bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The origins of unpredictability in life outcome prediction tasks
Authors: Lundberg Ian , Brown-Weinstock Rachel , Clampet-Lundquist Susan , Pachman Sarah , Nelson Timothy J. , Yang Vicki , Edin Kathryn , Salganik Matthew J.
Published: June 2024

Why are some life outcomes difficult to predict? We investigated this question through in-depth qualitative interviews with 40 families sampled from a multidecade longitudinal study. Our sampling and interviewing process was informed by the earlier efforts of hundreds of researchers to predict life outcomes for participants in this study. The qualitative evidence we uncovered in these interviews combined with a mathematical decomposition of prediction error led us to create a conceptual framework. Our specific evidence and our more general framework suggest that unpredictability should be expected in many life outcome prediction tasks, even in the presence of complex algorithms and large datasets. Our work provides a foundation for future empirical and theoretical work on unpredictability in human lives.
Multivariate genetic architecture reveals testosterone-driven sexual antagonism in contemporary humans
Authors: Chakrabarty Anasuya , Chakraborty Saikat , Nandi Diptarup , Basu Analabha
Published: June 2024

Sex difference (SD) is ubiquitous in humans despite shared genetic architecture (SGA) between the sexes. A univariate approach, i.e., studying SD in single traits by estimating genetic correlation, does not provide a complete biological overview, because traits are not independent and are genetically correlated. The multivariate genetic architecture between the sexes can be summarized by estimating the additive genetic (co)variance across shared traits, which, apart from the cross-trait and cross-sex covariances, also includes the cross-sex-cross-trait covariances, e.g., between height in males and weight in females. Using such a multivariate approach, we investigated SD in the genetic architecture of 12 anthropometric, fat depositional, and sex-hormonal phenotypes. We uncovered sexual antagonism (SA) in the cross-sex-cross-trait covariances in humans, most prominently between testosterone and the anthropometric traits – a trend similar to phenotypic correlations. 27% of such cross-sex-cross-trait covariances were of opposite sign, contributing to asymmetry in the SGA. Intriguingly, using multivariate evolutionary simulations, we observed that the SGA acts as a genetic constraint to the evolution of SD in humans only when selection is sexually antagonistic and not concordant. Remarkably, we found that the lifetime reproductive success in both the sexes shows a positive genetic correlation with anthropometric traits, but not with testosterone. Moreover, we demonstrated that genetic variance is depleted along multivariate trait combinations in both the sexes but in different directions, suggesting absolute genetic constraint to evolution. Our results indicate that testosterone drives SA in contemporary humans and emphasize the necessity and significance of using a multivariate framework in studying SD.
Profilin affects microtubule dynamics via actin
Authors: Ulrichs Heidi , Shekhar Shashank
Published: June 2024

Profilin binds microtubules in vitro. However, a new study by Vitriol and colleagues (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202309097) now suggests that effects of profilin on microtubule dynamics in cells are indirect and result from its impact on actin dynamics rather than its direct binding to microtubules.
Control over the secondary collision of electron in high-order harmonic generation
Authors: Rajpoot Rambabu , Sharma Jyoti , Holkundkar Amol R
Published: June 2024

We investigated the high-order harmonic generation by interacting linearly polarized laser pulses with the atomic target. The temporal evolution of harmonic emission and the underlying mechanisms of rescattering electrons are thoroughly investigated through a combination of quantum analysis and classical trajectory simulations. The manipulation of the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) provides a promising avenue for controlling electron recollisions, revealing a systematic linear relationship between ionization and recombination times across varying CEP values. Moreover, examining phase properties in emitted harmonics during secondary collisions presents intriguing modulations, offering a potential experimental approach to verify the presence of secondary recollisions.
Reentrant semiconducting behavior in polymerized fullerite structures with increasing sp3-carbon content
Authors: Laranjeira Jorge , Marques Leonel , Melle-Franco Manuel , Strutyński Karol
Published: June 2024

The electronic behavior of polymerized fullerite structures, ranging from one-dimensional to three-dimensional polymers, was studied using density functional theory with the hybrid Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof functional and a 6-31G(d,p) basis set. The bandgap across these structures decreases with the rise of sp3-carbon content until metallic behavior is observed. A further increase induces a reopening of the bandgap, revealing a reentrant semiconducting behavior in this class of materials. This behavior is understood in terms of the new electronic states originated by polymeric bonding and the effect of the volume reduction on the dispersion of sp2-states. This study highlights the fullerite polymers as a magnificent platform to tune electronic properties.
A Gaussian-plume based Monte Carlo method for calculating radiation dose in the near field of buildings
Authors: Gallacher D J , Robins A G , Hayden P
Published: June 2024

