bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structurally Tunable Graphitized Mesoporous Carbon for Enhancing the Accessibility and Durability of Cathode Pt‐Based Catalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Authors: Wu Mingjuan , Meng Zihan , Xiong Yifei , Zhang Haining , Zhang Aojie , Zhang Hao , Zhu Liyan , Tang Haibo , Tian Tian , Tang Haolin
Published: May 2024

Low Pt utilization and intense carbon corrosion of cathode catalysts is a crucial issue for high‐efficiency proton exchange membrane fuel cells due to the highly demanded long‐term durability and less acquisition/application cost. Herein, structurally tunable graphitized mesoporous carbon (GMC) is obtained by direct high‐temperature pyrolysis and in situ‐controlled mesopore formation; the structure‐optimized GMC1300‐1800 exhibits a mesopore size of 7.54 nm and enhanced corrosion resistance. Functionalized GMC1300‐1800 is loaded with small‐sized Pt nanoparticles (NPs) (1.5 nm) uniformly by impregnation method to obtain Pt/GMC1300‐1800 and form an “internal platinum structure” to avoid sulfonic acid groups poisoning as well as ensure O2/proton accessibility. Hence, the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) of Pt/GMC1300‐1800 reaches 106.1 m2 g−1Pt, while mass activity and specific activity at 0.9 V are 2.1 and 1.4 times those of commercial Pt/C, respectively. Notably, the ECSA decay is less than 17% for both 30 000 cycles’ accelerated durability tests (ADTs) of Pt attenuation and carbon attenuation. Accordingly, the optimized mesoporous structure of GMC1300‐1800 significantly decreases the coverage of sulfonic acid groups on Pt NPs, leading to the highest peak power density in the single‐cell test. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate the synergistic effect between graphitization and mesoporosity on enhancing the accessibility and durability of the catalysts.
Genomic prediction of synthetic hexaploid wheat upon tetraploid durum and diploid Aegilops parental pools
Authors: Dreisigacker Susanne , Martini Johannes W. R. , Cuevas Jaime , Pérez‐Rodríguez Paulino , Lozano‐Ramírez Nerida , Huerta Julio , Singh Pawan , Crespo‐Herrera Leonardo , Bentley Alison R. , Crossa Jose
Published: May 2024

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a globally important food crop, which was domesticated about 8–10,000 years ago. Bread wheat is an allopolyploid, and it evolved from two hybridization events of three species. To widen the genetic base in breeding, bread wheat has been re‐synthesized by crossing durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) and goat grass (Aegilops tauschii Coss), leading to so‐called synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW). We applied the quantitative genetics tools of “hybrid prediction”—originally developed for the prediction of wheat hybrids generated from different heterotic groups — to a situation of allopolyploidization. Our use‐case predicts the phenotypes of SHW for three quantitatively inherited global wheat diseases, namely tan spot (TS), septoria nodorum blotch (SNB), and spot blotch (SB). Our results revealed prediction abilities comparable to studies in ‘traditional’ elite or hybrid wheat. Prediction abilities were highest using a marker model and performing random cross‐validation, predicting the performance of untested SHW (0.483 for SB to 0.730 for TS). When testing parents not necessarily used in SHW, combination prediction abilities were slightly lower (0.378 for SB to 0.718 for TS), yet still promising. Despite the limited phenotypic data, our results provide a general example for predictive models targeting an allopolyploidization event and a method that can guide the use of genetic resources available in gene banks.
Playing with Words: Scaffolding Writing through Poetry
Authors: Kerbs Macie , McQueston Jessica , Lawrance Lorraine
Published: May 2024

This article highlights how teachers can use poetry writing through the instructional contexts of shared, interactive, guided, and independent writing to provide intentional scaffolding for writers.
Pollen dispersal distance is determined by phenology and ancillary traits but not floral gender in an andromonoecious, fly-pollinated alpine herb
Authors: Chen Kai-Hsiu , Pannell John R.
Published: May 2024

Pollen-mediated gene flow and spatial genetic structure have rarely been studied in alpine plants that are pollinated by dipteran insects. In particular, it is not clear how different floral traits, such as floral gender, phenology, and ancillary traits, may affect pollen dispersal distance within alpine plant populations. In this study, we conducted a paternity analysis to track pollen flow in a population of Pulsatilla alpina, an andromonoecious alpine herb producing male and bisexual flowers. We found that the pollen was dispersed over short distances (mean = 3.16 m), with a dispersal kernel following a Weibull distribution. Nonetheless, spatial genetic structure was weak in the population (Sp statistic = 0.013), pointing to effective seed dispersal and/or high inbreeding depression. The pollen dispersal distance was independent of the gender of the flower of origin but depended positively on floral stalk height and negatively on flowering date and tepal length. Although male siring success did not correlate with pollen dispersal distance, selection may favour traits that increase the pollen dispersal distance as a result of reduced bi-parental inbreeding. Our study not only provides new insights into the nature of pollen dispersal of alpine plants, but also reveals the effects of floral traits on a component of male reproductive success.
On sofic approximations of non amenable groups
Authors: Hayes Ben , Kunnawalkam Elayavalli Srivatsav
Published: May 2024

