bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural, Magnetic, and Vibrational Investigations of FeIII Spin‐Crossover Compounds [Fe(4‐MeO–SalEen)2]X with X = NO3– and PF6–
Authors: Tissot Antoine , Fertey Pierre , Guillot Régis , Briois Valérie , Boillot Marie‐Laure
Published: November 2013

The spin‐crossover properties of two spin‐crossover materials [FeIII(4‐MeO–SalEen)2]X (X = NO3–, PF6–, and H–4‐MeO–SalEen = condensation product of 4‐methoxy‐substituted salicylaldehyde and N‐ethylethylenediamine) in the crystalline form were investigated by magnetic and―for the first time at SOLEIL Synchrotron―combined single‐crystal Raman and X‐ray diffraction measurements. The NO3– salt exhibits a spin transition at approximately 78 K with a thermal hysteresis (ΔT = 7.5 K), whereas the PF6– salt shows a progressive spin crossover centered at approximately 225 K. For this latter compound, the reversible curve extracted from the single‐crystal Raman measurements is fully comparable with the magnetic and structural data. The crystal structures were determined at 293, 100, and 50 K (for X = NO3–) and 293 and 106 K (for X = PF6–). It appears from this analysis that the hysteretic behavior of the NO3– salt results from a first‐order isostructural phase transition. The strongly cooperative and bistable behavior of this compound is favored at such a temperature by a 2D network of complexes that communicate through moderate intermolecular interactions. The presence of direct van der Waals contacts that involve the phenolato groups linked to the FeIII ions might influence the ligand‐field strength and the transition temperature. The thermal trapping of the metastable HS phase was magnetically detected, and its relaxation to the LS ground state was observed at approximately 34.5 K. The spin crossover of the PF6– compound was analyzed as the combination of progressive processes that characterize quite similar cations that occupy two crystallographic sites.
Transition‐Metal‐Free Cross‐Coupling Reactions by Single Electron Transfer (SET)
Authors: Sythana Suresh Kumar , Unni Santhosh , Kshirsagar Yogesh M. , Bhagat Pundlik R.
Published: November 2013

A facile, efficient, single‐step protocol for the synthesis of cinnoline derivatives by a transition‐metal‐free coupling between amino‐ and nitroaryl compounds by single electron transfer (SET) has been developed. Direct carbon–carbon bond formation was achieved from nonfunctionalized aromatic carbon atoms. A plausible mechanism has been proposed.
Concise Syntheses and Biological Activities of Ganomycin I and Fornicin A
Authors: Yajima Arata , Urao Shota , Katsuta Ryo , Nukada Tomoo
Published: November 2013

The first enantioselective syntheses of ganomycin I, a meroterpenoid isolated from the Vietnamese mushroom Ganoderma colossum, and the related meroterpenoid fornicin A were accomplished. Our methodology for the total syntheses of these compounds featured the construction of the butenolide moiety by asymmetric dihydroxylation followed by Julia–Kocienski type olefin formation and ring‐closing metathesis reactions. The absolute configurations of the two natural products were determined by comparisons of specific rotation. A cell‐based assay of the synthetic compounds with transfected human embryonic kidney 293 tet‐off (E‐PR293) cells indicated that ganomycin I possesses cytotoxicity and fornicin A possesses weak anti‐HIV‐1 protease activity without cytotoxicity.
Facile Assembly of 1‐[(Trifluoromethyl)thio]isoquinolines through Reaction of 2‐Alkynylbenzaldoxime with Silver (Trifluoromethyl)thiolate
Authors: Xiao Qing , Sheng Jie , Ding Qiuping , Wu Jie
Published: November 2013

1‐[(Trifluoromethyl)thio]isoquinolines can be assembled through silver(I)‐catalyzed reaction of 2‐alkynylbenzaldoxime with silver (trifluoromethyl)thiolate in the presence of p‐methoxybenzenesulfonyl chloride. The (trifluoromethyl)thio moiety (SCF3) could be easily introduced into the scaffold of isoquinoline under mild conditions.
Introduction of Ketamine as a G‐Quadruplex‐Binding Ligand Using Platinum Nanoparticle Modified Carbon Paste Electrode
Authors: Bagheryan Zahra , Raoof Jahan‐Bakhsh , Ojani Reza , Hamidi‐Asl Ezat
Published: November 2013

We designed an electrochemical platform by modifying a carbon paste electrode (CPE) with platinum nanoparticles to study the interaction between ketamine and the G‐quadruplex structure of human telomeric DNA (G4HTD). The drug ketamine (Kt) was used as the model ligand and its ability for stabilizing the G‐quadruplex structure was examined. The modified CPE (NPtCPE) was characterized by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The interaction of Kt with G4HTD was studied by DPV and the DPV current decreased with increasing Kt concentration. The results from UV‐vis and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy showed a prominent intercalation mode between G4HTD and Kt.
Water‐insoluble copolymer based on N‐methyl‐d‐glucamine and quaternary ammonium groups with capability to remove arsenic
Authors: Urbano Bruno F. , Paredes Joel , Rivas Bernabé L. , Kusku Ozge , Kabay Nalan , Bryjak Marek
Published: November 2013

