bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous FPI and TMA Measurements of the Lower Thermospheric Wind in the Vicinity of the Poleward Expanding Aurora After Substorm Onset
Authors: Oyama Shin‐ichiro , Kubota Ken , Morinaga Takatoshi , Tsuda Takuo T. , Kurihara Junichi , Larsen Miguel F. , Yamamoto Masayuki , Cai Lei
Published: October 2017

Lower thermospheric wind fluctuations in the vicinity of an auroral arc immediately before and after a substorm onset were examined by analyzing data from a ground‐based green line Fabry‐Perot interferometer (FPI; optical wavelength of 557.7 nm) at Tromsø, Norway, and in situ measurements from a trimethyl aluminum (TMA) trail released from a sounding rocket launched during the Dynamics and Energetics of the Lower Thermosphere in Aurora 2 (DELTA‐2) campaign on 26 January 2009. Soon after the rocket launch but before disappearance of the TMA trail, a substorm onset occurred. The DELTA‐2 TMA experiment appears to be the first case in which the substorm onset occurred during the TMA wind measurement. It is known that energy dissipation induced by the ionospheric closure current is compacted at the poleward side of the discrete arc in the ionospheric morning cell. Both FPI and TMA measurements were made at the poleward side, but the FPI measured winds nearer to the poleward edge of the arc than the TMA by 110–130 km. The FPI winds at distance of 53–74 km relative to the arc edge showed clear fluctuations immediately after the substorm onset, but there was no obvious similar fluctuation in the TMA‐measured winds. The difference in the response at the two locations suggests that energy dissipation sufficient to be detected as the FPI/TMA wind perturbations was confined to the area from the poleward edge of the arc to a relative distance shorter than 163–203 km but longer than 53–74 km in this event.
Aseismic Motions Drive a Sparse Seismicity During Fluid Injections Into a Fractured Zone in a Carbonate Reservoir
Authors: Duboeuf Laure , De Barros Louis , Cappa Frédéric , Guglielmi Yves , Deschamps Anne , Seguy Simon
Published: October 2017

An increase in fluid pressure in faults can trigger seismicity and large aseismic motions. Understanding how fluid and faults interact is an essential goal for seismic hazard and reservoir monitoring, but this key relation remains unclear. We developed an in situ experiment of fluid injections at a 10 meter scale. Water was injected at high pressure in different geological structures inside a fault damaged zone, in limestone at 280 m depth in the Low Noise Underground Laboratory (France). Induced seismicity, as well as strains, pressure, and flow rate, was continuously monitored during the injections. Although nonreversible deformations related to fracture reactivations were observed for all injections, only a few tests generated seismicity. Events are characterized by a 0.5‐to‐4 kHz content and a small magnitude (approximately −3.5). They are located within 1.5 m accuracy between 1 and 12 m from the injections. Comparing strain measurements and seismicity shows that more than 96% of the deformation is aseismic. The seismic moment is also small compared to the one expected from the injected volume. Moreover, a dual seismic behavior is observed as (1) the spatiotemporal distribution of some cluster of events is clearly independent from the fluid diffusion (2) while a diffusion‐type pattern can be observed for some others clusters. The seismicity might therefore appear as an indirect effect to the fluid pressure, driven by aseismic motion and related stress perturbation transferred through failure.
Estimating Particulate Inorganic Carbon Concentrations of the Global Ocean From Ocean Color Measurements Using a Reflectance Difference Approach
Authors: Mitchell C. , Hu C. , Bowler B. , Drapeau D. , Balch W. M.
Published: October 2017

A new algorithm for estimating particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) concentrations from ocean color measurements is presented. PIC plays an important role in the global carbon cycle through the oceanic carbonate pump, therefore accurate estimations of PIC concentrations from satellite remote sensing are crucial for observing changes on a global scale. An extensive global data set was created from field and satellite observations for investigating the relationship between PIC concentrations and differences in the remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) at green, red, and near‐infrared (NIR) wavebands. Three color indices were defined: two as the relative height of Rrs(667) above a baseline running between Rrs(547) and an Rrs in the NIR (either 748 or 869 nm), and one as the difference between Rrs(547) and Rrs(667). All three color indices were found to explain over 90% of the variance in field‐measured PIC. But, due to the lack of availability of Rrs(NIR) in the standard ocean color data products, most of the further analysis presented here was done using the color index determined from only two bands. The new two‐band color index algorithm was found to retrieve PIC concentrations more accurately than the current standard algorithm used in generating global PIC data products. Application of the new algorithm to satellite imagery showed patterns on the global scale as revealed from field measurements. The new algorithm was more resistant to atmospheric correction errors and residual errors in sun glint corrections, as seen by a reduction in the speckling and patchiness in the satellite‐derived PIC images.
Characterization of Particle Backscattering of Global Highly Turbid Waters From VIIRS Ocean Color Observations
Authors: Shi Wei , Wang Menghua
Published: October 2017

