bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of forest canopy shading and turbulence on boundary layer ozone
Authors: Makar P. A. , Staebler R. M. , Akingunola A. , Zhang J. , McLinden C. , Kharol S. K. , Pabla B. , Cheung P. , Zheng Q.
Published: May 2017

The chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere close to the surface is known to be strongly influenced by vegetation. However, two critical aspects of the forest environment have been neglected in the description of the large-scale influence of forests on air pollution: the reduction of photolysis reaction rates and the modification of vertical transport due to the presence of foliage. Here we show that foliage shading and foliage-modified vertical diffusion have a profound influence on atmospheric chemistry, both at the Earth’s surface and extending throughout the atmospheric boundary layer. The absence of these processes in three-dimensional models may account for 59–72% of the positive bias in North American surface ozone forecasts, and up to 97% of the bias in forested regions within the continent. These processes are shown to have similar or greater influence on surface ozone levels as climate change and current emissions policy scenario simulations.
Adenylate kinase hCINAP determines self-renewal of colorectal cancer stem cells by facilitating LDHA phosphorylation
Authors: Ji Yapeng , Yang Chuanzhen , Tang Zefang , Yang Yongfeng , Tian Yonglu , Yao Hongwei , Zhu Xi , Zhang Zemin , Ji Jiafu , Zheng Xiaofeng
Published: May 2017

Targeting the specific metabolic phenotypes of colorectal cancer stem cells (CRCSCs) is an innovative therapeutic strategy for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with poor prognosis and relapse. However, the context-dependent metabolic traits of CRCSCs remain poorly elucidated. Here we report that adenylate kinase hCINAP is overexpressed in CRC tissues. Depletion of hCINAP inhibits invasion, self-renewal, tumorigenesis and chemoresistance of CRCSCs with a loss of mesenchymal signature. Mechanistically, hCINAP binds to the C-terminal domain of LDHA, the key regulator of glycolysis, and depends on its adenylate kinase activity to promote LDHA phosphorylation at tyrosine 10, resulting in the hyperactive Warburg effect and the lower cellular ROS level and conferring metabolic advantage to CRCSC invasion. Moreover, hCINAP expression is positively correlated with the level of Y10-phosphorylated LDHA in CRC patients. This study identifies hCINAP as a potent modulator of metabolic reprogramming in CRCSCs and a promising drug target for CRC invasion and metastasis.
Whole blood transcriptome analysis reveals potential competition in metabolic pathways between negative energy balance and response to inflammatory challenge
Authors: Bouvier-Muller Juliette , Allain Charlotte , Tabouret Guillaume , Enjalbert Francis , Portes David , Noirot Céline , Rupp Rachel , Foucras Gilles
Published: May 2017

Negative Energy Balance (NEB) is considered to increase susceptibility to mastitis. The objective of this study was to improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms by comparing transcriptomic profiles following NEB and a concomitant mammary inflammation. Accordingly, we performed RNA-seq analysis of blood cells in energy-restricted ewes and control-diet ewes at four different time points before and after intra mammary challenge with phlogogenic ligands. Blood leucocytes responded to NEB by shutting down lipid-generating processes, including cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis, probably under transcriptional control of SREBF 1. Furthermore, fatty acid oxidation was activated and glucose oxidation and transport inhibited in response to energy restriction. Among the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to energy restriction, 64 genes were also differential in response to the inflammatory challenge. Opposite response included the activation of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis during the inflammatory challenge. Moreover, activation of glucose oxidation and transport coupled with the increase of plasma glucose concentration in response to the inflammatory stimuli suggested a preferential utilization of glucose as the energy source during this stress. Leucocyte metabolism therefore undergoes strong metabolic changes during an inflammatory challenge, which could be in competition with those induced by energy restriction.
Transient receptor potential canonical 5 channels plays an essential role in hepatic dyslipidemia associated with cholestasis
Authors: Alawi Khadija M. , Tandio David , Xu Jin , Thakore Pratish , Papacleovoulou Georgia , Fernandes Elizabeth S. , Legido-Quigley Cristina , Williamson Catherine , Brain Susan D.
Published: May 2017

Transient receptor potential canonical 5 (TRPC5), a calcium-permeable, non-selective cation channel is expressed in the periphery, but there is limited knowledge of its regulatory rolesin vivo. Endogenous modulators of TRPC5 include a range of phospholipids that have an established role in liver disease, including lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). Cholestasis is characterized by impairment of excretion of bile acids, leading to elevation of hepatic bile acids. We investigated the contribution of TRPC5 in a murine model of cholestasis. Wild-type (WT) and TRPC5 knock-out (KO) mice were fed a diet supplemented with 0.5% cholic acid (CA) for 21 days. CA-diet supplementation resulted in enlargement of the liver in WT mice, which was ameliorated in TRPC5 KO mice. Hepatic bile acid and lipid content was elevated in WT mice, with a reduction observed in TRPC5 KO mice. Consistently, liver enzymes were significantly increased in cholestatic WT mice and significantly blunted in TRPC5 KO mice. Localized dyslipidaemia, secondary to cholestasis, was investigated utilizing a selected lipid analysis. This revealed significant perturbations in the lipid profile following CA-diet feeding, with increased cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids, in WT, but not TRPC5 KO mice. Our results suggest that activation of TRPC5 contributes to the development of cholestasis and associated dyslipidemia. Modulation of TRPC5 activity may present as a novel therapeutic target for liver disease.
An episomal vector-based CRISPR/Cas9 system for highly efficient gene knockout in human pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Xie Yifang , Wang Daqi , Lan Feng , Wei Gang , Ni Ting , Chai Renjie , Liu Dong , Hu Shijun , Li Mingqing , Li Dajin , Wang Hongyan , Wang Yongming
Published: May 2017

