bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of simulated summer monsoonal precipitation in Langtang Valley, Himalaya, to cloud microphysics schemes in WRF
Authors: Orr A. , Listowski C. , Couttet M. , Collier E. , Immerzeel W. , Deb P. , Bannister D.
Published: May 2017

A better understanding of regional‐scale precipitation patterns in the Himalayan region is required to increase our knowledge of the impacts of climate change on downstream water availability. This study examines the impact of four cloud microphysical schemes (Thompson, Morrison, Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) single‐moment 5‐class, and WRF double‐moment 6‐class) on summer monsoon precipitation in the Langtang Valley in the central Nepalese Himalayas, as simulated by the WRF model at 1 km grid spacing for a 10 day period in July 2012. The model results are evaluated through a comparison with surface precipitation and radiation measurements made at two observation sites. Additional understanding is gained from a detailed examination of the microphysical characteristics simulated by each scheme, which are compared with measurements using a spaceborne radar/lidar cloud product. Also examined are the roles of large‐ and small‐scale forcings. In general, the schemes are able to capture the timing of surface precipitation better than the actual amounts in the Langtang Valley, which are predominately underestimated, with the Morrison scheme showing the best agreement with the measured values. The schemes all show a large positive bias in incoming radiation. Analysis of the radar/lidar cloud product and hydrometeors from each of the schemes suggests that “cold‐rain” processes are a key precipitation formation mechanism, which is also well represented by the Morrison scheme. As well as microphysical structure, both large‐scale and localized forcings are also important for determining surface precipitation.
Revisiting the iris effect of tropical cirrus clouds with TRMM and A‐Train satellite data
Authors: Choi Yong‐Sang , Kim WonMoo , Yeh Sang‐Wook , Masunaga Hirohiko , Kwon Min‐Jae , Jo Hyun‐Su , Huang Lei
Published: May 2017

Just as the iris of human eye controls the light influx (iris effect), tropical anvil cirrus clouds may regulate the Earth's surface warming by controlling outgoing longwave radiation. This study examines this possible effect with monthly satellite observations such as Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer cirrus fraction, and Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System top‐of‐the‐atmosphere radiative fluxes averaged over different tropical domains from March 2000 to October 2014. To confirm that high‐level cirrus is relevant to this study, Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization high cloud observations were also analyzed from June 2006 to December 2015. Our analysis revealed that the increase in sea surface temperature in the tropical western Pacific tends to concentrate convective cloud systems. This concentration effect very likely induces the significant reduction of both stratiform rain rate and cirrus fraction, without appreciable change in the convective rain rate. This reduction of stratiform rain rate and cirrus fraction cannot be found over its subregion or the tropical eastern Pacific, where the concentration effect of anvil cirrus is weak. Consistently, over the tropical western Pacific, the higher ratio of convective rain rate to total rain rate (i.e., precipitation efficiency) significantly correlates with warmer sea surface temperature and lower cirrus fraction. The reduced cirrus eventually increased outgoing longwave radiation to a greater degree than absorbed solar radiation. Finally, the negative relationship between precipitation efficiency and cirrus fraction tends to correspond to a low global equilibrium climate sensitivity in the models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5. This suggests that tropical anvil cirrus clouds exert a negative climate feedback in strong association with precipitation efficiency.
Anthropogenic aerosol effects on East Asian winter monsoon: The role of black carbon‐induced Tibetan Plateau warming
Authors: Jiang Yiquan , Yang Xiu‐Qun , Liu Xiaohong , Yang Dejian , Sun Xuguang , Wang Minghuai , Ding Aijun , Wang Tijian , Fu Congbin
Published: May 2017

This study investigates anthropogenic aerosol effects on East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) with Community Atmospheric Model version 5. In winter, the anthropogenic aerosol optical depth is the largest over southern East Asia and adjacent oceans. The associated EAWM change, however, is the most significant in northern East Asia, which is characterized by a significant surface cooling in northern East Asia and an acceleration of the jet stream around 40°N, indicating an intensification of the EAWM northern mode. Such an intensification is attributed to anthropogenic black carbon (BC)‐induced Tibetan Plateau (TP) warming. The BC is mostly transported from northern South Asia by wintertime westerly and southwesterly and then deposited on snow, giving rise to a reduction of surface albedo and an increase of surface air temperature via the snow‐albedo feedback. The TP warming increases meridional temperature gradient and lower tropospheric baroclinicity over northern East Asia, leading to the jet stream acceleration around 40°N and the westward shift of East Asian major trough via the transient eddy‐mean flow feedback. Such upper tropospheric pattern favors more cold air outbreak, leading to a large surface cooling in northern East Asia. In southern East Asia, the effect of nonabsorbing aerosols is dominant. The solar flux at surface is significantly reduced directly by scattering of nonabsorbing aerosols and indirectly by intensification of short wave cloud forcing. Accordingly, the surface air temperature in southern East Asia is reduced. The precipitation is also significantly reduced in South China and Indo‐China Peninsula, where the aerosol indirect effect is the largest.
A comparative study of ionospheric irregularity drift velocity derived from a GNSS receiver array and Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar measurements during high‐latitude ionospheric scintillation
Authors: Wang Jun , Morton Yu T.
Published: May 2017

