bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Secure access of resources in software‐defined networks using dynamic access control list
Authors: Ramprasath J. , Seethalakshmi V.
Published: September 2023

Software‐defined networking (SDN) creates a platform to dynamically configure the networks for on‐demand services. SDN can easily control the data plane and the control plane by implementing the decoupling concept. SDN controller will regulate the traffic flow and creates the new flow label based on the packet dump received from the OpenFlow virtual switches. SDN governs both data information and control information toward the destination based on flow label, but it does not contain security measure to restrict the malicious traffic. The malicious denial‐of‐service (DoS) attack traffic is generated inside the SDN environment; it leads to the service unavailability. This paper is mainly focused on the detection of DoS attacks and also mitigates the malicious traffic by dynamically configuring the firewall. The SDN with dynamic access control list properties is emulated by mininet, and the experimental results exemplify the service unavailable gap between acceptance and rejection ratio of the packets.
Fork‐shaped frequency and pattern reconfigurable antenna
Authors: Thanki Poonam , Raval Falguni
Published: September 2023

This paper presents the fork‐shaped antenna that can reconfigure frequency and pattern. The size of the proposed antenna is 29 × 23 mm2. Four PIN diodes are used to reconfigure frequency and pattern of the proposed antenna. The proposed antenna operates at various frequencies, that is, 3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.72, 4.9, 5, 5.2 and 5.5 GHz, and has a pattern tilt from −170° to +170° in yz plane in various switching modes of PIN diodes. The proposed antenna is simulated in high‐frequency structure simulator (HFSS). In HFSS, lumped RLC elements are used to reconfigure pattern and frequency. PIN diodes are incorporated in fabricated prototype for switching to validate the simulated results. The proposed antenna shows a good matching in simulated and measured results.
Evolutionary optimization for pattern synthesis and reduction of mutual coupling of linear antenna arrays
Authors: Ram Gopi
Published: September 2023

Optimal design of antenna arrays to minimize the mutual coupling effects in the geometrical arrangements of the linear antenna array (LAA) and circular antenna array (CAA) is dealt with in this work. Two different cases are considered to reduce the effect of LAA and CAA: Case‐1 in which the current excitations of the antenna array are considered to get the optimal radiation pattern of two geometry called LAA and CAA and Case‐2 in which inter‐element spacing and current excitations are both optimized for LAA geometry. A cost function that involves the mutual coupling factor as an optimization factor is developed to reduce the side lobe level (SLL), which takes mutual coupling effects into consideration. Excitation values and inter‐elemental spacing are optimized using particle swarm optimization (PSO). In LAA, for 8‐, 12‐, 16‐element arrays, SLLs are reduced by −15.52, −16.71, and −17.78 dB in Case‐1. For the same sets of element arrays, SLLs were reduced by −17.35, −19.71, and −20.26 dB in Case‐2. In CAA, the current excitations of the antenna array are optimized. For 8‐, 12‐, and 16‐ element arrays, SLLs are reduced to −7.405, −10.52, and −9.43 dB, respectively. The arrays coded with the help of MATLAB based computation and the results obtained by MATLAB are validated by using CST.
Multiband carrierless amplitude and phase index modulation
Authors: Puerta Rafael , Vesga Luis Felipe Ariza , Jaramillo‐Ramirez Daniel
Published: September 2023

As 5G standards continue to evolve, the need for communication systems with higher data rates is clear. However, the available bandwidth in the spectrum in most of the cases is limited and is not sufficient to satisfy future demands. Higher data rates drive the need for more efficient schemes to transmit information. Currently, there are different physical‐layer (PHY) technologies that enable increasing data rates with a limited bandwidth such as flexible multicarrier waveforms and channel coding schemes. Index modulation (IM), which uses alternative ways to transmit extra information compared to traditional communication systems, is an innovative PHY solution to increase capacity and spectral efficiency (SE). In this paper, a new IM scheme based on multicarrier quadrature amplitude modulation/carrierless amplitude phase (QAM/CAP) modulation is presented. The property used by this scheme is, provided a contiguous fixed bandwidth, the feasibility to transmit the same amount of data by transmitting different number of contiguous frequency bands by adjusting their bandwidths. To increase the SE, an extra degree of freedom is generated by dynamically changing the distribution of the frequency bands being transmitted, that is, the number of bands used and its bandwidths and subcarrier frequencies. Simulation results are presented to validate the feasibility of the proposed scheme.
Performance analysis of two‐way wireless‐powered Amplify‐and‐Forward relaying in the presence of co‐channel interference
Authors: Soleimani‐Nasab Ehsan , Javadi Sepideh
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we investigate the performance assessment of a bidirectional relaying system using energy harvesting techniques. We assume independent and nonidentically distributed (i.n.i.d.) Nakagami‐m fading channels where the amplify‐and‐forward relay is subject to co‐channel interference (CCI) due to transmissions of other transmitters. Two different scenarios, namely, scenario I and scenario II are evaluated. In scenario I, both end‐sources provide the required energy for the relay, whereas the relay also harvests energy from the co‐channel interferes. Then, in the first phase of cooperation, both end‐sources send the information to the relay, and after amplifying the received signal, relay transfers information to the appropriate destination in the second time‐slot. In the scenario II, both end‐sources harvest energy from the relay. After that, the information cooperative transmission is done similar to the first scenario. For both considered scenarios, tight closed‐form expressions of outage probability, symbol error probability, ergodic capacity, and throughput are obtained at arbitrary signal‐to‐noise‐ratios (SNRs). To get more insights, simplified high SNR results for both scenarios are also deduced where the diversity orders are obtained. Monte Carlo simulation results are presented to validate the correctness of our proposed analysis. Our results explicitly demonstrate that the first scenario has a better performance than the second one in the medium and high SNR region, whereas the second scenario outperforms the first one in the low SNR regime.
Terahertz indoor channel optimization and wedge fading characteristics analysis based on multisignal sources
Authors: Jing Qingfeng , Liang Yewen
Published: September 2023