Normalized water‐leaving radiance spectra nLw(λ) at the near‐infrared (NIR) from five years of observations (2012–2016) with the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar‐orbiting Partnership (SNPP) are used to derive the particle backscattering coefficients bbp(λ) for global highly turbid coastal and inland waters. Based on the fact that the absorption coefficient of sea water aw(λ) is generally much larger than those of the other constituents aiop(λ) at the NIR wavelengths in coastal and inland waters, an NIR‐based bbp(λ) algorithm for turbid coastal and inland waters has been developed and used in this study. This algorithm can be safely used for highly turbid waters with nLw(745) and nLw(862) < ∼6 and ∼4 mW cm−2 μm−1 sr−1, respectively. Seasonal and interannual variations of bbp(λ) in China's east coastal region, the Amazon River Estuary, the La Plata River Estuary, the Meghna River Estuary, the Atchafalaya River Estuary, and Lake Taihu are characterized and quantified. The coefficient bbp(λ) can reach over ∼3–4 m−1 in the Amazon River Estuary and China's east coastal region. The Amazon River Estuary is identified as the most turbid region in the global ocean in terms of bbp(λ) magnitude. bbp(λ) spectra in these five highly turbid regions are also seasonal‐dependent and regional‐dependent. In the highly turbid waters of China's east coastal region and the Amazon River Estuary, bbp(λ) generally increases in wavelength from 410 to 862 nm, while it decreases in the La Plata River Estuary and Atchafalaya River Estuary. This is attributed to the different particle size distributions in these waters. The geophysical implication of the bbp(λ) spectral curvatures for different waters is discussed. To improve global bbp(λ) for both open oceans and coastal turbid waters, a new combined NIR‐based and Quasi‐Analytical Algorithm (QAA)‐based bbp(λ) algorithm is proposed and demonstrated.
Surface Wave Dynamics in Delaware Bay and Its Adjacent Coastal Shelf
Authors: Kukulka Tobias , Jenkins Robert L. , Kirby James T. , Shi Fengyan , Scarborough Robert W.
Published: October 2017

This study presents a broad overview of surface gravity wave dynamics in Delaware Bay and the adjacent continental shelf by employing the wave model Simulating Waves Nearshore one‐way coupled to the ocean model Regional Ocean Modeling System for a period from 2006 to 2012. The distributions of simulated wave statistics agree well with observations obtained from three wave buoys located on the shelf, in the bay near the open ocean, and about 35 km up the bay. A partitioning analysis to separate the two‐dimensional wave height spectrum into wind‐forced and swell parts reveals that waves on the shelf are predominantly remotely generated swell. Bathymetric refraction shelters the bay from energetic open ocean waves, which is supported by an idealized ray tracing analysis. Waves near the bay entrance are also refracted by oblique tidal currents, whose refraction characteristics critically depend on the detailed spatial distributions of the currents. Opposing tidal currents, flowing against the wave propagation direction, focus wave energy outside the bay entrance and in the deeper bay channels, where currents are relatively strong. A spectral partitioning analysis for waves in the bay indicates that less energetic wave fields are likely not directly forced by the wind. More energetic waves, on the other hand, are dominantly driven by winds and the wave response in the bay depends on the fetch‐setting wind direction. Our results for wind‐driven waves in the bay are consistent with previous fetch‐limited observations, but we find a systematic bias between wind and wave directions due to bathymetric refraction.
Large Uncertainties in Urban‐Scale Carbon Emissions
Authors: Gately C. K. , Hutyra L. R.
Published: October 2017

Accurate estimates of fossil fuel carbon dioxide (FFCO2) emissions are a critical component of local, regional, and global climate agreements. Current global inventories of FFCO2 emissions do not directly quantify emissions at local scales; instead, spatial proxies like population density, nighttime lights, and power plant databases are used to downscale emissions from national totals. We have developed a high‐resolution (hourly, 1 km2) bottom‐up Anthropogenic Carbon Emissions System (ACES) for FFCO2, based on local activity data for the year 2011 across the northeastern U.S. We compare ACES with three widely used global inventories, finding significant differences at regional (20%) and city scales (50–250%). At a spatial resolution of 0.1°, inventories differ by over 100% for half of the grid cells in the domain, with the largest differences in urban areas and oil and gas production regions. Given recent U.S. federal policy pull backs regarding greenhouse gas emissions reductions, inventories like ACES are crucial for U.S. actions, as the impetus for climate leadership has shifted to city and state governments. The development of a robust carbon monitoring system to track carbon fluxes is critical for emissions benchmarking and verification. We show that existing downscaled inventories are not suitable for urban emissions monitoring, as they do not consider important local activity patterns. The ACES methodology is designed for easy updating, making it suitable for emissions monitoring under most city, regional, and state greenhouse gas mitigation initiatives, in particular, for the small‐ and medium‐sized cities that lack the resources to regularly perform their own bottom‐up emissions inventories.
Nitrogen Losses in Sediments of the East China Sea: Spatiotemporal Variations, Controlling Factors, and Environmental Implications
Authors: Lin Xianbiao , Liu Min , Hou Lijun , Gao Dengzhou , Li Xiaofei , Lu Kaijun , Gao Juan
Published: October 2017

