bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Controllable Fabrication of Flexible and Foldable Carbon Nanofiber Films
Authors: Wang Xiao , Aboalhassan Ahmed A. , Zhu Chuang , Zhang Liang , Li Guang , Yan Jianhua , Yu Jianyong , Ding Bin
Published: August 2022

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) fabricated through traditional methods are generally composed of amorphous carbon and graphite sheets, which usually endow CNFs with high modulus and brittleness. Here, a strategy of controlling graphite sheet structures in CNFs for the scalable fabrication of silk‐like flexible CNF films that can be arbitrarily folded in any shape and can undergo thousands of dynamic bending deformation cycles is reported. In detail, the carbon precursor of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is first electrospun into NFs and then by controlling the pre‐oxidation reaction and carbonization process to design CNFs with different graphitization degrees, flexible CNF films with tunable mechanical properties from the traditional bending resilience flexibility to truly foldable flexibility can be fabricated. Meanwhile, a correlation mechanism between microstructure and the foldable flexibility of CNFs is proposed. Importantly, it is found that manipulating the pre‐oxidation temperatures of precursor PAN NFs can effectively reduce the structural stiffness of CNFs due to the appropriate number of graphene sheets. This study provides a theoretical basis for designing truly foldable CNF films for multiple applications.
Insight into Pyroelectricity and Phase Transitions in Ferroelectrics from Nonequilibrium Approach: The Case of PbTiO3
Authors: Lynch Kelli Ann , Meng Tepie , Ponomareva I.
Published: August 2022

Computational methodology is proposed to simulate time dependent temperature variations via thermostat approach. The methodology is applied to study pyroelectricity under nonequilibrium conditions in prototypical ferroelectric PbTiO3. It is found that at room temperature the nonequilibrium effects in pyroelectricity begin manifesting above 1.0 THz and originate from the overlap with the intrinsic soft mode frequency. Therefore, the proposed computational methodology can be used to predict equilibrium pyroelectric response by choosing a frequency of temperature variation below the intrinsic polar mode frequencies for the material. Probing the dynamics of ferroelectric phase transition with the proposed methodology revealed that it takes about a nanosecond for the computational supercell to undergo phase transition. It is concluded that computational techniques capable of simulating picoseconds can be used to compute pyroelectric response from nonequilibrium dynamical approach while those that can reach nanoseconds are suitable for simulating phase transitions in ferroelectrics.
Negative Capacitance Phenomenon and Origin in Alkali Niobate Film with Self‐Assembled Lattice Faults
Authors: Waqar Moaz , Yang Ping , He Qian , Yao Kui , Wang John
Published: August 2022

Negative capacitance (NC) is an important phenomenon both in terms of the underlying fundamental science and its potential device application value. Achieving NC with adequate tunability in a scalable and reliable way is highly demanded for industrial applications. Herein, an electric‐field‐induced NC phenomenon and inductance‐like behavior in alkali‐deficient potassium sodium niobate thin film with self‐assembled planar faults are demonstrated. Our in‐depth investigation with the help of atomic‐scale microscopy and high‐temperature dielectric, conductivity, and X‐ray studies revealed that the compensated electronic charge at the planar faults is localized as bound polarons which convert to free polarons at high temperature as well as by an increased electric field. The collective response of such polaronic charge along the planar faults under an oscillating electric field results in the observed NC phenomenon and inductance effect. Large NC values are obtained which can be tuned in terms of magnitude and operating frequency by controlling the concentration of the free polarons via external DC bias. This work underpins the unique feature of the defect architecture obtained in the alkali deficient KNN film and provides a novel material design strategy and fundamental framework to realize NC and related exotic phenomena in defect‐engineered oxide materials.
Globally optimal design of Minimal WHEN systems using enumeration
Authors: Lin Qucheng , Liao Zuwei , Bagajewicz Miguel J.
Published: August 2022

The process synthesis problem referred to as work and heat exchange networks (WHENs) asks to determine the optimal heat exchanger network intertwined with compressors, expanders, and valves, all integrated into one single network, such that streams with certain initial temperature and pressure attain their temperature and pressure targets at minimum cost. This article presents a procedure that obtains the globally optimal solution of Minimal WHEN systems using an enumeration scheme, using only a few subproblems, each one solved using mathematical programming to global optimality. Minimal structures feature one compression/decompression task and one heat exchange task per stream. In addition, we depart from the ideal gas assumption and use a cubic equation of state for stream properties. Finally, the approach allows for the use of turboexpanders. Four examples are presented to show the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method.
Insights into the active sites of dual‐zone synergistic catalysts for semi‐hydrogenation under hydrogen spillover
Authors: Wang Shuai , Lv Yipin , Wang Xilong , Gao Daowei , Duan Aijun , Zhao Huaiqing , Zheng Peng , Chen Guozhu
Published: August 2022