Indoor wireless communication systems are rapidly expanding, creating a growing demand for individual data rates. This paper explores the influence of the indoor source layout on the received signal for future ultrawideband indoor terahertz communication systems. The optimization of the number, distance, and arrangement of sources can improve the indoor signal coverage efficiency and reduce the fluctuation of the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of each position indoors. The optimization results for the number, distance, and arrangement of sources demonstrate that optimal coverage can be achieved using nine sources with a distance factor of 0.15 in a rectangular arrangement located in the center of the room in an office environment of 15 × 12 × 2.5 m (L × W × H) in size. Increasing the number of sources has little effect on the uniformity of the indoor signal power distribution. Under the optimal coverage, the SNR fluctuation in an empty room can be reduced from 10.77 to 2.5 dB, which guarantees that users can obtain nearly the same communication quality regardless of their location. Moreover, the impact characteristics of two typical wedges fading, namely, fixed shadow objects and moving human bodies, under one or multiple sources are also analyzed. Multisource distribution is found to significantly improve the shadow attenuation effect of wedge fading when there are fixed objects or people walking indoors. In addition, the moving human body attenuation model is extended by combining a Markov process with a ray‐tracing simulation. The results show that the probability of the ideal state under a multisource distribution is significantly higher than that under a single‐source distribution, and it is less influenced by the number of people.
A robust auto‐adaptive approach for serial acquisition of generalized multi‐carrier spread spectrum in multipath fading mobile channels
Authors: Jouini Abdelhafid , Maali Abdelmadjid , Benssalah Mustapha , Mesloub Ammar , Baudoin Genevieve , Hamadouche Mhamed
Published: September 2023

In this paper, a new robust auto‐adaptive approach for pseudo‐noise (PN) code acquisition is proposed. It is applied to the generalized multi‐carrier direct‐sequence code‐division multiple‐access (MC DS‐CDMA) systems communicating over frequency‐selective multipath Rayleigh fading channels. This new approach is based on the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection algorithm, referred here as automatic selection partial sum ordered statistics (ASPSOS)‐CFAR. The proposed approach does not require any prior information about the background environment and uses maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method to detect the interfering signals group in the ranked cells for the full reference window. Once this group is identified and censored, the remaining smaller ranked cells are combined to form an estimate of the background noise level to compute the adaptive threshold. Through simulations, the performance of the proposed detector is analyzed and compared with traditional CFAR detectors based on fixed or automatic censoring algorithms. The obtained results show that the proposed detector eliminates the drawbacks of the previously related detectors and offers a robust detection performance to enhance the acquisition process in heterogeneous background environments.
Cooperative quadrature spatial modulation with Euclidean distance and capacity optimized antenna selection
Authors: Cogen Fatih , Aydin Erdogan
Published: September 2023

In this study, new cooperative‐quadrature spatial modulation techniques based on Euclidean distance and capacity optimized antenna selection techniques (EDAS‐CQSM and COAS‐CQSM) are proposed for cooperative communication systems. The considered cooperative system consists of three terminals that are the source terminal (ST), relay terminal (RT), and destination terminal (DT). The decode‐and‐forward (DF) cooperative technique is considered to retransmit the signal at the RT. In order to improve the performance of the conventional QSM demodulator in the RT and DT, both antenna selection techniques have been used in both the ST and RT to reduce performance degradation due to error propagation of the DF scheme. Therefore, the overall performance of the considered CQSM system has been increased. Furthermore, computer simulations have shown that the proposed EDAS/COAS‐CQSM systems have better the performances than the cooperative spatial modulation (CSM), CQSM, EDAS‐CSM, COAS‐CSM, and traditional DF‐based cooperative system with the same bit rate.
Multiple material domain‐based computational tools for ease assessment of modal parameter in photonic crystal fibers
Authors: Paul Dimpi , Biswas Rajib , Saikia Gunjan
Published: September 2023

We report here the development of two computational tools PCFPS (Photonic Crystal Fiber Parameter Study) and PCFPA (Photonic Crystal Fiber Parameter Analysis), equipped with graphical user interface (GUI) for modeling of photonic crystal fiber. The tools are based on different structural parameters, and they provide characteristic analysis of the modal parameters from the structural parameters. The main feature of PCFPS is that it enables the user to find out the values of each defining modal parameter that has an immense contribution towards the manufacture of photonic crystal fiber. Additionally, PCFPA allows the user to observe the variation in the modal parameters with respect to the changes in structural parameters (such as d, Λ, d/Λ, and λ/>Λ). Besides their ease of use, these two schemes have high computational precision and adaptability, giving a novel platform to optical engineers to modulate the microstructured fibers according to their requirement.
DACASN: Dynamic ant routing‐based channel accessing cognitive sensor network in Internet of Things
Authors: Arulanantham Dhandapani , Palanisamy Chenniappan
Published: September 2023

