolve, in limited circumstances, moral claims to cultural objects of which their owners were dispossessed during the Nazi era. This paper analyses the way in which a concept of moral title can be seen to have developed in the context of the resolution of Nazi era claims by the UK’s Spoliation Advisory Panel. To this end the paper analyses: how far the moral entitlement is linked with the legal title to the object; and whether moral title arises from the morally abhorrent dispossession that befell the claimant or his ancestor or whether it results from the recommendation of the Spoliation Advisory Panel. It is argued that the development of the notion of moral title poses challenges for the future, but an understanding of its role may also inform the resolution of disputes involving cultural heritage objects outside the context of the Nazi era.
Cultural Co-Ownership: Preventing and Solving Cultural Property Claims
Authors: Renold Marc-André
Published: October 2015

Cultural property claims are numerous and of very different nature. Some relate to recent trafficking of cultural property;1some are based on ancient legal grounds which are contested today;2others relate to past wars and colonial times;3others, still, relate to mass spoliations in times of conflict.4In general, though, the original owner seeks to recover what was taken from him, or at least to obtain some form of compensation.5The present owner or possessor is as a matter of principle interested in keeping his possession.6These conflicting positions are often seen as irreconcilable and, indeed, litigation in a traditional manner will bring to the typical “either/or” solution: either I am the owner, or you are. There is no in-between solution.
Cortical hyperostosis as a side-effect of prolonged use of prostaglandins
Authors: Rivero Jiménez Natalia , Bret-Zurita Montserrat , García-Guereta Silva Luis
Published: October 2015

Cortical hyperostosis is a very uncommon side-effect of prolonged prostaglandin therapy with distinctive radiological signs that may be accompanied by painful swelling of the limbs and responds rapidly to withdrawal of therapy.
Heterogeneity in consumers’ income and pension expectations
Authors: BISSONNETTE LUC , VAN SOEST ARTHUR
Published: October 2015

The expectations of economic agents play a crucial role in almost any inter-temporal economic model. Using 2009–12 panel data for a representative sample of the Dutch population, we analyze consumers’ income and pension expectations. We focus on heterogeneity across socioeconomic groups and associations with how consumers perceive the economic and financial crisis. We find that pension expectations become more pessimistic over the 4 years, in line with pension reforms and the crisis. We find substantial differences across groups that are generally plausible and in line with financial theory.
Tax incentives, bequest motives, and the demand for life insurance: evidence from a natural experiment in Germany
Authors: SAUTER NICOLAS , WALLISER JAN , WINTER JOACHIM
Published: October 2015

This paper studies the role of taxation and bequest motives in households’ demand for life insurance. We develop a stylized three-period life cycle model of life insurance demand and test its predictions regarding tax changes and bequests motives. An unexpected halving of the tax exemption limit for interest and dividend income in Germany allows us to identify the impact of changes in taxation on the demand for life insurance in a difference-in-differences setting. In line with our theoretical predictions, we document that ownership of life insurance products increased significantly among households affected by the reform. We also find some evidence of a more pronounced response among households with stronger bequest motives.
Suizidalität bei psychischen Erkrankungen – Prävention und Behandlung
Authors: Röcker Sabine , Bachmann Silke
Published: October 2015

Zusammenfassung. Suizidversuche und Suizide finden üblicherweise im Rahmen psychischer Erkrankungen statt. Als besonders gefährdet gelten Menschen mit Depressionen, Psychosen, Abhängigkeitserkrankungen, Persönlichkeits- und Traumafolgestörungen. Oft suchen sie vor einer Handlung Kontakt zum Gesundheitswesen. Wichtig ist daher, das Augenmerk bei bestimmten Konstellationen auf die mögliche Gefährdung zu richten und diese aktiv anzusprechen. Diese präventive Tätigkeit findet in der Grundversorgung statt. Modelle und Hilfsmittel zur Einschätzung von Suizidalität, deren Einsatz sinnvoll sein kann, werden vorgestellt. Von übergreifender Bedeutung sind Empathie, die knappe Ressource Zeit und die situationsabhängige Über- oder Einweisung an Fachkollegen/innen oder Kliniken.
Suizidalität im somatischen Spital – Perspektive der Konsiliar- und Liaisonpsychiatrie
Authors: Imboden Christian , Hatzinger Martin
Published: October 2015

