bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitative indicators of fruit and vegetable consumption
Authors: Kozelová Dagmar , Országhová Dana , Fiľa Milan , Čmiková Zuzana
Published: December 2015

The quantitative research of the market is often based on surveys and questionnaires which are finding out the behavior of customers in observed areas. Before purchasing process consumers consider where they will buy fruit and vegetables, what kind to choose and in what quantity of goods. Consumers' behavior is affected by the factors as: regional gastronomic traditions, price, product appearance, aroma, place of buying, own experience and knowledge, taste preferences as well as specific health issues of consumers and others. The consumption of fruit and vegetables brings into the human body biological active substances that favorably affect the health of consumers. In the presented research study we were interested in differences of consumers' behavior in the consumption of fruit and vegetables according to the place of residence and gender. In the survey 200 respondents has participated; their place of residence was city or village. The existence of dependences and statistical significance were examined by selected statistical testing methods. Firstly we analyzed the responses via statistical F-test whether observed random samples have the same variance. Then we applied two-sample unpaired t-test with equal variance and χ2-test of statistical independence. The statistical significance was tested by corresponding p values. Correlations were proved by the Cramer's V coefficient. We found that place of residence has no impact on the respondents' consumption of fruit. The gender of respondents does not affect their consumption of fruit. Equally, the gender does not affect the respondents' consumption of vegetables. Only in one observed case the significant differences proved that the place of respondent residence has impact on the consumption of vegetables. Higher consumption of vegetables is due to the fact that the majority of citizens, who live in villages, have a possibility to grow their own vegetables and, thus, the demand for it in village shops is low.
The Megalithic Quarry of Baalbek: Sector III the Megaliths of Ḥajjar al-Ḥibla
Authors: Abdul Massih Jeanine
Published: December 2015

First excavated in 1898–1903 by a German expedition, the site of Baalbek has been under study ever since except for a forced interruption during the Lebanese civil war (1975–1990). In 1984 the temples of Baalbek were recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 2004 a research project for the quarries of Baalbek was implemented as a collaborative effort between the Lebanese University and the German Expedition of Baalbek under the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut. While the focus was the megalithic podium in the Temple of Jupiter, this led to the documentation of the quarry and a general survey of all the other stone quarries around Baalbek.
Chhim, Lebanon: A Roman and Late Antique Village in the Sidon Hinterland
Authors: Waliszewski Tomasz , Wicenciak Urszula
Published: December 2015

The ruins of the ancient village of Chhim, located in the mountains near Sidon, constitute an exceptional case of a well-preserved rural archaeological site in Lebanon. Chhim has been researched in depth thanks to recent excavations. The sanctuary from the Roman period, the Christian basilica, residential buildings, and numerous oil presses provide an account of a settlement whose livelihood was based on agriculture and animal husbandry—all while remaining in close contact with other coastal Mediterranean settlements. The relatively high and stable level of prosperity of Chhim's inhabitants contrasted with technological stagnation and the retention of traditional building techniques—both characteristic of the mountainous regions of ancient Phoenicia.
The Old Norse Kings’ Sagas and European Latin Historiography
Authors: Bagge Sverre
Published: December 2015

“These two books [Theod. and Historia Norwegie] might be picked out of the Middle Ages on purpose to make a contrast of their style with the Icelandic saga. Th. . . . indulges in all the favourite medieval irrelevances, drags in the Roman historians and the Platonic year, digresses from Charybdis to the Huns, and embroiders his text with quotations from the Latin poets.” In this way, W. P. Ker highlights the radical differences between the sagas and Latin contemporary literature, in accordance with scholarly opinion of the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Ker’s perspective was in turn connected to the idea put forward by the Norwegian Historical School (Munch and Keyser) in the mid-nineteenth century that the sagas were based on oral tradition and contained trustworthy information about events in the distant past. This idea often had a background in the various national revivals of the nineteenth century, according to which the sagas formed part of a Scandinavian, Norwegian, or Icelandic heritage. T he understanding of the sagas as products of oral tradition was gradually weakened during the second half of the nineteenth century, before being rejected in its entirety by Lauritz Weibull in 1911.2 According to Weibull, the sagas, far from representing oral tradition, were in fact literary products that reflected their time of composition and were consequently useless as source material for events that had occurred several hundred years earlier. Weibull was mainly concerned with the use of the sagas as historical sources; but he also referred to literary loans as a way of explaining the origins of certain episodes in the sagas that had previously been understood as deriving from oral evidence.
Naïve Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generated From β-Thalassemia Fibroblasts Allow Efficient Gene Correction With CRISPR/Cas9
Authors: Yang Yuanyuan , Zhang Xiaobai , Yi Li , Hou Zhenzhen , Chen Jiayu , Kou Xiaochen , Zhao Yanhong , Wang Hong , Sun Xiao-Fang , Jiang Cizhong , Wang Yixuan , Gao Shaorong
Published: December 2015

Conventional primed human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) exhibit molecular and biological characteristics distinct from pluripotent stem cells in the naïve state. Although naïve pluripotent stem cells show much higher levels of self-renewal ability and multidifferentiation capacity, it is unknown whether naïve iPSCs can be generated directly from patient somatic cells and will be superior to primed iPSCs. In the present study, we used an established 5i/L/FA system to directly reprogram fibroblasts of a patient with β-thalassemia into transgene-free naïve iPSCs with molecular signatures of ground-state pluripotency. Furthermore, these naïve iPSCs can efficiently produce cross-species chimeras. Importantly, using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 nuclease genome editing system, these naïve iPSCs exhibit significantly improved gene-correction efficiencies compared with the corresponding primed iPSCs. Furthermore, human naïve iPSCs could be directly generated from noninvasively collected urinary cells, which are easily acquired and thus represent an excellent cell resource for further clinical trials. Therefore, our findings demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of using patient-specific iPSCs in the naïve state for disease modeling, gene editing, and future clinical therapy.

