bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ribosomal transcription is regulated by PGC-1alpha and disturbed in Huntington’s disease
Authors: Jesse Sarah , Bayer Hanna , Alupei Marius C. , Zügel Martina , Mulaw Medhanie , Tuorto Francesca , Malmsheimer Silke , Singh Karmveer , Steinacker Jürgen , Schumann Uwe , Ludolph Albert C. , Scharffetter-Kochanek Karin , Witting Anke , Weydt Patrick , Iben Sebastian
Published: August 2017

PGC-1α is a versatile inducer of mitochondrial biogenesis and responsive to the changing energy demands of the cell. As mitochondrial ATP production requires proteins that derive from translation products of cytosolic ribosomes, we asked whether PGC-1α directly takes part in ribosomal biogenesis. Here, we show that a fraction of cellular PGC-1α localizes to the nucleolus, the site of ribosomal transcription by RNA polymerase I. Upon activation PGC-1α associates with the ribosomal DNA and boosts recruitment of RNA polymerase I and UBF to the rDNA promoter. This induces RNA polymerase I transcription under different stress conditions in cell culture and mouse models as well as in healthy humans and is impaired already in early stages of human Huntington’s disease. This novel molecular link between ribosomal and mitochondrial biogenesis helps to explain sarcopenia and cachexia in diseases of neurodegenerative origin.
Self-shedding and sweeping of condensate on composite nano-surface under external force field: enhancement mechanism for dropwise and filmwise condensation modes
Authors: Sun Jie , Wang Hua Sheng
Published: August 2017

In this work, we propose the concept to use the hydrophilic or neutral surface for condensation heat transfer and to use the superhydrophobic surface for enhancement by self-shedding and sweeping of condensate. Molecular dynamics simulation results show that no matter the vapor condenses on the solid surface in dropwise or filmwise mode, the grown-up condensate self-sheds and falls off the superhydrophobic surface, sweeping the growing condensate on the condensing surface downstream. We characterize the dynamics of condensate that the continuous self-shedding and sweeping effectively remove the droplets from the solid surface in dropwise mode or thin the condensate film on the solid surface in filmwise mode, which significantly enhances the condensation heat transfer. We reveal that the mechanism for self-shedding is two-fold: (1) that the external force on condensate bulk defeats the adhesive force between the condensate and the solid surface triggers the self-shedding; (2) the release of the surface free energy of condensate promotes the self-shedding. We also reveal that the mechanism of heat transfer enhancement is essentially due to the timely suppression over the growing condensate bulk on the condensing surface through the self-shedding and sweeping. Finally, we discuss the possible applications.
Amalaki rasayana, a traditional Indian drug enhances cardiac mitochondrial and contractile functions and improves cardiac function in rats with hypertrophy
Authors: Kumar Vikas , Aneesh kumar A. , Kshemada K. , Ajith Kumar G. S. , Binil Raj S. S. , Deora Neha , Sanjay G. , Jaleel A. , Muraleedharan T. S. , Anandan E. M. , Mony R. S , Valiathan M. S. , Santhosh Kumar T. R. , Kartha C. C
Published: August 2017

We evaluated the cardioprotective effect of Amalaki Rasayana (AR), a rejuvenating Ayurvedic drug prepared from Phyllanthusemblica fruits in the reversal of remodeling changes in pressure overload left ventricular cardiac hypertrophy (LVH) and age-associated cardiac dysfunction in male Wistar rats. Six groups (aging groups) of 3 months old animals were given either AR or ghee and honey (GH) orally; seventh group was untreated. Ascending aorta was constricted using titanium clips in 3 months old rats (N = 24; AC groups) and after 6 months, AR or GH was given for further 12 months to two groups; one group was untreated. Histology, gene and protein expression analysis were done in heart tissues. Chemical composition of AR was analyzed by HPLC, HPTLC and LC-MS. AR intake improved (P < 0.05) cardiac function in aging rats and decreased LVH (P < 0.05) in AC rats as well as increased (P < 0.05) fatigue time in treadmill exercise in both groups. In heart tissues of AR administered rats of both the groups, SERCA2, CaM, Myh11, antioxidant, autophagy, oxidative phosphorylation and TCA cycle proteins were up regulated. ADRB1/2 and pCREB expression were increased; pAMPK, NF-kB were decreased. AR has thus a beneficial effect on myocardial energetics, muscle contractile function and exercise tolerance capacity.
Inter-brain network underlying turn-based cooperation and competition: A hyperscanning study using near-infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Liu Tao , Saito Godai , Lin Chenhui , Saito Hirofumi
Published: August 2017

The present study examined neural substrates underlying turn-based cooperation and competition in a real two-person situation. We simultaneously measured pairs of participants’ activations in their bilateral frontal, temporal, and parietal regions using a 96-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system, when participants played a turn-taking disk-game on a computer. NIRS data demonstrated significant inter-brain neural synchronization (INS) across participant pairs’ right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) in both the cooperation and competition conditions, and the competition condition also involved significant INS in the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL). In addition, competitive dyads’ INS in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) may play as a role of mediation in relationship between their empathy score and disk-manipulation latency, but cooperative dyads’ INS did not. These results suggest that first the right pSTS may be commonly involved in both cooperation and competition due to task demands of joint attention and intention understanding, while the right IPL may be more important for competition due to additional requirements of mentalizing resources in competing contexts. Second, participants’ empathy may promote INS in the bilateral IFG across competitors, and in turn affect their competitive performance.
In vivo regulation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β activity in neurons and brains
Authors: Krishnankutty Ambika , Kimura Taeko , Saito Taro , Aoyagi Kyota , Asada Akiko , Takahashi Shin-Ichiro , Ando Kanae , Ohara-Imaizumi Mica , Ishiguro Koichi , Hisanaga Shin-ichi
Published: August 2017

Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) is a multifunctional protein kinase involved in many cellular activities including development, differentiation and diseases. GSK3β is thought to be constitutively activated by autophosphorylation at Tyr216 and inactivated by phosphorylation at Ser9. The GSK3β activity has previously been evaluated by inhibitory Ser9 phosphorylation, but it does not necessarily indicate the kinase activity itself. Here, we applied the Phos-tag SDS-PAGE technique to the analysis of GSK3β phosphoisotypes in cells and brains. There were three phosphoisotypes of GSK3β; double phosphorylation at Ser9 and Tyr216, single phosphorylation at Tyr216 and the nonphosphorylated isotype. Active GSK3β with phosphorylation at Tyr216 represented half or more of the total GSK3β in cultured cells. Although levels of phospho-Ser9 were increased by insulin treatment, Ser9 phosphorylation occurred only in a minor fraction of GSK3β. In mouse brains, GSK3β was principally in the active form with little Ser9 phosphorylation, and the phosphoisotypes of GSK3β changed depending on the regions of the brain, age, sex and disease conditions. These results indicate that the Phos-tag SDS-PAGE method provides a simple and appropriate measurement of active GSK3β in vivo, and the activity is regulated by the mechanism other than phosphorylation on Ser9.
Majority of human traits do not show evidence for sex-specific genetic and environmental effects
Authors: Stringer Sven , Polderman Tinca J. C. , Posthuma Danielle
Published: August 2017

Sex differences in the etiology of human trait variation are a major topic of interest in the social and medical sciences given its far-reaching implications. For example, in genetic research, the presence of sex-specific effects would require sex-stratified analysis, and in clinical practice sex-specific treatments would be warranted. Here, we present a study of 2,335,920 twin pairs, in which we tested sex differences in genetic and environmental contributions to variation in 2,608 reported human traits, clustered in 50 trait categories. Monozygotic and dizygotic male and female twin correlations were used to test whether the amount of genetic and environmental influences was equal between the sexes. By comparing dizygotic opposite sex twin correlations with dizygotic same sex twin correlations we could also test whether sex-specific genetic or environmental factors were involved. We observed for only 3% of all trait categories sex differences in the amount of etiological influences. Sex-specific genetic factors were observed for 25% of trait categories, often involving obviously sex-dependent trait categories such as puberty-related disorders. Our findings show that for most traits the number of sex-specific genetic variants will be small. For those traits where we do report sexual dimorphism, sex-specific approaches may aid in future gene-finding efforts.
CRISPR/Cas9 editing reveals novel mechanisms of clustered microRNA regulation and function
Authors: Lataniotis Lazaros , Albrecht Andreas , Kok Fatma O. , Monfries Clinton A. L. , Benedetti Lorena , Lawson Nathan D. , Hughes Simon M. , Steinhofel Kathleen , Mayr Manuel , Zampetaki Anna
Published: August 2017

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of diverse physiological and pathophysiological processes. MiRNA families and clusters are two key features in miRNA biology. Here we explore the use of CRISPR/Cas9 as a powerful tool to delineate the function and regulation of miRNA families and clusters. We focused on four miRNA clusters composed of miRNA members of the same family, homo-clusters or different families, hetero-clusters. Our results highlight different regulatory mechanisms in miRNA cluster expression. In the case of the miR-497~195 cluster, editing of miR-195 led to a significant decrease in the expression of the other miRNA in the cluster, miR-497a. Although no gene editing was detected in the miR-497a genomic locus, computational simulation revealed alteration in the three dimensional structure of the pri-miR-497~195 that may affect its processing. In cluster miR-143~145 our results imply a feed-forward regulation, although structural changes cannot be ruled out. Furthermore, in the miR-17~92 and miR-106~25 clusters no interdependency in miRNA expression was observed. Our findings suggest that CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful gene editing tool that can uncover novel mechanisms of clustered miRNA regulation and function.
An electrochemical sensor for dopamine based on polydopamine modified reduced graphene oxide anchored with tin dioxide and gold nanoparticles
Authors: Cui Xiaoqing , Fang Xian , Zhao Hong , Li Zengxi , Ren Hongxuan
Published: August 2017

In the present work, polydopamine (PDA) modified reduced graphene oxide (pRGO)/SnO2/Au nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized.
Discovering potential driver genes through an integrated model of somatic mutation profiles and gene functional information
Authors: Xi Jianing , Wang Minghui , Li Ao
Published: August 2017

An integrated approach to identify driver genes based on information of somatic mutations, the interaction network and Gene Ontology similarity.
Dual active nitrogen doped hierarchical porous hollow carbon nanospheres as an oxygen reduction electrocatalyst for zinc–air batteries
Authors: Zhu Jiawei , Zhou Huang , Zhang Chengtian , Zhang Jian , Mu Shichun
Published: August 2017

Advanced dual active N-doped hollow carbon nanospheres possess superior ORR performance and can be applied in practical electrochemical energy devices.
A general strategy for synthesizing high-coercivity L10-FePt nanoparticles
Authors: Lei Wenjuan , Yu Yongsheng , Yang Weiwei , Feng Ming , Li Haibo
Published: August 2017

