bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving scientific image processing accessibility through development of graphical user interfaces for scikit-image
Authors: Kuwahara Mikael , Fujima Jun , Takahashi Keisuke , Takahashi Lauren
Published: April 2023

Catalyst informatics has garnered a lot of attention within the research community as it is a very powerful method for discovering and understanding catalysts from the data perspective.
Exploiting electricity market dynamics using flexible electrolysis units for retrofitting methanol synthesis
Authors: Ma Jiaze , Rebarchik Michael , Bhandari Saurabh , Mavrikakis Manos , Huber George W. , Zavala Victor M.
Published: April 2023

Exploiting the dynamics of electricity markets can make hydrogen production cost-competitive and this can lead to viable alternatives to electrify methanol production.
Sustainable processing of Greek yogurt acid-whey waste to develop folic acid encapsulated millet powders
Authors: Malik Sargun , Bayati Mohamed B. , Lin Chung-Ho , Krishnaswamy Kiruba
Published: April 2023

Folic acid can be encapsulated using acid whey, kodo and proso millet. Spray drying and extrusion can be used for encapsulation wherein the product has high flowability. The acid whey and millet matrix act as a source of divalent ions that help produce folic acid gel.
An experimental and theoretical investigation of the N(2D) + C6H6 (benzene) reaction with implications for the photochemical models of Titan
Authors: Balucani Nadia , Caracciolo Adriana , Vanuzzo Gianmarco , Skouteris Dimitrios , Rosi Marzio , Pacifici Leonardo , Casavecchia Piergiorgio , Hickson Kevin M. , Loison Jean-Christophe , Dobrijevic Michel
Published: April 2023

Low temperature kinetics, crossed beam experiments, calculations of the underlying potential energy surface and of the product branching fractions for the N(2D) + benzene reaction are reported. The results have been used in a photochemical model of Titan.
Pre-embedding an energetic metal–organic framework to create interconnected pore structures in nitrogen-doped carbon for green and effective hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis
Authors: Guo Yuyu , Han Jinxi , Li Shuting , Xia Zhengqiang , Chen Sanping , Xie Gang , Gao Shengli , Yang Qi
Published: April 2023

The two-electron (2e−) oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a green way to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).
Determination of trace elements in mineral water by MIP OES using the Marin-5 nebulization system
Authors: Martins Alexsandro S. , Dantas Filho Heronides Adonias , Fernandes Dantas Kelly G.
Published: April 2023

In this study, three analytical procedures for the determination of inorganic constituents in mineral water were performed.
Supramolecular temperature responsive assembly of polydopamine reduced graphene oxide
Authors: Chen Yiwen , Szkopek Thomas , Cerruti Marta
Published: April 2023

Supramolecular temperature responsive self-assembly of graphene colloidal systems is enabled by an amphiphilic structure incorporating polydopamine clusters on reduced graphene oxide flakes, without using temperature responsive polymers.
An autonomous power temperature sensor based on window-integrated transparent PV using sustainable luminescent carbon dots
Authors: Correia Sandra F. H. , Fu Lianshe , Dias Lília M. S. , Pereira Rui F. P. , de Zea Bermudez V. , André Paulo S. , Ferreira Rute A. S.
Published: April 2023

Sustainable luminescent solar concentrators based on carbon dots for window-integrated transparent photovoltaics as an autonomous power multiparametric mobile temperature sensor.
C10H10ClNO3: exploration of birefringent crystals in an isoquinoline system
Authors: Chen Hao , Zhang Shaobin , Chen Bo , Shen Yaoguo , Luo Junhua
Published: April 2023

An organic–inorganic hybrid material of C10H10ClNO3exhibits a large experimental birefringence value of 0.345@550 nm, resulting from the new birefringence-active structural gene of expanded planar [C10H8NO2]+groups.
Adsorption of Congo red dye in water by orange peel biochar modified with CTAB
Authors: Hua Zhongxin , Pan Yaping , Hong Qiankun
Published: April 2023

This study used hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) to organically modify orange peel biochar (OBC) to produce CTAB-modified orange peel biochar (NOBC), the adsorption performance of NOBC on Congo red dye in water and the influencing factors were investigated.
Carbazole fluorophore with an imidazole/thiazole unit: contrasting stimuli-induced fluorescence switching, water-sensing and deep-blue emission
Authors: Ravi Sasikala , Nithiasri P. R. , Karthikeyan Subramanian , Pannipara Mehboobali , Al-Sehemi Abdullah G. , Moon Dohyun , Anthony Savarimuthu Philip
Published: April 2023

Imidazole/thiazole integration with a carbazole unit led to contrasting stimuli-responsive reversible fluorescence switching and fluorescence in solution and the solid-state.
Phase behavior and dynamics in a colloid–polymer mixture under spherical confinement
Authors: Bera Arabinda , Binder Kurt , Egorov Sergei A. , Das Subir K.
Published: April 2023

From studies via molecular dynamics simulations, we report results on structure and dynamics in mixtures of active colloids and passive polymers that are confined inside a spherical container with a repulsive boundary.
The effect of size and delignification on the mechanical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) biocomposites reinforced with wood fibres via extrusion
Authors: Cosse Renato Lemos , Voet Vincent S. D. , Folkersma Rudy , Loos Katja
Published: April 2023

