bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toll-like receptor 4 inhibition prevents autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice
Authors: Alibashe-Ahmed Mohamed , Brioudes Estelle , Reith Walter , Bosco Domenico , Berney Thierry
Published: December 2019

TLR4 is a transmembrane receptor of the innate immune system that recognizes LPS from gram-negative bacteria. Its stimulation induces pro-inflammatory responses and modulates adaptive immunity. Our aim is to determine the role of TLR4 in the activation and proliferation of T lymphocytes in the onset of autoimmune diabetes, using the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model. Antigen-specific activation and proliferation of diabetogenic T cells were assessed in vitro by Carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) dilution, in presence of vehicle or CLI-095, a cyclohexene derivative that inhibits TLR4 signaling. NOD mice were treated with vehicle or CLI-095 and sacrificed either before or after the onset of autoimmune diabetes. T lymphocyte activation and proliferation were evaluated in treated and control mice. Insulitis was analyzed by histology and diabetes incidence was determined in treated and control mice. Our results demonstrate that TLR4 blockade decreases CD4+ T lymphocyte activation and auto-antigen-specific proliferation both in vitro and in vivo, decreases the infiltrative insulitis and finally prevents the onset of spontaneous diabetes. Taken together, our data demonstrate that TLR4 signaling contributes to the development and maintenance of autoimmune diabetes. The immunomodulatory effect of CLI-095 could be part of a preventive strategy targeting patients at risk for type 1 diabetes.
Deciphering Role of Wnt Signalling in Cardiac Mesoderm and Cardiomyocyte Differentiation from Human iPSCs: Four-dimensional control of Wnt pathway for hiPSC-CMs differentiation
Authors: Zhao Meng , Tang Yawen , Zhou Yang , Zhang Jianyi
Published: December 2019

Differentiation of cardiomyocytes (CMs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) is critically dependent upon the regulation of the Wnt signaling pathway. The mechanisms remain unclear with regard to the dose and timing of each differentiation inducer, and the interaction of the inducers that regulate the Wnt in mesendoderm specification to cardiac mesoderm. Consequently, it remains far from optimal in differentiation efficiency and consistency from hiPSC lines to CMs. Here, we have carefully deciphered the role of Wnt signaling pathway manipulation on mesoderm specification in a dosage and time dependent manner. To examine the hypothesis of that fate specification of hiPSC-CMs differentiation is dictated by temporal and spatial factors that regulate Wnt, we evaluate hiPSC-CM differentiation with: (1) two-phase modulation of Wnt, (2) dosage variant of GSK3β inhibitors, (3) treatment with insulin, and (4) 3-dimentional suspension culture environment on iPSC-CM differentiation. The results highlight the importance of mesendoderm specification to cardiac mesoderm, which needs precisely regulation of Wnt in a dosage dependent and temporal on/off manner. This temporal regulation dictates the final efficiency and purity of derived cardiomyocytes. After the initial activation of Wnt signaling pathway to generate mesendoderm, the maintenance of Wnt signaling at an appropriate dose is critical to direct the cell fate into cardiac mesoderm. Otherwise, lower Wnt signals lead to definitive endoderm and higher Wnt signals induce presomitic mesoderm differentiation. The precisely specification of cardiac mesoderm results in not only greater than 90% of cTnT+ cardiomyocytes but also high cardiomyocytes yield under both monolayer and suspension culture conditions. Thus, the current findings provide critical insights to decipher the temporal mechanism of Wnt activation in regulation of hiPSC-CMs differentiation, and more importantly provide the guidelines for the consistent and high-yield and high-quality hiPSC-CMs production in cardiovascular research.
Anderson localisation in steady states of microcavity polaritons
Authors: Sturges Thomas J. , Anderson Mitchell D. , Buraczewski Adam , Navadeh-Toupchi Morteza , Adiyatullin Albert F. , Jabeen Fauzia , Oberli Daniel Y. , Portella-Oberli Marcia T. , Stobińska Magdalena
Published: December 2019

We present an experimental signature of the Anderson localisation of microcavity polaritons, and provide a systematic study of the dependence on disorder strength. We reveal a controllable degree of localisation, as characterised by the inverse-participation ratio, by tuning the positional disorder of arrays of interacting mesas. This constitutes the realisation of disorder-induced localisation in a driven-dissipative system. In addition to being an ideal candidate for investigating localisation in this regime, microcavity polaritons hold promise for low-power, ultra-small devices and their localisation could be used as a resource in quantum memory and quantum information processing.
Methane hydrate emergence from Lake Baikal: direct observations, modelling, and hydrate footprints in seasonal ice cover
Authors: Granin N. G. , Aslamov I. A. , Kozlov V. V. , Makarov M. M. , Kirillin G. , McGinnis D. F. , Kucher K. M. , Blinov V. V. , Ivanov V. G. , Mizandrontsev I. B. , Zhdanov A. A. , Anikin A. S. , Granin M. N. , Gnatovsky R. Yu.
Published: December 2019

