bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection, occupancy, and abundance of the alligator snapping turtle in Texas
Authors: Rosenbaum David , Saenz Daniel , Montaña Carmen G. , Zhang Yanli , Schalk Christopher M.
Published: April 2023

The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a long‐lived species that is widely distributed across the southeastern United States. Both these characteristics make monitoring its occupancy and abundance particularly challenging. In 2020 and 2021, we conducted hoop trap surveys at 51 permanent water bodies across the Texas, USA, range of the species to estimate occupancy and average abundance with site occupancy models and multinomialN‐mixture models, respectively. We confirmed the species to be present at 61% of surveyed locations. Mean detection probability was 0.77, and was influenced methodologically by the spacing of traps, and environmentally by lunar phase and water flow velocity. Mean occupancy probability was 0.82, and mean estimated abundance was 7.57 turtles/site. Our data provided evidence that the species has a higher occurrence probability in waters of highly forested catchments, and is most probable to occur in highest abundances at median latitudes within its Texas range. Despite known microhabitat preferences of the species, instream habitat characteristics (e.g., canopy coverage, depth, sinuosity) did not strongly influence its occupancy or abundance. Spatial dynamics of the occupancy and abundance of the species in Texas are influenced by landscape features more than local habitat. These results further corroborate the importance of watershed land cover to aquatic organisms, and our methods provide a standardized template for monitoring and quantifying important demographic parameters of the species across multiple locations while accounting for imperfect detection.
Long non‐coding RNA DANCR alleviates acute myocardial infarction damage via regulating microRNA‐509‐5p/KLF transcription factor 13 pathway
Authors: Tian Yun‐Tao , Sun Hua‐Xin , Zhou Xian‐Hui , Tang Bao‐Peng
Published: April 2023

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most important cause of death among cardiovascular diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been widely implicated in the regulation of AMI progression. Discrimination antagonizing nonprotein coding RNA (DANCR) alleviated hypoxia‐caused cardiomyocyte damages, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigated the function and mechanism of DANCR in hypoxia‐induced cardiomyocytes and AMI model by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, reactive oxygen species and adenosine triphosphate measurement, and mitochondrial activity determination. Additionally, luciferase reporter assay, immunoblotting, and qRT‐PCR were performed to validate the interactions between DANCR/miR‐509‐5p and miR‐509‐5p/Kruppel‐like factor 13 (KLF13). The role of DANCR was also verified in AMI model by overexpression. Our results showed that DANCR expression was significantly downregulated in hypoxia‐induced cardiomyocytes or AMI model. Overexpression of DANCR significantly alleviated mitochondrial damages, reduced inflammation, and improved cardiac function in the AMI model. Furthermore, we demonstrated that miR‐509‐5p/KLF13 axis mediated the protective effect of DANCR. The current study highlighted the critical role of DANCR in alleviating AMI progression through targeting the miR‐509‐5p/KLF13 signaling axis, suggesting that DANCR may serve as a potential diagnostic marker or therapeutic target for AMI.
Epidural Abscess After Injection Pharyngoplasty: A Case Report
Authors: Alanazi Abdullah , Merati Albert
Published: April 2023

VPI occurs when the seal between the oral and nasal cavities does not doesn't close completely. One of the treatment options is an injection pharyngoplasty (IP). We are presenting a life threating ‐threatening case of epidural abscess after in‐ office injection pharyngoplasty IP. Laryngoscope, 133:3409–3411, 2023
Comparison of Ahiflower oil containing stearidonic acid to a high‐alpha‐linolenic acid flaxseed oil at two dietary levels on omega‐3 enrichment of egg yolk and tissues in laying hens
Authors: El‐Zenary Ahmed S. A. , Elkin Robert G. , Harvatine Kevin J.
Published: April 2023

Enrichment of egg yolks with very long chain omega‐3 fatty acids (VLCn‐3 FA) is of interest because of their beneficial effects on human health. The ability of Ahiflower® oil (AHI; Buglossoides arvensis), which is naturally rich in stearidonic acid (SDA), and a high‐alpha‐linolenic acid (ALA) flaxseed (FLAX) oil to enrich eggs and tissues of laying hens with VLCn‐3 FA was investigated. Forty 54‐week‐old Hy‐Line W‐36 White Leghorn hens were fed a diet that contained soybean oil (control; CON) or AHI or FLAX oils at 7.5 or 22.5 g/kg of the diet in substitution for the soybean oil for 28 days. Dietary treatments had no effects on egg number or components or follicle development. Total VLCn‐3 FA contents of egg yolk, liver, breast, thigh, and adipose tissue were greater in the n‐3 treatments compared to CON, with the greatest increase observed at the higher oil level, especially for AHI oil which had the greater VLCn‐3 enrichment than FLAX in yolk (p < 0.001). Efficiency of VLCn‐3 enrichment of egg yolks was decreased with n‐3 oils and by increasing oil level with lowest efficiency at 22.5 g/kg FLAX. In conclusion, both SDA‐rich (AHI) and ALA‐rich (FLAX) oils increased VLCn‐3 FA deposition into egg yolks and hens' tissues, but dietary AHI oil promoted a greater enrichment than comparative amounts of FLAX oil, especially in liver and egg yolks.
Arbitrary Achromatic Polarization Control with Reconfigurable Metasurface Systems
Authors: Wang Evan W. , Yu Shang‐Jie , Phan Thaibao , Dhuey Scott , Fan Jonathan A.
Published: April 2023