Raw short wood fibres generally showed better mechanical performance than long ones. Alkaline treatment did not improve the mechanical properties of the composites after reactive extrusion and injection moulding.
Bio-based agricultural products: a sustainable alternative to agrochemicals for promoting a circular economy
Authors: Priya A. K. , Alagumalai Avinash , Balaji Devarajan , Song Hua
Published: April 2023

Utilizing waste streams to produce bio-based products has the potential to promote a circular economy. In addition, by incorporating biowaste into the circular economy, the production of sustainable bioproducts and bioenergy can be enhanced.
Polydiallylammonium interpenetrating cationic network ion-solvating membranes for anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers
Authors: Jung Jiyoon , Park Young Sang , Hwang Dong Jun , Choi Gwan Hyun , Choi Dong Hoon , Park Hyun Jin , Ahn Cheol-Hee , Hwang Seung Sang , Lee Albert S.
Published: April 2023

Anion exchange membranes prepared through cyclopolymerization of crosslinking of diallylammonium precursors were subjected to various physical, mechanical, and chemical stability property analysis for anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers.
X-ray sensitive selenium-containing Ru complexes sensitize nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells for radio/chemotherapy
Authors: Shi Changhe , Yuan Zhongwen , Liu Ting , Chan Leung , Chen Tianfeng , Zhao Jianfu
Published: April 2023

Se substitution could enhance electrophilicity of the complexes due to strong polarization and improve radiotherapy therapeutic efficiency by triggering ROS-mediated DNA damage, which provides a strategy as radiosensitizer for nasopharyngeal carcinoma and cancer treatment.
Black phosphorus thermosensitive hydrogels loaded with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes synergistically promote bone tissue defect repair
Authors: Xu Tong , Hua Yongmei , Mei Peng , Zeng Deliang , Jiang Shengjie , Liao Chongshan
Published: April 2023

BP nanosheets were irradiated with NIR light to control the swelling/deswelling phase transition of hydrogels and constructed an NIR light-responsive exosome controlled-release platform for bone regeneration.
From synthesis to device fabrication: elucidating the structural and electronic properties of C7-BTBT-C7
Authors: Pandey Priya , Fijahi Lamiaa , McIntosh Nemo , Turetta Nicholas , Bardini Marco , Giannini Samuele , Ruzié Christian , Schweicher Guillaume , Beljonne David , Cornil Jérôme , Samorì Paolo , Mas-Torrent Marta , Geerts Yves Henri , Modena Enrico , Maini Lucia
Published: April 2023

Synthesis, polymorph investigation, crystallographic study, and fabrication of OFETs in solution-processed thin films of C7-BTBT-C7.
Deep learning based sequence detection with natural redundancy for memory sources
Authors: Wang Zhen‐Yu , Yu Hong‐Yi , Du Jian‐Ping , Shen Zhi‐Xiang , Zhu Zhao‐Rui , Shen Cai‐Yao
Published: April 2023

The current wireless communication system has higher performance demands for receivers. This paper considers exploiting the natural redundancy (NR) that is widely existed in the transmission sources to improve the receiver's performance of sequence detection. The type of NR discussed in this paper is the inherent redundancy in data caused by the correlation between symbols in the memory sources. Since the correlation between transmitted symbols is too challenging to obtain, deep learning (DL) is introduced into sequence detection, which has a powerful ability to extract complex patterns from data. Specifically, intended for a specific memory source that is convenient for performance analysis, namely the Markov source, an iterative sequence detection algorithm based on the long short‐term memory network is proposed. Simulation results demonstrate that the receiver's performance can be improved by exploiting the NR and the proposed DL‐based sequence detection scheme can obtain optimal bit error rate performance with blind state transition probability of the transmitted Markov source.
Texture and semantic convolutional auto‐encoder for anomaly detection and segmentation
Authors: Luo Jintao , Gao Can , Wan Da , Shen Linlin
Published: April 2023

Anomaly detection is a challenging task, especially detecting and segmenting tiny defect regions in images without anomaly priors. Although deep encoder‐decoder‐based convolutional neural networks have achieved good anomaly detection results, existing methods operate uniformly on all extracted image features without considering disentangling these features. To fully explore the texture and semantic information of images, A novel unsupervised anomaly detection method is proposed. Specifically, discriminative features are extracted from images by using a deep pre‐trained network, where shallow and deep features are aggregated into texture and semantic modules, respectively. Then, a feature fusion module is developed to interactively enable feature information in two different modules. The texture and semantic segmentation results are obtained by comparing the texture features and semantic features before and after reconstruction, respectively. Finally, an anomaly segmentation module is designed to generate anomaly detection results by integrating the results of the texture and semantic modules by setting a threshold. Experimental results on benchmark datasets for anomaly detection demonstrate that our proposed method can efficiently and effectively detect anomalies, outperforming some state‐of‐the‐art methods by 2.7% and 0.6% in classification and segmentation.
A single‐ended protection method for flexible DC distribution grid
Authors: Wei Xiuyan , Zou Guibin , Zhang Shuo , Chen Chaochao , Xu Chunhua , Sun Weijie
Published: April 2023

