bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of spatial and temporal replicate sampling on eDNA metabarcoding
Authors: Beentjes Kevin K. , Speksnijder Arjen G. C. L. , Schilthuizen Menno , Hoogeveen Marten , van der Hoorn Berry B.
Published: July 2019

Background

The heterogeneous nature of environmental DNA (eDNA) and its effects on species detection and community composition estimates has been highlighted in several studies in the past decades. Mostly in the context of spatial distribution over large areas, in fewer occasions looking at spatial distribution within a single body of water. Temporal variation of eDNA, similarly, has mostly been studied as seasonality, observing changes over large periods of time, and often only for small groups of organisms such as fish and amphibians.

Methods

We analyzed and compared small-scale spatial and temporal variation by sampling eDNA from two small, isolated dune lakes for 20 consecutive weeks. Metabarcoding was performed on the samples using generic COI primers. Molecular operational taxonomic unit (MOTUs) were used to assess dissimilarities between spatial and temporal replicates.

Results

Our results show large differences between samples taken within one lake at one point in time, but also expose the large differences between temporal replicates, even those taken only 1 week apart. Furthermore, between-site dissimilarities showed a linear correlation with time frame, indicating that between-site differences will be inflated when samples are taken over a period of time. We also assessed the effects of PCR replicates and processing strategies on general patterns of dissimilarity between samples. While more inclusive PCR replicate strategies lead to higher richness estimations, dissimilarity patterns between samples did not significantly change.

Conclusions

We conclude that the dissimilarity of temporal replicates at a 1 week interval is comparable to that of spatial replicate samples. It increases, however, for larger time intervals, which suggests that population turnover effects can be stronger than community heterogeneity. Spatial replicates alone may not be enough for optimal recovery of taxonomic diversity, and cross-comparisons of different locations are susceptible to inflated dissimilarities when performed over larger time intervals. Many of the observed MOTUs could be classified as either phyto- or zooplankton, two groups that have gained traction in recent years as potential novel bio-indicator species. Our results, however, indicate that these groups might be susceptible to large community shifts in relatively short periods of time, highlighting the need to take temporal variations into consideration when assessing their usability as water quality indicators.
MetaBAT 2: an adaptive binning algorithm for robust and efficient genome reconstruction from metagenome assemblies
Authors: Kang Dongwan D. , Li Feng , Kirton Edward , Thomas Ashleigh , Egan Rob , An Hong , Wang Zhong
Published: July 2019

We previously reported on MetaBAT, an automated metagenome binning software tool to reconstruct single genomes from microbial communities for subsequent analyses of uncultivated microbial species. MetaBAT has become one of the most popular binning tools largely due to its computational efficiency and ease of use, especially in binning experiments with a large number of samples and a large assembly. MetaBAT requires users to choose parameters to fine-tune its sensitivity and specificity. If those parameters are not chosen properly, binning accuracy can suffer, especially on assemblies of poor quality. Here, we developed MetaBAT 2 to overcome this problem. MetaBAT 2 uses a new adaptive binning algorithm to eliminate manual parameter tuning. We also performed extensive software engineering optimization to increase both computational and memory efficiency. Comparing MetaBAT 2 to alternative software tools on over 100 real world metagenome assemblies shows superior accuracy and computing speed. Binning a typical metagenome assembly takes only a few minutes on a single commodity workstation. We therefore recommend the community adopts MetaBAT 2 for their metagenome binning experiments. MetaBAT 2 is open source software and available at https://bitbucket.org/berkeleylab/metabat.
Rapid response to anthropogenic climate change byThuja occidentalis: implications for past climate reconstructions and future climate predictions
Authors: Stein Rebekah A. , Sheldon Nathan D. , Smith Selena
Published: July 2019

Carbon isotope values of leaves (δ13Cleaf) from meta-analyses and growth chamber studies of C3plants have been used to propose generalized relationships between δ13Cleafand climate variables such as mean annual precipitation (MAP), atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide ([CO2]), and other climate variables. These generalized relationships are frequently applied to the fossil record to create paleoclimate reconstructions. Although plant evolution influences biochemistry and response to environmental stress, few studies have assessed species-specific carbon assimilation as it relates to climate outside of a laboratory. We measured δ13Cleafvalues and C:N ratios of a wide-ranging evergreen conifer with a long fossil record,Thuja occidentalis(Cupressaceae) collected 1804–2017, in order to maximize potential paleo-applications of our focal species. This high-resolution record represents a natural experiment from pre-Industrial to Industrial times, which spans a range of geologically meaningful [CO2] and δ13Catmvalues. Δleafvalues (carbon isotope discrimination between δ13Catmand δ13Cleaf) remain constant across climate conditions, indicating limited response to environmental stress. Only δ13Cleafand δ13Catmvalues showed a strong relationship (linear), thus, δ13Cleafis an excellent record of carbon isotopic changes in the atmosphere during Industrialization. In contrast with previous free-air concentration enrichment experiments, no relationship was found between C:N ratios and increasing [CO2]. Simultaneously static C:N ratios and Δleafin light of increasing CO2highlights plants’ inability to match rapid climate change with increased carbon assimilation as previously expected; Δleafvalues are not reliable tools to reconstruct MAP and [CO2], and δ13Cleafvalues only decrease with [CO2] in line with atmospheric carbon isotope changes.
Fungal Organisms Associated with Post-harvest Rot of Frafra Potatoes [Solenostemon rotundifolius (Poir.)] in Bongo-Soe, Upper East Region, Ghana
Authors: Apuri S. , Kwoseh C. , Seweh E. A. , Tutu I. O.
Published: July 2019

Aims: The study aims to identifying the microorganisms associated with post-harvest rot of frafra potatoes in Bongo-soe, Upper east region of Ghana.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Horticulture and the Pathology laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. The Solenostemon rotundifolius tubers were stored at the Horticulture Department laboratory whiles rot identification was carried out at the Pathology laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture. The Tubers were stored from 2nd November, 2012 to 22nd March 2013.

