bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Oxidative Synthesis Conditions on the Performance of Single‐Crystalline LiMn2‐xMxO4 (M = Al, Fe, and Ni) Spinel Cathodes in Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Park Hongjun , Guo Zezhou , Manthiram Arumugam
Published: October 2023

LiMn2O4 (LMO) spinel cathode materials attract much interest due to the low price of manganese and high power density for lithium‐ion batteries. However, the LMO cathodes suffer from the Mn dissolution problem at particle surfaces, which accelerates capacity fade. Herein, the authors report that the oxidative synthesis condition is a key factor in the cell performance of single‐crystalline LiMn2‐xMxO4 (0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.1, M = Al, Fe, and Ni) cathode materials prepared at 1000 °C. The use of oxygen flow during the spinel‐phase formation minimizes the presence of oxygen vacancies generated at 1000 °C, thereby yielding a stoichiometrically doped LMO product; otherwise, the spinel cathode prepared in atmospheric air readily loses capacity due to the oxygen vacancies in the structure. As a way of circumventing the use of oxygen flow, a one‐pot, two‐step heating in air at 1000 °C and subsequently at 600 °C is used to yield the stoichiometric LMO product. The lithiation heating at 1000–600 ⁰C resulted in a significant improvement in the cycling stability of the prepared LMO cathode in graphite‐based full cells. This study on oxidative synthesis conditions also confirms the advantage of minimizing the surface area of the cathode particles.
Elucidating Phase Transformation and Surface Amorphization of Li7La3Zr2O12 by In Situ Heating TEM
Authors: Zheng Hongkui , Xu Mingjie , He Kai
Published: October 2023

Garnet‐type Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) solid‐state electrolytes hold great promise for the next‐generation all‐solid‐state batteries. An in‐depth understanding of the phase transformation during synthetic processes is required for better control of the crystallinity and improvement of the ionic conductivity of LLZO. Herein, the phase transformation pathways and the associated surface amorphization are comparatively investigated during the sol–gel and solid‐state syntheses of LLZO using in situ heating transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The combined ex situ X‐ray diffraction and in situ TEM techniques are used to reveal two distinct phase transformation pathways (precursors → La2Zr2O7 → LLZO and precursors → LLZO) and the subsequent layer‐by‐layer crystal growth of LLZO on the atomic scale. It is also demonstrated that the surface amorphization surrounding the LLZO crystals is sensitive to the postsynthesis cooling rate and significantly affects the ionic conductivity of pelletized LLZO. This work brings up a critical but often overlooked issue that may greatly exacerbate the Li‐ion conductivity by undesired synthetic conditions, which can be leveraged to ameliorate the overall crystallinity to improve the electrochemical performance of LLZO. These findings also shed light on the significance of optimizing surface structure to ensure superior performance of Li‐ion conductors.
Mechanistic Insights into Cellular and Molecular Basis of Protein‐Nanoplastic Interactions
Authors: Naidu Goutami , Nagar Nupur , Poluri Krishna Mohan
Published: October 2023

Plastic waste is ubiquitously present across the world, and its nano/sub‐micron analogues (plastic nanoparticles, PNPs), raise severe environmental concerns affecting organisms’ health. Considering the direct and indirect toxic implications of PNPs, their biological impacts are actively being studied; lately, with special emphasis on cellular and molecular mechanistic intricacies. Combinatorial OMICS studies identified proteins as major regulators of PNP mediated cellular toxicity via activation of oxidative enzymes and generation of ROS. Alteration of protein function by PNPs results in DNA damage, organellar dysfunction, and autophagy, thus resulting in inflammation/cell death. The molecular mechanistic basis of these cellular toxic endeavors is fine‐tuned at the level of structural alterations in proteins of physiological relevance. Detailed biophysical studies on such protein‐PNP interactions evidenced prominent modifications in their structural architecture and conformational energy landscape. Another essential aspect of the protein‐PNP interactions includes bioenzymatic plastic degradation perspective, as the interactive units of plastics are essentially nano‐sized. Combining all these attributes of protein‐PNP interactions, the current review comprehensively documented the contemporary understanding of the concerned interactions in the light of cellular, molecular, kinetic/thermodynamic details. Additionally, the applicatory, economical facet of these interactions, PNP biogeochemical cycle and enzymatic advances pertaining to plastic degradation has also been discussed.
Exploring a Ni–N4 Active Site‐Based Conjugated Microporous Polymer Z‐Scheme Heterojunction Through Covalent Bonding for Visible Light‐Driven Photocatalytic CO2 Conversion in Pure Water
Authors: Li Shanshan , Yu Haihan , Wang Yuwen , Wang Shuai , Zhang Lina , Zhu Peihua , Gao Chaomin , Yu Jinghua
Published: October 2023

