bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A predictive algorithm for wetlands in deep time paleoclimate models
Authors: Wilton David J. , Badger Marcus P. S. , Kantzas Euripides P. , Pancost Richard D. , Valdes Paul J. , Beerling David J.
Published: April 2019

Abstract. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas produced in wetland
environments via microbial action in anaerobic conditions. If the location and extent of
wetlands are unknown, such as for the Earth many millions of years in the past, a model
of wetland fraction is required in order to calculate methane emissions and thus help
reduce uncertainty in the understanding of past warm greenhouse climates. Here we present
an algorithm for predicting inundated wetland fraction for use in calculating wetland
methane emission fluxes in deep-time paleoclimate simulations. For each grid cell in a
given paleoclimate simulation, the algorithm determines the wetland fraction predicted by
a nearest-neighbour search of modern-day data in a space described by a set of
environmental, climate and vegetation variables. To explore this approach, we first test
it for a modern-day climate with variables obtained from observations and then for an
Eocene climate with variables derived from a fully coupled global climate model
(HadCM3BL-M2.2; Valdes et al., 2017). Two independent dynamic vegetation models were used
to provide two sets of equivalent vegetation variables which yielded two different
wetland predictions. As a first test, the method, using both vegetation models,
satisfactorily reproduces modern day wetland fraction at a course grid resolution, similar to those used in
paleoclimate simulations. We then applied the method to an early Eocene climate, testing
its outputs against the locations of Eocene coal deposits. We predict global mean monthly
wetland fraction area for the early Eocene of 8×106 to 10×106 km2 with a
corresponding total annual methane flux of 656 to 909 Tg CH4 yr−1,
depending on which of the two different dynamic global vegetation models are used to
model wetland fraction and methane emission rates. Both values are significantly higher
than estimates for the modern day of 4×106 km2 and around
190 Tg CH4 yr−1 (Poulter et al., 2017; Melton et al., 2013).
Accounting for forest age in the tile-based dynamic global vegetation
model JSBACH4 (4.20p7; git feature/forests) – a land surface model
for the ICON-ESM
Authors: Nabel Julia E. M. S. , Naudts Kim , Pongratz Julia
Published: April 2019

Abstract. Natural and anthropogenic disturbances, in particular forest management, affect forest age-structures all around the globe. Forest age-structures in turn influence biophysical and biogeochemical interactions of the vegetation with the atmosphere. Yet, many dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs), including those used as land surface models (LSMs) in Earth system models (ESMs), do not account for subgrid forest age structures, despite being used to investigate land-use effects on the global carbon budget or simulating land–atmosphere interactions. In this paper we present a new scheme to introduce forest age-classes in hierarchical tile-based DGVMs combining benefits of recently applied approaches. Our scheme combines a computationally efficient age-dependent simulation of all relevant processes, such as photosynthesis and respiration, without loosing the information about the exact forest age, which is a prerequisite for the implementation of age-based forest management. This combination is achieved by using the hierarchy to track the area fraction for each age on an aggregated plant functional type level, whilst simulating the relevant processes for a set of age-classes. We describe how we implemented this scheme in JSBACH4, the LSM of the ICON-ESM. Subsequently, we compare simulation output against global observation-based products for gross primary production, leaf area index and above-ground biomass to assess the ability of simulations with and without age-classes to reproduce the annual cycle and large-scale spatial patterns of these variables. The comparisons show differences exponentially decreasing with the number of distinguished age-classes and linearly increasing computation costs. The results demonstrate the benefit of the introduction of age-classes, with the optimal number of age-classes being a compromise between computation costs and accuracy.
Systematic bias in evaluating chemical transport models with maximum daily 8-hour average (MDA8) surface ozone for air quality applications
Authors: Travis Katherine R. , Jacob Daniel J.
Published: April 2019

Abstract. Chemical transport models typically evaluate their simulation of surface ozone with observations of the maximum daily 8-hour average (MDA8) concentration, which is the standard air quality policy metric. This requires successful simulation of the surface ozone diurnal cycle including nighttime depletion, but models are generally biased high at night because of difficulty in resolving the stratified conditions near the surface. We quantify the problem with the GEOS-Chem model for the Southeast US during the NASA SEAC4RS aircraft campaign in August–September 2013. The model is unbiased relative to the daytime mixed layer aircraft observations but has a +5 ppb bias relative to MDA8 surface ozone observations. The model also does not capture observed occurrences of
Pathways of ice-wedge degradation in polygonal tundra under different hydrological conditions
Authors: Nitzbon Jan , Langer Moritz , Westermann Sebastian , Martin Léo , Aas Kjetil Schanke , Boike Julia
Published: April 2019

