bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recursos educativos digitales propuestos por el Ministerio de Educación de Chile para atender a estudiantes que asocian algún tipo de discapacidad
Authors: Ortíz Yorka Tatiana , Soto Olivia Del Carmen , Muñoz Sonia Isabel
Published: July 2019

Los recursos educativos digitales contribuyen en forma indiscutible a la construcción de comunidades educativas inclusivas, contribuyendo con ambientes de aprendizaje favorables en los estudiantes a partir de la interacción entre ambos, ya que respeta los ritmos y estilos de aprendizaje, aportando a la innovación y orientada a la igualdad. El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar los recursos educativos digitales propuestos por el Ministerio de Educación de Chile para estudiantes que asocian algún tipo de discapacidad, desde una perspectiva mixta, en los ámbitos técnicos, pedagógicos y de accesibilidad. Los resultados dejan en evidencia falencias básicas como que los recursos no están disponibles, presentan debilidades pedagógicas; se concentran mayoritariamente en necesidades educativas de tipo permanente, la mayor parte son recursos extranjeros y lo más importante es que no se cuenta con recursos educativos clasificados a nivel de excelencia.
Facebook Utilisation to Enhance English Writing Skill
Authors: Sabaruddin .
Published: July 2019

This paper aims to investigate the use of Facebook in enhancing English writing skill of Indonesian students in the secondary high school context. The result of this research is hopefully beneficial to overcome English writing difficulties of secondary high school students in Indonesia. The discussion informs that Facebook utilisation in teaching writing improves learners motivation to write in English, increases grammar mastery of the students, and provides abundant learning materials for the learners to develop their English writing ability. The result of this study will be useful as a reference for English teachers to adjust Facebook use into their teaching practice in order to help students in improving their English writing skill.
Insect Species Damaging Industrial Wood in Western Black Sea Region of Turkey
Authors: Yalçın Mesut , Akçay Çağlar , Taşçıoğlu Cihat , Yüksel Beşir
Published: July 2019

Insect species collected in log depots in Western Black Sea Region of Turkey were identified. The study covered two years, 2015 and 2016, in 21 log depots in seven provinces (Duzce, Bolu, Zonguldak, Bartin, Karabuk, Kastamonu and Sinop). The study area was divided into three sub regions and each sub region was analyzed for insect species, their prevalence and intensities. Overall, four orders, 22 families, 74 genera and 57 species were described in log depots of the study area. Sub region 1 (Düzce-Bolu) showed the highest diversity in terms of insect species and sub region 2 (Zonguldak-Bartin) had the lowest diversity. Dorcus parallelipipedus Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) and Rhagium inquisitor Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) were found in all provinces studied. Based on wood species analysis, Scots pine wood had the highest diversity in insect species, followed by fi r, oak and beech. The study also described some important wood-destroying insect species from the families Anobiidae, Buprestidae and Cerambycidae. Buprestis dalmatina (Mannerheim, 1837) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Leptura aurulenta (Fabricius, 1792) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and Stictoleptura scutellata (Fabricius, 1781) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), all wood-destroying insect species, were identified for the first time in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey.
Comparison of Birch and Beech Wood in Terms of Economic and Technological Properties for Plywood Manufacturing
Authors: Cakiroglu Evren Osman , Demir Aydin , Aydin Ismail
Published: July 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of birch wood, one of the most important wood species used in the plywood industry, especially in Europe, the Nordic countries, Poland, Belarus and Russia as an alternative to beech wood. For this purpose, comparison was made of their economic and technological properties. In five-ply plywood manufacturing, beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) and birch (Betula pendula) veneer sheets were used with melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF) and urea formaldehyde (UF) resins. Some mechanical properties such as shear strength, bending strength and modulus of elasticity of plywood panels were conducted according to EN 314-1 and EN 310, respectively. Mean mechanical strength obtained for birch plywood panels was quite above the limit values specified in the related standards. When taking into consideration the annual increment of beech and birch trees in 1 ha and the time they need to reach suitable diameters for the manufacturing of rotary cut veneers, it was calculated that birch trees provide 2.46 times more physical harvesting than beech trees.
Modeling Latent Heat Fluxes of Water in Logs during their Freezing
Authors: Deliiski Nencho , Tumbarkova Natalia
Published: July 2019

This paper suggests a methodology for mathematical modelling and research of two interconnected problems: 2D non-stationary temperature distribution in logs subjected to freezing and change in the latent heat fluxes of the free and bound water in logs during the freezing process. For the purpose of this methodology, a 2-dimensional mathematical model has been created, solved, and verified for the transient non-linear heat conduction in logs during their freezing at convective boundary conditions. The model includes a mathematical description of the specific latent heat fluxes, qLHv-fw and qLHv-bw, formed by the freezing of the free and bound water in the logs, respectively. The paper presents solutions of the model with explicit form of the finite-difference method in the calculation environment of Visual Fortran Professional and its verification in accordance with our own experimental studies. The paper presents the results of simulation analysis of 2D non-stationary temperature distribution in the longitudinal section of pine log with a diameter of 0.24 m, length of 0.48 m, and moisture content above the hygroscopic range during its 30-hour freezing in a freezer at the temperature of the processing air medium of approximately –30 °C. The change in the latent heat fluxes qLHv-fw and qLHv-bw during the log freezing is presented, visualized, and analyzed.
Comparative evaluation of the diagnostic value of biopsy and NBI endoscopy in patients with cancer of the hypopharynx and larynx
Authors: Wacławek Magdalena , Miłoński Jarosław , Olszewski Jurek
Published: July 2019

