bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formation of inclusion type silicon phases induced by inert gases
Authors: Bi Yuanfei , Xu Enshi , Strobel Timothy A. , Li Tianshu
Published: March 2018

Silicon clathrate, an important allotrope of silicon, has attractive opto-electronic properties for energy applications. However, it remains an experimental challenge to synthesize electrically undoped, intrinsic clathrate. Here we show, through high-throughput computer modeling, that unconventional silicon phases spontaneously nucleate from liquid silicon in the presence of noble gases under high pressure and high temperature. In particular, our results show that a medium-sized noble gas, for example, argon, can trigger the nucleation and growth of inert-gas silicon clathrate, whereas a small noble gas such as helium is able to induce the formation of an unconventional, inclusion-type compound Si2He. The formation of both silicon phases can be attributed to the same thermodynamic and kinetic rationale that explains the crystallization of clathrate hydrate, an isostructural analog. Our findings, along with the gained molecular insights, thus strongly suggest a viable experimental synthesis route for these silicon phases using noble gases at high pressure.
The cold denaturation of IscU highlights structure–function dualism in marginally stable proteins
Authors: Yan Robert , DeLos Rios Paolo , Pastore Annalisa , Temussi Piero Andrea
Published: March 2018

Proteins undergo both cold and heat denaturation, but often cold denaturation cannot be detected because it occurs at temperatures below water freezing. Proteins undergoing detectable cold as well as heat denaturation yield a reliable curve of protein stability. Here we use bacterial IscU, an essential and ancient protein involved in iron cluster biogenesis, to show an important example of unbiased cold denaturation, based on electrostatic frustration caused by a dualism between iron–sulfur cluster binding and the presence of a functionally essential electrostatic gate. We explore the structural determinants and the universals that determine cold denaturation with the aid of a coarse grain model. Our results set a firm point in our understanding of cold denaturation and give us general rules to induce and predict protein cold denaturation. The conflict between ligand binding and stability hints at the importance of the structure–function dualism in protein evolution.
Actuation of chitosan-aptamer nanobrush borders for pathogen sensing
Authors: Hills Katherine D. , Oliveira Daniela A. , Cavallaro Nicholas D. , Gomes Carmen L. , McLamore Eric S.
Published: March 2018

Nanobrush border sensing strategy for bacteria capture uses a combination of receptor-target binding and electrostatic interactions during stimulus-response actuation.
X-Ray diffraction and resonance shear measurement of nano-confined ionic liquids
Authors: Tomita Kazuhito , Mizukami Masashi , Nakano Shinya , Ohta Noboru , Yagi Naoto , Kurihara Kazue
Published: March 2018

The X-ray diffraction and resonance shear measurement (RSM) demonstrated the relation between the structure and lubrication properties of ionic liquid ([C4mim][NTf2], [C4mim][BF4]) films of nanometer thickness confined between silica surfaces.
A multifunctional polymer electrolyte enables ultra-long cycle-life in a high-voltage lithium metal battery
Authors: Dong Tiantian , Zhang Jianjun , Xu Gaojie , Chai Jingchao , Du Huiping , Wang Longlong , Wen Huijie , Zang Xiao , Du Aobing , Jia Qingming , Zhou Xinhong , Cui Guanglei
Published: March 2018

We demonstrate a bacterial cellulose supported multifunctional polymer electrolyte for a 4.45 V-class LiCoO2 lithium metal battery.
Combined LA-ICP-MS microanalysis of iodine, bromine and chlorine in fluid inclusions
Authors: Fusswinkel Tobias , Giehl Christopher , Beermann Oliver , Fredriksson Johan R. , Garbe-Schönberg Dieter , Scholten Lea , Wagner Thomas
Published: March 2018

A quantification method forin situLA-ICP-MS microanalysis of iodine, bromine and chlorine concentrations in fluid inclusions.
Patterned superhydrophobic surfaces to process and characterize biomaterials and 3D cell culture
Authors: Neto A. I. , Levkin P. A. , Mano J. F.
Published: March 2018

Microarrays are a technological breakthrough for high-throughput screening of large numbers of assays.
Electrochemically synthesized faceted CuInTe2nanorods as an electron source for field emission applications
Authors: Lakhe Manorama G. , Joshi Padmshree , Choudhary Ram J. , Ganesan V. , Joag Dilip S. , Chaure Nandu B.
Published: March 2018

Cyclic voltammogram recorded for CuInTe2in aqueous electrolyte and chronoamperometry curve obtained during electrodeposition.
Analysis of the surface decoration of TiO2 grains using silver nanoparticles obtained by ultrasonochemical synthesis towards organic photovoltaics
Authors: Michalska Monika , Iwan Agnieszka , Andrzejczuk Mariusz , Roguska Agata , Sikora Andrzej , Boharewicz Bartosz , Tazbir Igor , Hreniak Agnieszka , Popłoński Sebastian , Korona Krzysztof P.
Published: March 2018

The wet ultrasonochemical method was used to obtained TiO2/n-Ag nanoparticles for polymer solar cells.
Disease-related metabolites affect protein–nanoparticle interactions
Authors: Tavakol Mahdi , Montazeri Abbas , Naghdabadi Reza , Hajipour Mohammad J. , Zanganeh Saeid , Caracciolo Giulio , Mahmoudi Morteza
Published: March 2018

Metabolites have a capacity to alter protein corona decoration.
Hierarchically structured carbon and silica by chemical foaming
Authors: Wöckel L. , Windberg T. , John R. , Seifert A. , Spange S.
Published: March 2018

