bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Characterization, Hirshfeld Surface Analysis, Bandgap Evaluation and Biological Activity of a CuI‐1,2‐Dithioether Coordination Complex
Authors: Das Ratan , Dutta Tanmoy , Ghosh Narendra Nath , Mandal Vivekananda , Mandal Vivekananda , Sinha Biswajit , Biswas Kinkar
Published: January 2025

Herein we report the synthesis, characterization, Hirshfeld surface analysis, bandgap evaluation, and antibacterial activity towards Gram‐positive bacteria of 2D copper‐based coordination polymers derived from 1,2‐dithioether ligands. In this work, the Cu‐1,2‐dithioether coordination complex was synthesized easily and characterized using UV‐Vis, FTIR, NMR spectroscopies, high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and single crystal XRD techniques. The structural optimization and bandgap evaluation were determined through a Density Functional Theory (DFT) study. Hirshfeld surface analysis was used to visualize the interactions on the surface of the synthesized crystal and the π–π interactions in the two‐dimensional framework of the complex. The free space, i.e., 13.07% in the unit cell of the crystal indicated the good compactness and mechanical stability of the crystal packing. Finally, the antibacterial activity of the Cu‐1,2‐dithioether coordination complex against two Gram‐positive bacteria was also observed.
Application of Inorganic Carrier‐Loaded Chiral Catalysts in Asymmetric Catalysis
Authors: Zhang Heng , Liu Shucheng , Zhang Qiuxin , Hong Kun , Li Jiuling , Yan Xingchen , Pan Jianming
Published: January 2025

Chiral substances play a pivotal role in numerous contemporary fields, and their synthesis heavily relies on chiral catalysts. However, traditional homogeneous catalysts suffer from significant drawbacks, including difficulty in separation from products and nonrecyclability. Immobilization of homogeneous catalysts onto a specific carrier offers an excellent solution to these challenges, significantly reducing the production cost. Consequently, this approach has emerged as an inevitable trend in the development of chiral catalysts. This review comprehensively summarizes representative examples of an asymmetric catalytic reactions using chiral catalysts immobilized on inorganic carriers over the last decade, classifies them according to the type of carrier, and elucidates the loading techniques and recycling methods associated with these carriers.
Experimental Study on the Repair of Molds Using High‐Entropy Alloy Coatings Prepared by Laser Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Wang Shengliang , Xu Shubo , Jing Pengfei , Sun Kangwei , Liu Renhui , Pan Yuefei , Zhang Weihai
Published: January 2025

In order to realize the surface repair and strengthening of the mold, the effect of Al content on the micromechanism and properties of AlxCrMnFeCoNi high‐entropy alloy coating is investigated. A high‐entropy alloy coating of AlxCrMnFeCoNi (x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5) with a thickness of 3 mm is deposited on the surface of H13 steel by laser‐cladding technique and the effects of different Al contents on the phase compositions, microstructures, microhardness, and wear are investigated. The AlxCrMnFeCoNi coating consists of body‐centered cubic (BCC) phase and face‐centered cubic (FCC) phase. As the Al content increases, the proportion of BCC phase increases and the microstructure of the coating changes from a subgrain structure to an equiaxed grain structure. The microhardness of the coatings exhibit a notable increase compared to that of the H13 steel, the microhardness of the coating (614.5 HV0.5) is highest at x = 1, which is about 2.9 times as much as H13 steel. The coefficient of friction of the coating is minimized at x = 1.5. The abrasion resistance of the coating was significantly increased at x = 1.5. The addition of the element Al leads to the formation of BCC phase in high‐entropy alloys. The BCC phase can improve the mechanical properties of high‐entropy alloy coatings.
Investigation on in‐situ geopolymer coatings: A comparative analysis of lycopodium powder and polydimethylsiloxane as functional additives
Authors: Krishna R. S. , Prasad V. Durga , Sethy Neha , Panda Biranchi , Boopathy R. , Mustakim Syed Mohammed , Rawat S.
Published: January 2025

Geopolymer‐based inorganic coatings provide an effective alternative to conventional chemical‐based solutions. However, the coatings are not universally applicable, especially in critical applications such as underwater. This research aims to investigate and enhance geopolymer‐based coating through specific utilization of functional additives such as reduced graphene oxide (rGO), lycopodium powder (LCP), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for underwater applications. These additives were incorporated in limited dosages (<3 wt.% of binder), and their potential is further assessed in improving the coating material in terms of the resulting water resistance, mechanical properties, and durability against NaCl, MgSO4, HNO3, and H2SO4 attacks. The introduction of rGO facilitated a 35% increase in the 28‐day compressive strength and 33.83% in the scratch hardness, whereas (rGO + LCP) improved the water contact angle by 125%. Additionally, the developed coatings were further analyzed using an optical microscope and x‐ray diffractometer to understand their bonding potential with steel or cementitious substrates and phase formation. Life cycle cost analysis was also conducted to evaluate the economic viability of the geopolymer coatings, revealing a potential cost reduction of approximately 16%–42% with the sourcing of locally available materials.
From everyday language to disciplinary discourse: Culturally and linguistically sustaining dialogic instruction with multilingual learners
Authors: Qin Kongji , Wolf Jordan , Llosa Lorena
Published: January 2025

