bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards a more in-depth understanding of the IoT Paradigm and its challenges
Authors: Motta Rebeca Campos , Silva Valéria , Travassos Guilherme Horta
Published: October 2019

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a new technological paradigm that brings together the physical and virtual worlds to provide software systems everywhere through daily life objects. The IoT can transform how we interact with the environment surrounding us, leading to a significant multidisciplinary technological shift. However, since it is a new field of research and development, there is a lack of consensus and understanding of its concepts and features, as we observed when engineering some software systems in the field. Therefore, we performed investigations to characterize IoT regarding its definition, characteristics, and applications, organizing the area and revealing its challenges and research opportunities. A structured literature review of secondary studies supported the answering of three research questions: What is “Internet of Things”? Which characteristics can define an IoT domain? Which are the areas of IoT application? The structured literature review leads to 15 subsequent studies from which we recovered 34 definitions - discussed in the light of the technical evolution - 29 characteristics and several IoT application areas. Furthermore, the results include an IoT characterization based on identification, sensing, and actuation capabilities, besides a discussion of the relation between IoT and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), regarding other research areas and terms often associated with IoT aiming at to bring clarification to the field. In this work, we offer an essential overview of the IoT state-of-the-art and a characterization, presenting issues that should be addressed to contribute to its strengthening and establishment.
God’s Law or Categorical Imperative: on Crusian Issues of Kantian Morality
Authors: Kryshtop L. E.
Published: October 2019

The ethics of Kant and the ethics of Crusius are strikingly similar. This is manifested in a whole range of principles and concepts. Crusius’ moral teaching hinges on the rigorous moral law which has to be obeyed absolutely, and which makes it different from other prescriptions that are binding only to a relative degree. This is very close to the Kantian distinction between hypothetical and categorical imperatives. Another salient feature of Crusius’ moral teaching is the stress laid on the sphere of internal motives. It is the inner motive that determines the morality of an act, rather than the external form of the act. These and some other features of Crusius’ ethics suggest a possible influence of Crusius on Kant. The possibility of such influence has repeatedly come under close scrutiny. The first works devoted to this problem date to the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Pointers to the possibility of such influence are semantic and structural similarities of the two thinkers’ systems. Besides, it is an unchallengeable fact that Kant was fairly familiar with the main theses of Crusian philosophy. Some scholars proceed from the study of Kantian vocabulary. Some of the terms Kant uses, especially in his early works which later formed the basis of his ethical teaching in the critical period, can be traced to the terms of Crusian philosophy. However, an alternative view is that Kant was primarily influenced by Wolffian philosophy (mainly through Baumgarten), while the direct influence of Crusius remains unproven. I examine both points of view and propose my own solution to the problem.
Kantian Motives in Neuroscience
Authors: Makarov A. B.
Published: October 2019

Review: Valentin A. Bazhanov, Brain — Culture — Society: Kantian Programme in Cognitive Science. Moscow: Kanon+ ROOI “Reabilitatsiya”, 2019, 288 pp.
Real Exchange Rate Fundamentals: A Synthesis of the Literature
Authors: Ogun Oluremi Davies
Published: October 2019

A general review of approaches to equilibrium real exchange rate was undertaken. The review covered most of the theoretical, methodological and empirical literatures that had been developed in the attempt to overcoming the measurement problems associated with the concept. The distinct approaches reviewed in the paper included, exchange rate equations with nominal and real disturbances, the purchasing power parity doctrine, productivity approach, macroeconomic balance, varieties of exchange rate equation models, and, behavioral equilibrium exchange rate approach. Although the models were generally theory-based and reasonably well motivated, a comprehensive evaluation of the appropriateness of some of the theoretically identified fundamentals might be a most desired status credibility check.
Graphene Based Sensors for Air Quality Monitoring - Preliminary Development Evaluation
Authors: Machado Denise , Hortigüela Maria J. , Irurueta Gonzalo Otero- , Marques Paula A.A.P. , Silva Ricardo , Silva Rui F. , Neto Victor
Published: October 2019

Indoor air pollution can induce adverse health effects on building occupants and pose a significant role in health worldwide. To avoid such effects, it is extremely important to monitor and control common indoor pollutants such as CO2, VOCs, and relative humidity. Therefore, this work focuses on recent advances in the field of graphene-based gas sensors, emphasizing the use of modified graphene that broadly expands the range of nanomaterials sensors. Graphene films were grown on copper by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and transferred to arbitrary substrates. After synthesis, the samples were functionalized with Al2O3 by ALD and characterized by a large set of experimental techniques such as XPS, Raman, and SEM. The results demonstrated that graphene was successfully synthesized and transferred to SiO2, glass, and polymer. As a proof-of-concept, ALD of Al2O3 was performed on the graphene surface to produce a graphene/metal oxide nanostructure towards the development of nanocomposites for gas sensing. From this perspective, a laboratory prototype device based on measuring the electrical properties of the graphene sample as a function of the gas absorption is under development.
La ronde des poètes ou la lutte de la multitude pour l’autonomie du champ littéraire camerounais
Authors: Ngomayé Esther Solange
Published: October 2019