Considering that no current limiting inductances (CLIs) are installed at the end of the DC line in the flexible DC distribution grid, the protections relying on line boundary are no longer applicable. To overcome this problem, the paper proposes a single‐ended protection method independent of line boundary. Firstly, the Peterson equivalent circuit is applied to analyze the amplitude‐time ratio of initial voltage travelling wave (ARIVTW) under internal and external faults. Secondly, the fault direction criterion based on the fault component current and the fault type criterion based on the pole voltage are built. Subsequently, the fault identification criterion is constructed by using the ARIVTW, and the corresponding protection method is formed. Finally, the flexible DC distribution grid is built in PSCAD to verify the proposed method. The simulation results show that the method is robust to fault resistance and noise. Besides, the method realizes the protection of the whole line, which has good selectivity and engineering applicability.
A double‐mode planar argon plume produced by varying the distance from an atmospheric pressure plasma jet
Authors: Wu Kaiyue , Liu Jingnan , Wu Jiacun , Chen Mo , Ran Junxia , Pang Xuexia , Jia Pengying , Li Xuechen , Ren Chenhua
Published: April 2023

Atmospheric pressure planar plumes are desirable for the applications of low temperature plasmas, such as rapid modification of large‐scale surfaces. Up to now, only single‐mode planar plumes with either a streamer mode or a filamentary mode have been reported in the literature. Distinctive from the single‐mode planar plumes, a double‐mode argon planar plume has been generated in this article, which operates in the streamer mode with a larger distance away from a plasma jet and transits to the filamentary mode with decreasing the distance. Discharge characteristics and plasma parameters are compared for the two modes. Results indicate that the streamer mode and the filamentary mode correspond to pulsed and humped discharges respectively. Fast photography reveals that the streamer‐mode plume is composed of stochastically branching streamers, while the filamentary‐mode plume results from a series of moving filaments similar to those in barrier discharge. In contrast to the streamer mode, the filamentary mode has lower excited electron temperature and vibrational temperature, whereas higher electron density and gas temperature. In addition, better hydrophilicity of polyethylene terephthalate surface is achieved in the filamentary mode.
Apron surveillance video coding based on compositing virtual reference frame with object library
Authors: Lyu Zonglei , Zhang Bo
Published: April 2023

A video coding framework for the apron surveillance scene has been proposed in this paper, which aims to improve coding efficiency by eliminating long‐term redundancy at the object level. To achieve this goal, this study first develops an existing block‐based hybrid video coding framework by exploiting the video redundancy on the object level to perform video coding. Second, an object‐library mechanism is designed to collect the representative object images as coding references on larger temporal and spatial scales. Finally, a virtual reference frame, which blends background and foreground references from the object library, is adaptively composited according to the video content to improve the inter‐prediction performance. Preliminary experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a high BD rate reduction of up to 23.97% in apron surveillance video sequences, compared to the standard high efficiency video coding (HEVC).
Three‐dimensional single‐shell dielectric lens design using complex coordinates and local axis‐displaced confocal quadrics
Authors: de Assis Aline Rocha , Bergmann José Ricardo , da Silva Moreira Fernando José
Published: April 2023

This study proposes an analytical formulation in complex coordinates to synthesise three‐dimensional single‐shell dielectric lens surfaces. An exact formulation based on geometrical optics is developed, and the synthesis problem is modelled as a non‐linear second‐order partial differential equation of the Monge–Ampère (MA) type. An alternative numerical scheme based on axis‐displaced confocal quadrics is used to locally represent the surface of dielectric lens. The advantage of this approach is to analytically obtain the partial derivatives present in the MA equation. To validate the proposed methodology, numerical results are obtained by an iterative algorithm that allows the simultaneous control of the transmitted beam width and the power density amplitude in the far‐field region. To illustrate the synthesis effectiveness, two examples of lens antennas are simulated and analysed.
Enhanced secrecy outage probability for multiple‐input single‐output‐VLC systems through optical beamforming and improved light emitting diodes deployment
Authors: Mohammadi Mahmoud , Sadough Seyed Mohammad Sajad , Ghassemlooy Zabih
Published: April 2023

The authors propose to arrange the light emitting diodes (LEDs) on the ceiling for an indoor visible light communication system in order to minimise the secrecy outage probability (SOP) at the location of the legitimate user (LU). More precisely, by deriving the secrecy capacity for a multiple‐input single‐output‐VLC system, we evaluate the SOP at the LU's location which is used as the appropriate metric to determine the position of the LEDs on the ceiling. To mitigate the effect of the eavesdropper, we derive the optimal beamforming coefficients which are used at the transmitter LED array with the aim of maximising the signal‐to‐noise ratio at the LU. Simulation results show that for a SOP of 10−4, the proposed SOP‐based LED arrangement with optimal beamforming offers up to 3 dB gain in transmit power compared to the classical uniform LED arrangement with sub‐optimal zero‐forcing beamforming. Moreover, they show that by using the proposed method, the SOP is kept below a desired threshold, over a wider area inside the indoor environment compared to classical methods.
Modelling of microgrids to insure resource adequacy in the capacity market
Authors: Katiraee Haniyeh , Jalili Hassan
Published: April 2023

