bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A distinct topology of BTN3A IgV and B30.2 domains controlled by juxtamembrane regions favors optimal human γδ T cell phosphoantigen sensing
Authors: Karunakaran Mohindar M. , Subramanian Hariharan , Jin Yiming , Mohammed Fiyaz , Kimmel Brigitte , Juraske Claudia , Starick Lisa , Nöhren Anna , Länder Nora , Willcox Carrie R. , Singh Rohit , Schamel Wolfgang W. , Nikolaev Viacheslav O. , Kunzmann Volker , Wiemer Andrew J. , Willcox Benjamin E. , Herrmann Thomas
Published: November 2023

Butyrophilin (BTN)–3A and BTN2A1 molecules control the activation of human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells during T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated sensing of phosphoantigens (PAg) derived from microbes and tumors. However, the molecular rules governing PAg sensing remain largely unknown. Here, we establish three mechanistic principles of PAg-mediated γδ T cell activation. First, in humans, following PAg binding to the intracellular BTN3A1-B30.2 domain, Vγ9Vδ2 TCR triggering involves the extracellular V-domain of BTN3A2/BTN3A3. Moreover, the localization of both protein domains on different chains of the BTN3A homo-or heteromers is essential for efficient PAg-mediated activation. Second, the formation of BTN3A homo-or heteromers, which differ in intracellular trafficking and conformation, is controlled by molecular interactions between the juxtamembrane regions of the BTN3A chains. Finally, the ability of PAg not simply to bind BTN3A-B30.2, but to promote its subsequent interaction with the BTN2A1-B30.2 domain, is essential for T-cell activation. Defining these determinants of cooperation and the division of labor in BTN proteins improves our understanding of PAg sensing and elucidates a mode of action that may apply to other BTN family members.
Multifaceted immune dysregulation characterizes individuals at-risk for rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: James Eddie A. , Holers V. Michael , Iyer Radhika , Prideaux E. Barton , Rao Navin L. , Rims Cliff , Muir Virginia S. , Posso Sylvia E. , Bloom Michelle S. , Zia Amin , Elliott Serra E. , Adamska Julia Z. , Ai Rizi , Brewer R. Camille , Seifert Jennifer A. , Moss LauraKay , Barzideh Saman , Demoruelle M. Kristen , Striebich Christopher C. , Okamoto Yuko , Sainbayar Enkhtsogt , Crook Alexandra A. , Peterson Ryan A. , Vanderlinden Lauren A. , Wang Wei , Boyle David L. , Robinson William H. , Buckner Jane H. , Firestein Gary S. , Deane Kevin D.
Published: November 2023

Molecular markers of autoimmunity, such as antibodies to citrullinated protein antigens (ACPA), are detectable prior to inflammatory arthritis (IA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may define a state that is ‘at-risk’ for future RA. Here we present a cross-sectional comparative analysis among three groups that include ACPA positive individuals without IA (At-Risk), ACPA negative individuals and individuals with early, ACPA positive clinical RA (Early RA). Differential methylation analysis among the groups identifies non-specific dysregulation in peripheral B, memory and naïve T cells in At-Risk participants, with more specific immunological pathway abnormalities in Early RA. Tetramer studies show increased abundance of T cells recognizing citrullinated (cit) epitopes in At-Risk participants, including expansion of T cells reactive to citrullinated cartilage intermediate layer protein I (cit-CILP); these T cells have Th1, Th17, and T stem cell memory-like phenotypes. Antibody-antigen array analyses show that antibodies targeting cit-clusterin, cit-fibrinogen and cit-histone H4 are elevated in At-Risk and Early RA participants, with the highest levels of antibodies detected in those with Early RA. These findings indicate that an ACPA positive at-risk state is associated with multifaceted immune dysregulation that may represent a potential opportunity for targeted intervention.
Interfacial alloying between lead halide perovskite crystals and hybrid glasses
Authors: Li Xuemei , Huang Wengang , Krajnc Andraž , Yang Yuwei , Shukla Atul , Lee Jaeho , Ghasemi Mehri , Martens Isaac , Chan Bun , Appadoo Dominique , Chen Peng , Wen Xiaoming , Steele Julian A. , Hackbarth Haira G. , Sun Qiang , Mali Gregor , Lin Rijia , Bedford Nicholas M. , Chen Vicki , Cheetham Anthony K. , Tizei Luiz H. G. , Collins Sean M. , Wang Lianzhou , Hou Jingwei
Published: November 2023

The stellar optoelectronic properties of metal halide perovskites provide enormous promise for next-generation optical devices with excellent conversion efficiencies and lower manufacturing costs. However, there is a long-standing ambiguity as to whether the perovskite surface/interface (e.g. structure, charge transfer or source of off-target recombination) or bulk properties are the more determining factor in device performance. Here we fabricate an array of CsPbI3 crystal and hybrid glass composites by sintering and globally visualise the property-performance landscape. Our findings reveal that the interface is the primary determinant of the crystal phases, optoelectronic quality, and stability of CsPbI3. In particular, the presence of a diffusion “alloying” layer is discovered to be critical for passivating surface traps, and beneficially altering the energy landscape of crystal phases. However, high-temperature sintering results in the promotion of a non-stoichiometric perovskite and excess traps at the interface, despite the short-range structure of halide is retained within the alloying layer. By shedding light on functional hetero-interfaces, our research offers the key factors for engineering high-performance perovskite devices.
Motion direction is represented as a bimodal probability distribution in the human visual cortex
Authors: Chetverikov Andrey , Jehee Janneke F. M.
Published: November 2023

