bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Breaking and Making of Carbon–Carbon Bonds by Lanthanides and Third‐Row Transition Metals
Authors: Zhou Shaodong , Li Jilai , Schlangen Maria , Schwarz Helmut
Published: January 2016

Carbon‐atom extrusion from the ipso‐position of a halobenzene ring (C6H5X; X=F, Cl, Br, I) and its coupling with a methylene ligand to produce acetylene is not confined to [LaCH2]+; also, the third‐row transition‐metal complexes [MCH2]+, M=Hf, Ta, W, Re, and Os, bring about this unusual transformation. However, substrates with substituents X=CN, NO2, OCH3, and CF3 are either not reactive at all or give rise to different products when reacted with [LaCH2]+. In the thermal gas‐phase processes of atomic Ln+ with C7H7Cl substrates, only those lanthanides with a promotion energy small enough to attain a 4fn5d16s1 configuration are reactive and form both [LnCl]+ and [LnC5H5Cl]+. Branching ratios and the reaction efficiencies of the various processes seem to correlate with molecular properties, like the bond‐dissociation energies of the C−X or M+−X bonds or the promotion energies of lanthanides.
Effects of Zn Stress on Growth, Zn Accumulation, Translocation, and Subcellular Distribution of Spartina alterniflora Loisel
Authors: Pan Xiu , Chen Guoping , Shi Cong , Chai Minwei , Liu Jing , Cheng Shanshan , Shi Fuchen
Published: January 2016

Spartina alterniflora plays an important role in heavy metal phytoremediation of estuary salt marshes. A study quantifying the effects of different Zn concentrations (100, 500, and 1000 μg · g−1) on growth, Zn accumulation, translocation, and subcellular distribution of S. alterniflora was conducted. The results showed that plant height and dry biomass increased under the 100 and 500 μg · g−1 Zn stress test. The Zn concentration in the same tissues increased with increasing Zn concentration. In addition, the Zn concentrations under the same Zn stress increased in the following order: Fine roots > leaves > stems > rhizomes. For example, it was found that the Zn concentration in fine roots reached up to 60.64 μg · g−1, and this concentration was significantly higher than in other tissues. However, the highest accumulation was detected in leaves under the 500 μg · g−1 Zn stress test, regardless of other tissues and Zn treatments. The Zn translocation factor increased with increasing Zn treatment concentrations and reached 1.05 under 1000 μg · g−1 Zn stress. This result suggests that Zn was easily transported to the shoots of S. alterniflora. Moreover, the cell wall and cytoplasmic supernatant played important roles in Zn stabilization and detoxification. This was a result of Zn mainly distributed in the cell wall and cytoplasmic supernatant but not in cell organelles.
DNA Methylation of ADME Genes
Authors: Fisel P , Schaeffeler E , Schwab M
Published: January 2016

The epigenetic regulation of expression of genes involved in the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of drugs contributes to interindividual variability in drug response. Epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and miRNAs. This review systematically outlines the influence of DNA methylation on ADME gene expression and highlights the consequences for interindividual variability in drug response or drug‐induced toxicity and the implications for personalized medicine.
Enhanced CO2 Resistance for Robust Oxygen Separation Through Tantalum‐doped Perovskite Membranes
Authors: Zhang Chi , Tian Hao , Yang Dong , Sunarso Jaka , Liu Jian , Liu Shaomin
Published: January 2016

Oxygen selective membranes with enhanced oxygen permeability and CO2 resistance are highly required in sustainable clean energy generation technologies. Here, we present novel, cobalt‐free, SrFe1−xTaxO3−δ (x=0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2) perovskite membranes. Ta‐doping induced lattice structure progression from orthorhombic (x=0) to cubic (x=0.05). SrFe0.95Ta0.05O3−δ (SFT0.05) showed the highest oxygen flux rates reaching 0.85 mL min−1 cm−2 at 950 °C on a 1.0 mm‐thick membrane. Surface decoration can increase the permeation rate further. Ta inclusion within the perovskite lattice of SrFeO3−δ (SF) enhanced the CO2 resistance of the membranes significantly as evidenced by the absence of the carbonate functional groups on the FTIR spectrum when exposed to CO2 atmosphere at 850 °C. The CO2 resistance of Ta‐doped SF compounds correlates with the lower basicity and the higher binding energy for the lattice oxygen. SFT0.05 demonstrated high stability during long‐term permeation tests under 10 % CO2 atmosphere.
Mosaic analysis of cell rearrangements during ureteric bud branching in dissociated/reaggregated kidney cultures and in vivo
Authors: Leclerc Kevin , Costantini Frank
Published: January 2016

