bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of the substitution position (2, 3 or 8) on the spectroscopic and photophysical properties of BODIPY dyes with a phenyl, styryl or phenylethynyl group
Authors: Orte Angel , Debroye Elke , Ruedas-Rama Maria J. , Garcia-Fernandez Emilio , Robinson David , Crovetto Luis , Talavera Eva M. , Alvarez-Pez Jose M. , Leen Volker , Verbelen Bram , Cunha Dias de Rezende Lucas , Dehaen Wim , Hofkens Johan , Van der Auweraer Mark , Boens Noël
Published: October 2016

Understanding the spectroscopic properties of BODIPY dyes for a rational design of tailored fluorescent probes.
A highly efficient supramolecular adsorbent for precious metal: adsorption behavior of PdII by melamine cyanurate
Authors: Nagai D. , Kimoto T.
Published: October 2016

Melamine cyanurate (M-CA) was found to be a high recoverable and selective supramolecular adsorbent for recovery of Pdii ion.
Physicochemical aspects of mucosa surface
Authors: Avgidou Mary , Dimopoulou Maria , Mackie Alan R. , Rigby Neil M. , Ritzoulis Christos , Panayiotou Constantinos
Published: October 2016

An insight into adsorption thermodynamics of molecular probes onto the mucin surface of porcine intestinal is given by the aid of IGC based on chromatographic retention time.
Improved oxygen reduction reaction activity of three-dimensional porous N-doped graphene from a soft-template synthesis strategy in microbial fuel cells
Authors: Liu Yuan , Jin Xiao-Jun , Tuo Ai-Xue , Liu Hong
Published: October 2016

Porous nitrogen-doped graphene can serve as a promising oxygen reduction reaction catalyst in microbial fuel cells for power generation.
Solvatochromic, thermochromic and pH-sensory DCDHF-hydrazone molecular switch: response to alkaline analytes
Authors: Khattab Tawfik A. , Tiu Brylee David B. , Adas Sonya , Bunge Scott D. , Advincula Rigoberto C.
Published: October 2016

Nanostructures fabricated from multi-stimuli responsive DCDHF-hydrazone molecular switches to function as colorimetric reversible gas probes.
Chemical optogenetic modulation of inflammation and immunity
Authors: Parasar Bibudha , Chang Pamela V.
Published: October 2016

A photocaged histone deacetylase inhibitor was developed as a strategy to inhibit activation of macrophages in a spatiotemporal manner.
Cryptic post-transition state bifurcations that reduce the efficiency of lactone-forming Rh-carbenoid C–H insertions
Authors: Hare Stephanie R. , Tantillo Dean J.
Published: October 2016

Post-transition state bifurcations are described that lead to unexpected byproducts in Rh-promoted C–H insertion reactions.
Green- to far-red-emitting fluorogenic tetrazine probes – synthetic access and no-wash protein imaging inside living cells
Authors: Wieczorek Achim , Werther Philipp , Euchner Jonas , Wombacher Richard
Published: October 2016

Fluorogenic probes for bioorthogonal labeling chemistry are highly beneficial to reduce background signal in fluorescence microscopy imaging.
Microfluidic flow of cholesteric liquid crystals
Authors: Wiese Oliver , Marenduzzo Davide , Henrich Oliver
Published: October 2016

The first theoretical treatment of pressure-driven Poiseuille flow of cholesteric liquid crystals with a non-trivial two- and three-dimensional director field pattern.
A self-healable polyvinyl alcohol-based hydrogel electrolyte for smart electrochemical capacitors
Authors: Wang Zhikui , Tao Feng , Pan Qinmin
Published: October 2016

A self-healable polyvinyl alcohol-based hydrogel electrolyte is synthesized for smart electrochemical capacitors with self-healing and tailorable characteristics.
Mesoporous Ni-doped MnCo2O4hollow nanotubes as an anode material for sodium ion batteries with ultralong life and pseudocapacitive mechanism
Authors: Wu Lijun , Lang Junwei , Zhang Peng , Zhang Xu , Guo Ruisheng , Yan Xingbin
Published: October 2016

Novelty of the work: mesoporous Ni-doped MnCo2O4hollow nanotubes used as an anode material for SIBs, this electrode exhibits an ultralong life of 11 000 cycles.
Fluorescence signaling molecularly imprinted polymers for antibiotics prepared via site-directed post-imprinting introduction of plural fluorescent reporters within the recognition cavity
Authors: Sunayama Hirobumi , Ohta Takeo , Kuwahara Atsushi , Takeuchi Toshifumi
Published: October 2016

An antibiotic-imprinted cavity with two different fluorescent dyes was prepared by molecular imprinting and subsequent post-imprinting modifications (PIMs), for the readout of a specific binding event as a fluorescence signal.
A novel triphenylamine-BODIPY dendron: click synthesis, near-infrared emission and a multi-channel chemodosimeter for Hg2+ and Fe3+
Authors: Shen Bao-xing , Qian Ying
Published: October 2016

