bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A unique peptide-based pharmacophore identifies an inhibitory compound against the A-subunit of Shiga toxin
Authors: Watanabe-Takahashi Miho , Senda Miki , Yoshino Ryunosuke , Hibino Masahiro , Hama Shinichiro , Terada Tohru , Shimizu Kentaro , Senda Toshiya , Nishikawa Kiyotaka
Published: July 2022

Shiga toxin (Stx), a major virulence factor of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), can cause fatal systemic complications. Recently, we identified a potent inhibitory peptide that binds to the catalytic A-subunit of Stx. Here, using biochemical structural analysis and X-ray crystallography, we determined a minimal essential peptide motif that occupies the catalytic cavity and is required for binding to the A-subunit of Stx2a, a highly virulent Stx subtype. Molecular dynamics simulations also identified the same motif and allowed determination of a unique pharmacophore for A-subunit binding. Notably, a series of synthetic peptides containing the motif efficiently inhibit Stx2a. In addition, pharmacophore screening and subsequent docking simulations ultimately identified nine Stx2a-interacting molecules out of a chemical compound database consisting of over 7,400,000 molecules. Critically, one of these molecules markedly inhibits Stx2a both in vitro and in vivo, clearly demonstrating the significance of the pharmacophore for identifying therapeutic agents against EHEC infection.
Early retinal functional alteration in relation to diabetes duration in patients with type 2 diabetes without diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Srinivasan Sangeetha , Sivaprasad Sobha , Rajalakshmi Ramachandran , Anjana Ranjit Mohan , Malik Rayaz A. , Kulothungan Vaitheeswaran , Natarajan Viswanathan , Raman Rajiv , Bhende Muna
Published: July 2022

To examine the retinal structure and function in relation to diabetes duration and glycemia in patients without diabetic retinopathy (DR). 85 adults with type 2 diabetes without DR or macular edema underwent dilated indirect ophthalmoscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT), ultra-wide field fundus photography, multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) and HbA1C assessment. Patients were stratified as those with diabetes duration < 10 years and ≥ 10 years. Right eyes of all participants were analyzed. mfERG was analysed as ring 12, 34, 56. No significant differences were noted in OCT-derived retinal thickness measures between groups. mfERG P1 latencies were delayed, and amplitudes (nV/deg2) were reduced in all three rings in those with diabetes duration ≥ 10 years vs. < 10 years, with significant correlations to diabetes duration in all rings. Logistic regression showed that duration of diabetes ≥ 10 years was associated with greater age (odds ratio (OR) 1.081, 95% CI 1.022, 1.143) and lower P1 amplitudes in the middle ring (OR 0.924, 95% CI 0.854, 0.999). No significant correlations were observed between HbA1c and retinal measures. In the absence of DR, early retinal functional alterations are detectable on mfERG in patients with longer diabetes duration, but with no difference in OCT-derived retinal thickness.
A deep convolutional neural network for Kawasaki disease diagnosis
Authors: Xu Ellen , Nemati Shamim , Tremoulet Adriana H.
Published: July 2022

Kawasaki disease (KD), the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children, can be easily missed as it shares clinical findings with other pediatric illnesses, leading to risk of myocardial infarction or death. KD remains a clinical diagnosis for which there is no diagnostic test, yet there are classic findings on exam that can be captured in a photograph. This study aimed to develop a deep convolutional neural network, KD-CNN, to differentiate photographs of KD clinical signs from those of other pediatric illnesses. To create the dataset, we used an innovative combination of crowdsourcing images and downloading from public domains on the Internet. KD-CNN was then pretrained using transfer learning from VGG-16 and fine-tuned on the KD dataset, and methods to compensate for limited data were explored to improve model performance and generalizability. KD-CNN achieved a median AUC of 0.90 (IQR 0.10 from tenfold cross validation), with a sensitivity of 0.80 (IQR 0.18) and specificity of 0.85 (IQR 0.19) to distinguish between children with and without clinical manifestations of KD. KD-CNN is a novel application of CNN in medicine, with the potential to assist clinicians in differentiating KD from other pediatric illnesses and thus reduce KD morbidity and mortality.
Integrated electrocoagulation-flotation of microalgae to produce Mg-laden microalgal biochar for seeding struvite crystallization
Authors: Nageshwari Krishnamoorthy , Chang Scott X. , Balasubramanian Paramasivan
Published: July 2022

Developing sustainable materials for recovering and recycling nutrients from wastewater is critically needed for nutrients such as phosphorus that have a diminishing supply. Struvite crystallization is emerging as a promising strategy for phosphorus recovery which can be enhanced with seeding through microalgal biochar. The main bottleneck of using microalgae is its high harvesting cost. In this study, an integrated electrocoagulation-flotation (ECF) process is used to recover and at the same time modify the algal surface with magnesium anode and inert carbon cathode. Harvesting efficiency of 98% was achieved with 40.78 mA cm−2, 0.5 cm inter-electrode distance and energy consumption of 4.03 kWh kg−1 in 15 min. The harvested microalgae were pyrolyzed to obtain a yield of 52.90% Mg-laden microalgal biochar. Simultaneously, surface impregnation of 28% magnesium was attained as confirmed by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Phosphorus recovery and struvite yield of 93.70% and 2.66 g L−1, respectively, were obtained from dosing 1.50 g L−1 Mg-laden microalgal biochar. Comparison of physicochemical characteristics of residual supernatant after microalgal harvesting and struvite recovery showed that the combined use of both the residuals can serve as a sustainable growth medium for microalgae. The overall operating cost of the integrated process was found to be 2.48 USD kg−1 with a total energy consumption of 10.76 kWh kg−1, which was found to be lower than conventional harvesting unit processes such as centrifugation and filtration. This novel approach can help attaining a circular bioeconomy by encompassing nutrient recovery and waste management in an integrated process.
Prognostic and therapeutic prediction by screening signature combinations from transcriptome–methylome interactions in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Shi Congyu , Liu Shan , Tian Xudong , Miao Cheng , Wang Renyi , Ma Xiangrui , Wang Xiaoyi , Cao Yubin
Published: July 2022

