bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Regressional Study on the Impact of Organizational Security Culture and Transformational Leadership on Social Engineering Awareness among Bank Employees: The Interplay of Security Education and Behavioral Change
Authors: Olaniyi Oluwaseun Oladeji , Asonze Christopher Uzoma , Ajayi Samson Abidemi , Olabanji Samuel Oladiipo , Adigwe Chinasa Susan
Published: December 2023

Organizations across various sectors are increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches in an era characterized by unprecedented technological advancements and a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Among the myriad methods employed by malicious actors, social engineering stands out as a particularly insidious and effective means of infiltrating secure systems and obtaining sensitive information. To effectively address these issues, organizations must establish and sustain a principled security process; this process goes beyond installing the latest security technologies. It encompasses the concept of "organizational security culture. This paper investigates the impact of organizational security culture and transformational leadership on bank employees' social engineering awareness, focusing on security education and behavioral change. Social engineering is the unauthorized infiltration of the end user's computer system and network through malware techniques such as tailgating, phishing, vishing, pretexting, and baiting to gain access to companies and individual confidential data; thus, this study aims to analyze the effect of organizational security culture and transformational leadership on social engineering awareness among bank employees while assessing security education's role in driving behavioral change. This research used the Likert scale model to collect primary data through survey questionnaires from 450 bank employees. The data collected was analyzed using linear regression analysis to test the study’s hypothesis. This study recommends that banking institutions should adopt a good organizational security culture and expose their staff to effective security education, as this will cause a change in employees' security behavior and more research should be conducted regarding security culture, security education, and awareness programs within banking institutions due to bank operations' ever-dynamic nature and ensuring preparedness for prevailing cyber threats.
A Comparative Study of Secondary School Mathematics Teaching Materials from the Perspective of Reasoning--Taking "Pythagorean Theorem" as an Example
Authors: Lian Jieqi , Yu Xinrou , Kang Qianqian , Jia Suijun
Published: December 2023

Education has always been a hot topic of discussion. From the results of junior high school mathematics assessments in recent years, there are differences in mathematical abilities between Eastern Europe and Europe and America. Since reasoning is crucial to understanding mathematics, we compare the "Pythagorean Theorem" in textbooks from China, the United States, and Singapore, examining the theorem's different types of reasoning and how it relates to previously acquired knowledge. The reasoning categories proposed by Shi Ningzhong, Harel, and Sowder serve as the fundamental basis for categorizing the varieties of reasoning in this research. The introduction of proofs for the hook and Pythagorean theorem is investigated for each edition of the textbook, and concerning the deductive reasoning ability, the People's Education Press edition (PEP) and Zhejiang Education edition (ZJE) editions are in the first tier, followed by Singaporean textbooks and American textbooks. In terms of the correlation between the Pythagorean theorem and what has been learned, the ZJE involves the most points of correlation. Finally, we discuss the implications of these results for teachers' explanations of the Pythagorean theorem: teachers can briefly introduce the geometric deductive proof process of the Pythagorean theorem to stimulate students' interest in learning mathematics.
Analysis and Strategy of Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) Cultivation of Rawit Capsicum (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Tidore Eastern
Authors: Hasnarty  , Sudjud Suratman , Tjokrodiningrat Suryati
Published: December 2023

Farmers in Tidore City of the Islands grow a lot of capsicum frutescens as a horticultural product. Initiatives to increase production and close the production gap between the regions must go hand in hand with the government's efforts to make Tidore Island City a ravit pepper supplier in Northern Maluku. The cultivation technique is one of the reasons for the variance in raw pepper production. The study's goal is to investigate the level of application of Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) in pepper growing in the Eastern Tidore district and the techniques that can be used to affect GAP implementation. The study was conducted in Tidore City Eastern District, Northern Maluku Province. Purposive sampling is a sample-taking approach in which respondents were chosen at random from among 100 farmers, with the criterion of farmers who had been attempting to rawit pepper for more than 5 years. Land location (X1), soil preparation and planting media (X2), seed quality (X3), planting and maintenance (X4), fertilizer (X5), plant protection (X6), pesticides (X7), harvest (X8), post-harvesting (X9), and waste and rubbish handling (X10) are the ten assessment parameters. Descriptive analysis, Likert scale, and SWOT analysis were used to analyze the data. According to the study findings, farmers' grasp of GAP is rather excellent, and the rate of GAP implementation has an average score of 2.70 in the reasonably good category. The S-O strategy, which, with soil fertility, has both the potential to expand the development of horticultural crops as well as the knowledge and skills of farmers sufficiently skilled in chili cultivation techniques, can increase the production of chili rawit in the Eastern Tidore district.
PTEN‐mediated dephosphorylation of 53BP1 confers cellular resistance to DNA damage in cancer cells
Authors: He Jianfeng , Huang Caihu , Guo Yanmin , Deng Rong , Li Lian , Chen Ran , Wang Yanli , Huang Jian , Zheng Junke , Zhao Xian , Yu Jianxiu
Published: December 2023

