bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microscopic in‐situ analysis of the mucosal healing around implants treated by protease activated receptor 4‐agonist peptide or perpendicularly protruded type I collagen in rats
Authors: Song Young Woo , Maekawa Shogo , Sasaki Keito , Yoshida Daichi , Nagai Masazumi , Ishikawa‐Nagai Shigemi , Da Silva John , Kim David Minjoon , Chen Chia‐Yu
Published: September 2023

Enhanced mucosal sealing around titanium implants can reduce complications such as peri‐implantitis. The present study aims to investigate the mucosal healing at the early stage around the protease activated receptor 4‐agonist peptide (PAR4‐AP)‐ or perpendicularly protruded type I collagen (pCol)‐treated titanium implants. A total of 72 implants were placed in 36 rats in the study. Following extractions, two tissue‐level implants among the following three different surfaces, PAR4‐AP‐coated (PAR4 group, n = 24), pCol‐treated (pCol group, n = 24) and non‐treated (control group, n = 24) ones, were placed in the maxillae of each rat based on a split‐mouth design. The specimens retrieved at 8 h (n = 8 per group), 3 days (n = 8 per group), and 2 weeks (n = 8 per group), were immunostained and tissue‐cleared, and the signals of laminin‐5 and collagen fibers were observed under multiphoton microscopy. Statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed model with post hoc tests to compare differences between the groups. While there was no intergroup difference at 8 h, the laminin‐5 at 3 days was more abundant near the PAR4‐group‐surface, and its area was significantly larger in the PAR4 group (0.0204 ± 0.0194 mm2) than the control (0.0019 ± 0.0025 mm2, p = .001) and pCol (0.0023 ± 0.0022 mm2, p < .001) groups. The pCol group showed a significantly larger area of collagen fibers (0.0230 ± 0.0148 mm2) compared to the control (0.0035 ± 0.0051 mm2, p = .002) and PAR4 (0.0031 ± 0.0057 mm2, p < .001) groups at 3 days. At 3 days and 2 weeks, the collagen fiber orientation of the pCol group showed a more perpendicular manner compared to the control and PAR4 groups. The signal of basal lamina and collagen fibers were stronger around the PAR4‐AP‐ and pCol‐treated titanium surfaces, respectively during the early healing stage. This could have implications for improved mucosal sealing around dental implants, potentially reducing complications such as peri‐implantitis.
VEGF Secretion Drives Bone Formation in Classical MAP2K1+ Melorheostosis
Authors: Allbritton-King Jules D , Maity Jyotirindra , Patel Amit , Colbert Robert A , Navid Fatemeh , Bhattacharyya Timothy
Published: September 2023

Patients with classical melorheostosis exhibit exuberant bone overgrowth in the appendicular skeleton, resulting in pain and deformity with no known treatment. Most patients have somatic, mosaic mutations in MAP2K1 (encoding the MEK1 protein) in osteoblasts and overlying skin. As with most rare bone diseases, lack of affected tissue has limited the opportunity to understand how the mutation results in excess bone formation. The aim of this study was to create a cellular model to study melorheostosis. We obtained patient skin cells bearing the MAP2K1 mutation (affected cells), and along with isogenic control normal fibroblasts reprogrammed them using the Sendai virus method into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Pluripotency was validated by marker staining and embryoid body formation. iPSCs were then differentiated to mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs) and validated by flow cytometry. We confirmed retention of the MAP2K1 mutation in iMSCs with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and confirmed elevated MEK1 activity by immunofluorescence staining. Mutation-bearing iMSCs showed significantly elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion, proliferation and collagen I and IV secretion. iMSCs were then differentiated into osteoblasts, which showed increased mineralization at 21 days and increased VEGF secretion at 14 and 21 days of differentiation. Administration of VEGF to unaffected iMSCs during osteogenic differentiation was sufficient to increase mineralization. Blockade of VEGF by bevacizumab reduced mineralization in iMSC-derived affected osteoblasts and in affected primary patient-derived osteoblasts. These data indicate that patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells recreate the elevated MEK1 activity, increased mineralization, and increased proliferation seen in melorheostosis patients. The increased bone formation is driven, in part, by abundant VEGF secretion. Modifying the activity of VEGF (a known stimulator of osteoblastogenesis) represents a promising treatment pathway to explore. iPSCs may have wide applications to other rare bone diseases. © 2023 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
A Survey of the Status of Methadone Switching in Japan Using a Hospital‐Based Administrative Claims Database
Authors: Imai Shungo , Aoki Natsumi , Ikegami Keisuke , Kizaki Hayato , Hori Satoko
Published: September 2023

