bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Mediating Role of Customers' Satisfaction on the Effect of CRM on Long-Term Customers Loyalty in the Banking Sector in the Palestinian Territory
Authors: Iriqat Raed A. M. , Abu Daqar Mohannad A. M.
Published: July 2018

This study aims to investigate the mediating role of customers' satisfaction on the effect of customer relationship management on long-term customers' loyalty in the banking sector in the Palestinian Territory. Using advanced statistical methods. This study supports that there is a high level in implementing the CRM, customers' satisfaction, and long-term customers' loyalty. It showed that these three variables: CRM, customers' satisfaction, and long-term customers' loyalty have a significant role on the Banking sector. CRM and its dimensions, and both of customers' satisfaction, and long-term customers' loyalty are positively significant correlated. Also, finds that there is no role for customers' satisfaction as a mediator variable in enhancing the impact of CRM on long-term customers' loyalty. Moreover, based on SEM the study shows that there is a direct impact of CRM system integration and customers satisfaction on long-term customers' loyalty, whereas there is a direct impact for customers' database and CRM system integration on customers' satisfaction. The scholars find that the Palestinian local banks should pay more efforts to improve their competences to enhance the quality of service and their employees' behavior level. On the other side, they need to keep their customers database updated and to be aligned with the cutting edge technologies to provide better service for customers, which is appropriate and meet their needs by obtaining the accurate information about their preferences in order to build a strong competitive advantage that is hard to imitate, this leads to build a strong relationship with customers.
PECUNIARY PENALTY AS AN ALTERNATIVE CONCEPT OF PUNISHMENT IN THE CRIMINAL LAW SYSTEM IN SLOVAKIA
Authors: Gejdoš Miroslav
Published: July 2018

In this expert contribution, the author deals with the description of alternative penalties in a broader sense and with their meaning. In particular, the author focuses on the issue of pecuniary penalty by its definition and position in the criminal law system in Slovakia. The contribution professionally explains the execution and imposition of this alternative penalty in the conditions of the Slovak Republic as well as a comparison with the Czech Republic. The role of the pecuniary penalty is to keep the convict out of prison and to impose such a type of pen alty that will prevent the convict from committing further criminal offences, will protect the society and, last but not least, will meet demands of the victims of the crime. The aim of the alternative concept of punishment is to consolidate the perpetrator’s habits and attitudes necessary for leading a proper life.
OCHRONA PORZĄDKU I BEZPIECZEŃSTWA PUBLICZNEGO W USTAWODAWSTWIE WOLNEGO MIASTA KRAKOWA 1815-1846
Authors: Cichoń Paweł
Published: July 2018

Celem artykułu jest omówienie najważniejszych regulacji prawnych obowiązujących w Wolnym Mieście Krakowie, które dotyczyły ochrony porządku i bezpieczeństwa publicznego. Były to akty prawne dotyczące zwalczania żebractwa, włóczęgostwa, polityki paszportowej, ewidencji ludności, ochrony interesów i praw konsumentów, dbania o bezpieczeństwo budowlane, sanitarne, przeciwpożarowe, o utrzymanie spokoju, czystości i porządku w Krakowie oraz związane ze zwalczaniem przestępczości. Wykonywaniem zadań służących ochronie porządku i bezpieczeństwa publicznego zajmowały się organy policyjne i administracyjne.
Repensando la conservación: Hacia un cambio de paradigma
Authors: Martínez-Abraín Alejandro
Published: July 2018

Desde mediados de los años ochenta hasta ahora, la biología de la conservación se ha escindido en dos campos casi independientes: la gestión y la ecología de la conservación. Hemos asistido a la recuperación de las especies amenazadas de gran tamaño y a la disminución de las pequeñas y comunes. Además, el abandono del mundo rural ha permitido la expansión de las especies forestales y ha perjudicado a las de espacios abiertos, vinculadas a las labores agrícolas tradicionales. Muchas especies de fauna antaño refugiadas inician ahora un proceso de salida del refugio y de pérdida de miedo al ser humano. Y cada vez se ocupan con más éxito los ambientes antropizados. En definitiva, nos dirigimos hacia un mundo reconciliado en cuanto a la relación entre ser humano y fauna salvaje, lo cual será beneficioso, pero también planteará nuevos retos.
La vida en condicions extremes: La paradoxa de la biodiversitat marina antàrtica
Authors: Ambroso Stefano , Salazar Janire , Gili Josep-Maria , Zapata Guardiola Rebeca
Published: July 2018

L’estudi d’indrets pristins és de gran importància per conèixer els oceans tal com eren sense l’impacte de l’ésser humà. Per efecte de les condicions ambientals extremes, la llunyania dels altres continents i per la seva profunditat, a causa del pes del gel continental, la plataforma continental antàrtica ofereix una gran oportunitat per a entendre millor com seria un ecosistema pristí. A més d’una elevada biodiversitat, els organismes bentònics antàrtics presenten pautes de distribució espacial i demogràfica diferents de les comunitats de les plataformes continentals d’altres mars i oceans del món. Això fa que les comunitats bentòniques antàrtiques s’assemblin més del que es podria pensar a aquelles comunitats del planeta amb la més alta biodiversitat coneguda.
The map of biodiversity: From local to global scales
Authors: Antón Pardo María
Published: July 2018