Homologous recombination (HR) repair for DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs) is critical for maintaining genome stability and conferring the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy. Nuclear PTEN which contains both phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5‐trisphosphate 3‐phosphatase and protein phosphatase plays a key role in HR repair, but the underlying mechanism remains largely elusive. We find that SUMOylated PTEN promotes HR repair but represses nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) repair by directly dephosphorylating TP53‐binding protein 1 (53BP1). During DNA damage responses (DDR), tumor suppressor ARF (p14ARF) was phosphorylated and then interacted efficiently with PTEN, thus promoting PTEN SUMOylation as an atypical SUMO E3 ligase. Interestingly, SUMOylated PTEN was subsequently recruited to the chromatin at DSB sites. This was because SUMO1 that was conjugated to PTEN was recognized and bound by the SUMO‐interacting motif (SIM) of breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1), which has been located to the core of 53BP1 foci on chromatin during S/G2 stage. Furthermore, these chromatin‐loaded PTEN directly and specifically dephosphorylated phosphothreonine‐543 (pT543) of 53BP1, resulting in the dissociation of the 53BP1 complex, which facilitated DNA end resection and ongoing HR repair. SUMOylation‐site‐mutated PTENK254R mice also showed decreased DNA damage repair in vivo. Blocking the PTEN SUMOylation pathway with either a SUMOylation inhibitor or a p14ARF(2‐13) peptide sensitized tumor cells to chemotherapy. Our study therefore provides a new mechanistic understanding of PTEN in HR repair and clinical intervention of chemoresistant tumors.
Single isocenter HyperArc treatment of multiple intracranial metastases: Targeting accuracy
Authors: Li Fang , Mail Noor , Stefania diMayorca Maria , McCaw Travis J. , Ozhasoglu Cihat , Lalonde Ronald , Chang Jina , Huq Mohammed Saiful
Published: December 2023

Purpose/objectives

(A) To examine the alignment accuracy of CBCT guidance for brain metastases with off centered isocenters, (B) to test dose delivery and targeting accuracy for single isocenter treatments with multiple brain metastases. We report the results of the end‐to‐end test for Truebeam stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

Materials/methods

An anthropomorphic CT head phantom was drilled with five MOSFET inserts and two PTW Pinpoint chamber inserts. The phantom was simulated, planned, and delivered. For the purpose of comparing the accuracy of alignment, CBCTs were acquired with the isocenter centered and offset superiorly 8 cm, inferiorly 8 cm, anteriorly 7 cm, posteriorly 7 cm, and right 5 cm. There were six degrees of freedom corrections applied to the plans, as well as intentional rotational and translational errors for dose comparisons. Dose accuracy checks were performed with MOSFET and PTW Pinpoint chamber, and targeting accuracy was assessed with GafChromic films.

Result

(A) Compared to centered CBCT, off‐centered CBCT scan showed some alignment errors, with a maximum difference of 0.6‐degree pitch and 0.9 mm translation when the phantom was placed 8 cm inferior off center. (B) For the single isocenter plan, measured doses of the five MOSFET were 95%–100% of the planned dose, whereas the multiple isocenter plans were 96%–100%. With intentional setup errors of 1‐degree pitch, doses were 97.1%–100.4% compared to the perfect setup. The same was found for the two pinpoint chamber readings with 1‐degree rotation and 1 mm translation. (C) Targeting accuracy for targets at the isocenter is 0.67 mm, within the machine specification of 0.75 mm. Targeting accuracy for isocenters 6–12 cm away from the target is in the range 0.67–1.18 mm.

Conclusion

(A) Single isocenter HyperArc treatments for multiple brain metastases are feasible and targeting accuracy is clinically acceptable. (B) The vertex in a cranial scan is very important for proper alignment.
An machine learning model to predict quality of life subtypes of disabled stroke survivors
Authors: Xu Qi , Lei Lei , Lin Zhenguo , Zhong Weimin , Wu Xinhong , Zheng Dingzhao , Li Taibiao , Huang Jiyi , Yan Tiebin
Published: December 2023

Objective

Stroke causes serious physical disability with impaired quality of life (QoL) and heavy burden on health. The goal of this study is to explore the impaired QoL typologies and their predicting factors in physically disabled stroke survivors with machine learning approach.

Methods

Non‐negative matrix factorization (NMF) was applied to clustering 308 physically disabled stroke survivors in rural China based on their responses on the short form 36 (SF‐36) assessment of quality of life. Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to differentiate the subtypes, and the Boruta algorithm was used to identify the variables relevant to the categorization of two subtypes. A gradient boosting machine(GBM) and local interpretable model‐agnostic explanation (LIME) algorithms were used to apply to interpret the variables that drove subtype predictions.

Results

Two distinct subtypes emerged, characterized by short form 36 (SF‐36) domains. The feature difference between worsen QoL subtype and better QoL subtype was as follows: role‐emotion (RE), body pain (BP) and general health (GH), but not physical function (PF); the most relevant predictors of worsen QoL subtypes were help from others, followed by opportunities for community activity and rehabilitation needs, rather than disability severity or duration since stroke.

Interpretation

The results suggest that the rehabilitation programs should be tailored toward their QoL clustering feature; body pain and emotional‐behavioral problems are more crucial than motor deficit; stroke survivors with worsen QoL subtype are most in need of social support, return to community, and rehabilitation.
Robust high‐gain observer‐based sliding mode controller for pitch and yaw position control of an AUV
Authors: Desai Ravishankar P. , Manjarekar Narayan S.
Published: December 2023

