bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The implementation of green human resource management bundles across firms in pursuit of environmental sustainability goals
Authors: Napathorn Chaturong
Published: December 2021

This paper aims to examine the green human resource management (GHRM) bundles successfully implemented by firms across industries in response to the national institutional and cultural contexts toward the pursuit of environmental sustainability goals. Based on a cross‐case analysis of five firms across industries in Thailand, the empirical evidence draws on semistructured interviews with various stakeholders, field visits, and a review of archival documents and web‐based reports and resources. This paper proposes that GHRM bundles successfully implemented by firms in response to the institutional and cultural contexts include the following: green recruitment and selection in terms of green employer branding; green training in terms of awareness enhancement, on‐the‐job training, job shadowing, coaching, mentoring, and workplace climate building; green pay and rewards in terms of financial and nonfinancial rewards; and green employee relations in terms of a paternalistic leadership style and workplace climate. Specifically, firms develop green employer branding and implement the practices of awareness enhancement, on‐the‐job training, job shadowing, coaching, mentoring, and workplace climate building in response to deficiencies in the national education and skill formation system in terms of skill shortages. Additionally, firms offer both financial and nonfinancial rewards and create a paternalistic leadership style and workplace climate in response to a cultural context that favors in‐group collectivism, conflict avoidance, and passivity among workers within the workplace.
Ternary Mo2NiB2 as a Superior Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting
Authors: Saad Ali , Gao Yang , Owusu Kwadwo Asare , Liu Wei , Wu Yanyan , Ramiere Aymeric , Guo Haichuan , Tsiakaras Panagiotis , Cai Xingke
Published: December 2021

Transition metal borides are considered as promising electrocatalysts for water splitting due to their metallic conductivity and good durability. However, the currently reported monometallic and noncrystalline multimetallic borides only show generic and monofunctional catalytic activity. In this work, the authors design and successfully synthesize highly crystalline ternary borides, Mo2NiB2, via a facile solid‐state reaction from pure elemental powders. The as‐synthesized Mo2NiB2 exhibits very low overpotentials for both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), that is, 280 and 160 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2, in alkaline media. These values are much lower from the ones observed over monometallic borides, that is, Ni2B and MoB, and the lowest among all nonprecious metal borides. By loading Mo2NiB2 onto Ni foams as both cathode and anode electrode for overall water splitting applications, a low cell voltage of 1.57 V is required to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2, comparable with the value required from the Pt/C||IrO2/C couple (1.56 V). The proposed synthesis strategy can be used for the preparation of cost‐effective, multi‐metallic crystalline borides, as multifunctional electrocatalysts.
Goat Milk Exosomes As Natural Nanoparticles for Detecting Inflammatory Processes By Optical Imaging
Authors: Santos‐Coquillat Ana , González María Isabel , Clemente‐Moragón Agustín , González‐Arjona Mario , Albaladejo‐García Virginia , Peinado Héctor , Muñoz Javier , Ximénez Embún Pilar , Ibañez Borja , Oliver Eduardo , Desco Manuel , Salinas Beatriz
Published: December 2021

Exosomes are cell‐derived nanovesicles with a proven intercellular signaling role in inflammation processes and immune response. Due to their natural origin and liposome‐like structure, these nanometer‐scale vesicles have emerged as novel platforms for therapy and diagnosis. In this work, goat milk exosomes are isolated and fully characterized in terms of their physicochemical properties, proteomics, and biochemical profile in healthy mice, and used to detect inflammatory processes by optical imaging. For the in vitro and in vivo experiments, the exosomes are covalently labeled with the commercial fluorophores sulfo‐Cyanine 5 and BODIPY‐FL to create nanoprobes. In vitro studies using confocal imaging, flow cytometry, and colorimetric assays confirm the internalization of the nanoprobes as well their lack of cytotoxicity in macrophage populations RAW 264.7. Optical imaging in the mouse peritoneal region confirms the in vivo ability of one of the nanoprobes to localize inflammatory processes. In vivo imaging shows exosome uptake in the inflamed peritoneal region, and flow‐cytometric analysis of peritonitis exudates confirms the uptake by macrophage and neutrophil populations. These results support the promising use of goat milk exosomes as natural probes in the detection of inflammatory processes.
NIR/MRI‐Guided Oxygen‐Independent Carrier‐Free Anti‐Tumor Nano‐Theranostics
Authors: Gao Di , Shi Yupeng , Ni Jiahua , Chen Shuojia , Wang Ying , Zhao Bin , Song Manli , Guo Xiaoqing , Ren Xuechun , Zhang Xingcai , Tian Zhongmin , Yang Zhe
Published: December 2021

