bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges Faced in Inter-Organizational Collaboration Process. A Case Study of Region Skåne
Authors: Kwibisa Namonda , Majzoub Safaa
Published: September 2018

The increase in the complexity of social and societal problems that even a large actor cannot solve alone has caused pressure on many sectors, organizations and entities making the need for collaboration to be more urgent. This is because collaboration enables merging financial resources, human resources and expertise needed to tackle complex problems. However, the increased failure of collaborations requests greater consideration and investigation of the challenges in collaboration. The purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges in inter-organizational collaboration at management and employee level with a focus on the Thomson and Perry (2006), model of collaboration. To fulfil this purpose, inter-organizational collaboration towards open Skåne 2030 strategy was used as a case study. The empirical data showed that there are challenges in both the management and employee level in inter-organizational collaboration. Further, the study also found that political influence is a major challenge in inter-organizational collaboration. The study makes a contribution with the adaption of the model of collaboration process. The model serves to enlighten collaborators that challenges in inter-organizational collaboration are inter-linked.
Warehousing and Material Handling Practices in Ghana: A Tale of Tradition and Modernity
Authors: Dza Mawuko , Kyeremeh Evans
Published: September 2018

The paper investigates warehousing and material handling practices in the civil service of Ghana. The purpose is to ascertain the level of transition from fully manual operations to the integration of technology in warehousing and material handling operations in selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). Data were collected from 40 MMDAs cross the current 10 regions of Ghana. The study noted among others that, most warehouses lacked basic mechanical equipment for effective and efficient operations. Warehouse automation was completely non-existent in all selected Assemblies. In the case of material handling, the research discovered that very little effort has been made to equip employees with the requisite handling equipment for the execution of tasks. The study further revealed that there was virtually no in-service training on effective material handling practices in the civil service of Ghana. Indeed, practitioners most often use their bare hands and feet in handling all forms of materials including hazardous chemicals. The study also indicated that, on few instances where some handling and protective equipment were made available, most employees refused to use them citing reasons that bother on culture and tradition. The study concludes that it is imperative for authorities to put in place policies to protect practitioners in the execution of tasks. Thus, there should be an efficient change management system to ensure a gradual paradigm shift from obsolete warehousing and material handling practices to a much-integrated system where aspects of manual, mechanical and automated systems are combined.
Biochar Effects on Carbon Stocks in the Coffee Agroforestry Systems of the Himalayas
Authors: Dahal Ngamindra , Bajracharya Roshan Man , Wagle Lal Mani
Published: September 2018

Coffee agroforestry is an emerging agricultural practice in the mid hills of Nepal. Smallholder farmers of low-income strata have progressively adopted coffee as a perennial crop over seasonal crops. A multi-year study was conducted to test effects of locally produced biochar derived from coffee wastes, e.g., pulp and husks, on carbon stocks of: i) coffee trees, and, ii) soil organic carbon (SOC) in selected coffee growing pockets. We conducted on-farm experimental trials in three different physiographical locations of the Nepal mid-hills, namely, Chandanpur (Site I at 1475masl), Panchkhal (Site II at 1075masl), and Talamarang (Site III at 821masl) where smallholders grow coffee together with other cereal crops and vegetables. We applied biochar to the soil at a rate of 5 Mgha-1, then, monitored the SOC and biomass growth of the coffee trees in the three treatment plots at sites I, II and III over two years beginning in 2013. The average stocks of aboveground carbon in coffee trees increased from 6.2±4.3 Mgha-1 to 9.1±5.2 Mgha-1 over the trial period of two years in biochar treated plots. The same in control plots increased from 5.6±2.8 Mgha-1 to 6.7±4.7 Mgha-1. In the biochar plots, the average increments of ABG carbon was 0.73 Mgh-1 while in the control it was 0.29 Mgh-1. Analysis of soil organic carbon of the plots indicated overall incremental change in carbon stocks in the coffee farms. During the base year, the average SOC stocks in the top 0-15cm layer of the soil at sites I, II, and III were estimated 74.88 ± 15.93; 63.96 ±16.71 and 33.05 ±4.42 Mgha-1 respectively. Although both the biochar treated and control plot registered incremental change in SOC stocks, the volumes were remarkably higher in the former than the latter. Compared to the baseline data, the changes in SOC stocks in the three biochar treated plots were 19.8, 49.8 and 45.3 Mgha-1, respectively, whereas in the control plots these were 8.3, 29.3 and 11.3 Mgha-1, respectively. The higher incremental rates of C-stocks in all the biochar treated plots in comparison to the corresponding control plots of the coffee agroforestry implies that application of biochar can enhance accumulation of carbon in the form of aboveground biomass and soil organic carbon.
Dziecko wobec śmierci. Jak dzieci opisują doświadczanie utraty bliskiej osoby?
Authors: Zdankiewicz-ścigała Elżbieta , Herda Magdalena , Odachowska Ewa
Published: September 2018

