bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Asymptotic Expansion for the Error Term in the Brent-McMillan Algorithm for Euler’s Constant
Authors: Paris R. B.
Published: May 2019

The Brent-McMillan algorithm is the fastest known procedure for the high-precision computation of Euler’s constant γ and is based on the modified Bessel functions I_0(2x) and K_0(2x). An error estimate for this algorithm relies on the optimally truncated asymptotic expansion for the product I_0(2x)K_0(2x) when x assumes large positive integer values. An asymptotic expansion for this optimal error term is derived by exploiting the techniques developed in hyperasymptotics, thereby enabling more precise information on the error term than recently obtained bounds and estimates.
Artsen en moreel ondernemerschap. De casus van de normalisering van verslavende opioïde pijnstillers in de Verenigde Staten
Authors: Müller Thaddeus
Published: May 2019

Medical professionals as moral entrepreneurs. The case of normalization of opioid painkillers

In this article, I am using Becker’s concept of moral entrepreneur to analyse the role of pain specialists in the labelling process, which has led to the normalisation of the use of opioid painkillers in the United States and ultimately to the death over 200.000 Americans. In general, the literature on labelling centres on crusading reformers, and the criminalisation and stigmatisation of transgressive behaviour. Here I will focus on the moral entrepreneurship of medical experts. What was their role in the normalisation process of opioid painkiller use and are there any similarities with the strategies of crusading reformers? My findings, based on qualitative analysis of documents such as newspaper articles and academic publications, show that, with two exceptions, pain specialists use the strategies of moral crusaders. First, in their narratives, pain specialists represented themselves as neutral objective experts without the emotional stance of moral crusaders. The second exception, which is related to the first, is that there was less emphasis in their narrative on creating villains, as they could not blame openly standard medical practice because they needed the support of the established medical world in order to normalise and legalise opioid painkillers.
Wel of geen identiteitscontrole? Het dilemma van de ‘rule enforcer’
Authors: Saudelli Inès
Published: May 2019

When to conduct an identity control? The dilemma of the ‘rule enforcer’

It is common knowledge that the police in executing its duty as “rule enforcer” disposes of certain discretionary powers. Because of the heavy workload and the often ambiguous legislation, the police officer needs to decide on a selective basis when, how and towards whom he/she will act. These discretionary powers are present in proactive identity controls and already provoked strong reactions in the past. The media accused the police of over-controlling certain minority groups. With this ethnographic study into the Belgian practice of identity controls, in which we observe and interview police officers, we wish to get a better view of the way in which identity controls are executed. Although the research is still ongoing, we have already been able to establish that the decision-making process is based on a police feeling which police officers claim to have and which is formed by (a combination of) different triggers attracting their attention.
Navier-Stokes-Brinkman system for interaction of viscous waves with a submerged porous structure
Authors: Guta Lemi , Sundar S.
Published: May 2019

In this paper the interaction of a two-dimensional progressive wave train over a submerged rectangular porous breakwater is studied theoretically. For this purpose, the time dependent incompressible Navier-Stokes-Brinkman system is newly derived for wave propagating over submerged breakwater. A staggered grid Finite Volume Method (FVM) is used to solve the Navier-Stokes-Brinkman system. The free surface boundary condition and the interfacial boundary conditions between the water and porous media are in complete form. A Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) methodology is employed to track the free surface. The validity of present model is verified based on the compressions with the existing experimental results. Having verified the accuracy of the numerical model, the effects of several parameters of a wave and a submerged breakwater were systematically investigated. The results indicate that the wave transformations are affected primarily by the breakwater width and the structure permeability. The numerical results also illustrate that for the porous breakwater, an optimum porosity value seems to exist at which the transmitted wave height is minimized. It has been observed that the transmission coefficient decreases as the permeability increases. However, the results indicate that further increase of the structure permeability beyond the optimal value increase the transmission coefficient.
On the irreducibility of linear representations of the pure braid group
Authors: Abdulrahim Mohammad N.
Published: May 2019

Following up on our result in [1], we find a milder sufficient condition for the tensor product of specializations of the reduced Gassner representation of the pure braid group to be irreducible. We prove that $G_n(x_1, \ldots, x_n) \otimes G_n(y_1, \ldots, y_n) : P_n \to GL(\mathbb{C}^{n-1} \otimes \mathbb{C}^{n-1})$ is irreducible if  $x_i \neq \pm y_i $ and $x_j \neq \pm {{y_j}^{-1}} $ for some $i$ and $j$.
Common fixed point theorems for uniformly subcompatible mappings satisfying more general condition
Authors: Sumitra R. , Uthariaraj V. Rhymend , Vijayaraju P. , Hemavathy R
Published: May 2019

We prove common fixed point theorems for uniformly subcompatible mappings satisfying a more generalized ciric type condition and a condition more general than gregus type condition in a locally convex domain. As an application, we have also established best  approximation result. Our results extend recent results existing in the literature.
Degree of approximation of a function belonging to weighted $(L_r ,\xi(t ))$ class by (C,1)(E,q) means
Authors: Nigam Hare Krishna
Published: May 2019

In this paper, a new theorem on degree of approximation of a function class by (C,1)(E,q) product summability means of Fourier series has been proved.
On the order and the lower order of differential polynomials
Authors: Yu Kit-Wing , Kulkarni Milind-Narayanrao
Published: May 2019

