bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Milking” the Consumer?
Authors: Ebejer Andrew
Published: December 2019

In the early 1930s, Ontario’s milk industry was crippled by a series of “price wars” that undermined the profit-making ability of both milk producers and distributors. The province responded to this untenable situation by creating the Ontario Milk Control Board (MCB), which eventually stabilized the industry through licensing, bonding, and fixed price agreements. Congruent to this stabilization was the gradual inflation of consumer milk prices—much to the angst of a consuming public that found it difficult to subsist. Communists and housewives alike protested in Ontario cities. Alternative, sometimes radical, solutions were proposed. Consumer advocates additionally sought a pure and nutritious product for their undernourished children. Debates over pasteurization, in particular, raged alongside boycotts over cost. Yet, this emerging consumer movement attracted little government support and enjoyed only marginal success. Producers and dairies successfully mobilized the MCB on their behalf, whereas consumers failed to achieve price concessions and were often constrained by the state.
John Howard’s High Park
Authors: Bain David
Published: December 2019

In 1837, architect John George Howard purchased 165 acres west of Toronto as a country estate that he named High Park. In 1876, he donated his land to the city and, almost until his death in 1890, was the primary force behind the planning and development of a natural or forest park that is almost 400 acres in size today. This article looks at John Howard’s efforts during his lifetime, as well as his continuing influence in the decades after his death. It also examines the idea of a forest park in an urban setting, and the ideas, events and individuals that have shaped one of Canada’s important urban parks.
A Reservoir of Voices
Authors: Laxer Daniel
Published: December 2019

French Canadian folksong collections are complex sources of oral history. They contribute a valuable perspective to the limited documentation of the lumbering and fur trade eras. Similar to Ernest Gagnon’s seminal Chansons populaires du Canada, Germain Lemieux’s collections of Franco-Ontarien folksongs are presented alongside a nationalist agenda. Yet Lemieux improves upon Gagnon’s methodologies and analysis, adopting the fieldwork techniques and historical approach established by Marius Barbeau. Lemieux’s collection ultimately reveals much about the midtwentieth century Franco-Ontarien struggle for survivance. Most importantly, it preserves the fragmented voices of coureurs de bois and voyageurs, men who sang and composed amongst the diverse peoples of the North American fur trade.
The Premier versus the Aristocrat
Authors: Emery George , Emery J.C.  Herbert
Published: December 2019

The authors use anecdotal evidence and cliometric methods to revisit the 1851 Oxford-general election. They open with the setting — the electoral process, the electorate, the voter turnout, the candidates, and the local issues: railway politics, radical democracy, and establishment religion. Then through analysis of voters, they investigate why Hincks — the incumbent, the province’s co-premier in the Hincks-Morin administration (1851–4), but also a non-resident — prevailed over Vansittart — the prominent, eldest son of the deceased Vice-Admiral Henry Vansittart. The central finding is that establishment religion, and in particular the clergy reserves, was the decisive issue in Oxford, with Vansittart and Hincks offering alternative middle-ground positions between the ultra-Tory and ultra-Reform extremes. The contrasting religious and ethnic traditions of the riding’s 2,500 voters gave Hincks a narrow win.
Reforming the Coroner
Authors: Leslie Myles
Published: December 2019

This article traces the evolution of coroners’ manuals as published in nineteenth-century Canada West and Ontario. Rather than study the individual men who investigated suspicious deaths and then held inquests, it examines the coroner as an imagined and ideal type. The first three editions of A Practical Treatise on the office and duties of Coroners, embody not just formal rules and practical advice on doing the job, but the hopes and aspirations of their acknowledged author, William Fuller Alves Boys, and his ghostwriter the respected jurist James Robert Gowan. The article examines trends and changes in the three editions of the manual as both Boys’ career and the government in Ontario develop. Boys’ story, reflected in the evolving manuals, is that of an emerging class of experts and professionals involved in the administration of government and justice in Ontario.
“Must everything give way to the automobile?”
Authors: Robinson Danielle
Published: December 2019

In Ontario in the late 1960s, the provincial government’s plan to build an expressway through the Ancaster-Dundas region sparked widespread protests from local residents. Objectors who vehemently opposed the proposals before they were officially tabled protested only more vigorously as the controversy wore on, until the plans were ultimately shelved indefinitely. The conflict between government officials and residents over the ways in which postwar planning and development would affect the region offers valuable insights into the public and political mood of the late 1960s in southern Ontario. As government officials sought to support sprawling development and increased demand on transportation networks, citizens mobilized to defend not only the rapidly dwindling natural environment, but also their own communities. The case of the expressway proposals involves emblematic themes dominating Canadian post World War II urban and suburban history, exemplified by one protestor’s simple and direct plea – “Must everything give way to the automobile?”
No “Back Alley Clique”
Authors: Shadd Adrienne
Published: December 2019

In 1891, the Kent County Civil Rights League was formed to seek redress in several areas in which the Black community of Chatham felt they were being wronged. The first issue they decided to tackle was the segregated school system. This paper looks at the events and personalities involved in this landmark action which has essentially gone unrecorded and unrecognized in Black Canadian historiography, but which resulted in the opening of all schools to Black children in that town.
The decline of the artisans on Toronto City Council during the nineteenth century: 1834-1901
Authors: DuWors Richard
Published: December 2019