INTRODUCTION: Novel endoscopic technique - Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) seems to be a promising method for an early detection of neoplastic lesions of the upper aerodigestive tract. Compared to white light endoscopy, NBI improves the visualisation of the mucosal and submucosal microvascular patterns of observed pathologies. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of biopsy and NBI in patients with cancer of the larynx and hypopharynx. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted in 100 adult subjects hospitalized in the Clinic of Otolaryngology, Laryngological Oncology, Audiology and Phoniatrics of Military Medical Academy University Teaching Hospital in Lodz, who were planned for surgical procedures for excision or surgical biopsy of pathological lesions of the hypopharynx or larynx. The following examinations were performed: subjective and objective, otorhinolaryngological, NBI endoscopy and histopathological assessment of suspicious lesions. The microvascular pattern of observed lesions was assessed according to the Ni scale criteria. The next stage of the study was to compare the endoscopic examination results (type of vascular pattern according to the Ni scale) with the histopathological result. The obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis. RESULTS: The sensitivity of NBI endoscopy in detection of malignant neoplasms in patients with hypopharynx and larynx lesions is 90.48%, specificity 91.14%, positive predictive value 73.08%, negative predictive value 97.30%. CONCLUSIONS: NBI endoscopy is a modern imaging method, increasing the diagnostic potential of endoscopy in the early detection of malignant lesions within the hypopharynx and larynx.
Green Liquid Chromatographic Methods with Ultraviolet and Tandem Mass Spectrometry Detection: An Application to Ternary Mixture of Paracetamol, Pseudoephedrine, and Cetirizine in Capsules
Authors: Youssef Souha H , Mohamed Dalia , Hegazy Maha A , Badawey Amr
Published: July 2019

Background: Effective chromatographic methods were developed for the determination of a multicomponent capsule prescribed for treating the common cold. Greening approaches were adopted as opposed to conventional methods. Objectives: Two novel, green chromatographic methods were established to quantitatively analyze the combination. Methods: First, an HPLC/UV method utilizing green solvents (water and ethanol) and acetic acid to adjust pH at 5 was accomplished. The stationary phase was a ZorbaxSB-C18 column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm), and peaks were detected at 215 nm. The second method is a highly sensitive ultra-performance LC (UPLC)-MS/MS method in which the greening approach was established through the reduction of the analysis time (2 min), decreased solvent consumption (flow rate 300 μL/min), and the utilization of a small volume of samples (injection volume 2 μL). The mixture was separated using a UPLC-BEH C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) with an isocratic elution using methanol–0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (60+40, v/v) as mobile phase and utilizing diphenhydramine as an internal standard. Positive-ion electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring were applied for detection. Results: Recovery percentages for paracetamol, pseudoephedrine, and cetirizine were 101.70 ± 0.969, 100.18 ± 1.563, and 99.67 ± 1.429 for the HPLC method and 99.18 ± 1.172, 100.03 ± 0.883, and 99.82 ± 0.912 for the UPLC-MS/MS method, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed methods efficiently analyzed paracetamol, pseudoephedrine, and cetirizine in Allercet Cold® capsules. Validation of the proposed methods was in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonization recommendations, and statistical comparison with the reported method displayed no significant difference regarding accuracy and precision. Highlights: Paracetamol, pseudoephedrine, and cetirizine were successfully quantified using two chromatographic methods. The HPLC method developed is considered green, using water and ethanol as a mobile phase. The UPLC-MS/MS method was rapid and determined the three drugs with accuracy at nanogram levels.
New models for instruction: Fusing the ACRL Framework and Roles and Strengths of Teaching Librarians to promote the lifelong learning of teaching librarians
Authors: Armstrong Annie
Published: July 2019

The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education’s emphasis on curiosity, creativity, engagement, and metacognition can guide librarians in designing meaningful learning experiences for students. Inspiring students to learn is arguably contingent upon our sustained engagement as teachers. Can we facilitate and inspire learning without building and expanding our skills and harboring a certain joie de vivre for teaching? To put it bluntly, don’t we have to put on our own masks first? How do we establish habits of mind that nourish our skills and our spirits so that we can remain engaged throughout our teaching lifespans?
A restructured freshman history course: The evolution of a librarian’s role
Authors: Scrivener Laurie
Published: July 2019

In 2012 the history department at the University of Oklahoma (OU) received a mandate from the university’s president to overhaul its U.S. history survey courses. Part of the mandate was that only tenured or tenure-track faculty would teach the survey, and though the classes would be large (around 200 students), there would also be required discussion sessions led by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Writing and critical thinking were also to be incorporated. The department decided to fulfill this mandate by reconstructing the survey classes around primary source-based research and looked to other departments on campus, such as the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Expository Writing Program, and the University Libraries, for support. This article describes how the librarian for history has worked with numerous stakeholders to support this ambitious and constantly evolving project, which attempts to bring historical inquiry to the freshman level.
Internet Reviews
Authors: Roberts Joni R. , Drost Carol A.
Published: July 2019

