bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First measurements of tides in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere by ground-based Doppler microwave wind radiometry
Authors: Hagen Jonas , Hocke Klemens , Stober Gunter , Pfreundschuh Simon , Murk Axel , Kämpfer Niklaus
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Atmospheric tides are important for vertical coupling in the atmosphere, from the stratosphere down to the troposphere and up to the thermosphere.
They are planetary-scale gravity waves with well-known periods that are integer fractions of a day and can be observed in the temperature or wind fields in the atmosphere.
Most lidar techniques and satellites measure atmospheric tides only in the temperature field and continuous measurements of the tides in the wind field of the stratosphere and lower mesosphere are rare, even though, with modern lidars, they would be feasible.
In this study, we present measurements of the diurnal tide in the wind field in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere by ground-based microwave wind radiometry for two different campaigns in tropical and polar regions.
Further, we compare our measurements to MERRA-2 reanalysis data.
In the tri-monthly mean, we find a good correspondence in the amplitude and phase of the diurnal tide between measurements and reanalysis with the most important features of the diurnal tides represented in both data sets.
When looking at shorter timescales, we find significant differences in the data sets.
We make an attempt to examine these differences and discriminate between atmospheric variability and noise, and we present some hints for intermittent diurnal tides.
We conclude that continuous ground-based observations of tides in the middle atmospheric wind field are feasible, and they deliver consistent results for the mean amplitude and phase of the diurnal tide in the tri-monthly mean.
We further discuss the limitations in regards to short timescale observations of tides and the possibility to provide additional insight into middle atmospheric dynamics that is complementary to temperature observations and reanalysis data.
Distribution and behaviour of dissolved selenium in tropical peatland-draining rivers and estuaries of Malaysia
Authors: Chang Yan , Müller Moritz , Wu Ying , Jiang Shan , Cao Wan Wan , Qu Jian Guo , Ren Jing Ling , Wang Xiao Na , Rao En Ming , Wang Xiao Lu , Mujahid Aazani , Muhamad Mohd Fakharuddin , Sia Edwin Sien Aun , Jang Faddrine Holt Ajon , Zhang Jing
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for aquatic organisms. Despite its importance, our current knowledge of the biogeochemical cycling of
dissolved Se in tropical estuaries is limited, especially in Southeast Asia. To gain insights into Se cycling in tropical peat-draining rivers and
estuaries, samples were collected from the Rajang, Maludam, Sebuyau, Simunjan, Sematan, Samunsam and Lunda rivers and estuaries in western Sarawak,
Malaysia, in March and September 2017 and analysed for various forms of Se (dissolved inorganic and organic). Mean total dissolved Se (TDSe),
dissolved inorganic Se (DISe) and dissolved organic Se concentrations (DOSe) were 2.2 nmol L−1 (range: 0.7 to 5.7 nmol L−1),
0.18 nmol L−1 (range: less than the detection limit to 0.47 nmol L−1) and 2.0 nmol L−1 (range: 0.42 to
5.7 nmol L−1), respectively. In acidic, low-oxygen, organic-rich blackwater (peatland-draining) rivers, the concentrations of DISe were
extremely low (near or below the detection limit, i.e. 0.0063 nmol L−1), whereas those of DOSe were high. In rivers and estuaries that
drained peatland, DOSe ∕ TDSe ratios ranged from 0.67 to 0.99, showing that DOSe dominated. The positive relationship between DISe and salinity and the
negative relationship between DOSe and salinity indicate marine and terrestrial origins of DISe and DOSe, respectively. The positive correlations of
DOSe with the humification index and humic-like chromophoric dissolved organic matter components in freshwater river reaches suggest that peat soils
are probably the main source of DOSe. The DOSe fractions may be associated with high molecular weight peatland-derived aromatic and black carbon
compounds and may photodegrade to more bioavailable forms once transported to coastal waters. The TDSe flux delivered by the peat-draining rivers
exceeded those reported for other small rivers and is quantitatively more significant than previously thought.
African biomes are most sensitive to changes in CO2 under recent and near-future CO2 conditions
Authors: Scheiter Simon , Moncrieff Glenn R. , Pfeiffer Mirjam , Higgins Steven I.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Current rates of climate and atmospheric change are likely higher than during the last millions of years. Even higher rates of change are projected in CMIP5 climate model ensemble runs for some Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. The speed of ecological processes such as leaf physiology, demography or migration can differ from the speed of changes in environmental conditions. Such mismatches imply lags between the actual vegetation state and the vegetation state expected under prevailing environmental conditions. Here, we used a dynamic vegetation model, the adaptive Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (aDGVM), to study lags between actual and expected vegetation in Africa under a changing atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio. We hypothesized that lag size increases with a more rapidly changing CO2 mixing ratio as opposed to slower changes in CO2 and that disturbance by fire further increases lag size. Our model results confirm these hypotheses, revealing lags between vegetation state and environmental conditions and enhanced lags in fire-driven systems. Biome states, carbon stored in vegetation and tree cover in Africa are most sensitive to changes in CO2 under recent and near-future levels. When averaged across all biomes and simulations with and without fire, times to reach an equilibrium vegetation state increase from approximately 242 years for 200 ppm to 898 years for 1000 ppm. These results have important implications for vegetation modellers and for policy making. Lag effects imply that vegetation will undergo substantial changes in distribution patterns, structure and carbon sequestration even if emissions of fossils fuels and other greenhouse gasses are reduced and the climate system stabilizes. We conclude that modelers need to account for lag effects in models and in data used for model testing. Policy makers need to consider lagged responses and committed changes in the biosphere when developing adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Adaptive clustering: A method to analyze dynamical similarity and to reduce redundancies in distributed (hydrological) modeling
Authors: Ehret Uwe , van Pruijssen Rik , Bortoli Marina , Loritz Ralf , Azmi Elnaz , Zehe Erwin
Published: February 2020

