bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Grazing mediates the biodiversity effects on multifunctionality in grasslands
Authors: Yan Yue , Ding Jingyi , Wang Jing , Zhang Shurong , Zhou Ao , Han Yi , Gao Xuan , Zhao Wenwu
Published: September 2023

Biodiversity loss by grazing pressure has threatened multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously (ecosystem multifunctionality, EMF) in grasslands. Therefore, detecting the relation between EMF and biodiversity under human intervention would provide guidance on the optimization of sustainable grassland management. However, little is known about how grazing effects grassland EMF by mediating biodiversity under different grazing intensities. Here, species and functional diversity were investigated along a longitudinal gradient in Inner Mongolia grassland, and its EMF was quantified comprehensively on six ecosystem functions by an averaging approach, threshold approach and multiple threshold approach to assess the impact of grazing intensity on EMF. There was a significantly lower average EMF index and above‐ground biomass under heavy grazing (HG) than under light grazing (LG). The threshold approach‐based EMF and average EMF index were positively related to species diversity and functional diversity, and species diversity was a stronger driver of EMF than functional diversity. Compared with LG, the slope of the positive relation between EMF and species diversity significantly weakened by 40%–86% under moderate grazing (MG) and decreased by 30%–100% under HG, and reversed to a negative relation between functional diversity and EMF under HG. Additionally, species diversity was more negatively influenced by soil pH and sand content, while functional diversity was more negatively influenced by grazing intensity, indicating that functional diversity was more sensitive to intensive grazing. This study highlights the role of grazing intensity for driving multiple ecosystem functions, and reinforces the significance of managing both species diversity and functional diversity for sustaining productive functional grasslands.
Biodegradable Blown Film Composites from Bioplastic and Talc: Effect of Uniaxial Stretching on Mechanical and Barrier Properties
Authors: Nath Debarshi , Pal Akhilesh Kumar , Misra Manjusri , Mohanty Amar K.
Published: September 2023

As public awareness about climate change grows, there is an increase in the research on bioplastic packaging films. This is the first‐ever scientific report on uniaxially stretched biobased‐polybutylene succinate‐co‐adipate (BioPBSA) and talc (15 and 25 wt%) based blown film composites at different stretch ratios (SR). The water vapor barrier properties of BioPBSA+25%Talc film at SR 4 shows an improvement of 40% compared to its unstretched counterpart, while an overall improvement of 48% is observed compared to the unstretched BioPBSA film. The successful dispersion of talc in the BioPBSA matrix, the orientation of talc filler during stretching, and the polymer chains orientation are responsible for such improvement. Additionally, XRD analysis shows that during uniaxial stretching, the crystallinity of the films increases by up to 26% as a result of strain‐induced crystallization, with BioPBSA+25%Talc at SR 4 having the highest crystallinity (≈75%). Furthermore, the inclusion of 25% talc in BioPBSA considerably enhances the tensile modulus by 246% compared to its unstretched counterpart. Hence biodegradable films with balanced barrier and tensile properties may be promising alternatives to petroleum‐based plastic materials used in flexible packaging applications.
Novel okra woven fabric reinforced polylactic acid composites: Mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties
Authors: Rahman A. N. M. Masudur , Zhang Xueping , Qin Xiaohong , Sayeed M. M. Alamgir , Islam Syed Rashedul
Published: September 2023

Contemporary researchers are directing attention towards enhancing the structural integrity of biodegradable matrices, such as polylactic acid (PLA), through the incorporation of plant fibers. The utilization of novel fibers is becoming more prevalent to achieve the specific demands of composite applications, particularly in the automotive and packaging fields. Woven fabrics are commonly favored for reinforcing composites due to their elevated specific strength and dimensional stability. In pursuit of this context, we have developed a unique woven fabric using 100% okra fiber and utilized it in the production of PLA biocomposites. This approach was made due to the unexplored potential of okra woven fabric in the field of composite manufacturing. To optimize the performance of the composites, three distinct weight proportions of okra woven fabric (OWF) were chosen, including 20%, 30%, and 40%. The obtained composites were mechanically, morphologically, and thermally characterized. The manufactured composite's maximum tensile and thermal property was attained by adding 20% OWF to the PLA. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that 20% OWF composite possessed superior fiber‐matrix adhesion, improving all properties' efficacy. The overall findings reveal that the OWF/PLA composites are promising as a green material for applications in the automotive and packaging industries.

Highlights

A novel class of composite has been created using 100% okra woven fabric.

The composite with 20% fabric content showed the best mechanical properties.

Thermal properties of composites are also optimized using 20% fabric content.

SEM confirms the strong fiber‐matrix bonding of 20% OWF/PLA composites.

The composites are suitable for automotive and packaging applications.
Hyperthymic temperament predicts neural responsiveness for nonmonetary reward
Authors: Ogura Yukiko , Wakatsuki Yumi , Hashimoto Naoki , Miyamoto Tamaki , Nakai Yukiei , Toyomaki Atsuhito , Tsuchida Yukio , Nakagawa Shin , Inoue Takeshi , Kusumi Ichiro
Published: September 2023

Aim

Hyperthymic temperament is a cheerful action orientation that is suggested to have a protective effect on depressive symptoms. We recently reported that hyperthymic temperament can positively predict activation of reward‐related brain areas in anticipation of monetary rewards, which could serve as a biomarker of hyperthymic temperament. However, the relationship between hyperthymic temperament and neural responsiveness to nonmonetary rewards (i.e., feedback indicating success in a task) remains unclear.

