bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advanced two-objective optimization of thickness and large-area homogeneity of ZnO ultrathin films deposited by atomic layer deposition
Authors: Montalvo-Urquizo J. , Mazón-Montijo D. A. , Ortíz-Atondo A. A. , Martínez-García A. L. , Mendivil-Palma M. I. , Ramírez-Esquivel O. Y. , Montiel-González Z.
Published: November 2023

Semiconductor thin films and coatings have become one of the most relevant research fields due to their significant applications in priority energy-related technologies such as solar cells, photocatalysts, and smart windows. Since all these fields are conceived as tools to fight against the effects of climate change, a real impact requires the successful deposition of semiconductor films on large-area substrates such as windows, panels, pipes, and containers, to give rise to photoactive components suitable for buildings, industries, cars, and parks. However, scalability remains one of the major issues in almost all methodologies known for the deposition of semiconductor films, irrespective of the phase approach used, i.e., either from vapor- or liquid-phase. Here, a mathematical metamodel was applied to simulate the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of zinc oxide (ZnO) ultrathin films (a versatile photoactive material in energy-related research) and optimized their thickness and homogeneity over the whole area of 8 in.-diameter Si wafers. Knowing all ALD parameters that define the quality and properties of the deposited films, we delimitated a set of four metamodel-inputs (zinc precursor dose, purge, and the inner and outer carrier gas flows) based on literature review, expertise, costs, and reactor design aspects specific to the deposition of ZnO. The average thickness and homogeneity of the films were established as the two outputs of the metamodel, which were the object of optimization. Using advanced iterative procedures, we carried out three rounds of experiments that lead us to a set of ALD parameters to deposit a ZnO ultrathin film with an average thickness of 11.38 nm that leads to a deposition rate of 1.9 Å/cycle, which represents 90% of the highest reported value for ZnO by ALD (2.1 Å/cycle). The homogeneity over the whole 8 in.-diameter wafer reached 2.61 nm, which represents the smoothest distribution of thickness values in the entire deposited area. Given the origin of the limits constraining this optimization procedure, our results hold promise in supporting the transition from the laboratory-level synthesis of thin-film-based optoelectronic devices to their large-scale production. This could ultimately help to circumvent the difficulties faced in scaling the ALD technology and enable alternative deposition methodologies such as thermal ALD, otherwise inaccessible to the production chain.
The Effectiveness of a Sleep Optimization Program on Insomnia, Anxiety, Perceived Stress, and Emotion Dysregulation Among Football Players With Sleep Complaints
Authors: Emami Kazem , Nazari Shahram , Bender Amy M. , Hossini Rasool Norouzi Seyed , Norouzi Ebrahim
Published: November 2023

Research has shown that elite athletes frequently experience both insufficient and poor-quality sleep. In the present study, we examined the effectiveness of a sleep optimization intervention comprised of mindfulness and sleep hygiene on insomnia severity, symptoms of anxiety, stress, and emotion dysregulation among football players with sleep complaints. Sixty male football players with sleep complaints (mean age = 29.31, SD = 3.8) were randomly assigned to the active control condition (wellness program) or the sleep optimization intervention program (mindfulness plus sleep hygiene). All participants filled out questionnaires on insomnia severity, anxiety, perceived stress, and emotion dysregulation. Three data assessments were made: one at the start of the intervention (baseline), one at the end of the intervention 8 weeks later (posttest), and one 4 weeks after the posttest (follow-up). The severity of insomnia, anxiety, stress, and emotion dysregulation decreased over time in the sleep optimization group from baseline to posttest and at the follow-up. According to the present results, a sleep optimization intervention reduced insomnia, anxiety, stress symptoms, and emotion dysregulation in football players with sleep complaints.
Plant cell wall patterning and expansion mediated by protein-peptide-polysaccharide interaction
Authors: Moussu Steven , Lee Hyun Kyung , Haas Kalina T. , Broyart Caroline , Rathgeb Ursina , De Bellis Damien , Levasseur Thomas , Schoenaers Sébastjen , Fernandez Gorka S. , Grossniklaus Ueli , Bonnin Estelle , Hosy Eric , Vissenberg Kris , Geldner Niko , Cathala Bernard , Höfte Herman , Santiago Julia
Published: November 2023

Assembly of cell wall polysaccharides into specific patterns is required for plant growth. A complex of RAPID ALKALINIZATION FACTOR 4 (RALF4) and its cell wall–anchored LEUCINE-RICH REPEAT EXTENSIN 8 (LRX8)–interacting protein is crucial for cell wall integrity during pollen tube growth, but its molecular connection with the cell wall is unknown. Here, we show that LRX8-RALF4 complexes adopt a heterotetrametric configuration in vivo, displaying a dendritic distribution. The LRX8-RALF4 complex specifically interacts with demethylesterified pectins in a charge-dependent manner through RALF4’s polycationic surface. The LRX8-RALF4-pectin interaction exerts a condensing effect, patterning the cell wall’s polymers into a reticulated network essential for wall integrity and expansion. Our work uncovers a dual structural and signaling role for RALF4 in pollen tube growth and in the assembly of complex extracellular polymers.
Large effective magnetic fields from chiral phonons in rare-earth halides
Authors: Luo Jiaming , Lin Tong , Zhang Junjie , Chen Xiaotong , Blackert Elizabeth R. , Xu Rui , Yakobson Boris I. , Zhu Hanyu
Published: November 2023

