bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of poly‐p‐dioxanone plate on the protection and vitality of cartilage: An animal study
Authors: Gulel Onur , Tuzuner Arzu , Arslan Necmi , Yerlikaya Huseyin Serdar , Yumusak Nihat
Published: December 2018

Objectives/Hypothesis

In septorhinoplasty, septal, auricular, and costal cartilage are often used as autologous graft. Autologous grafts are preferred in nasal reconstruction. The aim of this study was to histopathologically examine the tissue compatibility and the effect on the stability and cartilage vitality of poly‐p‐dioxanone (PDS) plates.

Study Design

Ten adult New Zealand rabbits were used.

Methods

Ten New Zealand rabbits were used. Septal and auricular cartilage sections were removed; one of the two cartilage grafts was left plain, and the other was sutured to a PDS plate. Grafts were placed into the back of the rabbits. After 12 weeks, the graft material was examined microscopically.

Results

The specimens did not cause any significant foreign body reaction. Within 3 months, a significant degree of color, stability, and stiffness was lost. Microscopically, inflammation, necrosis, and cartilage cell degeneration scores were statistically significantly lower in the grafts using PDS (P < .05), and the vascularization, collagen, and cartilage proliferation scores were found to be statistically significantly higher (P < .05). No statistically significant difference was determined in respect of the bone proliferation scores (P > .05).

Conclusions

The use of PDS plates together with cartilage provided mechanical support to the graft. Therefore, changes that disrupt the integrity of the graft, such as inflammation, necrosis, and cartilage cell degeneration, were reduced, and changes that provide greater stability, such as vascularization, collagen, and cartilage proliferation, were increased.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 129:E129–E134, 2019
Variations in carbon‐decomposition enzyme activities respond differently to land use change in central China
Authors: Zhang Qian , Feng Jiao , Wu Junjun , Zhang Dandan , Chen Qiong , Li Qianxi , Long Chunyang , Feyissa Adugna , Cheng Xiaoli
Published: December 2018

The turnover of soil organic carbon (SOC) is primarily regulated by extracellular enzymes secreted by the microorganism. However, how soil C‐decomposition enzymes respond to different land use change remains unclear. Here, we conducted a study to explore seasonal variations in C‐decomposition enzyme activities including hydrolases (α‐glucosidase, β‐glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, and β‐xylosidase) and oxidases (polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase) in woodland, shrubland, cropland, and adjacent uncultivated soils in central China. Soil dissolved organic C (DOC), SOC, labile C (LC), recalcitrant C (RC), soil C recalcitrance index (RIC: RC/SOC ratio), pH, soil moisture, and temperature were also investigated. Both afforested and cropland averaged higher hydrolase and oxidase activities compared with the uncultivated land, with higher levels of enzyme activities in topsoils than deep soils. By comparing with the uncultivated land, higher hydrolytic enzyme activities in afforested soils were mainly attributed to higher DOC and LC contents, whereas higher hydrolase activities in cropland soils were possibly due to lower C:nitrogen (N) ratios and agricultural disturbance (i.e., fertilization and tillage). In contrast, two oxidases activities were the highest in the cropland, which might be attributed to higher RIC and lower C:N ratio. Cropland soils also averaged higher specific enzyme activities (i.e., enzyme activities per unit of SOC) compared with the afforested land, indicating fast C turnover rates in cropland. Seasonal variations in soil enzyme activities were primarily driven by soil temperature and pH. Overall, our results reveal the different underlying mechanisms between hydrolases and oxidases in response to types of land use change.
Vegetable oils as carbon and energy source for Aureobasidium melanogenum in batch cultivation
Authors: van Nieuwenhuijzen Elke J. , Sailer Michael F. , van den Heuvel Edwin R. , Rensink Stephanie , Adan Olaf C. G. , Samson Robert A.
Published: December 2018

Dark homogenous fungal‐based layers called biofinishes and vegetable oils are key ingredients of an innovative wood protecting system. The aim of this study was to determine which of the vegetable oils that have been used to generate biofinishes on wood will provide carbon and energy for the biofinish‐inhabiting fungus Aureobasidium melanogenum, and to determine the effect of the oil type and the amount of oil on the cell yield. Aureobasidium melanogenum was cultivated in shake flasks with different types and amounts of carbon‐based nutrients. Oil‐related total cell and colony‐forming unit growth were demonstrated in suspensions with initially 1% raw linseed, stand linseed, and olive oil. Oil‐related cell growth was also demonstrated with raw linseed oil, using an initial amount of 0.02% and an oil addition during cultivation. Nile red staining showed the accumulation of fatty acids inside cells grown in the presence of oil. In conclusion, each tested vegetable oil was used as carbon and energy source by A. melanogenum. The results indicated that stand linseed oil provides less carbon and energy than olive and raw linseed oil. This research is a fundamental step in unraveling the effects of vegetable oils on biofinish formation.
Intra‐patient variability of heteroplasmy levels in urinary epithelial cells in carriers of the m.3243A>G mutation
Authors: de Laat Paul , Rodenburg Richard J. , Smeitink Jan A. M. , Janssen Mirian C. H.
Published: December 2018

Background

The mitochondrial DNA m.3243A>G mutation is one the most prevalent mutation causing mitochondrial disease in adult patients. Several cohort studies have used heteroplasmy levels in urinary epithelial cells (UEC) to correlate the genotype of the patients to the clinical severity. However, the interpretation of these data is hampered by a lack of knowledge on the intra‐patient variability of the heteroplasmy levels. The goal of this study was to determine the day‐to‐day variation of the heteroplasmy levels in UEC.

