bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of elevated temperature and microplastic exposure on growth and predatory performance of a freshwater fish
Authors: D'Avignon Geneviève , Wang Duncan , Reid Heather B. , Gregory‐Eaves Irene , Ricciardi Anthony
Published: August 2023

Freshwater ecosystems are increasingly exposed to co‐occurring anthropogenic stressors that can alter food web interactions and organismal life histories. We examined the individual and combined effects of climate warming and microplastic pollution on the growth rate and predatory performance of an invasive freshwater fish, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus). In temperature‐controlled chambers, we exposed 160 juvenile gobies to one of six scenarios over 37 d, combining three environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics (63–75 μm polyethylene microbeads) with two temperature regimes representing contemporary (18°C) and projected mean summer maxima (26°C) in their current range in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River basin. Exposure to elevated temperature reduced the growth and predatory performance of round gobies. Their decline in predatory performance was greatest at the highest microplastic concentration, regardless of temperature. The effects of environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations on the growth and performance of gobies were weaker than the effects of thermal stress. Given that the round goby is an abundant and widely distributed bottom‐dwelling fish in nearshore areas of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River basin, its responses to these co‐occurring stressors could have cascading effects on food webs.
LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE: A TRIBUTE TO FRANCES HESSELBEIN
Authors: Kennedy Debbe
Published: August 2023

The author, a former longtime executive at IBM and HP, recounts her professional work with Frances Hesselbein, and how she first discovered her work in leadership, in 1989. Citing one particular quality about her importance, she writes: “Frances was always looking to the future. She often spoke about five enduring leadership qualities that she believed will define the great leaders of the 21st Century.” Hesselbein and the author first worked together producing the “Hewlett‐Packard Women’s Conference, attended by over 2800 diverse women and men leaders and aspiring leaders. Our senior leaders that happened to be men were very delighted t o be included and gave moving messages to those attending.”
LESSONS FROM FRANCES HESSELBEIN: HAND, HEART, LOVE, AND LEADERSHIP
Authors: Spodek Joshua
Published: August 2023

The author writes about Frances Hesselbein’s long career as CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA and later as a nonprofit leader; in the context of cultural and societal change. He recounts Hesselbein’s early and pioneering efforts in diversity, inclusion, and equity, writing that “She could point to her greatest role model, Abraham Lincoln, a bit more than a century before, who inspired her by overcoming near‐overwhelming resistance.” The author writes about his own personal and professional efforts in environmentalism and sustainability, and the slow progress being made worldwide in these crucial endeavors: “Restoring sustainability globally means for us to live sustainably. Alleviating suffering through personal action is not deprivation. It’s love. It’s why we will love taking everyone into account for everything we do even when less convenient, as we do with those we love. Frances told me all along: Work is love made visible.”
FRANCES HESSELBEIN: A TRANSFORMATIVE LEADER OF OUR GIRL SCOUT MOVEMENT
Authors: Khan Noorain
Published: August 2023

The author is the newly elected National Board President of Girl Scouts of the USA and its first‐ever Muslim and millennial leader. She reflects on the leadership influence and legacy of Frances Hesselbein, who was the CEO of the organization from 1976 to 1990. The author writes that "Frances’s leadership and example in my 31 years as a Girl Scout has loomed large. My early years as a girl member were also those immediately following Frances’s tenure as National Executive Director.’’ This influence continued throughout the author’s life: “As I progressed to becoming an adult volunteer and eventually a National Board member, I leaned more formally on the lessons that Frances imparted to us all through her thought leadership.” As she assumes her new leadership role, she notes that “We are steeped in the Girl Scout Promise and Law: courageous and strong, with a commitment to honesty, fairness, and respect for ourselves and others.”
Dual‐Cross‐Linked Chitosan‐Based Antibacterial Hydrogels with Tough and Adhesive Properties for Wound Dressing
Authors: Du Jingjing , Zhang Yutong , Huang Yilin , Zhang Qiao , Wang Wenzhi , Yu Maolin , Xu Lijian , Xu Jianxiong
Published: August 2023

Biocompatible chitosan‐based hydrogels have attracted extensive attention in wound dressing due to their human skin‐like tissue characteristics. However, it is a crucial challenge to fabricate chitosan‐based hydrogels with versatile properties, including flexibility, stretchability, adhesivity, and antibacterial activity. In this work, a kind of chitosan‐based hydrogels with integrated functionalities are facilely prepared by solution polymerization of acrylamide (AAm) and sodium p‐styrene sulfonate (SS) in the presence of quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan (QCMCS). Due to the dual cross‐linking between QCMCS and P(AAm‐co‐SS), the optimized QCMCS/P(AAm‐co‐SS) hydrogel exhibits tough mechanical properties (0.767 MPa tensile stress and 1100% fracture strain) and moderate tissue adhesion (11.4 kPa). Moreover, biological evaluation in vitro illustrated that as‐prepared hydrogel possesses satisfactory biocompatibility, hemocompatibility, and excellent antibacterial ability (against S. aureus and E. coli are 98.8% and 97.3%, respectively). Then, the hydrogels are tested in a rat model for bacterial infection incision in vivo, and the results show that they can significantly accelerate epidermal regeneration and wound closure. This is due to their ability to reduce the inflammatory response, promote the formation of collagen deposition and granulation tissue. The proposed chitosan‐based antibacterial hydrogels have the potential to be a highly effective wound dressing in clinical wound healing.
Seasonal Variation and Source Identification of PM10 in an Industrialized City
Authors: Khobragade Pallavi Pradeep , Ahirwar Ajay Vikram
Published: August 2023