Time-reversal symmetry (TRS) is pivotal for materials’ optical, magnetic, topological, and transport properties. Chiral phonons, characterized by atoms rotating unidirectionally around their equilibrium positions, generate dynamic lattice structures that break TRS. Here, we report that coherent chiral phonons, driven by circularly polarized terahertz light pulses, polarize the paramagnetic spins in cerium fluoride in a manner similar to that of a quasi-static magnetic field on the order of 1 tesla. Through time-resolved Faraday rotation and Kerr ellipticity, we found that the transient magnetization is only excited by pulses resonant with phonons, proportional to the angular momentum of the phonons, and growing with magnetic susceptibility at cryogenic temperatures. The observation quantitatively agrees with our spin-phonon coupling model and may enable new routes to investigating ultrafast magnetism, energy-efficient spintronics, and nonequilibrium phases of matter with broken TRS.
Ultrafast mode-locked laser in nanophotonic lithium niobate
Authors: Guo Qiushi , Gutierrez Benjamin K. , Sekine Ryoto , Gray Robert M. , Williams James A. , Ledezma Luis , Costa Luis , Roy Arkadev , Zhou Selina , Liu Mingchen , Marandi Alireza
Published: November 2023

Mode-locked lasers (MLLs) generate ultrashort pulses with peak powers substantially exceeding their average powers. However, integrated MLLs that drive ultrafast nanophotonic circuits have remained elusive because of their typically low peak powers, lack of controllability, and challenges when integrating with nanophotonic platforms. In this work, we demonstrate an electrically pumped actively MLL in nanophotonic lithium niobate based on its hybrid integration with a III-V semiconductor optical amplifier. Our MLL generates∼4.8-ps optical pulses around 1065 nm at a repetition rate of ∼10 GHz, with energies exceeding 2.6 pJ and peak powers beyond 0.5 W. The repetition rate and the carrier-envelope offset frequency of the output can be controlled in a wide range by using the driving frequency and the pump current, providing a route for fully stabilized on-chip frequency combs.
Thinking about science
I’ve Been Thinking
Daniel C. Dennett
Norton, 2023. 464 pp.
Authors: Yanai Itai , Lercher Martin J.
Published: November 2023

A philosopher reflects on his influential interrogations of free will, consciousness, and artificial intelligence
Preparing for the next pandemic
Authors: Shoichet Brian K. , Craik Charles S.
Published: November 2023

New lead drugs to treat COVID-19 are beginning to emerge
Hallucinating hallucinogens
Authors: Skinnider Michael A.
Published: November 2023

Fighting the designer drug epidemic with generative AI
A case of mistaken epigenetic identity
Authors: Levine Mia T.
Published: November 2023

The specialized packaging of sperm DNA preserves genome stability in the fruit fly zygote
In Other Journals
Authors: Smith H. Jesse , McCartney Melissa , Hurtley Stella M. , Maroso Mattia , Simonti Corinne , Seale Madeleine , Lavine Marc S.
Published: November 2023

Editors’ selections from the current scientific literature
Differential intra-host infection kinetics in
Aedes aegypti
underlie superior transmissibility of African relative to Asian Zika virus
Authors: Phengchat Rinyaporn , Pakparnich Phonchanan , Pethrak Chatpong , Pengon Jutharat , Sartsanga Channarong , Chotiwan Nunya , Uppakara Kwanchanok , Suksirisawat Kittitat , Lambrechts Louis , Jupatanakul Natapong
Published: November 2023

Despite numerous studies highlighting the higher transmissibility of the African Zika virus (ZIKV) lineage compared to the Asian lineage in mosquito vectors, little is known about how the viruses interact with different tissues during the early steps of mosquito infection. To address this gap, we aimed to characterize intra-host infection barriers by combining tissue-level monitoring of infection using plaque assays and a novel quantitative analysis of single-cell-level infection kinetics by
in situ
immunofluorescent staining. Our results revealed that, in
Aedes aegypti
, an African ZIKV strain exhibited a higher replication rate across various tissues than an Asian ZIKV strain. This difference was potentially due to a higher virus production in individual cells, faster spread within tissues, or a combination of both factors. Furthermore, we observed that higher blood meal titers resulted in a faster viral spread to neighboring cells suggesting that intra-host infection dynamics depend on inoculum size. We also identified a significant bottleneck during midgut infection establishment for both ZIKV lineages, with only a small percentage of the virus population successfully initiating infection. Finally, the
in situ
immunofluorescent staining technique enabled the examination of virus infection characteristics in different cell types and revealed heterogeneity in viral replication. Together, these findings demonstrate that differences in intra-host infection kinetics underlie differential transmissibility between African and Asian ZIKV lineages. This information could serve as a starting point to further investigate the underlying mechanisms and ultimately inform the development of alternative control strategies.

