bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Speicherung erneuerbarer Energien: Power‐to‐Gas
Authors: Rubner Isabel , Grofe Theodor , Oetken Marco 
Published: July 2018

ZusammenfassungAus dem Bereich der elektrochemischen bzw. chemischen Speicher kann besonders das Power‐to‐Gas‐Projekt einen zentralen Beitrag zur bedarfsgerechten Stromversorgung liefern. Im Hinblick auf die Aktualität dieses Themas und seiner zukünftigen Tragweite kann das Ziel eines zeitgemäßen und modernen naturwissenschaftlichen Unterrichts nur darin bestehen, dieses Themenfeld der erneuerbaren Energien konzeptionell und vor allem experimentell in die Curricula der Schule und in die Studienordnungen der Hochschule zu integrieren. Derartige Simulationsexperimente zur Energiespeicherung regenerativer Energiequellen sollten in einem aktuellen und motivierenden naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht nicht fehlen, sodass mit den Schülerinnen und Schülern eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit den Perspektiven einer nachhaltigen Energieversorgung möglich ist.
Research progress on novel solar steam generation system based on black nanomaterials
Authors: Xu Chao , Yang Qian , Wang Fuxian , Fang Xiaoming , Zhang Zhengguo 
Published: July 2018

AbstractAmong all the renewable energy sources, solar irradiation has the greatest potential to meet the world's future energy demands. The solar‐driven generation of water steam has emerged as a promising route for solar energy utilization in the fields of global water cycle, seawater desalination, high‐temperature sterilization, and wastewater treatment. A typical solar thermal energy converting process involves heat harvesting by solar thermal absorber and heat stimulating the evaporation of water via sensible heat and latent heat. In this review, the novel direct solar steam generation systems based on black nanomaterials are presented. These direct solar steam production systems can be categorized into the following two types: nanofluid‐based evaporation systems and suspended interface evaporation systems. We describe the physical model and experimental results of these systems, as well as the determination of optimal evaporation system design according to excellent evaporation performance. Finally, we elucidate the dominant factors influencing the evaporation efficiency and propose improved approaches to further increase solar steam production efficiency for the discovery of practical applications.
Component‐Tunable Rutile‐Anatase TiO2/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites for Enhancement of Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution
Authors: Hu Yiwei , Ding Tao , Zhang Kailong , Li Biao , Zhu Baichuan , Tang Kaibin 
Published: July 2018

AbstractAs an earth‐abundant and environment‐friendly material, the potential of TiO2 in many field, including oxygen evolution reaction (OER), has not yet been fully developed. Here, we fabricate component tunable rutile‐anatase TiO2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites with high OER activity which exhibit a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 283 mV. The performance is superior to the previous reported TiO2 (600 mV) and comparable with the leading results of other active materials. The catalytic mechanism is suggested according to our experimental results that the interactions between rutile and anatase, as well as RGO and TiO2 result in the enhancement of adsorption of hydroxyl. Such an adsorption is advantageous to provide a surface reaction environment and reduce the activation energy of the electrochemical process, resulting in the best OER performance. This work should stimulate the design of more materials for the improvement of OER activity.
Amenamevir: Studies of Potential CYP3A‐Mediated Pharmacokinetic Interactions With Midazolam, Cyclosporine, and Ritonavir in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Adeloye Temitope , Sahgal Omair , Puri Adeep , Warrington Steve , Endo Takamasa , Dennison Jeremy , Johnston Atholl 
Published: July 2018

AbstractAmenamevir (formerly ASP2151) is a helicase‐primase inhibitor being developed for the treatment of herpesvirus infection. Amenamevir is both a substrate and inducer of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4. Three studies were done in healthy volunteers to investigate potential CYP3A pharmacokinetic interactions with the following drugs: (1) Midazolam (probe substrate for CYP3A): After 10 days’ pretreatment with amenamevir 400 mg daily, geometric mean maximum concentration of drug in blood plasma (Cmax) and area under the plasma drug concentration‐time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0‐∞) of midazolam 7.5 mg were about 68% and 51%, respectively, of those after midazolam alone. (2) Cyclosporine (substrate and inhibitor of CYP3A): After 5 days’ pretreatment with cyclosporine 100 mg twice daily, geometric mean Cmax of amenamevir after 400‐mg and 1200‐mg single doses was, respectively, about 66% and 69%, and AUC0‐∞ about 82% and 79%, of those after amenamevir alone. (3) Ritonavir (inhibitor of CYP3A): When given with single doses of ritonavir 600 mg, geometric mean Cmax of amenamevir after 400‐mg and 1200‐mg single doses was, respectively, about 1.4 and 1.6 times higher, and geometric mean AUC0‐∞ about 2.6 and 3.3 times higher, than after amenamevir alone. Amenamevir has the potential to be involved in CYP3A‐mediated pharmacokinetic interactions in clinical practice.
LED dimming technique without frequency and pulse width modulations
Authors: Borekci Selim , Acar Nihal C. , Kircay Ali 
Published: July 2018