Research indicates that dialogic teaching promotes students content understanding, learning engagement, and democratic participation in classroom discussion. However, dialogic teaching is often misconstrued as a challenge for multilingual learners because there is a tendency to view them as lacking English language proficiency for sustained interaction and discussion. In this article, the authors introduce one instructional approach aimed at designing and implementing dialogic teaching specifically for multilingual learners, termed From Everyday Language to Disciplinary Discourse. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogies, this asset‐based approach capitalizes on multilingual learners' everyday language practices, lived experiences, and funds of knowledge to support their active participation in classroom discussion and develop their disciplinary literacy. The authors begin by providing an overview of dialogic teaching and its potential for multilingual learners. They then discuss the conceptual foundations of this instructional approach to dialogic teaching with multilingual learners. Building off the conceptual discussions, they illustrate this approach with instructional examples from one U.S. high school multilingual science classroom and by analyzing the teacher's dialogic design, dialogic strategy, and dialogic stance. They conclude the article with a call for culturally and linguistically sustaining dialogic instruction with multilingual learners.
The association of cholesterol levels with memory and memory change over a 14‐year period in a US national cohort
Authors: Miramontes Silvia , Khan Umair , Ferguson Erin L. , Sirota Marina , Glymour M. Maria
Published: January 2025

INTRODUCTION

The impact of cholesterol on late‐life cognition remains controversial. We investigated the association of high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) and non–HDL‐C with memory in a nationally representative cohort.

METHODS

Health and Retirement Study (HRS) participants (N = 13,258) aged 50+ (mean age: 67.2 years) followed from 2006 to 2020 provided cholesterol measures every 4 years and cognitive assessments biennially. Linear mixed models predicted memory scores using both baseline and time‐updated cholesterol values.

RESULTS

Higher baseline HDL‐C (mean: 53.9 mg/dL) predicted better memory scores (β: 0.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03 to 0.08), but not memory change. Baseline non–HDL‐C (mean: 143 mg/dL) predicted poorer memory scores (β: −0.01, 95% CI: −0.02 to 0.00), but not memory change. Time‐updated HDL‐C predicted better memory (β: 0.02, 95% CI: 0.00 to 0.04), but non–HDL‐C showed no such associations.

DISCUSSION

While higher peripheral HDL‐C is linked to better memory, the small effect sizes and absence of associations of HDL‐C and non–HD‐CL with memory change suggests that peripheral cholesterol has a small effect on the variation of memory scores.

Highlights

Higher HDL‐C levels predict better memory scores but not memory change across 14 years of follow‐up.

Baseline higher LDL‐C levels predict poorer memory scores across time, but not memory change.

The small effects and absence of consistent association between cholesterol levels and memory change suggest that cholesterol plays a minor role in cognitive decline.
How can we make farm EMS placements more inspiring and accessible for all?
Authors: Horwood Paul
Published: January 2025

Barriers to vet students gaining a meaningful farm EMS experience are leading many to opt not to see farm practice at all during their degree, argues Paul Horwood. How can the quality and accessibility of farm EMS be improved so that the next generation is inspired to join the sector?
Message from the President
Authors: Mullineaux Liz
Published: January 2025

BVA President Liz Mullineaux reflects on a busy 2024 and looks to the year ahead.
Synergistic effect of graphene oxide on the properties of poly (vinyl alcohol)/carboxymethyl cellulose electrospun nanofiber mats
Authors: Kapila Karanjit , Kirtania Sushen , Nath Kaushik K. , Saikumar Akuleti , Badwaik Laxmikant S. , Ahmed Gazi Ameen
Published: January 2025

The aim of this study was to develop polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/graphene oxide (GO) nanofiber mats using electrospinning fabrication technique. Polymer solutions were prepared with PVA at a concentration of 6% w/v, CMC ranging from 0.5% to 1.5% w/v, in a 1:1 polymer blend ratio, and GO nanofiller from 0.1% to 0.5% w/v. Addition of CMC and GO amend the solution properties such as conductivity and viscosity, leading to notable alteration in nanofiber diameters from 90.514 to 169.225 nm. As evidenced by rheological analysis, addition of GO significantly enhanced the storage moduli and shear stress of PVA/CMC/GO solutions compared to PVA and PVA/CMC. According to tensile properties, the tensile strength of PVA/CMC/GO nanofiber mats was increased by 25.59% to 46.41% at 0.1%–0.3% w/v of GO compared to PVA/CMC mats, contributing to overall mechanical improvements. FTIR spectroscopy revealed interactions between the hydroxyl (OH) groups of PVA and carboxylate groups (COOH) of CMCs, with increased intensity in OH and CH absorption bands. The presence of hydrophilic functional groups increases the wettability of the nanofiber mats, as indicated by reduced water contact angles from 51.321° to 45.924°. The oxygen‐rich structure of GO enhances the barrier properties of nanofiber mats, resulting in reduced water vapor permeability (WVP) from 1.049 to 0.980 g/m.h. Pa and moisture retention capacity (MRC) from 95.68% to 90.854%. Moreover, TGA analysis showed a significant improvement in the decomposition temperature of the hybrid PVA/CMC/GO nanofibers, resulting in reduced mass loss compared to other developed nanofibers. Overall, the obtained results validate the use of CMC biopolymer and GO nanofiller as an additive for the production nanofiber mats with improved structural, mechanical, thermal and barrier properties particularly for industrial, medical and packaging applications.