The synthesis and sorption performance of As(V) with a copolymer resin is presented. The resin was obtained via the radical polymerization of a 1:1 mixture of N‐(4‐vinyl benzyl)‐N‐methyl‐D‐glucamine and (4‐vinyl benzyl)trimethyl ammonium chloride using N,N‐methylene‐bis‐acrylamide as the crosslinker. The effect of pH, concentration, and time on the arsenic sorption was studied. The copolymer exhibited good performance over a wide pH range regardless of the initial concentrations. The equilibrium experiments presented better results under alkaline conditions (pH 9.0) compared with acidic conditions (pH 3.0). The kinetic sorption was quite fast, particularly at low arsenic concentrations. In addition, the arsenic anions were eluted with different acid/alkaline reagents, and the acid eluents exhibited the best results. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 33: 1187–1193, 2014
Design of installation capacity evaluation mechanism for hybrid energy generation system
Authors: Wai Rong‐Jong , Lin Yeou‐Fu , Chen Yi‐Chang
Published: November 2013

This study presents a simple evaluation mechanism for the installation capacity of a hybrid energy generation system. The mechanism is mainly applicable to hybrid energy sources, including wind power, photovoltaic (PV), and fuel cells (FC). Demand power is mainly supplied by the PV and wind power, and backup power in case of an emergency is provided by the FC generation system. The aim of the hybrid energy generation system is to suppress the penalty bill caused by exceeding the contract power capacity with the power company and to supply the backup power when needed. According to different installation locations of the hybrid energy generation system, a simple evaluation mechanism for the installation capacity is designed by considering the concept of capacity factor and cost recovery to obtain the ratio of installation capacity. The performance of the proposed evaluation mechanism is verified by numerical simulations of a real campus in Taiwan. The comparison of the proposed evaluation mechanism with two dispatch methods via the rate of capacity factor and the rate of power generation cost is done on the equal basis of 104 kW power requirement provided by the PV and wind power generation systems to avoid the penalty for exceeding its contractual power capacity, and the capacity factors (10.7 and 34.33%) for the PV and wind power generation systems. Numerical results show that the proposed evaluation mechanism has about (45.5%/13.3%) and (18.2%/20%) self‐use/selling payback year improvements than two conventional dispatch methods, respectively. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 33: 1322–1331, 2014
Capacity conservation ratio: a novel interference constraint for spectrum sharing
Authors: Inage Kei , Fujii Takeo , Muraoka Kazushi , Ariyoshi Masayuki
Published: November 2013

This paper presents an interference constraint and power control schemes based on the capacity conservation ratio (CCR). The CCR is the ratio of the decreased capacity in the spectrum sharing to the original capacity of a system. By utilising the CCR as a metric to protect the primary user, a secondary user can achieve sufficient performance, without a large degradation in the primary capacity. In this paper, we propose novel power control schemes under interference constraints based on the CCR, with consideration of the fading effect, by using theoretical analysis. There are two types of power control schemes, namely, an exact power control scheme (EPCS) and a simplified power control scheme (SPCS). The EPCS can control the outage probability; however, a numerical analytic approach is necessary to determine the transmit power. In contrast, the SPCS can be used to derive the transmit power from a closed form with an archiving requirement of the constraint. We analytically derive the average capacity of the primary user and secondary user and the complementary cumulative distribution function of the primary capacity. From these numerical results, we show that the interference constraint based on the CCR achieves better performance in underlay spectrum sharing than the other two interference constraints. Furthermore, the SPCS can achieve a performance equivalent to that of the EPCS, and the SPCS can protect both the low and the high primary capacities under the same constraint. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new pilot design for NC‐OFDM systems under power constraints
Authors: Zhu Chun‐hua , Yang Jing , Yang Shou‐yi
Published: November 2013

The pilot design is one of the key issues that has to be solved in order to improve the performance of non‐continuous orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (NC‐OFDM) systems in cognitive radio context. Equally‐spaced and equally‐powered pilot tones that are the optimal pilot design for conventional OFDM systems cannot be applicable to NC‐OFDM systems with the non‐continuous(NC) spectrum. In NC‐OFDM systems, the secondary users(SUs) communicate to each other by spectrum mapping the primary users(PUs)’ band to protect the PUs from interference. So the SUs’ available subcarriers’ positions and power allocation will be changed with PUs’ active state and interference constraints. The NC available spectrum and power distribution bring new challenges on system design, which make the pattern of pilots in the frequency domain vulnerable. Several recent researches have studied the optimal or suboptimal pilot designs under equally‐powered assumption. In this paper, we only focus on the comb‐type pilot design under uneven power distribution hypothesis for the NC‐OFDM transmission. Firstly, based on maximising each available subcarrier’ power under PUs’ interference temperature constraints, the pilot power constraints have been discussed, then the formula between pilot positions and pilot powers have been derived by minimising the channel estimation mean square error; moreover, a suboptimal pilot design under the pilot power constraints is also presented. The proposed pilot design cannot only obtain better channel estimation performance compared with previous pilot designs, but also consider the PUs’ communication reliability. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Human platelet‐rich plasma induces chondrogenic differentiation of subchondral progenitor cells in polyglycolic acid–hyaluronan scaffolds
Authors: Krüger Jan Philipp , Ketzmar Anna‐Katharina , Endres Michaela , Pruss Axel , Siclari Alberto , Kaps Christian
Published: November 2013