Imaging‐guided photothermal therapy (PTT)/photodynamic therapy (PDT) for cancer treatment are beneficial for precise localization of the malignant lesions and combination of multiple cell killing mechanisms in eradicating stubborn thermal‐resistant cancer cells. However, overcoming the adverse impact of tumor hypoxia on PDT efficacy remains a challenge. Here, carrier‐free nano‐theranostic agents are developed (AIBME@IR780‐APM NPs) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐guided synergistic PTT/thermodynamic therapy (TDT). Two IR780 derivatives are synthesized as the subject of nanomedicine to confer the advantages for the nanomedicine, which are by feat of amphiphilic IR780‐PEG to enhance the sterical stability and reduce the risk from reticuloendothelial system uptake, and IR780‐ATU to chelate Mn2+ for T1‐weighted MRI. Dimethyl 2,2′‐azobis(2‐methylpropionate) (AIBME), acting as thermally decomposable radical initiators, are further introduced into nanosystems with the purpose of generating highly cytotoxic alkyl radicals upon PTT launched by IR780 under 808 nm laser irradiation. Therefore, the sequentially generated heat and alkyl radicals synergistically induce cell death via synergistic PTT/TDT, ignoring tumor hypoxia. Moreover, these carrier‐free nano‐theranostic agents present satisfactory biocompatibility, which could be employed as a powerful weapon to hit hypoxic tumors via MRI‐guided oxygen‐independent PTT and photonic TDT.
Heterogeneous Atoms Substituted Rock Salt Phase Mn1‐xFexO Solid Solution with Rich Defects for Advanced Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Liu Huan , Li Na , Zhang Weibin , Zhang Shiwei , Wang Jianchuan , Du Yong
Published: December 2021

Heterogeneous atoms substitution is an efficient method for promoting Li+ storage of transition metal oxides. Herein, a series of Fe‐substituted MnO solid solutions with different Fe contents are synthesized by a feasible solid‐phase method. The synergistic effects between heterogeneous atoms and rich vacancies are synchronously obtained, which hold distinctive electronic structures and substantial active sites. When optimized Mn0.55Fe0.45O solid solution as anodes for lithium‐ion batteries, pre‐prepared electrodes exhibit reversible lithium storage of 1286.9 mAh g–1 at 1 A g −1 after 400 cycles and even 628.1 mAh g–1 at 2 A g–1 after 1000 cycles. The LiCoO2//Mn0.55Fe0.45O full cells are assembled, achieving the reversible capacity of 130.2 and 111.3 mAh g–1 after 150 cycles at 0.1 and 0.2 A g–1, respectively. Density functional theory calculations also authenticate that the electrochemical activity can be markedly boosted by the heterogeneous atoms substituted Mn1‐xFexO solid solution.
Flame‐Assisted Synthesis of O‐Coordinated Single‐Atom Catalysts for Efficient Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction and Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Li Jinze , Li Hao , Xie Wenfu , Li Shijin , Song Yuke , Fan Kui , Lee Jin Yong , Shao Mingfei
Published: December 2021

Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) exhibit intriguing performance in electrocatalysis owing to their maximized atom utilizations and unique electronic structures, but effective anchoring metal atoms with defined coordination structure on hierarchical integrated electrode remain a challenge. Herein, a fast and facial flame‐assisted strategy is developed to construct oxygen‐coordinated SACs on integrated carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays with promising applications in electrocatalysis. Density functional theory calculations show that oxygen in carbon substrate imparts homogeneous sites for the efficient anchoring of metal atoms, thereby enabling SACs to disperse uniformly and firmly and thus bringing optimized activities. Moreover, the integrated CNT array with abundant oxygen‐containing groups is constructed and has been used as an efficient matrix for anchoring metal atoms (CNT‐O@M) via a flame‐assisted method. The as‐prepared CNT‐O@M (M = Co and Pt as typical examples) shows excellent activities in electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction with utilization of active site as high as 75.7%, which is superior to the reported SACs. Particularly, the performance of CNT‐O@M can maintain stably under various harsh conditions, showing a promising prospect in the long‐time applications. The methodology and concept proposed in this work could be extended to the synthesis of a variety of integrated SACs for efficient electrocatalysis.
Fragmented Geographies of Education: Institutions, Policies, and the Neighborhood
Authors: Freytag Tim , Mössner Samuel
Published: December 2021

Educational settings, both in and out of the school environment, not only affect one’s educational opportunities, but may also result in structural disadvantages and barriers. In this chapter, we explore political programs and initiatives aimed at improving educational opportunities and related settings on a local scale in Freiburg, Germany. Drawing upon educational statistics and biographical interviews conducted with adolescent students who are confronted with severe educational barriers, we sketch out a local pattern of fragmented geographies. Moreover, we critically assess how the local initiative “Lernen Erleben in Freiburg” (LEIF) implemented the national program “Lernen vor Ort” (Local Learning). With this example, we show that educational programs and initiatives—framed according to the New Public Management paradigm and neoliberal logics of competition, rankings, and best practices—have a limited potential to transform educational landscapes and work against educational inequalities and prevailing fragmented geographies of education.
Explorable Uncertainty Meets Decision-Making in Logistics
Authors: Megow Nicole , Schlöter Jens
Published: December 2021

Decision-making under uncertainty is a major challenge in logistics. Mathematical optimization has a long tradition in providing powerful methods for solving logistics problems. While classical optimization models for uncertainty in the input data do not consider the option to actively query the precise value of uncertain input elements, this option is in practice often available at a certain cost. The recent line of research on optimization under explorable uncertainty develops methods with provable performance guarantees for such scenarios. In this chapter, we highlight some recent results from the mathematical optimization perspective and outline the potential power of such model and techniques for solving logistics problems.
A Demand-Response System for Sustainable Manufacturing Using Linked Data and Machine Learning
Authors: Wicaksono Hendro , Boroukhian Tina , Bashyal Atit
Published: December 2021