Abstract. Ice-wedge polygons are common features of lowland tundra in the continuous
permafrost zone and prone to rapid degradation through melting of ground ice.
There are many interrelated processes involved in ice-wedge thermokarst and
it is a major challenge to quantify their influence on the stability of the
permafrost underlying the landscape. In this study we used a numerical
modelling approach to investigate the degradation of ice wedges with a focus
on the influence of hydrological conditions. Our study area was Samoylov
Island in the Lena River delta of northern Siberia, for which we had in situ
measurements to evaluate the model. The tailored version of the CryoGrid 3
land surface model was capable of simulating the changing microtopography of
polygonal tundra and also regarded lateral fluxes of heat, water, and snow.
We demonstrated that the approach is capable of simulating ice-wedge
degradation and the associated transition from a low-centred to a
high-centred polygonal microtopography. The model simulations showed
ice-wedge degradation under recent climatic conditions of the study area,
irrespective of hydrological conditions. However, we found that wetter
conditions lead to an earlier onset of degradation and cause more rapid
ground subsidence. We set our findings in correspondence to observed types of
ice-wedge polygons in the study area and hypothesized on remaining
discrepancies between modelled and observed ice-wedge thermokarst activity.
Our quantitative approach provides a valuable complement to previous, more
qualitative and conceptual, descriptions of the possible pathways of
ice-wedge polygon evolution. We concluded that our study is a blueprint for
investigating thermokarst landforms and marks a step forward in understanding
the complex interrelationships between various processes shaping ice-rich
permafrost landscapes.
Effect of Processing Methods on the Physicochemical, Mineral and Carotene Content of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP)
Authors: Eke-Ejiofor J. , Onyeso B. U.
Published: April 2019

The effect of processing methods on the physiochemical, mineral, vitamin C and carotenoid content of orange fleshed sweet potatoes were investigated. The processing methods used were boiling, steaming, roasting, frying and microwaving. The result of the proximate composition showed that the roasted orange fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) had the highest ash content ranging from 0.32-0.99%, crude protein 0.96-3.12%, crude fiber 0.50-3.40% and carbohydrate content 13.98-40.10% with a decrease in the moisture content from 83.10% - 49.25%. Fat content of the fried OFSP ranging from 0.96-6.01% was higher than the other samples. Steaming method enhanced the vitamin C content of the OFSP when compared to other processing method, while carotenoid losses were higher after frying 2.59mg/g, than after microwaving 3-91%, roasting 4.73mg/g, boiling 4.60mg/g and steaming 2.68mg/g. Mineral analysis showed that the boiled orange flesh sweet potatoes (OFSP) had zinc, copper and magnesium content higher than the other heat treated samples with 6.21mg/g, 4,164mg/100g and 479.88mg/100g respectively. Sensory analysis results showed that there were no significant (p<0.05) differences in the sensory scores of the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. The study therefore showed that roasting and frying made available more protein, fat, ash and carbohydrate content, while boiling made available more minerals.
Meer beleidsverantwoording met minder indicatoren: een proces om verantwoording te verankeren in de werkwijze van een ministerie
Authors: Gaaff Aris , Butter John
Published: April 2019

Meer beleidsverantwoording met minder indicatoren: een proces om verantwoording te verankeren in de werkwijze van een ministerie

Het voormalige ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit, thans onderdeel van Economische Zaken, heeft in 2010 het aantal indicatoren waarop de minister zich in de Begroting aan de Tweede Kamer verantwoordt, vrijwel gehalveerd. Hiermee komt de Begroting dichter bij het overkoepelende document waarmee een minister aan de Kamer laat zien wat het beleid op hoofdlijnen is.

Achtergrond was het besef dat het ministerie veel informatie verzamelt, waarvan onduidelijk was of dit wel op resultaat gericht was en in de juiste hoeveelheid. Minder indicatoren, meer gericht op resultaat en outcome, leveren een sterkere basis om meer resultaatgerichte beleidsinformatie te verzamelen. Voorts gaf dit richting voor een sterkere interne sturing op hoofdlijnen en de uit te voeren beleidsevaluaties.

Het Programma Beleidsinformatie heeft dit traject geïnitieerd en begeleid. Dit was meer dan een technische operatie. Daarbij is een proces in werking gezet om vanuit nice-to-know een harde kern van need-to-know beleidsinformatie te genereren.
Die Übertragbarkeit der deutschen Vollstreckungsgegenklage in das chinesische Zivilprozessrecht
Authors: Jin Yin
Published: April 2019

The action of objecting to a claim that is being enforced (§ 767 ZPO) serves as preventive debtor protection. In German civil procedure law, the provision of this action dates back to the CPO 1877. However, a corresponding action is still lacking in Chinese civil procedure law. Only since 2015 has a debtor been able to assert his substantive objections by way of reminder and immediate complaint before enforcement agencies. However, this form of legal protection does not guarantee a correct decision. Furthermore, this preclusion (see § 767 (2) ZPO) in Chinese law extends to enforceable notarial documents that have no res judicata. In this study, the author therefore proposes implementing the German action of objecting to a claim that is being enforced into Chinese civil procedure law.
Equal Opportunities and Dignity as Values in the Perspective of I. Kant’s Deontological Ethics: The Case of Inclusive Education
Authors: Grincevičienė Vilija , Barevičiūtė Jovilė , Asakavičiūtė Vaida , Targamadzė Vilija
Published: April 2019