Cartilage repair approaches may be improved by addition of human platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) that increases chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem and progenitor cells. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of human PRP on the differentiation of multipotent human subchondral progenitor cells in resorbable polyglycolic acid–hyaluronan (PGA‐HA) scaffolds. PGA‐HA scaffolds were loaded with subchondral progenitor cells and stimulated with transforming growth factor‐beta3 (TGFB3) or 5% PRP, whereas nonstimulated cultures served as controls. Chondrogenic differentiation was evaluated by real‐time gene expression analysis of typical chondrogenic marker genes and by immunohistochemical staining of extracellular cartilage matrix molecules such as proteoglycans and collagen type II. TGFB3 and PRP induced the expression of chondrogenic marker genes collagen type II and IX, aggrecan, and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in subchondral progenitor cells cultured in PGA‐HA scaffolds compared with nonstimulated controls. Progenitor cells in PGA‐HA scaffolds formed an extracellular matrix rich in proteoglycans and collagen type II on treatment with PRP, but to a lesser extent, than in cultures stimulated with TGFB3. The results suggest that PRP induces chondrogenic differentiation of progenitor cells in PGA‐HA scaffolds and may be therefore beneficial in scaffold‐assisted cartilage repair approaches involving stem and progenitor cells. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 681–692, 2014.
TFAA/H3PO4‐Mediated C‐2 Acylation of Thiophene: A Direct Synthesis of Known and Novel Thiophene Derivatives of Pharmacological Interest
Authors: Bindu P. , Naini Shravan Reddy , Shanmukha Rao K. , Dubey P. K. , Pal Sarbani
Published: November 2013

A number of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids were reacted with thiophene in the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride and H3PO4 to give a variety of acylated thiophenes in good to excellent yields. The methodology was used to prepare known nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug‐based novel compounds of potential pharmacological significances. Molecular modeling studies were carried out by using nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug‐based thiophene derivatives to assess their cyclooxygenase inhibiting potential in silico. On the basis of docking studies followed by subsequent in vitro assay, indomethacin‐based thiophene derivative was identified as a novel cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitor with balanced selectivity.
A systematic comparative evaluation of 90Y‐labeled bifunctional chelators for their use in targeted therapy
Authors: Chakravarty Rubel , Chakraborty Sudipta , Dash Ashutosh
Published: November 2013

This paper describes a systematic comparative evaluation of five commonly used bifunctional chelators, namely, p‐isothiocyanato benzyl derivatives of diethylenetriaminepentacetic acid (DTPA‐NCS), trans‐cyclohexyl diethylenetriaminepentacetic acid (CHX‐A″‐DTPA‐NCS), 1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7,10‐tetraacetic acid (DOTA‐NCS), 1,4,7‐triazacyclononane‐1,4,7‐triacetic acid (NOTA‐NCS), and 3,6,9,15‐tetraazabicyclo [9.3.1]pentadeca‐1(15),11,13‐triene‐3,6,9‐triacetic acid (PCTA‐NCS), on the basis of their ability to complex 90Y at room temperature, in vitro and in vivo stability and clearance pattern in biological system. The results of the experiments carried out revealed that CHX‐A″‐DTPA‐NCS was the most promising option as it could be radiolabeled with 90Y at room temperature with highest specific activity and demonstrated high in vitro stability in human serum and in presence of challenging metal ions commonly present in human plasma. The clearance pattern in Swiss mice revealed that 90Y‐CHX‐ A″‐DTPA‐NCS cleared through the kidneys with minimum retention in any other major organ. Thus, the use of cyclohexyl‐DTPA based bifunctional chelators would increase the scope of making 90Y‐labeled agents suitable for targeted therapy.
Risk factors for exceeding the Milan criteria after successful radiofrequency ablation in patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Tsuchiya Kaoru , Asahina Yasuhiro , Tamaki Nobuharu , Yasui Yutaka , Hosokawa Takanori , Ueda Ken , Nakanishi Hiroyuki , Itakura Jun , Kurosaki Masayuki , Enomoto Nobuyuki , Izumi Namiki
Published: November 2013

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an effective and safe noninvasive treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and may be useful as a bridging therapy in liver transplantation. The prognosis after liver transplantation for patients within the Milan criteria is excellent. This study was aimed at identifying risk factors associated with exceeding the Milan criteria after initial locally curative RFA therapy. Among 554 primary HCC patients, 323 with early-stage HCC after RFA were analyzed (mean age = 66 years). Two hundred forty-eight patients had hepatitis C virus, 33 patients had hepatitis B virus, and 41 patients had neither hepatitis B nor hepatitis C; 256, 67, and 0 patients were classified as Child-Pugh A, B, and C, respectively. The rates of cumulative overall survival and recurrence exceeding the Milan criteria were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier analysis, and factors associated with overall survival were determined with Cox proportional hazards analysis. The cumulative overall survival rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 96.2%, 84.4%, 69.9%, and 40.6% respectively, without liver transplantation. The cumulative rates of recurrence exceeding the Milan criteria at 1, 3, and 5 years were 15.1%, 46.0%, and 61.1% respectively. An alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level > 100 ng/mL and recurrence within 1 year after initial ablation were independently associated with earlier recurrence exceeding the Milan criteria and overall survival. The 3- and 5-year survival rates for patients with both risk factors were 33.5% and 22.6%, respectively, despite an early stage at initial ablation. In conclusion, a higher AFP level and HCC recurrence within 1 year of RFA are risk factors for exceeding the Milan criteria and for overall survival. Early liver transplantation or adjuvant therapy should be considered for patients with both risk factors. Liver Transpl 20:291-297, 2014. © 2013 AASLD.
Photoinduced Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization Using Semiconductor Nanoparticles
Authors: Dadashi‐Silab Sajjad , Atilla Tasdelen Mehmet , Mohamed Asiri Abdullah , Bahadar Khan Sher , Yagci Yusuf
Published: November 2013

Photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by in situ generation of copper (I) complex from higher oxidation state species using neat zinc oxide and iron‐doped zinc oxide nanoparticles is investigated. The polymerizations proceed in a well‐controlled manner under UV light at room temperature as evidenced by kinetic and light on–off experiments. The evolution of molecular weight with conversion shows good correlations between experimental and theoretical molecular weights, which confirmed good control over polymerization along with a narrow molecular weight distribution.

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The design of waveguide filters based on cross‐coupled resonators
Authors: Shang Xiaobang , Xia Wenlin , Lancaster Michael J.
Published: November 2013

This article addresses the physical realization of crosscoupled waveguide filters based on electromagnetic (EM) simulations. For this design procedure, the filter structure is simulated by successively adding one resonator at a time. The desired filter response is achieved without the need of a global optimisation on all the mechanical dimensions within an EM simulator. This reduces the design time required for a crosscoupled waveguide filter and allows the possibility of building high‐order waveguide filters with complex crosscouplings. A sixth order X‐band dual‐band filter with a center frequency of 10 GHz and a fractional bandwidth of 1% is designed using this procedure and presented here as an example. Excellent agreement between simulation results and theoretical results from coupling matrix verifies the proposed approach. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:3–8, 2014
Four‐port balanced antenna feeding network for switchable polarizations and stable Tx/Rx isolation characteristics
Authors: Lee Han‐Lim , Park Dong‐Hoon , Tae Hyun‐Sung , Lee Moon‐Que , Yu Jong‐Won
Published: November 2013

A new four‐port balanced antenna feeding network for switchable polarizations and high transmit/receive (Tx/Rx) isolation characteristics is presented. The proposed structure is configured by two switching mode hybrid matrices which consist of two 3‐dB couplers and two SP4T switches, two directional couplers, and Wilkinson dividers. By controlling impedances of the switching mode hybrid matrices, different types of polarizations such as right‐handed circular polarization, left‐handed circular polarization, vertical polarization, and horizontal polarization can be generated with stable Tx/Rx isolation characteristics regardless of antenna impedance variations. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:17–23, 2014
Design of a multipolarization reconfigurable microstrip array antenna using PIN diodes
Authors: Song Taeho , Woo Seungmin , Park Daesung , Lee Seokgon , Choi Jaehoon
Published: November 2013

A multipolarization reconfigurable microstrip array antenna that can be used selectively for four polarizations [vertical polarization (VP), horizontal polarization (HP), right hand circular polarization (RHCP), left hand circular polarization (LHCP)] at the S‐band is proposed. To control the four polarization states, a single element consisting of four PIN diodes and a microstrip patch with a circular slot is need. The fabricated array antenna has a VSWR below 2 from 3.32 to 3.39 GHz for VP, from 3.30 to 3.375 GHz for HP, from 3.285 to 3.405 GHz for LHCP, and from 3.27 to 3.40 GHz for RHCP. The 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidth is wider than 19 MHz in the circular polarization states, and the cross‐polarization levels are higher than −20 dB in the linear polarization and −17 dB in the circular polarization, respectively. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:104–110, 2014
V‐band GaAs low LO power driven double‐balanced Gilbert mixer based on dual‐meandering baluns design
Authors: Ke P. Y. , Huang F. H. , Kao H. L. , Chiu Hsien‐Chin
Published: November 2013

A low local oscillator (LO)‐power, V‐Band MMIC down‐conversion, double‐balanced Gilbert mixer with integrated RF and LO baluns is designed and fabricated using standard 0.15‐µm pHEMT MMIC technology and characterized using probe measurements. There is a high conversion gain at a low‐LO power level. This enables the proposed “current bleeding resistor divider voltage” technique, also provided in the Gilbert‐cell mixer, to boost the conversion gain at a low–LO power level. The greatest conversion gain is from 5.17 to 1.41 dB at an RF frequency 53–60 GHz, and a Pub of −9.5 dBm at an LO input power of −7 dBm. Both RF‐LO and LO‐RF isolations are better than 25 dB. This is believed to be the lowest‐LO power and highest conversion gain so far achieved for V‐band mixers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:60–64, 2014
size reduction of rectangular microstrip antenna
Authors: Neogi Shatarupa , Bhattacharjee Anup K. , Pratim Sarkar Partha
Published: November 2013

