bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Problematic alcohol use in young adults exposed to childhood trauma: The Trøndelag Health (HUNT) Study
Authors: Stangeland Helle , Aakvaag Helene Flood , Baumann‐Larsen Monica , Wentzel‐Larsen Tore , Storheim Kjersti , Zwart John Anker , Dyb Grete , Stensland Synne Øien
Published: September 2023

Problematic alcohol use (PAU) severely impacts the health, functioning, and long‐term prospects of young people. Prior research indicates that childhood trauma exposure may be an important risk factor for PAU, but few longitudinal studies have looked at how specific trauma types influence this risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between childhood trauma exposure and PAU in a large, population‐based cohort of young people. The study sample included 1,913 adolescents who participated in the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) between 2006 and 2008 (age range: 12–20) and completed follow‐up 10 years later as young adults (age range: 22–32). The results revealed an increased risk of PAU in young adults exposed to childhood trauma, especially direct physical violence, OR = 2.38, [95% CI 1.56, 3.64]. Young adults who had witnessed violence, OR = 1.55, [95% CI 1.11, 2.17], or experienced an accident, disaster, or other traumatic event, OR = 1.60, [95% CI 1.19, 2.15], also had higher odds of PAU compared to those without such experiences. These associations remained consistent after adjusting for symptoms of headaches and pain as well as posttraumatic and general psychological distress as reported by the participants in adolescence. Future prevention efforts targeting PAU among adolescents and young adults should address violence and other trauma exposure as potential drivers of problematic drinking.
Music Perception in Bone‐Anchored Hearing Implant Users
Authors: Jiam Nicole T. , Formeister Eric J. , Chari Divya A. , David Abel P. , Alsoudi Amer F. , Purnell Stephanie , Jiradejvong Patpong , Limb Charles J.
Published: September 2023

Objective

Music is a highly complex acoustic stimulus in both spectral and temporal contents. Accurate representation and delivery of high‐fidelity information are essential for music perception. However, it is unclear how well bone‐anchored hearing implants (BAHIs) transmit music. The study objective is to establish music perception performance baselines for BAHI users and normal hearing (NH) listeners and compare outcomes between the cohorts.

Methods

A case‐controlled, cross‐sectional study was conducted among 18 BAHI users and 11 NH controls. Music perception was assessed via performance on seven major musical element tasks: pitch discrimination, melodic contour identification, rhythmic clocking, basic tempo discrimination, timbre identification, polyphonic pitch detection, and harmonic chord discrimination.

Results

BAHI users performed comparably well on all music perception tasks with their device compared with the unilateral condition with their better‐hearing ear. BAHI performance was not statistically significantly different from NH listeners' performance. BAHI users performed just as well, if not better than NH listeners when using their control contralateral ear; there was no significant difference between the two groups except for the rhythmic timing (BAHI non‐implanted ear 69% [95% CI: 62%–75%], NH 56% [95% CI: 49%–63%], p = 0.02), and basic tempo tasks (BAHI non‐implanted ear 80% [95% CI: 65%–95%]; NH 75% [95% CI: 68%–82%, p = 0.03]).

Conclusions

This study represents the first comprehensive study of basic music perception performance in BAHI users. Our results demonstrate that BAHI users perform as well with their implanted ear as with their contralateral better‐hearing ear and NH controls in the major elements of music perception.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 134:1381–1387, 2024
Modified individualized titanium mesh in orbital floor reconstruction for preventing exposure
Authors: Yu Yao , Zhang Wen‐Bo , Sun Qian , Peng Xin
Published: September 2023

Objective

To describe a novel method of medial fixation of titanium mesh with a right‐angled screwdriver for orbital floor and maxillary reconstruction and to compare the reconstruction outcome of orbital floor reconstruction with modified and traditional methods.

Methods

The data of 23 patients who underwent maxillectomy and orbital floor defect reconstruction by individualized titanium mesh in Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology between 2018 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. While eight patients received modified orbital floor reconstruction with titanium mesh and angled screwdriver (group A), 15 patients received traditional orbital floor reconstruction (group B). The contact area with buccal flap for titanium mesh in groups A and B was calculated. Titanium mesh deformation, fracture or exposure was recorded. Postoperative ophthalmic function and success of esthetic restoration were assessed.

Results

Mean follow‐up was for 15.7 months (range, 9–22 months). The contact area with buccal flap for the modified titanium mesh in group A (13.11 ± 1.41 cm2) was significantly less than that of the traditional titanium mesh in group B (21.83 ± 1.23 cm2; p < .05). The exposure of titanium mesh occurred in two patients in group B. The self‐evaluation of facial symmetry for 23 patients showed no significant difference between group A (7.75 ± 0.71) and group B (6.68 ± 1.30; p > .05). No specific complications were reported.

Conclusion

We propose a novel method of zygomatic medial fixation of titanium mesh with a right‐angled screwdriver for orbital floor and maxillary reconstruction, which has the potential to prevent the postoperative exposure of titanium mesh.

