bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethnopedological Studies to Characterize Neosols at the Brazilian Semiarid Region
Authors: Silva Jucirema Ferreira da , Portela Jeane Cruz , Dias Nildo da Silva , Rebouças Cezar Augusto Medeiros , Sobrinho Francisco Ernesto , Neto Miguel Ferreira , Gurgel Gabriela Cemirames de Sousa
Published: March 2019

The ethnopedological approach to soil characterization presents great challenges, since the understanding of the systems occurs through the knowledge acquired by the man in his coexistence with agroecosystems. The aim of the present research was to characterize the agricultural soils through morphological, physical and chemical analysis, using ethnopedological studies in the ‘Santa Agostinha’ Settlement Project, Caraúbas-RN, Brazil. Five areas were defined for study in the soil/landscape relation: i) area with cashew cultivation; ii) area of pasture; iii) area of crops in consortium; iv) agroforestry; and v) preserved forest, used as the reference. Participatory workshops, exchanges and classifications (from the locals and formal) were carried out with the analysis of the morphological, physical and chemical attributes of the studied soils in the layers of 0.00-0.10, 0.10-0.20 and 0.20-0.30 m. The results of the ethicist classification, based on the attributes evaluation were: Quartzarenic latosol NEOSOL (cashew area); Regolitic euthrofic NEOSOL (pasture area); Ortic quartzarenic fragiudult NEOSOL (intercropping area); typical quartzarenic ortic NEOSOL (agroforestry area and typical hydromorphic quartzarenic NEOSOL that presented a close relation with the emicist classification (from the local people). The observation of the different soil types in the landscape, due to the stratification of the environments, allowed the growers to identify characteristics associated with soil potentials and restrictions and, consequently, the correct management to be adopted. The experiences of local growers in the participatory workshops provided an exchange of popular and scientific knowledge, as well as new perspectives of coexistence with the semiarid.
Teacher Targets: A model for CLIL and ELF teacher education in polytechnic settings
Authors: Sancho Guinda Carmen
Published: March 2019

Author/s

Carmen Sancho GuindaUniversidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain

 

ABSTRACT

The objective of this paper is to present an alternative model for CLIL/ELF teacher education, called the Teacher Target Model, which may help hard-science teachers undertake English-medium instruction more efficiently. Conceived as a visual educational trope for changing mentalities and practices, it derives from the needs analysis of a group of polytechnic teachers who have participated in the cycles of in-service training seminars given at the Polytechnic University of Madrid since 2009. Their notions, impressions, and video-recorded performances reveal that in general they hold a monolithic conception of classroom interactions and teaching procedures, with an ensuing impoverishment of genre and language repertoires. To bridge this gap, the model proposed here cross-weaves five discursive strands converging in university lectures, namely disciplinary discourse, (meta)discourse of the medium, embedded genres, lecture phase, and teaching style, thus fostering natural communication beyond the delivery of technical content and bringing ELF instruction closer to the CLIL dynamics.
CLIL in Pharmacy: A case of collaboration between content and language lecturers
Authors: Woźniak Monika
Published: March 2019

Author/s

Monika WoźniakUniversidad San Jorge, Spain

 

ABSTRACT

This paper documents collaborative work between content and language lecturers for CLIL at a Spanish university. It focuses on the perspectives and concerns of ten Pharmacy lecturers who integrate credits in English within their content subjects, as reflected during a group discussion and in individual questionnaires. The study reveals that the lecturers are motivated and have positive opinions about both the project and the collaboration. In spite of some years of CLIL experience, they still need support and their main difficulties are related to the linguistic side of CLIL and its assessment. Given the differences in objectives in each subject, further collaboration with the language lecturer should focus on addressing the specific needs and concerns of particular lecturers. More collaboration between content lecturers is also needed to define the aims and outcomes of particular activities and to sequence them properly so as to offer a well-balanced CLIL degree programme.
Effects of increased heat on fluorescence and dinoflagellate density in the captive coral, Anthelia sp.
Authors: Santos Joleen M , Shaw Ross W
Published: March 2019

The obligate mutualistic relationship between corals and dinoflagellates is a classic example of symbiosis. Coral reefs have been devastated by warm water temperatures at a rapid pace and currently, there is no effective method to predict a mass bleaching event. Fluorescence is a potential indicator of coral health but very few studies have attempted to utilize it as a proxy for dinoflagellate density, which was the scope of the present research. Here, we determined the effects of elevated water temperatures on fluorescence, dinoflagellate density, and mitotic index in the captive coral, Anthelia sp. Over a six-week period, tanks filled with Anthelia sp. underwent gradual increases in water temperature beginning at 28ºC and ending at 34ºC . Coral samples were quantified for fluorescence, dinoflagellate density, and mitotic index by fluorescence microscopy of whole specimens and a maceration method to examine dinoflagellates. As a result of the gradual increase in water temperature, corrected fluorescence decreased over time. In contrast, dinoflagellate density first increased until reaching a thermal limit that was then followed by a decrease. This was driven by an increase in the rate of cell division before the limit and a decrease afterwards. These results suggest that symbionts may be increasing their mitotic rate in response to elevated water temperatures to compensate for the shortage of photosynthate supply for their host. Because fluorescence dropped simultaneously with the increase in dinoflagellate density and mitotic index, coral fluorescence may be utilized as a prognostic tool for coral bleaching in Anthelia sp.
Shocks and Regional Economic Resilience
Authors: Wolman Harold , Wial Howard , Clair Travis St. , Hill Edward
Published: March 2019

