bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution of fissures and pressure discharge of gas caused by mining of the upper protective layer of a coal seam
Authors: Xie Honggao , Li Xijian , Cai Junjie , Wang Shengwei , Feng Cong
Published: February 2023

The evolution of fissures and permeability associated with mining of the upper protective layer of the coal seam is crucial for pressure relief gas drainage of the underlying seam. To understand the influence of mining the upper protective layer on gas drainage within the underlying coal seam, this study utilized the M16 and M18 seams in the Qinglong Coal Mine in Guizhou. Theoretical analysis, discrete element numerical simulation, and field tests were used to characterize the evolution of fractures associated with mining of the upper protective layer and the effects of pressure relief gas drainage within the protected coal seam. The results show that mining-related stress changes controlled the development of fractures, altering the permeability values of coals. An analysis of the crack development in the coal mass caused by mining of the upper protective layer shows that during the initial stage of mining, the produced cracks exhibited a butterfly shape network. Yet, with further development of the mining, these cracks and the stress changes gradually produced an inverted butterfly shape network. According to simulations, the areas of maximum deformation via expansion in the protected coal seam were located near the open cut and the mining end line of the working face. The maximum deformation values were 29.06 and 26.68 mm, respectively, and the corresponding deformation rates were 9.37‰ and 8.61‰, which are greater than the required 3‰. The findings of this study provide a new reference for gas control in pressure relief coal seams under similar working conditions.
Wheat husk-based sorbent as an economical solution for removal of oil spills from sea water
Authors: Omar Basma M. , Abdelgalil Soad A. , Fakhry Hala , Tamer Tamer M. , El-Sonbati Mervat A.
Published: February 2023

Oil spills are a significant threat to the marine ecosystem that requires immediate removal from the oceanic environment. Many technologies have been employed to clean up oil spills. Of these, adsorption has scored a prominent success due to the high efficiency, economic viability, environmental friendship, and ease of application. The utilization of agricultural waste to produce biosorbents have been considered as an ecofriendly and efficient approach for removing oil. Thus, a new low-cost oil adsorbent was prepared via esterification of the wheat straw (Str) with a hydrophobic benzoyl group, the resulting copolymer (Str-co-Benz) was characterized by FTIR, TGA, DSC, and SEM and used at laboratory scale. The oil spill cleanup process was conducted using a crude oil-natural seawater system under different adsorption conditions such as oil concentration, adsorbent dose, agitation time and speed. Equilibrium studies were performed to determine the capacity of the prepared materials for crude oil adsorption. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were used to describe the experimental isotherms. The reliability of the data was examined and evaluated via application of response surface methodology program. The results showed that oil adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and fitted well with Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 10.989 and 12.786 g/g for Str and (Str-co-Benz), respectively. Overall, the modified wheat husk is an effective platform for removing oil from marine ecosystems due to low cost, biodegradability, simple synthesis and fast removal. Moreover, the resulted solid can be used as a fuel in some industrial processes such as steam boilers and brick production incinerators.
Scale-invariant Mexican Hat wavelet descriptor for non-rigid shape similarity measurement
Authors: Yan Yuhuan , Zhou Mingquan , Zhang Dan , Geng Shengling
Published: February 2023

The Mexican Hat wavelet (MHW) is strictly derived from the heat kernel by taking its negative first-order derivative with respect to time t. As a solution to the heat equation that the heat kernel has a clear initial condition, the Laplace–Beltrami operator. Although the MHW descriptor can effectively characterize the model information, but it has poor robustness to the model with scale transformation, and the feature description performance is affected to some extent. Following a popular mathematical method, in this paper, we bases on the MHW to study scaling invariance and proposes a new shape descriptor, the scale-invariant Mexican Hat wavelet (SIMHW), which by logarithmic sampling and Fourier transform that obtains the expression of SIMHW in Fourier domain. The experimental results show that SIMHW has finer information description ability and stronger recognition ability, and has better robustness to various non-rigid transformations. It can correctly calculate the similarity between 3D shapes and realize the effective shape retrieval.
Volatile sulfide compounds and oral microorganisms on the inner surface of masks in individuals with halitosis during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Lee Yeon-Hee , Kim Hyeongrok , Heo Dae Wook , Ahn In-Suk , Auh Q-Schick
Published: February 2023