Depuis les travaux en sociologie de la littérature de Pierre Bourdieu, un intérêt accru s’observe dans l’étude des littératures marginalisées comme celles de l’Afrique subsaharienne, où les instances institutionnelles ont tout à envier à celles des grandes villes européennes. Pourtant, ces littératures travaillent à leur autonomie, comme en témoignent par exemple les voies tracées par les multiples regroupements d’agents de la littérature. Ainsi, le groupe de La ronde des poètes du Cameroun, audacieux face aux écrivains reconnus et aux institutions européennes, a adopté, depuis vingt ans maintenant, des stratégies lui ayant permis de redonner à la littérature camerounaise une certaine forme de reconnaissance.
La chanson politique acteur de l’histoire et levier social de la révolution de juillet 1830 à Paris
Authors: Humeau Hubert
Published: October 2019

La problématique résumée dans le titre de cet article trouve sa pleine démonstration dans les éléments socio-historiques que nous développons plus bas. Les cas de Pierre-Jean de Béranger et du peuple de France dans les bouleversements que vécut le pays entre 1789 et 1830 offrent un terrain d’observation suffisamment important pour tirer une synthèse claire des processus d’évolution du système, et de ses effets directs et indirects sur les habitus de la collectivité.

Cet article abordera d’abord le fait chansonnier avant sa transformation et son instrumentalisation par le poète ; il développera ensuite les éléments constitutifs, quantitatifs et qualitatifs permettant de vérifier et d’accompagner notre hypothèse ; il synthétisera en enfin la pluralité des fonctions et des missions de la chanson politique, ouvrant des voies de réflexion sur les phénomènes musicaux contemporains.
Ivan vs Staline : Le stalinisme dans la vie quotidienne du soldat soviétique moyen, 1941-1945
Authors: Campeau Marilyn
Published: October 2019

Cet article rend compte de travaux réalisés dans le cadre de mon mémoire de maitrise. Mes recherches avaient pour premier objectif d’analyser les facteurs qui ont mené à la « barbarisation » d’Ivan, nom générique désignant le soldat soviétique moyen, au cours de la Grande Guerre Patriotique. Mon étude fait la lumière sur les conditions physiques et psychologiques dans lesquelles Ivan a évolué, dans le but d’évaluer comment il fut « brutalisé » par son expérience au front et de juger du rôle joué par l’idéologie du régime dans ce processus. L’analyse d’un corpus de 175 lettres envoyées par des soldats à leurs familles, trouvées dans des recueils publiés et dans des collections d’archives, a permis de mieux cerner les différentes attitudes populaires adoptées par rapport au régime stalinien pendant la guerre.
Une hagiographie des traditions modernes d’arts martiaux chinois : Zhang Sanfeng et Bodhidharma
Authors: LaRochelle Dominic
Published: October 2019

S’inspirant des travaux de Roland Barthes et de Terence Turner sur l’analyse structurale des récits, cet article cherche à expliquer comment s’est construite, sur une période d’un peu plus de deux siècles et demi, toute une hagiographie fondatrice et légitimatrice de la pratique moderne des arts de combat chinois autour des figures de Zhang Sanfeng et de Bodhidharma. Récupérés de traditions religieuses chinoises établies et élevés au rang de fondateurs de traditions d’arts martiaux, ces deux personnages, considérés dans l’analyse comme un acteur narratif unique, viennent légitimer la pratique d’un art potentiellement violent et agressif, lui donnant ainsi une dimension spirituelle allant au-delà de la simple dimension combative.
La connectivité au-delà des frontières : Résolution 40-3 concernant la connectivité écologique, l’adaptation aux changements climatiques et la conservation de la biodiversité
Authors: St-Pierre Danielle , Nappi Antoine , de Bellefeuille Sonia , Lévesque Aubé Andrée-Anne , Martin Sylvie
Published: October 2019

En août 2016, la Résolution 40-3 (Résolution concernant la connectivité écologique, l’adaptation aux changements climatiques et la conservation de la biodiversité) a été adoptée lors de la 40e Conférence annuelle des gouverneurs de la Nouvelle-Angleterre et des premiers ministres de l’Est du Canada. Par cette résolution, les gouverneurs et les premiers ministres reconnaissent l’importance de la connectivité écologique pour la capacité d’adaptation et la résilience des écosystèmes, de la biodiversité et des communautés humaines face aux changements climatiques. La résolution souligne également l’importance de collaborer par-delà les frontières afin de faire avancer les efforts de conservation et de rétablissement de la connectivité écologique. Les éléments abordés dans la résolution touchent notamment la conservation, la planification de l’utilisation du territoire, la gestion des ressources naturelles et la planification des infrastructures routières. La mise en oeuvre de cette résolution est assurée par un groupe de travail coprésidé par les gouvernements du Québec et du Vermont. D’ici 2020, les activités du groupe de travail viseront à favoriser la mise en oeuvre d’actions concrètes en matière de connectivité écologique.
Conception et construction des aménagements relatifs aux cerfs de Virginie le long de l’autoroute Robert-Cliche (A-73) au Québec
Authors: Vallée Pierre-Michel , Bélanger Jacques , Fortin Jacques
Published: October 2019

