bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A 0–1 mixed‐integer program‐based group‐and‐release strategy for solving the integrated runway scheduling and taxiway routing problem
Authors: Desai Jitamitra , Srivathsan Sandeep , Yu Chuhang , Zhang Dong
Published: August 2022

With growing air traffic demand and the required airport infrastructure lagging behind by at least a decade, it has become imperative for air traffic controllers to efficiently squeeze the available capacity at an airport in order to minimize aircraft delays. It has been well documented that the two major bottlenecks affecting the smooth functioning of air traffic operations at an airport are runways and taxiways. The key problem involving these resources includes the scheduling of flights on the runway, and the determination of the taxiway paths to be traversed by flights from their assigned gates to the runway. We address this problem by modeling an integrated runway scheduling and taxiway routing problem as a 0–1 mixed‐integer program (MIP) in a free‐path setting where any feasible taxiway route can potentially be assigned to a flight. As a direct application of this MIP model is not suitable for solving large‐scale instances, we develop a three‐step group‐and‐release strategy that first segregates the flights based on their allocated gates and associated ramps, and then solves the MIP model for each ramp to determine the taxiway path for each flight. In the final step, the path for each flight is fixed, and a sequencing problem over all flights is solved to determine high quality, feasible solutions. The performance of the proposed methodology is benchmarked against three algorithms, namely: (i) constraint‐generation; (ii) sequential two‐stage algorithm; and (iii) FCFS algorithm. Our numerical experiments, based on actual flight data from Changi airport (Singapore), show that, on average, the optimality gap as well as the computational time is considerably reduced for our strategy as compared to existing methods, thereby highlighting the efficacy of the proposed approach in solving realistic instances.
Retrospective motion correction for preclinical/clinical magnetic resonance imaging based on a conditional generative adversarial network with entropy loss
Authors: Bao Qinjia , Chen Yalei , Bai Chongxin , Li Pingan , Liu Kewen , Li Zhao , Zhang Zhi , Wang Jie , Liu Chaoyang
Published: August 2022

Multishot scan magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition is inherently sensitive to motion, and motion artifact reduction is essential for improving the image quality in MRI. This work proposes and validates a new end‐to‐end motion‐correction method for the multishot sequence that incorporates a conditional generative adversarial network with minimum entropy (cGANME) of MR images. The cGANME contains an encoder‐decoder generator to obtain motion‐corrected images and a PatchGAN discriminator to classify the image as either real (motion‐free) or fake (motion‐corrected). The entropy of the images is set as one loss item in the cGAN's loss as the entropy increases monotonically with the motion artifacts. An ablation experiment of the different weights of entropy loss was performed to evaluate the function of entropy loss. The preclinical dataset was acquired with a fast spin echo pulse sequence on a 7.0‐T scanner. After the simulation, we had 10,080/2880/1440 slices for training, testing, and validating, respectively. The clinical dataset was downloaded from the Human Connection Project website, and 11,300/3500/2000 slices were used for training, testing, and validating after simulation, respectively. Extensive experiments for different motion patterns, motion levels, and protocol parameters demonstrate that cGANME outperforms traditional and some state‐of‐the‐art, deep learning‐based methods. In addition, we tested cGANME on in vivo awake rats and mitigated the motion artifacts, indicating that the model has some generalizability.
3D printing of glass fiber reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and investigation of tensile, flexural, warpage and roughness properties
Authors: Amiri Aria , Zolfaghari Abbas , Shakeri Mohsen
Published: August 2022

Three‐dimensional (3D) printing or additive manufacturing (AM) enables to fabricate, complex parts in low quantities without expensive molds or tools in short time. While several 3D printing methods are available, printing with the method of fused deposition modeling (FDM) is particularly widespread because of the simplicity and potential applicability. The applications of FDM to obtain strong components used in aerospace and automotive industries are widely being explored. This study investigates mechanical properties of 3D printed parts with composite filaments made by acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)/short glass fibers (SGFs). At first, composite filaments with varying GF contents 5, 10, and 15 wt% were manufactured. In addition, maleic anhydride grafted ABS (ABS‐g‐MA) as coupling agent, nozzle temperature and raster angle orientation were considered as other parameters. Results showed that with 15 wt% of GF, means of tensile and flexural strengths were increased 33% and 36%, respectively. Meanwhile, tensile and flexural moduli were improved 57% and 62%. Among the different raster angle, 0° had the best mechanical properties. Maximum ultimate tensile strength was obtained 61 MPa. Warpage and surface roughness were measured in this study. Generally, nozzle temperature and coupling agent did not have any significant effects on all the results in this study.
Separation of memory span and learning rate: Evidence from behavior and spontaneous brain activity in older adults
Authors: Chen Shuyuan , Li Rui , Wang Pengyun , Li Juan
Published: August 2022

