bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microglial expression of CD83 governs cellular activation and restrains neuroinflammation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Authors: Sinner Pia , Peckert-Maier Katrin , Mohammadian Hashem , Kuhnt Christine , Draßner Christina , Panagiotakopoulou Vasiliki , Rauber Simon , Linnerbauer Mathias , Haimon Zhana , Royzman Dmytro , Kronenberg-Versteeg Deborah , Ramming Andreas , Steinkasserer Alexander , Wild Andreas B.
Published: August 2023

Microglial activation during neuroinflammation is crucial for coordinating the immune response against neuronal tissue, and the initial response of microglia determines the severity of neuro-inflammatory diseases. The CD83 molecule has been recently shown to modulate the activation status of dendritic cells and macrophages. Although the expression of CD83 is associated with early microglia activation in various disease settings, its functional relevance for microglial biology has been elusive. Here, we describe a thorough assessment of CD83 regulation in microglia and show that CD83 expression in murine microglia is not only associated with cellular activation but also with pro-resolving functions. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing, we reveal that conditional deletion of CD83 results in an over-activated state during neuroinflammation in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model. Subsequently, CD83-deficient microglia recruit more pathogenic immune cells to the central nervous system, deteriorating resolving mechanisms and exacerbating the disease. Thus, CD83 in murine microglia orchestrates cellular activation and, consequently, also the resolution of neuroinflammation.
Self-assembly of CIP4 drives actin-mediated asymmetric pit-closing in clathrin-mediated endocytosis
Authors: Yu Yiming , Yoshimura Shige H.
Published: August 2023

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is pivotal to signal transduction pathways between the extracellular environment and the intracellular space. Evidence from live-cell imaging and super-resolution microscopy of mammalian cells suggests an asymmetric distribution of actin fibres near the clathrin-coated pit, which induces asymmetric pit-closing rather than radial constriction. However, detailed molecular mechanisms of this ‘asymmetricity’ remain elusive. Herein, we used high-speed atomic force microscopy to demonstrate that CIP4, a multi-domain protein with a classic F-BAR domain and intrinsically disordered regions, is necessary for asymmetric pit-closing. Strong self-assembly of CIP4 via intrinsically disordered regions, together with stereospecific interactions with the curved membrane and actin-regulating proteins, generates a small actin-rich environment near the pit, which deforms the membrane and closes the pit. Our results provide mechanistic insights into how disordered and structured domain collaboration promotes spatio-temporal actin polymerisation near the plasma membrane.
Modulating adsorbed hydrogen drives electrochemical CO2-to-C2 products
Authors: Feng Jiaqi , Zhang Libing , Liu Shoujie , Xu Liang , Ma Xiaodong , Tan Xingxing , Wu Limin , Qian Qingli , Wu Tianbin , Zhang Jianling , Sun Xiaofu , Han Buxing
Published: August 2023

Electrocatalytic CO2reduction is a typical reaction involving two reactants (CO2and H2O). However, the role of H2O dissociation, which provides active *H species to multiple protonation steps, is usually overlooked. Herein, we construct a dual-active sites catalyst comprising atomic Cu sites and Cu nanoparticles supported on N-doped carbon matrix. Efficient electrosynthesis of multi-carbon products is achieved with Faradaic efficiency approaching 75.4% with a partial current density of 289.2 mA cm−2at −0.6 V. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that Cu nanoparticles facilitate the C-C coupling step through *CHO dimerization, while the atomic Cu sites boost H2O dissociation to form *H. The generated *H migrate to Cu nanoparticles and modulate the *H coverage on Cu NPs, and thus promote *CO-to-*CHO. The dual-active sites effect of Cu single-sites and Cu nanoparticles gives rise to the catalytic performance.
Facilitators and barriers to detection and treatment of depression, anxiety and experiences of domestic violence in pregnant women
Authors: Abrahams Zulfa , Boisits Sonet , Schneider Marguerite , Honikman Simone , Lund Crick
Published: August 2023

In South Africa, symptoms of common mental disorders (CMDs) such as depression and anxiety are highly prevalent during the perinatal period and linked to experiences of domestic violence. However, limited routine detection and treatment is available to pregnant women with these problems, even though evidence suggests that screening and treating CMDs during pregnancy improves the health and economic outcomes of mothers and their children, and has been suggested as a key approach to improving the health of perinatal women and children. We investigated facilitators and barriers of service-providers and service-users in detecting and treating pregnant women with symptoms of CMDs and experiences of domestic violence. This study was conducted in four midwife obstetric units (MOUs) in Cape Town, South Africa, and in the non-profit organisations providing community-based support in the communities surrounding the MOUs. Service-provider perspectives were informed by qualitative interviews with 37 healthcare workers providing care to pregnant women. Qualitative interviews with 38 pregnant women attending the same MOUs for their first antenatal care visit provided service-user perspectives. Facilitators identified included the availability of a mental health screening questionnaire and the perceived importance of detection and treatment by both service-providers and -users. Barriers contributing to the low detection rates included service-users concerns about the lack of confidentiality and feelings of shame related to experiences of domestic violence as well as service providers discomfort in dealing with mental health issues, their limited time available and heavy patient load. In addition, service-providers highlighted the lack of standardised referral pathways and the poor uptake of referrals by women with symptoms of depression and anxiety, or experiences of domestic violence. While the system-level barriers need to be addressed at a policy level, the patient- and provider-level barriers identified indicate the need to strengthen health systems by training antenatal care nurses to detect symptoms of CMDs and experiences of domestic violence in pregnant women, developing standardised referral pathways and training lay healthcare workers to provide treatment for mild symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Drosophila innate immunity suppresses the survival of xenografted mammalian tumor cells
Authors: Aida Ayaka , Yuswan Kevin , Kawai Yoichi , Hasegawa Keita , Nakajima Yu-ichiro , Kuranaga Erina
Published: July 2023

Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) is an emerging tool established in immunodeficient vertebrate models to assess individualized treatments for cancer patients. Current xenograft models are deficient in adaptive immune systems. However, the precise role of the innate immunity in the xenograft models is unknown. With conserved signaling pathways and established genetic tools, Drosophila has contributed to the understanding of the mechanism of tumor growth as well as tumor–host interactions for decades, making it a promising candidate model for studying whether or not the hosts’ innate immunity can accommodate transplanted human tumor cells. Here we show initial observations that assess the behavior and impact of several human tumor cell lines when transplanted into Drosophila. We found that some injected cell lines persisted for a longer duration and reduced hosts’ lifespan. In particular, the human lung cancer cell line A549 were observed adjacent to the fly host tissues. We examined two factors that affect the survivability of cancer cells: (1) the optimal temperature of each cell line and (2) the innate immunity of Drosophila hosts. Especially, transplanted human tumor cells survived longer in immunodeficient flies, suggesting that the host innate immune system impedes the growth of xenografted cells. Our attempts for xenografting fly models thus provide necessary steps to overcome for establishing PDX cancer models using invertebrates.
Altered functional connectivity and network excitability in a model of cortical dysplasia
Authors: Aquiles A. , Fiordelisio T. , Luna-Munguia H. , Concha L.
Published: July 2023

Focal cortical dysplasias (FCDs) are malformations of cortical development that often result in medically refractory epilepsy, with a greater incidence in the pediatric population. The relationship between the disturbed cortical morphology and epileptogenic activity of FCDs remains unclear. We used the BCNU (carmustine 1-3-bis-chloroethyl-nitrosourea) animal model of cortical dysplasia to evaluate neuronal and laminar alterations and how these result in altered activity of intracortical networks in early life. We corroborated the previously reported morphological anomalies characteristic of the BCNU model, comprising slightly larger and rounder neurons and abnormal cortical lamination. Next, the neuronal activity of live cortical slices was evaluated through large field-of-view calcium imaging as well as the neuronal response to a stimulus that leads to cortical hyperexcitability (pilocarpine). Examination of the joint activity of neuronal calcium time series allowed us to identify intracortical communication patterns and their response to pilocarpine. The baseline power density distribution of neurons in the cortex of BCNU-treated animals was different from that of control animals, with the former showing no modulation after stimulus. Moreover, the intracortical communication pattern differed between the two groups, with cortexes from BCNU-treated animals displaying decreased inter-layer connectivity as compared to control animals. Our results indicate that the altered anatomical organization of the cortex of BCNU-treated rats translates into altered functional networks that respond abnormally to a hyperexcitable stimulus and highlight the role of network dysfunction in the pathophysiology of cortical dysplasia.
Improved reverse Monte Carlo analysis of optical property of Fe and Ni from reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy spectra
Authors: Li Z. , Gong J. M. , Da B. , Tóth J. , Tőkési K. , Zeng R. G. , Ding Z. J.
Published: August 2023

The energy loss functions (ELFs) of Fe and Ni have been derived from measured reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) spectra by a reverse Monte Carlo analysis in our previous work. In this work, we present further improvements of ELFs for these metals. For Fe, we have updated ELFs at primary electron energies of 2 keV and 3 keV in a wider photon energy region (0–180 eV) with a better accuracy, which is verified by sum rules. Regarding to Ni, we supplement the ELF at primary energy of 5 keV and we also improve the data accuracy at 3 keV. Applying these new and more accurate ELFs we present the optical constants and dielectric functions for the two metals. The improvements were highlighted by comparing our present results with the previous data.
The plasma metabolome of long COVID patients two years after infection
Authors: López-Hernández Yamilé , Monárrez-Espino Joel , López David Alejandro García , Zheng Jiamin , Borrego Juan Carlos , Torres-Calzada Claudia , Elizalde-Díaz José Pedro , Mandal Rupasri , Berjanskii Mark , Martínez-Martínez Eduardo , López Jesús Adrián , Wishart David S.
Published: August 2023