Des mesures d’atténuation des impacts et d’intégration à l’habitat hivernal du cerf de Virginie (Odocoileus virginianus) ont été appliquées à un projet autoroutier de plus de 50 km dans la région de la Chaudière-Appalaches, au Québec. Des clôtures hautes, des rampes de fuite ou sautoirs, des passages fauniques et d’autres mesures ont été conçus et construits en plusieurs séquences sur une période de 12 ans, soit de 2004 à 2016. Outre la description des aménagements et des enjeux propres à chacun, l’article expose différents problèmes rencontrés ainsi que l’évolution qu’ils ont induite dans la conception et la mise en place des aménagements. Des suggestions sont énoncées à l’intention des concepteurs de projets routiers incluant de telles mesures. Elles soulignent notamment l’importance de déterminer leur emplacement sur la base d’observations faites sur le terrain, avant et pendant la réalisation des travaux, et celle d’émettre des directives précises dans les documents contractuels et lors de la surveillance de chantier, afin de favoriser le maintien de la végétation aux abords des aménagements.
Brian Cherney: Collaborator and Composer
Authors: Beckwith John
Published: October 2019

This article includes comments on some of Cherney’s compositions, and an account of his work onWeinzweig: Essays on His Life and Music(Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2011), of which he and John Beckwith were the co-editors. Cherney’s approach to composing equips him for dealing with a wide range of musical questions, and his exceptional command of both German and Jewish history (as evidenced, for example, in his University of Toronto dissertation on the Bekker-Pfitzner controversy of 1919, and in his essay on the sources of Weinzweig’s radicalism in the 2011 publication) has in turn suggested avenues of exploration in his creative work. Further observations touch on his gift for parody and musical in-jokes.
Music as Refuge: Stillness in Brian Cherney’s Mature Piano Works
Authors: Di Castri Zosha
Published: October 2019

“Lingering in the autumnal countryside, all that magic of the ancient forests invincibly came back to me. A gentle, persuasive voice that lulled one into perfect oblivion … and the hollow tones of the angelus, which tolled the fields to sleep.” For Cherney, this Debussy quotation is one of the most evocative descriptions of stillness and closely tied to his own childhood memories—a perfect fusion of mood, landscape, and near silence. Having grown up studying piano, Cherney uses the instrument as a personal outlet, a compositional tool, and a means for auditioning the sounds of his imagination. Through the study of Debussy’s revolutionary music, Cherney came to his mature style in the late 1970s. Using Dans le crépuscule du souvenir … , In the Stillness of the Seventh Autumn, and Tombeau as case studies, this article uses biographical, analytical, and aesthetic perspectives to examine Cherney’s dual approach to stillness: as a space for inspiration and one for withdrawal.
De la musique aux oreilles du public : le prêt d’instruments de musique dans les bibliothèques de Montréal
Authors: Ayerdi-Martin Claude , Beaulieu Maxime
Published: October 2019

En 2016, les bibliothèques de Montréal ont rejoint le programme de prêt d’instruments de musique de la Financière Sun Life. Alors que les autres bibliothèques canadiennes ont pris des orientations similaires, comme concentrer leur collection dans une seule succursale, la ville de Montréal a choisi d’adapter le programme à ses particularités locales et à ses enjeux spécifiques. Cet article fait un récapitulatif de l’implantation du programme dans le réseau des bibliothèques de Montréal, pour ensuite dresser le portrait de son fonctionnement, décrire le programme de médiation accompagnant la collection, avant de terminer avec un bilan des enjeux rencontrés en cours de route et un bref exemple d’un autre programme similaire à la ville de Sainte-Julie.
Uber: A New Challenge for Regulation and Competition Law?
Authors: Colangelo Margherita , Maggiolino Mariateresa
Published: October 2019

The rise of new software platforms presents regulators and antitrust agencies all over the world with a challenge. Should regulations adapt to the new services of the digital economy? Should competition law change its paradigm in relation to the sharing economy? Despite the growing expansion of these services, in most countries there is still no regulatory framework addressing these problems. Uber is the most emblematic example of this phenomenon. Indeed, it is subject to a large number of ongoing lawsuits merging many issues, ranging from questions pertaining to labour law of problems connected with unfair competition laws. This article first analyses the particular business model adopted by Uber and the antitrust concerns that it could raise. In so doing, the article pays heed to the approach that antitrust authorities should take towards the complex rivalry between (regulates) incumbents and (unregulated) new entrants. The article then considers the legal nature of the services provided by Uber, i.e. whether should be considered as transport services or as services of the information society. Either way, the chosen characterisation will affect the law applied to all digital platforms. The analysis, which adopts a comparative approach, focuses on the European context where national courts are in great turnmoil and the CJEU will be issuing a preliminary ruling on the nature of Uber services.
Android and Forking Restrictions: On the Hidden Closedness of “Open”
Authors: Vezzoso Simonetta
Published: October 2019