Celem badania było sprawdzenie, jak dzieci opisują doświadczenie nieodwracalnej straty bliskiej osoby. Analizowano, w jaki sposób dzieci nadają sens i strukturalizują przeżycia oraz czy na podstawie analizy ich opisów można wyodrębnić czynniki zarówno utrudniające, jak i pomagające dziecku poradzić sobie z trudnym doświadczeniem zderzenia się ze śmiercią bliskiej osoby. Badanie miało charakter eksploracyjny oraz opisowy, stąd pytania badawcze przyjęły następującą postać: (1) Jak dzieci opisują swoje przeżycia dotyczące śmierci bliskiej osoby? oraz (2) Czy występują istotne jakościowe różnice w sposobie opisywania traumy związanej ze stratą bliskiej osoby? Badanie oparto na założeniach psychologicznych teorii dotyczących przeżywania straty i podziału żałoby na następujące po sobie fazy oraz na nadawaniu znaczenia i kształtowaniu samopoczucia poprzez narrację. Formułowanie własnych potrzeb może być czynnikiem leczącym, a przeżywanie emocji zarówno pozytywnych, jak i negatywnych pomaga przejść przez proces żałoby. Zgodnie z etapami przeżywania żałoby przyjęto, że możliwość pożegnania, choćby symbolicznego, z osobą zmarłą ma wpływ na proces adaptacji po stracie i tym samym na dobrostan psychiczny. Założono również, że ważnym czynnikiem pomagającym w budowaniu spójnej historii dotyczącej straty bliskich jest otrzymywane wsparcie bliskich dorosłych z otoczenia dziecka. Przeprowadzone badanie ukazało szereg związków i zależności między analizowanymi zmiennymi. Uzyskane rezultaty mogą stanowić implikację dla dalszych analiz i wskazywać kierunek kolejnych badań.
Zasoby osobiste a satysfakcja z małżeństwa wśród kobiet
Authors: Kaleta Kinga , Mróz Justyna
Published: September 2018

Procesy wychowania dzieci w rodzinie są związane m.in. z jakością małżeństwa ich rodziców, na którą wpływ mają różnorodne czynniki. W szczególności wiele uwagi poświęcono analizie związków między indywidualnymi cechami małżonków (np.: cechami osobowości, postawami, wartościami) a satysfakcją małżeńską. Jednocześnie w niewielu pracach odnoszono się do zasobów osobistych partnerów.
W prezentowanych badaniach testowano znaczenie poczucia własnej skuteczności oraz prężności dla satysfakcji z małżeństwa wśród kobiet. Badaniami objęto 239 zamężnych kobiet. Wykorzystano trzy narzędzia: Kwestionariusz dobranego małżeństwa (KDM-2; Plopa, 2008), Skalę pomiaru prężności (SPP-25; Ogińska-Bulik, Juczyński, 2008) oraz Skalę uogólnionej własnej skuteczności (GSES; polska adaptacja Juczyński, 2001). Została przeprowadzona analiza korelacji i regresji.
Zarówno uogólnione poczucie własnej skuteczności, jak i prężność okazały się pozytywnie związane z satysfakcją z małżeństwa w ogólnym wymiarze. Poczucie własnej skuteczności korelowało pozytywnie również z intymnością i podobieństwem, podczas gdy prężność pozytywnie korelowała z wszystkimi pożądanymi wymiarami małżeńskiej relacji oraz negatywnie z rozczarowaniem. Analiza regresji wykazała, że jeden z aspektów prężności – otwartość na doświadczenia i poczucie humoru – był istotnym pozytywnym predyktorem satysfakcji z małżeństwa.
Przywiązanie a rozwój dojrzałej tożsamości. Style przywiązania a wymiary rozwoju tożsamości u młodych dorosłych
Authors: Jurczyk Tomasz
Published: September 2018

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie wyników badania, wskazujących na istnienie związków pomiędzy stylami przywiązania a wymiarami rozwoju tożsamości. Ramę teoretyczną dla tej pracy stanowi z jednej strony teoria przywiązania w ujęciu zarówno Johna Bowlby’ego (2007), jak i kontynuatorów jego pracy (Bartholomew, Horowitz, 1991) oraz koncepcja rozwoju tożsamości w paradygmacie statusów tożsamości (Brzezińska, Piotrowski, 2010) wywodząca się z teorii rozwoju psychospołecznego Erika Eriksona (1997). Przebadano 109 studentów, studiujących na różnych uczelniach i kierunkach. Badanie miało charakter kwestionariuszowy – badani wypełniali Skalę Wymiarów Rozwoju Tożsamości (DIDS) oraz Skale Związków (RQ). Wyniki badań wykazały istnienie związków pomiędzy stylami przywiązania lękowo-unikającym i zaabsorbowanym a specyficznymi wymiarami rozwoju tożsamości.
Liquid Chromatography Method for the Simultaneous Quantification of Biotin and Vitamin B12 in Vitamin B Supplements
Authors: Nshime Bertil , Koedam James , Stanton Brian , Tran Quynh , Chen Prescott
Published: September 2018

Background: The determination of cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) and biotin has always been challenging because of the lack of a chromophore for biotin and trace level input for vitamin B12 in supplements. Microbiological assay methods are currently used for quantitation. However, these methods are time consuming, may lack specificity, and have high imprecision. Objective: Our laboratory developed and validated an LC method for the simultaneous quantitation of vitamin B12and biotin. Methods: This LC method uses a single quadruple mass analyzer to detect biotin and vitamin B12 at m/z 245.10 and m/z 678.29, respectively. Results: The mass analyzer allows for low limits of quantitation (biotin: 1 ng/mL; vitamin B12: 4 ng/mL). Precision results showed that injections are repeatable without the use of an internal standard (RSD < 5%). Single analyst (n = 5: RSD < 3%), within lab (n = 10: RSD < 8%), and multilab (n = 20: RSD < 13%) precision results were also much better than those reported by microbiological assay methods. Linearity was evaluated between 92.00 ng/mL and 9200 ng/mL (R2 09916) for biotin and between 4.846 ng/mL and 484.6 ng/mL (R2 0.9999) for vitamin B12. The method is accurate between 20 ng/mL and 60 ng/mL for vitamin B12 and between 400 ng/mL and 1200 ng/mL for biotin. Conclusions: The results show a simple, accurate, and precise method for the quantitation of vitamin B12 and biotin. Highlights: This work demonstrates that single quadrupole mass analyzers can be successfully used to quantify trace level analytes in quality control laboratories.
Accompagner Brigitte Haentjens : mouvements d’une dramaturge
Authors: Dumont Mélanie
Published: September 2018