A Monte Carlo (MC) programme was written using the dose point kernel method to calculate doses in the roof zone of a building from nearby releases of radioactive gases. A Gaussian Plume Model (GPM) was parameterised to account for near-field building effects on plume spread and reflection from the roof. Rooftop recirculation zones and building-generated plume spread effects were accounted in a novel Dual Gaussian Plume (DGP) formulation used with the MC model, which allowed for the selection of angle of approach flow, plume release height in relation to the building and position of the release point in relation to the leading edge of the building. Three-dimensional wind tunnel concentration field data were used for the parameterisation. The MC code used the parameterised concentration field to calculate the contributions to effective dose from inhalation, cloud immersion from positron/beta particles, and gamma-ray dose for a wide range of receptor dose positions in the roof zone, including receptor positions at different heights above the roof. Broad trends in predicted radiation dose with angle of approach flow, release position in relation to the building and release height are shown. Alternative approaches for the derivation of the concentration field are discussed.
Improving a regional project on diagnostic reference levels for interventional procedures (OPRIPALC) with the support of a dose management system for the protection of patients and staff
Authors: Vano E , Fernández-Soto J M , Sánchez-Casanueva R M , Ten Morón J I
Published: June 2024

Interventional radiology is a clinical practice with important benefits for patients, but which involves high radiation doses. The optimisation of radiation protection (RP) for paediatric interventional cardiology is a priority for both patients and staff. The use of diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) has been proposed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection to improve RP in imaging procedures. Dose management systems (DMSs) allow the automatic collection of dosimetric, geometric and technical data to assist the optimisation process, with a continuous audit of the procedures, generating alerts to implement corrective actions when necessary. Patient dose indicators may be analysed individually and for different radiation events (fluoroscopy and cine runs). Occupational doses per procedure may be analysed (if electronic dosimeters are available) and linked with patient doses for an integrated approach to RP. Regional optimisation programmes require data collection and processing from several countries to set and periodically update the DRLs. Patient data is anonymised, and each participating hospital has access to their data in a central computer server. Using DMSs may be one of the best ways to support these programs in the collection and analysis of data, raising alerts about high patient and occupational doses and suggesting optimisation actions.
Twins transformer: rolling bearing fault diagnosis based on cross-attention fusion of time and frequency domain features
Authors: Gao Zhikang , Wang Yanxue , Li Xinming , Yao Jiachi
Published: June 2024

Current self-attention based Transformer models in the field of fault diagnosis are limited to identifying correlation information within a single sequence and are unable to capture both time and frequency domain fault characteristics of the original signal. To address these limitations, this research introduces a two-channel Transformer fault diagnosis model that integrates time and frequency domain features through a cross-attention mechanism. Initially, the original time-domain fault signal is converted to the frequency domain using the Fast Fourier Transform, followed by global and local feature extraction via a Convolutional Neural Network. Next, through the self-attention mechanism on the two-channel Transformer, separate fault features associated with long distances within each sequence are modeled and then fed into the feature fusion module of the cross-attention mechanism. During the fusion process, frequency domain features serve as the query sequence Q and time domain features as the key-value pairs K. By calculating the attention weights between Q and K, the model excavates deeper fault features of the original signal. Besides preserving the intrinsic associative information within sequences learned via the self-attention mechanism, the Twins Transformer also models the degree of association between different sequence features using the cross-attention mechanism. Finally, the proposed model’s performance was validated using four different experiments on four bearing datasets, achieving average accuracy rates of 99.67%, 98.76%, 98.47% and 99.41%. These results confirm the model’s effective extraction of time and frequency domain correlation features, demonstrating fast convergence, superior performance and high accuracy.
Maximum Gpq–mean deconvolution for the impulsive fault feature enhancement of rolling bearing
Authors: Bao Huaiqian , Wang Chenxu , Zhang Zongzhen , Han Baokun , Wang Jinrui
Published: June 2024

The bearing fault signal is easily obscured by background noise and random shocks in the initial stage. The maximum Gpq–mean deconvolution (MGD) method is proposed to address the challenge of extracting fault feature signals in the presence of impact interference. The use of a nonlinear activation function in MGD enhances the distribution characteristics of the filtered signal. The proposed method adopts a new sparse measurement method, which enhances the sparse measurement capability and solves the problem of the difficulty in extracting periodic fault signals under impact. The superiority of the method in rolling bearing diagnosis is demonstrated through simulation and experimental analyses. In comparison with traditional methods, such as minimum entropy deconvolution (MED), optimal minimum entropy deconvolution adjustment, and maximum correlated kurtosis deconvolution, the proposed method in this paper significantly improves the ability of extracting bearing fault signals.
Strengthening of edge prism dislocations in Mg–Zn by cross-core diffusion
Authors: Niazi M Rahbar , Curtin W A
Published: June 2024