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a structure with sensors, base station, gateway, and network servers. Users can access the information contained in it and use it as they need. These sensors are embedded in several data collection locations in a uniform or random manner to collect data. The users in many parts of the world obtain such data that fit their requirements. For example, sensors are used in remote areas to monitor various areas such as forests, wildlife sanctuaries, fields, industrial needs, human condition, and changes in the ocean. The changes like these that take place in the open spaces require the selection of the best routing method and seamless delay reduction in data collection helps to immediately reach those involved in it. In the proposed protocol, dynamic ant routing‐based channel accessing cognitive sensor network (DACASN) in the IoT, cognitive sensors are used. It is made with the knowledge of choosing a channel for communication as well as selecting the parameters for path selection and setting the most accurate path with the channel knowledge and communicating with the internet server. The sensors set the paths for this route selection using the centrifugal method and the anticolonial method. As a result, it can be seen in the results and discussion section that the quality of the routing information is high because it is delivered to the destination in the shortest possible time.
Pollen carryover, pollinator movement, and spatial context impact the delivery of pollination services in apple orchards
Authors: Hung Keng‐Lou James , Fan Sophia L. , Strang Caroline G. , Park Mia G. , Thomson James D.
Published: September 2023

Assessing the relative contributions of different pollinator taxa to pollination services is a central task in both basic eco‐evolutionary research and applied conservation and agriculture. To that end, many studies have quantified single‐visit pollen deposition and visitation frequency, which together determine a pollinator species' rate of conspecific pollen delivery. However, for plant species that require or benefit from outcrossing, pollination service quality further depends upon the ratio of outcross to self‐pollen deposited, which is determined by two additional pollinator traits: pollen carryover and movement patterns among genetically compatible plant individuals. Here, we compare the pollination capacities of managed honey bees, native bumble bees, and native mining bees in apple—a varietally self‐incompatible commercial crop—when pollen carryover and pollinator movement patterns are considered. We constructed simulation models of outcross pollen deposition parameterized using empirically measured single‐visit pollen deposition, visitation frequency, and probabilities of intertree movement exhibited by each pollinator type, as well as pollen carryover patterns simulated based on parameters reported in the literature. In these models, we also explicitly specified the spatial relationships among cross‐compatible trees based on field‐realistic orchard layout schemes. We found that estimated pollination service delivery was considerably reduced for all pollinator types when pollen carryover and pollinator movement patterns were considered, as compared to when only single‐visit pollen deposition and visitation frequency were considered. We also found that the performance of different pollinator types varied greatly across simulated orchard layout schemes and pollen carryover scenarios, including one instance where bumble and mining bees reversed their relative rankings. In all simulations, native bumble and mining bees outperformed managed honey bees in terms of both outcross pollen delivery per unit time and per flower visited, with disparities being greatest under scenarios of low pollen carryover. We demonstrate the degree to which pollination studies may reach inaccurate conclusions regarding pollination service delivery when pollen carryover and pollinator movement patterns are ignored. Our finding of the strong context dependence of pollination efficiency, even within a single plant–pollinator taxon pair, cautions that future studies in both basic and applied pollination biology should explicitly consider the ecological context in which pollination interactions take place.
Synthesis and investigation of structural, morphological and dielectric properties of Ba‐ordered BaTiO3 perovskite oxide
Authors: Maurya Ram Sundar , Yadav Vedika , Cheema Harshpreet , Sharma Minakshi , Alvi P. A. , Kumar Satyam , Sonkar Piyush Kumar , Kumar Upendra
Published: September 2023

The samples with A‐site cation ordering Ba1−x/2Ti1−xNbxO3 (BTN) with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.010 were synthesized via the conventional ceramic route by calcining at 1200°C and sintered at 1350°C. The preliminary study of the phase of prepared samples was determined through X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The Rietveld refinement analysis indicates the tetragonal phase in BTN0 sample, whereas the doped samples exhibit a combination of tetragonal and cubic phases. Presence of Raman band at 308 cm−1 suggests the presence of tetragonal in all samples. The dielectric constant was observed to be 1500 (BTN0), 3000 (BTN5) and 1680 (BTN10) while tangent loss found 0.6 (BTN0), 0.04 (BTN5) and 0.07 (BTN10). All the sample shows same Curie temperature (120°C) due to Ba‐site cation ordering in the sample. Ferroelectric nature in all samples was also confirmed by modified Curie‐Weis law. Based on the current studies, the present materials can be explored as a potential candidate for ferroelectric‐memory devices, dielectric capacitor and energy harvesting applications.
Adulthood status and its associations with stress and well‐being among Chinese emerging adults: A person‐centred approach
Authors: Bao Guanghua , Xie Han , Cheng Xuejiao , Wang Chunzhen , Hong Jianzhong
Published: September 2023