In this paper we exhibit for every non amenable group that is initially sub-amenable (sometimes also referred to as LEA), two sofic approximations that are not conjugate by any automorphism of the universal sofic group. This addresses a question of Pǎunescu and generalizes the Elek–Szabo uniqueness theorem for sofic approximations.
Differences in the organization of the primary motor cortex in people with and without low back pain and associations with motor control and sensory tests
Authors: Klerx Sabrine P. , Bruijn Sjoerd M. , Coppieters Michel W. , Kiers Henri , Twisk Jos W.R. , Pool-Goudzwaard Annelies L.
Published: May 2024

Differences in organization of the primary motor cortex and altered trunk motor control (sensing, processing and motor output) have been reported in people with low back pain (LBP). Little is known to what extent these differences are related. We investigated differences in 1) organization of the primary motor cortex and 2) motor and sensory tests between people with and without LBP, and 3) investigated associations between the organization of the primary motor cortex and motor and sensory tests. We conducted a case-control study in people with (N=25) and without (N=25) LBP. The organization of the primary motor cortex (Center of Gravity (CoG) and Area of the cortical representation of trunk muscles) was assessed using neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation, based on individual MRIs. Sensory tests (quantitative sensory testing, graphaesthesia, two-point discrimination threshold) and a motor test (spiral-tracking test) were assessed. Participants with LBP had a more lateral and lower location of the CoG and a higher temporal summation of pain. For all participants combined, better vibration test scores were associated with a more anterior, lateral, and lower CoG and a better two-point discrimination threshold was associated with a lower CoG. A small subset of variables showed significance. Although this aligns with the concept of altered organization of the primary motor cortex in LBP, there is no strong evidence of the association between altered organization of the primary motor cortex and motor and sensory test performance in LBP. Focusing on subgroup analyses regarding pain duration can be a topic for future research.
Semigroups, keis and groups induced by knot diagrams: an experimental investigation with automated reasoning
Authors: Lisitsa Alexei , Vernitski Alexei
Published: May 2024

We apply automated reasoning to investigation of finite factors of algebraic structures associated with knot diagrams. We refute “double size” conjecture about cancellative semigroups and keis.
Distinction of chia varieties in vivo and in vitro based on the flow cytometry and rosmarinic acid production
Authors: Motyka Sara , Szopa Agnieszka , Ochatt Sergio J.
Published: May 2024

Flow cytometry has made a significant contribution to the study of several complex fundamental mechanisms in plant cytogenetics, becoming a useful analytical tool to understand several mechanisms and processes underlying plant growth, development, and function. In this study, the genome size, DNA ploidy level, and A-T/G-C ratio were measured for the first time for two genotypes of chia, Salvia hispanica, an herbaceous plant commonly used in phytotherapy and nutrition. This study also evaluated, for the first time by flow cytometry, the capacity to produce organic acids of tissues stained with LysoTracker Deep Red after elicitation with either yeast extract or cadmium chloride. Rosmarinic acid content differed between the two chia varieties treated with different elicitor concentrations, compared with non-elicited plant material. Elicited tissues of both varieties contained a higher content of rosmarinic acid compared with non-elicited cultures, and cadmium chloride at 500 μM was much better than that at 1000 μM, which led to plant death. For both genotypes, a dose-response was observed with yeast extract, as the higher the concentration of elicitor used, the higher rosmarinic acid content, resulting also in better results and a higher content of rosmarinic acid compared with cadmium chloride. This study demonstrates that flow cytometry may be used as a taxonomy tool, to distinguish among very close genotypses of a given species and, for the first time in plants, that this approach can also be put to profit for a characterization of the cytoplasmic acid phase and the concomitant production of secondary metabolites of interest in vitro, with or without elicitation.

Key points

• Genome size, ploidy level, A-T/G-C ratio, and cytoplasm acid phase of S. hispanica

• Cytometry study of cytoplasm acid phase of LysoTracker Deep Red-stained plant cells

• Yeast extract or cadmium chloride elicited rosmarinic acid production of chia tissues

Graphical Abstract
Neurological involvement in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy
Authors: Liu Wanying , Zhu Xiaojian , Xiao Yi
Published: May 2024

Transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is a well-recognized serious complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The understanding of TA-TMA pathophysiology has expanded in recent years. Dysregulation of the complement system is thought to cause endothelial injury and, consequently, microvascular thrombosis and tissue damage. TA-TMA can affect multiple organs, and each organ exhibits specific features of injury. Central nervous system (CNS) manifestations of TA-TMA include posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, seizures, and encephalopathy. The development of neurological dysfunction is associated with a significantly lower overall survival in patients with TA-TMA. However, there are currently no established histopathological or radiological criteria for the diagnosis of CNS TMA. Patients who receive total body irradiation (TBI), calcineurin inhibitors (CNI), and severe acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are at a high risk of experiencing neurological complications related to TA-TMA and should be considered for directed TA-TMA therapy. However, the incidence and clinical manifestations of TA-TMA neurotoxicity remain unclear. Studies specifically examining the involvement of CNS in TMA syndromes are limited. In this review, we discuss clinical manifestations and imaging abnormalities in patients with nervous system involvement in TA-TMA. We summarize the mechanisms underlying TA-TMA and its neurological complications, including endothelial injury, evidence of complement activation, and treatment options for TA-TMA.
Visualizing histone H4K20me1 in knock-in mice expressing the mCherry-tagged modification-specific intracellular antibody
Authors: Sato Yuko , Takenoshita Maoko , Ueoka Miku , Ueda Jun , Yamagata Kazuo , Kimura Hiroshi
Published: May 2024

During development and differentiation, histone modifications dynamically change locally and globally, associated with transcriptional regulation, DNA replication and repair, and chromosome condensation. The level of histone H4 Lys20 monomethylation (H4K20me1) increases during the G2 to M phases of the cell cycle and is enriched in facultative heterochromatin, such as inactive X chromosomes in cycling cells. To track the dynamic changes of H4K20me1 in living cells, we have developed a genetically encoded modification-specific intracellular antibody (mintbody) probe that specifically binds to the modification. Here, we report the generation of knock-in mice in which the coding sequence of the mCherry-tagged version of the H4K20me1-mintbody is inserted into the Rosa26 locus. The knock-in mice, which ubiquitously expressed the H4K20me1-mintbody, developed normally and were fertile, indicating that the expression of the probe does not disturb the cell growth, development, or differentiation. Various tissues isolated from the knock-in mice exhibited nuclear fluorescence without the need for fixation. The H4K20me1-mintbody was enriched in inactive X chromosomes in developing embryos and in XY bodies during spermatogenesis. The knock-in mice will be useful for the histochemical analysis of H4K20me1 in any cell types.
Tackling school segregation with transportation network interventions: an agent-based modelling approach
Authors: Michailidis Dimitris , Tasnim Mayesha , Ghebreab Sennay , Santos Fernando P.
Published: May 2024

We address the emerging challenge of school segregation within the context of free school choice systems. Households take into account both proximity and demographic composition when deciding on which schools to send their children to, potentially exacerbating residential segregation. This raises an important question: can we strategically intervene in transportation networks to enhance school access and mitigate segregation? In this paper, we propose a novel, network agent-based model to explore this question. Through simulations in both synthetic and real-world networks, we demonstrate that enhancing school accessibility via transportation network interventions can lead to a reduction in school segregation, under specific conditions. We introduce group-based network centrality measures and show that increasing the centrality of certain neighborhood nodes with respect to a transportation network can be an effective strategy for strategic interventions. We conduct experiments in two synthetic network environments, as well as in an environment based on real-world data from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In both cases, we simulate a population of representative agents emulating real citizens’ schooling preferences, and we assume that agents belong to two different groups (e.g., based on migration background). We show that, under specific homophily regimes in the population, school segregation can be reduced by up to 35%. Our proposed framework provides the foundation to explore how citizens’ preferences, school capacity, and public transportation can shape patterns of urban segregation.
Construction of copulas for bivariate failure rates
Authors: Wu Shaomin , Dui Hongyan , Hu Linmin
Published: May 2024

This paper aims to develop a method to construct an asymmetric copula, based on which a closed form of the cumulative bivariate failure rate can be obtained. The construction method differs from existing ones. This new method can facilitate the derivation of some results such as the estimation of the expected number of occurrences for a system whose failure process is modelled by a bivariate stochastic process or the expected cost in optimisation of maintenance policies.
Gesture recognition with a 2D low-resolution embedded camera to minimise intrusion in robot-led training of children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Ercolano Giovanni , Rossi Silvia , Conti Daniela , Di Nuovo Alessandro
Published: May 2024

Growing evidence shows the potential benefits of robot-assisted therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, when developing new robotics technologies, it must be considered that this condition often causes increased anxiety in unfamiliar settings. Indeed, children with ASD have difficulties accepting changes like introducing multiple new technological devices in their routines, therefore, embedded solutions should be preferred. Also, in this context, robots should be small as children find the bigger ones scary. This leads to limited computing resources onboard as small batteries power them. This article presents a study on gesture recognition using video recorded only by the camera embedded in a NAO robot, while it was leading a clinical procedure. The video is 2D and low quality because of the limits of the NAO-embedded computing resources. The recognition is made more challenging by robot movements, which alter the vision by moving the camera and sometimes by obstructing it with the robot’s arms for short periods. Despite these challenging real-world conditions, in our experiments, we have tuned and improved state-of-the-art algorithms to yield an accuracy higher than $$90\%$$

90
%

in the gesture classification, with the best accuracy being $$94\%$$

94
%

. This level of accuracy is suitable for evaluating the children’s performance and providing information for the diagnosis and continuous assessment of the therapy. We have also considered the performance improvement of using a low-power GPU-AI accelerator embedded system, which could be included in future robots, to enable gesture analysis during the therapy, which could be adapted to the child’s performance.