Highlights

Blending of polymers to overcome the properties of single polymer system.

Development of PVA, PVA/CMC and PVA/CMC/GO electrospun nanofiber mats.

Effect of GO nanofiller on the properties of nanofiber mats.

Potential future applications in advanced engineering and material sciences.
Strategies to Boost the Safety and Ionic Conductivity of Lithium‐Ion Batteries Using Solid State Electrolytes: A Review
Authors: Hosamane Savitha , Kottam Nagaraju , Chalil Suresh Aishwarya
Published: January 2025

The enormous potential of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) to provide environmentally sustainable practices and efficient energy storage has led to a rising interest in LIBs. Thermal runaway behaviors in LIBs, including high temperature, ejection, combustion, explosion, and the release of toxic gases, as well as thermal failure propagation in a battery pack, are both possible. Here, briefly mentioned about solid‐state electrolytes (SSE), which may use to make LIBs safer by reducing these risks. However, the SSE's ionic conductivity is subpar when compared to that of other liquid electrolytes, demanding modification. The authors have also focused on several SSE types in this review, including inorganic SSE, solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs), and composite solid electrolytes. Additionally, it was described how to enhance the ionic conductivity of SSEs at ambient temperature.
Differential equations and recursive solutions for cosmological amplitudes
Authors: He Song , Jiang Xuhang , Liu Jiahao , Yang Qinglin , Zhang Yao-Qi
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Recently considerable efforts have been devoted to computing cosmological correlators and the corresponding wavefunction coefficients, as well as understanding their analytical structures. In this note, we revisit the computation of these “cosmological amplitudes” associated with any tree or loop graph for conformal scalars with time-dependent interactions in the power-law FRW universe, directly in terms of iterated time integrals. We start by decomposing any such cosmological amplitude (for loop graph, the “integrand” prior to loop integrations) as a linear combination of basic time integrals, one for each directed graph. We derive remarkably simple first-order differential equations involving such time integrals with edges “contracted” one at a time, which can be solved recursively and the solution takes the form of Euler-Mellin integrals/generalized hypergeometric functions. By combining such equations, we then derive a complete system of differential equations for all time integrals needed for a given graph. Our method works for any graph: for a tree graph with n nodes, this system can be transformed into the canonical differential equations of size 4
n−1 equivalent to the graphic rules derived recently , and we also derive the system of differential equations for loop integrands e.g. of all-loop two-site graphs and one-loop n-gon graphs. Finally, we show how the differential equations truncate for the de Sitter (dS) case (in a way similar to differential equations for Feynman integrals truncate for integer dimensions), which immediately yields the complete symbol for the dS amplitude with interesting structures e.g. for n-site chains and n-gon cases.
The asymptotic Hopf algebra of Feynman integrals
Authors: Chakraborty Mrigankamauli , Herzog Franz
Published: January 2025

Abstract

The method of regions is an approach for developing asymptotic expansions of Feynman Integrals. We focus on expansions in Euclidean signature, where the method of regions can also be formulated as an expansion by subgraph. We show that for such expansions valid around small/large masses and momenta the graph combinatorial operations can be formulated in terms of what we call the asymptotic Hopf algebra. This Hopf algebra is closely related to the motic Hopf algebra underlying the R
∗ operation, an extension of Bogoliubov’s R operation, to subtract both IR and UV divergences of Feynman integrals in the Euclidean. We focus mostly on the leading power, for which the Hopf algebra formulation is simpler. We uncover a close connection between Bogoliubov’s R operation in the Connes-Kreimer formulation and the remainder

$$ \mathcal{R} $$

R

of the series expansion, whose Hopf algebraic structure is identically formalised in the corresponding group of characters. While in the Connes-Kreimer formulation the UV counterterm is formalised in terms of a twisted antipode, we show that in the expansion by subgraph a similar role is played by the integrand Taylor operator. To discuss the structure of higher power expansions we introduce a novel Hopf monoid formulation.
Searching for string bosenovas with gravitational wave detectors
Authors: Brzeminski Dawid , Hook Anson , Huang Junwu , Ristow Clayton
Published: January 2025

Abstract

We study the phenomenology of a string bosenova explosion in vector superradiance clouds around spinning black holes, focusing on the observable consequences in gravitational wave detectors and accelerometers. During the superradiance growth of a dark photon cloud — which occurs for dark photon masses