IMPORTANCE

The recent Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas highlights its potential public health threat. While the Asian ZIKV lineage has been identified as the main cause of the epidemic, the African lineage, which has been primarily confined to Africa, has shown evidence of higher transmissibility in
Aedes
mosquitoes. To gain a deeper understanding of this differential transmissibility, our study employed a combination of tissue-level infection kinetics and single-cell-level infection kinetics using
in situ
immunofluorescent staining. We discovered that the African ZIKV lineage propagates more rapidly and spreads more efficiently within mosquito cells and tissues than its Asian counterpart. This information lays the groundwork for future exploration of the viral and host determinants driving these variations in propagation efficiency.
Marked reactive thrombocytosis in a female with iron deficiency anaemia
Authors: Sharma Vishnu , Bagrodia Vansh , Modi Naman , Parchwani Tanishk
Published: November 2023

This case report presents the clinical evaluation and management of a female patient from a rural background who presented with leg pain, headache, weakness and irritability. Initial investigations revealed iron deficiency anaemia accompanied by a significantly elevated platelet count, prompting suspicion of an underlying myeloproliferative neoplastic disorder. However, subsequent genetic testing ruled out these mutations, suggesting a reactive response to iron deficiency anaemia rather than an independent neoplastic process. Treatment was focused on addressing the underlying iron deficiency anaemia, resulting in significant improvement in the patient’s blood profile and resolution of symptoms. Follow-up assessments demonstrated a complete normalisation of the blood profile and platelet counts, further supporting the efficacy of the treatment. This case highlights the importance of considering reactive thrombocytosis in the context of iron deficiency anaemia and emphasises the favourable response achieved through appropriate management strategies.
Why is safety in intrapartum electronic fetal monitoring so hard? A qualitative study combining human factors/ergonomics and social science analysis
Authors: Lamé Guillaume , Liberati Elisa Giulia , Canham Aneurin , Burt Jenni , Hinton Lisa , Draycott Tim , Winter Cathy , Dakin Francesca Helen , Richards Natalie , Miller Lucy , Willars Janet , Dixon-Woods Mary
Published: November 2023

Background

Problems in intrapartum electronic fetal monitoring with cardiotocography (CTG) remain a major area of preventable harm. Poor understanding of the range of influences on safety may have hindered improvement. Taking an interdisciplinary perspective, we sought to characterise the everyday practice of CTG monitoring and the work systems within which it takes place, with the goal of identifying potential sources of risk.

Methods

Human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) experts and social scientists conducted 325 hours of observations and 23 interviews in three maternity units in the UK, focusing on how CTG tasks were undertaken, the influences on this work and the cultural and organisational features of work settings. HF/E analysis was based on the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety 2.0 model. Social science analysis was based on the constant comparative method.

Results

CTG monitoring can be understood as a complex sociotechnical activity, with tasks, people, tools and technology, and organisational and external factors all combining to affect safety. Fetal heart rate patterns need to be recorded and interpreted correctly. Systems are also required for seeking the opinions of others, determining whether the situation warrants concern, escalating concerns and mobilising response. These processes may be inadequately designed or function suboptimally, and may be further complicated by staffing issues, equipment and ergonomics issues, and competing and frequently changing clinical guidelines. Practice may also be affected by variable standards and workflows, variations in clinical competence, teamwork and situation awareness, and the ability to communicate concerns freely.

Conclusions

CTG monitoring is an inherently collective and sociotechnical practice. Improving it will require accounting for complex system interdependencies, rather than focusing solely on discrete factors such as individual technical proficiency in interpreting traces.
New horizons of human genetics in digestive diseases
Authors: Chen Lanlan , Lv Guoyue
Published: November 2023

Recent studies have decoded the human Y chromosome sequencing with predominant precision and coverage, offering promising prospects in human genetics and clinical translation. Such an achievement is facilitated by third-generation sequencing technologies including Oxford Nanopore Technology and Pacific Biosciences, which can overcome the limitations of next-generation sequencing. In the context of digestive diseases, these advancements hold significant potential as they can help address the ‘missing heritability’ problem and detect various genomic variants in genetic association analyses, beyond single nucleotide polymorphisms, hoping to reveal ‘major’ genes for complex diseases. Besides, the completion of the Y chromosome enables research into sex-specific genetic effects on diseases and this knowledge can lead to sex-specific therapeutic targets and a better understanding of molecular mechanisms behind gender disparities. In summary, the recent decoding of the Y chromosome, coupled with third-generation sequencing, offers new opportunities to address heritability gaps, discover major disease genes and investigate sex-specific effects in digestive diseases, providing valuable insights for clinicians in delivering precise healthcare services.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses in regional anesthesia and pain medicine (Part I): guidelines for preparing the review protocol
Authors: Barrington Michael J , D’Souza Ryan S , Mascha Edward J , Narouze Samer , Kelley George A
Published: November 2023

