bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antiretroviral Treatment with Efavirenz Disrupts the Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity and Increases Stroke Severity
Authors: Bertrand Luc , Dygert Levi , Toborek Michal
Published: December 2016

The introduction of antiretroviral drugs (ARVd) changed the prognosis of HIV infection from a deadly disease to a chronic disease. However, even with undetectable viral loads, patients still develop a wide range of pathologies, including cerebrovascular complications and stroke. It is hypothesized that toxic side effects of ARVd may contribute to these effects. To address this notion, we evaluated the impact of several non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI; Efavirenz, Etravirine, Rilpivirine and Nevirapine) on the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, and their impact on severity of stroke. Among studied drugs, Efavirenz, but not other NNRTIs, altered claudin-5 expression, increased endothelial permeability, and disrupted the blood-brain barrier integrity. Importantly, Efavirenz exposure increased the severity of stroke in a model of middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Taken together, these results indicate that selected ARVd can exacerbate HIV-associated cerebrovascular pathology. Therefore, careful consideration should be taken when choosing an anti-retroviral therapy regimen.
Instant snapshot of the internal structure of Unzen lava dome, Japan with airborne muography
Authors: Tanaka Hiroyuki K. M.
Published: December 2016

An emerging elementary particle imaging technique called muography has increasingly been used to resolve the internal structures of volcanoes with a spatial resolution of less than 100 m. However, land-based muography requires several days at least to acquire satisfactory image contrast and thus, it has not been a practical tool to diagnose the erupting volcano in a real time manner. To address this issue, airborne muography was implemented for the first time, targeting Heisei-Shinzan lava dome of Unzen volcano, Japan. Obtained in 2.5 hours, the resultant image clearly showed the density contrast inside the dome, which is essential information to predict the magnitude of the dome collapse. Since airborne muography is not restricted by topographic conditions for apparatus placements, we anticipate that the technique is applicable to creating images of this type of lava dome evolution from various angles in real time.
Precipitation and carbon-water coupling jointly control the interannual variability of global land gross primary production
Authors: Zhang Yao , Xiao Xiangming , Guanter Luis , Zhou Sha , Ciais Philippe , Joiner Joanna , Sitch Stephen , Wu Xiaocui , Nabel Julia , Dong Jinwei , Kato Etsushi , Jain Atul K. , Wiltshire Andy , Stocker Benjamin D.
Published: December 2016

Carbon uptake by terrestrial ecosystems is increasing along with the rising of atmospheric CO2 concentration. Embedded in this trend, recent studies suggested that the interannual variability (IAV) of global carbon fluxes may be dominated by semi-arid ecosystems, but the underlying mechanisms of this high variability in these specific regions are not well known. Here we derive an ensemble of gross primary production (GPP) estimates using the average of three data-driven models and eleven process-based models. These models are weighted by their spatial representativeness of the satellite-based solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF). We then use this weighted GPP ensemble to investigate the GPP variability for different aridity regimes. We show that semi-arid regions contribute to 57% of the detrended IAV of global GPP. Moreover, in regions with higher GPP variability, GPP fluctuations are mostly controlled by precipitation and strongly coupled with evapotranspiration (ET). This higher GPP IAV in semi-arid regions is co-limited by supply (precipitation)-induced ET variability and GPP-ET coupling strength. Our results demonstrate the importance of semi-arid regions to the global terrestrial carbon cycle and posit that there will be larger GPP and ET variations in the future with changes in precipitation patterns and dryland expansion.
Determination of equilibrium dissociation constants for recombinant antibodies by high-throughput affinity electrophoresis
Authors: Pan Yuchen , Sackmann Eric K. , Wypisniak Karolina , Hornsby Michael , Datwani Sammy S. , Herr Amy E.
Published: December 2016

High-quality immunoreagents enhance the performance and reproducibility of immunoassays and, in turn, the quality of both biological and clinical measurements. High quality recombinant immunoreagents are generated using antibody-phage display. One metric of antibody quality – the binding affinity – is quantified through the dissociation constant (KD) of each recombinant antibody and the target antigen. To characterize the KD of recombinant antibodies and target antigen, we introduce affinity electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) in a high-throughput format suitable for small volume samples. A microfluidic card comprised of free-standing polyacrylamide gel (fsPAG) separation lanes supports 384 concurrent EMSAs in 30 s using a single power source. Sample is dispensed onto the microfluidic EMSA card by acoustic droplet ejection (ADE), which reduces EMSA variability compared to sample dispensing using manual or pin tools. The KD for each of a six-member fragment antigen-binding fragment library is reported using ~25-fold less sample mass and ~5-fold less time than conventional heterogeneous assays. Given the form factor and performance of this micro- and mesofluidic workflow, we have developed a sample-sparing, high-throughput, solution-phase alternative for biomolecular affinity characterization.
Acetyl-11-Keto-β-Boswellic Acid Attenuates Prooxidant and Profibrotic Mechanisms Involving Transforming Growth Factor-β1, and Improves Vascular Remodeling in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Shang Peijin , Liu Wenxing , Liu Tianlong , Zhang Yikai , Mu Fei , Zhu Zhihui , Liang Lingfei , Zhai Xiaohu , Ding Yi , Li Yuwen , Wen Aidong
Published: December 2016