L’amorce d’une nouvelle création par Brigitte Haentjens ouvre à une réflexion sur l’accompagnement de la metteure en scène au fil de sa traversée des oeuvres. Près de dix années de collaboration sont ainsi ressaisies par l’une de ses dramaturges de façon à cerner les dynamiques de cette posture particulière, voire paradoxale. Que fait le dramaturge? Quels sont ses champs d’intervention et d’attention? Comment s’inscrit-il dans ce long processus de côtoiement des textes mené par l’artiste? Quelle est sa place au sein de l’équipe artistique? Quels systèmes de traduction doit-il inventer, mettre en place? Penser la présence du dramaturge – entre intérieur et extérieur, langage et écoute, regard et senti – permet une immersion au coeur de la démarche créatrice de Haentjens.
Analyser, évaluer et améliorer la qualité des plans d’intervention (PI) ou de transition (PT) en milieu scolaire
Authors: Myara Nathalie
Published: September 2018

Plusieurs recherches jugent que le contenu des plans d’intervention (PI) ou de transition (PT) en milieu scolaire ne satisfait pas le niveau d’exigence ou de qualité attendu. Dans ce contexte, cette recherche a pour objectif principal de proposer des instruments de mesure qui servent à analyser, à évaluer et à améliorer la qualité des PI/PT. Les résultats dressent un portrait de la qualité des PI/PT, exposent les différents moyens proposés par divers chercheurs pour les analyser, les évaluer et les améliorer, présentent les procédures utilisées par différents chercheurs pour les analyser et évaluer la qualité des PI/PT, et concluent en suggérant trois instruments de mesure utiles pour l’analyse, l’évaluation et l’amélioration de la qualité des PI/PT.
Le meurtre du partenaire intime chez les femmes au Canada selon qu’elles sont Autochtones ou non-Autochtones
Authors: Girard Mélanie , Laflamme Simon
Published: September 2018

Au Canada, en 2015, le taux de femmes accusées d’homicide était 31 fois plus élevé chez les Autochtones que chez les non-Autochtones. Cette statistique se répercute dans le meurtre du partenaire intime. Dans une étude récente, notre échantillon canadien de femmes maricides était composé à 55 % d’Autochtones. Cette surproportion nous a conduits à nous demander si les femmes autochtones, dans leur rapport au meurtre du partenaire intime, se distinguent des non-autochtones. Nos analyses reposent sur des documents décisionnels de la Commission des libérations conditionnelles et sur des transcriptions des audiences de meurtrières devant la Commission. Ces analyses portent sur des données quantitatives et textuelles. Elles montrent que ces femmes, sur plusieurs plans, ne sont pas différenciables en fonction de l’ethnie; elles révèlent que, lorsque l’ethnie entre en jeu comme facteur de dissimilitude, c’est pour mettre en relief la marginalité d’un vécu amérindien, notamment dans le cadre des réserves.
Cette étrange pliure à partir de laquelle rien n’est plus pareil. La question de la contingence en sciences sociales : l’événement
Authors: Vautier Claude
Published: September 2018

Il est, en sciences humaines et sociales, une catégorie appelée événement qui, chassée comme le fut Candide du château de Thunder-ten-tronckh, fut, comme lui, obligée de faire un long voyage avant de retrouver droit de cité dans des domaines où elle réapparaît peut-être un peu plus circonscrite. Le but de cet article est de cerner au mieux le sens que peut prendre aujourd’hui ce terme afin d’en faire une véritable catégorie analytique susceptible d’aider à la modélisation des sociétés contemporaines. Cette modélisation n’est pas fondée sur le seul événement. Elle est fondée sur le noeud de relations qui lie cet événement, les individus et le système sociétal. L’approche de cette modélisation est donc « relationnelle ». Et l’événement dont il est question ici ne peut être envisagé hors de cette relation généralisée que j’appelle « champ relationnel » et qui suggère qu’aucune des trois catégories analytiques citées ci-dessus n’a de sens ni d’intérêt en elle-même, pour une modélisation, hors de ce champ.
Inflammation-based prognostic scores predict the prognosis of locally advanced cervical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients receiving curative concurrent chemoradiotherapy: a propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: Wu Chia-Che , Li Shau-Hsuan , Lu Hung-I , Lo Chien-Ming , Wang Yu-Ming , Chou Shang-Yu , Chen Yen-Hao
Published: September 2018

Introduction

The present study investigated the crucial role of inflammation-based prognostic scores in locally advanced cervical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients who underwent curative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

Methods

There were 411 ESCC patients enrolled, including 63 cervical ESCC patients. Using the propensity score matching method, 63 thoracic ESCC patients were matched to the 63 cervical ESCC patients. The inflammation-based prognostic scores included the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), albumin level, c-reactive protein (CRP) level, modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS), and CRP/albumin ratio. The chi-square test and Kaplan–Meier method were used for categorical variable data and overall survival, respectively. A Cox regression model was performed for univariate and multivariable analyses.

