bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for social anxiety symptoms in people living with alopecia areata: a single-group case-series design
Authors: Heapy Connor , Norman Paul , Cockayne Sarah , Thompson Andrew R.
Published: August 2023

Background:

Alopecia areata (AA) is an immunological disorder characterised by hair loss. Individuals with AA report high levels of social anxiety. One intervention that holds potential for reducing social anxiety in individuals with AA is mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).

Aims:

Our key aim was to investigate whether MBCT reduces social anxiety in individuals with AA. The study also investigated whether MBCT reduces depression, general anxiety, and increases quality of life and increases trait mindfulness in individuals with AA.

Method:

Five participants with AA took part in an 8-session in-person MBCT intervention. A multiple-baseline single-group case series design was adopted. Idiographic measures of social anxiety were measured each day from baseline, through intervention, to follow-up. Standardised questionnaires of trait mindfulness, social anxiety, depression, anxiety, and quality of life were completed at baseline, post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up.

Results:

All participants completed the MBCT course, but one participant was excluded from the idiographic analysis due to a high amount of missing data. The remaining four participants demonstrated reductions in idiographic measures of social anxiety from baseline to follow-up. These effects were larger between baseline and follow-up, than between baseline and post-intervention. Two participants demonstrated significant improvement in standardised measures of wellbeing from baseline to follow-up – they also practised mindfulness most regularly at home between sessions.

Conclusion:

MBCT may be effective in reducing social anxiety and improving wellbeing in individuals with AA, although this might be dependent on the extent to which participants regularly practise mindfulness exercises.
Role of the Australian High in Seasonal Phase Locking of the Indian Ocean Dipole
Authors: Tong Bo , Zhou Wen
Published: August 2023

This paper analyzes the effect of the Australian High (AH) on the seasonal phase locking of Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events. The anomalous strong AH associated with the positive phase of the Antarctic Oscillation can cause significant easterly wind anomalies and northward cross‐equatorial flow over the western Maritime Continent (MC) by strengthening the Australian winter monsoon during May–August. The AH‐associated easterly anomalies and northward cross‐equatorial flow can create thermodynamic air‐sea feedback and contribute to a significant cooling anomaly in the western MC and the tropical eastern Indian Ocean. Without considering the effect of ENSO, these processes contribute to the occurrence of positive IOD events, which begin in early summer, peak in late summer, and decay rapidly thereafter. The effect of ENSO can extend the peak period of IOD into the boreal autumn of that year. An anomalous weak AH corresponds to the occurrence and seasonal phase locking of negative IOD events. Through combined empirical orthogonal function analysis, we find that the effect of the AH can well explain the seasonal phase locking of 34 IOD events (40 in total), which provides an important theoretical basis for the prediction of IOD events.
Biases in Estimating Long‐Term Recurrence Intervals of Extreme Events Due To Regionalized Sampling
Authors: El Rafei Moutassem , Sherwood Steven , Evans Jason , Dowdy Andrew , Ji Fei
Published: August 2023

Preparing for environmental risks requires estimating the frequencies of extreme events, often from data records that are too short to confirm them directly. This requires fitting a statistical distribution to the data. To improve precision, investigators often pool data from neighboring sites into single samples, referred to as “superstations,” before fitting. We demonstrate that this technique can introduce unexpected biases in typical situations, using wind and rainfall extremes as case studies. When the combined locations have even small differences in the underlying statistics, the regionalization approach gives a fit that may tend toward the highest levels suggested by any of the individual sites. This bias may be large or small compared to the sampling error, for realistic record lengths, depending on the distribution of the quantity analyzed. The results of this analysis indicate that previous analyses could potentially have overestimated the likelihood of extreme events arising from natural weather variability.
Enhancement of Precise Underwater Object Localization
Authors: Kaveripakam Sathish , Chinthaginjala Ravikumar , Anbazhagan Rajesh , Alibakhshikenari Mohammad , Virdee Bal , Khan Salahuddin , Pau Giovanni , Hwang See Chan , Dayoub Iyad , Livreri Patrizia , Abd‐Alhameed Raed
Published: August 2023

Underwater communication applications extensively use localization services for object identification. Because of their significant impact on ocean exploration and monitoring, underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSN) are becoming increasingly popular, and acoustic communications have largely overtaken radio frequency broadcasts as the dominant means of communication. The two localization methods that are most frequently employed are those that estimate the angle of arrival and the time difference of arrival. The military and civilian sectors rely heavily on UWSN for object identification in the underwater environment. As a result, there is a need in UWSN for an accurate localization technique that accounts for dynamic nature of the underwater environment. Time and position data are the two key parameters to accurately define the position of an object. Moreover, due to climate change there is now a need to constrain energy consumption by UWSN to limit carbon emission to meet net‐zero target by 2050. To meet these challenges, we have developed an efficient localization algorithm for determining an object position based on the angle and distance of arrival of beacon signals. We have considered the factors like sensor nodes not being in time sync with each other and the fact that the speed of sound varies in water. Our simulation results show that the proposed approach can achieve great localization accuracy while accounting for temporal synchronization inaccuracies. When compared to existing localization approaches, the mean estimation error (MEE) (MEE) and energy consumption figures, the proposed approach outperforms them. The MEEs is shown to vary between 84.2154 and 93.8275 m for four trials, 61.2256 and 92.7956 m for eight trials, and 42.6584 and 119.5228 m for 12 trials. Comparatively, the distance‐based measurements show higher accuracy than the angle‐based measurements.
Placental expanded mesenchymal-like cells (PLX-R18) for poor graft function after hematopoietic cell transplantation: A phase I study
Authors: McGuirk Joseph P. , Metheny Leland , Pineiro Luis , Litzow Mark , Rowley Scott D. , Avni Batia , Tamari Roni , Lazarus Hillard M. , Rowe Jacob M. , Sheleg Michal , Rothenstein Daniel , Halevy Nitsan , Zuckerman Tsila
Published: August 2023