This paper provides a novel report of methane hydrates rising from bottom sediments to the surface of Lake Baikal, validated by photo and video records. The ascent of hydrates in the water column was confirmed by hydroacoustic data showing rising objects with velocities significantly exceeding the typical speeds (18–25 cm s−1) of gas bubbles. Mathematical modelling along with velocity and depth estimates of the presumed methane hydrates coincided with values observed from echograms. Modelling results also showed that a methane hydrate fragment with initial radius of 2.5 cm or greater could reach the surface of Lake Baikal given summer water column temperature conditions. Results further show that while methane bubbles released from the deep sedimentary reservoir would dissolve in the Lake Baikal water column, transport in hydrate form is not only viable but may represent a previously overlooked source of surface methane with subsequent emissions to the atmosphere. Methane hydrates captured within the ice cover may also cause the formation of unique ice structures and morphologies observed around Lake Baikal. Sampling of these ice structures detected methane content that exceeded concentrations measured in surrounding ice and from the atmosphere demonstrating a link with the methane transport processes described here.
Schizophyllum commune induces IL-17-mediated neutrophilic airway inflammation in OVA-induced asthma model mice
Authors: Hanashiro Jun , Muraosa Yasunori , Toyotome Takahito , Hirose Koichi , Watanabe Akira , Kamei Katsuhiko
Published: December 2019

Schizophyllum communeis a ubiquitous basidiomycetous fungus typically found across the world, which has been detected in indoor and outdoor air. Some studies indicated that sensitization toS. communeis correlated with asthma severity in patients. Patients with chronic severe or acute fatal asthma have neutrophil-dominant airway inflammation. We hypothesized thatS. communecan exacerbate asthma. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the direct immunomodulatory activities ofS. communein allergic airway inflammation induced by non-fungal sensitization. Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model mice were generated using wild-type (WT) andIl-17a−/−Il-17f−/−mice that were intratracheally exposed toS. commune, then immune responses in the lungs were assessed after 24 h. Intratracheal administration ofS. communein OVA-induced asthma model mice enhanced neutrophilic airway inflammation, increased the mRNA expression ofCXCL1andCXCL2in the lungs, and provoked IL-17A, and IL-17F production in BAL fluid. In addition, neutrophilic airway inflammation was significantly inhibited inIl-17a−/−Il-17f−/−mice compared with those found in WT mice. We demonstrated thatS. communeinduces neutrophilic airway inflammation in OVA-induced asthma model mice, and IL-17A and IL-17F had central roles in this activity. AsS. communeinhabits the general environment, including indoor and outdoor air, our results suggested thatS. communeis a causative agent of asthma exacerbation. This study has provided clues regarding the mechanisms behind fungi and asthma exacerbation.
Impact of Grafting, Salinity and Irrigation Water Composition on Eggplant Fruit Yield and Ion Relations
Authors: Semiz Gülüzar Duygu , Suarez Donald L.
Published: December 2019

Scarcity of fresh water in arid and semi-arid regions means that we must use more saline waters for irrigation and develop tools to improve crop salt tolerance. The objectives of our study were to (1) Evaluate fruit production, salt tolerance and ion composition of eggplant cv Angela, both nongrafted and when grafted on tomato cv Maxifort rootstock and (2) Evaluate eggplant specific toxicity effect of Cl−and Na+ions under saline conditions. We salinized the irrigation water with either a Na+-Ca2+- Cl−composition typical of coastal Mediterranean ground waters as well as a mixed Na+-Ca2+-SO42−Cl−type water, a composition more typical of interior continental basin ground. For each water type we evaluated 5 different salinity (osmotic) levels of –0.003 (control), –0.15, –0.30, –0.45 and –0.60 MPa. There were no statistically significant differences in the fruit yield relative to the water type, indicating that Cl−ion toxicity is not a major factor in eggplant yield associated with salinity. This conclusion was confirmed by the determination that leaf Cl content was not correlated with relative yield. The electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (ECe) at which yield is predicted to be reduced by 50% was 4.6 dS m−1for the grafted plants vs. 1.33 dS m−1for the nongrafted plants. The relative yield was very well correlated to leaf Na concentrations regardless of grafting status, indicating that Na is the toxic ion responsible for eggplant yield loss under saline conditions. The increased salt tolerance of cv Angela eggplant when grafted onto tomato Maxifort rootstock is attributed to a reduced Na uptake and increased Ca and K uptake with Maxifort rootstock.
Simultaneous detection and comprehensive analysis of HPV and microbiome status of a cervical liquid-based cytology sample using Nanopore MinION sequencing
Authors: Quan Lili , Dong Ruyi , Yang Wenjuan , Chen Lanyou , Lang Jidong , Liu Jia , Song Yu , Ma Shuiqing , Yang Jialiang , Wang Weiwei , Meng Bo , Tian Geng
Published: December 2019

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major pathogen that causes cervical cancer and many other related diseases. HPV infection related cervical microbiome could be an induce factor of cervical cancer. However, it is uncommon to find a single test on the market that can simultaneously provide information on both HPV and the microbiome. Herein, a novel method was developed in this study to simultaneously detect HPV infection and microbiota composition promptly and accurately. It provides a new and simple way to detect vaginal pathogen situation and also provide valuable information for clinical diagnose. This approach combined multiplex PCR, which targeted both HPV16 E6E7 and full-length 16S rRNA, and Nanopore sequencing to generate enough information to understand the vagina condition of patients. One HPV positive liquid-based cytology (LBC) sample was sequenced and analyzed. After comparing with Illumina sequencing, the results from Nanopore showed a similar microbiome composition. An instant sequencing evaluation showed that 15 min sequencing is enough to identify the top 10 most abundant bacteria. Moreover, two HPV integration sites were identified and verified by Sanger sequencing. This approach has many potential applications in pathogen detection and can potentially aid in providing a more rapid clinical diagnosis.
pKa of opioid ligands as a discriminating factor for side effects
Authors: Del Vecchio Giovanna , Labuz Dominika , Temp Julia , Seitz Viola , Kloner Michael , Negrete Roger , Rodriguez-Gaztelumendi Antonio , Weber Marcus , Machelska Halina , Stein Christoph
Published: December 2019