Results

With respect to cervical ESCC, NLR ≥ 2.5 (P = 0.019), PLR ≥ 103 (P = 0.013), CRP value >10 mg/l (P = 0.040), mGPS ≥ 1 (P = 0.040), and CRP/albumin ratio ≥ 9.5 (P = 0.033) were significant predictors of worse overall survival (OS) in the univariate analysis. In a multivariable analysis, PLR ≥ 103 (P = 0.010, HR: 2.66, 95% CI [1.27–5.58]) and mGPS ≥ 1 (P = 0.030, HR: 2.03, 95% CI [1.07–3.86]) were the independent prognostic parameters of worse OS. The prognostic value of these biomarkers in the matched thoracic ESCC patients was similar and compatible with the results in the cervical ESCC group in the univariate and multivariable analyses.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that these inflammation-based prognostic scores are helpful in clinical practice, and PLR and mGPS may predict the prognosis for locally advanced cervical ESCC patients who receive curative CCRT.
Fine Chemicals: Technology and Products
Authors: Rajagopal R.
Published: September 2018

The fine chemicals industry faces challenges that relate to managing research and technology innovations, remaining competitive, and meeting sustainability mandates.

This article covers the major shifts in the fine chemicals business and manufacturing that are driven by sustainability requirements, green chemistry and engineering tools, and innovative models for fine chemicals production.

Advances in bio‐based fine chemicals from renewables like carbohydrates, oil and fats, and lignin; oleochemical‐based fine chemicals; high value fine chemicals through biowaste valorization technologies; and carbon dioxide conversion into premium fine chemicals are highlighted.

Specific examples of new developments in manufacturing in the fine chemicals industry that are based on continuous flow and modular models and flexible manufacturing are presented. Advances in biotransformation processes through biocatalytic systems that have enabled innovations in a wide range of pharmaceutical such as atovarstatin, pregabalin, lamivudine, atenelol, doramectin, and paclitaxel are discussed.
Recycling Plastics
Authors: Buekens Alfons
Published: September 2018

Plastics Recycling refers to the recovering and mechanically reprocessing of used plastics products into other products.

In principle, plastic scrap can be remolded many times, either in similar or lower applications. In practice, factors such as ageing, fouling, and mixing limit recycling. Moreover, almost all individual resins are mutually incompatible, which reduces the strength, stiffness, and toughness of the recycled product.

This article focuses on the recycling of packaging. The recycling rate for plastic packaging is lower than that for metal, paper, and glass. This reflects the relative difficulty of collecting, sorting, and processing plastics due to their low density, the high likelihood of contamination, and the wide range of polymer types.
Tapered Hollow‐Core Fiber Air‐Microbubble Fabry–Perot Interferometer for High Sensitivity Strain Measurement
Authors: Zhao Yong , Chen Mao‐qing , Peng Yun
Published: September 2018

A highly sensitive and ultracompact (12.5 µm) optic‐fiber strain sensor based on air‐microbubble Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI) formed in a tapered hollow core fiber (HCF) is proposed. The sensor is fabricated by fusion splicing the lead‐in and lead‐out single‐mode fibers (SMFs) with a HCF, and then the HCF is tapered at the center to construct an air‐microbubble FPI. The application of the tapered operation not only provides an ultrasmall FPI preparation method, but also increases the strain sensitivity of the proposed FPI sensor. The simulation model is established based on the COMSOL to study the response to axial strain, and the results show that the existence of tapered area can effectively improve the strain sensitivity. Accordingly, the high strain sensitivity of 8.62 pm µε−1 is achieved with a good linear response (R‐square: 0.996) in the wide strain range of 0–3200 µε, which is almost four times larger than that of the all‐fiber FPI strain sensors without the tapered area (about 2 pm µε−1). In addition, the sensor has a negligible temperature sensitivity of 0.32 pm °C−1. Therefore, the highly sensitive, lower temperature crosstalk, low‐cost, and ultracompact optic‐fiber strain sensor would have a broad prospect of application in practice.
Three‐Dimensionally Programmed Slippery Wrinkles with High Stretchability for Tunable Functionality of Icephobicity and Effective Water Harvesting
Authors: Ahn Jihoon , Jeon Jaehyeon , Heu Chang Sung , Kim Dong Rip
Published: September 2018

Facile synthesis of 3D structured materials with highly slippery and stretchable properties is proposed by infusing lubricant into the wrinkled structures formed on the surface of silicone elastomer in a programmable manner. Such a method allows the formation of slippery surface with the desired 3D hierarchical structures for target applications. The developed platform shows 8.2 times lower ice adhesion strengths or 1.4 times higher water collection properties than planar slippery surface. The hierarchically structured slippery material not only effectively suppresses the crack generation, but also maintains a similar degree of original property under repeated stretching cycles.
van der Waals Epitaxial Growth of 2D Metal–Porphyrin Framework Derived Thin Films for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Wang Yan‐Yue , Chen Shu‐Mei , Haldar Ritesh , Wöll Christof , Gu Zhi‐Gang , Zhang Jian
Published: September 2018

In this work, monolithic, crystalline, porous, and oriented porphyrin thin films are grown using a novel van der Waals layer‐by‐layer (lbl) epitaxial growth protocol, yielding an unusual AB‐stacking motif of these interesting macrocycles units. Subsequently, these surface‐mounted metal‐organic frameworks (SURMOFs) are transformed by thermal treatment to yield well‐performing counter electrodes (CEs) for dye‐sensitized solar cells. During this calcination, the heterocyclic macrocycles are metalated, yielding compact, homogeneous, and very stable metalloporphyrin thin films (ZnTCPP‐C) with excellent CE performance. For thin films fabricated using three lbl cycles (thickness ≈17 nm), the power conversion efficiency is found to amount to 5.63%, making it a promising candidate to replace Pt CE (6.72%). Such calcined SURMOFs carry huge potential for fabricating electronic and photovoltaic devices.
Multilayer Network Membranes Based on Evenly Dispersed Nanofibers/Co3O4 Nanoneedles for High‐Efficiency Separation of Micrometer‐Scale Oil/Water Emulsions
Authors: Qian Dongliang , Chen Dongyun , Li Najun , Xu Qingfeng , Li Hua , He Jinghui , Lu Jianmei
Published: September 2018

