bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Cell Line Based Orthotopic Xenograft Mouse Model That Recapitulates Human Hepatoblastoma
Authors: Woodfield Sarah E. , Shi Yan , Patel Roma H. , Jin Jingling , Major Angela , Sarabia Stephen F. , Starosolski Zbigniew , Zorman Barry , Gupta Siddharth S. , Chen Zhenghu , Ibarra Aryana M. , Bissig Karl-Dimiter , Ghaghada Ketan B. , Sumazin Pavel , López-Terrada Dolores , Vasudevan Sanjeev A.
Published: December 2017

Currently, preclinical testing of therapies for hepatoblastoma (HB) is limited to subcutaneous and intrasplenic xenograft models that do not recapitulate the hepatic tumors seen in patients. We hypothesized that injection of HB cell lines into the livers of mice would result in liver tumors that resemble their clinical counterparts. HepG2 and Huh-6 HB cell lines were injected, and tumor growth was monitored with bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Levels of human α-fetoprotein (AFP) were monitored in the serum of animals. Immunohistochemical and gene expression analyses were also completed on xenograft tumor samples. BLI signal indicative of tumor growth was seen in 55% of HepG2- and Huh-6-injected animals after a period of four to seven weeks. Increased AFP levels correlated with tumor growth. MRI showed large intrahepatic tumors with active neovascularization. HepG2 and Huh-6 xenografts showed expression of β-catenin, AFP, and Glypican-3 (GPC3). HepG2 samples displayed a consistent gene expression profile most similar to human HB tumors. Intrahepatic injection of HB cell lines leads to liver tumors in mice with growth patterns and biologic, histologic, and genetic features similar to human HB tumors. This orthotopic xenograft mouse model will enable clinically relevant testing of novel agents for HB.
Leveraging uncertainty information from deep neural networks for disease detection
Authors: Leibig Christian , Allken Vaneeda , Ayhan Murat Seçkin , Berens Philipp , Wahl Siegfried
Published: December 2017

Deep learning (DL) has revolutionized the field of computer vision and image processing. In medical imaging, algorithmic solutions based on DL have been shown to achieve high performance on tasks that previously required medical experts. However, DL-based solutions for disease detection have been proposed without methods to quantify and control their uncertainty in a decision. In contrast, a physician knows whether she is uncertain about a case and will consult more experienced colleagues if needed. Here we evaluate drop-out based Bayesian uncertainty measures for DL in diagnosing diabetic retinopathy (DR) from fundus images and show that it captures uncertainty better than straightforward alternatives. Furthermore, we show that uncertainty informed decision referral can improve diagnostic performance. Experiments across different networks, tasks and datasets show robust generalization. Depending on network capacity and task/dataset difficulty, we surpass 85% sensitivity and 80% specificity as recommended by the NHS when referring 0−20% of the most uncertain decisions for further inspection. We analyse causes of uncertainty by relating intuitions from 2D visualizations to the high-dimensional image space. While uncertainty is sensitive to clinically relevant cases, sensitivity to unfamiliar data samples is task dependent, but can be rendered more robust.
Proposal for nanoscale cascaded plasmonic majority gates for non-Boolean computation
Authors: Dutta Sourav , Zografos Odysseas , Gurunarayanan Surya , Radu Iuliana , Soree Bart , Catthoor Francky , Naeemi Azad
Published: December 2017

Surface-plasmon-polariton waves propagating at the interface between a metal and a dielectric, hold the key to future high-bandwidth, dense on-chip integrated logic circuits overcoming the diffraction limitation of photonics. While recent advances in plasmonic logic have witnessed the demonstration of basic and universal logic gates, these CMOS oriented digital logic gates cannot fully utilize the expressive power of this novel technology. Here, we aim at unraveling the true potential of plasmonics by exploiting an enhanced native functionality - the majority voter. Contrary to the state-of-the-art plasmonic logic devices, we use the phase of the wave instead of the intensity as the state or computational variable. We propose and demonstrate, via numerical simulations, a comprehensive scheme for building a nanoscale cascadable plasmonic majority logic gate along with a novel referencing scheme that can directly translate the information encoded in the amplitude and phase of the wave into electric field intensity at the output. Our MIM-based 3-input majority gate displays a highly improved overall area of only 0.636 μm2 for a single-stage compared with previous works on plasmonic logic. The proposed device demonstrates non-Boolean computational capability and can find direct utility in highly parallel real-time signal processing applications like pattern recognition.
A Prospective Investigation of Body Size, Body Fat Composition and Colorectal Cancer Risk in the UK Biobank
Authors: Ortega Luisa Saldana , Bradbury Kathryn E. , Cross Amanda J. , Morris Jessica S. , Gunter Marc J. , Murphy Neil
Published: December 2017