Methods

Fifteen carriers of the m.3243A>G mutation collected five urine samples in a 14‐day window. Heteroplasmy levels of the m.3243A>G mutation were determined in these samples. Data from the national cohort study, including Newcastle Mitochondrial Disease Adult Scale scores and clinical diagnosis, were used.

Results

In the samples of six patients, heteroplasmy levels were within a 5% margin. In the samples collected from five patients, the margin was >20%.

Conclusion

Heteroplasmy levels of UEC in carriers of the m.3243A>G mutation have a significant day‐to‐day variation. The interpretation of a correlation between heteroplasmy levels in urine and disease severity is therefore not reliable. Therefore, heteroplasmy levels in UEC should not be used as a prognostic biomarker in these patients.
On pointwise convergence of the family of Urysohn‐type integral operators
Authors: Almali Sevgi Esen
Published: December 2018

In this paper, we consider a family of nonlinear integral operators of Urysohn‐type and study the pointwise convergence of the family at characteristic points of L1−function. The kernel Kλ(x,t,u(t)) depends on the positive parameter λ changing on the set of numbers with the accumulation point at infinity and Kλ(x,t,u(t)) is an entire analytic function of variable u, which is a bounded function belonging to L1(R).
Garcinol Reduces Obesity in High‐Fat‐Diet‐Fed Mice by Modulating Gut Microbiota Composition
Authors: Lee Pei‐Sheng , Teng Chia‐Yi , Kalyanam Nagabhushanam , Ho Chi‐Tang , Pan Min‐Hsiung
Published: December 2018

Scope

Obesity has become a major health problem worldwide and is associated with low‐grade chronic inflammation and intestinal dysbiosis. This study is conducted to investigate the chemopreventive effects of garcinol, a polyisoprenylated benzophenone derivative isolated from the fruit rind of Garcinia indica. How garcinol protects against obesity in high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced mice is delineated and whether its anti‐obesity effects are related to gut microbiota has been determined.

Methods and results

The results show that garcinol reduces HFD‐fed mice body weight gain and relative visceral adipose tissue fat weight in a dose‐dependent manner. Furthermore, garcinol markedly reduces the plasma levels of glutamate pyruvate transaminase, total cholesterol, and triacylglycerol. The 16S rRNA gene sequence data indicate that garcinol not only reverses HFD‐induced gut dysbiosis—as indicated by the decreased Firmicutes‐to‐Bacteroidetes ratios—but also controls inflammation by increasing the intestinal commensal bacteria, Akkermansia. In addition, the AMP‐activated protein kinase α signaling pathway involved in adipocyte adipogenesis is also affected by garcinol.

Conclusion

Taken together, these results demonstrate for the first time that garcinol can prevent HFD‐induced obesity and may be used as a novel gut microbiota modulator to prevent HFD‐induced gut dysbiosis and obesity‐related metabolic disorders.
Ultra‐directive palm tree Vivaldi antenna with 3D substrate lens for μ‐biological near‐field microwave reduction applications
Authors: de Oliveira Alexandre M. , Justo João F. , Serres Alexandre J. R. , Manhani Maria Raquel , Maniçoba Robson H. C. , Perotoni Marcelo B. , Baudrand Henri
Published: December 2018

We present a new Palm Tree Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna with an Exponential Slot Edge and 3D polylactide‐printed Substrate Lens presents an unprecedented directive radiation pattern, and simultaneously mitigates the side lobe level, increases the main lobe gain, and reduces the angular width, for μ‐biological Near‐Field Microwave Reduction Applications.
Accelerated imaging of metallic implants using model‐based nonlinear reconstruction
Authors: Shi Xinwei , Levine Evan , Weber Hans , Hargreaves Brian A.
Published: December 2018

Purpose

To accelerate imaging near metallic implants with multi‐spectral imaging (MSI) techniques by exploiting a signal model in the spectral dimension.

Methods

MSI techniques resolve metal‐induced field perturbations by acquiring separate 3D spatial encodings at multiple excitation frequencies, which are referred to as spectral bins. The proposed model‐based reconstruction exploits the correlation between spectral bins in image reconstruction by enforcing a signal model to describe the signal profile across bins. This work evaluates the accuracy of the MSI signal model in simulations and in vivo experiments. The proposed model‐based reconstruction was evaluated in 6 subjects at an overall undersampling factor of 17.4 and compared with model‐free parallel imaging and compressed sensing (PI & CS). The quality of reconstructed images was evaluated using normalized RMS error (nRMSE) and structural similarity index (SSIM) comparisons, with paired Wilcoxon tests in 6 subjects used to determine whether there was a significant difference in the metrics.