Ultrawetting membranes have enabled great progress in oil/water separation and have helped to address global industrial wastewater pollution and marine oil spills. However, there are few reports of 3D multilayer network membranes that can be easily prepared, and give efficient separation in micro‐ and nanoscale oil‐in‐water emulsions. A membrane is designed for emulsion separation; it consists of ultralong (over 10 µm) sodium titanate nanofibers as the selective layer and a jungle‐like Co3O4 nanoneedles mesh as the support layer. This mesh shows superhydrophilicity in air and low‐adhesive superoleophobicity under water. This membrane gives 99.9% separation efficiency and good permeation flux, and has great advantages in the separation under gravity of oil‐in‐water emulsions with droplet sizes larger than 400 nm. The results of this work provide a new method for designing ultrathin, efficient, and durable separation membranes with a 3D multilayer network structure.
Superhydrophobic Surfaces Based on Fractal and Hierarchical Microstructures Using Two‐Photon Polymerization: Toward Flexible Superhydrophobic Films
Authors: Lin Yang , Zhou Ran , Xu Jie
Published: September 2018

Introduction of hierarchical microstructures nowadays is considered as an important method to create superhydrophobic surfaces, but the majority of current studies mainly focus on arbitrary or simple 3D geometries. Therefore, only statistic results or particular conclusions can be obtained. Given this concern, two‐photon polymerization (TPP) is applied to create well‐defined 3D microstructures with high resolution, including fractal Sierpinski tetrahedrons, and hierarchical pyramid structures. Surfaces that have fractal structures with higher complexity are found to be more hydrophobic than their lower‐stage counterparts. Additionally, fractal Sierpinski tetrahedron structures prove to possess higher efficiency in achieving superhydrophobicity when compared to hierarchical pyramids. Further, TPP is also adopted in creating microstructures on flexible substrates. As a demonstration, an array of hierarchical pyramids is fabricated on a plastic film, and superhydrophobicity still remains even after 100 times of bending and relaxing. Moreover, owing to the convenience of spatial control from TPP, tuning of wetting performance in different regions of surfaces is achievable. With this technique, the role of the fractal and hierarchical microstructures in flexible natural creatures can be better understood, thus facilitating the applications, for which robust wetting control is required.
Smart Nylon Membranes with pH‐Responsive Wettability: High‐Efficiency Separation on Demand for Various Oil/Water Mixtures and Surfactant‐Stabilized Emulsions
Authors: Li Xiangyu , Zhang Qingdong , Zhang Weifeng , Qu Ruixiang , Wei Yen , Feng Lin
Published: September 2018

Water contaminated with various oils has become one of the most pervasive environmental issues. Developing an efficient and durable separation membrane is of significance but challenging due to the critical limitations of nonuniversality and discontinuity for oil/water separation. Herein, a material is presented by combining the porous nylon membrane with self‐assembled thiol molecules, exhibiting tunable wettability property upon the pH variation. Such a smart membrane shows high hydrophobicity in nonbasic environment while transition into superhydrophilicity under basic condition, demonstrating a robust and controllable separation performance for various oil/water mixtures and surfactant‐stabilized emulsions along with excellent recyclability of the long‐term separation. This facile and general strategy suggests encouraging the development of the next generation of energy‐saving water treatment systems, applying to intelligent separation and on‐demand oil‐spills cleanup.
Reliable Information Encryption and Digital Display Applications Based on Multistate Smart Windows
Authors: Qiu Meijia , Sun Peng , Zhang Biao , Yu Jianhui , Fu Yong , Yu Xiang , Zhao Chuanxi , Mai Wenjie
Published: September 2018

A multistate smart window based on the reversible electrodepositing metal device (REMD) with excellent electrochromic performance is reported. A thiol‐terminated silane modified indium tin oxide (ITO) glass acts as positive electrode and an ITO glass coated by ITO nanoparticles serves as negative electrode. The REMD can exhibit 4 different color states. Its mirror state presents a higher reflectance than the commercial Ag‐based mirror and the transmittance of its transparent state can reach as high as 82.9%. Moreover, the REMD can work steadily without any decline in light‐modulation performance after 1000 cycles. Notably, a reliable information encryption device and a novel digital display are proposed and designed. The REMD will provide broader potential applications in electrochromic smart windows.
Diode Property and Positive Temperature Coefficient of Resistance of Pt/Al2O3/Nb:SrTiO3
Authors: Moon Taehwan , Lee Hyun Jae , Kim Keum Do , Lee Young Hwan , Hyun Seung Dam , Park Hyeon Woo , Lee Yong Bin , Kim Baek Su , Hwang Cheol Seong
Published: September 2018

The rectification of the Pt/amorphous Al2O3 (a‐AO)/Nb‐doped SrTiO3 (NSTO) structure with excellent applicability as a selector for crossbar array resistive switching random access memory is introduced. The maximum forward/reverse current ratio exceeds 106, and the nonlinearity is also as high as 106 at room temperature. The barrier height at the a‐AO/NSTO interface is investigated via X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and is found to be 1.57 eV. The expected conduction mechanism is trap‐assisted tunneling in the forward bias condition. The barrier height at the Pt/a‐AO interface is examined by fitting the current–voltage results at various temperatures according to the Fowler–Nordheim transport mechanism, under the reverse bias condition, and it is found to be 2.75 eV. Moreover, the temperature dependence measurement of the current–voltage characteristics exhibits the positive temperature coefficient of resistance (PTCR) effect in reverse bias. This PTCR effect can be understood from the electron trapping of the acceptor‐like states at the a‐AO/NSTO interface with increasing temperature. The involvement of the PTCR effect under the reverse bias condition and the slight increase in the forward current further enhance the diode performance up to 107 at 70 °C, which is the highly promising performance of the present structure.
Unexpectedly Strong Auger Recombination in Halide Perovskites
Authors: Shen Jimmy‐Xuan , Zhang Xie , Das Suvadip , Kioupakis Emmanouil , Van de Walle Chris G.
Published: September 2018