A 1‐year PM10 sampling campaign from January 2019 to December 2019 is conducted in an urban industrial area Raipur, India. For the development of effective pollution control strategies, quantitative assessment of potentially toxic metals and accurate identification of pollutant sources are essential. The annual average PM10 aerosol mass concentration during the study period is recorded as 187.89 ± 91 µg m−3. PM10 concentrations are found to vary with meteorological parameters such as wind speed, temperature, rainfall, and humidity. Heavy metals including Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, Al, Ba, Cr, Sr, Ga, Mg, and V are studied using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Seasonally, average winter time PM10 concentration (234.86 ± 104.3 µg m−3) is accounted higher as compared to summer (169.02 ± 27.1 µg m−3) and rainy season (106.28 ± 32.6 µg m−3) during the study period. The aerosol sources identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF) model are: iron and steel production (34.7%), vehicular emissions (29.3%), road dust (14.6%), heavy oil/petroleum (14.6%), and coal combustion (6.9%). Among these sources, iron and steel production contributes maximum in PM10 concentrations. The probable source locations are recognized through concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) analysis. The AirQ+ model is used to assess the health effects of regional PM10 concentrations.
Colistin Resistance in Aquaculture Environment: An Emerging Challenge
Authors: Dwivedi Arti , Awasthi Abhishek
Published: August 2023

The emergence of colistin resistance is one of the most serious future issues since it is a last‐resort antibiotic used to treat infections caused by multidrug‐resistant (MDR) gram‐negative bacteria, particularly those resistant to carbapenems. The aquatic environment acts as a reservoir for the emergence and spread of colistin resistant pathogens. The emergence and transmission of a plasmid mediated mcr gene is one of the most important mechanism of colistin resistance in gram negative bacteria. Several mcr variants have been identified in zoonotic pathogens of aquatic origin that may easily transmit this gene to human pathogens. Currently, very few studies have been conducted to test colistin susceptibility in aquaculture associated bacteria. This may be attributed to a limited technical resource for screening colistin‐resistant microorganisms. As a result, to reduce the emergence and spread of colistin resistance in human and animal health, as well as in the environment, the One Health strategy and laboratory methodologies must be expanded.
Management of Bio‐Medical Wastes during COVID‐19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Haryana State
Authors: Sukhram  , Dwivedi Arti , Sharma Shikha , Awasthi Abhishek
Published: August 2023

Management of biomedical waste (BMW) is important for a healthy and safe environment. In order to guarantee cleanliness and hygiene, BMW must be collected, disposed of, and handled appropriately. The world is being affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic, which has spread to various countries. The COVID‐19 pandemic has increased the volume of BMW production, created challenges for both the central and state pollution control boards (SPCB). During this pandemic, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change (CPCB) devised and implemented various guidelines and standards for proper BMW management. The number of common biomedical waste treatment facilities (CBMWTFs) has risen, and several states and private institutions have built their own BMW treatment facilities. Despite this, some countries do not have enough infrastructures for biomedical waste management (BMWM). Haryana is responsible for a significant percentage of the COVID‐related BMW generation. Despite the fact that the state possesses 11 CBMWTFs, it is unable to handle this BMW properly. Thus, the finding of this study showed that in some Indian states including Haryana, there are insufficient institutional systems for managing biomedical and hazardous wastes during pandemic situations. The study is based on the examination of data on BMW generation and management. The data have been collected from legitimate sources including scientific literatures and annual reported from government websites. The findings are expected to provide the reader with relevant information on the suitability and efficiency of the whole BMW management framework in India.
Isolation and characterization of filamentous fungi capable of degrading the mycotoxin patulin
Authors: Mita Megumi , Sato Rina , Kakinuma Miho , Nakagawa Hiroyuki , Furuya Toshiki
Published: August 2023