Results

Both simulations and in vivo experiments show that the proposed signal model can represent the MSI signal profiles in the spectral dimension compactly and accurately. In the in vivo experiments, the model‐based reconstruction significantly improved image quality over model‐free PI & CS, with P < 0.05 for both nRMSE and SSIM at 17.4× acceleration.

Conclusion

This work presents the feasibility of using a model‐based reconstruction to accelerate MSI techniques for faster MR imaging near metal.
Data consistency‐driven determination of ‐fluctuations in gradient‐echo MRI
Authors: Meineke Jakob , Nielsen Tim
Published: December 2018

Purpose

Introduce a method to estimate ‐fluctuations based on the analysis of raw k‐space data, without sequence modifications or external hardware, and correct for their detrimental effects in gradient‐echo MRI.

Theory

Inconsistencies in multi‐channel raw k‐space data can be used to estimate ‐fluctuations by exploiting coil‐sensitivity information.

Methods

The proposed method, dubbed consistency navigation, is used to extract ‐fluctuations from ‐weighted 3D gradient‐echo data. These results are compared with the results from an MR phase navigator and respiratory bellows. The spatial variation of the ‐fluctuation amplitude is derived using the sensitivity maps of the coil array and compared with direct measurements based on dynamic 2D gradient‐echo data.

Results

‐fluctuations derived from the consistency navigator and MR phase navigator are highly correlated. Images corrected for these fluctuations show marked improvements in homogeneity and tissue delineation. The spatial variation of the ‐fluctuation amplitude follows closely the variation directly measured from time‐resolved 2D scans.

Conclusions

Based on the consistency navigator, an accurate estimation of the spatiotemporal characteristics of ‐fluctuations and correction of ‐weighted images has been demonstrated.
Nurse telephone education for promoting a treat‐to‐target approach in recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patients: A pilot project
Authors: Farley Siobhan , Libman Bonita , Edwards Melinda , Possidente Carl J. , Kennedy Amanda G.
Published: December 2018

Objective

The aim of the present study was to implement a nurse telephone education programme for patients with recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that promotes shared decision‐making and a treat‐to‐target approach.

Methods

This was a pilot project of newly diagnosed adult RA patients conducted between November 2015 and December 2016. A rheumatology clinic nurse telephoned patients to offer disease education. A toolkit was mailed to patients. Measures included call attempts, call time, a qualitative description of free‐text notes and the proportion of patients who adhered to their next clinic visit. Data were analysed descriptively and qualitatively.

Results

Twenty‐six patients participated in the nurse calls. Most patients were female (65%), with a median age of 54 years (range 22–78 years). Median call length was 14.5 min, with a range of 8–23 min. Qualitative notes indicated that patients overwhelmingly supported the nurse calls. Nineteen patients (73%) were adherent to their follow‐up visit.

Conclusion

This preliminary project successfully implemented an educational programme that included a nurse‐facilitated, RA‐specific, telephone call and toolkit. This educational programme could be a model for similar educational efforts by other clinics.
Study of the 1‐D consolidation behavior of two‐layered soft soils: Parametric studies using a rheological model with viscoplastic body
Authors: Zou Shengfeng , Li Jinzhu , Xie Xinyu , Wang Zhongjin
Published: December 2018

The governing equations for the coupled processes of consolidation and creep of two‐layered soft soils are established. The Nishihara rheological model is adopted to simulate the elasto‐viscoplastic characteristics of soft soils, disregarding the effects of the soil self‐gravity. A semi‐analytical theory combined with numerical and analytical methods is introduced to solve the governing equations of the one‐dimensional rheological model. The computational procedure and the approximate solutions for two‐layered soft soils subjected to surface loading are obtained for two drainage conditions. The solutions and the computational procedure are used to study the effects of the two layers and constitutive parameters on rheological consolidation behavior of soft soils. It can be concluded that two layers affect the rate of excess pore water pressure dissipation and settlement development. The parametric studies show that when the parameters of the upper layer remain constant, increases in the permeability and elastic modulus in the lower layer accelerate the dissipation of the excess pore water pressure, and meanwhile increases in the viscosity coefficient and viscoplastic limit slows down the dissipation of the excess water pressure.
When are anti‐fat attitudes understood as prejudice versus truth? An experimental study of social influence effects
Authors: Lee G. C. , Platow M. J. , Augoustinos M. , Van Rooy D. , Spears R. , Bar‐Tal D.
Published: December 2018

Background/Objectives

If people who hold anti‐fat attitudes believe these attitudes to be true, then anti‐prejudice appeals are likely to be unsuccessful, if only because the targets will not see their attitudes as in need of change. The current study examined processes that may lead people to see their anti‐fat attitudes as ‘truth’ or as ‘prejudice’.

