bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM TO USE OF BIODIESEL
Authors: GUTIERREZ OJEDA MARCOS , CASTILLO ANDRES , IÑIGUEZ IZQUIERDO JUAN , REYES CAMPANA GORKY
Published: June 2018

Biodiesel, when used as an alternative fuel in its pure state or mixed with diesel, requires certain modifications of time and pressure of the fuel injection to the engine. In the present study, the properties and characteristics to fulfill by fuel injector nozzles when biodiesel is used as fuel, are determined. With the characterization results of neat diesel and neat biodiesel; as well as a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel, the main parameters of the fuel injection were calculated and simulated according to the power requirements of the engine. The purpose of the present investigation is to determine the fuel injection control parameters that allow equivalent use of diesel and biodiesel, without any change in its components. It was found that maintaining the diameter of the nozzle holes, the atomization characteristics of both type of fuels can be maintained by controlling the injection time and pressure; compensating in addition, differences in heat values, density and viscosity of biodiesel blends compared to neat diesel. Biodiesel is the alternative to pollution problems and sources of energy to operate internal combustion engines; however, to be established as a sustainable and immediately applicable solution, modifications to the engine must be at the level of fuel injection control, avoiding any kind of change or replacement of components.

Keywords: Biodiesel, Diesel, Nozzle, Flow rate, Density, Fuel injection.
DESIGN OF A TEST-BENCH FOR A HYDROGEN PLASMA REACTOR
Authors: MEGIA MACIAS ANA
Published: June 2018

The ion sources are machines capable of producing beams of charged particles. They are widely used in the industrial field where their applications range from ionic implantation in semiconductors or medical treatments against cancer to satellite engines known as thrusters. Ionic implantation in non-conductive materials is also a large industrial field in which ion sources play a fundamental role [1]. All ion sources generate a physical plasma from which the ions are then extracted to form a beam. The characteristics of this type of machines in terms of reliability, efficiency and reproducibility as well as the characteristics of the particle beams extracted from them are closely linked to the parameters of the plasma they generate and those depend strongly of the engineering design of the machine.
This paper shows the design of a test-bench built with the purpose of studying the influence of the engineering design of a plasma reactor on its characteristics and, consequently, on the particle beams that can be extracted from it . The test-bench, which has been called TIPS: Test-bench for Ion Sources Plasma Studies, consists of an ECR-type plasma reactor (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) that has undergone important structural modifications to give it the flexibility that an engineering experimental study requires.

Keywords: plasma reactor, ion source engineering.
STUDY OF EMBRITTLEMENT IN AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEEL AISI 304H WITH 15 YEARS IN SERVICE EXPOSED HIGH TEMPERATURE
Authors: ACEVEDO FRANKLIN , SAENZ PALENCIA LAURA
Published: June 2018

The present study is aimed at obtaining a model to predict the impact tenacity of austenitic stainless steel AISI 304H exposed to high temperature, in order to define the degree of embrittlement resulting from its metallurgical degradation due to Sigma/Chi phase precipitation. The element studied corresponds to a pipe of 60 inches of diameter associated to the top system of a regenerator that operates continuously at 1300 °F in a Catalytic Cracking plant of an Oil Refinery with 15 years in service. Twelve samples were taken along the studied pipe, taking a sample for each component of the pipeline, a sample for each mitred elbow and a sample for each straight section, of which 3 test-pieces were made per sample, for a universe of 36 test-pieces, complying with the dimensions defined in the ASTM E23-90. The chemical composition of the steel was determined by a portable analyzer based on positive identification of materials, the microstructure of the steel was observed by optical microscopy, the precipitate was sized to determine the shape factor and analyze its grouping, as well as the quantification of the Sigma phase precipitation using a digital image analyzer. The Vickers hardness measurement was performed on site. It was established that knowing the amount and shape of the precipitate, its grouping and hardness, the impact toughness of stainless steel is predicted, which provides an important tool for the study of mechanical integrity of components made of stainless steel AISI 304H exposed to operation continues at elevated temperature. The metallurgical degradation of stainless steel due to Sigma/Chi phase precipitation presents a logarithmic behavior indicating that the impact tenacity presents a sharp decrease in function of the acceleration of the deterioration, that is to say, it loses the ability to plastical deformation and therefore a high probability of occurrence of a fragile failure in operationally critical systems, therefore it should be monitored routinely and rigorously in the industrial field, highlighting its importance of monitoring through an "in situ" methodology based on non-destructive tests.

Key Words: stainless steel, 304h grade, Sigma phases, intermetallic phase, embrittlement, impact toughness
AMINO-ACID SEQUENCES IDENTIFICATION
Authors: MEDEL JUAREZ JOSE DE JESUS , ZAGACETA ALVAREZ MARIA TERESA , AGUILAR CRUZ KAREN ALICIA , PALMA OROZCO ROSAURA
Published: June 2018

Within signal processing, parameter estimation is necessary to obtain coefficients applicable to classification, optimization, prediction or identification algorithms. The latter, of interest in this work, refers to the reconstruction of a signal, corrected from the error generated between the desired and the identified signal.
METALLIC GLASSES AND HIGH ENTROPY ALLOYS.... IS DISORDER THE KEY TO FUTURE MATERIALS?
Authors: SANCHEZ SEVERINO JON MIKEL , VICARIO GOMEZ IBAN , MELENDEZ ARRANZ ANTTON
Published: June 2018