The conventional ionospheric scintillation‐based, spaced‐receiver technique uses Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signal intensity measurements. It is not suitable, however, for high‐latitude regions where phase scintillations occur much more often than amplitude scintillations. This paper demonstrates that GNSS signal carrier phase scintillations observed from a spaced‐receiver array can be used to infer horizontal ionospheric drift velocities via time domain correlation. Drift velocities measured by the colocated Poker Flat incoherent scatter radar are cross compared against the estimated results from the GNSS receiver array. A comparative study is conducted based on two case studies on 20 and 31 December 2015, both accompanied by intense geomagnetic storms. Overall, the comparison results show statistical agreement between the GNSS receiver array estimation and incoherent scatter radar measurements.
Storm time coupling between the magnetosheath and the polar ionosphere
Authors: Burke W. J. , Kilcommons L. M. , Hairston M. R.
Published: May 2017

The present study demonstrates the feasibility of using plasma and magnetic field data from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites to estimate the Alfvénic reflectances (α) in the polar cap ionosphere during periods of geomagnetic disturbance. Quantitative values of α are then used to support calculations of field‐aligned Poynting flux (S||i) transmitted along open field lines from magnetosheath generators to the conjugate polar ionospheres. Analyzed data were acquired during high‐latitude passes of DMSP F16 during the 17 March 2013 magnetic storm. Between the main phase onset and the day's end, plasma velocity and magnetic field perturbations manifest the phase relations predicted by Alfvén and Fälthammar (1963) for electromagnetic coupling. The most reliable (sunward‐antisunward) components of measured plasma velocities and magnetic perturbations are consistent with that α ranging between 0.65 and 0.97, with a mean of ~0.8. Subsequent calculations indicate that incident S||i varied between 0.2 and 0.02 W/m2 with a mean of 0.085. We suggest that these reported ranges of α and S||i reflect both large variations in IMF BZ and the growth of antisunward neutral winds in the polar caps during the storm's main phase.
Oxygen‐Deficient Bismuth Oxide/Graphene of Ultrahigh Capacitance as Advanced Flexible Anode for Asymmetric Supercapacitors
Authors: Liu Rong , Ma Lina , Niu Gudan , Li Xiaolong , Li Enyuan , Bai Yang , Yuan Guohui
Published: May 2017

Oxygen‐deficient bismuth oxide (r‐Bi2O3)/graphene (GN) is designed, fabricated, and demonstrated via a facile solvothermal and subsequent solution reduction method. The ultrafine network bacterial cellulose (BC) as substrate for r‐Bi2O3/GN exhibits high flexibility, remarkable tensile strength (55.1 MPa), and large mass loading of 9.8 mg cm−2. The flexible r‐Bi2O3/GN/BC anode delivers appreciable areal capacitance (6675 mF cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2) coupled with good rate capability (3750 mF cm−2 at 50 mA cm−2). In addition, oxygen vacancies have great influence on the capacitive performance of Bi2O3, delivering significantly improved capacitive values than the untreated Bi2O3 flexible electrode, and ultrahigh gravimetric capacitance of 1137 F g−1 (based on the mass of r‐Bi2O3) can be obtained, achieving 83% of the theoretical value (1370 F g−1). Flexible asymmetric supercapacitor is fabricated with r‐Bi2O3/GN/BC and Co3O4/GN/BC paper as the negative and positive electrodes, respectively. The operation voltage is expanded to 1.6 V, revealing a maximum areal energy density of 0.449 mWh cm−2 (7.74 mWh cm−3) and an areal power density of 40 mW cm−2 (690 mW cm−3). Therefore, this flexible anode with excellent electrochemical performance and high mechanical properties shows great potential in the field of flexible energy storage devices.
Low‐Temperature Fabrication of Cold Cathode WO2 Nanowire Arrays on Glass Substrate and Improvement of their Working Performance
Authors: Tian Yan , Yang Xun , Guo Tongyi , Peng Luxi , Gan Haibo , Xu Ningsheng , Chen Huanjun , Chen Jun , Liu Fei , Deng Shaozhi
Published: May 2017

WO2 nanowires have great potential as cold cathode materials because they exhibit excellent field‐emission properties in terms of their low work function and high conductivity. Considering the requirements of the practical applications in large‐area cold‐cathode devices, such as X‐ray source and panel display, these nanostructures are desired to be fabricated on glass substrate and integrated into devices. It is best known that the studies on WO2 nanowire cold cathode arrays grown on glass‐substrate are absent so far, which remains a challenge for the researchers. In the current study, procedures for fabrication of WO2 nanowire cold cathode arrays, which consist of 22000 separated patterns on 1.2 in. glass wafer are developed. It is found that the turn‐on and threshold field of the nanowire arrays are, respectively, 6.6 and 9.3 V µm−1. In addition, the performance of the cold cathode arrays is strongly affected by the distribution of the nanowire density as well as the thickness of Al electrode. By modifying the fabrication techniques, over 82% patterns can contribute to the emission, whereby a maximum current density can reach 1.89 mA cm−2. Such a value can fulfill the basic requirement of the large‐area cold cathode devices. The research can pave the way for fabrication of high‐performance cold cathode devices using glass‐substrates.
Superelektrophiles Verhalten eines Anions demonstriert durch spontane Bindung von Edelgasen an [B12Cl11]−
Authors: Rohdenburg Markus , Mayer Martin , Grellmann Max , Jenne Carsten , Borrmann Tobias , Kleemiss Florian , Azov Vladimir A. , Asmis Knut R. , Grabowsky Simon , Warneke Jonas
Published: May 2017

