bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction
Authors: Houghton Vince
Published: January 2020

This introductory chapter describes the problems associated with scientific intelligence, and introduces the key questions of the book, namely: Considering how successfully the United States conducted the atomic intelligence effort against the Germans in the Second World War, why was the United States Government unable to create an effective atomic intelligence apparatus to monitor Soviet scientific and nuclear capabilities? Put another way, why did the effort against the Soviet Union fail so badly, so completely, in all potential metrics – collection, analysis, and dissemination? How did we get this so wrong?
A Reasonable Fear
Authors: Houghton Vince
Published: January 2020

The first chapter details the causes of the United States Government’s considerable apprehension about the German atomic bomb program. By 1942 American progress in atomic development had made it apparent that atomic bombs were more than theoretical possibilities, they were practical certainties. That is to say, it was only a matter of time before someone built an atomic bomb. The Germans had the best scientists, a well-developed industrial system, widespread political support, and they had a significant head start. American scientists had reason to worry.
Transitions
Authors: Houghton Vince
Published: January 2020

The fourth chapter discusses the American intelligence shift in focus from the German atomic bomb program to the atomic research effort of the Soviet Union. Alsos scientists were eventually convinced that the German atomic bomb program was far behind that of the United States, and would not be a factor in the Second World War. However, Alsos was kept in Europe to ensure that the Soviet Union did not gain access to German atomic resources. This meant capturing German scientists, occupying German research facilities and laboratories, and capturing German raw materials and industrial centers. In some cases, when it became apparent that Allied forces would not be able to reach certain areas before Soviet forces arrived, Groves utilized the conventional forces of the U.S. Army and the covert forces of the OSS to destroy the resource to ensure it could not be of benefit to the Soviets.
Whistling in the Dark
Authors: Houghton Vince
Published: January 2020

The sixth chapter discusses the reasons the United States Government did not consider the Soviet atomic bomb program an immediate national security threat. In contrast to their beliefs about German science, many American scientists and some within the civilian and military leadership regarded Soviet science as institutionally backward, and many of its scientists as intellectual inferiors. Other key players in American leadership, including Leslie Groves, argued that the Soviet Union did not have the industrial capabilities to manufacture an atomic bomb in less than 20 years. Regardless of the reasoning (whether it was an indictment of Soviet science, Soviet industry, or the Soviet system), the people in the positions of power in the United States almost universally assumed they had time to build an effective atomic intelligence system, and do so before the Soviets made much of that system obsolete.
Feeling Revenge
Authors: King Emily L.
Published: January 2020

Chapter two examines the relationship between civil vengeance and religion. It begins with a corrective, demonstrating that vengeance was not antithetical to early modern Protestant Christianity. Rather, it honed vengeful impulses and redirected them through displays of orthodox behavior. The second half of the chapter examines John Donne’s final sermon, Deaths Duell. Making use of the concept of affect contagion, chapter two hypothesizes that the sermon’s delivery introduced and circulated negative emotion in his congregation through its reliance on content (i.e., rhetoric of the sermon) and atmosphere (i.e., the unperceived smells or signals of emotional distress). To visualize this, the chapter combines contemporary studies on the circulation of emotion with an analysis of early modern medicine. Conceiving of civil vengeance as affect contagion enables us to understand the phenomenon as a disease that might be contracted by and disseminated through the social body rather than directed along an intended trajectory.
Fantasizing about Revenge
Authors: King Emily L.
Published: January 2020

Chapter three examines the relation between fantasy and civil vengeance through the figure of the vagrant. Insofar as vagrants are presumed responsible for major social problems, civil society justifies its poor treatment as retribution. Reading Jack Cade’s rebellion in Shakespeare’s 2 Henry VI, the chapter proposes that normative society’s fantasy of its own victimhood produces vagrant bodies that are constructed to withstand extreme forms of labor and punishment, and the resulting bodies then sustain an expanding nation-state. Thomas Nashe’s The Unfortunate Traveller, or the Life of Jack Wilton reveals the dynamic at work on the international stage in its attempts to define early modern Englishness against not only the Continent but also cosmopolitanism. While the impoverished vagrant offers social cohesion to normative subjects within the domestic project of nationalism, the affluent cosmopolitan vagrant and his eventual recoil from other cultures offers the fiction of a secure English identity.
Developing and assessing a density surface model in a Bayesian hierarchical framework with a focus on uncertainty: insights from simulations and an application to fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus)
Authors: Sigourney Douglas B. , Chavez-Rosales Samuel , Conn Paul B. , Garrison Lance , Josephson Elizabeth , Palka Debra
Published: January 2020

