bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolated from river waters flowing to the Guanabara Bay and from clinical samples of hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: Dias Gonçalves Verônica , Meirelles-Pereira Frederico , Cataldo Márcio , De Oliveira Fonseca Bianca , Araujo Nogueira Barbara , Botelho Olivella Julianna Giordano , De Assis Esteves Francisco , Mattos-Guaraldi Ana Luiza , Braga de Andrade Arnaldo Feitosa , Ribeiro Bello Alexandre , Adler Pereira José Augusto
Published: September 2019

Introduction: The use of antibiotics in humans, animal husbandry and veterinary activities induces selective pressure leading to the colonization and infection by resistant strains.Objective: We evaluated water samples collected from rivers of the Guanabara Bay, which have suffered minor and major environmental degradation, and clinical samples of hospital origin to detect evidence of the presence of resistance genes to aminoglycosides, beta-lactam antibiotics and fluoroquinolones in strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae, K. pneumoniae subsp. ozaenae and Escherichia coli.Materials and methods: For isolation of the water strains we employed culture media containing 32 μg/ml cephalotin and 8 μg/ml gentamicin. The strains from clinical materials were selected using culture media containing 8 μg/ml gentamicin. The strains were identified and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), plasmid DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect genes encoding enzymes modifying aminoglycosides (EMA), extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) and plasmid mechanisms of quinolone resistance (PMQR).Results: The AST of the isolates recovered from water samples showed multidrugresistance profiles similar to those found in isolates recovered from clinical materials. All isolates from water samples and 90% of the isolates from clinical samples showed at least one plasmid band. In the PCR assays, 7.4% of the isolates recovered from water samples and 20% of those from clinical materials showed amplification products for the three antimicrobial classes.Conclusion: We believe that the detection of microorganisms presenting genetic elements in environments such as water is necessary for the prevention and control of their dissemination with potential to infect humans and other animals in eventual contact with these environments.
Incidencia y subregistro de casos de leptospirosis diagnosticados con tres métodos diferentes en Urabá, Colombia
Authors: Pérez-García Janeth , Agudelo-Flórez Piedad , Parra-Henao Gabriel Jaime , Ochoa Jesús Ernesto , Arboleda Margarita
Published: September 2019

Introducción. La leptospirosis representa un problema de salud pública y es una causa importante de morbimortalidad en la región de Urabá, cuya notificación se ve afectada por las deficiencias en el diagnóstico.Objetivo. Establecer la incidencia de la leptospirosis en los municipios del llamado ‘eje bananero’ de la región de Urabá, documentar la magnitud del subregistro y proponer orientaciones para el diagnóstico por laboratorio por parte de la red de salud pública. Materiales y métodos. Se compararon dos fuentes de información sobre la leptospirosis: el sistema oficial nacional de vigilancia y un estudio transversal de 479 pacientes febriles, llevado a cabo entre abril de 2010 y mayo de 2012. El diagnóstico se hizo con base en tres pruebas: inmunofluorescencia indirecta, microaglutinación y hemocultivo. La exhaustividad de cada fuente de información se estimó mediante el método de captura y recaptura. Resultados. El 58 % (278/479) de los pacientes fueron positivos para leptospirosis, por lo menos, en una de las pruebas y, el 10,43 % (29/278), en las tres. La inclusión de una cepa nativa en el panel de la prueba de microaglutinación aumentó el porcentaje de positividad en 15 %. La tasa acumulada de incidencia fue de 66,5 por 100.000 habitantes y la proporción de letalidad fue de 2,15 %. El subregistro de la morbilidad por leptospirosis en la región de Urabá, fue de 27,8 % y, el de la mortalidad, de 66,6 %.Conclusión. El subregistro de leptospirosis en la región reitera la necesidad de usar más de una prueba diagnóstica para identificar Leptospira spp. en pacientes de zonas endémicas. Este subregistro podría ser una situación común en todo el país.
Serorreacción y prevalencia de sífilis en donantes de un banco de sangre de Barranquilla, Colombia
Authors: Martínez-Garcés Juan Carlos , Macías-Vidal Michael , Maestre-Serrano Ronald , Ávila-De la Hoz Ricardo , Navarro-Jiménez Eduardo , Bula-Viecco Johan , Ricaurte-Barrera Lisbeth
Published: September 2019

Introducción. La sífilis es una enfermedad de interés en salud pública por sus elevadas tasas de morbilidad y mortalidad.Objetivo. Determinar la serorreacción y la seroprevalencia de sífilis según las variables sociodemográficas de los donantes de un banco de sangre del distrito de Barranquilla, Colombia, durante 2015 y 2016.Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal basado en los resultados de las pruebas treponémicas y no treponémicas. Se analizaron las variables sociodemográficas de la población estudiada y se hizo un análisis univariado en el que se determinaron las frecuencias absoluta y relativa de cada una de las variables categóricas. Se determinó la serorreacción a Treponema pallidum y la prevalencia de la infección activa. Se utilizó la prueba de ji al cuadrado de Pearson para evaluar las diferencias entre las proporciones.Resultados. Se encontró una serorreacción de 1,86 % para la infección previa con T. pallidum y una prevalencia de 0,93 % para la infección activa, las cuales fueron más altas en hombres adultos y en adultos mayores, viudos, desempleados y personas residentes en otros municipios del departamento de Atlántico diferentes de Barranquilla y su área metropolitana. Se encontró una asociación significativa entre la sífilis y las variables de sexo y ocupación.Conclusión. Se registró una serorreacción elevada a T. pallidum en donantes de sangre, comparada con el promedio nacional. Se encontró asociación entre la sífilis, y las variables sociodemográficas de sexo y ocupación, principalmente.
Multidrug resistance and risk factors associated with community-acquired urinary tract infections caused by Escherichia coli in Venezuela
Authors: Guzmán Militza , Salazar Elsa , Cordero Vicmaris , Castro Ana , Villanueva Andreína , Rodulfo Hectorina , De Donato Marcos
Published: September 2019