Persistent cytopenia in the post-hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) setting can occur despite adequate engraftment of donor cells. PLX-R18, a placental-derived mesenchymal-like cell product, is expanded ex vivo in a 3-dimensional environment. PLX-R18 cells secrete a large array of hematopoietic factors, which promote regeneration, maturation, and differentiation of hematopoietic cells and stimulate their migration to peripheral blood. This phase 1, first-in-human study (NCT03002519), included 21 patients with incomplete hematopoietic recovery post-HCT. Patients were treated with escalating doses of PLX-R18: 3 patients received 1 million cells/kg, 6 received 2 million cells/kg, and 12 received 4 million cells/kg via multiple intramuscular injections. While patients received only two administrations of cells during the first week, peripheral blood counts continued to increase for months, peaking at 6 months for hemoglobin (Hb, p = 0.002), lymphocytes (p = 0.008), and neutrophils (ANC, p = 0.063), and at 9 months for platelets (p < 0.001) and was maintained until 12 months for all but ANC. The need for platelet transfusions was reduced from 5.09 units/month at baseline to 0.55 at month 12 (p = 0.05). Likewise, red blood cell transfusions decreased from 2.91 units/month at baseline to 0 at month 12 (p = 0.0005). PLX-R18 was safe and well tolerated and shows promise in improving incomplete hematopoietic recovery post-HCT.
Vitamin interdependencies predicted by metagenomics-informed network analyses and validated in microbial community microcosms
Authors: Hessler Tomas , Huddy Robert J. , Sachdeva Rohan , Lei Shufei , Harrison Susan T. L. , Diamond Spencer , Banfield Jillian F.
Published: August 2023

Metagenomic or metabarcoding data are often used to predict microbial interactions in complex communities, but these predictions are rarely explored experimentally. Here, we use an organism abundance correlation network to investigate factors that control community organization in mine tailings-derived laboratory microbial consortia grown under dozens of conditions. The network is overlaid with metagenomic information about functional capacities to generate testable hypotheses. We develop a metric to predict the importance of each node within its local network environments relative to correlated vitamin auxotrophs, and predict that a Variovorax species is a hub as an important source of thiamine. Quantification of thiamine during the growth of Variovorax in minimal media show high levels of thiamine production, up to 100 mg/L. A few of the correlated thiamine auxotrophs are predicted to produce pantothenate, which we show is required for growth of Variovorax, supporting that a subset of vitamin-dependent interactions are mutualistic. A Cryptococcus yeast produces the B-vitamin pantothenate, and co-culturing with Variovorax leads to a 90-130-fold fitness increase for both organisms. Our study demonstrates the predictive power of metagenome-informed, microbial consortia-based network analyses for identifying microbial interactions that underpin the structure and functioning of microbial communities.
Stimulus edges induce orientation tuning in superior colliculus
Authors: Liang Yajie , Lu Rongwen , Borges Katharine , Ji Na
Published: August 2023

Orientation columns exist in the primary visual cortex (V1) of cat and primates but not mouse. Intriguingly, some recent studies reported the presence of orientation and direction columns in the mouse superficial superior colliculus (sSC), while others reported a lack of columnar organization therein. Using in vivo calcium imaging of sSC in the awake mouse brain, we found that the presence of columns is highly stimulus dependent. Specifically, we observed orientation and direction columns formed by sSC neurons retinotopically mapped to the edge of grating stimuli. For both excitatory and inhibitory neurons in sSC, orientation selectivity can be induced by the edge with their preferred orientation perpendicular to the edge orientation. Furthermore, we found that this edge-induced orientation selectivity is associated with saliency encoding. These findings indicate that the tuning properties of sSC neurons are not fixed by circuit architecture but rather dependent on the spatiotemporal properties of the stimulus.
Van der Waals isotope heterostructures for engineering phonon polariton dispersions
Authors: Chen M. , Zhong Y. , Harris E. , Li J. , Zheng Z. , Chen H. , Wu J.-S. , Jarillo-Herrero P. , Ma Q. , Edgar J. H. , Lin X. , Dai S.
Published: August 2023

