bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A POSSIBILITY OF SYNTHESIS OF HIGH-ALUMINA CEMENTS FROM DIFFERENT RAW MATERIALS
Authors: Lazić Dragica , Kešelj Dragana , Penavin Škundrić Jelena , Vasiljević Ljubica , Mikić Janko
Published: November 2021

Calcium aluminate cements with high Al2O3 content are synthesized from different raw materials. Raw materials used in the synthesis include: lime, tricalcium aluminate hexahydrate, aluminum hydroxide and sodium aluminate solution. The preparation of raw material mixture for sintering was performed in two ways: the first method of preparation of a raw material mixture was by mixing powdered components (Al(OH)3 and CaO, Al(OH)3 and 3CaO·Al2O3·6H2O), another method included stirring into the liquid phase (NaAlO2, CaO and Al (OH)3) for a certain period of time at the temperature of 90°C, whereby the obtained solid phase was used as raw material for sintering. Chemical and mineralogical analysis (XRD) were performed on the cements obtained in synthesis. Based on chemical analysis it was concluded that the cements obtained were CAC 70 and CAC 80, as the Al2O3 content in these cements ranged from 70 to 75.37% for the first type, while the second type had a range of 77-79%. XRD analysis showed that the dominated minerals in cement CAC 70 were CaO• Al2O3 and CaO • 2Al2O3, and in cement CAC 80, mineral CaO • 2Al2O3, which is consistent with the findings published on these cements.
REVIEW OF THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY FROM PHOTOVOLTAICS IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Authors: Tomovski Igor , Kanevče Aleksandra , Kocarev Ljubčo
Published: November 2021

Global trends in the energy sector are focused towards extensive inclusion of renewable sources in the energy production. Solar energy has proven to be a valuable candidate, especially for direct conversion into electricity. Its wider use has, so far, among other, been constrained by the technological limitations, resulting in higher production costs compared to those from conventional non-renewable sources, primarily coal. In that sense, the efforts of the scientific community have for long been directed towards development of both efficient and inexpensive solutions. However, the major boost in the electricity production from photovoltaics (PV) came from the legislative measures, primarily the introduction of feed-in tariffs. Following the global trends, a significant increase in PV inclusion in the electricity production was made in the Republic of Macedonia. In the article we give a brief review of the achieved progress.
Application of the civil law institution of pre-contractual liability to labor relations
Authors: Belozerova Elena Olegovna , Zaria Aleksandr Andreevich
Published: November 2021

The subject of this research is the legal relation that arise between the employee and the employer prior to signing employment agreement. Such relation, which suggest interviews, negotiation costs, etc., are not regulated by the Russian legislation. However, the number cases when the party suffers losses due to unfair conduct of negotiation by the other party increases. If the relations before conclusion of employment agreement are viewed from the perspective of labor legislation, there is no mechanism of compensation for damage. The article analyzes the need for inclusion of negotiations to the sphere of regulation of civil legislation and feasibility of application of the norms on pre-contractual liability in case of detection of bad faith. The author explores the foreign practice of implementation of the institution of pre-contractual liability in the sphere of employment. The novelty consists proving the expediency of application of civil law instruments to the relations under consideration. The article describes the procedural peculiarities of application of pre-contractual liability to the relations preceding labor relations. The following conclusions are made: relations that arise prior to signing employment agreement are referred to as civil relations, and do not intersect with employment relations; the job offer represents a formal offer within the framework of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.
Culinary lexicon in the dialects of Spanish language
Authors: Pshenichnikova Angelina Yur'evna
Published: November 2021

This article discusses the peculiarities of linguistic consciousness of the representatives of ethnoses of Latin American countries through the modern dialects of Spanish language. Analysis is conducted on the lexicon of the national cuisine of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The article includes the analysis of linguistic zones of the Spanish language. The goal lies in examination of the lexicon of national cuisine of Latin American countries and, and creation of culinary dictionary of Spanish-speaking countries. The author aims to determine the national-specific gastronomic realities of Latin American countries through the prism of ethno-cultural space, and establish correlation between the uniqueness of gastronomic realities with the mentality and fragments of the linguistic worldview of Latin American countries. The conclusion is formulated on the impact of loanwords upon the national culinary lexicon of Latin American countries. The author draws a chart with the lexemes of national cuisines of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. In accordance with the linguistic zones of Spanish language, the national culinary lexicon is divided into three groups of indigenisms; considering the influence of other languages on the formation of the vocabulary of the regional Spanish language, the national culinary lexicon is divided into the following loanwords (Africanisms, Arabisms, Gallicisms, Anglicisms, and Italianisms). Lexical units, which are widespread in the territory of two, three, or four national dialects of the Spanish language are referred to as regionalisms. Lexical units that are characteristic to one national dialect of the Spanish language are referred to as variantisms. The proper names are allocated into a separate group. The scientific novelty consists in examination of the poorly studied national culinary lexicon of such Latin American countries as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
PRACTICFL EXPERIENCES OF APPLYING MIXED LEARNING IN THE CONDITIONS OF DISTANCE EDUCATION TECHNOLOGIES AT HIGHER SCHOOL
Authors:   International Institute of Design and Service, Pyasetskaya I.Sh.
Published: November 2021