Zusammenfassung. Erkennung von Suizidalität spielt auch im somatischen Spital eine wichtige Rolle: Bei Patienten die nach einem Suizidversuch oder sonstigen selbstschädigenden Handlungen auf der Notfallstation vorstellig werden sowie bei hospitalisierten Patienten im Rahmen einer psychiatrischen Erkrankung und/oder einer psychosozialen Krise. Auch somatische Erkrankungen wie Krebs, Epilepsie, COPD, Asthma, Stroke und chronische Schmerzen erhöhen das Suizidrisiko. Um Suizide und Suizidversuche zu vermeiden ist eine Sensibilisierung des Behandlungsteams sinnvoll, so dass frühzeitig ein Konsiliarpsychiater hinzu gezogen werden kann und das Ausmass der Gefährdung sowie ein sinnvolles Procedere festgelegt werden. Im Vordergrund steht zunächst der Schutz des Patienten vor einem Suizid durch Sicherungsmassnahmen wie Überwachung, Einschränkung des Zugangs zu Suizidmethoden, Verlegung in eine psychiatrische Klinik sowie der Einsatz sedierender Substanzen. Die psychiatrische Grunderkrankung sollte nach modernen Standards behandelt und ein Procedere für die Zeit nach dem Austritt festgelegt werden. Patienten die nach einem Suizidversuch vorstellig werden sind besonders gründlich abzuklären, da ein Suizidversuch der stärkste Prädiktor für einen späteren Suizid ist. Eine Besonderheit stellt die Praxis des assistierten Suizids dar, welcher vor allem von älteren Menschen gewählt wird und dem teilweise nicht diagnostizierte Depressionen zugrunde liegen können, so dass die verbesserte Erkennung von Altersdepressionen diesbezüglich eine wichtige Rolle spielt.
Detailed classification of swimming paths in the Morris Water Maze: multiple strategies within one trial
Authors: Gehring Tiago V. , Luksys Gediminas , Sandi Carmen , Vasilaki Eleni
Published: October 2015

The Morris Water Maze is a widely used task in studies of spatial learning with rodents. Classical performance measures of animals in the Morris Water Maze include the escape latency and the cumulative distance to the platform. Other methods focus on classifying trajectory patterns to stereotypical classes representing different animal strategies. However, these approaches typically consider trajectories as a whole and as a consequence they assign one full trajectory to one class, whereas animals often switch between these strategies and their corresponding classes, within a single trial. To this end, we take a different approach: we look for segments of diverse animal behaviour within one trial and employ a semi-automated classification method for identifying the various strategies exhibited by the animals within a trial. Our method allows us to reveal significant and systematic differences in the exploration strategies of two animal groups (stressed, non-stressed), that would be unobserved by earlier methods.
Experimental Validation of Bacillus anthracis A16R Proteogenomics
Authors: Gao Zhiqi , Wang Zhiqiang , Zhang Kun , Li Yanchang , Zhang Tao , Wang Dongshu , Liu Xiankai , Feng Erling , Chang Lei , Xu Junjie , He Simin , Xu Ping , Zhu Li , Wang Hengliang
Published: October 2015

Anthrax, caused by the pathogenic bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is a zoonosis that causes serious disease and is of significant concern as a biological warfare agent. Validating annotated genes and reannotating misannotated genes are important to understand its biology and mechanisms of pathogenicity. Proteomics studies are, to date, the best method for verifying and improving current annotations. To this end, the proteome of B. anthracis A16R was analyzed via one-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In total, we identified 3,712 proteins, including many regulatory and key functional proteins at relatively low abundance, representing the most complete proteome of B. anthracis to date. Interestingly, eight sequencing errors were detected by proteogenomic analysis and corrected by resequencing. More importantly, three unannotated peptide fragments were identified in this study and validated by synthetic peptide mass spectrum mapping and green fluorescent protein fusion experiments. These data not only give a more comprehensive understanding of B. anthracis A16R but also demonstrate the power of proteomics to improve genome annotations and determine true translational elements.
Numerical study of achiral phase-change metamaterials for ultrafast tuning of giant circular conversion dichroism
Authors: Cao Tun , Wei Chenwei , Mao Libang
Published: October 2015