It is extremely desirable but challenging to develop a facile solution phase synthesis to directly prepare well-dispersed L10-FePt nanoparticles (NPs) to meet the requirements of advanced magnets in modern industry and information technology.
1,5-Electrocyclization of conjugated azomethine ylides derived from 3-formyl chromene and N-alkyl amino acids/esters
Authors: Pravardhan Reddy E. , Sumankumar A. , Sridhar B. , Hemasri Y. , Jayaprakash Rao Y. , Subba Reddy B. V.
Published: August 2017

A novel strategy has been developed for the synthesis of chromeno[3,4-b]pyrrol-4(3H)-one and substituted pyrrole derivatives. This is the first example of the preparation of highly substituted pyrrole derivatives from chromene-3-carboxaldehydes.
Ir(iii)-Catalyzed site-selective amidation of azoxybenzenes and late-stage transformation
Authors: Zhang Wenge , Deng Hong , Li Hongji
Published: August 2017

An efficient site-selective C–H amidation of azoxybenzenes with 1,4,2-dioxazol-5-ones by Ir catalysis has been established for the diversification of azoxybenzenes.
Comparison of the exergy efficiency of four power generation systems from methane using fuel cells
Authors: Wang Zhe , Fan Weiyu , Zhang Guangqing
Published: August 2017

Exergy analyses on four solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems using methane as the original fuel are conducted.
Formation of graphene-encapsulated CoS2hybrid composites with hierarchical structures for high-performance lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Tao Shi , Huang Weifeng , Xie Hui , Zhang Jing , Wang Zhicheng , Chu Wangsheng , Qian Bin , Song Li
Published: August 2017

Hierarchical structure CoS2nanospheres with graphene (CoS2/G) composite is fabricated by a simple hydrothermal method. This composite exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, especially long cycle life.
Study on the kinetics of S(iv) oxidation in the basic aluminum sulfate wet flue gas desulfurization process
Authors: Chen Min , Deng Xianhe , He Feiqiang
Published: August 2017

Through a stirred bubbling apparatus, the kinetics of S(iv) oxidation in basic aluminum sulfate (BAS) rich solution were investigated by varying the components of the BAS solution, concentration of S(iv), temperature, air flow and oxygen partial pressure.
Valorization of an underused sugar derived from hemicellulose: efficient synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from mannose with aluminum salt catalyst in dimethyl sulfoxide/water mixed solvent
Authors: Jia Songyan , He Xinjun , Xu Zhanwei
Published: August 2017

Mannose, an underused sugar derived from hemicellulose, can be effectively converted into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) with aluminum chloride catalyst under mild conditions, offering useful reference for the refinery of biomass in the future.
Ketones as directing groups in photocatalytic sp3 C–H fluorination
Authors: Bume Desta Doro , Pitts Cody Ross , Ghorbani Fereshte , Harry Stefan Andrew , Capilato Joseph N. , Siegler Maxime A. , Lectka Thomas
Published: August 2017

Visible light-sensitization allows conformationally rigid ketones to act as “directing groups” for aliphatic fluorination using Selectfluor, catalytic benzil, and LEDs.
UV and NIR dual-responsive self-assembly systems based on a novel coumarin derivative surfactant
Authors: Wang Dong , Hou Xiaojun , Ma Bente , Sun Yawei , Wang Jiqian
Published: August 2017

A dual-responsive surfactant system.
Lightweight flexible carbon nanotube/polyaniline films with outstanding EMI shielding properties
Authors: Li Hui , Lu Xuehong , Yuan Du , Sun Jiaotong , Erden Fuat , Wang Fuke , He Chaobin
Published: August 2017

Flexible and highly conductive CNT/PANI films were developed for EMI shielding applications, which exhibited the highest specific shielding effectiveness among those reported.
The influence of prenatal exercise and pre-eclampsia on maternal vascular function
Authors: Skow Rachel J. , King Emily C. , Steinback Craig D. , Davenport Margie H.
Published: August 2017

During healthy pregnancy, the cardiovascular system undergoes diverse adaptations to support adequate transfer of oxygen and nutrients from mother to fetus. In order to accommodate the large expansion of blood volume and associated cardiac output, the structure, mechanics, and function of the arteries are altered. Specifically, in healthy pregnancy there is a remodeling of arteries (increased angiogenesis and vasodilation), a generalized reduction in arterial stiffness (increased compliance), and an enhanced endothelial function. The development of pregnancy complications, specifically pre-eclampsia, is associated with poor placentation (decreased angiogenesis), increased arterial stiffness, and vascular dysfunction (reduced endothelial function). Many of the positive adaptations that occur in healthy pregnancy are enhanced in response to chronic exercise. Specifically, placental angiogenesis and endothelial function have been shown to improve to a greater extent in women who are active during their pregnancy compared with those who are not. Prenatal exercise may be important in helping to reduce the risk of vascular dysfunction in pregnancy. However, our knowledge of the vascular adaptations resulting from maternal exercise is limited. This review highlights maternal vascular adaptations occurring during healthy pregnancy, and contrasts the vascular maladaptation associated with pre-eclampsia. Finally, we discuss the role of prenatal exercise on vascular function in the potential prevention of vascular complications associated with pre-eclampsia.
Dysphagia and Speech-Language Pathology Involvement Following Chemical Ingestion Injury: A Review of 44 Cases Admitted to a Quaternary Australian Hospital (2008–2012)
Authors: Rumbach Anna F. , Cremer Rebecca
Published: August 2017

Purpose

This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics of an adult chemical ingestion population and examine the course of return to oral intake post injury and speech-language pathologist (SLP) involvement during the initial acute-care admission.