The article attempts to reveal the correlation of values, attitudes and their place in the system of individual ant societal value development with maturity, culture, ideology and social domain (especially education) change areas and tendencies of the society which the person belongs to. The main thesis of the article – changing of values and their place in the conglomeration of societal values – presupposed the changing of educational domain and its tendencies, one of which is inclusive education. The minor thesis follows from the major one – persons, affected by disability (children, teenagers and youth), and their relatives still face difficulties in pursuing education: equal opportunities and dignity as values in individual cases are still to be achieved. After analysing the aspects of changes in special education, it becomes clear that the legal basis for regulation, established in the country, only in theory warrants equal opportunities for everyone pursuing education. Data from long-term studies show that disabled people often encounter difficulties in educational reality. Values, interpreted from the perspective of Kant’s deontological ethics and categorical imperative and declared in normative documents regulating the educational system, in reality have not reach the rank of basic values: in the process of education disabled people are nevertheless occasionally ignored and discriminated.
La boccia como deporte adaptado y sensibilizador en Educación Física en Educación Secundaria
Authors: Abellán J. , Sáez-Gallego N. M. , Carrión Olivares S.
Published: April 2019

Los deportes adaptados están siendo incluidos en las programaciones de Educación Física. El presente trabajo evalúa el efecto en las actitudes hacia la discapacidad en Educación Física de la realización de una unidad didáctica de boccia, siguiendo la enseñanza comprensiva de los deportes, y de un torneo inclusivo junto a personas con discapacidad intelectual en el que participó un grupo de estudiantes de educación secundaria. Adicionalmente, se ha recogido su opinión sobre la boccia como contenido deportivo en Educación Física. Los resultados indican que los participantes mejoraron sus actitudes hacia la discapacidad en Educación Física. Además, los participantes indicaron que la boccia contribuye a la educación en valores e igualdad de oportunidades, pero no al desarrollo de habilidades y destrezas básicas. Los estudiantes solo perciben a la boccia como un deporte sensibilizador, por lo que se debe seguir investigando en esta línea para mejorar su opinión como contenido deportivo en Educación Física.
Fomento de hábitos saludables a través de la coordinación del profesorado de educación física
Authors: García-Martínez I. , Puertas-Molero P. , González-Valero G. , Castro-Sánchez M. , Ramírez-Granizo I.
Published: April 2019

La presente investigación tiene por objetivo analizar el grado de coordinación pedagógica existente entre el profesorado de educación física, a partir de la promoción de un estilo de vida saludable entre el alumnado. En concreto, se trató de determinar si existía o no una tendencia a trabajar colaborativamente en aras a conseguir unos objetivos específicos en el área de Educación Física. Para ello, se realizó un cuestionario elaborado para esta investigación, que estaba compuesto por 25 ítems, dirigido a maestros con la especialidad de educación física en ejercicio. A partir de un muestreo aleatorio simple, se consiguieron 300 respuestas de maestros de la provincia de Granada. Entre los resultados, destaca la importancia de la motivación en la conjugación del desempeño profesional docente del especialista del área de educación física. De este modo, se aprecia una fuerte correlación existente entre motivación e inclusión social y vida saludable, así como entre motivacióne innovación curricular.
Cabinet Immunity in Canada: The Legal Black Hole
Authors: Campagnolo Yan
Published: April 2019

Fifteen years ago, in Babcock v. Canada (A.G.), the Supreme Court of Canada held that section 39 of the Canada Evidence Act, which deprives judges of the power to inspect and order the production of Cabinet confidences in litigation, did not offend the rule of law and the provisions of the Constitution. The aim of this article is to revisit this controversial ruling and challenge the Supreme Court’s reasoning. The first part seeks to demonstrate that the Supreme Court adopted a very thin conception of the rule of law in its jurisprudence, a conception which is of limited use as a normative framework to assess the legality of statutory provisions. To that end, the author turns to the thicker theory of law as justification which insists upon the requirements of fairness, transparency, and accountability. Pursuant to the theory of law as justification, an executive decision to exclude relevant evidence in litigation must comply with two requirements: it must be made following a fair decision-making process; and it must be subject to meaningful judicial review. The second part seeks to demonstrate that section 39 does not comply with these requirements. The decision-making process established by Parliament under section 39 is procedurally unfair, in violation of paragraph 2(e) of the Canadian Bill of Rights, because: the identity of the final decision-maker—a minister or the Clerk of the Privy Council—gives rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias; and the decision-maker is not required to properly justify his or her decision to exclude relevant evidence. In addition, section 39 infringes the core, or inherent, jurisdiction and powers of provincial superior courts, in violation of section 96 of the Constitution Act, 1867, as it unduly limits their authority to: control the admissibility of evidence in litigation; and review the legality of executive action. As a result of these flaws, the author argues that section 39 is an unlawful privative clause, a form of legal black hole, which offends the rule of law and the provisions of the Constitution.
Optogenetic control shows that kinetic proofreading regulates the activity of the T cell receptor
Authors: Yousefi O Sascha , Günther Matthias , Hörner Maximilian , Chalupsky Julia , Wess Maximilian , Brandl Simon M , Smith Robert W , Fleck Christian , Kunkel Tim , Zurbriggen Matias D , Höfer Thomas , Weber Wilfried , Schamel Wolfgang WA
Published: April 2019