The emergence of halide perovskites for photovoltaic applications has triggered great interest in these materials for solid‐state light emission. Higher order electron–hole recombination processes can critically affect the efficiency of such devices. In the present work, the Auger recombination coefficients are computed in the prototypical halide perovskite, CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3), using first‐principles calculations. It is demonstrated that Auger recombination is responsible for the exceptionally high third‐order recombination coefficient observed in experiment. The large Auger coefficient is attributed to a coincidental resonance between the bandgap and interband transitions to a complex of higher‐lying conduction bands. Additionally, it is found that the distortions of PbI6 octahedra contribute significantly to the high Auger coefficient, offering potential avenues for materials design.
Microbial Processing to Increase the Nutritional Value of Sorghum Mill Feed (Milo Hominy)
Authors: Zahler Jacob D. , Karki Bishnu , Gibbons William R.
Published: September 2018

The objective of this study was to utilize fungal bioprocessing to increase the nutritional value of sorghum hominy. Eight fungal strains were screened for their ability to degrade cell wall polysaccharides and concurrently produce microbial biomass protein (MBP). Trichoderma reesei, Rhizopus oligosporus, Neurospora crassa, and Aureobasidium pullulans were the best performing fungi in flask trials, which increased the protein content of sorghum hominy by 53.6%, 48.0%, 47.8%, and 41.47%, respectively, compared to the raw feedstock. A. pullulans and T. reesei were selected for 5 L bioreactor trials, where biomass yields of 73.6 and 65.1 g L−1 were obtained for A. pullulans and T. reesei, respectively. This study showed a potential application of microbial processing to upgrade the sorghum hominy into a high‐protein feed ingredient for animal diets.
Room‐temperature self‐healing and reprocessing of Diselenide‐containing waterborne polyurethanes under visible light
Authors: Fan Wuhou , Jin Yong , Huang Yuhua , Pan Jiezhou , Du Weining , Pu Zongyao
Published: September 2018

Realizing environmentally friendly polymers that could heal themselves at room temperature is an important challenge for sustainable societies. Herein, environment‐friendly self‐healing waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) containing diselenide groups were synthesized. The healing efficiency could reach up to more than 90% after exposed to visible light for 48 hours and the fractured location was allowed to be healed repeatedly. Meanwhile, a fast room‐temperature self‐healing could also be achieved in 4 hours with a healing efficiency of ~84%. The healing process was a combination of rapid closure of crack surfaces at the beginning due to the rebuilding of hydrogen bonds and gradual restoration of mechanical property derived from diselenide metathesis across the fractured interface. At the same time, room‐temperature reprocessing could be also achieved with the aid of external pressure under visible light. Moreover, the prepared diselenide‐containing WPUs exhibited excellent emulsion stability. The present work would be hopefully developed into a methodology of design and fabrication of environmentally friendly photo‐sensitive polymers with self‐healing and reprocessing abilities. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47071.
Nitrosylruthenium Complexes as Polymerization Catalysts for Acrylonitrile in DMF
Authors: Nagao Hirotaka , Misawa‐Suzuki Tomoyo , Tomioka Nozomi , Ohno Haruna , Rikukawa Masahiro
Published: September 2018

Nitrosylruthenium complexes bearing two 2,2′‐bipyridine (bpy) or 2‐pyridinecarboxylate (pyc) ligands, [Ru(NO)X(bpy)2]3+ (X=CH3CN, CH2=CHCN, H2O, Cl, ONO2) and [Ru(NO)(OH2)(pyc)2]+, were used as catalysts for the polymerization of acrylonitrile in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) under air without initiators to obtain polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with a high molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution.
Maternal pre‐pregnancy weight and autistic‐like traits among offspring in the general population
Authors: Varcin Kandice J. , Newnham John P. , Whitehouse Andrew J.O.
Published: September 2018

There is an emerging body of evidence demonstrating that maternal obesity at the time of conception increases the risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) among offspring. We explored whether pre‐pregnancy weight was related to autistic‐like traits among offspring not diagnosed with ASD. A large sample of women, recruited during the second trimester of pregnancy, had their height measured and reported their pre‐pregnancy weight. These measurements were then converted to a Body Mass Index (BMI) using the formula: (weight in kilograms)/(height in metres2). At 19–20 years of age, 1238 offspring of these women completed a measure of autistic‐like traits, the Autism‐Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Regression analyses identified a positive association between increasing maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI and increasing AQ Total Score amongst offspring; this association was maintained even after controlling for a range of variables including maternal/obstetric factors (age at conception, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertensive diseases, diabetes, threatened abortion), paternal BMI at pregnancy, and child factors (parity, sex) (P < .01, R2=.03). Chi‐square analyses found that women with pre‐pregnancy obesity (BMI ≥ 30) were more likely to have offspring with high scores (≥26) on the AQ (P = .01). Follow‐up binary logistic regression analyses also accounting for the same obstetric and sociodemographic variables found that the offspring of women with pre‐pregnancy obesity were at a statistically significantly increased risk of having high scores (≥26) on the AQ (OR: 2.80; 95% CI: 1.06, 7.43). This study provides further evidence that maternal pre‐pregnancy obesity is associated with autism‐like behaviors in offspring. Autism Research 2019, 12: 80–88. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lay Summary