Traditional metallic alloys have consisted of the mixture of a majority element with other elements in smaller proportions, which act as solutes in the crystalline structure of the main element improving the properties of the base metal. In steel, much smaller carbon atoms are inserted into the interstitial holes of the iron microstructure. Although the properties of pure elements are improved, alloys still maintain certain properties derived from the majority element.
WORKING CAPITAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY
Authors: CAJIGAS ROMERO MARGOT , HARO MARÍA DEL CARMEN , RAMIREZ ELBAR
Published: June 2018

Before investing in a new company, what are the most common financial difficulties for new companies?
The answer from experts in financial bankruptcy risk is that they are the difficulties caused by operating cash flows, i.e., working capital shortfalls, present when sales revenue does not cover operating costs.
Patterns in evolutionary origins of heme, chlorophyll a and isopentenyl diphosphate biosynthetic pathways suggest non-photosynthetic periods prior to plastid replacements in dinoflagellates.
Authors: Matsuo Eriko , Inagaki Yuji
Published: June 2018

Background: The ancestral dinoflagellate most likely established a peridinin-containing plastid, which has been inherited to the extant photosynthetic descendants. However, kareniacean dinoflagellates and Lepidodinium species were known to bear “non-canonical” plastids lacking peridinin, which were established through a haptophyte and a green algal endosymbioses, respectively. For plastid function and maintenance, the aforementioned dinoflagellates were known to use nucleus-encoded proteins vertically inherited from the ancestral dinoflagellates (vertically inherited- or VI-type), and those acquired from non-dinoflagellate organisms including the endosymbionts. These observations indicated that the proteomes of the non-canonical plastids derived from a haptophyte and a green alga were modified by “exogenous” genes acquired from non-dinoflagellate organisms. However, there was no systematic evaluation addressing how “exogenous” genes reshaped individual metabolic pathways localized in a non-canonical plastid. Results: In this study, we surveyed transcriptomic data from two kareniacean species [Karenia (Ke.) brevis and Karlodinium (Kl.) veneficum] and Lepidodinium chlorophorum, and identified proteins involved in three plastid metabolic pathways synthesizing chlorophyll a (Chl a), heme and isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP). The origins of the individual proteins of our interest were investigated, and assessed how the three pathways were modified before and after the algal endosymbioses, which gave rise to the current non-canonical plastids. We observed a clear difference in the contribution of VI-type proteins across the three pathways. In both Ke. brevis/Kl. veneficum and L. chlorophorum, we observed a substantial contribution of VI-type proteins to the IPP and heme biosyntheses. In sharp contrast, VI-type protein was barely detected in the Chl a biosynthesis in the three dinoflagellates. Discussion: Pioneering works hypothesized that the ancestral kareniacean species had lost the photosynthetic activity prior to haptophyte endosymbiosis. The absence of VI-type proteins in the Chl a biosynthetic pathway in Ke. brevis or Kl. veneficum is in good agreement with the putative non-photosynthetic nature proposed for their ancestor. The dominance of proteins with haptophyte origin in the Ke. brevis/Kl. veneficum pathway suggests that their ancestor rebuilt the particular pathway by genes acquired from the endosymbiont. Likewise, we here propose that the ancestral Lepidodinium likely experienced a non-photosynthetic period and discarded the Chl a biosynthetic pathway mostly prior to the green algal endosymbiosis. In the subsequent evolution, L. chlorophorum rebuilt the pathway by genes transferred from phylogenetically diverse organisms, rather than the green algal endosymbiont. We explore the reasons why green algal genes were barely utilized to reconstruct the L. chlorophorum pathway.
Workshop: The Role of Groundwater Numerical Models in Decision Making (discussion between the model creator and the final user...)
Authors: Lotti Francesca
Published: June 2018

Not available
Miraculous springs in Rome, between popular belief, religion and science
Authors: Pantaloni Marco
Published: June 2018

Not available
A review of groundwater vulnerability assessment in Kenya
Authors: Rendilicha Halake Guyo
Published: June 2018

Groundwater represents 95% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater. The use of groundwater has significantly increased over the past 50 years and is expected to rise in future due to its high reliability during drought seasons, good quality, generally modest development costs and continuous depletion of surface water. Groundwater pollution is becoming a major threat to fresh groundwater availability and sustainability. The deteriorating groundwater quality and increasing contamination poses detrimental risk to human health and ecosystem in many ways, thereby necessitating the need to study the groundwater vulnerability assessment as a preventive strategy to protect the groundwater from surface pollution. The concept of groundwater vulnerability assessment is dated back in 1970s and applied in many developed countries as an environmental tool used for proper land use planning and decision making without jeopardizing groundwater quality.  This paper is a detail review of available literature on the study of groundwater vulnerability assessment in Kenya. The paper revealed that, the vulnerability assessment concept has not been applied as a mechanism to prevent groundwater pollution, hence rarely used in guiding land use planning in Kenya. This review brings to limelight the importance of groundwater vulnerability assessment in management and protection of groundwater resources in Kenya.*Corresponding author; Email:guyesa2016@gmail.com Mobile: 0710953283.1. Soil, Water and Environmental Engineering Department Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Groundwater potential in Sierra Leone
Authors: Fileccia Alessio
Published: June 2018