Humans infer motion direction from noisy sensory signals. We hypothesize that to make these inferences more precise, the visual system computes motion direction not only from velocity but also spatial orientation signals – a ‘streak’ created by moving objects. We implement this hypothesis in a Bayesian model, which quantifies knowledge with probability distributions, and test its predictions using psychophysics and fMRI. Using a probabilistic pattern-based analysis, we decode probability distributions of motion direction from trial-by-trial activity in the human visual cortex. Corroborating the predictions, the decoded distributions have a bimodal shape, with peaks that predict the direction and magnitude of behavioral errors. Interestingly, we observe similar bimodality in the distribution of the observers’ behavioral responses across trials. Together, these results suggest that observers use spatial orientation signals when estimating motion direction. More broadly, our findings indicate that the cortical representation of low-level visual features, such as motion direction, can reflect a combination of several qualitatively distinct signals.
Experimental characterization of Spherical Bragg Resonators for electromagnetic emission engineering at microwave frequencies
Authors: García-Puente Yalina , Laurin Jean-Jacques , Kashyap Raman
Published: November 2023

This work reports experimental investigation and numerical validation of millimeter-sized Spherical Bragg Resonators (SBRs) fabricated using 3D printing technology. The frequency dependencies of the reflection and transmission coefficients were analyzed, and eigenfrequency values were calculated to examine the density of photonic states in air/PLA-polylactide SBRs, showing the appearance of an eigenmode and an increase in the local density of states in the core of a defect cavity. A decay rate enhancement of $${\sim 10}^{2}$$

∼
10

2

was obtained for a dipole placed in the core of the defect SBR. The study also investigated the influence of the source position on the resonator's electromagnetic wave energy. Scattering efficiencies up to order twelve of the multipole electric and magnetic contribution in a 10-layer SBR were calculated to validate the presence of the resonant modes observed in the scattering measurements performed for parallel and perpendicular polarizations. The results demonstrate that SBRs can act as omnidirectional cavities to enhance or inhibit spontaneous emission processes by modifying the density of electromagnetic states compared to free space. This finding highlights the potential of SBRs engineering spontaneous electromagnetic emission processes in various applications, including dielectric nanoantennas, optoelectronics devices, and quantum information across the entire electromagnetic spectrum.
Internet addiction, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms are associated with the risk of eating disorders among university students in Bangladesh
Authors: Banna Md. Hasan Al , Akter Shammy , Kabir Humayun , Brazendale Keith , Sultana Mst. Sadia , Alshahrani Najim Z. , Ahinkorah Bright Opoku , Salihu Tarif , Azhar Bably Sabina , Hassan Md. Nazmul
Published: November 2023

The risk of developing an eating disorder among university students is higher than the general population in Bangladesh. Since psychiatric disorders (such as depression and anxiety) and addictive behaviors (e.g., internet addiction) predominantly exist among university students in the country, these may increase their vulnerability to developing an eating disorder. The association of internet addiction, depression, and anxiety with the risk of eating disorders among Bangladeshi university students is relatively unknown; therefore, this study investigates the association. This study was a cross-sectional design. Students (N = 700) from two public universities in Bangladesh completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) tool, and Orman's Internet Addiction Survey (OIAS) to measure exposure variables. Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) assessed the outcome variable. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that internet addiction [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for moderate addiction = 2.15 and severe addiction = 3.95], depressive (aOR 3.04), and anxiety (aOR 2.06) symptoms were associated with an increased risk of eating disorder among study participants. Future longitudinal studies on university students are recommended to gain a better understanding about the causal factors of eating disorder to support intervention initiatives and strategies by public health practitioners and policy experts.
The impact of rumination on fibromyalgia pain after physical activity: an experimental study
Authors: Fonseca das Neves Jérémy , Kornacka Monika , Serra Eric , Rollin Noémie , Kosinski Thierry , Maréchal Virginie , Jehel Louis , Rusinek Stéphane
Published: November 2023

Some fibromyalgia (FM) patients engage in rumination (i.e. a chain of repetitive, passive and relatively uncontrollable thoughts focused on negative content) to cope with the pain and discomfort of daily activities. The partial model of rumination in chronic pain suggests that rumination processes may play a causal role in maintaining pain. Rumination might also be one of the key factors interfering with the reestablishment of adapted physical activity. The objective of this study was to test how rumination vs. distraction induction influence FM patients’ pain intensity, discomfort linked to pain, and affect after physical activity. Forty-seven participants with a diagnosis of FM were randomly assigned to undergo distraction induction vs. rumination induction after performing a physical activity in ecological setting. Their pain intensity, pain-related discomfort, and affect were measured at the baseline, after physical activity, and after rumination versus distraction induction. A series of mixed-design ANOVAs showed that rumination induction after physical activity impairs patients’ recovery in terms of pain intensity and discomfort, but not affect, as compared to the distraction condition. In conclusion, participants with fibromyalgia who engage in rumination following a physical activity recover less from their pain experience as compared to distraction induction. These results are consistent with the partial model of rumination in chronic pain and support the idea that rumination may play a causal role in the development and maintenance of pain.
Defining predictors for successful mechanical ventilation weaning, using a data-mining process and artificial intelligence
Authors: Menguy Juliette , De Longeaux Kahaia , Bodenes Laetitia , Hourmant Baptiste , L’Her Erwan
Published: November 2023

