bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A study of the use of carbonyl and ester groups in regulating the optical and electrical characteristics of wide bandgap polymers for organic solar cells
Authors: Li Meifang , Zhang Shuai , Zhang Chenghao , Guo Caiyun , Bao Xichang , Han Liangliang
Published: May 2023

The use of the carbonyl group is proposed in the design of wide bandgap polymers due to its stronger electron withdrawing ability compared with the ester group that can achieve a higher VOC.
From luminescent π-conjugated macrocycles to bridged multi-cyclic π-conjugated polymers: cyclic topology, aggregation-induced emission, and explosive sensing
Authors: Liu Xindong , Lei Peng , Liu Xiaoqing , Li Yifan , Wang Yitong , Wang Lei , Zeng Qing-Dao , Liu Yi
Published: May 2023

Bridged multicyclic π-conjugated polymers, which show a sensing capability toward picric acid, were synthesized by polymerization of AIE-active macrocyclic monomers.
Selective modulation of energy levels of frontier orbitals in solid-state luminescent boron-fused azomethine polymers with orthogonal orientations to the main chains
Authors: Gon Masayuki , Kanjo Misato , Ohtani Shunsuke , Tanaka Kazuo , Chujo Yoshiki
Published: May 2023

We demonstrate that the energy levels of π-conjugated polymers for luminescent films can be controlled by selecting their fused structure.
Base-promoted transition metal-free phosphorylation/acylation of 2-vinyl pyridines with Ph2PCl and carboxylic acids
Authors: Li Zhichao , Zong Lianze , Hu Xixi , Li Xinjin , Sun Feng-Gang , Dong Yunhui , Xu Zhengbao , Liu Hui , Zhang Lizhi
Published: May 2023

The convenient synthesis of β-phosphoryl ketones through difunctionalization of 2-vinyl pyridinesviaa nucleophilic addition/oxygen transfer process is reported for the first time.
What resources do high school students activate to link energetic and structural changes in chemical reactions? – A qualitative study
Authors: Pölloth Benjamin , Diekemper Dominik , Schwarzer Stefan
Published: May 2023

Recent progress in elucidating chemical reactions allows to explain chemistry by the potential energy of the involved chemical structures. Nevertheless, from an educational point of view, empirical results indicate that students often do not connect the core idea of energy with other chemical concepts. From a resource-oriented perspective, students do not draw on a coherent concept of chemistry to solve a problem but rather activate diverse cognitive resources, crucially depending on the context. It is thus of interest which resources high school students activate to reflect on energetic aspects of a chemical reaction. In this study, 38 German high school students in 16 focus groups were asked to explain kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of the reaction between hydrogen and chlorine. The unguided focus group phase and the following semistructured qualitative interview were analysed by qualitative content analysis. Results show that students have a diverse network of cognitive resources on energetic aspects. However, this network's structure seems to be dominated by terminology and a few prominent ideas such as activation energy. In contrast, students seldom drew connections between bond-making and energy release. Many students mainly argued on a macroscopic level and relied heavily on technical terms. If they argued on the sub-microscopic scale, however, they often focussed on the whole system rather than on specific molecules and their structure. Hence, students interpreted concepts like activation energy or reaction coordinate diagrams on the system level leading to unproductive reasoning. Overall, it seems that students seldom activate resources on molecular structures to argue about energetic changes in chemical reactions. Also, they rarely refer to the fundamental principle of energy minimisation to reason about the driving force of reactions. These results suggest that chemical reactions should be explained already in high schools on a molecular level providing a more explicit reference to energy as a function of chemical structures.
Synthesis of molybdenum nanoclusters from Vitex negundo leaves for sensing epinephrine in a pharmaceutical composition
Authors: Harshita  , Jha Sanjay , Park Tae-Jung , Kailasa Suresh Kumar
Published: May 2023

Photographic image of V. negundo-MoNCs after the addition of different biomarkers.
Investigating structure and dynamics of unentangled poly(dimethyl-co-diphenyl)siloxaneviamolecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Xian Weikang , He Jinlong , Maiti Amitesh , Saab Andrew P. , Li Ying
Published: May 2023

Poly(dimethyl-co-diphenyl)siloxane has improved mechanical properties compared with polydimethylsiloxane. We used atomistic molecular dynamics simulation to investigate how the diphenyl contents slow down the relaxation dynamics of the copolymers.
Accelerating high-throughput screening of hydrogen peroxide productionviaDFT and machine learning
Authors: Li Wenwen , Feng Ge , Wang Shibin , Zhong Xing , Yao Zihao , Deng Shengwei , Wang Jianguo
Published: May 2023