It is unclear how the ability to initially acquire information in a first learning trial relates to learning rate in subsequent repeated trials. The separation of memory span and learning rate is an important psychological dilemma that remains unaddressed. Given the potential effects of aging on memory and learning, this study investigated the separation of memory span and learning rate from behavior and spontaneous brain activity in older adults. We enrolled a total of 758 participants, including 707 healthy older adults and 51 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. Sixty‐five participants out of 707 completed resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. Behaviorally, memory span and learning rate were not correlated with each other in the paired‐associative learning test (PALT) but were negatively correlated in the auditory verbal learning test (AVLT). This indicated that the relationship between memory span and learning rate for item memory might be differentially affected by aging. Interaction analysis confirmed that these two capacities were differentially affected by test type (associative memory vs. item memory). Additionally, at three progressive brain activity indexes (ALFF, ReHo, and DC), the right brain regions (right inferior temporal gyrus and right middle frontal gyrus) were more negatively correlated with memory span, whereas, the left precuneus was more positively correlated with learning rate. Regarding pathological aging, none of the correlations between memory span and learning rate were significant in either PALT or AVLT in MCI. This study provides novel evidence for the dissociation of memory span and learning rate at behavioral and brain activity levels, which may have useful applications in detecting cognitive deficits or conducting cognitive interventions.
The effect of immersive virtual reality‐based attentional bias modification on anxiety mitigation in healthy population
Authors: Wang Yamin , Zhang Xiaoxiang , Gao Jidong , Zhang Leran , Jiang Jinhang
Published: August 2022

The present study compared an immersive virtual reality‐based attentional bias modification (immersive VR‐ABM) with the desktop version of the VR‐ABM and an immersive virtual reality‐based game (immersive VR‐game) to examine the possible effect of the immersive presence on self‐reported emotional reactions to a stressful task. One hundred and twenty participants were randomly assigned into three groups, and each group received a three‐turn induction–intervention training. Anxiety symptoms were assessed at pre‐induction, post‐induction, and post‐training. Results showed that virtual reality‐based anxiety was induced and alleviated successfully in all three groups, but only the immersive VR‐ABM group showed an accumulated effect on self‐reported anxiety across sessions. The attentional bias based on probe latencies indicated no significant change in either the immersive or desktop VR‐ABM groups. The present findings support the hypothesized VR‐ABM's effect on self‐reported anxiety at the immersive presence. The practical implications of using immersive VR‐ABM are discussed for obtaining ecological validity.
Development of multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) assays to identify Brucella abortus proteins in the serum of humans and livestock
Authors: Husain Aliabbas A. , Pinto Sneha M. , Subbannayya Yashwanth , Kapoor Saketh , Khulkhule Payal , Bhartiya Nidhi , Prasad T. S. Keshava , Daginawala Hatim F. , Singh Lokendra R. , Kashyap Rajpal Singh
Published: August 2022

In the present study, a targeted multiple reaction monitoring‐mass spectrometry (MRM‐MS) approach was developed to screen and identify protein biomarkers for brucellosis in humans and livestock. The selection of proteotypic peptides was carried out by generating in silico tryptic peptides of the Brucella proteome. Using bioinformatics analysis, 30 synthetic peptides corresponding to 10 immunodominant Brucella abortus proteins were generated. MRM‐MS assays for the accurate detection of these peptides were optimized using 117 serum samples of human and livestock stratified as clinically confirmed (45), suspected (62), and control (10). Using high throughput MRM assays, transitions for four peptides were identified in several clinically confirmed and suspected human and livestock serum samples. Of these, peptide NAIYDVVTR corresponding to B. abortus proteins: BruAb2_0537 was consistently detected in the clinically confirmed serum samples of both humans and livestock with 100% specificity. To conclude, a high throughput MRM‐MS‐based protocol for detecting endogenous B. abortus peptides in serum samples of humans and livestock was developed. The developed protocol will help design sensitive assays to accurately diagnose brucellosis in humans and livestock. The data associated with this study are deposited in Panorama Public (https://panoramaweb.org/rNOZCy.url with ProteomeXchange ID: PXD034407).
Plastic structures for diverse substrates: A revisit of human ABC transporters
Authors: Hou Wen‐Tao , Xu Da , Wang Liang , Chen Yu , Chen Zhi‐Peng , Zhou Cong‐Zhao , Chen Yuxing
Published: August 2022

ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) superfamily is one of the largest groups of primary active transporters that could be found in all kingdoms of life from bacteria to humans. In humans, ABC transporters can selectively transport a wide spectrum of substrates across membranes, thus playing a pivotal role in multiple physiological processes. In addition, due to the ability of exporting clinic therapeutics, some ABC transporters were originally termed multidrug resistance proteins. Increasing investigations of human ABC transporters in recent years have provided abundant information for elucidating their structural features, based on the structures at distinct states in a transport cycle. This review focuses on the recent progress in human ABC structural analyses, substrate binding specificities, and translocation mechanisms. We dedicate to summarize the common features of human ABC transporters in different subfamilies, and to discuss the possibility to apply the fast‐developing techniques, such as cryogenic electron microscopy, and artificial intelligence‐assisted structure prediction, for future studies.
Thermodynamically consistent versions of approximations used in modelling moist air
Authors: Eldred Christopher , Taylor Mark , Guba Oksana
Published: August 2022

