bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facile Synthesis of Sulfur‐Containing Transition Metal (Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) (Hydr)oxides for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Zeng Feng , Broicher Cornelia , Hofmann Jan P. , Palkovits Stefan , Palkovits Regina
Published: October 2019

Transition metal based materials are promising non‐noble metal based catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Transition metal (hydr)oxides have been intensively investigated as OER catalysts. Promoting transition metal (hydr)oxides with heteroatoms or using carbon materials as additives can increase the electric conductivity and tailor the nature of active sites to enhance OER activity. We developed a scalable one‐step wet chemical method to prepare sulfur‐containing transition metal (manganese, iron, cobalt, and nickel) (hydr)oxides coupled with carbon nanotubes as additives to tailor OER performance. Facilitated OER kinetics, enhanced intrinsic activity, and high electrochemically active surface area derived from sulfur promotion with/without carbon nanotubes addition together with the nanostructure of the materials led to decent OER performance. Sulfur‐containing cobalt (hydr)oxide achieved a low overpotential of 0.38 V at 10 mA cm−2, a low Tafel slope of 66 mV dec−1, and good stability.
Ultrasound‐Assisted Photo‐Reduction Synthesis of Ag/Bi2WO6 Microspheres for Photocatalytic H2 Evolution
Authors: Li Huifan , Pan Gaifang , Ding Mengna , Pei Wenkai , Zhang Ziping , Miao Yingchun , Huo Yuning
Published: October 2019

Ag/Bi2WO6 microspheres were successfully prepared by ultrasound‐assisted photo‐reduction route to realize the Ag‐loading on Bi2WO6 crystal, which was previously synthesized by using solvothermal process with [C4‐mim]BF4 ionic liquid. The synergistic process of photo‐reduction and ultrasonic irradiation induced the efficient conversion of Ag+ ion into metallic Ag nanoparticles with uniform distribution. The enhanced amount of Ag nanoparticles and the strong combination of Ag nanoparticles with Bi2WO6 microspheres, efficiently promoted the light harvesting and inhibited the recombination of photo‐induced charges. As a result, Ag/Bi2WO6 microspheres via ultrasound‐assisted photo‐reduction route achieved the higher visible‐light photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution than those catalysts prepared by other methods. This work may provide an efficient way for designing photocatalysts for hydrogen generation using solar light.
Anodic Oxidation of Ethynylferrocene Derivatives in Homogeneous Solution and Following Anodic Deposition onto Glassy Carbon Electrodes
Authors: Sheridan Matthew V. , Lam Kevin , Waterman Rory , Geiger William E.
Published: October 2019

Eight ferrocene derivatives linked by either an ether, amine, or phenylacetylene moiety to a terminal ethynyl group were covalently deposited on glassy carbon electrodes by anodic electrochemical methods. The lithio activation method, in which the terminal hydrogen of the ethynyl group is replaced by a lithium atom before anodic oxidation, was successfully employed in all cases. Direct oxidation of the inactivated ethynyl group also resulted in surface deposition. Surface coverages between 1×10−10 mol cm−2 and 14×10−10 mol cm−2 were achieved. Cyclic voltammetry scans of the modified electrodes in pure electrolytes differed depending on the size of the supporting electrolyte anion, as little as half the current being measured for a [B(C6F5)4]− vs. [PF6]− solution, suggesting differences in ion transport near the electrode surface. An ether‐linked ethynylferrocenium ion (5+) was isolated after electrolytic and chemical oxidation of 5 and characterized by X‐Ray crystallography as its [SbCl6]− salt.
Evaluation of the Pharmacokinetic Interaction Between the Voltage‐ and Use‐Dependent Nav1.7 Channel Blocker Vixotrigine and Carbamazepine in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Dunbar Joi , Versavel Mark , Zhao Yuan , Tate Simon , Morisset Valerie , Giblin Gerard M. P. , Palmer Joanne , Tidemann‐Miller Beth , Naik Himanshu
Published: October 2019

Vixotrigine is a voltage‐ and use‐dependent Nav1.7 channel blocker under investigation for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain conditions, including trigeminal neuralgia. Vixotrigine is metabolized primarily via uridine diphosphate‐glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). Carbamazepine, a UGT and cytochrome P450 3A4 inducer, is a first‐line treatment for trigeminal neuralgia. We conducted a double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group, single‐center phase 1 study to investigate the impact of coadministering vixotrigine and carbamazepine on their respective pharmacokinetics (PK) in healthy volunteers, the safety and tolerability of combined treatment, and PK recovery of vixotrigine following carbamazepine discontinuation. Randomly assigned treatments were carbamazepine (100 mg twice a day, days 1‐3 and 200 mg twice a day, days 4‐21) or placebo on days 1 to 21. All volunteers received vixotrigine 150 mg 3 times a day on days 16 to 28. At prespecified times, whole‐blood samples were collected for PK assessment. Statistical analyses were performed on the log‐transformed PK parameters area under the concentration‐time curve within a dosing interval (AUC0‐tau) and maximum observed concentration (Cmax) for vixotrigine, carbamazepine, and metabolites. Vixotrigine AUC0‐tau and Cmax were reduced by 31.6% and 26.3%, respectively, when coadministered with carbamazepine compared with placebo. Seven days after carbamazepine discontinuation, vixotrigine AUC0‐tau and Cmax remained 24.5% and 21.4% lower compared with placebo. Carbamazepine AUC0‐tau and Cmax were <10% lower when coadministered with vixotrigine compared on days 15 and 21. Vixotrigine/carbamazepine coadministration was well tolerated. These results suggest that vixotrigine does not have an effect on carbamazepine PK, and although carbamazepine has an effect on the exposure of vixotrigine, the effect is not considered clinically relevant.
Regional environmental variation and local species interactions influence biogeographic structure on oyster reefs
Authors: Grabowski Jonathan H. , Gouhier Tarik C. , Byers James E. , Dodd Luke F. , Hughes A. Randall , Piehler Michael F. , Kimbro David L.
Published: October 2019