The activation of prismatic slip in Mg and its alloys can be beneficial for deformation and forming. Experiments show that addition of Zn and Al solutes have a softening effect at/below room temperature, attributed to solutes facilitating basal-prism-basal cross-slip of prismatic screw dislocations, but a strengthening effect with increasing temperature. Here, the dynamic strain aging mechanism of cross-core diffusion within the prismatic edge dislocation is investigated as a possible mechanism for the strengthening at higher temperatures. First-principles calculations provide the required information on solute/dislocation interaction energies and vacancy-mediated solute migration barriers for Zn solutes around the dislocation core. Results for Mg–0.0045Zn show that cross-core diffusion notably increases the stress for prismatic edge dislocation glide but that the strengthening remains roughly 30% of the experimental strength. Other possible strengthening mechanisms of (i) solute drag of the prism edge dislocation and (ii) solute interactions and/or diffusion within the prismatic screw core, are then briefly discussed with some quantitative assessments pointing toward areas for future study.
Atomic insight into nanoindentation response of nanotwinned FeCoCrNiCu high entropy alloys
Authors: Tian Yuanyuan , Fang Qihong , Chen Junni , Luo Gangjie , Du Chunyang
Published: June 2024

FeCoCrNiCu high-entropy alloys (HEAs) exhibit extraordinary mechanical properties and have the capability to withstand extreme temperatures and pressures. Their exceptional attributes make them suitable for diverse applications, from aerospace to chemical industry. We employ atomic-scale simulations to explore the effects of twinning boundary and twinning thickness on the mechanical behavior of nanotwinned FeCoCrNiCu during nanoindentation. The findings suggest that as the twinning thickness decreases within the range of 19.3–28.9 Å, both twinning partial slips (TPSs) and horizontal TPSs gradually become dominant in governing the plastic behaviors of the nanotwinned FeCoCrNiCu, thereby resulting in an inverse Hall–Petch effect. Remarkably, when the twinning thickness is compressed below 19.3 Å, a shift in the plastic deformation mechanism emerges, triggering the conventional Hall–Petch relation. The observed Hall–Petch behavior in nanotwinned FeCoCrNiCu is attributed to the strengthening effect imparted by the twinning boundaries. Consequently, the twinning boundary play an instrumental role in steering the plastic deformation mechanism of the nanotwinned FeCoCrNiCu when the twinning thickness descends beneath 19.3 Å. This study contributes significant insights towards the design of next-generation high-performance HEAs, underpinning their potential industrial utilization.
A review of etching methods and applications of two-dimensional MXenes
Authors: Sun Min , Chu Siyu , Sun Zhichao , Jiao Xinyu , Wang Lingli , Li Zijiong , Jiang Liying
Published: June 2024

MXenes have been attracting much attention since their introduction due to their amazing properties such as unique structure, good hydrophilicity, metal-grade electrical conductivity, rich surface chemistry, low ionic diffusion resistance, and excellent mechanical strength. It is noteworthy that different synthesis methods have a great influence on the structure and properties of MXenes. In recent years, some modification strategies of MXenes with unique insights have been developed with the increasing research. In summary, this paper reviews and summarizes the recent research progress of MXenes from the perspective of preparation processes (including hydrofluoric acid direct etching, fluoride/concentrated acid hybrid etching, fluoride melt etching, electrochemical etching, alkali-assisted etching and Lewis acid etching strategies), which can provide valuable guidance for the preparation and application of high-performance MXenes-based materials.
Cobalt doped Prussian blue modified hollow polydopamine for enhanced antibacterial therapy
Authors: Zhao Qiyao , Zhou Yifan , Zhang Qin , Qu Xiaomeng , Jiang Yu , Wu Shilong , Zhang Meixuan , Zhao Qi , Qiang Qingwang , Li Jian , Li Yanyan
Published: June 2024

Give the emergence of drug resistance in bacteria resulting from antibiotic misuse, there is an urgent need for research and application of novel antibacterial approaches. In recent years, nanoparticles (NPs) have garnered significant attention due to their potential to disrupt bacteria cellular structure through loading drugs and special mechanisms, thus rendering them inactive. In this study, the surface of hollow polydopamine (HPDA) NPs was utilized for the growth of Prussian blue (PB), resulting in the formation of HPDA-PB NPs. Incorporation of Co element during the preparation process led to partial doping of PB with Co2+ ions. The performance test results demonstrated that the HPDA-PB NPs exhibited superior photothermal conversion efficiency and peroxidase-like activity compared to PB NPs. HPDA-PB NPs have the ability to catalyze the formation of hydroxyl radicals from H2O2 in a weakly acidic environment. Due to the tiny PB particles on the surface and the presence of Co2+ doping, they have strong broad-spectrum antibacterial properties. Both in vitro and in vivo evaluations confirm their efficacy against various bacterial strains, particularly Staphylococcus aureus, and their potential to promote wound healing, making them a promising candidate for advanced wound care and antimicrobial applications.
A radiometric model for demonstration of exoplanets detection by the transit method
Authors: Seixas T M , Salgueiro da Silva M A
Published: June 2024