Background: Cell rearrangements mediated by GDNF/Ret signaling underlie the formation of the ureteric bud (UB) tip domain during kidney development. Whether FGF signaling also influences these rearrangements is unknown. Chimeric embryos are a powerful tool for examining the genetic controls of cellular behaviors, but generating chimeras by traditional methods is expensive and laborious. Dissociated fetal kidney cells can reorganize to form complex structures including branching UB tubules, providing an easier method to generate renal chimeras. Results: Cell behaviors in normal or chimeric kidney cultures were investigated using time‐lapse imaging. In Spry1‐/‐ ↔ wild‐type chimeras, cells lacking Spry1 (a negative regulator of Ret and FGF receptor signaling) preferentially occupied the UB tips, as previously observed in traditional chimeras, thus validating this experimental system. In Fgfr2UB‐/‐ ↔ wild‐type chimeras, the wild‐type cells preferentially occupied the tips. Independent evidence for a role of Fgfr2 in UB tip formation was obtained using Mosaic mutant Analysis with Spatial and Temporal control of Recombination (MASTR). Conclusions: Dissociation and reaggregation of fetal kidney cells of different genotypes, with suitable fluorescent markers, provides an efficient way to analyze cell behaviors in chimeric cultures. FGF/Fgfr2 signaling promotes UB cell rearrangements that form the tip domain, similarly to GDNF/Ret signaling. Developmental Dynamics 245:483–496, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Heart failure from heart muscle disease in childhood: a 5–10 year follow‐up study in the UK and Ireland
Authors: Andrews Rachel E. , Fenton Matthew J. , Dominguez Troy , Burch Michael ,   on behalf of the British Congenital Cardiac Association
Published: January 2016

Aims

Our original study, the first national prospective study of new‐onset heart failure from heart muscle disease in children, showed overall 1‐year survival of 82%, and event (death or transplantation)‐free survival of 66%. This study aimed to evaluate 5 + year outcomes of this important cohort.

Methods and results

All centres in the UK and Ireland with 1‐year event‐free survivors participated (n = 14). Anonymised data based on last hospital attendance and echocardiograms were reviewed. The investigator was blinded to outcome at the time of echo review. Of sixty‐nine 1‐year event‐free survivors, data were obtained on 64, with three lost to follow‐up and two moved abroad. There were three deaths at 2.2, 3.3 and 9.0 years after presentation and one transplant, at 5.2 years. Overall/event‐free survival was 77%/62% at 5 years and 73%/59% at 10 years, respectively. Overall and event‐free survival conditional on 1‐year survival was 94% at 5 years, and 89% at 10 years. For the 60 event‐free survivors, median (range) follow‐up duration was 9.04 (5.0–10.33) years for those still under review (n = 45), or time to discharge 5.25 (0.67–10.0) years (n = 15). Fifty‐eight were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class 1, and two in Class 2. Forty‐one out of sixty had normal echocardiograms at last follow‐up. Predictors of better longer‐term outcome were the same as for the original 1‐year follow‐up study, namely, younger age and higher fractional shortening measurement at presentation.

Conclusions

Children who survive the first year following their first presentation with significant heart failure from heart muscle disease have a good longer‐term outcome although there remains a small attrition rate.
Optimization of Solution‐Processed Luminescent Down‐Shifting Layers for Photovoltaics by Customizing Organic Dye Based Thick Films
Authors: Solodovnyk Anastasiia , Kick Christopher , Osvet Andres , Egelhaaf Hans‐Joachim , Stern Edda , Batentschuk Miroslaw , Forberich Karen , Brabec Christoph J.
Published: January 2016

We theoretically and experimentally determined the optimized film properties of luminescent down‐shifting (LDS) layers for thin film solar cells. Based on the predictions from an adapted optical model, we coated thick (300–500 μm) and efficient luminescent down‐shifting layers from environmentally friendly solvents and industrially scalable inks. LDS layers consisted of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) as binder and organic luminescent dyes as UV‐converters. The luminescence quantum yields of the dyes were studied in solution (benzyl alcohol) and for solid thick films. Our data shows that the studied dyes retain luminescent efficiencies of approximately 90 % in the solid state when processed from solution. We further apply the produced layers onto copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar cells to verify the theoretical predictions for enhancing the external quantum efficiency (EQE) in the UV region. For the best converters a remarkable enhancement of the EQE from 9 % to 52 % was recorded at 380 nm. These findings underline that printed LDS layers indeed have the potential to enhance the efficiency and the light harvesting capabilities of industrially relevant photovoltaic modules.
Hybrid simulation of steel frame structures with sectional model updating
Authors: Wu Bin , Chen Yongsheng , Xu Guoshan , Mei Zhu , Pan Tianlin , Zeng Cong
Published: January 2016

Hybrid simulations that combine numerical computations and physical experiment represent an effective method of evaluating the dynamic response of structures. However, it is sometimes impossible to take all the uncertain or nonlinear parts of the structure as the physical substructure. Thus, the modeling errors of the numerical part can raise concerns. One method of solving this problem is to update the numerical model by estimating its parameters from experimental data online. In this paper, an online model updating method for the hybrid simulation of frame structures is proposed to reduce the errors of nonlinear modeling of numerical substructures. To obtain acceptable accuracy with acceptable extra computation efforts as a result of model parameter estimation, the sectional constitutive model is adopted, therein considering axial‐force and bending‐moment coupling; moreover, the unscented Kalman filter is used for parameter estimation of the sectional model. The effectiveness of the sectional model updating with the unscented Kalman filter is validated via numerical analyses and actual hybrid tests on a full‐scale steel frame structure, with one column as the experimental substructure loaded by three actuators to guarantee the consistency of the boundary conditions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Role of Momentum, Sentiment, and Economic Fundamentals in Forecasting Bear Stock Market
Authors: Chen Yi‐ting , Vincent Kendro
Published: January 2016