Mechanical ventilation weaning within intensive care units (ICU) is a difficult process, while crucial when considering its impact on morbidity and mortality. Failed extubation and prolonged mechanical ventilation both carry a significant risk of adverse events. We aimed to determine predictive factors of extubation success using data-mining and artificial intelligence. A prospective physiological and biomedical signal data warehousing project. A 21-beds medical Intensive Care Unit of a University Hospital. Adult patients undergoing weaning from mechanical ventilation. Hemodynamic and respiratory parameters of mechanically ventilated patients were prospectively collected and combined with clinical outcome data. One hundred and eight patients were included, for 135 spontaneous breathing trials (SBT) allowing to identify physiological parameters either measured before or during the trial and considered as predictive for extubation success. The Early-Warning Score Oxygen (EWSO2) enables to discriminate patients deemed to succeed extubation, at 72-h and 7-days. Cut-off values for EWSO2 (AUC = 0.80; Se = 0.75; Sp = 0.76), mean arterial pressure and heart-rate variability parameters were determined. A predictive model for extubation success was established including body-mass index (BMI) on inclusion, occlusion pressure at 0,1 s. (P0.1) and heart-rate analysis parameters (LF/HF) both measured before SBT, and heart rate during SBT (global performance 62%; 83%). The data-mining process enabled to detect independent predictive factors for extubation success and to develop a dynamic predictive model using artificial intelligence. Such predictive tools may help clinicians to better discriminate patients deemed to succeed extubation and thus improve clinical performance.
Comparing patient reported abdominal pain between patients treated with oxaliplatin-based pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC-OX) and primary colorectal cancer surgery
Authors: van de Vlasakker Vincent C. J. , Lurvink Robin J. , Wassenaar Emma C. , Rauwerdink Paulien , Bakkers Checca , Rovers Koen P. , Bonhof Cynthia S. , Burger Jacobus W. A. , Wiezer Marinus J. , Boerma Djamila , Nienhuijs Simon W. , Mols Floortje , de Hingh Ignace H. J. T.
Published: November 2023

Oxaliplatin-based pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC-OX) is an emerging palliative treatment for patients with unresectable colorectal peritoneal metastases. Previously, our study group reported that patients experienced abdominal pain for several weeks after PIPAC-OX. However, it is unknown how this compares to abdominal pain after regular colorectal cancer surgery. To provide some perspective, this study compared the presence of abdominal pain after PIPAC-OX to the presence of abdominal pain after primary tumor surgery. Patient reported abdominal pain scores (EORTC QLQ-CR-29), from two prospective, Dutch cohorts were used in this study. Scores ranged from 0 to 100, a higher score represents more abdominal pain. Abdominal pain at baseline and at four weeks after treatment were compared between the two groups. Twenty patients who underwent PIPAC-OX and 322 patients who underwent primary tumor surgery were included in the analysis. At baseline, there were no differences in abdominal pain between both groups (mean 20 vs. 18, respectively; p = 0.688). Four weeks after treatment, abdominal pain was significantly worse in the PIPAC group (39 vs 15, respectively; p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.99). The differential effect over time for abdominal pain differed significantly between both groups (mean difference: 19 vs − 3, respectively; p = 0.004; Cohen’s d = 0.88). PIPAC-OX resulted in significantly worse postoperative abdominal pain than primary tumor surgery. These results can be used for patient counseling and stress the need for adequate analgesia during and after PIPAC-OX. Further research is required to prevent or reduce abdominal pain after PIPAC-OX.

Trial registration CRC-PIPAC: Clinicaltrails.gov NCT03246321 (01-10-2017)
Effect of temperature and air pressure on the incidence of Bell's palsy in Hangzhou: a distributed lag non-linear analysis
Authors: Chen Junkang , Yu Zhexuan , Zhou Wenhui , Cai Huafeng , Jin Fanyuan , Hu Jinhua , Yu Erhui , Xuan Lihua
Published: November 2023

The etiology of Bell’s palsy (BP) is currently unknown, and the findings from previous studies examining the association between seasonal or meteorological factors and BP have been inconsistent. This research aims to clarify this relationship by analyzing a larger dataset and employing appropriate statistical methods. Data from 5387 patients with BP treated at Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, from May 1, 2018, to June 30, 2023, was gathered. We assessed the temporal distribution of meteorological factors and the incidence of BP across seasons and months. A distributed lag non-linear model was used to further investigate the lagged and overall effects of temperature and air pressure on the onset of BP. The temporal distribution of BP incidence revealed the highest average number of cases occurring in December and the lowest in June. A correlation existed between BP episodes and temperature or air pressure. The model revealed a higher relative risk during periods of low temperature and high air pressure, characterized by a time lag effect. This correlation was notably more pronounced in female patients and individuals in the young and middle-aged groups. Our findings suggest that exposure to low temperatures and high air pressure constitute risk factors for BP development.
Identification and immune landscape analysis of fatty acid metabolism genes related subtypes of gastric cancer
Authors: Huang Rong , Lu Tai-Liang , Zhou Rui
Published: November 2023