A novel compact asymmetric‐slotted‐slit‐rectangular microstrip patch antenna coaxially fed is proposed. The antenna provides resonating frequency at 6.06 and 6.45 GHz providing approximately 66.33% size reduction compared to an ordinary microstrip patch antenna. Further the antenna has been modified to resonate at a frequency of 4.66 GHz, providing approximately a size reduction of 80.22%. A good agreement between simulated and measured results is obtained. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:244–248, 2014
Design of a dual‐polarized small base station antenna with metallic cube for beyond 4G systems
Authors: Lee Jung N. , Kwon Heon K. , Kang Byung S. , Lee Kwang C.
Published: November 2013

In this article, a small base station antenna for beyond 4G systems is proposed. The proposed antenna is composed of two metallic dipole elements, two feed plates, an FR‐4 substrate, an aluminum cube, and a radome. The measured −10 dB impedance bandwidth is 2.45–2.9 GHz. The proposed antenna has an isolation of greater than 30 dB at operating frequencies. The measured average antenna gain is 5.5 dBi, and the cross polarizations are all less than 20 dB below the copolarization value. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:91–96, 2014
Frequency‐reconfigurable dual‐band monopole antenna for WiMAX wireless devices
Authors: Sun X. L. , Cheung S. W. , Yuk T. I.
Published: November 2013

This article proposes a planar monopole antenna with two frequency‐tunable bands for wireless devices used in the WiMAX system. The antenna has two radiating branches acting as monopoles and resonating at around 2.4 GHz (lower band) and 3.4 GHz (higher band). By using two varactors on the radiating branches with novel designs of DC‐biasing circuits, the two operating bands can be continuously tuned using the corresponding DC‐bias voltages. The lower band can be tuned to cover the frequency bands of 2.3–2.4 GHz and 2.5–2.69 GHz, and the higher band can cover the frequency bands of 3.3–3.4 GHz, 3.4–3.6 GHz, and 3.6–3.8 GHz for the WiMAX system. The antenna has a small overall size of 40 × 35 × 0.8 mm3 with a compact radiator of only 14.5 × 8.2 mm2. The antenna performance in terms of tuning, reflection coefficient, radiation pattern, efficiency, and peak gain are studied using computer simulation. For verification of simulation results, the antenna is fabricated and measured. The feeding cable used in measurement causes substantial discrepancies between the simulated and measured results. To study the cable effects, a computer model for the cable is included for simulation studies. With the cable model, the simulated and measured results agree very well. Although the WiMAX system is used in our design, the proposed tuning technique may well be used for tuning other frequency bands in different standards. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:49–55, 2014
X‐band MMIC low‐noise amplifier MMIC on SiC substrate using 0.25‐μm ALGaN/GaN HEMT technology
Authors: Chang Woojin , Jeon Gye‐Ik , Park Young‐Rak , Mun Jae‐Kyoung
Published: November 2013

In this article, we demonstrate a 9.7–12.9‐GHz monolithic microwave integrated circuit low‐noise amplifier (LNA) designed and fabricated using a AlGaN/GaN 0.25‐µm high‐electron mobility transistor on silicon carbide (SiC) technology. Microstriplines are used for matching circuits, except for the MIM capacitors acting as DC blocks in the matching circuits of the LNA circuit. The matching and bias circuits of the LNA are merged and meandered to simplify the structure of the amplifier and reduce the chip size. The LNA shows a noise figure of 1.7–2.1 dB with a small‐signal gain of 20–26 dB and an isolation of 45–52 dB across the 9.7–12.9 GHz frequency range. Under continuous wave conditions, a saturated output power of 34 dBm is shown at 11.2 GHz, and an output third‐order intercept point of 42 dBm is also achieved at 11.4 GHz. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:96–99, 2014
Polarization‐reconfigurable microstrip antenna with a fixed frequency band using a single switch
Authors: Park Wook‐Ki , Oh Soon‐Soo , Shafai Lotfollah
Published: November 2013

This article proposes a reconfigurable microstrip antenna that changes its polarization with only a single switch at a single frequency band. The antenna consists primarily of a square ring and a square patch, with a foam layer. When the connection status between the square ring and the ground is changed between shorted and open status, the linear polarizations are switched. The resonant frequency of the antenna using a single switch reported previously has been shifted, but the proposed antenna in this article exhibits a fixed resonant frequency. The design principle is as follows: The square‐ring printed on the dielectric substrate has inherent narrow bandwidth, but we found that its polarization‐switching characteristics existed over the broad band. The square patch is placed above the square ring, and it provides a broad bandwidth while maintaining polarization diversity. The performance of the antenna is successfully demonstrated via simulation and measurement. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:57–60, 2014
Compact UWB monopole antenna with enhanced bandwidth using rotated L‐shaped slots and parasitic structures
Authors: Ojaroudi Nasser
Published: November 2013

In this article, a new design of compact ultrawideband (UWB) monopole antenna is presented .The antenna consists of a ordinary square radiating patch and a ground plane with pairs of rotated L‐shaped slots and parasitic structures. By cutting a pair of rotated L‐shaped slots and also by embedding a pair of rotate L‐shaped conductor‐backed plane in air gap distance, additional resonances are excited and much wider impedance bandwidth can be produced. Also, the usable upper frequency of the antenna is extended from 10.3 to 18.31 GHz. Simulated and measured results show that the antenna design exhibits an operating bandwidth (VSWR < 2) from 3.09 to 18.31 GHz which provides a wide usable fractional bandwidth of more than 140%. The proposed antenna has an ordinary square radiating patch, therefore, displays a good omnidirectional radiation pattern even at higher frequencies. The antenna configuration is simple, easy to fabricate, and can be integrated into UWB systems. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:175–178, 2014
A study of transmission of RF signal with single conductor wire
Authors: Mei Zicong , Yeung Sai Ho , Sarkar Tapan K. , Salazar‐Palma Magdalena
Published: November 2013