This article examines the role of market momentum, investor sentiment, and economic fundamentals in forecasting bear stock market. We find strong evidence that bear stock market is predictable by market momentum and investor sentiment in full‐sample and out‐of‐sample analyses. Most economic fundamental variables lose their out‐of‐sample significance once we control for market momentum and investor sentiment. However, the inclusion of economic fundamentals can improve the economic value of the forecasting model in our trading experiments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Complex chromosomal rearrangements leading to MECOM overexpression are recurrent in myeloid malignancies with various 3q abnormalities
Authors: Baldazzi Carmen , Luatti Simona , Zuffa Elisa , Papayannidis Cristina , Ottaviani Emanuela , Marzocchi Giulia , Ameli Gaia , Bardi Maria Antonella , Bonaldi Laura , Paolini Rossella , Gurrieri Carmela , Rigolin Gian Matteo , Cuneo Antonio , Martinelli Giovanni , Cavo Michele , Testoni Nicoletta
Published: January 2016

Chromosomal rearrangements involving 3q26 are recurrent findings in myeloid malignancies leading to MECOM overexpression, which has been associated with a very poor prognosis. Other 3q abnormalities have been reported and cryptic MECOM rearrangements have been identified in some cases. By fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, we investigated 97 acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome patients with various 3q abnormalities to determine the role and the frequency of the involvement of MECOM. We identified MECOM rearrangements in 51 patients, most of them showed 3q26 involvement by chromosome banding analysis (CBA): inv(3)/t(3;3) (n = 26) and other balanced 3q26 translocations (t(3q26)) (n = 15); the remaining cases (n = 10) showed various 3q abnormalities: five with balanced translocations involving 3q21 or 3q25; two with homogenously staining region (hsr) on 3q; and three with other various 3q abnormalities. Complex rearrangements with multiple breakpoints on 3q, masking 3q26 involvement, were identified in cases with 3q21/3q25 translocations. Furthermore, multiple breaks were observed in two cases with t(3q26), suggesting that complex rearrangement may also occur in apparently simple t(3q26). Intrachromosomal gene amplification was another mechanism leading to MECOM overexpression in two cases with hsr on 3q. In the last three cases, FISH analysis revealed 3q26 involvement that was missed by CBA because of metaphases' suboptimal quality. All cases with MECOM rearrangements showed overexpression by real‐time quantitative PCR. Finally, MECOM rearrangements can occur in patients with 3q abnormalities even in the absence of specific 3q26 involvement, underlining that their frequency is underestimated. As MECOM rearrangement has been associated with very poor prognosis, its screening should be performed in patients with any 3q abnormalities. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Private capital investments in health care provision through mergers and acquisitions: from long‐term to acute care
Authors: Angeli Federica , Maarse Hans
Published: January 2016

Objectives

This work aims to test whether different segments of healthcare provision differentially attract private capital and thus offer heterogeneous opportunities for private investors' diversification strategies.

Methods

Thomson Reuter's SDC Platinum database provided data on 2563 merger and acquisition (M&A) deals targeting healthcare providers in Western Europe between 1990 and 2010. Longitudinal trends of industrial and geographical characteristics of M&As' targets and acquirers are examined.

Results

Our analyses highlight: (i) a relative decrease of long‐term care facilities as targets of M&As, replaced by an increasing prominence of general hospitals, (ii) a shrinking share of long‐term care facilities as targets of financial service organizations' acquisitions, in favor of general hospitals, and (iii) an absolute and relative decrease of long‐term care facilities' role as target of cross‐border M&As.

Conclusions

We explain the decreasing interest of private investors towards long‐term care facilities along three lines of reasoning, which take into account the saturation of the long‐term care market and the liberalization of acute care provision across Western European countries, regulatory interventions aimed at reducing private ownership to ensure resident outcomes and new cultural developments in favor of small‐sized facilities, which strengthen the fragmentation of the sector.

These findings advance the literature investigating the effect of private ownership on health outcomes in long‐term facilities. Market, policy and cultural forces have emerged over two decades to jointly regulate the presence of privately owned, large‐sized long‐term care providers, seemingly contributing to safeguard residents' well‐being. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CFD Investigation of the Impacts of Variation in Geometry of Twisted Tape on Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Water in Tubes
Authors: Oni Taiwo O. , Paul Manosh C.
Published: January 2016

In this research paper, the influence of variations in geometry of tape insert on thermal performance and flow characteristics of water inside tubes is investigated by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The tape considered is alternate‐axis triangular cut twisted tape. The perimeter of the cuts on the tape, the pitch of the tape and the width of the tape were varied. Turbulent flow is considered and uniform heat flux is imposed on the walls of the tubes. The RNG turbulence model is selected for the simulations and RANS equations are applied to render the Navier‐Stokes equations tractable. The findings of the investigations indicated that the thermal performance of all the tubes fitted with twisted tape is better than that of the tube without twisted tape, and also that the performance is influenced by the geometry of the twisted tape. In particular, the thermal performance diminishes as the tape pitch increases but it is augmented by an increase in the size of the cuts on the tape and an increase in the width of the tape.
Comparison of different building shells − life cycle assessment
Authors: Rixrath Doris , Wartha Christian
Published: January 2016

