bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TOX Does Not Drive Sepsis‐Induced T‐Cell Exhaustion
Authors: Qin Yingyu , Qian Yilin , Liu Shengqiu , Chen Rong
Published: December 2024

The immune system undergoes profound dysregulation in sepsis, characterized by hyperinflammation in the acute phase followed by long‐lasting immunosuppression. T‐cell exhaustion has been proposed as one facet of sepsis‐related immunosuppression, which is characterized by impaired effector function and continuous expression of PD1. However, the current analysis of T‐cell exhaustion in the post‐sepsis is inadequate. Our current study has identified a progressive increase in the frequency of CD44+CD11a+ memory T cells during the post‐sepsis phase, accompanied by the upregulation of exhaustion markers (PD‐1, Lag3, and Tim3) and functional impairments in these cells. TOX is traditionally recognized as a key regulator driving CD8+ T‐cell exhaustion in cancer and chronic infection. However, we demonstrate that TOX does not play a critical role in T‐cell exhaustion during chronic sepsis but rather is involved in T‐cell effector function. Both knockout and “knockdown” of TOX failed to alleviate sepsis‐induced T‐cell exhaustion. Instead, deletion of TOX impaired the effector function of T cells in chronic sepsis, contradicting its impact on short‐term TCR engagement. Our study provides a novel insight into sepsis‐induced T‐cell exhaustion, highlighting the distinct characteristics of T‐cell exhaustion programmed by sepsis.
Electrokinetic Power‐Series Solution in Narrow Cylindrical Capillaries for All Zeta Potentials
Authors: Khalifa Sam , Villegas Arturo , Diez Francisco J.
Published: December 2024

Work from Rice and Whitehead showed the results of electrokinetic flow in a capillary tube under the assumption of low zeta potential 25 mV, limiting the approximation's usability. Further research conducted by Philip and Wooding provided an alternative solution that assumes high zeta potentials 25 mV and relies on Rice and Whitehead's solution for lower ranges. However, this solution is presented as a piecewise function, where the functions change based on the zeta potential and the parameter, introducing infinite values for the zeta potential and discontinuities in the derived functions. This paper aims to provide a singular equation solution to the full Poisson–Boltzmann equation for a long cylindrical capillary for all zeta potentials. This solution is a single, continuous, and finite function that produces exact results instead of approximations for all ranges of zeta potential. This exact solution is compared against published approximate solutions for large zeta potentials shown by comparing the large zeta potential approximation with the new exact solution. Important parameters such as volume transport and apparent viscosity were found to have errors of up to 9.76%–57.4%, respectively. The function has errors of up to 10.5% compared to our full solution.
How Grambling State University's Adrienne Webber helped create the first HBCU digital library
Authors: Elfman Lois
Published: December 2024

In August, Grambling State University LA made history when it opened its state‐of‐the‐art, 50,000 square foot digital library, making it the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and first institution in Louisiana to have such a facility. The library has 150 computer stations, 17,000 square feet of study space and multipurpose space for events, meetings and seminars.
Two‐stage stochastic robust optimal scheduling of virtual power plant considering source load uncertainty
Authors: Zhang Xiaohui , Liu Yufei
Published: December 2024

Aiming at the optimal scheduling problem of virtual power plant (VPP) with multiple uncertainties on the source‐load side, this paper proposes a two‐stage stochastic robust optimal scheduling method considering the uncertainty of the source‐load side. This method combines the characteristics of robust optimization and stochastic optimization to model the source‐load uncertainty differentiation. The Wasserstein generative adversarial network with gradient penalty (WGAN‐GP) is used to generate electric and thermal load scenarios, and then K‐medoids clustering is used to obtain several typical scenarios. The min–max–min two‐stage stochastic robust optimization model is constructed, and the column constraint generation (C&CG) algorithm and dual theory are used to solve the problem, and the scheduling scheme with the lowest operating cost in the worst scenario is obtained.
Carer Outcomes From a Residential Treatment Service for Eating Disorders
Authors: Day Sinead , Mitchison Deborah , Gill Katherine , Rankin Rebekah , Tannous W. Kathy , Hay Phillipa
Published: December 2024

Objective

Eating disorders often result in distress, relationship impairment, and emotional, social, and financial burden for family members and other loved ones. However, carer outcomes from eating disorder treatment are under‐researched, particularly residential settings. This study aimed to examine carer outcomes from a transdiagnostic residential service for eating disorders, which included therapist‐led psychoeducation and peer support for carers.

Method

Measures of carer burden, accommodation and enabling of eating disorder symptoms, psychological distress, and health‐related quality of life were completed at pre‐treatment and three months' post‐treatment by 51 carers (66.7% parents).

Results

Linear mixed effects modelling found significant improvement in carer burden (b = −5.80, p = 0.033), accommodation and enabling of eating disorder symptoms (b = −13.32, p = 0.003), and psychological distress (b = −3.19 p = 0.026), with medium to large effect sizes (d = −0.76–1.32). Averaged across time, women reported significantly greater carer burden than men (b = 12.42, p = 0.011).

Conclusions

Findings support the effectiveness of residential treatment for carers, including improvement in behaviours that are likely to support eating disorder recovery. Future research is needed to determine what elements in residential treatment, the caregiving relationship, and beyond contribute to these positive outcomes.

