bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High Level of Client Satisfaction on the Business One-Stop Program of a Local Government Unit
Authors: GABIANA MARILOU M.
Published: August 2015

Satisfaction is the condition or state felt by a person who has experienced a performance(or outcome) that has fulfilled his or her expectation. This study is made to determine the level of client satisfaction on the Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) Programof the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS).Descriptive-survey method was used and the respondents were the business permit registrants whose business locations and/or residences were located within the three districts of the local government unit of IGACOS, Davao Del Norte, who were able to apply/renew their business permits on the BOSS period last January 2011. The statistical tools being used were Mean, T-test, Anova and Standard Deviation.The results showed that the level of client satisfaction in terms of Physical Set-up, Systems and Procedures, and Frontline Personnel were high while Materials and Equipment was moderate. Further, there were no significant differences on the levels of client satisfaction when the respondents were classified according to type of client and when classified according to district.Keywords: Social Sciences, client satisfaction, business one-stop shop program, descriptive survey, Island City, Philippines, Asia
Sanitation Practices of the Residents of a Community in an Asian Developing Country
Authors: ESPAŇOLA MARJORIE ASTORIAS , BANTILLO MARY JOY D.
Published: August 2015

Sanitation is essential for people to have a healthy life. People should monitor their practices in managing wastes. The clean surrounding ensures that people are safe and free from diseases. They study investigated the sanitation practices of the residents and verified their household waste, its effect to their lives and the usual garbage that exists in the area. This descriptive study utilized the researcher-made-questionnaire during the data gathering. Results showed that out of 43 household respondents, 51.1% finished their education in high school level. Majority of them are housekeepers. The truck collected most of their garbage. They practiced recycling process such as reusing of plastic, torn papers and collecting bottles. The residents have poor attitudes and perceptions towards waste handling, but they practiced recycling and segregation of waste. Sanitation practice affects one’s health and community. Disease and pollution can be avoided. The local community should take some livelihood activities to the community related to the recycling process for the housewives to supplement income. The women should establish appropriate attitudes and perceptions towards waste disposal through formal and informal learning. The people should strictly enforce policies like “TAPAT, MO LINIS MO” (Clean the surroundings in front of yours) for their own benefit.Keywords: Environmental Science, environment sanitation practices, descriptive survey design, Palawan, Philippines
Job Satisfaction, Work Centrality, Job Recognition and Acceptance as Determinants of Quality of Work-Life and Aspiration
Authors: BUGADOR NOREEN S. , IPAN MARY CRIS L.
Published: August 2015

Changing societies and economies pose novel challenges to the lives and work of secondary school teachers. These challenges affect them in various levels which include their personal, professional and aspirations in life. In the literature, this is understood as the condition of their Quality of Work-Life (QWL). The objectiveof this study is to examine the essential relationship of QWL and aspirations of secondary school teachers through a descriptive-correlation research design. The study conducted a survey which involved 118 respondents which represent 92 percent response rate. As regards aspirations, the results show that although respondents oftentimes experienced from moderate to high level of aspirations, the overall rating was high. The highest is in self-acceptance, which indicates that the most important aspirations for the respondents are to accept one’s self, having a meaningful life and effectively handle one’s self amidst problems. As for QWL, the respondents oftentimes perceived and experienced a high level of QWL. The highest is in social relevance of work, which indicates that respondents find their job to be challenging, rewarding and meaningful. In conclusion, the correlation analysis shows that there exist a significant relationship between QWL and Aspirations,which results to the rejection of the null hypothesis of this study.Keywords: Human resources management, quality of work-life, level of aspiration, secondary school teachers, Davao del Sur, Philippines
The Application of Internal Control for the Women Cooperative Performance in East Java
Authors: WURYANI ENI
Published: August 2015

Internal control for the women cooperative performance is considered important. Internal control in such an organization should be done for increasing the performance. This study aimed to analyze the implementation of internal control in the cooperative. It utilized census data with the population consisting of 103 women cooperatives in Madiun Regency East Java, in 2012. The performance of the women cooperative was assessed, and the internal control variables were measured through their regulatory activities, including the organization field, business, capital, and financial supervisions. For the cooperative performance, it was measured based on the results of the 2012 performance appraisal concerning the financial and non-financial aspects. The performance appraisal includes aspects of organization, management, governance, management, productivity, and the benefits and their impacts. Using linear regression analysis, it was found that the internal control has a positive and significant effect on the performance. This indicates that the more the internal control is implemented, the better the cooperative performance. It is recommended that integrity and ethics should be emphasized. Internal control is supported by good control environment, competency in cooperatives, assignment, and responsibility. Besides, good communication and information system, as well as control activities and monitoring, are implemented by all members.Keywords: Management, internal control, cooperative supervision, integrity, ethics, financial and non-financial measurement, descriptive-correlational design, Indonesia
Pinoy Game-Based Activities in Teaching Concepts of Work Power and Energy
Authors: TABAGO LORELEI C.
Published: August 2015

