bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatio-temporal evolution and driving factors of green innovation efficiency in the Chinese urban tourism industry based on spatial Markov chain
Authors: Liao Zhenjie , Liang Shan , Wang Xuanfei
Published: May 2024

Green innovation in the tourism industry is a sustainable development concept for resource conservation and environmental optimization. The effective measurement of green innovation efficiency in the tourism industry and an accurate understanding of its spatial relationship was significantly important for promoting its sustainable development. Using the SBM-undesirable model, kernel density estimation, and a spatial Markov chain, we explored the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and influencing mechanisms of urban tourism green innovation efficiency (TGIE) in China between 2000 and 2020. We found that (1) the temporal and spatial changes of TGIE were generally at a lower than medium level and fluctuated throughout country, with a transition in the east, collapse in the middle, and stagnation in the northeast. (2) The dynamic evolution of TGIE always exhibited polarization, but regional coordination was gradually enhanced with strong stability, although it was difficult to achieve leap-forward development. The cities with spatial upward transfer were concentrated mainly in the central and western region and while there were few cities with a downward adjustment, there were obvious asymmetrical spatial spillover effects. (3) The driving factors of TGIE were the overall economic level, industrial structure, government regulation, and education level. These factors had a significant positive relationship with TGIE, while the degree of opening up to the outside world has no significant effect, but the degree of influence, mechanism, and conditions of each factor were strongly regional.
Carbon nanofiber/taurine-catalyzed synthesis of coumarin and 1,2,4,5-tetra-substituted imidazole derivatives under metal-free conditions
Authors: Mallah Dina , Mirjalili Bi Bi Fatemeh , Bamoniri Abdolhamid
Published: May 2024

The main subject of this research is the development of a suitable, efficient, and biocompatible carbon nanofiber-based catalytic system for the synthesis of coumarin and 1,2,4,5-tetra-substituted imidazoles. Brønsted acid carbon nanofiber/taurine catalyst was made during three steps: acid treatment, acylation, and then amination. The basic principles and general advantages of the synthesis method are elaborated. The acidity of the prepared nano-catalyst was investigated using the Hammet acidity technique and UV–Vis spectroscopy, and the H0 value for 5 × 10–2 mg/mL of CNF/T in 0.3 mM 4-nitroaniline solution was determined to be 1.47. The structure of the catalyst was successfully characterized using FT-IR, TGA, FESEM, XRD, TEM, EDX, EDS-MAP, BET, and XPS techniques. Here, we report the ability of carbon nanofiber/taurine as a Brønsted acid catalyst for the synthesis of coumarins and 1,2,4,5-tetra-substituted imidazole through a metal-free, cost-effective, and biocompatible multicomponent route. Among the advantages of this protocol are reaction time, excellent efficiency, reusability, and high activity of the catalyst.
Colorless and transparent polyimide nanocomposites using organically modified montmorillonite and mica
Authors: Park Sanghyeon , Na Changyub , Kang Sung-Soo , Kwac Lee Ku , Kim Hong Gun , Chang Jin-Hae
Published: May 2024

In this study, we introduce a method for replacing the glass used in existing display electronic materials, lighting, and solar cells by synthesizing a colorless and transparent polyimide (CPI) film with excellent mechanical properties and thermal stability using a combination of new monomers. Poly(amic acid) (PAA) was synthesized using dianhydride 4,4′-biphthalic anhydride (BPA) and diamine 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane (AHP). Various contents of organically modified montmorillonite (MMT) and mica were dispersed in PAA solution through solution intercalation, and then CPI hybrid films were prepared through multi-step thermal imidization. The organoclays synthesized to prepare CPI hybrid films were Cloisite 93A (CS-MMT) and hexadimethrine-mica (HM-Mica) based on MMT and mica, respectively. In particular, the diamine monomer AHP containing a –OH group was selected to increase the dispersibility and compatibility between the hydrophilic clays and the CPI matrix. To demonstrate the characteristics of CPI, the overall polymer structure was bent and a strong electron withdrawing –CF3 group was used as a substituent. The thermomechanical properties, morphology of clay dispersion, and optical transparency of the CPI hybrid films were investigated and compared according to the type and content of organoclays. Two types of organoclays, CS-MMT and HM-Mica, were dispersed in a CPI matrix at 1 to 7 wt%, respectively. In electron microscopy, most of the clays were uniformly dispersed in a plate-like shape of less than 20 nm at a certain critical content of the two types of organoclays, but agglomeration of the clays was observed when the content was higher than the critical content. Hybrids using HM-Mica had better thermomechanical properties and hybrids containing CS-MMT had better optical transparency.
Automated crack detection of train rivets using fluorescent magnetic particle inspection and instance segmentation
Authors: Wang Haoguang , Du Wangzhe , Xu Guanhua , Sun Yangfan , Shen Hongyao
Published: May 2024