Methods

Healthy participants performed a modified monetary incentive delay task inside a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. To examine the effect of nonmonetary positive feedback, the participants performed feedback and no‐feedback trials. We explored brain regions whose neural responsiveness to nonmonetary rewards was predicted by hyperthymic temperament.

Results

There was premotor area activation in anticipation of a nonmonetary reward, which was negatively predicted by hyperthymic temperament. Moreover, brain areas located mainly in the primary somatosensory area and somatosensory association area were activated by performance feedback, which was positively predicted by hyperthymic temperament.

Conclusion

We found that hyperthymic temperament is related to neural responsiveness to both monetary and nonmonetary rewards. This may be related to the process of affective regulation in the somatosensory area.
Postpartum depression: The prevalence and associated factors among women attending postnatal clinics in the Bawku municipality, Upper East Region of Ghana
Authors: Daliri Dennis Bomansang , Afaya Agani , Afaya Richard Adongo , Abagye Nancy
Published: September 2023

Introduction

This study examined postpartum depression (PPD) among mothers in the Bawku municipality of Ghana, aiming to assess its prevalence and associated risk factors.

Methods

A total of 242 women, 2–12 weeks postpartum, were randomly recruited for this cross‐sectional analytical study. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used for depression screening, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the factors associated with PPD.

Results

The study showed that 34.7% of the postpartum mothers were within the age range of 25–29, with a mean age of 27.9 (standard deviation [SD] ± 6.33). The prevalence of PPD was 50.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 43.9–56.9). Several significant risk factors were identified, including inadequate prenatal visits (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 13.44, 95% CI 3.66–49.37, P < 0.001), obstetric complications (aOR = 3.39, 95% CI 1.23–11.19, P = 0.019), less than 3 weeks postpartum (aOR = 8.14, 95% CI 1.95, 33.94, P = 0.004), 6–8 weeks postpartum (aOR = 7.72, 95% CI 1.71–34.80, P = 0.008), and stressful life events (aOR = 3.30, 95% CI 1.23–8.89, P = 0.018).

Conclusion

The study concluded that the prevalence of PPD in the Bawku municipality is higher than previously reported in Ghana, emphasizing the need for early identification of pregnant women at risk for PPD.
Biologics and oral small‐molecule inhibitors for treatment of pediatric atopic dermatitis: Opportunities and challenges
Authors: Zhao Anqi , Pan Chaolan , Li Ming
Published: September 2023

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex disease characterized by recurrent eczematous lesions and refractory pruritus that drastically impairs quality of life. Due to the chronic and relapsing course, patients are easily trapped in the debilitating condition. Classical therapies show limitations, especially for patients with moderate‐to‐severe phenotypes. Advanced new insights in targeted therapies exhibit great application prospects which were reinforced by the more profound understanding of the disease pathogenesis. However, the sustained efficiency, biosafety, and long‐term benefits still remain in further exploration. This review summarizes recent clinical studies on oral small‐molecule inhibitors and biological agents for pediatric AD patients, which provides the latest frontiers to clinicians.
Three‐Dimensional Porous Diboron Dinitride as a High‐Performance Anode Material for Sodium/Potassium‐Ion Batteries: A First Principles Study
Authors: Lin Xun , Lin He , Huang Yong
Published: September 2023

2D boron nitride shows great promise in the photoelectric device, deep UV emitter and field effect transistor with good thermal stability, high mechanical robustness and chemical inertness; nonetheless, its inherently low electrical conductivity and small pore size have severely hindered the electrochemical kinetics and lead to a poor rate capability. Herein, we design a novel porous 3D−B2N2 structure by assembling the orthorhombic B2N2 monolayer into t‐C24 lattice and assesse its feasibility as the anode material of sodium(SIBs)/potassium(PIBs) ion batteries. The ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulation, Born‐Huang criteria, phonon spectrum and cohesive energy calculations confirms that the resulting 3D−B2N2 possesses excellent mechanical, thermal and dynamical stability. Different from the pristine h‐B2N2, an improved electrical conductivity is observed for 3D−B2N2 with a small band gap of 0.66 eV. Moreover, the low mass density, unique porous structure and strong adsorption energy make the 3D−B2N2 an outstanding electrode material for SIBs/PIBs with high storage capacities of 599.90 (479.92) mA h/g, low averaged open circuit voltages of 0.13 (0.27) V, low diffusion barriers of 0.04 (0.008) eV, and small volume expansions of 0.96 % (2.63 %). All the encouraging findings reveal that the 3D−B2N2 anode deserves further experimental investigation for SIBs/PIBs.
High Performance Hybrid Aqueous Li/NiCl2 Rechargeable Batteries with Water‐Stable High Lithium‐Ion Conductivity Solid Electrolyte
Authors: Masuda Mikito , Taminato Sou , Mori Daisuke , Takeda Yasuo , Yamamoto Osamu , Imanishi Nobuyuki
Published: September 2023