Methodology: Four hundred (400) tubers of black cultivar and four hundred (400) tubers of a brown cultivar of Solenostemon rotundifolius tubers showing visible signs of rot during the storage were collected. Pieces of diseased tissues from the margin of the necrotic collected and immersed in 10% commercial bleach solution for sterilisation, for one minute. These were then blotted dry and plated on Potato Dextrose Agar PDA. The plates were sealed with a cellotape until growth occurred.

Results: The microorganisms identified to be responsible for causing rot in Solenostemon rotundifolius tubers were six in number. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was identified to be responsible for 30.76% of rots observed, followed by Aspergillus niger, 23.07%, Curvularia lunata, 19.23%, Aspergillus flavus, 11.54%, Trichoderma sp and Penicillium sp both recorded 7.70% of rots observed. The percentage incidence of Aspergillus niger (15.38%), Curvularia lunata (11.54%) and Aspergillus flavus (7.69%) was higher in the black cultivar as compared with the brown cultivar which had percentage incidence of 7.69%, 7.69% and 3.85% respectively. Also, the percentage incidence of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (15.38%) and Penicillium sp (3.85%) was the same in both the black and brown cultivars of Solenostemon rotundifolius tubers used in this study.

Conclusion: The activities of the damaging microorganisms can be reduced by controlling mechanical injury during harvesting, transportation and storage of Solenostemon rotundifolius tubers should be prevented or reduced because they pave the way for tuber infection by the rot causing microorganisms.
Quantitative Morphometric Analysis of the Adula Watershed, in Ahmednagar Maharashtra Using the ESRI- ArcGIS Tool
Authors: Mandale Varsha , Bansod Ravindra
Published: July 2019

Remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) are two of the most important tools used to evaluate the morphometric characteristics of watersheds, as morphometric analysis of river basins using conventional methods, is very time to consume, laborious and cumbersome. In this study, the morphometric characteristics of the Adula watershed were calculated using ESRI- ArcGIS. The areal extent of the Adula watershed varies between 19°32’40” N to 19°43’2” N latitude and 74°10’15” E to 74°48’18” E longitude. The topographic sheets obtained from the survey of India on a scale of 1:50000 and the SRTM (Spectral Radar Topographic Mission) Digital Elevation Model of 30 m resolution, were used for watershed delineation and deriving the linear (stream order, stream number, bifurcation ratio), aerial (basin area, basin perimeter, drainage density, form factor, stream frequency, and circulatory ratio), relief (height of  outlet of watershed, basin relief, maximum height of watershed, total basin relief, absolute relief, relief ratio, ruggedness number) aspects. bifurcation ratio for varies from 3.0 to 8.33, indicating the elongated shape of the watershed. Drainage density factor values were 4.43 km/km2 indicating high drainage densities and 0.132 indicating an elongated basin with lower peaks respectively. Ruggedness number was 3.78 showing a dendritic and radial pattern with drainage texture. Therefore this morphometric analysis using geo-processing techniques employed in this study will assist in planning and decision making in the watershed development and management.
Diallel Analysis of Sweet Potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] Genotypes for Combined Beta Carotene and Dry Matter Content in Southern Guinea Savanna, Nigeria
Authors: Afolabi M. S. , Bello O. B. , Agbowuro G. O. , Aremu C. O. , Akoroda M. O.
Published: July 2019

Roots of orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties currently available in Nigeria contain high quantities of β-carotene or pro-vitamin A but have high moisture content. These varieties have been found to be a cheap and crucially important remedy for vitamin A deficiency. The cream or white-fleshed varieties, on the other hand, have a sweet taste with high dry matter content, giving a dry texture, a quality trait preferred in Nigeria. Development of sweet potato genotypes that can combine these two important quality traits is the objective of this breeding work. A diallel experiment using six parental sweet potato genotypes crossed in all possible combinations were carried out and thirty progenies were evaluated for beta carotene (β-carotene) and dry matter content in Landmark University, Omu Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria. The 30 F1 progenies along with their parental lines were planted in the same field trial. The trial was laid out in 6 x 6 triple lattice in two replications. Highly significant (P≤ 0.01) differences were observed among the genotypes for the traits. The average β-carotene content among the progenies was 2.86 (mg/100g.f.w) while the dry matter cttgontent had a mean value of 31.89%. The cross progenies 199024.2 x Excel had the highest beta carotene (14.37mg/100g.f.w) content with the highest dry matter content (40.10%) and are therefore recommended for further evaluation.
Effect of Audit Committee Characteristics on the Timeliness of Financial Reporting in Nigeria
Authors: Akinleye G. Tayo, , Aduwo O. Olayeye,
Published: July 2019