Groundwater is a major source of safe drinking water  throughout Africa. Despite this, little quantitative information on aquifers potential is known in many countries. Sierra Leone has annual precipitation rates of as much of 5000 mm/yr and a capillary net of surface streams, but the hydrogeological aspect was never taken into serious consideration. Between 2016 and 2017, Hydro Nova (USA) conducted an extensive survey on all existing hydrogeological data in the country. The flagship product of this study was the Hydrogeologic Atlas of  Sierra Leone, a series of 20 maps complemented with textual notes, published in official digital and hardcopy formats.  The project showed that the majority of the 28900 wells, from the national survey, are located in unconfined aquifers of limited extent and of three different types: perched, along large river banks, porous, widely distributed across the country and along the coast and fractured, in the crystalline basement. The latter are generally deep and underlying the surface formation in the lateritic soils. The water table flows from NE to SW following the main water courses and is generally correlated to the topography.  The crystalline basement is the common layer at the bottom of the aquifer at depth of 15-80 m. Well yield is normally in the range of 0.3-1.5 l/s and exceptionally 3-6 l/s. Transmissivity is also low (2-3 m2 /d). As a consequence many boreholes must remain unpumped, for some hours, to recover an exploitable water level. The entire report and other publications related to this paper can be accessed via the following link: http://www.salgrid.org
Model calibration using the automatic parameter estimation procedure (PEST) of the North-eastern zone of the Milan Functional Urban Area (Italy)
Authors: Alberti Luca
Published: June 2018

La Functional Urban Area (FUA) di Milano è un’area densamente popolata (2.254.263 abitanti) dove l’approvvigionamento idrico è garantito esclusivamente mediante prelievi idrici sotterranei. Per questa ragione la protezione della qualità delle falde rientra tra le priorità delle politiche ambientali di Regione Lombardia. Recentemente è stato avviato un programma di studi ed interventi aventi lo scopo d’individuare i principali plumes di contaminazione da solventi clorurati distinguendone l’impatto da quello legato all’inquinamento diffuso. In questo articolo si presenta il modello di flusso sviluppato per il settore NE della FUA di Milano, settore utilizzato quale area pilota per sviluppare e testare una nuova metodologia che combina statistica e modellistica al fine di distinguere il contributo delle fonti di contaminazione puntuale rispetto a quelle diffuse.
Le attività di IAH Italia nel primo semestre del 2018
Authors: Rusi Sergio
Published: June 2018

non disponibile
Distribution of the areas treated by the journal [La distribuzione delle aree trattate nella nostra rivista]
Authors: La Vigna Francesco
Published: June 2018

Per chi non lo avesse ancora notato sulla home page del sito della nostra rivista è presente una finestra nella quale si può vedere l’ubicazione sul territorio delle aree trattate nei lavori della nostra rivista.Ovviamente non sempre gli articoli hanno una stretta connotazione territoriale, e spesso si riferiscono ad aspetti metodologici, in questi casi quindi gli articoli non compaiono sulla mappa. Inoltre capita spesso che dei lavori siano riferiti ad un contesto di intera regione, in questi casi l’ubicazione viene sommariamente riferita al centro geografico della regione stessa.La finestra sulla home page è una finestra interattiva, per cui è possibile zoomare, spostare l’area di riferimento, e anche cliccare sui singoli indicatori, leggere il titolo del lavoro, e quindi cliccare su di esso per essere indirizzati direttamente all’articolo.E’ interessante quindi poter analizzare questa diffusione geografica, partendo ovviamente dal presupposto che la maggior parte dei lavori sia relativo al contesto nazionale italiano.
Architecture's Progressive Imperative: Housing Betterment in the 19th and 20th Centuries
Authors: Lasner Matthew Gordon
Published: July 2018

History has shown that architects can act as catalysts for significant leaps forward in housing provision. Far beyond pure aesthetics and building layouts, their visions for new ways of offering affordable dwellings have driven real social change, with innovations in both the form of the domestic built environment and the methods used to construct and deliver it. Matthew Gordon Lasner, an associate professor of urban studies and planning at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY), tells the story – from the conception of planned garden suburbs and multi‐family city blocks, to prefabricated postwar social housing schemes and more recent resident‐architect collaborations.
Demapping Automotive Landscapes: Affordability as a Land Game
Authors: Norman Marc
Published: July 2018

One of the biggest challenges to affordable housing provision is the level of parking space that zoning laws demand for new developments. It makes land costs prohibitive, and pushes new dwellings out to peripheral locations. Marc Norman – founder of the community development consultancy Ideas and Action, and associate professor of practice at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning – recently curated an exhibition at New York's Center for Architecture titled ‘Designing Affordability: Quicker, Smarter, More Efficient Housing Now’. Here he presents initiatives around the world, from legislative change to clever modular architectural design, that offer ways of redressing the balance between car and community.
Organocatalytic Asymmetric Four‐Component [5+1+1+1] Cycloadditions via a Quintuple Cascade Process
Authors: Xiao Wei , Zhou Zhi , Yang Qian‐Qian , Du Wei , Chen Ying‐Chun
Published: June 2018

An asymmetric four‐component [5+1+1+1] formal cycloaddition reaction of 3‐substituted 2‐cyclopentenones, activated methylene nucleophiles and two molecules of aldehydes is developed under chiral primary aminocatalysis, producing a diversity of highly enantioenriched fused and spirocyclic frameworks with high molecular complexity. Mechanism studies indicate that the current reaction proceeds in a challenging cascade quintuple Knoevenagel condensation/Michael addition/retro‐Michael addition/Michael addition/Michael addition sequence via diverse aminocatalytic modes.

magnified image
Iron(II)−Polypyridyl Complexes Inhibit the Growth of Glioblastoma Tumor and Enhance TRAIL‐Induced Cell Apoptosis
Authors: Lin Hao , Wang Yifan , Lai Haoqiang , Li Xiaoling , Chen Tianfeng
Published: July 2018