The feasibility of a novel high specific energy and power density rechargeable aqueous lithium battery with a lithium anode, an aqueous NiCl2 catholyte, and a water‐stable high lithium‐ion conducting solid electrolyte separator was investigated. Water‐stable Li1.6Al0.4Ge0.2Ti1.4(PO4)3‐10 wt % TiO2‐3 wt % LiCl ⋅ H2O‐expoxy resin (LAGTP‐T), which has a high lithium‐ion conductivity of 10−3 S cm−1 at 25 °C and an excellent bending strength of 150 N mm−2, was used as the separator between the lithium anode and the aqueous NiCl2 catholyte in the rechargeable aqueous Li/NiCl2 battery. The battery was successfully operated at 5 mA cm−2 and room temperature. The estimated specific energy density of the battery based on the cell components of a 200 μm thick LAGTP‐T, a lithium anode, current collectors, and an interlayer electrolyte is higher than that of the conventional lithium‐ion battery with a carbon anode and a LiCoO2 cathode at a high specific capacity of more than 15 mAh cm−2, and that at 50 mAh cm−2 is two times higher than that of the lithium‐ion battery.
On‐Chip Fabrication of Colloidal Suprastructures by Assembly and Supramolecular Interlinking of Microgels
Authors: Jung Se‐Hyeong , Meyer Fabian , Hörnig Sven , Bund Michelle , Häßel Bernhard , Guerzoni Luis Paulo Busca , De Laporte Laura , Ben Messaoud Ghazi , Centeno Silvia P. , Pich Andrij
Published: September 2023

In this report, a versatile method is demonstrated to create colloidal suprastructures by assembly and supramolecular interlinking of microgels using droplet‐based microfluidics. The behavior of the microgels is systematically investigated to evaluate the influence of their concentration on their distribution between the continuous, the droplet phase, and the interface. At low concentrations, microgels are mainly localized at the water–oil interface whereas an excess of microgels results, following the complete coverage of the water–oil interface, in their distribution in the continuous phase. To stabilize the colloidal suprastructure, on‐chip gelation is introduced by adding natural polyphenol tannic acid (TA) in the water phase. TA forms interparticle linking between the poly(N‐vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) microgels by supramolecular interactions. The combination of supramolecular interlinking with the variation of the microgel concentration in microfluidic droplets enables on‐chip fabrication of defined colloidal suprastructures with morphologies ranging from colloidosomes to colloidal supraballs. The obtained supracolloidal structures exhibit a pH‐responsive behavior with a disintegration at alkaline conditions within a scale of seconds. The destabilization process results from the deprotonation of phenolic groups and destruction of hydrogen bonds with PVCL chains at higher pH.
Investigating the impact of structural holes on the value creation in mobile application service ecosystems: Evidence from computational experiments
Authors: Zhang Lu , Chen Shizhan , Xue Xiao , Wu Hongyue , Feng Zhiyong
Published: September 2023

Mobile application service ecosystems (MASEs) are highly complex systems that involve multiple factors influencing value creation. However, current research on the impact of structural holes (SHs) as an organizational characteristic on value creation in MASE is still insufficient. To address this research gap, this paper proposes a value creation model for MASE and investigates the impact of SH on the value creation of MASE. Moreover, this paper investigates the correlation between SH and diversity, which can facilitate regulating the value creation process in MASE. Finally, we construct a computational experiment, comparing and analyzing how changes in SH affect the value creation of MASE and the correlation between SH and diversity. The findings of this study can be used to induce the evolution of MASE and promote its value maximization.
Seed‐Assisted Growth for Scalable and Efficient Perovskite Solar Modules
Authors: Li You , Zhang Yi , Chung Jaehoon , Rajakaruna Manoj , Saeed Muhammad Mohsin , Abudulimu Abasi , Kaluarachchi Prabodika N. , Li Deng-Bing , Mariam Tamanna , Chen Lei , Fu Sheng , Sun Nannan , Ellingson Randy J. , Heben Michael J. , Song Zhaoning , Yan Yanfa
Published: September 2023

Perovskite solar modules (PSMs) have shown remarkable photovoltaic potentials, but they still suffer from large power conversion efficiency (PCE) loss on scale‐up and instability due to inferior uniformity and crystallization over large areas. Herein, the scalable production of efficient and stable PSMs using a suite of all‐scalable fabrication methods featuring a two‐step blade/dip‐coating approach to deposit the perovskite absorber layer is demonstrated. Rubidium chloride is introduced to embed (PbI2)2RbCl complex seeds in the first‐deposited PbI2 precursor, which assists in uniform crystallization of the perovskite layer with high crystallinity and reduced defect density over large areas. Following the optimization of RbCl additives, a champion PSM with 17.9% PCE on a 7.6 × 7.6 cm2 substrate with a 37 cm2 aperture area is achieved. Moreover, the RbCl‐incorporated PSMs demonstrate excellent reproducibility and stability under continuous 1 sun illumination. This work shows that the two‐step blade/dip coating is a promising method for producing high‐efficiency and stable PSMs on an industrially relevant scale.
DevOps project management success factors: A decision‐making framework
Authors: Akbar Muhammad Azeem , Khan Arif Ali , Islam Najmul , Mahmood Sajjad
Published: September 2023