The penetration of renewable resources in distribution networks have led to the creation of a concept called microgrids. Microgrids act as a bus with the ability to control the amount of consumption and generation, from the viewpoint of system operator. If the amount of capacity that can be provided by microgrids is known, they can be effective in providing resource adequacy and the required capacity of the network. This paper contains two contributions. Modelling of capacity value of a microgrid that includes wind turbines, photovoltaic, non‐renewable generators, loads and batteries is the first innovation of this paper. Here, a capacity value model for microgrids is created for the first time. The application of microgrid capacity value model to a long‐term issue, such as ensuring resource adequacy in the capacity market, constitutes the second innovation of this paper. Consequently, there are two distinct innovations in this work. The presence of microgrids in the capacity market has increased competition and reduced costs, and on the other hand, it will help the microgrids development through their long‐term generation revenues. The proposed method has been tested on IEEE 57‐bus test system. Results have shown the efficiency of using microgrids in the capacity market.
Alternating minimisation approach for direct position determination in passive localisation
Authors: Sabeti Mohsen , Norouzi Yaser
Published: April 2023

This article deals with the source localisation problem when the receiver is moving over time, and the sources are sparse across the area. In addition, only one of the sources is active at each time instant, means that the sources are pulse transmitters. The problem was first formulated such as a dictionary learning problem for sparse representation. Then, an alternating minimisation approach to estimate the position of the sources and their signals iteratively is proposed. Simulation results in different scenarios demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method relative to state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Research on the application of zodiac culture in cultural and creative design
Authors: Fan Yunlin , Wang Lijun
Published: April 2023

As an excellent traditional culture of our country, the twelve zodiac signs have been constantly updated and changed by many skilled craftsmen since ancient times. Today, the zodiac culture still occupies an important position in the design field. This time, we will sort out the changes in the graphical representation of the zodiac from ancient times to the present, and explore new and interesting and unique representations by comparing the graphical representations of the zodiac from ancient to modern times, and add the meaning of the year of the zodiac and auspicious idioms to assist in the research of graphics. Add more new ideas, and finally show them in the form of cultural and creative design.
Legal Regulation of Internet Platform Banning Behaviors
Authors: Yin Zhihang
Published: April 2023

There are frequent banning behaviors in the field of Internet platforms in China, which harm the interests of other operators, harm market innovation, and damage the rights and interests of consumers. The market self-healing function in traditional economics does not have a realistic basis and cannot play its practical effect. The regulation of the banning behavior not only will not produce economic damage, but also is conducive to reduce the damage of rights and interests in the competitive market, so it is urgent to regulate this behavior through the anti-monopoly law.The exsiting anti-monopoly law has the dilemma of insufficient explanation and limited application to the regulation of the banning behavior. It is feasible and necessary to introduce the ex ante supervision mode of the comparative law, namely the platform gatekeeper theory, which can effectively suppress the banning behavior of the platform. Therefore, the gatekeeper theory should be perfected from the aspects of gatekeeper’s definition standard, gatekeeper’s obligation and gatekeeper’s platform’s defense.This paper provides implications for improving the regulation of banning behaviors in China.
Tokenism and Asian-American Education Industry
Authors: Tang Yo-Jia H.
Published: April 2023

Tokenism is the practice of including a small number of people from underrepresented groups in an organization or environment, typically for the sake of appearances or quotas, without providing any real power or meaningful work. In the context of the education industry, tokenism can refer to the act of hiring a small number of Asian-American educators to appear diverse without giving them any absolute authority or opportunities for advancement. This paper will explore the prevalence of tokenism in the education industry, specifically as it relates to Asian-American educators. Using various contexts, this paper will discuss the implications of tokenism on the individuals who are included as tokens, the Asian-American community as a whole and the various obstacles that hinder the retention of Asian-American teachers and learners. Additionally, this paper will offer suggestions for combating tokenism in the education industry and creating more inclusive environments. This paper will also avail the justifications for recruiting more Asian educators, bridging cultural gaps in America, and highlighting future research problems. Tokenism is a harmful practice that has far-reaching implications. In the context of the education industry, tokenism can limit the career advancement opportunities of Asian-American educators and also deliver the message that Asian-Americans are incapable of being leaders in the field of education. Tokenism is a form of discrimination that should be addressed to create more inclusive environments in the education industry.
100 Jahre Insulin: Wie hat sich die Insulintherapie bei Erwachsenen zwischen 2000 und 2021 verändert?
Authors: Merger Sigrun R. , Eckert Alexander , Bramlage Peter , Hess Gregor M. , Haak Thomas , Welp Reinhard , Wagner Christian , Laimer Markus , Jehle Peter , Holl Reinhard Walter
Published: April 2023

