bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LTA‐OM: Long‐term association LiDAR–IMU odometry and mapping
Authors: Zou Zuhao , Yuan Chongjian , Xu Wei , Li Haotian , Zhou Shunbo , Xue Kaiwen , Zhang Fu
Published: April 2024

This paper focuses on the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)–Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) problem: How to fuse the sensor measurement from the LiDAR and IMU to online estimate robot's poses and build a consistent map of the environment. This paper presents LTA‐OM: an efficient, robust, and accurate LiDAR SLAM system. Employing fast direct LiDAR‐inertial odometry (FAST‐LIO2) and Stable Triangle Descriptor as LiDAR–IMU odometry and the loop detection method, respectively, LTA‐OM is implemented to be functionally complete, including loop detection and correction, false‐positive loop closure rejection, long‐term association (LTA) mapping, and multisession localization and mapping. One novelty of this paper is the real‐time LTA mapping, which exploits the direct scan‐to‐map registration of FAST‐LIO2 and employs the corrected history map to provide direct global constraints to the LIO mapping process. LTA mapping also has the notable advantage of achieving drift‐free odometry at revisit places. Besides, a multisession mode is designed to allow the user to store the current session's results, including the corrected map points, optimized odometry, and descriptor database for future sessions. The benefits of this mode are additional accuracy improvement and consistent map stitching, which is helpful for life‐long mapping. Furthermore, LTA‐OM has valuable features for robot control and path planning, including high‐frequency and real‐time odometry, driftless odometry at revisit places, and fast loop closing convergence. LTA‐OM is versatile as it is applicable to both multiline spinning and solid‐state LiDARs, mobile robots and handheld platforms. In experiments, we exhaustively benchmark LTA‐OM and other state‐of‐the‐art LiDAR systems with 18 data sequences. The results show that LTA‐OM steadily outperforms other systems regarding trajectory accuracy, map consistency, and time consumption. The robustness of LTA‐OM is validated in a challenging scene—a multilevel building having similar structures at different levels. To demonstrate our system, we created a video which can be found on https://youtu.be/DVwppEKlKps.
Bayesian relative composite quantile regression approach of ordinal latent regression model with L1/2 regularization
Authors: Yu‐Zhu Tian , Chun‐Ho Wu , Ling‐Nan Tai , Zhi‐Bao Mian , Mao‐Zai Tian
Published: April 2024

Ordinal data frequently occur in various fields such as knowledge level assessment, credit rating, clinical disease diagnosis, and psychological evaluation. The classic models including cumulative logistic regression or probit regression are often used to model such ordinal data. But these modeling approaches conditionally depict the mean characteristic of response variable on a cluster of predictive variables, which often results in non‐robust estimation results. As a considerable alternative, composite quantile regression (CQR) approach is usually employed to gain more robust and relatively efficient results. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian CQR modeling approach for ordinal latent regression model. In order to overcome the recognizability problem of the considered model and obtain more robust estimation results, we advocate to using the Bayesian relative CQR approach to estimate regression parameters. Additionally, in regression modeling, it is a highly desirable task to obtain a parsimonious model that retains only important covariates. We incorporate the Bayesian penalty into the ordinal latent CQR regression model to simultaneously conduct parameter estimation and variable selection. Finally, the proposed Bayesian relative CQR approach is illustrated by Monte Carlo simulations and a real data application. Simulation results and real data examples show that the suggested Bayesian relative CQR approach has good performance for the ordinal regression models.
Enhancing Corrosion Resistance of Mild Steel in 1M HCl: Investigation of New Benzoxazepine Derivatives Through Synthesis, Electrochemical Analysis, Surface Analysis, XPS, DFT, and Molecular Dynamics Simulation
Authors: Kharbouch O. , Dahmani K. , Errahmany N. , Belkheiri A. , Galai M. , El Hajri F. , Alobaid A. A. , Warad I. , Boukhris S. , Ebn Touhami M. , Nassali H.
Published: April 2024

This research delineates the corrosion inhibitory efficiency of two newly synthesized benzoxazepine derivatives – [3,3‐dimethyl‐11‐phenyl‐3,4,5,11‐tetrahydrodibenzo[b,e] [1,4]oxazepine‐1(2 H)‐one (S1)] and [11‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐3,3‐dimethyl‐3,4,5,11‐tetrahydrodibenzo[b,e][1,4]oxazepine‐1(2 H)‐one (S2)] – on mild steel in 1M HCl milieu. These derivatives were characterized by proton (1H NMR) and carbon (13C NMR) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The experimental approach encompassed potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The corrosion inhibition efficacy of S1 and S2 was concentration‐dependent, with their efficiencies peaking at 92.0 % and 92.1 %, respectively, at a 10−3 M concentration. Surface characterization, conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDS), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), contact angle measurements, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), corroborated the formation of a protective barrier layer on the mild steel surface. Additionally, using an inductive approach, UV‐visible spectrometry was employed to elucidate the adsorption behaviors of these inhibitors on the steel surface. Density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were utilized to decipher the interaction mechanisms and adsorption modalities, unveiling critical insights into the interactions of S1 and S2 with the mild steel surface. This comprehensive analysis highlights the robust corrosion inhibition potential of the newly synthesized benzoxazepine derivatives and illuminates their prospective utility as effective inhibitors for mild steel in corrosive environments.
Robust Synthesis of Hydrophobic Biosorbent for Effective Oil/Organic Solvent Cleanup
Authors: Bondarde Mahesh P. , Dhumal Pratik S. , Lokhande Kshama D. , Bhakare Madhuri A. , Some Surajit
Published: April 2024