Obesity has been consistently associated with a greater colorectal cancer risk, but this relationship is weaker among women. In the UK Biobank, we investigated the associations between body size (body mass index [BMI], height, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio) and body fat composition (total body fat percentage and trunk fat percentage) measurements with colorectal cancer risk among 472,526 men and women followed for 5.6 years on average. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for developing colorectal cancer (2,636 incident cases) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Among men, when the highest and lowest fifths were compared, BMI (HR = 1.35, 95%CI: 1.13–1.61; Ptrend < 0.0001), waist circumference (HR = 1.66, 95%CI: 1.39–1.99; Ptrend < 0.0001), waist-to-hip ratio (HR = 1.58, 95%CI: 1.31–1.91; Ptrend < 0.0001), total body fat percentage (HR = 1.27, 95%CI: 1.06–1.53; Ptrend = 0.002), and trunk fat percentage (HR = 1.31, 95%CI: 1.09–1.58; Ptrend = 0.002) were associated with greater colorectal cancer risk. For women, only waist-to-hip ratio (HR for highest versus lowest fifth = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.08–1.65; Ptrend = 0.005) was positively associated with colorectal cancer risk. Greater body size (overall and abdominal adiposity) was positively associated with colorectal cancer development in men. For women, abdominal adiposity, rather than overall body size, was associated with a greater colorectal cancer risk.
Comparative profiling of cortical gene expression in Alzheimer’s disease patients and mouse models demonstrates a link between amyloidosis and neuroinflammation
Authors: Castillo Erika , Leon Julio , Mazzei Guianfranco , Abolhassani Nona , Haruyama Naoki , Saito Takashi , Saido Takaomi , Hokama Masaaki , Iwaki Toru , Ohara Tomoyuki , Ninomiya Toshiharu , Kiyohara Yutaka , Sakumi Kunihiko , LaFerla Frank M. , Nakabeppu Yusaku
Published: December 2017

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, characterized by accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles. Oxidative stress and inflammation are considered to play an important role in the development and progression of AD. However, the extent to which these events contribute to the Aβ pathologies remains unclear. We performed inter-species comparative gene expression profiling between AD patient brains and theAppNL-G-F/NL-G-Fand 3xTg-AD-H mouse models. Genes commonly altered inAppNL-G-F/NL-G-Fand human AD cortices correlated with the inflammatory response or immunological disease. Among them, expression of AD-related genes (C4a/C4b,Cd74,Ctss,Gfap,Nfe2l2,Phyhd1,S100b,Tf,Tgfbr2, andVim) was increased in theAppNL-G-F/NL-G-Fcortex as Aβ amyloidosis progressed with exacerbated gliosis, while genes commonly altered in the 3xTg-AD-H and human AD cortices correlated with neurological disease. TheAppNL-G-F/NL-G-Fcortex also had altered expression of genes (Abi3,Apoe,Bin2,Cd33,Ctsc,Dock2,Fcer1g,Frmd6,Hck,Inpp5D,Ly86,Plcg2,Trem2,Tyrobp) defined as risk factors for AD by genome-wide association study or identified as genetic nodes in late-onset AD. These results suggest a strong correlation between cortical Aβ amyloidosis and the neuroinflammatory response and provide a better understanding of the involvement of gender effects in the development of AD.
A hippocampo-cerebellar centred network for the learning and execution of sequence-based navigation
Authors: Babayan Benedicte M. , Watilliaux Aurélie , Viejo Guillaume , Paradis Anne-Lise , Girard Benoît , Rondi-Reig Laure
Published: December 2017

How do we translate self-motion into goal-directed actions? Here we investigate the cognitive architecture underlying self-motion processing during exploration and goal-directed behaviour. The task, performed in an environment with limited and ambiguous external landmarks, constrained mice to use self-motion based information for sequence-based navigation. The post-behavioural analysis combined brain network characterization based on c-Fos imaging and graph theory analysis as well as computational modelling of the learning process. The study revealed a widespread network centred around the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia during the exploration phase, while a network dominated by hippocampal and cerebellar activity appeared to sustain sequence-based navigation. The learning process could be modelled by an algorithm combining memory of past actions and model-free reinforcement learning, which parameters pointed toward a central role of hippocampal and cerebellar structures for learning to translate self-motion into a sequence of goal-directed actions.
Hydrogen and nitrogen codoping of anatase TiO2 for efficiency enhancement in organic solar cells
Authors: Vasilopoulou Maria , Kelaidis Nikolaos , Polydorou Ermioni , Soultati Anastasia , Davazoglou Dimitris , Argitis Panagiotis , Papadimitropoulos Giorgos , Tsikritzis Dimitris , Kennou Stella , Auras Florian , Georgiadou Dimitra G. , Christopoulos Stavros-Richard G. , Chroneos Alexander
Published: December 2017

TiO2 has high chemical stability, strong catalytic activity and is an electron transport material in organic solar cells. However, the presence of trap states near the band edges of TiO2 arising from defects at grain boundaries significantly affects the efficiency of organic solar cells. To become an efficient electron transport material for organic photovoltaics and related devices, such as perovskite solar cells and photocatalytic devices, it is important to tailor its band edges via doping. Nitrogen p-type doping has attracted considerable attention in enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 under visible light irradiation while hydrogen n-type doping increases its electron conductivity. DFT calculations in TiO2 provide evidence that nitrogen and hydrogen can be incorporated in interstitial sites and possibly form NiHi, NiHO and NTiHi defects. The experimental results indicate that NiHi defects are most likely formed and these defects do not introduce deep level states. Furthermore, we show that the efficiency of P3HT:IC60BA-based organic photovoltaic devices is enhanced when using hydrogen-doping and nitrogen/hydrogen codoping of TiO2, both boosting the material n-type conductivity, with maximum power conversion efficiency reaching values of 6.51% and 6.58%, respectively, which are much higher than those of the cells with the as-deposited (4.87%) and nitrogen-doped TiO2 (4.46%).
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha agonist suppresses neovascularization by reducing both vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin-2 in corneal alkali burn
Authors: Arima Takeshi , Uchiyama Masaaki , Nakano Yuichiro , Nagasaka Shinya , Kang Dedong , Shimizu Akira , Takahashi Hiroshi
Published: December 2017

