bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of social experiences of physical and structural violence on the growth of African enslaved children recovered from Lagos, Portugal (15th–17th centuries)
Authors: Cardoso HFV , Spake L , Wasterlain SN , Ferreira MT
Published: December 2018

Objectives

The purpose of this article is to examine the impacts of physical and structural violence on the well‐being of early modern enslaved Africans by comparing the growth of children in an archaeological sample recovered from Lagos, Portugal with that of modern children known to have lived under socially oppressive and racist political regimes.

Materials and methods

The age of 18 individuals was estimated from the length of developing teeth. Long bone lengths for age in the enslaved African sample were compared with two black juvenile known age samples: the Raymond Dart (South Africa) and Hamann‐Todd (United States) collections. Z‐scores were calculated for all samples using black children in the South Africa Long Bone (SALB) database as the reference. The similarity of growth across the samples was tested and skeletal growth profiles (SGPs) were devised for the three samples.

Results

The children in the Lagos, Raymond Dart, and Hamann‐Todd samples were all small for age compared to the SALB reference. While children in the Dart sample tended to be the smallest for age and in the Hamann‐Todd the largest, with the children in the Lagos sample falling between them, the three samples did not show significant differences in growth status.

Discussion

The growth deficits shown in this study demonstrate the severe impacts of physical and structural violence on the lives of these children. Although uncertainty remains regarding the timing of growth insults relative to arrival, slavery in Portugal as materialized in these individuals was as violent as in other countries.
Special Masters: A Consensus Proposal For a New Approach to Civil Litigation
Authors: Hirsh Merril
Published: December 2018

There is an ADR tool courts should consider that could significantly help them handle and resolve cases faster and less expensively.
Chemoselective Borane‐Catalyzed Hydroarylation of 1,3‐Dienes with Phenols
Authors: Wang Guoqiang , Gao Liuzhou , Chen Hui , Liu Xueting , Cao Jia , Chen Shengda , Cheng Xu , Li Shuhua
Published: December 2018

A B(C6F5)3‐catalyzed hydroarylation of a series of 1,3‐dienes with various phenols has been established through a combination of theoretical and experimental investigations, affording structurally diverse ortho‐allyl phenols. DFT calculations show that the reaction proceeds through a borane‐promoted protonation/Friedel–Crafts pathway involving a π‐complex of a carbocation–anion contact ion pair. This protocol features simple and mild reaction conditions, broad functional‐group tolerance, and low catalyst loading. The obtained ortho‐allyl phenols could be further converted into flavan derivatives using B(C6F5)3 with good cis diastereoselectivity. Furthermore, this transformation was applied in the late‐stage modification of pharmaceutical compounds.
Copper‐Catalyzed [3+2] Cycloaddition Reactions of Isocyanoacetates with Phosphaalkynes to Prepare 1,3‐Azaphospholes
Authors: Liang Wenbin , Nakajima Kazunari , Sakata Ken , Nishibayashi Yoshiaki
Published: December 2018

A novel copper‐catalyzed synthetic method is described for phosphorous‐ and nitrogen‐containing heterocycles such as 1,3‐azaphospholes. Cycloaddition reactions of various isocyanoacetates with phosphaalkynes in the presence of copper bromide, bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm), and potassium carbonate afford the corresponding 1,3‐azaphospholes in high yields with complete selectivity. Some dppm‐bridged dicopper complexes were identified as active species for the formation of 1,3‐azaphospholes.
Photochemische Konjugation und Eintopfradiomarkierung von Antikörpern für Immun‐PET
Authors: Patra Malay , Eichenberger Larissa S. , Fischer Gregor , Holland Jason P.
Published: December 2018

Monoklonale Antikörper (mAbs), Immunglobulinfragmente und andere Proteine sind wichtige Grundgerüste bei der Entwicklung von Radiopharmaka für die diagnostische Immun‐Positronenemissionstomographie (Immun‐PET) und die gezielte Radioimmuntherapie (RIT). Herkömmliche Verfahren zur Radiomarkierung von Proteinen mit Metallionen wie 68Ga, 64Cu, 89Zr und 90Y verlaufen meist mehrstufig: Zunächst müssen die Startmaterialien aufgereinigt, danach mit einem Chelat funktionalisiert und anschließend radiomarkiert werden. Standardkupplungsmethoden sind zeitaufwendig, schwer zu automatisieren und beinhalten die Synthese, Isolierung und Lagerung einer neuen, intermediären molekularen Einheit (konjugierter mAb), deren biochemische Eigenschaften sich von denen des Ausgangsproteins unterscheiden können. Um diese Probleme zu umgehen, haben wir einen photoradiochemischen Ansatz entwickelt, der eine schnelle, chemoselektive, lichtinduzierte Proteinmodifikation unter milden Bedingungen mit neuartigen Chelaten, die mit Arylazid(ArN3)‐Gruppen derivatisiert sind, verwendet. Experimente zeigen, dass die photochemische Eintopfkonjugation und Radiomarkierung von formulierten mAbs in <20 min erreicht werden kann.
Water and Sodium Chloride: Essential Ingredients for Robust and Fast Pd‐Catalysed Cross‐Coupling Reactions between Organolithium Reagents and (Hetero)aryl Halides
Authors: Dilauro Giuseppe , Francesca Quivelli Andrea , Vitale Paola , Capriati Vito , Perna Filippo Maria
Published: December 2018