Abstract. In this paper we propose adaptive clustering as a new way to analyse hydrological systems and to reduce computational efforts of distributed modelling, by dynamically identifying similar model elements, clustering them and inferring dynamics from just a few representatives per cluster. It is based on the observation that while hydrological systems generally exhibit large spatial variability of their properties, requiring distributed approaches for analysis and modelling, there is also redundancy, i.e. there exist typical and recurrent combinations of properties, such that sub systems exist with similar properties, which will exhibit similar internal dynamics and produce similar output when in similar initial states and when exposed to similar forcing. Being dependent on all these factors, similarity is hence a dynamical rather than a static phenomenon, and it is not necessarily a function of spatial proximity. We explain and demonstrate adaptive clustering at the example of a conceptual, yet realistic and distributed hydrological model, fit to the Attert basin in Luxembourg by multi-variate calibration. Based on normalized and binned transformations of model states and fluxes, we first calculated time series of Shannon information entropy to measure dynamical similarity (or redundancy) among sub systems. This revealed that indeed high redundancy exists, that its magnitude differs among variables, that it varies with time, and that for the Attert basin the spatial patterns of similarity are mainly controlled by geology and precipitation. Based on these findings, we integrated adaptive clustering into the hydrological model. It constitutes a shell around the model hydrological process core and comprises: Clustering of model elements, choice of cluster representatives, mapping of results from representatives to recipients, comparison of clusterings over time to decide when re-clustering is advisable. Adaptive clustering, compared to a standard, full-resolution model run used as a virtual reality truth, reduced computation time to one fourth, when accepting a decrease of modelling quality, expressed as Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency of sub catchment runoff, from 1 to 0.84. We suggest that adaptive clustering is a promising tool for both system analysis, and for reducing computation times of distributed models, thus facilitating applications to larger systems and/or longer periods of time. We demonstrate the potential of adaptive clustering at the example of a hydrological system and model, but it should apply to a wide range of systems and models across the earth system sciences. Being dynamical, it goes beyond existing static methods used to increase model performance, such as lumping, and it is compatible with existing dynamical methods such as adaptive time-stepping or adaptive gridding. Unlike the latter, adaptive clustering does not require adjacency of the sub systems to be joined.
Evaluating the efficacy of bivariate extreme modelling approaches for multi-hazard scenarios
Authors: Tilloy Aloïs , Malamud Bruce D. , Winter Hugo , Joly-Laugel Amélie
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Estimating risks generated by multi-hazard scenarios remains a challenge for practitioners. Here we evaluate the efficacy of bivariate extreme modelling approaches by fitting six distinct stochastic models to synthetic datasets. The properties of the synthetic datasets (marginal distributions, tail dependence structure) are chosen to match bivariate time series of environmental variables. The six models are copulas (one non-parametric, one semi-parametric, four parametric). We build 60 distinct synthetic datasets based on different parameters of log-normal margins and two different copulas. We contrast the model strengths (model flexibility) and weaknesses (poorer fits to the data). We find that no one model fits our synthetic data for all parameters, but rather a range of models are more appropriate To highlight the benefits of the systematic modelling framework developed, we consider the following environmental data: (i) daily precipitation and maximum wind gust in London, UK; (ii) daily mean temperature and wildfire number in Porto district, Portugal. In both cases there is good agreement in the estimation of bivariate return periods between models selected from the systematic framework developed in this study. Within this framework, we have explored a way to model multi-hazard events and identify the most efficient models for a given set of synthetic data and hazard sets.
The Arctic sea ice extent change connected to Pacific decadal variability
Authors: Yang Xiao-Yi , Wang Guihua , Keenlyside Noel
Published: February 2020