Element isotopes are characterized by distinct atomic masses and nuclear spins, which can significantly influence material properties. Notably, however, isotopes in natural materials are homogenously distributed in space. Here, we propose a method to configure material properties by repositioning isotopes in engineered van der Waals (vdW) isotopic heterostructures. We showcase the properties of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) isotopic heterostructures in engineering confined photon-lattice waves—hyperbolic phonon polaritons. By varying the composition, stacking order, and thicknesses of h10BN and h11BN building blocks, hyperbolic phonon polaritons can be engineered into a variety of energy-momentum dispersions. These confined and tailored polaritons are promising for various nanophotonic and thermal functionalities. Due to the universality and importance of isotopes, our vdW isotope heterostructuring method can be applied to engineer the properties of a broad range of materials.
CoIn dual-atom catalyst for hydrogen peroxide production via oxygen reduction reaction in acid
Authors: Du Jiannan , Han Guokang , Zhang Wei , Li Lingfeng , Yan Yuqi , Shi Yaoxuan , Zhang Xue , Geng Lin , Wang Zhijiang , Xiong Yueping , Yin Geping , Du Chunyu
Published: August 2023

The two-electron oxygen reduction reaction in acid is highly attractive to produce H2O2, a commodity chemical vital in various industry and household scenarios, which is still hindered by the sluggish reaction kinetics. Herein, both density function theory calculation and in-situ characterization demonstrate that in dual-atom CoIn catalyst, O-affinitive In atom triggers the favorable and stable adsorption of hydroxyl, which effectively optimizes the adsorption of OOH on neighboring Co. As a result, the oxygen reduction on Co atoms shifts to two-electron pathway for efficient H2O2 production in acid. The H2O2 partial current density reaches 1.92 mA cm−2 at 0.65 V in the rotating ring-disk electrode test, while the H2O2 production rate is as high as 9.68 mol g−1 h−1 in the three-phase flow cell. Additionally, the CoIn-N-C presents excellent stability during the long-term operation, verifying the practicability of the CoIn-N-C catalyst. This work provides inspiring insights into the rational design of active catalysts for H2O2 production and other catalytic systems.
Structure, catalysis, chitin transport, and selective inhibition of chitin synthase
Authors: Chen Dan-Dan , Wang Zhao-Bin , Wang Le-Xuan , Zhao Peng , Yun Cai-Hong , Bai Lin
Published: August 2023

Chitin is one of the most abundant natural biopolymers and serves as a critical structural component of extracellular matrices, including fungal cell walls and insect exoskeletons. As a linear polymer of β-(1,4)-linked N-acetylglucosamine, chitin is synthesized by chitin synthases, which are recognized as targets for antifungal and anti-insect drugs. In this study, we determine seven different cryo-electron microscopy structures of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae chitin synthase in the absence and presence of glycosyl donor, acceptor, product, or peptidyl nucleoside inhibitors. Combined with functional analyses, these structures show how the donor and acceptor substrates bind in the active site, how substrate hydrolysis drives self-priming, how a chitin-conducting transmembrane channel opens, and how peptidyl nucleoside inhibitors inhibit chitin synthase. Our work provides a structural basis for understanding the function and inhibition of chitin synthase.
Impact of school operating scenarios on COVID-19 transmission under vaccination in the U.S.: an agent-based simulation model
Authors: Weng Xingran , Chen Qiushi , Sathapathi Tarun Kumar , Yin Xin , Wang Li
Published: August 2023

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 schools struggled to safely operate under the fast-changing pandemic situation. However, little is known about the impact of different school operating scenarios considering the ongoing efforts of vaccination. In this study, we deployed an agent-based simulation model to mimic disease transmission in a mid-sized community consisting of 10,000 households. A total of eight school operating scenarios were simulated, in decreasing order of restrictiveness regarding COVID-19 mitigation measures. When masks were worn at school, work, and community environments, increasing in-person education from 50% to 100% would result in only 1% increase in cumulative infections. When there were no masks nor contact tracing while schools were 100% in person, the cumulative infection increased by 86% compared to the scenario when both masking and contact tracing were in place. In the sensitivity analysis for vaccination efficacy, we found that higher vaccination efficacy was essential in reducing overall infections. Our findings showed that full in-person education was safe, especially when contact tracing, masking, and widespread vaccination were in place. If no masking nor contact tracing was practiced, the transmission would rose dramatically but eventually slow down due to herd immunity.
Effect of cutting management on the forage production and quality of tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray)
Authors: Witt Travis W. , Northup Brian K. , Porch Timothy G. , Barrera Santos , Urrea Carlos A.
Published: August 2023

Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray) is an underutilized drought tolerant annual legume, originating from the Sonoran Desert, that may be a beneficial forage/hay for beef cattle in the Southern Great Plains of the US (SGP). The SGP has erratic rainfall and periods of intermittent drought exacerbated by high summer temperatures. In 2020 and 2021, a split-plot design was used to evaluate 13 genotypes of tepary bean and a forage soybean (control) at El Reno, OK, USA to compare production of plant biomass and forage nutritive value parameters under seven harvest regimes. Genotypes were used as the main plot and cutting management as the sub-plot. Biomass production of all tepary bean genotypes equaled that of soybean (p > 0.05), while several genotypes had superior forage nutritive value traits (p ≤ 0.05). Overall, a 15-cm cutting height and 30-day harvest interval produced the best overall product (average dry biomass of 5.8 Mg ha−1 with average relative feed values (RFV) of 165). Although all harvest regimes reduced total seasonal biomass, forage nutritive value increased. However, the tradeoff between forage production and nutritive value may be unacceptable to most producers. Further agronomic and breeding research is needed to encourage producers to grow tepary bean as a forage/hay in the SGP.
High optical spin-filtering in antiferromagnetic stanene nanoribbons induced by band bending and uniaxial strain
Authors: Rahimi F. , Phirouznia A.
Published: August 2023