A well‐defined catalyst with platinum (Pt) and gold (Au) encapsulated in micropore and mesopore of micro‐mesoporous zeolite (Pt‐Au/TMSN), respectively, was designed to investigate the original active sites of semi‐hydrogenation. Specifically, hydrogen molecules are dissociated on Pt nanoclusters (NCs) to form hydrogen atoms that migrate to the surfaces of TMSN zeolite and Au nanoparticles (NPs) through hydrogen spillover effect. The characterization and catalytic results demonstrate that the Au NPs and zeolite surface are both identified as the semi‐hydrogenation sites. Especially, the Au active site with low adsorption ability of alkene possesses preferable selectivity in the semi‐hydrogenation of phenylacetylene and 1,5‐cyclooctadiene. Noteworthy, the Pt‐Au/TMSN exhibits higher selectivity of phenylethylene and cyclooctene than Pt/TMSN, as well as higher turnover frequency than Au/MSN. This work creates an effective regulation strategy of active sites working with a tandem mechanism for improving the semi‐hydrogenation performance.
Acrylate‐free tough 3D printable thiol‐ene thermosets and composites for biomedical applications
Authors: Badria Adel , Hutchinson Daniel J. , Sanz del Olmo Natalia , Malkoch Michael
Published: August 2022

Polymer thermosets and composites based on rigid trizaine‐trione (TATO) alkene and thiol monomers show great promise as bone fixation materials and dental composites due to their ability to efficiently crosslink via thiol‐ene coupling chemistry into stiff and strong materials. In order to broaden the scope of these materials, a TATO thermoset was optimized for sterolithography (SLA) 3D printing through the addition of either a diluent (PETMP) and photo‐absorber (Sudan I), or the addition of a free radical inhibitor (pyrogallol). A 3D printable hydroxyapatite (HA) composite was also formulated by adding a combination of nano‐HA and micro‐HA particles, which were found to increase the thermal stability and modulus of the material, respectively. The modulus of the printed thermosets containing Sudan I and pyrogallol exceeded any previously published acrylate‐free thiol‐ene SLA resins, at 1.6 (0.1) and 1.85 (0.06) GPa, respectively. The printed HA composite formulation had a modulus of 2.4 (0.2) GPa. All three formulations showed a comparable resolution to a commercially available SLA resin and were non‐toxic toward Raw 264.7 and human dermal fibroblast cells. These results demonstrate the potential of TATO based SLA resins for the construction of strong, fully‐customizable, printed implants for biomedical applications.
A novel biomedical compatibilizer (polyvinyl alcohol‐allyl polyethylene glycol graft copolymer) for polyvinyl alcohol/polyethylene oxide composite system
Authors: Yang Qiang , Guo Jing , Zhang Sen , Guan Fucheng , Yu Yue , Yao Qiang , Zhang Xin , Xu Yi
Published: August 2022

Due to biocompatibility and similar extracellular matrix structure, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) nanofiber membranes are an essential medical dressing. However, the phase separation of the PVA/PEO composite system will occur within a short time. It severely limits the continuous preparation of PVA/PEO nanofiber membranes. To make PVA/PEO composite system maintain compatibility, a novel polyvinyl alcohol‐allyl polyethylene glycol (PVA‐g‐APEG) graft copolymer with phase change, compatibilization and biocompatibility was prepared successfully. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) prove that the copolymerization and alcoholysis reaction allyl polyethylene glycol (APEG) and vinyl acetate (VAc) successfully obtained PVA‐g‐APEG graft copolymer. The prepared PVA‐g‐APEG not only has electrospinability but can effectively prevent the phase separation of PVA/PEO composite system, which ensures the continuity of electrospinning in the industry. Additionally, the feasibility of the PVA‐g‐APEG compatibilized PVA/PEO composite system for application in biomedical was verified through the preparation and various assessments of PVA‐g‐APEG/PVA/PEO nanofiber dressings. The prepared PVA‐g‐APEG is beneficial to the PVA/PEO composite system to broaden its application in biomedical and other fields.
Study of pH‐dependent fluorescent property of fluoroquinolone antibiotics
Authors: Sajwan Reena K. , Lakshmi Garimella B. V. S. , Singh Avinash K. , Solanki Pratima R.
Published: August 2022

Antibiotics are probably known as “wonder drugs” that inhibit bacterial growth or kill bacteria. Fluoroquinolones (FQNs) are broad‐spectrum synthetic antibiotics having excellent oral absorption and outstanding biocompatibility. It was found that some of the antibiotics themselves have a fluorescent property, and this fluorescent ability of these antibiotics has potential applications in infection diagnosis, detection of antibiotics in the environment, tracking the antibiotic uptake, and the detection of bacterial infections. In this study, we have studied the influence of pH (2–12) on fluorescence intensity, UV‐Vis absorption, and surface charge properties of fluorescent antibiotics, such as moxifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, and norfloxacin. The purposed study is an easy, simple way of finding the presence of antibiotics and tracking bacterial infection by changing the pH value of the medium.
New PEPPSI‐Pd‐NHC complexes bearing 4‐hydroxyphenylethyl group: Synthesis, characterization, molecular docking, and bioactivity properties
Authors: Behçet Ayten , Taslimi Parham , Gök Yetkin , Aktaş Aydın , Taskin‐Tok Tugba , Gülçin İlhami
Published: August 2022