Vascular remodeling is an important complication of hypertension with oxidative stress-related profibrotic pathways involved. The transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) has been shown to be a potential target of vasoprotection, and has multiple roles in vascular remodeling. Acetyl-11-Keto-β-Boswellic Acid (AKBA) is one of the active principles of Boswellic acids, and shows antioxidant activity in many diseases. The study is to determine effects of AKBA on systemic oxidative stress of hypertension and vascular remodeling. In the experiments, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were used. And in vitro, fibroblast was pretreated with AKBA before Ang II stimuli. In the results, treatment of AKBA markedly reduced oxidative stress, and decreased vascular remodeling by restoring vascular wall parameters and improving vascular reactivity. AKBA dramatically reduced TGF-β1 and Smad3 expression, as shown in immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. In cultured fibroblast, AKBA decreased intracellular ROS levels. Cell viability and proliferation, as well as migration were inhibited by AKBA. Additionally, treatment of AKBA significantly decreased TGF-β1 secretion in culture supernatant. Expression of TGF-β1, Smad3, P-Smad3 and Smad7 were also decreased by AKBA in fibroblast. In conclusion, AKBA is able to attenuate oxidative stress and profibrotic mechanisms, and improve vascular remodeling in hypertension through TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway.
A bio-enabled maximally mild layer-by-layer Kapton surface modification approach for the fabrication of all-inkjet-printed flexible electronic devices
Authors: Fang Yunnan , Hester Jimmy G. D. , Su Wenjing , Chow Justin H. , Sitaraman Suresh K. , Tentzeris Manos M.
Published: December 2016

A bio-enabled, environmentally-friendly, and maximally mild layer-by-layer approach has been developed to surface modify inherently hydrophobic Kapton HN substrates to allow for great printability of both water- and organic solvent-based inks thus facilitating the full-inkjet-printing of flexible electronic devices. Different from the traditional Kapton surface modification approaches which are structure-compromising and use harsh conditions to target, and oxidize and/or remove part of, the surface polyimide of Kapton, the present Kapton surface modification approach targeted the surface electric charges borne by its additive particles, and was not only the first to utilize environmentally-friendly clinical biomolecules to build up a thin film of protamine-heparin complex on Kapton, but also the first to be conducted under minimally destructive and maximally mild conditions. Besides, for electrically charged ink particles, the present surface modification method can enhance the uniformity of the inkjet-printed films by reducing the “coffee ring effect”. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, reduced graphene oxide-based gas sensors, which were flexible, ultra-lightweight, and miniature-sized, were fully-inkjet-printed on surface modified Kapton HN films and tested for their sensitivity to dimethyl methylphosphonate (a nerve agent simulant). Such fabricated sensors survived a Scotch-tape peel test and were found insensitive to repeated bending to a small 0.5 cm radius.
Impaired Function of Peripherally Induced Regulatory T Cells in Hosts at High Risk of Graft Rejection
Authors: Inomata Takenori , Hua Jing , Di Zazzo Antonio , Dana Reza
Published: December 2016

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are crucial for allograft survival. Tregs can be divided into thymus-derived natural Tregs (tTregs) and peripherally-derived induced Tregs (pTregs). Here, we determine whether the suppressive function of Treg subsets is hampered in hosts who are at high risk for rejecting their graft. To induce graft beds that promote high risk of transplant rejection, intrastromal corneal sutures were placed two weeks prior to the transplant procedure in mice. We demonstrate that in high-risk recipients the frequencies and function of pTregs (but not tTregs) are suppressed. Reduced function of pTregs correlated with decreased expression of CTLA-4, interleukin-10, and transforming growth factor-β. Adoptive transfer of pTregs from mice at low risk of subsequent graft rejection is able to rescue graft survival in recipients that are at high risk of rejecting their grafts. Our data suggest that impaired function of pTregs, but not tTregs, mediates the loss of immune tolerance and promotes allograft rejection.
The clinical characteristics of corticosteroid-resistant refractory Mycoplasma Pneumoniae pneumonia in children
Authors: Yan Yongdong , Wei Yuzhen , Jiang Wujun , Hao Chuangli
Published: December 2016

