bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ni Particle Morphology and Support Effect in the Catalytic Decomposition of Methane: Into the Design of Novel, High Yield Catalyst for Catalytic Decomposition of Methane
Authors: Gaitan Jose A. Hernandez , Li Xinyu , Tamura Kazuya , Miyake Koji , Uchida Yoshiaki , Nishiyama Norikazu
Published: June 2024

Research on high‐surface‐area supports and synergic promoters has been made, however, there is still much room for improvement on the catalytic‐particles morphology and interaction with the support. A first approach for designing nanoplate supports to improve CDM catalysts was made. Amorphous aluminosilicates nanoplates (a‐AS.np) with an average particle size of 23.4 nm and an average height of 2.8 nm, and α‐Ni(OH)2 nanoplates (Ni.np) with an average particle size of 23.2 nm and an average thickness of 8.4 nm, were successfully synthesized, using a two‐dimensional reactor in amphiphilic phases (TRAP). Nickel loaded in a‐AS materials with different morphologies and promotion effects of lantana (La3+) & chromium (Cr3+) species were studied. La‐Cr promoted a‐AS support showed an average increase of 13% on H2 yield in severe conditions due to improved crystallization of Ni particles on mesoporous support and the electron promotion of La to Ni species. Furthermore, we evaluate the Ni.np as novel morphology support for La3+ & copper (Cu2+) species in the methane decomposition reaction. La‐Cu Ni.np showed outstanding performance and stability, a max H2 yield of 15.9% (at 700 °C), and more than 400 min of H2 generation (at 550 °C) compared to its a‐AS support counterparts.
Indium Reduction in Bifacial Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells with MoOx Hole Collector
Authors: Cao Liqi , Zhao Yifeng , Procel Moya Paul , Han Can , Kovačević Katarina , Özkol Engin , Zeman Miro , Mazzarella Luana , Isabella Olindo
Published: June 2024

Reducing indium consumption in transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layers is crucial for mass production of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. In this contribution, optical simulation‐assisted design and optimization of SHJ solar cells featuring MoOx hole collectors with ultra‐thin TCO layers is performed. Firstly, bifacial SHJ solar cells with MoOx as the hole transport layer (HTL) and three types of n‐contact as electron transport layer (ETL) are fabricated with 50 nm thick ITO on both sides. It is found that bilayer (nc‐Si:H/a‐Si:H) and trilayer (nc‐SiOx:H/nc‐Si:H/a‐Si:H) as n‐contacts performed electronically and optically better than monolayer (a‐Si:H) in bifacial SHJ cells, respectively. Then, as suggested by optical simulations, the same stack of tungsten‐doped indium oxide (IWO) and optimized MgF2 layers are applied on both sides of front/back‐contacted SHJ solar cells. Devices endowed with 10 nm thick IWO and bilayer n‐contact exhibit a certified efficiency of 21.66% and 20.66% when measured from MoOx and n‐contact side, respectively. Specifically, when illuminating from the MoOx side, the short‐circuit current density and the fill factor remain well above 40 mA cm−2 and 77%, respectively. Compared to standard front/rear TCO thicknesses (75 nm/150 nm) deployed in monofacial SHJ solar cells, this represents over 90% TCO reduction. As for bifacial cells featuring 50 nm thick IWO layers, a champion device with a bilayer n‐contact as ETL is obtained, which exhibits certified conversion efficiency of 23.25% and 22.75% when characterized from the MoOx side and the n‐layer side, respectively, with a bifaciality factor of 0.98. In general, by utilizing a n‐type bilayer stack, bifaciality factor is above 0.96 and it can be further enhanced up to 0.99 by switching to a n‐type trilayer stack. Again, compared to the aforementioned standard front/rear TCO thicknesses, this translates to a TCO reduction of more than 67%.
HyperSense: Hyperdimensional Intelligent Sensing for Energy‐Efficient Sparse Data Processing
Authors: Yun Sanggeon , Chen Hanning , Masukawa Ryozo , Errahmouni Barkam Hamza , Ding Andrew , Huang Wenjun , Rezvani Arghavan , Angizi Shaahin , Imani Mohsen
Published: June 2024

Introducing HyperSense, the co‐designed hardware and software system efficiently controls analog‐to‐digital converter (ADC) modules’ data generation rate based on object presence predictions in sensor data. Addressing challenges posed by escalating sensor quantities and data rates, HyperSense reduces redundant digital data using energy‐efficient low‐precision ADC, diminishing machine learning system costs. Leveraging neurally inspired hyperdimensional computing, HyperSense analyzes real‐time raw low‐precision sensor data, offering advantages in handling noise, memory‐centricity, and real‐time learning. The proposed HyperSense model combines high‐performance software for object detection with real‐time hardware prediction, introducing the novel concept of intelligent sensor control. Comprehensive software and hardware evaluations demonstrate the solution's superior performance, evidenced by the highest area under the curve and sharpest receiver operating characteristic curve among lightweight models. Hardware‐wise, the field programmable gate array‐based domain‐specific accelerator tailored for HyperSense achieves a 5.6× speedup compared to YOLOv4 on NVIDIA Jetson Orin while showing up to 92.1% energy saving compared to the conventional system. These results underscore HyperSense's effectiveness and efficiency, positioning it as a promising solution for intelligent sensing and real‐time data processing across diverse applications.
Outcomes of acute myeloid leukemia patients who responded to venetoclax and azacitidine and stopped treatment
Authors: Garciaz Sylvain , Dumas Pierre‐Yves , Bertoli Sarah , Sallman David A. , Decroocq Justine , Belhabri Amine , Orvain Corentin , Aspas Requena Gaspar , Simand Celestine , Laribi Kamel , Carré Martin , Santagostino Alberto , Himberlin Chantal , Peterlin Pierre , Bonnet Sarah , Chan Onyee , Lancet Jeffrey , Komrokji Rami , Vergez François , Chapuis Nicolas , Raskovalova Tatiana , Plesa Adriana , Lhoumeau Anne‐Catherine , Mineur Ariane , Hospital Marie Anne , Pigneux Arnaud , Vey Norbert , Récher Christian
Published: June 2024

