bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing the establishment and growth of tree seedlings at Subarctic alpine treelines
Authors: Kambo Dasvinder , Danby Ryan K.
Published: April 2018

Significant treeline advance can only occur with successful establishment, growth, and survival of new seedlings. Several studies have examined microsite factors at single locations to explain the presence/absence of seedlings at treeline. We conducted a much larger observational study and included multiple factors to determine (1) which variable(s) was/were most important, (2) whether their importance differed between aspects, and (3) whether the same variables explained variation in seedling growth and damage. We analyzed five biophysical and six shrub variables along four forest–tundra ecotones in southwest Yukon at 640 points. The model that best explained seedling occurrence was similar between north‐ and south‐facing slopes. Of all variables, seedling occurrence was best explained by the proximity, height, and upslope orientation of shrubs (relative to the seedling). The data indicate an optimal range of shrub cover, which differed with aspect. On north‐facing slopes, seedlings occurred most often when shrub cover exceeded 13%, while on south‐facing slopes seedlings occurred most when shrub cover was between 9% and 72%. We also found that with the exception of shrub‐related factors, very few biophysical variables explained size and growth characteristics and damage of tree seedlings, suggesting that the relative strength and importance of variables change depending on the life stage and size of the tree seedling. Collectively, our results demonstrate a non‐random distribution of seedlings in the forest–tundra ecotone, suggesting that as shrub distributions change with climate change, colonization sites for seedlings will also be influenced.
Regional variations in occupancy frequency distribution patterns between odonate assemblages in Fennoscandia
Authors: Korkeamäki Esa , Elo Merja , Sahlén Göran , Salmela Jukka , Suhonen Jukka
Published: April 2018

Odonate (damselfly and dragonfly) species richness and species occupancy frequency distributions (SOFDs) were analyzed in relation to geographical location in standing waters (lakes and ponds) in Fennoscandia, from southern Sweden to central Finland. In total, 46 dragonfly and damselfly species were recorded from 292 waterbodies. Species richness decreased to the north and increased with waterbody area in central Finland, but not in southern Finland or in Sweden. Species occupancy ranged from 1 up to 209 lakes and ponds. Over 50% of the species occurred in <10% of the waterbodies, although this proportion decreased to the north. In the southern lakes and ponds, none of the species occurred in all lakes, whereas in the north, many species were present in all of the studied waterbodies. The dispersal ability of the species did not explain the observed species occupancy frequencies, but generalist species with a large geographical range occurred in a higher percentage of the waterbodies. At Fennoscandia scale, we found that the unimodal satellite pattern was predominant. However, at smaller scale, we found geographical variations in odonate speciesSOFDpatterns. The most southern communities followed the unimodal satellite‐dominant pattern, whereas in other regions, communities fitted best with the bimodal core–satellite patterns. It seems that the richer species pool in the southern locations, and the larger distribution range of the northern species, skewed the unimodal pattern into a bimodal satellite‐dominant pattern.
Learning to fly: integrating spatial ecology with unmanned aerial vehicle surveys
Authors: Baxter Peter W. J. , Hamilton Grant
Published: April 2018

Despite the increasing importance of new survey tools such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the implications of how their spatial deployment may interact with species detection errors have not yet been assessed. Acknowledging and incorporating these errors are crucial for accurate population estimation and improved management. To address this important gap in our knowledge, and to discover how flight plans should be selected to reduce overall error, we simulated contrasting UAV flight surveys over a range of population densities and dispersion patterns using different detection errors. We found that if a survey is carried out using an individual transect that low and slow flights consistently provide the best estimates of abundance and occupancy. However, the greater sampling area afforded by higher or faster flights resulted in more complex guidelines for estimates of abundance or occupancy over larger study areas. For highly clustered populations, especially those at low densities, a high and fast survey is preferable, as its greater area coverage best enables detection of local occupancy. The performance rankings of flight plans were sensitive to the underlying species detectability and, to a lesser extent, population density and aggregation. This suggests that UAV survey plans need to account for the spatial and movement ecology of target species, and that flight plans should adapt as an invasive species spreads, or a threatened species contracts. We encapsulate our results in a decision tree to guide flight planning for given survey objectives, detectability, and ecological context. Importantly, these findings provide guidance to other fields with transect‐based surveys such as manned aviation and road or ground transects that trade‐off sampling area and precision of estimates. Promising new technologies such as UAVs will be best utilized by ecologists if detection errors, and their interaction with the spatial ecology of the species, are carefully assessed.
Synthesis and Structure of Lewis Base‐Coordinated Phosphanylalumanes Bearing P–H and Al–Br Moieties
Authors: Agou Tomohiro , Ikeda Shin , Sasamori Takahiro , Tokitoh Norihiro
Published: April 2018