Methadone is generally used for the management of cancer pain in patients who cannot obtain adequate analgesia from other strong opioids; however, it has a complicated and inconsistent conversion ratio from pre‐switching opioid dosage to methadone. This issue may be pronounced in Japan because only oral tablets are commercially available. We aimed to elucidate the status of methadone switching in Japan, focusing on its dosage. Using a Japanese hospital‐based administrative claims database, we included patients who switched to methadone between April 2008 and January 2021. The proportion of methadone switching completion that required more than the defined conversion ratio in the Japanese package insert (called “high‐dose methadone switching”) was evaluated as a primary endpoint. Other endpoints included “the duration from initiation to completion of methadone switching” and “factors affecting high‐dose methadone switching by using multivariate logistic regression analysis”. Of 1585 patients who received methadone, 370 were enrolled. Among those, 130 (35.1%) received high‐dose methadone switching. The median duration of methadone switching completion (12 days) was longer in the high‐dose methadone switching group than in other patients. Four variables were identified as factors affecting high‐dose methadone switching. Younger age and outpatient status increased the risk of requiring high‐dose methadone switching, whereas the concomitant use of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and fentanyl as a pre‐switching opioid decreased the risk. In conclusion, more than 30% of the patients underwent high‐dose methadone switching and required long completion periods, suggesting that methadone switching remains challenging in Japan.
Effectiveness of E‐learning on clinical application of dental injection anatomy via simulation manikins
Authors: Canarsky Nathan T. , Ingram Katie E. , Schissel Makayla E. , Yoachim Shayla D.
Published: September 2023

Purpose

E‐learning is frequently integrated into dental education, yet little is known on the effectiveness of e‐learning in both instilling foundational knowledge and facilitating translation of newly acquired knowledge and skill into clinical application. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of learning modality on acquisition of knowledge and translation to clinical skill using objective feedback from oral anesthesia manikins and subjects’ self‐reported confidence scores.

Methods

This mixed‐method study involved first year dental students (n = 52) who volunteered to participate in a learning intervention, simulation exercise, and survey in 2022. Students were randomly assigned to lecture (n = 26) or e‐learning (n = 26) cohorts and then participated in the intervention, postintervention assessment, and a simulation to evaluate correct approaches for each dental block and attempts to success.

Results

All subjects scored significantly higher on post‐intervention assessment compared to pre‐intervention assessment (8.2 vs. 5.9; p < 0.0001) with no significant differences between intervention groups when comparing preintervention and postintervention scores. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the two cohorts when comparing abilities to correctly approach each dental block or attempts to success. Finally, all students reported a significant increase in confidence in most categories following intervention and simulation, with no significant differences between lecture and e‐learning cohorts.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest students learning via e‐learning are equally capable as those learning via lecture at demonstrating newly acquired knowledge and skill in both assessments and clinical simulations. Results support incorporating supplemental e‐learning and oral anesthesia manikin exercises for students learning the anatomy of dental injections.
Diagnostic value of fecal calprotectin in primary care patients with gastrointestinal symptoms: A retrospective Swedish cohort study
Authors: Rendek Zlatica , Falk Magnus , Grodzinsky Ewa , Kechagias Stergios , Hjortswang Henrik
Published: September 2023

Aims

To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of fecal calprotectin (FC) for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and organic gastrointestinal disease (OGID) in primary care. To examine the association with demographic factors, symptoms and concomitant medical therapy.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of data on all semiquantitative FC tests from individuals ≥18 years conducted in primary care in Östergötland County in 2010. A 5‐year follow‐up with inclusion of new gastrointestinal diagnoses.

Results

A total of 1293 eligible patients were included. IBD was found in 8.8% and other OGID in 30.8% of patients with positive FC. Positive FC was associated with diarrhea, age >60 years, duration <3 months, use of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID), and proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Predictors of IBD were positive FC, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and male sex; predictors of OGID positive FC, age >35 years, abnormal clinical findings, and duration <3 months. FC yielded the highest sensitivity and negative predictive value compared with demographic factors, symptoms, and duration. Use of NSAID and PPI showed a marginal increase in the sensitivity, positive predictive value, and decrease in the specificity of FC. Within 5 years, 4.0% had a new gastrointestinal diagnosis among patients with positive FC (0.6% IBD).

Conclusions

FC reliably rules out IBD and contradicts the presence of other OGID in primary care patients. Positive FC test together with other predictors, such as diarrhea, rectal bleeding, short duration, or age >35 years, should encourage a prioritized investigation. Use of NSAID, PPI, and ASA may affect the diagnostic accuracy of FC for IBD and OGID.
A Nationwide Population‐Based Study for the Recurrence and Comorbidities in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Authors: Ko Hye Yeon , Nam Hae Jeong , Kim Min Hee
Published: September 2023

Objectives

The aims of this study were to investigate the cumulative recurrence rate of SSNHL and to determine association between comorbidities and recurrence of SSNHL by comparing patients with and without recurrence.

Methods

Using the National Health Insurance Claims Database (NHICD) from 2009 to 2020, we conducted a population‐based study. We only enrolled patients whose records showed a prescription for steroid and audiometry findings as well as an appropriate diagnostic code. Recurrence of SSNHL was defined as an episode of SSNHL greater than or equal to 3 months after the first episode of SSNHL. We compared the recurrence rate of SSNHL according to age and number of SSNHL recurrences. We also explored comorbidities including autoimmune, metabolic, chronic renal diseases, cancer, and migraine associated with recurrent SSNHL.