DNA methylation pattern in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains poorly described. This study aimed to perform a genome-wide integrated analysis of the transcriptome and methylome and assess the efficacy of their prognostic signature model in patients with OSCC. We analyzed transcriptome and methylome data from 391 OSCC samples and 41 adjacent normal samples. A total of 8074 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 10,084 differentially expressed CpGs (DMCpGs) were identified. Then 241 DEGs with DMCpGs were identified. According to the prognostic analysis, the prognostic signature of methylation-related differentially expressed genes (mrDEGPS) was established. mrDEGPS consisted of seven prognostic methylation-related genes, including ESRRG, CCNA1, SLC20A1, COL6A6, FCGBP, CDKN2A, and ZNF43. mrDEGPS was a significant stratification factor of survival (P < 0.00001) irrespective of the clinical stage. The immune effector components, including B cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells, were decreased in the tumor environment of patients with high mrDEGPS. Immune checkpoint expressions, including CTLA-4, PD-1, LAG3, LGALS9, HAVCR2, and TIGHT, were comprehensively elevated (P < 0.001). The estimated half-maximal inhibitory concentration difference between low- and high-risk patients was inconsistent among chemotherapeutic drugs. In conclusion, the transcriptome–methylome interaction pattern in OSCC is complex. mrDEGPS can predict patient survival and responses to immunotherapy and chemotherapy and facilitate clinical decision-making in patients with OSCC.
Perceptual changes after learning of an arbitrary mapping between vision and hand movements
Authors: Kirsch Wladimir , Kunde Wilfried
Published: July 2022

The present study examined the perceptual consequences of learning arbitrary mappings between visual stimuli and hand movements. Participants moved a small cursor with their unseen hand twice to a large visual target object and then judged either the relative distance of the hand movements (Exp.1), or the relative number of dots that appeared in the two consecutive target objects (Exp.2) using a two-alternative forced choice method. During a learning phase, the numbers of dots that appeared in the target object were correlated with the hand movement distance. In Exp.1, we observed that after the participants were trained to expect many dots with larger hand movements, they judged movements made to targets with many dots as being longer than the same movements made to targets with few dots. In Exp.2, another group of participants who received the same training judged the same number of dots as smaller when larger rather than smaller hand movements were executed. When many dots were paired with smaller hand movements during the learning phase of both experiments, no significant changes in the perception of movements and of visual stimuli were observed. These results suggest that changes in the perception of body states and of external objects can arise when certain body characteristics co-occur with certain characteristics of the environment. They also indicate that the (dis)integration of multimodal perceptual signals depends not only on the physical or statistical relation between these signals, but on which signal is currently attended.
People with HIV have higher percentages of circulating CCR5+ CD8+ T cells and lower percentages of CCR5+ regulatory T cells
Authors: van Eekeren Louise E. , Matzaraki Vasiliki , Zhang Zhenhua , van de Wijer Lisa , Blaauw Marc J. T. , de Jonge Marien I. , Vandekerckhove Linos , Trypsteen Wim , Joosten Leo A. B. , Netea Mihai G. , de Mast Quirijn , Koenen Hans J. P. M. , Li Yang , van der Ven André J. A. M.
Published: July 2022

CCR5 is the main HIV co-receptor. We aimed to (1) compare CCR5 expression on immune cells between people living with HIV (PLHIV) using combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and HIV-uninfected controls, (2) relate CCR5 expression to viral reservoir size and (3) assess determinants of CCR5 expression. This cross-sectional study included 209 PLHIV and 323 controls. Percentages of CCR5+ cells (%) and CCR5 mean fluorescence intensity assessed by flow cytometry in monocytes and lymphocyte subsets were correlated to host factors, HIV-1 cell-associated (CA)-RNA and CA-DNA, plasma inflammation markers and metabolites. Metabolic pathways were identified. PLHIV displayed higher percentages of CCR5+ monocytes and several CD8+ T cell subsets, but lower percentages of CCR5+ naive CD4+ T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs). HIV-1 CA-DNA and CA-RNA correlated positively with percentages of CCR5+ lymphocytes. Metabolome analysis revealed three pathways involved in energy metabolism associated with percentage of CCR5+ CD8+ T cells in PLHIV. Our results indicate that CCR5 is differently expressed on various circulating immune cells in PLHIV. Hence, cell-trafficking of CD8+ T cells and Tregs may be altered in PLHIV. Associations between energy pathways and percentage of CCR5+ CD8+ T cells in PLHIV suggest higher energy demand of these cells in PLHIV.
Short-term mercury exposure disrupts muscular and hepatic lipid metabolism in a migrant songbird
Authors: Seewagen Chad L. , Elowe Cory R. , Gerson Alexander R. , Groom Derrick J. E. , Ma Yanju , Yildirim Mustafa , Guglielmo Christopher G.
Published: July 2022