In the mid-nineteenth century a major upheaval occurred in the work places of south-central Ontario. Craftsmen (artisans) were forced out of their small workshops into alienating factories, and lost control of their means of production. The contribution of this paper is to show a fall-off of participation by artisans on Toronto City Council at the same time. Data are presented from Toronto and similar cities to help explain the decline in participation by artisans. A model thought to apply widely by many historians is the “dispossession” of artisans from the means of production. This is often referred to as proletarianization. We add another important consequence: political dispossession.
La face cachée du mouvement survivaliste au Québec. Le cas de Vic Survivaliste1
Authors: Geoffroy Martin
Published: December 2019

Cet article a pour principal objectif de mettre à jour les liens entre les mouvements d’extrême droite et l’éthique survivaliste. Nous montrons qu’il y a une parenté entre la croyance de l’imminence de la fin de notre monde chez les survivalistes et l’eschatologie chrétienne que l’on retrouve chez les intégristes chrétiens proches de l’extrême droite. Nous développons aussi une thèse qui soutient que le survivalisme est une fiction qui appuie sa cohérence sur divers biais cognitifs : une forme de pensée extrême qui désire la mort de la société moderne pour revenir à un état de nature idéalisé.
Heurs et malheurs du contentieux électoral en Afrique : étude comparée du droit électoral processuel africain
Authors: Gatsi Éric-Adol T.
Published: December 2019

L’auteur appréhende dans le présent texte le contentieux électoral en Afrique dans toute sa complexité. Son propos se veut essentiellement comparatif avec, comme particularité, la prise en considération de toutes les aires géographiques et linguistiques ainsi que les traditions juridiques de l’Afrique. Son intérêt tient, d’une part, à l’aptitude du contentieux électoral à effectivement remplir son rôle dans un contexte où un certain nombre de facteurs font courir aux processus électoraux africains un risque élevé de crise sociale. Il se rattache, d’autre part, aux récentes évolutions politiques en Afrique, à l’instar des printemps arabes et des mouvements populaires dans certains pays de l’Afrique subsaharienne qui ont abouti à une redéfinition des règles de la compétition électorale. L’auteur s’intéresse à la fois aux cadres législatifs et aux choix jurisprudentiels, et il remet en question les truismes et les préjugés soit de l’amélioration, soit de la péjoration des contentieux électoraux en Afrique. Il parvient à la conclusion d’une efficacité mitigée et différenciée. D’abord, les mécanismes de gestion des différends électoraux n’offrent pas, dans tous les États, les mêmes garanties d’efficience et des niveaux identiques de satisfaction ou d’insatisfaction. Ensuite, malgré des avancées notables et indéniables, des motifs d’inquiétude demeurent quant à l’aptitude du juge électoral à remplir son rôle de gardien neutre de la démocratie en Afrique.
Le principe général du bon gouvernement
Authors: Mockle Daniel
Published: December 2019

Malgré sa notoriété, la thématique du bon gouvernement semble relever désormais du passé. Un examen plus attentif de son évolution offre pourtant un tout autre tableau. La généalogie des principes traditionnels du bon gouvernement montre la progression de la mesurabilité et de l’objectivité dans l’évaluation de l’action publique. Si la première génération de ces principes permet de mesurer l’importance des impératifs liés à la perfection morale du souverain, la deuxième correspond au tournant majeur que représente l’étape du droit légiféré et du développement du droit public lors des deux derniers siècles. Ces garanties de « mesurabilité » qu’offre le droit sont relayées de nos jours par l’affirmation de la troisième génération de principes (efficacité, imputabilité, précaution, qualité, célérité) qui reflètent des exigences de quantification et de « calculabilité » de l’action publique. D’autres principes (transparence, participation) rattachés à l’approfondissement de la démocratie politique complètent ce bilan. Ce sont des principes transversaux propres à plusieurs disciplines et qui illustrent bien l’essor des sciences du gouvernement. Pour le droit public, une telle évolution s’avère décisive, car ce champ du droit mérite d’être mieux compris à la lumière de cette acculturation avec d’autres disciplines et d’autres savoirs.
Une lecture juridique de l’économie « arrivante » : une autre financiarisation du droit des sociétés et des marchés
Authors: Tchotourian Ivan , Morteo Margaux
Published: December 2019

Au cours des dernières décennies, le capitalisme n’a cessé de transformer le marché, bouleversant chaque fois un peu plus les concepts pourtant acquis des économistes et des juristes du monde des affaires. En dépit du progrès qu’elle occasionne, la financiarisation a mené à des scandales financiers et à des crises économiques majeures en 2000 et en 2007-2008 dont les effets sont encore palpables. Aujourd’hui, une autre financiarisation laisse progressivement son empreinte sur le droit des sociétés par actions et des marchés. Or, le droit s’adapte à ces changements d’orientation qui traversent les entreprises et la finance, celles-ci se montrant de plus en plus soucieuses de leur incidence sur la société. Une des plus récentes évolutions juridiques à cet égard est la création de statuts juridiques propres à certaines entreprises « hybrides » : les entreprises à mission sociétale. L’émergence de ce type d’entreprise donne de la dureté à la responsabilité sociale des entreprises (RSE) et procure une garantie de réalité derrière l’image de la vertu sans constituer pour autant une rupture de l’état du droit. La conception de l’entreprise telle qu’elle a longtemps été admise est par là même révolutionnée. Un pont entre le modèle libéral capitaliste et le modèle alternatif de l’économie sociale est donc en construction. Plus globalement, les dispositions légales se modernisent pour répondre à une demande croissante et permettent d’envisager de nos jours l’avènement d’une économie nouvelle en quête de plus de social et d’éthique. À cette fin, les acteurs de la finance, notamment sociale, poussent à la transformation des outils financiers pour générer un rendement social plutôt que strictement monétaire.
Revoluciones industriales: un concepto espurio
Authors: Aibar Eduard
Published: December 2019