Level of Evidence

Level III (Retrospective comparative study).
A novel fluoro‐electrochemical technique for classifying diverse marine nanophytoplankton
Authors: Barton Samuel , Yang Minjun , Chen Haotian , Batchelor‐McAuley Christopher , Compton Richard G. , Bouman Heather A. , Rickaby Rosalind E. M.
Published: September 2023

To broaden our understanding of pelagic ecosystem responses to environmental change, it is essential that we improve the spatiotemporal resolution of in situ monitoring of phytoplankton communities. A key challenge for existing methods is in classifying and quantifying cells within the nanophytoplankton size range (2–20 μm). This is particularly difficult when there are similarities in morphology, making visual differentiation difficult for both trained taxonomists and machine learning‐based approaches. Here we present a rapid fluoro‐electrochemical technique for classifying nanophytoplankton, and using a library of 52 diverse strains of nanophytoplankton we assess the accuracy of this technique based on two measurements at the individual level: charge required to reduce per cell chlorophyll a fluorescence by 50% and cell radius. We demonstrate a high degree of accuracy overall (92%) in categorizing cells belonging to widely recognized key functional groups; however, this is reduced when we consider the broader diversity of “nano‐phytoflagellates'.” Notably, we observe that some groups, for example, calcifying Isochrysidales, have much greater resilience to electrochemically driven oxidative conditions relative to others of a similar size, making them more easily categorized by the technique. The findings of this study present a promising step forward in advancing our toolkit for monitoring phytoplankton communities. We highlight that, for improved categorization accuracy, future iterations of the method can be enhanced by measuring additional predictor variables with minimal adjustments to the set‐up. In doing so, we foresee this technique being highly applicable, and potentially invaluable, for in situ classification and enumeration of the nanophytoplankton size fraction.
Effect of Crosslinking on the Stretch‐Induced Polymorphic Transition of Trans‐1,4‐Polyisoprene
Authors: Yang Bo , Zhang Chunbo , Zhao Hui , Hu Wenxian , Liu Guoming , Wang Dujin
Published: September 2023

Trans‐1,4‐polyisoprene (TPI) is a typical polymorphic polymer with two crystal modifications. The transition between two crystal modifications (α to β) occurs during stretching. The underlying mechanism is still under debate. In this work, the effects of crosslinking and strain rates on the crystal transition are studied. The TPI, which mainly contains α crystal (α−TPI), is crosslinked by γ‐ray radiation. The results show that crystalline morphology does not change after radiation. The melting temperature and yield stress of crosslinked α−TPI decrease with the irradiation dose. The structural evolution is studied by in situ wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction and small‐angle X‐ray scattering. During stretching, the content of β crystal (Xβ) of crosslinked α−TPI increases in the strain‐hardening region. The Xβ is lower in the sample with a higher radiation dose under the same strain. On the other hand, with increasing strain rate, the Xβ of the crosslinked sample exhibits a non‐monotonic variation. A parallel mechanical model consisting of amorphous and crystal fibrils is proposed to explain the experimental observations.
In 2023, Should You Be Anti‐Union, Pro‐Employee, or Pro‐Company?
Authors: Wich Scott
Published: September 2023

Since before the passage of the NLRA in 1935, employers have, in varying degrees, implemented measures to present unionization. In the United States, unions can present limited benefits to employers. Labor organizations, for example, can leverage their position to assist in securing certain government contracts or assistance. General contractors seeking labor peace on projects may favor subcontractors with established union relationships, and contracts with no strike clauses. However, by and large, unions bring no value to employers. To be fair, aside from unions that are willing to make significant contract concessions in return for collecting dues (commonly referred to as “sweetheart unions”), organized labor rarely markets itself as an asset for management. Unions exist, by definition of law and in practical application, to represent the interests of employees. Management, in turn, exists to represent the interests of ownership. The result of such union‐management relations can be complicated and divisive. Do they need to be?
Roadmap to tackle antibiotic resistance in the environment under the One Health framework
Authors: Li Liguan , Zhang Tong
Published: September 2023

Antibiotic resistance has been recognized as a major challenge worldwide for humans. “One Health” has been recognized as a key concept for containment of antibiotic resistance. Under the framework, the role of the environment in the development of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has become increasingly obvious. Despite numerous efforts, response to antibiotic resistance is considered to be inadequate, which is probably due to the lack of a clear roadmap. Here, we propose a “One Health” roadmap to combat antibiotic resistance in the environment through (1) understanding environmental resistome. The environmental gene pool has long been recognized as the single largest reservoir of both known and novel ARGs. (2) Standardizing ARG quantification. Systematic joint efforts based on standardized quantification are urgently needed to understand the true tempospatial profiles of the environmental resistome. (3) Identifying mechanisms of resistome development. Horizontal gene transfer and co‐selection have been recognized as the two main mechanisms contributing to the environmental resistome. (4) Establishing a risk‐assessment framework. The first critical step for large‐scale cost‐effective targeted ARG management in the environment is the risk assessment to identify the priority ARGs for control. (5) Formulating regulatory standards. By correlating the environmental ARG profile with public health, we may identify the indicator ARGs that can be integrated into current environmental quality standards. (6) Developing control strategies. Systematic analysis of available control technologies is required to identify the most feasible ones to curtail the spread of ARGs in the environment. The proposed roadmap under the “One Health” framework provides a guide to tackle antibiotic resistance in the environment.
A low‐profile and broadband multibeam antenna based on modulated impedance metasurface
Authors: Zhang Zekui , Peng Yang
Published: September 2023