Patulin is a toxic secondary metabolite synthesized by various fungal strains. This mycotoxin is generally toxic to microorganisms as well as mammals due to its reactivity with the important cellular antioxidant glutathione. In this study, we explored the presence of microorganisms capable of degrading patulin. Microorganisms were screened for the ability to both grow in culture medium containing patulin and reduce its concentration. Screening of 510 soil samples resulted in the isolation of two filamentous fungal strains, one of which, Acremonium sp. TUS‐MM1 was characterized in detail. Liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses revealed that TUS‐MM1 cells degraded patulin to desoxypatulinic acid. In addition, extracellular components of strain TUS‐MM1 also exhibited patulin‐transforming activity. High‐performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that the extracellular components generated several products from patulin. Disc diffusion assay using Escherichia coli cells revealed that the patulin‐transformation products by the extracellular components are less toxic than patulin. We also demonstrated that a thermostable, low‐molecular‐weight compound within the extracellular components was responsible for the patulin‐transforming activity. These results suggest that strain TUS‐MM1 transforms patulin into less‐toxic molecules by secreting a highly reactive compound. In addition, once patulin enters the cells, strain TUS‐MM1 can transform it into desoxypatulinic acid to reduce its toxicity.
Economic policy uncertainty: A new firm‐level measurement and impact on enterprise innovation strategies
Authors: Li Guangchen , Ma Qianlong , Khan Subuhi , Aliani Khaoula
Published: August 2023

This paper investigates the impact of the perception of economic policy uncertainty (PEPU) on enterprise innovation strategies. Using a text‐based method and a sample of Chinese listed companies from 2007 to 2021, we find that PEPU negatively affects substantive and strategic innovations, and its negative impact on strategic innovations is more noticeable than that on substantive innovations. Mechanism analysis shows that PEPU affects enterprise innovation strategies through innovation investment and financing constraints. Moreover, enterprises with a high shareholding ratio of executives and private enterprises are more likely to suffer the negative impact of PEPU. Finally, analyst attention and internal control quality may weaken the inhibitory impact of PEPU on enterprise innovation strategies.
The construction of a franchise entrepreneurship decision model: The example of convenience store chains in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Shih‐Kai , Chung Hung‐Chang , Huang Pei‐Yuan
Published: August 2023

Opportunity identification, opportunity development, and evaluation studies are the main contents in the entrepreneurship literature, but there lacks in‐depth research on the decision‐making process of franchise entrepreneurship. Through case interviews and literature review, this paper presents the cases of four franchise entrepreneurs of convenience store chains in Taiwan as examples to develop a new model of a franchise entrepreneurship decision‐making process. In addition to the new model of this decision‐making process, the following key observations are made based on the case comparison analysis. (1) Franchise entrepreneurs with prior knowledge of relevant industries were all affected by prior knowledge in both industrial decision and organizational type (self‐employment/franchise/merger) decision. Franchise entrepreneurs without prior knowledge of related industries were influenced by social network in both industrial decision and organizational (self‐employment/franchise/merger) decision. (2) Franchise entrepreneurs with prior knowledge of related industries were influenced by prior knowledge and potential financial reward in brand decision. Franchise entrepreneurs without prior knowledge of related industries were influenced by social network and potential financial reward in brand decision. (3) Franchise entrepreneurs with prior knowledge of related industries were influenced by prior knowledge, potential financial reward, and financial resources of the franchise headquarters in the franchise type (franchising/commissioning) decision. Franchise entrepreneurs without prior knowledge of the relevant industry were influenced by the social network, potential financial reward, and financial resources of the franchise headquarters in the franchise type (franchise/authorized chain) decision. (4) Franchise entrepreneurs were influenced by potential financial reward and franchise headquarters management knowledge in the location decision of the start‐up process, regardless of having prior knowledge of the industry or not.
Climate policy uncertainty and corporate green innovation performance: From the perspectives of organizational inertia and management internal characteristics
Authors: Huo Mengjun , Li Chao , Liu Renhuai
Published: August 2023

The impact of policy uncertainty caused by climate change has attracted widespread attention, but there are few studies on the relationship between climate policy uncertainty and corporate green innovation performance. This paper uses a sample of the A‐share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2007 to 2020 to explore the impact of climate policy uncertainty on corporate green innovation performance. And this paper also studies the moderating effect of organizational inertia and the joint moderating effects of managerial openness and organizational inertia, as well as managerial risk‐taking propensity and organizational inertia. The results show that climate policy uncertainty positively affects corporate green innovation performance. And organizational inertia can positively moderate the impact of climate policy uncertainty on corporate green innovation performance. Besides, managerial openness and organizational inertia, as well as managerial risk‐taking propensity and organizational inertia, jointly moderate the impact of climate policy uncertainty on corporate green innovation performance. When both managerial openness and organizational inertia are higher, the positive impact of climate policy uncertainty on corporate green innovation performance is the strongest. When both managerial risk‐taking propensity and organizational inertia are lower, the positive impact of climate policy uncertainty on corporate green innovation performance is the weakest.
Omics Analysis of Extracellular Vesicles Recovered from Infant Formula Products and Milk: Towards Personalized Infant Nutrition
Authors: Turner Natalie P. , Abeysinghe Pevindu , Sadowski Pawel , Mitchell Murray D.
Published: August 2023

Scope

Milk and milk products such as infant formula (IF) play a fundamental role in serving the nutritional needs of the developing infant. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in human (HM) and cow milk (CM) contain molecular cargo such as proteins and micro(mi)RNAs that serve as functional messengers between cells and may be of importance to infant health. Most IF is derived from a CM protein base, however differences between HM and CM EV molecular cargo have not been extensively studied.