A high-throughput screening strategy, integrating DFT and machine learning, was developed for electrocatalysts in ORR to produce H2O2.
An amorphous/nanocrystalline NixP/Ni heterojunction for electrooxidation of hydrazine
Authors: Liu Jia-Fu , Wen He , Zhang Zeng-Yao , Wang Ping
Published: May 2023

a-NixP/Ni/NF exhibits exceptionally high activity towards alkaline HzOR, excellent stability and a nearly 100% selectivity for four-electron hydrazine electrooxidation.
“Twisted” small molecule donors with enhanced intermolecular interactions in the condensed phase towards efficient and thick-film all-small-molecule organic solar cells
Authors: Cheng Xiafei , Liang Ziqi , Liang Shifeng , Zhang Xuwen , Xu Jie , Xu Yan , Ni Wang , Li Miaomiao , Geng Yanhou
Published: May 2023

Small molecule donors were designed and synthesized by introducing “twisted” backbones and strongly interacting building units towards high-performance all-small-molecule organic solar cells.
A phase and interface co-engineered MoPxSy@NiFePxSy@NPS-C hierarchical heterostructure for sustainable oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Zeng Xiaojun , Zhang Haiqi , Yu Ronghai , Stucky Galen D. , Qiu Jieshan
Published: May 2023

The construction of heterostructures with engineered phases and interfaces is crucial to essentially reform the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in water splitting.
Electroactive scaffolds of biodegradable polyurethane/polydopamine-functionalized graphene oxide regulating the inflammatory response and revitalizing the axonal growth cone for peripheral nerve regeneration
Authors: Zhang Qiao , Chen Jinlin , Feng Yuan , Lin Jingjing , Li Jiehua , Wang Yanchao , Tan Hong
Published: May 2023

Long-gap peripheral nerve injury remains a major challenge in regenerative medicine and results in permanent sensory and motor dysfunction.
Improved performance of ZnO based inverted organic photodetectors with morphological and interfacial modification
Authors: Hou Xiaoya , Zhang Kun , Li Jinxiao , Liang Jingchong , Li Wanli , Yan Dawei , Liu Lei , Zhang Jie
Published: May 2023

The performance of ZnO based organic photodetectors was improved by morphological and interfacial modification.
Reversible phase transition and thermochromic response in hybrid copper-based perovskites
Authors: Teri Gele , Jia Qiang-Qiang , Luo Qing-Feng , Ni Hao-Fei , Fu Da-Wei , Guo Qiang
Published: May 2023

Herein, we report two copper-based 2D hybrid perovskites (MBA)2CuCl4(1) and (BA)2CuCl4(2). Interestingly, both compounds have reversible thermochromic responses.
Biocompatible cracked reduced graphene oxide strain sensors: enhancing implantable strain sensing performance and durability
Authors: Lee Hyun Joo , Ryu Bokyeong , Lee Dong Keon , Park Hyung Ju , Huh Chul , Son Dong Ick , Ha Dong Han , Kim C-Yoon , Jun Yongseok , Yun Yong Ju
Published: May 2023

A soft and implantable cracked reduced graphene oxide strain sensor with high strain sensitivity and durability was demonstrated, allowing for accurate measurement of in vivo biomechanical signals.
Bit‐level evaluation of piccolo block cipher by satisfiability problem solver
Authors: Utsumi Shion , Sakamoto Kosei , Isobe Takanori
Published: May 2023

In the field of symmetric key cryptography, the security against distinguishing attacks is one of the crucial security requirements. With advancements in computing capabilities and cryptanalysis techniques in recent years, more efficient methods have been proposed for exploring distinguishers using Mixed‐Integer Linear Programing (MILP) or satisfiability problem (SAT), thereby updating the security bounds of various ciphers. Piccolo is a lightweight block cipher proposed at CHES in 2011, with support 80‐bit and 128‐bit keys. Designers have undergone a rough security evaluation against differential, impossible differential, and related‐key differential attacks, based on nibble‐wise estimations due to the limitation of computational resource. Here, the authors perform bit‐level evaluations on Piccolo block cipher against differential, integral and impossible differential attacks by leveraging SAT‐based approaches. For the first time, the authors succeed in identifying optimal differential distinguisher on 6 rounds in the single key setting, and on 10/12 rounds in the related‐key setting for 80‐bit and 128‐bit keys, respectively. For integral attacks, the authors find integral distinguisher up to 7 rounds. Although the number of attacked rounds is the same as that of the previous attack, the authors find the 56th ordered integral distinguisher, which enable reducing the data complexity for attacks from 263 to 256. As a result, the authors find the 7‐round impossible differentials which is the same number of rounds as the previous nibble‐wise evaluation.
Gas and stellar kinematic misalignment in MaNGA galaxies: What is the origin of counter-rotating gas?
Authors: Zinchenko I. A.
Published: May 2023

Context. Kinematic misalignment between gas and stellar components is observed in a certain fraction of galaxies. It believed to be caused by the acquisition of gas from the external reservoir by, for example, major or minor mergers, accretion from cosmological filaments, or the circumgalactic medium.

Aims. We aim to constrain the possible sources of the gas that forms the counter-rotating component.

Methods. We derived the gas-phase oxygen abundances of 69 galaxies with a kinematic misalignment between gas and stellar components from the MaNGA DR17 survey and compared them with the metallicity expected according to the mass–metallicity relation.