Some existing approaches to modelling the thermodynamics of moist air make approximations that breakthermodynamic consistency, such that the resulting thermodynamics does not obey the first and second laws or has other inconsistencies. Recently, an approach to avoid such inconsistency has been suggested: the use ofthermodynamic potentialsin terms of theirnatural variables, from which all thermodynamic quantities and relationships (equations of state) are derived. In this article, we develop this approach forunapproximatedmoist‐air thermodynamics and two widely used approximations: the constant‐ approximation and the dry heat capacities approximation. The (consistent) constant‐ approximation is particularly attractive because it leads to, with the appropriate choice of thermodynamic variable, adiabatic dynamics that depend only on total mass and are independent of the breakdown between water forms. Additionally, a wide variety of material from different sources in the literature on thermodynamics in atmospheric modelling is brought together. It is hoped that this article provides a comprehensive reference for the use of thermodynamic potentials in atmospheric modelling, especially for the three systems considered here.
Free‐Space Quantum Key Distribution with Single Photons from Defects in Hexagonal Boron Nitride
Authors: Samaner Çağlar , Paçal Serkan , Mutlu Görkem , Uyanık Kıvanç , Ateş Serkan
Published: August 2022

Efficient single photon generation is an important requirement for several practical applications in quantum technologies, including quantum cryptography. A proof‐of‐concept demonstration of free‐space quantum key distribution (QKD) is presented with single photons generated from an isolated defect in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The bright source operating at room temperature is integrated into a QKD system based on B92 protocol and a sifted key rate of 238 bps with a quantum bit error rate of 8.95% are achieved at 1 MHz clock rate. The effect of temporal filtering of detected photons on the performance of QKD parameters is also studied. It is believed that these results will stimulate the research on optically active defects in hBN as well as other 2D‐based quantum emitters and their applications within quantum information technologies including practical QKD systems.
Guidewire simulation of endovascular intervention: A systematic review
Authors: Qiu Jianpeng , Ming Jianzhong , Qian Cheng , Chen Yang , Gao Dazhi , Zhou Shoujun , zhao Gang , Tang Shujun , Xing Liudong
Published: August 2022

Background

Endovascular intervention is an important minimally invasive surgery that requires professional skills to operate surgical instruments. Such skills are mainly gained through the traditional training paradigm of “see one, do one, teach one”, rather than the guidewire simulation system.

Methods

To identify limitations of existing guidewire simulation research and suggest further research orientations, a comprehensive search on literature published from 2007 to 2021 is performed in 11 selected electronic databases. Through our scrutiny and filtration, 34 articles are selected as major studies for careful examinations.

Results

We identify challenges faced in the field of endovascular intervention guidewire simulation. We examine and classify guidewire simulation techniques (including guidewire models, collision detection methods and collision response methods), accuracy evaluation methods, error sources, and performance optimization methods.

Conclusions

Guidewire simulation can satisfy the urgent need to train surgeons, thus more efforts should be dedicated enabling its wide application in clinical environment.
Radially varying delay‐compensated distributed control of reaction‐diffusion PDEs on n‐ball under revolution symmetry conditions
Authors: Guan Dandan , Qi Jie
Published: August 2022

In this article, a distributed control design is developed via partial differential equation (PDE) backstepping for a class of reaction‐diffusion PDEs on ‐ball under revolution symmetry conditions in the presence of radial spatially varying actuator delay. The actuator delay is modeled by a two‐dimensional (2D) first‐order hyperbolic PDE with spatially varying boundary, resulting in a cascaded transport‐diffusion PDE system. Two‐step backstepping transformation is introduced for the control design. First, a new Volterra transformation for the ‐ball under revolution symmetry is proposed that allows the kernel function to be solvable. Different from the kernel in the 1D domain, which is expressed by the classical Fourier series, the kernel of the ‐ball under revolution symmetry conditions is based on the Fourier–Bessel series. The resulting Volterra transformation is an implicit one that contains the state of the target system on both sides of the definition. Based on the implicit transformation, we employ the successive approximations approach to derive the second‐step transformation, namely, an explicit transformation, and arrive at a stable target system. The inverse transformation is also derived, to prove exponential stability of the closed‐loop system. The stability analysis requires more technical skills that are not needed in solving the spatially varying delay compensation problem when the domain is 1D. Numerical simulation examples of 3D and 4D revolution‐symmetrical systems illustrate the effectiveness of the controller.
LQ‐optimal 2‐rate control of a class of single‐input single‐output discrete‐time plants
Authors: Bhattacharya Sragdhara , Ghosh Arun , Das Sarit K.
Published: August 2022

Use of 2‐rate controllers for robust control via zero‐placement is a topic of interest in current literature. This paper proposes a 2‐degree‐of‐freedom, 2‐rate, dynamic, output feedback controller to compensate single‐input single‐output (SISO), unstable, non‐minimum phase (NMP), discrete, linear time‐invariant (LTI) plants of relative degree unity; and achieves exactly the same loop and input‐output properties as can be achieved by a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) for the equivalent lifted LTI plant using state feedback. Such LQR‐like loop and input‐output properties, it may be noted, cannot be attained by LTI or even the existing 2‐rate output feedback controllers for plants with NMP zeros. Examples presented illustrate the efficacy of the proposed controller with respect to the existing ones.
Design of a joint adaptive high‐gain observer for a class of nonlinear sampled‐output system with unknown states and parameters
Authors: Zhuang Xincheng , Wang Haoping , Ahmed‐Ali Sofiane , Tian Yang
Published: August 2022