Development and operations (DevOps) refer to the collaboration and multidisciplinary organizational effort to automate continuous delivery of information systems (IS) development project with an aim to improve the quality of the IS. The flexibility and quality production of software projects motivated the organizations to adopt DevOps paradigm. Organizations face several complexities while management of DevOps process. This study aims to explore and analyze the factors that could positively impact the management of DevOps process. Firstly, literature review was performed and identified 36 success factors that are related to 10 knowledge areas of DevOps project management. Secondly, a questionnaire survey study was conducted to get the insight of industry experts concerning the success factors of DevOps project. Finally, the fuzzy‐AHP was applied for ranking the success factors and examining the relationship between 10 knowledge areas of identified success factors. The results of this study will serve as a body of knowledge for researchers and practitioners to consider the highest priority success factors and develop the effective policies for the successful execution of DevOps project management.
Intralayer Negative Poisson's Ratio in 2D Black Arsenic by Strain Engineering
Authors: Zhang Jingjing , Zhang Weihan , Zhang Leining , Du Guoshuai , Yu Yunfei , Xia Qinglin , Wu Xu , Wang Yeliang , Ji Wei , Qiao Jingsi , Ding Feng , Chen Yabin
Published: September 2023

Negative Poisson's ratio as the anomalous characteristic generally exists in artificial architectures, such as re‐entrant and honeycomb structures. The structures with negative Poisson's ratio have attracted intensive attention due to their unique auxetic effect and many promising applications in shear‐resistant and energy absorption fields. However, experimental observation of negative Poisson's ratio in natural materials barely happens, although various 2D layered materials are predicted in theory. Herein, the anisotropic Raman response and the intrinsic intralayer negative Poisson's ratio of 2D natural black arsenic (b‐As) via strain engineering strategy are reported. The results are evident by the detailed Raman spectrum of b‐As under uniaxial strain together with density functional theory calculations. It is found that b‐As is softer along the armchair than zigzag direction. The anisotropic mechanical features and van der Waals interactions play essential roles in strain‐dependent Raman shifts and negative Poisson's ratio in the natural b‐As along zigzag direction. This work may shed a light on the mechanical properties and potential applications of 2D puckered materials.
Sr(NO3)(NH2SO3)·H2O: First Nitrate Sulfamate Revealing Remarkable Second Harmonic Generation and Optimized Birefringence
Authors: Wang Xuefei , Li Yang , Chen Zilong , Lee Jihyun , Zhang Fangfang , Poeppelmeier Kenneth R. , Pan Shilie , Ok Kang Min
Published: September 2023

The approach of synergistically combining mixed chromophores has garnered significant attention attributed to its ability to leverage the advantages of both groups and design novel nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. Herein, Sr(NO3)(NH2SO3)·H2O, a noncentrosymmetric compound, which represents the first reported nitrate sulfamate compound, is successfully designed and synthesized. The compound features zigzag [SrNO10(H2O)]∞ infinite layers, forming a honeycomb‐like graphene topology in its layered structure. The unique arrangement results in an excellent second harmonic generation response, 5.1 times that of KH2PO4, and an optimized birefringence of 0.06650 at 532 nm. In addition, the presence of interlayered covalent [NH2SO3] groups facilitates improved crystal growth habits, resulting in a large single crystal measuring 19.0 × 17.0 × 3.5 mm3. In this discovery, a new class of NLO materials is introduced and the scope of structural chemistry is significantly expanded.
Constructing Ni3Se2‐Nanoisland‐Confined Pt1Mo1 Dual‐Atom Catalyst for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution in Basic Media
Authors: Ma Mengyao , Xia Wei , Guo Xiaoyan , Liu Wenhao , Cao Dong , Cheng Daojian
Published: September 2023

Constructing efficient and stable catalysts is the key to achieving green hydrogen production through electrolysis of water. Atomically dispersed catalysts have received widespread attention due to their high atomic utilization and catalytic efficiency. Herein, Pt1Mo1 dual‐atom catalysts anchored on the nickel selenide nanoisland (Pt1Mo1/Ni3Se2) are prepared by a two‐step method. It only needs 53 mV to deliver the current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH media, and the mass activity at 200 mV is approximately 4.13 times higher than that of Pt/C. In addition, the Pt1Mo1/Ni3Se2 also exhibits electrochemical stability of nearly 60 h at 20 mA cm−2. It is shown in the studies that the synergistic effect between Pt and Mo atoms enables the migration of electrons around Mo atoms toward Pt, thus realizing charge redistribution. Further density functional theory calculations verify that synergistic effect of Pt and Mo atoms could optimize the adsorption of H*, enhancing the hydrogen evolution reaction activity. Moreover, the Ni3Se2 nanoisland prevents the aggregation of Pt and Mo dual atom, effectively improving the stability of the catalyst. In this work, a nanoisland confined strategy is provided to construct atomically dispersed catalysts with high activity and stability for water splitting.
System of systems engineering governance framework for digital transformation: A case study of an Australian large government agency
Authors: Papavasiliou Samantha , Gorod Alex , Reaiche Carmen
Published: September 2023

Current swift technological advances are significantly impacting how organizations operate and services are provided. Even with the multiple benefits for organizations that undergo digital transformation, the majority of transformation initiatives fail due to the challenges that arise. A primary reason for these failures links back to the lack of effective governance framework to support effective digital transformation efforts. This paper proposes such a framework through a system of systems engineering approach to understand the various constituent systems involved in digital transformation efforts and their interactive and emergent behaviors. The application and usefulness of the framework were demonstrated as part of a digital transformation initiative in an Australian Large Government Agency and documented as a case study.
Open spina bifida characterisation in a dog foetus
Authors: Chen Yue , Su Dan , Sun Xiaorong , Gui Wenjuan
Published: September 2023

Background

Open spina bifida is an uncommon malformation in animals, and there is a lack of imaging, clinical, and pathological characterisation of this condition in dogs.