Foamed organic/silica hybrid materials are synthesizedviacationic polymerization of organic carbonates with twin monomers. They are converted into hierarchically structured carbon and silica.
Synthesis of a surface molecular imprinting polymer based on silica and its application in the identification of nitrocellulose
Authors: Yang Yan , Meng Xiangjun , Xiao Zhenggang
Published: March 2018

A novel surface molecular imprinting polymer was prepared which displayed excellent specificity, selectivity and a large adsorption capacity for nitrocellulose.
Impact of the solubility of organic semiconductors for solution-processable electronics on the structure formation: a real-time study of morphology and electrical properties
Authors: Radchenko E. S. , Anokhin D. V. , Gerasimov K. L. , Rodygin A. I. , Rychkov A. A. , Shabratova E. D. , Grigorian S. , Ivanov D. A.
Published: March 2018

The control of structure formation in the active layers of organic solar cells allows for improvement in their processability and efficiency of the final devices.
Regioselective synthesis of unsymmetrical biheteroaryls via copper(ii)-catalyzed cascade annulation
Authors: Samanta Sadhanendu , Hajra Alakananda
Published: March 2018

A facile and efficient copper-catalyzed cascade annulation of an imidazoheterocycle with salicylaldehyde, piperidine, and terminal alkyne was developed to afford unsymmetrical biheteroaryl derivatives in high yields.
Orthogonality in main group compounds: a direct one-step synthesis of air- and moisture-stable cyclophosphazanes by mechanochemistry
Authors: Sim Ying , Tan Davin , Ganguly Rakesh , Li Yongxin , García Felipe
Published: March 2018

Mechanochemistry has been established to be an environmentally-friendly way of conducting reactions in a solvent-free manner.
Anin situDRIFTS mechanistic study of CeO2-catalyzed acetylene semihydrogenation reaction
Authors: Cao Tian , You Rui , Zhang Xuanyu , Chen Shilong , Li Dan , Zhang Zhenhua , Huang Weixin
Published: March 2018

The mechanism of CeO2-catalyzed C2H2semihydrogenation reaction is elucidated with identified surface species.
Exploring the methanol decomposition mechanism on the Pt3Ni(100) surface: a periodic density functional theory study
Authors: Du Pan , Gao Yuan , Wu Ping , Cai Chenxin
Published: March 2018

The detailed mechanism of the methanol decomposition reaction on the Pt3Ni(100) surface is studied based on self-consistent periodic DFT calculations.
NH3and (NH2)1−as ligands in yttrium metallocene chemistry
Authors: Boshart Monica D. , Ziller Joseph W. , Evans William J.
Published: March 2018

First crystallographically-characterized yttrium metallocene with an (NH2)1−ligand.
Pickering emulsions by combining cellulose nanofibrils and nanocrystals: phase behavior and depletion stabilization
Authors: Bai Long , Huan Siqi , Xiang Wenchao , Rojas Orlando J.
Published: March 2018

Low oil concentration, stable emulsions were achieved by combining two types of nanocelluloses, an environmentally-sound route towards multiscale materials based on sustainable resources.
Binary centrifugal microfluidics enabling novel, digital addressable functions for valving and routing
Authors: Wang Guanghui , Tan Jie , Tang Minghui , Zhang Changbin , Zhang Dongying , Ji Wenbin , Chen Junhao , Ho Ho-Pui , Zhang Xuping
Published: March 2018

We propose a binary centrifugal microfluidics platform, which supports droplets logic operation based on the switching of chip state.
Atomically resolved calcium phosphate coating on a gold substrate
Authors: Metoki Noah , Baik Sung-Il , Isheim Dieter , Mandler Daniel , Seidman David N. , Eliaz Noam
Published: March 2018

Electrodeposited calcium phosphate is studied for the first time by atom-probe tomography. Combined with transmission electron microscopy, ACP, DCPD and OCP phases are identified unambiguously at the heterophase interface. These phases could all serve as transient precursor phases to hydroxyapatite (HAp).
Copper-catalyzed diarylation of Se with aryl iodides and heterocycles
Authors: Hu Dehua , Liu Miaochang , Wu Huayue , Gao Wenxia , Wu Ge
Published: March 2018

The site-selective copper-catalyzed three-component coupling reaction of electron-deficient heterocycles, Se powder and aryl iodides is disclosed, providing an efficient and practical pathway to access 2-arylselenated heterocycles.
Efficient access to chiral benzo[c]chromenes via asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketals
Authors: Li Yangshan , Wan Miao , Sun Shutao , Fu Zhongjun , Huang Haofei , Liu Lei
Published: March 2018

A highly enantioselective method to chiral α-substituted 6H-benzo[c]chromenes through chiral imidodiphosphoric acid-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketals has been established.
A pH and magnetic dual-response hydrogel for synergistic chemo-magnetic hyperthermia tumor therapy
Authors: Zhou Xiaohan , Wang Longchen , Xu Yanjun , Du Wenxian , Cai Xiaojun , Wang Fengjuan , Ling Yi , Chen Hangrong , Wang Zhigang , Hu Bing , Zheng Yuanyi
Published: March 2018

A pH and magnetic dual-responsive hydrogel highly sensitive to tumor acid microenvironment and efficient responsive magnetic-hyperthermia cancer eradication.
Thermal insulation and stability of polysiloxane foams containing hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes
Authors: Zhang Chunyu , Qu Lijie , Wang Yingnan , Xu Tianlu , Zhang Chunling
Published: March 2018