Suppose that $f$ is a meromorphc function with order $\sigma(f)$ and lower order $\mu(f)$. Suppose that $P[f]$ is a differential polynomial of $f$. In this paper, it is shown that the order and the lower order of $P[f]$ are equal to the order and the lower order of $f$ under certain conditions on the degree of the differential polynomial $P[f]$, \textit{i.e.}, $\sigma(P)=\sigma(f)$ and $\mu(P)=\mu(f)$. This result improves previous results.
$\beta-$connectedness in $L-$topological spaces
Authors: Chen Bo
Published: May 2019

In this paper, a new kind of connectivity called $\beta-$connectedness in $L-$topological spaces is introduced by means of $\beta-$closed $L-$sets. Some fundamental properties of $\beta-$connectedness are obtained. Especially, the famous K.Fan's Theorem can be extended to $L-$topological spaces for $\beta-$connectedness.
Necessary and sufficient conditions for the solvability of the inverse problem for non-self-adjoint pencils of Sturm-Liouville operators on the half-line
Authors: Yurko Vjacheslav
Published: May 2019

Non-self-adjoint Sturm-Liouville differential operators on the half-line with a boundary condition depending polynomially on the spectral parameter are studied. We investigate the inverse problem of recovering the operator from the Weyl function. For this inverse problem we provide necessary and suffcient conditions for its solvability along with a procedure for constructing its solution by the method of spectral mappings.
Inverse problems for differential equations on the half-line having a singularity in an interior point
Authors: Fedoseev Alexei
Published: May 2019

Arbitrary order ordinary dierential equations on the half-line having a nonintegrable singularity inside are studied under additional matching conditions for solutions at the singular point. We construct special fundamental systems of solutions for this class of dierential equations, study their asymptotical, analytical and structural properties and the behavior of the corresponding Stokes multipliers. These fundamental systems of solutions are used in spectral analysis of dierential operators with singularities. We study the inverse problem of recovering dierential equation from the given Weyl-Yurko matrix and prove the corresponding uniqueness theorem.
Guest Editor's Letter
Authors: Yurko V. A.
Published: May 2019

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Follow-up on the diagnostic level of children covered by the Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Program in Poland, divided into voivodships
Authors: Greczka Grażyna , Zych Monika , Dąbrowski Piotr , Gasińska Anna , Król Anna , Szyfter-Harris Joanna , Szyfter Witold
Published: May 2019

Introduction: Thanks to the Polish Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Program (PUNHSP), All newborns in Poland undergo a free, screening hearing examination. Between 2006 and 2015, the average number of tested children per year was 373,477. According to the analysis of The Central Database(CDB), only 55.8% of the children attended the detailed hearing examinations at the second level of the Program.
Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze the dates concerning the attendance of the children at the diagnostic level of PUNHSP in different regions of Poland.
Materials and methods: To conduct an analysis of this fact and find out the reasons for the low attendance at the second level in 2015, a telephone survey questionnaire was developed for parents whose children had not registered for further consultation - 3,239 randomly selected parents.
Results: The analysis revealed that the number of children examined at the second diagnostic level of the program is in fact much higher than the results of The Central Database show. The actual number is 83.6% as opposed to 55,8%.
As a result of the telephone questionnaire, some inaccuracies in the input data to the CDB were detected. The main errors involved in the gathering of information for the CDB was the incorrect OAE test result and the lack of performed examination.
Conclusion: In Poland, the worst results for the attendance to the diagnostic level (the results were a comparison of the questionnaire results compared to the CDB) was shown in Pomorskie, Lubelskie, Mazowieckie, and Podlaskie regions. In many cases, there was a large difference in reality to what the information in the CDB claimed. The improvement of clarity concerning the CDB application is important in order to minimize the possibility of malformation in the CDB.
Economic Rationality, the Transaction Cost Theory, and Morality. An Extended Approach
Authors: Hoffmann Christian Hugo
Published: May 2019

The economist Josef Wieland propounded a well-developed theory of business ethics, which includes a mechanism of allocation for the ›economy and ethics‹ ratio that he considers as an alternative to hierarchic and dualistic concepts. Despite its many strengths, some concerns are raised about Wieland’s theoretical approach and some proposals are made for developing his work further. The key objectives of this paper are: 1) to restate the objection of instrumentalization to Wieland’s program, 2) to discuss it under consideration of arguments in favor of and against so-called moral incentives, and 3) to address the question, under what conditions Wieland might succeed in rejecting any hierarchy between economics and ethics within his Ethics of Governance framework, without damaging the concept of morality.
Gesellschaft und Klima
Authors: Stehr Nico , Machin Amanda
Published: May 2019

Das vorliegende Buch verdeutlicht die hochgradige Komplexität des Verhältnisses von Gesellschaft, Wissenschaft und Klima. Die Tatsache des Klimawandels erfordert eine multidisziplinäre Herangehensweise, die die Vernetzung der drei Systeme erfasst. Es gilt zu erkennen, dass einerseits das Klima soziale, politische und wirtschaftliche Interaktionen prägt, es andererseits jedoch selbst von sozialen Strukturen, technologischen Praktiken und Energiekulturen beeinflusst wird.

