bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pleistocene settlement of the eastern Hamersley Plateau: A regional study of 22 rock‐shelter sites
Authors: SLACK MICHAEL JON , LAW WALLACE BOONE , GLIGANIC LUKE ANDREW
Published: August 2018

Between 2013 and 2016, Scarp Archaeology developed and implemented an extensive excavation research program across the eastern Hamersley Plateau, an arid and mountainous physiographic region in the Pilbara biogeographical region of Western Australia. More than 100 rock shelters were excavated during the program, resulting in the documentation of 22 rock‐shelter sites with Pleistocene‐age Aboriginal archaeological deposits. This paper presents the radiometric determinations for these Pleistocene rock‐shelter sites, which collectively suggest that the eastern Plateau was occupied by 45000 years ago. The paper further develops a hypothesis that there was a substantial shift in the incidence and intensity of rock‐shelter occupation during the Last Glacial Maximum, c.30000–20000 years ago, where there was a substantial downturn in the use of most rock‐shelter sites, and in some instances rock shelters were abandoned. However, after the Last Glacial Maximum, we posit that a widespread reoccupation of the region soon occurred. Our research also offers an examination of artefact discard through time, illustrating changes in raw material discard and technology and the likely correlations with procurement and subsistence strategies.
Long‐term occupation on the edge of the desert: Riwi Cave in the southern Kimberley, Western Australia
Authors: BALME JANE , O'CONNOR SUE , MALONEY TIM , VANNIEUWENHUYSE DORCAS , APLIN KEN , DILKES‐HALL INDIA ELLA
Published: August 2018

Aboriginal people occupied Riwi, a limestone cave in the south‐central Kimberley region at the edge of the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia, from about 46000 years ago through to the historical period. The cultural materials recovered from the Riwi excavations provide evidence of intermittent site use, especially in climatically wet periods. Changes in hunting patterns and in hearth‐making practices about 34000 years ago appear to accompany a change to drought resistant vegetation in the site surrounds. Occupation during the Last Glacial Maximum highlights variation in aridity trends in the broader environmental record. The most intensive use of the cave was during a wet period in the early to middle Holocene, when people appear to have received marine shell beads from the coast through social networks. While there is less evidence for late Holocene occupation, this probably reflects deposition processes rather than an absence of occupation.
Molecular and Structural Biomarkers of Inflammation at Two Years After Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Do Not Predict Structural Knee Osteoarthritis at Five Years
Authors: Roemer Frank W. , Englund Martin , Turkiewicz Aleksandra , Struglics André , Guermazi Ali , Lohmander L. Stefan , Larsson Staffan , Frobell Richard
Published: August 2018

Objective

To determine the role of inflammatory biomarkers at 2 years post–anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to predict radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–defined knee OA at 5 years postinjury, with a secondary aim of estimating the concordance of inflammatory biomarkers assessed by MRI and synovial fluid (SF) analysis.

Methods

We studied 113 patients with acute ACL injury. Knee scans using 1.5T MRIs were read for Hoffa‐ and effusion‐synovitis. Biomarkers of inflammation that we assessed included interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), IL‐8, IL‐10, tumor necrosis factor, and interferon‐ɣ in serum and SF, and IL‐12p70 in serum. We defined the outcome as radiographic knee OA (ROA) or MRI‐defined OA (MROA) at 5 years. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated in models that included MRI features only (model 1), inflammation biomarkers only (serum [model 2a] or SF [model 2b]), both MRI features and serum biomarkers (model 3a), or both MRI features and SF (model 3b) biomarkers. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between MRI features and SF biomarkers.

Results

At 5 years postinjury, ROA was present in 26% of the injured knees, and MROA was present in 32%. The AUCs for ROA in each model were 0.44 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.42, 0.47) for model 1, 0.62 (95% CI 0.59, 0.65) for model 2a, 0.53 (95% CI 0.50, 0.56) for model 2b, 0.58 (95% CI 0.55, 0.61) for model 3a, and 0.50 (95% CI 0.46, 0.53) for model 3b. The AUCs for MROA in each model were 0.67 (95% CI 0.64, 0.70) for model 1, 0.49 (95% CI 0.47, 0.52) for model 2a, 0.56 (95% CI 0.52, 0.59) for model 2b, 0.65 (95% CI 0.61, 0.68) for model 3a, and 0.69 (95% CI 0.66, 0.72) for model 3b. The concordance between MRI and SF biomarkers was statistically significant only for effusion‐synovitis and IL‐8.

Conclusion

Neither MRI‐detected inflammation nor selected SF/serum inflammation biomarkers at 2 years postinjury predicted ROA or MROA at 5 years postinjury. Concordance between MRI and SF inflammatory biomarkers was weak.
A session‐specific opportunity cost model for rank‐oriented recommendation
Authors: Ackerman Brian , Wang Chong , Chen Yi
Published: August 2018

Recommender systems are changing the way that people find information, products, and even other people. This paper studies the problem of leveraging the context of the items presented to the user in a user/system interaction session to improve the recommender system's ranking prediction. We propose a novel model that incorporates the opportunity cost of giving up the other items in the session and computes session‐specific relevance values for items for context‐aware recommendation. The model can work on a variety of different problems settings with emphasis on implicit user feedback as it supports varying levels of ordinal relevance. Experimental evaluation demonstrates the advantages of our new model with respect to the ranking quality.
First‐Principles Study of Magnesium Peroxide Nucleation for Mg‐Air Battery
Authors: Bhauriyal Preeti , Rawat Kuber Singh , Bhattacharyya Gargee , Garg Priyanka , Pathak Biswarup
Published: August 2018