Some researches showed that a single conductor wire can transmit signals. We tried to duplicate these results and we can see a single conductor wire does transmit signals. But its performance is very poor, especially when the wire is not a straight wire. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:124–127, 2014
Design and fabrication of a combined three‐layer coating including gradient refractive index films for broadband antireflection on silicon
Authors: Hu Junjie , Ge Zhongyang , Piquette Alan , Mishra Kailash , Klotzkin David
Published: November 2013

A three‐layer antireflective coating, including a gradient index layer, was designed using numerical optimization and fabricated with cosputtering on a silicon substrate. The average reflectivity of Si was reduced from ∼35 to ∼4% after coating. These multilayer coatings can significantly improve performance devices which need to absorb or emit light. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:256–259, 2014
High selectivity band pass filters on iso/anisotropic dielectric, ferrimagnetic, and metamaterial substrates
Authors: Silva Neto Valdemir P. , Vasconcelos Cristhianne F. L. , Albuquerque Maria Rosa M. L. , D'Assunção Adaildo G.
Published: November 2013

This work describes a frequency response investigation of a band pass microstrip filter geometry printed on different substrate materials. The filter geometry comprises a wavelength rectangular ring resonator that is side coupled to two quarter‐wavelength lines to provide the access ports. This filter geometry is particularly suitable for high‐frequency selective applications. The investigation of the properties of the filter geometry is carried out for iso/anisotropic dielectric, ferrimagnetic, and metamaterial substrates, for comparison purpose. Simulation and design are performed using Ansoft HFSS, a commercial software based on the accurate finite element method. Resonant frequency, return loss, insertion loss, and percent bandwidth results are compared and discussed, taking into account the effect produced by each material substrate on the filter performance. Prototypes of band pass filters on isotropic substrates are built and measured. Simulated and measured results are in agreement. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:201–206, 2014
Evaluations of extracellular pH within in vivo tumors using acidoCEST MRI
Authors: Chen Liu Qi , Howison Christine M. , Jeffery Justin J. , Robey Ian F. , Kuo Phillip H. , Pagel Mark D.
Published: November 2013

Purpose

A practical, noninvasive method is needed to measure the extracellular pH (pHe) within in vivo tumors to longitudinally monitor tumor acidosis. We have optimized a biomedical imaging method, termed acidoCEST MRI, to provide noninvasive assessments of tumor pHe in preclinical models of mammary carcinoma.

Methods

A CEST‐FISP MRI method was optimized to detect the chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) of two amide protons of a clinically approved CT contrast agent, iopromide. The ratio of the two CEST effects was used to measure pH. Routes of administration of iopromide were evaluated to ensure sufficient delivery of the agent to the tumor. The optimized acidoCEST MRI method was then used to evaluate the change in tumor pHe following alkalinizing bicarbonate treatment.

Results

The acidoCEST MRI protocol measured pH between 6.2 and 7.2 pH units. Greater delivery of iopromide was shown to improve the precision of the measurement of tumor pHe, but the agent did not influence the tumor pHe. AcidoCEST MRI was used to longitudinally monitor the effect of bicarbonate treatment on the pHe of tumors and bladders.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that an optimized acidoCEST MRI method is a practical, noninvasive method for assessing changes in tumor acidosis. Magn Reson Med 72:1408–1417, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Increased burden on caregivers of having a child with haemophilia complicated by inhibitors
Authors: Lindvall Karin , von Mackensen Sylvia , Elmståhl Sölve , Khair Kate , Stain Ann Marie , Ljung Rolf , Berntorp Erik
Published: November 2013

Introduction

Having a child with a chronic disease often increases the burden in the family with more hospital visits, treatment administration, and increased worries for the ill child. A cross‐sectional, international, multi‐centre study in caregivers of children <18 years with haemophilia and inhibitor was performed at Haemophilia Treatment Centres in Sweden, UK, and Canada to evaluate caregivers' burden and their health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to that of caregivers of children on prophylaxis without inhibitors and caregivers of healthy children.

Methods

Caregivers of children with haemophilia completed several questionnaires (SF‐36, Visual Analogue Scale of Interference (VAS), Caregivers' Burden Scale and Impact on Family Scale (IOF). Caregivers of healthy children completed only the SF‐36. In addition, socio‐demographic data were collected.

Results

In total, 143 caregivers were included in the study. Comparing the two haemophilia groups with caregivers of healthy children revealed significant differences for all SF‐34 domains except ‘pain’ and ‘general health’. In Caregivers' Burden Scale, caregivers of children with inhibitors reported higher impact of haemophilia (P < 0.0001) and higher impact on VAS (P < 0.0001) compared to caregivers of children without inhibitors. In IOF, caregivers of children with inhibitors reported significant negative impact of the disease, except for aspect of coping.