The non-selective activation of central and peripheral opioid receptors is a major shortcoming of currently available opioids. Targeting peripheral opioid receptors is a promising strategy to preclude side effects. Recently, we showed that fentanyl-derived μ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists with reduced acid dissociation constants (pKa) due to introducing single fluorine atoms produced injury-restricted antinociception in rat models of inflammatory, postoperative and neuropathic pain. Here, we report that a new double-fluorinated compound (FF6) and fentanyl show similar pKa, MOR affinity and [35S]-GTPγS binding at low and physiological pH values. In vivo, FF6 produced antinociception in injured and non-injured tissue, and induced sedation and constipation. The comparison of several fentanyl derivatives revealed a correlation between pKa values and pH-dependent MOR activation, antinociception and side effects. An opioid ligand’s pKa value may be used as discriminating factor to design safer analgesics.
Age-related sensory decline mediates the Sound-Induced Flash Illusion: Evidence for reliability weighting models of multisensory perception
Authors: Hirst Rebecca J. , Setti Annalisa , Kenny Rose A. , Newell Fiona N.
Published: December 2019

Perception of our world is proposed to arise from combining multiple sensory inputs according to their relative reliability. We tested multisensory processes in a large sample of 2920 older adults to assess whether sensory ability mediates age-related changes in perception. Participants completed a test of audio-visual integration, the Sound Induced Flash Illusion (SIFI), alongside measures of visual (acuity, contrast sensitivity, self-reported vision and visual temporal discrimination (VTD)) and auditory (self-reported hearing and auditory temporal discrimination (ATD)) function. Structural equation modelling showed that SIFI susceptibility increased with age. This was mediated by visual acuity and self-reported hearing: better scores on these measures predicted reduced and stronger SIFI susceptibility, respectively. Unexpectedly, VTD improved with age and predicted increased SIFI susceptibility. Importantly, the relationship between age and SIFI susceptibility remained significant, even when considering mediators. A second model showed that, with age, visual ‘gain’ (the benefit of congruent auditory information on visual judgements) was predicted by ATD: better ATD predicted stronger visual gain. However, neither age nor SIFI susceptibility were directly associated with visual gain. Our findings illustrate, in the largest sample of older adults to date, how multisensory perception is influenced, but not fully accounted for, by age-related changes in unisensory abilities.
X-ray-based virtual slicing of TB-infected lungs
Authors: Ortega-Gil Ana , Vaquero Juan José , Gonzalez-Arjona Mario , Rullas Joaquín , Muñoz-Barrutia Arrate
Published: December 2019

Hollow organs such as the lungs pose a considerable challenge for post-mortem imaging in preclinical research owing to their extremely low contrast and high structural complexity. The aim of our study was to enhance the contrast of tuberculosis lesions for their stratification by 3D x-ray–based virtual slicing. Organ samples were taken from five control and five tuberculosis-infected mice. Micro-Computed Tomography (CT) scans of the subjects were acquired in vivo (without contrast agent) and post-mortem (with contrast agent). The proposed contrast-enhancing technique consists of x-ray contrast agent uptake (silver nitrate and iodine) by immersion. To create the histology ground-truth, the CT scan of the paraffin block guided the sectioning towards specific planes of interest. The digitalized histological slides reveal the presence, extent, and appearance of the contrast agents in lung structures and organized aggregates of immune cells. These findings correlate with the contrast-enhanced micro-CT slice. The abnormal densities in the lungs due to tuberculosis disease are concentrated in the right tail of the lung intensity histograms. The increase in the width of the right tail (~376%) indicates a contrast enhancement of the details of the abnormal densities. Postmortem contrast agents enhance the x-ray attenuation in tuberculosis lesions to allow 3D visualization by polychromatic x-ray CT, providing an advantageous tool for virtual slicing of whole lungs. The proposed contrast-enhancing technique combined with computational methods and the diverse micro-CT modalities will open the doors to the stratification of lesion types associated with infectious diseases.
Growth hormone-mediated reprogramming of macrophage transcriptome and effector functions
Authors: Schneider Augusto , Wood Hillary N. , Geden Sandra , Greene Catherine J. , Yates Robin M. , Masternak Michal M. , Rohde Kyle H.
Published: December 2019