This work describes an exact radiometric model for experimental demonstrators of the detection of exoplanets by the transit method. This model generalises the calculation of the depth of occultation from the standard transit method to the case of a finite size demonstrator apparatus. Results show that, for demonstrator apparatuses of moderately small sizes, a significant accuracy improvement in the determination of the size of a planet model can be achieved using the proposed method in comparison to using the formula from the standard transit method. The radiance distribution of the star model is found to be of crucial importance, as deviations from a Lambertian radiance distribution can lead to significantly different results.
Using astronomy to analyse the van Gogh drawing ‘Bank of the Rhone’
Authors: Spathopoulos Vassilios McInnes
Published: June 2024

This paper presents an astronomical analysis of the van Gogh drawing ‘Bank of the Rhone’ to determine the possible dates of its creation. By examining the position of the sun depicted in the drawing and comparing it with the actual sunset positions at the location in Arles, France, a range of dates is derived that differs from the accepted historical dating of the work. The study demonstrates the potential of using interdisciplinary approaches that combine art and astronomy to gain new insights into artistic works. The analysis also serves as an engaging exercise for students to explore the intersection of science and art.
Microwave plasma interaction in a printed transmission line for a power limiting application: from surface-wave-sustained to leaky-wave-sustained discharge
Authors: Fuster Lucas , Pascaud Romain , Sokoloff Jérôme , Hagelaar Gerjan , Hoffmann Patrick , Pascal Olivier , Callegari Thierry
Published: June 2024

The coupling between a microwave signal and a plasma discharge in a suspended microstrip transmission line is analytically studied. Maxwell’s equations are solved in a 2D approximation to get the expressions of the electromagnetic field. The wave propagation in the guiding structure is first explored without plasma, and for several modes and frequencies. A unified characterization of the three different modes that can propagate at the interface between two dielectric media, namely the leaky waves, the pseudo-surface wave and the pure surface wave, is given in terms of of both wave vectors and electromagnetic field magnitude distribution. This analyze allow to conclude that the fundamental mode in this case is a pseudo-surface wave. Thereafter, we focus on the microwave propagation with a uniform plasma inside the guiding structure. In the non collisional limit, it appears that the plasma discharge is sustained by the so-called pure surface wave, whereas in the collisional limit, a leaky wave propagates along the plasma column. Finally, a non-uniform density profile is taken into account in the calculation. The numerical results obtained from the self-consistent simulation of the microwave-plasma coupling, in a previous work, are thus analyzed with the aid of the analytical formulas to identify the microwave coupling involved in our plasma-based microwave power limiter. The computed propagation constant from numerical data confirmed the type of coupling exhibited for a uniform electron density. Furthermore, we highlight the role of the dielectric slab, from which electromagnetic power transfer occurs into the plasma discharge.
Controlled release and antibacterial activity of corn starch-based films containing nanocellulose and thymol
Authors: Nordin Norhazirah , Othman Siti Hajar , Kadir Basha Roseliza , Abdul Rashid Suraya
Published: June 2024

The use of nanomaterials such as cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and antimicrobial compounds such as thymol (Thy), in starch films may improve the functional properties of films as active packaging films. This study quantifies the retention of thymol in corn starch (CS) and CS films containing cellulose nanofibers (CS/CNF) and investigates the migration of thymol from the films into a food simulant. A kinetic study was performed to evaluate the release of thymol from films into fatty acid food simulant (95% v/v ethanol) at 40 °C. The antibacterial activity of films was investigated via liquid culture assay. It was found that the addition of thymol significantly affects the surface morphology and cross-section of the films. CS/Thy and CS/CNF/Thy films retained thymol at 2.88 ± 0.50 and 11.21 ± 0.75 mg per g of CS/Thy and CS/CNF/Thy films, respectively. The release of thymol was affected by the presence of an intercalating network of CNF, which exhibited Fickian diffusion behavior. The release of thymol reached equilibrium within 48 h for CS/Thy, and 72 h for CS/CNF/Thy films. The CS/CNF/Thy film had a greater inhibitory effect than the CS/Thy film against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium. These findings demonstrate the potential applications of these films in improving the shelf life of perishable food products.
Quantum anomalous Hall effect and half-metal state of valley in VGe2N4 monolayer
Authors: Li Zeqin , Wu Yanzhao , Tong Junwei , Deng Li , Yin Xiang , Tian Fubo , Zhang Xianmin
Published: June 2024