Non-equilibrium spin-polarized transport properties of antiferromagnetic stanene nanoribbons are theoretically studied under the combining effect of a normal electric field and linearly polarized irradiation based on the tight-binding model at room temperature. Due to the existence of spin-orbit coupling in stanene lattice, applying normal electric field leads to splitting of band degeneracy of spin-resolved energy levels in conduction and valence bands. Furthermore, unequivalent absorption of the polarized photons at two valleys which is attributed to an antiferromagnetic exchange field results in unequal spin-polarized photocurrent for spin-up and spin-down components. Interestingly, in the presence of band bending which has been induced by edge potentials, an allowable quantum efficiency occurs over a wider wavelength region of the incident light. It is especially important that the variation of an exchange magnetic field generates spin semi-conducting behavior in the bended band structure. Moreover, it is shown that optical spin-filtering effect is obtained under the simultaneous effect of uniaxial strain and narrow edge potential.
Taking a look accurately at the alteration of interfacial asphaltene film exposed to the ionic surfactants as demulsifiers
Authors: Javadian Soheila , Sadrpoor S. Morteza , Khosravian Mahnaz
Published: August 2023

The water droplets surrounded by a rigid interfacial asphaltene (ASP) film is one of the major setbacks in the petroleum industry. In this study, the properties of the interfacial ASP films around water droplets exposed to ionic surfactants as demulsifier were investigated. According to molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, the anionic surfactants are more effective than the cationic surfactant in the demulsification process since the anionic surfactants have the exact desire to localize not only near the ASP molecules but also near the water molecules. It has been found that it is likely to cause film changes and ruptures. Also, the MD simulation results for the desired surfactant, anionic surfactant, demonstrated that an increase in the surfactant concentration had an adverse effect on the system by hindering the change in the interfacial film. The increase in the temperature along with the enhancement in the adsorption rate of the surfactant results in the better performance of the demulsifier. Taking the MD and quantum results into account, the film deformation is a decisive factor in demulsification. The quantum computation has indicated that the electrostatic interactions play a significant role in selecting the attraction position and adsorption energy of the surfactant molecules.
Assessment of compensated advanced chronic liver disease based on serum bile acids in chronic hepatitis B patients
Authors: Chen Fei , Yao Yaning , Li Zhen , Deng Long , He Ruiling
Published: August 2023

Patients with chronic liver disease progressed to compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD), the risk of liver-related decompensation increased significantly. This study aimed to develop prediction model based on individual bile acid (BA) profiles to identify cACLD. This study prospectively recruited 159 patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and 60 healthy volunteers undergoing liver stiffness measurement (LSM). With the value of LSM, patients were categorized as three groups: F1 [LSM ≤ 7.0 kilopascals (kPa)], F2 (7.1 < LSM ≤ 8.0 kPa), and cACLD group (LSM ≥ 8.1 kPa). Random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) were applied to develop two classification models to distinguish patients with different degrees of fibrosis. The content of individual BA in the serum increased significantly with the degree of fibrosis, especially glycine-conjugated BA and taurine-conjugated BA. The Marco-Precise, Marco-Recall, and Marco-F1 score of the optimized RF model were all 0.82. For the optimized SVM model, corresponding score were 0.86, 0.84, and 0.85, respectively. RF and SVM models were applied to identify individual BA features that successfully distinguish patients with cACLD caused by HBV. This study provides a new tool for identifying cACLD that can enable clinicians to better manage patients with chronic liver disease.
Rigorous analysis of the topologically protected edge states in the quantum spin Hall phase of the armchair ribbon geometry
Authors: Sadeghizadeh Mozhgan , Soltani Morteza , Amini Mohsen
Published: August 2023

Studying the edge states of a topological system and extracting their topological properties is of great importance in understanding and characterizing these systems. In this paper, we present a novel analytical approach for obtaining explicit expressions for the edge states in the Kane-Mele model within a ribbon geometry featuring armchair boundaries. Our approach involves a mapping procedure that transforms the system into an extended Su–Schrieffer–Heeger model, specifically a two-leg ladder, in momentum space. Through rigorous derivation, we determine various analytical properties of the edge states, including their wave functions and energy dispersion. Additionally, we investigate the condition for topological transition by solely analyzing the edge states, and we elucidate the underlying reasons for the violation of the bulk-edge correspondence in relatively narrow ribbons. Our findings shed light on the unique characteristics of the edge states in the quantum spin Hall phase of the Kane–Mele model and provide valuable insights into the topological properties of such systems.
Mechanisms governing the impact of nitrogen stress on the formation of secondary metabolites in Artemisia argyi leaves
Authors: Wang Zixin , Zhao Tingting , Ma Lin , Chen Changjie , Miao Yuhuan , Guo Lanping , Liu Dahui
Published: August 2023