Control of the polarization of light is highly desirable for detection of material’s chirality since biomolecules have vibrational modes in the optical region. Here, we report an ultrafast tuning of pronounced circular conversion dichroism (CCD) in the mid-infrared (M-IR) region, using an achiral phase change metamaterial (PCMM). Our structure consists of an array of Au squares separated from a continuous Au film by a phase change material (Ge2Sb2Te5) dielectric layer, where the Au square patches occupy the sites of a rectangular lattice. The extrinsically giant 2D chirality appears provided that the rectangular array of the Au squares is illuminated at an oblique incidence and accomplishes a wide tunable wavelength range between 2664 and 3912 nm in the M-IR regime by switching between the amorphous and crystalline states of the Ge2Sb2Te5. A photothermal model is investigated to study the temporal variation of the temperature of the Ge2Sb2Te5 layer and shows the advantage of fast transiting the phase of Ge2Sb2Te5 of 3.2 ns under an ultralow incident light intensity of 1.9 μW/μm2. Our design is straightforward to fabricate and will be a promising candidate for controlling electromagnetic (EM) wave in the optical region.
Pre-amyloid oligomers of the proteotoxic RepA-WH1 prionoid assemble at the bacterial nucleoid
Authors: Moreno-del Álamo María , de la Espina Susana Moreno-Díaz , Fernández-Tresguerres M. Elena , Giraldo Rafael
Published: October 2015

Upon binding to short specific dsDNA sequences in vitro, the N-terminal WH1 domain of the plasmid DNA replication initiator RepA assembles as amyloid fibres. These are bundles of single or double twisted tubular filaments in which distorted RepA-WH1 monomers are the building blocks. When expressed in Escherichia coli, RepA-WH1 triggers the first synthetic amyloid proteinopathy in bacteria, recapitulating some of the features of mammalian prion diseases: it is vertically transmissible, albeit non-infectious, showing up in at least two phenotypically distinct and interconvertible strains. Here we report B3h7, a monoclonal antibody specific for oligomers of RepA-WH1, but which does not recognize the mature amyloid fibres. Unlike a control polyclonal antibody generated against the soluble protein, B3h7 interferes in vitro with DNA-promoted or amyloid-seeded assembly of RepA-WH1 fibres, thus the targeted oligomers are on-pathway amyloidogenic intermediates. Immuno-electron microscopy with B3h7 on thin sections of E. coli cells expressing RepA-WH1 consistently labels the bacterial nucleoid, but not the large cytoplasmic aggregates of the protein. This observation points to the nucleoid as the place where oligomeric amyloid precursors of RepA-WH1 are generated and suggests that, once nucleated by DNA, further growth must continue in the cytoplasm due to entropic exclusion.
Stable expression and functional characterisation of the diamondback moth ryanodine receptor G4946E variant conferring resistance to diamide insecticides
Authors: Troczka Bartlomiej J. , Williams Alan J. , Williamson Martin S. , Field Linda M. , Lüemmen Peter , Davies T.G. Emyr
Published: October 2015

Diamides, such as flubendiamide and chlorantraniliprole, belong to a new chemical class of insecticides that act as conformation-sensitive activators of insect ryanodine receptors (RyRs). Both compounds are registered for use against lepidopteran species such as the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, a notorious global pest of cruciferous crops. Recently acquired resistance to diamide insecticides in this species is thought to be due to a target-site mutation conferring an amino acid substitution (G4946E), located within the trans-membrane domain of the RyR, though the exact role of this mutation has not yet been fully determined. To address this we have cloned a full-length cDNA encoding the P. xylostella RyR and established clonal Sf9 cell lines stably expressing either the wildtype RyR or the G4946E variant, in order to test the sensitivity to flubendiamide and chlorantraniliprole on the recombinant receptor. We report that the efficacy of both diamides was dramatically reduced in clonal Sf9 cells stably expressing the G4946E modified RyR, providing clear functional evidence that the G4946E RyR mutation impairs diamide insecticide binding.
Long-term manure amendments reduced soil aggregate stability via redistribution of the glomalin-related soil protein in macroaggregates
Authors: Xie Hongtu , Li Jianwei , Zhang Bin , Wang Lianfeng , Wang Jingkuan , He Hongbo , Zhang Xudong
Published: October 2015

Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) contributes to the formation and maintenance of soil aggregates, it is however remains unclear whether long-term intensive manure amendments alter soil aggregates stability and whether GRSP regulates these changes. Based on a three-decade long fertilization experiment in northeast China, this study examined the impact of long-term manure input on soil organic carbon (SOC), total and easily extractable GRSP (GRSPt and GRSPe) and their respective allocations in four soil aggregates (>2000 μm; 2000–250 μm; 250–53 μm; and <53 μm). The treatments include no fertilization (CK), low and high manure amendment (M1, M2), chemical nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers (NPK) and combined manure and chemical fertilizers (NPKM1, NPKM2). Though SOC, GRSPe and GRSPt in soil and SOC in each aggregate generally increased with increasing manure input, GRSPt and GRSPe in each aggregate showed varying changes with manure input. Both GRSP in macroaggregates (2000–250 μm) were significantly higher under low manure input, a pattern consistent with changes in soil aggregate stability. Constituting 38~49% of soil mass, macroaggregates likely contributed to the nonlinear changes of aggregate stability under manure amendments. The regulatory process of GRSP allocations in soil aggregates has important implications for manure management under intensive agriculture.
Risk of Adverse Vascular Events in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme Patients Treated with Bevacizumab: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Li Xiaoqing , Huang Rongzhong , Xu Zhongye
Published: October 2015

Previous evidence suggests that the humanized anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab increases thrombosis risk in glioma patients. Here, we comprehensively assessed the risk of adverse vascular events in adult glioma patients receiving bevacizumab therapy. Systematic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were conducted to find prospective phase II/III clinical trials on adult bevacizumab-treated glioma patients and non-bevacizumab-treated controls that reported data on adverse vascular events. Four high-quality trials were finally included in the systematic review, scoring greater than or equal to 7/8 on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Three trials provided sufficient data for four meta-analytical comparisons between bevacizumab-treated and control groups of newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients: all-cause discontinuation, thrombocytopenia, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism. None of these adverse outcomes were found to be significantly different between bevacizumab-treated and control groups (P > 0.05); however, there was a trend toward significance with regard to bevacizumab therapy and the risk of pulmonary embolism (P = 0.07). As there was a trend toward significance with regard to bevacizumab therapy and the risk of pulmonary embolism, anticoagulation may be advisable in certain newly diagnosed adult GBM patients who display a history of thromboembolism and/or more serious risk factors for thromboembolic events.
Direct chemotherapeutic dual drug delivery through intra-articular injection for synergistic enhancement of rheumatoid arthritis treatment
Authors: Reum Son A , Kim Da Yeon , Hun Park Seung , Yong Jang Ja , Kim Kyungsook , Ju Kim Byoung , Yun Yin Xiang , Ho Kim Jae , Hyun Min Byoung , Keun Han Dong , Suk Kim Moon
Published: October 2015

The effectiveness of systemic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatments is limited by difficulties in achieving therapeutic doses within articular joints. We evaluated the ability of intra-articular administration of injectable formulations to synergistically enhance repair of RA joints. Methotrexate-loaded hyaluronic acid (Met-HA), dexamethasone-loaded microcapsules (Dex-M) and Dex-M dispersed inside Met-HA were prepared as viscous emulsions and injected into articular joints using a needle to form a drug depot. By near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging, we confirmed the local release of NIR from the depot injected into the articular joint over an extended period. In comparison with the subjects treated with Met-HA or Dex-M alone, subjects treated simultaneously with Met-HA and Dex-M exhibited faster and more significant RA repair. Collectively, these results indicated that the drug depot formed after intra-articular injection of Met-HA/Dex-M induced long-lasting drug release and allowed Met and Dex to effectively act in the articular joint, resulting in enhanced RA repair.
NSAIDs Ibuprofen, Indometacin and Diclofenac do not interact with Farnesoid X Receptor
Authors: Schmidt Jurema , Klingler Franca-Maria , Proschak Ewgenji , Steinhilber Dieter , Schubert-Zsilavecz Manfred , Merk Daniel
Published: October 2015

The nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a ligand activated transcription factor and acts as cellular sensor for bile acids. In this role, FXR is a highly important liver protector and FXR inhibition by antagonists or knockout has shown several deleterious effects. A recent report characterized non-steroidal anti-rheumatic drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or diclofenac as FXR antagonists and linked hepatotoxic effects of these drugs with antagonistic activity on FXR. Since this would guide a way to develop safer anti-inflammatory agents by sparing FXR, we intended to further characterize the reported antagonistic activity and intensively investigated ibuprofen, indometacin and diclofenac. However, we conclude that these agents do not interact with FXR and that the reported reduced FXR signaling induced by CDCA in presence of NSAIDs is merely a consequence than a cause of hepatotoxicity.
Pri-miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism and colorectal cancer risk
Authors: Gao Xue-ren , Wang Hui-ping , Zhang Shu-long , Wang Ming-xi , Zhu Zhan-sheng
Published: October 2015

MiR-124 functions as a tumor suppressor and plays an important role in tumorigenesis. A common polymorphism (rs531564, C>G) in the pri-miR-124 has been recently studied in connection with cancer risk. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between pri-miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism and the risk and clinicopathological characteristics of colorectal cancer (CRC). Two case-control studies involving 900 CRC patients and 1110 cancer-free controls showed that pri-miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism was significantly associated with the decreased risk of CRC in Xuzhou population [GG vs. CC: OR = 0.25, 95%CI = 0.09–0.67, P = 0.003; (CG+GG) vs. CC: OR = 0.73, 95%CI = 0.56–0.94, P = 0.01; GG vs. (CC+CG): OR = 0.27, 95%CI = 0.10–0.70, P = 0.004; G vs. C: OR = 0.70, 95%CI = 0.56–0.89, P = 0.003], Bengbu population [GG vs. CC: OR = 0.20, 95%CI = 0.04–0.90, P = 0.02; GG vs. (CC+CG): OR = 0.21, 95%CI = 0.05–0.95, P = 0.03; G vs. C: OR = 0.72, 95%CI = 0.54–0.98, P = 0.03] and pooled population [GG vs. CC: OR = 0.26, 95%CI = 0.11–0.59, P<0.001; (CG+GG) vs. CC: OR = 0.76, 95%CI = 0.62–0.93, P = 0.008; GG vs. (CC+CG): OR = 0.27, 95%CI = 0.12–0.62, P < 0.001; G vs. C: OR = 0.71, 95%CI = 0.59–0.85, P<0.001]. Additionally, pri-miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism was significantly associated with the decreased risk of poor differentiation and lymph node metastasis of CRC. Our results suggest that pri-miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism may be a genetic modifier for developing CRC. However, further studies are needed to validate our findings.
One-pot synthesis of cobalt-coordinated N-doped carbon catalysts via co-synthesis of ionic liquids and cobalt porphyrins
Authors: Chen Yuan , Fu Lingling , Liu Zhigang
Published: October 2015

Cobalt-coordinated N-doped carbon (CoNC) was fabricated by heating cobalt porphyrins and ionic liquids.
About the electronic and photophysical properties of iridium(iii)-pyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]-phenanthroline based complexes for use in electroluminescent devices
Authors: Cortés-Arriagada Diego , Sanhueza Luis , González Iván , Dreyse Paulina , Toro-Labbé Alejandro
Published: October 2015

Quantum chemistry calculations were used to investigate the electronic and luminescence properties of cyclometalated Iridium(iii) complexes to be used as ionic transition metal complexes in light electrochemical cells.
Dielectric shell isolated and graphene shell isolated nanoparticle enhanced Raman spectroscopies and their applications
Authors: Li Jian-Feng , Anema Jason R. , Wandlowski Thomas , Tian Zhong-Qun
Published: October 2015

By changing to the shell-isolated mode, SHINERS has largely broken the long-standing materials and morphological limitations of SERS for the accurate characterization of various adsorbates and surfaces.
Phase development during high-energy ball-milling of zinc oxide and iron – the impact of grain size on the source and the degree of contamination
Authors: Štefanić G. , Krehula S. , Štefanić I.
Published: October 2015