Although species interactions are often assumed to be strongest at small spatial scales, they can interact with regional environmental factors to modify food web dynamics across biogeographic scales. The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a widespread foundational species of both ecological and economic importance. The oyster and its associated assemblage of fish and macroinvertebrates is an ideal system to investigate how regional differences in environmental variables influence trophic interactions and food web structure. We quantified multiple environmental factors, oyster reef properties, associated species, and trophic guilds on intertidal oyster reefs within 10 estuaries along 900 km of the southeastern United States. Geographical gradients in fall water temperature and mean water depth likely influenced regional (i.e., the northern, central and southern sections of the SAB) variation in oyster reef food web structure. Variation in the biomass of mud crabs, an intermediate predator, was mostly (84.1%) explained by reefs within each site, and did not differ substantially among regions; however, regional variation in the biomass of top predators and of juvenile oysters also contributed to biogeographic variation in food web structure. In particular, region explained almost half (40.2%) of the variation in biomass of predators of blue crab, a top predator that was prevalent only in the central region where water depth was greater. Field experiments revealed that oyster mortality due to predation was greatest in the central region, suggesting spatial variation in the importance of trophic cascades. However, high oyster recruitment in the middle region probably compensates for this enhanced predation, potentially explaining why relatively less variation (17.9%) in oyster cluster biomass was explained by region. Region also explained over half of the variation in biomass of mud crab predators (55.2%), with the southern region containing almost an order of magnitude more biomass than the other two regions. In this region, higher water temperatures in the fall corresponded with higher biomass of fish that consume mud crabs and of fish that consume juvenile and forage fish, whereas biomas of their prey (mud crabs and juvenile and forage fish, respectively) was generally low in the southern region. Collectively, these results show how environmental gradients interact with trophic cascades to structure food webs associated with foundation species across biogeographic regions.
Determinants of organizational vigilance: Leadership, foresight, and adaptation in three sectors
Authors: Schoemaker Paul J. H. , Day George S.
Published: October 2019

Why are vigilant organizations better at developing foresight than their rivals and acting faster on the insights and alerts? Four attributes were hypothesized to explain the difference between vigilant and vulnerable organizations: (a) a leadership commitment to sensing and acting early on signals of change, (b) strategic investments in foresight abilities, (c) a flexible approach to incorporating uncertainty in their strategy processes, and (d) clear accountability and coordination for sharing information and acting on weak signals. This conceptual model was tested with survey responses from 345 organizational leaders representing three sectors of the economy: international companies, US credit unions, and American foundations. The survey assessed key components of the above constructs and our regression models explained close to half of the variance in organizational vigilance scores relative to competitors. The most important of the four factors above was investment in foresight (for each sector), followed by leadership commitment. The relative importance of strategy and accountability factors varied by sector as well as organizational size.
Diagnostic accuracy of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for cognitive screening in old age psychiatry: Determining cutoff scores in clinical practice. Avoiding spectrum bias caused by healthy controls
Authors: Dautzenberg Géraud , Lijmer Jeroen , Beekman Aartjan
Published: October 2019

Objective/methods

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is an increasingly used screening tool for cognitive impairment. While it has been validated in multiple settings and languages, most studies have used a biased case‐control design including healthy controls as comparisons not representing a clinical setting. The purpose of the present cross‐sectional study is to test the criterion validity of the MoCA for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia (MD) in an old age psychiatry cohort (n = 710). The reference standard consists of a multidisciplinary, consensus‐based diagnosis in accordance with international criteria. As a secondary outcome, the use of healthy community older adults as additional comparisons allowed us to underscore the effects of case‐control spectrum‐bias.

Results

The criterion validity of the MoCA for cognitive impairment (MCI + MD) in a case‐control design, using healthy controls, was satisfactory (area under the curve [AUC] 0.93; specificity of 73% less than 26), but declined in the cross‐sectional design using referred but not cognitive impaired as comparisons (AUC 0.77; specificity of 37% less than 26). In an old age psychiatry setting, the MoCA is valuable for confirming normal cognition (greater than or equal to 26, 95% sensitivity), excluding MD (greater than or equal to 21; negative predictive value [NPV] 98%) and excluding MCI (greater than or equal to 26;NPV 94%); but not for diagnosing MD (less than 21; positive predictive value [PPV] 31%) or MCI (less than 26; PPV 33%).