Dynamic control over the polarization state of light is foundational for many scientific and technological applications, yet it remains a challenge to dynamically tailor responses with arbitrary polarization bases over a broad bandwidth. Broadband metasurface systems that utilize microscale displacements between two metasurfaces to enable reconfigurable polarization responses within a predefined polarization basis are reported. The metasurface pairs form an interferometer, and the lateral displacements produce detour phase shifts within the interferometer beam paths that mediate polarization state tuning. It is shown how the metasurface systems can be designed using freeform topology optimization to enable tailorable elliptical birefringence responses over a large bandwidth and how cascaded metasurface systems can enable the mapping of input and output polarization states between any two points on the Poincare sphere. It is anticipated that these concepts will have utility in imaging, display, communications, and metrology applications in classical and quantum optical domains.
Antireflection Spatiotemporal Metamaterials
Authors: Yu Youxiu , Hu Hao , Zou Linyang , Yang Qianru , Lin Xiao , Li Zhuo , Gao Lei , Gao Dongliang
Published: April 2023

Reflection occurs when light impinges on an interface between two distinct media. Suppression of the reflection is of paramount significance to practical applications in information transfer and conversion. While technologies such as the Brewster effect and material coatings are widely adopted to eliminate the wave reflection from purely spatial or temporal interfaces, how to eliminate the reflection from a spatiotemporal interface remains elusive. Here, a new type of spatiotemporal metamaterial that functions as a global and generalized perspective of quarter‐wave impedance transformers is presented. With the proper geometric design, the proposed spatiotemporal metamaterial can fully suppress the reflection, applicable to arbitrary modulation velocities. Importantly, the tunability of modulation velocity in the spatiotemporal metamaterial allows flexible frequency conversions in high efficiency, indicating that the spatiotemporal metamaterials are much more powerful than the purely spatial or temporal counterparts. These findings not only enhance the controllability of electromagnetic waves but also can be adapted to other classes of physical dynamics, including water surface waves, acoustic, and elastic.
APPLYING THE RESULTS FRAMEWORK FOR SUCCESS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND BEYOND
Authors: Baker Charlie , Kadish Steve
Published: April 2023

The authors, including Baker, the former Governor of Massachusetts, present an introduction to the Results Framework, described as “a process of moving from concepts to delivery that we have found successful in both the public and private sectors.” They further describe “a methodology to move from identifying problems to achieving results—one that grew out of our experiences in government and was shaped by our experiences in the private sector.” There are four parts to the framework; in their words: People are policy, follow the facts, focus on how, push for results. Within the second part, the authors “follow two types of facts: data evidence and points of pain.” They discuss the workings of the framework during the extreme challenges of Covid‐19. The authors remain clear about what is required on a day‐to‐day basis: “There is no single correct way to get things done. As a result, we need to rethink notions of opposition and to imagine new ways of working across divides.” They are clear that the framework cannot be done without the help and participation of others: “Part of the decision‐making, then, entails enlisting stakeholders, letting people know if they will be affected, anticipating what might go wrong, preparing a reaction, and anticipating adjustments.”
A Stratonovich integral for anticipating processes
Authors: Jornet Marc
Published: April 2023

A stochastic integral for anticipating integrands was introduced by Ayed and Kuo in 2008. Riemann–Stieltjes sums were considered, where the adapted part of the integrand was evaluated at the left endpoints of the subintervals, while the instantly independent part was evaluated at the right endpoints. Since then, many results have been proved, such as formulas for differentials. In this paper, the Stratonovich counterpart of the Ayed–Kuo integral is investigated. In its simplest version, it is proved that, analogously to the classical stochastic integration theory for adapted processes, the fundamental theorem of calculus holds. Consequences, extensions, and limitations are discussed in detail.
Pie‐Net: Prior‐information‐enabled deep learning noise reduction for coronary CT angiography acquired with a photon counting detector CT
Authors: Chang Shaojie , Huber Nathan R. , Marsh Jeffrey F. , Koons Emily K. , Gong Hao , Yu Lifeng , McCollough Cynthia H. , Leng Shuai
Published: April 2023

Background

Photon‐counting‐detector CT (PCD‐CT) enables the production of virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs) at a high spatial resolution (HR) via simultaneous acquisition of multi‐energy data. However, noise levels in these HR VMIs are markedly increased.

Purpose

To develop a deep learning technique that utilizes a lower noise VMI as prior information to reduce image noise in HR, PCD‐CT coronary CT angiography (CTA).

Methods

Coronary CTA exams of 10 patients were acquired using PCD‐CT (NAEOTOM Alpha, Siemens Healthineers). A prior‐information‐enabled neural network (Pie‐Net) was developed, treating one lower‐noise VMI (e.g., 70 keV) as a prior input and one noisy VMI (e.g., 50 keV or 100 keV) as another. For data preprocessing, noisy VMIs were reconstructed by filtered back‐projection (FBP) and iterative reconstruction (IR), which were then subtracted to generate “noise‐only” images. Spatial decoupling was applied to the noise‐only images to mitigate overfitting and improve randomization. Thicker slice averaging was used for the IR and prior images. The final training inputs for the convolutional neural network (CNN) inside the Pie‐Net consisted of thicker‐slice signal images with the reinsertion of spatially decoupled noise‐only images and the thicker‐slice prior images. The CNN training labels consisted of the corresponding thicker‐slice label images without noise insertion. Pie‐Net's performance was evaluated in terms of image noise, spatial detail preservation, and quantitative accuracy, and compared to a U‐net‐based method that did not include prior information.