The railway rivet is one of the most important and easily damaged parts of the connection. If rivets develop cracks during the production process, their load-bearing capacity will be reduced, thereby increasing the risk of failure. Fluorescent magnetic particle flaw detection (FMPFD) is a widely used inspection method for train fasteners. Manual inspection is not only time-consuming but also prone to miss detection, therefore intelligent detection system has important application value. However, the fluorescent crack images obtained by FMPFD present challenges for intelligent detection, such as the dense, multi-scaled and uninstantiated cracks. In addition, there is limited research on fluorescent rivet crack detection. This paper adopts instance segmentation to achieve automatic cracks detection of rivets. A decentralized target center and low overlap rate labeling method is proposed, and a Gaussian-weighted correction post-processing method is introduced to improve the recall rate in the areas of dense cracks. An efficient channel spatial attention mechanism for feature extraction is proposed in order to enhance the detection of multi-scale cracks. For uninstantiated cracks, an improvement of crack detection in uninstantiated regions based on multi task feature learning is proposed, thoroughly utilizing the semantic and spatial features of the fluorescent cracks. The experimental results show that the improved methods are better than the baseline and some cutting-edge algorithms, achieving a recall rate and mAP0.5 of 86.4% and 90.3%. In addition, a single coil non-contact train rivet composite magnetization device is built for rivets that can magnetize different shapes of rivets and has universality.
BIN1 regulates actin-membrane interactions during IRSp53-dependent filopodia formation
Authors: Picas Laura , André-Arpin Charlotte , Comunale Franck , Bousquet Hugo , Tsai Feng-Ching , Rico Félix , Maiuri Paolo , Pernier Julien , Bodin Stéphane , Nicot Anne-Sophie , Laporte Jocelyn , Bassereau Patricia , Goud Bruno , Gauthier-Rouvière Cécile , Miserey Stéphanie
Published: May 2024

Amphiphysin 2 (BIN1) is a membrane and actin remodeling protein mutated in congenital and adult centronuclear myopathies. Here, we report an unexpected function of this N-BAR domain protein BIN1 in filopodia formation. We demonstrated that BIN1 expression is necessary and sufficient to induce filopodia formation. BIN1 is present at the base of forming filopodia and all along filopodia, where it colocalizes with F-actin. We identify that BIN1-mediated filopodia formation requires IRSp53, which allows its localization at negatively-curved membrane topologies. Our results show that BIN1 bundles actin in vitro. Finally, we identify that BIN1 regulates the membrane-to-cortex architecture and functions as a molecular platform to recruit actin-binding proteins, dynamin and ezrin, to promote filopodia formation.
Anti-Hebbian plasticity drives sequence learning in striatum
Authors: Vignoud Gaëtan , Venance Laurent , Touboul Jonathan D.
Published: May 2024

Spatio-temporal activity patterns have been observed in a variety of brain areas in spontaneous activity, prior to or during action, or in response to stimuli. Biological mechanisms endowing neurons with the ability to distinguish between different sequences remain largely unknown. Learning sequences of spikes raises multiple challenges, such as maintaining in memory spike history and discriminating partially overlapping sequences. Here, we show that anti-Hebbian spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP), as observed at cortico-striatal synapses, can naturally lead to learning spike sequences. We design a spiking model of the striatal output neuron receiving spike patterns defined as sequential input from a fixed set of cortical neurons. We use a simple synaptic plasticity rule that combines anti-Hebbian STDP and non-associative potentiation for a subset of the presented patterns called rewarded patterns. We study the ability of striatal output neurons to discriminate rewarded from non-rewarded patterns by firing only after the presentation of a rewarded pattern. In particular, we show that two biological properties of striatal networks, spiking latency and collateral inhibition, contribute to an increase in accuracy, by allowing a better discrimination of partially overlapping sequences. These results suggest that anti-Hebbian STDP may serve as a biological substrate for learning sequences of spikes.
Deciphering the factors influencing electric field mediated polymerization and depolymerization at the solution–solid interface
Authors: Fu Zhinan , Arisnabarreta Nicolás , Mali Kunal S. , De Feyter Steven
Published: May 2024

Strong and oriented electric fields are known to influence structure as well as reactivity. The strong electric field (EF) between the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and graphite has been used to modulate two-dimensional (2D) polymerization of aryl boronic acids where switching the polarity of the substrate bias enabled reversible transition between self-assembled molecular networks of monomers and crystalline 2D polymer (2DP) domains. Here, we untangle the different factors influencing the EF-mediated (de)polymerization of a boroxine-based 2DP on graphite. The influence of the solvent was systematically studied by varying the nature from polar protic to polar aprotic to non-polar. The effect of monomer concentration was also investigated in detail with a special focus on the time-dependence of the transition. Our experimental observations indicate that while the nucleation of 2DP domains is not initiated by the applied electric field, their depolymerization and subsequent desorption, are a consequence of the change in the polarity of the substrate bias within the area scanned by the STM tip. We conclude that the reversible transition is intimately linked to the bias-induced adsorption and desorption of the monomers, which, in turn, could drive changes in the local concentration of the monomers.
Large impact of phonon lineshapes on the superconductivity of solid hydrogen
Authors: Dangić Ðorđe , Monacelli Lorenzo , Bianco Raffaello , Mauri Francesco , Errea Ion
Published: May 2024