Understanding the physical properties of valley and achieving its half metal state is the key to applying the valley degree of freedom. In this study, by first-principles calculations, the VGe2N4 monolayer is demonstrated as a ferrovalley semiconductor with a valley polarization of 48 meV. Furthermore, two means of compressive strain and regulating the electron correlation effect are explored to achieve the half-metal state of valley in the present VGe2N4 monolayer. Interestingly, topological phase transitions from ferrovalley, half-valley metal to quantum anomalous Hall effect state appear with the increase of strain in the VGe2N4 monolayer. More interestingly, half-metal state of valley induced by electronic correlation or strain can occur in VGe2N4 monolayer, which means 100% spin-polarized valley carriers will be excited. In this case, with the action of an in-plane electric field, the VGe2N4 monolayer will present an anomalous valley Hall effect. Based on these results, the related valleytronics devices are designed. Our work emphasizes the entire process from ferrovalley to topological phase transition, and a method for achieving the half-metal state of valley is proposed. Our finding is of great significance for the development of valleytronics.
Bulk-boundary and RPS thermodynamics from topology perspective
Authors: Sadeghi Jafar , Alipour Mohammad Reza , Gashti Saeed Noori , Afshar Mohammad Ali S.
Published: June 2024

In this study, we investigate the bulk-boundary and restricted phase space (RPS) thermodynamics of Rissner-Nordström (R-N) AdS and 6-dimensional charged Gauss-Bonnet AdS black holes. Additionally, we examine the topological characteristics of the considered black holes and compare them with the results of extended thermodynamics. We determine that the topological behavior of the bulk-boundary thermodynamics is the same as that of the extended thermodynamics, whereas the RPS thermodynamics exhibits a distinct behavior. Furthermore, we demonstrate that within the RPS formalism, there is only one critical point with a topological charge of +1

. Moreover, in the RPS formalism, the inclusion of higher-derivative curvature terms in the form of Gauss-Bonnet gravity does not alter the topological classification of critical points in charged AdS black holes.
Analysis of Moiré pattern for parallel binary gratings based on AND and OR operators
Authors: Khokhuntod Pongsak , Kaewpoonsuk Anucha
Published: June 2024

A method for analyzing the Moiré pattern of a parallel binary grating based on the high-frequency component of the omitted pattern is proposed. The analysis aims to investigate the signal components that influence the dark-light band formation of the Moiré pattern. The analytical technique begins with the consideration that both grating patterns are a set of binary rectangular signals with two signal level values, ‘0’ and ‘1.’ Subsequently, Fourier series expansion of these two sets of signals was performed considering the frequency, initial phase and duty cycle of the signals. The superposition of both input signals relies on algebraic equations equivalent to AND and OR operators. The final step was to eliminate the effect of the high-frequency component, which is analogous to the low-pass filter of the electronic circuit (based on averaging the signal intensity per image length). If the frequencies of the two gratings are equal, the analysis based on both operators provides an output signal depending on the initial phase (placement position) and duty cycle values. If the frequencies of the two gratings are not equal, the analysis results show that the output signal has a frequency equal to the frequency difference between the two signals. Moreover, if the two input gratings had a duty cycle of 0.5, the overlapping resulted in a triangular shape. The results from the computer program to simulate the AND and OR operators were consistently compared to the plots of the analytical equations. In addition, they are compatible with image processing results.
Ab initio property characterisation of thousands of previously unexplored 2D materials
Authors: Lyngby Peder , Thygesen Kristian Sommer
Published: June 2024

We perform extensive density functional theory calculations to determine the stability and elementary properties of 4249 previously unexplored monolayer crystals. The monolayers comprise the most stable subset (energy within 0.1 eV/atom of the convex hull) of a larger portfolio of two-dimensional (2D) materials recently discovered using a deep generative model and systematic lattice decoration schemes. The relaxed 2D structures are run through the basic property workflow of the Computational 2D Materials Database (C2DB) to evaluate the dynamical stability and obtain the stiffness tensor, piezoelectric tensor, deformation potentials, Born and Bader charges, electronic band structure, effective masses, plasma frequency, Fermi surface, projected density of states, magnetic moments, magnetic exchange couplings, magnetic anisotropy, topological indices, optical- and infrared polarisability. We provide statistical overviews of the property data and highlight a few specific examples of interesting materials. Our work exposes previously unknown parts of the 2D chemical space and provides a basis for the discovery of 2D materials with specific properties. All data is available in the C2DB.
Synthesis of energy-conserving quantum circuits with XY interaction
Authors: Bai Ge , Marvian Iman
Published: June 2024

We study quantum circuits constructed from

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gates and, more generally, from the entangling gates that can be realized with the XX + YY interaction alone. Such gates preserve the Hamming weight of states in the computational basis, which means they respect the global U(1) symmetry corresponding to rotations around the z axis. Equivalently, assuming that the intrinsic Hamiltonian of each qubit in the system is the Pauli Z operator, they conserve the total energy of the system. We develop efficient methods for synthesizing circuits realizing any desired energy-conserving unitary using XX + YY interaction with or without single-qubit rotations around the z axis. Interestingly, implementing generic energy-conserving unitaries, such as CCZ and Fredkin gates, with two-local energy-conserving gates requires the use of ancilla qubits. When single-qubit rotations around the z-axis are permitted, our scheme requires only a single ancilla qubit, whereas with the XX+YY interaction alone, it requires two ancilla qubits. In addition to exact realizations, we also consider approximate realizations and show how a general energy-conserving unitary can be synthesized using only a sequence of