Results. We find that the oxygen abundance of the counter-rotating gas in our sample is higher than 8.2 dex, which rules out a significant role for the inflow of pristine gas. Meanwhile, there is a significant difference in the oxygen abundance of the counter-rotating gas between red and blue galaxies. In general, the oxygen abundance is lower than expected for the stellar mass in red galaxies but is compatible with or even higher than typical values for the stellar mass in blue galaxies.

Conclusions. We show that the exchange of enriched gas between galaxies is the most plausible mechanism for explaining the metallicity of counter-rotating gas components in galaxies of all masses and colors. Meanwhile, minor mergers may play a significant role in the formation of counter-rotating gas components in red and quenched galaxies.
L’agriculture irriguée en Tunisie : politiques hydrauliques et politiques de régulation foncière
Authors: Gharbi Inès , Elloumi Mohamed
Published: May 2023

Dès l’Indépendance (1956), la mobilisation des ressources productives (terre, eau) et l’amélioration de leur niveau d’utilisation ont été les principaux instruments de la politique agricole en Tunisie. Pour mettre en œuvre ses choix et atteindre les objectifs recherchés en termes de développement agricole, l’État a mobilisé un ensemble de moyens financiers (investissements), juridiques (réformes agraires) et institutionnels (encadrement et appui aux agriculteurs irrigants). La libéralisation économique du milieu des années 1980 s’est traduite par une privatisation de l’accès aux ressources en eau et en terre à travers l’octroi de droits de propriété, de concession ou d’autorisations permettant de changer les règles de leur gestion collective. Le développement de l’irrigation a ainsi engendré des transformations rapides des modes d’accès aux ressources foncières qui ont conduit à des dynamiques profondes impliquant divers acteurs (petits agriculteurs, agro-entrepreneurs, État). La privatisation de la gestion des ressources en eau et en terre, si elle a donné des résultats en termes d’intensification de la production agricole et de création d’une agriculture intégrée au marché, semble cependant rencontrer des limites.
Adaptability of polyurea microcapsules loaded with octyl salicylate for sunscreen application: influence of shell thickness of microfluidic-calibrated capsules on UV absorption efficiency
Authors: Du Jiupeng , Canamas Pablo , Guichardon Pierrette , Ibaseta Nelson , Montagnier Bruno , Hubaud Jean-Claude
Published: May 2023

The common chemical ultraviolet (UV) filters such as octyl salicylate that are used in sunscreen cream may cause irritation and other unknown medical conditions. One possible route to avoid the direct contact of UV filters with human skin is to enclose those filters in microcapsules. In this study, microcapsules with a size calibrated at 78 μm via microfluidics but with different shell thicknesses (0.4 to 2.5 μm) are used for the first time, to study the influence of shell thickness of microcapsules on the UV absorption efficiency. The results show that the shell thickness of microcapsules has no obvious influence on the UV absorption efficiency. Besides, a rough model based on the Beer–Lambert law is used to compare the experimental results.
Investigation of the link between the human skin relief and the dermal fibers network by coupling topographic analysis and LC-OCT imaging before and during folding tests
Authors: Ayadh Meriem , Guillermin Amaury , Abellan Marie-Angèle , Figueiredo Sara , Pedrazzani Mélanie , Cohen Emmanuel , Bigouret Armelle , Zahouani Hassan
Published: May 2023

Knowing the evolution of the skin’s response to mechanical solicitations and understanding its origin is important in medicine, surgery, and cosmetics. Studies performed in vitro and ex vivo show that links exist between the topographic skin properties and the collagen and elastin fibers network in the dermis. But, to our knowledge, no in vivo study shows this link. In this study we propose a combination of experimental tests to demonstrate the link between the topographic skin properties and the fibers network in the dermis in vivo. The first method consists in analyzing the skin relief images. The second method uses a recently developed imaging technique of human skin in vivo with a high spatial resolution: Line-field Confocal Optical Coherence Tomography (LC-OCT). This technology provides two types of images modalities: vertical and horizontal section images. The skin relief images and its internal layers are carried out for the skin at rest and during a folding test. The latter is performed using a folding system developed in this study. From these images, we calculate the density of the skin lines printed on the skin surface and their orientations. Thanks to the two modalities of LC-OCT, we obtain the full 3D image of the skin volume. From these images we extract the fibers density and their orientation in the plans parallel and perpendicular to the outer skin surface. The study is carried out on 42 volunteers aged from 20 to 55 years-old. Skin relief analysis and LC-OCT images are performed on the skin of the forearm and thigh. The results show similar distributions of the skin lines on the surface and of its fibers in the volume. We could observe a correlation between the skin lines at the surface and the structure in depth of its layers in the volume (0.40 < rSpearman < 0.73).
Are warm temperatures the key factor to prevent winter swarms of Hemimysis anomala in peri-alpine lakes?
Authors: Jacquet Stéphan
Published: May 2023