A promising cancer‐targeting agent for the induction of apoptosis in tumor necrosis factor (TNF) proteins, the TNF‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) ligand, has found limited applications in the treatment of cancer cells, owing to its resistance by cancer cell lines. Therefore, the rational design of anticancer agents that could sensitize cancer cells towards TRAIL is of great significance. Herein, we report that synthetic iron(II)−polypyridyl complexes are capable of inhibiting the proliferation of glioblastoma cancer cells and efficiently enhancing TRAIL‐induced cell apoptosis. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that the synthesized complexes induced cancer‐cell apoptosis through triggering the activation of p38 and p53 and inhibiting the activation of ERK. Moreover, uPA and MMP‐2/MMP‐9, among the most important metastatic regulatory proteins, were also found to be significantly alerted after the treatment. Furthermore, we also found that tumor growth in nude mice was significantly inhibited by iron complex Fe2 through the induction of apoptosis without clear systematic toxicity, as indicated by histological analysis. Taken together, this study provides evidence for the further development of metal‐based anticancer agents and chemosensitizers of TRAIL for the treatment of human glioblastoma cancer cells.
Gold‐Catalyzed Formal C−C Bond Insertion Reaction of 2‐Aryl‐2‐diazoesters with 1,3‐Diketones
Authors: Ren Yuan‐Yuan , Chen Mo , Li Ke , Zhu Shou‐Fei
Published: June 2018

The transition‐metal‐catalyzed formal C−C bond insertion reaction of diazo compounds with monocarbonyl compounds is well established, but the related reaction of 1,3‐diketones instead gives C−H bond insertion products. Herein, we report a protocol for a gold‐catalyzed formal C−C bond insertion reaction of 2‐aryl‐2‐diazoesters with 1,3‐diketones, which provides efficient access to polycarbonyl compounds with an all‐carbon quaternary center. The aryl ester moiety plays a crucial role in the unusual chemoselectivity, and the addition of a Brønsted acid to the reaction mixture improves the yield of the C−C bond insertion product. A reaction mechanism involving cyclopropanation of a gold carbenoid with an enolate and ring‐opening of the resulting donor–acceptor‐type cyclopropane intermediate is proposed. This mechanism differs from that of the traditional Lewis‐acid‐catalyzed C−C bond insertion reaction of diazo compounds with monocarbonyl compounds, which involves a rearrangement of a zwitterion intermediate as a key step.
Diversity of Secondary Metabolites in the Liverwort Syzygiella rubricaulis (Nees) Stephani (Jamesoniellaceae, Marchantiophyta) from Neotropical High Mountains
Authors: Costa Denise P. , Amado‐Filho Gilberto M. , Pereira Renato C. , Paradas Wladimir C. , Miyataka Hideki , Okamoto Yasuko , Asakawa Yoshinori
Published: July 2018

In order to evaluate the chemical diversity of Syzygiella rubricaulis (Nees) Stephani, a species with a disjunct distribution in the neotropical high mountains, a phytochemical study was carried out with samples from 12 different populations of different altitudes from four South American countries. The chemical profiles of lipophilic extracts were analyzed by GC/MS for each population and 50 different compounds were found with the predominance and richness of sesquiterpenes. The majority of the compounds were found only in one population and the total number of substances ranged from 1 to 15 among the populations, but these numbers were not correlated with altitude, and characterize each population as distinct, based on similarity analysis. The qualitative and quantitative variations of metabolites found are a response to different conditions, under which they live, mostly likely altitudinal conditions. Further studies on the quantification of these chemicals may provide information on their ecological roles and importance for the distribution of S. rubricaulis at different altitudes. Despite the known richness of secondary metabolites produced by bryophytes, they are still poorly explored in the context of the ecological expressions.
A Possible Path to Prebiotic Peptides Involving Silica and Hydroxy Acid‐Mediated Amide Bond Formation
Authors: McKee Aaron D. , Solano Martin , Saydjari Andrew , Bennett Christopher J. , Hud Nicholas V. , Orlando Thomas M.
Published: June 2018

The formation of alanine and glycine oligomers in films produced by drying aqueous mixtures of lactic acid and silica nanoparticles has been studied as a model prebiotic reaction. The addition of silica results in alanine or glycine enrichment in the polymers. Oligomerization proceeds through ester‐mediated peptide bond formation in an acidic and evaporative environment at temperatures as low as 85 °C. For both amino acids, the dominant species produced in the presence of silica and lactic acid are rich in amide bonds and deficient in ester linkages. At higher temperatures, glycine and alanine oligomers contain only a single hydroxy acid residue conjugated to the peptide N terminus. Similar product distributions occur with silica particles prereacted with lactic acid, which suggests the catalytic role of a functionalized surface. This work highlights the role minerals might have served in transitioning from oligomers with both ester and amide linkages (depsipeptides) to peptides in a prebiotic context.
Convenient Synthesis of Quinoline‐4‐carboxylate Derivatives through the Bi(OTf)3‐Catalyzed Domino Cyclization/Esterification Reaction of Isatins with Enaminones in Alcohols
Authors: Zhou Pan , Hu Biao , Wang Yanqin , Zhang Qiaohe , Li Xiang , Yan Shengjiao , Yu Fuchao
Published: June 2018

