bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New trionychoid specimens and turtle fauna from the Lower Cretaceous Kitadani Formation of the Tetori Group in central Japan
Authors: Sonoda Teppei , Azuma Yoichi , Hirayama Ren , Ando Hisao
Published: January 2018

Background. The Trionychoidea were dominant turtles in the Late Cretaceous of Asia and North America. Although Early Cretaceous trionychoids are quite important to reveal their origin and the early evolution, their fossil records are very poor so far. The Lower Cretaceous Kitadani Formation of the Tetori Group is one of the most productive dinosaur-bearing beds of Japan, and has yielded a lot of turtle remains. Trionychid, adocid, and nanhsiungchelyid were published as the oldest records by Hirayama (2002). Herein, we report new information about trionychid and adocid turtles from the Kitadani Formation. Methods. We examined and morphologically described more than 700 materials (mostly isolated shell fragments) from the Kitadani Formation (late Barremian to Aptian) of the Tetori Group in Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture, central Japan. All specimens have been collected in the paleontological excavations by Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum since 1988. Results. The turtle fauna consists of four trionychoid taxa and two other eucryptodires. About 80 % are assigned to the Trionychoidea including a trionychid, two taxa of adocids, and a nanhsiungchelyid. Shell and skeletal assemblages of a soft-shelled turtle (FPDM-V9487, 9489) were newly discovered. These have the following synapomorphies as the Trionychidae; vermiculated shell sculpturing, loss of scale sulci, lack of peripheral bones, reduction of plastron, no osseous bridge between carapace and plastron. Furthermore, a reduction of eighth costal, and an indistinct sculpture and callosity on the hypoplastron are common characters in Perochelys, Gobiapalone, and Apalonina. The Adocidae, an extinct semi-aquatic turtle, is the most dominant among turtles in this locality and is composed of two different taxa. Nearly complete shell materials of Adocus sp. have been recovered based on hundreds of fragmentary shell materials and the newly collected shell assemblage of one individual (FPDM-V9173). Another adocid, gen. et sp. indet., is newly recognized on the basis of costals, peripherals, and a hypoplastron. This adocid is distinguished from Adocus sp. by the possession of the marginal scales limited within peripherals, and thinner shells. Discussion. Trionychoids from the Kitadani Formation were composed of dominant families in the Late Cretaceous of Asia and North America. Trionychoids from underlying Kuwajima and Akaiwa formations (Hauterivian to Barremian) of the Tetori Group are quite different. More primitive trionychoids such as “Trionychoidea indet.” and Kappachelys okurai have been unearthed from these formations. This stratigraphical succession suggests that morphological and paleoecological diversification among trionychoid turtles began during the Barremian or Aptian in East Asia. Fossil turtles from the Tetori Group could shed light on the early evolution of trionychoid families.
Chinese MA theses: The people behind the papers
Authors: Xu Ziyun
Published: January 2018

There is no denying that the growth of interpreting as an industry in China has been an explosive one. The increasing need for economic and political cooperation has spurred the demand for interpreters to bridge the linguistic and cultural divides that exist between China and the West. With the creation of master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Interpreting and Translation all over China, students from various universities have produced a wealth of literature in Interpreting Studies. However, owing to the lack of exchange of information and cooperation on the part of universities, to date there have been only a few systematic studies of MA theses, which represent years of work by aspiring interpreters. Using the latest statistical techniques and an exhaustive corpus, this paper is an objective examination of the differences and similarities between the choices of topic and theoretical inspirations of MA students at various Chinese universities, and of how their choices of topic and advisor affect their likelihood of pursuing careers in academia. This research indicates that Chinese Interpreting Studies cannot be considered a homogenous entity, even though universities tend to be influenced in similar ways and coincide on the most important research themes. This paper discusses the increasingly non-academic career paths of MA-level interpreting students.
Chinese Interpreting Studies: A data-driven analysis of a dynamic field of enquiry
Authors: Xu Ziyun , Pekelis Leonid B
Published: January 2018

Over the five decades since its beginnings, Chinese Interpreting Studies (CIS) has evolved into a dynamic field of academic enquiry with more than 3,500 scholars and 4,200 publications. Using quantitative and qualitative analysis, this scientometric study delves deep into CIS citation data to examine some of the noteworthy trends and patterns of behavior in the field: how can the field’s progress be quantified by means of citation analysis? Do its authors tend repeatedly to cite ‘classic’ papers or are they more drawn to their colleagues’ latest research? What different effects does the choice of empirical vs. theoretical research have on the use of citations in the various research brackets? The findings show that the field is steadily moving forward with new papers continuously being cited, although a number of influential papers stand out, having received a stream of citations in all the years examined. CIS scholars also have a tendency to cite much older English than Chinese publications across all document types, and empirical research has the greatest influence on the citation behavior of doctoral scholars, while theoretical studies have the largest impact on that of article authors. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the merits of blending quantitative and qualitative analyses to uncover hidden trends.
The past, present and future of Chinese MA theses in Interpreting Studies: A scientometric survey
Authors: Xu Ziyun
Published: January 2018