Method

A retrospective chart review of adults admitted to a quaternary hospital for the treatment of an acute chemical ingestion injury between 2008 and 2012 was conducted.

Results

Forty-four adults (23 men, 21 women) were identified as receiving treatment for ingestion injury, of whom 18 (40.91%) required altered oral intake. Of those requiring altered oral intake, 50% were referred to SLPs. Individuals requiring altered oral intake were significantly (
p
< .05) older, more likely to be men, and present with more severe injuries requiring longer ICU and hospital admissions following intentional chemical ingestions than those who were able to commence a normal oral diet without any alteration or nonoral supplementation. By discharge, 15.91% (
n
= 7) of the total cohort had not resumed normal oral intake.

Conclusions

Return to oral intake post chemical ingestion injury can be protracted and complex. Referrals to SLPs were limited. These data may aid prognostic insight as well as provide (a) collateral information to assist discharge planning and follow-up and (b) background for evaluating the potential for SLP involvement.
The Effect of Dynamic Pitch on Speech Recognition in Temporally Modulated Noise
Authors: Shen Jing , Souza Pamela E.
Published: August 2017

Purpose

This study investigated the effect of dynamic pitch in target speech on older and younger listeners' speech recognition in temporally modulated noise. First, we examined whether the benefit from dynamic-pitch cues depends on the temporal modulation of noise. Second, we tested whether older listeners can benefit from dynamic-pitch cues for speech recognition in noise. Last, we explored the individual factors that predict the amount of dynamic-pitch benefit for speech recognition in noise.

Method

Younger listeners with normal hearing and older listeners with varying levels of hearing sensitivity participated in the study, in which speech reception thresholds were measured with sentences in nonspeech noise.

Results

The younger listeners benefited more from dynamic pitch for speech recognition in temporally modulated noise than unmodulated noise. Older listeners were able to benefit from the dynamic-pitch cues but received less benefit from noise modulation than the younger listeners. For those older listeners with hearing loss, the amount of hearing loss strongly predicted the dynamic-pitch benefit for speech recognition in noise.

Conclusions

Dynamic-pitch cues aid speech recognition in noise, particularly when noise has temporal modulation. Hearing loss negatively affects the dynamic-pitch benefit to older listeners with significant hearing loss.
Quantisation and pooling method for low‐inference‐latency spiking neural networks
Authors: Lin Zhitao , Shen Juncheng , Ma De , Meng Jianyi
Published: August 2017

Spiking neural network (SNN) that converted from conventional deep neural network (DNN) has shown great potential as a solution for fast and efficient recognition. A layer‐wise quantisation method based on retraining is proposed to quantise the activation of DNN, which reduces the number of time steps required by converted SNN to achieve minimal accuracy loss. Pooling function is incorporated into convolutional layers to reduce at most 20% of spiking neurons. The converted SNNs achieved 99.15% accuracy on MNIST and 82.9% on CIFAR10 by only seven time steps, and only 10–40% of spikes need to be processed compared with networks using traditional algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed methods are able to build hardware‐friendly SNNs with ultra‐low‐inference latency.
Solvability conditions for the positive real lemma equations in the discrete time
Authors: Ferrante Augusto , Ntogramatzidis Lorenzo
Published: August 2017

Passivity theory and the positive real lemma have been recognised as two of the cornerstones of modern systems and control theory. As digital control is pervasive in virtually all control applications, developing a general theory on the discrete‐time positive real lemma appears to be an important issue. While for minimal realisations the relations between passivity, positive‐realness and existence of solutions of the positive real lemma equations is very well understood, it seems fair to say that this is not the case in the discrete‐time case, especially when the realisation is non‐minimal and no conditions are assumed on left‐ and/or right‐invertibility of the transfer function. The purpose of this study is to present a necessary and sufficient condition for existence of solutions of the positive real equations under the only assumption that the state matrix A is asymptotically stable.
Skeleton‐based human activity recognition for elderly monitoring systems
Authors: Hbali Youssef , Hbali Sara , Ballihi Lahoucine , Sadgal Mohammed
Published: August 2017

There is a significantly increasing demand for monitoring systems for elderly people in the health‐care sector. As the aging population increases, patient privacy violations and the cost of elderly assistance have driven the research community toward computer vision and image processing to design and deploy new systems for monitoring the elderly in the authors’ society and turning their living houses into smart environments. By exploiting recent advances and the low cost of three‐dimensional (3D) depth sensors such as Microsoft Kinect, the authors propose a new skeleton‐based approach to describe the spatio‐temporal aspects of a human activity sequence, using the Minkowski and cosine distances between the 3D joints. We trained and validated their approach on the Microsoft MSR 3D Action and MSR Daily Activity 3D datasets using the Extremely Randomised Trees algorithm. The results are very promising, demonstrating that the trained model can be used to build a monitoring system for the elderly using open‐source libraries and a low‐cost depth sensor.
Regional protection scheme for distribution network based on logical information
Authors: Ma Jing , Xiang Xiaoqiang , Zhang Runfeng , Li Pei , Liu Jing , Thorp James S.
Published: August 2017