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a global pollutant that can cause metabolic disruptions in animals and thereby potentially compromise the energetic capacity of birds for long-distance migration, but its effects on avian lipid metabolism pathways that support endurance flight and stopover refueling have never been studied. We tested the effects of short-term (14-d), environmentally relevant (0.5 ppm) dietary MeHg exposure on lipid metabolism markers in the pectoralis and livers of yellow-rumped warblers (Setophaga coronata) that were found in a previous study to have poorer flight endurance in a wind tunnel than untreated conspecifics. Compared to controls, MeHg-exposed birds displayed lower muscle aerobic and fatty acid oxidation capacity, but similar muscle glycolytic capacity, fatty acid transporter expression, and PPAR expression. Livers of exposed birds indicated elevated energy costs, lower fatty acid uptake capacity, and lower PPAR-γ expression. The lower muscle oxidative enzyme capacity of exposed birds likely contributed to their weaker endurance in the prior study, while the metabolic changes observed in the liver have potential to inhibit lipogenesis and stopover refueling. Our findings provide concerning evidence that fatty acid catabolism, synthesis, and storage pathways in birds can be dysregulated by only brief exposure to MeHg, with potentially significant consequences for migratory performance.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Lateral palatal foramina do
not indicate baleen in fossil whales
Authors: Peredo Carlos Mauricio , Pyenson Nicholas D. , Uhen Mark D.
Published: July 2022

Today’s mysticetes filter-feed using baleen, a novel integumentary
structure with no apparent homolog in any living mammal. The origins of filter-feeding
and baleen can be informed by the fossil record, including rare instances of soft tissue
preservation of baleen and also by potential osteological correlates of baleen. Lateral
palatal foramina on the roof of the mouth have been proposed as potential osteological
correlates of baleen and their presence in some tooth-bearing stem mysticetes has led to
the hypothesis that these early mysticetes possessed both teeth and incipient baleen.
Here, we test this hypothesis by examining lateral palatal foramina in both
filter-feeding and non-filter-feeding cetaceans, including crown and stem odontocetes
and in stem cetaceans (or archaeocetes). We also confirm the presence of lateral palatal
foramina in 61 species of terrestrial artiodactyls. CT scanning demonstrates consistent
internal morphology across all observed taxa, suggesting that the lateral palatal
foramina observed in extant mysticetes are homologous to those of terrestrial
artiodactyls. The presence of lateral palatal foramina in terrestrial artiodactyls and
non-filter-feeding whales (odontocetes and archaeocetes) suggests that these structures
are not unique predictors for the presence of baleen in fossil whales; instead, these
structures are more probably associated with gingiva or other oral tissue.
Towards symbiotic approaches between universities, sustainable development, and cities
Authors: Leal Filho Walter , Caughman Liliana , Pimenta Dinis Maria Alzira , Frankenberger Fernanda , Azul Anabela Marisa , Salvia Amanda Lange
Published: July 2022

Universities are key actors and play a central role in the cities which host them, either as employers, consumers or simply as a magnet to young people and cultural activities. They can be also influencers and supporters of cities in the field of sustainable development. Through an exploratory method and aiming to explore the efforts deployed to foster closer links between universities, sustainable development, and cities and address a literature gap in this regard, this study considers the contribution of universities to sustainable development at the city level. Based on some of the ongoing initiatives worldwide and an international online survey documenting measures undertaken, this study translates the commitment to pursuing sustainable development within cities, with responses from a sample of 45 countries. This study lists some items which may help foster more symbiotic relations between cities and universities. The findings of this study may be used as baselines for strengthening the connections between universities and cities in addressing the sustainable development challenges, as demonstrated through the responses obtained. Accordingly, some suggested actions involving cooperation may include increased communication with city stakeholders and the undertaking of joint initiatives and projects, taking advantage of the ongoing sustainable development challenges worldwide.
Patterns of interest change in stack overflow
Authors: Fu Chenbo , Yue Xinchen , Shen Bin , Yu Shanqing , Min Yong
Published: July 2022

Stack Overflow is currently the largest programming related question and answer community, containing multiple programming areas. The change of user’s interest is the micro-representation of the intersection of macro-knowledge and has been widely studied in scientific fields, such as literature data sets. However, there is still very little research for the general public, such as the question and answer community. Therefore, we analyze the interest changes of 2,307,720 users in Stack Overflow in this work. Specifically, we classify the tag network in the community, vectorize the topic of questions to quantify the user’s interest change patterns. Results show that the change pattern of user interest has the characteristic of a power-law distribution, which is different from the exponential distribution of scientists’ interest change, but they are all affected by three features, heterogeneity, recency and proximity. Furthermore, the relationship between users’ reputations and interest changes is negatively correlated, suggesting the importance of concentration, i.e., those who focus on specific areas are more likely to gain a higher reputation. In general, our work is a supplement to the public interest changes in science, and it can also help community managers better design recommendation algorithms and promote the healthy development of communities.
A model for superimposed coalbed methane, shale gas and tight sandstone reservoirs, Taiyuan Formation, Yushe-Wuxiang Block, eastern Qinshui Basin
Authors: Xie Weidong , Gan Huajun , Chen Chongyu , Vandeginste Veerle , Chen Si , Wang Meng , Wang Jiyao , Yu Zhenghong
Published: July 2022