The period of the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the introduction of digital technologies in the country's social sector, among which the education system was no exception. Taking into account the experience of educational institutions using learning with the use of distance technologies, the growing need of society for lifelong education and the need to form students' values and skills in using the resources of the digital sphere, the development of blended learning in education is becoming more and more urgent. This article discusses the experience of using digital learning tools as elements of blended learning on the example of the Department of Service and Tourism of the International Institute of Design and Service.
POSSIBILITIES OF USING COMICS IN EDUCATION
Authors:   Moscow City Pedagogical University, Niderman I.A. , Kupalov G.S.
Published: November 2021

The comic book as a visual means of teaching faces a certain neglect on the part of the pedagogical community. The objective of the article is to determine what a comic book is as a means of visualization, what advantages it has in comparison with other means of visualization, and how these advantages can be used in education. The article provides a theoretical justification for the need to use comics in school education and offers specific examples where comics show themselves to be the most effective means of visibility.
Detection of Outlier Observations in Piezometric Measurements: A Case Study in the Southern Region of Poland
Authors: Lach Stanisław
Published: November 2021

One of the main modes of monitoring the geotechnical conditions of earth dams is piezometric measurement, which measures water levels in an open piezometer or water pressure in a closed piezometer. During piezometric measurements, various types of factors can cause disturbances in these measurements that take the form of systematic, accidental, or obvious mistakes. Before measurements from open or closed piezometers are analyzed, outliers due to coarse errors should be detected and rejected. Such observations may significantly influence the result of the analysis and cause erroneous assessment and interpretation of the phenomenon studied. To do this, statistical tests must be applied so that the doubtful measurement can be accepted or rejected at the assumed significance level. This paper uses five statistical tests for identifying and rejecting outliers: the Q-Dixon test, the Grubbs test, as well as the Hampel test, the Iglewicz and Hoaglin test, and the Rosner test. The aim of this article is to try to identify the most suitable test for periodic piezometric measurements. The scope of the study includes the analysis of piezometric measurements for the Czaniec Dam for the multi-year period 2017–2020.
The Krein-von Neumann extension of a regular even order quasi-differential operator
Authors: Cho Minsung , Hoisington Seth , Nichols Roger , Udall Brian
Published: November 2021

We characterize by boundary conditions the Krein-von Neumann extension of a strictly positive minimal operator corresponding to a regular even order quasi-differential expression of Shin-Zettl type. The characterization is stated in terms of a specially chosen basis for the kernel of the maximal operator and employs a description of the Friedrichs extension due to Möller and Zettl.
Molecular identification and diversity of adult arthropod carrion community collected from pig and sheep carcasses within the same locality during different stages of decomposition in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa
Authors: Tembe Danisile , Malatji Mokgadi Pulane , Mukaratirwa Samson
Published: November 2021

The current study aimed at molecular identification and comparing the diversity of arthropods communities between pig and sheep carcasses during the cold and warm season in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Adult arthropods found on and around the carcasses were collected using either fly traps or forceps. Molecular analyses confirmed the identification of twelve arthropod species collected from both sheep and pig carcasses during the cold season. Results showed that 11 of 12 arthropod species were common in both sheep and pig carcasses, with exception toOnthophagus vacca(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) (Linnaeus, 1767) andAtherigona soccata(Diptera: Muscidae) (Rondani, 1871) species which were unique to sheep and pig carcasses respectively. However, during the warm season, the sheep carcass attracted more arthropod (n= 13) species as compared to the pig carcass. The difference in the obtained arthropod was due to the presence ofO. vaccawhich was also unique to the sheep carcass during this season. Furthermore, there was an addition of a beetle speciesHycleus lunatus(Coleoptera: Meloidae) (Pallas, 1782), which was collected from both sheep and pig carcasses but unique to the warm season. The pig carcass attracted more dipteran flies during both warm (n= 1,519) and cold season (n= 779) as compared to sheep carcass during the warm (n= 511) and cold season (n= 229). In contrast, coleopterans were more abundant on the sheep carcass during the warm season (n= 391) and cold season (n= 135) as compared to the pig carcass in both warm season (n= 261) and cold season (n= 114). In overall, more flies and beetles were collected on both sheep and pig carcasses during the warm season, and this further highlight that temperature influenced the observed difference in the abundance of collected arthropod between seasons.
Innate and learnt color preferences in the common green-eyed white butterfly (Leptophobia aripa): experimental evidence
Authors: Muñoz-Galicia Deysi , Castillo-Guevara Citlalli , Lara Carlos
Published: November 2021

Background

Learning abilities help animals modify their behaviors based on experience and innate sensory biases to confront environmental unpredictability. In a food acquisition context, the ability to detect, learn, and switch is fundamental in a wide range of insect species facing the ever-changing availability of their floral rewards. Here, we used an experimental approach to address the innate color preferences and learning abilities of the common green-eyed white butterfly (Leptophobia aripa).