Methods and results

This study develops a pipeline using advanced proteomics and transcriptomics to enable cross‐species comparison of milk and IF EVs. The number of nanoparticles per mL of IF is significantly reduced compared to unprocessed CM. 130 proteins and 514 miRNAs are differentially abundant between HM and CM EVs. While 90% of CM EV miRNAs are also identified in IF EVs, only 20% of CM EV proteins are identified in IF EVs.

Conclusions

This workflow identifies key species‐specific differences that can be used to optimize IF recipes and enhance infant nutrition. Improved preservation of EV functional molecular cargo in IF products is of critical importance to retaining molecular drivers of good health and should be the focus of future investigations.
Unfitted mixed finite element methods for elliptic interface problems
Authors: Alshehri Najwa , Boffi Daniele , Gastaldi Lucia
Published: August 2023

In this article, new unfitted mixed finite elements are presented for elliptic interface problems with jump coefficients. Our model is based on a fictitious domain formulation with distributed Lagrange multiplier. The relevance of our investigations is better seen when applied to the framework of fluid‐structure interaction problems. Two finite element schemes with piecewise constant Lagrange multiplier are proposed and their stability is proved theoretically. Numerical results compare the performance of those elements, confirming the theoretical proofs and verifying that the schemes converge with optimal rates.
Optimal control of partially unknown constrained‐input systems: A dynamic event‐triggered‐based approach
Authors: Zou Haoming , Zhang Guoshan
Published: August 2023

This article presents an identifier‐based dynamic event‐triggered optimal control scheme for partially unknown constrained‐input systems. First, an event‐triggered‐based neural network (NN) identifier is constructed to estimate the unknown system dynamics. Then, an adaptive dynamic programming algorithm with actor‐critic NN structure is adopted to obtain an approximate solution of the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation. The above considers that transmitted measurements are only available at the triggering instants, and the update of all three NN weights depends on the established dynamic event‐triggered mechanism. Different from existing static event‐triggered mechanism, the proposed dynamic event‐triggered mechanism can further obtain a reasonable trade‐off between performance and communication resources by introducing a dynamic variable, and the Zeno behavior can be excluded by devising an exponential term. It is proved that all the closed‐loop system signals are uniformly ultimately bounded under the established event‐triggered mechanism. Finally, two numerical examples are provided, including the spring‐mass‐damper system, to validate the proposed control scheme.
Smart shape memory polymers and their significance in biomedical applications: A review
Authors: Singhwane Anju , Jaiswal Ayushi , Chaturvedi Kamana , Mili Medha , Pal Kunal , Mohapatra Ranjan K. , Khan Mohd. Akram , Bhargaw H. N. , Srivastava A. K. , Verma Sarika
Published: August 2023

Shape‐memory polymers (SMP) are materials responsive to stimuli, which will be modified to their initial form on the occurrence of an appropriate input. SMPs have been a class of impulsively valuable material in the last few decades. Because of their numerous, adaptable uses across a wide range, “wise” materials (SMPs) have attracted intense interest in the advanced material fields. Besides others, they need a substantial part of the area of the medical field. SMPs provide flexibility for promoting keyhole surgery, which offers stable strength, imposes stabilization forces, rinse therapeutic agents, and are degradable. Basic research on proposed SMP systems for medicine emphasizes biocompatibility, tolerability, disinfection, and non‐toxicity. This article mentions an overview of the latest advancements in the applications of SMP been reported. The article aims to incorporate all the possible applications of SMP, making it a versatile material that juxtaposes it with other advanced materials. The significance of SMP in the biomedical field, drug development, cardio‐vascular diseases, tissue engineering, wound dressing, surgical sutures, and many other applications has been highlighted. Another section dedicated to the antimicrobial abilities of SMP has been discussed. The last section is devoted to the conclusion and future developments in the respective area. Thus, this review focuses on many biomedicine areas and tube, medical science, and neuronic applications regarding the development and ability of SMPs to boost the quality of services in these fields.
Enhancing crystallization, miscibility, and processability of bio‐based polybutylene succinate/polypropylene blended composites via coffee husk reinforcement
Authors: Lule Zelalem Chernet , Wondu Eyob , Kim Jooheon
Published: August 2023