Abstract. After an unprecedented retreat, the total Arctic sea ice cover for
the post-2007 period is characterized by low extent and a remarkable
increase in annual cycle amplitude. We have identified the leading role of
spring Bering Sea ice in explaining the changes in the amplitude of the
annual cycle of total Arctic sea ice. In particular, these changes are
related to the recent occurrence of multiyear variability in spring Bering
Sea ice extent. This is due to the phase-locking of the North Pacific Gyre
Oscillation (NPGO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) after about
2007, with a correlation coefficient reaching −0.6. Furthermore, there
emerge notable changes in the sea level pressure and sea surface temperature
patterns associated with the NPGO in the recent decade. After 2007, the NPGO
is related to a quadrupole of sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies that is associated with the wind
stress curl and Ekman pumping rate anomalies in the Bering deep basin; these
account for the change in Bering Sea subsurface variability that contribute
to the decadal oscillation of the spring Bering Sea ice extent.
Investigation of zeranol in beef of Ukrainian production and its reduction with various technological processing
Authors: Kukhtyn Mykola , Salata Volodymyr , Pelenyo Ruslan , Selskyi Volodymyr , Horiuk Yulia , Boltyk Nataliia , Ulko Larisa , Dobrovolsky Volodymyr
Published: February 2020

Synthetic growth stimulants are widely used to get high productivity of animals. These preparations can accumulate in the meat and their residual quantities will adversely affect the health of consumers. The purpose of the work was to monitor the content of zeranol, growth stimulant of ruminants in beef which goes to meat processing enterprises of the Western region of Ukraine and to determine the effect of heat treatment on its quantity. It was found out that 29.8% of beef samples taken at meat processing enterprises contained a stimulant for the growth of ruminant zeranol. It was found that during the storage of beef samples frozen at a temperature of -18 °C with different content of zeranol there is a decrease in its number. The most intense process of destruction of zeranol occurred during the first month of storage, during this period of time the amount of zeranol is reduced by an average of 20%, regardless of the initial content. Within two months of storage of frozen beef, the content of zeranol decreases by 28.2 ±0.17%, and at the end of the sixth month its quantity decreases to 33.2 ±0.58%. It was also found that the dynamics of zeranol reducing in beef samples with large quantities (22.5 μg.kg-1) and small (2.3 μg.kg-1) were the same. It was set up that during 30 min of meat cooking there was a decrease in the content of zeranol 24.7 ±0.23% and 32.0 ±0.35% for 60 min, compared to its content in fresh meat. At the same time, when stored in the frozen state and subsequent cooking, the reduction of zeranol content in meat was 39.3 ±0.3%. Therefore, it is proposed to revise and amendments into the regulatory documents of Ukraine regarding the control and supervision of the presence of hormone (zeranol) residues in meat and meat products in order to prevent their sale and consumption by humans.
Syndesmosis Injury From Diagnosis to Repair: Physical Examination, Diagnosis, and Arthroscopic-assisted Reduction
Authors: Wake Jeffrey , Martin Kevin D.
Published: February 2020

Injuries to the tibio-fibular syndesmotic ligaments are different than ankle collateral ligament injuries and occur in isolation or combination with malleolar fractures. Syndesmotic ligament injury can lead to prolonged functional limitations and ultimately long-term ankle dysfunction if not identified and treated appropriately. The syndesmosis complex is a relatively simple construct of well-documented ligaments, but the dynamic kinematics and the effects of disruption have been a point of contention in diagnosis and treatment. Syndesmotic ligament injuries are sometimes referred to as “high ankle sprains” because the syndesmotic ligaments are more proximal than the collateral ligaments of the ankle joint. Rotational injuries to the ankle often result in malleolar fractures, which can be combined with ankle joint or syndesmotic ligament injuries. Most of the orthopaedic literature to this point has addressed syndesmosis ligament injuries in combination with fractures and not isolated syndesmotic ligament injuries. Thus, we propose a simplified general video guide to do the diagnostic examinations and arthroscopic-assisted reduction based on current evidence-based medicine.
Belofte maakt schuld
Authors: Bax Manon , de Waardt Mijke
Published: February 2020

A promise is a promise – Dutch Railways and compensation for survivors of WWII transports

The authors discuss reparations, with particular attention to programs launched to do justice to the victims of the Holocaust. While focusing on the compensation scheme of the Dutch Railways to the victims of the transports during the Second World War, they examine in which respects the suffering and victimization of some victim groups are not or insufficiently recognized. They compare the establishment of the compensation scheme and the procedure for repayment with findings from victimological research into the recognition of victimization and reparation, including the symbolic value of compensation, recognition of suffering, inclusion and exclusion of stakeholders, and victim participation. The analysis concludes with a few considerations about how secondary victimization could have been prevented.
Cooperation as a Mediator between Entrepreneurial Competences and Internationalization of New Venture
Authors: Lekovic Bojan , Vojinovic Zeljko , Milutinović Sunčica
Published: February 2020

Most entrepreneurs have adequate knowledge and skills, however, they lack internal resources for commercialization of products on foreign markets. This group of entrepreneurs recognizes the chance through collaboration with other organizations, ensuring the engagement of new technologies that contribute to fast and early commercialization on the global market. The focus of this research is related to the analysis of the influence of entrepreneurs’ competences on cooperation with the other organization as well as on the internationalization of a new business venture. In order to provide deeper insight, the subject of research is also expanded with the field of new technology usage, as a moderator variable, to consider its role of strengthening the relationship between cooperation with other organizations and internationalization of a new venture. This paper aims to analyse the impact of entrepreneurial competences based on knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA’s) on cooperation with the other organization as well as mediating influence of cooperation with other organizations on internationalization of a new venture, in the South East Europe region. The main source of data in this study is the GEM research database for 2013. For this research, the authors included six countries in the research sample of the South East Europe region: Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and FYR of Macedonia. The results of path analyses of Structure Equation Modelling indicate a positive direct and indirect impact of entrepreneurial intentions on cooperation and internationalization of a new venture. Results also indicate that the usage of new technologies, as a moderator variable, strengthens the relationship between cooperation and internationalization of a new venture.
Implied Correlation Index: An Application to Economic Sectors of Commodity Futures and Stock Markets
Authors: Echaust Krzysztof , Małgorzata Just
Published: February 2020