Global reactive nitrogen (N) has increased dramatically in coastal marine ecosystems over the past decades and caused numerous eco‐environmental problems. Coastal marine sediment plays a critical role in N losses via denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) and release of nitrous oxide (N2O). However, both the magnitude and contributions of denitrification, anammox, and N2O production in sediments still remain unclear, causing uncertainty in defining the N budget for coastal marine ecosystems. Here potential rates of N losses, and their contributions and controlling factors, were investigated in surface sediments during six cruises from 429 sites of the East China Sea. The potential rates of denitrification, anammox, and N2O production varied both spatially and seasonally, but the contribution of anammmox to total N2 production (%anammox) and N2O:N2 ratio only varied spatially. Both organic carbon and nitrate (NO3−) were important factors controlling N losses, N2O:N2 ratio, and %anammox. Our results also showed that marine organic carbon induced by eutrophication plays an important role in stimulating reactive N removal and increasing N2O production in warm seasons. The sediment N loss caused by denitrification, anammox, and N2O production in the study area were estimated at 2.2 × 106 t N yr−1, 4.6 × 105 t N yr−1, and 8 × 103 t N yr−1, respectively. Although sediments remove large quantities of reactive N, they act as an important source of N2O in this region influenced by NO3−‐laden rivers.
Improved Winter European Atmospheric Blocking Frequencies in High‐Resolution Global Climate Simulations
Authors: Davini P. , Corti S. , D'Andrea F. , Rivière G. , von Hardenberg J.
Published: October 2017

The numerical simulation of atmospheric blocking, in particular over the Euro‐Atlantic region, still represents a main concern for the climate modeling community. We discuss the Northern Hemisphere winter atmospheric blocking representation in a set of 30 year atmosphere‐only simulations using the EC‐Earth Earth System Model with several ensemble members at five different horizontal resolutions (from 125 to 16 km). Results show that the negative bias in blocking frequency over Europe becomes negligible at resolutions of about 40 and 25 km. A combined effect by the more resolved orography and by a change in tropical precipitation is identified as the source of an upper tropospheric planetary wave. At the same time, a weakening of the meridional temperature gradient reduces the upper level baroclinicity and the zonal mean winds. Following these changes, in the high‐resolution configurations the Atlantic eddy‐driven jet stream is weakened favoring the breaking of synoptic Rossby waves over the Atlantic ridge and thus increasing the simulated European blocking frequency. However, at high‐resolution the Atlantic jet stream is too weak and the blocking duration is still underestimated. This suggests that the optimal blocking frequencies are achieved through compensation of errors between eddies found at upper levels (too strong) and eddies at lower levels (too weak). This also implies that eddies are not necessarily better represented at higher resolutions.
Multiple Household Water Sources and Their Use in Remote Communities With Evidence From Pacific Island Countries
Authors: Elliott Mark , MacDonald Morgan C. , Chan Terence , Kearton Annika , Shields Katherine F. , Bartram Jamie K. , Hadwen Wade L.
Published: October 2017

Global water research and monitoring typically focus on the household's “main source of drinking‐water.” Use of multiple water sources to meet daily household needs has been noted in many developing countries but rarely quantified or reported in detail. We gathered self‐reported data using a cross‐sectional survey of 405 households in eight communities of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and five Solomon Islands (SI) communities. Over 90% of households used multiple sources, with differences in sources and uses between wet and dry seasons. Most RMI households had large rainwater tanks and rationed stored rainwater for drinking throughout the dry season, whereas most SI households collected rainwater in small pots, precluding storage across seasons. Use of a source for cooking was strongly positively correlated with use for drinking, whereas use for cooking was negatively correlated or uncorrelated with nonconsumptive uses (e.g., bathing). Dry season water uses implied greater risk of water‐borne disease, with fewer (frequently zero) handwashing sources reported and more unimproved sources consumed. Use of multiple sources is fundamental to household water management and feasible to monitor using electronic survey tools. We contend that recognizing multiple water sources can greatly improve understanding of household‐level and community‐level climate change resilience, that use of multiple sources confounds health impact studies of water interventions, and that incorporating multiple sources into water supply interventions can yield heretofore‐unrealized benefits. We propose that failure to consider multiple sources undermines the design and effectiveness of global water monitoring, data interpretation, implementation, policy, and research.
Functional Topology of Evolving Urban Drainage Networks
Authors: Yang Soohyun , Paik Kyungrock , McGrath Gavan S. , Urich Christian , Krueger Elisabeth , Kumar Praveen , Rao P. Suresh C.
Published: October 2017

We investigated the scaling and topology of engineered urban drainage networks (UDNs) in two cities, and further examined UDN evolution over decades. UDN scaling was analyzed using two power law scaling characteristics widely employed for river networks: (1) Hack's law of length (L)‐area (A) [
] and (2) exceedance probability distribution of upstream contributing area (δ) [
]. For the smallest UDNs (<2 km2), length‐area scales linearly (h ∼ 1), but power law scaling (h ∼ 0.6) emerges as the UDNs grow. While
plots for river networks are abruptly truncated, those for UDNs display exponential tempering [
]. The tempering parameter c decreases as the UDNs grow, implying that the distribution evolves in time to resemble those for river networks. However, the power law exponent ɛ for large UDNs tends to be greater than the range reported for river networks. Differences in generative processes and engineering design constraints contribute to observed differences in the evolution of UDNs and river networks, including subnet heterogeneity and nonrandom branching.
Nine Hundred Years of Weekly Streamflows: Stochastic Downscaling of Ensemble Tree‐Ring Reconstructions
Authors: Sauchyn David , Ilich Nesa
Published: October 2017