The Google Android Decision was announced by the European Commission on 18 July 2018. The Commission found that three restrictions related to Android and Android apps that Google imposed on mobile device manufacturers and network operators infringed Article 102 TFEU. These restrictions, according to the Commission, “have enabled Google to use Android as a vehicle to cement the dominance of its search engine”. The Android Decision is not yet public. The prohibition of Google’s tying practices on the Android platform has already attracted significant attention by early commentators, also due to the proximity to other high profile antitrust cases. Against the backdrop of the still limited information available, the article proposes some first reflections on another conduct sanctioned by the Android Decision, namely Google’s forking restriction imposed on device manufacturers. In particular, the article describes a possible reasoning underpinning Google’s anti-fragmentation justification based on the economics of two-sided platforms. This justification stems from a purely “transactional view” of platforms. The article concludes that this view is only partially suitable to provide an accurate description of complex innovation ecosystems for the purposes of competition policy enforcement.
Private Enforcement and Market Regulation
Authors: Landini Sara
Published: October 2019

The article examines the technique of private enforcement as a juridical instrument to protect the market in combination with the punitive sanction mechanisms of public law. After a first definition of private enforcement, we investigate the position taken by the European Commission on the use of private enforcement, verifying its function with respect to the objectives of market protection. The main instruments of private enforcement are therefore considered: civil liability, termination of the contract, nullity of the contract, injunction. We will focus on the main constraints to the application of the abovementioned instruments of private enforcement proposing solutions in the light of an overcoming of the boundaries between public law and private law. As highlighted in Directive 2014/104/EU, “the practical effect of the prohibitions laid down requires that anyone – be they an individual, including consumers and undertakings, or a public authority – can claim compensation before national courts for the harm caused to them by an infringement of those provisions.” For this reason it is important to consider all the different private enforcement tools and try to remove the obstacles to their effective functioning. Private law is activated on the action of individuals who exercise the rights recognised by the law. Individuals being closer to the emergence of the problem are able to represent the violation of the interests at stake according to the logic proper to the principle of subsidiarity. The Principle of subsidiarity states that a wider and greater body, such as a government, should not exercise functions that can be carried out efficiently by a smaller one, such as an individual or a private group, acting independently.
Rebates under EU Competition Law after the 2017 Intel Judgment: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Authors: Robertson Viktoria H.S.E.
Published: October 2019

On 6 September 2017, the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered its long-awaited Intel judgment. The European Commission had accused Intel of inducing customer loyalty and thus foreclosing the relevant market for its competitors through (i) a rebate scheme and (ii) direct payments, both of which the Commission qualified as abuses of dominance under Article 102 TFEU. The General Court upheld the Commission decision in its entirety in June 2014. Before the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice, however, the General Court’s Intel judgment was set aside and the case was referred back to that Court. The Court of Justice held that where the Commission, as in its Intel decision of 2009, also relies on an as-efficient-competitor (AEC) test in order to assess the capability of a rebate scheme to restrict competition contrary to Article 102 TFEU, the General Court must review a party’s counterarguments pertaining to this economic analysis. The General Court was instructed to further examine the factual and economic evidence in this respect. With a view to illuminating the legal questions that posed themselves in Intel, the present contribution reviews the leading European case law on rebate schemes – Hoffmann-La Roche, Michelin I and II, British Airways, Tomra and Post Danmark II – as well as the Commission’s approach to conditional rebates in its 2009 Guidance Paper. After briefly recalling the different stages of the Intel case, the contribution then offers a commentary on and an analysis of the Court of Justice’s Intel judgment and the way in which the Court attempted to reconcile its formalistic case law on rebate schemes with the effects-based economic tests carried out by the Commission.
Consumer Inertia, the New Economy and EU Competition Law
Authors: Venegas Vladimir Bastidas
Published: October 2019

Services and goods in the new economy, such as social media platforms and applications, are often offered to end-consumers for “free”. This may cause problems for the application of traditional antitrust doctrines, such as tying or other forms of leveraging, which normally have been applied to products and services offered at a price. As illustrated by the Microsoft I decision (Windows Media Player), it is not self-evident that the bundling of an application with an operating system results in coercion, the pressure to consume the “tied” product, if consumers have a de facto possibility to download competing products for free. Moreover, the availability of competing products for free may also affect the long-term effects in the market, as both the existing customer base and new customers may easily shift their consumption, which decreases potential “lock-in” effects. This propensity and capability of customers to choose products or services other than the predefined “default” option, e.g. by being included in a bundle, was also relevant in the recent Google decision (Shopping), which concerned the company’s preferential placement of its own advertising messages in internet searches. In both Microsoft I and the Google decision, it was found that consumers were unable to choose products and services other than the default option, so-called consumer inertia. Consumer inertia has been explained both by the traditional law and economics literature and behavioural economics with switching costs, information costs and the status quo bias. Accordingly, this article explores the concept of consumer inertia in the light of the law and economics literature, in particular behavioural economics, to determine the factors which are relevant for establishing the presence of consumer inertia in individual antitrust cases concerning the new economy. Moreover, the article evaluates to what extent the use of consumer inertia in cases from the Union courts and the Commission is consistent with economic theory.
Machine learning classification models for fetal skeletal development performance prediction using maternal bone metabolic proteins in goats
Authors: Liu Yong , Munteanu Cristian R. , Yan Qiongxian , Pedreira Nieves , Kang Jinhe , Tang Shaoxun , Zhou Chuanshe , He Zhixiong , Tan Zhiliang
Published: October 2019

Background

In developing countries, maternal undernutrition is the major intrauterine environmental factor contributing to fetal development and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Maternal nutrition restriction (MNR) in gestation has proven to impact overall growth, bone development, and proliferation and metabolism of mesenchymal stem cells in offspring. However, the efficient method for elucidation of fetal bone development performance through maternal bone metabolic biochemical markers remains elusive.