Dies ist von besonderer Relevanz in einer Zeit, in der die Klimawissenschaften unter Druck stehen, und zwar sowohl von der breiten Öffentlichkeit als auch von den politischen Entscheidungsträgern. Nicht zuletzt deswegen warnen Nico Stehr und Amanda Machin, ausgehend von den Erkenntnissen verschiedener Disziplinen und anhand von zahlreichen Beispielen, vor einfachen Annahmen und Antworten.
Los diarios y notas de los viajes pedagógicos de Rosa Sensat Vilà durante el periodo 1908–1913: Análisis crítico y conceptual, aportaciones y debates
Authors: Soler Mata Joan
Published: May 2019

El artículo está centrado en el análisis crítico y conceptual de los diarios y notas de los viajes que, con carácter pedagógico y de estudio, la maestra Rosa Sensat Vilà (1873-1961) realizó durante el periodo 1908-1913 por distintos países europeos. Nos preguntamos acerca de las personas y los lugares, las experiencias personales, las experiencias relevantes y las  opiniones y valoraciones críticas plasmadas en los diarios con el objetivo de reconstruir una parte del proceso de elaboración del universo conceptual de Rosa Sensat. Las fuentes documentales analizadas, de carácter primario y escrito, están localizadas en el Fondo histórico de la Biblioteca Rosa Sensat en Barcelona (Fondo Rosa Sensat) y en el Archivo Edad de Plata (Expedientes JAE). La metodología cualitativa utilizada es de carácter hermenéutico y conceptual, atendiendo a algunas aportaciones de la investigación biográfico-narrativa. A partir de la lectura de los diarios y notas de viaje, localizamos y sistematizamos los datos y la información disponible con el objetivo de establecer un catálogo de las instituciones visitadas y las relaciones establecidas con maestros y pedagogos europeos; y  también para interpretar los textos y las descripciones para analizar las ideas y, sobretodo, los conceptos que incorpora a su propio ideario pedagógico.
A Population-Based Study of Morbidity After Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis
Authors: Sarkar Reith R. , Fero Katherine E. , Seible Daniel M. , Panjwani Neil , Matsuno Rayna K. , Murphy James D.
Published: May 2019

Background: Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease characterized by early and relentless tumor spread, thus leading healthcare providers to consider it a “distant disease.” However, local pancreatic tumor progression can lead to substantial morbidity. This study defines the long-term morbidity from local and nonlocal disease progression in a large population-based cohort. Methods: A total of 21,500 Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2000 through 2011 were identified. Hospitalizations were attributed to complications of either local disease (eg, biliary disorder, upper gastrointestinal ulcer/bleed, pain, pancreas-related, radiation toxicity) or nonlocal/distant disease (eg, thromboembolic events, cytopenia, dehydration, nausea/vomiting/motility problem, malnutrition and cachexia, ascites, pathologic fracture, and chemotherapy-related toxicity). Competing risk analyses were used to identify predictors of hospitalization. Results: Of the total cohort, 9,347 patients (43.5%) were hospitalized for a local complication and 13,101 patients (60.9%) for a nonlocal complication. After adjusting for the competing risk of death, the 12-month cumulative incidence of hospitalization from local complications was highest in patients with unresectable disease (53.1%), followed by resectable (39.5%) and metastatic disease (33.7%) at diagnosis. For nonlocal complications, the 12-month cumulative incidence was highest in patients with metastatic disease (57.0%), followed by unresectable (56.8%) and resectable disease (42.8%) at diagnosis. Multivariable analysis demonstrated several predictors of hospitalization for local and nonlocal complications, including age, race/ethnicity, location of residence, disease stage, tumor size, and diagnosis year. Radiation and chemotherapy had minimal impact on the risk of hospitalization. Conclusions: Despite the widely known predilection of nonlocal/distant disease spread in pancreatic cancer, local tumor progression also leads to substantial morbidity and frequent hospitalization.
Academic publishing can help in court cases
Authors: Castillo Luis Maria De Los Santos
Published: May 2019

I am writing to inform your readers of the outcome of a case, which was the focus of an article published in the Torture Journal when the case was in its preliminary stages. We must first revisit the events on the 30th November 2007. The Andalusian activist, Agustín Toranzo, together with another colleague, was forcibly extracted from an underground tunnel where he had chained himself to an object inside the tunnel during a protest. He was protesting against the eviction from a building that would be demolished to build luxury homes, located on Calle Antonia Sáenz in the city of Seville, called “Centro Social Ocupado y Autogestionado” or “Casas Viejas” (autonomous social centre).
Torture: An Expert’s Confrontation with an Everyday Evil, by Manfred Nowak
Authors: Petersen Hans Draminsky
Published: May 2019

Manfred Nowak, the author of this book, is an expert with outstanding experience in the fight against torture. Among many international commitments, he was the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture (SRT) for six years from 2004 and the book is predominately based on this experience. Nowak aims to make the unfathomable more comprehensible and to clarify the causes and dynamics of the routine nature of torture; to enhance empathy for the forgotten detainees; and to point to ways of preventing torture. Putting existing knowledge into practice will, however, only work if enough people become outraged and place moral and political pressure on authorities to end torture. This book review reflects upon this important contribution.
The potential and limitations of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration: A comment
Authors: Perocco Fabio
Published: May 2019

On 19 December 2018 the UN General Assembly approved the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), with 152 votes in favor, five against (Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Poland, United States), 12 abstentions (Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, Italy, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Romania, Singapore, Switzerland), and 24 countries not voting (UN, 2018). The GCM builds on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN, 2015) and on the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants 2016 (of which it aims to implement Annex II) (UN, 2016). The article discusses the Global compact for migration, highlighting its potential and limits, supporters and detractors.
Documentation of torture in children and young adults: Time to reflect
Authors: Pérez-Sales Pau
Published: May 2019