A low‐profile and broadband antenna based on modulated metasurface is proposed to obtain beam switching in the azimuth plane. The antenna is composed of four ports and a metasurface. A T‐slot is etched in the squared metal patch and is designed to increase the impedance modulation range and form the metasurface. Finally, the antenna generates a linearly polarized tilted beam within a wide band in the elevation plane. And the maximum tilt angle reaches . At the azimuth plane, the beam switching is realized by feeding different ports. The experimental results show that the −10 dB relative bandwidth is 25.4% (4.47–5.74 GHz). At azimuth angles of , and , four independent beams are formed in the operating frequency band with a maximum gain of 9.43 dBi. In addition, the proposed antenna possesses the advantages of low profile () and good isolation (10 dB) between ports.
Design of Ka‐band, broadband, omnidirectional, with a top metal disk antenna
Authors: Wang Tong , Lu Fan , Wu Ting , Gao Hongwei , Jin Cheng
Published: September 2023

In this report, a Ka‐band, broadband, omnidirectional, with a top metal disk antenna is proposed. The antenna is fed by an air waveguide. The TE10 mode of the waveguide can efficiently be converted into an air coaxial TEM mode by a compact waveguide air coaxial transition. After matching and adjusting, the dielectric substrate is loaded and then transited to the metal radiation structure loaded with a top metal disc to obtain omnidirectional electromagnetic waves efficiently converted to free space. By optimizing the sizes of waveguide to air‐coaxial transition structure and disk, and so on, a good broadband omnidirectional antenna performance is finally achieved. The measured fractional impedance bandwidth is larger than 30% with the reference of S11 dB, which fully verifies the rationality of the design. In addition, measured patterns at the plane of different azimuth angles almost coincide with each other, which shows an excellent omnidirectional pattern.
Technical note: MR‐compatible pedal ergometer with electromechanical pedal resistance and exercise triggering enhanced by visual feedback via video display
Authors: Sedivy Petr , Dezortova Monika , Rydlo Jan , Moravec Petr , Krizek Ivan , Setinova Bara , Pajuelo Dita , Burian Martin , Hajek Milan
Published: September 2023

Background

During and after exercise, dynamic 31P MR parameters are typically measured using an MR‐compatible ergometer. Self‐built equipment for local condition can be constructed where possible.

Purpose

To develop a pedal resistance ergometer with rocker arm based on a system that combines electric weight displacement, visual self‐monitoring, and exercise triggering. The repeatability and reproducibility were tested.

Methods

The hardware and software for the ergometer were constructed from commercial components in a home laboratory. Twelve volunteers participated in the testing of the ergometer.

Results

A fully automated ergometer system was developed, allowing the pedal resistance to be adjusted during the examination. The system includes a self‐monitoring and triggering mechanism that enables both the operator and subject to monitor pedal frequency and force. The operator can modify the pedal resistance as desired during the exercise. This self‐monitoring solution is simple and cost‐effective, requiring only a commercial potentiometer, an Arduino converter, and a conventional video projector with a personal computer (PC). Additionally, all system components are located outside the magnetic resonance (MR) room, avoiding interference with the MR system. Results of several test of the reproducibility/repeatability of power at three pedal resistance values (15%, 24%, 25% maximal voluntary force) were expressed both as a coefficient of variation ranging from 6% to 3.1% and as an intraclass correlation of coefficient ranging from 0.96 to 0.99. Similar values were also found for other dynamic parameters of 31P MR spectroscopy. These findings are similar to published data obtained on different types of ergometers.

Conclusions

Based on more than 1 year of usage, the ergometer proved successful in handling stationary and variable loads, and can be easily operated by a single user.
Accurate modeling and performance evaluation of a total‐body pet scanner using Monte Carlo simulations
Authors: Rezaei Hadi , Sheikhzadeh Peyman , Ghafarian Pardis , Zaidi Habib , Ay Mohammad Reza
Published: September 2023

Background

The limited axial field‐of‐view (FOV) of conventional clinical positron emission tomography (PET) scanners (∼15 to 26 cm) allows detecting only 1% of all coincidence photons, hence limiting significantly their sensitivity. To overcome this limitation, the EXPLORER consortium developed the world's first total‐body PET/CT scanner that significantly increased the sensitivity, thus enabling to decrease the scan duration or injected dose.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to perform and validate Monte Carlo simulations of the uEXPLORER PET scanner, which can be used to devise novel conceptual designs and geometrical configurations through obtaining features that are difficult to obtain experimentally.

Methods

The total‐body uEXPLORER PET scanner was modeled using GATE Monte Carlo (MC) platform. The model was validated through comparison with experimental measurements of various performance parameters, including spatial resolution, sensitivity, count rate performance, and image quality, according to NEMA‐NU2 2018 standards. Furthermore, the effects of the time coincidence window and maximum ring difference on the count rate and noise equivalent count rate (NECR) were evaluated.