A novel near-infrared emission triphenylamine-BODIPY dendron for Hg2+ and Fe3+ detection, fluorescent nanoparticle and living cell imaging.
Semiconductor-like nanofilms assembled with AlN and TiN laminations for nearly ideal graphene-based heterojunction devices
Authors: Zheng Li , Cheng Xinhong , Ye Peiyi , Shen Lingyan , Wang Qian , Zhang Dongliang , Wang Zhongjian , Yu Yuehui , Yu Xinke
Published: October 2016

As a new class of electronic devices, graphene heterojunctions in which graphene is combined with bulk or other layered 2D semiconductors have been realized.
Na2MnGe2Se6: a new Mn-based antiferromagnetic chalcogenide with large Mn⋯Mn separation
Authors: Zhou Molin , Yin Wenlong , Liang Fei , Mar Arthur , Lin Zheshuai , Yao Jiyong , Wu Yicheng
Published: October 2016

Despite the large spatial separation of Mn⋯Mn ions, Na2MnGe2Se6still exhibits an interesting antiferromagnetic transition.
Reduction of sidelobe radiations of the standard pyramidal horn using a thin metamaterial lens
Authors: Chen Xuxiang , Ge Yuehe , Bird Trevor S.
Published: October 2016

A method is reported to suppress the sidelobe radiation of a standard pyramidal horn using a thin single‐layer metamaterial lens. The metamaterial lens is composed of two identical metallic dipole arrays printed on both sides of a single dielectric layer. By placing the metamaterial lens inside a standard pyramidal horn, the electromagnetic fields over the horn aperture can be modified, resulting in low‐sidelobe radiation in both the E‐ and H‐planes of the horn. The measurement of a prototype lens gave a 10 dB reduction of the first sidelobe level in the E‐plane, compared with that of the original air‐filled pyramidal horn. Other design possibilities with a compensating lens are suggested.
Secure transmission over the wiretap channel using polar codes and artificial noise
Authors: Zhang Yingxian , Yang Zhen , Liu Aijun , Zou Yulong
Published: October 2016

In this study, the authors propose a secure transmission scheme using polar codes and artificial noise (AN) for the wiretap system without assuming the channel quality advantage of main channel over wiretap channel. They first derive lower and upper bounds on the symmetric capacity of the polarised bit‐channels, which depend on the signal‐to‐noise ratio of each use of physical channel. According to the bounds, they prove existence of the bit‐channels that are beneficial to the signal reception of the main channels but hostile to the wiretap channel, and a method based on injecting the AN at the transmitter is introduced to achieve those bit‐channels. Through theoretical analysis, the security of the proposed AN method is proven. Thereafter, they elaborate two AN power allocation schemes denoted by AN‐PA‐I and AN‐PA‐II for each use of physical channel. The former proves the existence of the minimum AN power to achieve the secrecy rate that is equal to the capacity of the main channel, referred to as the maximum secrecy rate, and the latter introduces how to obtain it with an optimisation method. Numerical results show that both the two schemes can achieve the maximum secrecy rate.
Hash searching and network coding based constant retransmission for wireless multicast
Authors: Shao Pengfei , Zhao Yanwei , Yang Mingxia , Wang Zhe
Published: October 2016

This study is concerned with the network coding (NC) problem in error‐prone wireless multicast networks. A hash searching and NC‐based constant retransmission scheme (HSNCR) is proposed to make combination selection, where the retransmission of the packet losses can be carried out during the whole process of original packet transmission, and thus the HSNCR can increase the possibility of NC. Furthermore, this new scheme maximises the efficiency of every retransmission by only retransferring an optimum combination or maximum combination of original lost packets. To support HSNCR, an efficient hash searching approach is also designed for the combination selection of original lost packets. Simulation results show that the authors’ proposed scheme indeed outperforms previous works in reducing the number of retransmission.
Performance analysis of XOR two‐way relay with finite buffers and instant scheduling
Authors: Shi Shijie , Ni Wei , Liu Ren Ping
Published: October 2016

This study investigates the performance of practical wireless exclusive OR (XOR) two‐way relay (TWR) system, in which finite buffer, lossy wireless channels and non‐negligible signalling overhead are considered. Specifically, the authors develop a new analytical model to explicitly characterise the transmissions of both the end‐nodes and the relay. The impact of scheduling on the throughput, queuing delay, power consumption and buffer overflow probability of XOR‐TWR is evaluated. Validated by simulations, the model can precisely quantify the performance of XOR‐TWR and adequately allocate the relay's buffer adapting to the wireless link qualities and signalling overhead.
Performance analysis and power allocation for the unsaturated two‐user interference channel
Authors: Jiao Wanguo , Liu Guoqing
Published: October 2016