Graphical abstract
Enhancing EfficientNetv2 with global and efficient channel attention mechanisms for accurate MRI-Based brain tumor classification
Authors: Pacal Ishak , Celik Omer , Bayram Bilal , Cunha Antonio
Published: May 2024

The early and accurate diagnosis of brain tumors is critical for effective treatment planning, with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) serving as a key tool in the non-invasive examination of such conditions. Despite the advancements in Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CADx) systems powered by deep learning, the challenge of accurately classifying brain tumors from MRI scans persists due to the high variability of tumor appearances and the subtlety of early-stage manifestations. This work introduces a novel adaptation of the EfficientNetv2 architecture, enhanced with Global Attention Mechanism (GAM) and Efficient Channel Attention (ECA), aimed at overcoming these hurdles. This enhancement not only amplifies the model’s ability to focus on salient features within complex MRI images but also significantly improves the classification accuracy of brain tumors. Our approach distinguishes itself by meticulously integrating attention mechanisms that systematically enhance feature extraction, thereby achieving superior performance in detecting a broad spectrum of brain tumors. Demonstrated through extensive experiments on a large public dataset, our model achieves an exceptional high-test accuracy of 99.76%, setting a new benchmark in MRI-based brain tumor classification. Moreover, the incorporation of Grad-CAM visualization techniques sheds light on the model’s decision-making process, offering transparent and interpretable insights that are invaluable for clinical assessment. By addressing the limitations inherent in previous models, this study not only advances the field of medical imaging analysis but also highlights the pivotal role of attention mechanisms in enhancing the interpretability and accuracy of deep learning models for brain tumor diagnosis. This research sets the stage for advanced CADx systems, enhancing patient care and treatment outcomes.
Looking for a preventive approach to sexual harassment in academia. A systematic review
Authors: Zara Georgia , Binik Oriana , Ginocchio Debora , Merzagora Isabella , Giannini Annamaria , Addabbo Tindara , Castelli Lorys , Criscenti Clarissa , Ferrari Silvia , Di Tella Marialaura , Freilone Franco , Lausi Giulia , Rossetto Ilaria , Veggi Sara , De Fazio Giovanna Laura
Published: May 2024

The systematic review (PRISMA) on sexual harassment (SH) in academia looks at studies conducted since 2018 with the aim to direct updated research findings toward an effective prevention perspective. The findings confirm that academia is a breeding ground for SH due to power imbalances and that vulnerabilities related to the macro-dynamics of power, social and cultural inequalities are risk factors for SH. It is recommended that SH prevention interventions in academia 1. adopt a socio-ecological perspective; 2. include evidence-based programs such as those dedicated to bystanders; 3. are integrated with each other through valuable networking and multistakeholder involvement and 4. pay attention to support complaints, victim listening and intake activities. Future SH studies should promote: SH standardized definitions, intersectional perspectives, “all targets” surveys, research on protective factors, research on perpetrator perspective. Future interventions should act at the cultural level fighting structural inequality and a greater enhancement of evidence-based programs is required.
Integrated monitoring and modeling to disentangle the complex spatio-temporal dynamics of urbanized streams under drought stress
Authors: López Moreira Mazacotte Gregorio Alejandro , Tetzlaff Doerthe , Marx Christian , Warter Maria Magdalena , Wu Songjun , Smith Aaron Andrew , Soulsby Chris
Published: May 2024

We have a poor understanding of how urban drainage and other engineered components interact with more natural hydrological processes in green and blue spaces to generate stream flow. This limits the scientific evidence base for predicting and mitigating the effects of future development of the built environment and climate change on urban water resources and their ecosystem services. Here, we synthesize > 20 years of environmental monitoring data to better understand the hydrological function of the 109-km2 Wuhle catchment, an important tributary of the river Spree in Berlin, Germany. More than half (56%) of the catchment is urbanized, leading to substantial flow path alterations. Young water from storm runoff and rapid subsurface flow provided around 20% of stream flow. However, most of it was generated by older groundwater (several years old), mainly recharged through the rural headwaters and non-urban green spaces. Recent drought years since 2018 showed that this base flow component has reduced in response to decreased recharge, causing deterioration in water quality and sections of the stream network to dry out. Attempts to integrate the understanding of engineered and natural processes in a traditional rainfall-runoff model were only partly successful due to uncertainties over the catchment area, effects of sustainable urban drainage, adjacent groundwater pumping, and limited conceptualization of groundwater storage dynamics. The study highlights the need for more extensive and coordinated monitoring and data collection in complex urban catchments and the use of these data in more advanced models of urban hydrology to enhance management.
The Impact of Land Conversion on Primate Habitats: Refining the Extent of Occurrence Data for Four Capuchin Species in North and Northeastern Brazil
Authors: Farias Anailda T. , Hamilton Stuart E. , Pires Luciana B. M. , Canale Gustavo R. , Santos Ricardo R. , Presotto Andrea
Published: May 2024