The current study explored whether pre‐pregnancy weight was related to autistic‐like traits among offspring not diagnosed with ASD. We found that pre‐pregnancy body mass index in women is associated with the amount of autistic‐like traits in their children in early adulthood. Specifically, women who were obese at the time of conception were more likely to have a child who had high levels of autistic‐like traits in early adulthood.
Projekt RISKMON – Anlageninspektion & Risk‐Monitoring mittels unbemannter Luftfahrzeugsysteme
Authors: Peller Gerhard , Dolleschal Thomas
Published: September 2018

Ziel des Forschungsprojekts RISKMON ist die Konzeption und Umsetzung teilautomatisierter Inspektionen von Bauwerken, Naturgefahren, Bestandsstrecken und außergewöhnlichen Ereignissen mittels Hochleistungsdrohnen und ‐sensoren (Unmanned Aerial Systems/UAS). Im Forschungsvorhaben wird für die Anwendungsfälle der gesamte Weg von der Konzeption spezifischer Lösungen, der Datenerfassung und Auswertung bis zur Integration in die Bestandssysteme des Infrastrukturmanagements im Sinn eines (teil‐)automatisierten Gesamtsystems gezeigt. Die Vorteile des Einsatzes industrieller Hochleistungsdrohnen (mit Kameras, Laserscan, Thermografie etc.) liegen in der hohen Erfassungskapazität und dem spezifisch anpassbaren Equipment auf einer universellen Plattform sowie der flexiblen Erfassung schwer zugänglicher Bereiche bei präziser Wiederholbarkeit und Dokumentation bei geringen Kosten. Die Skalierbarkeit und Einsatzmöglichkeiten der UAS werden über die Ergebnisevaluierung und Optimierung des Konzepts für die teilautomatisierte Inspektion sichergestellt. Zusammen mit der Ergebnisaufbereitung wird ein Proof of Concept, Application, Efficiency and Integration in RISKMON erbracht. Mit dem Ergebnisbericht bekommen die Auftraggeber die wesentlichen Informationen für einen sinnvollen und effizienten Einsatz dieser Technologien. Der Mehrwert für die Auftraggeber liegt einerseits in den hochpräzisen messtechnischen Erfassungsmethoden und andererseits in der ganzheitlichen Konzeption und Umsetzung der Zustandserfassung und Auswertung bis zur Integration in das Infrastrukturmanagement.
Descriptive epidemiology of cerebellar hypoplasia in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Authors: Howley Meredith M. , Keppler‐Noreuil Kim M. , Cunniff Christopher M. , Browne Marilyn L. ,   for the National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Published: September 2018

Background

Cerebellar hypoplasia is a rare disorder of cerebellar formation in which the cerebellum is not completely developed, smaller than it should be, or completely absent. The prevalence of cerebellar hypoplasia at birth is unknown, and little is known about epidemiological risk factors. Using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), a population‐based, case–control study, we analyzed clinical features and potential risk factors for nonsyndromic cerebellar hypoplasia.

Methods

The NBDPS included pregnancies with estimated delivery dates from 1997–2011. We described clinical features of cerebellar hypoplasia cases from the study area. We explored risk factors for cerebellar hypoplasia (case characteristics, demographics, pregnancy characteristics, maternal health conditions, maternal medication use, and maternal behavioral exposures) by comparing cases to non‐malformed live born control infants. We calculated crude odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals using logistic regression models.

Results

We identified 87 eligible cerebellar hypoplasia cases and 55 mothers who participated in the NBDPS. There were no differences in clinical features between interviewed and non‐interviewed cases. Cerebellar hypoplasia cases were more likely than controls to be from a multiple pregnancy, be born preterm, and have low birth weight. Cerebellar hypoplasia cases were more likely to be born in or after 2005, as opposed to earlier in NBDPS. We found elevated ORs that were not statistically significant for maternal use of vasoactive medications, non‐Hispanic black mothers, and mothers with a history of hypertension.

Conclusions

Although unadjusted, our findings from a large, population‐based study can contribute to new hypotheses regarding the etiology of cerebellar hypoplasia.
The efficacy and safety of ALK inhibitors in the treatment of ALK‐positive non‐small cell lung cancer: A network meta‐analysis
Authors: Fan Junsheng , Fong Tszhei , Xia Zengfei , Zhang Jian , Luo Peng
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The current study was carried out to compare the effectiveness and safety of different ALK inhibitors in treating ALK+ NSCLC.

Methods

Progression‐free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR), overall response rate (ORR), and intracranial ORR and DCR have been aggregated to appraise the effectiveness of each ALKi. The discontinuation rate due to adverse events (AEs) was pooled to evaluate their safety. Bayesian network meta‐analyses were used to compare the ORR, DCR, PFS, and discontinuation rate of patients treated with alectinib, ceritinib, crizotinib, and chemotherapy.

Results

Compared with chemotherapy, ALK inhibitors significantly prolonged PFS [hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI): alectinib, 0.50 (0.43‐0.58); ceritinib, 0.75 (0.69‐0.83); crizotinib, 0.71 (0.66‐0.76)]. The ORRs were significantly higher for ALK inhibitors than for chemotherapy [odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% CI: alectinib, 11.69 (4.29‐36.56); ceritinib, 7.85 (3.44‐19.27); crizotinib, 6.04 (3.33‐11.71)]. The discontinuation rates were lower for ALK inhibitors than for chemotherapy [OR and corresponding 95% CI: alectinib, 0.42 (0.12‐1.36); ceritinib, 0.52 (0.20‐1.35); crizotinib, 0.70 (0.30‐1.62)].

