bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacts of emission reduction and meteorological conditions on air quality improvement during the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China
Authors: Huang Qian , Wang Tijian , Chen Pulong , Huang Xiaoxian , Zhu Jialei , Zhuang Bingliang
Published: March 2017

Abstract. As the holding city of the 2nd Youth Olympic Games (YOG), Nanjing is highly industrialized and urbanized facing with several air pollution issues. In order to ensure better air quality during the event, the local government took great efforts to control the pollution emissions. However, air quality can still be affected by meteorology. In this paper, the influences of meteorological factors and emission reductions were investigated using observational data and numerical simulations with WRF/CMAQ. During the YOG (August, 2014), the concentration of SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, CO and O3 was 11.6 μg/m3, 34.0 μg/m3, 57.8 μg/m3, 39.4 μg/m3, 0.9 μg/m3, and 38.8 μg/m3, respectively, which were under China National Ambient Air Quality Standard. However, simulation showed that the weather conditions such as weaker winds during the holding time were adverse for better air quality, and raised SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5 and CO by 17.5 %, 16.9 %, 19.0 %, 19.5 %, 7.8 % and 0.8 %, respectively. Taking account of local emission abatement only, SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5 and CO was decreased by 24.6 %, 12.1 %, 14.5 %, 6.9 % and 7.2 %, respectively. Consequently, stringent emission control measures can reduce the concentrations of air pollutants in short term, and emission reduction is the dominant factor of the air quality improvement during the YOG, which has set up a good example in air protection for important social events.
Intense precipitation events in the Central range of the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Mora García Manuel , Riesco Martín Jesus , Sánchez Llorente José Miguel , Rivas Soriano Luís , de Pablo Dávila Fernando
Published: March 2017

Abstract. Intense orographic precipitation associated with the Central range was analysed using data from 19 episodes, with the highest average values for the study area, of precipitation accumulated within 24 h, occurring between years 1958 to 2010. All events were associated with a south-westerly tropospheric flow, a low level jet, and high moisture flux at low levels. The observed moisture flux was higher than 100 m g (s kg)−1 and the dry and wet Froude numbers were greater than 1. The selected area to study this synoptic situation was Gredos, broad and high range, which is located in the eastern part of the Central mountain range and generates leeward orographic shadow. The effect of the Central range on the spatial distribution of precipitation on the Iberian Peninsula plateau results in a sharp increase in precipitation in the south of the Central mountain range, followed by a decrease to the north of this range.
Learning risk management of geohazards in practice with free and open-source web-GIS based platform: RISKGIS
Authors: Aye Zar Chi , Olyazadeh Roya , Derron Marc-Henri , Jaboyedoff Michel , Lüthi Johann
Published: March 2017

Abstract. How do environmental risk systems function? is the main underlying question to be answered by students learning environmental risk. Under the framework of the Innovative Teaching project, an open-source, interactive and collaborative web-GIS application (RISKGIS) is developed for students in learning and understanding of environmental risk systems with a focus on geohazards and risk. The aim is for students to better understand and become familiarized with approaches used by experts as well as for teachers to better evaluate and monitor student learning, through a practical application with real case studies and hand-on exercises. To identify the possibility and applicability of the developed learning platform, a series of practical exercises is carried out with undergraduate and postgraduate students during the spring and autumn semesters of the environmental risk, and advanced risk and vulnerability courses of the University of Lausanne. A total of three exercises are conducted starting from the rapid risk calculation (individual) exercise to more complex risk management (individual and group) exercise with different case studies and functionalities of the learning platform. Depending on the exercises, students are asked to answer the test quiz, feedback questionnaires and group reports (if requested) through the Moodle platform to evaluate the performance of the students, exercises and the RISKGIS platform. Average feedback results from three different exercises revealed that students found the exercises useful and interesting, while a user satisfaction score of 7/10 and a system usability scale (SUS) of 64/100 is achieved, showing that several aspects of the RISKGIS learning platform could be further improved with suggestions and feedback of the students.
Aproximación fenomenológica al significado e impacto de la donación de órganos en la familia
Authors: Lillo-Crespo Manuel , Gironés-Guillem Purificación , Sierras-Davó María Cristina , Riquelme-Galindo Jorge , Domínguez-Santamaría Juan Mario
Published: March 2017

La donación de órganos es un acontecimiento crítico tras la pérdida de un ser querido. España, a pesar de ser el país del mundo con mayor tasa de donantes, todavía mantiene una negativa familiar del 15,56 % . Objetivos: conocer y analizar el impacto de la donación de órganos a través de los significados que tiene para la familia en el contexto español. Materiales y método: estudio cualitativo fenomenológico según el marco conceptual y método de Giorgi. Luego de respetar, al menos, tres años de duelo desde la pérdida de un ser querido, se entrevistaron en profundidad a once familias que donaron órganos en el Hospital La Fe en Valencia. Resultados: tras el análisis de los resultados, se describieron veintisiete unidades de significado que fueron clasificadas en relativos a la pérdida y relativos a la donación de órganos y, posteriormente, correlacionadas. Conclusiones: la donación aparece como mecanismo de alivio o compensación del fallecimiento del familiar.
Probing Coastal Eco-Tourism in Pasir Putih Beach, Indonesia
Authors: H. Hengky S.
Published: March 2017