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) represent a unique opportunity for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying complex traits and diseases. CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful tool to introduce genetic mutations into the hPSCs for loss-of-function studies. Here, we developed an episomal vector-based CRISPR/Cas9 system, which we called epiCRISPR, for highly efficient gene knockout in hPSCs. The epiCRISPR system enables generation of up to 100% Insertion/Deletion (indel) rates. In addition, the epiCRISPR system enables efficient double-gene knockout and genomic deletion. To minimize off-target cleavage, we combined the episomal vector technology with double-nicking strategy and recent developed high fidelity Cas9. Thus the epiCRISPR system offers a highly efficient platform for genetic analysis in hPSCs.
Group-velocity-locked vector soliton molecules in fiber lasers
Authors: Luo Yiyang , Cheng Jianwei , Liu Bowen , Sun Qizhen , Li Lei , Fu Songnian , Tang Dingyuan , Zhao Luming , Liu Deming
Published: May 2017

Physics phenomena of multi-soliton complexes have enriched the life of dissipative solitons in fiber lasers. By developing a birefringence-enhanced fiber laser, we report the first experimental observation of group-velocity-locked vector soliton (GVLVS) molecules. The birefringence-enhanced fiber laser facilitates the generation of GVLVSs, where the two orthogonally polarized components are coupled together to form a multi-soliton complex. Moreover, the interaction of repulsive and attractive forces between multiple pulses binds the particle-like GVLVSs together in time domain to further form compound multi-soliton complexes, namely GVLVS molecules. By adopting the polarization-resolved measurement, we show that the two orthogonally polarized components of the GVLVS molecules are both soliton molecules supported by the strongly modulated spectral fringes and the double-humped intensity profiles. Additionally, GVLVS molecules with various soliton separations are also observed by adjusting the pump power and the polarization controller.
Revealing the insoluble metasecretome of lignocellulose-degrading microbial communities
Authors: Alessi Anna M. , Bird Susannah M. , Bennett Joseph P. , Oates Nicola C. , Li Yi , Dowle Adam A. , Polikarpov Igor , Young J Peter W. , McQueen-Mason Simon J. , Bruce Neil C.
Published: May 2017

Microbial communities metabolize plant biomass using secreted enzymes; however, identifying extracellular proteins tightly bound to insoluble lignocellulose in these microbiomes presents a challenge, as the rigorous extraction required to elute these proteins also lyses the microbes associated with the plant biomass releasing intracellular proteins that contaminate the metasecretome. Here we describe a technique for targeting the extracellular proteome, which was used to compare the metasecretome and meta-surface-proteome of two lignocellulose-degrading communities grown on wheat straw and rice straw. A combination of mass spectrometry-based proteomics coupled with metatranscriptomics enabled the identification of a unique secretome pool from these lignocellulose-degrading communities. This method enabled us to efficiently discriminate the extracellular proteins from the intracellular proteins by improving detection of actively secreted and transmembrane proteins. In addition to the expected carbohydrate active enzymes, our new method reveals a large number of unknown proteins, supporting the notion that there are major gaps in our understanding of how microbial communities degrade lignocellulosic substrates.
Nanoparticle design strategies for enhanced anticancer therapy by exploiting the tumour microenvironment
Authors: Dai Yunlu , Xu Can , Sun Xiaolian , Chen Xiaoyuan
Published: May 2017

Exploiting the tumour microenvironment can benefit the design of nanomaterials for enhanced therapeutic effectiveness.
Detection of antibiotic resistant Escherichia Coli bacteria using infrared microscopy and advanced multivariate analysis
Authors: Salman Ahmad , Sharaha Uraib , Rodriguez-Diaz Eladio , Shufan Elad , Riesenberg Klaris , Bigio Irving J. , Huleihel Mahmoud
Published: May 2017

DeterminingE. colibacteria susceptibility by analyzing their FTIR spectra using multivariate analysis.
Precursor determined lateral size control of monolayer MoS2nanosheets from a series of alkylammonium thiomolybdates: a reversal of trend between growth media
Authors: Brent J. R. , McNaughter P. D. , O'Brien P.
Published: May 2017

Lateral size control of MoS2nanosheets using a series of alkylammonium thiomolybdate precursors.
Laser post-ionisation combined with a high resolving power orbitrap mass spectrometer for enhanced MALDI-MS imaging of lipids
Authors: Ellis S. R. , Soltwisch J. , Paine M. R. L. , Dreisewerd K. , Heeren R. M. A.
Published: May 2017

Coupling laser post-ionisation with a high resolving power MALDI Orbitrap mass spectrometer has realised an up to ∼100-fold increase in the sensitivity and enhanced the chemical coverage for MALDI-MS imaging of lipids relative to conventional MALDI.
Graphene nanoflakes functionalized with cobalt/cobalt oxides formation during cobalt organic framework carbonization
Authors: Cendrowski Krzysztof , Zenderowska Anna , Bieganska Agata , Mijowska Ewa
Published: May 2017

Synthesis and carbonization mechanism of MOF structure based on cobalt and terephthalic acid, with detailed attention to the flake-like structures exfoliation.
An oil spill decision matrix in response to surface spills of various bitumen blends
Authors: King Thomas L. , Robinson Brian , Cui Fangda , Boufadel Michel , Lee Kenneth , Clyburne Jason A. C.
Published: May 2017