The performance analysis is important for quality of service (QoS) guarantee, which has not been well studied in the interference‐limited system. The authors study the QoS performance of each user in an interference‐limited system when the power control policy is used to maximise the sum rate of users. Since service processes of users are correlated, the authors first propose a two‐dimensional Markov chain to model the transition among queue states of users. Through solving the Markov chain, the authors derive the closed‐form formulae of the stationary probability of the queue length and other QoS metrics of each user. The analysis results indicate that the power allocation problem should be reconsidered in unsaturated networks since the power allocation policy designed for saturated networks is no longer appropriate. The authors thus develop a new power allocation algorithm which considers queue length and channel quality jointly. Finally, the simulation results verify that the authors’ analytical method provides accurate estimations of QoS metrics and the proposed algorithm enhance the power efficiency and improve the queue performance of each user.
Watching plants grow – a position paper on computer vision and Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Bell Jonathan , Dee Hannah M.
Published: October 2016

The authors present a comprehensive overview of image processing and analysis work done to support research into the model flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Beside the plant's importance in biological research, using image analysis to obtain experimental measurements of it is an interesting vision problem in its own right, involving the segmentation and analysis of sequences of images of objects whose shape varies between individual specimens and also changes over time. While useful measurements can be obtained by segmenting a whole plant from the background, they suggest that the increased range and precision of measurements made available by leaf‐level segmentation makes this a problem well worth solving. A variety of approaches have been tried by biologists as well as computer vision researchers. This is an interdisciplinary area and the computer vision community has an important contribution to make. They suggest that there is a need for publicly available datasets with ground truth annotations to enable the evaluation of new approaches and to support the building of training data for modern data‐driven computer vision approaches, which are those most likely to result in the kind of fully automated systems that will be of use to biologists.
Real‐time reactive power distribution in microgrids by dynamic programing
Authors: Levron Yoash , Beck Yuval , Katzir Liran , Guerrero Josep M.
Published: October 2016

In this study, a new real‐time optimisation method for reactive power distribution in microgrids is proposed. The method enables location of a globally optimal distribution of reactive power under normal operating conditions. The method exploits the typical compact structure of microgrids to obtain a solution by parts, using the dynamic programming method and Bellman equation. The proposed solution method is based on the fact that the microgrid is designed with a central feeder line to which clusters of generators and loads are connected, and is suitable for microgrids with ring topologies as well as radial ones. The optimisation problem is formulated with the cluster reactive powers as free variables, and the solution space is spanned by the cluster reactive power outputs. The optimal solution is then constructed by efficiently scanning the entire solution space, by testing every possible combination of reactive powers, using dynamic programming. Since every single step involves a one‐dimensional problem, the complexity of the solution is only linear with the number of clusters, and as a result, a globally optimal solution may be obtained in real time. The study includes the results of two test‐case networks.
Single image dehazing by latent region‐segmentation based transmission estimation and weighted L1‐norm regularisation
Authors: Cui Tong , Tian Jiandong , Wang Ende , Tang Yandong
Published: October 2016

Image dehazing is a useful technique which can eliminate the bad effect of haze on images and enhance the performances of image/video processing algorithms in the hazy weather. In this study, a single image dehazing method is proposed. The authors estimate the initial transmission properly based on latent region‐segmentation and refine the estimated initial transmission by an objective function with a novel weighted L1‐norm regularisation term. The half‐quadratic splitting minimisation method is employed to solve this optimisation problem. They also define an evaluation function to estimate the reliable global atmospheric light. With the refined transmission map and atmospheric light they recover the haze‐free image by the haze imaging model. The authors’ method is compared with three state‐of‐the‐art methods and is also validated by two image quality assessment methods. The comparative experimental results and evaluations demonstrate that their method can recover comparable and even better results with clear details, low contrast loss and high contrast in most cases.
Fast single image SR via dictionary learning
Authors: Mokari Azade , Ahmadyfard Alireza
Published: October 2016

In this study, the authors propose a fast method for single image super‐resolution (SR). The relation between high‐resolution (HR)/low‐resolution (LR) patches is learned using the input image and a down‐sampled version. They divide the input image into a number of equal blocks. For each image block, a pair of HR/LR dictionaries, using informative patches, are constructed. For each patch in the input image, an HR dictionary is constructed by concatenating the HR dictionary which it belongs and the HR dictionaries of eight neighbouring blocks. In the same manner, an LR dictionary for each patch is constructed. They represent each patch from the input image using a linear combination of atoms in its LR dictionary. Then, using the same combination for atoms in the HR dictionary of patch, the SR version for the patch is constructed. The computational complexity of the proposed method is considerably low because, in contrast to most of the existing methods, no learning phase, for building the dictionaries of a patch, is required. The experimental results of the proposed method is significantly faster than existing methods, whereas the performance in terms of peak signal‐to‐noise ratio and structural similarity criterions is comparable with the existing methods.
Low‐complexity feedback‐channel‐free distributed video coding using local rank transform
Authors: Raj Bhagath Pudi , Mallick Kallol , Mukherjee Jayanta , Mukopadhayay Sudipta
Published: October 2016

