bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research Note: Testing the Simple View of Reading in Adolescents and Adults With Down Syndrome
Authors: Loveall Susan J. , Conners Frances A. , Hubbard Katherine J.
Published: April 2023

Purpose:

The Simple View of Reading is a well-supported framework in typical development that proposes that reading comprehension is predicted by word identification and language comprehension abilities. Although there has been some research examining relations between reading comprehension, word identification, and language comprehension, there has been little research directly testing the Simple View in individuals with Down syndrome, a population that often has difficulties with reading comprehension. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to test the Simple View model in English-speaking readers with Down syndrome and examine the contributions of word identification and language comprehension abilities to their reading comprehension success.

Method:

Twenty-one adolescent and adult readers with Down syndrome (16–36 years of age) completed standardized reading, language, and IQ assessments.

Results:

Multiple regression assessed the contribution of word identification/phonological decoding and language comprehension skills to reading comprehension outcomes. The full model explained 59% of the variance in reading comprehension. However, language comprehension emerged as the only significant unique predictor, explaining 29% of that variance. Together then, word identification and language comprehension explained approximately 30% of the variance in reading comprehension.

Conclusions:

The pattern of results suggests that language comprehension is particularly important to reading comprehension success for individuals with Down syndrome, at least those who can already identify printed words. To support reading comprehension development for individuals with Down syndrome, practitioners, educators, and parents should support language comprehension processes.
Distributed adaptive event‐triggered fault‐tolerant cooperative control of multiple UAVs and UGVs under DoS attacks
Authors: Liu Shangkun , Jiang Bin , Mao Zehui , Zhang Youmin
Published: April 2023

Here, the issue of distributed adaptive event‐triggered fault‐tolerant cooperative control (FTCC) is studied for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in the presence of actuator faults under denial‐of‐service attacks. To save the limited communication network resources, the distributed adaptive event‐triggered FTCC scheme is investigated for the multiple UAVs and UGVs which does not require continuous information relating to its neighbours. It is proven that the tracking errors are uniformly ultimately bounded by utilizing the Lyapunov function approach. Furthermore, the Zeno behaviour is excluded with the proposed scheme. Finally, simulation studies are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed scheme.
Patch‐based nonlocal estimation of scattering mechanism vector in PolInSAR
Authors: Xing Cheng , Wang Hongmiao , Lu Danwei , Yin Junjun , Yang Jian
Published: April 2023

Nowadays, polarimetric interferometric synthetic aperture radar (PolInSAR) has attracted increasing attention for the simultaneous acquisition of scattering and terrain information. The scattering mechanism vectors corresponding to the optimal coherences have shown great effect in land cover classification and forest mapping. To extract scattering mechanism vectors, different optimization algorithms are proposed but always accompanied with spatial discontinuities. This letter proposes a method to optimize scattering mechanism vectors based on nonlocal estimations. A pixel‐by‐pixel optimization model is established by calculating patch‐based nonlocal similarity, which effectively reduces the uncertainty of scattering mechanism vector estimation while maintaining high resolution. The phase recovery experiment is conducted on simulated data and the root mean square errors (RMSEs) of three algorithms are compared. The proposed method performs better with a RMSE of 0.22 in the whole image, against 0.25 and 1.27 for other algorithms. The recovery results in the target region (RMSE 0.11 against 0.21 and 0.99) and linear edge region (RMSE 0.26 against 0.49 and 1.52) also indicate strong ability in detail preservation. Then the observed ESAR data is utilized for further assessment. It demonstrates that the proposed method has a significant improvement to reduce singularities and distinguish artificial buildings.
Artificial neural network assisted robust droop control of autonomous microgrid
Authors: Kanwal Sidra , Rauf Muhammad Qasim , Khan Bilal , Mokryani Geev
Published: April 2023

Electric grid is vulnerable to power imbalance and inertia is the grid's response to overcome such disturbance. Augmentation of power electronic converter based renewable energy technologies like Photovoltaic Generators (PVG) and batteries in utility grid significantly reduces inertia. Inertia degradation is indicated by sharp Rate of Change of Frequency (ROCOF) events due to any grid component failure or imbalance. Fixed gain feedback Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) control is insufficient to deal with varying ROCOF events. This work proposes Sliding Mode (SM) robust droop control scheme assisted by Artificial Neural Network (ANN) algorithm for an islanded PVG integrated microgrid. Droop response is governed by swing equation that uses PVG Maximum Power Point (MPP) forecasted by ANN. ANN forecast is compared with optimized Gaussian process regression algorithm based on mean squared error and speed of training as key performance indicator. The algorithms are trained and validated based on climate dataset of Islamabad, Pakistan. SM control performance is compared with various PID gain settings and qualified as the most suitable against variable source, load and ROCOF scenarios. Finally, significance of accurate MPP forecast for droop control is established by comparing the ANN and deterministic forecaster assisted droop response in a microgrid case study.
Electrical load graphs and indicators
Authors: Rasulov A.N. , Ruzinazarov M.R.
Published: April 2023

The article provides methods for analyzing power consumption modes, discusses the main directions for improving the efficiency of economic incentives for the rational use of electricity with a tense energy balance during hours of maximum load of the power system and insufficient filling of the electrical load schedule at night, while improving the methods of economic regulation of accounting for electricity consumption, regulating electrical load schedules.
Saving electrical energy by using induction motors with pole changing windings in the water supply system
Authors: Bobojanov Makhsud , Torayev Sardor
Published: April 2023