With the implementation of China's one‐child policy and the increasing living costs, a large number of young people are expected to postpone reaching adulthood. However, little research has explored the patterns of Chinese young people's transition to adulthood. Using a person‐centred approach, the current study examined the commonly accepted markers of adulthood status endorsed and attained by 1203 Chinese emerging adults aged 18–29 years. We further compared the distinct adulthood statuses with regard to perceptions of stress and well‐being. Latent profile analysis identified four adulthood status profiles: diffused (16.0%), moratorium (45.3%), transitional (23.3%) and achieved (15.4%). Females, those who had no job or came from low family socioeconomics, were more likely to be in the moratorium status. Compared to the other two profiles, participants in diffused and moratorium profiles reported higher levels of perceived stress and lower well‐being. These results suggest that there are distinct profiles of Chinese emerging adults on the transition path to adulthood, with a large proportion of them not yet reaching adulthood, and that different statuses of adulthood may be associated with different psychological outcomes.
Research on the status of the irrigation and drainage network in Iran based on the viewpoint of water users and experts using SWOT analysis
Authors: Sarai Tabrizi Mahdi , Afshani Masoumeh , Teimoori Mostafa , Ragab Ragab
Published: September 2023

In many arid and semi‐arid regions, such as Iran, traditional irrigation systems consume a large proportion of surface water and groundwater resources. In the last few decades, due to the undesirable effects of climate change and continuous drought, many studies have been conducted on reducing threatening factors using the capacity of irrigation and drainage networks and participating water users in irrigation management. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the irrigation and drainage network of the Varamin Plain using the SWOT model that is an analytical model used based on the results of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the subject, considering the cooperative management of water users. In addition to conducting interviews, a questionnaire was used to collect data from two groups of network water users and experts. According to the results, the farmers and water users of the network are in a relatively good situation in terms of access to water, possibly due to the available three annual planting seasons (due to the existence of irrigation and the drainage network and the use of grey water, conditions for irrigation and crop cultivation are available in four seasons of the year). The most critical concerns of the water users were the lack of knowledge about the organization of water collectors, the inconsistency among governmental organizations and the insignificant action of the Agricultural Jihad Organization (a government ministry in Iran to advance agricultural goals and all related matters) in solving issues related to water rights. Failure to inform the users about the costs of creating network infrastructure, maintaining facilities and canals, not accepting water shortage conditions and the state of groundwater resources, consecutive cropping seasons throughout the year, cultivation of crops with high water demand, people with political and social influence obtaining excess water rights, and the lack of coordination among related governmental policies were the most critical concerns of the experts.
Co‐production of biobutanol and biomethane from distillers' grain waste by an integrated process
Authors: Wang Jiang‐Bo , Wang Hao , Han Jing‐Zhuo , Xu Jian , Cheng Run‐Xi , Hu Fang , Wang Zi‐Hao , Zhang Rui‐Jing , Cai Feng‐Jiao
Published: September 2023

Background

Distillers' grain waste (DGW) is the main by‐product in the Baijiu‐making process and its management remains a great challenge for the Baijiu industry. To address this issue, an integrated biobutanol and biomethane production process was established to obtain valuable products from DGW and reduce environmental pollution.

Results

In the integrated process, DGW was hydrolyzed and detoxified to produce biobutanol, while the distillery waste derived from solvent extraction process was used for biomethane fermentation. After the optimization of overliming detoxification of DGW hydrolysate by artificial neural network and genetic algorithm, totals of 10.65 ± 0.07 g L−1 butanol and 4.51 ± 0.21 g L−1 isopropanol were attained with negligible amounts of acetone and ethanol (i.e. 0.14 ± 0.00 and 0.52 ± 0.06 g L−1, respectively). Anaerobic digestion of the distillery waste was efficient, and the chemical oxygen demand removal rate approached 92.3 ± 0.1% with a methane yield of 167.8 ± 1.2 mL g−1 TCODremoved. Moreover, the anaerobic digestion effluent could be recycled as a potential substitute for process water in biobutanol fermentation without having any negative effect on enzymatic hydrolysis of DGW, and the butanol production also reached 8.19 ± 0.29 g L−1.

Conclusion

The present study provides a new idea for comprehensive utilization of DGW towards energy and resource recovery, without secondary pollution. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
ECMO導入時ガイドワイヤが皮下に迷入し待機的に除去を行った急性心筋炎の1小児例(Standby removal of a misplaced subcutaneous guidewire during induction of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in a pediatric patient with acute myocarditis)
Authors: 佑平 田村 , 奈穂 西村 , 伯彦 壷井 , 健太郎 井手 , 正太朗 松本 , 明浩 藤野 , 聡 中川
Published: September 2023

緊急でECMO導入が必要な場合，カニュレーションに伴う合併症を起こすことがある。症例は13歳の女児。急性心筋炎の疑いで，当院に転院した。転院後に無脈性心室頻脈となり，ECPRを開始した。右大腿動静脈から経皮的にカニューレの挿入を試みたが，挿入中にガイドワイヤが抜去困難となったため，左大腿動静脈にカットダウンにてカニューレを挿入しECMOを確立した。遺残したガイドワイヤは右鼠径部皮下で複雑なループを形成した後，血管内に入り，先端は上大静脈に到達していた。ガイドワイヤは牽引しても抜去できないため，出血性合併症のリスクを考慮し，待機時にガイドワイヤを抜去する方針とした。その後，心機能は改善し，入院8日目にECMOを離脱，ガイドワイヤの走行をCT検査で確認した後，入院11日目に外科的にガイドワイヤを除去した。とくに大きな合併症は認めず，ICUを退室した。ガイドワイヤ遺残などカニュレーションに伴う合併症が生じた場合，原疾患の病態および遺残したまま管理するリスクとECMO中の出血性合併症などのリスクを考慮し，安全に抜去できる時期と方法を考え抜去の戦略を立てることが重要である。
メトホルミン中毒による重篤な乳酸アシドーシスに対して血液浄化療法を行い救命に成功した1例(Metformin associated lactic acidosis treated with renal replacement therapy)
Authors: 慶介 江原 , あき子 大城 , 新介 大西 , 由香 森下 , 理 奈良 , 繁樹 神 , 光太郎 的場
Published: September 2023