Conversion of primate forest habitat is a global concern with significant implications for primate populations. Although the geospatial Extent of Occurrence (EOO) data provided for primates by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature are widely used, they do not accurately reflect the existing extent of primate species because of ongoing habitat loss. We focused on four capuchin monkey species (Sapajus apella, S. flavius, S, libidinosus, and S. xanthosternos), all native to North and Northeastern Brazil, to prioritize research by the Capuchin Action Network. We refined the EOOs for the four primate species using MapBiomas land cover data. We accounted for areas of agriculture, urban, and mining and updated the EOOs of the four species. Additionally, we evaluated the Conservation Units in each EOO. Conservation Units are protected areas critical to mitigating habitat loss in Brazil. Our results show that S. apella has lost the smallest amount of its EOO (13%), while S. flavius has lost the most (77%). Agriculture was the leading cause of land cover change, followed by urbanization and mining. We provide an updated EOO for the four capuchin species and highlight the need for conservation efforts to address the challenges posed by human activities in the capuchin species’ habitats.
Association Between Challenging Behaviour and Sleep Problems in Adults Enrolled in the Global Angelman Syndrome Registry
Authors: Coleman Heather , Mannion Arlene , Whelan Sally , Tones Megan , Heussler Helen , Bellgard Matthew , Leader Geraldine
Published: May 2024

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a rare genetic disorder that impacts 1:20,000 people. Challenging behaviour, such as severe injurious behaviour, aggression and frequent unprovoked episodes of laughter are a significant problem among adults with AS that adversely impacts an individual’s quality of life. This study, for the first time, aims understand the characteristic of challenging behaviour, its frequency, and the factors associated with it in adults with AS. Data from participants with AS (N = 37; aged 18–46 years) registered with the Global Angelman Registry, were divided into challenging behaviour and non-challenging behaviour groups based on the presence or absence of 50% of the behaviours recorded in the registry. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared and t-test analysis were conducted to assess the impact of variables on challenging behaviour. Multiple regressions were conducted to investigate the predictors of challenging behaviour. 56% of the sample presented with challenging behaviour. Disorders of arousal, self-injury, behaviour dysregulation, repetitive behaviour, and the lack of physical therapy accounted for 59% of the variance of challenging behaviour in this population. It was found that challenging behaviour was very common in this population. A significant association was found between challenging behaviour and both sleep arousal and the lack of physical therapy. Sleep arousal and the lack of physical therapy were the key factors associated with challenging behaviour in this study. Targeted interventions are needed to decrease challenging behaviour and future research should focus on sleep interventions and increased opportunities for physical therapy.
Coaching Based on Signature Strengths or Lesser Strengths? The Effects of Two Strengths Spotting Interventions on Managerial Coaching Behavior
Authors: Tobias Valesca Y. , van Woerkom Marianne , Meyers Maria Christina , Bauwens Robin
Published: May 2024

Managers are increasingly expected to coach their employees. However, managers are often ill equipped and lack the necessary support from their organization to effectively implement coaching behavior. Based on strengths theory, we propose that a strengths spotting intervention could help managers to develop their coaching behavior. In addition, based on theory on emotional contagion and the broaden and build theory, we argue that spotting employees’ signature strengths leads to a stronger increase in managerial coaching behavior over time than an intervention that focuses on spotting lesser strengths. We conducted a field experiment, in which 255 managers (providing 414 data points) were randomly assigned to either a signature strengths or a lesser strengths spotting intervention. In a 1-month follow-up study we found that both interventions contributed equally to managerial coaching behavior. We conclude that online training in strengths spotting is a useful tool that helps managers to develop their coaching behavior.
Nanofluidic Platform for Studying the First-Order Phase Transitions in Superfluid Helium-3
Authors: Heikkinen Petri J. , Eng Nathan , Levitin Lev V. , Rojas Xavier , Singh Angadjit , Autti Samuli , Haley Richard P. , Hindmarsh Mark , Zmeev Dmitry E. , Parpia Jeevak M. , Casey Andrew , Saunders John
Published: May 2024

The symmetry-breaking first-order phase transition between superfluid phases $$^3$$