Five 4‐hydroxyphenylethyl substituted pyridine enhanced, precatalyst, preparation, stabilization, and initiation‐Pd‐N‐heterocyclic carbene (PEPPSI‐Pd‐NHC) complexes are synthesized in a straightforward way. All PEPPSI‐Pd‐NHC complexes were prepared by mixing 4‐hydroxyphenylethyl substituted NHC precursors, palladium chloride, potassium carbonate, and potassium bromide in pyridine. All complexes were screened for human carbonic anhydrase I (hCA I) and hCA II, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and α‐glucosidase (α‐Glu) inhibitory activities. The ChE inhibitory activities of the new PEPPSI‐Pd‐NHC complexes bearing the 4‐hydroxyphenylethyl group (1a–e) against α‐Glu, AChE, and BChE were determined by the Tao and Ellman methods. The results indicated that all the synthetic complexes exhibited potent inhibitory activities against all targets as compared to the standard inhibitors, revealed by IC50 values. The Ki values of the new PEPPSI‐Pd‐NHC complexes 1a–e for hCA I, hCA II, AChE, BChE, and α‐Glu were obtained in the ranges of 18.98–32.65, 22.95–38.13, 3.67–11.65, 4.09–9.36, 186.92–287.45 µM, respectively. Among the synthesized complexes, the most potent complexes were 1c toward hCA I and II with Ki values 18.98 and 22.95 µM, and 1d toward AChE and BChE with Ki = 3.67 and 4.09 µM, respectively.
Reexamining empathy in autism: Empathic disequilibrium as a novel predictor of autism diagnosis and autistic traits
Authors: Shalev Ido , Warrier Varun , Greenberg David M. , Smith Paula , Allison Carrie , Baron‐Cohen Simon , Eran Alal , Uzefovsky Florina
Published: August 2022

A large body of research showed that autistic people have intact emotional (affective) empathy alongside reduced cognitive empathy. However, there are mixed findings and these call for a more subtle understanding of empathy in autism. Empathic disequilibrium refers to the imbalance between emotional and cognitive empathy and is associated with a higher number of autistic traits in the typical population. Here we examined whether empathic disequilibrium predicts both the number of autistic traits and autism diagnosis. In a large sample of autistic (N = 1905) and typical individuals (N = 3009), we examined empathic disequilibrium and empathy as predictors of autistic traits and autism diagnosis, using a polynomial regression with response surface analysis. Empathy and autistic traits were measured using validated self‐report questionnaires. Both empathic disequilibrium and empathy predicted linearly and non‐linearly autism diagnosis and autistic traits. Specifically, a tendency towards higher emotional than cognitive empathy (empathic disequilibrium towards emotional empathy) predicted both autism diagnosis and the social domain of autistic traits, while higher cognitive than emotional empathy was associated with the non‐social domain of autism. Empathic disequilibrium was also more prominent in autistic females. This study provides evidence that beyond empathy as was measured thus far, empathic disequilibrium offers a novel analytical approach for examining the role of empathy. Empathic disequilibrium allows for a more nuanced understanding of the links between empathy and autism.

Lay summary

Many autistic individuals report feelings of excessive empathy, yet their experience is not reflected by most of the current literature, typically suggesting that autism is characterized by intact emotional and reduced cognitive empathy. To fill this gap, we looked at both ends of the imbalance between these components, termed empathic disequilibrium. We show that, like empathy, empathic disequilibrium is related to autism diagnosis and traits, and thus may provide a more nuanced understanding of empathy and its link with autism.
A pilot study of a therapeutic workplace in women arrested for prostitution
Authors: DeFulio Anthony , Cosottile David W. , Devoto Amanda , Silverman Kenneth
Published: August 2022

People with substance use disorder who have been arrested for prostitution are likely to require intensive interventions to increase drug abstinence and reduce HIV risk behaviors. The Therapeutic Workplace (TW) may be ideal for this population, because it combines contingency management for drug abstinence and paid job training. This study was a preliminary evaluation of the TW intervention in opioid dependent women arrested for prostitution. Participants (N = 37) were randomly assigned to a specialized diversion program, or the diversion program plus the TW for 4 months. Group comparisons showed no difference in drug use. However, analysis of drug use relative to the onset of drug abstinence contingencies in the TW group showed greater abstinence during the implementation period, with a significant difference for opioids (p = 0.046). The pre‐post contingency outcomes provide preliminary evidence that the TW could promote drug abstinence in people involved in the criminal justice system who attend paid job training.
Green human resource management and environmental performance: The role of green innovation and environmental strategy in a developing country
Authors: Aftab Junaid , Abid Nabila , Cucari Nicola , Savastano Marco
Published: August 2022

A vast literature supports the notion that green human resource management leads to superior environmental performance. This study argues that green innovation, environmental strategy and pro‐environmental behaviour facilitate the relationship between green human resource management and environmental performance in the manufacturing industry of developing countries. To test the mediating effect of green innovation and pro‐environmental behaviour alongside the moderating role of environmental strategy in the proposed model, we collected and analysed data from 410 manufacturing firm managers operating in Pakistan using partial least square structural equation modelling. The mediating and moderating results highlighted the significance of green innovation, environmental strategy and pro‐environmental behaviour to excel in environmental performance through operational efficiency, appropriate environmental strategy and human willingness to indulge in environmental activities. The findings also suggest implications for theory and practice in similar developing countries. The study offers generalisability in developing countries sharing the same economic and social structure.
Mapping the diffusion of circular economy good practices: Success factors and sustainable challenges
Authors: Rocca Laura , Veneziani Monica , Carini Cristian
Published: August 2022