The effectiveness of games as a tool for teaching concepts while motivatingand inspiring students is now well accepted in almost all subjects and levels ofeducation. This study addressed the development and validation of pinoy game-based activities. The research utilized the R&D methodology which included the validation of the activities and try-out where in the quasi-experiment followinga one-shot-prestest-postest design was used. It was found out that the pinoy game based activities were valid interms of their instructional characteristics, objectives, content and evaluation categories and therefore,aregood materials inconcretizinglearning of some physics concepts. Moreover, therewas a significantdifferencebetweenthe preand post achievementscoresof the students and apositivefeedback towardsphysics were also drawn fromthem. The pinoy-game based activities affirmed their worthand advantageas instructional material in teaching concepts of work,powerand energy and enhancing students’achieve-ment and interest towards the subject.Keywords: Physics, work, power, energy, quasi-experiment, R & D methodology, Philippines
Century‐scale patterns and trends of global pyrogenic carbon emissions and fire influences on terrestrial carbon balance
Authors: Yang Jia , Tian Hanqin , Tao Bo , Ren Wei , Lu Chaoqun , Pan Shufen , Wang Yuhang , Liu Yongqiang
Published: August 2015

Fires have consumed a large amount of terrestrial organic carbon and significantly influenced terrestrial ecosystems and the physical climate system over the past century. Although biomass burning has been widely investigated at a global level in recent decades via satellite observations, less work has been conducted to examine the century‐scale changes in global fire regimes and fire influences on the terrestrial carbon balance. In this study, we investigated global pyrogenic carbon emissions and fire influences on the terrestrial carbon fluxes from 1901 to 2010 by using a process‐based land ecosystem model. Our results show a significant declining trend in global pyrogenic carbon emissions between the early 20th century and the mid‐1980s but a significant upward trend between the mid‐1980s and the 2000s as a result of more frequent fires in ecosystems with high carbon storage, such as peatlands and tropical forests. Over the past 110 years, average pyrogenic carbon emissions were estimated to be 2.43 Pg C yr−1 (1 Pg = 1015 g), and global average combustion rate (defined as carbon emissions per unit area burned) was 537.85 g C m−2 burned area. Due to the impacts of fires, the net primary productivity and carbon sink of global terrestrial ecosystems were reduced by 4.14 Pg C yr−1 and 0.57 Pg C yr−1, respectively. Our study suggests that special attention should be paid to fire activities in the peatlands and tropical forests in the future. Practical management strategies, such as minimizing forest logging and reducing the rate of cropland expansion in the humid regions, are in need to reduce fire risk and mitigate fire‐induced greenhouse gases emissions.
The evolution of ring current ion energy density and energy content during geomagnetic storms based on Van Allen Probes measurements
Authors: Zhao H. , Li X. , Baker D. N. , Fennell J. F. , Blake J. B. , Larsen B. A. , Skoug R. M. , Funsten H. O. , Friedel R. H. W. , Reeves G. D. , Spence H. E. , Mitchell D. G. , Lanzerotti L. J. , Rodriguez J. V.
Published: August 2015

Enabled by the comprehensive measurements from the Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS), Helium Oxygen Proton Electron mass spectrometer (HOPE), and Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) instruments onboard Van Allen Probes in the heart of the radiation belt, the relative contributions of ions with different energies and species to the ring current energy density and their dependence on the phases of geomagnetic storms are quantified. The results show that lower energy (<50 keV) protons enhance much more often and also decay much faster than higher‐energy protons. During the storm main phase, ions with energies <50 keV contribute more significantly to the ring current than those with higher energies; while the higher‐energy protons dominate during the recovery phase and quiet times. The enhancements of higher‐energy proton fluxes as well as energy content generally occur later than those of lower energy protons, which could be due to the inward radial diffusion. For the 29 March 2013 storm we investigated in detail that the contribution from O+ is ~25% of the ring current energy content during the main phase and the majority of that comes from <50 keV O+. This indicates that even during moderate geomagnetic storms the ionosphere is still an important contributor to the ring current ions. Using the Dessler‐Parker‐Sckopke relation, the contributions of ring current particles to the magnetic field depression during this geomagnetic storm are also calculated. The results show that the measured ring current ions contribute about half of the Dst depression.
Time‐dependent model of aseismic slip on the central San Andreas Fault from InSAR time series and repeating earthquakes
Authors: Khoshmanesh M. , Shirzaei M. , Nadeau R. M.
Published: August 2015

The Central segment of San Andreas Fault (CSAF) is characterized by a nearly continuous right‐lateral aseismic slip. However, observations of the creep rate obtained using small characteristically repeating earthquakes (CREs) show pulses of creep along the CSAF, which may indicate spatially and temporally variable seismic hazard along the CSAF. Therefore, the goal of this study is to obtain a high‐resolution time‐dependent model of creep along the CSAF to examine this hypothesis. To this end, we apply a time‐dependent creep modeling approach, which combines interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) surface deformation time series and observations of fault creep obtained from CREs. The SAR data set includes C band scenes acquired by the ERS‐2 and Envisat satellites between 2003 and 2011. The resulting creep rate distribution implies a peak rate up to 32 mm/yr along the central part of the CSAF. Afterslip due to the 2004 Parkfield earthquake on the southeastern segment of the CSAF is also manifest in the model, and there is clear evidence of creep pulsing along strike and depth of the CSAF. Estimated annual rate of slip deficit accumulation is equivalent to a magnitude 5.6–5.7 earthquake. Taking advantage of the time‐dependence of our model, we also refine the scaling relationship, which associates the released seismic moment due to a CRE event with the amount of creep on the fault, surrounding the CRE patches. This study provides the first kinematic model of creep pulsing, constrained using geodetic and seismic data, which can enhance time‐dependent seismic hazard maps and improve earthquake operational forecast models.
Ocean dynamical processes associated with the tropical Pacific cold tongue mode
Authors: Li Yang , Li Jianping , Zhang Wenjun , Zhao Xia , Xie Fei , Zheng Fei
Published: August 2015