An implied correlation index (ICI) measures the average correlation between all constituents of the portfolio. The concept of the index is similar to that of the S&P500 implied correlation index, but it is based on volatility estimation instead of option-implied volatility. The objective of the study is to examine the dynamics and properties of the implied correlation estimates within various economic sectors of the stock and commodity markets. We explore three commodity futures markets: metals, energy, agriculture, and five stock markets: basic materials, financials, industrials, oil & gas and technology over the period of 2006–2017. In order to capture the dynamic character of the implied correlation we propose to take into account the GARCH type approaches to calculate volatility and Value at Risk estimates of considered assets and use them in implied correlation estimates. We also found statistical properties of the implied correlation indices. The implied correlation for most sectors is both time-varying and market-state-dependent. Assets in stock sectors are on average much more dependent than assets in commodity sectors. The implied correlation exhibits clustering properties, long memory, asymmetry and co-movement with volatility. Using the Granger causality test we showed that the impact of ICI on volatility is highly statistically significant. These results provide some useful practical implications for investors and financial institution how to estimate and control time-varying dependence between the assets in the investment portfolio.
What is The Envisioned Future of Azerbaijan Companies? The Case of Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Authors: Alpaslan Danisman Sumeyra , Kocabacak Ayse
Published: February 2020

Central Asian Countries which are in transition movement are converting from a centrally planned economy to free markets. The mentioned transition from communism to capitalism causes the economies to remove trade barriers, to support private business and entrepreneurs. Azerbaijan has become one of the rapidly developing economies after gaining independence in 1991. The transformation of Azerbaijan has attracted the interest of investors and caused high economic growth in the last decade. The current condition in Azerbaijan draws the attention of the researcher to investigate the vision of companies in Azerbaijan. The objective of the research is to explore the main dynamics of the envisioned future of these companies. This study is structured as a qualitative research. The sample consists of 141 members of Azerbaijan Republic Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a case of Azerbaijan. The vision statements of the companies have been reached from their official websites and investigated with content analyzing method. According to the results of the research, only 27 of 141 companies have provided clearly-identified vision statements and these statements indicate modern managerial issues such as development/improvement, international/global, values, responsibility, quality, strategy, team-orientation, innovation-creativeness and competition.
The People’s Attitude towards the Language Use in the Local Media Broadcast: A Case Study of Azerbaijani language in Tabriz
Authors: Zeinalabedini Asefeh
Published: February 2020

This paper aims to describe the barriers of the language development with investigating the influence of an official language on native language that is used in broadcasting media, including television and radio. The data for this study is generated from a local televisionin Tabriz, informal and friendly interviews and communications with audiences. Data analysis is informed by a critical discourse analytic approach. Research’s findings about people’s attitude towards using their native language in the broadcast media suggest that a significat effect of the official language on the native language. The findings are interpreted as the local television and radio are to promote the development of the official language instead of the native/local language. Other results also reveal that the language used in broadcasting local media is not the appropriate version of Azerbaijani, but moves towards more Persian than Azerbaijani.
Name-giving variations in Kurdistan Province of Iran: An ethnic identity marker categorized
Authors: Eslami-Rasekh Abbas , Ahmadvand Mohammad
Published: February 2020

Name-giving, in addition to being an act of designation or official registration, implies the cultural identity of name-givers. One obvious aspect is showing the social values and practices in an area. This study aims to explore the social factors which motivate namegiving among Kurdish ethnicity of Iran. The corpus of data for the analysis included the National Organization for Civil Registration of Iran, Kurdish websites, interviews, and
questionnaires given to Kurdish citizens of Kurdistan. The important classifying variable is the socio-cultural preferences which were compared through using the frequency of
different categories of names. The results of the study showed that ten categories would divide first names; the five most frequently used categories of names include: reference to ethical qualities, nature, geographical locations, ancient characters, and outer physical features respectively. Another goal of the study concerned the diachronic changes in namegiving which was carried out by comparing the most frequent names of two age groups: 60 years or older compared with the 25 years or younger. Interesting findings were uncovered which showed three trends of change among the Kurdish name-givers: a shift from common nationwide names towards ethnic Kurdish names, and sectarian to names referring to ethical qualities; additionally, a tendency was observed to move from combined name compounds to simple ones. The implications of these findings might be interpreted as name-givers’ preference for not only maintaining ethnic independence but also an observable desire to display a sense of unity.
First generation Azerbaijani immigrants in the United States: socio-cultural characteristics and identity issues
Authors: Guliyev Ahmad
Published: February 2020