Fatty acid metabolism (FAM) is associated with prognosis and immune microenvironment remodeling in many tumors. It is currently unknown how FAM affects the immunological microenvironment and prognosis of Gastric cancer (GC). Therefore, the current work aims to categorize GC samples based on the expression status of genes involved in FAM and to identify populations that might benefit from immunotherapy. In total, 50 FAM genes associated with overall survival (OS) were determined through univariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis by mining the public TCGA and GEO databases. The GSE84437 and TCGA-STAD cohort samples were divided into two clusters using the "NMF" R package. According to the survival curve, patients in Cluster-1 showed considerably longer OS than those in Cluster-2. Patients in Cluster-1 exhibited earlier T stages, more intestinal GCs, and were older. MSI molecular subtypes were mainly distributed in Cluster-1, while GS molecular subtypes were distributed primarily in Cluster-2. There were 227 upregulated and 22 down-regulated genes (logFC > 1 or logFC < − 1, FDR < 0.05) in Cluster-2 compared with Cluster-1. One hub module (edges = 64, nodes = 12) was identified with a module score of 11.636 through Cytoscape plug-in MCODE. KEGG and GO analysis showed that the hub genes were associated with the cell cycle and cell division. Different immune cell infiltrates profile, and immune pathway enrichment existed between the subtypes. In conclusion, the current findings showed that practically all immunological checkpoint and immunoregulatory genes were elevated in patients with Cluster-2 GC, indicating that FAM subtypes may be crucial in GC immunotherapy.
Functional popliteal angle tests improve identification of short hamstring muscle–tendon length in patients with a central neurological lesion
Authors: Hajibozorgi Mahdieh , Leijen Ilse , Hijmans Juha M. , Greve Christian
Published: November 2023

This study introduces a functional exercise protocol to improve the identification for short hamstring muscle–tendon length (HMTL), a common contributor to crouch gait in patients with central neurological lesions (CNL). The functional exercise protocol incorporates a knee extension movement with hip in a flexed position, while standing on one leg (functional popliteal angle test) and walking with large steps to the current standard protocol (walking at comfortable speed and as fast as possible). The main aim was to establish whether the new protocol allows better determination of maximum HMTLs and diagnostics of short HMTL in patients with a CNL. Lower limb 3D marker position data from 39 patient limbs and 10 healthy limbs performing the exercises were processed in OpenSim to extract HMTLs. The new protocol provoked significantly larger HMTLs compared to the current standard protocol. The total number of limbs classified as having too short HMTLs reduced from 16 to 4 out of a total of 30 limbs walking in crouch. The new protocol improves determination of maximum HMTL, thereby improving short HMTL diagnostics and identification of patients in need of lengthening treatment. Inter-individual variability observed among patients, indicating the need to include all exercises for comprehensive diagnosis.
Automatic segmentation of inconstant fractured fragments for tibia/fibula from CT images using deep learning
Authors: Kim Hyeonjoo , Jeon Young Dae , Park Ki Bong , Cha Hayeong , Kim Moo-Sub , You Juyeon , Lee Se-Won , Shin Seung-Han , Chung Yang-Guk , Kang Sung Bin , Jang Won Seuk , Yoon Do-Kun
Published: November 2023

Orthopaedic surgeons need to correctly identify bone fragments using 2D/3D CT images before trauma surgery. Advances in deep learning technology provide good insights into trauma surgery over manual diagnosis. This study demonstrates the application of the DeepLab v3+ -based deep learning model for the automatic segmentation of fragments of the fractured tibia and fibula from CT images and the results of the evaluation of the performance of the automatic segmentation. The deep learning model, which was trained using over 11 million images, showed good performance with a global accuracy of 98.92%, a weighted intersection over the union of 0.9841, and a mean boundary F1 score of 0.8921. Moreover, deep learning performed 5–8 times faster than the experts’ recognition performed manually, which is comparatively inefficient, with almost the same significance. This study will play an important role in preoperative surgical planning for trauma surgery with convenience and speed.
Applying the improved stratigraphic modified Lorenz technique for dividing the highly heterogeneous clastic reservoirs into hydraulic flow units
Authors: Nabawy Bassem S. , Mohamed Ahmed S. , Omran Awad A. , Mohamed Mostafa T.
Published: November 2023