In view of the incorrect operation of local protection caused by multiple distributed generations (DGs) and branches in distribution system, a regional protection scheme for distribution network based on logical information is proposed here. Moreover, a regional centralised protection system in parallel with and independent from the existing protection system is constructed. First, the problems in local current protection of lines with multiple DGs and branches are analysed. On this basis, protection regionalisation is conducted according to the configuration of circuit breakers. Also then, by combining the start‐up information of existing over‐current protection set‐I, set‐II, and set‐III, the operation criterion of regional protection is formed. Simulation tests on the IEEE 33‐node distribution system verify that, the proposed scheme could accurately locate in‐zone fault and block out‐of‐zone fault, accelerate protection operation, and shorten the outage time. Besides, the proposed criterion is fault tolerant due to redundancy in the multi‐source information used. With small amount of information transmission, the requirement on information synchronisation is low.
Reduced‐switch SCALDO: an extra low‐frequency DC–DC converter technique for VRM applications
Authors: Wickramasinghe Thilini , Kularatna Nihal , Steyn‐Ross Alistair
Published: August 2017

State‐of‐the‐art microprocessors require very low DC‐voltages at sub‐1 V levels. Many processors draw high‐current at low voltages and require low‐noise DC‐power rails. Switched‐mode power supply (SMPS) topologies are the common approach to design voltage regulator modules (VRMs). Fast operations of switches in SMPSs allow the use of smaller inductors but ultimately result in radio frequency and electromagnetic interference issues. Compared to SMPSs, linear regulators have lower noise, high quality DC output, and faster response to the load high‐current slew rates; however, with the serious disadvantage of low efficiency. Supercapacitor assisted low‐dropout (SCALDO) regulator is a technique to achieve high end‐to‐end efficiency (ETEE) for linear regulator‐based converters. Though, the switch‐operation frequency is extremely low, number of switches required for SCALDO configuration is three times larger than that of supercapacitors. Reduced‐switch SCALDO (RS‐SCALDO) is a topological variation of SCALDO that requires fewer switches. By designing an alternately operated high‐current LDO pair, RS‐SCALDO can handle high load currents, allowing development of a linear VRM. This study presents a proof of concept prototype of 3.5‐to‐1.5 V RS‐SCALDO for a maximum 5 A load with digitally adjustable output voltages. The prototype achieved an ETEE better than 80%, and required half the switch count of an equivalent SCALDO circuit.
Optimum transformer turns ratio for the power supply of dielectric barrier discharge lamps
Authors: Rueda Vanesa , Diez Rafael , Piquet Hubert
Published: August 2017

This study is focused on studying a resonant current converter for the electrical supply of dielectric barrier discharge devices. To understand the impact of parasitic capacitances and incorporate them into the design of an optimised power supply, this approach theoretically analyses a boost‐based resonant converter, considering switch capacitance and analysing the impact of the transformer turns ratio on the system's electrical efficiency. The theoretical loss analysis shows a considerable variation in efficiency for different transformer turns ratios (between 38 and 90%). At low turns ratios, most of the losses are caused by switching, whereas at high turns ratios, the conduction losses outweigh the switching losses. The impact of the transformer stray capacitance is analysed via simulation and the optimised converter is used for the experimental validation of the theoretical study.
Switching strategy for improving the lifetime of dc‐link capacitor in a fault‐tolerant active power decoupling topology
Authors: Pradeep Kumar Vetcham V.S. , Fernandes Baylon G.
Published: August 2017

Reliability is an important requirement for a grid‐connected photovoltaic (PV) system in remote military‐secured areas, which are difficult to access for system maintenance. However, the reliability of the PV system is reduced by the use of electrolytic capacitors in inverters. Active power decoupling (APD) topologies eliminate the need for these capacitors by using an additional decoupling circuit. However, the vulnerability of switching devices to failure is another reason for reduced reliability of inverters, which is not addressed in these topologies. Several fault‐tolerant topologies are proposed in literature to address this limitation. However, these topologies use electrolytic capacitors in dc‐link, which affects the overall reliability of inverter. To address these limitations, a fault‐tolerant strategy is proposed in this study. In the proposed strategy, a conventional APD topology is used along with an electrolytic capacitor in the dc‐link. The lifetime of the capacitor is improved using the decoupling circuit of the APD topology. In this regard, a switching strategy is proposed, using which the current flowing through dc‐link capacitor is reduced. Furthermore, in the event of a device fault, the topology continues to function like the conventional H‐bridge inverter. The operation of proposed strategy is validated through simulation and experimental studies.
Jamming recognition method based on the polarisation scattering characteristics of chaff clouds
Authors: Liu Yemin , Xing Shiqi , Li Yongzhen , Hou Dong , Wang Xuesong
Published: August 2017

Chaff is composed of small and thin pieces of glass fibres plated with aluminium or silver and is dispersed in the air like a cloud from air fighters or warships. The length of a chaff fibre is generally much smaller than the radar resolution and its orientation is random in chaff clouds. Therefore, chaff clouds can be viewed as anisotropic needle‐like particles. For such kind of target, according to the polarimetric decomposition theorem, identifying the dominant physical scattering mechanism is the polarimetric scattering parameter, which is a roll‐invariant parameter. As a result, this parameter is introduced to investigate the scattering characteristics of chaff clouds here. Theoretical analysis shows that this parameter of chaff clouds with three typical orientation distributions varies between and . Moreover, when the azimuth angles of chaff clouds meet the uniform distribution, the correlation of chaff clouds between the co‐ and cross‐polarised channels vanishes. To this end, the polarisation scattering characteristics of chaff clouds mentioned above are validated by numerical simulation, and a study is also carried out to compare the chaff clouds with other targets, which confirms the feasibility and real‐time of chaff jamming recognition by support vector machine classification method.
The abundance of ultra-diffuse galaxies from groups to clusters
Authors: van der Burg Remco F. J. , Hoekstra Henk , Muzzin Adam , Sifón Cristóbal , Viola Massimo , Bremer Malcolm N. , Brough Sarah , Driver Simon P. , Erben Thomas , Heymans Catherine , Hildebrandt Hendrik , Holwerda Benne W. , Klaes Dominik , Kuijken Konrad , McGee Sean , Nakajima Reiko , Napolitano Nicola , Norberg Peder , Taylor Edward N. , Valentijn Edwin
Published: August 2017