The community of Azerbaijani immigrants in the United States, which is the subject of our
proposed study, is a pretty recent phenomenon. Most Azerbaijani-Americans have
immigrated to the United States mainly from Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia or Turkey. Azerbaijani immigration and integration in the United States have not been documented and studied thoroughly. There is no population survey that provides information of any kind on the attitudes and opinions of Azerbaijani Americans. Based on the survey conducted among sample of 103 Azerbaijani immigrants, this paper aims to provide the profile of the Azerbaijani community, socio-cultural characteristics, assess the immigrant’s identification with their native culture, ethnic attachment, as well as, their emotional ties to the homeland and level of integration in the United States.
Tide-table of Liam Fox
Liam Fox. Rising Tides: Facing the Challenges of a New Era. Heron Books, 2013.
Authors: Isakhanlı Hamlet
Published: February 2020

A book normally reflects the world of thoughts of its author. Drop by drop, the author’s life—joy and sadness, anger and love, concerns and wishes—soak into the book. In fiction, the identity of the author is in invisible form, not systemic, or clearly visible in one image; instead it may be distributed among several characters. Even though the author’s identity is allocated a small space in literature, it plays the role of salt to a meal: just a small amount of it melts into the food, but without it, the food is flavorless. In non-fiction, such as history or philosophy, the author analyzes facts and openly states his/her attitude towards them. These types of works, in contrast to literature, reveal the identity of the author throughout the book. If a work is based on serious research, the author tries to downplay his/her identity, to write with objectivity and maintain the principle of seeing everyone through the lens of equality. He/she avoids polarized views of “them” and “us,” as well as sympathy and antipathy; he/she writes with empathy (or rather, tries to do so; after all, authors are also human). However, there is one more type of work or possible author approach. In this case, the author writes to “our own” and tries to explain certain points to them, help them understand what awaits “us” in the future, and to draw lessons and conclusions from historical and current events. Rising
Tides by Liam Fox can be placed in this last category. The author uses the word “us” in its narrow sense to mean Great Britain and in its broad sense to include Western democracy.
The Ethics of Representation: Documentary Film and Islam
Authors: Ad-deen Hafidh Shams
Published: February 2020

The great artistic potential of the documentary film photograph as well as the filmmakers’ intervention and manipulation impact viewers as well as interviewees to believe that the camera is able to capture a “real” moment in time. Both viewers and documentary subjects are exploited: the latter’s “informed consent” is not built on true, honest and clear relationship. That is, informing subjects, before camera proceeds, about the possible consequences of their participation is absent. For instance, interviewees know nothing of the overall goals of the project and have no idea about the intended audience. Consequently, both documentary subjects and the targeted audience are exploited, since many documentary filmmakers are not interested in approaching a ‘real’ image of something. Rather, documentary filmmakers’ use of sex, violence and controversial issues for sensational purposes is often produced under the guise of “education” or “investigation.” This paper attempts to trace the serious ethical issues in two American documentary films which represent Islam and Muslims. These documentary films are Steven Emerson’s Jihad in America (1994) and Wayne Kopping’s TheThird Jihad: Radical Islam’s Vision for America (2008).
Loss of Control of a Biosimilar Joint Venture and Remeasurement at Fair Value
Authors: Kim Jennifer Jae-Young , Chu Jaeyon , Heo Kyongsun , Pae Jinhan
Published: February 2020

Samsung BioLogics recognized a big valuation gain when it lost control over a biosimilar joint venture. The investment community expressed concerns about the revaluation gain because the loss of control of the joint venture was attributable to potential voting rights held by the joint venture partner and Samsung BioLogics had incentives to present higher profitability prior to IPO. We suggest the following: (1) timely and full disclosure of the potential voting rights; (2) extensive disclosure about the fair value estimate; (3) a conservative recognition of valuation gains; and (4) a periodic assessment of potential impairment of fair value estimates.
Citizenship and socio-political integration: A person-oriented analysis among Russian-speaking minorities in Estonia, Finland and Norway
Authors: Renvik Tuuli Anna , Manner Joel , Vetik Raivo , Sam David L. , Jasinskaja-Lahti Inga
Published: February 2020

This survey study utilized a person-oriented approach to explore the patterns of socio-political integration among Russian-speaking minority group members in three neighboring countries in the Baltic area: Estonia (n = 482), Finland (n = 252), and Norway (n = 215). Three profiles were obtained in all countries: critical integration, separation, and assimilation. In the whole sample, critical integration was the most common acculturation profile. After the profiles were established, they were examined vis-à-vis citizenship and integration context to see, whether and to what extent, the objective (i.e., citizenship) and subjective (i.e., perceived social status and sense of belonging) socio-political integration of Russian-speakers corresponded with each other. Critical integration and separation were the most common profiles among participants holding national citizenship of the country of residence, while foreign citizenship was not related to any specific profile. Separation was rare among participants holding dual citizenship, but it was the most common profile among participants with undetermined citizenship. Also, intergroup context was associated with socio-political integration: critical integration and separation were the most common profiles of Russian-speakers in Estonia, critical integration and assimilation profiles in Finland, and assimilation profile in Norway. The results are discussed in relation to previous variable-oriented research and official integration policies of the countries studied.
Citizen science in the marine environment: estimating common dolphin densities in the north-east Atlantic
Authors: Robbins James R. , Babey Lucy , Embling Clare B.
Published: February 2020