Documenting torture in children and young adults (ChYA) is a challenge. Less than 3% of academic papers on documentation and rehabilitation of torture victims are focused on children and youth. In the Delphi study on research priorities in the sector (Pérez-Sales, Witcombe, & Otero Oyague, 2017), five lines were proposed regarding torture in children, which covered: developmental disruptions related to the torture of relatives; developmental deficits related to infant torture; the effect on caregivers of torture/kidnapping of their children; the impact of torture on identity and worldviews among adolescents; and transgenerational trauma. The latter was considered among the 40 top research priorities. In this editorial, we briefly review: aspects related to the notion of torture as applied to ChYA; specific ethical problems in forensic documentation; and challenges in consistency statements. By doing so, we aim to outline key challenges that researchers and practitioners ought to pursue.
Turkish doctors sentenced to 20-months in prison for an anti-war declaration
Authors: Editorial Team Torture Journal
Published: May 2019

11 Central Council members of the Turkish Medical Association (TMA) were given a 20-month prison sentence for a statement they made in January 2018, declaring that war is a public health problem. One of them was additionally sentenced to 1 year, 6 months and 22 days.
Mechanism of completion of peptidyltransferase centre assembly in eukaryotes
Authors: Kargas Vasileios , Castro-Hartmann Pablo , Escudero-Urquijo Norberto , Dent Kyle , Hilcenko Christine , Sailer Carolin , Zisser Gertrude , Marques-Carvalho Maria J , Pellegrino Simone , Wawiórka Leszek , Freund Stefan MV , Wagstaff Jane L , Andreeva Antonina , Faille Alexandre , Chen Edwin , Stengel Florian , Bergler Helmut , Warren Alan John
Published: May 2019

During their final maturation in the cytoplasm, pre-60S ribosomal particles are converted to translation-competent large ribosomal subunits. Here, we present the mechanism of peptidyltransferase centre (PTC) completion that explains how integration of the last ribosomal proteins is coupled to release of the nuclear export adaptor Nmd3. Single-particle cryo-EM reveals that eL40 recruitment stabilises helix 89 to form the uL16 binding site. The loading of uL16 unhooks helix 38 from Nmd3 to adopt its mature conformation. In turn, partial retraction of the L1 stalk is coupled to a conformational switch in Nmd3 that allows the uL16 P-site loop to fully accommodate into the PTC where it competes with Nmd3 for an overlapping binding site (base A2971). Our data reveal how the central functional site of the ribosome is sculpted and suggest how the formation of translation-competent 60S subunits is disrupted in leukaemia-associated ribosomopathies.
(Un)translatability revisited: transmetic and intertextual puns in Viktor Pelevin’s Generation “P” and its translations
Authors: Ivashkiv Roman
Published: May 2019

Babylen Tatarsky, the protagonist in Russian writer Viktor Pelevin's novel Generation “P” (translated into English by Andrew Bromfield as Homo Zapiens), works to adapt American advertisements for the Russian market and witnesses how the reality of Russia’s tumultuous 1990s is replaced by a consumer-driven television simulation. Puns in the advertising slogans that Tatarsky translates, interspersed throughout Generation “P”, are central to its plot. Some of these puns exhibit greater sophistication than others: in addition to utilizing homonymy, homophony, homography, paronymy, and polysemy, they involve transmesis, multilingualism, and intertextuality. This article compares how Pelevin’s translators (English, German, Polish, Spanish, and French) approached these difficult puns. The objective of this comparative analysis is to demonstrate how the intertext(s) evoked through wordplay may, on the one hand, impede translation, but, on the other, open avenues for creative solutions, by producing new traces and echoes of meaning that make the act of translation possible. The issues raised by the various translations point to a need to re-examine the roles and tasks of the translator and underscore the importance of keeping the (un)translatability debate open. Ultimately, this article aims to contribute to the ongoing reconceptualization of what literary translation is and, especially, what it does: with texts, readers, literatures, and, above all, with language.
Distribution of Butterfly Species Associated with Environmental Factors in Sri Lanka
Authors: Kumari P. M. S. S. , Wijekoon P.
Published: May 2019

The species diversity monitoring of butterflies in Sri Lanka is considered in this study under certain environmental factors.  Species richness, and Shannon and Simpson’s diversity indices were calculated to understand the variation of the distributions of butterfly species. Maximum and minimum diversity and richness were observed from Rathnapura and Puththalama districts in Sri Lanka, respectively.  Based on the Diamond’s assembly rules and Probabilistic models, it was noted that most of the butterflies were randomly distributed, and there was little predictable co-occurrence between species pairs. To study the distributional patterns of butterfly species with environmental factors, five different types of regression models were fitted by considering the occurrences of each species. The results clearly indicated that the distribution of butterfly species varies from species to species according to the different environmental factors. Further, the occurrence of most of the butterfly species depends on temperature and total rain fall. Prediction of species occurrences with respect to the environmental factors can be done by using the best fitted model of each species. The methodology and results of the study can be adapted to monitor the biodiversity of a certain area.
Targeting of DDR1 with antibody‐drug conjugates has antitumor effects in a mouse model of colon carcinoma
Authors: Tao Yiran , Wang Ruixue , Lai Qinhuai , Wu Mengdan , Wang Yuxi , Jiang Xiaohua , Zeng Lishi , Zhou Shijie , Li Zhongping , Yang Tinghan , Yao Yuqin , Wu Yangping , Yu Lin , Fu Yuyin , Lai Weirong , Peng Yujia , Lu Ying , Zhang Zhixiong , Guo Cuiyu , Zhang Guangbing , Gou Lantu , Yang Jinliang
Published: May 2019