Introduction: The treatment of urinary tract infections has become more challenging due to the increasing frequency of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli in human populations.Objective: To characterize multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates causing community-acquired urinary tract infections in Cumaná, Venezuela, and associate possible risk factors for infection by extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL)-producing isolates.Materials and methods: We included all the patients with urinary tract infections attending the urology outpatient consultation and emergency unit in the Hospital de Cumaná, Estado Sucre, Venezuela, from January through June, 2014. blaTEM, blaSHV and blaCTX-M genes detection was carried out by PCR.Results: We found a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant E. coli (25.2%) with 20.4% of the isolates producing ESBL. The ESBL-producing isolates showed a high frequency (66.7%) of simultaneous resistance to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides compared to non-producing isolates (2.4%). Of the resistant isolates, 65.4% carried the blaTEM gene, 34.6% the blaCTX-M and 23.1% the blaSHV. The blaCTX-M genes detected belonged to the CTX-M-1 and CTX-M-2 groups. Plasmid transfer was demonstrated by in vitro conjugation in 17 of the 26 ESBL-producing isolates. All three genes detected were transferred to the transconjugants. Age over 60 years, complicated urinary tract infections and previous use of a catheter predisposed patients to infection by ESBL-producing E. coli.Conclusions: The high frequency of multidrug-resistant ESBL-producing isolates should alert the regional health authorities to take measures to reduce the risk of outbreaks caused by these types of bacteria in the community.
Francisco Campos-Rivadeneira and Roberto Levi- Castillo: Their lives and contributions to the study of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Ecuador
Authors: Ramón Giovani Marcelo , Pérez Rodolfo , Jarrín Pablo
Published: September 2019

The study of mosquitoes is important in the prevention of vector-borne diseases. In Ecuador, the study of local mosquito biodiversity was pioneered by two entomologists whose contributions span through the first half of the 20th century, Francisco Campos-Rivadeneira and Roberto Levi-Castillo.Both of them contributed to general aspects of Entomology and to particular insights in mosquito taxonomy. Their publications and discoveries were recognized by the international scientific community but went unnoticed in South America during their time. Today, very few citizens remember the names and contributions of these two scientists. Here, we provide an overview of their lives, a summary of their contributions, and we conclude with a broader outlook on the practice of science in Latin America during their time.
Helicobacter pylori: resistencia múltiple en pacientes de Bogotá, Colombia
Authors: Arévalo Azucena , Otero William Alberto , Trespalacios Alba Alicia
Published: September 2019

Introducción. La resistencia a los antibióticos es la principal causa del fracaso del tratamiento contra Helicobacter pylori; la claritromicina y el metronidazol son los antibióticos que generan mayor resistencia. En Colombia, la resistencia primaria a estos dos antibióticos y el uso excesivo de levofloxacina han alcanzado los límites aceptados (13,6, 83 y 16 %, respectivamente). A pesar de ello, se usa el tratamiento empírico combinando estos antibióticos en pacientes en los que ha fallado anteriormente.Objetivo. Determinar la resistencia a los antibióticos en pacientes previamente tratados para H. pylori en Bogotá, Colombia.Materiales y métodos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio descriptivo en el que se evaluó mediante dilución en agar la resistencia a la amoxicilina, la claritromicina, la levofloxacina y el metronidazol en 10 aislamientos provenientes de 5 pacientes con tres o cuatro tratamientos fallidos para H. pylori. La resistencia a los antibióticos se confirmó mediante secuenciación de ADN (Magrogen, Korea).Resultados. Ocho de los aislamientos presentaron resistencia a dos o más antibióticos y todos fueron resistentes a la levofloxacina. Los patrones de sensibilidad de los aislamientos provenientes del antro pilórico y del cuerpo del estómago, fueron diferentes en tres de los pacientes.Conclusión. Hasta donde se sabe, esta es la primera evidencia de resistencia múltiple de H. pylori en Colombia en pacientes previamente tratados. Los resultados evidenciaron las consecuencias del uso de un esquema ineficaz de tratamiento antibiótico y la necesidad de evaluar la sensibilidad a los antibióticos en diferentes sitios anatómicos del estómago. La resistencia múltiple limita el número de antibióticos útiles para erradicar H. pylori.
Melioidosis en Colombia, descripción de un caso clínico y consideraciones epidemiológicas
Authors: Rodríguez José Y. , Álvarez-Moreno Carlos A. , Cortés Jorge A. , Rodríguez Gerson J. , Esquea Kelin , Pinzón Heidy , Mendoza María J. , Acosta Yiceth
Published: September 2019