Jim Crow Museum of Racist MemoriabiliaOwl Research InstituteWageIndicator.org
Evaluation and Comparison of Patterns of Maternal Complications Using Generalized Linear Models of Count Data Time Series
Authors: Odhiambo Collins , Kinoti Freda
Published: July 2019

Studying patterns of maternal complications is critical before, during and after childbirth. However, there is limited information on comparative trends of different maternal complications, particularly, in a resource-limited setting. In this study, we fit six different types of maternal complications namely ante-partum haemorrhage (APH), eclampsia, obstructed labour, post-partum haemorrhage (PPH), ruptured uterus and sepsis to time series generalized linear model. We systematically compare the performance of the model in light of real data by checking its flexibility and serial correlation and the conditional distribution. We then, compute model fitting, assessment and prediction analysis for each maternal complication. Additionally, we provide a comparative review of the results by assessing the effect of intervention 1: basic emergency obstetric and new-born care (BEmONC) and intervention 2: comprehensive emergency obstetric and new-born care (CEmONC) services on trends in maternal complications. Results show that women with APH, eclampsia and obstructed labour at the time of delivery are significantly high. Maternal complication did not statistically vary by counties. The results of count GLM for APH showed presence of Intervention1 (BEmONC) reduces APH by a factor -0.189 (LCI =- 0.298, UCI= -0.0805) while CEmONC was not statistically significance. Similar inference is registered by PPH i.e. Intervention1 (BEmONC) is -0.17 (LCI =-0.258, UCI= - 0.082) while CEmONC remains insignificant. This can be interpreted to mean that public health facilities only require the basic minimum (BEmONC) infrastructure to cub APH and PPH. Mothers with sepsis and eclampsia were significantly more likely to experience maternal and perinatal deaths when delivering at facilities that lack BEmONC. Caregivers, who perform obstetric and maternal care, need be alert of maternal complications associated with PPH and obstructed labour. Introduction of BEmONC and CEmONC packages in maternal and neonatal clinics improved performance of caregivers in reducing maternal and pediatric complications and mortality.
Sharing Economy as Innovative Paradigm Towards Sustainable Development: A Conceptual Review
Authors: Pu Ruihui , Pathranarakul Pairote
Published: July 2019

Sharing economy has been widely described by scholars as diverse phases towards sustainable development concerning its concept, functions, and goals in recent studies. Historically, the concept of "new capitalism" has been aroused the widespread concerns by scholars when defining the concept of sharing behavior of idle resources back to the year 1961. Moreover, scholars considered further the theoretical perspectives of sharing economy from the year 1978 to 2005. And many scholars started conducting the empirical analysis with the impact of sharing economy on specific industries such as tourism, hotel, mobility and financing sectors by the year 2010. However, there were still only a few scholars studied the field of sustainable development of sharing economy particularly in the mobility sectors and potential implication addressed the implementation of governing policies regarding case of the Chinese government. This article is first to review the previous studies on overall development of sharing economy in current situation, conceptualizing and providing the new sustainable model of sharing economy (particularly in sharing Mobility), led to further address the sharing economy in which regarded such an innovative paradigm towards sustainable development concerning with reviews and empirical studies conducted by previous scholars. Significantly, this study provided significant references to the stakeholders (operators), consumers (users), and administering (Chinese government) the sharing platform such potential issue, bringing the government concerned. Theoretically, it also provides such a new research direction with the sustainable model of sharing economy and potential regulating issues for the future research.
Os processos de gestão de pessoas a partir da inclusão de pessoas com deficiência
Authors: Irgang dos Santos Luis Fernando , Fabricio Adriane , Rotili Liane Beatriz , Baggio Daniel Knebel
Published: July 2019

O objetivo deste estudo é analisar a satisfação dos colaboradores com deficiência e a percepção de seus colegas de trabalho quanto as práticas de gestão de pessoas, frente a inclusão e a lei de cotas, em uma Cooperativa de Saúde da região noroeste do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Quanto ao método, realizou-se uma pesquisa com abordagem qualitativa e quantitativa, sendo os dados obtidos através de aplicação de questionário estruturado a 25 profissionais enquadrados como pessoas com deficiência (PcD’s) e 33 colegas de trabalho sem deficiência que atuam em áreas onde as PcD’s estão inseridas. Para análise dos dados se realizou uma triangulação entre os dados obtidos com as PcD’s e colegas de trabalho a partir de cinco dos seis processos de gestão de pessoas definidos pelo autor Chiavenato (2010): agregar, aplicar, recompensar, desenvolver e manter. O estudo evidenciou que os processos de gestão de pessoas na organização em estudo promovem a efetiva inclusão de PcD’s, pois os profissionais com deficiência, em sua maioria, sentem-se satisfeitos, sendo que a maioria dos seus colegas também possui essa percepção, entendendo que a inclusão ocorre não apenas para o cumprimento da lei de cotas, pois há o compromisso da organização com o desenvolvimento das pessoas com deficiência enquanto sujeitos e cidadãos, sendo lhe devolvida a dignidade outrora perdida em meio à discriminação e segregação praticadas pela sociedade.
Vers une clarification de l’intrusivité des applications mobiles servicielles : le cas du gaspillage alimentaire
Authors: Gonzalez Christine , Siadou-Martin Béatrice
Published: July 2019