Designing photocatalysts with efficient charge transport and abundant active sites for photocatalytic CO2 reduction in pure water is considered a potential approach. Herein, a nickel‐phthalocyanine containing Ni–N4 active sites‐based conjugated microporous polymer (NiPc‐CMP), offering highly dispersed metal active sites, satisfactory CO2 adsorption capability, and excellent light harvesting properties, is engineered as a photocatalyst. By virtue of the covalently bonded bridge, an atomic‐scale interface between the NiPc‐CMP/Bi2WO6 Z‐scheme heterojunction with strong chemical interactions is obtained. The interface creates directional charge transport highways and retains a high redox potential, thereby enhancing the photoexcited charge carrier separation and photocatalytic efficiency. Consequently, the optimal NiPc‐CMP/Bi2WO6 (NCB‐3) achieves efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance in pure water under visible‐light irradiation without any sacrificial agent or photosensitizer, affording a CO generation rate of 325.9 µmol g−1 with CO selectivity of 93% in 8 h, outperforming those of Bi2WO6 and NiPc‐CMP, individually. Experimental and theoretical calculations reveal the promotion of interfacial photoinduced electron separation and the role of Ni–N4 active sites in photocatalytic reactions. This study presents a high‐performance CMP‐based Z‐scheme heterojunction with an effective interfacial charge‐transfer route and rich metal active sites for photocatalytic CO2 conversion.
Advances in the Application of Microneedles in the Treatment of Local Organ Diseases
Authors: Li Jinze , Ge Rujiao , Lin Kai , Wang Junren , He Yu , Lu Huiting , Dong Haifeng
Published: October 2023

In recent years, microneedles (MNs) have attracted a lot of attention due to their microscale sizes and high surface area (500–1000 µm in length), allowing pain‐free and efficient drug delivery through the skin. In addition to the great success of MNs based transdermal drug delivery, especially for skin diseases, increasing studies have indicated the expansion of MNs to diverse nontransdermal applications, including the delivery of therapeutics for hair loss, ocular diseases, and oral mucosal. Here, the current treatment of hair loss, eye diseases, and oral disease is discussed and an overview of recent advances in the application of MNs is provided for these three noncutaneous localized organ diseases. Particular emphasis is laid on the future trend of MNs technology development and future challenges of expanding the generalizability of MNs.
PassSum: Leveraging paths of abstract syntax trees and self‐supervision for code summarization
Authors: Niu Changan , Li Chuanyi , Ng Vincent , Ge Jidong , Huang Liguo , Luo Bin
Published: October 2023

Code summarization is to provide a high‐level comment for a code snippet that typically describes the function and intent of the given code. Recent years have seen the successful application of data‐driven code summarization. To improve the performance of the model, numerous approaches use abstract syntax trees (ASTs) to represent the structural information of the code, which is considered by most researchers to be the main factor that distinguishes code from natural language. Then, such data‐driven methods are trained on large‐scale labeled datasets to obtain a model with strong generalization capabilities that can be applied to new examples. Nevertheless, we argue that state‐of‐the‐art approaches suffer from two key weaknesses: (1) inefficient encoding of ASTs; (2) reliance on a large labeled corpus for model training. As a result, such drawbacks lead to (1) oversized model, slow training, information loss and instability; (2) inability to be applied to programming languages with only a small amount of labeled data. In light of these weaknesses, we propose PassSum, a code summarization approach that addresses the aforementioned weaknesses via (1) a novel input representation which contains an efficient AST encoding method; (2) introducing three pretraining objectives and pretraining our model with a large amount of (easy‐to‐obtain) unlabeled data under the guidance of self‐supervised learning. Experimental results on code summarization for Java, Python, and Ruby methods demonstrate the superiority of PassSum to state‐of‐the‐art methods. Further experiments demonstrate that the input representation we use has both temporal and spatial advantages in addition to performance leadership. In addition, pretraining is also shown to make the model more generalizable with less labeled data, and also to speed up the convergence of the model during training.
Classification of the Wheat Group (The Genera Amblyopyrum, Aegilops and Triticum)
Authors: Feldman Moshe , Levy Avraham A.
Published: October 2023

This chapter reviews dilemmas concerning the classification of the three genera of the wheat group. It discusses the differences between the taxonomic species concept and the biological species concept, and refers to the debated issue of designation and classification of synthetic allopolyploids.
Linear Wave Solutions of a Stochastic Shallow Water Model
Authors: Mémin Etienne , Li Long , Lahaye Noé , Tissot Gilles , Chapron Bertrand
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we investigate the wave solutions of a stochastic rotating shallow water model. This approximate model provides an interesting simple description of the interplay between waves and random forcing ensuing either from the wind or coming as the feedback of the ocean on the atmosphere and leading in a very fast way to the selection of some wavelength. This interwoven, yet simple, mechanism explains the emergence of typical wavelength associated with near inertial waves. Ensemble-mean waves that are not in phase with the random forcing are damped at an exponential rate, whose magnitude depends on the random forcing variance. Geostrophic adjustment is also interpreted as a statistical homogenization process in which, in order to conserve potential vorticity, the small-scale component tends to align to the velocity fields to form a statistically homogeneous random field.
Integrierte Geschäftsmodell- und Arbeitsgestaltung für die Bereitstellung und Vermarktung von Service-Wissen
Authors: Schweiger Stefan , Pöppelbuß Jens , Altenfelder Kai , Amlung Tamara , Aßländer Ortrun , Bittner Kendra , Bohn Gloria , de Geus Maximilian , Ebel Martin , Fischer Julia , Ksouri-Gerwien Christoph , Schmutz Fabian , Würz Thomas
Published: October 2023