Results

Pie‐Net provided strong noise reduction, by 95 ± 1% relative to FBP and by 60 ± 8% relative to IR. For HR VMIs at different keV (e.g., 50 keV or 100 keV), Pie‐Net maintained spatial and spectral fidelity. The inclusion of prior information from the PCD‐CT data in the spectral domain was able to improve a robust deep learning‐based denoising performance compared to the U‐net‐based method, which caused some loss of spatial detail and introduced some artifacts.

Conclusion

The proposed Pie‐Net achieved substantial noise reduction while preserving HR VMI's spatial and spectral properties.
Educational needs of people with type 1 diabetes mellitus and their parents: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Cho Mi‐Kyoung , Kim Mi Young
Published: April 2023

Aims

To investigate the educational needs of type 1 diabetes patients and their parents.

Design

A cross‐sectional design was employed.

Methods

Data were collected via an online survey and analysed by descriptive statistics and an independent t‐test. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 25.0. Participants comprised type 1 diabetes patients (100) and their parents (93).

Results

Complications management, disease characteristics and exercise were found to be the highest educational needs of type 1 diabetes patients and their parents. The following educational needs differed between patients and parents: complication management, exercise, continuous management, psychosocial needs and risk factors. Regarding psychosocial needs, social life was the most needed in terms of disease management and how to have a social life with the disease.
The effectiveness of the fully online flipped classroom for nursing undergraduates during the COVID‐19: Historical control study
Authors: Du Jingrong , Chen Xiaoyi , Wang Tong , Zhao Juanjuan , Li Kun
Published: April 2023

Aim

Evaluate the fully online flipped classroom's effects during the pandemic.

Design

A comparative descriptive study with historical control design.

Methods

In an internal medicine nursing course, the fully online flipped classroom instruction was used with 53 undergraduates in 2020. Their final examinations were compared with the 50 students taught with traditional offline methods in 2019. Online interactions and students' experiences were described. Pass rates in both classes were over 90% (Χ2 = 0.276, p = 0.60), but the median score in 2019 was higher than in 2020 (Z = −2.491, p = 0.01). There were 996 online interactions and 734 valid interactions in total. All 49 students believed the online flipped classroom schedule was reasonable and all but three said it was helpful. However, 19 students (39%) felt traditional teaching is more effective.

Conclusions

The fully online flipped classroom method was fairly effective during the pandemic. This model also did increase class participation and sufficient faculty–student interactions in remote education. However, fewer students earned outstanding scores, with possible reasons including the online flipped classroom, lack of clinical practice, stress from COVID‐19 and the shortened exam time. Overall, the method is worth recommending under public health emergencies like COVID‐19, and future research exploring potential concerns about scores is necessary.
The riddle of deliberate self‐harm: Physiological and subjective effects of self‐cutting cues in patients with borderline personality disorder and healthy controls
Authors: Pape Valeska Reichel , Braun Silke , Peters Svenja , Stingl Markus , Tucha Oliver , Sammer Gebhard
Published: April 2023

Self‐harming behavior is a core symptom of borderline personality disorder. Self‐report studies show a correlation between a lack of self‐reported negative feelings toward self‐cutting cues and the likelihood of future self‐destructive behavior. Despite these findings, there has so far been insufficient investigation into the implicit emotional processes evoked by this stimulus type. Forty patients with borderline personality disorder and 35 healthy controls between 20 and 50 years of age were confronted with pictures of self‐cutting cues and affective reference pictures. A startle reflex paradigm was used for measuring implicit emotional responses, and the Self‐Assessment Manikin was used for subjective responses. In line with previous studies, the patients rated the self‐cutting pictures significantly less negatively than healthy individuals. On the physiological level, a significant startle inhibition was observed, indicating an activation of the behavioral approach system. A more detailed analysis showed that this startle inhibition effect was specific to scary pictures, whereas no such effect was observed for bloody wounds and self‐cutting instruments. For pleasant standard pictures, in contrast, no startle reflex inhibition and no increase in emotional arousal parameters were found. The data replicate the findings of previous studies, demonstrating a generally diminished emotional reactivity to pleasant stimuli in patients with borderline personality disorder. In addition, a physiological approach reaction to self‐cutting pictures was found, especially for the scary pictures. These results might indicate a positive identification with the long‐lasting consequences of self‐cutting behavior in the patients. Implications for therapy are discussed.
Effective Approaches for Perovskite Solar Cells: Recent Advances and Perspectives
Authors: Ramanathan Ramarajan , Mallik Ramesh Chandra , Zinigrad Michael
Published: April 2023