Es entspricht der chemischen Intuition, Kationen elektrophile und Anionen nukleophile Reaktivität zuzuweisen. Wir demonstrieren hier einen bemerkenswerten Bruch mit diesem Konzept: Das Anion [B12Cl11]−bindet die Edelgase (Ngs) Xenon und Krypton spontan bei Raumtemperatur – eine Reaktion, die typisch für “superelektrophile” Dikationen ist. [B12Cl11Ng]−‐Addukte mit Bindungsenergien von 80–100 kJ mol−1enthalten B‐Ng‐Bindungen mit erheblichen kovalenten Anteilen. Der elektrophile Charakter des Anions [B12Cl11]−wird spektroskopisch anhand der beobachteten Blauverschiebung der CO‐Streckschwingung in [B12Cl11CO]−sowie theoretisch mithilfe von Untersuchungen zur elektronischen Struktur nachgewiesen. Die Ausrichtung des elektrischen Felds an der reaktiven Stelle von [B12Cl11]−führt zu einer Energiebarriere für die Annäherung von polaren Molekülen und erleichtert die Bildung von Ng‐Addukten, die mit reaktiven Kationen wie [C6H5]+nicht beobachtet werden. Daher wird das neue chemische Konzept der “Dipol‐diskriminierenden elektrophilen Anionen” eingeführt.
Rapid Microfluidic Dilution for Single‐Molecule Spectroscopy of Low‐Affinity Biomolecular Complexes
Authors: Zijlstra Niels , Dingfelder Fabian , Wunderlich Bengt , Zosel Franziska , Benke Stephan , Nettels Daniel , Schuler Benjamin
Published: May 2017

To enable the investigation of low‐affinity biomolecular complexes with confocal single‐molecule spectroscopy, we have developed a microfluidic device that allows a concentrated sample to be diluted by up to five orders of magnitude within milliseconds, at the physical limit dictated by diffusion. We demonstrate the capabilities of the device by studying the dissociation kinetics and structural properties of low‐affinity protein complexes using single‐molecule two‐color and three‐color Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). We show that the versatility of the device makes it suitable for studying complexes with dissociation constants from low nanomolar up to 10 μm, thus covering a wide range of biomolecular interactions. The design and precise fabrication of the devices ensure simple yet reliable operation and high reproducibility of the results.
Four novel lanthanide complexes with 4‐ethylbenzoic acid and 5,5′‐dimethy‐2,2′‐bipyridine: Structures, luminescent, thermal properties and bacteriostatic activities
Authors: Shen Pan‐Pan , Zhu Min‐Min , Ren Ning , Zhang Jian‐Jun , Wang Shu‐Ping
Published: May 2017

Four new lanthanide complexes [Ln(4‐EBA)3(5,5′‐DM‐2,2′‐bipy)]2·2C2H5OH (Ln = Ho (1), Tb (2), Er (3)); [Ln(4‐EBA)3(4‐EBAH)(5,5′‐DM‐2,2′‐bipy)]2 (Ln = Eu(4); 4‐EBA =4‐ethylbenzoate; 5,5′‐DM‐2,2′‐bipy =5,5′‐dimethy‐2,2′‐bipyridine; 4‐EBAH = 4‐ethylbenzoic acid) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and IR spectra. The single crystal results reveal that complexes 1–3 are isostructural. It is worth noting that the mole ratios of the carboxylate ligands and neutral ligands is 4:1 in complex 4, which is different from the former and has been rarely reported. Nevertheless, all complexes are connected to form 1D chain by π···π wake staking interactions. Additionally, the complexes 2 (Tb(III)) and 4 (Eu(III)) exhibit characteristic luminescent properties, indicating that ligands can be used as sensitizing chromophore in these systems. The thermal decomposition mechanism of the complexes has been investigated by TG/DSC–FTIR technology. Stacked plots of the FTIR spectra of the evolved gases show complexes broken down into H2O, CO2, and other gaseous molecules as well as the gaseous organic fragments. The studies on bacteriostatic activities of complexes show that four complexes have good bacteriostatic activities against Candida albicans but no bacteriostatic activity on Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, the complexes 1 to 3 have better bacteriostatic activities on Candida albicans than complex 4.
Experimental investigation of slip velocity and dispersed phase holdup in a Kühni extraction column
Authors: Arab Ebrahim , Ghaemi Ahad , Torab‐Mostaedi Meisam
Published: May 2017

Slip velocity in the solvent extraction columns is the relative velocity of drops with respect to the continuous phase and defines as the sum of the linear velocities of the two phases. In this research, slip velocity and dispersed phase holdup in a pilot plant‐scale Kühni extraction column has been investigated experimentally. The effects of operating parameters including rotor speed, continuous and dispersed phase flow rates, and mass transfer direction have been examined. An empirical correlation is presented to predict slip velocity in Kühni extraction column as a function of physical properties of the chemical test systems, operating conditions, and geometry of the column. The overall average absolute values of relative error for holdup and slip velocity are 8.75% and 10.50%, respectively. Optimum values of the constants for the correlations were obtained via genetic algorithm method. The result of the empirical correlation was compared with experimental data and with previous correlations. © 2017 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modulation of Open‐shell Characters of Amine‐inserted Diphenoquinones via Structural Modification
Authors: Matsuta Yuya , Sakamaki Daisuke , Kurata Ryohei , Ito Akihiro , Seki Shu
Published: May 2017