Indonesia’s tourism-ministry is targeting 20 million foreign tourists’ visiting Indonesia in 2019. Moreover, traveling to the natural-coastal eco-tourism becomes a tourist’s trend and their priority’s decision on considering their leisure time’s plan. “Pasir Putih” beach is one of the natural beach-tourism, have been attractive natural-scenic in Lampung. The existing performance indicated that the destination is quite ordinary. Therefore, the visitation of tourist to Lampung increased averagely up to 30% annually. While, recently there has been some environmental quality problem such as a damage to coral reefs and sea grass beds around the destination. This lowers the quality to the environment in the future that will impact the quantities, and the visit of tourists. It is extremely clear visible in the results of gap analysis tourism performance bunch, who demonstrate the need for effort to control the utilization of the beach environment and implement programs for the coast protection of coastal areas for improving and maintaining its quality, which is very important, because such activity can provide economic contribution to the community and local government. Moreover, on the supply sides, travel agent collaborates with travel agency get to reduce the negative impact of coastal-tourism activity by conserving various coral reefs, sea grass. This effort would occur by developing local-community empowerment on conserving both sides of coastal-destination that becomes the favorites scenic for them on developing natural coastal tourism along the coastline.
Job Localization Policy in Saudi Arabia: Determining its Effect on Employment and Economy
Authors: Othman Saad Mohammed
Published: March 2017

Saudi Arabia as part of the largest peninsula in the world is confronting with the incongruity of expanding adolescent unemployed nationals and its egotistical dependence on global business and employment for private organizations. In this topic, Saudi legislature has made assorted strategies to battle unemployment of nationals through job localization policy commonly known as “Saudization”. The goals of the discernible administrative arrangement are to lessen the aplenty of global workers through distinguishable standard targets and force confinements on the enlistment procedure of global workers. Abundant research, investigations and reports have uncovered that the precedent-setting stage might realize a spate of instigations for private organizations in the job from claiming Saudi nationals. In any case, the placidity owning of private organizations is take unreservedly to job applications who are global workers prepared to embrace physically difficult works to meet the expectations of organizations with lower compensation. This paper investigates the presumptions behind this acceptance, in an application to be aware better the burly ramifications of job localization policy to global workers and fundamentally evaluate the most qualified fresh saudization proposal pegged as “nitaqat” in the implementation procedure of the national manpower in Saudi Arabia.
Disposition Effect and Return Predictability in the Tunisian Stock Market
Authors: Hmida Cheïma , Boussaidi Ramzi
Published: March 2017

The behavioral finance literature has documented that individual investors tend to sell winning stocks more quickly than losing stocks, a phenomenon known as the disposition effect, and that such a behavior has an impact on stock prices. We examined this effect in the Tunisian stock market using the unrealized capital gains/losses of Grinblatt & Han (2005) to measure the disposition effect. We find that the Tunisian investors exhibit a disposition effect in the long-run horizon but not in the short and the intermediate horizons. Moreover, the disposition effect predicts a stock price continuation (momentum) for the whole sample. However this impact varies from an industry to another. It predicts a momentum for “manufacturing” but a return reversal for “financial” and “services”.
Arabic Language Teachers’ Engagement with Published Educational Research in Kuwait’s Secondary Schools
Authors: Alhumidi Hamed A. , Uba Sani Yantandu
Published: March 2017

This study investigates Arabic language teachers’ engagement with published educational research in Kuwait’s secondary schools. The study employs 170 participants across six educational regions in the country by using a quota sampling strategy. It used a questionnaire in eliciting their engagement with published educational research. The data were analysed by using simple percentage to describe the scenarios of their engagement with the published educational research. The results show that there is a lack of encouragement and support by their institutions in relation to teachers’ engagement with published educational research. It also indicates that the findings of the study do not relate to their practical teaching.This study recommends that there should be raising of awareness of the teachers on the importance of published educational research. Researchers should be cognizant of the needs of teachers and important roles that teachers could play in the implementation of the findings of the research. It also suggests the development of teachers’ capacity-building such as teachers’ research literacy. This could assist teachers to develop their reading and writing, as well as engaging with published educational research. Again, the study advocates the development of organisational cultures which could support teachers’ engagement with research. This might help in developing teachers’ professional development in relation to their engagement with published educational research.
The place of alternative treatment methods for haemorrhoidal disease
in the modern therapeutic algorithm
Authors: Ciesielski Przemysław , Kucharczyk Agnieszka , Dutkiewicz Paweł
Published: March 2017

It is estimated that haemorrhoids affect more than half of the population over50 years of age. The main symptoms of haemorrhoidal disease include bleeding,haemorrhoidal prolapse, discomfort, burning, itching and a feeling of incompleteevacuation. The severity of symptoms depends on many factors. The treatmentof haemorrhoidal disease is primarily aimed to limit the symptoms, which can beachieved via conservative, interventional or surgical treatment. Indications for interventional treatment include symptomatic stage II and III haemorrhoidal diseasewhen conservative therapy does not bring the desired effect, or the effect is onlytemporary. The search for alternative methods for the treatment of haemorrhoidsresults in new solutions as well as further modifications of the existing treatments,which is aimed at therapeutic outcome improvement and treatment individualisation.Alternative interventional therapies include Barron’s method, Sclerotherapy, DGHAL,cryotherapy, unipolar and low-voltage diathermy (Hemoron), bipolar electrocautery,CO2, diode and Nd:YAG laser. The article presents current data on the effectiveness ofthese methods based on the latest literature and published studies. The authors alsopoint to limitations and complications associated with the described methods.
The Language of Information Literacy: Do Students Understand?
Authors: Schaub Gayle , Cadeno Cara , Bravender Patricia , Kierkus Christopher
Published: March 2017