DDR1 has been identified as a cancer‐associated receptor tyrosine kinase that is highly expressed in several malignancies relative to normal tissues. Clinically approved multi‐kinase inhibitors, such as nilotinib, inhibit DDR1‐mediated tumor growth in xenograft models, suggesting DDR1 might be a potential target for cancer treatments. Here, we employed an antibody‐based strategy with a novel anti‐DDR1 antibody‐drug conjugate (ADC) for colon carcinoma treatment. We developed T4H11‐DM4, an ADC targeting DDR1 which carries the tubulin inhibitor payload DM4. Immunohistochemical analysis of a tissue microarray containing 100 colon cancer specimens revealed that DDR1 was highly expressed in 81% of tumor tissues. Meanwhile, high expression of DDR1 was associated with poor survival in patients. In vitro, T4H11‐DM4 exhibited potent anti‐proliferative activity with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values in the nanomolar range in a panel of colon cancer cell lines. In vivo, the antitumor efficacy of T4H11‐DM4 was evaluated in three colon cancer cell lines expressing different levels of DDR1. T4H11‐DM4 achieved complete tumor regression at doses of 5 and 10 mg·kg−1 in HT‐29 and HCT116 tumor models. Moreover, a correlation between in vivo efficacy of T4H11‐DM4 and the levels of DDR1 expression on the cell surface was observed. Tumor cell proliferation was caused by the induction of mitotic arrest, indicating that the antitumor effect in vivo was mediated by DM4. In addition, T4H11‐DM4 was efficacious in oxaliplatin‐resistant colon cancer models. In exploratory safety studies, T4H11‐DM4 exhibited no overt toxicities when multi‐doses were administered at 10 mg·kg−1 into BALB/c nude mice or when a single dose up to 50 mg·kg−1 was administered into BALB/c mice. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of DDR1‐targeted ADC and may facilitate the development of a new effective therapeutic strategy for colon cancer.
Periodic Arrays of Diamond‐Shaped Silver Nanoparticles: From Scalable Fabrication by Template‐Assisted Solid‐State Dewetting to Tunable Optical Properties
Authors: Jacquet Paul , Bouteille Barbara , Dezert Romain , Lautru Joseph , Podor Renaud , Baron Alexandre , Teisseire Jéremie , Jupille Jacques , Lazzari Rémi , Gozhyk Iryna
Published: May 2019

Periodic arrays of anisotropic silver nanoparticles having peculiar optical properties are fabricated at a macroscopic scale. The proposed scalable method is based on temperature‐assisted solid‐state dewetting of a continuous thin layer deposited on a silica substrate patterned by the nanoimprint technique. The resulting nanoparticles are shaped like diamonds and are half‐embedded into the patterned silica. A period‐dependent optimum in film thickness for the quality of spatial organization is found and discussed in terms of thermodynamics and, for the first time, in terms of the role of grains in the dewetting process. The optical properties of the arrays are driven by not only simply the particle shape but also the lattice period and the degree of order. A surface lattice resonance that disperses with the underlying period is evidenced experimentally and confirmed by optical simulations. The opportunity to fabricate and tune such an assembly of plasmonic particles on transparent substrate opens interesting perspectives for not only fundamental photonics but also potential optical applications.
Plasmon‐Enhanced Blue Upconversion Luminescence by Indium Nanocrystals
Authors: Wang Lingxiao , Guo Shuangli , Liu Dongmei , He Jijun , Zhou Jie , Zhang Kun , Wei Yang , Pan Yue , Gao Chao , Yuan Ze , Lei Dangyuan , Xie Xiaoji , Huang Ling
Published: May 2019

Numerous endeavors have been undertaken to gain enhanced upconversion luminescence via surface plasmon resonance (SPR) generated by specially designed nanostructures of noble metals (e.g., Au, Ag). However, the SPR response of these metals is usually weak in the ultraviolet (UV) region because of their intrinsic electronic configurations; thus, only green and red upconversion emissions can undergo significant plasmonic enhancement yet without selectivity, while an efficient approach to selectively enhancing the blue upconversion luminescence has been lacking. Herein, by integrating the pronounced UV SPR of silica‐coated indium nanocrystals (InNCs) with blue‐emission upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) of NaYbF4:Tm, an up to tenfold selective luminescence enhancement at 450 nm is obtained upon 980 nm laser excitation. Precise manipulation of the silica shell thickness suggests an optimal working distance of 3 nm between InNCs and UCNPs. This study has, for the first time, realized selective blue upconversion luminescence enhancement by using an inexpensive, non‐noble metal material, which will not only enrich the fundamental investigations of SPR‐enhanced upconversion emission, but also widen the applications of blue light‐emitting nanomaterials, for example, in therapeutics.
Atomic Insight into Thermolysis‐Driven Growth of 2D MoS2
Authors: Sang Xiahan , Li Xufan , Puretzky Alexander A. , Geohegan David B. , Xiao Kai , Unocic Raymond R.
Published: May 2019