Methods

We adapted goats to elucidate fetal bone development state with maternal serum bone metabolic proteins under malnutrition conditions in mid- and late-gestation stages. We used the experimental data to create 72 datasets by mixing different input features such as one-hot encoding of experimental conditions, metabolic original data, experimental-centered features and experimental condition probabilities. Seven Machine Learning methods have been used to predict six fetal bone parameters (weight, length, and diameter of femur/humerus).

Results

The results indicated that MNR influences fetal bone development (femur and humerus) and fetal bone metabolic protein levels (C-terminal telopeptides of collagen I, CTx, in middle-gestation and N-terminal telopeptides of collagen I, NTx, in late-gestation), and maternal bone metabolites (low bone alkaline phosphatase, BALP, in middle-gestation and high BALP in late-gestation). The results show the importance of experimental conditions (ECs) encoding by mixing the information with the serum metabolic data. The best classification models obtained for femur weight (Fw) and length (FI), and humerus weight (Hw) are Support Vector Machines classifiers with the leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy of 1. The rest of the accuracies are 0.98, 0.946 and 0.696 for the diameter of femur (Fd), diameter and length of humerus (Hd, Hl), respectively. With the feature importance analysis, the moving averages mixed ECs are generally more important for the majority of the models. The moving average of parathyroid hormone (PTH) within nutritional conditions (MA-PTH-experim) is important for Fd, Hd and Hl prediction models but its removal for enhancing the Fw, Fl and Hw model performance. Further, using one feature models, it is possible to obtain even more accurate models compared with the feature importance analysis models. In conclusion, the machine learning is an efficient method to confirm the important role of PTH and BALP mixed with nutritional conditions for fetal bone growth performance of goats. All the Python scripts including results and comments are available into an open repository at https://gitlab.com/muntisa/goat-bones-machine-learning.
The LET enhancement of energy‐specific collimation in pencil beam scanning proton therapy
Authors: Smith Blake R. , Hyer Daniel E.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

To computationally characterize the LET distribution during dynamic collimation in PBS and quantify its impact on the resultant dose distribution.

Methods

Monte Carlo simulations using Geant4 were used to model the production of low‐energy proton scatter produced in the collimating components of a novel PBS collimator. Custom spectral tallies were created to quantify the energy, track‐ and dose‐averaged LET resulting from individual beamlet and composite fields simulated from a model of the IBA dedicated nozzle system. The composite dose distributions were optimized to achieve a uniform physical dose coverage of a cubical and pyramidal target, and the resulting dose‐average LET distributions were calculated for uncollimated and collimated PBS deliveries and used to generate RBE‐weighted dose distributions.

Results

For collimated beamlets, the scattered proton energy fluence is strongly dependent on collimator position relative to the central axis of the beamlet. When delivering a uniform profile, the distribution of dose‐average LET was nearly identical within the target and increased between 1 and within 10 mm surrounding the target. Dynamic collimation resulted in larger dose‐average LET changes: increasing the dose‐average LET between 1 and within 10 mm of a pyramidal target while reducing the dose‐average LET outside this margin by as much as . Biological dose distributions are improved with energy‐specific collimation in reducing the lateral penumbra.

Conclusion

The presence of energy‐specific collimation in PBS can lead to dose‐average LET changes relative to an uncollimated delivery. In some clinical situations, the placement and application of energy‐specific collimation may require additional planning considerations based on its reduction to the lateral penumbra and increase in high‐dose conformity. Future applications may embody these unique dosimetric characteristics to redirect high‐LET portions of a collimated proton beamlet from healthy tissues while enhancing the dose‐average LET distribution within target.
A five‐fold twin structure copper for enhanced electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction to sustainable ammonia
Authors: Yan Xiaoqing , Zhao Ying , Zhang Yuzhe , Wang Bowen , Fan Hanhong , Ou Honghui , Hou Xuelan , Huang Qizhong , Hu Huagui , Yang Guidong
Published: December 2024

Utilizing N₂ from the air and water for the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction shows promise for NH₃ synthesis under mild conditions. However, the chemical stability of N₂ and the thermodynamic limitations of NH₃ synthesis hinder its effectiveness. Herein, we integrated a specially designed Cu nanowire catalyst with a five‐fold twin structure (T‐CuNW) into an electrocatalytic system, combining electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction with nonthermal plasma‐assisted N₂ activation. This work achieved an NH₃ yield of 45 mg·mgcat.−1·h−1 and a Faradaic efficiency of over 95% at −0.5 V versus RHE after a 90‐h stability test. In situ characterization revealed that the T‐CuNW's twin structure plays a crucial role for the generation of a large quantity of Hads, essential for the hydrogenation of nitrate intermediates, particularly nitrite (NO₂−). This enhanced hydrogenation process significantly contributes to the high performance of the ammonia synthesis system.
Scaling relationships of lamina mass per unit area, mean thickness, and leaf bulk tissue density across nine diverse species
Authors: Shi Peijian , Deng Linli , Miao Qinyue , Chen Long , Yu Han , Zhu Fuyuan , Niklas Karl J.
Published: December 2024

Premise

Although previous studies have reported a positive correlation between leaf dry mass per unit area (LMA) and mean leaf thickness (LT), the LMA versus LT scaling relationship has not been determined due to limited sample sizes, despite its importance in estimating leaf bulk tissue density (mass per unit volume).