To effectively access and use the resources of the academic library and to become information-literate, students must understand the language of information literacy. This study analyzes undergraduate students’ understanding of fourteen commonly used information-literacy terms. It was found that some of the terms least understood by students are those most frequently found in faculty-created research assignments and syllabi and that are used by librarians during library instruction. It is recommended that librarians work with faculty to make them aware of students’ lack of understanding of information literacy terms and that librarians also reinforce their meaning during library instruction and in one-on-one consultations.
Expanding Support for Graduate Students: Library Workshops on Research Funding Opportunities
Authors: Forbes Carrie , Schlesselman-Tarango Gina , Keeran Peggy
Published: March 2017

This case study describes the development, implementation, and assessment of a series of grants research workshops for graduate students, which were implemented to fill a gap in graduate student support. We assessed the workshops through a series of focus groups, and findings show overall satisfaction with the grants tools and workshop. However, participants noted areas of improvement around outreach and promotion and general communication with graduate students. Additional themes emerged related to graduate student socialization and research behaviors, which suggests that librarians have an important role to serve in these areas.
Smoothness and Monotone Decreasingness of the Solution to the BCS-Bogoliubov Gap Equation for Superconductivity
Authors: Shuji Watanabe  , Ken Kuriyama
Published: March 2017

We show the temperature dependence such as smoothness and monotone decreasingness with respect to the temperature of the solution to the BCS-Bogoliubov gap equation for superconductivity. Here the temperature belongs to the closed interval [0,t] with t >0 nearly equal to half of the transition temperature. We show that the solution is continuous with respect to both the temperature and the energy, and that the solution is Lipschitz continuous and monotone decreasing with respect to the temperature. Moreover, we show that the solution is partially differentiable with respect to the temperature twice and the second-order partial derivative is continuous with respect to both the temperature and the energy, or that the solution is approximated by such a smooth function.
A supertree pipeline for summarizing phylogenetic and taxonomic information for millions of species
Authors: Redelings Benjamin D. , Holder Mark T.
Published: March 2017

We present a new supertree method that enables rapid estimation of a summary tree on the scale of millions of leaves. This supertree method summarizes a collection of input phylogenies and an input taxonomy. We introduce formal goals and criteria for such a supertree to satisfy in order to transparently and justifiably represent the input trees. In addition to producing a supertree, our method computes annotations that describe which grouping in the input trees support and conflict with each group in the supertree. We compare our supertree construction method to a previously published supertree construction method by assessing their performance on input trees used to construct the Open Tree of Life version 4, and find that our method increases the number of displayed input splits from 35,518 to 39,639 and decreases the number of conflicting input splits from 2,760 to 1,357. The new supertree method also improves on the previous supertree construction method in that it produces no unsupported branches and avoids unnecessary polytomies. This pipeline is currently used by the Open Tree of Life project to produce all of the versions of project’s “synthetic tree” starting at version 5. This software pipeline is called “propinquity”. It relies heavily on “otcetera”—a set of C++ tools to perform most of the steps of the pipeline. All of the components are free software and are available on GitHub.
Genetic and structural study of DNA-directed RNA polymerase II ofTrypanosoma brucei, towards the designing of novel antiparasitic agents
Authors: Papageorgiou Louis , Megalooikonomou Vasileios , Vlachakis Dimitrios
Published: March 2017

Trypanosoma brucei brucei(TBB) belongs to the unicellular parasitic protozoa organisms, specifically to theTrypanosomagenus of theTrypanosomatidaeclass. A variety of different vertebrate species can be infected by TBB, including humans and animals. Under particular conditions, the TBB can be hosted by wild and domestic animals; therefore, an important reservoir of infection always remains available to transmit through tsetse flies. Although the TBB parasite is one of the leading causes of death in the most underdeveloped countries, to date there is neither vaccination available nor any drug against TBB infection. The subunit RPB1 of the TBB DNA-directed RNA polymerase II (DdRpII) constitutes an ideal target for the design of novel inhibitors, since it is instrumental role is vital for the parasite’s survival, proliferation, and transmission. A major goal of the described study is to provide insights for novel anti-TBB agents via a state-of-the-art drug discovery approach of the TBB DdRpII RPB1. In an attempt to understand the function and action mechanisms of this parasite enzyme related to its molecular structure, an in-depth evolutionary study has been conducted in parallel to thein silicomolecular designing of the 3D enzyme model, based on state-of-the-art comparative modelling and molecular dynamics techniques. Based on the evolutionary studies results nine new invariant, first-time reported, highly conserved regions have been identified within the DdRpII family enzymes. Consequently, those patches have been examined both at the sequence and structural level and have been evaluated in regard to their pharmacological targeting appropriateness. Finally, the pharmacophore elucidation study enabled us to virtuallyin silicoscreen hundreds of compounds and evaluate their interaction capabilities with the enzyme. It was found that a series of chlorine-rich set of compounds were the optimal inhibitors for the TBB DdRpII RPB1 enzyme. All-in-all, herein we present a series of new sites on the TBB DdRpII RPB1 of high pharmacological interest, alongside the construction of the 3D model of the enzyme and the suggestion of a newin silicopharmacophore model for fast screening of potential inhibiting agents.
Impatiens tatoensis (Balsaminaceae): a new species from Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India and notes on lectotypification of the name I. spirifera Hook.f. & Thomson
Authors: Gogoi Rajib , Borah Souravjyoti , Adamowski Dr. Wojciech
Published: March 2017