This article addresses a trajectory tracking control problem concerning an autonomous underwater vehicle's pitch and yaw channel dynamics in the presence of model uncertainties, underwater disturbances, and input saturation. Three different observers are introduced to estimate unknown state variables: a Luenberger‐type cubic observer, a sliding mode observer, and a high‐gain observer (HGO). Initially, a backstepping controller is employed to tackle the tracking problem, extending it to incorporate backstepping sliding mode control (SMC). The mentioned observers are utilized in both aspects of the controller design. Our proposed control law assesses trajectory tracking performance by introducing virtual control inputs, with the sliding surface designed to guide the current state variables toward approximating the virtual state variables. By combining backstepping and SMC, ensure that the state variables of the closed‐loop system converge to the desired state using the HGO. A rigorous analysis is incorporated to validate the robust performance of our proposed control law under conditions of model uncertainties and underwater disturbances. Furthermore, the control law is extended for anti‐windup compensation, mitigating adverse effects on stern and rudder plane saturation levels. Lyapunov stability theory is adopted to establish the stability of the closed‐loop system. Our simulation results convincingly demonstrate the effectiveness of the HGO‐based backstepping SMC law compared to alternative control approaches.
Selective Growth of Type‐II Weyl‐Semimetal and Van der Waals Stacking for Sensitive Terahertz Photodetection
Authors: He Yuan , Yang Liu , Hu Zhen , Zhang Libo , Pan Xiaokai , Wei Yingdong , Guo Shuguang , Lv Xuyang , Jiang Mengjie , Han Li , Wang Dong , Lan Shiqi , Sun Xin , Chen Xiaoshuang , Zhang Kai , Wang Lin
Published: December 2023

The emergence of novel topological semimetal materials, accompanied by exotic non‐equilibrium properties, not only provides a fertile playground for a fundamental level of interest but also opens exciting opportunities for inventing new applications by making use of different light‐induced effects such as nonlinear optics, optoelectronics, especially for the highly pursued terahertz (THz) technology due to the gapless electronic structures. Exploring type‐II Weyl semimetal endowed with the richness of quantum wavefunction and peculiar band structure, underlie strong nonlinear coupling with THz waves. Here, the selective growth of type‐II Weyl semimetal NbIrTe4 by means of a self‐flux approach is reported, which hosts strongly tilted Weyl cones and exotic Fermi arcs. The oscillating THz field induced by the antenna is engineered in terms of planar metal‐topological semimetal‐metal structure, along with van der Waals stacking, which allows for self‐powered photodetection at room temperature. The results elucidate the superior performance of NbIrTe4‐graphene heterostructure‐based photodetectors with responsivity up to 264.6 V W−1 at 0.30 THz, fast response of 1 µs as well as low noise equivalent power ˂0.28 nW Hz−0.5 is achieved, already exhibiting high‐quality imaging at THz frequency. The results promise superb impacts in exploring topological Weyl semimetals for efficient low‐energy photon harvesting.
Enhanced Intermolecular Electron Transfer in Fluorinated Metal–Organic Framework Photocatalysts for Efficient CO2 Reduction
Authors: Xu Wenkai , Zhang Gui‐Rong , Wang Jiansong , Yu Hui , Zhang Weiwei , Shen Liu‐Liu , Mei Donghai
Published: December 2023

Efficient electron transfer from photosensitizer to catalytic sites is crucial for effective artificial photosynthesis, yet it remains a significant challenge. Herein, it is reported that simple fluorination of the organic linkers in the MIL‐101(Fe) photocatalyst results in a remarkable threefold increase in the photocatalytic CO2‐to‐CO conversion rate (688 µmol g−1 h−1) compared to the pristine counterpart (230 µmol g−1 h−1). It is unveiled that, instead of directly modifying the electron structure of MIL‐101(Fe), the fluorinated linkers enhance the interaction between the discrete photocatalyst and photosensitizer ([Ru(bpy)3]2+, bpy = 2,2'‐bipyridine)  via hydrogen bonding, thereby facilitating their intermolecular electron transfer. Most importantly, it is also demonstrated that this performance boosting strategy can be applied to other Fe‐based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) photocatalysts such as MIL‐53(Fe) and MIL‐88(Fe). The present work not only underscores the fluorination of organic linkers as a generic promising approach to enhance the photocatalytic performance of MOF‐based catalysts, but also holds significant implications for photosynthesis and catalytic processes reliant on intermolecular electron transfer as an important step.
Biomimetic Hydrogel Containing Copper Sulfide Nanoparticles and Deferoxamine for Photothermal Therapy of Infected Diabetic Wounds
Authors: Shen Haijun , Zhang Chun , Meng Ye , Qiao Yi , Ma Yane , Chen Jialing , Wang Xiaona , Pan Lei
Published: December 2023

Inducing cell migration from the edges to the center of a wound, promoting angiogenesis, and controlling bacterial infection are very important for diabetic wound healing. Incorporating growth factors and antibiotics into hydrogels for wound dressing is considered a potential strategy to meet these requirements. However, some present drawbacks greatly slow down their development toward application, such as the short half‐life and high price of growth factors, low antibiotic efficiency against drug‐resistant bacteria, insufficient ability of hydrogels to promote cell migration, etc. Deferoxamine (DFO) can upregulate the expression of HIF‐1α, thus stimulating the secretion of angiogenesis‐related endogenous growth factors. Copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles possess excellent antibacterial performance combined with photothermal therapy (PTT). Herein, DFO and CuS nanoparticles are incorporated into a biomimetic hydrogel, which mimics the structure and function of the extracellular matrix (ECM), abbreviated as DFO/CuS‐ECMgel. This biomimetic hydrogel is expected to be able to promote cell adhesion and migration, be degraded by cell‐secreted matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and then release DFO and CuS nanoparticles at the wound site to exert their therapeutic effects. As a result, the three crucial requirements for diabetic wound healing, “beneficial for cell adhesion and migration, promoting angiogenesis, effectively killing drug‐resistant bacteria,” can be achieved simultaneously.
Modeling Biodegradable Free Chlorine Sensor Performance Using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Siddiqui Junaid , Deen M. Jamal
Published: December 2023