The invasive bloody red mysid, Hemimysis anomala, has recently colonised peri-alpine lakes in Western Europe. During the last decade, scuba divers have regularly reported observations of substantial winter swarms of this animal in Lakes Bourget (France) and Geneva (Switzerland-France). During the last four years, we have regularly dived and observed such phenomena in a variety of habitats, revealing thousands to millions of individuals during the period between December and March, with maximal densities occurring in the water column and small open wrecks in January or February. Surprisingly, however, no swarm was observed during the winters of 2022–2023. This led to the hypothesis that temperature could be the main direct or indirect factor responsible for this lower abundance, resulting in the absence of significant gatherings. Some possible explanations are discussed.
Friction and wear mechanism analysis of the electro brush plating Ni-Mo alloy
Authors: Xu Lipeng , Bao Chunjiang , Liu Tonggang , Du Kunda , Xia Hengchao , Zhang Ruikong , Chen Shuguang
Published: May 2023

The Ni-Mo coating as a replacement for hard chrome plating has gained popularity due to its low environmental pollution. This thesis aims to investigate the characteristics of a Ni-Mo alloy brush coating on a 45# steel base material using the brush plating process. The composition of the plating solution was varied to analyze the effects on the surface morphology, microstructure, hardness, and wear resistance of the Ni-Mo coating. The experimental results demonstrate that the surface morphology of the brush coating is significantly influenced by the composition of the plating solution. As the concentration of nickel sulfate and sodium molybdate varies, the coating exhibits a clear preferential growth tendency. Higher nickel sulfate concentration leads to the growth of coating grain along the (111) crystal plane, while higher sodium molybdate concentration encourages the growth of coating grain along the (220) crystal plane. Increased nickel sulfate concentration results in refined coating grains, while increased sodium molybdate concentration causes more distortion and dislocation of the coating layer. It was observed that the brush plating coating of Ni-Mo alloy, with a nickel sulfate concentration of 400–500 g/L and a sodium molybdate concentration of 25–30 g/L, exhibits not only good surface morphology but also higher micro-hardness and wear resistance. Overall, the analysis of the effects of plating composition on the characteristics of Ni-Mo coating is crucial in developing a high-quality and effective coating for industrial applications.
Research on Human Factors Reliability of Electric Power Enterprises Based on HFCRA Model
Authors: Liu Junfeng , Guan Yufeng , Qu Xingdong , Wang Jun
Published: May 2023

Based on Bayesian network, this paper establishes a human factor analysis tool-Human Factor Classification and Reliability Analysis (HFCRA) model, and analyzes the key factors of human error in power enterprises by combining the human events and data of power safety over the years The research shows that the root causes of human error in electric power enterprises are mainly organizational defects of external human factors and poor personal ability of internal human factors Among them, poor education, training, organizational culture and organizational management quality are the key sub-causes of organizational defects. The lack of basic operation skills and experience knowledge of operators is the key sub-cause of poor personal ability. We should focus on these two kinds of human factors and take corrective measures The internal and external factors of human factors have the characteristics of mutual restriction and transformation, so the occurrence of operational errors in power enterprises should be avoided systematically.
The impact of digital service imports on manufacturing upgrading
Authors: Ling Dan , Wu Yueping
Published: May 2023

Based on cross-country data of major countries in the world from 2008 to 2020, this paper studies the impact mechanism of digital service imports on manufacturing upgrading. The research results show that: (1) digital service imports have a positive effect on manufacturing upgrading, and digital service imports promote manufacturing upgrading through two paths of action: improving the level of technological innovation and the level of Internet development; (2) from the results of the moderating effect, institutional quality plays a positive moderating role in the process of digital service imports acting on manufacturing upgrading; (3) from the heterogeneity test of countries, the results show that digital service imports have a more significant role in promoting manufacturing upgrading in developed countries; (4) from the analysis of the heterogeneity of segmented digital services, the promotion effect of imported ICT services, intellectual property use services, other business services and financial services on manufacturing upgrading is more significant. The findings of this paper provide important insights and policy recommendations for China and other countries in the world to promote the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing with digital trade.
Analysis of Political Economy on the Influential Factors of Digital Trade Restrictions
Authors: Huang Huiping , Zeng Yan
Published: May 2023

Digital trade is an important part of today’s world economy, and the resulting issue of digital trade restrictions has become the focus of attention in international trade negotiations. Studying the influential factors of digital trade restrictions can help to understand the inherent reasons for the differences in digital trade policies across countries. From the perspective of political economy, this paper establishes a government objective function that pays special attention to the welfare of digital trade-related interest groups based on the protection for sale model, and analyzes the endogenous influencing factors of digital trade policy. In this paper, the QCA method is also applied to analyze the configuration of different influencing factors, and finally two paths leading to high digital trade restrictions and three paths leading to non-high digital trade restrictions are found. The research findings have significant implications both theoretically and practically for revealing the factors and internal mechanisms that affect digital trade restrictions.
Research on I-M Model of Supply Chain Risk Path Identification
Authors: Yan Chengren
Published: May 2023