Canada's production, transport, and sale of diluted bitumen (dilbit) products are expected to increase by a million barrels per day over the next decade.
An environmentally friendly protocol for oxidative halocyclization of tryptamine and tryptophol derivatives
Authors: Xu Jun , Tong Rongbiao
Published: May 2017

An environmentally friendly protocol for halocyclization of tryptamine/tryptophol derivatives was developed and demonstrated with 28 examples and synthesis of protubonines.
B–Hb⋯π interaction in borane–graphene complexes: coronene as a case study
Authors: Saha Bapan , Bhattacharyya Pradip Kr.
Published: May 2017

N/B/BN doping in graphene enhances adsorption of boranes.
Controlling the shape of anatase nanocrystals for enhanced photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to methanol
Authors: Truong Quang Duc , Hoa Huu Thu , Vo Dai-Viet N. , Le Thanh Son
Published: May 2017

Anatase titania with tunable shapes has been synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method using peroxotitanic acid as a precursor. The results of investigations showed that the photocatalytic activity in the reduction of CO2 to methanol increased with an increase in the percentage of {001} surfaces.
Generation of a cell-permeable cycloheptapeptidyl inhibitor against the peptidyl–prolyl isomerase Pin1
Authors: Bedewy Walaa , Liao Hui , Abou-Taleb Nageh A. , Hammad Sherif F. , Nasr Tamer , Pei Dehua
Published: May 2017

Integration of Pin1-binding and cell-penetrating sequences results in a cell-permeable, biologically active cycloheptapeptide inhibitor against Pin1.
ZnO films using a precursor solution irradiated with an electron beam as the cathode interfacial layer in inverted polymer solar cells
Authors: Kang Rira , Noh Yong-Jin , Yun Jin-Mun , Kim Hyun , Myoung NoSoung , Lee Eun-Hye , Kim Tae-Wook , Na Seok-In , Oh Seung-Hwan
Published: May 2017

We explore sol–gel ZnO irradiated with an electron beam (EB-ZnO) as a cathode interfacial layer for polymer solar cells.
Microwave absorption properties of carbon fiber radar absorbing coatings prepared by water-based technologies
Authors: Ban Guo-dong , Liu Zhao-hui , Ye Sheng-tian , Yang Hong-bo , Tao Rui , Luo Ping
Published: May 2017

Carbon fiber radar absorbing coatings (CFRACs), composed of different amounts of carbon fiber (CF) embedded in polyurethane resin, were prepared using water-based technologies.
Improved oxygen reduction activity of carbon nanotubes and graphene through adenine functionalization
Authors: Xu Youze , Chen Caili , Zhou Mo , FU Guangyi , Zhao Yuanyuan , Chen Yuehui
Published: May 2017

The SWNT or graphene can draw electrons from the nitrogen species in adenine to form pyrrolic/graphitic-N-type groups as ORR active sites, similar with that of N-doped carbon materials, offering an opportunity to develop a class of new ORR catalysts.
Macroscopic assembly of flexible and strong green graphene fibres
Authors: Bakhtiari R. , Ghobadi S. , Güllüoğlu E. N. , Şanlı L. I. , Gürsel S. A. , Özden-Yenigün E.
Published: May 2017

The scalable production presented here facilitates flexible, strong and electrically conductive graphene fibres, which have emerged as promising graphene based electronic textiles and sensors.
Interfacial defect engineering over fusiform bismuth vanadate photocatalyst enables to excellent solar-to-chemical energy coupling
Authors: Shi Chunjing , Dong Xiaoli , Wang Jiawei , Wang Xiuying , Ma Hongchao , Zhang Xiufang
Published: May 2017

The existence of oxygen vacancy on BiVO4 surface can effect enhancement of the photoactivity and extending the photoresponse wavelength range.
High-performance flexible transparent conductive films achieved by cooperation between 1D copper nanowires and 2D graphene materials
Authors: Zhao Fu-Gang , Kong Yu-Ting , Xu Zi-Wen , Yao Xiang , Zuo Biao , Li Wei-Shi
Published: May 2017

A flexible rGO/CuNWs hybrid TCF with excellent performance comparable to ITO was manufactured, and an significant synergistic effect was found.
Analysis of decoding probability for systematic wireless network coding
Authors: Chau P. , Lee Y. , Bui T.D. , Shin J.
Published: May 2017

Systematic wireless network coding has been proposed as a potential solution to solve the major drawback of high encoding/decoding complexities of random linear network coding and to increase the decoding capability. However, the complete analysis of the decoding performance has not been fully derived. In this Letter, the authors derive closed‐form expressions for the decoding probability under systematic network coding (SNC) over single‐hop and multi‐hop wireless networks. They validate the analysis by comparing simulation results. Their formulation provides a theoretical analysis for further understanding of the SNC and can be used to improve the current upper bound for the decoding probability.
Microwave frequency measurement based on optical phase modulation and stimulated Brillouin scattering
Authors: Xin Fengdan , Yan Juanjuan , Liu Qidi
Published: May 2017

A photonic technique for microwave frequency measurement based on stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) with low measurement error and large measurement range is demonstrated. In the scheme, an optical phase modulator is employed and the intensity balance between the two sidebands of the phase‐modulated signal is broken by use of SBS in a fibre. The frequency measurement is achieved by detecting the existence of a microwave signal after photoelectric detection of the phase modulated signal. The measurement error is experimentally shown to be 50 MHz in a narrow measuring range of ∼1 GHz and 100 MHz in a wide range of 20 GHz.
Lite AU convolution network driven by a small amount of samples
Authors: Wu YuXuan , An GaoYun , Zhang YiQiong
Published: May 2017