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gates and two ancillary qubits, with arbitrarily small error, which can be bounded via the Solovay–Kitaev theorem. Our methods are also applicable for synthesizing energy-conserving unitaries when, rather than the XX + YY interaction, one has access to any other energy-conserving two-body interaction that is not diagonal in the computational basis, such as the Heisenberg exchange interaction. We briefly discuss the applications of these circuits in the context of quantum computing, quantum thermodynamics, and quantum clocks.
YOLOv8n-GAM: an improved surface defect detection network for hot-rolled strip steel
Authors: Xu Huanwei , Xiao Xuyuan , Zhao Zewei , Wang Zhonglai
Published: June 2024

Production defects caused by irresistible factors such as process design problems or differences in steel properties in strip production affect the economic benefits of the enterprise and threaten production safety. Traditional defect detection methods are difficult to achieve real-time and high-precision detection, so developing surface defect detection methods based on deep learning is of great significance for strip production. In order to effectively improve the accuracy of the deep learning model in detecting surface defects on hot-rolled strip, in this work we propose a real-time detection model for surface defects on strip steel based on the YOLOv8n model. Firstly, the newly convolutional layer Con5v is designed to replace the original convolutional layer in the neck, and an attention mechanism is added in front of each Con5v to improve the algorithm’s ability to extract small target information. Secondly, an additional set of upsampled feature extraction units is added to the neck in order to enhance the spatial information of the feature map. Subsequently, a set of feature fusion units is incorporated and the convolutional layers in it are improved to provide better feature maps. Thirdly, the number of decoupling detection heads is increased to receive more high-quality features. The final experimental results show that YOLOv8n-GAM (YOLOv8 Nano Model with Global Attention Mechanism) achieves 81.4mAP and 82.0FPS on the NEU-DET dataset and 71.2mAP and 55.0FPS on the GC10-DET dataset, which are 5.7% and 6.9% higher than those of YOLOv8n, respectively. The model proposed in this paper achieves a comprehensive performance improvement in strip steel.
Role of nano-bio-composites in the sustainable agriculture: a review
Authors: Jha Saket , Shukla Shashi Kant , Pandey Anand , Singh Ravikant , Tiwari Ajay Kumar , Pathak Ashutosh , Bhardwaj Abhishek Kumar , Singh Abhimanyu Kumar , Dikshit Anupam
Published: June 2024

Rapidlyincreasing population, the demand for food has increased substantially. To overcome food deficits, an increase in agricultural production is needed, and for sustainability, the qualities of crops as well as maintaining the fertility of the soil are challenging situations. Soil contains limited amount of macro, micronutrients and innumerable amounts of soil microflora, which helps in crop production. Since the mid-19th century, a plethora of chemical fertilizers have been extensively used to improve crop production, but over time, they have shown disastrous effects on the soil compositionand profile. In the current alarming scenario, a new technology arearising, namely nanotechnology, in the field of agriculture. Nano-chemicals can play a paramount role in sustainable agriculture. This reviewsummarizes a variety of nanomaterials as pesticide, fertilizers and control of attack of fungus and bacterial diseases. Here discussed a range of nanomaterials including Ag, Fe, Cu, Si, Se, Al, Zn, ZnO, TiO2 and carbon nanotubes non-propitious effectsof biomagnification. This review alsodiscussesthe several mechanisms which show how nanomaterials does work as nanofertilizer, nano pesticides, and control bacterial and fungal diseases along with the advantages and disadvantages in the sustainable approach of agriculture. Furthermore, it discusses the synergistic effect of nanomaterials and conventional approach involved in agriculture practices. Nano-fertilizers and nano-biofertilizers are new tools that have evolved for the sustainableagricultural and food security.
Investigating microplastics and nanoplastics released from food bag ziplock using SEM and Raman imaging
Authors: Fang Cheng , Yu Jingxian , Gopalan Saianand , Naidu Ravi
Published: June 2024

Microplastic contamination is a concern in our daily lives, such as being released from self-sealing ziplock (sliderless zipper) plastic bags that are commonly used for food storage. That is because during the closure and opening process, due to friction and deformation, the male rim inserting into or separating from the female rim can release debris as micro- and nanoplastics (MNP). Herein, we initially observed the released debris using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Subsequently, Raman imaging was employed to directly visualise the debris, either scratched on the rim surface or fallen down from the rim, from molecular spectrum perspective. Raman imaging analyses MNP from hundreds to thousands of spectra rather than from a single spectrum or peak, enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio statistically and providing morphological information for quantification. The confocal Raman-based mapping of MNP may be susceptible to be false images, which can be improved through terrain 3D mapping. Additionally, the weak signal of nanoplastics can be enhanced by reducing scanning pixel size and deconvoluting with surface-fitting algorithm. Consequently, we estimated that approximately 5(±3) MNP per millimetre along the ziplock length may be released during each closure/opening process. Given the use of these plastic bags for food storage, this level of contamination is concerning, warranting careful risk assessment alongside other potential MNP sources of plastic items used in our kitchens. Overall, Raman imaging can be effectively analyse MNP and more broadly nanomaterials, with help of algorithms and SEM.
Exploring physical and digital architectures in magnetic nanoring array reservoir computers
Authors: Venkat G , Vidamour I T , Swindells C , Fry P W , Rosamond M C , Foerster M , Niño M A , Griffin D , Stepney S , Allwood D A , Hayward T J
Published: June 2024