Venetoclax‐azacitidine is the standard of treatment for unfit acute myeloid leukemia patients. In the VIALE‐A study, treatment was given until progression but there are no data on its optimal duration for responding patients who do not tolerate indefinite therapy. We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of patients who discontinued venetoclax or venetoclax‐azacitidine due to poor tolerance. Sixty‐two newly diagnosed (ND) AML patients and 22 patients with morphological relapse or refractory AML were included. In the ND cohort (n = 62), 28 patients stopped venetoclax and azacitidine and 34 patients continued azacitidine monotherapy. With a median follow‐up of 23 months (IQR, 20–32), median overall survival and treatment‐free survival were 44 (IQR, 16‐NR) and 16 (IQR, 8–27) months, respectively. Patients who stopped both treatments and those who continued azacitidine monotherapy had the same outcomes. Negative minimal residual disease was associated with a 2‐year treatment‐free survival of 80%. In the RR cohort (n = 22), median overall survival and treatment‐free survival were 19 (IQR, 17–31) and 10 (IQR, 5‐NR) months, respectively. Prior number of venetoclax‐azacitidine cycles and IDH mutations were associated with increased overall survival. The only factor significantly impacting treatment‐free survival was the number of prior cycles. This study suggests that patients who discontinued treatment in remission have favorable outcomes supporting the rationale for prospective controlled trials.
P,N‐koordinierende Ylid‐funktionalisierte Phosphane (NYPhos): Eine Ligandenplattform für die selektive Monoarylierung kleiner Nukleophile
Authors: Löffler Julian , Kaiser Nicolas , Knyszek Daniel , Krischer Felix , Jörges Mike , Feichtner Kai‐Stephan , Gessner Viktoria H.
Published: June 2024

Palladium‐katalysierte Kupplungsreaktionen von kleinen Nukleophilen sind von großem Interesse, aber aufgrund der schwierigen Selektivitätskontrolle eine synthetische Herausforderung. Wir berichten nun über die Entwicklung einer neuen Plattform an P,N‐Liganden bestehend aus Ylid‐funktionalisierten Phosphanen mit Aminophosphoniumgruppen (NYPhos), um dieses Problem zu lösen. Die Phosphanliganden sind in einer großen strukturellen Breite leicht zugänglich, wodurch ihre elektronischen und sterischen Eigenschaften flexibel variiert werden können. Basierend auf einer Serie von 14 NYPhos‐Liganden konnte die selektive Monoarylierung von Aceton und anderer anspruchsvoller Ketone und Amide mit rekordverdächtigen Aktivitäten auch für Arylchloride bei Raumtemperatur erreicht werden, einschließlich der Funktionalisierung von Wirkstoffmolekülen. Darüber hinaus konnten Ammoniak und andere kleine primäre Amine unter milden Bedingungen gekoppelt werden. Die Isolierung und Strukturanalyse von Palladiumkomplexen innerhalb des katalytischen Zyklus bestätigte den P,N‐Koordinationsmodus der Liganden, der zur Erzielung der beobachteten Selektivitäten erforderlich ist. Zudem erwies sich die Stärke des N‐Donors als leicht einstellbar, was für das gezielte Design maßgeschneiderter P,N‐Liganden für künftige Anwendungen von Vorteil sein sollte.
Sandwiched polymers modified with BaTiO3@polyfluorosiloxane for enhanced energy density
Authors: Zhang Jia‐Yu , Liu Xiu , Luo Fei‐Yan , He Li , Li Yan‐Tong , Li Jia‐Le , Zhou Yuan‐Lin , Sun Nan , Zhang Quan‐Ping
Published: June 2024

Polymer dielectrics have gained significant usage in electrical engineering due to their unique merits, such as good flexibility, easy processing, and low cost. However, it is a huge challenge that polymer dielectrics maintain high breakdown strength meanwhile high permittivity for enhanced energy density. Here, sandwiched polymer films are constructed for enhanced energy density. Increased permittivity has been achieved via blending BaTiO3@polyfluorosiloxane with a polymer as the top and bottom layer. Furthermore, the neat polymer as the middle layer is without critically sacrificing breakdown strength. The energy storage density increases from 7.8 J/cm3 of the neat polymer to 10.41 J/cm3 of the sandwich structure at 460 MV/m. This research offers a feasible route for fabricating capacitive films with enhanced energy density.
An empirical examination of data reuser trust in a digital repository
Authors: Yakel Elizabeth , Faniel Ixchel M. , Robert Lionel P.
Published: June 2024