Species richness is not homogeneous in space and it normally presents differences when comparing among different sites. These differences often respond to gradients in one or several factors which create biodiversity patterns in space and are scale-dependent. At a local scale, diversity patterns depend on the habitat size (species-area relationship), the productivity, the environmental harshness, the frequency and intensity of disturbance, or the regional species pool. Regional diversity may be influenced by environmental heterogeneity (increasing dissimilarity), although it could act also at smaller or larger spatial scales, and the connectivity among habitats. Finally, at a global scale, diversity patterns are found with the latitude, the altitude or the depth, although these factors are surrogates for one or several environmental variables (productivity, area, isolation, or harshness).
What do we mean by diversity? The path towards quantification
Authors: Jost Lou
Published: July 2018

The concept of biological diversity has evolved from a simple count of species to more sophisticated measures that are sensitive to relative abundances and even to evolutionary divergence times between species. In the course of this evolution, diversity measures have often been borrowed from other disciplines. Biological reasoning about diversity often implicitly assumed that measures of diversity had certain mathematical properties, but most of biology’s traditional diversity measures did not actually possess these properties, a situation which often led to mathematically and biologically invalid inferences. Biologists now usually transform the traditional measures to the «effective number of species», whose mathematics does support most of the rules of inference that biologists apply to them. The effective number of species, then, seems to capture most (though not all) of what biologists mean by diversity.
Structural analysis of clastic dikes based on Structure from Motion/Multi-View Stereo
Authors: Grohmann Carlos H , Viana Camila D , Busarello Mariana TS , Garcia Guilherme PB
Published: July 2018

This work presents the development of a three-dimensional model of an outcrop of the Corumbataí Formation using Structure from Motion and Multi-View Stereo (SfM-MVS) techniques in order to provide a structural analysis of clastic dikes cutting through siltstone layers. Composed mainly of fine sand and silt, these dikes are formed by sand intrusions when a wet sandy layer is affected by earthquakes of at least 6.5 magnitude, being used as a record of such events.While traditional photogrammetry requires the user to input a series of parameters related to the camera orientation and its characteristics (such as focal distance), in SfM-MVS the scene geometry, camera position and orientations are automatically determined by a bundle adjustment, an iterative procedure based on a set of overlapping images. It is considered a low-cost technique in both hardware and software, also being able to provide point density and accuracy on par to the ones obtained with terrestrial laser scanner.The results acquired on this research have a good agreement with previous works, yielding a NNW main orientation for the dikes measured in the field and on the 3D model. The development of this work showed that SfM-MVS use and practice on geosciences still needs more studies on the optimization of the involved parameters (such as camera orientation, image overlap and angle of illumination), which, when accomplished, will result in less processing time and more accurate models.
The foreign-born population in New York City and environs
Authors: Boscoe Francis P
Published: July 2018

The most frequent foreign country of birth was mapped using data from tables B05006 and B05002 (for Puerto Rico) of the American Community Survey, using the 2012-2016 5-year estimates. Census tracts were only shaded when the share of the most frequent country of birth was more than 10% of the total population and if the total population of the census tract was at least 100. All birth countries which were the most frequent in at least 10 census tracts in New York and New Jersey appear in the legend 30 other countries appearing fewer than 10 times were grouped as “other”. The color scheme used was that of Trubestskoy, who developed a palette of 20 distinct and nameable colors ( tinyurl.com/20colors ).

1,080 of 2,167 (49.8%) of the census tracts in New York City, along with many others in suburban New York and New Jersey, had at least 10% of their populations born in a single foreign country. Leading countries were the Dominican Republic (246 census tracts in New York City), China (205), Jamaica (166), and Guyana (86). The map reveals well-defined clusters of census tracts for these countries as well as for Korea, India, El Salvador, Poland, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Puerto Rico. Note that because the American Community Survey is a survey, the data are subject to sampling error, which can be large at the census tract level. Also, by attempting to view all of the countries in a single map, it is not possible to see which tracts feature significant populations from multiple countries, or which tracts are closer to 10% foreign born versus those which are closer to 100% - to see these patterns would require a map series rather than a single map, which represents work in progress.

Aside from the overall utility of a map depicting the cultural diversity in the New York City metropolitan area, I was motivated to call attention to the lack of attention to place of birth in public health surveillance systems, which emphasize race and ethnicity almost exclusively. The broad racial/ethnic groupings of white, black, Asian or Pacific Islander (API), American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic mask within-group differences that can exceed between-group differences. This often occurs between foreign-born and U.S.-born individuals, who can have considerably different health risks. For example, liver cancer rates in Korea are ten times that in India1; it is unhelpful to group these populations into a single API category. Unfortunately, birthplace information is often not well collected. In the absence of adequate data, researchers could consider using census data as an area-level proxy for individual birthplace.