Trial Registration: The study was prospectively registered on the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry in November 2021, registration number ACTRN12621001651875
Identification of Ferroptosis‐Related Gene in Age‐Related Macular Degeneration Using Machine Learning
Authors: Zhu Meijiang , Yu Jing
Published: December 2024

Background

Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of irreversible visual impairment, with dry AMD being the most prevalent form. Programmed cell death of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells is a central mechanism in the pathogenesis of dry AMD. Ferroptosis, a recently identified form of programmed cell death, is characterized by iron accumulation‐induced lipid peroxidation. This study aimed to investigate the involvement of ferroptosis in the progression of AMD.

Methods

A total of 41 samples of AMD and 50 normal samples were obtained from the data set GSE29801 for differential gene expression analysis and functional enrichment. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected and intersected with genes from the ferroptosis database to obtain differentially expressed ferroptosis‐associated genes (DEFGs). Machine learning algorithms were employed to screen diagnostic genes. The diagnostic genes were subjected to Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Expression differences of diagnostic genes were validated in in vivo and in vitro models.

Results

We identified 462 DEGs when comparing normal and AMD samples. The GO enrichment analysis indicated significant involvement in key biological processes like collagen‐containing extracellular matrix composition, positive cell adhesion regulation, and extracellular matrix organization. Through the intersection with ferroptosis gene sets, we pinpointed 10 DEFGs. Leveraging machine learning algorithms, we pinpointed five ferroptosis feature diagnostic genes: VEGFA, SLC2A1, HAMP, HSPB1, and FADS2. The subsequent experiments validated the increased expression of SLC2A1 and FADS2 in the AMD ferroptosis model.

Conclusion

The occurrence of ferroptosis could potentially contribute to the advancement of AMD. SLC2A1 and FADS2 have demonstrated promise as emerging diagnostic biomarkers and plausible therapeutic targets for AMD.
Equitable List Coloring of Planar Graphs With Given Maximum Degree
Authors: Kierstead H. A. , Kostochka Alexandr , Xiang Zimu
Published: December 2024

If is a list assignment of colors to each vertex of an ‐vertex graph , then an equitable ‐coloring of is a proper coloring of vertices of from their lists such that no color is used more than times. A graph is equitably ‐choosable if it has an equitable ‐coloring for every ‐list assignment . In 2003, Kostochka, Pelsmajer, and West (KPW) conjectured that an analog of the famous Hajnal–Szemerédi Theorem on equitable coloring holds for equitable list coloring, namely, that for each positive integer every graph with maximum degree at most is equitably ‐choosable. The main result of this paper is that for each and each planar graph , a stronger statement holds: if the maximum degree of is at most , then is equitably ‐choosable. In fact, we prove the result for a broader class of graphs—the class of the graphs in which each bipartite subgraph with has at most edges. Together with some known results, this implies that the KPW Conjecture holds for all graphs in , in particular, for all planar graphs. We also introduce the new stronger notion of strongly equitable (SE, for short) list coloring and prove all bounds for this parameter. An advantage of this is that if a graph is SE ‐choosable, then it is both equitably ‐choosable and equitably ‐colorable, while neither of being equitably ‐choosable and equitably ‐colorable implies the other.
Reconstruction of 2‐m Air Temperature From ERA5 Reanalysis at Dome A, Antarctica
Authors: Wu Yifan , Jiang Yu , Zhang Yi , Li Yichen , Chen Xin , Zhang Wenqian , Zhao Xi
Published: December 2024

In this study, we jointly used in situ air temperature from AWS and reanalysis data from ERA5 to make the first‐ever reconstruction of a 42‐year (1978–2020) air temperature time series for Dome A, Antarctica. By analysing the impact of environmental variables, we found that the 10‐m u‐component of wind was the predominant one for air temperature bias between ERA5 and AWS, followed by total cloud cover. Air temperature deviations between ERA5 and AWS during the period of 2005–2020 were successfully reduced by applying a random forest (RF) model, decreasing the bias by 0.52°C, the RMSE by 3.16°C and the MAE by 2.77°C. We next applied the RF model to predict the 2‐m air temperature difference which was added back to correct ERA5 from 1978 to 2004. This yielded an accurate time series of air temperature from 1978 to 2020. Using the innovative trend analysis method to analyse the temperature trend of the corrected data, we found that Dome A has experienced a gradual warming of 0.10°C dec−1 over the 42‐year period. Among the seasonal temperature changes, spring showed a significant warming trend of 0.57°C dec−1, autumn and winter showed no significant warming, while summer showed a slightly cooling trend. Also, over the 42‐year analysis period, a stable oscillation period of ~28 year was observed. This cycle emerged as the dominant pattern, influencing the overall temperature evolution. The method proposed in this research, which combines machine learning with AWS to correct ERA5 air temperature data, holds the potential to address spurious changes of reanalysis data in long‐time series studies, thus improving the reliability of trend analyses.
Combination of Micro‐Raman and Infrared Spectroscopy to Identify Intriguing Case of Aged Microplastics of Estuarine Sediments
Authors: dos Santos Jacinete Lima , Bereczki Allan , Pascoal Diego Roberto da Cunha , Gimiliani Giovana Teixeira , Cotrim Marycel Elena Barboza , de Freitas Anderson Zanardi , Wetter Niklaus Ursus , Parra Duclerc Fernandes
Published: December 2024

