bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Single‐Site Mutation Tunes Fluorescence and Chromophorylation of an Orange Fluorescent Cyanobacteriochrome**
Authors: Janis Makena K. , Zou Wenping , Zastrow Melissa L.
Published: July 2023

Cyanobacteriochrome (CBCR) cGMP‐specific phosphodiesterase, adenylyl cyclase, and FhlA (GAF) domains bind bilin cofactors to confer sensory wavelengths important for various cyanobacterial photosensory processes. Many isolated GAF domains autocatalytically bind bilins, including the third GAF domain of CBCR Slr1393 from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, which binds phycoerythrobilin (PEB) to yield a bright orange fluorescent protein. Compared to green fluorescent proteins, the smaller size and lack of an oxygen requirement for fluorescence make Slr1393g3 a promising platform for new genetically encoded fluorescent tools. Slr1393g3, however, shows low PEB binding efficiency (chromophorylation) at ~3 % compared to total Slr1393g3 expressed in E. coli. Here we used site‐directed mutagenesis and plasmid redesign methods to improve Slr1393g3‐PEB binding and demonstrate its utility as a fluorescent marker in live cells. Mutation at a single site, Trp496, tuned the emission over ~30 nm, likely by shifting autoisomerization of PEB to phycourobilin (PUB). Plasmid modifications for tuning relative expression of Slr1393g3 and PEB synthesis enzymes also improved chromophorylation and moving from a dual to single plasmid system facilitated exploration of a range of mutants via site saturation mutagenesis and sequence truncation. Collectively, the PEB/PUB chromophorylation was raised up to a total of 23 % with combined sequence truncation and W496H mutation.
Enhancing the Hydrodeoxygenation and Isomerization using Re Nanoparticles Decorated on Ni/SAPO‐11 Catalysts for Direct Production of Low‐Cold Flow Diesel from Triglycerides
Authors: Chuseang Jirawat , Itthibenchapong Vorranutch , Srifa Atthapon , Praikaew Wanichaya , Tuntithavornwat Soontorn , Rungtaweevoranit Bunyarat , Ratchahat Sakhon , Koo‐Amornpattana Wanida , Klysubun Wantana , Eiad‐ua Apiluck , Kiatkittipong Worapon , Assabumrungrat Suttichai
Published: July 2023

The novel bifunctional Ni−Re supported on bimodal SAPO‐11 catalyst was designed for an economically combined process of direct triglycerides hydro‐deoxygenation and isomerization into low‐cold flow diesel. The catalyst with a Ni to Re molar ratio of 1 : 0.12 exhibited superior performance for diesel production containing large fraction of iso‐alkanes in comparison to Ni and Re benchmarks. Comprehensive characterizations revealed that the detection of Ni and Re co‐existed with NiO and ReOx on SAPO‐11 after the reduction confirmed by XRD, XANES, and XPS analysis gave a large distribution of Lewis acid sites (>80 %) noticed by Pyridine‐DRIFTS measurement. Under investigations of WHSV, reaction temperature, and H2 pressure, the NiRe0.12 catalyst contributed a nearly theoretical 77.1 % liquid yield, accompanied by a 18.2 % jet‐range and 52.1 % diesel‐range yields with a classification for 46.8 % iso‐alkanes and 23.5 % normal alkanes yields; whereas, the cold‐flow properties of liquid product were in the ranges of winter diesel standard. It was remarkably noticed that the combination effects of Ni and nanosized Re species substantially improved the diesel production comprising iso‐alkanes components with proper catalyst lifetime and low carbon deposition attributing to the fabricated active metal species on bimodal SAPO‐11 features with large distribution of Lewis acidic sites.
Efficient Synthesis of Benzimidazole and Quinoline Derivatives Catalyzed by Functionalized Amidato Ruthenium Complexes in Water via Acceptorless Dehydrogenative Coupling Strategy
Authors: Liu Xin , Dong Wen‐Zhe , Liu Yining , Shao Wei‐Yu , Li Yang , Yu Xiaoqiang , Himeda Yuichiro , Wang Wan‐Hui , Bao Ming
Published: July 2023

Transition‐metal‐catalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling (ADC) has emerged as a sustainable synthetic strategy for the construction of N‐heteroaromatics. Herein, a series of water‐soluble amidato Ru catalysts were designed, synthesized, and utilized in the selective synthesis of 2‐substituted benzimidazoles from the aromatic diamines and primary alcohols, as well as 2‐substituted quinolines from the substituted 2‐aminobenzyl alcohols and acetophenones via the ADC strategy in water. Catalyst 1 d bearing a strong electron‐donating hydroxyl group on the ligand exhibited the best catalytic activity. The catalytic system demonstrated remarkable efficiency and versatility, allowing for the application of over 40 substrates in two ADC reactions with good to high yields. Based on control experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, a plausible mechanism was proposed, highlighting the significant role of functionalized amidato Ru complexes in catalyzing alcohol dehydrogenation via an outer‐sphere pathway.
Panchromatic Light‐Capturing Bis‐styryl BODIPY‐Perylenediimide Donor‐Acceptor Constructs: Occurrence of Sequential Energy Transfer Followed by Electron Transfer
Authors: Ileperuma Chamari V. , Garcés‐Garcés José , Shao Shuai , Fernández‐Lázaro Fernando , Sastre‐Santos Ángela , Karr Paul A. , D'Souza Francis
Published: July 2023