Conclusions

This study shows that validating the MoCA using healthy controls overestimates specificity. Taking clinical and demographic characteristics into account, the MoCA is a suitable screening tool—in an old age psychiatry setting—for distinguishing between those in need of further diagnostic investigations and those who are not but not for diagnosing cognitive impairment.
Degree of technical difficulty of thyroidectomy for autoimmune thyroid disease
Authors: Saadi Robert , Brandt Alyssa , Kim Yesul , Cottrill Elizabeth , Saunders Brian , Schaefer Eric , Goldenberg David
Published: October 2019

Background

Our goal was to elucidate the differences in degree of technical difficulty of thyroidectomy in patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Methods

Charts of adult patients who had undergone thyroidectomy were reviewed. Patients with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT) or Graves' Disease (GD) were individually compared to a control group of patients with early stage malignancy or goiter.

Results

The HT (n = 65) group was significantly more likely to have friable (P = .001) and fibrotic (P < .001) thyroids, longer operative times (P = .02), and a 22‐modifier (P = .005). The GD (n = 169) group was significantly more likely to have friable (P < .001), vascular (P < .001), fibrotic (P = .038), and heavy (P = .002) thyroids, longer operative times (P = .03), increased length of stay (P = .01) and a 22‐modifier (P = .01).

Conclusion

Our experience at an institution with a high‐volume thyroid practice demonstrates that patients with autoimmune thyroid disease have consistent qualitative changes of the thyroid and significantly increased operative times and surgical difficulty.
Drude polarizable force field for cation–π interactions of alkali and quaternary ammonium ions with aromatic amino acid side chains
Authors: Orabi Esam A. , Davis Rebecca L. , Lamoureux Guillaume
Published: October 2019

Cation–π interactions play important roles in molecular recognition and in the stability and function of proteins. However, accurate description of the structure and energetics of cation–π interactions presents a challenge to both additive and polarizable force fields, which are rarely designed to account for the complexation of charged groups with aromatic moieties. We calibrate the Drude polarizable force field for complexes of alkali metal ions (Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+), ammonium (NH4+), tetramethylammonium (TMA+), and tetraethylammonium (TEA+) with aromatic amino acid side chain model compounds (benzene, toluene, 4‐methylphenol, 3‐methylindole) using high‐level ab initio quantum chemical properties of these complexes. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that cation–π complexes of the hard and tightly coordinated Li+ and Na+ ions are not stable in water but that larger ions form stable complexes, with binding free energies ranging between −0.8 and −2.9 kcal/mol. Like in gas phase, all complexes at equilibrium adopt an “en‐face” complexation mode in water. The optimized Drude polarizable model provides an accurate description of the cation–π interactions involving small ions and proteins. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Regulation of the microstructure of polyvinylidene fluoride membrane via incorporation of nano‐ZIF‐7 for improving hydrophobicity and antiwetting performance
Authors: Wang Hai‐Tao , Lu Mei‐Chan , Shi Meng‐Shan , Ao De , Liu Ya‐Pan , Chang Na
Published: October 2019

The design and fabrication of a membrane with super hydrophobicity and antiwetting property is of great importance for improving membrane performance in distillation, desalination, gas absorption, and separation. In this work, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes were modified by Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework‐7 (ZIF‐7) nanocrystals to improve the hydrophobic property and antiwetting performance. ZIF‐7/PVDF hybrid membranes were prepared via the nonsolvent‐induced phase separation (NIPS) method. Different concentrations of ZIF‐7 nanocrystals (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 5 wt%) were introduced into the PVDF dope solution, and the physical structure of the resulting membranes were systematically characterized. Due to the hydrophobic nature of ZIF‐7 nanocrystals, the solvent–nonsolvent exchange rate had been regulated effectively during phase inversion. The morphology of top and bottom surfaces, together with the inner structures of the hybrid membrane, has been changed obviously, showing a more twisted finger‐like macrovoid layer and a thicker sponge‐like layer compared to pristine PVDF membrane. Furthermore, the hydrophobicity and antiwetting properties of these hybrid membranes improved obviously when the incorporated concentration of ZIF‐7 was higher than 1 wt%. The M(2) membrane, which possessed the highest surface roughness and water contact angles, showed the best antiwetting property and recovered gas permeance ratio (>95%) after being immersed in aqueous solution for 10 hr.
Nanoencapsulation of synergistic antioxidant fruit and vegetable concentrates and their stability during in vitro digestion
Authors: Jeong Su J , Lee Ji‐Soo , Lee Hyeon G
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND

Natural antioxidants have received increased attention owing to their safe use without side effects; however, their application has been limited because of lower antioxidant activity and stability during digestion when compared with those of synthetic antioxidants. Although research is ongoing to overcome these problems, it is still challenging to find effective solutions. In this study, we aimed to improve the properties and stability of natural antioxidants during in vitro digestion by synergistic combination and nanoencapsulation.