A novel lite action unit (AU) convolution network (LAUCN) is proposed for automatic AU detection, which could improve the accuracy of AU detection with a few samples. (i) LAUCN could transform the manual intervened factors (i.e. gradient, pixels etc.), which identify the characteristics of two‐dimensional shapes, to a hierarchical perceptron in multi‐direction and multi‐scale, while a small amount of samples are needed. (ii) LAUCN takes into account the core properties of facial AUs for detecting action unit more accurately, where the existence of strong co‐occurrence structure indicates that the presence of one AU can be regarded as a prior for the presence of others so that the problem of subtle changes in appearance or geometry of the face will be well solved via exploiting this property. The experiments are conducted on the CK+ dataset, and the experimental results show that LAUCN can accomplish AU recognition satisfactorily and has achieved the expected results as well.
Efficient technique for broadband monostatic RCS using the characteristic basis function method with polynomial interpolation
Authors: Chen Xinlei , Fei Chao , Gu Changqing , Mittra Raj
Published: May 2017

Previous research on the characteristic basis function method (CBFM) has shown that the use of the ultra‐wide band CBFM can efficiently solve the problem of computing the broadband monostatic radar cross‐section (RCS) of a target by reducing the size of the associated impedance matrix and avoiding the repeated generation of the macro base functions. However, it is still necessary to repeatedly construct the reduced matrix at each frequency in the analysed frequency band, and an interpolation method is proposed to address this problem. It is shown that it is only needed to generate and store the reduced matrices at four frequency samples to cover the entire frequency band, and efficiently derive the reduced matrices at other frequencies via simple interpolation. Numerical results are given to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.
Hepta‐band bandpass filter based on folded cross‐loaded stepped impedance resonator
Authors: Firmansyah T. , Praptodiyono S. , Pramudyo A.S. , Chairunissa C. , Alaydrus M.
Published: May 2017

A hepta‐band bandpass filter (HB‐BPF) based on folded cross‐loaded stepped impedance resonator (SIR) was investigated. A cross‐loaded SIR microstrip structure was arranged to produce several transmission zeros. In order to reduce the filter size, a folded cross‐loaded SIR was proposed. The HB‐BPF was designed on FR4 microstrip substrate with εr = 4.4, thickness h = 0.8 mm, and tan δ = 0.0265. This HB‐BPF achieves transmission coefficients of 0.15, 0.61, 0.45, 1.14, 1.57, 1.77, and 2.08 dB at 0.74, 1.49, 2.25, 3.19, 3.93, 4.68, and 5.50 GHz, respectively. The HB‐BPF only occupies 0.1 × 0.22 λg, where λg is the guided wavelength at a first passband centre frequency. A good agreement between simulated and measured results validates the design method.
Active metamaterial absorber with controllable polarisation and frequency
Authors: Zeng Xianliang , Zhang Linxi , Wan Guobin , Gao Meng
Published: May 2017

An active metamaterial absorber with electrical control of both polarisation and frequency is presented. The unit cell of the proposed absorber consists of an outer circular ring and an inner Jerusalem cross with two pin diodes mounted between. Tuning the diodes ON/OFF states, the absorption response of the metamaterial structure can be switched between two performances. As biasing the diodes OFF, a dual‐band absorption response with polarisation‐independent characteristics can be achieved. Although regarding to ON state, a polarisation‐dependent performance is exhibited. Specifically, the same dual‐band absorption response can be still obtained with respect to the incident wave with electrical field along the x‐axis, whereas a different single band of absorption is obtained with electrical field along the y‐axis. The simulated and measured verifications are presented and the results demonstrate the proposed controllable absorption performances.
Derivation and verification of a vector controller for induction machines with consideration of stator and rotor core losses
Authors: Chen Woei‐Luen , Cheng Kai‐Mou , Chen Kun‐Feng
Published: May 2017

The equivalent circuit of an induction machine (IM) without regard to iron loss would lead not only significant mismatch between simulation and experimental results but also deteriorate the vector control performance. This study focuses on modifying the indirect rotor flux‐oriented controller subject to the IM equivalent circuit with consideration of stator and rotor core losses. An analytical approach based on the core‐loss model for estimating the rotor slip shows salient impact of the stator and rotor core loss on IM performance. A 10 HP IM is performed for laboratory test. The experimental and simulation results validate that the modified vector controller is superior to the conventional vector controller in both transient and steady‐state responses.
Model predictive direct torque control of permanent magnet synchronous motors with extended set of voltage space vectors
Authors: Wang Tianshi , Liu Chengcheng , Lei Gang , Guo Youguang , Zhu Jianguo
Published: May 2017

The finite‐control‐set model predictive direct torque control (FCS‐MPDTC) is a novel control scheme for permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs). A key feature of FCS‐MPDTC is that the eight possible voltage space vectors or switching combinations of the power converters are directly taken into account as the control input of the system. A cost function is used in FCS‐MPDTC to evaluate each possible voltage space vector and the one with minimum cost is applied to the power converter. Due to the considerable torque and flux ripples, to improve the performance of FCS‐MPDTC, this study presents an extended set of 20 modulated voltage space vectors with fixed duty ratio. For further improvement, a larger set size can be chosen, but this requires a larger computing power. To mitigate the computational burden caused by increased number of voltage space vectors, a pre‐selective scheme is designed for the proposed FCS‐MPDTC to filter out the impractical voltage vectors instead of evaluating all 20 voltage space vectors. The drive system efficiencies of conventional direct torque control, conventional FCS‐MPDTC and proposed method are investigated. The theory and simulation are validated by experimental results on a PMSM prototype.
Visible defects detection based on UAV‐based inspection in large‐scale photovoltaic systems
Authors: Li Xiaoxia , Yang Qiang , Chen Zhebo , Luo Xuejing , Yan Wenjun
Published: May 2017