The thermal insulation and stability of polysiloxane foam was improved by an easy operating method.
Improving the efficiency of Fenton reactions and their application in the degradation of benzimidazole in wastewater
Authors: Liu Qinyao , Qian Kun , Qi Jinxu , Li Chenru , Yao Chen , Song Wei , Wang Yihong
Published: March 2018

Improving the efficiency of Fenton reactions and their application in the degradation of benzimidazole in wastewater.
Screening of different interactions in oxo-manganese porphyrin dimers containing axial N-donor ligands: a theoretical study
Authors: Kavousi Hossein , Rezaeifard Abdolreza , Raeisi Heidar , Jafarpour Maasoumeh
Published: March 2018

A DFT analysis for describing the dimeric assemblies of high-valent manganese(v)-oxo meso-tetraphenylporphyrin ([(TPP)MnVO]22+) and meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin ([(TPFPP)MnVO]22+) in the presence of axial N-donor ligands is presented.
Waste HD-PE plastic, deformation into liquid hydrocarbon fuel using pyrolysis-catalytic cracking with a CuCO3 catalyst
Authors: Singh Man Vir , Kumar Sudesh , Sarker Moinuddin
Published: March 2018

Waste high-density poly(ethylene) (HD-PE) plastic deformation into liquid hydrocarbon fuel using a pyrolysis-catalytic cracking process with a copper carbonate (CuCO3) catalyst, at a temperature range from 23 °C to 390 °C.
Redox-active and semi-conducting donor–acceptor conjugated microporous polymers as metal-free ORR catalysts
Authors: Roy Syamantak , Bandyopadhyay Arkamita , Das Mrinmay , Ray Partha Pratim , Pati Swapan K. , Maji Tapas Kumar
Published: March 2018

Donor–acceptor CMPs showing inherent conductivity and electrochemical oxygen reduction.
Structural engineering of robust titanium nitride as effective platinum support for the oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Nan Haoxiong , Dang Dai , Tian Xin Long
Published: March 2018

The novel Ti0.9Ni0.1N nanotubes-supported Pt catalyst exhibits high oxygen reduction reaction activity and durability.
Guanidinium-functionalized nanofiltration membranes integrating anti-fouling and antimicrobial effects
Authors: Zhang Hong-Li , Gao Yu-Bing , Gai Jing-Gang
Published: March 2018

Guanidinium-functionalized NF membranes which have integrated high permselectivity and superior fouling resistance properties are promising materials for fabricating a new generation of anti-fouling/antimicrobial surfaces.
Fast Li+ diffusion in interlayer-expanded vanadium disulfide nanosheets for Li+/Mg2+ hybrid-ion batteries
Authors: Meng Yuan , Zhao Yingying , Wang Dashuai , Yang Di , Gao Yu , Lian Ruqian , Chen Gang , Wei Yingjin
Published: March 2018

VS2 nanosheets exhibited excellent electrochemical properties in Li/Mg hybrid ion batteries due to in situ expansion of interlayer spacing.
Significantly optimized thermoelectric properties in high-symmetry cubic Cu7PSe6compoundsviaentropy engineering
Authors: Chen Rui , Qiu Pengfei , Jiang Binbin , Hu Ping , Zhang Yiming , Yang Jiong , Ren Dudi , Shi Xun , Chen Lidong
Published: March 2018

Viaintroducing Te into the argyrodite-type compound Cu7PSe6,the configurational entropy is increased yielding the significantly enhanced thermoelectric performance.
A solvent-switched in situ confinement approach for immobilizing highly-active ultrafine palladium nanoparticles: boosting catalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Zhu Qi-Long , Song Fu-Zhan , Wang Qiu-Ju , Tsumori Nobuko , Himeda Yuichiro , Autrey Tom , Xu Qiang
Published: March 2018

A solvent-switched in situ confinement approach has been developed to synthesize highly active nanocatalysts with ultrafine and clean metal nanoparticles encapsulated within carbon nanopores, over which record-high hydrogen evolution has been achieved under heterogeneous conditions.
Highly functional energetic complexes: stability tuning through coordination diversity of isomeric propyl-linked ditetrazoles
Authors: Szimhardt Norbert , Wurzenberger Maximilian H. H. , Klapötke Thomas M. , Lechner Jasmin T. , Reichherzer Hannes , Unger Cornelia C. , Stierstorfer Jörg
Published: March 2018

A series of functional new energetic coordination compounds (ECCs) were prepared and their physicochemical properties tuned by the use of various metal(ii) centers and three different ditetrazolylpropane isomers.
Triple therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma with microRNA-122 and doxorubicin co-loaded functionalized gold nanocages
Authors: Huang Shengnan , Liu Ying , Xu Xin , Ji Mengfei , Li Yuanmin , Song Chengjun , Duan Shaofeng , Hu Yurong
Published: March 2018

A combination of different therapy strategies has great potential to efficaciously treat malignant tumors, by virtue of their synergetic effects.
Novel up-conversion photoluminescent materials: noncoherent excitation by near-infrared sunlight
Authors: Chen Cheng , Cao Ting , Liu Lijian
Published: March 2018

Oligomers as fluorescent macromolecules can efficiently convert the near-infrared region of sunlight into visible light with assistance from ultraviolet light.
Phase-dependent thermal conductivity of electrodeposited antimony telluride films
Authors: Yu Ziqi , Ferrer-Argemi Laia , Kim Jiwon , Lim Jae-Hong , Myung Nosang V. , Lee Jaeho
Published: March 2018