We investigated the effect of a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) agonist ophthalmic solution in wound healing using a rat corneal alkali burn model. After instillation of a selective agonist of PPARα, fenofibrate, onto the burned cornea, PPARα-positive cells were observed in vascular endothelial cells, and there was upregulation of mRNA of PPARα in corneal stroma. Fenofibrate suppressed expression of neutrophils and macrophages during the early phase, and development of neovascularization and myofibroblast generation during the late phase. Fenofibrate reduced not only mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A but also angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2. Furthermore, fenofibrate suppressed scar formation by reducing type III collagen expression. These data suggest that a PPARα agonist ophthalmic solution might be a new strategy for treating corneal wounds through not only anti-inflammatory effects but also by preventing neovascularization.
Coverage-dependent essential properties of halogenated graphene: A DFT study
Authors: Tran Ngoc Thanh Thuy , Nguyen Duy Khanh , Glukhova Olga E. , Lin Ming-Fa
Published: December 2017

The significant halogenation effects on the essential properties of graphene are investigated by the first-principles method. The geometric structures, electronic properties, and magnetic configurations are greatly diversified under the various halogen adsorptions. Fluorination, with the strong multi-orbital chemical bondings, can create the buckled graphene structure, while the other halogenations do not change the planar s bonding in the presence of single-orbital hybridization. Electronic structures consist of the carbon-, adatom- and (carbon, adatom)-dominated energy bands. All halogenated graphenes belong to holedoped metals except that fluorinated systems are middle-gap semiconductors at sufficiently high concentration. Moreover, the metallic ferromagnetism is revealed in certain adatom distributions. The unusual hybridization-induced features are clearly evidenced in many van Hove singularities of density of states. The structure- and adatom-enriched essential properties are compared with the measured results, and potential applications are also discussed.
The Perception of Operational Sex Ratios by Voice
Authors: Neuhoff John G.
Published: December 2017

Adult sex ratios in a local environment are linked to a wide variety of reproductive behaviors in humans and other animals. When sex ratios are biased, the more numerous sex faces increased competition for mates and is more likely to yield to the sociosexual preferences of the less numerous sex. Despite widespread evidence of the relationship between sex ratios and behavior, we know little about whether or how sex ratios are encoded and perceived. In two experiments men and women showed perceived sex ratios that correlated with actual sex ratios after 1500 ms exposures to groups of simultaneous voices. However, men perceived more female voices than women did, and women perceived more male voices than men did. Women showed better accuracy than men, but only when sex ratios departed markedly from 50%. Increasing the number of simultaneous voices reduced accuracy, but only at extreme sex ratios. Talker age also significantly affected perceived sex ratios, suggesting that perceived operational sex ratios are adaptively linked to the reproductive viability of the local population. The results suggest that listeners automatically encode vocal sex ratio information and that perceived sex ratios are influenced by characteristics of the local population and characteristics of the listener.
Quantitative TEM imaging of the magnetostructural and phase transitions in FeRh thin film systems
Authors: Almeida Trevor P. , Temple Rowan , Massey Jamie , Fallon Kayla , McGrouther Damien , Moore Thomas , Marrows Christopher H. , McVitie Stephen
Published: December 2017

Equi-atomic FeRh is a very interesting material as it undergoes a magnetostructural transition from an antiferromagnetic (AF) to a ferromagnetic (FM) phase between 75–105 °C. Its ability to present phase co-existence separated by domain walls (DWs) above room temperature provides immense potential for exploitation of their DW motion in spintronic devices. To be able to effectively control the DWs associated with AF/FM coexistence in FeRh thin films we must fully understand the magnetostructural transition and thermomagnetic behaviour of DWs at a localised scale. Here we present a transmission electron microscopy investigation of the transition in planar FeRh thin-film samples by combining differential phase contrast (DPC) magnetic imaging with in situ heating. We perform quantitative measurements from individual DWs as a function of temperature, showing that FeRh on NiAl exhibits thermomagnetic behaviour consistent with the transition from AF to FM. DPC imaging of an FeRh sample with HF-etched substrate reveals a state of AF/FM co-existence and shows the transition from AF to FM regions proceeds via nucleation of small vortex structures, which then grow by combining with newly nucleated vortex states into larger complex magnetic domains, until it is in a fully-FM state.
Clinical and Immunological Effects of rhIL-2 Therapy in Eastern Chinese Patients with Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis
Authors: Tan Qi , Min Rui , Dai Guan-qun , Wang Yan-li , Nan Li , Yang Zhen , Xia Jun , Pan Shi-yang , Mao Huang , Xie Wei-ping , Wang Hong
Published: December 2017

It is urgent to find an optimised therapy regimen for the control of MDR-TB globally. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiacy and safety of a combined regimen of rhIL-2 injection and standard chemotherapy within 18-month duration in a randomized controlled trial conducted in 14 centres in eastern China. From Jan. 2009 to July. 2016, 271 MDR-TB cases were enrolled and followed up in two groups, 142 cases in study group while 129 cases in control group. Clinical efficacy, safety and immune activity (Th1, Th17, Treg, IFN-γ, IL-17) among the two groups were evaluated and compared. After 24-month following up, cure rate in IL-2 group show higher than that in control group (56% VS 36%, P < 0.01). Rate of mycobacterium clearance (sputum negative) within 3 months was significantly higher in IL-2 group (74% VS 59%, P < 0.05) with no adverse events raised. Patients after rhIL-2 treatment showed increasing of Th1 populations and decreasing of Th17 and Regulatory T cells (Treg) populations, while levels of IL-17A, ROR-γt, and Foxp3 mRNA decreased and level of IFN-γ mRNA increased in PBMCs. Thus, rhIL-2 combined regimen within shorter duration achieved high conversion and success rates and improved Th1/Th17 immune responses, with no safety concerns emerging in MDR-TB patients.
Mosquitoes in urban green spaces: using an island biogeographic approach to identify drivers of species richness and composition
Authors: Medeiros-Sousa Antônio Ralph , Fernandes Aristides , Ceretti-Junior Walter , Wilke André Barreto Bruno , Marrelli Mauro Toledo
Published: December 2017