Die durch kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen geprägte Investitionsgüterindustrie steht aufgrund der zunehmenden Internationalisierung im Servicegeschäft vor großen Herausforderungen. Mitarbeiterengpässe, hohe Prozesskosten und unzureichendes Wissensmanagement machen den Service zur potenziellen betriebs- und volkswirtschaftlichen Wachstumsbremse. Durch die Digitalisierung entstehen aber auch große Nutzenpotenziale im Servicegeschäft. Ziel des im Projekt SerWiss entwickelten integrierten Ansatzes ist es, kleine und mittelständische Anbieter von Investitionsgütern zu befähigen, Servicewissen auf der Basis eines digitalen Lösungsansatzes unter Gewährleistung einer humanen Arbeitsgestaltung effizient zu generieren, zu strukturieren und international bereitzustellen bzw. zu vermarkten.
Fermion pair radiation from accelerating classical systems
Authors: Gavrilova Margarita , Ghosh Mitrajyoti , Grossman Yuval , Tangarife Walter , Tsai Tien-Hsueh
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Accelerating classical systems that couple to a fermion-antifermion pair at the microscopic level can radiate pairs of fermions and lose energy in the process. In this work, we derive the generalization of the Larmor formula for fermion pair radiation. We focus on the case of a point-like classical source in an elliptical orbit that emits fermions through vector and scalar mediators. Ultra-light fermion emission from such systems becomes relevant when the mass of the mediator is larger than the frequency of the periodic motion. This enables us to probe regions of the parameter space that are inaccessible in on-shell bosonic radiation. We apply our results to pulsar binaries with mediators that couple to muons and neutrinos. Using current data on binary period decays, we extract bounds on the parameters of such models.
Fermi arc in p-wave holographic superconductors
Authors: Ghorai Debabrata , Yuk Taewon , Sin Sang-Jin
Published: October 2023

Abstract

We have investigated the fermionic spectral function in p-wave holographic superconductors. We show that the vector model with minimal coupling reveals a p-wave spectral function with Fermi arc. This should be contrasted with the previous investigation where p-wave arc was demonstrated in the presence of a tensor field. We study the momentum dependent order parameter, the ω-gap in the real part of the conductivity and the fermion spectral function. In addition, we juxtapose the fermionic spectral gap with the order parameter in the holographic set. We demonstrate the impact of coupling constants, temperature and chemical potential on the spectral function.
Workshop “Micropolar continua and beyond”
Authors: Müller Wolfgang H. , Eremeyev Victor A.
Published: October 2023

We present a review of the recent workshop “Micropolar Continua and beyond” which held in March 28–31, 2023, at Technische University of Berlin, Germany.
Physician preferences in diagnostics and treatment of juvenile osteochondritis dissecans are diverse across the knee, ankle and elbow: an ESSKA survey
Authors: Kemmeren Laura A. M. , van Bergen Christiaan J. A. , Reijman Max , Piscaer Tom M.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

To investigate the current preferences regarding the work‐up and treatment choices of juvenile osteochondritis dissecans (JOCD) of the knee, ankle and elbow among orthopaedic surgeons.

Methods

An international survey was set up for all European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) members, which assessed various questions on diagnosis and treatment of JOCD of different joints. Respondents answered questions for one or more joints, based on their expertise. Proportions of answers were calculated and compared between joints. Consensus was defined as more than 75% agreement on an item; disagreement was defined as less than 25% agreement.

Results

Fifty physicians responded to the survey, of whom forty‐two filled out the questions on the knee, fourteen on the ankle and nine on the elbow. Plain radiography and MRI were the most used imaging modalities for the assessment and follow‐up of JOCD in the knee and ankle, but not for the elbow. MRI was also the preferred method to assess the stability of a lesion in the knee and ankle. There was universal agreement on activity and/or sports restriction as the non‐operative treatment of choice for JOCD. Size, stability and physeal closure were the most important prognostic factors in determining the operative technique for the elbow. For the knee, these factors were size and stability and for the ankle, these were size and location.

Conclusion

Activity and/or sports restriction was the non‐operative treatment of choice. Furthermore, plain radiography and MRI were the preferred imaging modalities for the knee and ankle, but not for the elbow. For determining the operative technique, physicians agreed that the size of the lesion is an important prognostic factor in all joints. These findings help us understand how juvenile osteochondritis dissecans is treated in current practice and may provide opportunities for improvement.