Electrochemical sensors are used to measure target analytes in water, meat, fruits, or vegetables, to ensure their safety, security, and integrity for human use. In this paper, a solution‐based fabrication process is presented for a biodegradable electrochemical free chlorine sensor using asparagine that is functionalized onto graphene oxide (GO). An ink solution of the GO functionalized with asparagine is synthesized, and then deposited onto a screen‐printed carbon electrode (SPCE) using a spin coater. The sensor shows high a sensitivity of 0.30 µA ppm−1over a linear range of 0–8 ppm with a hysteresis‐limited resolution of 0.2 ppm after achieving a steady state at 50 s. From the development and testing of the free chlorine sensor, over 9000 datapoints are collected and used for training an artificial neural network (ANN) model to quantify and characterize the factors affecting the free chlorine sensor's performance, and model its degradation characteristics. The model reports a low mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.1603 and a high model accuracy with a Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) of 0.9950, demonstrating that these degradation characteristics can be modeled and be used to compensate the degraded performance characteristics of the free chlorine sensors.
Paper‐Based Lead Sulfide Quantum Dot Heterojunction Photodetectors
Authors: Zhang Cong , Yin Xingtian , Qian Guojiang , Chen Gaocheng , Iqbal Shoaib , Que Wenxiu
Published: December 2023

Paper‐based photodetectors have emerged as reliable candidates for wearable electronics due to their low‐cost, degradability and excellent bending properties. However, the application of quantum dots (QDs) to paper‐based devices remains a challenge due to the low carrier mobility. In this work, lead sulfide (PbS) QDs are successfully applied to paper‐based devices by constructing the amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a‐IGZO)/PbS QDs‐EDT heterojunction to enhance the photoconductive gain of the QDs film. The effect of different paper substrates are investigated on device performance and demonstrate that the heterojunction is not suitable for the fiber‐like paper substrate. Heterojunction devices based on Senyan paper and glass paper exhibit stable detection performance with detectivity of 1.71 × 1010 and 3.19 × 1011 Jones, respectively. Benefit from the unique micro‐morphology, the Senyan paper‐based device exhibits excellent bending resistance and remained stable after 1000 bends.
Wrinkled Graphene Structure and Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Induced Stretchable White Random Lasers Based on GLN‐functionalized 2D WS2 Quantum Dots
Authors: Chien Yu‐Hsuan , Lu Guan‐Zhang , Li Sin‐En , Chen Yu‐Ting , Tsao Yu‐Chuan , Chao Yu‐Chieh , Shen Ji‐Lin , Chen Yang‐Fang
Published: December 2023

This study presents investigations into the fabrication, characterization, and performance analysis of stretchable white random lasers based on 2D glutamine(GLN)‐functionalized WS2 quantum dots (QDs) enhanced by the integration of Au nanoparticles (NPs) and a wrinkled graphene structure. Wrinkled graphene holds the potential for achieving transient population inversion through electron collisions. Incorporating Au NPs introduces localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), which enhances the light‐matter interaction, resulting in reduced lasing thresholds. The GLN‐functionalized WS2 QDs exhibit strong photoluminescence emission, and their integration with a wrinkled graphene structure and Au NPs creates a synergistic effect that enhances the emission efficiency and enables the realization of white random lasing. The extensive characterization and analysis of the emission spectra under different deformation ratios provide valuable insights into the tunability and reliability of these devices, as well as the importance of light trapping due to the wrinkled graphene structure. The findings of this study underscore the significant potential of LSPR and wrinkled graphene structure induced stretchable and white random lasers based on 2D GLN‐functionalized WS2 QDs. These lasers may have a promising application in the field of flexible and wearable photonics, which is a critical step towards the development of next‐generation optoelectronic devices with improved performance.
Thermally Reversible Luminescence in Ferroelastic Phase Transition Materials
Authors: Zhou Qing‐Jie , He Lei , Xu Ke , Han Xiang‐Bin , Yin Ti‐Jian , Zhang Wen , Ye Qiong
Published: December 2023

The thermally reversible luminescent materials with information encryption are important and widely used in the information age. However, it is challenging to obtain such materials. In this work, a 0D In‐based hybrid compound [(CH3)3NCH2CHCH2]2InCl5 ((TAMAC)2InCl5) is synthesized and undergoes a high‐temperature ferroelastic phase transition with an Aizu notation of mmF2/m at 333 K. In the room temperature phase (RTP), it shows a weak blue glow with a photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY) of 0.32% under the UV lamp at 365 nm. By using a metal ion doping strategy to improve the photophysical properties, a series of compounds is obtained: (TAMAC)2In1‐xCl5:xSb3+ (x = 0.1%,0.5%,1%, and 1.5%, x represents the actual amount) with the same ferroelastic phase transition as that found in (TAMAC)2InCl5. When x = 0.5%, the PLQY reaches 50.66% with the luminous color change from blue to orange. Interestingly, it is found that the orange luminescence of the doped materials can rapidly and reversibly quench and recover between heating and cooling cycles, where the thermally induced phase transition results in this thermally reversible luminescence phenomenon. This discovery reveals the mechanism of luminescence quenching and phase transition, and provides a new pathway for the construction of new thermal‐sensitive luminescent materials with information encryption.
Versatile Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitters via Non‐conjugated Extension Strategy Enabling OLEDs with Efficiency Over 37%
Authors: Ma Zhiwei , Wang Yuyuan , Pu Junrong , Li Gaoyu , Mao Zhu , Zhao Juan , Yang Zhiyong , Su Shi‐Jian , Chi Zhenguo
Published: December 2023

