bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extending atomic layer deposition for use in next-generation piezoMEMS: Review and perspective
Authors: Strnad Nicholas A. , Potrepka Daniel M. , Hanrahan Brendan M. , Fox Glen R. , Polcawich Ronald G. , Pulskamp Jeffrey S. , Knight Ryan R. , Rudy Ryan Q.
Published: July 2023

The objective of this work is to describe the current state of the rapidly evolving field of 3D piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (piezoMEMS), and where it needs to go to fully leverage the potential performance benefits offered by atomic layer deposition (ALD). We define 3D piezoMEMS as the application of piezoelectric ALD films to 3D, high aspect-ratio, mechanically pliable structures. Since there are so few existing reports of 3D piezoMEMS, a literature review of ALD films applied to conventional microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices is given. ALD processes for piezoelectric thin films are reviewed in the context of relevant applications such as transducers and actuators. Examples include aluminum nitride, hafnium zirconate, doped-hafnia, lead zirconate-titanate, lead hafnate, and lead hafnate-titanate. New concepts for ALD-enabled 3D piezoMEMS actuators are presented with supporting theoretical calculations that show that chip-scale mechanical work densities could be improved by ≫10× compared to conventional planar piezoMEMS. 3D fabrication methods are also discussed, while the future needs of atomic layer processing are highlighted.
Behavioral Determinants of Physical Activity Among Secondary School Students Aged 14–15 Years in Cambodia
Authors: Konharn Kurusart , Po Suvannetra , Karawa Jirachai , Sangpara Paramaporn , Johnson Lee David
Published: July 2023

Background: There is little known about physical activity (PA) behaviors and its determinants in Cambodian adolescents, particularly with regard to the home and school settings. Therefore, we aimed to investigate these behaviors and determinants on their PA. Methods: The samples collected were from 168 high school students, aged 14–15 years. They were requested to complete the self-report PA questionnaire. Time spent in PA during weekday and weekend by school location and gender, and determinants on PA were analyzed. Differences in the mean values of the PA levels (in minutes) during weekday and the weekend between genders, and between school locations were analyzed using independent sample t tests. The percentage of students’ perceptions on the determinants were calculated. Chi-squared test was used to compare the differences in prevalence of students’ activities during their free time with respect to school location and gender. Results: The majority of the parents (86.9%–98.2%) demonstrated strong support for their children for academic work. Rural students spent an average time of moderate-to-vigorous PA greater than their counterparts from the urban areas during their weekend days (329.1 vs 239.2 min, respectively). Moderate to vigorous PA was likely to be higher during the weekends compared with weekdays among the boys (387.9 vs 361.4 min, respectively). Girls were more likely to spend their time on moderate to vigorous PA during the weekdays compared with the weekends (205.4 vs 180.5 min, respectively). Conclusion: Consideration should be given to gender, school location, free time, and the environmental setting for the contextualization of more effective PA interventions with Cambodian youths.
Metagenomic Surveillance of Viral Gastroenteritis in a Public Health Setting
Authors: Schmitz Dennis , Zwagemaker Florian , van der Veer Bas , Vennema Harry , Laros Jeroen F. J. , Koopmans Marion P. G. , De Graaf Miranda , Kroneman Annelies
Published: July 2023

Viral gastroenteritis results in significant morbidity and mortality in vulnerable individuals and is primarily caused by norovirus. To investigate norovirus epidemiology, there is a need for whole-genome sequencing and reference sets consisting of full genomes.
Safety and feasibility of platelet transfusion through long catheters in the neonatal intensive care unit: an in vitro study
Authors: Moore Carmel Maria , Lorusso Alice , Morgan Liam , Brazil Sinead , Croxon Harry , Waters Allison , Farrelly Aileen , Hervig Tor , Curley Anna
Published: July 2023

Objective

To assess the safety and feasibility of platelet transfusion through small-bore long lines used in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), including double-lumen umbilical venous catheters (UVCs) and 24 G and 28 G peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs).

Design

Prospective in vitro controlled study.

Setting

Blood transfusion service laboratory.

Methods

In vitro platelet transfusions were set up as per NICU practice. Transfusion line pressure was monitored. Post-transfusion swirling, presence of aggregates, pH analysis and automated cell count in vitro activation response by flow cytometry assessing CD62P expression were assessed.

Main outcome measures

All transfusions completed successfully. The rate of infusion was reduced in 5 of 16 transfusions through 28 G lines due to ‘pressure high’ alarms. There was no difference in swirling values or transfusion aggregate formation, CD62P expression levels, platelet count, platelet distribution width, mean platelet volume, plateletcrit or platelet to large cell ratio across transfusions post-transfusion.