This article provides information on the level of provision of clean drinking water to the population of Republic of Uzbekistan and the work carried out in the field, as well as the deficiencies that arise in the water supply enterprise and measures to eliminate them. The operation modes of the enterprise’s pump units, the analysis of the main parameters and the possibility of saving electricity and water consumption due to the application of two-speed asynchronous motors with pole change winding for such equipment are presented.
A study of a hybrid type stand-alone 3 kW photovoltaic system of Karakalpak state university
Authors: Reymov K.M. , Esemuratova Sh.M. , Khusanov B.M. , Mytnikov A.V.
Published: April 2023

This article examines the analysis of a 3 kW solar photovoltaic plant installed at the Karakalpak State University. It studied the location of the station and the analysis of sunny days on it. The efficiency of the generating capacity of this photovoltaic plant was also determined during the day, month and all year in comparison with its location.
Critical evaluation of energy use in industrial enterprises
Authors: Bobojonov Y.M. , Saidkhodjaev A.G.
Published: April 2023

The paper analyzes the use of energy resources in industrial enterprises. Based on the results of the work carried out, the main points of the irrational use of energy resources are given. An analysis of the state of accounting and control over the consumption of energy resources and an overview of the current situation with energy saving at industrial enterprises is given.
Prospect for the use of the solar updraft tower project for the generation of electrical energy in the republic of Uzbekistan
Authors: Nuraliyev Almuhan , Adilov Yalkin , Esenbekov Azamat
Published: April 2023

Fulfilling the decision of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (COP-21 of the UNFCCC) dated December 12, 2015, the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan has developed and adopted an energy development plan of the Republic for 2020-2030. The plan provides for the construction of 3 GW of wind and 5 GW of solar power plants annually. RES will generate electrical energy in parallel with the generation of energy by thermal stations and transfer it to the general energy system. The main disadvantage of the joint operation of RES and thermal power plants is the need to have standby generating capacity due to the fact that the sources of solar and wind energy are fickle by nature. System costs rise with the increasing share of renewable energy sources. The Solar Updraft Tower project is a renewable energy option that does not have the main disadvantage of other types of renewable energy sources - the variability of electricity production and therefore is more acceptable for operating conditions in a single energy system. The article discusses and evaluates the Solar Updraft Tower (SUT) project for the generation of electrical energy, taking into account the conditions of Uzbekistan.
Impact of the contacting scheme on I-V measurements of metallization-free silicon heterojunction solar cells
Authors: Brinkmann Malte , Haase Felix , Bothe Karsten , Bittkau Karsten , Lambertz Andreas , Duan Weiyuan , Ding Kaining , Sperlich Hans-Peter , Waltinger Andreas , Schulte-Huxel Henning
Published: April 2023

I‑V measurements are sensitive to the number and positioning of current and voltage sensing contacts. For busbarless solar cells, measurement setups have been developed using current collection wires and separate voltage sense contacts. Placing the latter at a defined position enables a grid resistance neglecting measurement and thus I‑V characteristics independent from the contacting system. This technique has been developed for solar cells having a finger grid and good conductivity in the direction of the fingers. The optimal position of the sense contact in case of finger-free silicon heterojunction solar cells has not yet been studied. Here, the lateral charge carrier transport occurs in a transparent conductive oxide layer resulting in a higher lateral resistance. We perform finite difference method simulations of HJT solar cells without front metallization to investigate the impact of high lateral resistances on the I-V measurement of solar cells. We show the high sensitivity on the number of used wires for contacting as well as the position of the sense contact for the voltage measurement. Using the simulations, we are able to explain the high difference of up to 7.5% in fill factor measurements of metal free solar cells with varying TCO sheet resistances between two measurement systems using different contacting setups. We propose a method to compensate for the contacting system to achieve a grid-resistance neglecting measurement with both systems allowing a reduction of the FF difference to below 1.5%.
Neue Therapieansätze für Speicheldrüsenmalignome
Authors: Nachtsheim Lisa , Prinz Johanna , Arolt Christoph , Quaas Alexander , Meyer Moritz , Klußmann Jens Peter , Wolber Philipp
Published: April 2023

In den vergangenen Jahren haben sich durch die Verbesserung und Verbreitung molekularpathologischer Testverfahren und die Möglichkeit von zielgerichteten Therapien neue Optionen in der Behandlung von Speicheldrüsenmalignomen ergeben. Durch die neuen zielgerichteten Therapieoptionen werden Patienten deutlich weniger toxische Alternativen zur konventionellen zytostatischen Chemotherapie geboten. Zum einen gibt es neue entitätsspezifische Therapien, wie z.B. die Therapie mit NTRK-Inhibitoren bei sekretorischen Karzinomen und die Therapie mit Axitinib bei adenoidzystischen Karzinomen. Darüber hinaus rücken aber auch entitätsübergreifende Therapeutika, wie z.B. die antiandrogene Therapie, die HER2-Inhibition oder auch die PI3K-Inhibition, in den Vordergrund. Bei metastasierten/rezidivierten Speicheldrüsenkarzinomen, welche nicht mit einer zielgerichteten Therapie behandelt werden können, werden weiterhin hauptsächlich platinbasierte Chemotherapien eingesetzt.
Regioselective Functionalization of Arenes Using Iron Triflimide Catalysis
Authors: Sutherland Andrew , Dodds Amy C. , Waddell Lachlan J. N.
Published: April 2023