An efficient Bi(OTf)3‐catalyzed method for the synthesis of quinoline‐4‐carboxylates through a domino cyclization/esterification reaction of isatins with enaminones in alcohols is reported. The salient features are the formation of the quinoline ring and an acyl–oxygen bond in one step, the use of readily available starting materials, and the wide substrate scope.
Investigating the Factor Structure of the iSkills™ Assessment
Authors: Katz Irvin R. , Rijmen Frank , Attali Yigal
Published: July 2018

Few would argue about the growing importance of information and communication technology (ICT) literacy as relatively new and distinct skills that affect educational attainment, workforce readiness, and lifelong learning. There is less agreement, however, as to what ICT literacy skills and knowledge are, how best to measure them, and strategies for teaching ICT literacy. For teaching and assessment, a core issue is the extent to which ICT literacy can be considered as a collection of discrete skills versus a student's understanding of information as a whole. This report outlines the concept of ICT literacy as implemented in the iSkills™ assessment, an Internet‐delivered, performance‐based assessment designed to measure students' ability to research, organize, and communicate information using technology. Factor analyses of data from more than 600 students support the idea that ICT literacy comprises an integrated set of highly related skills.
An unusual case of Herlyn‐Werner‐Wunderlich syndrome with a complete septate uterus and complicated urinary tract with rare ectopic ureteral opening
Authors: Zhang Aiqian , Zeng Xiangyang , Woo Jeffrey JeChuen , Morrell Miriam , Xu Dabao
Published: June 2018

Patients with Herlyn‐Werner‐Wunderlich syndrome and watery vaginal discharge should be suspected of having an ectopic ureteral opening.
A facile synthesis, reactions, and spectral characterization of some novel thieno[3,2‐e]pyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyrazine compounds
Authors: Zaki Remon M. , El‐Dean Adel M. K. , Radwan Shaban M. , Abd ul‐Malik Mokhtar A.
Published: July 2018

Synthesis of new 7‐amino‐8‐imino‐3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐1,8‐dihydro‐7H‐pyrazolo[4″,3″:5′,6′]pyrazino [3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2‐d]pyrimidine (6) and 5‐amino‐3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐6‐(1,4,5,6‐tetrahydropyrimidin‐2‐yl)‐thieno[3,2‐e]pyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyrazine (10) compounds was achieved by using 5‐amino‐3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐thieno[3,2‐e]pyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyrazine‐6‐carbonitrile (4) as starting material. The compounds 7‐amino‐8‐iminopyrimidine and the amino‐tetrahydropyrimidine 6 and 10 were used as versatile precursors for the synthesis of new heterocyclic rings fused to pyrazolothienopyrimidine moiety, namely: pyrimidine and triazole compounds 7–17. The chemical structures of the newly synthesized compounds were confirmed by elemental and spectral analyses, including FT‐IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy as well as 13C NMR and mass spectroscopy for some of them.
Characterization of seven psychoactive pharmaceuticals as N‐nitrosodimethylamine precursors during free chlorine and chlorine dioxide chlorination processes
Authors: Lv Juan , Li Na
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND

Psychoactive pharmaceuticals used to treat neurological disorders are of great concern because of their frequent detection in the aquatic environment and drinking water. The possibility for concurrent formation of N‐nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) from psychoactive pharmaceuticals during disinfection is still not well‐studied. In the present study, seven widely used psychoactive drugs were selected due to their possession of a DMA functional group. The NDMA formation potentials of the selected drugs were assessed during free chlorine (NaOCl) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) disinfection processes. The influence of several parameters (i.e. disinfectant dose, pH and water matrix) was investigated to better understand the reaction between the drugs and disinfectants that cause the formation of NDMA.

RESULTS

The NDMA molar yields of seven pharmaceuticals were higher than 2%. NDMA formation was independent of the pH value, and more NDMA formation was observed during free chlorine chlorination. NDMA generation was enhanced when the selected pharmaceuticals were present in real water matrices, especially in secondary effluent.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that the seven selected psychoactive pharmaceuticals containing dimethylamine groups can serve as NDMA precursors during free chlorine and chlorine dioxide chlorination processes. ClO2 was a proper disinfectant for controlling NDMA formation during chlorination. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Teamwork in extreme environments: Lessons, challenges, and opportunities
Authors: Maynard M. Travis , Kennedy Deanna M. , Resick Christian J.
Published: July 2018

Given the numerous calls for researchers to examine teams in the wild to better understand the impact of context on team dynamics and performance, there has been increased consideration of teams operating within extreme environments. As such, this special issue is focused on better understanding the factors that shape teamwork in extreme environments so that the lessons learned can be leveraged within extreme as well as in other team contexts as appropriate. To this end, we present five exemplar papers that span disciplines, address diverse research questions in unique samples, and employ varied methodologies and research designs. Each of these papers not only contributes new insights to the understanding of teams in extreme environments (i.e., lessons) but also highlights the challenges that exist in conducting research in such contexts and sets the stage for additional opportunities within the extreme team literature moving forward.
Habitat use of the Aesculapian snake at different spatial scales
Authors: Kurek Katarzyna , Król Wiesław , Najberek Kamil , Ćmiel Adam M. , Solarz Wojciech , Bury Stanisław , Baś Grzegorz , Najbar Bartłomiej , Okarma Henryk
Published: July 2018