Through literature analysis and expert interviews, 15 factors affecting the development of the supply chain finance industry were identified, and the ISM method was used to construct a hierarchical structure chart of the factors, so as to analyze the relationship between the upper and lower levels of the factors and the factors affecting the development of the supply chain finance, and then MICMAC was used to further analyze the driving force and dependence of the 15 factors. The results show that market price instability, market demand instability, improper behavior and cash flow fracture are the outermost influencing factors, which are highly dependent and vulnerable to other factors; However, the failure to adopt new production technologies, the unhealthy operation of enterprises, and the low business ability of enterprises are the deepest and most fundamental factors that affect the stability of supply chain finance. They are the innermost factors that drive the development of supply chain finance. This study takes the influencing factors of the development of the entire supply chain finance industry in China as the research object, and the research results have certain universality and dependence. When China’s supply chain finance is faced with development problems related to this study, it can provide the basis for reflection and solutions.
Study on the Role of Internal Audit in University Governance
Authors: Chen Yu
Published: May 2023

Internal audit, as an autoimmune method of university, can prevent the misconduct of managers and protect the benefits of stakeholders. It is an indispensable part of university governance for improving the governance structure. The quality of internal audit can be improved via strengthening the independence of internal audit, promoting the innovation of audit business, applying big data for audit work, and enhancing the theoretical research. It could guarantee the ordinary operation of the university governance and the optimization of the governance structure.
Research on the Impact of the Belt and Road Strategy on China’s Yunnan Tourism
Authors: Zhang Yixin
Published: May 2023

Since ancient times, the Southern Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road have carried economic, cultural and political functions, promoted regional economic and trade cooperation, and promoted regional cultural integration. Yunnan is the intersection of the Maritime Silk Road and the Land Silk Road, and its geographical and strategic location is of great significance. In recent years, the central government has put forward the “the Belt and Road (B&R) “ initiative. As one of the 13 provinces (municipalities directly under the Central Government) defined by the Silk Road Economic Belt, Yunnan has rich resource advantages, cultural advantages and regional advantages. Relying on its unique geographical advantages, rich natural resources and diverse folk culture, Yunnan has become one of the important tourist destinations in China. Especially with the deepening of the “B&R” initiative, Yunnan’s international status has become increasingly prominent. The “B&R” strategy is of great significance to the development of Yunnan’s tourism industry. On the one hand, it opens up markets for tourism, and on the other hand, it promotes the development of Yunnan’s tourism industry to face the world. Based on the current situation of the development of Yunnan’s tourism industry in the context of the “B&R” initiative, this paper analyzes the opportunities and challenges faced by the development of Yunnan’s tourism industry in the context of the “B&R” initiative, and finally puts forward effective development strategies for Yunnan’s tourism industry.
An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Independent Director Characteristics on Enterprise Financial Risk
Authors: Li Jingnan
Published: May 2023

The financial risk of enterprises is crucial to business managers and investors, and the establishment of the independent director system is intended to address the financial risk generated internally by enterprises. However, in recent years, the system of independent directors has increasingly been criticized, and its impact on corporate financial risk is also being questioned. Herein, through empirical research methods, we have studied the relationship between independent directors and financial risk. We found that the opinions of independent directors, their professional backgrounds, and the size of the board of directors have a significant impact on financial risk. This could provide a reference for optimizing the system of independent directors.
Research on digital sharing mechanism of agricultural science and technology resources considering collaborative innovation capability
Authors: Li Shengzhu , Chen Litao , Du Ting
Published: May 2023

The digital sharing of agricultural scientific and technological resources is the key to promoting agricultural scientific and technological innovation. Explore the strategic mechanism for the digital sharing of agricultural scientific and technological resources, reveal the law of their behavioral evolution, and provide theoretical guidance for the practice of digital sharing of agricultural science and technology resources. Introducing the perspective theory of perceived utility to replace expected utility, constructing a stochastic evolutionary game model for the sharing parties and demand parties of agricultural science and technology resources, analyzing the dynamic evolution rules of both sides of resource sharing, and analyzing the key factors affecting the stability of agricultural science and technology resource sharing through numerical simulation.
The impact of industrial policy on the stock price of the new energy vehicle industry -- Empirical analysis based on the ARIMA model
Authors: Ren Rujing
Published: May 2023

This study selects 139 sets of data of the daily closing price of BYD for five months before and two months after the release of relevant industrial policies, i.e., from November 26, 2021, to June 26, 2022, as samples, and uses the autoregressive integrated moving average model (the ARIMA model) to make retrospective forecasts. Through analyzing the difference between predicted values and actual values, it is concluded that industrial policies have a positive impact on China’s new energy vehicle industry in the short term. As time goes on, this impact will weaken but will not disappear immediately.
ESG and Corporate Performance: A Review
Authors: Zhan Shuyuan
Published: May 2023

ESG is becoming increasingly important topic in corporate finance literature. In addition to developed countries, emerging market economies have also increased their attention on ESG in recent years. The number of papers on ESG published by finance and accounting journals skyrocketed. The effect of ESG on corporate performance is uncertain. This paper provides implications for investors, ESG can build up reputation, transmit positive signals, and investors react positively to socially responsible firms, increasing corporate performance. On the other hand, according to the agency theory, more ESG involvements may reflect managerial opportunism, which negatively affects corporate innovation. This paper aims to provide a synthetic and evaluation monograph of literature that examines the relationship between ESG and corporate performance.
The Impact of ESG Ratings on Trade Credit Financing
Authors: Wu Xuesha
Published: May 2023