Conclusions

This study showed that in vitro platelet transfusion performed through 24 G and 28 G neonatal PICC lines and double-lumen UVCs is non-inferior to 24 G short cannulas, using outcome measures of platelet clumping, platelet activation and line occlusion. This suggests that where available these lines can be used if necessary for platelet transfusion.
Management of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
Authors: Al-Aidarous Sayed , Protonotarios Alexandros , Elliott Perry M , Lambiase Pier D
Published: July 2023

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a disease characterised by fibrofatty replacement of the ventricular myocardium due to specific mutations, leading to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Treating this condition can be challenging due to progressive fibrosis, phenotypic variations and small patient cohorts limiting the feasibility of conducting meaningful clinical trials. Although widely used, the evidence base for anti-arrhythmic drugs is limited. Beta-blockers are theoretically sound, yet their efficacy in reducing arrhythmic risk is not robust. Additionally, the impact of sotalol and amiodarone is inconsistent with studies reporting contradictory results. Emerging evidence suggests that combining flecainide and bisoprolol may be efficacious.

Radiofrequency ablation has shown some potential in disrupting ventricular tachycardia circuits, with combined endo and epicardial ablation yielding better results which could be considered at the index procedure. In addition, stereotactic radiotherapy may be a future option that can decrease arrhythmias beyond simple scar formation by altering levels of Nav1.5 channels, Connexin 43 and Wnt signalling, potentially modifying myocardial fibrosis.

Future therapies, such as adenoviruses and GSk3b modulation, are still in early-stage research. While implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation is a key intervention for reducing arrhythmic death, the risks of inappropriate shocks and device complications must be carefully considered.
Rate control in atrial fibrillation, calcium channel blockers versus beta-blockers
Authors: Koldenhof Tim , Van Gelder Isabelle C , Crijns Harry JGM , Rienstra Michiel , Tieleman Robert G
Published: July 2023

Objective

To investigate heart rate differences between non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers and beta-blockers in patients with non-permanent atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods

Using data from ‘A Comparison of Rate Control and Rhythm Control in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation’ (AFFIRM), where patients were randomised 1:1 rate or rhythm control, we compared the effect of rate control drugs on heart rate during AF as well as during sinus rhythm. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for baseline characteristics.

Results

A total of 4060 patients were enrolled in the AFFIRM trial, mean age was 70±9 years, 39% were women. Out of the total, 1112 patients were in sinus rhythm at baseline and used either non-dihydropyridine channel blockers or beta-blockers. Of them, 474 had AF during follow-up while remaining on the same rate control drugs, 218 (46%) on calcium channel blockers and 256 (54%) on beta-blockers. Mean age of calcium channel blocker patients was 70±8 years and 68±8 for beta-blocker patients (p=0.003), 42% were women. A resting heart rate <110 beats per min during AF was achieved in 92% of patients using calcium channel blockers and 92% of patients using beta-blockers (p=1.00). Bradycardia during sinus rhythm occurred in 17% of patients using calcium channel blockers vs 32% using beta-blockers (p<0.001). After adjusting for patient characteristics, calcium channel blockers were associated with a reduction in bradycardia during sinus rhythm (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.90).

Conclusion

In patients with non-permanent AF, calcium channel blockers instituted for rate control were associated with less bradycardia during sinus rhythm compared with beta-blockers.
Imaging patients with myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA)
Authors: Leo Isabella , Bisaccia Giandomenico , Miaris Nikolaos , Procopio Maria Cristina , Licordari Roberto , Bucciarelli-Ducci Chiara
Published: July 2023

Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) defines a heterogeneous group of atherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic conditions, causing myocardial injury in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease. Unveiling the mechanisms subtended to the acute event is often challenging; a multimodality imaging approach is helpful to aid the diagnosis. Invasive coronary imaging with intravascular ultrasound or optical coherence tomography should be used, when available, during index angiography to detect plaque disruption or spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance has instead a key role among the non-invasive modalities, allowing the differentiation between MINOCA and its non-ischaemic mimics and providing prognostic information. This educational paper will provide a comprehensive review of the strengths and limitations of each imaging modality in the evaluation of patients with a working diagnosis of MINOCA.
Ketamine subcutaneous continuous infusion for non-cancer neuropathic pain at home: a case report
Authors: Julião Miguel , Ulrich João , Calaveiras Patrícia , Costa Elisabeth , Lucas Isabel , Faria de Sousa Paulo
Published: July 2023

Objective

Ketamine is a drug that can effectively treat neuropathic pain by blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor. It has been studied as a supplement to opioids for cancer pain, but its effectiveness for non-cancer pain is still limited. However, despite its usefulness in managing refractory pain, ketamine is not commonly used for home-based palliative care.

Methods

A case report of a patient with severe central neuropathic pain who was treated with a subcutaneous continuous infusion of morphine and ketamine at home.

Results

The introduction of ketamine in the patient’s treatment plan effectively controlled pain. Only one possible ketamine side effect was observed and easily treated with pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures.