In this study, a series of triphenylamine derivatives with two 2,6‐diphenylphenoxy radicals (2 a–d), which could be regarded as amine‐inserted diphenoquinones have been synthesized and investigated their structures and electronic properties. The structures of 2 a–d were confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis, showing the characteristic bond length alternation patterns for closed‐shell quinoids. The solutions of 2 a–d exhibited clear ESR signals even at room temperature, indicating their thermally accessible diradical states. The NMR and ESR measurements showed that the diradical character of 2 a–d were increased in the order of 2 a<2 b<2 c<2 d, well‐reproduced by theoretical calculations. The results of this work strongly suggest that the diradical character of this class of compounds could be tuned by changing the substituent on the central nitrogen atom.
Hippocampal slice preparation in rats acutely suppresses immunoreactivity of microtubule‐associated protein (Map2) and glycogen levels without affecting numbers of glia or levels of the glutamate transporter VGlut1
Authors: Stein Liana R. , Zorumski Charles F. , Izumi Yukitoshi
Published: May 2017

Introduction

With its preservation of cytoarchitecture and synaptic circuitry, the hippocampal slice preparation has been a critical tool for studying the electrophysiological effects of pharmacological and genetic manipulations. To analyze the maximum number of slices or readouts per dissection, long incubation times postslice preparation are commonly used. We were interested in how slice integrity is affected by incubation postslice preparation.

Methods

Hippocampal slices were prepared by three different methods: a chopper, a vibratome, and a rotary slicer. To test slice integrity, we compared glycogen levels and immunohistochemistry of selected proteins in rat hippocampal slices immediately after dissection and following 2 and 4 hr of incubation.

Results

We found that immunoreactivity of the dendritic marker microtubule‐associated protein 2 (Map2) drastically decreased during this incubation period, whereas immunoreactivity of the glutamate transporter VGlut1 did not significantly change with incubation time. Astrocytic and microglial cell numbers also did not significantly change with incubation time whereas glycogen levels markedly increased during incubation.

Conclusion

Immunoreactivity of the dendritic marker Map2 quickly decreased after dissection with all the slicing methods. This work highlights a need for caution when using long incubation periods following slice preparation.
Dissection of Kinase Isoforms through Orthogonal and Chemical Inducible Signaling Cascades
Authors: Zheng Siqi , Fan Xinyuan , Wang Jie , Zhao Jingyi , Chen Peng R.
Published: May 2017

Interference from endogenous signaling enzymes represents a major hurdle for building orthogonal signaling cascades inside cells, particularly among closely related isoforms within an enzyme family. Here, we employed a genetically encoded chemical decaging strategy to build orthogonally activated kinase isoforms, with the endogenous counterparts temporally disabled by an extracellularly delivered bacterial effector. This approach eliminated any potential interference from other kinase isoforms as well as endogenous kinases, which allowed the specific, gain‐of‐function report of mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK1) activity as opposed to MEK2 with high temporal resolution. Our study dissected the distinct enzymatic activity, feedback regulation and signal outputs between these closely related kinase isoforms.
Endothelial cells co‐cultured with renal carcinoma cells significantly reduce RECK expression under chemical hypoxia
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyi , Liu Lei , Liu Jing , Cheng Zhengyuan , Wang Zhi , Shi Chuanbing , Ding Fengan , Chen Sijie , Chen Pingsheng
Published: May 2017

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is characterized by excessive angiogenesis, while chronic kidney disease (CKD) suffers from the opposite problem—failure of reparative angiogenesis. It can be due to their different responses to hypoxic environment. But the specific molecular regulators are still unclear. This study is aimed to explore the influence of human renal cell cancer cells (786‐0) and human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK‐2) on RECK expression, proliferation, and angiogenesis of adjacent microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC‐1) under chemical hypoxia. Cobalt chloride (CoCl2) treatment was used to simulate the hypoxia environment in RCC and CKD. Co‐culture, cell proliferation assay, and tube formation assay were used to evaluate the influence of 786‐0 or HK‐2 cells on proliferation and angiogenesis of adjacent HMEC‐1 cells. Effects of different environments on RECK expressions in 786‐0, HK2, or HMEC‐1 cells were determined by Western blot. We found that both 786‐0 cells and HK2 cells can upregulate RECK expression of adjacent HMEC‐1 cells in normoxic conditions. However, under hypoxia, the HMEC‐1 cells co‐cultured with 786‐0 significantly reduced RECK expression and there was no significant change in HMEC‐1 cells co‐cultured with HK2 cells. We also found that 786‐0 significantly enhanced the proliferation and angiogenesis of adjacent HMEC‐1 cells. Our results suggested that some paracrine substances produced by 786‐0 cells may reduce RECK expression of adjacent HMEC‐1 cells and enhance their proliferation and in vitro angiogenic capacity.
Management of fetal death complicated by placenta previa during the midtrimester
Authors: Nakanishi Sayuri , Shindo Ryosuke , Aoki Shigeru
Published: May 2017

Key Clinical Message

Expectant management of fetal death complicated by placenta previa occurring during midtrimester trimester may induce fetal/placental atrophy and decrease uterine blood flow to facilitate vaginal delivery. Our experience with these cases suggests that about 4 weeks of expectant management should be considered as a management strategy.
Synthesis of Hollow SnO2/SnS2 Hybrids and their Application in Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Wang Ke , Huang Ying , Qin Xiulan , Wang Mingyue , Sun Xu , Yu Meng
Published: May 2017