Results

A total of 257,123 patients were identified. We found that 6.7% (17,270/257,123) of the patients had at least one recurrence of SSNHL. The recurrence rate increases with the number of recurrences and over time. The incidence per 100,000 people tended to increase with age, and the recurrence rate appeared to decrease with age. We found an increase in the incidence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and a decrease in the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), myocardial infarction (MI), and hemorrhagic stroke in patients with recurrence.

Conclusion

For patients with recurrence or AS, considerable efforts should be made to prevent recurrence. As SSNHL is an emergent otologic condition, when symptoms occur, they should receive immediate treatment. Additional well‐designed population‐based studies are required to generalize our results.

Level of Evidence

3Laryngoscope, 134:1417–1425, 2024
The Development of Head and Neck Cancer in Patients with the Isolated Complaint of Globus Pharyngeus
Authors: Maronian Nicole , Cabrera Claudia , Dewey John , Meyer Tanya
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Globus pharyngeus (GP) is a perplexing problem that accounts for 4% of referrals to otolaryngologists. Workup can be extensive and may not be definitive in terms of etiology. The concern that lingers is that of a subtle cancer, which can prolong anxiety and increase testing cost. The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC) in patients diagnosed with GP.

Methods

Longitudinal data were captured from two academic institutions, identifying patients with a new diagnosis of globus pharyngeus in 2015. The patient cohort was tracked for at least 4 years to assure follow‐up and ability to determine if a HNC developed. Additional demographic data was also collected to determine most common consults, treatments, and testing employed.

Results

Excluding patients with previous diagnosis of HNC, 377 patients were identified who presented with GP in 2015 that had at least 4 years of follow‐up. Demographics were predominantly women (64.65%), with a mean age of 56.48 years at diagnosis, and the most common provider specialty on the first visit was otolaryngology (39.52%). Four patients ultimately developed HN cancer, for an overall incidence of 1% for the 4‐year period of 2015–2019.

Conclusions

Given the long‐term follow‐up of this population, the overall incidence of developing a head and neck cancer, with a presenting symptom of globus, is low. This is the largest study to date to report the percentage of patients endorsing GP to then subsequently develop HNC. This helps otolaryngologists to reassure patients who have a normal comprehensive exam, flexible endoscopy, and targeted studies.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 134:1147–1154, 2024
RAND study reveals Spanish‐speaking patients face BH care access barriers
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: September 2023

A recent secret‐shopper‐style study conducted by the RAND Corporation found that Spanish‐speaking patients contacting safety net clinics for depression‐based appointments faced barriers scheduling behavioral health care compared to English‐speaking callers. Moreover, many of the Spanish‐speaking callers were hung up on or told there was no Spanish‐speaking staff to assist in scheduling.
Report: Young people feel unsupported by kind community
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: September 2023

Observing that many young people have returned to the classroom this fall, Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation has released a new report exploring young people's relationships with their schools, campuses, workplaces, classmates and co‐workers, with a particular interest in how these environments and the relationships they foster intersect with and/or impact young people's mental health.
New research finds MDMA effective in treating severe PTSD
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: September 2023

The third part of a new study assessing MDMA‐assisted therapy, a psychedelic drug also known as Ecstasy, has revealed improvement in diverse individuals suffering with severe post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study, “MDMA‐assisted therapy for moderate to severe PTSD: a randomized, placebo‐controlled phase 3 trial,” published Sept. 14 in Nature Medicine.
A new architecture combining convolutional and transformer‐based networks for automatic 3D multi‐organ segmentation on CT images
Authors: Li Chengyin , Bagher‐Ebadian Hassan , Sultan Rafi Ibn , Elshaikh Mohamed , Movsas Benjamin , Zhu Dongxiao , Chetty Indrin J.
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Deep learning‐based networks have become increasingly popular in the field of medical image segmentation. The purpose of this research was to develop and optimize a new architecture for automatic segmentation of the prostate gland and normal organs in the pelvic, thoracic, and upper gastro‐intestinal (GI) regions.

Methods

We developed an architecture which combines a shifted‐window (Swin) transformer with a convolutional U‐Net. The network includes a parallel encoder, a cross‐fusion block, and a CNN‐based decoder to extract local and global information and merge related features on the same scale. A skip connection is applied between the cross‐fusion block and decoder to integrate low‐level semantic features. Attention gates (AGs) are integrated within the CNN to suppress features in image background regions. Our network is termed “SwinAttUNet.” We optimized the architecture for automatic image segmentation. Training datasets consisted of planning‐CT datasets from 300 prostate cancer patients from an institutional database and 100 CT datasets from a publicly available dataset (CT‐ORG). Images were linearly interpolated and resampled to a spatial resolution of (1.0 × 1.0× 1.5) mm3. A volume patch (192 × 192 × 96) was used for training and inference, and the dataset was split into training (75%), validation (10%), and test (15%) cohorts. Data augmentation transforms were applied consisting of random flip, rotation, and intensity scaling. The loss function comprised Dice and cross‐entropy equally weighted and summed. We evaluated Dice coefficients (DSC), 95th percentile Hausdorff Distances (HD95), and Average Surface Distances (ASD) between results of our network and ground truth data.