Afin de se positionner comme des partenaires bienveillants des consommateurs, marques et enseignes développent des applications mobiles « servicielles » qui construisent leur proposition de valeur sur l’utilité et la praticité pour les consommateurs et/ou qui cherchent à modifier leurs comportements alimentaires. Ces nouveaux dispositifs technologiques sont encore peu adoptés par les consommateurs, notamment à cause de leur caractère intrusif. Prenant comme terrain d’application le gaspillage alimentaire, cette recherche mobilise deux enquêtes qualitatives, menées à l’aide d’entretiens semi-directifs, pour fournir une compréhension approfondie de l’intrusivité d’une application mobile « servicielle ». Cinq dimensions sont ainsi mises en lumière : l’intrusivité-aspiration, l’intrusivité-envahissement, l’intrusivité-effraction ainsi que l’intrusivité-usurpation et l’intrusivité-ingérence sur lesquelles peu de recherches ont été menées. Les implications théoriques et managériales sont finalement discutées.
Pluralismo eclesial e ecumenismo: quem é Igreja verdadeira?
Authors: Burmann Claudir
Published: July 2019

Nas últimas décadas, tem havido intensa proliferação de denominações religiosas no contexto brasileiro. A maior parte delas se denomina “Igreja”, uma vez que se situam dentro do campo do cristianismo. Introduzindo novas formas de pregações e práticas, questionam “quem é a verdadeira Igreja” ou intitulam a si mesmas como a verdadeira Igreja. Paradoxalmente, igrejas tradicionais, como a Igreja Católica Apostólica Romana e igrejas protestantes “clássicas”, igualmente questionam a autenticidade e a idoneidade dessas inúmeras denominações eclesiais de história recente. Diante desse quadro, emerge outra questão: com quem caminhar eclesialmente junto em busca da unidade cristã? Ecumenismo permanece um ideal viável, considerando o pluralismo eclesial nesse contexto? É acerca dessa problemática que a presente abordagem tece considerações. O paradigma tradicional de ecumenismo pode estar chegando ao limite de seu esgotamento. Organizações e entidades ecumênicas tradicionais têm tido dificuldades em incorporar esses novos discursos e práticas em suas proposições. Novas formas e parcerias em busca da unidade cristã urgem, necessitando passos além dos que até o momento têm sido dados. Que novas formas e que novas parcerias é questão aberta, diante da pergunta quem é ou quais são verdadeiras igrejas?
Monkey EEG links neuronal color and motion information across species and scales
Authors: Sandhaeger Florian , von Nicolai Constantin , Miller Earl K , Siegel Markus
Published: July 2019

It remains challenging to relate EEG and MEG to underlying circuit processes and comparable experiments on both spatial scales are rare. To close this gap between invasive and non-invasive electrophysiology we developed and recorded human-comparable EEG in macaque monkeys during visual stimulation with colored dynamic random dot patterns. Furthermore, we performed simultaneous microelectrode recordings from 6 areas of macaque cortex and human MEG. Motion direction and color information were accessible in all signals. Tuning of the non-invasive signals was similar to V4 and IT, but not to dorsal and frontal areas. Thus, MEG and EEG were dominated by early visual and ventral stream sources. Source level analysis revealed corresponding information and latency gradients across cortex. We show how information-based methods and monkey EEG can identify analogous properties of visual processing in signals spanning spatial scales from single units to MEG – a valuable framework for relating human and animal studies.
A new comprehensive eye-tracking test battery concurrently evaluating the Pupil Labs glasses and the EyeLink 1000
Authors: Ehinger Benedikt V. , Groß Katharina , Ibs Inga , König Peter
Published: July 2019

Eye-tracking experiments rely heavily on good data quality of eye-trackers. Unfortunately, it is often the case that only the spatial accuracy and precision values are available from the manufacturers. These two values alone are not sufficient to serve as a benchmark for an eye-tracker: Eye-tracking quality deteriorates during an experimental session due to head movements, changing illumination or calibration decay. Additionally, different experimental paradigms require the analysis of different types of eye movements; for instance, smooth pursuit movements, blinks or microsaccades, which themselves cannot readily be evaluated by using spatial accuracy or precision alone. To obtain a more comprehensive description of properties, we developed an extensive eye-tracking test battery. In 10 different tasks, we evaluated eye-tracking related measures such as: the decay of accuracy, fixation durations, pupil dilation, smooth pursuit movement, microsaccade classification, blink classification, or the influence of head motion. For some measures, true theoretical values exist. For others, a relative comparison to a reference eye-tracker is needed. Therefore, we collected our gaze data simultaneously from a remote EyeLink 1000 eye-tracker as the reference and compared it with the mobile Pupil Labs glasses. As expected, the average spatial accuracy of 0.57° for the EyeLink 1000 eye-tracker was better than the 0.82° for the Pupil Labs glasses (N= 15). Furthermore, we classified less fixations and shorter saccade durations for the Pupil Labs glasses. Similarly, we found fewer microsaccades using the Pupil Labs glasses. The accuracy over time decayed only slightly for the EyeLink 1000, but strongly for the Pupil Labs glasses. Finally, we observed that the measured pupil diameters differed between eye-trackers on the individual subject level but not on the group level. To conclude, our eye-tracking test battery offers 10 tasks that allow us to benchmark the many parameters of interest in stereotypical eye-tracking situations and addresses a common source of confounds in measurement errors (e.g., yaw and roll head movements). All recorded eye-tracking data (including Pupil Labs’ eye videos), the stimulus code for the test battery, and the modular analysis pipeline are freely available (https://github.com/behinger/etcomp).
BioShake: a Haskell EDSL for bioinformatics workflows
Authors: Bedő Justin
Published: July 2019

