bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An improved method for mobile characterisation of δ13CH4 source signatures and its application in Germany
Authors: Hoheisel Antje , Yeman Christiane , Dinger Florian , Eckhardt Henrik , Schmidt Martina 
Published: February 2019

Abstract. The carbon isotopic signature (δ13CH4) of several methane
sources in Germany (around Heidelberg and in North Rhine-Westphalia) were
characterised. Mobile measurements of the plume of CH4 sources are carried
out using an analyser based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). To achieve precise results
a CRDS analyser, which measures methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and
their 13C-to-12C ratios, was characterised especially with regard
to cross sensitivities of composition differences of the gas matrix in air
samples or calibration tanks. The two most important gases which affect
δ13CH4 are water vapour (H2O) and ethane (C2H6). To
avoid the cross sensitivity with H2O, the air is dried with a Nafion dryer
during mobile measurements. C2H6 is typically abundant in natural gases
and thus in methane plumes or samples originating from natural gas. A
C2H6 correction and calibration are essential to obtain accurate
δ13CH4 results, which can deviate by up to 3 ‰
depending on whether a C2H6 correction is applied. The isotopic signature is determined with the Miller–Tans approach and the
York fitting method. During 21 field campaigns the mean
δ13CH4 signatures of three dairy farms
(-63.9±0.9‰), a biogas plant
(-62.4±1.2‰), a landfill
(-58.7±3.3‰), a wastewater treatment plant
(-52.5±1.4‰), an active deep coal mine
(-56.0±2.3‰) and two natural gas storage and gas compressor
stations (-46.1±0.8‰) were recorded. In addition, between December 2016 and November 2018 gas samples from the
Heidelberg natural gas distribution network were measured with a mean
δ13CH4 value of -43.3±0.8‰. Contrary to
previous measurements between 1991 and 1996 by Levin et al. (1999), no
strong seasonal cycle is shown.
‘Again, that is a decision to be taken by Parliament itself’
Authors: Karapetian G. 
Published: February 2019

‘Again, that is a decision to be taken by Parliament itself’
De vraag in hoeverre de rechter een bevel mag uitvaardigen aan de Staat om wetgeving tot stand te brengen, houdt de gemoederen in zowel binnen- als buitenland bezig. Het Zuid-Afrikaanse Constitutionele Hof deed in de zomer van 2018 uitspraak in een zaak waarin de federale wetgever wordt bevolen om binnen achttien maanden de Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA – de Zuid-Afrikaanse evenknie van de Wet openbaarheid van bestuur) aan te vullen. In deze bijdrage wordt de notie van het wetgevingsbevel in Zuid-Afrikaans perspectief geplaatst.
The impact on life cycle carbon footprint of converting from disposable to reusable sharps containers in a large US hospital geographically distant from manufacturing and processing facilities
Authors: McPherson Brett , Sharip Mihray , Grimmond Terry 
Published: February 2019

Background
Sustainable purchasing can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at healthcare facilities (HCF). A previous study found that converting from disposable to reusable sharps containers (DSC, RSC) reduced sharps waste stream GHG by 84% but found transport distances impacted significantly on GHG outcomes and recommended further studies where transport distances are large. This case-study examines the impact on GHG of nation-wide transport distances when a large US health system converted from DSC to RSC.

Methods
The study’s scope was to examine life cycle GHG emissions during 12 months of facility-wide use of DSC and RSC at Loma Linda University Health (LLUH). The facility is an 1100-bed US, 5-hospital system where: the source of polymer was distant from the RSC manufacturing plant; both manufacturing plants were over 3,000 km from the HCF; and the RSC processing plant was considerably further from the HCF than was the DSC disposal plant. Using a “cradle to grave” life cycle GHG tool we calculated the annual GHG emissions of CO2, CH4 and N2O expressed in metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCO2eq) for each container system. Primary energy input data was used wherever possible and region-specific energy-impact conversions were used to calculate GHG of each unit process over a 12-month period. The scope included Manufacture, Transport, Washing, and Treatment & disposal. GHG emissions from all unit process within these four life cycle stages were summed to estimate each container-system’s carbon footprint. Emission totals were workload-normalized and analysed using CHI2test with P ≤ 0.05 and rate ratios at 95% CL.