In this article, a joint adaptive high‐gain observer design method is proposed for a class of nonlinear systems subject to sampled output data measurements. The considered class of system is characterized by a nonlinear term coupled with an unknown parameter that enters the system in both the outputs and the states equations. The fact that the considered system involves an output sampling process and an unknown parameter renders the design of the nonlinear adaptive observer more difficult. To overcome this difficulty, a novel closed‐loop output predictor is proposed. Based on the well‐known decoupling method between the state and unknown parameters, a joint adaptive high‐gain observer which can simultaneously guarantee the exponential convergence of the estimation of the unknown state and the unknown parameter is proposed in this article. The structure of the designed observer has been extended to the case of sampled and delayed data measurements. The effectiveness of our proposed observer is demonstrated through numerical simulations and performance comparison with another observer structure proposed in the literature.
Perceptions of the impacts of invasive alien plants in the riparian zone of the Ganga River: Insights from Varanasi, India
Authors: Singh Rinku , Tiwari Amit Kumar , Singh Gopal Shankar
Published: August 2022

Riparian zones are among the most threatened habitats due to invasive species. Traditionally, studies on invasive alien plants (IAPs) of riparian zones have focused on their ecological implications. Studies assessing the impacts of IAPs on ecosystem services (ES) and ecosystem disservices (EDS) through people's perceptions are lacking in this habitat. This study was conducted in the riparian zone of the Ganga River in Varanasi, India. We used a questionnaire‐based survey to assess people's perceptions of IAPs and their potential to provide ES and EDS. Results indicated that residents were aware of IAPs and perceived these both positively (providing ES) and negatively (providing EDS). Soil stabilization and loss of native plant diversity were the most commonly perceived ES and EDS respectively. Socio‐demographic variables such as age and education shape people's perceptions of IAPs. Younger and educated respondents were more likely to perceive IAPs negatively. Respondents most commonly used fire as a practice to manage IAPs. They placedParthenium hysterophorusL. as the highest priority based on its impacts and management needs. This study highlights the need to incorporate public perceptions into the policy, planning, and management of IAPs, particularly in the riparian zone.
Comparison of classical and developed indexing methods for assessing the groundwater suitability for irrigation
Authors: Islam Md. Shajedul , Mostafa Md. Golam
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Several water quality indices exist to evaluate irrigation water quality (IWQ), but they have some limitations. This study attempted to develop a new Overall Irrigation Water Quality Index (Overall IWQIndex) using a rational subindex that is flexible enough and updated to signify irrigation water suitability. It considered the maximum verified desirable and permissible value of parameters, including the hazard class, a modified rating system of parameters in each hazard class, and diversified water parameters that have affected the soil and plants.

Materials and Methods

A total of 40 calcite‐type groundwater samples were analyzed to evaluate the IWQ using the proposed Overall IWQIndex, some IWQ parameters, and different diagram‐based statistical methods.

Results

The study results were correlated with each other critically, and finally, the suitability for IWQ was determined. The results revealed that the samples of the postmonsoon and premonsoon felt under the ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ categories, respectively.

Conclusion

The study developed an indexing model that is easy to compute, rationalize and deliver accurate information on the suitability of irrigation water.
XPS quantification with universal inelastic electron scattering cross section including intrinsic excitations
Authors: Gnacadja E. , Pauly N. , Kang H. J. , Tougaard S.
Published: August 2022

In X‐ray excited photoelectron emission (XPS), the shape and intensity of photoelectron peaks are strongly affected by extrinsic excitations due to electron transport out of the surface. It is also influenced by intrinsic excitations due to the sudden creation of the static core hole. In order to approximately determine the primary excitation spectrum of the considered transition corrected for both extrinsic and intrinsic excitations, we developed in a previous work [E. Gnacadja, N. Pauly, S. Tougaard, Surf. Interface Anal. 52 (2020) 413] a universal analytical expression for the energy loss cross section including extrinsic and intrinsic excitations. We apply the present universal cross section to test to what extent these primary excitations spectra can be used for XPS quantification based on peak area ratios. The procedure is applied to the study of three sets of polycrystalline alloys (Cu0.75Au0.25, Cu0.50Au0.50, and Cu0.25Au0.75) and to three metal oxides (HfO2, ZrO2, and Cu2O). We show that although the individual peaks are very different from those obtained with the classical universal Tougaard cross section, the determined quantitative compositions are equivalent (but not better). This implies that the relative contribution from intrinsic excitations is roughly the same for all peaks for a given sample and they therefore cancel out when peak area ratios are considered.
Magnetic Coconut Shell‐Derived Activated Carbon Adorned with Cu2O Nanoparticles: A Green and Efficient Porous Catalyst for N‐Arylation of Hetero‐Aromatics in Eutectic Medium
Authors: Mirshafiee Sogand , Salamatmanesh Arefe , Heydari Akbar
Published: August 2022