Level of evidence

Level V.
Hot workability behaviour of two P92 creep resistant steels: Constitutive analysis
Authors: Obiko Japheth , Whitefield David , Bodunrin Micheal
Published: October 2023

This article reports the flow stress behaviour of two P92 steels at a temperature range of 850–1000°C and a strain rate of 0.1–10 s−1 using the Gleeble® 3500 thermomechanical simulator. A physically-based constitutive model was used to analyse the effects of deformation conditions on the flow stress behaviour during deformation. This model incorporates the influence in the variation of Young’s modulus and the self-diffusion coefficient as affected by temperature. The study developed constitutive equations that predict the flow stress behaviour of the two steels investigated. From the constitutive analysis of the results, the stress exponent n was: 9.8 (steel A) and 10.3 (steel B). The model used the self-diffusion activation energy of steel. The statistical parameters: correlation coefficient of 0.99 (for steel A and B), the absolute average relative error of 2.18% (steel A) and 2.20% (steel B) quantified the applicability of the model. The quantification results show that the constitutive equations developed have high accuracy in predicting the workability of the two P92 steels. The study has shown that this method is applicable in predicting the metal flow pattern of two P92 steels in the metalworking processes.
On the critical points of semi-stable solutions on convex domains of Riemannian surfaces
Authors: Grossi Massimo , Provenzano Luigi
Published: October 2023

In this paper we consider semilinear equations $$-\Delta u=f(u)$$

-
Δ
u
=
f
(
u
)

with Dirichlet boundary conditions on certain convex domains of the two dimensional model spaces of constant curvature. We prove that a positive, semi-stable solution u has exactly one non-degenerate critical point (a maximum). The proof consists in relating the critical points of the solution with the critical points of a suitable auxiliary function, jointly with a topological degree argument.
The second moment of Dirichlet twists of a $$\text {GL}_{4}$$ automorphic L-function
Authors: Sono Keiju
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we give an asymptotic formula for the second moment of Dirichlet twists of an automorphic L-function $$L(s, \pi )$$

L
(
s
,
π
)

on the critical line averaged over characters and conductors, where $$\pi $$
π
denotes an irreducible tempered cuspidal automorphic representation of $${\textrm{GL}}_{4}({\mathbb {A}}_{\mathbb {Q}})$$

GL
4

(

A
Q

)

with unitary central character. We give some hybrid bound for the error term with respect to the size of conductors of Dirichlet characters and that of the automorphic representation.
Weighted Tree Automata with Constraints
Authors: Maletti Andreas , Nász Andreea-Teodora
Published: October 2023

The HOM problem, which asks whether the image of a regular tree language under a given tree homomorphism is again regular, is known to be decidable [Godoy & Giménez: The HOM problem is decidable. JACM 60(4), 2013]. However, the problem remains open for regular weighted tree languages. It is demonstrated that the main notion used in the unweighted setting, the tree automaton with equality and inequality constraints , can straightforwardly be generalized to the weighted setting and can represent the image of any regular weighted tree language under any nondeleting and nonerasing tree homomorphism. Several closure properties as well as decision problems are also investigated for the weighted tree languages generated by weighted tree automata with constraints.
Effect of Thyroidectomy on Tracheal Remodeling and Airway Physiology in Apparently Asymptomatic Patients with Goiter: A Prospective Study
Authors: Enny Loreno , Garg Surabhi , Mouli Sasi , Manjunath Shreyamsa , Singh Kul Ranjan , Ramakant Pooja , Mishra Anand Kumar
Published: October 2023

Background

Tracheal airflow limitation is frequently reported in patients with goiter but is severely underestimated, and studies on how goiter and its treatment affect trachea are scarce. Moreover, the choice of the optimal treatment for individual patient with asymptomatic goiter is not straightforward. Therefore, in this study we aim to investigate the effect of goiter and subsequent thyroidectomy on tracheal anatomy and change in airflow in asymptomatic patient with goiter.

Methods

Seventy patients undergoing total/hemithyroidectomy (TT/HT) from Feb 2020 to Feb 2021 satisfying inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. Neck radiograph (NR) and forced spirometry (FS) were performed preoperatively and on postoperative day 10 and 6 weeks and 3 months.

Results

Out of 70 patients, 84.3% patients were female, and mean duration and weight of goiter were 54.7 months and 72.21 gm, respectively. Of 70 patients, 57 were of benign pathology. Significant improvement in tracheal compression with moderate improvement in deviation was observed after surgery. Preoperative spirometry showed significant reduction in almost all parameters. After surgery, a weak improvement was observed at postoperative day 10 and 6 weeks; however, significant improvement in FEV1, PEFR, FEV1/FEV0.5, and FEF50%/FIF50% was observed at postoperative 3 months. Patient with right sided and those with ≥ 8 mm deviation were associated with poorer pulmonary function. Weak correlation was observed between neck NR and spirometry parameters. Weight of the thyroid gland significantly correlated with ratio of MVV/FEV1.