Two wide‐band‐capturing donor‐acceptor conjugates featuring bis‐styrylBODIPY and perylenediimide (PDI) have been newly synthesized, and the occurrence of ultrafast excitation transfer from the 1PDI* to BODIPY, and a subsequent electron transfer from the 1BODIPY* to PDI have been demonstrated. Optical absorption studies revealed panchromatic light capture but offered no evidence of ground‐state interactions between the donor and acceptor entities. Steady‐state fluorescence and excitation spectral recordings provided evidence of singlet‐singlet energy transfer in these dyads, and quenched fluorescence of bis‐styrylBODIPY emission in the dyads suggested additional photo‐events. The facile oxidation of bis‐styrylBODIPY and facile reduction of PDI, establishing their relative roles of electron donor and acceptor, were borne out by electrochemical studies. The electrostatic potential surfaces of the S1 and S2 states, derived from time‐dependent DFT calculations, supported excited charge transfer in these dyads. Spectro‐electrochemical studies on one‐electron‐oxidized and one‐electron‐reduced dyads and the monomeric precursor compounds were also performed in a thin‐layer optical cell under corresponding applied potentials. From this study, both bis‐styrylBODIPY⋅+ and PDI⋅− could be spectrally characterizes and were subsequently used in characterizing the electron‐transfer products. Finally, pump–probe spectral studies were performed in dichlorobenzene under selective PDI and bis‐styrylBODIPY excitation to secure energy and electron‐transfer evidence. The measured rate constants for energy transfer, kENT, were in the range of 1011 s−1, while the electron transfer rate constants, kET, were in the range of 1010 s−1, thus highlighting their potential use in solar energy harvesting and optoelectronic applications.
Dead but functional liquid nitrogen‐treated umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells accelerate full‐thickness skin wound healing
Authors: Yang Yan , Feng Yuqing , Hu Meirong , Deng Jingxian , Wei Siying , Wang Zhaoyang , Li Lu , Huang Rufei , Wang Yuxin , Liu Yuan , Ye Tao , Huang Yadong
Published: July 2023

Background

The direct application of umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) for promoting skin wound healing and regeneration is challenging due to strict maintenance requirements and unpredictable differentiation results.

Methods

We developed dead but functional liquid nitrogen‐treated UCMSCs (LNT‐MSCs) by rapidly immersing live UCMSCs (live‐MSCs) in liquid nitrogen.

Results

The LNT‐MSCs maintained similar cellular structures and surface markers to those of live‐MSCs. We evaluated the therapeutic effects of both live‐MSCs and LNT‐MSCs on full‐thickness skin wound healing in rats. Our results showed that the LNT‐MSCs accelerated wound closure by enhancing the proliferation and migration of skin cells, promoting angiogenesis, and inducing a favourable macrophage phenotype shift. The regenerative healing effect of LNT‐MSCs was comparable to that of live‐MSCs, making them a potential alternative strategy for accelerating wound closure that avoids unpredictable differentiation results and creates a ready‐to‐use cell bank for clinical applications.
New Strategy for Boosting Cathodic Performance of Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells Through Incorporating a Superior Hydronation Second Phase
Authors: Zhou Chuan , Wang Xixi , Liu Dongliang , Fei Meijuan , Dai Jie , Guan Daqin , Hu Zhiwei , Zhang Linjuan , Wang Yu , Wang Wei , O'Hayre Ryan , Jiang San Ping , Zhou Wei , Liu Meilin , Shao Zongping
Published: July 2023

For protonic ceramic fuel cells, it is key to develop material with high intrinsic activity for oxygen activation and bulk proton conductivity enabling water formation at entire electrode surface. However, a higher water content which benefitting for the increasing proton conductivity will not only dilute the oxygen in the gas, but also suppress the O2 adsorption on the electrode surface. Herein, a new electrode design concept is proposed, that may overcome this dilemma. By introducing a second phase with high‐hydrating capability into a conventional cobalt‐free perovskite to form a unique nanocomposite electrode, high proton conductivity/concentration can be reached at low water content in atmosphere. In addition, the hydronation creates additional fast proton transport channel along the two‐phase interface. As a result, high protonic conductivity is reached, leading to a new breakthrough in performance for proton ceramic fuel cells and electrolysis cells devices among available air electrodes.
Enhanced in vitro type 1 conventional dendritic cell generation via the recruitment of hematopoietic stem cells and early progenitors by Kit ligand
Authors: Ou Feiya , Ferris Stephen T. , Kim Sunkyung , Wu Renee , Anderson David A. , Liu Tian‐Tian , Jo Suin , Chen Michael Y. , Gillanders William E. , Murphy Theresa L. , Murphy Kenneth M.
Published: July 2023