Using a sample of Chinese listed companies from 2009 to 2020, this study investigates the impact of ESG ratings of listed companies on corporate trade credit financing. The results suggest that the performance of ESG ratings by listed companies can significantly improve the level of corporate trade credit financing. The positive effect of ESG rating on trade credit financing is more pronounced when the company hires a “Big4” auditor, or when the company locates in a region with a higher degree of marketization, and when the company is followed by more analysts. The results of the study still hold after the robustness test which uses the alternative measurement of dependent variables. The findings from this article enrich the research literature on the economic consequences of ESG ratings and factors influencing corporate trade credit financing. At the same time, it provides implications on how listed companies can improve their ESG ratings and how stakeholders can use ESG ratings for decision making.
The Historical Development and Model Innovation of American Government Purchasing Public Services from Society
Authors: Ding Keyin
Published: May 2023

The United States, as the most active and developed country in which the government purchases public services from social organizations, has established the system of government purchasing public services from society earlier, continuously driving the innovation of government purchasing mode of public services from social organizations through constant adjustment and improvement of relevant national and regional systems. In this paper, on the basis of explaining the historical development of the US government’s purchasing mode of public services, the innovation system and mechanism of its purchasing mode of public services are dissected, providing a preferable reference for the public service governance in China and other countries in the world.
Pigtail Catheter versus Large Bore Chest Tube for the Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Children: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Weiss Tal , Dreznik Yael , Kravarusic Dragan
Published: May 2023

Introduction Pigtail catheter (PGC) insertion due to spontaneous pneumothorax (SPT) in the pediatric population has increased markedly in the last years. However, only few studies examined its efficacy in terms of length of hospitalization, rate of complications, and especially pain management comparing to large bore catheter (LBC) insertion. We sought to compare analgetic drug consumption, efficacy, and complication rate between PGC and LBC in children with SPT.

Materials and Methods This is a single-center retrospective study of pediatric patients that were admitted to the Schneider Children's Medical Center between 2013 and 2021 with a diagnosis of SPT. The following data were collected: type of drainage (PGC or LBC), duration of drainage, length of hospitalization, number of X-rays, complication rate, surgery during hospitalization, readmission due to SPT, and pain management.

Results Seventeen PGC and 23 LBC were inserted in our study. No differences were noted in terms of hospitalization length, tube reposition or replacement, and recurrence of SPT between the groups. Patients with PGC underwent less X-rays comparing to the LBC group (3 X-rays vs. 5, median, p < 0.005). Oral analgesic use in terms of length of therapy was significantly lower in the PGC group than in the LBC group (1 vs. 3+ days, median, p < 0.05). There was no major complication in this cohort.

Conclusion PGC is an effective, safe, and less painful alternative compared with a LBC for the drainage of SPT in children.
Levels of Fibrinogen Variants Are Altered in Severe COVID-19
Authors: de Vries Judith J. , Visser Chantal , van Ommen Maureen , Rokx Casper , van Nood Els , van Gorp Eric C. M. , Goeijenbier Marco , van den Akker Johannes P. C. , Endeman Henrik , Rijken Dingeman C. , Kruip Marieke J. H. A. , Weggeman Miranda , Koopman Jaap , de Maat Moniek P. M.
Published: May 2023

Background Fibrinogen variants as a result of alternative messenger RNA splicing or protein degradation can affect fibrin(ogen) functions. The levels of these variants might be altered during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), potentially affecting disease severity or the thrombosis risk.

Aim To investigate the levels of fibrinogen variants in plasma of patients with COVID-19.

Methods In this case-control study, we measured levels of functional fibrinogen using the Clauss assay. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to measure antigen levels of total, intact (nondegraded Aα chain), extended Aα chain (αE), and γˊ fibrinogen in healthy controls, patients with pneumococcal infection in the intensive care unit (ICU), ward patients with COVID-19, and ICU patients with COVID-19 (with and without thrombosis, two time points).

Results Healthy controls and ward patients with COVID-19 (n = 10) showed similar fibrinogen (variant) levels. ICU patients with COVID-19 who later did (n = 19) or did not develop thrombosis (n = 18) and ICU patients with pneumococcal infection (n = 6) had higher absolute levels of functional, total, intact, and αE fibrinogen than healthy controls (n = 7). The relative αE fibrinogen levels were higher in ICU patients with COVID-19 than in healthy controls, while relative γˊ fibrinogen levels were lower. After diagnosis of thrombosis, only the functional fibrinogen levels were higher in ICU patients with COVID-19 and thrombosis than in those without, while no differences were observed in the other fibrinogen variants.