The impact of grain size on the source and the degree of contamination.
Imaging the behavior of molecules in biological systems: breaking the 3D speed barrier with 3D multi-resolution microscopy
Authors: Welsher Kevin , Yang Haw
Published: October 2015

The overwhelming effort in the development of new microscopy methods has been focused on increasing the spatial and temporal resolution in all three dimensions to enable the measurement of the molecular scale phenomena at the heart of biological processes. However, there exists a significant speed barrier to existing 3D imaging methods, which is associated with the overhead required to image large volumes. This overhead can be overcome to provide nearly unlimited temporal precision by simply focusing on a single molecule or particle via real-time 3D single-particle tracking and the newly developed 3D Multi-resolution Microscopy (3D-MM). Here, we investigate the optical and mechanical limits of real-time 3D single-particle tracking in the context of other methods. In particular, we investigate the use of an optical cantilever for position sensitive detection, finding that this method yields system magnifications of over 3000×. We also investigate the ideal PID control parameters and their effect on the power spectrum of simulated trajectories. Taken together, these data suggest that the speed limit in real-time 3D single particle-tracking is a result of slow piezoelectric stage response as opposed to optical sensitivity or PID control.
para-Bisvinylhexaisobutyl-substituted T8 caged monomer: synthesis and hydrosilylation polymerization
Authors: Maegawa Takayuki , Irie Yasuyuki , Imoto Hiroaki , Fueno Hiroyuki , Tanaka Kazuyoshi , Naka Kensuke
Published: October 2015

A para-substituted bisvinylhexaisobutyl-T8 caged monomer was successfully synthesized via a selective corner-opening reaction of the vinylheptaisobutyl-T8 cage and a subsequent corner-capping reaction.
Correction: Avoiding compositional drift during the RAFT copolymerization of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide and N-acryloxysuccinimide: towards uniform platforms for post-polymerization modification
Authors: Moraes John , Simionca Ioana-Maria , Ketari Hedi , Klok Harm-Anton
Published: October 2015

Correction for ‘Avoiding compositional drift during the RAFT copolymerization of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide and N-acryloxysuccinimide: towards uniform platforms for post-polymerization modification’ by John Moraes et al., Polym. Chem., 2015, 6, 3245–3251.
Magnetic and optical properties of Fe doped crednerite CuMnO2
Authors: Shukla Kaushal K. , Shahi P. , S. Gopal , Kumar A. , Ghosh A. K. , Singh Ripandeep , Sharma Neetika , Das A. , Sinha A. K. , Joshi Amish G. , Nigam A. K. , Chatterjee Sandip
Published: October 2015

A geometrically frustrated magnetic CuMnO2 system has been investigated because of its rich magnetic properties.
Hydrothermal synthesis of Co–ZnO nanowire array and its application as piezo-driven self-powered humidity sensor with high sensitivity and repeatability
Authors: Zang Weili , Li Pan , Fu Yongming , Xing Lili , Xue Xinyu
Published: October 2015

Self-powered humidity sensor with high sensitivity and repeatability has been fabricated from Co-doped ZnO NW arrays. Such a high performance can be attributed to the piezo-surface coupling effect and more active sites introduced by the Co dopants.
CFD simulations of catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oil using Pt/Al2O3 in a fixed bed reactor
Authors: Subramanyam Malladi D. , Gollakota Anjani R. K. , Kishore Nanda
Published: October 2015

Hydroprocessing of pine-oil in a fixed bed reactor in the presence of Pt/Al2O3 is numerically investigated as a function of temperature, pressure and WHSV.
Iridium nanoparticles supported in polymeric membranes: a new material for hydrogenation reactions
Authors: Faria Vinícius W. , Brunelli Marcos F. , Scheeren Carla W.
Published: October 2015

Iridium nanoparticles (Ir(0) NPs) of 2.1 ± 0.5 nm were synthesized from [Ir(cod)Cl]2(cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) in the ionic liquid (IL) 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [BMI.PF6].
Triazole based Ag coordination clusters: synthesis, structural diversity and anion exchange properties
Authors: Ding Bin , Huo Jian Zhong , Liu Yuan Yuan , Wang XiuGuang , Su XiuMei , Wu Xiang Xia , Zhu Zhao Zhou , Xia Jun
Published: October 2015