Many studies have suggested that the interfacial compatibility in blends play an important role in determining the overall properties of the corresponding composites. This study investigated the effects of blend miscibility on the rheological, mechanical, and crystallization properties of polybutylene succinate (PBS)‐based composites reinforced with coffee husk (CH). The composites were fabricated using surface‐treated CH that was treated with a compatibilizer prior to composite fabrication. The results showed that the handling and processability of the composites improved after the surface treatment of CH. The surface treatment helped to achieve miscibility in polymer blends, and the dispersion of the surface‐treated CH in the PBS matrix was uniform. Moreover, the tensile strength and modulus of the compatibilized composites showed fourfold and twofold increases compared to neat PBS. The frequency‐dependent rheological test revealed increase in viscosity (>1000 times) and storage modulus with compatibilization and filler reinforcement. The degree of crystallinity of the PBS in the compatibilized composites reduced to about 10%. Furthermore, the compatibilized composites also demonstrated superior thermal stability than their corresponding non‐compatibilized composites.
Comprehensive molecular characterization of adenoid cystic carcinoma reveals tumor suppressors as novel drivers and prognostic biomarkers
Authors: Persson Marta , Andersson Mattias K , Sahlin Per‐Erik , Mitani Yoshitsugu , Brandwein‐Weber Margaret S , Frierson Jr Henry F , Moskaluk Christopher , Fonseca Isabel , Ferrarotto Renata , Boecker Werner , Loening Thomas , El‐Naggar Adel K , Stenman Göran
Published: August 2023

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a MYB‐driven head and neck malignancy with high rates of local recurrence and distant metastasis and poor long‐term survival. New effective targeted therapies and clinically useful biomarkers for patient stratification are needed to improve ACC patient survival. Here, we present an integrated copy number and transcriptomic analysis of ACC to identify novel driver genes and prognostic biomarkers. A total of 598 ACCs were studied. Clinical follow‐up was available from 366 patients, the largest cohort analyzed to date. Copy number losses of 1p36 (70/492; 14%) and of the tumor suppressor gene PARK2 (6q26) (85/343; 25%) were prognostic biomarkers; patients with concurrent losses (n = 20) had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than those with one or no deletions (p < 0.0001). Deletion of 1p36 independently predicted short OS in multivariate analysis (p = 0.02). Two pro‐apoptotic genes, TP73 and KIF1B, were identified as putative 1p36 tumor suppressor genes whose reduced expression was associated with poor survival and increased resistance to apoptosis. PARK2 expression was markedly reduced in tumors with 6q deletions, and PARK2 knockdown increased spherogenesis and decreased apoptosis, indicating that PARK2 is a tumor suppressor in ACC. Moreover, analysis of the global gene expression pattern in 30 ACCs revealed a transcriptomic signature associated with short OS, multiple copy number alterations including 1p36 deletions, and reduced expression of TP73. Taken together, the results indicate that TP73 and PARK2 are novel putative tumor suppressor genes and potential prognostic biomarkers in ACC. Our studies provide new important insights into the pathogenesis of ACC. The results have important implications for biomarker‐driven stratification of patients in clinical trials. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Global sensitivity analysis of complex moduli of carbon fiber reinforced polymer
Authors: Guan Chengyu , Chen Yanhong , Qin Chengwei , Shi Zhiyuan , Li Huimin
Published: August 2023

Global sensitivity analysis of complex moduli of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is performed by using variance‐based sensitivity analysis. Twelve material properties of matrix and fiber are selected as input arguments, including fiber volume fraction, three matrix properties, and eight carbon fiber properties. Ten thousand samples are generated with Sobol sequence. Based on the correspondence principle, six complex moduli of unidirectional CFRP, and two complex moduli of quasi‐isotropic laminate, orthogonal laminate, and symmetric laminate with different fiber angles are predicted using the generalized method of cells and classical laminate theory. The sensitivity indexes of all input arguments are calculated. The results show that the loss factors of CFRP are mainly affected by the matrix loss factor and fiber axial loss factor, and slightly affected by the fiber transverse loss factor.

Highlights

Sensitivity analysis reveals key factors influencing CFRP complex moduli.

Impact of fiber and matrix properties on CFRP damping revealed.

Insights for high‐damping and high‐stiffness CFRP development.

Enhanced understanding of energy absorption mechanisms.

Uncovering the dominant role of matrix and fiber axial properties in damping.
Angelica sinensis polysaccharide ameliorates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease via restoring estrogen‐related receptor α expression in liver
Authors: Luo Li , Zhang Huafeng , Chen Weiliang , Zheng Ziming , He Zihao , Wang Haoyu , Wang Kaiping , Zhang Yu
Published: August 2023

Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) showed increasingly recognized hepatoprotective effects and lipid regulation. Because polysaccharides are typically degraded into fragments or short‐chain fatty acids in the gut, rather than being absorbed in their intact form, it is worth pondering why ASP can regulate hepatic lipid metabolism and protect the liver from damage caused by lipid accumulation. In vivo and in vitro nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) models with lipid accumulation were established to investigate the effect and potential mechanisms of ASP on hepatic fat accumulation. Our results showed that ASP remodeled the composition and abundance of the gut microbiota in high‐fat diet‐fed mice and increased their levels of propionate (0.92 ± 0.30 × 107 vs. 2.13 ± 0.52 × 107) and butyrate (1.83 ± 1.31 × 107 vs. 6.39 ± 1.44 × 107). Sodium propionate significantly increased the expression of estrogen‐related receptor α (ERRα) in liver cells (400 mM sodium propionate for 2.19‐fold increase) and alleviated the progress of NAFLD in methionine–choline‐deficient diet model. Taken together, our study demonstrated that ASP can regulate hepatic lipid metabolism via propionate/ERRα pathway and ultimately relieving NAFLD. Our findings demonstrate that ASP can be used as a health care product or food supplement to prevent NAFLD.
Reliability assessment of two‐level balanced systems with common bus performance sharing subjected to epistemic uncertainty
Authors: Tian Tianzi , Yang Jun , Wang Ning
Published: August 2023