Most studies of trusted digital repositories have focused on the internal factors delineated in the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) Reference Model—organizational structure, technical infrastructure, and policies, procedures, and processes. Typically, these factors are used during an audit and certification process to demonstrate a repository can be trusted. The factors influencing a repository's designated community of users to trust it remains largely unexplored. This article proposes and tests a model of trust in a data repository and the influence trust has on users' intention to continue using it. Based on analysis of 245 surveys from quantitative social scientists who published research based on the holdings of one data repository, findings show three factors are positively related to data reuser trust—integrity, identification, and structural assurance. In turn, trust and performance expectancy are positively related to data reusers' intentions to return to the repository for more data. As one of the first studies of its kind, it shows the conceptualization of trusted digital repositories needs to go beyond high‐level definitions and simple application of the OAIS standard. Trust needs to encompass the complex trust relationship between designated communities of users that the repositories are being built to serve.
Assessing midbrain neuromelanin and its relationship to reward learning in anorexia nervosa: Stage 1 of a registered report
Authors: Murray Stuart B. , Diaz‐Fong Joel P. , Mak Vienna W. T. , Feusner Jamie D.
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a debilitating and potentially chronic eating disorder, characterized by low hedonic drive toward food, which has been linked with perturbations in both reward processing and dopaminergic activity. Neuromelanin‐sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an emerging method to index midbrain neuromelanin—a by‐product of dopaminergic synthesis. The assessment of midbrain neuromelanin, and its association with AN psychopathology and reward‐related processes, may provide critical insights into reward circuit function in AN.

Methods

This study will incorporate neuromelanin‐sensitive MRI into an existing study of appetitive conditioning in those with AN. Specifically, those with acute and underweight AN (N = 30), those with weight‐restored AN (N = 30), and age‐matched healthy controls (N = 30) will undergo clinical assessment of current and previous psychopathology, in addition to structural neuromelanin‐sensitive MRI, diffusion MRI, and functional MRI (fMRI) during appetitive conditioning.

Conclusion

This study will be among the first to interrogate midbrain neuromelanin in AN—a disorder characterized by altered dopaminergic activity. Results will help establish whether abnormalities in the midbrain synthesis of dopamine are evident in those with AN and are associated with symptomatic behavior and reduced ability to experience pleasure and reward.
Causal effects of gut microbiota on multiple sclerosis: A two‐sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Sun Dongren , Zhang Yangyang , Wang Rui , Du Qin , Shi Ziyan , Chen Hongxi , Wang Xiaofei , Zhou Hongyu
Published: June 2024

Background

Gut microbiota alterations in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have been reported in observational studies, but whether these associations are causal is unclear.

Objective

We performed a Mendelian randomization study (MR) to assess the causal effects of gut microbiota on MS.

Methods

Independent genetic variants associated with 211 gut microbiota phenotypes were selected as instrumental variables from the largest genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) previously published by the MiBioGen study. GWAS data for MS were obtained from the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (IMSGC) for primary analysis and the FinnGen consortium for replication and collaborative analysis. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate heterogeneity and pleiotropy.

Results

After inverse‐variance‐weighted and sensitivity analysis filtering, seven gut microbiota with potential causal effects on MS were identified from the IMSGC. Only five metabolites remained significant associations with MS when combined with the FinnGen consortium, including genus Anaerofilum id.2053 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.141, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.021–1.276, p = .021), Ruminococcus2 id.11374 (OR = 1.190, 95% CI: 1.007–1.406, p = .042), Ruminococcaceae UCG003 id.11361 (OR = 0.822, 95% CI: 0.688–0.982, p = .031), Ruminiclostridium5 id.11355 (OR = 0.724, 95% CI: 0.585–0.895, p = .003), Anaerotruncus id.2054 (OR = 0.772, 95% CI: 0.634–0.940, p = .010).

Conclusion

Our MR analysis reveals a potential causal relationship between gut microbiota and MS, offering promising avenues for advancing mechanistic understanding and clinical investigation of microbiota‐mediated MS.
Low triiodothyronine (T3) levels predict worse outcomes in autoimmune encephalitis—A meta‐analysis of current literature
Authors: Rehan Syeda Tayyaba , ul Hussain Hassan , Ali Eman , Eqbal Farea , Ahmed Jawad , Eljack Mohammed Mahmmoud Fadelallah , Asghar Muhammad Sohaib
Published: June 2024

Introduction

An unusual association between thyroid dysfunction and autoimmune encephalitis (AE) was noticed when patients presented with low free triiodothyronine (fT3) levels and antithyroid antibodies. We conducted a meta‐analysis to investigate whether thyroid dysfunction, that is, lower fT3 levels are associated with worsening clinical manifestations and prognosis in patients with AE.

Methods

Literature search of five electronic databases was performed till April 5, 2023. Inclusion criteria were as follows: Observational studies reporting patients with all subtypes of AE and assessing thyroid dysfunction categorized as low fT3 and non‐low fT3. Primary endpoints included modified Rankin scale (mRS) at admission, abnormal magnetic resonance imaging, length of stay, seizures, and consciousness declination.