Macrophages are an important component of the innate immune response. Priming and activation of macrophages is stimulated by cytokines (i.e IFNγ). However, growth hormone (GH) can also stimulate macrophage activation. Based on these observations, the goal of this work was to 1) to compare the transcriptome profile of macrophages activatedin vitrowith GH and IFNγ, and 2) to assess the impact of GH on key macrophage functional properties like reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and phagosomal proteolysis. To assess the global transcriptional and functional impact of GH on macrophage programming, bone marrow derived macrophages were treated with GH or IFNγ. Our data strongly support a potential link between GH, which wanes with age, and impaired macrophage function. The notable overlap of GH with IFNγ-induced pathways involved in innate immune sensing of pathogens and antimicrobial responses argue for an important role for GH in macrophage priming and maturation. By using functional assays that report on biochemical activities within the lumen of phagosomes, we have also shown that GH alters physiologically relevant processes such as ROS production and proteolysis. These changes could have far reaching impacts on antimicrobial capacity, signaling, and antigen presentation.
A network pharmacology approach to reveal the protective mechanism of Salvia miltiorrhiza-Dalbergia odorifera coupled-herbs on coronary heart disease
Authors: Li Fei , Duan Jialin , Zhao Meina , Huang Shaojie , Mu Fei , Su Jing , Liu Kedi , Pan Yang , Lu Xinming , Li Jing , Wei Peifeng , Xi Miaomiao , Wen Aidong
Published: December 2019

Salvia miltiorrhiza-Dalbergia odorifera coupled-herbs (SMDOCH) has been used to treat coronary heart disease (CHD) for thousands of years, but its unclear bioactive components and mechanisms greatly limit its clinical application. In this study, for the first time, we used network pharmacology to elucidate the mechanisms of action of SMDOCH on CHD. We collected 270 SMDOCH-related targets from 74 bioactive components and 375 CHD-related targets, with 58 overlapping common targets. Next, we performed enrichment analysis for common-target network and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The results showed that SMDOCH affected CHD mainly through 10 significant signaling pathways in three biological processes: ‘vascular endothelial function regulation’, ‘inflammatory response’, and ‘lipid metabolism’. Six pathways belonged to the ‘vascular endothelial function regulation’ model, which primarily regulated hormone (renin, angiotensin, oestrogen) activity, and included three key upstream pathways that influence vascular endothelial function, namely KEGG:04933, KEGG:05418, and KEGG:04066. Three pathways, namely KEGG:04668, KEGG:04064, and KEGG:04620, belonged to the ‘inflammatory response’ model. One pathway (KEGG:04920) belonged to the ‘lipid metabolism’ model. To some extent, this study revealed the potential bioactive components and pharmacological mechanisms of SMDOCH on CHD, and provided a new direction for the development of new drugs for the treatment of CHD.
The role of cations in uranyl nanocluster association: a molecular dynamics study
Authors: Newcomb Ken , Bernales Varinia , Tiwari Surya Prakash , Gagliardi Laura , Maginn Edward J.
Published: December 2019

The aggregation of uranyl nanoclusters is investigated with molecular dynamics simulations.
Effect of electrostatic interaction on the leaflet-specific diffusion in a supported lipid bilayer revealed by fluorescence lifetime correlation analysis
Authors: Otosu Takuhiro , Yamaguchi Shoichi
Published: December 2019

Lipid–support electrostatic interaction determines the lipid dynamics in the proximal leaflet of a SLB.
Palladium-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenative carbonylation reactions using carbon monoxide and mechanistic overviews
Authors: Zhu Can , Liu Jie , Li Man-Bo , Bäckvall Jan-E.
Published: December 2019

Carbon monoxide, which is an abundant and inexpensive carbonyl source, has been widely applied to synthesize carbonyl-containing compounds, for example ketones, esters, and amides.
Environmentally benign multiphase solid–liquid–gas catalysis
Authors: Bai Xueli , Song Nianze , Wen Liang , Huang Xin , Zhang Jian , Zhang Yue , Zhao Yongxiang
Published: December 2019

It is significant for the environment that molecular oxygen replaces conventional heavy metal-containing or toxic oxidants to participate in oxidation reactions.
Diatom frustules enhancing the efficiency of gel polymer electrolyte based dye-sensitized solar cells with multilayer photoelectrodes
Authors: Bandara T. M. W. J. , Furlani M. , Albinsson I. , Wulff Angela , Mellander B.-E.
Published: December 2019

The incorporation of nanostructures that improve light scattering and dye adsorption has been suggested for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), but the manufacture of photonic and nanostructured materials with the desired properties is not an easy task.
A new visible light triggered Arrhenius photobase and its photo-induced reactions
Authors: Joung Joonyoung F. , Lee Jeeun , Hwang Joungin , Choi Kihang , Park Sungnam
Published: December 2019

Visible light triggered Arrhenius photobases are of potential use for excited state hydroxide ion dissociation (ESHID), photo-induced pOH jump experiments, and base-catalyzed reactions.
Multimodal therapies: glucose oxidase-triggered tumor starvation-induced synergism with enhanced chemodynamic therapy and chemotherapy
Authors: Cheng Kaiwu , Ling Chuxuan , Gu Dihai , Gao Zhiguo , Li Yaojia , An Peijing , Zhang Yu , You Chaoqun , Zhang Rui , Sun Baiwang
Published: December 2019

A tumor microenvironment is distinct from normal tissue cells in characteristic physiochemical conditions, based on which we can design tumor-specific therapy modalities.
Ultrastrong coupling of CdZnS/ZnS quantum dots to bonding breathing plasmons of aluminum metal–insulator–metal nanocavities in near-ultraviolet spectrum
Authors: Li Li , Wang Lei , Du Chenglin , Guan Zhongyuan , Xiang Yinxiao , Wu Wei , Ren Mengxin , Zhang Xinzheng , Tang Aiwei , Cai Wei , Xu Jingjun
Published: December 2019