This study investigated the effect of audit committee effectiveness on the timeliness of financial reporting in Nigeria using listed companies in the food and beverages industrial sector of Nigeria economy. The period under review spans from 2011-2015. Data collected were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential methods of statistical analysis. Descriptive statistical analyses employed include mean and standard deviation while inferential statistical analyses employed in the study include correlation and regression analysis. The study revealed that there is no significant relationship between audit committee size and timeliness of financial reporting among listed food and beverages companies in Nigeria. The study further revealed that the relationship between frequency of meetings and timeliness of financial reporting among listed food and beverages companies in Nigerian is not significant. The study concluded that a proportional increase in frequency of meetings will increase timeliness of financial reporting and vice versa and this is not statistically significant meaning that frequency of meetings have no significant relationship with timeliness of financial reporting. The study recommended that audit committee size should not be increased beyond the regulatory specification of six.
Predicting motor, cognitive & functional impairment in Parkinson's
Authors: Lo Christine , Arora Siddharth , Baig Fahd , Lawton Michael A. , El Mouden Claire , Barber Thomas R. , Ruffmann Claudio , Klein Johannes C. , Brown Peter , Ben‐Shlomo Yoav , de Vos Maarten , Hu Michele T.
Published: July 2019

Objective

We recently demonstrated that 998 features derived from a simple 7‐minute smartphone test could distinguish between controls, people with Parkinson's and people with idiopathic Rapid Eye Movement sleep behavior disorder, with mean sensitivity/specificity values of 84.6‐91.9%. Here, we investigate whether the same smartphone features can be used to predict future clinically relevant outcomes in early Parkinson's.

Methods

A total of 237 participants with Parkinson's (mean (SD) disease duration 3.5 (2.2) years) in the Oxford Discovery cohort performed smartphone tests in clinic and at home. Each test assessed voice, balance, gait, reaction time, dexterity, rest, and postural tremor. In addition, standard motor, cognitive and functional assessments and questionnaires were administered in clinic. Machine learning algorithms were trained to predict the onset of clinical outcomes provided at the next 18‐month follow‐up visit using baseline smartphone recordings alone. The accuracy of model predictions was assessed using 10‐fold and subject‐wise cross validation schemes.

Results

Baseline smartphone tests predicted the new onset of falls, freezing, postural instability, cognitive impairment, and functional impairment at 18 months. For all outcome predictions AUC values were greater than 0.90 for 10‐fold cross validation using all smartphone features. Using only the 30 most salient features, AUC values greater than 0.75 were obtained.

Interpretation

We demonstrate the ability to predict key future clinical outcomes using a simple smartphone test. This work has the potential to introduce individualized predictions to routine care, helping to target interventions to those most likely to benefit, with the aim of improving their outcome.
Ultrasoft Silicone Gel as a Biomimetic Passivation Layer in Inkjet‐Printed 3D MEA Devices
Authors: Yamamoto Hideaki , Grob Leroy , Sumi Takuma , Oiwa Kazuhiro , Hirano‐Iwata Ayumi , Wolfrum Bernhard
Published: July 2019

Multielectrode arrays (MEAs) are versatile tools that are used for chronic recording and stimulation of neural cells and tissues. Driven by the recent progress in understanding of how neuronal growth and function respond to scaffold stiffness, development of MEAs with a soft cell‐to‐device interface has gained importance not only for in vivo but also for in vitro applications. However, the passivation layer, which constitutes the majority of the cell–device interface, is typically prepared with stiff materials. Herein, a fabrication of an MEA device with an ultrasoft passivation layer is described, which takes advantage of inkjet printing and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gel with a stiffness comparable to that of the brain. The major challenge in using the PDMS gel is that it cannot be patterned to expose the sensing area of the electrode. This issue is resolved by printing 3D micropillars at the electrode tip. Primary cortical neurons are grown on the fabricated device, and effective stimulation of the culture confirms functional cell‐device coupling. The 3D MEA device with an ultrasoft interface provides a novel platform for investigating evoked activity and drug responses of living neuronal networks cultured in a biomimetic environment for both fundamental research and pharmaceutical applications.
Impact of Bonding on the Stacking Defects in Layered Chalcogenides
Authors: Mio Antonio M. , Konze Philipp M. , Meledin Alexander , Küpers Michael , Pohlmann Marc , Kaminski Marvin , Dronskowski Richard , Mayer Joachim , Wuttig Matthias
Published: July 2019

Phase‐change materials for high‐density data storage traditionally exploit the amorphous‐to‐crystalline phase transition. A number of these compounds are organized in blocks, separated by van der Waals‐like gaps. Such layered chalcogenides are attracting interest due to their unique material properties and the possibility to change their properties upon local rearrangements at the gap, giving rise to novel applications. To better understand the behavior of layered chalcogenides, the connection between structural defects, physical properties, and the bonding situation is highlighted here using electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and density functional theory. In particular, stacking defects in hexagonal Ge4Se3Te, GaSe, and Sb2Te3 are characterized experimentally, followed by an investigation of the influence of observed and hypothetical stacking defects on optical and electronic properties by theoretical means. Then, a connection between observed defects and the bonding situation in these materials is drawn and related to the presence of van der Waals and metavalent bonding in chalcogenides. Finally, additional experiments are performed to validate the conclusions for other metavalently bonded layered chalcogenides. Transmission electron microscopy provides a powerful tool for direct detection of defects and, when combined with diffraction experiments and ab initio theory, it facilitates the precise investigation of the bonding mechanisms in layered chalcogenides.
Bioinspired Self‐Propulsion of Water Droplets at the Convergence of Janus‐Textured Heated Substrates
Authors: Zhang Peipei , Peng Baoxu , Wang Jingming , Jiang Lei
Published: July 2019