Superimposed accumulation mechanism and model of vertical source rock–reservoir system of coal-measure gas is crucial to evaluate the exploration potential, and also the basis of co-exploration and co-production of coal measure gas. This work investigates the formation mechanism of various types of reservoirs (coalbed methane, shale gas, tight sandstone) in the Taiyuan Formation (Yushe-Wuxiang Block, eastern Qinshui Basin). Source rocks (coal seams and coal-measure mudstones) in the study area are characterized by type III kerogen, organic rich and over-mature, and reach a gas generation peak during the Early to Late Cretaceous. Coalbed methane mainly adsorbs on the surface of micropores, shale gas mainly occurs in micropores, macropores and micro-factures in adsorbed and free states, and tight sandstone gas mainly occurs in macropores in a free state. The combinations of successions are identified, coalbed methane, shale gas, and tight sandstone gas horizons are divided into a mudstone-sandstone reservoir (combination I), a coal-mudstone-sandstone reservoir (combination II), and a coal-mudstone reservoir (combination III). This division occurs from top to bottom in the succession and is identified on the basis of lithology, total organic carbon content (TOC) of mudstones, gas logging, superimposition relationships, and the source rock-reservoir-caprock assemblage. The strata thickness, continuity, and gas logging results of combination III comprise the most favorable conditions for fairly good development potential, followed by combination I. The development potential of combination II is poor due to the small strata thickness and poor continuity. The identification of superimposed reservoirs can provide an engineering reference for the exploration of coal-measure gas.
Discovery, total syntheses and potent anti-inflammatory activity of pyrrolinone-fused benzoazepine alkaloids Asperazepanones A and B from Aspergillus candidus
Authors: Xu Li , Guo Feng-Wei , Zhang Xue-Qing , Zhou Tian-Yi , Wang Chao-Jie , Wei Mei-Yan , Gu Yu-Cheng , Wang Chang-Yun , Shao Chang-Lun
Published: July 2022

Natural products are well established as an important resource and play an important role in drug discovery. Here, two pyrrolinone-fused benzoazepine alkaloids, (+)-asperazepanones A (1) and B (2) with a 6/7/5 ring system, together with the artifact (−)-asperazepanone A (1), were isolated from the coral-derivedAspergillus candidusfungus. Their structures including absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods, single crystal X-ray diffraction, and ECD calculations. Furthermore, total syntheses of (±)-1and (±)-2have been achieved starting from the commercially L-aspartic acid diethyl ester hydrochloride and monoethyl malonate in 7 and 8 steps, respectively. The key step in the syntheses was an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction to build the unique tricyclic skeleton. Interestingly, (+)-2not only showed obviously inhibitory activity against NO production, but also inhibited potent LPS-induced expression of TNF-α and IL-6 at the concentration of 0.1 μM. It thus represents a potentially promising lead for anti-inflammatory drug discovery.
Environmental significance of trace elements in the Athabasca Bituminous Sands: facts and misconceptions
Authors: Shotyk William
Published: July 2022

The distribution of trace elements (TEs) in the bituminous sands is dichotomous: V, Ni, Mo, Se and Re are found predominantly in the bitumen fraction, and all other TEs in the mineral fraction.
Vitamin D resistant genes – promising therapeutic targets of chronic diseases
Authors: Milan Kunnath Lakshmanan , Jayasuriya Ravichandran , Harithpriya Kannan , Anuradha Murugesan , Sarada Dronamraju. V. L. , Siti Rahayu Nadhiroh , Ramkumar Kunka Mohanram
Published: July 2022

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin indispensable for calcium and phosphate metabolism, and its deficiency has been implicated in several extra-skeletal pathologies, including cancer and chronic diseases.
Electrical and thermal transport properties of high crystalline PdTe2 nanoribbons under a strong magnetic field
Authors: Miao Tingting , Xiang Mengxian , Li Dawei , Wang Xueshen
Published: July 2022

Two-dimensional PdTe2 have shown great potential in the fields of optics and electronics, and its electrical and thermal transport properties under a strong magnetic field are very important for basic research and practical applications.
Nanoarchitectonics horizons: materials for life sciences
Authors: Karthick V. , Kumar Shrestha Lok , Kumar V. Ganesh , Pranjali Pranjali , Kumar Dinesh , Pal Aniruddha , Ariga Katsuhiko
Published: July 2022

Engineering materials at atomic/molecular level to develop functional nanoscale systems define nanoarchitectonics.
Ultrathin tungsten-doped hydrogenated titanium dioxide nanosheets for solar-driven hydrogen evolution
Authors: Chen Xiaoyu , Sun Bojing , Han Zhi , Wang Yu , Han Xijiang , Xu Ping
Published: July 2022

Ultrathin tungsten-doped hydrogenated TiO2 (W-h-TiO2) nanosheets are highly efficient for photocatalytic hydrogen production by water splitting without a noble metal cocatalyst.
Secondary metabolites of Livistona decipiens as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: El-hawary Seham S. , Ali Taha F. S. , Abo El-Ela Sara O. , Elwekeel Ahlam , Abdelmohsen Usama Ramadan , Owis Asmaa I.
Published: July 2022

Promising natural inhibitors for COVID-19.
Synthesis of MoS2-based nanostructures and their applications in rechargeable ion batteries, catalysts and gas sensors: a review
Authors: Sun Wei , Zhang Yaofang , Kang Weimin , Deng Nanping , Wang Xiaoxiao , Kang Xiaoying , Yan Zirui , Pan Yingwen , Ni Jian
Published: July 2022