At their range limits, animal populations are often small and endangered. Moreover, they may use habitats in different ways than core populations, making the determination of habitat requirements an important aspect for effective long‐term conservation of these populations. We assessed habitat requirements of the Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) in an isolated population at the northern limits of its range, southeastern Poland. We analyzed factors affecting the species’ distribution at different spatial scales. We used the area of its current distribution (22,754 ha) in Poland to analyze macrohabitat patterns at the landscape scale and used the area currently occupied by the largest local population (2,192 ha) to analyze macro‐ and microhabitat use. Additionally, at 25 sites delimited around individual and clusters of snake records (140.7 ha), we characterized the detailed forest composition. Landscape‐scale analyses confirmed the Aesculapian snake's preference for deciduous forest. At the medium spatial scale, anthropogenic macro‐ and microhabitat features had a positive effect on the presence and abundance of the species. Its distribution was positively associated with warm river valleys, and we recorded the highest numbers of snakes in areas with average annual temperatures between 5.95°C and 6.30°C. At a fine scale, the relative abundance of the Aesculapian snake was negatively associated with dense deciduous forest cover but positively associated with open broad‐leaf woodlands. To conserve northern populations of the Aesculapian snake, clearings should be maintained in forest stands, tree planting and natural succession should be reduced in open areas, and alder forests (Alnetum incanae) and small beech forest (Dentario glandulosae‐Fagetum) stands should be protected. Active conservation should include the creation of artificial reproduction sites and permanent rocky shelters to assist dispersal and connectivity among subpopulations. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.
Precise inclusion relations among Bergman–Besov and Bloch–Lipschitz spaces and on the unit ball of
Authors: Kaptanoğlu H. Turgay , Üreyen A. Ersin
Published: July 2018

We describe exactly and fully which of the spaces of holomorphic functions in the title are included in which others. We provide either new results or new proofs. More importantly, we construct explicit functions in each space that show our relations are strict and the best possible. Many of our inclusions turn out to be sharper than the Sobolev imbeddings.
Wahre und mehre ...
Authors: Wießmeier Georg F. L.
Published: July 2018

Sowohl Mitglieder als auch Nichtmitglieder profitieren von der Arbeit der GDCh, dem ehrenamtlichen Engagement vieler Mitglieder sowie von den bei der GDCh angesiedelten Stiftungen.
Vorstandssitzung
Authors: Koch Wolfram
Published: July 2018

Die erste Sitzung des Vorstands der Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker in diesem Jahr fand am 5. März in Jena im Zusammenhang mit der dort stattfindenden Chemiedozententagung statt.
Chemokine CXCL1 is responsible for cocaine‐induced reward in mice
Authors: Saika Fumihiro , Matsuzaki Shinsuke , Kobayashi Daichi , Kiguchi Norikazu , Kishioka Shiroh
Published: June 2018

Aim

We have previously demonstrated that upregulation of CC chemokines through dopamine receptor signaling in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) underlies methamphetamine (Meth)‐induced reward. Given the common pharmacological property of Meth and cocaine (Coca), which are highly addictive psychostimulants, we hypothesized that chemokines may also contribute to Coca‐induced reward. The aim of this study was to identify a key chemokine‐mediating Coca‐induced reward in mice.

Methods

The mRNA expression levels of chemokines were measured by reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Coca‐induced reward was evaluated by conditioned place preference test.

Results

We found that mRNA expression levels of CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), CCL7, and CXC chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1) were upregulated in the PFC after a single administration of Coca (20 mg/kg, s.c.). Upregulation of CXCL1, but not CCL2 and CCL7, mRNA in the PFC was also observed after repeated administration of Coca. A single administration of dopamine D1 receptor agonist SKF 81297 (10 mg/kg, s.c.), but not D2 receptor agonist sumanirole, upregulated CXCL1 mRNA in the PFC. Coca‐induced reward was attenuated by the pretreatment of SB 225002 (5 mg/kg, s.c.), a selective antagonist of CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2, cognate receptor for CXCL1).

Conclusions

Collectively, we identified CXCL1 as a key regulator in Coca‐induced reward and propose that pharmacological approach targeting CXCL1 could be a novel pharmacotherapy for Coca‐induced reward.
Barriers to active self‐management following treatment for head and neck cancer: Survivors' perspectives
Authors: Dunne Simon , Coffey Laura , Sharp Linda , Timmons Aileen , Desmond Deirdre , Gooberman‐Hill Rachael , O'Sullivan Eleanor , Keogh Ivan , Timon Conrad , Gallagher Pamela
Published: June 2018

Objective

Active self‐management practices may help head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors to deal with challenges to their physical, functional, social, and psychological well‐being presented by HNC and its treatment. This study investigates the factors perceived by HNC survivors to act as barriers to their active self‐management following primary treatment.

Methods

In this qualitative study, 27 HNC survivors identified through 4 designated cancer centres in Ireland participated in face‐to‐face semistructured interviews. Interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Four themes (and associated subthemes) describing barriers to survivors' active self‐management were identified: emotional barriers (eg, fear of recurrence), symptom‐related barriers (eg, loss of taste), structural barriers (eg, access to appropriate health services), and self‐evaluative barriers (eg, interpersonal self‐evaluative concerns).

Conclusions

This is the first study to describe HNC survivors' views about barriers to their active self‐management after treatment. The findings have important implications for self‐management research and intervention development concerning HNC survivorship.
Cirrhosis affects maximal oxygen consumption, functional capacity, quality of life in patients with hepatitis C
Authors: Casales da Silva Vieira Rodrigo , Álvares‐da‐Silva Mario Reis , de Oliveira Álvaro Reischak , da Silveira Gross Julia , Kruger Renata Lopes , Dal Bosco Adriane , Marroni Norma Anair Possa , Forgiarini Luiz Alberto , Dias Alexandre Simões
Published: July 2018

Objective

The aim is assess, compare, and correlate maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max.), functional capacity and quality of life in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and in healthy individuals.