Methods

In Experiment 1, we conducted innate preference choice-tests to determine whether butterflies had a strong innate color preference and to evaluate whether color preferences differed depending on the array of colors offered. We faced naïve butterflies to artificial flowers of four colors (quadruple choice-test): yellow, pink, white, and red; their choices were assessed. In Experiment 2, we examined the ability of this butterfly species to associate colors with rewards while exploring if the spectral reflectance value of a flower color can slow or accelerate this behavioral response. Butterflies were first trained to be fed from artificial yellow flowers inserted in a feeder. These were later replaced by artificial flowers with a similar (blue) or very different (white) spectral reflectance range. Each preference test comprised a dual-choice test (yellow vs blue, yellow vs white).

Results

Butterflies showed an innate strong preference for red flowers. Both the number of visits and the time spent probing these flowers were much greater than the pink, white, and yellow color flowers. Butterflies learn to associate colors with sugar rewards. They then learned the newly rewarded colors as quickly and proficiently as if the previously rewarded color was similar in spectral reflectance value; the opposite occurs if the newly rewarded color is very different than the previously rewarded color.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that common green-eyed white butterflies have good learning abilities. These capabilities may allow them to respond rapidly to different color stimulus.
Transarterial Embolization for the Treatment of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review of Indications, Safety, and Efficacy
Authors: Kishore SirishA. , Sheira Dina , Malin Michaela L. , Trost David W. , Mandl Lisa A.
Published: November 2021

Objective

The study objective was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial “embolization” (TAE) in the treatment of chronic “musculoskeletal pain” refractory to standard therapy.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for original research articles evaluating TAE in patients with musculoskeletal conditions from database inception to January 21, 2020. Search terms employed were as follows: “embolization”, “pain”, “knee osteoarthritis”, joint replacement, epicondylitis, tenderness, inflammation, WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index), microspheres, Embozene, geniculate artery, neovascularity, transcatheter, embolic, imipenem/cilastatin sodium, angiogenesis, and “musculoskeletal”. Studies involving particle “embolization” for painful musculoskeletal conditions were included. Studies of TAE for hemarthrosis or malignancy‐related “musculoskeletal pain” were excluded.

Results

The primary search yielded 1,099 sources; 7 articles and 4 abstracts were included for data extraction. All were cohorts or case series, with low risk of bias and moderate to poor level of evidence. Heterogeneity between studies was high, precluding meta‐analysis. The reviewed studies reported the safety and efficacy of TAE for the treatment of “knee osteoarthritis”; adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder; tendinopathy/enthesopathy of the knee, shoulder, elbow, and ankle; and cervical myalgia. All TAEs were reported as technically successful without major complications or subsequent serious adverse events, including no reported osteonecrosis, cutaneous ulceration, limb ischemia, cartilage degeneration, or myotendinous injury. TAE significantly reduced pain and improved function for all of the treated conditions, with durable response up to 24 months post procedure.

Conclusion

TAE appears to be a safe and effective treatment for some types of chronic refractory “musculoskeletal pain”. Randomized placebo‐controlled studies are necessary to confirm these findings.
Event‐triggered adaptive neural asymptotic tracking of uncertain constrained nonlinear systems without feasibility condition
Authors: Jiang Xiao‐Yue , Li Yuan‐Xin , Yang Jinzi , Tong Shaocheng
Published: November 2021

In this article, an event triggered control problem is investigated for uncertain nonlinear systems with full state constraints. First, the original‐constrained system is converted into an equivalent totally unconstrained one by using a state dependent function. Then, an event‐triggered adaptive neural‐network controller is designed to reduce the communication burden. In addition, rigorous theoretical analyses have been conducted to show that the proposed controller can ensure that all signals in the closed‐loop control system are bounded and that the asymptotic convergence with zero tracking error is achieved. In the meanwhile, the state constrains are not violated. Finally, the effectiveness of the presented control scheme is verified through the simulation results.
Nucleic Acid‐Modified Liposome: Construction Methods and Biological Applications
Authors: Yu Hao , Liang Zhihong , Zhu Longjiao , Zhao Changhui , He Xiaoyun , Chen Keren , Xu Wentao
Published: November 2021

Liposomes with excellent biocompatibility have been widely used in nutraceutical and biomedical fields for delivery of bioactive molecules. Functional nucleic acids including aptamers that have good target recognizing ability and molecular assembly properties can be used to modify liposomes to expand their applications. This review comprehensively summarizes and comparatively discusses the construction strategies including covalent methods, noncovalent methods, and protein‐mediated methods for fabricating nucleic acid‐modified liposomes. Their applications in stability enhancement, biosensing, drug delivery, and synthesis of biomimetic structures are then reviewed. From above, it is concluded that the nucleic acid‐modified liposome, as a newly developed advanced material, has a good potential to be applied for biosensor or pharmaceutical purposes.
Efficient and Stable Carbon‐Based CsPbIBr2 Perovskite Solar Cells by 4‐Aminomethyltetrahydropyran Acetate Modification
Authors: Zhang Huayan , Yan Zhongliang , Xu Yuan , Wang Xin , Wu Jihuai , Lan Zhang
Published: November 2021

Inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite solar cells have attracted widespread attention owing to their excellent stability relative to organic–inorganic solar cells. However, all‐inorganic perovskite solar cells without hole transport layers and using carbon layers as electrodes have serious energy level mismatch problems. To overcome this problem, here, the CsPbIBr2 surface is treated with 4‐aminomethyltetrahydropyran acetate to form a gradient energy band on the CsPbIBr2 perovskite/carbon interface. As a result, the hole extraction efficiency is successfully improved, and the morphology and crystallization of the perovskite layer are also improved. Moreover, the nonradiative recombination inside the perovskite and the charge recombination at the interface are effectively inhibited. Therefore, the power conversion efficiency of CsPbIBr2 solar cell is enhanced to 10.12%, and the high photovoltage of 1.32 V is obtained under one solar illumination, which are both higher than the pristine one (7.79%, 1.23V, respectively).
Sudden Contraction Promotes the Rebound of Droplets on an Inclined Microflower Superhydrophobic Surface
Authors: Li Haoran , Chen Xiaolong , Hong Wenpeng , Li Yan , Li Boyu
Published: November 2021

Natural freezing at a low temperature poses fatal threats to aircraft, cables, and plants. Accelerating the rebound of the impacting droplet is an important approach to reduce ice accretion on the solid surface. Herein, a superhydrophobic copper myristate surface with a static contact angle of 158° is prepared to study the dynamic behaviors of the impacting droplet on the inclined surface. For the first time, the sudden contraction of the impacting droplet, especially in the cases at a high Weber number, is reported. With the increase of the Weber number, after reaching the maximum wetting diameter, the contraction process changes from direct contraction to sliding at first and then contracting while maintaining the maximum wetting diameter. Further investigations confirm that the sudden contraction of the trailing edge is the underlying mechanism for accelerating the droplet rebound. This discovery provides new insight and explanation for the dynamic evolution of impacting droplets on the inclined superhydrophobic surface.
Microscopical Quantification of Ion‐Induced Nanodefects in Monolayer MoS2 Based on Differential Reflectance
Authors: Hu Xiangmin , Qiu Cuicui , Wang Jiangcai , Liu Dameng
Published: November 2021

The defect engineering is widely used in 2D heterostructure devices as nanodefects (like atomic vacancies) significantly alter the electronic, mechanical, and optical properties of 2D nanomaterials. Defect inspection on large‐area samples at video rates is requisite for semiconductor manufacturing industry. Take molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as the study case, the differential reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is first introduced into nanodefect quantification of 2D materials. Different densities of defects are induced by ion bombardment and the average interdefect distance LD is calibrated using Raman spectra analysis. The evolutions of several defect‐induced DRS peak/valley are interpreted based on thin‐film multilayer interference effect. Availability of the defect density mapping method is demonstrated by applying the data fitting results of DRS defect density to the monochromatic illumination microscopy images. This work provides a feasible density quantification method based on DRS mapping for 2D material nanodefects at the microscopic scale.
Managing Intersegmental Charge‐Transfer and Multiple Resonance Alignments of D3‐A Typed TADF Emitters for Red OLEDs with Improved Efficiency and Color Purity
Authors: Fan Xiao‐Chun , Wang Kai , Shi Yi‐Zhong , Chen Jia‐Xiong , Huang Feng , Wang Hui , Hu Ya‐Nan , Tsuchiya Youichi , Ou Xue‐Mei , Yu Jia , Adachi Chihaya , Zhang Xiao‐Hong
Published: November 2021

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters induced by the multiple resonance (MR) effect have garnered considerable attention. However, it is difficult to develop MR‐TADF emitters that maintain high color purities in the red region. In this work, the importance of excited state alignments of MR‐based donor‐acceptor (D‐A) molecules in determining their preferring characteristics is clarified. By using the newly designed molecule mBDPA‐TOAT whose apparent excited states show hybridization of MR and intersegmental charge‐transfer features as an emitter in an organic light‐emitting diode (OLED), a high external quantum efficiency of 17.3% is achieved with a full width at half‐maximum of 45 nm (154 meV) and Commission Internationale de L'Éclairage coordinate of (0.61, 0.39). This work demonstrates when introducing D‐A typed structures, features, and alignments of molecular excited states determine ultimate material properties. This could help to develop high efficiency and high color purity TADF emitters toward long wavelength range.
Impact of Polymer Molecular Weight on Polymeric Photodiodes
Authors: Saggar Siddhartha , Deshmukh Kedar D. , McGregor Sarah K. M. , Hasan Monirul , Shukla Atul , Agawane Jyoti S. , Nayak Nagaraj , Gann Eliot , Thomsen Lars , Kumar Anil , McNeill Christopher R. , Lo Shih‐Chun , Namdas Ebinazar B.
Published: November 2021