Comprehensive resources exist on how to plan a systematic review and meta-analysis. The objective of this article is to provide guidance to authors preparing their systematic review protocol in the fields of regional anesthesia and pain medicine. The focus is on systematic reviews of healthcare interventions, with or without an aggregate data meta-analysis. We describe and discuss elements of the systematic review methodology that review authors should prespecify, plan, and document in their protocol before commencing the review. Importantly, authors should explain their rationale for planning their systematic review and describe the PICO framework—participants (P), interventions (I),comparators (C), outcomes (O)—and related elements central to constructing their clinical question, framing an informative review title, determining the scope of the review, designing the search strategy, specifying the eligibility criteria, and identifying potential sources of heterogeneity. We highlight the importance of authors defining and prioritizing the primary outcome, defining eligibility criteria for selecting studies, and documenting sources of information and search strategies. The review protocol should also document methods used to evaluate risk of bias, quality (certainty) of the evidence, and heterogeneity of results. Furthermore, the authors should describe their plans for managing key data elements, the statistical construct used to estimate the intervention effect, methods of evidence synthesis and meta-analysis, and conditions when meta-analysis may not be possible, including the provision of practical solutions. Authors should provide enough detail in their protocol so that the readers could conduct the study themselves.
Effect of anterior quadratus lumborum block with ropivacaine on the immune response after laparoscopic surgery in colon cancer: a substudy of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Balsevicius Lukas , Urbano Paulo C. M. , Hasselager Rune Petring , Mohamud Ahmed Abdirahman , Olausson Maria , Svraka Melina , Wahlstrøm Kirsten L. , Oppermann Carolin , Gögenur Dilara Seyma , Hølmich Emma Rosenkrantz , Cappelen Britt , Sækmose Susanne Gjørup , Tanggaard Katrine , Litman Thomas , Børglum Jens , Brix Susanne , Gögenur Ismail
Published: November 2023

Background

Surgery induces a temporal change in the immune system, which might be modified by regional anesthesia. Applying a bilateral preoperative anterior quadratus lumborum block has proven to be a safe and effective technique in pain management after abdominal and retroperitoneal surgery, but the effect on the immune response is not thoroughly investigated.

Methods

This study is a substudy of a randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial of patients undergoing laparoscopic hemicolectomy due to colon cancer. Twenty-two patients were randomized to undergo either a bilateral anterior quadratus lumborum nerve block with a total of 60 mL ropivacaine 0.375% or placebo with corresponding isotonic saline injections. The main objective of this exploratory substudy was to investigate the systemic immune response in the first postoperative day by examining changes in blood transcript levels (n=750) and stimulated secretion of cytokines (n=17) on ex vivo activation with microbial ligands and anti-CD3/CD28.

Results

Using unsupervised data analysis tools, we observed no effect of the bilateral anterior quadratus lumborum nerve block on gene expression in immune cells (permutational multivariate analysis of variance using distance matrices: F=0.52, p=0.96), abundances of major immune cell populations (Wilcoxon rank-sum test: p>0.05), and stimulated cytokine secretion (Wilcoxon rank-sum test: p>0.05).

Conclusions

Our study provides evidence that administration of bilateral anterior quadratus lumborum nerve block as a part of a multimodal analgesic regimen in an enhanced recovery after surgery for laparoscopic hemicolectomy in this cohort does not alter the systemic immune response.

Trial registration number

NCT03570541.
Stability of sandy soils against internal erosion under cyclic loading and quantitatively examination of the composition and origin of eroded particles
Authors: Dai Shaoheng , He Xuzhen , Tong Chenxi , Gao Feng , Zhang Sheng , Sheng Daichao
Published: November 2023

Internal erosion refers to the movement of fine particles within soil framework due to subsurface water seepage. Existing criteria for assessing internal erosion usually are based on static loading, and the effect of cyclic load is not considered. Additionally, there are limited studies to examine the particle-size distribution and origin of eroded fine particles. This study presents an experimental investigation that examines the impact of cyclic loading on internal stability through a series of seepage tests. The composition and origin of lost particles are quantitatively studied using particle staining and image recognition techniques. With increasing hydraulic gradient, particle erosion progresses from top layer to bottom layer, with a gradual increase in the maximum particle size of eroded particles from each layer. After significant loss of particles, the specimens reach a state of transient equilibrium, resulting in a gradual slowdown of both particle loss rate and average flow velocity. The results indicate that cyclic loading promotes massive particle loss and causes erosion failure of specimens that are considered stable according to existing criteria. The reason is that under cyclic loading, local hydraulic gradients is oscillating, and a larger than average hydraulic gradient may occur, which is responsible for the internal instability. The analysis suggests that existing criteria can provide a reasonable assessment of the relative stabilities of specimens under static loads but fail to capture the stabilities under cyclic loading conditions.
The importance of taxonomy for determining species distribution: a case study using the disjunct lichenBrodoa oroarctica
Authors: Paquette H.A. , McMullin R.T. , Wiersma Y.F.
Published: November 2023