Shifting from a linear to a circular economy (CE) is a path promoted from different national and supranational organizations from many years but how that circularity is put in place by businesses from an empirical perspective is still a research gap in the literature. There is the need to stress the study of empirical cases to better understand what are the success factors, the sustainable challenges and the way forward to achieve the goal of a CE. This paper aims to investigate how the circular economy is spreading at the empirical level and with what evolution and opportunities. The framework of the diffusion theory is used to analyse how the CE, as a business model innovation, is widespread. The Italian scenario is taken as background, and 62 good practices of CE are analysed. The results promote a discussion on the attributes of CE, policy implications and future studies to booster the circular changing in society.
Strategies for Carbon Dioxide Utilization in Highly Volatile Industrial Transformation Pathways
Authors: Kolbe Nina , Tenhumberg Nils , Büker Karsten , Kleinschmidt Ralph , Oles Markus
Published: August 2022

German industry is committed to climate targets, but faces uncertainty regarding feasible transformation pathways in terms of future renewable energy availability, the speed of technology development, and the future regulatory framework. The Carbon2Chem® project aims to develop flexible solutions for the chemical utilization of CO/CO2 in various industries with hard‐to‐abate CO2 emissions. This paper presents general strategies for using Carbon2Chem® technology in the transformation process to reduce CO2 emissions and provide sustainable feedstocks to the chemical industry, both in the short and long term.
Highly Selective Hydrogenation of Nitroaromatics over Pt/TiO2@S‐1 catalyst with Inlaid Strong Metal‐Support Interaction
Authors: Liu Mengmeng , Li Jingjing , Wang Pengfei , Chen Shuai , Dong Zhengping , Zhang Fengwei
Published: August 2022

The encapsulation of metal nanoparticles (NPs)‐based active sites and homogeneous catalysts in nanoporous materials has been of highly research focus for tuning their catalytic activity, selectivity and stability. Although the catalysts with strong metal‐support interaction (SMSI) hold the reversible encapsulation feature in a certain atmosphere, there is still a lack of systematic research on them in a real confined environment. Herein, we present a highly selective and stable Pt/TiO2@S‐1 catalyst, which is prepared by in‐situ growth of classical silicalite‐1 on the external surface of Pt/TiO2‐450H pre‐catalyst with SMSI effect. Encouragingly, the encapsulated 20Pt/TiO2@S‐1 catalyst demonstrates unprecedented catalytic performance for various nitroaromatics and without any degradation in selectivity after 7 cycles (>99%) for the hydrogenation of 1‐chloro‐4‐nitrobenzene. Such situation is attributed to the high surface area, SMSI effect in confined space as well as the pore structure of silicalite‐1 with selective adsorption of substrates.
Advancing on an efficient sparse matrix multiplication kernel for modern GPUs
Authors: Berger Gonzalo , Freire Manuel , Marini Renzo , Dufrechou Ernesto , Ezzatti Pablo
Published: August 2022

The sparse matrix multiplication (SpGeMM) increased its importance in the last years due to its data science and machine learning applications. Consequently, considerable research has focused on accelerating this kernel in GPUs. Designing massively‐parallel algorithms for the SpGeMM is a challenging task since the computation pattern is highly irregular, and the required memory and operations depend on the interaction between the nonzero layout of the inputs. One strategy to attack this kernel consists of proposing new sparse matrix storage formats that contribute to mitigating this irregularity. In previous work, we commenced a study of the recently proposed bmSparse matrix format, suggesting several modifications to the SpGeMM algorithm. This work integrates the previous extensions and proposes new improvements to unleash bmSparse's full potential before comparing it to more consolidated options. In particular, we enhance one of the most computationally demanding stages with an adaptive technique, apply optimizations to achieve more efficient data accesses, and analyze the effect of using Tensor Cores to accelerate the multiplication stage of the algorithm. The experimental results on a set of real‐world sparse matrices show that the optimized implementation largely outperforms vendor implementations such as NVIDIA cuSparse Intel MKL‐CSR variant, while being competitive with MKL's‐BSR.
Confinement Dynamics of Nanodroplets between Two Surfaces: Effects of Wettability and Electric Field
Authors: Liu Dandan , Cao Qianqian , Piao Zhongyu , Li Lujuan
Published: August 2022

The electrowetting effect and related applications of tiny droplets have aroused widespread research interest. In this work, we report molecular dynamics simulations of confinement dynamics of nanodroplets under different droplet‐surface interactions and surface distances under an external electric field. So far, the effect of the surface‐droplet interactions on electric field‐induced dynamics behaviors of droplets in confined spaces has not been extensively studied. Our results show that in the absence of electric field there is a critical value of surface wettability for the shape transition of droplets. Above this value, the droplet is divided into small droplets adhered on the bottom and top surfaces; below this value, the droplets are detached from the surfaces. When an external electric field is applied parallel to the surfaces, the droplet spreads on the surface along the direction of the electric field. It was found that the surface separation significantly influences the transition of the droplet shape. The steady morphology of the droplets under the electric field depends on the surface‐droplet interaction and surface separation. We explore the underlying mechanism causing the morphological transition through analyzing the molecular interactions, the number of interracial molecules and the interaction force between the droplets and surfaces. These results provide basic insights into the molecular interactions of nanodroplets under different confined environments, and clues for applications of confined nanodroplets under the control of electric field.
LCL‐filter resonance suppression in grid‐connected inverter based on strictly real positive plant strategy
Authors: Khan Danish , Hu Pengfei , Waseem Muhammad , Lin Zhenzhi
Published: August 2022