Conclusion

Caregivers of children with inhibitors reported higher impact of the disease compared to caregivers of children with no inhibitors. No differences between mothers and fathers in the two groups for SF‐36, Caregivers' Burden Scale, VAS and IOF, except for domain pain in SF‐36 where mothers reported higher impairments. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:706–711. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Investigation of the temperature homogeneity of die melt flows in polymer extrusion
Authors: Abeykoon Chamil , Martin Peter J. , Kelly Adrian L. , Li Kang , Brown Elaine C. , Coates Phil D.
Published: November 2013

Polymer extrusion is fundamental to the processing of polymeric materials and melt flow temperature homogeneity is a major factor which influences product quality. Undesirable thermal conditions can cause problems such as melt degradation, dimensional instability, weaknesses in mechanical/optical/geometrical properties, and so forth. It has been revealed that melt temperature varies with time and with radial position across the die. However, the majority of polymer processes use only single‐point techniques whose thermal measurements are limited to the single point at which they are fixed. Therefore, it is impossible for such techniques to determine thermal homogeneity across the melt flow. In this work, an extensive investigation was carried out into melt flow thermal behavior of the output of a single extruder with different polymers and screw geometries over a wide range of processing conditions. Melt temperature profiles of the process output were observed using a thermocouple mesh placed in the flow and results confirmed that the melt flow thermal behavior is different at different radial positions. The uniformity of temperature across the melt flow deteriorated considerably with increase in screw rotational speed while it was also shown to be dependent on process settings, screw geometry, and material properties. Moreover, it appears that the effects of the material, machine, and process settings on the quantity and quality of the process output are heavily coupled with each other and this may cause the process to be difficult to predict and variable in nature. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2430–2440, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Dissipation rate of thiacloprid and its control effect against Bemisia tabaci in greenhouse tomato after soil application
Authors: Dong Sa , Qiao Kang , Wang Hongyan , Zhu Yukun , Xia Xiaoming , Wang Kaiyun
Published: November 2013

BACKGROUND

Thiacloprid is a chloronicotinyl insecticide that is quite effective against sucking insects. In this study, when thiacloprid was applied at two different rates (normal rate 15 kg ha−1, double rate 30 kg ha−1), the systemic distribution and residue of thiacloprid as well as its control effect against whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) were investigated in greenhouse tomato after soil application.

RESULTS

The results showed that thiacloprid was present in the tomato leaves until day 25, and then its amount was less than 0.005 mg kg−1 and could not be detected. Thiacloprid residue in the tomato stems basically remained at a stable low level throughout the experimental period. Thiacloprid in soil had half‐lives of 11.8 and 12.5 days for the normal treatment and the double treatment respectively. The control efficiency of whiteflies was about 90% from day 1 to day 10. This was followed by a slow decline, but efficiency was still higher than 50% until day 21. In addition, no significant differences were noted in the control effect of thiacloprid on whiteflies between the two different rates.

CONCLUSION

Soil application of thiacloprid at the normal rate can effectively control whiteflies, with high efficiency and long persistence. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Phytotherapy of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. A Minireview
Authors: Pagano Ester , Laudato Massimiliano , Griffo Michele , Capasso Raffaele
Published: November 2013

Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition affecting older men, with an incidence that is age‐dependent. Histological BPH, which typically develops after the age of 40 years, ranges in prevalence from >50% at 60 years to as high as 90% by 85 years of age. Typical symptoms include increased frequency of urination, nocturia, urgency, hesitancy, and weak urine stream. Conventional medicines used for the treatment of BPH include alpha blockers and 5‐alpha reductase inhibitors. This articles review the mode of action, the efficacy, and the safety, including herb‐drug interactions of the most common botanicals (Serenoa repens, Pygeum africanum, Urtica dioica, and Cucurbita pepo) and nutraceuticals (isoflavones, lycopene, selenium, and β‐Sitosterol) in controlling the lower urinary tract symptoms associated to BPH. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A nonuniform DPLL architecture for optimized performance
Authors: Al‐Ali Omar Al‐Kharji , Anani Nader , Al‐Araji Saleh , Al‐Qutayri Mahmoud
Published: November 2013

This paper presents the design, analysis, simulation, and implementation of the architecture of a new nonuniform‐type digital phase‐locked loop (DPLL). The proposed loop uses a composite phase detector (CPD), which consists of a sample‐and‐hold unit and an arctan block. The CPD improves the system linearity and results in a wider lock range. In addition, the loop has an adaptive controller block, which can be used to minimize the overall system sensitivity to variations in the power of the input signal. Furthermore, the controller has a tuning mechanism that gives the designer the flexibility to customize the loop parameters to suit a particular application. These performance parameters include lock range, acquisition time, phase noise or jitter, and signal‐to‐noise ratio enhancement. The simulation results show that the proposed loop provides flexibility to optimize the major conflicting system parameters. A prototype of the proposed system was implemented using a field‐programmable gate array (FPGA), and the practical results concur with those obtained by simulation using MATLAB/Simulink. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The rising tide of litigation: a solicitor's view
Authors: Wicks Roger
Published: November 2013

Any doctor can make a mistake: the important thing is to be honest with yourself and your patient, to take responsibility for the error, and to learn from it. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons
Visual category learning
Authors: Richler Jennifer J. , Palmeri Thomas J.
Published: November 2013