Understanding and controlling the transformations of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) from amorphous precursors into two‐dimensional (2D) materials is important for guiding synthesis, directing fabrication, and tailoring functional properties. Here, the combined effects of thermal energy and electron beam irradiation are explored on the structural evolution of 2D MoS2 flakes through the thermal decomposition of a (NH4)2MoS4 precursor inside an ultrahigh vacuum (10−9 Torr) scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). The influence of reaction temperature, growth substrate, and the initial precursor morphology on the resulting 2D MoS2 flake morphology, edge structures, and point defects are explored. Although thermal decomposition occurs extremely fast at elevated temperatures and is difficult to capture using current STEM techniques, electron beam irradiation can induce local transformations at lower temperatures, enabling direct observation and interpretation of critical growth steps including oriented attachment and transition from single‐ to multilayer structures at atomic resolution. An increase in the number of layers of the MoS2 flakes from island growth is investigated using electron beam irradiation. These findings provide insight into the growth mechanisms and factors that control the synthesis of few‐layer MoS2 flakes through thermolysis and toward the prospect of atomically precise control and growth of 2D TMDs.
Atom‐Thick Membranes for Water Purification and Blue Energy Harvesting
Authors: Pakulski Dawid , Czepa Włodzimierz , Buffa Stefano Del , Ciesielski Artur , Samorì Paolo
Published: May 2019

Membrane‐based processes, namely, water purification and harvesting of osmotic power deriving from the difference in salinity between seawater and freshwater are two strategic research fields holding great promise for overcoming critical global issues such as the world growing energy demand, climate change, and access to clean water. Ultrathin membranes based on 2D materials (2DMs) are particularly suitable for highly selective separation of ions and effective generation of blue energy because of their unique physicochemical properties and novel transport mechanisms occurring at the nano‐ and sub‐nanometer length scale. However, due to the relatively high costs of fabrication compared to traditional porous membrane materials, their technological transfer toward large‐scale applications still remains a great challenge. Herein, the authors present an overview of the current state‐of‐the‐art in the development of ultrathin membranes based on 2DMs for osmotic power generation and water purification. The authors discuss several synthetic routes to produce atomically thin membranes with controlled porosity and describe in detail their performance, with a particular emphasis on pressure‐retarded osmosis and reversed electrodialysis methods. In the last section, an outlook and current limitations as well as viable future developments in the field of 2DM membranes are provided.
Microfluidic Synthesis of Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Particle Transport Systems which Can Be Remote‐Controlled Magnetically
Authors: Ditter David , Blümler Peter , Klöckner Benjamin , Hilgert Jan , Zentel Rudolf
Published: May 2019

Here, the microfluidic synthesis of liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) particles, which can be remote‐controlled magnetically and used as transport systems, is presented for the first time. Ferri‐magnetic, rod‐shaped Fe3O4nanoparticles are functionalized with poly(methyl methacrylate) to make them compatible with organic LCE precursor compounds. Their influence on the LCE precursor alignment is studied and thermoresponsive as well as photoresponsive LCE microparticles containing 0–6 wt% Fe3O4are synthesized with a microfluidic device. Thermal and photochemical actuations of these particles are investigated. Their magnetic addressability is studied with a recently developed magnetic setup, by which the particles can be guided on liquid surfaces in the centimeter range–but with a precision in the submillimeter range. This allows the performance of reversible light‐ or heat‐controlled actuations at desired positions. The potential of synthesized LCE particles as transport systems is demonstrated by the transport of plastic, textiles or copper, which can be pushed just due to magnetic forces or transported in general by taking advantage of the phase dependent “stickiness” of LCEs. These studies open doors to novel applications of LCEs as microrobots using magnetism as a control.
Effects of Metal Work Function and Contact Potential Difference on Electron Thermionic Emission in Contact Electrification
Authors: Xu Cheng , Zhang Binbin , Wang Aurelia Chi , Cai Wenzhe , Zi Yunlong , Feng Peizhong , Wang Zhong Lin
Published: May 2019

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a direct measure of the surface charge density, thus providing a novel and powerful tool to study the essential mechanism of contact electrification (CE). A variety of TENGs including a Pt‐Al2O3 TENG, Au‐Al2O3 TENG, Ti‐Al2O3 TENG, Al‐Al2O3 TENG, and SiO2‐Al2O3 TENG are prepared in this study. After introducing initial charges on the Al2O3 surface of the TENGs, the long‐term evolution of surface charge quantity is investigated at different temperatures. The results show that charge variation of all the TENGs is analogous to exponential decay and is in accord with the thermionic emission model, verifying the electron transfer dominated mechanism of CE. Additionally, it is explored for the first time that the potential barrier of materials can be regulated by changing the contacting metals or dielectrics. Regulation of the barrier at high temperatures fully excludes the influence of ions from moisture and functional groups, which further indicates the dominant role played by electron transfer in CE. Surface state models for explaining barrier regulation during CE for both metal–dielectric and dielectric–dielectric pairs are proposed. This study provides a new perspective of the exploration of CE, and a novel method for further increasing or rapidly eliminating electrification of charged materials.
Anthropometric and metabolic profile of a Brazilian Amerindian group: The Xikrin (Mebengôkre)
Authors: Barbosa Cláudia C. , Sacuena Eliene S. R. , Pinto André M. , Cardoso‐Costa Greice L. , Guerreiro João F.
Published: May 2019

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to describe the metabolic and anthropometric profile of the Xikrin (Mebengôkre), an indigenous group.

Methods

A total of 363 subjects (55.1% women) aged 18 years or older were evaluated. The variables analyzed were age, body weight and height, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride level, and total cholesterol level.