The asset assessment and condition monitoring of large‐scale photovoltaic (PV) systems spanning over a large geographical area has imposed urgent challenges and demands for novel and efficient inspection paradigm. In this study, an automatic UAV‐based inspection system is presented and implemented for asset assessment and defect detection for large‐scale PV systems. Two typical visible defects of PV modules, snail trails and dust shading, are characterised and the defect detection through image processing algorithms based on first order derivative of Gaussian function and feature matching is carried out for the aerial PV module images captured by visible light cameras. The functionality of the developed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)‐based inspection system can be easily extended with more advanced fault detection algorithms and different forms of sensing devices (e.g. infrared thermal camera) for specialised inspection tasks. Such UAV‐based imaging can carry out a variety of inspection and condition monitoring tasks in PV systems spanning over a large geographical area in an autonomous or supervised fashion with significantly promoted efficiency in comparison with conventional methods.
Detection and classification of power quality disturbances based on time–frequency‐scale transform
Authors: Singh Utkarsh , Singh Shyam Narain
Published: May 2017

Under practical conditions, the power quality disturbances have a complex nature, and are often corrupted with external noise. This calls for robust detection and classification using appropriate signal processing and classification techniques. In this study, a time–frequency‐scale transform is presented as a detection tool with high‐noise immunity. It is a variant of chirplet transform adapted for power quality studies, which incorporates a Hann window and is capable of shifting and scaling operations. A number of simulated and real power quality disturbances are detected and classified under various noise levels for performance assessment. Performance of the time–frequency‐scale transform is dependent on window length, and hence three different classifiers are employed to study the effect of window length variation on classification accuracy. Detection and feature extraction in time–frequency‐scale transform is somewhat similar to Stockwell transform; therefore, a suitable comparison is shown wherever required. Results of the proposed methodology are found to be appreciable. Moreover, observations from this work can serve as a foundation for formulation of optimised classification problems involving manoeuvrable window signal processing techniques.
Altersbilder in Magazinen des Gesundheitswesens
Authors: Hartmann-Tews Ilse , Hoppe Theresa
Published: May 2017

Ziel der Studie ist es, die Deutungsmuster zur gesundheitsbezogenen somatischen Kultur im Alter im Rahmen der Kommunikation im Gesundheitswesen zu analysieren. Bisherige Studien zeigen, dass die zugrundeliegenden Alterskonzepte eher defizit- als ressourcenorientiert sind und Themen wie die Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung im Alter einen eher marginalen Stellenwert erhalten.

Methodik Mittels Inhaltsanalyse wurden alle altersrelevanten redaktionellen Beiträge (n=146) aus Mitgliedermagazinen von 4 Krankenkassen (AOK, Barmer, Gothaer, DKV) und 2 Gesundheitsmagazinen des Apothekenverbandes (Apotheken Umschau, Senioren Ratgeber) aus den Jahren 2012 und 2013 sowie die sie begleitenden Bilder (n=218) analysiert.

Ergebnisse In allen Zeitschriften nimmt Krankheit als Hauptthema der Artikel die prominenteste Stellung ein (insg. 36,3%), gefolgt von Aspekten der unmittelbaren Gesundheitsvorsorge und Krankheitsfrüherkennung, wobei dabei deutliche Unterschiede zwischen den Magazingruppen auftreten. Überwiegend wird in den Beiträgen eine eher negative Sichtweise in Bezug auf somatische Aspekte des Alter(n)s eingenommen, insbesondere bei der Thematisierung der Dimension Gesundheit und dem Erscheinungsbild der Älteren. Im Vergleich zu der stark negativ geprägten Sichtweise und Thematisierung altersbedingter Mängel im Text, ist die Darstellung der älteren Personen auf den Bildern wesentlich positiver und kaum defizitorientiert.

Schlussfolgerung Im Hinblick auf die Aufgabe der Krankenkassen, die gesundheitliche Eigenkompetenz ihrer Versicherten zu verbessern, zeigen die vorliegenden Befunde Potenzial zur Optimierung, da ein ressourcenorientiertes Altersbild ein gesundheits- und bewegungsorientiertes Verhalten der älteren Menschen unterstützen kann und die Krankenkassen davon langfristig profitieren könnten. Innerhalb der beiden Apotheken-Magazine wird zwar ein wesentlich heterogeneres Bild von Alter(n) entworfen, das jedoch auch stark mit Marketinginteressen der Pharmaindustrie in Zusammenhang steht.
Studien bei seltenen Erkrankungen: Eine deskriptive Analyse abgeschlossener Orphan Drug Bewertungen im Gemeinsamen Bundesausschuss
Authors: Schulz Sandra , Passon Anna , Kulig Michael , Perleth Matthias , Matthias Katja
Published: May 2017

Hintergrund Der Gemeinsame Bundesausschuss (G-BA) führt für alle neu zugelassenen Arzneimittel eine (Zusatz)Nutzenbewertung durch (vgl. § 35a SGB V). Für Arzneimittel zur Behandlung seltener Erkrankungen (sogenannte Orphan Drugs [OD]) gelten einige Sonderregeln.

Methodik Anhand öffentlich zugänglicher Dokumente auf der Homepage des G-BA sowie der Fachinformationen erfolgte eine deskriptive Analyse der von September 2011 bis Juni 2016 abgeschlossenen OD Verfahren. Die Datenextraktion umfasste dabei u. a. den Studientyp der zulassungsbegründenden Studie, den primären Endpunkt und die Einschätzung dessen Patientenrelevanz, die in der Nutzenbewertung festgestellte Nutzenkategorie (nicht quantifizierbar, gering, beträchtlich, erheblich) sowie die Erfassung der Lebensqualität.