Phosphanylalumanes bearing hydrogen and halogen substituents (RHP–AlXR, R = organic substituent, X = halogen) are expected to be useful synthetic precursors for P=Al doubly bonded species, phosphaalumenes (RP=AlR), though there have been only limited number of H,X‐functionalized phosphanylalumanes. In this communication, synthesis and structure of a Lewis base coordinated phosphanylalumane bearing P–H and Al–Br moieties are reported. Reaction of LiPHMes with BbpAlBr2(OEt2) {Bbp = 2,6‐[CH(SiMe3)2]2C6H3} followed by the treatment with a N‐heterocyclic carbene (L) afforded the Lewis base coordinated H,Br‐functionalized phosphanylalumane, MesP(H)‐Al(Br)(L)Bbp (L = N‐heterocyclic carbene). Its Al–P bond length is comparable to that observed for the previously reported H,Cl‐functionalized phosphanylalumane free from Lewis base‐coordination, indicating the negligible contribution of Al=P double‐bond character in the phosphanylalumane derivatives.
A Nonlinear Optically Active Bismuth–Camphorate Coordination Polymer
Authors: Vilela Sérgio M. F. , Babaryk Artem A. , Jaballi Rim , Salles Fabrice , Mosquera Marta E. G. , Elaoud Zakaria , Van Cleuvenbergen Stijn , Verbiest Thierry , Horcajada Patricia
Published: April 2018

The novel 2D bismuth–camphorate IEF‐1, formulated as [Bi(L)(HL)] (where H2L = camphoric acid), has been successfully isolated as large single crystals and easily scaled up by hydrothermal synthesis. The crystalline structure of IEF‐1 was unveiled by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, in the monoclinic space group P21, and fully characterized by using several standard solid‐state techniques. IEF‐1 material is thermally stable up to ca. 240 °C without any visible structural change. In addition, the study of the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of IEF‐1 by second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy evidenced that IEF‐1 is noncentrosymmetric and has a more intensive blue component that may be explained by the ligand to metal charge transfer behavior.
N‐Heterocyclic Carbene–Phosphinidene Adducts: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications
Authors: Krachko Tetiana , Slootweg J. Chris
Published: April 2018

Syntheses, properties, and reactivity of N‐heterocyclic carbene–phosphinidene adducts are reviewed. These adducts, formally built by combining a phosphinidene with a carbene, are characterized by high nucleophilicity at the phosphorus atom. The main types of reactivity these adducts exhibit are: Lewis‐base reactivity towards main group and organic compounds as well as transition‐metal complexes, substitution reactions at the phosphorus atom with main group compounds and transition‐metal complexes, and phosphinidene transfer reactions resulting in C–P bond cleavage. These differ substantially from the classic phosphaalkenes.
Construction of the Oxazolidinone Framework from Propargylamine and CO2 in Air at Ambient Temperature: Catalytic Effect of a Gold Complex Featuring an L2/Z‐Type Ligand
Authors: Inagaki Fuyuhiko , Maeda Kakeru , Nakazawa Kenta , Mukai Chisato
Published: April 2018

The metal‐catalyzed carboxylation of propargylamines with aerial CO2 at room temperature to form 5‐methyleneoxazolidin‐2‐one derivatives has been developed. In this reaction, the catalyst [Au(dpbF)]X featuring a Z‐type ligand gave the best results, presumably due to the σ‐acceptance of the borane atom.
Synthesis of Fluorinated Leishmania Cap Trisaccharides for Diagnostic Tool and Vaccine Development
Authors: Baumann Andreas , Marchner Stefan , Daum Markus , Hoffmann‐Röder Anja
Published: April 2018

Bearing in mind the often insufficient metabolic stability of carbohydrate antigens, which impairs both the bioavailability and immunogenicity of a given hapten, the development of chemically modified analogs with improved antigenicity is an important step towards effective glycoconjugate vaccines. Recently, strategic glycan fluorination has become an interesting approach to this, and several examples of fluorinated carbohydrate antigens that show better metabolic stabilities and comparable or even enhanced immunogenicities have been reported to date. In this paper, we present a small library of fluorinated trisaccharides based on a privileged motif from the lipophosphoglycan capping structure of Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite responsible for fatal visceral leishmaniasis. These epitope analogs were synthesized by a sequential [1+1+1] glycosylation strategy. An amine linker is present at the reducing end to allow conjugation and enable future applications in immunological studies for the development of diagnostic tools and vaccines.
Zinc‐Chloride‐Promoted Domino Reaction of Phenols with Terminal Alkynes under Solvent‐Free Conditions: An Efficient Synthesis of Chromenes
Authors: Sreenivasulu Chinnabattigalla , Satyanarayana Gedu
Published: April 2018

A domino one‐pot synthesis of 2H‐chromenes and 4H‐chromenes starting from phenols and terminal acetylenes in an atom economical reaction under solvent‐free conditions is described. This annulation reaction between phenols with alkynes is promoted by the simple Lewis acid ZnCl2. Significantly, to the best of our knowledge, the synthesis of 2H‐chromenes is the first of its kind, as it is based on the use of terminal alkyl acetylenes. The described method shows a broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance.
Synthesis and Absolute Stereochemical Reassignment of Mukanadin F: A Study of Isomerization of Bromopyrrole Alkaloids with Implications on Marine Natural Product Isolation
Authors: van Rensburg Michelle , Copp Brent R. , Barker David
Published: April 2018