The Renewable Energy and Efficiency Action (REACT) project is a European Union–funded cross-border cooperative venture featuring the participation of companies and researchers from the Austrian state of Burgenland and western Slovakia that is developing zero-energy concepts for newly built single-family homes. A variety of building structures are defined for family houses, and the different impacts they have on the environment are evaluated over the entire life cycle. This paper aims to compare the environmental impacts of different building shells during both the construction and the demolition phases. However, the operation phase of the building is not evaluated. One of the findings of the project thus far is that the demolition and disposal of building materials should be included in any such evaluation. For some environmental impact assessment categories, both demolition and disposal are important. The environmental impacts of various end-of-life scenarios can differ greatly based on the disposal method (e.g., landfill, incineration, recycling) chosen and on the proportion of recycled content. Furthermore, the results show that manufacturing building materials from renewable resources can have strong environmental impacts, particularly when substantial amounts of fossil fuel are required in their production. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:437–444. © 2016 SETAC

Key Points

Manufacturing technically dried (kiln dried) wood contains a high energy demand that leads to high values in several impact categories. Our results show that using renewable building material can have strong environmental impacts, particularly when substantial amounts of fossil fuel are required in production. In the evaluated models, the timber lightweight construction that does not include much technically dried wood has the best results for production. It also is important to evaluate the process needed at the end-of-life because for certain building materials, such as plywood board, harmful process steps could increase the results for certain impact categories.
An adaptive immune response driven by mature, antigen‐experienced T and B cells within the microenvironment of oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Quan Hongzhi , Fang Liangjuan , Pan Hao , Deng Zhiyuan , Gao Shan , Liu Ousheng , Wang Yuehong , Hu Yanjia , Fang Xiaodan , Yao Zhigang , Guo Feng , Lu Ruohuang , Xia Kun , Tang Zhangui
Published: January 2016

Lymphocyte infiltrates have been observed in the microenvironment of oral cancer; however, little is known about whether the immune response of the lymphocyte infiltrate affects tumor biology. For a deeper understanding of the role of the infiltrating‐lymphocytes in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), we characterized the lymphocyte infiltrate repertoires and defined their features. Immunohistochemistry revealed considerable T and B cell infiltrates and lymphoid follicles with germinal center‐like structures within the tumor microenvironment. Flow cytometry demonstrated that populations of antigen‐experienced CD4+ and CD8+ cells were present, as well as an enrichment of regulatory T cells; and T cells expressing programmed death‐1 (PD‐1) and T cell Ig and mucin protein‐3 (Tim‐3), indicative of exhaustion, within the tumor microenvironment. Characterization of tumor‐infiltrating B cells revealed clear evidence of antigen exposure, in that the cardinal features of an antigen‐driven B cell response were present, including somatic mutation, clonal expansion, intraclonal variation and isotype switching. Collectively, our results point to an adaptive immune response occurring within the OSCC microenvironment, which may be sustained by the expression of specific antigens in the tumor.
Synthesis of β‐C‐Glycosyl Amino Acids by Ring Opening of Donor‐Acceptor Spiro‐cyclopropanecarboxylated Sugars
Authors: Ramakrishna Bandi , Sudharani Chalapala , Sridhar Perali Ramu
Published: January 2016

The electrophilic ring opening of donor‐acceptor spiro‐cyclopropanecarboxylated sugars are shown to provide easy access to the stereoselective synthesis of β‐C‐glycosyl D‐ and L‐alanine derivatives. A possible mechanism is proposed for the ring‐opening reaction based on the obtained crystal structure of one of the spiro‐cyclic sugar moieties.
Scalable improvement of SPME multipolar electrostatics in anisotropic polarizable molecular mechanics using a general short‐range penetration correction up to quadrupoles
Authors: Narth Christophe , Lagardère Louis , Polack Étienne , Gresh Nohad , Wang Qiantao , Bell David R. , Rackers Joshua A. , Ponder Jay W. , Ren Pengyu Y. , Piquemal Jean‐Philip
Published: January 2016

We propose a general coupling of the Smooth Particle Mesh Ewald SPME approach for distributed multipoles to a short‐range charge penetration correction modifying the charge‐charge, charge‐dipole and charge‐quadrupole energies. Such an approach significantly improves electrostatics when compared to ab initio values and has been calibrated on Symmetry‐Adapted Perturbation Theory reference data. Various neutral molecular dimers have been tested and results on the complexes of mono‐ and divalent cations with a water ligand are also provided. Transferability of the correction is adressed in the context of the implementation of the AMOEBA and SIBFA polarizable force fields in the TINKER‐HP software. As the choices of the multipolar distribution are discussed, conclusions are drawn for the future penetration‐corrected polarizable force fields highlighting the mandatory need of non‐spurious procedures for the obtention of well balanced and physically meaningful distributed moments. Finally, scalability and parallelism of the short‐range corrected SPME approach are addressed, demonstrating that the damping function is computationally affordable and accurate for molecular dynamics simulations of complex bio‐ or bioinorganic systems in periodic boundary conditions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Experience with dynamic reinforcement rates decreases resistance to extinction
Authors: Craig Andrew R. , Shahan Timothy A.
Published: January 2016