One of the major challenges currently faced by global health systems is the prolonged COVID-19 syndrome (also known as “long COVID”) which has emerged as a consequence of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. It is estimated that at least 30% of patients who have had COVID-19 will develop long COVID. In this study, our goal was to assess the plasma metabolome in a total of 100 samples collected from healthy controls, COVID-19 patients, and long COVID patients recruited in Mexico between 2020 and 2022. A targeted metabolomics approach using a combination of LC–MS/MS and FIA MS/MS was performed to quantify 108 metabolites. IL-17 and leptin were measured in long COVID patients by immunoenzymatic assay. The comparison of paired COVID-19/long COVID-19 samples revealed 53 metabolites that were statistically different. Compared to controls, 27 metabolites remained dysregulated even after two years. Post-COVID-19 patients displayed a heterogeneous metabolic profile. Lactic acid, lactate/pyruvate ratio, ornithine/citrulline ratio, and arginine were identified as the most relevant metabolites for distinguishing patients with more complicated long COVID evolution. Additionally, IL-17 levels were significantly increased in these patients. Mitochondrial dysfunction, redox state imbalance, impaired energy metabolism, and chronic immune dysregulation are likely to be the main hallmarks of long COVID even two years after acute COVID-19 infection.
Spatial and spectral characteristics in realizations of broadband terahertz spectroscopy on a subwavelength scale
Authors: Guidi Alexis N. , Mitchell Michael E. , Holzman Jonathan F.
Published: July 2023

In this work, we take aim at the fundamental challenge for realizations of broadband terahertz (THz) spectroscopy on a subwavelength scale. We introduce apertured THz microjets in this effort to resolve the fundamental limits of spatial resolution and spectral bandwidth. The THz microjets are formed as intense foci at the rear of engineered (microcomposite) spheres and are coupled through subwavelength (circular) apertures. Such coupling enables effective transmission of THz power through samples with broad spectral bandwidths and fine spatial resolutions. We show that the apertures function as high-pass filters, with their diameter d enabling strong transmission above a cutoff frequency fc. Our theoretical and experimental results reveal that the values for d and fc are prescribed by a fixed spatial-spectral product dfc, whereby reductions in d (to improve the spatial resolution) can raise fc into the targeted spectrum (at the expense of spectral bandwidth). We use this understanding to demonstrate broadband (0.3–0.7 THz) THz spectroscopy of lactose at the subwavelength (365 µm) scale. These results for apertured THz microjets represent a 20-fold improvement in spatial resolution over analogous apertured THz plane waves. Overall, our findings show promise for studies of carcinogenesis, pathogenesis, and the like.
Comparative chloroplast genomics and insights into the molecular evolution of Tanaecium (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae)
Authors: Frazão Annelise , Thode Verônica A. , Lohmann Lúcia G.
Published: August 2023

Species of Tanaecium (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae) are lianas distributed in the Neotropics and centered in the Amazon. Members of the genus exhibit exceptionally diverse flower morphology and pollination systems. Here, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated 12 complete and four partial chloroplast genomes representing 15 Tanaecium species and more than 70% of the known diversity in the genus. Gene content and order were similar in all species of Tanaecium studied, with genome sizes ranging between 158,470 and 160,935 bp. Tanaecium chloroplast genomes have 137 genes, including 80–81 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. No rearrangements were found in Tanaecium plastomes, but two different patterns of boundaries between regions were recovered. Tanaecium plastomes show nucleotide variability, although only rpoA was hypervariable. Multiple SSRs and repeat regions were detected, and eight genes were found to have signatures of positive selection. Phylogeny reconstruction using 15 Tanaecium plastomes resulted in a strongly supported topology, elucidating several relationships not recovered previously and bringing new insights into the evolution of the genus.
Influence of rutin and its combination with metformin on vascular functions in type 1 diabetes
Authors: David Sheba R. , Lai Penny Pei Ni , Chellian Jestin , Chakravarthi Srikumar , Rajabalaya Rajan
Published: August 2023

The present work examined the effect of oral administration of rutin and its combination with metformin, an antidiabetic drug on blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides level and vascular function in streptozotocin (STZ) -induced diabetic rats. Male Sprague Dawley rats were rendered diabetic by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (50 mg/kg). Rutin and metformin were orally administered to diabetic rats at a dose of 100 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg body weight/day, respectively, for 4 weeks. Plasma analysis was conducted to determine changes in the plasma glucose and lipid levels. Rat aortic ring reactivity in response to endothelium-dependent (acetylcholine, ACh) and endothelium-independent (sodium nitroprusside, SNP) relaxants, and to the α1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine (PE) were recorded. Histology of pancreas, liver and kidney were evaluated. In results, rutin and metformin alone and in combination has led to significant improvements in blood glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to diabetic group. Diabetic aortic rings showed significantly greater contraction in response to PE, and less relaxation in response to ACh and SNP. Treatment with rutin and metformin in combination significantly reduced PE-induced contraction and increased ACh-induced and SNP-induced relaxation in diabetes when compared to rutin or metformin alone. Significant histological improvements were seen with combination therapy. In conclusion, rutin and metformin combination therapy has the most potentiality for restoring blood glucose and lipid level as well as vascular function.
Electrical detection of RNA cancer biomarkers at the single-molecule level
Authors: Pattiya Arachchillage Keshani G. Gunasinghe , Chandra Subrata , Williams Ajoke , Piscitelli Patrick , Pham Jennifer , Castillo Aderlyn , Florence Lily , Rangan Srijith , Artes Vivancos Juan M.
Published: August 2023