To analyze the clinical characteristics of corticosteroid-resistant refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP) and explore the related factors that predict corticosteroid-resistant RMPP. Retrospective analysis of 183 children with RMPP in our hospital admitted between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2014 was performed. Of the 183 RMPP cases, 36 (19.7%) were corticosteroid-resistant RMPP cases. Corticosteroid-resistant RMPP cases had a longer duration of fever and hospitalization compared with corticosteroid-sensitive RMPP cases (P < 0.05). The radiographic findings of 123 (83.7%) cases of corticosteroid-sensitive RMPP apparently resolved after one week of corticosteroid treatment compared with 4 (11.1%) corticosteroid-resistant RMPP cases that had apparently resolution (P < 0.01). Twenty-four (75%) corticosteroid-resistant RMPP patients who received bronchoscopy had mucus plug formation while none of the corticosteroid-sensitive RMPP patients had mucus plug formation (P < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that duration of fever ≥11 days, percentage of lymphocytes ≤32%, CRP ≥48.73 mg/L and LDH ≥ 545.7 U/L were significant predictors of corticosteroid-resistant RMPP. Patients with corticosteroid-resistant RMPP had more severe presentations and more serious radiological findings. Clinicians might use the parameters of duration of fever, CRP, LDH and proportion of lymphocytes to identify children at higher risk of corticosteroid-resistant RMPP.
Analysis of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in serum and plasma by solvent precipitation-isotope dilution-direct injection-LC/MS/MS
Authors: Harrington Laura M.
Published: December 2016

A novel, efficient, fully validated solvent precipitation-isotope dilution-direct injection-LC/MS/MS method for 35 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in serum and plasma.
Simultaneous analysis of kasugamycin and validamycin-A in fruits and vegetables using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and consecutive solid-phase extraction
Authors: Wang Chenchen , Li Honge , Wang Ni , Li Huidong , Fang Liping , Dong Zhan , Du Hongxia , Guan Shuai , Zhu Qian , Chen Zilei , Yang Guosheng
Published: December 2016

A method based on a ReproSil 100 C18 column without any ion pairs or buffer additives is proposed for the determination of polar aminoglycosides.
Active oxygen species on Mg–La mixed oxides: the effect of Mg and La oxide interactions
Authors: Wu Xianyuan , Fang Zheng , Pan Hui , Zheng Yifan , Jiang Dahao , Ni Jun , Li Xiaonian
Published: December 2016

Mg–La mixed oxide catalysts with a strong interaction between Mg and La oxides had higher amounts of oxygen vacancies and surface adsorbed oxygen species, resulting in a better performance in H2 oxidation and CH4 oxidative reactions.
Ln polyoxocations: yttrium oxide solution speciation & solution deposited thin films
Authors: Marsh David A. , Goberna-Ferrón Sara , Baumeister Mary K. , Zakharov Lev N. , Nyman May , Johnson Darren W.
Published: December 2016

The lanthanide hexamer (Ln6) is a reactive hydrolysis product of simple lanthanide nitrates.Ln6dissolved in coordinating solvents converts toLn16, a hydrolysis product intermediate betweenLn6and Ln2O3. X-ray scattering of solutions reveals Ln3+-radius-dependent reaction pathways.
Ternary rare-earth aluminium intermetallics RE10TAl3(RE = Y, Ho, Tm, Lu; T = Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt) with an ordered anti-Co2Al5structure
Authors: Benndorf Christopher , Eckert Hellmut , Janka Oliver
Published: December 2016

Twenty rare-earth metal-rich intermetallic aluminium compounds, RE10TAl3, were synthesized by arc melting. Susceptibility measurements and27Al NMR spectroscopy were performed.
Characterization techniques for dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Pazoki Meysam , Cappel Ute B. , Johansson Erik M. J. , Hagfeldt Anders , Boschloo Gerrit
Published: December 2016

Further understanding and optimization of dye solar cells towards stable and efficient devices necessitate implementation of the characterization techniques.
Sustainability of renewable fuel infrastructure: a screening LCA case study of anticorrosive graphene oxide epoxy liners in steel tanks for the storage of biodiesel and its blends
Authors: Chilkoor Govinda , Upadhyayula Venkata K. K. , Gadhamshetty Venkataramana , Koratkar Nikhil , Tysklind Mats
Published: December 2016

Antimicrobial graphene oxide-epoxy coatings can potentially reduce the environmental impacts caused by biocide usage while storing biodiesel and its blends.
Network pharmacology-based virtual screening of natural products from Clerodendrum species for identification of novel anti-cancer therapeutics
Authors: Gogoi Barbi , Gogoi Dhrubajyoti , Silla Yumnam , Kakoti Bibhuti Bhushan , Bhau Brijmohan Singh
Published: December 2016

In the present work, latest network pharmacological approach has been used for the screening of natural anticancer compounds fromClerodendrumspecies.
NHC-catalyzed [4 + 2] annulation of 2-bromo-2-enals with acylhydrazones: enantioselective synthesis of δ-lactams
Authors: Sun Baomin , Gao Lijiu , Shen Shide , Yu Chenxia , Li Tuanjie , Xie Yuanwei , Yao Changsheng
Published: December 2016

An asymmetric assembly of δ-lactams was realized via the NHC-catalyzed formal [4 + 2] annulation of acylhydrazones and 2-bromo-2-enals bearing γ-H.
A DBU-catalyzed Michael–Pinner–isomerization cascade reaction of 3-hydroxyoxindoles with isatylidene malononitriles: access to highly functionalized bispirooxindoles containing a fully substituted dihydrofuran motif
Authors: Zhu Yan-Shuo , Wang Wen-Bo , Yuan Bei-Bei , Li Ya-Ning , Wang Qi-Lin , Bu Zhan-Wei
Published: December 2016