RESULTS

Ten selected fruit and vegetable concentrates (acai berry, aronia, blackberry, cranberry, wild berry, raspberry, blueberry, red grape, cabbage, and spinach) were evaluated for their antioxidant capacity when combined via the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Among the 45 combinations, the highest synergistic ORAC value was noted for the blueberry and cabbage concentrates (BUCA; 0.8 and 1.2 mg mL−1) at an antioxidant ratio of 5:5. Chitosan/carrageenan (CSCR) nanoparticles are physically more stable than chitosan/gum arabic nanoparticles during in vitro digestion and were selected for the oral delivery of BUCA. Under simulated intestinal conditions, BUCA‐loaded CSCR nanoparticles showed significantly more stable antioxidant activity and total phenolic content than non‐nanoencapsulated BUCA. The highest antioxidant stability was observed in the BUCA‐loaded CSCR nanoparticles prepared with 0.2 mg mL−1 carrageenan, which showed two‐times higher ORAC value and ten‐times higher total phenolic content than non‐nanoencapsulated BUCA after 12 h of in vitro digestion.

CONCLUSION

CSCR nanoencapsulation of natural antioxidants could be an effective technique for improving antioxidant stability during digestion. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Barriers to care in pediatric cancer: The role of illness uncertainty in relation to parent psychological distress
Authors: Perez Megan N. , Traino Katherine A. , Bakula Dana M. , Sharkey Christina M. , Espeleta Hannah C. , Delozier Alexandria M. , Mayes Sunnye , McNall Rene , Chaney John M. , Mullins Larry L.
Published: October 2019

Objective

The current study evaluated perceived barriers to care for parents of children with cancer and the mediating effect of illness uncertainty (IU; uncertainty from the ambiguity or unpredictability of the illness) on the relationship between barriers and parental psychological distress. We hypothesized that greater barriers to care would be related to higher levels of IU and, in turn, higher anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) ratings.

Methods

As part of an ongoing study of family adjustment to pediatric cancer, 145 caregivers of children diagnosed with cancer completed questionnaires assessing barriers to care, parent IU, and anxious symptoms, depressive symptoms, and PTSS. Time since cancer diagnosis ranged from 1 to 12 months.

Results

Three mediation models assessed IU as a mediator between barriers to care and anxious symptoms, depressive symptoms, and PTSS, controlling for annual income. IU significantly mediated the relationship between barriers to care and depressive symptoms (B = ‐.03, SE = .02; 95% CI [‐.08, ‐.01]) and to PTSS (B = ‐.15, SE = .10; 95% CI [‐.38, ‐.03]). The mediation model was not significant for anxious symptoms.

Conclusion

Experiencing barriers to obtaining treatment for their child with cancer is a significant risk factor for symptoms of depression and PTSS among parents. Specifically, greater barriers to care is significantly associated with IU, a well‐established precursor to distress in this population. Interventions targeting IU may help ameliorate distress within the context of unmodifiable barriers to care.
Quantitative Systems PharmacologyandPhysiologically‐Based PharmacokineticModeling With mrgsolve: A Hands‐On Tutorial
Authors: Elmokadem Ahmed , Riggs Matthew M. , Baron Kyle T.
Published: October 2019

mrgsolve is an open‐source R package available on the Comprehensive R Archive Network. It combines R and C++ coding for simulation from hierarchical, ordinary differential equation–based models. Its efficient simulation engine and integration into a parallelizable, R‐based workflow makes mrgsolve a convenient tool both for simple and complex models and thus is ideal for physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) and quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) model. This tutorial will first introduce the basics of the mrgsolve simulation workflow, including model specification, the introduction of interventions (dosing events) into the simulation, and simulated results postprocessing. An applied simulation example is then presented using aPBPKmodel for voriconazole, including a model validation step against adult and pediatric data sets. A final simulation example is then presented using a previously publishedQSPmodel for mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling in colorectal cancer, illustrating population simulation of different combination therapies.
Empirical study of abnormality in local variables and its application to fault‐prone Java method analysis
Authors: Aman Hirohisa , Amasaki Sousuke , Yokogawa Tomoyuki , Kawahara Minoru
Published: October 2019