Alloying‐type Sn material has been considered as an excellent anode material for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). However, the limitation of capacity is still a challenge that remains to be solved. In this approach, we introduce a facile two‐step hydrothermal route to prepare hollow SnO2/SnS2 hybrids and investigate their electrochemical performances as anodes in SIBs for the first time. Benefiting from their structural features, the hollow SnO2/SnS2 hybrids exhibit a high reversible sodium storage capacity of about 485.64 mA h g−1 at 300 mA g−1 after 100 cycles with a capacity retention of 78.7 %, which is much higher than 25.9 % for bare SnO2 hollow spheres and 28.5 % for bare SnS2 nanosheets. Taking into consideration the outstanding performance and the special structural design, this work could provide a potential strategy to improve the electrochemical performances of tin‐based electrodes, as well as that of other anodes in SIBs.
Enantioseparation of ofloxacin and its four related substances with ligand exchange–micellar electrokinetic chromatography using copper(II)‐L‐isoleucine complex as chiral selector
Authors: Liu Yongjing , Wang Xiaoying
Published: May 2017

A ligand‐exchange micellar electrokinetic capillary electrophoresis system with copper(II)‐L‐isoleucine complexes as the chiral selector incorporated in micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was developed for the enantioseparation of ofloxacin and its four related substances (impurities A, C, E, and F). The effects of important parameters affecting separation such as buffer pH, SDS concentration, chiral selector concentration, and organic additive were investigated in detail. Under optimum experimental conditions, enantioseparation of ofloxacin, impurities A, C, E, and F enantiomers was accomplished with resolutions of 4.28, 2.83, 3.40, 3.58, and 2.46, respectively. Further, simultaneous separation of impurities A, C, E, and F enantiomers was achieved using 10 mmol/L NH4OAc as the running buffer containing 4 mmol/L copper sulfate,20 mmol/L L‐isoleucine, 20 mmol/L SDS, and 5% methanol at pH 8.5. To the best of our knowledge, the simultaneous enantioseparation of four impurities of ofloxacin has not been reported previously.
Amperometric Biosensor for Detection of Phenolic Compounds Based on Tyrosinase, N‐Acetyl‐L‐cysteine‐capped Gold Nanoparticles and Chitosan Nanocomposite
Authors: Dong Wenjuan , Han Jiyan , Shi Jia , Liang Wenting , Zhang Yuexia , Dong Chuan
Published: May 2017

A novel biosensor was fabricated based on the immobilization of tyrosinase and N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine‐capped gold nanoparticles onto the surface of the glassy carbon electrode via the film forming by chitosan. The NAC‐AuNPs (N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine‐capped gold nanoparticles) with the average size of 3.4 nm had much higher specific surface area and good biocompatibility, which were favorable for increasing the immobilization amount of enzyme, retaining the catalytic activity of enzyme and facilitating the fast electron transfer. The prepared biosensor exhibited suitable amperometric responses at −0.2 V for phenolic compounds vs. saturated calomel electrode. The parameters of influencing on the working electrode such as pH, temperature, working potential were investigated. Under optimum conditions, the biosensor was applied to detect catechol with a linear range of 1.0 × 10−7 to 6.0 × 10−5 mol•L−1 , and the detection limit of 5.0 × 10−8 mol•L−1 (S/N=3). The stability and selectivity of the proposed biosensor were also evaluated.
Rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of the CLARIFY registry of outpatients with stable coronary artery disease
Authors: Sorbets Emmanuel , Greenlaw Nicola , Ferrari Roberto , Ford Ian , Fox Kim M. , Tardif Jean‐Claude , Tendera Michal , Steg Philippe Gabriel ,   on behalf of the CLARIFY Investigators
Published: May 2017

Background

Despite major advances in prevention and treatment, coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Whereas many sources of data are available on the epidemiology of acute coronary syndromes, fewer datasets reflect the contemporary management and outcomes of stable CAD patients.

Hypothesis

A worldwide contemporary registry would improve our knowledge about stable CAD. The main objectives are to describe the demographics, clinical profile, contemporary management and outcomes of outpatients with stable CAD; to identify gaps between evidence and treatment; and to investigate long‐term prognostic determinants.

Methods

CLARIFY (ProspeCtive observational LongitudinAl RegIstry oF patients with stable coronary arterY disease) is an ongoing international observational longitudinal registry. Stable CAD patients from 45 countries in Europe, Asia, America, Middle East, Australia and Africa were enrolled between November 2009 and June 2010. The inclusion criteria were previous myocardial infarction, evidence of coronary stenosis >50%, proven symptomatic myocardial ischemia or prior revascularization procedure. The main exclusion criteria were serious non‐cardiovascular disease, conditions interfering with life expectancy or severe other cardiovascular disease (including advanced heart failure). Follow‐up visits were planned annually for up to 5 years, interspersed with 6‐month telephone calls.

Results

Of the 32,703 patients enrolled, most (77.6%) were male, age (mean ± SD) was 64.2 ± 10.5 years, and 71.0% were receiving treatment for hypertension; mean ± SD resting heart rate was 68.2 ± 10.6 bpm. Patients were enrolled based on a history of myocardial infarction >3 months earlier (57.7%), having at least one stenosis >50% on coronary angiography (61.1%), proven symptomatic myocardial ischemia on non‐invasive testing (23.1%), or history of percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft (69.8%). Baseline characteristics were similar across the four subgroups identified by the four inclusion criteria.

Conclusion

CLARIFY will provide a useful resource for understanding the current epidemiology of stable CAD.
Association between insomnia and atrial fibrillation in a Chinese population: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Han Xu , Yang Yiheng , Chen Yue , Gao Lianjun , Yin Xiaomeng , Li Huihua , Qiu Jing , Wang Youxin , Zhou Yong , Xia Yunlong
Published: May 2017

Background

Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder; however, little research has explored the link between insomnia and atrial fibrillation (AF).