In recent years, thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials with high horizontal dipole ratios (Θ//) have attracted enormous attention in constructing high‐efficiency organic light–emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, the common strategy to improve Θ// based on extending π‐conjugation tends to induce bathochromic emission shift, and emitters with Θ// exceeding 90% are rarely reported. Herein, a non‐conjugated extension strategy is developed to promote molecular horizontal dipole orientation. By simply modifying the spiro‐acridine with extra 9‐phenylcarbazole groups, two high‐efficiency and versatile TADF emitters 36DPCZSFAC‐TRZ and 36DPCZSFAC‐PYPM are constructed without bathochromic emission shift, and state‐of‐the‐art ultra‐high Θ// of 92% and 96% are achieved, respectively. More fascinatingly, due to the special spiro molecular structures, the TADF emitters hold distinguished merits of aggregation‐induced emission property, near unitary photoluminescence quantum yields, fast reverse intersystem crossing rates, and enhanced charge‐carrier transport property, which enable outstanding external quantum efficiency values of up to 22.1/20.9% and 37.4/34.2% in non‐doped/doped OLEDs for 36DPCZSFAC‐TRZ and 36DPCZSFAC‐PYPM, respectively, demonstrating their great potentials in the fabrication of high‐efficiency OLEDs.
Tattoo‐Like Multi‐Color Physically Unclonable Functions
Authors: Kiremitler N. Burak , Esidir Abidin , Drake Gryphon A. , Yazici Ahmet Faruk , Sahin Furkan , Torun Ilker , Kalay Mustafa , Kelestemur Yusuf , Demir Hilmi Volkan , Shim Moonsub , Mutlugun Evren , Onses M. Serdar
Published: December 2023

Advanced anti‐counterfeiting and authentication approaches are in urgent need of the rapidly digitizing society. Physically unclonable functions (PUFs) attract significant attention as a new‐generation security primitive. The challenge is design and generation of multi‐color PUFs that can be universally applicable to objects of varied composition, geometry, and rigidity. Herein, tattoo‐like multi‐color fluorescent PUFs are proposed and demonstrated. Multi‐channel optical responses are created by electrospraying of polymers that contain semiconductor nanocrystals with precisely defined photoluminescence. The universality of this approach enables the use of dot and dot‐in‐rod geometries with unique optical characteristics. The fabricated multi‐color PUFs are then transferred to a target object by using a temporary tattoo approach. Digitized keys generated from the red, green and blue fluorescence channels facilitate large encoding capacity and rapid authentication. Feature matching algorithms complement the authentication by direct image comparison, effectively alleviating constraints associated with imaging conditions. The strategy that paves the way for the development of practical, cost‐effective, and secure anticounterfeiting systems is presented.
Ultra‐Pure Chiral Third Harmonic Generation Enabled by Mie‐Resonant Dielectric Dimer
Authors: Liu Xingguang , Li Junqing , Zhao Rui , Zhang Yingjie , Chen Chen , Dong Yongkang
Published: December 2023

Tailoring chiroptical responses at the nanoscale is crucial for on‐chip compact polarization manipulation and enantiomer sensing. Efficient chiral second and third harmonic generation has been successfully demonstrated from bulk materials to metamaterials. Here, pronounced linear and nonlinear circular dichroisms are obtained by rotating a dielectric nanocylinder dimer. It is revealed that the giant chiroptical effects originate from multipolar Mie resonances on the dimer, especially the magnetic dipole resonance. The calculated nonlinear g‐factor can reach −1.975 in the visible regime, indicating an ultra‐pure chiral third harmonic generation in the ultraviolet band. The presented results open new horizons for enhancing and modulating the linear and nonlinear chiroptical responses of nanostructures and can find potential applications in lasing and sensing.
Accelerating Uranium Extraction from Water via Synergy of Adsorption and Filtration by MOF Hybrid Membrane
Authors: Zhang Yifan , Gao Jian , Deng Ziqi , Li Ziming , Wang Fengju , Chen Shusen , Deng Pengyang
Published: December 2023

In this paper, novel UiO‐66‐AO‐based adsorption‐filtration hybrid membranes (UAMs) are prepared via an irradiation‐mediated growth strategy to simultaneously improve water flux and accelerate uranium extraction from water resources. The UAM shows an equilibrium adsorption that is four times faster than UiO‐66‐AO powder and an adsorption capacity that is over two times higher. UAM also achieves a record synergy of high flux and high uranium removal ratio from simulated seawater (1358.8 L m−2 h−1, 84.5%) by one‐time filtration under ambient temperature and pressure (the adsorption is 1.83 mg g−1 in 90 min). The excellent uranium extraction performance is attributed to the unique UAM structure, in which water flows through the channels of thin metal‐organic framework (MOF) film without blocking by substrate leading to the high flux during filtration, and the full contact of uranium with abundant exposed active sites promotes the adsorption. This work will be conducive to overcoming the bottleneck problems of uranium extraction from water resources.
Ultrabroadband High Photoresponsivity at Room Temperature Based on Quasi‐1D Pseudogap System (TaSe4)2I
Authors: Li Jialin , Li Qing , Mi Junjian , Xu Zhuan , Xie Yu , Tang Wei , Zhu Huanfeng , Li Linjun , Tong Limin
Published: December 2023