3

He-A and $$^3$$

3

He-B can be triggered extrinsically by ionising radiation or heterogeneous nucleation arising from the details of the sample cell construction. However, the role of potential homogeneous intrinsic nucleation mechanisms remains elusive. Discovering and resolving the intrinsic processes may have cosmological consequences, since an analogous first-order phase transition, and the production of gravitational waves, has been predicted for the very early stages of the expanding Universe in many extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics. Here we introduce a new approach for probing the phase transition in superfluid $$^3$$

3

He. The setup consists of a novel stepped-height nanofluidic sample container with close to atomically smooth walls. The $$^3$$

3

He is confined in five tiny nanofabricated volumes and assayed non-invasively by NMR. Tuning of the state of $$^3$$

3

He by confinement is used to isolate each of these five volumes so that the phase transitions in them can occur independently and free from any obvious sources of heterogeneous nucleation. The small volumes also ensure that the transitions triggered by ionising radiation are strongly suppressed. Here we present the preliminary measurements using this setup, showing both strong supercooling of $$^3$$

3

He-A and superheating of $$^3$$

3

He-B, with stochastic processes dominating the phase transitions between the two. The objective is to study the nucleation as a function of temperature and pressure over the full phase diagram, to both better test the proposed extrinsic mechanisms and seek potential parallel intrinsic mechanisms.
Modal tense: if and wish
Authors: Crowley Paul
Published: May 2024

This paper is concerned with uses of certain morphemes, most notably the past, to represent meanings of distance from reality in modal expressions. This class of morphology has been identified with the names subjunctive, fake tense, fake past, modal past and is referred to here as X-marking, after von Fintel and Iatridou (Linguist Philos, 2020). X-marking has been most studied in the context of English conditionals however, it is well-known that the morphology is observed in many non-English languages and can appear in various other types of constructions, including counterfactual desire expressions. I motivate two desiderata for theories of X-marking in pursuit of an analysis that unifies the phenomenon across expression types and languages. I then develop a novel, formally explicit analysis of X-marking which I show to satisfy these desiderata while providing greater empirical coverage of well-known cases compared to existing accounts. The proposed analysis makes use of modal presupposition projection together with pragmatic inference via Maximize Presupposition to provide a unified treatment of X-marking in English conditionals and counterfactual desires expressions of English featuring wish. I show how previous proposals for X-marking cannot satisfy these desiderata, making them insufficient for a unified account. Lastly, I introduce a hypothesis that all varieties of morphology that can be used as X-marking cross-linguistically-including past, imperfective, plural and habitual-are vacuous in both their X-marked and ordinary uses.
Multi-step Transfer Learning in Natural Language Processing for the Health Domain
Authors: Manaka Thokozile , Zyl Terence Van , Kar Deepak , Wade Alisha
Published: May 2024

The restricted access to data in healthcare facilities due to patient privacy and confidentiality policies has led to the application of general natural language processing (NLP) techniques advancing relatively slowly in the health domain. Additionally, because clinical data is unique to various institutions and laboratories, there are not enough standards and conventions for data annotation. In places without robust death registration systems, the cause of death (COD) is determined through a verbal autopsy (VA) report. A non-clinician field agent completes a VA report using a set of standardized questions as guide to identify the symptoms of a COD. The narrative text of the VA report is used as a case study to examine the difficulties of applying NLP techniques to the healthcare domain. This paper presents a framework that leverages knowledge across multiple domains via two domain adaptation techniques: feature extraction and fine-tuning. These techniques aim to improve VA text representations for COD classification tasks in the health domain. The framework is motivated by multi-step learning, where a final learning task is realized via a sequence of intermediate learning tasks. The framework builds upon the strengths of the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and Embeddings from Language Models (ELMo) models pretrained on the general English and biomedical domains. These models are employed to extract features from the VA narratives. Our results demonstrate improved performance when initializing the learning of BERT embeddings with ELMo embeddings. The benefit of incorporating character-level information for learning word embeddings in the English domain, coupled with word-level information for learning word embeddings in the biomedical domain, is also evident.
Scalable approach to create annotated disaster image database supporting AI-driven damage assessment
Authors: Ro Sun Ho , Gong Jie
Published: May 2024

As coastal populations surge, the devastation caused by hurricanes becomes more catastrophic. Understanding the extent of the damage is essential as this knowledge helps shape our plans and decisions to reduce the effects of hurricanes. While community and property-level damage post-hurricane damage assessments are common, evaluations at the building component level, such as roofs, windows, and walls, are rarely conducted. This scarcity is attributed to the challenges inherent in automating precise object detections. Moreover, a significant disconnection exists between manual damage assessments, typically logged-in spreadsheets, and images of the damaged buildings. Extracting historical damage insights from these datasets becomes arduous without a digital linkage. This study introduces an innovative workflow anchored in state-of-the-art deep learning models to address these gaps. The methodology offers enhanced image annotation capabilities by leveraging large-scale pre-trained instance segmentation models and accurate damaged building component segmentation from transformer-based fine-tuning detection models. Coupled with a novel data repository structure, this study merges the segmentation mask of hurricane-affected components with manual damage assessment data, heralding a transformative approach to hurricane-induced building damage assessments and visualization.
Experimental investigation of a sun tracking concentrated solar still with economic analysis
Authors: Daif Mohammad M. , Emam Mohamed , Abdelrahman M. A. , Attia Ahmed A. A. , Soliman Aly M. A.
Published: May 2024

