bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis‐Kinetics of Violet‐ and Blue‐Emitting Perovskite Nanocrystals with High Brightness and Superior Stability toward Flexible Conversion Layer
Authors: Xie Cong , Zhang Xiao , Chen Hsueh Shih , Yang Ping
Published: December 2023

The low photoluminescence (PL) efficiency and unstable features of small blue‐emitting CsPbX3 nanocrystals (NCs) greatly limit their applications in optoelectronics field. Herein, the synergistic and post‐treatment kinetics are studied to create highly bright and anomalous stable violet (peak position of ≈408 nm) and blue (peak position of ∼ 466 nm) emitting perovskite NCs. Ligand and ion exchange mechanism are systematic studied by the evolution of absorption, PL, and fluorescence lifetime to evaluate ligand bonding, defect engineering, and non‐radiative recombination. Didodecyl dimethyl mmonium chloride (DDAC) and CuX2 post‐synergistic treatment created DDAC‐CsPbCl3‐CuCl2 and DDAC‐CsPbCl3‐CuBr2 NCs that remained the phase composition, morphology, and size of CsPbCl3 NCs. The PL efficiencies are drastically increased to 42 and 85% for violet‐ and blue‐emitting NCs, respectively. The stability test indicated that the NCs enable against various harsh conditions (e.g., ultraviolet light irradiation and heat‐treatment). The NCs retained their initial PL efficiency after 2 months under ambient conditions and UV light irradiation. These NCs also exhibited high stability after heat‐treatment at 120 °C. The emitting NCs embedded in flexible films still revealed bright PL and high stability, suggesting current results provide a new avenue for the application in the field of optoelectronics.
Addendum to consensus opinion from International Deep Endometriosis Analysis (IDEA) group: sonographic evaluation of the parametrium
Authors: Guerriero S. , Condous G. , Rolla M. , Hudelist G. , Ferrero S. , Alcazar J. L. , Ajossa S. , Bafort C. , Van Schoubroeck D. , Bourne T. , Van den Bosch T. , Singh S. S. , Abrao M. S. , Szabó G. , Testa A. C. , Di Giovanni A. , Fischerova D. , Tomassetti C. , Timmerman D.
Published: December 2023

Preoperative sonographic staging in patients with suspected parametrial endometriosis is essential to plan surgical intervention and anticipate the need for a multidisciplinary approach, and thus optimize surgical outcome. The results of a recent meta‐analysis suggest that there is a need to define more accurately the ultrasonographic criteria for parametrial involvement in endometriosis. This addendum to the International Deep Endometriosis Analysis (IDEA) consensus highlights the sonographic characteristics of the parametrium and identifies ultrasound techniques to diagnose deep endometriosis in this area. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Similarity Forest for Time Series Classification
Authors: Górecki Tomasz , Łuczak Maciej , Piasecki Paweł
Published: December 2023

The idea of similarity forest comes from Sathe and Aggarwal (Similarity forests, pp 395–403, 2017, [1]) and is derived from random forest. Random forests, during already 20 years of existence, proved to be one of the most excellent methods, showing top performance across a vast array of domains, preserving simplicity, time efficiency, still being interpretable at the same time. However, its usage is limited to multidimensional data. Similarity forest does not require such representation – it is only needed to compute similarities between observations. Thus, it may be applied to data, for which multidimensional representation is not available. In this paper, we propose the implementation of similarity forest for time series classification. We investigate 2 distance measures: Euclidean and dynamic time warping (DTW) as the underlying measure for the algorithm. We compare the performance of similarity forest with 1-nearest neighbor and random forest on the UCR (University of California, Riverside) benchmark database.We show that similarity forest with DTW, taking into account mean ranks, outperforms other classifiers. The comparison is enriched with statistical analysis.
Detection of the Biliary Atresia Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks Based on Statistical Learning Weights via Optimal Similarity and Resampling Methods
Authors: Hayashi Kuniyoshi , Hoshino Eri , Suzuki Mitsuyoshi , Nakanishi Erika , Sakai Kotomi , Obatake Masayuki
Published: December 2023

Recently, artificial intelligence methods have been applied in several fields, and their usefulness is attracting attention. These methods are techniques that correspond to models using batch and online processes. Because of advances in computational power, as represented by parallel computing, online techniques with several tuning parameters are widely accepted and demonstrate good results. Neural networks are representative online models for prediction and discrimination. Many online methods require large training data to attain sufficient convergence. Thus, online models may not converge effectively for low and noisy training datasets. For such cases, to realize effective learning convergence in online models, we introduce statistical insights into an existing method to set the initial weights of deep convolutional neural networks. Using an optimal similarity and resampling method, we proposed an initial weight configuration approach for neural networks. For a practice example, identification of biliary atresia (a rare disease), we verified the usefulness of the proposed method by comparing existing methods that also set initial weights of neural networks.
Clustering Adolescent Female Physical Activity Levels with an Infinite Mixture Model on Random Effects
Authors: LaLonde Amy , Love Tanzy , Young Deborah R. , Wu Tongtong
Published: December 2023