Narrow bandgap materials have garnered significant attention within the field of broadband photodetection. However, the performance is impeded by diminished absorption near the bandgap, resulting in a rapid decline in photoresponsivity within the mid‐wave infrared (MWIR) and long‐wave infrared (LWIR) regions. Furthermore, they mostly worked in cryogenic temperature. Here, without the assistance of any complex structure and special environment, it is realized high responsivity covering ultra‐broadband wavelength range (Ultraviolet (UV) to LWIR) in a single quasi‐1D pseudogap (PG) system (TaSe4)2I nanoribbon, especially high responsivity (From 23.9 to 8.31 A W−1) within MWIR and LWIR region at room temperature (RT). Through direct probing the carrier relaxation process with broadband time‐resolved transient absorption spectrum measurement, the underlying mechanism of majorly photoconductive effect is revealed, which causes an increased spectral weight extended to PG region. This work paves the way for realizing high‐performance uncooled MWIR and LWIR detection by using quasi‐1D PG materials.
Potassium‐Rich Iron Hexacyanoferrate/Carbon Cloth Electrode for Flexible and Wearable Potassium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Li Xinyue , Zhang Xiaolin , Xu Junmin , Duan Zhixia , Xu Yue , Zhang Xiaosheng , Zhang Lingling , Wang Ye , Chu Paul K.
Published: December 2023

The fast development of flexible and wearable electronics increases the demand for flexible secondary batteries, and the emerging high‐performance K‐ion batteries (KIBs) have shown immense promise for the flexible electronics due to the abundant and cost‐effective potassium resources. However, the implementation of flexible cathodes for KIBs is hampered by the critical issues of low capacity, rapid capacity decay with cycles, and limited initial Coulombic efficiency. To address these pressing issues, a freestanding K‐rich iron hexacyanoferrate/carbon cloth (KFeHCF/CC) electrode is designed and fabricated by cathodic deposition. This innovative binder‐free and self‐supporting KFeHCF/CC electrode not only provides continuous conductive channels for electrons, but also accelerates the diffusion of potassium ions through the active electrode–electrolyte interface. Moreover, the nanosized potassium iron hexacyanoferrate particles limit particle fracture and pulverization to preserve the structure and stability during cycling. As a result, the K‐rich KFeHCF/CC electrode shows a reversible discharging capacity of 110.1 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1 after 100 cycles in conjunction with capacity retention of 92.3% after 1000 cycles at 500 mA g−1. To demonstrate the commercial feasibility, a flexible tubular KIB is assembled with the K‐rich KFeHCF/CC electrode, and excellent flexibility, capacity, and stability are observed.
Fundamental Understanding and Quantification of Capacity Losses Involving the Negative Electrode in Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Ma Le Anh , Buckel Alexander , Hofmann Andreas , Nyholm Leif , Younesi Reza
Published: December 2023

Knowledge about capacity losses related to the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) in sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) is still limited. One major challenge in SIBs is that the solubility of SEI species in liquid electrolytes is comparatively higher than the corresponding species formed in Li‐ion batteries. This study sheds new light on the associated capacity losses due to initial SEI formation, SEI dissolution and subsequent SEI reformation, charge leakage via SEI and subsequent SEI growth, and diffusion‐controlled sodium trapping in electrode particles. By using a variety of electrochemical cycling protocols, synchrotron‐based X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC‐MS), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H‐NMR) spectroscopy, capacity losses due to changes in the SEI layer during different open circuit pause times are investigated in nine different electrolyte solutions. It is shown that the amount of capacity lost depends on the interplay between the electrolyte chemistry and the thickness and stability of the SEI layer. The highest capacity loss is measured in NaPF6 in ethylene carboante mixed with diethylene carbonate electrolyte (i.e., 5 µAh h−1/2pause or 2.78 mAh g·h−1/2pause) while the lowest value is found in NaTFSI in ethylene carbonate mixed with dimethoxyethance electrolyte (i.e., 1.3 µAh h−1/2pause or 0.72 mAh g·h−1/2pause).
An Autologous Macrophage‐Based Phenotypic Transformation‐Collagen Degradation System Treating Advanced Liver Fibrosis
Authors: Duan Bo‐Wen , Liu Yan‐Jun , Li Xue‐Na , Han Meng‐Meng , Yu Hao‐Yuan , Hong He‐Yuan , Zhang Ling‐Feng , Xing Lei , Jiang Hu‐Lin
Published: December 2023

In advanced liver fibrosis (LF), macrophages maintain the inflammatory environment in the liver and accelerate LF deterioration by secreting proinflammatory cytokines. However, there is still no effective strategy to regulate macrophages because of the difficulty and complexity of macrophage inflammatory phenotypic modulation and the insufficient therapeutic efficacy caused by the extracellular matrix (ECM) barrier. Here, AC73 and siUSP1 dual drug‐loaded lipid nanoparticle is designed to carry milk fat globule epidermal growth factor 8 (MFG‐E8) (named MUA/Y) to effectively inhibit macrophage proinflammatory signals and degrade the ECM barrier. MFG‐E8 is released in response to the high reactive oxygen species (ROS) environment in LF, transforming macrophages from a proinflammatory (M1) to an anti‐inflammatory (M2) phenotype and inducing macrophages to phagocytose collagen. Collagen ablation increases AC73 and siUSP1 accumulation in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and inhibits HSCs overactivation. Interestingly, complete resolution of liver inflammation, significant collagen degradation, and HSCs deactivation are observed in methionine choline deficiency (MCD) and CCl4 models after tail vein injection of MUA/Y. Overall, this work reveals a macrophage‐focused regulatory treatment strategy to eliminate LF progression at the source, providing a new perspective for the clinical treatment of advanced LF.
Structure Prediction and Genome Mining‐Aided Discovery of the Bacterial C‐Terminal Tryptophan Prenyltransferase PalQ
Authors: Miyata Azusa , Ito Sohei , Fujinami Daisuke
Published: December 2023