Conclusions

We have found success in using subcutaneous continuous infusion of morphine and ketamine to alleviate severe neuropathic pain in a home setting. We also observed a positive impact on the patient’s family members' personal, emotional and relational well-being after ketamine was introduced.
Uniformity inspection of tack coats through measurement conducted on drone-collected images
Authors: da Silva Aida , Lu Linjun , Zhu Zhenhua , Wang Linbing , Dai Fei
Published: July 2023

Tack coat is a thin asphalt applied between the existing surface and asphalt overlay during road rehabilitation. Its coverage uniformity is vital in providing adhesive bonding between the two layers in the structure. This paper proposes a novel method for automatic uniformity inspection of tack coat coverage using images collected by drones. In this method, color thresholding is first performed to extract coarse region of the tack coat. Then, the boundaries of the tack coat are detected to refine the tack coat region by masking outliers. Next, the region of interest is processed to extract texture features using gray-level co-occurrence. Finally, the texture features are leveraged to grade the tack coat uniformity level using LightGBM. Experiments were conducted to examine the performance of the method. The resulting accuracy signifies the potential of this method in developing high-efficiency and cost-effective solutions to enhance the current tack coat inspection practice.
Organisation of the AGATA collaboration and physics campaigns
Authors: Clément E. , Bracco A. , Gadea A. , Simpson J.
Published: July 2023

The AGATA spectrometer has a well-established organisational and management structure for its construction and operation. The roles and responsibilities of each of the management committees and their interaction, as well as the scientific organisation is described in this contribution. The organisation of the present campaign, which aims to realise the 4$$\pi $$
π
spectrometer, is presented. General comments on the previous physics campaigns at LNL (2010–2011), GSI (2012–2014) and GANIL (2015–2021) are made.
Novel model for particle emission in small collision systems
Authors: Mihaylov Dimitar , González González Jaime
Published: July 2023

Collider experiments provide an opportunity to produce particles at close distances and momenta. The measured correlation functions between particles can provide information on both the effective emission source and the interaction potential. In recent years, experiments at the LHC have shown that precision studies of the strong interaction are possible using correlation techniques, provided a good handle on the source function. The current work presents a new numerical framework called Common Emission in CATS (CECA), capable of simulating the effective emission source of an N-body system based on the properties of the single particles. The framework differentiates between primordial particle emission and particle production through resonances, allowing to verify the hypothesis proposed by the ALICE Collaboration that a common baryon–baryon emission source is present in small collision systems. The new framework is used to analyze ALICE data on $$\text{ pp }$$

pp

and $$\text{ p }\Lambda $$

p

Λ

correlations and compare the results to previous studies based on the common emission source scenario. It is demonstrated that the best fit to the $$\text{ p }\Lambda $$

p

Λ

correlation data is obtained using a scattering length of $$1.15\pm 0.07$$

1.15
±
0.07

 fm in the S = 1 channel. The new CECA framework provides an essential tool for precision studies in two-body systems and a consistent description of the source function in many-body systems.
Correction to Lagrangian for bouncing cosmologies in f(Q) gravity
Authors: Gadbail Gaurav N. , Kolhatkar Ameya , Mandal Sanjay , Sahoo P. K.
Published: July 2023

Symmetric teleparallel gravity offers to reformulate the gravitational formalism without the presence of curvature and torsion with the help of non-metricity tensors. Interestingly, Symmetric teleparallel gravity can be formulated equivalently to teleparallel gravity or general relativity for an appropriate setup. In this study, our aim lies in exploring the bouncing cosmologies as an alternative to the initial singularity of the Universe in the background of modified symmetric teleparallel gravity. To explore this, we adopt the reconstruction technique to present the possible reconstructed Lagrangian for various cosmological bouncing solutions in a flat Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker spacetime with a perfect fluid matter distribution. We study the reconstructed gravitational Lagrangians, which are capable of reproducing analytical or semianalytical solutions for symmetric bounce, super-bounce, oscillatory bounce, matter bounce, and exponential bouncing model settings. Further, we examine the dark energy profiles of the models using reconstructed Lagrangians. In addition, we found that an additional term arises in each reconstructed Lagrangian compared to general relativity (GR). That extra term corrected the background GR to present bouncing cosmology in modified gravity. These newly motivated cosmological models may have an effect on gravitational phenomena at other cosmological scales.
Fuzzy Propositional Configuration Logics
Authors: Paraponiari Paulina
Published: July 2023

We introduce and investigate a weighted propositional configuration logic over De Morgan algebras. This logic is able to describe software architectures with quantitative features especially the uncertainty of the interactions that occur in the architecture. We deal with the equivalence problem of formulas in our logic by showing that every formula can be written in a specific form. Surprisingly, there are formulas which are equivalent only over specific De Morgan algebras. We provide examples of formulas in our logic which describe well-known software architectures equipped with quantitative features such as the uncertainty and reliability of their interactions.
New Perspectives on Chinese Medicine in Treating Hepatic Fibrosis: Lipid Droplets in Hepatic Stellate Cells
Authors: Shao Chang , Xu Huihui , Sun Xiguang , Huang Yan , Guo Wenqin , He Yi , Ye Linmao , Wang Zhili , Huang Jiaxin , Liang Xiaofan , Zhang Junjie
Published: July 2023

Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a wound healing response featuring excessive deposition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) that occurs during chronic liver injury. As an initial stage of various liver diseases, HF is a reversible pathological process that, if left unchecked, can escalate into cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. HF is a life-threatening disease presenting morbidity and mortality challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. There is no specific and effective anti-HF therapy, and the toxic side effects of the available drugs also impose a heavy financial burden on patients. Therefore, it is significant to study the pathogenesis of HF and explore effective prevention and treatment measures. Formerly called adipocytes, or fat storage cells, HSCs regulate liver growth, immunity, and inflammation, as well as energy and nutrient homeostasis. HSCs in a quiescent state do not proliferate and store abundant lipid droplets (LDs). Catabolism of LDs is characteristic of the activation of HSCs and morphological transdifferentiation of cells into contractile and proliferative myofibroblasts, resulting in the deposition of ECM and the development of HF. Recent studies have revealed that various Chinese medicines (e.g., Artemisia annua, turmeric, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, etc.) are able to effectively reduce the degradation of LDs in HSCs. Therefore, this study takes the modification of LDs in HSCs as an entry point to elaborate on the process of Chinese medicine intervening in the loss of LDs in HSCs and the mechanism of action for the treatment of HF.
Lie symmetry classification for the 1+1 and 1+2 generalized Zoomeron equations
Authors: Paliathanasis Andronikos , Leach P. G. L.
Published: July 2023

We present a complete algebraic classification of the Lie symmetries for generalized Zoomeron equations. For the generalized [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] Zoomeron equations we solve the Lie symmetry conditions in order to constrain the free functions of the equations. We find that the differential equations of our consideration admit the same number of Lie symmetries with the non-generalized equations. The admitted Lie symmetries form the Lie algebras [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] for the [Formula: see text] generalized Zoomeron equation, and the [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] in the case of the [Formula: see text] generalized Zoomeron equation. The one-dimensional optimal system is constructed for the two equations and similarity solutions are derived. The similarity transformation led to the derivation of kink solutions. Indeed, the similarity exact solutions determined in this work are asymptotic solutions near the singular behavior of the kink behavior.
Spin as a probe of axion physics in general relativity
Authors: Obukhov Yuri N.
Published: July 2023

The dynamics of spin in external electromagnetic, gravitational, and axion fields is analyzed in the framework of the gravitoelectromagnetism approach in Einstein’s general relativity theory. We consistently extend the recent studies from the flat Minkowski geometry to the curved spacetime manifolds, contributing to the discussion of the possible new role of a precessing spin as an “axion antenna” that can be used to detect the hypothetical axion-like dark matter. The formalism developed helps to clarify the subtle influence of the gravitational/inertial and axion fields in the ultra-sensitive high-energy spin experiments with charged particles and neutrons at accelerators and storage rings devoted to testing fundamental physical symmetries, including attempts to establish the nature of dark matter in the Universe.
The virial theorem for retarded gravity
Authors: Yahalom Asher
Published: July 2023

Galaxy Clusters are huge physical systems having a generic size of tens of millions of light years. Thus any modification at the center of the cluster will affect the outskirts only tens of millions of years afterwards. Those retardation considerations seem to be neglected in present day analysis used to estimate the total mass of the galaxy cluster, including those estimates which are based on the virial theorem. The significant differences between the velocities predicted by Newtonian action at a distance theory and observations are usually dealt with by either assuming an unobservable type of matter or by modifying gravity. Here we demonstrate that considering general relativistic effects one can explain the apparent excess matter appearing in galaxy clusters virial estimates.
Sources of the Value Premium
Authors: Chinloy Peter , Imes Matthew , Liu Wendy
Published: July 2023

The book-to-market ratio’s numerator adds assets and liabilities differing in risk. We propose a test for the value premium and its sources. Individual balance sheet holdings are divided by firm size. When associated risk premium coefficients are equal, an overall book-to-market is appropriate. Otherwise, there are different risks in assets and liabilities.

For U.S. firms, for four decades since 1980, the excess return is regressed on seven ratios relative to size for cash, receivables, tangibles, intangibles, payables, short and long-term debt, and controls. The seven value premiums are not equal. Firms earn higher returns for cash and receivables and lower for short-term debt. Tangible and intangible assets earn no value premium.
Shaking Table Test of a Split-Foundation RC Frame Structure with One Lower Story Compared with a Conventional RC Frame Structure
Authors: Jiang Baolong , Li Yingmin , Tang Yangyang , Ji Shuyan , Liu Liping
Published: July 2023