Cancer is a significant healthcare issue, and early screening methods based on biomarker analysis in liquid biopsies are promising avenues to reduce mortality rates. Electrical detection of nucleic acids at the single molecule level could enable these applications. We examine the electrical detection of RNA cancer biomarkers (KRAS mutants G12C and G12V) as a single-molecule proof-of-concept electrical biosensor for cancer screening applications. We show that the electrical conductance is highly sensitive to the sequence, allowing discrimination of the mutants from a wild-type KRAS sequence differing in just one base. In addition to this high specificity, our results also show that these biosensors are sensitive down to an individual molecule with a high signal-to-noise ratio. These results pave the way for future miniaturized single-molecule electrical biosensors that could be groundbreaking for cancer screening and other applications.
Influence of different infill materials on the performance of geocell-reinforced cohesive soil beds
Authors: Zhao Yang , Lu Zheng , Liu Jie , Zhang Jingbo , Yao Hailin
Published: July 2023

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the numerical and parametric study of geocell-reinforced cohesive soil beds, focusing on different infill materials. The numerical calculations were validated against model test results using FLAC3Dsoftware. Subsequently, the verified model was expanded to the geocell-reinforced cohesive soil beds. Six cases were simulated to investigate the reinforced performance, including pressure-settlement responses, bearing capacity improvement factor, settlement reduction percentage, and surface deformation. The numerical findings emphasize that the significance of superior geocell reinforcement should not overshadow the consideration of soil infill’s mechanical properties. In the case of cohesive soil as the infill material, the poor improvement in geocell-reinforced performance may be attributed to its low modulus and cohesion. Parametric studies suggest that geocells significantly impact reinforced performance when the infill material consists of foundation soil with a higher modulus and lower cohesion. Further, according to this numerical study, cohesionless soil with a modulus of 20 MPa and friction of 40° is the optimum infill soil in pockets to reinforce cohesive soil beds.
Size at birth predicts later brain volumes
Authors: Nivins Samson , Kennedy Eleanor , McKinlay Christopher , Thompson Benjamin , Harding Jane E. ,   Children with HYpoglycemia and Their Later Development (CHYLD) Study Team,   Steering group, Alsweiler Jane , Brown Gavin , Gamble Gregory , Wouldes Trecia , Keegan Peter , Harris Deborah , Chase Geoffrey ,   Other members of the CHYLD Mid-childhood Outcome Study team, Turuwhenua Jason , Rogers Jenny , Shah Rajesh , Dai Darren , Ledger Jocelyn , Macdonald Stephanie , McNeill Alecia , Bevan Coila , Burakevych Nataliia , May Robin , Hossin Safayet , McKnight Grace , Hasan Rashedul , Wilson Jessica , Knopp Jennifer , Chakraborty Arijit , Zhou Tony , Miller Steven
Published: August 2023

We aimed to investigate whether gestation at birth, birth weight, and head circumference at birth are still associated with brain volume and white matter microstructure at 9–10 years in children born late-preterm and at term. One hundred and eleven children born at ≥ 36 weeks gestation from the CHYLD Study cohort underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging at 9 to 10 years. Images were analysed using FreeSurfer for volumetric data and tract-based spatial statistics for diffusion data. Of the cohort, 101 children were included for volumetric analysis [boys, 49(49%); median age, 9.5 (range: 8.9–12.4) years]. Shorter gestation at birth, lower birthweight, and smaller birth head circumference were associated with smaller brain volumes at 9 to 10 years, both globally and regionally. Amongst the perinatal factors studied, head circumference at birth was the strongest predictor of later brain volumes. Gestation at birth and absolute birthweight were not associated with diffusion metrics of white matter skeleton. However, lower birthweight z-score was associated with higher fractional anisotropy and lower radial diffusivity. Our findings suggest that even in children born late preterm and at term, growth before birth and timing of birth are still associated with brain development in mid-childhood.
A simple, sensitive and label-free method for miRNA analysis in gastric cancer via catalytic hairpin assembly assisted programming of split-G-quadruplexes
Authors: Ma Xiaoli , Liu Hongmei , Tao Siyu
Published: August 2023

Accurate analysis of miRNA is valuable for the diagnosis of various diseases.
Comparison of four digestion protocols on the physical characteristics of gastric digesta from cooked couscous using the Human Gastric Simulator
Authors: Subramanian Parthasarathi , Nadia Joanna , Paul Singh R. , Bornhorst Gail M.
Published: August 2023

Differences between in vitro digestion protocols such as variations in pH, ionic strength, enzyme activity, and amount of gastric secretions result in modifications in the digesta properties of the same meal.
Hybrid molecules of protoflavones and spirooxindole derivatives with selective cytotoxicity against triple-negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Girst Gábor , Lopes Elizabeth A. , Gonçalves Lídia M. , Espadinha Margarida , Kúsz Norbert , Wang Hui-Chun , Santos Maria M. M. , Hunyadi Attila
Published: August 2023

New lead compounds were synthesized with selectivity against triple negative breast cancer by the combination of DNA damage response inhibitor protoflavones and p53-MDM2/X protein–protein interaction inhibitor spirooxindoles.
A nanotherapeutic approach to selectively eliminate metastatic breast cancer cells by targeting cell surface GRP78
Authors: Shin Jaeho , Kim Baksun , Lager Tyson W. , Mejia Franklin , Guldner Ian , Conner Clay , Zhang Siyuan , Panopoulos Athanasia D. , Bilgicer Basar
Published: August 2023