100 Jahre nach Einführung der Insulintherapie haben sich durch pharmakologische Weiterentwicklung der Insuline mit vielfältigen Wirkdauern, aber auch Veränderungen der Applikations- und Messmöglichkeiten, die angewendeten Insulintherapien insbesondere in den letzten 20 Jahren stark verändert, hin zu einer häufigeren Anwendung von Insulinanaloga, insbesondere bei Patienten mit T1DM 1. Bei Typ-2-DM ergibt sich mit unterschiedlichen Strategien der Insulintherapie auch in Kombination mit oralen Antidiabetika für die Patienten ein breites Spektrum an Formen der Insulintherapie. Durch die verschiedenen Applikationsformen und Insuline zeigt sich eine kleine, aber signifikante Verbesserung der Blutzuckereinstellung, aber vor allem eine Individualisierung der Diabetestherapie.
Metabolism Characterization and Chemical and Plasma Stability of Casearin B and Caseargrewiin F
Authors: Oda Fernando Bombarda , Carvalho Flávio Alexandre , Yamamoto Priscila Akemi , de Oliveira Jonata Augusto , Peccinini Rosângela Gonçalves , Zocolo Guilherme Julião , Ribeiro Paulo Riceli Vasconcelos , de Moraes Natália Valadares , dos Santos André Gonzaga
Published: April 2023

Oral preparations of Casearia sylvestris (guacatonga) are used as antacid, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antiulcerogenic medicines. The clerodane diterpenes casearin B and caseargrewiin F are major active compounds in vitro and in vivo. The oral bioavailability and metabolism of casearin B and caseargrewiin F were not previously investigated. We aimed to assess the stability of casearin B and caseargrewiin F in physiological conditions and their metabolism in human liver microsomes. The compounds were identified by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and quantified by validated LC-MS methods. The stability of casearin B and caseargrewiin F in physiological conditions was assessed in vitro. Both diterpenes showed a fast degradation (p < 0.05) in simulated gastric fluid. Their metabolism was not mediated by cytochrome P-450 enzymes, but the depletion was inhibited by the esterase inhibitor NaF. Both diterpenes and their dialdehydes showed a octanol/water partition coefficient in the range of 3.6 to 4.0, suggesting high permeability. Metabolism kinetic data were fitted to the Michaelis-Menten profile with KM values of 61.4 and 66.4 µM and Vmax values of 327 and 648 nmol/min/mg of protein for casearin B and caseargrewiin F, respectively. Metabolism parameters in human liver microsomes were extrapolated to predict human hepatic clearance, and suggest that caseargrewiin F and casearin B have a high hepatic extraction ratio. In conclusion, our data suggest that caseargrewiin F and casearin B present low oral bioavailability due to extensive gastric degradation and high hepatic extraction.
Patient-Reported Outcomes and Provocative Testing in Peripheral Nerve Injury and Recovery
Authors: John Albin , Rossettie Stephen , Rafael John , Cox Cameron T. , Ducic Ivica , Mackay Brendan J.
Published: April 2023

Background Peripheral nerve function is often difficult to assess given the highly variable presentation and subjective patient experience of nerve injury. If nerve assessment is incomplete or inaccurate, inappropriate diagnosis and subsequent treatment may result in permanent dysfunction.

Objective As our understanding of nerve repair and generation evolves, so have tools for evaluating peripheral nerve function, recovery, and nerve-related impact on the quality of life. Provocative testing is often used in the clinic to identify peripheral nerve dysfunction. Patient-reported outcome forms provide insights regarding the effect of nerve dysfunction on daily activities and quality of life.

Methods We performed a review of the literature using a comprehensive combination of keywords and search algorithms to determine the clinical utility of different provocative tests and patient-reported outcomes measures in a variety of contexts, both pre- and postoperatively.

Results This review may serve as a valuable resource for surgeons determining the appropriate provocative testing tools and patient-reported outcomes forms to monitor nerve function both pre- and postoperatively.

Conclusion As treatments for peripheral nerve injury and dysfunction continue to improve, identifying the most appropriate measures of success may ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes.
Blepharospasm Patients after Botulinum Toxin – Sleep Approach
Authors: Lestingi Silvia , Kim Lenise , Gonçalves Bruno da Silva Brandão , Silva Sonia Maria Azevedo , Ferraz Henrique , Coelho Fernando Morgadinho , Borges Vanderci
Published: April 2023

Background Blepharospasm is a focal dystonia that affects the orbicularis oculi muscles. The interest in nonmotor symptoms is due to their impact on quality of life.

Objective We evaluated the frequency of sleep disorders and circadian rhythm in a sample of Brazilian blepharospasm patients.

Methods A total of 51 patients, who met the clinical criteria for blepharospasm, evaluated by 2 specialists in movement disorders, were recruited from the outpatient clinic for movement disorders of two reference centers in the city of São Paulo: Universidade Federal de São Paulo and Hospital do Servidor Público do Estado de São Paulo. The selected 13 patients were evaluated from 13 days before to 13 days after using botulinum toxin. They were interviewed, underwent physical examination and actigraphy, and completed sleep diaries.