Here we present our development of the super Lewis acid, iron(III) triflimide as an activating agent of N-halo- and N-thioaryl succinimides for the regioselective functionalization of arenes. We also describe how the iron(III)-catalyzed halogenation reactions were further exploited by combination with copper(I)-catalyzed Ullmann-type coupling reactions for the development of one-pot, multistep processes, including intermolecular aryl C–H amination. This Account also illustrates intramolecular versions of these one-pot processes for the preparation of benzannulated heterocycles, as well as the application of these methods for the synthesis of biologically active compounds and natural products.

1 Introduction

2 Iron(III)-Catalyzed Halogenation of Arenes

3 One-Pot Intermolecular Aryl C–H Amination

4 One-Pot Intramolecular C–N, C–O, and C–S Bond-Forming Processes

5 Iron(III)-Catalyzed Thioarylation of Arenes

6 Synthesis of Phenoxathiins and Phenothiazines Using Lewis Acid and Lewis Base Catalysis

7 Conclusions
Secondary Bony Defects after Soft Tissue Reconstruction in Limb-Threatening Lower Extremity Injuries: Does the Approach to Flap Elevation Matter?
Authors: Burke Cynthia E. , Mundy Lily R. , Gupta Jayesh , Wong Alison L. , Enobun Blessing , O'Hara Nathan N. , Bangura Abdulai , O'Connor Katherine C. , Jauregui Julio J. , Miller Nathan F. , O'Toole Robert V. , Pensy Raymond A.
Published: April 2023

Background Limb-threatening lower extremity injuries often require secondary bone grafting after soft tissue reconstruction. We hypothesized that there would be fewer wound complications when performing secondary bone grafting via a remote surgical approach rather than direct flap elevation.

Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed at a single Level 1 trauma center comparing complications after secondary bone grafting in patients who had undergone previous soft tissue reconstruction after open tibia fractures between 2006 and 2020. Comparing bone grafting via a remote surgical incision versus direct flap elevation, we evaluated wound dehiscence requiring return to the operating room as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were deep infection and delayed amputation.

Results We identified 129 patients (mean age: 40 years, 82% male) with 159 secondary bone grafting procedures. Secondary bone grafting was performed via a remote surgical approach in 54% (n = 86) and direct flap elevation in 46% (n = 73) of cases. Wound dehiscence requiring return to the operating room occurred in one patient in the flap elevation group (1%) and none of the patients in the remote surgical approach. The odds of deep wound infection (OR, 1.77; p = 0.31) or amputation (OR, 1.43; p = 0.73) did not significantly differ between surgical approaches. No significant differences were found in complications between the reconstructive surgeon elevating and re-insetting the flap and the orthopaedic trauma surgeon performing the flap elevation and re-inset.

Conclusion Direct flap elevation for secondary bone grafting after soft tissue reconstruction for open tibia fractures did not result in more complications than bone grafting via a remote surgical approach. These findings should reassure surgeons to allow other clinical factors to influence the surgical approach for bone grafting.
Ab 2024 Verbindlich: Anforderungen der PPR 2.0 regelbasiert ermitteln
Authors: Hölbling Catrin
Published: April 2023

Zum 1. Januar 2023 ist das Gesetz zur Einführung der PPR 2.0 in Kraft getreten. Die neu angepasste Pflegepersonalregelung wurde im Rahmen eines Pretests durch den Deutschen Pflegerat (DPR) in etwa 44 Kliniken deutschlandweit erprobt. Nach wissenschaftlicher Prüfung durch ein unabhängiges Institut sollen 2024 alle anderen Krankenhäuser in Deutschland nachziehen.
Strukturiert befunden, sicher entscheiden: Starke Partnerschaft für verbesserte klinische Versorgungsprozesse
Authors: Dehmelt Jan
Published: April 2023

Zeitmangel, fehlende Routine oder uneinheitliche Standards im Befundungsprozess: Gerade junge Mediziner*innen stehen im Klinikalltag oft vor vielfältigen Herausforderungen. Digitale Tools kombiniert mit relevanten, qualitätsgesicherten Fachinformationen unterstützen bei der strukturierten Befundung, sichern Therapieentscheidungen ab und tragen so zu einer verbesserten Patient*innenversorgung direkt am Point of Care bei.
Factors associated with general practitioner visits for pain in people experiencing chronic pain
Authors: Shebeshi Dinberu , Allingham Samuel , White Janelle , Tardif Hilarie , Holloway David
Published: April 2023