The immune system distinguishes between self and foreign antigens. The kinetic proofreading (KPR) model proposes that T cells discriminate self from foreign ligands by the different ligand binding half-lives to the T cell receptor (TCR). It is challenging to test KPR as the available experimental systems fall short of only altering the binding half-lives and keeping other parameters of the interaction unchanged. We engineered an optogenetic system using the plant photoreceptor phytochrome B (PhyB) as a ligand to selectively control the dynamics of ligand binding to the TCR by light. This opto-ligand-TCR system was combined with the unique property of PhyB to continuously cycle between the binding and non-binding states under red light, with the light intensity determining the cycling rate and thus the binding duration. Mathematical modeling of our experimental datasets showed that indeed the ligand-TCR interaction half-life is the decisive factor for activating downstream TCR signaling, substantiating KPR.
Associations between sounds and actions in early auditory cortex of nonhuman primates
Authors: Huang Ying , Heil Peter , Brosch Michael
Published: April 2019

An individual may need to take different actions to the same stimulus in different situations to achieve a given goal. The selection of the appropriate action hinges on the previously learned associations between stimuli, actions, and outcomes in the situations. Here, using a go/no-go paradigm and a symmetrical reward, we show that early auditory cortex of nonhuman primates represents such associations, in both the spiking activity and the local field potentials. Sound-evoked neuronal responses changed with sensorimotor associations shortly after sound onset, and the neuronal responses were largest when the sound signaled that a no-go response was required in a trial to obtain a reward. Our findings suggest that association processes take place in the auditory system and do not necessarily rely on association cortex. Thus, auditory cortex may contribute to a rapid selection of the appropriate motor responses to sounds during goal-directed behavior.
Building behaviors, one layer at a time
Authors: Wyart Claire , Thirumalai Vatsala
Published: April 2019

New interneurons are added in the hindbrain to support more complex movements as young zebrafish get older.
Noninvasive and safe cell viability assay forEuglena gracilisusing natural food pigment
Authors: Yamashita Kyohei , Yamada Koji , Suzuki Kengo , Tokunaga Eiji
Published: April 2019

Noninvasive and safe cell viability assay is required in many fields such as regenerative medicine, genetic engineering, single-cell analysis, and microbial food culture. In this case, a safe and inexpensive method which is a small load on cells and the environment is preferable without requiring expensive and space-consuming equipment and a technician to operate. We examined eight typical natural food pigments to findMonascuspigment (MP) or anthocyanin pigment (AP) works as a good viability indicator of dye exclusion test (DET) forEuglena graciliswhich is an edible photosynthetic green microalga. This is the first report using natural food pigments as cell viability assay.Euglena gracilisstained by MP or AP can be visually judged with a bright field microscope. This was spectrally confirmed by scan-free, non-invasive absorbance spectral imagingA(x, y,λ) microscopy of single live cells and principal component analysis (PCA). To confirm the ability of staining dead cells and examine the load on the cells, these two natural pigments were compared with trypan blue (TB) and methylene blue (MP), which are synthetic dyes conventionally used for DET. As a result, MP and AP had as good ability of staining dead cells treated with microwave as TB and MB and showed faster and more uniform staining for dead cells in benzalkonium chloride than them. The growth curve and the ratio of dead cells in the culture showed that the synthetic dyes inhibit the growth ofE. gracilis, but the natural pigments do not. As the cell density increased, however, AP increased the ratio of stained cells, which was prevented by the addition of glucose. MP can stain dead cells in a shorter time than AP, while AP is more stable in color against long-term irradiation of intense light than MP. Due to the low toxicity of these pigments, viability of cells in culture can be monitored with them over a long period.
Genome-wide characterization of the auxin response factor (ARF) gene family of litchi (Litchi chinensisSonn.): phylogenetic analysis, miRNA regulation and expression changes during fruit abscission
Authors: Zhang Yanqing , Zeng Zaohai , Chen Chengjie , Li Caiqin , Xia Rui , Li Jianguo
Published: April 2019

Auxin response factors (ARFs) play fundamental roles in modulating various biological processes including fruit development and abscission via regulating the expression of auxin response genes. Currently, little is known about roles of ARFs in litchi (Litchi chinensisSonn.), an economically important subtropical fruit tree whose production is suffering from fruit abscission. In this study, a genome-wide analysis of ARFs was conducted for litchi, 39 ARF genes (LcARFs) were identified. Conserved domain analysis showed that all the LcARFs identified have the signature B3 DNA-binding (B3) and ARF (Aux_rep) domains, with only 23 members having the dimerization domain (Aux_IAA). The number of exons in LcARF genes ranges from 2 to 16, suggesting a large variation for the gene structure ofLcARFs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 39 LcARFs could be divided into three main groups: class I, II, and III. In total, 23LcARFswere found to be potential targets of small RNAs, with three conserved and one novel miRNA-ARF(miRN43-ARF9) regulatory pathways discovered in litchi. Expression patterns were used to evaluate candidateLcARFsinvolved in various developmental processes, especially in flower formation and organ abscission. The results revealed that most ARF genes likely acted as repressors in litchi fruit abscission, that is,ARF2D/2E,7A/7B,9A/9B,16A/16B, while a fewLcARFs, such asLcARF5A/B, might be positively involved in this process. These findings provide useful information and resources for further studies on the roles of ARF genes in litchi growth and development, especially in the process of fruit abscission.
Electronic Medical Education Effect on Learner Application of Health Care Knowledge in Iran
Authors: Tabatabai Shima
Published: April 2019

Background: Like most of countries, medical education in Iran consists of undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education (CME). The use of Internet technologies, have been integrated into all three level of medical education. The effect of Electronic medical education on application of health care knowledge in compare with traditional medical education could show the effectiveness of program.

Aims: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of E-Learning on application level of knowledge &clinical reasoning issues as compared to lecture-based learning in a medical education program.

Study Design and Methodology: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in scientific meetings for 68 Physicians. Knowledge assessment tests were performed before and immediately after E-Learning and lecture-based educational session.

Results: A significant improvement at the application level of knowledge & clinical reasoning was found in both groups (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the E-Learning & traditional educational approaches. Course completers had significant improvements in application level of health care knowledge.

Conclusion: The effect of E-Learning in medical education and on learner basic knowledge, application of health care knowledge in response to clinical vignettes is comparable to a lecture-based approach. Therefore, E-Learning can be effective in all levels of Medical Education, and it will enable Physicians to have a self-directed learning with choosing the place and time of their lifelong learning process.
Released Crop Varieties and their Packages in Western Zone of Tigray, Ethiopia
Authors: Kindeya Yirga Belay , Baraki Fiseha , Berhe Muez , Chernet Shishay , Zibelo Haile , G/gergis Zenawi , G/gergis G/medhin , Teame Goitom , Tadese Hagos , Hidru Desawi , Amare Mizan , Hadgu Gebre , G/maryam Gebrelibanos
Published: April 2019

North western and Western zone of Tigray are the most suitable for agricultural mechanization and investment for different crops such as sesame, cotton, sorghum, Mungbean and other. Now days different investments and agro-industries are emerging to consume and process the agricultural products and this is a good opportunity for the crop producers. This new emerging industrial parks helps to produce quality products, value-add process, to get reasonable price, to introduce modern agriculture and agricultural mechanization. The Humera type sesame is one of the branded white seeded sesame in the world, meets the world criteria; it has high demand in the world market for different purposes. In northern Ethiopia, sesame is producing purely organic and it is very essential for different international and domestic purposes. Humera agricultural research Center released different crop varieties under wide commercial production in different agro-ecologies of Ethiopia such as sesame; Setit-1(2011), Setit-2 (2016), Setit-3 (2017), Humera-1 (2011) and Mungbean (Arkebe, 2014), Okra (Bamya-Humera in2016), Tomato (Tekeze-1, 2016) for low land areas of northern Ethiopia and other similar agro-ecology of the country. Those released crop varieties are under wide commercial production and small-scale farmers in northern Ethiopia and producing for export, agro-industrial purposes and local consumption.
Design of a GPS/GSM Based Anti-theft Car Tracker System
Authors: Kadiri K. O. , Adegoke O. Adekoya
Published: April 2019

This work is a SMS (Short Message Service) based tracking system, that uses a Global Positioning System (GPS) and GSM module which is installed in a secret part of the vehicle and is in charge of tracking the vehicle and sending the location of the vehicle in terms of coordinates to the GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) module. The GSM module receives the coordinates via SMS in which the information is sent to the owner of the vehicle or the police and the vehicle’s position can be located in a map with the aid of the Google Maps application. This work implements the foundation of GPS, GSM, and all other embedded systems, with the use of their concepts to produce a vehicle tracking device that is cheaper and more effective than other tracking device in the market today.
Successful Conservative Management of Isolated High-Grade Blunt Renal Trauma: Case Report and Follow Up
Authors: Kangsaputra F. B. , Praba B. A. , . Windya
Published: April 2019

The management of high-grade renal trauma remains debatable in various education and research centers, especially the cases of patients with stable hemodynamics. This paper reports the case of a 24-year-old man with high-grade renal trauma due to blunt injury in the left flank. The patient had stable hemodynamics and was managed conservatively, followed by three months of post-trauma follow up. In this case, the conservative management has resulted in a satisfactory outcome, confirming that conservative management is an appropriate alternative treatment for patients with similar cases.
Proximate Nutrient Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Pleurotus sapidus 969 Cultivated on Agave sisalana Saline Solid Waste
Authors: Muthangya Mutemi , Amana Mzee J. , Hashim Suhaila O. , Mshandete Anthony M. , Kivaisi Amelia K.
Published: April 2019