Mosquitoes are well known for their epidemiological importance as vectors of a wide range of human pathogens. Despite the many studies on medically important species, little is known about the diversity patterns of these insects in urban green spaces, which serve as shelter and refuge for many native and invasive species. Here, we investigate drivers of mosquito richness and composition in nine urban parks in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Using the equilibrium theory of island biogeography, we tested predictive models for species richness and composition and performed nestedness analysis. We also investigated whether species loss tends to benefit vector mosquitoes. In the period 2011 to 2013, a total of 37,972 mosquitoes belonging to 73 species and 14 genera were collected. Our results suggest there is a species-area relationship, an increase in species similarity as richness is lost and a nested species composition pattern. Seven of the eight most commonly found species are considered vectors of human pathogens, suggesting a possible link between species loss and increased risk of pathogen transmission. Our data highlight the need for studies that seek to understand how species loss may affect the risk of infectious diseases in urban areas.
Revisiting medial preoptic area plasticity induced in male mice by sexual experience
Authors: Jean Arnaud , Bonnet Pauline , Liere Philippe , Mhaouty-Kodja Sakina , Hardin-Pouzet Helene
Published: December 2017

Sexual experience in male rodents, induced by a first exposure to a receptive female, improves efficiency of following copulations. In mice, the mechanisms supporting this improvement are poorly understood. We characterized molecular modifications of the mouse hypothalamic medial preoptic area (mPOA), the main integrative structure for male sexual behaviour, after a single mating event. This paradigm induced long-lasting behavioural improvements and mPOA morphological changes, evidenced by dendritic spine maturation and an increase in the acetylated and tri-methylated forms of histone H3. Ejaculation affected testosterone, progesterone and corticosterone levels in both naive and experienced mice, but sexual experience did not modify basal plasma or hypothalamic levels of steroids. In contrast to studies carried out in rats, no changes were observed, either in the nitrergic system, or in sex steroid receptor levels. However, levels of glutamate- and calcium-associated proteins, including PSD-95, calbindin and the GluN1 subunit of the NMDA receptor, were increased in sexually experienced male mice. The Iba-1 microglial marker was up-regulated in these animals suggesting multicellular interactions induced within the mPOA by sexual experience. In conclusion, plasticity mechanisms induced by sexual experience differ between rat and mouse, even if in both cases they converge to potentiation of the mPOA network.
Nitrogen-doped carbon dot-modified Ag3PO4/GO photocatalyst with excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance and mechanism insight
Authors: Miao Xuli , Yue Xiaoyang , Shen Xiaoping , Ji Zhenyuan , Zhou Hu , Zhu Guoxing , Wang Jiheng , Kong Lirong , Liu Miaomiao , Song Chunsen
Published: December 2017

In this paper, an all solid Z-scheme Ag3PO4/GO/NCD photocatalyst has been prepared through anchoring nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) on the Ag3PO4/GO (GO = graphene oxide) composite.
Intriguing C–H⋯Cu interactions in bis-(phenanthroline)Cu(i) redox mediators for dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Colombo Alessia , Ossola Rachele , Magni Mirko , Roberto Dominique , Jacquemin Denis , Castellano Carlo , Demartin Francesco , Dragonetti Claudia
Published: December 2017

For the first time, an anagostic interaction is found between a H atom of a methyl group and a copper site in the bis-2-tertbutyl(phenanthroline)Cu(i) complex.
[Au12(PPh2)2S4(L2)4]2+ (L2 = 3,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)-2,5-bis(trimethylsilyloxy)furan): an Au12 unit protected by modified maleic anhydride phosphine ligands
Authors: Yu Wen , Wang Yingxia , Fuhr Olaf , Fenske Dieter , Dehnen Stefanie
Published: December 2017

The reaction of the bis(dichlorogold) complex of 2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)maleic anhydride (L1) with S(SiMe3)2 in the presence of NaBPh4 yields the ionic dodecanuclear cluster compound [Au12(PPh2)2S4(L2)4](BPh4)2 (1).
Structural evolution and stability of Sc2(WO4)3after discharge in a sodium-based electrochemical cell
Authors: Andersen Henrik L. , Al Bahri Othman K. , Tsarev Sergey , Johannessen Bernt , Schulz Bernd , Liu Junnan , Brand Helen E. A. , Christensen Mogens , Sharma Neeraj
Published: December 2017

The structural stability and evolution of Sc2(WO4)3with temperature is altered when dischargedversusNa in a half cell battery resulting in formation of novel crystalline phases.
A study on the redox, spectroscopic, and photophysical characteristics of a series of octahedral hexamolybdenum(ii) clusters: [{Mo6X8}Y6]2− (X, Y = Cl, Br, or I)
Authors: Akagi Soichiro , Fujii Sho , Kitamura Noboru
Published: December 2017

We report a systematic study on the redox, spectroscopic, and photophysical properties of a series of [{Mo6X8}Y6]2− (X, Y = Cl, Br, or I).
Single-cell analysis by ICP-MS/MS as a fast tool for cellular bioavailability studies of arsenite
Authors: Meyer S. , López-Serrano A. , Mitze H. , Jakubowski N. , Schwerdtle T.
Published: December 2017