The present study applies the improved stratigraphic modified Lorenz (ISML) technique to divide the Matulla Formation in Muzhil Oil Field in the Gulf of Suez into some hydraulic flow units (HFUs) and to check the flow efficiency contribution of each hydraulic flow unit (HFU) to the total bulk flow capacity of the reservoir in 3 wells (Muzhil-4, 7, and 8). The output of the ISML plot is applied in integration with the vertical plot of the porosity (∅), permeability (k), and effective pore radius (R35) against depth to measure the efficiency of each HFU contribution to the total flow capacity of the Matulla reservoir, and to delineate the main attributor to the flow capacity. It is indicated that the Matulla sandstone reservoirs can be subdivided into 7 HFUs to the NW of the field, while it is subdivided into four and five HFUs in the center and to the SE of the field; i.e., its heterogeneity increases to the NW at Muzhil-7 well. On the other side, the best reservoir quality is assigned to the southeast at Muzhil-4 well (av. ∅ = 20.8%, av. k = 596.6 md, and R35 = 12.1 μm). The efficiency of the obtained HFUs was estimated and described both mathematically and graphically. Also, the measured porosity and permeability values indicate relatively low reservoir properties to the NW of the field. The reservoir heterogeneity is also measured using the Dykstra-Parsons technique which indicates extremely high heterogeneity (0.89 ≤ V ≤ 0.98).
The compensatory hypertrophy of transferred flexor hallucis longus tendon for insertional Achilles tendinopathy: a retrospective MRI study
Authors: Liao Wei-Jen , Tang Shih-Chieh , Shih Han-Ting , Su Kuo-Chih , Tu Kao-Chang , Wang Shun-Ping
Published: November 2023

Flexor hallucis longus (FHL) transfer is an effective surgery in treating insertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT). However, limited data exist regarding the post-surgery changes in the transferred FHL. The study aimed to compare the sequential changes and hypertrophy of FHL after isolated FHL transfer (FHLT). We retrospectively enrolled patients who underwent isolated FHLT for insertional Achilles pathology from 2015 to 2020 and divided them into two groups based on whether reattachment of the residue Achilles stump to the FHL was performed or not. We recorded demographic characteristics, MRI parameters, and functional outcome. We also analyzed the correlation between the collected data and FHL hypertrophy. Results revealed no significant differences in most MRI parameters of FHL and functional outcomes between the groups. However, the fat distribution within the FHL showed significant reduction and notable 20.2% hypertrophy after FHLT. Interestingly, the hypertrophy of the FHL was significantly more pronounced in the non-reattached group. Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between the follow-up period and FHL hypertrophy. In conclusion, the FHL demonstrated significant enlargement over time following FHLT. The compensatory hypertrophy of the transferred FHL was particularly evident and the cumulative incidences of FHL enlargement over time were higher in the non-reattached groupcompared to reattached group. However, both reattachment and non-reattachment of Achilles stump on FHL transfer for insertional Achilles tendinopathy carried similar postoperative functional outcomes.
Reliability and validity of a questionnaire measuring knowledge, attitude and practice regarding “oil, salt and sugar” among canteen staff
Authors: Mo Zhenhan , Li Xiaofan , Zhai Yuting , Men Yanyan , Tang Yuying , Qiao Jiarui , Jia Xue , Huang Yujie , Wang Baozhen
Published: November 2023

Excessive intake of oil, salt and sugar is closely associated with the prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs). Canteen staff’s knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) about oil, salt and sugar directly affect the content in dishes and the consumers’ intake. However, no valid questionnaire is used to assess KAP among canteen staff about the “oil, salt and sugar”. Therefore, the present study aimed to establish and validate a questionnaire to evaluate the KAP of canteen staff about the “oil, salt and sugar”. This cross-sectional study was conducted among canteen staff randomly selected from three college canteens. Participants completed the questionnaire and retested it two weeks later. Internal and test–retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach’s α and Pearson correlation coefficients, respectively. Validity was assessed using the exploratory factor analysis. 100 participants finished the questionnaire, of which 66% were females with a mean age of 40.3 ± 10.5 years. The Cronbach’s α coefficients of the total questionnaire and Knowledge, Attitude and Practice dimensions were 0.822, 0.830, 0.752 and 0.700, respectively. The test–retest reliability coefficient was 0.968. In exploratory factor analysis, nine common factors were extracted, with 26 items, and the cumulative contribution rate was 70.9%. The questionnaire had a satisfactory property for measuring the KAP of the “oil, salt and sugar” among canteen staff in China.
Immobilization of isolated dimethyltin species on crystalline silicates through surface modification of layered octosilicate
Authors: Yatomi Masashi , Hikino Takuya , Yamazoe Seiji , Kuroda Kazuyuki , Shimojima Atsushi
Published: November 2023

Isolated dimethyltin species were successfully grafted to the regularly arranged silanol groups of crystalline layered silicate.
Effects of Fu brick tea polysaccharides on gut microbiota and fecal metabolites of HFD/STZ-induced type 2 diabetes rats
Authors: Zhang Xiangnan , Li Qiannan , Han Ning , Song Chaofan , Lin Yangnan , Zhang Liansheng , Ren Daoyuan , Zhao Yan , Yang Xingbin , Li Ting
Published: November 2023

The antidiabetic effects and underlying mechanisms of the polysaccharides extracted from Fu brick tea (FBTP) were investigated in high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats.
Strongly coupled plasmonic metal nanoparticles with reversible pH-responsiveness and highly reproducible SERS in solution
Authors: Wei Zichao , Vandergriff Audrey , Liu Chung-Hao , Liaqat Maham , Nieh Mu-Ping , Lei Yu , He Jie
Published: November 2023

We report a facile method to prepare polymer-grafted plasmonic metal nanoparticles (NPs) that exhibit pH-responsive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).
Chiral metal–organic cages decorated with binaphthalene moieties
Authors: Huang Cheng , Li Jiajia , Zhu Xinyuan , Wang Youfu
Published: November 2023