Direct palladium‐catalysed cross‐couplings between organolithium reagents and (hetero)aryl halides (Br, Cl) proceed fast, cleanly and selectively at room temperature in air, with water as the only reaction medium and in the presence of NaCl as a cheap additive. Under optimised reaction conditions, a water‐accelerated catalysis is responsible for furnishing C(sp3)–C(sp2), C(sp2)–C(sp2), and C(sp)–C(sp2) cross‐coupled products, in competition with protonolysis, within a reaction time of 20 s, in yields of up to 99 %, and in the absence of undesired dehalogenated/homocoupling side products even when challenging secondary organolithiums serve as the starting material. It is worth noting that the proposed protocol is scalable and the catalyst and water can easily and successfully be recycled up to 10 times, with an E‐factor as low as 7.35.
Photochemical Conjugation and One‐Pot Radiolabelling of Antibodies for Immuno‐PET
Authors: Patra Malay , Eichenberger Larissa S. , Fischer Gregor , Holland Jason P.
Published: December 2018

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), immunoglobulin fragments, and other proteins are important scaffolds in the development of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic immuno‐positron emission tomography (immuno‐PET) and targeted radioimmunotherapy (RIT). Conventional methods for radiolabelling proteins with metal ions such as 68Ga, 64Cu, 89Zr, and 90Y require multi‐step procedures involving pre‐purification, functionalisation with a chelate, and subsequent radiolabelling. Standard coupling chemistries are time‐consuming, difficult to automate, and involve synthesis, isolation, and storage of an intermediate, new molecular entity (the conjugated mAb) whose biochemical properties can differ from those of the parent protein. To circumvent these issues, we developed a photoradiochemical approach that uses fast, chemoselective, light‐induced protein modification under mild conditions with novel metal‐ion‐binding chelates derivatised with aryl azide (ArN3) groups. Experiments show that one‐pot photochemical conjugation and radiolabelling of formulated mAbs can be achieved in <20 min.
Methoden der Zeitreihenanalyse für die Bewertung von urbanen Gebäudesimulationen
Authors: Lauster Moritz , Müller Dirk
Published: December 2018

Bei der Bewertung von energetischen Gebäudesimulationen, im Speziellen auf urbaner Ebene, können Methoden der Zeitreihenanalyse einen wichtigen Beitrag leisten. Besonders hinsichtlich des Vergleichs von Messungen und Simulationen zur Modellvalidierung bieten solche Methoden eine gute Hilfestellung, um Abweichungen sowohl zu bewerten als auch ihren Ursprung zu finden.

Dieser Beitrag bewertet auf Basis relativer und absoluter Kennzahlen in Kombination mit Prognose‐Realisations‐Diagrammen die thermische Gebäudesimulation einer Forschungsliegenschaft. Auch wenn die Kennzahlen eine gute Übereinstimmung von Simulation und Messung belegen, lässt sich mithilfe des Prognose‐Realisations‐Diagramms sowie eines Chi2‐Tests und eines Korrelogramms weiteres Optimierungspotenzial identifizieren. Dieses betrifft vornehmlich die dynamische Berücksichtigung von Wärmenetzen und die detaillierte Abbildung der Nutzerinteraktion, im Speziellen hinsichtlich nutzerinduzierter Lüftung.
Silk nano‐discs: A natural material for cancer therapy
Authors: Patwa Rahul , Soundararajan Narendren , Mulchandani Neha , Bhasney Siddharth M. , Shah Manisha , Kumar Sachin , Kumar Amit , Katiyar Vimal
Published: December 2018

The article demonstrates the crystalline silk nano‐discs (CSNs), with well‐controlled morphology, which upon magnetization, yields magnetic crystalline silk nano‐discs, making both prominent alternatives for replacing metal templates such as gold, silver, and so on in therapeutics and implants. The isolated β‐sheet‐rich discotic CSNs have ~50 nm diameter, high crystallinity (> 90%), and are insoluble but provide good dispersibility and stability in aqueous solutions. The melt blending‐cum‐electrospinning of functionalized CSN with poly(lactic acid) results in biocompatible nanofiber‐based scaffolds having in vitro cell cytocompatibility with improved cell adhesion and proliferation. The assessment of release behavior of curcumin, a naturally occurring anticancer drug, shows sustained release over 25 days exhibiting effective cytotoxicity against human cervical cancer cells. Further, combined effect of curcumin and hyperthermia reduced the cell growth by ~63%. Alignment of CSN‐derived magnetic nanoparticles due to effective fiber drawing process during electrospinning could improve cytocompatibility against BHK‐21 cells, and therefore efficacy for cancer therapy.
Abdominal pain in combination with an unexplained hemolytic anemia are crucial signs to test for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria: A case report
Authors: Elias N.S. , Riedl Jürgen , Stouten Karlijn , Levin Mark‐David , Wolfhagen Frank , Eefting Mathijs , Vermeer Henricus Jan
Published: December 2018

Key Clinical Message

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a rare benign hematological disorder, presents with a wide variety of clinical symptoms. A direct Coombs‐negative hemolytic anemia combined with an increased LDH = Lactate dehydrogenase level are signs to test forPNH. Follow‐up does not need any microscopic review's only flow cytometricPNHclone size.
Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis as a complication of otitis media
Authors: Salloum Shafee , Belzer Kira
Published: December 2018