Results

Overall, the validation study showed that there was a good agreement between the simulation and experimental results. The differences between the simulated and experimental total sensitivity for the NEMA and extended phantoms at the center of the FOV were 2.3% and 0.0%, respectively. The difference in peak NECR was 9.9% for the NEMA phantom and 1.0% for the extended phantom. The average bias between the simulated and experimental results of the full‐width‐at‐half maximum (FWHM) for six different positions and three directions was 0.12 mm. The simulations showed that using a variable coincidence time window based on the maximum ring difference can reduce the effect of random coincidences and improve the NECR compared to a constant time coincidence window. The NECR corresponding to 252‐ring difference was 2.11 Mcps, which is larger than the NECR corresponding to 336‐ring difference (2.04 Mcps).

Conclusion

The developed MC model of the uEXPLORER PET scanner was validated against experimental measurements and can be used for further assessment and design optimization of the scanner.
An extremely lightweight CNN model for the diagnosis of chest radiographs in resource‐constrained environments
Authors: Kumar Gautam , Sharma Nirbhay , Paul Angshuman
Published: September 2023

Background

In recent years, deep learning methods have been successfully used for chest x‐ray diagnosis. However, such deep learning models often contain millions of trainable parameters and have high computation demands. As a result, providing the benefits of cutting‐edge deep learning technology to areas with low computational resources would not be easy. Computationally lightweight deep learning models may potentially alleviate this problem.

Purpose

We aim to create a computationally lightweight model for the diagnosis of chest radiographs. Our model has only  0.14M parameters and  550 KB size. These make the proposed model potentially useful for deployment in resource‐constrained environments.

Methods

We fuse the concept of depthwise convolutions with squeeze and expand blocks to design the proposed architecture. The basic building block of our model is called Depthwise Convolution In Squeeze and Expand (DCISE) block. Using these DCISE blocks, we design an extremely lightweight convolutional neural network model (ExLNet), a computationally lightweight convolutional neural network (CNN) model for chest x‐ray diagnosis.

Results

We perform rigorous experiments on three publicly available datasets, namely, National Institutes of Health (NIH), VinBig ,and Chexpert for binary and multi‐class classification tasks. We train the proposed architecture on NIH dataset and evaluate the performance on VinBig and Chexpert datasets. The proposed method outperforms several state‐of‐the‐art approaches for both binary and multi‐class classification tasks despite having a significantly less number of parameters.

Conclusions

We design a lightweight CNN architecture for the chest x‐ray classification task by introducing ExLNet which uses a novel DCISE blocks to reduce the computational burden. We show the effectiveness of the proposed architecture through various experiments performed on publicly available datasets. The proposed architecture shows consistent performance in binary as well as multi‐class classification tasks and outperforms other lightweight CNN architectures. Due to a significant reduction in the computational requirements, our method can be useful for resource‐constrained clinical environment as well.
Application of benchtop low‐field NMR spectrometers in the refining industry: A multivariate calibration approach for rapid characterization of crude oils
Authors: Sassu Lorenzo , Puligheddu Sonia , Puligheddu Cristina , Palomba Silvia , Muru Emanuela , Mattia Carmine , Allevi Claudio
Published: September 2023

High‐field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has proven to be a valuable tool to analyze petroleum products but has never acquired widespread acceptance in routine work in oil refinery due to the high cost. The advent of compact, reliable, and affordable cryogen‐free low‐field benchtop NMR spectrometers suggest a possible role of such instrument for a variety of uses in refining spanning from routine lab work applications to online analysis. In this work, we report the development of a novel benchtop NMR application to estimate the API gravity, sulfur content, total acidity number (TAN), and distillation yields of crude petroleum from 60 MHz 1H NMR spectra and partial least square (PLS) regression models. The results obtained on a dataset of over 170 crude oil samples and tested with external validation set show performances in terms of root mean square standard error of prediction (RMSEP) matching the analytical methods' ASTM precision. This novel benchtop NMR and multivariate analysis application can thus be used in typical refinery laboratories to provide within minutes and without physical distillation, reliable estimates of the most important properties usually measured on the crude petroleum during refining. The method proves to be a fast, cheaper alternative to the current analytical options providing readily available data for managing crude oil and has high potential to be further exploited for online application.
Enhancing Nonprofit Talent Acquisition through Benefits Optimization
Authors: LaRock Dan
Published: September 2023

In the dynamic landscape of today's nonprofit sector, the pursuit of exceptional talent has become an increasingly challenging endeavor. The profound financial constraints under which many nonprofit organizations operate often hinder their capacity to nurture and bolster their human capital.
An optimal hybrid cascade regional convolutional network for cyberattack detection
Authors: Alqahtani Ali , Khan Surbhi Bhatia
Published: September 2023