Precisely chiral MOCs with dense chiral centers on the surface were constructed with stable structures and photoluminescence behaviours.
Photochemical synthesis of group 10 metal nanoclusters for electrocatalysis
Authors: Fan Ji-Qiang , Cen Kehui , Xu Hua-Jun , Wang Hai-Yang , Yang Ying , Zhu Ze-Min , Liu Hao , Chen Dengyu , Fan Weigang , Li Man-Bo
Published: November 2023

Photochemical synthesis and electrochemical catalysis: Group 10 metal nanoclusters were synthesized by a photochemical reduction–oxidation cascade method and showed structural stability, catalytic durability, and ring size-dependent activity to ORR.
Sterically demanding Csp2(ortho-substitution)–Csp3(tertiary) bond formation via carboxylate-directed Mizoroki-Heck reaction under extra-ligand-free conditions
Authors: Zeng Wei , Chen Ai-Wen , Yan Ming-Jie , Wang Jie
Published: November 2023

Construction of the sterically demanding Csp2(oS)–Csp3(T) bond was achieved by carrying out the Pd-catalyzed carboxylate-directed Mizoroki-Heck reaction under extra-ligand-free aqueous conditions.
Exo-cage catalysis and initiation derived from photo-activating host–guest encapsulation
Authors: Spicer Rebecca L. , O'Connor Helen M. , Ben-Tal Yael , Zhou Hang , Boaler Patrick J. , Milne Fraser C. , Brechin Euan K. , Lloyd-Jones Guy. C. , Lusby Paul J.
Published: November 2023

We report a new class of photoredox catalysis arising from the non-covalent association of separately inactive coordination cage and guest.
Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of “side-on” hybrid liquid crystalline silsesquioxanes
Authors: Kaneko Kosuke , Mandai Atsuhiko , Heinrich Benoît , Donnio Bertrand , Hanasaki Tomonori
Published: November 2023

Novel hybrid silsesquioxane-based liquid crystalline derivatives with varied lengths of spacers and tails have been synthesized by hydrosilylation reactions of octakis(dimethylsiloxy)silsesquioxane and side-on mesogens via a platinum catalyst.
Workload Versus Caseload: An Exploratory Comparison Study of Individualized Education Program Progress and Other Outcomes
Authors: Carlin Charles H.
Published: November 2023

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to obtain preliminary data about the effectiveness of four workload approaches (WAs) that were implemented in public school settings. The WAs were compared to each other and the caseload approach (CA).

Method:

Five speech-language pathologists were selected to implement one of the four WAs, and two used the CA. Data were collected in the areas of Individualized Education Program (IEP) progress, classroom performance, delivery of services, workload parameters, and stakeholder perceptions.

Results:

The workload and CAs resulted in desirable levels of IEP progress, and all students received the services that were documented on their IEPs. When the data from the workload and CAs were compared, the Workload Management Strategies (WMS) Approach was associated with the most indicators of success in the study. Participants utilized several practices to manage workload, even though some strategies possibly affected compliance with federal special education law.

Conclusions:

These initial findings showed that the WMS Approach held the most promise relative to student outcomes, the workload determination, and compliance with federal special education law. Strengths and weaknesses of each approach and implications for practice are provided. Given the small sample size, the results should be viewed with caution as the generalizability of the results is limited. Areas for further research are recommended.
Microstrip multifunctional reconfigurable wideband filtering power divider with tunable centre frequency, bandwidth, and power division ratio based on three‐parallel‐coupled line section
Authors: Liu Qianwen , Zhang Gang , Yuan Chenyang , Ping Kang , Zhou Ying
Published: November 2023

A compact microstrip multifunctional reconfigurable filtering power divider (FPD) is proposed based on varactor‐loaded three‐parallel‐coupled line section (TLCS) in this letter. Continuously tunable third‐order filtering power division response with two transmission zeros (TZs) including centre frequency (CF), bandwidth (BW) and power division ration (PDR) is successfully attained by varying the external and internal coupling through loading varactors into a three‐parallel‐coupled line topology. For validation, a prototype is implemented. The results indicate that the CF can be tuned from 0.46 to 0.8 GHz, a tunable 3‐dB BW of 80 to 190 MHz is exhibited with better than 17‐dB return loss and higher than 15‐dB in‐band isolation. In addition to the CF and BW tunability, the power division ratio (PDR) for the presented FPD can also be adjusted from 1:1 to 1:5. Additionally, a compact size is realized with only 0.12λg × 0.16λg.
Formamide synthesis in the interstellar medium catalyzed by damaged water ice
Authors: Boland Maël , Chaquin Patrick , Volatron François , Markovits Alexis
Published: November 2023

Context. Formamide is one of the possible precursors of life because it has a bond analogous to the peptide bond.

Aims. In this work, we examine the reaction pathways that lead from HCN or HNC and OH to formamide. Both HCN and HNC are present in the interstellar medium, while OH could be present in interstellar water ice, which under the effect of cosmic rays, partially decomposes into H and OH.

Methods. We carried out first principles calculations. We represented the solid state either by a model of clusters or by a model of slabs that takes into account periodicity. The confrontation of these two models and with the reaction in the gas phase enabled us to find reactivity trends.