Este artículo analiza el concepto de revolución industrial desde sus orígenes, a finales del siglo XIX, hasta la actual efervescencia alrededor de una supuesta Cuarta Revolución Industrial. A pesar de ser una idea fuertemente fijada en el imaginario cultural occidental y también en el terreno académico, numerosos estudios historiográficos, económicos y sociológicos llevados a cabo en las últimas décadas lo han cuestionado profundamente. En este artículo exploraremos, por un lado, sus deficiencias más notorias –que para muchos lo convierten en un concepto espurio, cargado de supuestos erróneos y de una visión obsoleta del desarrollo tecnológico– y, por el otro, algunos de los efectos ideológicos y políticos de su uso.
ПОСТУПАК ИЗВРШЕЊА НА ПОКРЕТНИМ СТВАРИМА ИЗВРШЕНИКА У РЕПУБЛИЦИ СРПСКОЈ
Authors: Божић Дарко
Published: December 2019

Предмет овог рада је поступак извршења на покретнимстварима извршеника у Републици Српској. У питању је посебан поступакради наплате новчаног потраживања тражиоца извршења. Анализирајусе законске одредбе и судска пракса која се односи на наведени поступак,а све у циљу стварања комплетне слике о поменутом поступку. Иако предсудовима у Републици Српској извршење на покретним стварима пред-ставља најчешће предлагано средство извршења, оно је истовремено инајнеефикасније средство извршења, а аутор ће се посебно бавити узроци-ма неефикасности поступка. У закључном дијелу рада настоји се указатина све недостатке овог поступка и дају се неки приједлози de lege ferenda.
Catecholaminergic modulation of meta-learning
Authors: Cook Jennifer L , Swart Jennifer C , Froböse Monja I , Diaconescu Andreea O , Geurts Dirk EM , den Ouden Hanneke EM , Cools Roshan
Published: December 2019

The remarkable expedience of human learning is thought to be underpinned by meta-learning, whereby slow accumulative learning processes are rapidly adjusted to the current learning environment. To date, the neurobiological implementation of meta-learning remains unclear. A burgeoning literature argues for an important role for the catecholamines dopamine and noradrenaline in meta-learning. Here, we tested the hypothesis that enhancing catecholamine function modulates the ability to optimise a meta-learning parameter (learning rate) as a function of environmental volatility. 102 participants completed a task which required learning in stable phases, where the probability of reinforcement was constant, and volatile phases, where probabilities changed every 10–30 trials. The catecholamine transporter blocker methylphenidate enhanced participants’ ability to adapt learning rate: Under methylphenidate, compared with placebo, participants exhibited higher learning rates in volatile relative to stable phases. Furthermore, this effect was significant only with respect to direct learning based on the participants’ own experience, there was no significant effect on inferred-value learning where stimulus values had to be inferred. These data demonstrate a causal link between catecholaminergic modulation and the adjustment of the meta-learning parameter learning rate.
HIV restriction factor APOBEC3G binds in multiple steps and conformations to search and deaminate single-stranded DNA
Authors: Morse Michael , Naufer M Nabuan , Feng Yuqing , Chelico Linda , Rouzina Ioulia , Williams Mark C
Published: December 2019

APOBEC3G (A3G), an enzyme expressed in primates with the potential to inhibit human immunodeﬁciency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infectivity, is a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) deoxycytidine deaminase with two domains, a catalytically active, weakly ssDNA binding C-terminal domain (CTD) and a catalytically inactive, strongly ssDNA binding N-terminal domain (NTD). Using optical tweezers, we measure A3G binding a single, long ssDNA substrate under various applied forces to characterize the binding interaction. A3G binds ssDNA in multiple steps and in two distinct conformations, distinguished by degree of ssDNA contraction. A3G stabilizes formation of ssDNA loops, an ability inhibited by A3G oligomerization. Our data suggests A3G securely binds ssDNA through the NTD, while the CTD samples and potentially deaminates the substrate. Oligomerization of A3G stabilizes ssDNA binding but inhibits the CTD’s search function. These processes explain A3G’s ability to efficiently deaminate numerous sites across a 10,000 base viral genome during the reverse transcription process.
First evidence of underwater vocalisations in hunting penguins
Authors: Thiebault Andréa , Charrier Isabelle , Aubin Thierry , Green David B. , Pistorius Pierre A.
Published: December 2019