Physical activity trajectories from the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls (TAAG) capture the various exercise habits over female adolescence. Previous analyses of this longitudinal data from the University of Maryland field site, examined the effect of various individual-, social-, and environmental-level factors impacting the change in physical activity levels over 14 to 23 years of age. We aimed to understand the differences in physical activity levels after controlling for these factors. Using a Bayesian linear mixed model incorporating a model-based clustering procedure for random deviations that does not specify the number of groups a priori, we find that physical activity levels are starkly different for about 5% of the study sample. These young girls are exercising on average 23 more minutes per day.
Fuzzy Clustering by Hyperbolic Smoothing
Authors: Masís David , Segura Esteban , Trejos Javier , Xavier Adilson
Published: December 2023

We propose a novel method for building fuzzy clusters of large data sets,using a smoothing numerical approach. The usual sum-of-squares criterion is relaxed so the search for good fuzzy partitions is made on a continuous space, rather than a combinatorial space as in classical methods [8]. The smoothing allows a conversion from a strongly non-differentiable problem into differentiable subproblems of optimization without constraints of low dimension, by using a differentiable function of infinite class. For the implementation of the algorithm, we used the statistical softwareRand the results obtained were compared to the traditional fuzzyC–means method, proposed by Bezdek [1].
Emotion Classification Based on Single Electrode Brain Data: Applications for Assistive Technology
Authors: Rodrigues Duarte , Reis Luis Paulo , Faria Brígida Mónica
Published: December 2023

This research case focused on the development of an emotion classification system aimed to be integrated in projects committed to improve assistive technologies. An experimental protocol was designed to acquire an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal that translated a certain emotional state. To trigger this stimulus, a set of clips were retrieved from an extensive database of pre-labeled videos. Then, the signals were properly processed, in order to extract valuable features and patterns to train the machine and deep learning models. There were suggested 3 hypotheses for classification: recognition of 6 core emotions; distinguishing between 2 different emotions and recognising if the individual was being directly stimulated or merely processing the emotion. Results showed that the first classification task was a challenging one, because of sample size limitation. Nevertheless, good results were achieved in the second and third case scenarios (70% and 97% accuracy scores, respectively) through the application of a recurrent neural network.
On Parsimonious Modelling via Matrix-Variate t Mixtures
Authors: Tomarchio Salvatore D.
Published: December 2023

Mixture models for matrix-variate data have becoming more and more popular in the most recent years. One issue of these models is the potentially high number of parameters. To address this concern, parsimonious mixtures of matrixvariate normal distributions have been recently introduced in the literature. However, when data contains groups of observations with longer-than-normal tails or atypical observations, the use of the matrix-variate normal distribution for the mixture components may affect the fitting of the resulting model. Therefore, we consider a more robust approach based on the matrix-variate C distribution for modeling the mixture components. To introduce parsimony, we use the eigen-decomposition of the components scale matrices and we allow the degrees of freedom to be equal across groups. This produces a family of 196 parsimonious matrix-variate C mixture models. Parameter estimation is obtained by using an AECM algorithm. The use of our parsimonious models is illustrated via a real data application, where parsimonious matrix-variate normal mixtures are also fitted for comparison purposes.
Stability of Mixed-Type Cluster Partitions for Determination of the Number of Clusters
Authors: Aschenbruck Rabea , Szepannek Gero , Wilhelm Adalbert F. X.
Published: December 2023

For partitioning clustering methods, the number of clusters has to be determined in advance. One approach to deal with this issue are stability indices. In this paper several stability-based validation methods are investigated with regard to the k-prototypes algorithm for mixed-type data. The stability-based approaches are compared to common validation indices in a comprehensive simulation study in order to analyze preferability as a function of the underlying data generating process.
Gender Equality, Climate Action, and Technological Innovation for Sustainable Development in Africa: A Background
Authors: Adeola Ogechi , Evans Olaniyi , Ngare Innocent
Published: December 2023

Key among the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the commitment to combat the global impact of climate change. An increase in the death toll and property loss due to floods, drought, and devastating storms across Africa are all linked to changing climatic conditions. This chapter sets the background for discussions in the book, which focuses on the interplay of gender, climate change, and innovative technologies. Concepts related to climate mitigation, adaptation, sustainable development, the disproportionate risks of climate disasters on women and girls, and women’s role in climate change policies and practices are introduced along with a brief history of global climate actions, Africa’s climate actions, and policies intended to protect women and girls during climatic disasters. The Gender Action Plan (GAP) lays out the structures, systems, and strategies for gender-sensitive and responsive climate actions and, when adopted by member nations, can contribute to a sustainable Africa through national multi-stakeholder participatory involvement. The role of technological innovation in accelerating climate action will be examined as key to achieving strategic goals. The focus is on moving from gender-responsive commitments to activating plans that serve the continent and drive her sustainability goals.
Climate Change and Gender Gaps in Africa’s Agricultural Sector
Authors: Adeola Ogechi , Evans Olaniyi , Ngare Innocent
Published: December 2023