Significance

In the present study, transgene-free naïve induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) directly converted from the fibroblasts of a patient with β-thalassemia in a defined culture system were generated. These naïve iPSCs, which show ground-state pluripotency, exhibited significantly improved single-cell cloning ability, recovery capacity, and gene-targeting efficiency compared with conventional primed iPSCs. These results provide an improved strategy for personalized treatment of genetic diseases such as β-thalassemia.
Stochastic River Flow Modelling and Forecasting of Upper Indus Basin
Authors: Hamza Khan  , Syed Ahmad Hassan
Published: December 2015

Upper Indus Basin (UIB) region has faced seasonal and sometimes unpredictable disastrous flow in their tributaries and contributing one of the world’s largest Indus River System. As these streams emerged from high mountains of Hindukush, Karakorum and Himalaya ranges, and formed as a lifeline for the local population of which90% is accommodate by Indus River system source. A little change in the regional climate may cause floods and outburst flows in the river and affects the lives, regional ecosystem and long part of the Karakoram highway. On the other hand, the shortage of water in Pakistan can create an alarming condition in future because a huge amount of eastern glaciers is shrinking. According to UN-ICC 2011 report Pakistan is in top of the four risky countries which adversely affected by climate change and especially worst hit by bi-catastrophes in 2010.During summer, intensifications of temperature may dissimilar for different locations/altitudes but it affects the glaciated areas. Moreover, the summer river flow and precipitation in previous winter and spring seasons has significant correlation shows their influence in the UIB region. Consequently, it may also be responsible for fluctuation in the seasonal/regular flows of UIB Rivers. To study these variations this paper analyses two types of data, mean monthly and 4-times moving average of monthly for long-term forecast. They belong to two different rivers Ghizer-Gilgit at Gilgit and Ghizer-Gilgit-Hunza at Alam stations. Both types of data illustrate a strong seasonal cycle. Therefore, seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models of time series method have been used. The five selected SARIMA models explore 90% and more river flow forecast. Moreover, the result with 4-times moving average is more accurate than simple data.
Volumetric Study of the Binary Mixtures Containing a Branched Hexane and an Isomeric Chlorobutane
Authors: Guerrero Hernando , Royo Félix M. , Lafuente Carlos
Published: December 2015

This paper reports densities at atmospheric pressure and at three temperatures T = (283.15, 298.15, and 313.15) K of eight binary mixtures involving a branched hexane (3-methylpentane or 2,2-dimethylbutane) and each one of the isomeric chlorobutanes (1-chlorobutane, 2-chlorobutane, 1-chloro-2-methylpropane or 2-chloro-2-methylpropane). Excess volumes were calculated from experimental densities and correlated with the Redlich-Kister equation. Moreover, the excess volumes were analysed using the Prigogine-Flory-Patterson theory.
Feasibility of Small Autonomous Solar Powered Water Desalination Units for Arid Regions
Authors: Azab Mohamed , Al-Ghamdi Mohamed Naser
Published: December 2015

The main objective of this work is to conduct a feasibility study of utilizing small autonomous water desalination units powered by photovoltaic modules as a green renewable energy resource to be employed in different isolated zones as a source of drinking water for some scattered societies where the installation of huge desalination stations are discarded owing to the unavailability of electric grid in remote areas. Yanbu City is chosen as a case study where the Renewable Energy Center exists and equipped with all sensors to assess the availability of solar energy all over the year. The study included two types of available water: the first type is brackish well water and the second type is seawater of coastal regions. In the case of well water, two versions of desalination units are involved in the study: the first version is based on day operation only. While the second version takes into consideration the night operation, which requires energy storage system as batteries to provide the necessary electric power at night. According to the feasibility study results, it is found that utilization of small autonomous desalinations unit is applicable and economically accepted in the case of brackish well water. However, in the case of seawater the capital costs are extremely high and the cost of desalinated water will not be economically feasible unless governmental subsidies are provided.In addition, the study indicated that, for the same water production, the utilization of energy storage version (day-night) adds additional capital cost for batteries, and extra running cost for their replacement, which makes the unit price not only incompetent with day-only unit but also with conventional units powered by diesel generator (fossil fuel) owing to the low prices of fuel in the kingdom. However, the cost analysis shows that the price of the produced water per cubic meter of day-night unit is similar to that produced from the day-only unit provided that the day-night unit operates theoretically for a longer period of 50 %.
The serine protease hepsin mediates urinary secretion and polymerisation of Zona Pellucida domain protein uromodulin
Authors: Brunati Martina , Perucca Simone , Han Ling , Cattaneo Angela , Consolato Francesco , Andolfo Annapaola , Schaeffer Céline , Olinger Eric , Peng Jianhao , Santambrogio Sara , Perrier Romain , Li Shuo , Bokhove Marcel , Bachi Angela , Hummler Edith , Devuyst Olivier , Wu Qingyu , Jovine Luca , Rampoldi Luca
Published: December 2015

