bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examination of electronically mismatched Diels–Alder reaction by on‐line mass spectrometry
Authors: Sun Jianghui , Cao Mengyu , Ge Xiyang , Ouyang Jin , Na Na
Published: March 2023

Rationale

Electronically mismatched Diels–Alder reactions have gained much attention as an alternative pathway for C–C bond formation. To facilitate the development of facile organic transformations, mechanistic investigations are required. Spectroscopic methods (NMR, electron paramagnetic resonance and UV–visible) are normally adopted for mechanistic examinations, but further improvements in directly obtaining structural information of short‐lived intermediates are encouraged. Herein, an electronically mismatched Diels–Alder reaction between indole and 1,3‐cyclohexadiene was studied using in situ electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (in situ ESI‐MS). Based on direct sampling and detection of the in situ ESI‐MS without sample pretreatment, the structures and dynamics of important intermediates were examined on‐line.

Methods

A syringe‐based photocatalytic reactor and in situ ambient MS (AMS) evaluation system was constructed for mechanism studies. The role of oxygen was confirmed via control reaction employed in the N2‐bubbled system. The stepwise cation radical‐based pathway and the [2 + 2] cycloaddition process were determined through a series of experiments, including solvent evaluation, MS/MS experiments and dynamic monitoring.

Results

The dependence of the reaction on solvent polarity demonstrated that the reaction occurs via the formation of cation radicals, which were captured, identified and dynamically monitored via in situ ESI‐MS. Without pre‐separation, the intermediate of [2 + 2] cycloaddition was identified and the cycloaddition process was thereby determined to be the combination of [4 + 2] cycloaddition and [2 + 2] cycloaddition. In addition, oxygen was proved to act as an electron mediator for both catalyst Ru(bpz)3(PF6)2 and radical cations.

Conclusions

The mechanism of an electronically mismatched Diels–Alder reaction was successfully deduced by in situ MS associated with a syringe‐based photocatalytic reactor. The structures and dynamics of cation radicals, the effect of O2 for the reaction and the detailed process of [2 + 2] cycloaddition have been well demonstrated. This work could not only promote the understanding and development of facile photocatalytic transformations, but also enlarge the application range of AMS in on‐line monitoring.
Electron ionization mass spectrometry fragmentation routes of Chemical Weapons Convention‐related organoarsenic compounds: Electron ionization and density functional theory studies
Authors: Eskandari Masomeh , Faraz Sajjad Mousavi , Hosseini Seyed Esmaeil , Moradi Shahram , Saeidian Hamid
Published: March 2023

Rationale

For unambiguous identification of Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)‐related chemicals in environmental and biological samples, access to mass spectra and expertise in spectral interpretation is required. As of today, there is no mass spectrum available for dialkyl alkylarsonodithioites in the literature. Therefore, it is essential to obtain spectral information about these compounds.

Methods

CWC‐related organoarsenic compounds were synthesized and analyzed by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (MS), and their retention index (RI) was calculated by Van Den Dool’s method. The relationship between RI and density functional theory (DFT)‐calculated polarizability (⍺) and molecular weight was also studied. Electron ionization (EI) mode was used to investigate the general fragmentation patterns of the synthesized compounds. A DFT analysis of some major fragment ions was performed in order to confirm the fragmentation pathways.

Results

A linear relationship between RI and ⍺ is observed. The mass spectra of compounds 5–7 are affected by alkyl groups on sulfur and arsenic atoms. The molecular ions of compounds 5–7 can be observed in their EI‐MS spectra with relatively good abundance. EI‐MS studies revealed some interesting fragmentation pathways, such as the formation of arsenic analogue of benzylic and tropylium cations in EI‐MS of chemicals 6.