Results

A high prevalence of obesity (36.5%) and central obesity (88.1%), mainly among women (46.9% and 96.2%, respectively), was found among the Xikrin (Mebengôkre). Impaired fasting glycemia and diabetes were found in 4.5% and 3.8% of adults, respectively. Twenty‐one percent of adults had dyslipidemia and 9.3% had hypertension.

Conclusions

The high prevalence of excess weight (overweight and obesity) and central obesity, especially in women, was the most significant finding of this study among the Xikrin (Mebengôkre).
Chiral Resolution using Supramolecular‐Templated Mesostructured Materials
Authors: Huang Yanan , Vidal Xavier , Garcia‐Bennett Alfonso E.
Published: May 2019

Chiral resolution using non‐functionalized mesoporous particles is demonstrated for a variety of enantiomeric pairs. This is achieved through the use of supramolecular templated silica materials prepared with guanosine monophosphate (NGM‐1) and folic acid (NFM‐1) which enable direct chiral transcription onto the surface of the mesopores after solvent extraction and post calcination of the template. The chiral selectivity and kinetics of the mesoporous materials are measured by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy on adsorbed molecules with different affinities for the pore surface. NGM‐1 and NFM‐1 have opposite enantiomeric selectivity for enantiomeric pairs. These results significantly increase the potential of mesoporous materials for chiral separation and enantiomeric catalysis.
Total Syntheses of (+)‐Aquatolide and Related Humulanolides
Authors: Takao Ken‐ichi , Kai Hirotaka , Yamada Ai , Fukushima Yuuki , Komatsu Daisuke , Ogura Akihiro , Yoshida Keisuke
Published: May 2019

The short, efficient total synthesis of (+)‐aquatolide was achieved by a biomimetic transannular [2+2] photocycloaddition, and provides the first example of constructing a 5/5/4/8‐ring system from asteriscunolides. Furthermore, the reaction leading to a 5/4/4/7‐ring system, the originally proposed structure of aquatolide, was also developed. This strategy achieved syntheses of five more humulanolides, (−)‐asteriscunolides A, C, D, and I, and (+)‐tetradehydroasteriscanolide.
A Metal–Organic Framework Based Methane Nano‐trap for the Capture of Coal‐Mine Methane
Authors: Niu Zheng , Cui Xili , Pham Tony , Lan Pui Ching , Xing Huabin , Forrest Katherine A. , Wojtas Lukasz , Space Brian , Ma Shengqian
Published: May 2019

As a major greenhouse gas, methane, which is directly vented from the coal‐mine to the atmosphere, has not yet drawn sufficient attention. To address this problem, we report a methane nano‐trap that features oppositely adjacent open metal sites and dense alkyl groups in a metal–organic framework (MOF). The alkyl MOF‐based methane nano‐trap exhibits a record‐high methane uptake and CH4/N2 selectivity at 298 K and 1 bar. The methane molecules trapped within the alkyl MOF were crystalographically identified by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction experiments, which in combination with molecular simulation studies unveiled the methane adsorption mechanism within the MOF‐based nano‐trap. The IAST calculations and the breakthrough experiments revealed that the alkyl MOF‐based methane nano‐trap is a new benchmark for CH4/N2 separation, thereby providing a new perspective for capturing methane from coal‐mine methane to recover fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Chemistry, Biology, and Modulation of Ammonium Nitrification in Soil
Authors: Wendeborn Sebastian
Published: May 2019

Approximately two percent of the world's energy is consumed in the production of ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen gas. Ammonia is used as a fertilizer ingredient for agriculture and distributed in the environment on an enormous scale to promote crop growth in intensive farming. Only 30–50 % of the nitrogen applied is assimilated by crop plants; the remaining 50–70 % goes into biological processes such as nitrification by microbial metabolism in the soil. This leads to an imbalance in the global nitrogen cycle and higher nitrous oxide emissions (a potent and significant greenhouse gas) as well as contamination of ground and surface waters by nitrate from the nitrogen‐fertilized farmland. This Review gives a critical overview of the current knowledge of soil microbes involved in the chemistry of ammonia nitrification, the structures and mechanisms of the enzymes involved, and phytochemicals capable of inhibiting ammonia nitrification.
Catalysis Based on C−I⋅⋅⋅π Halogen Bonds: Electrophilic Activation of 2‐Alkenylindoles by Cationic Halogen‐Bond Donors for [4+2] Cycloadditions
Authors: Kuwano Satoru , Suzuki Takumi , Yamanaka Masahiro , Tsutsumi Ryosuke , Arai Takayoshi
Published: May 2019

Homo‐ and cross‐[4+2] cycloadditions of 2‐alkenylindoles, catalyzed by cationic halogen‐bond donors, were developed. Under mild reaction conditions, 3‐indolyl‐substituted tetrahydrocarbazole derivatives were obtained in good to excellent yields. Experimental and quantum calculation studies revealed that the electrophilic activation of 2‐alkenylindoles was achieved by C−I⋅⋅⋅π halogen bonds.
The effects of surface‐modified graphene nanoplatelets on the sliding wear properties of basalt fibers‐reinforced epoxy composites
Authors: Kazemi‐Khasragh Elaheh , Bahari‐Sambran Farid , Siadati Seyed Mohammad Hossein , Eslami‐Farsani Reza , Arbab Chirani Shabnam
Published: May 2019