Recently, rechargeable non‐aqueous Mg‐air batteries have gained a lot of interest as the next‐generation energy storage device due to the high theoretical volumetric density (3832 Ah L−1 for Mg anode vs. 2062 Ah L−1 for Li), low cost and safety. The field of Mg‐air batteries is in the initial stage of development having a limited number of experimental and theoretical reports, in which mainly a carbon cathode is used; however, the information regarding the structural form of carbon is still missing. In this work, using first‐principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we demonstrate the possibility of graphene and graphite as a cathode material towards Mg‐air batteries by studying the initial MgO and MgO2 nucleation processes on the surfaces of graphene and graphite. The calculated free energy diagrams for the redox reactions of oxygen are used to identify the rate‐determining step controlling the overpotentials for initial nucleation of MgO and MgO2. We observe that graphene and graphite surfaces show similar reactivity towards the nucleation of MgO or MgO2, and the overpotential of the controlling steps for MgO2 nucleation is comparatively less than that of MgO nucleation, which is supported by a recent experimental study, where a higher discharge voltage was observed in a cell having a mixed MgO/MgO2 discharge product than MgO‐based cells. Furthermore, the preferable formation of MgO2 cluster compared to MgO on the graphene surface during the ab initio molecular dynamic (AIMD) simulations confirms the selectivity of MgO2 formation over MgO as the final discharge product. We believe that our study will be helpful in understanding the initial nucleation processes during the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) mechanism and development of suitable cathodes for the future Mg‐air batteries.
Prediction‐based Adaptive Robust Tracking Control of an Uncertain First‐Order Time‐Delay System
Authors: Suraj Nandiganahalli Jayaprakash , Kwon Cheolhyeon , Hwang Inseok
Published: August 2018

This paper considers the tracking problem of a delayed uncertain first‐order system which is simultaneously subject to (possibly large) known input delay, unknown but bounded time‐varying disturbance, and unknown plant parameter. The proposed predictor adaptive robust controller (PARC) involves prediction‐based projection type adaptation laws with model compensation and prediction‐based continuous robust feedback such that the closed loop system has global exponential convergence with an ultimate bound proportional to delay, disturbance bound, and switching gain. Further, if there are only delay and parameter uncertainties after some finite time, then semi‐global asymptotic tracking is guaranteed. The proposed design is shown to have significant closed loop performance improvement over the baseline controller.
Fault Detection for Discrete‐Time Uncertain Systems with Polytopic Uncertainties: A Markov Approach
Authors: Wang Guoliang , Gao Xiangzhou , Miao Xin , Cao Yumeng
Published: August 2018

In this paper, the fault detection problem for a class of discrete‐time polytopic uncertain systems is studied. Different from the traditional methods dealing with polytopic uncertainties, not only its values but also the probability distributions are considered. First of all, the above process about polytopic uncertainty is described by applying a Markov process. Then, the original system with polytopic uncertainties becomes to be a Markovian jump system (MJS) without any uncertainty. Accordingly, the fault detection problem is transformed to be a similar one but considered for an MJS. Particularly, the fault detection and isolation (FDI) filter is constructed to be mode‐dependent and also said to be polytope‐dependent. Since more information of uncertainty is considered, it is claimed that the obtained results are less conservative. Finally, a practical example is used to show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed methods.
Evolutionary Dynamics of Strategies without Complete Information on Complex Networks
Authors: Zhang Jianlei , Li Zhiqi , Xu Zimin , Zhang Chunyan
Published: August 2018

As for the behaviors of multi‐agent system, recent years have witnessed the growing interest in the study of cooperative behaviors by the aid of evolutionary game dynamics on complex networks. Thereinto, the updating rules deciding the evolution of strategies will significantly influence the steady state distribution of the system. The strategy updating rooted in the pursuit of larger benefits, will drive the system to evolve into the coexistence of different states or the domination by some strategies. To relax the often‐used rules required explicit knowledge of the exact payoffs, this paper describes a new approach of updating strategy based on switching probabilities, which is independent on players' payoffs and degrees. And then the equilibrium state of the strategy evolution in the networks is studied. Our work here provides a computationally feasible way of estimating the steady characteristics of the strategy adoption of agents situating on complex networks. The stability analysis elucidates two important features: (i) the takeover of cooperation can be enhanced by the appropriate settings of the switching probabilities between strategies and (ii) larger average degree and power exponent in the employed scale‐free network can make it easier for the coexistence of strategies. The results can help the design of initial strategy distribution of agents located on social networks to promote cooperation.
Robust Backstepping Sliding Mode Controller Investigation for a Port Plate Position Servo System Based on an Extended States Observer
Authors: Shen Wei , Huang Honglei , Wang Jiehao
Published: August 2018

For reducing throttling loss in a pilot oil pipe in a hydraulic system based on common pressure rail, this paper proposes a solution that increases efficiency by reducing the relieving pressure. In order to compensate for the resulting control performance degradation, the paper takes a valve controlled swing motor system under low pressure as the research aim. Considering the uncertainty of external disturbance and flow parameters, the mathematical model of the system is established, using an extended state observer to estimate the external disturbances in real time to increase the compensation value and state feedback for the robust backstepping sliding mode controller. Finally, the simulation results confirm the control algorithm proposed is effective for keeping control performance in decreasing pressure conditions.
Changes in surface icing duration over north China during 1961–2015
Authors: Yu Yu , Ren Zhihua , Gao Feng , Meng Xiaoyan
Published: August 2018