Two‐level balanced systems with common bus performance sharing (TLBS‐CBPS), represented by power battery systems, play an important role in various industries. Where the two‐level balance refers to when the system is unbalanced, redistributing performance between modules using a common bus for the intermodule balance, followed by the in‐module component performance redistribution to achieve global balance, that is, the performance differences among all components are within the balance degree threshold. However, the component performance has epistemic uncertainty due to measurement limitations, and the distance‐dependent transmission loss incurs during the performance redistribution. These problems make the reliability evaluation of TLBS‐CBPS challenging. To address these issues, a reliability evaluation method for TLBS‐CBPS is proposed by considering two‐level balance, epistemic uncertainty, and transmission loss. First, the system model is constructed from working modes, and the two‐level rebalancing process is described as three nonlinear programming problems. Then, based on the Dempster–Shafer evidence theory, the belief universal generating function (BUGF) method is proposed to evaluate the uncertainty of the system reliability. To improve the computation efficiency, a simplified BUGF algorithm is given through merging, judging, labeling, and expanding realizations. Finally, two examples of lithium‐ion battery packs demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Philicity scales using molecular quantum similarity and chemical reactivity indices within density functional theory
Authors: Morales‐Bayuelo Alejandro
Published: August 2023

In this manuscript, we postulate a possible relationship of philicity within a molecular set of electrocyclic reactions. Philicity has been studied by Chattaraj and co‐workers (J. Phys. Chem. A. 2003, 107, 25). This important concept was obtained using the electrophilicity index and Fukui functions. Recently, the present author has published a possible way to quantify philicity using molecular quantum similarity and chemical reactivity indices (see, J. Math. Chem. 2023, 61, 165). In this work, philicity was related with the molecular quantum similarity framework to obtain a possible way to relate philicity using 21 electrocyclic reactions using the cyclobutene reaction as a reference. The main idea is to postulate philicity scales. This methodology can open up a possible path to find systematic relationships in each molecular ensemble using the selectivity defined in the density functional theory context. With these scales, we can relate the effect of the substituent on the electrocyclic opening reaction on the molecular set.
A class of switched linear systems with persistent sojourn‐time expectation: Analysis and synthesis
Authors: Xu Kaixin , Cai Bo , Lu Shengao , Liang Ye , Zhang Lixian
Published: August 2023

This paper is concerned with the problems of stability and stabilization for discrete‐time switched linear systems with a new class of switching signals. The considered switching signals are of random mode‐dependent sojourn‐time (RMST) property, which is capable of describing the mode‐dependent sojourn‐time period consisting of a fixed part with no switching and a random part with known sojourn‐time expectation. Compared with the previous studies assuming that the switching dynamics of the random part can be described by a Markov chain, the length of the random part is allowed to obey any distribution including geometric distribution. Besides, the mode switching of RMST switching is arbitrary indicating that it requires no statistical information of transition probabilities. The criteria of stability and stabilization are derived for the RMST switched systems. To further reduce the limitation of RMST switching on switching frequency, a concept of random mode‐dependent persistent sojourn‐time (RMPST) is proposed. Then, in the presence of asynchronous switching, the conditions of the existence of controllers are presented for the switched systems with persistent sojourn‐time expectation. A numerical example and a practical example of a space robot manipulator are given to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the developed theoretical results.
Hybrid‐triggered based reliable filter design for interval type‐2 fuzzy system under deception attacks and missing measurements
Authors: Arumugam Karthick , Chen Bor‐Sen
Published: August 2023

This study inspects the problem of fault‐tolerant control based filter design for interval type‐2 (IT‐2) fuzzy systems with deception attacks and missing measurements, under hybrid‐triggered mechanism. At first, hybrid‐triggered mechanism is commenced to preserve the network bandwidth and also to maintain the competent system performance. Next, the existence of deception attack in the filter infuses unwanted data in the measurement output in order to limit the transmitted signal in the communication networks. The behaviors of triggering mechanism and attack signals are governed by stochastic Bernoulli distribution. Moreover, the missing measurements phenomenon is also characterized by stochastic random variables, which observes the data loss between system and the filter during the transference of information. The sensor failure, deception attack and missing measurement are the key factors that will destruct the network security completely. Further, by endowing Lyapunov stability theory and linear matrix inequality (LMI), a set of adequate conditions is fabricated to ensure the mean‐square asymptotic filtering of the proposed IT‐2 fuzzy system. Subsequently, the filter gain matrices are exhibited with desired LMI conditions. Eventually, the capability and usefulness of the proposed fault‐tolerant filter scheme is substantiated via two numerical examples which includes a tunnel diode application.
Universality of superconcentration in the Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model
Authors: Chen Wei‐Kuo , Lam Wai‐Kit
Published: August 2023