Resonance is one of the most significant challenges in a voltage source inverter interfaced with the grid through an LCL filter. The capacitor current (CC) damping control methodology is considered due to its high‐quality of grid injected current feature. It is widely accepted that the proportional CC feedback compensation damping method becomes ineffective at critical resonance frequency due to control loop delays and may result in an unstable system under grid impedance or filter parameters variations. A suitable differential compensator placed in the CC feedback path can address this issue with a trade‐off between robustness and noise rejection capability. This paper offers a different design method called parallel feedforward compensation (PFC) method, which builds an almost strictly real positive (ASRP) plant and realized damping with enhanced stability features. In the proposed alternative, a compensator consisting of a damping gain and a sampled delay is placed across the filter plant and filter CC feedback loop and the joint output of this augmented plant is then transmitted back at the reference point on the input side of the inverter to attenuate the undesirable resonance peak. The control response and stability performance analysis show that the suggested methodology offers a wide damping region, high robustness, and improved control performance. Simulation and experimental results are presented to confirm the theoretical findings.
Fen ecohydrologic trajectories in response to groundwater drawdown with an edaphic feedback
Authors: Booth Eric G. , Loheide Steven P. , Bart David
Published: August 2022

Fens are high conservation value ecosystems that depend on consistent discharge of groundwater that saturates the near surface for most of the growing season. Reduced groundwater inputs can result in losses of native diversity, decreases in rare‐species abundance and increased invasion by non‐native species. As such, fen ecosystems are known to be particularly susceptible to changes in groundwater conditions including reduction in water levels due to nearby groundwater pumping. However, research is lacking on whether floristic degradation is influenced by feedbacks between hydrology and soil properties. We present a model of an archetype hillslope fen that couples a hydrological niche model with a variably saturated groundwater flow model to predict changes in vegetation composition in response to different groundwater drawdown scenarios. The model explores a potential edaphic feedback through the use of an observed relationship between fen floristic quality and soil/peat water retention characteristics that is attenuated with separate edaphic and floristic memory terms representing lags in biophysical responses to dewatering. Model parameters were determined based on data collected from six fens in Wisconsin under various states of degradation. We observed different water retention characteristics between sites that were minimally impacted versus degraded that are likely due to peat decomposition, oxidation and compaction at the degraded sites. These characteristics were also correlated with floristic quality. The results reveal a complex response to drawdown where changes in peat hydraulic properties following dewatering lead to even drier conditions and further shifts away from typical fen species.
Effects of Fast Charging Modes on Thermal Performance of Lithium‐Ion Battery
Authors: Wang Wentao , Wang Yanan , Ni Ruke , Xie Zongfa
Published: August 2022

Fast charging technology can greatly increase the charging speed and shorten the charging time of electric vehicles, but the heat generation and temperature rise of the lithium‐ion battery during the fast charging process seriously affect its electrochemical characteristics and cycle life and even cause safety issues. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the thermal performance of the lithium‐ion battery under fast charging conditions and investigate the effects of different fast charging modes on it. Herein, an NMC lithium‐ion cell is taken as the object, and the electrochemical–thermal coupling model is built and verified. Based on this model, the heat generations and temperature rises of the cell in different fast charging modes are analyzed and compared, including constant current (CC) charging, constant voltage (CV) charging, CC–CV charging, stage CC charging, and pulse charging. It is found that the peak temperature of the cell appears at different moments in the above charging modes. The peak temperature and total heat generation during CV charging are much greater than those during charging of other modes. The results can provide references for the design and selection of charging modes and battery thermal management systems toward fast charging technology.
Assessment of a novel geothermal powered polygeneration system with zero liquid discharge
Authors: Afshari Hamed , Ehyaei Mehdi A. , Esmaeilion Farbod , Shamoushaki Moein , Farhadnia Mahsa , Rosen Marc A.
Published: August 2022

Energy, exergy, economic, exergoenvironmental, and environmental analyses are reported for a novel polygeneration system consisting of a geothermal cycle, a CO2 cycle, a reverse osmosis unit, an electrodialysis unit, a lithium bromide absorption chiller, and a liquefaction unit for natural gas. The proposed system is able to produce electricity, cooling, desalinated water, sodium hydroxide, and hydrogen. To study the environmental aspects of the proposed facility, the associated social cost of air pollution is determined. This parameter implies a comparison between nonrenewable and renewable energy systems to produce the same amount of electricity, while the amount of air pollutants generated and their associated costs are considered. Three scenarios are introduced. The results indicate that the system produces 631 GWh/year electrical energy, 465 GWh/year cooling, 6.22 ‎ton/year NaClO, 1.57 × 108 m3/year hydrogen, and 386,000 m3/year potable water for a geothermal working fluid supplied with mass flow rate of 100 kg/s at a temperature of 150°C and a pressure of 457.5 kPa. Also, the calculated values of the energy and exergy efficiencies are 58.3% and 94.2%, respectively. The payback period is determined to be 5.3 years. The net present value ‎is found to be ‎113.6 million US$ which is lower than that for all the nonrenewable‐based scenarios considered.
Advancing the Genetics of Lewy Body Disorders with Disease‐Modifying Treatments in Mind
Authors: Levy Gilberto , Levin Bruce , Engelhardt Eliasz
Published: August 2022

