bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Controlling the conductivity of Ti3C2MXenes by inductively coupled oxygen and hydrogen plasma treatment and humidity
Authors: Römer Florian M. , Wiedwald Ulf , Strusch Tanja , Halim Joseph , Mayerberger Elisa , Barsoum Michel W. , Farle Michael
Published: February 2017

With oxygen and hydrogen plasma the resistivity of transparent MXene electrodes can be controlled.
Enhancement of nitrogen and sulfur co-doping on the electrocatalytic properties of carbon nanotubes for VO2+/VO2+ redox reaction
Authors: Li Chuanchang , Xie Baoshan , Chen Jian , He Jianjun , He Zhangxing
Published: February 2017

Heteroatom doping on the surface of an electrode and catalyst can impact the surface and electronic properties.
Detection of phosphatidylserine in the plasma membrane of single apoptotic cells using electrochemiluminescence
Authors: Wang Rui , Fang Danjun
Published: February 2017

Phosphatidylserine in the plasma membrane of single apoptotic cells was detected using luminol electrochemiluminescence.
First total synthesis of concavine
Authors: Saint-Dizier François , Simpkins Nigel S.
Published: February 2017

The synthesis of concavine is described, utilising a key sulfenylative radical cyclisation and highly regio- and stereocontrolled imide reactions.
CO2to methanol conversion using hydride terminated porous silicon nanoparticles
Authors: Dasog M. , Kraus S. , Sinelnikov R. , Veinot J. G. C. , Rieger B.
Published: February 2017

Reduction of CO2to methanol using hydride terminated porous Si nanoparticles.
Ruthenium nitrosyl functionalized graphene quantum dots as an efficient nanoplatform for NIR-light-controlled and mitochondria-targeted delivery of nitric oxide combined with photothermal therapy
Authors: Guo Min , Xiang Hui-Jing , Wang Yi , Zhang Qian-Ling , An Lu , Yang Shi-Ping , Ma Yinchu , Wang Yucai , Liu Jin-Gang
Published: February 2017

Targeted delivery of NO accompanied by photothermal therapy shows efficientin vivoantitumor efficacy.
A velocity map imaging study of the photodissociation of the methyl iodide cation
Authors: Marggi Poullain S. , Chicharro D. V. , González-Vázquez J. , Rubio-Lago L. , Bañares L.
Published: February 2017

The photodissociation dynamics of the methyl iodide cation has been studied using velocity map imaging and ab initio theory to disentangle the dissociation mechanisms.
First-principles computation of electron transfer and reaction rate at a perovskite cathode for hydrogen production
Authors: Liu C. T. , Chu J. F. , Lin C. K. , Hong C. W.
Published: February 2017

Electron transfer and its reaction rate at the perovskite cathode of a photoelectrochemical cell for hydrogen production.
Synthesis, structural characterization and conversion of dinuclear iron–sulfur clusters containing the disulfide ligand: [Cp*Fe(μ–η2:η2-bdt)(cis-μ–η1:η1-S2)FeCp*], [Cp*Fe(μ-S(C6H4S2))(cis-μ–η1:η1-S2)FeCp*], and [{Cp*Fe(bdt)}2(trans-μ–η1:η1-S2)]
Authors: Ji Xiaoxiao , Tong Peng , Yang Dawei , Wang Baomin , Zhao Jinfeng , Li Yang , Qu Jingping
Published: February 2017

Three disulfide-bridged diiron complexes are successfully synthesized and the conversions between them are realized.
In silico environmental chemical science: properties and processes from statistical and computational modelling
Authors: Tratnyek Paul G. , Bylaska Eric J. , Weber Eric J.
Published: February 2017

Theoretical and statistical approaches to calculation of properties that determine the environmental fate and effects of substances are summarized, with emphasis on their integration into “in silicoenvironmental chemical science”.
Palladium/zinc co-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of oxabenzonorbornadienes with alcohols as hydrogen sources
Authors: Ma Fujie , Chen Jingchao , Yang Fan , Shinde Madhuri Vikas , Zhou Yongyun , Fan Baomin
Published: February 2017

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of oxabenzonorbornadienes was realized by using alcohols as hydrogen sources under a co-catalytic system of palladium and zinc.
Light manipulation in a dually ordered porous TiO2–rGO composite for efficient solar energy utilization
Authors: Lai Xiaoyong
Published: February 2017

A dually ordered macro-mesoporous TiO2–rGO composite with tunable light response was developed for efficient solar energy utilization.
Iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of cyclic iminium salts
Authors: Ji Yue , Feng Guang-Shou , Chen Mu-Wang , Shi Lei , Du Haifeng , Zhou Yong-Gui
Published: February 2017

An iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of cyclic iminium salts has been developed, affording products with up to 96% ee.
System-wide analysis of manganese starvation-induced metabolism in key elements of Lactobacillus plantarum
Authors: Tong Yanjun , Zhai Qixiao , Wang Gang , Zhang Qiuxiang , Liu Xiaoming , Tian Fengwei , Zhao Jianxin , Zhang Hao , Chen Wei
Published: February 2017

To analyze the response mechanisms of Lactobacillus plantarum against manganese starvation stress, different metabolisms from physiology, proteomics and transporters aspects in L. plantarum CCFM 436 were systematically investigated.
Surface active ionic liquid induced conformational transition in aqueous medium of hemoglobin
Authors: Vashishat Rajni , Chabba Shruti , Mahajan Rakesh Kumar
Published: February 2017