The spread of demand-response (DR) programs in Europe is a slow but steady process to optimize the use of renewable energy in different sectors including manufacturing. A demand-response program promotes changes of electricity consumption patterns at the end consumer side to match the availability of renewable energy sources through price changes or incentives. This research develops a system that aims to engage manufacturing power consumers through price- and incentive-based DR programs. The system works on data from heterogeneous systems at both supply and demand sides, which are linked through a semantic middleware, instead of centralized data integration. An ontology is used as the integration information model of the semantic middleware. This chapter explains the concept of constructing the ontology by utilizing relational database to ontology mapping techniques, reusing existing ontologies such as OpenADR, SSN, SAREF, etc., and applying ontology alignment methods. Machine learning approaches are developed to forecast both the power generated from renewable energy sources and the power demanded by manufacturing consumers based on their processes. The forecasts are the groundworks to calculate the dynamic electricity price introduced for the DR program. This chapter presents different neural network architectures and compares the experiment results. We compare the results of Deep Neural Network (DNN), Long Short-Term Memory Network (LSTM), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and Hybrid architectures. This chapter focuses on the initial phase of the research where we focus on the ontology development method and machine learning experiments using power generation datasets.
Association between weight change and incidence of cardiovascular disease events and mortality among adults with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review of observational studies and behavioural intervention trials
Authors: Strelitz Jean , Lawlor Emma R. , Wu Yue , Estlin Annabel , Nandakumar Giri , Ahern Amy L. , Griffin Simon J.
Published: December 2021

Aims/hypothesis

Weight loss is often recommended in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. While evidence has shown that large weight loss may lead to diabetes remission and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, long-term impacts are unclear. We performed a systematic review of studies of weight loss and other weight changes and incidence of CVD among people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Observational studies of behavioural (non-surgical and non-pharmaceutical) weight changes and CVD events among adults with type 2 diabetes, and trials of behavioural interventions targeting weight loss, were identified through searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) until 9 July 2019. Included studies reported change in weight and CVD and/or mortality outcomes among adults with type 2 diabetes. We performed a narrative synthesis of observational studies and meta-analysis of trial data.

Results

Of 13,227 identified articles, 17 (14 observational studies, three trials) met inclusion criteria. Weight gain (vs no change) was associated with higher hazard of CVD events (HRs [95% CIs] ranged from 1.13 [1.00, 1.29] to 1.63 [1.11, 2.39]) and all-cause mortality (HRs [95% CIs] ranged from 1.26 [1.12, 1.41] to 1.57 [1.33, 1.85]). Unintentional weight loss (vs no change) was associated with higher risks of all-cause mortality, but associations with intentional weight loss were unclear. Behavioural interventions targeting weight loss showed no effect on CVD events (pooled HR [95% CI] 0.95 [0.71, 1.27]; I2 = 50.1%). Risk of bias was moderate in most studies and was high in three studies, due to potential uncontrolled confounding and method of weight assessment.

Conclusions/interpretation

Weight gain is associated with increased risks of CVD and mortality, although there is a lack of data supporting behavioural weight-loss interventions for CVD prevention among adults with type 2 diabetes. Long-term follow-up of behavioural intervention studies is needed to understand effects on CVD and mortality and to inform policy concerning weight management advice and support for people with diabetes.

PROSPERO registration CRD42019127304.

Graphical abstract
Intercomparison of Two Fluorescent Dyes to Visualize Parasitic Fungi (Chytridiomycota) on Phytoplankton
Authors: Klawonn Isabell , Dunker Susanne , Kagami Maiko , Grossart Hans-Peter , Van den Wyngaert Silke
Published: December 2021

Fungal microparasites (here chytrids) are widely distributed and yet, they are often overlooked in aquatic environments. To facilitate the detection of microparasites, we revisited the applicability of two fungal cell wall markers, Calcofluor White (CFW) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), for the direct visualization of chytrid infections on phytoplankton in laboratory-maintained isolates and field-sampled communities. Using a comprehensive set of chytrid–phytoplankton model pathosystems, we verified the staining pattern on diverse morphological structures of chytrids via fluorescence microscopy. Empty sporangia were stained most effectively, followed by encysted zoospores and im-/mature sporangia, while the staining success was more variable for rhizoids, stalks, and resting spores. In a few instances, the staining was unsuccessful (mostly with WGA), presumably due to insufficient cell fixation, gelatinous cell coatings, and multilayered cell walls. CFW and WGA staining could be done in Utermöhl chambers or on polycarbonate filters, but CFW staining on filters seemed less advisable due to high background fluorescence. To visualize chytrids, 1 µg dye mL−1 was sufficient (but 5 µg mL−1 are recommended). Using a dual CFW–WGA staining protocol, we detected multiple, mostly undescribed chytrids in two natural systems (freshwater and coastal), while falsely positive or negative stained cells were well detectable. As a proof-of-concept, we moreover conducted imaging flow cytometry, as a potential high-throughput technology for quantifying chytrid infections. Our guidelines and recommendations are expected to facilitate the detection of chytrid epidemics and to unveil their ecological and economical imprint in natural and engineered aquatic systems.
Pressure-sensitive paint diagnostic to measure species concentration on transpiration-cooled walls
Authors: Ewenz Rocher Marc , Hermann Tobias , McGilvray Matthew , Ifti Hassan Saad , Vieira Joao , Hambidge Chris , Quinn Mark Kenneth , Grossman Madeleine , Vandeperre Luc
Published: December 2021