Electrodeposition is a unique technique that can readily control the phase and the degree of crystallinity of the deposit, and this capability provides special opportunities to investigate phase-dependent thermoelectric properties from amorphous to crystalline by annealing.
A highly sensitive and stable SERS substrate using hybrid tungsten dioxide/carbon ultrathin nanowire beams
Authors: He Chenying , Bai Hua , Yi Wencai , Liu Jingyao , Li Xinshi , Li Xia , Xi Guangcheng
Published: March 2018

A hybrid nanostructure consisting of ultrathin WO2 nanowires and amorphous carbon layers arranged in an interacting arrangement is successfully synthesized and used as a highly sensitive and stable SERS substrate.
Anticancer, antimicrobial, and analgesic activities of spider venoms
Authors: Akef Hassan M.
Published: March 2018

Spider venoms are complex mixtures composed of a variety of compounds, including salts, small organic molecules, peptides, and proteins. But, the venom of a few species is dangerous to humans. High levels of chemical diversity make spider venoms attractive subjects for chemical prospecting. Many spider venom components show potential activity against a wide range of human diseases. However, the development of novel venom-derived therapeutics requires an understanding of their mechanisms of action. This review will highlight the structures, activities and the possible mechanisms of action of spider venoms and their components against cancer, microbial infections, and pain.
Current‐mode ultrasound beamformer with multiple‐input–sequential‐output memory structure
Authors: Um J.‐Y.
Published: March 2018

A current‐mode ultrasound beamformer (BF) is proposed. Each channel of BF converts the echo voltage signal into current and performs uniform sampling. The sampled current of each channel is injected into one of the memory capacitors depending on a delay profile at time instance when the echo signal is sampled. Since multiple currents can be simultaneously added in parallel, multiple signal currents in parallel can be injected into one shared capacitor. By using this inherent characteristic of current‐mode operation, BF of this work has a 1D memory structure unlike a 2D memory structure of other prior BFs. The proposed memory structure allows simultaneous access from multiple channels and sequential read‐out operation. The proposed architecture of BF was verified by simulating an eight‐channel BF using a high‐voltage 0.18 μm CMOS process. Symmetric and linear delay profiles are applied to the designed BF and an output waveform of BF shows a good agreement with the derived channel gain equation. The BF consumes 220 μW/channel during receiving mode.
Red‐emitting distributed‐feedback ridge‐waveguide laser based on high‐order surface grating
Authors: Fricke J. , Brox O. , Wenzel H. , Matalla M. , Ressel P. , Knigge A.
Published: March 2018

Distributed‐feedback ridge‐waveguide lasers emitting around 670 nm have been fabricated and experimentally characterised. Wavelength stabilisation is provided by 40th Bragg order surface gratings dry‐etched into the p‐GaAs–AlGaAs–AlGaInP layer structure. The large grating period of 4.2 µm allows the injection of the current between the grooves of the grating without sacrificing the electrical and optical properties noticeably. The 1.5 mm long devices achieve an output power of 50 mW at an injection current of 180 mA. The side mode suppression ratio is 50 dB at 150 mA.
Large random matrix‐based channel estimation for massive MIMO‐OFDM uplink
Authors: Sure Pallaviram , C Narendra Babu , Bhuma Chandra Mohan
Published: March 2018

This study investigates the benefits offered by random matrix theory (RMT) towards the design of reliable channel estimation algorithms for a multi‐user massive multiple‐input multiple‐out (MIMO)–orthogonal frequency‐division multiplexing uplink. Assuming no a priori knowledge of channel statistics (KCS) at the massive base station, the authors propose RMT‐aided minimum mean square estimation (MMSE) and RMT‐aided sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) approaches for massive channel estimation. These approaches render efficient channel estimates, as illustrated through mean square error (MSE) performance, extracted via Monte‐Carlo simulations. The results also show that with increasing antennas at the base station, MSE from the RMT‐aided MMSE approach decreases, suggesting its aptness to massive MIMO systems. To further enhance the MSE performance, the MMSE and SBL estimated channel impulse responses are pruned using threshold computed from RMT analysis. The authors characterise MSE degradation due to the randomness in the threshold, with the help of the Marcenko–Pastur law‐based non‐asymptotic framework and concentration inequalities. Analysis results show that, for channels with approximate sparse common support, this MSE degradation is quite insignificant. Altogether, the study demonstrates that RMT analysis is competent in improving channel estimation at a massive MIMO system, when a priori KCS is completely unavailable.
LQG control based lateral active secondary and primary suspensions of high‐speed train for ride quality and hunting stability
Authors: Zhu Qiao , Ding Jun‐Jun , Yang Ming‐Liang
Published: March 2018

This study focuses on the ride quality and hunting stability of high‐speed train by employing the lateral active secondary and primary suspensions. First, the full‐scale railway vehicle dynamics with 17‐degree‐of‐freedom are introduced, where the actuator saturation, suspension deflection, and random and periodic track irregularities are considered. The system characteristic and control ability are discussed by analysing the spectrum of the open‐loop system. Here, it is found that improving ride quality and hunting stability simultaneously is difficult by only using the secondary suspension. In consequence, both the active secondary and primary suspensions are employed to improve the ride quality and hunting stability simultaneously by utilising the linear‐quadratic‐Gaussian (LQG) control theory. Finally, the random and periodic track irregularities are given to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed LQG‐based active secondary and primary suspensions.
Terminal adaptive output feedback variable structure control
Authors: Chiang Yu‐Chi , Cheng Chih‐Chiang
Published: March 2018