Conclusions

By analyzing the mass spectra and RI values, it is possible to detect CWC‐related chemicals in aqueous, blood and urine samples during an on‐site or off‐site inspection.
Disasters as opportunities for enhancing sustainability values: Disaster experience and environmental awareness in rural China
Authors: Wang Yan
Published: March 2023

This study evaluates whether people in general alter their perception of environmental pollution after disasters and the extent to which individual and contextual characteristics moderate this relationship. Results of multilevel regression analyses of data from rural China indicate that the experience of disasters heightens awareness of environmental pollution in local communities, net of various individual‐level and community‐level factors. Additionally, well‐maintained social relationships between villagers attenuate the impact of disasters and make people less aware of environmental pollution, and environmental degradation in the village enhances the impact and increases people's environmental awareness. Furthermore, the impact is not significantly different between residents in villages of different economic levels, and between residents of different levels of socioeconomic status. The results highlight the potential for promoting sustainability after experiencing disruptive shocks and stressors triggered by disasters, and demonstrate that it is crucial to understand environmental awareness as a dynamic process in changing local contexts.
Ambient‐Air‐Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells by Carbazole Analog Tailored Perovskite Thin Films
Authors: Zhang Xiyao , Tang Haorui , Hu Danyang , Li Tianrui , Wang Hua , Zhu Xing , Ma Wenhui , Li Shaoyuan , Zhu Tao
Published: March 2023

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have aroused vast attention and achieved unprecedented development. However, commercial utilization requires better reliability while maintaining high efficiency. Typically, the uncoordinated band energy configuration and structural defects led to recombination, these bottlenecks have seriously damaged the device performance and limited the further development of PSCs. In addressing those questions, researchers have provided various countermeasures including doping to trim the band structure and solvent engineering to modify the crystallization process and introducing reduced dimensional perovskite to maintain long‐term stability. Herein, a convenient carbazole analog doping strategy is reported by adding a certain amount of bromide‐substituted carbazole analog in the perovskite precursor which succeeded in modifying the surface morphology and optimizing the bandgap structure of the film, additionally maintaining considerable stability. As a result, a champion power conversion energy (PCE) of 22.25% is reached and preserved 85% of the initial PCE while stored in ambient air for more than 1200 h (around 30% relative humidity), and with low hysteresis. A simple but practical doping strategy to fabricate efficient and stable perovskite films in ambient air is provided.
Fog computing security: A review
Authors: Jumani Awais Khan , Shi Jinglun , Laghari Asif Ali , Hu Zhihui , Nabi Aftab ul , Qian Huang
Published: March 2023

Fog computing, also known as edge computing, is a decentralized computing architecture that brings computing and data storage closer to the users and devices that need it. It offers several advantages over traditional cloud computing, such as lower latency, improved reliability, and enhanced security. As the Internet of Things continues to grow, the demand for fog computing is also increasing, making it an important topic for research and development. However, the deployment of fog computing also brings new technical challenges and security risks. For example, fog nodes are often deployed in resource‐constrained environments and are exposed to potential security threats, such as malware and attacks on devices connected to the network. In addition, the decentralized nature of fog computing creates new challenges in terms of privacy, security, and data management. This survey aims to address these technical challenges and research gaps in the field of fog computing security. It provides an overview of the current state of fog computing and its security challenges, and identifies key areas for future research. The survey also highlights the importance of fog computing security and the need for continued investment in this area in order to fully realize the potential of this promising technology.
Objective understanding of the principle of relativity (Methodological theses)
Authors: Bogdanov Alexander
Published: March 2023

Einstein's special and general theories of relativity are easily understandable and present no contradictions to a scientific worldview that from the very start understands objectivity to be the product of the cognition of collective humanity. The mysteries and paradoxes of Einsteinian relativity are a consequence of thinking in bi‐subjective terms, of only two observers who move away from one another, and they are removed when considered from the perspective of systems of interconnected elements that are in motion, and when the subjectivity of individual observers and the fact that a deforming environment always exists between an object and its image are taken into account.
Effects of high rebar casting temperature on porosity andCa/Siratio at steel–concrete interface of reinforced concrete
Authors: Chen Lijie , Lee Shek Ping Justin , Su Ray Kai Leung
Published: March 2023