The field of organic photodiodes (OPDs) has witnessed continuous development in the last decade. Although a considerable portion of electron‐donating materials are polymers, there has been an existential gap in deciphering the influence of the polymer's molecular‐weight on the photodiode performance. We take up OPDs based on 5,5′‐[(9,9‐Dioctyl‐9H‐fluorene‐2,7‐diyl)bis(2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole‐7,4diylmethylidyne)]bis[3‐ethyl‐2‐thioxo‐4‐thiazolidinone] (FBR) acceptor material blended with three different molecular‐weights of defect‐free form of a well‐known donor polymer poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl) (P3HT) are taken up, and their optoelectronic performance along with morphological characteristics are studied. Disparity of up to a decade in key photodetecting characteristics is observed. Further, the tools of near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine‐structure spectroscopy, resonant soft X‐ray scattering spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and time‐delayed collection‐field measurements are employed to decipher the difference in the fundamental photo‐physical processes and the operating mechanisms of the OPDs. It is concluded that the molecular weight and the resulting morphology of the active layer strongly influence photodiode performance, in particular, dark current, linear dynamic range, and specific‐detectivity.
A Review of Lithium‐Ion Battery Electrode Drying: Mechanisms and Metrology
Authors: Zhang Ye Shui , Courtier Nicola E. , Zhang Zhenyu , Liu Kailong , Bailey Josh J. , Boyce Adam M. , Richardson Giles , Shearing Paul R. , Kendrick Emma , Brett Dan J. L.
Published: November 2021

Lithium‐ion battery manufacturing chain is extremely complex with many controllable parameters especially for the drying process. These processes affect the porous structure and properties of these electrode films and influence the final cell performance properties. However, there is limited available drying information and the dynamics are poorly understood due to the limitation of the existing metrology. There is an emerging need to develop new methodologies to understand the drying dynamics to achieve improved quality control of the electrode coatings. A comprehensive summary of the parameters and variables relevant to the wet electrode film drying process is presented, and its consequences/effects on the finished electrode/final cell properties are mapped. The development of the drying mechanism is critically discussed according to existing modeling studies. Then, the existing and potential metrology techniques, either in situ or ex situ in the drying process are reviewed. This work is intended to develop new perspectives on the application of advanced techniques to enable a more predictive approach to identify optimum lithium‐ion battery manufacturing conditions, with a focus upon the critical drying process.
Molecular Transition Metal Oxide Electrocatalysts for the Reversible Carbon Dioxide–Carbon Monoxide Transformation
Authors: Azaiza‐Dabbah Dima , Vogt Charlotte , Wang Fei , Masip‐Sánchez Albert , de Graaf Coen , Poblet Josep M. , Haviv Eynat , Neumann Ronny
Published: November 2021

Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) enzymes are active for the reversible CO oxidation–CO2 reduction reaction and are of interest in the context of CO2 abatement and carbon‐neutral solar fuels. Bioinspired by the active‐site composition of the CODHs, polyoxometalates triply substituted with first‐row transition metals were modularly synthesized. The polyanions, in short, {SiM3W9} and {SiM′2M′′W9}, M, M′, M′′=CuII, NiII, FeIII are shown to be electrocatalysts for reversible CO oxidation–CO2 reduction. A catalytic Tafel plot showed that {SiCu3W9} was the most reactive for CO2 reduction, and electrolysis reactions yielded significant amounts of CO with 98 % faradaic efficiency. In contrast, Fe–Ni compounds such as {SiFeNi2W9} preferably catalyzed the oxidation of CO to CO2 similar to what is observed for the [NiFe]‐CODH enzyme. Compositional control of the heterometal complexes, now and in the future, leads to control of reactivity and selectivity for CO2 electrocatalytic reduction.
Refining of Particulates at Stimuli‐Responsive Interfaces: Label‐Free Sorting and Isolation
Authors: Kim Yongwook , Laradji Amine M. , Sharma Shubham , Zhang Weizhong , Yadavalli Nataraja S. , Xie Jin , Popik Vladimir , Minko Sergiy
Published: November 2021

The mechanism of separation methods, for example, liquid chromatography, is realized through rapid multiple adsorption‐desorption steps leading to the dynamic equilibrium state in a mixture of molecules with different partition coefficients. Sorting of colloidal particles, including protein complexes, cells, and viruses, is limited due to a high energy barrier, up to millions kT, required to detach particles from the interface, which is in dramatic contrast to a few kT for small molecules. Such a strong interaction renders particle adsorption quasi‐irreversible. The dynamic adsorption‐desorption equilibrium is approached very slowly, if ever attainable. This limitation is alleviated with a local oscillating repulsive mechanical force generated at the microstructured stimuli‐responsive polymer interface to switch between adsorption and mechanical‐force‐facilitated desorption of the particles. Such a dynamic regime enables the separation of colloidal mixtures based on the particle‐polymer interface affinity, and it could find use in research, diagnostics, and industrial‐scale label‐free sorting of highly asymmetric mixtures of colloids and cells.
Grignard reagent dictated copper(I) phosphines catalyzed reductive coupling of diazo compounds: The chemistry beyond carbene generation
Authors: Kuzhalmozhi Madarasi Packirisamy , Sivasankar Chinnappan
Published: November 2021