The Atlantic Forest is one of the richest regions in biodiversity in the world. Originally the biome covered around 15% of the Brazilian territory. Currently, there are approximately 12.4% of forest remnants preserved in the country. Regarding mangrove areas in the state of São Paulo, there are around 223 km2 according to the Brazilian Mangrove Atlas, with around 120.5 km2 located in Baixada Santista. Analysis of sediments found in the estuarine mangroves of Santos shows a high concentration of microplastics (MPs), generated by industrial processes and human activity, that constitutes today one of the main environmental problems. The MPs presented in the sediment samples are quantified using a methodology that involves drying, sieving, quantification, and identification of these MPs through FTIR and micro‐Raman spectroscopy. The two techniques complement each other to identify MP filaments and fragments through common polymer spectra. Furthermore, the micro‐Raman technique also identified additives flexo blue (blue ink) and neolan green 8G (dye) in MPs. All identified polymers (< 5 mm) have wide applications and demands in various sectors, including packaging, construction, automotive, electronics, and textiles.
Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties and Adhesive Strength of Polychloroprene‐Based Adhesives
Authors: Rosa Gabriel Bachega , Mello Sandra Aparecida Coelho , Cassu Silvana Navarro
Published: December 2024

In the present study, polychloroprene (CR) compounds containing different vulcanization agents and fumed silica at varied content are evaluated for application as adhesives. The vulcanization systems are based on zinc oxide (ZnO) or ferric acetylacetonate (FeAc). The fumed silica content varied from 0.3 up to 2.0 phr only in CR–FeAc compounds. The rheometric results indicated that the CR compounds containing FeAc reached a higher crosslink density, ≈ 1.5 higher than that observed for the CR compound vulcanized with the ZnO system. After vulcanization, the CR–ZnO compound shows the highest tensile strength and elongation at break. In the T‐Peel tests, in which different solvents are tested in the unvulcanized CR compounds, the compositions containing ZnO in toluene/methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) show the highest adhesive strength. Among the CR–FeAc compounds, the addition of 2 phr of fumed silica results in the highest tensile strength and elongation at break, while the compound containing 1 phr of fumed silica shows the highest adhesive strength.
Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(butyl acrylate‐co‐farnesene) by Emulsion Polymerization Technique for Pressure‐Sensitive Adhesives
Authors: Rodrigues Lina Dayse Alcantara , Oliveira Maurício Pinheiro
Published: December 2024

The development of new sustainable materials has been growing in the last few years, especially polymers derived from renewable monomers to replace petroleum‐derived monomers in adhesive applications. In this context, copolymerization of β‐Farnesene (Far) with n‐butyl acrylate (BA) using different ratios of BA and Far (100/0, 80/20, and 50/50 wt/wt) is investigated by semi‐bath emulsion polymerization for use in pressure‐sensitive adhesives (PSA). Latexes with different BA and Far contents are obtained with good colloidal stability and a hydrodynamic diameter range of 120–140 nm. The copolymerization between Far and BA is confirmed by FT‐IR and DSC analyses. As the Far content increases, both overall conversion, elongation at break, and loop tack decrease. On the other hand, the lass transition temperature (Tg), gel content, and shear strength increase. The glass transition temperature of copolymers is higher than the theoretical Tg values and is dependent on the Far contents. The use of Far provides additional insights for the production of bio‐based PSAs by emulsion polymerization, which is characterized by an increase in both shear strength and cohesion. Among the proportions of BA/Far studied, the most promising results for application in PSA tapes are 80 wt% of BA and 20 wt% of Far.
All‐Cause and Cause‐Specific Mortality in Tourette Syndrome and Chronic Tic Disorder
Authors: Fernández de la Cruz Lorena , Isomura Kayoko , Kuja‐Halkola Ralf , Lichtenstein Paul , Larsson Henrik , Chang Zheng , D'Onofrio Brian M. , Brikell Isabel , Sidorchuk Anna , Mataix‐Cols David
Published: December 2024

Background

Tourette syndrome (TS) and chronic tic disorder (CTD) may be associated with an increased risk of mortality, but specific causes of death are poorly understood.

Objectives

In this matched cohort and sibling cohort study, we estimated the risk of all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality in individuals with TS/CTD, compared with unaffected matched individuals and unaffected full siblings.

Methods

We identified all individuals diagnosed with TS/CTD in the Swedish National Patient Register who were living in the country between 1973 and 2020 and matched them (1:10) to individuals without TS/CTD from the general population. We also identified their siblings without TS/CTD. All‐cause and cause‐specific mortality outcomes, based on the International Classification of Diseases codes, were extracted from the Cause of Death Register. Covariates included sociodemographic variables and psychiatric disorders. Risks of mortality were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Results

We included 10,280 individuals with TS/CTD and 102,800 matched individuals without TS/CTD. In adjusted models, individuals with TS/CTD had an 86% increased hazard of all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.86, 95% confidence interval: 1.65–2.11). The increased risk was observed for both natural (particularly nervous, digestive, and respiratory system diseases) and unnatural causes of death (including suicides and accidents). The sibling comparison showed similar results, indicating that the associations were unlikely to be explained by familial confounding.