Ultrastrong coupling in the near-UV range between aluminum metal–insulator–metal cavities and CdZnS/ZnS quantum dots is revealed by using cathodoluminescence; at the same time, the plexcitonic modes are spatially mapped at the deep-subwavelength scale.
Inkjet printed uniform quantum dots as color conversion layers for full-color OLED displays
Authors: Hu Zhiping , Yin Yongming , Ali Muhammad Umair , Peng Wenxiang , Zhang Shijie , Li Dongze , Zou Taoyu , Li Yuanyuan , Jiao Shibo , Chen Shu-jhih , Lee Chia-Yu , Meng Hong , Zhou Hang
Published: December 2019

We proposed a new full-color display framework QD-OLEDs, where blue OLEDs are used as pump light, and red and green QDs are printed on color filters as color conversion layers.
Understanding the adsorption performance of two glycine derivatives as novel and environmentally safe anti-corrosion agents for copper in chloride solutions: experimental, DFT, and MC studies
Authors: Elgendy Amr. , Nady H. , El-Rabiei M. M. , Elhenawy Ahmed. A.
Published: December 2019

The inhibition impacts of two non-toxic glycine derivatives, namely, bicine (N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine) and tricine (N-(tri(hydroxymethyl)methyl) glycine) on copper corrosion were investigated in 3.5% NaCl solutions.
Regio-regular alternating diketopyrrolopyrrole-based D1–A–D2–A terpolymers for the enhanced performance of polymer solar cells
Authors: Lee Myeongjae , Kim Taehyo , Nguyen Hoai Van T. , Cho Hye Won , Lee Kyung-Koo , Choi Jong-Ho , Kim BongSoo , Kim Jin Young
Published: December 2019

We designed and synthesized regio-regular alternating diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based D1–A–D2–A terpolymers (PDPPF2T2DPP-T2, PDPPF2T2DPP-TVT, and PDPPF2T2DPP-DTT) for use in polymer solar cells.
Unidirectional transport of water nanodroplets entrapped inside a nonparallel smooth surface: a molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Mahmood Awais , Chen Shuai , Chen Lei , Liu Dong , Chen Chaolang , Weng Ding , Wang Jiadao
Published: December 2019

Two water nanodroplets spontaneously move towards the cusp of nonparallel surfaces and coalesce to form a large size nanodroplet.
Potential application of mixed metal oxide nanoparticle-embedded glassy carbon electrode as a selective 1,4-dioxane chemical sensor probe by an electrochemical approach
Authors: Rahman Mohammed M. , Alam M. M. , Asiri Abdullah M.
Published: December 2019

Low-dimensional ternary ZnO/NiO/MnO2nanoparticles were prepared by wet-chemical co-precipitation in alkaline medium and then used to develop a selective and ultra-sensitive 1,4-dioxane sensor using electrochemistry for the safety of healthcare and the environment.
Decoupling the effects of hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties at the neuron–nanofibre interface
Authors: Martin Adam D. , Wojciechowski Jonathan P. , Du Eric Y. , Rawal Aditya , Stefen Holly , Au Carol G. , Hou Liming , Cranfield Charles G. , Fath Thomas , Ittner Lars M. , Thordarson Pall
Published: December 2019

The mobility of hydrophobic moieties at a peptide nanofibre surface determines its suitability as a scaffold for sensitive primary cells.
A highly active and stable cathode for oxygen reduction in intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells
Authors: Ding Xifeng , Li Mingze , Zhao Xinyu , Ding Liming , Yan Yufei , Wang Lixi , Wang Zhihong
Published: December 2019

A new family of SrCo0.9−xNb0.1NixO3−δ (SCNN, 0.1≤ x ≤ 0.3) perovskites as promising cathode for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) with improved cathode attributes has been developed with proper nickel substitution.
Leveraging a polycationic polymer to direct tunable loading of an anticancer agent and photosensitizer with opposite charges for chemo–photodynamic therapy
Authors: Zhao Mingying , Wan Shiyu , Peng Xinyu , Zhang Boya , Pan Qingqing , Li Sai , He Bin , Pu Yuji
Published: December 2019

We reported a strategy of using a polycationic polymer to realize distinct loading and release of oppositely charged payloads and a combination therapy.
High-efficiency near-UV light-emitting diodes on Si substrates with InGaN/GaN/AlGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells
Authors: Li Yuan , Xing Zhiheng , Zheng Yulin , Tang Xin , Xie Wentong , Chen Xiaofeng , Wang Wenliang , Li Guoqiang
Published: December 2019

High quantum efficiency LEDs with InGaN/GaN/AlGaN/GaN MQWs have been demonstrated. The proposed GaN interlayer barrier can not only increase the concentration and the spatial overlap of carriers, but also improve the quality of the MQWs.
How Responsiveness From a Communication Partner Affects Story Retell in Aphasia: Quantitative and Qualitative Findings
Authors: Harmon Tyson G. , Jacks Adam , Haley Katarina L. , Bailliard Antoine
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Because people with aphasia (PWA) frequently interact with partners who are unresponsive to their communicative attempts, we investigated how partner responsiveness affects quantitative measures of spoken language and subjective reactions during story retell.