Key Clinical Message

Otogenic cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT) is a rare complication of otitis media and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Classic clinical signs of mastoiditis (pain, swelling, and erythema posterior to the pinna) are not always present at presentation. Treatment of otogenic CSVT consists of conservative surgery, antibiotics, and anticoagulation.
Empyema caused by transdiaphragmatic extension of pyogenic liver abscess
Authors: Kim Doh Hyung
Published: December 2018

Key Clinical Message

Empyema caused by transdiaphragmatic extension of pyogenic liver abscess is a very rare complication of liver abscess. Empyema patients with unclear respiratory symptoms should be evaluated for the presence of underlying liver abscess. Effective drainage with appropriate antibiotic use is an essential part of successful treatment.
Right main bronchus rupture due to blunt chest trauma
Authors: Chowdhury Sharfuddin , Griniatsos John
Published: December 2018

Key Clinical Message

Bronchial rupture following major blunt chest trauma should be suspected in every case of massive and persistent air leak through the intercostal drain tube. Chest radiogram offers indirect signs, while chest CT scan demonstrates specific signs highly suggestive for this extremely rare tracheobronchial injury. Bedside bronchoscopy confirms the diagnosis.
First‐Principles Studies of Li Nucleation on Double‐Layered Defective Graphene
Authors: Huo Li , Su Fangyuan , Yi Zonglin , Cui Guangyu , Zhang Caili , Dong Nan , Chen Chengmeng , Han Peide
Published: December 2018

Lithium‐dendrite growth is one of the most challenging problems affecting the safety performance of Li‐ion batteries. Understanding the evolution process of Li‐dendrite growth at the atomic scale is critical for solving this problem. In this paper, the adsorption processes, geometrical configurations, and electronic structures of Li clusters on double‐layered graphene with two types of defects were investigated by first‐principles calculations. It was found that single vacancy (SV) defects tend to promote the nucleation of Li dendrites, and the adsorption energy of Li clusters near the SV defect decreases with increasing number of Li atoms. Meanwhile, the Li atoms accumulated on the surface of SV‐defect graphene with distances between the Li atoms similar to those in bulk metallic Li. However, in the case of double vacancy (DV) defects, the Li atoms could diffuse freely in the direction perpendicular to the graphene sheets through DV defects at the top‐layer graphene, thus hindering nucleation and dendrite growth. Density of states analyses suggested that the Li atoms on SV‐defect graphene transform from the fully ionized state to the metallic state with continuously increasing number, while the ionic properties of the Li atoms remain and even increase on DV‐defect graphene. Our conclusions can help to understand the Li‐graphite interaction from an atomistic point of view and provide theoretical hints for the development of graphite anodes with high charge‐rate properties.
Conformal Filling of TiO2 Nanotubes with Dense MxSy Films for 3D Heterojunctions: The Anion Effect
Authors: Zhao Xiaoli , Jin Yu , Xiang Chengjie , Jin Jian , Ding Mei , Wu Sujuan , Jia Chuankun , Sun Lidong
Published: December 2018

It is appealing to fill up TiO2 nanotube arrays with other semiconductors to form three‐dimensional heterojunctions of interdigitated feature. This benefits from the large interfacial area for rapid charge separation and the ordered vertical channels for oriented charge transport. However, it remains a great challenge to fill the nanotubes with dense films and more importantly in a conformal manner. In this study, the TiO2 nanotubes are conformally filled with ZnS by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction. The ZnS exists in the form of either discrete nanoparticles or dense films when using nitrate or acetate precursor solutions, respectively. This is attributed to the hydrolysis process of the acetates in aqueous solutions, which releases extra hydroxyl ions beneficial to film formation. The CuS/TiO2 heterojunctions, resulted from ZnS dense films, show better rectifying behaviors in view of the interdigitated structure. Such a conformal filling process with dense films can also be used to form other MxSy/TiO2 bulk heterojunctions toward applications in optoelectronics, photovoltaics, photocatalysis, and so on.
High Performance LiMn1.9Al0.1O4 Porous Microspheres Rapidly Self‐Assembled through an Acetylene‐Black‐Assisted Solid‐State Approach
Authors: Tan Xinghua , Guo Limin , Jiang Yi , Liu Shengnan , Zhang Jiangtao , Wu Jianxin , Kang Xiaohong , Wang Hanfu , Chu Weiguo
Published: December 2018

We present a novel approach for preparing porous LiMn1.9Al0.1O4 microspheres with diameters of about 2 μm through direct calcination of solid monolith‐like precursors formed by simply mixing acetylene black and nitrate. The introduction of aluminium not only causes lattice doping of manganese but also plays an indispensable role in the formation of the porous microsphere structure assisted by acetylene black as both a solution absorbent and a pore‐forming agent. Porous LiMn1.9Al0.1O4 microspheres with an optimized aluminium concentration demonstrate a superior rate capability of 121 mAh g−1 at 1 C and 94 mAh g−1 at 40 C, and an excellent cyclic performance with a capacity retention of 82 % at 1 C after 700 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance results from the unique porous microspheres assembled by nanoparticles and the doping of Al. The approach proposed herein is facile, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly and could also be extended to the mass production of other electrode materials.
Reaching Milestones in the Oxygenation Chemistry of Magnesium Alkyls: towards Intimate States of O2 Activation and the First Monomeric Well‐Defined Magnesium Alkylperoxide
Authors: Pietrzak Tomasz , Justyniak Iwona , Park Jiwon Victoria , Terlecki Michał , Kapuśniak Łukasz , Lewiński Janusz
Published: December 2018