In vitro culture of bone marrow (BM) with Fms‐like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) is widely used to study development and function of type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1). Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and many progenitor populations that possess cDC1 potential in vivo do not express Flt3 and thus may not contribute to Flt3L‐mediated cDC1 production in vitro. Here, we present a KitL/Flt3L protocol that recruits such HSCs and progenitors into the production of cDC1. Kit ligand (KitL) is used to expand HSCs and early progenitors lacking Flt3 expression into later stage where Flt3 is expressed. Following this initial KitL phase, a second Flt3L phase is used to support the final production of DCs. With this two‐stage culture, we achieved approximately tenfold increased production of both cDC1 and cDC2 compared to Flt3L culture. cDC1 derived from this culture are similar to in vivo cDC1 in their dependence on IRF8, ability to produce IL‐12, and induction of tumor regression in cDC1‐deficient tumor‐bearing mice. This KitL/Flt3L system for cDC1 production will be useful in further analysis of cDC1 that rely on in vitro generation from BM.
Methods for Preparing Hierarchical Zeolites by Chemical Etching and Their Catalytic Applications: A Review
Authors: Tan Lei , Jiao Nianming , Bai Xinrui , Wang Hongyan , Wang Jun , Wang Hui , Zhang Xiangping
Published: July 2023

Zeolites are widely used in petrochemical processes and refineries due to their well‐ordered microporous network and large surface area. However, the diffusion of reactants and products is hampered by the narrow microporous channels, causing limitations. To overcome this challenge, modifying the pore structure is crucial, and the chemical etching technique is a powerful tool that introduces mesopores and macropores, consequently enhancing mass transfer and accessibility. Diverse chemical etching methods have been invented, including exposure to both acids (organic/inorganic acids), alkali (organic/inorganic alkali), and neutral etchants (e. g., ammonium fluoride). This review summarizes and assesses the chemical etching methods and their relevance to catalytic cracking reactions, methanol to hydrocarbons (MTH), and biomass conversion. The potential of zeolites with modified pore structures has motivated researchers to develop novel methods to tackle the practical challenges associated with their applications.
Approximating grouped fixed effects estimation via fuzzy clustering regression
Authors: Lewis Daniel J. , Melcangi Davide , Pilossoph Laura , Toner‐Rodgers Aidan
Published: July 2023

We propose a new, computationally efficient way to approximate the “grouped fixed effects” (GFE) estimator of Bonhomme and Manresa (2015), which estimates grouped patterns of unobserved heterogeneity. To do so, we generalize the fuzzy C‐means objective to regression settings. As the clustering exponent
approaches 1, the fuzzy clustering objective converges to the GFE objective, which we recast as a standard generalized method of moments problem. We replicate the empirical results of Bonhomme and Manresa (2015) and show that our estimator delivers almost identical estimates. In simulations, we show that our approach offers improvements in terms of bias, classification accuracy, and computational speed.
Cycles of quadratic Latin squares and antiperfect 1‐factorisations
Authors: Allsop Jack
Published: July 2023

A Latin square of order is an matrix of symbols, such that each symbol occurs exactly once in each row and column. For an odd prime power let denote the finite field of order . A quadratic Latin square is a Latin square defined byfor some such that and are quadratic residues in . Quadratic Latin squares have previously been used to construct perfect 1‐factorisations, mutually orthogonal Latin squares and atomic Latin squares. We first characterise quadratic Latin squares which are devoid of Latin subsquares. Let be a graph and a 1‐factorisation of . If the union of every pair of 1‐factors in induces a Hamiltonian cycle in then is called perfect, and if there is no pair of 1‐factors in which induce a Hamiltonian cycle in then is called antiperfect. We use quadratic Latin squares to construct new examples of antiperfect 1‐factorisations of complete graphs and complete bipartite graphs. We also demonstrate that for each odd prime , there are only finitely many orders , which are powers of , such that quadratic Latin squares of order could be used to construct perfect 1‐factorisations of complete graphs or complete bipartite graphs.
A general palladium‐catalyzed carbonylation synthesis of aurones with aryl bromides using CO2
Authors: Huang Zijun , Zhou Jiaxin , Dong Junyong , Liu Pengtao , Kuang Lei , Fang Zhengjun
Published: July 2023

A general and efficient strategy synthesis of aurones by carbonylation reaction of aryl bromides and terminal aromatic alkynes using CO2 has been established. Various terminal aromatic alkynes and 2‐bromophenol by using CO2 with hydrosilane could be leveraged to provide various aurones in good yields under mild reaction conditions. Moreover, palladium‐catalyzed carbonylation reaction mechanism is proposed for the preparation of aurones.
Earliest archeological evidence of fertilization in Central Europe
Authors: Scharl Silviane , Zerl Tanja , Eckmeier Eileen , Gerlach Renate
Published: July 2023