This paper takes a scientometric approach to examining one of Chinese Interpreting Studies’ (CIS) most productive sources of research, MA theses, with the aim of answering the following questions: How has the discipline changed over time? What fields and theories influence it? And what are its most common research themes? The study’s comprehensive corpus of nearly 1,300 Chinese-language theses addresses a data-based limitation faced by earlier scholars. A range of state-of-the-art statistical techniques have made it possible to detect patterns in CIS that are difficult to tease out by human hand and eye alone. The field has grown rapidly in recent years and is now producing a steady and consistent stream of research: the majority of students in China draw inspiration from theories within Translation Studies, but no particular theories or topics have grown more popular over time. Despite this consistency, CIS remains a complex and dynamic field of academic enquiry.
Dispersal patterns of insects after a major disturbance event is applied to a disturbance gradient that conformed to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis in an urban ecosystem
Authors: Dhanayarajan Tharaneetharan , Parsram Michael , Lo Nathan N. L.
Published: January 2018

Insects have been losing their habitats with the rapid expansion of many urban cities such as Toronto. This study aims at understanding the dispersal patterns insects take once they are placed under a heavy amount of disturbance. The use of power line corridors allows us to have a disturbance gradient within an urban city that allows us to observe the normal distribution of insects across the gradient and compare it to how their distribution patterns change once a disturbance has been applied. It is important in understanding insect dispersal patterns, because only then can we accurately create conservation strategies, and plan urban development to minimize the amount of damage done to insect populations. In this study, sweep nets, pan traps, and point counts were used to sample five areas of a disturbance gradient along a power line corridor. The experiment was conducted over three weeks and it was found that the gradient studied followed a quadratic distribution pattern predicted by the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, although with the application of disturbance, the insects diapered into an exponential type pattern in which the greatest abundance of insects were found in the area of least disturbance. The findings of this study have important implications in understanding the effects of disturbance on insects in urban ecosystems and are a step in the direction of forming a unified theory of insect/disturbance dynamics.
The rise of Chrome
Authors: Tamary Jonathan , Feitelson Dror G
Published: January 2018

Since Chrome's initial release in 2008 it has grown in market share, and now controls roughly half of the desktop browsers market. In contrast with Internet Explorer, the previous dominant browser, this was not achieved by marketing practices such as bundling the browser with a pre-loaded operating system. This raises the question of how Chrome achieved this remarkable feat, while other browsers such as Firefox and Opera were left behind. We show that both the performance of Chrome and its conformance with relevant standards are typically better than those of the two main contending browsers, Internet Explorer and Firefox. In addition, based on a survey of the importance of 25 major features, Chrome product managers seem to have made somewhat better decisions in selecting where to put effort. Thus the rise of Chrome is consistent with technical superiority over the competition.
Identification of high-efficiency 3’GG gRNA motifs in indexed FASTA files with ngg2
Authors: Roberson Elisha D
Published: January 2018

CRISPR/Cas9 is emerging as one of the most-used methods of genome modification in organisms ranging from bacteria to human cells. However, the efficiency of editing varies tremendously site-to-site. A recent report identified a novel motif, called the 3’GG motif, which substantially increases the efficiency of editing at all sites tested in C. elegans. Furthermore, they highlighted that previously published gRNAs with high editing efficiency also had this motif. I designed a python command-line tool, ngg2, to identify 3’GG gRNA sites from indexed FASTA files. As a proof-of-concept, I screened for these motifs in six model genomes: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Danio rerio, Mus musculus, and Homo sapiens. I also scanned the genomes of pig (Sus scrofa) and African elephant (Loxodonta africana) to demonstrate the utility in non-model organisms. I identified more than 60 million single match 3’GG motifs in these genomes. Greater than 61% of all protein coding genes in the reference genomes had at least one unique 3’GG gRNA site overlapping an exon. In particular, more than 96% of mouse and 93% of human protein coding genes have at least one unique, overlapping 3’GG gRNA. These identified sites can be used as a starting point in gRNA selection, and the ngg2 tool provides an important ability to identify 3'GG editing sites in any species with an available genome sequence.
Is the Child-to-Child approach useful in improving uptake of eye care services in difficult-to-reach rural communities? Experience from Southwest Nigeria
Authors: Ayorinde Olutoke O , Murthy Gudlavalleti VS , Akinyemi Oluwaseun O
Published: January 2018