In this article, a caveat for advancing the genetics of Lewy body disorders is raised, given the nosological controversy about whether to consider dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease (PD) as one entity or two separate entities. Using the framework of the sufficient and component causes model of causation, as further developed into an evolution‐based model of causation, it is proposed that a disease of complex etiology is defined as having a relatively high degree of sharing of the component causes (a genetic or environmental factor), that is, a low degree of heterogeneity of the sufficient causes. Based on this definition, only if the sharing of component causes within each of two diseases is similar to their combined sharing can lumping be warranted. However, it is not known whether the separate and combined sharing are similar before conducting the etiologic studies. This means that lumping DLB and PD can be counterproductive as it can decrease the ability to detect component causes despite the potential benefit of conducting studies with larger sample sizes. In turn, this is relevant to the development of disease‐modifying treatments, because non‐overlapping causal genetic factors may result in distinct pathogenetic pathways providing promising targets for interventions.
Paradoxical age‐related improvement in mental health in U.S. military veterans: Results from the national health and resilience in veterans study
Authors: Overstreet Cassie , Pietrzak Robert H.
Published: August 2022

Objective

To determine whether a seemingly “paradoxical” trend whereby mental health improves as a function of age despite declining physical and cognitive health occurs in U.S. military veterans, who are older, and have higher rates of trauma exposure and psychiatric morbidities relative to non‐veterans.

Methods

Using data from a nationally representative, cross‐sectional sample of 4069 U.S. veterans, polynomial regression analyses were conducted to examine changes in self‐reported physical, cognitive, and mental health of veterans representing the full age spectrum.

Results

Physical health scores were consistently average and stable until around age 80 when they declined. In contrast, cognitive and mental health scores were markedly lower in young veterans and then increased linearly and positively well into late‐life.

Conclusions

While greater age is associated with relative stability and late‐life decline in physical health in U.S. veterans, mental and cognitive health steadily improve until much later in life. Results may help inform age‐specific prevention and treatment efforts to promote healthy aging in this population.
Comparison of snowpack structure in gaps and under the canopy in a humid boreal forest
Authors: Bouchard Benjamin , Nadeau Daniel F. , Domine Florent
Published: August 2022

The boreal forest covers a significant portion of the Northern Hemisphere and is snow‐covered for over half of the year. Understanding the interactions between the forest canopy and snow is essential in hydrological, meteorological, and climate modelling. However, this is challenging because the density of a forest can range from closed canopies to open gaps. In winter 2018–2019, we assessed differences in snowpack microstructure in small forest gaps and under the canopy of a humid boreal site in eastern Canada. Our experimental approach consisted of quasi‐continuous weekly observations of stratigraphy and measurements of density profiles and temperature in a series of snow pits in both environments. High‐resolution specific surface area (SSA) profiles were measured twice, allowing for an estimation of snow permeability and hydraulic conductivity. The shallower snowpack under the canopy displayed a stronger vertical temperature gradient and less compaction than in forest gaps. This resulted in the dominance of faceted snow crystals with a small SSA. In contrast, we observed that small, rounded grains with a larger SSA than that of faceted crystals prevailed in the gaps. Due to denser snow and higher SSA, snow permeability inside gaps was found to be lower than under the canopy. Implicitly, the estimated hydraulic conductivity was also lower in gaps. Following rain‐on‐snow events, snow under the canopy displayed layers of melt‐freeze polycrystals, while in the gaps, well‐defined ice layers were formed. The combination of low snow permeability and ice layers is likely to affect liquid water transport in the gap snowpack as compared to the canopy. Although observed at relatively small scales in our study, if these differences are confirmed at a catchment scale, they are likely to impact the hydrology of forested areas during snowmelt.
AQP4 knockout promotes neurite outgrowth via upregulating GAP43 expression in infant rats with hypoxic‐ischemic brain injury
Authors: Dan Qi‐Qin , Ma Zheng , Tan Ya‐Xin , Visar Belegu , Chen Li
Published: August 2022