Conclusion

Patients with asymptomatic goiter can have significant abnormal changes in airflow as evidenced by FS and NR. Thyroidectomy is followed by gradual restoration of tracheal deviation and compression with significant improvement in pulmonary airflow.
Physical activity guidance in the rheumatology clinic—what matters for patients with rheumatoid arthritis? A qualitative study
Authors: Thomsen Tanja , Aadahl Mette , Hetland Merete Lund , Esbensen Bente Appel
Published: October 2023

Higher proportions of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are physically inactive compared to the general population. A barrier to engaging in physical activity (PA) may be lack of consistent PA guidance from health professionals (HPRs). This qualitative study aimed to explore daily PA levels and the patients’ perspectives on current and future PA guidance from HPRs. We recruited 20 participants from five rheumatology departments in Denmark. The participants differed in socio-demography and clinical characteristics based on results from an earlier cross-sectional study. The interviews were conducted by telephone, online platforms or face-to-face. Data analysis was based on reflexive thematic analysis. Thirteen participants were female and mean age was 55 years. We generated four themes; (1) Acceptance of the arthritis is a process, which attributed to acknowledging RA as part of life before fully engagement in PA and exercise. (2) Daily physical activity—motivation, barriers and benefits, reflecting the participants’ preferred types of activities and motivations and barriers to PA. (3) Physical activity guidance—your own responsibility? This theme reflected how participants missed more comprehensive discussions with HPRs about PA. (4) It is essential how, when and where physical activity guidance is provided, referring to participants’ preferences for future PA guidance in the rheumatology clinic. The study emphasizes that an integrated focus on PA should be part of the rheumatology clinic. However, HPRs may need adequate training in how to guide and motivate patients with RA towards increased PA.
Subtropical coral expansion into SE Australia: a haven for both temperate and expatriating tropical reef fishes
Authors: O’Connell Max J. , Fowler Ashley M. , Allan Sam J. , Beretta Giglia A. , Booth David J.
Published: October 2023

We examined reef fish assemblages in and adjacent to a newly established coral bed (subtropical Pocillopora aliciae) in temperate south-eastern Australia, to understand whether novel coral habitat is facilitating assemblages of range-expanding tropical and local temperate fishes. This is the first comprehensive assessment of fish species associating with this novel coral habitat within a temperate environment. Twenty fish species were observed associating with the coral (8 tropical and 12 temperate). Both temperate and tropical species were observed at greater (up to 48 times higher) densities on the coral than on nearby temperate rocky reef in the area, suggesting that the corals generally concentrate fish and may aid in tropicalisation for species that use subtropical coral as habitat. Future research should investigate the ongoing expansion of this coral, the relative quality of coral habitat for fish in temperate regions and the potential implications for functioning of temperate rocky reef ecosystems.
A Hanbury Brown and Twiss renascence: measurement of photon correlations yields spatio-temporal coherence
Authors: Ruppel Wolfgang , Duerr Peter , Ross Jan , Elsäßer Wolfgang
Published: October 2023

Investigations of photon correlations similar to the Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiment are since the advent of quantum optics in the center of both fundamental and application-oriented research. We derive a factorial moment-generating function of the probability distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a source and absorbed by a photodetector from which we calculate an analytical expression for the second-order correlation coefficient $$g^{(2)}$$

g

(
2
)

which reflects spatial coherence properties of the emitted light. The measurement of $$g^{(2)}$$

g

(
2
)

thus allows to retrieve the spatial coherence parameter of the light source in terms of the combination of source area, source-detector distance, wavelength and detector area. The validity of the concept is proven by investigating $$g^{(2)}$$

g

(
2
)

of true thermal light from a Xenon arc lamp and from the sun for various detector areas, in excellent agreement with the theory. Finally, we suggest a novel scheme for determining light source diameters by exploiting the spatially dependent statistics and confirm its validity by exemplary calculations. These results based on radiation thermodynamics and photon statistics give fresh insight into quantum optical properties of classical light sources, photon correlations and photodetection with promising applications perspectives, more than 68 years after the original Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiment.
Clinical and genetic analyses of a Swedish patient series diagnosed with ataxia
Authors: Gorcenco Sorina , Kafantari Efthymia , Wallenius Joel , Karremo Christin , Alinder Erik , Dobloug Sigurd , Landqvist Waldö Maria , Englund Elisabet , Ehrencrona Hans , Wictorin Klas , Karrman Kristina , Puschmann Andreas
Published: October 2023