Synthesis of both enantiomers of mukanadin F was achieved by using a seven step synthesis. Comparison of the optical rotation data of synthetic samples to that reported for the isolated natural product determined that the absolute configuration of the natural product is 9S and not the reported 9R. Further studies established that the reported low magnitude of optical rotation in the isolated sample is due to compounds of this type undergoing isomerization and racemization under benign laboratory conditions. Additionally the synthetic methods developed were applied to synthesize mukanadins B and D.
Metathesis‐Based Stapling of a Pyridine–Acetylene–Phenol Oligomer Having Alkenyl Side Chains after Intermolecular Templation by Native Saccharides
Authors: Abe Hajime , Sato Chihiro , Ohishi Yuki , Inouye Masahiko
Published: April 2018

A nonameric (pyridine–acetylene–phenol–acetylene)4–pyridine oligomer formed a helical structure by intermolecular templation with a hexose such as d‐glucose associated by the means of solid–liquid extraction. Subsequent treatment by 2nd generation Grubbs catalyst stapled the helix by double‐cross‐linking among four 3‐butenyloxy side chains on the pyridine units. The stapling never proceeded without the templation. The resulting double‐bridged helix could be asymmetrized to show typical Cotton effects, not only by the strong binding with octyl hexosides in a DCE solution but also by the solid–liquid extraction of native hexoses into an organic phase. A chiral memory effect of the double‐bridged helix was studied by guest exchange using equimolar d‐ and l‐glucosides, and the half‐time of racemization of the helix was estimated to be 1 min.
Asymmetric Total Syntheses and Structure Revisions of Eurotiumide A and Eurotiumide B, and Their Evaluation as Natural Fluorescent Probes
Authors: Nakayama Atsushi , Sato Hideo , Karanjit Sangita , Hayashi Naoki , Oda Masataka , Namba Kosuke
Published: April 2018

Asymmetric total syntheses and structure revisions of dihydroisocoumarin‐type natural products, eurotiumide A and eurotiumide B have been described. The key features of these total syntheses are the asymmetric Shi epoxidation, regio‐ and stereoselective epoxide opening, C1 insertion/lactonization cascade reaction for constructing the 4‐methoxyisochroman‐1‐one skeleton. We confirmed the structures and configurations of eurotiumide A and B on the basis of X‐ray crystallographic analysis of the key intermediate and revealed that eurotiumide A and B have cis and trans configurations at the H3/H4 positions, which indicates the opposite relationship of the stereochemistry with respect to the previous report. Their absolute configurations were also determined. These natural products are highly fluorescent in several solvents with large Stokes shifts involving the excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer mechanism, which is supported by time‐dependent density functional theory. Eurotiumide A also displays fluorescence in Bacillus cereus.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Carbonylation of C–H Bonds in Phenols for the Synthesis of p‐Hydroxybenzoates
Authors: Gaikwad Vinayak V. , Bhanage Bhalchandra M.
Published: April 2018

This work reports the synthesis of p‐hydroxybenzoates directly from phenols by oxidative carbonylation of phenolic C–H bonds, proceding through oxidative iodination. The developed methodology is efficient and economically attractive because phenols are cheap and easily available starting materials. This one‐pot strategy was expediently applied to the synthesis of a variety of p‐hydroxybenzoates by utilizing simple primary and secondary alcohols with different phenols under mild reaction conditions. Advantageously, the procedure has no need for co‐catalysts, co‐solvents or external ligands. The utilization of molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant for C–H bond oxidation represents an additional benefit.
Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction by Dopant‐free, Porous Graphene Aerogel
Authors: Choi Woojun , Azad Uday Pratap , Choi Jai‐Pil , Lee Dongil
Published: April 2018

Porous graphene aerogel (GA) was prepared by the hydrothermal reduction of graphene oxide (GO). The prepared GA was characterized with the various analytical techniques. Its morphological and electrochemical properties were investigated and compared with those of GO and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (erGO). Three glassy carbon (GC) electrodes modified with GO, erGO, and GA were employed to study the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The influence of GA porosity on the kinetic parameters of the ORR was also investigated. Whereas two‐electron transfer ORR was observed at the erGO‐ and GO‐modified electrodes, the GA‐modified electrode exhibited drastically enhanced electrocatalytic ORR activity. The remarkable electrocatalytic activity of GA can be attributed to the unique porous effect of GA. The porous GA offers confined spaces for ORR that would drastically increase the residence time of oxygen and thus enhance the contact frequency for the reduction of oxygen. Additional rotating disk electrode voltammetry corroborates that the porous GA facilitates efficient ORR.
Optimization of drying process and pressurized liquid extraction for recovery of bioactive compounds from avocado peel by‐product
Authors: Figueroa Jorge G. , Borrás‐Linares Isabel , Lozano‐Sánchez Jesús , Quirantes‐Piné Rosa , Segura‐Carretero Antonio
Published: April 2018

The aim of the present study was to optimize the extraction of phenolic compounds in avocado peel using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with GRAS solvents. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on Central Composite Design 22 model was used in order to optimize PLE conditions. Moreover, the effect of air drying temperature on the total polyphenol content (TPC) and individual phenolic compounds concentration were evaluated. The quantification of individual compounds was performed by HPLC‐DAD‐ESI‐TOF‐MS. The optimized extraction conditions were 200°C as extraction temperature and 1:1 v/v as ethanol/water ratio. Regarding to the effect of drying, the highest TPC was obtained with a drying temperature of 85°C. Forty seven phenolic compounds were quantified in the obtained extracts, showing that phenolic acids found to be the more stables compounds to drying process, while procyanidins were the more thermolabiles analytes. To our knowledge, this is the first available study in which phenolic compounds extraction was optimized using PLE and such amount of phenolic compounds was quantified in avocado peel. These results confirm that PLE represents a powerful tool to obtain avocado peel extracts with high concentration in bioactive compounds suitable for its use in the food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical sector.
Study of supercritical CO2 extraction of tamarillo (Cyphomandra Betacea) seed oil containing high added value compounds
Authors: Dorado Achicanoy Daniela , Hurtado Benavides Andrés , Martínez‐Correa Hugo A.
Published: April 2018