Nitrogen is a key factor in various physiological and metabolic processes in plants. Providing an adequate supply of nitrogen is essential for improving the total yield and quality of the medicinal plant Artemisia argyi (A. argyi), but the underlying mechanisms of how this nutrient alters the crop remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a series of pot experiments to investigate the agronomic traits and active components in the leaves of A. argyi plants under low and high nitrogen stress. Additionally, we used transcriptome analysis and RT-qPCR to explore the molecular pathways associated with nitrogen stress. Our results demonstrate a dramatic increase in the accumulation of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the low nitrogen (LN) stress group compared to the control (CK), with increases of 40.00% and 79.49%, respectively. Interestingly, plants in the high nitrogen (HN) stress group exhibited enhanced plant growth with larger leaves, thicker stems, and a 3% increase in volatile oil content compared to the CK. Moreover, A. argyi in the HN group displayed a 66% increase in volatile oil concentration compared to the LN group. Our combined transcriptome and q-PCR results indicate that LN stress promotes the expression of genes involved in flavonoid synthesis, while HN stress promotes the expression of genes related to terpene skeleton production and photosynthesis. Taken together, these findings suggest that different gene expression levels under LN and HN stress contribute to the photosynthesis capacity and the accumulation of active ingredients in A. argyi leaves. Our results elucidate the physiological and molecular mechanisms of nitrogen stress on A. argyi secondary metabolites and guide fertilization strategies for plant cultivation.
DichroIDP: a method for analyses of intrinsically disordered proteins using circular dichroism spectroscopy
Authors: Miles Andrew J. , Drew Elliot D. , Wallace B. A.
Published: August 2023

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are comprised of significant numbers of residues that form neither helix, sheet, nor any other canonical type of secondary structure. They play important roles in a broad range of biological processes, such as molecular recognition and signalling, largely due to their chameleon-like ability to change structure from unordered when free in solution to ordered when bound to partner molecules. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy is a widely-used method for characterising protein secondary structures, but analyses of IDPs using CD spectroscopy have suffered because the methods and reference datasets used for the empirical determination of secondary structures do not contain adequate representations of unordered structures. This work describes the creation, validation and testing of a standalone Windows-based application, DichroIDP, and a new reference dataset, IDP175, which is suitable for analyses of proteins containing significant amounts of disordered structure. DichroIDP enables secondary structure determinations of IDPs and proteins containing intrinsically disordered regions.
Prosocial behavior in competitive fish: the case of the archerfish
Authors: Nafcha Orit , Vilker Dana , Shamay-Tsoory Simone , Gabay Shai
Published: August 2023

Humans are social creatures, demonstrate prosocial behaviors, and are sensitive to the actions and consequent payoff of others. This social sensitivity has also been found in many other species, though not in all. Research has suggested that prosocial tendencies are more pronounced in naturally cooperative species whose social structure requires a high level of interdependence and allomaternal care. The present study challenges this assumption by demonstrating, in a laboratory setting, that archerfish, competitive by nature, preferred targets rewarding both themselves and their tankmates, but only when the payoff was equal. With no tankmate on the other side of the partition, they exhibited no obvious preference. Finding evidence for prosocial behavior and negative responses to unequal distribution of reward to the advantage of the other fish suggests that in a competitive social environment, being prosocial may be the most adaptive strategy for personal survival, even if it benefits others as well.
Macrocyclic peptides as inhibitors of WDR5–lncRNA interactions
Authors: Chang Jen-Yao , Neugebauer Cora , Schmeing Stefan , Amrahova Gulshan , ‘t Hart Peter
Published: August 2023

An optimized protein–protein interaction mimetic inhibits long non-coding RNA binding by WDR5.
A room-temperature nitrite-based hybrid bimetal molecular ferroelectric material: [(R)-3-quinuclidinol]2[LiCo(NO2)6]
Authors: Yue Zhi-Yuan , Liao Rong-Meng , Luo Wang , Wang Na , Miao Le-Ping , Ye Heng-Yun , Shi Chao
Published: August 2023

Ferroelectricity has been realized in a bimetal nitrite-based hybrid ferroelectric material: [(R)-3-quinuclidinol]2[LiCo(NO2)6]. This finding will give inspiration for finding hybrid ferroelectric materials.
Retraction: Effect of Ca2+ doping on the upconversion luminescence properties of NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ nanoparticles and study of its temperature measurement performance
Authors: Meng Mingzhou , Zhang Rui , Cheng Zhenlong , Fa Xinmeng , Yang Jianghua , Ansari Anees A. , Ou Jun , Wurth Christian , Resch-Genger Ute
Published: August 2023

Retraction of ‘Effect of Ca2+ doping on the upconversion luminescence properties of NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ nanoparticles and study of its temperature measurement performance’ by Mingzhou Meng et al., CrystEngComm, 2022, 24, 4887–4898, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CE00562J
The correlation between the micelle morphology of surface-active ionic liquids with self-assembly and thermodynamic characteristics: coarse-grained MD simulation and experiment
Authors: Fallah-Totkar Hajar , Bagheri Ahmad , Maddah Mina
Published: August 2023