Programmers are familiar with local variables, and in many cases, they can freely define the local variables they use. Thus, the properties of these variables are widely diverse, and this may cause variations in the quality of code. Although variables are named in accordance with coding conventions, the following matters have not received much attention from an empirical viewpoint: automatically deciding whether a local variable is “abnormal” and determining the harmful effect of an abnormal variable. This study focuses on the trends in the name, type, and scope of local variables, then proposes the use of the Mahalanobis distance to evaluate their abnormality. The empirical study entailed collecting local variables from eight open‐source software projects, and the paper reports the following findings: (a) the trend in the variation of the names of variables according to their type; (b) the majority of variables have short names with narrow scopes, where a name is often a word or an abbreviation thereof; (c) methods with an abnormal variable are approximately 1.4 times more likely to be fault prone than methods that contain only normal variables; (d) the proposed abnormality metric can be useful in a random forest‐based fault‐prone method analysis model.
Work ability and productivity among dentists: associations with musculoskeletal pain, stress, and sleep
Authors: Marklund Susanna , Mienna Christina S. , Wahlström Jens , Englund Erling , Wiesinger Birgitta
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Work ability can be measured by the work ability index (WAI), and work-related questions measuring productivity loss in terms of quality and quantity of work. Dentists have high occupational risk of musculoskeletal pain and the exposure of ergonomic strain is already high during dental education. The aim was to evaluate work ability and productivity among dentists, and to identify gender differences and associations with sleep, stress, and reported frequent pain.

Methods

The study population comprised 187 dentists (123 women and 64 men) who had been working as dentists between 5 and 12 years. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding sleep, stress, presence of pain at different sites, work ability assessed by WAI, and productivity in terms of quality and quantity of work.

Results

Poor sleep quality and high level of stress were reported by 31% and 48.1% of participants, respectively, with no gender differences and no association with age. The prevalence of frequent pain ranged 6.4–46.5% with shoulders being the most prevalent site. Thirty-three percent reported reduced work ability. Poor sleep, high amount of stress, and multi-site pain were associated with decreased work ability.

Conclusions

A high prevalence of pain was shown among dentists. Decreased work ability in terms of productivity loss was associated with poor sleep quality, high amount of stress, and multi-site pain. Preventive actions at the workplace should promote good musculoskeletal health, and measures taken, both individual and organizational, to minimize the risk of high, persistent stress and work-related pain.
Illicit Drug Markets, Consumer Capitalism and the Rise of Social Media: A Toxic Trap for Young People
Authors: Irwin-Rogers Keir
Published: October 2019

This article explores young people’s involvement in illicit drug markets in England. It focuses in particular on why young people become involved in illicit drug distribution, the extent to which their involvement is predicated on adults’ use of threats and violence, and how young people frame the morality of drug dealing. The article’s findings are based on a unique dataset generated by a six-month period of online social media platform analysis, alongside additional data drawn from periods of observation, focus groups and interviews with young people and professionals. In short, I argue that drug prohibition, consumer capitalism, severe levels of inequality, and emerging problems associated with the rise of online social media are combining to produce a toxic trap that is dragging tens of thousands of young people into street-level drug dealing. Considered in this context, the inadequacy of the UK government’s response to some of the main harms associated with illicit drug markets is clear: children and young people will continue to be coerced and exploited until either drug markets are legalized and regulated, or they have realistic opportunities to pursue lives that offer genuine meaning, decent levels of income, and levels of status and respect that are comparable to those provided by drug distribution.
Retirement Age Preferences: The Role of Social Interactions and Anchoring at the Statutory Retirement Age
Authors: Vermeer Niels , van Rooij Maarten , van Vuuren Daniel
Published: October 2019

Using a specifically designed survey, we investigate the role of the social network in shaping workers’ retirement preferences. We find that the preferred retirement age is influenced by the advice and retirement decisions of coworkers, family, and friends. Workers value in particular the advice of their spouse and children and take their personal circumstances into consideration. Responses to vignette questions imply that workers increase their preferred retirement age with on average 3 months in response to a 1 year increase in the retirement age of coworkers, family and friends. Workers are particularly willing to postpone retirement if the planned retirement age was below the statutory retirement age. The results suggest that advice of the social environment and factors like ‘social embeddedness’ or social norms likely play a role when it comes to retirement decision-making.
Multiple frames of success: how second-generation immigrants experience educational support and belonging in higher education
Authors: Orupabo Julia , Drange Ida , Abrahamsen Bente
Published: October 2019

This article explores the impact of cultural resources on success and aspirations among second-generation immigrants in higher education in Norway. We investigate whether and how cultural resources are converted into advantages in higher education. The data consist of cross-sectional survey data and in-depth interviews with Norwegian students of immigrant origin. The quantitative analysis challenges the assumption that minority students receive extra support and encouragement from their social environment to guide them through higher education. However, regarding identity, cultural resources may provide a buffer from the exclusion and risks scholars have described as common among non-immigrant working-class students in higher education. We specify how culture works through two different frames of interpreting educational achievement: (1) adual frame of reference, i.e. comparing their achievements with the poorer conditions in their parents’ home countries fosters optimism and (2) asingle frame of reference, i.e. comparing their achievements with their peers with ethnic majority background in Norway fosters pessimism. Yet, both frames generate high educational commitment. Whilst the first enables the students to view their place in higher education as almost given, the second enables the students to work harder in order to prove themselves and combat under-expectations.
Paternity Uncertainty or Male Dominance? Paternal versus Maternal Grandmothers’ Contribution to Children’s Schooling in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Schrijner Sandor , Smits Jeroen
Published: October 2019

Objectives

Evolutionary theory predicts grandmothers to invest more in their daughter’s children than in their son’s children, because of the higher likelihood of being genetically related to their daughter’s children. At the same time, most African cultures are characterized by male dominance, which might make it more profitable to invest in sons than in daughters. Here, the relative importance of paternal versus maternal grandmothers for children’s schooling is studied as well as how this grandmother gender effect varies across circumstances.