Objective

Open spina bifida is rarely observed in animals due to high levels of perinatal mortality and frequent euthanasia. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first case of spina bifida in a dog was diagnosed in‐utero and then followed post‐partum.

Methods

A 3‐year‐old Poodle was presented with twin pregnancy. Radiographic and ultrasonographic findings were suggestive of vertebral malformation and open spina bifida with myelomeningocele in one foetus. Conservative treatment was given but the puppy died 3 days after birth. Thereafter, anatomical and histopathological analysis of several organs was performed to characterise the disease.

Results

When the twins were born, one puppy had a linear dorsal midline cutaneous defect extending from the level of vertebrae L2–L6. R Radiographic examination showed several congenital vertebral malformations involving the thoracic segment, lumbar segment, sacrum and scapula. Histopathological examinations confirmed the presence of open spina bifida and identified additional abnormalities in several internal organs.

Conclusions

This case presents a complete characterisation of open spina bifida, before birth and after death, using imaging and histopathology techniques.
K7In4As6 and K3InAs2 ‐ Two more Zintl phases showing the rich variety of In‐As polyanion structures
Authors: Boyko Marina , Hlukhyy Viktor , Fässler Thomas F.
Published: September 2023

Binary phases of triel (Tr) and pentel (Pn) elements (III‐V semiconductors) represent a unique compound class due to their tunable intrinsic band gap in dependency of the element combination. We report here on two new compounds in the ternary system K−In−As. In K3InAs2 the edge‐sharing tetrahedral InAs4 units are connected via opposed edges of the tetrahedra forming linear [InAs2]3− chains and are thus iso(valence)‐ electronic with SiS2. In K7In4As6, the InAs4 tetrahedra are connected via neighboring edges of the tetrahedra forming zig‐zag chains. These chains are linked in two directions through dimeric [As3In−InAs3] units. Both reported Zintl phases extend the number of structures that possess the same In−As ratio. In K3InAs2 a one‐dimensional polyanion in contrast to known Na3InAs2 comprising a three‐dimensional polyanion structure is found. K7In4As6 forms together with the known phases K2In2As3 and K3In2As3 a series of Zintl phases with the ratio In : As=2 : 3. Even though the three phases differ only slightly in their valence electron concentration (VEC) of the polyanion, the VECs have a strong influence on the structures. Syntheses, crystal structures and the electronic band structures are reported. The compounds are discussed in the context of the Zintl concept.
Multimodal Chat-Based Apps: Enhancing Copresence When Writing
Authors: Bowen Tracey , Whithaus Carl
Published: September 2023

This chapter examines how digital platforms and social media may be integrated as part of academic writing processes. These digital tools can be used to facilitate students’ development as writers who are agile across modes of text production, collaboration, and dissemination. Writing on multimodal apps and platforms such as WhatsApp and Discord have encouraged students to write in ways that are collective and collaborative. Students are taking up brainstorming and “pre-writing” activities on these public platforms as a way tocometo writing in virtual contexts in the copresence of others. These forms of “prewriting” are increasingly becoming part of writing processes and bleeding over into how students’ final academic pieces of writing take shape. Students are not only using these social writing processes and genres in their academic writing but they are also becoming digital content creators as they enter their professional spheres.
Information Retrieval and Knowledge Extraction for Academic Writing
Authors: Benites Fernando
Published: September 2023

The amount of unstructured scientific data in the form of documents, reports, papers, patents, and the like is exponentially increasing each year. Technological advances and their implementations emerge at a similarly fast pace, making for many disciplines a manual overview of interdisciplinary and relevant studies nearly impossible. Consequently, surveying large corpora of documents without any automation, i.e. information extraction systems, seems no longer feasible. Fortunately, most articles are now accessible through digital channels, enabling automatic information retrieval by large database systems. Popular examples of such systems are Google Scholar or Scopus. As they allow us to rapidly find relevant and high-quality citations and references to previous work, these systems are particularly valuable in academic writing. However, not all users are aware of the mechanisms underlying relevance sorting, which we will address in this chapter. For example, in addition to searching for specific terms, new tools facilitate the discovery of relevant studies by using synonyms as well as similar works/citations. The near future holds even better tools for the creation of surveys, such as automatic summary generation or automatic question-answering systems over large corpora. In this chapter, we will discuss the relevant technologies and systems and their use in the academic writing context.
On the coupling of axion-like particles to the top quark
Authors: Esser Fabian , Madigan Maeve , Sanz Veronica , Ubiali Maria
Published: September 2023