This article mainly describes the preparation and application of MoS2 and MoS2 based composites in batteries, catalysts and gas sensors.
Yolk–shell-structured Si@TiN nanoparticles for high-performance lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Zhang Tong , Chen Chaoda , Bian Xiaofei , Jin Biao , Li Zhenzhen , Xu Hongxia , Xu Yanhui , Ju Yanming
Published: July 2022

Si@TiN composites show excellent electrochemical properties and suppressed volume expansion compared with pure silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs).
Improvement of Cs detection performance and formation of CsCl and Cs nanoparticles by tuning graphene oxide quantum dot-based nanocomposite
Authors: Nugroho Bangun Satrio , Nakashima Satoru
Published: July 2022

A new nanocomposite was developed using functionalized graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) with cesium green molecules for the first time.
Lignin-based composites for high-performance supercapacitor electrode materials
Authors: Li Peng-Hui , Wei Yu-Meng , Wu Cai-Wen , Yang Chi , Jiang Bo , Wu Wen-Juan
Published: July 2022

The lignosulfonate/polyaniline nanocomposite electrode material was made by polymerization of aniline with lignosulfonate as dispersant and structure-directing agent. Redox can convert the catechol/quinone groups on lignin, promoted by electron transfer of polyaniline.
Advances and emerging challenges in MXenes and their nanocomposites for biosensing applications
Authors: Babar Zaheer Ud Din , Della Ventura Bartolomeo , Velotta Raffaele , Iannotti Vincenzo
Published: July 2022

This review article summarizes the current progress on chemical stability and recent advances/challenges in synthesis of MXenes and their nanocomposites for biosensing applications.
Nanocatalysts: applications for the synthesis of N-containing five-membered heterocycles
Authors: Jangir Nidhi , Bagaria Surendra Kumar , Jangid Dinesh Kumar
Published: July 2022

This review article demonstrates the various synthetic pathways of five-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycles such as pyrroles, pyrazoles, imidazoles, triazoles and tetrazoles catalysed by metallic nanocatalysts.
Shortwave-infrared (SWIR) emitting annexin V for high-contrast fluorescence molecular imaging of tumor apoptosis in living mice
Authors: Swamy Mahadeva M. M. , Tsuboi Setsuko , Murai Yuta , Monde Kenji , Jin Takashi
Published: July 2022

The labelling of annexin V with indocyanine green (ICG) and π-conjugation extended ICG (ICG-C11) resulted in SWIR emitting probes that enable high-contrast molecular imaging of tumor apoptosis in living mice.
A hollow PdCuMoNiCo high-entropy alloy as an efficient bi-functional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and formic acid oxidation
Authors: Zuo Xifeng , Yan Riqing , Zhao Linjie , Long Yongde , Shi Lei , Cheng Qingqing , Liu Dong , Hu Chuangang
Published: July 2022

A hollow PdCuMoNiCo high-entropy alloy on carbon hybrid was developed as a high-performance bi-functional electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction and formic acid oxidation reaction in an acidic medium.
Rationally regulating the terminal unit and copolymerization spacer of polymerized small-molecule acceptors for all-polymer solar cells with high open-circuit voltage over 1.10 V
Authors: Jia Tao , Zhang Jiabin , Zhang Guanglong , Liu Chunchen , Tang Haoran , Zhang Kai , Huang Fei
Published: July 2022

Two polymerized small molecule acceptors with wide bandgaps of ∼1.65 eV and high-lying LUMO energy levels above −3.70 eV were designed by introducing a novel terminal unit. Efficient all-PSCs with high VOC over 1.10 V were achieved.
Highly selective light olefin production via photothermal Fischer–Tropsch synthesis over α/γ-Fe2O3-derived Fe5C2 under low pressure
Authors: Song Lizhu , Ouyang Shuxin , Li Peng , Ye Jinhua
Published: July 2022

An in situ photothermal synthesis is developed to prepare α/γ-Fe2O3-derived Fe5C2 catalyst with a tunable exposed crystal facet. The catalyst achieves a selectivity for C2=–C4= as high as 71.9% with the olefin/paraffin ratio for C2–C4 up to 16.7.
Dimers of diethynyl-conjugated zinc-phthalocyanine as hole selective layers for perovskite solar cell fabrication
Authors: Pegu Meenakshi , Molina Desiré , Álvaro-Martins Maria J. , Castillo María , Ferrer Lydia , Huang Peng , Kazim Samrana , Sastre-Santos Ángela , Ahmad Shahzada
Published: July 2022

We developed triple bonded π-conjugated zinc-phthalocyanine dimers (ZnPc-t-DPP-t-ZnPc 1, ZnPc-t-t-ZnPc 2, ZnPc-t-Spiro-t-ZnPc 3) through molecular engineering, these dimers were then employed as hole selective layers for perovskite solar cell.
Macromatrices for nanoscale particles
Authors: Bai Xue , Purcell-Milton Finn , Gun’ko Yurii K.
Published: July 2022

This review presents three main categories of macromatrices explored so far for NP encapsulating, including ionic and organic macrocrystals and polymeric matrices. The preparation methods and the recent progress for each category have been discussed.
Quantitative and high-resolution mechanical pressure sensing functions of mechanochromic fluorenylidene-acridane
Authors: Ogumi Keisuke , Nagata Kohki , Takimoto Yuki , Mishiba Kentaro , Matsuo Yutaka
Published: July 2022