Background

Citizen science is increasingly popular and has the potential to collect extensive datasets at lower costs than traditional surveys conducted by professional scientists. Ferries have been used to collect data on cetacean populations for decades, providing long-term time series for monitoring of cetacean populations. One cetacean species of concern is the common dolphin, which has been found stranded around the north-east Atlantic in recent years, with high numbers on French coasts being attributed to fisheries bycatch. We estimate common dolphin densities in the north-east Atlantic and investigate the ability of citizen science data to identify changes in marine mammal densities and areas of importance.

Materials and Methods

Data were collected by citizen scientists on ferries between April and October in 2006–2017. Common dolphin sightings data from two ferry routes across three regions, Bay of Biscay (n= 569); south-west United Kingdom to the Isles of Scilly in the Celtic Sea (n= 260); and English Channel (n= 75), were used to estimate density across ferry routes. Two-stage Density Surface Models accounted for imperfect detection, and tested the influence of environmental (chlorophylla, sea surface temperature, depth, and slope), spatial (latitude and longitude) and temporal terms (year and Julian day) on occurrence.

Results

Overall detection probability was highest in the areas sampled within the English Channel (0.384) and Bay of Biscay (0.348), and lowest on the Scilly’s route (0.158). Common dolphins were estimated to occur in higher densities on the Scilly’s route (0.400 per km2) and the Bay of Biscay (0.319 per km2), with low densities in the English Channel (0.025 per km2). Densities on the Scilly’s route appear to have been relatively stable since 2006 with a slight decrease in 2017. Densities peaked in the Bay of Biscay in 2013 with lower numbers since. Densities in the English Channel appear to have increased over time since 2009.

Discussion

This study highlights the effectiveness of citizen science data to investigate the distribution and density of cetaceans. The densities and temporal changes shown by this study are representative of those from wider-ranging robust estimates. We highlight the ability of citizen science to collect data over extensive periods of time which complements dedicated, designed surveys. Such long-term data are important to identify changes within a population; however, citizen science data may, in some situations, present challenges. We provide recommendations to ensure high-quality data which can be used to inform management and conservation of cetacean populations.
Efficacy of Herbicides against Broad-spectrum Weed Floras and Their Effect on Non-target Soil Micro-organisms and Productivity in Sugarcane (Saccharum sp.)
Authors: Kundu Rajib , Mondal Mousumi , Garai Sourav , Poddar Ratneswar , Banerjee Sibajee
Published: February 2020

Weeds pose a major challenge at the initial stages of sugarcane and when uncontrolled cause high yield losses. This study was undertaken to define a better and cost-effective weed management strategy. Field experiment was carried out at District Seed Farm (C Unit) of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India (22°97'N latitude and 88°43'E longitude with the 9.75 meters above the mean sea level) under natural weed infestations in sugarcane in 2017–2018 and 2018-19. The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of herbicides on weed floras, non-target soil organisms and productivity of sugarcane (cv. CoS 98231). The pattern of nutrient uptake by weed species was also itemized. The treatments were comprised of four doses of Atrazine 50% WP (1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 kg a.i. ha-1), Trifloxysulfuron-Na (10% OD) 30 g a.i. ha-1 and weedy check within a randomized complete block design, replicated four times. The results revealed that among the tested herbicides, the utmost dose of Atrazine was most efficient against grassy as well as broadleaf weeds. The higher weed control efficiency (> 60%) and cane yield (85.41 t ha-1) were recorded from treatment received Atrazine 4000 g a.i. ha-1 followed by its lower doses. Owing to an efficient controller of diversified weeds same herbicide treated plot removed the least amount essential primary nutrients irrespective of all weed species. Herbicides did not show any phytotoxicity symptoms on sugarcane throughout the observation period. Based on overall performance, the Atrazine 50% WP (4000 g a.i. ha-1) may be considered as the best substitute for others post-emergent herbicide against the complex weed floras in sugarcane.
Determination of Compressive Strength and Combustibility Potential of Agricultural Waste Briquette
Authors: Thliza B. A. , Abdulrahman F. I. , Akan J. C. , Chellube Z. M. , Kime B.
Published: February 2020