Uromodulin is the most abundant protein in the urine. It is exclusively produced by renal epithelial cells and it plays key roles in kidney function and disease. Uromodulin mainly exerts its function as an extracellular matrix whose assembly depends on a conserved, specific proteolytic cleavage leading to conformational activation of a Zona Pellucida (ZP) polymerisation domain. Through a comprehensive approach, including extensive characterisation of uromodulin processing in cellular models and in specific knock-out mice, we demonstrate that the membrane-bound serine protease hepsin is the enzyme responsible for the physiological cleavage of uromodulin. Our findings define a key aspect of uromodulin biology and identify the first in vivo substrate of hepsin. The identification of hepsin as the first protease involved in the release of a ZP domain protein is likely relevant for other members of this protein family, including several extracellular proteins, as egg coat proteins and inner ear tectorins.
A deep proteomics perspective on CRM1-mediated nuclear export and nucleocytoplasmic partitioning
Authors: Kırlı Koray , Karaca Samir , Dehne Heinz Jürgen , Samwer Matthias , Pan Kuan Ting , Lenz Christof , Urlaub Henning , Görlich Dirk
Published: December 2015

CRM1 is a highly conserved, RanGTPase-driven exportin that carries proteins and RNPs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. We now explored the cargo-spectrum of CRM1 in depth and identified surprisingly large numbers, namely >700 export substrates from the yeast S. cerevisiae, ≈1000 from Xenopus oocytes and >1050 from human cells. In addition, we quantified the partitioning of ≈5000 unique proteins between nucleus and cytoplasm of Xenopus oocytes. The data suggest new CRM1 functions in spatial control of vesicle coat-assembly, centrosomes, autophagy, peroxisome biogenesis, cytoskeleton, ribosome maturation, translation, mRNA degradation, and more generally in precluding a potentially detrimental action of cytoplasmic pathways within the nuclear interior. There are also numerous new instances where CRM1 appears to act in regulatory circuits. Altogether, our dataset allows unprecedented insights into the nucleocytoplasmic organisation of eukaryotic cells, into the contributions of an exceedingly promiscuous exportin and it provides a new basis for NES prediction.
Conservation status of caribou in the western mountains of Canada: Protections under the species at risk act, 2002-2014
Authors: Ray Justina C. , Cichowski Deborah B. , St-Laurent Martin-Hugues , Johnson Chris J. , Petersen Stephen D. , Thompson Ian D.
Published: December 2015

In April 2014, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) reviewed the status of caribou in the western mountains of Canada, in keeping with the ten-year reassessment mandate under the Species at Risk Act. Assessed as two ‘nationally significant’ populations in 2002, COSEWIC revised the conservation units for all caribou in Canada, recognising eleven extant Designatable Units (DUs), three of which -- Northern Mountain, Central Mountain, and Southern Mountain -- are found only in western Canada. The 2014 assessment concluded that the condition of many subpopulations in all three DUs had deteriorated. As a result of small and declining population sizes, the Central Mountain and Southern Mountain DUs are now recognised as endangered. Recent declines in a number of Northern Mountain DU subpopulations did not meet thresholds for endangered or threatened, and were assessed as of special concern. Since the passage of the federal Species at Risk Act in 2002, considerable areas of habitat were managed or conserved for caribou, although disturbance from cumulative human development activities has increased during the same period. Government agencies and local First Nations are attempting to arrest the steep decline of some subpopulations by using predator control, maternal penning, population augmentation, and captive breeding. Based on declines, future developments and current recovery effects, we offer the following recommendations: 1) where recovery actions are necessary, commit to simultaneously reducing human intrusion into caribou ranges, restoring habitat over the long term, and conducting short-term predator control, 2) carefully consider COSEWIC’s new DU structure for management and recovery actions, especially regarding translocations, 3) carry out regular surveys to monitor the condition of Northern Mountain caribou subpopulations and immediately implement preventative measures where necessary, and 4) undertake a proactive, planned approach coordinated across jurisdictions to conserve landscape processes important to caribou conservation.
Study of tritium desorption by energetic ion bombardment from tungsten material
Authors: Kato Shuichi , Ito Atsushi M. , Takayama Arimichi , Sasao Mamiko , Wada Motoi , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: December 2015

To solve the problem of tritium retention in a nuclear fusion reactor, the removal of hydrogen isotopes retained in a tungsten material by exposure to the other hydrogen isotope plasma was investigated. We proposed the balance equation between the absorption and desorption of the hydrogen isotope atoms in the tungsten material. Absorption ratio and desorption yield were calculated by binary collision approximation simulation. Simulation results showed that desorption yield was proportional to the concentration of the retained hydrogen isotope. Therefore, the decrease in the retained hydrogen isotope atoms by hydrogen plasma irradiation can be regarded as approximately exponential decay. The decay rate in the case that retained deuterium atoms are removed by light hydrogen irradiation was two thirds of the decay rate in the case that retained tritium atoms are removed by deuterium irradiation.
2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) nosocomial outbreak in South Korea: insights from modeling
Authors: Hsieh Ying-Hen
Published: December 2015

Background. Since the emergence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012, more than 1,300 laboratory confirmed cases of MERS-CoV infections have been reported in Asia, North Africa, and Europe by July 2015. The recent MERS-CoV nosocomial outbreak in South Korea quickly became the second largest such outbreak with 186 total cases and 36 deaths in a little more than one month, second only to Saudi Arabia in country-specific number of reported cases.