We combined the methods and advantages of stochastic hydrology and paleohydrology to estimate 900 years of weekly flows for the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers at Edmonton and Medicine Hat, Alberta, respectively. Regression models of water‐year streamflow were constructed using historical naturalized flow data and a pool of 196 tree‐ring (earlywood, latewood, and annual) ring‐width chronologies from 76 sites. The tree‐ring models accounted for up to 80% of the interannual variability in historical naturalized flows. We developed a new algorithm for generating stochastic time series of weekly flows constrained by the statistical properties of both the historical record and proxy streamflow data, and by the necessary condition that weekly flows correlate between the end of a year and the start of the next. A second innovation, enabled by the density of our tree‐ring network, is to derive the paleohydrology from an ensemble of 100 statistically significant reconstructions at each gauge. Using paleoclimatic data to generate long series of weekly flow estimates augments the short historical record with an expanded range of hydrologic variability, including sequences of wet and dry years of greater length and severity. This unique hydrometric time series will enable evaluation of the reliability of current water supply and management systems given the range of hydroclimatic variability and extremes contained in the stochastic paleohydrology. It also could inform evaluation of the uncertainty in climate model projections, given that internal hydroclimatic variability is the dominant source of uncertainty.
The novel mitochondria localization of influenza A virus NS1 visualized by FlAsH labeling
Authors: Tsai Chuan‐Fu , Lin Hsin‐Yi , Hsu Wei‐Li , Tsai Ching‐Hsiu
Published: October 2017

The nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of the influenza A virus (IAV) is a multifunctional protein that counteracts host cell antiviral responses and inhibits host cell pre‐mRNA processing. NS1 contains two nuclear localization signals that facilitate NS1 shuttling between cytoplasm and nucleus. In this study, we initially observed the novel mitochondria localization of NS1 in a subset of transfected cells. We then further monitored the localization dynamics of the NS1 protein in live cells infected with IAV expressing NS1 with insertion of a tetracysteine‐tag. The resulting mutant virus showed similar levels of infectivity and expression pattern of NS1 to those of wild‐type IAV. Pulse labeling using a biarsenical compound (fluorescein arsenical hairpin binder) allowed us to visualize the dynamic subcellular distribution of NS1 real time. We detected NS1 in mitochondria at a very early infection time point [1.5 h postinfection (hpi)] and observed the formation of a granular structure pattern in the nucleus at 4 hpi. This is the first identification of the novel mitochondria localization of NS1. The possible role of NS1 at an early infection time point is discussed.
Adsorbed Eutectic GaIn Structures on a Neoprene Foam for Stretchable MRI Coils
Authors: Varga Matija , Mehmann Andreas , Marjanovic Josip , Reber Jonas , Vogt Christian , Pruessmann Klaas Paul , Tröster Gerhard
Published: October 2017

Stretchable conductors based on eutectic gallium–indium (eGaIn) alloy are patterned on a polychloroprene substrate (neoprene foam) using stencil printing. By tuning the amount of eGaIn on the neoprene substrate, different strain‐sensitivity of electrical resistance is achieved. Conductors with a layer of eGaIn, which adsorbs to the walls of 60–100 µm wide neoprene cells, change their electrical resistance for 5% at 100% strain. When the amount of eGaIn is increased, the cells are filled with eGaIn and the strain‐sensitivity of the electrical resistance rises to 300% at 100% strain. The developed conductors are patterned as stretchable on‐body coils for receiving magnetic signals in a clinical magnetic resonance imaging setup. First images with a stretchable coil are acquired on an orange and compared to the images that are recorded using a rigid copper coil of the same size.
Atomistic Origins of Ductility Enhancement in Metal Oxide Coated Silicon Nanowires for Li‐Ion Battery Anodes
Authors: Gao Anthony , Mukherjee Sankha , Srivastava Ijya , Daly Matthew , Singh Chandra Veer
Published: October 2017

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are a promising anode material for Li‐ion batteries due to their exceptionally high charge capacity. However, direct implementation is hindered by large volume expansion induced during lithiation, which results in mechanical failure during repeated charge cycling. Recent experimental works show thin metal oxide coatings can significantly increase the cycle stability of SiNWs. However, the deformation mechanisms underpinning this performance enhancement are not understood, presenting an opportunity for a fundamental investigation of core–shell mechanics. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations investigating the mechanical behavior of silica‐ and alumina‐coated SiNWs under uniaxial tension are performed. Metal oxide coated nanowires possess significantly improved ductility, increasing the elongation to failure from 16% to greater than 47%. This occurs without significant reduction in tensile strength, resulting in apparent toughness 2–4 times that of uncoated nanowires. During loading, the oxide coating absorbs strain energy through breaking of bonds between highly coordinated atoms. At the same time, the coating maintains the structural integrity of the silicon core by increasing the defect nucleation rate from the core‐coating interface, preventing localized deformation. Under both athermal (0 K) and room temperature conditions, the underlying deformation mechanism changes from amorphization within a localized shear band to dislocation twinning and large‐scale amorphization.
Arrays of ZnSe/MoSe2 Nanotubes with Electronic Modulation as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Wu Meihui , Huang Yanyan , Cheng Xialan , Geng Xiangshun , Tang Qiong , You Yu , Yu Yongqiang , Zhou Ru , Xu Jun
Published: October 2017