A ground-state mechanochromic molecule formed into a film exhibited an absorption color change by mechanical pressure. A mechanochromic resin containing the molecule showed a reversible color change from green to yellow upon contact with ethanol.
Alternative Designs for Testing Speech, Language, and Hearing Interventions: Cluster-Randomized Trials and Stepped-Wedge Designs
Authors: Patterson Charity G. , Leland Natalie E. , Mormer Elaine , Palmer Catherine V.
Published: July 2022

Purpose:

Individual-randomized trials are the gold standard for testing the efficacy and effectiveness of drugs, devices, and behavioral interventions. Health care delivery, educational, and programmatic interventions are often complex, involving multiple levels of change and measurement precluding individual randomization for testing. Cluster-randomized trials and cluster-randomized stepped-wedge trials are alternatives where the intervention is allocated at the group level, such as a clinic or a school, and the outcomes are measured at the person level. These designs are introduced along with the statistical implications of similarities among individuals within the same cluster. We also illustrate the parameters that have the most impact on the likelihood of detecting intervention effects, which must be considered when planning these trials.

Conclusion:

Cluster-randomized and stepped-wedge designs should be considered by researchers as experimental alternatives to individual-randomized trials when testing speech, language, and hearing care interventions in real-world settings.
A robust and efficient method for skeleton‐based human action recognition and its application for cross‐dataset evaluation
Authors: Nguyen Tien‐Thanh , Pham Dinh‐Tan , Vu Hai , Le Thi‐Lan
Published: July 2022

Skeleton‐based human action recognition has emerged recently thanks to its compactness and robustness to appearance variations. Although impressive results have been obtained in recent years, the performance of skeleton‐based action recognition methods has to be improved to be deployed in real‐time applications. Recently, a lightweight network structure named Double‐feature Double‐motion Network (DD‐Net) has been proposed for the skeleton‐based human action recognition. With high speed, the DD‐Net achieves state‐of‐the‐art performance on hand and body actions. The DD‐Net could not distinguish actions if they have a weak connection with the global trajectories. However, the DD‐Net is suitable for human action recognition where actions strongly correlate to the global trajectories. In this paper, the authors propose TD‐Net, an improved version of the DD‐Net in which a new branch is added. The new branch takes the normalised coordinates of joints (NCJ) to enrich the spatial information. On five datasets for skeleton‐based human activity recognition that are MSR‐Action3D, CMDFall, JHMDB, FPHAB, and NTU RGB + D, the TD‐Net consistently obtains superior performance compared with the baseline model DD‐Net. The proposed method outperforms different state‐of‐the‐art methods, including both hand‐designed and deep learning‐based methods on four datasets (MSR‐Action3D, CMDFall, JHMDB, and FPHAB). Furthermore, the generalisation of the proposed method is confirmed through cross‐dataset evaluation. To illustrate the potential use of the model for real‐time human action recognition, the authors have deployed an application on an edge device. The experimental result shows that the application can process up to 40 fps for pose estimation using MediaPipe. It takes only 0.04 ms to recognise an action from skeleton sequences.
A dual quantum image feature extraction method: PSQIFE
Authors: Su Jie , Lu Shuhan , Li Lin
Published: July 2022

In digital image processing, feature extraction occupies a very important position, which is related to the effect of image classification or recognition. At present, effective quantum feature extraction methods are relatively lacking. And the current feature extraction methods are mainly devoted to the extraction of basic features of images, failing to consider the global features of classical images and the global features of quantum images comprehensively. In this paper, we propose a dual quantum image feature extraction method named PSQIFE, which focuses on the global energy representation of images by constructing dual quantum image global features. The representation of the global features of the dual quantum image is obtained by quantum superposition of two parts of quantum state features. In this paper, quantum image reconstruction and quantum image fidelity tests are performed on the extracted global features by 9 classes of classical images, and the overall fidelity is above 95%. In addition, the effectiveness of PSQIFE dual quantum image feature extraction method is verified by comparing the image classification test with convolutional feature extraction method on Mnist dataset. The method has some reference significance for the research of quantum image feature extraction and classification.
COSMOGLOBE: Simulating zodiacal emission with ZodiPy
Authors: San M. , Herman D. , Erikstad G. B. , Galloway M. , Watts D.
Published: July 2022

We present ZodiPy, a modern and easy-to-use Python package for modeling the zodiacal emission seen by an arbitrary Solar System observer, which can be used for the removal of both thermal emission and scattered sunlight from interplanetary dust in astrophysical data. The code implements the COBE Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) interplanetary dust model and the Planck extension, which allows for zodiacal emission predictions at infrared wavelengths in the 1.25–240 µm range and at microwave frequencies in the 30–857 GHz range. The predicted zodiacal emission may be extrapolated to frequencies and wavelengths not covered by the built-in models to produce forecasts for future experiments. ZodiPy attempts to enable the development of new interplanetary dust models by providing the community with an easy-to-use interface for testing both current and future models. We demonstrate how the software can be used by creating simulated zodiacal emission timestreams for the DIRBE experiment and show that these agree with corresponding timestreams produced with the DIRBE Zodiacal Light Prediction Software. We also make binned maps of the zodiacal emission as predicted to be observed by DIRBE and compare them with the DIRBE calibrated individual observations (CIO).
Scaphoid Malunion: Incidence, Predictors, and Outcomes
Authors: Putnam Jill , Pfaff Kayla , Yao Jeffrey
Published: July 2022

Background Scaphoid malunion is rarely reported. Previous literature has attributed loss of carpal height and degenerative changes to scaphoid malunion, but the percentage of asymptomatic malunions remains unknown.