Impatiens tatoensis Gogoi & W.Adamowski, a new species from Northeast India with affinities to I. spirifera Hook.f. & Thomson is described and illustrated. We provide a lectotypification for the name I. spirifera Hook.f. & Thomson as well as a description and illustrations of the species.
Characterization of an extradiol dioxygenase involved in the catabolism of lignin‐derived biphenyl
Authors: Kuatsjah Eugene , Chen Hong‐Ming , Withers Stephen G. , Eltis Lindsay D.
Published: March 2017

In the catabolism of lignin‐derived biphenyl by Sphingobium sp. SYK‐6, LigZ catalyzes the cleavage of 2,2′,3‐trihydroxy‐3′‐methoxy‐5,5′‐dicarboxybiphenyl (OH‐DDVA) to a meta‐cleavage product (MCP) identified here as 4,11‐dicarboxy‐8‐hydroxy‐9‐methoxy‐2‐hydroxy‐6‐oxo‐6‐phenylhexa‐2,4‐dienoate (DCHM‐HOPDA). DCHM‐HOPDA is transformed nonenzymatically, likely to a lactone (k = 0.13 ± 0.01 min−1, pH 7.5). This is hydrolyzed to the dienolate at alkaline pH (apparent pKa ~ 11.3). Only the dienolate is a substrate for LigY, the putative MCP hydrolase. LigZ has higher specificity for OH‐DDVA (kcat/Km = 2.20 ± 0.02 × 107 s−1·m−1) than for protocatechuate (PCA; 6 ± 1 × 102 s−1·m−1). PCA also inactivates LigZ (partition ratio of 50), but at rates too low to be physiologically relevant. This study provides insight into the bacterial catabolism of lignin and facilitates the study of downstream catabolic enzymes.
The nitrate/(per)chlorate relationship on Mars
Authors: Stern Jennifer C. , Sutter Brad , Jackson W. Andrew , Navarro‐González Rafael , McKay Christopher P. , Ming Douglas W. , Archer P. Douglas , Mahaffy Paul R.
Published: March 2017

Nitrate was recently detected in Gale Crater sediments on Mars at abundances up to ~600 mg/kg, confirming predictions of its presence at abundances consistent with models based on impact‐generated nitrate and other sources of fixed nitrogen. Terrestrial Mars analogs, Mars meteorites, and other solar system materials help establish a context for interpreting in situ nitrate measurements on Mars, particularly in relation to other cooccuring salts. We compare the relative abundance of nitrates to oxychlorine (chlorate and/or perchlorate, hereafter (per)chlorate) salts on Mars and Earth. The nitrate/(per)chlorate ratio on Mars is < 1, significantly lower than on Earth (nitrate/(per)chlorate > 103), suggesting not only the absence of biological activity but also different (per)chlorate formation mechanisms on Mars than on Earth.
Factors controlling the permeability distribution in fault vein zones surrounding granitic intrusions (Ore Mountains/Germany)
Authors: Achtziger‐Zupančič P. , Loew S. , Hiller A.
Published: March 2017

An outstanding legacy data set has been compiled from underground excavations mostly prospected and mined by the former Soviet (German) Stock Company Wismut describing the hydrology of faulted basement rocks in the Ore Mountains (SE Germany). It consists of more than 5000 detailed descriptions of groundwater inflows to about 660 km of tunnels and 57 km of drillings measured during or shortly after excavation. Inflow measurements (recorded between 1E−8 and 4E−2 m3/s) have been converted to fracture transmissivities using a simplified analytical solution. Discarding site specific effects, the median log transmissivity decreases from 1E−7 to 1E−10 m2/s within the studied depth interval of 0–2000 meters below ground surface (mbgs), and the spacing of conductive fracture increases from 0.1 to 2500 m. This general trend is overprinted at three mining sites by a clear reversal of fracture transmissivity which correlates with contact metamorphic aureoles around Variscan granite intrusions (327–295 Ma). We hypothesize that this transmissivity increase is caused by processes accompanying granite intrusion and contact metamorphism. The thickness of these hydraulically active aureoles is greater in lower‐grade metamorphic schist than in higher‐grade metamorphic gneisses. Rock mass equivalent continuum conductivities have been estimated by arithmetic averaging of fracture and matrix transmissivities over 100 m intervals and have been converted to permeabilities. The median equivalent continuum permeability decreases with depth according to log(k) = − 1.7 * log(z) − 17.3 (k in m2 and increasing depth z in kilometer being positive). Matrix conductivity controls the bulk conductivity below about 1000 mbgs and is less sensitive to the occurrence of contact metamorphic aureoles.
The experimental flow to the Colorado River delta: Effects on carbon mobilization in a dry watercourse
Authors: Bianchi Thomas S. , Butman David , Raymond Peter A. , Ward Nicholas D. , Kates Rory J. S. , Flessa Karl W. , Zamora Hector , Arellano Ana R. , Ramirez Jorge , Rodriguez Eliana
Published: March 2017