Addressing gender gaps in Africa’s agricultural sector is crucial for promoting equal opportunities and mitigating the impact of climate change. This chapter examines the specific ways in which climate change exacerbates existing gender disparities in agriculture in Africa. One significant factor is the gender gap in access to key farm resources and inputs such as farmland, labour, information, fertilisers, seedlings, and extension services. This gap contributes to the unequal distribution of land rights between men and women in Africa. Additionally, gendered differences in access to resources and control over decision-making affect men and women’s ability to adapt to the impacts of climate change. To promote effective adaptation approaches, this chapter suggests leveraging women’s traditional strengths and increasing their participation in crisis prevention and response initiatives. To achieve this, it is crucial to prioritise women’s land ownership, participation, and reconciliation initiatives. This chapter highlights the need for policy interventions that address gender inequalities and foster equal opportunities for men and women farmers in Africa’s agricultural sector.
Children’s Health Matters in Custody Conflicts—What Do We Know?
Authors: Norlén Anna
Published: December 2023

This chapter covers the topic of research about available empirical knowledge regarding the relationships of joint physical custody, interparental conflict, and the wellbeing of children, based on a selection of recent publications from child psychology and developmental research perspectives. Addressing various objectives—such as the enhancement of the child’s feeling of protection, acknowledgement, influence, and hope—the author identifies a need for allowing children to express and explore their feelings and experiences. The chapter gives an overview of how children are affected by long duration parental conflicts and the different types of support that are required. This contribution concludes with the observation that, the means of effectively supporting children in custody conflicts must be further developed and researched. The author concludes by presenting suggestions for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children in custody conflicts.
The Right to Participate in Decision Making: Supported Decision Making in Practice
Authors: Bigby Christine
Published: December 2023

Ideas about capacity and incapacity have dominated thinking about participation in decision making by people with intellectual disabilities. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provoked interest in the concept of supported decision making and the rights of all people with disabilities to be involved in making decisions about their own lives. Decisions vary in many ways—scope, individual significance or time frame—as does the type of support needed to participate in making them. This chapter reviews the contested nature of supported decision making and proposes a principled approach that puts the will and preferences of the person with disability at the centre of all decisions and includes all people with disabilities irrespective of whether they can express their preferences or rely on others to interpret them. It alerts service providers to the varied landscapes of decisions making and explains an evidence based practice framework for supporting decision making that is applicable across all types of decisions and contexts.
The Importance of Economic Participation for Quality of Life
Authors: Riches Vivienne C.
Published: December 2023

Working without discrimination is a right of citizenship and a desired outcome among people with intellectual and other disabilities. Greater workforce participation can benefit both society and individual quality of life for economic and non-economic reasons. However, unemployment and under-employment are significant problems affecting people with intellectual disabilities to a greater degree than other groups with disabilities and the general population. This chapter identifies key barriers and new opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to get and retain jobs of their choice in open or supported employment. Although various vocational training and disability employment support programmes exist that aim to improve outcomes, these programmes vary widely in type, quality, and outcomes achieved. Evidence from national and international experience is presented to describe the most effective employment models and good practices from across different programme types. In particular, those programmes that support working-age youth and adults with intellectual disabilities to gain and retain employment are explored.
Supporting People with Complex and Challenging Behaviour
Authors: Hogan Laura , Bigby Christine
Published: December 2023

Challenging behaviours are relatively common for adults with intellectual disabilities. The presence of these behaviours can cause harm to the person and others, negatively impacting quality of life. Evidence demonstrates that for some people with intellectual disabilities, receiving high-quality services is sufficient to reduce or prevent challenging behaviours. For others, specialist intervention may be required. This chapter considers the different types and reasons for challenging behaviour and the importance of quality service delivery. Examples are provided throughout to demonstrate the discussed evidence-informed principles in practice. Behavioural and psychodynamic interventions are considered for people with challenging behaviours who require specialist interventions. The chapter closes with a framework of the practices that must be in place to ensure the quality of life of adults with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviours in the context of accommodation supports.
Inviscid modeling of unsteady morphing airfoils using a discrete-vortex method
Authors: Martínez-Carmena Alfonso , Ramesh Kiran
Published: December 2023

A low-order physics-based model to simulate the unsteady flow response to airfoils undergoing large-amplitude variations of the camber is presented in this paper. Potential-flow theory adapted for unsteady airfoils and numerical methods using discrete-vortex elements are combined to obtain rapid predictions of flow behavior and force evolution. To elude the inherent restriction of thin-airfoil theory to small flow disturbances, a time-varying chord line is proposed in this work over which to satisfy the appropriate boundary condition, enabling large deformations of the camber line to be modeled. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are performed to assess the accuracy of the low-order model for a wide range of dynamic trailing-edge flap deflections. By allowing the chord line to rotate with trailing-edge deflections, aerodynamic loads predictions are greatly enhanced as compared to the classical approach where the chord line is fixed. This is especially evident for large-amplitude deformations.