Seabirds are highly vocal on land where acoustic communication plays a crucial role in reproduction. Yet, seabirds spend most of their life at sea. They have developed a number of morphological, physiological and behavioural adaptations to forage in the marine environment. The use of acoustic signals at sea could potentially enhance seabirds’ foraging success, but remains largely unexplored. Penguins emit vocalisations from the sea surface when commuting, a behaviour possibly associated with group formation at sea. Still, they are unique in their exceptional diving abilities and feed entirely underwater. Other air-breathing marine predators that feed under water, like cetaceans, pinnipeds and marine turtles, are known to emit sound underwater, but such behaviour has not yet been described in seabirds. We aimed to assess the potential prevalence and diversity of vocalisations emitted underwater by penguins. We chose three study species from three different genera, and equipped foraging adults with video cameras with built-in microphones. We recorded a total of 203 underwater vocalisation from all three species during 4 h 43 min of underwater footage. Vocalisations were very short in duration (0.06 s on average), with a frequency of maximum amplitude averaging 998 Hz, 1097 Hz and 680 Hz for King, Gentoo and Macaroni penguins, respectively. All vocalisations were emitted during feeding dives and more than 50% of them were directly associated with hunting behaviour, preceeded by an acceleration (by 2.2 s on average) and/or followed by a prey capture attempt (after 0.12 s on average). The function of these vocalisations remain speculative. Although it seems to be related to hunting behaviour, these novel observations warrant further investigation.
Half-human and Monstrous Races in Zoroastrian Tradition
Authors: Agostini Domenico
Published: December 2019

Legends and stories about fabulous races that dwelt in India or in Africa circulated in Iran probably since the Achaemenid times. Unfortunately, scholarship on this topic has neglected some late Iranian and, especially, Zoroastrian sources, such as Draxt ī āsūrīg (The Assyrian tree), the Bundahišn (Primal Creation), the Ayādgār ī Jāmāspīg (The memorial of Jāmāsp), and the New Persian epic Šāhnāme. This article examines the aforementioned sources and discusses their accounts of five fabulous races from an Iranian, and especially Zoroastrian, perspective and through a comparative approach to some similar neighboring traditions.
From Singing Ghosts to Docile Concubines
Authors: Hu Qiulei
Published: December 2019

This article examines the fascination of émigré elite literati with southern local songs known as the “Wu songs” in the early Southern dynasties. I argue that, through their cultivation of these songs, the émigré elite in the Eastern Jin and Liu-Song dynasties created an image of a “cultural other” and attempted to domesticate this other, experienced as southern, local, and feminine. A gender discourse—the ascription of femininity to the local—was employed as a crucial approach in this domestication. I also explore the unexpected outcome of this cultural encounter in the subsequent centuries, i.e., the merging of the northern elite and southern local music and cultural traditions.
Additions and Corrections to Wolf Leslau’s Comparative Dictionary of Ge‘ez (1987–2017)
Authors: Kogan Leonid
Published: December 2019

Thirty years after the appearance of Wolf Leslau’s Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez, the present study aims at correcting and updating some of the entries of this major tool of Semitic etymology. New data from Ugaritic, Akkadian, and especially Modern South Arabian are prominent among the additions (particularly the Soqotri lexical material acquired in the course of the many years of the author’s fieldwork on the island).
Pharaoh and His Council
Authors: Witztum Joseph
Published: December 2019

In two suras of the Quran (Q 7 and Q 26) a dialogue between Pharaoh and his council members (malaʾ) is recorded after Moses performed miracles before them. The account in Q 7 is textually problematic, the version of Q 26 is smooth . After a brief survey of possible pre-Islamic precedents for the dialogue, this note explores the two nearly identical yet contradictory intraquranic parallels and the relationship between them, and surveys the harmonizing approaches of the classical exegetes as well as the critical attitudes of modern scholars to the issue . Finally, the textual dynamic that caused the passage in Q 7 to change is reconstructed. An appendix examines the other minute differences between the two passages .
O FAZER MATEMÁTICA NO ENSINO FUNDAMENTAL: UMA APROXIMAÇÃO NO CONTEXTO DA MODELAGEM MATEMÁTICA
Authors: Costa Daniana De , Teixeira Edival Sebastião
Published: December 2019

A aprendizagem de conceitos científicos não ocorre de modo espontâneo. Cabe à escola organizar momentos nos quais os estudantes sejam colocados em situações de aprendizagem para manejar tais conceitos. O artigo tem por objetivo apresentar e discutir a hipótese de que a modelagem matemática se constitui como uma estratégia adequada para colocar o estudante em atividade. Mais especificamente, propõe-se que a modelagem matemática pode promover a atividade do estudante, levando ao desenvolvimento de processos psicológicos dirigidos à criação de sentidos e à motivação para a aprendizagem nos anos iniciais e finais do ensino fundamental. Para apoiar a argumentação, é relatada uma pesquisa em que essa estratégia foi utilizada com estudantes do 9º ano de uma escola de São Lourenço do Oeste, Santa Catarina.
UMA INTRODUÇÃO À TEORIA DAS LINHAS PARA A CARTOGRAFIA
Authors: Bedin da Costa Luciano , Sobral Loureiro Amorim Alexandre
Published: December 2019

Ao modo introdução, este artigo desdobra um aspecto do método cartográfico proposto por Gilles Deleuze e Félix Guattari. Trata-se da teoria das linhas, uma quase teoria que se faz no arranjo de conceitos extraídos da obra destes dois filósofos e que orientam uma pesquisa e/ou metodologia cartográfica pelo viés da filosofia da diferença. As linhas — duras, flexíveis e de fuga —, operam em coexistência, agindo no território a ser cartografado (e no próprio pesquisador). Cada linha tem sua funcionalidade e seus riscos, devendo, o cartógrafo, mapeá-las e trabalhar a favor da liberação da vida ali onde ela parece estar mais aprisionada.
Climate Hazards and the Changing World of Coffee Pests and Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Ogundeji B. A. , Olalekan-Adeniran M. A. , Orimogunje O. A. , Awoyemi S. O. , Yekini B. A. , Adewoye G. A. , Bankole I. A.
Published: December 2019