A fast and reliable single-cell ICP-MS/MS method is presented to determine the bioavailability of metal species as well as sulfur and phosphorus as internal control after re-suspension of cells in water.
Zinc ions regulate opening of tight junction favouring efflux of macromoleculesviathe GSK3β/snail-mediated pathway
Authors: Xiao Ruyue , Yuan Lan , He Weijiang , Yang Xiaoda
Published: December 2017

Zn2+-Induced asymmetric paracellular pore paths in MDCK cell monolayer favour efflux of macromoleculesviathe GSK3β/snail-mediated pathway.
Neutral glycoconjugated amide-based calix[4]arenes: complexation of alkali metal cations in water
Authors: Cindro Nikola , Požar Josip , Barišić Dajana , Bregović Nikola , Pičuljan Katarina , Tomaš Renato , Frkanec Leo , Tomišić Vladislav
Published: December 2017

Novel water-soluble calix[4]arene glycoconjugates with efficient cation-binding sites were synthesized and their complexation reactions in methanol and aqueous solutions were studied.
Influence of catalytic systems in Stille polymerization on the electrochromic performance of diketopyrrolopyrrole-based conjugated polymers
Authors: Neo Wei Teng , Ye Qun , Shi Zugui , Chua Soo-Jin , Xu Jianwei
Published: December 2017

Polymers with better structural regularity exhibit larger optical contrasts, higher coloration efficiencies and faster switching times.
Facile synthesis of Pt nanoparticles supported on anatase TiO2 nanotubes with good photo-electrocatalysis performance for methanol
Authors: Zhang Jianbo , Su Nan , Hu Xiulan , Zhu Faquan , Yu Yawei , Yang Hui
Published: December 2017

A Pt/TNTs/C catalyst showed enhanced MOR performance under the light illumination.
Highly sensitive and selective fluorescence detection of Hg2+ based on turn-on aptamer DNA silver nanoclusters
Authors: Zhang Baozhu , Wei Chunying
Published: December 2017

A novel turn-on fluorescent biosensor based on C–Hg2+-aptamer-1-DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) was developed for the quantitative analysis of Hg2+.
Synthesis and pH-responsive dissociation of framboidal ABC triblock copolymer vesicles in aqueous solution
Authors: Mable C. J. , Fielding L. A. , Derry M. J. , Mykhaylyk O. O. , Chambon P. , Armes S. P.
Published: December 2017

A series of framboidal ABC triblock copolymer vesicles were prepared from precursor diblock copolymer vesicles via RAFT seeded emulsion polymerisation and their acid-induced dissociation was characterised by SAXS.
Single quantum dot-based nanosensor for sensitive detection of 5-methylcytosine at both CpG and non-CpG sites
Authors: Wang Zi-yue , Wang Li-juan , Zhang Qianyi , Tang Bo , Zhang Chun-yang
Published: December 2017

We develop a single quantum dot (QD)-based nanosensor for sensitive detection of DNA methylation at both CpG and non-CpG sites.
Dark target effectiveness for dark‐object subtraction atmospheric correction method on mangrove above‐ground carbon stock mapping
Authors: Wicaksono Pramaditya , Hafizt Muhammad
Published: December 2017

One of the most effective atmospheric correction methods is dark‐object subtraction (DOS) method, where the atmospheric offset can be generated from the image itself. The success of DOS strongly relies on the availability and quality of the dark target. Based on the response to the downwelling irradiances, the most effective dark target would be optically‐deep water, which is not always available. It is important to assess the alternative dark targets in the absence of the ideal dark target. This research aimed at comparing the effectiveness of different dark targets for DOS method during mangrove above‐ground carbon stock (AGC) mapping and comparing the accuracy with robust atmospheric correction FLAASH method. ALOS AVNIR‐2 image was used as the test image, and mangrove forest of Karimunjawa and Kemujan Island was selected as the study area. The comparison covers the quality of healthy mangrove reflectance and the accuracy of vegetation indices for mangrove AGC mapping. The results of this research showed that non‐ideal dark targets such as cloud‐shadow pixels and the minimum value of the image can be used in the absence of ideal dark target, and DOS method is more efficient and effective than more robust atmospheric correction method.
Global abnormal events detection in crowded scenes using context location and motion‐rich spatio‐temporal volumes
Authors: Patil N. , Biswas Prabir Kumar
Published: December 2017

Global abnormal events form unique and distinct motion characteristics and category of anomalies at image level rather than pixel level with less complexity compared to local abnormal events. However, traditional anomaly detection approaches focused more on pixel‐level feature extraction from foreground pixels and combine global and local anomaly detection in a single algorithm with equal degree of computational complexity. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for global anomaly detection via block‐level feature extraction using context location (CL) and motion‐rich STVs (MRSTVs). The histogram of optical flow orientation and motion magnitude features from spatio‐temporal volumes (STVs) are used as global feature descriptor to capture motion characteristics of normal and abnormal events. Simple and cost‐effective one‐class SVM classifier is employed to learn normal behaviour from MRSTVs during training and detect abnormal STVs from test data. Thereafter, a spatio‐temporal post‐processing technique detects frame‐level abnormal behaviour and reduces false alarm rate. We define CL to detect abnormal behaviour in an unexpected region. The proposed approach omits pixel‐level feature extraction and background modelling by considering MRSTVs, thus enhances detection rate and reduces computational complexity. We have conducted experiments on widely used UMN and PETS2009 datasets to compare the performance of proposed approach with existing methods.
Scene flow for 3D laser scanner and camera system
Authors: Zou Cheng , He Bingwei , Zhang Liwei , Zhang Jianwei
Published: December 2017