This study investigates effects of elevated rebar casting temperature on the interfacial porosity and Ca/Si ratio of the steel‐concrete interface by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Experimental variables including rebar casting temperatures of 25°C, 40°C, 55°C, 70°C, and 85°C, water/cement ratios of 0.30, 0.45, and 0.60, and rebar diameters of 10 and 20 mm are considered. Large capillary pores of steel–concrete interface (SCI) were quantified by backscattered electron (BSE) imaging and Ca/Si ratio of hydration products of SCI were obtained by energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The results were analyzed by using statistical methods (ANOVA analysis and Pearson correlation analysis). Results indicate that the average interfacial porosity and the average Ca/Si ratio can increase as a result of heated rebar effects. Heated rebar effects can be enhanced by increasing rebar diameter. Impact ranges of the heated rebar effects are also presented.
Roles of Kampo medicine in chemotherapy‐related adverse events
Authors: Nishiuchi Takamasa , Nomura Kotone , Suezawa Yu
Published: March 2023

Background

In recent years, multidisciplinary treatment of cancer has greatly improved the results of cancer treatment. In particular, the development of molecular targeted drugs and cancer immunotherapy drugs has been carried out for many carcinomas, and this has had an important role in improving outcomes. At the same time, there have been important advances in supportive care‐related drugs, with a focus on antiemesis or neutropenia. Here, we overview the clinical roles and potential of the use and utilization of Kampo medicine.

Problems

The side effects of cancer treatments include various symptoms, such as fatigue, numbness, and loss of appetite that are often difficult for modern medicine to deal with. When experienced, these side effects can make it difficult to continue chemotherapy because of malnutrition, infections, psychological burdens, and so on. In such cases, effective supportive care is very important as it is impossible to derive an anticancer effect unless chemotherapy can be continued.

Solutions

Lately, the application of traditional Japanese medicine, ‘Kampo’, to cancer supportive care has attracted attention to improve the results of cancer treatment and the quality of life (QOL) of patients. Especially, the Kampo formulae, called ‘Ho‐zai’, which demonstrate supplementing potencies, have been reported to improve nutritional and immune status. In addition, their effects on both mind and body are recognized.

Conclusions

The application of Kampo therapy in cancer supportive care is considered to be indispensable not only for improving treatment outcomes, but also for improving the quality of cancer treatments and the QOL of cancer patients in the latest treatment of cancer.
A view of the pan‐genome of domesticated Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.)
Authors: Liang Qihua , Muñoz‐Amatriaín María , Shu Shengqiang , Lo Sassoum , Wu Xinyi , Carlson Joseph W. , Davidson Patrick , Goodstein David M. , Phillips Jeremy , Janis Nadia M. , Lee Elaine J. , Liang Chenxi , Morrell Peter L. , Farmer Andrew D. , Xu Pei , Close Timothy J. , Lonardi Stefano
Published: March 2023

Cowpea, Vigna unguiculata L. Walp., is a diploid warm‐season legume of critical importance as both food and fodder in sub‐Saharan Africa. This species is also grown in Northern Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, and East to Southeast Asia. To capture the genomic diversity of domesticates of this important legume, de novo genome assemblies were produced for representatives of six subpopulations of cultivated cowpea identified previously from genotyping of several hundred diverse accessions. In the most complete assembly (IT97K‐499‐35), 26,026 core and 4963 noncore genes were identified, with 35,436 pan genes when considering all seven accessions. GO terms associated with response to stress and defense response were highly enriched among the noncore genes, while core genes were enriched in terms related to transcription factor activity, and transport and metabolic processes. Over 5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) relative to each assembly and over 40 structural variants >1 Mb in size were identified by comparing genomes. Vu10 was the chromosome with the highest frequency of SNPs, and Vu04 had the most structural variants. Noncore genes harbor a larger proportion of potentially disruptive variants than core genes, including missense, stop gain, and frameshift mutations; this suggests that noncore genes substantially contribute to diversity within domesticated cowpea.
Purpose and process: Power, equity, and agenda setting
Authors: Cho Katherine S.
Published: March 2023