Methods

This issue was addressed using between 174 and 185 leaves from each of nine phylogenetically diverse species to investigate the LMA vs. LT scaling relationship. For each leaf, lamina thickness was measured at 12 positions (avoiding midribs and major veins) to calculate LT, and LMA was measured based on leaf area and dry mass measurements. Reduced major axis regression protocols were used to determine the LMA vs. LT scaling exponent (i.e., the slope). Bootstrap percentile methods were used to calculate the 95% confidence intervals of slopes.

Results

A statistically significant LMA vs. LT relationship was found for each species; seven of the nine scaling exponents were significantly greater than unity indicating that LMA (and thus leaf bulk tissue density) disproportionately increased with increasing LT. In addition, the conspecific variation in LMA exceeded the interspecific variation in LMA as a consequence of differences in LT.

Conclusions

These results indicate that empirical measurements of LMA and LT can be used to accurately estimate leaf bulk tissue density, which provides insights into adaptive life‐history strategies, conspecific variation, and (with sufficiently large data sets) phylogenetic trends.
Sorbent‐Based Sampling With Two‐Stage Trapping/Desorption Coupled to Comprehensive Two‐Dimensional Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry for Terpenoids Profiling in Cannabis
Authors: De Poli Marco , Chenet Tatiana , Felletti Simona , Spadafora Damiana , Cavazzini Alberto , Franchina Flavio A.
Published: December 2024

Cannabis inflorescences represent an important source of many high‐value bioactive specialized metabolites, among which the family of terpenes or terpenoids that are the largest classes of natural products known. Besides their biological activities either alone or synergistic with other terpenoids and/or cannabinoids, they are responsible for their distinctive flavour. In this study, we exploited the separation power and identification capabilities of comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC×GC‐MS) for the profiling of terpenes and terpenoids in cannabis inflorescences. The dynamic headspace (DHS) used herein for the extraction was chosen for its sensitivity, portability, suitability, as well as its versatility of sampling various natural products, including plant raw materials and different plant parts. The enrichment method and the following desorption into the GC were developed and optimized on both standards and real samples considering different sorbent traps (i.e. Tenax‐TA, Carbotrap T420, Carbotrap 202), and evaluating key performance values. Analyte coverage, recovery and response reproducibility were used for the evaluation of the best performing thermal desorption tube. Considering terpenoids profiling on cannabis inflorescences, satisfactory extraction performance was observed with both Tenax‐TA and Carbotrap T420. However, Tenax‐TA provided a wider analyte coverage beyond the class of terpenoids, thus can be better suited for non‐targeted analysis. On the other hand, peak width, peak height, peak quality and resolution were considered for the optimization of the chromatographic process, and more specifically the injection process, demonstrating the benefit of a secondary trapping/desorption stage with a cryotrap. Finally, considering the final DHSE‐TD‐GC×GC‐MS conditions, terpenes and terpenoids were profiled in real‐world cannabis inflorescences, highlighting the differences among the chemovars.
Combining Thermogravimetry‐Mass Spectrometry and Target Factor Analysis for Rapid Characterization of Volatiles from Degradation of Epoxy Paint
Authors: Saha Subhamoy , Shirsat Ajit N. , Tripathi V. S. , Varma Salil , Pandiyathuray Mathi
Published: December 2024

Thermogravimetry coupled with simultaneous evolved gas analysis by mass spectrometry was used for discerning organic compounds released during the thermal degradation of paint whose chemical compositions are not readily accessible. Thermogravimetric analyses up to 600°C revealed distinct degradation patterns under inert and oxidative conditions. Significant degradation of paint initiates at around 360°C and concludes at 500°C in a nitrogen atmosphere. However, under oxidative conditions, degradation began at 100°C, with notable mass loss extending from 300 to 600°C, with a distinct event at 500°C. Moreover, the overall mass loss in air has been observed to be 3% higher than that in nitrogen. The rapid characterization of the volatiles was made possible by model‐free target factor analyses of evolved gas mass spectra. The temperature‐correlated mass analyses revealed potential volatile sources, including structural breakdown and oxidative conversion. Comparative analyses revealed predominantly oxidative conversion of organics to CO2 during degradation in air. The evolution of several classes of organics during the thermal degradation of paint is a matter of great concern for postulated accident scenarios in nuclear power plants. The low molecular weight organic volatiles may be taken up by iodine aerosols released into the containment during an accident, potentially forming organic iodides, which are biological hazards. Thus, identifying these volatile organics is crucial for accurately estimating the source term of volatile organic iodine.
A Comprehensive Review of Mxene‐Based Emerging Materials for Energy Storage Applications and Future Perspectives
Authors: Gokul Eswaran Surulivel , Rashad Mohamed , Santhana Krishna Kumar Alagarsamy , EL‐Mahdy Ahmed F. M.
Published: December 2024