Results After using botulinum toxin, the group that reported sleep improvement exhibited a 50% decrease in sleep latency. There was no change in restless leg syndrome or circadian rhythm. Patients who reported no sleep improvement after using botulinum toxin presented poorer synchronization of the light-dark cycle.

Conclusion Blepharospasm patients have poor sleep quality. About 50% of the patients had sleep improvement after using botulinum toxin. The synchronization of the light-dark cycle should be influenced by this finding.
Multimorbidity and Sleep Patterns among Adults in a Peruvian Semi-Urban Area
Authors: Méndez-Flores Jhonatan J. , Marroquín-Cosar Ruth E. , Bernabé-Ortiz Antonio
Published: April 2023

Objective To assess if the duration and quality of sleep vary due to the presence of multimorbidity.

Materials and Methods We performed a secondary analysis using data from a population-based study involving adult subjects aged between 30 and 69 years residing in a semi-urban area of Tumbes, Peru. The duration (normal, short or prolonged) and quality (good or poor) of sleep were our outcome variables, whereas the exposure was multimorbidity (two or more chronic conditions). Crude and adjusted Poisson regression models were built to assess the association of interest, and prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were reported.

Results We analyzed data from 1,607 subjects with a mean age of 48.2 (standard deviation [SD]: ± 10.6) years, 809 (50.3%) of whom were women. Multimorbidity was present in 634 (39.5%; 95%CI: 37.1–41.9%) subjects, and 193 (12.1%; 95%CI: 10.5–13.7%) were short sleepers, 131 (8.2%; 95%CI: 6.9–9.6%) were long sleepers, and 312 (19.5%; 95%CI: 17.5–21.5%) had poor sleep quality. In the multivariable model, multimorbidity was associated with prolonged sleep duration (PR = 1.45; 95%CI: 1.03–2.04) and poor sleep quality (PR = 2.04; 95%CI: 1.65–2.52).

Conclusions Multimorbidity was associated with prolonged, but not short, sleep duration, as well as with poor sleep quality. Our results suggest the need of assessing sleep patterns among adults with multimorbidity.
Sleep Quality, Insomnia, and Perceived Stress among Colombian Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Waich Alan , Barahona-Correa Julián Esteban , Figueredo Maria del Carmen , Rondón-Sepúlveda Martín Alonso , Ruiz Alvaro J. , Castellanos Julio Cesar , Hidalgo-Martínez Patricia
Published: April 2023

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a great burden on healthcare workers worldwide. The aim of the present study was to assess sleep quality, insomnia, and perceived stress in healthcare workers of a high complexity hospital located in Bogota, Colombia.

Methods Cross-sectional study in which 1,155 healthcare workers at the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio in Bogotá, Colombia were included, between September and October 2020. Using an online-based survey, self-reported variables were assessed including demographics, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and 10 item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Associations between these variables were evaluated.

Results Fifty percent of the respondents were between 31 and 45 years old, and 76 percent were women. Most of the surveyed were the nursing staff. Poor sleep quality, insomnia, and high perceived stress was found in 74.9, 12.4, and 13.2%, respectively. Poor sleep quality was predominantly found in females, in the 31 to 45 years old group and in married personnel. Also, poor sleep quality was found in relation to a moderate to high perceived risk of COVID-19 infection by the family of the workers surveyed.

Discussion Poor sleep quality, moderate rates of insomnia, and perceived stress were found among healthcare workers committed to COVID-19 infected patients in Colombia. The identification of workers at greater risk and the implementation of targeted interventions are called upon as the results.
Association of Sleep Duration and Use of Sleeping Medication with Multimorbidity in Adults: Results from the PAMPA (Brazil) Cohort Study
Authors: Delpino Felipe Mendes , Caputo Eduardo L. , Arcêncio Ricardo Alexandre , Cassuriaga Júlia , Huckembeck Caroline Malue , Nunes Bruno Pereira , Rombaldi Airton José , Reichert Felipe Fossati , da Silva Marcelo Cozzensa , Feter Natan
Published: April 2023

Objective To analyze the association of sleep duration and use of sleeping medication with multimorbidity.

Materials and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the Prospective Study about Mental and Physical Health (PAMPA) cohort. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of two or more conditions from a list of twelve health problems. Descriptive analyses were performed considering proportion and its 95% confidence interval (95%CI). We performed logistic regression (to obtain odds ratios, ORs) to estimate the associations, including models adjusted for confounding factors.

Results In total, 2,936 participants were included, 79,1% of them women, 54.2% aged between 18 and 39 years, and 88.9% with white skin color. Compared with regular sleep (seven to eight hours a day), five hours or less of sleep increased the odds of multimorbidity by 145% (95%CI: 1.90–3.14), and 9 hours or more of sleep increased the odds by 49% (95%CI: 1.14–1.95) for the crude model; the results remained significant even in the adjusted models.

Discussion Consumption of sleeping medication was associated with multimorbidity. Short and prolonged sleep duration increased the odds of multimorbidity, regardless of the sociodemographic and behavior characteristics. The regular use of sleeping medication was also associated with multimorbidity. The results of the present study are important but require caution due to reverse causality, and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the findings.
The Role of Stress in Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis
Authors: Nurdiana Nurdiana , Ritonga Putri Welda Utami , Wulandari Pitu
Published: April 2023

Objectives This study aimed to determine the role of stress in recurrent aphthous stomatitis. Stress was examined with the Perceived Stress Scale and cortisol levels; meanwhile, recurrent aphthous stomatitis was assessed with the duration of the lesion.