Hypothesis

Insomnia is associated with increased risk of AF in a Chinese population.

Methods

A total of 8371 Chinese participants (4314 males; mean age, 42.4 ± 13.1 years) were enrolled in this cross‐sectional study to investigate the association between insomnia and AF. AF was assessed in a standard supine resting position with a 10‐s 12‐lead electrocardiograph (ECG) or by self‐reported history. Insomnia was assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), and a score of ≥6 was regarded as having insomnia. The association between insomnia and AF was determined by logistic regression analysis.

Results

Among the 8371 subjects, 1074 (12.8%) had different degrees of insomnia, and AF was observed in 50 subjects (0.60%). After adjusting for potential confounders, individuals with insomnia had moderately increased likelihood of suffering from AF compared with those without insomnia (odds ratio [OR]: 1.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00‐3.70, P = 0.05). After stratifying data by age, a significant positive association was found in those age <40 years (OR: 6.52, 95% CI: 1.64‐25.83, P = 0.01), and a similar trend existed in males after stratifying by sex, although this relationship was not statistically significant (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 0.92‐4.83, P = 0.08).

Conclusions

Individuals with insomnia may have a higher risk of AF in the particular Chinese population assessed in this study. Age (<40 years) is a significant factor in the association between insomnia and AF.
Visual system pathology in humans and animal models of blast injury
Authors: DeWalt Gloria J. , Eldred William D.
Published: May 2017

Injury from blast exposure is becoming a more prevalent cause of death and disability worldwide. The devastating neurological impairments that result from blasts are significant and lifelong. Progress in the development of effective therapies to treat injury has been slowed by its heterogeneous pathology and the dearth of information regarding the cellular mechanisms involved. Within the last decade, a number of studies have documented visual dysfunction following injury. This brief review examines damage to the visual system in both humans and animal models of blast injury. The in vivo use of the retina as a surrogate to evaluate brain injury following exposure to blast is also highlighted.
Endogenous Probes for Drug Transporters: Balancing Vision With Reality
Authors: Rodrigues AD , Taskar KS , Kusuhara H , Sugiyama Y
Published: May 2017

Various endogenous probes have been identified for a number of hepatic and renal drug transporters and available clinical data indicate that they could be leveraged in phase I trials to facilitate subject phenotyping and drug–drug interaction (DDI) assessment. Despite the progress, however, it is recognized that the menu of probes needs expanding, that existing probes need further characterization and validation, and that compound files need to be built in support of probe absorption‐metabolism‐distribution‐excretion‐DDI modeling exercises.
Effectiveness of Drugs in Routine Care: A Model for Sequential Monitoring of New Medicines Using Dronedarone as Example
Authors: Cars T , Lindhagen L , Malmström RE , Neovius M , Schwieler J , Wettermark B , Sundström J
Published: May 2017

Although there is no doubt about the scientific value of randomized controlled clinical trials, they are usually conducted in selected populations different from those treated in clinical practice. Therefore, it is important to optimize real‐time postmarketing evaluation of the effectiveness, safety, and cost of new drugs. Using electronic health records and administrative health databases from a well‐defined region with universal access to healthcare, we have built a framework for real‐time sequential monitoring of the effectiveness of newly marketed drugs in routine care. We chose the antiarrhythmic agent dronedarone as the study drug and flecainide as the comparator drug for illustration of the model. We demonstrate that this model produces consistent results with increasing precision over time as data accumulates in the clinical systems. We believe that use of this model at the introduction of new drugs can provide complementary evidence, especially in settings of adaptive licensing of new drugs.
Pd‐Metalated Conjugated Nanoporous Polycarbazoles for Additive‐Free Cyanation of Aryl Halides: Boosting Catalytic Efficiency through Spatial Modulation
Authors: Ding Shunmin , Tian Chengcheng , Zhu Xiang , Abney Carter W. , Tian Ziqi , Chen Bo , Li Meijun , Jiang De‐en , Zhang Ning , Dai Sheng
Published: May 2017

Invited for this month′s cover is the group of Sheng Dai at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The image shows how the catalytic efficiency in nanoporous conjugated polymers can be boosted through spatial modulation. The Communication itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.201700329.
Higher order statistics applied to IR‐UWB system based on M‐OAM
Authors: Maatougui Lamyae , Sakkila Laila , Rivenq Menhaj Atika , Hajjaji Abdelowahed , Ouahmane Hassan
Published: May 2017

In this paper, an original communication system based on the ultra‐wideband technology and dedicated to intelligent transport systems is proposed. The ultra‐wideband presents a promising option for short‐range wireless communication system due to the transmission of very short pulses with low energy. To ensure reliability, safety, and security in the road, the proposed system must provide high data rate and good quality of service. The high data rate is ensured by the use of new modulation Orthogonal Amplitude Modulations. The quality of transmission is improved by the implementation of higher order statistic method at the receiver to eliminate the Gaussian noise and perform more precise decoding. Therefore, good performances in terms of bit error rate are guaranteed.
Peripancreatic paraganglioma mimics pancreatic/gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumor on fine needle aspiration: Report of two cases and review of the literature
Authors: Zeng Jennifer , Simsir Aylin , Oweity Thaira , Hajdu Cristina , Cohen Steven , Shi Yan
Published: May 2017