In this study, the authors propose a new feedback‐channel‐free distributed video coding algorithm using local rank transform (LRT). The encoder computes LRT by considering selected neighbourhood pixels of Wyner–Ziv (WZ) frame. These LRT values are merged, and their positions are entropy coded and sent to the decoder. In addition, means of each block of WZ frame are also transmitted to assist motion estimation (ME). Using these measurements, the decoder generates side information (SI) by implementing ME and compensation in LRT domain. An iterative algorithm is executed on SI using LRT to reconstruct the WZ frame. Experimental results show that the coding efficiency of the authors’ codec is close to the efficiency of pixel domain distributed video coders based on low‐density parity check and accumulate or turbo codes, with less encoder and decoder complexity.
Design of a printed non‐planar dual‐polarised log‐periodic dipole array
Authors: Shirinabadi Hossein , Ahmadi‐Boroujeni Mehdi , Arbabi Ehsan , Mohammadpour‐Aghdam Karim
Published: October 2016

An efficient and low cost approach to realise a non‐planar dual‐polarised log‐periodic dipole array antenna (LPDA) using printed circuit board technology is proposed which achieves a high bandwidth and operational frequency. The proposed antenna utilises a very short transition from a coaxial cable to a balanced four‐conductor transmission line to realise an ultra‐wide bandwidth balun and input impedance matching. An analysis of the utilised four‐conductor transmission line alongside its comparison to two‐conductor transmission line of a planar LPDA is also presented. Two prototypes of the antenna operating over the frequency ranges of 1–13 GHz and 1–18 GHz were designed, fabricated, and tested. An average gain of 6.7 dBi is obtained. Measured voltage standing wave ratio, cross‐polarisation and front‐to‐back ratio of both prototypes are better than 2.6, −14, and 22 dB respectively.
Open circuit voltage recovery in quantum dot solar cells: a numerical study on the impact of wetting layer and doping
Authors: Cappelluti Federica , Khalili Arastoo , Gioannini Mariangela
Published: October 2016

The authors present a numerical study on the influence of wetting layer states and doping on the photovoltage loss of InAs/GaAs quantum dot solar cells. Quantum‐mechanical simulations are used to analyse how the reduction of wetting layer by Al(Ga)As overgrowth changes the quantum dot electronic states. Device‐level simulations allow to correlate such changes with the achievable open circuit voltage. Almost full open circuit voltage recovery is predicted by combining wetting layer reduction, to realise thermal decoupling of barrier and quantum dot confined states, and doping to suppress radiative recombination through the quantum dot confined states.
Modulation dynamic response of optical‐injection‐locked wavelength‐tunable semiconductor laser diodes
Authors: Duzgol Onur , Kyritsis Georgios , Zakhleniuk Nick
Published: October 2016

The effect of optical injection locking (OIL) on modulation dynamics of tunable laser diodes (TLDs) is investigated. The stable locking boundary map of OIL TLD which depends on the lasing wavelength was calculated and the TLD response in different injection states was investigated. Dramatic change in the emission spectra and the relaxation oscillation frequency (ROF) and huge improvement of these characteristics under OIL is demonstrated. Effect of the OIL parameters (frequency detuning and power ratio) on the TLD dynamics was studied for different tuning wavelengths. We show that forward optical injection and positive frequency detuning and blue‐wavelength tuning are preferable regimes for enhanced modulation performance of OIL TLDs. Large increase of the ROF (>20 GHz) and the modulation bandwidth (>25 GHz) of the OIL TLD are demonstrated. The novel feature of the modulation response of the OIL TLD compared with usual single‐mode lasers emitting at a fixed wavelength is the frequency dispersion of the differential gain in TLDs which increases with wavelength tuning. It is shown that the differential gain increase with wavelength tuning and the optical injection effect on the cavity resonance frequency shift contribute to a substantial enhancement of the modulation response of the OIL TLD.
Joint estimation of multi‐target signal‐to‐noise ratio and dynamic states in cluttered environment
Authors: Bae Seung‐Hwan , Park Jongyoul , Yoon Kuk‐Jin
Published: October 2016

In this study, the authors consider a multi‐target tracking (MTT) problem in a cluttered environment. Due to the difficulty of the problem, the methods relying only on spatial information such as range, bearing and Doppler velocity can be unreliable. To overcome this, they additionally exploit the amplitude information, commonly provided by radar and sonar, for MTT. However, the usage of amplitude information is not straightforward because the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) should be known in advance or estimated at the same time. To this end, they first propose a novel SNR estimation algorithm based on a maximum a posteriori approach, which helps the tracker to exploit the amplitude information effectively. Based on the estimated SNR, they then propose a complete framework for MTT, which is mainly composed of data association and track state update parts. They extensively evaluate the proposed system in a series of challenging scenarios, and the experimental results verify the effectiveness and robustness of the authors’ methods.
Dispersive delay lines using microstrip technology
Authors: Hsue Ching‐Wen , Chang Yu‐Wei
Published: October 2016