This paper presents the performance of pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) for the direct measurement of species concentration on a porous surface with mass injection. It is used to measure the ability of an injected gas to reduce the mass transfer of freestream species to the surface. A porous alumina sample was sprayed with a PSP luminophore solution. The sample was installed into a flat plate model and exposed to hypersonic cross-flows in the Oxford High-Density Tunnel. Tests were conducted with no coolant injection, air injection, and nitrogen injection at increasing blowing ratios. Oxygen partial pressure maps on the transpiration-cooled surface were obtained for several conditions at unit Reynolds numbers between $$2.58{-}5.0 \times 10^7/ \mathrm{m}$$

2.58
-
5.0
×

10
7

/
m

and blowing ratios between $$0.016{-}0.078\%$$

0.016
-
0.078
%

. The oxygen pressure decreases as the unit Reynolds number decreases and the blowing ratio increases.

Graphic abstract
Preferred intra-seasonal circulation patterns of the Indian summer monsoon and active-break cycles
Authors: Straus David M.
Published: December 2021

Intra-Seasonal circulation regimes are identified from a cluster analysis of 5-day mean anomaly fields of 850 hPa horizontal winds from the ERA-Interim reanalysis for the boreal summer season (June–Sept. for 1979–2018) over the region (50°–100° E; 5° S–35° N). The k-means method was applied to the leading 6 principal components yielding k clusters. The degree of clustering is significant compared to synthetic data sets for any value of $$k > 3$$

k
>
3

. The circulation is most likely to stay in the same cluster from one pentad to the next; significant transitions (with 95% confidence level) form a cycle. The similarity between the cycle depicted from 4 or 5 clusters and the active-break cycle, as well as the 45-day oscillation, is established by composites of 850 hPa winds, 200 hPa divergence, 500 hPa vorticity and vertical pressure velocity, precipitable water, diabatic heating and rainfall over India: Strong convection over the subtropical Indian Ocean moves to the central Bay of Bengal and central India, subsequently to the northern Bay of Bengal and west Bengal, and then further north into the Himalayas. We also find preferred transitions in which the convection moves equatorward from central India. The number of complete cycles found in 40 summers is 7 in the 4-cluster analysis. The number of times the system undergoes four (three) consecutive legs of the cycle is 16 (31). For 5 clusters only 3 complete cycles are found. sequences of five, four and three consecutive legs occur 10, 11 and 28 times, respectively.
When eyes beat lips: speaker gaze affects audiovisual integration in the McGurk illusion
Authors: Wahn Basil , Schmitz Laura , Kingstone Alan , Böckler-Raettig Anne
Published: December 2021

Eye contact is a dynamic social signal that captures attention and plays a critical role in human communication. In particular, direct gaze often accompanies communicative acts in an ostensive function: a speaker directs her gaze towards the addressee to highlight the fact that this message is being intentionally communicated to her. The addressee, in turn, integrates the speaker’s auditory and visual speech signals (i.e., her vocal sounds and lip movements) into a unitary percept. It is an open question whether the speaker’s gaze affects how the addressee integrates the speaker’s multisensory speech signals. We investigated this question using the classic McGurk illusion, an illusory percept created by presenting mismatching auditory (vocal sounds) and visual information (speaker’s lip movements). Specifically, we manipulated whether the speaker (a) moved his eyelids up/down (i.e., open/closed his eyes) prior to speaking or did not show any eye motion, and (b) spoke with open or closed eyes. When the speaker’s eyes moved (i.e., opened or closed) before an utterance, and when the speaker spoke with closed eyes, the McGurk illusion was weakened (i.e., addressees reported significantly fewer illusory percepts). In line with previous research, this suggests that motion (opening or closing), as well as the closed state of the speaker’s eyes, captured addressees’ attention, thereby reducing the influence of the speaker’s lip movements on the addressees’ audiovisual integration process. Our findings reaffirm the power of speaker gaze to guide attention, showing that its dynamics can modulate low-level processes such as the integration of multisensory speech signals.
Value appropriation in hepatitis C
Authors: Lindgren Peter , Löfvendahl Sofia , Brådvik Gunnar , Weiland Ola , Jönsson Bengt
Published: December 2021

Background

In 2015, the Swedish government in an unprecedented move decided to allocate 150 million € to provide funding for new drugs for hepatitis C. This was triggered by the introduction of the first second generation of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) promising higher cure rates and reduced side effects. The drugs were cost-effective but had a prohibitive budget impact. Subsequently, additional products have entered the market leading to reduction in prices and expansions of the eligible patient base.