Coffee has over the years remained of great importance to the global economy. Although the crop originated from Africa, its production is presently dominated by Brazil and Vietnam, which now respectively account for 34 and 13% of global production. Ethiopia and Uganda which are at the fore-front of production within sub-Saharan Africa account for 62% of the region’s coffee output. Out of the many species of coffee that exist, C. arabica (Arabica coffee) and C. canephora (Robusta coffee) are of outstanding economic importance. While the former does well on high altitudes (1000-2000 m above sea level), average temperature ranges of between 15 and 24°C, and 2000 mm rainfall per annum, the latter, which can thrive under hotter, drier conditions can be grown on altitudes of about 800 m above sea level.  Generally speaking, optimal coffee-growing conditions include cool to warm tropical climates, rich soils, and few pests or diseases. Each of the grown species however does well under specific environmental conditions. The constantly increasing environmental temperatures, coupled with accompanying variations in weather conditions, have some direct debilitating effects on coffee production and quality. Pests and pathogens, being able to tolerate a wide range of temperature, have the capabilities to proliferate and negatively influence the crop’s yield, quality and production cost. In view of the the highlighted problems, some mitigation strategies have been developed by researchers to limit the extent of damage caused by global warming on coffee production in the region. Chief among these include genetic improvement/development of resistant cultivars, reforestation (planting under shade), high-density planting/irrigation, integrated pest management, improved access to climate information and reduction of green house gas emissions. These, among others would enhance the quantity and quality of coffee produced and consequently boost the region’s economy.
Contemporary Teaching-Learning Practices: Implementation and Challenges of Student-Centered Learning Approach in Higher Education of Ethiopia
Authors: Moges Birhanu
Published: December 2019

Student-centered learning approach is a key factor which focuses on students’ learning experiences and development, well-being and retention so that higher educational learning is delivered in ways that are demonstrably in the students’ best interests. In the teacher-centered approach to teaching, most of the class time is spent with the teacher lecturing and the student watching, listening and taking notes. The present study aimed to explore students’ and instructors’ perception, practices and challenges in implementing SCL. The study employed descriptive survey design by combining quantitative and qualitative approach to collect, process, analyzes and presents the data. A total of 12 instructors and 66 students of the second and third year psychology students have participated in the study through availability and purposive sampling technique. The instruments were questionnaire, classroom observation and un-structured interviews were conducted. Accordingly, the findings indicated that the teaching practices in implementing student-centered learning approach were not as expected. The result also showed that instructors had positive attitude toward the SCL, regarding several aspects such as providing the benefits to both students and instructors, being effective for teaching, creating close relationship and establishing active classroom environment. In the end, instructors also agreed that student-centered instruction will improve the ability of the students to learn the courses. Due to different challenges, most of the students were less interested to learn by SCL, such as sense of fear, lack of interest and confidence. The study further found that the lack of classroom facilities and conditions, large class size, inadequate teachers training, tendency of focusing on teacher-centered approach and limited ability to implement were the challenges of implementing. Finally, it is recommended that responsible bodies rearrange the facilities and conditions necessary inputs for the effective implantation of SCL. To minimize the challenges, instructors should create different techniques to make students participants in teaching-learning process.
Radiological Survey of Oil and Gas Wastes and its Health Risks in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria
Authors: Ononugbo C. P. , Avwiri G. O. , Ekpo J. I. , Chad-Umoren Y. E.
Published: December 2019

Aim: The aim of this study is radiometric survey of oil and gas wastes and its health risks in Niger Delta region of Nigeria. 

Study Design: This study was purely an experimental work which involves collection of samples and laboratory analysis.

Place and Duration of the Study: This study was carried out at oil and gas company waste stream facilities and waste pipe market within Niger Delta region between June 2018 and May, 2019.

Methodology: Sixteen samples (4 drill cuttings, 4 pipe scales, 2 sludges and 6 produced water) were randomly collected from four waste streams in six locations within the oil and gas production facilities and used pipe market. These samples were taken to the laboratory, prepared following the ISO procedure and packaged in a porcelain bottle, sealed and kept for twenty eight days in order to ensure secular equilibrium between 238U, 232Th and their progenies and counted with high purity Germanium detector (HPGe). The activity concentration of all the radionuclides were used to determine the radiological health risks using mathematical models.

Results: The lowest and highest specific activity concentrations  of 226Ra, 238U , 232Th  and 40K, in solid wastes are 5.28±1.08 and 25727.75 Bqkg-1, 3.61±0.76 and 23021.73±1041.58 Bqkg-1, 2.40±0.56 and 21468.25±1125.57 Bqkg-1 and 35.31±2.38 and 1527.73 ±86.60 Bqkg-1 respectively. In the liquid waste, the lowest and highest activity concentration of 238U, 232Th and 40K are 0.34±0.15 and 1.11±0.28 Bql-1, 0.63±0.17 and 1.06±0.18 Bql-1 and 9.60±0.66 and 14.20 ±1.04 Bql-1 respectively. 226Ra was below detectable limit in the liquid waste except in one sample (CZI). Downhole pipe scales recorded the highest activity concentration of all the radionuclides. Surface pipe scale also recorded very high activity concentration of all the radionuclides. The radiological health risk parameters assessed from the activity concentration of these radionuclide were all above the safe reference levels in downhole pipe scales and surface pipe scales while they are within the safe values in other samples. The estimated Exposure rate for both solid and liquid wastes were higher than the recommended reference level of 600 µRh-1 and the associated dose rate was also higher than reference level.