Results. For HCN, the formation of the C-N bond presents an energy barrier that cannot be overcome in the interstellar medium. The presence of water ice grains does not catalyze this step. The formation of the same bond from HNC is spontaneous, even without the presence of the solid. The second step of the pathway is a transposition of H. This step requires the presence of water ice for the barrier to allow the reaction to take place in the interstellar medium. The last step is a hydrogenation of a barrier-free radical. Our work therefore concludes that the synthesis of formamide can take place in the interstellar medium through water ice, which not only catalyzes the reaction but also constitutes a reservoir of OH.
IX International Conference on Forest Fire Research and 17th International Wildland Fire Safety Summit: special issue introduction (Part 4)
Authors: Flannigan Mike , Viegas Domingos Xavier , Ribeiro Luís Mário
Published: November 2023

The 9th International Conference on Forest Fire Research, organised by the Forest Fire Research Center of the Association for Developmental of Industrial Aerodynamics every 4 years since 1990, was held in November 2022 in Coimbra, Portugal. The conference was held in conjunction with the 17th International Wildland Fire Safety Summit, sponsored by the International Association of Wildland Fire. The number and quality of the submissions for this joint event was very high, and the authors were encouraged to submit a full paper to a special issue of the International Journal of Wildland Fire (IJWF). Given the large number of submissions, the Journal decided to publish the special issue in four parts. Part 1 was published in January 2023, with eight papers, Part 2 in March 2023, with 10 papers and Part 3 in June 2023 with 15 papers. This fourth part presents 10 original papers, in three areas: Decision Support Systems and Tools (3), Risk Assessment & Reduction (3) and the Wildland Urban Interface (4). All the papers in this special issue are published Open Access.
Tree architecture: A strigolactone-deficient mutant reveals a connection between branching order and auxin gradient along the tree stem
Authors: Su Chang , Kokosza Andrzej , Xie Xiaonan , Pěnčík Aleš , Zhang Youjun , Raumonen Pasi , Shi Xueping , Muranen Sampo , Topcu Melis Kucukoglu , Immanen Juha , Hagqvist Risto , Safronov Omid , Alonso-Serra Juan , Eswaran Gugan , Venegas Mirko Pavicic , Ljung Karin , Ward Sally , Mähönen Ari Pekka , Himanen Kristiina , Salojärvi Jarkko , Fernie Alisdair R. , Novák Ondřej , Leyser Ottoline , Pałubicki Wojtek , Helariutta Ykä , Nieminen Kaisa
Published: November 2023

Due to their long lifespan, trees and bushes develop higher order of branches in a perennial manner. In contrast to a tall tree, with a clearly defined main stem and branching order, a bush is shorter and has a less apparent main stem and branching pattern. To address the developmental basis of these two forms, we studied several naturally occurring architectural variants in silver birch (
Betula pendula
). Using a candidate gene approach, we identified a bushy
kanttarelli
variant with a loss-of-function mutation in the
BpMAX1
gene required for strigolactone (SL) biosynthesis. While
kanttarelli
is shorter than the wild type (WT), it has the same number of primary branches, whereas the number of secondary branches is increased, contributing to its bush-like phenotype. To confirm that the identified mutation was responsible for the phenotype, we phenocopied
kanttarelli
in transgenic
BpMAX1::RNAi
birch lines. SL profiling confirmed that both
kanttarelli
and the transgenic lines produced very limited amounts of SL. Interestingly, the auxin (IAA) distribution along the main stem differed between WT and
BpMAX1::RNAi
. In the WT, the auxin concentration formed a gradient, being higher in the uppermost internodes and decreasing toward the basal part of the stem, whereas in the transgenic line, this gradient was not observed. Through modeling, we showed that the different IAA distribution patterns may result from the difference in the number of higher-order branches and plant height. Future studies will determine whether the IAA gradient itself regulates aspects of plant architecture.
Common coding in symbolic matching tasks with humans: Training with a common consequence or antecedent
Authors: Delamater Andrew R. , Joseph Pearl
Published: November 2023

The present experiments explored the importance of training with a common antecedent or consequence for common coding in symbolic matching-to-sample tasks with human subjects using reversal and transfer tests. Experiment 1 assessed common coding following training in many-to-one (MTO) and one-to-many (OTM) symbolic matching-to-sample tasks by comparing learning of partial and total reversals of these contingencies. Experiment 2 assessed common coding in MTO and OTM tasks by comparing performances in transfer tests when the common coding relations in the transfer phase were either consistent or inconsistent with those present during initial training. Evidence for common coding in the MTO and OTM discriminations was obtained in both experiments, although the amount of common coding was greater in the MTO discrimination in Experiment 1. These data are discussed in terms of associative mediational approaches to common coding phenomena. It is suggested that a basic requirement of an associative theory is that common coding should be more likely to occur when the stimuli are trained with a common consequence than when they are trained with a common antecedent, and that this requirement has been at least partly satisfied in the present studies.
From Transcendence to Kitsch: Have We Lost Faith?
Authors: Castelli Alberto
Published: November 2023