Purpose The authors of this study aim to define predictors of malunion and outcomes associated with scaphoid malunion.

Methods Institutional board review was obtained prior to evaluating medical records of patients 18 years and older who were treated for scaphoid fractures and/or nonunion between 2000 and 2020. The following data were collected for each patient: age, gender, fracture location, surgical technique, time to union, and whether malunion resulted. Malunion was defined using a lateral intrascaphoid angle (LISA) >45 degrees and height-to-length ratio (HLR) >60. Pain scores, range of motion (ROM), and secondary surgery were also evaluated.

Results Overall, 355 scaphoid injuries, including 196 acute fractures and 159 nonunions, were evaluated in this analysis. Of these, 55 scaphoids (15%) met the definition of malunion. Of these patients, 23% were female. The mean age at the time of injury was 29 years. Nonunion cases were more likely than acute cases to be associated with malunion. Proximal pole fractures were more likely to associated with malunion than waist fractures. When controlling for nonunion and fracture location, malunited scaphoids were not associated with any significant difference in pain score, ROM, or secondary surgery, compared with nonmalunion cases. A total of 10 patients (3.3%) without malunion and 2 patients (3.6%) with malunion went on to a secondary surgery. Final extension/flexion was 67/67 degrees and 56/59 degrees in nonmalunion and malunion groups, respectively, but these differences were not significant.

Conclusion Compared with scaphoid injuries that do not result in malunion, scaphoid injuries that heal into malunion have similar outcomes. While scaphoid malunion in a single case or series may be associated with poor outcomes, this study suggests that scaphoid malunions do not have worse functional outcomes.

Level of Evidence This is a Level IV study.
Examining the Relationship between Health Literacy, Health Numeracy, and Patient Portal Use
Authors: Di Tosto Gennaro , Walker Daniel M. , Sieck Cynthia J. , Wallace Lorraine , MacEwan Sarah R. , Gregory Megan E. , Scarborough Seth , Huerta Timothy R. , McAlearney Ann Scheck
Published: July 2022

Objectives The objective of this study is to investigate the relationships between health literacy and numeracy (HLN) and patient portal use, measured in inpatient and outpatient settings.

Methods Using data collected as part of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial conducted across the inpatient population of a U.S.-based academic medical center, the present study evaluated the relationships between patients' perceptions of health literacy and their skills, interpreting medical information with metrics of engagement with patient portals.

Results Self-reported levels of HLN for patients in the study sample (n = 654) were not significantly associated with inpatient portal use as measured by frequency of use or the number of different inpatient portal functions used. Use of the outpatient version of the portal over the course of 6 months following hospital discharge was also not associated with HLN. A subsequent assessment of patients after 6 months of portal use postdischarge (response rate 40%) did not reveal any differences with respect to portal use and health numeracy; however, a significant increase in self-reported levels of health literacy was found at this point.

Conclusion While previous studies have suggested that low HLN might represent a barrier to inpatient portal adoption and might limit engagement with outpatient portals, we did not find these associations to hold. Our findings, however, suggest that the inpatient setting may be effective in facilitating technology acceptance. Specifically, the introduction of an inpatient portal made available on hospital-provided tablets may have practical implications and contribute to increased adoption of patient-facing health information technology tools.
A rather wild imagination: who is and who is not a migrant in the Czech media and society?
Authors: Bartoszewicz Monika Gabriela , Eibl Otto
Published: July 2022

This paper focuses on migrants and migration in the context of the Czech Republic, an ethnically and nationally homogeneous country without significant migration experience. Despite this fact, the issue of migration became very prominent in 2015 and has been an integral part of Czech political and public discourse since then. Although the topic has attracted scholarly interest, but the reflection on migrant images held by citizens has been omitted. To fill this gap, first, we conducted a quantitative computer-assisted content analysis of the main Czech media (2015–2018) to investigate how important the issue of migration was and in what context migrants and migration were discussed in the media. We then conducted a series of focus groups with Czech citizens to answer not only how they perceived migrants and migration in general, but also how they perceived the (quality of) media coverage of this issue. The findings offer insight into patterns of media consumption: Our respondents were well aware that media representation of the topic is exaggerated and does not include all possible points of view. The prevailing perception was that the mostly negative media representation was fixated on the image of a migrant coming from the Middle East, most likely to be a terrorist who is not going to adapt to a “normal” life in the Czech Republic. Indeed, the very term migrant is mainly associated with someone who, according to the mental projections of the respondents, is “different” at first sight, fails to fit in and integrate into the majority society, does not look for work thus becoming dependent on the social system of the host country. In other words, for Czechs, people who come to settle and work are excluded from the socially constructed category of migrants.
On the determination of shocked surface velocities
Authors: Buttler William Tillman , Ticknor Christopher
Published: July 2022