The ability of organisms to detect reinforcer‐rate changes in choice preparations is positively related to two factors: the magnitude of the change in rate and the frequency with which rates change. Gallistel (2012) suggested similar rate‐detection processes are responsible for decreases in responding during operant extinction. Although effects of magnitude of change in reinforcer rate on resistance to extinction are well known (e.g., the partial‐reinforcement‐extinction effect), effects of frequency of changes in rate prior to extinction are unknown. Thus, the present experiments examined whether frequency of changes in baseline reinforcer rates impacts resistance to extinction. Pigeons pecked keys for variable‐interval food under conditions where reinforcer rates were stable and where they changed within and between sessions. Overall reinforcer rates between conditions were controlled. In Experiment 1, resistance to extinction was lower following exposure to dynamic reinforcement schedules than to static schedules. Experiment 2 showed that resistance to presession feeding, a disruptor that should not involve change‐detection processes, was unaffected by baseline‐schedule dynamics. These findings are consistent with the suggestion that change detection contributes to extinction. We discuss implications of change‐detection processes for extinction of simple and discriminated operant behavior and relate these processes to the behavioral‐momentum based approach to understanding extinction.
A low‐complexity scheme for enlarging the dynamic range of the open‐loop I‐FOG
Authors: Xie Jun , Yang Chuanchuan , Wang Qin , Wang Xinyue , Wang Ziyu
Published: January 2016

Both the dynamic range and the sensitivity are very important parameters of the interferometric fiber‐optic gyroscopes (I‐FOGs), and generally the large dynamic range and the high sensitivity are contradictory in the open‐loop I‐FOGs. In this article, an efficient and easy to be implemented signal processing scheme is proposed for enlarging the dynamic range of the open‐loop I‐FOGs without reducing the sensitivity. A prototype was developed to verify the feasibility of the new scheme and compare its performance with the conventional open‐loop I‐FOGs. Experimental results show that, compared with the conventional open‐loop I‐FOG with the same fiber coil and optical devices, the dynamic range of the open‐loop I‐FOG with the aid of the new signal processing scheme is enlarged to ±360 (°/s) exceeding the single value area ±63 (°/s) of the conventional open‐loop I‐FOG obviously and the bias drift reduces from 0.068°/h to 0.046°/h. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:498–502, 2016
Sectored annular ring microstrip antenna with DGS for circular polarization
Authors: Singh Anil Kumar , Gangwar Ravi Kumar , Kanaujia Binod Kumar
Published: January 2016

A novel and simple design of circularly polarized sectored annular ring microstrip antenna with coplanar and concentric circular microstrip antenna is presented. The proposed antenna has single microstrip line feed with defected ground structure. Simulation analysis has been carried out using Ansoft High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSSTM) software and measurement is carried out using the AgilentTM Vector Network Analyser (N5230A:PNA‐L). Parametric analysis of return loss and axial ratio versus frequency for different physical parameter of antenna has been studied. Experimental results of the proposed antenna show the 34.61% impedance bandwidth and 8.08% axial ratio bandwidth at 2.6 GHz center frequency with 6.96 dB peak gain. Simulated results are in good agreement with measured results. Due to low profile and simple geometry, it can be applicable for S‐band application effectively as wireless LAN, Wi‐Fi, Bluetooth, Zig‐Bee, and radio frequency identification antennas. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:569–573, 2016
Triple‐band oscillator with two shunt fourth‐order LC resonators
Authors: Jang Sheng‐Lyang , Huang Li‐Yu , Hsue Ching‐Wen
Published: January 2016

This letter presents a triple‐band (TB) oscillator using two 4th order LC resonator to form a 6th order resonator. The TB cross‐coupled oscillator two pairs of back‐to‐back varactors for band switching and it has been implemented with CMOS devices in the TSMC 0.18μm SiGe 3P6M BiCMOS technology. The core power consumption of the high (middle, low)‐band core oscillator are 2.25(2.33, 2.58) mA and 1.8(1.86, 2.06) mW, respectively at the dc drain‐source bias of 0.8V. The oscillator can generate differential signals in the frequency range of 8.44–8.71GHz, 6.74–6.86GHz, and 4.22–4.47 GHz. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:580–583, 2016
An implantable antenna designed for ease of manufacturing
Authors: Rodriguez Miguel , Furse Cynthia M.
Published: January 2016

This article describes an improved method of manufacturing PIFA antennas for medical implants, and associated design considerations. The antenna is manufactured “upside down,” by molding the silicone superstrate first, placing the radiating element against it, and then pouring epoxy into the mold to form the substrate. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:619–623, 2016
A dual notched band MIMO slot antenna system with Y‐shaped defected ground structure for UWB applications
Authors: Zhu Jianfeng , Feng Botao , Peng Biao , Deng Li , Li Shufang
Published: January 2016

In this letter, a compact ultrawideband polarization diversity MIMO antenna system with dual band‐notched characteristics is proposed. The proposed antenna element consists of a metal ground with a stepped slot etched on it. The stepped slot is fed by a 50‐Ω microstrip line on the top layer. Dual notched bands (5G WLAN and 8G X band) are achieved by etching an open ended slot and a split ring resonator in the ground plane, respectively. Two identical antenna elements are arranged orthogonally and fed perpendicularly to obtain polarization diversity and enhance port isolation. A simple Y‐shaped defected ground structure is etched in the ground plane to suppress mutual coupling between two antennas and improve the impedance matching. Diversity performance in term of envelop correlation coefficient (ECC) and mean effective gain (MEG) are studied. The simulated and measured results show good agreement, which demonstrates that the proposed MIMO antenna system can be a good candidate for UWB MIMO system applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:626–630, 2016
Shorting posts loaded patch coupler with enhanced bandwidth and extended coupling coefficient range
Authors: Xu Bo Wei , Pu Xing Yu , Zheng Shao Yong , Long Yun Liang
Published: January 2016