Conclusion: The result of this work revealed that downhole and surface pipes from oilfield commonly used in the construction of buildings and domestic overhead tank-stands are associated with high levels of ionizing radiation which may be detrimental to human health and the environment.
A 10‐year prediagnostic follow‐up study shows that serum RNA signals are highly dynamic in lung carcinogenesis
Authors: Umu Sinan Uğur , Langseth Hilde , Keller Andreas , Meese Eckart , Helland Åslaug , Lyle Robert , Rounge Trine B.
Published: December 2019

The majority of lung cancer (LC) patients are diagnosed at a late stage, and survival is poor. Circulating RNA molecules are known to have a role in cancer; however, their involvement before diagnosis remains an open question. In this study, we investigated circulating RNA dynamics in prediagnostic LC samples, focusing on smokers, to identify if and when disease‐related signals can be detected in serum. We sequenced small RNAs in 542 serum LC samples donated up to 10 years before diagnosis and 519 matched cancer‐free controls coming from 905 individuals in the Janus Serum Bank. This sample size provided sufficient statistical power to independently analyze time to diagnosis, stage, and histology. The results showed dynamic changes in differentially expressed circulating RNAs specific to LC histology and stage. The greatest number of differentially expressed RNAs was identified around 7 years before diagnosis for early‐stage LC and 1–4 years prior to diagnosis for locally advanced and advanced‐stage LC, regardless of LC histology. Furthermore, NSCLC and SCLC histologies have distinct prediagnostic signals. The majority of differentially expressed RNAs were associated with cancer‐related pathways. The dynamic RNA signals pinpointed different phases of tumor development over time. Stage‐specific RNA profiles may be associated with tumor aggressiveness. Our results improve the molecular understanding of carcinogenesis. They indicate substantial opportunity for screening and improved treatment and will guide further research on early detection of LC. However, the dynamic nature of the RNA signals also suggests challenges for prediagnostic biomarker discovery.
Weighted fusion robust steady‐state estimators for multisensor networked systems with one‐step random delay and inconsecutive packet dropouts
Authors: Liu Wen‐Qiang , Deng Zi‐Li
Published: December 2019

In this paper, the weighted fusion robust steady‐state Kalman filtering problem is studied for a class of multisensor networked systems with mixed uncertainties. The uncertainties include same multiplicative noises in system parameter matrices, uncertain noise variances, as well as the one‐step random delay and inconsecutive packet dropouts, which modeled by sequences of Bernoulli variables with different probabilities. By defining a new observation vector and applying the augmented method, the system under study is converted into one with only uncertain noise variances. The sufficient conditions for the existence of steady‐state estimators are given. According to the minimax robust estimation principle, based on the worst‐case subsystems with conservative upper bounds of uncertain noise variances, the robust local steady‐state Kalman estimators (predictor, filter, and smoother) are proposed. Applying the optimal fusion algorithm weighted by matrices and the covariance intersection fusion algorithm, the two kinds of robust fusion steady‐state Kalman estimators are derived in a unified framework. The robustness of the proposed fusion estimators is proved by applying the permutation matrices and the global Lyapunov equations method, such that, for all admissible uncertainties, the actual steady‐state estimation error variances of the estimators are guaranteed to have the corresponding minimal upper bounds. The accuracy relations among the robust local and fusion steady‐state Kalman estimators are proved. An example with application to autoregressive moving average signal processing is proposed, which shows that the robust local and fusion signal estimation problems can be solved by the state estimation problems. Simulation example verifies the effectiveness and correctness of the proposed results.
Constitutional Isomerization Enables Bright NIR‐II AIEgen for Brain‐Inflammation Imaging
Authors: Liu Shunjie , Chen Chao , Li Yuanyuan , Zhang Haoke , Liu Junkai , Wang Ran , Wong Sherman T. H. , Lam Jacky W. Y. , Ding Dan , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: December 2019

The shortage of high quantum yield (QY) organic fluorophores in the second near‐infrared window (NIR‐II) has become a bottleneck in bioimaging field. Now, a simple strategy is proposed to address this: constitutional isomerization on the basis of the molecular design philosophy of aggregation‐induced emission. With the combination of backbone distortion and rotor twisting, the resultant NIR‐II fluorophore 2TT‐oC6B displays an emission peak at 1030 nm and a QY of 11% in nanoparticles, one of the highest reported so far. Control molecules confirm that the distorted backbone and twisted rotors play equally important roles in determining the fluorescence properties of the NIR‐II fluorophores. To allow for the targeting ability to reach deeply located diseases, neutrophils (NEs) are used to penetrate the brain tissues and accumulate in the inflammation site. Herein, it is shown that NEs carrying 2TT‐oC6B nanoparticles can penetrate the blood‐brain‐barrier and visualize the deeply located inflammation through an intact scalp and skull. Notably, the bright 2TT‐oC6B contributes to a significantly enhanced signal‐to‐background ratio of 30.6 in the brain inflammation site.
A Stable Solid Electrolyte Interphase for Magnesium Metal Anode Evolved from a Bulky Anion Lithium Salt
Authors: Tang Kun , Du Aobing , Dong Shanmu , Cui Zili , Liu Xin , Lu Chenglong , Zhao Jingwen , Zhou Xinhong , Cui Guanglei
Published: December 2019