The chapter examines shocks to regional economies, the extent to which regions are resistant to these shocks, whether regions that are adversely affected by these shocks are resilient in the face of them and why. We begin by defining and operationalizing economic shocks and the various ways in which they might affect regional economies. The analytic part of the chapter is devoted to quantitative descriptions and analyses of regional economic shocks and their determinants, causes, and consequences during the period 1978 to 2007 and then, separately, in a period coinciding with the Great Recession and its recovery, from 2007 to 2014.
Assessing the Effect of Resilience Policies Directed toward Public Goods, Institutions, and Leadership
Authors: Wolman Harold , Wial Howard , Clair Travis St. , Hill Edward
Published: March 2019

In chapters 6, we ask whether the most common intentional efforts to bring about recovery through public policy or civic action that we identified in the previous two chapters was likely to have made a difference. We do so by first, setting forth and discussing the logic underlying the policy, i.e., why and under what circumstances the policy might (or might not) be expected to have an effect on regional economic resilience or development. We then summarize the existing research literature that evaluates the specific policies and over what time frames they are likely to occur. Chapter 6 considers approaches related to the provision of public goods and to improve the operation of the region’s economy: human capital, education, and workforce development; infrastructure improvement; amenity improvement and creation; restructuring of economic development organizations; and leadership.
The Emergence of Sexology in Early Twentieth-Century Germany
Authors: Leng Kirsten
Published: March 2019

This chapter focuses on three specific factors pivotal to the emergence of sexology in Germany during this time: the vaunted status and increasingly important political role of science and medicine; the growth of a discourse on modernity and its effects, above all on health and morality; and the expansion of variegated reform movements and their increasing reliance on science to support their demands and visions for change. It then illuminates the integral role sex reform groups played in creating, collecting, curating, and circulating sexual scientific knowledge, and especially highlights the roles women played in building sexology as a field of knowledge—as well as the opposition their involvement increasingly provoked.
As Natural as Eating, Drinking, and Sleeping
Authors: Leng Kirsten
Published: March 2019

This chapter explores debates regarding the “true nature” of the female sex drive in the early twentieth century. It focuses on the ideas of Henriette Fürth, Grete Meisel-Hess, Ruth Bré, and Johanna Elberskirchen, who drew upon cutting-edge scientific knowledge to assert that women possessed an innate sex drive that was distinct from the maternal drive and constituted an authentic and independent source of sexual desire. With this new definition of the female sex drive, these authors positioned women as sexual agents, demanded the reform of institutions that governed heterosexuality—above all marriage—and challenged the sexual double standard, which required women (but not men) to remain celibate outside of marriage. This chapter also examines the disagreements these ideas engendered among male and female sexual theorists, and among women sexologists and feminists from the self-defined moderate wing of the German women’s movement.
Conclusion
Authors: Leng Kirsten
Published: March 2019

The Conclusion accounts for the fate of the women whose ideas are examined in this book, and takes stock of the legacies of their sexological work. It further lays out the benefits of pursuing a larger twentieth century history of women’s sexological work, one that is international in its scope and grapples with the rupture in female sexual knowledge production affected by the Second World War and its geopolitical realignments, the reshuffling of the ideological landscapes after 1945, and the rise of new social movements in the 1960s. Finally, the Conclusion argues that the history of women’s sexological work is especially significant at this particular moment in time, as twenty-first century feminist theorists positively embrace science and nature as intellectual and rhetorical resources once again.
The Feeder Effect
Authors: Jones Darryl
Published: March 2019

The popularity of wild bird feeding has introduced enormous amounts of additional food into the ecosystem, especially in urban areas. Significantly, all of this food is supplementary to the natural diet of the birds consuming it. For this reason, bird feeding has been likened to a supplementary feeding experiment on a global scale yet with no clear expectations of possible outcomes. This chapter investigated the likely consequences of this situation.
“We are Like Slaves—Who Needs Capitalism?”
Authors: Bloch Alexia
Published: March 2019

This chapter provides a portrait of a community in southern Moldova that since the late 1990s has been significantly defined by outmigration, predominantly to Russia and Turkey. Accounts of two households tell the story of how people experienced the end of the Soviet Union and the inequalities of capitalism, including the retraction of state support for agriculture, but also the emergence of newly porous international borders that have become critical to an extensive remittance economy. The chapter examines how generation, class, ethnic heritage (as Gagauz or Moldovan), and gender are all factors in how people have pursued aspirations for mobility, often becoming labor migrants, but also turning to Evangelical networks or internet-facilitated marriages in efforts to cross increasingly policed borders.
A Maritime Strategy of Primacy in the Persian Gulf
Authors: Reich Simon , Dombrowski Peter
Published: March 2019

