bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of periaqueductal gray on other salience network nodes predicts social sensitivity
Authors: Rijpma Myrthe G. , Yang Winson F.Z. , Toller Gianina , Battistella Giovanni , Sokolov Arseny A. , Sturm Virginia E. , Seeley William W. , Kramer Joel H. , Miller Bruce L. , Rankin Katherine P.
Published: January 2022

The intrinsic connectivity of the salience network (SN) plays an important role in social behavior, however the directional influence that individual nodes have on each other has not yet been fully determined. In this study, we used spectral dynamic causal modeling to characterize the effective connectivity patterns in the SN for 44 healthy older adults and for 44 patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) who have focal SN dysfunction. We examined the relationship of SN effective connections with individuals' socioemotional sensitivity, using the revised self‐monitoring scale, an informant‐facing questionnaire that assesses sensitivity to expressive behavior. Overall, average SN effective connectivity for bvFTD patients differs from healthy older adults in cortical, hypothalamic, and thalamic nodes. For the majority of healthy individuals, strong periaqueductal gray (PAG) output to right cortical (p < .01) and thalamic nodes (p < .05), but not PAG output to other central pattern generators contributed to sensitivity to socioemotional cues. This effect did not exist for the majority of bvFTD patients; PAG output toward other SN nodes was weak, and this lack of output negatively influenced socioemotional sensitivity. Instead, input to the left vAI from other SN nodes supported patients' sensitivity to others' socioemotional behavior (p < .05), though less effectively. The key role of PAG output to cortical and thalamic nodes for socioemotional sensitivity suggests that its core functions, that is, generating autonomic changes in the body, and moreover representing the internal state of the body, is necessary for optimal social responsiveness, and its breakdown is central to bvFTD patients' social behavior deficits.
Use of serum B‐cell maturation antigen levels to predict outcomes for myeloma patients treated with ruxolitinib, lenalidomide and methylprednisolone
Authors: Bujarski Sean , Sutanto Christine , Spektor Tanya M. , To Jennifer , Swift Regina A. , Green Tracy , Eades Benjamin R. , Emamy‐Sadr Marsiye , Souther Eric , Berenson James R.
Published: January 2022

Previous retrospective studies have shown that serum B‐cell maturation antigen (sBCMA) levels predict outcomes among patients with multiple myeloma (MM) undergoing new treatments. Specifically, baseline levels and changes during treatment of this protein predict both progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival. However, prospective studies are lacking evaluating sBCMA for determining outcomes among MM patients undergoing new treatments. Thus, we evaluated whether its baseline levels and changes during treatment in the amount of this serum marker predict outcomes among 38 relapsed/refractory MM patients treated with ruxolitinib, lenalidomide and methylprednisolone in a phase 1 trial. Patients with baseline sBCMA levels in the lowest three quartiles had longer PFS (median PFS 136 vs. 28 days; p < 0.0001). This was also shown for patients with baseline levels below the median (median PFS 140 vs. 77 days; p = 0.0225). PFS was shorter for patients whose sBCMA levels increased ≥25% through their first cycle (median PFS: 50 vs. 134 days, p = 0.0022), second cycle (median PFS: 50 vs. 141 days, p = 0.0273), and during the first three cycles of study treatment (median PFS: 50 vs. 220 days, p < 0.0001). No patient whose sBCMA increased ≥25% during cycle 1 responded whereas the majority (58%) of patients whose level increased <25% responded. This is the first prospective study to determine whether sBCMA levels predict outcomes for MM patients undergoing a non‐BCMA directed treatment regimen and demonstrates that baseline levels and its changes during treatment predict PFS and the likelihood of responding to their treatment. These results add to the growing literature suggesting that this serum marker will be useful for determining outcomes for patients undergoing treatment for MM.
COVID‐opt‐aiNet: A clinical decision support system for COVID‐19 detection
Authors: Kanwal Summrina , Khan Faiza , Alamri Sultan , Dashtipur Kia , Gogate Mandar
Published: January 2022

Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) has had a major and sometimes lethal effect on global public health. COVID‐19 detection is a difficult task that necessitates the use of intelligent diagnosis algorithms. Numerous studies have suggested the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques to detect COVID‐19 infection in patients through chest X‐ray image analysis. The use of medical imaging with different modalities for COVID‐19 detection has become an important means of containing the spread of this disease. However, medical images are not sufficiently adequate for routine clinical use; there is, therefore, an increasing need for AI to be applied to improve the diagnostic performance of medical image analysis. Regrettably, due to the evolving nature of the COVID‐19 global epidemic, the systematic collection of a large data set for deep neural network (DNN)/ML training is problematic. Inspired by these studies, and to aid in the medical diagnosis and control of this contagious disease, we suggest a novel approach that ensembles the feature selection capability of the optimized artificial immune networks (opt‐aiNet) algorithm with deep learning (DL) and ML techniques for better prediction of the disease. In this article, we experimented with a DNN, a convolutional neural network (CNN), bidirectional long‐short‐term memory, a support vector machine (SVM), and logistic regression for the effective detection of COVID‐19 in patients. We illustrate the effectiveness of this proposed technique by using COVID‐19 image datasets with a variety of modalities. An empirical study using the COVID‐19 image dataset demonstrates that the proposed hybrid approaches, named COVID‐opt‐aiNet, improve classification accuracy by up to 98%–99% for SVM, 96%–97% for DNN, and 70.85%–71% for CNN, to name a few examples. Furthermore, statistical analysis ensures the validity of our proposed algorithms. The source code can be downloaded from Github: https://github.com/faizakhan1925/COVID-opt-aiNet.
Derivation of a natural language processing algorithm to identify febrile infants
Authors: Yaeger Jeffrey P. , Lu Jiahao , Jones Jeremiah , Ertefaie Ashkan , Fiscella Kevin , Gildea Daniel
Published: January 2022