Controlled propulsion of liquid droplets on a solid surface offers viable applications in fog harvesting, heat transfer, microfluidics, and microdevice technologies. A prerequisite for the propulsion of liquid droplets is to break the wetting symmetry of a droplet and contact‐line pinning on the surface by harnessing surface energy gradient. Here, a series of Janus‐textured substrates is constructed to investigate the self‐propulsion of Leidenfrost droplets. It is found that the self‐propulsion of droplets occurs only on two special Janus‐textured substrates. Those are nanostructured silicon substrate bounded by smooth silicon substrate and the nanowire‐decorated microstructured silicon substrate bounded by micropillars with smooth surfaces. The difference in roughness between the two sides of the Janus‐textured substrates creates various numbers and sizes of vapor bubbles. The vapor bubbles cause the droplets to become turbulent, and a pressure gradient is generated. The sufficiently large pressure gradient propels the Leidenfrost droplet to move directionally. The propulsion direction is always toward areas with low roughness.
Broadband Spintronic Terahertz Emitter with Magnetic‐Field Manipulated Polarizations
Authors: Kong Deyin , Wu Xiaojun , Wang Bo , Nie Tianxiao , Xiao Meng , Pandey Chandan , Gao Yang , Wen Lianggong , Zhao Weisheng , Ruan Cunjun , Miao Jungang , Li Yutong , Wang Li
Published: July 2019

Flexible manipulation of terahertz wave polarizations during the generation process is very important for terahertz applications, especially for the next‐generation on‐chip functional terahertz sources. However, current terahertz emitters cannot satisfy such demand, hence calling for new mechanisms and conceptually new terahertz sources. Here an efficient and broadband terahertz source with magnetic‐field‐controlled flexible switching for the polarizations between linear and elliptical states in ferromagnetic heterostructures driven by femtosecond laser pulses is demonstrated. More importantly, the chirality, azimuthal angle, and ellipticity of the generated elliptical terahertz wave can be precisely manipulated by harnessing external magnetic fields via effectively tailoring the photoinduced spin currents. Such an ultrafast photomagnetic interaction‐based, magnetic‐field‐controlled, and broadband tunable solid‐state terahertz source integrated with polarization tunability functions not only provides the capability to reveal physical mechanisms of femtosecond spin dynamics, but also demonstrates the feasibility to realize novel on‐chip terahertz functional devices, boosting the potential applications for controlling elementary molecular rotations, phonon vibrations, spin precessions, high‐speed communications, and accelerating the development of ultrafast terahertz optospintronics.
Biocompatible, Injectable Anionic Hydrogels Based on Poly(Oligo Ethylene Glycol Monoacrylate‐co‐Acrylic Acid) for Protein Delivery
Authors: Wang Tengjiao , Jones Jake D. , Niyonshuti Isabelle I. , Agrawal Shilpi , Gundampati Ravi K. , Kumar Thallapuranam K. Suresh , Quinn Kyle P. , Chen Jingyi
Published: July 2019

Development of biocompatible hydrogels for sustained delivery of biological therapeutic agents is important for many regenerative medicine applications. In this study, a facile method is developed to synthesize injectable, anionic hydrogels based on poly(oligo ethylene glycol monoacrylate‐co‐acrylic acid) for protein controlled release. The synthesis of the copolymers is robust involving a single step of an aqueous free radical polymerization. These copolymers are then allowed to swell into the microporous injectable hydrogels. The covalent incorporation of the anionic group, acrylic acid, into the hydrogels increases the thermal stability and the viscosity of hydrogels due to the stronger intermolecular interactions in the copolymer network. These anionic groups also significantly enhance electrostatic interactions between the hydrogels and positively charged proteins, thus, rendering the hydrogels suitable for sustained release of the proteins under physiological conditions. An animal study shows these injectable hydrogels do not adversely affect wound healing. These findings warrant further investigation of these injectable hydrogels for their use in protein delivery for wound healing applications.
Asymmetric Synthesis of Fluoro‐MLN4924 as a Selective NEDD8‐Activating Enzyme (NAE) Inhibitor
Authors: Kim Hong‐Rae , Jarhad Dnyandev B. , Sahu Pramod K. , Sung Kisu , An Dayoung , Hyun Young Eum , Yu Jinha , Jeong Lak Shin
Published: July 2019

Based on bioisosteric rationale, fluorinated analogues of MLN4924, which is a selective NEDD8‐activating enzyme inhibitor, were designed and their asymmetric syntheses were accomplished via stereoselective reduction, regioselective isopropylidene cleavage and diethylaminosulfur trifluoride (DAST) fluorination as key steps.
Mesoporous carbon supported ultrasmall palladium particles as highly active catalyst for Suzuki‐Miyaura reaction
Authors: Enneiymy Mohamed , Le Drian Claude , Ghimbeu Camelia Matei , Becht Jean‐Michel
Published: July 2019