Estimating the three‐dimensional (3D) motion from sparse laser point clouds is a highly challenging endeavour facing computer and robotic vision engineers. In this study, a novel method is proposed for robustly estimating the scene flow from a laser scanner assisted by a camera. Conditional random field (CRF) is constructed by a spatial structure of point clouds, the energy of which is minimised by a synchronous calibrated image. With the high frame rate of a laser scanner, the authors’ method allows for estimating the potential motion field as the CRF label. The authors ran an experiment on a public dataset to demonstrate that their method can accurately estimate rigid motion in outdoor scenes. They also tested the method on a laser scanner and omni‐directional camera system to find that it also accurately estimates the rigid and semi‐rigid motion of objects in a controlled indoor environment.
Dual‐band circularly polarised planar monopole antenna for WLAN/Wi‐Fi/Bluetooth/WiMAX applications
Authors: Li Qian , Wei Yanyu , Ding Chong , Tan Mingtao , Zhang Luqi , Lei Xia , Wu Gangxiong , Wang Zhanliang , Lu Zhigang , Gong Yubin
Published: December 2017

A novel planar monopole antenna with dual‐band circularly polarisation (CP) is presented here. The antenna consists of a modified L‐shaped monopole, an inverted‐L strip, and a modified ground. The utilisation of the modified L‐shaped monopole not only generates dual‐band operation, but also excites CP radiation in the lower band. In order to achieve CP in the upper band, a parasitic inverted‐L strip is added on the top plane of the substrate and a modified ground is designed. The proposed antenna has been fabricated and tested, the measured −10 dB reflection coefficient bandwidths are 370 MHz (2.38–2.85 GHz) in the lower band and 2330 MHz (4.05–6.38 GHz) in the upper band. The measured corresponding 3 dB axial ratio (AR) bandwidths are 610 MHz (2.39–3 GHz) and 850 MHz (5.15–6 GHz), respectively. The overlapped −10 dB reflection coefficient and AR bandwidths can totally cover the WLAN bands, Wi‐Fi bands, Bluetooth band, and partly cover the WiMAX bands. The proposed antenna owns bidirectional radiation characteristic and reasonable gain at both the lower band and the upper band.
Frequency control capability of wind turbine under different operation status
Authors: Zhu Chen , Bi Tianshu , Yang Libin , Li Chunlai , Yang Jun , Xu Guoyi
Published: December 2017

To secure safe operation of the power system with high wind power penetration, variable speed wind turbines (WTs) are required to provide ancillary services like system frequency support to the power system. This study focuses on the different frequency control strategies and the amount of available additional active power of WT under different operation status. Additional control strategies for WT are presented considering different operating characteristics. Then WT frequency control capability under two typical operation status with different control methods is quantified and the methods to determine the controller parameter values are proposed to fully utilise the WT's available frequency control capability. The performance of the strategies is validated in Matlab/Simulink. The results indicate the reduction in the rate of change of frequency and frequency nadir which can ensure the safe operation of the WTs and the power system.
Terahertz band‐stop filter based on graphene cavity
Authors: Ze‐Jiang Zhao , Jiu‐Sheng Li
Published: December 2017

In order to obtain ultra‐compact and ultra‐narrow bandstop performances, the work presents a terahertz filter based on graphene cavities, which consists of four graphene cavities and a graphene waveguide on SiO2/Si substrate. To demonstrate the feasibility of the approach, numerical simulation performed with the aid of the finite‐element method is used to evaluate the terahertz performance of the proposed device. The structure rejects the signals at the frequencies from 5.9978 to 6.002 THz with >20 dB suppression. The high‐Q band‐rejection terahertz wave filter with four graphene cavities provides of 1500. The dimensions of the presented terahertz wave band‐stop filter are of 22.5 μm × 18.0 μm. The high‐performance, compact‐size, and low‐cost filter is designed for reducing the interference in future terahertz systems.
ALMA Band 5 receiver cartridge
Authors: Belitsky V. , Bylund M. , Desmaris V. , Ermakov A. , Ferm S.-E. , Fredrixon M. , Krause S. , Lapkin I. , Meledin D. , Pavolotsky A. , Rashid H. , Shafiee S. , Strandberg M. , Sundin E. , Yadranjee Aghdam P. , Hesper R. , Barkhof J. , Bekema M. E. , Adema J. , de Haan R. , Koops A. , Boland W. , Yagoubov P. , Marconi G. , Siringo G. , Humphreys E. , Tan G. H. , Laing R. , Testi L. , Mroczkowski T. , Wild W. , Saini K. S. , Bryerton E.
Published: December 2017

We describe the design, performance, and commissioning results for the new ALMA Band 5 receiver channel, 163–211 GHz, which is in the final stage of full deployment and expected to be available for observations in 2018. This manuscript provides the description of the new ALMA Band 5 receiver cartridge and serves as a reference for observers using the ALMA Band 5 receiver for observations. At the time of writing this paper, the ALMA Band 5 Production Consortium consisting of NOVA Instrumentation group, based in Groningen, NL, and GARD in Sweden have produced and delivered to ALMA Observatory over 60 receiver cartridges. All 60 cartridges fulfil the new more stringent specifications for Band 5 and demonstrate excellent noise temperatures, typically below 45 K single sideband (SSB) at 4 K detector physical temperature and below 35 K SSB at 3.5 K (typical for operation at the ALMA Frontend), providing the average sideband rejection better than 15 dB, and the integrated cross-polarization level better than –25 dB. The 70 warm cartridge assemblies, hosting Band 5 local oscillator and DC bias electronics, have been produced and delivered to ALMA by NRAO. The commissioning results confirm the excellent performance of the receivers.
Efficient Direct Halogenation of Unsymmetrical N-Benzyl- and N-Phenylureas with Trihaloisocyanuric Acids
Authors: de Aguiar Lúcia , de Mattos Marcio , Sanabria Carlos , Costa Bruno , Viana Gil
Published: December 2017