Copper‐dppf catalyzed reductive coupling of diazo compounds through terminal nitrogen is reported. However, copper catalysts are known to produce carbene from diazo compounds; the reaction conditions played an important role in the formation of diazine over carbene generation. Several control experiments have been conducted to understand the reaction mechanism and found that the formation of a copper–Mg heterobimetallic complex would be responsible for the observed reactivity pattern. The reaction produced diazine as a reductive coupling product along with biphenyl as a by‐product. All the synthesized diazines have been characterized fully by using analytical and spectroscopic techniques.
Age‐specific clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic analysis of neuroendocrine carcinomas of the gallbladder
Authors: Zhang Zhiwei , Guo Tong , Huang Xiaorui , Xie Peng , Wang Lu , Yu Yahong
Published: November 2021

Background

We have limited information about neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the gallbladder. The purpose of this paper is to compare clinical and pathological features between different age groups and prognostic factors for gallbladder NEC and how it differs from adenocarcinoma (ADC) of the gallbladder.

Patients and methods

This study included 28 gallbladder NEC patients and 137 ADC patients whose clinical characteristics and pathological findings were retrospectively collected. Propensity score matching and Cox regression analysis were used for the analysis of prognostic factors.

Results

We divided NEC patients into two groups based on the age more than or less than 60 years. Most of the NEC patients less than 60 years old complained of abdominal pain or discomfort (p = 0.038), and more younger patients accepted adjuvant therapy (p = 0.020) than older patients did. CD56 was positive in all patients more than 60 years old, which is significantly higher than that of younger patients (p = 0.039). The mean age was similar between NEC and ADC patients. After eliminating confounding factors between NEC and ADC patients, the overall survival rates were still lower in NEC patients. Univariate analysis extracted six possible risk factors. Multivariate analysis indicated that surgery type, tumor size, and existence of gallstones were independent prognostic factors.

Conclusion

The overall survival of gallbladder NEC is not associated with age. In this study, surgical method and tumor size were found to be independent risk factors for NECs. In addition, NEC patients have a worse prognosis than ADC patients with similar clinical and pathological features.
Burnout and workplace dehumanization at the supermarket: A field study during the COVID‐19 outbreak in Italy
Authors: Valtorta Roberta Rosa , Baldissarri Cristina , Volpato Chiara
Published: November 2021

This study explores the psychological effects of the COVID‐19 emergency on workers employed in the supermarket sector by analysing their levels of burnout and the relationship between the burnout syndrome and employees' workplace experiences. A sample of 422 Italian workers answered a survey addressing the burnout dimensions (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, and professional inefficacy) along with perceived organizational factors and dehumanizing representations. Results showed that 32% of the respondents had symptoms of severe burnout, and 41% had symptoms of exhaustion and cynicism. More specifically, through cluster analysis, four burnout profiles were identified: “burnout” (high on all three dimensions), “engagement” (low on all three dimensions), “overextended” (high on exhaustion), and “disengaged” (moderate on exhaustion and cynicism). Each cluster showed a different pattern of correlates with the organizational and dehumanizing perceptions. Our findings contribute to the knowledge gaps of burnout and workplace experiences by providing insights into the ongoing health emergency among supermarket clerks. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.
A study on VLSI implementation of image enhancement techniques
Authors: Aklak Annis Fathima , Pugazhenthi Murugesh Yadhav , Alex John Sahaya Rani
Published: November 2021

In real‐time, the images captured are not always appreciable for visual perception. The quality of the image relies on the illumination condition. Contrast enhancement is required to improve the visual quality of the image. In this article, the image enhancement techniques that are adaptable for real‐time images are studied. Further, an investigation is done on implementing the image processing algorithms in very large‐scale integration (VLSI) hardware. As the image data are comparatively larger, the computational complexity and the memory requirement are more. From the study, the need for efficient computation of such image processing algorithms is realized. The efficient computation of image processing algorithms on hardware platforms, in particular on field programmable gate array (FPGA), is reviewed. As an experiment, the gamma‐transformation technique used for image enhancement is realized. Initially, the prototype is modeled using MATLAB, and then it is implemented using an FPGA.
An integrated device for preparation of plasma‐activated media with bactericidal properties: An in vitro and in vivo study
Authors: Wang Zifeng , Xu Shengduo , Liu Dingxin , Wang Cong , Chen Jinkun , Zhang Jingye , Zhu Mengying , Zhang Jingyao , Liu Chang , Guo Li , Wang Xiaohua , Rong Mingzhe
Published: November 2021