In the current research, a green, robust, and economical metal oxide‐based nanocatalyst has been developed by functionalization of coconut shell‐derived mesoporous activated carbon with magnetically separable amino acid and subsequent decoration with Cu2O nanoparticles (Fe3O4@L‐arginine‐AC−Cu2O). This magnetic nanostructure was analyzed by different techniques including FT‐IR, FE‐SEM, EDX/MAP, XRD, TEM, TGA, VSM, BET, and ICP‐OES. The catalytic efficiency of the nanoparticles was studied in Ullmann N‐arylation reaction of some N‐heterocycle compounds including indole, imidazole, and pyrrole with various aryl halides in choline chloride/glycerol (1 : 2), which is a green and biomass‐based deep eutectic solvent (DES). The reaction proceeded smoothly and the desired N‐arylation products were obtained in good to excellent yields (75‐96 %). Notably, the magnetic porous nanocatalyst can be easily separated and reused at least six times without a notable decrease in its performance. The solvent is also able to recover, thereby increasing the attractiveness of this approach. In other words, this approach can serve to significantly expand the scope of the C−N coupling products for their applications in further studies.
Chemoselective Synthesis of Tyrosine‐Based Polymers and Comparison of Their Thermal, Kinetic, and Dielectric Properties
Authors: Çalışkan Eray
Published: August 2022

Both synthetic chemistry and polymer science, benefiting from click chemistry, have paved the way for the easy synthesis and use of polymer compounds in various application areas. In this work, a chemoselective polymerization reaction (for the synthesis of polymer 1) in which click reaction occurred in a further step (for the synthesis of polymer 2) was carried out through the monomer obtained from the reaction of tyrosine with propargyl amine (PA) and methyl methacrylate. Polymer 2 was synthesized from azido end chalcone and the polymer carrying alkyne in its side chain by using the click chemistry. The average activation energy of polymers 1 and 2 were 116.95 and 81.54 kJ mol−1, respectively. The thermal and dielectric properties of both polymers were compared. The results indicated that the alkyne ends in polymer 1 are completely converted into triazole rings after the click reaction, and polymer 2 gained more thermal stability and dielectric property compared to polymer 1. Dielectric constant (ϵ′) of polymer 2 (16.42) increased about 2.70 fold after the addition of the chalcone group to polymer 1 (6.09). These results indicate that polymer 2 with a high dielectric constant is a potential compound to use in electronic applications such as capacitors.
Ultrasensitive Chemically Modified Carbon Paste Sensor for Reliable and Selective Potentiometric Determination of Trace Amounts of Sitagliptin in Real Samples
Authors: Abdi Arezoo , Soleymanpour Ahmad , Shafaatian Bita
Published: August 2022

A new chemically modified potentiometric carbon paste electrode was fabricated based on incorporation of the ion association complex of sitagliptin‐phosphotungstate to determine sitagliptin. The proposed sensor displayed a Nernstian slope of 59.4 mV/decade for sitagliptin over a concentration range of 1.7×10−8 to 2.2×10−5 M and a detection limit of 9.1×10−9 M. It represented the advantages of fast response, long lifetime and, most importantly, excellent selectivity for sitagliptin versus a wide variety of usual inorganic cations and also biological species such as amino acids and sugars. The temperature dependence of sensor potential was examined, and it was figured out that the sensor has a low thermal coefficient in the temperature range of 15–55 °C. The sensor was applied to determine sitagliptin in pharmaceutical tablets, milk and blood serum samples. The obtained suitable recoveries and relative standard deviations confirmed that the developed sensor could be precisely applied to determine sitagliptin in real samples.
An Efficient Approach to Pyrene‐based Aggregation‐induced Emission Luminogens
Authors: Guo Hongxi , Song Xinyi , Wang Xiaohui , Liu Yiwei , Redshaw Carl , Feng Xing
Published: August 2022

To suppress the fluorescence quenching of pyrene in the aggregation state, this article presents a facile strategy for the construction of pyrene‐based aggregation‐induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) via decorating the pyrene core with benzophenone units at the 1‐, 2‐ or 2,7‐positions. This set of pyrene‐based compounds 1–3 displayed a weak deep blue fluorescence in solution, but an enhanced excimer emission with λem max of 426–436 nm in the aggregation state. Interestingly, unlike reported benzophenone derivatives, this series of compounds did not exhibit thermally activated delayed fluorescence/ phosphorescent properties.
Regioselective Oxidative Halotriflamidation of Dienes and Trienes as a Route to New Amidines and Heterocycles
Authors: Garagan Ivan A. , Moskalik Mikhail Yu. , Astakhova Vera V. , Sterkhova Irina V. , Vashchenko Alexander V. , Albanov Alexander I. , Shainyan Bagrat A.
Published: August 2022

Comparative analysis of halotriflamidation of linear and cyclic dienes and trienes in different oxidative systems revealed a large variety of reactivity patterns. With linear dienes the haloamidation or solvent (MeCN) interception products or the products of their further transformations are formed. The NBS‐induced reactions of conjugated cyclic dienes (cyclopentadiene, 1,3‐cyclohexadiene, 1,3‐cyclooctadiene) regioselectively afford bromoamidines at only one double bond with solvent interception. Dicyclopentadiene also gives bromamidine at the bicycloheptene double bond. With linear 5‐methylhepta‐1,3,6‐triene, 1,4‐conjugate addition occurs with solvent interception and the halogen atom directed to the terminal olefinic carbon. Cyclododeca‐1,5,9‐triene reacts with triflamide differently depending on the oxidant to give amidine or azabicyclo[8.2.1]tridec‐5‐ene structure. The synthesized bromoamidines were converted into the corresponding imidazolines in close to quantitative yield.
Nanoengineered Granular Hydrogel Bioinks with Preserved Interconnected Microporosity for Extrusion Bioprinting
Authors: Ataie Zaman , Kheirabadi Sina , Zhang Jenna Wanjing , Kedzierski Alexander , Petrosky Carter , Jiang Rhea , Vollberg Christian , Sheikhi Amir
Published: August 2022