Conclusions

ALK+ NSCLC patients treated with ALKi tend to have longer PFS than those treated with chemotherapy. ALKi‐naïve patients tended to response better than their ALKi‐pretreated counterparts. Alectinib appeared to be preferable for treating brain metastases due to its high intracranial efficacy. Patients treated with alectinib or ceritinib tended to have higher ORR and DCR than patients with similar baselines treated with crizotinib or chemotherapy. No significant differences in discontinuation rate were found for alectinib, ceritinib, crizotinib, and chemotherapy.
Counselling training in higher education in the United Kingdom: Challenges and opportunities for research
Authors: Joseph Stephen , Murphy David , Holford John
Published: September 2018

Many Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in the United Kingdom (UK) now offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses in counselling. However, counselling is a relatively new and developing profession only beginning to nurture a future generation of research‐active scholars. As such, its development is vulnerable to pressures arising from HEIs preparations for the forthcoming UK Research Excellence Framework (REF). We discuss how counselling is best understood as representing two distinct traditions premised on either a pedagogical or a mental illness discourse. This has implications for how counselling research is situated within HEIs, an understanding of which may help counselling education survive the challenges ahead and find new opportunities to develop and grow. Within HEI's, there is a need to be aware of the different ways of conceptualising the activities of counselling. An opportunity exists to reimagine counselling both as a mental health and as a pedagogical profession.
Textural and cooking qualities of dry Laksa noodle made from semi‐wet and wet MR253 flours
Authors: Ahmad Noorlaila , Rajab Asmeda
Published: September 2018

Background and objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of semi‐wet and wet ground rice flours from MR253 rice variety on the cooking, textural, and sensorial qualities of dry rice noodle (laksa noodle). This rice flour is classified as a medium group of amylose content of 20.27% in semi‐wet and 20.59% in wet, respectively.

Findings

Pearson correlation analysis of these flours implies that amylose content, percentage of damaged starch granule, and water absorption of rice flour incorporated in the formulation and production greatly influences both the dry and cooked (wet) rice noodles’ textural and cooking qualities. Sensory analysis showed that there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) with regard to taste, aroma, and appearance between commercial and experimental noodles.

Conclusions

Experimental laksa rice noodles produced using semi‐wet and wet ground flours have better quality since it attained significantly (p < 0.05) higher scores of texture and overall acceptability attributes.

Significance and novelty

This research explores the possibility of semi‐wet grinding method of laboratory scale which had not been extensively studied and the usage and application of new Malaysian hybrid rice variety of MR253.
High‐Performance and Stable Silicon Photoanode Modified by Crystalline Ni@ Amorphous Co Core‐Shell Nanoparticles
Authors: Chen Jie , Xu Guangzhou , Wang Chao , Zhu Kai , Wang Hongxu , Yan Shicheng , Yu Zhentao , Zou Zhigang
Published: September 2018

Improving the charge separation and transport efficiency at semiconductor‐electrolyte interface is critical for high‐performance photoelectrochemical (PEC) water‐splitting devices. Here, the core‐shell‐structured Ni@Co nanoislands were electrodeposited onto the surface of n‐type Si photoanode to construct a metal‐insulator‐semiconductor (MIS) structure. We discover that the high‐quality interface in Si/SiOx/Ni MIS structure is more efficient for charge extraction and transfer than Si/SiOx/Co. Owing to a slightly higher work function for Co (5.0 eV) than Ni (4.6 eV), the Si/SiOx/Ni@Co exhibits the larger band bending to enhance the charge separation efficiency, while the in‐situ formed CoOOH significantly increases the charge injection efficiency due to the decreased oxygen‐evolution overpotentials. As a result, the Ni@Co core‐shell nanoparticles coupling with n‐Si photoanode can afford the PEC performance with an onset potential of 1.02 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), saturated current density of 36.7 mA cm−2, and retain good stability in K‐borate buffer solution. This core‐shell structure strategy is efficient and easy to achieve the separation of photogenerated carriers and improve the charge injection efficiency to nearly 100 %
The Role of Surface Chemistry in Impedimetric Aptasensing
Authors: Koh Vanessa , Ang Wei Li , Bonanni Alessandra
Published: September 2018

Surface chemistry is a key parameter in the choice of proper materials for electrochemical detection. It has been previously shown that the presence of oxygen containing groups (OCGs) on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) can be both effective and detrimental. This poses a question when GO materials are used as electrochemical platforms for biosensing. In this work, we study how the surface chemistry of graphene oxide nanocolloids (GONCs) affects the impedimetric biosensing of ochratoxin A (OTA), in terms of immobilization of biorecognition element and detection step. OCGs on GONCs were tuned by applying increasing reduction potentials from −0.3 V to −1.2 V, resulting in GONC platforms with decreasing amounts of oxygen functionalities. It was discovered that the sensitivity of biosensing is correlated to the residual amount of OCGs on GO surface. For a more detailed investigation, three representative materials, namely unreduced GONCs, as well as GONCs reduced at potentials of −0.8 V and −1.2 V were chosen. Results were compared in terms of calibration sensitivity, selectivity and reproducibility of the impedimetric response. GONCs reduced at −1.2 V have shown the best electroanalytical response for the impedimetric detection of OTA. These findings are anticipated to contribute to the design of novel biosensors, whereby an optimized platform is employed for the immobilization of the biorecognition element.