The beginnings of food production—animal husbandry and crop cultivation—and of a sedentary way of life represent one of the most drastic changes in human history. Likewise, this is accompanied by an increasing human impact on nature, which is mainly caused by agricultural practices. Agriculture is related to the clearing of forests, tillage, maintenance of the cultivated land, and finally harvesting, which alters not only the vegetation cover but also soil fertility as there is a potential risk for a loss of nutrients. People already countered this loss of nutrients in the times of early agriculture through different techniques and practices. The article summarizes the earliest evidence of fertilization in the prehistory of Central Europe and presents the most important methods for their investigation. What significance fertilization had for early farming societies can presently not be estimated due to the small amount of data. We therefore advocate the development of a routine for sampling during archaeological excavations and for the analysis of various materials (sediment and plant remains) using various methods. For this, the awareness must be raised that anthropogenic sediments, such as pit fills, are important archives for research into the history of humankind.
Radiocarbon dating and isotopic palaeoecology of Glossotherium phoenesis from the Late Pleistocene of the Santa Elina rock shelter, Central Brazil
Authors: Pansani Thais Rabito , Dantas Mário André Trindade , Asevedo Lidiane , Cherkinsky Alexander , Vialou Denis , Vialou Águeda Vilhena , Pacheco Mírian Liza Alves Forancelli
Published: July 2023

The Santa Elina rock shelter (Central Brazil) stands out with two human occupation layers with ground sloth fossil remains from the Late Pleistocene. Here, we explore the palaeontological aspect of this site. We update the taxonomic assignment of the ground sloth found in the shelter to Glossotherium phoenesis. Radiocarbon dating performed on bioapatite (14Cbioapatite) from two tooth specimens reveal the minimum ages of 14 944–15 239 cal a
bp (unit II2) and 22 339–22 534 cal a
bp (unit III4), which were converted to collagen using a novel approach and presented the calibrated ages of 17 450–17 906 cal a
bp (14Ccollagen = 14 547 ± 40) and 25 994–26 396 cal a
bp (14Ccollagen = 22 042 ± 40). We reinforce the chronology of the oldest unit of Santa Elina with material culture in association with megafauna bones to the Last Glacial Maximum. Carbon isotopic signatures suggest a mixed feeding diet for both specimens. The most recent ground sloth presents a higher isotopic value (δ13C = −1.8‰) and narrower niche breadth (BA = 0.50) than the oldest one (δ13C = −3.3‰; BA = 0.74). We conclude that G. phoenesis lived in an arboreal savanna habitat during the phases studied. Slightly different oxygen isotopic values (δ18O = 26.2‰ and 27.9‰) might suggest a decrease in humidity over time. Our results provide insights into the palaeoecology of the tropical Pleistocene G. phoenesis and the palaeoenvironmental setting of Santa Elina when occupied by early humans and megafauna during the Late Pleistocene.
Reimagining traumatic stress studies as a participatory science grounded in critical self‐reflection: A call to action
Authors: Henderson Zuleka , Kia‐Keating Maryam , Woods‐Jaeger Briana
Published: July 2023

Recognizing the need for a transformative shift to advance scholarship and practice focused on traumatic stress, this paper emerged from a special invited panel at the 38th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). The panel brought together scholars from interdisciplinary backgrounds, including psychology, public health, and social work, to share their unique perspectives and experiences harnessing a collaborative, critical, and strengths‐based lens in research. This piece invites the field to consider the importance of cultural humility as a foundational, nonnegotiable practice in traumatic stress studies. Details about participatory science and healing‐centered practice are presented along with key questions to support the application of these frameworks in studies of traumatic stress.
Exceptional poles of local spinor L‐functions of GSp(4) with anisotropic Bessel models
Authors: Rösner Mirko , Weissauer Rainer
Published: July 2023

For noncuspidal irreducible admissible representations of GSp(4, k) over a local non‐Archimedean field k, we determine the exceptional poles of the spinor L‐factor attached to anisotropic Bessel models by Piatetski–Shapiro. This completes the classification of spinor L‐factors for GSp(4, k).
Which sets are images of disk‐algebra functions?
Authors: Mortini Raymond , Pflug Peter
Published: July 2023

We give a characterization of those compact sets in the plane with finitely many holes that are images of disk‐algebra functions. We also show that the image of the closed unit disk via a polynomial is, in general, not polynomially convex.
Noise2Recon: Enabling SNR‐robust MRI reconstruction with semi‐supervised and self‐supervised learning
Authors: Desai Arjun D. , Ozturkler Batu M. , Sandino Christopher M. , Boutin Robert , Willis Marc , Vasanawala Shreyas , Hargreaves Brian A. , Ré Christopher , Pauly John M. , Chaudhari Akshay S.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To develop a method for building MRI reconstruction neural networks robust to changes in signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and trainable with a limited number of fully sampled scans.

Methods

We propose Noise2Recon, a consistency training method for SNR‐robust accelerated MRI reconstruction that can use both fully sampled (labeled) and undersampled (unlabeled) scans. Noise2Recon uses unlabeled data by enforcing consistency between model reconstructions of undersampled scans and their noise‐augmented counterparts. Noise2Recon was compared to compressed sensing and both supervised and self‐supervised deep learning baselines. Experiments were conducted using retrospectively accelerated data from the mridata three‐dimensional fast‐spin‐echo knee and two‐dimensional fastMRI brain datasets. All methods were evaluated in label‐limited settings and among out‐of‐distribution (OOD) shifts, including changes in SNR, acceleration factors, and datasets. An extensive ablation study was conducted to characterize the sensitivity of Noise2Recon to hyperparameter choices.