In this work three novel triazole based cluster-based silver(i) clusters have been isolated. 2 and 3 can effectively capturing the anion pollutants Cr2O72−, MnO4− in water solutions and Congo Red in methanol solutions.
Peroxidised phospholipid bilayers: insight from coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Guo Yachong , Baulin Vladimir A. , Thalmann Fabrice
Published: October 2015

We introduce a coarse-grained model for hydroperoxide lipid bilayers.
Gold aerogel supported on graphitic carbon nitride: an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Kundu Manas Kumar , Bhowmik Tanmay , Barman Sudip
Published: October 2015

A facile method for the formation of gold aerogel supported on graphitic carbon nitride sheets is reported. This Au–aerogel–C3N4composite exhibited superior electro-catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
Using the CSD Education Survey Data for Program Evaluation: Two Case Studies
Authors: Rami Manish K. , Robinson Sarah
Published: October 2015

The undertaking of peer institution assessment potentially benefits an institution and happens frequently; however, it does not directly provide useful information to individual programs within an institution. The authors in this article discuss the importance of peer programs evaluation and demonstrate, through two case studies, how data from both the Communication Sciences and Disorders Education (CSDE) survey and the EdFind database can be used to conduct a peer program evaluation in an academic program in speech-language pathology. The benefits of using both sources are discussed, as well as how they can assist a program to determine its efficiency and look for opportunities for improvements and growth.
Wideband low‐profile null‐filled monopole antenna for aircraft flush‐mount applications
Authors: Bang Jae‐Hoon
Published: October 2015

A wideband low‐profile null‐filled monopole antenna for aircraft flush‐mount applications is presented. The antenna consists of a semicircular monopole and a direct‐fed dual loop in a flanged cylindrical cavity. The zenith null in the monopole radiation pattern is filled by horizontal currents of the dual loop. Measurement shows that the proposed antenna has a reflection coefficient of <−10 dB over 4.53–7.43 GHz, 6.45 dBi maximum gain, −0.8 dBi filled null depth and a −3.7 dBi minimum horizontal gain at 6 GHz.
Cross‐domain variation compensation for robust speaker verification
Authors: Huang Houjun , Zhou Ruohua , Yan Yonghong
Published: October 2015

Recent studies have shown that when state‐of‐the‐art probabilistic linear discriminant analysis (PLDA) speaker verification systems are developed with out‐domain data, the mismatch between development data and evaluation data significantly degrades speaker verification performance. An unsupervised cross‐domain variation compensation (CDVC) approach to compensate the domain mismatch is proposed. This approach is based on the assumption that the inter‐domain variability is an additive factor with normal distribution in the i‐vector space. The effect of the approach on the domain adaption challenge of the JHU 2013 speaker recognition workshop is tested. Applying the CDVC approach on evaluation i‐vectors, the out‐domain PLDA system achieves a relative performance improvement of 61.9% in equal error rate.
Low‐complexity CRC‐aided early stopping unit for parallel turbo decoder
Authors: Kim Hyeji , Lee Youngjoo , Kim Ji‐Hoon
Published: October 2015

A low‐complexity distributed cyclic redundancy check (CRC) architecture for the CRC‐aided early stopping unit is proposed. In the previous distributed CRC unit, the general high‐order Galois field (GF) multiplier occupies almost the area of the CRC unit and requires high‐hardware cost and long critical path‐delay. Accordingly, a computation algorithm based on GF arithmetic is analysed and an optimal CRC unit with the small order of the GF multiplier and newly designed linear feedback shift register is proposed. The proposed CRC architecture is implemented in 65 nm CMOS process for radix‐22 and radix‐24 parallel turbo decoders based on LTE‐Advanced. In the radix‐22 system, reductions of about 57.1% of gate count, 31.7% of critical path‐delay and 44.1% of power consumption are achieved compared with the previous work.
Surface plasmon resonance sensor based on hollow‐core PCFs filled with silver nanowires
Authors: Lu Ying , Yang Xianchao , Wang Mintuo , Yao Jianquan
Published: October 2015