糖尿病の既往がある45歳の男性。メトホルミン40,000mgを含む過量内服で救急搬送された。来院時バイタルサインは，意識レベルGCS 14，血圧149/71mmHg，心拍数97bpm，SpO2 98%（室内気），呼吸数26/分であった。血液ガス分析では，pH 7.201，乳酸値13.6mmol/Lと重篤な乳酸アシドーシスを認め，2時間後にpH 7.131，乳酸値20.2mmol/Lと増悪したため血液浄化療法を開始した。その後，pH 7.029，乳酸値23.9mmol/Lまで増悪したが，透析流量を増加したところ改善し，第3病日にはpH 7.367，乳酸値1.9mmol/Lまで改善したため血液浄化療法を離脱し，第22病日にリハビリ転院となった。後日判明した来院時のメトホルミンの血中濃度は32.0μg/mLであった。メトホルミンは小分子であり透析で除去可能だが，中毒の際には分布容積が大きいことによる血中濃度の再上昇や循環不全による乳酸産生増大なども加わり乳酸アシドーシスが遷延すると考えられる。
竹材による穿通性頭部外傷後脳膿瘍に対して開頭術を施行した1例(Craniotomy for brain abscess after penetrating head injury by bamboo: a case report)
Authors: 達彦 高橋 , 靖一 小守林 , 典悟 攝田 , 健志 福田 , 昭典 薮田 , 智彦 眞瀬 , 邦昭 小笠原
Published: September 2023

症例は66歳の女性。農作業中に誤って2m下の畑に転落し，茄子の茎を固定していた直径1mmほどの竹の支柱が左鼻腔から突き刺さり受傷した。突き刺さった竹を現場において自分で引き抜き，受傷から約5時間後に家族に連れられ受診した。来院時意識レベルはJapan coma scale 1であり，その他明らかな神経学的脱落症状は認められなかった。髄液鼻漏はなく，左眼瞼腫脹とその周囲の皮下血腫を認めた。頭部CTで右前頭葉に出血を伴う気脳症を認めたが，残存異物の存在ははっきりしなかった。入院のうえベッド上安静とし，抗菌薬投与を行った。髄液漏の合併なく経過したが，徐々に進行する意識障害とせん妄とが出現し，造影MRIで両側前頭葉に脳膿瘍を認めた。竹片残存の可能性を考慮し開頭手術を行い，術野に残存する竹片を認め，除去した。その後脳膿瘍の再発なく自宅退院した。残存竹片の術前同定は困難であり，竹材による穿通性頭部外傷後脳膿瘍に対しては穿刺ドレナージではなく，開頭手術を考慮すべきと考える。
Small‐scale surface heterogeneity and potential inhomogeneities in temperature time series: A case study
Authors: Guijarro José A. , Simó Gemma , Martínez‐Villagrasa Daniel , Martí Belén , Jiménez Maria Antònia , Garcia‐Santos Vicens , Cuxart Joan
Published: September 2023

Measurements in seven sites in the Campus of the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB; Mallorca, Spain) during an experimental campaign to study the contribution of local surface heterogeneities on the surface energy budget at one point have been used to characterize the differences in extreme daily temperatures between the sites during a summer month. Absolute temperature differences in this month reached up to 1.92 (with a median of 0.73) and 2.02 (median of 1.21)°C for daily maximum and minimum, respectively. Higher differences in the minimum temperature can be attributed to the stably stratified and weak turbulent conditions at night that enhance local differences in the surface energy fluxes, especially in an area with strong variability of the surface characteristics like the UIB Campus. Instead, during daytime, maximum temperature differences are smoothed due to the convection and the horizontal advection due to the sea‐breeze. Two sites with longer records allowed to study the seasonal variations of these differences, which were substantially lower in the colder months. These results suggest that relocation of observatories, even at distances as short as 200 m, may introduce important inhomogeneities in the temperature series. Therefore, raw values of series from nearby stations should not be used to infill missing data in other series without adequate statistical adjustments.
Exploration of Neurofilament Light Chain and Nerve Ultrasound in Leprotic Neuropathy
Authors: Nasr‐Eldin Yasmin K. , Cartwright Michael S. , Hamed Ahmed , Ali Lamia Hamdy , Abdel‐Nasser Ahmed M.
Published: September 2023

Objectives

To explore neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in leprotic neuropathy compared to controls, and to determine if the changes correlate with ultrasonographic nerve findings.

Methods

Individuals with leprosy with signs or symptoms suggestive of peripheral nerve involvement were recruited. They were evaluated by clinical examination, functional scores, laboratory assessments (including NfL), nerve conduction studies (NCS), and ultrasound. Ultrasound was conducted in bilateral median, ulnar, tibial, fibular, sural, and vagus nerves as well as cervical roots 5 and 6. Results were compared to age, sex, and body mass index matched healthy controls.