Abstract

In this paper we explore the coupling of a light axion-like particle (ALP) to top quarks. We use high-energy LHC probes, and examine both the direct probe to this coupling in associated production of a top-pair with an ALP, and the indirect probe through loop-induced gluon fusion to an ALP leading to top pairs. Using the latest LHC Run II data, we provide the best limit on this coupling. We also compare these limits with those obtained from loop-induced couplings in diboson final states, finding that the $$ t\overline{t} $$
t

t
¯

+MET channel is the best current handle on this coupling.
Clostridium botulinum C3bot mediated effects on cytokine-induced psoriasis-like phenotype in full-thickness skin model
Authors: Rohrbeck Astrid , Bruhn Vanessa Anna , Hussein Nali , Hagemann Sandra , Just Ingo
Published: September 2023

Clostridium botulinum C3 exoenzyme (C3bot) exclusively inhibits RhoA, B and C by ADP-ribosylation and is therefore used as a cell-permeable tool for investigating the cellular role of these Rho-GTPases. Rho-GTPases represent a molecular switch integrating different receptor signalling to downstream cascades including transcriptional cascades that regulate various cellular processes, such as regulation of actin cytoskeleton and cell proliferation. C3bot-induced inhibition of RhoA leads to reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, morphological changes, and inhibition of cell proliferation as well as modulation of inflammatory response. In this study, we characterized the C3bot-mediated effects on a full-thickness skin model exhibiting a psoriasis-like phenotype through the addition of cytokines. Indeed, after the addition of cytokines, a decrease in epidermal thickness, parakeratosis, and induction of IL-6 was detected. In the next step, it was studied whether C3bot caused a reduction in the cytokine-induced psoriasis-like phenotypes. Basal addition of C3bot after cytokine induction of the full-thickness skin models caused less epidermal thinning and reduced IL-6 abundance. Simultaneous basal incubation with cytokines and C3bot, IL-6 abundance was inhibited, but epidermal thickness was only moderately affected. When C3bot was added apically to the skin model, IL-6 abundance was reduced, but no further effects on the psoriasis-like phenotype of the epidermis were observed. In summary, C3bot inhibits the cytokine-induced expression of IL-6 and thus may have an impact on the pro-inflammatory immune response in the psoriasis-like phenotype.
Dancing in virtual reality as an inclusive platform for social and physical fitness activities: a survey
Authors: Sarupuri Bhuvaneswari , Kulpa Richard , Aristidou Andreas , Multon Franck
Published: September 2023

Virtual reality (VR) has recently seen significant development in interaction with computers and the visualization of information. More and more people are using virtual and immersive technologies in their daily lives, especially for entertainment, fitness, and socializing purposes. This paper presents a qualitative evaluation of a large sample of users using a VR platform for dancing ($$N=292$$

N
=
292

); we study the users’ motivations, experiences, and requirements for using VR as an inclusive platform for dancing, mainly as a social or physical activity. We used an artificial intelligence platform (OpenAI) to extract categories or clusters of responses automatically. We organized the data into six user motivation categories: fun, fitness, social activity, pandemic, escape from reality, and professional activities. Our results indicate that dancing in virtual reality is a different experience than in the real world, and there is a clear distinction in the user’s motivations for using VR platforms for dancing. Our survey results suggest that VR is a tool that can positively impact physical and mental well-being through dancing. These findings complement the related work, help in identifying the use cases, and can be used to assist future improvements of VR dance applications.
Fine-grained image recognition method for digital media based on feature enhancement strategy
Authors: Zhou Tieyu , Gao Linyi , Hua Ranjun , Zhou Junhong , Li Jinao , Guo Yawen , Zhang Yan
Published: September 2023

The emergence of digital media has changed the way people live and learn. In the context of the new era, digital media is gradually integrating into people’s life and learning. Digital media contains massive images, and fine-grained image recognition for digital media has become an important topic. The challenge of fine-grained image recognition is that the difference between different categories is small, and the difference between the same categories is sometimes large. This work designs a fine-grained image recognition based on feature enhancement (FIRFE). This extracts as much information as possible from fine-grained images under weak supervision to improve the recognition accuracy. When the existing methods extract image features, the feature extraction other than the most significant local feature is not enough. This deals with local features alone and ignores the relationship between features. First, this paper designs a feature enhancement and suppression module to process image features. Secondly, this paper designs pyramid residual convolution. This uses different scale convolution kernels to capture different levels of features in the scene. Thirdly, this paper uses the softpool method to rationally allocate the information weight in the pooling process. Fourth, this paper uses feature focus module to mine more features. This focuses on obtaining similar information in multiple local features as discriminant features to further improve the recognition. Fifthly, this paper carried out systematic experiments on the designed method. The proposed method achieves 94.3%/95.7% accuracy, 92.9%/94.1% recall, and 91.4%/92.2% F1 score on different datasets. This verified the superiority of this method for fine-grained image recognition of digital media.
Emerging extreme heat conditions as part of the new climate normal
Authors: Zittis George , Lazoglou Georgia , Hadjinicolaou Panos , Lelieveld Jos
Published: September 2023