A fast and efficient eco‐friendly two‐step preparation of a palladium‐containing mesoporous carbon catalyst (C1) from green and readily available carbon precursors (phloroglucinol and glyoxal), a porogen template (pluronic F‐127) and PdCl2 is described. Catalyst C1 contains ultra‐small Pd nanoparticles (1.2 nm) uniformly dispersed in the carbon network and shows an outstanding activity for Suzuki‐Miyaura reactions in pure water: extremely low amounts of palladium (10 μequiv. in most cases) are sufficient to afford almost palladium‐free products (containing <0.25 ppm of precious metal without further purification steps).
Effect of vinyl acetate content on the photovoltaic‐encapsulation performance of ethylene vinyl acetate under accelerated ultra‐violet aging
Authors: Sharma Bhuwanesh K. , Desai Umang , Singh Ashish , Singh Aparna
Published: July 2019

The vinyl acetate (VA) content in ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) can significantly affect its performance as an encapsulant in photovoltaic modules under field conditions. EVA films of varying VA content (18, 24, 33, and 40%) have been prepared using twin screw extruder with the necessary additives and subsequently cured at 150 °C. All the EVA films have been subjected to UV radiation at a wavelength of 340 nm for 1000 and 2000 h to simulate accelerated field aging. The effects of accelerated aging on the gel content, mechanical properties, transmittance, Fourier transform infra‐red (FTIR) spectra, thermal stability, degree of crystallinity, and yellowness have been studied. The observations made in this study of UV aging up to 2000 h suggests that the optimum range of VA content in EVA should be between 18 and 33% by weight. VA content beyond 40% degrades almost all properties needed for an encapsulate material after aging of only 2000 h. VA content of around 18% is the most stable under UV aging conditions but has a slightly lower value of transmittance for the unaged sample although the difference in transmittance between different specimens decreases with UV aging. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48268.
One‐dimensional Nanomaterial Electrocatalysts for CO2Fixation
Authors: Guan Anxiang , Yang Chao , Quan Yueli , Shen Hanchen , Cao Na , Li Tengfei , Ji Yali , Zheng Gengfeng
Published: July 2019

Electroreduction of CO2into valuable molecules or fuels is a sustainable pathway for CO2reduction as well as energy storage. However, the premature development stage of electrocatalysts with high activity, selectivity, and durability still remains a significant bottleneck that hinders this field. One‐dimensional (1D) nanomaterials, including nanorods, nanotubes, nanoribbons, nanowires, and nanofibers, are generally considered as high‐activity and stable electromaterials, due to their unique uniform structures, orientated electronic and mass transport, and rigid tolerance to stress variation. During the past several years, 1D nanomaterials and nanostructures have been extensively studied due to their potentials in serving as CO2electroreduction catalysts. In this minireview, recent studies and advances in 1D nanomaterials for CO2eletroreduction are summarized, from the viewpoints of both computational and experimental aspects. Based on the composition, the 1D nanomaterials are studied in four categories, including metals, transition‐metal oxides/nitrides, transition‐metal chalcogenides, and carbon‐based materials. Different parameters in tuning 1D materials are also summarized and discussed, such as the crystal facets, grain boundaries, heteroatoms doping, additives and the electrochemical tuning effects. Finally, the challenges and prospects in this direction will be discussed.
UV LED water disinfection: Validation and small system demonstration study
Authors: Hull Natalie M. , Herold William H. , Linden Karl G.
Published: July 2019

Disinfection by ultraviolet (UV) light via non‐mercury light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) may be a sustainable solution for drinking water disinfection in small systems. The world's first commercial UVC LED water disinfection reactor (the PearlAqua by Aquisense) was studied over a year‐long demonstration test, and performance was compared side by side with an existing chlorination system at a small water treatment plant in Colorado. The UVC LED disinfection system was validated using MS2 bacteriophage inactivation over a range of flow rates and water UV transmittances. The reactor was also challenge‐tested with MS2 periodically during the year‐long demonstration. During lab tests and the field study in challenging conditions without any maintenance, the reactor demonstrated viral and bacterial disinfection efficacy and resilience equivalent to the chlorination system, providing proof of concept for application of UVC LEDs for municipal water treatment.
Monomorphic ventricular tachycardia as the primary presentation of an anterior STEMI
Authors: Andersen Jens Aamann , Freeman Phillip , Larsen Jacob Mosgaard , Andersen Niels Holmark
Published: July 2019

Traditionally sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (SMVT) is associated with areas of myocardial scar such as that of chronic coronary artery disease. We present a case of SMVT in the initial setting of an acute myocardial infarction in a previously healthy individual suggesting that acute ischemia can give rise to SMVT.
Luminescent CH3NH3PbBr3/β‐Cyclodextrin Core/Shell Nanodots with Controlled Size and Ultrastability through Host‐Guest Interactions
Authors: Huang Sihui , Zhang Ting , Jiang Chunli , Qi Ruijuan , Luo Chunhua , Chen Ye , Lin Hechun , Travas‐sejdic Jadranka , Peng Hui
Published: July 2019