Phonon anharmonicity plays a crucial role in determining the stability and vibrational properties of high-pressure hydrides. Furthermore, strong anharmonicity can render phonon quasiparticle picture obsolete questioning standard approaches for modeling superconductivity in these material systems. In this work, we show the effects of non-Lorentzian phonon lineshapes on the superconductivity of high-pressure solid hydrogen. We calculate the superconducting critical temperature TC ab initio considering the full phonon spectral function and show that it overall enhances the TC estimate. The anharmonicity-induced phonon softening exhibited in spectral functions increases the estimate of the critical temperature, while the broadening of phonon lines due to phonon-phonon interaction decreases it. Our calculations also reveal that superconductivity emerges in hydrogen in the Cmca − 12 molecular phase VI at pressures between 450 and 500 GPa and explain the disagreement between the previous theoretical results and experiments.
Centralized industrialization of pork in Europe and America contributes to the global spread of Salmonella enterica
Authors: Li Heng , Wu Yilei , Feng Dan , Jiang Quangui , Li Shengkai , Rong Jie , Zhong Ling , Methner Ulrich , Baxter Laura , Ott Sascha , Falush Daniel , Li Zhenpeng , Deng Xiangyu , Lu Xin , Ren Yi , Kan Biao , Zhou Zhemin
Published: May 2024

Salmonella enterica causes severe food-borne infections through contamination of the food supply chain. Its evolution has been associated with human activities, especially animal husbandry. Advances in intensive farming and global transportation have substantially reshaped the pig industry, but their impact on the evolution of associated zoonotic pathogens such as S. enterica remains unresolved. Here we investigated the population fluctuation, accumulation of antimicrobial resistance genes and international serovar Choleraesuis transmission of nine pig-enriched S. enterica populations comprising more than 9,000 genomes. Most changes were found to be attributable to the developments of the modern pig industry. All pig-enriched salmonellae experienced host transfers in pigs and/or population expansions over the past century, with pigs and pork having become the main sources of S. enterica transmissions to other hosts. Overall, our analysis revealed strong associations between the transmission of pig-enriched salmonellae and the global pork trade.
Control of Vibrio vulnificus proliferation in the Baltic Sea through eutrophication and algal bloom management
Authors: Riedinger David J. , Fernández-Juárez Victor , Delgado Luis F. , Sperlea Theodor , Hassenrück Christiane , Herlemann Daniel P. R. , Pansch Christian , Kataržytė Marija , Bruck Florian , Ahrens Alwin , Rakowski Marcin , Piwosz Kasia , Stevenson Angela , Reusch Thorsten B. H. , Gyraitė Greta , Schulz-Bull Detlef , Benterbusch-Brockmöller Heike , Kube Sandra , Dupke Susann , Andersson Anders F. , Riemann Lasse , Labrenz Matthias
Published: May 2024

Due to climate change the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio vulnificus proliferates along brackish coastlines, posing risks to public health, tourism, and aquaculture. Here we investigated previously suggested regulation measures to reduce the prevalence of V. vulnificus, locally through seagrass and regionally through the reduction of eutrophication and consequential formation of algal blooms. Field samples collected in the summer of 2021 covered the salinity and eutrophication gradients of the Baltic Sea, one of the largest brackish areas worldwide. Physico-, biological- and hydrochemical parameters were measured and variables explaining V. vulnificus occurrence were identified by machine learning. The best V. vulnificus predictors were eutrophication-related features, such as particulate organic carbon and nitrogen, as well as occurrence of potential phytoplankton blooms and associated species. V. vulnificus abundance did not vary significantly between vegetated and non-vegetated areas. Thus, reducing nutrient inputs could be an effective method to control V. vulnificus populations in eutrophied brackish coasts.
Predicting suicidality with small sets of interpretable reward behavior and survey variables
Authors: Lalvani Shamal , Bari Sumra , Vike Nicole L. , Stefanopoulos Leandros , Kim Byoung-Woo , Block Martin , Maglaveras Nicos , Katsaggelos Aggelos K. , Breiter Hans C.
Published: May 2024

The prediction of suicidal thought and behavior has met with mixed results. This study of 3,476 de-identified participants (4,019 before data exclusion) quantified the prediction of four suicidal thought and behavior (STB) variables using a short reward/aversion judgment task and a limited set of demographic and mental health surveys. The focus was to produce a simple, quick and objective framework for assessing STB that might be automatable, without the use of big data. A balanced random forest classifier performed better than a Gaussian mixture model and four standard machine learning classifiers for predicting passive suicide ideation, active suicide ideation, suicide planning and planning for safety. Accuracies ranged from 78% to 92% (optimal area under the curve between 0.80 and 0.95) without overfitting, and peak performance was observed for predicting suicide planning. The relative importance of features for prediction showed distinct weighting across judgment variables, contributing between 40% and 64% to prediction per Gini scores. Mediation/moderation analyses showed that depression, anxiety, loneliness and age variables moderated the judgment variables, indicating that the interaction of judgment with mental health and demographic indices is fundamental for the high-accuracy prediction of STB. These findings suggest the feasibility of an efficient and highly scalable system for suicide assessment, without requiring psychiatric records or neural measures. The findings suggest that STB might be understood within a cognitive framework for judgment with quantitative variables whose unique constellation separates passive and active suicidal thought (ideation) from suicide planning and planning for safety.
Electrical engineering of topological magnetism in two-dimensional heterobilayers
Authors: Abuawwad Nihad , dos Santos Dias Manuel , Abusara Hazem , Lounis Samir
Published: May 2024