Results

SwinAttUNet, DSC values were 86.54 ± 1.21, 94.15 ± 1.17, and 87.15 ± 1.68% and HD95 values were 5.06 ± 1.42, 3.16 ± 0.93, and 5.54 ± 1.63 mm for the prostate, bladder, and rectum, respectively. Respective ASD values were 1.45 ± 0.57, 0.82 ± 0.12, and 1.42 ± 0.38 mm. For the lung, liver, kidneys and pelvic bones, respective DSC values were: 97.90 ± 0.80, 96.16 ± 0.76, 93.74 ± 2.25, and 89.31 ± 3.87%. Respective HD95 values were: 5.13 ± 4.11, 2.73 ± 1.19, 2.29 ± 1.47, and 5.31 ± 1.25 mm. Respective ASD values were: 1.88 ± 1.45, 1.78 ± 1.21, 0.71 ± 0.43, and 1.21 ± 1.11 mm. Our network outperformed several existing deep learning approaches using only attention‐based convolutional or Transformer‐based feature strategies, as detailed in the results section.

Conclusions

We have demonstrated that our new architecture combining Transformer‐ and convolution‐based features is able to better learn the local and global context for automatic segmentation of multi‐organ, CT‐based anatomy.
Surface modification of perovskite‐type oxide LaFeO3 with electroless nickel deposition for application in MH‐Ni batteries
Authors: Xu Jianyi , Zhang Guofang , Zhao Xin , Hu Feng , Ke Dandan
Published: September 2023

In this study, the perovskite‐type oxide LaFeO3 is treated by electroless Ni deposition with different reaction time and the electrochemical properties of the resulting material are investigated as the anode for MH‐Ni batteries. XRD, SEM, and TEM measurements reveal a uniform deposition of crystalline nickel on the oxide surface and a clear increase in the amount of Ni coating with the deposition time. The electrochemical analysis shows that the electroless deposition can significantly improve the maximum discharge capacity of the battery. Furthermore, the coated electrodes exhibit excellent activation performance and superior cyclic stability. With the increase in the reaction temperature, improvements in the discharge ability, exchange current density, and diffusing coefficient of hydrogen are also observed.
Optimal energy provision early in ICU stay for critically ill patients receiving parenteral nutrition
Authors: Nagy Ahmed , Delic Justin , Hollands James M. , Oh Song , Pasciolla Stacy , Pontiggia Laura , Solomon Diana , Bingham Angela L.
Published: September 2023

Background

Literature on optimal energy provision via parenteral nutrition (PN) is limited and the evidence quality is low. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a difference in outcomes in adult critically ill patients when receiving lower vs higher calorie provision via PN early in intensive care unit (ICU) stay.

Methods

Adult patients initiated on PN within the first 10 days of ICU stay from May 2014 to June 2021 were included in this retrospective study. The primary outcome was to determine the impact of lower (<20 kcal/kg/day) vs higher (>25 kcal/kg/day) calorie provision on all‐cause, in‐hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were to determine the impact of calorie provision on hospital or ICU length of stay and incidence of complications.

Results

This study included 133 patients: a lower calorie provision group (n = 77) and a higher calorie provision group (n = 56). There was a significant difference in all‐cause, in‐hospital mortality between the lower and the higher calorie provision groups (36.36% and 17.86%, respectively; P = 0.02). However, upon a multivariate analysis of death at discharge, the specific calorie provision group did not affect the probability of death at hospital discharge. The secondary outcomes were not significantly different between groups.

Conclusion

When comparing lower calorie provision with higher calorie provision in adult critically ill patients receiving PN early within their ICU stay, there were no differences in outcomes after controlling for significant confounders. Future larger prospective studies should further evaluate optimal caloric provision via PN in this population.
Characteristics of patients with anxiety disorder without selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor prescription over a two‐year period of pharmacotherapy
Authors: Mori Keisuke , Kodaka Fumitoshi , Yamamoto Arisa , Yamazaki Ryuichi , Ishii Junpei , Yamadera Wataru , Miyata Hisatsugu , Shigeta Masahiro
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Pharmacotherapy such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin‐noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors is recommended for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Although there are patients with persisted symptoms of anxiety disorders who are treated with monotherapy of benzodiazepine anxiolytics without SSRIs, the characteristics of these patients are unclear. In the present study, we investigated the characteristics of patients with persisted symptoms of anxiety disorder without SSRI prescription.

Methods

From a prescription dataset covering 2018 and 2020, the prescriptions of 243 patients with anxiety disorder were analyzed. Patients were classified into two groups: SSRI non‐prescription and prescription groups.

Results

The SSRI non‐prescription group had a higher ratio of females than did the SSRI prescription group (60.1% vs. 44.6%, respectively, p = 3.12 × 10−2), but statistically not significant after the Bonferroni correction. No significant differences in age, body mass index, or duration of outpatient visits were found between groups. Among the independent variables, sex (female) was the only variable identified that predicted SSRI non‐prescription.