Graphical abstract
Kinetically-derived maximal dose (KMD) indicates lack of human carcinogenicity of ethylbenzene
Authors: Burgoon Lyle D. , Borgert Christopher J. , Fuentes Claudio , Klaunig James E.
Published: December 2023

The kinetically-derived maximal dose (KMD) is defined as the maximal external dose at which kinetics are unchanged relative to lower doses, e.g., doses at which kinetic processes are not saturated. Toxicity produced at doses above the KMD can be qualitatively different from toxicity produced at lower doses. Here, we test the hypothesis that neoplastic lesions reported in the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) rodent cancer bioassay with ethylbenzene are a high-dose phenomenon secondary to saturation of elimination kinetics. To test this, we applied Bayesian modeling on kinetic data for ethylbenzene from rats and humans to estimate the Vmax and Km for the Michaelis–Menten equation that governs the elimination kinetics. Analysis of the Michaelis–Menten elimination curve generated from those Vmax and Km values indicated KMD ranges for venous ethylbenzene of 8–17 mg/L in rats and 10–18 mg/L in humans. Those venous concentrations are produced by inhalation concentrations of around 200 ppm ethylbenzene, which is well above typical human exposures. These KMD estimates support the hypothesis that neoplastic lesions seen in the NTP rodent bioassay occur secondary to saturation of ethylbenzene elimination pathways and are not relevant for human risk assessment. Thus, ethylbenzene does not pose a credible cancer risk to humans under foreseeable exposure conditions. Cancer risk assessments focused on protecting human health should avoid endpoint data from rodents exposed to ethylbenzene above the KMD range and future toxicological testing should focus on doses below the KMD range.
Geographical Diversity of Proteomic Responses to Cold Stress in the Fungal Genus Pseudogymnoascus
Authors: Abu Bakar Nurlizah , Lau Benjamin Yii Chung , González-Aravena Marcelo , Smykla Jerzy , Krzewicka Beata , Karsani Saiful Anuar , Alias Siti Aisyah
Published: December 2023

In understanding stress response mechanisms in fungi, cold stress has received less attention than heat stress. However, cold stress has shown its importance in various research fields. The following study examined the cold stress response of sixPseudogymnoascusspp. isolated from various biogeographical regions through a proteomic approach. In total, 2541 proteins were identified with high confidence. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed diversity in the cold stress response pathways for all sixPseudogymnoascusspp. isolates, with metabolic and translation-related processes being prominent in most isolates. 25.6% of the proteins with an increase in relative abundance were increased by more than 3.0-fold. There was no link between the geographical origin of the isolates and the cold stress response ofPseudogymnoascusspp. However, one Antarctic isolate,sp3, showed a distinctive cold stress response profile involving increased flavin/riboflavin biosynthesis and methane metabolism. This Antarctic isolate (sp3) was also the only one that showed decreased phospholipid metabolism in cold stress conditions. This work will improve our understanding of the mechanisms of cold stress response and adaptation in psychrotolerant soil microfungi, with specific attention to the fungal genusPseudogymnoascus.
Sapphire-based resonant waveguide-grating mirrors: advancing their intra-cavity power density capability
Authors: Bashir Danish , Boubekraoui Ayoub , Mourkioti Georgia , Li Fangfang , Karvinen Petri , Kuittinen Markku , Mackenzie Jacob. I. , Graf Thomas , Abdou Ahmed Marwan
Published: December 2023

We report on the design, fabrication, and implementation of a single-layer resonant waveguide-grating (RWG) mirror on a sapphire substrate. Our goal is to enhance these optics capability to withstand high intra-cavity power densities by exploiting the superior thermal properties of sapphire. The RWG was implemented as an intra-cavity folding mirror in an Yb:YAG thin-disk laser to generate linearly polarized and spectrally stabilized radiation. A linearly polarized output power of 191 W with an optical efficiency of 39% was obtained in multi-mode operation. This corresponds to a power density of 52 kW/cm2 on the RWG, for which the increase of its surface temperature was measured to be 12 K, which resulted in a 46-fold reduction of the surface temperature rise dependence on the intra-cavity power density with respect to what has been reported for a RWG on a fused silica substrate. In near fundamental-mode operation, a linearly polarized emission with an output power of 90 W, an optical efficiency of 30%, and a spectral bandwidth of 28 pm FWHM was obtained.
Analytical study of the annular flow of a generalised Phan-Thien–Tanner fluid
Authors: Ribau A. M. , Ferrás L. L. , Morgado M. L. , Rebelo M. , Pinho F. T. , Afonso A. M.
Published: December 2023