SummaryIn this paper, a novel dimmable light‐emitting diode (LED) driver is implemented by a series‐parallel resonant converter. Variable resonant inductor is used for dimming purposes. This technique is not requiring switching frequency variation or pulse width modulation, unlike commonly used techniques. The proposed technique is implemented on 40 one‐watt series connected power LEDs at 60‐kHz constant switching frequency. The experimental results show that LEDs can be dimmed to a desired power level within the range of nominal and low power.
Ultralow power, noise immune stacked‐double stage clocked‐inverter domino technique for ultradeep submicron technology
Authors: Ghimiray Sapna Rani , Meher Preetisudha , Dutta Pranab Kishore 
Published: July 2018

SummaryHigh‐performance system widely uses domino gates due to their high speed and low power. Everlasting demand of technology scaling increases leakage current in domino gates. These make domino circuit less immune to noise. This paper present a new energy efficient circuit technique for ultralow power consumption and higher noise immunity design for wide fan‐in gates. The proposed circuit techniques reduce leakage from the evaluation network of the domino circuit with help of stacked footer approach involving clocked inverter in double stage domino. This approach has an added advantage of circuit robustness. The proposed circuit exerts less power dissipation and improved unity noise gain compared with a conventional domino circuit. The immunity is demonstrated with the help of average noise threshold energy, energy normalized ANTE (ANTE, ANTE/Energy). The simulation of the circuit is carried out by using 90 nm technology in Cadence TCAD tools.
Early‐life stress leads to sex‐dependent changes in pubertal timing in rats that are reversed by a probiotic formulation
Authors: Cowan Caitlin S. M. , Richardson Rick 
Published: July 2018

AbstractPuberty marks the beginning of a period of dramatic physical, hormonal, and social change. This instability has made adolescence infamous as a time of “storm and stress” and it is well‐established that stress during adolescence can be particularly damaging. However, prior stress may also shape the adolescent experience. In the present series of experiments, we observed sex‐specific effects of early‐life maternal separation stress on the timing of puberty onset in the rat. Specifically, stressed females exhibited earlier pubertal onset compared to standard‐reared females, whereas stressed males matured later than their standard‐reared counterparts. Further, we demonstrated that a probiotic treatment restores the normative timing of puberty onset in rodents of both sexes. These results are in keeping with previous findings that probiotics reverse stress‐induced changes in learned fear behaviors and stress hormone levels, highlighting the remarkable and wide‐ranging restorative effects of probiotics in the context of early‐life stress.
Executive function in teen and adult women: Association with maternal status and early adversity
Authors: Almanza‐Sepulveda Mayra L. , Chico Elsie , Gonzalez Andrea , Hall Geoffrey B. , Steiner Meir , Fleming Alison S. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the impact of maternal age on executive function and the moderating effects of women's maternal status and early‐life experiences. Four groups of women were assessed as a function of their age (teens vs. adults) and maternal status (mothers vs. nonmothers). Participants completed executive function tests, including Spatial Working Memory (SWM), Intra‐Extra‐Dimensional‐Set‐Shift (IED), and Stockings of Cambridge (SOC). Women also completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to assess their experiences of early adversity. Results showed that for the IED‐task, there were main effects of age and maternal status and an interaction between the two; adults performed better than teens, mothers performed better than nonmothers, and teen nonmothers performed the least well of all groups. For the SWM‐task, adults performed better than teens. Our results indicate that although age is an important factor for proper executive functioning, different tasks are affected differently and other factors such as maternity and adverse childhood experiences moderate this functioning.
Strain sensors and pressure sensors using Cr─N thin films for high‐pressure hydrogen gas
Authors: Niwa Eiji , Mikami Hiroshi 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe authors investigated the influence of hydrogen on Cr–N strain‐sensitive thin films, which have a gauge factor of about 14, to develop a high‐sensitive strain sensor for high‐pressure hydrogen gas. As a result, it was found that the thin film was not affected by hydrogen and the specimen of Cr–N thin film on Zirconia substrate showed a sensitive and linear output to the pressure. It was considered that the Cr–N thin films were able to be expected as not only high‐sensitive strain sensors but also diaphragm‐less pressure sensors in high‐pressure hydrogen gas.
Design of neural network PID controller based on E‐FRIT
Authors: Kinoshita Kento , Wakitani Shin , Ohno Shuichi 
Published: July 2018