Effects of pure and mixed substrates of sisal waste, grass (Panicum coloratum) and a combination of the two substrates at 50:50 (w/w) on nutritional composition, minerals and antioxidant potential of sun-dried Pleurotus sapidus 969 were investigated in the present study. To determine the proximate chemical composition and antioxidant properties of the samples, standard analytical procedures were employed. Moisture content, crude protein and crude fibre ranged between 11.09-12.80%, 6.4-6.6% and 18.3-30.5%, respectively. Macro elements Ca, Mg, Na, K, and P were also found in substantial amounts with K being present in an exceedingly higher amount (541.3-657.1 mg/100g) than the other macro minerals. The samples from the three substrates contained antioxidant β-carotene (4.6-6.0 mg/100g), lycopene (4.9-5.1mg/100g), Vitamin C (5.2-5.6 mg/100g), phenols (361.0-859.0 mg of GA/g) and flavanoids (33.5-64.0 mg RE/g).Mushroom harvested from mixed substrates contained better nutritional qualities than the pure substrate, although the phenolic content in mushrooms cultivated on sisal substrate was higher. The results further showed that, all the extracts exhibited scavenging ability and metal chelating activity. The findings showed that Pleurotus sapidus 969 is rich in nutrients, macro minerals as well as natural antioxidant which could be explored for pharmaceutical applications.
Vehicle-Derived Heavy Metals and Human Health Risk Assessment of Exposure to Communities along Mubi-Yola Highway in Adamawa State (Nigeria)
Authors: Bwatanglang I. B. , Alexander P. , Timothy N. A.
Published: April 2019

In this study, the health risk caused by heavy metals exposure to communities along Mubi-Yola highways was evaluated. Samples from Mubi, Hong, Gombi, Song, and Gerei were collected and analyzed for Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Zinc (Zn), Cupper (Cu), and Nickel (Ni) using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The mean concentrations of the metals used for the risk assessment were observed to fall in this order Zn>Pb>Ni>Cu>Cd>Cr. The non-carcinogenic risk based on the target hazard quotient (THQ) and human health index (HI) values for each exposure pathway and for each metal were observed to be less than (<) 1 which means, exposure to the heavy metals has no immediate risks for both the adults and children in the settlements. The lifetime cancer risk (CRI) for the metals for both the ingestion (CRIIng) and inhalation (CRIInh) exposure pathways were observed to pose no lifetime carcinogenic risk. The CRI for all the exposure pathways and for all age categories were <10-4. Similarly, the combine effect or total cancer risk (TCRI) for each exposure pathway show high probability for carcinogenic risk by ingestion route compared to exposure by inhalation. The order of exposure were observed to be adults<children. Though the CRI and TCRI results were observed to be within the acceptable range for developing cancer, the result  however suggest that children could be more susceptible to potential carcinogenic risk following continual exposure to heavy metals from vehicular activity. Indicating some concern about the expansion of unregulated settlements along heavy traffic highways.
Recent research and development of structural control in Japan
Authors: Ikeda Yoshiki , Yamamoto Masashi , Furuhashi Takeshi , Kurino Haruhiko
Published: April 2019

In Japan, structural control is widely recognized as a fundamental technology for exceeding the performance limitations of conventional earthquake/wind‐resistant buildings. Over the last three decades, research and development (R & D) has been implemented in construction, mechanical industries, and universities. Additionally, many types of control strategies have been proposed through theoretical, experimental, and numerical investigations. In comparison with other countries, Japan has successfully and rapidly developed remarkable engineering applications for actual buildings using advanced structural control technologies, because Japanese construction companies promote R & D in cooperation with mechanical industries, structural design offices, and universities. This review paper introduces the recent structural control advances in Japan. The state‐of‐the‐art report is based on papers published by the Architectural Institute of Japan, the Proceedings of the 16th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, articles published in a structural engineering magazine, the special theme sessions at the 7th World Conference on Structural Control and Monitoring, and other relevant information. The key research directions are the simplification of control laws and mechanical devices, high performance with either little or no energy supply, device magnification, use of structural frames and substructures, new materials, adaptability, and cautious uses serving various purposes.
Tattoo free setup for partial breast irradiation: A feasibility study
Authors: Jimenez Rachel B. , Batin Estelle , Giantsoudi Drosoula , Hazeltine William , Bertolino Kendell , Ho Alice Y. , MacDonald Shannon M. , Taghian Alphonse G. , Gierga David P.
Published: April 2019

Purpose

Patients undergoing external beam accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) receive permanent tattoos to aid with daily setup alignment and verification. With the advent of three‐dimensional (3D) body surface imaging and two‐dimensional (2D) x‐ray imaging‐based matching to surgical clips, tattoos may not be necessary to ensure setup accuracy. We compared the accuracy of conventional tattoo‐based setups to a patient setup without tattoos.

Materials/methods

Twenty consecutive patients receiving APBI at our institution from July 10, 2017 to February 13, 2018 were identified. All patients received tattoos per standard of care. Ten patients underwent setup using tattoos for initial positioning followed by surface imaging and 2D matching of surgical clips. The other ten patients underwent positioning using surface imaging followed by 2D matching without reference to tattoos. Overall setup time and orthogonal x‐ray‐based shifts after surface imaging per fraction were recorded. Shift data were used to calculate systematic and random error.

Results

Among ten patients in the “no tattoo” group, the average setup time per fraction was 6.83 min vs 8.03 min in the tattoo cohort (P < 0.01). Mean 3D vector shifts for patients in the “no tattoo” group were 4.6 vs 5.9 mm in the “tattoo” cohort (P = NS). Mean systematic errors in the “no tattoo” group were: 1.2 mm (1.5 mm SD) superior/inferior, 0.5 mm (1.6 mm SD) right/left, and 2.3 mm (1.9 mm SD) anterior/posterior directions. Mean systematic errors in the “tattoo” group were: 0.8 mm (2.2 mm SD) superior/inferior, 0.3 mm (2.5 mm SD) right/left, and 1.4 mm (4.4 mm SD) anterior/posterior directions. The random errors in the “no tattoo” group ranged from 0.6 to 0.7 mm vs 1.2 to 1.7 mm in the “tattoo” group.