1Global Burden of Disease Liver Cancer Collaboration. The burden of primary liver cancer and underlying etiologies from 1990 to 2015 at the global, regional, and national level results from the global burden of disease study 2015. JAMA Oncology 2017; 3: 1683-1691.
State-dependent cell-type-specific membrane potential dynamics and unitary synaptic inputs in awake mice
Authors: Pala Aurélie , Petersen Carl CH
Published: July 2018

The cellular and synaptic mechanisms driving cell-type-specific function during various cortical network activities and behaviors are poorly understood. Here, we targeted whole-cell recordings to two classes of inhibitory GABAergic neurons in layer 2/3 of the barrel cortex of awake head-restrained mice and correlated spontaneous membrane potential dynamics with cortical state and whisking behavior. Using optogenetic stimulation of single layer 2/3 excitatory neurons we measured unitary excitatory postsynaptic potentials (uEPSPs) across states. During active states, characterized by whisking and reduced low-frequency activity in the local field potential, parvalbumin-expressing neurons depolarized and, albeit in a small number of recordings, received uEPSPs with increased amplitude. In contrast, somatostatin-expressing neurons hyperpolarized and reduced firing rates during active states without consistent change in uEPSP amplitude. These results further our understanding of neocortical inhibitory neuron function in awake mice and are consistent with the hypothesis that distinct genetically-defined cell classes have different state-dependent patterns of activity.
Age differences in head motion and estimates of cortical morphology
Authors: Madan Christopher R.
Published: July 2018

Cortical morphology is known to differ with age, as measured by cortical thickness, fractal dimensionality, and gyrification. However, head motion during MRI scanning has been shown to influence estimates of cortical thickness as well as increase with age. Studies have also found task-related differences in head motion and relationships between body–mass index (BMI) and head motion. Here I replicated these prior findings, as well as several others, within a large, open-access dataset (Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience, CamCAN). This is a larger dataset than these results have been demonstrated previously, within a sample size of more than 600 adults across the adult lifespan. While replicating prior findings is important, demonstrating these key findings concurrently also provides an opportunity for additional related analyses: critically, I test for the influence of head motion on cortical fractal dimensionality and gyrification; effects were statistically significant in some cases, but small in magnitude.
Data concordance between ESRD Medical Evidence Report and Medicare claims: is there any improvement?
Authors: Mu Yi , Chin Andrew I. , Kshirsagar Abhijit V. , Bang Heejung
Published: July 2018

Background

Medicare is one of the world’s largest health insurance programs. It provides health insurance to nearly 44 million beneficiaries whose entitlements are based on age, disability, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Data of these ESRD beneficiaries are collected in the US Renal Data System (USRDS), which includes comorbidity information entered at the time of dialysis initiation (medical evidence data), and are used to shape health care policy. One limitation of USRDS data is the lack of validation of these medical evidence comorbidities against other comorbidity data sources, such as medical claims data.

Methods

We examined the potential for discordance between USRDS Medical Evidence and medical claims data for 11 comorbid conditions amongst Medicare beneficiaries in 2011–2013 via sensitivity, specificity, kappa and hierarchical logistic regression.

Results

Among 61,280 patients, most comorbid conditions recorded on the Medical Evidence forms showed high specificity (>0.9), compared to prior medical claims as reference standard. However, both sensitivity and kappa statistics varied greatly and tended to be low (most <0.5). Only diabetes appeared accurate, whereas tobacco use and drug dependence showed the poorest quality (sensitivity and kappa <0.1). Institutionalization and patient region of residency were associated with data discordance for six and five comorbidities out of 11, respectively, after conservative adjustment of multiple testing. Discordance appeared to be non-informative for congestive heart failure but was most varied for drug dependence.

Conclusions

We conclude that there is no improvement in comorbidity data quality in incident ESRD patients over the last two decades. Since these data are used in case-mix adjustment for outcome and quality of care metrics, the findings in this study should press regulators to implement measures to improve the accuracy of comorbidity data collection.
Using experience to improve: how errors shape behavior and brain activity in monkeys
Authors: Pardo-Vazquez Jose L. , Acuña Carlos
Published: July 2018

Previous works have shown that neurons from the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) represent several elements of perceptual decisions. One of the most striking findings was that, after the outcome of the choice is known, neurons from PMv encode all the information necessary for evaluating the decision process. These results prompted us to suggest that this cortical area could be involved in shaping future behavior. In this work, we have characterized neuronal activity and behavioral performance as a function of the outcome of the previous trial. We found that the outcome of the immediately previous trial (n−1) significantly changes, in the current trial (n), the activity of single cells and behavioral performance. The outcome of trial n−2, however, does not affect either behavior or neuronal activity. Moreover, the outcome of difficult trials had a greater impact on performance and recruited more PMv neurons than the outcome of easy trials. These results give strong support to our suggestion that PMv neurons evaluate the decision process and use this information to modify future behavior.
Systematic fabrication of scientific images revealed
Authors: Christopher Jana
Published: July 2018

FEBS Press recently received several manuscripts which appear to contain fabricated images. Although the manuscripts were editorially rejected, they caught our attention as all of the Western blots looked unusually uniform, clean and regular. Careful screening revealed that identical sections of empty background were used as a base for multiple Western blots across 12 unrelated submissions, representing irrelative experiments. The individual bands appear to have been inserted as required, to exhibit the alleged experimental results.
Somatosensory and auditory deviance detection for outcome prediction during postanoxic coma
Authors: Pfeiffer Christian , Nguissi Nathalie Ata Nguepnjo , Chytiris Magali , Bidlingmeyer Phanie , Haenggi Matthias , Kurmann Rebekka , Zubler Frédéric , Accolla Ettore , Viceic Dragana , Rusca Marco , Oddo Mauro , Rossetti Andrea O. , De Lucia Marzia
Published: July 2018

Objective

Prominent research in patients with disorders of consciousness investigated the electrophysiological correlates of auditory deviance detection as a marker of consciousness recovery. Here, we extend previous studies by investigating whether somatosensory deviance detection provides an added value for outcome prediction in postanoxic comatose patients.