Luminescent lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (LHP NCs) have attracted great attention. This work reports the synthesis of well‐defined core/shell structured CH3NH3PbBr3/β‐cyclodextrin (MAPbBr3/β‐CD) nanodots via host‐guest interaction between β‐cyclodextrin and hexylamine. The MAPbBr3/β‐CD nanodots show high luminescence with photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of 89.7% in solution and 38.0% in solid state. The MAPbBr3/β‐CD nanodots have superior stability in water, under heat and UV light exposure due to the formation of a β‐CD shell, which gives them great potential for optoelectrical and biological applications.
In‐network block repairing for erasure coding storage systems
Authors: Xia Junxu , Guo Deke , Cheng Geyao
Published: July 2019

In the erasure coding storage system, it is necessary to extract multiple data blocks from other remaining storage nodes to a new node when a storage node fails, which repairs the failed data block satisfactorily. However, this would incur the incast problem at this new node. The existing solutions for the repair process in the incast problem mainly rely on path planning and resource allocation. Although these solutions improve the performance of repairing the failed data blocks, they still waste a large amount of storage and bandwidth resources unavoidably. In this paper, we propose the incast problem to be resolved economically via the in‐network aggregation. Specifically, we assume that the switches in data centers have certain data processing capabilities and can aggregate data flows efficiently. Thereafter, we propose a set of in‐network methods to repair a failed data block in the erasure coding storage systems, taking the fat‐tree data center as an example. Thus, the incast problem can be solved effectively during the data transmission process. Compared with the prior methods, our approach effectively avoids the overhead of extra path computing, as well as significantly reduces the link cost of repairing data blocks, while promising similar or faster repair speed.
A method for virtual machine migration in cloud computing using a collective behavior‐based metaheuristics algorithm
Authors: Sha Jing , Ebadi Abdol Ghaffar , Mavaluru Dinesh , Alshehri Mohmmed , Alfarraj Osama , Rajabion Lila
Published: July 2019

Due to the growth of applications and the integration of new customers into the world of computing systems, computing needs to be changed and to become more powerful and flexible than before. Meanwhile, cloud computing is presented as a model beyond a system that is currently capable of answering most request needs. Flexible infrastructure for cloud computing and virtualization technology provide new features to support business activities. Clouds are a very important topic that used secure management tools for storage, security and securing data centers in a flexible manner. One of the important matters in cloud technologies is virtual machine migration (VMM). There are different ways to implement the VMM, but because of the limitation of resources' energy, energy management is also very important and challenging. Due to the NP‐hard nature of this problem, this paper presents an energy‐aware VMM engine for cloud computing using the discrete bacterial foraging algorithm as a new collective behavior‐based metaheuristics algorithm. The CloudSim simulator is employed to investigate the efficiency of this method. The obtained results have shown that the proposed method improves the energy consumption and the migration count.
Exosome release and cargo in Down syndrome
Authors: Hamlett Eric D. , LaRosa Angela , Mufson Elliott J. , Fortea Juan , Ledreux Aurélie , Granholm Ann‐Charlotte
Published: July 2019

Down syndrome (DS) is a multisystem disorder affecting 1 in 800 births worldwide. Advancing technology, medical treatment, and social intervention have dramatically increased life expectancy, yet there are many etiologies of this disorder that are in need of further research. The advent of the ability to capture extracellular vesicles (EVs) in blood from specific cell types allows for the investigation of novel intracellular processes. Exosomes are one type of EVs that have demonstrated great potential in uncovering new biomarkers of neurodegeneration and disease, and also that appear to be intricately involved in the transsynaptic spread of pathogenic factors underlying Alzheimer's disease and other neurological diseases. Exosomes are nanosized vesicles, generated in endosomal multivesicular bodies (MVBs) and secreted by most cells in the body. Since exosomes are important mediators of intercellular communication and genetic exchange, they have emerged as a major research focus and have revealed novel biological sequelae involved in conditions afflicting the DS population. This review summarizes current knowledge on exosome biology in individuals with DS, both early in life and in aging individuals. Collectively these studies have demonstrated that complex multicellular processes underlying DS etiologies may include abnormal formation and secretion of extracellular vesicles such as exosomes.
An equalization time reduction method using the magnitude relation of each cell voltage estimated from an equalization current for an LC series circuit type cell voltage equalizer
Authors: Satou Daiki , Hoshi Nobukazu , Uchida Kosuke
Published: July 2019

The authors have proposed a cell voltage equalizer with an LC series circuit in a previous work. The proposed circuit, however, has the disadvantage that the equalization time tends to be longer than that of other conventional equalizers. Therefore, the authors have studied some control methods to reduce the equalization time. This paper proposes a novel equalization time reduction method using the magnitude relation of each cell voltage estimated from the equalization current for the proposed equalizer. The proposed method can reduce the equalization time without an additional voltage sensor, so the size of the equalizer is not changed and the cost is not higher than an equalizer using the conventional control method. In addition, the characteristics and the effectiveness of the proposed method were verified by the simulations and the experiments. It was confirmed that the proposed method could reduce the equalization time to about 67.7% of that of the conventional control method by the experiments.
Sulfonated Hollow Silica Spheres as Electrolyte Store/Release Agents: High‐Performance Supercapacitor Applications
Authors: Cevik Emre , Gunday Seyda Tugba , Akhtar Sultan , Yamani Zain H. , Bozkurt Ayhan
Published: July 2019