Background: Blindness and severe visual impairment render affected individuals, families and communities economically, socially and physically disadvantaged. The number of adults ≥ 40 years with severe visual impairment and blindness in Nigeria is projected to increase from 1.02 million (2008) to 1.4 million (2020). Utilization of available eye care services improves quality of life, but uptake is generally unsatisfactory. Empowering individuals, including children, to identify, motivate and appropriately refer them improves utilization. Children, because of their peculiar roles in families and communities, could be important change agents. This study was designed to determine if primary school pupils aged 9-14 years can be satisfactorily trained, using the child-to- parent approach, to assess vision, refer and motivate people to attend screening eye camps. Methods: Ninety pupils aged 9-14 years attending two purposively-selected primary schools were selected by simple random sampling. Using the child-to-parent approach and Snellens 6/60 illiterate E-chart, participants had a 2-day knowledge and skill-based training followed by 2 days of community-based vision assessment and referral of those assessed. The adequacy and success of the training were assessed by comparing pre- and post-test scores. Results: Three hundred and thirty-six persons were referred and examined; of these, 142 (42.3%) persons were reviewed. Overall there was significant improvement in knowledge. The accuracy of assessments was 82.1% for Right Eyes (RE), 83.3% for Left Eyes (LE) and 72.1% for presbyopia. The sensitivities for the RE, LE and presbyopia were 84.8%, 86.1% and 76.3% respectively. Similarly, the specificities were 44.4% for RE, 50.0% for LE and 68.6% for presbyopia. The performances were not significantly influenced by age, sex and locality. Conclusion: Children aged 9-14 years in primary schools can be empowered, using the child-to-child approach, to assess vision and motivate members of their communities to utilize available eye care services.
Comparing cestode infections and their consequences for host fitness in two sexual branchiopods: alien Artemia franciscana and native A. salina from mixed-populations
Authors: Redón Stella , Amat Francisco , Sánchez Marta I. , Green Andy J.
Published: January 2018

The American brine shrimp Artemia franciscana is invasive in the Mediterranean region where it has displaced native species (the sexual A. salina, and the clonal A. parthenogenetica) from many salt pond complexes. Artemia populations are parasitized by numerous avian cestodes whose effects have been studied in native species. We present a study from the Ebro Delta salterns (NE Spain), in a salt pond where both A. franciscana and native A. salina populations coexist, providing a unique opportunity to compare the parasite loads of the two sexual species in syntopy. The native species had consistently higher infection parameters, largely because the dominant cestode in A. salina adults and juveniles (Flamingolepis liguloides) was much rarer in A. franciscana. The most abundant cestodes in the alien species were Eurycestus avoceti (in adults) and Flamingolepis flamingo (in juveniles). The abundance of E. avoceti and F. liguloides was higher in the A. franciscana population syntopic with A. salina than in a monospecific population sampled at the same time in another pond where the native brine shrimp was absent, possibly because the native shrimp provides a better reservoir for parasite circulation. Infection by cestodes caused red colouration in adult and juvenile A. salina, and also led to castration in a high proportion of adult females. Both these effects were significantly stronger in the native host than in A. franciscana with the same parasite loads. However, for the first time, significant castration effects (for E. avoceti and F. liguloides) and colour change (for six cestode species) were observed in infected A. franciscana. Avian cestodes are likely to help A. franciscana outcompete native species. At the same time, they are likely to reduce the production of A. franciscana cysts in areas where they are harvested commercially.
“Kleist”: Ideas for new parameter to measure running style
Authors: Daumer Martin , Fumbarev Julia , Ellenrieder Nicole , Schaermann Alexander , Subkowski Paul , Lederer Christian
Published: January 2018

Many people prefer running to keep in shape. In recent years many self-tracking and self-optimization gadgets has become popular especially for running. We are interested in the quality of running because individual running style has an impact on the running performance as well as on the running injury risk. Hence, in order to increase the performance and lower the injury risk, runners should be educated towards a healthy running technique. Before making an advice, it is crucial to distinguish between different running styles.
"Sleep-in-a-box": Algorithmic approach to extract rest phases with mobile accelerometry
Authors: Müller Karl , Daumer Martin
Published: January 2018

This paper suggests a knew approach for analysing inactive phases in long term measurements using mobile accelerometry attached to a human body. The goal of the work is to provide a commandline tool to automaticaly parse a timestamped list of acceleration data in order to extract the phases that represent the sleeping periods. Justified on the fact that the data collection is motivated more in a healthcare environment than in a detailed sleeping research the methods do not concentrate on getting exact differentiation between real sleeping and awake lying periods. Detecting a significant long period with an inactivity pattern that permits the assumption that the received recovery quality is similar to the effects of sleeping on the human body will be enough to classify it as restphase. Furthermore the algorithm is not designed to find the exact amount of time that can be related to this classification. Finding enough of the relevant periods to provide a good view on the quantity and quality of inactive rest the observed human body gets should satisfy the task.
Highlights from the 1st Student Symposium on Computational Biology and Life Sciences, organised by ISCB Regional Student Group, UK
Authors: Rahman Farzana , Farmer Rohit , Das Sayoni , Vayani Fatima , Hassan Mehedi
Published: January 2018

In October 2014, the UK regional student group of the International Society for Computational Biology, held an inaugural meeting at the University of South Wales, UK. The meeting was targeted at the next generation of computational biologists in the UK, namely the post graduate students and post-doctoral researchers working in the UK. Delegates from 24 British institutes attended the event. This short report summaries the scientific content and activities of this student-led event and a short background of the initiative.
Successful perioperative airway management in a patient with angiomatous macroglossia for laser ablation under general anesthesia
Authors: Hirota Kiichi
Published: January 2018

Macroglossia is defined as an abnormal enlargement of the tongue that predominantly affects pediatric patients and is not frequent in adult patients. Hypothyroidism and hyperpituitarism may cause macroglossia in adults. In addition, infiltration of the tongue by abnormal tissues, including angiomatous and lymphatic malformations and amyloidosis, is a major cause of macroglossia, particularly in adults. Here we describe the case of a 63-year-old male patient with massive macroglossia due to tongue hemangioma who underwent laser ablation under general anesthesia. Elaborate preanesthetic anatomical and functional airway evaluation facilitated successful airway management in this patient, even in the presence of massive macroglossia.
A diagnostic model for minimal change disease based on biological parameters
Authors: Zhu Hanyu , Han Qiuxia , Zhang Dong , Wang Yong , Gao Jing , Geng Wenjia , Yang Xiaoli , Chen Xiangmei
Published: January 2018

Background

Minimal change disease (MCD) is a kind of nephrotic syndrome (NS). In this study, we aimed to establish a mathematical diagnostic model based on biological parameters to classify MCD.