We study the universality of superconcentration for the free energy in the Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model. In [10], Chatterjee showed that when the system consists of spins and Gaussian disorders, the variance of this quantity is superconcentrated by establishing an upper bound of order , in contrast to the bound obtained from the Gaussian–Poincaré inequality. In this paper, we show that superconcentration indeed holds for any choice of centered disorders with finite third moment, where the upper bound is expressed in terms of an auxiliary nondecreasing function that arises in the representation of the disorder as for standard normal. Under an additional regularity assumption on , we further show that the variance is of order at most .
Solution combusted ultrathin Co3O4/CoO heterophase electrocatalyst for solar‐energy driven bifunctional water electrolysis
Authors: Sriram Sundarraj , Vishnu Bakthavachalam , Jayabharathi Jayaraman
Published: August 2023

Potential low‐cost solution combustion synthesis of cobalt oxide (SCSCO: Co3O4/CoO) by using sugar as a fuel for H2 and O2 generation. Co3O4/CoO heterophase provided multiple functional sites and abundant interfaces between the components owing to synergistic effect. The sufficient adsorption sites in SCSCO6 favoured the formation of reactive intermediates which leads to extraordinary OER and HER process. The SCSCO6 exhibits η of 271 mV (102 mV dec−1) for OER and 174 mV (73 mV dec−1) for HER to achieve 10 mA cm−2 (without iR correction). TOF of SCSCO6 (OER: 0.0624 s−1/IrO2‐ 0.0185 s−1; HER: 0.0282 s−1/Pt ‐ 0.0843 s−1) was found to be higher than IrO2 and near to Pt, respectively. The SCSCO6 displays durability of 130 h with potential loss of 3.2 % (OER) and 3.0 % (HER). The disordered oxidation states and high surface area of SCSCO6 (BET ‐ 99 m2 g−1: ECSA ‐ 151.27 m2/g) facilitates the bifunctional activity. The fabricated water electrolyzer consist of SCSCO6//SCSCO6 affords 10 mA cm−2 @1.64 V and exhibits high stability (>130 h: 4.1 % potential loss). The solar‐to‐hydrogen electrolyser (SCSCO6//SCSCO6) afforded non‐stop evolution of H2 and O2 @1.63 V which can be recommended for low‐cost, large‐scale hydrogen production.
Synthesis of Novel Oxime and Benzofuran Chemical Frameworks Possessing Potent Anticholinesterase Activity: A SAR Study Related to Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Yilmaz Anil , Koca Murat , Boga Mehmet , Kurt Adnan , Ozturk Turan
Published: August 2023

Alzheimer Disease (AD) is a neurological disorder that causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die. Main symptom of AD is dementia. Today, approximately 50 million people worldwide are estimated to have AD. However, there is not a determined cure known against AD today. There are just four drugs against AD on the market. Unfortunately, none of them can totally destroy AD. Thus, discovering new molecules having capability to treat AD is required and significant. Benzofurans and oximes demonstrate a number of biological effects including anti‐inflammatory and brain‐barrier penetrating. For this reason, a number of novel compounds bearing oxime and benzofuran skeletons were designed and synthesized, and their anticholinesterase activities were investigated. Based on the results, several molecules demonstrated very strong anticholinesterase activities against both AChE and BChE enzymes, even much better than the reference drug molecule, Galantamine. Besides, structure‐activity relationship (SAR) studies belonging to these chemical cores were revealed through this study for the first time. Various derivatives with different types of selective activities were obtained, which brightens the detailed SAR tendency of these molecules. This study can contribute to discover a novel lead drug molecule against AD, which is an urgent need.
Quantifying the Efficacy of Magnetic Nanoparticles for MRI and Hyperthermia Applications via Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Kim Pavel , Serov Nikita , Falchevskaya Aleksandra , Shabalkin Ilia , Dmitrenko Andrei , Kladko Daniil , Vinogradov Vladimir
Published: August 2023

Magnetic nanoparticles are a prospective class of materials for use in biomedicine as agents for magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) and hyperthermia treatment. However, synthesis of nanoparticles with high efficacy is resource‐intensive experimental work. In turn, the use of machine learning (ML) methods is becoming useful in materials design and serves as a great approach to designing nanomagnets for biomedicine. In this work, for the first time, an ML‐based approach is developed for the prediction of main parameters of material efficacy, i.e., specific absorption rate (SAR) for hyperthermia and r1/r2relaxivities in MRI, with parameters of nanoparticles as well as experimental conditions as descriptors. For that, a unique database with more than 980 magnetic nanoparticles collected from scientific articles is assembled. Using this data, several tree‐based ensemble models are trained to predict SAR, r1and r2relaxivity. After hyperparameter optimization, models reach performances of R2= 0.86, R2= 0.78, and R2= 0.75, respectively. Testing the models on samples unseen during the training shows no performance drops. Finally, DiMag, an open access resource created to guide synthesis of novel nanosized magnets for MRI and hyperthermia treatment with machine learning and boost development of new biomedical agents, is developed.
Suppressing the Light‐Soaking Effect of CsPbI2Br‐Based p–i–n Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Wang Haoyu , Wu Shuanghong , Zhang Haolin , Yao Xianghua , Wang Furong , Huang Peng , Liu Xiaodong
Published: August 2023