How changes in the tail length and the head group of surface-active ionic liquids both independently and simultaneously affect the morphology of micelles.
Improved visible light triggered photocatalytic activities of BiOCl photocatalysts via a synergistic effect of doping and heterojunction engineering
Authors: Wu Qian , Lai Xiaoqing , Ji Xiao-Hui , Jiang Hai , Du Peng
Published: August 2023

Improved photocatalytic activities of BiOCl microplates via doping and construction of heterojunctions are a promising candidates for visible light driven photocatalysts.
Effects of surfactant adsorption on the wettability and friction of biomimetic surfaces
Authors: Weiand Erik , Rodriguez-Ropero Francisco , Roiter Yuri , Koenig Peter H. , Angioletti-Uberti Stefano , Dini Daniele , Ewen James P.
Published: August 2023

Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations are applied to study the adsorption and friction of ionic surfactants on hair surfaces.
Selective confinement of potassium, rubidium, or caesium ions in a non-covalent hydroxyproline octamer cage stabilized by cis-hydroxyl locks
Authors: Hou Yameng , Zhou Sijin , Xu Xingshi , Kou Min , Kong Xianglei
Published: August 2023

While numerous studies have focused on the impact of chirality on some magic amino acid clusters, this article investigates the effects of steric isomerization using 4-hydroxyproline octamers as a model system.
Deciphering electrochemical interactions in metal–polymer catalysts for CO2 reduction
Authors: Wang Xingyu , Sahoo Sanjubala , Gascon Jose , Bragin Mikhail , Liu Fangyuan , Olchowski Julia , Rothfarb Samuel , Huang Yuankai , Xiang Wenjun , Gao Pu-Xian , Alpay S. Pamir , Li Baikun
Published: August 2023

Polymers play a critical role in catalyst design to stabilize metal nanoparticles on the cathode for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR).
A review of water splitting via mixed ionic–electronic conducting (MIEC) membrane reactors
Authors: Wang Bin , Li Tao , Wang Zhigang , Othman Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan , Liu Shaomin , Xiao Rui
Published: August 2023

Coupling catalytic water splitting with a mixed ionic–electronic conducting (MIEC) membrane reactor has been demonstrated as a very promising approach to enhance the hydrogen production rate by extracting the oxygen produced.
Improvement in detection reproducibility of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy based on plasma acoustic correction
Authors: Xu Zhishuai , Liu Li , Hao Zhongqi , Deng Zhiwei , Lu Ying , Zhao Ziyi , Li Jiaming , Shi Jiulin , He Xingdao
Published: August 2023

The LIBS acoustic correction (AC) method can effectively reduce the uncertainty of spectral signals and improve the robustness of calibration models and the long-term reproducibility of quantitative analysis.
Advances in the ratiometric combination of quantum dots for their use in sensing applications
Authors: Santra Sumon , Dutta Sourav , Adalder Ashadul
Published: August 2023

Quantum dots are novel nanomaterials due to their nanoscale size and diverse characteristics. They serve as low-cost visual sensors, widely studied for sensing applications, including ratiometric combinations, to enhance the limit of detection.
Machine learning-assisted flexible wearable device for tyrosine detection
Authors: Bao Qiwen , Li Gang , Cheng Wenbo , Yang Zhengchun , Qu Zilian , Wei Jun , Lin Ling
Published: August 2023

Early diagnosis of pathological markers can significantly shorten the rate of viral transmission, reduce the probability of infection, and improve the cure rate of diseases.
Chiral gem-difluoroalkyl reagents: gem-difluoroalkyl propargylic borons and gem-difluoroalkyl α-allenols
Authors: Zou Hui-Na , Huang Meng-Lin , Huang Ming-Yao , Su Yu-Xuan , Zhang Jing-Wei , Zhang Xin-Yu , Zhu Shou-Fei
Published: August 2023

Two types of chiral gem-difluoroalkyl reagents, chiral gem-difluoroalkyl propargylic borons and gem-difluoroalkyl α-allenols were developed by means of Rh-catalyzed enantioselective B–H bond insertion and Lewis acid-promoted allenylation.
Metal-free B4@g-C3N4: a potential electrocatalyst for highly selective and efficient conversion of CO to ethanol
Authors: Hao Zhichao , Ma Li-Juan , Jia Jianfeng , Wu Hai-Shun
Published: August 2023

Metal-free B4@g-C3N4: a potential electrocatalyst for highly selective and efficient conversion of CO to ethanol.
High gain complementary inverters based on comparably-sized IGZO and DNTT source-gated transistors
Authors: Bestelink Eva , Sihapitak Pongsakorn , Zschieschang Ute , Askew Leslie , Shannon John M. , Bermundo Juan Paolo , Uraoka Yukiharu , Klauk Hagen , Sporea Radu A.
Published: August 2023

Complementary inverters using IGZO n-channel and DNTT p-channel source-gated transistors are demonstrated for the first time. They exhibit gain of 368 V V−1, 94% noise margin and matching on-current for relatively similar widths.
Capabilities and challenges of passive radar systems based on broadband low‐Earth orbit communication satellites
Authors: Blázquez‐García Rodrigo , Cristallini Diego , Ummenhofer Martin , Seidel Viktor , Heckenbach Jörg , O’Hagan Daniel
Published: August 2023