A dispersive delay line is a structure that causes signals of different frequencies to suffer different time delays. It is found that excessive group delay occurs in an induced pass‐band of filter using asymmetric, parallel stubs in transmission lines. The maximum group delay of the dispersive delay line is determined by characteristic impedances, physical lengths of parallel stubs and the bandwidth of the induced pass‐band. The induced, band‐limited pass‐band is transformed into an all‐pass band by introducing non‐coplanar slot‐lines, while the negative group delay time of original, asymmetric, parallel stubs structure at transmission zeros are compensated to further increase the group‐delay‐time bandwidth. The theoretical results are validated by experiment using compact microstrip lines.
Fabrication of the light and perspiration stability enhancer for the reactive azo‐dyes based on amino silicon oil containing zinc oxide nanoparticles
Authors: Liu Kai , He Hui , Zhao Tao
Published: October 2016

In this research work, a light and perspiration stability enhancer for the reactive azo‐dyes based on amino silicon oil (ASO) containing zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO‐NPs) was fabricated. The fabricated samples were characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the microstructural morphologies of cotton fabrics were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The light and perspiration stability was represented by the colour difference value (ΔECMC), and the light stability was calculated by the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) value. The experimental results indicated that the ZnO‐NPs dramatically improved the light and perspiration stability of all the reactive azo‐dyes; the size of ZnO‐NPs was decreased by the addition of the coupling reagent, [γ ‐(2,3‐epoxypropoxy)propyl] trimethoxysilane (KH‐560), resulting in the significant improvement of the light and perspiration stability. However, the ASO accelerated the yellowing of reactive azo‐dyes due to its easy oxidation of activated hydrogen atoms, especially under high temperature. Further study disclosed that the fluoride‐ASO with less activated hydrogen atoms significantly improved the light stability.
Understanding decomposition and encapsulation energies of structure I and II clathrate hydrates
Authors: Alavi Saman , Ohmura Ryo
Published: October 2016

When compressed with water or ice under high pressure and low temperature conditions, some gases form solid gas hydrate inclusion compounds which have higher melting points than ice under those pressures. In this work, we study the balance of the guest-water and water-water interaction energies that lead to the formation of the clathrate hydrate phases. In particular, molecular dynamics simulations with accurate water potentials are used to study the energetics of the formation of structure I (sI) and II (sII) clathrate hydrates of methane, ethane, and propane. The dissociation enthalpy of the clathrate hydrate phases, the encapsulation enthalpy of methane, ethane, and propane guests in the corresponding phases, and the average bonding enthalpy of water molecules are calculated and compared with accurate calorimetric measurements and previous classical and quantum mechanical calculations, when available. The encapsulation energies of methane, ethane, and propane guests stabilize the small and large sI and sII hydrate cages, with the larger molecules giving larger encapsulation energies. The average water-water interactions are weakened in the sI and sII phases compared to ice. The relative magnitudes of the van der Waals potential energy in ice and the hydrate phases are similar, but in the ice phase, the electrostatic interactions are stronger. The stabilizing guest-water “hydrophobic” interactions compensate for the weaker water-water interactions and stabilize the hydrate phases. A number of common assumptions regarding the guest-cage water interactions are used in the van der Waals-Platteeuw statistical mechanical theory to predict the clathrate hydrate phase stability under different pressure-temperature conditions. The present calculations show that some of these assumptions may not accurately reflect the physical nature of the interactions between guest molecules and the lattice waters.
Monte Carlo explicitly correlated second-order many-body perturbation theory
Authors: Johnson Cole M. , Doran Alexander E. , Zhang Jinmei , Valeev Edward F. , Hirata So
Published: October 2016

A stochastic algorithm is proposed and implemented that computes a basis-set-incompleteness (F12) correction to an ab initio second-order many-body perturbation energy as a short sum of 6- to 15-dimensional integrals of Gaussian-type orbitals, an explicit function of the electron-electron distance (geminal), and its associated excitation amplitudes held fixed at the values suggested by Ten-no. The integrals are directly evaluated (without a resolution-of-the-identity approximation or an auxiliary basis set) by the Metropolis Monte Carlo method. Applications of this method to 17 molecular correlation energies and 12 gas-phase reaction energies reveal that both the nonvariational and variational formulas for the correction give reliable correlation energies (98% or higher) and reaction energies (within 2 kJ mol−1 with a smaller statistical uncertainty) near the complete-basis-set limits by using just the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. The nonvariational formula is found to be 2–10 times less expensive to evaluate than the variational one, though the latter yields energies that are bounded from below and is, therefore, slightly but systematically more accurate for energy differences. Being capable of using virtually any geminal form, the method confirms the best overall performance of the Slater-type geminal among 6 forms satisfying the same cusp conditions. Not having to precompute lower-dimensional integrals analytically, to store them on disk, or to transform them in a nonscalable dense-matrix-multiplication algorithm, the method scales favorably with both system size and computer size; the cost increases only as O(n4) with the number of orbitals (n), and its parallel efficiency reaches 99.9% of the ideal case on going from 16 to 4096 computer processors.
Determination of the optimum conditions for lung cancer cells treatment using cold atmospheric plasma
Authors: Akhlaghi Morteza , Rajaei Hajar , Mashayekh Amir Shahriar , Shafiae Mojtaba , Mahdikia Hamed , Khani Mohammadreza , Hassan Zuhair Mohammad , Shokri Babak
Published: October 2016