The cold tongue mode (CTM) is the second EOF mode of sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) variability over the tropical Pacific and represents the out‐of‐phase relationship in SSTA variability between the Pacific cold tongue region and elsewhere in the tropical Pacific. A positive CTM is characterized by cold SSTA in the Pacific cold tongue region and warm SSTA in the rest of the tropical Pacific, with conditions reversed for a negative CTM. The CTM is a coupled air‐sea mode, and its long‐term variability is most probably induced by ocean dynamical processes in response to global warming [Zhang et al., 2010]. This study focuses on the specific ocean dynamical processes associated with the CTM and its possible relationship with global warming. A heat budget diagnosis of ocean temperature in the eastern equatorial Pacific shows that the net heat flux plays a damping role and the four ocean advection terms (
,
,
, and
) contribute to the temperature change associated with the CTM. Among them, the vertical advection of the anomalous temperature by the mean upwelling (
) makes a dominant contribution to the long‐term change in the CTM. The long‐term change of the term
is controlled mainly by the decreasing vertical gradient of the ocean temperature anomaly (
). The other three advection terms make a minor contribution to the long‐term change in the CTM.
Reassessment and update of long‐term trends in downward surface shortwave radiation over Europe (1939–2012)
Authors: Sanchez‐Lorenzo A. , Wild M. , Brunetti M. , Guijarro J. A. , Hakuba M. Z. , Calbó J. , Mystakidis S. , Bartok B.
Published: August 2015

This paper presents trends in downward surface shortwave radiation (SSR) over Europe, which are based on the 56 longest series available from the Global Energy Balance Archive that are mainly concentrated in central Europe. Special emphasis has been placed on both ensuring the temporal homogeneity and including the most recent years in the data set. We have generated, for the first time, composite time series for Europe covering the period 1939–2012, which have been studied by means of running trend analysis. The mean annual SSR series shows an increase from the late 1930s to the early 1950s (i.e., early brightening), followed by a reduction until mid‐1980s (i.e., global dimming) and a subsequent increase up to the early 2000s (i.e., global brightening). The series ends with a tendency of stabilization since the early 21st century, but the short time period is insufficient with regard to establishing whether a change in the trend is actually emerging over Europe. Seasonal and regional series are also presented, which highlight that similar variations are obtained for most of the seasons and regions across Europe. In fact, due to the strong spatial correlation in the SSR series, few series are enough to capture almost the same interannual and decadal variability as using a dense network of stations. Decadal variations of the SSR are expected to have an impact on the modulation of the temperatures and other processes over Europe linked with changes in the hydrological cycle, agriculture production, or natural ecosystems. For a better dissemination of the time series developed in this study, the data set is freely available for scientific purposes.
Sources and atmospheric processes impacting oxalate at a suburban coastal site in Hong Kong: Insights inferred from 1 year hourly measurements
Authors: Zhou Yang , Huang Xiaohui Hilda , Bian Qijing , Griffith Stephen M. , Louie Peter K. K. , Yu Jian Zhen
Published: August 2015

Oxalic acid is one of the most abundant dicarboxylic acids in the atmosphere, receiving a great deal of attention due to its potential influence on cloud condensation nucleus activities. In this work, we report 10 months of hourly oxalate measurements in particulate matter of less than 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) by a Monitor for Aerosols and Gases in ambient Air at a suburban coastal site in Hong Kong from April 2012 to February 2013. A total of more than 6000 sets of oxalate and inorganic ion data were obtained. The mean (±SD) oxalate concentration was 0.34 (±0.18) µg m−3, accounting for 2.8% of the total ion mass and 1.5% of the PM2.5 mass. Seasonal variation showed higher concentrations in fall and winter (0.54 and 0.36 µg m−3, respectively) and lower concentrations in spring and summer (~0.26 µg m−3). Different from the inorganic ions, a shallow dip in the oxalate concentration consistently occurred in the morning after sunrise (around 9:00 A.M.) throughout all seasons. Our analysis suggests that this was likely due to photolysis of oxalate‐Fe (III) complex under sunlight. In summer, a small daytime peak was discernable for oxalate and nitrate. This characteristic, together with a more evident diurnal variation of O3, indicates comparatively more active photochemical oxidation in summer than other seasons. High correlations were observed between oxalate and non‐sea‐salt SO42− (NSS) (R2 = 0.63) and Ox (O3 + NO2) (R2 = 0.48), indicating significant commonality in their secondary formation. Positive matrix factorization analysis of oxalate and other real‐time gas and particle‐phase component data estimates that secondary formation processes, including secondary gas or aqueous oxidation processes (49%), oxidation processes of biomass burning emissions (37%), accounted for the majority of PM2.5 oxalate. A backward trajectories cluster analysis found that higher oxalate/NSS ratios were associated with low pollution samples under the influence of marine air masses while the ratios were lower in high pollution samples that were typically associated with continental air masses passing through areas of high anthropogenic emissions. Isolating the “low pollution marine” aerosols across the entire data set indicates that oxalate production increased in the summer compared to other seasons, suggesting either more active marine emissions of oxalate precursors or stronger photochemical processes in the summer.
Thermoproteaceae
Authors: Huber Harald , Stetter Karl O.
Published: August 2015

Ther.mo.pro.te.a' ce.ae
. M.L. masc. n.
Thermoproteus
type genus of the family; ‐
aceae
ending to denote a family; M.L. fem. pl. n.
Thermoproteaceae
the family of
Thermoproteus
.

Crenarchaeota / Thermoprotei / Thermoproteales / Thermoproteaceae

Rigid rods, 0.4–0.5 × 1.5–20 μm. Energy produced chemolithoautotrophically by reduction of elemental sulfur with H
2

forming H
2
S and using CO
2
as sole carbon source.