Methods

We estimated the social surplus generated by the new DAAs in Stockholm, Sweden, for the years 2014–2019. The actual use and cost of the drugs was based on registry data. Effects on future health care costs, indirect costs and QALY gains were estimated using a Markov model based primarily on Swedish data and using previous generations of interferon-based therapies as the counterfactual.

Results

A considerable social surplus was generated, 15% of which was appropriated by the producers whose share fell rapidly over time as prices fell. Most of the consumer surplus was generated by QALY gains, although 10% was from reduced indirect costs. QALY gains increased less rapidly than the number of treated patients as the eligibility criteria was loosened.

Conclusions

The transfer of funds from the government to the regions helped generate substantial surplus for both consumers and producers with indirect costs playing an important role. The funding model may serve as a model for the financing of innovative treatments in the future.
Robust facility location in reverse logistics
Authors: Egri Péter , Dávid Balázs , Kis Tamás , Krész Miklós
Published: December 2021

As environmental awareness is becoming increasingly important, alternatives are needed for the traditional forward product flows of supply chains. The field of reverse logistics covers activities that aim to recover resources from their final destination, and acts as the foundation of the efficient backward flow of these materials. Designing the appropriate reverse logistics network for a given field is a crucial problem, as this provides the basis for all operations connected to the resource flow. This paper focuses on design questions in the supply network of waste wood, dealing with its collection and transportation to designated processing facilities. The facility location problem is studied for this use-case, and mathematical models are developed that consider economies of scale and the robustness of the problem. A novel approach based on bilevel optimization is used for computing the exact solutions of the robust problem on smaller instances. A local search and a tabu search method is also introduced for solving problems of realistic sizes. The developed models and methods are tested both on real-life and artificial instance sets in order to assess their performance.
Genetic Risk for Smoking: Disentangling Interplay Between Genes and Socioeconomic Status
Authors: Pasman Joëlle A. , Demange Perline A. , Guloksuz Sinan , Willemsen A. H. M. , Abdellaoui Abdel , ten Have Margreet , Hottenga Jouke-Jan , Boomsma Dorret I. , de Geus Eco , Bartels Meike , de Graaf Ron , Verweij Karin J. H. , Smit Dirk J. , Nivard Michel , Vink Jacqueline M.
Published: December 2021

This study aims to disentangle the contribution of genetic liability, educational attainment (EA), and their overlap and interaction in lifetime smoking. We conducted genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in UK Biobank (N = 394,718) to (i) capture variants for lifetime smoking, (ii) variants for EA, and (iii) variants that contribute to lifetime smoking independently from EA (‘smoking-without-EA’). Based on the GWASs, three polygenic scores (PGSs) were created for individuals from the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR, N = 17,805) and the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2 (NEMESIS-2, N = 3090). We tested gene–environment (G × E) interactions between each PGS, neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and EA on lifetime smoking. To assess if the PGS effects were specific to smoking or had broader implications, we repeated the analyses with measures of mental health. After subtracting EA effects from the smoking GWAS, the SNP-based heritability decreased from 9.2 to 7.2%. The genetic correlation between smoking and SES characteristics was reduced, whereas overlap with smoking traits was less affected by subtracting EA. The PGSs for smoking, EA, and smoking-without-EA all predicted smoking. For mental health, only the PGS for EA was a reliable predictor. There were suggestions for G × E for some relationships, but there were no clear patterns per PGS type. This study showed that the genetic architecture of smoking has an EA component in addition to other, possibly more direct components. PGSs based on EA and smoking-without-EA had distinct predictive profiles. This study shows how disentangling different models of genetic liability and interplay can contribute to our understanding of the etiology of smoking.
P-Curve analysis of autonomous and controlling motivation priming effects supports their evidential value
Authors: Murphy Stephen L. , Steel Richard P.
Published: December 2021

Extant literature consistently demonstrates the level of self-determination individuals experience or demonstrate during an activity can be primed. However, considering most of this literature comes from a period wherein p-hacking was prevalent (pre-2015), it may be that these effects reflect false positives. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether published literature showing autonomous and controlling motivation priming effects contain evidential value or not. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant priming research, while set rules determined which effects from each study would be used in p-curve analysis. Two p-curves including 33 effects each were constructed. P-curve analyses, even after excluding surprising effects (e.g., effects large in magnitude), demonstrated that literature showing autonomous and controlling motivation priming effects contained evidential value. The present findings support prior literature suggesting the effects of autonomous and controlling motivation primes exist at the population level. They also reduce (but do not eliminate) concerns from broader psychology that p-hacking may underlie reported effects.
Stable Deep Neural Network Architectures for Mitochondria Segmentation on Electron Microscopy Volumes
Authors: Franco-Barranco Daniel , Muñoz-Barrutia Arrate , Arganda-Carreras Ignacio
Published: December 2021