A simple and efficient methodology for the direct halogenation of N-phenylureas was developed using trihaloisocyanuric acids in acetonitrile at room temperature. This protocol proved to be effective for the construction of N-phenylureas with different patterns of substitution. Additionally, less reactive N-benzylureas were halogenated in the presence of a mixture of trifluoroacetic acid and acetonitrile at room temperature.
Epidemiology and Estimated Cost of Brachial Plexus Surgeries Performed through the Unified Health System in Brazil (2008–2016)
Authors: Magalhães Marcelo José Silva de , Socolovsky Mariano , Araújo Mariana Mendes , Silva Mariana Oliveira , Mendes Mayallu Almeida , Costa Pedro Augusto , Santos Telma Soares
Published: December 2017

Introduction The brachial plexus is responsible for the innervation of the upper extremity of the body. About 10 to 20% of the peripheral nerve lesions are brachial plexus lesions.

Objective To describe the epidemiology of the brachial plexus microsurgery with exploration and neurolysis (BPMEN) and the brachial plexus microsurgery with nerve graft (BPMNG) performed through the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS, in the Portuguese acronym) from 2008 to 2016.

Methodology A descriptive epidemiological study whose data were obtained from the Department of Informatics of the SUS (Datasus, in the Portuguese acronym). The study consisted of all patients submitted to BPMEN (code: 0403020034) and to BPMNG (code: 0403020042).

Result/Discussion A total of 5,295 procedures were performed with an annual incidence of 2.94/1 million inhabitants. The hospital expenses of these 2 codes totaled R$ 4,492,603.88 (US$ 1,417,225.10). The BPMNG code presented an annual average of expenses with professional services of R$ 99,732.20 (US$ 31,461.26), and total expenses of R$ 897,589.83 (US$ 283,151.36). The amount transferred to the physician in this code in 2008 was R$ 294.56 (US$ 92.92), and currently it is R$ 441.84 (US$ 139.38). The BPMEN code presented an annual average of expenses of R$ 68,579.15 (US$ 21,633.80), with total expenses of R$ 617,212.40 (US$ 194,704.22). The amount transferred to the physician in this code in 2008 was R$ 153.44 (US$ 48.40), and currently it is R$ 230.16 (US$72.60). Both codes presented a lag in the transfer values to the physician that ranged from 16.55 to 17.64% when using the Brazilian national price index for the general consumer (IPCA, in the Portuguese acronym) as an inflation parameter during the period studied. The mean number of hospitalization days for these 2 codes was 3.79.

Conclusion The absence of deaths and the low rate of hospital stay confirm that the procedure is safe, with a low morbimortality rate. Both codes presented a lag in the transfer values to the physician at the end of the period.
Der ideale Ort?
Authors: Strauss Alexander
Published: December 2017

Liebe Leserin, lieber Leser,

Schwangerschaft und Geburt sind als ursprüngliche und sehr intime Lebensabläufe nicht mit Behandlung erfordernden Gesundheitsstörungen gleichzusetzen. Ein möglichst ungestörter Verlauf der Entbindung mit Eins-zu-Eins-Betreuung der Gebärenden durch ihre Hebamme hilft geburtshilfliche Komplikationen und konsekutive Eingriffe zu vermeiden. Prozesszufriedenheit der Schwangeren bzw. der werdenden Eltern wird dabei allerdings nicht nur durch augenscheinlich leicht objektivierbare Qualitätskriterien abgebildet. Geburtshilfliche Sicherheit von Mutter und Kind unter Wahrung größtmöglicher Selbstbestimmung der Schwangeren markieren in diesem Kontext unverrückbare Zielpunkte. Dies umfasst damit auch die grundsätzliche Freiheit der werdenden Mutter, über den Ort der Geburt unabhängig entscheiden zu können. Das individuelle Setting wird dabei vom mütterlichen Bestreben getragen sein, in einer geschützten (häuslichen) Umgebung und in Tuchfühlung mit supportiv wirkenden Personen ihr Kind zur Welt zu bringen. Äußere Stellgrößen wie räumliche Gegebenheiten, Licht, Geräusche, Stimmen nehmen dabei ebenso wie Achtsamkeit auf Intimsphäre, Begleitung oder Bewegungsmöglichkeit den Charakter maßgeblicher Entscheidungsgrößen an.
Note: Reconfigurable pelvis mechanism for efficient multi-locomotion: Biped and quadruped walking
Authors: Yoon Byungho , Kim Soohyun
Published: December 2017

A reconfigurable pelvis mechanism that can change its length for multi-locomotion robot is introduced. From the characteristics of animals that walk in a bipedal or quadrupedal manner, we found that the length of the pelvis for each type of locomotion is related to the efficiency and stability of walking. We demonstrated the effectiveness of this mechanism in biped and quadruped walking through comparison of accumulated power of consumption. We also examined the changes of the supporting polygon according to the length of the pelvis during quadruped walking in terms of stability.
Kinetic isotope effects and how to describe them
Authors: Karandashev Konstantin , Xu Zhen-Hao , Meuwly Markus , Vaníček Jiří , Richardson Jeremy O.
Published: December 2017