This study evaluates the development of a substitute and alternative solid fuel in the form of briquette from agricultural wastes (rice husk, sawdust and cotton stalk charcoal). Four sets of briquette with different grades were produced using a discontinuous briquette production technology, where a single briquette is produced at a time in a closed mould. Some physical properties such as; Length of briquettes (170 mm), diameter of briquettes (50 mm), mass of briquettes (140-160 g), volume of briquettes (133.5 cm3), density of briquettes (1.05-1.20 gm3), texture of briquettes (rough), and colour of briquettes (brown, light brown and mud black), were investigated using physical methods of evaluation. The result of the proximate analysis (moisture 10.5-10.8%, ash 30.3-33.8%, volatile matter 20.5-25.9% and fixed carbon contents 45.2-52.6%. The burning potential tests carried out on the formed briquettes compared to that of firewood showed that firewood boils 5 litres of water in 60 minutes, while Rice husk, Sawdust, Cotton stalk charcoal blended with rice husk, and Sawdust briquettes boils the same volume of water in 35, 30, 20 and 25, minutes respectively. Compressive strength of the briquettes was determined as 155.9, 155.9, 158.1 and 158.1 KN/m2 for rice husk, sawdust, cotton stalk charcoal blended with rice husk and sawdust briquettes respectively. Energy dispersed x-ray fluorescence spectrometer (ED-XRF) analyses revealed the existence of minor and major elemental percentage compositions (Cl, Br, P, K, Ca, Ba, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Si, Ti, V, Cr, Ni, Sr, Rb). Liebig’s and Kjeldahl’s methods of laboratory analyses conﬁrmed the presence of organic elements (C, H, O, N and S) that contributes to the heating value, increase in ignitability, smooth combustion. It can, therefore, be concluded that briquettes produced in this research work provide a better alternative to firewood and charcoal energies, they are eco-friendly, having high heat intensity with smooth burning and are easy to handle, store and transport, they are very cheap, affordable to both rural and semi-urban dwellers.
Mihi
Authors: Kohu-Morgan Hinewirangi
Published: February 2020

Mihi
Physical Double‐Network Hydrogel Adhesives with Rapid Shape Adaptability, Fast Self‐Healing, Antioxidant and NIR/pH Stimulus‐Responsiveness for Multidrug‐Resistant Bacterial Infection and Removable Wound Dressing
Authors: Zhao Xin , Liang Yongping , Huang Ying , He Jiahui , Han Yong , Guo Baolin
Published: February 2020

Developing physical double‐network (DN) removable hydrogel adhesives with both high healing efficiency and photothermal antibacterial activities to cope with multidrug‐resistant bacterial infection, wound closure, and wound healing remains an ongoing challenge. An injectable physical DN self‐healing hydrogel adhesive under physiological conditions is designed to treat multidrug‐resistant bacteria infection and full‐thickness skin incision/defect repair. The hydrogel adhesive consists of catechol–Fe3+ coordination cross‐linked poly(glycerol sebacate)‐co‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐g‐catechol and quadruple hydrogen bonding cross‐linked ureido‐pyrimidinone modified gelatin. It possesses excellent anti‐oxidation, NIR/pH responsiveness, and shape adaptation. Additionally, the hydrogel presents rapid self‐healing, good tissue adhesion, degradability, photothermal antibacterial activity, and NIR irradiation and/or acidic solution washing‐assisted removability. In vivo experiments prove that the hydrogels have good hemostasis of skin trauma and high killing ratio for methicillin‐resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and achieve better wound closure and healing of skin incision than medical glue and surgical suture. In particular, they can significantly promote full‐thickness skin defect wound healing by regulating inflammation, accelerating collagen deposition, promoting granulation tissue formation, and vascularization. These on‐demand dissolvable and antioxidant physical double‐network hydrogel adhesives are excellent multifunctional dressings for treating in vivo MRSA infection, wound closure, and wound healing.
Efficient Energy Funneling in Quasi‐2D Perovskites: From Light Emission to Lasing
Authors: Lei Lei , Seyitliyev Dovletgeldi , Stuard Samuel , Mendes Juliana , Dong Qi , Fu Xiangyu , Chen Yi‐An , He Siliang , Yi Xueping , Zhu Liping , Chang Chih‐Hao , Ade Harald , Gundogdu Kenan , So Franky
Published: February 2020

Quasi‐2D Ruddlesden–Popper halide perovskites with a large exciton binding energy, self‐assembled quantum wells, and high quantum yield draw attention for optoelectronic device applications. Thin films of these quasi‐2D perovskites consist of a mixture of domains having different dimensionality, allowing energy funneling from lower‐dimensional nanosheets (high‐bandgap domains) to 3D nanocrystals (low‐bandgap domains). High‐quality quasi‐2D perovskite (PEA)2(FA)3Pb4Br13 films are fabricated by solution engineering. Grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering measurements are conducted to study the crystal orientation, and transient absorption spectroscopy measurements are conducted to study the charge‐carrier dynamics. These data show that highly oriented 2D crystal films have a faster energy transfer from the high‐bandgap domains to the low‐bandgap domains (<0.5 ps) compared to the randomly oriented films. High‐performance light‐emitting diodes can be realized with these highly oriented 2D films. Finally, amplified spontaneous emission with a low threshold 4.16 µJ cm−2 is achieved and distributed feedback lasers are also demonstrated. These results show that it is important to control the morphology of the quasi‐2D films to achieve efficient energy transfer, which is a critical requirement for light‐emitting devices.
Unraveling the Microstructure‐Related Device Stability for Polymer Solar Cells Based on Nonfullerene Small‐Molecular Acceptors
Authors: Du Xiaoyan , Heumueller Thomas , Gruber Wolfgang , Almora Osbel , Classen Andrej , Qu Jianfei , He Feng , Unruh Tobias , Li Ning , Brabec Christoph J.
Published: February 2020