Despite decades of extensive studies on the reactivity of magnesium alkyls towards O2, the isolation and structural characterization of discrete products of these reactions still remains a challenge. Although the formation of the most frequently encountered magnesium alkoxides through unstable alkylperoxide intermediates has commonly been accepted, the latter species have been elusive for over 100 years. Probing the oxygenation of a seemingly simple well‐defined neo‐pentylmagnesium complex stabilized by a β‐diketiminate ligand, (dippBDI)MgCH2CMe3, we report on the isolation and structure characterization of both a dimeric magnesium alkoxide [(dippBDI)Mg(μ‐OCH2CMe3)]2 and the first example of monomeric magnesium alkylperoxide [(dippBDI)Mg(thf)OOCH2CMe3] (dippBDI=[(ArNCMe)2CH]− and Ar=C6H3iPr2‐2,6). The formation of monomeric magnesium alkylperoxide demonstrates a crucial role of an additional Lewis base for stabilizing the most elusive oxygenation products likely due to increasing of the electron density on the metal centre. Moreover, the 1H NMR studies at −80 °C revealed that the dissociation of a coordinated Lewis base from the solvated complex (dippBDI)Mg(L)CH2CMe3 (where L=thf or 4‐methylpyridine) is likely not required prior to the effective attack of an O2 molecule on the metal centre and the four‐coordinate alkylmagnesium complex reacts smoothly with O2 under these conditions. The results can be expected to aid future engineering of various organomagnesium/O2‐based reaction systems.
Probing the Regioselectivity with Encapsulated H2: Diels–Alder Reaction of an Open‐Cage C60 Derivative with Anthracene
Authors: Hashikawa Yoshifumi , Murata Yasujiro
Published: December 2018

The regioselectivity in the Diels–Alder reaction of an unsymmetrical open‐cage C60 derivative with anthracene was studied. By using an encapsulated H2 molecule as a magnetic probe, the product population was successfully evaluated in detail, indicating the formation of approximately ten compounds as major components. The nucleus‐independent chemical shift (NICS) calculations showed a close resemblance to the observed 1H NMR spectrum, which allowed for a facile characterization of the products. Theoretical studies on the formation of all 29 possible anthracene adducts were also performed. The results indicated that the regioselectivity is strongly governed by steric factors, values of the frontier orbital coefficients, and thermodynamic stabilities. Single‐crystal X‐ray analysis of the dominant compound revealed the supramolecular architecture between the anthracene moiety and the π‐sphere of a neighboring molecule.
A modified grain size distributed model for kinetic study of non‐catalytic gas‐solid reactions in presence of solid structural changes
Authors: Sedghkerdar Mohammad Hashem , Mahinpey Nader
Published: December 2018

This study investigated the carbonation behaviour of a calcium‐based sorbent in the calcium‐looping CO2 capture process as a non‐catalytic gas‐solid reaction using a modified grain size distributed (GSD) model. In GSD model, the calcium‐based particle consisted of numerous spherical grains with variable size distribution. The GSD model was modified by considering a variable diffusion coefficient of the gaseous reactant through the development of the product layer. The overall conversion over the reaction time was calculated by a mathematical modelling. The overall sorbent conversion obtained by using the modified GSD model showed better agreement with the experimental data with the average absolute deviation of 4.2 % than the results obtained using the grain model with the average absolute deviation 9.4 %. In the modified GSD model, the physical microstructure of the sorbent particle changes due to the molar volume expansion during the carbonation reaction. The model also predicted accurately the change of particle structural properties such as porosity, molar density, and specific surface area during the carbonation reaction.
Online operating performance evaluation for the plant‐wide industrial process based on a three‐level and multi‐block method
Authors: Chang Yuqing , Ma Ruxue , Zhao Luping , Wang Fuli , Wang Shu
Published: December 2018

Process operating performance evaluation is of great significance both in theoretical research and practical application. Process operating performance evaluation is used to determine whether or not a production process is running in excellent operating conditions. When the production process is running in a non‐optimal state, non‐optimal reason tracing will be performed to find the reasons causing the non‐optimal running state of the process so that the process can quickly return to the optimal operating state. In this article, multiple working modes and plant‐wide industrial process characteristics are considered. To solve the above problems, a novel multiple three‐level multi‐block hybrid model based online operating performance evaluation approach is proposed. Under each working condition, a three‐level multi‐block model is established. Under the corresponding working mode, each block at the bottom level is evaluated first. Second, the blocks in the middle level are evaluated according to the evaluation results of the bottom level blocks. Finally, according to the evaluation results of the middle level blocks, the operating performance of the top level can be achieved. When non‐optimal operating performance occurs, a variable contribution‐based cause identification technique is developed to locate the variables leading to non‐optimal performance and provide operation strategies to bring the process back to optimal performance. At the end of the paper, the developed evaluation and non‐optimal cause identification approaches are explored in a gold hydrometallurgy process.
Impact of tricuspid regurgitation and right ventricular dysfunction on outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Fan Jiaqi , Liu Xianbao , Yu Lei , Sun Yinghao , Jaiswal Sanjay , Zhu Qifeng , Chen Han , He Yuxin , Wang Lihan , Ren Kaida , Wang Jian'an
Published: December 2018