Recently, several constellations of broadband low‐Earth orbit communication satellites, such as Starlink or OneWeb, have started to be deployed to provide global internet access. Based on performed analyses, these emerging constellations are considered promising candidates as space‐based transmitters of opportunity for passive radar applications due to their advantageous characteristics in terms of global coverage, high bandwidth (i.e. better resolution), high received power on Earth surface (i.e. increased maximum range), predictable trajectory, and network density and robustness. However, they also pose certain challenges for the development of passive radar systems due to the necessity to track the satellites with a narrow beam reference antenna, their fast‐relative dynamics which induce range and Doppler migration, and the use of non‐standardised signals with little publicly available information, which in addition are not optimised for radar usage. In this article, these capabilities and challenges are analysed, putting a special focus on the estimation of the achievable performance and on the experimental characterisation of the transmitted signals. To this end, the proposed passive radar architectures and the first developed prototypes are also presented. Showing the potential capabilities of these emerging illuminators of opportunity, the authors aim to promote further development of this technology for multiple applications.
Analytical review of the application of the variable pressure method for measuring the flow rate and amount of associated petroleum gas
Authors: Pogrebnaya Irina , Mikhailova Svetlana
Published: August 2023

The purpose of the study: to analyze the measurement of flow and the amount of associated petroleum gas in the fields using the variable pressure method. The object of research is the process of measuring the flow rate and the amount of accompanying petroleum gas. To achieve this goal, the paper sets the task of considering the industrial application of well-established flowmeters for measuring the flow and amount of associated petroleum gas. Scientific hypothesis Under the pressure of economic changes occurring all over the world and environmental requirements, the management companies of oil fields have an acute need to dispose of associated petroleum gas , and thereby its accounting, which is necessary not only in the fields from which it is supplied for technological needs, but also in those fields where it is burned. This will allow you to perform accurate calculations for atmospheric pollution. Research methods. The article provides an analytical review of the use of flow meters for accounting for the amount of associated petroleum gas in fields. The application of variable differential pressure flowmeters, which are widely used in industrial measurements due to their versatility, is considered. As a result of the study, it is concluded that it is advisable pacxooMepoB to use variable pressure flow meters for measuring the flow rate and amount of associated petroleum gas, which are widely used due to their versatility.
Exploring access modes to Baghdad international airport
Authors: Sabit Rusul , Asmael Noor
Published: August 2023

Baghdad International Airport receives nearly two million visitors annually. So it’s important to analyze the accessibility of the airport. This research aims to show the effect of several factors on the accessibility to the airport and diagnose the problems facing passengers, and identify some significant factors that affected user preference for an airport transfer, by making a questionnaire to the passengers who traveled from Baghdad International Airport. A structured questionnaire was developed in English and translated into Arabic for a high response, and to ensure the result with a 95% confidence level, 404 airline passengers will receive a questionnaire through an online survey. The accessibility was evaluated through about 20 factors, such as gender, age, passenger’s income, mode of transportation to the airport, car ownership, children on the trip, luggage, time, trip purpose, distance, origin, and destination, type of the flight, comfortable, and others. Statistical analysis for the variables by using the SPSS V.20 program was conducted, using the chi-square test to check for independence and the correlation between variables (gender, age, income, mode of transportation to the airport, flight time) was analyzed. The findings indicate that gender and income variables affected how people could access the airport.
The use of UAVS and helicopters in forest fires monitoring and extinguishing in hard-to-reach areas
Authors: Kazak Anatoliy , Grishin Igor , Makoveichuk Krystina , Dorofeeva Anna , Mayorova Angela
Published: August 2023

The paper is devoted to innovative methods for monitoring and fighting forest fires in hard-to-reach places using drones and helicopters. The main content of the study comes from the experience of extinguishing forest fires in hard-to-reach places in the southern regions of Russia . The main research is devoted to the problem of extinguishing and finding new innovative ways to prevent and extinguish forest fires in hard-to-reach places. Ecological methods of monitoring and extinguishing forest fires are considered.
A method for modeling volumetric clouds and subsurface scattering of functionally specified objects
Authors: Vyatkin Sergey , Dolgovesov Boris
Published: August 2023

Accurate modeling of light transfer in media is important in many fields, such as scientific visualization, medical imaging, synthesis of realistic images, and so on. Complex volumetric structures and translucent materials are used. Light scattering in media is responsible for the appearance of many materials. However, accurate and efficient modeling of lighting effects is a difficult problem. This requires solving not only the visualization equation, but also its volumetric solution, the radiation transfer equation. A method for modeling subsurface scattering of functionally specified objects is presented. The method allows you to simulate the transfer of light in chromatic media. To do this, a modified free-range distribution is used. This allows you to minimize the deviations of the bandwidth of the path. As a result, the variance of the estimate is reduced. The collision coefficients depending on the wavelength are effectively processed. As a result, it is possible to simulate volumetric clouds and subsurface light scattering in translucent materials such as marble, wax, leather, etc. The control coefficients and free run sampling are based on the minimum and maximum values in the media found by random sampling over a short preliminary pass. Reducing the rendering time is achieved by using a different distribution of paths.
Ensembling two deep learning algorithms to efficiently solve the problem of predicting volatility in applied finance
Authors: Pylov Petr , Dyagileva Anna , Protodyakonov Andrey
Published: August 2023