Few‐layered MoSe2 nanosheets have great promise as a low‐cost alternative to noble Pt‐based electrocatalysts for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this work, arrays of ZnSe/MoSe2 nanotubes on fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates are synthesized and employed as an efficient binder‐free HER electrocatalyst for the first time. The hybrid ZnSe/MoSe2 nanotubes have thicknesses of 3–20 nm. The growth of ZnSe layer is attributed to ion exchange with ZnO nanorods while the formation of MoSe2 layer is resulted from chemical bath deposition. Compared with the bare MoSe2 electrocatalyst, the hybrid ZnSe/MoSe2 nanotube electrocatalyst exhibits striking kinetic metrics with a small Tafel slope (73 mV per decade) and a low onset potential (68 mV). Beside benefits from the nanoarray structure as binder‐free electrode as well as interlayer expansion of layered MoSe2, electron transfer from n‐type ZnSe to MoSe2 induced by alignment of energy levels at heterointerface contributes to fast electron transport and active electrocatalytic behavior of MoSe2 at the electrocatalyst–electrolyte interface, which is responsible for the significant improvement in HER performance. This work opens up a new door for developing high‐performance HER electrocatalysts by designing semiconductor heterojunction.
Development and Demonstration of Air Stable rGO‐EC@AB5 Type Hydrogenated Intermetallic Hybrid for Hydrogen Fuelled Devices
Authors: Bhatnagar Ashish , Gupta Bipin Kumar , Tripathi Prashant , Veziroglu Ayfer , Hudson Michael Sterlin Leo , Shaz Mohammad Abu , Srivastava Onkar Nath
Published: October 2017

Hydrogen is a promising alternative energy vector, but its use at an appropriate site requires storage, which is a crucial aspect. Hydrogen storage (HS) in the form of metal hydrides represents an attractive possibility, and is being investigated worldwide. La(Ni0.95Fe0.05)5 (LNF) has achieved significant attention as a HS media due to its suitable thermodynamics. However, its use as an effective storage material is hindered due to burning of hydrogenated LNF (LNFH) on exposure to air. The pristine LNFH catches fire rapidly on exposure to atmosphere. Here, a breakthrough strategy is demonstrated for design of hydrogenated air‐stabilized hybrid material by encapsulating LNF inside reduced graphene oxide‐ethyl cellulose. This novel hybrid material does not ignite upon exposure to air. This proposed hybrid material could be the ultimate choice for air‐stable and safe storage for fuel cell/internal combustion engine‐based vehicles. Further, the effectiveness of this hydrogen storage material is demonstrated for fuel cells.
Enhanced Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells by using Core–Ultrathin Shell Structure Ag@SiO2 Nanowires as Plasmonic Antennas
Authors: Wang Yang , Zhou Xue , Liang Chao , Li Pengwei , Hu Xiaotian , Cai Qingbin , Zhang Yiqiang , Li Fengyu , Li Mingzhu , Song Yanlin
Published: October 2017

The structural advantages and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of Ag@SiO2 nanowires when used as plasmonic antennas possess the features of fast electron transmission by 1D metal nanomaterials, high light harvesting, and electron–hole separation through the LSPR effect. By optimizing the concentration of Ag@SiO2 nanowires (0.06 wt%) in the active layer of a device, high power conversion efficiency of 18.03% and a negligible photocurrent hysteresis are obtained.
High‐Efficiency Low‐Temperature ZnO Based Perovskite Solar Cells Based on Highly Polar, Nonwetting Self‐Assembled Molecular Layers
Authors: Azmi Randi , Hadmojo Wisnu Tantyo , Sinaga Septy , Lee Chang‐Lyoul , Yoon Sung Cheol , Jung In Hwan , Jang Sung‐Yeon
Published: October 2017

Herein, this study reports high‐efficiency, low‐temperature ZnO based planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with state‐of‐the‐art performance. They are achieved via a strategy that combines dual‐functional self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) modification of ZnO electron accepting layers (EALs) with sequential deposition of perovskite active layers. The SAMs, constructed from newly synthesized molecules with high dipole moments, act both as excellent surface wetting control layers and as electric dipole layers for ZnO‐EALs. The insertion of SAMs improves the quality of PbI2 layers and final perovskite layers during sequential deposition, while charge extraction is enhanced via electric dipole effects. Leveraged by SAM modification, our low‐temperature ZnO based PSCs achieve an unprecedentedly high power conversion efficiency of 18.82% with a VOC of 1.13 V, a JSC of 21.72 mA cm−2, and a FF of 0.76. The strategy used in this study can be further developed to produce additional performance enhancements or fabrication temperature reductions.
p‐Type CuI Islands on TiO2 Electron Transport Layer for a Highly Efficient Planar‐Perovskite Solar Cell with Negligible Hysteresis
Authors: Byranvand Mahdi Malekshahi , Kim Taewan , Song Seulki , Kang Gyeongho , Ryu Seung Un , Park Taiho
Published: October 2017