Results

Comprehensive literature search resulted in 5127 studies. After duplicate removal and full‐text screening, six observational studies were included in this analysis. Patients with low fT3 were 2.95 times more likely to experience consciousness declination (p = .0003), had higher mRS at admission (p < .00001), had 3.14 times increased chances of having a tumor (p = .003), were 3.88 times more likely to experience central hypoventilation, and were 2.36 times more likely to have positivity for antithyroid antibodies (p = .009) as compared to patients with non‐low fT3.

Conclusion

The findings of our study suggest that low fT3 levels might be related to a more severe disease state, implying the significance of thyroid hormones in AE pathogenesis. This finding is crucial in not only improving the early diagnosis of severe AE but also in the efficient management of the disease.
Primary clarification of mammalian cell culture fluid using enhanced sedimentation on inclined surfaces inside the single‐use disposable Sudhin BioSettler150
Authors: Glascock Christopher B. , Kompala Dhinakar S.
Published: June 2024

The first downstream processing step in the purification of a biopharmaceutical protein secreted into mammalian cell culture fluid is the primary clarification of the culture fluid. As cell densities in the fed‐batch and increasingly more common perfusion bioreactors have increased over last two decades through intensified upstream bioreactor production processes, the traditional primary clarification unit operations of centrifugation and/or microfiltration become more challenging with issues like frequent desludging, cell disruption due to shear damage and quick fouling of membranes. We have developed a novel compact cell settler device exploiting the enhanced sedimentation on inclined surfaces and demonstrated that this settler device can be adapted easily to remove and contain cells or cell clumps from the clarified supernatant collected via the top effluent of the settler. In this work, we present high product recovery results during primary clarification of mammalian cell culture supernatant using our novel single‐use disposable BioSettler150 while processing about 10 L of cell culture broth within short processing times of about 4 h.
Isolation, Identification, Phytochemical Characterization, and In Vitro Anti‐Inflammatory Property of an Endophytic Trametes Versicolor CL‐1 Isolated from Rosa Roxburghii
Authors: Li Liangqun , Tao Xian , Yan Yanfang , Chen Faju , Liang Qiancheng , Li Haodong , Yang Lishou , Li Jinyu , Deng Tingfei , Pan Xiong , Ge Lijuan , Gao Ming , Yang Juan , Peng Mei , Yang Xiaosheng
Published: June 2024

This study explores the anti‐inflammatory potential of an endophytic fungus, Trametes versicolor CL‐1, isolated from the fruit tissues of Rosa roxburghii. Morphological and molecular analyses confirmed the identity of CL‐1. An ethyl acetate extract (CL−E) from its fermentation broth was subjected to UPLC‐HRMS and GNPS molecular networking. The analysis revealed a diverse array of secondary metabolites, including 11 terpenes, 7 flavonoids, 10 cinnamic acid derivatives, 6 oligopeptides, and 9 fatty acids, as verified by LC–MS/MS. Notably, CL−E exhibited significant in vitro anti‐inflammatory activity in RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, molecular docking studies predicted favorable binding interactions of key compounds 1 within CL−E with the NLRP3 inflammasome (PDB ID: 6NPY). These findings suggest T. versicolor CL‐1 as a promising source of natural anti‐inflammatory agents and unveil R. roxburghii as a potential reservoir for discovering novel bioactive metabolites.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Benzamide Compounds as Insecticides Agents Against Spodoptera Frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Abd El‐Lateef Hany M. , Khalaf Mai M. , Gouda M. , Abdelhamid Antar A. , Gad Mohamed A.
Published: June 2024

Due to its severe damage, Spodoptera frugiperda is receiving attention as one of the biggest dangers to world food security. Although there are numerous insecticides that are widely and successfully used to control S. frugiperda, they do not have an immediate effect. In our work focusing for synthesized twelve novel benzamide derivatives and examined their insecticidal effectiveness against S. frugiperda larvae in their second & fourth larvae instars, with the aim of further improving the insecticidal activity based on combination principles. Several spectroscopic methods, including elemental analysis, NMR & infrared spectroscopy, were employed for confirming the structure of the newly designed products. It has been discovered that most compounds show good of promising efficacy. With an LC50 of 24.8 mg/L for larvae in the second instar & 56.2 mg/L for larvae in the fourth instar, compound 23 was the most active. Among all compounds 11, 22 and 20 exhibited excellent results. Furthermore, a number of biological and histopathological properties of the demonstration compounds of the produced goods under laboratory conditions were also examined. This work further demonstrates the anti‐proliferation of S. frugiperda and offers fresh ideas for the manufacture of benzamide derivatives.
Design, Synthesis, and Invitro Pharmacological Evaluation of Novel Resveratrol Surrogate Molecules against Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Subramanian Arunkumar , T Tamilanban , Kumarasamy Vinoth , Sekar Mahendran , Subramaniyan Vetriselvan , Wong Ling Shing
Published: June 2024