Conclusion

The present study showed that among patients with anxiety disorders, sex (female) was the only variable that predicted SSRI non‐prescription.
Professional development for marketers: Conference round‐up
Authors: Talarico Donna
Published: September 2023

Conferences have long been my favorite way to continue to grow as a professional and, perhaps even more important, to connect with others. There's so much we can learn from one another when we gather in the same space, and that includes formal programming like sessions and workshops, as well as the chatter that happens in the hall or over lunch.
The origin of the energy split in phase‐field fracture and eigenfracture
Authors: Storm Johannes , Kaliske Michael
Published: September 2023

The energy splits, which are used in phase‐field fracture and eigenfracture, are frequently motivated by the statement that crack nucleation and crack growth have to be prevented at compression loads. The intention of the article at hand is to show that the energy decomposition is an essential part of such fracture models, and to investigate the underlying problem and its physical interpretation. Finally, a general framework for the derivation of physically motivated energy splits is presented, which is not limited to certain bulk material models.
Canonical Kaiso target genes define a functional signature that associates with breast cancer survival and the invasive lobular carcinoma histological type
Authors: Sijnesael Thijmen , Richard François , Rätze Max AK , Koorman Thijs , Bassey‐Archibong Blessing , Rohof Christa , Daniel Juliet , Desmedt Christine , Derksen Patrick WB
Published: September 2023

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is a low‐ to intermediate‐grade histological breast cancer type caused by mutational inactivation of E‐cadherin function, resulting in the acquisition of anchorage independence (anoikis resistance). Most ILC cases express estrogen receptors, but options are limited in relapsed endocrine‐refractory disease as ILC tends to be less responsive to standard chemotherapy. Moreover, ILC can relapse after >15 years, an event that currently cannot be predicted. E‐cadherin inactivation leads to p120‐catenin‐dependent relief of the transcriptional repressor Kaiso (ZBTB33) and activation of canonical Kaiso target genes. Here, we examined whether an anchorage‐independent and ILC‐specific transcriptional program correlated with clinical parameters in breast cancer. Based on the presence of a canonical Kaiso‐binding consensus sequence (cKBS) in the promoters of genes that are upregulated under anchorage‐independent conditions, we defined an ILC‐specific anoikis resistance transcriptome (ART). Converting the ART genes into human orthologs and adding published Kaiso target genes resulted in the Kaiso‐specific ART (KART) 33‐gene signature, used subsequently to study correlations with histological and clinical variables in primary breast cancer. Using publicly available data for ERPOSHer2NEG breast cancer, we found that expression of KART was positively associated with the histological ILC breast cancer type (p < 2.7E‐07). KART expression associated with younger patients in all invasive breast cancers and smaller tumors in invasive ductal carcinoma of no special type (IDC‐NST) (<2 cm, p < 6.3E‐10). We observed associations with favorable long‐term prognosis in both ILC (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.29–0.91, p < 3.4E‐02) and IDC‐NST (HR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.66–0.93, p < 1.2E‐04). Our analysis thus defines a new mRNA expression signature for human breast cancer based on canonical Kaiso target genes that are upregulated in E‐cadherin deficient ILC. The KART signature may enable a deeper understanding of ILC biology and etiology. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Bio‐inspired basalt fiber reinforced epoxy laminates with wasted egg shell derived CaCO3 for improved thermal and mechanical properties
Authors: Kuila Chinmoy , Maji Animesh , Phadikar Ujjwal , Mallisetty Phani Kumar , Murmu Naresh Chandra , Kuila Tapas
Published: September 2023

Basalt fiber (BF) reinforced polymer composite containing nanoparticles is an efficient approach to improve the matrix dominated features. The objective of this study is to investigate the static and dynamic mechanical properties of CaCO3 modified epoxy/BF composites. The composite laminates were fabricated through the hand‐layup process. Tensile and bending tests were conducted according to the ASTM D 3039 and ASTM D 790, respectively. The tensile and flexural properties were improved significantly when CaCO3 particles were embedded in the BF/epoxy composites. The tensile strength increased by ~25.05% at 1 wt% loading (B2) of CaCO3. The flexural strength improvement was ~61.3% for the same amount of CaCO3 loading. The viscoelastic as well as the thermal properties were also improved in the B2 composite specimen. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were employed to characterize the fracture surfaces. Therefore, BF reinforced composites combined low manufacturing costs with excellent mechanical and thermal capabilities, making them ideally suited to a variety of engineering applications.

Highlights

The calcinated CaCO3 effectively improved the mechanical properties.

The effect of CaCO3 on the thermal behavior of laminates were studied.

Eco‐friendly dispersion process required no solvents.

The effect of the nanoparticles on the interfacial properties were investigated.
Characterization of light‐dependent rhythm of courtship vibrational signals in Nilaparvata lugens: essential involvement of cryptochrome genes
Authors: Wei Qi , Feng Ze‐Lin , Cai Yao D. , He Jia‐Chun , Lai Feng‐Xiang , Wan Pin‐Jun , Wang Wei‐Xia , Yao Qing , Chiu Joanna C. , Fu Qiang
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND

Vibrational signal plays a crucial role in courtship communication in many insects. However, it remains unclear whether insect vibrational signals exhibit daily rhythmicity in response to changes in environmental cues.