Different carbon‐based sorbents are widely used for the refinement of industrial as well as domestic effluent because of their availability, low cost, and excellent hydrophobicity. In this article, the activated biosorbent (ABs) material was prepared and applied to develop a membrane (ABs@Membrane) and sponge (ABs@Sponge) for effective oil and organic solvent cleanup from water mixtures. The one‐pot process was adopted to prepare ABs material by the simple carbonization of naturally available cotton and biowaste chitosan with sulphuric acid. The fabricated ABs@Membrane and ABs@Sponge showed excellent hydrophobicity with excellent water contact angle, i. e., 138.06° and 135.58°, respectively. Moreover, the synthesized ABs@Sponge showed excellent oil/organic solvent absorption capacity in the presence of water, i. e., 40 gm of machine oil and 62 gm of chloroform. Whereas the synthesized ABs@Membrane material showed excellent oil‐water separation efficiency (>90 %) and water flux (219.29 Lm−2 h−1) with a good oil rejection ratio (>91 %). The synthesized ABs@Membrane and ABs@Sponge material showed excellent recyclability performance up to 5th no of consecutive cycles. The straightforward synthesis and fabrication of ABs@Membrane and ABs@Sponge materials with excellent oil rejection ratio and oil/organic solvent separation performance open a new window in the effluent water treatment application.
Synthesis of Polycyclic Pyrrolopyridine Derivatives via Multicomponent Synthesis of 1,5‐Diketones
Authors: Chaurasia Ujjain , Parvin Tasneem
Published: April 2024

A simple, two‐step process was developed for the easy access of polycyclic pyrrolopyridine derivatives. The first step involves a multicomponent reaction of aryl glyoxal, cyclohexane‐1,3‐dione derivatives and 2‐amino‐1,4‐napthoquinone in AcOH: H2O (1 : 1 v/v) under reflux conditions which led to the formation of 1,5‐diketones in 15 min of reaction time. In the second step, the reaction of ammonium acetate with 1,5‐diketones in AcOH under reflux conditions resulted the formation of polycyclic pyrrolopyridine derivatives. All the products were characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS. The single crystal XRD of one compound was recorded to further confirm the structure of the product. The presence of several bioactive moieties in our product, simple reaction process, metal‐free reaction conditions, easy purification method, and good yields of the products are the notable features of this methodology.
Greener Synthesis, Molecular Docking and Anticancer Studies of A New Series of 6‐Hydroxy‐5‐(3‐(3‐hydroxy‐1,4‐dioxo‐1,4‐dihydronaphthalen‐2‐yl)‐2‐oxoindolin‐3‐yl) pyrimidine‐2,4(1H,3H)‐diones
Authors: Tamilselvi Velmurugan , Subramani Maheswari Cinnathambi , Kavishree Venkatesan , Peroli Udhayakumar , Lalitha Appaswami
Published: April 2024

Greener solvent mediated simple and efficient synthesis of 6‐hydroxy‐5‐(3‐(3‐hydroxy‐1,4‐dioxo‐1,4‐dihydronaphthalen‐2‐yl)‐2‐oxoindolin‐3‐yl)pyrimidine‐2,4(1H,3H)‐diones has been achieved through the one‐pot multicomponent condensation reaction between 2‐hydroxy‐1,4‐naphthoquinone, substituted isatin and barbituric acid/thiobarbituric acid/1,3‐dimethylbarbituric acid using ethanol‐water as a solvent without any catalyst at room temperature has been described. Molecular docking studies have been performed with Akt kinase enzyme protein which helped to rationalize the binding energy of all the synthesized compounds. The docking of compound 4d, with human Akt kinase enzyme showed a good binding interaction with lowest binding energy. Based on the results from the molecular docking studies, the compound 4d was further studied for its in‐vitro anticancer activity against human breast cancer cells (MCF‐7) and human normal breast cells (HBL 100) by MTT assay which also proved the potential anticancer activity of 4d.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure, Computational Investigation of Vanillin Azine Derivative as Potent Blocker of the N‐Terminal Ras‐Binding Domain (RBD) in Human a‐Raf Kinase
Authors: Mohamed Shaaban K. , Karthikeyan Subramani , Ahsin Atazaz , Omran Omran A. , Mague Joel T. , Al‐Salahi Rashad , Bakri Youness El
Published: April 2024