La melioidosis es una enfermedad infecciosa causada por Burkholderia pseudomallei cuyo diagnóstico clínico puede ser difícil debido a su variada presentación clínica y a las dificultades del diagnóstico microbiológico, por lo cual pueden requerirse técnicas moleculares para su adecuada identificación una vez se sospecha su presencia.Son pocos los antibióticos disponibles para el tratamiento de esta enfermedad y, además, deben usarse durante un tiempo prolongado. Aunque se conoce por ser endémica en Tailandia, Malasia, Singapur, Vietnam y Australia, en Colombia se han reportado algunos pocos casos.Se presenta un caso de melioidosis en la región norte de Colombia, se hace una revisión de las características clínicas y el tratamiento, y se describe la epidemiología local de esta enfermedad.
Differential mechanisms underlying responses of soil bacterial and fungal communities to nitrogen and phosphorus inputs in a subtropical forest
Authors: Li Yong , Tian Dashuan , Wang Jinsong , Niu Shuli , Tian Jing , Ha Denglong , Qu Yuxi , Jing Guangwei , Kang Xiaoming , Song Bing
Published: September 2019

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and phosphorus (P) addition both can change soil bacterial and fungal community structure with a consequent impact on ecosystem functions. However, which factor plays an important role in regulating responses of bacterial and fungal community to N and P enrichments remains unclear. We conducted a manipulative experiment to simulate N and P inputs (10 g N · m−2 · yr−1 NH4NO3 or 10 g P · m−2 · yr−1 NaH2PO4) and compared their effects on soil bacterial and fungal species richness and community composition. The results showed that the addition of N significantly increased NH4+ and Al3+ by 99.6% and 57.4%, respectively, and consequently led to a decline in soil pH from 4.18 to 3.75 after a 5-year treatment. P addition increased Al3+ and available P by 27.0% and 10-fold, respectively, but had no effect on soil pH. N addition significantly decreased bacterial species richness and Shannon index and resulted in a substantial shift of bacterial community composition, whereas P addition did not. Neither N nor P addition changed fungal species richness, Shannon index, and fungal community composition. A structural equation model showed that the shift in bacterial community composition was related to an increase in soil acid cations. The principal component scores of soil nutrients showed a significantly positive relationship with fungal community composition. Our results suggest that N and P additions affect soil bacterial and fungal communities in different ways in subtropical forest. These findings highlight how the diversity of microbial communities of subtropical forest soil will depend on future scenarios of anthropogenic N deposition and P enrichment, with a particular sensitivity of bacterial community to N addition.
Two new species of Notodasus Fauchald, 1972 (Annelida: Capitellidae) from the Central Indo-Pacific region
Authors: Lin Junhui , García-Garza María Elena , Arbi Ucu Yanu , Wang Jianjun
Published: September 2019

Notodasus Fauchald, 1972 is a small genus of the polychaete family Capitellidae, including 10 described species worldwide. The genus is unusual in the Central Indo-Pacific, and there is no taxonomic record of Notodasus in this region. In this study, two new species of Notodasus are described and illustrated, namely Notodasus celebensis sp. nov. and N. chinensis sp. nov. The former species, collected from the mixed-species seagrass beds in the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, is mainly characterized by the longitudinally striated epithelium on thoracic segments and the completely separated notopodial lobes. The latter species, obtained from coastal waters off southern China, differs from its congeners with the following characters: tessellated epithelium present on anterior thorax as well as on the dorsum of chaetigers 11 and 12, notopodial lobes fused and chaetal fascicles almost touching each other on anterior abdomen, and branchial pores evident from anterior abdomen. Comparisons are made with closely related species in this paper, and a revised key is provided to all described Notodasus species. The descriptions of the two new species represent the first record of Notodasus in this region and expand the geographical distribution of the genus.
Impact of the Mixture of Water from Cooked Bean and Human Urine on the Growth of Some Common Plants in Cameroon: Case Study of Talinum fruticosum L. and Ocimum gratissimum L.
Authors: Tuebue J. C. Fopoussi , Basga S. D. , Tematio P. , Nguetnkam J. P.
Published: September 2019

The sustainable improvement of plant nutrition can provide sufficient food for all and can keep the environment clean. In that point of view, the present study aims to provide to farmers some contextualized and efficient fertilizers. In the present work, 161 plants of Talinum fruticosum L. and 161 plants of Ocimum gratissimum L. were regularly treated with a mixture of human urine and water from cooked beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) in a 1:1 ratio during three months. 161 of each of these plants were used as control. The experimental design was a randomized complete block in 4 replicates. The size of the studied parts of the targeted plants was highly enhanced in three months in response to the use of the mixture. The leaves of Ocimum gratissimum L. treated shew an average of 22 cm of length and 7.7 cm of width while those of the control shew an average length of 8 cm and 4.8 cm of width. Concerning the leaves of Talinum fruticosum L. treated, they measured 10.1 cm of length and 4 cm of width in average and those of the control 4.1 cm of length and 2 cm of width in average. Peasants could thus save a lot of money by using their excreta and some of their sewages as fertilizers to promote the sustainable development of their ecosystems. Further lab analysis on water from cooked beans alone and on the mixture made of human urine and water from cooked beans could ease in the future the acquirement of new knowledge about them. The consequence of that improvement will simply be the capitalization of those fluids as source of easily absorbable nutrients for plants nutrition.
Application of Dry Cocoa Bean Shell Ash and NPK 15:15:15 for Improvement of Soil Fertility and Maize Yield on a Degraded Humid Tropical Alfisol, Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Olojugba Michael Rotimi , Oguntoyinbo David Boluwaji
Published: September 2019