Cyber‐physical systems (CPS) and the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies link urban systems through networks and improve the delivery of quality services to residents. To enhance municipality services, information and communication technologies (ICTs) are integrated with urban systems. However, the large number of sensors in a smart city generates a significant amount of delicate data, like medical records, credit card numerics, and location coordinates, which are transported across a network to data centers for analysis and processing. This makes smart cities vulnerable to cyberattacks because of the resource constraints of their technology infrastructure. Applications for smart cities pose many security challenges, such as zero‐day attacks resulting from exploiting weaknesses in various protocols. Therefore, this paper proposes an optimal hybrid transit search‐cascade regional convolutional neural network (hybrid TS‐Cascade R‐CNN) to detect cyberattacks. The proposed model combines the hybrid transit‐search approach with the cascade regional convolutional neural network to create an optimal solution for cyberattack detection. The cascade regional convolutional network uses a hybrid transit search algorithm to enhance the effectiveness of cyberattack detection. By integrating these two approaches, the system can leverage both global traffic patterns and local indicators to improve the accuracy of attack detection. During the training process, the proposed model recognizes and classifies malicious input even in the presence of sophisticated attacks. Finally, the experimental analysis is carried out for various attacks based on different metrics. The accuracy rate attained by the proposed approach is 99.2%, which is acceptable according to standards.
Strong approximation of stochastic semilinear subdiffusion and superdiffusion driven by fractionally integrated additive noise
Authors: Hu Ye , Yan Yubin , Sarwar Shahzad
Published: September 2023

Recently, Kovács et al. considered a Mittag‐Leffler Euler integrator for a stochastic semilinear Volterra integral‐differential equation with additive noise and proved the strong convergence error estimates [see SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 58(1) 2020, pp. 66‐85]. In this article, we shall consider the Mittag‐Leffler integrators for more general models: stochastic semilinear subdiffusion and superdiffusion driven by fractionally integrated additive noise. The mild solutions of our models involve four different Mittag‐Leffler functions. We first consider the existence, uniqueness and the regularities of the solutions. We then introduce the full discretization schemes for solving the problems. The temporal discretization is based on the Mittag‐Leffler integrators and the spatial discretization is based on the spectral method. The optimal strong convergence error estimates are proved under the reasonable assumptions for the semilinear term and for the regularity of the noise. Numerical examples are given to show that the numerical results are consistent with the theoretical results.
Genome‐wide polygenic risk score, cardiometabolic risk factors, and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Chinese population
Authors: Huang Ninghao , Xiao Wendi , Lv Jun , Yu Canqing , Guo Yu , Pei Pei , Yang Ling , Millwood Iona Y. , Walters Robin G. , Chen Yiping , Du Huaidong , Avery Daniel , Ou Tingting , Chen Junshi , Chen Zhengming , Huang Tao , Li Liming ,   the China Kadoorie Biobank Collaborative Group*
Published: September 2023

Objective

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is caused by both genetic and cardiometabolic risk factors. However, the magnitude of the genetic predisposition of T2D in the Chinese population remains largely unknown.

Methods

This study included 93,488 participants from the China Kadoorie Biobank, and multiple polygenic risk scores (PRS) were calculated. A common cardiometabolic risk score (CRS) using smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet, obesity, blood pressure, and blood lipids was constructed to investigate the effects of cardiometabolic risk factors on T2D. Furthermore, an equation based on ideal PRS, CRS, and their interaction was established to explore the combined effects on T2D.

Results

An ideally fitting PRS model (variance explained, R2 = 7.6%) was reached based on multiple PRS calculation methods. An additive interaction between PRS and CRS (coefficient = 28%, 95% CI: 0.20–0.36, p < 0.001) was found. The R2 of the T2D predictive model could increase to 8.3% when CRS and the interaction terms of PRS × CRS were considered. In the etiological composition of T2D, the ratio of genetic risk effect, cardiometabolic risk effect, and interaction between genetic and cardiometabolic factors was 67:16:17.

Conclusions

This study identified an ideally fitting PRS model for identifying and predicting the risk of T2D suitable for the Chinese population. The quantified proportional structure of genetic risk factors, cardiometabolic risk factors, and their interaction was detected, which elucidated the critical effect of genetic factors.
Effect of SiC and graphene nanoparticles on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber‐reinforced epoxy composites
Authors: Kosedag Ertan , Ekici Recep , Yildiz Nail , Caliskan Umut
Published: September 2023

This study experimentally investigates the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites (CFRECs) filled with Graphene (Gr) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) nanoparticles. Gr and SiC nanoparticle filled CFREC plates at 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% weight ratios were fabricated using a vacuum infusion technique from unidirectional carbon fiber fabric with both 0 and 90° fiber orientation. According to ASTM standards, tensile, compression, and three point bending tests were performed to determine the effects of additive type and weight ratios. CFRECs with Gr additive exhibit improved tensile properties compared to the unfilled composites, especially at higher filler contents and at specific fiber orientations. Also, the Gr additive showed a better improvement in the tensile behavior of the CFRECs than the SiC additive. In general, it was found that the elastic modulus values of nanoparticle additive samples were higher than that of the unfilled composite material in both fiber orientations. Except for the 0.5% SiC ratio with 0° fiber orientation, the particle added nanocomposites did not exceed the value of the unfilled composite and did not make a positive effect on the compressive strength. It has been observed that Gr additives give more positive results on the bending strength of CFRECs than SiC, especially at a 2% weight ratio.

Highlights

Effects of nanoparticle types on mechanical properties of CFRECs were compared.

Weight ratio effects on the properties of nanoparticle‐filled CFRECs were studied.

The load‐bearing capacity decreased as the additive ratio increased.

Additives and ratios should be carefully selected for the intended applications.