Cell surface GRP78 (sGRP78) targeting nanoparticles were engineered to achieve maximum targeting efficiency while preserving selectivity. Optimized drug-loaded nanoparticles demonstrated significant inhibition of seeded breast cancer cells in vivo.
Layer-by-layer coating of natural diatomite with silver nanoparticles for identification of circulating cancer protein biomarkers using SERS
Authors: Saridag Ayse Mine , Kahraman Mehmet
Published: August 2023

Fabrication of SERS active strips by coating natural diatomite with AgNPs using layer-by-layer assembly and their use for the identification of circulating cancer protein biomarkers.
Activating graphite with defects and oxygenic functional groups to boost sodium-ion storage
Authors: Ding Juanxia , Zhou Xiaozhong , Gao Jian , Lei Ziqiang
Published: August 2023

Enlarging interlayer space, increasing specific surface area, and introducing defects with/without oxygenic functional groups boost reversible sodium-ion storage in activated graphite based on the adsorption/desorption mechanism.
Ultrafine iridium nanoparticles prepared without a surfactant for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Chen Anyang , Deng Mengting , Lu Zhiyi , Lin Yichao , Chen Liang
Published: August 2023

Ultrafine metal Ir nanoparticles prepared by a surfactant-free synthesis method exhibit excellent OER activity in acidic media, with a low overpotential of 299 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a high mass activity of 132 A gIr−1 at 1.53 V vs. RHE.
Structural and optical properties of silver supported α-Fe2O3nanocomposite fabricated bySaraca asocaleaf extract for the effective photo-degradation of cationic dye Azure B
Authors: Gautam Neelam , Singh Kijay Bahadur , Snigdha  , Upadhyay Deen Dayal , Pandey Gajanan
Published: August 2023

In recent decades, several nanocomposites developed by chemical synthetic routes, have been demonstrated as efficient photocatalysts for the photodegradation of hazardous organic dyes.
Analytical study of gold–DNA nano core–shell cloaking characteristics for drug delivery and cancer therapy
Authors: Osanloo Nahid , Ahmadi Vahid , Naser-Moghaddasi Mohammad , Darabi Elham
Published: August 2023

The cloaking characteristics of biocells can be considered as a factor to determine drug absorption by the tissues.
Numerical simulation of lead-free vacancy ordered Cs2PtI6 based perovskite solar cell using SCAPS-1D
Authors: Amjad Akfeen , Qamar Samina , Zhao Chengchen , Fatima Kalsoom , Sultan Muhammad , Akhter Zareen
Published: August 2023

In recent years, vacancy-ordered halide double perovskites have emerged as promising non-toxic and stable alternatives for their lead-based counterparts in optoelectronic applications.
Targeted regulation and optimization of multifunctional phase transition materials by novel void occupancy engineering
Authors: Wang Zhi-Jie , Ni Hao-Fei , Zhang Tie , Li Jie , Lun Meng-Meng , Fu Da-Wei , Zhang Zhi-Xu , Zhang Yi
Published: August 2023

Similar to a tossed stone raising a thousand ripples, it was found that a small structural mechanism associated with void occupancy has subtle influence on phase transition material physical properties in this work.
Vacuum ultraviolet photodissociation of sulfur dioxide and its implications for oxygen production in the early Earth's atmosphere
Authors: Chang Yao , Fu Yanlin , Chen Zhichao , Luo Zijie , Zhao Yarui , Li Zhenxing , Zhang Weiqing , Wu Guorong , Fu Bina , Zhang Dong H. , Ashfold Michael N. R. , Yang Xueming , Yuan Kaijun
Published: August 2023

The emergence of molecular oxygen (O2) in the Earth's primitive atmosphere is an issue of major interest.
A graphene aerogel with reversibly tunable thermal resistance for battery thermal management
Authors: Cheng Shujian , Guo Xiaoxiao , Tan Peng , Yan Bo , Lin Mingyuan , Cai Jiafa , Zhang Yufeng , Cai Weiwei , Zhang Xue-ao
Published: August 2023

A graphene aerogel with different strains meets the opposite demands for battery thermal management in cold and hot environments.
The synergy between a benzoselenadiazole covalent organic framework and TEMPO for selective photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of organic sulfides
Authors: Zhao Hongxiang , Zhang Fulin , Dong Xiaoyun , Lang Xianjun
Published: August 2023

A benzoselenadiazole covalent organic framework works in synergy with TEMPO for selective photocatalysis in aerobic oxidation of organic sulfides.
Engineering stable construction of MnCo2O4 yolk-in-double-shell amalgamated with bio-synthesized ZnMn2O4 nanoparticles for superior artificial CO2 reduction
Authors: Bahadoran Ashkan , Roshan De Lile Jeffrey , Hasanvandian Farzad , Sharghi Mohammadreza , Kakavandi Babak , Mishra Yogendra Kumar , Giannakis Stefanos , Rama Krishna Seeram
Published: August 2023