Species-focused conservation requires a thorough understanding of species’ distributions. Delineating a species’ distribution requires taxonomic knowledge and adequate occurrence data. For plants and fungi, herbaria represent a valuable source of large-scale occurrence data. Advances in digital technology mean that data from many herbarium collections worldwide are now easily accessible. However, species concepts can change over time requiring herbarium records to be re-examined and databases updated, which does not always occur synchronously across all collections. Therefore, non-critical use of these data can promote inaccuracies in understanding species distributions. Taxonomic revisions are common in understudied organisms, such as lichens. Here, we illustrate how changing taxonomy and non-critical acceptance of online data affects our understanding of disjunct distributions, using the lichen Brodoa oroarctica (Krog) Goward as an example. Defining the distribution of the arctic lichen B. oroarctica is confounded by changing taxonomy and uncertainty of herbarium records that pre-date taxonomic revisions. We review the distribution of this species in the literature and in aggregate occurrence databases, and verify herbarium specimens that represent disjunct occurrences in eastern North America to present an updated account of its distribution and frequency in eastern North America. We show that knowledge of changing species taxonomy is essential to depicting accurate species distributions.
On the cosmological constant, the KK mass scale, and the cut-off dependence in the dark dimension scenario
Authors: Anchordoqui Luis A. , Antoniadis Ignatios , Lüst Dieter , Lüst Severin
Published: November 2023

In this short note we comment on the relation between the cosmological and the Kaluza–Klein mass scale in the dark dimension scenario [1], also in view of some recent claims [2] that would raise some doubts about the validity of this scenario. Here we argue that these claims have serious flaws and cannot be trusted.
Big Rip singularity in f(R,T) gravity with tilted observers
Authors: Dagwal V. J. , Pawar D. D. , Solanke Y. S.
Published: November 2023

We have presented the Big Rip singularity in [Formula: see text] gravity with tilt congruences and creation field. We have solved the field equations by considering a conformally flat universe and the condition [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is a constant. The solutions of the field equations have also been investigated by using the method of [J. V. Narlikar and T. Padmanabhan, Phys. Rev. D 32, 1928 (1985)] in which the creation field [Formula: see text] is a function of time [Formula: see text]. Some geometric aspects of the model are also discussed by using MATLAB.
Cancer Prediction Using Feature Fusion and Taylor-TSA-Based GAN with Gene Expression Data
Authors: Jeyabharathi J. , Velliangiri S. , Joseph S. Iwin Thanakumar , Devadass C. Sorna Chandra
Published: November 2023

This research paper develops an efficient model, named Taylor-Tunicate Swarm Algorithm-based Generative Adversarial Networks (Taylor-TSA-based GANs) for cancer prediction. The developed Taylor-TSA incorporates the Taylor series with Tunicate Swarm Algorithm (TSA) algorithm. The Yeo–Johnson (YJ) transformation is employed for the data transformation. The feature fusion is evaluated by Deep Stacked Autoencoder (Deep SAE). The fused feature is given as input to the cancer prediction done by GAN trained by Taylor-TSA. The developed model is an effective and efficient use of information with clinical data. The Taylor-TSA-based GAN is analyzed in terms of accuracy, False Positive Rate (FPR), and True Positive Rate (TPR) with the values of 0.9184, 0.1782, and 0.9246.
Psyquandle coloring quivers
Authors: Ceniceros Jose , Christiana Anthony , Nelson Sam
Published: November 2023

We enhance the psyquandle counting invariant for singular knots and pseudoknots using quivers analogously to quandle coloring quivers. This enables us to extend the in-degree polynomial invariants from quandle coloring quiver theory to the case of singular knots and pseudoknots. As a side effect, we obtain biquandle coloring quivers and in-degree polynomial invariants for classical and virtual knots and links.
Hamiltonian of free field on infinite-dimensional hypercube
Authors: Zhang Lixia , Wang Caishi
Published: November 2023

The infinite-dimensional hypercube (IDH) is an infinite connected graph with infinite degree at each its vertex, and can be viewed as an infinite-dimensional analog of finite-dimensional hypercubes. In this paper, we investigate a self-adjoint operator determined by the topology of the IDH and a function on the nonnegative integers, which can be interpreted as the Hamiltonian of a free fermion field. We prove that, under some mild conditions, the operator has only pure point spectrum and its spectrum is even a compact interval of the real line. We also obtain some commutation relations concerning the operator, which are of physical interest.
Under the Background of Economic Structure Optimization, Environmental Governance Promotes Macroeconomic Structural Adjustment Measures
Authors: Zhang Jincai , Cai Xiangyu
Published: November 2023