Results
Converting to RSC, LLUH reduced its annual GHG by 162.4 MTCO2eq (−65.3%; p < 0.001; RR 2.27–3.71), and annually eliminated 50.2 tonnes of plastic DSC and 8.1 tonnes of cardboard from the sharps waste stream. Of the plastic eliminated, 31.8 tonnes were diverted from landfill and 18.4 from incineration.

Discussion
Unlike GHG reduction strategies dependent on changes in staff behavior (waste segregation, recycling, turning off lights, car-pooling, etc), purchasing strategies can enable immediate, sustainable and institution-wide GHG reductions to be achieved. This study confirmed that large transport distances between polymer manufacturer, container manufacturer, user and processing facilities, can significantly impact the carbon footprint of sharps containment systems. However, even with large transport distances, we found that a large university health system significantly reduced the carbon footprint of their sharps waste stream by converting from DSC to RSC.
Grazing exclosures solely are not the best methods for sustaining alpine grasslands
Authors: Yao Xixi , Wu Jianping , Gong Xuyin , Lang Xia , Wang Cailian 
Published: February 2019

BackgroundGrazing is widely regarded as a critical factor affecting the vegetation structure, productivity and nutritional value of natural grasslands. To protect and restore degraded grasslands, non-grazed exclosures are considered as a valuable tool. However, it is not clear whether long term non-grazed exclosures of grazers can improve the condition and nutritional value of vegetation and soil properties.MethodsWe have compared the impact of long-term non-grazed and continuous grazed management strategy on vegetation structure, nutritional values and soil properties of alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau by field investigation (11–13 years) and indoor analysis during 2015–2017.ResultsOur results showed that long-term non-grazed exclosures clearly increased the aboveground biomass and coverage of plant functional types. Long-term non-grazed exclosures improved the development of all vegetation types, except NG (GG, grass species type; SG, sedge species type; LG, leguminous species type; FG, forbs species type and NG, noxious species type). Long-term non-grazed exclosures significantly improved all six measured soil properties (TN, total nitrogen; TP, total phosphorus; TK, total potassium; AN, available nitrogen; AP, available phosphorus and AK, available potassium) in 0–10 cm soil layer, considerable effect on the improvement of all measured soil properties, except TK in 10–20 cm soil layer and all measured soil properties, except TN and TK in 20–30 cm soil layer were observed. However, long-term non-grazed exclosures significantly decreased biodiversity indicators i.e., species richness, Shannon diversity index and Evenness index of vegetation. A substantial decrease in the density, biodiversity and nutritional values (CP (crude protein), IVTD (in vitroture digestibility) and NDF (neutral detergent fiber)) of all vegetation types, except NG were recorded. While a downward trend in aboveground biomass and all measured soil properties except TP and TK were observed during 2015–2017 in alpine meadows due to long-term grazed treatment. The density, diversity and nutritional value (CP and IVTD) of long-term non-grazed alpine meadows showed a downward trend over time (2015–2017). By considering the biodiversity conservation and grassland livestock production, long-term non-grazed exclosures are not beneficial for the improvement of density, biodiversity and nutritional values of plant functional types. Thus, our study suggests that rotational non-grazed and grazed treatment would be a good management strategy to restore and improve the biodiversity and nutritional values of plant functional types in natural grassland ecosystems.
The response of sulfur dioxygenase to sulfide in the body wall of Urechis unincinctus
Authors: Zhang Litao , Zhang Zhifeng 
Published: February 2019

Background
In some sedimentary environments, such as coastal intertidal and subtidal mudflats, sulfide levels can reach millimolar concentrations (2–5 mM) and can be toxic to marine species. Interestingly, some organisms have evolved biochemical strategies to overcome and tolerate high sulfide conditions, such as the echiuran worm, Urechis unicinctus. Mitochondrial sulfide oxidation is important for detoxification, in which sulfur dioxygenase (SDO) plays an indispensable role. Meanwhile, the body wall of the surface of the worm is in direct contact with sulfide. In our study, we chose the body wall to explore the SDO response to sulfide.