Organotrophic growth by sulfur respiration utilizing various organic substrates or respiration with O
2
or nitrate as electron acceptors

. See also description of the order for features.

Type genus
:
Thermoproteus
Zillig and Stetter 1982, 267 (Effective publication: Zillig and Stetter
in
Zillig, Stetter, Schäfer, Janekovic, Wunderl, Holz and Palm 1981, 225).
Incertae Sedis V. Candidatus Paracaedibacter
Authors: Görtz Hans‐Dieter , Schmidt Helmut J.
Published: August 2015

Proteobacteria / Alphaproteobacteria / Rickettsiales / Holosporaceae / Incertae Sedis V. Candidatus Paracaedibacter
Fault‐tolerant control using command‐filtered adaptive back‐stepping technique: Application to hypersonic longitudinal flight dynamics
Authors: Xu Bin , Guo Yuyan , Yuan Yuan , Fan Yonghua , Wang Danwei
Published: August 2015

In this paper, the adaptive back‐stepping controller is investigated for a class of strict‐feedback systems using the command filter technique. Adaptive laws are designed for updating the controller parameters when both the plant parameters and actuator‐failure parameters are unknown. Furthermore, the auxiliary dynamics is developed to deal with the input constraints. Closed‐loop stability and asymptotic‐state tracking are ensured. The method is applied to the longitudinal dynamics of a generic hypersonic aircraft in the presence of actuator faults and input constraints. Based on the parameter estimation, the command‐filtered adaptive back‐stepping control is presented. Simulation results on the control‐oriented model show that the proposed approach achieves good tracking performance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal expansions of multivariable ARX processes on Laguerre bases via the Newton–Raphson method
Authors: El Anes Amani , Maraoui Saber , Bouzrara Kais
Published: August 2015

In this article, an optimal linear MIMO system approximation by using discrete‐time MIMO autoregressive with exogenous input (ARX) model is proposed. Each polynomial function of the MIMO ARX model associated with the inputs and with the outputs is expanded on independent Laguerre orthonormal basis. The resulting model is entitled MIMO ARX–Laguerre model. The optimal approximation of which is ensured once the poles characterizing each Laguerre orthonormal basis are set to their optimal values. In this paper, a new method to estimate, from input/output measurements, the optimal Laguerre poles of the MIMO ARX–Laguerre model is proposed. The method consists in applying the Newton–Raphson's iterative technique in which the gradient and the Hessian are expressed analytically. The proposed algorithm is tested on a numerical example and on a benchmark system. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed optimal modeling method. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficient Broadband Triplet–Triplet Annihilation‐Assisted Photon Upconversion at Subsolar Irradiance in Fully Organic Systems
Authors: Monguzzi Angelo , Borisov Sergey M. , Pedrini Jacopo , Klimant Ingo , Salvalaggio Mario , Biagini Paolo , Melchiorre Fabio , Lelii Camilla , Meinardi Francesco
Published: August 2015

The latest trend in solar cell technology is to develop photon managing processes that adapt the solar emission to the spectral range at which the devices show the largest intrinsic efficiency. Triplet–triplet annihilation‐assisted photon upconversion (sTTA‐UC) is currently the most promising process to blue‐shift sub‐bandgap photons at solar irradiance, even if the narrow absorption band of the employed chromophores limits its application. In this work, we demonstrate how to obtain broadband sTTA‐UC at sub‐solar irradiance, by enhancing the system's light‐harvesting ability by way of an ad‐hoc synthesized family of chromophores with complementary absorption properties. The overall absorptance is boosted, thus doubling the number of upconverted photons and significantly reducing the irradiance required to achieve the maximum upconversion yield. An outstanding yield of ≈10% is obtained under broadband air mass (AM) 1.5 conditions, which allows a DSSC device to operate by exploiting exclusively sub‐bandgap photons.
Enantioselective Addition of Heteroarylboronates to Arylimines Catalyzed by a Rhodium‐Diene Complex
Authors: Chen Ya‐Jing , Cui Zhe , Feng Chen‐Guo , Lin Guo‐Qiang
Published: August 2015

An enantioselective rhodium‐catalyzed 1,2‐addition of heteroarylboronates to aryl N‐tosylimines and N‐nosylimines has been developed. Our chiral rhodium‐diene catalyst showed high efficiency in the stereochemical control of this reaction. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a variety of boronates bearing pyridinyl, furyl or thienyl groups were successfully reacted with aryl imines. The boronate type, with balance of the stability and reactivity, is critical for achieving high reaction yields in this reaction.

magnified image
Thin‐Film Solar Cells with InP Absorber Layers Directly Grown on Nonepitaxial Metal Substrates
Authors: Zheng Maxwell , Wang Hsin‐Ping , Sutter‐Fella Carolin M. , Battaglia Corsin , Aloni Shaul , Wang Xufeng , Moore James , Beeman Jeffrey W. , Hettick Mark , Amani Matin , Hsu Wei‐Tse , Ager Joel W. , Bermel Peter , Lundstrom Mark , He Jr‐Hau , Javey Ali
Published: August 2015