Perovskites have been one of the most promising futures of solar‐cell technology due to their revolutionary impact on device performance. Recently, perovskite solar cell (PSC) has shown remarkable achievement in power conversion efficiency of 26.1% in 2022 by the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology. However, such a breakthrough technology has limitations for the market‐up due to inherent instability affected by heat, light, and moisture, which are severe issues for overcoming the barrier to commercialization. Several important outcomes of the experimental and theoretical analysis of the fundamental of PSCs are begun with in this review. The main aim of this article is to gain insight into the several processing approaches such as the interfacial approach, device structure approach, deposition method–based approach, compositional approach, bandgap approach, and dimensional approach. Interestingly, these approaches govern the charge‐transport process, recombination, charge‐transfer resistance, carrier injection/collection of the electrodes, etc. Finally, future perspectives of the combined understanding of various aspects are discussed to further enhance the device's performance.
Effects of turmeric extract supplementation on the lipid and lipoprotein subfraction profile in hemodialysis patients: A randomised, double‐blind, crossover and controlled trial
Authors: Alvarenga L. , Cardozo L. F. M. F. , Ribeiro‐Alves M. , Damasceno N. R. T. , Berretta A. A. , Lima J. A. , Khosla P. , Fouque D. , Mafra D.
Published: April 2023

Dyslipidemia is common in patients with chronic kidney disease. Curcumin, a bioactive polyphenol from Curcuma longa, can improve lipid profile. This study aims to analyze the effects of Curcuma Longa extract supplementation on lipid profile and lipoprotein subfractions in hemodialysis (HD) patients. This is a longitudinal, double‐blind, washout‐period randomized clinical trial. The patients were randomized into two groups: the curcumin group (n = 10) (orange and carrot juice with 2.5 g of Curcuma Longa extract) and the control group (n = 11) (juice without curcumin) 3x/w during HD sessions for 3 months. After the washout period, patients continued the supplementation as a crossover for the same period. The lipid profile was measured using enzymatic assays. The high‐density lipoprotein and low‐density lipoprotein subfractions analyses were performed using LipoprintTM. In the curcumin group, the triglyceride values tended to decrease with a different triglyceride variation between the pre and post‐intervention for the control and curcumin groups of 38.5 (19.8) mg/dL (p = 0.06). There was no statistical difference in the others parameters. In conclusion, Curcuma longa extract may be a good nutritional strategy to reduce triglyceride plasma levels in hemodialysis patients, but it seems ineffective for the other parameter.
Research on force and position control performance of the tendon sheath system with time‐varying parameters and flexible robotic arms
Authors: Tang Yu , Pan Mingzhang , Lin Yizhong , Liang Ke
Published: April 2023

Background

The tendon‐sheath‐system (TSS) is an excellent medium for remote power transmission, which is widely used in laparoscopic surgery robots. Since the operation process requires the robot to move continuously, this time‐varying characteristic further aggravates the force and position transmission loss caused by the nonlinear friction of TSS, which affects the control accuracy of the surgical robot.

Method

A time‐varying tendon‐sheath transmission model (RT model) is proposed. A feedforward control system is designed to improve tendon‐sheath transmission accuracy. Furthermore, a tendon‐sheath transmission model with velocity characteristics (RV model) is established.

Result

Force, position, and velocity experiments were carried out on the platform of TSS with a robotic arm. The results show that the R‐square values of force and position compensation are at least 96.57% and 99.16%.

Conclusion

The proposed RT and RV models are effective in compensating for the TSS transmission loss during the operation of the surgical robot.
Graphene‐based Composite Materials as Catalyst for Organic Transformations
Authors: Pandey Gayatri , Kumar Kawar , Singh Rajput Nitesh , Kumar Gupta Sumit , Pal Lamba Narendra , Kumar Singh Brajendra , Singh Surendra , Bahadur Vijay , Singh Chauhan Manmohan
Published: April 2023

Graphene is one of the most auspicious constituents in nanotechnology. It provides the most accurate theoretical 2‐D depiction of catalytic sustenance. Its exceptional, physico‐chemical, and mechanical qualities make it distinctive and also able to create composite materials with novel capabilities. Although using graphene as a single‐layered sheet as a catalytic tool has not been documented yet, certain encouraging outcomes using few‐layer graphene have previously been attained. We will quickly go through the most pertinent synthetic methods for obtaining graphene and graphene based materials in this article. The composites of graphene are used in various catalytic reactions, including Coupling reactions, Aza‐Michael addition, Hydration, Oxidation, Esterification, Pechmann Condensation, Knoevenagel Condensation, Ring‐Opening Polymerization, Friedel‐Crafts Addition, Ring Opening of Epoxides and Decarboxylation have been catalysed by these expertly crafted and prepared graphene‐based catalysts. The graphene based composites allows for easy, recyclable, arnold transform, and environmentally friendly photocatalysis and also mild, precise, and super effective conversions and synthesis.
Improved Thermal Conductivity and Thermomechanical Properties of Epoxy Nanocomposites with Branched Polyethyleneimine‐Functionalized Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets
Authors: Tang Bolin , Jiang Tao , Ge Fan , Cao Miao , Chang Shuo , Yi Jie , Li Wei , Wang Luxiang
Published: April 2023