Density surface models (DSMs) are an important tool in the conservation and management of cetaceans. Most previous applications of DSMs have adopted a two-step approach to model fitting (hereafter referred to as the Two-Stage Method), whereby detection probabilities are first estimated using distance sampling detection functions and subsequently used as an offset when fitting a density-habitat model. Although variance propagation techniques have recently become available for the Two-Stage Method, most previous applications have not propagated detection probability uncertainty into final density estimates. In this paper, we describe an alternative approach for fitting DSMs based on Bayesian hierarchical inference (hereafter referred to as the Bayesian Method), which is a natural framework for simultaneously propagating multiple sources of uncertainty into final estimates. Our framework includes (1) a mark-recapture distance sampling observation model that can accommodate two team line transect data, (2) an informed prior for the probability a group of animals is at the surface and available for detection (i.e. surface availability) (3) a density-habitat model incorporating spatial smoothers and (4) a flexible compound Poisson-gamma model for count data that incorporates overdispersion and zero-inflation. We evaluate our method and compare its performance to the Two-Stage Method with simulations and an application to line transect data of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) off the east coast of the USA. Simulations showed that both methods had low bias (<1.5%) and confidence interval coverage close to the nominal 95% rate when variance was propagated from the first step. Results from the fin whale analysis showed that density estimates and predicted distribution patterns were largely similar among methods; however, the coefficient of variation of the final abundance estimate more than doubled (0.14 vs 0.31) when detection variance was correctly propagated into final estimates. An analysis of the variance components demonstrated that overall detectability as well as surface availability contributed substantial amounts of variance in the final abundance estimates whereas uncertainty in mean group size contributed a negligible amount. Our method provides a Bayesian alternative to DSMs that incorporates much of the flexibility available in the Two-Stage Method. In addition, these results demonstrate the degree to which uncertainty can be underestimated if certain components of a DSM are assumed fixed.
Gestão fiscal dos municípios do Tocantins: o que mostra o índice FIRJAN?
Authors: Medeiros Ana Lucia , Oliveira Nilton Marques , Caminha Fernanda Silva
Published: January 2020

Este artigo tem por objetivo analisar a gestão fiscal dos municípios do estado do Tocantins à luz do Índice Firjan de Gestão Fiscal (IFGF). Os dados foram coletados junto à Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FIRJAN) para os anos de 2006 e 2013. O IFGF é composto pela média de cinco indicadores: gastos com pessoal, investimentos, arrecadação própria, custo de dívida e liquidez. Foram analisados alguns indicadores econômicos, constatando-se que o PIB Serviços participa com 52% no PIB Total de Tocantins. Houve crescimento no recolhimento de todos os impostos municipais (IPTU, ISSQN, ITBI). Porém, os municípios apresentaram uma forte dependência das transferências governamentais, principalmente de recursos financeiros advindos do Fundo de Participação dos Municípios. Entre 2006 e 2013 houve redução no IFGF, sendo o componente IFGF Receita Própria o que apresentou valor mais crítico, seguido do IFGF Gastos com Pessoal e IFGF Investimentos.
Моделирование растворенного органического вещества в Финском заливе (на англ.яз.), "Фундаментальная и прикладная гидрофизика"
Authors: Владимирова О. М. , Еремина Т.Р. , Исаев А.В. , Рябченко В.А. , Савчук О.П.
Published: January 2020

Цель работы - усовершенствование Санкт-Петербургской модели эвтрофикции Балтийского моря (SPBEM) за счет включения уравнений неконсервативной примеси для растворенного органического азота и фосфора в двух формах - легкоокисляемой и стойкой. Численные эксперименты по тестированию усовершенствованной версии модели было выполнено для Финского залива для периода 2009-2014 гг. Начальные и граничные условия для численных экспериментов были получены на основе данных натурных наблюдений. Сравнение результатов моделирования с данными наблюдений показало хорошее совпадение пространственно-временной изменчивости гидрофизических и биогеохимических характеристик, в том числе почти идеальное соответствие между моделируемой и наблюдаемой динамикой органических форм азота и фосфора. Важнейшим отличием между рассчитанными и наблюдаемыми характеристиками является завышенное содержание неорганического азота и фосфора, что может быть вызвано неточностями в задании начальных и граничных условий, а также в используемых параметризациях потоков минерализации. Более тонкая настройка SPBEM-2 требует более тщательного анализа чувствительности.
Budget Deficit and Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: A PMG Approach
Authors: Awolaja Gbenga Oladapo , Esefo Ikponmwosa Osagie
Published: January 2020

The relationship between budget deficit and economic growth remains one of the widely debated topics among policy makers and economists in both developed and developing countries of the world. This paper empirically investigated the long run and short run relationship between budget deficit and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa countries from 1991 to 2018 using Panel data for twenty (20) sub-Saharan Africa Countries. The estimation technique employed in the study was the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimation method and the regression results revealed that in the long run, budget deficit has a negative and significant relationship with economic growth whereas in the short run, it has a positive and significant relationship with economic growth. The study concluded that government should reduce the overall recurrent expenditure as it will help to mitigate the problem of budget deficit that leads to debt accumulation in sub-Saharan Africa countries and increase expenditure on developmental projects.
Effect of Corporate Governance on Financial Performance of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria
Authors: Bala Sani, Abdulrahman , A. Almustapha Aliyu, , Taophic Olarewaju Bakare,
Published: January 2020