Typical bioinformatics analyses comprise of long running computational workflows. An important part of reproducible research is the management and execution of these workflows to allow robust execution and to minimise errors. BioShake is an embedded domain specific language in Haskell for specifying and executing computational workflows for bioinformatics that significantly reduces the possibility of errors occurring. Unlike other workflow frameworks, BioShake raises many properties to the type level allowing the correctness of a workflow to be statically checked during compilation, catching errors before any lengthy execution process. BioShake builds on the Shake build tool to provide robust dependency tracking, parallel execution, reporting, and resumption capabilities. Finally, BioShake abstracts execution so that jobs can either be executed directly or submitted to a cluster. BioShake is available at http://github.com/PapenfussLab/bioshake.
Varietal Screening of Wheat against Blast Disease
Authors: Bhuiyan Mahmuda Akter , Haque A. H. M. Mahfuzul , Islam Md. Monirul , Uddin Gazi Tamiz
Published: July 2019

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different wheat varieties against blast disease and to observe the status of seed health of collected wheat varieties. The study was carried out under experimental field and laboratory condition at the Plant Pathology and Seed Science Department, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet during October to March (2016-2017). The seeds collected from the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Jessore including ten different varieties, viz., BARI Gom19, BARI Gom22, BARI Gom23, BARI Gom24, BARI Gom25, BARI Gom26, BARI Gom27, BARI Gom28, BARI Gom29, BARI Gom30 were used in both laboratory and field conditions. In the laboratory, different fungal pathogens like Fusarium oxysporum, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Aspergillus sp., Alternaria sp., Rhizophus sp., Curvularia sp. and Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum were detected using a standard blotter method. In the field, it was found that BARI Gom28 was moderately resistant against blast. It had the lowest disease incidence (21.66%), lowest severity (30%) and also highest result in term of grain yield (5.5 t ha-1). The highest blast disease incidence (66.67%), highest severities (78.33%) and lowest grain yield (1.6 t ha-1) were found in BARI Gom26.
Mining the Cocoa Farm in Osino Community, Ghana
Authors: Ntiamoah Isaac Kwabena Bamfo
Published: July 2019

This paper throws its weight to other writings on mining and livelihood. It assessed illegal small scale mining activities and how it affect cocoa farmers’ livelihood with specific reference to a community in Ghana. A qualitative approach was adopted. The research design was a case study and largely descriptive. Primary data was culled from 35 respondents including affected cocoa farmers, miners and some key stakeholders. It was supported with reports, books and online publications. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify respondents and focus group discussions were held. Key informant interviews and observations were also used for data collection. Afterwards, a content analysis was done on the text and image data generated. Results were presented and discussed under appropriate themes. Results from the findings showed that cocoa farming was the main source of income for people in the community but unfortunately their farms were destroyed and this had had a ripple effect on their livelihood. Again, farmlands were not seized for illegal mining activities; rather it was bought and paid for under compelling circumstances. It was concluded that, both commodities contribute to the nation’s development; hence one should not be substituted for the other, rather, small scale mining should be done in a legal and properly planned manner so not to affect cocoa farmers’ livelihood negatively.
Antibacterial Properties of the Predominant Microorganisms Isolated from Fermenting Cassava Tubers during fufu Production against Selected Enteropathogenic Bacteria
Authors: Adegbehingbe Kehinde Tope, , Fakoya Soji, , Marcus Bello, Oluyemi, , Adeleke Bartholomew Saanu, , Fagbohun Olatomide Samuel, , Adejoro Damola Olabanji,
Published: July 2019

Aim: This research investigated the antibacterial activities of the predominant microorganisms isolated from fermenting cassava mash during fufu production against selected enteropathogenic bacteria.

Methodology: Microbiological analysis was carried out on the mash on daily basis during the three-day fermentation period. The pH, TTA and temperature of the fufu were also evaluated. The antibacterial activities of dominant microorganisms from the mash were assayed against the isolated microorganisms and test isolates using disc and agar diffusion methods.

Results: The bacteria isolated from the fermenting mash include Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus fermentum, L. plantarum, Pediococcus acidilactici, Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus aureus while the fungi were Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, A. fumigatus, Geotrichum candidum, Penicillium expansum and Rhizospus stolonifer. The predominant microorganisms were L. plantarum, L. mesenteroides, A. niger, A. fumigatus and G. candidum. The total bacterial, lactic acid bacterial and fungal counts increased from 2.5X105 cfu/ml, 2.0X105 cfu/ml and 1.5X103 cfu/ml to 7.6X106 cfu/ml, 6.7X106 cfu/ml and 1.0X106 cfu/ml respectively. The temperature of cassava mash increased from 26°C to 30°C. The pH decreased from 6.80 to 4.22 while the total titratable acidity increased from 0.70% to 0.94%. Escherichia coli, P. mirabilis, S. typhimurium and S. aureus were inhibited by  L. plantarum and L. mesenteroides while E. agglomerans and K. pneumoniae were resistant to L. plantarum and L. mesenteroides respectively. Aspergillus niger and G. candidum inhibited S. aureus but E. agglomerans, K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis and S. typhimurium were not affected. Enterobacter agglomerans, E. coli, P. mirabilis and S. aureus were inhibited by A. fumigatus while K. pneumoniae and S. typhimurium were resistant.