Results

In label‐limited settings, Noise2Recon achieved better structural similarity, peak signal‐to‐noise ratio, and normalized‐RMS error than all baselines and matched performance of supervised models, which were trained with more fully sampled scans. Noise2Recon outperformed all baselines, including state‐of‐the‐art fine‐tuning and augmentation techniques, among low‐SNR scans and when generalizing to OOD acceleration factors. Augmentation extent and loss weighting hyperparameters had negligible impact on Noise2Recon compared to supervised methods, which may indicate increased training stability.

Conclusion

Noise2Recon is a label‐efficient reconstruction method that is robust to distribution shifts, such as changes in SNR, acceleration factors, and others, with limited or no fully sampled training data.
Performance of habitat offsets for species conservation in dynamic human‐modified landscapes
Authors: Rhodes Jonathan R. , Liu Yan , Wahyudi Agung , Maron Martine , Iftekhar Md Sayed , Brisbane Shantala
Published: July 2023

Biodiversity offsets are a popular policy tool for mitigating the impact of development on biodiversity, but the ecological success of offsets arise from complex interactions among socio‐economic, ecological and policy processes, making outcomes challenging to assess.

Many offset policies use habitat surrogates to determine offset requirements, rather than using direct measures of impacted biota, and this can lead to poor outcomes for species. One potential solution to this is for offsets to be delivered by a public agency (agency‐led) rather than by developers (developer‐led). This is because agencies may be able to strategically choose offset sites that maximise outcomes for species (e.g. abundance), while there may be little reason for developers to act strategically in this way when offset requirements are based purely on habitat surrogates. Yet, the success of a strategic agency‐led approach is likely to depend on patterns of development and offset site availability.

To examine this, we developed a novel integrated spatially explicit model of land‐use change, habitat, species abundance and offset regulation. We apply the model to the Queensland Government's Environmental Offsets Policy for koalas Phascolarctos cinereus in South East Queensland, Australia, and test how patterns of development and offset site availability influence the performance of agency‐led versus developer‐led offsets.

When potential offset sites were plentiful, agency‐led offsets tended to outperform developer‐led offset delivery for maximising koala abundance while achieving similar or better outcomes for habitat area. Yet, when potential offset sites were rare, the relative performance of agency‐led offset was often poor, and offset requirements for habitat area were less likely to be met. Different spatial patterns of development had little effect on the relative performance of agency‐led versus developer‐led offsets.

Our analysis shows that agency‐led offsets with strategic choices of offset sites can improve species' outcomes for habitat‐based offsets but can also risk failing to meet habitat area requirements when the availability of offset sites is low. Importantly, our integrated spatial model provides a holistic approach to assessing policy options for biodiversity offsets in dynamic human‐modified landscapes.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Exploring dimensions of bias‐based bullying victimization, school fairness, and school belonging through mediation analysis
Authors: Burgess Deanna L. , Kim Isak , Seon Youngwoon , Chatters Seria J.
Published: July 2023

Bias‐based bullying (BBB) is a serious problem for school‐aged adolescents. However, limited attention has been paid to the mechanism of how BBB may affect youths' sense of belonging to the school. The purpose of the current study was to understand the associations between BBB victimization, school belonging, and school fairness among school‐aged adolescents. The present study also examined whether school fairness mediated the link between BBB victimization and school belonging. Data were drawn from the “No Place For Hate” project, which examined bias‐based incidents, school equity, and school belonging of a school district. The analytic study sample consisted of 2600 middle and high school students. Results from a structural equation model revealed that BBB victimization was negatively related to school fairness and school fairness was positively linked to school belonging. BBB victimization was also inversely associated with school belonging. Furthermore, a significant mediation effect was found in that school fairness mediated the link between BBB victimization and school belonging. The findings highlight the importance of addressing perceived fairness given its mediating role between BBB victimization and school belonging.
Effectiveness of virtual reality‐based balance and gait in older adults with fear of movement: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Percy David , Phillips Tyler , Torres Fabian , Chaleunphonh Michele , Sung Paul
Published: July 2023

Objective

To summarize the current evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) training and functional mobility in older adults with fear of movement.

Type

Systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Methodology

An electronic search was performed using PubMed, Embase, Medline, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and CINAHL. A data search from January 2015 to December 2022 and a manual electronic literature search were conducted to identify published RCTs. The effectiveness of VR‐based balance training for balance and gait was evaluated in older adults with a fear of movement, which was measured by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES). Three reviewers independently performed the study selection, and the quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. The reporting was based on the new Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA) Guidelines.