The first DBU-catalyzed Michael/Pinner/isomerization cascade reaction of 3-hydrooxindoles with isatylidene malononitriles was developed.
Tailoring the properties of polypropylene in the polymerization reactor using polymeric nucleating agents as prepolymers on the Ziegler–Natta catalyst granule
Authors: De Rosa Claudio , Auriemma Finizia , Tarallo Oreste , Di Girolamo Rocco , Troisi Enrico M. , Esposito Simona , Liguori Dario , Piemontesi Fabrizio , Vitale Gianni , Morini Giampiero
Published: December 2016

Nodular polypropylene from reactor granule technology for the production of a stiff and ductile material.
Recent progress and advances in redox-responsive polymers as controlled delivery nanoplatforms
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyong , Han Lu , Liu Meiying , Wang Ke , Tao Lei , Wan Qing , Wei Yen
Published: December 2016

Recent advances and progress in redox-responsive polymeric nanosystems for biomedical applications are discussed in this review article.
Low-temperature aqueous solution processed ZnO as an electron transporting layer for efficient perovskite solar cells
Authors: Zhou Junshuai , Meng Xiangyue , Zhang Xiangfeng , Tao Xia , Zhang Zhiguo , Hu Jinsong , Wang Chunru , Li Yongfang , Yang Shihe
Published: December 2016

Low-temperature aqueous solution processed ZnO ETLs for PSCs by spin coating the aqueous solutions of [Zn(NH3)x](OH)2 were reported.
Electrospun three-layered polymer nanofiber-based porous carbon nanotubes for high-capacity energy storage
Authors: Lee Jun Seop , Jun Jaemoon , Cho Sunghun , Kim Wooyoung , Jang Jyongsik
Published: December 2016

Highly porous carbon nanotubes are synthesized using dual-nozzle co-electrospinning of three polymer solutions and following heat treatment to apply energy storage device.
Facile synthesis of low-cost biomass-based γ-Fe2O3/C for efficient adsorption and catalytic degradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution
Authors: Chen Tao , Xiong Yuhao , Qin Yuemei , Yang Haiguan , Zhang Peng , Ye Fanggui
Published: December 2016

In this study, a novel and low-cost method was developed for synthesizing magnetic porous γ-Fe2O3/C as an adsorbent and catalyst for removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution.
Amphiphilic electrospun scaffolds of PLLA–PEO–PPO block copolymers: preparation, characterization and drug-release behaviour
Authors: Loiola Lívia M. D. , Cortez Tornello Pablo R. , Abraham Gustavo A. , Felisberti Maria I.
Published: December 2016

Drug-loaded nanofibrous scaffolds containing hydrophilic or hydrophobic drugs presented encapsulation efficiency, distribution and release dependent on copolymer composition.
Effective conversion of biomass into bromomethylfurfural, furfural, and depolymerized lignin in lithium bromide molten salt hydrate of a biphasic system
Authors: Yoo Chang Geun , Zhang Shuting , Pan Xuejun
Published: December 2016

A biphasic system including acidic lithium bromide trihydrate effectively converted lignocellulosic biomass into bromomethylfurfural (BMF), furfural (FF) and depolymerized lignin.
Dynamics of different steps of the photopyrolytic cycle of an eminent anticancer drug topotecan inside biocompatible lyotropic liquid crystalline systems
Authors: Roy Bibhisan , Hazra Partha
Published: December 2016

Dynamics of different steps of photopyrolytic processes of an eminent anticancer drug topotecan have been investigated inside different lyotropic liquid crystalline systems.
Photodeposited ruthenium dioxide films for oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysis
Authors: Salvatore D. A. , Peña B. , Dettelbach K. E. , Berlinguette C. P.
Published: December 2016

Ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is an excellent catalyst for a wide range of electrosynthesis applications, including the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for water splitting.
Three-dimensional tetsubo-like Co(OH)2 nanorods on a macroporous electrically conductive network as an efficient electroactive framework for the hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Tong Xin , Wu Dajun , Zhang Chi , Lian Kenan , Xiong Dayuan , Xu Shaohui , Zhu Yiping , Qi Ruijuan , Huang Rong , Wang Lianwei , Chu Paul K.
Published: December 2016

Tetsubo-like Co(OH)2 nanorods are produced on a macroporous electrically conductive network by a pressurized hydrothermal method and show excellent HER performance.
Tailored Li2S–P2S5glass-ceramic electrolyte by MoS2doping, possessing high ionic conductivity for all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries
Authors: Xu Ruo-chen , Xia Xin-hui , Wang Xiu-li , Xia Yan , Tu Jiang-ping
Published: December 2016

A novel high-quality MoS2-doped Li2S–P2S5glass-ceramic electrolyte (Li7P2.9S10.85Mo0.01) is successfully prepared by a facile combined method of high-energy ball milling plus annealing. The Li7P2.9S10.85Mo0.01electrolyte shows a high ionic conductivity and excellent electrochemical stability.
Rapid and sensitive detection of nitroaromatic explosives by using new 3D lanthanide phosphonates
Authors: Fu Ruibiao , Hu Shengmin , Wu Xintao
Published: December 2016