Overall, presence Gr resulted in enhanced properties much prominently for composites.
What matters in enhancing entrepreneurial skills in science: An exploratory study of science teachers' understanding and teaching practices of entrepreneurial skills?
Authors: Pathan Pashmina N. , Ishak Nor A. , Nisar Nabeel , Pathan Shaiwana N.
Published: September 2023

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study is to get insights into the understanding of science teachers' entrepreneurial skills and the strategies they implement to develop these skills of students, who teach science subject to students of Grade 6–8 at government Schools of Sindh province, Pakistan. In this study, the researcher employed a qualitative exploratory research design. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. One‐on‐one semistructured and group interviews were selected as the data collection methods. A thematic analysis process was employed to analyze the data. Findings highlight the need for science teachers to enrich their understanding of entrepreneurial skills and to develop the entrepreneurial skills of students in the context of the middle school level. This study provides a demonstration of science teachers' understanding which will facilitate them as well as other science teachers to evaluate their understanding of entrepreneurial skills and educate themselves accordingly.
A Review of Selenium (Se) Nanoparticles: From Synthesis to Applications
Authors: Huang Yanhua , Chen Qingli , Zeng Hai , Yang Chen , Wang Guan , Zhou Li
Published: September 2023

Selenium is an essential trace element that plays a crucial role in various physiological activities, exerting a significant impact on human health. Selenium deficiency can lead to the development of several diseases, while excessive doses can be toxic. In recent years, there is a growing interest in elemental selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) due to their good biocompatibility, low toxicity, and high antioxidant activity, making them suitable for numerous applications. The quest for enhancing efficacy and reducing toxicity has driven extensive research on SeNPs. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the recent advancements made in the synthesis, characterization, properties, and applications of SeNPs. Moreover, the challenges associated with SeNPs research, as well as the future trends in the field, are thoroughly discussed. This review aims to provide an insight into the current state of research on SeNPs and highlight areas that require further exploration and development.
Chinese expert consensus on the application of pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (2023 edition)
Authors: Wang Jun , Li Baosheng
Published: September 2023

Neutropenia is the most common hematological toxicity of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), and leads to subsequent treatment delays and/or dose reductions. Neutropenia often advances to febrile neutropenia and serious infections, which can affect the prognosis and safety of patients. The reasonable prevention and management of neutropenia is vital for patients with malignancies undergoing CCRT. Pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (PEG‐rhG‐CSF), a long‐acting recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor, can prevent and treat neutropenia in more convenient clinical settings. Based on relevant guidelines and the most recent clinical data, the Chinese Association for Therapeutic Radiation Oncologists, China Society for Radiation Oncology, and Chinese Association of Radiation Therapy have evaluated the safety and efficacy of PEG‐rhG‐CSF during CCRT, clearly defined the clinical pathway and route of administration for the prevention and treatment of neutropenia, and formed a Chinese expert consensus on PEG‐rhG‐CSF application during CCRT, with the goal of promoting the reasonable clinical use of this treatment.
Cooperativism and its role in promoting sustainable food systems in Portuguese speaking countries1
Authors: de Freitas Alair Ferreira
Published: September 2023

The objective of this article is to describe characteristics of the cooperative sector and highlight the contributions of agricultural cooperatives in promoting sustainable and resilient food systems in Brazil, Guinea‐Bissau, Portugal, and São Tomé and Principe. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with representatives of national organizations linked to cooperativism and leaders of agricultural cooperatives in the four countries. We found great discrepancies between the institutional and regulatory environments of cooperativism in Brazil and Portugal, which have institutionalized national systems of representation, regulation, and support for the sector, and São Tomé and Principe and Guinea‐Bissau, whose environments are fragile and insecure for cooperatives. However, despite the challenges, the cases of cooperatives analyzed show how these organizations are fundamental to their members and their communities, offering technologies, social and cultural support, and technical services to their members and undertaking actions and projects to make agriculture more sustainable and productive. We conclude that the cooperative sector and cooperatives, especially those formed and run by family farmers, have taken on the role of sustainable development agents.
Defining and measuring the effects of digital technologies on social sustainability: A systematic literature review
Authors: Szalkowski Gabriel Andy , Johansen Christian
Published: September 2023

The impact of digital technologies on the environmental and economic sides of sustainability has received considerable attention. In contrast, the societal implications are quite under‐researched. Through a systematic literature review, we describe the current status of the research on the impacts that digital technologies have on social sustainability. We pay particular attention to methods used for assessing and measuring these impacts. One positive observation made from our descriptive (bibliometric) analysis is that there is an increasing interest in social sustainability. Our content analysis identified four categories, namely “Area of Impact,” “Approach to technology,” “Measured/Measurable Effect,” and “Measuring Methods”, accumulating 30 labels, which we use to classify the papers at study. A quite common label is “Jobs” as the area of impacts, whereas the least used label in the approach to technology category is “Cyber‐security,” signaling that few papers that investigate the impacts of digital technologies on social sustainability consider their security and privacy implications. Other gaps that we expose are the lack of empirical data as well as the lack of mathematical modeling when measuring the effects of digital technologies, with direct experiments appearing very seldom in the literature. In an attempt to provide a guide for future research, we identify five general research gaps, listing 20 specific research questions, and propose a structuring procedure for articles on social implications of digital technologies to be produce in a more systematic manner.
Facile Design of Flexible, Strong, and Highly Conductive MXene‐Based Composite Films for Multifunctional Applications
Authors: Wang Beibei , Zhang Weiye , Lai Chenhuan , Liu Yi , Guo Hongwu , Zhang Daihui , Guo Zhanhu
Published: September 2023