In this present, branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI)‐functionalized hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) were employed to improve the thermal conductivity and thermomechanical properties of epoxy resin. The 3‐glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH560)‐modified BNNS were firstly prepared via one‐step ball milling, and then reacted with BPEI to obtain BPEI‐functionalized BNNS (BPEI‐KH560‐BNNS). Results showed that, compared with neat epoxy resin, the thermal conductivity of epoxy nanocomposite filled with BPEI‐KH560‐BNNS increased by 189.8 % at 10 wt %, which is also higher than that of the epoxy nanocomposites filled with BN particles, BNNS and KH560‐BNNS. Besides, the highest storage modulus (3.23 GPa) and glass transition temperature (161.7 °C) were also achieved in 10 wt % BPEI‐KH560‐BNNS/epoxy nanocomposite, which increased 39.2 % and 20.9 °C respectively. This is mainly ascribed that the abundant amino groups on BPEI molecular chain can improve the interfacial compatibility and bonding strength between BN nanofillers and epoxy matrix, which has been observed in the morphology of the fracture surface of epoxy nanocomposites. This work provides an effective strategy for improving the thermal conductivity and thermomechanical properties of epoxy resin.
Study of Genipin Behavior in Neutral and Acidic Aqueous Solutions at Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Shalayel Ibrahim , Vallee Yannick , Zebda Abdelkader
Published: April 2023

Genipin is known to polymerize under basic conditions, and the obtained genipin oligomers might have an impact on the chemical and physical properties of the crosslinked materials. In this study, we intend to mimic the experimental condition in which genipin is used as a chemical crosslinker. We focus on the degradation of genipin at neutral and slightly acidic conditions using NMR. We report genipin polymerization at neutral and acidic conditions. Unlike dialdehyde crosslinkers, genipin requires heating to promote its crosslinking activity. We found that elevated temperatures enhance the degradation of genipin and promote its polymerization.
Electrochemical Determination of Flavonoid Fisetin in Commercial Dietary Supplements Using a Boron‐Doped Diamond Electrode
Authors: Allahverdiyeva Shabnam , Keskin Ertuğrul , Yörük İbrahim , Yardım Yavuz
Published: April 2023

For the first time, a boron‐doped diamond electrode was utilized to quantitatively determine flavonoid fisetin (FST). Cyclic voltammetric studies have shown that the electrochemical oxidation of FST is irreversible and well‐separated two peaks (PA1 and PA2) in 0.1 M HNO3 solution. The effects of electrode pretreatment, solution pH, nature of the supporting electrolyte, and instrumental variables on the peak current and potentials of the FST were investigated by square‐wave voltammetry (SWV) and then optimum ones were determined. It was observed that the cathodically pre‐treated BDD (CPT‐BDD) electrode‘s performance was better than the other pre‐treatment procedures for increasing the FST oxidation signal. Under optimized conditions and using the SWV technique, the response of the first anodic peak (PA1) of the FST was proportional in a concentration range of 0.5–20.0 μg mL−1 (1.7×10−6–6.9×10−5 mol L−1) with a detection limit of 0.08 μg mL−1 (2.8×10−7 mol L−1). Also, it was successfully demonstrated that the proposed method is applicable in commercial nutritional supplement formulations.
I2/DMSO mediated Cascade cyclization reaction of amino coumarins with aryl methyl ketones: Access to Dicoumarino‐fused [1,5]‐diazocine and pyrrolo‐coumarin scaffolds
Authors: Islam Saiful , Dhara Samiran , Das Dwaipayan , Das Asish R.
Published: April 2023

An easy metal‐free cascade cyclization of 4‐amino coumarin with aryl methyl ketone has been developed as a straightforward method for constructing coumarino‐fused [1,5]‐diazocines. This chemical transformation affords linearly fused structure of coumarin and 1,5‐diazocine with significant yield. Such complex hybrid diazocine skeletons can propose various bioactivities in drug design. The technique is highly appealing, sustainable, and economic since it is operationally simple and uses a catalytic quantity of iodine in presence of DMSO. In this protocol, DMSO functions both as a solvent and an oxidant. Again, the sustainability of this protocol is enhanced as it is devoid of any exogenous oxidant. Further functionalization of these diazocine moieties using metal catalyzed cross coupling techniques lead to several interesting scaffolds. Furthermore, these diazocine compounds can undergo a base‐controlled regioselective metal‐free Chan‐Lam type coupling reaction, yielding novel N‐arylated and O‐arylated products. Additionally, the formation of densely functionlized coumarin fused pyrrole scaffolds from 3‐aminocoumarin and aryl methyl ketone widens the practical applicabilty of this protocol. This pyrrolo‐coumarin frameworks are present in the bio‐active marine alkaloid, lamellarins.
New 2‐Phenylquinoline‐Based Bis‐Methoxymethyl‐1,2,3‐Triazoles as Potential Antimicrobial Agents: Synthesis and Molecular Docking Studies against COVID‐19
Authors: Yaku Gugulothu , Ramulu Dhanavath , Thumma Vishnu , Paluri Anjaiah , Dharavath Ravinder
Published: April 2023

Synthesis of novel 2‐phenylqinoline conjugated bis‐triazole analogues 8(a–n) demonstrated by a series of reactions concerning Vilsmeier‐Haack reaction, Suzuki‐Miyaura cross coupling, reduction of carbonyl groups, and click reaction. The structure of final compounds predicted based on IR, 1H, 13C NMR and Mass spectral data analysis. The title compounds were screened for their in vitro antimicrobial activities against two‐gram positive (S. aureus and S. pyogens) and two‐gram negative (P. aeruginosa and E. coli) bacteria, and two fungal strains (S. rolfs and F. ricini) by employing Amoxicillin and Bavistin as standard drugs, respectively. The compound containing 3‐chlorophenyl, 4‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl, 3,4‐dimethylphenyl and 3‐fluoro‐4‐chlorophenyl residues, indicated promising antibacterial activity and the best antifungal activity was reported for compounds containing 3‐chlorophenyl, 4‐methoxyphenyl and 4‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl residues. Further, Insilco screening of these compounds against COVID‐19 main protease of corona virus had displayed good docking scores and binding interactions in its active site pocket.
Parameters Affecting Methylene Blue Dye Photodegradation by Carbon dots Prepared from Olive Pomace
Authors: Sawalha Shadi , Hamed Rinad , Assali Mohyeddin
Published: April 2023