Hereditary ataxia is a heterogeneous group of complex neurological disorders. Next-generation sequencing methods have become a great help in clinical diagnostics, but it may remain challenging to determine if a genetic variant is the cause of the patient’s disease. We compiled a consecutive single-center series of 87 patients from 76 families with progressive ataxia of known or unknown etiology. We investigated them clinically and genetically using whole exome or whole genome sequencing. Test methods were selected depending on family history, clinical phenotype, and availability. Genetic results were interpreted based on the American College of Medical Genetics criteria. For high-suspicion variants of uncertain significance, renewed bioinformatical and clinical evaluation was performed to assess the level of pathogenicity. Thirty (39.5%) of the 76 families had received a genetic diagnosis at the end of our study. We present the predominant etiologies of hereditary ataxia in a Swedish patient series. In two families, we established a clinical diagnosis, although the genetic variant was classified as “of uncertain significance” only, and in an additional three families, results are pending. We found a pathogenic variant in one family, but we suspect that it does not explain the complete clinical picture. We conclude that correctly interpreting genetic variants in complex neurogenetic diseases requires genetics and clinical expertise. The neurologist’s careful phenotyping remains essential to confirm or reject a diagnosis, also by reassessing clinical findings after a candidate genetic variant is suggested. Collaboration between neurology and clinical genetics and combining clinical and research approaches optimizes diagnostic yield.
Sensor-based behavioral patterns can identify heat-sensitive lactating dairy cows
Authors: Ranzato G. , Lora I. , Aernouts B. , Adriaens I. , Gottardo F. , Cozzi G.
Published: October 2023

Heat stress impairs the health and performance of dairy cows, yet only a few studies have investigated the diversity of cattle behavioral responses to heat waves. This research was conducted on an Italian Holstein dairy farm equipped with precision livestock farming sensors to assess potential different behavioral patterns of the animals. Three heat waves, defined as at least five consecutive days with mean daily temperature-humidity index higher than 72, were recorded in the farm area during the summer of 2021. Individual daily milk yield data of 102 cows were used to identify “heat-sensitive” animals, meaning the cows that, under a given heat wave, experienced a milk yield drop that was not linked with other health events (e.g., mastitis). Milk yield drops were detected as perturbations of the lactation curve estimated by iteratively using Wood’s equation. Individual daily minutes of lying, chewing, and activity were retrieved from ear-tag-based accelerometer sensors. Semi-parametric generalized estimating equations models were used to assess behavioral deviations of heat-sensitive cows from the herd means under heat stress conditions. Heat waves were associated with an overall increase in the herd’s chewing and activity times, along with an overall decrease of lying time. Heat-sensitive cows spent approximately 15 min/days more chewing and performing activities (p < 0.05). The findings of this research suggest that the information provided by high-frequency sensor data could assist farmers in identifying cows for which personalized interventions to alleviate heat stress are needed.
Fundamental methods of electrochemical characterization of Li insertion materials for battery researchers
Authors: Ugata Yosuke , Motoki Chihaya , Dokko Kaoru , Yabuuchi Naoaki
Published: October 2023

Li-ion batteries have gained intensive attention as a key technology for realizing a sustainable society without dependence on fossil fuels. To further increase the versatility of Li-ion batteries, considerable research efforts have been devoted to developing a new class of Li insertion materials, which can reversibly store Li-ions in host structures and are used for positive/negative electrode materials of Li-ion batteries. Appropriate evaluations of electrochemical properties of Li insertion materials are essential for the research of electrode materials in laboratory. In this article, we describe fundamental methods of electrochemical characterization of Li insertion materials including electrode preparation, cell assembly, and electrochemical measurement in the laboratory-scale research. The importance of selection for battery components such as electrolyte solutions, polymer binders, separators, and current collectors on the electrochemical properties of Li insertion materials, is also discussed. This article offers basic knowledge and techniques for electrochemical characterizations of Li insertion materials to students and beginners for battery research.
Spatio-temporal modeling of groundwater quality deterioration and resource depletion
Authors: Palma Monica , Maggio Sabrina , Cappello Claudia , Congedi Antonella , De Iaco Sandra
Published: October 2023

In Hydrogeology, the analysis of groundwater features is based on multiple data related to correlated variables recorded over a spatio-temporal domain. Thus, multivariate geostatistical tools are fundamental for assessment of the data variability in space and time, as well as for parametric and nonparametric modeling. In this work, three key hydrological indicators of the quality of groundwater—sodium adsorption ratio, chloride and electrical conductivity—as well as the phreatic level, in the unconfined aquifer of the central area of Veneto Region (Italy) are investigated and modeled for prediction purposes. By using a new geostatistical approach, probability maps of groundwater resource deterioration are computed, and some areas where the aquifer needs strong attention are identified in the north-east part of the study region. The proposed analytical methodology and the findings can support policy makers in planning actions aimed at sustainable water management, which should enable better monitoring of groundwater used for drinking and also ensure high quality of water for irrigation purposes.
Evaluating the viewer experience of interactive virtual reality movies
Authors: Carpio Rudy , Baumann Oliver , Birt James
Published: October 2023