Split-foundation (SF) building structures, as a kind of hill-side buildings, are widely used in mountainous regions due to the scarcity of plain areas. In order to experimentally investigate the seismic responses of the SF structure, shaking table test was carried out on two 1/8-scale models: a split-foundation RC frame structure supported by foundations at two different levels and a conventional RC frame structure supported by foundations at one single level. The failure patterns, dynamic characteristics, acceleration responses, displacement responses, and torsion responses of the two models were assessed and compared under seismic ground motions. The test results indicate that the two models were severely damaged after the last intensity level excitation and showed an intermediate failure mechanism. The damage to the SF model was uneven and special with relatively severe damage of the upper grounded columns. The difference in natural frequencies between the two models resulted from the effect of the lower story on lateral stiffness, and the effect was relatively dramatic in the transverse direction. The difference in structural stiffness led to larger acceleration amplification factors of the SF model and smaller acceleration amplification factors in the longitudinal direction. Although the restriction at upper ground level created a certain effect on displacement responses of the SF model especially in the first story, the curve shapes of displacement responses of the two models were similar from the first floor to fourth floor. In addition, the torsion responses of the SF model, especially in the first story (upper ground story), were obviously much larger than those of the conventional model. The torsional effect cannot be ignored in the SF structure which is a torsionally sensitive structure.
Experimental and Numerical Study on Damage Characteristics of the Shield Tunnel Segment Under Blast Impact Loading
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Yao Yingkang , Jia Yongsheng , Sun Jinshan , Dong Qian
Published: July 2023

The impact-resistant capacity of the subway tunnel lining is significant to prevent the subway tunnels from the serious damage under the blast impact loading. In this paper, the light gas gun experiment of the shield tunnel segment is carried out. The impact loading generated by light gas gun is used to simulate the blast impact loading. The strain variation characteristics and the damage crater of the shield tunnel segment are analyzed based on the experimental results. Three-dimensional finite element simulations of the specimens under the impacts of bullets with different velocities are also performed using the dynamic finite element program LS-DYNA, and their reliability are verified by the experimental data. Based on the numerical simulation results, the stress states of the elements of the shield tunnel segment are investigated to understand the damage mechanism. The damage levels of the shield tunnel segment under different blast impact loading are also studied. The relationship model between the impact velocities of the bullets and the impact loading is established. The damage depths of the shield tunnel segments under different blast impact loadings are quantified. Finally, the effect of concrete strength on the damage of shield tunnel segment is studied.
A Study on the Application of Grey Correlation Analysis in Reconstructing the Relationship Between Journalism and Organisational Culture Under the Public Management Model
Authors: Zhang Yuting , Zhang Chengfei , Jia Zhongyuan
Published: July 2023

With the increasing globalisation of the economy, the global economy has been in recession in recent years. Traditionally, corporate competition stems from assets, material, and entrepreneurial spirit. However, with the times’ development, enterprises’ competitiveness has gradually transformed into cultural competitiveness. Organisational cultural competitiveness combines culture with tangible assets to create a human identity unique to the organisation, thus further enhancing its competitiveness. In order to improve competitiveness, this study reconstructs the organisation’s culture by integrating press and publicity into it, uses grey relation analysis (GRA) to analyse it, and establishes a GRA evaluation model to evaluate competitiveness indicators. The experimental results show that among the three indicators of physical, institutional and spiritual culture competitiveness, the curves of institutional culture competitiveness and organisational competitiveness are the most similar, with a correlation degree of 0.9, indicating that the improvement of institutional culture competitiveness has a greatest impact on the improvement of organisational culture competitiveness. This study proposes an efficient method to improve organisational competitiveness.
Two classes of quantum codes from almost MDS codes
Authors: Sun Zhonghua , Liu Xinyue , Zhu Shixin
Published: July 2023

Hermitian dual-containing codes are an important class of linear codes which have important applications in the construction of quantum codes. In this paper, two classes of Hermitian dual-containing almost MDS codes over finite fields are studied. By employing the Hermitian construction, a class of quantum codes with minimum distance [Formula: see text] and a class of quantum codes with minimum distance [Formula: see text] are constructed.
Late Triassic–Early Jurassic continental vertebrates and their environmental context from the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, NW China
Authors: Olsen Paul Eric , Sha Jingeng , Fang Yanan , Chang Clara , Sues Hans-Dieter , Slibeck Bennett B. , Qiang Fu , Yu Congyu
Published: July 2023

Vertebrate assemblages from the Junggar Basin in Xinjiang, China, are the only ones known from palaeo-Arctic continental strata of Late Triassic and Early Jurassic age. Here we present a preliminary description of these new assemblages, focusing on the underappreciated Arctic palaeolatitude and winter freezing of this coal-bearing sequence. Mostly collected during NIGPAS-led stratigraphic studies in the 2016–17 field seasons, new assemblages include: (1) small to large sculptured palaeonisciform cranial elements and scales, small associated palaeonisciforms, a sauropterygian tooth, large-dinosaur bioturbation and additional unidentified small vertebrate bones from the Haojiagou Formation (?upper Norian–Rhaetian); (2) a medium-sized brontozoid dinosaur footprint and a previously described possible
Anomoepus
track from the Badaowan Formation (Hettangian–?Pliensbachian); and (3) a hybodont shark egg case of the form taxon
Palaeoxyris
(only the third reported from Early Jurassic age strata of China), numerous associated and fragmentary small palaeonisciform remains (including one partial skull and several small skeletons), and another possible
Anomoepus
track and associated dinoturbation from the Sangonghe Formation (?Pliensbachian–Toarcian). A possible ash associated with the aforementioned lower Sangonghe fish skull has produced a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry age of roughly 186 Ma, consistent with a Pliensbachian age. We are optimistic that there will be many additional discoveries from early Mesozoic age strata of the Junggar Basin, the importance of which for understanding Earth system processes cannot be overemphasized.
Learning from Hierarchical Structure of Knowledge Graph for Recommendation
Authors: Qin Yingrong , Gao Chen , Wei Shuangqing , Wang Yue , Jin Depeng , Yuan Jian , Zhang Lin , Li Dong , Hao Jianye , Li Yong
Published: July 2023