Effective supervision of financial institutions is premised on existence of sound corporate governance. Corporate governance refers to the extent to which companies are run in an open and honest manner. Despite the relative stability experienced by financial institutions post-consolidated era, the health of financial institutions in Nigeria today appears to have worsen due to the weak corporate governance. It is as a result of this, the study examine the effect of corporate governance on financial performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria. This study obtained secondary data from the annual report of deposit money banks quoted on the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) spanning from 2011 to 2018 with the use of purposive sampling technique. Panel regression technique was adopted to analyse data collected. The result showed that corporate governance has significant effects on financial performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria as indicated by the p-value of Wald x2 of (0.0000) with coefficient (10.92) at 5% significance level. When individual element of corporate governance is considered, CEO duality has no significance effect on ROA with coefficient 2.1903 and p-value 0.943 while management equity holding has significant effect on ROA as indicated by p-value of 0.0000 and coefficient 10.958 at 5% significant level. The study then concluded that corporate governance has significant effect on financial performance of selected banks in Nigeria. Therefore the study recommends that CEO duality should be discourage in the deposit money banks in Nigeria and mandates a three years cooling off period where this is the case. This will assist to minimize potential conflicts of interests.
A Sino-orbitocutaneous Fistula from Local (Native) Tonsillectomy: A Case Report
Authors: E. Chinawa N. , I. Inoh M. , O. Edet E.
Published: January 2020

Background: Orbitocutaneous fistula is a known complication of orbital exenteration. Orbitocutaneous fistula arising from a tonsillectomy are quite uncommon. Risk factors for fistula development are sinus diseases, radiotherapy, inadvertent sinus penetration during mid-face and other related surgeries.

Case Report: MS is a 16-year-old girl who presented with swelling of the right side of the face and neck of ten days duration following local tonsillectomy at home. Ocular examination findings showed lid swelling, ecchymosis, pus point in the medial third of the upper lid of the right eye which gave way and formed a sinus tract with the commencement of antibiotics. 

Discussion: Although orbitosinocutaneous fistula is uncommon with tonsillectomy however fistulae may develop following poorly performed procedure by a non-professional who may tamper with the sinuses in the course of surgery. Since asepsis was not observed, there may have also been upward track of infection to the orbit.

Conclusion: Orbitosinocutaneous fistula could be a complication of poorly performed tonsillectomy.
Assessing the effect of mandatory progress reporting on treatment requirements identified during health examinations at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant: A time series analysis
Authors: Mori Koji , Tateishi Seiichiro , Kubo Tatsuhiko , Kobayashi Yuichi , Hiraoka Ko , Kawashita Futoshi , Hayashi Takeshi , Kiyomoto Yoshifumi , Kobashi Masaki , Fukai Kota , Tahara Hiroyuki , Okazaki Ryuji , Ogami Akira , Igari Kazuyuki , Suzuki Katsunori , Kikuchi Hiroshi , Sakai Kazuhiro , Yoshikawa Toru , Fujino Yoshihisa
Published: January 2020

Objectives

At the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, run by the Tokyo Electric Power Company, new procedures were introduced as part of the fitness for duty program in July 2016. These were designed to ensure that treatment and further investigations identified as necessary during health examinations were carried out. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the initiative by testing whether workers who needed further health examinations obtained them promptly, and whether the number with unmet health needs decreased and the number of workers being treated increased.

Methods

The primary contractors reported aggregated quarterly results of health examinations of both their own and their subcontractors’ employees, and follow-up visits to medical institutions were also reported over the next two quarters. The study used data for the period from July 2016 to December 2018. Incident rate ratios were estimated using a multilevel Poisson regression model, including the logarithm of the number of workers who took health examination for each primary contractor company as offset. The linear trend was assessed by treating the number of periods as a continuous variable.

Results

The incident rate ratio for workers who needed treatment having a follow-up examination promptly showed a significant decrease over time. The incident rate ratio for those with unmet needs decreased, and those being treated increased over time.

Conclusions

The findings showed that the initiative was effective, with the number of early visits for further health examinations increasing and a decrease in the number of people with unmet health needs.
Metal Organic Framework Derivative Improving Lithium Metal Anode Cycling
Authors: Zhong Yiren , Lin Fang , Wang Maoyu , Zhang Yifang , Ma Qing , Lin Julia , Feng Zhenxing , Wang Hailiang
Published: January 2020

This work demonstrates a new approach in using metal organic framework (MOF) materials to improve Li metal batteries, a burgeoning rechargeable battery technology. Instead of using the MIL‐125‐Ti MOF structure directly, the material is decomposed into intimately‐mixed amorphous titanium dioxide and crystalline terephthalic acid. The resulting composite material outperforms the oxide alone, the organic component alone, and the parent MOF in suppressing Li dendrite growth and extending cycle life of Li metal electrodes. Coated on a commercial polypropylene separator, this material induces the formation of a desirable solid electrolyte interphase layer comprising mechanically flexible organic species and ionically conductive lithium nitride species, which in turn leads to Li||Cu and Li||Li cells that can stably operate for hundreds of charging–discharging cycles. In addition, this material strongly adsorbs lithium polysulfides and can also benefit the cathode of lithium–sulfur batteries.
Understanding the Interplay of Binary Organic Spacer in Ruddlesden–Popper Perovskites toward Efficient and Stable Solar Cells
Authors: Chen Shi , Shen Nan , Zhang Lihua , Zhang Luozheng , Cheung Sin Hang , Chen Shuming , So Shu Kong , Xu Baomin
Published: January 2020

Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite (RPP) materials have attracted great attention due to their superior stability, where the organic spacer dominantly determines the stability and efficiency of RPP solar cells, but research still lacks the systematical understanding of the interplay of binary spacer in the overall mixture range of 0–100% in RPPs on the precursor chemistry, film quality, and carrier behavior. Herein, a series of novel binary spacer RPP films of (PBA1−xBAx)2MA3Pb4I13 (BA = n‐butylammonium, PBA = 4‐phenylbutan‐1‐aminium, and MA = methylammonium) is successfully fabricated to reveal the interplay of binary spacers. The incorporation of 50% BA into the (PBA)2MA3Pb4I13 precursor solution increases the colloidal size and reduces nucleation sites, and therefore forms a very smooth film with much larger crystal grains and a higher degree of crystal preferential orientation, resulting in a significant reduction of trap states. The resulting combination of fast electron transfer and efficient electron extraction facilitates to effectively suppress the trap‐assisted charge recombination and remarkably decrease charge recombination losses. Consequently, the (PBA0.5BA0.5)2MA3Pb4I13 device achieves a champion efficiency of 16.0%, among the highest reported efficiencies for RPP devices. Furthermore, this device demonstrates good ambient, illumination, and thermal stabilities, retaining 60–93% of its initial efficiency after 30 days of various ageing.
The Causal Impact of Medals on Wine Producers' Prices and the Gains from Participating in Contests
Authors: Paroissien Emmanuel , Visser Michael
Published: January 2020

The main objective of this article is to estimate the causal effect of wine medals on producers' prices. Our data set combines information on transactions between wine producers and wholesale traders (these data are registered by a wine broker who acts as a middleman in this market), with records from eleven important wine competitions. Our identification strategy exploits a particularity in our data, namely that medals are not only awarded before transaction dates but sometimes also thereafter. Regressing price on dummies indicating past and future medals (plus controls) allows, under weak restrictions, to consistently estimate causal effects of medals by simply calculating differences in the two types of dummy estimates. In addition, the estimates of future medal coefficients can be interpreted as partial correlations between unobserved quality and medal indicators. Our preferred estimate indicates that producers having earned a medal at a competition can increase their price by 13%. The impact for gold is much larger than for silver and bronze, but we cannot reject that the correlation with quality is the same across the three colors. We then calculate expected profits obtained by producers from participating in competitions and find that the incentives to participate are high. Finally, we investigate the efficiency of contests by measuring to what extent attributed awards are good quality indicators: only a minority of competitions attribute medals that are significantly correlated with quality (primarily the ones founded a long time ago, and whose judges are required to evaluate relatively few wines per day).
Multiple mitochondrial dysfunctions syndrome 1: An unusual cause of developmental pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Birjiniuk Alona , Glinton Kevin E. , Villafranco Natalie , Boyer Suzanne , Laufman Jason , Mizerik Elizabeth , Scott Daryl , Elsea Sarah H. , Galambos Csaba , Varghese Nidhy P. , Scaglia Fernando
Published: January 2020

Pulmonary hypertension (pHTN) is a severe, life‐threatening disease, which can be idiopathic or associated with an underlying syndrome or genetic diagnosis. Here we discuss a patient who presented with severe pHTN and was later found to be compound heterozygous for pathogenic variants in the NFU1 gene causing multiple mitochondrial dysfunctions syndrome 1 (MMDS1). Review of autopsy slides from an older sibling revealed the same diagnosis along with pulmonary findings consistent with a developmental lung disorder. In particular, these postmortem, autopsy findings have not been described previously in humans with this mitochondrial syndrome and suggest a possible developmental basis for the severe pHTN seen in this disease. Given the rarity of patients reported with MMDS1, we review the current state of knowledge of this disease and our novel management strategies for pHTN and MMDS1‐associated complications in this population.
Parawasserstoff‐induzierte Hyperpolarisation von Gasen
Authors: Kovtunov Kirill V. , Koptyug Igor V. , Fekete Marianna , Duckett Simon B. , Theis Thomas , Joalland Baptiste , Chekmenev Eduard Y.
Published: January 2020

Die Bildgebung von Gasen stellt eine große Herausforderung dar, ob per MRT oder mit anderen Methoden. NMR‐ und MRT‐Signale sind direkt proportional zur Kernspindichte und zur Kernspinpolarisation (Ausrichtungsgrad der Kernspins bzgl. eines angelegten Magnetfeldes). Die Kernspinpolarisation ist unter typischen Bedingungen sehr niedrig, z. B. ist die Polarisation bei 1.5 T und einer physiologisch relevanten Temperatur nur ein hunderttausendstel der maximal erreichbaren Polarisation. Daher wird MRT in erster Linie zur Bildgebung von Wasser, welches in Gewebe in hoher Konzentration vorliegt, herangezogen. Hyperpolarisationsmethoden erhöhen vorübergehend die Kernspinpolarisation bis zu einem Polarisationsgrad von maximal eins, was eine Signalverstärkung von mehreren Größenordnungen bedeutet. Dies ermöglicht 3D‐Bildgebung von weniger konzentrierten Analyten, wie etwa Biomolekülen oder Gasen. Parawasserstoff‐induzierte Polarisation (PHIP) kann sehr schnell erzielt werden. Zudem sind die verwendeten Verfahren leicht skalierbar und relativ kostengünstig. In diesem Kurzaufsatz fassen wir ausgewählte Neuerungen im Bereich der Parawasserstoff‐induzierten Polarisation zusammen, die in Zukunft zu neuen, inhalierbaren Kontrastmitteln führen können.
Rapid, Label‐free Optical Spectroscopy Platform for Diagnosis of Heparin‐Induced Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Huang Zufang , Siddhanta Soumik , Zheng Gang , Kickler Thomas , Barman Ishan
Published: January 2020