Methods

A total of 798 NS patients were divided into MCD group and control group. The comparison of biological indicators between two groups were performed with t-tests. Logistic regression was used to establish the diagnostic model, and the diagnostic value of the model was estimated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results

Thirteen indicators including Anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (anti-PLA2R) (P = 0.000), Total protein (TP) (P = 0.000), Albumin (ALB) (P = 0.000), Direct bilirubin (DB) (P = 0.002), Creatinine (Cr) (P = 0.000), Total cholesterol (CH) (P = 0.000), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P = 0.007), High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) (P = 0.000), Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (P = 0.000), Thrombin time (TT) (P = 0.000), Plasma fibrinogen (FIB) (P = 0.000), Immunoglobulin A (IgA) (P = 0.008) and Complement 3 (C3) (P = 0.019) were significantly correlated with MCD. Furthermore, the area under ROC curves of CH, HDL, LDL, TT and FIB were more than 0.70. Logistic analysis demonstrated that CH and TT were risk factors for MCD. According to the ROC of “CH+TT”, the AUC was 0.827, with the sensitivity of 83.0% and the specificity of 69.8% (P = 0.000).

Conclusion

The established diagnostic model with CH and TT could be used for classified diagnosis of MCD.
Weekend effect in upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shih Pei-Ching , Liu Shu-Jung , Li Sung-Tse , Chiu Ai-Chen , Wang Po-Chuan , Liu Lawrence Yu-Min
Published: January 2018

Aim

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the weekend effect on the mortality of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding(UGIB).

Methods

The review protocol has been registered in the PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration number: CRD42017073313) and was written according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. We conducted a search of the PUBMED, COCHRANE, EMBASE and CINAHL databases from inception to August 2017. All observational studies comparing mortality between UGIB patients with weekend versus weekday admissions were included. Articles that were published only in abstract form or not published in a peer-reviewed journal were excluded. The quality of articles was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We pooled results from the articles using random-effect models. Heterogeneity was evaluated by the chi-square-basedQ-test andI2test. To address heterogeneity, we performed sensitivity and subgroup analyses. Potential publication bias was assessed via funnel plot.

Results

Eighteen observational cohort studies involving 1,232,083 study patients were included. Weekend admission was associated with significantly higher 30-day or in-hospital mortality in all studies (OR = 1.12, 95% CI [1.07–1.17],P < 0.00001). Increased in-hospital mortality was also associated with weekend admission (OR = 1.12, 95% CI [1.08–1.17],P < 0.00001). No significant difference in in-hospital mortality was observed between patients admitted with variceal bleeding during the weekend or on weekdays (OR = 0.99, 95% CI [0.91–1.08],P = 0.82); however, weekend admission was associated with a 15% increase in in-hospital mortality for patients with non-variceal bleeding (OR = 1.15, 95% CI [1.09–1.21],P < 0.00001). The time to endoscopy for weekday admission was significantly less than that obtained for weekend admission (MD = −2.50, 95% CI [−4.08–−0.92],P = 0.002).

Conclusions

The weekend effect is associated with increased mortality of UGIB patients, particularly in non-variceal bleeding. The timing of endoscopic intervention might be a factor that influences mortality of UGIB patients.
New Magnetospheric Substorm Injection Monitor: Image Electron Spectrometer On Board a Chinese Navigation IGSO Satellite
Authors: Zong Qiugang , Wang Yongfu , Zou Hong , Wang Linghua , Rankin Robert , Zhang Xiaoxin
Published: January 2018

Substorm injections are one of the most dynamic processes in Earth's magnetosphere and have global consequences and broad implications for space weather modeling. They can be monitored using energetic electron detectors on geosynchronous satellites. The Imaging Electron Spectrometer (IES) on board a Chinese navigation satellite, launched on 16 October 2015 into an inclined geosynchronous satellite orbit (IGSO), provides the first energetic electron measurement in IGSO orbit to the best of our knowledge. The IES was developed by Peking University and is named hereafter as BD‐IES. Using a pin‐hole technique, the BD‐IES instrument measures 50–600 keV incident electrons in eight energy channels from nine directions covering a range of 180° in polar angle. Data collection by the BD‐IES instrument have recently passed the 1 year mark, which reflects a successful milestone for the mission. The innermost and outermost signatures of substorm injection at L ~ 6 and 12 have been observed by the BD‐IES with a high L shell spatial coverage, complementary to the existing missions such as the Van Allen Probes that covers the range below L ~ 6. There are another two BD‐IES instruments to be installed in the coming Chinese Sun‐synchronous and geosynchronous satellites, respectively. Such a configuration will provide a unique opportunity to investigate inward and outward radial propagation of the substorm injection region simultaneously at high and low L shells. It will further elucidate potential mechanisms for the particle energization and transport, two of the most important topics in magnetospheric dynamics.
‘Global Warming is Real’: Superstorm Sandy, Stevens and the SU+RE House
Authors: Nastasi John
Published: January 2018