Neonatal hypoxic‐ischemic encephalopathy (NHIE) induces severe cerebral damage and neurological dysfunction, with seldom effective therapy. Aquaporin‐4 (AQP4) is involved in aggravating brain damage induced by NHIE. This study aimed to investigate the role of AQP4 underlying the pathogenesis of NHIE. Neonatal Sprague–Dawley rats were used to establish neonatal hypoxic‐ischemic (HI) models, and the expression of AQP4 in the cortex, hippocampus, and lung tissues was detected by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction as well as Western blot. Primary cortical neurons were cultured for the oxygen‐glucose deprivation (OGD) model, and siRNA was used to silence the expression of AQP4. Immunostaining of Tuj1 was performed to observe the axonal growth. CRISPER/Cas9 technology was used to knock out AQP4. The results demonstrated that AQP4 was upregulated in the cortex, hippocampus, and lung tissues in neonatal rats with HI and OGD neurons. Besides, silencing AQP4 promoted axonal growth of OGD neurons, and AQP4 knockout notably improved long‐term neurobehavioral impairment. Furthermore, GAP43 was found closely correlated with AQP4 via GeneMANIA prediction. Significant downregulation of GAP43 was induced in OGD neurons, while AQP4 knockout markedly upregulated its expression in rats. This indicated that the depletion of AQP4 may enhance axonal regeneration and promote the long‐term neurobehavioral recovery associated with the upregulation of GAP43 expression.
Fibrinogen for the prediction of severe maternal complications in placental abruption with fetal death after 24 weeks of gestation
Authors: Atallah Anthony , Piccin Gaelle , Dubernard Gil , Abdul‐Hay Marie Jo , Cortet Marion , Huissoud Cyril
Published: August 2022

Objective

To assess the correlation between standard laboratory indicators at admission and severe maternal complications due to placental abruption (PA) with intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) after 24 weeks.

Methods

Retrospective study in three French tertiary referral hospitals. Correlation of laboratory indicators at admission (platelet count, prothrombin, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen) and severe maternal complications (massive transfusion, multiple organ failure, hysterectomy, or maternal deaths) in patients with PA and IUFD.

Results

Over 12 years, we identified 27/344 (7.8%) pregnant women presenting PA with IUFD. No patient had coagulopathy at admission. Fifteen individuals (55.5%) underwent delivery by cesarean section before or during labor. Fifteen individuals (55.5%) presented severe complications, and 17/27 (63%) lost more than 1 L of blood during delivery. Fibrinogen level was shown to be the laboratory indicator most correlated with severe complications (r = −0.52, P = 0.01). The receiver operating characteristic curve of fibrinogen less than 1.9 g/L in the prediction of severe complications (area under the curve = 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54–0.97) showed both a sensitivity and specificity of 83% (95% CI 54%–96%).

Conclusions

In cases of IUFD with PA, fibrinogen levels at admission had a prognostic value for the prediction of severe maternal complications.
Retracted: A randomized controlled study comparing two uterine sparing techniques in conservative management of placenta accreta spectrum
Authors: Dawood Ayman Shehata , Dawood Abdelghaffar Said , Shazly Sherif Abdelkarim , Assar Tamer Mahmoud , Soliman Ahmed Saber
Published: August 2022

Objectives

To compare the efficacy and safety of two uterine sparing techniques in conservative management of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS).

Methods

This multicenter randomized controlled study was conducted from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020 at two university hospitals. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups; Group 1 was managed by Assar's technique and Group 2 was managed by Shehata's technique. Operative time, blood loss, operative complications (organ or vessel injury), and postoperative complications (early and late) were reported. Success of the technique, units of blood transfusion, and intensive care unit admissions were recorded.

Results

Demographic data in both groups were not significantly different. The mean gestational age at the delivery time was 36 weeks in both groups. Operative time was 120 (100–140) minutes and 75 (60–100) minutes in Assar's and Shehata's techniques, respectively (P < 0.001). Blood loss was higher in Shehata's technique than in Assar's (P < 0.001). Intensive care unit admissions were minimal in both groups. Operative complications were comparable in both groups. The success of Assar's and Shehata's techniques in uterine preservation was 85% and 95%, respectively.

Conclusion

Both techniques were safe and successful in uterine sparing. Therefore, we recommend these techniques for conservative management of PAS.

Clinical trial registration

The trial was registered on UMIN‐CTR and had the unique ID: UMIN000025315 on the following link: https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi‐open‐bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000029120.
How does the ERAS protocol work in patients who underwent cesarean section? (HERMES study)
Authors: Uyanıklar Özlem Özgün , Türk Pınar , Aslan Kiper , Aslan Elif Külahçı , Özden Okan , Gürlüer Jale , Orhan Orhan , Vural Nazlı Aylin , Kılık Tuğba , Kasapoğlu Işıl , Uncu Gürkan
Published: August 2022

Objective

To assess the effect of the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for cesarean deliveries (CD) on postoperative outcomes.

Methods

This multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted in six different centers between September 2020 and March 2021 and involved women who underwent either planned or unplanned CD. The primary outcome was time to the first passage of flatus following CD. Secondary outcomes included postoperative pain score, postoperative complications, and patient satisfaction. The protocol included early postoperative oral intake of ice cream and coffee, multimodal analgesia, antiemetic medications, and early ambulation.

Results

A total of 448 patients were included. The median time to the first passage of flatus was 10 h in the Hermes group and 18 hours in the control group (P < 0.001). Postoperative visual analog scale scores were significantly higher in the control group. Patient satisfaction scores and the frequency of postoperative complications did not differ between the groups (P = 0.08, P = 0.604, respectively).