The molecular interactions and effect of SAILs on the conformation of human hemoglobin (Hb) has been studied using various techniques.
Ultrasensitive and in situ DNA detection in various pH environments based on a microfiber with a graphene oxide linking layer
Authors: Huang Yunyun , Yu Bo , Guo Tuan , Guan Bai-Ou
Published: February 2017

Ultrasensitive and in situ DNA detection at different pH values, ranging from 4.3 to 8.5, based on a microfiber with a graphene oxide linking layer was proposed and experimentally demonstrated.
Metabolomics analysis reveals aminoquinazolin derivative 9d-induced oxidative stress and cell cycle arrest in A549 cells
Authors: Liu Wenrui , Jin Feng , Gao Dan , Song Lu , Ding Chao , Liu Hongxia
Published: February 2017

An UPLC/Q-TOF MS based metabolomics approach was established to study the probable antitumor mechanism of aminoquinazolin derivative 9d, which could induce oxidative stress and cell cycle arrest in A549 lung cancer cells.
Highly chemoselective ruthenium(ii)-catalyzed direct arylation of cyclic and N,N-dialkyl benzamides with aryl silanes
Authors: Nareddy Pradeep , Jordan Frank , Szostak Michal
Published: February 2017

The ruthenium(ii)-catalyzed oxidative cross-coupling of C(sp2)–H bonds with organosilanes has been accomplished for the first time.
p-Doping of graphene in hybrid materials with 3,10-diazapicenium dications
Authors: Roth Alexandra , Schaub Tobias A. , Meinhardt Ute , Thiel Dominik , Storch Jan , Církva Vladimír , Jakubík Pavel , Guldi Dirk M. , Kivala Milan
Published: February 2017

We report on the preparation of a hybrid system consisting of exfoliated graphene and N,N′-didodecyl 3,10-diazapicenium salts by solution based methods. The obtained hybrids were characterized by steady state and time-resolved spectroscopic as well as microscopic techniques to corroborate the p-doped character.
Enhanced hydrogen storage properties of MgH2 with numerous hydrogen diffusion channels provided by Na2Ti3O7 nanotubes
Authors: Zhang Liuting , Chen Lixin , Fan Xiulin , Xiao Xuezhang , Zheng Jiaguang , Huang Xu
Published: February 2017

Na2Ti3O7 NTs homogeneously distributed in MgH2 offer numerous diffusion channels to significantly accelerate the transportation of hydrogen atoms.
Controllable construction of metal–organic polyhedra in confined cavities via in situ site-induced assembly
Authors: Kang Ying-Hu , Yan Ni , Gao Zhen-Yu , Tan Peng , Jiang Yao , Liu Xiao-Qin , Sun Lin-Bing
Published: February 2017

Controllable fabrication of metal–organic polyhedra in confined cavities with improved properties was realized through in situ site-induced assembly.
A Zn2+-coordinated boronate dipyrrin as a chemodosimeter toward hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Sakakibara Kaori , Takahashi Yuki , Nishiyabu Ryuhei , Kubo Yuji
Published: February 2017

Dipyrrin derivative 1 with 4-pinacolborylbenzyloxy groups was synthesized. When using Zn2+-coordinated 1, a H2O2-triggered response was visually and selectively observed.
Covert digital communication systems based on joint normal distribution
Authors: Xu Zhi‐Jiang , Gong Yi , Wang Kang , Lu Wei‐Dang , Hua Jing‐Yu
Published: February 2017

The correlation coefficient of two consecutive Gaussian sequences is modulated by a binary message bit to achieve a secure communication system. The receiver of the proposed random communication system demodulates the received signal by estimating the correlation coefficient of the transmitted two consecutive sequences. Theoretical bit error rate (BER) expressions in frequency‐flat/‐selective fading channels with/without Doppler shift are derived. Simulation results show that the proposed system can achieve reasonably low BERs in an additive white Gaussian noise channel as well as a Rayleigh fading channel. More importantly, the proposed system shows good performance in resisting eavesdropping, since the transmitted sequence appears to be a Gaussian noise which is almost always inevitable in the process of wireless communications.
Optimal tripping transmission lines scheme based on SCC level and voltage stability
Authors: Li Shuaihu , Zhu Zheng , Li Yiquan
Published: February 2017

The transmission capacity of the power grid is growing to meet the increasing electrical load demand in the past few decades. It makes the level of severity that short‐circuit current (SCC) exceeds the interruption capability of circuit breakers much higher. To limit SCC, this study proposes a bi‐objective optimisation model to determine the optimal tripping transmission lines scheme. In this proposed model, the objectives include the maximal effectiveness on limiting SCC and the minimal adverseness on voltage stability, which evaluate by the sensitivities of SCC and voltage stability margin on the tripping lines. Intelligence algorithms have been applied to solve the similar multi‐objective problem. However, the optimisation methods cannot meet the requirement of the real‐time application because the full‐dimensional set of decision variables including all transmission lines is considered in the optimisation procedure. Thereby, the coordinated optimisation algorithm is adapted to accurately and fast achieve the optimal solution. The case study on the IEEE 39‐bus system and a real‐world 500 kV network in Guangdong province of China verify the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed method.
Modified Thevenin‐based voltage instability indicator and load shedding approach for MCF connected network
Authors: Dalali Milad , Kazemi Karegar Hossein
Published: February 2017