Vanillin is the main component of natural vanilla extract and is responsible for its flavoring properties. Besides its well‐known applications as an additive in food and cosmetics. In this, we have synthesized a new vanillin derivative. Its structure was characterized by IR, MS, NMR and confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. The asymmetric unit of the title molecule consists of two independent half molecules, each having crystallographically imposed centrosymmetry. Reticular layers approximately parallel to the bc plane are generated from one molecule through O−H⋅⋅⋅N hydrogen bonds. The layers are linked by the second molecule through O−H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bonds to form a 3‐D network structure. We carried out density functional investigations to understand the compound‘s molecular reactivity and chemical stability. Frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis, global reactivity, and Fukui parameters were calculated at the B3LYP/6‐31+G(d,p) method. In 20 % to 30 % of human malignancies, RAS genes are activated ontogenetically by point mutations. New strategies to block this oncogenic protein are needed since it has proven difficult to create efficient RAS inhibitors. The above‐titled compound shows better structural activity relationship studies against Ras‐binding domine, based on this molecular docking simulation as well as the drug‐likeness analysis carried out for our newly synthesized compound.
Structure, Thermal Properties and Photoluminescence of Terbium and Dysprosium Mixed‐Ligand Complexes with Dimethyl‐N‐Trichloroacetylamidophosphate and 2,2’‐Bipyridine
Authors: Struhatska Mariia B. , Kariaka Nataliia S. , Dyakonenko Viktoriya V. , Shishkina Svitlana V. , Smola Sergii S. , Rusakova Nataliia V. , Trush Viktor O. , Amirkhanov Volodymyr M.
Published: April 2024

Considering the growing interest in lanthanide‐based multifunctional materials two mixed‐ligand complexes [Ln(L)3bipy] (Ln=TbIII, DyIII) with carbacylamidophosphate (CAPh) type ligand – dimethyl‐N‐trichloroacetylamidophosphate (HL) and additional bidentate ligand 2,2’‐bipyridine (bipy) were obtained and studied by X‐ray diffraction study, thermal gravimetric analysis, and luminescence spectroscopy. The obtained complexes are monomeric and isostructural with earlier reported europium analog and crystallizes in the monoclinic system (space group C2/c). They are stable during long‐term storage for at least a couple of years as well as thermally stable up to nearly 200 °C. Both complexes exhibit f–f luminescence upon excitation into the 2,2’‐bipyridine absorption band, being emitters of green (TbIII) and yellow (DyIII) light. The luminescence intensity of the obtained complexes decreases constant exposure to UV radiation for several hours and then stays constant for at least till 32 h.
A Cellulose‐Based Adsorbent using Box‐Behnken Design for the Adsorption of Reactive Blue 19 Dye from Simulated Wastewater
Authors: Yadav Ankita A. , Rajput Swapnil , Yadav Anandkumar , Patwardhan Anand V. , Adivarekar Ravindra V.
Published: April 2024

This study attempts a successful synthesis of a cellulose‐based adsorbent using orthophosphoric acid as a chemical activating agent followed by pyrolysis. A detailed characterization of synthesized adsorbent in terms of its morphology, material crystallinity, and surface area was studied. Batch studies were performed to remove reactive blue 19 dye from its simulated wastewater. The impact of various adsorption parameters such as adsorbent dosage (A: 0.1 to 0.5 g), initial dye concentration (B: 100 to 500 mg/L), contact time (C: 10 to 180 min), pH (D: 2 to 10), temperature (E: 35 to 60 °C) were examined and optimized using on Box‐Behnken method with Response Surface Methodology. The experimentally obtained adsorption data were fitted to different isotherms and kinetic models. The findings prove that more than 96 % of 400 mg/L of RB19 dye removal is possible with 4 g/L dosage in 18.5 min at 50 °C with its original pH of 6.8. Also, three cycles of regenerability and reusability of CBA gives 51.88 % of RB19 dye removal. Moreover, the possibility of using spent adsorbent in the boiler as a fuel was explored. Consequently, this research will contribute to SDG6 by maintaining circularity and sustainability in the entire process.
Psychological intervention programme for developing resilience in the military personnel. A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Turliuc Maria Nicoleta , Balcan Ana‐Diana
Published: April 2024

Military gendarmes are frequently exposed to events with traumatic impact, with negative effects on emotional and physical health. The present research aims to analyse the effectiveness of Military Resilience Training (MRTR), a psychological intervention programme developed to reduce perceived stress, increase the perception of adaptive resources and strengthen resilience. Ninety‐eight participants who met the inclusion criteria were enroled in a single‐blind randomized controlled trial. The psychological training programme was implemented in the intervention group (n = 48) for a duration of 5 months. The participants in the control group (n = 50) were scheduled to start the training later. The levels of perceived stress, adaptive resources and resilience were measured in all participants, from the intervention and the control group, before and after the intervention, and at a 3‐month follow‐up. The effects of the intervention (Cohen's d) were very high for adaptive resources (d = 0.99), self‐schemes (d = 1.33), family support (d = 0.70), and partner support (d = 0.66), average for resilience (d = 0.53) and stress (d = 0.49), with very high effects on military task demands (d = 1.19) and averages for friction with authority (d = 0.51). The effects were obtained only in the intervention group, and all gains were maintained at follow‐up. This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of MRTR, a psychological intervention implemented in the military gendarmerie population. In the short and long term, MRTR has significant effects in reducing perceived stress, increasing the perception of adaptive resources and strengthening the resilience of military gendarmes.
All Roads Lead to Rome: Comparing Nanoparticle‐ and Small Molecule‐Driven Cell Autophagy
Authors: Zhou Xiaofei , Medina‐Ramirez Iliana E. , Su Gaoxing , Liu Yin , Yan Bing
Published: April 2024