The design and performance of solar cells based on InP grown by the nonepitaxial thin‐film vapor–liquid–solid (TF‐VLS) growth technique is investigated. The cell structure consists of a Mo back contact, p‐InP absorber layer, n‐TiO2 electron selective contact, and indium tin oxide transparent top electrode. An ex situ p‐doping process for TF‐VLS grown InP is introduced. Properties of the cells such as optoelectronic uniformity and electrical behavior of grain boundaries are examined. The power conversion efficiency of first generation cells reaches 12.1% under simulated 1 sun illumination with open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of 692 mV, short‐circuit current (JSC) of 26.9 mA cm−2, and fill factor (FF) of 65%. The FF of the cell is limited by the series resistances in the device, including the top contact, which can be mitigated in the future through device optimization. The highest measured VOC under 1 sun is 692 mV, which approaches the optically implied VOC of ≈795 mV extracted from the luminescence yield of p‐InP.
The association between weekly work hours, crew familiarity, and occupational injury and illness in emergency medical services workers
Authors: Weaver Matthew D. , Patterson P. Daniel , Fabio Anthony , Moore Charity G. , Freiberg Matthew S. , Songer Thomas J.
Published: August 2015

Objective

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers are shift workers in a high‐risk, uncontrolled occupational environment. EMS‐worker fatigue has been associated with self‐reported injury, but the influence of extended weekly work hours is unknown.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was designed using historical shift schedules and occupational injury and illness reports. Using multilevel models, we examined the association between weekly work hours, crew familiarity, and injury or illness.

Results

In total, 966,082 shifts and 950 reports across 14 EMS agencies were obtained over a 1–3 year period. Weekly work hours were not associated with occupational injury or illness. Schedule characteristics that yield decreased exposure to occupational hazards, such as part‐time work and night work, conferred reduced risk of injury or illness.

Conclusions

Extended weekly work hours were not associated with occupational injury or illness. Future work should focus on transient exposures and agency‐level characteristics that may contribute to adverse work events. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:1270–1277, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Styrene‐associated health outcomes at a windblade manufacturing plant
Authors: McCague Anna‐Binney , Cox‐Ganser Jean M. , Harney Joshua M. , Alwis K. Udeni , Blount Benjamin C. , Cummings Kristin J. , Edwards Nicole , Kreiss Kathleen
Published: August 2015

Background

Health risks of using styrene to manufacture windblades for the green energy sector are unknown.

Methods

Using data collected from 355 (73%) current windblade workers and regression analysis, we investigated associations between health outcomes and styrene exposure estimates derived from urinary styrene metabolites.

Results

The median current styrene exposure was 53.6 mg/g creatinine (interquartile range: 19.5–94.4). Color blindness in men and women (standardized morbidity ratios 2.3 and 16.6, respectively) was not associated with exposure estimates, but was the type previously reported with styrene. Visual contrast sensitivity decreased and chest tightness increased (odds ratio 2.9) with increasing current exposure. Decreases in spirometric parameters and FeNO, and increases in the odds of wheeze and asthma‐like symptoms (odds ratios 1.3 and 1.2, respectively) occurred with increasing cumulative exposure.

Conclusions

Despite styrene exposures below the recommended 400 mg/g creatinine, visual and respiratory effects indicate the need for additional preventative measures in this industry. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:1150–1159, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Expanded Genetic Alphabet
Authors: Malyshev Denis A. , Romesberg Floyd E.
Published: August 2015

All biological information, since the last common ancestor of all life on Earth, has been encoded by a genetic alphabet consisting of only four nucleotides that form two base pairs. Long‐standing efforts to develop two synthetic nucleotides that form a third, unnatural base pair (UBP) have recently yielded three promising candidates, one based on alternative hydrogen bonding, and two based on hydrophobic and packing forces. All three of these UBPs are replicated and transcribed with remarkable efficiency and fidelity, and the latter two thus demonstrate that hydrogen bonding is not unique in its ability to underlie the storage and retrieval of genetic information. This Review highlights these recent developments as well as the applications enabled by the UBPs, including the expansion of the evolution process to include new functionality and the creation of semi‐synthetic life that stores increased information.
Practical Electrochemical Anodic Oxidation of Polycyclic Lactams for Late Stage Functionalization
Authors: Frankowski Kevin J. , Liu Ruzhang , Milligan Gregory L. , Moeller Kevin D. , Aubé Jeffrey
Published: August 2015

Electrochemistry provides a powerful tool for the late‐stage functionalization of complex lactams. A two‐stage protocol for converting lactams, many of which can be prepared through the intramolecular Schmidt reaction of keto azides, is presented. In the first step, anodic oxidation in MeOH using a repurposed power source provides a convenient route to lactams bearing a methoxy group adjacent to nitrogen. Treatment of these intermediates with a Lewis acid in dichloromethane permits the regeneration of a reactive acyliminium ion that is then reacted with a range of nucleophilic species.
Structure, Biosynthesis, and Occurrence of Bacterial Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids
Authors: Schimming Olivia , Challinor Victoria L. , Tobias Nicholas J. , Adihou Hélène , Grün Peter , Pöschel Laura , Richter Christian , Schwalbe Harald , Bode Helge B.
Published: August 2015

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are widespread plant natural products with potent toxicity and bioactivity. Herein, the identification of bacterial PAs from entomopathogenic bacteria using differential analysis by 2D NMR spectroscopy (DANS) and mass spectrometry is described. Their biosynthesis was elucidated to involve a non‐ribosomal peptide synthetase. The occurrence of these biosynthesis gene clusters in Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria indicates an important biological function in bacteria.
Synthesis of Bridged Diketopiperazines by Using the Persistent Radical Effect and a Formal Synthesis of Bicyclomycin
Authors: Amatov Tynchtyk , Pohl Radek , Císařová Ivana , Jahn Ullrich
Published: August 2015