Methods. We use a simple mathematical model, the Richards model, to trace the temporal course of the South Korea MERS-CoV outbreak. We pinpoint its outbreak turning point and its transmissibility via basic reproduction numberR0in order to ascertain the occurrence of this nosocomial outbreak and how it was quickly brought under control.

Results. The estimated outbreak turning point ofti= 23.3 days (95% CI [22.6–24.0]), or 23–24 days after the onset date of the index case on May 11, pinpoints June 3–4 as the time of the turning point or the peak incidence for this outbreak by onset date.R0is estimated to range between 7.0 and 19.3.

Discussion and Conclusion. The turning point of the South Korea MERS-CoV outbreak occurred around May 27–29, when control measures were quickly implemented after laboratory confirmation of the first cluster of nosocomial infections by the index patient. Furthermore, transmissibility of MERS-CoV in the South Korea outbreak was significantly higher than those reported from past MERS-CoV outbreaks in the Middle East, which is attributable to the nosocomial nature of this outbreak. Our estimate ofR0for the South Korea MERS-CoV nosocomial outbreak further highlights the importance and the risk involved in cluster infections and superspreading events in crowded settings such as hospitals. Similar to the 2003 SARS epidemic, outbreaks of infectious diseases with low community transmissibility like MERS-CoV could still occur initially with large clusters of nosocomial infections, but can be quickly and effectively controlled with timely intervention measures.
An Introduction to Genome Annotation
Authors: Campbell Michael S. , Yandell Mark
Published: December 2015

Genome projects have evolved from large international undertakings to tractable endeavors for a single lab. Accurate genome annotation is critical for successful genomic, genetic, and molecular biology experiments. These annotations can be generated using a number of approaches and available software tools. This unit describes methods for genome annotation and a number of software tools commonly used in gene annotation. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Initial tsunami source estimation by inversion with an intelligent selection of model parameters and time delays
Authors: Mulia Iyan E. , Asano Toshiyuki
Published: December 2015

We propose a method for accurately estimating the initial tsunami source. Our technique is independent of the earthquake parameters, because we only use recorded tsunami waveforms and an auxiliary basis function, instead of a fault model. We first use the measured waveforms to roughly identify the source area using backward propagated travel times, and then infer the initial sea surface deformation through inversion analysis. A computational intelligence approach based on a genetic algorithm combined with a pattern search was used to select appropriate least squares model parameters and time delays. The proposed method significantly reduced the number of parameters and suppressed the negative effect of regularization schemes that decreased the plausibility of the model. Furthermore, the stochastic approach for deriving the time delays is a more flexible strategy for simulating actual phenomena that occur in nature. The selected parameters and time delays increased the accuracy, and the model's ability to reveal the underlying physics associated with the tsunami‐generating processes. In this paper, we applied the method to the 2011 Tohoku‐Oki tsunami event and examined its effectiveness by comparing the results to those using the conventional method.
Forcing and variability of nonstationary rip currents
Authors: Long J. W. , Özkan‐Haller H.T.
Published: December 2015

Surface wave transformation and the resulting nearshore circulation along a section of coast with strong alongshore bathymetric gradients outside the surf zone are modeled for a consecutive 4 week time period. The modeled hydrodynamics are compared to in situ measurements of waves and currents collected during the Nearshore Canyon Experiment and indicate that for the entire range of observed conditions, the model performance is similar to other studies along this stretch of coast. Strong alongshore wave height gradients generate rip currents that are observed by remote sensing data and predicted qualitatively well by the numerical model. Previous studies at this site have used idealized scenarios to link the rip current locations to undulations in the offshore bathymetry but do not explain the dichotomy between permanent offshore bathymetric features and intermittent rip current development. Model results from the month‐long simulation are used to track the formation and location of rip currents using hourly statistics, and results show that the direction of the incoming wave energy strongly controls whether rip currents form. In particular, most of the offshore wave spectra were bimodal and we find that the ratio of energy contained in each mode dictates rip current development, and the alongshore rip current position is controlled by the incident wave period. Additionally, model simulations performed with and without updating the nearshore morphology yield no significant change in the accuracy of the predicted surf zone hydrodyanmics indicating that the large‐scale offshore features (e.g., submarine canyon) predominately control the nearshore wave‐circulation system.
Ocean processes underlying surface clustering
Authors: Jacobs Gregg A. , Huntley Helga S. , Kirwan A. D. , Lipphardt Bruce L. , Campbell Timothy , Smith Travis , Edwards Kacey , Bartels Brent
Published: December 2015