The emergence of topological magnetism in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) magnetic materials and their heterostructures is an essential ingredient for next-generation information technology devices. Here, we demonstrate the all-electric switching of the topological nature of individual magnetic objects emerging in 2D vdW heterobilayers. We show from the first principles that an external electric field modifies the vdW gap between CrTe2 and (Rh, Ti)Te2 layers and alters the underlying magnetic interactions. This enables switching between ferromagnetic skyrmions and meron pairs in the CrTe2/RhTe2 heterobilayer while it enhances the stability of frustrated antiferromagnetic merons in the CrTe2/TiTe2 heterobilayer. We envision that the electrical engineering of distinct topological magnetic solitons in a single device could pave the way for novel energy-efficient mechanisms to store and transmit information with applications in spintronics.
An integrative epigenome-based strategy for unbiased functional profiling of clinical kinase inhibitors
Authors: Gualdrini Francesco , Rizzieri Stefano , Polletti Sara , Pileri Francesco , Zhan Yinxiu , Cuomo Alessandro , Natoli Gioacchino
Published: May 2024

More than 500 kinases are implicated in the control of most cellular process in mammals, and deregulation of their activity is linked to cancer and inflammatory disorders. 80 clinical kinase inhibitors (CKIs) have been approved for clinical use and hundreds are in various stages of development. However, CKIs inhibit other kinases in addition to the intended target(s), causing both enhanced clinical effects and undesired side effects that are only partially predictable based on in vitro selectivity profiling. Here, we report an integrative approach grounded on the use of chromatin modifications as unbiased, information-rich readouts of the functional effects of CKIs on macrophage activation. This approach exceeded the performance of transcriptome-based approaches and allowed us to identify similarities and differences among CKIs with identical intended targets, to recognize novel CKI specificities and to pinpoint CKIs that may be repurposed to control inflammation, thus supporting the utility of this strategy to improve selection and use of CKIs in clinical settings.
ESI(−)FT-ICR MS for the determination of best conditions for producing extract abundant in phenolic compounds from leaves of E. uniflora and FTIR-PCA as a sample screening method
Authors: de Oliveira Fernanda M. G. , Lyrio Marcos V. V. , Filgueiras Paulo R. , de Castro Eustáquio V. R. , Kuster Ricardo M.
Published: May 2024

E. uniflora leaves are a rich source of phenolic compounds with biological activities, including myricitrin.
Application of breathomics in pediatric asthma: a review
Authors: Chi Lei , Wang Xiaoli , Shan Yuxia , Zhu Chonghui , Leng Ling , Chen Rong , Xie Qing , Cui Zhenze , Yang Minghui
Published: May 2024

Clarifying the potential of breathomics in the context of childhood asthma is imperative for optimizing its clinical applicability.
Beyond the horizons of graphene: xenes for energy applications
Authors: Santra Sumon , Ghosh Anuraag , Das Bishwajit , Pal Shibam , Pal Saikat , Adalder Ashadul
Published: May 2024

Over the past 20 years, graphene has impacted various applications. Similar to graphene, monoelemental 2D materials from groups 13–16 have shown potential in catalysis, supercapacitors, and battery applications in recent years.
Structure–reactivity relations in Cu/ZrO2 catalysed glycerol dehydration to acetol in continuous flow
Authors: Mazarío Jaime , Jampaiah Deshetti , Concepción Patricia , Villasante-Iturria Pablo , Wilson Karen , Lee Adam , Domine Marcelo E.
Published: May 2024

Selective dehydration of glycerol to acetol was successfully catalysed by Cu/m-ZrO2 with monoclinic zirconia preferentially stabilising the more active Cu(i) species.
Metal-sulfide/polysulfide functionalized layered double hydroxides – recent progress in the removal of heavy metal ions and oxoanionic species from aqueous solutions
Authors: Rohit R. C. , Roy Subrata Chandra , Alam Robiul , Islam Saiful M.
Published: May 2024

This review summarizes various syntheses and structural characterization of metal sulfide/polysulfide intercalated LDHs and their sorption properties with mechanisms for various chemically toxic inorganic species (heavy metal cations and oxo-anions).
A synergistic heterojunction of SnS2/SnSSe nanosheets on GaN for advanced self-powered photodetectors
Authors: Maity Sukhendu , Kumar Praveen
Published: May 2024

Tin-based TMDCs are gaining prominence in optoelectronics. This study presents the solvothermal synthesis of a Janus-like SnSSe alloy, which, when integrated with SnS2 on GaN, enhances light absorption, electron-hole separation, and enables self-powered photodetection.
Symmetry lowering through surface engineering and improved thermoelectric properties in Janus MXenes
Authors: Murari Himanshu , Ghosh Subhradip
Published: May 2024

Increased anharmonicity by lowering of symmetry boosts thermoelectric performances of MXenes.
Spirobifluorene-BINOL-based microporous polymer nanoreactor for efficient 1H-tetrazole synthesis and iodine adsorption with facile charge transfer
Authors: Banerjee Flora , Bera Sudharanjan , Nath Tanushree , Samanta Suman Kalyan
Published: May 2024