Methods

The importance of paternal versus maternal grandmothers for children’s schooling is studied using multilevel logistic regression analysis on data for 896,073 children aged 7–15, living in 33 sub-Saharan African countries. We control for demographic and socio-economic factors at household and context level and study the role of circumstances using interaction analysis.

Results

Children living with a paternal grandmother have a higher chance of being in school than children living with a maternal grandmother. This effect is larger for boys, when the father is higher educated and when a grandfather is present. It is reduced when mother’s education level is higher.

Conclusions

Children living with a paternal grandmother have better schooling outcomes relative to those living with a maternal grandmother. This advantage of living with a paternal grandmother is stronger for boys and when the father is higher educated. Male dominance as a cultural factor seems to be more important for grandmother’s investments than certainty about genetic relatedness. Only a higher education level of the mother seems to counterbalance this tendency to a certain extent.
Use of redox mediators for the enhanced degradation of selected nitrophenols
Authors: Yaseen Mohammed , Manu Basavaraju , Kudri Najaruddin , Govardhanaswamy H. S.
Published: October 2019

In the present study, sequential anaerobic–aerobic treatment was used for the enhanced degradation of selected nitrophenols. Five identical reactors were used to assess the degradation of 2-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol. Reactor 1 was used as control, and another four reactors were operated in anaerobic phase followed by sequential aerobic treatment. The performance of reactors was studied for nitrophenol concentrations of 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/l and in next phase effect of redox mediators [lawsone and anthraquinone sulphonic acid (AQSA)], along with kinetics of degradation studied for 40 mg/l of nitrophenols. More than 98% degradation of nitrophenols was achieved at lower concentrations but for 40 mg/l removal percentage was reduced, and also COD inhibition was observed. However, with the addition of redox mediators, both nitrophenols and COD removal percentage were greater than 95% and 85%, respectively. Kinetics of degradation revealed that the rate of degradation was found to increase with the increase in concentration of redox mediators from 10 to 20 mg/l, and it was found that degradation was faster with the use of AQSA in comparison with lawsone solution. It indicates that use of redox mediators is favourable for the enhanced degradation of nitrophenols. Sequential anaerobic–aerobic treatment is possible potential treatment method for treating nitrophenolic wastewaters.
Experimental study of flow pattern and sediment behavior near the intake structures using the spur dike and skimming wall
Authors: Moradinejad Amir , Saneie Mojtaba , Ghaderi Amir , Zamanieh Shahri Seyed Mahyar
Published: October 2019

Channel junctions and lateral intakes are always caused turbulence in the passing flow. In this research, an experimental study was carried out to explore a possible method for sediment control for a series of skimming walls and a single spur dike, simultaneously. In order to direct the flow into the diversion channel and increase the skimming wall function, a single spur dike was utilized at the opposite side of the intake channel. The flow patterns for three conditions, including (1) without structures, (2) with skimming wall and (3) skimming wall and spur dike, are considered. The results showed that the use of skimming wall and a combination of skimming wall and spur dike makes it possible to direct the thalweg toward the intake port. In addition, by using the skimming wall, a trench is made toward the intake, which in turn increases the impoundment efficiency by 81% in the skimming wall combined with spur dike and up to about 66% for using the skimming wall.
Groundwater vulnerability assessment with using GIS in Hamadan–Bahar plain, Iran
Authors: Oroji Balal
Published: October 2019

Vulnerability assessment to delineate areas that are more susceptible to contamination from anthropogenic sources has become an important element for sensible resource management and land use planning. It has been recognized for its ability to delineate areas that are more likely than others to become contaminated as a result of anthropogenic activities near the earth’s surface. The main methods of mapping and assessing intrinsic vulnerability in porous media are the following: SI, GOD, SINTACS and DRASTIC. The basic purpose of these maps is to divide an area into more classes, each of which will represent a different dynamic for a specific purpose and use. These models have been used to map groundwater vulnerability to pollution in Hamadan–Bahar aquifer. The results showed in models of DRASTIC, SI, GOD and SINTACS, respectively, 7.1, 44.21, 29.56 and 20.16 percent of the areas are high potential vulnerabilities. According to the model DRASTIC at study area, 33.6% of has a low class of groundwater vulnerability to contamination, whereas a total of 29.4% of the study area has a moderate vulnerability. The final results indicate that the aquifer system in the interested area is relatively protected from contamination on the groundwater surface. The correlation between models shows that DRASTIC model has the highest CI, which is 141, and the GOD model has the highest CI, which is 139. Also, the highest CI for SINTACS and SI is 137 and 136, respectively. Therefore, DRASTIC model is the best model among these models for predicting groundwater vulnerability in Hamadan–Bahar plain aquifer.
Efficacy of Secukinumab for Plaque Psoriasis in a Patient on Hemodialysis
Authors: Ikuma Daiuske , Oguro Masahiko , Hoshino Junichi , Mizuno Hiroki , Sekine Akinari , Kawada Masahiro , Hiramatsu Rikako , Sumida Keiichi , Hasegawa Eiko , Hayami Noriko , Yamanouchi Masayuki , Suwabe Tatsuya , Sawa Naoki , Takaichi Kenmei , Ubara Yoshifumi
Published: October 2019