Autophagy, vital for removing cellular waste, is triggered differently by small molecules and nanoparticles. Small molecules, like rapamycin, non‐selectively activate autophagy by inhibiting the mTOR pathway, which is essential for cell regulation. This can clear damaged components but may cause cytotoxicity with prolonged use. Nanoparticles, however, induce autophagy, often causing oxidative stress, through broader cellular interactions and can lead to a targeted form known as “xenophagy.” Their impact varies with their properties but can be harnessed therapeutically. In this review, the autophagy induced by nanoparticles is explored and small molecules across four dimensions: the mechanisms behind autophagy induction, the outcomes of such induction, the toxicological effects on cellular autophagy, and the therapeutic potential of employing autophagy triggered by nanoparticles or small molecules. Although small molecules and nanoparticles each induce autophagy through different pathways and lead to diverse effects, both represent invaluable tools in cell biology, nanomedicine, and drug discovery, offering unique insights and therapeutic opportunities.
Strain Engineering of Twisted Bilayer Graphene: The Rise of Strain‐Twistronics
Authors: Hou Yuan , Zhou Jingzhuo , Xue Minmin , Yu Maolin , Han Ying , Zhang Zhuhua , Lu Yang
Published: April 2024

The layer‐by‐layer stacked van der Waals structures (termed vdW hetero/homostructures) offer a new paradigm for materials design—their physical properties can be tuned by the vertical stacking sequence as well as by adding a mechanical twist, stretch, and hydrostatic pressure to the atomic structure. In particular, simple twisting and stacking of two layers of graphene can form a uniform and ordered Moiré superlattice, which can effectively modulate the electrons of graphene layers and lead to the discovery of unconventional superconductivity and strong correlations. However, the twist angle of twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) is almost unchangeable once the interlayer stacking is determined, while applying mechanical elastic strain provides an alternative way to deeply regulate the electronic structure by controlling the lattice spacing and symmetry. In this review, diverse experimental advances are introduced in straining tBLG by in‐plane and out‐of‐plane modes, followed by the characterizations and calculations toward quantitatively tuning the strain‐engineered electronic structures. It is further discussed that the structural relaxation in strained Moiré superlattice and its influence on electronic structures. Finally, the conclusion entails prospects for opportunities of strained twisted 2D materials, discussions on existing challenges, and an outlook on the intriguing emerging field, namely “strain‐twistronics”.
Tunable Surface Charge of Layered Double Hydroxide Membranes Enabling Osmotic Energy Harvesting from Anion Transport
Authors: Qin Si , Yang Guoliang , Wang Shana , Ma Yuxi , Wang Zhiyu , Wang Lifeng , Liu Dan , Lei Weiwei
Published: April 2024

Membrane‐based osmotic energy harvesting is a promising technology with zero carbon footprint. High‐performance ion‐selective membranes (ISMs) are the core components in such applications. Recent advancement in 2D nanomaterials opens new avenues for building highly efficient ISMs. However, the majority of the explored 2D nanomaterials have a negative surface charge, which selectively enhances cation transport, resulting in the underutilization of half of the available ions. In this study, ISMs based on layered double hydroxide (LDH) with tunable positive surface charge are studied. The membranes preferentially facilitate anion transport with high selectivity. Osmotic energy harvesting device based on these membranes reached a power density of 2.31 W m−2 under simulated river/sea water, about eight times versus that of a commercial membrane tested under the same conditions, and up to 7.05 W m−2 under elevated temperature and simulated brine/sea water, and long‐term stability with consistent performance over a 40‐day period. A prototype reverse electrodialysis energy harvesting device, comprising a pair of LDH membranes and commercial cation‐selective membranes, is able to simultaneously harvest energy from both cations and anions achieving a power density of 6.38 W m−2 in simulated river/sea water, demonstrating its potential as building blocks for future energy harvesting systems.
Amorphous Cobalt Polyselenides with Hyperbranched Polymer Additive as High‐Capacity Magnesium Storage Cathode Materials Through Cationic and Anionic Co‐Redox Mechanism
Authors: Li Ting , Ran Lin , Li Hao , Zhang Daohong , Xu Fei
Published: April 2024

Rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) are a promising energy‐storage technology with low cost and high reliability, while the lack of high‐performance cathodes is impeding the development. Herein, a series of amorphous cobalt polyselenides (CoSex, x>2) is synthesized with the assistance of organic amino‐terminal hyperbranched polymer (AHP) additive and investigated as cathodes for RMBs. The coordination of cobalt cations with the amino groups of AHP leads to the formation of amorphous CoSex rather than crystalline CoSe2. The amorphous structure is favorable for magnesium‐storage reaction kinetics, and the polyselenide anions provide extra capacities besides the redox of cobalt cations. Moreover, the organic AHP molecules retained in CoSex‐AHP provide an elastic matrix to accommodate the volume change of conversion reaction. With a moderate x value (2.73) and appropriate AHP content (11.58%), CoSe2.7‐AHP achieves a balance between capacity and cycling stability. Amorphous CoSe2.7‐AHP provides high capacities of 246.6 and 94 mAh g‒1, respectively, at 50 and 2000 A g‒1, as well as a capacity retention rate of 68.5% after 300 cycles. The mechanism study demonstrates CoSex‐AHP undergoes reversible redox of Co2+/3+↔Co0 and Sen2‒↔Se2‒. The present study demonstrates amorphous polyselenides with cationic‐anionic redox activities is as a feasible strategy to construct high‐capacity cathode materials for RMBs.
Spatially Decoupled H2O2 Activation Pathways and Multi‐Enzyme Activities in Rod‐Shaped CeO2 with Implications for Facet Distribution
Authors: Cheng Tianqi , Wu Xinyu , Qiu Yuwei , Yuan Bo , Zhao Chao , Chen Jian Lin , Peng Yung‐Kang
Published: April 2024