Methods
Two sulfide treatment groups (50 µM and 150 µM) and a control group (natural seawater) were used. The worms, U. unicinctus, were collected from the intertidal flat of Yantai, China, and temporarily reared in aerated seawater for three days without feeding. Finally, sixty worms with similar length and mass were evenly assigned to the three groups. The worms were sampled at 0, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h after initiation of sulfide exposure. The body walls were excised, frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at −80 °C for RNA and protein extraction. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and specific activity detection were used to explore the SDO response to sulfide in the body wall.

Results
The body wall of U. unicinctus consists of a rugal epidermis, connective tissue, outer circular muscle and middle longitudinal muscle. SDO protein is mainly located in the epidermis. When exposed to 50 µM sulfide, SDO mRNA and protein contents almost remained stable, but SDO activity increased significantly after 6 h (P < 0.05). However, in the 150 µM sulfide treatment group, SDO mRNA and protein contents and activity all increased with sulfide exposure time; significant increases all began to occur at 48 h (P < 0.05).

Discussion
All the results indicated that SDO activity can be enhanced by sulfide in two regulation mechanisms: allosteric regulation, for low concentrations, and transcription regulation, which is activated with an increase in sulfide concentration.
Distribution of chlorophyll and primary production by size classes along the Mexican Pacific coast
Authors: Lara-Lara JR , Bazán-Guzmán C 
Published: February 2019

From 15 January to 4 February, 1999, we carried out an oceanographic cruise along the west coast of Mexico, from the mouth of the Gulf of California to the Gulf of Tehuantepec. For the first time in this region, size-fractionated chlorophyll a and 14C assimilation experiments were carried out at seven stations. Nutrient concentrations (PO4 and SiO2) were also measured. Nutriclines were very shallow and developed within the euphotic zone depth. Sea surface temperature varied from 19.5ºC at the mouth of the Gulf of California to 28.3ºC in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. The integrated euphotic zone chlorophyll a ranged from 16.8 to 95.6 mg m–2 d–1 ( x = 41.4). Daily integrated primary production rates ranged from 0.16 to 1.15 g C m–2 d–1 (x = 0.53). Nanophytoplankton (<20 µm) contributed most to both chlorophyll and primary production (60–100%). Microphytoplankton (>20 µm) was significant only at two southern stations (~30% and 44%). The contribution by the nanophytoplankton size fractions (<20 to >10 µm and <10 to >3 µm) and the picoplancton (<3 to >0.45 µm) was variable. Phytoplankton biomass and primary production rates showed a clear spatial pattern, increasing from north to south.
Association between working hours, work engagement, and work productivity in employees: A cross-sectional study of the Japanese Study of Health, Occupation, and Psychosocial Factors Relates Equity
Authors: Okazaki Emi , Nishi Daisuke , Susukida Ryoko , Inoue Akiomi , Shimazu Akihito , Tsutsumi Akizumi 
Published: February 2019

Abstract

Objectives
The aims of the study were to investigate the association between working hours, work engagement, and work productivity, and to examine if work engagement moderates the influence of working hours on work productivity.

Methods
We used cross-sectional data from the Japanese occupational cohort survey, which involved 2093 employees in a manufacturing industry. Working hours were self-reported by the study participants. Work productivity was assessed with absolute presenteeism based on the scale of the validated Japanese version of World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ). Work engagement was assessed with the Nine-item Utrecht work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were conducted to examine the association of working hours and work engagement with work productivity. We also carried out stratified multivariable regression analysis separately for those with high-work engagement and those with low-work engagement.

Results
Working &gt;40 to 50 hours per week and &gt;50 hours per week were significantly positively associated with work productivity in univariate analysis. However, the significant association no longer held after adjusting for work engagement. Work engagement was positively associated with work productivity even after controlling for potential confounders. Working hours were not significantly associated with work productivity among those with high-work engagement or among those with low-work engagement.