Method

A quantitative study and a qualitative study were conducted. In Study 1, participants with aphasia and controls retold short stories to a communication partner who indicated interest through supportive backchannel responses (responsive) and another who indicated disinterest through unsupportive backchannel responses (unresponsive). Story retell accuracy, delivery speed, and ratings of psychological stress were measured and compared. In Study 2, participants completed semistructured interviews about their story retell experience, which were recorded, transcribed, and coded using qualitative analysis software.

Results

Quantitative results revealed increased psychological stress and decreased delivery speed across all participant groups during the unresponsive partner condition. Effects on delivery speed were more consistent for controls than participants with aphasia. Qualitative results revealed that participants with aphasia were more attuned to unresponsive partner behaviors than controls and reported stronger and more frequent emotional reactions. Partner responsiveness also affected how PWA perceived and coped with the communication experience.

Conclusions

Combined quantitative and qualitative findings suggest that, while unresponsive communication partners may not have robust effects on spoken language, they elicit strong emotional reactions from PWA and affect their communication experience. These findings support the need for communication partner training and suggest that training PWA on emotion regulation or relaxation techniques may help assuage their anxiety during socially challenging everyday communication and increase social participation.

Supplemental Material

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.11368028
Comparative analysis of spoke‐type, consequent‐pole and hybrid‐pole permanent magnet machines
Authors: Li Jian , Wang Kai , Zhang Han
Published: December 2019

In recent years, consequent‐pole permanent magnet (CPM) machines draw much attention due to their high utilisation ratio of permanent magnet (PM) material. However, they have some disadvantages, such as the even‐order harmonics of airgap flux density, which may cause asymmetric phase back‐EMF and the increase of torque ripple. In this study, a novel hybrid‐pole PM (HPM) machine is proposed, in which the rotor combines consequent‐pole and spoke‐type PM rotors. The working principle of the proposed HPM machine is analysed based on the equivalent magnetic circuit, and validated by the finite‐element method. Then, the electromagnetic performance of the HPM machine is compared with those of the existing CPM and spoke‐type PM machines. It is shown that the HPM machine obtains similar average torque, PM utilisation ratio, torque ripple and efficiency to the spoke‐type PM machine, whilst it has a higher PM utilisation ratio and much lower torque ripple than the conventional CPM machines. Finally, these analyses are validated by the tested results of a 9‐slot/6‐pole HPM machine.
Design and analysis of consequent‐pole line start permanent magnet synchronous motor
Authors: Ghoroghchian Fakhrossadat , Damaki Aliabad Aliakbar , Amiri Ebrahim
Published: December 2019

A new design of line start permanent magnet synchronous motor with consequent magnetic pole is proposed in this study. The number of the permanent magnets (PMs) in the proposed structure is 25% less than the PMs utilised in conventional motors, which could potentially decrease the manufacturing expenses, in particular, in larger size motors. The new design is characterised by simple structure, low cost and good synchronisation capability. The motor performance is simulated in a steady state and transient domain via a finite element (FE) software tool. For further verification, the FE analysis results are validated by experimental measurements on the prototype of the motor.
Torque ripple minimisation of switched reluctance motor using sense coils
Authors: Reddy Battu Prakash , Vemula Janaki Ramaiah , Keerthipati Sivakumar
Published: December 2019

Switched reluctance motor (SRM) offers several advantages compared to conventional motors such as low cost, rugged design and good high‐speed performance. Torque ripple and the associated acoustic noise and vibrations have been a challenge for its application in low and medium power applications. The torque ripple is due to double salient structure and non‐linear magnetic characteristics of the machine. This study presents a sense coil system to measure instantaneous inductance that represents the non‐linearity and saturation effects. The current profile is generated from the measured inductance to minimise the torque ripple and reduce the copper losses. The speed of motor is derived from the measured inductance thereby eliminating need for an external sensor. The effect of temperature and asymmetries in machine construction are compensated due to the dynamic nature of inductance measurement. The proposed method is implemented on a SoC FPGA to control the speed of SRM with reduced torque ripple.
Hybrid PSO–ANN algorithm to control TCR for voltage balancing
Authors: Alkayyali Malek , Ghaeb Jasim
Published: December 2019

Voltage unbalance is an important power quality issue, which occurs in electrical power systems (EPSs) and causes severe problems for them. In this work, a general mathematical model for EPS including its long transmission line is developed using the generalised circuit parameters method. Then, a hybrid Particle Swarm Optimisation–Artificial Neural Network (PSO–ANN) algorithm is proposed to overcome the voltage unbalance problem by controlling the firing angles of thyristor‐controlled reactor (TCR) which varies the amount of reactive power at the load side. PSO algorithm is responsible for determining the optimal set of TCR firing angles required to retrieve the balance conditions in offline mode for different load changes, employing the developed mathematical model of the EPS. Then, a dataset is taken as training samples for the ANN to be used in online mode. Aqaba Qatranah South‐Amman (AQSA) EPS is considered as a real case study and simulated in MATLAB environment to validate the proposed algorithm. The simulation results are compared with other ANN algorithms available in the literature. Finally, a laboratory prototype is built for AQSA EPS including its long transmission line to test the proposed hybrid PSO–ANN algorithm for real unbalance conditions acquired from the laboratory prototype.
Miniaturised wideband ingestible antenna for wireless capsule endoscopy
Authors: Biswas Balaka , Karmakar Ayan , Chandra Vikash
Published: December 2019