RESULTS

In this study, we observed daily rhythms of both female vibrational signals (FVS) and male vibrational signals (MVS) in the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), one of the most notorious rice pests across Asia. Notably, oscillations of FVS and MVS in paired BPHs were synchronized as part of male–female duetting interactions, displaying significant day‐night rhythmicity. Furthermore, we observed light dependency of FVS emissions under different photoperiodic regimes (18 L:6 D and 6 L:18 D) and illumination intensity levels (>300 lx, 50 lx, and 25 lx). Subsequently, the potential role of circadian clock genes cryptochromes (Nlcry1 and Nlcry2) in regulating FVS daily oscillations was examined using gene knockdown via RNA interference. We observed sharp declines and disrupted rhythms in FVS frequencies when either of the Nlcrys was downregulated, with Nlcry2 knockdown showing a more prominent effect. Moreover, we recorded a novel FVS variant (with a dominant frequency of 361.76 ± 4.31 Hz) emitted by dsNlcry1‐treated BPH females, which significantly diminished the impact of courtship stimuli on receptive males.

CONCLUSION

We observed light‐dependent daily rhythms of substrate‐borne vibrational signals (SBVS) in BPH and demonstrated essential yet distinct roles of the two Nlcrys. These findings enhanced our understanding of insect SBVS and illustrated the potential of novel precision physical control strategies for disrupting mating behaviors in this rice pest. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
When firms may benefit from sticking with an old technology
Authors: Li Xu
Published: September 2023

Research Summary

How should firms respond to technological discontinuities in order to achieve greater performance? In contrast to most studies that advocate a timely transition from the old to the new technology, this paper posits that in markets where a discontinuous technology exposes customers' latent preference heterogeneity for certain old technology attributes, firms may ultimately experience a performance surge by adhering to the old technology during technological change. Explicitly, I theorize a U‐shaped relationship within such a market between competitors' increasing adoption of the new technology and the performance of firms that stick with the old technology. This prediction is thoroughly examined using comprehensive data from the traditional Chinese medicine industry in China during the 1990s and receives robust empirical support.

Managerial Summary

In some markets, the rise of a discontinuous technology, besides posing a substitute threat to the old technology, further exposes niche segments where customers continue to favor the old technology. This paper predicts that within such a market, as competitors increasingly adopt the new technology for varied motives, firms sticking with the old technology may see their performance declining before rebounding and potentially reaching new heights. Analyses using archival data from the traditional Chinese medicine industry in China during the 1990s provide robust support for this prediction. The arguments and findings of this paper offer an “existence proof” that when confronted with a technological discontinuity, adhering to the old technology may also represent an effective strategy that ultimately improves firm performance.
Solution‐Processed Heterojunction Photodiodes Based on WSe2 Nanosheet Networks
Authors: Liu Shixin , Carey Tian , Munuera Jose , Synnatschke Kevin , Kaur Harneet , Coleman Emmet , Doolan Luke , Coleman Jonathan N.
Published: September 2023

Solution‐processed photodetectors incorporating liquid‐phase‐exfoliated transition metal dichalcogenide nanosheets are widely reported. However, previous studies mainly focus on the fabrication of photoconductors, rather than photodiodes which tend to be based on heterojunctions and are harder to fabricate. Especially, there are rare reports on introducing commonly used transport layers into heterojunctions based on nanosheet networks. In this study, a reliable solution‐processing method is reported to fabricate heterojunction diodes with tungsten selenide (WSe2) nanosheets as the optical absorbing material and PEDOT: PSS and ZnO as injection/transport‐layer materials. By varying the transport layer combinations, the obtained heterojunctions show rectification ratios of up to ≈104 at ±1 V in the dark, without relying on heavily doped silicon substrates. Upon illumination, the heterojunction can be operated in both photoconductor and photodiode modes and displays self‐powered behaviors at zero bias.
Coulombic Efficiency for Practical Zinc Metal Batteries: Critical Analysis and Perspectives
Authors: Wu Zhenrui , Li Yihu , Liu Jian
Published: September 2023

Climate change and energy depletion are common worries of this century. During the global clean energy transition, aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) are expected to meet societal needs due to their large‐scale energy storage capability with earth‐abundant, non‐flammable, and economical chemistries. However, the poor reversibility of Zn poses a severe challenge to AZMB implementation. Coulombic efficiency (CE) is a quantitative index of electrode reversibility in rechargeable batteries but is not well understood in AZMBs. Thus, in this work,  the state‐of‐art CE to present the status quo of AZMB development is summarized.  A fictional 120 Wh kg−1 AZMB pouch cell is also proposed and evaluated revealing the improvement room and technical goal of AZMB chemistry. Despite some shared mechanisms between AZMBs and lithium metal batteries, misconceptions prevalent in AZMBs are clarified. Essentially, AZMB has its own niche in the market with unique merits and demerits. By incorporating academic and industrial insights, the development pathways of AZMB are suggested.
Research progress on sustainability of key tire materials
Authors: Deng Sai , Chen Ruixin , Duan Shiyu , Jia Qingxiu , Hao Xinmin , Zhang Liqun
Published: September 2023