In situ BINOL formation during polymerization produced spirobifluorene-BINOL-based porous polymers showing volatile iodine uptake up to 4 g g−1 and loads silver nanoparticles towards the efficient catalytic synthesis of 1H-tetrazoles.
The dawn of MXene duo: revolutionizing perovskite solar cells with MXenes through computational and experimental methods
Authors: Marimuthu Sathish , Prabhakaran Shyma Arunkumar , Sathyanarayanan Shriswaroop , Gopal Tamilselvi , James Jaimson T. , Nagalingam Suruthi Priya , Gunaseelan Bharath , Babu Sivasri , Sellappan Raja , Grace Andrews Nirmala
Published: May 2024

Through increased conductivity, customised surface groups, and mechanical strength, MXene improves perovskite solar cell efficiency and stability. Experimental and computer modelling optimise MXene's addition in PSC layers, guiding future study.
Barium molybdate up-conversion nanoscale particles with IR-LED chip, temperature sensing, and anti-counterfeiting applications
Authors: Jung Jae Yong , Park Jin Young , Yi Soung Soo , Yang Hyun Kyoung
Published: May 2024

Barium molybdate nanoparticles exhibiting up-conversion luminescence were synthesized via the solvothermal method.
State-of-the-art strategies for the synthesis of zeolite-encapsulated subnanometric metal clusters
Authors: Konnov Stanislav V. , Bruter Daniil V. , Pavlov Vladimir S. , Ivanova Irina I.
Published: May 2024

Novel and conventional strategies for the synthesis of zeolite-encapsulated subnanometric metal clusters are reviewed. Further perspectives for the rational design of zeolite-encapsulated subnanometric metal clusters are analyzed.
State-of-the-art and challenges towards a Molecular Solar Thermal (MOST) energy storage device
Authors: Giménez-Gómez Alberto , Magson Lucien , Merino-Robledillo Cecilia , Hernáez-Troya Sara , Sanosa Nil , Sampedro Diego , Funes-Ardoiz Ignacio
Published: May 2024

In this minireview, the recent advances and limitations of MOlecular Solar Thermal (MOST) energy storage technology are discussed, including a discussion of the photoisomerization and the catalytic back-conversion reactions.
Modulation and engineering of MOF-derived transition metal selenides/NiFe LDH for application in electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Liang Jin , Luo Hang , Lei Tian , Yang Guang
Published: May 2024

The distinctive electronic manipulation and morphology modulation yield an effective bifunctional OER/HER catalyst for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution.
Production of drop-in biodiesel blendstocks via competitive acid-catalyzed dehydration reactions using ethanol oligomerization products
Authors: Canales Emmanuel , Hower Samuel C. , Li Daniel Paul , Tambe Aditya , Rothamer David , Huber George W.
Published: May 2024

Ethanol can be catalytically upgraded to drop-in diesel fuel.
Discrete and dimeric chiral plasmonic nanorods: intrinsic chirality and extrinsic chirality
Authors: Fu Weiwei , Chen Jiaqi , Zhang Shunping , Zheng Guangchao , Zhang Yuan
Published: May 2024

The advanced synthetic methodologies for discrete chiral Au nanorods promote understanding the effect of structure parameters, intrinsic chirality and extrinsic chirality on the chiral plasmonic couplings.
Demonstration of a simple and efficient design methodology for high‐voltage floating field limiting ring in SiC power devices
Authors: Zhang Bingke , Zhou Hang , Yi Bo , Ge Huan , Jin Rui , Zhu Tao
Published: May 2024

This letter, proposes and experimentally demonstrates a simple and efficient estimating method for high‐voltage floating field ring (FFR). Four rings in FFR are used to determine the influence of rings’ distance (d) on the voltage drops of the highest voltage to the third ring (Vn+1) and the third to the second ring (Vn). Then, two voltage curves (curves for Vn+1 and Vn) based on d are drawn. For a target breakdown voltage, by iterating between the curves for Vn+1 and Vn, the number of FFRs and corresponding distances can be found. Based on this method, an 8.0 kV PN diode with 111 FFRs is designed and fabricated. The measured breakdown voltage is 7840 V, which reaches 98% of the designed value. This method provides a simple and efficient design for high‐voltage SiC devices, especially for ultra‐high voltage applications where the number of rings exceeds dozens.
Aviation fuel pump health state assessment based on evidential reasoning and random forests
Authors: Zhang Bangcheng , Chen Dianxin , Su Wei , Liu Tiejun , Shao Yubo
Published: May 2024

As the power source of the engine, the Fuel Pump(FP) plays a vital role in the safe operation of the aircraft. Due to the complexity of the working mechanism of Aviation Fuel Pumps (AFP) and the strong correlation between the components, the assessment model cannot reflect the health state of the FPs better, while the initial parameters in the assessment model will affect the assessment effect of the model. Therefore, this paper proposes a health status assessment model that can fully integrate monitoring data. To improve the accuracy of the model parameters, the Random Forest algorithm is used to give the feature weights to make up for the limitation of relying on expert knowledge, and the model parameters are optimized by the Covariance Matrix Adaptive Evolutionary Strategy algorithm, which achieves an accurate assessment of the state. Finally, the AFP test bed was built and the AFP was tested. Compared with other methods, the accuracy of the proposed method in this question reaches 96%, which is greatly superior to other methods and verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method. It also provides an outlook on future research directions for health state assessment.
A novel joint depth sensor calibration method without fixture for mobile robots’ navigation
Authors: Lu Yiming , Yuan Rupeng , Xue Tiegang
Published: May 2024