As a result of global warming, extreme heat conditions have become more frequent and severe. This will likely continue or accelerate in the future, particularly under high radiative forcing scenarios. In the present study, based on an ensemble of global climate model simulations, we identify the absolute historical extremes expressed by several temperature indices. Considering projections under two future pathways (SSP1$$-$$
-
2.6, SSP5$$-$$
-
8.5), we investigate to what extent extreme heat conditions will become predominant during the rest of the century. The timing of a transition to prevailing hot weather extremes is critical for the development of mitigation and adaptation strategies; therefore, we also identify the projected first year of such a transition, as well as the persistence in subsequent decades. Different aspects of heat extremes are investigated, including both maximum and minimum temperature. For some climate zones, our results highlight that regardless of mitigation efforts, hot weather conditions will be at least similar but likely more harsh compared to historical extremes within the following decades. By the end of the century, under a business-as-usual pathway, successive years will be much more extreme than the most severe conditions in the recent past virtually everywhere.
Regulation of alveolar macrophage death in pulmonary fibrosis: a review
Authors: Yang Ganghao , Yang Yang , Liu Yiping , Liu Xiaoshu
Published: September 2023

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a disease in which excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation occurs in pulmonary mesenchyme, which induces the destruction of alveolar structures and poor prognosis. Macrophage death is responsible for ECM accumulation after alveolar epithelial injury in PF. Depending on the local micro-environments, macrophages can be polarized to either classically activated (M1) or alternatively activated (M2) macrophage phenotypes. In general, M1 macrophages can promote inflammation and sterilization, stop the continuous damage process and prevent excessive repair, while M2 macrophages are anti-inflammatory and promote tissue repair, and excessive M2 macrophage activity may inhibit the absorption and degradation of ECM. Emerging evidence has revealed that death forms such as pyroptosis mediated by inflammasome affect polarization direction and ultimately lead to the development of PF. Pharmacological manipulation of macrophages death signals may serve as a logical therapeutic strategy for PF. This review will focus on the current state of knowledge regarding the regulation and underlying mechanisms of macrophages and their mediators in the influence of macrophage death on the development of PF. We expect to provide help in developing effective therapeutic strategies in clinical settings.
Ecosystem health and malfunctions: an organisational perspective
Authors: Sfara Emiliano , El-Hani Charbel N.
Published: September 2023

A recent idea of “ecosystem health” was introduced in the 1970s and 1980s to draws attention to the fact that ecosystems can become ill because of a reduction of properties such as primary productivity, functions and diversity of interactions among system components. Starting from the 1990s, this idea has been deeply criticized by authors who argued that, insofar as ecosystems show many differences with respect to organismic features, these two kinds of systems cannot share a typical organismic property such as health. In recent years, an organisational approach in philosophy of biology and ecology argued that both organisms and ecosystems may share a fundamental characteristic despite their differences, namely, organisational closure. Based on this kind of closure, scholars have also discussed health and malfunctional states in organisms. In this paper, we examine the possibility of expanding such an organisational approach to health and malfunctions to the ecological domain. Firstly, we will see that a malfunction is related to a lower effectiveness in the functional behaviour of some biotic components with respect to other systemic components. We will then show how some introduced species do not satisfactorily interact in an organisational closure with other ecosystem components, thus posing a threat to the self-maintenance of the ecosystem in which they are found. Accordingly, we will argue that an ecosystem can be said to be healthy when it is a vital environment organisationally grounded on its intrinsic capacity to ensure, under favourable conditions, appropriate functional behaviours for ecosystem components and ecosystem self-maintenance.
School Social Work in Sweden—Who are the Children in Counselling, and What Support are They Offered? A Protocol Study About Individual Counselling in Elementary Schools
Authors: Kjellgren Maria , Lilliehorn Sara , Markström Urban
Published: September 2023

The overall aim of the present study is to describe and explore the characteristics and content of school social worker’s (SSWs) individual counselling with children as these are imprinted in session protocols collected at Swedish elementary schools. Specific focus is placed on the character of the children’s concerns, the content of the SSW’s helping strategies, and challenges related to the alliance between the SSW and the children as experienced by the SSW. The study was based on data from a survey protocol of 20 SSW’s daily practice regarding their experiences in counselling children and adolescents. The data consisted of 193 protocols from the same number of unique individual sessions. Data were analysed through quantitative descriptive statistics. The data also contained a large proportion of open-ended textual answers, which were analysed through a qualitative summative content analysis. The counselling strategies were primarily divided into three parts, namely coaching, processing, and assessing. The most common practice elements used included elements of empowerment, alliance and relationship, and hope and trust. In counselling children, SSWs identified a broad range of problems in children’s overall lives. Many children suffered from their home situations, which also impinged upon the SSWs, who were affected by the children’s life narrative. Our results can help inform SSW policy and practices as SSWs assist vulnerable children through individual counselling that corresponds to their help-seeking behaviour and by offering a space for alliances and relationships.
Endowments, expectations, and the value of food safety certification: experimental evidence from fish markets in Nigeria
Authors: Shikuku Kelvin Mashisia , Bulte Erwin , Lagerkvist Carl Johan , Tran Nhuong
Published: September 2023