Conclusions

Using both surface imaging and 2D matching to surgical clips provides excellent accuracy in APBI patient alignment and setup verification with reduced setup time relative to the tattoo cohort. Skin‐based tattoos may no longer be warranted for patients receiving external beam APBI.
Effects of Pre‐Strain on the Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Strength of In Situ TiB2/7050 Al Composite
Authors: Liu Gen , Geng Jiwei , Li Yugang , Cai Ling , Wang Mingliang , Chen Dong , Ma Naiheng , Wang Haowei
Published: April 2019

The microstructure evolutions and mechanical properties of in‐situ TiB2/7050 Al composites with a set of pre‐strains are investigated. This study shows that most quenched‐in residual stress can be removed by ≥1% pre‐strain. Meanwhile, the coupling of pre‐strain and TiB2 particles within grains has a profound impact on mechanical properties of composites treated by the artificial aging. The yield strength increases with the increasing pre‐strain, i.e., the yield strength increases from 669 MPa to 697 MPa through 5% pre‐strain. Analytically, the pre‐strain is beneficial to the dislocation strengthening, but harmful to the precipitate strengthening during the aging process. Nevertheless, TiB2 particles are beneficial to both dislocation strengthening and precipitate strengthening in the aging duration. As a result, the improvement in dislocation strengthening is found larger than the loss in precipitate strengthening, leading to the increment in yield strengths of artificial aged composites. The underlying mechanisms are discussed on the basis of quantitative theoretical analysis of diffusion‐controlled precipitation in combination with multi‐scale microstructure characterizations (i.e., scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, small‐angle X‐ray scattering and X‐ray diffraction).
Retarding Thermal Degradation in Hybrid Perovskites by Ionic Liquid Additives
Authors: Xia Rui , Fei Zhaofu , Drigo Nikita , Bobbink Felix D. , Huang Zhangjun , Jasiūnas Rokas , Franckevičius Marius , Gulbinas Vidmantas , Mensi Mounir , Fang Xiaodong , Roldán‐Carmona Cristina , Nazeeruddin Mohammad Khaja , Dyson Paul J.
Published: April 2019

Recent years have witnessed considerable progress in the development of solar cells based on lead halide perovskite materials. However, their intrinsic instability remains a limitation. In this context, the interplay between the thermal degradation and the hydrophobicity of perovskite materials is investigated. To this end, the salt 1‐(4‐ethenylbenzyl)‐3‐(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8‐tridecafluorooctylimidazolium iodide (ETI), is employed as an additive in hybrid perovskites, endowing the photoactive materials with high thermal stability and hydrophobicity. The ETI additive inhibits methylammonium (MA) permeation in methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI3) occurring due to intrinsic thermal degradation, by inhibiting out‐diffusion of the MA+ cation, preserving the pristine material and preventing decomposition. With this simple approach, high efficiency solar cells based on the unstable MAPbI3 perovskite are markedly stabilized under maximum power point tracking, leading to greater than twice the preserved efficiency after 700 h of continuous light illumination and heating (60 °C). These results suggest a strategy to tackle the intrinsic thermal decomposition of MAI, an essential component in all state‐of‐the‐art perovskite compositions.
Density Based Characterization of Mechanical Cues on Cancer Cells Using Magnetic Levitation
Authors: Baday Murat , Ercal Ozlem , Sahan Ayse Zisan , Sahan Asude , Ercal Baris , Inan Hakan , Demirci Utkan
Published: April 2019

Extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness is correlated to malignancy and invasiveness of cancer cells. Although the mechanism of change is unclear, mechanical signals from the ECM may affect physical properties of cells such as their density profile. The current methods, such as Percoll density‐gradient centrifugation, are unable to detect minute density differences. A magnetic levitation device is developed (i.e., MagDense platform) where cells are levitated in a magnetic gradient allowing them to equilibrate to a levitation height that corresponds to their unique cellular density. In application of this system, MDA‐MB‐231 breast and A549 lung cancer cells are cultured and overall differences in cell density are observed in response to increasing collagen fiber density. Overall, density values are significantly more spread out for MDA‐MB‐231 cells extracted from the 1.44 mg mL−1 collagen gels compared to those from 0.72 mg mL−1 collagen, whereas no significant difference with A549 cell lines is observed. The MagDense platform can determine differences in cellular densities under various microenvironmental conditions. The imaging of cancer cells in a magnetic levitation device serves as a unique tool to observe changes in phenotypic properties of cancer cells as they relate to micromechanical cues encoded by the ECM.
Photocatalytic Lithography with Atomic Layer–Deposited TiO2 Films to Tailor Biointerface Properties
Authors: Vandenbroucke Sofie S. T. , Mattelaer Felix , Jans Karolien , Detavernier Christophe , Stakenborg Tim , Vos Rita
Published: April 2019