Based on the Lyapunov stability theorem, an adaptive output feedback variable structure control (OFVSC) scheme is proposed in this study for a class of multi‐input multi‐output non‐linear systems with matched and mismatched perturbations to solve regulation problems. First, a switching function is designed, and the system to be controlled is decomposed into two subsystems through a linear state transformation. Then the proposed OFVSC scheme is presented. A perturbation estimation algorithm is utilised in designing the proposed control scheme in order to overcome the problem of unmeasurable states. Adaptive mechanism is also employed so that the upper bounds of perturbations as well as perturbation estimation errors are not required to be known in advance. Furthermore, the resultant control system is capable of driving all the states into zero within a finite time and guaranteeing global stability. Finally, a numerical example is given for demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed control scheme.
Formation control with collision avoidance for uncertain networked Lagrangian systems via adaptive gain techniques
Authors: Yu Jinwei , Ji Jinchen , Miao Zhonghua , Zhou Jin
Published: March 2018

This study addresses the problem of formation control with collision avoidance for networked Lagrangian systems with uncertain parameters interacting on directed network communication topologies. Two adaptive formation control strategies with collision avoidance are proposed by making use of adaptive gain techniques for both cases of with and without a dynamic leader. The main objective of the proposed control strategies is to dispatch a group of agents to maintain a desired geometric pattern, while still guarantee collision avoidance at any time, and eventually to achieve velocity matching. A distinctive feature of the developed adaptive gain is to adapt itself duly based on both the network communication topology and collision avoidance constraints, so it is feasible to be implemented in practice. Some general criteria are derived to guarantee that the desired formation with collision avoidance for the networked Lagrangian systems can be achieved. Finally, numerical simulations are given to show the performance of the proposed control methodologies.
Accuracy assessment of single viewing techniques for metric measurements on single images
Authors: Arslan Ozan
Published: March 2018

Single view methodology has been a long‐standing issue of extracting metric information from a single image in the relevant disciplines. To perform metric measurements on a single image, two methods, which are based on identifying vanishing points (VPs), were employed in the study. One of the two methods is based on the cross ratio and VPs computation and the other integrates robust statistical estimators and close range techniques in a multidisciplinary concept. The estimation of object distance from a single image taken in an outdoor environment was the main concern for a practical application in the study. As the main concern of the study, accuracy analysis of distance measurements was performed to compare the performance of two techniques and experimental results are presented.
Real‐time optimal management of reverse power flow in integrated power and gas distribution grids under large renewable power penetration
Authors: Khani Hadi , El‐Taweel Nader , Farag Hany E.Z.
Published: March 2018

Exponential penetration of renewable generation has led to the new issues in power distribution systems, such as reverse power flow in the feeders. In the case of sizable distributed generation during lower demand, the power tends to travel in the reverse direction. This, in turn, could cause serious operational issues such as voltage rise, extra heat in the transformers, and maloperation of protective devices. Newly emerging technologies for power‐to‐gas (PtG) conversion are now offering effective solutions to the problem. The proliferation of PtG facilities can lead to the deployment of integrated natural gas and power systems in the near future. PtG and gas‐fired, i.e. gas‐to‐power (GtP), units can be utilised to address several issues in an integrated power and gas network. This study unveils the application of bi‐directional energy converters within an integrated gas and power system for distribution system reverse power management (DSRPM). To that end, a new real‐time algorithm is proposed for optimal joint scheduling of PtG and GtP units for DSRPM. A new index is also developed that would quantify the contribution of the PtG–GtP system to DSRPM. Numerical results using real‐world data on a test system substantiate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Effect of fusing features from multiple DCNN architectures in image classification
Authors: Akilan Thangarajah , Wu Qingming Jonathan , Zhang Hui
Published: March 2018

Automatic image classification has become a necessary task to handle the rapidly growing digital image usage. It has branched out many algorithms and adopted new techniques. Among them, feature fusion‐based image classification methods rely on hand‐crafted features traditionally. However, it has been proven that the bottleneck features extracted through pre‐trained convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can improve the classification accuracy. Thence, this study analyses the effect of fusing such cues from multiple architectures without being tied to any hand‐crafted features. First, the CNN features are extracted from three different pre‐trained models, namely AlexNet, VGG‐16, and Inception‐V3. Then, a generalised feature space is formed by employing principal component reconstruction and energy‐level normalisation, where the features from individual CNN are mapped into a common subspace and embedded using arithmetic rules to construct fused feature vectors (FFVs). This transformation play a vital role in creating a representation that is appearance invariant by capturing complementary information of different high‐level features. Finally, a multi‐class linear support vector machine is trained. The experimental results demonstrate that such multi‐modal CNN feature fusion is well suited for image/object classification tasks, but surprisingly it has not been explored so far by the computer vision research community extensively.
Neighbourhood decision based impulse noise filter
Authors: Samantaray Aswini Kumar , Kanungo Priyadarshi , Mohanty Bibhuprasad
Published: March 2018