Sulfonated hollow silica spheres (HSS‐S) are synthesized and applied in supercapacitors as acid‐filling and acid‐releasing agents in a polymer matrix, thanks to their unique architecture wherein the hollow spheres can be filled with acid (HSS‐S‐F) and can be dispersed in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with various weight fractions to produce nanocomposite gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs), HSS‐S/PVA, and HSS‐S‐F/PVA. The symmetrical supercapacitor device is assembled using an active carbon(AC) electrode and the GPE HSS‐S‐F/PVA shows a specific capacitance value of 147 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1. Alternatively, the GPE HSS‐S/PVA shows a specific capacitance of 52 F g−1 at the same current density. The symmetrical supercapacitor based on HSS‐S‐F/PVA has a high‐energy density of 20.40 W·h kg−1 at a power density of 545 W kg−1 with a remarkable cyclic stability with a loss of only 15% after 2250 charge–discharge cycles. This excellent property demonstrates that HSS‐S is a promising additive and has the potential to produce more efficient energy storage devices by changing the hollow particle size, pore size, and using different host polymer electrolytes.
Pressure‐Assisted Interface Engineering in MoS2/Holey Graphene Hybrids for Improved Performance in Li‐ion Batteries
Authors: Stolyarova Svetlana G. , Koroteev Victor O. , Shubin Yury V. , Plyusnin Pavel E. , Makarova Anna A. , Okotrub Alexander V. , Bulusheva Lyubov G.
Published: July 2019

The interface between MoS2 and carbon components plays an important role in the performance of the hybrid material in Li‐ion batteries. To enhance the interfacial interactions, holey graphene (HG) layers are used as a support for the forming MoS2, and the compression of components is used during the synthesis. Initial compositions, obtained by deposition of MoS3 on the surface of HG stacks, are annealed at 400–600 °C and 100 bar. Using a set of characterization methods, the synthesis products are studied and it is found that the hole boundaries anchor MoS2 via covalent C–Mo coupling, while the applied pressure assists in the development of a thin MoS2 coating. The number of layers and their lateral dimensions are dependent on the synthesis temperature. The tests of Li‐ion half‐cells detected higher values of specific capacity for MoS2/HG hybrids synthesized under compression. Enhanced interaction between the components prevents the destruction of MoS2 during discharging–charging of electrodes, and the capacity increases due to the accommodation of lithium between the layers of MoS2 and HG. The structural features of MoS2/HG hybrids stipulate growth of specific capacity with long‐term cycling to ≈1200 mA h g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1.
Thirty years of tephra erosion following the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
Authors: Collins Brian D. , Dunne Thomas
Published: July 2019

Repeated measurement of tephra erosion near Mount St. Helens over a 30‐year period at steel stakes, installed on 10 hillslopes in the months following the 1980 eruption, provides a unique long‐term record of changing processes, controls and rates of erosion. Intensive monitoring in the first three post‐eruption years showed erosion declined rapidly as processes shifted from sheetwash and rilling to rainsplash. To test predictions about changes to long‐term rates and processes made based on the 3‐year record, we remeasured sites in 1992, 2000 and 2010. Average annual erosion from 1983 to 1992 averaged 3.1 mm year−1and ranged from 1.4 to 5.9 mm year−1, with the highest rate on moderately steep slopes. Stakes in rills in 1983 generally recorded deposition as the rills became rounded, filled and indistinct by 1992, indicating a continued shift in process dominance to rainsplash, frost action and bioturbation. Recovering plants, where present, also slowed erosion. However, in the second and third decades even unvegetated hillslopes ceased recording net measurable erosion; physical processes had stabilized surfaces from sheetwash and rill erosion in the first few years, and they appear to have later stabilized surfaces against rainsplash erosion in the following few decades. Comparison of erosion rates with suspended sediment flux indicates that within about 6 years post‐eruption, suspended sediment yield from tephra‐covered slopes was indistinguishable from that in forested basins. Thirty years after its deposition, on moderate and gentle hillslopes, most tephra remained; in well‐vegetated areas, plant litter accumulated and soil developed, and where the surface remained barren, bioturbation and rainsplash redistributed and mixed tephra. These findings extend our understanding from shorter‐term studies of the evolution of erosion processes on freshly created substrate, confirm earlier predictions about temporal changes to tephra erosion following eruptions, and provide insight into the conditions under which tephra layers are preserved. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Palmitic‐Acid‐Based Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents for the Extraction of Lower Alcohols from Aqueous Media: Liquid–Liquid Equilibria Measurements, Validation and Process Economics
Authors: Verma Rupesh , Banerjee Tamal
Published: July 2019

A new, natural, hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (NADES) based on DL‐menthol and palmitic acid is adopted for the extraction of alcohols from aqueous phase. DL‐menthol is used as a hydrogen bond acceptor and palmitic acid, being a natural organic acid, as a hydrogen bond donor. The synthesis is carried out by the addition of DL‐menthol and palmitic acid in a defined molar ratio. Physical properties of NADES along with water stability are then measured. Liquid–liquid equilibria (LLE) of lower alcohols, namely, DES (1) + lower alcohols (ethanol/1‐propanol/1‐butanol) (2) + water (3) are carried out at p = 1 atm and T = 298.15 K. LLE results show type‐I phase behavior, where alcohol is preferentially attracted toward DES. The tie lines are then regressed via nonrandom two liquid and universal quasichemical models, which give root mean square deviation (RMSD) in the range of 0.29–0.35% and 0.39–0.75%, respectively. Finally, the quantum‐chemical‐based conductor‐like screening model‐segment activity coefficient is used to predict the tie lines, which gives an RMSD of 2.1–5.2%. A hybrid extractive distillation flowsheet is then used for scale up, process economics, and solvent recovery aspects in ASPEN using DES as a “pseudocomponent.”
Late Neoarchean magmatic record of the Jiamusi–Khanka Block, Northeast China: New clues from amphibolite zircon U–Pb geochronology and Lu–Hf isotopes
Authors: Han Shijiong , Yang Yanchen , Bo Junwei , Zhang Guobin , Khomich Vadim G. , Huang Yongwei , Yang Yunbao , Wang Xueyang
Published: July 2019