In the present investigation, the extraction of tamarillo seed oil was conducted using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2), under different conditions of pressure (20–38.1 MPa) and temperature (40–64°C). In order to determine the effect that these extraction parameters have over the yield and composition of the oil, a central composite design was used. The optimum yield was 21.07% obtained at 38.1 MPa and 64°C. The fatty acids of the tamarillo seed oil obtained with SC‐CO2 were identified: linoleic (70.12%), oleic (16.18%), palmitic (9.68%), stearic (2.12%), linolenic (1.70%), and palmitoleic (0.23%). Other components, such as squalene (2.96–19.75 mg/mL), β‐sitosterol (2.05–3.68 mg/mL), cycloartenol (1,23–2.81 mg/mL) dihydrolanosterol (0.28–0.70 mg/mL) sterols and γ‐tocopherol (0.89–2.10 mg/mL) were also noted. The extraction kinetic was studied at 27.5 MPa −50°C and 38.1 MPa −64°C. The semi‐empirical model of Sovová et al. [24] described 99.21% of the experimental behavior of extraction kinetics. High yields of tamarillo seed oil, as well as its unique composition of unsaturated fatty acids and minor components, show the potential for its application in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.
Sample preparation in foodomic analyses
Authors: Martinović Tamara , Šrajer Gajdošik Martina , Josić Djuro
Published: April 2018

Representative sampling and adequate sample preparation are key factors for successful performance of further steps in foodomic analyses, as well as for correct data interpretation. Incorrect sampling and improper sample preparation can be sources of severe bias in foodomic analyses. It is well known that both wrong sampling and sample treatment cannot be corrected anymore. These, in the past frequently neglected facts, are now taken into consideration, and the progress in sampling and sample preparation in foodomics is reviewed here. We report the use of highly sophisticated instruments for both high‐performance and high‐throughput analyses, as well as miniaturization and the use of laboratory robotics in metabolomics, proteomics, peptidomics, and genomics.
In situ growth of Zr‐based metal‐organic framework UiO‐66‐NH2 for open‐tubular capillary electrochromatography
Authors: Tang Pingxiu , Wang Rong , Chen Zilin
Published: April 2018

The high stability and other properties of Zr(IV)‐based metal organic frameworks(MOFs) make it a promising choice for chromatographic separation, while the application in open‐tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT‐CEC) separation has not been explored yet. Herein, we report the first example of the in‐situ growth of UiO‐66‐NH2 onto the capillary for open‐tubular capillary electrochromatography. UiO‐66‐NH2 consists of ZrCl4 and 2‐amino‐1,4‐benzenedicarboxylic acid, which is highly porous and stable in a variety of solvents. The prepared UiO‐66‐NH2 modified capillary was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT‐IR), and the results confirmed the successful growth of the UiO‐66‐NH2. The baseline separation of chlorobenzenes, phenoxyacids and two groups of phenols was achieved owing to the combined interaction of π‐π interaction, hydrophobic interaction, molecular sieve effect, electrophoretic migration and hydrogen‐bonding interaction etc. Besides, the prepared capillaries showed good reproducibility, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) for intra‐day, inter‐day and column‐to‐column runs in the range of 1.38–2.60%, 3.39–4.05%, and 3.47–5.03%, respectively. Our work indicates Zr(IV)‐based MOFs are promising materials as stationary phase in CEC separation.
Thread/paper‐ and paper‐based microfluidic devices for glucose assays employing artificial neural networks
Authors: Lee Wilson , Gonzalez Ariana , Arguelles Paolo , Guevara Ricardo , Gonzalez‐Guerrero Maria Jose , Gomez Frank A.
Published: April 2018

This paper describes the fabrication of and data collection from two microfluidic devices: a microfluidic thread/paper based analytical device (μTPAD) and 3D microfluidic paper‐based analytical device (μPAD). Flowing solutions of glucose oxidase (GOx), horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and potassium iodide (KI), through each device, on contact with glucose, generated a calibration curve for each platform. The resultant yellow‐brown color from the reaction indicates oxidation of iodide to iodine. The devices were dried, scanned, and analyzed yielding a correlation between yellow intensity and glucose concentration. A similar procedure, using an unknown concentration of glucose in artificial urine, is conducted and compared to the calibration curve to obtain the unknown value. Studies to quantify glucose in artificial urine showed good correlation between the theoretical and actual concentrations, as percent differences were ≤13.0%. An ANN was trained on the four‐channel CMYK color data from 54 μTPAD and 160 μPAD analysis sites and Pearson correlation coefficients of R = 0.96491 and 0.9739, respectively, were obtained. The ANN was able to correctly classify 94.4% (51 of 54 samples) and 91.2% (146 of 160 samples) of the μTPAD and μPAD analysis sites, respectively. The development of this technology combined with ANN should further facilitate the use of these platforms for colorimetric analysis of other analytes.
Carboxylic acid production from ensiled crops in anaerobic solid‐state fermentation ‐ trace elements as pH controlling agents support microbial chain elongation with lactic acid
Authors: Sträuber Heike , Bühligen Franziska , Kleinsteuber Sabine , Dittrich‐Zechendorf Michael
Published: April 2018