Compact TiO2 is widely used as an electron transport material in planar‐perovskite solar cells. However, TiO2‐based planar‐perovskite solar cells exhibit low efficiencies due to intrinsic problems such as the unsuitable conduction band energy and low electron extraction ability of TiO2. Herein, the planar TiO2 electron transport layer (ETL) of perovskite solar cells is modified with ionic salt CuI via a simple one‐step spin‐coating process. The p‐type nature of the CuI islands on the TiO2 surface leads to modification of the TiO2 band alignment, resulting in barrier‐free contacts and increased open‐circuit voltage. It is found that the polarity of the CuI‐modified TiO2 surface can pull electrons to the interface between the perovskite and the TiO2, which improves electron extraction and reduces nonradiative recombination. The CuI solution concentration is varied to control the electron extraction of the modified TiO2 ETL, and the optimized device shows a high efficiency of 19.0%. In addition, the optimized device shows negligible hysteresis, which is believed to be due to the removal of trap sites and effective electron extraction by CuI‐modified TiO2. These results demonstrate the hitherto unknown effect of p‐type ionic salts on electron transport material.
Chemical hydrodynamics of a downward microbubble flow for intensification of gas‐fed bioreactors
Authors: Ansari Manizheh , Turney Damon E. , Yakobov Roman , Kalaga Dinesh V. , Kleinbart Simon , Banerjee Sanjoy , Joshi Jyeshtharaj B.
Published: October 2017

Bioreactors are of interest for value‐upgrading of stranded or waste industrial gases. Reactor intensification requires development of low cost bioreactors with fast gas–liquid mass transfer rate. Here we assess published reactor technology in comparison with a novel downward bubble flow created by a micro‐jet array. Compared to known technology, the advanced design achieves higher volumetric gas transfer efficiency (kLa per power density) and can operate at higher kLa. We measure the effect of four reactor heights (height‐to‐diameter ratios of 12, 9, 6, and 3) on the gas transfer coefficient kL, total interfacial area a, liquid residence time distribution, energy consumption, and turbulent hydrodynamics. Leading models for predicting kL and a are appraised with experimental data. The results show kL is governed by “entrance effects” due to Higbie penetration dominate at short distances below the micro‐jet array, while turbulence dominates at intermediate distances, and finally terminal rise velocity dominates at large distances. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 1399–1411, 2018
Low Reynolds number isotope transient kinetic modeling in isothermal differential tubular catalytic reactors
Authors: Otarod Masood , Supkowski Ronald M.
Published: October 2017

A novel method is presented for modeling steady state isotope transient kinetics of heterogeneous catalytic reactions when the flow regime is laminar and conversion is differential. It is based on a factorization theorem which is deduced from the observation that transport functions fluctuate radially in porous beds. Factorization separates the radial from axial and temporal coordinates of the flow rate and concentration functions. It is shown that in transient tracing with a differential conversion, the radial components of the transport functions in the material conservation equations can be integrated into constant parameters to be determined from experimental data. The method is in particular useful as the knowledge of the radial profile of velocity and other transport functions and parameters are not prerequisites for data correlation. The methodology was successfully applied to the adsorption of carbon monoxide in Boudouard reaction on an alumina supported palladium catalyst. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 1317–1329, 2018
Inside‐Out: Representational Ethics and Diverse Communities
Authors: Haarlammert Miryam , Birman Dina , Oberoi Ashmeet , Moore Wendy Jordana
Published: October 2017

The purpose of this paper is to write about insights and special considerations for researchers who are, to some degree, “insiders” to the communities they study by expanding on the concept of representational ethics as applied to research in community psychology with diverse and marginalized groups. Representational ethics refers to the ways that researchers, artists, or corporations represent the identities of the people they portray in their communications. As community psychologists we generate and disseminate knowledge about the communities we work with, and in that process, create narratives about the people who participate in our studies. In preparing a report on psychological issues among Evangelical Christian refugees from the former Soviet Union, Dina Birman struggled with her portrayal of this group and her own status of being both an insider and an outsider to this community. When investigating academic aspirations and psychological distress among Muslim high school students, Ashmeet Oberoi was forced to acknowledge the one‐sidedness of the discourse on autonomy and cultural socialization of Muslim adolescents. In her research with Cuban‐educated doctors in Miami, Florida, Wendy Moore encountered similar issues as she considered how to represent gender dynamics among her participants.
Unmanned aerial vehicles in construction and worker safety
Authors: Howard John , Murashov Vladimir , Branche Christine M.
Published: October 2017

Applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military, recreational, public, and commercial uses have expanded significantly in recent years. In the construction industry, UAVs are used primarily for monitoring of construction workflow and job site logistics, inspecting construction sites to assess structural integrity, and for maintenance assessments. As is the case with other emerging technologies, occupational safety assessments of UAVs lag behind technological advancements. UAVs may create new workplace hazards that need to be evaluated and managed to ensure their safe operation around human workers. At the same time, UAVs can perform dangerous tasks, thereby improving workplace safety. This paper describes the four major uses of UAVs, including their use in construction, the potential risks of their use to workers, approaches for risk mitigation, and the important role that safety and health professionals can play in ensuring safe approaches to the their use in the workplace.
Holographical Aspects of Dyonic Black Holes: Massive Gravity Generalization
Authors: Hendi S. H. , Riazi N. , Panahiyan S.
Published: October 2017