Marine current farm (MCF) equipped with squirrel cage induction generators (SCIGs) influences on the voltage stability of the power network. Thevenin‐based voltage instability risk indicator is a simple and local index that can be used for voltage instability prediction from a load or zero injection bus. This indicator is modified to evaluate the voltage stability from MCF bus. In addition, a Thevenin‐power flow tracing‐based load shedding approach is also presented for preventing voltage instability. The method compares two equivalent Thevenin impedances of the main network and MCF for total active and reactive power calculations. Then, the total values are used for load sharing and load shedding by power flow tracing algorithm. The proposed hybrid method is tested on IEEE 14‐bus test system considering different contingencies. The results confirm the capability of the proposed indicator and load shedding approach in timely prediction and proper prevention of voltage instability problems, respectively.
Comprehensive assessment of virtual synchronous machine based voltage source converter controllers
Authors: Alrajhi Alsiraji Hasan , El‐Shatshat Ramadan
Published: February 2017

The substantial potential for the integration of renewable energy into power systems using power electronics converters might result in stability issues because of a lack of inertia. For this reason, this study introduces the concept of a virtual synchronous machine (VSM) control algorithm that emulates the properties of traditional synchronous machines. The literature includes references to several differently structured control algorithms. However, synchronous machine inertia and damping characteristics must be mimicked, which makes the cost and simplicity of implementation important from an economic perspective. This study presents a comprehensive comparison of VSM control algorithms. The most significant factor investigated in the work presented in this study is the viability of VSM algorithms during the kind of abnormal operation that might raise instability issues with respect to practical discrete time operation. The test system used in this study, which was simulated in a PSCAD/EMTDC environment, consisted of simulated voltage source converters based on a fully detailed switching model with two AC voltage levels. The results indicate a significant outcome that can facilitate a determination of the most effective VSM control algorithm.
Emission‐economic dispatch of thermal power generation units in the presence of hybrid electric vehicles and correlated wind power plants
Authors: Andervazh Mohammad‐Reza , Javadi Shahram
Published: February 2017

With the integration of plug‐in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and renewable energy resources into the power system, the environmental‐economic dispatch of conventional power generation units takes new dimensions due to several ineluctable uncertain factors. This study presents a probabilistic optimisation framework for the emission, economic dispatch of thermal power generation units, considering the stochastic charging demand of PHEVs, intermittent wind power generation and uncertain load demand. To characterise the uncertainty in the output variables, the point estimate method and Nataf transformation are employed, considering the correlation between wind power plants. To find Pareto optimal solutions concerning minimisation of the emission and fuel cost, heuristic fitness sharing mechanisms and a meta‐heuristic algorithm are proposed. Monte Carlo simulation together with state‐of‐the‐art optimisation techniques (NSGA‐II and SPEA‐2) are employed in a quantitative performance appraisal to scrutinise the effectiveness of the proposed method in the uncertainty quantification and multi‐objective optimisation.
Synchronisation mechanism and interfaces design of multi‐FPGA‐based real‐time simulator for microgrids
Authors: Li Peng , Wang Zhiying , Wang Chengshan , Fu Xiaopeng , Yu Hao , Wang Liwei
Published: February 2017

Real‐time simulation of a microgrid involving massive high‐frequency power electronic converters, various distributed generators and energy storage systems is computationally demanding. Due to the prominent computing resources and high speed communication, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) can be used together to realise the real‐time simulation of a microgrid. For a complete multi‐FPGA‐based real‐time simulator, interfaces are essential to communicate with each other and with different types of apparatus. The internal interfaces between FPGAs make it possible to operate in parallel, sharing the computational burden. External interfaces between an FPGA and physical devices contribute to the implementation of hardware‐in‐the‐loop simulation. In this study, interfacing techniques including multi‐FPGA system topology determination, time‐step synchronisation mechanism and precise communication are proposed in detail. An analogue‐to‐digital and digital‐to‐analogue interface is designed to facilitate physical connections to external devices. A modified microgrid benchmark with photovoltaics and a battery is simulated with a time‐step of 3 μs on a 4‐FPGA‐based real‐time simulator. Simulation results are compared with PSCAD/EMTDC to validate the interface design.
Intelligent busbar protection scheme based on combination of support vector machine and S‐transform
Authors: Gil Milad , Abdoos Ali Akbar
Published: February 2017

Differential protection is the main protective scheme of busbar in power systems but its operation degrades during current transformer (CT) saturation conditions. In this study, the busbar differential protection scheme is improved by the addition of a new feature extracted from differential current using S‐transform analysis. S‐transform as a powerful signal processing technique gives a complete visualisation of the signal in both time and frequency domains. The new extracted feature as well as the magnitude of the differential and restraint currents are utilised to increase the security of traditional busbar differential protection scheme. With the addition of this new feature, distinctive regions are created in the feature space which can be separated by an appropriate classifier. In this study, the well‐known classifier, i.e. support vector machine is employed to effectively discriminate internal faults from external faults. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, a part of Iranian 400‐kV power system grid is simulated in the PSCAD/EMTDC environment. The transient behaviour of CTs during saturation conditions is simulated based on the precise Jiles–Atherton model. The obtained results justify the superiority of the proposed method in terms of speed and security even in noisy conditions.
Application of SST to forecast ionospheric delays using GPS observations
Authors: Gampala Sivavaraprasad , Devanaboyina Venkata Ratnam
Published: February 2017

The temporal variations of ionospheric total electron content (TEC) due to space weather events compromise the precision of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements. The vulnerability of GNSS services to ionospheric delay can be studied using TEC datasets. Hence, in this study, the ionospheric TEC measured during 1 January 2013–31 December 2013 from global positioning system receiver located at a low‐latitude station, KL University, Vaddeswaram, Guntur, India (16.31°N, 80.37°E) has been processed and analysed using synchrosqueezing transform (SST). SST is a wavelet‐based adaptive time–frequency analysis tool. The performance of SST with an autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model is analysed and validated. Its potential in decomposing and forecasting ionospheric delay for an hour in advance has been exploited. It is observed that the hybrid ARMA with SST, i.e. the SST‐ARMA model is 4% more accurate in forecasting ionospheric variations than the model ARMA and 46% more accurate than the wavelet transform‐ARMA model for the 91 days of TEC dataset (April–June 2013). The forecast results during various geomagnetic conditions of 24th solar maximum period (2013) indicate that SST‐ARMA has the potential to be a useful tool to set up early warning systems for ionospheric disturbances.
Jamming power allocation strategy for MIMO radar based on MMSE and mutual information
Authors: Wang Lulu , Wang Liandong , Zeng Yonghu , Wang Manxi
Published: February 2017

Jamming in defence applications is increasingly difficult because of advanced signal processing countermeasures. The jamming power allocation techniques for MIMO radar are investigated based on two criteria, namely the minimum mean square error (MMSE) for target estimation and the mutual information (MI) between the radar echo and the target impulse response. Different jamming power allocation strategies are obtained using the two criteria, respectively. Furthermore, the robust jamming power allocation strategies are studied when the target, environment or waveform information are not perfectly known. The worst case performance is optimised considering two cases of uncertainty. The analysis indicates that the least favourable sets (LFSs) of the MMSE‐ and MI‐based robust jamming are different if the radar waveform power and the target power spectral density (PSD) lie in the uncertainty sets which are confined by known upper and lower bounds. The LFSs of the MMSE‐ and MI‐based robust jamming are the same if the target PSD and the noise PSD lie in the uncertainty sets. Results are useful for the implementation of cognitive jammer.
FDST‐based PQ event detection and energy metering implementation on FPGA‐in‐the‐loop and NI‐LabVIEW
Authors: Jaiswal Supriya , Ballal Makarand S.
Published: February 2017

Power quality (PQ) is crucial parameter in determining the robustness and accuracy of any energy‐metering algorithm. It immensely affects the performance of energy meters in terms of measurement accuracy. This study presents digital implementation of fast discrete Stockwell transform (FDST) with automatic scaling for accurate PQ‐event detection (ED) and energy metering. Comparative analysis of FDST‐based energy‐metering algorithm is carried out with existing algorithms such as fast Fourier transform and filter‐based design. The results demonstrate that FDST‐based energy‐metering algorithm surpasses existing algorithms in terms of accuracy, complexity, and adaptability under PQ events. In addition, new statistical features are proposed to classify and measure PQ events. The real‐time implementation of the proposed FDST‐based smart energy meter (SEM) is performed in national instruments (NI) laboratory virtual instrument engineering workbench (LabVIEW) and validated through field programmable gate array (FPGA)‐in‐the‐loop using MATLAB and Altera Cyclone IV E FPGA board. The experimental results show satisfactory performance in terms of accuracy and resource utilisation. The effect of PQ events over energy metering is evaluated in terms of percentage loss in billing units. The features of the proposed SEM virtual instrument are real‐time accurate PQ‐ED, energy metering, loss evaluation, data logging, and remote control access.
RS flip‐flop implementation based on all spin logic devices
Authors: Wang Sen , Cai Li , Feng Chaowen , Cui Huanqing , Yang Xiaokuo , Zhao Hongyan
Published: February 2017

All spin logic (ASL) device is one of the promising post‐CMOS candidates. Owing to unique features such as non‐volatility, simple configuration, ultra‐low‐switching energy, and good scalability, ASL devices can be exploited in logic applications. Based on the characteristics of non‐volatility and bistable states of ASL device, an RS flip‐flop is proposed which is composed of seven ASL devices and employs a complementary clock signal scheme. Using the coupled spin‐transport/magneto‐dynamics model, validity of its logic operation is demonstrated. As a fundamental building block of sequential logic circuits, the proposed RS flip‐flop will be an useful component for designing large‐scale ASL sequential logic circuits.
Summability estimates on transport densities with Dirichlet regions on the boundaryviasymmetrization techniques
Authors: Dweik Samer , Santambrogio Filippo
Published: February 2017

In this paper we consider the mass transportation problem in a bounded domain Ωwhere a positive mass f+in the interior is sent to the boundary∂Ω. This problems appears, for instance in some shape optimization issues. We prove summability estimates on the associated transport densityσ, which is the transport density from a diffuse measure to a measure on the boundary f− = P#f+(Pbeing the projection on the boundary), hence singular.Viaa symmetrization trick, as soon as Ωis convex or satisfies a uniform exterior ball condition, we prove Lpestimates (iff+ ∈ Lp, thenσ ∈ Lp). Finally, by a counter-example we prove that if f+ ∈ L∞ (Ω) and f−has bounded density w.r.t. the surface measure on∂Ω, the transport density σbetween f+and f−is not necessarily inL∞ (Ω), which means that the fact that f− = P#f+is crucial.
Evaluation of the Relationship between Age and Outcome after Microvascular Reconstruction among Patients with Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Patel Viraj , Stern Carrie , Miglani Amar , Weichman Katie , Lin Juan , Ow Thomas , Garfein Evan
Published: February 2017

Background In patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), disease recurrence remains a significant obstacle to long-term survival. If possible, surgical salvage with reconstruction remains the best treatment option for patients with recurrence. Currently, there is no literature discussing whether age should preclude microvascular reconstruction in these patients. We hypothesize that older age alone does not affect outcomes.

Methods A retrospective chart review of patients with HNSCC at our institution between 2008 and 2015 was performed. Patients were included if they underwent simultaneous resection and flap reconstruction for recurrent HNSCC. Data collected included age, sex, primary site, type of reconstruction, previous treatments, postoperative complications (systemic and reconstructive), and overall survival.

Results A total of 65 patients met inclusion criteria for the review: 42 (64.6%) patients ≤70 years and 23 (35.4%) patients > 70 years. Overall survival was not significantly different between the younger and older groups (p = 0.199). Five-year survival was 60.1% in the younger group and 46.8% in the older group. No significant difference was found in reconstructive complication rates (p = 0.179) or systemic complication rates (p = 0.241) between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis further showed no significant association between patients' age (≤70 years or > 70 years) and reconstructive complications (p = 0.396) or systemic complications (p = 0.119).

Conclusion Age is not significantly associated with complications among patients undergoing resection and reconstruction for recurrent HNSCC. Microvascular reconstruction remains a feasible option in older patients with recurrent HNSCC. Advanced age alone should not preclude the surgical management of recurrent HNSCC.
Treatment Options for Bilateral Autologous Breast Reconstruction in Patients with Inadequate Donor-Site Volume
Authors: Chu Michael , Samra Fares , Kanchwala Suhail , Momeni Arash
Published: February 2017

More than 250,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States in 2017 alone. A large number of these patients will undergo mastectomy and will be candidates for immediate breast reconstruction. The most common reconstructive options are either implant-based or autologous tissue reconstruction, with the latter having been reported to have higher rates of long-term patient satisfaction, lower cost, and less postoperative pain. A subset of patients, however, may not be ideal candidates for autologous microsurgical reconstruction, for example, due to inadequate abdominal tissues, yet they may desire this reconstructive modality. This is particularly challenging in patients requiring bilateral reconstructions. In this article, the authors discuss the various reconstructive modalities that can be considered in patients who desire bilateral breast reconstruction, are not ideal candidates for autologous reconstruction, yet do not wish to rely solely on implant-based modalities.
The Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation on Gene Expression Involved in the Insulin and Lipid Signaling Pathway in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Nasri Khadijeh , Hantoushzadeh Sedigheh , Aghadavod Esmat , Taghizadeh Mohsen , Asemi Zatollah
Published: February 2017

Limited data are available evaluating the effects of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on gene expression involved in the insulin and lipid-signaling pathway in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on gene expression involved in the insulin and lipid signaling pathway in women with PCOS. This randomized double blind, placebo-controlled trial was done among 60 women aged 18–40 years old and diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria. Participants were randomly assigned into 2 groups to receive either 1 000 mg omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed oil containing 400 mg α-linolenic acid (n=30) or placebo (n=30) twice a day for 12 weeks. Gene expressions involved in the insulin and lipid-signaling pathway were quantified in blood samples of PCOS women with RT-PCR method. Quantitative results of RT-PCR demonstrated that compared with the placebo, omega-3 fatty acids supplementation upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) mRNA (p=0.005) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of women with PCOS. In addition, compared to the placebo, omega-3 fatty acids supplementation downregulated expressed levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) mRNA (p=0.002) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of women with PCOS. We did not observe any significant effect of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on expressed levels of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Overall, omega-3 fatty acids supplementation for 12 weeks in PCOS women significantly improved gene expression of PPAR-γ and LDLR.
Einflussfaktoren auf die Standortwahl von hausärztlichen Land- und Stadtärzten in
Niedersachsen
Authors: Schmidt Katharina , Marten Ole , Kühne Christian , Zeidler Jan , Frank Martin
Published: February 2017

Hintergrund und Zielsetzung Die Sicherstellung einer flächendeckenden und bedarfsgerechten hausärztlichen Versorgung stellt
zunehmend eine Herausforderung dar. Die Analyse von Prioritäten und Einflussfaktoren hinsichtlich des Niederlassungsverhaltens ist
daher von hoher Bedeutung für eine bedarfsgerechte Versorgungskoordination. In dieser Arbeit wurden Einflussfaktoren auf die
Standortwahl von Stadt- und Landärzten in Niedersachsen analysiert und bewertet. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, bevorzugte
Standortfaktoren aus ärztlicher Perspektive zu ermitteln, um neue Steuerungsansätze für die Sicherstellung der Versorgung zu
identifizieren.

Methoden Der erste Studienabschnitt zu den Prioritäten der Einflussfaktoren auf die Standortwahl (PrEf) zielte auf die
Erhebung der Relevanz von Standortfaktoren mithilfe des Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in persönlichen Interviews ab. Im
Anschluss wurde in Niedersachsen eine Querschnittserhebung der Einflussfaktoren auf die Standortwahl (QuESt) durchgeführt und
mittels logistischer Regressionen die Präferenzen für die Standortwahl von Stadt- und Landärzten ermittelt.

Ergebnisse Im ersten Studienabschnitt PrEf konnten 10 AHP-Befragungen einbezogen werden. Das „Umfeld für die Familie“
erreichte mit einem globalen Gewicht von 32,4 % (SD = 19,4) die höchste Priorität in PrEf, gefolgt von „finanziellen
Rahmenbedingungen“ (19,0 %, SD = 13,0) und „beruflichen Verpflichtungen“ (13,4 %, SD = 9,0). Dabei unterschieden sich in QuESt
(n = 197) die Prioritäten zwischen Land- und Stadtärzten bei „finanziellen Rahmenbedingungen“, die von Landärzten mit 0,84 Punkten
(p ≤ 0,05) wichtiger bewertet wurden.

Diskussion und Schlussfolgerung Entscheidend für die Niederlassung ist das „Umfeld für die Familie“, das in ländlichen
Regionen häufig nicht den Wünschen entspricht. Die „finanziellen Rahmenbedingungen“ sind an zweiter Stelle und für Landärzte
besonders wichtig. Die Politik, Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen und Kommunen sollten sich in Zukunft auf diese Steuerungsfaktoren
fokussieren.
Response solutions for forced systems with large dissipation and arbitrary frequency vectors
Authors: Gentile Guido , Vaia Faenia
Published: February 2017

We study the behaviour of one-dimensional strongly dissipative systems subject to a quasi-periodic force. In particular we are interested in the existence of response solutions, that is, quasi-periodic solutions having the same frequency vector as the forcing term. Earlier results available in the literature show that, when the dissipation is large enough and a suitable function involving the forcing has a simple zero, response solutions can be proved to exist and to be attractive provided some Diophantine condition is assumed on the frequency vector. In this paper we show that the results extend to the case of arbitrary frequency vectors.
Entropy and transport properties of liquid metals along the melting curve
Authors: Cao Qi-Long , Wang Pan-Pan , Shao Ju-Xiang , Wang Fan-Hou
Published: February 2017

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed for several monatomic metals and Fe0.9Ni0.1 metallic alloy to study the transport properties and entropy of liquids along melting curve. Our results show that the self-diffusion coefficients and viscosity of liquids increase with increasing pressure along the melting curves. Analysis suggests that, at high pressure conditions, the pair correlation entropy S2 of liquids along melting curve is bout −3.71kB, independent of the pressure and variety of liquids, which indicates that there is no obvious change in liquid structure along the melting curve. The Rosenfeld entropy-scaling laws with S2 = −3.71kB and the special values of scaling parameters can give reasonable estimates for the self-diffusion coefficients and viscosity of liquid metals along melting curves. The effect of pressure on transport coefficients can be quantified through its corresponding effect on the melting temperature and number density, and this result is in consistent with the Andrade’s model. In addition, the variation of S2 provides a useful, experimentally accessible, structure-based criterion for freezing of liquid metals.
Tunable band alignment and dielectric constant of solution route fabricated Al/HfO2/Si gate stack for CMOS applications
Authors: Kumar Arvind , Mondal Sandip , Koteswara Rao K. S. R.
Published: February 2017

The solution route deposition method will reduce the fabrication cost, and it is compatible with existing Si technology. Here, we systematically investigate the impact of annealing temperature on the electrical and dielectric properties along with the band alignment of HfO2 thin films with silicon. The films were fabricated using the hafnium isopropoxide adduct precursor, which is environment friendly and non-toxic in ambient conditions. We have analyzed the band alignment of HfO2/Si stack by using ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopic and current-voltage (J-V) plot to understand its impact on electrical transport. The bandgap of HfO2 films estimated from Plasmon energy loss spectra is 5.9 eV. The composition analysis is done with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy that suggests a good stoichiometric ratio of 1:1.96. The atomic force microscopy studies display a smooth surface with the roughness of 1.4 Å without any cracks in the films. It is found that the current conduction mechanisms and barrier heights at both the interfaces are influenced by the annealing temperature; a temperature of 450 °C results in an optimum performance. Interestingly, the high value of dielectric constant (23) in the amorphous phase is attributed to the existence of cubic like short range order in HfO2 films. Moreover, a low leakage current density of 1.4 × 10−9 A/cm2 at −1 V and 1.48 × 10−8 A/cm2 at +1 V in gate and substrate injection modes is achieved. The obtained defect activation energies of 0.91 eV, 0.87 eV, and 0.93 eV for the films annealed at 350 °C, 450 °C, and 550 °C lay below the conduction band edge of HfO2. These energy levels are ascribed to three and four fold oxygen vacancy related traps. The formation of dipoles at the interface, change in the microstructure, and oxygen migration at the interfacial layer are the possible causes for the observed parametric variations in the metal–insulator–semiconductor structure. The electrical properties can be tuned by utilizing suitable annealing temperatures.
Impact of high energy electron irradiation on high voltage Ni/4H-SiC Schottky diodes
Authors: Kozlovski V. V. , Lebedev A. A. , Levinshtein M. E. , Rumyantsev S. L. , Palmour J. W.
Published: February 2017

We report the results of the high energy (0.9 MeV) electron irradiation impact on the electrical properties of high voltage Ni/4H-SiC Schottky diodes. Within the range of the irradiation dose from 0.2 × 1016 cm−2 to 7 × 1016 cm−2, electron irradiation led to 6 orders of magnitude increase in the base resistance, appearance of slow relaxation processes at pico-ampere current range, and increase in the ideality factor.
High sensitivity and homogeneity of surface enhanced Raman scattering on three-dimensional array–film hybrid platform
Authors: Liu Xing , Yu Liju , Yang Shumin , Yu Huaina , Zhao Jun , Wang Liansheng , Wu Yanqing , Tai Renzhong
Published: February 2017

We design and fabricate a substrate based on a three-dimensional array–film hybrid structure used for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). This substrate exhibits improvements both in sensitivity and homogeneity for the Raman signals. As a result, the substrate increases the Raman signal of Rhodamine 6G by 12.3 times under the same measurement conditions, compared with conventional gold array sitting directly on a silica wafer. The sensitivity of SERS can be easily tuned by changing the thickness of SiO2 separation. Meanwhile, the relative standard deviations are achieved to be less than 10%. This array–film hybrid structure provides a promising approach for future SERS applications.
Photoacoustic technique for the characterization of plasmonic properties of 2D periodic arrays of gold nanoholes
Authors: Petronijevic E. , Leahu G. , Mussi V. , Sibilia C. , Bovino F. A.
Published: February 2017

We apply photo-acoustic (PA) technique to examine plasmonic properties of 2D periodic arrays of nanoholes etched in gold/chromium layer upon a glass substrate. The pitch of these arrays lies in the near IR, and this, under appropriate wave vector matching conditions in the visible region, allows for the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) guided along a dielectric – metal surface. SPP offered new approaches in light guiding and local field intensity enhancement, but their detection is often difficult due to the problematic discrimination of their contribution from the overall scattering. Here PA measures the energy absorbed due to the non-radiative decay of SPPs. We report on the absorption enhancement by presenting the spatial mapping of absorption under the incidence angles and wavelength that correspond to the efficient excitation of SPPs. Moreover, a comparison with optical transmission measurements is carried out, underlining the applicability and sensitivity of PA technique.
Laser heating of metallic nanoparticles for photothermal ablation applications
Authors: Liu Xiaoming , Shan Guangshuai , Yu Junsheng , Yang Wei , Ren Zhaodi , Wang Xiaohui , Xie Xi , Chen Hui-jiuan , Chen Xiaodong
Published: February 2017

In order to search for a suitable frequency and material with higher photothermal efficacy for hyperthermia application in cancer treatment, a comparative study on laser heating of Au/Ag nanoparticles and Ag nanowires has been conducted. It is found that gold nanoparticles are more photothermal efficient in comparison with silver nanoparticles and silver nanowires at 450nm and 532 nm. Gold nanoparticles are more heated by 532 nm laser than 450 nm laser. In contrast, silver nanoparticles show slightly less temperature rise at 532 nm than 450 nm laser. For silver nanowires, no significant photothermal effect has been observed. Size-dependent effect study indicates that the absorption efficiency of single gold nanoparticles of larger diameter is higher than that of smaller diameter, in the diameter range of 0-50nm. A mathematical model for describing the heating profile in the heating sample has been built. The mathematical model can be utilized to predict the optimal treatment size of tumor.
Treeing phenomenon of thermoplastic polyethylene blends for recyclable cable insulation materials
Authors: Li Lunzhi , Zhang Kai , Zhong Lisheng , Gao Jinghui , Xu Man , Chen Guanghui , Fu Mingli
Published: February 2017

Owing to its good recyclability and low processing energy consumption, non-crosslinked polyethylene blends (e.g. LLDPE-HDPE blends) are considered as one of potential environmental-friendly substitutions for crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) as cable insulation material. Although extensive work has been performed for measuring the basic dielectric properties, there is a lack of the investigations on the aging properties for such a material system, which hinders the evaluation of reliability and lifetime of the material for cable insulation. In this paper, we study the electric aging phenomenon of 0.7LLDPE-0.3HDPE blending material by investigating the treeing behavior, and its comparison with XLPE and LLDPE. Treeing tests show that the 0.7LLDPE-0.3HDPE blends have lower probability for treeing as well as smaller treeing dimensions. Further thermal analysis and microstructure study results suggest that the blends exhibit larger proportion of thick lamellae and higher crystallinity with homogeneously-distributed amorphous region, which is responsible for good anti-treeing performance. Our finding provides the evidence that the 0.7LLDPE-0.3HDPE blends exhibits better electric-aging-retardance properties than XLPE, which may result in a potential application for cable insulation.
Regulation of Na+ channel inactivation by the DIII and DIV voltage-sensing domains
Authors: Hsu Eric J. , Zhu Wandi , Schubert Angela R. , Voelker Taylor , Varga Zoltan , Silva Jonathan R.
Published: February 2017

Functional eukaryotic voltage-gated Na+ (NaV) channels comprise four domains (DI–DIV), each containing six membrane-spanning segments (S1–S6). Voltage sensing is accomplished by the first four membrane-spanning segments (S1–S4), which together form a voltage-sensing domain (VSD). A critical NaV channel gating process, inactivation, has previously been linked to activation of the VSDs in DIII and DIV. Here, we probe this interaction by using voltage-clamp fluorometry to observe VSD kinetics in the presence of mutations at locations that have been shown to impair NaV channel inactivation. These locations include the DIII–DIV linker, the DIII S4–S5 linker, and the DIV S4-S5 linker. Our results show that, within the 10-ms timeframe of fast inactivation, the DIV-VSD is the primary regulator of inactivation. However, after longer 100-ms pulses, the DIII–DIV linker slows DIII-VSD deactivation, and the rate of DIII deactivation correlates strongly with the rate of recovery from inactivation. Our results imply that, over the course of an action potential, DIV-VSDs regulate the onset of fast inactivation while DIII-VSDs determine its recovery.
SVPV: a structural variant prediction viewer for paired-end sequencing datasets
Authors: Munro Jacob E , Dunwoodie Sally L , Giannoulatou Eleni
Published: February 2017

Motivation

A wide range of algorithms exist for the prediction of structural variants (SVs) from paired-end whole genome sequencing (WGS) alignments. It is essential for the purpose of quality control to be able to visualize, compare and contrast the data underlying the predictions across multiple different algorithms.

Results

We provide the structural variant prediction viewer, a tool which presents a visual summary of the most relevant features for SV prediction from WGS data. SV calls from multiple prediction algorithms may be visualized together, along with annotation of population allele frequencies from reference SV datasets. Gene annotations may also be included. The application is capable of running in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) mode for visualizing SVs one by one, or in batch mode for processing many SVs serially.

Availability and Implementation

SVPV is available at GitHub (https://github.com/VCCRI/SVPV/).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Are informed policies in place to promote safe and usable EHRs? A cross-industry comparison
Authors: Savage Erica L , Fairbanks Rollin J , Ratwani Raj M
Published: February 2017

Objective: Despite federal policies put in place by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) to promote safe and usable electronic health record (EHR) products, the usability of EHRs continues to frustrate providers and have patient safety implications. This study sought to compare government policies on usability and safety, and methods of examining compliance to those policies, across 3 federal agencies: the ONC and EHRs, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and avionics, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and medical devices. Our goal was to identify whether differences in policies exist and, if they do exist, how policies and enforcement mechanisms from other industries might be applied to optimize EHR usability.

Method: We performed a qualitative study using publicly available governing documents to examine similarities and differences in usability and safety policies across agencies.

Results: The policy review and analysis revealed several consistencies within each agency’s usability policies. Critical differences emerged in the usability standards and policy enforcement mechanisms utilized by the 3 agencies. The FAA and FDA look at evidence of usability processes and are more prescriptive when it comes to testing final products as compared to the ONC, which relies on attestation and is less prescriptive.

Discussion: A comparison of usability policies across industries illustrates key differences between the ONC and other federal agencies. These differences could be contributing to the usability challenges associated with EHRs.

Conclusion: Our analysis highlights important areas of usability and safety policy from other industries that can better inform ONC policies on EHRs.
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: Incidence and Demographics in a National Administrative Database
Authors: Osei Daniel A. , Groves Andrew P. , Bommarito Kerry , Ray Wilson Z.
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND: Compressive neuropathy of the ulnar nerve at the elbow, or cubital tunnel syndrome (CuTS), is the second most common entrapment neuropathy of the upper extremity after carpal tunnel syndrome. While several studies have reported risk factors and outcomes for select populations (mostly surgical), it is difficult to interpret these data without an accurate measure of CuTS disease burden in the general population.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of CuTS among US health plan enrollees, using a large administrative health care claims database comprised of individuals from all 50 states.

METHODS: An administrative database of commercial insurance beneficiaries was queried for diagnosis and treatment of CuTS over a 6-yr period. We examined subsequent claims to determine frequency of subsequent surgical treatment. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the association of incident cases and surgical treatment with age and gender.

RESULTS: The estimated adjusted incidence rate of CuTS is 30.0 per 100 000 person-years. Of the 53 401 identified new cases within this cohort from 2006 to 2012, 41.3% were treated surgically. Incident cases were identified more frequently in men than in women (31.2 vs 28.8 cases per 100 000 person-years), though we observed more cases in women than in men below 50 yr of age (20.9 vs 19.5 cases per 100 000 person-years). Overall, incident cases increase with age in both men and women. In addition to incident cases being more common with increasing age, the percentage of cases treated surgically also increases with age (surgery in 34.4% of cases in the 18-30 yr group vs 48.8% of cases in the 60-65 yr group).

CONCLUSION: The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence of CuTS among US health plan enrollees. This is the largest published study on the incidence of CuTS, and the first to look at a US population. The overall adjusted incidence of CuTS was 30.0 per 100 000 person-years. Of patients who developed CuTS, 41.3% were treated surgically during the study period. Our results corroborate previously reported literature suggesting incidence increases significantly with age, with a slightly higher incidence in males. A high percentage of people who were diagnosed with CuTS and ended up receiving surgical intervention (41.3%) were older males. These results may aid practitioners in providing some basic prognostic information to patients who develop CuTS.