Background: For the production of carboxylic acid platform chemicals like medium‐chain fatty acids (MCFA) by anaerobic fermentation, pH control is required. However, adding buffer solutions is ineffective in leach‐bed reactors. Aim: In order to increase the MCFA production by maize silage fermentation and to engineer the process we investigated the effect of solid alkaline iron and manganese additives on the process performance and microbial community dynamics. Results: Without additives, the pH dropped to 3.9 and lactic acid bacteria were favored. Total product yields of 207 ± 5.4 g organic acids (C2‐C6) and alcohols per kg volatile solids were reached. The addition of trace elements increased the pH value and the product spectrum and yields changed. With a commercial iron additive, the product yields were higher (293 ± 15.2 g/kgvolatile solids) and supposedly clostridia used lactic acid for microbial chain elongation of acetic acid producing n‐butyric acid. With the addition of pure Fe(OH)3 or Mn(OH)2, the total product yields were lower than in the other reactors. However, increased production of MCFA and the occurrence of distinct bacterial taxa (Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae and Megasphaera) related to this metabolic function were observed.Conclusions: The application of alkaline trace metal additives as pH stabilizing agents can mitigate spatial metabolic heterogeneities when trace metal deficient substrates like specific crops or residues thereof are applied.
Development of a tunable friction pendulum system for semi‐active control of building structures under earthquake ground motions
Authors: Peng Pan , Dongbin Zhang , Yi Zeng , Yachun Tsai , Xin Nie
Published: April 2018

The Friction Pendulum System (FPS) isolator is commonly used as a base isolation system in buildings. In this paper, a new tunable FPS (TFPS) isolator is proposed and developed to act as a semi‐active control system by combining the traditional FPS and semi‐active control concept. Theoretical analysis and physical tests were carried out to investigate the behavior of the proposed TFPS isolator. The experimental and theoretical results were in good agreement, both suggesting that the friction force of the TFPS isolator can be tuned to achieve seismic isolation of the structure. A series of numerical simulations of a base‐isolated structure equipped with the proposed TFPS isolator and subjected to earthquake ground motions were also conducted. In the analyses, the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) method was adopted to control the friction force of the proposed TFPS, and the applicability and effectiveness of the TFPS in controlling the structure's seismic responses were investigated. The simulation results showed that the TFPS can reduce the displacement of the isolation layer without significantly increasing the floor acceleration and inter‐story displacement of the superstructure, confirming that the TFPS can effectively control a base‐isolated structure under earthquake ground motions.
Removal of water‐surface reflection effects with a temporal minimum filter for UAV‐based shallow‐water photogrammetry
Authors: Partama I GD Yudha , Kanno Ariyo , Ueda Motoyasu , Akamatsu Yoshihisa , Inui Ryutei , Sekine Masahiko , Yamamoto Koichi , Imai Tsuyoshi , Higuchi Takaya
Published: April 2018

The recent development of structure‐from‐motion (SfM) and multi‐view stereo (MVS) photogrammetry techniques has enabled semi‐automatic high‐resolution bathymetry using aerial images taken by consumer‐grade digital cameras mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, the applicability of these techniques is sometimes limited by sun and sky reflections at the water surface, which render the point‐cloud density and accuracy insufficient. In this research, we present a new imaging technique to suppress the effect of these water‐surface reflections. In this technique, we order a drone to take a short video instead of a still picture at each waypoint. We then apply a temporal minimum filter to the video. This filter extracts the smallest RGB values in all the video frames for each pixel, and composes an image with greatly reduced reflection effects. To assess the performance of this technique, we applied it at three small shallow‐water sites. Specifically, we evaluated the effect of the technique on the point cloud density and the accuracy and precision of the photogrammetry. The results showed that the proposed technique achieved a far denser point cloud than the case in which a randomly chosen frame was used for each waypoint, and also showed better overall accuracy and precision in estimating water‐bottom elevation. The effectiveness of this new technique should depend on the surface wave state and sky radiance distribution, and this dependence, as well as the applicability to large areas, should be investigated in future research. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluative Thinking in Practice: The National Asthma Control Program
Authors: Fierro Leslie A. , Codd Heather , Gill Sarah , Pham Phung K. , Grandjean Targos Piper T. , Wilce Maureen
Published: April 2018

Although evaluative thinking lies at the heart of what we do as evaluators and what we hope to promote in others through our efforts to build evaluation capacity, researchers have given limited attention to measuring this concept. We undertook a research study to better understand how instances of evaluative thinking may present in practice‐based settings—specifically within four state asthma control programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Asthma Control Program. Through content analyses of documents as well as interviews and a subsequent focus group with four state asthma control programs’ evaluators and program managers we identified and defined twenty‐two indicators of evaluative thinking. Findings provide insights about what practitioners may wish to look for when they intend to build evaluative thinking and the types of data sources that may be more or less helpful in such efforts.
Thermal analysis of polymer ignition
Authors: Lyon Richard E. , Safronava Natallia , Crowley Sean
Published: April 2018