A novel impulse noise filter that preserves the image details and effectively suppresses high‐density noise has been proposed in this work. The proposed filter works in two phases: (i) noise pixel detection phase and (ii) noise pixel restoration phase. In the detection phase, the impulse noise corrupted pixels are detected using a neighbourhood decision approach. In the second phase, the true values of corrupted pixels are restored using a first‐order neighbourhood decision approach. Experiments are carried out with both grey scale and colour images of various resolutions, texture and structures. The proposed scheme has high peak‐signal‐to‐noise ratio and better visual quality in comparison to the standard median filter, modified decision based unsymmetrical trimmed median filter and improved fast peer‐group filter with a varying noise density from 10 to 90%.
Combining weather condition data to predict traffic flow: a GRU‐based deep learning approach
Authors: Zhang Da , Kabuka Mansur R.
Published: March 2018

Traffic flow prediction is an essential component of the intelligent transportation management system. This study applies gated recurrent neural network to predict urban traffic flow considering weather conditions. Running results show that, under the review of weather influences, their method improves predictive accuracy and also decreases the prediction error rate. To their best knowledge, this is the first time that traffic flow is predicted in urban freeways in this particular way. This study examines it with respect to extensive weather influence under gated recurrent unit‐based deep learning framework.
Enhanced dq current control for single‐phase voltage‐source inverters
Authors: Li Bingzhang , Huang Shenghua , Chen Xi , Wan Shanming
Published: March 2018

Designing the dq‐frame current regulator for single‐phase voltage‐source inverters is a very challenging task. Since only one real current signal exists in the circuit, an orthogonal signal generation (OSG) block is required to generate the virtual orthogonal signal. Thus, ac variables can be turned into equivalent dc quantities through an αβ/dq transformation. However, the OSG block makes the control system complex and introduces an extra transient disturbance. Consequently, the dynamic performance is deteriorated. In this study, the reference‐current‐based OSG method is analysed thoroughly. Based on this structure, the dq‐axes decoupling control, which is widely discussed for three‐phase systems and usually neglected for single‐phase systems, is studied. Two decoupling techniques, i.e. the reference‐current feed‐forward control and the quasi‐complex vector proportional–integrator control, are implemented and analysed. The proposed theories and control schemes are evaluated by experimental results.
Dual‐function PV‐ECS integrated to 3P4W distribution grid using 3M‐PLL control for active power transfer and power quality improvement
Authors: Agarwal Rahul Kumar , Hussain Ikhlaq , Singh Bhim
Published: March 2018

This study proposes a single‐stage solar photovoltaic energy conversion system (PV‐ECS) integrated to a three‐phase four‐wire (3P4W) distribution grid with dual‐function capabilities, i.e. active power transfer and power quality (PQ) enhancement at the point of interaction (PoI). The PV‐ECS system comprises of a solar photovoltaic array and a voltage source inverter (VSI), supplying active power (during daytime) to the distribution grid and connected single‐phase and three‐phase loads. Apart from transfer of power, the system also improves the PQ at the PoI by compensating reactive power and neutral current, attenuating harmonics, correcting power factor and balancing grid currents. During night, the VSI acts as a shunt active power filter mitigating PQ issues, thereby increasing the device utilisation factor. A three‐phase magnitude‐phase locked loop (3M‐PLL) method is utilised to extract and estimate fundamental term of load currents and an incremental conductance algorithm is applied for maximum power point tracking. To demonstrate its effectiveness, the system is modelled and its performance is simulated on MATLAB and experiments are performed on a developed prototype in the laboratory.
Multi‐criteria optimal sizing of hybrid renewable energy systems including wind, photovoltaic, battery, and hydrogen storage with ɛ‐constraint method
Authors: Bakhtiari Hamed , Naghizadeh Ramezan Ali
Published: March 2018

Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) should be designed appropriately with an adequate combination of different renewable sources and various energy storage methods to overcome the problem of intermittency of renewable energy resources. A multi‐criteria approach is proposed in this study to design an HRES including wind turbine, photovoltaic panels, fuel cell, electrolyser, hydrogen tank, and battery storage unit with an intermittent load. Three design criteria including loss of power supply probability, total energy loss (TEL), and the power difference between generation and storing capacity (as TELSUB) are taken into account in minimising the total cost of the system considering the interest rate and lifetime. The justifications and advantages of using these criteria are thoroughly discussed along with appropriate presentation of the results. The purpose of considering TEL and TELSUB is discussed thoroughly. The ɛ‐constraint method is used to handle practical constraints of the proposed multi‐criteria problem to construct a multi‐objective fitness function. Shuffled frog leaping algorithm is implemented to achieve better optimal results. The proposed approach is implemented using real wind speed and solar irradiance data for a specific location with an intermittent load demand. The results verify performance of the proposed multi‐criteria design procedure.
Back‐electromotive force analysis of permanent magnet micromotor using applicational 3D analytical model
Authors: Jafari Kermani Pour Mostafa , Taher Seyed Abbas , Shahidehpour Mohammad
Published: March 2018

Permanent magnet (PM) axial flux machines are well adopted in microelectromechanical systems application, which needs a short axial length. PM micromotors have special characteristics such as transition zone which made their analysis different from macro ones. Due to the three‐dimensional (3D) nature of PM micromotors, analysis and design of these micromotors require a fast and adopted 3D analytical model. This study presents a new 3D analytical model for a PM micromotor. In the presented analytical model, the micromotor is divided into several radial slices to take into account a part of 3D effects. In each slice, magneto‐quasi‐static Maxwell's equations are solved and back‐electromotive force voltage is calculated as the most important parameter of micromotors. The accuracy of the model is verified by experimental and a 3D finite‐element method model. The universality of the presented analytical model is challenged by using micromotors with different PM shapes including circular and trapezoidal. The presented analytical model is much faster than the 3D finite element model, but has the same accuracy, which makes it suitable for sensitive analysis and optimisation procedures.
Effective de‐noising of ECG by optimised adaptive thresholding on noisy modes
Authors: Jain Shweta , Bajaj Varun , Kumar Anil
Published: March 2018