The current paper evaluated experimentally an innovative sun tracking concentrated solar still under Egyptian climatic conditions during the summer of 2022. The proposed system consists of a 120-cm-diameter parabolic reflector mirror that tracks the sun using a dual axis tracking system, a cylindrical solar still with a volume of 3.7 L positioned in its focal point, and a concentration ratio of 12.5. The performance of the concentrated solar still was investigated in the context of two critical parameters. First, three feed water salinity (17, 27, 37) ppt samples were evaluated, followed by four percentages of saline water filling ratio (26.5, 39.8, 53.1, 66.3)%. Increasing the salinity of the feed water had no effect on solar still productivity, but increasing the saline water filling ratio did. The daily cumulative productivity of the system was 6 kg/m2 with an optimal filling ratio of 53.1%, a daily efficiency of 42.88%, and an average cost of freshwater production of 0.0489 $/L. The proposed system also had the highest instantaneous efficiency of 61.77% and the highest distilled water productivity rate of 0.941 kg/h m2.
Management of caffeine in wastewater using MOF and perovskite materials: optimization, kinetics, and adsorption isotherm modelling
Authors: Essam Amira , Eldek Samaa Imam , Shehata Nabila
Published: May 2024

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been increasingly used all over the world and they have been reported on water cycle and cause contamination. Among these pharmaceuticals is caffeine (CAF). In this work, CAF removal from aqueous samples by metal–organic framework (UIO-66) and perovskite (La0.7Sr0.3FeO3) was achieved. Detailed studies on the preparation of MOFs and perovskite oxides compounds have been presented. Extensive characterizations such as X-Ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms were also carried out to assure proper formation and to better understand the physico-chemical behavior of the synthesized samples before and after adsorption. Batch experiments of CAF adsorption onto both MOFs and perovskite were performed to compare the effectiveness of both materials on the removal competence of the CAF residue at different conditions including the effect of pH, initial concentration, and contact time. It was observed that the adsorption capacity of CAF by MOF increased with increasing acidity. On the other hand, the adsorption capacity of perovskite is stable in pH 4–10. The maximum adsorption capacities of UiO-66 and perovskite toward CAF are high as 62.5 mg g−1 and 35.25 mg g−1, respectively. Equilibrium isotherms were investigated by numerous models: Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Redlich-Peterson, Sips, Langmuir-Freundlich, Toth, Kahn, Baudu, and Fritz Schlunder. Moreover, the kinetics of the CAF@MOF and CAF@Perovskite systems have been studied by five kinetic models (Pseudo-1st -order (PFO), Pseudo-2nd -order (PSO), Mixed 1st, 2nd-order, Intraparticle diffusion and Avrami). The best model described the adsorption of CAF onto both of MOF and perovskite was the mixed 1st, 2nd-order model. The metal–organic framework and perovskite were applied to quickly extract CAF from water samples successfully. The maximum removal percentage obtained for MOF and perovskite was 0.89% and 0.94% respectively within 30 min contact time which suggests that these materials are considered as promising adsorbents for CAF.
A big data analysis of the adoption of quoting encouragement policy on Twitter during the 2020 U.S. presidential election
Authors: Bodaghi Amirhosein , Zhu Jonathan J. H.
Published: May 2024

This research holds significance for the fields of social media and communication studies through its comprehensive evaluation of Twitter’s quoting encouragement policy enacted during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. In addressing a notable gap in the literature, this study introduces a framework that assesses both the quantitative and qualitative effects of specific platform-wide policy interventions, an aspect lacking in existing research. Employing a big data approach, the analysis includes 304 million tweets from a randomly sampled cohort of 86,334 users, using a systematic framework to examine pre-, within-, and post-intervals aligned with the policy timeline. Methodologically, SARIMAX models and linear regression are applied to the time series data on tweet types within each interval, offering an examination of temporal trends. Additionally, the study characterizes short-term and long-term adopters of the policy using text and sentiment analyses on quote tweets. Results show a significant retweeting decrease and modest quoting increase during the policy, followed by a swift retweeting resurgence and quoting decline post-policy. Users with fewer connections or higher activity levels adopt quoting more. Emerging quoters prefer shorter, positive quote texts. These findings hold implications for social media policymaking, providing evidence for refining existing policies and shaping effective interventions.
Irradiation-assisted synthesis of smart hydrogels based on nanomagnetic semi-interpenetrating p(HEMA)/PVP networks for the cleaning of cultural heritage artifacts
Authors: Rafiei-Sarmazdeh Zahra , Sheikh Nasrin
Published: May 2024