Climate extremes are changing at mid–high latitudes due to the effects of climate change. We defined the duration of surface icing (ice formation on open water) in north China from 1961 to 2015, along with its annual start and end date, based on daily measurements by observers at 346 weather stations. A comprehensive analysis of the temporal and spatial variations in these data showed that the regional mean of annual surface icing duration has a high correlation coefficient of 0.97 with the number of frost days (calculated from the daily minimum temperature below 0 °C), with some discrepancies. As the start date trended later and the end date trended earlier in this region, the surface icing duration decreased by 2.6 days/decade from 1961 to 2015 and the slope became steeper by −4.8 days/decade during the most recent 25 years. These results contribute to a better understanding of changes in climatic extremes related to global climate change.
Techno‐economic performance of sustainable international bio‐SNG production and supply chains on short and longer term
Authors: Batidzirai Bothwell , Schotman Geert S. , van der Spek Mijndert W. , Junginger Martin , Faaij André P. C.
Published: August 2018

Synthetic natural gas (SNG) derived from biomass gasification is a potential transport fuel and natural gas substitute. Using the Netherlands as a case study, this paper evaluates the most economic and environmentally optimal supply chain for the production of biomass based SNG (so‐called bio‐SNG) for different biomass production regions and location of final conversion facilities, with final delivery of compressed natural gas at refueling stations servicing the transport sector. At a scale of 100 MWth, in, delivered bioSNG costs range from 18.6 to 25.9$/GJdelivered CNGwhile energy efficiency ranges from 46.8–61.9%. If production capacities are scaled up to 1000 MWth, in, SNG costs decrease by about 30% to 12.6–17.4$ GJdelivered CNG−1. BioSNG production in Ukraine and transportation of the gas by pipeline to the Netherlands results in the lowest delivered cost in all cases and the highest energy efficiency pathway (61.9%). This is mainly due to low pipeline transport costs and energy losses compared to long‐distance Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) transport. However, synthetic natural gas production from torrefied pellets (TOPs) results in the lowest GHG emissions (17 kg CO2e GJCNG−1) while the Ukraine routes results in 25 kg CO2e GJCNG−1. Production costs at 100 MWthare higher than the current natural gas price range, but lower than the oil prices and biodiesel prices. BioSNG costs could converge with natural gas market prices in the coming decades, estimated to be 18.2$ GJ−1. At 1000 MWth, bioSNG becomes competitive with natural gas (especially if attractive CO2prices are considered) and very competitive with oil and biodiesel. It is clear that scaling of SNG production to the GWthscale is key to cost reduction and could result in competitive SNG costs. For regions like Brazil, it is more cost‐effective to densify biomass into pellets or TOPS and undertake final conversion near the import harbor. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Nachrechnung der Querkrafttragfähigkeit von mehrfeldrigen Spannbetonbrücken mit geringer Bügelbewehrung
Authors: Huber Tobias , Huber Patrick , Kleiser Michael , Kollegger Johann
Published: August 2018

Die Beurteilung der Tragfähigkeit von bestehenden Spann betonbrücken ist seit geraumer Zeit fest im Aufgabenfeld des Bauingenieurs verankert. Bedeutende Änderungen in der Normung führten dazu, dass der Querkraftnachweis bei vorgespannten Brücken mit den derzeit gültigen Regelungen in der Bestandsbewertung oftmals nicht erfüllt werden kann. An der TU Wien wurde deshalb ein neues Nachweismodell entwickelt, welches eine adäquate Abbildung des Tragverhaltens ermöglicht. Nach erfolgreicher Anwendung bei Einfeldträgern werden nun an der Innenstütze von mehrfeldrigen Spannbetonbrücken acht Versuche zur Verifikation der Modellannahmen vorgestellt. Der Versuchsaufbau und die Versuchskörper wurden zur realitätsnahen Abbildung der Schnittgrößenkonfiguration (großes negatives Moment kombiniert mit abfallender Querkraft) von vorgespannten Brücken im Maßstab 1:2 konzipiert. Der Einfluss des Vorspanngrades, der Querschnittsform, der Querkraftbewehrung und der Schubschlankheit wurde unter dieser Konfiguration erstmalig systematisch untersucht. Die Evaluierung der Ergebnisse mit den Regelwerken der österreichischen Nachrechnungsrichtlinie und eine Parameterstudie zeigen das hohe Potenzial des FSC‐Modells („flexural‐shear crack“) auf.
Mussel Byssus Structure‐Function and Fabrication as Inspiration for Biotechnological Production of Advanced Materials
Authors: Harrington Matthew J. , Jehle Franziska , Priemel Tobias
Published: August 2018