3D bioprinting of granular hydrogels comprising discrete hydrogel microparticles (microgels) may overcome the intrinsic structural limitations of bulk (nanoporous) hydrogel bioinks, enabling the fabrication of modular thick tissue constructs. The additive manufacturing of granular scaffolds has predominantly relied on highly jammed microgels to render the particulate suspensions shear yielding and extrudable. This inevitably compromises void spaces between microgels (microporosity), defeating rapid cell penetration, facile metabolite and oxygen transfer, and cell viability. Here, this persistent bottleneck is overcome by programming microgels with reversible interfacial nanoparticle self‐assembly, enabling the fabrication of nanoengineered granular bioinks (NGB) with well‐preserved microporosity, enhanced printability, and shape fidelity. The microporous architecture of bioprinted NGB constructs permits immediate post‐printing 3D cell seeding, which may expand the library of bioinks via circumventing the necessity of bioorthogonality for cell‐laden scaffold formation. This work opens new opportunities for the 3D bioprinting of tissue engineering microporous scaffolds beyond the traditional biofabrication window.
Fallacy of data‐selective inference in modelling networks
Authors: Stein Stefan , Leng Chenlei
Published: August 2022

Recent years have seen a growing array of activities in developing statistical models for modelling real‐life networks. Since many of these networks are sparse, an all too often practice in the literature is to apply a developed model to a subnetwork typically by discarding nodes due to their lack of connectivity. In this note, we provide the first result highlighting issues with this practice which we call the fallacy of data‐selective inference. We demonstrate this fallacy by examining the estimation bias in the Erdős–Rényi model theoretically and in the stochastic block model empirically.
Analysis of dynamic size effect of recycled concrete using base force element method
Authors: Peng Yijiang , Zakaria Semaoui , Ying Liping , Cao Wei , Yang Hongming , Sun Yucheng
Published: August 2022

A 2D meso models of recycled concrete with different sizes is established using the base force element method. The specimens are loaded with different strain rates. The meso damage of recycled concrete is analyzed. In addition, the structural performance of specimens under the joint actions with strain rate and size are also studied. The simulation results find that the compressive strength has little difference when the values of strain rates are lower than 0.1 s−1. The greater the strain rates, the greater the difference of compressive strength between different sizes when strain rates are larger than 0.1 s−1. In addition, the Bažant statistical theory can be used to analysis the mechanical properties of recycled concrete. Besides, a modified formula in calculating the dynamic size effect of recycled concrete is also given based on the Bažant statistical size effect theory.
Effect of bariatric surgery on maternal cardiovascular system
Authors: Patel D. , Borrelli N. , Patey O. , Johnson M. , Di Salvo G. , Savvidou M. D.
Published: August 2022

Objective

Bariatric surgery is a successful treatment for sustainable weight loss and has been associated with improvement in cardiovascular function. Pregnancy after bariatric surgery is becoming increasingly common; however, little is known about the maternal cardiovascular system postsurgery. The aim of this study was to investigate maternal cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy in women with previous bariatric surgery, compared with that in women with no history of weight‐loss surgery and an early‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI) similar to the presurgery BMI of the postbariatric women.

Methods

This was a prospective, observational, longitudinal study conducted from April 2018 to June 2020 including 30 pregnant women who had undergone bariatric surgery and 30 who had not, matched for presurgery BMI. Participants were seen at three timepoints during pregnancy: 12–14, 20–24 and 30–32 weeks' gestation. At all visits, maternal blood pressure (BP) was measured and cardiac geometry and function were assessed using two‐dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography. On a subset of patients (15 in each group), 2D speckle tracking was performed to assess global longitudinal and circumferential strain. Offline analysis was performed, and multilevel linear mixed‐effects models were used for all comparisons.

Results

Compared with the no‐surgery group, and across all trimesters, pregnant women with previous bariatric surgery had lower BP, heart rate and cardiac output and higher peripheral vascular resistance (P < 0.01 for all). Similarly, the postbariatric group demonstrated more favorable cardiac geometry and diastolic indices, including lower left ventricular mass, left atrial volume and relative wall thickness, together with higher E‐wave/A‐wave flow velocity across the mitral valve and higher mitral velocity (E′) at the lateral and medial annulus on tissue Doppler imaging (P < 0.01 for all). There was no difference in ejection fraction, although global longitudinal strain was lower in postbariatric women (P < 0.01), indicating better systolic function.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate better maternal cardiovascular adaptation in women with previous bariatric surgery compared with presurgery BMI‐matched pregnant women with no history of weight‐loss surgery. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Role of copper alumina nanoparticles on the performance of polyvinylchloride nanocomposites
Authors: Suvarna S. , Furhan  , Parvathi K. , Ramesan M. T.
Published: August 2022