This chapter examines the unilateral American strategy of primacy in the Strait of Hormuz that borders Iran. It begins with a vignette about sea-basing. It notes the historic justification for the Navy’s presence (to ensure the flow of oil to the US and uninterrupted commercial shipping) and describes how American behavior has been, and remains, consistent with that strategy. Then is goes on to note the decline in the importance of those factors – and discusses (paradoxically) why the US continues the strategy (as potential leverage against China which still requires Gulf oil).
The Ends of Work
Authors: Chamberlain James A.
Published: March 2019

This chapter sets up the argument of the book by disentangling three prominent themes on the meaning and value of work: the work ethic, independence, and citizenship. Existing analyses of these narratives do not supply an exhaustive account of the political dimensions and normative force of paid work in contemporary society. In particular, they fail to show how work structures our social order as a whole. Chapter two takes up this argument further. Chapter one also discusses denaturalization and critique as the method and goal of the book, before setting out four primary ways in which the ideology and practices of work constrain freedom. It concludes with an overview of the remaining chapters.
Building Up and Tearing Down
Authors: Dzenovska Dace
Published: March 2019

Chapter 4 examines critical thinking as the skill that tolerance workers understood to be crucial for cultivating tolerant selves and publics in Latvia. Tolerance workers’ belief that critical thinking would lead to the correct conclusions about how to understand and live with ethnic, racial, and religious diversity coincided with extensive projects of promoting critical thinking in the former socialist world. From the liberal perspective, the former socialist world lacked critical thinking due to the legacies of an authoritarian political system and memorization-based education. This was thought to hinder the postsocialist subjects’ ability to establish the kind of relationship to their collective past that the European moral and political landscape demanded. However, lessons in political liberalism overlooked the multiplicity and heterogeneity of critical practices of former socialist subjects and obfuscated the historical specificity and ideological underpinnings of “critical thinking” as the special truth-producing instrument of actually existing political liberalism.
Repression and Redemption
Authors: Dzenovska Dace
Published: March 2019

Chapter 6 shows how, in the process of becoming European, Latvian border guards struggled with the demand to both strengthen the border and to civilize it. Latvian migration officials and border guards were generally better at learning the repressive elements of Europe’s migration regime (that is, securing the border) than embracing the redemptive ones (that is, tolerance and compassion). Or, rather, their compassion was differently directed—just like former European colonial empires police their boundaries to keep out former colonial subjects while at the same time fighting racism and cultivating tolerance towards them, Latvian border guards policed Latvia’s boundaries to keep out former rulers (who are on occasion perceived as barbarians), while also exhibiting feelings of compassion and solidarity towards them. However, becoming European required that they turn their attention to Europe’s former colonial subjects as well—both in terms of keeping barbarians at the gate and treating them right.
Liberalism on the Fence
Authors: Dzenovska Dace
Published: March 2019

In September 2015, Latvia announced a plan to build a 2.7-meter-high fence along especially vulnerable sections of its 276-kilometer-long border with Russia, amounting to 90 kilometers of fence altogether. The building of the fence was to commence as soon as possible and be completed in 2019. It would cost about 17 million euros. The State Border Guard described this project as “arranging the border zone” (...
A Hegemon Temporizes
Authors: MacDonald Paul K. , Parent Joseph M.
Published: March 2019

This chapter argues that British policy after the death of Palmerston was not driven by imperial dogma or careless adventurism; it was driven by a careful consideration of the balance of power. The first section establishes that British policymakers realized they were declining. The second section demonstrates that policymakers tailored their domestic policies to fit the drop in relative power. The third section details how decision-makers slightly reconfigured their international policies to meet changing global conditions. The fourth section highlights the limits of retrenchment, and how shifting structural conditions affected policymakers responses.
Pluralism and the Changing Nature of Politics
Authors: Preminger Jonathan
Published: March 2019

Placing the developments previously discussed in a wider context, Chapter 12 explores the individualization of politics and the juridification of labor law, as well as the contingent and unstable link that new representative organizations have with political decision-making forums. The chapter reviews research into the transformation of politics, including the turn away from political (democratic) institutions in general and towards a reliance on “expert” institutions, and suggests that these connected processes – the NGO-ization of worker representation and the disintegration of the party-union link – reflect the breakdown of a core premise of neocorporatism: that being a worker was congruent with being a citizen. The union could once count on the labor party to fight its corner in the political sphere because the union’s members were also members of the political community, but now the political community is no longer congruent with the “worker community” – the labor force.
Nonproliferation in Action
Authors: Miller Nicholas L.
Published: March 2019

This chapter analyzes US policy toward all allied and unaligned countries that have pursued nuclear weapons since 1964, when the United States began moving toward an across-the-board nonproliferation policy. It demonstrates that even amongst friendly countries, the United States has consistently opposed the acquisition of nuclear weapons. The desire to prevent nuclear domino effects was an important motivation for these efforts, and helps explain why the United States sought to prevent nuclear tests even after it failed to prevent Israel, South Africa, India, and Pakistan from acquiring nuclear weapons. While there are several cases where the United States was selective in how it enforced nonproliferation, in none of these cases did the United States support the spread of nuclear weapons.
The Effectiveness of US Nonproliferation Policy
Authors: Miller Nicholas L.
Published: March 2019