Gas phase criteria for the onset of flaming combustion of solids in fires are used to locate a critical temperature Tcr in a nonisothermal analysis (TA) experiment that corresponds to the surface temperature of the solid at ignition in a fire test, Tign. This critical TA temperature occurs at low conversion of solid to gaseous fuel so it is independent of the heating rate in the test or the thermal decomposition reaction model. However, Tcr depends on the thermal properties of the polymer and the conditions of the fire test in which the gas phase criteria were measured. Nonisothermal analysis data in nitrogen and air were obtained for 20 polymers by thermogravimetric analysis and microscale combustion calorimetry. The critical temperatures Tcrs obtained from TA experiments compared favorably with analytic results for a simple polymer ignition model and finite element simulations and were in qualitative agreement with ignition temperatures measured in standardized fire tests.
Protein–lipid co‐oxidation in emulsions stabilized by microwave‐treated and conventional thermal‐treated faba bean proteins
Authors: Gürbüz Göker , Liu Chang , Jiang Zhong‐qing , Pulkkinen Marjo , Piironen Vieno , Sontag‐Strohm Tuula , Heinonen Marina
Published: April 2018

The course of protein–lipid co‐oxidation was investigated in oil‐in‐water emulsions stabilized with proteins extracted from microwave‐treated (MWT) and conventional thermal‐treated (CTT) faba beans stored at 37°C for 7 days. Emulsions prepared with proteins from untreated (UT) faba beans and soy protein isolate (SP) were monitored for comparison. Lipid oxidation was detected through formation of primary and secondary oxidation products while protein oxidation was examined via tryptophan fluorescence degradation in interface and aqueous phase. Oxidation of proteins was more emphasized in the interfacial layers of MWT, CTT, and SP emulsions than in UT emulsions due to the prominence of radical chain‐driven co‐oxidation mechanism while lipoxygenase (LOX) activity in UT and MWT emulsions resulted in high amounts of hydroperoxides and abundance in lipid oxidation volatiles. Conventional thermal treatment provided better oxidative stability than microwave treatment reflected in lower levels of hydroperoxides and relative lack of diversity in lipid volatiles. Among detected volatiles, formation of ketones was more distinguished in MWT, CTT, and SP emulsions while UT emulsions contained a more diverse range of alkenals and alkanals. Ketones are known to form mainly through radical recombination reactions which combined with the results of protein oxidation supports that radical transfer reactions between proteins and lipids were the driving force behind oxidation in MWT, CTT, and SP emulsions. Treatments of faba beans resulted in increased oxidative stability of emulsified lipids and lower degradation of aqueous phase proteins.
Phytochemicals and syneresis of osmo‐dried mulberry incorporated yoghurt
Authors: Sigdel Aliza , Ojha Pravin , Karki Tika B.
Published: April 2018

The research was aimed to study the effect of the addition of Osmo‐air‐dried mulberry (TSS 29.33%) in yoghurt on syneresis and a bioactive component of yoghurt. Two types of yoghurts, with or without Osmo‐dried mulberry, were developed using standard culture (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus), and changes at refrigerated temperature (<5°C) were studied. Fruit yoghurt showed high total soluble solids (TSSs) and low‐fat content (dry basis) (17.67% and 11.84%) compared with normal yoghurt (9.5% and 17.21%). The addition of fruits increased the ascorbic acid (0.77 to 5.96 mg/100 g yoghurt), anthocyanins content (0 to 7.9 mg/100 g yoghurt), total phenol content (TPC) (6.63 to 68.03 mg GAE/100 g yoghurt), and antioxidant activity (20.73% to 47.6% radical scavenging activity) in yoghurt. During 18 days of storage at refrigerated condition (<5°C), the acidity of all samples increased, while pH decreased. Syneresis increased with a storage period in control samples while fruit incorporated yoghurt showed decreased syneresis with time. The viability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count went on decreasing at similar rates for both with and without the Osmo‐dried mulberry incorporated yoghurt. There is an ample opportunity for utilization of Osmo‐air‐dried mulberry in yoghurt to prevent syneresis during storage with increased bioactive components.
Ultrasound‐induced changes in structural and physicochemical properties of β‐lactoglobulin
Authors: Ma Shuang , Yang Xu , Zhao Changhui , Guo Mingruo
Published: April 2018

Effect of ultrasound treatment on the physicochemical properties and structure of β‐lactoglobulin were investigated. β‐Lactoglobulin was treated with ultrasound at different amplitudes, temperatures, and durations. The surface hydrophobicity and free sulfhydryl group of β‐lactoglobulin were significantly increased after ultrasound treatment (p < .05). The maximal surface hydrophobicity and free sulfhydryl group were 5,812.08 and 5.97 μmol/g, respectively. Ultrasound treatment changed the physicochemical properties of β‐lactoglobulin including particle size (from 1.21 ± 0.05 nm to 1.66 ± 0.03 nm), absolute zeta potential (from 15.47 ± 1.60 mV to 27.63 ± 3.30 mV), and solubility (from 84.66% to 95.17%). Ultrasound treatment increased α‐helix and β‐sheet structures of β‐lactoglobulin. Intrinsic fluorescence intensity of ultrasound‐treated β‐lactoglobulin was increased with shift of λmax from 334 to 329 nm. UV absorption of β‐lactoglobulin was decreased with shift of λmax from 288 to 285 nm after ultrasound treatment. There were no significant changes in high‐performance liquid chromatography and protein electrophoretic patterns. These findings indicated that ultrasound treatment had high potential in modifying the physiochemical and structural properties of β‐lactoglobulin for industrial applications.
On continuum limits of heterogeneous discrete systems modelling cracks in composite materials
Authors: Lauerbach Laura , Schäffner Mathias , Schlömerkemper Anja
Published: April 2018