Conclusions

The ERAS protocol, including early serving of ice cream and coffee in the early postoperative period, enabled early discharge and a faster return of bowel function. Implementation of the ERAS protocol for patients who underwent planned and unplanned CD appeared to be safe and effective.
Accelerated Aging in Cyclophilin B–Deficient Mice Downstream of p21‐Cip1/Waf1
Authors: Zhang Ying , Pignolo Robert J. , Bram Richard J.
Published: August 2022

Loss of bone mass and strength is a common problem of advanced age in humans. Defective bone is also a primary finding in osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a genetic condition most commonly caused by autosomal dominant mutations in the type I collagen genes. Although altered collagen has been proposed to correlate with cellular processes that underlie aging, the causal relationships between them in vivo have not yet been completely explored. Whether aging plays a promoting role in OI development or whether OI contributes to aging, also remains unknown. The PpiB gene encodes cyclophilin B (CypB), a prolyl isomerase residing in the endoplasmic reticulum required for normal assembly of collagen. Germline deletion or mutations of CypB in mice or humans cause autosomal recessive OI (type IX). Here, we show that mice lacking CypB develop early onset of aging‐associated phenotypes, including kyphosis, fat reduction and weight loss, as well as abnormal teeth, skin, and muscle. Elevated senescence‐associated beta‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐Gal) activity was observed in fat tissues and in bone marrow–derived multipotent stromal cells. Protein levels of the cyclin‐dependent kinase (cdk)‐inhibitor p21‐Cip1/Waf1, a well known senescence marker, were significantly elevated in CypB‐deficient primary cells and mouse tissues. Importantly, loss of p21 in CypB knockout mice attenuated SA‐β‐Gal activity and delayed the development of kyphosis. In addition, less adipose tissue depot and higher SA‐β‐Gal activity were observed in a second OI model, Cola2oim mutant mice. A potential upregulation of p21 was also revealed in a limited number of these mice. These findings suggest that some of the features in OI patients may be mediated in part through activation of the p21‐dependent pathway, one of which is closely associated with senescence and aging. This study provides new mechanistic insight into relationships between OI and aging and raises the possibility of using senolytics drugs to treat OI in the future. © 2022 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
A Guide for Understanding and Designing Mendelian Randomization Studies in the Musculoskeletal Field
Authors: Hartley April E , Power Grace M , Sanderson Eleanor , Smith George Davey
Published: August 2022

Mendelian randomization (MR) is an increasingly popular component of an epidemiologist's toolkit, used to provide evidence of a causal effect of one trait (an exposure, eg, body mass index [BMI]) on an outcome trait or disease (eg, osteoarthritis). Identifying these effects is important for understanding disease etiology and potentially identifying targets for therapeutic intervention. MR uses genetic variants as instrumental variables for the exposure, which should not be influenced by the outcome or confounding variables, overcoming key limitations of traditional epidemiological analyses. For MR to generate a valid estimate of effect, key assumptions must be met. In recent years, there has been a rapid rise in MR methods that aim to test, or are robust to violations of, these assumptions. In this review, we provide an overview of MR for a non‐expert audience, including an explanation of these key assumptions and how they are often tested, to aid a better reading and understanding of the MR literature. We highlight some of these new methods and how they can be useful for specific methodological challenges in the musculoskeletal field, including for conditions or traits that share underlying biological pathways, such as bone and joint disease. © 2022 The Authors.JBMR Pluspublished by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Analysis of the initial dose and reduction rate of corticosteroid for ulcerative colitis in clinical practice
Authors: Masuda Masataka , Fukata Norimasa , Sano Yasuki , Nishimon Shuhei , Aoi Mamiko , Tomiyama Takashi , Fukui Toshiro , Omiya Mika , Okazaki Kazuichi , Naganuma Makoto
Published: August 2022

Background and Aim

Trends in steroid use and the effects of the initial dose, duration of use, and tapering schedule on clinical efficacy were assessed in Japanese patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) undergoing steroid treatment.

Methods

We enrolled 191 cases with UC who underwent steroid treatment between 2006 and 2020. We assessed the difference in clinical remission rates in cases with different initial doses of steroid. Clinical factors for clinical remission at week 4 and discontinuation of corticosteroid within 12 weeks were also assessed.

Results

Clinical remission and response at week 4 were obtained in 107 (56.0%) and 58 cases (30.4%), respectively. In hospitalized patients, male sex (odds ratio [OR], 0.373; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.146–0.956) and younger age (OR, 0.974; 95% CI, 0.951–0.998) were associated with clinical remission at week 4. Partial Mayo score (OR, 0.643; 95% CI, 0.451–0.918) and initial steroid dose of ≥30 mg (OR, 3.278; 95% CI, 1.274–8.435) were associated with clinical remission at week 4 in outpatients. Clinical remission at week 4 (OR, 0.300; (95% CI, 0.126–0.718)) and the steroid dose reduction rate at week 4 (OR, 0.092; 95% CI, 0.036–0.234) were associated with treatment discontinuation within 12 weeks. The proportion of patients in whom corticosteroids were discontinued at week 12 was significantly higher (P = 0.006) in 2016–2020 (28/52; 53.8%) than in 2006–2010 (15/54; 27.8%).

Conclusion

The steroid reduction rate at week 4 may be critical for discontinuation within 12 weeks. Withdrawal of corticosteroids has been becoming more appropriate in the last 5 years than before.