Olive pomace was used as a precursor in synthesizing CNDs through pyrolysis and oxidation. The photocatalytic activity of CNDs was evaluated for the degradation of methylene blue (M.B). dye under irradiation of a visible light source. The influence of various operational parameters such as the photocatalyst dose, solution pH, the initial concentration of M.B. dye, NaCl salt content, visible light source power, and distance were investigated and their effects on degradation rate and efficiency have been estimated. The photocatalytic mechanism and kinetic reaction were studied to find that ROS is responsible for causing a ‐pseudo‐first‐order photodegradation of the targeted dye. It was found that both rate and efficiency increased linearly with increasing the photocatalyst dose (CNDs) spiked into M.B solution, along with a maximum degradation first‐order rate of 0.061 min−1 obtained at pH=10.6 with an efficiency of 92 % after 120 minutes of light irradiation.
Electrolytic Synthesis and Tolyltriazole Modification of Dendritic Silver Powders for High‐performance Electrically Conductive Adhesives
Authors: Yu Chongyan , Lei Jianqiu , Wang Ni , Hu Wencheng
Published: April 2023

Dendritic silver particles (DSPs) were synthesized by a facile electrolysis method based on the self‐made silver methanesulfonic as an electrolyte and the surface of DSPs was coated with methyl‐1H‐benzotriazole to prepare the surface‐modified DSPs. Dendritic feature with a trunk and nano‐branches is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. At temperatures above 200 °C, the sintering phenomenon is discovered at the nano‐branches of DSPs. As the prepared DSPs are introduced into the commercial micron‐scale silver particles‐based electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs), the electrical resistivity can be significantly reduced to 5.63×10−5 Ω cm, which is superior to the traditional conductive adhesives derived from the pure micron‐scale silver particles, implying the high application value of DSPs for high‐performance conductive adhesive.
Construction of an Artificial Interfacial Layer with Porous Structure toward Stable Zinc‐Metal Anodes
Authors: Chen Xianhong , Shi Xiaodong , Ruan Pengchao , Tang Yan , Sun Yanyan , Wong Wai-Yeung , Lu Bingan , Zhou Jiang
Published: April 2023

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries possess great potential in stationary energy storage devices. Nevertheless, the occurrence of zinc dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution reaction severely hinders the utilization efficiency and service life of zinc‐metal anodes. Herein, an in situ etching strategy is proposed to construct an interfacial layer with porous structure on the surface of zinc foil under the assistance of tartaric acid (denoted as TA@Zn). The optimized anode surface is beneficial to not only achieve uniform Zn deposition behavior due to the low nucleation overpotential, but also enhance the interfacial reaction kinetics due to the reduced activation energy barrier. As expected, the TA@Zn‐based symmetric cell delivers small voltage hysteresis and superior stability for 5000 h at the current density of 1 mA cm−2. Moreover, the TA@Zn|NH4V4O10cell also exhibits high specific capacity and long‐term cycling stability.
From Three‐ to Six‐Membered Heterocycles Bearing a Quaternary Stereocenter: an Asymmetric Organocatalytic Approach
Authors: Lattanzi Alessandra
Published: April 2023

The development of procedures useful to form quaternary stereocenters stands out as a highly challenging task in asymmetric synthesis. With the arrival of organocatalysis, different activation strategies became available to pursue this intriguing target, thus leading to notable advancements of the area. In this account, our achievements, spanning over a decade, on asymmetric methodologies to access novel three‐, five‐, six‐membered heterocycles, including spiro compounds bearing quaternary stereocenters, will be highlighted. The Michael addition reaction has been often exploited to trigger cascade reactions, using organocatalysts mostly derived from Cinchona alkaloids, and operating under non‐covalent activation of the reagents. Further manipulations of the enantioenriched heterocycles, attested them as useful compounds to prepare functionalized building blocks.
Study on Resuspension Models Based on Force Balance
Authors: He Liwen , Tong Lili , Cao Xuewu
Published: April 2023

During the severe accident of the nuclear power plant, the resuspension of the aerosol particles deposited in the containment would occur, due to some disturbance, resulting in the increase of radioactive aerosols released into the environment. Therefore, aerosol resuspension should be considered for the radiological consequence assessment. Accurate aerosol resuspension prediction model is very important.