Methods

This case–control study included 36 participants (18 patients with HCV cirrhosis and 18 healthy individuals) matched for sex and age. VO2max was assessed using ergospirometry with an incremental load test on a cycloergometer. Functional capacity was measured by a 6‐min walk test (6WT), and quality of life was assessed using the 36‐Item Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36).

Results

Both the cirrhotic group and the control group had similar results for sex (44.4% male) and age (55.6 ± 8.31 and 55.2 ± 8.85 years, respectively). The cirrhotic group scored lower in all domains of the SF‐36, on the VO2max test (cirrhotic group 16.2 [11.6–18.6] ml/kg/min; control group 19.9 [16.28–26.9]; p = 0.007) and on the 6WT (cirrhotic group 521.5 [476.25–544.75] m; control group 618.0 [570.75–643.75] m; p = 0.0001). Correlations were found between the 6WT and the VO2max (r = 0.801, p < 0.0001) and between the 6WT and quality of life (SF‐361—functional capacity domain; r = 0.552, p = 0.018) only in the cirrhotic group.

Conclusion

Patients with cirrhosis due to HCV show changes in VO2max and in functional capacity, which have a significant impact on their quality of life.
Comparison of different representations of model error in ensemble forecasts
Authors: Piccolo Chiara , Cullen Mike J. P. , Tennant Warren J. , Semple Adrian T.
Published: June 2018

The use of analysis increments to represent model error in the Met Office ensemble prediction system is compared with the use of stochastic parametrizations. Since analysis increments can take into account more possible sources of forecast error than stochastic parametrizations which only represent specific sources of error, the spread of the ensemble and the reliability are markedly improved. There is an increase in the rms error of the ensemble mean for some fields. This may be because analysis increments cannot represent state‐dependent statistics, but may also result from the use of initial condition perturbations from the operational ETKF rather than an ensemble data assimilation with a consistent treatment of model error.
The mixed Rossby–gravity wave on the spherical Earth
Authors: Paldor Nathan , Fouxon Itzhak , Shamir Ofer , Garfinkel Chaim I.
Published: June 2018

This work revisits the theory of the mixed Rossby–gravity (MRG) wave on a sphere. Three analytic methods are employed in this study: (a) derivation of a simple ad hoc solution corresponding to the MRG wave that reproduces the solutions of Longuet‐Higgins and Matsuno in the limits of zero and infinite Lamb's parameter, respectively, while remaining accurate for moderate values of Lamb's parameter, (b) demonstration that westward‐propagating waves with phase speed equalling the negative of the gravity‐wave speed exist, unlike the equatorial β‐plane, where the zonal velocity associated with such waves is infinite, and (c) approximation of the governing second‐order system by Schrödinger eigenvalue equations, which show that the MRG wave corresponds to the branch of the ground‐state solutions that connects Rossby waves with zonally symmetric waves. The analytic conclusions are confirmed by comparing them with numerical solutions of the associated second‐order equation for zonally propagating waves of the shallow‐water equations. We find that the asymptotic solutions obtained by Longuet‐Higgins in the limit of infinite Lamb's parameter are not suitable for describing the MRG wave even when Lamb's parameter equals 104. On the other hand, the dispersion relation obtained by Matsuno for the MRG wave on the equatorial β‐plane is accurate for values of Lamb's parameter as small as 16, even though the equatorial β‐plane formally provides an asymptotic limit of the equations on the sphere only in the limit of infinite Lamb's parameter.
Guaranteeing the convergence of the saddle formulation for weakly constrained 4D‐Var data assimilation
Authors: Gratton Serge , Gürol Selime , Simon Ehouarn , Toint Philippe L.
Published: June 2018

This paper discusses convergence issues for the saddle variational formulation of the weakly constrained 4D‐Var method in data assimilation, a method whose main interests are its parallelizable nature and its limited use of the inverse of the correlation matrices. It is shown that the method, in its original form, may produce erratic results or diverge because of the inherent lack of monotonicity of the produced objective function values. Convergent, variationally coherent variants of the algorithm are then proposed which largely retain the desirable features of the original proposal, and the circumstances in which these variants may be preferable to other approaches is briefly discussed.
Final results of the search for νμ → νe oscillations with the OPERA detector in the CNGS beam
Authors:   The OPERA collaboration, Agafonova N. , Aleksandrov A. , Anokhina A. , Aoki S. , Ariga A. , Ariga T. , Bertolin A. , Bozza C. , Brugnera R. , Buonaura A. , Buontempo S. , Chernyavskiy M. , Chukanov A. , Consiglio L. , D’Ambrosio N. , De Lellis G. , De Serio M. , del Amo Sanchez P. , Di Crescenzo A. , Di Ferdinando D. , Di Marco N. , Dmitrievsky S. , Dracos M. , Duchesneau D. , Dusini S. , Dzhatdoev T. , Ebert J. , Ereditato A. , Favier J. , Fini R. A. , Fornari F. , Fukuda T. , Galati G. , Garfagnini A. , Gentile V. , Goldberg J. , Gornushkin Y. , Gorbunov S. , Grella G. , Guler A. M. , Gustavino C. , Hagner C. , Hara T. , Hayakawa T. , Hollnagel A. , Hosseini B. , Ishiguro K. , Iuliano A. , Jakovcic K. , Jollet C. , Kamiscioglu C. , Kamiscioglu M. , Kim S. H. , Kitagawa N. , Klicek B. , Kodama K. , Komatsu M. , Kose U. , Kreslo I. , Laudisio F. , Lauria A. , Ljubicic A. , Longhin A. , Loverre P. , Malgin A. , Malenica M. , Mandrioli G. , Matsuo T. , Matveev V. , Mauri N. , Medinaceli E. , Meisel F. , Meregaglia A. , Mikado S. , Miyanishi M. , Mizutani F. , Monacelli P. , Montesi M. C. , Morishima K. , Muciaccia M. T. , Naganawa N. , Naka T. , Nakamura M. , Nakano T. , Niwa K. , Okateva N. , Ogawa S. , Ozaki K. , Paoloni A. , Paparella L. , Park B. D. , Pasqualini L. , Pastore A. , Patrizii L. , Pessard H. , Podgrudkov D. , Polukhina N. , Pozzato M. , Pupilli F. , Roda M. , Roganova T. , Rokujo H. , Rosa G. , Ryazhskaya O. , Sato O. , Schembri A. , Shakiryanova I. , Shchedrina T. , Shibuya H. , Shibayama E. , Shiraishi T. , Simone S. , Sirignano C. , Sirri G. , Sotnikov A. , Spinetti M. , Stanco L. , Starkov N. , Stellacci S. M. , Stipcevic M. , Strolin P. , Takahashi S. , Tenti M. , Terranova F. , Tioukov V. , Vasina S. , Vilain P. , Voevodina E. , Votano L. , Vuilleumier J. L. , Wilquet G. , Yoon C. S.
Published: June 2018