Significant advances in virtual reality (VR) technology have called into question the traditional methods of cinema storytelling and dissemination. New VR devices, such as the Meta (Oculus) Quest, have expanded the possibilities for viewing movies. The purpose of this study is to compare the emotional and cognitive impacts of VR and traditional 2D movies. In this study, sixty volunteers were divided into two groups and presented a movie (Gala) in 2D or VR format. We employed a multimodal method to assess the cognitive and emotional effects of the film both during and after watching. Our technique combined self-reports, interviews, questionnaires, and objective heart rate and EEG brain activity data. After quantitative and qualitative evaluation, it was discovered, that regardless of media, there was a substantial influence of the movie on the emotional state of the participant’s mood. Moreover, compared to the traditional 2D-movie, the VR movie led to more consistent and robust positive effect on all aspects of self-rated affect. The difference in self-reported mood was corroborated by reduced EEG amplitudes in the beta frequency band, indicating higher levels of positive affectivity, which was only observed for the VR movie. Lastly, the VR movie also leads to overall higher self-rated immersion and engagement than the 2D version. Our results highlight the potential of VR movies to engage and emotionally affect audiences beyond traditional cinema. Moreover, our study highlights the value of using a multidisciplinary method for analysing audience impacts.
On Magnetic Field Screening and Trapping in Hydrogen-Rich High-Temperature Superconductors: Unpulling the Wool Over Readers’ Eyes
Authors: Hirsch J. E. , Marsiglio F.
Published: October 2023

In Minkov et al. (Nat. Commun. 13:3194, 2022), Minkov et al. reported magnetization measurements on hydrides under pressure that claimed to find a diamagnetic signal below a critical temperature demonstrating the existence of superconductivity. Here, we present an analysis of raw data recently released (Minkov et al. Nat. Commun. 14:5322, 2023) by the authors of Minkov et al. (Nat. Commun. 13:3194, 2022) that shows that the measured data do not support their claim that the samples exhibit a diamagnetic response indicative of superconductivity. We also point out that Minkov et al. (Nat. Commun. 13:3194, 2022) in its original form omitted essential information that resulted in presentation of a distorted picture of reality, and that important information on transformations performed on measured data remains undisclosed. Our analysis also calls into question the conclusions of Minkov et al.’s trapped flux experiments reported in Minkov et al. (Nat. Phys. 19:1293–1300, 2023) as supporting superconductivity in these materials. This work together with earlier work implies that there is no magnetic evidence for the existence of high temperature superconductivity in hydrides under pressure.
Identification over quantum broadcast channels
Authors: Rosenberger Johannes , Deppe Christian , Pereg Uzi
Published: October 2023

Identification over quantum broadcast channels is considered. As opposed to the information transmission task, the decoder only identifies whether a message of his choosing was sent or not. This relaxation allows for a double-exponential code size. An achievable identification region is derived for a quantum broadcast channel, and a full characterization for the class of classical-quantum broadcast channels. The identification capacity region of the single-mode pure-loss bosonic broadcast channel is obtained as a consequence. Furthermore, the results are demonstrated for the quantum erasure broadcast channel, where our region is suboptimal, but improves on the best previously known bounds.
Heidegger’s Answer to Plato’s Parmenides
Authors: Thatcher Michael
Published: October 2023

Plato’s dialogue Parmenides remains one of—if not, the—most perplexing text in the Platonic corpus. Specifically, it examines the difficulties surrounding the concepts of unity, multiplicity, and Being that are required for participation in the Ideas. One of the problems forced upon the young Socrates by Parmenides and Zeno in the second half of the dialogue concerns the relationship between Being (ὄν) and the One (ἕν), namely, how defensible is the oneness, or the unity, of the Idea if it also partakes of Being? The text culminates in an aporia as to how to articulate the difference between the One (ἕν) and the many (πολλά), since if the one is, it becomes many. How do many beings share in the one mode of Being? Crucially, how are we to articulate the difference between the One and the many, or Being and beings? Where Plato’s answer invoking the enigmatic concept ‘exaiphnēs’ (ἐξαίφνης), the temporal becoming of the unity and plurality of the One, seems to contradict the privileging of presence that Heidegger charges him with, he nonetheless fails to offer an understanding of difference that has neither Being nor unity. I argue that Heidegger’s engagement with the problem of the ontological difference, and its development into the identification of Being with difference itself, offers solutions to this aporia in Plato’s Parmenides by addressing a difference that is irreducible to the one or the many, the relational or the derivative. This has significant consequences for understanding Heidegger’s critique of Plato as not just consisting of the privileging of presence but also the failure to respond to the problem of difference.
Role of Inflammatory Processes in the Brain-Body Relationship Underlying Hypertension
Authors: Carnevale Daniela
Published: October 2023

Purpose of Review

Essential hypertension is a huge health problem that significantly impacts worldwide population in terms of morbidity and mortality. Idiopathic in its nature, elevated blood pressure results from a complex interaction between polygenic components and environmental and lifestyle factors. The constant growth in the burden of hypertension is at odds with expectations, considering the availability of therapeutic strategies. Hence, there is an endless need to further investigate the complexity of factors contributing to blood pressure elevation.

Recent Findings

Recent data indicate that bidirectional interactions between the nervous system and the immune system alter inflammation in the brain and periphery, contributing to chronic hypertension. These findings indicate that the nervous system is both a direct driver of hypertension and also a target of feedback that often elevates blood pressure further. Similarly, the immune system is both target and driver of the blood pressure increases. The contributions of the feedback loops among these systems appear to play an important role in hypertension.