The annular flow of complex viscoelastic fluids, described by the generalised Phan-Thien–Tanner model, is studied. This model considers the Mittag-Leffler function instead of the usual linear or exponential functions of the trace of the stress tensor, and includes two new parameters that provide additional fitting flexibility. We derive a semi-analytical solution that provides a better understanding of the behaviour of this type of fluid in annular flows and also helps to improve the modelling of complex materials.
Epidemiology and genetic diversity of invasive Neisseria meningitidis strains circulating in Portugal from 2003 to 2020
Authors: Bettencourt Célia , Nunes Alexandra , Nogueira Paulo , Duarte Sílvia , Silva Catarina , Gomes João Paulo , Simões Maria João
Published: December 2023

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) continues to be a public health problem due to its epidemic potential, affecting mostly children. We aimed to present a detailed description of the epidemiology of IMD in Portugal, including insights into the genetic diversity of Neisseria meningitidis strains. Epidemiological analysis included data from the Portuguese National Reference Laboratory of Neisseria meningitidis during 2003 to 2020. Since 2012, N. meningitidis isolates have also been assessed for their susceptibility to antibiotics and were characterized by whole genome sequencing. During 2003–2020, 1392 confirmed cases of IMD were analyzed. A decrease in the annual incidence rate was observed, ranging from 1.99 (2003) to 0.39 (2020), with an average case fatality rate of 7.1%. Serogroup B was the most frequent (69.7%), followed by serogroups C (9.7%), Y (5.7%), and W (2.6%). Genomic characterization of 329 isolates identified 20 clonal complexes (cc), with the most prevalent belonging to serogroup B cc41/44 (26.3%) and cc213 (16.3%). Isolates belonging to cc11 were predominantly from serogroups W (77.3%) and C (76.5%), whereas cc23 was dominant from serogroup Y (65.7%). Over the past 4 years (2017–2020), we observed an increasing trend of cases assigned to cc213, cc32, and cc11. Regarding antimicrobial susceptibility, all isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone and 61.8% were penicillin-nonsusceptible, whereas 1.4% and 1.0% were resistant to ciprofloxacin and rifampicin. This is the first detailed study on the epidemiology and genomics of invasive N. meningitidis infections in Portugal, providing relevant data to public health policy makers for a more effective control of this disease.
Mechanical communication within the microtubule through network-based analysis of tubulin dynamics
Authors: Cannariato Marco , Zizzi Eric A. , Pallante Lorenzo , Miceli Marcello , Deriu Marco A.
Published: December 2023

The identification of the mechanisms underlying the transfer of mechanical vibrations in protein complexes is crucial to understand how these super-assemblies are stabilized to perform specific functions within the cell. In this context, the study of the structural communication and the propagation of mechanical stimuli within the microtubule (MT) is important given the pivotal role of the latter in cell viability. In this study, we employed molecular modelling and the dynamical network analysis approaches to analyse the MT. The results highlight that $$\beta$$
β
-tubulin drives the transfer of mechanical information between protofilaments (PFs), which is altered at the seam due to a different interaction pattern. Moreover, while the key residues involved in the structural communication along the PF are generally conserved, a higher diversity was observed for amino acids mediating the lateral communication. Taken together, these results might explain why MTs with different PF numbers are formed in different organisms or with different $$\beta$$
β
-tubulin isotypes.
Does Industry 5.0 Reproduce Gender (In)equalities at Organisations? Understanding the Interaction of Human Resources and Software Development Teams in Supplying Human Capitals
Authors: Aydin Erhan , Rahman Mushfiqur , Ozeren Emir
Published: December 2023

The aim of this study is to illustrate the significance of human resources and software development teams in the process of value co-creation, specifically in the provision of human capital within the framework of Industry 5.0. This investigation takes into account ethical considerations, machine ethics, and gender inequalities. In order to achieve this aim, we conduct semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews with 12 Human Resources Specialists and 12 Computer Engineers in large scale organisations in Turkey. As a theoretical lens, we adopt modified grounded theory to explore the interaction of teams for demonstrating how they design and manage the digital process by considering the human–machine collaboration aspect of Industry 5.0. Based on the interviews, there are three main themes in the present research: digitalisation in tracking personnel data, ensuring ethical actions in digitalisation of organisational process, and reflections of digitalisation to gender inequality. Since studies on diversity and industry 5.0 are scarce, this research demonstrates the ethical and adverse aspects of industry 5.0, and how it reflects to gender inequality in organisations.
Pragmatism Versus Social Construction: A Reply to Shahryari
Authors: Stump David J.
Published: December 2023

In a response to my recent article in this journal, Shahram Shahryari argues that I fail to present a third position between absolutism and relativism. He makes two points: first, that fallibilism is insufficient as an alternative, because it is compatible with both relativism and absolutism. The second point is that my argument that experience can lead to objective judgment without being a new absolute fails. I discuss these in turn, showing that both critiques fail and that pragmatism is a genuine alternative between absolutism and relativism.
Why do firms fail? A new view on bankruptcy from the angle of top management team heterogeneity
Authors: Geulen Michael , Greven Andrea , Fischer-Kreer Denise , Brettel Malte
Published: December 2023