Along with the implementation of reform and opening up in the 1970s, China’s economy entered a period of rapid development. During this period, the economic structure of our country has gradually changed from the primary industry to the secondary industry. Even today, the industrial industry still plays a very important role in the economic structure of our country. The industrial chain such as the real estate industry, chemical industry, and manufacturing industry is still the main industrial structure that promotes our economic growth for a long time. However, as the energy of industrial development is obtained by massive consumption of fossil fuels, the economic development brought by industrial development is behind the serious environmental pollution problem. We gradually realize that economic development cannot be based on environmental damage, but although our country has been committed to reversing the situation of environmental sacrifice for economic development at the beginning of the discovery of problems, the effect is very little. Therefore, how to maximize environmental protection under the current economic structure is the issue to be discussed in this paper. This paper mainly summarizes relevant experience through domestic and foreign literature, and clarifies the macro relationship between environmental governance and economic structure, and then discusses it from three dimensions: technological innovation, consumer demand, and international trade. The final results show that different types of environmental regulations have different effects on industrial structure, and the effectiveness of policy incentive regulation is about 23% higher than that of command control regulation. At the same time, according to the analysis results of economic structure upgrading in the Pearl River Delta region, the effect of environmental regulation on the regional industrial structure is also different, and the average effect can improve the overall industrial structure optimization rate by about 36%.
A MECHANO-BIOLOGICAL STUDY COMPARING EXTERNAL FIXATION USING MONOCORTICAL AND BICORTICAL PINS IN TIBIAL DIAPHYSEAL FRACTURE MODELS: A FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
Authors: BAYAT TARGOL , MOHANDES YOUSOF , TAHAMI MOHAMMAD , TAHANI MASOUD
Published: November 2023

Extramedullary devices are used extensively to stabilize fractures in long bones. The type of pin–bone anchorage is a determining factor in fixation properties, which differ between mono-cortical and bi-cortical stabilizations. This computational study compares the effects of mono-cortical and bi-cortical pins of a unilateral uniplanar external fixator on the construct stiffness, the early phase of bone healing, and pin loosening. Eight finite element models were established for a simple transverse tibia fracture, treated with a unilateral uniplanar external fixator with surgical variations in the pin-bone anchorage. Each model was subjected to a partial body weight, and axial stiffness was calculated. A deviatoric strain-based mechano-regulation algorithm was applied, and tissue differentiation in the callus was predicted. Finally, a strain-based failure criterion was employed to assess the risk of pin loosening. The axial stiffnesses of bi-cortical structures were slightly larger than the results of the mono-cortical sets. Regardless of the number of pins, bi-cortical systems produce a more uniform distribution of differentiated tissue than the corresponding mono-cortical constructs. Finally, both mono-cortical and bi-cortical groups held the critical strains of the pin–bone interface within the acceptable ranges and provided a protected construct against the risk of pin loosening. Based on the findings of this study, mono-cortical pins could be considered potential alternatives to bi-cortical fixations at the early stage of healing. Nevertheless, successful management of diaphyseal fracture through mono-cortical fixation needs to be assessed in further studies over the full period of healing.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF 2D AND 3D SCAN-BASED 3D-PRINTED WRIST SPLINTS
Authors: CHOI WONSEUK , JANG WAN-HO
Published: November 2023

This crossover design study was conducted to verify the usefulness of two-dimensional (2D) scan-based three-dimensional (3D)-printed wrist splints versus that of 3D scan-based 3D-printed wrist splints. To apply the two splints to the participants, made using different methods, a crossover design was applied by randomly assigning two groups of five people each. Their work performance and wrist pain were then evaluated. Work performance was evaluated by using a grooved pegboard. Wrist pain was evaluated by using the patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE) before and after performing the grooved pegboard test. No statistical difference existed in task performance between each splint group. Wrist pain was significantly higher for splints made with the 3D scanning method than for splints made with the 2D scanning method. Therefore, we believe that the 2D scanning method will be more useful for patients when making splints with 3D printing.
STEADY THERMAL TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRIC DOUBLE LAYER FLOW IN BIPHASE LIQUID THROUGH POROUS MEDIUM
Authors: GUEDRI KAMEL , NAZEER MUBBASHAR , HUSSAIN FAROOQ , KHAN M. IJAZ , FAROOQ SHAHID , GALAL AHMED M.
Published: November 2023

A theoretical analysis of a multi-phase fluid problem is presented in this paper. Electro-osmotic flow with heat transfer in a divergent channel is modeled. Jeffrey fluid is taken as the base liquid, which suspends with the spherical gold particles. Electromagnetohydrodynamic (EHD) of a two-phase fluid through a porous medium is influenced by thermal radiation. Cumbersome mathematical manipulations leads to yield an exact solution for the set of strenuous differential equations. A comprehensive parametric study validates the accuracy and formidability of this intuitive analysis, by confirming the corresponding boundary conditions. The investigation articulately describes that the momentum of two-phase flow is supported by the Jeffrey fluid parameter. Additional golden particles increase the velocity of the base liquid. However, more thermal energy has contributed to the variation of the Brinkman number [Formula: see text]. Finally, thermal energy expunges from the diverse channel due to Jeffrey’s fluid parameter.
Top-Down Design of Human-Like Teachable Mind
Authors: Xie Ming
Published: November 2023