This chapter assess the effectiveness of US nonproliferation policy, in particular the role of sanctions policies adopted in the 1970s. It demonstrates via statistical analysis that states dependent on the United States have been significantly less likely to initiate nuclear weapons programs, but only after the adoption of credible sanctions policies in 1976. It also examines the universe of US and multilateral nonproliferation sanctions episodes, showing that sanctions against ongoing nuclear weapons programs have tended to succeed only under one of two conditions—when the proliferator depended on the United States and underestimated the risk of sanctions (South Korea, Taiwan), or faced unexpectedly stiff multilateral sanctions (South Africa, Iraq, Iran).
Help Seeking Pattern among Postpartum Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence in Osogbo, Nigeria
Authors: Deborah Abiodun Adejoke , Benjamin Abiodun Afolabi , Benjamin Eegunranti Adekunle
Published: March 2019

Aim: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health issue in both developed and developing countries. A view of IPV as a personal problem, often reinforced by community and perpetrator denial as well as fear of retaliation and social ostracisation, deter many women from confiding in others and seeking help. The study aimed to assess help seeking pattern and knowledge about non-governmental organizations (NGO) among postpartum women attending postnatal and infant welfare clinics of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital (LTH), Osogbo.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at LTH, Osogbo Nigeria, between September and November 2015.

Methodology: The study was conducted among 220 consenting postpartum women attending postnatal and infant welfare clinics of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo using composite abuse scale and socio-demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.

Results: Majority of those who experienced IPV, 42 (71.2%) did not seek help. Among the 28.8% that sought help, majority used informal strategies like mother and other family members. Ninety-four percent of those who sought help said it was helpful and sixty-one percent of those exposed to intimate partner violence are aware of non-governmental organizations.

Conclusion: There is need to strengthen the family members on how to support those exposed to intimate partner violence (through education on the media) since many women prefer them to formal services and more awareness creation about existence of NGO is needed.
Relevance of Chrysanthellum americanum (L.) Vatke Extracts in Rat Liver Protection
Authors: Guenné Samson , Ouattara Nabèrè , Meda Nâg-Tiero Roland , Kinda Prosper T. , Ouédraogo Noufou , Ciobica Alin , Hilou Adama , Kiendrebéogo Martin , Nacoulma Odile G.
Published: March 2019

Aims: To assess the relevance of Chrysanthellum americanum (L.) Vatke extracts in rat liver protection.

Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Applied Chemistry (LABIOCA), also in Laboratory of Department of Medicine and Traditional Pharmacopoeia (MEPHATRA-PH) of Institute for Research in Health Sciences (IRSS/CNRST) of Burkina Faso between July 2014 and August 2015.

Study Design: Polyphenolic extract of Chrysanthellum americanum- in vivo liver protection- in vivo liver intoxication- liver necrosis parameters analysis, histopathology analysis, in vivo and in vitro antioxidant assay.

Background: Chrysanthellum americanum L. (Vatke) is a medicinal plant well known for its flavonoids and saponins richness, but also for its strong antioxidant potential and use traditionally for liver disease treatment.

Methodology: In vivo, anti hepatotoxicity effects of Chrysanthellum americanum was evaluated using CCl4 as hepatotoxic agent. Also, acute toxicities were determined using standards methods, serum parameters of liver injury using Cypress Diagnostics kits and histopathology analysis using Mayer's haematoxylin- eosin-phloxine coloration method. For in vitro tests, malondialdehyde and thiobarbituric acid method were used in lipid peroxidation assessment and the ABTS method in Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity assessing.

Results: Result showed that the crude extract of C. americericum has a very low oral toxicity but, in intraperitoneal route this extract presented a high toxicity (LD50= 175 mg / kg of body weight). Histopathology micrograph indicated reduction in number of necrotic cells induced by CCl4. This beneficial action was confirmed by reduction in serum transaminases and malondialdehyde (22.68 ± 0.68 mmol MDA/ g of liver weight). In vitro antioxidant capacities, this plant extract presented a result of 35.01 ± 0.26 % and 42.01 ± 0.26 mg TE/ g respectively in LPO and TEAC.

Conclusion: Given our results, our research confirms that Chrysanthellum americanum extracts have in vivo physiological impact and benefits in traditional medicine for specific care of liver diseases.
A Solvent‐Free Solution: Vacuum‐Deposited Organic Monolayers Modify Work Functions of Noble Metal Electrodes
Authors: Widdascheck Felix , Hauke Alrun Aline , Witte Gregor
Published: March 2019