Ageostrophic ocean processes such as frontogenesis, submesoscale mixed‐layer instabilities, shelf break fronts, and topographic interactions on the continental shelf produce surface‐divergent flows that affect buoyant material over time. This study examines the ocean processes leading to clustering, i.e., the increase of material density over time, on the ocean surface. The time series of divergence along a material trajectory, the Lagrangian divergence (LD), is the flow property driving clustering. To understand the impacts of various ocean processes on LD, numerical ocean model simulations at different resolutions are analyzed. Although the relevant processes differ, patterns in clustering evolution from the deep ocean and the continental shelf bear similarities. Smaller‐scale ocean features are associated with stronger surface divergence, and the surface material clustering is initially dominated by these features. Over time, the effect of these small‐scale features becomes bounded, as material traverses small‐scale regions of both positive and negative divergence. Lower‐frequency flow phenomena, however, continue the clustering. As a result, clustering evolves from initial small‐scale to larger‐scale patterns.
Antarctic icebergs distributions 1992–2014
Authors: Tournadre J. , Bouhier N. , Girard‐Ardhuin F. , Rémy F.
Published: December 2015

Basal melting of floating ice shelves and iceberg calving constitute the two almost equal paths of freshwater flux between the Antarctic ice cap and the Southern Ocean. The largest icebergs (>100 km2) transport most of the ice volume but their basal melting is small compared to their breaking into smaller icebergs that constitute thus the major vector of freshwater. The archives of nine altimeters have been processed to create a database of small icebergs (<8 km2) within open water containing the positions, sizes, and volumes spanning the 1992–2014 period. The intercalibrated monthly ice volumes from the different altimeters have been merged in a homogeneous 23 year climatology. The iceberg size distribution, covering the 0.1–10,000 km2 range, estimated by combining small and large icebergs size measurements follows well a power law of slope −1.52 ± 0.32 close to the −3/2 laws observed and modeled for brittle fragmentation. The global volume of ice and its distribution between the ocean basins present a very strong interannual variability only partially explained by the number of large icebergs. Indeed, vast zones of the Southern Ocean free of large icebergs are largely populated by small iceberg drifting over thousands of kilometers. The correlation between the global small and large icebergs volumes shows that small icebergs are mainly generated by large ones breaking. Drifting and trapping by sea ice can transport small icebergs for long period and distances. Small icebergs act as an ice diffuse process along large icebergs trajectories while sea ice trapping acts as a buffer delaying melting.
On the specification of background errors for wave data assimilation systems
Authors: Portilla‐Yandún Jesús , Cavaleri Luigi
Published: December 2015

In this paper, a new methodology is proposed for the computation of Background Errors in wave data assimilation systems. Background errors define the spatial influence of an observation in the model domain. Since at present the directional wave spectrum is the fundamental variable of both state‐of‐the‐art numerical models and most modern instrumentation, this is at the core of the proposed methodology. The advantage of the spectral approach is that the wave spectrum contains detailed information of the different wave systems and physical processes at work (e.g., wind‐sea or swells). These systems have different origins and may be driven by different mechanisms, having therefore different spatial structures, length scales, and sensitivity to local wind conditions. The presented method enables making consistent and specific corrections to each component of the spectrum, in time and space. The innovations presented here require an integral look at the data assimilation algorithm for which a suitable scheme is also proposed. Examples of computed background errors are presented for shelf and oceanic basins showing the spatial structures of the different wave systems active in these areas.
Extraction of cross sections from digital elevation model for one‐dimensional dam‐break wave propagation in mountain valleys
Authors: Pilotti Marco
Published: December 2015

Shallow Water Equations (SWE) provide a fundamental component for the quantification and mapping of hydraulic hazard. In steep mountain valleys, the use of one‐dimensional SWE (also known as St. Venant Equations, SVE) is often legitimate and computationally competitive against two‐dimensional solvers. However, in the same environment, the solution of SVE is hindered by the need of an accurate bathymetric reconstruction, which implies a number of cross sections which cannot be readily acquired by conventional field surveys. On the other hand, Digital Elevation Models (DEM) with resolution adequate for studies of flood propagation are available in many areas of the world. In this paper, I propose to compute cross sections automatically by operating along the channel network derived from a valley's raster DEM, on the basis of algorithms that hitherto have been used for geomorphological and hydrological purposes. The extraction process can be refined by varying cross section inter‐distance and width, in order to prevent superimpositions that might occur due to the sinuosity of the thalweg and to better capture the valley's local topography. At the end of this process, the geometric functions needed by SVE solvers can be computed for each cross section. A software tool that implements the described algorithm is provided to the scientific community.
A Smart Antibacterial Surface for the On‐Demand Killing and Releasing of Bacteria
Authors: Wei Ting , Yu Qian , Zhan Wenjun , Chen Hong
Published: December 2015