Biotechnology offers an exciting avenue toward the sustainable production of high performance proteinaceous polymeric materials. In particular, the mussel byssus—a high performance adhesive bio‐fiber used by mussels to cling on hard surfaces—has become a veritable archetype for bio‐inspired self‐healing fibers, tough coatings, and versatile wet adhesives. However, successful translation of mussel‐inspired design principles into man‐made materials hinges upon elucidating structure‐function relationships and biological fabrication processes. This review provides a detailed survey of the state‐of‐the‐art understanding of the biochemical structure‐function relationships defining byssus performance with a particular focus on structural hierarchy and metal coordination‐based cross‐linking. The efforts to mimic the byssus in man‐made materials are then discussed. While there has been a strong push to mimic the byssus via synthetic chemistry taking a reductionist approach, herein the focus is specifically on recent progress of biotechnology‐based strategies that more closely approximate the biochemical complexity of the natural material. As an outlook, an overview of recent research toward understanding the natural byssus assembly process is provided, as processing remains a critical factor in achieving native‐like properties.
Wie der Mensch das Tomaten‐Metabolom verändert
Authors: Staiger Dorothee
Published: August 2018

Die Tomate, das bei deutschen Verbrauchern beliebteste Gemüse, blickt auf eine lange Phase der Kultivierung durch den Menschen zurück. Die Bestimmung des Metaboloms von Wildarten und modernen Kultursorten mit neuen Analysemethoden deckt auf, wie die Selektion auf Tomatenpflanzen mit großen Früchten durch den Menschen im Lauf der Jahrhunderte auch die Inhaltsstoffe der Früchte beeinflußt hat. Zurückführen läßt sich das auf Gene in der Nachbarschaft der fruit weight Gene, die bei der Selektion auf große Früchte als Trittbrettfahrer mit vererbt wurden.
Calcium‐Imaging – Gedankenblitze sichtbar gemacht
Authors: Hussein Nali
Published: August 2018

Untersuchungen am zentralen Nervensystem gestalten sich sehr schwierig, da das Gehirn oft schwer zugänglich ist und aus einem sehr dicht verpackten Netzwerk aus vielen Neuronen besteht. Die Methode des Calcium‐Imaging bietet die Möglichkeit in vitro aufschlussreiche Informationen über die Reaktion von Neuronen auf bestimmte Stimuli zu gewinnen.
Nachrichten des Verbandes Biologie, Biowissenschaften & Biomedizin in Deutschland
Authors: Graw Jochen
Published: August 2018

Wissenschaft & Gesellschaft

EU Forschungsförderung

Biodiversitätskonvention

Fachgesellschaften

Jahrestreffen der Fachgesellschaften

Landesverbände

Treffen der Landesverbände

Berlin‐Brandenburg

Hessen

NRW
Der Redner mit dem Stoffhasen
Authors: Hauk Andrea
Published: August 2018

Es wird viel diskutiert über die Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf. Andrea Hauk – BIUZ‐Lesern bekannt als Autorin der Laborseite – hat den Praxistest gemacht und berichtet nun im zehnten Teil unserer Reihe von ihren Erfahrungen als Mutter eines Krabbelkindes.
The Anatomy Lesson of Willem Röell, painted in 1728
Authors: IJpma F F A , van Gulik T M
Published: August 2018

The Anatomy Lesson of Willem Röell, painted by Cornelis Troost in 1728, should be considered a group portrait of the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons. Professor Röell, praelector anatomiae (lecturer in anatomy) of the Surgeons' Guild, was portrayed while performing an anatomical dissection of the knee joint in the corpse of an elderly man. The three surgeons in the painting, dressed in fashionable suits, held important positions as governors of the Guild. The Guild assistant, holding a box containing surgical instruments, is standing in the background (left corner).

This painting did not record a real anatomical demonstration, as held in the Guild's anatomy theatre, but served as a group portrait. Every person in the painting had to pay a fee to the artist for the privilege of posing in this masterpiece. In the 18th century, the painting was on display on the wall of the boardroom of the Surgeons' Guild in the Waag (weigh house) at the Nieuwmarkt in Amsterdam, among other group portraits that had been painted for the Guild in the 17th and 18th centuries. These works of art were painted to commemorate the praelector anatomiae, governors and surgeons of the Guild. Today, this painting is on display in the Amsterdam Museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Read more about the stories behind this masterpiece in an essay  online.
In silico analytico‐mathematical interpretation of biopolymeric assemblies: Quantification of energy surfaces and molecular attributes via atomistic simulations
Authors: Kumar Pradeep , Choonara Yahya E. , Pillay Viness
Published: August 2018

Static‐lattice atomistic simulations, in vacuum and solvent phase, have been recently employed to quantify the “in vitro—in vivo—in silico” performance‐correlation profile of various drug delivery systems and biomaterial scaffolds. The reactional profile of biopolymers was elucidated by exploring the spatial disposition of the molecular components with respect to the formulation conditions and the final release medium. This manuscript provides a brief overview of recently completed and published studies related to molecular tectonics of: (a) the nanoformation and solvation properties of the surfactant‐emulsified polymeric systems; (b) the formation and chemistry of polyelectrolyte complexes; (c) the effect of a plasticizer and/or drug on the physicomechanical properties of biomedical archetypes; (d) the molecular modeling templates to predict stimuli‐ and environmentally esponsive systems; and (e) the polymer‐mucopeptide complexes and intermacromolecular networks. Furthermore, this report provides a detailed account of the role of molecular mechanics energy relationships toward the interpretation and understanding of the mechanisms that control the formation, fabrication, selection, design, performance, complexation, interaction, stereospecificity, and preference of various biopolymeric systems for biomedical applications.
Derivation of neural crest stem cells from human epidermal keratinocytes requires FGF‐2, IGF‐1, and inhibition of TGF‐β1
Authors: Tseropoulos Georgios , Moghadasi Boroujeni Samaneh , Bajpai Vivek K. , Lei Pedro , Andreadis Stelios T.
Published: August 2018