Conclusion Our results show that severe COVID-19 is associated with increased levels of αE fibrinogen and decreased relative levels of γˊ fibrinogen, which may be a cause or consequence of severe disease, but this is not associated with the development of thrombosis.
From Paper Files to Web-Based Application for Data-Driven Monitoring of HIV Programs: Nigeria's Journey to a National Data Repository for Decision-Making and Patient Care
Authors: Dalhatu Ibrahim , Aniekwe Chinedu , Bashorun Adebobola , Abdulkadir Alhassan , Dirlikov Emilio , Ohakanu Stephen , Adedokun Oluwasanmi , Oladipo Ademola , Jahun Ibrahim , Murie Lisa , Yoon Steven , Abdu-Aguye Mubarak G. , Sylvanus Ahmed , Indyer Samuel , Abbas Isah , Bello Mustapha , Nalda Nannim , Alagi Matthias , Odafe Solomon , Adebajo Sylvia , Ogorry Otse , Akpu Murphy , Okoye Ifeanyi , Kakanfo Kunle , Onovo Amobi Andrew , Ashefor Gregory , Nzelu Charles , Ikpeazu Akudo , Aliyu Gambo , Ellerbrock Tedd , Boyd Mary , Stafford Kristen A. , Swaminathan Mahesh
Published: May 2023

Background Timely and reliable data are crucial for clinical, epidemiologic, and program management decision making. Electronic health information systems provide platforms for managing large longitudinal patient records. Nigeria implemented the National Data Repository (NDR) to create a central data warehouse of all people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) while providing useful functionalities to aid decision making at different levels of program implementation.

Objective We describe the Nigeria NDR and its development process, including its use for surveillance, research, and national HIV program monitoring toward achieving HIV epidemic control.

Methods Stakeholder engagement meetings were held in 2013 to gather information on data elements and vocabulary standards for reporting patient-level information, technical infrastructure, human capacity requirements, and information flow. Findings from these meetings guided the development of the NDR. An implementation guide provided common terminologies and data reporting structures for data exchange between the NDR and the electronic medical record (EMR) systems. Data from the EMR were encoded in extensible markup language and sent to the NDR over secure hypertext transfer protocol after going through a series of validation processes.

Results By June 30, 2021, the NDR had up-to-date records of 1,477,064 (94.4%) patients receiving HIV treatment across 1,985 health facilities, of which 1,266,512 (85.7%) patient records had fingerprint template data to support unique patient identification and record linkage to prevent registration of the same patient under different identities. Data from the NDR was used to support HIV program monitoring, case-based surveillance and production of products like the monthly lists of patients who have treatment interruptions and dashboards for monitoring HIV test and start.

Conclusion The NDR enabled the availability of reliable and timely data for surveillance, research, and HIV program monitoring to guide program improvements to accelerate progress toward epidemic control.
Mechanism of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence the green development behavior of construction enterprises
Authors: Li Xingwei , Dai Jiachi , Zhu Xiaowen , Li Jingru , He Jinrong , Huang Yicheng , Liu Xiang , Shen Qiong
Published: May 2023

The green development behavior of construction enterprises is an environmental behavior that contributes evidence from construction enterprises to the field of resource recycling and environmental protection. Revealing the mechanism of green development behavior of construction enterprises has become the key to guide construction enterprises to adopt green development behavior and improve the level of green development. However, existing studies on the mechanistic discussion of green development behavior of construction enterprises do not reach a consensus. In order to reveal the mechanism of the green development behavior of construction enterprises, this study examines how the green development behavior of construction enterprises is influenced by factors based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), this study analyzed 306 questionnaire data points from construction enterprises in 28 provinces (cities) across China. The main conclusions are as follows. (1) Attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control have significant positive effects on the green development behavioral intentions of construction enterprises, with attitudes being the strongest predictor. (2) Intention intermediates the relationships between attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and the green development behavior of construction enterprises to varying degrees. (3) Regional green development level and enterprise size positively moderate the four groups of the relationship between attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention and green development behavior of construction enterprises. This study provides theoretical guidance for promoting green transformation and upgrading construction enterprises and helps the construction industry achieve a balanced mode of development that supports both economic growth and environmental protection.
Flow space reveals the urban network structure and development mode of cities in Liaoning, China
Authors: Tian Shenzhen , Jiang Jialin , Li Hang , Li Xueming , Yang Jun , Fang Chuanglin
Published: May 2023

As an important supplement to “location space”, “flow space” has become an important trend in urban network research. At present, the theoretical basis and empirical research of urban network structure from the perspective of “flow space” are not completely clear. Based on the urban spatial network structure research system framework, this paper comprehensively studies the urban spatial structure, spatial network pattern and development mode of Liaoning Province in China by using multivariate data flow. The results show that: (1) Cities at all levels in Liaoning Province have different functions and roles in the urban network level, with Shenyang and Dalian as the leading cities, and Anshan and Jinzhou as “transit hubs”; (2) Liaoning Province takes Shenyang-Dalian as its main axis, the Shenyang economic circle with Shenyang as the core and the coastal economic belt with Dalian as the core and Dandong and Yingkou as the two wings intersect to form the urban spatial network pattern; (3) In the future, Liaoning Province should further form the urban development model of “core city-axis-cluster”. Under the trend of globalization, it should carry out in-depth promotion in combination with “Shenyang Modern Metropolitan Circle” “Liaoning Coastal Economic Belt” and “Liaoning Northwest Strategy”, and finally form a balanced, efficient and comprehensive urban network structure.
A user experience map design method based on emotional quantification of in-vehicle HMI
Authors: Huo Faren , Zhao Yeying , Chai Chunlei , Fang Fei
Published: May 2023