Mask-wearing is still recommended owing to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within the closed chamber created by the mask, people are increasingly self-aware of their oral malodor. In this prospective and cross-sectional study, we aimed to measure volatile sulfide compound (VSC) levels in patients with halitosis and investigate the oral microbiome profile on the inner surface of their KF94 masks. We also investigated which oral microbiota increases VSC levels and whether the oral microbiomes of oral saliva and mask are correlated. A total of 50 subjects (41 women, average age 38.12 ± 12.58 years old) were included in the study, 25 healthy subjects and 25 patients with halitosis who wore masks for more than 3 h. The dominant bacterial species, bacterial profile, and Shannon diversity index of whole unstimulated saliva and the inner surface of the mask were investigated. The bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA genes of the major oral bacterial species were analyzed using real-time PCR. Gas chromatography was used to measure hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and methyl mercaptan (CH3SH), which are representative VSCs. The total bacterial DNA copy number was significantly higher in the saliva sample than in the mask sample (p < 0.001), and the average value was 276 times greater. Shannon diversity index was also significantly higher in saliva than in the inner surface of the mask (2.62 ± 0.81 vs. 1.15 ± 1.52, p < 0.001). The most common Gram-negative and Gram-positive species in the masks were Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Lactobacillus casei (Lc), respectively. The bacterial species with significant positive correlations between saliva and mask samples were Prevotella intermedia (Pi) (r = 0.324, p = 0.022), Eikenella corrodens (r = 0.309, p = 0.029), Lc (r = 0.293, p = 0.039), and Parvimonas micra (Pm) (r = 0.366, p = 0.009). The mean value of CH3SH was significantly higher in the halitosis group than in the non-halitosis group (17.84 ± 29.00 vs. 3.84 ± 10.57 ppb, p = 0.031). In the halitosis group, the DNA copy numbers and VSC levels showed highly positive correlation coefficients in the order Pg, Treponema denticola (Td), Tannerella forsythia (Tf), Pi, and Prevotella nigrescens (Pn) (all p < 0.05). Regarding bacterial profiles of the mask, Td was strongly correlated with CH3SH (r = 0.414, p = 0.040) and total VSCs (r = 0.374, p = 0.033) only in halitosis group. Mask-wearing time was strongly correlated with total VSCs, H2S, and CH3SH (all r > 0.8, p < 0.001). Oral bacteria, whose association with halitosis has been identified, increased VSC levels in mask-wearing subjects during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the number of Gram-negative anaerobes such as Pg and Td. Mask-wearing time was a major factor in increasing VSC levels. The study results suggest that people with halitosis could control these Gram-negative bacteria by improving oral hygiene and regularly changing masks.
Low frequency lattice mode dynamics of cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) crystal studied by femtosecond time-resolved impulsive stimulated Raman scattering
Authors: Yu Guoyang , Song Yunfei , Zhu Gangbei , Zheng Zhaoyang , Wu Qiang , Yang Yanqiang
Published: February 2023

The femtosecond time-resolved impulsive stimulated Raman scattering (fs-ISRS) has been performed to study the low frequency lattice mode dynamics of the RDX crystal. Through Fourier filtering, four lattice mode dynamics is distinguished from the time-resolved spectrum. And the wavenumbers and time constants of these four lattice modes are determined by fitting their dynamic curves. The energy dispersion paths of these four lattice modes are deduced from these fitting parameters. Compared with the other three lattice modes, the lattice mode with wavenumber 30 cm−1 has a very longer life time. We consider that the excitation of this lattice mode more likely to cause the damage of the intermolecular interaction under the strong external stimulation.
Resistance training restores skeletal muscle atrophy and satellite cell content in an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Rahmati Masoud , Shariatzadeh Joneydi Mohammad , Koyanagi Ai , Yang Guang , Ji Bingzhou , Won Lee Seung , Keon Yon Dong , Smith Lee , Il Shin Jae , Li Yusheng
Published: February 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, and numerous recent findings suggest that several pathologic signs, including loss of muscle strength and mass, are also detected in these patients. In the present study, we evaluated muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), myonuclear number, satellite cell (SC) content, and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) types in an animal model of AD and examined the possible role of resistance training in controlling skeletal muscle size in this disease. Fifty-eight male rats were randomly divided into four groups: healthy-control (H-C), healthy-exercise (H-Ex), Alzheimer-control (A-C), and Alzheimer-exercise (A-Ex). AD was induced by the single injection of 1–42 amyloid into the CA1 region of the hippocampus (1 μl/site). The rats in H-Ex and A-Ex groups performed a 5-week resistance training period (17 sessions). The results indicated that AD induces significant skeletal muscle atrophy and reduces the myonuclear number and SC content in gastrocnemius muscle in both whole muscle cross-sections and isolated myofibers. Interestingly, we did not find any significant differences in the different MyHC distributions of AD animals compared with controls, while resistance training significantly increased the CSA of MyHC IIb fibers in both AD and healthy animals. Altogether, these observations suggest that the skeletal muscle of AD animals are more prone to atrophy and loss of myonuclear number and satellite cell content, while resistance training successfully restores these impairments.
CTB-targeted protocells enhance ability of lanthionine ketenamine analogs to induce autophagy in motor neuron-like cells
Authors: Gonzalez Porras Maria A. , Gransee Heather M. , Denton Travis T. , Shen Dunxin , Webb Kevin L. , Brinker C. Jeffrey , Noureddine Achraf , Sieck Gary C. , Mantilla Carlos B.
Published: February 2023

Impaired autophagy, a cellular digestion process that eliminates proteins and damaged organelles, has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, including motor neuron disorders. Motor neuron targeted upregulation of autophagy may serve as a promising therapeutic approach. Lanthionine ketenamine (LK), an amino acid metabolite found in mammalian brain tissue, activates autophagy in neuronal cell lines. We hypothesized that analogs of LK can be targeted to motor neurons using nanoparticles to improve autophagy flux. Using a mouse motor neuron-like hybrid cell line (NSC-34), we tested the effect of three different LK analogs on autophagy modulation, either alone or loaded in nanoparticles. For fluorescence visualization of autophagy flux, we used a mCherry-GFP-LC3 plasmid reporter. We also evaluated protein expression changes in LC3-II/LC3-I ratio obtained by western blot, as well as presence of autophagic vacuoles per cell obtained by electron microscopy. Delivering LK analogs with targeted nanoparticles significantly enhanced autophagy flux in differentiated motor neuron-like cells compared to LK analogs alone, suggesting the need of a delivery vehicle to enhance their efficacy. In conclusion, LK analogs loaded in nanoparticles targeting motor neurons constitute a promising treatment option to induce autophagy flux, which may serve to mitigate motor neuron degeneration/loss and preserve motor function in motor neuron disease.
Contribution of vitamin D3 and thiols status to the outcome of COVID-19 disease in Italian pediatric and adult patients
Authors: D’Alessandro Annamaria , Ciavardelli Domenico , Pastore Anna , Lupisella Santina , Cristofaro Rosa Carmela , Di Felice Giovina , Salierno Roberta , Infante Marco , De Stefano Alberto , Onetti Muda Andrea , Morello Maria , Porzio Ottavia
Published: February 2023