CeO2, particularly in the shape of rod, has recently gained considerable attention for its ability to mimic peroxidase (POD) and haloperoxidase (HPO). However, this multi‐enzyme activities unavoidably compete for H2O2 affecting its performance in relevant applications. The lack of consensus on facet distribution in rod‐shaped CeO2 further complicates the establishment of structure‐activity correlations, presenting challenges for progress in the field. In this study, the HPO‐like activity of rod‐shaped CeO2 is successfully enhanced while maintaining its POD‐like activity through a facile post‐calcination method. By studying the spatial distribution of these two activities and their exclusive H2O2 activation pathways on CeO2 surfaces, this study finds that the increased HPO‐like activity originated from the newly exposed (111) surface at the tip of the shortened rods after calcination, while the unchanged POD‐like activity is attributed to the retained (110) surface in their lateral area. These findings not only address facet distribution discrepancies commonly reported in the literature for rod‐shaped CeO2 but also offer a simple approach to enhance its antibacterial performance. This work is expected to provide atomic insights into catalytic correlations and guide the design of nanozymes with improved activity and reaction specificity.
A Small‐Molecule Organic Cathode with Extended Conjugation toward Enhancing Na+ Migration Kinetics for Advanced Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Yao Yuxin , Pei Mengfai , Su Chang , Jin Xin , Qu Yunpeng , Song Zihui , Jiang Wanyuan , Jian Xigao , Hu Fangyuan
Published: April 2024

Organic cathode materials show excellent prospects for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) owing to their high theoretical capacity. However, the high solubility and low electrical conductivity of organic compounds result in inferior cycle stability and rate performance. Herein, an extended conjugated organic small molecule is reported that combines electroactive quinone with piperazine by the structural designability of organic materials, 2,3,7,8‐tetraamino‐5,10‐dihydrophenazine‐1,4,6,9‐tetraone (TDT). Through intermolecular condensation reaction, many redox‐active groups C═O and extended conjugated structures are introduced without sacrificing the specific capacity, which ensures the high capacity of the electrode and enhances rate performance. The abundant NH2 groups can form intermolecular hydrogen bonds with the C═O groups to enhance the intermolecular interactions, resulting in lower solubility and higher stability. The TDT cathode delivers a high initial capacity of 293 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1 and maintains 90 mAh g−1 at an extremely high current density of 70 A g−1. The TDT || Na‐intercalated hard carbon (Na‐HC) full cells provide an average capacity of 210 mAh g−1 during 100 cycles at 500 mA g−1 and deliver a capacity of 120 mAh g−1 at 8 A g−1.
The Role of Photo in Oxygen Evolution Reaction: A Review
Authors: Feng Zihang , Dai Chuanlin , Shi Peng , Lei Xuefei , liu Xuanwen
Published: April 2024

Photo enhanced oxygen evolution reaction has recently emerged as an advanced strategy with great application prospects for highly efficient energy conversion and storage. In the course of photo enhanced oxygen evolution reactions, the other works focus has predominantly centered on catalysts while inadvertently overlooking the pivotal role of photo. Consequently, this manuscript embarks upon a comprehensive review of recent advancements in photo‐driven, aiming to illuminate this critical dimension. A detailed introduction to the photothermal effect, photoelectronic effect, photon‐induced surface plasmon resonance, photo and heterojunction, photo‐induced reversible geometric conversion, photo‐induced energy barrier reduction, photo‐induced chemical effect, photo‐charging, and the synthesis of laser/photo‐assisted catalysts, offering prospects for the development of each case is provided. A detailed introduction to the photothermal effect, photoelectronic effect, photon‐induced surface plasmon resonance, photo and heterojunction, photo‐induced reversible geometric conversion, photo‐induced energy barrier reduction, photo‐induced chemical effect, photo‐charging, and the synthesis of laser/photo‐assisted catalysts is provided. At the same time, the overpotential and Tafel slope of some catalysts mentioned above at 10 mA cm−2 is collected, and calculated the lifting efficiency of light on them, offering prospects for the development of each case.
Software development effort estimation using boosting algorithms and automatic tuning of hyperparameters with Optuna
Authors: Hassanali Maryam , Soltanaghaei Mohammadreza , Javdani Gandomani Taghi , Zamani Boroujeni Farsad
Published: April 2024