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) nanocomposites with different contents of copper alumina (Cu‐Al2O3) nanoparticles were prepared by the solution casting method. The effects of the nanoparticles on structural, thermal, electrical, contact angle and mechanical properties were thoroughly examined. The presence of Cu‐Al2O3 in the macromolecular chain was confirmed through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of PVC nanocomposites showed the systematic arrangement of Cu‐Al2O3 nanoparticles within the polymer, which indicated the higher crystallinity of the nanocomposites. The surface morphology of PVC was changed into hemispherical shaped particles by the inclusion of nanofiller was analyzed from SEM images. The glass transition temperature of the nanocomposites obtained from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was found to be increased with an increase in loading of nanoparticles in the polymer. The AC conductivity and dielectric studies revealed that the inclusion of nanofiller increases the electrical properties of the material and the composite with 7 wt.% sample showed the maximum conductivity and dielectric constant. The mechanical properties such as modulus, tensile strength, hardness, and impact properties of the PVC nanocomposites were significantly enhanced by the reinforcement of nanoparticles into the PVC matrix. The reinforcing mechanism behind the increase in tensile strength with the addition of nanoparticles was correlated with different theoretical models. The highest mechanical and electrical properties were observed for 7 wt.% Cu‐Al2O3 loaded nanocomposite. Contact angle measurements of PVC with various loadings of Cu‐Al2O3 nanofillers demonstrated that the nanoparticle attachment increased the hydrophobicity of the polymer matrix.
Barriers to enrollment in National Health Insurance Scheme among informal sector workers in Nigeria
Authors: Aregbeshola Bolaji S. , Khan Samina M.
Published: August 2022

Extending health insurance coverage to informal sector populations remains a major challenge toward achieving universal health coverage. This study aimed to fill the gap in the literature by examining barriers to enrollment in National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) among informal sector workers in Nigeria. Data were drawn from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. The study population comprised of men (n = 10,163) and women (n = 22,216) working in the informal sector. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine barriers to enrollment in NHIS. Results show that the majority of men (98.9%) and women (98.6%) were not enrolled in NHIS. Age, gender of household head, educational level, socioeconomic status, geopolitical zone, distance to a health facility, frequency of reading newspapers or magazines, and watching television were significantly associated with non‐enrollment in NHIS. Findings suggest that enrollment in NHIS in Nigeria is very low. Additionally, there are significant barriers to enrollment. There is a need for governments and policymakers to address these barriers. The use of voluntary prepayments from informal sector workers as a strategy to extend health insurance coverage has not been effective.
New bounds on axion-like particles from MicroBooNE
Authors: Coloma Pilar , Hernández Pilar , Urrea Salvador
Published: August 2022

Abstract

Neutrino experiments lie at the edge of the intensity frontier and therefore can be exploited to search for new light particles weakly coupled to the visible sector. In this work we derive new constraints on axion-like particles (ALPs) using data from the MicroBooNE experiment, from a search for e+e− pairs pointing in the direction of the NuMI absorber. In particular, we consider the addition of higher-dimensional effective operators coupling the ALP to the electroweak gauge bosons. These would induce K → πa from kaon decay at rest in the NuMI absorber, as well as ALP decays into pairs of leptons or photons. We discuss in detail and compare various results obtained for the decay width K → πa in previous literature. For the operator involving the Higgs, MicroBooNE already sets competitive bounds (comparable to those of NA62) for ALP masses between 100 and 200 MeV. We also compute the expected sensitivities from the full NuMI dataset recorded at MicroBooNE. Our results show that a search for a a → γγ signal may be able to improve over current constraints from beam-dump experiments on the operator involving the ALP coupling to the W.
Modular anomaly equation for Schur index of $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 super-Yang-Mills
Authors: Huang Min-xin
Published: August 2022

Abstract

We propose a novel modular anomaly equation for the unflavored Schur index in the $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 SU(N) super-Yang-Mills theory. The vanishing conditions overdetermine the modular ambiguity ansatz from the equation, thus together they are sufficient to recursively compute the exact Schur indices for all SU(N) gauge groups. Using the representations as MacMahon’s generalized sum-of-divisors functions and Jacobi forms, we then prove our proposal as well as elucidate a general formula conjectured by Pan and Peelaers.
ZH production in gluon fusion at NLO in QCD
Authors: Chen Long , Davies Joshua , Heinrich Gudrun , Jones Stephen P. , Kerner Matthias , Mishima Go , Schlenk Johannes , Steinhauser Matthias
Published: August 2022

Abstract

We present fully differential next-to-leading order results for Higgs production in association with a Z boson in gluon fusion. Our two-loop virtual contributions are evaluated numerically using sector decomposition, including full top-quark mass effects, and supplemented at high pT by an analytic high-energy expansion to order $$ {m}_Z^4,{m}_H^4,{m}_t^{32} $$

m
Z
4

,

m
H
4

,

m
t
32

. Using the expanded results we also present a study of the top-quark mass scheme uncertainty at large pT.
2D Ising Field Theory in a magnetic field: the Yang-Lee singularity
Authors: Xu Hao-Lan , Zamolodchikov Alexander
Published: August 2022