Physical reservoir computing (RC) is a machine learning technique that is ideal for processing of time dependent data series. It is also uniquely well-aligned to in materio computing realisations that allow the inherent memory and non-linear responses of functional materials to be directly exploited for computation. We have previously shown that square arrays of interconnected magnetic nanorings are attractive candidates for in materio RC, and experimentally demonstrated their strong performance in a range of benchmark tasks (Dawidek et al 2021 Adv. Funct. Mater.
31 2008389, Vidamour et al 2022 Nanotechnology
33 485203, Vidamour et al 2023 Commun. Phys.
6 230). Here, we extend these studies to other lattice arrangements of rings, including trigonal and Kagome grids, to explore how these affect both the magnetic behaviours of the arrays, and their computational properties. We show that while lattice geometry substantially affects the microstate behaviour of the arrays, these differences manifest less profoundly when averaging magnetic behaviour across the arrays. Consequently the computational properties (as measured using task agnostic metrics) of devices with a single electrical readout are found to be only subtly different, with the approach used to time-multiplex data into and out of the arrays having a stronger effect on properties than the lattice geometry. However, we also find that hybrid reservoirs that combine the outputs from arrays with different lattice geometries show enhanced computational properties compared to any single array.
North American cooling signature of strong stratospheric wave events depends on the QBO phase
Authors: Ding Xiuyuan , Chen Gang , Magnusdottir Gudrun
Published: June 2024

Extreme stratospheric wave activity has been linked to surface cold extremes over North America, but little is known whether the Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO) plays a role in this linkage. Here, by comparing strong stratospheric wave events during the westerly phase (wQBO) with those during the easterly phase (eQBO), we show that the cooling signature following strong wave events depends on the QBO phase in observations. During wQBO, strong wave events are followed by an increased risk of North American cold extremes and a vertical structure shift from a westward phase tilt to an eastward tilt. However, strong wave events under eQBO do not change the cold risk nor alter the vertical tilt. We further examine this dependence on QBO in QBO-resolving climate models, finding that the cooling signature of strong wave events in models is largely insensitive to QBO phases. This insensitivity is suggested to be linked to model biases in the stratospheric wave representation.
Nature based solutions in cities of the global South—The ‘where, who and how’ of implementation
Authors: Lakshmisha Arvind , Nazar Abdul Fathah , Nagendra Harini
Published: June 2024

Nature-based solutions have gained popularity as an approach to reduce the impacts of climate and environmental change, providing multi-fold and multi-sectoral benefits especially in cities. Yet there has been growing concern about their utility for cities of the Global South, a concern fuelled by the paucity of studies, including scientific peer reviewed and gray literature. In this paper, we contribute to this knowledge gap, based on an analysis of 120 case studies of NBS in Global South cities, documented in two databases (Urban Natural Atlas and Oppla). These cases fall largely under categories of blue and green infrastructure, with a few cases also focusing on grey infrastructure (in buildings or campuses). While most cases are in Asia, several have also been documented in Africa and Central/South America. Two-third of documented NBS cases are aligned towards either national, or lower-level (regional and local) policies indicating the importance of policy mechanisms for driving their implementation. Institutional arrangements are usually non-government, government or collaborative arrangements, with the goal of climate resilience, biodiversity support and ecosystem restoration—along with social goals of creating public spaces. However, when private players take on the mandate for NBS, they focus primarily on grey infrastructure (in buildings and campuses), primarily meant for private or employee benefits, and not for the public. In cases where public engagement is a stated priority, we find tokenistic approaches deployed, primarily seeking engagement through information dissemination and consultation predominate. Despite the stated importance for participation and engagement, only a few cases focused on empowerment and co-creation of NBS with local communities. We suggest that there is a greater need for documentation regarding the modes of participation especially on roles and levels of actors involved, to enrich our understanding of the impact of NBS on values of justice and equity in the cities of the global South.
Resveratrol and piceid enhance efferocytosis by increasing the secretion of MFG-E8 in human THP-1 macrophages
Authors: Wang Jing , Hashimoto Yuki , Hiemori-Kondo Miki , Nakamoto Akiko , Sakai Tohru , Ye Wenxiu , Abe-Kanoh Naomi
Published: June 2024