A series of resveratrol surrogate molecules were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated for inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) along with anti‐oxidant activity as potential novel multifunctional agents against Alzheimer's disease (AD). Six novel compounds were synthesized by reacting (E)‐4‐(3,5‐Dimethoxystyryl) aniline with benzaldehyde and some selected derivatives of benzaldehyde in the presence of ethanol and a few drops of glacial acetic acid which followed the general scheme involved in the formation of Schiff bases. The spectral analysis data including FT‐IR, 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, and Mass spectroscopy results were found to be in good agreement with the newly synthesized compounds (Resveratrol Surrogate Molecules 1–6). The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their dual cholinesterase inhibitory activities, cytotoxic effect, and anti‐oxidant potential. The results showed that compound RSM5 showed potent inhibitory activity against AChE and BChE. In, addition the cytotoxicity of the compound RSM5 is less and found to be within the desirable limit indicating the potential safety of RSM5. Also, it possesses substantial anti‐oxidant activity which qualifies RSM5 as an anti‐AD agent. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the molecule RSM5 had the most multifunctional properties and could be a promising lead molecule for the future development of drugs for Alzheimer's treatments.
Silencing of ZNF610 suppresses cell proliferation and migration in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Shi Ye , Cui Weiming , Xi Lei , Liu Feng , Liu Zicheng , Jiang Jie , Liu Zhengcheng , Cao Hui
Published: June 2024

Zinc finger proteins (ZNFs) play a significant role in the initiation and progression of tumors. Nevertheless, the specific contribution of ZNF610 to lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains poorly understood. This study sought is to elucidate the role of ZNF610 in LUAD. Transcript data of LUAD were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) database and processed via R program. The expression of ZNF610 was assessed in various cell lines. To compare the proliferative capacity of cells with or without ZNF610 silencing, CCK8, cell colony formation assay, and Celigo label‐free cell counting assay were employed. Furthermore, transwell migration and invasion assays were conducted to evaluate the migratory and invasive abilities of the cells. The expression levels of genes and proteins were assessed using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and western blot techniques. In different LUAD cells, the expression level of ZNF610 was found to be significantly higher in LUAD cells compared to MRC‐5 and BASE‐2B cells. Moreover, the silencing of ZNF610 resulted in a decrease in cell proliferation and migration abilities. Additionally, the apoptosis rate of cells increased upon silencing ZNF610. Notably, the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase increased, while the proportion of cells in the S phase decreased following ZNF610 silencing. Finally, β‐catenin and snail were identified as downstream targets of ZNF610 in cells. Our findings suggest that silencing ZNF610 could inhibit LUAD cell proliferation and migration, possibly through the downregulation of β‐catenin and snail.
Improving the Ca‐assisted Urea‐Glass Method for the Synthesis of Zirconium Nitride as Potential Electrocatalyst for the Nitrogen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Bragulla Sebastian C. H. , von Seggern Aaron R. , Lorenz Julian , Harms Corinna , Wark Michael , Friedrich K. Andreas
Published: June 2024

Zirconium mononitride (ZrN), among other nitrides, is of interest as a catalyst in general and especially for the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). Synthesis of nanoparticulate ZrN is challenging due to the formation of undesired other phases and the need for hazardous precursors or high temperatures. The urea glass method (UGM) was used in this work to synthesise nanoparticulate zirconium nitride. A focused parameter variation of the precursor composition and process conditions lead to an optimised synthesis, greatly improving material purity in regard to minor phase and residual carbon content. The nitride starts to form at a pyrolysis temperature of 900 °C, likely by irreversible decomposition of previously‐formed oxynitride, which forms from amorphous ZrO2 and urea during pyrolysis. An increased pyrolysis temperature improves product purity but slightly lowers nitride purity. Calcium admixture slows the urea decomposition, yielding a more phase‐pure product with less residual carbon at low amounts. A classical carbothermal nitridation (CN) was used in comparison to the UGM to synthesise ZrN. This was successful in synthesising zirconium carbonitride Zr(N, C) without minor phase, but significant carbon remains if added overstoichiometrically. Using less carbon and a longer dwelling time yielded ZrN without significant carbide (ZrC) incorporation or residual carbon, but with some minor ZrO2 phase, proving a promising synthesis route. A limited electrochemical investigation of a synthesised ZrN material was carried out to scope the general material behaviour and to qualitatively derive the potential catalytic activity for the NRR. Higher reductive currents in nitrogen‐saturated electrolyte qualitatively point to NRR activity, but further and more in‐depth examination is required.
Synthesis of a Library of Terpenoid Alkaloid–Like Compounds Containing Medium‐Sized Rings via Reconstruction of the Humulene Skeleton
Authors: Nishimura Takehiro , Shiga Kosuke , Sekiya Mizuki , Sugawara Akihiro , Yonezawa Takayuki , Kikuchi Haruhisa
Published: June 2024

The construction of a chemical library based on natural products is a promising method for the synthesis of natural product‐like compounds. In this study, we synthesized a terpenoid alkaloid‐like compound library based on the humulene skeleton. Our strategy, which enables access to diverse ring systems such as 11‐membered monocyclic, oxabicyclic, and medium‐sized aza ring‐containing scaffolds, involves the introduction of a nitrogen atom, an intermolecular C−O bond formation via Lewis acid‐mediated epoxide‐opening transannulation, and a ring‐reconstruction strategy based on olefin metathesis. A cheminformatics analysis based on their structural and physicochemical properties revealed that the synthesized compounds have high three‐dimensionality and high natural product likeness scores but with structural novelty. The usefulness of the terpenoid alkaloid‐like compound library for drug discovery and the accessibility to structure‐activity relationship studies were validated by performing an assay for osteoclast‐specific tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase activity, resulting in the identification of a seed compound for bone‐resorptive diseases such as osteoporosis.
Manufacturing and Application of Lightweight Aggregates from Construction and Demolition Waste
Authors: Schnell Alexander , Rübner Katrin , Seher Julia , Müller Constanze , Müller Anette , Liebezeit Steffen , Fenner Jacob , Martin Falk , Pniok Nicole
Published: June 2024