Conclusions

Individuals with TS/CTD are at increased risk of death due to both natural and unnatural causes. As some of these deaths are potentially preventable, greater focus on the somatic health of individuals with TS/CTD is warranted. © 2024 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Surface modification of basalt fiber using to reinforce polycarbonate composites and its mechanical performance
Authors: Huang Min , Liu Hengquan , Xiang Qian , Zhang Yufei
Published: December 2024

Basalt fibers (BF) are often used as reinforcement of composite materials owing to their high strength, heat resistance, and corrosion resistance. The surface‐interface interaction between the fibers and the matrix material plays a key role in determining the mechanical properties of the composite. In this work, BF‐polycarbonate (PC) composites were prepared using melt blending and extrusion molding. BF was modified with 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) to enhance surface roughness and improve interfacial bonding, resulting in modified fibers (KBF). The bending strength of KBF‐PC was increased 28.8% compared with unmodified BF‐PC. Further modification of BF using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and KH550 to obtain PKBF, resulting in a 42.26% increase in bending strength. To further enhance the mechanical properties of the composites, PKBF was modified with nano‐alumina, resulting in a 48.41% increase in bending strength. The relationship between fiber content and composite mechanical properties was studied using theoretical models such as Halpin‐Tsai, Kelly‐Tyson, and ROM. The mechanisms by which different modified fibers enhance the mechanical strength of composites were explored. The interfacial compatibility between the matrix material and BF would be significantly improved through surface modification, resulting in enhanced mechanical performance of the composite.

Highlights

PEG‐KH550 treatment of basalt fibers to enhance interfacial adhesion.

Al2O3 modified basalt fibers to enhance the bending strength of the composite.

Treated fibers exhibit improved tensile and bending properties of composite.

The mathematical model shows the reliability of the experimental data.
Micromechanics‐based theoretical modeling and analysis of temperature and moisture‐dependent tensile strength of fiber‐reinforced polymer composites at hygrothermal conditions
Authors: Li Ying , Zuo Mini , Lin Yi , Mai Zhipeng , Deng Qian , Yang Mengqing , Li Weiguo
Published: December 2024

This study examines the failure mechanisms of fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in hygrothermal conditions and develops a theoretical model for tensile strength prediction of FRP composites at various moisture and temperature levels. The model defines the function of water content in hygrothermal conditions and presents a physically‐based framework for temperature and moisture‐dependent tensile strength (TMDTS). It is based on the force‐heat equivalence energy density (FHEED) concept. The model considers how the tensile strength is affected by temperature, Young's modulus, and particularly the hygrothermal conditions. It is confirmed by contrasting the proposed model's reasonableness with the available experimental data. Additionally, the work examined the factors affecting the FRP composites' tensile strength in a range of temperature and moisture conditions, and offering insightful knowledge about their properties. Ultimately, this study not only presents a reasonable theoretical approach for forecasting FRP composites' tensile strength under hygrothermal conditions but also offers suggestions for material evaluation and composites enhancement.

Highlights

A physics‐based temperature and moisture‐dependent strength model is proposed.

The model considers the effect of hygrothermal condition on the tensile strength.

The temperature and moisture‐dependent tensile strength can be well predicted.

This study deepens the understanding on the mechanical properties degradation.
Optimization of carbon nanotubes in carbon black‐filled natural rubber: Constitutive modeling and verification using finite element analysis
Authors: Zhang Jiaqi , Wang Baokai , Yong Zhanfu
Published: December 2024

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are novel one‐dimensional nanomaterials with a large aspect ratio and specific surface area, exhibiting excellent electrical and thermal properties that have led to their extensive utilization in rubber nanocomposites. In this paper, the effect of CNTs and carbon black juxtaposition on the properties of natural rubber is investigated using two different structures of CNTs, namely GC‐30 and GT‐210. The experimental results show that GT‐210 CNTs exhibit superior performance when incorporated into natural rubber. In addition, finite elements are employed for constitutive modeling to facilitate meaningful explorations in mechanical calculation and characterization of rubber filled with CNTs. Simulating the mechanical behavior of rubber materials under different working conditions (tensile and compressive) offers a cost‐effective and time‐efficient approach to predicting and optimizing material performance.

Highlights

Characterization of filler dispersion by Mooney–Rivlin curves.

Fitting material stress–strain behavior using constitutive models.

Offers an approach to predicting and optimizing material performance.
Plant biodiversity, vegetation structure and provisioning services in rainforest, traditional and industrial oil palm cultivation systems in Liberia, West Africa
Authors: Marshall Cicely A. M. , Guahn Marshall M. , Jones Tiecanna , Jah Morris T. , Hadfield Peter M. , Saputra Ari , Widodo Rudy , Freeman Benedictus , Draper William , Caliman Jean‐Pierre , Turner Edgar C. , Pashkevich Michael D.
Published: December 2024

Societal Impact Statement

Oil palm is native to the west African forest, where industrial production is expanding. We assessed differences in plant biodiversity, vegetation structure and provisioning services across 54 forest, community agriculture and oil palm plots in Sinoe County, Liberia. Traditional cultivation systems have lower ecological impacts in terms of species richness, composition, canopy height and structural complexity compared with industrial production, though yields per hectare are likely to be lower. Traditional systems can inspire improved management of industrial plantations, including choice of cover crop, intercropping with locally valued species and reduced clearance and pesticide regimes, increasing biodiversity and local food security.