Introduction Patients with chronic pain (CP) are frequent users of general practitioners (GPs). Aim This study aimed to assess factors associated with the rate of GP visits related to pain in patients with CP. Methods This study used data collected by adult specialist pain management services (SPMS) that participated in the electronic Persistent Pain Outcomes Collaboration (ePPOC) in Australia. Adult patients (18 years or older) with CP (duration greater than 3 months) who were referred to SPMS from the calendar year 2015–2021 were included (N = 84 829). Results Patients who reported severe anxiety, stress, pain, pain interference, pain catastrophising and severely impaired pain self-efficacy were more likely to seek help from a GP. Patients with longer pain duration had a lower rate of GP visits. The rate of GP visits was 1.22 (IRR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.26) times higher in patients with severe pain severity, compared to patients with mild pain severity. Patients who used opioids were more likely to visit a GP (IRR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.30, 1.34) than those who were not using opioids. Discussions More than half of the adult CP patients had greater than three GP visits in the 3 months before referral. This study would indicate that some patients may attend their GP to seek an opioid prescription. Given the rising use of opioids nationally, future study is required on opioid users’ GP visitation practices. Additionally, the inverse association between pain duration and the rate of GP visits warrants further exploration.
Timeliness of diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous melanoma with dermatology, general practice, plastics surgery collaboration – are we meeting standards?
Authors: Na Haein , Oakley Amanda
Published: April 2023

Introduction Melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer with a high burden in New Zealand. MelNet Quality Statements (2021) guide the timeliness of investigations and management for melanoma patients, who might experience long delays waiting for treatment. Aim To assess compliance of melanoma diagnosis and treatment timeliness with the MelNet Quality Statements at Waikato Hospital and in primary care for melanoma and melanoma in situ (MIS). Methods This is a retrospective clinical audit of patients referred via the Suspected Skin Cancer (SSC) teledermatology pathway between June 2020 and June 2022, and histologically confirmed as having melanoma or MIS. Time intervals between elements of service were analysed. Results For 43 melanomas and 105 MIS, compliance with MelNet Quality Statements across all melanoma services was poor, except for teledermatology response rates (100% compliance). From referral to first cancer treatment (Statement 2.1.1), compliance was 50% in general practice and 7.7% in Waikato Hospital. From teledermatologist response to biopsy (Statement 2.1.3), compliance was 65.2% in general practice and 7.7% in hospital plastics department. Histopathological reporting delays were also identified. Discussion Long delays for melanoma care in hospital likely reflect system failures (such as inadequate funding and human resources) and the increasing burden of skin cancer. In contrast, primary care provided quicker diagnostic biopsies and surgical treatments for melanoma.
Shoot flammability patterns among plant species of the wildland–urban interface in the fire-prone Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area
Authors: Murray Brad R. , Hawthorne Thomas , Curran Timothy J. , Krix Daniel W. , Wallace Molly I. , Young Kieran , Murray Megan L. , Morley Elisabeth , Huber-Smith Nicola , Webb Jonathan K.
Published: April 2023

Background Mitigation of wildfires at the wildland–urban interface (WUI) will be enhanced by understanding the flammability of plants growing in this zone. Aims We aimed to: (1) compare shoot flammability among wildland native, and both urban native and urban exotic ornamental plants; (2) quantify relationships between shoot traits and flammability; and (3) establish flammability scores to distinguish low- from high-flammability species. Methods Flammability and traits of field-collected shoots were measured and relationships quantified in 44 species from the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Australia. Key results In our study area, urban exotic plants were less flammable than wildland and urban native plants. Slow-igniting shoots had high fuel moisture and bulk density; short-burning shoots had low bulk density and volume; shoots recording low maximum temperatures had high fuel moisture, low bulk density and volume; and shoots with low biomass consumed in flames had high fuel moisture and low volume. Our novel flammability scores distinguished low-flammability (e.g. Lophostemon confertus) from high-flammability native species (e.g. Callistemon citrinus). Conclusions and implications Low-flammability plantings at the WUI should preferably use native species given potential ecological impacts of exotics. We suggest that future work should seek to identify broader suites of low-flammability native species.
Weighted Radon transforms of vector fields, with applications to magnetoacoustoelectric tomography
Authors: Kunyansky L , McDugald E , Shearer B
Published: April 2023

Currently, theory of ray transforms of vector and tensor fields is well developed, but the Radon transforms of such fields have not been fully analyzed. We thus consider linearly weighted and unweighted longitudinal and transversal Radon transforms of vector fields. As usual, we use the standard Helmholtz decomposition of smooth and fast decreasing vector fields over the whole space. We show that such a decomposition produces potential and solenoidal components decreasing at infinity fast enough to guarantee the existence of the unweighted longitudinal and transversal Radon transforms of these components. It is known that reconstruction of an arbitrary vector field from only longitudinal or only transversal transforms is impossible. However, for the cases when both linearly weighted and unweighted transforms of either one of the types are known, we derive explicit inversion formulas for the full reconstruction of the field. Our interest in the inversion of such transforms stems from a certain inverse problem arising in magnetoacoustoelectric tomography (MAET). The connection between the weighted Radon transforms and MAET is exhibited in the paper. Finally, we demonstrate performance and noise sensitivity of the new inversion formulas in numerical simulations.
Enhanced breakdown voltage and dynamic performance of GaN HEMTs with AlN/GaN superlattice buffer
Authors: Chen Xin , Zhong Yaozong , Yan Shumeng , Guo Xiaolu , Gao Hongwei , Sun Xiujian , Wang Haodong , Li Fangqing , Zhou Yu , Feng Meixin , Yilmaz Ercan , Sun Qian , Yang Hui
Published: April 2023