The objective of the REALight project is the development of a thermal process to produce lightweight aggregates in pilot scale and the implantation of a method to recover gypsum. Beside construction and demolition waste, various industrial by‐products are studied as raw materials. The raw materials have so far been unused or used in applications with lower quality requirements. To prove the performance of the lightweight aggregates, their technical properties are tested and their use in different applications is studied, e.g., for lightweight mortars as well as lightweight concretes.
Ionic Liquid‐Assisted Defect Passivation for Efficient Carbon‐Based Perovskite Solar Cells with Enhanced Filling Factor
Authors: Zhang Junfang , Lu Jiangying , Li Xinrui , Zhao Suxin , Yang Ye , Chen Peican , Cheng Hanchi , Zhou Liya
Published: June 2024

The preparation of high‐quality perovskite thin films with long‐term stability is the prerequisite for realizing efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this work, the effect of the bifunctional additive 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate (EMIMAc) ionic liquid on defect passivation in perovskite films was systematically investigated. Both theoretical simulations and experimental results reveal that EMIMAc has a strong coordination interaction with the undercoordinated Pb2+ through the lone electron pairs of carboxyl functional groups and the electron‐rich imidazole moieties, leading to a decreased deep defect density of MAPbI3 system. Besides, EMIMAc treatment realizes energy band alignment. As a result, the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of optimized PSCs reaches 17.07 %, and the filling factor (FF) exceeded 74.91 % which is the highest FF for hole transport layer (HTL)‐free carbon‐based MAPbI3 devices based on TiO2 electron transport layer. Moreover, the unencapsulated EMIMAc‐modified device maintains approximately 89 % of its initial PCE after 30 days, which demonstrates much better air stability than control devices. These results provide effective strategies for improving the efficiency and long‐term stability of HTL‐free carbon‐based PSCs (H‐C‐PSCs).
Explainable recommender system directed by reconstructed explanatory factors and multi‐modal matrix factorization
Authors: Chang Teng , Zhang Zhixia , Cai Xingjuan
Published: June 2024

Matrix factorization (MF)‐based recommender systems (RSs) as black‐box models fail to provide explanations for the recommended items. While some models attain a degree of explainability by integrating neighborhood algorithms, which compute explainability based on the preferences of proximate users, they overlook the contribution of the subjective preferences of the target user to enhancing model explainability, resulting in suboptimal model explainability. To address this problem, an explainable RS directed by reconstructed explanatory factors and multi‐modal matrix factorization (ERS‐REFMMF) is proposed. By integrating users' subjective sentiment and preference features into the rating matrix to form a multi‐modal matrix, ERS‐REFMMF utilizes the Funk‐singular value decomposition method at the foundational layer to decompose the multi‐modal matrix and generate a candidate item set. At the upper layer, explainability is constructed based on the target user's subjective preferences and latent features derived from MF, and the final recommended list is optimized for accuracy, diversity, novelty, and explainability through multi‐objective optimization algorithms. ERS‐REFMMF models around users' explicit preferences and latent associations, reconstructs explainability with hybrid factors, and enhances overall performance through a many‐objective optimization algorithm. Experimental results on real datasets demonstrate that the proposed model is competitive in both phases compared to existing recommendation methods.
Oxygen Vacancy: How Will Poling History Affect Its Role in Photoelectrocatalysis
Authors: Li Xianlong , Wang Zhiliang , Bao Yifan , Lu Haijiao , You Jiakang , Wang Lianzhou
Published: June 2024

Oxygen vacancy (VO) has been recognized to possess an effect to promote the charge separation and transfer (CST) in various n‐type semiconductor based photoelectrodes. But how external stimulus will change this VO effect has not been investigated. In this work, external polarization is applied to investigate the effect of VO on the CST process of a typical ferroelectric BiFeO3 photoelectrode. It is found that negative poling treatment can significantly boost VO effect, while positive poling treatment will deteriorate the CST capability in BiFeO3 photoelectrodes. This poling history determined VO effect is rooted in the VO induced defect dipoles, wherein their alignment produces a depolarization electric field to modulate the CST driving force. This finding highlights the significance of poling history in functionalizing the VO in a photoelectrode.
A CV‐type WPT system based on CLC‐N compensation with compact receiver
Authors: Wang Jiabin , Sun Qianqian , Li Yaxuan
Published: June 2024