Plasma‐activated media (PAM), the product of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) acting on aqueous media, has similarly strong biological activity and some unique advantages compared with CAP for biomedical targets. However, no reliable PAM‐preparing device with high safety for medical uses has yet been developed, limiting the advancement of PAM clinical trials. Herein, an integrated device for PAM preparation with a maximum yield of 4.8 L/hr is reported in detail. A large‐area CAP is generated by the plasma‐generating module based on the surface dielectric barrier discharge. Several sensors and controllers are applied in this device to stabilize the discharge environment and PAM consistency. In the in vitro experiments, PAM prepared in this device exhibits the bactericidal property of up to 6 logs reduction against various clinical pathogens with multi‐drug resistance. The high bactericidal effect of PAM can be preserved for ∼10 min. After constructing the mice model by cecal ligation and puncture, it is found that the abdominal injection of PAM can effectively relieve sepsis‐induced systemic toxicity and maintain homeostasis, which is mainly attributed to the anti‐infective efficacy of PAM. The third‐party testing confirms that the soaking bactericidal rates of PAM to S. aureus and E. coli are respectively higher than 99.99% and 99.999%, while the acute oral toxicity, skin irritation, and oral genotoxicity of PAM are negligible. This study provides a practical approach for preparing PAM with high reliability, which shows an excellent prospect of clinical applications and commercialization.
Alleviation of nonlinear channel effects in long‐haul and high‐capacity optical transmission networks
Authors: Ali Farman , Habib Usman , Muhammad Fazal , Khan Yousaf , Armghan Ammar , Alenezi Fayadh , Abbas Ziaul Haq , Ali Asar , Qamar Muhammad Salman
Published: November 2021

Optical transmission networks (OTxNs) provide a cost‐effective solution towards ultrahigh data intercontinental transmission. However, nonlinear effects such as four‐wave mixing (FWM) and cross‐phase modulation (XPM) are the major performance limiting factors for OTxNs. This paper proposes the use of differential quadrature phase shift keying (DQPSK) modulation format and uneven channel spacings for dispersion compensation and investigates the nonlinear mitigation performance for a 32 channels ultradense wavelength division multiplexing (UDWDM) with data rate of up to 10 Gbps per channel. In addition, this paper presents an analysis on power budget and power penalties with a cost benefit analysis (CBA) for the proposed framework. The transmission link of the proposed UDWDM model is analyzed in terms of bit error rate (BER) for various lengths of optical fiber in long‐haul transmission, launch power, nonlinear effective area, and nonlinear refractive index. The analytical model is developed for mitigation of nonlinearity for the modeled UDWDM long‐haul and ultrahigh‐capacity system, beyond 1200‐km path span. The simulation results show systems advantages of having narrower spectrum than on‐off‐keying (OOK) modulation, significant tolerance to nonlinearities and low cost, compared with current OTxNs with 2.8‐dB optical signal‐to‐noise ratio (OSNR) improvement and successful mitigation of nonlinearities for as high launch powers as +4 dBm for such long distance transmission in dispersive channel.
Aetiological classification and prognosis in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Fayol Antoine , Wack Maxime , Livrozet Marine , Carves Jean‐Baptiste , Domengé Orianne , Vermersch Eva , Mirabel Mariana , Karras Alexandre , Le Guen Julien , Blanchard Anne , Azizi Michel , Amar Laurence , Bories Marie‐Cécile , Mousseaux Elie , Carette Claire , Puymirat Etienne , Hagège Albert , Jannot Anne‐Sophie , Hulot Jean‐Sébastien
Published: November 2021

Aims

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous syndrome with various causes that may influence prognosis.

Methods and results

We extracted the electronic medical records for 2180 consecutive patients hospitalized between 2016 and 2019 for decompensated heart failure. Using a text mining algorithm looking for a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50% and plasma brain natriuretic peptide level >100 pg/mL, we identified 928 HFpEF patients. We screened for a prevailing cause of HFpEF according to European guidelines and found that 418 (45.0%) patients had secondary HFpEF due to either myocardial (n = 125, 13.5%) or loading condition abnormalities (n = 293, 31.5%), while the remaining 510 (55.0%) patients had idiopathic HFpEF. We assessed the association between the causes of HFpEF and survival collected up to 31 December 2020 using Cox proportional hazards analysis. Even though patients with idiopathic HFpEF were older, frequently female, and had frequent co‐morbidities and a higher crude mortality rate compared with secondary HFpEF patients, their prognosis was similar after adjustment for age and sex. Unsupervised clustering analysis revealed three main phenogroups with different distribution of idiopathic vs. secondary HFpEF. The phenogroup with the highest proportion of idiopathic HFpEF (69%) had (i) an excess rate of non‐cardiac co‐morbidities including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (31%) or obesity (41%) and (ii) a better prognosis compared with the two other phenogroups enriched with secondary HFpEF.

Conclusions

Aetiological classification provides clinical and prognostic information and may be useful to better decipher the clinical heterogeneity of HFpEF.
Understanding the Binding Properties of N‐heterocyclic Carbenes through BDE Matrix App
Authors: Morán‐González Lucía , Pedregal Jaime Rodríguez‐Guerra , Besora Maria , Maseras Feliu
Published: November 2021