Methods

Electroencephalography responses to frequent and rare stimuli were obtained from 66 patients on the first and second day after coma onset.

Results

Multivariate decoding analysis revealed an above chance‐level auditory discrimination in 25 patients on the first day and in 31 patients on the second day. Tactile discrimination was significant in 16 patients on the first day and in 23 patients on the second day. Single‐day sensory discrimination was unrelated to patients’ outcome in both modalities. However, improvement of auditory discrimination from first to the second day was predictive of good outcome with a positive predictive power (PPV) of 0.73 (CI = 0.52–0.88). Analyses considering the improvement of tactile, auditory and tactile, or either auditory or tactile discrimination showed no significant prediction of good outcome (PPVs = 0.58–0.68).

Interpretation

Our results show that in the acute phase of coma deviance detection is largely preserved for both auditory and tactile modalities. However, we found no evidence for an added value of somatosensory to auditory deviance detection function for coma‐outcome prediction.
Early malfunction diagnosis of industrial process units utilizing online linear trend profiles and real‐time classification
Authors: Vafeiadis T. , Ziogou C. , Stavropoulos G. , Krinidis S. , Ioannidis D. , Voutetakis S. , Tzovaras D. , Moustakas K.
Published: July 2018

The early detection of potential malfunctions at process systems can significantly reduce downtime and improve their overall operability. In that context, this paper demonstrates the behavior and response, through a comparative analysis, of novel data‐driven diagnosis methods for interdependent time series. The proposed real‐time slope statistic profile method utilizes a self‐adaptive sliding window based on a real‐time classification technique of linear trend profiles of both interdependent time series and internal condition so as to avoid misdetections. The calculation of the linear trend profile is based on a standard parametric linear trend test, and the selection of possible incidents is based on its two‐level cross‐checking. All possible combinations for the calculation of the trend test and cross‐checking are created to explore their efficiency. The proposed methods are tested against real data sets from a chemical process system of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas/Chemical Process Energy and Resources Institute derived from specific scenarios during nominal operating conditions.
Layer‐by‐Layer Synthesis of Thick Mesoporous TiO2 Films with Vertically Oriented Accessible Nanopores and Their Application for Lithium‐Ion Battery Negative Electrodes
Authors: Nagpure Suraj , Zhang Qinglin , Khan M. Arif , Islam Syed Z. , Xu Jiagang , Strzalka Joseph , Cheng Yang‐Tse , Knutson Barbara L. , Rankin Stephen E.
Published: July 2018

TiO2 films of varying thicknesses (up to ≈1.0 µm) with vertically oriented, accessible 7–9 nm nanopores are synthesized using an evaporation‐induced self‐assembly layer‐by‐layer technique. The hypothesis behind the approach is that epitaxial alignment of hydrophobic blocks of surfactant templates induces a consistent, accessible mesophase orientation across a multilayer film, ultimately leading to continuous, vertically aligned pore channels. Characterization using grazing incidence X‐ray scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and impedance spectroscopy indicates that the pores are oriented vertically even in relatively thick films (up to 1 µm). These films contain a combination of amorphous and nanocrystalline anatase titania of value for electrochemical energy storage. When applied as negative electrodes in lithium‐ion batteries, a capacity of 254 mAh g−1 is obtained after 200 cycles for a single‐layer TiO2 film prepared on modified substrate, higher than on unmodified substrate or nonporous TiO2 film, due to the high accessibility of the vertically oriented channels in the films. Thicker films on modified substrate have increased absolute capacity because of higher mass loading but a reduced specific capacity because of transport limitations. These results suggest that the multilayer epitaxial approach is a viable way to prepare high capacity TiO2 films with vertically oriented continuous nanopores.
Bioinspired Structural Hierarchy within Macroscopic Volumes of Synthetic Composites
Authors: Rajasekharan Anand K. , Lotsari Antiope , Lutz‐Bueno Viviane , Liebi Marianne , Andersson Martin
Published: July 2018

A key challenge in developing bioinspired composites is the fabrication of well‐defined 3D hierarchical structures ranging from nano to the macroscale. Herein, the development of a synthetic polymer–apatite composite realized by integrating bottom‐up self‐assembly and additive manufacturing (AM) is described. The resulting composite exhibits a bioinspired hierarchical structure over its 3D macroscopic volume. The composite is assembled in a bottom‐up manner, where periodic nanoscale assemblies of organic micellar fibrils and inorganic apatite nanocrystals are organized as bundles of mineralized microstructures. These microstructural bundles are preferentially oriented throughout the macroscopic volume of the material via extrusion based AM. The obtained structural hierarchy is investigated in 3D using electron microscopy and small angle X‐ray scattering tensor tomography and correlated to the structural hierarchy and anisotropy observed in biological tissues such as bone and the bone–cartilage interface. This work demonstrates the possibility to form polymer–apatite composites with a well‐defined hierarchical structure throughout its macroscopic volume, which is crucial for the development of mechanically optimized materials for applications such as bone and osteochondral implants.
Flexible VOx Nanosphere@SWCNT Hybrid Films with Dual‐Confinement Function of Polysulfides for High‐Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Zhang Miao , Yang Yang , Zhang Xinghua , Cheng Meng , Yuan Hongxin , Amin Kamran , Ahmad Aziz , Mao Lijuan , Yan Wei , Wei Zhixiang
Published: July 2018