The application of dry cocoa bean shell ash (DCBSA) and NPK 15:15:15 for the improvement of soil fertility and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) was studied on an Alfisol South Western Nigeria, located at Joseph Ayo Babalola University Ikeji-Arakeji, Ilesa Osun State, Nigeria Teaching and Research Farm from April to July 2017 and from August to November 2016. Four treatments of dry cocoa bean shell ash (DCBSA) at 5 tonsha-1, NPK 15:15:15 at 300 kgha-1, dry cocoa bean shell ash (DCBSA) at 2.5 tonsha-1, mixed NPK 15:15:15 at 150 kgha-1 and control (C) were used in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the means were compared by the use of Duncan multiple range test (DMRT) at 5% significance level. The study showed that dry cocoa bean shell ash (DCBSA) used alone can serve as a suitable alternative to inorganic fertilizer in the south western Nigeria, Especially, DCBSA has higher organic carbon than NPK dry cocoa bean shell ash (DCBSA) at 5 t ha-1, NPK 15:15:15 at 300 kg ha-1, dry cocoa bean shell ash (DCBSA) at 2.5 t ha-1, mixed NPK 15:15:15 at 150 kg ha-1 produced higher values for plant height, leaf area, chlorophyll, plant diameter, cob length, cob diameter and grain yield against the control that recorded the lowest value. Also. DCBSA improves soil pH as well as increases minerals such as Ca, Mg, Na and in particular, made available phosphorous due to its increment on soil pH. pH increased fro 5.3 to 7.8 DCBSA, N levels in the soil increased from 0.06g kg-1 to 2.61g kg-1 (DCBSA) and 2.10 g kg-1 (DCBTA + NPK). Organic carbon (OC) increased from 0.07 g kg-1 to 2.87g kg-1 DCBSA plot.  P level decreased from 3.7 mg dm-3 to 1.09 mg dm-3 (DCBSA) and 1.81 mg dm-3 (NPK) and 1.42 mg dm-3 (DCBSA + NPK)  which was an indication of P availability to crop during growing season.  Maize grain yield increased from 0.77 tonsha-1 in the control plot to 1.25 t ha-1 in DCBSA plot, 1.22 t ha-1 a in NPK plot and 1.26 t ha-1. in DCBSA + NPK plot.   The study recommends an application rate of 5 t ha-1 of dry cocoa shell ash (DCBSA) alone or 2.5 t ha-1 combination each of (DCBSA + NPK) for maize yield and fertility improvement on this type of soil in this agro - ecology.
Challenges in Providing Immunization Services amongst Community Pharmacists in South-south, Nigeria: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Agbo Ben Benson , Esienumoh Ekpoanwan , Inah Simon Alain , Eko Jimmy Ebi , Nwachukwu Eze James
Published: September 2019

Background: The primary aim of Community Pharmacists’ participation in immunization is to contribute towards mitigating deaths associated with vaccine preventable diseases as well as expanding access to immunisation services. However, with the increasing Nigerian population, the global targets of reducing child mortality can significantly be achieved by periodically reviewing health systems performance to identify and address existing gaps.

Objective: The general objective of the study is to identify the challenges encountered by Community Pharmacists in providing immunisation services in Calabar Metropolis of Cross River State.

Method: A descriptive cross sectional study design was adopted for the study. Data were collected using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire from 68 community pharmacists which were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Data generated were synthesised and analysed using SPSS (version 20.0) and results were presented in frequency tables and charts. Fisher Exact test was used to test for association between variables at 0.05 alpha level.

Results: Results showed that most community pharmacies have the resources to participate in immunization, only a few however had immunization administration record sheets 7(11.3%) and immunization record cards for patients 4 (6.5%). The finding also showed that lack of training 55 (88.7%); low awareness by the public of immunization services provided by the community pharmacist 44 (70.9%) and storage of vaccines 39 (62.9%) were the prominent perceived challenges to providing immunization in the community pharmacy. The association between lack of time (p =1.000, Fisher’s Exact test) and provision of immunization services was statistically not significant.

Conclusion: Addressing identified challenges is pivotal to increasing and expanding accessibility and utilisation of immunisation services especially amongst the populace in resource limited settings.
Petrographic Assessment of Some Industrial Minerals in Selected Part of Southern Benue Trough, Nigeria
Authors: Onwualu-John Josephine N. , Nwosu J. I.
Published: September 2019