The role played by the artist and the nature of art are two of the most enduring and controversial themes in Western philosophy. Indeed, if we were to trace the history of aesthetics, it seems evident that the role of the artist and the effects of art have been called into question as history crosses over into another age. My concern in this study has to do with the function of art and the artist throughout Western history, which is not so much an emancipatory movement as it is a crisis of transcendence. Likewise, the secular intellectual dogmatism that, in our age, treats literary texts as open documents of linguistics analysis without consideration for the author’s intention is less a democratic endeavor than it is a crisis of religious belief.
Estimating phase transition of perturbed
J1−J2
Heisenberg quantum chain in mixtures of ground and first excited states
Authors: Mondal Sayan , Biswas George , Ghoshal Ahana , Biswas Anindya , Sen Ujjwal
Published: November 2023

We show that the nearest neighbour entanglement in a mixture of ground and first excited states—a subjacent state—of the

J
1

−

J
2

Heisenberg quantum spin chain can be used as an order parameter to detect the phase transition of the chain from a gapless spin fluid to a gapped dimer phase. We study the effectiveness of the order parameter for varying relative mixing probabilities between the ground and first excited states in the subjacent state for different system sizes, and extrapolate the results to the thermodynamic limit. We observe that the nearest neighbour concurrence can play a role of a good order parameter even if the system is in the ground state, but with a small finite probability of leaking into the first excited state. Moreover, we apply the order parameter of the subjacent state to investigate the response to separate introductions of anisotropy and of glassy disorder on the phase diagram of the model, and analyse the corresponding finite-size scale exponents and the emergent tricritical point in the former case. The anisotropic

J
1

−

J
2

chain has a richer phase diagram which is also clearly visible by using the same order parameter.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Communication Interference Detection Based on SSA-BP Neural Network
Authors: Li Xiangkun , Guo Bin , Guo Qianrui , Ma Weijiao
Published: November 2023

This paper proposes a method for detecting communication interference in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). First, we train the BP neural network with signal data from interference attacks, and then continuously optimize the BP neural network using the sparrow search algorithm (SSA). After iterations, we obtain the final interference detection model. With this detection model, we can detect whether there are malicious interference signals in the drone flight environment and evaluate the detection model using the detection rate. Finally, our detection model has an accuracy of up to 93.64%.
Satellite image super-resolution reconstruction based on ACGAN and dual-channel dense residual network
Authors: Wei Zikang , Lin Meiling
Published: November 2023

For solving the problem of simple information image super-resolution reconstruction, this paper proposes a method based on ACGAN and dual-channel dense residual networks. Firstly, the different information represented by the images is classified to form different types of datasets. Focusing on image feature information, ACGAN is used to learn image feature information to generate images with this kind of feature information in this type of dataset so as to achieve image enhancement. Secondly, the study designed and proposed a dual-channel dense residual network to train the enhanced image dataset and achieve image super-resolution reconstruction. Experiments show that the method proposed in this paper not only can obtain higher reconstruction image quality than other methods but also obtain higher PSNR and SSIM than others. From this point of view, the application of this technology will have a far-reaching impact on the research of image super-resolution reconstruction with simple and sparse feature information.
An evaluation method with convolutional white-box models for image attribution explainers
Authors: Hu Tan , Wu Tieru
Published: November 2023

Research in the explanation of models has developed rapidly in recent years. However, research in the evaluation of explainers is still limited, with most evaluation strategies centered around perturbation. This approach may produce incorrect evaluations when the relationship between features gets complicated. In this research, we present a ground-truth-based evaluation method for feature attribution explainers on image tasks. We design three perspectives to evaluate. The input perspective evaluates whether the explainers accurately represent the inputs that the model detects. The feature perspective evaluates whether the explainers capture the features important in decisions. The user perspective evaluates the reliability that the user derives from the data. Then, using the traditional white-box model, we extract the ground truth corresponding to the three perspectives and provide an example to demonstrate the procedure. To acquire the results of the image attribution explainer, we also reconstruct the traditional white-box model into the convolutional network white-box model. Our method provides an a priori benchmark that is not affected by the explainer. The experiments show that we may use the evaluation method for different tasks and extend it to natural datasets, which offers a flexible and low-cost evaluation strategy.
Optimization of Robotic Arm Grasping through Fractional-Order Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient Algorithm
Authors: Geng Hui , Hu Qi , Wang Zhe
Published: November 2023

With the rapid development of robotics technology, robotic arm grasping has gained significant attention in the fields of automation and artificial intelligence. In this study, we propose a fractional-order deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm for optimizing robotic arm grasping tasks. Traditional machine learning algorithms face challenges in handling continuous action spaces, while the DDPG algorithm effectively addresses this issue. In this research, we first review the background and challenges of robotic arm grasping and provide an overview of the application of traditional reinforcement learning algorithms in grasping tasks. Subsequently, we introduce the principles and fundamental ideas of the DDPG algorithm in detail, discussing its potential for optimizing robotic arm grasping. To further enhance the performance of robotic arm grasping, we propose an improved approach based on fractional-order control. Fractional-order control exhibits unique advantages in environmental dynamics modeling and grasp posture optimization, enhancing the robustness and adaptability of robotic arm grasping. Through a series of experiments, we validate the effectiveness and superiority of the fractional-order DDPG algorithm in robotic arm grasping tasks. Our algorithm achieves significant improvements in grasping success rate and stability compared to traditional methods. The experimental results demonstrate that the fractional-order DDPG algorithm is better equipped to handle control challenges in continuous action spaces and optimize the performance of robotic arm grasping tasks.