A terbium phosphonate with its bright green emission, facile synthesis, and low usage can sense nitroaromatic explosives at the ppb scale rapidly.
A highly sensitive and reusable electrochemical mercury biosensor based on tunable vertical single-walled carbon nanotubes and a target recycling strategy
Authors: Shi Lei , Wang Yan , Chu Zhenyu , Yin Yu , Jiang Danfeng , Luo Jingyi , Ding Shiming , Jin Wanqin
Published: December 2016

Conformational regulation of SAMs was proposed for controlled growth of v-SWCNTs, which were employed to construct a high-performance mercury biosensor using a target recycling strategy.
A hemocompatible polyurethane surface having dual fibrinolytic and nitric oxide generating functions
Authors: Gu Hao , Chen Xianshuang , Liu Xiaoli , Zhan Wenjun , Lyu Zhonglin , Yu Qian , Wu Zhaoqiang , Chen Hong
Published: December 2016

A multifunctional surface with fibrinolytic activity and the ability to inhibit SMC proliferation and platelet adhesion was realized.
Glycopolymer monoliths for affinity bioseparation of proteins in a continuous-flow system: glycomonoliths
Authors: Seto Hirokazu , Shibuya Makoto , Matsumoto Hikaru , Hoshino Yu , Miura Yoshiko
Published: December 2016

Macroporous materials, called glycomonoliths, were prepared from saccharide-containing monomers, and applied for affinity bioseparation of proteins in a continuous-flow system.
Investigation of a novel color tunable long afterglow phosphor KGaGeO4:Bi3+: luminescence properties and mechanism
Authors: Sun Wenzhi , Pang Ran , Li Huimin , Li Da , Jiang Lihong , Zhang Su , Fu Jipeng , Li Chengyu
Published: December 2016

A novel long afterglow phosphor KGaGeO4:Bi3+ with its afterglow color tuning from cyan to blue was prepared and investigated systematically.
Synthesis, piezoelectric property and domain behaviour of the vertically aligned K1−xNaxNbO3 nanowire with a morphotropic phase boundary
Authors: Meng Xianghe , Wang Wen , Ke Hua , Rao Jiancun , Jia Dechang , Zhou Yu
Published: December 2016

Synthesis of a KNN nanoarray with an MPB and domain switching observable after prepolarization at +8 Volts using PFM equipment.
Regeneration of natural grasp prehensions on underactuated robot‐hand through kinaesthetic guidance
Authors: Chattaraj R. , Khan S. , Roy D.G. , Bepari B. , Bhaumik S.
Published: December 2016

Grasping postures on a human hand are generated by an effective combination of spatial motions and contact forces on individual finger linkages. The rich kinematic redundancy within its anatomy, poses critical control challenges, while emulating natural prehensile actions. A simplified grasp‐formulation resolution is presented, by proposing a virtual‐object imagery to define generic grasp enaction sequences. The same are conceived and controlled by a set of contact points on the imagined grasp‐sphere, whose spatial conformation is guided by a serial‐haptic interface. The kinaesthetic cognitions along with visual feed to an operator ushers a reliable framework for grasp execution and transfer to a robot hardware without resorting to supplementary mapping mechanisms. Stable grasps on the anthropomorphic robot set‐up portrays a systematic procedure to transcribe human‐like postural attributes, aided with somesthetic and visual sensations that are anticipated to steer remote operator controls.
Current differential protection principle of HVDC transmission system
Authors: Gao Shu‐ping , Liu Qi , Song Guo‐bing
Published: December 2016

Traditional high‐voltage DC (HVDC) current differential protection has problems on identifying fault current and has long delay. In this study, a novel current differential protection principle for HVDC transmission lines is proposed. By the adoption of distributed parameter model, differential current criterion is formed at a selected point on the transmission line. When fault occurs on DC line, setting point differential current reaches a high value. When no fault occurs or fault occurs outside the DC line, setting point differential current reaches a small value. Comparing with the traditional current differential protection, the proposed principle eliminates the impact of distributed capacitive current and has no requirement of delay. Comparing with travelling wave protection, fault identification can be performed during both transient and steady states, and the proposed method has reasonable sampling frequency requirements and has high reliability. Simulation analysis shows that the proposed principle identifies faults reliably and rapidly. The proposed principle is theoretically novel and practically applicable.
Single‐phase cascaded H‐bridge multi‐level active power filter based on direct current control in AC electric railway application
Authors: Wu Liran , Mingli Wu
Published: December 2016

A single‐phase cascaded H‐bridge multi‐level active power filter (APF) to deal with the power quality problems in the AC electric railway systems is presented. The APF can connect to the traction busbar directly without any transformer or resonance branch. The direct current control combining the current decoupling transformation is introduced in the control strategy. This strategy simplifies the control system, enabling the least amount of current measurement with the existing sensors and removing complex current reference extraction algorithms. The control system design process, especially for the parameter tuning, is mainly discussed. Finally, simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed APF system applied in the AC electric railway systems.
Facile synthesis of magnetic Co nanofoam by low‐temperature thermal decomposition of Co glycerolate
Authors: Bartůněk Vilém , Huber Štěpán , Luxa Jan , Sofer Zdeněk , Kuchař Martin , Dobrovolný Kryštof , Jankovský Ondřej
Published: December 2016