Subjects/Methods

Participants (N = 482) read anti‐fat statements and were then presented with an interpretation of these statements as ‘truth’ or ‘prejudice’. The source of this interpretation was either an (i) in‐group or out‐group member and (ii) expert or non‐expert. Participants' judgements of the statements were expected to vary such that in‐group others and experts would exert more influence than would out‐group others and non‐experts.

Results

Participants aligned their own interpretations of an anti‐fat statement with those of an expert, but not with those of a non‐expert, F(1,466) = 8.97, p < 0.05, ηp2 = 0.02. The group membership variable had no effect on judgements of ‘truth’ or ‘prejudice’ of the anti‐fat statement.

Conclusion

The expressions that people believe constitute anti‐fat prejudice versus truth about people described as overweight are influenced by exposure to expert opinion (in this case, by medical doctors). Implications for the success of weight‐based anti‐prejudice appeals and for healthcare provision are discussed.
Unearthing the challenges and prospects of regional integration in Southern Africa
Authors: Mlambo Daniel N.
Published: December 2018

Regional integration is viewed as a significant initiative with regard to stimulating economic growth amongst member states and enhancing intraregional trade, security initiatives, and bilateral and multilateral agreements. This paper examines the challenges and prospects of African regional integration with the focus on Southern Africa. The paper posits that regional integration is an imperative factor for Southern African states as it plays a pivotal role in stimulating their economic growth prospects. Nonetheless, economic growth prospects realizing the benefits of regional integration seem to be still a work in progress. The paper concludes by outlining that regional integration is a diverse component that entails the private sector and economically advanced regional states such as South Africa to be at the fore in orchestrating developmental blueprints and that there is a need for the necessary support from regional heads of states as so to realize the benefits of regional integration and the benefits it brings with it.
The Effect of Public Insurance Expansions on Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act
Authors: Maclean Johanna Catherine , Saloner Brendan
Published: December 2018

We examine the effect of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on substance use disorder (SUD) treatment utilization and financing. We combine data on admissions to specialty facilities and Medicaid‐reimbursed prescriptions for medications commonly used to treat SUDs in nonspecialty outpatient settings with an event‐study design. Several findings emerge from our study. First, among patients receiving specialty care, Medicaid coverage and payments increased. Second, the share of patients who were uninsured and who had treatment paid for by state and local government payments declined. Third, private insurance coverage and payments increased. Fourth, expansion also increased prescriptions for SUD medications reimbursed by Medicaid. Fifth, we find suggestive evidence that admissions to specialty treatment may have increased one or more years post‐expansion. However, this finding is sensitive to specification and we observe differential pretrends between the treatment and comparison groups. Thus, our finding for admissions should be interpreted with caution.
Simultaneous reinforcement of matrix and fibers for enhancement of mechanical properties of graphene‐modified laminated composites
Authors: Rafiee Mohammad , Nitzsche Fred , Laliberte Jeremy , Thibault Jules , Labrosse Michel R.
Published: December 2018

Fiber and matrix‐dominant properties of fiber‐reinforced polymer composites are important in many structural applications. Pre‐mixing the polymer matrix with nanoparticles could enhance the through‐thickness or matrix‐dominant properties. Surface treatment of fiber reinforcements with nanoparticles, on the other hand, could improve the in‐plane or fiber‐dominated properties of laminated composites, as well as interfacial adhesion. In this article, a novel low‐cost manufacturing method, combining surface treatment of fibers with matrix modification techniques, was devised to incorporate nanoparticles for the simultaneous reinforcement of matrix and fibers without increasing the viscosity of the epoxy matrix. Several graphene‐based nanomaterials, including graphene oxide (GO) and its thermally reduced version (rGO), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were employed to modify the epoxy matrix and the surface of glass fibers. Unmodified and modified epoxy and fibers were used for fabricating multiscale glass fiber‐reinforced composites following the vacuum‐assisted resin transfer molding process. The composites obtained combined improvements in both the fiber and matrix‐dominant properties, resulting in superior composites. We investigated the morphological, rheological and mechanical properties of the glass fiber‐reinforced multiscale composites. The results from testing for tensile properties and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of the glass fiber‐reinforced composites indicate that the introduction of GNPs, GO, rGO, and MWCNTs enhanced mechanical properties. The fracture surfaces of the fiber‐reinforced composites were examined by scanning electron microscopy and we used the micrographs to explain the tensile and ILSS results. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E1732–E1745, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Graphene nanoplatelets in polychloroprene matrix: An insight to dispersion with a special emphasize to electro‐mechanical properties
Authors: Pradhan Sudip , Chattopadhyay Santanu , Ratna Debdatta
Published: December 2018