The characteristics of an AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor buffer structure are studied and optimized by employing an AlN/GaN superlattice (SL) structure. Through vertical leakage analysis and back-gate measurement, combined with Silvaco-TCAD simulation, the influence of buffer trapson the carrier transport behaviors and electrical performance for SL buffer structures under a high electric field is analyzed. The AlN/GaN SL buffer structures are further optimized with various AlN/GaN thickness ratios and their total thickness through both simulation and experimental studies. As a result, a high breakdown voltage of up to 1.3 kV with a maximum breakdown electric field of 2.8 MV cm−1 has been achieved. Moreover, the buffer trapping effect is dramatically suppressed, leading to a minimum drop of channel current for the optimized sample, in which donor traps are found to play a positive role in the device dynamic characteristics.
Evidence of charge susceptibility and multiple f–c hybridization configurations with the La doping in CeGe: a DFT + DMFT study
Authors: Singh Karan , Sihi Antik , Pandey Sudhir K , Mukherjee K
Published: April 2023

Kondo coupling has been extensively investigated in several Ce-based systems. However, the search for materials showing the interplay between the Kondo effect, spin–orbit interaction, and crystal-field effect along with the presence of local charge susceptibility; remains a challenge for the condensed matter community. Actually, in Ce-based systems, the strong coupling of the conduction electrons to the local magnetic moments usually hides these properties. Here, we present a detailed investigation of Ce0.6La0.4Ge through a combined density functional theory and dynamic mean-field theory study. Our investigations give evidence of the significant charge susceptibility and the multiple different f–c hybridization configurations. The weakening of the magnetization owing to the dilution of the Ce-site is the main cause for the appearance of such properties, which is believed to occur due to the presence of the relevant local moment and f–c hybridization over the competition with the on-site Coulomb interaction.
Predictive simulations of NBI ion power load to the ICRH antenna in Wendelstein 7-X
Authors: Kontula J , Äkäslompolo S , Ikäheimo A , Lazerson S , Kurki-Suonio T , Hartmann D , Rust N , McNeely P , Kazakov Ye O , Ongena J
Published: April 2023

In Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), a new ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) antenna will be commissioned during the operational campaign OP2.1. The antenna will have to sustain power loads not only from thermal plasma and radiation but also fast ions. Predictive simulations of fast-ion power loads to the antenna components are therefore important to establish safe operational limits. In this work, the fast-ion power loads from the W7-X neutral beam injection (NBI) system to the ICRH antenna was simulated using the ASCOT suite of codes. Five reference magnetic configurations and five antenna positions were considered to provide an overview of power load behavior under various operating conditions. The NBI power load was found to have an exponential dependence on the antenna insertion depth. Differences between magnetic configurations were significant, with the antenna limiter power load varying between 380 W and 100 kW depending on the configuration. Qualitative differences in power load patterns between configurations were also observed, with the low mirror and low iota configurations exhibiting higher loads to the sensitive antenna straps. The local fast-ion power flux to the antenna limiter was also considered and found to exceed the 2.0 MW m−2 steady-state safety limit only in specific cases. The NBI system might thus pose a safety concern to the ICRH antenna during concurrent NBI-ICRH operation, but additional heat propagation simulations of antenna components are needed to establish more realistic operational time limits.
Bipedal driven inertial type piezoelectric motor working under quasi-static and resonant states
Authors: Pan Qiaosheng , Zhao Mingfei , Zhang Yifang , Li Chen , Zhu Chunli , Liu ShanLin
Published: April 2023

An inertia piezoelectric motor based on bipedal driven, which can work in not only quasi-static but also resonant states, is proposed, designed, fabricated and studied considering the high resolution of quasi-static piezoelectric motor and the high speed of resonant piezoelectric motor. The two stators of the piezoelectric motor are drived by two sinusoidal electrical signals with 1:2 frequency ratio to generate sinusoidal vibration on the corresponding driving foot. A continuous step motion without frequency limitation is realised under the action of inertia and friction forces after synthesising the sinusoidal vibration of different frequencies into mechanical sawtooth vibration. The natural resonant frequencies of the piezoelectric motor are adjusted to a specific proportion to combine the vibrations in the resonant state through finite element analysis. In the structure of two stators, each stator has a corresponding inertia block, and the corresponding resonant frequency can be altered by adjusting the mass of the inertial block without affecting the other resonant frequency, thus markedly simplifying the design difficulty of the piezoelectric motor which can work in quasi-static and resonant states. The motion characteristics of the prototype are tested by building the prototype and experimental platform. Experimental results show that the maximum speed of the prototype is 29.3 mm s−1 and the maximum load is 2 N in the resonant state, the minimum displacement resolution of prototype motor is 0.26 μm in the quasi-static state. The motion characteristics of the prototype are consistent with the theoretical analysis, which provides an effective idea to improve the comprehensive performance of the piezoelectric motor.
Spatial charge storage on the nitrogen-doped graphene for ultrafast supercapacitors with high EDLC capacity
Authors: Qiu Zhipeng , Wei Tong
Published: April 2023