Tropical agriculture contributes to national and global food security, but the conversion of natural habitats to agriculture has severe consequences for biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and society. Significant research efforts have focussed on improving the sustainability of palm oil production in Asia, but less research has been conducted in the African forest zone, where oil palm is native and production is expanding.

Working within the Sustainable Oil Palm in West Africa (SOPWA) Project (Sinoe County, Liberia), we surveyed canopy trees and understorey plants in 54 plots distributed equally across three ecological systems ‐ rainforest, traditionally‐cultivated oil palm (“country palm”) and industrially‐managed oil palm ‐ to assess differences in plant biodiversity, vegetation structure and provisioning services.

Traditionally‐cultivated oil palm systems had intermediate plant biodiversity (species richness, weighted endemism) and structure (canopy height, complexity) compared with industrial production or rainforest. Provisioning services (proportion of species supplying non‐timber forest products) did not differ by the system on average, though the absolute number of useful species recorded was highest for the forest. Of surveyed plant species, 81% had a local name (Sapo or Kru); a smaller proportion of forest species were named compared with either traditional or industrial oil palm systems.

Our study emphasises the higher ecological value per hectare of traditional oil palm production compared with industrial production methods, though yields are likely to be lower, leading to implications for industrial management such as growing alternative cover crop species, intercropping with non‐timber forest products or locally valued crops and implementing reduced clearance and pesticide regimes.
Pseudogerm of the parasitoid Macrocentrus cingulum suppresses host pupation by degenerating prothoracic gland and inhibiting the expression of Br‐C in the host Ostrinia furnacalis
Authors: Zhang Yurong , Du Yan , Wang Qian , Hu Jian
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND

Parasitic wasps manipulate host development for successful parasitization. When the host Ostrinia furnacalis is parasitized by the parasitoid Macrocentrus cingulum, its larvae fail to pupate and are consumed as nutrition by the wasp larvae. However, the mechanism by which M. cingulum modulates host pupation remains unclear. This study reports on pseudogerm, a newly discovered parasitic factor derived from M. cingulum, which plays a regulatory role in the pupation process of the host.

RESULTS

Ostrinia furnacalis larvae transplanted with pseudogerms failed to pupate, and their prothoracic gland (PG) cells did not enlarge significantly at the prepupal stage compared to the control. Additionally, the nuclei of PG cells fragmented, the number of secretory vesicles in the cytoplasm decreased markedly, and the intracellular channel system on the cell membrane atrophied. Furthermore, the elevation of the 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E) titer at the prepupal stage was also suppressed, indicating that pseudogerm disrupts the ecdysteroid level by causing PG cell degeneration. Additionally, there was a suppression of Broad Complex (Br‐C) expression in O. furnacalis larvae before the prepupal stage due to pseudogerms transplantation. When OfBr‐C was knocked down by RNA‐interference or knocked out by CRISPR/Cas9, approximately 24% and 48.3% of O. furnacalis larvae failed to pupate, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Pseudogerm potentially disrupts the 20E titer by destroying the host's PG and further inhibits the expression of OfBr‐C, ultimately preventing host pupation. This study provides new insights into the strategies employed by parasitoids in controlling host development. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Pharmacists communicating medication changes at hospital discharge: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Wilcock Michael , Bastian Liam , Hill Alison
Published: December 2024

Transition of care between healthcare settings is a recognised risk factor for medication‐related harm, and good communication between healthcare providers about medicines at these transition points has the potential to reduce that harm. This article discusses the role of pharmacists in transferring medication‐related information from hospital to primary care, contributing to compliance with national electronic discharge standards, and finds that cardiac medicines are the most frequently commented on.
Visual Inertial SLAM Based on Spatiotemporal Consistency Optimization in Diverse Environments
Authors: Pu Huayan , Luo Jun , Wang Gang , Huang Tao , Wu Lang , Xiao Dengyu , Liu Hongliang , Luo Jun
Published: December 2024

Currently, the majority of robots equipped with visual‐based simultaneous mapping and localization (SLAM) systems exhibit good performance in static environments. However, practical scenarios often present dynamic objects, rendering the environment less than entirely “static.” Diverse dynamic objects within the environment pose substantial challenges to the precision of visual SLAM system. To address this challenge, we propose a real‐time visual inertial SLAM system that extensively leverages objects within the environment. First, we reject regions corresponding to dynamic objects. Following this, geometric constraints are applied within the stationary object regions to elaborate the mask of static areas, thereby facilitating the extraction of more stable feature points. Second, static landmarks are constructed based on the static regions. A spatiotemporal factor graph is then created by combining the temporal information from the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with the semantic information from the static landmarks. Finally, we perform a diverse set of validation experiments on the proposed system, encompassing challenging scenarios from publicly available benchmarks and the real world. Within these experimental scenarios, we compare with state‐of‐the‐art approaches. More specifically, our system achieved a more than 40% accuracy improvement over baseline method in these data sets. The results demonstrate that our proposed method exhibits outstanding robustness and accuracy not only in complex dynamic environments but also in static environments.
Free range startups? Market scope, academic founders, and the role of general knowledge in AI
Authors: Chattopadhyay Shinjinee , Honoré Florence , Won Shinjae
Published: December 2024

Research Summary

High‐tech startups develop technologies, the market applicability of which can vary widely, enabling startups to target a range of market segments. Using a question‐driven approach to contrast startups with and without academic founders, we investigate the difference in the market applicability between the two groups on a sample of 988 startups in the artificial intelligence (AI) field. Our findings reveal that academics' pursuit of basic research drives the creation of general knowledge, which in turn leads to wider market applicability. With fewer requirements for complementary downstream assets in the AI ecosystem, academics can more easily translate their general ideas to market applications and locate downstream in the value chain. Our findings highlight the role of problem‐formulation and ‐solving in startups and of academic startups within AI.