This work is based on the preparation of graphene‐reinforced elastomeric nanocomposites and an investigation on their electro‐mechanical properties with a special emphasize to electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Polychloroprene rubber (CR) and commercial grade graphene‐based nanocomposites (GnPs) were prepared by using melt mixing and dual mixing (solution followed by melt) technique to study an insight into the dispersion and its effect on various properties namely, mechanical, thermal, conductivity, and EMI shielding, and so on. Dual mixing technique offers better dispersion of graphene platelets compared with melt mixing technique. Therefore, higher filler‐filled nanocomposites were prepared only by using dual mixing technique. A 0.5 wt% GnP containing batches showed 23% improvement in mechanical property in dual mixing technique compared with the 6% in melt mixing technique. Apart from that, it has been observed that upto 5 wt% GnP containing batches the mechanical property was improved using dual mixing technique whereas the same is observed upto 3 wt% GnP containing batches in case of melt mixing technique. 10 wt% GnP‐based nanocomposites prepared by using dual mixing technique shows 23 dB EMI shielding for 2‐mm thick sheet compound. Maximum 26 dB EMI shielding was observed at 15 wt% GnP containing nanocomposites. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E1871–E1883, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
How Can We Recover More Plastics?
Authors:   American Chemistry Council
Published: December 2018

For years, many U.S. communities collected plastics and sent substantial amounts to China for recycling. In turn, China remade those plastics into new products and sold them at home and throughout the world.

U.S. communities kept valuable materials out of landfills, and this helped plastics recycling in the U.S. grow year over year. All good.
Innovation Takes Root in California
Authors: Carlin Conor
Published: December 2018

Innovation Takes Root's organizers put some serious thought into developing a dynamic event that offered more than the typical range of technical Powerpoint presentations. The biannual conference hosted by NatureWorks, developer of the Ingeo PLA polymer and the Vercet lactide chemistry platforms, offered a blend of workshops, fireside chats, seminars, and keynotes that kept the audience engaged over a three‐day period in a location that wasn't limited to windowless, air‐conditioned meeting rooms.
Palladium complexes bearing an N‐heterocyclic carbene–sulfonamide ligand for cooligomerization of ethylene and polar monomers
Authors: Tao Wenjie , Wang Xiaoming , Ito Shingo , Nozaki Kyoko
Published: December 2018

Herein, we report the synthesis of palladium complexes bearing an N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐sulfonamide bidentate ligand and their application in ethylene oligomerization and ethylene/polar monomer cooligomerization. These catalysts could smoothly catalyze ethylene oligomerization and ethylene/methyl acrylate cooligomerization albeit the performance was lower compared to that of a NHC–phenoxide catalyst. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 474–477
Plants and people: Our shared history and future
Authors: Schaal Barbara
Published: December 2018

Societal Impact Statement

Humans and plants have a complex relationship extending far back into our joint evolutionary history. This legacy can be seen today as plants provide nutrition, fiber, pharmaceuticals, and energy for people and animals across the globe. Plant domestication and agriculture allowed human society to develop and our settlements to become more complex. As such, our modern cities and cultures rely in part on the stable and reliable production and distribution of food. This work examines how changes affecting the globe may impact upon the plant–human relationship, and how plant science can approach future change as both a challenge and an opportunity.

Hominids have coevolved with plants for millions of years; the skulls of ancient hominids reflect the nature of the plant species they ate, while more recently we domesticated plants to suit our needs, leading to a dramatic cultural shift from hunter‐gatherer to agricultural societies. Our deep relationship with, and understanding of, plants has enabled us to harness their nutritional, medicinal, and aesthetic benefits. Here, I describe how science can facilitate the further exploration of plant species, providing the information we need to adapt plants to enable us to meet the demands of the growing population or to identify novel plant‐derived compounds with important medical applications. Many of the major global challenges we face will also impact our relationship with plants; we must protect their biodiversity, which holds vital information and solutions that will help us to cope with these problems. Discoveries arising from the research pipeline of basic and applied research will yield new technologies to both utilize and protect our relationship with plants in the future.
Nickel‐Based Sulfide Materials for Batteries
Authors: Wang Yan , Pang Huan
Published: December 2018

Metal sulfide materials with high specific capacity, good cyclic and rate performance become a hot spot in the research of batteries. As one of the important representatives, nickel‐based sulfide nanomaterials with good electronic conductivities and a high capacity already have attracted a lot of publicity in terms of battery devices. Based on the current most advanced research, this review mainly introduces some synthetic methods and the applications of nickel‐based sulfide nanomaterials in lithium ion batteries, and other batteries. The abreast of developments in the area of nickel‐based sulfide nanomaterials for batteries is summarized.
Michael‐Reaction‐Based Simple “Turn‐On” Fluorescent Chemodosimeter to Detect Cys in Partial Aqueous Medium
Authors: Srivastava Priyanka , Gupta Ramesh Chandra , Misra Arvind
Published: December 2018

The present work describes design and synthesis of dicyanovinylpyrene as a molecular probe 1. The photophysical studies of probe 1 shows intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) behavior. Probe 1 upon interaction with different amino acids in partial aqueous medium shows high selectivity for cysteine (Cys) through a chemical reaction based chemodosimeter approach. The observed change in the photophysical behavior and fluorescence “turn–on” response upon interaction with Cys is attributed to the formation of Michael type adduct in the medium. The mode of interaction between probe 1 and Cys has been confirmed by the 1HNMR, 13CNMR, HRMS spectroscopic data and significant change in the morphological feature.
Porous Javelin‐Like NiFe2O4 Nanorods as n‐Propanol Sensor with Ultrahigh‐Performance
Authors: Wang Xiao‐Feng , Sun Kai‐Ming , Li Shao‐Jie , Song Xue‐Zhi , Cheng Li , Ma Wei
Published: December 2018