The energy level alignment between organic semiconductors (OSCs) and the respective (metal) electrodes in organic electronic devices is of key importance for efficient charge carrier injection. For many years, researchers have attempted to control this energy level alignment by means of functional self‐assembled monolayers or the insertion of thin injection layers (made, e.g., of doped OCSs or pure dopants). The present work demonstrates an alternative to these approaches, namely the use of phthalocyanine monolayers as contact primers, which are deposited onto noble metal electrodes by means of vacuum deposition. It is shown that polar as well as non‐polar phthalocyanines modify the work functions of clean Au(111) and Ag(111) surfaces as a function of their coverage and thus enable quantitative control of the metal work functions. This behavior is successfully replicated for the respective polycrystalline metal surfaces and it is found that full monolayers can even withstand air exposure when protected by sacrificial multilayers, which are afterward removed by thermal desorption.
Surface‐Driven Energy Storage Behavior of Dual‐Heteroatoms Functionalized Carbon Material
Authors: Wu Tianjing , Jing Mingjun , Tian Ye , Yang Li , Hu Jiugang , Cao Xiaoyu , Zou Guoqiang , Hou Hongshuai , Ji Xiaobo
Published: March 2019

Heteroatom modification represents one of the major areas of carbon materials' research in electrical energy storage. However, the influence of heteroatomic state evolution on electrochemical properties remains an elusive topic. Herein, thiophene‐2,5‐dicarboxylic acid is chemically activated to prepare O,S‐diatomic hybrid carbon material (OS–C). The heteroatoms and carbon matrix coexist in the form of CO/CO and CS/SS bonds, which introduce porous networks to the partially graphitized carbon skeleton and provide abundant active sites for better ion absorption. Moreover, the heteroatoms and carbon matrix are bridged to establish stable pseudocapacitive functional groups like quinoid unit and disulfide bonds, which can be electrochemically converted into benzenoid units and mercaptan anions through Faradaic reactions to further improve the reversible capacity. Combined with the detailed kinetic exploration and in situ investigation of the electrochemical impedance spectra, the energy storage mechanism for lithium/sodium is proposed in the following steps: Faradaic reactions at a higher potential range, energy storage at active sites, and ions intercalation on the graphitized parts in the low‐voltage states. Greatly, the electrode can store lithium up to the capacity of ≈700 mAh g−1, while also delivering ≈330 mAh g−1 of sodium storage, providing lifetimes in excess of thousands of cycles.
3D Plotted Biphasic Bone Scaffolds for Growth Factor Delivery: Biological Characterization In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Ahlfeld Tilman , Schuster Felix Paul , Förster Yvonne , Quade Mandy , Akkineni Ashwini Rahul , Rentsch Claudia , Rammelt Stefan , Gelinsky Michael , Lode Anja
Published: March 2019

Bioprinting enables the integration of biological components into scaffolds during fabrication that has the advantage of high loading efficiency and better control of release and/or spatial positioning. In this study, a biphasic scaffold fabricated by extrusion‐based 3D multichannel plotting of a calcium phosphate cement (CPC) paste and an alginate/gellan gum (AlgGG) hydrogel paste laden with the angiogenic factor VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) is investigated with regard to biological response in vitro and in vivo. Rat mesenchymal stromal cells are able to adhere and grow on both CPC and AlgGG strands, and differentiate toward osteoblasts. A sustained VEGF release is observed, which is able to stimulate endothelial cell proliferation as well as angiogenesis in vitro that indicates maintenance of its biological activity. After implantation into a segmental bone defect in the femur diaphysis of rats, a clear reduction of the defect size by newly formed bone tissue occurs from the distal and proximal ends of the host bone within 12 weeks. The CPC component shows excellent osteoconductivity whereas the local VEGF release from the AlgGG hydrogel gives rise to an enhanced vascularization of the defect region. This work contributes to the development of novel therapeutic concepts for improved bone regeneration which are based on 3D bioprinting.
Implanting Niobium Carbide into Trichoderma Spore Carbon: a New Advanced Host for Sulfur Cathodes
Authors: Shen Shenghui , Xia Xinhui , Zhong Yu , Deng Shengjue , Xie Dong , Liu Bo , Zhang Yan , Pan Guoxiang , Wang Xiuli , Tu Jiangping
Published: March 2019

Tailored construction of advanced carbon hosts is playing a great role in the development of high‐performance lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs). Herein, a novel N,P‐codoped trichoderma spore carbon (TSC) with a bowl structure, prepared by a “trichoderma bioreactor” and annealing process is reported. Moreover, TSC shows excellent compatibility with conductive niobium carbide (NbC), which is in situ implanted into the TSC matrix in the form of nanoparticles forming a highly porous TSC/NbC host. Importantly, NbC plays a dual role in TSC for not only pore formation but also enhancement of conductivity. Excitingly, the sulfur can be well accommodated in the TSC/NbC host forming a high‐performance TSC/NbC‐S cathode, which exhibits greatly enhanced rate performance (810 mAh g−1 at 5 C) and long cycling life (937.9 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C after 500 cycles), superior to TSC‐S and other carbon/S counterparts due to the larger porosity, higher conductivity, and better synergetic trapping effect for the soluble polysulfide intermediate. The synergetic work of porous the conductive architecture, heterodoped N&P polar sites in TSC and polar conductive NbC provides new opportunities for enhancing physisorption and chemisorption of polysulfides leading to higher capacity and better rate capability.
Lateral WSe2 p–n Junction Device Electrically Controlled by a Single‐Gate Electrode
Authors: Kwak Do‐Hyun , Jeong Min‐Hye , Ra Hyun‐Soo , Lee A‐Young , Lee Jong‐Soo
Published: March 2019