$$ {m}_{A^{\prime }}\sim {10}^{-14}-{10}^{-11}\textrm{eV} $$

m

A
′

~

10

−
14

−

10

−
11

eV

around stellar-mass black holes (

$$ {m}_{A^{\prime }}\sim {10}^{-23}-{10}^{-16}\textrm{eV} $$

m

A
′

~

10

−
23

−

10

−
16

eV

for supermassive black holes) — the dark electromagnetic field might reach a critical field strength, when a network of dark photon strings is produced via a superheated phase transition. These dark photon strings will then absorb the energy in the background gauge fields and get ejected from the cloud, with total energy of the string network as large as the total rotational energy of the spinning black hole. In this paper, we study the subsequent evolution of this dense string network, and the resulting observational consequences depending on the unknown string tension, or almost equivalently, the ratio between the quartic and the gauge coupling in the Abelian Higgs model. Strings with large tension will dissipate into gravitational waves, detectable over a wide range of frequencies, from ~ nHz near supermassive blackholes, to ≳ 10MHz around stellar mass black holes. This is the first known source of high frequency gravitational waves, unconstrained by cosmological observations. The strain of this gravitational wave can be larger than 10−14 at low frequencies, lasting for longer than typical duration of experiments. Small tension strings, whose string networks can have total lengths as large as 1040 km, can travel to the earth with appreciable rate from any black hole in the Milky Way and interact with earth based accelerometers. If the Standard Model particles are directly charged under the dark photon, e.g. U(1)B−L, this interaction leads to an acceleration of Standard Model particles that is independent of the coupling strength. We work out the spectral density of this acceleration, and project that modern accelerometers and equivalence principle tests can be sensitive to the passing of these strings.
Checkerboard CFT
Authors: Alfimov Mikhail , Ferrando Gwenaël , Kazakov Vladimir , Olivucci Enrico
Published: January 2025

Abstract

The Checkerboard conformal field theory is an interesting representative of a large class of non-unitary, logarithmic Fishnet CFTs (FCFT) in arbitrary dimension which have been intensively studied in the last years. Its planar Feynman graphs have the structure of a regular square lattice with checkerboard colouring. Such graphs are integrable since each coloured cell of the lattice is equal to an R-matrix in the principal series representations of the conformal group. We compute perturbatively and numerically the anomalous dimension of the shortest single-trace operator in two reductions of the Checkerboard CFT: the first one corresponds to the Fishnet limit of the twisted ABJM theory in 3D, whereas the spectrum in the second, 2D reduction contains the energy of the BFKL Pomeron. We derive an analytic expression for the Checkerboard analogues of Basso-Dixon 4-point functions, as well as for the class of Diamond-type 4-point graphs with disc topology. The properties of the latter are studied in terms of OPE for operators with open indices. We prove that the spectrum of the theory receives corrections only at even orders in the loop expansion and we conjecture such a modification of Checkerboard CFT where quantum corrections occur only with a given periodicity in the loop order.
Textures of neutrino mass matrix from S4-flavor symmetry
Authors: Chamoun N. , Lashin E. I.
Published: January 2025

Abstract

We study a texture of neutrino mass matrix characterized by two constraints consisting of one equality and another antiequality between two elements corresponding to two pairs of the matrix entries. Amidst such textures, we limit our study to three patterns which were realizable assuming an S
4-symmetry within type II-seesaw scenario. Three such cases were found and studied: I (M

ν22 = −M

ν33 & M

ν11 = +M

ν23), II (M

ν11 = −M

ν33 & M

ν22 = +M

ν13) and III (M

ν11 = −M

ν22 & M

ν33 = +M

ν12). We specify the role of unphysical phases in the definition of the textures under study which were tested against experimental constraints, and were found to accommodate data with both hierarchies allowed. However, switching off the unphysical phases allows only for inverted hierarchy, except for the texture III which allows also, albeit for a very narrow parameter space region, for normal ordering. We stress that the different phenomenologies when including/excluding unphysical phases stem from the different definitions of the texture one has to adopt in order to make it insensitive to unphysical phases, rather than to any ‘absent’ physical effects of unphysical phases. In addition, we made clear how a texture definition should be independent of the PMNS parametrization. We present a complete phenomenological analysis of these three textures and justify analytically the resulting correlations. We detail the effect of the unphysical phases in diluting/deforming several correlations, which otherwise would have been “clear”. Finally, we give theoretical realizations within seesaw type II scenarios for such textures.
Three-loop ladder diagrams with two off-shell legs
Authors: Long Ming-Ming
Published: January 2025

Abstract

We present an analytic calculation of three-loop four-point Feynman integrals with two off-shell legs of equal mass. We provide solutions to the canonical differential equations of two integral families in both Euclidean and physical regions. They are validated numerically against independent computations. A total of 170 master integrals are expressed in terms of multiple polylogarithms up to weight six. Most of them are computed for the first time. Our results are essential ingredients of the scattering amplitudes for equal-mass diboson production at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD at the LHC.
Holographic boundary conformal field theory with $$ T\overline{T} $$ deformation
Authors: Wang Zhi , Deng Feiyu
Published: January 2025

Abstract

We propose a holographic dual of boundary conformal field theory (BCFT) with

$$ T\overline{T} $$

T

T
¯

deformation, i.e. of

$$ T\overline{T} $$

T

T
¯

BCFT. Our holographic proposal distinguishes two types of

$$ T\overline{T} $$

T

T
¯

BCFTs, depending on whether the

$$ T\overline{T} $$

T

T
¯

deformation deforms the boundary. For the boundary-deformed case, we find that boundary entropy serves as an effective measure to quantify the impact of boundary deformation. In this scenario, we calculate the energy spectrum for the

$$ T\overline{T} $$

T

T
¯

BCFT within a finite interval to support the proposed dual. For the boundary-undeformed case, we calculate the entanglement entropy and Rényi entropy from both the field theory side and the gravity side, and find that they match.
Quadrupole formulae with cosmological constant: comparison
Authors: Dobkowski-Ryłko Denis , Lewandowski Jerzy
Published: January 2025