Neural crest (NC) cells play a central role in forming the peripheral nervous system, the craniofacial skeleton, and the pigmentation of the skin during development due to their broad multilineage differentiation potential into neurons, Schwann cells, melanocytes, and mesenchymal stem cells. Recently, we identified an easily accessible source of pluripotent NC stem cells from human inter‐follicular keratinocyte (KC) cultures (KC‐NC). In this work, we examined specific conditions for the derivation of NC from KC cultures. More specifically, we examined the role of two growth factors, FGF2 and IGF1, in NC proliferation and in expression of two potent NC transcription factors, Sox10 and FoxD3. Using specific chemical inhibitors, we uncovered that the downstream regulatory pathways AKT/PI3K, MEK/ERK, and JNK/cJun may be critical in Sox10 and FoxD3 regulation in KC‐NC. The TGF‐β1 pathway was also implicated in suppressing Sox10 expression and NC proliferation. In summary, our study shed light into the role of FGF2, IGF1, and TGF‐β1 on the induction of NC from KC cultures and the pathways that regulate Sox10 and FoxD3. We also established culture conditions for sustaining KC‐NC multipotency and, therefore, the potential of these cells for regenerative medicine and cellular therapies.
Let's get a hand on this: Review of the clinical anatomy of “knuckle cracking”
Authors: Rizvi Asad , Loukas Marios , Oskouian Rod J. , Tubbs R. Shane
Published: August 2018

Knuckle cracking refers to the characteristic sound produced when joints are moved or distracted, and there is considerable interest in the mechanism and the clinical associations of knuckle cracking. Different mechanisms for knuckle cracking have been proposed over a century, and some have speculated that it can lead to deleterious effects on the joints. Herein, we review the literature on the mechanism and clinical associations of knuckle cracking. There is agreement in the literature regarding the formation of a bubble as part of the mechanism of knuckle cracking; however, the process by which the bubble is formed and the source of the cracking sound is not clear. The evidence for the association of knuckle cracking and osteoarthritis comes mainly from observational studies that have failed to show an association. Fewer studies report other associations mainly through descriptive, small or cross‐sectional studies. Clin. Anat. 31:942–945, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A collaborative and open solution for large‐scale online learning
Authors: Zhou Qingguo , Sun Hongyu , Zhou Rui , Sun Geng , Shen Jun , Li Kuan‐Ching
Published: August 2018

Collaborative Open Online Courses (COOC), designed as the enhanced variance of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), inherently combines the advantages of high‐quality online resources and face‐to‐face classroom teaching. It stimulates the collaboration and improvement of courses between educators and learners, by realizing the innovation for dynamic and real‐time education process, fostering professional skill acquisition and development as well. In this paper, we propose the novel concept and architectural design of COOC that provides the online course, courseware, and online experimental platform, built on top of third party's open source platforms. The preparation of courses is based on GitHub that facilitates multipoint‐to‐multipoint online courses and concurrent compilation of textbook based on GitBook, by providing open source textbooks and rapid updates as well as remote operations through online experimental platforms. The major differences between MOOC and COOC include decentralized platform and adoption of concepts through crowdsourcing, where instructors, professionals, and learners are able to set up and modify the courses independently and concurrently, empowering the course's construction based on the collaborative, open and shared textbooks, and online experimental platform. Users, including both teachers and learners, are also able to browse, download, and make use of courses in this platform. With embedded intellectual property and quality control mechanisms, such as Creative Commons (CC) licenses, COOC platform can generate and offer high‐quality courses and textbooks of emerging knowledge rapidly through consistent updates by professionals, students, and elites in related domains. The proposed design has been tested at trial Chinese universities and initial feedback from instructors and students are very positive. Insights on techniques and related information are provided, to best adapt to any vocational education level, subject matter, or courseware provider.
A Review on Biodiesel Production through Heterogeneous Catalysis Route
Authors: Sahu Gajanan , Gupta Navneet Kumar , Kotha Akhil , Saha Sujan , Datta Sudipta , Chavan Prakash , Kumari Neelam , Dutta Pashupati
Published: August 2018

Depletion of oil reserves, increasing prices of petroleum products, and environmental concerns related to air pollution are the main driving forces for utilizing renewable energy resources to replace fossil fuels. Vegetable oils can be used to produce biodiesel. Biodiesel is obtained by transesterification of vegetable oil with alcohol using homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts. In the industry, biodiesel is produced by heterogeneous catalysts due to high activity and selectivity, better reusability, reduction in processing steps, and wastes. The catalytic activity of catalysts depends on the strength and type of intrinsic basic or/and acid properties. Biodiesel production using heterogenous catalysts depends on the various reaction parameters such as reaction time, temperature, molar ratio of alcohol to oil, catalyst amount, and stirring speed. In this paper, the catalytic transesterification of various feedstocks such as edible oil, non‐edible oil, and waste using heterogeneous catalysts has been reviewed and optimization parameters for maximum biodiesel production have been summarized.
FMRP regulates endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis via the miR‐181a‐CaM‐CaMKII pathway
Authors: Zhao Xin , Wang Yang , Meng Chao , Fang Ningyuan
Published: August 2018