Together, recent mechanistic studies strongly suggest that the interactions among the brain, immune system, and inflammation affect the participation of each system in the pathogenesis of hypertension, and thus, all of these systems must be considered in concert to gain a full appreciation of the development and potential treatments of hypertension.
BEYOND 2 years: durability of metabolic benefits by simplification of complex insulin regimens in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Giugliano Dario , Longo Miriam , Scappaticcio Lorenzo , Caruso Paola , Gicchino Maurizio , Petrizzo Michela , Bellastella Giuseppe , Maiorino Maria Ida , Esposito Katherine
Published: October 2023

Purpose

To assess the magnitude and durability of the metabolic benefits by simplification of complex insulin treatments in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled by a full basal-bolus insulin regimen. Herein we report the results of the scheduled 2-year extension of the BEYOND trial.

Methods

Originally, 305 participants with inadequate glycemic control (HbA1c > 7.5%) were randomly assigned to intensification of basal-bolus insulin regimen (n = 101), to a fixed-ratio combination (basal insulin + GLP-1RA, n = 102), or to an association of basal insulin plus an SGLT-2 inhibitor (gliflo-combo, n = 102). The primary efficacy outcome was change from baseline in HbA1c at 24 months assessed by an intention-to-treat analysis. A per-protocol analysis was also performed.

Results

Fifty-five percent of patients completed the study in the two comparison arms. Compared with patients randomized to basal-bolus, patients of the other groups experienced non statistically different reductions in HbA1c level according to either an intention-to-treat analysis (−0.8 ± 1.1%, −0.7 ± 1.1%, and −1.3 ± 1.1%, mean ± SD, fixed-ratio, gliflo-combo and basal bolus, respectively) or per-protocol analysis (−1.2 ± 1.0%, −1.2 ± 1.1%, and −1.3 ± 1.0%, respectively). The final HbA1c level (per protocol) was 7.2 ± 0.8%, 7.3 ± 0.9%, and 7.5 ± 0.9%, respectively (P = NS). Treatment satisfaction (DTSQ) increased in both exchange groups, whereas the proportion of patients with hypoglycemia was lower.

Conclusion

Simplification of complex insulin regimen may be a durable option in at least one-half of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Clinical trial registration

Clinical trial registration no. NCT04196231, clinicaltrials.gov.
Unleashing the digital building bricks
Authors: Muschkiet Michel , Wulfert Tobias , Woroch Robert , Strobel Gero , Banh Leonardo
Published: October 2023

The increasing online competition, associated changes in customer behaviors, and effects of the pandemic in recent years have led to increasing retail store closures. This development has given rise to a downward spiral in terms of a decreasing attractiveness of local shopping places and a further reduction of stores. Research has recognized that smart services can unleash the potential to compensate for the competitive disadvantages of physical retailers by combining tailored physical and digital offerings to enhance customer-oriented value creation. However, most approaches are limited to in-store services without addressing the wider shopping experience in retail surroundings. Therefore, this paper provides a classification framework for smart services in retail evaluated against 163 use cases, as well as six service archetypes. This work contributes to understanding relevant service design elements and proposes applying the idea of a holistic customer experience to service design in physical retail environments.
Preliminary results from the EMoLung clinical study showing early lung cancer detection by the LC score
Authors: Rubio Karla , Müller Jason M. , Mehta Aditi , Watermann Iris , Olchers Till , Koch Ina , Wessels Sabine , Schneider Marc A. , Araujo-Ramos Tania , Singh Indrabahadur , Kugler Christian , Stoleriu Mircea Gabriel , Kriegsmann Mark , Eichhorn Martin , Muley Thomas , Merkel Olivia M. , Braun Thomas , Ammerpohl Ole , Reck Martin , Tresch Achim , Barreto Guillermo
Published: October 2023

Background

Lung cancer (LC) causes more deaths worldwide than any other cancer type. Despite advances in therapeutic strategies, the fatality rate of LC cases remains high (95%) since the majority of patients are diagnosed at late stages when patient prognosis is poor. Analysis of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) database indicates that early diagnosis is significantly associated with favorable outcome. However, since symptoms of LC at early stages are unspecific and resemble those of benign pathologies, current diagnostic approaches are mostly initiated at advanced LC stages.

Methods

We developed a LC diagnosis test based on the analysis of distinct RNA isoforms expressed from the GATA6 and NKX2-1 gene loci, which are detected in exhaled breath condensates (EBCs). Levels of these transcript isoforms in EBCs were combined to calculate a diagnostic score (the LC score). In the present study, we aimed to confirm the applicability of the LC score for the diagnosis of early stage LC under clinical settings. Thus, we evaluated EBCs from patients with early stage, resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who were prospectively enrolled in the EMoLung study at three sites in Germany.

Results

LC score-based classification of EBCs confirmed its performance under clinical conditions, achieving a sensitivity of 95.7%, 91.3% and 84.6% for LC detection at stages I, II and III, respectively.

Conclusions

The LC score is an accurate and non-invasive option for early LC diagnosis and a valuable complement to LC screening procedures based on computed tomography.