A conceptually new and unified approach to diverse bridged diketopiperazines (DKPs) with widely variable ring sizes was developed by taking advantage of the persistent radical effect. This method enables synthesis of the core structures of bridged DKP alkaloids and was applied to a formal synthesis of the antibiotic bicyclomycin.
Porphyrin Boxes: Rationally Designed Porous Organic Cages
Authors: Hong Soonsang , Rohman Md. Rumum , Jia Jiangtao , Kim Youngkook , Moon Dohyun , Kim Yonghwi , Ko Young Ho , Lee Eunsung , Kim Kimoon
Published: August 2015

The porphyrin boxes (PB‐1 and PB‐2), which are rationally designed porous organic cages with a large cavity using well‐defined and rigid 3‐connected triangular and 4‐connected square shaped building units are reported. PB‐1 has a cavity as large as 1.95 nm in diameter and shows high chemical stability in a broad pH range (4.8 to 13) in aqueous media. The crystalline nature as well as cavity structure of the shape‐persistent organic cage crystals were intact even after complete removal of guest molecules, leading to one of the highest surface areas (1370 m2g−1) among the known porous organic molecular solids. The size of the cavities and windows of the porous organic cages can be modulated using different sized building units while maintaining the topology of the cages, as illustrated with PB‐2. Interestingly, PB‐2 crystals showed unusual N2 sorption isotherms as well as high selectivity for CO2 over N2 and CH4 (201 and 47.9, respectively at 273 K at 1 bar).
Optogenetic Apoptosis: Light‐Triggered Cell Death
Authors: Hughes Robert M. , Freeman David J. , Lamb Kelsey N. , Pollet Rebecca M. , Smith Weston J. , Lawrence David S.
Published: August 2015

An optogenetic Bax has been designed that facilitates light‐induced apoptosis. We demonstrate that mitochondrial recruitment of a genetically encoded light‐responsive Bax results in the release of mitochondrial proteins, downstream caspase‐3 cleavage, changes in cellular morphology, and ultimately cell death. Mutagenesis of a key phosphorylatable residue or modification of the C‐terminus mitigates background (dark) levels of apoptosis that result from Bax overexpression. The mechanism of optogenetic Bax‐mediated apoptosis was explored using a series of small molecules known to interfere with various steps in programmed cell death. Optogenetic Bax appears to form a mitochondrial apoptosis‐induced channel analogous to that of endogenous Bax.
Synthesis, structure and biological activity of new 6,6‐dimethyl‐2‐oxo‐4‐{2‐[5‐organylsilyl(germyl)]furan(thiophen)‐2‐yl}vinyl‐5,6‐dihydro‐2H‐pyran‐3‐carbonitriles
Authors: Ignatovich Luba , Spura Jana , Muravenko Velta , Belyakov Sergey , Popelis Juris , Shestakova Irina , Domrachova Ilona , Gulbe Anita , Rudevica Zhanna , Leonchiks Ainars
Published: August 2015

New 6,6‐dimethyl‐2‐oxo‐4‐{2‐[5‐alkylsilyl(germyl)]furan(thiophen)‐2‐yl}vinyl‐5,6‐dihydro‐2H‐pyran‐3‐carbonitriles (IC50: 1–6 µg ml−1) have been prepared by the condensation of corresponding silicon‐ and germanium‐containing furyl(thienyl)‐2‐carbaldehydes with 3‐cyano‐4,6,6‐trimethyl‐5,6‐dihydropyran‐2‐one using piperidine acetate as a catalyst. The obtained carbonitriles were identified using NMR (1H, 13C and 29Si) spectroscopy and GC‐MS. The structure of 6,6‐dimethyl‐2‐oxo‐4‐[2‐(5‐trimethylsilyl)thiophen‐2‐yl]‐5,6‐dihydro‐2H‐pyran‐3‐carbonitrile was studied using X‐ray diffractometry. The influences of the heterocycle and the structure of the organoelement substituent on cytotoxicity and on matrix metalloproteinase inhibition have been studied. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parental risk factors for oral clefts among Central Africans, Southeast Asians, and Central Americans
Authors: Figueiredo Jane C. , Ly Stephanie , Magee Kathleen S. , Ihenacho Ugonna , Baurley James W. , Sanchez‐Lara Pedro A. , Brindopke Frederick , Nguyen Thi‐Hai‐Duc , Nguyen Viet , Tangco Maria Irene , Giron Melissa , Abrahams Tamlin , Jang Grace , Vu Annie , Zolfaghari Emily , Yao Caroline A. , Foong Athena , DeClerk Yves A. , Samet Jonathan M. , Magee William
Published: August 2015

Background

Several lifestyle and environmental exposures have been suspected as risk factors for oral clefts, although few have been convincingly demonstrated. Studies across global diverse populations could offer additional insight given varying types and levels of exposures.

Methods

We performed an international case–control study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (133 cases, 301 controls), Vietnam (75 cases, 158 controls), the Philippines (102 cases, 152 controls), and Honduras (120 cases, 143 controls). Mothers were recruited from hospitals and their exposures were collected from interviewer‐administered questionnaires. We used logistic regression modeling to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Family history of clefts was strongly associated with increased risk (maternal: OR = 4.7; 95% CI, 3.0–7.2; paternal: OR = 10.5; 95% CI, 5.9–18.8; siblings: OR = 5.3; 95% CI, 1.4–19.9). Advanced maternal age (5 year OR = 1.2; 95% CI, 1.0–1.3), pregestational hypertension (OR = 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3–5.1), and gestational seizures (OR = 2.9; 95% CI, 1.1–7.4) were statistically significant risk factors. Lower maternal (secondary school OR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2–2.2; primary school OR = 2.4, 95% CI, 1.6–2.8) and paternal education (OR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.4–2.5; and OR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1–2.9, respectively) and paternal tobacco smoking (OR = 1.5, 95% CI, 1.1–1.9) were associated with an increased risk. No other significant associations between maternal and paternal factors were found; some environmental factors including rural residency, indoor cooking with wood, chemicals and water source appeared to be associated with an increased risk in adjusted models.