As the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs) has surpassed the 17% baseline, the long‐term stability of highly efficient OSCs is essential for the practical application of this photovoltaic technology. Here, the photostability and possible degradation mechanisms of three state‐of‐the‐art polymer donors with a commonly used nonfullerene acceptor (NFA), IT‐4F, are investigated. The active‐layer materials show excellent intrinsic photostability. The initial morphology, in particular the mixed region, causes degradation predominantly in the fill factor (FF) under illumination. Electron traps are formed due to the reorganization of polymers and diffusion‐limited aggregation of NFAs to assemble small isolated acceptor domains under illumination. These electron traps lead to losses mainly in FF, which is in contradistinction to the degradation mechanisms observed for fullerene‐based OSCs. Control of the composition of NFAs close to the thermodynamic equilibrium limit while keeping adequate electron percolation and improving the initial polymer and NFA ordering are of the essence to stabilize the FF in NFA‐based solar cells, which may be the key tactics to develop next‐generation OSCs with high efficiency as well as excellent stability.
Flexible Interface Design for Stress Regulation of a Silicon Anode toward Highly Stable Dual‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Jiang Chunlei , Xiang Lei , Miao Shijie , Shi Lei , Xie Donghao , Yan Jiaxiao , Zheng Zijian , Zhang Xiaoming , Tang Yongbing
Published: February 2020

Dual‐ion batteries (DIBs) have attracted increasing attention due to their high working voltage, low cost, and environmental friendliness, yet their development is hindered by their limited energy density. Pairing silicon—a most promising anode due to its highest theoretical capacity (4200 mAh g−1)—with a graphite cathode is a feasible strategy to address the challenge. Nevertheless, the cycling stability of silicon is unsatisfactory due to the loss of electrical contact resulting from the high interface stress when using rigid current collectors. In this work, a flexible interface design to regulate the stress distribution is proposed, via the construction of a silicon anode on a soft nylon fabric modified with a conductive Cu–Ni transition layer, which endows the silicon electrode with remarkable flexibility and stability over 50 000 bends. Assembly of the flexible silicon anode with an expanded graphite cathode yields a silicon–graphite DIB (SGDIB), which possesses record‐breaking rate performance (up to 150 C) and cycling stability over 2000 cycles at 10 C with a capacity retention of 97%. Moreover, the SGDIB shows a high capacity retention of ≈84% after 1500 bends and a low self‐discharging voltage loss of 0.0015% per bend after 10 000 bends, suggesting high potential for high‐performance flexible energy‐storage applications.
Partially Controlling Molecular Packing to Achieve Off–On Mechanochromism through Ingenious Molecular Design
Authors: Gong Yanbin , He Siyu , Li Yonggang , Li Zhixiang , Liao Qiuyan , Gu Yarong , Wang Jiaqiang , Zou Bo , Li Qianqian , Li Zhen
Published: February 2020

The control of molecular packing at the molecular design stage is significant but challenging. Herein, a strategy is provided to regulate the molecular packing of pyrene derivatives based on steric and electronic effects. Two tertiary butyl groups are introduced as isolation groups to enlarge the intermolecular distance to accommodate the tendency of monomer‐like packing. By increasing the electron‐withdrawing ability of substituents, tunable and tighter packing motifs can be realized owing to the decreasing electron density of the pyrene ring. Accordingly, coupled with quenched emissions in monomer‐like packing and bright emissions in dimer‐like packing, compound 4‐(2,7‐di‐tert‐butylpyren‐4‐yl)benzaldehyde (PPCHO) shows an off–on mechanochromism with high performance (contrast ratio reaching 400 compared with the normal figure of <100), demonstrating the power of molecular design. Encryption based on the unique off–on mechanochromism characteristic of PPCHO demonstrates good sensitivity and reversibility.
Organic Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials for Time‐Resolved Luminescence Imaging and Sensing
Authors: Ni Fan , Li Nengquan , Zhan Lisi , Yang Chuluo
Published: February 2020

As one of the most attractive purely organic luminescent materials, thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) luminophores have drawn wide attention in the last decade. The long‐lived delayed fluorescence resulting from the reverse intersystem crossing from excited triplet state (T1) to excited singlet state (S1) in the TADF luminophores gives rise to long lifetimes ranging from nanoseconds to milliseconds, which offers a new strategy for time‐resolved luminescence imaging (TRLI) and sensing. However, the sensitivity of the T1 state in TADF luminophores to triplet oxygen remains a significant challenge for their application. This progress report summarizes the recent developments of efficient purely organic TADF luminophores and novel aggregation‐induced delayed fluorescence (AIDF) luminophores for TRLI and sensing in vitro and in vivo. The molecular design strategies, photophysical properties of the luminophores, and their application in specific imaging and sensing within the time domain are presented. Newly emerged organic materials with AIDF behavior open a new door for developing long‐lived emitters for high signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) imaging and sensing in the oxygenic atmosphere.