Materials and Methods This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted at Oral Medicine Installation, Universitas Sumatera Utara Dental Hospital, and Prodia Laboratory, Medan. The subjects were 50 patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, without systemic disease, who did not take systemic drugs or use orthodontic appliances. The diagnosis of recurrent aphthous stomatitis was established with anamnesis and clinical examination. Stress was examined by filling out the Perceived Stress Scale questionnaire and blood tests for serum cortisol levels.

Statistical analysis The data were analyzed using the Fisher test and Mann–Whitney U test.

Results This study showed no significant relationship between the Perceived Stress Scale category and recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with a p-value of 0.392. This study also showed no significant relationship between blood cortisol level and recurrent aphthous stomatitis with a p-value of 1.000.

Conclusion Stress may play an important role in recurrent aphthous stomatitis. However, this study did not show any difference in stress examined through the Perceived Stress Scale and cortisol levels based on the duration of recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
Digital health, cardiometabolic disease and ethnicity: an analysis of United Kingdom government policies from 2010 to 2022
Authors: Thorlu-Bangura Zareen , Poole Lydia , Sood Harpreet , Khan Nushrat , Stevenson Fiona , Khunti Kamlesh , Gill Paramjit , Sajid Madiha , Hanif Wasim , Bhala Neeraj , Modha Shivali , Patel Kiran , Blandford Ann , Banerjee Amitava , Ramasawmy Mel
Published: April 2023

Recent health policies in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally have focussed on digitisation of healthcare. We examined UK policies for evidence of government action addressing health inequalities and digital health, using cardiometabolic disease as an exemplar. Using a systematic search methodology, we identified 87 relevant policy documents published between 2010 and 2022. We found increasing emphasis on digital health, including for prevention, diagnosis and management of cardiometabolic disease. Several policies also focused on tackling health inequalities and improving digital access. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified inequalities. No policies addressed ethnic inequalities in digital health for cardiometabolic disease, despite high prevalence in minority ethnic communities. Our findings suggest that creating opportunities for digital inclusion and reduce longer-term health inequalities, will require future policies to focus on: the heterogeneity of ethnic groups; cross-sectoral disadvantages which contribute to disease burden and digital accessibility; and disease-specific interventions which lend themselves to culturally tailored solutions.
Investigation on binding between cations and amides using UV Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Liu Yi-xuan , Wang Zhou-bing , Wang Jing-jing , Tian Kang-zhen , Meng Xin , Mao Gui-lin
Published: April 2023

The interaction of proteins with salt ions plays an important role in life activities. We used butyramide as a model molecule to investigate the interaction of protein backbones with cations. The experiment was performed in an aqueous solution of metal chloride using UV Raman spectroscopy. It was found that well-hydrated metal cations (Ca2+, Mg2+) tend to bind to C=O in the amide bond, resulting in redistribution of the amide I band peaks. Specifically, the peak intensity ratio of 1655 cm-1 to 1610 cm-1 increases significantly with increasing concentrations. However, this phenomenon is not obviously observed in NaCl solution. Furthermore, we studied the effect of salt ions on the water structures. The addition of Ca2+ and Mg2+ is beneficial to the enhancement of the water signal at the 3400 cm−1 position, while the Na+ at the same concentration is not obvious. The results have shown that the interaction between cations and amides satisfies the following order: Ca2+>Mg2+>Na+, which conforms to the Hofmeister series.
Generic and infrageneric limits of Phebalium and its allies (Rutaceae: Zanthoxyloideae)
Authors: Duretto Marco F. , Heslewood Margaret M. , Bayly Michael J.
Published: April 2023

We present a five-locus 129-species phylogeny of Rutaceae from subfamily Zanthoxyloideae, with 193 ingroup samples representing 128 species from all 18 genera in the Eriostemon Group and focus on generic and infrageneric limits in Phebalium and its allies. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference analyses were performed using three plastid markers (psbA–trnH, trnL–trnF, rbcL) and two nuclear ribosomal markers (ITS, ETS). Asterolasia, Correa, Diplolaena, Eriostemon, Leionema, Nematolepis and Phebalium are each shown to be monophyletic, reaffirming the results of previous authors. The paraphyly of Rhadinothamnus with respect to Chorilaena is addressed by transferring all taxa of Rhadinothamnus into an expanded Chorilaena and a key to species presented. Microcybe is reduced to synonymy under Phebalium and recognised at a sectional level, with the distinctiveness of M. ambigua recognised by erecting a new monotypic section to accommodate it. The denser sampling of the Eriostemon Group in this study has not improved resolution among genera; there is little support for most relationships among genera, a finding similar to that of previous authors. New sectional classifications with keys are presented for Asterolasia, Leionema, Nematolepis and Phebalium.
Towards socially-competent and culturally-adaptive artificial agents
Authors: Bassetti Chiara , Blanzieri Enrico , Borgo Stefano , Marangon Sofia
Published: April 2023