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2), was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 2020, causing unprecedented disease with million deaths across the globe, mostly adults. Indeed, children accounted for only a few percent of cases. Italy was the first Western country struck by the COVID-19 epidemic. Increasing age, which is one of the principal risk factors for COVID-19 mortality, is associated with declined glutathione (GSH) levels. Over the last decade, several studies demonstrated that both vitamin D (VD) and GSH have immunomodulatory properties. To verify the association between VD, GSH and the outcome of COVID-19 disease, we conducted a multicenter retrospective study in 35 children and 128 adult patients with COVID-19. Our study demonstrated a hypovitaminosis D in COVID-19 patients, suggesting a possible role of low VD status in increasing the risk of COVID-19 infection and subsequent hospitalization. In addition, we find a thiol disturbance with a GSH depletion associated to the disease severity. In children, who fortunately survived, both VD and GSH levels at admission were higher than in adults, suggesting that lower VD and thiols levels upon admission may be a modifiable risk factor for adverse outcomes and mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Factors associated with plasmid antibiotic resistance gene carriage revealed using large-scale multivariable analysis
Authors: Orlek Alex , Anjum Muna F. , Mather Alison E. , Stoesser Nicole , Walker A. Sarah
Published: February 2023

Plasmids are major vectors of bacterial antibiotic resistance, but understanding of factors associated with plasmid antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) carriage is limited. We curated > 14,000 publicly available plasmid genomes and associated metadata. Duplicate and replicate plasmids were excluded; where possible, sample metadata was validated externally (BacDive database). Using Generalised Additive Models (GAMs) we assessed the influence of 12 biotic/abiotic factors (e.g. plasmid genetic factors, isolation source, collection date) on ARG carriage, modelled as a binary outcome. Separate GAMs were built for 10 major ARG types. Multivariable analysis indicated that plasmid ARG carriage patterns across time (collection years), isolation sources (human/livestock) and host bacterial taxa were consistent with antibiotic selection pressure as a driver of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance. Only 0.42% livestock plasmids carried carbapenem resistance (compared with 12% human plasmids); conversely, tetracycline resistance was enriched in livestock vs human plasmids, reflecting known prescribing practices. Interpreting results using a timeline of ARG type acquisition (determined by literature review) yielded additional novel insights. More recently acquired ARG types (e.g. colistin and carbapenem) showed increases in plasmid carriage during the date range analysed (1994–2019), potentially reflecting recent onset of selection pressure; they also co-occurred less commonly with ARGs of other types, and virulence genes. Overall, this suggests that following acquisition, plasmid ARGs tend to accumulate under antibiotic selection pressure and co-associate with other adaptive genes (other ARG types, virulence genes), potentially re-enforcing plasmid ARG carriage through co-selection.
A method based on interpretable machine learning for recognizing the intensity of human engagement intention
Authors: Bi Jian , Hu Fang-chao , Wang Yu-jin , Luo Ming-nan , He Miao
Published: February 2023

To interact with humans more precisely and naturally, social robots need to “perceive” human engagement intention, especially need to recognize the main interaction person in multi-person interaction scenarios. By analyzing the intensity of human engagement intention (IHEI), social robots can distinguish the intention of different persons. Most existing research in this field mainly focus on analyzing whether a person has the intention to interact with the robot while lack of analysis of IHEI. In this regard, this paper proposes an approach for recognizing the engagement intention intensity. Four categories of visual features, including line of sight, head pose, distance and expression of human, are captured, and a CatBoost-based machine learning model is applied to train an optimal classifier for predicting the IHEI on the dataset. The experimental results show that this classifier can effectively predict the IHEI that can be applied into real human–robot interaction scenarios. Moreover, the proposed model is an interpretable machine learning model, where interpretability analysis on the trained classifier has been done to explore the deep associations between input features and engagement intention, thereby providing robust and effective robot social decision-making.
Gender-specific association between serum ferritin and neurodevelopment in infants aged 6 to 12 months
Authors: Guo Yong , Yu Li , Wu Zi-Yu , Deng Yu-Hong , Wu Jie-Ling
Published: February 2023