The online detection of n‐propanol concentration is required for health and safety issues in industry. Herein, through a morphology‐inherited annealing treatment of Ni/Fe bimetallic metal‐organic framework as the template, this paper reported the synthesis of porous javelin‐like NiFe2O4 nanorods. As gas sensing material, the ferrite showed n‐type gas‐sensing behavior as its resistance decreased in reducing gas atmospheres, and exhibited excellent n‐propanol sensing performance (the sensing response is 6.4 to 5 ppm) with ultralow detection limits (0.41 ppm) and ultrahigh gas sensitivity (1.13 ppm−1) toward n‐propanol at relatively low working temperature (120 °C). Meanwhile, the sensor showed good selectivity to n‐propanol as well as excellent cyclic and long‐term stability. The unique morphology and porous structure of NiFe2O4 nanorods may be responsible for the excellent performance, which offer more reactive sites and accelerate the diffusion of n‐propanol gas. This facile method of preparing porous metal oxides could be extended to fabricate other gas sensing materials applied to detect other target gases.
Soft‐templating Synthesis of Mesoporous Metal–Organic Frameworks with Enhanced Toluene Adsorption Capacity
Authors: Duan Chongxiong , Yang Minhui , Li Feier , Li Yanyan , Peng Anguo , Luo Shaojuan , Xi Hongxia
Published: December 2018

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) commonly have uniform micropores (pore dimension < 2 nm), which may restrict their practical applications involving large molecules. Although quite a little approaches have been developed to prepare mesoporous metal–organic frameworks (meso‐MOFs), challenge remains in the preparation of meso‐MOFs with controllable/tunable porosity. Here we developed a reliable method to rationally design and synthesize meso‐Cu‐BTC materials through utilizing a novel amphiphilic surfactant as the template. X‐ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption isotherms and pore size distributions were applied to characterize the attained meso‐MOF products, the characterization analyses indicated that the as‐synthesized products possess multimodal pore size distribution with micropores and well‐ordered mesopores. Moreover, the porosity properties of the meso‐Cu‐BTC could be systematically controlled by varying the ratio of H2O/EtOH, the amount and type of the template. Owing to the well‐order mesoporous structure, the meso‐Cu‐BTC exhibited high uptake capacity of 152 cm3⋅g−1, about 20% higher as compared with conventional counterpart (128 cm3⋅g−1) for the capture of toluene. This work provides a new strategy to prepare meso‐MOFs with tunable porosity that would fulfill a wide range of applications involving large molecules.
Synthesis and Biological Uses of A3B Type Water‐Soluble Phthalocyanine Alternate to Alcian Blue
Authors: Özçeşmeci Mukaddes , Sancar‐Baş Serap , Akkurt Barbaros , Hamuryudan Esin , Bolkent Şehnaz
Published: December 2018

This study describes the synthesis and characterization of new non‐symmetric cationic phthalocyanine derivatives and their capability for use in staining of microscopic normal and pathological tissue sections, polyacrylamide gel staining, and spectrophotometric analyses. These new synthesized compounds have specifically stained the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the matrix of cartilage tissue of the trachea. In addition, the mucus produced by the stomach, the small intestine and the colon tissue were stained with non‐symmetrical cationic phthalocyanines comparable to the Alcian Blue 8GX. In addition, the determination of GAGs and glycoproteins in polyacrylamide gels has also been evaluated. Besides, the usage of these compounds to spectrophotometrically measure GAGs in biological fluids was also investigated. We have found that 6 and 7 are good alternatives to Alcian Blue 8GX due to comparable staining performance and interaction with biological molecules, especially acidic components such as acidic GAGs and mucin. These dyes have good solubility with quaternary ammonium groups effecting their binding performance to biological molecules.
Survey on establishing the optimal number of factors in exploratory factor analysis applied to data mining
Authors: Iantovics Laszlo Barna , Rotar Corina , Morar Florica
Published: December 2018

In many types of researches and studies including those performed by the sciences of agriculture and plant sciences, large quantities of data are frequently obtained that must be analyzed using different data mining techniques. Sometimes data mining involves the application of different methods of statistical data analysis. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) is frequently used as a technique for data reduction and structure detection in data mining. In our survey, we study the EFA applied to data mining, focusing on the problem of establishing of the optimal number of factors to be retained. The number of factors to retain is the most important decision to take after the factor extraction in EFA. Many researchers discussed the criteria for choosing the optimal number of factors. Mistakes in factor extraction may consist in extracting too few or too many factors. An inappropriate number of factors may lead to erroneous conclusions. A comprehensive review of the state‐of‐the‐art related to this subject was made. The main focus was on the most frequently applied factor selection methods, namely Kaiser Criterion, Cattell's Scree test, and Monte Carlo Parallel Analysis. We have highligthed the importance of the analysis in some research, based on the research specificity, of the total cumulative variance explained by the selected optimal number of extracted factors. It is necessary that the extracted factors explain at least a minimum threshold of cumulative variance. ExtrOptFact algorithm presents the steps that must be performed in EFA for the selection of the optimal number of factors. For validation purposes, a case study was presented, performed on data obtained in an experimental study that we made on Brassica napus plant. Applying the ExtrOptFact algorithm for Principal Component Analysis can be decided on the selection of three components that were called Qualitative, Generative, and Vegetative, which explained 92% of the total cumulative variance.