With every new extreme‐weather event, climate change becomes harder to deny. When a notorious 2012 hurricane hit Hoboken, New Jersey, academic staff at the city's Stevens Institute of Technology quickly responded with impact studies and by instigating multi‐party dialogue to tackle the issues. The architectural faculty's efforts soon became focused around the SU+RE House, which was to be the winning entry for 2015 in the Solar Decathlon – a student competition to design, build and operate a solar‐powered house, run by the US Department of Energy every two years. Guest‐Editor and Stevens faculty member John Nastasi sets out the project's background and explains how it serves as a new model for architectural teaching.
High‐Performance Enclosures: Designing for Comfort, Durability and Sustainability
Authors: Levenson Ken
Published: January 2018

Key to any building's energy consumption levels is the quality of its envelope, comprised of all its enclosing elements. Passive buildings, which do not require costly mechanical systems to keep their users comfortable, are increasing in popularity. But to design them, architects need to engage closely with building science. Citing several recent US examples, including the SU+RE House, Ken Levenson – active in the Passive House movement and a founding partner at Brooklyn, New York company 475 High Performance Building Supply – explains how.
Practical Resilience: Low‐Tech Plug‐and‐Play Innovation in the SU+RE House
Authors: Snell Clarke
Published: January 2018

Advances in sustainable, resilient building can have little impact unless they are both affordable and easily repeatable. The SU+RE House was conceived with both of these imperatives firmly in mind. Guest‐Editor Clarke Snell, who was in the project's leadership group, highlights its emphasis on familiar rather than ultrahigh‐ tech materials, both minimising costs and facilitating the construction process. Describing its mechanisms in detail, he reports on how its flood‐proofing system was inspired by existing marine‐industry technology, with elements designed as standalone products that could be used in other settings.
SU+RE Power: Energy Independence and the Sustainable Resilient Sun
Authors: Snell Clarke , Carpenter Alex
Published: January 2018

The use of solar power is the central requirement of the Solar Decathlon house design competition. Guest‐ Editor Clarke Snell and SU+RE House student team member Alex Carpenter here describe why this is so crucial, and how the Stevens Institute entry fulfilled and exceeded this part of the brief. Its arrays of photovoltaic panels – conceived to resist the elements, and subdivided to ensure a constant supply even in the event of partial damage – provide more energy than the house requires. The surplus can be fed back into the grid, or diverted to an outdoor energy hub for use by neighbours if the grid fails.
Defining Environments: Understanding Architectural Performance through Modelling, Simulation and Visualisation
Authors: Peters Brady
Published: January 2018

Largely due to environmental concerns, approaches to architecture are becoming increasingly crossdisciplinary. With this comes a need for ever more integrated digital simulation tools. Brady Peters – Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and a Director of Smartgeometry, an organisation that promotes computation in architecture – discusses what these tools can achieve, and highlights two companies that are pioneering their use and development: Danish architecture firm BIG, and international engineers BuroHappold. They set out to visualise not only ‘hard metrics’ such as energy consumption, but also ‘soft metrics’ like wellbeing and productivity.
Energy and Design Criticism: Is It Time for a New Measure of Beauty?
Authors: Barry Bronwyn
Published: January 2018

When assessing buildings' design merit, should more attention be paid to their ecological credentials? Sparked off by a heated Twitter debate over the aesthetics of a large new passive building in New York, Bronwyn Barry – a San Francisco‐based architect and certified Passive House Designer – asks why architecture critics give buildings' relationship to site so much greater priority than their relationship to the planet. She goes on to examine what the need for sustainability means for the longstanding addiction to all‐glass facades: are the two necessarily incompatible?
Aim High: Pressing for a Radical and Global Approach to Sustainable Design
Authors: Robertson Craig
Published: January 2018

The importance of major progress in designing for sustainability and resilience is indisputable, and the arguments put forward throughout this issue of 3 are highly commendable. But – asks Craig Robertson, Head of Sustainability at London architecture firm Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) – do they go far enough? Are we still too focused on our own backyards rather than the needs of our fellow human beings worldwide? Have we yet grasped the level of adaptability that is required not only to protect us in the present, but to future‐proof the built environment for generations to come? And what must governments, professional bodies and indeed individuals do to bring about the total paradigm shift that is so urgently needed?
Biosourced Foam‐Like Activated Carbon Materials as High‐Performance Supercapacitors
Authors: Ba Housseinou , Wang Wei , Pronkin Sergey , Romero Thierry , Baaziz Walid , Nguyen‐Dinh Lam , Chu Wei , Ersen Ovidiu , Pham‐Huu Cuong
Published: January 2018