Synthesis

The search product produced 345 results, from which 23 full text articles were studied. Seven RCTs of good methodological quality, including 265 participants, were included in the review. Overall, the studies reported that VR had a significant improvement on the TUG (Cohen's d = −0.91 [−1.38; −0.44], p = 0.001), while the FES was not significantly different (Cohen's d = −0.54 [−1.80; 0.71] p = 0.40). The average for PEDro scores (6.14) was good, and the risk of bias revealed that more than one‐third of the studies correctly described the random sequence generation and allocation concealment procedures.

Conclusion

VR‐based training is effective on balance or gait training based on the TUG; however, there were mixed results to improve FES scores following VR intervention. These inconsistent results might be limited due to variations in the studies, including heterogeneous training paradigms, sensitive outcome measures, small sample sizes, and short intervention durations, which limit the validity of our findings. Future investigations should compare different VR protocols to help establish better guidelines for clinicians.
How to Read Out the Phonon Number Statistics via Resonance Fluorescence Spectroscopy of a Single‐Photon Emitter
Authors: Groll Daniel , Paschen Fabian , Machnikowski Paweł , Hess Ortwin , Wigger Daniel , Kuhn Tilmann
Published: July 2023

In today's development of quantum technologies a hybrid integration of phononic excitations becomes increasingly attractive. As natural quasi‐particle excitations in solid state systems, phonons couple to virtually any other excitation and therefore constitute a useful interaction channel between different building blocks in hybrid quantum systems. This work explores how the efficient light‐scattering properties of a single‐photon emitter and the appearance of characteristic sidebands in resonance fluorescence spectra, when interfaced with an arbitrary phonon quantum state, can be utilized for acousto‐optical transduction. Within reasonable approximations, an analytical description for the optical spectra in the low excitation limit is developed which can be used to read the number statistics of the initial phonon state from a given spectrum. It is shown that the readout is faulty in situations where relevant resonant transitions are forbidden due to vanishing Franck–Condon factors, especially when considering spectra with a noisy background. Two possible solutions to this problem are presented: (A) changing the detuning of the laser relative to the single‐photon emitter which modifies the relevant resonant transitions, or (B) increasing dissipation of the single‐photon emitter to promote off‐resonant transitions.
Simple Electroosmotic Pump and Active Microfluidics with Asymmetrically Coated Microelectrodes
Authors: Liu Jun , Chen Jiawei , Dai Jia , Tang Jinyao
Published: July 2023

Electroosmotic pumps can deliver liquid without moving parts, making them suitable for microfluidic and lab‐on‐chip systems. Previously, alternating current electroosmotic pumps were constructed using pairs of coplanar asymmetrical interdigitated microelectrodes on the same substrate. In this work, a simpler micropumping system is developed, separating the electrodes on two substrates and breaking the symmetry by half‐depositing electrodes with 3D microstructures. Numerical simulation models of the pumping system and experimental velocity profiles are used to explain the fluid motion mechanism and structure‐dependent pumping performance. In addition to its efficiency and simplicity, this new pumping system also allows for the creation of a microvortex device and an active microfluidics device. This scalable micropumping system provides a way to pump liquids at microscopic or macroscopical scale in complex microfluidics systems.
Biocorona on Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in a Complex Biotechnological Environment: Analysis of Proteins, Lipids, and Carbohydrates
Authors: Abarca-Cabrera Lucía , Milinovic Olga , Heitler Viktoria , Rühmann Broder , Kudermann Jürgen , Kube Massimo , Dietz Hendrik , Sieber Volker , Berensmeier Sonja , Fraga-García Paula
Published: July 2023

Upon their introduction into a biological environment, nanoparticles are spontaneously covered by a variety of biomolecules, forming a (multi)layer called the “biocorona”. However, the interaction of small and large molecules with nanosized materials is not fully understood and in complex aqueous systems, even less, limiting their exploitation. The objective is to gain insights into the mass partitioning between the solid and the liquid phases for the most abundant groups of biological molecules in a biotechnological milieu. Herein, the biocorona composition is analyzed after the exposure of bare iron oxide nanoparticles to Microchloropsis salina lysates to evaluate the influence of the environment's pH, temperature, and ionic strength on the adsorption of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. Maximum adsorption capacities reach at pH 4.0 and yield 0.47, 0.08, and 0.11 g g−1 for proteins, fatty acids, and carbohydrates, respectively. The increase in ionic strength and temperature of the environment promotes protein adsorption, the decrease in temperature raises fatty acid adsorption, and acidic pHs foster the adsorption of the three types of biomolecules. Abundance of the biomolecules plays a key role in the biocorona content. This approach should lead to further studies on complex systems to modulate the adsorption at the bio–nano interface.
Synergistic Effect of Plasticizer and Cross‐Linking Agent on the Properties of Finger Millet Starch‐Based Film
Authors: Sharma Ritu , Gautam Naina , Giribabu Giribabu , Kumar Raj , Yadav Shashikant
Published: July 2023