Rechargeable magnesium (Mg) metal batteries are a promising candidate for “post‐Li‐ion batteries” due to their high capacity, high abundance, and most importantly, highly reversible and dendrite‐free Mg metal anode. However, the formation of passivating surface film rather than Mg2+‐conducting solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on Mg anode surface has always restricted the development of rechargeable Mg batteries. A stable SEI is constructed on the surface of Mg metal anode by the partial decomposition of a pristine Li electrolyte in the electrochemical process. This Li electrolyte is easily prepared by dissolving lithium tetrakis(hexafluoroisopropyloxy)borate (Li[B(hfip)4]) in dimethoxyethane. It is noteworthy that Mg2+ can be directly introduced into this Li electrolyte during the initial electrochemical cycles for in situ forming a hybrid Mg2+/Li+ electrolyte, and then the cycled electrolyte can conduct Mg‐ion smoothly. The existence of this as‐formed SEI blocks the further parasitic reaction of Mg metal anode with electrolyte and enables this electrolyte enduring long‐term electrochemical cycles stably. This approach of constructing superior SEI on Mg anode surface and exploiting novel Mg electrolyte provides a new avenue for practical application of high‐performance rechargeable Mg batteries.
Stable Monomeric Insulin Formulations Enabled by Supramolecular PEGylation of Insulin Analogues
Authors: Maikawa Caitlin L. , Smith Anton A. A. , Zou Lei , Meis Catherine M. , Mann Joseph L. , Webber Matthew J. , Appel Eric A.
Published: December 2019

Current “fast‐acting” insulin analogues contain amino acid modifications meant to inhibit dimer formation and shift the equilibrium of association states toward the monomeric state. However, the insulin monomer is highly unstable and current formulation techniques require insulin to primarily exist as hexamers to prevent aggregation into inactive and immunogenic amyloids. Insulin formulation excipients have thus been traditionally selected to promote insulin association into the hexameric form to enhance formulation stability. This study exploits a novel excipient for the supramolecular PEGylation of insulin analogues, including aspart and lispro, to enhance the stability and maximize the prevalence of insulin monomers in formulation. Using multiple techniques, it is demonstrated that judicious choice of formulation excipients (tonicity agents and parenteral preservatives) enables insulin analogue formulations with 70–80% monomer and supramolecular PEGylation imbued stability under stressed aging for over 100 h without altering the insulin association state. Comparatively, commercial “fast‐acting” formulations contain less than 1% monomer and remain stable for only 10 h under the same stressed aging conditions. This simple and effective formulation approach shows promise for next‐generation ultrafast insulin formulations with a short duration of action that can reduce the risk of post‐prandial hypoglycemia in the treatment of diabetes.
Improvement of early mortality in single‐unit cord blood transplantation for Japanese adults from 1998 to 2017
Authors: Konuma Takaaki , Kanda Junya , Inamoto Yoshihiro , Hayashi Hiromi , Kobayashi Shinichi , Uchida Naoyuki , Sugio Yasuhiro , Tanaka Masatsugu , Kobayashi Hikaru , Kouzai Yasushi , Takahashi Satoshi , Eto Tetsuya , Mukae Junichi , Matsuhashi Yoshiko , Fukuda Takahiro , Takanashi Minoko , Kanda Yoshinobu , Atsuta Yoshiko , Kimura Fumihiko
Published: December 2019

The major limitation of cord blood transplantation (CBT) for adults remains the delayed hematopoietic recovery and higher incidence of graft failure, which result in a higher risk of early mortality in CBT. We evaluated early overall survival (OS), non‐relapse mortality (NRM), neutrophil engraftment, acute graft‐vs‐host disease, and cause of early death among 9678 adult patients who received single‐unit CBT in Japan between 1998 and 2017. The probability of OS at 100 days was 64.4%, 71.7%, and 78.9% for the periods 1998 to 2007, 2008 to 2012, and 2013 to 2017, respectively (P < .001). The cumulative incidences of NRM at 100 days during the same period were 28.3%, 20.8%, and 14.6%, respectively (P < .001). The cumulative incidences of neutrophil engraftment were also improved during the same period (P < .001). The most common cause of death within 100 days after CBT was bacterial infection in 1998 to 2007 and primary disease in the latter two time periods. Across the three time periods, the proportions of deaths from bacterial and fungal infection, graft failure, hemorrhage, sinusoidal obstructive syndrome, and organ failure decreased in a stepwise fashion. Landmark analysis of OS and NRM after 100 days showed that OS did not change over time in the multivariate analysis. Our registry‐based data demonstrated a significant improvement of early OS after CBT for adults over the past 20 years. The landmark analysis suggested that improvement of early mortality could lead to an improvement of long‐term OS after CBT.
Outcomes of bendamustine‐ or cyclophosphamide‐based first‐line chemotherapy in older patients with indolent B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Olszewski Adam J. , Butera James N. , Reagan John L. , Castillo Jorge J.
Published: December 2019