Strong, conductive, and flexible materials with improving ion accessibility have attracted significant attention in electromagnetic interference (EMI) and foldable wearable electronics. However, it still remains a great challenge to realize high performance at the same time for both properties. Herein, a microscale structural design combined with nanostructures strategy to fabricate TOCNF(F)/Ti3C2Tx(M)@AgNW(A) composite films via a facile vacuum filtration process followed by hot pressing (TOCNF = TEMPO‐oxidized cellulose nanofibrils, NW = nanowires) is described. The comparison reveals that different microscale structures can significantly influence the properties of thin films, especially their electrochemical properties. Impressively, the ultrathin MA/F/MA film with enhanced layer in the middle exhibits an excellent tensile strength of 107.9 MPa, an outstanding electrical conductivity of 8.4 × 106 S m−1, and a high SSE/t of 26 014.52 dB cm2 g−1. The assembled asymmetric MA/F/MA//TOCNF@CNT (carbon nanotubes) supercapacitor leads to a significantly high areal energy density of 49.08 µWh cm−2 at a power density of 777.26 µW cm−2. This study proposes an effective strategy to circumvent the trade‐off between EMI performance and electrochemical properties, providing an inspiration for the fabrication of multifunctional films for a wide variety of applications in aerospace, national defense, precision instruments, and next‐generation electronics.
Efficient Hydrogen Evolution on Antiperovskite CuNCo3 Nanowires by Mo Incorporation and its Trifunctionality for Zn Air Batteries and Overall Water Splitting
Authors: Qu Jing , Wang Zhongmin , Gan Weijiang , Xiao Ran , Yao Xincheng , Khanam Zeba , Ouyang Liuzhang , Wang Hui , Yang Hao , Zhang Shiguo , Balogun Muhammad‐Sadeeq
Published: September 2023

The current development of single electrocatalyst with multifunctional applications in overall water splitting (OWS) and zinc–air batteries (ZABs) is crucial for sustainable energy conversion and storage systems. However, exploring new and efficient low‐cost trifunctional electrocatalysts is still a significant challenge. Herein, the antiperovskite CuNCo3 prototype, that is proved to be highly efficient in oxygen evolution reaction but severe hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance, is endowed with optimum HER catalytic properties by in situ–derived interfacial engineering via incorporation of molybdenum (Mo). The as‐prepared Mo‐CuNCo3@CoN nanowires achieve a low HER overpotential of 58 mV@10 mA cm−2, which is significantly higher than the pristine CuNCo3. The assembled CuNCo3‐antiperovskite–based OWS not only entails a low overall voltage of 1.56 V@10 mA cm−2, comparable to most recently reported metal‐nitride–based OWS, but also exhibits excellent ZAB cyclic stability up to 310 h, specific capacity of 819.2 mAh g−1, and maximum power density of 102 mW cm−2. The as‐designed antiperovskite‐based ZAB could self‐power the OWS system generating a high hydrogen rate, and creating opportunity for developing integrated portable multifunctional energy devices.
Recent Advancements of Graphene‐Based Materials for Zinc‐Based Batteries: Beyond Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Aizudin Marliyana , Fu Wangqin , Pottammel Rafeeque Poolamuri , Dai Zhengfei , Wang Huanwen , Rui Xianhong , Zhu Jixin , Li Cheng Chao , Wu Xing‐Long , Ang Edison Huixiang
Published: September 2023

Graphene‐based materials (GBMs) possess a unique set of properties including tunable interlayer channels, high specific surface area, and good electrical conductivity characteristics, making it a promising material of choice for making electrode in rechargeable batteries. Lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) currently dominate the commercial rechargeable battery market, but their further development has been hampered by limited lithium resources, high lithium costs, and organic electrolyte safety concerns. From the performance, safety, and cost aspects, zinc‐based rechargeable batteries have become a promising alternative of rechargeable batteries. This review highlights recent advancements and development of a variety of graphene derivative‐based materials and its composites, with a focus on their potential applications in rechargeable batteries such as LIBs, zinc‐air batteries (ZABs), zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs), and zinc‐iodine batteries (Zn‐I2Bs). Finally, there is an outlook on the challenges and future directions of this great potential research field.
Resolidified Chalcogen‐Assisted Growth of Bilayer Semiconductors with Controlled Stacking Orders
Authors: Wu Qinke , He Liqiong , Wang Dan , Nong Huiyu , Wang Jingwei , Cai Zhengyang , Zhao Shilong , Zheng Rongxu , Lai Shen , Zhang Rongjie , Feng Qingliang , Liu Bilu
Published: September 2023