Cold atmospheric plasmas (CAPs) can affect live cells and organisms due to the production of different reactive species. In this paper, the effects of various parameters of the CAP such as the treatment time, gas mixture, gas flow rate, applied voltage, and distance from the nozzle on the LL/2 lung cancer cell line have been studied. The probable effect of UV radiation has also been investigated using an MgF2 filter. Besides the cancerous cells, the 3T3 fibroblast cell line as a normal cell has been treated with the CAP. The Methylthiazol Tetrazolium assay showed that all parameters except the gas flow rate could impress effectively on the cancer cell viability. The cell proliferation seemed to be stopped after plasma treatment. The flow cytometry assay revealed that apoptosis and necrosis were appreciable. It was also found that treating time up to 2 min will not exert any effect on the normal cells.
Universal scalings for laser acceleration of electrons in ion channels
Authors: Khudik Vladimir , Arefiev Alexey , Zhang Xi , Shvets Gennady
Published: October 2016

We analytically investigate the acceleration of electrons undergoing betatron oscillations in an ion channel, driven by a laser beam propagating with superluminal (or luminal) phase velocity. The universal scalings for the maximum attainable electron energy are found for arbitrary laser and plasma parameters by deriving a set of dimensionless equations for paraxial ultra-relativistic electron motion. One of our analytic predictions is the emergence of forbidden zones in the electrons' phase space. For an individual electron, these give rise to a threshold-type dependence of the final energy gain on the laser intensity. The universal scalings are also generalized to the resonant laser interaction with the third harmonic of betatron motion and to the case when the laser beam is circularly polarized.
Linear study of the precessional fishbone instability
Authors: Idouakass M. , Faganello M. , Berk H. L. , Garbet X. , Benkadda S.
Published: October 2016

The precessional fishbone instability is an m=n=1 internal kink mode destabilized by a population of trapped energetic particles. The linear phase of this instability is studied here, analytically and numerically, with a simplified model. This model uses the reduced magneto-hydrodynamics equations for the bulk plasma and the Vlasov equation for a population of energetic particles with a radially decreasing density. A threshold condition for the instability is found, as well as a linear growth rate and frequency. It is shown that the mode frequency is given by the precession frequency of the deeply trapped energetic particles at the position of strongest radial gradient. The growth rate is shown to scale with the energetic particle density and particle energy while it is decreased by continuum damping.
Corrugated Si nanowires with reduced thermal conductivity for wide-temperature-range thermoelectricity
Authors: Poborchii Vladimir , Morita Yukinori , Hattori Junichi , Tada Tetsuya , Geshev Pavel I.
Published: October 2016

We fabricated suspended straight and corrugated Si nanowires (NWs) from 55 nm thick Si-on-insulator and studied their thermal conductivity using Raman mapping. We demonstrate that corrugations induce 60%–70% reduction in NW thermal conductivity at temperatures 300–400 K. This proves the significance of ballistic phonon transport at these temperatures in sufficiently thin Si NWs and the efficiency of corrugations in thermal conductivity reduction for application in thermoelectricity. The experimental results presented here are in agreement with our NW thermal conductance calculation taking into account the effect of corrugations on low-frequency acoustic phonon branches.
Soliton-assisted random lasing in optically-pumped liquid crystals
Authors: Perumbilavil Sreekanth , Piccardi Armando , Buchnev Oleksandr , Kauranen Martti , Strangi Giuseppe , Assanto Gaetano
Published: October 2016

We demonstrate a guided-wave random laser configuration by exploiting the coexistence of optical gain and light self-localization in a reorientational nonlinear medium. A spatial soliton launched by a near-infrared beam in dye-doped nematic liquid crystals enhances and confines stimulated emission of visible light in the optically-pumped gain-medium, yielding random lasing with enhanced features.
Angular and polarization study of flexible metamaterials with double split-ring resonators on parylene-C substrates
Authors: Gui Yan , Yang Bin , Zhao Xiaoqing , Liu Jingquan , Chen Xiang , Wang Xiaolin , Yang Chunsheng
Published: October 2016

This paper presents a tunable and flexible metamaterial with double split-ring resonators arrays fabricated on parylene-C substrates. We numerically and experimentally designed four structures with different angles between the outer and inner split-ring resonators to achieve tunability of the multiband metamaterials and investigated the effect of polarization and incident angle direction of terahertz waves on the transmission spectra of metamaterials. The results show that the first resonant frequency increases slightly when the inner rings rotate, which realizes frequency modulation. The polarization study of the structure indicated that it might be applied as a dual-band amplitude modulation device. Finite-difference time-domain numerical simulations were further conducted to calculate the electromagnetic field as well as surface current distributions at the resonant frequencies. It demonstrated that the two resonant dips are caused by different mechanisms.
Study of cation distributions in spinel ferrites M
xMn1-xFe2O4 (M=Zn, Mg, Al)
Authors: Ding L. L. , Xue L. C. , Li Z. Z. , Li S. Q. , Tang G. D. , Qi W. H. , Wu L. Q. , Ge X. S.
Published: October 2016

Powder samples of the ferrites MxMn1-xFe2O4 (M = Zn, Mg, Al) were prepared using a chemical co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the three series of samples had a single-phase cubic spinel structure and that there was a decrease in the lattice parameters with increasing x. There were different dependences on the doping level x of the magnetic moments (μexp) for the three series of samples measured at 10 K. We found a non-monotonic behavior for μexp as a function x for the Zn doped samples with a maximum at x = 0.4, while μexp decreased monotonically with increasing x for the Mg and Al doped samples. On the basis of the O2p itinerant electron model, the magnetic moment direction of the Mn3+ cations is expected to be antiparallel to those of the Mn2+ and Fe cations in these samples. With this assumption, the curves of μexp versus x for the three series of samples were fitted using a quantum-mechanical potential barrier model earlier proposed by our group, and the cation distributions were obtained.
Cherenkov oscillator operating at the second band gap of leakage waveguide structures
Authors: Jang Kyu-Ha , Park Seong Hee , Lee Kitae , Jeong Young Uk
Published: October 2016

An electromagnetic wave source operating around second band gaps of metallic grating structures is presented. The considered metallic grating structures are not perfect periodic but inhomogeneously structured within a period to have a second band gap where the wavelength is equal to the period of the structures. The radiation mechanism by an electron beam in the structures is different from the well-known Smith-Purcell radiation occurring in perfect periodic grating structures. That is, the radiating wave has a single frequency and the radiation is unidirectional. When the energy of the electron beam is synchronized at the standing wave point in the dispersion curves, strong interaction happens and coherent radiation perpendicular to the grating surface is generated with relatively lower starting oscillation current.
Test validation in interpreter certification performance testing
Authors: Han Chao , Slatyer Helen
Published: October 2016

Over the past decade, interpreter certification performance testing has gained momentum. Certification tests often involve high
stakes, since they can play an important role in regulating access to professional practice and serve to provide a measure of
professional competence for end users. The decision to award certification is based on inferences from candidates’ test scores
about their knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as their interpreting performance in a given target domain. To justify the
appropriateness of score-based inferences and actions, test developers need to provide evidence that the test is valid and
reliable through a process of test validation. However, there is little evidence that test qualities are systematically evaluated
in interpreter certification testing. In an attempt to address this problem, this paper proposes a theoretical argument-based
validation framework for interpreter certification performance tests so as to guide testers in carrying out systematic validation
research. Before presenting the framework, validity theory is reviewed, and an examination of the argument-based approach to
validation is provided. A validity argument for interpreter tests is then proposed, with hypothesized validity evidence. Examples
of evidence are drawn from relevant empirical work, where available. Gaps in the available evidence are highlighted and
suggestions for research are made.
The African middle class(es) – in the middle of what?
Authors: Melber Henning
Published: October 2016

This Briefing/Debate article critically engages with the middle class phenomenon, which emerged as a prominent focus in Development Studies a decade ago and has more recently also become the subject of more informed African Studies, adding necessary and more nuanced analysis.
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It critically examines the background and assumptions of the debate, pointing out the lack of class analysis, and suggests that the current focus still partly distracts from the underlying issues.
Differences in holistic processing do not explain cultural differences in the recognition of facial expression
Authors: Yan Xiaoqian , Young Andrew W. , Andrews Timothy J.
Published: October 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of the own-race advantage in facial expression perception. In Experiment 1, we investigated Western Caucasian and Chinese participants’ perception and categorization of facial expressions of six basic emotions that included two pairs of confusable expressions (fear and surprise; anger and disgust). People were slightly better at identifying facial expressions posed by own-race members (mainly in anger and disgust). In Experiment 2, we asked whether the own-race advantage was due to differences in the holistic processing of facial expressions. Participants viewed composite faces in which the upper part of one expression was combined with the lower part of a different expression. The upper and lower parts of the composite faces were either aligned or misaligned. Both Chinese and Caucasian participants were better at identifying the facial expressions from the misaligned images, showing interference on recognizing the parts of the expressions created by holistic perception of the aligned composite images. However, this interference from holistic processing was equivalent across expressions of own-race and other-race faces in both groups of participants. Whilst the own-race advantage in recognizing facial expressions does seem to reflect the confusability of certain emotions, it cannot be explained by differences in holistic processing.
Baseball fans don’t like lumpy batters: Influence of domain knowledge on the access of subordinate meanings
Authors: Wiley Jennifer , George Tim , Rayner Keith
Published: October 2016

Two experiments investigated the effects of domain knowledge on the resolution of ambiguous words with dominant meanings related to baseball. When placed in a sentence context that strongly biased toward the non-baseball meaning (positive evidence), or excluded the baseball meaning (negative evidence), baseball experts had more difficulty than non-experts resolving the ambiguity. Sentence contexts containing positive evidence supported earlier resolution than did the negative evidence condition for both experts and non-experts. These experiments extend prior findings, and can be seen as support for the reordered access model of lexical access, where both prior knowledge and discourse context influence the availability of word meanings.
Effect of the European design of TBMs on ITER wall loads due to fast ions in the baseline (15 MA), hybrid (12.5 MA), steady-state (9 MA) and half-field (7.5 MA) scenarios
Authors: Kurki-Suonio T. , Äkäslompolo S. , Särkimäki K. , Varje J. , Asunta O. , Cavinato M. , Gagliardi M. , Hirvijoki E. , Parail V. , Saibene G. , Sipilä S. , Snicker A.
Published: October 2016

We assess the effect of the European design of the pebble-bed helium-cooled test blanket modules (TBM) on fast ion power loads on ITER material surfaces. For this purpose, the effect of not only the TBMs but also the ferritic inserts (FI), used for mitigating the toroidal field ripple, were included in unprecedented detail in the reconstruction of the 3-dimensional magnetic field. This is important because, due to their low collisionality, fast ions follow the magnetic geometry much more faithfully than the thermal plasma. The Monte Carlo orbit-following code ASCOT was used to simulate all the foreseen operating scenarios of ITER: the baseline 15 MA standard H-mode operation, the 12.5 MA hybrid scenario, the 9 MA advanced scenario, and the half-field scenario with helium plasma that will be ITER’s initial operating scenario. The effect of TBMs was assessed by carrying out the simulations in pairs: one including only the effect of ferritic inserts, and the other including also the perturbation due to TBMs. Both thermonuclear fusion alphas and NBI ions from ITER heating beams were addressed. The TBMs are found to increase the power loads, but the absolute values remain small. Neither do they produce any additional hot spots.
Isomorphic semantic mapping of variant call format (VCF2RDF)
Authors: Penha Emanuel Diego S , Iriabho Egiebade , Dussaq Alex , de Oliveira Diana Magalhães , Almeida Jonas S
Published: October 2016

The move of computational genomics workflows to Cloud Computing platforms is associated with a new level of integration and interoperability that challenges existing data representation formats. The Variant Calling Format (VCF) is in a particularly sensitive position in that regard, with both clinical and consumer-facing analysis tools relying on this self-contained description of genomic variation in Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) results. In this report we identify an isomorphic map between VCF and the reference Resource Description Framework. RDF is advanced by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to enable representations of linked data that are both distributed and discoverable. The resulting ability to decompose VCF reports of genomic variation without loss of context addresses the need to modularize and govern NGS pipelines for Precision Medicine. Specifically, it provides the flexibility (i.e. the indexing) needed to support the wide variety of clinical scenarios and patient-facing governance where only part of the VCF data is fitting.

Availability and Implementation

Software libraries with a claim to be both domain-facing and consumer-facing have to pass the test of portability across the variety of devices that those consumers in fact adopt. That is, ideally the implementation should itself take place within the space defined by web technologies. Consequently, the isomorphic mapping function was implemented in JavaScript, and was tested in a variety of environments and devices, client and server side alike. These range from web browsers in mobile phones to the most popular micro service platform, NodeJS. The code is publicly available at https://github.com/ibl/VCFr, with a live deployment at: http://ibl.github.io/VCFr/.
gargammel: a sequence simulator for ancient DNA
Authors: Renaud Gabriel , Hanghøj Kristian , Willerslev Eske , Orlando Ludovic
Published: October 2016

Ancient DNA has emerged as a remarkable tool to infer the history of extinct species and past populations. However, many of its characteristics, such as extensive fragmentation, damage and contamination, can influence downstream analyses. To help investigators measure how these could impact their analyses in silico, we have developed gargammel, a package that simulates ancient DNA fragments given a set of known reference genomes. Our package simulates the entire molecular process from post-mortem DNA fragmentation and DNA damage to experimental sequencing errors, and reproduces most common bias observed in ancient DNA datasets.

Availability and Implementation

The package is publicly available on github: https://grenaud.github.io/gargammel/ and released under the GPL.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
PhenoCurve: capturing dynamic phenotype-environment relationships using phenomics data
Authors: Yang Yifan , Xu Lei , Feng Zheyun , Cruz Jeffrey A , Savage Linda J , Kramer David M , Chen Jin
Published: October 2016

Motivation

Phenomics is essential for understanding the mechanisms that regulate or influence growth, fitness, and development. Techniques have been developed to conduct high-throughput large-scale phenotyping on animals, plants and humans, aiming to bridge the gap between genomics, gene functions and traits. Although new developments in phenotyping techniques are exciting, we are limited by the tools to analyze fully the massive phenotype data, especially the dynamic relationships between phenotypes and environments.

Results

We present a new algorithm called PhenoCurve, a knowledge-based curve fitting algorithm, aiming to identify the complex relationships between phenotypes and environments, thus studying both values and trends of phenomics data. The results on both real and simulated data showed that PhenoCurve has the best performance among all the six tested methods. Its application to photosynthesis hysteresis pattern identification reveals new functions of core genes that control photosynthetic efficiency in response to varying environmental conditions, which are critical for understanding plant energy storage and improving crop productivity.

Availability and Implementation

Software is available at phenomics.uky.edu/PhenoCurve

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.