Conclusion: These results suggested that consumption of fufu and other fermented cassava tubers could enhance less susceptibility to diseases caused by the test bacteria and fufu may be recommended for people suffering from infections caused by these microorganisms.
Antibacterial Activity of Locally Prepared Herbal Cough Extracts against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Maxine Atuheirwe , Iramiot Jacob Stanley
Published: July 2019

Aim: Cough due to Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae is currently managed by conventional antibiotics and herbal extracts in Uganda. However, much as these herbal extracts are extensively used, their antibacterial activity is not known. This study aimed at determining the antibacterial activity of the selected locally prepared herbal cough extracts against two bacterial strains i.e. Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 700603), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (ATCC 49619).

Methods: The herbal cough extracts were screened for antibacterial activity using Agar-well diffusion method for determining zone of inhibition, macro broth dilution method for Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) determination and Streak plate method for Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC).

Results: In vitro evaluation of antibacterial activity of the 5 brands of herbal cough extracts against K. pneumoniae and S. pneumoniae   revealed that all extracts possessed significant antimicrobial effects against all microorganisms tested (p < 0.05). However, MM04 (35.6±0.0) mm and MM03 (33.6±1.5) mm had maximum zones of inhibition as compared to other herbal extracts against K. pneumoniae and S. pneumoniae respectively. Average MIC results for extracts against K. pneumoniae   indicated that MM01 had the highest MIC (2.5000 mg/ml) while MM03 had the least MIC (0.0625 mg/ml). Average MIC results for extracts against S. pneumoniae showed MM01 had the highest MIC (2.0000 mg/ml) while MM03 3 had the least MIC (0.0438 mg/ml). Average MBC results for extracts against K. pneumoniae indicated that MM01 had the highest MBC (4.000 mg/ml) while MM03 had the least MBC (0.030 mg/ml). Average MBC results for extracts against S. pneumoniae showed MM01 had the highest MBC (4.000 mg/ml) while MM03 had the least MBC (0.033 mg/ml).

Conclusion: The results obtained in present study were revealed that locally prepared herbal extracts had significant antibacterial activity. Hence they can be used as promising alternatives of antibiotics used against Respiratory Tract Infections due to K. pneumoniae and S. pneumoniae.
Microstructure Evolution and Phase Transformation of Ti‐1.0 wt%Fe Alloy with an Equiaxed α + β Initial Microstructure during High‐Pressure Torsion and Subsequent Annealing
Authors: Chong Yan , Deng Guanyu , Shibata Akinobu , Tsuji Nobuhiro
Published: July 2019

Herein, the microstructure evolution and phase transformation during high‐pressure torsion (HPT) and subsequent annealing of Ti‐1.0 wt%Fe alloy with an equiaxed α + β initial microstructure are investigated. Both α and β grains in the initial microstructure fragment into smaller and elongated areas during HPT. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that the deformation‐induced α to ω and β to ω phase transformations occur from the onset of HPT deformation. The β phase totally disappears after 1.5 rotations, whereas some α phase still remains even after 4 rotations. The nano‐hardness of β grains is much larger than that of α grains in the initial microstructure, due to the nano‐sized athermal ω precipitates inside the β grains. With an increase in the HPT rotation, the nano‐hardness of prior α areas continuously increases, whereas that of the prior β areas gradually decreases. During the subsequent annealing of HPT‐deformed sample, both ω to α and ω to β reverse‐phase transformations occur, and the deformation‐induced ω phase totally disappears at annealing temperatures above 400 °C. The recrystallization of α phase completes at an annealing temperature of 500 °C. At higher annealing temperatures, secondary α precipitates with ultrafine grain sizes start to appear inside the prior β areas.
Interfacial Octahedral Manipulation Imparts Hysteresis‐Free Metal to Insulator Transition in Ultrathin Nickelate Heterostructure
Authors: Dong Yongqi , Ma Zhiyuan , Luo Zhenlin , Zhou Hua , Fong Dillon D. , Wu Wenbin , Gao Chen
Published: July 2019

Much like epitaxial strain, engineering oxygen octahedral rotations (OORs) in perovskite oxide thin films can be a powerful means of manipulating their physical and chemical properties. Here, it is demonstrated that the fundamental character of the metal‐insulator transition (MIT) can be sensitively controlled by the structure of the oxygen sublattice for NdNiO3 thin films grown epitaxially on NdGaO3 (110) substrates. The MIT is sharp and hysteretic for a Ni‐O‐Ni bond angle of 154.0° (6 nm thick film) like the bulk behavior, while it is diffuse and largely nonhysteretic for a bond angle of 149.5° (3 nm thick film), stemming from the smaller bond angle of the NdGaO3 substrate. Using synchrotron X‐ray diffraction to quantify the geometric framework of the oxygen sublattice, it is found that the influence of the substrate OORs propagates and decays after a few nanometers into the ultrathin film. The sublattice structure in the 6 nm thick film is similar to that for bulk NdNiO3, leading to the sharp and hysteretic MIT.
Balancing Light Absorption and Charge Transport in Vertical SnS2 Nanoflake Photoanodes with Stepped Layers and Large Intrinsic Mobility
Authors: Giri Binod , Masroor Maryam , Yan Tao , Kushnir Kateryna , Carl Alexander D. , Doiron Curtis , Zhang Haochuan , Zhao Yanyan , McClelland Arthur , Tompsett Geoffrey A. , Wang Dunwei , Grimm Ronald L. , Titova Lyubov V. , Rao Pratap M.
Published: July 2019