In recent years, many studies have reported substantial populations of large galaxies with low surface brightness in local galaxy clusters. Various theories that aim to explain the presence of such ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) have since been proposed. A key question that will help to distinguish between models is whether UDGs have counterparts in host haloes with lower masses, and if so, what their abundance as a function of halo mass is. We here extend our previous study of UDGs in galaxy clusters to galaxy groups. We measure the abundance of UDGs in 325 spectroscopically selected groups from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. We make use of the overlapping imaging from the ESO Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS), from which we can identify galaxies with mean surface brightnesses within their effective radii down to ~25.5 mag arcsec-2 in the r band. We are able to measure a significant overdensity of UDGs (with sizes reff ≥ 1.5 kpc) in galaxy groups down to M200 = 1012 M⊙, a regime where approximately only one in ten groups contains a UDG that we can detect. We combine measurements of the abundance of UDGs in haloes that cover three orders of magnitude in halo mass, finding that their numbers scale quite steeply with halo mass: NUDG(R < R200) ∝ M2001.11±0.07. To better interpret this, we also measure the mass-richness relation for brighter galaxies down to Mr* + 2.5 in the same GAMA groups, and find a much shallower relation of NBright(R < R200) ∝ M2000.78±0.05. This shows that compared to bright galaxies, UDGs are relatively more abundant in massive clusters than in groups. We discuss the implications, but it is still unclear whether this difference is related to a higher destruction rate of UDGs in groups or if massive haloes have a positive effect on UDG formation.
Expectations of Shoulder Surgery Are Not Altered by Surgeon Counseling of the Patient
Authors: Lawrence Cassandra , Zmistowski Benjamin , Lazarus Mark , Abboud Joseph , Williams Gerald , Namdari Surena
Published: August 2017

Purpose The primary objective of this study was to evaluate if the current mechanisms of preoperative counseling influence patients' expectations of shoulder surgery.

Methods Patients were asked to complete the Hospital for Special Surgery's (HSS) Shoulder Surgery Expectations Survey. The first survey was completed before the first appointment with one of four fellowship-trained shoulder surgeons. The second survey was completed after patients consented for surgery. Our analysis also included patient demographics and surgical factors.

Results A total of 41 patients completed the HSS Shoulder Surgery Expectations Survey before and after their first appointment with the surgeon during which they consented to shoulder surgery. Before seeing the surgeon, the mean HSS Shoulder Surgery Expectations score was 72.5. After seeing the surgeon and being consented for surgery, the mean HSS Shoulder Surgery Expectations score was 74.8. The mean change in HSS Shoulder Surgery Expectations score (+2.3) was not statistically significant (p value = 0.242). We did not find any significant correlations between patients' expectations and demographics or surgical factors. Total HSS Shoulder Surgery Expectations scores and change in scores were not statistically different between the four surgeons (p = 0.146).

Conclusion Patient expectations were not substantially altered after preoperative counseling. Further investigation is necessary to investigate factors correlated with expectations, the implication of unaltered expectations on the postoperative outcome, and methods for improving the preoperative counseling process.

Level of Evidence Level II, prospective cohort study.
Jugular Foramen Meningioma with Transverse and Sigmoid Sinuses Invasion and Jugular Vein Extension
Authors: Radovanovic Ivan , Cabrilo Ivan , Schaller Carlo , Brodard Jeremy
Published: August 2017

We present the case of a jugular foramen meningioma with predominantly intraluminal invasion of the transverse, sigmoid sinuses, jugular bulb, and internal jugular vein with venous occlusion in a 45-year-old woman. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and conventional angiography were performed preoperatively and revealed a right-sided extra-axial dural-based mass in the jugular foramen. The surgical approach was a high cervical approach with exposure of the internal carotid artery, jugular vein, and cranial nerves IX to XII as well as a combined posterior temporo-basal and retrosigmoid craniotomy with mastoidectomy and posterior retrolabyrinthine petrosectomy. The transverse, sigmoid sinuses, jugular bulb, and superior internal jugular vein were removed en bloc, and the exophytic intradural tumor extension around cranial nerves IX, X, XI, and XII was resected subtotally. Postoperatively, the patient presented a transient right facial weakness (House-Brackmann II). MRI showed partial resection. This is the first case report of a jugular foramen meningioma with transverse and sigmoid sinuses invasion and jugular vein extension in the adult population.
Schwannom des Magens: seltene Differenzialdiagnose einer akuten oberen gastrointestinalen Blutung
Authors: Lyros Orestis , Schickel Stephan , Schierle Katrin , Hoffmeister Albrecht , Gockel Ines
Published: August 2017

Schwannome sind benigne Tumoren der Schwann-Zellen und manifestieren sich hauptsächlich am Körperstamm und im Bereich der Extremitäten. Gastrointestinale Schwannome sind extrem selten, treten am häufigsten im Magen auf und verlaufen meist asymptomatisch.