With the rapid development of flexible electronics, a binder‐free, flexible sulfur composite material is required to fabricate a cathode for high energy density lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. Here, a facile hydrothermal method is reported to control the synthesis of VOx hollow nanospheres (VHS) of different sizes. The sulfur‐loaded VHSs are further mixed with single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to obtain a flexible binder‐free composite. SWCNTs intertwine around the VOx nanospheres and form an interconnective network to provide conductivity and structural integrity, whereas the small VOx nanospheres offer strong confinement and excellent adsorption ability for polysulfides, thus yielding good cyclability. Results illustrate that VHS with diameters of ≈200 nm (VHS‐200) show an outstanding capacity of 1069 mAh g−1 at 1 C, which is higher than that of VHS with diameters of ≈400 and 900 nm (VHS‐400 and VHS‐900). Notably, the electrode shows rate performance of 614 mAh g−1 at a high current rate of 20 C. Finally, the assembled flexible Li–S batteries show good bending and cycling stabilities in various bending angles, which is promising for potential applications in flexible electronics.
Plasma Enabled Synthesis and Processing of Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Joseph Jickson , Murdock Adrian T. , Seo Dong Han , Han Zhao Jun , O'Mullane Anthony P. , Ostrikov Kostya (Ken)
Published: July 2018

Li‐ion batteries (LIBs) dominate the energy storage market owing to their versatility and efficient energy storage. Also, for electric vehicle applications, batteries with better power, safety, and cyclability are needed. To address the issues related to lower power density, lesser cyclability, low capacity retention, safety, cost, etc., several modifications like nanostructuring, 3D and 2D architectures, doping, core shell particles, binder free electrodes, modified electrolytes, and separators are employed. Plasma technologies can reduce the number of steps and time required for the synthesis of nanoarchitectures and material modifications, hence a reduction in the cost required to produce LIBs against the high initial investment required. This review paper aims at emphasizing plasma enabled modification and synthesis techniques for LIB electrodes, separators, electrolytes, and for recent advances like solid state and flexible batteries.
High‐Quality Indium Phosphide Films and Nano‐Network Grown Using Low‐Cost Metal‐Catalyzed Vapor–Liquid–Solid Method for Photovoltaic Applications
Authors: Hashemi Amiri Seyed Ebrahim , Gan Lin , Fan Fan , Ranga Praneeth , Ning Cun‐Zheng
Published: July 2018

Growth of high‐quality InP film is demonstrated by directly co‐evaporating elemental In and P in a simple low‐cost chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor. By exploring the interplay between the metal‐assisted vapor–liquid–solid and vapor–solid mechanisms, the authors present the growth of highly stoichiometric InP thin films or nano‐network in a wide range of growth temperature from 560 to 720 °C. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements reveal high optical quality of the as‐grown InP film with PL bandwidth (≈49 meV) comparable to commercial InP wafer (≈41 meV). The versatility of this approach is demonstrated through successful growth of thin films on diverse substrates such as silicon, InP, and fused quartz. The effects of catalysts are also studied by comparing growths based on Au‐catalyst with In‐self‐catalyst (without Au). The temperature dependence study of Au‐catalyzed growth shows that higher growth temperature results in formation of larger grain sizes and continuous void‐free polycrystalline InP films. Preliminary solar cell devices are fabricated on a p‐type silicon with an indium‐tin‐oxide contact layer. It is believed that the new growth strategy provides a simpler, lower cost (both precursors and substrates) approach for producing high‐quality InP thin film for the fabrication of high efficiency, low‐cost solar cells.
Shaping High‐Q Planar Fano Resonant Metamaterials toward Futuristic Technologies
Authors: Lim Wen Xiang , Manjappa Manukumara , Pitchappa Prakash , Singh Ranjan
Published: July 2018

Advances in plasmonic metamaterials have been rapidly evolving with innovations aimed at developing metadevices for real‐world applications. In reality, energy losses in plasmonic systems are prevalent and it is of paramount importance to come up with solutions that could overcome the limitations that impede further advancements toward the miniaturization of optoelectronic metadevices. High‐Q Fano resonance as a scattering phenomenon can be easily triggered by introducing asymmetry into plasmonic systems, and thus it offers a simple approach for reducing radiative losses through lineshape engineering. High‐Q Fano resonance possesses narrow linewidth and intensely confined electromagnetic fields, which makes it viable for widespread applications. The purpose of this review is to consolidate the current advances and contributions that high‐Q Fano resonance has made in the metamaterial community. Two general modes of energy loss including radiative and nonradiative losses are introduced and possible ways to overcome these challenges are examined. Furthermore, applications based on high‐Q Fano resonance including sensors, lasing spasers, and optical switches are discussed, embracing the future of Fano resonance based high performance photonic technologies.
Structural Color Sensors with Thermal Memory: Measuring Functional Properties of Ti‐Based Nitrides by Eye
Authors: Schnabel Volker , Spolenak Ralph , Doebeli Max , Galinski Henning
Published: July 2018