Abstract

We study Ising Field Theory (the scaling limit of Ising model near the Curie critical point) in pure imaginary external magnetic field. We put particular emphasis on the detailed structure of the Yang-Lee edge singularity. While the leading singular behavior is controlled by the Yang-Lee fixed point (= minimal CFT$$ \mathcal{M} $$M2/5), the fine structure of the subleading singular terms is determined by the effective action which involves a tower of irrelevant operators. We use numerical data obtained through the “Truncated Free Fermion Space Approach” to estimate the couplings associated with two least irrelevant operators. One is the operator$$ T\overline{T} $$TT¯, and we use the universal properties of the$$ T\overline{T} $$TT¯deformation to fix the contributions of higher orders in the corresponding coupling parameterα. Another irrelevant operator we deal with is the descendantL_4$$ \overline{L} $$L¯_4ϕof the relevant primaryϕin$$ \mathcal{M} $$M2/5. The significance of this operator is that it is the lowest dimension operator which breaks integrability of the effective theory. We also establish analytic properties of the particle massM(= inverse correlation length) as the function of complex magnetic field.
Robot-assisted vs traditional percutaneous freehand for the scaphoid fracture treatment: a retrospective study
Authors: Xiao Chengwei , Wei Dan , Zhu Zongdong , Chen Hui , Zhou Weijun , Tang Xiaoming , Yuan Jiabin , Wang Yue , Hu Jiang
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficiency, safety, and accuracy of cannulated screw fixation using a robot-assisted method compared with a traditional percutaneous freehand method.

Methods

This retrospective clinical study included 18 patients with scaphoid fracture who underwent cannulated screw fixation by robot-assisted technique or traditional percutaneous freehand technique from June 2018 to June 2020. All patients were divided into the robot-assisted group (9 patients) or the traditional surgery group (9 patients). The operation time, blood loss, number of intra-operative fluoroscopies, fracture healing time, Mayo wrist function score, and screw implantation accuracy were recorded in the two groups.

Results

The average age of the robot-assisted group was 37.9 ± 10.6 years (with a range of 30 to 52 years), there were eight males and one female, and there were six cases of scaphoid fracture on the right side and three on the left side. The average pre-operative time was 2.8 ± 0.7 days (ranging from 1 to 3 days). The average age of the traditional surgery group was 31.6 ± 6.8 years (with a range of 20 to 45 years), there were eight males and one female, and there were five cases of scaphoid fracture on the right side and four on the left side. The average pre-operative time was 2.1 ± 0.8 days (with a range of 2 to 4 days). The number of intra-operative fluoroscopies was 24.4 ± 3.5 in the traditional surgery group, whereas it was only 10.1 ± 1.9 in the robot-assisted group, which was significantly lower (P < 0.05). The average operation time of the traditional operation group was 48.4 ± 12.2 min, and that of the robot-assisted group was 32.6 ± 4.2 minutes, which was significantly shorter (P < 0.05). The angles between the actual screw position and the central axis of the scaphoid on both the coronal and sagittal post-operative CT images were 8.3° ± 2.3° and 8.8° ± 1.6° for the traditional operation group and 3.8° ± 0.8° and 4.3° ± 1.2° for the robot-assisted group, so the accuracy of the robot-assisted group was significantly higher (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in wrist function recovery or fracture healing time.

Conclusion

Robot-assisted treatment of scaphoid fracture is more accurate than traditional freehand technology, with shorter operation time and fewer intra-operative fluoroscopies. There is no difference between the two surgical techniques in intra-operative bleeding, post-operative fracture healing, or functional recovery. Robot-assisted surgery is a safe, effective, and accurate method for treating scaphoid fracture.
Exploring the Effectiveness of Sustainability Measurement: Which ESG Metrics Will Survive COVID-19?
Authors: Atkins Jill , Doni Federica , Gasperini Andrea , Artuso Sonia , La Torre Ilaria , Sorrentino Lorena
Published: August 2022

This paper aims to investigate the current state of play on Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) integration and check the validity of the current metrics system by assessing if it will survive the COVID-19 crisis. By adopting a qualitative research approach through semi-structured anonymous interviews with 14 senior managers of six European listed companies we use a framework by assessing the mechanisms of reactivity on the effectiveness of ESG measures in times of COVID-19. By interpreting the practitioners’ points of view through the lens of the sociological framework by Espeland and Sauder (Am J Sociol 113:1–40, 2007) our findings show different mechanisms of reactivity by companies on the effectiveness of ESG measures in times of COVID-19, i.e., active and passive conformity and active resistance. We also identified the main Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) institutional factors that affect managers’ reactivity. An extensive re-formulation of the ESG metrics is required in the light of times of crisis, given that accountability and transparency are strongly linked to quantitative measures which can play a critical role in the financial system and investors’ engagement. Particularly, the strict distinction between “E”, “S” and “G” issues should be abandoned claiming a different holistic re-design of sustainability measures by considering the increasing relevance of the Social dimension in time of COVID-19. This study provides a valuable contribution to the existing literature on the measurement of sustainability within the link of accountability and crisis by highlighting new corporate needs to re-design the ESG metrics system.