Here we report on the effects of an experimental flood on the carbon cycling dynamics in the dry watercourse of the Colorado River in Mexico. We observed post‐flood differences in the degree of decay, age, and concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), as well as dissolved CH4 and CO2 concentrations throughout the study site. Our results indicate that this flooded waterway was a limited source of CH4 and CO2 to the atmosphere during the event and that DOC age increased with time of flooding. Based on our findings, we suggest that the interplay between storage and mobilization of carbon and greenhouse gases in arid and semiarid regions is potentially sensitive to changing climate conditions, particularly hydrologic variability. Changes in the radiocarbon age of DOC throughout the flooding event suggest that organic matter (OM) that had been stored for long periods (e.g., millennial) was mobilized by the flooding event along with CO2. The OM residing in the dry riverbed that was mobilized into floodwaters had a signature reflective of degraded vascular plant OM and microbial biomass. Whether this microbial OM was living or dead, our findings support previous work in soils and natural waters showing that microbial OM can remain stable and stored in ecosystems for long time periods. As human appropriation of water resources continues to increase, the episodic drying and rewetting of once natural riverbeds and deltas may fundamentally alter the processing and storage of carbon in such systems.
Enhanced electron mixing and heating in 3‐D asymmetric reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause
Authors: Le A. , Daughton W. , Chen L.‐J. , Egedal J.
Published: March 2017

Electron heating and mixing during asymmetric reconnection are studied with a 3‐D kinetic simulation that matches plasma parameters from Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft observations of a magnetopause diffusion region. The mixing and heating are strongly enhanced across the magnetospheric separatrix compared to a 2‐D simulation. The transport of particles across the separatrix in 3‐D is attributed to lower hybrid drift turbulence excited at the steep density gradient near the magnetopause. In the 3‐D simulation (and not the 2‐D simulation), the electron temperature parallel to the magnetic field within the mixing layer is significantly higher than its upstream value in agreement with the MMS observations.
Fault size and depth extent of the Ecuador earthquake (Mw 7.8) of 16 April 2016 from teleseismic and tsunami data
Authors: Heidarzadeh Mohammad , Murotani Satoko , Satake Kenji , Takagawa Tomohiro , Saito Tatsuhiko
Published: March 2017

The April 2016 Ecuador Mw 7.8 earthquake was the first megathrust tsunamigenic earthquake along the Ecuador‐Colombia subduction zone since 1979 (Mw 8.2 with 200 deaths from tsunami). While there was no tsunami damage from the 2016 earthquake, small tsunamis were recorded at Deep‐ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami and tide gauges. Here we designed various fault models with and without shallow‐slip area and compared the computed teleseismic and tsunami waveforms with the observations. While teleseismic inversions were indifferent about inclusion or exclusion of the shallow slip, tsunami waveforms strongly favored the slip model without shallow slip. Our final slip model has a depth range of 15–44 km, and its western shallowest limit is located at the distance of ~60 km from the trench. Maximum and average slips were 2.5 and 0.7 m, respectively. The large‐slip area was 80 km (along strike) × 60 km (along dip) in the depth range of 15–35 km.
Epitaxial Growth of Large‐Grain NiSe Films by Solid‐State Reaction for High‐Responsivity Photodetector Arrays
Authors: Cai Caoyuan , Ma Yang , Jeon Jaeho , Huang Fan , Jia Feixiang , Lai Shen , Xu Zhihao , Wu Congjun , Zhao Ruiqi , Hao Yufeng , Chen Yiqing , Lee Sungjoo , Wang Min
Published: March 2017

Film‐based photodetectors have shown superiority for the fabrication of photodetector arrays, which are desired for integrating photodetectors into sensing and imaging systems, such as image sensors. But they usually possess a low responsivity due to low carrier mobility of the film consisting of nanocrystals. Large‐grain semiconductor films are expected to fabricate superior‐responsivity photodetector arrays. However, the growth of large‐grain semiconductor films, normally with a nonlayer structure, is still challenging. Herein, this study introduces a solid‐state reaction method, in which the growth rate is supposed to be limited by diffusion and reaction rate, for interface‐confined epitaxial growth of nonlayer structured NiSe films with grain size up to micrometer scale on Ni foil. Meanwhile, patterned growth of NiSe films allows the fabrication of NiSe film based photodetector arrays. More importantly, the fabricated photodetector based on as‐grown high‐quality NiSe films shows a responsivity of 150 A W−1 in contrast to the value of 0.009 A W−1 from the photodetector based on as‐deposited NiSe film consisting of nanocrystals, indicating a huge responsivity‐enhancement up to four orders of magnitude. It is ascribed to the enhanced charge carrier mobility in as‐grown NiSe films by dramatically decreasing the amount of grain boundary leading to scattering of charge carrier.
Engineering Chemically Active Defects in Monolayer MoS2 Transistors via Ion‐Beam Irradiation and Their Healing via Vapor Deposition of Alkanethiols
Authors: Bertolazzi Simone , Bonacchi Sara , Nan Guangjun , Pershin Anton , Beljonne David , Samorì Paolo
Published: March 2017