This article is categorized under:

Algorithmic Development > Statistics

Algorithmic Development > Biological Data Mining

Algorithmic Development > Structure Discovery
Interactions and Identities in UK Asylum Appeals: Lawyers and Law in a Quasi-Legal Setting
Authors: Hambly Jessica
Published: December 2018

This chapter explores the complex nature of refugee determination through the experiences and work of lawyers in asylum appeals at the UK First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). It highlights the dilemma whereby asylum appeals are generally anticipated to be determined within a system of legal norms, whereas what is frequently encountered is the exclusionary politics of immigration control. Key to analysis here is an exploration of the significance of relationships and communication between tribunal actors situated in multiple, intersecting social fields. By looking at professional backgrounds, personal relationships and organisational dynamics, we gain a sense of how legal values of fairness and justice in refugee determination procedures are so often subsumed by political, administrative and economic concerns to control migration.
Taking the ‘Just’ Decision: Caseworkers and Their Communities of Interpretation in the Swiss Asylum Office
Authors: Affolter Laura , Miaz Jonathan , Poertner Ephraim
Published: December 2018

Decision-making in street-level bureaucracies has often been portrayed as being riddled with a practical dilemma: that of having to juggle between compassion and rigid rule-following. However, drawing on three ethnographic studies of Swiss asylum administration, we argue that often what are from the ‘outside’ perceived as conflicting rationales of decision-making, are not experienced as such by the caseworkers themselves. Rather these different rationales are made to fit. We argue that decision-makers’ ‘volitional allegiance’ with the office plays a crucial role thereby. For the caseworkers we encountered, decision-making is about taking ‘just decisions’, i.e. decisions that they consider ‘correct’ and ‘fair’. We suggest that these notions of correctness and fairness are crucially influenced by their affiliations and allegiances with different ‘communities of interpretation’ within the office.
Legal Overview
Authors: Craig Sarah , Zwaan Karin
Published: December 2018

Common rules on most aspects of the asylum process are in force in the European Union (EU), building on the international refugee protection regime. This so-called EU asylum acquis has resulted in a “Common European Asylum System (CEAS)”. The CEAS consists of rules to determine which Member State is responsible for determining an asylum claim; to define asylum seekers’ entitlements and obligations as regards their reception in Member States; to regulate the asylum procedure itself; and to determine who qualifies for international protection. The primary purpose of this chapter is to offer insight into the functioning of the CEAS (including asylum determination), with a view to creating a legal background and framework for the ethnographic chapters that follow.
The World of Home Office Presenting Officers
Authors: Campbell John R.
Published: December 2018

In the adversarial context of litigation conducted in the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal, HOPO’s are elusive: they are only seen when they enter a Tribunal hearing room to defend a decision taken by the Home Office official to refuse asylum, bail or a criminal deportation. While HOPOs limit their interaction with barristers/advocates to avoid being put into a position to set out their case in advance of the hearing, their actions reflect their structural position in adversarial proceedings. This chapter draws on extended fieldwork in the British asylum system, and on observations and interviews with HOPOs to understand how they see their work; their views on other parties in the Tribunal; and how they argue different types of appeal.
Narrating Asylum in Camp and at Court
Authors: Danstrøm Matilde Skov , Whyte Zachary
Published: December 2018

In Denmark, as elsewhere, narratives are central to the asylum determination procedure. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, this chapter investigates the ways in which asylum seekers and asylum lawyers present and re-present asylum narratives across two contrasting narrative contexts: Danish asylum centers (“camp” to asylum seekers) and the Danish Refugee Appeals Board (“court” to asylum seekers). Distinguishing between “asylum motive” and “asylum talk”, or stories for and stories of asylum, we argue that context strongly shapes the kinds of asylum narratives that are presented and shared, but also that these kinds of narratives influence each other. We show that uncertainty, credibility and authorship are central both in the Danish asylum process and for the ways in which it is understood by the actors invested in it.
Hacking, Making, and Prototyping for Social Change
Authors: Mulder Ingrid , Kun Péter
Published: December 2018