Preservation of our cultural and historical heritage as a testimony to our shared past is a responsibility that demands significant attention. One of the most critical and delicate aspects of conserving such treasures is cleaning them safely and effectively. Chemical hydrogels specifically designed for cleaning cultural heritage artifacts allow for the containment and controlled release of water. Based on a generic approach, a smart nanomagnetic hydrogel was developed using a semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) of polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate (p(HEMA)) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). Gamma irradiation was employed to perform simultaneous in-situ polymerization, crosslinking, and also immobilization of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The chemical and structural characteristics of the nanomagnetic hydrogel were investigated using gel content, equilibrium water content, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, magnetic properties, compressive strength, dehydration kinetics, and adhesion tests. The optimal formula for smart hydrogel was a ratio of monomer to polymer 50:50, a water content of 60 wt.%, a gamma radiation dose of 20 kGy, and 3 wt.% of MNP. Two cotton canvas case studies demonstrate the versatility and effectiveness of the selected hydrogel in removing dirt and confining the water-based cleaning system. It was found that no color leaching occurred during the cleaning process.
Conversion of infected pine wood into energy charcoal material based on a transportable carbonization system
Authors: Ni Liangmeng , Gao Qi , Ren Hao , Su Mengfu , Rong Shaowen , Liu Zhijia
Published: May 2024

To prevent the spread of pine wilt disease (PWD), a transportable carbonization equipment was designed for in-situ treatment of infected pine wood (IPW). The equipment killed all pine wood nematodes (PWNs) in IPW when carbonization temperature was up to 200 °C. The optimal laboratory process of infected pine wood charcoal (IPWC) was carbonization temperature of 500 °C, heating rate of 3 °C min−1 and holding time of 0 min. Based on the optimal laboratory process, the transportable carbonization equipment produced IPWC with a fixed carbon content of 79.82%, and ash content of 1.14% and a moisture content of 7.83%, which meets the requirements of EN 1860-2:2005(E) standard. The economic efficiency of incineration (T1 mode), crushing (T2 mode), and transportable carbonization (T3 mode) was evaluated. For each ton of IPW treatment, the profit generated was −75.48 USD in T1 mode, 26.28 USD in T2 mode, and 51.91 USD in T3 mode. T3 mode had the highest economic efficiency. These findings will be helpful to provide guidance for the control of PWD and value-added utilization of IPW.

Graphical Abstract
Organ Failure: A Computational Model and Perspective
Authors: Periola Ayodele A. , Sesham S. , Suresh N.
Published: May 2024

Organ failure in biological systems is perceived as a physiological failure which is addressable via organ transplantation. Transplantation is challenging when donor organs are not easily available. Therefore, the development of a perspective capable of yielding potential therapies is required. The presented research addresses this problem and considers the biological system’s poly-computing capability. The proposed solution considers that the organs are biological computing nodes. It considers that organ failure arises when biological computing nodes don’t perform their expected function. The proposed approaches are the micro-brain and macro-brain consciousness paradigm (MMCP) and evolutionary consciousness paradigm (ECP). MMCP and ECP describe aspects concerning the relations, synaptic evolution, communication, and adaptation to handle multi-sensory inputs. The research describes how MMCP and ECP influence technology and application development. Furthermore, performance evaluation is done to investigate the operational duration of the concerned biological entities. Analysis shows that using the proposed approach enhances the operational duration by an average of (25.2–54.1)%.
Contamination and pesticide multiresidue analysis in cotton production systems in Benin
Authors: Eclou Innocent Benjamin , Glèlè Kakaï Romain
Published: May 2024

High quantity of chemical pesticides spraying in conventional cotton production systems may affect negatively natural ecosystems components. This study examined the contamination levels of soil in Benin's cotton production system in West Africa by residues of pesticides used in cotton farming. One hundred and fourteen soil samples from six conventional and organic cotton production systems were collected and analysed. Multi-class pesticide residues were extracted from the soil samples, and analysed using respectively modified QuEChERS extraction and LC–MS/MS chromatography methods. Results showed an overall soil contamination to emamectin benzoate (18.5 μg/kg), imidacloprid (116.3 μg/kg), profenofos (12.7 μg/kg), acetamiprid (10.8 μg/kg), triasophos (12.6 μg/kg), abamectin (14.3 μg/kg), and deltamethrin (10.4 μg/kg). Especially, emamectin benzoate was detected with a high contamination in Banikoara district (18.5 μg/kg). Nevertheless, these contaminations were not deemed threatening from a toxicological perspective. Soils in conventional cotton cultivation displayed lower organic matter levels but higher concentrations of pesticides, whereas soils in organic cotton cultivation were less degraded and contaminated. Consequently, it is imperative to conduct environmental risk assessments and monitor key pesticide metabolites to establish sustainable cotton production systems in Benin.