Bio‐inspired and cost‐effective development of highly porous foam‐like carbon structure originating from waste fig‐fruit raw materials using chemical activation is described. The as‐synthesized porous sample exhibits a specific surface area higher than 2000 m2 g−1 and relatively high porosity with ultimately interconnected micro‐, meso‐, and macropores. Such sample displays superior specific capacitance in aqueous electrolyte of 340 and 217 F g−1 at current density of 0.5 A and 20 A g−1, respectively, along with a high energy/power density performance compared to that developed in the literature and the commercial supercapacitors up to now. In addition, the sample also exhibits an extremely high stability as a function of cycling tests with more 99% capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles.
Insights into the Failure Mechanisms of Organic Photodetectors
Authors: Kielar Marcin , Daanoune Mehdi , François‐Martin Olivier , Flament Bruno , Dhez Olivier , Pandey Ajay K. , Chambon Sylvain , Clerc Raphaël , Hirsch Lionel
Published: January 2018

This work investigates in detail the reliability of poly(2,7‐carbazole‐alt‐4, 7‐dithienyl‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole):phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester‐based organic photodiodes (OPDs) under visible light and air exposure. The current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of the state‐of‐the‐art OPDs are measured both at room and low temperature, before, during, and after ageing. While electrodes are only slightly impacted by ageing, the active layer is significantly damaged regardless the absence of UV light, leading to a major decrease in the responsivity. The combination of the thermally stimulated current and the I–V characteristics versus temperature (I–V–T) techniques along with the extensive use of the drift‐diffusion simulations all reveals that the observed degradation is the consequence of the generation of shallow traps (0.2 eV, NT = 1016 cm−3) that significantly reduce the charge carrier mobility. In contrast, deep traps (0.7 eV, NT = 7 × 1015 cm−3) are found to be present on freshly prepared samples and their concentration remains unchanged after ageing.
Past, present, and future of Emergency General Surgery in the USA
Authors: Lyu Heather G. , Najjar Peter , Havens Joaquim M.
Published: January 2018

Emergency General Surgery (EGS) patients represent a unique group of acutely ill surgical patients at high risk for death and complications. Since the inception of EGS as a surgical subspecialty in the early 2000s, there have been significant developments to further define the scope of EGS as well as to advance data collection, performance measurement, and quality improvement. This includes defining the EGS cohort by diagnosis and procedure and by overall burden, benchmarking of EGS outcomes, and creation of quality improvement programs aimed at reducing the excess morbidity and mortality associated with EGS. Going forward there exists a need for a more modern approach to quality improvement. This may include the creation of an EGS data registry, the use of electronic medical records data, wearable device technology, and a focus on patient reported outcomes.
Semiprobabilistische Dauerhaftigkeitsbemessung von Stahlbetonbauten unter Chlorideinwirkung
Authors: Rahimi Amir , Gehlen Christoph
Published: January 2018

Die Dauerhaftigkeit neu zu errichtender Betonbauwerke wird nach derzeitigen Regelwerken deskriptiv maßgeblich durch die Einhaltung von Mindestanforderungen an Betonzusammensetzung, Betondeckung und Nachbehandlung geregelt. Eine leistungsbezogene Bewertung nach dem Performance‐Konzept, wie bei der Tragwerksbemessung, wird in der Regel nicht vorgenommen. Die in jüngster Zeit entwickelten Bemessungskonzepte auf Basis geprüfter Leistungsfähigkeit (Performance) sind in der Regel aufwendiger und benötigen darüber hinaus gesonderte Fachkenntnisse und spezielle Software. In diesem Beitrag wird ein semiprobabilistisches Konzept vorgestellt, das eine Dauerhaftigkeitsbemessung hinsichtlich chloridinduzierter Betonstahlkorrosion für neu zu errichtende Bauteile wesentlich leichter, auch ohne spezielle Software, ermöglicht.
Computer Simulation Elucidates Yeast Flocculation and Sedimentation for Efficient Industrial Fermentation
Authors: Liu Chen‐Guang , Li Zhi‐Yang , Hao Yue , Xia Juan , Bai Feng‐Wu , Mehmood Muhammad Aamer
Published: January 2018

Flocculation plays an important role in the immobilized fermentation of biofuels and biochemicals. It is essential to understand the flocculation phenomenon at physical and molecular scale; however, flocs cannot be studied directly due to fragile nature. Hence, the present study is focused on the morphological specificities of yeast flocs formation and sedimentation via the computer simulation by a single floc growth model, based on Diffusion‐Limited Aggregation (DLA) model. The impact of shear force, adsorption, and cell propagation on porosity and floc size is systematically illustrated. Strong shear force and weak adsorption reduced floc size but have little impact on porosity. Besides, cell propagation concreted the compactness of flocs enabling them to gain a larger size. Later, a multiple flocs growth model is developed to explain sedimentation at various initial floc sizes. Both models exhibited qualitative agreements with available experimental data. By regulating the operation constraints during fermentation, the present study will lead to finding optimal conditions to control the floc size distribution for efficient fermentation and harvesting.
Influence of External Forces during Supercooling on Dispersion Stability during Melt Emulsification
Authors: Abramov Serghei , Ahammou Abdeljaouad , Karbstein Heike Petra
Published: January 2018