Semiconductor p–n junctions are building blocks for optoelectronic devices. Recently, p–n junction devices based on 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been demonstrated in optoelectronic applications due to their thin thickness, flexibility, high carrier mobility, and high light‐absorption properties. To fabricate 2D semiconductor p–n junction devices, various methods are demonstrated, such as heterojunction structures, chemical doping, and electrostatic doping. In this work, lateral both p–n and n–p junctions in WSe2 devices, electrically controlled by using only a single‐gate electrode, are first reported. It is demonstrated that the single‐gated WSe2 p–n and n–p diodes form an internal built‐in electrical field, showing strong diode‐like current rectifying behavior and photovoltaic effect under the illumination. The resultant device exhibits a high current rectification ratio up to ≈106 and a power conversion efficiency of 0.1% under AM 1.5 illumination. A logical inverter based on the lateral and in‐plane contacted WSe2 device with a hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) gate dielectric is also presented. The electrode architecture engineering based on a single TMDC will be useful for applications that are more complicated such as p–n junction optoelectronic devices and inverters.
Copper Nitrate‐Mediated Selective Difunctionalization of Alkenes: A Rapid Access to β‐Bromonitrates
Authors: Gao Mingchun , Zhou Kaijing , Xu Bin
Published: March 2019

A regioselective copper nitrate‐mediated difunctionalization of alkenes has been developed for the rapid synthesis of β‐bromonitrates, where copper nitrate is used as an ideal nitrooxy source for the first time and the products will find many applications in organic synthesis as versatile synthons. Different from the general reports that copper nitrate acts as the nitro source, the given protocol provides a direct access to functionalized nitrates, with operational simplicity, good functional group tolerance and a wide substrate scope.

magnified image
Porous NiCo2S4/Co9S8 Microcubes Templated by Sacrificial ZnO Spheres as an Efficient Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalyst
Authors: Riaz Muhammad Sohail , Yuan Xiaotao , Zhao Yantao , Dong Chenlong , Nong Shuying , Ali Zeeshan , Huang Fuqiang
Published: March 2019

Innovative nano/microarchitectures, owing to their promising catalytic features, such as abundant active sites, high surface area, and enhanced ion transport, are ideal for oxygen electrocatalysis. Herein, an inventive approach is put forward to fabricate ternary metal sulfide hollow microcubes by a hydrothermal method between spherical porous ZnO with transition metal cations in the presence of urea followed by etching and sulfurization. The significant electrocatalytic activity toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with onset potential of 1.48 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)) is obsereved. The objective material shows an overpotential of 320 mV, to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 for OER and excellent robustness with slight variation in potential after long‐term chronopotentiometry test for 12 h. As expected, the material also exhibits oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity with a half wave potential of 0.8 V (vs RHE) and limited current density of 5.1 mA cm−2. Meanwhile, further investigations confirm the near four‐electron transport pathways for ORR. Such up‐bottom etching followed by sulfurization method provide a new concept for engineering porous electrocatalysts.
Achieving Ultrahigh Energy Densities of Supercapacitors with Porous Titanium Carbide/Boron‐Doped Diamond Composite Electrodes
Authors: Xu Jing , Yang Nianjun , Heuser Steffen , Yu Siyu , Schulte Anna , Schönherr Holger , Jiang Xin
Published: March 2019

The energy densities of most supercapacitors (SCs) are low, hindering their practical applications. To construct SCs with ultrahigh energy densities, a porous titanium carbide (TiC)/boron‐doped diamond (BDD) composite electrode is synthesized on a titanium plate that is pretreated using a plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technique. The porous and nanometer‐thick TiO2 layer formed during PEO process prevents the formation of brittle titanium hydride and enhances the BDD growth during chemical vapor deposition processes. Meanwhile, the in situ conversion of TiO2 into TiC is achieved. Combination of this capacitor electrode with soluble redox electrolytes leads to the fabrication of high‐performance SCs in both aqueous and organic solutions. In 0.05 m Fe(CN)63−/4− + 1 m Na2SO4 aqueous solution, the capacitance is as high as 46.3 mF cm−2 at a current density of 1 mA cm−2; this capacitance remains 92% of its initial value even after 10 000 charge/discharge cycles; the energy density is up to 47.4 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 2236 W kg−1. The performance of constructed SCs is superior to most available SCs and some electrochemical energy storage devices like batteries. Such a porous capacitor electrode is thus promising for the construction of high‐performance SCs for practical applications.
Optimal rate allocation for production and injection wells in an oil and gas field for enhanced profitability
Authors: Epelle Emmanuel I. , Gerogiorgis Dimitrios I.
Published: March 2019