This study demonstrates the development of an electrically small wideband antenna on silicon substrate targeting wireless capsule endoscopy application. Operating frequency is chosen as 915 MHz. Proposed antenna exhibits a wide frequency bandwidth of 300 MHz (750–1050 MHz) experimentally for a very compact size of 0.021 λ0 × 0.021 λ0mm2. To simulate the realistic human body environment, ‘male Torso’ model has been considered surrounding this miniaturised antenna. Different tissue properties have been considered during simulation by altering the electrical properties of the human phantom. For the practical experiment, ‘colon’ tissue has been considered and fabricated prototype antenna is tested in this liquid. Further to study the bio‐compatibility, specific absorption rate of the antenna is evaluated. Theoretically, the whole antenna assembly along with the phantom is modelled and corresponding link budget calculation is also accomplished to estimate carrier to noise (C/N0) ratio. Link margin coming out from this study indicates the suitability of the proposed antenna in biomedical applications. Orientation of the capsule in the gastrointestinal tract, effect of capsule material and the effect of capsule's in‐side electronics upon antenna performance have been studied in this work. Experimentation reveals very promising results, which closely resembles with the predicted simulated values.
Observability analysis and design of two nested filters for the satellite attitude estimation with magnetometer‐only
Authors: Sabzevari Sanaz , Vali Ahmadreza , Ferdowsi Mohammad Hossein , Arvan Mohammad Reza
Published: December 2019

This study aims to propose a scenario for determining the attitude of a nano‐satellite with only a magnetometer in the case of temporal failure or faults in other sensors of attitude determination subsystem. For the sake of this matter, two nested filters are employed. The first filter estimates the magnetic field derivative by an extended Kalman filter (EKF). This information is applied along with the magnetometer outputs to obtain the attitude in the second one. A proposed algorithm based on the Square‐Root UnScented QUaternion Estimator has been carried out to guarantee the positiveness of the covariance matrices considering the restriction about the unit norm of the quaternion. Furthermore, the non‐linear observability of these filters is investigated analytically accompanied by condition number studies to show the functionality of these filters for magnetometer‐only attitude determination. Finally, Monte Carlo simulation results indicate better performance of this approach in comparison with the traditional method of multiplicative EKF, particularly with large initialisation errors.
Research on sub‐micron measurement methods of M55J carbon fibre/cyanate ester composites
Authors: Li Yan , Ge Wenjie , Jiang Wenge
Published: December 2019

In view of the axial dimensional stability of the main loaded cylinder of the space camera, the thermal expansion characteristics of the carbon fibre M55J/cyanate ester (CE) composite were studied. In this paper, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of four kinds of carbon fibre composites used in aerospace are analysed and measured in both directions. The results show that the CTE of M55J/CE composite is negative, which cannot be achieved by carbon/epoxy composite. According to this characteristic, the layering mode of M55J/CE laminates was optimised, The CTE of M55J/CE laminates was analysed by the finite element method. Then the loaded cylinder was developed using the optimal ply program. Two different measuring methods, ‘Heating blanket/Three‐coordinate measurement’ and ‘High–low temperature chamber/submicrometer displacement detector measurement method’ were proposed to measure the CTE of the loaded cylinder, and the advantages and disadvantages of the two measuring methods are also analysed. The test results were compared, which verified the credibility of the measurement method and data, The test results of ‘High–low temperature chamber/Submicrometer displacement detector measurement method’ were closer to the laminate, which laid the foundation for engineering applications.
The nature of the NGC 2546: Not one but two open clusters
Authors: Alejo A. D. , González J. F. , Veramendi M. E.
Published: December 2019

Context.As part of a broader project on the role of binary stars in clusters, we present a spectroscopic study of the open cluster NGC 2546, which is a large cluster lacking previous spectroscopic analysis.

Aims.We report the finding of two open clusters in the region of NGC 2546. For the two star groups, we determine radial velocity, parallax, proper motion, reddening, distance modulus, and age, using our spectroscopic observations and available photometric and astrometric data, mainly from the secondGaiadata release (Gaia-DR2). We also determine the orbit of four spectroscopic binaries in these open clusters.

Methods.From mid-resolution spectroscopic observations for 28 stars in the NGC 2546 region, we determined radial velocities and evaluate velocity variability. To analyze double-lined spectroscopic binaries, we used a spectral separation technique and fit the spectroscopic orbits using a least-squares code. The presence of two stellar groups is suggested by the radial velocity distribution and confirmed by available photometric and astrometric data. We applied a multi-criteria analysis to determine cluster membership, and obtained kinematic and physical parameters of the clusters.