Ergebnisse Insgesamt wurden 36 Verfahren (47 Anwendungsgebiete [AWG]) analysiert. Auf Verfahrensebene dienten 16 der bewerteten ODs der Behandlung von onkologischen Erkrankungen, 11 der Therapie von Stoffwechselkrankheiten, und 9 der Behandlung von sonstigen Erkrankungen. Bei ca. 83% der Verfahren (70% der AWG) lag mind. eine randomisiert kontrollierte Studie vor. Bei 26 Verfahren (29 AWG) bewertete der G-BA den primären Endpunkt der Zulassungsstudie als nicht patientenrelevant. 64% der OD Zulassungsstudien enthielten Ergebnisse zur Lebensqualität. Daten zu diesen Endpunkten lagen häufig jedoch eingeschränkt vor. Bei 19 OD Verfahren wurde das Ausmaß des Zusatznutzen vom G-BA als nicht quantifizierbar, bei 14 Verfahren als gering und bei einem Verfahren als beträchtlich eingestuft. Bei 2 weiteren Verfahren wurden jeweils 2 Subgruppen unterschieden. In dem ersten Verfahren wurden jeweils ein geringer und ein beträchtlicher Zusatznutzen und in dem zweiten Verfahren wurden ein geringer und ein nicht quantifizierbarer Zusatznutzen festgestellt.

Schlussfolgerung Nach den bisherigen Erfahrungen mit der wertung von OD im G-BA zeigt sich, dass für 70% der zugelassenen Anwendungsgebiete Daten aus RCTs vorliegen, d. h. dass ein randomisiertes Studiendesign auch bei seltenen Erkrankungen möglich ist. Bei unzureichender Evidenzlage, v. a. wenn keine RCTs durchgeführt wurden, resultiert oftmals eine Befristung des Beschlusses. Unterschiedliche Auffassungen bestehen derzeit noch bei der Einschätzung der Patientenrelevanz einer Reihe von primären Endpunkten. Daten zu Lebensqualitäts-Endpunkten müssen besser berichtet werden, damit ein Einbezug zur Bestimmung des Zusatznutzens möglich wird.
OP-Zeit, Ergebnis und Ausbildungsstand des Chirurgen – der Einsatz patientenindividueller Instrumente bei der Implantation von Kniegelenkendoprothesen
Authors: Schulze Christoph , Inan Cem , Hacke Claudia , Kaltenborn Alexander , Gutcke André
Published: May 2017

Hintergrund Die Gonarthrose ist ein häufiges Krankheitsbild, das in Deutschland oft operativ durch die Implantation einer Endoprothese behandelt wird. Für die Implantation einer Kniegelenkendoprothese stehen dem Operateur heute Hilfsmittel in Form individuell gefertigter Schnittlehren (PMI) zur Verfügung. In dieser Analyse untersuchten wir die Anwendung eines dieser Hilfsmittel, in unserem Fall das System Visionaire™ (Firma Smith&Nephew), hinsichtlich des klinischen und radiologischen Outcomes sowie der Praktikabilität im Einsatz bei der Ausbildung orthopädischer Chirurgen anhand der OP-Zeit.

Material und Methoden Es konnten von 436 endoprothetischen Versorgungen 173 Fälle (56,6% Frauen, 68,7 ± 0,7 Jahre) in diese retrospektive Betrachtung einbezogen werden. Neben der OP-Zeit wurden prä- und postoperativ der Oxford Knee Score, der Bewegungsumfang sowie die Implantatlage im Röntgenbild anhand der Parameter Slope, mechanischer medialer proximaler Tibiawinkel, mechanischer lateraler distaler Femurwinkel und Veränderung der Lastachse im Verhältnis zum Fujisawa-Punkt ausgewertet. Zusätzlich zum Vergleich zwischen PMI und nicht PMI-unterstützter Implantation erfolgte eine Unterscheidung des Operateurs hinsichtlich des Ausbildungsstands nach Facharzt und Weiterbildungsassistent.

Ergebnis Im Ergebnis zeigte sich bei Einsatz eines PMI eine signifikante Verkürzung der OP-Zeit von durchschnittlich 7Minuten (p = 0,004). Fachärzte operieren sowohl ohne als auch mit Einsatz von PMI (21 bzw. 17 Minuten) schneller als Assistenzärzte. Beide Gruppen operieren unter Einsatz des PMI schneller als herkömmlich (Fachärzte: 6 Minuten [p = 0,211]; Assistenzärzte: 10 Minuten [p = 0,005]). Ein relevanter Unterschied hinsichtlich der Auswirkung auf das klinische oder radiologische Ergebnis konnte weder bezogen auf den Ausbildungsstand noch bez. des Implantationsverfahrens nachgewiesen werden.

Schlussfolgerung Individuelle Schnittblöcke bieten die Möglichkeit eines sicheren und für den Operateur komfortablen Operierens. Da es sowohl klinisch als auch röntgenologisch keine signifikanten Unterschiede im Ergebnis gibt, ist das hier verwendete PMI-System für den Patienten mindestens so vertrauenswürdig wie die herkömmliche Implantation. Der einzige relevante Vorteil liegt in der Verkürzung der OP-Zeit, was für die Anwendung im Rahmen der Ausbildung wirtschaftlichen Anreiz bieten kann. Die Kosten für ein solches System müssen bei der wirtschaftlichen Betrachtung berücksichtigt werden.
Evaluation of Biological Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis Flowers on Alloxan Induced Diabetes in Rats
Authors: Pethe Mohan , Yelwatkar Samir , Manchalwar Smita , Gujar Vijay
Published: May 2017

Aim and Objective The current study sought to investigate antidiabetic, hypolipidimic, antioxidant and histopathological effects of floral extract of Hibiscus rosa sinensis in Alloxan induced Diabetes in rats.