In this paper we consider a periodic heterogeneous chain of atoms with nearest neighbour interactions of Lennard‐Jones type that allow for cracks. We are interested in the continuum limit of the corresponding energy functional as the number of atoms tends to infinity. Therefor we combine variational techniques for passages from discrete to continuous systems with techniques for passages from heterogeneous to homogeneous systems extending earlier work on interaction potentials with polynomial growth to potentials of Lennard‐Jones type.

The limiting energy, which is obtained by the method of Γ‐convergence, contains a homogenization formula which captures the underlying heterogeneous structure. Moreover, we consider a rescaled energy functional which provides information about cracks also in the continuum limit. In this case, the limiting energy is a Griffith type energy consisting of a quadratic integral term and a jump contribution, which again show a dependence on the underlying heterogeneity.
On the Non‐Polyhedricity of Sets with Upper and Lower Bounds in Dual Spaces
Authors: Christof Constantin , Wachsmuth Gerd
Published: April 2018

We demonstrate that the setL∞(X, [−1,1]) of all measurable functions over a Borel measure space (X,B, μ) with values in the unit interval is typically non‐polyhedric when interpreted as a subset of a dual space. Our findings contrast the classical result that subsets of Dirichlet spaces with pointwise upper and lower bounds are polyhedric. In particular, additional structural assumptions are unavoidable when the concept of polyhedricity is used to study the differentiability properties of solution maps to variational inequalities of the second kind in, e.g., the spacesH1/2(∂Ω) orH01(Ω).
Putting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into practice: A review of implementation, monitoring, and finance
Authors: Georgeson Lucien , Maslin Mark
Published: April 2018

In January 2016, after two years of international negotiations, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) came into effect. The SDGs are the successors to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and represent an ambitious but potentially flawed agenda for sustainable development through to 2030. This review assesses the legacy of the MDGs, the development of the SDGs, and the international framework to put the SDGs into practice. We propose dividing the framework for SDG delivery into three key areas: implementing the goals and the SDG agenda (Implementation); monitoring, evaluation, and review (Monitoring); and increasing and improving global finance flows for sustainable development (Finance). This review identifies the challenges faced by the international community for making the SDGs an effective platform for equitable and sustainable development across these three areas. Proposed approaches and solutions are discussed and further research is suggested. This review concludes that further critical attention to the “Implementation”, “Monitoring”, and “Finance” framework is vital to ensure accountability and transparency from an ever‐growing number of state and non‐state development actors. This review also seeks to further the potential for greater links between development theory, development geography, and development actors and institutions to improve development under the SDGs and increase engagement from geography on the SDGs. This framework points towards a basis for critical engagement on the sustainability, equality, and quality of development, while challenging the primacy of economic growth‐based paradigms in SDG implementation.
Opportunities for biodiversity conservation as cities adapt to climate change
Authors: Butt Nathalie , Shanahan Danielle F. , Shumway Nicole , Bekessy Sarah A. , Fuller Richard A. , Watson James E. M. , Maggini Ramona , Hole David G.
Published: April 2018

Cities are investing billions of dollars in climate change adaptation to combat the effects of sea‐level rise, temperature extremes, increasingly intense storm events, flooding and water scarcity. Natural ecosystems have enormous potential to contribute to city resilience, and so, actions that rely on this approach could sustain considerable co‐benefits for biodiversity. In this paper we identify the prevalence of key themes of human adaptation response that could have biodiversity conservation outcomes in cities. We then quantify the area of impact for actions that identify specific targets for greening or green infrastructure that could involve natural ecosystems, providing an indicator of potential co‐benefits to biodiversity. We then extrapolate to explore the total area of land that could benefit from catchment management approaches, the area of waterways that could benefit from nature‐based improvement of these spaces, and finally the number of threatened species that could benefit across these cities. From 80 city climate adaptation plans analysed, we found that urban greening plays a key role in most adaptation strategies, and represents an enormous opportunity for biodiversity conservation, given the diversity of animal and plant species in urban environments. We show that the ranges of at least 270 threatened species overlap with the area covered by just 58 city adaptation plans, including watershed catchments totalling over 28 million km2. However, an analysis of 80 city adaptation plans (of a total 151 found globally) shows that this opportunity is being missed. Just 18% of the plans assessed contained specific intentions to promote biodiversity. We highlight this missed opportunity, as climate adaptation actions undertaken by cities represent an enormous incipient opportunity for nature conservation. Finally, we encourage planners and city governments to incorporate biological conservation into climate adaption plans, for the mutual benefit of urban societies and their biodiversity.
Extending health insurance coverage to the informal sector: Lessons from a private micro health insurance scheme in Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Peterson Lauren , Comfort Alison , Hatt Laurel , van Bastelaer Thierry
Published: April 2018

Background

As a growing number of low‐ and middle‐income countries commit to achieving universal health coverage, one key challenge is how to extend coverage to informal sector workers. Micro health insurance (MHI) provides a potential model to finance health services for this population. This study presents lessons from a pilot study of a mandatory MHI plan offered by a private insurance company and distributed through a microfinance bank to urban, informal sector workers in Lagos, Nigeria.