Laser Doppler velocimetry is commonly fielded in shock physics experiments to diagnose the times of arrival, magnitudes, and durations of shock impulses as they arrive at shock loaded surfaces. However, in the presence of ejecta, the resulting frequency noise often obscures the surface and subsequent impulses at later times. In this context, we evaluate a dominant wave analysis technique applied to velocimetry data from explosively shocked Sn subjected to a second shockwave, on which ejecta are emitted subsequent to both the first and subsequent shockwave impulses. The analysis reveals surface velocities, the times of arrival of subsequent impulses, and their durations.
Warming-induced vegetation growth cancels out soil carbon-climate feedback in the northern Asian permafrost region in the 21st century
Authors: Liu Jianzhao , Yuan Fenghui , Zuo Yunjiang , Zhou Rui , Zhu Xinhao , Li Kexin , Wang Nannan , Chen Ning , Guo Ziyu , Zhang Lihua , Sun Ying , Guo Yuedong , Song Changchun , Xu Xiaofeng
Published: July 2022

Permafrost soils represent an enormous carbon (C) pool that is highly vulnerable to climate warming. We used the model output ensemble of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 to estimate the C storage in soil, litter, and vegetation in the current extent of northern Asian permafrost during 1900–2100. The contemporary (1995–2014) C storage was estimated to be 368.1 ± 82.5 Pg C for the full column depth of the soil, 13.3 ± 4.6 Pg C in litter, and 22.2 ± 3.2 Pg C in vegetation biomass, while these C storage levels are projected to decline by 3.9 Pg C (1.1%) in soils, increase of 0.03 Pg C (0.2%) in litter, and increase by 21.1 Pg C (95.3%) in vegetation biomass by the end of the 21st century under SSP585. The total C storage was dominated by warming-induced vegetation growth. Partial correlation analysis showed that surface air temperature (TAS), soil liquid water, and soil mineral nitrogen (SMN) dominated the soil and vegetation C pools, while SMN controlled litter C during the historical period. Under future scenarios, TAS and SMN dominated the changes of soil and litter C, while TAS determined the vegetation C increase. The growing soil C loss with warming indicates positive C-climate feedback in soils; this warming-induced acceleration of soil C loss was canceled out by the enhanced vegetation C accumulation, leading to a strong C sink in the 21st century.
Design and realization of smart energy management system for Standalone PV system
Authors: Manu D. , Shorabh S.G. , Gnana Swathika O.V. , Umashankar S. , Tejaswi P.
Published: July 2022

The internet connected world demands a need for integrating the renewable energy sources and loads in the microgrid with an energy management system that is capable of monitoring, controlling and conserving energy and at the same time. This paper proposes the idea of an Internet of things (IoT) based smart Energy Management System (EMS) for a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic (SAPV) System, which acts as a closed system where all the power is generated from solar energy and either stored in batteries or utilized within the system. It has various units namely: Energy generation, Energy management and IoT. A novel constant battery operating algorithm is proposed for EMS of SAPV System. All the loads are connected through IoT and hence their status maybe monitored and controlled from remote location.
A review of effect of higher-order nonlinear theories on analysis of piezoelectric laminates
Authors: Akhlaq Adnan , Dawood M.S.I Shaik , Ali J S Mohamed , Sulaeman E
Published: July 2022

The paper aims at reviewing the modeling of piezoelectric laminated structures for stress distribution, vibration and noise control, shape control, health monitoring, and energy harvesting. Accurate modeling of piezoelectric laminates using linear and non-linear modeling techniques is essential at the high and low electric fields. The review is done in the field application of (1) different deformation theories (2) geometric non-linear theories (3) material non-linear models for the analysis of piezoelectric laminates. The literature review emphasizes using a higher-order non-linear model to analyze piezoelectric laminates and their effect on the composite structure.
Monitoring The IIUM River Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle And Image Classification
Authors: Nazmi Mohamad , Okasha Mohamed , Aasim Aizat , Idres Moumen
Published: July 2022

Prior research has shown viable methods towards identifying sources of pollution in rivers by utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) combined with proper image classification techniques. This research attempts to develop and implement a novel approach to monitor the IIUM River whereby a Parrot Bebop 2 drone is utilized for data collection, while the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) software is used for the supervised classification of the collected data. The image processing techniques of stitching or mosaicking, georeferencing and supervised classification are done using Adobe Photoshop, QGIS Georeferencing plugin, and QGIS Semi-Automatic Supervised Classification Toolbox, respectively. Results show that the classification process successfully recognized target objects, however, differing sun locations in datasets along with insufficient training data have led to some minor flaws. Despite these flaws, this research successfully achieved its objectives and will be vital for further investigations in the future.
Open ended coaxial sensors with and without cavity for non-destructive applications
Authors: Amir Mounir , Amar Hichem , Fortaki Tarek , Tebache Soufiane , Hedir Abdallah , Ghodbane Hatem
Published: July 2022

In this paper, a comparative study between two open ended coaxial sensors with and without cavity is presented. Those sensors are used for materials characterization (composite, dielectric, liquid) and surface defects detection. First Galerkin’s method in the Fourier transform domain is applied to the determination of the resonant frequencies of an open-ended coaxial sensor. The obtained results are used for the realization of two open ended coaxial sensors with and without cavity. The defects detection testbed includes a network analyzer, two open ended coaxial sensors and two aluminum plates with defects of various depths. The proposed method is based on the reflected electromagnetic waves from defected surface, wish are captured by a coaxial sensor. The behavior of the sensor is then studied through reflection coefficient measurements for each kind of defect. A comparative study between the realized sensors is also carried out.