Far less attention has been paid to the prognostic effect of right‐side heart disease on outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) when compared with the left side. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis on the impact of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction on outcomes after TAVR. We hypothesized that TR and RV dysfunction may have a deleterious effect on outcomes after TAVR. Article revealing the prognostic effect of TR and RV dysfunction on outcomes after TAVR were being integrated. Random or fixed effect model was adopted in accordance with the heterogeneity. There were nine studies with a total of 6466 patients enrolled after a comprehensive literature search of the MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane databases. The overall analysis revealed that moderate or severe TR at baseline increased all‐cause mortality after TAVR (HR = 1.79, CI 95% 1.52‐2.11, P < 0.001). Both baseline RV dysfunction (HR = 1.53, CI 95% 1.27‐1.83, P < 0.001) and presence of RV dilation (HR = 1.83, CI 95% 1.47‐2.27, P < 0.001) were associated with all‐cause mortality. Both baseline moderate or severe TR and RV dysfunction worsen prognosis after TAVR and careful assessment of right heart function should be done for clinical decision by the heart team before the TAVR procedure.
Rationally Designed Copper‐Modified Polymeric Carbon Nitride as a Photocathode for Solar Water Splitting
Authors: Wang Zhonghao , Jin Bingjun , Zou Guojun , Zhang Kan , Hu Xun , Park Jong Hyeok
Published: December 2018

Polymeric carbon nitride has been considered to be an active photocathode for catalyzing the generation of H2 through water splitting. However, the application of this material in photoelectrochemical cells remains a challenge owing to the intrinsically sluggish kinetics of charge separation. Herein, a facile salt‐melt method is developed for fabricating Cu‐modified polymeric carbon nitride as an effective photocathode material for solar water splitting. Various characterization data confirm that Cu‐modified polymeric carbon nitride contains both free CuCl, derived from precursors, and coordinated Cu species incorporated into the polymeric carbon nitride, which can generate type‐II heterojunctions. This special heterojunction energy structure contributes to a significantly enhanced photocurrent density for hydrogen evolution. The proposed strategy for synthesizing the Cu‐modified polymeric carbon nitride can stimulate research for the development of highly efficient visible‐light‐active photocathodes.
Urban forest fragmentation impoverishes native mammalian biodiversity in the tropics
Authors: Tee Sze Ling , Samantha Liza D. , Kamarudin Norizah , Akbar Zubaid , Lechner Alex M. , Ashton‐Butt Adham , Azhar Badrul
Published: December 2018

Urban expansion has caused major deforestation and forest fragmentation in the tropics. The impacts of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity are understudied in urban forest patches, especially in the tropics and little is known on the conservation value of the patches for maintaining mammalian biodiversity. In this study, camera trapping was used to determine the species composition and species richness of medium‐ and large‐sized mammals in three urban forest patches and a contiguous forest in Peninsular Malaysia. We identified the key vegetation attributes that predicted mammal species richness and occurrence of herbivores and omnivores in urban forest patches. A total number of 19 mammal species from 120 sampling points were recorded. Contiguous forest had the highest number of species compared to the urban forest patches. Sunda Pangolin and Asian Tapir were the only conservation priority species recorded in the urban forest patches and contiguous forest, respectively. Top predators such as Malayan Tiger and Melanistic Leopard were completely absent from the forest patches as well as the contiguous forest. This was reflected by the abundance of wild boars. We found that mammal species richness increased with the number of trees with DBH less than 5 cm, trees with DBH more than 50 cm, and dead standing trees. In the future, the remaining mammal species in the urban forest patches are expected to be locally extinct as connecting the urban forest patches may be infeasible due to land scarcity. Hence, to maintain the ecological integrity of urban forest patches, we recommend that stakeholders take intervention measures such as reintroduction of selected species and restocking of wild populations in the urban forest patches to regenerate the forest ecosystems.
Post‐fire forest regeneration shows limited climate tracking and potential for drought‐induced type conversion
Authors: Young Derek J. N. , Werner Chhaya M. , Welch Kevin R. , Young Truman P. , Safford Hugh D. , Latimer Andrew M.
Published: December 2018

Disturbance such as wildfire may create opportunities for plant communities to reorganize in response to climate change. The interaction between climate change and disturbance may be particularly important in forests, where many of the foundational plant species (trees) are long‐lived and where poor initial tree establishment can result in conversion to shrub‐ or graminoid‐dominated systems. The response of post‐disturbance vegetation establishment to post‐disturbance weather conditions, particularly to extreme weather, could therefore provide useful information about how forest communities will respond to climate change. We examined the effect of post‐fire weather conditions on post‐fire tree, shrub, and graminoid recruitment in fire‐adapted forests in northern California, USA, by surveying regenerating vegetation in severely burned areas 4–5 yr after 14 different wildfires that burned between 2004 and 2012. This time period (2004–2016) encompassed a wide range of post‐fire weather conditions, including a period of extreme drought. For the most common tree species, we observed little evidence of disturbance‐mediated community reorganization or range shifts but instead either (1) low sensitivity of recruitment to post‐fire weather or (2) weak but widespread decreases in recruitment under unusually dry post‐fire conditions, depending on the species. The occurrence of a single strong drought year following fire was more important than a series of moderately dry years in explaining tree recruitment declines. Overall, however, post‐fire tree recruitment patterns were explained more strongly by long‐term climate and topography and local adult tree species abundance than by post‐fire weather conditions. This observation suggests that surviving adult trees can contribute to a “biological inertia” that restricts the extent to which tree community composition will track changes in climate through post‐disturbance recruitment. In contrast to our observations in trees, we observed substantial increases in shrub and graminoid establishment under post‐fire drought, suggesting that shifts in dominance between functional groups may become more likely in a future with more frequent and intense drought.
Spatial scale modulates the inference of metacommunity assembly processes
Authors: Viana Duarte S. , Chase Jonathan M.
Published: December 2018