Early iron deficiency has detrimental consequences on neurodevelopment; whether male and female infants are equally susceptible to the functional outcomes of iron deficiency is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the sex differences in the association between serum ferritin levels and neurodevelopment in infants. Data for this cross-sectional study were drawn from hospital information and early childhood development program service systems at Guangdong Women and Children’s Hospital, Guangzhou, China. In total, 4579 infants aged 6–12 months were included from July 2018 to March 2020. Their neurodevelopment was assessed using the Children Neuropsychological and Behavior Scale-Revision 2016. Serum ferritin levels were measured by chemiluminescence assay. The association between serum ferritin levels and neurodevelopmental delay in each domain was estimated using logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders. The mean concentration of serum ferritin was 35.56 ± 21.57 ng/mL. Serum ferritin levels were significantly higher in female than in male infants (P < 0.001). Iron deficiency (serum ferritin levels < 12 ng/mL) was significantly more prevalent in male than in female infants (P < 0.001). Linear regression revealed a positive association between serum ferritin levels and general quotient, gross motor, fine motor, language, and adaptive behavior in females. Iron deficiency was significantly associated with an increased risk of adaptive behavior delay in females (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 2.22; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17–4.20). Iron deficiency anemia was associated with an increased risk of developmental delay for general quotient (adjusted OR, 4.88; 95% CI: 1.74–13.65), fine motor (adjusted OR = 2.58, 95%: CI: 1.13–5.94) and adaptive behavior (adjusted OR, 3.38; 95% CI: 1.51–7.57) among females, but not in males. Associations between serum ferritin levels and neurodevelopment in infants aged 6–12 months were sex-related. Females with iron deficiency, especially those with iron-deficiency anemia, were more susceptible to neurodevelopmental delay than males.
Fermi liquid-like behaviour of cuprates in the pseudogap phase simulated via T-dependent electron-boson spectral density
Authors: Park Hwiwoo , Hwang Jungseek
Published: February 2023

We investigated the temperature- and frequency-dependent optical scattering rates in the pseudogap phase of cuprates using model pseudogap and electron-boson spectral density (EBSD) functions. We obtained the scattering rates at various temperatures below and above a given pseudogap temperature using a generalized Allen’s (or Sharapov’s) formula, which has been used to analyse the measured optical spectra of correlated electron systems with a non-constant density of states at finite temperatures. The pseudogap and EBSD functions should be temperature dependent to simulate the Fermi liquid-like behaviour of underdoped cuprate systems observed in optical studies. Therefore, the observed Fermi liquid-like behaviour can be understood by considering the combined contribution from the T-dependent EBSD function and the T-dependent pseudogap. We also obtained the optical conductivity spectra from the optical scattering rates and analyzed them to investigate intriguing electronic properties. We expect that our results will aid in understanding the Fermi liquid-like optical response in the pseudogap phase and in revealing the microscopic pairing mechanism for superconductivity in cuprates.
The development and validation of a new resilience inventory based on inner strength
Authors: Wongpakaran Tinakon , Yang Tong , Varnado Pairada , Siriai Yupapan , Mirnics Zsuzsanna , Kövi Zsuzsanna , Wongpakaran Nahathai
Published: February 2023

There are a number of resilience scales with good psychometric properties. However, the various scales differ in their item content in accordance with the model of resilience the developer had in mind. Culture is one of the reasons for the difference. Thailand, one of the Buddhist cultures, has a different view on resilience compared with Western culture. This study aimed to develop and validate a resilience inventory created based on the inner strength concept using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch measurement model. The resilience inventory (RI) was developed by creating new items representing inner strengths attributed to resilience. The inner strength was adopted to form the resilience construct, including perseverance, wisdom, patience, mindfulness, loving-kindness and equanimity. In addition, face and content validity were examined by experts in both mental health and Buddhism. The final RI comprised nine items with a 5-point Likert-type scale. The RI-9 was completed by 243 medical students who participated in the study, along with other measurements, i.e., Inner Strength-Based Inventory (iSBI), measuring the ten characteristics of perfection or inner strength, and the Core Symptom Index, measuring anxiety, depression and somatization symptoms. CFA, internal consistency and the Polytomous Rasch rating model were used to investigate the RI-9 construct validity. The mean age of the participants was 22.7 years (SD, 0.8); one-half were male (50%). The RI-9 construct demonstrated item hierarchy as follows: perseverance, patience (tolerance), mindfulness and equanimity, wisdom and loving-kindness. CFA showed that the unidimensional model fitted the data well. Rasch analysis showed no misfitting items and local dependence. The reliability of the person and item was good, and no disordered threshold was observed. Two items were found to exhibit differential item functioning due to sex. RI-9 scores were significantly related to all ten strengths from the iSBI, whereas they were negatively related to depression, anxiety, somatization and interpersonal difficulties. The RI-9 demonstrated validity and reliability. It constitutes a promising tool for outcome assessment in nonclinical populations. Further investigation on external validity as well as psychometric validation in other different cultures, should be encouraged.
Microwave-assisted biodiesel production using bio-waste catalyst and process optimization using response surface methodology and kinetic study
Authors: Devasan Rhithuparna , Ruatpuia Joseph V. L. , Gouda Shiva Prasad , Kodgire Pravin , Basumatary Sanjay , Halder Gopinath , Rokhum Samuel Lalthazuala
Published: February 2023