Knowledge graphs (KGs) can help enhance recommendations, especially for the data-sparsity scenarios with limited user-item interaction data. Due to the strong power of representation learning of graph neural networks (GNNs), recent works of KG-based recommendation deploy GNN models to learn from both knowledge graph and user-item bipartite interaction graph. However, these works have not well considered the
hierarchical structure
of knowledge graph, leading to sub-optimal results. Despite the benefit of hierarchical structure, leveraging it is challenging since the structure is always partly-observed. In this work, we first propose to reveal unknown hierarchical structures with a supervised signal detection method and then exploit the hierarchical structure with disentangling representation learning. We conduct experiments on two large-scale datasets, of which the results well verify the superiority and rationality of the proposed method. Further experiments of ablation study with respect to key model designs have demonstrated the effectiveness and rationality of our proposed model. The code is available at
https://github.com/tsinghua-fib-lab/HIKE
.
The Contribution of Selected Linguistic Markers for Unsupervised Arabic Verb Sense Disambiguation
Authors: Djaidri Asma , Aliane Hassina , Azzoune Hamid
Published: July 2023

Word sense disambiguation (WSD) is the task of automatically determining the meaning of a polysemous word in a specific context. Word sense induction is the unsupervised clustering of word usages in a different context to distinguish senses and perform unsupervised WSD. Most studies consider function words as stop words and delete them in the pre-processing step. However, function words can encode meaningful information that can help to improve the performance of WSD approaches. We propose in this work a novel approach to solve Arabic verb sense disambiguation that is based on a preposition-based classification that is used in an automatic word sense induction step to build sense inventories to disambiguate Arabic verbs.

However, in the wake of the success of neural language models, recent works obtained encouraging results using BERT pre-trained models for English-language WSD approaches. Hence, we use contextualized word embeddings for an unsupervised Arabic WSD that is based on linguistic markers and uses sentence-BERT Transformer pre-trained models, which yields encouraging results that outperform other existing unsupervised neural AWSD approaches.
Optimizing Reachability Probabilities for a Restricted Class of Stochastic Hybrid Automata via Flowpipe Construction
Authors: Da Silva Carina , Schupp Stefan , Remke Anne
Published: July 2023

Stochastic hybrid automata (SHA) are a powerful tool to evaluate the dependability and safety of critical infrastructures. However, the resolution of nondeterminism, which is present in many purely hybrid models, is often only implicitly considered in SHA. This article instead proposes algorithms for computing maximum and minimum reachability probabilities for singular automata with
urgent
transitions and random clocks that follow arbitrary continuous probability distributions. We borrow a well-known approach from hybrid systems reachability analysis, namely flowpipe construction, which is then extended to optimize nondeterminism in the presence of random variables. First, valuations of random clocks that ensure reachability of specific goal states are extracted from the computed flowpipes, and second, reachability probabilities are computed by integrating over these valuations. We compute maximum and minimum probabilities for history-dependent prophetic and non-prophetic schedulers using set-based methods. The implementation featuring the library
HyPro
and the complexity of the approach are discussed in detail. Two case studies featuring nondeterministic choices show the feasibility of the approach.
2022-2023 Year in Review and Transition to New Editor-in-Chief
Authors: Conceicao Simone C
Published: July 2023

This editorial provides an annual review of eLearn Magazine including a high number of published articles, the addition of new topic series, increased partnerships, and an effective editorial board strategic plan.
Microporous Polymer Coatings Enable Uniform Zn Stripping/Plating for Long-Life Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries
Authors: Wu Aohua , Zhang Xinyue , He Chang , Li Qiaohui , Gu Jiajie , Bian Haowei , Xia Peng , Song Zhongcheng , Mao Wutao , Bao Keyan
Published: July 2023

Because of their low cost, safety, and green nature, aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have become attractive energy storage devices. However, problems such as zinc dendrites have been hindering the development of AZIBs. In this paper, two materials polyacrylamide (PAM) and polypropylene (PAN) are used to modify the surface of the zinc. The experimental results show that the coating of the two organic membranes can effectively improve the electrochemical performance of the AZIBs. Symmetric Zn/PAM||Zn/PAM and Zn/PAN||Zn/PAN cells can steadily work over 12000 min at 0.5 mA cm−2, which are greater than that of bare Zn||Zn. At 0.2C multiplicity, the full cells with the zinc modified by both materials as negative electrode exhibited a stable cycle retention rate close to 40% of the initial value after 100 cycles.
A Novel Polishing Process for Ultra-Smooth Aluminum Surfaces via Anodizing in Sodium Metaborate
Authors: Iwai Mana , Kikuchi Tatsuya
Published: July 2023