In this paper, three typical aerosol resuspension models considering force balance, named Wichner model, Michael model and ECART model, are investigated. These models follow the principle that resuspension occurs when the aerodynamic disturbing force is greater than the hindering force and differ in the consideration of the forces acting on particles. Wichner model proposes the aerodynamic disturbing force includes lift force, while Michael model considers it composed of lift and drag force, hindering effect of adhesive force is considered in the two models. ECART model considers the hindering force includes gravity, cohesive and adhesive force, the aerodynamic disturbing force is composed of drag, and burst force. Considering the aerosol characteristics and thermal hydraulic conditions during nuclear reactor severe accidents, the simulation for STORM and ART experiments with the three models is carried out. Finally, via comparing and analyzing the prediction results and experimental results, the applicability of these models is evaluated. Wichner model could reflect the rapid change of resuspension with the disturbing gas velocity and is in agreement with the experimental results for different particle sizes under different disturbing gas velocities, which is recommended for predicting aerosol resuspension behavior during nuclear reactor severe accidents.
The Main Reason of SG Thermal Power Imbalance Between Each Loop in CPR1000 Nuclear Power Plants
Authors: Shang Chao-hao , Hu You-sen , Guo Yuan-xiong , Li Chang-ying , Chen Jun
Published: April 2023

The SG thermal power imbalance between each loop exists in some CPR1000 nuclear power plants. In this paper, the authors trying to figure out the chief reasons of SG power imbalance between each loop by analyzing the measurement data from the Nuclear Power Plants. The main thermal parameters from the nuclear power plants are analyzed. By analyzing factors affecting the SG thermal power, the main factors affecting the SG thermal power are loop flowrate and hot leg temperature. The loop flowrate depends on the pump characteristic curve and the loop resistance coefficient. The hot leg temperature depends on RPV structure and core power distribution. A CPR1000 SG model was established and the sensitivity analysis of the coefficients which affect SG heat transfer is performed. The analysis results show that the deviation of the hot leg temperature between loops has the most significant effect on the SG thermal power imbalance. Hence, the SG thermal power imbalance between each loop mainly due to the RPV structure, the core power distribution and the flowrate deviation.
Hysteresis Behaviors of a Bump-Type Foil Bearing Structure with Amended LuGre Friction Model
Authors: Zhou Runeng , Gu Yongpeng , Ren Gexue , Yu Suyuan
Published: April 2023

The gas foil bearing (GFB) has the prospect of application in the nuclear field because of its oil-free lubrication and high-speed as well as high-temperature performance. In this paper, the hysteresis behaviors of the bump foil structure of bump-type gas foil bearings are investigated. The bump foil is modeled by beam elements and reduced by Guyan reduction method. The amended LuGre friction model is adopted and all the state variables are solved simultaneously in the fully coupled scheme. It is found that, along with the decrease of the friction stiffness per normal force, the presliding behavior is enhanced and it is more and more difficult to distinguish the stick and slip states, which results a decrease of the energy dissipation of hysteresis curves. Besides, the differences of high-slope and low-slope hysteresis curves are caused by the changes of stick and slip states of partial contact nodes close to the free end of the bump foil. Finally, the simulation results considering the Stribeck effect indicate that the high-slope and low-slope parts of hysteresis curves are dominated by maximum static friction coefficient and kinetic friction coefficient, respectively. Moreover, the comparisons of simulation and experimental hysteresis curves prove that the presliding behavior and Stribeck effect are prevalent phenomena in bump foil structure and should be taken into account in the modeling of the GFB system.
Discussion on Common Bolt Scuffing Factors and Control Measures in the Installation and Maintenance Stage of Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Gong Xuefeng , Feng Xiaohan , Liu Xue , Mu Lianjun , Lu Jianxiang
Published: April 2023

Because of its high control precision, high efficiency, easy operation and safe to threads, bolt tensioning is widely used in many mainstream reactor types of nuclear power plants at home and abroad, such as M310, EPR, VVER, AP/CAP and HPR 1000. It plays an indispensable role in the installation and removal of foundation fixing bolts and flange connecting bolts of dynamic and static mechanical equipment in the construction and maintenance stage of domestic nuclear power plants. With the development and upgrading of bolt tensioner, the technology of bolt tensioning has become more and more mature. At present, it has become an irreplaceable means of bolt pre tightening.

However, in the installation and maintenance stage of nuclear power plant, the fixing bolts and flange connecting bolts of mechanical equipment will still be jammed, damaged or even be scuffed. This situation may cause damage to bolts and bolt holes, which requires additional repair and rework costs and the construction period would delayed, or it may cause scrapping of bolts and bolt holes, and even affect the main functions of equipment and flanges, cause more serious economic losses and even nuclear safety accidents.

This paper analyzes the common bolt scuffing factors in the installation and maintenance stage of nuclear power plant through the experience of actual disposal means on site of bolt tensioning and scuffing, and defines the corresponding control means pertinently, so as to reduce the bolt scuffing probability, and then reduce the additional cost in the installation and maintenance stage and even the probability of nuclear safety accident.

Mainly analyze from the aspects of thread material, working environment, manufacturing tolerance, thread cleaning, bolt assembly, bolt tensioning and bolt fastening, and formulate standard and effective work plans for thread material inspection, working environment isolation, manufacturing tolerance inspection, thread cleaning, bolt assembly, bolt tensioning and bolt fastening in combination with the actual situation of the construction site, so as to ensure the reduction or even elimination of nuclear power plant installation The probability of bolt scuffing in the maintenance stage can enhance the quality of nuclear power installation and maintenance at the construction site of the nuclear power plant and improve the operation safety probability of the nuclear power plant.
Study on Unstructured-Mesh-Based Importance Sampling Method of Monte Carlo Simulation
Authors: Shu Hanlin , Cao Liangzhi , He Qingming , Dai Tao , Huang Zhangpeng , Wu Hongchun
Published: April 2023