Avoiding bankruptcy is a crucial task for any firm’s top management team (TMT), and reasons for the failure to accomplish it have long been studied. While financial metrics can predict near-term bankruptcy, governance characteristics increase precision in the long term. With TMT heterogeneity, we introduce a powerful predictor for the critical time frame in between. Grounded in upper echelons theory, we argue that TMT age heterogeneity increases while heterogeneity in TMT pay and TMT functional backgrounds decreases the bankruptcy probability. We test our hypotheses using a unique dataset of large, public U.S. firms, about half of which filed for bankruptcy between 2001 and 2020. Our results support our research model and show how TMT heterogeneity significantly predicts bankruptcy. We contribute to both bankruptcy and strategic management research by underscoring the importance of TMT heterogeneity as a level of analysis when predicting bankruptcy and add to the ongoing discussion on the impact of TMT pay differences on firm performance. Additionally, we offer valuable insights to practitioners navigating their firms in times of crisis and to regulators shaping the insolvency statutes of the future.
Implications of Sex Differences on the Treatment Effectiveness in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction Related to Clinical Endpoints and Quality of Life
Authors: Aydin D. , Allach Y. , Brugts J. J.
Published: December 2023

Purpose of the Review

This narrative review will emphasize the necessity for more female enrollment in heart failure (HF) trials and proposes future investigations regarding optimal dosages. Ultimately, a deeper understanding of the unique pathophysiology and medication responses in both men and women is crucial for effective HF management and may improve the quality of life in women.

Recent Findings

An analysis of 740 cardiovascular studies reveals that women make up only 38.2% of participants on average. Regarding to trials testing the effectiveness of HF medications, women’s involvement are as low as 23.1%. While current guidelines lack sex-specific treatment recommendations, emerging research suggests differential medication dosages could be beneficial. Studies indicate that women may achieve comparable outcomes with lower doses of certain medications (angiotensin-receptor blockers) compared to men, signaling potential for more tailored dosing approaches.

We advocate that the next step in HF research should prioritize the importance of tailoring treatment for HF patients by taking into account the variations in drug absorption and distribution among women.
Elucidating the Role of Mass Transfer in Electrochemical Redox Reactions on Electrospun Fibers
Authors: Li Yan , Kan Ziwang , Jia Lina , Zhang Dan , Hong Yan , Liu Jingjing , Huang Haibo , Li Siqi , Liu Song
Published: December 2023

Mass transfer can tune the surface concentration of reactants and products and subsequently influence the catalytic performance. The morphology of nanomaterials plays an important role in the mass transfer of reaction microdomains, but related studies are lacking. Herein, a facile electrospinning technique utilizing cellulose was employed to fabricate a series of carbon nanofibers with different diameters, which exhibited excellent electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction activities. Furthermore, the microstructure of electrocatalysts could influence the gas–liquid–solid interfacial mass transfer, resulting in different electrochemical performances.

Graphical abstract
Targeting dysregulated lipid metabolism in the tumor microenvironment
Authors: Kim Do-Hee , Song Na-Young , Yim Hyungshin
Published: December 2023

The reprogramming of lipid metabolism and its association with oncogenic signaling pathways within the tumor microenvironment (TME) have emerged as significant hallmarks of cancer. Lipid metabolism is defined as a complex set of molecular processes including lipid uptake, synthesis, transport, and degradation. The dysregulation of lipid metabolism is affected by enzymes and signaling molecules directly or indirectly involved in the lipid metabolic process. Regulation of lipid metabolizing enzymes has been shown to modulate cancer development and to avoid resistance to anticancer drugs in tumors and the TME. Because of this, understanding the metabolic reprogramming associated with oncogenic progression is important to develop strategies for cancer treatment. Recent advances provide insight into fundamental mechanisms and the connections between altered lipid metabolism and tumorigenesis. In this review, we explore alterations to lipid metabolism and the pivotal factors driving lipid metabolic reprogramming, which exacerbate cancer progression. We also shed light on the latest insights and current therapeutic approaches based on small molecular inhibitors and phytochemicals targeting lipid metabolism for cancer treatment. Further investigations are worthwhile to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and the correlation between altered lipid metabolism and carcinogenesis.
Market engagement, crop diversity, dietary diversity, and food security: evidence from small-scale agricultural households in Uganda
Authors: Morrissey Katherine , Reynolds Travis , Tobin Daniel , Isbell Carina
Published: December 2023