Results

A total of 320 nerves from 20 patients and 480 nerves from 30 controls were evaluated. NfL was significantly elevated in those with leprosy with a mean and standard deviation of 7.50 + 2.83 compared with 3.42 + 1.18 in controls (P < .001). Ultrasound showed focal enlargement of the nerves, particularly at entrapment sites. Additionally, there were noticeable changes in neural Doppler signal, echogenicity, and epineural thickness among the measured nerve sites. NfL levels in those with leprosy correlated closely with nerve cross‐sectional area at all sites (P < .05). Functional and clinical assessment scores correlated with NfL and sonographic cross‐sectional area as well (P ≤ .05).

Conclusions

NfL is elevated in leprotic neuropathy. Ultrasound showed specific morphological changes in individuals with leprosy, and nerve enlargement correlated with NfL levels. Thus, both modalities may be useful for the diagnosis, prognosis, and disease monitoring in those with leprotic neuropathy, and further investigations are warranted.
Toward Three‐Dimensional Printed Thermal Conductive Polymeric Composites Using a Binary‐Composite Hybrid Based on Boron Nitride Nanoparticles and Micro‐Diamonds
Authors: Khakbaz Hadis , Sayyar Sepidar , Beirne Stephen , Heitzmann Michael , Innis Peter C.
Published: September 2023

Thermally conductive polymeric composites are promising for heat management in microelectronic devices. This work presents a binary‐hybrid composite of boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles and micro‐diamond (D) fillers in an elastomeric polyurethane (PU) matrix which can be three‐ dimensionally printed to produce a highly flexible and self‐supporting structure. The research shows that a combination of 16.7 wt% BN and 16.7 wt% D results in a robust network within the polymer matrix to improve the tensile modulus more than nine times with respect to neat PU. Significantly, the hybrid matrix enhances the thermal conductivity by more than two times when compared to neat PU. The enhancement in mechanical, and thermal features make this three‐dimensional printable multiscale hybrid composite suitable for flexible and stretchable microelectronic applications.
Spatiotemporal frequency domain analysis for blood velocity measurement during embolization procedures
Authors: Wagner Martin G. , Whitehead Joseph F. , Periyasamy Sarvesh , Laeseke Paul F. , Speidel Michael A.
Published: September 2023

Background

Currently, determining procedural endpoints and treatment efficacy of vascular interventions is largely qualitative and relies on subjective visual assessment of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images leading to large interobserver variabilities and poor reproducibility. Quantitative metrics such as the residual blood velocity in embolized vessel branches could help establish objective and reproducible endpoints. Recently, velocity quantification techniques based on a contrast enhanced X‐ray sequence such as qDSA and 4D DSA have been proposed. These techniques must be robust, and, to avoid radiation dose concerns, they should be compatible with low dose per frame image acquisition.

Purpose

To develop and evaluate a technique for robust blood velocity quantification from low dose contrast enhanced X‐ray image sequences that leverages the oscillating signal created by pulsatile blood flow.

Methods

The proposed spatiotemporal frequency domain (STF) approach quantifies velocities from time attenuation maps (TAMs) representing the oscillating signal over time for all points along a vessel centerline. Due to the time it takes a contrast bolus to travel along the vessel centerline, the resulting TAM resembles a sheared sine wave. The shear angle is related to the velocity and can be determined in the spatiotemporal frequency domain after applying the 2D Fourier transform to the TAM. The approach was evaluated in a straight tube phantom using three different radiation dose levels and compared to ultrasound transit‐time‐based measurements. The STF velocity results were also compared to previously published approaches for the measurement of blood velocity from contrast enhanced X‐ray sequences including shifted least squared (SLS) and phase shift (PHS). Additionally, an in vivo porcine study (n = 8) was performed where increasing amounts of embolic particles were injected into a hepatic or splenic artery with intermittent velocity measurements after each injection to monitor the resulting reduction in velocity.

Results

At the lowest evaluated dose level (average air kerma rate 1.3 mGy/s at the interventional reference point), the Pearson correlation between ultrasound and STF velocity measurements was . This was significantly higher () than corresponding correlation results between ultrasound and the previously published SLS and PHS approaches ( and , respectively). In the in vivo study, a reduction in velocity was observed in of cases after injection of 1 mL, after 3 mL, and after 4 mL of embolic particles.

Conclusions

The results show good agreement of the spatiotemporal frequency domain approach with ultrasound even in low dose per frame image sequences. Additionally, the in vivo study demonstrates the ability to monitor the physiological changes due to embolization. This could provide quantitative metrics during vascular procedures to establish objective and reproducible endpoints.
Transesterification‐vulcanization route to durable composites from post‐consumer poly(ethylene terephthalate), terpenoids, and industrial waste sulfur
Authors: Derr Katelyn M. , Lopez Claudia V. , Maladeniya Charini P. , Tennyson Andrew G. , Smith Rhett C.
Published: September 2023