The demand for wireless power transfer (WPT) systems that can maintain a constant voltage (CV) output characteristic is gradually increasing in some practical application areas of WPT, such as industrial power supplies. However, existing CV‐type systems are often limited by the parameter design of the loosely coupled transformer (LCT), and the configuration of the receiver side is not compact enough. Therefore, this paper proposes a strongly coupled system with a CV output function composed of capacitor‐inductor‐capacitor‐none (CLC‐N) topology. The system's transmitter uses a CLC compensation, while the receiver conforms to a minimalist design without the need for compensation components such as capacitors and inductors. The initial segment of the paper pertains to the discussion of the conditions required to satisfy both the zero‐phase‐angle (ZPA) and CV output functionality of the suggested system. Subsequently, an in‐depth approach to parameter design is outlined, accentuating that the output voltage remains unrestricted by the LCT's parameters. Additionally, this paper examines the realization of zero‐voltage switching (ZVS) within the suggested system as well as the influence that variations in compensation components have on the CV output function. To underscore the benefits of the suggested CV‐type WPT system that employs CLC‐N compensation, the paper presents a comparison with a range of other CV‐type WPT systems. Ultimately, an experimental prototype is fabricated to test the theoretical framework, and the results from these experiments confirm the feasibility of the suggested CV‐type WPT system based on CLC‐N compensation.
Exosomics integrates digital imaging for head and neck cancer diagnosis
Authors: ArulJothi K. N. , Nidhu A. B. , Krishnan Anand
Published: June 2024

Cancers that can manifest in the oral cavity, nasal cavity, larynx, pharynx, sinuses, and other head and neck areas are collectively called “head and neck cancers” (HNC). HNC can be broadly classified into five types: salivary gland; oral and oropharyngeal; nasal cavity and paranasal sinus; nasopharyngeal, and laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers. HNC accounts for one million new diagnoses annually, making it the seventh most common form of the disease globally. Among all HNCs, 90% are head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) which is highly heterogenous, relapsing, and metastatic with poor survival. Despite the availability of new treatments, the five‐year survival rate for HNSCC patients has been reported to be approximately 50%. An early diagnosis may increase the disease management and outcomes, but it is challenging to detect smaller‐sized lesions and differentiate malignant and non‐malignant lesions with the available tools. Current circumstances demand an improvement in existing diagnostic strategies and the advent of novel diagnostic tools.
Research on the bearing capacity characteristics of initial support for horseshoe‐shaped tunnel prefabrication
Authors: Xue Yongtao , Yan Fayuan , Qi Chengzhi , Zhang Haochen , Xiuwang Zhao , Jingxu Chen
Published: June 2024

In view of the limited theoretical research on the load model of initial support for horseshoe‐shaped prefabrication, this study focuses on the Luochuan Tunnel on the Xi'an‐Yan'an newly built railway as the research object to explore its load model, load characteristic curve, plastic zone, deformation, and critical thickness. Theoretical research and numerical analysis were conducted. The results indicate that under the same boundary conditions, the ultimate bearing capacity of the prefabricated assembly initial support is higher than that of the shotcrete initial support, resulting in larger ultimate deformation capacity of the prefabricated assembly initial support. Based on numerical calculations, the ultimate deformation and critical thickness of the prefabricated initial lining for single‐ and double‐track railway tunnels are obtained when buried at depths of 200, 500, and 900 m in rock masses of classes III, IV, and V.
Mechanistic insights on riverine meta‐ecosystems: Network shape drives spatial biodiversity and trophic structures
Authors: Carraro Luca , Ho Hsi‐Cheng
Published: June 2024

Rivers exhibit hierarchical spatial structures of habitat and physical attributes, providing directed pathways for biological population and community dynamics and thus shaping the meta‐ecosystems therein. While the River Continuum Concept has generalized the spatial patterns of abiotic and biotic components along rivers, a mechanistic understanding of how river networks' shape may constrain the attributes of riverine meta‐ecosystems remains lacking. Here, we address this gap with an in silico study. We integrate the Optimal Channel Network concept (and the well‐established scaling of river geomorphological and hydrological attributes) with a meta‐ecosystem model (with trait‐based food‐web dynamics and spatial dynamics of species and inorganic resources) to explore how distinct river network shapes (elongated vs. compact) may drive the spatial patterns of biodiversity and community trophic structure. We analyse metrics of biomass distribution, trophic structure and composition of locally realized food webs and show that elongated and compact networks foster very different upstream‐downstream biological patterns, and even more contrasting patterns are often observed between the long and short paths of elongated networks. Overall, we observe a transition from prevailing detritus‐based to nutrient‐based trophic channels moving downstream, leading to peaks in alpha diversity at intermediate river size, where both channels are more balanced. Higher spatial heterogeneity in community composition and lower biomass levels are observed in elongated than in compact networks, driven by higher variability in nutrient input loads and higher water volumes, respectively. Together, our findings associate river shapes to the emergent riverine meta‐ecosystems properties and help reveal the underpinning physical attributes‐driven mechanisms.
Predicting responses to climate change using a joint species, spatially dependent physiologically guided abundance model
Authors: Custer Christopher A. , North Joshua S. , Schliep Erin M. , Verhoeven Michael R. , Hansen Gretchen J. A. , Wagner Tyler
Published: June 2024