Commercial mobile robots are usually equipped with multiple depth sensors that can measure the point cloud information around the robot's environment. The installation process of these sensors contains assembly error and sensor measurement error, so it is necessary to calibrate each sensor to align the point cloud. In order to obtain the sensor calibration results of commercial robots under normal working conditions, this study proposes a fixture free multi depth sensor joint calibration method that can be deployed on low‐cost embedded computing units, which efficiently aligns the point clouds of each sensor. During the calibration process, the robot is placed in the center of three upright thin plates perpendicular to the ground. 2D LIDAR depicts high‐precision contours of the upright thin plates. In the calibration process of each depth sensor, the roll angle and pitch angle of the sensor point cloud are first calibrated to make it perpendicular to the ground, and then the yaw angle and position of the point cloud are calibrated to fit the high‐precision contour of the upright thin plate. The results show that this method can be deployed on low‐cost embedded computing units, with real‐time and accurate calibration results. The convergence of calibration results can be achieved through up to 5 iterations, and the average running time is less than 120 ms. This research achievement provides a reference for multi‐sensor calibration of commercial robots.
Challenges of Super-Super Obese Patient Presenting for Neurosurgery: A Case-Based Review
Authors: Suresh Sapna , Hrishi Ajay P. , Arumadi Ashitha , Praveen Ranganatha
Published: May 2024

With the rising prevalence of extreme obesity, their perioperative neurosurgical management demands special attention. We report the case of an acromegalic male with a body mass index as high as 64.12 kg/m2 who presented for craniotomy and resection of a pituitary tumor under general anesthesia. Through this report, we introduce the readers to this newer concept of the highest grade of obesity in the context of neurosurgery, explain the perioperative concerns, and reiterate the need for careful drug dosing, ventilation targets, positioning requirements, thorough cardiac and airway evaluation, and preparedness for adverse events. This report also highlights the fact that a well-planned and managed case can still turn out uneventful in the presence of multiple comorbidities like diabetes mellitus, adrenocortical insufficiency, hypothyroidism, and acromegaly. Advances in airway management, regional anesthesia, and perioperative point-of-care ultrasound have made it possible to formulate a safe anesthetic plan tailored to the patient's needs.
A Pilot Real-World Study of Ultrasonography Findings of Hidradenitis Suppurativa in Indian Patients and Its Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Gogate Siddharth , Aggarwal Raghav , Sardana Kabir , Yadav Sheetal , Boyidi Bulli Babu , Siddharth Siddharth , Sharma Pankaj
Published: May 2024

Introduction Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory follicular disorder affecting apocrine gland-bearing areas of the body. We conducted an observational study to assess the ultrasonography (USG) findings in suspected HS patients at a tertiary care center in North India over 6 months.

Aim The aim of this article was to study the USG findings in HS and correlate clinical and USG findings and scoring systems in HS with stage wise treatments.

Materials and Methods All patients with a clinical suspicion of HS underwent an USG examination after clinical examination with a probe of 18 Hz frequency. Hurley's staging of patients was used to stage clinically, and the HS-SOS scoring and Doppler changes were assessed on USG. The treatment was revised in case of a change in the USG grading of severity.

Results A total of 23 patients suspected of HS underwent USG evaluation, of which 12 (52%) were male and 9 (48%) were females, with the mean age being 25.3 years (range: 14–40 years). Based on the HS clinical grading, eleven patients (47.8%) were Hurley's stage I, six patients (26%) were stage II, and six patients (26%) were stage III. USG demonstrated that three patients had been misdiagnosed and had folliculitis (8.6%) and Crohn's disease (4.3%). Out of the remaining twenty patients with USG features of HS, based on HS SOS grading, three patients (15%) were grade I, seven (35%) were grade II, and ten (50%) were grade III. Of these, nineteen patients (95%) had axillary involvement, which was bilateral in 84% of cases. The other region affected was the groin in five patients (26.3%), while two had inframammary involvement (10.5%). On further characterization of the type of lesion, nodules (41; 40.6%) were the most common type of lesion by sinuses and thickened hair follicles in 31 (30.6%) patients. Based on USG findings, the management of 26% of patients was changed from medical to surgical intervention.

Conclusion USG and Doppler are noninvasive bedside tools for the examination of HS, which helps to rule out differentials and delineate the extent and depth of the disease better by picking up subclinical lesions and help in determining disease activity by Doppler, which in turn helps in planning appropriate medical and surgical management of patients. It also identifies radiological parameters that help identify patients who could fail medical management.
The Downing Street Chief-of-Staff: a case study in political management
Authors: Stafford Max W.
Published: May 2024

The role of Downing Street Chief-of-Staff has been neglected by examinations of British Politics, prime ministers, and political leadership and management. This is despite the role having existed since 1997. This article is a “first move” in correcting this omission. The Chief’s responsibilities are difficult to define but cover oversight of the political operation within 10 Downing Street. This includes Human Resources; “gatekeeping”; being the PM’s closest adviser; institutional reforms; and other related functions. The article uses a theoretical framework drawn from the emerging literature on political management (Lees-Marshment, in Political management: the dance of government and politics, Routledge, Abingdon, 2021) to provide an understanding of what the Chief does and why it is important that we comprehend it better. It focuses upon how chiefs have undertaken the four “D’s” (deliberating, designing, doing, and dancing) of political management and what insights can be gleaned from this evidence. Application of this framework helps to reveal key developments of chiefs’ work in a structured and detailed manner.
The moderating effect of physical exercises on job stress, emotional intelligence, and teaching satisfaction among Chinese University teachers
Authors: Zhao Mao , Yu Yating , Sin Kuen Fung
Published: May 2024