To ensure safe and reliable operation of materials with high thermal loads, e.g., in turbines or thermal solar collectors, it is key to detect material degradation. Here, a sensor concept providing a direct optical feedback of thermally induced hardness and resistivity changes in transition‐metal‐nitride functional coatings is presented. The sensor concept relies on a lossy Gires–Tournois interferometer configuration using thermally induced detuning of a highly absorbing state in the optical spectrum as feedback. It is demonstrated for the specific case of TiAlN coatings that such detuning is due to a symmetry‐breaking structural phase transition, which is accompanied by the formation of saturated structural colors.
Efficient Erbium‐Sensitized Core/Shell Nanocrystals for Short Wave Infrared Bioimaging
Authors: Wang Xin , Yakovliev Artem , Ohulchanskyy Tymish Y. , Wu Lina , Zeng Songjun , Han Xiaojun , Qu Junle , Chen Guanying
Published: July 2018

The 1500–1700 nm spectral range in short wave infrared (SWIR) region allows for biological imaging with large imaging depth, high contrast and resolution. However, very few SWIR imaging probes exist, and rarely reported probes (e.g., rare‐earth‐based ones with excitation at 980 nm) are often associated with biological heating effect. Here, a class of erbium (Er3+)‐sensitized core–shell nanocrystals of NaErF4:Yb3+@NaLuF4, which emit efficient SWIR luminescence peaked at 1525 nm under 808 nm excitation, without producing any local heating, is described. The inert shell inhibits concentration‐dependent quenching and allows for an enriched incorporation of 100% Er3+ into the core, yielding about ≈650‐fold higher SWIR luminescence than parent core nanocrystals. Importantly, an appropriate doping of ytterbium (Yb3+) (optimized concentration, 20%) into the core is shown to further enhance SWIR luminescence (by twofold), endowing the nanocrystals with a high quantum yield of 11%. This Yb3+‐mediated enhancement is possibly due to the suppression of upconverting pathways and the formation of energy trapping centers that prevent the energy migration to intrinsic lattice defects. These bright SWIR core/shell nanocrystals allow high contrast in vitro imaging of HeLa cells and in vivo through‐skull imaging of blood vasculature in the mouse brain.
Conductivity and Pseudocapacitance Optimization of Bimetallic Antimony–Indium Sulfide Anodes for Sodium‐Ion Batteries with Favorable Kinetics
Authors: Huang Yongxin , Wang Ziheng , Jiang Ying , Li Shuaijie , Wang Min , Ye Yusheng , Wu Feng , Xie Man , Li Li , Chen Renjie
Published: July 2018

Metal sulfides show promise for use in alkali‐ion batteries because of their high theoretical capacities. However, their poor cycling stability and rate performance hinder their further development. To avoid these issues, In2S3 into Sb2S3 is introduced to improve its electrochemical properties by optimizing its crystal structure and sodium storage mechanism. A heterostructure composed of In2S3 and Sb2S3 shows a unique morphology of formicary microspheres, which provide abundant channels for fast transfer of sodium ions, large surface area for a high pseudocapacitance effect, and enough voids to relieve volume expansion. A sodium‐ion battery containing the bimetallic sulfide anode exhibits a high reversible capacity of 400 mA h g−1 and long cycle life of about 1000 cycles. Similarly, a high capacity of ≈610 mA h g−1 is achieved for a lithium‐ion battery containing the anode. During sodiation/desodiation, the synergistic effect of In2S3 and Sb2S3 enhances electronic conductivity and supports the host structure, preventing collapse. The cycling performance and rate performance of the In2S3–Sb2S3 anode are further improved by wrapping the electrode with carbon nanotubes. Even at a high current density of 3.2 A g−1, this carbon composite structure still shows a capacity of about 355 mA h g−1.
Adaptable Fast Relaxing Boronate‐Based Hydrogels for Probing Cell–Matrix Interactions
Authors: Tang Shengchang , Ma Hao , Tu Hsiu‐Chung , Wang Huei‐Ren , Lin Po‐Chiao , Anseth Kristi S.
Published: July 2018

Hydrogels with tunable viscoelasticity hold promise as materials that can recapitulate many dynamic mechanical properties found in native tissues. Here, covalent adaptable boronate bonds are exploited to prepare hydrogels that exhibit fast relaxation, with relaxation time constants on the order of seconds or less, but are stable for long‐term cell culture and are cytocompatible for 3D cell encapsulation. Using human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) as a model, the fast relaxation matrix mechanics are found to promote cell–matrix interactions, leading to spreading and an increase in nuclear volume, and induce yes‐associated protein/PDZ binding domain nuclear localization at longer times. All of these effects are exclusively based on the hMSCs' ability to physically remodel their surrounding microenvironment. Given the increasingly recognized importance of viscoelasticity in controlling cell function and fate, it is expected that the synthetic strategies and material platform presented should provide a useful system to study mechanotransduction on and within viscoelastic environments and explore many questions related to matrix biology.
Long‐term outcomes following restorative proctocolectomy ileal pouch‐anal anastomosis in pediatric ulcerative colitis patients: Multicenter national study in Japan
Authors: Ikeuchi Hiroki , Uchino Motoi , Sugita Akira , Futami Kitaro , Fukushima Kouhei , Hata Keisuke , Koganei Kazutaka , Kusunoki Masato , Uchida Keiichi , Nezu Riichiro , Kimura Hideaki , Takahashi Kenichi , Itabashi Michio , Kameyama Hitoshi , Higashi Daijiro , Koyama Fumikazu , Ueda Takeshi , Mizushima Tsunekazu , Suzuki Yasuo
Published: July 2018

Background

Few studies have investigated surgical outcomes following a colectomy in pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Purpose

This study aimed to determine long‐term outcomes in a large cohort of pediatric patients who underwent proctocolectomy with ileal pouch‐anal anastomosis (IPAA) for UC.