For various human healthcare and industrial applications, endowing surfaces with the capability to not only efficiently kill bacteria but also release dead bacteria in a rapid and repeatable fashion is a promising but challenging effort. In this work, the synergistic effects of combining stimuli‐responsive polymers and nanomaterials with unique topographies to achieve smart antibacterial surfaces with on‐demand switchable functionalities are explored. Silicon nanowire arrays are modified with a pH‐responsive polymer, poly(methacrylic acid), which serves as both a dynamic reservoir for the controllable loading and release of a natural antimicrobial lysozyme and a self‐cleaning platform for the release of dead bacteria and the reloading of new lysozyme for repeatable applications. The functionality of the surface can be simply switched via step‐wise modification of the environmental pH and can be effectively maintained after several kill–release cycles. These results offer a new methodology for the engineering of surfaces with switchable functionalities for a variety of practical applications in the biomedical and biotechnology fields.
Progress in Piezo‐Phototronic‐Effect‐Enhanced Light‐Emitting Diodes and Pressure Imaging
Authors: Pan Caofeng , Chen Mengxiao , Yu Ruomeng , Yang Qing , Hu Youfan , Zhang Yan , Wang Zhong Lin
Published: December 2015

Wurtzite materials exhibit both semiconductor and piezoelectric properties under strains due to the non‐central symmetric crystal structures. The three‐way coupling of semiconductor properties, piezoelectric polarization and optical excitation in ZnO, GaN, CdS and other piezoelectric semiconductors leads to the emerging field of piezo‐phototronics. This effect can efficiently manipulate the emission intensity of light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) by utilizing the piezo‐polarization charges created at the junction upon straining to modulate the energy band diagrams and the optoelectronic processes, such as generation, separation, recombination and/or transport of charge carriers. Starting from fundamental physics principles, recent progress in piezo‐phototronic‐effect‐enhanced LEDs is reviewed; following their development from single‐nanowire pressure‐sensitive devices to high‐resolution array matrices for pressure‐distribution mapping applications. The piezo‐phototronic effect provides a promising method to enhance the light emission of LEDs based on piezoelectric semiconductors through applying static strains, and may find perspective applications in various optoelectronic devices and integrated systems.
Highly Polymer‐Repellent yet Atomically Flat Surfaces Based on Organic Monolayers with a Single Fluorine Atom
Authors: Wang Zhanhua , Pujari Sidharam P. , van Lagen Barend , Smulders Maarten M. J. , Zuilhof Han
Published: December 2015

Organic monolayers or polymer brushes, often in combination with surface structuring, are widely used to prevent nonspecific adsorption of polymeric or biological material on sensor and microfluidic surfaces. Here it is demonstrated for the first time how robust, covalently attached alkyne‐derived monolayers with a varying numbers of fluorine atoms, on atomically flat Si(111), effectively repel a wide range of apolar polymers without the need for micro‐ or nanostructuring of the surface. The antifouling property of fluoro‐hydro monolayers is studied for a range of commonly used polymers with comparable molecular weight in nonaqueous solvent. Also, the effect of polymer molecular weight on the fouling behavior is investigated. A surface morphology survey by atomic force microscopy characterization that can accurately quantify the degree of fouling is developed. It is observed that especially the monofluorinated (F1) alkyne‐derived monolayer shows excellent antifouling behavior, under certain conditions even more so than corresponding monolayers with perfluorinated alkyl tails. The explanation of this surprising behavior is based on a competition of solvent–solute–surface interactions. These findings and analysis offer significant potential for antifouling applications of ultrathin and covalently bound fluorine‐containing coatings for a range of micro‐ and nanotechnological applications.
Near‐Infrared Light‐Triggered Intracellular Delivery of Anticancer Drugs Using Porous Silicon Nanoparticles Conjugated with IR820 Dyes
Authors: Xia Bing , Wang Bin , Chen Zhenyu , Zhang Qi , Shi Jisen
Published: December 2015

A near‐infrared (NIR) light‐triggered system based on porous silicon nanoparticles (PSiNPs) conjugated with IR820 dyes is developed for controlled release of doxorubicin hydrocloride (DOX, anticancer drug) inside cancer cells and chemo‐photothermal combination therapy in vitro. PSiNPs are chosen as nanocarriers to encapsulate IR820 and DOX molecules because of their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and a high loading capacity of effective contents (34.2% ± 6.3%, w/w). Notably, as‐prepared DOX/IR820/PSiNPs nanocomposites also have a high release percentage (98.5%) of DOX molecules triggered by NIR light in acidic environments, compared with that (17.9%) without NIR irradiation under neutral conditions. Furthermore, using localized photostimulation with a femtosecond NIR laser of two‐photo laser scanning confocal microscope, intracellular release of DOX molecules from DOX/IR820/PSiNPs nanocomposites can be dynamically observed in situ. Finally, the combination anticancer treatments of PSiNPs‐based nanocomposites are assessed in vitro, which shows a synergistic effect including chemotherapy and photothermal therapy of cancer cells. Therefore, the therapeutic approach based on PSiNPs‐based nanocarriers integrated with IR820 and DOX molecules has a great potential on NIR light‐stimulated cancer therapy.
Iron(III)/Iodine‐Catalyzed C(sp2)H Activation of α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes/Ketones with Amidines: Synthesis of 1,2,4,5‐Tetrasubstituted Imidazoles
Authors: Wu Ping , Qu Jinpeng , Li Yaxuan , Guo Xin , Tang Dong , Meng Xu , Yan Rulong , Chen Baohua
Published: December 2015

An efficient methodology to access a library of 1,2,4,5‐tetrasubstituted imidazoles from a broad range of amidines and α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes/ketones via a C(sp2)H amination has been developed. This method represents a new and simple way to prepare highly substituted imidazoles from easily available starting materials, inexpensive catalysts, and with good functional group tolerance in good to excellent yields.