We review several methods for computing kinetic isotope effects in chemical reactions including semiclassical and quantum instanton theory. These methods describe both the quantization of vibrational modes as well as tunneling and are applied to the ⋅H + H2 and ⋅H + CH4 reactions. The absolute rate constants computed with the semiclassical instanton method both using on-the-fly electronic structure calculations and fitted potential-energy surfaces are also compared directly with exact quantum dynamics results. The error inherent in the instanton approximation is found to be relatively small and similar in magnitude to that introduced by using fitted surfaces. The kinetic isotope effect computed by the quantum instanton is even more accurate, and although it is computationally more expensive, the efficiency can be improved by path-integral acceleration techniques. We also test a simple approach for designing potential-energy surfaces for the example of proton transfer in malonaldehyde. The tunneling splittings are computed, and although they are found to deviate from experimental results, the ratio of the splitting to that of an isotopically substituted form is in much better agreement. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the potential-energy surface and based on our findings suggest ways in which it can be improved.
Magnetic force driven magnetoelectric effect in bi-cantilever composites
Authors: Zhang Ru , Wu Gaojian , Zhang Ning
Published: December 2017

The magnetic force driven magnetoelectric (ME) effect in bi-cantilever Mn-Zn-Ferrite /PZT composites is presented. Compared with single cantilever, the ME voltage coefficient in bi-cantilever composite is a little lower and the resonance frequency is higher, but the bi-cantilever structure is advantageous for integration. When the magnetic gap is 3 mm, the ME voltage coefficient can achieve 6.2 Vcm-1Oe-1 at resonance under optimum bias field Hm=1030 Oe; when the magnetic gap is 1.5 mm, the ME voltage coefficient can get the value as high as 4.4 Vcm-1Oe-1 under much lower bias field H=340 Oe. The stable ME effect in bi-cantilever composites has important potential application in the design of new type ME device.
A globally stable attractor that is locally unstable everywhere
Authors: Tallapragada Phanindra , Sudarsanam Senbagaraman
Published: December 2017

We construct two examples of invariant manifolds that despite being locally unstable at every point in the transverse direction are globally stable. Using numerical simulations we show that these invariant manifolds temporarily repel nearby trajectories but act as global attractors. We formulate an explanation for such global stability in terms of the ‘rate of rotation’ of the stable and unstable eigenvectors spanning the normal subspace associated with each point of the invariant manifold. We discuss the role of this rate of rotation on the transitions between the stable and unstable regimes.
Sand type influences the energetics of nest escape in Brisbane river turtle hatchlings
Authors: Rusli Mohd Uzair , Booth David T.
Published: December 2017

Freshwater turtles can construct their nest in a wide range of soil types, and because different soil types have different physical characteristics such as particle size distribution and compactness, soil type presumably affects digging performance and the energetics of nest escape of turtle hatchlings. Previous studies have reported how cohort size affects the energetic cost of nest escape in turtle hatchlings, but no studies have reported the influence of substrate type on the energetic cost of nest escape. The time taken and the energy required by the same number of hatchlings to dig through two different sand types were quantified by open-flow respirometry. Brisbane river turtle hatchlings digging through fine sand escaped faster and spent less energy than hatchlings digging through coarse sand, and a larger cohort size provided a clear energetic advantage while digging in both sand types. Across all group sizes, hatchlings digging through fine sand spent 33.8% less energy compared with hatchlings digging through coarse sand. We conclude that hatchlings emerging from nests constructed in fine sand have an energetic advantage over hatchlings emerging from nests constructed in course sand because they would have greater energy reserves upon reaching the nest’s surface.
CpdA is involved in amino acid metabolism in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1
Authors: Kasai Takuya , Kouzuma Atsushi , Watanabe Kazuya
Published: December 2017

Cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) phosphodiesterase (CPD) is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of cAMP, a signaling molecule affecting diverse cellular and metabolic processes in bacteria. Some CPDs are also known to function in cAMP-independent manners, while their physiological roles remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated physiological roles of CPD in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, a model environmental bacterium, and report that CPD is involved in amino-acid metabolism. We found that a CPD-deficient mutant of MR-1 (ΔcpdA) showed decreased expression of genes for the synthesis of methionine, S-adenosylmethionine, and histidine and required these three compounds to grow in minimal media. Interestingly, deletion of adenylate cyclases in ΔcpdA did not restore the ability to grow in minimal media, indicating that the amino acid requirements were not due to the accumulation of cAMP. These results suggest that CPD is involved in the regulation of amino acid metabolism in MR-1 in a cAMP-independent manner.
Effects of Thermal Resistance on One-Dimensional Thermal Analysis of the Epidermal Flexible Electronic Devices Integrated with Human Skin
Authors: Li He , Cui Yun
Published: December 2017

Nowadays, flexible electronic devices are increasingly used in direct contact with human skin to monitor the real-time health of human body. Based on the Fourier heat conduction equation and Pennes bio-heat transfer equation, this paper deduces the analytical solutions of one - dimensional heat transfer for flexible electronic devices integrated with human skin under the condition of a constant power. The influence of contact thermal resistance between devices and skin is considered as well. The corresponding finite element model is established to verify the correctness of analytical solutions. The results show that the finite element analysis agrees well with the analytical solution. With bigger thermal resistance, temperature increase of skin surface will decrease. This result can provide guidance for the design of flexible electronic devices to reduce the negative impact that exceeding temperature leave on human skin.