Background

Diagnostic codes can retrospectively identify samples of febrile infants, but sensitivity is low, resulting in many febrile infants eluding detection. To ensure study samples are representative, an improved approach is needed.

Objective

To derive and internally validate a natural language processing algorithm to identify febrile infants and compare its performance to diagnostic codes.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study consisted of infants aged 0–90 days brought to one pediatric emergency department from January 2016 to December 2017. We aimed to identify infants with fever, defined as a documented temperature ≥38°C. We used 2017 clinical notes to develop two rule‐based algorithms to identify infants with fever and tested them on data from 2016. Using manual abstraction as the gold standard, we compared performance of the two rule‐based algorithms (Models 1, 2) to four previously published diagnostic code groups (Models 5–8) using area under the receiver‐operating characteristics curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity.

Results

For the test set (n = 1190 infants), 184 infants were febrile (15.5%). The AUCs (0.92–0.95) and sensitivities (86%–92%) of Models 1 and 2 were significantly greater than Models 5–8 (0.67–0.74; 20%–74%) with similar specificities (93%–99%). In contrast to Models 5–8, samples from Models 1 and 2 demonstrated similar characteristics to the gold standard, including fever prevalence, median age, and rates of bacterial infections, hospitalizations, and severe outcomes.

Conclusions

Findings suggest rule‐based algorithms can accurately identify febrile infants with greater sensitivity while preserving specificity compared to diagnostic codes. If externally validated, rule‐based algorithms may be important tools to create representative study samples, thereby improving generalizability of findings.
Inpatient outcomes for children receiving empiric methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus coverage for complicated pneumonia
Authors: Markham Jessica L. , Hackman Sophia , Hall Matt , Burns Alaina , Goldman Jennifer L.
Published: January 2022

Rigorous evidence for antibiotic management of pediatric complicated pneumonia is lacking, likely contributing to variation in empiric antibiotic(s). Using the Pediatric Health Information System database, we sought to describe use and clinical outcomes of children hospitalized with complicated pneumonia who received empiric antibiotic regimens with and without methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) coverage. We evaluated empiric antibiotic selection on Day 0–1, grouping based on use of an antibiotic with or without MRSA coverage. We used generalized linear mixed effects models to examine the association of MRSA coverage and outcomes. Across 46 children's hospitals, 71.5% of children (N = 1279) received an empiric antibiotic regimen with MRSA coverage. In adjusted analyses, length of stay, need for repeat pleural drainage procedures, 7‐day emergency department revisits and 7‐day readmissions were similar between groups. Future prospective studies examining the need for MRSA coverage may assist in refining national treatment guidelines for complicated pneumonia in children.
Epidemiological changes of common respiratory viruses in children during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Ye Qing , Wang Dongjie
Published: January 2022

A variety of non‐pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have been implemented to control the transmission of COVID‐19 in China. The effect of NPIs on other common respiratory viruses in children of different age groups has not been examined thus far. Respiratory specimens of children were collected to detect common childhood respiratory viruses, including influenza A (FluA), influenza B (FluB), adenovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020. The epidemiological characteristics of the respiratory viruses in 2020 were compared with those in 2019. From January 2019 to December 2020, 165 622 specimens were collected. The proportion of infants aged 0−28 days (683, 2.24% vs. 1295, 0.96%, p = 0.000) and 1−12 months (8560, 28.12% vs. 20 875, 15.43%, p = 0.000) in 2020 increased significantly compared with that in 2019. There were two obvious increases in April and September in the number of specimens in children aged 4−6 years and >7 years. FluA, FluB, and RSV's age distribution patterns were surprisingly consistent with each other in 2020, and the positive rates of children aged 1−12 months were the highest in all age groups (FluA: 4.45%, FluB: 3.30%, RSV: 7.35%). Our study further confirms that the NPIs significantly decreased the transmission of common childhood respiratory viruses. The change in circulation characteristics of common respiratory viruses of children in different age groups varied. Therefore, we recommend that different protection strategies should be introduced for children of different age groups.
Is Shared Leadership Really as Perfect as We Thought? Positive and Negative Outcomes of Shared Leadership on Employee Creativity
Authors: Wang Hui , Peng Qian
Published: January 2022