This article presents a thorough investigation of the use of shorting posts to widen the bandwidth and coupling coefficient range of a patch quadrature coupler. The lumped equivalent circuit is used to analyze the characteristics of two proposed shorting posts loaded patch configurations. It is shown that by loading shorting post on the center of a patch, the bandwidth of coupler with loose coupling can be significantly improved. The patch configuration with four shoring posts is also proposed to provide a loose coupling coefficient up to 15 dB, which cannot be achieved using the conventional configuration. For demonstration purposes, two quadrature couplers were designed to exhibit 10 and 15 dB coupling coefficients with bandwidths of 29% and 19.2%, respectively. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:683–688, 2016
Miniaturized low loss 60 GHz CMOS mixed coupled BPF with patterned ground shield
Authors: Barakat Adel , Hanif Muhammad , Pokharel Ramesh K.
Published: January 2016

This letter presents a miniaturized low loss mixed coupled on‐chip band‐pass filter using overlapped open loop ring resonators and using patterned ground shields. The fabricated prototype shows an insertion loss of 3.7 dB, a return loss > 20 dB, a bandwidth of 13 GHz, and a chip size of 700 μm × 450 μm. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:697–699, 2016
Pluripotency and differentiation of cells from human testicular sperm extraction: An investigation of cell stemness
Authors: Sadeghian‐Nodoushan Fatemeh , Aflatoonian Reza , Borzouie Zahra , Akyash Fatemeh , Fesahat Farzaneh , Soleimani Mehrdad , Aghajanpour Samaneh , Moore Harry D. , Aflatoonian Behrouz
Published: January 2016

Human male germ‐line stem cells (hmGSCs) and human testis‐derived embryonic stem cell‐like (htESC‐like) cells are claimed to be in vitro pluripotent counterparts of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), but the origin and pluripotency of human testis‐derived cell cultures are still under debate. The aim of this study was to generate putative pluripotent stem cells in vitro from human testicular sperm‐extracted (TESE) samples of infertile men, and to assess their pluripotency and capacity to differentiate. TESE samples were minced, enzymatically disaggregated and dispersed into single‐cell or cluster suspensions, and then cultured. Initially, cell clusters resembled those described for hmGSCs and htESC‐like cells, and were positive for markers such as OCT4/POU5F1, NANOG, and TRA‐2‐54. Prolonged propagation of cell clusters expressing pluripotency markers did not thrive; instead, the cells that emerged possessed characteristics of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) such as STRO‐1, CD105/EGLN1, CD13/ANPEP, SOX9, vimentin, and fibronectin. KIT, SOX2, and CD44 were not expressed by these MSCs. The multipotential differentiation capacity of these cells was confirmed using Oil Red‐O and Alizarin Red staining after induction with specific culture conditions. It is therefore concluded that pluripotent stem cells could not be derived using the conditions previously reported to be successful for TESE samples. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 312–323, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Downfield‐NOE‐suppressed amide‐CEST‐MRI at 7 Tesla provides a unique contrast in human glioblastoma
Authors: Zaiss Moritz , Windschuh Johannes , Goerke Steffen , Paech Daniel , Meissner Jan‐Eric , Burth Sina , Kickingereder Philipp , Wick Wolfgang , Bendszus Martin , Schlemmer Heinz‐Peter , Ladd Mark E. , Bachert Peter , Radbruch Alexander
Published: January 2016

Purpose

The chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) effect observed in brain tissue in vivo at the frequency offset 3.5 ppm downfield of water was assigned to amide protons of the protein backbone. Obeying a base‐catalyzed exchange process such an amide‐CEST effect would correlate with intracellular pH and protein concentration, correlations that are highly interesting for cancer diagnosis. However, recent experiments suggested that, besides the known aliphatic relayed‐nuclear Overhauser effect (rNOE) upfield of water, an additional downfield rNOE is apparent in vivo resonating as well around +3.5 ppm. In this study, we present further evidence for the underlying downfield‐rNOE signal, and we propose a first method that suppresses the downfield‐rNOE contribution to the amide‐CEST contrast. Thus, an isolated amide‐CEST effect depending mainly on amide proton concentration and pH is generated.

Methods

The isolation of the exchange mediated amide proton effect was investigated in protein model‐solutions and tissue lysates and successfully applied to in vivo CEST images of 11 glioblastoma patients.

Results

Comparison with gadolinium contrast enhancing longitudinal relaxation time–weighted images revealed that the downfield‐rNOE‐suppressed amide‐CEST contrast forms a unique contrast that delineates tumor regions and show remarkable overlap with the gadolinium contrast enhancement.