The interaction of N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands with transition metal centers is analyzed with a set of descriptors derived from the statistical treatment of density functional theory (DFT) computational results. These descriptors, labeled as hidden descriptors (HD), had been previously defined in our group and here are applied with the help of a user‐friendly web application developed for that purpose: BDE Matrix App. Five HDs are computed with little computational effort for each NHC under consideration. Expectations are confirmed in that the binding to the metal center is largely ruled by the first two descriptors, suitably associated to σ donation and π backdonation, and the approach leads to a straightforward comparison of their quantitative values. The study is extended beyond NHCs, and other neutral ligands, such as cyclopropenylidenes, phosphines, and amines are considered. The procedure is shown to be well suited to provide a unified framework for the comparison of these diverse ligands.
Pyrodiversity promotes pollinator diversity in a fire‐adapted landscape
Authors: Ulyshen Michael D , Hiers J Kevin , Pokswinksi Scott M , Fair Conor
Published: November 2021

Fire is a key determinant of vegetation structure and composition in ecosystems worldwide and is therefore an important management tool. The “pyrodiversity hypothesis”, which postulates that biodiversity will increase as fire diversity increases, remains largely untested for pollinators, a group of high conservation concern. We tested the relationship between pollinator diversity and pyrodiversity based on a decade of burn history in Florida, as well as testing other parameters, including burn frequency, the percentage of area burned during the year of sampling, canopy openness, and various plant metrics. Both bees and butterflies responded positively to pyrodiversity and to the percentage of area burned during the year of sampling. In addition, our results indicate that pollinators, especially butterflies, may be sensitive to high burn frequency. Our findings reveal the important role fire history plays in shaping pollinator communities and demonstrate that increasing burn heterogeneity can benefit this fauna in fire‐managed landscapes.
Effect of using a porous gas cooler on the performance of trans‐critical carbon dioxide refrigeration cycle
Authors: Tarawneh Mohammad
Published: November 2021

Using porous gas coolers is a novel method that can be used to enhance performance parameters in the trans‐critical carbon dioxide refrigeration cycle. The behavior of trans‐critical carbon dioxide and the effect of using porous gas coolers in refrigeration systems are researched in this experimental study. Cycle coefficient of performance, heat rejection rate, evaporator cooling capacity, evaporator cooling capacity enhancement factor, coefficient of performance enhancement factor, power consumption per ton of refrigeration, and pressure drop were investigated as functions of gas cooler outlet temperature, gas cooler porosity, gas cooler pressure ratio, and air ambient temperature. Porosities of 100% (empty gas cooler; no steel balls are used during this test), 48%, 40%, and 34% were considered. Experiments were conducted at 4°C evaporating temperature and 5°C superheat. Evaporator cooling capacity and evaporator cooling capacity enhancement factor are increased by about 103% and 35.4% when reducing gas cooler outlet temperature and porosity up to 36°C and 34%, respectively. Results of this study showed that cycle coefficient of performance, coefficient of performance enhancement factor, and gas cooler heat rejection rate can be increased up to 94.4%, 55.8%, and 85.5%, respectively when reducing gas cooler porosity and gas cooler outlet temperature up to 34% and 36°C. Increasing the gas‐cooler pressure ratio up to 1.341 and reducing gas cooler porosity up to 34% resulted in an increase of about 76.2% in the coefficient of performance. A decrease in power consumption per ton of refrigeration by about 43.9% is recorded when decreasing gas cooler inlet pressure and porosity up to 84 bars and 34%, respectively. Experiments revealed that a decrease in pressure drop of about 43.7% can be achieved by increasing gas cooler outlet temperature up to 52.1°C and keeping gas cooler porosity at 34%. The cycle coefficient of performance can be increased by decreasing air outside ambient temperature.
Predicted long‐term impact of COVID‐19 pandemic‐related care delays on cancer mortality in Canada
Authors: Malagón Talía , Yong Jean H. E. , Tope Parker , Miller Wilson H. , Franco Eduardo L. ,   McGill Task Force on the Impact of COVID‐19 on Cancer Control and Care
Published: November 2021

The COVID‐19 pandemic has affected cancer care worldwide. This study aimed to estimate the long‐term impacts of cancer care disruptions on cancer mortality in Canada using a microsimulation model. The model simulates cancer incidence and survival using cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis and survival data from the Canadian Cancer Registry. We modeled reported declines in cancer diagnoses and treatments recorded in provincial administrative datasets in March 2020 to June 2021. Based on the literature, we assumed that diagnostic and treatment delays lead to a 6% higher rate of cancer death per 4‐week delay. After June 2021, we assessed scenarios where cancer treatment capacity returned to prepandemic levels, or to 10% higher or lower than prepandemic levels. Results are the median predictions of 10 stochastic simulations. The model predicts that cancer care disruptions during the COVID‐19 pandemic could lead to 21 247 (2.0%) more cancer deaths in Canada in 2020 to 2030, assuming treatment capacity is recovered to 2019 prepandemic levels in 2021. This represents 355 172 life years lost expected due to pandemic‐related diagnostic and treatment delays. The largest number of expected excess cancer deaths was predicted for breast, lung and colorectal cancers, and in the provinces of Ontario, Québec and British Columbia. Diagnostic and treatment capacity in 2021 onward highly influenced the number of cancer deaths over the next decade. Cancer care disruptions during the COVID‐19 pandemic could lead to significant life loss; however, most of these could be mitigated by increasing diagnostic and treatment capacity in the short‐term to address the service backlog.