Secukinumab is effective to treat plaque psoriasis. However, the safety and efficiency of secukinumab have not been clarified in patients on hemodialysis. We report a 60-year-old Japanese woman. Plaque psoriasis was diagnosed at the age of 25 years and hemodialysis was started at the age of 39 years. Her skin lesions persisted despite use of topical agents such as maxacalcitol and betamethasone. Accordingly, administration of secukinumab was started at a dose of 150 mg. The psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score decreased from 49.8 to 14.8 after 2 weeks and to 0 after 6 weeks, with remission being maintained after 28 months. No adverse reactions were seen. This case indicates that secukinumab may be effective for severe psoriasis in patients on hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease.
The complete chloroplast genome of Saxifraga sinomontana (Saxifragaceae) and comparative analysis with other Saxifragaceae species
Authors: Li Yan , Jia Liukun , Wang Zhihua , Xing Rui , Chi Xiaofeng , Chen Shilong , Gao Qingbo
Published: October 2019

Saxifraga sinomontana J.-T. Pan & Gornall belongs to Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae subsect. Hirculoideae, a lineage containing ca. 110 species whose phylogenetic relationships are largely unresolved due to recent rapid radiations. Analyses of complete chloroplast genomes have the potential to significantly improve the resolution of phylogenetic relationships in this young plant lineage. The complete chloroplast genome of S. sinomontana was de novo sequenced, assembled and then compared with that of other six Saxifragaceae species. The S. sinomontana chloroplast genome is 147,240 bp in length with a typical quadripartite structure, including a large single-copy region of 79,310 bp and a small single-copy region of 16,874 bp separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,528 bp each. The chloroplast genome contains 113 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, four rRNAs and 30 tRNAs, with 18 duplicates in the IRs. The gene content and organization are similar to other Saxifragaceae chloroplast genomes. Sixty-one simple sequence repeats were identified in the S. sinomontana chloroplast genome, mostly represented by mononucleotide repeats of polyadenine or polythymine. Comparative analysis revealed 12 highly divergent regions in the intergenic spacers, as well as coding genes of matK, ndhK, accD, cemA, rpoA, rps19, ndhF, ccsA, ndhD and ycf1. Phylogenetic reconstruction of seven Saxifragaceae species based on 66 protein-coding genes received high bootstrap support values for nearly all identified nodes, suggesting a promising opportunity to resolve infrasectional relationships of the most species-rich section Ciliatae of Saxifraga.
Construction robotics for designed granular materials: in situ construction with designed granular materials at full architectural scale using a cable-driven parallel robot
Authors: Dierichs Karola , Kyjánek Ondřej , Loučka Martin , Menges Achim
Published: October 2019

The article presents a cable-driven parallel robot for the in situ construction with designed granular materials at full architectural scale. Granular materials are defined as high numbers of particles larger than a micrometer, between which only short-range repulsive forces are acting. Therefore, they can have the properties of both a solid and a liquid. These materials are, thus, highly pertinent as construction materials, since they are fully recyclable and reconfigurable. Going even beyond these basic properties, a designed granular material allows to tune its overall characteristics through the design of the individual particle. Granular materials can only be deployed in situ and at full scale. Suitable robotic construction systems need to be developed. Cable-driven parallel robots are defined as robotic systems, in which an “end effector” is operated by a set of cables, which are driven by computer numerically controlled motors. The cables are running through elevated pulleys. A cable-driven parallel robot, thus, allows for a “working space”, which covers an entire building site. It is comparatively lightweight and, thus, transportable between different construction sites, it is rapidly deployable, since the entire set-up takes one day only, and it is adaptable, since the pulleys can be installed in various geometric configurations. The results of this investigation show that cable-driven parallel robots are suitable as construction systems for the full-scale in situ construction of spatial enclosures with designed granular materials. This opens up a new field of research into the potentials of these full-scale, lightweight, rapidly deployable and adaptable robotic construction systems.
Assessment of Lift Passenger Comfort by the Hilbert–Huang Transform
Authors: Szydło Kamil , Wolszczak Piotr , Longwic Rafał , Litak Grzegorz , Dziubiński Mieczysław , Drozd Artur
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The comfort of lift passengers has a significant effect on their general health condition as well as stress levels during travel. This study reports the results of vibration measurements taken during travel in a passenger lift.

Methods

Vibration signals were analyzed by the empirical mode decomposition method and the Hilbert transform.