Fine metal cobalt (Co) nanofoam was prepared via simple thermal decomposition of amorphous non‐stoichiometric Co glycerolate under 50 vol% H2/50 vol% N2 atmosphere at 450°C. The nanofoam was characterised by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectroscopy and its magnetic properties were investigated by SQUID magnetometer. This magnetic nanofoam consisted of slightly sintered Co nanocrystals; their average size was 30 nm.
Craniomaxillofacial Fibrous Dysplasia: Conservative Treatment and Maxillary Osteotomy Using the Schuchardt-Kufner Technique
Authors: Galiè Manlio , Carnevali Giulia , Elia Giovanni , Pedriali Massimo , Clauser Luigi C.
Published: December 2016

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a disturbance of the mesenchymal tissue that accounts for 2.5% of all bone tumors and more than 7% of nonmalignant bone tumors. In the craniomaxillofacial region, FD affects the calvaria, skull base, zygoma, and jaws, the prevalent site being the maxilla (50% of cases). Therapy for craniomaxillofacial FD is surgical. The goals of surgery are to prevent functional disorders and restore facial symmetry, volume, and contour. In this article, we present a case of a young female patient affected by right orbital-zygomatic-maxillary FD. She had developed facial asymmetry and malocclusion that were corrected using the Schuchardt-Kufner osteotomy technique.
Reactive flow modeling of small scale detonation failure experiments for a baseline non-ideal explosive
Authors: Kittell David E. , Cummock Nick R. , Son Steven F.
Published: December 2016

Small scale characterization experiments using only 1–5 g of a baseline ammonium nitrate plus fuel oil (ANFO) explosive are discussed and simulated using an ignition and growth reactive flow model. There exists a strong need for the small scale characterization of non-ideal explosives in order to adequately survey the wide parameter space in sample composition, density, and microstructure of these materials. However, it is largely unknown in the scientific community whether any useful or meaningful result may be obtained from detonation failure, and whether a minimum sample size or level of confinement exists for the experiments. In this work, it is shown that the parameters of an ignition and growth rate law may be calibrated using the small scale data, which is obtained from a 35 GHz microwave interferometer. Calibration is feasible when the samples are heavily confined and overdriven; this conclusion is supported with detailed simulation output, including pressure and reaction contours inside the ANFO samples. The resulting shock wave velocity is most likely a combined chemical-mechanical response, and simulations of these experiments require an accurate unreacted equation of state (EOS) in addition to the calibrated reaction rate. Other experiments are proposed to gain further insight into the detonation failure data, as well as to help discriminate between the role of the EOS and reaction rate in predicting the measured outcome.
Characteristic length of phonon transport within periodic nanoporous thin films and two-dimensional materials
Authors: Hao Qing , Xiao Yue , Zhao Hongbo
Published: December 2016

In the past two decades, phonon transport within nanoporous thin films has attracted enormous attention for their potential applications in thermoelectrics and thermal insulation. Various computational studies have been carried out to explain the thermal conductivity reduction within these thin films. Considering classical phonon size effects, the lattice thermal conductivity can be predicted assuming diffusive pore-edge scattering of phonons and bulk phonon mean free paths. Following this, detailed phonon transport can be simulated for a given porous structure to find the lattice thermal conductivity [Hao et al., J. Appl. Phys. 106, 114321 (2009)]. However, such simulations are intrinsically complicated and cannot be used for the data analysis of general samples. In this work, the characteristic length ΛPore of periodic nanoporous thin films is extracted by comparing the predictions of phonon Monte Carlo simulations and the kinetic relationship using bulk phonon mean free paths modified by ΛPore. Under strong ballistic phonon transport, ΛPore is also extracted by the Monte Carlo ray-tracing method for graphene with periodic nanopores. The presented model can be widely used to analyze the measured thermal conductivities of such nanoporous structures.
IDH1 deficiency attenuates gluconeogenesis in mouse liver by impairing amino acid utilization
Authors: Ye Jing , Gu Yu , Zhang Feng , Zhao Yuanlin , Yuan Yuan , Hao Zhenyue , Sheng Yi , Li Wanda Y. , Wakeham Andrew , Cairns Rob A. , Mak Tak W.
Published: December 2016

Significance

Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) is abundant in liver. Although it was reported that IDH1 participates in lipid biosynthesis, we show here that IDH1 is instead critical for hepatic amino acid (AA) utilization. IDH1 catalyzes the generation of cytosolic α-ketoglutarate, which can be converted to glutamate in the liver via transamination. Both
IDH1
-null liver and
IDH1
-deficient HepG2 cells show defects in AA utilization. Because IDH1 mutations occur in various tumors and AA metabolism is critical for tumor cell growth, our elucidation of the functions of wild-type IDH1 in AA utilization should advance our understanding of how mutant IDH promotes malignancy.
Conscience in the Public Square: The Pivoting Positions of the USCCB and ACLU around the Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Authors: Gatta Luke A.
Published: December 2016

The debate on the meaning of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) is rapidly developing. Taking three snapshots in the bill's history (in 1993 at its origin, in 2014 during Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, and in 2015 after Obergefell v. Hodges), this essay evaluates the stances taken on the RFRA by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Although the ACLU initially supported the bill, it now campaigns against it. In contrast the USCCB, once hesitant to endorse the RFRA, fervently defends it today. Evaluating these pivoting positions, this essay suggests that at the heart of the debate on RFRA lies a difference in understanding the right to follow one's conscience in the public square.