Small-scale farmers make up the majority of farmers worldwide yet experience particularly high rates of food insecurity. A growing body of literature explores pathways to food and nutrition security among small-scale farmers but has yet to reach consensus on the most effective pathways (e.g., crop specialization for market sale versus on-farm crop diversification for home consumption) to improve livelihoods. Using structural equation modelling (SEM) based on data drawn from the 2015/16 Uganda National Panel Survey, this study considers how farm and household characteristics including gender, age, education, farm size, region, and off-farm income relate to market engagement (farm sales, market purchases) and on-farm crop diversity (Simpson’s diversity). We then further examine how market engagement and on-farm crop diversity relate to household livelihood outcomes including dietary diversity and food security (number of food secure months). Findings suggest that both higher levels of market engagement and on-farm crop diversity are associated with increased dietary diversity. Higher levels of crop diversity—whether for market sale or for self-consumption—are strongly associated with improved food security. Market engagement is positively associated with increased dietary diversity, and this association is particularly strong for market purchases. Together, these findings highlight the potential for both market-based strategies and on-farm crop diversity to contribute to food security goals in Uganda, providing further evidence that these strategies can be complementary.
A COVID-19 stress test for life insurance: insights into the effectiveness of different risk mitigation strategies
Authors: Hanika Moritz
Published: December 2023

COVID-19 has affected mortality rates and financial markets worldwide. Against this background, we perform a COVID-19 stress test for life insurance, considering a joint financial and mortality shock, to evaluate the effectiveness of different risk mitigation strategies. Specifically, we conduct a model-based simulation analysis of a life insurer selling annuities and term life insurances. The analysis includes stress scenarios that are calibrated to observations during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also consider new business and study the risk situation under three different risk mitigation strategies observed in practice as an immediate response to the pandemic: stopping sales, increasing premiums, or adjusting investment strategies. Results show that a life insurer’s risk situation is mainly affected in the short term, selling annuities (in addition to term life insurance) immunizes against the mortality shock, and the immediate use of risk mitigation strategies can help reduce the negative impact.
Integrating image processing and deep learning for effective analysis and classification of dust pollution in mining processes
Authors: Yin JiangJiang , Lei Jiangyang , Fan Kaixin , Wang Shaofeng
Published: December 2023

A comprehensive evaluation method is proposed to analyze dust pollution generated in the production process of mines. The method employs an optimized image-processing and deep learning framework to characterize the gray and fractal features in dust images. The research reveals both linear and logarithmic correlations between the gray features, fractal dimension, and dust mass, while employing Chauvenel criteria and arithmetic averaging to minimize data discreteness. An integrated hazardous index is developed, including a logarithmic correlation between the index and dust mass, and a four-category dataset is subsequently prepared for the deep learning framework. Based on the range of the hazardous index, the dust images are divided into four categories. Subsequently, a dust risk classification system is established using the deep learning model, which exhibits a high degree of performance after the training process. Notably, the model achieves a testing accuracy of 95.3%, indicating its effectiveness in classifying different levels of dust pollution, and the precision, recall, and F1-score of the system confirm its reliability in analyzing dust pollution. Overall, the proposed method provides a reliable and efficient way to monitor and analyze dust pollution in mines.
Experimental investigation on the pore structure and Water Inrush Evolution Law of weakly cemented fault fracture zone with different filling gradations
Authors: Wu Yufan , Huang Zhen , Gu Qixiong , Lin Yuansheng , Moyo Dickson , Wu Yun , Zou Chunjiang , Zhao Kui
Published: December 2023

Water and mud inrush caused by fault is a geological disaster characterized by high frequency and huge destructiveness. It is important to study the evolutionary laws of water inrush in fault fracture zones with various filling types. The effect of filling gradation on the mesoscopic structure and seepage characteristics of fault fracture zones was investigated. The law of water inrush evolution and water inrush characteristics of fault-fractured zones with different filling gradations and strong zoning filling characteristics were studied. The results showed that for the larger Talbot gradation indices, the mass of water inrush and the fractal dimension of the lost particles were larger, the peak water pressure and the mass of the lost particles were smaller, and the duration of the initial impermeability stage was shorter for the same loading water pressure. For the fault fracture zones with strong zoning filling characteristics, the peak water pressure, the mass of water surges, and the mass of lost particles were larger, the fractal dimension of the lost particles was smaller, and the duration of the initial impermeability stage was shorter for the fracture zones with larger filling gradation were used as the initial impermeability zones. Furthermore, with larger filling gradation, we observed a greater proportion of large pores, a larger equivalent throat radius, higher pore connectivity, and coordination numbers. Filling gradation and confining pressure greatly affected the permeability of the fault. The permeability decreased by 98.71% when the Talbot gradation indices decreased from 1.25 to 0.6, and decreased by 58.4% when the confining pressure increased from 5 MPa to 15 MPa.
Failure precursor characteristics of different types of rocks under load: insights from critical slowing down of acoustic emission
Authors: Ou Jianchun , Wang Enyuan , Wang Xinyu
Published: December 2023