Conclusions
Working hours did not have any significant associations with work productivity when taking work engagement into account. Work engagement did not moderate the influence of working hours on work productivity, though it attenuated the relationship between working hours and work productivity.
Identification of a novel missense mutation in Friedreich's ataxia –FXNW168R
Authors: Clark Elisia , Strawser Cassandra , Schadt Kimberly , Lynch David R. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractFriedreich's ataxia, characterized by decreased expression of frataxin protein, is caused by GAA trinucleotide repeats within intron 1 in 98% of patients. Two percent of patients carry GAA repeats in conjunction with a point mutation. In this work, we find that frataxinW168R, a novel disease‐causing missense mutation, is expressed predominantly as the intermediate frataxin42‐210 form, with very little expression of mature frataxin81‐210 form. Its localization to mitochondria is not impaired. Additionally, increasing frataxinW168R precursor levels do not lead to an increase in mature frataxin levels, suggesting these patients will require alternative approaches to repair frataxin processing in order to treat the disorder in a disease‐modifying manner.
Kinetically Controlled Crystallization in Conjugated Polymer Films for High‐Performance Organic Field‐Effect Transistors
Authors: Kim Yeon‐Ju , Kim Nam‐Koo , Park Won‐Tae , Liu Chuan , Noh Yong‐Young , Kim Dong‐Yu 
Published: February 2019

AbstractOrdering of semiconducting polymers in thin films from the nano to microscale is strongly correlated with charge transport properties as well as organic field‐effect transistor performance. This paper reports a method to control nano to microscale ordering of poly{[N,N′‐bis(2‐octyldodecyl)‐naphthalene‐1,4,5,8‐bis(dicarboximide)‐2,6‐diyl]‐alt‐5,5′‐(2,2′‐bithiophene)} (P(NDI2OD‐T2)) thin films by precisely regulating the solidification rate from the metastable state just before crystallization. The proposed simple but effective approach, kinetically controlled crystallization, achieves optimized P(NDI2OD‐T2) films with large polymer domains, long range ordered fibrillar structures, and molecular orientation preferable for electron transport leading to dramatic morphological changes in both polymer domain sizes at the micrometer scale and molecular packing structures at nanoscales. Structural changes significantly increase electron mobilities up to 3.43 ± 0.39 cm2 V−1 s−1 with high reliability, almost two orders of enhancement compared with devices from naturally dried films. Small contact resistance is also obtained for electron injection (0.13 MΩ cm), low activation energy (62.51 meV), and narrow density of states distribution for electron transport in optimized thin films. It is believed that this study offers important insight into the crystallization of conjugated polymers that can be broadly applied to optimize the morphology of semiconducting polymer films for solution processed organic electronic devices.
Nonprecious Copper‐Based Transparent Top Electrode via Seed Layer–Assisted Thermal Evaporation for High‐Performance Semitransparent n‐i‐p Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Giuliano Giuliana , Cataldo Sebastiano , Scopelliti Michelangelo , Principato Fabio , Chillura Martino Delia , Fiore Tiziana , Pignataro Bruno 
Published: February 2019

AbstractSemitransparent perovskite solar cells (ST‐PSCs) are highly attractive for applications in building‐integrated photovoltaics as well as in multijunction tandem devices. To fabricate high‐performance ST‐PSCs, suitable transparent top electrodes are strongly needed. Dielectric/metal/dielectric (DMD) multilayer structures have been shown to be promising candidates, though generally based on high‐value metals such as gold or silver, the latter causing also stability issues by reacting with perovskite. Here, a novel DMD transparent electrode based on nonprecious, less‐reactive copper is developed via thermal evaporation and used as a top anode in the fabrication of high‐performance semitransparent n‐i‐p perovskite solar cells, the best device yielding a power conversion efficiency as high as 12.5%. The DMD architecture consists of a gold‐seeded Cu thin film sandwiched between two MoO
x
dielectric layers. It is demonstrated that Cu self‐aggregation and diffusion into MoOx can be substantially limited by introducing an ultrathin (1.5 nm) Au seed layer, and conductive Cu films as thin as 9.5 nm can be achieved. A fine tuning of the perovskite layer thickness is also carried out to further enhance the device transparency up to a maximum average visible transmittance approaching 25%.
Hierarchical Micro‐Nano Sheet Arrays of Nickel–Cobalt Double Hydroxides for High‐Rate Ni–Zn Batteries
Authors: Chen Hao , Shen Zhehong , Pan Zhenghui , Kou Zongkui , Liu Ximeng , Zhang Hong , Gu Qilin , Guan Cao , Wang John 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe rational design of nickel‐based cathodes with highly ordered micro‐nano hierarchical architectures by a facile process is fantastic but challenging to achieve for high‐capacity and high‐rate Ni–Zn batteries. Herein, a one‐step etching–deposition–growth process is demonstrated to prepare hierarchical micro‐nano sheet arrays for Ni–Zn batteries with outstanding performance and high rate. The fabrication process is conducted at room temperature without any need of heating and stirring, and the as‐grown nickel–cobalt double hydroxide (NiCo‐DH) supported on conductive nickel substrate is endowed with a unique 3D hierarchical architecture of micro‐nano sheet arrays, which empower the effective exposure of active materials, easy electrolyte access, fast ion diffusion, and rapid electron transfer. Benefiting from these merits in combination, the NiCo‐DH electrode delivers a high specific capacity of 303.6 mAh g−1 and outstanding rate performance (80% retention after 20‐fold current increase), which outperforms the electrodes made of single Ni(OH)2 and Co(OH)2, and other similar materials. The NiCo‐DH electrode, when employed as the cathode for a Ni–Zn battery, demonstrates a high specific capacity of 329 mAh g−1. Moreover, the NiCo‐DH//Zn battery also exhibits high electrochemical energy conversion efficiency, excellent rate capability (62% retention after 30‐fold current increase), ultrafast charge characteristics, and strong tolerance to the high‐speed conversion reaction.
Combating frailty and sarcopenia in aging populations: Switching to a more positive paradigm
Authors: Woo Jean 
Published: February 2019