Irradiation of 2D sheets of transition metal dichalcogenides with ion beams has emerged as an effective approach to engineer chemically active defects in 2D materials. In this context, argon‐ion bombardment has been utilized to introduce sulfur vacancies in monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). However, a detailed understanding of the effects of generated defects on the functional properties of 2D MoS2 is still lacking. In this work, the correlation between critical electronic device parameters and the density of sulfur vacancies is systematically investigated through the fabrication and characterization of back‐gated monolayer MoS2 field‐effect transistors (FETs) exposed to a variable fluence of low‐energy argon ions. The electrical properties of pristine and ion‐irradiated FETs can be largely improved/recovered by exposing the devices to vapors of short linear thiolated molecules. Such a solvent‐free chemical treatment—carried out strictly under inert atmosphere—rules out secondary healing effects induced by oxygen or oxygen‐containing molecules. The results provide a guideline to design monolayer MoS2 optoelectronic devices with a controlled density of sulfur vacancies, which can be further exploited to introduce ad hoc molecular functionalities by means of thiol chemistry approaches.
2D Chalcogenide Nanoplate Assemblies for Thermoelectric Applications
Authors: Dun Chaochao , Hewitt Corey A. , Li Qi , Xu Junwei , Schall Drew C. , Lee Hyunsu , Jiang Qike , Carroll David. L.
Published: March 2017

Engineered atomic dislocations have been used to create a novel, Sb2Te3 nanoplate‐like architecture that exhibits a unique antisymmetric chirality. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) coupled with atomic force microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals the architectures to be extremely well ordered with little residual strain. Surface modification of these topologically complex macrostructures (≈3 µm) has been achieved by direct growth of metallic Ag nanoparticles onto the edge sites of the Sb2Te3. Again, HRTEM shows this nanoparticle decoration to be atomically sharp at the boundaries and regularly spaced along the selvedge of the nanostructure. Transport experiments of densified films of these assemblies exhibit marked increases in carrier density after nanoengineering, yielding 3.5 × 104 S m−1 in electrical conductivity. An increased Seebeck coefficient by 20% in parallel with electrical conductivity is also observed. This gives a thermoelectric power factor of 371 µW m−1 K−2, which is the highest value for a flexible, freestanding film to date. These results suggest an entirely new direction in the search for wearable power harvesters based on topologically complex, low‐dimensional nanoassemblies.
Broadband Hot‐Electron Collection for Solar Water Splitting with Plasmonic Titanium Nitride
Authors: Naldoni Alberto , Guler Urcan , Wang Zhuoxian , Marelli Marcello , Malara Francesco , Meng Xiangeng , Besteiro Lucas V. , Govorov Alexander O. , Kildishev Alexander V. , Boltasseva Alexandra , Shalaev Vladimir M.
Published: March 2017

The use of hot electrons generated from the decay of surface plasmons is a novel concept that promises to increase the conversion yield in solar energy technologies. Titanium nitride (TiN) is an emerging plasmonic material that offers compatibility with complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) technology, corrosion resistance, as well as mechanical strength and durability, thus outperforming noble metals in terms of cost, mechanical, chemical, and thermal stability. Here, it is shown that plasmonic TiN can inject into TiO2 twice as many hot electrons as Au nanoparticles. TiO2 nanowires decorated with TiN nanoparticles show higher photocurrent enhancement than decorated with Au nanoparticles for photo‐electrochemical water splitting. Experimental and theoretical evidence highlight the superior performance of TiN in hot carrier collection due to several factors. First, TiN nanoparticles provide broadband absorption efficiency over the wavelength range 500–1200 nm combined with high field enhancement due to its natural cubic morphology. Second, TiN forms an Ohmic junction with TiO2, thus enabling efficient electron collection compared to Au nanoparticles. Since TiN nanoparticles have strong plasmon resonances in the red, the entire solar spectrum is covered when complemented with Au nanocrystals. These findings show that transition metal nitrides enable plasmonic devices with enhanced performance for solar energy conversion.
Comparison of quality of human serum albumin preparations in two pharmaceutical products
Authors: Nakae Hajime , Tomida Kouki , Kikuya Yoshihiro , Okuyama Manabu , Igarashi Toshiko
Published: March 2017

Aim

Human serum albumin (HSA) is known for its multiple functions, such as maintenance of colloid osmotic pressure, transport of endogenous and exogenous substances, and antioxidation. The aim of this study was to measure the redox state and concentrations of β‐d‐glucan and endotoxin to compare the quality of 5% HSA preparations from two different manufacturers.

Methods

The quality of 5% HSA preparations in two different pharmaceutical products (groups A and B) was compared in terms of the percentage of reduced and oxidized albumin and the contaminant level of β‐d‐glucan and endotoxin.