This study presents a conceptual model that investigates teaching satisfaction as an outcome variable in mainland China. The model incorporates the mediating mechanism of emotional intelligence and the moderating role of physical activity. The results of a survey of 2500 university teachers from 25 public institutions, which tested teaching satisfaction, demonstrate that job stress is negatively related to teaching satisfaction and indirectly related to emotional intelligence. Physical exercise acts as a moderating factor that alleviates the negative correlation between job stress and emotional intelligence. Overall, our findings indicate that enhancing the frequency of physical exercises can potentially alleviate stress, regulate emotional intelligence, and ultimately contribute to a positive enhancement in teaching satisfaction. These outcomes undeniably hold practical significance for teachers and educational administrators in the realm of higher education.
A synthesis of Kantian ethics and Rousseauvian General Will in justifying the moral ground of political laws
Authors: Lin Shuyang
Published: May 2024

This article explores the Kantian and Rousseauvian solutions to the conflict between autonomy and authority. First, I discuss how the categorical imperatives (CI) are the supreme source of the legitimate authority of a limited number of political laws. By extending the synthetic a priori nature of the CI, I demonstrate how Rousseau’s General Will (GW) can justify political laws in a broader sense. I also refer to the theory of H.L.A. Hart and John Rawls to show that all political laws are binding if they are within the limits of injustice and have some moral foundation. I discussed the limits of authority of on debatable laws such as banning abortion. I analyzed the possibility of GW by using Condorcet’s theorem. I conclude that GW cannot fully justify political laws based on majoritarian direct democracy, owing to problematic assumptions, although it may be an improvement to the current legislative procedure of the U.S.
Modeling homologous chromosome recognition via nonspecific interactions
Authors: Marshall Wallace F. , Fung Jennifer C.
Published: May 2024

In many organisms, most notably
Drosophila
, homologous chromosomes associate in somatic cells, a phenomenon known as somatic pairing, which takes place without double strand breaks or strand invasion, thus requiring some other mechanism for homologs to recognize each other. Several studies have suggested a “specific button” model, in which a series of distinct regions in the genome, known as buttons, can associate with each other, mediated by different proteins that bind to these different regions. Here, we use computational modeling to evaluate an alternative “button barcode” model, in which there is only one type of recognition site or adhesion button, present in many copies in the genome, each of which can associate with any of the others with equal affinity. In this model, buttons are nonuniformly distributed, such that alignment of a chromosome with its correct homolog, compared with a nonhomolog, is energetically favored; since to achieve nonhomologous alignment, chromosomes would be required to mechanically deform in order to bring their buttons into mutual register. By simulating randomly generated nonuniform button distributions, many highly effective button barcodes can be easily found, some of which achieve virtually perfect pairing fidelity. This model is consistent with existing literature on the effect of translocations of different sizes on homolog pairing. We conclude that a button barcode model can attain highly specific homolog recognition, comparable to that seen in actual cells undergoing somatic homolog pairing, without the need for specific interactions. This model may have implications for how meiotic pairing is achieved.
Cell growth and nutrient availability control the mitotic exit signaling network in budding yeast
Authors: Talavera Rafael A. , Prichard Beth E. , Sommer Robert A. , Leitao Ricardo M. , Sarabia Christopher J. , Hazir Semin , Paulo Joao A. , Gygi Steven P. , Kellogg Douglas R.
Published: May 2024

Cell growth is required for cell cycle progression. The amount of growth required for cell cycle progression is reduced in poor nutrients, which leads to a reduction in cell size. In budding yeast, nutrients can influence cell size by modulating the extent of bud growth, which occurs predominantly in mitosis. However, the mechanisms are unknown. Here, we used mass spectrometry to identify proteins that modulate bud growth in response to nutrient availability. This led to the discovery that nutrients regulate numerous components of the mitotic exit network (MEN), which controls exit from mitosis. A key component of the MEN undergoes gradual multisite phosphorylation during bud growth that is dependent upon bud growth and correlated with the extent of growth. Furthermore, activation of the MEN is sufficient to override a growth requirement for mitotic exit. The data suggest a model in which the MEN ensures that mitotic exit occurs only when an appropriate amount of bud growth has occurred.
Prolonged depletion of profilin 1 or F-actin causes an adaptive response in microtubules
Authors: Cisterna Bruno A. , Skruber Kristen , Jane Makenzie L. , Camesi Caleb I. , Nguyen Ivan D. , Liu Tatiana M. , Warp Peyton V. , Black Joseph B. , Butler Mitchell T. , Bear James E. , Mor Danielle E. , Read Tracy-Ann , Vitriol Eric A.
Published: May 2024