The content of this paper includes studying holographical and thermodynamical aspects of dyonic black holes in the presence of massive gravity. For the first part of paper, thermodynamical properties of the bulk which includes black holes are studied and the main focus is on critical behavior. It will be shown that the existence of massive gravitons introduces remnant for temperature after evaporation of black holes, van der Waals phase transition for non‐spherical black holes and etc. The consistency of different thermodynamical approaches toward critical behavior of the black holes is presented and the physical properties near the region of thermal instability are given. Next part of the paper studies holographical aspects of the boundary theory. Magnetization and susceptibility of the boundary are extracted and the conditions for having diamagnetic and paramagnetic behaviors are investigated. It will be shown that generalization to massive gravity results into the existence of diamagnetic/paramagnetic phases in phase structure of the hyperbolic and horizon flat of boundary conformal field theory.
Anisotrope Hydrogele – Synthese und Anwendungen
Authors: Sano Koki , Ishida Yasuhiro , Aida Takuzo
Published: October 2017

Hydrogele gelten wegen ihrer wasserreichen Strukturen, die denjenigen von biologischen Geweben ähneln, seit langem als vielversprechende Trägermaterialien für künstliche Gewebe und Organe. Allerdings unterscheiden sich die meisten synthetischen Hydrogele hinsichtlich der strukturellen Anisotropie erheblich von biologischen Systemen. Synthetische Hydrogele sind üblicherweise aus zufällig ausgerichteten, dreidimensionalen Polymernetzwerken zusammengesetzt. Demgegenüber nehmen biologische Systeme anisotrope Strukturen mit hierarchisch strukturierten Baueinheiten an. Solche anisotropen Strukturen spielen bei biologischen Systemen oft eine entscheidende Rolle für die Ausübung bestimmter Funktionen. In diesem Zusammenhang eröffnen anisotrope Hydrogele einen Zugang zur Erforschung biomimetischer Hydrogelanwendungen. In letzter Zeit haben Untersuchungen anisotroper Hydrogele zugenommen. Dieser Kurzaufsatz beleuchtet die Anwendung und die Perspektiven dieser anisotropen Hydrogele unter besonderer Berücksichtigung ihrer Herstellung und Strukturen.
A Decatwistacene with an Overall 170° Torsion
Authors: Fan Wei , Winands Thorsten , Doltsinis Nikos L. , Li Yan , Wang Zhaohui
Published: October 2017

Two different lengths of twistacenes, namely hexatwistacene and decatwistacene, induced by steric hindrance between imide groups and neighboring annulated benzene rings, were synthesized by bottom‐up synthesis of palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki cross‐coupling and C−H activation. Single‐crystal X‐ray analyses revealed that decatwistacene, which is the longest twistacene reported, exhibits an astonishing overall end‐to‐end torsion angle of about 170°, the largest torsion angle reported. Both twistacenes have an enhanced solubility and stability with respect to light and oxygen owing to their large twisting deformations together with much lower LUMO levels caused by the introduction of imide groups, opening a window to the narrowest chiral graphene nanoribbons with good stability and processability.
Synthesis and characterization of sodium polyaspartate‐functionalized silica‐coated magnetite nanoparticles: A heterogeneous, reusable and magnetically separable catalyst for the solvent‐free synthesis of 2‐amino‐4H‐chromene derivatives
Authors: Mobinikhaledi Akbar , Moghanian Hassan , Ghanbari Masoumeh
Published: October 2017

An efficient and facile method was used for the synthesis of sodium polyaspartate‐functionalized silica‐coated magnetite nanoparticles. The structure of this nanoparticle was characterized by scanning electron microscopies, X‐ray diffraction, energy‐dispersive X‐ray, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies and vibrating sample magnetometry. Then, this compound was used as a reusable heterogeneous catalyst for green synthesis of 2‐amino‐4H‐chromene derivatives via one‐pot three‐component reactions. This novel material showed great catalytic performance and the reactions which were carried out by this catalyst showed good to excellent yields. Besides, the catalyst could easily be separated from the reaction mixture by using an external magnetic field and it was stable enough to reuse several times without any significant reduction in the yield of reactions. Eco‐friendliness, high purity of the desired products, short reaction time and easy workup procedure can be mentioned as the other advantages of this method.
Effects of medium phases on the thermal degradation of hydrogenated nitrile rubber O‐rings under compression
Authors: Lou Weitao , Zhang Weifang , Liu Xuerong , Lou Taishan , Xu Dan
Published: October 2017

The degradation of hydrogenated nitrile rubber O‐rings under exposure to either air or hydraulic oil under compression were investigated at elevated temperatures. The physical and chemical changes of the samples aged for various durations were studied by measuring the weight, compression set, tensile strength, elongation at break, crosslinking density, fracture morphology, and attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopy. The results indicate that the weight decreased with exposure time and temperature and that weight loss was greater in oil. Crosslinking and chain scission both occurred during the aging process. The significant changes in the mechanical properties indicate that more severe degradation occurs in air. The fracture morphologies results show that the fracture surfaces aged in oil become rougher and have more defects. The ATR–FTIR results demonstrate that the hydroxyl groups were formed in air and oil, while carboxyl groups were only generated in air. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45864.
Knitting N‐doped Hierarchical Porous Polymers to Stabilize Ultra‐small Pd Nanoparticles for Solvent‐Free Catalysis
Authors: Sun Yan , Wang Tao , Li Ang , Zhang Ling , Huo Qisheng , Qiao Zhen‐An
Published: October 2017