Managerial Summary

Using a sample of 988 startups in the Artificial Intelligence field, we find that startups with at least one academic on their founding team are associated with a higher number of verticals (potential market segments for the technology the startups developed) compared to startups without any academics. Teams with academic founders produce more general publications and patents than others, which drives the association with more verticals. Academics formulate and solve more general problems relative to non‐academics, leading to the creation of more general products that are applicable to a broader range of verticals. With fewer requirements for complementary downstream assets in the AI ecosystem, academics can more easily translate their general ideas to market applications and locate downstream in the value chain.
Evaluation of Alternative Lithium Salts for High‐Voltage Lithium Ion Batteries: Higher Relevance of Plated Li Morphology Than the Amount of Electrode Crosstalk
Authors: Arifiadi Anindityo , Wichmann Lennart , Brake Tobias , Lechtenfeld Christian , Buchmann Julius , Demelash Feleke , Yan Peng , Brunklaus Gunther , Cekic‐Laskovic Isidora , Wiemers‐Meyer Simon , Winter Martin , Kasnatscheew Johannes
Published: December 2024

Increasing the upper cut‐off voltage (UCV) enhances the specific energy of Li‐ion batteries (LIBs), but is accompanied by higher capacity fade as a result of electrode cross‐talk, i.e., transition metals (TM) dissolution from cathode and deposition on anode, finally triggering high surface area lithium (HSAL) formation due to locally enhanced resistance. Here, LiPF6, LiBF4, lithium difluoro(oxalate)borate (LiDFOB), lithium bis(oxalate)borate (LiBOB), lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI), and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) in carbonate‐based solvents are investigated in LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM 622) || graphite pouch cells with 4.5 V UCV. Despite the lower oxidative stabilities of LiBF4 and LiDFOB, thus enhanced HF formation, TM dissolution, and consequently electrode cross‐talk, higher capacity retention is observed compared to the case of LiPF6 electrolyte. Counterintuitively, it is not the TM deposit amount but rather the Li plating morphology that governs capacity fade, as these salts cause more uniform and compact lithium plating, i.e., lower surface area. In contrast, the dendritic HSAL with LiPF6 has a higher surface area, and more parasitic reactions, thus active Li (“Li inventory”) losses and capacity fade. Although NCM initiates the failure cascade, the capacity losses and cycle life of high‐voltage LIBs are predominantly determined by the anode, in particular the Li plating morphology and the corresponding surface area.
Two‐Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (2D TMDs) Coupled With Zero‐Dimensional Nanomaterials (0D NMs) for Advanced Photodetection
Authors: Liu Ming‐Jin , Tang Shin‐Yi , Cyu Ruei‐Hong , Chung Chia‐Chen , Peng Yu‐Ren , Yang Pei‐Jung , Chueh Yu‐Lun
Published: December 2024

The integration of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with other materials presents a promising approach to overcome inherent limitations and enable the development of novel functionalities. In particular, 0D nanomaterials (0D NMs) offer notable advantages for photodetection, including broadband light absorption, size‐dependent optoelectronic properties, high quantum efficiency, and good compatibility. Herein, the integration of 0D NMs with 2D TMDs to develop high‐performance photodetectors is reviewed. The review provides a comprehensive overview of different types of 0D NMs, including plasma nanoparticles (NPs), up‐conversion NPs, quantum dots (QDs), nanocrystals (NCs), and small molecules. The discussion starts with an analysis of the mechanism of 0D NMs on 2D TMDs in photodetection, exploring various strategies for improving the performance of hybrid 2D TMDs/0D NMs. Recent advancements in photodetectors combining 2D TMDs with 0D NMs are investigated, particularly emphasizing critical factors such as photosensitivity, photogain, specific detectivity, and photoresponse speed. The review concludes with a summary of the current status, highlighting the existing challenges and prospective developments in the advancement of 0D NMs/2D TMDs‐based photodetectors.
The Relationship between In Vivo Toxicity and Responsive pH in Transistor‐Like pH‐Sensitive Nanodetergents
Authors: Zhang Weinan , Wang Xiaochuan , Wang Jihong , Su Chanjuan , Bao Yan , Xiong Menghua
Published: December 2024