Electron microscopy (EM) allows the identification of intracellular organelles such as mitochondria, providing insights for clinical and scientific studies. In recent years, a number of novel deep learning architectures have been published reporting superior performance, or even human-level accuracy, compared to previous approaches on public mitochondria segmentation datasets. Unfortunately, many of these publications make neither the code nor the full training details public, leading to reproducibility issues and dubious model comparisons. Thus, following a recent code of best practices in the field, we present an extensive study of the state-of-the-art architectures and compare them to different variations of U-Net-like models for this task. To unveil the impact of architectural novelties, a common set of pre- and post-processing operations has been implemented and tested with each approach. Moreover, an exhaustive sweep of hyperparameters has been performed, running each configuration multiple times to measure their stability. Using this methodology, we found very stable architectures and training configurations that consistently obtain state-of-the-art results in the well-known EPFL Hippocampus mitochondria segmentation dataset and outperform all previous works on two other available datasets: Lucchi++ and Kasthuri++. The code and its documentation are publicly available athttps://github.com/danifranco/EM_Image_Segmentation.
Hot Deformation Behavior and Strain Rate Sensitivity of 33MnCrB5 Boron Steel Using Material Constitutive Equations
Authors: Teker Emre , Danish Mohd , Gupta Munish Kumar , Kuntoğlu Mustafa , Korkmaz Mehmet Erdi
Published: December 2021

In this paper, the constitutive equation parameters (Johnson–Cook parameters) of the 33MnCrB5 material were determined with the help of tensile tests. Initially, Johnson–Cook (JC) model was used for performing the simulations of the sample with finite element analysis with the help of ANSYS software. For these operations, the sample was first used at a certain temperature (24 °C) and low strain rates (10−1, 10−2, 10−3 s−1) and quasi-static tensile tests were performed. Then, high temperature tensile tests were performed with strain rate values of 10−3 s−1 at temperatures of 300 °C, 600 °C, and 900 °C, respectively. Finally, JC parameters belonging to test materials were found in accordance with the results obtained from the high temperature tensile and quasi-static tests. In the last stage, the results obtained from the simulation software for the yield stress, maximum stress, and elongation values were compared with the experimental results. As a result, deviation values for quasi-static tests are calculated as 5.04% at yield stress, 5.57% at maximum stress, and 5.68% at elongation, while for high temperature, yield stress is 9.42%, maximum stress is 11.49% and the elongation value is 7.63%. The accuracy of JC parameters was verified with the comparison made with the obtained data.
Primary elections and electoral outcomes: evidence from the Spanish Socialist Party
Authors: Ciacci Riccardo , Garcia-Hernandez Ana , García-Hombrados Jorge , Gismera Laura , Núñez-Partido Antonio
Published: December 2021

Using a regression discontinuity design and primary elections to select Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) mayoral candidates as a case study, this paper investigates the causal link between primary elections and electoral outcomes. The results suggest that selecting the PSOE’s mayoral candidate through primary elections has no effect on the percentage of votes and total votes received by the PSOE’s candidate in local elections, the probability of gaining the mayorship and the local government’s stability. On the other hand, the results suggest that PSOE’s primary elections result in increased votes for competing political parties to the right of the PSOE and in reduced votes for competing parties to the left of the PSOE.
Semi-empiric noise modeling of a Cargo eVTOL UAV by means of system identification from flight noise measurement data
Authors: Schmähl Michael , Rieger Christian , Speck Sebastian , Hornung Mirko
Published: December 2021

This publication shows the semi-empiric noise modeling of an electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by means of system identification from flight noise measurement data. This work aims to provide noise models with a compact analytical ansatz for horizontal and vertical flight which are suited for integration into a geographical information system. Therefore, flight noise measurement campaigns were conducted and evaluated. An existing noise model ansatz is adapted to the eVTOL UAV under consideration and noise models are computed from the measurement data using the output error method. The resulting models are checked for plausibility by comparing them to technical literature. The horizontal flight noise model is subjected to a correlation analysis and the influence of meteorological effects are examined. To achieve a higher level of accuracy in future noise modelings, an optimization of the microphone positions as well as the flight trajectory is carried out.
Approximation of functions by Bernoulli wavelet and its applications in solution of Volterra integral equation of second kind
Authors: Lal Shyam , Kumar Satish
Published: December 2021

In this paper, two new estimators $$ E_{2^{k-1},0}^{(1)}(f) $$

E

2

k
-
1

,
0

(
1
)

(
f
)

and $$ E_{2^{k-1},M}^{(1)}(f) $$

E

2

k
-
1

,
M

(
1
)

(
f
)

of characteristic function and an estimator $$ E_{2^{k-1},M}^{(2)}(f) $$

E

2

k
-
1

,
M

(
2
)

(
f
)

of function of H$$\ddot{\text {o}}$$

o
¨

lder’s class $$H^{\alpha } [0,1)$$

H
α

[
0
,
1
)

of order $$0<\alpha \leqslant 1$$

0
<
α
⩽
1

have been established using Bernoulli wavelets. A new technique has been applied for solving Volterra integral equation of second kind using Bernoulli wavelet operational matrix of integration as well as product operational matrix. These matrices have been utilized to reduce the Volterra integral equation into a system of algebraic equations, which are easily solvable. Some examples are illustrated to show the validity and efficiency of proposed technique of this research paper.
Effect of an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture on Knee Proprioception Within 2 Years After Conservative and Operative Treatment: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fleming John Dick , Ritzmann Ramona , Centner Christoph
Published: December 2021

Background

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) plays a major role in knee proprioception and is thus responsible for maintaining knee joint stability and functionality. The available evidence suggests that ACL reconstruction diminishes somatosensory feedback and proprioceptive functioning, which are vital for adequate joint positioning and movement control.