Teachability has been extensively studied under the context of making industrial robots to be programmable and reprogrammable. However, it is only recently that the artificial intelligence (AI) research community is accelerating the research works with the objective of making humanoid robots and many other robots to be teachable under the context of using natural languages. We human beings spend many years learning knowledge and skills despite our extraordinary mental capabilities of being teachable with the use of natural languages. Therefore, if we would like to develop human-like robots such as humanoid robots, it is inevitable for us to face the issue of making future humanoid robots teachable with the use of natural languages as well. In this paper, we present the key details of a top-down design for achieving a teachable mind which consists of two major processes: the first one is the process that enables humanoid robots to gain innate mental capabilities of transforming incoming signals into meaningful crisp data, and the second one is the process which enables humanoid robots to gain innate mental capabilities of undertaking incremental and deep learning with the main focus of associating conceptual labels in a natural language to meaningful crisp data. These two processes consist of the two necessary and sufficient conditions for future humanoid robots to be teachable with the use of natural languages. In addition, this paper outlines a very likely new finding underlying the human brain’s neural systems as well as the obvious mathematics underlying artificial deep neural networks. These outlines provide us with a strong reason to separate the study of the mind from the study of the brain. Hopefully, the content discussed in this paper will help the AI research community to venture into the right direction which is to make future humanoid robots, non-humanoid robots, and many other systems to achieve human-like self-intelligence at the cognitive level with the use of natural languages.
A Crystal Plasticity Finite Element—Machine Learning Combined Approach for Phase Transformation Prediction in High Entropy Alloy
Authors: Soltani Mehrzad , Ferdousi Sanjida , Haridas Ravi Sankar , Mishra Rajiv S. , Jiang Yijie
Published: November 2023

The mechanical properties of an alloy depend on its microstructure. The strength-ductility trade-off is a paradigm that existed for a long time. Advanced alloys, such as high entropy alloys (HEAs), utilize a dual-phase strengthening mechanism, which originates from the microstructural phenomena consisting of twinning and phase transformation, to significantly improve their mechanical properties. To understand the impact of phase transformation mechanism on stress–strain response, developments of crystal plasticity finite element models (CPFEM) and machine learning (ML) together with experimental methods have potential to capture the relationships between descriptive features and targeted phenomena. Here, ML models on local crystallography, local stresses, and energy-based driving forces are leveraged for phase transformation prediction in a HEA. The ML model (XGBoost classification model) uses a hybrid training data combining electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) experimental data and CPFEM simulation results. This approach enhances prediction performance at optimum data sizes. This predictive model is implemented in multiple experimental measurements to validate our models and evaluates importance of different physical quantities on phase transformation phenomenon. The prediction accuracy reached over 95% compared to experimental data. The CPFEM-ML framework used in this study is expected to be applicable to other HEA systems to facilitate the understanding and prediction of the phase transformation.
Probing Historical Image Contexts: Enhancing Visual Archive Retrieval through Computer Vision
Authors: Du Lin , Le Brandon , Honig Edouardo
Published: November 2023

This study examines the longstanding need and challenge of providing contextual analysis of historical images stored in digital visual archives and the accessibility of retrieving contextual information from these historical archives. Contextual analysis is essential for disciplines such as history and art history, as it allows for the contextualization of artwork and historical sources with historical narratives, which, in turn, enhances understanding of the artistic or political expression in the contents of cultural products. To address this challenge, a novel approach is proposed utilizing computer vision to trace the circulation and dissemination of historical photographs in their original contexts. This method involves first using YOLO v7 to crop historical images from pictorial magazines, then training machine learning models on the cropped printed images plus another large dataset of original historical photographs, and comparing the similarity of images between the datasets of printed images and original photographs. To ensure accuracy of image similarities between the two subsets with distinct image qualities, an ensemble of three machine learning models—Vision Transformer, EfficientNetv2, and Swin Transformer—was developed. Through this system, contexts in the circulation of historical photographs were discovered and new insights regarding the editing strategies of propaganda magazines in East Asia during WWII were uncovered. These outcomes offer supporting evidence for previous research in the history and art historical disciplines, and demonstrate the potential of computer vision for uncovering new information from digital visual archives. Our model achieves a 77.8% top-15 retrieval accuracy on our evaluation dataset.
Device Onboarding using FDO and the Untrusted Installer Model
Authors: Cooper Geoffrey H.
Published: November 2023

Automatic onboarding of devices is an important technique to handle the increasing number of "edge" and IoT devices being installed. Onboarding of devices is different from most device-management functions because the device's trust transitions from the factory and supply chain to the target application. To speed the process with automatic onboarding, the trust relationship in the supply chain must be formalized in the device to allow the transition to be automated.
Evaluation Measures of Individual Item Fairness for Recommender Systems: A Critical Study
Authors: Rampisela Theresia Veronika , Maistro Maria , Ruotsalo Tuukka , Lioma Christina
Published: November 2023