Wir berichten über ein Schwannom des Magens, das sich durch Hämatemesis auf dem Boden einer akuten oberen GI-Blutung bei einem 51-jährigen Mann klinisch manifestierte. Die Endoskopie des oberen Gastrointestinaltrakts erbrachte eine submuköse Raumforderung des Magenfundus von ca. 7 cm Durchmesser. Die anschließende Endosonografie des Magens zeigte den Ursprung der Raumforderung in der 4. Wandschicht (Muscularis propria) bei klar abgrenzbaren Rändern. Der Ursprung in der 4. Schicht sowie die im Vergleich mit der Echogenität der regulären Muskelschichten bestehende Isoechogenität finden sich signifikant häufiger beim Schwannom des Magens als beim gastrointestinalen Stromatumor. Endoskopisch-bioptisch konnte präoperativ keine klare Diagnose erzielt werden. Wir führten die endoskopisch-laparoskopische Magen-Wedge-Resektion des Fundus durch (in Rendezvous-Technik). Die Diagnose eines Schwannoms erfolgte nach histopathologischer Untersuchung mit Immunhistochemie mit typischer Positivität für das S100-Antigen, ohne Zeichen der Malignität. Der postoperative Verlauf war unauffällig.

Die Erstmanifestation eines Schwannoms des Magens mit gastrointestinaler Blutung ist in der Literatur mit ca. 14 % der Fälle eher selten und wird überwiegend mit okkultem Blut im Stuhl bzw. Meläna angegeben – im Gegensatz zu unserem Patienten mit akuter oberer gastrointestinaler Blutung.
Adäquate Aktivierung der Arm- und Schultermuskeln
Authors: Pühringer Martin , Strutzenberger Gerda , Holzner Konrad , Schwameder Hermann
Published: August 2017

REHA AN DER KLETTERWAND Therapeutisches Klettern wird zunehmend in der Behandlung von orthopädisch-traumatischen Erkrankungen
eingesetzt. Allerdings liegen nur wenige wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse über die Wirkungsweise dieser Behandlungsmethode vor. Die
vorliegende Studie liefert erstmals Daten über die Aktivierung der Arm- und Schultermuskeln während einer statischen therapeutischen
Kletterübung und zeigt Möglichkeiten auf, diese mittels verschiedener Übungsvariationen zu verändern.
Rechtliche Abgrenzung bei pflanzlichen Gesundheitsprodukten zur Anwendung auf der Haut
Authors: Latté Klaus , Niederland Nils , Zoost Christiane
Published: August 2017

Gesundheitsprodukte zur äußerlichen Anwendung einschließlich pflanzlicher Produkte können den rechtlichen Produktkategorien Arzneimittel, Medizinprodukte, Biozide oder kosmetische Mittel zugeordnet werden. Die Abgrenzung dieser Produktkategorien in Deutschland erfolgt unter Berücksichtigung der nationalen und der EU-Gesetzgebung, jeweils bezogen auf die Merkmale des einzelnen Produktes. Wesentliche Kriterien bei der Klassifizierung sind die Zweckbestimmung (pflegend vs. therapeutisch / krankheitsbezogen) sowie die Konzentration, die Tagesdosierung und der Wirkungsmechanismus der wirksamen Bestandteile.
Sozialmedizin und Schnittstellen in der sektoralen Versorgung
Authors: Gerber Hans , Alex Christian , Penz Michael , Röder Michael , von Mittelstaedt Gert
Published: August 2017

Neben der Betrachtung der Individualmedizin hat die Sozialmedizin die sozialen Bezüge von Gesundheit und Krankheit im Fokus. Sie reflektiert in diesem Zusammenhang die Strukturen des gesamten Gesundheitssystems, dessen Funktionen und Funktionsdefizite. Sie befasst sich mit den spezifischen Wechselwirkungen zwischen Medizin und Gesellschaft und hat eine Brückenfunktion zu den klassischen Sozialwissenschaften 1. Von besonderem Interesse sind dabei die Schnittstellen in der sektoralen Versorgung. Die Arbeitsgruppe „Pflege“ des Fachbereichs „Praktische Sozialmedizin und Rehabilitation“ der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Sozialmedizin und Prävention, DGSMP, betrachtet wesentliche Schnittstellen in unserem sektoralen Versorgungssystem aus sozialmedizinischer Sicht in ihrer derzeitigen Funktion und Perspektive, v. a in Anbetracht der demografischen Herausforderungen der Zukunft. Von besonderer Bedeutung ist hierbei die Schnittstelle zwischen medizinischer und pflegerischer Versorgung im akutstationären und häuslichen Bereich sowie im Bereich der geriatrischen Versorgung einschließlich präventiver Maßnahmen. Mit diesem Beitrag soll eine Diskussion angeregt werden.
Littlejohn: Osteopathie als angewandte Wissenschaft
Authors: Hartmann Christian
Published: August 2017

A.T. Still hatte in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts die grundlegenden Prinzipien seiner Philosophie der Osteopathie dargelegt. J.M.
Littlejohn übernahm diese und erarbeitete die ihr zu Grunde liegende Verbindung zwischen biomechanischem Handeln und physiologischer Wirkung
auf naturwissenschaftlicher Ebene. Damit legte er nicht nur den Grundstein für die Weiterentwicklung der ursprünglichen Osteopathie, sondern
erweiterte sie sowohl in ihrem Denken als auch in ihrer Anwendung.
Überblick über die Entwicklung und den aktuellen Stand der Analyse von Potenzialen motorischer Einheiten (quantitatives EMG)
Authors: Bischoff Christian
Published: August 2017