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and microRNAs have emerged as crucial post‐transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Although the role of Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) has been well studied in the brain, the function of FMRP in endothelial cells remains unknown. In our study, we showed that FMRP controlled human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) proliferation and angiogenesis via the miR‐181a‐mediated calmodulin (CaM)/CaMKII pathway. The knockdown of FMRP induced miR‐181a expression and contributed to endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Furthermore, we identified CaM as a downstream target of miR‐181a in endothelial cells. Additionally, tumor necrosis factor‐ɑ (TNF‐ɑ) treatment specifically decreased the activity of the CaM/CaMKII pathway through the dephosphorylation of FMRP and upregulation of miR‐181a. Finally, the overexpression of constitutively phosphorylated FMRP rescued the TNF‐ɑ‐impaired endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis by activating the CaM/CaMKII pathway and downregulating miR‐181a, which suggested there was a pivotal role of FMRP in vascular integrity in response to inflammatory stimuli. Thus, our study supports a novel function and mechanism involving FMRP and the miR‐181a‐CaM‐CaMKII pathway may be a therapeutic target for protecting against inflammation‐induced vascular diseases.
Therapeutic residential care: Partnering with families for improved outcomes
Authors: Gillen Peter
Published: August 2018

“‘Therapeutic residential care’ involves the planful use of a purposefully constructed, multi‐dimensional living environment designed to enhance or provide treatment, education, socialization, support, and protection to children with identified mental health or behavioral needs in partnership with their families and in collaboration with a full spectrum of community‐based formal and informal helping resources.” (Whittaker et al., 2014, p. 24)
From AACAP, how to communicate with children
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: August 2018

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has put together a tip sheet for its members — for anyone, really — to use in helping them work with their patients.
Direct physiologic assessment of anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery: Enhanced diagnostics or illusion of insight?
Authors: McElhinney Doff B.
Published: August 2018

Key Points

Fractional flow reserve and intravascular ultrasound evaluation are technically feasible in patients with congenitally abnormal coronary arteries arising from the wrong aortic sinus, including those with a slitlike orifice and presumed intramural course.

Incorporation of fractional flow reserve and intravascular ultrasound into the evaluation of adults with anomalous coronary artery origins will provide additional data and may be useful in risk assessment, although these data should be interpreted with caution, as the validity of fractional flow reserve findings in this population has not been established.

The applicability of fractional flow reserve thresholds for acute coronary syndromes to patients with anomalous coronary artery origins is unknown. Further study will be needed to determine how best to incorporate fractional flow reserve data in the evaluation and management of these patients.
Secondary sclerosing cholangitis following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for acute respiratory distress in polytrauma
Authors: Tunney Ruth , Scott Jennifer , Rudralingam Velauthan , Liong Sue , Athwal Varinder S.
Published: August 2018

Key Clinical Message

Secondary sclerosing cholangitis is a recently identified phenomenon affecting the biliary tree. A subtype has been described in critically ill patients (SSC‐CIP). However, underlying mechanisms are unknown, and few cases have been reported following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We present a 19‐year‐old male with SSC‐CIP after ECMO following major trauma.
Nano Impact Electrochemistry: Effects of Electronic Filtering on Peak Height, Duration and Area
Authors: Kanokkanchana Kannasoot , Saw En N. , Tschulik Kristina
Published: August 2018

Nano impact electrochemistry is used to measure a transient signal while a nanoparticle (NP) hits an electrode due to its motion in a solution. A variety of information can be obtained from this current pulse, yet its accurate measurement is challenging due to its short duration (μs to s) and small amplitude (≤10 nA). A typically used low bandwidth low‐pass filter can improve the signal‐to‐noise ratio, but it may cost severely in the accuracy of the data. Here, we demonstrate the effects of electronic filters by using generated current impulses with duration from 125 μs to 8 ms. Initially, a system dedicated to measure short and low current impulses was employed. There, an 8th order Bessel filter was used and the effect of varying the cut‐off frequency between 50 Hz and 20 kHz on the impulse response is studied. Even though the charge is generally conserved by the filter, amplitude and duration of the pulse vary greatly in dependence of the cut‐off frequency. In comparison, the response of widely used potentiostats was tested and significant deviations of the measured signal from the input were detected. Supported by destructive nano impact experiments with Ag NPs in KCl(aq), we show how the filtering affects the experimentally determined size of Ag NPs and Cl− diffusion coefficient, using impact charges and duration, respectively. As a result, we suggest a general guideline to researchers for accurate electrochemical nano impact measurements, in particular with respect to current peak duration analysis.
Facet‐Resolved Electrochemistry of Polycrystalline Boron‐Doped Diamond Electrodes: Microscopic Factors Determining the Solvent Window in Aqueous Potassium Chloride Solutions
Authors: Liu Dan‐Qing , Chen Chang‐Hui , Perry David , West Geoff , Cobb Sam J. , Macpherson Julie V. , Unwin Patrick R.
Published: August 2018