Results

The percentage of human mercaptoalbumin in group A was significantly higher than that in group B (P < 0.01), whereas that of human non‐mercaptoalbumin‐2 in group A was significantly lower (P < 0.01). The concentration of β‐d‐glucan in group A was significantly lower than in group B (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

The present findings indicate the need for quality control of HSA preparations in applications involving the use of large volumes.
Nonisocyanate thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers based on poly(ethylene glycol) prepared through the transurethanization approach
Authors: Kébir Nasreddine , Nouigues Soumaya , Moranne Pierre , Burel Fabrice
Published: March 2017

Nonisocyanate thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (NIPUs) were synthesized with the transurethanization approach. Dimethyl dicarbamates (DCs) were prepared by the reaction of a diamine with an excess of dimethyl carbonate in the presence of 1,5,7‐triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene (TBD) as a catalyst. Then, the polymers were obtained under neat conditions through the reaction of DC with polyethyleneglycol of average molecular weight of 1500 g/mol (PEG1500) at variable temperatures in the presence of different amounts of 1,4‐butanediol. TBD, dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTL), and K2CO3 were tested as catalysts. TBD and DBTL seemed to be more efficient than K2CO3 in the temperature range 140–160 °C. The obtained materials exhibited molecular weight values (Mw) up to 10,000 g/mol and thermal stabilities above 200 °C. The soft segments displayed glass‐transition temperature values that varied from −49 to −1 °C and melting temperature values that varied from 38 to 49 °C. Compared to polyurethane analogs, the NIPUs exhibited higher crystallinities and thermal stabilities. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44991.
A novel extracellular low‐temperature active phytase from Bacillus aryabhattai RS1 with potential application in plant growth
Authors: Pal Roy Moushree , Datta Subhabrata , Ghosh Shilpi
Published: March 2017

Bacillus aryabhattai RS1 isolated from rhizosphere produced an extracellular, low temperature active phytase. The cultural conditions for enzyme production were optimized to obtain 35 U mL−1 of activity. Purified phytase had specific activity and molecular weight of 72.97 U mg−1 and ∼40 kDa, respectively. The enzyme was optimally active at pH 6.5 and 40°C and was highly specific to phytate. It exhibited higher catalytic activity at low temperature, retaining over 40% activity at 10°C. Phytase was more thermostable in presence of Ca2+ ion and retained 100% residual activity on preincubation at 20–50°C for 30 min. Partial phytase encoding gene, phyB (816 bp) was cloned and sequenced. The encoded amino acid sequence (272 aa) contained two conserved motifs, DA[A/T/E]DDPA[I/L/V]W and NN[V/I]D[I/L/V]R[Y/D/Q] of β‐propellar phytase and had lower sequence homology with other Bacillus phytases, indicating its novelty. Phytase and the bacterial inoculum were effective in improving germination and growth of chickpea seedlings under phosphate limiting condition. Moreover, the potential applications of the enzyme with relatively high activity at lower temperatures (20–30°C) could also be extended to aquaculture and food processing. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:633–641, 2017
A novel soft sensor approach for estimating individual biomass in mixed cultures
Authors: Stone Kyle A. , Shah Devarshi , Kim Min Hea , Roberts Nathan R. M. , He Q. Peter , Wang Jin
Published: March 2017

Due to many advantages associated with mixed cultures, their application in biotechnology has expanded rapidly in recent years. At the same time, many challenges remain for effective mixed culture applications. One obstacle is how to efficiently and accurately monitor the individual cell populations. Current approaches on individual cell mass quantification are suitable for off‐line, infrequent characterization. In this study, we propose a fast and accurate “soft sensor” approach for estimating individual cell concentrations in mixed cultures. The proposed approach utilizes optical density scanning spectrum of a mixed culture sample measured by a spectrophotometer over a range of wavelengths. A multivariate linear regression method, partial least squares or PLS, is applied to correlate individual cell concentrations to the spectrum. Three experimental case studies are used to examine the performance of the proposed soft sensor approach. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:347–354, 2017
Antibody purification from CHO cell supernatant using new multimodal membranes
Authors: Wang Juan , Zhou Jinxiang , Gowtham Yogender K. , Harcum Sarah W. , Husson Scott M.
Published: March 2017

This contribution describes strategies to purify monoclonal antibodies from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture supernatant using newly designed multimodal membranes (MMMs). The MMMs were used for the capture step purification of human IgG1 following a size‐exclusion desalting column to remove chaotropic salts that interfere with IgG binding. The MMM column attained higher dynamic binding capacity than a Protein A resin column at an equivalent residence time of 1 min. The two‐step MMM chromatography process achieved high selectivity for capturing hIgG1 from the CHO cell culture supernatant, though the desalting step resulted in product dilution. Product purity and host cell protein (HCP) level in the elution pool were analyzed and compared to results from a commercial Protein A column. The product purity was >98% and HCP levels were <20 ppm for both purification methods. In addition, hIgG1 could be eluted from the MMM chromatography column at neutral pH, which is important for limiting the formation of aggregates; although slow elution dilutes the product. Overall, this paper shows that MMMs are highly effective for capture step purification of proteins and should be considered when Protein A cannot be used, e.g., for pH sensitive mAbs or proteins lacking an Fc binding domain. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:658–665, 2017
Effects of ferrous iron on the performance and microbial community in aerobic granular sludge in relation to nutrient removal
Authors: Yilmaz Gulsum , Cetin Ender , Bozkurt Umit , Aleksanyan Magden Karin
Published: March 2017