A novel ultra-smoothing process for aluminum surfaces was developed using porous alumina formation and subsequent oxide dissolution. A submicron-scale periodic dimpled aluminum surface with an arithmetic mean roughness of 31.5 nm was prepared by anodizing in an etidronic acid solution. This dimpled aluminum specimen was then anodized in a sodium metaborate (NaBO2) solution to form a unique porous alumina film with an extremely flat barrier layer, which differs from the typical hemispherical barrier layer. The outer porous layer became thicker with time during anodizing, whereas the thickness and smoothness of the inner barrier layer were maintained without oxide breakdown. As the porous alumina film was chemically removed in a CrO3/H3PO4 solution, a smooth aluminum surface was exposed. The mean roughness of the aluminum surface drastically decreased to 0.5 nm by short-term anodizing for 15 min and slightly decreased with further anodizing. As a result, an ultra-smooth aluminum surface measuring 0.4 nm in roughness, which is much smaller than that of an electropolished aluminum surface (1.3 nm), was successfully obtained via anodizing in NaBO2 and subsequent oxide dissolution. Our smoothing process was compared with conventional smoothing processes such as electropolishing and barrier oxide formation.
CuS Nanoparticles Modified ZnO/CdS Dual Direct Z-type Heterostructure Nanocomposite for Efficient Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation RhB
Authors: Huang Chengsha , Li Jin
Published: July 2023

The low-temperature hydrothermal and water bath methods are used to manufacture CuS@ZnO/CdS catalyst. The Rhodamine B degradation rate constant of CuS@ZnO/CdS is around 1.53 × 10−2 min−1, which is 3.9 times greater than that of ZnO. The coupling of CdS and loading of CuS onto ZnO surfaces were evaluated using XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS. SEM demonstrated that 5 mg of CdS was the most effective in controlling the shape of ZnO nanoflakes. Ultraviolet-visible absorption (UV–vis) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra reveal that CdS and CuS decreased the bandgap of ZnO and boosted its ability to absorb visible light. Transient photocurrent response (TPR) and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) display that CdS and CuS facilitate the quick separation of photoexcited carriers in ZnO. Notably, the optimal weight ratio of CuS was determined to be 15%, since excessive amounts of CuS would operate as recombination centers and cover active sites. Additionally, the dual Z-scheme carriers movement mechanism was proposed using sacrificed agent experiments, and TOC analyzed the mineralization rate of RhB after degradation. In this study, CuS@ZnO/CdS photocatalyst degraded RhB nearly 99% in 80 min, which is superior to the earlier photocatalysts. Therefore, this article holds great significance in the practical application of metal chalcogenide-modified ZnO-based photocatalysts with superior visible light-induced degradation performance in environmental purification.
Ethanol inhibits pancreatic acinar cell autophagy through upregulation of ATG4B, mediating pathological responses of alcoholic pancreatitis
Authors: Mareninova Olga A. , Gretler Sophie R. , Lee Grace E. , Pimienta Michael , Qin Yueqiu , Elperin Jason M. , Ni Jinliang , Razga Zsolt , Gukovskaya Anna S. , Gukovsky Ilya
Published: July 2023

Ethanol sensitizes mice and humans to pancreatitis, but the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Autophagy is important for maintaining pancreatic acinar cell homeostasis, and its impairment drives pancreatitis. This study reveals a novel mechanism, whereby ethanol inhibits autophagosome formation through upregulating ATG4B, a key cysteine protease. ATG4B upregulation inhibits autophagy in acinar cells and aggravates pathological responses of experimental alcoholic pancreatitis. Enhancing pancreatic autophagy, particularly by down-regulating ATG4B, could be beneficial for treatment of alcoholic pancreatitis.
Influenza A virus infection during pregnancy causes immunological changes in gut-associated lymphoid tissues of offspring mice
Authors: Liong Stella , Miles Mark A. , Mohsenipour Mitra , Liong Felicia , Hill-Yardin Elisa L. , Selemidis Stavros
Published: July 2023

Influenza A virus (IAV) infection during pregnancy is associated with changes in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) in the offspring in a region-dependent manner. Neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages were elevated in the cecal patch of offspring from infected dams. This increase in innate immune cell infiltration was not observed in the Peyer’s patches. T cells were also elevated in the cecal patch but not in the Peyer’s patches.
Evaluating 28-Days Performance of Rice Husk Ash Green Concrete under Compression Gleaned from Neural Networks
Authors: Singh Sharanjit , Arora Harish Chandra , Kumar Aman , Kapoor Nishant Raj , Onyelowe Kennedy C. , Kumar Krishna , Rai Hardeep Singh
Published: July 2023