Precambrian microcontinents represent key tectonic units in the accretionary collages of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (ECAOB), and possess a wealth of information about the geological evolution. Here, we describe newly discovered late Neoarchean amphibolite of the Huangsong Group collected from drillhole ZK4301 at the Sishanlinchang gold mining area in the Jiamusi–Khanka Block. LA–ICP–MS U–Pb dating for zircons from the amphibolite yields a weighted‐mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 2539 ± 4 Ma, which can be referred to as its protolithic age. Zircons in the 2.54‐Ga amphibolite show high and positive εHf(t) values ranging from +4.2 to +6.8 and single‐stage Hf model ages (TDM1) of 2.60 to 2.68 Ga, suggesting that a depleted mantle source might have been metasomatized by fluids/melts from subducted crustal materials. The amphibolite displays low SiO2 and alkalis, and high TFe2O3 and Mg# (0.50–0.52), and is classified as a subalkaline series, medium‐ to high‐K calc‐alkaline basaltic rock. Our geochemical and geochronological data reveal that a late Archean tectono‐magmatic event is preserved in the Jiamusi–Khanka Block, providing robust evidence for the existence of an Early Precambrian basement. The 2.54‐Ga basaltic magmatism likely took place in an active continental margin/island arc setting.
The geochemistry of Au–Ag minerals and base‐metal sulphides as indicators for gold precipitation: Case study of the Shihu gold deposit, central North China Craton
Authors: Zeng Yong‐Jie , Li Lin , Li Sheng‐Rong , Santosh M. , Alam Masroor
Published: July 2019

The Shihu quartz vein‐type gold deposit, the largest gold deposit in the central North China Craton, occurs within wall rocks of Neoarchean TTG (tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite) gneiss and shows a close relationship with the early Cretaceous Mapeng granitoid pluton and various intermediate–mafic dykes. The occurrence, morphology, composition, and precipitation mechanism of the Au–Ag minerals are short of research, which is the purpose of this study. The primary mineral assemblage of orebody contains quartz, calcite, and base‐metal sulphides including pyrite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and minor pyrrhotite and enargite. The Au–Ag minerals can be classified into three distinct types, namely, (a) quartz‐hosted, (b) pyrite‐hosted, and (c) base‐metal sulphidehosted, corresponding to formation sequence. Electron microprobe analysis indicates that these Au–Ag minerals show fineness (=Au/[Au + Ag] × 1,000) ranging from 976 to 366 with an average of 667 and are rich in Bi, Te, and Hg while deficient of Cu, As, and Se. Bismuth and tellurium in the Au–Ag minerals show a linear relationship with Au, whereas in the coexisted sulphides are almost below detection limits. We suggest that Bi and Te fundamentally influenced the transportation, enrichment, and precipitation of gold as scavengers to concentrate and deposit gold at the location with an “appropriate distance” from magma. Phase analyses of native bismuth and Bi–Te minerals included in pyrite, reported for the first time in Shihu Gold deposit, imply that the gold precipitation witnessed the ore‐forming fluid evolution with log fTe2 decreasing from approximately −11 to approximately −15 and log fS2 increasing from approximately −13 to more than −11. Mineralogical mapping with the fineness of Au–Ag minerals (fineness contours) suggest that the ore‐forming fluids came from the deep earth beneath the north of the mining area with excellent gold potential, which has been verified by later drilling.
Comparison of hypocalcemia rates between LigaSure and clamp‐and‐tie hemostatic technique in total thyroidectomies
Authors: Chiang Feng‐Yu , Lee Kang Dae , Tae Kyung , Tufano Ralph P. , Wu Che‐Wei , Lu I‐Cheng , Chang Pi‐Ying , Lin Yi‐Chu , Huang Tzu‐Yen
Published: July 2019

Background

Postoperative hypocalcemia (PH) is a serious complication after total thyroidectomy. This study aimed to compare PH rates between LigaSure Small Jaw (LSJ) and clamp‐and‐tie hemostatic technique in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy.

Methods

Four hundred twenty patients were divided into two groups: group L (210 patients) performed with LSJ and group C (210 patients) with clamp‐and‐tie technique. Serum ionized calcium (iCa) was measured before and 12, 24, 48, 72 hours after surgery. PH was defined as iCa lower than 4.2 mg/dL in at least two measurements.

Results

There was no significant difference between groups in sex, age, extent of surgery, pathology, and the strategy of intraoperative management of parathyroid glands (PG). The PH rate was significantly lower in group L compared to group C (22.9% vs 32.4%, P = .03).

Conclusions

Compared to clamp‐and‐tie technique, LigaSure is superior to decrease PH rate after total thyroidectomy.