Considering the increasing need for software projects, estimating software development efforts is essential and can lead to improved project delivery quality. Machine learning methods are widely used to improve the accuracy of estimation. The boosting method is an ensemble machine learning technique less used in this field. In this research, five boosting algorithms including Adaboost, Gradient boosting, XGBoost, LightGBM, and CatBoost were implemented with the hyperparameter tuning framework Optuna on the ISBSG database. The Optuna is a next‐generation optimization method for automatically tuning hyperparameters of algorithms. Six evaluation criteria MMRE, MdMRE, MAE, MSE, Pred(0.25), and SA were used to evaluate the findings. The results show that the hyperparameter automatic tuning by Optuna increases the accuracy of prediction provided by all five models. When the Catboost algorithm uses Optuna to tune its hyperparameters has made the best prediction among the five algorithms studied in this research. Using Optuna, compared to the case where the algorithm uses its default settings, the highest percentage of prediction improvement was observed in the XGBoost algorithm (except for the SA criterion). Based on the criteria of MMRE, Pred(0.25), and SA, this study has a better prediction than some relatively similar articles.
Ecofriendly Cellulose Substrate‐Based Flexible Transparent Electrode for Flexible Organic Solar Cells with Efficiency Over 18%
Authors: Xiao Zheng , Li Shitong , Liu Jian , Chen Xin , Suo Zhaochen , Li Chenxi , Wan Xiangjian , Chen Yongsheng
Published: April 2024

Flexibility is a key advantage of organic solar cells (OSCs), and the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of flexible OSCs (FOSCs) are primarily constrained by flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs). While much attention has been devoted to the study of conductive layers on FTEs, the importance of flexible substrates in influencing the properties of FTEs and the performance of FOSCs is often overlooked. In this study, an FTE is developed using an eco‐friendly ethyl cellulose (EC) substrate and silver nanowires (AgNWs) as the conductive electrode. The FTE exhibits a high transmittance of up to 88% at 550 nm and a low sheet resistance of 17.65 Ω/□. Consequently, FOSCs based on the EC/PI FTEs achieve a remarkable PCE of 18.05%, comparable to that on the rigid ITO substrate. The flexible devices also demonstrate excellent bending and peeling durability even under extreme bending conditions.
Morphological disparity and evolutionary patterns of Cambrian hyoliths
Authors: Liu Fan , Topper Timothy P. , Strotz Luke C. , Liang Yue , Hu Yazhou , Skovsted Christian B. , Zhang Zhifei
Published: April 2024

Hyolitha represent one of the major constituents of the Cambrian Evolutionary Fauna, first appearing in the Terreneuvian and rapidly diversifying soon after. Recent work has both enriched the hyolith fossil record and expanded our understanding of their biology, but studies documenting the evolutionary trajectory of Cambrian hyoliths remain scarce. Here we present the first study of changes in morphological disparity in Cambrian hyoliths over time with the aim of characterizing the evolutionary trajectory of hyoliths throughout their primary period of diversification. Our results show that hyoliths occupied distinct regions of morphospace at different times during the Cambrian, with an expansion in morphospace occupation associated with the increase in hyolith diversity in the early Cambrian. Both the Sinsk Event and multiple abiotic factors led to a decline in hyolith diversity in the Miaolingian, and morphological disparity also contracts in association with this reduction in diversity.
A Comparative Case Study of GELT Implementation in U.S.‐Based University English Language Programs
Authors: Crowther Dustin , Doyama Akiko , Shin Milang , Gilliland Betsy
Published: April 2024

The increased global use of English has brought calls for a reconceptualization of English language teaching (ELT). Despite several frameworks for implementing Global Englishes (GE) into ELT, little research considers the effects of curriculum intervention or how such intervention varies across contexts. Addressing this gap, this comparative case study examines two graduate‐level English language instructors who completed a ‘GE Pedagogies’ course in fall 2022 and implemented the skills gained in their spring 2023 teaching. Data was elicited through teacher research, with an analytical emphasis on the teachers' reflection journals. We present a narrative for each teacher that describes their processes for implementing GE into their courses. Comparative analysis of the two narratives indicated that despite a shared goal to raise students' awareness of GE and develop intercultural communication skills, one teacher's practices were more limited due to the specific needs of her course. As such, she had to pursue GE goals through somewhat different means. Our findings indicate that while implementing GE into ELT is indeed possible, flexibility in reference to how this is done is required.
Biogas generation through anaerobic digestion of orange peel waste and crude glycerol in single‐stage and two‐stage batch system
Authors: Guedes Maria Teresa de Jesus Camelo , Soroka Vinícius Duarte , Marder Munique , Stacke Camila Naiele Giovanella , Konrad Odorico , Silva Maria Cristina de Almeida
Published: April 2024

Orange peel waste (OPW) and crude glycerol (CG) can be used in anaerobic processes. To avoid inhibition due to D‐limonene from OPW, the process can be carried out in two stages. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the generation of methane in biogas through the anaerobic digestion of OPW and CG, individually and mixed, in a single‐stage and two‐stage batch system. For this purpose, the biochemical methane potential (BMP) of the wastes, separately and mixed, was determined in a single‐stage system (methanogenic phase) and in a two‐stage system (acidogenic and methanogenic), following the German standard VDI 4630. The results obtained were statistically analyzed using Shapiro−Wilk and non‐parametric tests. For OPW, the BMP value found was 160.5 m3 CH4. tonSV−1. For CG, the result for BMP was 344.8 m3 CH4. tonVS−1. The result of these mixed wastes was equivalent to 501.3 m3 CH4. tonSV−1, for BMP. Through the statistical tests used, it was found that the use of OPW and CG, separately and mixed, in the two‐stage system does not present a statistically significant difference in the production of biogas when using the same wastes in a single‐stage system. However, it was found that the co‐digestion of these wastes is promising for biogas generation and contributes to managing these agro‐industrial wastes.
Neurological adverse effects of isoxazoline exposure in cats and dogs
Authors: Bates Nicola , Dijkman Marieke A. , Edwards John Nicholas
Published: April 2024

Background

Isoxazolines are rarely reported to be associated with neurological adverse events in cats and dogs, but information about the onset and duration of neurological signs is lacking in the summary of product characteristics of these medicines.