AbstractProportional–integral–derivative (PID) controllers have been widely used for process systems. However, a good control result is not always obtained with fixed PID gains when a controlled object has nonlinearity. This paper proposes a design method for a nonlinear PID controller that utilizes a neural network to overcome the problem. In the proposed controller, PID gains are tuned online by a neural network and a controlled object is manipulated by the PID controller with the tuned PID gains. The neural network is learned by an offline learning algorithm based on the Extended Fictitious Reference Iterative Tuning (E‐FRIT) and the backpropagation. E‐FRIT is a method that tunes control parameters directly by using operating data and evaluates not only a controlled output but also the difference of manipulated variable. Simulation examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Moreover, the experimental result of a level control of a tank system is also given to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method.
Sensitive Voltammetric Amoxicillin Sensor Based on TiO2 Sol Modified by CMK‐3‐type Mesoporous Carbon and Gold Ganoparticles
Authors: Pollap Aleksandra , Knihnicki Paweł , Kuśtrowski Piotr , Kozak Joanna , Gołda‐Cępa Monika , Kotarba Andrzej , Kochana Jolanta 
Published: July 2018

AbstractIn this work, a novel voltammetric sensor was developed to determine amoxicillin (AMX). The electrode modification layer consisted of titanium dioxide sol (TiO2) modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), CMK‐3‐type mesoporous carbon and Nafion. The morphology of the electrode composite was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electrochemical behaviour of AMX at proposed electrode was studied. Effects of parameters comprising the amount of CMK‐3 and AuNPs in matrix composite, pH of supporting electrolyte and incubation time on the sensitivity of developed sensor were examined. The analytical characteristics of the proposed sensor were assessed. The developed sensor exhibited linear response in two AMX concentration ranges: from 0.5 to 2.5 μM and from 2.5 to 133.0 μM, with sensitivity of 1420 μA mM−1 (5071 μA mM−1 cm−2) and 832 μA mM−1 (2971 μA mM−1 cm−2), respectively. The detection limit was evaluated as 0.3 μM. For verification purposes the sensor was successfully employed in determination of AMX in pharmaceutical product, mineral and environmental water using a flow‐batch monosegmented sequential injection approach.
Integrating Ultrathin Polypyrrole Framework on Nickel‐Cobalt Layered Double Hydroxide as an Amperometric Sensor for Non‐enzymatic Glucose Determination
Authors: Ni Gang , Cheng Jun , Dai Xin , Guo Zehao , Ling Xiang , Yu Tao , Sun Zhenjie 
Published: July 2018

AbstractWe prepared a novel amperometric sensor based on nickel cobalt layered double hydroxide (NiCo‐LDH) coupling with ultrathin polypyrrole shell (LDH@PPy) for enzyme‐free determination of glucose. Using a simple vapor polymerization route, PPy forms an internal conductive framework surrounding the LDH lamellas, leading to improved electronic conductivity as well as mitigated electrochemical impedance. As a consequence, the LDH@PPy sensor endows excellent electrocatalytic performance for glucose determination. High sensitivity (46.04 μA mM−1 cm−2 and 292.84 μA mM−1 cm−2), wide linear range (5–50 μM and 0.05–8.2 mM), and a low detection limit of 0.80 μM (S/N=3) could be implemented. The optimization of operation potential, reproducibility, and anti‐interference properties of the sensor were also conducted. The LDH@PPy composite presents a promising candidate for rapid and accurate determination of glucose in practical applications.
Intracellular Electrochemical Sensing
Authors: Ino Kosuke , Nashimoto Yuji , Taira Noriko , Azcon Javier Ramon , Shiku Hitoshi 
Published: July 2018