Hierarchical porous polymers with more than one pore size distributions can effectively support noble metal catalysts and circumvent the limitation of the diffusion of the reactants, and thus exhibit both excellent catalytic activity and superior diffusive properties. Herein, we report a simple one‐step Friedel–Crafts reaction to knit a series of benzene heterocycle monomers, such as indane, indoline, indole and tetrahydronaphthalene to obtain hierarchical porous polymers with high surface areas and/or abundant N sites. These polymers can be directly used to immobilize Pd ions, and stabilize Pd nanoparticles during the thermal reduction process to obtain Pd/polymer catalysts. In particular, indoline‐ and indole‐based polymers with high N content up to 7 wt % exhibit outstanding ability to stabilize uniform ultrasmall Pd nanoparticles. The obtained Pd‐polymers exhibit excellent catalytic activity in the solvent‐free oxidation of benzyl alcohol with O2.
Neurexin gene family variants as risk factors for autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Wang Jia , Gong Jianhua , Li Li , Chen Yanlin , Liu Lingfei , Gu HuaiTing , Luo Xiu , Hou Fang , Zhang Jiajia , Song Ranran
Published: October 2017

Increasing evidence suggests that abnormal synaptic function leads to neuronal developmental disorders and is an important component of the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Neurexins are presynaptic cell‐adhesion molecules that affect the function of synapses and mediate the conduction of nerve signals. Thus, neurexins are attractive candidate genes for autism. Since gene families have greater power to reveal genetic association than single genes, we designed this case‐control study to investigate six genetic variants in three neurexin genes (NRXN1, NRXN2, and NRXN3) in a Chinese population including 529 ASD patients and 1,923 healthy controls. We found that two SNPs were significantly associated with ASD after false discovery rate (FDR) adjustment for multiple comparisons. The NRXN2 rs12273892 polymorphism T allele and AT genotype were significantly associated with increased risk of ASD (respectively: OR = 1.328, 95% CI = 1.133–1.557, P < 0.001; OR = 1.528; 95% CI = 1.249–1.868, P < 0.001). The dominant model showed the same association (OR = 1.495, 95% CI = 1.231–1.816, P < 0.001). The NRXN3 rs12879016 polymorphism played a significant role in ASD susceptibility under the dominant model (OR = 0.747, 95% CI= 0.615–0.908, P = 0.023), with the same trend detected for the G allele and GT genotype (respectively: OR = 0.811, 95% CI = 0.699–0.941, P = 0.036; OR = 0.755, 95% CI = 0.615–0.928, P = 0.035). In conclusion, this study supports the importance of two genetic variants in the neurexin gene family in ASD susceptibility in China. Autism Res 2018, 11: 37–43. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lay Summary

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is highly heritable, and studies have found a number of candidate genes that might contribute to ASD. Neurexins are presynaptic cell‐adhesion molecules that affect the function of synapses and mediate the conduction of nerve signals, and they play an important role in normal brain development and become candidate genes for autism. The purpose of our study is to explore the association between variants of the neurexins gene family and ASD in a Chinese population through a case‐control study.
Comparison of plasma pharmacokinetics of Tanreqing solution between intratracheal aerosolization and intravenous injection in rats
Authors: Li Cui , Liu Siyu , Luo Gan , Wang Guohua , Zhang Baoxian , Nie Qixia
Published: October 2017

A rapid ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of baicalin, oroxylin A‐7‐O‐β‐d‐glucoronide and chlorogenic acid in rats plasma, and applied to comparison of pharmacokinetics of Tanreqing solution between intratracheal aerosolization and intravenous injection. Results of the analytical method validation assay showed high sensitivity, accuracy and suitable recovery. Results of pharmacokinetics showed similar decline phases for baicalin, oroxylin A‐7‐O‐β‐d‐glucoronide and chlorogenic acid in two different delivery routes. The half‐lives of intratracheal aerosolization and intravenous injection were 0.90 and 1.22 h for baicalin, 0.47 and 0.17 h for oroxylin A‐7‐O‐β‐d‐glucoronide and 0.22 and 0.13 h for chlorogenic acid, and this implies that compounds were retained in the lung for a relatively short time. This study was the first to provide important pharmacokinetics information for traditional Chinese medicine delivery to the lung.
Chemical interaction between Lilium brownii and Rhizoma Anemarrhenae, the herbal constituents of Baihe Zhimu decoction, by liquid chromatography coupled to hybrid triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer
Authors: Yang Bo , Liu Zhirui , Wang Qian , Xia Peiyuan
Published: October 2017

During the course of decoction, the components of herbal formula interact with each other, such that chemical extraction characteristics are altered. The crude drugs, Lilium brownii (Baihe) and Rhizoma Anemarrhenae (Zhimu), are the herbal constituents of Baihe Zhimu decoction, a traditional herbal formula. To investigate the chemical interaction between Baihe and Zhimu when decocting together, eight marker components in Baihe Zhimu decoction were simultaneously characterized and quantified in one run by a hybrid triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer in the multiple reactions monitoring–information dependent acquisition–enhanced product ion mode. The results showed that Zhimu significantly suppressed the extraction of phenolic glycosides (the components from Baihe) when co‐decocting, and Baihe clearly suppressed the extraction of xanthones and steroidal saponins (the components from Zhimu). Overall, the presently developed method would be a preferred candidate for the investigation of the chemical interaction between herbal medicines.