In addition to its well-established role in actin assembly, profilin 1 (PFN1) has been shown to bind to tubulin and alter microtubule growth. However, whether PFN1’s predominant control over microtubules in cells occurs through direct regulation of tubulin or indirectly through the polymerization of actin has yet to be determined. Here, we manipulated PFN1 expression, actin filament assembly, and actomyosin contractility and showed that reducing any of these parameters for extended periods of time caused an adaptive response in the microtubule cytoskeleton, with the effect being significantly more pronounced in neuronal processes. All the observed changes to microtubules were reversible if actomyosin was restored, arguing that PFN1’s regulation of microtubules occurs principally through actin. Moreover, the cytoskeletal modifications resulting from PFN1 depletion in neuronal processes affected microtubule-based transport and mimicked phenotypes that are linked to neurodegenerative disease. This demonstrates how defects in actin can cause compensatory responses in other cytoskeleton components, which in turn significantly alter cellular function.
Friction models of one-dimensional earthquakes
Authors: Denny Mark
Published: May 2024

A number of fundamental characteristics of earthquake physics are reproduced by simple stick-slip friction models. These include creep motion, stick/slip periodic earthquakes, reduced frequency of occurrence for more energetic quakes, ground velocity proportional to slip duration, and ground displacement proportional to fault length. By confining attention to one dimension, these results are obtained analytically. Though many earthquake characteristics cannot be reproduced in a one-dimensional model, our simple approach nevertheless has pedagogical value in providing insight into some of the complicated dynamics of earthquakes.
Topological wave equation eigenmodes in continuous 2D periodic geometries
Authors: Dias R G , Madail L , Lykholat A , Andrade R , Marques A M
Published: May 2024

In this paper, we address the topological characterization of the wave equation solutions in continuous two-dimensional (2D) periodic geometries with Neumann or Dirichlet boundary conditions. This characterization is relevant in the context of 2D vibrating membranes and our approach allows one to understand the topological behavior recently observed in acoustic three-dimensional artificial lattices. In particular, the dependence of the topological behavior on the experimental positioning of the coupling channels is explained using simple arguments and a simple method of construction of an equivalent effective tight-binding Hamiltonian is presented.
Relationship between assistant’s lens exposure and dose information during computed tomography examinations
Authors: Ito Hajime , Matsubara Kosuke , Kobayashi Ikuo , Shimakawa Yurie , Murayama Daichi , Sakai Takayuki , Isobe Tomonori , Yanagawa Noriyuki , Ochi Shigehiro
Published: May 2024

According to International Commission of Radiological Protection, the equivalent dose limit for the eye lens for occupational exposure is recommended to be 20 mSv yr−1, averaged over 5 years, with no single year above 50 mSv. Some studies reported the measurement of assistant’s lens exposure in diagnostic computed tomography (CT) examinations, but further investigation is still required in the association between the lens dose for assistants and various dose parameters. Therefore, we measured the assistant’s lens exposure using small optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters. The type of occupation, type of assistance, total scan time, total mAs, total scan length, and dose-length product (DLP) were recorded and analyzed in association with air kerma at the lens position. The assistance was classified into four types: ‘assisted ventilation,’ ‘head holding,’ ‘body holding,’ and ‘raising patient’s arm.’ The air kerma of lens position was not significantly different for each assistance type (p < 0.05, Kruskal–Wallis test). Further, the lens doses for assistants correlated with DLP, but with various strengths of correlation with the assistance type and were influenced by the distance from the CT gantry. In conclusion, lens dose during assistance and DLP demonstrated the strongest correlation. ‘Raising patient’s arm’ and ‘head holding’ exhibited stronger correlations, which required less table movement during the CT scan than ‘assisted ventilation’ and ‘body holding’.
Experimental validation of an advanced impedance pneumography for monitoring ventilation volume during programmed cycling exercise
Authors: Zhou Xing , Liu Qin , Bai Zixuan , Xue Shan , Kong Zhibin , Ma Yixin
Published: May 2024

Objective. Impedance pneumography (IP) has provided static assessments of subjects’ breathing patterns in previous studies. Evaluating the feasibility and limitation of ambulatory IP based respiratory monitoring needs further investigation on clinically relevant exercise designs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of an advanced IP in ambulatory respiratory monitoring, and its predictive value in independent ventilatory capacity quantification during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Approach. 35 volunteers were examined with the same calibration methodology and CPET exercise protocol comprising phases of rest, unloaded, incremental load, maximum load, recovery and further-recovery. In 3 or 4 deep breaths of calibration stage, thoracic impedance and criterion spirometric volume were simultaneously recorded to produce phase-specific prior calibration coefficients (CCs). The IP measurement during exercise protocol was converted by prior CCs to volume estimation curve and thus calculate minute ventilation (VE) independent from the spirometry approach. Main results. Across all measurements, the relative error of IP-derived VE (VER) and flowrate-derived VE (VEf) was less than 13.8%. In Bland-Altman plots, the aggregate VE estimation bias was statistically insignificant for all 3 phases with pedaling exercise and the discrepancy between VER and VEf fell within the 95% limits of agreement (95% LoA) for 34 or all subjects in each of all CPET phases. Significance. This work reinforces the independent use of IP as an accurate and robust alternative to flowmeter for applications in cycle ergometry CPET, which could significantly encourage the clinical use of IP and improve the convenience and comfort of CPET.