Edible films can be used for food packaging to extend the shelf life of foods and protect them from exposure to moisture, microorganisms, pathogens, and bacteria. In the present study, the effect of plasticization and cross‐linking, which are modification approaches for upgrading the properties of starch, are investigated. Glycerol and sorbitol are used as plasticizing agents, and succinic acid is used as a cross‐linking agent. The results demonstrate that the addition of glycerol and sorbitol to the film‐forming solutions reduces brittleness and increases peeling ability and flexibility upon drying. Furthermore, the film matrix supports improvements in water vapor permeability (WVP), swelling index (SI), and mechanical properties. The glycerol‐based finger millet starch (FMS) films exhibits better thermal stability than the sorbitol‐based FMS film. The microscopic images of the films show that the use of glycerol in the film improves compactness and homogeneity compared to sorbitol‐based FMS films.
A discussion to promote global sustainability techniques for motivating plastic waste to minimize carbon footprints
Authors: Kalita Ananya , Singh Pranveer , Baruah Sunandan , Barman Utpal , Saikia Ankur Pan
Published: July 2023

This paper emphasizes the significant challenges facing the sustainable environment, including managing and handling plastic waste and reducing carbon footprints. To tackle these challenges, it is essential to identify people's awareness levels of waste handling techniques and their pro‐environmental behaviors. The study focuses on Guwahati, one of the most important cities in Northeast India, which generates increasing plastic waste daily. The paper aims to identify the factors contributing to the reduction of carbon footprints resulting from plastic waste management activities. The data collected from 1326 respondents was analyzed using factor analysis, and the reliability of the dataset was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha (0.84 for the awareness level of waste management techniques and 0.780 for the prevalent mode of plastic waste management techniques). KMO (0.796), Bartlett's test of sphericity (p < 0.001), and determinant score (0.019) were used to assess the data adequacy and factorability of the dataset, and the results were found to be satisfactory. Principal component analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and varimax orthogonal rotation method were used to identify high‐loaded factors by reducing the number of variables. The results showed that two highly loaded components, namely awareness level of waste management techniques (AWMT) and prevalent mode of plastic waste management techniques (PWMT), explained 27.53% and 24.34% of the total variance, respectively, with eigenvalues of 3.35 and 2.88. The regression model confirmed the statistical significance of these factors (p < 0.001) and their relationship with the dependent variable, greenhouse reduction (GHGR). The study proposes that minimizing carbon footprints in the environment can be achieved by focusing on a limited number of controllable factors such as AWMT and PWMT. This study provides valuable insights to the authorities in controlling waste generation and achieving a pollution‐free environment.
Living Earth—A Methodology for Modeling the Environment of Construction Sites Via Digital Twins
Authors: Bliznyuk Artem , Schluse Michael , Roßmann Jürgen
Published: July 2023

The architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry appears hesitant to embrace new digital innovations. One of the few recent successful examples is the introduction of the building information modeling (BIM) paradigm. However, the focus here lies mainly on the building itself and does not support the construction environment. This paper presents a methodology for the development and application of Digital Twins representing and supporting the working environment of a construction site. By combining available geodata with real-time sensor data from mobile construction machines, it is possible to create always-up-to-date Digital Twins of the relevant objects and processes in the field in order to facilitate supervision, additional planning steps, management, control and security activities. The proposed concept is currently being tested on a local test site to generate, update and adapt the Digital Twins as well as to incorporate additional semantic information about e.g. the soil and various working processes.
Analyzing Natural Resting Aspects of Arbitrary Components Using a Physics Engine
Authors: Kolditz Torge , Hentschel Jakob , Raatz Annika
Published: July 2023

Part Feeding Systems play a vital role in automated assembly, linking in-house logistics with individual assembly stations. One of the main tasks of part feeding systems is to transfer components from a disordered state (e.g. bulk material) to an ordered state (defined position and orientation) so that they can be further processed by automated handling equipment. Knowledge of the natural resting aspects (probability that a geometrical body rests in a certain orientation) of the components is essential for the development and design of part feeding systems. The experimental determination of natural resting aspects is time consuming and expensive since extensive drop tests have to be carried out. Therefore, many approaches have been taken to derive the natural resting aspects mathematically based on the component geometry or by direct dynamic simulation. In this work, the open-source physics engine Blender is used to determine natural resting aspects of arbitrary components without the need for experimental drop tests. In virtual drop tests, components are imported in the common STL format and are dropped on a surface from random initial orientations. The resting orientations of the components are exported and automatically evaluated using MATLAB. The functionality and accuracy of the approach is evaluated by conducting experimental drop tests with five exemplary components. The evaluation shows good agreement between simulated and experimental results.
Investigation and Compensation of Hysteresis in Robot Joints with Cycloidal Drives
Authors: Mesmer Patrick , Riedel Patrick , Lechler Armin , Verl Alexander
Published: July 2023