The abundance and distribution of species across the landscape depend on the interaction between local, spatial, and stochastic processes. However, empirical syntheses relating these processes to spatiotemporal patterns of structure in metacommunities remain elusive. One important reason for this lack of synthesis is that the relative importance of the core assembly processes (dispersal, selection, and drift) critically depends on the spatial grain and extent over which communities are studied. To illustrate this, we simulated different aspects of community assembly on heterogeneous landscapes, including the strength of response to environmental heterogeneity (inherent to niche theory) vs. dispersal and stochastic drift (inherent to neutral theory). We show that increasing spatial extent leads to increasing importance of niche selection, whereas increasing spatial grain leads to decreasing importance of niche selection. The strength of these scaling effects depended on environment configuration, dispersal capacity, and niche breadth. By mapping the variation observed from the scaling effects in simulations, we could recreate the entire range of variation observed within and among empirical studies. This means that variation in the relative importance of assembly processes among empirical studies is largely scale dependent and cannot be directly compared. The scaling coefficient of the relative contribution of assembly processes, however, can be interpreted as a scale‐integrative estimate to compare assembly processes across different regions and ecosystems. This emphasizes the necessity to consider spatial scaling as an explicit component of studies intended to infer the importance of community assembly processes.
High‐Yielding Diastereoselective syn‐Dihydroxylation of Protected HBO: An Access to D‐(+)‐Ribono‐1,4‐lactone and 5‐O‐Protected Analogues
Authors: Moreaux Maxime , Bonneau Guillaume , Peru Aurélien , Brunissen Fanny , Janvier Marine , Haudrechy Arnaud , Allais Florent
Published: December 2018

A diastereoselective chemoenzymatic synthetic pathway to D‐(+)‐ribono‐1,4‐lactone, a versatile chiral sugar derivative widely used for the synthesis of various natural products, has been designed from cellulose‐based levoglucosenone (LGO). This route involves a sustainable Baeyer‐Villiger oxidation of LGO to produce enantiopure (S)‐γ‐hydroxymethyl‐α,β‐butenolide (HBO) that is further functionalized with various protecting groups to provide 5‐O‐protected γ‐hydroxymethyl‐α,β‐butenolides. The latter then undergo a diastereoselective and high‐yielding syn‐dihydroxylation of the α,β‐unsaturated lactone moiety followed by a deprotection step to give D‐(+)‐ribono‐1,4‐lactone. Through this 4‐step synthetic route from LGO, D‐(+)‐ribono‐1,4‐lactone is obtained with d.r. varying from 82:18 to 97:3 and in overall yields between 32 and 41 % depending on the protecting group used. Moreover, valuable synthetic intermediates 5‐O‐tert‐butyldimethylsilyl‐, 5‐O‐tert‐butyldiphenylsilyl‐ as well as 5‐O‐benzyl‐ribono‐1,4‐lactones are obtained in 3 steps from LGO in 58, 61 and 40 %, respectively.
Synthesis of Platinum and Tin Oxide Co‐functionalized Single‐walled Carbon Nanotubes (Pt/SnO2/SWNTs) and their Sensing Properties toward Carbon Monoxide
Authors: Su Heng C. , Myung Nosang V.
Published: December 2018

Pt and SnO2 were co‐functionalized on single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) assembled on microelectrodes by electrochemical deposition where Pt nanoparticle's morphology, size, and density were tuned by controlling the applied potential and time. The systematic study to obtain the optimum condition for Pt‐decorated SnO2/SWNTs (Pt/SnO2/SWNTs) were performed and also correlate with its CO sensing performance. Illumination‐dependent sensing performance was examined using red, green and UV LED as light sources at room temperature. Under UV illumination, the sensitivity of Pt/SnO2/SWNTs was enhanced to 2.1 %/ppmV of CO with the lower detection limit of 0.05 ppmV.
Ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse by fed‐batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation at high solids loading
Authors: Gao Yueshu , Xu Jingliang , Yuan Zhenhong , Jiang Jianchun , Zhang Zhenjia , Li Chunjie
Published: December 2018

To make the bioethanol conversion process economically viable, improving solids loading (>15% [w/v]) in different unit operations is crucial. In this study, alkali pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse was carried out at high solids loading. Temperature and pH were optimised via batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) experiments using Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y‐2034 or Kluyveromyces marxianus NCYC‐587. The effects of enzyme addition mode and solids loading on ethanol production were studied in fed‐batch SSF experiments. It was demonstrated that the optimised pH and temperature for both S. cerevisiae Y‐2034 and K. marxianus NCYC‐587 were 5.2 and 37°C. The mode of enzyme addition “one‐time dose” improved ethanol productivity better than the “batch addition” mode. With fresh substrates added, solids loading strongly increased from 19% to 33% (w/v), corresponded to a small decline in the ethanol yield. At the final solids loading of 33% (w/v), the highest ethanol concentration of 75.57 ± 2.14 g/L was obtained, with ethanol productivity of 0.63 ± 0.02 g/(L h) and a yield of 66.17 ± 1.87%.
Guidelines for health and safety and fire safety on underground construction sites
Authors: Halwachs Michael
Published: December 2018