Methods

Pediatric patients (<17 years old) who underwent surgery at 12 different hospitals in Japan between May 1979 and March 2015 were included in this study. Information was obtained by the use of a questionnaire survey.

Results

There were 113 (53.3%) male and 99 (46.7%) female pediatric patients. The most common indication for elective surgery was failure of medical management, whereas emergency surgery was carried out for fulminant cases. A hand‐sewn IPAA was used with a mucosectomy in 112 (52.8%), stapled anastomosis in 93 (43.9%), and not specified in 7 (3.3%) patients. Small bowel obstruction and surgical site infection were the most frequent early postoperative complications (POC), whereas pouchitis, small bowel obstruction, and perianal fistula were frequent late POC. The most common late POC was pouchitis, found in 38 (17.9%) of the patients, whereas pouch failure was noted in 11 patients at the latest follow‐up examination. Cumulative pouch survival rate after 10 years was 91.7%. There were no significant differences regarding gender or anastomotic procedure in relation to cumulative pouch survival rate.

Conclusion

To avoid pouch failure following an IPAA procedure, it is important to recognize that pouchitis or an anal fistula may lead to this condition in pediatric UC patients.
Acute copper sulfate poisoning resulting from dermal absorption
Authors: Park Kyung Sun , Kwon Jee Hyun , Park Sang Hyuk , Ha Won , Lee Jiho , An Hyun Chan , Kim Yangho
Published: July 2018

We report a Korean worker who experienced dermal exposure to a hot copper sulfate solution at his workplace and developed severe acute copper sulfate poisoning. A 53‐year‐old male worker, who was employed in a lead smelter for 5 years, slipped, and his right lower leg entered a copper sulfate solution, leading to severe burns of the right lower leg. Two days later, he developed severe intravascular hemolysis with methemoglobinemia. He also suffered from acute kidney injury, had an asymptomatic cerebral ischemic stroke, and melena due to multiple shallow gastric ulcers. His serum copper level was mildly elevated (153.6 μg/dL, reference: 64.0‐134 μg/dL). He was transfused with red blood cell concentrate and supported by hemodialysis. After 13 sessions of hemodialysis and several blood transfusions, he completely recovered. Most previously reported incidents of severe acute copper sulfate poisoning were from accidental or suicidal oral intake. There are few previous reports of systemic copper sulfate toxicity following exposure through burned skin.
Heterogeneous Bimetallic Catalysts for Upgrading Biomass‐Derived Furans
Authors: Singh Sanjay Kumar
Published: July 2018

Transformation of furans derived from biomass is a sustainable methodology to produce a wide range of chemicals for various applications. In this direction, involvement of catalysts and catalytic processes for biomass transformation is of critical importance to achieve enhanced transformation, controlled product selectivity and less‐energy intensive process. This review focuses on the recent progress in the field of catalytic transformation of biomass derived furfural and 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to various value‐added chemicals using bimetallic catalysts. This review provides a detailed overview on various factors controlling the performance of the bimetallic catalysts for various reactions (e. g., hydrogenation, oxidation, hydrodeoxygenation) involved during the transformation of these furans. In particular, importance of intermetallic synergistic interactions of the bimetallic heterogeneous catalysts in biomass transformation is highlighted.
Reversible Fluorescence Modulation in a Dyad Comprising Phenothiazine Derivative and Spiropyran
Authors: Ramakrishna Bheerappagari , Narayanaswamy Kamatham , Singh Surya Prakash , Bangal Prakriti Ranjan
Published: July 2018

With the objective of developing fluorescent switch molecule, we have designed, synthesized and photophysically characterized a novel fluorophore‐photochrome dyad molecule comprising Phenothiazine derivative (PTCN, 4) and photochromic spiropyran (SP, 6). We successfully demonstrate that the photochromic behaviours of spiropyran unit regulate the fluorescence behaviours of phenothiazine derivative in terms of change in fluorescence intensity in PTCN‐SP(8) dyad in the solution as well as in the solid state by employing steady state spectroscopic techniques. The as prepared PTCN‐SP(8) is strongly fluorescent with fluorescent quantum yield more than 10% and regards as fluorescent “on” state. The spiropyran ring of photochrome (SP) opens up forming isomeric conformer, known as marocyanin (MC), upon UV irradiation in the dyad. This photogenerated isomer (MC) acts as an energy acceptor for PTCN fluorophore and energy transfer occurs from PTCN to MC via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanism which leads to quench the fluorescence of PTCN and it is assigned to fluorescent “off” state. Subsequent visible light irradiation or thermal stimulation to the dyad is accompanied by ring close isomer SP along with complete reversal of the characteristic fluorescence of the PTCN(4), fluorescent “on” state. As a result, the photoinduced reversible transformations of the photochromic component within the dyad effectively bring “on” and “off” states of the PTCN fluorescence emission. Indeed, the fluorescence of this photoswitchable dyad is modulated for several cycles with excellent fatigue resistance under optical control for both in solution and solid phases. Thus, the choice of PTCN(4) as fluorescent probe in the dyad can ultimately lead to the development of valuable photoswitchable fluorescent probe for device applications.
Automated Electrochemical Assembly of the β‐(1,3)‐β‐(1,6)‐Glucan Hexasaccharide Using Thioglucoside Building Blocks
Authors: Manmode Sujit , Kato Moeko , Ichiyanagi Tsuyoshi , Nokami Toshiki , Itoh Toshiyuki
Published: July 2018