Some part of the Southern Benue Trough (Afikpo and Anambra Basins) has been mapped to determine the areas of occurrence of industrial minerals and to determine their lateral extent. The result shows that Southern Benue Trough is enriched with mostly industrial minerals of sedimentary and magmatic origin. The magmatism that occurred in the study area and its evolutionary processes led to mineralization of the study area. Interaction of the magma with host rocks gave rise to mineral genesis. The contamination and assimilation processes that occurred in the magmatic stage resulted to enrichment of minerals in the study area. The contact relationship of the magma with the host rock created a contact aureole though the resultant minerals (metamorphic minerals) of the contact aureole are not significant and exposed. The repetitive transgressive-regressive sedimentary cycle that occurred in the Southern Benue Trough probably resulted to the massive deposition of industrial minerals of sedimentary origin. The dominant and significant industrial minerals in Afikpo and Anambra Basins are sandstones (ferruginized sandstone, calcareous sandstones and carbonaceous sandstones), clay mineral (kaolinite), pebbles, igneous rocks of diverse levels of emplacement (intrusive/ extrusive), olivine , hematite, Feldspar, mica and quartz.
Explanatory Notes – Specific Anatomical Sites
Authors: Wittekind Christian , Brierley James D. , Lee Anne , van Eycken Elisabeth
Published: September 2019

Changes from the 7th edition as regards the classification, staging, and grading of various tumours in the different sites such as the head and neck, digestive track, and lungs, thymus, and pleura, among others, are defined. The dimension and location of these tumours are also listed in the chapter as they influence identification of tumours.
Are older adults in Hong Kong “living in history” in their autobiographical memories?
Authors: Gu Xuan , Tse Chi‐Shing , Chan Meingold Hiu‐Ming
Published: September 2019

Transition theory posits that autobiographical memories are organized by major life transitions, which is often supported by the Living‐in‐History effect that occurs when people frequently refer to public events to support their date estimates of personal events. In the present study, 52 Chinese older adults in Hong Kong recalled autobiographical events using cue‐word method and justified the date estimates of the events. They also reported the most important events and assessed their impacts. Results showed that participants referred to public events only when estimating the date of 5.5% of word‐cued events and reported a few public events as personally important, suggesting an absence of the Living‐in‐History effect. Nonetheless, word‐cued events and important events accumulated around major life transitions to form a transition bump; the material change that important events brought about predicted whether the important events were used to organize autobiographical memory, thereby providing new evidence for the transition theory.
SAMHSA proposes significant changes to 42 CFR Part 2
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: September 2019

In two separate proposals, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) last month proposed radical changes to the confidentiality of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment records under 42 CFR Part 2. Both were in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and were published in the Federal Register Aug. 26.
SG says pregnant women and teens should not use marijuana
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: September 2019

Last month, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, M.D., issued a communiqué that should not be controversial: Marijuana should not be used by pregnant women or adolescents.
Thermal Conductivity and Phonon Scattering Processes of ALD Grown PbTe–PbSe Thermoelectric Thin Films
Authors: DeCoster Mallory E. , Chen Xin , Zhang Kai , Rost Christina M. , Hoglund Eric R. , Howe James M. , Beechem Thomas E. , Baumgart Helmut , Hopkins Patrick E.
Published: September 2019

This work studies the thermal conductivity and phonon scattering processes in a series of n‐type lead telluride‐lead selenide (PbTe–PbSe) nanostructured thin films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The ALD growth of the PbTe–PbSe samples in this work results in nonepitaxial films grown directly on native oxide/Si substrates, where the Volmer–Weber mode of growth promotes grains with a preferred columnar orientation. The ALD growth of these lead‐rich PbTe, PbSe, and PbTe–PbSe thin films results in secondary oxide phases, along with an increase microstructural quality with increased film thickness. The compositional variation and resulting point and planar defects in the PbTe–PbSe nanostructures give rise to additional phonon scattering events that reduce the thermal conductivity below that of the corresponding ALD‐grown control PbTe and PbSe films. Temperature‐dependent thermal conductivity measurements show that the phonon scattering in these ALD‐grown PbTe–PbSe nanostructured materials, along with ALD‐grown PbTe and PbSe thin films, are driven by extrinsic defect scattering processes as opposed to phonon–phonon scattering processes intrinsic to the PbTe or PbSe phonon spectra. The implication of this work is that polycrystalline, nanostructured ALD composites of thermoelectric PbTe–PbSe films are effective in reducing the phonon thermal conductivity, and represent a pathway for further improvement of the figure of merit (ZT), enhancing their thermoelectric application potential.
Porous Carbons Derived from Collagen‐Enriched Biomass: Tailored Design, Synthesis, and Application in Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion
Authors: Niu Jin , Shao Rong , Liu Mengyue , Zan Yongxi , Dou Meiling , Liu Jingjun , Zhang Zhengping , Huang Yaqin , Wang Feng
Published: September 2019

As byproducts of the meat‐processing industry, nearly 100 million tons of bones, skin, and scales are generated from livestock, poultry, and fish every year and are generally discarded as waste. However, these widespread and low‐cost biomass materials are rich in collagen that is primarily composed of the elements C, N, O, and S. By controlled pyrolysis, these collagen‐enriched biomass materials can be transformed into biomass‐derived porous carbons (BPCs). The ordered biotic structures and specific elemental compositions of the natural precursors endow BPCs with unique nanostructures and heteroatom doping, leading to promising applications in electrochemical energy storage and conversion. In particular, BPCs derived from animal bones and fish scales show novel porosities and morphologies due to their abundance of hydroxyapatite crystals, which act as naturally occurring nanostructured templates. Here, the first review focusing on the design and synthesis of collagen‐derived porous carbons (CPCs) is given. The specific applications of different CPCs in electrochemical energy storage and conversion are also summarized. Finally, the challenges and prospects for the controllable synthesis and large‐scale applications of CPCs are assessed.
Rechargeable Magnesium–Sulfur Battery Technology: State of the Art and Key Challenges
Authors: Wang Peiwen , Buchmeiser Michael R.
Published: September 2019