We study the impact of endowments and expectations on reference point formation and measure the value of food safety certification in the context of fish trading on real markets in Nigeria. In our field experiment, consumers can trade a known food item for a novel food item that is superior in terms of food safety––or vice versa. Endowments matter for reference point formation, but we also document a reverse endowment effect for a subsample of respondents. The effect of expectations about future ownership is weak and mixed. While expectations seem to affect bidding behavior for subjects “trading up” to obtain the certified food product (a marginally significant effect), it does not affect bids for subjects “trading down” to give up this novel food item. Finally, willingness to pay for safety certified food is large for our respondents—our estimate of the premium is bounded between 37 and 53% of the price of conventional, uncertified food.
What do we know about interventions to improve educator wellbeing? A systematic literature review
Authors: Cann Rachel , Sinnema Claire , Rodway Joelle , Daly Alan J.
Published: September 2023

This systematic literature review summarises the research into interventions intended to improve the wellbeing of educators in the early childhood to secondary sectors. A search of articles published between 2000 and 2020 yielded 23 articles that met our inclusion criteria. Studies were included if they collected quantitative or qualitative data about educator wellbeing pre-intervention and post-intervention from the same group(s) of educators. We classified articles into five categories based on their content: multi-foci (several content areas included in a program), mindfulness, gratitude, professional development (classroom practice oriented), and physical environment. The articles revealed wide variations in: wellbeing theories underpinning interventions, the phenomena measured, and the effectiveness of the interventions. In some studies wellbeing was conceptualised as the absence of negative states (such as stress), in other studies to the presence of positive states (such as satisfaction), and in a few studies as the combination of both these approaches. Some of the gaps noted across the research include the lack of attention to the role of the school climate in determining the success of an intervention, and the lack of analysis to explore whether interventions work better for some individuals than others (for example, a lack of reporting of the characteristics of participants who drop out of the interventions). Overall, the multi-foci interventions show the most promise for improving educator wellbeing.
Fly ash sorbent modified with KMnO4 for the separation of important radionuclides
Authors: Silliková Veronika , Dulanská Silvia , Jakubčinová Jana , Burganová Andrea , Kozlíková Katarína
Published: September 2023

The main aim of this work was to develop a suitable sorbent for the separation and determination of 226Ra through 133Ba (radio tracer) in water samples using fly ash sorbent. After the modification with KMnO4 the effects of pH, competing ions, the possibility of elution, and the effect of water volume were tested. As a suitable eluent 6 mol/L HCl was chosen, while the sorbent worked best at pH 6–8. The developed method is advantageous for minimizing the time required for separation, the volume of chemicals used, and the waste generated after separation.
Convolutional neural network and 2D logistic-adjusted-Chebyshev-based zero-watermarking of color images
Authors: Darwish Mohamed M. , Farhat Amal A. , El-Gindy T. M.
Published: September 2023

Robust zero-watermarking is a protection of copyright approach that is both effective and distortion-free, and it has grown into a core of research on the subject of digital watermarking. This paper proposes a revolutionary zero-watermarking approach for color images using convolutional neural networks (CNN) and a 2D logistic-adjusted Chebyshev map (2D-LACM). In this algorithm, we first extracted deep feature maps from an original color image using the pre-trained VGG19. These feature maps were then fused into a featured image, and the owner's watermark sequence was incorporated using an XOR operation. Finally, 2D-LACM encrypts the copyright watermark and scrambles the binary feature matrix to ensure security. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm performs well in terms of imperceptibility and robustness. The BER values of the extracted watermarks were below 0.0044 and the NCC values were above 0.9929, while the average PSNR values of the attacked images were 33.1537 dB. Also, it is superior to other algorithms in terms of robustness to conventional image processing and geometric attacks.
Calculation of Fresnel integrals of real and complex arguments up to 28 significant digits
Authors: Zaghloul Mofreh R. , Alrawas Leen
Published: September 2023

We present numerical algorithms for efficient and highly accurate computations of Fresnel’s sine and cosine integrals S(z) and C(z) for real (z = x) and complex (z = x + iy) arguments. The algorithms are based on series expansion for small values of |z|, expansion in Chebyshev subinterval polynomial approximations for intermediate real values (y = 0), toggled with sum of half-integer order Bessel functions for complex arguments, together with asymptotic series expansion for large values of |z|. The present algorithms, implemented in a Fortran elemental module, can be run using any of the single, double, or quadruple precision arithmetic. Results from the present code have been benchmarked versus comprehensive data tables, generated using Maple, Mathematica, and Matlab symbolic toolbox. Compared to a maximum of 16 significant digits in the literature, the present algorithms can calculate S(x) and C(x) up to 28 significant digits in the range xϵ[0, 106] and S(z) and C(z) to the same accuracy in the domain where |S(z)| and |C(z)| each is less than the largest finite floating point number in the precision under consideration with $$\mid \mathit{\arg}\ z\mid <\frac{\pi }{2}$$

∣
arg

z
∣
<

π
2

or more specifically $$3\times {10}^{-4}<\left|\frac{y}{x}\right|<2\times {10}^3$$

3
×

10

-
4

<

y
x

<
2
×

10

3

for S(z) and $$4\times {10}^{-4}<\left|\frac{y}{x}\right|<2.2\times {10}^3$$

4
×

10

-
4

<

y
x

<
2.2
×

10

3

for C(z).