A systematic examination of the microscopic factors affecting the aqueous solvent (electrolyte) window of polycrystalline (p) boron‐doped diamond (BDD) electrodes in chloride‐containing salt solutions is undertaken by using scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) in conjunction with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and Raman microscopy. A major focus is to determine the effect of the local boron doping level, within the same orientation grains, on the solvent window response. EBSD is used to select the predominant (110) orientated areas of the surface with different boron‐doped facets, thereby eliminating crystallographic effects from the electrochemical response. Voltammetric SECCM is employed, whereby a cyclic voltammogram is recorded at each pixel mapped by the meniscus‐contact SECCM cell. The data obtained can be played as an electrochemical movie of potential‐resolved current maps of the surface to reveal spatial variations of electroactivity, over a wide potential range, including the solvent (electrolyte) window. Local heterogeneities are observed, indicating that the solvent window is mainly linked to local dopant levels, with lower dopant levels leading to a wider window, that is, slower electrode kinetics for solvent/electrolyte electrolysis. Furthermore, the effects of O‐ and H‐surface termination of the BDD surface are investigated for the same electrode (in the same area). The surface termination is a particularly important factor: the solvent window of an H‐terminated surface is wider than for O‐termination for similar boron dopant levels. Furthermore, the anodic potential window of the O‐terminated surface is greatly diminished due to chloride electro‐oxidation. These studies provide new perspectives on the local electrochemical properties of BDD and highlight the importance of probing the electrochemistry of BDD at the level of a single crystalline grain (facet) to unravel the factors that control the solvent (aqueous) window of these complex heterogeneous electrodes.
Electrochemical and Operando Spectroscopic Studies of Sr2Fe1.5Mo0.5O6‐δ Anode Catalysts in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Operating with Direct Alcohol Fuels
Authors: Bode Gregory L. , McIntyre Melissa D. , Neuberger Daniel M. , Walker Robert A. , Thorstensen Brad P. , Eigenbrodt Bryan C.
Published: August 2018

A combination of operando Raman spectroscopy and chronoamperometry was used to examine the carbon tolerance of Sr2Fe1.5Mo0.5O6‐δ (SFMO) electrode catalysts when operating with direct methanol and ethanol fuels in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Chronoamperometry studies revealed that these devices could maintain a steady power density output under typical SOFC operating conditions. High‐temperature Raman measurements of SFMO coupons exposed to methanol and ethanol (and their gas phase pyrolysis products) showed the presence of spectroscopic features associated with ordered and disordered forms of graphitic carbon. However, once SFMO was employed as an anode in an electrolyte‐supported SOFC, the graphite features disappear implying that these materials are not susceptible to carbon accumulation in functioning devices. These electrochemical and operando Raman measurements provided insight into SFMO's ability to act as an effective anode catalyst for SOFCs operating with direct alcohol fuel sources.
Obtaining P2‐Na0.56[Ni0.1Co0.1Mn0.8]O2 Cathode Materials for Sodium‐Ion Batteries by using a Co‐precipitation Method
Authors: Zhang Zhaokun , Meng Yan , Wang Yujue , Yuan Hongyan , Xiao Dan
Published: August 2018

For the sake of achieving the practical application of sodium‐ion batteries, extensive efforts have been made to improve the electrochemical performance of cathode materials. A simple co‐precipitation route is successfully developed to synthesize nanowires of transition metal hydroxides through a sodium peroxide pouring process instead of the traditional sodium hydroxide dropping approach. After a subsequent annealing process, a well‐crystallized P2‐Na0.56[Ni0.1Co0.1Mn0.8]O2 layered cathode material is obtained. Owing to such an exquisite architecture, this material possesses an excellent electrochemical performance, exhibits a reversible capacity of 188 mAh g−1 at 48 mA g−1 in the voltage range of 1.5‐4.1 V with nearly 99.7 % coulombic efficiency and retains approximately 80.2 % of the initial capacity after 50 cycles. Moreover, even at an extremely high current density of 2400 mA g−1, it delivers a capacity of 134 mAh g−1 and remains at 76 mAh g−1 after 1500 cycles, which surpasses most reported layered transition metal oxide cathode materials. This strategy of providing a strong oxidizing environment during the co‐precipitation process is especially crucial for obtaining materials with excellent electrochemical performances for future energy storage application.
A Review of Mathematical Programming in Integrated Iron‐ and Steelmaking
Authors: van Beek Mathias
Published: August 2018

This paper presents and reviews the current application fields of mathematical programming in integrated iron‐ and steelmaking research. Three different fields of mathematical programming applications are identified and discussed: unit operation optimization, by‐product gas distribution, and integrated system optimization and design. Based on current research activities in the iron and steel industry, development trends for mathematical programming in integrated iron‐ and steelmaking research, such as the cogeneration of chemicals aided by renewable energy grid integration, are presented.
Numerical investigation of flow regimes in T‐shaped micromixers: Benchmark between finite volume and spectral element methods
Authors: Galletti Chiara , Mariotti Alessandro , Siconolfi Lorenzo , Mauri Roberto , Brunazzi Elisabetta
Published: August 2018

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is very appealing to investigate mixing and reaction in microdevices, as it allows easily investigating different operating conditions as well as mixer geometries. This latter aspect is very important as the flow in microdevices is laminar so the mixing between reactants should be promoted by a clever mixer design, aimed at breaking the flow symmetries. Recently time periodic motions that improve mixing have been observed to take place in a T‐junction at low Reynolds numbers. In this case the numerical modelling should be based on direct numerical simulations (DNS), thus involving high computational resources. In this work, two different CFD approaches, i.e., finite volume and spectral element methods, are applied and compared for the analysis of the mixing process in the well known T‐shaped micromixer. Spectral elements methods are particularly suited for DNS; however, they have been scarcely applied to study micromixers, while plenty of works can be found with finite volume methods. The analysis is carried out using both ideal and non‐ideal liquid binary mixtures, the latter presenting a negative fluidity of mixing (i.e., the viscosity of the mixture is higher than that of the pure components). Moreover the numerical results are validated with simple flow visualization experiments.
Response adaptive designs with asymptotic optimality
Authors: Yi Yanqing , Li Xuan
Published: August 2018