An oil and gas field requires careful operational planning and management via production optimization for increased recovery and long‐term project profitability. This article addresses the challenge of production optimization in a field undergoing secondary recovery by water flooding. The field operates with limited processing capacity at the surface separators, pipeline pressure constraints, and water injection constraints; an economic indicator (net present value, NPV) is used as the objective function. The formulated optimization framework adequately integrates slow‐paced subsurface dynamics using reservoir simulation, and fast‐paced surface dynamics using sophisticated multiphase flow simulation in the upstream facilities. Optimization of this holistic long‐term model is made possible by developing accurate second‐order polynomial proxy models at each time step. The resulting formulation is solved as a nonlinear program using commercially available solvers. A comparative analysis is performed using MATLAB's fmincon solver and the IPOPT solver for their robustness, speed, and convergence stability in solving the proposed problem. By implementing two synthetic case studies, our mathematical programming approach determines the optimal production and injection rates of all wells and further demonstrates considerable improvement to the NPV obtained by simultaneously applying the tools of streamline, reservoir, and surface facility simulation for well rate allocation via systematic NLP optimization.
Controllable Isomerization of Alkenes by Dual Visible‐Light‐Cobalt Catalysis
Authors: Meng Qing‐Yuan , Schirmer Tobias E. , Katou Kousuke , König Burkhard
Published: March 2019

We report herein that thermodynamic and kinetic isomerization of alkenes can be accomplished by the combination of visible light with Co catalysis. Utilizing Xantphos as the ligand, the most stable isomers are obtained, while isomerizing terminal alkenes over one position can be selectively controlled by using DPEphos as the ligand. The presence of the donor–acceptor dye 4CzIPN accelerates the reaction further. Transformation of exocyclic alkenes into the corresponding endocyclic products could be efficiently realized by using 4CzIPN and Co(acac)2 in the absence of any additional ligands. Spectroscopic and spectroelectrochemical investigations indicate CoI being involved in the generation of a Co hydride, which subsequently adds to alkenes initiating the isomerization.
Total Synthesis of (−)‐Indoxamycins A and B
Authors: Hu Naifeng , Dong Changming , Zhang Cuifang , Liang Guangxin
Published: March 2019

The concise total syntheses of (−)‐indoxamycins A and B is reported. The chemistry features a seven‐step preparation of a highly congested [5.5.6] tricyclic advanced common intermediate from a readily available R‐carvone derivative. Key steps involve a Pauson–Khand reaction for the rapid construction of a basic scaffold bearing a quaternary carbon, a copper‐catalyzed Michael addition for the introduction of another adjacent all‐carbon quaternary stereocenter, and a tandem retro‐oxa‐Michael addition/1,2‐addition/oxa‐Michael addition for the installation of a trisubstituted olefin side chain. This synthetic strategy allows for easy access to both enantiomers of this family of natural products and their analogues from cost‐effective starting material through straightforward chemical transformations.
Quantifying Chemical Structure and Machine‐Learned Atomic Energies in Amorphous and Liquid Silicon
Authors: Bernstein Noam , Bhattarai Bishal , Csányi Gábor , Drabold David A. , Elliott Stephen R. , Deringer Volker L.
Published: March 2019

Amorphous materials are being described by increasingly powerful computer simulations, but new approaches are still needed to fully understand their intricate atomic structures. Here, we show how machine‐learning‐based techniques can give new, quantitative chemical insight into the atomic‐scale structure of amorphous silicon (a‐Si). We combine a quantitative description of the nearest‐ and next‐nearest‐neighbor structure with a quantitative description of local stability. The analysis is applied to an ensemble of a‐Si networks in which we tailor the degree of ordering by varying the quench rates down to 1010 K s−1. Our approach associates coordination defects in a‐Si with distinct stability regions and it has also been applied to liquid Si, where it traces a clear‐cut transition in local energies during vitrification. The method is straightforward and inexpensive to apply, and therefore expected to have more general significance for developing a quantitative understanding of liquid and amorphous states of matter.
Synthesis and characterization of microwave‐assisted biologically active triazole silanes
Authors: Singh Gurjaspreet , Satija Pinky , Singh Akshpreet , Sanchita  , Aulakh Darpandeep , Wriedt Mario , Ruiz Cristobal Espinosa , Esteban M. Angeles , Sinha Shweta , Sehgal Rakesh
Published: March 2019

The alliance of new drug, green technology and public health initiatives is essential for the ecosystem. The microwave technique is used to synthesize new drugs cognate to metronidazole. A new family of triethoxysilanes (3a–3e) was synthesized after reconnaissance with terminal alkynes (2a–2e) as an array using the Huisgen 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition. All products were obtained in excellent yield with recovery of the catalyst as well as the solvent, and in a short time span. The design feature of these compounds is the tailoring of two unsymmetrical triazole nuclei into a single scaffold. The pharmacokinetic profiles of the triazole scaffold were analyzed using MOLINSPIRATION and ADMET toolkits, which gave promising results that prompted the investigation of these compounds for anti‐parasitic activity against parasites (Giardia lamblia and Trichomonas vaginalis) in contrast to standard drug (metronidazole). Compound 3d manifested good efficacy against both strains amongst all the synthesized triazole analogs.

Highlights

By using microwave methodology, a series of triazole functionalized alkynes and triazole organo silanes were synthesized. This involves tailoring of the 1,2,4‐triazole nucleus to 1,2,3‐triazole moiety.

The protocol afforded excellent yield in a short time span under eco‐friendly conditions.

The hybrid molecules were screened for their physicochemical properties using MOLINSPIRATION software and ADMET web server.