The emotional experience of the driver is influenced by the design of the in-vehicle interaction interface. User experience journey maps are commonly used by designers to reveal interface design pain points and refine user needs, and further studies are required to effectively characterize and quantify user emotional needs. This study provides a method for accurately presenting a driver’s emotional experience through a human–machine interface using Kansei engineering and user experience journey. Firstly, the semantic difference approach was used to match the relationship between user behavioral touchpoints and Kansei imagery words of the interface. And then the emotional quantification curve was built to generate an average value for Kansei imagery word evaluation. Finally, design pain points were identified and iterative design was carried out. A validation study was implemented to ensure the method’s validity. The study demonstrated that a quantitative map of user emotional experience could efficiently quantify and depict the findings of emotional quantification. This method enables designers to accurately recognize user needs while also facilitating product iterations.
Acoustics of long vowels in Arabic-speaking children with hearing impairments
Authors: Mashaqba Bassil , Huneety Anas , Al-Khawaldeh Nisreen , Al-Deaibes Mutasim , Zeidan Zainab
Published: May 2023

The present study investigates formant frequencies and vowel space area in Jordanian hearing-impaired individuals who received cochlear implants. To achieve this task, they were compared with their hearing aids and normal-hearing peers. The study involved 60 participants aged between 7 and 11 years, consisting of 20 cochlear implant (CI) users, 20 hearing aid (HA) users, and 20 normal-hearing (NH) children. All participants were native speakers of Jordanian Arabic. The study measured the fundamental frequency (F0), the first, second, and third formant frequencies (F1–F3) of the five long vowels: /i:/, /e:/, /a:/, /o:/, and /u:/ using Praat software (version 6.1.05). One-way repeated measure (ANOVA) and post hoc Tukey tests were used to compare the differences between the three groups. The results revealed significant differences between the three groups in the degree of vowel height and backness for all the long vowels. The vowel space in HA users was found to be smaller than in CI users. HA users had difficulty varying their tongue position in both the high–low and the front–back dimensions, while CI users had difficulty varying their tongue position only in the front–back dimension. The study also examined errors in long vowels and diphthongs. The findings indicated that after cochlear implantation, the formants of the vowels produced by hearing-impaired speakers shifted closer to those produced by their NH peers, and CI users had a greater vowel space compared to HA users. This research could potentially contribute to the development of effective interventions for hearing-impaired individuals and could provide insights for the design of speech therapy programs that aim to improve vowel production abilities.
Quantification of relative stock units for horses to permit correct application within pasture-based production systems
Authors: Chin Y. Y. , Back P. J. , Gee E. K. , Horne D. J. , Rogers C. W.
Published: May 2023

Context Overseer® is the primary software tool used to estimate farm-level nutrient cycle and management for regulatory purposes in New Zealand. The model compares feed demand among different livestock by using ‘revised stock units’ (RSUs, the annual energy requirement of a mature ewe to raise a single lamb to weaning; 6000 MJ metabolisable energy). The RSUs for several common equine stock classes are not yet available, while those currently available within the model are based on the linear scaling of feed demand to liveweight, which does not consider allometric scaling of metabolism to liveweight or the differences in digestive physiology and nutrient metabolism between ruminants and monogastric hindgut fermenters (horses). Aim To compare the current RSU values used in Overseer® for different equine stock classes, with the equineRSU values calculated using equine-specific models. Methods Weighted average estimates of the bodyweight for the different equine livestock classes were calculated from the published literature. These weighted average estimates of bodyweight were used to estimate the energy requirements on the basis of data published by National Research Council. The resulting dry-matter intake and N intake from the equineRSU values and the current RSU values in use within Overseer® were modelled using published data on diet composition, crude protein content and the digestibility of the different feeds offered. Results The current RSUs in Overseer were 2.5–6.8 units higher than the equineRSU values obtained from the equine-specific models. This overestimation in feed demand resulted in N-intake estimates at an animal level being 52–108% higher than values derived using the equine-specific estimates. Conclusion The use of RSUs based on linear scaling of feed demand from ruminants on the basis of liveweight overestimates feed demand and N intake in horses. If horses are to be included within nutrient management models, feed demand must be based on published equine data for energy requirements to avoid over-inflation of N excretion. The equineRSUs calculated in this study reduce the risk of over-inflation of N intake and excretion, and subsequently the N leaching estimations. Implication Failure to accurately model feed demand of horses within nutrient management software would unfairly compromise stocking density and horse management on large commercial breeding farms. The implication for these errors on economic impact and restricted livestock number is greatest for the Thoroughbred breeding industry due to the scale of the operations.