Providing sufficient energy supply and reducing the effects of global warming are serious challenges in the present decades. In recent years, biodiesel has been viewed as an alternative to exhaustible fossil fuels and can potentially reduce global warming. Here we report for the first time the production of biodiesel from oleic acid (OA) as a test substrate using porous sulfonic acid functionalized banana peel waste as a heterogeneous catalyst under microwave irradiation. The morphology and chemical composition of the catalyst was investigated using Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Scanning electron microscopy- Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX). The SEM–EDX analysis of the catalyst revealed the presence of sulfur in 4.62 wt% amounting to 1.4437 mmol g−1 sulfonic acids, which is accorded to the high acidity of the reported catalyst. Using response surface methodology (RSM), through a central composite design (CCD) approach, 97.9 ± 0.7% biodiesel yield was observed under the optimized reaction conditions (methanol to OA molar ratio of 20:1, the temperature of 80 °C, catalyst loading of 8 wt% for 55 min). The catalyst showed excellent stability on repeated reuse and can be recycled at least 5 times without much activity loss.
Anti-Markovnikov hydrochlorination and hydronitrooxylation of α-olefins via visible-light photocatalysis
Authors: Kim Jungwon , Sun Xiang , van der Worp Boris Alexander , Ritter Tobias
Published: February 2023

Conventional hydrofunctionalization of α-olefins with mineral acids proceeds with Markovnikov selectivity to afford branched isomers. The direct formation of linear constitutional isomers is challenging, yet anti-Markovnikov addition would be valuable for the synthesis of commodity chemicals, such as primary alcohols, which are currently only accessible via stoichiometric redox reactions, with a full equivalent of waste of both oxidant and reductant. Strategies that utilize radical intermediates have been demonstrated, but only for activated alkenes, and the direct use of aqueous mineral acids remains elusive. Here we present anti-Markovnikov addition reactions of aqueous hydrochloric and nitric acid to unactivated alkenes. The transformation is enabled by the in situ generation of photoredox-active ion pairs, derived from acridine and the mineral acid, as a combined charge- and phase-transfer catalyst. The introduction of a hydrogen atom transfer catalyst enabled us to bypass the challenging chain propagation by hydrochloric and nitric acids that originates from the high bond dissociation energy.
Chromium measurement in pharmaceutical samples: a comparative study of three new membrane electrodes with different electron-ion exchangers
Authors: Vazifekhoran Parviz Ebadi , Hajiaghababaei Leila , Allahgholi Ghasri Mohammad Reza , Shahvelayati Ashraf Sadat , Kalateh Khadijeh
Published: February 2023

Three types of chromium(iii) sensors with different electron-ion exchangers were fabricated using the newly synthesized ionophore. The sensors were successfully applied for potentiometric measurement of chromium(iii) in pharmaceutical samples.
Metal-coordination synthesis of a natural injectable photoactive hydrogel with antibacterial and blood-aggregating functions for cancer thermotherapy and mild-heating wound repair
Authors: Musaie Kiyan , Abbaszadeh Samin , Nosrati-Siahmazgi Vahideh , Qahremani Mostafa , Wang Shige , Eskandari Mohammad Reza , Niknezhad Seyyed Vahid , Haghi Fakhri , Li Yulin , Xiao Bo , Shahbazi Mohammad-Ali
Published: February 2023

Rapid metal coordination-based formation of a hydrogel is combined with the loading of photoactive nanoparticles and a regenerative drug to establish a multifunctional formulation for cancer therapy and mild-temperature wound healing acceleration.
Enhanced basicity of an electron donor–acceptor complex
Authors: Stevenson Bernard G. , Prascsak Amanada V. , Lee Annemarie A. , Talbott Eric D. , Fredin Lisa A. , Swierk John R.
Published: February 2023

Formation of an electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complex increases the basicity of an amine, allowing the EDA complex to function as a primary proton acceptor in a photoredox reaction.
Asymmetric chloride-mediated electrochemical process for CO2 removal from oceanwater
Authors: Kim Seoni , Nitzsche Michael P. , Rufer Simon B. , Lake Jack R. , Varanasi Kripa K. , Hatton T. Alan
Published: February 2023

CO2 is removed from oceanwater acidified during chloride-mediated electrochemically modulated reaction of bismuth electrodes.
Metal hydroxide assisted integrated direct air capture and conversion to methane with Ni/Al2O3catalysts
Authors: Koch Christopher J. , Galvan Vicente , Goeppert Alain , Surya Prakash G. K.
Published: February 2023

An innovative integrated route for CO2capture and conversion to methane relying on inexpensive metal hydroxides and nickel-based catalysts is presented.
A fully integrated nucleic acid analysis system for multiplex detection of genetic polymorphisms related to folic acid metabolism
Authors: Lin Baobao , Geng Zhi , Chen Yanjing , Zeng Wu , Li Bao , Zhang Yan , Liu Peng
Published: February 2023

A fully integrated microfluidic system to automatically detect blood samples and determine the genetic polymorphisms associated with folic acid metabolism in a “sample in-answer out” style.
Chiral-boron-Lewis-acid-catalysed desymmetric ring expansion of 4-substituted cyclohexanones with α-diazomethylphosphonates
Authors: Li Xiaofeng , He Pingping , Zhu Peng , Tang Yinhong , Peng Yungui
Published: February 2023

A methodology to access chiral cyclic β-ketophosphonates with a stereogenic center at the α-position has been establishedviaan asymmetric desymmetrizing ring-expansion reaction of 4-substituted cyclohexanones with α-diazophosphonates catalysed by a chiral boron Lewis acid.
The influences of AlGaN barrier epitaxy in multiple quantum wells on the optoelectrical properties of AlGaN-based deep ultra-violet light-emitting diodes
Authors: Wang Tien-Yu , Lai Wei-Chih , Xie Qiao-Ju , Yang Shun-Hao , Chang Sheng-Po , Kuo Cheng-Huang , Sheu Jinn-Kong
Published: February 2023