Monte Carlo (MC) method is widely adopted in radiation transport calculation due to its high accuracy, but suffers from high variance in deep-penetration problems. To obtain reasonable results, variance reduction techniques are necessary and thus be widely studied worldwide. The Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling (CADIS) method is proved to be an effective variance reduction technique, which generally employs finite-difference discrete ordinate (SN) code to obtain the adjoint flux, and generates parameters of source biasing and weight window for MC code. However, the finite-difference method, which models through structural meshes, will introduce considerable geometric approximations in complex geometry. The finite element method (FEM) performs calculations with lower truncation error and can employ unstructured meshes, which are capable of modeling complex geometry with relatively lower geometric approximations. Therefore, the adjoint flux calculated by unstructured-mesh FEM is able to generate more appropriate parameters of source biasing and weight window which will further reduce the variance of forward MC calculation. A fully automatic unstructured-mesh CADIS method is studied and implemented in this paper, parallel three-dimensional unstructured-mesh neutron-photon coupled transport calculation code NECP-SUN based on the SN method and discontinuous FEM is developed and embedded into the MC code NECP-MCX to calculate the adjoint flux with unstructured meshes. The updated code is applied to the HBR-2 benchmark, the numerical results show that the relative statistic error is reduced by up to 22% compared to the traditional CADIS method while the calculation results are closer to the measurements and the figure of merit (FOM) is increased by 3–4 orders comparing to direct MC simulation.
Research on Parameter Sensitivity for Deeply Embedment SSI Analysis Based on Sub-structuring Method
Authors: Liu Ziqiao , Wang Dongyang , Sun Xiaoying , Gan Yingying
Published: April 2023

This paper carried out a seismic analysis of a nuclear island structure under the site of a soft soil foundation, based on the spatial sub-structuring analysis method. In order to fully consider the influence of embedment effect in the analysis, the embedded part is modeled independently in the model. Then, the sensitivity effects from the number of interaction nodes and the radius of the cylindrical central area on the calculation time and results is studied. The research show that: (1) Selecting the nodes only at the boundary of the embedded part as the interaction points can significantly reduce the calculation time on the premise of ensuring the accuracy of the results. (2) The value of cylindrical radius in finite element model does not affect the calculation time and accuracy significantly, but has a certain effect on the spectrum value. It is suggested to determine the radius using the average value of the elements which are a large proportion in the model for an non-uniform mesh. In this paper, the suggested values for two parameters are provided based on the sensitivity analysis. The conclusions provide technical reference for the seismic analysis of the deeply embedded nuclear buildings.
Study on the Cause and Solution of Quadrant Power Tilt Rate Alarm in a PWR Plant
Authors: Jin Desheng , Li Qiubai , Mao Yulong , Zhang Wei , Hu Yousen
Published: April 2023

During the normal operation of a pressurized water reactor plant, RPN430KA (quadrant power tilt rate over 3%) alarms were issued several times, and the alarm frequency increased with the increase of burnup, which affected the normal operation of the unit. The original signal of this alarm is from four power range channels (RPN). After the process of signal filtering, if the difference between the maximum and minimum nuclear power is still greater than 3%, the alarm will be triggered. In this paper, the root cause of the quadrant power tilt rate alarm phenomenon is studied, and targeted solutions are given. The research shows that the main factor affecting the alarm is the inconsistency between the filtering sampling time during the discretization process and the physical sampling time of the alarm signal, and the induced reason is that the fluctuation of nuclear power gradually increases with the deepening of burnup. The nuclear power fluctuation is a noise signal with too many complex factors but existed objectively. Therefore, in the case of large fluctuation of nuclear power, if the actual filtering effect is not achieved, it is easy to appear alarm phenomenon, which can be solved by modifying the sampling time of signal processing. The results of this paper can be used as reference for plant operation.
Solid-Liquid Equilibria of Ternary Systems UO2(NO3)2 + HNO3 + H2O and UF4 + HF + H2O at 298 K
Authors: Lin Wang , Dan Xu , Jianxin Feng , Hanlong Cui , Wenhui Wang , Yingxi Zhu
Published: April 2023

UO2(NO3)2 and UF4 are significant intermediates that connect different chemical unit operations (such as dissolution, evaporation, concentration, extraction and etc.) in uranium chemical industry. Commonly, there is a basic physicochemical question about phase equilibrium of ternary systems UO2(NO3)2 + HNO3 + H2O and UF4 + HF + H2O, it is crucial to understand the phase behavior and thermodynamic properties of them with the continuous development of uranium chemical industry. In this study, solid-liquid phase equilibria of ternary systems UO2(NO3)2 + HNO3 + H2O and UF4 + HF + H2O at 298 K were studied by means of isothermal dissolution method, the solubilities and densities of equilibria liquid phase were investigated experimentally for two systems, the composition of equilibria solid phase of system UO2(NO3)2 + HNO3 + H2O at 298 K were determined by Scherinemakers’ wet residue method, and the method of X-ray diffraction was used to determine the composition of equilibria solid phase for system UF4 + HF + H2O at 298 K. Phase diagrams and diagrams of density-composition were constructed for systems UO2(NO3)2 + HNO3 + H2O and UF4 + HF + H2O at 298 K. Results show that there are unique isothermal dissolution curve for two ternary systems, and corresponding crystallization zone are UO2(NO3)2·6H2O and UF4·2.5H2O, respectively.