This study deals with the design, synthesis, and rational optimization of carbohydrate building blocks of glucosides for automated electrochemical assembly of β‐glucans. Oxidation potentials of building blocks with various types of protecting groups of hydroxyl groups were measured to estimate their reactivity under anodic oxidation conditions. Building blocks for both β‐1,3‐ and β‐1,6‐glycosidic linkages were optimized by an automated electrochemical assembly of disaccharides and trisaccharides. Several synthetic attempts were also made for the synthesis of the hexasaccharide repeating unit in a macrocyclic β‐glucan tridecasaccharide.
Genetic analysis suggests dispersal among chimpanzees in a fragmented forest landscape in Uganda
Authors: McCarthy Maureen S. , Lester Jack D. , Langergraber Kevin E. , Stanford Craig B. , Vigilant Linda
Published: July 2018

Habitat fragmentation is a leading threat to global biodiversity. Dispersal plays a key role in gene flow and population viability, but the impact of fragmentation on dispersal patterns remains poorly understood. Among chimpanzees, males typically remain in their natal communities while females often disperse. However, habitat loss and fragmentation may cause severe ecological disruptions, potentially resulting in decreased fitness benefits of male philopatry and limited female dispersal ability. To investigate this issue, we genotyped nearly 900 non‐invasively collected chimpanzee fecal samples across a fragmented forest habitat that may function as a corridor between two large continuous forests in Uganda, and used the spatial associations among co‐sampled genotypes to attribute a total of 229 individuals to 10 distinct communities, including 9 communities in the corridor habitat and 1 in continuous forest. We then used parentage analyses to infer instances of between‐community dispersal. Of the 115 parent–offspring dyads detected with confidence, members of 39% (N = 26) of mother–daughter dyads were found in different communities, while members of 10% (N = 5) of father–son dyads were found in different communities. We also found direct evidence for one dispersal event that occurred during the study period, as a female's sample found first in one community was found multiple times in another community 19 months later. These findings suggest that even in fragmented habitats, chimpanzee males remain in their natal communities while females tend to disperse. Corridor enhancement in unprotected forest fragments could help maintain gene flow in chimpanzees and other species amid anthropogenic pressures.
Katalytische, aerobe Oxidation von C(sp3)‐H‐Bindungen
Authors: Sterckx Hans , Morel Bénédicte , Maes Bert U. W.
Published: July 2018

Oxidationsreaktionen sind eine Schlüsseltechnologie in der Umwandlung von Rohstoffen aus Erdöl zu Substanzen höherer Oxidationsstufen, von denen ausgehend weitere Umsetzungen möglich sind. Diese Oxidationsprozesse nutzen meist molekularen Sauerstoff im letzten Schritt, da dieser im Großmaßstab typischerweise das einzige wirtschaftliche Oxidationsmittel darstellt. Die so hergestellten Basischemikalien weisen üblicherweise kaum funktionelle Gruppen auf und sind zudem meist hoch symmetrisch, weshalb die Frage nach der Selektivität oft keine Rolle spielt. Dagegen werden bei der Herstellung von Feinchemikalien noch immer klassische Oxidationsmittel bevorzugt. Für die Entwicklung nachhaltigerer Produktionsprozesse ist der Einsatz von Sauerstoff eine logische Wahl. Wegen der zahlreichen funktionellen Gruppen und der Komplexität von Feinchemikalien ist das Erreichen von Regio‐ und Chemoselektivität hier besonders anspruchsvoll. Dieser Aufsatz präsentiert die wichtigsten derzeitigen katalytischen Systeme zur aeroben Oxidation sowie die aktuellen Erkenntnisse über die jeweiligen Reaktionsmechansimen.
Aryldiazonium Salts as Nitrogen‐Based Lewis Acids: Facile Synthesis of Tuneable Azophosphonium Salts
Authors: Habraken Evi R. M. , van Leest Nicolaas P. , Hooijschuur Pim , de Bruin Bas , Ehlers Andreas W. , Lutz Martin , Slootweg J. Chris
Published: July 2018

Inspired by the commercially available azoimidazolium dyes (e.g., Basic Red 51) that can be obtained from aryldiazonium salts and N‐heterocyclic carbenes, we developed the synthesis of a unique set of arylazophosphonium salts. A range of colours were obtained by applying readily tuneable phosphine donor ligands and para‐substituted aryldiazonium salts as nitrogen‐based Lewis acids. With cyclic voltammetry, a general procedure was designed to establish whether the reaction between a Lewis acid and a Lewis base occurs by single‐electron transfer or electron‐pair transfer.