Conclusion

Thus, suppression of the downfield rNOE contribution might be the important step to yield the amide proton CEST contrast originally aimed at. Magn Reson Med 77:196–208, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the Krylov subspace methods based on tensor format for positive definite Sylvester tensor equations
Authors: Ali Beik Fatemeh Panjeh , Movahed Farid Saberi , Ahmadi‐Asl Salman
Published: January 2016

This paper deals with studying some of well‐known iterative methods in their tensor forms to solve a Sylvester tensor equation. More precisely, the tensor form of the Arnoldi process and full orthogonalization method are derived by using a product between two tensors. Then tensor forms of the conjugate gradient and nested conjugate gradient algorithms are also presented. Rough estimation of the required number of operations for the tensor form of the Arnoldi process is obtained, which reveals the advantage of handling the algorithms based on tensor format over their classical forms in general. Some numerical experiments are examined, which confirm the feasibility and applicability of the proposed algorithms in practice. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Temperature dependence of GaN MOS capacitor characteristics
Authors: Guo Zhibo , Tang Ke , Chow T. Paul
Published: January 2016

GaN MOS capacitors on both as‐grown and dry/wet‐etched GaN surfaces are characterized by C‐V and G‐ω measurements at elevated temperatures. The nature of GaN/SiO2 interface traps are determined in detail by extracting interface trap density, surface potential fluctuation, trap time constant and capture cross‐section. When temperature increases, trap time constant decreases so that more traps become active and contribute to observed higher interface trap density, especially for traps at deeper energy levels. The deeper trap levels activated at higher temperatures also induce corresponding temperature‐dependent surface potential fluctuation variations. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Activation of Cellular Immunity in Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1‐Infected Mice by the Oral Administration of Aqueous Extract of Moringa oleifera Lam. Leaves
Authors: Kurokawa Masahiko , Wadhwani Ashish , Kai Hisahiro , Hidaka Muneaki , Yoshida Hiroki , Sugita Chihiro , Watanabe Wataru , Matsuno Koji , Hagiwara Akinori
Published: January 2016

Moringa oleifera Lam. is used as a nutritive vegetable and spice. Its ethanol extract has been previously shown to be significantly effective in alleviating herpetic skin lesions in mice. In this study, we evaluated the alleviation by the aqueous extract (AqMOL) and assessed the mode of its anti‐herpetic action in a murine cutaneous herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) infection model. AqMOL (300 mg/kg) was administered orally to HSV‐1‐infected mice three times daily on days 0 to 5 after infection. AqMOL significantly limited the development of herpetic skin lesions and reduced virus titers in the brain on day 4 without toxicity. Delayed‐type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to inactivated HSV‐1 antigen was significantly stronger in infected mice administered AqMOL and AqMOL augmented interferon (IFN)‐γ production by HSV‐1 antigen from splenocytes of HSV‐1‐infected mice at 4 days post‐infection. AqMOL administration was effective in elevating the ratio of CD11b+ and CD49b+ subpopulations of splenocytes in infected mice. As DTH is a major host defense mechanism for intradermal HSV infection, augmentation of the DTH response by AqMOL may contribute to their efficacies against HSV‐1 infection. These results provided an important insights into the mechanism by which AqMOL activates cellular immunity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Superhydrophobic ceria on aluminum and its corrosion resistance
Authors: Wan Beibei , Ou Junfei , Lv Damei , Xue Mingshan , Wang Fajun , Wu Huiming
Published: January 2016

Superhydrophobic ceria on the aluminum substrate was fabricated, and its corrosion resistance was investigated by different techniques. For example, the so‐obtained superhydrophobic sample was immersed into the NaCl aqueous solution, and the variations in the surface wettability as well as the surface morphology were monitored; potentiodynamic polarization in the NaCl aqueous solution was adopted to evaluate its electrochemical corrosion resistance; a droplet of the aqueous solution HCl was dripped onto the superhydrophobic surface, and the corrosion process as well as the surface morphology after corrosion was monitored. The experimental results showed that the superhydrophobic ceria possessed a good corrosion resistance because of the entrapped air in the solid/liquid interface. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of the chemical structure of insoluble products of enzymatic esterification of starch and transesterification of acetylated starch with oleic acid by solid‐state CP/MAS 13C NMR
Authors: Boruczkowska Hanna , Boruczkowski Tomasz , Gubica Tomasz , Anioł Mirosław , Tomaszewska‐Ciosk Ewa
Published: January 2016

Potato starch and acetylated starch were subjected to enzymatic esterification with oleic acid by using lipase from the yeast Candida antarctica. Esterification of natural starch enabled us to produce starch oleinate, while transesterification of acetylated starch resulted in production of doubly esterified starch. Products of both reactions were only partly soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). We analyzed the chemical structure of the insoluble fractions of the potato starch ester and diester by solid‐state cross‐polarization magic angle spinning carbon‐13 nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS 13C NMR).
Multiband sound source localization algorithm for directional enhancement in hearing aids
Authors: Liang Ruiyu , Wang Qingyun , Tang Guichen , Zhao Li
Published: January 2016

In order to improve speech comprehension for hearing‐impaired patients under complex scenarios, directional enhancement algorithm based on the sound location will be one of the future research directions. A multiband sound localization algorithm based on auditory bionics is proposed in this paper. First, according to the property of cochlear frequency‐division and hearing‐masking characteristic, the sound is divided into multiband signals. Then, the interaural time differences (ITDs) of the sensitive frequency bands are taken as the localization cues. To improve the location precision, the real ITD is extracted based on the Haas effect. Finally, the HRTF (head‐related transfer function) model is used to convert the ITD to the sound position. To improve the robustness of the algorithm, a multiband weighted strategy is adopted. In addition, a parameter adjustment method is proposed to effectively fit the hearing aid. Simulation and scenario experiments show that the algorithm has strong anti‐interference and high location accuracy. Furthermore, it is designed based on the existing algorithms for hearing aids and has low computation, so it is very suitable for hearing aids and other low‐power real‐time devices. © 2016 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Matrin3: connecting gene expression with the nuclear matrix
Authors: Coelho Miguel B. , Attig Jan , Ule Jernej , Smith Christopher W.J.
Published: January 2016