Inspired by the first rechargeable Mg battery about 20 years ago, based on a Chevrel phase cathode, a Mg foil anode, and a magnesium organo‐aluminate electrolyte, research on rechargeable batteries using sulfur as the cathode together with Mg as the anode has gained substantial and increasing interest. In particular, the safety characteristics of magnesium–sulfur (Mg–S) batteries, the high abundance of both magnesium and sulfur, and the high theoretical volumetric energy density of magnesium render this system specifically interesting for mobile applications that require high volumetric energy densities, i.e., the automotive and aviation sector. While the development of Mg–S batteries is still at a nascent stage, some breakthroughs have already been accomplished. Consequently, it appears necessary to provide a comprehensive up‐to‐date review about the current achievements to facilitate further improvements in this field. In this review, the state of the art in Mg–S batteries is summarized, focusing on sulfur conversion cathodes, magnesium anode materials, currently employed electrolyte systems, as well as on current collectors and separator design. In addition, the challenges and some possible future work to realize a practically applicable and technically viable Mg–S battery are highlighted.
A Bioresorbable Magnetically Coupled System for Low‐Frequency Wireless Power Transfer
Authors: Guo Qinglei , Koo Jahyun , Xie Zhaoqian , Avila Raudel , Yu Xinge , Ning Xin , Zhang Hao , Liang Xu , Kim Sung Bong , Yan Ying , MacEwan Matthew R. , Lee Hyuck Mo , Song Aimin , Di Zengfeng , Huang Yonggang , Mei Yongfeng , Rogers John A.
Published: September 2019

Bioresorbable electronic technologies form the basis for classes of biomedical devices that undergo complete physical and chemical dissolution after a predefined operational period, thereby eliminating the costs and risks associated with secondary surgical extraction. A continuing area of opportunity is in the development of strategies for power supply for these systems, where previous studies demonstrate some utility for biodegradable batteries, radio frequency harvesters, solar cells, and others. This paper introduces a type of bioresorbable system for wireless power transfer, in which a rotating magnet serves as the transmitter and a bioresorbable antenna as the remote receiver, with capabilities for operation at low frequencies (<200 Hz). Systematic experimental and numerical studies demonstrate several unique advantages of this system, most significantly the elimination of impedance matching and electromagnetic radiation exposure presented with the types of radio frequency energy harvesters explored previously. These results add to the portfolio of power supply options in bioresorbable electronic implants.
Bulk Depolarization Fields as a Major Contributor to the Ferroelectric Reliability Performance in Lanthanum Doped Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Capacitors
Authors: Mehmood Furqan , Hoffmann Michael , Lomenzo Patrick D. , Richter Claudia , Materano Monica , Mikolajick Thomas , Schroeder Uwe
Published: September 2019

After the discovery of ferroelectricity in HfO2, many dopants have been incorporated into the material to improve the ferroelectric properties. The binary mixture of HfO2 and ZrO2, HfxZrx−1O2, showed the widest process window in terms of polarization, but other memory related aspects still need improvement. Recently, the co‐doping of La into a mixed Hf0.5Zr0.5O2, La:HZO, was reported to improve the endurance properties further but the explanation spanning both structural and electrical characteristics of La:HZO and their interaction is still missing. In this work, an extensive study of La:HZO with La content ranging from 0 to 4.3 mol% is conducted and resultant stabilization of nonpolar tetragonal phase, coercive field reduction, endurance improvement, stronger retention loss, and less imprinted hysteresis loop is reported with increasing La concentration. The model simultaneously explaining the electrical and structural properties is presented. In ferroelectric capacitor structures, the depolarization fields originating from nonferroelectric layers at the metal/ferroelectric interface are discussed extensively in previous studies but, here, for the first time, the impact of depolarization fields from nonferroelectric regions in the bulk of the ferroelectric material is reported, which is an important element to explain all the observed trends.
2,3‐Dichloro‐5,6‐Dicyano‐1,4‐Benzoquinone (DDQ)‐Mediated Tandem Oxidative Coupling/Intramolecular Annulation/Dehydro‐Aromatization for the Synthesis of Polysubstituted and Fused Pyridines
Authors: Cheng Dongping , Deng Zhiteng , Yan Xianhang , Wang Mingliang , Xu Xiaoliang , Yan Jizhong
Published: September 2019

A DDQ‐mediated tandem reaction of 1,3‐diarylpropenes and β‐enaminoesters/4‐aminocoumarins is disclosed. It involves oxidative coupling, intramolecular annulation and dehydro‐aromatization reaction, which provides an efficient and mild method for the synthesis of polysubstituted and fused pyridines under metal‐free conditions.