A special high‐pressure homogenization process – simultaneous homogenization and mixing (SHM) – was applied to produce hexadecane (C16H34), octadecane (C18H38), eicosane (C20H42), and docosane (C22H46) in water dispersions. Additionally, a high‐shear stress zone (HSSZ) was connected to the SHM unit to investigate the influence of external forces during supercooling on dispersion stability. The HSSZ did not affect the droplet disruption efficiency but induced aggregation behavior of the dispersed phase with increasing alkane chain length and dispersed‐phase content. High‐shear treatment during crystallization led to a change in particle shape, which was more favorable to aggregation.
Comparative assessment of the fluoride removal capability of immobilized and dead cells of Staphylococcus lentus (KX941098) isolated from contaminated groundwater
Authors: Mukherjee Shraboni , Sahu Priyanka , Halder Gopinath
Published: January 2018

A microbial treatment of fluorinated aqueous solution was performed by using a novel bacterial strain isolated from fluoride‐loaded groundwater. Defluoridation efficiencies of two forms viz. immobilized live cells and dead biomass of the isolate were investigated by means of a series of batch studies. Initial fluoride concentration (1–25 mg L−1), pH (5–9), bead numbers (5–30), agitation speed (100–240 rpm), and temperature (20–45°C) were the various parameters studied to investigate the influence of each of them on fluoride removal capacity of the microbial species. The bacterial species isolated was able to withstand fluoride concentration till 20 mg L−1 in case of immobilized live cells, whereas, the dead biomass could reduce the concentration only up to 10 mg L−1. 16S rRNA sequencing confirmed the isolate to be Staphylococcus lentus. Biochemical characterizations were performed. Biokinetics of fluoride uptake by the isolate was performed. Instrumental analysis such as scanning electron microscopy and FTIR substantiated the uptake of the fluoride ions by the biomass. Maximum removal of 92% and 85.03% were achieved by the immobilized cells and dead biomass respectively which is the highest reported till date. Maximum sorption capacity of 5.198 mg g−1 of the dead cells were obtained from the Langmuir isotherm. Adsorption equilibria was found to be best explained by the Freundlich isotherm model. Pseudo‐second‐order kinetics provided the best fit to the fluoride‐sorption system. Experimental results revealed that the immobilized cells of Staphylococcus lentus (KX941098) could be used as potential agents in removal of fluoride from contaminated groundwater. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1573–1586, 2018
An Exploration of Induced Supramolecular Chirality Through Association of Chiral Ammonium Ions and Tartrates with the Achiral Host Cucurbit[7]uril
Authors: Wu Wenjing , Cronin Michael P. , Wallace Lynne , Day Anthony I.
Published: January 2018

The chiral amines (R,R and S,S)‐1‐amino‐2‐benzyloxycyclopentane and (R and S)‐α‐methylbenzylamine were converted to ammonium (D and L) hydrogen tartrate salts and induced chiroptic effects were investigated following encapsulation in Q[7]. Significant chiroptic differences were observed in ORD and CD spectra for the two amines. The optical spectra were performed as a precursor study to a potential method for enantiomer separation, utilising Q[7] encapsulation in conjunction with enantio‐pure hydrogen tartrates. An enantiomeric excess was achieved for the two antipodes of 1‐amino‐2‐benzyoxycyclopentane but not for those of α‐methylbenzylamine. However, material differences of crystallinity or the formation of a glass were observed for the latter amine induced by the different antipodes of hydrogen tartrate. 1H NMR spectra of aminobenzyloxycyclopentane showed back‐folding of the two rings with complete encapsulation in Q[7], leading to a secondary helical structure observed in CD spectra.
Examining the Effectiveness of Integrated Behavioral and Primary Health Care Treatment
Authors: Schmit Michael K. , Watson Joshua C. , Fernandez Mary A.
Published: January 2018

Using a quasi‐experimental, pre–post test design of 196 persons diagnosed with serious mental illness, the authors compared the effectiveness of an integrated behavioral and primary health care (IBPH) treatment approach vs. a treatment‐as‐usual approach over a 12‐month period. A profile analysis of 5 mean difference scores, each representing a separate component of client holistic functioning, indicated that individuals receiving IBPH experienced a 24‐times greater improvement in overall functioning. Recommendations for treatment and client care are provided.
The Evolution Aspect in the Crystallization Process of [5,5′‐(HCF2CF2CH2OCH2)2‐2,2′‐bpy]MX2 (M = Pt, Pd; X = I, Br): Role of the Intramolecular CF2─H…X(─M) Hydrogen Bonds
Authors: Lu Norman , Lu Yi‐Jing , Huang Jia‐Yu , Chiang Hsing‐Fang , Kung Chih‐Chieh , Wen Yuh‐Sheng , Liu Ling‐Kang
Published: January 2018