Methods

The Veterinary Poisons Information Service and the Dutch Poisons Information Center databases were searched using the Veterinary Dictionary for Drug‐Related Affairs terms for ataxia, muscle tremor, convulsions or hyperesthesia in cats and dogs exposed to isoxazolines.

Results

There were 22 cases with and 57 cases without outcome information, mostly involving fluralaner or sarolaner. In both groups, muscle tremors and convulsions were the most common signs. In dogs, neurological signs occurred with oral therapeutic dose and overdosage. In cats, most fluralaner cases involved therapeutic topical exposure, and all sarolaner cases involved oral exposure. In all cases with outcome information, the animals recovered.

Limitations

Cases discussed with poison centres tend to involve more severe signs.

Conclusion

The true incidence of neurological adverse effects from isoxazolines remains unclear. The delay between the administration and onset of signs can be long, and the association may be missed. A lack of timing information in the summary of product characteristics could also contribute to missed attribution of adverse effects.
SLIPMAP: Fast and Robust Manifold Visualisation for Explainable AI
Authors: Björklund Anton , Seppäläinen Lauri , Puolamäki Kai
Published: April 2024

We propose a new supervised manifold visualisation method, slipmap, that finds local explanations for complex black-box supervised learning methods and creates a two-dimensional embedding of the data items such that data items with similar local explanations are embedded nearby. This work extends and improves our earlier algorithm and addresses its shortcomings: poor scalability, inability to make predictions, and a tendency to find patterns in noise. We present our visualisation problem and provide an efficient GPU-optimised library to solve it. We experimentally verify that slipmap is fast and robust to noise, provides explanations that are on the level or better than the other local explanation methods, and are usable in practice.
Associations between recorded loneliness and adverse mental health outcomes among patients receiving mental healthcare in South London: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Parmar Mayur , Ma Ruimin , Attygalle Sumudu , Herath Maaheshi Deepika , Mueller Christoph , Stubbs Brendon , Stewart Robert , Perera Gayan
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Loneliness disproportionately affects people with mental disorders, but associations with mental health outcomes in groups affected remain less well understood.

Method

A cohort of patients receiving mental healthcare on 30th June 2012 was assembled from a large mental health records database covering a south London catchment area. Recorded loneliness within the preceding 2 years was extracted using natural language processing and outcomes were measured between 30th June 2012 until 30th December 2019, except for survival which applied a censoring point of 6th December 2020 according to data available at the time of extraction. The following mental healthcare outcomes: (i) time to first crisis episode; (ii) time to first emergency presentation; (iii) all-cause mortality; (iv) days active to service per year; and (v) face-to-face contacts per year.

Results

Loneliness was recorded in 4,483 (16.7%) patients in the study population and fully adjusted models showed associations with subsequent crisis episode (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.07–1.29), emergency presentation (HR 1.30, 1.21–1.40), days active per year (IRR 1.04, 1.03–1.05), and face-to-face contacts per year (IRR 1.28, 1.27–1.30). Recorded loneliness in patients with substance misuse problems was particularly strongly associated with adverse outcomes, including risk of emergency presentation (HR 1.68, 1.29–2.18) and mortality (HR 1.29, 1.01–1.65).

Conclusion

Patients receiving mental healthcare who are recorded as lonely have a higher risk of several adverse outcomes which may require a need for higher service input.
Performance of vision transformer and swin transformer models for lemon quality classification in fruit juice factories
Authors: Dümen Sezer , Kavalcı Yılmaz Esra , Adem Kemal , Avaroglu Erdinç
Published: April 2024

Assessing the quality of agricultural products holds vital significance in enhancing production efficiency and market viability. The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has notably surged for this purpose, employing deep learning and machine learning techniques to process and classify agricultural product images, adhering to defined standards. This study focuses on the lemon dataset, encompassing ‘good’ and ‘bad’ quality classes, initiate by augmenting data through rescaling, random zoom, flip, and rotation methods. Subsequently, employing eight diverse deep learning approaches and two transformer methods for classification, the study culminated in the ViT method achieving an unprecedented 99.84% accuracy, 99.95% recall, and 99.66% precision, marking the highest accuracy documented. These findings strongly advocate for the efficacy of the ViT method in successfully classifying lemon quality, spotlighting its potential impact on agricultural quality assessment.
Structural characteristics of gut microbiota in longevity from Changshou town, Hubei, China
Authors: Ai Xu , Liu Yu , Shi Jinrong , Xie Xiongwei , Li Linzi , Duan Rui , Lv Yongling , Xiong Kai , Miao Yuanxin , Zhang Yonglian
Published: April 2024