The use of surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to determine spectral markers for the diagnosis of heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), a difficult‐to‐diagnose immune‐related complication that often leads to limb ischemia and thromboembolism, is proposed. The ability to produce distinct molecular signatures without the addition of labels enables unbiased inquiry and makes SERS an attractive complementary diagnostic tool. A capillary‐tube‐derived SERS platform offers ultrasensitive, label‐free measurement as well as efficient handling of blood serum samples. This shows excellent reproducibility, long‐term stability and provides an alternative diagnostic rubric for the determination of HIT by leveraging machine‐learning‐based classification of the spectroscopic data. We envision that a portable Raman instrument could be combined with the capillary‐tube‐based SERS analytical tool for diagnosis of HIT in the clinical laboratory, without perturbing the existing diagnostic workflow.
Effects of intramolecular hydrogen bonds on phosphorescence emission: A theoretical perspective
Authors: Yan Xi , Zhang Huize , Cai Wanlin , Zhao Ancong , Wang Jian , Shen Wei
Published: January 2020

Importing intramolecular hydrogen bond in phosphorescent transition metal complexes has been considered one of the excellent approaches to improve the electroluminescence performance of organic light‐emitting diodes in real applications. However, the relationships between such H‐bond structure and phosphorescent properties have not been theoretically revealed yet. In this study, two types of intramolecular hydrogen bonds are introduced into the two classes of traditional materials, that is, Pt(II) and Ir(III) complexes (1a and 2a) to completely elucidate their influence on the structures and properties by comparing with the original phosphors (1b and 2b) using density functional theory/time‐dependent density functional theory for the first time. A comprehensive analysis of the geometric structures, molecular orbitals, and luminescence properties (including phosphorescence emission wavelengths and radiative and nonradiative decay processes) has been carried out. Our theoretical model highlights that complexes 1a and 2a embedded with H‐bonds significantly promote the phosphorescence emission band blue‐shifted and restrict molecular deformations compared with the corresponding 1b and 2b, which can provide helpful guidance to regulate and design several aspects of highly efficient blue phosphorescent emitters.
Enhanced impact strength of compatibilized poly(lactic acid)/polyamide 11 blends by a crosslinking agent
Authors: Nam Byeong‐Uk , Son Younggon
Published: January 2020

Maleated poly(lactic acid) (PLA‐g‐MA) was prepared through melt grafting of maleic anhydride onto a PLA backbone with the aid of a radical initiator. PLA‐g‐MA thus formed was incorporated into PLA/polyamide 11 (PA11) blends as a reactive compatibilizer. By morphological observation, it was assessed that PLA‐g‐MA lowered the interfacial energy and strengthened the interface between PLA and PA11. However, the compatibilized PLA/PA11 blends did not show significant improvement of impact strength compared with noncompatibilized PLA/PA11 blends. Measurements of the molecular weight and impact strength of PLAs compounded with various amounts of radical initiators revealed that decreased molecular weight of PLA by the radical initiator used for the preparation of PLA‐g‐MA is responsible for this unexpected result. To compensate the decrease of the molecular weight, a crosslinking agent was incorporated in the preparation step of PLA‐g‐MA. It was found that the crosslinking agent is effective in preventing the molecular weight reduction. As a result, the impact strength of the PLA/PA11 blend was enhanced to a great extent by the PLA‐g‐MA prepared with the crosslinking agent.
Food risk trade‐off in the Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphin: An exploratory case study
Authors: Lin Mingli , Caruso Francesco , Liu Mingming , Lek Sovan , Li Kuan , Gozlan Rodolphe E. , Li Songhai
Published: January 2020

Based on optimal foraging theory, animals are expected to maximize foraging benefits whilst minimizing risks. Despite risking being subjected to anthropogenic impacts such as water contamination, marine traffic, and underwater noise, estuaries have been identified as the preferred habitat of the Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis, IPHD). However, it remains unclear why this vulnerable species favours such risky habitats.

Here, an exploratory case study in Zhanjiang estuary, China, was conducted to test the hypothesis that IPHDs select estuarine habitats as a trade‐off that maximizes foraging opportunities whilst minimizing the risk of mortality.

The results showed that IPHDs accept greater mortality risks for higher food rewards but select habitats with lower risks when food rewards are similar between two locations.

Although this type of information is important for underpinning models for individual dolphins, its principal role is to show environmental protection agencies why IPHDs favour estuaries despite the increased mortality risks.

Habitat conservation plans should carefully consider prey stocks, possibly through the presence of marine protected areas near estuaries, as local overfishing may lead vulnerable cetacean populations to take greater risks.
Ultrafast liquid chromatographic analysis of erdosteine in human plasma based on fluorimetric detection and precolumn derivatization with 4‐bromomethyl‐7‐methoxycoumarin: Application to pharmacokinetic studies
Authors: Onal Cem , Kepekci Tekkeli Serife Evrim
Published: January 2020