Conclusion

Our study represents one of the first international studies investigating risk factors for clefts among multiethnic underserved populations. Our findings suggest a multifactorial etiology including both maternal and paternal factors. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 103:863–879, 2015. © 2015 The Authors Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantitative and Pattern Recognition Analyses of Five Marker Compounds in Raphani Semen using High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Jung Yeon Woo , Lee Joo‐Sang , Zhao Bing Tian , Kim Jeong Ah , Woo Eun Rhan , Woo Mi Hee , Min Byung Sun
Published: August 2015

A rapid and simple high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)‐photodiode array (PDA) analytical method was developed for the quantitative analysis of Raphani Semen (RS). This method was successfully used to determine the five main phenolic compounds found in RS specimens from different production regions. The compounds included sinapine thiocyanate (1), β‐d‐fructofuranosyl‐α‐d‐(6‐O‐sinapoyl)‐glucopyranoside (2), isorhamnetin 3,4′‐di‐O‐β‐d‐glucoside (3), β‐d‐(3‐O‐sinapoyl)‐fructofuranosyl‐α‐d‐(6‐O‐sinapoyl)‐glucopyranoside (4), and β‐d‐(3,4‐O‐disinapoyl)‐fructofuranosyl‐α‐d‐(6‐O‐sinapoyl)‐glucopyranoside (5). The marker compounds were separated using an Agilent Eclipse XDB‐C18 column (5.0 µm, 150 × 4.6 mm i.d.) by gradient elution with acetonitrile/water/0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as the mobile phase (flow rate, 1.0 mL/min). This method was fully validated with respect to linearity, precision, accuracy, stability, and robustness. The HPLC analytical method was validated to conduct a pattern recognition analysis by repeatedly analyzing 56 seed samples including 55 RS (C01–C49 and K50–K55) and 1 Brassicae Semen samples. In addition, a content standard for RS was proposed. Compounds 1 and 4 were revealed as major components in the HPLC chromatogram, and their contents ranged from 0.06 to 0.20 and 0.02 to 0.35 mg/g, respectively. These results demonstrate the successful development of an analytical method suitable for evaluating the quality and distinguishing the origin of RS. In addition, we briefly describe the crucial liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) analytical conditions for the precise simultaneous quantification of the marker compounds.
Facile Synthesis of Highly Efficient p–n Heterojunction CuO/BiFeO3 Composite Photocatalysts with Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Niu Feng , Chen Da , Qin Laishun , Zhang Ning , Wang Jiangying , Chen Zhi , Huang Yuexiang
Published: August 2015

A novel heterostructured CuO/BiFeO3 composite photocatalyst was successfully prepared through a simple combination of hydrothermal and impregnation process. CuO was uniformly deposited on the surface of BiFeO3 particles with a p–n heterojunction formed at the interface between CuO and BiFeO3. CuO/BiFeO3 heterostructured photocatalysts improved the UV/Vis spectral absorption ability, and exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activities for photodegradation of methylorange or a colorless compound (i.e., phenol) under visible light. In addition, after five recycles for the photodegradation of methylorange, CuO/BiFeO3 did not exhibit significant loss of photocatalytic activity, confirming its stability and long‐time reusability. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be mainly ascribed to the p–n heterojunction structure between CuO and BiFeO3, which could significantly facilitate the separation and transfer of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. On the basis of the calculated energy bands, the photocatalytic mechanism was also proposed.
A Self‐Reporting Tetrazole‐Based Linker for the Biofunctionalization of Gold Nanorods
Authors: Stolzer Lukas , Vigovskaya Antonina , Barner‐Kowollik Christopher , Fruk Ljiljana
Published: August 2015

A photochemical approach based on nitrile imine‐mediated tetrazole‐ene cycloaddition is introduced to functionalize gold nanorods with biomolecules. For this purpose, a bifunctional, photoreactive linker containing thioctic acid as the Au anchoring group and a tetrazole moiety for the light‐induced reaction with maleimide‐capped DNA was prepared. The tetrazole‐based reaction on the nanoparticles’ surface results in a fluorescent pyrazoline product allowing for the spectroscopic monitoring of the reaction. This first example of nitrile imine‐mediated tetrazole‐ene cycloaddition (NITEC)‐mediated biofunctionalization of Au nanorods paves the way for the attachment of sensitive biomolecules, such as antibodies and other proteins, under mild conditions and expands the toolbox for the tailoring of nanomaterials.
Base‐Promoted Coupling of Carbon Dioxide, Amines, and Diaryliodonium Salts: A Phosgene‐ and Metal‐Free Route to O‐Aryl Carbamates
Authors: Xiong Wenfang , Qi Chaorong , Peng Youbin , Guo Tianzuo , Zhang Min , Jiang Huanfeng
Published: August 2015