By reducing the AlGaN barrier growth rate, the degree of polarization and the performance of AlGaN-based DUV LEDs are increased.
Machine learning-empowered cis-diol metabolic fingerprinting enables precise diagnosis of primary liver cancer
Authors: Li Pengfei , Xu Shuxin , Han Yanjie , He Hui , Liu Zhen
Published: February 2023

A mass spectrometric platform was built for in-depth profiling of mutational landscape of cis-diol metabolites from the healthy to primary liver cancer (PLC) patients. This method enabled more precise PLC diagnosis than protein marker-based methods.
Beyond the TPP+“gold standard”: a new generation mitochondrial delivery vector based on extended PN frameworks
Authors: Ong How Chee , Coimbra João T. S. , Ramos Maria J. , Xing Bengang , Fernandes Pedro A. , García Felipe
Published: February 2023

PN frameworks were explored as mitochondrial delivery vectors. The newly designed phosphazenylphosphonium moiety was demonstrated to be more effective than traditional triphenylphosphonium-based vectors.
Improved production of class I lanthipeptides in Escherichia coli
Authors: Lee Hyunji , Wu Chunyu , Desormeaux Emily K. , Sarksian Raymond , van der Donk Wilfred A.
Published: February 2023

Expression of Glu-tRNA and its synthetase from lanthipeptide encoding bacteria using pEVOL improves production in E. coli. Often-observed glutathionylation can be reversed using LanCL enzymes.
Polyelectrolyte-multivalent molecule complexes: physicochemical properties and applications
Authors: Herrera Santiago E. , Agazzi Maximiliano L. , Apuzzo Eugenia , Cortez M. Lorena , Marmisollé Waldemar A. , Tagliazucchi Mario , Azzaroni Omar
Published: February 2023

This review discusses the physicochemical characteristics of complexes formed by polyelectrolytes and multivalent small molecules, and provides insights about their potential as versatile supramolecular platforms in various technological fields.
Improving and degrading the oxygen exchange kinetics of La0.6Sr0.4CoO3−δ by Sr decoration
Authors: Siebenhofer Matthäus , Riedl Christoph , Nenning Andreas , Artner Werner , Rameshan Christoph , Opitz Alexander Karl , Fleig Jürgen , Kubicek Markus
Published: February 2023

i-PLD measurements reveal beneficial effects of SrO at high temperatures and detrimental effects of CO2 adsorbates at low temperatures.
Point-to-faceZ-scheme junction Cd0.6Zn0.4S/g-C3N4with a robust internal electric field for high-efficiency H2O2production
Authors: Yu Wenying , Zhu Zijian , Hu Cheng , Lin Sen , Wang Yinghui , Wang Chunyang , Tian Na , Zhang Yihe , Huang Hongwei
Published: February 2023

Point-to-faceZ-scheme Cd0.6Zn0.4S/g-C3N4with a robust internal electric field was synthesized by anin situgrowth strategy and showed highly efficient H2O2production activity.
Recent advances in interfacial solar vapor generation: clean water production and beyond
Authors: Yu Shudong , Gu Yuheng , Chao Xujiang , Huang Guanghan , Shou Dahua
Published: February 2023

This review summarizes the recent progress in interfacial solar vapor generation, which was first proposed in 2014. The technique shows great potential for decentralized desalination applications using ubiquitous and renewable solar energy.
3D-Printing of succulent plant-like scaffolds with beneficial cell microenvironments for bone regeneration
Authors: Wang Yufeng , Wang Zikang , Yu Xiaopeng , Zhang Meng , Wang Xin , Zhou Yanling , Yao Qingqiang , Wu Chengtie
Published: February 2023

The succulent plant-like bioceramic scaffolds inspired by the macroscopic structure of succulent plants could improve cellular crosstalk and enhance bone regeneration.
A nitric oxide responsive AIE probe for detecting the progression of osteoarthritis
Authors: Jin Pan , Xu Guojie , Chen Xichi , Li Shi-Cheng , Cheng Lin , Sui Ping , Ye Jiaqi , Yang Xuerui , Xi Shanshan , Yu Fabiao , Jiang Tongmeng
Published: February 2023

An AIE probe was established for reacting with NO and emitting fluorescence in arthritic joints/chondrocytes. This AIE probe is appropriate for detecting the progression of osteoarthritis.
Polar ammoniostyryls easily converting a clickable lipophilic BODIPY in an advanced plasma membrane probe
Authors: Serrano-Buitrago Sergio , Muñoz-Úbeda Mónica , Almendro-Vedia Víctor G. , Sánchez-Camacho Juan , Maroto Beatriz L. , Moreno Florencio , Bañuelos Jorge , García-Moreno Inmaculada , López-Montero Iván , de la Moya Santiago
Published: February 2023

A very simple, small and symmetric, but highly bright, photostable and functionalizable molecular probe for plasma membrane (PM) has been developed from an accessible, lipophilic and clickable organic dye based on BODIPY.
Low-voltage and wide-tuning-range SiO2/aniline electrically responsive photonic crystal fabricated by solvent assisted charge separation
Authors: Bao Guangyang , Yu Wenyuan , Fu Qianqian , Ge Jianping
Published: February 2023