Abstract

We consider three different approaches (by Ashtekar, Bonga and Kesavan; Hoque and Virmani; and Dobkowski-Ryłko and Lewandowski) to investigate gravitational radiation produced by time changing matter source in de Sitter spacetime. All of them lead to generalizations of the quadrupole formula, however, due to different gauge conditions and choices of the hypersurfaces, across which the energy flux is computed, it is nontrivial to see that they all coincide, as one would expect from the symplectic theory. Each of the expressions for the radiated energy in the form of gravitational waves is expressed in terms of the mass and pressure quadrupole moments and written explicitly up to the linear order in

$$ \sqrt{\Lambda} $$

Λ

, or equivalently in Hubble parameter H. It is shown that up to the first order all three of the generalizations of the quadrupole formula agree.
Normal modes of the small-amplitude oscillon
Authors: Evslin Jarah , Romańczukiewicz Tomasz , Sławińska Katarzyna , Wereszczyński Andrzej
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Consider a classical (1+1)-dimensional oscillon of small amplitude ϵ. To all orders in ϵ, the oscillon solution is exactly periodic. We study small perturbations of such periodic configurations. These perturbations are themselves periodic up to a monodromy matrix. We explicitly find the eigenvectors of the monodromy matrix, which are the analogues of normal modes for oscillons. Dashen, Hasslacher and Neveu used such eigenvectors to quantize the sine-Gordon breather, and we suspect that they will be necessary to quantize the oscillon. Our results, regardless of the chosen model, suggest that low amplitude oscillons do not reflect small amplitude radiation.
Deep learning-based pelvimetry in pelvic MRI volumes for pre-operative difficulty assessment of total mesorectal excision
Authors: Baltus Simon C. , Geitenbeek Ritch T. J. , Frieben Maike , Thibeau-Sutre Elina , Wolterink Jelmer M. , Tan Can O. , Vermeulen Matthijs C. , Consten Esther C. J. , Broeders Ivo A. M. J.
Published: January 2025

Background

Specific pelvic bone dimensions have been identified as predictors of total mesorectal excision (TME) difficulty and outcomes. However, manual measurement of these dimensions (pelvimetry) is labor intensive and thus, anatomic criteria are not included in the pre-operative difficulty assessment. In this work, we propose an automated workflow for pelvimetry based on pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) volumes.

Methods

We implement a deep learning-based framework to measure the predictive pelvic dimensions automatically. A 3D U-Net takes a sagittal T2-weighted MRI volume as input and determines five anatomic landmark locations: promontorium, S3-vertebrae, coccyx, dorsal, and cranial part of the os pubis. The landmarks are used to quantify the lengths of the pelvic inlet, outlet, depth, and the angle of the sacrum. For the development of the network, we used MRI volumes from 1707 patients acquired in eight TME centers. The automated landmark localization and pelvic dimensions measurements are assessed by comparison with manual annotation.

Results

A center-stratified fivefold cross-validation showed a mean landmark localization error of 5.6 mm. The inter-observer variation for manual annotation was 3.7 ± 8.4 mm. The automated dimension measurements had a Spearman correlation coefficient ranging between 0.7 and 0.87.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first study to automate pelvimetry in MRI volumes using deep learning. Our framework can measure the pelvic dimensions with high accuracy, enabling the extraction of metrics that facilitate a pre-operative difficulty assessment of the TME.
Stress detection based EEG under varying cognitive tasks using convolution neural network
Authors: Afify Heba M. , Mohammed Kamel K. , Hassanien Aboul Ella
Published: January 2025

One tool for promoting mental health is human stress detection through multitasks of electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. This study proposed a short-term stress detection approach using VGGish as a feature extraction and convolution neural network (CNN) as a classifier based on EEG signals from the SAM 40 dataset. This database was recently available and was collected from 40 patients using 32 channels to identify performance on four tasks including Stroop color-word test (SCWT), answering arithmetic problems, finding mirror-identical images, and relaxing. Each task took 25 s to complete and was then repeated three times to record three trials. This means that the total EEG data contain 480 signals for four tasks recorded using 120 trials per task. The primary objective of this research was to track the amount of short-term stress that patients experienced while they engaged in the four mental tasks. Moreover, the VGGish-CNN model is applied to the SAM 40 dataset using five stages including signal preprocessing, segmentation, filtration, spectrogram, and classification process. We compared the VGGish-CNN model and the VGGish model for stress-based EEG classification to determine the best classification accuracy. The proposed approach for stress detection is the preliminary study that achieved an accuracy of 99.25% using the VGGish-CNN model on the SAM 40 dataset. Next, k-fold cross validation is performed to verify the efficiency of the VGGish-CNN model. This study can advance the application of brain–computer interface (BCI) and its use to identify patterns in EEG data that invoke stress-related inferences to aid in the diagnosis of mental disorders. In the future, investigation of human stress using EEG data will be useful in neurorehabilitation.
A novel W13 deep CNN structure for improved semantic segmentation of multiple objects in remote sensing imagery
Authors: Elgamily Khaled Mohammed , Mohamed M. A. , Abou-Taleb Ahmed Mohamed , Ata Mohamed Maher
Published: January 2025