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Palladium‐Catalyzed Direct Arylations of 1,2‐Azolo[1,5‐a]pyridines using Copper(I) Chloride as a Lewis Acid Activator and the Synthesis of 2,6‐Disubstituted Pyridines
Authors: Oh Kyung Hwan , Kim Seong Min , Lee Mi Jung , Park Jin Kyoon
Published: December 2015

A direct method for the arylation of 1,2‐azolo[1,5‐a]pyridines has been developed. In the process, the fused pyridines react with aryl halides in the presence of the palladium complex Pd(OAc)2(Phen) as a catalyst and copper(I) chloride (CuCl) as a Lewis acid to form arylated derivatives. While pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyridines and [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5‐a]pyridines are arylated at ortho‐positions of their pyridine rings using this method, in situ ring‐opening of the formed C‐7 arylated [1,5‐a]pyridine takes place to generate the 2,6‐disubstituted pyridine. Also, upon treatment with lithium diisopropylamide (LDA), C‐7 arylated pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyridine‐3‐carboxylates react to produce diversely substituted 2,6‐disubstituted pyridines. Finally, a sequential C‐3 arylation was accomplished through a two‐step sequence involving hydrolysis of pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyridine‐3‐carboxylates followed by the bimetallic Pd/Cu‐catalyzed decarboxylative coupling reaction with aryl bromide.

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Regio‐ and Stereoselective Biocatalytic Monoamination of a Triketone Enables Asymmetric Synthesis of Both Enantiomers of the Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Xenovenine Employing Transaminases
Authors: Payer Stefan E. , Schrittwieser Joerg H. , Grischek Barbara , Simon Robert C. , Kroutil Wolfgang
Published: December 2015

The (+)‐ as well as the (−)‐enantiomer of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid xenovenine were prepared within five steps with 17 and 30% overall yields, respectively, in optically pure form, >99% ee as well as >99% de. In the asymmetric key step a transaminase performed a regio‐ and stereoselective monoamination of a triketone. By employing two enantiocomplementary transaminases from Arthrobacter sp. both enantiomers were accessible. The triketone was readily prepared via two steps starting from commercially available, achiral 2‐(n‐heptyl)furan. In the final catalytic hydrogenation step, the newly introduced chiral centre directed hydrogen addition to form preferentially the desired (5Z,8E)‐diastereomer. The regio‐ and stereoselective amination of a single ketone moiety out of three allowed the performance of the shortest and highest yielding total synthesis of the bicyclic showcase pyrrolizidine alkaloid without the need for protecting strategies.

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Asymmetric Hydrophosphonylation of Aldehydes using a Cinchona–Diaminomethylenemalononitrile Organocatalyst
Authors: Hirashima Shin‐ichi , Arai Ryoga , Nakashima Kosuke , Kawai Nobuaki , Kondo Junko , Koseki Yuji , Miura Tsuyoshi
Published: December 2015

For the asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of aldehydes, an efficient organocatalytic approach with a diaminomethylenemalononitrile‐based hydrogen‐bonding donor catalyst is presented. The catalyst induces high yields and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% yield, 96% ee).

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Sequential Functionalization of the OH and C(sp2)O Bonds of Tropolones by Alkynes and N‐Sulfonyl Azides
Authors: Seo Boram , Jeon Woo Hyung , Kim Chul‐Eui , Kim Sanghyuck , Kim Sung Hong , Lee Phil Ho
Published: December 2015

Sequential copper‐catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition, rhodium‐catalyzed OH insertion, intramolecular 1,8‐addition, and rearrangement starting from 1‐alkynes, N‐sulfonyl azides, and tropolones is demonstrated for the synthesis of the 2‐functionalized aminotropones in one pot. These results indicate that sequential functionalization of OH and C(sp2)O bonds smoothly occurs in the C(sp2)OH bonds of tropolone

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β‐Cyclodextrin Improves Solubility and Enzymatic C‐Glucosylation of the Flavonoid Phloretin
Authors: Bungaruang Linda , Gutmann Alexander , Nidetzky Bernd
Published: December 2015

Nothofagin is a prominent bioactive ingredient of rooibos tea. We recently reported its synthesis through a glucosyltransferase cascade reaction involving 3′‐C‐β‐D‐glucosylation of the dihydrochalcone phloretin from uridine 5′‐diphosphate (UDP)‐glucose and in situ formation of UDP‐glucose from sucrose and catalytic amounts of UDP. Here we show that the limitation in process efficiency caused by the vanishingly low water solubility of phloretin – a major problem for biocatalytic modifications of hydrophobic natural products in general – was overcome effectively using phloretin inclusion complexation with β‐cyclodextrin. Unlike operating in a two‐phase system containing uncomplexed insoluble phloretin or using organic cosolvents, the addition of β‐cyclodextrin inclusion complexes was well tolerated regarding enzyme activity and stability. Besides enhancing the effective phloretin concentration in water (∼0.2 mM) to about 50 mM, inclusion complexation offered the additional advantage of overcoming the complex inhibition/inactivation effect of the free/microaggregated dihydrochalcone acceptor. Thus oversaturated phloretin solution was transformed in a single batch reaction in excellent conversion (99% in solution; 88% overall) and isolated yield (78%; 17.0 g L−1). The UDP‐glucose was regenerated up to ∼90 times and the nothofagin space‐time yield of 2.4 mM h−1 presented an eight‐fold improvement compared to a reference reaction using 20% DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) and requiring controlled phloretin feed. We thus demonstrate the high potential of inclusion complexation by cyclodextrins for boosting the glycosylation of hydrophobic flavonoid‐like natural products.