Cytologic diagnosis of extra‐adrenal paraganglioma presenting as a peripancreatic mass is challenging with a high error rate due to its rarity. We report two cases of peripancreatic masses identified by radiology. Endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the masses showed a moderately cellular tumor composed of small to medium sized neoplastic cells with round to oval nuclei, arranged singly and in loose clusters. Focal rosette‐like structures were present. The cells were positive for neuroendocrine markers (synaptophysin and chromogranin). A diagnosis of a neoplasm with neuroendocrine differentiation and neuroendocrine tumor was made respectively on FNA for each case. The subsequent surgical resection of the tumors revealed peripancreatic paraganglioma. Although paraganglioma has been reported in the literature, the detailed comparison of perpancreatic paraganglioma versus pancreatic/gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumor is still lacking. Therefore using these two cases with literature review, we wish to illustrate the differential diagnosis between these two entities based on cytomorphology and immunohistochemical study.
Innervation of the medial prefrontal cortex by tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive fibers during adolescence in male and female rats
Authors: Willing Jari , Cortes Laura R. , Brodsky Joseph M. , Kim Taehyeon , Juraska Janice M.
Published: May 2017

Adolescence is associated with continued maturation of the cerebral cortex, particularly the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We have previously documented pruning in the number of neurons, dendrites, and synapses in the rat mPFC from preadolescence to adulthood, with the period of pubertal onset being particularly important. We hypothesized that dopaminergic innervation of this region, critical for executive functions, would also be influenced by pubertal onset. Here, we measured changes in the volume of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive axons in all layers of the male and female mPFC from preadolescence to adulthood (postnatal Day (P) 25, 35, 45, 60, and 90) as a marker of dopaminergic innervation. Assessing both total fiber volume and length, TH fibers were quantified by multiplying the mPFC volume by fiber density. While there were subtle layer‐specific changes, TH fiber volume and length increased between P25 and P90 in both males and females. Contrary to our hypothesis, a role for pubertal onset in TH innervation of this region was not discernable. In summary, axons immunoreactive for TH increase with similar trajectories in the mPFC of male and female rats from pre‐puberty to young adulthood.
Carboranycarboxylate Complexes as Efficient Catalysts in Epoxidation Reactions
Authors: Fontanet Mònica , Rodríguez Montserrat , Viñas Clara , Teixidor Francesc , Romero Isabel
Published: May 2017

This work presents the first examples of carboranylcarboxylate complexes as precatalysts in epoxidation reactions with the use of peracetic acid as the oxidant. The manganese [Mn(µ‐H2O)(1‐CH3‐2‐CO2‐1,2‐closo‐C2B10H10)2]n·(H2O)n (1), [Mn2(1‐CH3‐2‐CO2‐1,2‐closo‐C2B10H10)4(2,2′‐bpy)2] (2, bpy = bipyridine), [Mn(1‐CH3‐2‐CO2‐1,2‐closo‐C2B10H10)2(bpm)]n (3, bpm = bipyrimidine), and [Mn(1‐CH3‐2‐CO2‐1,2‐closo‐C2B10H10)2(2,2′‐bpy)2] (4) complexes and the cobalt [Co2(µ‐H2O)(1‐CH3‐2‐CO2‐1,2‐closo‐C2B10H10)4(thf)4] (6) complex, all containing the carboranylcarboxylic 1‐CH3‐2‐CO2H‐1,2‐closo‐C2B10H10 (LH) ligand, together with Mn3(OAc)6(2,2′‐bpy)2 (5) displayed good performance with high conversions and selectivity values in short reaction times, in most cases. This work highlights that the coordination of the carboranylcarboxylic ligand to the metal ions is crucial to the performance of the complexes as catalysts.
2,3‐Dihydro‐1H‐naphtho[1,8‐cd]borinine as a Potent Precursor for Open‐Shell Singlet B‐Heterocycles
Authors: Ito Shigekazu , Kato Naoto , Mikami Koichi
Published: May 2017

The reaction of naphthalene‐1,8‐diylbis[(trimethylsilyl)methanide] and dimethyl arylboronates afforded the corresponding 2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐naphtho[1,8‐cd]borinine as single diastereomers. Single‐electron oxidation of the boron‐containing heterocycles provided acenaphthylene through the generation boron‐containing cyclic singlet biradicals.
A New Sodium‐Based Aqueous Rechargeable Battery System: The Special Case of Na0.44MnO2/Dissolved Sodium Polysulfide
Authors: Tekin Burak , Sevinc Serkan , Morcrette Mathieu , Demir‐Cakan Rezan
Published: May 2017

Herein, the electrochemical performance of a new sodium‐based aqueous rechargeable battery is demonstrated consisting of Na0.44MnO2 as cathode and dissolved sodium polysulfide (i.e., Na2S5) as anolyte. Na0.44MnO2 synthesized through a solid‐state reaction method and dissolved Na2S5 anolyte are tested separately in a half‐cell configuration, both giving rise to stable cycling performances. As the anode side of the desired full‐cell configuration is at present dissolved in the electrolyte, the positive and negative electrodes need to be separated with an ion‐selective membrane that is permeable to sodium ions and impermeable to polysulfide species. Hence, Nafion is tested as a barrier to prevent the leakage of the dissolved polysulfides. After careful tuning of the osmotic pressure inside the Nafion membrane, leakage of the dissolved polysulfide from the anode to the cathode side is eliminated, resulting in a 0.8 V average voltage, low‐cost sodium‐ion aqueous cell.
Factors affecting the leaching behaviors of magnesium phosphate cement‐stabilized/solidified Pb‐contaminated soil, part II: Dosage and curing age
Authors: Wang Ping , Xue Qiang , Yang Zhenning , Li Jiangshan , Zhang Tingting , Huang Qian
Published: May 2017

Magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) is frequently used to dispose synthetically spiked Pb contaminated soils by means of stabilization/solidification (S/S) technology. Leaching behaviors of heavy metal represent the most important parameters for MPC‐treated metal‐contaminated soil. Little information is available for the effectiveness evaluation and leaching mechanism investigation of MPC treatment. Moreover, various factors in the S/S process would affect its effectiveness, especially leaching behaviors. Part I presented the effect of original Pb concentration in soil and water‐to‐cement ratio on leaching behaviors of MPC treated synthetically spiked Pb contaminated soil, and this part investigated the effect of dosage and curing age on leaching behaviors of MPC treated waste. Leaching behaviors were investigated via toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and semidynamic leaching test about different MPC dosage and curing age. Results showed that both the MPC dosage and curing age would change the leaching behaviors of MPC treated synthetically spiked Pb contaminated soil. The TCLP leaching concentration of Pb decreased with the increasing MPC dosage and curing age. The calculated effective diffusion coefficients and leachability index indicated that the MPC treated Pb contaminated soil could be used for utilization after S/S treatment. The controlling leaching mechanism of Pb appeared to be diffusion for S/S products with different MPC dosage and curing age. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 36: 1351–1357, 2017
A cell‐based smoothed finite element method with semi‐implicit CBS procedures for incompressible laminar viscous flows
Authors: Jiang Chen , Zhang Zhi‐Qian , Han Xu , Liu Guirong , Lin Tao
Published: May 2017

In this paper, the cell‐based smoothed finite element method (CS‐FEM) with the semi‐implicit characteristic‐based split (CBS) scheme (CBS/CS‐FEM) is proposed for computational fluid dynamics. The 3‐node triangular (T3) element and 4‐node quadrilateral (Q4) element are used for present CBS/CS‐FEM for two‐dimensional flows. The 8‐node hexahedral element (H8) is used for three‐dimensional flows. Two types of CS‐FEM are implemented in this paper. One is standard CS‐FEM with quadrilateral gradient smoothing cells for Q4 element and hexahedron cells for H8 element. Another is called as n‐sided CS‐FEM (nCS‐FEM) whose gradient smoothing cells are triangles for Q4 element and pyramids for H8 element. To verify the proposed methods, benchmarking problems are tested for two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional flows. The benchmarks show that CBS/CS‐FEM and CBS/nCS‐FEM are capable to solve incompressible laminar flow and can produce reliable results for both steady and unsteady flows. The proposed CBS/CS‐FEM method has merits on better robustness against distorted mesh with only slight more computation time and without losing accuracy, which is important for problems with heavy mesh distortion. The blood flow in carotid bifurcation is also simulated to show capabilities of proposed methods for realistic and complicated flow problems.
Fish burger enriched by olive oil industrial by‐product
Authors: Cedola Annamaria , Cardinali Angela , Del Nobile Matteo Alessandro , Conte Amalia
Published: May 2017

Oil industry produces large volume of waste, which represents a disposal and a potential environmental pollution problem. Nevertheless, they are also promising sources of compounds that can be recovered and used as valuable substances. The aim of this work is to exploit solid olive by‐products, in particular dry olive paste flour (DOPF) coming from Coratina cultivar, to enrich fish burger and enhance the quality characteristics. In particular, the addition of olive by‐products leads to an increase of the phenolic content and the antioxidant activity; however, it also provokes a deterioration of sensory quality. Therefore, to balance quality and sensory characteristics of fish burgers, three subsequent phases have been carried out: first, the quality of DOPF in terms of phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activity has been assessed; afterward, DOPF has been properly added to fish burgers and, finally, the formulation of the enriched fish burgers has been optimized in order to improve the sensory quality. Results suggested that the enriched burgers with 10% DOPF showed considerable amounts of polyphenols and antioxidant activity, even though they are not very acceptable from the sensory point of view. Pre‐treating DOPF by hydration/extraction with milk, significantly improved the burger sensory quality by reducing the concentration of bitter components.
Emotion regulation deficits in regular marijuana users
Authors: Zimmermann Kaeli , Walz Christina , Derckx Raissa T , Kendrick Keith M. , Weber Bernd , Dore Bruce , Ochsner Kevin N. , Hurlemann René , Becker Benjamin
Published: May 2017

Effective regulation of negative affective states has been associated with mental health. Impaired regulation of negative affect represents a risk factor for dysfunctional coping mechanisms such as drug use and thus could contribute to the initiation and development of problematic substance use. This study investigated behavioral and neural indices of emotion regulation in regular marijuana users (n = 23) and demographically matched nonusing controls (n = 20) by means of an fMRI cognitive emotion regulation (reappraisal) paradigm. Relative to nonusing controls, marijuana users demonstrated increased neural activity in a bilateral frontal network comprising precentral, middle cingulate, and supplementary motor regions during reappraisal of negative affect (P < 0.05, FWE) and impaired emotion regulation success on the behavioral level (P < 0.05). Amygdala‐focused analyses further revealed impaired amygdala downregulation in the context of decreased amygdala–dorsolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity (P < 0.05, FWE) during reappraisal in marijuana users relative to controls. Together, the present findings could reflect an unsuccessful attempt of compensatory recruitment of additional neural resources in the context of disrupted amygdala–prefrontal interaction during volitional emotion regulation in marijuana users. As such, impaired volitional regulation of negative affect might represent a consequence of, or risk factor for, regular marijuana use. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4270–4279, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.