Underground construction sites represent a complex challenge for all project participants. Precisely in the area of health and safety as well as fire safety, therefore, good coordination is necessary in order to successfully counteract the increased accident and health risks. Clear definition of tasks and responsibilities is therefore essential. Through a continuous risk management process, it is possible to ensure from the design phase to the construction phase that risks can be minimized in advance and that the best risk reduction measures can be derived. The Guideline and Regulation for the Planning, Construction and Maintenance of Roadways (RVS) 09.01.51 ”Health and Safety on underground construction sites“ provides the necessary basis for this and thus represents an essential tool for all project participants to improve the level of safety.
In‐situ assessment of strain behaviour inside tunnel linings using distributed fibre optic sensors
Authors: Monsberger Christoph M. , Lienhart Werner , Moritz Bernd
Published: December 2018

In modern tunnelling, deformation monitoring is an important component to ensure a safe construction. It is state of the art to measure displacements at the inner side of the tunnel lining using total stations. In addition, pointwise geotechnical sensors, e.g. electric strain gauges, may be installed in geological fault zones, which, however, do not deliver a complete picture of the internal deformations. The Institute of Engineering Geodesy and Measurement Systems (Graz University of Technology) supported by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB‐Infrastruktur AG, SAE Fachbereich Bautechnik/Tunnelbau) developed a fibre optic sensing system, which realizes thousands of measurement points inside the tunnel lining. The distributed measurements can be used to assess the in‐situ strain behaviour as well as to localize failures (e.g. cracks) in the lining. This paper reports about the calibration of the fibre optic system under well‐known laboratory conditions and the practical utilization of the system in mechanized and conventional tunnelling. The results demonstrate the high potential of distributed fibre optic systems and their capability especially in the operational phase to extend classical measurement methods in tunnelling projects.
Application of the ÖGG guideline for cost estimates on international megaprojects
Authors: Spiegl Markus , Galler Robert , Sander Philip
Published: December 2018

Transportation infrastructure projects are characterised by long project phases, a high number of project participants, hard‐to‐predict influences and their uniqueness. The new version of the ÖGG ”Guideline for the Cost Determination for Transportation Infrastructure Projects“ builds on experience of the previous version and sets new accents in practical applicability, e.g. through the use of risk fact sheets. Structured cost and risk management is no longer conceivable without adequate software. The integral cost and schedule analysis is a further step towards improved cost and project schedule stability. The guideline was published in English at the same time, which supports its use in international consulting.
Tunnelling 4.0 – Construction‐related future trends
Authors: Goger Gerald , Bisenberger Tobias
Published: December 2018

The digitalisation of construction‐related processes will increasingly penetrate the individual development phases of tunnel construction projects (design, construction and operation). The digital transformation will affect all tunnelling processes through its four key levers: ”digital data, automation, networks and digital access“. Topics such as Industry 4.0, digital twins, Building Information Modelling or Lean Management will lead to a rethink in the construction industry. The constant use of data sources and the storage of data in independent databases is already possible. This makes it possible for the project participants to analyse collected construction‐related data, to process it and to make it available through an online portal. This results in the possibility to evaluate, optimize and document construction processes on a well‐founded data base. Complex construction management systems will be described with digital models, and the use of digital knowledge systems will support the decision‐making process for stakeholders. The fundamental philosophy of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method should not be called into question by standardised calculation algorithms and tunnelling software. In this contribution, visionary future trends are outlined for cyclical and continuous tunnelling methods, which should stimulate a controversial discussion.
Dietary Lipids Differentially Shape Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Progression and the Transcriptome of Kupffer Cells and Infiltrating Macrophages
Authors: McGettigan Brett , McMahan Rachel , Orlicky David , Burchill Matthew , Danhorn Thomas , Francis Prashanth , Cheng Lin Ling , Golden‐Mason Lucy , Jakubzick Claudia V. , Rosen Hugo R.
Published: December 2018

A crucial component of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) pathogenesis is lipid stress, which may contribute to hepatic inflammation and activation of innate immunity in the liver. However, little is known regarding how dietary lipids, including fat and cholesterol, may facilitate innate immune activation in vivo. We hypothesized that dietary fat and cholesterol drive NAFLD progression to steatohepatitis and hepatic fibrosis by altering the transcription and phenotype of hepatic macrophages. This hypothesis was tested by using RNA‐sequencing methods to characterize and analyze sort‐purified hepatic macrophage populations that were isolated from mice fed diets with varying amounts of fat and cholesterol. The addition of cholesterol to a high‐fat diet triggered hepatic pathology reminiscent of advanced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in humans characterized by signs of cholesterol dysregulation, generation of oxidized low‐density lipoprotein, increased recruitment of hepatic macrophages, and significant fibrosis. RNA‐sequencing analyses of hepatic macrophages in this model revealed that dietary cholesterol induced a tissue repair and regeneration phenotype in Kupffer cells (KCs) and recruited infiltrating macrophages to a greater degree than fat. Furthermore, comparison of diseased KCs and infiltrating macrophages revealed that these two macrophage subsets are transcriptionally diverse. Finally, direct stimulation of murine and human macrophages with oxidized low‐density lipoprotein recapitulated some of the transcriptional changes observed in the RNA‐sequencing study. These findings indicate that fat and cholesterol synergize to alter macrophage phenotype, and they also challenge the dogma that KCs are purely proinflammatory in NASH. Conclusion: This comprehensive view of macrophage populations in NASH indicates mechanisms by which cholesterol contributes to NASH progression and identifies potential therapeutic targets for this common disease.
Gallstone Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Wang Fei , Wang Jing , Li Yaru , Yuan Jing , Yao Ping , Wei Sheng , Guo Huan , Zhang Xiaomin , Yang Handong , Wu Tangchun , He Meian
Published: December 2018