Objective

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of an ACL rupture on knee proprioception after arthroscopic ACL repair surgery or conservative treatment.

Methods

A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Guidelines for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The literature search was performed in the following databases from inception to 10th October 2020: PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane Library and Scopus. Randomized and non-randomized studies that evaluated proprioception using the joint position sense (JPS) and threshold to detection of passive motion (TTDPM) techniques at 15°–30° knee flexion with an external healthy control group in a time period between 6 and 24 months post injury or operation were included in the analysis.

Results

In total, 4857 studies were identified, from which 11 were included in the final quantitative analysis. The results demonstrated that proprioception after arthroscopic ACL repair surgery was significantly lower than in the healthy control group (JPS: standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.27–0.87,p < 0.01,n = 6 studies; TTDPM: SMD 0.77, 95% CI 0.20–1.34,p < 0.01,n = 4 studies). There were no significant differences in proprioception between the conservative treatment group and the healthy control group (JPS: SMD 0.57, 95% CI − 0.69 to 1.84,p = 0.37,n = 4 studies; TTDPM: SMD 0.82, 95% CI − 0.02 to 1.65,p = 0.05,n = 2 studies), although measures for TTDPM were close to statistical significance.

Conclusion

The findings of the present systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that knee proprioception is persistently compromised 6–24 months following surgical treatment of ACL tears compared with healthy controls. The reduced kinesthetic awareness after ACL surgery is of high relevance for optimizing individual treatment plans in these patients. As the current literature is still scarce about the exact underlying mechanisms, further research is needed.

Trial Registration

The present systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021198617).
Conductive Biomaterials as Bioactive Wound Dressing for Wound Healing and Skin Tissue Engineering
Authors: Yu Rui , Zhang Hualei , Guo Baolin
Published: December 2021

Conductive biomaterials based on conductive polymers, carbon nanomaterials, or conductive inorganic nanomaterials demonstrate great potential in wound healing and skin tissue engineering, owing to the similar conductivity to human skin, good antioxidant and antibacterial activities, electrically controlled drug delivery, and photothermal effect. However, a review highlights the design and application of conductive biomaterials for wound healing and skin tissue engineering is lacking. In this review, the design and fabrication methods of conductive biomaterials with various structural forms including film, nanofiber, membrane, hydrogel, sponge, foam, and acellular dermal matrix for applications in wound healing and skin tissue engineering and the corresponding mechanism in promoting the healing process were summarized. The approaches that conductive biomaterials realize their great value in healing wounds via three main strategies (electrotherapy, wound dressing, and wound assessment) were reviewed. The application of conductive biomaterials as wound dressing when facing different wounds including acute wound and chronic wound (infected wound and diabetic wound) and for wound monitoring is discussed in detail. The challenges and perspectives in designing and developing multifunctional conductive biomaterials are proposed as well.
Exploring the Spatial Control of Topotactic Phase Transitions Using Vertically Oriented Epitaxial Interfaces
Authors: Zhang Wenrui , Zhang Jie , Cheng Shaobo , Rouleau Christopher M. , Kisslinger Kim , Zhang Lihua , Zhu Yimei , Ward Thomas Z. , Eres Gyula
Published: December 2021

Engineering oxygen vacancy formation and distribution is a powerful route for controlling the oxygen sublattice evolution that affects diverse functional behavior. The controlling of the oxygen vacancy formation process is particularly important for inducing topotactic phase transitions that occur by transformation of the oxygen sublattice. Here we demonstrate an epitaxial nanocomposite approach for exploring the spatial control of topotactic phase transition from a pristine perovskite phase to an oxygen vacancy-ordered brownmillerite (BM) phase in a model oxide La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO). Incorporating a minority phase NiO in LSMO films creates ultrahigh density of vertically aligned epitaxial interfaces that strongly influence the oxygen vacancy formation and distribution in LSMO. Combined structural characterizations reveal strong interactions between NiO and LSMO across the epitaxial interfaces leading to a topotactic phase transition in LSMO accompanied by significant morphology evolution in NiO. Using the NiO nominal ratio as a single control parameter, we obtain intermediate topotactic nanostructures with distinct distribution of the transformed LSMO-BM phase, which enables systematic tuning of magnetic and electrical transport properties. The use of self-assembled heterostructure interfaces by the epitaxial nanocomposite platform enables more versatile design of topotactic phase structures and correlated functionalities that are sensitive to oxygen vacancies.
Multiplexed Profiling of Extracellular Vesicles for Biomarker Development
Authors: Jiang Cheng , Fu Ying , Liu Guozhen , Shu Bowen , Davis Jason , Tofaris George K.
Published: December 2021