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Experiment‐Oriented Materials Informatics for Efficient Exploration of Design Strategy and New Compounds for High‐Performance Organic Anode
Authors: Numazawa Hiromichi , Igarashi Yasuhiko , Sato Kosuke , Imai Hiroaki , Oaki Yuya
Published: September 2019

High‐performance organic energy storage has attracted much interest as a future battery. Organic anode has been developed as an alternate of graphite in the past decade. However, the design strategies are not fully studied for further development. The present work shows experiment‐oriented materials informatics (MI) for efficient exploration of design strategy and new compounds for an active material of high‐performance organic anode. A few important factors to achieve high specific capacity are extracted from training dataset containing experimentally measured specific capacity, calculation results, and literature data of the model compounds using sparse modeling, an informatics approach. Although the prediction model is not sufficiently accurate, the model assists in exploration of new compounds in combination with experience and intuition of experimental scientists. New compounds with high specific capacity, such as 227 mA h g–1 at 100 mA g–1 for benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene (BdiTp), are efficiently discovered in a minimum number of experiments. Furthermore, polymerization of BdiTp exhibits the enhanced performances, such as 933 mA h g–1 at 20 mA g–1 and cycle stability, and rate performance. MI combined with experiment, calculation, and data accelerates design new materials and functions by experimental scientists having their small data, experience, and intuition.
Co‐Occurring Youth Profiles of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Protective Factors: Associations with Health, Resilience, and Racial Disparities
Authors: Liu Sabrina R. , Kia‐Keating Maryam , Nylund‐Gibson Karen , Barnett Miya L.
Published: September 2019

It is important to understand racial/ethnic differences in adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), given their relationship to long‐term physical and mental health, and the public health cost of the significant disparities that exist. Moreover, in order to inform interventions and promote resilience, it is critical to examine protective factors that mitigate the relationship between adversity and poor health. The current study utilized latent transition analyses (LTA) to examine co‐occurring profiles of ACEs and protective factors (from school, family, and community contexts) and links to health outcomes among 30,668 Black (10.4%), Latinx (12.3%), and White youth (77.3%) ages 12–17 (52.5% male) who participated in the 2011–12 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). Results suggested that greater adversity was associated with worse health, while more access to protective factors was associated with better health. White youth had consistently lower endorsement of ACEs, greater access to protective factors, and better health compared to their Black and Latinx counterparts. Efforts to improve child health and racial/ethnic disparities in research and practice must consider adversity, protective factors, and the systemic inequities faced by racial/ethnic minority youth in the United States.
Thrombosis risk factors in PIK3CA‐related overgrowth spectrum and Proteus syndrome
Authors: Keppler‐Noreuil Kim M. , Lozier Jay , Oden Neal , Taneja Anjali , Burton‐Akright Jasmine , Sapp Julie C. , Biesecker Leslie G.
Published: September 2019

Increased risk of thromboembolism has been recognized in individuals with mosaic overgrowth disorders, Proteus syndrome (PS) and PIK3CA‐related overgrowth spectrum (PROS), including Klippel–Trenaunay syndrome and CLOVES syndrome. PS and PROS have distinct, yet overlapping clinical findings and are caused by somatic pathogenic variants in the PI3K/AKT gene signaling pathway. PS is caused by a single somatic activating AKT1 c.49G > A p.E17K variant while PROS can be caused one of multiple variants in PIK3CA. The role of prothrombotic factors, endothelial cell adhesion molecules, and vascular malformations in both PS and PROS have not been previously investigated. A pilot study of prospective clinical and laboratory evaluations with the purposes of identifying potential risk factors for thrombosis was conducted. Doppler ultrasounds and magnetic resonance angiogram/ venography (MRA/MRV) scans identified vascular malformations in PS and PROS that were not appreciated on physical examination. Abnormal D‐dimers (0.60–2.0 mcg/ml) occurred in half of individuals, many having vascular malformations, but no thromboses. Soluble vascular endothelial markers, including thrombomodulin, soluble vascular adhesion molecule (sVCAM), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM), E‐selectin, and P‐selectin were significantly higher in PS and PROS compared to controls. However, no single attribute was identified that explained the risk of thrombosis. Predisposition to thrombosis is likely multifactorial with risk factors including chronic stasis within vascular malformations, stasis from impaired mobility (e.g., following surgery), decreased anticoagulant proteins, and effects of AKT1 and PIK3CA variants on vascular endothelium. Based on our findings, we propose clinical recommendations for surveillance of thrombosis in PS and PROS.
Correlating the mass and mechanical property changes during the degradation of PEG‐based adhesive
Authors: Zhang Zhongtian , Pinnaratip Rattapol , Ong Keat Ghee , Lee Bruce P.
Published: September 2019

Change in mechanical property of a degrading adhesive is critical to its performance. However, characterization of degradation behavior is often limited to tracking its mass loss. Four‐armed poly(ethylene glycol) end modified with dopamine (PEG‐DA) was used as a model bioadhesive to correlate its change in mass with change in mechanical property. Shear modulus (G) was calculated based on the mass and average molecular weight between crosslinks () of PEG‐DA, while the storage modulus (G′) was determined by oscillatory rheometry. G decreased slowly within the first week of degradation (4% reduction by week 2), while G′ decreased by 60% during the same period. This large discrepancy is due to the partially disconnected and elastically ineffective PEG polymer, which is trapped within the adhesive network. This resulted in minimal mass change and higher calculated G value during the earlier time points. Therefore, tracking mass loss profile alone is inadequate to completely describe the degradation behavior of an adhesive. Additionally, PEG‐DA was coated onto magnetoelastic (ME) sensors, and the change in the resonance amplitude of the sensor corresponded well with dry mass loss of PEG‐DA. ME sensing provides a nondestructive method to track the mass loss of the coated adhesive. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48451.
Post‐disturbance haulout behaviour of harbour seals
Authors: Paterson William D. , Russell Debbie J.F. , Wu Gi‐Mick , McConnell Bernie , Currie John I. , McCafferty Dominic J. , Thompson Dave
Published: September 2019

The impact of anthropogenic activity associated with marine renewable developments on harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) was investigated using controlled disturbance trials.