Materials and Methods Study was conducted on 6 groups with 6 wistar rats in each group for the period of 4 weeks. Group I: served as normal control (NC), rats administered with gum acacia 1 ml daily, group II: consider as diabetic control (DC) treated with alloxon 150 mg/kg body wt. Whereas Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower extract was given orally in group III (DE1), group IV (DE2), group V (DE3) at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight dissolved in distilled water respectively. Group VI (DG) was given glibenclamide (5 mg/kg) as a standard drug and results were compared in reference to it.

Results The results indicate that the test compound HEFHR (Hydroalcoholic extract of flower Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) has significant and sustained oral antidiabetic activity, comparable with the hypoglycemic effect of Glibenclamide and Sulphonylurea. Flower extract of HRS was more efficacious in lipid lowering effect and in antioxidative activity than glibenclamide. After 28 day treatment with flower extract, size of islets was significantly increased and necrosis and atrophy of islets were significantly improved; also increase in number and diameter of cell islets appeared to be regular as compared to the diabetic group.

Conclusion HEFHR possesses significant antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties as well as regeneration of beta cells in rats. Further evaluation of HEFHR is in progress.
Reconfigurable phase-change photomask for grayscale photolithography
Authors: Wang Q. , Yuan G. H. , Kiang K. S. , Sun K. , Gholipour B. , Rogers E. T. F. , Huang K. , Ang S. S. , Zheludev N. I. , Teng J. H.
Published: May 2017

We demonstrate a grayscale photolithography technique which uses a thin phase-change film as a photomask to locally control the exposure dose and allows three-dimensional (3D) sculpting photoresist for the manufacture of 3D structures. Unlike traditional photomasks, the transmission of the phase-change material photomask can be set to an arbitrary gray level with submicron lateral resolution, and the mask pattern can be optically reconfigured on demand, by inducing a refractive-index-changing phase-transition with femtosecond laser pulses. We show a spiral phase plate and a phase-type super-oscillatory lens fabricated on Si wafers to demonstrate the range of applications that can be addressed with this technique.
Evaluation of charged particle evaporation expressions in ultracold plasmas
Authors: Witte Craig , Roberts Jacob L.
Published: May 2017

Electron evaporation plays an important role in the electron temperature evolution and thus the expansion rate of low-density ultracold plasmas. In addition, evaporation is useful as a potential tool for obtaining colder electron temperatures and characterizing plasma parameters. A theoretical treatment of evaporation has been developed for atomic gases and has been applied to a one-component plasma system. We numerically investigate whether such an adapted theory is applicable to ultracold neutral plasmas. We find that it is not due to the violation of fundamental assumptions of the model. The details of our calculations and a discussion of the implications for a simple description of the electron evaporation rate in ultracold plasmas are presented.
Mode interactions of a high-subsonic deep cavity
Authors: Chen Zhenli , Adams Nikolaus A.
Published: May 2017

To understand the interactions of the acoustic modes associated with the tunnel walls and the cavity oscillations in the experiment, flows over a deep cavity having a length-to-depth ratio L/D = 0.42 at high subsonic speeds with and without an upper tunnel wall were investigated by using an implicit large-eddy simulation with an adaptive local deconvolution method. The results of the simulations with the upper tunnel wall converge well to the experimental results as the resolution increases. However, in the simulations without the upper tunnel wall the flow converges to a different mean state. The mode interactions were analyzed by using a Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) method based on a memory-efficient snapshot algorithm. It was found that nearly trapped global modes, which have almost zero upstream and downstream radiation, can occur. The interactions of the trapped modes, the acoustic resonant modes in the cavity, and the shear-layer modes can be observed in the DMD modes of the flow with the upper tunnel wall, which results in the enhancement of harmonic modes and the existence of higher-order modes. In the flow without the upper tunnel wall, the pressure waves can transmit freely away from the cavity, but the interactions of the acoustic resonant modes and the shear-layer modes can also be observed when the frequencies of both kinds of modes coincide. The effects of the ratio of the cavity depth to the tunnel height (D/H) on the formation of trapped modes were also investigated. As the ratio D/H decreases, the frequency window of the trapped modes shrinks and finally closes, which is consistent with a theoretical model. It can be concluded that the effects of the upper tunnel wall on the dynamics of the cavity flow are strong and are promoted by the interactions of different kinds of modes. The appearance and enhancement of high order harmonic modes in the high-subsonic deep cavity are due to the effects of the trapped modes, but are not due to the directly reflected pressure waves from the upper wall.
Gauge invariant theory for super high resolution Raman images
Authors: Duan Sai , Tian Guangjun , Xie Zhen , Luo Yi
Published: May 2017