Volatility is one of the most commonly used terms in the trading platform. In financial markets, volatility reflects the magnitude of price fluctuations. High volatility is associated with periods of market turbulence and sharp price fluctuations, while low volatility characterizes more relaxed pricing. When trading options, it is especially important for trading firms to accurately predict volatility values, since the price of options is directly related to the profit of a trading firm. A proactive artificial intelligence model that allows predicting volatility for future periods of time will be presented in this article.
Simulating linear systems in the MatLab software package using the structural blocks of the Simulink application
Authors: Semenova Mariya , Bebikhov Yuriy , Baishev Yuriy , Monastyrev Afanasiy
Published: August 2023

The paper considers the peculiarities of linear system simulation in the MatLab software package using the structural blocks of the Simulink application. Typical links of linear systems and their transfer functions are described. The simulation process is exemplified by the system of the object control by its rotation angle. A structural diagram is built for such a system, the mathematical model of which is made in the form of an aperiodic link of the first order. The parameters of the controllers forming the control signal are calculated. A detailed description of the model construction is provided in the Simulink application of the MatLab software package. As a result of simulation, the authors obtained the graphs during the study of the object control system: 1) under external impact without changing controller parameters; 2) under external impact when using a PID controller. The final model was built; it allows comparing the curves of the object rotation control signal in the system with the PD controller and the PID controller as well as displaying the transient curves of the object rotation angle.
Integration of differential equations using power series
Authors: Khikmatova R. A. , Safarbayeva N. M. , Islamov Y. A. , Abdullaev N. D.
Published: August 2023

This article includes some methods and techniques of solving differential equations with using power series, which is effectively used in solving problems of physics and mechanics.
Mathematical modelling of elastic vibrations arising from four-body impact interaction
Authors: Vyplaven V.S. , Gulyaev M.A. , Popkov A.A. , Becher S.A. , Shlyakhtenkov S.P. , Bobrov A.L.
Published: August 2023

This paper presents a mathematical model of elastic vibrations arising from shock interaction in a four-body system. The resulting model has two applications: the study of linear elastic interaction and the study of nonlinear elastic interaction. The linear elastic body model is presented in analytical form. In the transition to nonlinear interaction, it is difficult to represent the model in analytical approximation. The application of numerical algorithms has made it possible to obtain solution of a nonlinear problem with a specified accuracy sufficient for the simulated process. The model is intended for the description of the behavior of the device for measuring the modulus of elasticity of soil by the stamp method. An algorithm is developed to obtain the displacement and acceleration of the falling load and the loading die. Under laboratory conditions, an experiment with a test rig capable of measuring the acceleration of a loading die during shock-elastic interaction with the falling load is conducted. The measuring part is a three-axis accelerometer sensor connected to a four-channel analog-digital converter, which transmits the data to a mobile device with the developed specialized software. The sampling frequency of the measuring system is 12 kHz for each of the four channels. Polyurethane was used as a nonlinear element of the system, the approximate stiffness of which was determined experimentally by measuring deformations under a given load. When comparing the experimental results with the simulation results, the numerical model parameters were optimized by an algorithm based on gradient descent, which was based on maximizing the correlation coefficient between the theoretical and experimental data.
Improving the efficiency and quality of the technological process of repairing traction motors by reducing production defects
Authors: Shevkunova Anastasia , Shevkunov Nikolay
Published: August 2023

Reliability and efficiency of the use of traction rolling stock are the determining parameters for the technical and economic development of railway transport. About 20% of the total costs of the railway industry are for maintenance and repair, since the technical condition of each unit of rolling stock is a fundamental element of traffic safety. According to research, more than 60% of malfunctions of technical facilities during operation are in direct correlation with locomotive failures that occurred due to poor quality of maintenance and repair. Aim: Consideration of the main problems related to the quality of factory repairs of traction collector electric motors, as well as the development of measures aimed at improving the quality of technological repair processes. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted through causal analysis and the theory of operations research. Results: The analysis of the work of each stage of repair of traction motors is carried out. Measures aimed at improving the quality of the technological process of repair have been developed. Conclusion: The main problems of poor quality of factory repair of collector traction motors are highlighted. The measures aimed at eliminating the listed negative factors and improving the quality of factory repairs are proposed.
Investigation of power, mass-dimensional parameters of trucks with full weights in the region of 6 and 15 tons
Authors: Makarov Vladimir , Manianin Sergey , Klyushkin Anton , Belyaev Alexander , Vakhidov Umar , Molev Yuri
Published: August 2023

The article considers the analysis of the parameters of advanced urban trucks with a gross weight of 6 and 15 tons. The advantages and disadvantages of existing vehicle designs of analogues are analyzed. Recommendations are made regarding the design of the vehicle’s carrying system, cab, steering, suspension. It is concluded that driver assistance systems should be included in the basic configuration. A table with advanced vehicle parameters is given..