The limited specific surface area of carbon substance restricts the raise of the electrochemistry double layer capacitance (EDLC). If the charge storage location could be extended from surface to space, the EDLC of carbon materials can be greatly improved. Here, an original spatial charge storage mechanism according to the counterion effect from Fe (CN)6
3− ions bridged by nitrogenous groups is proposed, which can provide additionally spatial charge storage for EDLCs. More importantly, the graphene designed based on this structure can achieve a high storage capacity of 334 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 (the rate retention is 64% at 50 A g−1) in 6 M KOH electrolyte, much higher than the sample without space charge storage effect (from 270 to 160 F g−1). This novel strategy for the design of graphene with multiple spatial active sites can be extended to other carbon materials, which can propose a new idea for the development of carbon materials in the field of energy storage.
Effect of surface texture on the tribological behavior of sliding electrical contact interface
Authors: Wang Dongwei , Chen Xiao , Li Faqiang , Wan Bo , Liu Bin , Zhao Yang , Qing Xianguo
Published: April 2023

Two kinds of textured surfaces, i.e. square pit-textured surface (SPTS) and round pit-textured surface (RPTS), are manufactured on the flat specimen surface, respectively. A series of current-carrying tests are carried out to detect the ability of surface texture in affecting the tribological behaviors. Results show that the friction coefficient and friction force of RPTS is the lowest among all the surfaces. Moreover, the RPTS shows the best potential in suppressing the generation of friction-induced vibration (FIV). Although the contact resistance of RPTS is slightly larger than that of other surfaces, the continuity of electrical contact is acceptable. Worn surface analysis is performed to illustrate the different tribological performances of these surfaces. Finite element analysis is also performed to provide reasonable explanation for the test phenomenon.
Effects of surface topography through laser texturing on the surface characteristics of zirconia-based dental materials: surface hydrophobicity, antibacterial behavior, and cellular response
Authors: Ghalandarzadeh Arash , Ganjali Monireh , Hosseini Milad
Published: April 2023

The continuous need for high-performance implants that provide significant biological properties has led to extensive research into the topographic patterns of bioceramics in recent years. Their excellent aesthetics, biocompatibility, low plaque affinity, and ability to reproduce a natural-looking appearance have contributed to their success in dentistry. 3 mol% Yttria-stabilized zirconia (3YSZ) is gaining popularity as a material for dental implants due to its excellent mechanical properties and minimal degradation when exposed to body temperature. However, such materials show limited biological and antibacterial performance for dental applications. The purpose of this work was to develop microtopographies on the surface of 3YSZ ceramic by laser ablation technique, in order to improve its biological response and antibacterial behaviors. Two types of microtextures, including micro-grooves and micro-channels geometries were fabricated onto the zirconia ceramics using the laser ablation technique. The effects of different microtextures on the wettability, biological and antibacterial behaviors of 3YSZ ceramics were studied. The results indicate that all of the microstructure patterns are capable of improving the performance of 3YSZ. Wettability is a decisive factor that determines the antibacterial performance of textured zirconia ceramics. The microtextured surfaces all display hydrophobic behavior, thus yielding an effective improvement of antibacterial performance for 3YSZ ceramics. Cell-surface interactions were assessed for 7 days on both zirconia textured surfaces and a nontextured control with pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. The obtained results showed the positive influence of textured zirconia surfaces on cell biological response.
Development of structural colored TiO2 thin films by varied etching solutions
Authors: Yilmaz Ozan , Dalmis Ramazan , Dikici Tuncay , Ebeoglugil M Faruk
Published: April 2023

Currently, one of the most important problems is water scarcity due to increasing population and environmental factors. Humankind can overcome this problem by recycling polluted water. The structural colors obtained from photonic crystal structures draw attention with fadeless bright color, combined with low toxicity and eco-friendliness. In this study, different etching/anodizing processes were applied to obtain Fabry-Perot and Photonic Crystal Ti-TiO2 structures. Structural colors owing to the morphology of the anatase phase on the surface of the samples etched with hydrochloric, sulfuric, and hydrofluoric acid-based solutions were obtained. The structural color of the formation on the titanium surfaces is related to the Fabry-Perot structures, while variations were correlated with Photonic Crystal surface morphologies. Because the high reflectance values contributed to the structural color formation, the photocatalytic efficiency of the samples etched with acid-based solutions was found to be lower than the samples etched with basic sodium and potassium hydroxide solutions. High-efficiency structural color reactors can be obtained by shifting the reflected wavelength range from the absorption wavelength range of the pollution material.
Comparative study of the biocompatibility and corrosion behaviour of pure Mg,Mg Ni/Ti, and Mg 0.4Ce/ZnO2 nanocomposites for orthopaedic implant applications
Authors: P Meenachi , R Subashini , A K Lakshminarayanan , Gupta Manoj
Published: April 2023