This paper proposes a novel convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture designed for semantic segmentation in remote sensing images. The proposed W13 Net model addresses the inherent challenges of segmentation tasks through a carefully crafted architecture, combining the strengths of multistage encoding–decoding, skip connections, combined weighted output, and concatenation techniques. Compared with different segmentation models, the suggested model performs better. A comprehensive analysis of different segmentation models has been carried out, resulting in an extensive comparison between the proposed W13 Net and five existing state-of-the-art segmentation architectures. Utilizing two standardized datasets, the Dense Labeling Remote Sensing Dataset Termed (DLRSD), and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) Dubai Aerial Imagery Dataset, the evaluation entails training, testing, and validation across different classes. The W13 Net demonstrates adaptability, generalization capabilities, and superior results in key metrics, all while displaying robustness across a variety of datasets. A number of metrics, including accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and IOU, were used to evaluate the system’s performance. According to the experimental results, the W13 Net model obtained an accuracy of 87.8%, precision of 0.88, recall of 0.88, F1 score of 0.88, and IOU of 0.74. The suggested model showed a significant improvement in segmentation IOU, with an increase of up to 18%, when compared to other with the recent segmentation models taking into consideration the model’s comparatively low number of parameter (2.2 million) in comparison with the recent models.
Agency and cruel optimism in the care obfuscations of UK-based academic mothers
Authors: Etheridge Mollie
Published: January 2025

This article introduces the concept of “care obfuscation”, developed from interviews with 32 UK-based academic mothers about their experience of the transition to parenthood. Care obfuscation refers to the workplace conduct of hiding, underestimating or denying the impact of caregiving responsibilities on professional performance, reflecting the broader dismissal of care and care work in modern neoliberal society. The article outlines the empirical and theoretical contributions of care obfuscation to higher education research and motherhood studies. Specifically, it draws from theories of neoliberalism, “good” motherhood and cruel optimism to investigate how and why obfuscatory behaviours vary in direction and intention across different parental experiences, professional activities and levels of seniority. Whilst, as a practice, obfuscation can help academic mothers project the image of the “ideal worker”, obfuscation can also offer temporary relief from the emotional challenges which arise from being held against conflicting professional and personal expectations. Through advancing an alternative framework by which to consider the silences that come with mothering in academia, this work on obfuscation deepens the study of care exclusion, revealing how such exclusion is often non-quantifiable and even perpetuated by those at-risk of exclusion. In advocating for further theorization of obfuscation, this paper calls for the development of initiatives that seek to heighten not merely the productivity levels of academic mothers but the visibility of academic caregivers and caregiving.
Investigating Drivers of Customer Experience with Virtual Conversational Agents
Authors: Nguyen Trong Huu , Trivedi Rohit H. , Fukukawa Kyoko , Adomako Samuel
Published: January 2025

Building on the perspectives of the uses & gratification (U&G) theory and stimulus-organism-response (S–O-R) model, this article develops and tests an integrative framework to examine the underlying factors influencing customers’ experiences with chatbots as a form of virtual conversational agent (VCA) in the UK and Vietnam. In addition to utilitarian and hedonic factors, anthropomorphism and social presence are also investigated, which are considered important experiential dimensions in a customer-machine relationship. We also explore how stimuli such as functionality, communication style similarity, and aesthetics indirectly affect outcomes like customer satisfaction and reuse intention, mediated by four types of customer experiences. Data collected from a sample of 417 and 359 participants in the UK and Vietnam respectively revealed that, in general, perceived informativeness, credibility, enjoyment, functionality, and communication style similarity are crucial for customer satisfaction in both countries. Interesting differences in the effects of customer experience between developed and developing countries were observed. For instance, the effects of anthropomorphism and social presence on satisfaction are only effective for customers from developed country, while those from developing country only need information provided by chatbots be transparent. Our findings offer a novel way to understand customer experience with chatbots and provide important theoretical and managerial implications.
Filling the Gaps—Computational Approaches to Incomplete Archaeological Networks
Authors: Priß Deborah , Wainwright John , Lawrence Dan , Turnbull Laura , Prell Christina , Karittevlis Christodoulos , Ioannides Andreas A.
Published: January 2025

Networks are increasingly used to describe and analyse complex archaeological data in terms of nodes (archaeological sites or places) and edges (representing relationships or connections between each pair of nodes). Network analysis can then be applied to express local and global properties of the system, including structure (e.g. modularity) or connectivity. However, the usually high amount of missing data in archaeology and the uncertainty they cause make it difficult to obtain meaningful and robust results from the statistical methods utilised in the field of network analysis. Hence, we present in this paper manual and computational methods to (1) fill gaps in the settlement record and (2) reconstruct an ancient route system to retrieve a network that is as complete as possible. Our study focuses on the sites and routes, so-called hollow ways, in the Khabur Valley, Mesopotamia, during the Bronze and Iron Age as one of the most intensively surveyed areas worldwide. We were able to predict additional sites that were missing from the record as well as develop an innovative hybrid approach to complement the partly preserved hollow way system by integrating a manual and computational procedure. The set of methods we used can be adapted to significantly enhance the description of many other cases, and with appropriate extensions successfully tackle almost any archaeological region.
Unravelling the genetic architecture of soybean tofu quality traits
Authors: Döttinger Cleo A. , Steige Kim A. , Hahn Volker , Bachteler Kristina , Leiser Willmar L. , Zhu Xintian , Würschum Tobias
Published: January 2025