Post‐translational prenylations, found in eukaryotic primary metabolites and bacterial secondary metabolites, play crucial roles in biomolecular interactions. Employing genome mining methods combined with AlphaFold2‐based predictions of protein interactions, PalQ , a prenyltransferase responsible for the tryptophan prenylation of RiPPs produced by Paenibacillus alvei, is identified. PalQ differs from cyanobactin prenyltransferases because of its evolutionary relationship to isoprene synthases, which enables PalQ to transfer extended prenyl chains to the indole C3 position. This prenylation introduces structural diversity to the tryptophan side chain and also leads to conformational dynamics in the peptide backbone, attributed to the cis/trans isomerization that arises from the formation of a pyrrolidine ring. Additionally, PalQ exhibited pronounced positional selectivity for the C‐terminal tryptophan. Such enzymatic characteristics offer a toolkit for peptide therapeutic lipidation.
Boosting Thermoelectric Performance of Bi2Te3 Material by Microstructure Engineering
Authors: Wang Guoxiang , Meng Fanzheng , Chen Yingqi , Lotnyk Andriy , Shen Xiang
Published: December 2023

Due to the intrinsic contradiction of electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient in thermoelectric materials, the enhancement for the power factor (PF) is limited. Since the PF decides the output power, strategies to the enhancement of PF are of paramount importance. In this work, Bi2Te3/Sb and Bi2Te3/W multilayer films are proposed to enhance the thermoelectric properties. Both systems possess extremely high conductivity of ≈5.6 × 105 S m−1. Moreover, the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient simultaneously increase as temperature rising, showing the overcome of the intrinsic contradiction. This results in ultrahigh PFs of 1785 µWm−1 K−2 for Bi2Te3/W and of 1566 µWm−1 K−2 for Bi2Te3/Sb at 600 K. Thermal heating of the Bi2Te3/Sb multilayer system shows compositional changes with subsequent formation of Bi‐Te‐Sb phases, Sb‐rich Bi‐Te precipitates, and cavities. Contrary, the multilayer structure of the Bi2Te3/W films is maintained, while Bi2Te3 grains of high‐crystalline quality are confined between the W layers. In addition, bilayer defects in Bi2Te3 and smaller cavities at the interface to W layers are also observed. Thus, compositional and confinement effects as well as structural defects result in the ultrahigh PF. Overall, this work demonstrates the strategies on how to obtain ultrahigh PFs of commercial Bi2Te3 material by microstructure engineering using multilayer structures.
Morpholine Scaffolds’ Preparation for Foldamers’ Design and Construction
Authors: Schiaroli Nicola , Loro Camilla , Colombo Sara , Broggini Gianluigi , Papis Marta , Foschi Francesca
Published: December 2023

This review highlights the advances in the synthesis of morpholine building blocks useful for artificial oligomers synthesis and peptide foldamers or biopolymers. Both morpholino nucleosides and morpholine derived from amino acids have been considered focusing on the preparation of antisense strands, peptides and bio‐based materials.
Comparing the Pathology, Clinical, and Demographic Characteristics of Younger and Older‐Onset Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Knowles Sarah , Middleton Rod , Cooze Benjamin , Farkas Ildiko , Leung Yeung Yeung , Allen Kelsey , Winslade Molly , Owen David R.J. , Magliozzi Roberta , Reynolds Richard , Neal James W. , Pearson Owen , Nicholas Richard , Pickrell W. Owen , Howell Owain W. ,   the UK MS Register Research Group
Published: December 2023

Objective

Older people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a less active radiological and clinical presentation, but many still attain significant levels of disability; but what drives worsening disability in this group?

Methods

We used data from the UK MS Register to characterize demographics and clinical features of late‐onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS; symptom onset at ≥50 years), compared with adult‐onset MS (AOMS; onset 18–49 years). We performed a pathology study of a separate MS cohort with a later onset (n = 18, mean age of onset 54 years) versus AOMS (n = 23, mean age of onset 29 years).

Results

In the Register cohort, there were 1,608 (9.4%) with LOMS. When compared with AOMS, there was a lower proportion of women, a higher proportion of primary progressive MS, a higher level of disability at diagnosis (median MS impact scale 36.7 vs. 28.3, p < 0.001), and a higher proportion of gait‐related initial symptoms. People with LOMS were less likely to receive a high efficacy disease‐modifying treatment and attained substantial disability sooner. Controlling for age of death and sex, neuron density in the thalamus and pons decreased with onset‐age, whereas actively demyelinating lesions and compartmentalized inflammation was greatest in AOMS. Only neuron density, and not demyelination or the extent of compartmentalized inflammation, correlated with disability outcomes in older‐onset MS patients.