In recent years, countries worldwide have engaged actively in the research and development of green and sustainable materials in the face of the increasing depletion of petroleum resources, the need to reduce material waste, and the environmental pollution caused by the various types of waste. In the tire industry, the key materials for the various components of tires are mostly dependent on petroleum resources. Development of green tires and green processing technologies using sustainable materials is an important development direction for the future of the tire industry, and many tire‐manufacturing companies have proposed their visions for the development of eco‐friendly tires. Rubber, cord fabric, and additives are the main materials used in tire manufacturing. This article summarizes the research status of the green materials that can meet the requirements of environmental friendliness and sustainability, replace traditional materials, and reduce petroleum resource consumption in existing tire production. These materials mainly include natural rubber or bio‐based synthetic rubber, green renewable cord fabrics, and green processing additives. The prospects for the application of these new green materials in tire manufacturing are also discussed.
Peter Charles Jinman
Authors: Morley Malcolm , Paterson Sue
Published: September 2023

A widely respected pillar of the veterinary community, he was erudite and knowledgeable, ready to offer wise advice and a kind word. He was dedicated to the veterinary profession and the animals he cared for.
A promising modified polyvinyl chloride for adsorption of boron: Preparation, adsorption kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamic studies
Authors: Younis Huda M. , Mohamed Amal A.
Published: September 2023

A new promising N‐methyl‐D‐glucamine modified polyvinyl chloride via methyl glycinate linker (PVC‐MG‐NMDG) was designed to extract boron from tourmaline ore from the Sikait area in the South Eastern Desert of Egypt, which assays 10.43% B2O3. Specifications for PVC‐MG‐NMDG composite were executed successfully utilizing sundry approaches, such as FT‐IR, XPS, GC–MS, TGA, BET, EDX, 13C‐NMR, 1H‐NMR, ICP‐OES, and XRD, which assure an acceptable synthesis of PVC‐MG‐NMDG. Optimized factors like pH, agitation time, primary boron concentration, composite dose, co‐ions, eluting agents, and temperature have been improved. At ambient temperature, pH 9, 10 min of agitation, and 0.0138 mol/L boron ions (150 ppm), the PVC‐MG‐NMDG composite has a 25 mg/g maximal uptake. The extraction‐distribution isotherm modeling suggests that the Langmuir model, with a theoretical value of 25.38 mg/g, more closely matches the practical value of 25 mg/g than the Freundlich model. The adsorption kinetics of boron ions by PVC‐MG‐NMDG were predicted with high accuracy using a pseudo‐second order kinetic model, yielding a theoretical retention capacity of 27.93 mg/g. The extraction process was predicted, as shown by thermodynamic calculations, exothermic, spontaneous, and optimal extraction at low temperature; the thermodynamic factors controlling ΔS (−0.04 kJ/mol), ΔH (−13.74 kJ/mol), and ∆G values rise from −1.82 kJ/mol at 298 K to −0.19 kJ/mol at 338 K. Boron ions can be eluted from the overloaded composite by 0.5 M H2SO4 with a 95% efficiency rate. It was established that PVC‐MG‐NMDG composite reveals a worthy separation factor to most co‐ions and gives a good separation power. Boric acid with a boron content of 17.23% and purity of 98.56% can be obtained through alkali fusion with NaOH flux and subsequent adsorption using a PVC‐MG‐NMDG composite.

Highlights

A New modified polyvinyl chloride (PVC‐MG‐NMDG) was successfully prepared.

The characteristics of new composite were verified via different techniques.

The new composite reached its maximum boron absorption of 25 mg/g at 25°C.

The extraction as an exothermic, spontaneous process at low temperature.

The new composite has been applied to a real sample of Sikait tourmaline ore.
A review of ENSO teleconnections at present and under future global warming
Authors: Alizadeh Omid
Published: September 2023

The El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a major component of the Earth's climate that largely influences global climate variability through long‐distance teleconnections. Rossby wave trains emerging from the tropical convection and their propagation into extratropical regions are the key mechanism for tropical and extratropical teleconnections. Despite significant progress in the understanding of ENSO teleconnections over the recent past decades, several important issues have remained to be addressed. The global atmospheric teleconnections of ENSO vary substantially with the seasonal cycle, on the decadal timescale, and under the influence of global warming. It is essential to separate the internal decadal variability of ENSO teleconnections from changes caused by the external forcing of global warming. However, the post‐satellite observations are not long enough to compose a large number of ENSO events to distinguish the decadal variability of ENSO teleconnections from changes related to increasing greenhouse concentrations. The current climate models also suffer from common biases, such that they are unable to properly reproduce both the tropical mean state and some features of ENSO. Nevertheless, observational records can be extended back in time via reconstruction methods. Efforts have also already been made to remove some main common biases of climate models and to improve the representation of ENSO characteristics. The reliable reconstructed data along with a large number of ensemble members of the improved climate model simulations can be applied to advance our understanding of ENSO global teleconnections and their responses to internal decadal variability and externally forced global warming.