Lay Summary: This essay evaluates how the ACLU and the USCCB differ in their understanding of conscience. Next, the essay demonstrates that this difference leads to opposing viewpoints on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act today. Although both initially supported the Religious Freedom Restoration Act at its signing in 1993, the ACLU has now disavowed the bill after it had been used to permit following religious-based conscience in the public square.
Assisted migration as a climate change adaptation strategy: lessons from restoration and plant reintroductions
Authors: Vitt Pati , Belmaric Pairsa N. , Book Riley , Curran Melissa
Published: December 2016

Climate change is thought to threaten between 25% and 50% of global plant biodiversity. In response to this looming crisis, the calls for the translocation, or assisted migration, of species to ensure the survival of this biodiversity have been increasing. The concept has its detractors, and is not without risk, but few studies have documented the success of the approach or veracity of the risk. Here we review both the ecological restoration literature and the plant reintroduction literature to discover insights into the promises and pitfalls of translocating species as an adaptation strategy in the face of our changing climate. Although habitat restoration and the assisted migration of rare plant species have different objectives and goals, they share the practice of translocating species from their site of origin to a new one. It is primarily the scale at which the movement of those species occurs that distinguishes the two.
Communicating about Solar Energy and Climate Change
Authors: Peterson Tarla Rai , Horton Cristi C.
Published: December 2016

Transitioning to renewable energy systems requires changing the ways people interact with energy as well as technological change. This shift involves social changes that include modifications in norms, policies, and governance. Multiple sociopolitical factors shape the likelihood that solar energy will emerge as a significant component in energy systems around the world. This article describes ways climate change communication may be strategically employed to encourage substantial deployment of solar installations and other renewable energy resources as part of the innovations that contribute to transition and transformation of current energy systems. Understanding how communication may contribute to integration of more solar power into energy systems begins with examining current public awareness of and engagement with solar energy, as well as other low-carbon energy resources. With this foundation, climate change communication can contribute to research, development, and deployment of solar energy installations, by facilitating strategic alignment of solar energy with existing interests and preferences of its stakeholders. These stakeholders include elites who fear that shifting the energy system away from fossil fuels threatens their political influence and financial profits, energy workers who fear it will bring further reductions in already reduced wages, and those who perceive fossil fuels as the only alternative to opportunistic mixtures of animal waste and biofuel. Climate change communicators have the unenviable task of helping all of these groups imagine and participate in transitioning energy systems toward greater reliance on renewable energy sources, such as Sun. This article briefly describes the development and implementation solar energy technologies, and suggests how strategic communication may contribute to further implementation. It concludes with examples of differential deployment trajectories of solar energy in the Navajo Nation and Germany. These cases demonstrate that neither the endowment of natural resources nor the material energy needs of a location fully explain energy decisions. Indeed, social dimensions such as culture, economics, and governance play equally important roles. This provides numerous opportunities for climate change communicators to strategically highlight the ways that solar energy responds to immediate needs and desires, while simultaneously contributing to climate change mitigation.
Securitization Theory and Foreign Policy Analysis
Authors: Sjöstedt Roxanna
Published: December 2016

Since it was launched in the mid-1990s, the concept of securitization has consistently been in vogue, at least among European scholars of world politics and security studies. The idea of viewing security as intersubjective, where anyone or anything can be a threat if constructed as such, is both an appealing and useful conceptualization when analyzing security issues beyond the traditional, realist, state-centric view of security being equal to military issues. However, the precise aspects that make securitization appealing have also limited its broader impact on security studies or foreign policy analysis (FPA), as these fields often adhere to the assumption of threats being actor-based and external. Nevertheless, several studies demonstrate that both the theoretical assumptions of securitization theory and prior empirical applications of these assumptions are useful when analyzing different policy and security issues, and the concept can be applied to a broad range of issue areas, contexts, and actors. Although many studies are not self-proclaimed analyses of foreign policy, they capture important dynamics of the internal-external security nexus that epitomize politics in the globalized era. A securitization framework can bring added value to FPA.
Effectiveness of Peacekeeping Operations
Authors: Di Salvatore Jessica , Ruggeri Andrea
Published: December 2016

Peacekeeping has been one of the main conflict management tools used by the international community to restore or safeguard peace and security. Since 1948, the United Nations has established 70 peace operations and has substantially evolved, adopting approaches to peace that extend beyond purely military concerns. Indeed, the promises of peacekeeping as effective instrument of conflict reduction may, to some extent, explain the evolution toward multidimensional missions and the unprecedented number of peacekeepers deployed in the last decade. As consequence, the growing importance of peacekeeping effectiveness has sparked a new wave of research that empirically investigates whether and under which conditions UN peacekeeping works.