Interpretation

The more progressive nature of older‐onset MS is associated with significant neurodegeneration, but infrequent inflammatory demyelination. These findings have implications for the assessment and treatment of MS in older people. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:471–486
Stabilizing Undercoordinated Zn Active Sites through Confinement in CeO2 Nanotubes for Efficient Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Authors: Guo Si‐Tong , Du Yu‐Wei , Luo Huihua , Zhu Ziyin , Ouyang Ting , Liu Zhao‐Qing
Published: December 2023

Zn‐based catalysts hold great potential to replace the noble metal‐based ones for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Undercoordinated Zn (Znδ+) sites may serve as the active sites for enhanced CO production by optimizing the binding energy of *COOH intermediates. However, there is relatively less exploration into the dynamic evolution and stability of Znδ+ sites during CO2 reduction process. Herein, we present ZnO, Znδ+/ZnO and Zn as catalysts by varying the applied reduction potential. Theoretical studies reveal that Znδ+ sites could suppress HER and HCOOH production to induce CO generation. And Znδ+/ZnO presents the highest CO selectivity (FECO 70.9 % at −1.48 V vs. RHE) compared to Zn and ZnO. Furthermore, we propose a CeO2 nanotube with confinement effect and Ce3+/Ce4+ redox to stabilize Znδ+ species. The hollow core–shell structure of the Znδ+/ZnO/CeO2 catalyst enables to extremely expose electrochemically active area while maintaining the Znδ+ sites with long‐time stability. Certainly, the target catalyst affords a FECO of 76.9 % at −1.08 V vs. RHE and no significant decay of CO selectivity in excess of 18 h.
Structural Control of Highly Efficient Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence in Carbene Zinc(II) Dithiolates**
Authors: Mitra Mousree , Mrózek Ondřej , Putscher Markus , Guhl Jasper , Hupp Benjamin , Belyaev Andrey , Marian Christel M. , Steffen Andreas
Published: December 2023

Luminescent metal complexes based on earth abundant elements are a valuable target to substitute 4d/5d transition metal complexes as triplet emitters in advanced photonic applications. Whereas CuI complexes have been thoroughly investigated in the last two decades for this purpose, no structure‐property‐relationships for efficient luminescence involving triplet excited states from ZnII complexes are established. Herein, we report on the design of monomeric carbene zinc(II) dithiolates (CZT) featuring a donor‐acceptor‐motif that leads to highly efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) with for ZnII compounds unprecedented radiative rate constants kTADF=1.2×106 s−1 at 297 K. Our high‐level DFT/MRCI calculations revealed that the relative orientation of the ligands involved in the ligand‐to‐ligand charge transfer (1/3LLCT) states is paramount to control the TADF process. Specifically, a dihedral angle of 36–40° leads to very efficient reverse intersystem‐crossing (rISC) on the order of 109 s−1 due to spin‐orbit coupling (SOC) mediated by the sulfur atoms in combination with a small ΔES1‐T1 of ca. 56 meV.
Synthetic Strategies for the Selective Functionalization of Carbon Nanodots Allow Optically Communicating Suprastructures
Authors: Bartolomei Beatrice , Sbacchi Maria , Rosso Cristian , Günay‐Gürer Ayse , Zdražil Lukáš , Cadranel Alejandro , Kralj Slavko , Guldi Dirk M. , Prato Maurizio
Published: December 2023

The surface of Carbon Nanodots (CNDs) stands as a rich chemical platform, able to regulate the interactions between particles and external species. Performing selective functionalization of these nanoscale entities is of practical importance, however, it still represents a considerable challenge. In this work, we exploited the organic chemistry toolbox to install target functionalities on the CND surface, while monitoring the chemical changes on the material's outer shell through nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Following this, we investigated the use of click chemistry to covalently connect CNDs of different nature en‐route towards covalent suprastructures with unprecedent molecular control. The different photophysical properties of the connected particles allowed their optical communication in the excited state. This work paves the way for the development of selective and addressable CND building blocks which can act as modular nanoscale synthons that mirror the long‐established reactivity of molecular organic synthesis.
Constructing Interfacial Oxygen Vacancy and Ruthenium Lewis Acid–Base Pairs to Boost the Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Kinetics
Authors: Qin Qing , Jang Haeseong , Jiang Xiaoli , Wang Liu , Wang Xuefeng , Kim Min Gyu , Liu Shangguo , Liu Xien , Cho Jaephil
Published: December 2023

Simultaneous optimization of the energy level of water dissociation, hydrogen and hydroxide desorption is the key to achieving fast kinetics for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, the well‐dispersed Ru clusters on the surface of amorphous/crystalline CeO2‐δ (Ru/ac‐CeO2‐δ) is demonstrated to be an excellent electrocatalyst for significantly boosting the alkaline HER kinetics owing to the presence of unique oxygen vacancy (VO) and Ru Lewis acid–base pairs (LABPs). The representative Ru/ac‐CeO2‐δ exhibits an outstanding mass activity of 7180 mA mgRu−1 that is approximately 9 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C at the potential of −0.1 V (V vs RHE) and an extremely low overpotential of 21.2 mV at a geometric current density of 10 mA cm−2. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the VO as Lewis acid sites facilitate the adsorption of H2O and cleavage of H‐OH bonds, meanwhile, the weak Lewis basic Ru clusters favor for the hydrogen desorption. Importantly, the desorption of OH from VO sites is accelerated via a water‐assisted proton exchange pathway, and thus boost the kinetics of alkaline HER. This study sheds new light on the design of high‐efficiency electrocatalysts with LABPs for the enhanced alkaline HER.