Magnesium implants that are biocompatible and biodegradable are important for orthopaedic applications. Mg-based alloys and their corrosion behavior have been studied in vitro and in a few in vivo studies. However, depending on the composition and microstructure, Mg-based alloys display varied biocompatibility, degradability, biocompatibility, and bioactivity. As a result, there is a critical need to create safe and cost-effective magnesium alloys for orthopaedic applications. The current investigation examined cytotoxicity, hemocompatibility, in vitro corrosion, and biomineralization of pure Mg, Mg Ni/Ti, and Mg 0.4Ce/ZnO2 nanocomposites to establish its suitability as a biodegradable material. The biodegradation behaviour of pure Mg and its nanocomposites were investigated using a phosphate buffer solution. The Cytotoxicity of pure Mg and its nanocomposites were assessed using MG 63 cells in MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)−2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays after 24 h. Biomineralization by MG 63 cells on pure Mg and its nanocomposites were analyzed using Alizarin red staining. The in vitro corrosion findings indicate more localized corrosion with rapid degradation on the surface of pure Mg and its nanocomposites. Pure Mg and its nanocomposites exhibited high hemolysis. The results of cytotoxicity showed high cell viability in pure Mg compared to its nanocomposites. According to the Alizarin red staining results, calcium was found to be deposited on the surface of Mg nanocomposites, and no calcium deposits on the pure Mg surface. The results of in vitro studies revealed that pure Mg and its nanocomposites responded differently in different tests. From these results, comparing Mg nanocomposites could be a more effective strategy to address the current challenges in orthopaedic implant applications.
Synthesis and characterization of non-invasively traceable poly(ether urethane)s for biomedical applications
Authors: Karthika V K , Gorakh G , Sonali S N , Joseph R , Kiran S
Published: April 2023

The ease of real-time visibility of biomedical implants and minimally invasive medical devices is indispensable in radiological imaging to avoid complications and assess therapeutic success. Herein, we prepared a series of polyurethane elastomers with inherent radiopacity, enabling them to be imaged under fluoroscopy. Through an appropriate selection of less toxic intermediates such as 1,6-Diisocyanatohexane (HDI), poly (tetramethylene glycol) (PTMG), and a chain extender, iodinated hydroquinone bis(2-hydroxyethyl) ether (IBHE), new radiopaque polyether urethanes (RPUs) containing about 10.8 to 20.6% iodine contents were synthesized. RPUs were characterized for the physicochemical, thermomechanical and radiopacifying properties. It was observed that the concentration of IBHE had a profound impact on the radiopacity of polyurethanes. RPUs exhibited similar or better radiopacity than an aluminum wedge of equivalent thickness. In-vivo imaging revealed that the RPUs were easily distinguishable from the surrounding tissues. Irrespective of iodine content, all the RPUs were cytocompatible, indicating the suitability of these materials for medical and allied applications.
Construction and analysis of a HDG solution for the total-flux formulation of the convected Helmholtz equation
Authors: Barucq Hélène , Rouxelin Nathan , Tordeux Sébastien
Published: April 2023

We introduce a hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method for the convected Helmholtz equation based on the total flux formulation, in which the vector unknown represents both diffusive and convective phenomena. This HDG method is constricted with the same interpolation degree for all the unknowns and a physically informed value for the penalization parameter is computed. A detailed analysis including local and global well-posedness as well as a super-convergence result is carried out. We then provide numerical experiments to illustrate the theoretical results.
Lower bounds for Seshadri constants via successive minima of line bundles
Authors: Ballaÿ François
Published: April 2023

Given a nef and big line bundle

L
L

on a projective variety

X
X

of dimension

d
≥
2

d \geq 2

, we prove that the Seshadri constant of

L
L

at a very general point is larger than

(
d
+
1

)

1
d

−
1

(d+1)^{\frac {1}{d}-1}

. This slightly improves the lower bound

1

/

d

1/d

established by Ein, Küchle and Lazarsfeld [J. Differential Geom. 42 (1995), pp. 193–219]. The proof relies on the concept of successive minima for line bundles recently introduced by Ambro and Ito [Adv. Math. 365 (2020), 38 pp.].
Generic Poincaré-Bendixson theorem for singularly perturbed monotone systems with respect to cones of rank-2
Authors: Niu Lin , Xie Xizhuang
Published: April 2023

We investigate the singularly perturbed monotone systems with respect to cones of rank

2
2

and obtain the so called Generic Poincaré-Bendixson theorem for such perturbed systems, that is, for a bounded positively invariant set, there exists an open and dense subset

P

\mathcal {P}

such that for each

z
∈

P

z\in \mathcal {P}

, the

ω
\omega

-limit set

ω
(
z
)

\omega (z)

that contains no equilibrium points is a closed orbit.
A commutator lemma for confined subgroups and applications to groups acting on rooted trees
Authors: Le Boudec Adrien , Matte Bon Nicolás
Published: April 2023

A subgroup

H
H

of a group

G
G

is confined if the

G
G

-orbit of

H
H

under conjugation is bounded away from the trivial subgroup in the space

Sub
⁡
(
G
)

\operatorname {Sub}(G)

of subgroups of

G
G

. We prove a commutator lemma for confined subgroups. For groups of homeomorphisms, this provides the exact analogue for confined subgroups (hence in particular for uniformly recurrent subgroups (URSs)) of the classical commutator lemma for normal subgroups: if

G
G

is a group of homeomorphisms of a Hausdorff space

X
X

and

H
H

is a confined subgroup of

G
G

, then

H
H

contains the derived subgroup of the rigid stabilizer of some open subset of

X
X

.