Tofu is a popular soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) food with a long tradition in Asia and rising popularity worldwide, including Central Europe. Due to the labour-intensive phenotyping procedures, breeding for improved tofu quality is challenging. Therefore, our objective was to unravel the genetic architecture of traits relevant for tofu production in order to assess the potential of marker-assisted selection and genomic selection in breeding for these traits. To this end, we performed QTL mapping with 188 genotypes from a biparental mapping population. The population was evaluated in a two-location field trial, and tofu was produced in the laboratory to evaluate tofu quality. We identified QTL for all investigated agronomic and quality traits, each explaining between 6.40% and 27.55% of the genotypic variation, including the most important tofu quality traits, tofu yield and tofu hardness. Both traits showed a strong negative correlation (r = -0.65), and consequently a pleiotropic QTL on chromosome 10 was found with opposite effects on tofu hardness and tofu weight, highlighting the need to balance selection for both traits. Four QTL identified for tofu hardness jointly explained 68.7% of the genotypic variation and are possible targets for QTL stacking by marker-assisted selection. To exploit also small-effect QTL, genomic selection revealed moderate to high mean prediction accuracies for all traits, ranging from 0.47 to 0.78. In conclusion, inheritance of tofu quality traits is highly quantitative, and both marker-assisted selection and genomic selection present valuable tools to advance tofu quality by soybean breeding.
Progress of laser cleaning technology from the perspective of Chinese patents
Authors: Li Zhe , Zheng Wanqing , Wang Sijie , Wang Yingjie , Pan Yaokun
Published: January 2025

Laser cleaning technology has emerged as a rapidly developing high-tech surface engineering technology in recent years. It is considered the most promising green cleaning technology in the 21st century, and related patent applications exhibit an explosive growth trend. This study summarizes the overall trend of patent applications in laser cleaning in China, with a focus on systematically analyzing patents related to cleaning different substrates and coatings, cleaning equipment, and processes over the past 6 years. The main characteristics of the growth trend, institutional attributes, regional distribution, and type proportion of laser cleaning patent applications in China are clarified. The patent application characteristics of laser cleaning for different substrate materials and coatings are identified. The progress in research and development of laser cleaning equipment, cleaning terminals, and monitoring devices is outlined, while potential for maintaining substrate surface integrity and achieving surface functionalization through laser cleaning is explored. Areas for improvement in laser cleaning are determined to support the innovative development of laser cleaning technology.
Subjective Outcome Evaluation of a Positive Youth Development Program in Mainland China during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Zhu Xiaoqin , Shek Daniel TL , Gong Ziqian , Tang Yiting
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study aimed to replicate the evaluation findings of a youth program adopting a positive youth development (PYD) approach implemented during the pandemic years of 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 in China mainland using a validated subjective outcome evaluation (SOE) assessment tool.

Methods

A 36-item SOE scale was used to investigate participants’ evaluation of the quality of the PYD program, the quality of the program implementers, and the perceived program benefits. The data were collected from 3,765 (Mage = 13.46, SD = 0.72, 50.4% females) and 2,786 (Mage = 16.24, SD = 0.68, 51.7% females) junior and senior high school students, respectively.

Results

The SOE scale showed an invariant three-factor structure and adequate validity and reliability. Consistent with previous findings, student participants showed favorable perceptions of the youth program’s quality, the quality of the implementers, and the multifaceted benefits of project participation. In addition, senior grade students held more favorable evaluations in comparison to those of junior grade students.

Conclusion

In conjunction with previous research conducted before COVID-19, the present findings support the psychometric properties of the SOE scale and the value of the PYD program across different times.
Oligometastatic Esophagogastric Cancer: Does It Exist and How Do We Treat It?
Authors: Kroese Tiuri E. , Bronzwaer Sebastiaan F. C. , van Rossum Peter S. N. , van Laarhoven Hanneke W. M. , van Hillegersberg Richard
Published: January 2025

Purpose of the Review

This narrative review aims to provide an overview of recently completed randomized trials and expert consensus recommendations, and their implications for clinical practice and future trial design in patients with de-novo esophagogastric oligometastatic disease (OMD).

Recent Findings

The IKF-575/RENAISSANCE phase III trial showed no significant overall survival difference between systemic therapy alone and systemic therapy combined with local therapy for patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer and de-novo OMD, except for patients with retroperitoneal lymph node metastases only. The ESO-Shanghai 13 phase II trial demonstrated superiority of adding local therapy to systemic therapy for progression-free and overall survival in oligometastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The OMEC project developed a multidisciplinary European consensus for OMD, proposing a restrictive definition of OMD. Clinical trial assessing the optimal treatment of care are urgently needed.