Predicting the effects of warming temperatures on the abundance and distribution of organisms under future climate scenarios often requires extrapolating species–environment correlations to climatic conditions not currently experienced by a species, which can result in unrealistic predictions. For poikilotherms, incorporating species' thermal physiology to inform extrapolations under novel thermal conditions can result in more realistic predictions. Furthermore, models that incorporate species and spatial dependencies may improve predictions by capturing correlations present in ecological data that are not accounted for by predictor variables. Here, we present a joint species, spatially dependent physiologically guided abundance (jsPGA) model for predicting multispecies responses to climate warming. The jsPGA model uses a basis function approach to capture both species and spatial dependencies. We apply the jsPGA model to predict the response of eight fish species to projected climate warming in thousands of lakes in Minnesota, USA. By the end of the century, the cold‐adapted species was predicted to have high probabilities of extirpation across its current range—with 10% of lakes currently inhabited by this species having an extirpation probability >0.90. The remaining species had varying levels of predicted changes in abundance, reflecting differences in their thermal physiology. Though the model did not identify many strong species dependencies, the variation in estimated spatial dependence across species suggested that accounting for both dependencies was important for predicting the abundance of these fishes. The jsPGA model provides a new tool for predicting changes in the abundance, distribution, and extirpation probability of poikilotherms under novel thermal conditions.
A comprehensive review of wireless power transfer methods, applications, and challenges
Authors: Rahman Md Mahidur , Shanto Md Shahariar Islam , Sarker Nayan , Rani Tithi , Paul Liton Chandra
Published: June 2024

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is a promising technology that has the potential to revolutionize the present methods of power transmission. This paper aims to provide an overview of WPT, including its history, a comparative review of methods, and a review of recent papers about WPT. We discussed different methods of WPT, such as inductive power transmission, capacitive power transmission, optical power transmission, and microwave power transmission. The research briefly discusses the applications, challenges, and opportunities of WPT. The study's findings suggest that WPT can serve as a feasible substitute for traditional wired power transmission. This technology has the potential to offer several advantages, including enhanced convenience, decreased expenses, and heightened safety.
High prevalence of multidrug‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa carrying integron and exoA, exoS, and exoU genes isolated from burn patients in Ahvaz, southwest Iran: A retrospective study
Authors: Akrami Sousan , Ekrami Alireza , Jahangirimehr Fatemeh , Yousefi Avarvand Arshid
Published: June 2024

Background

Pseudomonas aeruginosa as an opportunistic pathogen produces several virulence factors. This study evaluated the relative frequency of exoenzymes (exo) A, U and S genes and integron classes (I, II, and III) among multi‐drug‐resistant clinical P. aeruginosa isolates from burn patients in Ahvaz, southwest of Iran.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study P. aeruginosa isolates were recovered from 355 wound samples. The antimicrobial susceptibility test was done by disk agar diffusion method on Muller‐Hinton agar according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. MDR isolates were defined if they showed simultaneous resistance to 3 antibiotics. Extensively drug‐resistant was defined as nonsusceptibility to at least one agent in all but two or fewer antimicrobial categories. The presence of class I, II, and III integrons and virulence genes was determined using a PCR assay on extracted DNA.

Results

Overall, 145 clinical P. aeruginosa isolates were confirmed with biochemical and PCR tests. Overall, 35% (52/145) of the isolates were taken from males and 64% (93/145) from female hospitalized burn patients. The highest resistance rates of P. aeruginosa isolates to antibiotics were related to piperacillin 59% (n = 86/145) and piperacillin‐tazobactam 57% (n = 83/145). A total of 100% of isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic. MDR and XDR P. aeruginosa had a frequency of 60% and 29%, respectively. The prevalence of integron classes I, II, and III in P. aeruginosa was 60%, 7.58%, and 3.44%, respectively. IntI was more common in MDR and XDR P. aeruginosa isolates. In addition, 70(48%) of P. aeruginosa isolates did not harbor integron genes. Besides, exoA, exoS, and exoU in P. aeruginosa had a frequency of 55%, 55%, and 56%, respectively.

Conclusion

It was found that P. aeruginosa as a potent pathogen with strong virulence factors and high antibiotic resistance in the health community can cause refractory diseases in burn patients.
Identification of sinkhole‐prone zones by successive coincidence deficit index analysis
Authors: Şahin A. Ufuk , Ozkaya Arzu
Published: June 2024

Hydrological data‐driven models require the time series of several hydrological events with different time resolutions. The interpretation of any time series event is generally difficult without some sort of filtering or converting it to a single index value. The simultaneous analysis of two or more hydrological events over a definite time span may be more informative about the region of interest. For this purpose, a new index, referred to as the successive coincidence deficit index (SCDI), was introduced to identify sinkhole‐prone regions using the persistent water deficit concept. In this study, monthly integrated multi‐satellite retrievals for GPM based precipitation (P) and gravity recovery and climate experiment‐based groundwater storage (GWS) datasets over Konya Closed Basin (KCB) in Türkiye were used to analyse the sinkhole occurrence. The main finding of this study is that SCDI distribution with high index values, concentrated on the southwestern part of KCB, is in line with the sinkholes occurred mainly after 2010. The proposed SCDI could also serve as a kind of drought index, which enables practitioners to quantify the relationship between drought and sinkhole occurrence. Moreover, the event coincidence analysis was utilized to detect deficiency in GWS over the KCB, which was associated with a rate of 0.8 for P deficiency, and this rate reaches up to 0.9 in the sinkhole region analysed in this study. As a conclusion, the proposed methodology can detect sinkhole‐prone regions to construct risk maps for stakeholders, policymakers, and end users.