In this study, a new analytical method for erdosteine (ERD) in plasma based on high‐performance liquid chromatography and a fluorimetric detector, is presented. Precolumn derivatization of ERD with 4‐bromomethyl‐7‐methoxy coumarin (BrMmC) and dibenzo‐18‐crown‐6‐ether as a reaction catalyst led to the production of a fluorescent compound. ERD was monitored by fluorescence with an excitation wavelength λext. = 325 nm and emission wavelength λem. = 390 nm. Optimum reaction conditions were carefully studied and optimized. A chromatographic procedure was performed using a C18 column of 150 × 4.6 mm and 3 μm particle size and a mobile phase consisting of methanol:acetonitrile:water (30:30:40, v/v/v) under a flow rate of 0.5 ml min−1. A calibration plot was established covering analyte concentration range 0.2–3.0 μg ml−1; the detection limit was 0.015 μg ml−1 and quantification limit was 0.05 μg ml−1. Mean recovery was 87.33% and relative standard deviation was calculated to be less than 4.4%. The developed method was successfully used to determine pharmacokinetic preparations of ERD subsequent to administration of a 900 mg dose capsule to a healthy 40‐year‐old woman volunteer.
Amyloid Fibril Formation of α‐Synuclein Is Modulated via the Estrogen Receptor Ligand Binding Domain of Estrogen Receptor α Bound with Tamoxifen‐based Small Molecules
Authors: Lee Dawon , Yoon Soyoung , Lee Jinwoo , Lim Dongyeol , Yoon Chun , Im Hana , Lee Kyunghee
Published: January 2020

Alpha‐synuclein (αSyn) forms amyloid fibrils in the brain of patients suffering from Parkinson's disease. Aiming at the development of a new therapy via regulating amyloid fibril formation of αSyn, we studied estrogen receptor ligand‐binding domain (ERLBD) of estrogen receptor α (ΕRα). The ERLBD encoding gene was cloned, expressed by IPTG induction, and successfully purified by Ni2+‐affinity chromatography followed by anion‐exchange chromatography. In the thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assay, we examined the kinetics of amyloid fibril formation of αSyn in the presence of ERLBD protein. Dose‐dependent inhibition of amyloid fibril formation of αSyn by ERLBD protein was observed, indicating that ERLBD protein binds to αSyn, thereby blocking amyloid fibril formation. The kinetics of amyloid fibril formation of αSyn were compared in the absence and presence of a small molecule, such as 17β‐estradiol (E2, agonist) or tamoxifen (TMX, antagonist) of ΕRα. Regardless of the presence of E2, we found that ERLBD protein inhibits αSyn from forming amyloid fibrils. On the other hand, TMX reversed the inhibition effect of ERLBD protein on amyloid fibril formation of αSyn. Interestingly, the photo‐reactive hybrid ligand 2‐phenylquinoline‐4‐hydroxytamoxifen (PQ‐OHT) was expected to exhibit the anti‐inhibitory effect of ERLBD on amyloid fibril formation of αSyn. Upon illuminating with a UV lamp, PQ‐OHT was found to degrade ERLBD protein as well. These observations suggest the examination of the possibility that a complex of ERLBD‐αSyn amyloid fibril can be eliminated via the ligand PQ‐OHT upon exposure to light for therapeutic purposes.
Formaldehyde as a Chemical Defence Agent of Fruiting Bodies of Mycena rosea and its Role in the Generation of the Alkaloid Mycenarubin C
Authors: Himstedt Rieke , Wagner Silke , Jaeger Robert J. R. , Lieunang Watat Michèle‐Laure , Backenköhler Jana , Rupcic Zeljka , Stadler Marc , Spiteller Peter
Published: January 2020

Mycenarubin C, a previously unknown red pyrroloquinoline alkaloid, was isolated from fruiting bodies of the mushroom Mycena rosea and its structure was elucidated mainly by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Unlike mycenarubin A, the major pyrroloquinoline alkaloid in fruiting bodies of M. rosea, mycenarubin C, contains an eight‐membered ring with an additional C1 unit that is hitherto unprecedented for pyrroloquinoline alkaloids known in nature. Incubation of mycenarubin A with an excess of formaldehyde revealed that mycenarubin C was generated nearly quantitatively from mycenarubin A. An investigation into the formaldehyde content of fresh fruiting bodies of M. rosea showed the presence of considerable amounts of formaldehyde, with values of 5 μg per gram of fresh weight in fresh fruiting bodies. Although mycenarubin C did not show bioactivity against selected bacteria and fungi, formaldehyde inhibits the growth of the mycoparasite Spinellus fusiger at concentrations present in fruiting bodies of M. rosea. Therefore, formaldehyde might play an ecological role in the chemical defence of M. rosea against S. fusiger. In turn, S. fusiger produces gallic acid—presumably to detoxify formaldehyde by reaction of this aldehyde with amino acids and gallic acid to Mannich adducts.
A Spherically Shielded Triphenylamine and Its Persistent Radical Cation
Authors: Schaub Tobias A. , Mekelburg Theresa , Dral Pavlo O. , Miehlich Matthias , Hampel Frank , Meyer Karsten , Kivala Milan
Published: January 2020

This work reports the design and synthesis of a sterically protected triphenylamine scaffold which undergoes one‐electron oxidation to form an amine‐centered radical cation of remarkable stability. Several structural adjustments were made to tame the inherent reactivity of the radical cation. First, the parent propeller‐shaped triphenylamine was planarized with sterically demanding bridging units and, second, protecting groups were deployed to block the reactive positions. The efficiently shielded triphenylamine core can be reversibly oxidized at moderate potentials (+0.38 V, vs. Fc/Fc+ in CH2Cl2). Spectroelectrochemistry and chemical oxidation studies were employed to monitor the evolution of characteristic photophysical features. To obtain a better understanding of the impact of one‐electron oxidation on structural and electronic properties, joint experimental and computational studies were conducted, including X‐ray structural analysis, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The sterically shielded radical cation combines various desirable attributes: A characteristic and unobstructed absorption in the visible region, high stability which enables storage for weeks without spectroscopically traceable degradation, and a reliable oxidation/re‐reduction process due to effective screening of the planarized triphenylamine core from its environment.
Warum wir uns mit Power‐to‐X beschäftigen
Authors: Eichel Rüdiger‐A. , Leitner Walter , Wagemann Kurt
Published: January 2020

No abstract.
Overview of MARCM‐Related Technologies in Drosophila Neurobiological Research
Authors: Hsu Tsai‐Chi , Ku Kai‐Yuan , Shen Hung‐Chang , Yu Hung‐Hsiang
Published: January 2020

Mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM)–related technologies are positive genetic mosaic labeling systems that have been widely applied in studies of Drosophila brain development and neural circuit formation to identify diverse neuronal types, reconstruct neural lineages, and investigate the function of genes and molecules. Two types of MARCM‐related technologies have been developed: single‐colored and twin‐colored. Single‐colored MARCM technologies label one of two twin daughter cells in otherwise unmarked background tissues through site‐specific recombination of homologous chromosomes during mitosis of progenitors. On the other hand, twin‐colored genetic mosaic technologies label both twin daughter cells with two distinct colors, enabling the retrieval of useful information from both progenitor‐derived cells and their subsequent clones. In this overview, we describe the principles and usage guidelines for MARCM‐related technologies in order to help researchers employ these powerful genetic mosaic systems in their investigations of intricate neurobiological topics. © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Grain Enlargement and Defect Passivation with Melamine Additives for High Efficiency and Stable CsPbBr3 Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Zhu Jingwei , He Benlin , Gong Zekun , Ding Yang , Zhang Wenyu , Li Xueke , Zong Zhihao , Chen Haiyan , Tang Qunwei
Published: January 2020

The preparation of high‐quality perovskite films with low grain boundaries and defect states is a prerequisite for achieving high‐efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with good environmental stability. An effective additive engineering strategy has been developed for simultaneous defect passivation and crystal growth of CsPbBr3 perovskite films by introducing 1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4,6‐triamine (melamine) into the PbBr2 precursor solution. The resultant melamine–PbBr2 film has a loose, large‐grained structure and decreased crystallinity, which has a positive effect on the crystallization process of the perovskite as it retards the crystallization rate as a result of the interaction between melamine and lead ions. Additionally, the passivation by melamine gives a high‐quality CsPbBr3 perovskite film with fewer grain boundaries, lower defect densities, and better energy level matching is achieved by multistep liquid‐phase spin‐coating, which greatly suppresses the nonradiative recombination resulting from the defects and promotes charge extraction at the interface. A champion power conversion efficiency as high as 9.65 % with a promising open‐circuit voltage of 1.584 V is achieved for PSCs with an architecture of fluorine‐doped tin oxide/c‐TiO2/m‐TiO2/melamine‐added CsPbBr3/carbon‐based hole‐transporting layer. Furthermore, the unencapsulated melamine‐added CsPbBr3 PSC shows superior thermal and humidity stability in ambient air at 85 °C or 85 % relative humidity over 720 h.
In situ nuclear DNA methylation in dilated cardiomyopathy: an endomyocardial biopsy study
Authors: Watanabe Takatomo , Okada Hideshi , Kanamori Hiromitsu , Miyazaki Nagisa , Tsujimoto Akiko , Takada Chihiro , Suzuki Kodai , Naruse Genki , Yoshida Akihiro , Nawa Takahide , Tanaka Toshiki , Kawasaki Masanori , Ito Hiroyasu , Ogura Shinji , Okura Hiroyuki , Fujiwara Takako , Fujiwara Hisayoshi , Takemura Genzou
Published: January 2020

Aims

Although distinct DNA methylation patterns have been reported, its localization and roles remain to be defined in heart failure. We investigated the cellular and subcellular localization of DNA methylation and its pathophysiological significance in human failing hearts.

Methods and results

Using left ventricular (LV) endomyocardial biopsy specimens from 75 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM; age: 58 ± 14 years old, %female: 32%) and 20 patients without heart failure (controls; age: 56 ± 17 years old, %female: 45%), we performed immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy for methylated DNA, 5‐methylcytosine (5‐mC). We next investigated possible relations of the incidence of 5‐mC‐positive (%5‐mC+) cardiomyocytes with clinicopathological parameters. Immunopositivity for 5‐mC was detected in the cardiomyocytes and other cell types. The %5‐mC+ cardiomyocytes was significantly greater in DCM hearts than in controls (57 ± 13% in DCM vs. 25 ± 12% in controls, P < 0.0001). The localization of 5‐mC immunopositivity in cardiomyocyte nuclei coincided well with that of heterochromatin, as confirmed by immunoelectron microscopy. Substantial DNA methylation was also observed in interstitial non‐cardiomyocytes, but the incidences did not differ between control and DCM hearts (39 ± 7.9% in DCM vs. 41 ± 10% in controls, P = 0.4099). In DCM patients, the %5‐mC+ cardiomyocytes showed a significant inverse correlation with LV functional parameters such as heart rate (r = 0.2391, P = 0.0388), end‐diastolic pressure (r = 0.2397, P = 0.0397), and ejection fraction (r = −0.2917, P = 0.0111) and a positive correlation with LV dilatation (volume index at diastole; r = 0.2442, P = 0.0347; and volume index at systole; r = 0.3136, P = 0.0062) and LV hypertrophy (mass index; r = 0.2287, P = 0.0484)—that is, LV remodelling parameters. No significant correlations between DNA methylation and the histological parameters of the biopsies, including cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration, were noted.