Results

Selected modes from the Hilbert spectral analysis were compared with the resonance frequencies of human body organs (range 20–90 Hz) as well as with the resonance frequencies of lift components.

Conclusion

The use of Hilbert spectral analysis enables the isolation of individual signal components and the determination of the dominant frequency in the signal. This, in turn, allows for the isolation of raw vibration frequencies from the signal that are particularly significant for passenger comfort assessment (resonance frequencies of human body organs) and analysis of their occurrence.
Influence of the shape and mass of a small robot when thrown to a dummy human head
Authors: Alhaddad Ahmad Yaser , Cabibihan John-John , Hayek Ahmad , Bonarini Andrea
Published: October 2019

Social robots have shown some efficacy in assisting children with autism and are now being considered as assistive tools for therapy. The physical proximity of a small companion social robot could become a source of harm to children with autism during aggressive physical interactions. A child exhibiting challenging behaviors could throw a small robot that could harm another child’s head upon impact. In this paper, we investigate the effects of the mass and shape of objects thrown on impact at different velocities on the linear acceleration of a developed dummy head. This dummy head could be the head of another child or a caregiver in the room. A total of 27 main experiments were conducted based on Taguchi’s orthogonal array design. The data were then analyzed using ANOVA and then optimized based on the signal-to-noise ratio. Our results revealed that the two design factors considered (i.e. mass and shape) and the noise factor (i.e. impact velocities) affected the response. Finally, confirmation runs at the optimal identified shape and mass (i.e. mass of 0.3 kg and shape of either cube or wedge) showed an overall reduction in the resultant peak linear acceleration of the dummy head as compared to the other conditions. These results have implications on the design and manufacturing of small social robots whereby minimizing the mass of the robots can aid in mitigating the potential harm to the head due to impacts.
An innovative method of extraction of coffee oil using an advanced microwave system: in comparison with conventional Soxhlet extraction method
Authors: Hibbert Sam , Welham Kevin , Zein Sharif H.
Published: October 2019

The production of energy and chemicals from waste biomass is an attractive alternative by comparison with first-generation biofuels and fossil feedstocks. This paper investigates oil extraction from spent coffee grounds (SCG) by means of an advanced microwave process and compares this with a conventional Soxhlet extraction (SE) method. Microwave-assisted oil extraction (MAE) from SCG was performed over different durations, varying solvent volumes and extraction temperatures. It was found that each of these parameters had an effect on the process, with the largest yield being over 11.54 wt%, oil extracted in 10 min using 160 mL of hexane at 95 °C. In 10 min, MAE was successful in extracting more oil than SE. MAE achieved a 24-fold decrease in duration for the extraction compared with SE and used less solvent per gram of oil produced. It is proposed that a certain moisture content in the SCG would be beneficial to the extraction process and might it also play a role in the heating process. The extracted oil can be converted into biodiesel and biochemicals leaving the remaining solids suitable for processing into bioethanol, fertiliser, adsorptive material and fuel pellets.

Graphic Abstract
Evaluation of the AMSR2 L2 soil moisture product of JAXA on the Mongolian Plateau over seven years (2012–2018)
Authors: Kaihotsu Ichirow , Asanuma Jun , Aida Kentaro , Oyunbaatar Dambaravjaa
Published: October 2019

This study evaluated the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) L2 soil moisture product (ver. 3) using in situ hydrological observational data, acquired over 7 years (2012–2018), from a 50 × 50 km flat area of the Mongolian Plateau covered with bare soil, pasture and shrubs. Although AMSR2 slightly underestimated soil moisture content at 3-cm depth, satisfactory timing was observed in both the response patterns and the in situ soil moisture data, and the differences between these factors were not large. In terms of the relationship between AMSR2 soil moisture from descending orbits and in situ measured soil moisture at 3-cm depth, the values of the RMSE (m3/m3) and the bias (m3/m3) varied from 0.028 to 0.063 and from 0.011 to − 0.001 m3/m3, respectively. The values of the RMSE and bias depended on rainfall condition. The mean value of the RMSE for the 7-year period was 0.042 m3/m3, i.e., lower than the target accuracy 0.050 m3/m3. The validation results for descending orbits were found slightly better than for ascending orbits. Comparison of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) soil moisture product with the AMSR2 L2 soil moisture product showed that AMSR2 could observe surface soil moisture with nearly same accuracy and stability. However, the bias of the AMSR2 soil moisture measurement was slightly negative and poorer than that of SMOS with deeper soil moisture measurement. It means that AMSR2 cannot effectively measure soil moisture at 3-cm depth. In situ soil temperature at 3-cm depth and surface vegetation (normalized difference vegetation index) did not influence the underestimation of AMSR2 soil moisture measurements. These results suggest that a possible cause of the underestimation of AMSR2 soil moisture measurements is the difference between the depth of the AMSR2 observations and in situ soil moisture measurements. Overall, this study proved the AMSR2 L2 soil moisture product has been useful for monitoring daily surface soil moisture over large grassland areas and it clearly demonstrated the high-performance capability of AMSR2 since 2012.