Hauled‐out seals were approached by boat until all seals had entered the water, and this was repeated approximately every 3 days (weather permitting). The time taken for seal counts to return to pre‐disturbance levels was determined by monitoring haulout sites using time‐lapse photography.

Mean post‐disturbance counts of hauled‐out seals returned to 52% (95% confidence interval [CI] 35–69%) of pre‐disturbance counts within 30 min. However, mean counts only returned to 94% (95% CI 55–132%) of pre‐disturbance counts after 4 hr.

Eight seals were tagged with Global Positioning System phone tags to provide information on haulout location and at‐sea movements, allowing investigation of how disturbance may influence haulout site choice and seal distribution.

Telemetry‐tagged seals displayed a high degree of haulout site fidelity. Disturbance trials did not have a significant effect on the probability of seals moving to a different haulout site.

When seals hauled out again within the same low‐tide period after disturbance trials, the proportion of time spent hauled out was high, indicating that when seals are motivated to haul out they will do so despite past disturbance. Motivation to haul out more on disturbance trial days was not linked to a cyclic pattern of hauling out more over consecutive low‐tide periods.

As there was no large‐scale redistribution after disturbance, we suggest that monitoring effort to determine the effects of short‐term increases in levels of disturbance caused by boat activity can be spatially localized. However, where disturbance is likely to be longer term or impact on important haulout sites for breeding and/or moulting, monitoring may be required over a larger geographical area.
Using dose–response functions to improve calculations of the impact of anthropogenic noise
Authors: Tyack Peter L. , Thomas Len
Published: September 2019

Estimating the number of animals impacted by a stressor typically involves combining a dose–response function with information about the distribution of animals and of the stressor.

Regulators often prefer a single threshold to a full dose–response function, but much of the variability observed in the threshold at which different individuals respond to a stressor is an inherent characteristic of populations that needs to be taken into account to predict the effects of stressors. When selecting an exposure threshold, regulators need information on the proportion of the population that will be protected.

Regulatory processes that calculate the number of animals impacted must draw from the dose–response function, the actual distribution of the animals, and a model mapping how the stressor intensity declines with distance from the source. Ignoring any of these factors can lead to significant errors in estimates of the area and numbers of animals affected.

This paper focuses on behavioural responses of marine mammals to anthropogenic sound and demonstrates that a common approach of selecting the threshold at which half of the animals respond (RLp50) grossly underestimates the number of animals affected. We present an example, using a published dose–response function, where the number affected is underestimated by a factor of 280. Results would be similar for any stressor whose strength decreases following an inverse‐square function as it dilutes into the environment.

This paper presents a method to use a dose–response function to derive a more accurate estimate of animals affected and to set a threshold (the Effective Response Level) that corrects the problem with the RLp50 estimate.

Estimates of effects of stressors should include estimates of uncertainty, which can be used to adapt thresholds to different policy contexts and conservation problems.
Magnetic Anisotropy in CoIIX4 (X=O, S, Se) Single‐Ion Magnets: Role of Structural Distortions versus Heavy Atom Effect
Authors: Sarkar Arup , Tewary Subrata , Sinkar Shwetali , Rajaraman Gopalan
Published: September 2019

Mononuclear four coordinate CoII complexes have drawn a great deal of attention as they often exhibit excellent single‐ion magnet (SIM) properties. Among the reported complexes, the axial zero‐field splitting parameter (D) was found to vary drastically both in terms of the sign as well as strength. There are various proposals in this respect such as structural distortions, heavier atom substitution, metal‐ligand covalency, tuning secondary coordination sphere, etc. that are expected to control the D values. To assess the importance of structural distortions vs. heavier atom substitution effect, here we have undertaken detailed theoretical studies based on the ab initio CASSCF/NEVPT2 method to estimate zero‐field splitting parameters for twelve complexes reported in the literature. Our test set includes the {CoIIX4} (where X=O, S, Se) core structure where the D value was found to vary from +19 to −118 cm−1. Based on the structural variation, we have classified the complexes into three types (I–III) where type I complexes were found to exhibit the largest negative D value as desired for SIMs. The other two types (II and III) of complexes have been found to be inferior with respect to type I. The secondary coordination sphere was also found to influence D, as substitution on the secondary coordination sphere atom was found to significantly alter the magnitude of D values. Particularly, two structural parameters, namely, the dihedral angle between the two ligand planes and the
X‐Co‐X polar angle were found to heavily influence the sign and strength of D values. Our analysis clearly reveals that these structural factors are much more important than the heavier atom substitution, or metal‐ligand covalency. A large variation in the D and E/D values among these complexes despite possessing a very close structural similarity offers an exquisite playground for a chemist to design and develop new‐generation CoII‐based SIMs.