The process of apoptotic cell clearance by phagocytes, known as efferocytosis, plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis. Defects in efferocytosis can lead to inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis and autoimmune disorders. Therefore, the maintenance and promotion of efferocytosis are considered crucial for preventing these diseases. In this study, we observed that resveratrol, a representative functional food ingredient, and its glycoside, piceid, promoted efferocytosis in both human THP-1 macrophages differentiated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and peritoneal macrophages from thioglycolate-elicited mice. Resveratrol and piceid significantly increased mRNA expression and protein secretion of MFG-E8 in THP-1 macrophages. Furthermore, the activation of efferocytosis and the increment in MFG-E8 protein secretion caused by resveratrol or piceid treatment were canceled by MFG-E8 knockdown in THP-1 macrophages. In conclusion, we have demonstrated for the first time that resveratrol and piceid promote efferocytosis through the upregulation of MFG-E8 excretion in human THP-1 macrophages.
An enlarging painless eyelid nodule
Authors: Ang Andrea Jing Shi , Cheo Fan Foon , Oh Choon Chiat
Published: June 2024

A 50-year-old man with a history of kidney transplantation presented with a painless enlarging lesion on his right lower eyelid that had been growing for 2 years. A biopsy revealed a low-grade neoplasm with cribriform architecture and mucin production; subsequent immunohistochemistry was suggestive of endocrine mucin-producing sweat gland carcinoma. This case highlights the importance of a high index of suspicion for malignancy in immunocompromised patients with nonresolving lesions and the need for regular skin checks.
Epidemiology of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Adults and Children With Medically Attended Acute Respiratory Illness Over Three Seasons
Authors: Begley Katherine M , Leis Aleda M , Petrie Joshua G , Truscon Rachel , Johnson Emileigh , Lamerato Lois E , Wei Melissa , Monto Arnold S , Martin Emily T
Published: June 2024

Background

Data on the true prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among medically attended acute respiratory illnesses (MAARI) has been limited by the lack of regular clinical testing of mild to moderate illnesses. Here we present a prospective evaluation of the epidemiology of RSV-associated MAARI across age groups and multimorbidity status over 3 seasons, which is informative in light of the recommendations for shared decision making for vaccination in older adults.

Methods

Ambulatory patients ≥6 months of age meeting a common MAARI case definition were prospectively enrolled in the Michigan Ford Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness (MFIVE) study, a subsite of the US Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network. All participants were tested by nasal-throat swab for RSV and influenza, including subtype, independently from clinician-directed testing. Participant illness characteristics and calculated multimorbidity-weighted index (MWI) were collected by in-person survey and electronic medical record review.

Results

Over 3 surveillance seasons (fall 2017 to spring 2020), 9.9% (n = 441) of 4442 participants had RSV detected. RSV-associated MAARI was more prevalent than influenza for participants 6 months to 4 years of age. Adults with RSV-MAARI had higher median MWI scores overall compared to influenza-MAARI and controls with neither virus (1.62, 0.40, and 0.64, respectively).

Conclusions

RSV is a significant, underrecognized cause of MAARI in both children and adults presenting for ambulatory care. Multimorbidity is an important contributor to RSV-associated MAARI in outpatient adults, providing information to support shared clinical decision making for vaccination.
Pharmacological management of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: a scoping review
Authors: Rehman Shafi , Masthan Shameera Shaik , Ibrahim Ramzi , Pham Hoang Nhat , Hassan Danial , Ahmad Fahad , Asif Mohammad Shahzad , Safdar Ahmad , Anwar Zain , Raza Shahzad , William Preethi
Published: June 2024

Aims

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is characterized by the accumulation of transthyretin (TTR) protein in the myocardium. The aim of this scoping review is to provide a descriptive summary of the clinical trials and observational studies that evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of various agents used in ATTR-CM, with a goal of identifying the contemporary gaps in literature and to reveal future research opportunities.

Methods and results

The search was performed in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A literature search using several databases for observational and clinical trials investigating the treatment modalities for ATTR-CM was undertaken. We extracted data including study characteristics, primary endpoints, and adverse events from each study. A total of 19 studies were included in our scoping review. Out of which, 8 were clinical trials and 11 were observational analyses. The drugs evaluated included tafamadis, acoramidis, revusiran, doxycycline and tauroursodeoxycholic acid and doxycycline, diflusinil, inotersan, eplontersen, and patisiran. Tafamidis has shown to be efficacious in the management of ATTR-CM, particularly when initiated at earlier stages. RNA interference and antisense oligonucleotide drugs have shown promising impacts on quality of life. Additionally, this review identified gaps in the literature, particularly among long-term outcomes, comparative effectiveness, and the translation of research into economic contexts.

Conclusion

Multiple pharmacological options are potential disease-modifying therapies for ATTR-CM. However, many gaps exist in the understanding of these various drug therapies, warranting further research. The future directions for management of ATTR-CM are promising in regard to improving prognostic implications.