This article discusses the asymptotic optimality of statistical inference for response‐adaptive designs, which has ethical advantages over traditional methods for clinical trials. The upper bound of statistical power of asymptotically level α tests is derived and the Wald statistic is shown to be asymptotically optimal in terms of achieving the upper bound of the asymptotic power. The rates of coverage error probability of the confidence interval are proven to depend on the convergence rate of the allocation proportions for non‐normally distributed responses. When the response density functions are normal density functions, it is proven that the coverage error probability and type I error rate are of the order . The Canadian Journal of Statistics 46: 458–469; 2018 © 2018 Statistical Society of Canada
With flowers to electrochemistry – new and simple experimental set‐ups
Authors: Beeken Marco , Fallenbeck Malte , Budke Michael
Published: August 2018

Auf Grundlage der speziellen Materialeigenschaft von Blumensteckschaummasse, Flüssigkeiten aufzunehmen und diese lange zu speichern, wurden im Rahmen des Forschungsprojektes „Durch die Blume – ein chemischer Streifzug durch ein Floristik‐Fachgeschäft“, spannende und innovative elektrochemische Schulversuche konzipiert, die in diesem Artikel vorgestellt werden. Dabei wird Blumensteckschaummasse als „Reaktionsgefäß“ eingesetzt, wodurch eine höhere experimentelle Sicherheit und ein ökonomischer Umgang mit Chemikalien erreicht werden kann. Besonders bemerkenswert ist der einfache und sichere Versuchsbau einer Standard‐Wasserstoffhalbzelle, welche durch den Einsatz von Blumensteckschaummasse erstmals auch als ungefährliches Schülerexperiment durchgeführt werden kann.
Prescription of statins at discharge and 1‐year risk of major clinical outcomes among acute coronary syndromes patients with extremely low LDL‐cholesterol in clinical pathways for acute coronary syndromes studies
Authors: Sun Yihong , Xie Gaoqiang , Patel Anushka , Li Shenshen , Zhao Wei , Yang Xingzi , Wu Tao , Li Min , Li Xian , Du Xin , Hu Rong , Huo Yong , Hu Dayi , Gao Run Ling , Wu Yangfeng
Published: August 2018

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate statin description on discharge and the benefit on the long‐term outcomes in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) patients with very low baseline LDL‐cholesterol (LDL‐c).

Methods

This is a post‐hoc analysis of 3374 ACS patients who were discharged alive and had baseline LDL‐c levels below 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L). The propensity score of using statin was estimated with a multivariable Logistic model including patient's demography, social economic status, cardiovascular risk factors, subtype of the diagnosis, and treatments received during hospitalization and current LDL‐c level. The risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) was compared between patients received and not‐received statin with Cox‐regression models adjusting for the propensity score plus other factors. A sensitivity analysis was done in propensity score matched patients.

Results

Compared with nonstatin group, the incidence of MACE at 12 months after discharge was lower in the statin group (11.1% vs 5.8%; P < 0.001). The propensity score plus other factors‐adjusted hazard ratios for MACEs was significant (0.58; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.87). The effect showed a significant dose‐response relationship (P for trend = 0.02). The results in analyses with propensity‐score matched participants were in consistent with above findings. Analyses on total mortality in 12 months showed similar results.

Conclusions

Among ACS survivors with a very low baseline LDL‐c, low to moderate intensity statin therapy was associated significantly with lower risk of MACEs and total mortality at 12 months. The results suggested that ACS survivors should take statin regardless of the baseline of LDL‐c.
Reducing signal‐to‐noise ratio degradation due to coil coupling in a receiver array for 35Cl MRI at 9.4 T: A comparison of matching and decoupling strategies
Authors: Malzacher Matthias , Hu Ruomin , Chacon‐Caldera Jorge , Schad Lothar R.
Published: August 2018

Next to conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which utilizes hydrogen nuclei, other nuclei, so‐called X‐nuclei, are of increasing interest since they can provide additional diagnostic information. However, X‐nuclei MRI is challenging due to the lower Signal‐to‐Noise Ratio (SNR) compared to 1H (35Cl provides approximately 200 000 times lower SNR than 1H). In order to compete with this challenge, the use of high‐field strengths and optimized hardware is crucial. In this work, a transmit‐only receive‐only (TORO) system for 35Cl MRI at a preclinical 9.4 T scanner is presented, composed of a volumetric birdcage coil and a 3 channel Rx array. SNR degradation despite preamplifier decoupling can no longer be neglected since the resonance frequency of 35Cl is low. This paper will prove the SNR degradation due to the coil coupling of the receiver coils for this setup and evaluate three different approaches to mitigate the SNR degradation. The performance of the different approaches is evaluated via single channel and combined SNR maps using phantom measurements. Finally, the SNR maps acquired with the Rx array are compared to the SNR map acquired using the Birdcage coil as a reference.