Despite improvements in chemical recycling, most post‐consumer plastics are still deposited in landfills where they pose a significant threat to ecological health. Herein we report a two‐stage method for chemically recycling poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) using terpenoids and waste sulfur to yield composites. In this method, post‐consumer PET (from beverage bottles) undergoes transesterification with a terpenoid alcohol (citronellol or geraniol) to yield low‐molecular PET oligomers. The terpene‐derived alkenes in these PET oligomer derivatives then served as reaction sites for inverse vulcanization with 90 wt% elemental sulfur to form composite CPS (using citronellol) or GPS (using geraniol). Composition, mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, MALDI, FT‐IR spectroscopy, compressive and flexural strength analysis, TGA, DSC, elemental analysis, and SEM/EDX. The composites CPS (compressive strength = 5.20 MPa, flexural strength = 3.10 MPa) and GPS (compressive strength = 5.8 MPa, flexural strength = 2.77 MPa) showed mechanical strengths comparable to those of commercial bricks (classification C62 for general building). The approach delineated herein thus represents a method to chemically recycle waste plastic with industrial waste sulfur and plant‐derived terpenoids to yield composites having favorable properties comparable to existing building materials.
Oxygen‐Containing Anions Promote the Electrocatalytic Activity of Ni(OH)2/NiOOH for The Urea Oxidation
Authors: Fang Zhongying , Liang Xiaolong , Lu Lehui , Chen Wei
Published: September 2023

The electrocatalytic oxidation of urea (EOU) is an important half‐reaction in water splitting, urea fuel cells, and urea wastewater treatment. The anions of nickel‐based catalysts can be leached severely in the oxidation potential range. Therefore, the influence of anion on the electrocatalytic performance of Ni(OH)2/NiOOH for urea oxidation has not been systematically studied. The present experimental results show that the structure reconstruction of catalyst is a complicated process, specifically including deep penetration by alkaline electrolyte, leaching‐induced oxidation by phosphorus or sulfur anions, transformation or cracking of the original structure, and formation of an amorphous layer on the surface. The reconstructed NF‐NiPx‐R or NF‐NiSx‐R has a three‐layer core‐shell structure, with a nickel foam skeleton in the innermost layer, an amorphous NiPx or NiSx layer in the middle layer, the outermost layer of oxygen‐containing anion (POx or SOx) coordinated Ni(OH)2. In the prepared catalyst, the Ni(OH)2/NiOOH redox is the real catalytic species for the urea oxidation. It is found that the oxygen‐containing anion can enhance the catalytic performance of the Ni(OH)2/NiOOH redox, and POx anion has the best enhancing effect. It is found that the urea molecules are oxidized on the electrocatalyst surface mainly through an indirect pathway.
Elucidation of binding mechanism, affinity, and complex structure between mWT1 tumor‐associated antigen peptide and HLA‐A*24:02
Authors: Bekker Gert‐Jan , Numoto Nobutaka , Kawasaki Maki , Hayashi Takahiro , Yabuno Saaya , Kozono Yuko , Shimizu Takeyuki , Kozono Haruo , Ito Nobutoshi , Oda Masayuki , Kamiya Narutoshi
Published: September 2023

We have applied our advanced computational and experimental methodologies to investigate the complex structure and binding mechanism of a modified Wilms' Tumor 1 (mWT1) protein epitope to the understudied Asian‐dominant allele HLA‐A*24:02 (HLA‐A24) in aqueous solution. We have applied our developed multicanonical molecular dynamics (McMD)‐based dynamic docking method to analyze the binding pathway and mechanism, which we verified by comparing the highest probability structures from simulation with our experimentally solved x‐ray crystal structure. Subsequent path sampling MD simulations elucidated the atomic details of the binding process and indicated that first an encounter complex is formed between the N‐terminal's positive charge of the 9‐residue mWT1 fragment peptide and a cluster of negative residues on the surface of HLA‐A24, with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule preferring a predominantly closed conformation. The peptide first binds to this closed MHC conformation, forming an encounter complex, after which the binding site opens due to increased entropy of the binding site, allowing the peptide to bind to form the native complex structure. Further sequence and structure analyses also suggest that although the peptide loading complex would help with stabilizing the MHC molecule, the binding depends in a large part on the intrinsic affinity between the MHC molecule and the antigen peptide. Finally, our computational tools and analyses can be of great benefit to study the binding mechanism of different MHC types to their antigens, where it could also be useful in the development of higher affinity variant peptides and for personalized medicine.
Tracking control by the Newton–Raphson method with output prediction and controller speedup
Authors: Wardi Y. , Seatzu C. , Cortés J. , Egerstedt M. , Shivam S. , Buckley I.
Published: September 2023

This paper presents a control technique for output tracking of reference signals in continuous‐time dynamical systems. The technique is comprised of the following three elements: (i) a fluid‐flow version of the Newton–Raphson method for solving algebraic equations, (ii) a system‐output prediction which has to track the future reference signal, and (iii) a speedup of the control action for enhancing the tracker's accuracy and, in some cases, stabilizing the closed‐loop system. The technique can be suitable for linear and nonlinear systems, implementable by simple algorithms, and can track reference points as well as time‐dependent reference signals. Though inherently local, the tracking controller is proven to have a global convergence for a class of linear systems. The derived theoretical results of the paper include convergence of the tracking controller and error analysis, and are supported by illustrative simulation and laboratory experiments.
Handling missing within‐study correlations in the evaluation of surrogate endpoints
Authors: Collier Willem , Haaland Benjamin , Inker Lesley , Greene Tom
Published: September 2023