Bilayer semiconductors have attracted much attention due to their stacking‐order‐dependent properties. However, as both 3R‐ and 2H‐stacking are energetically stable at high temperatures, most of the high‐temperature grown bilayer materials have random 3R‐ or 2H‐stacking orders, leading to non‐uniformity in optical and electrical properties. Here, a chemical vapor deposition method is developed to grow bilayer semiconductors with controlled stacking order by modulating the resolidified chalcogen precursors supply kinetics. Taking tungsten disulfide (WS2) as an example, pure 3R‐stacking (100%) and 2H‐stacking dominated (87.6%) bilayer WS2 are grown by using this method and both show high structural and optical quality and good uniformity. Importantly, the bilayer 3R‐stacking WS2 shows higher field effect mobility than 2H‐stacking samples, due to the difference in stacking order‐dependent surface potentials. This method is universal for growing other bilayer semiconductors with controlled stacking orders including molybdenum disulfide and tungsten diselenide, paving the way to exploit stacking‐order‐dependent properties of these family of emerging bilayer materials.
Regulating Oxygen Vacancies and Fermi Level of Mesoporous CeO2‐x for Intensified Built‐In Electric Field and Boosted Charge Separation of Cs3Bi2Br9/CeO2‐x S‐Scheme Heterojunction
Authors: Zhang Zhijie , Wang Xuesheng , Li Deben , Chu Yaoqing , Xu Jiayue
Published: September 2023

Regulating the built‐in electric field (BEF) in the heterojunction is is a great challenge in developing high‐efficiency photocatalysts. Herein, by tailoring the content of oxygen vacancies in the constituent reduction semiconductor (mesoporous CeO2‐x), a precise Fermi level (EF) regulation of CeO2‐x is realized, yielding an amplified EF gap and intensified BEF in the Cs3Bi2Br9 perovskite quantum dots/CeO2‐x S‐scheme heterojunction. Such an enhanced BEF offers a strong driving force for directional electron transfer, boosting charge separation in the S‐scheme heterojunction. As a result, the optimized Cs3Bi2Br9/CeO2‐x heterojunction delivers a remarkable CO2 conversion efficiency, with an impressive CO production rate of 80.26 µmol g−1 h−1 and a high selectivity of 97.6%. The S‐scheme charge transfer mode is corroborated comprehensively by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, in situ X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and photo‐irradiated Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Moreover, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra (DRIFTS) and theoretical calculations are conducted cooperatively to reveal the CO2 photoreduction pathway.
Ternary‐Metal Sn‐Pb‐Zn Perovskite to Reconstruct Top Surface for Efficient and Stable Less‐Pb Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Huang Jiwen , Xing Yanjun , Shang Minghui , Li Jiaxin , Guo Tonghui , Lin Xuesong , Xiong Jiaxing , Wang Qiuxiang , Huang Like , Liu Xiaohui , Hu Ziyang , Tai Qidong , Yu Zhenhua , Zhu Yuejin , Han Liyuan , Zhang Jing
Published: September 2023

Though Sn‐Pb alloyed perovskite solar cells (PSCs) achieved great progress, there is a dilemma to further increase Sn for less‐Pb requirement. High Sn ratio (>70%) perovskite exhibits nonstoichiometric Sn:Pb:I at film surface to aggravate Sn2+ oxidation and interface energy mismatch. Here, ternary metal alloyed (FASnI3)0.7(MAPb1−xZnxI3)0.3 (x = 0–3%) is constructed for Pb% < 30% perovskite. Zn with smaller ionic size and stronger ionic interaction than Sn/Pb assists forming high‐quality perovskite film with ZnI64− enriched at surface to balance Sn:Pb:I ratio. Differing from uniform bulk doping, surface‐rich Zn with lower lying orbits pushes down the energy band of perovskite and adjusts the interface energy for efficient charge transfer. The alloyed PSC realizes efficiency of 19.4% at AM1.5 (one of the highest values reported for Pb% < 30% PSCs). Moreover, stronger bonding of Zn─I and Sn─I contributes to better durability of ternary perovskite than binary perovskite. This work highlights a novel alloy method for efficient and stable less‐Pb PSCs.
Nanostructure Control in Zinc Oxide Films and Microfibers through Bioinspired Synthesis of Liquid‐Crystalline Zinc Hydroxide Carbonate; Formation of Free‐Standing Materials in Centimeter‐Level Lengths
Authors: Mikami Takahiro , Kato Riki , Hosokawa Yoshihiro , Miyamoto Nobuyoshi , Kato Takashi
Published: September 2023

Free‐standing zinc oxide in the forms of films and fibrous materials are expected to be used as functional devices such as piezoelectric devices and catalyst filters without being limited by the growth substrate. Herein, a synthetic morphology‐control method for 2D and 1D free‐standing ZnO materials with ordered and nanoporous structures by conversion of liquid‐crystalline (LC) zinc hydroxide carbonate (ZHC) nanoplates is reported. As a new colloidal liquid crystal, the LC ZHC nanoplate precursors are obtained by a biomineralization‐inspired method. The approach is to control the morphology and crystallographic orientation of ZHC crystals by using acidic macromolecules. Their nano‐scale and oriented structures are examined. The LC oriented ZHC nanoplates have led to the synthesis of free‐standing films and microfibers of ZHC in centimeter‐level lengths, with the successful thermal conversion into free‐standing films and microfibers of ZnO. The resultant ZnO films and ZnO microfibers have nanoporous structures and preferential crystallographic orientations that preserve the alignment of ZHC nanoplates before conversion.