The use of a highly localized plasmonic field has enabled us to achieve sub-nanometer resolution of Raman images for single molecules. The inhomogeneous spatial distribution of plasmonic field has become an important factor that controls the interaction between the light and the molecule. We present here a gauge invariant interaction Hamiltonian (GIIH) to take into account the non-uniformity of the electromagnetic field distribution in the non-relativistic regime. The theory has been implemented for both resonant and nonresonant Raman processes within the sum-over-state framework. It removes the gauge origin dependence in the phenomenologically modified interaction Hamiltonian (PMIH) employed in previous studies. Our calculations show that, in most resonant cases, the Raman images from GIIH are similar to those from PMIH when the origin is set to the nuclear charge center of the molecule. In the case of nonresonant Raman images, distinct differences can be found from two different approaches, while GIIH calculations provide more details and phase information of the images. Furthermore, the results from GIIH calculations are more stable with respect to the computational parameters. Our results not only help to correctly simulate the resonant and nonresonant Raman images of single molecules but also lay the foundation for developing gauge invariant theory for other linear and nonlinear optical processes under the excitation of non-uniform electromagnetic field.
Diagrammatics of a colored SYK model and of an SYK-like tensor model, leading and next-to-leading orders
Authors: Bonzom Valentin , Lionni Luca , Tanasa Adrian
Published: May 2017

The Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model is a model of q interacting fermions. Gross and Rosenhaus have proposed a generalization of the SYK model which involves fermions with different flavors. In terms of Feynman graphs, those flavors are reminiscent of the colors used in random tensor theory. This gives us the opportunity to apply some modern, yet elementary, tools developed in the context of random tensors to one particular instance of such colored SYK models. We illustrate our method by identifying all diagrams which contribute to the leading and next-to-leading orders of the 2-point and 4-point functions in the large N expansion and argue that our method can be further applied if necessary. In the second part, we focus on the recently introduced Gurau-Witten tensor model and also extract the leading and next-to-leading orders of the 2-point and 4-point functions. This analysis turns out to be remarkably more involved than in the colored SYK model.
A Q-band low noise GaAs pHEMT MMIC power amplifier for pulse electron spin resonance spectrometer
Authors: Sitnikov A. , Kalabukhova E. , Oliynyk V. , Kolisnichenko M.
Published: May 2017

We present the design and development of a single stage pulse power amplifier working in the frequency range 32–38 GHz based on a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC). We have designed the MMIC power amplifier by using the commercially available packaged GaAs pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor. The circuit fabrication and assembly process includes the elaboration of the matching networks for the MMIC power amplifier and their assembling as well as the topology outline and fabrication of the printed circuit board of the waveguide-microstrip line transitions. At room ambient temperature, the measured peak output power from the prototype amplifier is 35.5 dBm for 16.6 dBm input driving power, corresponding to 19 dB gain. The measured rise/fall time of the output microwave signal modulated by a high-speed PIN diode was obtained as 5–6 ns at 20–250 ns pulse width with 100 kHz pulse repetition rate frequency.
Cd and In-doping in thin film SnO2
Authors: Schell Juliana , Lupascu Doru C. , Wilson Carbonari Artur , Domingues Mansano Ronaldo , S. Freitas Rafael. , Nuno Gonçalves João , Thanh Dang Thien ,   ISOLDE collaboration, Vianden Reiner
Published: May 2017

In this paper, we investigate the effects of doping in the local structure of SnO2 by measuring the hyperfine interactions at impurity nuclei using the Time Differential Perturbed Gamma-Gamma Angular Correlation (TDPAC) method in addition to density functional theory simulations. The hyperfine field parameters have been probed as a function of the temperature in thin film samples. The experimental results reveal that 117Cd/In and 111In/Cd are incorporated and stabilized in the SnO2 lattice replacing the cationic site. Significant differences in the electric field gradient were observed from TDPAC measurements with both the probe nuclei. Furthermore, the absence of strongly damped spectra further indicates that implanted Cd atoms (for 117Cd/In probe nuclei measurements) easily occupy regular substitutional Sn sites with good stability. The simulated value for the electric field gradient obtained with the first oxygen neighbor removed is closer to the experimental value observed for 117Cd, which also indicates this configuration as stable and present in the sample.
A design of intermediate band solar cell for photon ratchet with multi-layer MoS2 nanoribbons
Authors: Chen Shuo-Fan , Wu Yuh-Renn
Published: May 2017

We presented an idea to increase the efficiency of the MoS2 solar cells with the special E-k relation of the intermediate band in MoS2 nanoribbon structures. From the calculations of armchair nanoribbon structures by the tight binding method, we found that the continuous surface states forming at the middle bandgap has the lowest energy states at X-valley. This dispersion relation will allow phonons to rapidly scatter electrons to the lower X valley of the intermediate band in pico-second scale. Simulations show that this will prevent electrons to be directly recombined with the holes in the Γ valley. After modelling the transition rates of photon absorption and emission with the solar spectrum, it shows a significant improvement of the short circuit current compared to the bulk MoS2 structures without intermediate bands.
Help-seeking intentions for anxiety among older adults
Authors: Anderson Katrina , Wickramariyaratne Tushara , Blair Annaliese
Published: May 2017

Mental health practices are not working for older people with anxiety in residential care, as there is a persistent lack of recognition and treatment. This suggests that alternative ways of reaching and meeting the needs of this population need to be explored. One possibility involves enabling older adults themselves to seek help. The current work explored various factors impacting on help-seeking behaviours. In total, 105 participants from independent living units in a residential care setting completed a questionnaire focusing on attitudes and stigma towards anxiety, likelihood to seek help, help-seeking barriers and literacy around the symptoms of anxiety. Participants in the main did not hold negative attitudes towards other people with anxiety, despite concerns that other people could view them negatively if they were experiencing anxiety. Barriers to help-seeking included: difficulties recognising physical anxiety symptoms as being indicative of anxiety; the effectiveness of treatments; costs; misdiagnosis; privacy; medication usage and the associated side-effects; and, uneasiness about the skills and knowledge of health professionals. Although concerns were not held by all participants, the fact remains that anxiety is largely undiagnosed and untreated for this population and these stoppages to appropriate care must be addressed.