In this article, the use of thin, photocatalytically active TiO2 films deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and a conventional lithography mask are explored for the fabrication of a patterned biointerface. Hereto, a pattern of self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) with different functional groups is created using ALD TiO2 films, anatase‐rich as‐deposited, with a thickness of 20 nm and a short UV exposure time of 5 min. More specifically, azido‐containing SAMs are locally removed upon UV exposure (λ = 308 nm) and the created gaps are filled with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) SAM, hereby creating a surface with areas for the selective coupling of biomolecules via the azide groups and antifouling areas due to the presence of the PEG. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, fluorescent‐labeled antibodies are immobilized on the well‐defined patterns with a resolution in the µm range.
Double Emitting Layer Based Solution Processed WOLEDs Simultaneously with High Power Efficiency and Good Color Stability
Authors: Wang Shumeng , Yan Zhimin , Ding Junqiao , Wang Lixiang
Published: April 2019

A double emitting layer (EML) device configuration is successfully demonstrated for power‐efficient and color‐stable white organic light‐emitting diodes (WOLEDs) that are fabricated via orthogonal solvent processing. In this case, a self‐host blue dendrimer B‐G2 is independently used as the bottom EML due to its excellent nondoped device performance and perfect alcohol resistance, and an alcohol‐soluble yellow phosphor Ir(Flpy‐CF3‐EG)3 functionalized with 2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethyl group is newly developed as the upper EML combined with the arylphosphine oxide‐containing electron transporting materials. Unlike single EML based white devices, the unwanted charge trap from long‐wavelength phosphors can be easily and effectively prevented by tuning the energy level alignment in the upper EML, leading to a nearly unchanged white electroluminance with a negligible Commission Internationalede l'Eclairage (CIE) variation of ΔCIE (0.008, 0.005) in a luminance range from 2.2 to 1015 cd m−2. Meanwhile, a promising power efficiency of 51.5 lm W−1 is realized, which can be further optimized to 104.5 lm W−1 at maximum and 62.0 lm W−1 at 1000 cd m−2 after the addition of an out‐coupling half‐sphere. The simultaneous achievement of high power efficiency and good color stability clearly indicates the great potential of double EML in solution processed WOLEDs.
Density–Nematic Coupling in Isotropic Linear Polymers: Acoustic and Osmotic Birefringence
Authors: Popadić Aleksandar , Svenšek Daniel , Podgornik Rudolf , Praprotnik Matej
Published: April 2019

Linear polymers and other connected “line liquids” exhibit a geometrical coupling between density and equilibrium orientational order on the macroscopic level that gives rise to a Meyer‐de Gennes vectorial conservation law for polar orientational order, or its amended version for apolar nematic order when described as “recovered” polar order. They generally exhibit fluctuations of orientational order, starting with its lowest moment, the polar order, which in the isotropic phase is geometrically decoupled from density. As a contrast, quadrupolar (nematic) orientational fluctuations are inherently coupled to density fluctuations already in the isotropic system and not subject to the existence of an orientational phase transition. To capture this, it takes the tensorial description of the nematic order, leading to a geometrical coupling between density and orientational order in the form of a tensorial conservation law. This coupling implies that a spatial density variation will induce nematic order and thereby an acoustic or osmotic optical birefringence even in isotropic phase. The theory is validated by performing detailed Monte Carlo simulations of isotropic melts and comparing the results with macroscopic predictions. This also exposits a means of determining the macroscopic parameters by microscopic simulations to yield realistic continuum models of specific polymeric materials.
Sunlight Polymerization of Poly(amidoxime) Hydrogel Membrane for Enhanced Uranium Extraction from Seawater
Authors: Ma Chunxin , Gao Jinxiang , Wang Dong , Yuan Yihui , Wen Jun , Yan Bingjie , Zhao Shilei , Zhao Xuemei , Sun Ye , Wang Xiaolin , Wang Ning
Published: April 2019

The uranium level in seawater is ≈1000 times as high as terrestrial ores and can provide potential near‐infinite fuel for the nuclear energy industry. However, it is still a significant challenge to develop high‐efficiency and low‐cost adsorbents for massively extracting uranium from seawater. Herein, a simple and fast method through low‐energy consumption sunlight polymerization to direct fabrication of a poly(amidoxime) (PAO) hydrogel membrane, which exhibits high uranium adsorption capacity, is reported. This PAO hydrogel owns semi‐interpenetrating structure and a hydrophilic poly(acrylamide) 3D network of hydrogel which can disperse and fix PAOs well. As a result, the amidoxime groups of PAOs exhibit an outstanding uranium adsorption efficiency (718 ± 16.6 and 1279 ± 14.5 mg g−1 of muranium/mPAO in 8 and 32 ppm uranium‐spiked seawater, respectively) among reported hydrogel‐based adsorbents. Most importantly, U‐uptake capacity of this hydrogel can achieve 4.87 ± 0.38 mg g−1 of muranium/mdry gel just after four weeks within natural seawater. Furthermore, this hydrogel can be massively produced through low‐energy consumption and environmentally‐friendly sunlight polymerization. This work will provide a high‐efficiency and low‐cost adsorbent for massive uranium extraction from seawater.