The general species (2,2′‐bpy)MX2 (M = Pd, Pt; X = Br, I) in a crystallization process results in an isomorphous convergence in P21/c. Yet, with polyfluorinated side chains, the general [5,5′‐(HCF2CF2CH2OCH2)2‐2,2′‐bpy]MX2 species proceeds to crystallize the isomorphous structures of 5 (M = Pt; X = I) and 6 (M = Pd; X = I) in P21/c only; structure 7 (M = Pt; X = Br) crystallizes in P21/c but is not isomorphous with 5 and 6, and structure 8 (M = Pd; X = Br) forms differently in P–1. The causes making the system nonlinear are (1) the intramolecular CF2─H…X(─M) hydrogen bonds found in 5–7 but not in 8, and (2) in response to the transition from I to Br, bifurcated [C─H…]2
F─C hydrogen bonds that are formed in 5 and 6 and bifurcated C─
H[…F─C]2 hydrogen bonds in 7. Additionally, the intramolecular CF2─H…X(─M) hydrogen bonding from compounds 5–7 could be affirmed by the IR studies.
Responses of Human Large Granular Lymphocytes and Classical T-Cells in Culture to Allogeneic Cells, Lectins, and Soluble Antigen
Authors: Ortaldo John R , Seeley Janet M , Mori Nancy , Bolhuis Reinder L H
Published: January 2018

Subpopulations of human peripheral blood mononuclear lymphocytes, after depletion of B-cells and monocytes (by sequential adherence to plastic and nylon wool columns) were separated by Percoll density gradient centrifugation and tested for their ability to proliferate in response to various mitogens, recall antigens, and alloantigens, and to develop cytolytic reactivity in vitro. The low-density fraction [mostly large-granular lymphocytes (LGL)] contained greater than 95% of the total cytotoxic activity of unfractionated nonadherent lymphocytes, against the natural killer (NK)-susceptible K562 target cell, and against other NK-susceptible targets, whereas the high-density lymphocyte fraction (mostly classical T-lymphocytes) demonstrated little or no cytolytic activity against these targets. Conversely, cytotoxic alloreactivity against the lymphoblasts of the donor used for stimulation developed only in the cultures of high density cells. Autologous cytotoxic reactivity, against autologous phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated lymphoblasts, was not restricted to either subset but developed by both LGL as well as high-density lymphocytes. LGL and high-density T-lymphocytes demonstrated significant proliferative responses to lectins [PHA, concanavalin A (Con A), pokeweed mitogen], and the responses of the LGL were similar in magnitude to those of peripheral blood mononuclear cells or of high-density T-cells. In contrast, only T-lymphocytes responded to the specific recall antigen, purified protein derivative (PPD). These results indicate that LGL are capable of proliferative responses to various lectins, but have no detectable specific memory responses to a soluble antigen. In addition, a different subset of lymphoid cells was responsible for the development of NK-like and specific alloreactivity. Therefore, NK cells and T-cells, although sharing proliferative responses to mitogens, exhibit different function regarding cytotoxic effectors.
Regulation of T- and B Lymphocyte Responses to Mitogens by Tumor-Associated Macrophages: The Dependency on the Stage of Tumor Growth
Authors: Evans Robert
Published: January 2018

This preliminary investigation was concerned with the hypothesis that macrophages associated with tumors induced to regress temporarily by the action of cyclophosphamide (CY) have the capacity to suppress local T- or B lymphocyte responses which otherwise might cause permanent regression. Cultures of adherent cells, predominantly tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), isolated from two C57BL/6J (B6) sarcomas, MCA/76-9 and 76-64, after various periods of tumor growth or after CY injection (240 mg/kg) were shown to suppress or enhance the response of 106 B6 normal spleen cells to stimulation by concanavalin-A (Con A) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). At any given time point, the extent of suppression or enhancement induced by adherent cells isolated from tumors after CY injection was similar to that induced by cells from progressing tumors and appeared to be more dependent on the time after the initial injection of tumor cells than on drug treatment per se. Thus, adherent cells suppressed Con A and LPS responses when they were isolated either from small (0.5 g) or large (>1.5 g) progressing tumors or from tumors 4–9 days after CY injection. However, during the logarithmic phase of tumor growth or within 4 days of injecting CY, adherent cells enhanced spleen cell mitogenic responses, particularly to LPS stimulation. The cultures of putative TAMs isolated at the various time points were seen to contain varying proportions of polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs), the proportions coinciding with the period of reduced spleen cell mitogenic responses. Cultures prepared from small or large progressing tumors contained about 10% or 20–30% PMNs, respectively, while those from tumors tested during the log phase contained less than 5% PMNs. Cultures from tumors removed within 4 days of injecting CY contained less than 5% PMNs while those prepared from tumors tested at later times contained as high as 25% PMNs by 9 days after CY injection. A comparison of peritoneal PMNs and macrophages from non-tumor-bearing mice in terms of their ability to influence mitogenesis indicated that PMNs at high ratios (1 PMN:2 spleen cells) could suppress responses directly. Lower ratios had either small suppressive effects or no effects but in no case was enhancement of responses seen. Peritoneal macrophages suppressed responses at a ratio of 1 macrophage:10 spleen cells but enhanced responses at ratios of 1 macrophage:100 or 1,000 spleen cells. The overall data indicated that the microenvironment of the tumor site may modulate the functional activity of macrophages, or their subpopulations, during their potential regulation of T- and B-cell responses. In addition, the presence of PMNs in large numbers at these inflammatory sites may also contribute to the regulation of lymphocyte function.