The link between shared leadership and employee creativity has been consistently labeled as positive in prior studies, discounting a possible negative relationship. A parallel mediation model was constructed to establish the favorable and unfavorable outcomes of shared leadership on employee creativity. The model is based on the job demands–resources model that originates from conservation of resource theory. Psychological safety and role stress play positive and negative mediating roles, respectively. The theoretical model was validated using data collected from 232 employees of 42 teams in China. Empirical results demonstrate (a) a positive association between shared leadership and employee creativity through psychological safety and (b) a negative one through role stress. These relationships have theoretical and practical implications.
Distribution of RET proto‐oncogene variants in children with appendicitis
Authors: Schultz Jurek , Freibothe Ines , Haase Michael , Glatte Patrick , Barreton Gustavo , Ziegler Andreas , Görgens Heike , Fitze Guido
Published: January 2022

Background

In addition to patient‐related systemic factors directing the immune response, the pathomechanisms of appendicitis (AP) might also include insufficient drainage leading to inflammation caused by decreased peristalsis. Genetic predisposition accounts for 30%–50% of AP. M. Hirschsprung (HSCR), also characterized by disturbed peristalsis, is associated with variants in the RET proto‐oncogene. We thus hypothesized that RET variants contribute to the etiology of AP.

Methods

DNA from paraffin‐embedded appendices and clinical data of 264 children were analyzed for the RET c.135A>G variant (rs1800858, NC_000010.11:g.43100520A>G). In 46 patients with gangrenous or perforated AP (GAP), peripheral blood DNA was used for RET sequencing.

Results

Germline mutations were found in 13% of GAP, whereas no RET mutations were found in controls besides the benign variant p.Tyr791Phe (NC_000010.11:g.43118460A>T). In GAP, the polymorphic G‐allele in rs2435352 (NC_000010.11:g.43105241A>G) in intron 4 was underrepresented (p = 0.0317).

Conclusion

Our results suggest an impact of the RET proto‐oncogene in the etiology of AP. Mutations were similar to patients with HSCR but no clinical features of HSCR were observed. The pathological phenotypes in both populations might thus represent a multigenic etiology including RET germline mutations with phenotypic heterogeneity and incomplete penetrance.
Uncertainty principles associated with quaternion linear canonical transform and their estimates
Authors: Kundu Manab , Prasad Akhilesh
Published: January 2022

In this paper, the relation between linear canonical transform (LCT) and quaternion linear canonical transform (QLCT) by using orthogonal plan split (OPS) method is studied. Further, several inequalities like sharp Young–Hausdorff inequality and Pitt's inequality are proved. Moreover, entropy uncertainty principle, sharp local uncertainty principle, and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle for the two‐sided QLCT are also discussed.
Differential Effects of Three Crab Trap Escape Ring Sizes on Retention of Male and Female Blue Crabs
Authors: Olsen Zachary , Topping Darin , Wagner Tom , Anderson Joel , Gelpi Carey , Sutton Glen , Carrillo Nicole
Published: January 2022

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus supports a valuable commercial fishery in Texas waters. Several regulatory tools are used to manage the catch of blue crabs, including the use of escape rings, which are designed to allow for the escapement of undersized individuals. In this study, we first examined the relationship between carapace width (CW) and carapace length (CL) for male and female blue crabs (with an eye toward the effectiveness of the escape rings). Second, we examined the retention rates for male and female blue crabs across a range of CWs for three different escape ring sizes: 60.3 (current Texas minimum escape ring size), 63.5, and 66.7 mm. Male crabs were found to have a greater CL at a given CW than did female crabs, and this discrepancy between the sexes increased at larger CWs. Assuming that CL is the primary determinant in crab trap retention, this would suggest that males are typically retained at a smaller CW than females and this discrepancy at size of retention increases for larger escape rings. This interpretation was validated in the retention analyses for the three escape ring sizes examined in this study. Overall, the carapace width at 50% retention (CW50) increased with increasing escape ring size for each sex and the discrepancy between CW50 for male and female crabs increased from 4.4 mm (60.3-mm ring) to 5.0 mm (63.5-mm ring) to 7.2 mm (66.7-mm ring). The probability of retention is given for a range of potential minimum CWs (127, 140, and 152 mm) for each escape ring size. Fishery managers should select appropriate escape ring sizes given the target legal minimum CW for the blue crab fishery and also consider the differential performance of these escape ring sizes between sexes when using crab trap escape rings as a management tool.
Strain localization criteria for viscoplastic geomaterials
Authors: Xue Dawei , Shahin Ghassan , Lü Xilin , Buscarnera Giuseppe
Published: January 2022

This work presents a viscoplastic localization criterion to detect quasi‐instantaneous (i.e., load‐induced) and delayed (creep‐induced) strain localization in rate‐dependent solids. The study is based on the theory of controllability and a viscoplastic description of the mechanical response. Analytical precursors of unstable states are defined through systems of ordinary differential equations (OEDs). The use of the proposed criteria is illustrated at the material point level through a set of strain localization analyses simulating active strain localization of a porous rock. In addition, full‐field finite element simulations of compression tests conducted under various pressures are reported to demonstrate the role of local unstable viscoplasticity in the spontaneous propagation of deformation bands under stationary boundary conditions. The study shows that the viscoplastic localization criterion maintains a negative sign as long as the behavior is unstable, that is, the rate of deformation is accelerating. The sign switch coincides with the transition to decelerating deformation. The analyses revealed that pulses of overstress always emerge in correspondence with the growth of unstable behavior, and the peak matches the transition to stable behavior. The local responses recovered from full‐field analyses were consistent with those observed in analyses at material point level and the predictions of the presented theory.
Bayesian calibration for large‐scale fluid structure interaction problems under embedded/immersed boundary framework
Authors: Cao Shunxiang , Zhengyu Huang Daniel
Published: January 2022

Bayesian calibration is widely used for inverse analysis and uncertainty analysis for complex systems in the presence of both computer models and observation data. In the present work, we focus on large‐scale fluid‐structure interaction systems characterized by large structural deformations. Numerical methods to solve these problems, including embedded/immersed boundary methods, are typically not differentiable and lack smoothness. We propose a framework that is built on unscented Kalman filter/inversion to efficiently calibrate and provide uncertainty estimations of such complicated models with noisy observation data. The approach is derivative‐free and non‐intrusive, and is of particular value for the forward model that is computationally expensive and provided as a black box which is impractical to differentiate. The framework is demonstrated and validated by successfully calibrating the model parameters of a piston problem and identifying the damage field of an aircraft wing under transonic buffeting.
Extended isogeometric analysis of a progressively fracturing fluid‐saturated porous medium
Authors: Fathi Farshid , Chen Lin , Hageman Tim , de Borst René
Published: January 2022

An extended isogeometric analysis (XIGA) approach is proposed for modeling fracturing in a fluid‐saturated porous material. XIGA provides a definition of the discontinuity independent of the underlying mesh layout, which obviates the need of knowing the crack extension direction a priori. Unlike Lagrange shape functions used in the standard finite element approach, non‐uniform rational B‐splines (NURBS) provide a higher‐order interelement continuity which leads to a continuous fluid flow also at element boundaries, thereby satisfying the local mass balance. It also leads to an improved estimate of the crack path due to a smoother stress distribution. The NURBS basis functions are cast in finite element data structure using Bézier extraction. To model the discontinuity, the Heaviside sign function is utilized within the displacement and the pressure fields, complemented by the shifting and the blending techniques to enforce compatibility perpendicular and parallel to the crack path, respectively. Different aspects of the approach are assessed through examples comprising straight and curved crack paths for stationary and propagating discontinuities.
Isotopic assessment of diet and infant feeding practices among Ottoman‐period Bedouin from Tell el‐Hesi
Authors: Gregoricka Lesley A. , Ullinger Jaime M.
Published: January 2022

Stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes from human bone collagen (n = 20) were used to examine adult diet and infant feeding practices among the Ottoman‐period Bedouin at Tell el‐Hesi (ca. 1500–1800 CE). Among adults, δ15N values point to a diet dependent on animal protein, fitting with ethnohistoric accounts detailing the reliance of these communities on secondary animal products. Nevertheless, differential access to animal protein was evident between males (δ15N:x̅ = 10.7 ± 0.4‰, 1σ) and females (x̅ = 9.2 ± 0.6‰, 1σ), who consumed proportionally more plant proteins that likely included cereals used to make bread. Carbon isotope values (x̅ = − 17.4 ± 0.4‰, 1σ) were similar between the sexes and suggest a mixed C3‐C4diet, indicating that domesticated cultivars likely contributed to food intake alongside animal products and were either obtained through trade with more sedentary groups or grown by Bedouin themselves as part of agropastoral ways of life. Nonadult δ15N values are suggestive of an extended period of supplemental breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding similar to those reported among more nomadic historic Bedouin groups. Higher δ13C values among nonadults (x̅ = − 15.7 ± 1.9‰, 1σ) throughout infancy and young childhood differed statistically from those of adults, possibly indicative of a specialized, prescribed diet for pregnant and nursing mothers as well as for young children that included resources possessing higher δ13C values, perhaps derived from C4cereals or camel's milk.
Violence in Hasmonean Judea: Skeletal evidence of a massacre from 2nd–1st century BCE Jerusalem
Authors: Dittmar Jenna M. , Nagar Yossi , Arbiv Kfir , Lieberman Tehillah , Mitchell Piers D.
Published: January 2022

During a salvage excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, a mass grave containing the skeletal remains from 124 individuals, many with evidence of weapon injuries, was discovered in a water cistern outside the Old City of Jerusalem. Radiocarbon dates derived from human bone and the date of the material finds suggest the skeletal remains date to the end of the 2nd century or the beginning of the 1st century BCE. The aim of this research is to analyze the weapon injuries in order to reconstruct the nature and context of this violence. The human skeletal remains from 23 individuals recovered from the cistern were selectively retained and examined macroscopically in a laboratory setting. Silicone casts of selected weapon injuries (n = 5) were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Numerous examples of peri‐mortem blunt‐ and sharp‐force trauma were observed including evidence that at least 16 individuals were decapitated. The extent and nature of the observed injuries as well as the evidence of their haphazard deposition into the cistern suggest that these individuals were the victims of a massacre. As a highly visible act of violence, massacres are often used as a mechanism for social control. When contextualized, this skeletal assemblage is most likely evidence of a massacre that occurred during the reign of the Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus. This is the first archeological evidence for the use of socially sanctioned violence to legitimize the Hasmonean state and to maintain social control at the end of the 2nd century–early 1st century BCE.
Market‐focused flexibility and innovative performance in public healthcare: Evidence from India
Authors: Kumar Pradeep
Published: January 2022

The healthcare sector is increasingly facing changing demand patterns and escalating pressures for innovative services during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Market‐focused flexibility refers to the capabilities of adaptation and facilitating the innovative performance of the firm. Accepting the overall role of innovation in COVID‐19 response, this study aims to explore how public healthcare organizations exhibit market‐focused flexibility to introduce new and innovative services. This study conducts an exploratory case study in a national‐level healthcare firm in India. This study identifies four specific dimensions of market‐focused flexibility that healthcare firms execute to deliver customized services. The study's findings contribute to an integrative framework of market‐focused flexibility and innovative performance in public healthcare. The mechanisms of market‐focused flexibility are unearthed and explained how the different facets influence innovative services in various manners. The implications to theory and practices are discussed, and future research avenues are sketched.
The mediating role of self‐efficacy in the association between perceived stigma and psychosocial adjustment: a cross‐sectional study among nasopharyngeal cancer survivors
Authors: Yan Ming‐hui , Fan Yuying , Chen Minlin , Zhang June
Published: January 2022

Objective

This study aims to examine the levels of and associations between perceived stigma, self‐efficacy, and psychosocial adjustment (PA) among nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) survivors, and to identify the mediating role of self‐efficacy between stigma and PA and explore the influencing factors of PA.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey was conducted and 307 NPC survivors were recruited by convenience sampling method in Southern China from July 2019 to January 2020. Data analyses were performed with the SPSS WIN 25.0 program and PROCESS macro version 3.3.

Results

Stigma and self‐efficacy were positively associated with PA among Chinese NPC survivors. Tumor‐free survival time, late toxicities (fatigue, dizziness and headache, and hearing loss), stigma, and self‐efficacy entered the final regression model and explained 55.9% of the variance of PA. The total and direct effects of stigma on PA and its subscales were significant (p < 0.05). Positive indirect effects were found for stigma on PA via self‐efficacy (point estimate = 0.159, SE = 0.032, 95% CI [0.102 to 0.229]).

Conclusions

Stigma and self‐efficacy are significantly associated with PA, and self‐efficacy is also a mediating variable between stigma and PA among NPC survivors. Medical staff could improve the PA of NPC survivors by alleviating their stigma, enhancing their self‐efficacy, and relieving their late toxicities (fatigue, dizziness and headache, and hearing loss).
Empowerment in cancer patients: Does peer support make a difference? A systematic review
Authors: Ziegler Elâ , Hill Josephine , Lieske Berit , Klein Jens , dem Olaf von , Kofahl Christopher
Published: January 2022

Objective

Empowerment is critical for cancer patients to make informed choices, to manage medication, and to navigate through the oncological care system. Cancer peer support provides patients with information, emotional relief and may promote empowerment. This paper provides a systematic review of the literature examining the impact of cancer peer support interventions on psychological empowerment.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and PSYNDEX databases were systematically searched from inception until December 2020. We included quantitative studies, published in English or German, which examined peer‐led cancer support interventions and their impact on the three components of psychological empowerment (intrapersonal, interactional and behavioural) among participating cancer patients.

Results

Database searches and screening of relevant reference lists identified 2336 potentially relevant articles. A total of 29 studies were included in the review. Active coping, self‐efficacy and knowledge were the most prominent dimensions of empowerment in these studies. The majority of studies revealed that peer support led to a small to medium, significant increase in psychological empowerment, and was associated with further patient‐reported benefits.

Conclusions

The existing evidence suggests a weak to moderate, positive association between cancer peer support and the three components of psychological empowerment among cancer patients. Peer support groups should be seen as an important element in cancer care and clinical practice and, thus, be more systematically involved in cancer care.
Negative Differential Resistance Behavior in n‐Channel Organic Thin‐Film Transistors Based on C60and PTCDI‐C8: Electrical Characterization and Parameter Extraction
Authors: Wageh S. , Boukhili Walid , Al-Ghamdi Ahmed
Published: January 2022

Organic thin‐film transistors (OTFTs), based on two n‐type structures of fullerene (C60) andN,N′‐dioctyl‐3,4,9,10‐perylenedicarboximide (PTCDI‐C8), are investigated. The two OTFT devices reveal a negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior in the saturation region of the output curves. The OTFT based on C60shows a more pronounced NDR than that based on PTCDI‐C8. The main origin of the NDR is ascribed to the trapping states. In addition, the contact resistance (Rc) of the two devices, extracted using the developed voltage transition method (Vtrmethod), as well as the obtained values ofRc, are in fair agreement with the experimental values extracted using the total resistance. The device based on C60exhibits a higherRcthan that based on PTCDI‐C8. OTFT parameters, such as transconductance (gm), mobility (μmax), threshold voltage (Vth,), turn‐on voltage (Von), ratio currentIon/Ioff, and subthreshold slope (SS), are obtained in the linear and saturation regimes. The extracted value of SS for the OTFT based on C60is very small compared with that of the device based on PTCDI‐C8, which indicates an increase in the density of trapping states in the C60film.
Laser Light Durability and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Acrylate Polymer−Chalcogenide Glass−Gold Nanocomposites
Authors: Burunkova Julia , Alkhalil George , Tcypkin Anton , Putilin Sergey , Ismagilov Azat , Molnar Sandor , Daroczi Lajos , Kokenyesi Sandor
Published: January 2022

Synthesis of acrylate‐based nanocomposites (NCs) for photonic applications is performed, and the influence of gold and chalcogenide glass nanoparticles (NPs) on optical parameters of NC layers at high laser intensities is investigated, whereas the polymerization, recording of optical gratings or other elements, and variations of their functional parameters in As2S3 and Au‐containing NC layers are possible at low, 532 nm laser light intensities in the absorption edge range; optical stability under high intensity illumination and threshold laser damage intensities in NIR optical transmission range are important for nonlinear optical experiments, measurements of n2. Hence, these parameters are determined and show the increase in NCs’ stability due to the addition of Au NPs, as well as increase in n2 in gold‐ and chalcogenide‐containing NCs. Thus, the functionality of such NCs and optical elements on their basis can be extended to high‐intensity applications and nonlinear optics.
Semi‐Markov models of epidemics over networks with time delays
Authors: Ghousein Mohammad , Moulay Emmanuel , Coirault Patrick
Published: January 2022

In this article, we extend the Markov models describing the susceptible‐infected‐susceptible (SIS) epidemics over undirected networks to take into account the virus minimum incubation period and the minimum recovery period of an infected individual. We represent both periods as time delays in the states of the extended model. However, due to the addition of time delays, the process loses its Markovain property. We use the generalized semi‐Markov theory to introduce both the incubation and recovery delays to the probabilistic dynamical models. Hence, in this paper, we propose a time‐delay version of the two principal models of the SIS epidemics over undirected networks: the exactstate model and the approximatedintertwined model. Finally, using Lyapunov analysis, we give sufficient conditions that guarantee the global exponential stability of the time‐delayintertwined model.
Numerical Analysis of Blast Furnace Hearth Drainage Based on a Simulated Hele–Shaw Model
Authors: Liu Weiqiang , Shao Lei , Saxén Henrik
Published: January 2022

For a modern blast furnace (BF), a smooth tapping is a key prerequisite to keep the furnace running efficiently. An understanding of the hearth drainage and the influence of associated operational factors is therefore vitally important. To investigate the hearth tapping, a 2D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed and verified based on results from an experimental Hele–Shaw model. A series of simulation cases are conducted with the CFD model, studying the effect of the blast pressure, packed bed permeability, coke‐free zone, and initial accumulated amounts of liquids on the tapping behavior, using water and oil as liquids as in the experimental model. To quantify the simulation findings, the effect of the above process conditions on the evolution of some drainage parameters, i.e., the liquid levels and volumes, flow rates, ratio of oil and water in the outflow, as well as the angle of the interfaces, are analyzed. The results reveal interesting findings of the hearth drainage and also show similarities with the outflow patterns of the hearth liquids in operating BFs.
Numerical Simulation of Single‐Jet Impingement Cooling of a Seamless Steel Tube
Authors: Zhang Rui , Li Zhenlei , Chen Dong , Yuan Guo
Published: January 2022

Herein, numerical simulations for single‐jet impingement cooling of a heated seamless steel tube are carried out. The effect of water flow, jet height, and jet position are analyzed during numerical simulations. Water flow varies from 2 to 10 L min−1, jet height varies from 10 to 50 cm, and jet position gradually rotates from right above steel tube (α = 90°) to bottom (α = −90°). The distribution of pressure, turbulence kinetic energy, Nusselt number, and surface temperature of steel tube are obtained. This analysis reveals that water flow is an important factor affecting heat transfer efficiency. With the increase in water flow, the improvement of heat transfer efficiency gradually decreases. The cooling capacity of the steel tube in the circumferential direction is greater than that in the axial direction of the steel tube. In contrast, as the jet height gradually increases atα = 90°, the Nusselt number increases first and then decreases. In addition, the jet position also seriously affects the cooling capacity of the jet. When the jet is stationed at the top and bottom, the cooling capacity deviation between the two reaches the maximum.
Aliphatic Polyurethane Films Based on Hexamethylene Diisocyanate and Saccharides for Biocompatible Transparent Coating on Optic Medical Devices
Authors: Gürses Canbolat , Karaaslan‐Tunç Merve Gökşin , Keleştemur Ünzile , Balcıoğlu Sevgi , Gülgen Selam , Köytepe Süleyman , Ateş Burhan
Published: January 2022

Polyurethanes are widely used in daily life, from the textile industry to medical applications. In this study, a biocompatible and transparent coating from polyethylene glycol‐based polyurethanes including different type of saccharide (xylose as monosaccharide, sucrose as disaccharide, or starch as polysaccharide) is prepared. Prepared optically transparent polyurethanes are characterized with different instrumental analysis techniques and contact‐angle measurements. Thermogravimetric analysis data allow understanding that the synthesized saccharide based polyurethanes are resistant to high temperatures, which means that medical devices can be easily coated with one of the saccharide‐based polymers during the manufacturing process. The study results also show that synthesized polyurethane samples having a different kind of saccharides present high biocompatibility and transparency properties via In vitro cytotoxicity analysis and optic transparency tests. For xylose, sucrose, or starch containing polyurethanes, the tranmittance values are 97.72%, 85.20%, and 89.23%, respectively. In addition, scanning electron microscope images show that the samples also have smooth surfaces which can be used for proper coating of medical devices. Consequently, this manuscript addresses synthesis and characterization of the optically transparent polyurethanes based on specific saccharides for biocompatible and transparent surfaces especially in optic medical devices such as colonoscopy applications and laparoscopic detection probes.
Experimental and analytical study on shear behavior of strain‐hardening cementitious composite beams reinforced with fiber‐reinforced polymer bars
Authors: Gu Dawei , Pan Jinlong , Luković Mladena , He Jixuan
Published: January 2022

Application of fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement in concrete beams may cause large deflection and crack width, as well as low shear capacity and ductility due to relatively small stiffness of FRP materials. To avoid these unfavorable factors and evaluate the shear behavior of FRP‐reinforced structural members, a high‐performance strain‐hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) is introduced to substitute conventional concrete in reinforced beams, and four‐point bending test is conducted in this study. Six FRP‐reinforced SHCC beams with different transverse reinforcement ratios and shear spans, as well as one concrete reference beam, were tested. According to the test results, the FRP‐reinforced SHCC beam showed enhanced shear carrying capacity and superior ductility compared with the concrete beams. The shear span to effective depth ratio as well as the stirrup ratio has a great influence on the shear behavior of FRP‐reinforced SHCC beams, including the failure mode, load‐carrying capacity, crack propagation, and ductility. Finally, a simplified truss‐strut model for predicting shear carrying capacity of steel or FRP‐reinforced SHCC beams is proposed, and a good agreement is achieved with the experimental results.
Global talent management by multinational enterprises post‐COVID‐19: The role of enterprise social networking and senior leadership
Authors: Chatterjee Sheshadri , Chaudhuri Ranjan , Vrontis Demetris , Mahto Raj V. , Kraus Sascha
Published: January 2022

Multinational enterprises' (MNEs') workforce is made up of people from diverse backgrounds and different locations around the globe. The cross‐border transfer of knowledge, skills, and best practices among MNE employees is important to maintain global standards and competitiveness. In the post‐COVID‐19 period, there is a greater need to exchange knowledge in the changing business environment. The purpose of this study is to examine the issues related to MNEs' global talent management, post‐COVID‐19. The study investigates the use of enterprise social networking applications for better knowledge exchange and tries to understand the moderating role of senior leadership team support in facilitating the usage of enterprise social networks for cross‐border collaboration and talent management. After reviewing the literature and relevant theories, we developed a conceptual model, which is then validated using the SEM technique with 347 respondents from 12 MNEs. The study reveals the importance of using enterprise social networks for cross‐border knowledge exchange in the post‐COVID‐19 period.
Current status and future roles of additives in 3D printing—A perspective
Authors: Thompson Matthew S.
Published: January 2022

3D printing has evolved quickly from rapid prototyping to true mass production. This is reflected in the use of the term additive manufacturing (AM) to emphasize the use of the technology in actual manufacturing of high‐value products and finished goods. Consequentially, the requirements on the materials and processes have become more stringent and challenging to satisfy. Furthermore, various manufacturing industries have their own unique sets of requirements, and these are difficult if not impossible to satisfy with neat polymers alone. Therefore, additives are playing an increasingly critical role for satisfying material requirements for AM applications. In this article, challenges are identified that will need to be addressed as AM matures toward manufacturing applications. These include speed of production, mechanical performance and durability of the products, their interaction with the environment, and readiness for manufacturing. The use of additives to overcome these challenges is discussed in terms of current trends and with the help of specific examples. These include, but are not limited to, reinforcements, thermal stabilizers, antioxidants, and flame retardants to improve performance and meet thermal, environmental, and flammability requirements in demanding applications like aerospace, defense, and automotive. Further, colors, pigments, and dyes are needed for aesthetics. Bioactive or bioinert materials are needed for specific medical applications, and electrically dissipative or thermally conductive materials are often needed for electronics applications. This article provides a critical look at the current state of AM and how the roles of additives in AM are expected to expand, including identification of future opportunities.
Water for energy: Characterizing co‐evolving energy and water systems under twin climate and energy system nonstationarities
Authors: Grubert Emily , Marshall Adrienne
Published: January 2022

The energy system is a major water user, but understanding how much water is consumed and withdrawn for energy is a challenging empirical task: nonevaporative volumetric water use is not easily calculated from first principles. Water use also has impacts that differ in important ways depending on where water is abstracted and used, timing of use, and socioenvironmental context. Moreover, different decarbonization pathways and policy environments have very different water use implications. We currently face a crisis of twin nonstationarities in hydrology and energy systems that make understanding water use for energy critical for decision support as hydroclimate and energy systems change. Currently, water‐for‐energy data are highly uncertain and not centrally collected, which means researchers spend substantial effort collecting inventory data. Recent advances in impact assessment methods for water volumes focus largely on spatially resolved water scarcity evaluations, but robust conclusions can be elusive due to uncertain and low‐metadata inventory information. As water‐for‐energy quantification efforts progress, research should emphasize decision support for energy system design, incorporating crucial hydrologic dynamics. Beyond the location of water use, relative scarcity, and potential competing uses, these include sub‐daily to interannual temporal dynamics, the impacts of climate change on these dimensions, potential feedbacks between energy and water systems, and the impacts of hydrologic variability or change on policy‐based incentive structures. This article reviews prior US‐focused efforts to quantify water use for energy, highlights why these nonstationarities are analytically relevant with a brief policy case study, and highlights research needs for decision support under twin nonstationarities.

This article is categorized under:

Engineering Water > Sustainable Engineering of Water

Engineering Water > Planning Water

Engineering Water > Methods
Introduction and Lessons Learned
Authors: Siegmann Arjen
Published: January 2022

This chapter introduces the theme of the book and gives an overview of the lessons learned from the individual chapters.
Climate Catastrophes as a Sum of Known Risks
Authors: Estrada Francisco
Published: January 2022

An ever-increasing body of research has warned for decades about the impacts of climate change on agriculture, health, flooding, economy, among many others and provided information about when and where these impacts could be larger. Are societies prepared for these expected ‘white-swans’, particularly in the context of a high degree of interconnectedness in Nature and in society? I borrow from the development of the Covid-19 pandemic to illustrate this view. Influenza pandemics have been foreseen decades before, but the characteristics of the virus and the socioeconomic links have made it into the global crisis that it had become in 2020.
The Green Challenge for Central Banks and Households
Authors: Schoenmaker Dirk
Published: January 2022

Central banks should not be excluded from the list of responsible institutions to address climate change. They already have a bias in their balance sheets toward polluting industries, which should be reduced. Next, the government should design green policies that do not overburden middle class households.
Corporate Taxation in a Circular Economy
Authors: Gooijer Jan
Published: January 2022

A circular economy leads to challenges for the system of corporate taxation. However, there exist already a legal rationale for the levy of corporate tax in a circular economy. Such a rationale, a convincing raison d’être for corporate taxation in a circular economy, contributes to the legitimacy for a green corporate tax. I explore some new measures in corporate taxation that are consistent with a circular economy.
Three-point functions in ABJM and Bethe Ansatz
Authors: Yang Peihe , Jiang Yunfeng , Komatsu Shota , Wu Jun-Bao
Published: January 2022

Abstract

We develop an integrability-based framework to compute structure constants of two sub-determinant operators and a single-trace non-BPS operator in ABJM theory in the planar limit. In this first paper, we study them at weak coupling using a relation to an integrable spin chain. We first develop a nested Bethe ansatz for an alternating SU(4) spin chain that describes single-trace operators made out of scalar fields. We then apply it to the computation of the structure constants and show that they are given by overlaps between a Bethe eigenstate and a matrix product state. We conjecture that the determinant operator corresponds to an integrable matrix product state and present a closed-form expression for the overlap, which resembles the so-called Gaudin determinant. We also provide evidence for the integrability of general sub-determinant operators. The techniques developed in this paper can be applied to other quantities in ABJM theory including three-point functions of single-trace operators.