AbstractObserving biochemical processes within living cell is imperative for biological and medical research. Fluoresce imaging is widely used for intracellular sensing of cell membranes, nuclei, lysosomes, and pH. Electrochemical assays have been proposed as an alternative to fluorescence‐based assays because of excellent analytical features of electrochemical devices. Notably, thanks to the rapid progress of micro/nanotechnologies and electrochemical techniques, intracellular electrochemical sensing is making rapid progress, leading to a successful detection of intracellular components. Such insight can provide a deep understanding of cellular biological processes and, ultimately, define the human healthy and diseased states. In this review, we present an overview of recent research progress in intracellular electrochemical sensing. We focus on two main topics, electrochemical extraction of cytosolic contents from cells and intracellular electrochemical sensing in situ.
Immobilized microbial biosorbents for heavy metals removal
Authors: Velkova Zdravka , Kirova Gergana , Stoytcheva Margarita , Kostadinova Sonia , Todorova Kostadinka , Gochev Velizar 
Published: July 2018

AbstractIntensive industrial and urban growth has led to the release of increasing amounts of environmental pollutants. Contamination by metals, in particular, deserves special attention due to their toxicity and potential to bioaccumulate via the food chain. Conventional techniques for the removal of toxic metals, radionuclides and precious metals from wastewater all have a number of drawbacks, such as incomplete metal extraction, high cost and risk of generating hazardous by‐products. Biosorption is a cost‐effective and environment‐friendly technology, an alternative to conventional wastewater treatment methods. Biosorption is a metabolically independent process, in which dead microbial biomass is capable of removal and concentrating metal ions from aqueous solutions. Free microbial biosorbents are of small size and low density, insufficient mechanical stability and low elasticity, which causes problems with metal ion desorption, separation of the sorbent from the medium and its regeneration. Hence, the possibilities for the implementation of continuous biosorbent processes for metal removal in flow‐type reactor systems are reduced and the practical application of biosorption in industrial conditions is limited. By immobilizing microbial biomass on suitable carriers the disadvantages of free biosorbents are eliminated and more opportunities for practical use of biosorption become available. This review examines different immobilization techniques and carriers, certain basic features and possibilities of using immobilized microbial biosorbents for the removal and concentration of metals from aqueous solutions.
Seismic performance evaluation of single damped‐outrigger system incorporating buckling‐restrained braces
Authors: Lin Pao‐Chun , Takeuchi Toru , Matsui Ryota 
Published: July 2018

SummaryThe outrigger system is an effective means of controlling the seismic response of core‐tube type tall buildings by mobilizing the axial stiffness of the perimeter columns. This study investigates the damped‐outrigger, incorporating the buckling‐restrained brace (BRB) as energy dissipation device (BRB‐outrigger system). The building's seismic responses are expected to be effectively reduced because of the high BRB elastic stiffness during minor earthquakes and through the stable energy dissipation mechanism of the BRB during large earthquakes. The seismic behavior of the BRB‐outrigger system was investigated by performing a spectral analysis considering the equivalent damping to incorporate the effects of BRB inelastic deformation. Nonlinear response history analyses were performed to verify the spectral analysis results. The analytical models with building heights of 64, 128, and 256 m were utilized to investigate the optimal outrigger elevation and the relationships between the outrigger truss flexural stiffness, BRB axial stiffness, and perimeter column axial stiffness to achieve the minimum roof drift and acceleration responses. The method of determining the BRB yield deformation and its effect on overall seismic performance were also investigated. The study concludes with a design recommendation for the single BRB‐outrigger system.
The voltage‐gated potassium channel Kv1.3 is required for microglial pro‐inflammatory activation in vivo
Authors: Di Lucente Jacopo , Nguyen Hai M. , Wulff Heike , Jin Lee‐Way , Maezawa Izumi 
Published: July 2018