An electrically responsive SiO2/aniline photonic crystal was fabricated and proved to possess low working potential, wide color tuning range, and good stability and reversibility in response.
Enhancement of the capacitive performance of Ni2CoS4 by incorporation of graphitized carbon dots
Authors: Yu Honglin , Tang Shuihua , Wang Xiaohan , Yang Shuang , Zhong Xiang , Yu Limei , Xie Yuhang , Xu Mingjie , Xiong Hongxi , Zhang Lei
Published: February 2023

A Ni2CoS4/GCD composite formed by incorporation of graphitized carbon dots has higher specific capacitance, superior rate capability and better cycling stability.
Anl-proline-modified chiral porous hyper-crosslinkedl-phenylalanine dipeptide—increased reaction rate and selectivity in asymmetric catalysis
Authors: Wang Yaodong , Liu Lijia , Wang Yudan , Sang Kexiao , Zhang Chunhong , Satoh Toshifumi
Published: February 2023

Two heterogeneous catalysts were synthesized from aromatic amino acids. Asymmetric Michael addition reaction and Mannich reaction were catalyzed, and the product shows a high ee value.
Insights into elusive and cooperative multi-oxidant mechanisms in enabling catalytic methane-to-methanol conversion over atomically dispersed metals
Authors: Zhang Li-Long , Su Yaqiong , Chen Dandan , Wu Hongguo , Xu Feng , Li Hu , Yang Song
Published: February 2023

A cooperative multi-oxidant protocol was developed to be efficient for converting greenhouse gas (CH4) and environmentally polluting gases (NOx) into clean and renewable energy molecules (CH3OH).
Improved H2O2 photogeneration on Rb-doped-polymeric carbon nitride via enhanced O2 adsorption
Authors: Li Zehao , Chen Tianxiang , Chen Yufei , Chen Xiaoyuan , Li Le , Kuang Siya , Gao Jing , Guo Yuxuan , Benedict Lo Tsz Woon , Du Jimin
Published: February 2023

Owing to the excellent oxygen capture ability, modified PCN presents excellent photocatalytic activity and stability for H2O2 production.
Sentence Diversity in Spanish–English Bilingual Toddlers
Authors: De Anda Stephanie , Cycyk Lauren M. , Durán Lillian , Biancarosa Gina , McIntyre Laura Lee
Published: February 2023

Purpose:

There remain few available tools to assess language development in Spanish–English dual language learner (DLL) toddlers in the United States. Of interest is the development of early sentences as children move from producing single words to producing multiword utterances. This study is the first to extend sentence diversity to the context of Spanish–English DLLs by describing development from 24 to 30 months of age in children with and without language delays (LDs).

Method:

Spontaneous language samples were collected from Spanish-dominant DLL children and their mothers as they were observed during a free-play interaction. Existing sentence diversity protocols were adapted for the DLL context to describe children's flexibility in combining subjects and verbs to form utterances in Spanish and English.

Results:

Children maintained an accurate separation in their grammars for subject–verb combinations in Spanish versus English. There was an overwhelming preference for Spanish subject–verb combinations with null subjects. The emergence of sentence diversity distinguished children with and without early LD unlike the emergence of word combinations.

Conclusions:

Consistent with prior research, findings showed that DLLs did not confuse grammatical structures across languages. Instead, they showed a differential pattern of results in each language, such that the strongest grammatical skills were evinced first in the dominant language. Sentence diversity shows promise for assessment and progress monitoring in Spanish–English DLLs in the United States.
The Influence of Sex, Age, and Repeated Measurement on Pixel-Based Measures of Pharyngeal Area at Rest
Authors: Smaoui Sana , Mancopes Renata , Simmons Michelle M. , Peladeau-Pigeon Melanie , Steele Catriona M.
Published: February 2023

Purpose:

Videofluoroscopic (VFSS) measurements of pharyngeal swallow mechanics can differentiate age- and disease-related changes in swallowing. Pharyngeal area at rest (PhAR) may differ in people with dysphagia, although its impact is not clear. Before the role of PhAR in dysphagia can be explored, it is important to establish whether PhAR remains stable across repeated measures in healthy adults, and varies as a function of sex or age. We hypothesized that healthy adults would show stable PhAR across repeated measures, but that larger PhAR would be seen in men versus women and in older versus younger adults.

Method:

We collected VFSS data from 87 healthy adults (44 men,
M
age
= 46 years, range: 21–82). Trained raters identified the swallow rest frame after the initial swallow of each bolus and measured unobliterated pharyngeal area on these frames, in %(C2–4)
2
units. Repeated-measures analyses of variance with a factor of sex, a covariate of age, and a repeated factor of task repetition were performed across the first 12 available measures per participant (
N
= 1,044 swallows).

Results:

There were no significant variations in PhAR across repeated measures. A significant Sex × Age interaction was seen (
p
= .04): Males had significantly larger PhAR than females (
p
= .001), but females showed larger PhAR with advancing age (
R
= .47).