Significant optical absorption in the blue–green spectral range, high intralayer carrier mobility, and band alignment suitable for water splitting suggest tin disulfide (SnS2) as a candidate material for photo‐electrochemical applications. In this work, vertically aligned SnS2 nanoflakes are synthesized directly on transparent conductive substrates using a scalable close space sublimation (CSS) method. Detailed characterization by time‐resolved terahertz and time‐resolved photoluminescence spectroscopies reveals a high intrinsic carrier mobility of 330 cm2 V−1 s−1 and photoexcited carrier lifetimes of 1.3 ns in these nanoflakes, resulting in a long vertical diffusion length of ≈1 µm. The highest photo‐electrochemical performance is achieved by growing SnS2 nanoflakes with heights that are between this diffusion length and the optical absorption depth of ≈2 µm, which balances the competing requirements of charge transport and light absorption. Moreover, the unique stepped morphology of these CSS‐grown nanoflakes improves photocurrent by exposing multiple edge sites in every nanoflake. The optimized vertical SnS2 nanoflake photoanodes produce record photocurrents of 4.5 mA cm−2 for oxidation of a sulfite hole scavenger and 2.6 mA cm−2 for water oxidation without any hole scavenger, both at 1.23 VRHE in neutral electrolyte under simulated AM1.5G sunlight, and stable photocurrents for iodide oxidation in acidic electrolyte.
Alkyl Chain Length Effects of Polymer Donors on the Morphology and Device Performance of Polymer Solar Cells with Different Acceptors
Authors: Pang Shuting , Zhang Ruiwen , Duan Chunhui , Zhang Song , Gu Xiaodan , Liu Xi , Huang Fei , Cao Yong
Published: July 2019

The development of nonfullerene acceptors has brought polymer solar cells into a new era. Maximizing the performance of nonfullerene solar cells needs appropriate polymer donors that match with the acceptors in both electrical and morphological properties. So far, the design rationales for polymer donors are mainly borrowed from fullerene‐based solar cells, which are not necessarily applicable to nonfullerene solar cells. In this work, the influence of side chain length of polymer donors based on a set of random terpolymers PTAZ‐TPD10‐Cn on the device performance of polymer solar cells is investigated with three different acceptor materials, i.e., a fullerene acceptor [70]PCBM, a polymer acceptor N2200, and a fused‐ring molecular acceptor ITIC. Shortening the side chains of polymer donors improves the device performance of [70]PCBM‐based devices, but deteriorates the N2200‐ and ITIC‐based devices. Morphology studies unveil that the miscibility between donor and acceptor in blend films depends on the side chain length of polymer donors. Upon shortening the side chains of the polymer donors, the miscibility between the donor and acceptor increases for the [70]PCBM‐based blends, but decreases for the N2200‐ and ITIC‐based blends. These findings provide new guidelines for the development of polymer donors to match with emerging nonfullerene acceptors.
Group versus population level demographics: An analysis of comparability using long term data on wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus imitator)
Authors: Hogan Jeremy D. , Jack Katharine M. , Campos Fernando A. , Kalbitzer Urs , Fedigan Linda M.
Published: July 2019

Primates have long been used as indicator species for assessing overall ecosystem health. However, area‐wide census methods are time consuming, costly, and not always feasible under many field conditions. Therefore, it is important to establish whether monitoring a subset of a population accurately reflects demographic changes occurring in the population at large. Over the past 35 years, we have conducted 15 area‐wide censuses in Sector Santa Rosa, Costa Rica. These efforts have revealed important trends in population growth patterns of capuchin monkeys following the protection and subsequent regeneration of native forests. During this same period, we have also intensively studied a subset of the capuchin groups. Comparing these two datasets, we investigate whether the population structures of the closely monitored groups are reliable indicators of area‐wide demographic patterns. We compare the overall group size and the individual age/sex class compositions of study groups and nonstudy groups (i.e., those contacted during area‐wide censuses only). Our study groups contained more individuals overall with a larger proportion of infants, and there were indications that the proportion of adult and subadult males was lower. These differences can be ascribed either to sampling errors or real differences attributable to human presence and/or better habitat quality for the study groups. No other sex/age classes differed, and major demographic changes were simultaneously evident in both study and nonstudy groups. This study suggests that the Santa Rosa capuchin population is similarly impacted by large‐scale ecological patterns observable within our study groups.
Transition Metal‐Free Reduction of Activated Alkenes Using a Living Microorganism
Authors: Brewster Richard C. , Suitor Jack T. , Bennett Adam W. , Wallace Stephen
Published: July 2019