We apply this commutator lemma in the setting of groups acting on rooted trees. We prove a theorem describing the structure of URSs of weakly branch groups and of their non-topologically free minimal actions. Among the applications of these results, we show: (1) if

G
G

is a finitely generated branch group, the

G
G

-action on

∂
T

\partial T

has the smallest possible growth among all faithful

G
G

-actions; (2) if

G
G

is a finitely generated branch group, then every embedding from

G
G

into a group of homeomorphisms of strongly bounded type (e.g. a bounded automaton group) must be spatially realized; (3) if

G
G

is a finitely generated weakly branch group, then

G
G

does not embed into the group IET of interval exchange transformations.
Endothelial tip/stalk cell selection requires BMP9-induced βIV-spectrin expression during sprouting angiogenesis
Authors: Ahmed Tasmia , Ramonett Aaron , Kwak Eun-A , Kumar Sanjay , Flores Paola Cruz , Ortiz Hannah R. , Langlais Paul R. , Hund Thomas J. , Mythreye Karthikeyan , Lee Nam Y.
Published: April 2023

The first transcriptional pathway regulating βIV-spectrin expression, a key angiogenic regulator of sprouting angiogenesis, is identified.
Acting Like an Owner: Land Claims and Judicial Practices in Twentieth-Century Ghana
Authors: Berry Sara
Published: April 2023

Using court records of legal disputes over transfers of land, this article explores the way transfers of landed property have impacted social relationships and the governance of land rights in Ghana in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. As urbanization, commercial agriculture, and natural resource extraction pushed up the value of land, disputes over land ownership have multiplied. In adjudicating such disputes, courts are often confronted with claims based on unverifiable oral histories invoking events of the distant past. Rather than simply dismiss such forms of evidence as hearsay, judges have often supplemented them with documentary and/or oral evidence on recent histories of land use. By doing so, they have tended to sustain customary forms of ownership, effectively recognizing the authority of landholding collectivities such as families and stools alongside that of individual owners. In effect, they are inferring ownership from land use, inverting the standard economic argument.
The effect ofAspergillus luchuensispectin methylesterase genespmeAandpmeBon methanol production in sweet potatoshochu
Authors: Mizutani Osamu , Kakizono Dararat , Takahashi Toru , Mukai Nobuhiko , Fukuda Hisashi , Yamada Osamu
Published: April 2023

To reduce the methanol content in sweet potato shochu, we studied the pectin methylesterase genes of the shochu–koji mold Aspergillus luchuensis. We found the following three homologs of pectin methyleseterase in the genome of A. luchuensis: pmeA, pmeB, and pmeC. Using pectin as a substrate, the methanol-producing activity of the recombinant of each gene expressed in A. luchuensis was examined and found to be present in recombinant PmeA and PmeB. Additionally, small-scale fermentation of sweet potato shochu using disruptions of pmeA and pmeA-pmeB in A. luchuensis (∆pmeA and ∆pmeApmeB) resulted in significant reduction of the methanol content. Taken together, we revealed that the A. luchuensis pmeA gene was mainly involved in methanol production in sweet potato shochu.
C-terminal TMEM106B fragments in human brain correlate with disease-associated TMEM106B haplotypes
Authors: T. Vicente Cristina , Perneel Jolien , Wynants Sarah , Heeman Bavo , Van den Broeck Marleen , Baker Matt , Cheung Simon , Faura Júlia , Mackenzie Ian R A , Rademakers Rosa
Published: April 2023

Transmembrane protein 106B (TMEM106B) is a tightly regulated glycoprotein predominantly localized to endosomes and lysosomes. Genetic studies have implicated TMEM106B haplotypes in the development of multiple neurodegenerative diseases with the strongest effect in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 pathology (FTLD-TDP), especially in progranulin (GRN) mutation carriers.

Recently, cryo-electron microscopy studies showed that a C-terminal fragment (CTF) of TMEM106B (amino acid residues 120–254) forms amyloid fibrils in the brain of patients with FTLD-TDP, but also in brains with other neurodegenerative conditions and normal ageing brain. The functional implication of these fibrils and their relationship to the disease-associated TMEM106B haplotype remain unknown.

We performed immunoblotting using a newly developed antibody to detect TMEM106B CTFs in the sarkosyl-insoluble fraction of post-mortem human brain tissue from patients with different proteinopathies (n = 64) as well as neuropathologically normal individuals (n = 10) and correlated the results with age and TMEM106B haplotype. We further compared the immunoblot results with immunohistochemical analyses performed in the same study population.

Immunoblot analysis showed the expected ∼30 kDa band in the sarkosyl-insoluble fraction of frontal cortex tissue in at least some individuals with each of the conditions evaluated. Most patients with GRN mutations showed an intense band representing TMEM106B CTF, whereas in most neurologically normal individuals it was absent or much weaker. In the overall cohort, the presence of TMEM106B CTFs correlated strongly with both age (rs = 0.539, P < 0.001) and the presence of the TMEM106B risk haplotype (rs = 0.469, P < 0.001). Although there was a strong overall correlation between the results of immunoblot and immunohistochemistry (rs = 0.662, P < 0.001), 27 cases (37%) were found to have higher amounts of TMEM106B CTFs detected by immunohistochemistry, including most of the older individuals who were neuropathologically normal and individuals who carried two protective TMEM106B haplotypes.

Our findings suggest that the formation of sarkosyl-insoluble TMEM106B CTFs is an age-related feature which is modified by TMEM106B haplotype, potentially underlying its disease-modifying effect. The discrepancies between immunoblot and immunohistochemistry in detecting TMEM106B pathology suggests the existence of multiple species of TMEM106B CTFs with possible biological relevance and disease implications.