Der Artikel gibt einen Überblick über die Entwicklung der quantitativen Analyse der Potenziale motorischer Einheiten von den Anfängen bis zu den modernen Multi-MUP Analysesystemen. Besonderer Wert wird dabei auf die Darstellung der den Methoden immanenten Problemen und Fehlerquellen gelegt. Die Schwierigkeiten der Mittelwertbildung der deskriptiven Potenzialanalyse und der Lösungsansatz der Ausreißer-Methode bei der Beurteilung neuromuskulärer Prozesse werden diskutiert.
Motion-induced eddy current thermography for high-speed inspection
Authors: Wu Jianbo , Li Kongjing , Tian Guiyun , Zhu Junzhen , Gao Yunlai , Tang Chaoqing , Chen Xiaotian
Published: August 2017

This letter proposes a novel motion-induced eddy current based thermography (MIECT) for high-speed inspection. In contrast to conventional eddy current thermography (ECT) based on a time-varying magnetic field created by an AC coil, the motion-induced eddy current is induced by the relative motion between magnetic field and inspected objects. A rotating magnetic field created by three-phase windings is used to investigate the heating principle and feasibility of the proposed method. Firstly, based on Faraday’s law the distribution of MIEC is investigated, which is then validated by numerical simulation. Further, experimental studies are conducted to validate the proposed method by creating rotating magnetic fields at different speeds from 600 rpm to 6000 rpm, and it is verified that rotating speed will increase MIEC intensity and thereafter improve the heating efficiency. The conclusion can be preliminarily drawn that the proposed MIECT is a platform suitable for high-speed inspection.
Electric field effect on magnetic anisotropy for Fe-Pt-Pd alloys
Authors: Kikushima S. , Seki T. , Uchida K. , Saitoh E. , Takanashi K.
Published: August 2017

The electric field effect on magnetic anisotropy was investigated for the FePt1-xPdx alloy films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The polar magneto-optical Kerr (p-MOKE) loops were measured under the electric field application in order to evaluate the electric field-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy change per area (Δεperpt). A clear change in the saturation field of p-MOKE loop was observed for FePt by varying the applied electric field (ΔE). In the case of FePt, Δεperpt divided by ΔE was evaluated to be -129 (fJ/Vm). We found that the magnitude of Δεperpt / ΔE was significantly reduced with increasing x.
Advances in the understanding of the Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii species complexes and cryptococcosis
Authors: Firacative Carolina , Trilles Luciana , Meyer Wieland
Published: August 2017

The rising incidence of cryptococcosis, a potentially fatal fungal infection affecting both immunocompromised and immunocompetent humans and animals, and the emergence of disease outbreaks, has increased the need for more in-depth studies and constant vigilance of its two etiological agents, the cosmopolitan and well known Cryptococcus neoformans and its sibling species C. gattii. As a result, a global scientific network has established formal links between institutions to gain better insights into Cryptococcus and cryptococcosis, enabling collaborations amongst researchers with different backgrounds, perspectives and skills. Interdisciplinary projects include: (1) the study of the ecology and geographical distribution of the agents of cryptococcosis; (2) the application of new alternative methodologies for the rapid and accurate identification of the two sibling species and major molecular types/possible cryptic species (VNI-VNIV and VGI-VGIV); (3) the use of different animal models of infection to assess cryptococcal pathogenesis and virulence factors; and (4) population genetics studies directed towards the discovery of virulence/tissue tropism associated genetic signatures. These studies enrich the knowledge and understanding of the epidemiology of this mycosis and help to better comprehend fungal virulence, genetics, pathogenesis, antifungal susceptibility, as well as investigating the regional and global spread, to improve treatment options of the disease caused by these important emerging pathogenic yeasts.
Benchmarking and mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions from manures and fertilisers used in temperate vegetable crops in Australia
Authors: Porter Ian , Riches David , Scheer Clemens
Published: August 2017

This study benchmarked N2O and CO2 emissions in heavily (>1 Nitrogen t annually) manured and fertilised sandy soils in temperate Australia and demonstrated the mitigation of N2O emissions using the nitrification inhibitor (NI) 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP). Three field trials conducted on celery crops from 2014 to 2016 showed that the traditional practice of adding composted chicken manure (4.5–8.0 t ha–1) to the surface of sandy soils produced large spikes in daily emissions of N2O (up to 1860 g ha–1 day–1) and that further spikes occurred with each subsequent fertiliser application. Pre-crop incorporation of manure (8–9 t ha–1) rather than surface application reduced the daily N2O-N emission flux from 1800 to <200 g ha–1 day–1. The use of DMPP, applied to both manures and fertilisers, reduced cumulative N2O emissions during the cropping period by 64–76%, with greater reductions occurring for surface-applied manures and fertilisers. DMPP-treated plots had higher levels of ammonium-N in soil. CO2 emissions were not affected by DMPP, indicating no negative effect on microbial activity. There was no difference in yields or product quality between the standard grower practice plots and plots treated with DMPP at the full or half rate, indicating overuse of N inputs and no negative effects of DMPP. Because N2O emissions were markedly reduced and yields unaffected by lower rates of NI-treated inputs, the use of NIs, particularly with manures, is an excellent cropping practice for these sandy soils to reduce the negative effect of excess N on the environment and to avoid the overuse of fertilisers and manures by growers. This study showed that the cumulative emissions of N2O for celery production over the cropping period using the standard grower practice translated to annual emissions of 27–68 kg N ha–1 year–1, among the highest recorded for Australian crops.