Microorganisms can be programmed to perform chemical synthesis via metabolic engineering. However, despite an increasing interest in the use of de novo metabolic pathways and designer whole‐cells for small molecule synthesis, the inherent synthetic capabilities of native microorganisms remain underexplored. Herein, we report the use of unmodified E. coli BL21(DE3) cells for the reduction of keto‐acrylic compounds and apply this whole‐cell biotransformation to the synthesis of aminolevulinic acid from a lignin‐derived feedstock. The reduction reaction is rapid, chemo‐, and enantioselective, occurs under mild conditions (37 °C, aqueous media), and requires no toxic transition metals or external reductants. This study demonstrates the remarkable promiscuity of central metabolism in bacterial cells and how these processes can be leveraged for synthetic chemistry without the need for genetic manipulation.
Dithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]pyrrole Cored p‐Type Semiconductors Enabling 20 % Efficiency Dopant‐Free Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Zhou Jie , Yin Xinxing , Dong Zihao , Ali Amjad , Song Zhaoning , Shrestha Niraj , Bista Sandip Singh , Bao Qinye , Ellingson Randy J. , Yan Yanfa , Tang Weihua
Published: July 2019

Organic p‐type semiconductors with tunable structures offer great opportunities for hybrid perovskite solar cells (PVSCs). We report herein two dithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]pyrrole (DTP) cored molecular semiconductors prepared through π‐conjugation extension and an N‐alkylation strategy. The as‐prepared conjugated molecules exhibit a highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level of −4.82 eV and a hole mobility up to 2.16×10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1. Together with excellent film‐forming and over 99 % photoluminescence quenching efficiency on perovskite, the DTP based semiconductors work efficiently as hole‐transporting materials (HTMs) for n‐i‐p structured PVSCs. Their dopant‐free MA0.7FA0.3PbI2.85Br0.15 devices exhibit a power conversion efficiency over 20 %, representing one of the highest values for un‐doped molecular HTMs based PVSCs. This work demonstrates the great potential of using a DTP core in designing efficient semiconductors for dopant‐free PVSCs.
Large‐Area Synthesis of Superclean Graphene via Selective Etching of Amorphous Carbon with Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Zhang Jincan , Jia Kaicheng , Lin Li , Zhao Wei , Quang Huy Ta , Sun Luzhao , Li Tianran , Li Zhenzhu , Liu Xiaoting , Zheng Liming , Xue Ruiwen , Gao Jing , Luo Zhengtang , Rummeli Mark H. , Yuan Qinghong , Peng Hailin , Liu Zhongfan
Published: July 2019

Contamination commonly observed on the graphene surface is detrimental to its excellent properties and strongly hinders its application. It is still a great challenge to produce large‐area clean graphene film in a low‐cost manner. Herein, we demonstrate a facile and scalable chemical vapor deposition approach to synthesize meter‐sized samples of superclean graphene with an average cleanness of 99 %, relying on the weak oxidizing ability of CO2 to etch away the intrinsic contamination, i.e., amorphous carbon. Remarkably, the elimination of amorphous carbon enables a significant reduction of polymer residues in the transfer of graphene films and the fabrication of graphene‐based devices and promises strongly enhanced electrical and optical properties of graphene. The facile synthesis of large‐area superclean graphene would open the pathway for both fundamental research and industrial applications of graphene, where a clean surface is highly needed.
Development and characterization of EST‐SSR markers for Saxifraga fortunei var. incisolobata (Saxifragaceae)
Authors: Magota Kana , Takahashi Daiki , Setoguchi Hiroaki
Published: July 2019

Premise

Saxifraga fortunei (Saxifragaceae) includes several infraspecific taxa that are ecologically and morphologically distinct. To investigate the evolutionary history of phenotypic polymorphisms in this species, we developed expressed sequence tag–simple sequence repeat (EST‐SSR) markers for S. fortunei.

Methods and Results

We developed 26 polymorphic markers based on transcriptome data obtained from Illumina HiSeq 2000. Within three populations of S. fortunei var. incisolobata, the number of alleles ranged from four to 25, and the levels of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.200 to 0.847 and from 0.209 to 0.930, respectively. Furthermore, all 26 loci showed transferability for S. fortunei var. obtusocuneata and S. fortunei var. suwoensis, and 18 loci were also successfully amplified in S. acerifolia.

Conclusions

These newly developed EST‐SSR markers will prove useful to infer the evolutionary history of S. fortunei var. incisolobata and its relatives in population genetic studies.
Dynamic investigation and modeling of the nitrogen cometabolism in Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath)
Authors: Petersen Leander A. H. , Lieven Christian , Nandy Subir K. , Villadsen John , Jørgensen Sten B. , Christensen Ib , Gernaey Krist V.
Published: July 2019

The methanotrophic bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus is capable of assimilating methane and oxygen into protein‐rich biomass, however, the diverse metabolism of the microorganism also allows for several undesired cometabolic side‐reactions to occur. In this study, the ammonia cometabolism in
Methylococcus capsulatus is investigated using pulse experiments. Surprisingly
Methylococcus capsulatus oxidizes ammonia to nitrate through a yet unknown mechanism and fixes molecular nitrogen even at a high dissolved oxygen tension. The observed phenomena can be modeled using 14 ordinary differential equations and 18 kinetic parameters, of which 6 were revealed by Morris screening to be identifiable from the experimental data. Monte Carlo simulations showed that the model was robust and accurate even with uncertainty in the parameter values as confirmed by statistical error analysis.