Rigorous evaluation of surrogate endpoints is performed in a trial‐level analysis in which the strength of the association between treatment effects on the clinical and surrogate endpoints is quantified across a collection of previously conducted trials. To reduce bias in measures of the performance of the surrogate, the statistical model must account for the sampling error in each trial's estimated treatment effects and their potential correlation. Unfortunately, these within‐study correlations can be difficult to obtain, especially for meta‐analysis of published trial results where individual patient data is not available. As such, these terms are frequently partially or completely missing in the analysis. We show that improper handling of these missing terms can meaningfully alter the perceived quality of the surrogate and we introduce novel strategies to handle the missingness.
Plasma‐Activated Solutions Regulate Surface‐Terminating Groups Enhancing Pseudocapacitive Ti3C2Tx Electrode Performance
Authors: Luo Yonghong , Yang Huachao , Ying Chongyan , Wang Rui , Bo Zheng , Yan Jianhua , Cen Kefa , Ostrikov Kostya (Ken)
Published: September 2023

2D transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) are actively pursued as pseudocapacitive materials for supercapacitors owing to their advantages in electronic conductivity and surface reactivity. Increasing the fraction of ─O terminal groups in Ti3C2Tx is a promising approach to improve the pseudocapacitive charge storage in H2SO4 electrolytes, but it suffers from a lack of effective functionalization methods and stability of the groups in practical operation. Here a low‐temperature and environment‐friendly approach via the interaction of nonequilibrium plasmas with Ti3C2Tx dispersion is demonstrated to generate abundant and stable surface‐terminating O groups. The impact of the discharge environment (Ar, O2, and H2) on the structural characteristics and electrochemical performance of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets is studied. The Ti3C2Tx modified in Ar and H2 maintains their original morphology but a significantly lower F content. Consequently, an extraordinarily high content (78.5%) of surface‐terminating O groups is revealed by the high‐resolution X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra for the Ti3C2Tx samples modified in H2 plasma‐treated solutions. Additionally, the Ti3C2Tx treated using H2 plasmas exhibits the best capacitive performance of 418.3 F g−1 at 2 mV s−1, which can maintain 95.88% capacity after 10 000 cycles. These results contribute to the development of advanced nanostructured pseudocapacitive electrode materials for renewable energy storage applications.
A micromorphological analysis ofBolonia lataMeunier from the Cretaceous of the Neuquén Basin (Patagonia, Argentina): new insights into the tracemaker
Authors: Giachetti Luciana M. , Fernández Diana E. , Comerio Marcos , Gutiérrez Carolina , Pazos Pablo J.
Published: September 2023

Polychaetes, echinoids and gastropods have been proposed as tracemakers forBoloniaMeunier, an elongate positive epirelief trace fossil characterized by two lobes composed of biserial, subtriangular pads and a mostly heart‐shaped cross‐section. Here, the internal structure and micromorphology ofBoloniaare described for the first time using serial thin sections from shallow‐marine Lower Cretaceous intervals of the Agrio Formation (Neuquén Basin, Argentina). In vertical thin sections, a conical structure of variable width extends centrally from the base to the top of the trace. In horizontal thin sections, grains are reoriented and reworked, forming a central zigzag structure. The organic matter and clays form grain aggregates representing the internal structure of individual pads of the trace fossil. The sediment has mostly been reoriented, with grains making up subcircular pods. We interpret the central conical structure as the collapse of the medial zone of the trace fossil, which could have destroyed drain tubes, especially in the absence of early cementation. Studying horizontal thin sections, we reconstruct the diagnostic biserial pads as biserial concave structures. These are interpreted as backfilling structures produced by the aboral and lateral spines of irregular echinoids, which worked together to compact the sediment anteroposteriorly and moved alternatively, explaining the zigzag pattern in the menisci. We propose Spatangoidea or Cassiduloidea (or a closely related group) with a similar burrowing ability and spine movement as tracemakers of theseBoloniaspecimens.
H3K27 acetylation activated‐CD109 evokes 5‐fluorouracil resistance in gastric cancer via the JNK/MAPK signaling pathway
Authors: Zhou Fei , Wang Leiming , Ge Han , Zhang Diancai , Wang Weizhi
Published: September 2023

Drug resistance is a considerable obstacle to gastric cancer (GC) treatment. The current work aimed to elucidate the functional mechanism of CD109 in 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) resistance in GC. In this study, we demonstrated that CD109 was extremely heightened in 5‐FU‐resistant GC cells. CD109 deficiency lessened the IC50 value, impaired cell viability and metastatic capability, and induced cell apoptosis after 5‐FU treatment in cells. In addition, we found that PAX5 bound p300 increased the enrichment of H3K27ac at the promoter region of the CD109 gene, which resulted in the upregulation of CD109 in GC. Moreover, we also revealed that CD109 triggered 5‐FU resistance via activating the JNK/MAPK signaling. Blockage of JNK/MAPK signaling using JNK inhibitor, SP600125, abolished CD109 upregulation‐induced changes of IC50 values, cell viability, metastasis and apoptosis in NCI‐N87/5‐FU and SNU‐1/5‐FU cells. Importantly, CD109 silencing enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of 5‐FU, leading to reduced tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, our results unveiled that H3K27 acetylation activated‐CD109 enhanced 5‐FU resistance of GC cells via modulating the JNK/MAPK signaling pathway, which might provide an attractive therapeutic target for GC.
Light-cone formalism for a point particle in a higher-spin background
Authors: Ivanovskiy Vyacheslav , Ponomarev Dmitry
Published: September 2023

Abstract

We study propagation of a point particle in a massless higher-spin background employing the light-cone gauge approach. We find the point particle action and the associated phase space Poincare charges at the leading order in higher-spin fields. We also compare our results with the analogous covariant results available in the literature.