Fairness is an emerging and challenging topic in recommender systems. In recent years, various ways of evaluating and therefore improving fairness have emerged. In this study, we examine existing evaluation measures of fairness in recommender systems. Specifically, we focus solely on exposure-based fairness measures of individual items that aim at quantifying the disparity in how individual items are recommended to users, separate from item relevance to users. We gather all such measures and we critically analyse their theoretical properties. We identify a series of limitations in each of them, which collectively may render the affected measures hard or impossible to interpret, to compute, or to use for comparing recommendations. We resolve these limitations by redefining or correcting the affected measures, or we argue why certain limitations cannot be resolved. We further perform a comprehensive empirical analysis of both the original and our corrected versions of these fairness measures, using real-world and synthetic datasets. Our analysis provides novel insights into the relationship between measures based on different fairness concepts, and different levels of measure sensitivity and strictness. We conclude with practical suggestions of which fairness measures should be used and when. Our code is publicly available. To our knowledge, this is the first critical comparison of individual item fairness measures in recommender systems.
Which Skin Tone Measures Are the Most Inclusive? An Investigation of Skin Tone Measures for Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Heldreth Courtney M. , Monk Ellis P. , Clark Alan T. , Schumann Candice , Eyee Xango , Ricco Susanna
Published: November 2023

Skin tone plays a critical role in artificial intelligence (AI). However, many algorithms have exhibited unfair bias against people with darker skin tones. One reason this occurs is a poor understanding of how well the scales we use to measure and account for skin tone in AI actually represent the variation of skin tones in people affected by these systems. To address this, we conducted a survey with 2,214 people in the United States to compare three skin tone scales: The Fitzpatrick 6-point scale, Rihanna's Fenty Beauty 40-point skin tone palette, and a newly developed Monk 10-point scale from the social sciences. We find that the Fitzpatrick scale is perceived to be less inclusive than the Fenty and Monk skin tone scales, and this was especially true for people from historically marginalized communities (i.e., people with darker skin tones, BIPOCs, and women). We also find no statistically meaningful differences in perceived representation across the Monk skin tone scale and the Fenty Beauty palette. We discuss the ways in which our findings can advance the understanding of skin tone in both the social science and machine learning communities.
Learning Entangled Interactions of Complex Causality via Self-Paced Contrastive Learning
Authors: Liang Yunji , Liu Lei , Huangfu Luwen , Samtani Sagar , Yu Zhiwen , Zeng Daniel D.
Published: November 2023

Learning causality from large-scale text corpora is an important task with numerous applications—for example, in finance, biology, medicine, and scientific discovery. Prior studies have focused mainly on simple causality, which only includes one cause-effect pair. However, causality is notoriously difficult to understand and analyze because of multiple cause spans and their entangled interactions. To detect complex causality, we propose a self-paced contrastive learning model, namely N2NCause, to learn entangled interactions between multiple spans. Specifically, N2NCause introduces data enhancement operations to convert implicit expressions into explicit expressions with the most rational causal connectives for the synthesis of positive samples and to invert the directed connection between a cause-effect pair for the synthesis of negative samples. To learn the semantic dependency and causal direction of positive and negative samples, self-paced contrastive learning is proposed to learn the entangled interactions among spans, including the interaction direction and interaction field. We evaluated the performance of N2NCause in three cause-effect detection tasks. The experimental results show that, with the least data annotation efforts, N2NCause demonstrates competitive performance in detecting simple cause-effect relations, and it is superior to existing solutions for the detection of complex causality.
Impact of Sulfate Adsorption on Particle Morphology during the Precipitation of Ni-Rich Hydroxide Precursors for Li-Ion Battery Cathode Active Materials
Authors: Berk Rafael B. , Beierling Thorsten , Metzger Lukas , Gasteiger Hubert A.
Published: November 2023

Nickel-cobalt-manganese-hydroxides (NixCoyMnz(OH)2, with x+y+z = 1) are utilized as precursor for lithium-ion battery cathode active material (CAM). The physical properties and electrochemical performance of CAM are affected by the morphology, crystallinity and impurity content of the associated NixCoyMnz(OH)2 (with x+y+z = 1) employed for the CAM synthesis. To promote the mechanistic understanding of the NixCoyMnz(OH)2 (with x+y+z = 1) formation, the coprecipitation pH23 °C-value was systematically varied from 8.6–12.7 during the synthesis of Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1(OH)2, and the obtained powders were characterized by elemental analysis. A dependency of residual sulfur content and crystallinity of the obtained Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1(OH)2 on the pH-value in relation to the point-of-zero-charge (pzc) is revealed. This result is rationalized by a pH-dependent sulfate adsorption equilibrium. Furthermore, a suppression of the growth along the (001) plane of the crystallites due to sulfate adsorption is identified. This in turn governs the vertical primary particle size and thus the porosity of the secondary particles, which was verified by substituting the sulfate ion of the metal feed by nitrate or acetate. Adsorption/desorption experiments demonstrate the possibility to decouple secondary particle morphology and residual impurity content. The demonstrated relationships allow formulating design strategies to tailor the NixCoyMnz(OH)2 (with x+y+z = 1) morphology and its impurity content for CAM synthesis.