Two sequential yolk-shell formation strategy was utilized for the construction of MnCo2O4 yolk-in-double-shell hollow sphere using the self-template glycerate-assisted metal–organic structure.
Alkylated Y-series acceptors for ternary organic solar cells with improved open-circuit voltage processed from non-halogenated solvents
Authors: Fürk Peter , Paarhammer David , Klimenkovs Igors , Savkins Andrejs , Berzins Kristaps , Reinfelds Matiss , Schaubeder Jana B. , Amenitsch Heinz , Rath Thomas , Trimmel Gregor
Published: August 2023

The open-circuit voltage and efficiency of PM6:DTY6 solar cells processed from o-xylene is increased by adding alkylated Y-series acceptors as the third component.
A high‐efficient information extraction mechanism based on complex convolution for wireless signal recognition
Authors: Yang Ying , Zhu Lidong
Published: July 2023

In the integration of terrestrial and non‐terrestrial networks, massive access to wireless signals poses a significant threat to communication systems. However, existing signal recognition models cannot accurately identify signals with low signal‐to‐noise ratios (SNRs). To alleviate this issue, this paper proposes a high‐efficient information extraction mechanism based on complex convolution. Specifically, complex convolution and complex max‐pooling operations have been integrated into a real‐value network to efficiently acquire anti‐noise information. The extracted features contain both in‐phase and quadrature (IQ) structure information and complex relationship information. Experiments on the public RML2016.04C dataset indicated that the model exhibits rapid convergence and superior noise‐robustness under low SNRs. When SNR =0 dB, the model outperforms the suboptimal model by 4.05%. Furthermore, our model demonstrates excellent generalization performance at high SNRs.
DenseGCN: A multi‐level and multi‐temporal graph convolutional network for action recognition
Authors: Yu Chengzhang , Bao Wenxia
Published: August 2023

With the exponential growth of video data, action recognition has become an increasingly important area of study. Despite various advancements, achieving a balance between detection accuracy and lightness remains a formidable challenge, primarily due to the complexity of existing action recognition models. To address this issue, DenseGCN is developed, a lightweight network designed to optimize accuracy and efficiency. The aim was to create a detection model that has high accuracy while remaining lightweight for real‐world applications. DenseGCN operates via a unique three‐level feature fusion system. The initial stage involves the Multi‐level Fusion Network (MlFN), which contains dense connections and a Spatial‐Temporal Fusion Attention module (STF‐Att), designed to eliminate bias in feature extraction caused by deep networks. In the next stage, RefineBone tackles optimization issues in low‐dimensional feature layers by leveraging high‐dimensional feature layers, thus avoiding gradient stacking. Finally, the Multi‐temporal Fusion Feature Pyramid Network (MF‐FPN) generates a discriminative classification feature map by repetitively combining data from multiple dimensions. This strategy has proven successful in refining the extracted feature, allowing for discriminative feature extraction even with a reduced number of channels. This efficient design not only contributes to further research in developing lightweight networks but also offers enhanced possibilities for real‐world implementations. In two large‐scale datasets, NTU RGB+D 60 and 120, DenseGCN outperformed other state‐of‐the‐art methods, achieving an accuracy of 92.7% on the X‐View benchmark of the NTU RGB+D 60 dataset. The DenseGCN is 10.2 × faster and 10 × smaller than the spatial temporal graph attention network (STGAT) proposed in 2022 while retaining very competitive accuracy. The findings suggest that this model significantly improves the quality of feature extraction. As a result, DenseGCN presents a remarkable balance between accuracy and lightness.
Broyden's method assisted differential evolution (BMADE) based selective harmonic elimination in a cascaded H‐bridge multilevel inverter
Authors: Ahsan Mohd , Ahmad Shafiq , Sarwar Adil , Tariq Mohd , Bakhsh Farhad Ilahi , Mohamed Adamali Shah Noor , Ahmed Hafiz
Published: August 2023

This paper implements Broyden's Method Assisted Differential Evolution (BMADE) algorithm for eliminating third and fifth harmonics in the output voltage of 7‐level cascaded H‐Bridge multilevel inverter (CHB‐MLI) using selective harmonic elimination technique. Calculations of switching angles are done for various modulation index values (M). Initial guess for Broyden's method is calculated by Differential Evolution (DE). Exact value of switching angles is then calculated by Broyden's method using initial guess obtained from DE. Code of BMADE algorithm for obtaining the required switching angles is written in MATLAB. Results obtained with BMADE algorithm are compared with various other techniques that is, Genetic Algorithm (GA), DE, and Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA). BMADE is able to successfully eliminate third and fifth order harmonics in the output voltage. Along with removing the desired harmonics, BMADE also provides lower THD than GA, DE, and WOA for certain range of M. The results also showed that BMADE is faster than GA, DE, and WOA as the execution time of BMADE is lesser than GA, DE, and WOA. Moreover, laboratory experiments are used to test the simulation's findings. The experimental results support the simulation results.
An analogous carrier‐based implementation of virtual space vector modulation with low common‐mode voltage and neutral‐point voltage oscillation elimination for three‐level NPC inverter
Authors: Liu Zhuoxun , Xu Xiangguo
Published: August 2023