The presence of gallstone disease (GSD) was reported to be positively associated with diabetes risk. Whether the association is causal remains unclear. We aim to examine the potential causal association between GSD and type 2 diabetes risk using a Mendelian randomization analysis. Observational study was conducted among 16,299 participants who were free of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes at baseline in the Dongfeng‐Tongji cohort study. GSD was diagnosed by experienced physicians by abdominal B‐type ultrasound inspection and type 2 diabetes was defined according to the criteria of the American Diabetes Association. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to examine the association of GSD with type 2 diabetes risk. A genetic risk score (GRS) for GSD was constructed with eight single nucleotide polymorphisms that were derived from the previous genome‐wide association studies. The causal associations of the score for GSD with type 2 diabetes were tested among 7,000 participants in Mendelian randomization analysis. We documented 1,110 incident type 2 diabetes cases during 73,895 person‐years of follow‐up from 2008 to 2013 (median 4.6 years). Compared with participants without GSD, the multivariate‐adjusted hazard ratio of type 2 diabetes risk in those with GSD was 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03‐1.45, P = 0.02). Each 1 SD (0.23) increment in the weighted GRS was associated with a 17% increment of type 2 diabetes risk (odds ratio = 1.17, 95% CI, 0.90‐1.52) without statistical significance (P = 0.25). Conclusion: The present study supported a positive but not a causal association of GSD with type 2 diabetes risk. More studies are needed to verify our findings.
Thioesterase Superfamily Member 2 Promotes Hepatic VLDL Secretion by Channeling Fatty Acids Into Triglyceride Biosynthesis
Authors: Alves‐Bezerra Michele , Li Yingxia , Acuña Mariana , Ivanova Anna A. , Corey Kathleen E. , Ortlund Eric A. , Cohen David E.
Published: December 2018

In nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), triglycerides accumulate within the liver because the rates of fatty acid accrual by uptake from plasma and de novo synthesis exceed elimination by mitochondrial oxidation and secretion as very low‐density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides. Thioesterase superfamily member 2 (Them2) is an acyl‐coenzyme A (CoA) thioesterase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of fatty acyl‐CoAs into free fatty acids plus CoASH. Them2 is highly expressed in the liver, as well as other oxidative tissues. Mice globally lacking Them2 are resistant to diet‐induced obesity and hepatic steatosis, and exhibit improved glucose homeostasis. These phenotypes are attributable, at least in part, to roles of Them2 in the suppression of thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue and insulin signaling in skeletal muscle. To elucidate the hepatic function of Them2, we created mice with liver‐specific deletion of Them2 (L‐Them2
‐/‐). Although L‐Them2
‐/‐ mice were not protected against excess weight gain, hepatic steatosis or glucose intolerance, they exhibited marked decreases in plasma triglyceride and apolipoprotein B100 concentrations. These were attributable to reduced rates of VLDL secretion owing to decreased incorporation of plasma‐derived fatty acids into triglycerides. The absence of hepatic steatosis in L‐Them2
‐/‐ mice fed chow was explained by compensatory increases in rates of fatty acid oxidation and by decreased de novo lipogenesis in high fat–fed mice. Consistent with a role for Them2 in hepatic VLDL secretion, THEM2 levels were increased in livers of obese patients with NAFLD characterized by simple steatosis. Conclusion: Them2 functions in the liver to direct fatty acids toward triglyceride synthesis for incorporation into VLDL particles. When taken together with its functions in brown adipose and muscle, these findings suggest that Them2 is a target for the management of NAFLD and dyslipidemia.
Testing of observation operators designed to estimate profile soil moisture from surface measurements
Authors: Gao Xiaodong , Zhao Xining , Brocca Luca , Pan Daili , Wu Pute
Published: December 2018

The accurate estimation of profile soil moisture is usually difficult due to the associated costs, strong spatiotemporal variability, and nonlinear relationship between surface and profile moisture. Here, we used data sets from the Soil and Climate Analysis Network to test how reliably observation operators developed based on the cumulative distribution function matching method can predict profile soil moisture from surface measurements. We first analysed how temporal resolution (hourly, daily, and weekly) and data length (half year, 1 year, 2 years, and 4 years) affected the performance of observation operators. The results showed that temporal resolution had a negligible influence on the performance of observation operators. However, a leave‐one‐year‐out cross‐validation showed that data length affected the performance of observation operators; a 2‐year interval was identified as the most suitable duration due to its low uncertainty in prediction accuracy. The robustness of the observation operators was then tested in three primary climates (humid continental, humid subtropical, and semiarid) of the continental United States, with the exponential filter employed as an independent method. The results indicated that observation operators reliably predicted profile soil moisture for most of the tested stations and performed almost equally well as the exponential filter method. The presented results verified the feasibility of using the cumulative distribution function matching method to predict profile soil moisture from surface measurements.