In this study, uniaxial compression tests and simultaneous acoustic emission (AE) monitoring were carried out on four rocks (yellow sandstone, white sandstone, marble and limestone). The mechanical properties and AE energy evolution characteristics of different rocks were analysed. With the help of critical slowing down (CSD) theory, the AE precursor characteristics of their failure were investigated. It is pointed out that the AE during rock loading has a CSD phenomenon. A sudden change in the variance of one of the CSD indicators can be regarded as a precursor to failure, and it has the advantage of being more accurate and sensitive to failure than the autocorrelation coefficient. The stress level of a rock's failure precursor is closely related to its brittleness characteristics. The higher the brittleness of the rock, the more backward the failure precursor is, and the more difficult the early warning is. The study aims to provide new indicators and references for the monitoring and early warning of rockbursts and other disasters induced by rock fracture in deep underground engineering.
Frequency Response for Sweep-Up and Sweep-Down of Piezoelectric Energy Harvester
Authors: Shafik Aya M. , Kaid M. A. , Ali M. G. S. , Eltanany Ali M.
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The aim of this work is to study the frequency response of linear and nonlinear piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (pVEH) based on Duffing-type nonlinearity and Kirchhoff’s law, and the effect of the effective electromechanical coupling on the frequency response of nonlinear pVEH.

Methods

The analytical technique based on the harmonic balance method (HBM) is used to obtain the mechanical and electrical frequency responses of linear and nonlinear pVEH, and the Jacobian matrix is used to analyze the solutions’ stability. The Runge–Kutta fourth-order method as a numerical technique is used to solve the ordinary differential equations of pVEH.

Results

The analytical calculations are completed, and the frequency response solution of displacement of pVEH is contained in real and complex values and those of electrical responses are presented. The harmonic balance results are compared with numerical simulations for various hardening nonlinear springs. Simple analytical expressions for the jump points are suggested for the sweep-up and sweep-down frequencies of pVEH.

Conclusions

The analytical analysis shows that the jump-down frequency ratios have definite behaviors for each low and high effective electromechanical coupling of hardening-nonlinear pVEHs. Moreover, the jump-up frequency ratio is directly proportional to the effective electromechanical coupling of hardening nonlinear pVEHs.
Lateral Laxity in Flexion Influences Patient-Reported Outcome After Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Okamoto Nobukazu , Nakamura Eiichi , Masuda Tetsuro , Hisanaga Satoshi , Miyamoto Takeshi
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Slight lateral laxity exists in normal knee especially in flexion. The lateral laxity in flexion has possibility to affect the outcome after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine how intraoperative laxity in flexion affects patient-reported outcome after total knee arthroplasty.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed 98 knees with osteoarthritis that underwent total knee arthroplasty. After bone resection, ligament imbalance and joint component gaps were measured using an offset-type tensor while applying a 40-lb joint distraction force at 0° and 90° of knee flexion. The lateral laxity in flexion was determined by subtracting polyethylene insert thickness from the lateral gap at 90°. All patients were divided into three groups: ≤ 2 mm (A), 2–5 mm (B), and > 5 mm (C). One year after surgery, patients were asked to fill out questionnaires using the new Knee Society Score after examination outside the consultation room.

Results

The mean intraoperative lateral laxities at 90° were − 0.2 ± 2.1 mm, 3.5 ± 0.7 mm, and 6.7 ± 1.9 mm in groups A, B, and C, respectively. The symptom score of group C was significantly lower than those of groups A or B. There were no significant differences in terms of satisfaction or the expectation and activity scores among all groups. There were no significant differences in terms of alignment after total knee arthroplasty among all groups.

Conclusions

Excessive lateral laxity possibly resulted in worse patient-reported outcomes. However, slight lateral laxity of 2–5 mm might have no effect on patient-reported outcome and this slight varus imbalance could be acceptable. Altogether, our findings would lead to avoidance of excessive medial release in soft tissue balancing.
Estimation of future storm surge inundation and effects of the adaptation measures in Qingdao, China
Authors: Wang Yanping , Jiang Wensheng , Liu Xing , Liao Qi , Yu Ge , Bian Changwei
Published: December 2023

The ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) model was applied to the sea area surrounding Qingdao, China, to estimate the impact of climate change on storm surge and inundation induced by eight typical typhoons in current and future scenarios. Model results were validated using the available observations. These results indicate that the storm surge caused by typhoons with different intensities and paths has various effects on the Qingdao area. Furthermore, measurement results of the storm inundation area in the future scenario revealed that, in any case, with the future rise in sea level, the typhoon intensity, the inundation area, and the storm surge intensity increase. In response to changes in the storm surge and the actual situation in Qingdao, this study emphasized that coastal flooding is caused by the storm surge. Three adaptation measure scenarios were set as follows: the current level of adaptation measures (CLA), the continuation level of adaptation measures (CA), and the enhanced level of adaptation measures (EA). Based on different scenarios, the CA will reduce most of the inundation area caused by coastal flooding compared with the CLA. EA is the most significant in reducing inundation, demonstrating a decrease in inundation of more than 50%. This research has shown that good coastal protection will reduce most coastal flooding, and building dams will be considered a significant adaptation measure.