Abstract

The OPERA experiment has discovered the tau neutrino appearance in the CNGS muon neutrino beam, in agreement with the 3 neutrino flavour oscillation hypothesis. The OPERA neutrino interaction target, made of Emulsion Cloud Chambers, was particularly efficient in the reconstruction of electromagnetic showers. Moreover, thanks to the very high granularity of the emulsion films, showers induced by electrons can be distinguished from those induced byπ0s, thus allowing the detection of charged current interactions of electron neutrinos. In this paper the results of the search for electron neutrino events using the full dataset are reported. An improved method for the electron neutrino energy estimation is exploited. Data are compatible with the 3 neutrino flavour mixing model expectations and are used to set limits on the oscillation parameters of the 3+1 neutrino mixing model, in which an additional mass eigenstatem4is introduced. At high Δm412(≳0.1 eV2), an upper limit on sin22θμeis set to 0.021 at 90% C.L. and Δm412 ≳ 4 × 10− 3eV2is excluded for maximal mixing in appearance mode.
Huntington-Erkrankung
Authors: Nguyen Hoa Huu Phuc , Weydt Patrick
Published: July 2018

Die Huntington-Krankheit (HK) ist eine der häufigsten autosomal-dominant vererbten monogenetischen Erkrankungen des Erwachsenenalters. Klinisch ist die HK klassischerweise durch eine Kombination aus Bewegungsstörung, kognitivem Abbau und psychiatrischen Auffälligkeiten gekennzeichnet. Die Erkrankung verläuft progredient über einen Zeitraum von typischerweise 15–20 Jahren und führt in der Regel zum Tod durch Komplikationen wie eine Pneumonie bei Dysphagie oder durch Suizid. Obwohl die ursächliche Mutation seit mehr als 25 Jahren bekannt ist, konnte bisher keine wirksame neuroprotektive oder kausale Therapie gefunden werden. In diesem Artikel geben wir einen Überblick über die klinische Präsentation, Genetik, neuropathologischen und molekularen Veränderungen sowie die neuen Behandlungen der HK. Zudem geben wir einen kurzen Einblick über relevante Tiermodelle und laufende Studien und präsentieren die Besonderheiten in der genetischen Beratung im Rahmen der prädiktiven und pränatalen Diagnostik.
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Young Adult Provision on Childbearing: Evidence From Tax Data
Authors: Heim Bradley , Lurie Ithai , Simon Kosali
Published: July 2018

We use panel U.S. tax data spanning 2008–2013 to study the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) young adult provision on an important demographic outcome: childbearing. The impact is theoretically ambiguous: gaining insurance may increase access to contraceptive services while also reducing the out-of-pocket costs of childbirth. Because employer-reported U.S. Wage and Tax Statements (W-2 forms) record access to employer-provided benefits, we can examine the impact of the coverage expansion by focusing on young adults whose parents have access to benefits. We compare those who are slightly younger than the age threshold with those who are slightly older. Our results suggest that the ACA young adult provision led to a modest decrease in childbearing.
Experiential Learning: Helping Students to Become ‘Career-Ready’
Authors: Spanjaard Daniela , Hall Tim , Stegemann Nicole
Published: June 2018

Today's graduates face a competitive entry-level job market whilst at the same time employers from all areas of business plea for alumni who are ‘work-ready’. There is an underlying expectation that throughout their studies, graduates have opportunities where they are actively engaged in other areas of their education apart from just achieving final grades. Whilst ‘work ready’ remains an important goal, higher education institutions should consider the longer term alternate: the ‘career-ready’ graduate. This conceptual paper considers this principle and proposes a range of alternative experiential learning activities to equip marketing students with ‘real world’ experiences. It aims to show that by offering students opportunities that incorporate not only the ‘organisational’ perspective, but also those of the customer, and the living context in which the interaction is experienced, they will have a far more holistic viewpoint to make informed decisions about the direction in which to develop their career.