Subacidity‐responsive materials (saRMs) have attracted considerable attention for disease‐specific pH‐responsive imaging and therapy. However, the guidance for their pH‐responsive design, aimed at achieving effective responses at lesion sites while minimizing unwanted responses in normal tissues, is inadequate and challenged by the subtle pH difference between the desired responsive pH and the pH of normal tissues. Here, the correlation between the responsive pH of ‘proton transistor’ nanodetergents (pTNTs) is investigated and the in vivo toxicity caused by unwanted responses in normal tissues, taking advantage of their refined responsive pH and the easily characterized membranolytic activity and cytotoxicity following response. It is designed and selected five pTNTs that undergo a refined transition from an inactive “OFF” state with sealed membranolytic activity and cytotoxicity to an active “ON” state with potent membranolytic activity and cytotoxicity within a 0.1 pH perturbation at transition pH (pHt) values of 7.2, 7.1, 6.9, 6.8, and 6.7, respectively. A significant correlation between the in vivo toxicity of these pTNTs and their pHt for membranolytic activity is observed. And non‐negligible changes in the organ toxicity of pTNTs are induced by every 0.1 or 0.2 pH shift of pHt. After intravenous administration, pTNTs with a pHt value of 7.2 or 7.1 induced significant hepatotoxicity and cardiotoxicity, while no significant toxicity is detected for pTNTs with pHt values ranging from 6.8 to 6.7. This hepatoxicity is found to be associated with the tissue's pH environment‐dependent activation of membranolytic activity. This study can provide guidance for designing pH‐responsive membranolytic materials and saRMs to minimize their toxicity and unwanted response in normal tissues.
Programmable DNA Reactions for Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy in Bioimaging
Authors: Hong Fan
Published: December 2024

Biological organisms are composed of billions of molecules organized across various length scales. Direct visualization of these biomolecules in situ enables the retrieval of vast molecular information, including their location, species, and quantities, which is essential for understanding biological processes. The programmability of DNA interactions has made DNA‐based reactions a major driving force in extending the limits of fluorescence microscopy, allowing for the study of biological complexity at different scales. This review article provides an overview of recent technological advancements in DNA‐based fluorescence microscopy, highlighting how these innovations have expanded the technique's capabilities in terms of target multiplexity, signal amplification, super‐resolution, and mechanical properties. These advanced DNA‐based fluorescence microscopy techniques have been widely used to uncover new biological insights at the molecular level.
When ChatGPT can't Chat: The Quest for Naturalness
Authors: Voss Erik , Waring Hansun Zhang
Published: December 2024

Significant advancements in voice chatbots have spurred interest into their role in second language learning (Conium, 2008), particularly their ability to assist in the development of learners' conversation skills in a target language. Many efforts have been made to explore AI's potential to act as conversation partners for language learners. Of central concern is its “naturalness” in such an endeavor (Yang et al., 2022). Despite the importance of gauging “naturalness” in researching human–AI interaction, we are yet to find a systematic way of doing so. In this report, drawing upon half‐a‐century of conversation analytic findings as well as 15 recordings of human–AI interaction, we propose a framework that features three principles of natural human interaction: emergence, indexicality, and recipient design. Our goal is to support empirical research aimed at improving “naturalness” of AI conversational partners with language learners.
αCypermethrin‐Induced Biochemical and Molecular Cascades Underlying Ovine Ovarian Granulosa Cell Dysfunctions
Authors: Singh Poonam Kumari , Kumar Bogapathi Sampath , Nandi Sumanta , Gupta Paluru Subramniyam Parameswara , Mondal Sukanta
Published: December 2024

The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of α‐Cypermethrin (αCYP), the second most commonly used pesticide in India, on the ovine ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) viability, growth, apoptosis, and steroidogenesis. GCs collected from abattoir‐derived ovine ovaries were cultured for 3/6 days in the presence of various concentrations of αCYP (0, 1, 10, 25, 50, and 100 μM). The results revealed a binary effect on GCs, where metabolic activity and viability rates were significantly (p < 0.05) lower from 25 μM onwards. Estrogen concentration was significantly low from the 1 μM dose, whereas progesterone concentration showed a significant increase (10 μM) in the spent media of cultured GCs. The cytotoxicity in the GCs exposed to αCYP revealed significant changes in LDH, ROS, CUPRAC, and GST activity (all at 25 μM) and MDA (at 10 μM) compared to those observed in the control group. The gene expression profiles of cultured GCs showed a significant up‐regulation of CYP11A1, FSHR (all at 1 μM), StAR, BAX, and CASP3 (all at 10 μM), 3βHSD1 (at 25 μM), and significant down‐regulation of CYP17A1 and ERS2 (all at 25 μM), CYP19A1 and 17βHSD (all at 1 μM), ESR1 and BCL2 (all at 10 μM) in comparison to those observed in control groups. The results of the present experiment demonstrated that αCYP affected the growth and functional parameters of GCs, the expression of steroid hormone‐associated genes, and hormone secretion.
Frequency Effect on Properties of Turbulent/Non-turbulent Interface in Separated and Reattaching Flows Past an Oscillating Fence
Authors: Li Sicheng , Wang Jinjun
Published: December 2024