MXenes is a rapidly emerging class of two‐dimensional (2D) materials. It exhibits unique properties that make it suitable for a wide range of applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the synthesis and processing techniques for MXenes including both bottom‐up and top‐down approaches. The synthesis of MXene‐based composites is explored in detail focusing on Mxene‐carbon composites, Mxene‐metal oxides, Mxene‐metal sulfides, Mxene‐polymer composites and MXene‐ceramic composites. Key properties of MXenes are examined including structural, electrical, morphological, optical, mechanical, chemical stability, electrical and thermal properties, conductivity, magnetic properties, dielectric charge and catalytic properties. Characterization techniques used to study these properties is also reviewed. Their 2D structure provides a high surface area and unique interlayer spacing, making MXenes ideal for applications in energy storage devices (like supercapacitors and batteries) where surface area and ion transport are critical for performance. The diverse applications of MXenes are presented emphasizing their use in batteries, catalysis, sensors, environmental remediation and supercapacitors. Special attention is given to the supercapacitor applications of MXenes of their potential in energy storage devices. Due to their high capacitance, fast charge/discharge rates, and excellent stability, MXenes are used in supercapacitors, lithium‐ion batteries, and sodium‐ion batteries. They can store energy more efficiently than many other materials, making them valuable in the quest for efficient, sustainable energy solutions. The progress in MXene supercapacitor devices is providing insights into the latest advancements and future prospects. MXenes are highlighted as versatile materials with significant potential in various technological fields particularly in energy storage. Future research directions and challenges are also outlined for ongoing and future studies in this dynamic area of materials science.
Changes in Response Inhibition, Visual Anticipation and Verbal Fluency During Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy in Patients With Drug‐Resistant Epilepsy
Authors: Lähde Niina , Basnyat Pabitra , Raitanen Jani , Kämppi Leena , Lehtimäki Kai , Rosti‐Otajärvi Eija , Peltola Jukka
Published: December 2024

Background

The effect of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on cognitive domain of attention and executive functions (AEFs) has not been extensively researched. This study was set up to investigate performance variability on cognitive tests assessing AEFs in drug‐resistant epilepsy (DRE) patients receiving VNS therapy during a follow‐up of up to 5 years.

Methods

Thirty‐three DRE patients were assessed with the interference, maze, and written verbal fluency tests as a part of EpiTrack screening before and after VNS implantation through repeated follow‐ups according to the clinical VNS protocol. A linear mixed‐effects model was used to analyse changes in test scores.

Results

Maze performance improved significantly by an average of 0.20 s per month (95% confidence interval (CI): –0.365 to –0.041; p = 0.014). Interference performance improved by an average of 0.05 s per month (p = 0.207) and number of words increased by an average of 0.03 words per month (p = 0.079) on the verbal fluency test. On the maze test, patients with psychiatric comorbidities improved the most (0.52 s/month, p = 0.001), while on the interference test, patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE), those taking 1–2 antiseizure medications (ASMs) and patients with focal to bilateral tonic–clonic seizures improved the most (0.14 s/month, p = 0.005; 0.14 s/month, p = 0.033 and 0.16 s/month, p = 0.087, respectively). For verbal fluency, no clinically meaningful improvement was noted in any of the groups.

Conclusion

During the follow‐up, maze performance markedly improved, while performance on the interference and verbal fluency tasks remained relatively stable at the group level. Accordingly, visual anticipation and planning improved during VNS therapy whereas response inhibition was unchanged at the group level despite significant enhancements in patients with FLE and those taking 1–2 ASM. Furthermore, the presence of psychiatric comorbidities correlated with even greater improvement on maze performance.
Impaired Sequential Working Memory in Patients With Young Onset Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Zhang Guanyu , Zhang Shuo , Zhao Zhenzhen , Ma Jinghong , Chan Piu , Ye Zheng
Published: December 2024

Background

Sequential working memory refers to the cognitive ability to maintain and/or manipulate a set of ordered representations within a short period. It remains unclear whether sequential working memory is impaired in patients with young onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD).

Objectives

The aim of this study is to evaluate the sequential working memory in patients with YOPD.

Methods

Sixty‐three YOPD patients (29 women) and one hundred age‐ and education‐matched healthy controls participated in three well‐established sequential working memory tests. The YOPD patients were categorized into akinetic rigid type (PD‐ART) and non‐akinetic rigid type (PD‐NART). Participants were asked to maintain digit sequences in mind in the digit span forward (DST‐F) and to maintain and manipulate digit sequences in mind in the digit span backward (DST‐B) and adaptive digit ordering tests (DOT‐A).

Results

The PD‐ART group scored lower and had higher ordering costs (difference between the DST‐F and DOT‐A scores) than the healthy control group in the DOT‐A. Moreover, in the PD‐ART group, the daily levodopa equivalent dose for dopamine D2/3 receptor agonists positively correlated with the DOT‐A score and negatively correlated with the DOT‐A ordering cost, suggesting that patients who took a greater dose of dopamine D2/3 receptor agonists tended to have higher DOT‐A scores and lower DOT‐A ordering costs.