Possessing unique designs and properties absent in conventional materials, nanocomposites have made a remarkable imprint in science and technology. This is particularly true regarding the polymer matrix composites when they are further reinforced with nanoparticles. In this study, the effects of different weight percentages (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) of surface‐modified graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on the microhardness and wear properties of basalt fibers/epoxy composites were investigated. The GNPs were surface modified by silane, and the composites were made by the hand lay‐up method. The wear tests were conducted under two different loads of 20 and 40 N. The best wear properties were achieved at 0.3 wt % GNPs as a result of the GNPs' self‐lubrication property and the formation of a stable transfer/lubricating film at the pin and disk interface. Moreover, the friction coefficient was lower at the higher normal load of 40 N. The microscopic studies by FESEM and SEM showed that the presence of GNPs up to 0.3 wt % led to the stability of the transfer/lubricating film by enhancing the adhesion of the basalt fibers to the epoxy resin. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47986.
Age of patients undergoing surgery
Authors: Fowler A J , Abbott T E F , Prowle J , Pearse R M
Published: May 2019

Background

Advancing age is independently associated with poor postoperative outcomes. The ageing of the general population is a major concern for healthcare providers. Trends in age were studied among patients undergoing surgery in the National Health Service in England.

Methods

Time trend ecological analysis was undertaken of Hospital Episode Statistics and Office for National Statistics data for England from 1999 to 2015. The proportion of patients undergoing surgery in different age groupings, their pooled mean age, and change in age profile over time were calculated. Growth in the surgical population was estimated, with associated costs, to the year 2030 by use of linear regression modelling.

Results

Some 68 205 695 surgical patient episodes (31 220 341 men, 45·8 per cent) were identified. The mean duration of hospital stay was 5·3 days. The surgical population was older than the general population of England; this gap increased over time (1999: 47·5 versus 38·3 years; 2015: 54·2 versus 39·7 years). The number of people aged 75 years or more undergoing surgery increased from 544 998 (14·9 per cent of that age group) in 1999 to 1 012 517 (22·9 per cent) in 2015. By 2030, it is estimated that one-fifth of the 75 years and older age category will undergo surgery each year (1·49 (95 per cent c.i. 1·43 to 1·55) million people), at a cost of €3·2 (3·1 to 3·5) billion.

Conclusion

The population having surgery in England is ageing at a faster rate than the general population. Healthcare policies must adapt to ensure that provision of surgical treatments remains safe and sustainable.
Health gains, costs and cost-effectiveness of a population-based screening programme for abdominal aortic aneurysms
Authors: Nair N , Kvizhinadze G , Jones G T , Rush R , Khashram M , Roake J , Blakely A
Published: May 2019

Background

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture carries a high fatality rate. AAAs can be detected before rupture by abdominal ultrasound imaging, allowing elective repair. Population-based screening for AAA in older men reduces AAA-related mortality by about 40 per cent. The UK began an AAA screening programme offering one-off scans to men aged 65 years in 2009. Sweden has a similar programme. Currently, there is no AAA screening programme in New Zealand. This cost–utility analysis aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of a UK-style screening programme in the New Zealand setting.

Methods

The analysis compared a formal AAA screening programme (one-off abdominal ultrasound imaging for about 20 000 men aged 65 years in 2011) with no systematic screening. A Markov macrosimulation model was adapted to estimate the health gains (in quality-adjusted life-years, QALYs), health system costs and cost-effectiveness in New Zealand. A health system perspective and lifetime horizon was adopted.

Results

With New Zealand-specific inputs, the adapted model produced an estimate of about NZ $15 300 (€7746) per QALY gained, with a 95 per cent uncertainty interval (UI) of NZ $8700 to 31 000 (€4405 to 15 694) per QALY gained. Health gains were estimated at 117 (95 per cent UI 53 to 212) QALYs. Health system costs were NZ $1·68 million (€850 535), with a 95 per cent UI of NZ $820 200 to 3·24 million (€415 243 to €1·65 million).

Conclusion

Using New Zealand's gross domestic product per capita (about NZ $45 000 or €22 100) as a cost-effectiveness threshold, a UK-style AAA screening programme would be cost-effective in New Zealand.
Nanoneedle‐structured Anode Catalyst for Low‐Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Authors: Basumatary Padmini , Konwar Dimpul , Yoon Young Soo
Published: May 2019

A new state‐of‐the‐art NiMnCo anode co‐catalyst has been prepared and investigated with the aim of reducing dependence on expensive Pt catalysts in hydrogen‐based fuel cells. The as‐prepared co‐catalyst exhibited a three dimensional (3D) nanoneedle structure, which was observed using transmission electron microscopy. Pt nanoparticles (approximately 10 wt %) were deposited on the surface of the 3D NiMnCo nanoneedles to further increase their electrocatalytic activity, and the performance of membrane‐electrode‐assemblies based on the Pt@NiMnCo and NiMnCo anode catalysts was evaluated. The peak power densities of the Pt@NiMnCo‐ and NiMnCo‐ based fuel cells were found to be 352.64 and 299.78 mW/cm2, respectively, at 80 °C. Furthermore, the Pt@NiMnCo nanoneedle catalyst exhibited a power density slightly lower than that of a commercial Pt/C (40 wt% Pt) catalyst at 60 °C. Thus, the NiMnCo nanoneedle co‐catalyst could reduce the dependence of proton exchange membrane fuel cells on Pt catalysts.