Improving the dynamic path accuracy has been a major research topic in industrial robotics for decades. It is known that the drivetrains installed in the robot joints limit further improvements. There is a lot more literature on the dynamic behavior of harmonic drives (HDs) than for cycloidal drives (CDs), that are usually installed in industrial robots (IRs) with heavy payload. However, a more profound knowledge of the occurring effects offers the potential for both, design- and control-based enhancements. Therefore, this paper presents an experimental study of the friction and hysteresis behavior with explicit consideration of further dependencies, such as temperature and load. Based on these investigations, a model as well as a control-based compensation approach, that does not require additional gearbox output sensors, is proposed. The investigation and validation are carried out with an experimental setup equivalent to the drivetrain of an IR with heavy payload.
Generalized Model for the Optimization of a LIFO Topology Storage Using a Metaheuristic Algorithm
Authors: Kuhn Dominik , Adelsbach Jan , Karkowski Martin , Müller Rainer
Published: July 2023

LIFO topologies, due to their simplicity and high degree of space usage efficiency are common in applications for which a flexible and cost effective storage solution is required. This topology however represent an optimization challenge due to insertion and removal constraints. A scalable generalized model for the optimization of this topology using a population based metaheuristic algorithm is presented in this paper. The model to represent this storage topology, in a way suitable for population based metaheuristics and the implementation thereof are being discussed. It is being validated using practical usage scenarios from logistics and assembly such as non-stacking condensed pallet storage.
Digital Geometry Recording for Automation of the One-Off Production of Pipes
Authors: Biltgen Jacques , Lauer Sascha , Wanner Martin-Christoph , Flügge Wilko
Published: July 2023

The manual production in pipeline construction is often related to the fact that either the capacities for automation are lacking or the production is too individual for a simple automation solution. However, automated production would increase productivity and quality, especially in metal processing. The challenge in the manufacturing process of fitting tubes is the batch sizes of one. Nevertheless, a non-time-consuming programming solution must be found to integrate a robot-based solution economically into the production chain. Offline path planning based on CAD models would be a suitable solution. To ensure that the robot-welded seams comply with the standards, there has to be consistent quality in the seam preparations. For the final quality the direct integration of the CAD flow would be important. Due to transport and limited space, it is often impossible to use sensors to scan the piping. In case of lacking technical documentation, the pipes are still measured by hand, especially when replacing or modifying pipelines.The geometry survey is done in several steps, first a rough drawing is made on the vessel, this is then converted into a technical sketch and only later transferred to a CAD programme. There can be several days between these steps and different operators. A method will now be presented to combine these steps with the support of a tablet. For this purpose, software is used on the tablet to digitise the geometries and prepare them for further offline path planning.
Detection and Handling of Dynamic Scenes During an Active Vision Process for Object Recognition Using a Boundary Representation
Authors: Rohner Dorian , Hartwig Johannes , Henrich Dominik
Published: July 2023

For robot manipulators, it is nowadays necessary to know their surroundings. This knowledge consists at least of a world representation with recognized objects. During the reconstruction of scene objects from multiple views, changes, like positioning of the objects, or additional unwanted signals, like parts of a human co-worker, may occur. In this paper, we classify the possible changes for a specific type of representation (boundary representation models). Afterwards, we present an approach to detect and handle these changes to maintain a valid world model. To achieve this, we compare what should be visible in the world model reconstructed thus far with the actual information from the current view. The detected change is handled by using object hypotheses as well as geometric information from the world representation. Based on an evaluation, we show a proof of concept and the usefulness of our approach and suggest future work.
Flow Modeling for Vacuum Pressure-Based Handling of Porous Electrodes of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Schimanek Robert , Aydemir Muhammed , Müller Alexander , Dietrich Franz
Published: July 2023

In lithium-ion battery (LIB) production, limp electrodes are handled gently by vacuum-pressure based handling and transport systems, which generate a fluid flow that propagates through the porous electrode coating during handling. To investigate the limits and material-damaging behavior of vacuum pressure-based handling, it is required to understand how process parameters and electrode qualities affect fluid flow. Questions on how fluid flow reduces electrode quality are insufficiently addressed or modeled. Modeling the electrode and handling system interaction requires knowledge of the effective surface geometry and the volumetric flow rate caused by the pressure difference. In this article, flow through porous electrode coatings during handling is modeled. Experiments demonstrate a flow behavior according to the generalized Darcy’s law. Thus, using Darcy’s law, modeling fluid flow through the electrode improves the exploration of the limits and design of vacuum pressure-based handling and transport of electrodes in LIB production.
Integration of an IoT Communication Infrastructure in Distributed Production Systems in Industry 4.0
Authors: Chen Jiahang , Roßmann Jürgen
Published: July 2023

The term Internet of Things (IoT) denotes a communication network, where various Things are interconnected using novel scenario-specific Internet technologies and predefined customizable semantics. Industry 4.0 aims at enabling a globally networked production, with the use of IoT as a crucial concept. Since production systems tend to be technically and organizationally heterogeneous, distributed at different locations, and associated with large amounts of data, communication and information processing platforms that provide confidentiality, integrity, availability (CIA rules), access control, and privacy are needed. In this contribution, we introduce a concept for designing and operating heterogeneous and spatially distributed industrial systems with Digital Twins, connected via an IoT communication infrastructure, the Smart Systems Service Infrastructure (S3I). By demonstrating an industrial use case with our concept, it is proven that the S3I can be used as a cross-domain solution for the interconnection of devices in a distributed production scenario.