Methods

Study methods included a survey of microfinance clients, key informant interviews, and a review of administrative records.

Results

Demographic, health care seeking, and willingness‐to‐pay data suggested that microfinance clients, particularly women, could benefit from a comprehensive MHI plan that improved access to health care and reduced out‐of‐pocket spending on health services. However, administrative data revealed declining enrollment, and key informant interviews further suggested low use of the health insurance plan. Key implementation challenges, including changes to mandatory enrollment requirements, insufficient client education and marketing, misaligned incentives, and weak back‐office systems, undermined enrollment and use of the plan.

Conclusions

Mandatory MHI plans, intended to mitigate adverse selection and facilitate private insurers' entry into new markets, present challenges for covering informal sector workers, including when distributed through agents such as a microfinance bank. Properly aligning the incentives of the insurer and the agent are critical to effectively distribute and service insurance. Further, an urban environment presents unique challenges for distributing MHI, addressing client perceptions of health insurance, and meeting their health care needs.
Dietary fat and fiber interact to uniquely modify global histone post‐translational epigenetic programming in a rat colon cancer progression model
Authors: Triff Karen , McLean Mathew W. , Callaway Evelyn , Goldsby Jennifer , Ivanov Ivan , Chapkin Robert S.
Published: April 2018

Dietary fermentable fiber generates short‐chain fatty acids (SCFA), for example, butyrate, in the colonic lumen which serves as a chemoprotective histone deacetylase inhibitor and/or as an acetylation substrate for histone acetylases. In addition, n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFA) in fish oil can affect the chromatin landscape by acting as ligands for tumor suppressive nuclear receptors. In an effort to gain insight into the global dimension of post‐translational modification of histones (including H3K4me3 and H3K9ac) and clarify the chemoprotective impact of dietary bioactive compounds on transcriptional control in a preclinical model of colon cancer, we generated high‐resolution genome‐wide RNA (RNA‐Seq) and “chromatin‐state” (H3K4me3‐seq and H3K9ac‐seq) maps for intestinal (epithelial colonocytes) crypts in rats treated with a colon carcinogen and fed diets containing bioactive (i) fish oil, (ii) fermentable fiber (a rich source of SCFA), (iii) a combination of fish oil plus pectin, or (iv) control, devoid of fish oil or pectin. In general, poor correlation was observed between differentially transcribed (DE) and enriched genes (DERs) at multiple epigenetic levels. The combinatorial diet (fish oil + pectin) uniquely affected transcriptional profiles in the intestinal epithelium, for example, upregulating lipid catabolism and beta‐oxidation associated genes. These genes were linked to activated ligand‐dependent nuclear receptors associated with n‐3 PUFA and were also correlated with the mitochondrial L‐carnitine shuttle and the inhibition of lipogenesis. These findings demonstrate that the chemoprotective fish oil + pectin combination diet uniquely induces global histone state modifications linked to the expression of chemoprotective genes.
Immune system augmentation via humanization using stem/progenitor cells and bioengineering in a breast cancer model study
Authors: Shafiee Abbas , McGovern Jacqui A. , Lahr Christoph A. , Meinert Christoph , Moi Davide , Wagner Ferdinand , Landgraf Marietta , De‐Juan‐Pardo Elena , Mazzieri Roberta , Hutmacher Dietmar W.
Published: April 2018

Despite significant advances, most current in vivo models fail to fully recapitulate the biological processes that occur in humans. Here we aimed to develop an advanced humanized model with features of an organ bone by providing different bone tissue cellular compartments including preosteoblasts, mesenchymal stem/stromal (MSCs), endothelial and hematopoietic cells in an engineered microenvironment. The bone compartment was generated by culturing the human MSCs, umbilical vein endothelial cells with gelatin methacryloyl hydrogels in the center of a melt‐electrospun polycaprolactone tubular scaffolds, which were seeded with human preosteoblasts. The tissue engineered bone (TEB) was subcutaneously implanted into the NSG mice and formed a morphologically and functionally organ bone. Mice were further humanized through the tail vein injection of human cord blood derived CD34+ cells, which then populated in the mouse bone marrow, spleen and humanized TEB (hTEB). 11 weeks after CD34+ transplantation, metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA‐MB‐231BO) were orthotopically injected. Cancer cell injection resulted in the formation of a primary tumor and metastasis to the hTEB and mouse organs. Less frequent metastasis and lower tumor burden were observed in hematochimeric mice, suggesting an immune‐mediated response against the breast cancer cells. Overall, our results demonstrate the efficacy of tissue engineering approaches to study species‐specific cancer‐bone interactions. Further studies using genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells and bioengineered microenvironments will enable us to address the specific roles of signaling molecules regulating hematopoietic niches and cancer metastasis in vivo.