Balancing control of neutral‐point voltage (NPV) and reducing common‐mode voltage (CMV) are crucial for a three‐level neutral‐point‐clamped (NPC) inverter. NPV oscillation can be inhibited by constructing virtual vectors and adding adjustment factors to eliminate stochastic disturbances that cause unbalanced NPV. However, the adjustment factors significantly increase computational complexity and introduce a dynamic sector split instead of the traditional static one. Moreover, constructing virtual vectors prompts a considerable rise in CMV. Therefore, this paper proposes a virtual space vector modulation strategy for the NPC inverter that eliminates NPV oscillation and reduces CMV. The study applies the idea of carrier‐based modulation (CBM), which reduces calculation time caused by the novel strategy of adding adjustment factors. A method to determine the maximum adjustment voltage is designed to evaluate NPV regulation ability, which is analysed. The novel method and the basic VSVM are theoretically compared, and it is proved that the novel method has better NPV regulation capability than the basic VSVM under high modulation ratio and high power factors, such as in motors systems.
Les « chemins fonciers » de l’agrobusiness dans le delta du Sénégal
Authors: Hertzog-Adamczewski Amandine , Lavigne Delville Philippe , Diop Oumar
Published: August 2023

Bien que l’État sénégalais considère que la législation foncière actuelle constitue un frein au développement de l’agrobusiness, de nombreux projets agro-industriels se sont installés dans le delta du fleuve Sénégal, en particulier depuis les années 2000. À partir de l’analyse détaillée de 15 cas, l’article montre que, au-delà de leur diversité, leurs chemins d’accès au foncier suivent trois grandes voies, en fonction de l’institution qui accorde les terres. Au Sénégal, les communes sont les principales instances d’attribution de terres et la majorité des investisseurs préfèrent la négociation locale à l’attribution de terres par l’État. Ouvrir la boîte noire des pratiques effectives et des « chemins fonciers » réellement suivis éclaire le débat sur la régulation de l’accès à la terre irriguée au Sénégal et, plus largement, sur les façons dont les entrepreneurs agricoles négocient et légalisent cet accès à la terre, ainsi que sur le rôle du cadre légal et institutionnel et des autorités locales.
Economic Benefit Analysis of Anaerobic Digestion System
Authors: Wu Zongze , Tang Min , Qiu Rui , Hou Shuhua , Chen Xingyu , Ma Jianglin
Published: August 2023

This paper aims to clarify the conditions and specific details of data collection by establishing an economic benefit analysis model, and provide corresponding economic analysis and support for the construction of anaerobic digestion plants and PTG facilities.With the implementation of China’s dual carbon policy, energy recovery and reuse and the development and use of clean energy have become hot issues. Through the corresponding literature reading, it was found that there is a new way to generate clean energy biogas abroad, and the biogas produced is used for power generation, that is, PTG facilities. At present, PTG facilities have not been studied in the literature. In order to consider the feasibility of establishing facilities, it is necessary to analyze the economic benefits, and the profits generated by the facilities can form a virtuous circle, so as to continue to invest in the construction, maintenance and construction of other supporting facilities.Based on the collected data, the calculation is carried out, considering the cost of labor, raw materials, and maintenance, and the final calculated profit is CNY4.33 109. Although it is necessary to increase the cost of maintenance and replacement of equipment inside the facility, the costs covered in this article account for only a small part of the total revenue, and the proportion of government subsidies in the income is much smaller than the proportion of power generation revenue, so the facility has great development prospects.
Analysis on Regional Guidance Mechanism for Promoting Prevention Based on Combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine
Authors: Abdul Jabbar Bushra , Haidery Asmara , Kamran Asif , Zafar Farrukh
Published: August 2023

This research empirically explores the aspects that define the dividend payout results among banks. The aim of this research is calculate the existence of relationship between dividends of banking sectors in Pakistan. This study considers the impact of four variables, namely, earning per share, capital ratio, size and cash flow per share on the dividend payout ratios by using unbalanced panel data set of fifteen listed banks. Secondary data was used under analysis and data was retrieved from the financial statement analysis banking sector listed in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) published by State bank of Pakistan. Secondary data was tested through E-views software version 9 with the descriptive analysis, unit root test, correlation, Hausman test and regression. Empirical results show that dividend payout policies are positively affected by the earning per share and cash flow but are negatively affected by the capital ratio and size of the banks. The results obtained also indicate that firms pay dividends with the intention of the reducing agency conflicts.
The Impact of Geographic Distance between Venture Capital and Start-ups on Operating Performance
Authors: Lin Yi
Published: August 2023