Conclusions

The present study revealed increased nuclear DNA methylation in cardiomyocytes, but not other cell types, from DCM hearts, with predominant localization in the heterochromatin. Its significant relations with LV functional and remodelling parameters imply a pathophysiological significance of DNA methylation in heart failure.
Magnetism: Molecules to Build Solids
Authors: Verdaguer Michel , Gleizes Alain N.
Published: January 2020

The seminal discovery in 1981 of bimetallic ferrimagnetic chains, based on the synthetic use of the concept “complex as ligand”, can be considered as a significant step on the way from molecules to more and more complex materials. We describe the chemistry, the structures, the magnetic properties of these 1D materials, together with the new theoretical models created to understand them. We then give an overview of some original creative ideas, which have irrigated the synthetic chemistry of brand‐new molecular materials, room temperature magnets, photomagnetic and chiral magnets or functional surfaces. The review emphasizes that the celebrated individual “wins” are indeed the fruit, along the years, of the constructive multidisciplinary collaboration of many scientists, theoreticians and experimentalists, chemists and physicists. Difficulties, dead‐end hypotheses, mistakes which represent a significant exciting part of any scientific endeavour, are not put under the rug.
Replacement of the Acrid tert‐Butylthiol and an Improved Isolation Protocol for Cysteine Lipidation on a Peptide or Amino Acid (CLipPA)
Authors: Yang Sung‐Hyun , Hermant Yann O. J. , Harris Paul W. R. , Brimble Margaret A.
Published: January 2020

Lipidation is a key modification affecting the physiochemical properties of peptides and widely used in the design of drug candidates. Cysteine Lipidation on a Peptide or Amino Acid (CLipPA) enables rapid synthesis of a library of S‐lipidated peptides via a thiol‐ene reaction between a free sulfhydryl group on cysteine‐containing peptide and a vinyl ester bearing a lipid. Optimization of the CLipPA procedure was performed by replacing the malodorous tert‐butylthiol and modifying the work‐up procedure to facilitate the analysis and isolation of lipopeptides.
Geomorphic process signatures reshaping sub‐humid Mediterranean badlands: 1. Methodological development based on high‐resolution topography
Authors: Llena Manel , Vericat Damià , Smith Mark W. , Wheaton Joseph M.
Published: January 2020

High‐resolution topography data sets have improved the spatial and temporal scales at which we are able to investigate the landscape through the analysis of landform attributes and the computation of topographic changes. Yet, to date, there have been only limited attempts to infer key geomorphic processes in terms of contributions to shaping the landscape. Highly erodible landscapes such as badlands provide an ideal demonstration of such an approach owing to the rapid changes observed over a relatively short time frame. In this technical note we present the Mapping Geomorphic Processes in the Environment (MaGPiE): a new algorithm that allows mapping of geomorphic process signatures through analysis of repeat high‐resolution topography data sets. The method is demonstrated in an experimental badland located in the southern central Pyrenees. MaGPiE is a geographic information system (GIS)‐based algorithm that uses as input: (a) terrain attributes (i.e. Slope, Roughness and Concentrated Runoff Index) extracted from digital elevation models (DEMs), and (b) a map of topographic changes (DEM of difference, DoD). Initial results demonstrate that MaGPiE allows the magnitude and the spatial distribution of the main geomorphic processes reshaping badlands to be inferred for the first time. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effects of cultivar and climate zone on phytochemical components of walnut (Juglans regia L.)
Authors: Wu Shutian , Ni Zhanglin , Wang Ruohui , Zhao Baojun , Han Yongxiang , Zheng Yuewen , Liu Feng , Gong Yonghong , Tang Fubin , Liu Yihua
Published: January 2020

The diversity of cultivars and variation in phytochemical components pose a great threat to the security of foods that contain walnut. The nutrient values of walnut are stipulated according to phytochemical components, which are driven by internal and external factors associated with fruit growth. The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of cultivar and climate zone on the phytochemical components of walnuts. First, differences and relationships of phytochemical components in eleven walnut cultivars harvested from northeastern China were analyzed. Almost all individual phytochemical components among cultivars showed significant differences (p < .05). The results were submitted to correspondence analysis followed by matrix transformation and factor analysis. Fatty acids, amino acids, and minerals (Ca, Na, Fe, Cu, P, and Zn) for the identification and discrimination of eleven walnut cultivars were authenticated. Furthermore, based on essential microelements, essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and antioxidants, the walnut cultivars realized the precision position in food application. Finally, we confirmed the effects of climate zones on the phytochemical components of walnuts, with variations up to 142%. The climatic factors precipitation and temperature influenced the formation and accumulation of monounsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, and most minerals. The findings will open promising perspectives for oriented cultivation of walnuts and future application in the food industry.