Electrocardiograph (ECG) denoising is a preliminary step in QRS complex detection and ECG beat classification process. An ECG denoising methodology is proposed that uses ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) for decomposing input ECG to its intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Then noisy‐IMFs are identified by the proposed method that uses squared distance similarity measure. On selected noisy‐IMFs, hard thresholding, by the evolutionary optimisation algorithms (EOAs)‐based thresholds, is applied. For selecting the best performing EOA, algorithms namely artificial bee colony, particle swarm optimisation (PSO), and cuckoo search (CS) optimisation are implemented. The proposed methodology is tested with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Beth Israel Hospital (MIT‐BIH) arrhythmia database and is evaluated in terms of signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and mean‐square error (MSE). In comparison with state‐of‐the‐art methods, the proposed method is found to be the best attaining maximum SNR and MSE for PSO and CS algorithm optimised thresholding.
Assessing the physical and mechanical properties of poly 3‐hydroxybutyrate‐chitosan‐multi‐walled carbon nanotube/silk nano–micro composite scaffold for long‐term healing tissue engineering applications
Authors: Mirmusavi Mohammad H. , Karbasi Saeed , Semnani Dariush , Rafienia Mohammad , Zargar Kharazi Anousheh
Published: March 2018

The new nano–micro hybrid scaffolds were fabricated through electrospinning the poly 3‐hydroxibutyrate‐chitosan‐multi‐walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) nanofibres on the silky knitted microfibers, orderly and randomly. The scaffolds were prepared by varying the concentration of MWNT. The samples were compared as to their alignment and MWNT concentration. The morphological and physical properties were assessed through scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infra‐red (FT‐IR) spectroscopy and water contact angle test. Mechanical properties were determined through tensile strength test run on optimal samples chosen according to the results obtained from above‐mentioned tests. The morphological view of the scaffolds showed that an increase in the amount of MWNT up to 1 wt% led to a better fibres diameter distribution and alignment in comparison with other samples. The porosity percentage of all scaffolds were >80% which is appropriate for tissue engineering applications. The FT‐IR spectra indicated that the nanofibrous coat on knitted silk did not have any effect on crystallinity structures of silk fibroin. There existed a direct relation between hydrophilicity of scaffolds and MWNT concentration according to water contact angle. The presence of nanofibrous coat on knitted silk had no effect on tensile strength increment in comparison with pure knitted silk. The poly 3‐hydroxybutyrate‐Chitosan‐1 wt% MWNT/Silk scaffolds could be an appropriate biomimetic for extracellular matrix of long‐term healing tissues in order to their tissue engineering applications.
Une éducation salutogénique basée sur les capabilités des patients : une nouvelle composante de l’éducation thérapeutique
Authors: Gross Olivia , Gagnayre Rémi
Published: March 2018

L’éducation thérapeutique du patient vise à donner aux patients les connaissances et compétences d’auto-soins et d’adaptation à la maladie qu’ils estiment nécessaires pour mieux vivre avec leur maladie chronique. Indépendamment de l’ETP, des patients engagés comme acteurs sociaux dans le système de santé sont parvenus à un état salutogénique caractérisé par un sentiment de cohérence. De cette hypothèse découle celle de soutenir la salutogénèse des patients au moyen d’une éducation capabilitante développant leur capacité à influer sur le système de soins et en particulier sur leur environnement proche, en particulier sur les services de soins. Il s’agit d’ouvrir une nouvelle voie à l’ETP en y intégrant des séances d’éducation salutogénique qui visent à agir sur les vulnérabilités iatrogènes définies comme les situations provoquant des atteintes aux sécurités (physiques et psychosociales) des patients. Les patients apprendraient à utiliser leurs expériences de soins et celles de leurs pairs pour identifier les stratégies de changement contribuant à leur meilleure sécurité et ce faisant, aux missions des hôpitaux d’être des promoteurs de santé. De nouvelles structures pourraient voir le jour, les UTEEP : Unité Transversale d’Éducation et de l’Engagement du Patient.
Biotransformation of Cyclodextrine-Complexed Semisynthetic Betulin Derivatives by Plant Cells
Authors: Häkkinen Suvi , Nygren Heli , Maiorova Natalia , Haavikko Raisa , Alakurtti Sami , Yli-Kauhaluoma Jari , Rischer Heiko , Oksman-Caldentey Kirsi-Marja
Published: March 2018

In this study, three semisynthetic betulonic acid-based compounds, 20(29)-dihydrolup-2-en[2,3-d]isoxazol-28-oic acid, 1-betulonoylpyrrolidine, and lupa-2,20(29)-dieno[2,3-b]pyrazin-28-oic acid, were studied in biotransformation experiments using Nicotiana tabacum and Catharanthus roseus cell suspension cultures. Biotransformation was performed using cyclodextrin to aid dissolving poorly water-soluble substrates. Several new derivatives were found, consisting of oxidized and glycosylated (pentose- and hexose-conjugated) products.
[3+2] Cycloaddition of Trifluoromethylated N-Acylhydrazones with Maleates: Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Pyrazolidines
Authors: Wen Lan , Huang Danfeng , Wang Ke-Hu , Wang Yuxiang , Liu Lili , Yang Zheng , Su Yingpeng , Hu Yulai
Published: March 2018