The development of artificial agents for social interaction pushes to enrich robots with social skills and knowledge about (local) social norms. One possibility is to distinguish the expressive and the functional orders during a human-robot interaction. The overarching aim of this work is to set a framework to make the artificial agent socially-competent beyond dyadic interaction – interaction in varying multi-party social situations – and beyond individual-based user personalization, thereby enlarging the current conception of “culturally-adaptive”. The core idea is to provide the artificial agent with the capability to handle different kinds of interactional disruptions, and associated recovery strategies, in microsociology. The result is obtained by classifying functional and social disruptions, and by investigating the requirements a robot’s architecture should satisfy to exploit such knowledge. The paper also highlights how this level of competence is achieved by focusing on just three dimensions: (i) social capability, (ii) relational role, and (iii) proximity, leaving aside the further complexity of full-fledged human-human interactions. Without going into technical aspects, End-to-end Data-driven Architectures and Modular Architectures are discussed to evaluate the degree to which they can exploit this new set of social and cultural knowledge. Finally, a list of general requirements for such agents is proposed.
A new sampling indicator function for stable imaging of periodic scattering media
Authors: Nguyen Dinh-Liem , Stahl Kale , Truong Trung
Published: April 2023

This paper is concerned with the inverse problem of determining the shape of penetrable periodic scatterers from scattered field data. We propose a sampling method with a novel indicator function for solving this inverse problem. This indicator function is very simple to implement and robust against noise in the data. The resolution and stability analysis of the indicator function is analyzed. Our numerical study shows that the proposed sampling method is more stable than the factorization method and more efficient than the direct or orthogonality sampling method in reconstructing periodic scatterers.
Simulation study of the collective excitations in liquid sodium under high pressure
Authors: Wax Jean-François , Mocchetti Eva
Published: April 2023

The dynamic structure of liquid sodium is investigated using classical molecular dynamics simulations over a wide range of densities (from 739 to 4177 kg m−3). The interactions are described using screened pseudopotential formalism with Fiolhais model of electron-ion interaction. The effective pair potentials obtained are validated by comparing the predicted static structure, coordination number, self-diffusion coefficients and spectral density of the velocity autocorrelation function with results from ab initio simulations at the same state points. Both longitudinal and transverse collective excitations are computed from the corresponding structure functions and their evolution with density is investigated. The frequency of the longitudinal excitations increases with density, as well as the sound speed, which is extracted from their dispersion curves. The frequency of the transverse excitations also increases with density, but they cannot propagate over macroscopic distances and the propagation gap clearly appears. The values of the viscosity, which are extracted from these transverse functions are in good agreement with available results computed from stress autocorrelation functions.
Current crowding in graphene–silicon schottky diodes
Authors: Anwar Muhammad Abid , Ali Munir , Bodepudi Srikrishna Chanakya , Malik Muhammad , Pu Dong , Zhu Xinyu , Pan Xin , Shehzad Khurram , Imran Ali , Zhao Yuda , Dong Shurong , Hu Huan , Yu Bin , Xu Yang
Published: April 2023

The performance of the Graphene/Si (Gr/Si) Schottky interface and its potential in future electronics strongly rely on the quality of interconnecting contacts with external circuitry. In this work, we investigate the dominating and limiting factors of Gr/Si interfaces designed for high light absorption, paying particular attention to the nature of the contact failure under high electrostatic discharge (ESD) conditions. Our findings indicate that severe current crowding at contact edges of the graphene is the dominating factor for the device breakdown. Material degradation and electrical breakdown are systematically analyzed by atomic force, Raman, scanning electron, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopies. This work enlists the robustness and limitations of Gr/Si junction in photodiode architecture under high ESD conditions that can be used as general guidelines for 2D–3D electronic and optoelectronic devices.
The physics of outdoor air conditioning and evaporative cooling
Authors: Hughes Stephen , Schouten Peter
Published: April 2023

In outdoor air conditioning (AC) systems, a fine spray of water mist is used to evaporate water and extract heat from the air. Misting systems use high pressure nozzles to produce water drops 5 μm in diameter. This dramatically increases the surface area of the water–air interface for a given volume of water facilitating heat transfer from air to water. Small drops stay suspended in the air for a sufficient amount of time to allow complete evaporation. An example of a misting system in operation at a Café in Montville, Queensland, Australia is discussed. As well as being cheaper to run, misting systems are less harmful to the environment since they reduce the dependence on indoor AC. This is an important topic to discuss with students in relation to climate change. A classroom experiment suitable for senior secondary and first-year university students is described in which a fan is used to blow air across a shallow container of water placed on an electronic balance. The experiment was performed throughout the day and night during periods of low and high humidity. Data collected from this experiment indicated that evaporation was much higher during the day than at night. In view of climate change and global warming, heat, energy and evaporation are important subjects to teach students, especially considering that these students will soon be adults making important decisions around sustainability and environmental protection in their day-to-day lives, and develope future policies to mitigate the impact of climate change.