As indicated by its name, Matrin3 was discovered as a component of the nuclear matrix, an insoluble fibrogranular network that structurally organizes the nucleus. Matrin3 possesses both DNA‐ and RNA‐binding domains and, consistent with this, has been shown to function at a number of stages in the life cycle of messenger RNAs. These numerous activities indicate that Matrin3, and indeed the nuclear matrix, do not just provide a structural framework for nuclear activities but also play direct functional roles in these activities. Here, we review the structure, functions, and molecular interactions of Matrin3 and of Matrin3‐related proteins, and the pathologies that can arise upon mutation of Matrin3. WIREs RNA 2016, 7:303–315. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1336

This article is categorized under:

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein–RNA Interactions: Functional Implications

RNA Processing > Splicing Regulation/Alternative Splicing

RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease
Using integral projection models to compare population dynamics of four closely related species
Authors: Schwartz Lauren M. , Gibson David J. , Young Bryan G.
Published: January 2016

Demographic processes, such as survival, growth, and reproduction, can inform us about invasion risk, extinction risk, and trade‐offs in life history strategies. The population dynamics of four Amaranthaceae species in southern Illinois, USA were examined using integral projection models (IPMs) to determine whether vital rates reflect life history among these closely related species. Two of the species, Amaranthus palmeri and Amaranthus tuberculatus, are summer annuals and considered to be some of the most problematic agricultural weeds in the US Midwest. Achyranthes japonica is a relatively new invasive exotic species that primarily inhabits forests. Iresine rhizomatosa, is an endangered species in the study area, which also inhabits forests. Two populations of each species were studied from 2012 to 2014 in which height of individuals were measured and used as the state variable in the IPMs. The Amaranthus species and Achyranthes japonica had an estimated population growth rate >1, projecting increases in population size. By contrast, λ was <1 for I. rhizomatosa, projecting a decline in population size demonstrating its endangered status. Germination rates and seed viability were dependent on species and varied over time. Elasticity analyses showed that survival and growth contributed most to λ for the perennial species; whereas, for the annual species population dynamics were driven primarily by fecundity. Overall, Achyranthes japonica and the Amaranthus species show similar trends in demographic processes that align with their invasive nature and not with their life histories. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that more research on the competitive nature of Achyranthes japonica is needed.
Construction and evaluation of a novel bifunctional phenylalanine–formate dehydrogenase fusion protein for bienzyme system with cofactor regeneration
Authors: Jiang Wei , Fang Bai-Shan
Published: January 2016

Phenylalanine dehydrogenase (PheDH) plays an important role in enzymatic synthesis of l-phenylalanine for aspartame (sweetener) and detection of phenylketonuria (PKU), suggesting that it is important to obtain a PheDH with excellent characteristics. Gene fusion of PheDH and formate dehydrogenase (FDH) was constructed to form bifunctional multi-enzymes for bioconversion of l-phenylalanine coupled with coenzyme regeneration. Comparing with the PheDH monomer from Microbacterium sp., the bifunctional PheDH–FDH showed noteworthy stability under weakly acidic and alkaline conditions (pH 6.5–9.0). The bifunctional enzyme can produce 153.9 mM l-phenylalanine with remarkable performance of enantiomers choice by enzymatic conversion with high molecular conversion rate (99.87 %) in catalyzing phenylpyruvic acid to l-phenylalanine being 1.50-fold higher than that of the separate expression system. The results indicated the potential application of the PheDH and PheDH–FDH with coenzyme regeneration for phenylpyruvic acid analysis and l-phenylalanine biosynthesis in medical diagnosis and pharmaceutical field.
Three cases of developmental dysplasia of the hip on partially mummified human remains (Roccapelago, Modena, 18th Century): a study of palaeopathological indicators through direct analysis and 3D virtual models
Authors: Traversari M. , Feletti F. , Vazzana A. , Gruppioni G. , Frelat M. A.
Published: January 2016

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is caused by a delay in the development of the acetabular cavity, leading to an anomaly in the angle of the acetabular roof. As a result, the femoral head and the acetabular cavity do not interact normally. The identification of three cases of DDH among the remains discovered in the most recent unit from the crypt at Roccapelago (Modena, Italy) enabled us to discuss the presence of DDH in this region during the 18thcentury. All three cases are bilateral and Dunn class I, two have been identified as male and one as female. These DDH cases are very likely mainly due to mechanical factors such as the breech position of the foetus, perhaps associated with birth order. But given their overall similarity, they may also have resulted from the practice of swaddling new-borns. In addition, current data from the Italian Ministry of Health suggests that the incidence of DDH has remained stable in this region from the 18thcentury to the present. The ongoing study of remains from earlier units should bring a better understanding of the particular prevalence of DDH at Roccapelago.
A rare case of familial multiple subcutaneous lipomatosis with novel PALB2 mutation and increased predilection to cancers
Authors: Reddy Neelesh , Malipatil Baswantrao , Kumar Satish
Published: January 2016

We describe the association of familial multiple subcutaneous lipomatosis with a PALB2 gene mutation (c.2716delT) and its increased predilection to cancers.