This article is categorized under:

Paleoclimates and Current Trends > Modern Climate Change

Climate Models and Modeling > Earth System Models

Assessing Impacts of Climate Change > Evaluating Future Impacts of Climate Change
Current technological options for recycling packaging waste: Challenges and opportunities in India
Authors: Hossain Rumana , Ghinangju Bikesh Shrestha , Biswal Smitirupa , Schandl Heinz , Sahajwalla Veena
Published: September 2023

Packaging in India comprises around 59% of total plastic consumption, with most of the waste originating from single‐use and short shelf‐life products. The plastic recycling industry is primarily made up of informal processing units which have predominantly been recycling Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste due to ease of availability, sorting, and higher upscale values than most other single‐use packaging. Other packaging, such as Polyethylene (PE) shopping bags, thin film and multi‐material packaging waste is either directed to downcycling, incineration or landfill. About 94% of total recycling in India is carried out through mechanical recycling, which comes through informal and fragmented recycling units. Most of the recycling units in India rely on rudimentary technologies. One example is a visual sorting system that involves manual handling to recycle plastic waste, which is resource and time intensive. There has been some advancement towards chemical and energy recovery techniques, but mostly been limited to pilot‐scale deployment. This article explores the existing and emerging technological options suitable for recycling post‐consumer flexible plastic packaging waste in India. It also discusses the status of multi‐material packaging waste, and the advancement being made for its recycling. The paper also explores India's increased momentum in the use of innovative recycling techniques, such as distributed recycling and manufacturing techniques and plastic waste in steel manufacturing.

This article is categorized under:

Climate and Environment > Ecosystem Services

Climate and Environment > Circular Economy

Emerging Technologies > Materials
Nanofluid turbulent flow inside a duct equipped with disturber with new shape
Authors: Almohsen Bandar
Published: September 2023

To intensify the productivity of solar systems, researchers utilized a perforated tape with obstacles in a circular tube filled with nanomaterial. ANSYS FLUENT was used to simulate the results, combining K‐ε approach and a homogeneous approach for the nanomaterial. Grid size was optimized to reduce computation costs, and the accuracy of the simulation was verified using previously published data. The simulations considered the height of the disturber and the revolution as parameters. The insertion of the disturber increases the impingement with the wall, resulting in a colder outer wall. Although the use of the tape increases convection, resistance with the wall also increases. Therefore, a perforated tape shape was used with obstacles to intensify rotational velocity. Increasing the height and number of revolutions can enhance velocity by 4.58% and 7.04%, respectively. Meanwhile, as the values of N and Re increase, the temperature decreases by 2.1% and 0.11%, respectively.
Exploring models with modular symmetry in neutrino oscillation experiments
Authors: Mishra Priya , Behera Mitesh Kumar , Panda Papia , Ghosh Monojit , Mohanta Rukmani
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Our study aims to investigate the viability of neutrino mass models that arise from discrete non-Abelian modular symmetry groups, i.e., ΓN with (N = 1, 2, 3, . . . ) in the future neutrino experiments T2HK, DUNE, and JUNO. Modular symmetry reduces the usage of flavon fields compared to the conventional discrete flavor symmetry models. Theories based on modular symmetries predict the values of leptonic mixing parameters, and therefore, these models can be tested in future neutrino experiments. In this study, we consider three models based on the A4 modular symmetry, i.e., Model-A, B, and C such a way that they predict different values of the oscillation parameters but still allowed with respect to the current data. In the future, it is expected that T2HK, DUNE, and JUNO will measure the neutrino oscillation parameters very precisely, and therefore, some of these models can be excluded in the future by these experiments. We have estimated the prediction of these models numerically and then used them as input to scrutinize these models in the neutrino experiments. Assuming the future best-fit values of θ23 and δCP remain the same as the current one, our results show that at 5σ C.L, Model-A can be excluded by T2HK whereas Model-B can be excluded by both T2HK and DUNE. Model-C cannot be excluded by T2HK and DUNE at 5σ C.L. Further; our results show that JUNO alone can exclude Model-B at an extremely high confidence level if the future best-fit of θ12 remains at the current-one. We have also identified the region in the θ23 - δCP parameter space, for which Model-A cannot be separated from Model-B in T2HK and DUNE.
Conformal multi-Regge theory
Authors: Costa Miguel S. , Gonçalves Vasco , Salgarkar Aaditya , Boas João Vilas
Published: September 2023

Abstract

We propose and explore the Regge limit for correlation functions of five local primary operators in conformal field theories. After reviewing some features of Regge theory for flat-space scattering amplitudes, we analyze the analytic structure of conformal blocks both in position and Mellin space in the Regge limit and propose an extension of conformal Regge theory for five-point functions. As a byproduct of our analysis we also introduce a new basis of three-point correlation functions for operators with spin and the associated Euclidean conformal blocks.
Higher Polynomial Identities for Mutations of Associative Algebras
Authors: Bremner Murray R. , Brox Jose , Sánchez-Ortega Juana
Published: September 2023

We study polynomial identities satisfied by the mutation product $$xpy - yqx$$

x
p
y
-
y
q
x

on the underlying vector space of an associative algebra A, where p, q are fixed elements of A. We simplify known results for identities in degree 4, proving that only two identities are necessary and sufficient to generate them all; in degree 5, we show that adding one new identity suffices; in degree 6, we demonstrate the existence of a significant number of new identities, which induce us to conjecture that the variety generated by mutation algebras of associative algebras is not finitely based.