The turbulent/non-turbulent interface (TNTI) in the separated and reattaching flows induced by an oscillating fence is experimentally study using particle image velocimetry in this paper. The oscillation frequency of fence is varied spanning subcritical, transitional, critical and supercritical flow regimes, respectively. In the subcritical case, the flow pattern and the TNTI properties are very similar to that in the static case, except in the vicinity of the fence where the actuated low-frequency flapping of the separated shear layer causes larger TNTI height fluctuations. The strongest conditional averaged vorticity is observed in the critical case. However, the faster transition to turbulence is induced by the higher oscillation frequency rather than the critical one. Higher oscillation frequency results in the slower decrease and less fluctuations in the TNTI height normalized by the boundary thickness. Additionally, the greatest TNTI height fluctuation in the recirculation zone is observed in the transitional case, where the vortex shedding frequency is locked to the oscillation frequency resulting in larger shedding vortices.
The Effect of Background Turbulence on the Dynamics of Turbulent Jets and Entrainment Processes Across the Turbulent/Turbulent Interface
Authors: Gaskin Susan J. , Kohan Khashayar F.
Published: December 2024

Background turbulence disrupts the jet structure resulting in its rapid decay (mean velocity and passive scalar concentration) and a reduced entrainment, before jet breakdown when only turbulent diffusion acts. The effect of the background turbulence is characterized by its relative length scale, $$\mathcal {L}$$
L
, and turbulence intensity, $$\xi $$
ξ
, with $$\xi $$
ξ
dominating the jet dynamics in the self-similar region. Large scales of the ambient turbulence advect the jet. Jet breakdown occurs at $$\xi = 0.5$$

ξ
=
0.5

, while for $$\xi < 0.5$$

ξ
<
0.5

, entrained small scales cause faster decay of the jet’s large vortical structures and transfer of their energy to smaller scales. They also increase the jet rms increasing the radial scalar transport and differential diffusion, thereby increasing the mixing. Entrainment occurs across the turbulent/turbulent interface, the TTI, identified by a larger sharp jump in mean and rms passive scalar concentration, which is longer, more tortuous and has a higher fractal dimension than its quiescent counterpart, the TNTI.
Whole exome sequencing reveals heparan sulfate proteoglycan 2 (HSPG2) as a potential causative gene for kidney stone disease in a Thai family
Authors: Praditsap Oranud , Ahsan Nawara Faiza , Nettuwakul Choochai , Sawasdee Nunghathai , Sritippayawan Suchai , Yenchitsomanus Pa-thai , Rungroj Nanyawan
Published: December 2024

Kidney stone disease (KSD) is a prevalent and complex condition, with an incidence of 85 cases per 100,000 individuals in Thailand. Notably, over 40% of cases are concentrated in the northeastern region, indicating a potential genetic influence, which is supported by genetic mutations reported in several families by our research group. Despite this, the genetic basis of KSD remains largely unknown for many Thai families. This study aimed to identify the genetic mutation responsible for KSD in a specific Thai family, the UBRS131 family, which includes four affected individuals. Whole exome sequencing was performed, and variant filtering using the VarCards2 program identified 10 potentially causative mutations across 9 genes. These mutations were subjected to segregation analysis among family members and screened in 180 control and 179 case samples using real-time PCR-HRM or PCR-RFLP techniques. Prioritization of these variants using GeneDistiller identified the p.Asp775Glu mutation in the heparan sulfate proteoglycan 2 (HSPG2) gene as the likely causative mutation for KSD in this family. The Asp775 residue is highly conserved across vertebrates, and structural analysis suggests that the Glu775 substitution may disrupt the formation of two crucial hydrogen bonds, potentially altering the mutant protein’s configuration. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the presence of perlecan (HSPG2 protein) in the proximal tubules in nephrons. These findings highlight the significant role of the HSPG2 gene in familial KSD within this study family.
Artificial intelligence-derived coronary artery calcium scoring saves time and achieves close to radiologist-level accuracy accuracy on routine ECG-gated CT
Authors: Chamberlin Jordan H. , Abrol Sameer , Munford James , O’Doherty Jim , Baruah Dhiraj , Schoepf U. Joseph , Burt Jeremy R. , Kabakus Ismail M.
Published: December 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been proposed to improve workflow for coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS), but simultaneous demonstration of improved efficiency, accuracy, and clinical stability have not been demonstrated. 148 sequential patients who underwent routine calcium-scoring computed tomography were retrospectively evaluated using a previously validated AI model (syngo. CT CaScoring VB60, Siemens Healthineers, Forscheim, Germany). CACS was performed by manual (Expert alone), semi-automatic (AI + expert review), and automatic (AI alone) methods. Time to complete and intraclass correlation coefficients were the primary endpoints. Secondary endpoints included differences in multiethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA) percentiles and stratification by calcium severity. AI and expert CACS agreement was excellent (ICC = 0.951; 95% CI 0.933–0.964). The global median time was 15 ± 2 s for AI (“Automatic”), 38 ± 13 s for the AI + manual review (“Semiautomatic”) and 45 ± 24 s for the manual segmentation. Automatic segmentation was faster than manual segmentation for all CACS severities (P < 0.001). AI computational time was independent of calcium burden. Global mean bias in Agatston score across all patients was 7.4 ± 102.6. The mean bias for global MESA score percentile was 2.1% ± 12%. 95% of error corresponded to a ± 10% difference in MESA score. The use of AI for CACS performs excellent accuracy, saves approximately 60% of time in comparison to manual review, and demonstrates low bias for clinical risk profiles. Time benefits are magnified for patients with high CACS. However, a semi-automatic approach is still recommended to minimize potential errors while maintaining efficiency.