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membranous particles that play a crucial role in molecular trafficking, intercellular transport and the egress of unwanted proteins. They have been implicated in many diseases including cancer and neurodegeneration. EVs are detected in all bodily fluids, and their protein and nucleic acid content offers a means of assessing the status of the cells from which they originated. As such, they provide opportunities in biomarker discovery for diagnosis, prognosis or the stratification of diseases as well as an objective monitoring of therapies. The simultaneous assaying of multiple EV-derived markers will be required for an impactful practical application, and multiplexing platforms have evolved with the potential to achieve this. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of the currently available multiplexing platforms for EV analysis, with a primary focus on miniaturized and integrated devices that offer potential step changes in analytical power, throughput and consistency.
Porous Co2VO4 Nanodisk as a High-Energy and Fast-Charging Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Ren Jinghui , Wang Zhenyu , Xu Peng , Wang Cong , Gao Fei , Zhao Decheng , Liu Shupei , Yang Han , Wang Di , Niu Chunming , Zhu Yusong , Wu Yutong , Liu Xiang , Wang Zhoulu , Zhang Yi
Published: December 2021

High-energy–density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) that can be safely fast-charged are desirable for electric vehicles. However, sub-optimal lithiation potential and low capacity of commonly used LIBs anode cause safety issues and low energy density. Here we hypothesize that a cobalt vanadate oxide, Co2VO4, can be attractive anode material for fast-charging LIBs due to its high capacity (~ 1000 mAh g−1) and safe lithiation potential (~ 0.65 V vs. Li+/Li). The Li+ diffusion coefficient of Co2VO4 is evaluated by theoretical calculation to be as high as 3.15 × 10–10 cm2 s−1, proving Co2VO4 a promising anode in fast-charging LIBs. A hexagonal porous Co2VO4 nanodisk (PCVO ND) structure is designed accordingly, featuring a high specific surface area of 74.57 m2 g−1 and numerous pores with a pore size of 14 nm. This unique structure succeeds in enhancing Li+ and electron transfer, leading to superior fast-charging performance than current commercial anodes. As a result, the PCVO ND shows a high initial reversible capacity of 911.0 mAh g−1 at 0.4 C, excellent fast-charging capacity (344.3 mAh g−1 at 10 C for 1000 cycles), outstanding long-term cycling stability (only 0.024% capacity loss per cycle at 10 C for 1000 cycles), confirming the commercial feasibility of PCVO ND in fast-charging LIBs.
Unraveling Passivation Mechanism of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids on Inorganic Perovskite to Achieve Near-Record-Efficiency CsPbI2Br Solar Cells
Authors: Xu Jie , Cui Jian , Yang Shaomin , Han Yu , Guo Xi , Che Yuhang , Xu Dongfang , Duan Chenyang , Zhao Wenjing , Guo Kunpeng , Ma Wanli , Xu Baomin , Yao Jianxi , Liu Zhike , Liu Shengzhong
Published: December 2021

The application of ionic liquids in perovskite has attracted wide-spread attention for its astounding performance improvement of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the detailed mechanisms behind the improvement remain mysterious. Herein, a series of imidazolium-based ionic liquids (IILs) with different cations and anions is systematically investigated to elucidate the passivation mechanism of IILs on inorganic perovskites. It is found that IILs display the following advantages: (1) They form ionic bonds with Cs+ and Pb2+ cations on the surface and at the grain boundaries of perovskite films, which could effectively heal/reduce the Cs+/I− vacancies and Pb-related defects; (2) They serve as a bridge between the perovskite and the hole-transport-layer for effective charge extraction and transfer; and (3) They increase the hydrophobicity of the perovskite surface to further improve the stability of the CsPbI2Br PSCs. The combination of the above effects results in suppressed non-radiative recombination loss in CsPbI2Br PSCs and an impressive power conversion efficiency of 17.02%. Additionally, the CsPbI2Br PSCs with IILs surface modification exhibited improved ambient and light illumination stability. Our results provide guidance for an in-depth understanding of the passivation mechanism of IILs in inorganic perovskites."Image missing"
Impact of geomagnetic disturbances on power transformers: risk assessment of extreme events and data availability
Authors: Naim Wadih , Hilber Patrik , Shayesteh Ebrahim
Published: December 2021

Certain rare events can have a drastic impact on power systems. Such events are generally known as high-impact low-probability (HILP) events. It is challenging to predict the occurrence of a HILP event mainly due to lack of data or sparsity and scarcity of data points. Yet, it is essential to implement an evidence-driven asset management strategy. In this paper, event tree analysis is used to assess the risk of power transformer failure due to a geomagnetically induced currents (GIC). Those currents are caused by geomagnetic disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field due to solar activity. To assess the impact on power transformers, an understanding of the mechanism and sequence of sub-events that lead to failure is required to be able to construct an event tree. Based on the constructed event tree, mitigation actions can be derived. GIC blockers or reducers can be used. However, that would require extensive installation and maintenance efforts, and the impact on system reliability has to be studied. Also, such technology is still in its infancy and needs extensive validation. A suggested alternative is to combine early warning data from solar observatories with a load management plan to keep transformers below their rated operation point such that a DC offset due to GIC would not cause magnetic core saturation and overheating. Load management and the risk of early warning false positives can incur a negative effect on reliability. Nevertheless, the risk assessment performed in this paper show that incorporating load management in asset planning is a viable measure that would offset the probability of catastrophic failure.