An efficient [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of trifluoromethylated N-acylhydrazones with dimethyl maleate has been developed under basic conditions. This protocol provides an easy access to potentially bioactive trifluoromethylated pyrazolidines in moderate to excellent yields. It also illustrates that the trifluoromethylated N-acylhydrazones are useful trifluoromethyl building blocks for the synthesis of trifluoromethylated N-heterocycles.
Automatische Anfallsdetektion bei Epilepsie
Authors: Baumgartner Christoph , Koren Johannes
Published: March 2018

Die automatische computerunterstützte Detektion von epileptischen Anfällen ist wichtig zur Überprüfung der Wirksamkeit der Epilepsiebehandlung, SUDEP-Prävention, Vermeidung von anfallsassoziierten Verletzungen, Warnung vor bevorstehenden Anfällen und Entwicklung von bedarfsgesteuerten Therapieformen. Dieser Artikel gibt einen Überblick über die Prinzipien und Anwendungsmöglichkeiten von automatischen computergestützten Anfallsdetektionssystemen.
Thermal expansion of organic superconductor κ-(D4-BEDT-TTF)2Cu{N(CN)2}Br. Isotopic effect
Authors: Dolbin A. V. , Khlistuck M. V. , Eselson V. B. , Gavrilko V. G. , Vinnikov N. A. , Basnukaeva R. M. , Konstantinov V. A. , Nakazawa Y.
Published: March 2018

Linear thermal expansion coefficient (LTEC) of single crystal κ-(D4-BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br was studied across the crystal layers in the temperature range 2–290 K using the method of precise capacitive dilatometry. Below Tc = 11.6 K the LTEC of the sample had a small negative value, which is apparently due to the transition from the paramagnetic metal in the superconducting state. There was a bend of temperature dependence of the LTEC, which shows broad peak around 40 K and can be attributed to the elastic lattice anomaly around the end-point of Mott boundary. A sharp jump in the LTEC values and hysteresis was observed in the area of Tg ∼ 75–77 K, what is likely explained by the transition in a glass-like state. The isotope effect in the thermal expansion is discusses, which manifested itself in a shift of the phase transitions in comparison with fully deuterated BEDT-TTF sample.
Spectroscopic studies of clusterization of methanol molecules isolated in a nitrogen matrix
Authors: Vaskivskyi Ye. , Doroshenko I. , Chernolevska Ye. , Pogorelov V. , Pitsevich G.
Published: March 2018

IR absorption spectra of methanol isolated in a nitrogen matrix are recorded at temperatures ranging from 9 to 34 K. The changes in the spectra with increasing matrix temperature are analyzed. Based on quantum-chemical calculations of the geometric and spectral parameters of different methanol clusters, the observed absorption bands are identified. The cluster composition of the sample is determined at each temperature. It is shown that as the matrix is heated there is a redistribution among the different cluster structures in the sample, from smaller to larger clusters.
Anisotropy of the yield strength and structural parameters of nanocrystalline titanium obtained by cryodeformation
Authors: Moskalenko V. A. , Pohribnaya Yu. M. , Smolianets R. V. , Braude I. S.
Published: March 2018

Anisotropy of the yield strength of nanocrystalline VT1-0 technical-grade titanium with grain size ∼45 nm, obtained by the cryomechanical grain fragmentation method, was studied. The experiments were carried out using the uniaxial compression regime at a nominal plastic deformation rate of 3.5 × 10−4 s−1 in the temperature range 4.2–300 K. The temperature dependences of the macroscopic yield strength of the samples with the compression axis parallel and perpendicular to the cryorolling direction were obtained. The anisotropy coefficient of the yield strength was calculated, and its temperature dependence was established. The parameters of the deformation microstructure in mutually orthogonal planes were determined: the crystallite (coherent scattering region) sizes and the magnitudes of microdeformations. It was observed that the crystallites are morphologically anisotropic. The calculated and experimental values of the yield strength of the samples deformed parallel and perpendicular to the cryorolling direction were found to be in agreement with the Hall–Petch ratio and the observed crystallite sizes. It was established that the anisotropy of the yield strength of nanocrystalline titanium is related to the shape anisotropy of its structural elements, such as a grain/crystallite.
Tunable Fano resonator using multilayer graphene in the near-infrared region
Authors: Zhou Chaobiao , Liu Guoqin , Ban Guoxun , Li Shiyu , Huang Qingzhong , Xia Jinsong , Wang Yi , Zhan Mingsheng
Published: March 2018

Fano resonance (FR) holds promising applications for high performance optoelectronic devices due to its strong enhancement of light-matter interactions. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a tunable FR in a photonic crystal nanoresonator (PCR), including the effects of structural parameters and graphene nanosheets with different layer numbers. The results show that the intensity and position of Fano peaks can be tuned via altering the lattice constant and the hole radius of PCR due to the variation of the effective refractive index. More importantly, we experimentally study the interaction between sharp FR with multilayer graphene. The results indicate that the FR transmission spectrum can be efficiently adjusted with the layer number of graphene, and the largest change in transmission (∼44%) is achieved with three-layer graphene because of high conductivity. These consequences may lead to efficient and tunable electro-optical modulators, biosensors, and optical switches in the near-infrared region.