Peacekeepers are mostly deployed in conflict or postconflict environments where violence is either ongoing or lingering. Thus, violence remains a priority for peace missions. Consequently, peacekeeping is deemed successful or effective according to whether it curbs conflict in several dimensions. Effective missions are those responsible for decreasing the intensity of battle violence, protecting civilians, and containing conflict diffusion and recurrence in the postwar phase. Each mission, however, is deployed in different contexts and operates under variable conditions that affect the operation’s capacity to influence conflict. Concerning mission features, peacekeeping success is more likely when large contingents are deployed under robust mandates. Mission type, size, and composition signal credible commitment from the international community and empower peacekeepers to halt violence while guaranteeing the implementation of peace agreements. These nuanced understandings of peacekeeping stem from the availability of new data on both conflict and peace operations at the national and subnational levels of analysis. Moreover, the empirical study of the effectiveness of peace operations has recently been flanked by simulation-based forecasting, field experiments, and surveys investigating local-level outcomes of peace missions.

Unsurprisingly, the focus on violence and conflict outcomes as indicators of success is debatable. First, in dealing with violence, peacekeeping operations produce spillover effects that are largely neglected, such as refugee flows and terrorist violence. Second, given the wide range of functions performed by UN peacekeepers, including electoral assistance, economic reconstruction, and state building, it is reasonable to include these aspects when defining effectiveness. Third, and relatedly, no assessment of short- versus long-term implications of peacekeeping for political, social, and economic development in the host country has been forthcoming. While reducing infant mortality, inequality, and crime are not necessarily tasks for peacekeepers, it is vital to study whether and how UN missions may have shaped the quality of peace in host countries.
240 Years of Foreign Policy Moods in a Democracy Which Grew Into a Superpower: What It Means for IR Theory
Authors: Holmes Jack E.
Published: December 2016

In 1952, Frank L. Klingberg identified U.S. foreign policy moods since 1776 as alternating between an average of 21 years of introversion and 27 years of extroversion. The last extrovert phase had started in 1940, and it changed to introversion by 1968. By 1989, extroversion had returned. By 2016, it looks like introversion came back again. This is an excellent record of projection that calls for increased research by scholars.

In 1985, Jack Holmes related Klingberg’s moods to American Liberalism and argued that mood changes were required by tendencies of introversion and extroversion to reach extremes too far removed from the realist interests that a nation must pursue. Frank was kind enough to write the preface of my 1985 work, and we continued to meet annually at conventions to explore research possibilities through the last two decades of his life. Although he was from the liberal pre-WW II generation and I was from the realist post-WW II generation, we shared a common interest in American foreign policy moods since 1776 and the need for research by the community of scholars.

What do these moods mean? They consider one liberal democratic country while it grew from a peripheral power to a superpower over 240 years, and additional research regarding other countries would be beneficial. Given the concentration of major U.S. foreign policy assertiveness during extrovert phases as well as surprises and changes during mood transitions, moods need to be researched until they become part of the regular conversation regarding American Foreign Policy and IR theory. The evidence is strong and has been mostly developed by two authors. Klingberg deserves full credit for the original research and idea. The evidence has been expanded and placed in context by Holmes who analyzed Klingberg’s original idea as two different liberal preferences of the American people and related it to interests of nations. This liberal foreign policy variation (between introversion and extroversion) differs from the domestic policy variation (between reform liberal [often called liberal] and business liberal [often called conservative]) variation mentioned by Samuel Huntington in 1957. While individual domestic policy preferences usually stay the same, the United States as a whole varies on its introvert or extrovert foreign policy preference. Additional research on these moods is needed to enrich the literature.
Mediator Variables
Authors: Fritz Matthew S. , Lester Houston F.
Published: December 2016

Mediator variables are variables that lie between the cause and effect in a causal chain. In other words, mediator variables are the mechanisms through which change in one variable causes change in a subsequent variable. The single-mediator model is deceptively simple because it has only three variables: an antecedent, a mediator, and a consequent. Determining that a variable functions as a mediator is a difficult process, however, because causation can be inferred only when many strict assumptions are met, including, but not limited to, perfectly reliable measures, correct temporal design, and no omitted confounders. Since many of these assumptions are difficult to assess and rarely met in practice, the significance of a statistical test of mediation alone usually provides only weak evidence of mediation.

New methodological approaches are constantly being developed to circumvent these limitations. Specifically, new methods are being created for the following purposes: (1) to assess the impact of violating assumptions (e.g., sensitivity analyses) and (2) to make fewer assumptions and provide more flexible analysis techniques (e.g., Bayesian analysis or bootstrapping) that may be more robust to assumption violations. Despite these advances, the importance of the design of a study cannot be overstated. A statistical analysis, no matter how sophisticated, cannot redeem a study that measured the wrong variables or used an incorrect temporal design.