China has a vast territory, and the development scale of venture capital varies significantly among different regions. The geographical distribution of venture capital is unbalanced, which makes it difficult for venture capital to choose to invest in local enterprises or cross-regional investment. Many studies have shown that geographical distance is related to the formation of social networks, the strength of information asymmetry and the amount of transaction costs. Therefore, depending on geographical distance, venture capital will face different investment situations, investment costs and investment returns, and entrepreneurial enterprises will therefore receive different levels of super-vision, value-added and post-investment management services. Therefore, this paper analyses the impact of geographical distance between VCs and start-ups on the operating performance of start-ups from a unique geographical distance perspective, and takes relevant data of listed start-ups from 2009 to 2019 as samples for empirical test. The study finds that the closer the geographical distance between VCs and start-ups, the higher the short-term operating performance of start-ups. Geographical distance has an insignificant effect on the long-term performance of startups. In addition, poor internal control of start-ups will weaken the positive impact of geographical proximity on operating performance of start-ups.
Tourism Enterprises’ Resilience Influencing Factors in the Face of COVID-19 in Sichuan Province, China
Authors: Liu Zhe , Vivian
Published: August 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has had enormous health and economic impacts, and it has halted the global tourism industry, forcing it to become more resilient. This study explored the resilience influencing factors in the tourism industry before and after the pandemic in China. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were used for this study. First, questionnaire-based interviews were conducted in February 2021 with 10 Chinese tourism enterprise managers, a thematic analysis based on the content of the interviews yielded six main themes. Using these six themes as indicators, a follow-up survey was conducted in May 2021 and May 2022 among 45 tourism enterprises in Sichuan Province to assess changes in their perceptions of the importance of these influencing factors. The importance of corporate social responsibility increased dramatically, psychological adaptability decreased slightly, and other factors increased slightly, according to the findings. These findings have implications for tourism enterprises recovering from major disasters.
Optimal design of SMA linear actuation unlocking mechanism for CubeSat
Authors: LI Peng , YIN Juanni , ZHANG Jiaolong , GAO Zhigang , HUANG He
Published: August 2023

In order to realize the reliable unlocking of solar arrays of a CubeSat under the strict constraints of space and power dissipation, a shape memory alloy(SMA) wire linear actuation unlocking mechanism is developed. Through using a spring-SMA structure, relying on the spring force locking, heating the SMA wire and producing a recovery stress drive pin movement, the solar arrays are unlocked. The mathematical model of the unlocking mechanism is established, and the relationship among stroke, unlocking time, power, alloy wire diameter and working voltage of the SMA unlocking mechanism is obtained through simulation. In order to optimize its overall unlocking time and power, the particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to optimize the diameter and working voltage of the alloy wire. The simulation results show that the SMA unlocking mechanism with the wire whose diameter is 0.5 mm has the best working performance when the driving voltage is 1.2 V. Finally, the experimental study of the design results shows that the unlocking time of the actuation unlocking mechanism is 3.2 s, its power is 3.55 W and that its pin-pulling stroke is 1.8 mm, being consistent with the simulation results. The unlocking mechanism has a high reliability, consistent working performance and good adaptability, therefore having passed various environmental tests and being successfully applied to a CubeSat in orbit.
Target recognition algorithm based on HRRP time-spectrogram feature and multi-scale asymmetric convolutional neural network
Authors: YUN Tao , PAN Quan , HAO Yuhang , XU Rong
Published: August 2023

A radar HRRP recognition algorithm based on time-spectrogram feature and multi-scale convolutional neural network is proposed to address the difficult feature extraction and low accuracy in space target recognition. Firstly, the normalization is used to eliminate the intensity sensitivity, the absolute alignment of multiple dominant scatterers is used to eliminate the translation sensitivity, and the radar Doppler velocity is used to eliminate the widening effect, distortion and wave crest splitting on HRRP caused by high-speed motion of the target. Then, the method applies the time-frequency analysis to the preprocessed HRRP to extract the time-frequency diagram. Finally, the time-frequency features are extracted with different scales of fineness and different directions through asymmetric convolution of different scales. The data processing results demonstrate that the present method has a high target recognition accuracy. In addition, the present improves the anti-posture sensitivity and target recognition on the same platform.
Usability Evaluation of a Community Pharmacy Health Information Exchange Interface Prototype
Authors: Hettinger Katelyn N. , Snyder Margie E. , Adeoye-Olatunde Omolola A. , Russ-Jara Alissa L.
Published: August 2023

Objective Few community pharmacies have access to health information exchange (HIE) data. We conducted a first-of-its-kind usability evaluation of an HIE interface prototype (referred to throughout as the “HIE-Pioneer mock-up”) developed with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to aid future implementation in community pharmacies.

Methods Community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were recruited to complete usability evaluations with the HIE-Pioneer mock-up. Each usability evaluation lasted up to 60 minutes. System usability scale (SUS) scores were collected from each participant following each usability evaluation session and summarized with descriptive statistics. Usability evaluation videos were reviewed for common usability attributes, such as the impact of identified usability problems, learnability, and efficiency. Time on task, task success rates, and prototype utilization were also recorded.

Results Sixteen total participants completed usability testing across three community pharmacies. The average SUS score was 69.7 (scale 0–100, where 100 is the best), with pharmacists on average reporting higher satisfaction than technicians (74.1 vs. 65.3, respectively). Altogether, we identified 23 distinct usability problems. Key problems identified included needed clarification in tool label names and accessibility of HIE links within the existing workflow. Overall, the usability of the HIE-Pioneer mock-up generally fostered pharmacy professionals' ease of learning and efficiency.

Conclusion Our study identified key areas, and potential solutions, to improve the usability of the HIE-Pioneer mock-up. Overall, pharmacy professionals viewed the HIE-Pioneer mock-up positively, with good satisfaction ratings. The HIE-Pioneer mock-up provides a blueprint for future HIE implementation in community pharmacy settings, which would increase community pharmacy teams' access to HIE data nationwide. Community pharmacy access to bi-directional HIE is expected to improve communication among more health care professionals involved in patient care and equip pharmacy professionals with needed information for improved clinical decision-making.