Conclusions

These results indicated that the impaired sequential working memory may be one of markers of identifying early cognitive impairment in patients with YOPD, especially in PD‐ART patients. The dopamine D2/3 receptor agonists can recover this impairment to some extent.
Post‐acute sequelae of COVID‐19 in cancer patients: Two cohorts in UK and Hong Kong
Authors: Wan Eric Yuk Fai , Lee Shing Fung , Zhou Jiayi , Yan Vincent Ka Chun , Lai Francisco Tsz Tsun , Chui Celine Sze Ling , Li Xue , Wong Carlos King Ho , Chan Esther Wai Yin , Wong Ian Chi Kei
Published: December 2024

Background

Limited research exists on the risks and spectrum of complications in post‐acute phase of COVID‐19 in cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate the post‐acute effects of COVID‐19 on different types of morbidities among cancer patients across two regions with different healthcare systems and dominant variants of COVID‐19.

Materials and Methods

Cancer patients with COVID‐19 from the UK Biobank (UKB, n = 2230; March 16, 2020 to May 31, 2021; pre‐Omicron‐variants dominant) and electronic medical records in Hong Kong (HK cohort, n = 22,335; April 1, 2020 to October 31, 2022; Omicron‐variant dominant) were included. Each COVID‐19 case was randomly matched with up to 10 non‐COVID‐19 cancer patients based on age and sex. Follow‐up lasted until 31 August 2021 for UKB and 23 January 2023 for HK. Inverse probability treatment weighting balanced cohort characteristics. Cox regression evaluated the association of COVID‐19 with morbidities occurred 30 days post‐infection.

Results

Cancer patients with COVID‐19 consistently showed significantly higher risk of major cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) [UKB: hazard ratio [HR] 1.8 (95% CI 1.3, 2.5); HK: HR 1.4 (95% CI 1.1, 1.8)], CVD death [UKB: HR 4.3 (95% CI 2.9, 6.2); HK: HR 1.7 (95% CI 1.3, 2.4)], and all‐cause mortality [UKB: HR 4.7 (95% CI 4.0, 5.5); HK: HR 1.6 (95% CI 1.5, 1.7)] in both cohorts despite the difference in dominant variants. Cancer patients at advanced ages or severely infected had higher all‐cause mortality risk. However, associations between COVID‐19 and CVDs became insignificant for fully vaccinated patients.

Conclusion

COVID‐19 infection is associated with increased risks of CVDs and mortality in cancer patients. Fully vaccination may reduce the post‐acute effects of COVID‐19 on CVDs. This information may guide effective pre‐emptive measures to reduce COVID‐19‐related morbidities and mortality in cancer patients.
Development of Surgical Site Infection One Year After Thyroplasty With Arytenoid Adduction
Authors: Simmons Ethan , Lao Wilson P. , Punjabi Nihal , Krishna Priya
Published: December 2024

Delayed complications of arytenoid adduction and medialization laryngoplasty are rarely reported in the literature. Clinicians should be aware that performing an AA alongside an ML may seed oral cavity bacteria into the paralaryngeal space. This may result in delayed infection—especially in immunocompromised patients—necessitating implant removal and antibiotics.
An Unusual Cause of Failure of Fiberoptic Intubation due to Continuous Suctioning: A Case Report
Authors: Pradhan Kushal , Khadka Bikash , Rayamajhi Bijay , Sharma Apurb , Bhattarai Prajjwal Raj , Kc Shirish , Nepal Rohini ,   Doctors on Wheels (DOW)
Published: December 2024

Flexible fiberoptic intubation is the gold standard technique during difficult airway management. Failure of fiberoptic intubation could be due to patient factors, equipment factors, and operator expertise. We present a case where fiberoptic intubation was unsuccessful because of equipment error following continuous suction pressure application.
Modes of Binding of Small Molecules Dictate the Interruption of RBD‐ACE2 Complex of SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: Muneeswaran Sithanantham , Poopathi Raja Karuppiah Muruga
Published: December 2024

The spike protein is a vital target for therapeutic advancement to inhibit viral entrance. Given that the connection between Spike and ACE2 constitutes the initial phase of SARS‐CoV‐2 pathogenesis, obstructing this interaction presents a promising therapeutic approach. This work aims to find compounds from DrugBank that can modulate the stability of the spike RBD‐ACE2 protein‐protein complex. Employing a therapeutic repurposing strategy, we conducted molecular docking of over 9000 DrugBank compounds against the Spike RBD‐ACE2 complex, on ten variants, including the wild‐type. We also evaluated the intricate stability of the RBD‐ACE2 proteins by molecular dynamics simulations, hydrogen bond analysis, RMSD analysis, radius of gyration analysis, and the QM‐MM approach. We assessed the efficacy of the top ten candidates for each variant as an inhibitor. Our findings demonstrated for the first time that DrugBank small molecules can interact in three distinct modalities inside the extensive protein‐protein interface of RBD and ACE2 complexes. The top ten analyses identified specific DrugBank candidates for each variant and molecules capable of binding to multiple variants. This comprehensive computational technique enables the screening and forecasting of hits for any big and shallow protein‐protein interface drug targets.