The light‐soaking (LS) effect has been reported to limit the accuracy and stability of device power output of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and it is significant to develop effective approaches and strategies to eliminate the LS effect in PSCs. There are very few reports on suppressing the LS effect in CsPbI2Br‐based all‐inorganic PSCs. Herein, a method to eliminate the LS effect by synchronous passivation of anionic and cationic defects in CsPbI2Br perovskite film is demonstrated. The 4‐(chlorosulfonyl)benzoic acid (CSBA) is added into perovskite precursor and the in situ generation of I3
− effectively passivates the anionic halogen vacancy defects in CsPbI2Br. In the meantime, the Lewis base groups on CSBA coordinate with Cs+ and Pb2+ to passivate the cationic defects. This zwitterionic passivation effect of CSBA remarkably cuts off the path of defect‐induced charge recombination and thus eliminates the LS effect. This work offers a deep opinion for future researchers to modulate the LS effect of all‐inorganic PSCs.
Configurations Manipulation of Electrospun Membranes Based on High‐Entropy Alloys–Enabled High‐Performance Solar Water Evaporation
Authors: Ma Baixue , Fan Deqi , Zhang Guangyao , Liao Yemei , Shen Ziyi , Lu Yi
Published: August 2023

Solar‐driven interfacial steam technology converts photons into heat energy directly and therefore realizes the effective removal of environmental pollutants, which presents huge potential in seawater desalination and freshwater production. To realize efficient and rapid solar‐driven water evaporation, developing and designing efficient photothermal conversion materials is of great significance. Herein, a high‐entropy alloy (HEA) fiber membrane with rapid heating and wide spectral response is synthesized via adjusting high‐entropy metals diffusion on the surface of carbon nanofibers by an electrospinning technology. Benefiting from the low equivalent evaporation enthalpy and high solar spectrum capacity of HEA fibers, the HEA (FeCoNiCuMn)‐carbon nanofiber‐5S2 achieves a rapid steam‐generation rate of 2.74 kg m−2 h−1 with a solar‐to‐vapor conversion efficiency of 99.4% under 1 sun illumination. In addition, the evaporator presented a stable seawater desalination and wastewater purification performance. Therefore, the HEA‐based solar evaporator can be an alternative photothermal material for efficient solar steam generation.
Evaluation of Strengthening Mechanisms in Novel Fully Ferritic Advanced High‐Strength Steels
Authors: Nousiainen Olli , Hannula Jaakko , Saukko Sami , Kaijalainen Antti , Kömi Jukka
Published: August 2023

New steel alloying concepts are designed in order to produce a fully ferritic, low‐alloy steel with high (1 GPa) ultimate tensile strength (TS). A simulated hot‐deformation process of the Ti–Mo–V–Nb and Ti–Mo–V steels is designed for that purpose, and the strengthening mechanisms of the steels are evaluated after the isothermal dwell at three different temperatures (590, 630, and 680 °C). The TS and the yield strength (YS) of the test alloys are estimated via hardness measurements. Results show that the estimated TS of over 1000 MPa and YS of over 900 MPa can be achieved in both steels, although the contribution of different strengthening mechanisms to the YS varies between the steels. The effect of the dislocation strengthening can especially compensate the reduced effect of the precipitation strengthening at all tested coiling temperatures (CTs). Based on the results, a CT range of 590–630 °C with the 1800 s dwell time seems to be a potential process window for the studied steels after the present thermomechanically controlled processing (TMCP) route.
Research progress of electrocatalysts for the preparation of H2O2 by electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Ren Xuefeng , Dong Xiaoman , Liu Lifen , Hao Jian , Zhu Haiding , Liu Anmin , Wu Gang
Published: August 2023

As an eco‐friendly oxidant and energy carrier, H2O2 is used in various fields. The industrial production of H2O2 mostly depends on the large‐scale anthraquinone oxidation processes with high costs. Electrocatalytic production of H2O2 has attracted attention as a renewable and cost‐effective approach to replace traditional ones. With the recent development of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts, remarkable progress in electrocatalysts for electrocatalytic H2O2 production by 2e− ORR has been reported. This review summarizes a detailed overview of the recent progress in 2e− ORR for H2O2 production with the mechanism and various efficient catalysts. The catalysts were divided into three parts: noble metal‐based catalyst, non‐noble metal‐based catalyst, and non‐metal‐based catalyst. The influences of the catalytic activity and selectivity were also discussed. Finally, this review explores the prospects of electrocatalytic 2e− ORR for H2O2 synthesis and potential research directions for electrocatalysts. It aims to offer guidance in designing efficient 2e− ORR electrocatalysts and inspire further innovation in electrocatalytic H2O2 synthesis.