Clinical trials comparing bendamustine/rituximab (BR) with cyclophosphamide‐based regimens (RCHOP/RCVP) have pooled various histologies of indolent B‐cell lymphomas. We examined real‐life outcomes of older patients with follicular (FL), mantle cell (MCL), or marginal zone/lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (MZL/LPL), treated with these first‐line regimens. We identified Medicare beneficiaries with FL, MCL, or MZL/LPL, who received either first‐line BR or RCHOP/RCVP in 2009‐2016, and matched groups using a propensity score. Outcomes of claims‐based event‐free survival (EFS), overall survival (OS), toxicity, secondary cancers, and costs were compared in the aggregate cohort (N = 2736), and in separately matched histology‐specific subcohorts. In the aggregate cohort, EFS was better with BR than with RCHOP/RCVP (hazard ratio [HR], 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70‐0.87). Acute toxicity was lower with BR, including rates of hospitalizations (33% vs 45%), infections (21% vs 30%), cardiovascular events, and transfusions, yet OS did not differ (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.91‐1.17) and Medicare spending was higher. There was no difference in the cumulative incidence of secondary cancers (subhazard ratio, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.83‐1.48). The EFS advantage of BR was pronounced in MCL (N = 690; HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.54‐0.76), but less so in FL (N = 1330; HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.69‐0.98) and absent in MZL/LPL (N = 574; HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.73‐1.17). Despite improved EFS and lower toxicity, the shift from RCHOP/RCVP to BR in clinical practice did not improve OS for older patients with indolent B‐cell lymphomas. Frequent infections and hospitalizations underscore the need for safer treatment approaches in this population. Secondary cancers do not appear to be increased after BR compared with RCHOP/RCVP.
Thioamidation of Arylpropyne Derivatives with Sulfur and Formamides for the Synthesis of Aryl Propanethioamides
Authors: Xu Hong‐Hui , Zhang Xing‐Guo , Zhang Xiao‐Hong
Published: December 2019

An efficient synthesis of aryl propanethioamides by a three‐component reaction of arylpropynes, elemental sulfur and formamides has been developed. The cascade thioamidation proceeds smoothly through the hydrolysis of the C−C triple bond and formamides, the formation of C−N bond and C−S double bond in one‐pot reaction.
Screening high‐quality fetal bovine serum for porcine oocyte maturation in vitro
Authors: Liu Xueqing , Lang Qiaoli , Wu Meng , You Xiaoyan , He Qiling , Luo Ling , Liu Zijia , Xiao Puying , Huang Nan , Yang Xi , Ge Liangpeng
Published: December 2019

Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is widely used in cell cultures due to its high stability and easy access. It was also used as a substitute for porcine follicular fluid (PFF) in previous studies. However, FBS components are unclear, and the presence of FBS in culture media may introduce a variation from batch to batch. This study aimed to establish an effective method to screen FBS in place of PFF in the culture media for porcine oocytes in vitro. We screened FBS from different sources by using porcine fetal fibroblast cells. The effects of six FBS samples on porcine fetal fibroblast cell growth were tested via frozen cell survival assay, cell clone formation assay, cell growth curve, and cell passage activity assay. The best serum that we called GFBS (heat‐inactivated FBS, cat. no. 10500‐64; Gibco) showed a similar effect on the maturation and development of porcine oocytes to that of PFF and can be used as a good substitute for PFF. These results suggested that the porcine fetal fibroblast cell culture test can be used as a valuable method to screen FBS for porcine oocyte maturation and embryonic development in vitro.
Photoinduced Single‐Electron Transfer as an Enabling Principle in the Radical Borylation of Alkenes with NHC–Borane
Authors: Xia Peng‐Ju , Song Dan , Ye Zhi‐Peng , Hu Yuan‐Zhuo , Xiao Jun‐An , Xiang Hao‐Yue , Chen Xiao‐Qing , Yang Hua
Published: December 2019

A photoinduced SET process enables the direct B−H bond activation of NHC–boranes. In contrast to common hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) strategies, this photoinduced reaction simply takes advantage of the beneficial redox potentials of NHC–boranes, thus obviating the need for extra radical initiators. The resulting NHC–boryl radical was used for the borylation of a wide range of α‐trifluoromethylalkenes and alkenes with diverse electronic and structural features, providing facile access to highly functionalized borylated molecules. Labeling and photoquenching experiments provide insight into the mechanism of this photoinduced SET pathway.
Nano‐enabled poly(vinyl alcohol) based injectable bio‐nanocomposite hydrogel scaffolds
Authors: Phogat Kapender , Kanwar Susheem , Nayak Debabrata , Mathur Navya , Ghosh Subrata Bandhu , Bandyopadhyay‐Ghosh Sanchita
Published: December 2019

We report development of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)‐based novel injectable hydrogel nanocomposite scaffolds. Nanocellulose (NC), synthesized from agricultural biomass, was used as reinforcement within PVA matrix. The hydrogels were formed using physical crosslinking process involving multiple freeze–thaw cycles. A range of bio‐nanocomposite hydrogels were prepared with varying concentrations of NC. With increasing loading of NC, crystallinity was found to be increased, which could be attributed to nucleating effect and crystalline nature of nanofibrillar cellulose. Investigation of microstructural surface topology indicated reduced surface perturbations upon incorporation of NC. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies further indicated presence of characteristic functional groups and possible interactions between PVA and NC. Enhanced structural integrity and dynamic stability of the bio‐nanocomposite hydrogels were also confirmed by carrying out rheological investigations at different frequency, amplitude, temperature, and time sweeps. Further, the bio‐nanocomposite hydrogels demonstrated excellent injectability and self‐standing behavior, establishing the promising potential as injectable scaffolds. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48789.