AbstractFrailty may be used as a public health indicator of aging well for projection of health and social care resource allocation. Frailty assessments have been adopted by various medical as well as surgical specialties as part of prognosis in influencing choice of therapy, although the assessment tools are even more heterogeneous than those in the gerontological fields. Recently, the World Health Organization called for a life course approach to healthy aging, placing the emphasis on function, expressed as intrinsic capacity, which would address concerns with the negative image of frailty and with the overemphasis on deficits. The impact of social and physical environments is taken into account in the concept of resilience. These are all related concepts that differ in the setting in which they are used. Frailty may be more useful in clinical management in hospitals and residential care homes, as well as in community models of care. Intrinsic capacity could be used for development of health‐promotion policies and service models across the life course; mainly primary care with low resource needs, using a step‐care approach. Resilience could be considered an overarching holistic concept covering physical, psychological, and environmental domains, which is still in the research arena.
Atom‐Interferometry Measurement of the Fine Structure Constant
Authors: Yu Chenghui , Zhong Weicheng , Estey Brian , Kwan Joyce , Parker Richard H. , Müller Holger 
Published: February 2019

AbstractUsing an atom interferometer to measure the quotient of the reduced Planck's constant and the mass of a cesium‐133 atom , the most accurate measurement of the fine structure constant is recorded, at an accuracy of 0.20 parts per billion (ppb). Using multiphoton interactions (Bragg diffraction and Bloch oscillations), the largest phase (12 million radians) of any Ramsey–Bordé interferometer and controlled systematic effects at a level of 0.12 ppb are demonstrated. Comparing the Penning trap measurements with the Standard Model prediction of the electron gyromagnetic anomaly based on the α measurement, a 2.5 tension is observed, rejecting dark photons as the reason for the unexplained part of the muon's gyromagnetic moment discrepancy at a 99% confidence level according to frequentist statistics. Implications for dark‐sector candidates (e.g., scalar and pseudoscalar bosons, vector bosons, and axial‐vector bosons) may be a sign of physics beyond the Standard Model. A future upgrade of the cesium fountain atom interferometer is also proposed to increase the accuracy of by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude, which would help resolve the tension.
A new strategy to design a graphene oxide supported palladium complex as a new heterogeneous nanocatalyst and application in carbon–carbon and carbon‐heteroatom cross‐coupling reactions
Authors: Bahrami Kiumars , Targhan Homa 
Published: February 2019

The palladium nanoparticles were successfully stabilized with an average diameter of 6–7 nm through the coordination of palladium and terpyridine‐based ligands grafted on graphene oxide surface. The graphene oxide supported palladium nanoparticles were thoroughly characterized and applied as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst in carbon–carbon (Suzuki‐Miyaura, Mizoroki‐Heck coupling reactions) and carbon–heteroatom (C‐N and C‐O) bond‐forming reactions. The catalyst was simply recycled from the reaction mixture and was reused consecutive four times with small drop in catalytic activity.