Cement manufacturing and utilization is one of the majorly responsible factors for global CO2 emissions. In light of sustainability and climate change concerns, it is essential to find alternative solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of cement. Secondary cementitious materials (SCMs) are helpful in reducing carbon emissions from concrete. One such solution is the use of agricultural waste as SCMs to reduce carbon emissions from concrete. Especially rice husk ash (RHA) is a silica-rich, globally available agricultural waste material. The compressive strength (CS) of concrete is important and is used to evaluate the material’s strength and durability. Predicting CS using a laboratory method is a costly, time-consuming, and complex process. ML-based prediction models are the modern solution to these problems. In this study, a total of 407 datasets are used to develop an ML-based model by using the ANN algorithm to predict the CS of concrete containing RHA. Cement, coarse aggregates, fine aggregates, water, rice husk ash, superplasticizer, and type of sample are used as input parameters to predict CS at 28 days. Various statistical parameters including correlation coefficient (R), root means square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), Nash-Sutcliffe (NS), and the a20-index have been used to assess the performance of the developed ANN model. The R and RMSE values of training, validation, and testing samples are 0.9928, 0.9864, and 0.9545, and 1.6471 MPa, 2.7149 MPa, and 4.4334 MPa, respectively. The results obtained from this study have been found to be promising and enrich the available literature. This work will nudge civil engineering and material science researchers toward opting for sustainable computing techniques. However, the study’s limitations include the need for additional research into the material’s long-term behaviour as well as the consideration of other characteristics that may affect its strength, such as environmental conditions like temperature and humidity.
High‐Dimensional Feature Selection Based on Improved Binary Ant Colony Optimization Combined with Hybrid Rice Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Ye A. Zhiwei , Li B. Ruihan , Zhou C. Wen , Wang D. Mingwei , Mei E. Mengqing , Shu F. Zhe , Shen G. Jun
Published: July 2023

In the realm of high‐dimensional data analysis, numerous fields stand to benefit from its applications, including the biological and medical sectors that are crucial for computer‐aided disease diagnosis and prediction systems. However, the presence of a significant number of redundant or irrelevant features can adversely affect system accuracy and real‐time diagnosis efficiency. To mitigate this issue, this paper proposes two innovative wrapper feature selection (FS) methods that integrate the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm and hybrid rice optimization (HRO). HRO is a recently developed metaheuristic that mimics the breeding process of the three‐line hybrid rice, which is yet to be thoroughly explored in the context of solving high‐dimensional FS problems. In the first hybridization, ACO is embedded as an evolutionary operator within HRO and updated alternately with it. In the second form of hybridization, two subpopulations evolve independently, sharing the local search results to assist individual updating. In the initial stage preceding hybridization, a problem‐oriented heuristic factor assignment strategy based on the importance of the knee point feature is introduced to enhance the global search capability of ACO in identifying the smallest and most representative features. The performance of the proposed algorithms is evaluated on fourteen high‐dimensional biomedical datasets and compared with other recently advanced FS methods. Experimental results suggest that the proposed methods are efficient and computationally robust, exhibiting superior performance compared to the other algorithms involved in this study.
Coprecipitation Methodology Synthesis of Cobalt-Oxide Nanomaterials Influenced by pH Conditions: Opportunities in Optoelectronic Applications
Authors: Ratchagar V. , Muralidharan M. , Silambarasan M. , Jagannathan K. , Kamaraj P. , Subbiah Suresh Kumar , Vivekanand P. A. , Periyasami Govindasami , Rahaman Mostafizur , Karthikeyan Perumal , Gonfa Girma
Published: July 2023

The cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanomaterials were prepared by coprecipitation synthesis technique by maintaining the pH of the mother solution at 7, 8, and 9. The prepared nanomaterials were subjected to structural and optical characterizations, and the results were examined. The optical absorption spectral studies reveal that the two absorption bands indicate ligand–metal coordination. The photoluminescence spectra contain emission peak at 488 and 745 nm due to size and shape of the synthesized materials. The magnetic nature of the samples was identified from the hysteresis loop traced by vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum of Co3O4 nanomaterials reveals two sharp bands absorbed in 584 and 666 cm-1. This ascribes to the Co-O and O-Co-O stretching, respectively. As the pH of the solution varied from 7 to 10, the SEM image authenticates the transformation of Co3O4 nanomaterials morphology from spherical to cubic to agglomerated shape. From the UV-Vis spectra, two absorption bands around 473 nm and 762 nm are observed for the materials prepared at pH 7 and 8. But at pH 9, these two peaks were shifted towards higher wavelengths 515 nm and 777 nm. The observed ferromagnetic nature of Co3O4 nanomaterials clearly show the role of surface spins and surface morphology on the magnetic properties of Co3O4 nanomaterials. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves show the rectangular type of voltammogram. This is an indication of good charge propagation with the electrodes. The Nyquist plots of Co3O4 nanomaterials have a semicircle in the high frequency region and a vertical line in the low frequency region. The results suggest that Co3O4 is found to be a promising material for the fabrication of light-emitting diodes, solar cells, and optoelectronic devices.