Even though emerging city-makers are increasingly organized to trigger social changes, it is still hard to apprehend their real power to transform space and the way we live together. In this chapter, we explore how designerly approaches, such as hacking, making, and prototyping, can empower emerging city-makers to trigger a broader change and transformation process. It can be concluded that hackable city-making can make a difference when combining top-down public management with bottom-up social innovation. A patchable plug-in platform might enable emerging city-makers to create value for the city and for society. However, it asks for new ways of participatory governance that enable these emerging, heterogeneous city-makers to participate actively in exploring the collaborative envisioned potential and to have constructive dialogues aiming for transformational change for the common good.
Power to the People: Hacking the City with Plug-In Interfaces for Community Engagement
Authors: Hespanhol Luke , Tomitsch Martin
Published: December 2018

This chapter presents a discussion about the design and development of bespoke “city hacking” initiatives focused on community engagement. We draw from the literature in the field to propose a definition of plug-in interfaces as portable interactive technology deployed directly to public spaces on a temporary basis and addressing pre-existing architectural and social affordances. We then present a series of short-term cross-sectional field studies where we make use of two distinct plug-in interfaces to contrast different design scenarios against three core contextual constraints: (1) technology familiarity of the interfaces; (2) level of integration of the interfaces into the built environment; and (3) nature of pedestrian activity ordinarily unfolding in the urban precinct. We then discuss the observations from the studies and derive some initial findings regarding the utilisation of plug-in interfaces as tools for city hacking with the purpose of developing community engagement campaigns with rapid deployment and quick turnaround.
This Is Our City! Urban Communities Re-appropriating Their City
Authors: Avram Gabriela
Published: December 2018

In this chapter, the author examines a citizen-driven intervention regarded as “city hacking”; the initiative empowered citizens to organize themselves around a communal issue and enact urban interventions at economic, social, environmental, and cultural levels. Using a formula created for a TV show that provided scaffolding and brought the community together in a very short interval of time as starting point, during the development the formula was hacked and appropriated in a convenient way, shifting from the expected support of broadcast media to an assemblage of social media tools fit for the purpose. The lived experience and the concrete results demonstrated to the local authorities the value of openness, collaboration with local communities of volunteers, and social media usage. This development provides an example of top-down curation of bottom-up city-making initiatives, opening the way toward hackable institutions. Scaffolding community initiatives through creating flexible formulas anchored in social media channels that are easy to appropriate and adapt are presented as a promising avenue to investigate further.
Removing Barriers for Citizen Participation to Urban Innovation
Authors: Wolff Annika , Gooch Daniel , Cavero Jose , Rashid Umar , Kortuem Gerd
Published: December 2018

The potential of open data as a resource for driving citizen-led urban innovation relies not only on a suitable technical infrastructure but also on the skills and knowledge of the citizens themselves. In this chapter, we describe how a smart city project in Milton Keynes, UK, is supporting multiple stages of citizen innovation, from ideation to citizen-led smart city projects. The Our MK initiative provides support and funding to help citizens develop their ideas about making their communities more sustainable into reality. This approach encounters challenges when engaging with citizens in identifying and implementing data-driven solutions to urban problems. The majority of citizens have little practical experience with the types of data sets that might be available or possess the appropriate skills for their analysis and utilisation for addressing urban issues or finding novel ways to hack their city. We go on to describe the Urban Data School, which aims to offer a long-term solution to this problem by providing teaching resources around urban data sets aimed at raising the standard of data literacy amongst future generations. Lesson resources that form part of the Urban Data School have been piloted in one primary and three secondary schools in Milton Keynes. This work has demonstrated that with the appropriate support, even young children can begin to develop the skills necessary to work with large complex data sets. Through our two approaches, we illustrate some of the barriers to citizen participation in urban innovation and detail our solutions to overcoming those barriers.
Characterizing robustness and sensitivity of convolutional neural networks for quantitative analysis of mitochondrial morphology
Authors: Chai Xiaoqi , Ba Qinle , Yang Ge
Published: December 2018

Background

Quantitative analysis of mitochondrial morphology plays important roles in studies of mitochondrial biology. The analysis depends critically on segmentation of mitochondria, the image analysis process of extracting mitochondrial morphology from images. The main goal of this study is to characterize the performance of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in segmentation of mitochondria from fluorescence microscopy images. Recently, CNNs have achieved remarkable success in challenging image segmentation tasks in several disciplines. So far, however, our knowledge of their performance in segmenting biological images remains limited. In particular, we know little about their robustness, which defines their capability of segmenting biological images of different conditions, and their sensitivity, which defines their capability of detecting subtle morphological changes of biological objects.

Methods

We have developed a method that uses realistic synthetic images of different conditions to characterize the robustness and sensitivity of CNNs in segmentation of mitochondria. Using this method, we compared performance of two widely adopted CNNs: the fully convolutional network (FCN) and the U‐Net. We further compared the two networks against the adaptive active‐mask (AAM) algorithm, a representative of high‐performance conventional segmentation algorithms.

Results

The FCN and the U‐Net consistently outperformed the AAM in accuracy, robustness, and sensitivity, often by a significant margin. The U‐Net provided overall the best performance.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates superior performance of the U‐Net and the FCN in segmentation of mitochondria. It also provides quantitative measurements of the robustness and sensitivity of these networks that are essential to their applications in quantitative analysis of mitochondrial morphology.