Conclusions:

These data confirm stability in PhAR across repeated measurements in healthy individuals. However, significant sex and age differences should be taken into consideration in future studies exploring the role of PhAR in people with dysphagia.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22043543
Positive Predictive Values Associated With Adapting the Redmond Sentence Recall Measure Into a Kindergarten Screener for Developmental Language Disorder
Authors: Christopulos Tyler T. , Redmond Sean M.
Published: February 2023

Purpose:

Researchers estimate the prevalence of developmental language disorder (DLD) in 5-year-olds to be between 7% and 12%. Current identification systems in public schools typically favor referral identification formats over targeted or universal screenings. Public schools face unique challenges when assessing the value of screening measures for DLD that include real-world considerations such as administration, time, and resource constraints. This study used the positive predictive value (PPV) of the Redmond Sentence Recall (RSR) to assess its fidelity when administered by special education paraprofessionals. Our obtained PPV was compared across three areas: (a) previous studies that have utilized the RSR, (b) rates extrapolated from the participating school district's preexisting referral system from a previous study, and (c) expectations based on DLD prevalence.

Method:

Language screenings were conducted in two elementary schools using the RSR administered by school-based paraprofessionals trained on the screener protocol. One hundred sixty-four kindergarten students (age range: 5–6 years) were screened. Confirmatory testing was completed on all students who failed the screener.

Results:

Of the 164 students screened, 19 failed the RSR (11.5%), and 14 met criteria (8.5%) for DLD (PPV = .74). Our PPV was similar to previously published studies that utilized the RSR using research assistants and was higher than the PPV associated with teacher-based referrals from the participating school district.

Conclusion:

The RSR represents a potentially useful screener for identifying children at risk for previously unidentified language disorders in public schools.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22044479
Mass-ratio distribution of contact binary stars
Authors: Pešta Milan , Pejcha Ondřej
Published: February 2023

The mass ratioqof a contact binary star evolves through mass transfer, magnetic braking, and thermal relaxation oscillations to low values until it crosses a critical thresholdqmin. When this occurs, the binary undergoes the tidal Darwin instability, leading to a rapid coalescence of the components and to an observable brightening of the system. The distribution ofqhas not been measured on a sufficiently large population of contact binary stars so far because determiningqfor a single contact binary usually requires spectroscopy. As was shown previously, however, it is possible to infer the mass-ratio distribution of the entire population of contact binaries from the observed distribution of their light-curve amplitudes. Employing Bayesian inference, we obtained a sample of contact binary candidates from theKeplerEclipsing Binary Catalog combined with data fromGaiaand estimates of effective temperatures. We assigned a probability of being a contact binary of either late or early type to each candidate. Overall, our sample includes about 300 late-type and 200 early-type contact binary candidates. We modeled the amplitude distribution assuming that mass ratios are described by a power law with an exponentband a cutoff atqmin. We findqmin = 0.087−0.015+0.024for late-type contact binaries with periods longer than 0.3 days. For late-type binaries with shorter periods, we findqmin = 0.246−0.046+0.029, but the sample is small. For early-type contact binary stars with periods shorter than one day, we obtainqmin = 0.030−0.022+0.018. These results indicate a dependence ofqminon the structure of the components, and they are broadly compatible with previous theoretical predictions. We do not find any clear trends inb. Our method can easily be extended to large samples of contact binaries from TESS and other space-based surveys.
Stable reconstruction of discontinuous solutions to the Cauchy problem in steady-state anisotropic heat conduction with non-smooth coefficients
Authors: Bucataru Mihai , Cimpean Iulian , Marin Liviu
Published: February 2023

We study the recovery of the missing discontinuous/non-smooth thermal boundary conditions on an inaccessible portion of the boundary of the domain occupied by a solid from Cauchy data prescribed on the remaining boundary assumed to be accessible, in case of stationary anisotropic heat conduction with non-smooth/discontinuous conductivity coefficients. This inverse boundary value problem is ill-posed and, therefore, should be regularized. Consequently, a stabilising method is developed based on a priori knowledge on the solution to this inverse problem and the smoothing feature of the direct problems involved. The original problem is transformed into a control one which reduces to solving an appropriate minimisation problem in a suitable function space. The latter problem is tackled by employing an appropriate variational method which yields a gradient-type iterative algorithm that consists of two direct problems and their corresponding adjoint ones. This approach yields an algorithm designed to approximate specifically merely L2–boundary data in the context of a non-smooth/discontinuous anisotropic conductivity tensor, hence both the notion of solution to the direct problems involved and the convergence analysis of the approximate solutions generated by the algorithm proposed require special attention. The numerical implementation is realised for two-dimensional homogeneous anisotropic solids using the finite element method, whilst regularization is achieved by terminating the iteration according to two stopping criteria.
Applied Research of Two Kinds of Auxiliary Practice Equipment in Tennis Teaching
Authors: Zhang Kebao
Published: February 2023

Objective: To promote beginners to master tennis skills by using two independently designed tennis auxiliary exercise equipment in tennis teaching classes; Methods: The experimental method was used in this study-48 freshmen(male) without tennis learning experience, were randomly divided into two groups for teaching. The experimental group was intervened with two kinds of auxiliary exercise equipment, and the control group was intervened with traditional teaching methods; Results: The paired sample T-test of the total scores of forehand, backhand, volley and serve in the experimental group and the control group were all P<0.05, indicating that there were significant differences between the two groups in these four data. Conclusion: The beginners with the help of two kinds of auxiliary exercise equipment are mastered better in mastering various techniques.