All the synthesized compounds were investigated for their antioxidant activity, anti‐giardial and anti‐trichomonal activities.

Tris triazole silane (3d) was found to be the most significant against Giardia lamblia and Trichomonas vaginalis, respectively, and this low‐price, versatile drug will hopefully lead to the eventual elimination of parasitic disease from the human population.

Thermal gravimetric analysis has been performed for compounds (2a–2e) and (3a–3e).
Synthesis of modified graphene oxide and its improvement on flame retardancy of epoxy resin
Authors: Wu Wenqian , Xu Yiting , Wu Haiyang , Chen Jinmei , Li Min , Chen Ting , Hong Jing , Dai Lizong
Published: March 2019

In this work, the small molecule with double‐phosphaphenanthrene structure was successfully grafted on the surface of graphene oxide (GO), which is called functionalized graphene oxide (FGO). The introduction of FGO improved the poor interfacial compatibility between graphene and epoxy matrix. And FGO could be used as the highly effective flame retardant. The thermogravimetric analysis results showed a significant improvement in the char yield of cured FGO/EP. When the content of FGO was 3 wt %, the limiting oxygen index value reached 30.4%. At the same time, the three‐point bending and thermomechanical tests confirmed that the mechanical properties of the epoxy resin composites were improved. Based on the char analyses of SEM images and Raman spectroscopy, the flame retardant could promote the formation of a stable carbon layer. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 47710.
Spatial Abilities Training in Anatomy Education: A Systematic Review
Authors: Langlois Jean , Bellemare Christian , Toulouse Josée , Wells George A.
Published: March 2019

Spatial abilities have been correlated to anatomy knowledge assessment and spatial training has been found to improve spatial abilities in previous systematic reviews. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate spatial abilities training in anatomy education. A literature search was done from inception to 3 August 2017 in Scopus® and several databases on the EBSCOhost platform. Citations were reviewed and those involving anatomy education, an intervention, and a spatial abilities test were retained and the corresponding full‐text articles were reviewed for inclusion. Before and after training studies, as well as comparative training programs, relating a spatial training intervention to spatial abilities were eligible. Of the 2,405 citations obtained, 52 articles were identified and reviewed, yielding eight eligible articles. Instruction in anatomy and mental rotations training were found to improve spatial abilities. For the seven studies retained for the meta‐analysis that included the effect of interventions on spatial abilities test scores, the pooled treatment effect difference was 0.49 (95% CI [0.17; 0.82]; n = 11) improvement. For the two studies that included the practice effect on spatial abilities test scores in a control group, the pooled treatment effect difference was 0.47 (95% CI [−0.03; 0.97]; n = 2) improvement. In these two studies, the impact of the intervention on spatial abilities test scores was found despite the practice effect. Evidence was found for improvement of spatial abilities in anatomy education using instruction in anatomy and mental rotations training.
Self‐Assembly of Aggregation‐Induced‐Emission Molecules
Authors: Wu Tongyue , Huang Jianbin , Yan Yun
Published: March 2019

The last decade has witnessed rapid developments in aggregation‐induced emission (AIE). In contrast to traditional aggregation, which causes luminescence quenching (ACQ), AIE is a reverse phenomenon that allows robust luminescence to be retained in aggregated and solid states. This makes it possible to fabricate various highly efficient luminescent materials, which opens new paradigms in a number of fields, such as imaging, sensing, medical therapy, light harvesting, light‐emitting devices, and organic electronic devices. Of the various important features of AIE molecules, their self‐assembly behavior is very attractive because the formation of a well‐defined emissive nanostructure may lead to advanced applications in diverse fields. However, due to the nonplanar topology of AIEgens, it is not easy for them to self‐assemble into well‐defined structures. To date, some strategies have been proposed to achieve the self‐assembly of AIEgens. Herein, we summarize the most recent approaches for the self‐assembly of AIE molecules. These approaches can be sorted into two classes: 1) covalent molecular design and 2) noncovalent supramolecular interactions. We hope this will inspire more excellent work in the field of AIE.
Multivalent Sialosides: A Tool to Explore the Role of Sialic Acids in Biological Processes
Authors: Chaudhary Preeti Madhukar , Toraskar Suraj , Yadav Rohan , Hande Akshay , Yellin Rina‐Arad , Kikkeri Raghavendra
Published: March 2019

Sialic acids (Sias) are fascinating nine‐carbon monosaccharides that are primarily found on the terminus of the oligosaccharide chains of glycoproteins and glycolipids on cell surfaces. These Sias undergo a variety of structural modifications at their hydroxy and amine positions, thereby resulting in structural diversity and, hence, coordinating a variety of biological processes. However, deciphering the structural functions of such interactions is highly challenging, because the monovalent binding of Sias is extremely weak. Over the last decade, several multivalent Sia ligands have been synthesized to modulate their binding affinity with proteins/lectins. In this Minireview, we highlight recent developments in the synthesis of multivalent Sia probes and their potential applications. We will discuss four key multivalent families, that is, polymers, dendrimers, liposomes, and nanoparticles, and will emphasize the major parameters that are essential for the specific interactions of these molecules with proteins in biological systems.