The findings highlight the importance of strict patient selection for local metastasis-directed treatment and the need for stratifying patients based on histology and location of metastases. Future research should focus on identifying biomarkers and clinical features to guide multidisciplinary treatment approaches for OMD
Steps towards a New Humanism in the Mental Health Disciplines - An Interview with Tim Ingold
Authors: Bertelsen Bård , Hillesund Odd Kenneth , Bøe Tore Dag , Lidbom Per Arne , Sundet Rolf , Ingold Tim
Published: January 2025

This interview article explores how British anthropologist Tim Ingold’s work can inspire innovation in mental health and the psy disciplines. Ingold critiques dominant biomedical and individualistic approaches, arguing for the importance of caring attentiveness and abolishing dichotomies like those between surface and depth, when engaging with people to understand and assist them. Instead, he suggests viewing human existence as correspondences with environmental, social, and relational others. The interview highlights the concept of “doing-undergoing,” proposing that care is a reciprocal, relational process. Ingold’s ideas suggest a shift towards practices that engage directly with the world and promote attentiveness to human and more-than-human relations. The article encourages practitioners, educators and students of mental health disciplines to rethink traditional models and adopt more humane approaches.
On n-associative formal power series over rings
Authors: El-Deken Susan F. , Fripertinger Harald
Published: January 2025

Consider a commutative ring R with 1. A formal power series $$F(x_1,\ldots ,x_n)\in R[\![x_1,\ldots ,x_n]\!]$$

F

(

x
1

,
…
,

x
n

)

∈
R

[

[

x
1

,
…
,

x
n

]

]

in n variables, $$n\ge 3$$

n
≥
3

, of order at least 1 is called n-associative, if the following equations $$\begin{aligned} F(F(x_1,\ldots ,x_n),x_{n+1},\ldots ,x_{2n-1})=\ldots = F(x_1,\ldots ,x_{n-1},F(x_n,x_{n+1},\ldots ,x_{2n-1})) \end{aligned}$$

F

(
F

(

x
1

,
…
,

x
n

)

,

x

n
+
1

,
…
,

x

2
n
-
1

)

=
…
=
F

(

x
1

,
…
,

x

n
-
1

,
F

(

x
n

,

x

n
+
1

,
…
,

x

2
n
-
1

)

)

hold true. This notion generalizes associativity which is the special case for $$n=2$$

n
=
2

. We describe n-associative formal power series over R. Some examples of commutative (or symmetric) n-associative formal power series are presented.
Effects of LinTT1-peptide conjugation on the properties of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-(ε-caprolactone) nanoparticles prepared by the nanoprecipitation method
Authors: Känkänen Voitto , Hirvonen Sami-Pekka , Teesalu Tambet , Hirvonen Jouni , Balasubramanian Vimalkumar , Santos Hélder A.
Published: January 2025

Functionalization of polymer nanoparticles (NPs) with targeting peptides is of interest for drug delivery applications to enhance tumor accumulation and penetration. Herein, we evaluated the feasibility of two different methods for the attachment of a tumor-penetrating peptide LinTT1 (AKRGARSTA) to poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL-PEG) NPs: (1) “post-conjugation” onto pre-formed nanoparticles, and (2) “pre-conjugation”, the synthesis and purification of peptide-polymer conjugates and subsequent nanoprecipitation of the conjugates diluted with non-functionalized polymers. Conjugation of the labelled peptide via maleimide-thiol chemistry was verified by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and fluorescence measurements. Characterization of NPs with respect to particle size, zeta potential, morphology and peptide content was performed, and their ability to bind to the target protein p32 was tested using a cell-free assay. Importantly, both methods resulted in NPs that were able to bind their target when methyl-terminated PCL-PEG used as the diluent polymer, but not when acid-terminated polymer was used. Moreover, peptide conjugation induced a morphological transformation from spheres to vesicles regardless of the conjugation method used. However, smaller and more homogeneous NPs were obtained by the pre-conjugation method.
Associations between frailty and cognitive impairment in Parkinson´s disease: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Sousa-Fraguas M. C. , Rodríguez-Fuentes G. , Lastra-Barreira D. , Conejo N. M.
Published: January 2025

Background

The presence of frailty is common in people with Parkinson’s disease, as is cognitive dysfunction. Previous research on frailty has focused on the physical aspects of the pathology.

Aims

To analyze the relationship between frailty and cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson’s disease and to know which disease characteristics are associated with frailty.

Methods

An observational, correlational and cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants were recruited from a Home Rehabilitation Service and two Parkinson’s Associations. An individualized assessment was carried out by means of a structured interview. Frailty was assessed with the Fried scale and cognitive function with the Mini Mental State Examination and the Parkinson’s Disease Cognitive Rating Scale.

Results

90 patients were recruited, 60% men, with a mean age of 73.50 (6.71) years. Frailty was associated with age and disease severity (p < 0.05). Frail patients presented worse cognitive performance relative to pre-frail and robust patients. A negative correlation (coefficient − 0.503) was observed between frailty and measures of patients’ cognitive function (p < 0.05).

Discussion

The coexistence of frailty and cognitive impairment should be assessed, as PD patients with both conditions are more vulnerable and have a higher chance of experiencing adverse effects.

Conclusion

Frail patients with Parkinson’s disease present an impairment of cognitive functions dependent on cortical and subcortical regions, being these regions more preserved in the case of robust. The development of programs for early detection of frailty and cognitive function in these patients is necessary to implement strategic intervention plans focused on reversing frailty and cognitive impairment.

Protocol registration number

http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05388526.