Lab‐scale experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of ferrous iron on nutrient removal performance and variations in the microbial community inside aerobic granular sludge for 408 days. Two reactors were simultaneously operated, one without added ferrous iron (SBR1), and one with 10 mg Fe2+ L−1 of added ferrous iron (SBR2). A total of 1 mg Fe2+ L−1 of added ferrous iron was applied to SBR1 starting from the 191st day to observe the resulting variations in the nutrient removal performance and the microbial community. The results show that ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria (AOB) could not oxidize ammonia due to a lack of iron compounds, but they could survive in the aerobic granular sludge. Limited ferrous iron addition encouraged nitrification. Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) from both reactors could not be maintained regardless of the amount of ferrous iron that was applied. EBPR was established in both reactors when the concentration of mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) and the percentage of Accumulibacteria increased. A total of 10 mg Fe2+ L−1 of added ferrous iron had a relatively adverse effect on the growth of AOB species compared to 1 mg Fe2+ L−1 of added ferrous iron, but it encouraged the growth of Nitrospira sp. and Accumulibacteria, which requires further study. It could be said that the compact and stable structure of aerobic granular sludge preserved AOB and NOB from Fe‐deficient conditions, and wash‐out during the disintegration period. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:716–725, 2017
Reconstitution of Vanadium Haloperoxidase's Catalytic Activity by Boric Acid—Towards a Potential Biocatalytic Role of Boron
Authors: Natalio Filipe , Wiese Stefanie , Brandt Wolfgang , Wessjohann Ludger
Published: March 2017

Boron's unusual properties inspired major advances in chemistry. In nature, the existence and importance of boron has been fairly explored (e.g. bacterial signaling, plant development) but its role as biological catalyst was never reported. Here, we show that boric acid [B(OH)3] can restore chloroperoxidase activity of Curvularia inaequalis recombinant apo‐haloperoxidase's (HPO) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and chloride ions. Molecular modeling and semi‐empirical PM7 calculations support a thermodynamically highly favored (bio)catalytic mechanism similarly to vanadium haloperoxidases (V‐HPO) in which [B(OH)3] is assumedly located in apo‐HPO's active site and a monoperoxyborate [B(OH)3(OOH)−] intermediate is formed and stabilized by interaction with specific active site amino acids leading ultimately to the formation of HOCl. Thus, B(OH)3−HPO provides the first evidence towards the future exploitation of boron′s role in biological systems.
Dual‐Functional Surfactant‐Templated Strategy for Synthesis of an In Situ N2‐Intercalated Mesoporous WO3 Photoanode for Efficient Visible‐Light‐Driven Water Oxidation
Authors: Li Dong , Chandra Debraj , Takeuchi Ryouchi , Togashi Takanari , Kurihara Masato , Saito Kenji , Yui Tatsuto , Yagi Masayuki
Published: March 2017

N2‐Intercalated crystalline mesoporous tungsten trioxide (WO3) was synthesized by a thermal decomposition technique with dodecylamine (DDA) as a surfactant template with a dual role as an N‐atom source for N2 intercalation, alongside its conventional structure‐directing role (by micelle formation) to induce a mesoporous structure. N2 physisorption analysis showed that the specific surface area (57.3 m2 g−1) of WO3 templated with DDA (WO3‐DDA) is 2.3 times higher than that of 24.5 m2 g−1 for WO3 prepared without DDA (WO3‐bulk), due to the mesoporous structure of WO3‐DDA. The Raman and X‐ray photoelectron spectra of WO3‐DDA indicated intercalation of N2 into the WO3 lattice above 450 °C. The UV/Vis diffuse‐reflectance spectra exhibited a significant shift of the absorption edge by 28 nm, from 459 nm (2.70 eV) to 487 nm (2.54 eV), due to N2 intercalation. This could be explained by the bandgap narrowing of WO3‐DDA by formation of a new intermediate N 2p orbital between the conduction and valance bands of WO3. A WO3‐DDA‐coated indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode calcined at 450 °C generated a photoanodic current under visible‐light irradiation below 490 nm due to photoelectrochemical water oxidation, as opposed to below 470 nm for ITO/WO3‐bulk. The incident photon‐to‐current conversion efficiency (IPCE=24.5 %) at 420 nm and 0.5 V versus Ag/AgCl was higher than that of 2.5 % for ITO/WO3‐bulk by one order of magnitude due to N2 intercalation and the mesoporous structure of WO3‐DDA.
Dynamic Magnetic and Optical Insight into a High‐Performance Pentagonal Bipyramidal DyIII Single‐Ion Magnet
Authors: Chen Yan‐Cong , Liu Jun‐Liang , Lan Yanhua , Zhong Zhi‐Qiang , Mansikkamäki Akseli , Ungur Liviu , Li Quan‐Wen , Jia Jian‐Hua , Chibotaru Liviu F. , Han Jun‐Bo , Wernsdorfer Wolfgang , Chen Xiao‐Ming , Tong Ming‐Liang
Published: March 2017

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Ming‐Liang Tong at the Sun Yat‐Sen University and collaborators in France, China, and Belgium. The image depicts the magnetic hysteresis and the fluorescence of a pentagonal bipyramidal DyIII single‐ion magnet. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.201606029.