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Copper/Nafion‐Catalyzed Hydroarylation Process Involving Ketenimine Intermediates: A Novel and Synthetic Approach to 4‐Sulfonamidoquinoline‐2‐ones and Derivatives Thereof
Authors: Reichart Benedikt , Guedes de la Cruz Gema , Zangger Klaus , Kappe C. Oliver , Glasnov Toma
Published: December 2015

A copper(II)/NafionNR50‐catalyzed cascade is demonstrated, wherein in situ keteneimine formation and hydroarylation processes are involved. Various substituted 4‐sulfonamidoquinolin‐2‐ones and various derivatives thereof were obtained. The robust toluenesulfonamide protecting group can be removed on demand in a mild light‐promoted process to provide access to otherwise difficult to obtain 4‐aminoquinolin‐2‐ones.

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Facile Synthesis of a 3D Nanoarchitectured Li4Ti5O12 Electrode for Ultrafast Energy Storage
Authors: Zhao Bote , Deng Xiang , Ran Ran , Liu Meilin , Shao Zongping
Published: December 2015

Despite enormous efforts devoted to the development of high‐performance batteries, the obtainable energy and power density, durability, and affordability of the existing batteries are still inadequate for many applications. Here, a self‐standing nanostructured electrode with ultrafast cycling capability is reported by in situ tailoring Li4Ti5O12 nanocrystals into a 3D carbon current collector (derived from filter paper) through a facile wet chemical process involving adsorption of titanium source, boiling treatment, and subsequent chemical lithiation. This 3D architectural electrode is charged/discharged to ≈60% of the theoretical capacity of Li4Ti5O12 in ≈21 s at 100 C rate (17 500 mA g−1 ), which also shows stable cycling performance for 1000 cycles at a cycling rate of 50 C. Additionally, modified 3D carbon current collector with much smaller pores and finer fiber diameters are further used, which significantly improve the specific capacity based on the weight of the entire electrode. These novel electrodes are promising for high‐power applications such as electric vehicles and smart grids. This unique electrode architecture also simplifies the electrode fabrication process and significantly enhances current collection efficiency (especially at high rate). Further, the conceptual electrode design is applicable to other oxide electrode materials for high‐performance batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors.
Social Networks and Restaurant Ratings
Authors: Tiwari Ashutosh , Richards Timothy J.
Published: December 2015

When choosing among restaurants, consumers either look to their peers or to anonymous reviews on the Internet. In this study, we examine the impact of peer versus anonymous social networks on restaurant ratings and revisitation intent. We find that peer networks are substantially more effective in driving consumers' preferences for restaurants, even after controlling for the endogeneity of peer ratings, and that negative reviews have a greater impact on preferences than do positive reviews. Our results suggest a more general finding, namely, that peer networks may be more effective than anonymous networks for many important, complex choices. [EconLit citations: D12, L11, M31, Q13].
Survival of children with trisomy 13 and trisomy 18: A multi‐state population‐based study
Authors: Meyer Robert E. , Liu Gang , Gilboa Suzanne M. , Ethen Mary K. , Aylsworth Arthur S. , Powell Cynthia M. , Flood Timothy J. , Mai Cara T. , Wang Ying , Canfield Mark A. ,   for the National Birth Defects Prevention Network
Published: December 2015

Trisomy 13 (T13) and trisomy 18 (T18) are among the most prevalent autosomal trisomies. Both are associated with a very high risk of mortality. Numerous instances, however, of long‐term survival of children with T13 or T18 have prompted some clinicians to pursue aggressive treatment instead of the traditional approach of palliative care. The purpose of this study is to assess current mortality data for these conditions. This multi‐state, population‐based study examined data obtained from birth defect surveillance programs in nine states on live‐born infants delivered during 1999–2007 with T13 or T18. Information on children's vital status and selected maternal and infant risk factors were obtained using matched birth and death certificates and other data sources. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate age‐specific survival probabilities and predictors of survival up to age five. There were 693 children with T13 and 1,113 children with T18 identified from the participating states. Among children with T13, 5‐year survival was 9.7%; among children with T18, it was 12.3%. For both trisomies, gestational age was the strongest predictor of mortality. Females and children of non‐Hispanic black mothers had the lowest mortality. Omphalocele and congenital heart defects were associated with an increased risk of death for children with T18 but not T13. This study found survival among children with T13 and T18 to be somewhat higher than those previously reported in the literature, consistent with recent studies reporting improved survival following more aggressive medical intervention for these children. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.