A phosgene‐ and metal‐free synthesis of O‐aryl carbamates is realized through a three‐component coupling of carbon dioxide, amines and diaryliodonium salts. The reaction only requires a base as the promoter, providing access to a diverse array of O‐aryl carbamates in moderate to high yields with excellent chemoselectivity.
Efficient Automated Solid‐Phase Synthesis of DNA and RNA 5′‐Triphosphates
Authors: Sarac Ivo , Meier Chris
Published: August 2015

A fast, high‐yielding and reliable method for the synthesis of DNA‐ and RNA 5′‐triphosphates is reported. After synthesizing DNA or RNA oligonucleotides by automated oligonucleotide synthesis, 5‐chloro‐saligenyl‐N,N‐diisopropylphosphoramidite was coupled to the 5′‐end. Oxidation of the formed 5′‐phosphite using the same oxidizing reagent used in standard oligonucleotide synthesis led to 5′‐cycloSal‐oligonucleotides. Reaction of the support‐bonded 5′‐cycloSal‐oligonucleotide with pyrophosphate yielded the corresponding 5′‐triphosphates. The 5′‐triphosphorylated DNA and RNA oligonucleotides were obtained after cleavage from the support in high purity and excellent yields. The whole reaction sequence was adapted to be used on a standard oligonucleotide synthesizer.
A Forgotten Chiral Spiro Compound Revisited: 3,3'‐Dimethyl‐3H,3'H‐2,2'‐spirobi[[1,3]benzothiazole]
Authors: Lindamulage De Silva Angélique , Risso Vesna , Jean Marion , Giorgi Michel , Monnier Valérie , Naubron Jean‐Valère , Vanthuyne Nicolas , Farran Daniel , Roussel Christian
Published: August 2015

The title compound was obtained as a side product during dimerization‐oxidation steps of the carbene generated from N‐methylbenzothiazolium iodide. Chromatography on (S,S)‐Whelk O1 column showed on cooling a typical plateau shape chromatogram indicating an exchange between two enantiomers on the column. The thermal barrier to racemization was determined (85 kJ.mol−1 at 10 °C) by dynamic high‐performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC).The absolute configuration of the first (M) and second eluted (P) enantiomers on the (S, S)‐Whelk O1 column was established by comparing the reconstructed circular dichroism (CD) spectra from the CD detector signal and the calculated CD spectrum of the (P) enantiomer. Mass spectrometry revealed that 3,3'‐dimethyl‐3H,3'H‐2,2'‐spirobi[[1,3]benzothiazole] can be viewed as a masked thiophenate attached to a benzothiazolium framework. Chirality 27:716–721, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Zwitterionic Phosphorylated Quinines as Chiral Solvating Agents for NMR Spectroscopy
Authors: Rudzińska‐Szostak Ewa , Górecki Łukasz , Berlicki Łukasz , Ślepokura Katarzyna , Mucha Artur
Published: August 2015

Because of their unique 3D arrangement, naturally occurring Cinchona alkaloids and their synthetic derivatives have found wide‐ranging applications in chiral recognition. Recently, we determined the enantioselective properties of C‐9‐phosphate mixed triesters of quinine as versatile chiral solvating agents in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In the current study, we introduce new zwitterionic members of this class of molecules containing a negatively charged phosphate moiety (i.e., ethyl, n‐butyl and phenyl hydrogen quininyl phosphate). An efficient approach for synthesizing these compounds is elaborated, and full characterization, including conformational and autoaggregation phenomena studies, was performed. Therefore, their ability to induce NMR anisochrony of selected enantiomeric substrates (i.e., primarily N‐DNB‐protected amino acids and their methyl esters) was analyzed compared to uncharged diphenyl quininyl phosphate and its positively charged quaternary ammonium hydrochloride salt. In addition, 1H and 13C NMR experiments revealed their enantiodiscrimination potential toward novel analytes, such as secondary amines and nonprotected amino acids. Chirality 27:752–760, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Role of Target Binding Kinetics in Drug Discovery
Authors: Guo Dong , Heitman Laura H. , IJzerman Adriaan P.
Published: August 2015

Traditionally structure–activity/affinity relationships (SAR) have dominated research in medicinal chemistry. However, structure–kinetics relationships (SKR) can be very informative too. In this viewpoint we explore the molecular determinants of binding kinetics and discuss challenges for future binding kinetics studies. A scheme for future kinetics‐directed drug design and discovery is also proposed.
A Bisbenzamidine Phosphonate as a Janus‐faced Inhibitor for Trypsin‐like Serine Proteases
Authors: Häußler Daniela , Scheidt Tamara , Stirnberg Marit , Steinmetzer Torsten , Gütschow Michael
Published: August 2015

A hybrid approach was applied for the design of an inhibitor of trypsin‐like serine proteases. Compound 16 [(R,R)‐ and (R,S)‐diphenyl (4‐(1‐(4‐amidinobenzylamino)‐1‐oxo‐3‐phenylpropan‐2‐ylcarbamoyl)phenylamino)(4‐amidinophenyl)methylphosphonate hydrochloride], prepared in a convergent synthetic procedure, possesses a phosphonate warhead prone to react with the active site serine residue in a covalent, irreversible manner. Each of the two benzamidine moieties of 16 can potentially be accommodated in the S1 pocket of the target enzyme, but only the benzamidine close to the phosphonate group would then promote an irreversible interaction. The Janus‐faced inhibitor 16 was evaluated against several serine proteases and caused a pronounced inactivation of human thrombin with a second‐order rate constant (kinac/Ki) of 59 500 M−1 s−1. With human matriptase, 16 showed preference for a reversible mode of inhibition (IC50=2.6 μM) as indicated by linear progress curves and enzyme reactivation.