Results.NGC 2546 is actually two clusters, NGC 2546A and NGC 2546B, which are not physically related to each other. NGC 2546A has an age of about 180 Myr and a distance of 950 pc. It has a half-number radius of 8 pc and contains about 480 members brighter thanG = 18 mag. NGC 2546B is a very young cluster (<10 Myr) located at a distance of 1450 pc. It is a small cluster with 80 members and a half-number radius of 1.6 pc. Stars less massive than 2.5M⊙in this cluster would be pre-main-sequence objects. We detected four spectroscopic binaries and determined their orbits. The two binaries of NGC 2546A contain chemically peculiar components: HD 68693 is composed of two mercury-manganese stars and HD 68624 has a Bp silicon secondary. Among the most massive objects of NGC 2546B, there are two binary stars: HD 68572, withP = 124.2 d, and CD -37 4344 withP = 10.4 d.
Energy efficiency of food production wastewater anaerobic-aerobic treatment
Authors: Khabibullin Rustem , Le Huong Thao , Ivanchenko Olga , Petrov Andrey
Published: December 2019

The advanced energyand resource saving technologies of food production wastewater treatment include anaerobic and aerobic steps. At present, various methods of intensification and optimization are used to increase the efficiency of anaerobic processes of wastewater treatment, including selection of active microbial communities, providing the optimum temperature regime, immobilizing biomass by granulation or biofilm formation, reducing various inhibitory effects, phase separation or pre-acidification, chemical or biological pretreatment of wastewater. The aim of this investigation was researching the effect of hydraulic and organic load rates on the energy efficiency of the wastewater treatment process and evaluating the energy efficiency depending on process conditions. Experimental laboratory installation included subsequently connected bioreactors, one from which acted as first stage and other bioreactors as the second stages of anaerobic process. It was shown that the biogas formation at the first and second stages differs significantly. A small volume of released biogas on the first stage allows us to ignore it, but characteristics of biogas formation at the second stage bioreactors are close and are described by general functional dependence. The specific yield of biogas from the organic matter consumed Ybgis independent of the specific organic load rate L, but is dependent on the specific flow rate of the treated water D.
New high-speed system for controlling the parameters of a nuclear reactor in a nuclear power plant
Authors: Davydov Roman , Antonov Valery , Makeev Sergey , Batov Yury , Dudkin Valentin , Myazin Nikita
Published: December 2019

The necessity of modernizing current control systems for functional units of a nuclear power plant, as well as the development of new control systems with a high degree of reliability and speed, is substantiated. The advantages of using optical sensors and fiber-optic communication lines to solve these problems are noted. Cases for which it is necessary to develop new fiber-optic sensors for monitoring parameters, for example, the flow of coolant or feed water, are considered. In some of them, it is more expedient to use standard designs of fiber-optic sensors to control the operating parameters of various blocks, for example, to control the electric field strength. A device and a control scheme for the parameters of the units and systems of a nuclear power plant using fiber-optic communication lines have been developed. The results of measuring various parameters of a nuclear reactor are presented. They showed that our proposed fiber-optic control and monitoring system for nuclear power plants operates more reliably and efficiently than systems with analogue control and measurement channels. The use of fiber-optic systems allows real-time remote control and high-speed control in terms of issuing commands to devices. This is very important when servicing a nuclear power plant while it is operating in extreme conditions.
Energy characteristics of self-healing process in metallized film capacitors
Authors: Belko Victor , Ivanov Ivan , Plotnikov Andrey , Belanov Valery
Published: December 2019

Metallized film capacitors widely used in energy applications were studied. The experimental method for investigation of energy and dynamic characteristics of self-healing processes in real metal-film capacitors was developed. The commercial PET and PP MFCs of 0.22 – 1 μF capacitance and 63–250 V voltage were tested. Depending on applied voltage, 3 types of SH processes in MFC were discovered: single, repetitive, and multiple SH. Dependencies of self-healing energy on breakdown voltage were obtained. These dependencies are described by power law with the exponent n = 2.2–2.4 that significantly differs from literature data. The obtained data will be used for degradation and aging laws formulation for capacitors’ energy storage capability improvement.
Modern methods of treatment plant materials for waste minimization
Authors: Pankina I. A. , Belokurova E. S. , Politaeva N.A. , Lomasov V. N. , Bashun N. Z.
Published: December 2019

Nowadays in the food industry great attention is paid to reducing losses at the stages of agricultural products’ harvesting, treatment, and storage. Many developed countries produce food products of extended storage period. To increase the shelf life of semi-finished and finished food products, non-thermal treatment methods are being used that allow one to save a greater amount of biologically active substances. One of these methods is products treatment by ionizing radiation. The article presents the results of assessing the influence of radiation treatment on microbiological, physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics of vacuumized semi-finished products from potatoes. A technology for the production of semi-finished products using ionizing radiation has been developed, an effective dose of irradiation of vacuumized semi-finished products has been selected, which allows prolonging their shelf life. The research results show the influence of ionizing radiation on the cellular structure of root crops, which soften a little when treated by radiation. The determined quantity of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms shows that ionizing radiation has a microbicidal and microbostatic effect, which allows increasing the shelf life of vacuumized semi-finished products from potatoes.
High-strength concrete eccentrically compressed elements
Authors: Vasilenko Anastasia , Chernogorsky Dmitry , Strakhov Dmitry , Sinyakov Leonid
Published: December 2019

The article is devoted to the analysis of technical and economic efficiency of application of high-strength concrete (HSC) in the eccentrically compressed columns. In the first part of the paper, the effect of concrete grade on in-creasing the column stiffness depending on steel ratio at different values of the relative eccentricity is considered. According to the results of the calculation, application of HSC is most effective at low values of the relative ec-centricity because increasing the concrete strength leads to more intensive increasing of column stiffness than increasing of steel ratio. In the second part of the paper, the material cost of the 1 linear meter of the column is calculated at the fixed value of column stiffness and application domain of HSC is defined in the case under consideration. In addition, load characteristics providing the efficiency of HSC application in the eccentrically compressed columns are determined.