The gut microbiota (GM) and its potential functions play a crucial role in maintaining host health and longevity. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between GM and longevity. We collected fecal samples from 92 healthy volunteers (middle-aged and elderly: 43–79 years old; longevity: ≥ 90 years old) from Changshou Town, Zhongxiang City, Hubei, China. In addition, we collected samples from 30 healthy middle-aged and elderly controls (aged 51–70 years) from Wuhan, Hubei. The 16S rDNA V3 + V4 region of the fecal samples was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing technology. Diversity analysis results showed that the elderly group with longevity and the elderly group with low body mass index (BMI) exhibited higher α diversity. However, no significant difference was observed in β diversity. The results of the microbiome composition indicate that Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidota are the core phyla in all groups. Compared to younger elderly individuals, Akkermansia and Lactobacillus are significantly enriched in the long-lived elderly group, while Megamonas is significantly reduced. In addition, a high abundance of Akkermansia is a significant characteristic of elderly populations with low BMI values. Furthermore, the functional prediction results showed that the elderly longevity group had higher abilities in short-chain fatty acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and xenobiotic biodegradation. Taken together, our study provides characteristic information on GM in the long-lived elderly population in Changshou Town. This study can serve as a valuable addition to the current research on age-related GM.

Key points

• The gut microbiota of elderly individuals with longevity and low BMI exhibit higher alpha diversity

• Gut microbiota diversity did not differ significantly between genders in the elderly population

• Several potentially beneficial bacteria (e.g., Akkermansia and Lactobacillus) are enriched in long-lived individuals
Integrating bulk and single-cell sequencing data to construct a Scissor+ dendritic cells prognostic model for predicting prognosis and immune responses in ESCC
Authors: Cheng Maosheng , Xiong Jianqi , Liu Qianwen , Zhang Caihua , Li Kang , Wang Xinyuan , Chen Shuang
Published: April 2024

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is characterized by molecular heterogeneity with various immune cell infiltration patterns, which have been associated with therapeutic sensitivity and resistance. In particular, dendritic cells (DCs) are recently discovered to be associated with prognosis and survival in cancer. However, how DCs differ among ESCC patients has not been fully comprehended. Recently, the advance of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) enables us to profile the cell types, states, and lineages in the heterogeneous ESCC tissues. Here, we dissect the ESCC tumor microenvironment at high resolution by integrating 192,078 single cells from 60 patients, including 4379 DCs. We then used Scissor, a method that identifies cell subpopulations from single-cell data that are associated bulk samples with genomic and clinical information, to stratify DCs into Scissorhi and Scissorlow subtypes. We applied the Scissorhi gene signature to stratify ESCC scRNAseq patient, and we found that PD-L1, TIGIT, PVR and IL6 ligand-receptor-mediated cell interactions existed mainly in Scissorhi patients. Finally, based on the Scissor results, we successfully developed a validated prognostic risk model for ESCC and further validated the reliability of the risk prediction model by recruiting 40 ESCC clinical patients. This information highlights the importance of these genes in assessing patient prognosis and may help in the development of targeted or personalized therapies for ESCC.
T-cell subsets and cytokines are indicative of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy responses in NSCLC
Authors: Yi Ling , Xu Ziwei , Ma Tianyu , Wang Chong , Wei Panjian , Xiao Bo , Zhang Hongtao , Che Nanying , Liu Zhidong , Han Yi
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade combined with chemotherapy is a promising treatment for resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet the immunological mechanisms contributing to tumor regression and biomarkers corresponding to different pathological responses remain unclear.

Methods

Using dynamic and paired blood samples from NSCLC patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, we analyzed the frequencies of CD8 + T-cell and Treg subsets and their dynamic changes during neoadjuvant treatment through flow cytometry. Cytokine profiles and function-related gene expression of CD8 + T cells and Tregs were analyzed through flow cytometry and mRNA-seq. Infiltrating T-cell subsets in resected tissues from patients with different pathological responses were analyzed through multiplex immunofluorescence.

Results

Forty-two NSCLC patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy were enrolled and then underwent surgical resection and pathological evaluation. Nineteen patients had pCR (45%), 7 patients had MPR (17%), and 16 patients had non-MPR (38%). In patients with pCR, the frequencies of CD137 + CD8 + T cells (P = 0.0475), PD-1 + Ki-67 + CD8 + T cells (P = 0.0261) and Tregs (P = 0.0317) were significantly different from those of non-pCR patients before treatment. pCR patients usually had low frequencies of CD137 + CD8 + T cells, PD-1 + Ki-67 + CD8 + T cells and Tregs, and their AUCs were higher than that of tissue PD-L1 expression. Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy markedly improved CD8 + T-cell proliferation and activation, especially in pCR patients, as the frequencies of CD137 + CD8 + (P = 0.0136) and Ki-67 + CD8 + (P = 0.0391) T cells were significantly increased. The blood levels of cytokines such as IL-2 (P = 0.0391) and CXCL10 (P = 0.0195) were also significantly increased in the pCR group, which is consistent with the high density of activated cytotoxic T cells at the tumor site (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy drives CD8 + T cells toward a proliferative and active profile. The frequencies of CD137 + CD8 + T cells, PD-1 + Ki-67 + CD8 + T cells and Tregs at baseline might predict the response to neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in NSCLC patients. The increase in IL-2 and CXCL10 might reflect the chemotaxis and enrichment of cytotoxic T cells at the tumor site and a better response to neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy.