bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recycling of graphite anode from spent lithium‐ion batteries: Advances and perspectives
Authors: Qiao Yu , Zhao Huaping , Shen Yonglong , Li Liqiang , Rao Zhonghao , Shao Guosheng , Lei Yong
Published: January 2023

There is growing production for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) to satisfy the booming development renewable energy storage systems. Meanwhile, amounts of spent LIBs have been generated and will become more soon. Therefore, the proper disposal of these spent LIBs is of significant importance. Graphite is the dominant anode in most commercial LIBs. This review specifically focuses on the recent advances in the recycling of graphite anode (GA) from spent LIBs. It covers the significance of GA recycling from spent LIBs, the introduction of the GA aging mechanisms in LIBs, the summary of the developed GA recovery strategies, and the highlight of reclaimed GA for potential applications. In addition, the prospect related to the future challenges of GA recycling is given at the end. It is expected that this review will provide practical guidance for researchers engaged in the field of spent LIBs recycling.

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The impact of air quality on China's inbound tourism based on the heterogeneity of tourists' risk perception
Authors: Sun Qiong , Yu Na , Liu Zheng , Liao Bin
Published: January 2023

This study employs a panel econometric model to assess and examine the relationship between inbound tourism to China and air quality, using data on air quality and inbound tourism at the provincial level in China from 2013 to 2017. It also considers how travelers perceive risk. According to the findings, there has been an increase in foreign tourists visiting China since 2013. However, the air quality index's representation of domestic air quality is not encouraging. Our studies using the fixed effect model demonstrate that domestic air quality has a considerable beneficial impact on the number of inbound tourists, which is still strong when utilizing the mixed effect and random effect models; in comparison to northern China, the impact of air quality in southern China is more clear. Our studies demonstrate that the ongoing decline in China's inbound tourism scale in recent years is strongly correlated with the quality of the country's air, which is influenced by each visitor's personal preferences. In order to improve China's reputation in the global tourism market, the report concludes by outlining solutions to address this impact. These methods include maintaining the promotion of environmental governance while also tightly integrating tourism marketing.
Optimal control for maximally creating and maintaining a superposition state of a two‐level system under the influence of Markovian decoherence
Authors: Ohtsuki Yukiyoshi , Mikami Suicho , Ajiki Toru , Tannor David J.
Published: January 2023

Reducing decoherence is an essential step toward realizing general‐purpose quantum computers beyond the present noisy intermediate‐scale quantum (NISQ) computers. To this end, dynamical decoupling (DD) approaches in which external fields are applied to qubits are often adopted. We numerically study DD using a two‐level model system (qubit) under the influence of Markovian decoherence by using quantum optimal control theory with slightly modified settings, in which the physical objective is to maximally create and maintain a specified superposition state in a specified control period. An optimal pulse is numerically designed while systematically varying the values of dephasing, population decay, pulse fluence, and control period as well as using two kinds of objective functionals. The decrease in purity due to the decoherence limits the ability to maintain a coherent superposition state; we refer to the state of maximal purity that can be maintained as the saturated value. The optimally shaped pulse minimizes the negative effect of decoherence by gradually populating and continuously replenishing the state of saturated purity.
A regional and seasonal approach to explain the observed trends in the Antarctic sea ice in recent decades
Authors: Yu Lejiang , Zhong Shiyuan , Sui Cuijuan , Sun Bo
Published: January 2023

In contrast to the declining sea ice extent across most of the Arctic in the past several decades, sea ice extent in the Antarctic has experienced opposite regional trends with regions of sea ice expansion exceeding those of contraction. Various mechanisms have been put forward to explain the Antarctic sea ice trends, but few have been successful at explaining a large portion of the observed trends. Dividing the Southern Ocean into the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean sectors and examining the trends over 1979–2018 separately for each sector and for each season of the year, we are able to identify modes of variability that statistically explain more than 42% of the trends in all three sectors and all four seasons. In certain sector and season, up to 94% of the trends can be explained. The leading modes of variability that explain a substantial portion of the trends appear to be related to several known climate variability modes including the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), the Pacific South American (PSA) 1 and 2, and the Zonal Wavenumber 2–6 patterns. In the Atlantic and Indian Ocean sectors, the changes in the occurrences of the main contributing modes to sea ice trends are dominated by local sea‐surface temperature (SST) variations, while in the Pacific sector, they are related to changes in global SST.
Indirect impacts of future urban expansion on ecosystem services in the transnational area of China, North Korea, and Russia
Authors: Zhang Da , Nan Ying , Zhu Weihong , He Chunyang , Liu Zhifeng , Yang Yanmin
Published: January 2023

Assessing the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services is important for understanding the cascading effect of urbanization on the environment. However, few studies have assessed the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services. In this study, the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services refer to the impacts of cropland displacement on ecosystem services, which is triggered by urban expansion. Taking the transnational area of Changbai Mountain as a study area, we assessed the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services during 2015–2050. We first quantified three key ecosystem services, that is, carbon storage (CS), water retention (WR), and air purification (AP). Then, the future urban expansion and cropland displacement were simulated by using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and the zoned Land Use Scenario Dynamics‐urban (LUSD‐urban) model. Finally, the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services were assessed. The results indicated that influenced by the cropland displacement, the CS, WR, and AP will decrease by 0.03%–0.16%, 0.01%–0.06%, and 0.03%–0.16%, respectively. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) side will be the foremost region of ecosystem service indirect losses. The indirect losses of ecosystem services on the DPRK's side will be significantly higher than those on the Chinese side and Russian side. Meanwhile, on the DPRK's side, the indirect losses of CS and AP will be 1.01–1.74‐times and 1.01–1.67‐times the direct losses of these two ecosystem services, respectively. In addition, cropland displacement will cause significant trade‐offs between food provisioning services and regulation services. To promote sustainable development in this transnational area, we propose to make effective land‐use policies to optimize cropland displacement and take ecosystem services as effective tools to guide land‐use planning.
Study the reuse possibility of tempering lubricant for cold‐rolled strip wet‐rolling processing
Authors: Zhao Jigang , Chen Weimin , Zeng Junjian
Published: January 2023

In the wet rolling process of industrial cold‐rolled strips, the tempering lubricant was discarded after one‐time use, which resulted in huge waste and high costs for wastewater treatment. In order to explore the reuse value and feasibility of the tempering lubricant, the influences of industrial rolling were to be studied first. In the comparison of before and after‐use‐ tempering lubricant, the surface tension decreased by 34%, and the physicochemical indicators such as electrical conductivity, pH, and total alkali value decreased by 4%–14.3%. In terms of the components and related effects, about 15% of heavy organic matter, such as fatty acids and alcohol amine was responsible for lubrication, rust prevention, and corrosion inhibition. These heavy organic solutes would reduce by 2%–6%, with impurities increasing after rolling. However, the waste tempering lubricant still had a high reuse value. Further from the influence of impurities and microorganisms, it was concluded that if the solid powders were filtered out, the bacteriostatic agent was added after 3 days, and the changes in the effective substance concentration of the tempering lubricant were mastered to replace 1/3 of it in time during recycling, then the reuse of the tempering lubricant was feasible.
Fine‐Tuned Polymer Nanoassembly for Codelivery of Chemotherapeutic Drug and siRNA
Authors: Yuan Yuanyuan , Wang Yiyao , Huang Huiling , Tao Shuiliang , Huang Jinsheng
Published: January 2023

Successful clinical application of siRNA to liver‐associated diseases reinvigorates the RNAi therapeutics and delivery vectors, especially for anticancer combination therapy. Fine tuning of copolymer‐based assembly configuration is highly important for a desirable synergistic cancer cell‐killing effect via the codelivery of chemotherapeutic drug and siRNA. Herein, an amphiphilic triblock copolymer methoxyl poly(ethylene glycol)‐block‐poly(L‐lysine)‐block‐poly(2‐(diisopropyl amino)ethyl methacrylate) (abbreviated as mPEG‐PLys‐PDPA or PLD) consisting of a hydrophilic diblock mPEG‐PLys and a hydrophobic block PDPA is synthesized. Three distinct assemblies (i.e., nanosized micelle, nanosized polymersome, and microparticle) are acquired, along with the increase in PDPA block length. Furthermore, the as‐obtained polymersome can efficiently codeliver doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as a hydrophilic chemotherapeutic model and siRNA against ADP‐ribosylation factor 6 (siArf6) as an siRNA model into cancer cell via lysosomal pH‐triggered payload release. PC‐3 prostate cell is synergistically killed by the DOX‐ and siArf6‐coloading polymersome (namely PLD@DOX/siArf6). PLD@DOX/siArf6 may serve as a robust nanomedicine for anticancer therapy.
Photo‐Crosslinkable Inorganic/Organic Sulfur Polymers
Authors: Ambulo Cedric P. , Carothers Kyle J. , Hollis Ashford T. , Limburg Hannah N. , Sun Lirong , Thrasher Carl J. , McConney Michael E. , Godman Nicholas P.
Published: January 2023

Inverse vulcanization techniques are used to fabricate thermodynamically stable, sulfur polymers. Sulfur‐based polymers exhibit higher refractive indices and improved transparency in the mid‐wave infrared region compared with most organic polymers. Herein, the postsynthetic modification of sulfur polymers created via inverse vulcanization to generate novel, inorganic/organic photoresists is discussed. Amine‐containing sulfur resins are postfunctionalized with cross‐linkable alkynes. The sulfur‐based materials undergo rapid photo‐crosslinking to generate patternable films within 10 min under UV irradiation (365 nm). The development of these resins enables sulfur polymers to be utilized in processes where spatial and hierarchical control is necessary. The generation of this class of materials also expands on sulfur‐based organic polymer systems with optical applications.
In‐person MH service decline during pandemic offset by telehealth increases
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: January 2023

Although the pandemic disrupted in‐person mental health care, that disruption was counteracted by a rapid expansion of telehealth service use by adults with such disorders as depression, anxiety and post‐traumatic stress disorder, according to new research by the RAND Corporation.
County pilot will evaluate impact of MH workers in child care centers
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: January 2023

A one‐year pilot program in Spokane County, Washington will test the impact of embedding mental health professionals in local child care centers. The approach that is being taken stands out in that the effort will focus as much on supporting the center's instructors as it does on improving the lives of preschool‐aged children and their families.
Blow‐up results for a viscoelastic beam equation of p‐Laplacian type with strong damping and logarithmic source
Authors: Pereira Ducival Carvalho , Araújo Geraldo M. , Raposo Carlos A. , Cabanillas Victor R.
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we investigate the existence, uniqueness, exponential decay, and blow‐up behavior of the viscoelastic beam equation involving the
‐Laplacian operator, strong damping, and a logarithmic source term, given by

where
is a bounded domain of
and
is a memory kernel. Using the Faedo–Galerkin approximation, we establish the existence and uniqueness result for the global solutions, taking into account that the initial data must belong to an appropriate stability set created from the Nehari manifold. The study of the exponential decay of our problem is based on Nakao's method. Finally, the blow‐up behavior on the instability set is proved.
CEST‐MRI for body oncologic imaging: are we there yet?
Authors: Vinogradov Elena , Keupp Jochen , Dimitrov Ivan E. , Seiler Stephen , Pedrosa Ivan
Published: January 2023

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI has gained recognition as a valuable addition to the molecular imaging and quantitative biomarker arsenal, especially for characterization of brain tumors. There is also increasing interest in the use of CEST‐MRI for applications beyond the brain. However, its translation to body oncology applications lags behind those in neuro‐oncology. The slower migration of CEST‐MRI to non‐neurologic applications reflects the technical challenges inherent to imaging of the torso. In this review, we discuss the application of CEST‐MRI to oncologic conditions of the breast and torso (i.e., body imaging), emphasizing the challenges and potential solutions to address them. While data are still limited, reported studies suggest that CEST signal is associated with important histology markers such as tumor grade, receptor status, and proliferation index, some of which are often associated with prognosis and response to therapy. However, further technical development is still needed to make CEST a reliable clinical application for body imaging and establish its role as a predictive and prognostic biomarker.
Non‐invasive prenatal testing for the detection of trisomies 21, 18, and 13 in pregnant women with various clinical indications: A multicenter observational study of 1,854,148 women in China
Authors: Xiang Liangcheng , Zhu Jun , Deng Kui , Li Qi , Tao Jing , Li Mingrong , Wang Yanping , Yuan Xuelian , Yao Yongna , Li Xiaohong
Published: January 2023

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for detecting three common trisomies (T21, T18, and T13) in pregnant women with diverse clinical indications.

Methods

Frequencies of NIPT, of high chance of having one of the three trisomies, and of confirmed trisomies were determined for women with each of seven clinical indications in a national cross‐sectional survey of approximately 300 prenatal diagnosis centers. Data were collected for the period from October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2018 using the Prenatal Diagnosis Technology Management On‐line Information System. The performance of NIPT for detecting the three trisomies in pregnant women with different clinical indications was assessed in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value, and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

Results

A total of 5766 true positive cases for T21, T18, and T13 were detected among 1,854,148 samples, giving an overall detection rate of 0.31% (95% CI: 0.30%–0.32%). Most positive cases were associated with “NT thickening” (1.18%) and “advanced maternal age” (0.51%). The detection sensitivities of NIPT were 99.60% for T21, 99.14% for T18, and 100% for T13, while the corresponding specificities were 99.90%, 99.94%, and 99.95%. The corresponding PPVs were 69.77%, 47.24%, and 22.36%. NIPT showed high sensitivity and specificity, regardless of clinical indication. In contrast, PPV for three trisomies varied widely between 9.09% and 66.46% depending on the clinical indication. Across seven clinical indications, PPV ranged from 50.62% to 73.09% for T21, 20.00%–58.33% for T18, and 4.17%–47.37% for T13. The highest PPVs were 73.09% for T21 in pregnancies involving “advanced maternal age”, 58.33% for T18 in pregnancies with “NT thickening”, and 47.37% for T13 in pregnancies with “NT thickening”.

Conclusions

NIPT shows high sensitivity and specificity for detecting T21, T18, and T13 in pregnant women with different clinical indications. However, PPV depends strongly on clinical indication, highlighting the need to strengthen education and genetic counseling about prenatal screening.
Comparative evaluation of biased agonists Sarcosine1, d‐Alanine8‐Angiotensin (Ang) II (SD Ang II) and Sarcosine1, Isoleucine8‐Ang II (SI Ang II) and their radioiodinated congeners binding to rat liver membrane AT1 receptors
Authors: Noto Natalia M. , Restrepo Yazmin M. , Pang Hong W. , Stoyell‐Conti Filipe , West Crystal A. , Speth Robert C.
Published: January 2023

Angiotensin II analogue and β‐arrestin biased agonist TRV027 (Sarcosine1, d‐Alanine8‐Angiotensin (Ang) II; SD Ang II), developed by Trevena, Inc. in the early 2010s, brought hopes of a novel treatment for cardiovascular diseases, due to its ability to simultaneously cause signaling through the β‐arrestin signaling pathway, while antagonizing the pathophysiological effects of Ang II mediated by the AT1 receptor G protein signaling cascades. However, a phase II clinical trial of this agent revealed no significant benefit compared to placebo treatment. Using 125I‐Sarcosine1, Isoleucine8‐Ang II (125I‐SI Ang II) radioligand receptor competition binding assays, we assessed the relative affinity of TRV027 compared to SI Ang II for liver AT1 receptors. We also compared radioiodinated TRV027 (125I‐SD Ang II) binding affinity for liver AT1 receptors with 125I‐SI Ang II. We found that despite its anticipated gain in metabolic stability, TRV027 and 125I‐SD Ang II had reduced affinity for the AT1 receptor compared with SI Ang II and 125I‐SI Ang II. Additionally, male–female comparisons showed that females have a higher AT1 receptor density, potentially attributed to tissue‐dependent estrogen and progesterone effects. Peptide drugs have become more popular over the years due to their increased bioavailability, fast onset of action, high specificity, and low toxicity. Even though Trevena®'s biased agonist peptide TRV027 offered greater stability and potency compared to earlier AT1R biased agonists, it failed its phase II clinical trial in 2016. Further refinements to AT1R biased agonist peptides to improve affinity, as seen with SI Ang II, with better stability and bioavailability, has the potential to achieve the anticipated biased agonism.
Self‐Powered, Flexible Ultraviolet Photodetector Based on ZnO/Te All Nanowires Heterojunction Structure
Authors: Liu Shuzuo , Yang Dongmei , Ren Yuxin , Song Jiaming , Hu Peng , Jiao Yang , Fan Haibo , Teng Feng
Published: January 2023

Self‐powered and flexible photodetectors exhibit great potential in the application of optical communication, deep space exploration, and other related fields. Herein, a self‐powered ultraviolet photodetector based on ZnO nanowires/Te nanowires heterojunction has been prepared by two‐step vacuum filtration method, which also has superior flexibility and fast response speed. The obtained photodetector has a high photocurrent (about 1 μA) at 5 V bias under 365 nm UV light illumination and a fast response speed (3.47/0.13 s). Even if the bending angle reaches 90°, its photocurrent still maintains about 0.5 μA under 5 V bias, showing superior flexibility. Under 0 V bias, the photocurrent of the photodetector is 0.18 nA and the response time is 65/140 ms, displaying its good self‐powered characteristic and fast response speed. These superior properties are caused by the flexibility of ZnO nanowire film and Te nanowire film, and the heterojunction is formed between ZnO and Te. The obtained results provide a solid foundation for the further development of flexible optoelectronic devices based on ZnO nanostructures.
Correlation between Orbital Hybridizations, Phonon Spectra, and Thermal Properties of Graphene, Germanene, and Plumbene
Authors: Dien Vo Khuong , Thi Han Nguyen , Bang-Li Wei , Lin Kuang-I , Lin Ming-Fa
Published: January 2023

Based on first‐principles calculations within the harmonic approximation, the phonon properties and specific heat capacities of 2D honeycomb lattices are investigated. Graphene, germanene, and plumbene manifest interesting phonon properties. The similarities and differences in their nature, for example, the total phonon bandwidth, low‐frequency phonon dispersion, and phonon bandgap mostly arise from the significant orbital interactions. These features are reflected in the phonon branch‐dependent specific heat capacity. The information obtained in this work about the relative contributions of distinct phonons to different temperature ranges is crucial for energy storage and heat management applications.
Effect of garlic extract on markers of lipid metabolism and inflammation in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Gadidala Sai Kumar , Johny Ebin , Thomas Christy , Nadella Mounika , Undela Krishna , Adela Ramu
Published: January 2023

Several preclinical studies have focused on the beneficial effects of garlic on cardiovascular diseases, but the results were inconsistent. We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis on the effect of garlic powder tablets and aged garlic extract (AGE) in CAD patients, mainly focusing on blood pressure, coronary artery calcification, lipid profile, and inflammatory markers. We searched PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Google Scholar to identify randomized controlled trials which examined garlic's effect on CAD patients. The standardized mean difference with 95% CI was calculated using fixed‐effect or random‐effect models. Garlic has shown statistically significant changes of HDL (SMD = 0.18; 95% CI = −0.00 to 0.37; p = .05); LDL (SMD = −0.27; 95% CI = −0.46 to −0.08; p = .004), apolipoprotein‐A (SMD = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.24 1.13; p = .002), C‐RP (SMD = −0.59; 95% CI = −0.92 to −0.25; p = .0007), IL‐6 (SMD = −1.08; 95% CI = −2.17 to 0.01; p = .05), homocysteine (SMD = −0.66; 95% CI = −1.04 to −0.28; p = .0007) and CAC score (SMD = −1.61; 95% CI = −2.66 to −0.57; p = .003). In the case of subgroup analysis, the overall effect was significantly effective in reducing TC, LDL levels and improving HDL levels in CV risk patients. Our study findings provide consistent evidence that intake of garlic reduces CVD risk factors. However, garlic could be considered a safe natural medicine to debilitate inflammation in CAD patients.
The effects of COVID‐19 pandemic on early childhood care systems in Hawaii in 2020
Authors: Okamoto Jeffrey K. , Nitta Keiko , Borrello Kirra , Nakano Shelbi
Published: January 2023

The COVID‐19 pandemic caused many effects on the referrals to and the work of governmental agencies working with young children. This article describes the impact on the use of early childhood evaluations and services in the State of Hawaii. We looked at several nonpublic data sets from the Hawaii Department of Health and Department of Human Services, comparing the rates of early intervention referrals, lead level screening, childhood immunizations, and child welfare referrals in 2019 and 2020. We also describe effects on the work processes in various early childhood programs from the COVID‐19 stay‐at‐home and work mandates. There was a decrease in rates of referrals to early intervention and child welfare services. There was less lead level screening being done, and childhood immunization rates dropped. Some of these issues stem from clinicians not seeing children whose families were worried about bringing their children for routine appointments. These clinicians do a lot of the developmental and lead screening, and much of the immunizations for children. Home visiting programs were interrupted as they could not do in‐person screenings of families. Therefore, they could not easily identify families that benefit from the support of a trained home visitor. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) could not do anemia checks or measurements on children's growth. With ongoing COVID‐19 issues in the State of Hawaii, remedies are required given ongoing effects on clinician offices practices and childhood program processes.
Deconstructing corporate environmental, social, and governance performance: Heterogeneous stakeholder preferences in the food industry
Authors: Luque‐Vílchez Mercedes , Gómez‐Limón José A. , Guerrero‐Baena M. Dolores , Rodríguez‐Gutiérrez Pablo
Published: January 2023

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance assessment has emerged as a way to analyze corporate sustainability. However, the literature suggests that stakeholders are not satisfied with advisory firms' current assessment approaches since they do not consider stakeholders' sustainability preferences. Adopting the stakeholder perspective, this study proposes a new approach to assess ESG performance by developing a stakeholder‐specific composite indicator that considers different stakeholder profiles. The proposed approach is empirically implemented to assess the ESG performance of European food firms, as the food industry plays an essential role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The results provide evidence of differences in individual stakeholders' preferences regarding ESG assessment, even within the same stakeholder group (e.g., investors, consumers, or non‐governmental organizations). However, the results reveal that almost all the stakeholders sampled showed individual firm rankings similar to generic rankings provided by advisory firms. In any case, this evidence suggests the need to reconsider how ESG composite indicators are constructed, underlining the value of enhanced transparency and communication with stakeholders to provide more valuable and reliable composite indicators.
Reliable Detection of Fluoroquinolones in Pharma‐effluents: Increasing Exposure in Environment Triggers Rise of Antimicrobial Resistance
Authors: Mandal Saurodeep , Islam Majharul , Ghosh Priyotosh , Mandal Sukhendu , Sahoo Prithidipa
Published: January 2023

The Fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics is effective till today in treating various antimicrobial infections but their continuous exposure in the environment in sublethal doses enhances the probability of the emergence of antibiotic resistance within bacterial pathogens and as a consequence efficacy of the drug gets compromised. Efforts are being made to check and develop reliable, inexpensive, and portable detection methods to trace antibiotic molecules from their initial sources to various contaminated environments. In this work, an anthraquinone naphthaldehyde conjugate (ANC) was found to be useful in the detection (LOD 6.67×10−8 M) of ofloxacin, levofloxacin producing significant green fluorescence upon UV irradiation. The fluorescence property of ANC was utilized for the differential detection and quantification of fluoroquinolones in pharmaceutical sewage samples. This detection strategy could be beneficial for better monitoring of such contaminants and the establishment of a sustainable environment. The probe can satisfactorily enter and detect ofloxacin in both Bacillus cereus bacterial cell and HuH7 cell line.
Degradation Mechanism of Phenethylamine‐Based Interlayers in Perovskite Solar Cells and Breakthrough
Authors: Lee Seri , Kim Gyu Min , Miyasaka Tsutomu , Oh Se Young
Published: January 2023

Phenethylamine (PEA) halides (X) coated on perovskite (PVK) films are widely known as passivating layers, resulting in high performance in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, critical stability issues associated with phenethylamine halides (PEAX) in PSCs are observed, especially with Spiro‐OMeTAD, which prevented its practical use. Here, the mechanism by which PEAX negatively affects PSCs is reported. In addition, a method is devised to overcome the stability issue by employing poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at the PVK/PEABr interface to form dual PMMA/PEABr interlayers. Contrary to the general use of PEABr, the indirect contact of PEABr with PVK films by PMMA resulted in superior power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) and enhanced stability resulting from the retention of dipole moments even under aging. Further, effective methods of maximizing and retaining the dipole effect by heating PMMA/PEAX, as opposed to PSCs incorporating PEAX without PMMA being negatively affected by heat are exploited. The resulting PSCs with PMMA/heated PEABr exhibit a PCE of 21.63%, and retain 95% of their original performance a month after fabrication.
Understanding Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells with nc‐SiC/SiO2as an Alternate Transparent Passivating Front Contact and Computational Design Optimization
Authors: Gebrewold Habtamu Tsegaye , Bittkau Karsten , Qiu Kaifu , Rau Uwe , Ding Kaining
Published: January 2023

The potential performance of silicon heterojunction solar cells applying transparent passivating contact (TPC) at the front side, based on a nc‐SiC:H/SiO2layer stack, is modeled and investigated. Herein, a complete multiscale electro‐optical device model of TPC solar cells is developed. The model is then used to understand and analyze such cells and search for potential conversion efficiency improvement paths. The influences of contact layer thicknesses and other properties on device performance are studied. An algorithm‐based optimization of cell electro‐optical performance is performed. It is implemented by coupling a genetic algorithm with a finite element method‐based TPC solar cell device model. Optimum front contact layer thicknesses are calculated. For optically optimized TPC contact layer thicknesses, an optical improvement of around 0.5 mA cm−2is found. Moreover, for complete electro‐optical optimization of TPC layers, about 0.27% absolute value increment in power conversion efficiency is calculated. At the rear side, proper designing of optimizing carrier transport using active dopant concentration of p‐type a‐Si:H layer and indium tin oxide layer has shown a potential to reach power conversion efficiency beyond 25%.
Roll‐Gap Deviation on Centerline Segregation Evolution in Continuous Casting Slab
Authors: Jiang Dongbin , Zhu Miaoyong , Zhang Lifeng
Published: January 2023

Roll‐gap deviation (RGD) is commonly observed in the slab continuous caster, which means the thicknesses of the right and left sides are different. The RGD amounts and positions on the solute redistribution are investigated. In the RGD zone, slab thickness decreases from the left to the right side. Dynamic grid technology is used to consider the mesh deformation in the model. When RGD is set before the solidification end of the slab middle part, the center segregation in the right‐edge part decreases but that in the left‐edge part increases. That is because the solute‐enriched liquid moves from the right to the left side with solid compression. When RGD is set after the slab middle part is solidified, the center segregation in the right‐edge part is deteriorated, while that in the left‐edge part is reduced. This is because the slab right‐edge part is fully solidified in the RGD zone, and the segregation cannot be reduced in the later stage. With the RGD position moving from 15.5 to 18.0 m from the meniscus, the center segregation in the right‐edge part decreases first and then increases, while that in the left‐edge part increases slightly and then declines.
Partitioning of C and Mn During Intercritical Annealing and Transformation of Retained Austenite During Deformation in Medium Mn Steel
Authors: Tian Geng , Li Zhen , Yao Shun , Qie Rongjian , Cui Yifu , Zhao Aimin
Published: January 2023

Herein, high‐strength medium Mn steel is obtained by intercritical annealing and quenching processes. Experimental steel with a chemical composition of Fe–0.2C–8.0Mn–1.6Si–1.3Al (wt%) is treated. The microstructures of the obtained samples comprise ferrite/martensite and retained austenite (RA) phases. The partitioning behavior of carbon and manganese during the intercritical annealing process is simulated using DICTRA. The sample annealed at 700 °C for 10 min has the best mechanical properties, with a product of strength and elongation as high as 47.25 GPa%. The deformation response of the RA is studied. The γ→α′ transformation mainly occurs in the early stage of deformation, whereas the γ→ε→α′ transformation mainly occurs in the later stage of deformation. The stress is mainly distributed at the deformed martensite and RA, and most of the stress is concentrated at the low‐angle grain boundary. During the deformation process, both the Kurdjumov–Sachs interface and the Nishiyama–Wasserman interface between the RA and deformed martensite decrease, but the Kurdjumov–Sachs interface decreases more obviously.
Effects of cracks on chloride‐induced corrosion initiation and propagation of carbon and stainless steel rebar
Authors: Russo Nicoletta , Gastaldi Matteo , Schiavi Luca , Strini Alberto , Lollini Federica
Published: January 2023

Current durability design models for reinforced concrete structures in chloride‐contaminated environments do not consider the effects of cracks, which in practice are almost inevitable. Literature reports controversial results on corrosion propagation time of carbon steel (CS) in cracked concrete, while fewer information can be found on stainless steel (SS) rebar, which can be employed as additional protection strategy. In this experimental study, corrosion initiation and propagation of CS and SS rebar in uncracked and cracked concrete are presented. Prismatic specimens, reinforced with CS and 304L SS bars were subjected to a loading procedure to induce longitudinal micro‐cracks and exposed to a 3.5% NaCl solution for more than 2 years. Corrosion was monitored with electrochemical techniques and at the end of exposure corrosive attacks were observed. Results demonstrate the fundamental contribution of micro‐cracks in accelerating corrosion phenomena for CS, while SS is still in passive conditions also in cracked concrete.
U.S. hegemony and international business research: Further considerations
Authors: Geringer J. Michael , Livanis Grigorios
Published: January 2023

The commentaries in this issue raise many insightful questions and considerations regarding the Livanis and Geringer (Thunderbird International Business Review, 2023, 64) study and we address a few of these. In particular, we focus on the following five areas: (i) the relationship of international business (IB) publications with the English language, (ii) resource constraints and IB research, (iii) institutional rewards and IB research, (iv) methodological considerations in evaluating IB research productivity, and (v) opportunity costs of pursuing a Ph.D. and IB research and publication.
Digital Reading Check‐ins: Supporting Independent Digital Reading
Authors: Pavek Cara , Vaughan Michelle
Published: January 2023

We know that teacher support during independent reading can greatly impact the growth and development of beginning readers. However, the rapid conversion to online learning in the 2020–2021 school year required teachers to rethink and retool traditional strategies to meet the needs of their online learners. This teaching and learning guide explores the use of a digital reading check‐in strategy to support beginning readers as they read independently on digital platforms. We explain how this strategy was implemented successfully in a first‐grade classroom and how it can be employed with any digital reading platform used in classrooms today.
Photobiomodulation therapy combined with static magnetic field in tibial fracture healing of a dog: A case report
Authors: Asteinza Castro Iker M. , Morga Armando Amador , Johnson Douglas Scott
Published: January 2023

A 10‐week‐old male, Xoloitzcuintle (Mexican hairless dog), weighing 8.9 kg was presented after its owner accidentally stepped on its paw. The dog presented with acute pain, inflammation and grade IV lameness in the right hind paw. A complete transverse fracture in the right proximal tibia was diagnosed from radiography. The dog underwent a minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) procedure. After surgery, photobiomodulation therapy combined with static magnetic field (PBMT‐sMF) was applied twice daily for 21 days. A multi‐wavelength PBMT‐sMF device was applied at three sites using different frequencies: proximal and distal of the fracture zone (3000 Hz, 40.35 J per site, and 300 s per site) and in the fracture zone (250 Hz, 39.11 J and 300 s per site). Follow up radiographies were performed after surgery and treatment with PBMT‐sMF. Eighteen days post‐surgery the healing process of bone was advanced. Fifty‐five days post‐surgery the callus was enlarged. In addition, radiographic union and clinical union was evidenced by closure of the fracture gap. This case report has reported the use of PBMT‐sMF in order to accelerate and improve bone healing following a MIPO procedure on a complete transverse fracture in the proximal tibia of a puppy.
New insights from the last decade of research in psychiatric genetics: discoveries, challenges and clinical implications
Authors: Andreassen Ole A. , Hindley Guy F.L. , Frei Oleksandr , Smeland Olav B.
Published: January 2023

Psychiatric genetics has made substantial progress in the last decade, providing new insights into the genetic etiology of psychiatric disorders, and paving the way for precision psychiatry, in which individual genetic profiles may be used to personalize risk assessment and inform clinical decision‐making. Long recognized to be heritable, recent evidence shows that psychiatric disorders are influenced by thousands of genetic variants acting together. Most of these variants are commonly occurring, meaning that every individual has a genetic risk to each psychiatric disorder, from low to high. A series of large‐scale genetic studies have discovered an increasing number of common and rare genetic variants robustly associated with major psychiatric disorders. The most convincing biological interpretation of the genetic findings implicates altered synaptic function in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. However, the mechanistic understanding is still incomplete. In line with their extensive clinical and epidemiological overlap, psychiatric disorders appear to exist on genetic continua and share a large degree of genetic risk with one another. This provides further support to the notion that current psychiatric diagnoses do not represent distinct pathogenic entities, which may inform ongoing attempts to reconceptualize psychiatric nosology. Psychiatric disorders also share genetic influences with a range of behavioral and somatic traits and diseases, including brain structures, cognitive function, immunological phenotypes and cardiovascular disease, suggesting shared genetic etiology of potential clinical importance. Current polygenic risk score tools, which predict individual genetic susceptibility to illness, do not yet provide clinically actionable information. However, their precision is likely to improve in the coming years, and they may eventually become part of clinical practice, stressing the need to educate clinicians and patients about their potential use and misuse. This review discusses key recent insights from psychiatric genetics and their possible clinical applications, and suggests future directions.
Candidate diagnostic biomarkers for neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents: a systematic review
Authors: Cortese Samuele , Solmi Marco , Michelini Giorgia , Bellato Alessio , Blanner Christina , Canozzi Andrea , Eudave Luis , Farhat Luis C. , Højlund Mikkel , Köhler‐Forsberg Ole , Leffa Douglas Teixeira , Rohde Christopher , de Pablo Gonzalo Salazar , Vita Giovanni , Wesselhoeft Rikke , Martin Joanna , Baumeister Sarah , Bozhilova Natali S. , Carlisi Christina O. , Leno Virginia Carter , Floris Dorothea L. , Holz Nathalie E. , Kraaijenvanger Eline J. , Sacu Seda , Vainieri Isabella , Ostuzzi Giovanni , Barbui Corrado , Correll Christoph U.
Published: January 2023

Neurodevelopmental disorders – including attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, communication disorders, intellectual disability, motor disorders, specific learning disorders, and tic disorders – manifest themselves early in development. Valid, reliable and broadly usable biomarkers supporting a timely diagnosis of these disorders would be highly relevant from a clinical and public health standpoint. We conducted the first systematic review of studies on candidate diagnostic biomarkers for these disorders in children and adolescents. We searched Medline and Embase + Embase Classic with terms relating to biomarkers until April 6, 2022, and conducted additional targeted searches for genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) and neuroimaging or neurophysiological studies carried out by international consortia. We considered a candidate biomarker as promising if it was reported in at least two independent studies providing evidence of sensitivity and specificity of at least 80%. After screening 10,625 references, we retained 780 studies (374 biochemical, 203 neuroimaging, 133 neurophysiological and 65 neuropsychological studies, and five GWAS), including a total of approximately 120,000 cases and 176,000 controls. While the majority of the studies focused simply on associations, we could not find any biomarker for which there was evidence – from two or more studies from independent research groups, with results going into the same direction – of specificity and sensitivity of at least 80%. Other important metrics to assess the validity of a candidate biomarker, such as positive predictive value and negative predictive value, were infrequently reported. Limitations of the currently available studies include mostly small sample size, heterogeneous approaches and candidate biomarker targets, undue focus on single instead of joint biomarker signatures, and incomplete accounting for potential confounding factors. Future multivariable and multi‐level approaches may be best suited to find valid candidate biomarkers, which will then need to be validated in external, independent samples and then, importantly, tested in terms of feasibility and cost‐effectiveness, before they can be implemented in daily clinical practice.
Cognitive behavior therapy vs. control conditions, other psychotherapies, pharmacotherapies and combined treatment for depression: a comprehensive meta‐analysis including 409 trials with 52,702 patients
Authors: Cuijpers Pim , Miguel Clara , Harrer Mathias , Plessen Constantin Yves , Ciharova Marketa , Ebert David , Karyotaki Eirini
Published: January 2023

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is by far the most examined type of psychological treatment for depression and is recommended in most treatment guide­lines. However, no recent meta‐analysis has integrated the results of randomized trials examining its effects, and its efficacy in comparison with other psychotherapies, pharmacotherapies and combined treatment for depression remains uncertain. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase and the Cochrane Library to identify studies on CBT, and separated included trials into several subsets to conduct random‐effects meta‐analyses. We included 409 trials (518 comparisons) with 52,702 patients, thus conducting the largest meta‐analysis ever of a specific type of psychotherapy for a mental disorder. The quality of the trials was found to have increased significantly over time (with increasing numbers of trials with low risk of bias, less waitlist control groups, and larger sample sizes). CBT had moderate to large effects compared to control conditions such as care as usual and waitlist (g=0.79; 95% CI: 0.70‐0.89), which remained similar in sensitivity analyses and were still significant at 6‐12 month follow‐up. There was no reduction of the effect size of CBT according to the publication year (<2001 vs. 2001‐2010 vs. >2011). CBT was significantly more effective than other psychotherapies, but the difference was small (g=0.06; 95% CI: 0‐0.12) and became non‐significant in most sensitivity analyses. The effects of CBT did not differ significantly from those of pharmacotherapies at the short term, but were significantly larger at 6‐12 month follow‐up (g=0.34; 95% CI: 0.09‐0.58), although the number of trials was small, and the difference was not significant in all sensitivity analyses. Combined treatment was more effective than pharmacotherapies alone at the short (g=0.51; 95% CI: 0.19‐0.84) and long term (g=0.32; 95% CI: 0.09‐0.55), but it was not more effective than CBT alone at either time point. CBT was also effective as unguided self‐help intervention (g=0.45; 95% CI: 0.31‐0.60), in institutional settings (g=0.65; 95% CI: 0.21‐1.08), and in children and adolescents (g=0.41; 95% CI: 0.25‐0.57). We can conclude that the efficacy of CBT in depression is documented across different formats, ages, target groups, and settings. However, the superiority of CBT over other psychotherapies for depression does not emerge clearly from this meta‐analysis. CBT appears to be as effective as pharmacotherapies at the short term, but more effective at the longer term.
Impact of the policy framework and institutional setup on urban water supply in Malawi: The case of the Lilongwe Water Board
Authors: Malemba Edith , Masinde Wanyama
Published: January 2023

Access to safe drinking water has been recognized as a basic human right globally by various international bodies and commissions. Sub‐Saharan Africa, in particular, has proven to have insufficient water access in the urban areas because population growth and rapid urbanization are overtaking the already inadequate infrastructure, and disparities in potable water availability are widespread. An enabling policy environment coupled with decentralization has been highlighted to positively affect water service delivery. The study examined the policy and institutional frameworks that exist for urban water supply in Malawi and their interactions with each other as well as with the water utility, Lilongwe Water Board. Data were collected through key informant interviews with officials from institutions involved in urban water supply and through literature review. Content analysis coupled with thematic analysis was used to analyze the data for key emerging themes. It was found that there is poor coordination between the board and the Lilongwe City Council, which is exacerbated by the existing conflicting policies on institutional roles and jurisdictions in urban water supply. Low participation in joint activities and the long bureaucratic process affect Lilongwe Water Boards' efforts of service delivery. There is a need for both a separate water supply policy and a regulatory body for water service delivery to ensure good water supply. Recommendations for future work on the setup of the water utility itself and the impact on urban water supply were also made.