AbstractMicroglia show a rich repertoire of activation patterns regulated by a complex ensemble of surface ion channels, receptors, and transporters. We and others have investigated whether microglia vary their K+ channel expression as a means to achieve functional diversity. However, most of the prior studies were conducted using in vitro models such as BV2 cells, primary microglia, or brain slices in culture, which may not accurately reflect microglia physiology in adult individuals. Here we employed an in vivo mouse model of selective innate immune activation by intracerebroventricular injection of lipopolysaccharides (ICV‐LPS) to determine the role of the voltage‐gated Kv1.3 channel in LPS‐induced M1‐like microglial activation. Using microglia acutely isolated from adult brains, we detected Kv1.3 and Kir2.1 currents, and found that ICV‐LPS increased the current density and RNA expression of Kv1.3 but did not affect those of Kir2.1. Genetic knockout of Kv1.3 abolished LPS‐induced microglial activation exemplified by Iba‐1 immunoreactivity and expression of pro‐inflammatory mediators such as IL‐1β, TNF‐α, IL‐6, and iNOS. Moreover, Kv1.3 knockout mitigated the LPS‐induced impairment of hippocampal long‐term potentiation (hLTP), suggesting that Kv1.3 activity regulates pro‐inflammatory microglial neurotoxicity. Pharmacological intervention using PAP‐1, a small molecule that selectively blocks homotetrameric Kv1.3 channels, achieved anti‐inflammatory and hLTP‐recovery effects similar to Kv1.3 knockout. We conclude that Kv1.3 is required for microglial M1‐like pro‐inflammatory activation in vivo. A significant implication of our in vivo data is that Kv1.3 blockers could be therapeutic candidates for neurological diseases where microglia‐mediated neurotoxicity is implicated in the pathogenesis.
Regional regulators in health care service under quality competition: A game theoretical model
Authors: Bisceglia Michele , Cellini Roberto , Grilli Luca 
Published: July 2018

AbstractIn several countries, health care services are provided by public and/or private subjects, and they are reimbursed by the government, on the basis of regulated prices (in most countries, diagnosis‐related group). Providers take prices as given and compete on quality to attract patients. In some countries, regulated prices differ across regions. This paper focuses on the interdependence between regional regulators within a country: It studies how price setters of different regions interact, in a simple but realistic framework. Specifically, we model a circular city as divided in two administrative regions. Each region has two providers and one regulator, who sets the local price. Patients are mobile and make their choice on the basis of provider location and service quality. Interregional mobility occurs in the presence of asymmetries in providers' cost efficiency, regulated prices, and service quality. We show that the optimal regulated price is higher in the region with the more efficient providers; we also show that decentralisation of price regulation implies higher expenditure but higher patients' welfare.
Validity of asthma diagnoses and patterns of anti‐asthmatic drug use in a cohort of 2053 Danish children
Authors: Rubak Sune , Høst Arne , Christensen Lotte Brix , Langfrits Mette Sørensen , Thomsen Reimar Wernich 
Published: July 2018

AbstractBackground and AimsWhen investigating and treating asthma in children, diagnosing must be precise and valid. There is a need for studies researching asthma in children showing how to use registry‐based, epidemiological data. We examined the feasibility and validity of using anti‐asthmatic drug prescription data to identify children with asthma and assessed medication patterns in children with and without confirmed asthma.MethodsWe used population‐based Danish prescription data and hospital discharge registries to identify all children aged 0 to 14 years who had redeemed at least one prescription for an inhaled anti‐asthmatic drug. Individual asthma cases were validated by hospital discharge information and by their treating general practitioners according to international asthma guidelines.ResultsIn total, 2053 children, out of a population of 20181, had redeemed at least one prescription of any inhaled anti‐asthmatic drug. The positive predictive value (PPV) of having two different asthma medications prescribed in 1 year was 80.2% for presence of true asthma, with a sensitivity of 59%. Corresponding estimates of PPV/sensitivity of at least one prescription for an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) were 79% and 58%, respectively, while the true asthma PPV with at least one LABA prescription increased to 97%. Among children with confirmed asthma, one‐third had not used Beta2‐agonist therapy as part of their treatment. Conversely, among children without confirmed asthma, 40% were prescribed a minimum of two prescriptions for any kind of inhaled anti‐asthmatic drug, and 12% and 9% used an ICS or Leukotriene receptor antagonist, respectively.ConclusionsAnti‐asthmatic drug prescription data could be used to identify children with true asthma, with reasonable accuracy. The observed pattern of anti‐asthmatic medication usage among children with and without confirmed asthma suggests that there is room for therapeutic improvement.