Visual categories group together different objects as the same kinds of thing. We review a selection of research on how visual categories are learned. We begin with a guide to visual category learning experiments, describing a space of common manipulations of objects, categories, and methods used in the category learning literature. We open with a guide to these details in part because throughout our review we highlight how methodological details can sometimes loom large in theoretical discussions of visual category learning, how variations in methodological details can significantly affect our understanding of visual category learning, and how manipulations of methodological details can affect how visual categories are learned. We review a number of core theories of visual category learning, specifically those theories instantiated as computational models, highlighting just some of the experimental results that help distinguish between competing models. We examine behavioral and neural evidence for single versus multiple representational systems for visual category learning. We briefly discuss how visual category learning influences visual perception, describing empirical and brain imaging results that show how learning to categorize objects can influence how those objects are represented and perceived. We close with work that can potentially impact translation, describing recent experiments that explicitly manipulate key methodological details of category learning procedures with the goal of optimizing visual category learning.WIREs Cogn Sci2014, 5:75–94. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1268

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Theory and Methods

Psychology > Learning

Neuroscience > Cognition
A review of China's approaches toward a sustainable energy future: the period since 1990
Authors: Zhu Xianli , Zhuang Guiyang , Xiong Na
Published: November 2013

China's rapid economic growth in the past few decades has been accompanied by huge increases in energy demand. The Chinese energy sector faces the multiple challenges of mobilizing huge investment to keep energy supplies in line with increases in demand, securing international oil and gas supplies to meet the widening gap between domestic demand and supply, and reducing environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Identifying China's approaches toward ensuring a sustainable energy future in the last two decades and assessing their effectiveness can be of great value to the future of energy policy‐making in China, as well as to other developing countries facing similar challenges. This article gives a brief overview and assessment of the Chinese approaches toward ensuring a sustainable future. It starts with a description of the challenges facing China in securing universal, clean, affordable and reliable energy supplies, and the evolution of China's strategies for energy development since 1990. On the basis of an empirical review of the different policies and measures taken by the government over time, it explains China's approach to achieving the different aspects of a sustainable energy future. It then uses eight indicators to assess China's progress in improving the sustainability of its energy system. This article finally discusses some aspects that could be improved and the new directions and initiatives China is taking to tackle new issues in its energy development. WIREs Energy Environ 2014, 3:409–423. doi: 10.1002/wene.101

This article is categorized under:

Energy and Climate > Economics and Policy

Energy and Development > Economics and Policy
Role of trichomes and pericarp in the seed biology of the desert annual Lachnoloma lehmannii (Brassicaceae)
Authors: Mamut Jannathan , Tan Dun‐Yan , Baskin Carol C. , Baskin Jerry M.
Published: November 2013

In many angiosperms, the fruit rather than the seed is the dispersal/germination unit, and this is the case with Lachnoloma lehmannii, a desert annual ephemeral in central southwestern Asia with indehiscent nonmucilaginuous silicles covered with trichomes. The primary aim of this study was to assess the role of trichomes and pericarp in dispersal, anchorage of diaspores, and seed germination of this species. Mature silicles are dispersed by wind and gravity, and trichomes not only significantly increased their dispersal distance, adherence to sandy soil particles, mass of water imbibed and moisture content, but also decreased the rate of water loss and moisture content of seeds. A significantly higher percentage of seeds within silicles than of isolated seeds retained viability after exposure to 60 °C for 24 h. Seed dormancy is due to the pericarp and to nondeep physiological dormancy, as shown by the increase in germination percentage of isolated seeds following dry storage and treatment with GA3. Removal of pericarp increased germination of 6‐month‐old seeds from 0 to 80–90 %, and leachate from both pericarp and trichomes significantly inhibited germination of isolated seeds. Ninety‐five percent of seeds within silicles buried in soil for 2 years were viable, but only 28 % of them germinated in light at 15/2 °C; thus L. lehmannii forms a persistent soil seed bank. The pericarp and its trichomes may maximize plant fitness by determining the settlement location of silicles, thus helping to ensure that seeds germinate during the cool season for seedling survival in the desert environment.
Isolated Bony Metastasis to Upper Limb from Carcinoma of the Oesophagus: Report of Three Cases
Authors: Purkayastha Joydeep
Published: November 2013

Carcinoma of the oesophagus metastasizes to distant sites in approximately one third of cases and rarely involves the upper limb bones. We describe three such rare cases of isolated metastasis to upper limb bone from oesophageal cancer.
Anomalous Muscles within the First Dorsal Extensor Compartment of the Wrist
Authors: Zaino Christian J. , Mitgang Joshua T. , Rawat Mohini , Patel Mukund R.
Published: November 2013

A 73-year-old woman presented with a 12-month history of a tender first dorsal extensor compartment of her right wrist along with swelling which extended proximally. Caring for her grandchildren exacerbated her pain, and rest relieved it. Over a 2-month period, two injections and splint immobilization failed to provide pain relief and swelling reduction. An ultrasound showed anomalous muscles within the first dorsal extensor compartment. Surgical release of the first compartment showed the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons flanked by muscles within an inflamed sheath. Releasing the compartment resulted in complete pain relief. Anatomic variations within the first dorsal extensor compartment have been reported, but there has been no report on double anomalous muscles within the compartment. The details of the case, utility of ultrasound, and a brief review of the literature are described.