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on hollow‐core photonic crystal fibre (HC‐PCF) filled with silver nanowires is designed. The analyte and silver nanowires are full filled in the air holes of the HC‐PCF to realise the SPR sensing, which is more convenient than silver coated in operation. The designed sensor is analysed through numerical simulations and demonstrated by experiments. All the results show that a blue‐shift is obtained with increase of the analyte refractive index (RI), and the silver nanowires concentration has no effect on spectral sensitivity. The highest average spectral sensitivity of 14 240 nm/RIU is obtained by experiments, which is higher than that previously reported for the same type of sensors. The sensor is useful for detecting small analyte RI changes, and can also provide a reference for the implementation and application of PCF‐SPR sensors with high sensitivity.
Simple non‐impedance‐based measuring technique for supercapacitors
Authors: Tsirimokou G. , Psychalinos C. , Allagui A. , Elwakil A.S.
Published: October 2015

It is shown that the electric characterisation of supercapacitors cannot simply be performed by standard LCR meters, as these devices do not account for the fractional capacitance behaviour. The accurate modelling of their frequency‐dependent impedance requires direct impedance measurement using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A very simple and cost‐effective alternative using a single operational amplifier‐based circuit to extract the parameters of a supercapacitor without requiring the use of an expensive electrochemical station or a post‐processing data fitting algorithm is presented.
Measurement results for multichannel transmit beamforming tag direction detection in passive ultra‐high frequency radio‐frequency identification systems
Authors: Cremer M. , Dettmar U. , Hudasch C. , Kronberger R. , Lerche R. , Pervez A.
Published: October 2015

As an alternative to classical ultra‐high frequency (UHF) radio‐frequency identification (RFID) tag localisation methods (e.g. angle of arrival or received signal strength), a new angle‐of‐activation approach is presented that uses digital multichannel transmit beamforming. By pivoting the main lobe of the interrogator's transmit antenna array utilising the very sensitive response threshold of passive UHF RFID tags, the tag direction is estimated. The presented three‐channel digital beamforming hardware pivots the main lobe of a circularly polarised antenna array in a range of ±52° with an angular resolution of 0.02°. It estimates the direction of a circularly polarised tag with a mean measured accuracy of 0.9° in a basic multipath environment.
Wire crossing constrained QCA circuit design using bilayer logic decomposition
Authors: Roohi A. , Thapliyal H. , DeMara R.F.
Published: October 2015

Quantum‐dot cellular automata (QCA) seek potential benefits over CMOS devices such as low‐power consumption, small dimensions, and high‐speed operation. Two prominent QCA concerns of wire crossing complexity and circuit robustness are addressed by developing a three‐step bilayer logic decomposition (BLD) methodology to design QCA‐based logic circuits. The partitioning of QCA computing operations into logic layers realises considerable improvements in complexity, area, and modularity metrics. Moreover, since larger circuits are divided into two increasingly disjoint sub‐planes, verification of the functionality of the design becomes compartmentalised. Design capability of the proposed approach is illustrated and analysed by implementing an area‐efficient full comparator (FC) based on a novel logic realisation. The resulting 1‐bit FC achieves 32% improvement in complexity metrics in comparison with the previous optimal QCA‐based FC. The related waveforms used in verification of the BLD‐generated FC which are obtained by the QCADesigner simulation tool are discussed as a motivating example of the BLD methodology.
Fault modelling and detection in power generation, transmission and distribution systems
Authors: Ali Asghar , Khan Abdul Qayyum , Hussain Babar , Raza Muhammad Taskeen , Arif Muhammad
Published: October 2015

The study discusses a model‐based fault diagnosis scheme for detection of faults in power systems. The fault models in power generating units (PGUs) and transmission and distribution networks (T&DN) have been derived in state space form. An observer‐based fault detection filter (FDF) has been used to detect these faults. Observer‐based FDF is used because of its simplicity, reliability and ease of implementation. A single machine infinite bus power system is considered wherein a synchronous generator is connected to a T&DN through a bus system. Actuator and sensor faults in PGU, and symmetric faults in T&DN have been modelled and simulated in Matlab/Simulink. The simulation results show that a fault, whenever occurs in the aforementioned parts of power systems, is detected using the knowledge of the faults models proposed in this work.