This article provides key considerations regarding the tensions within collaboratively constructing purposes to push for equity; complicating how equity is impacted by power, labor, and larger systems of oppression; and recommendations for how to better support students, student leaders, educational leaders, and ultimately the campus.
Building the foundation: Increasing the capacity for critical empathy in co‐curricular leadership programs
Authors: Waxstein Katherine , Cooper Ashton R.
Published: March 2023

Empathy is an important element of the social action, leadership, and transformation model for student leaders. Specifically, critical empathy is vital in developing group solidarity toward social‐justice outcomes. In this article, we explain how we facilitate the development of critical empathy among student leaders in a co‐curricular leadership development program.
Deep learning-based recognition of key anatomical structures during robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy
Authors: den Boer R. B. , Jaspers T. J. M. , de Jongh C. , Pluim J. P. W. , van der Sommen F. , Boers T. , van Hillegersberg R. , Van Eijnatten M. A. J. M. , Ruurda J. P.
Published: March 2023

Objective

To develop a deep learning algorithm for anatomy recognition in thoracoscopic video frames from robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) procedures using deep learning.

Background

RAMIE is a complex operation with substantial perioperative morbidity and a considerable learning curve. Automatic anatomy recognition may improve surgical orientation and recognition of anatomical structures and might contribute to reducing morbidity or learning curves. Studies regarding anatomy recognition in complex surgical procedures are currently lacking.

Methods

Eighty-three videos of consecutive RAMIE procedures between 2018 and 2022 were retrospectively collected at University Medical Center Utrecht. A surgical PhD candidate and an expert surgeon annotated the azygos vein and vena cava, aorta, and right lung on 1050 thoracoscopic frames. 850 frames were used for training of a convolutional neural network (CNN) to segment the anatomical structures. The remaining 200 frames of the dataset were used for testing the CNN. The Dice and 95% Hausdorff distance (95HD) were calculated to assess algorithm accuracy.

Results

The median Dice of the algorithm was 0.79 (IQR = 0.20) for segmentation of the azygos vein and/or vena cava. A median Dice coefficient of 0.74 (IQR = 0.86) and 0.89 (IQR = 0.30) were obtained for segmentation of the aorta and lung, respectively. Inference time was 0.026 s (39 Hz). The prediction of the deep learning algorithm was compared with the expert surgeon annotations, showing an accuracy measured in median Dice of 0.70 (IQR = 0.19), 0.88 (IQR = 0.07), and 0.90 (0.10) for the vena cava and/or azygos vein, aorta, and lung, respectively.

Conclusion

This study shows that deep learning-based semantic segmentation has potential for anatomy recognition in RAMIE video frames. The inference time of the algorithm facilitated real-time anatomy recognition. Clinical applicability should be assessed in prospective clinical studies.
Conscientious use of patient-reported outcome measures in supportive care
Authors: Smith Derek K.
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Patient-reported outcome measures (PRO) are critical tools to developing an understanding of cancer patients’ experience. This paper presents some of the lesser-understood implications of using patient-reported outcome measures in clinical research.

Methods

This study uses a combination of literature sources, real-world examples from supportive care studies, and statistical simulations to demonstrate the operating characteristics of patient-reported measures.

Results

It is demonstrated that care must be taken in the analysis of PROs as the assumptions of the most common mean-based approaches are often violated including linearity, normally distributed errors, interference with asymptotic convergence via boundary values, and more. Further, the implications of subjective discretization are shown to reduce the apparent statistical power of PRO-based studies.

Conclusions

PRO-based studies must be designed conscientiously as each PRO item will demonstrate a varying degree of subjectivity in a given population. Sample sizes of randomized studies using PROs must be inflated to account for this. Analyses should consider using ordinal statistical models until such time as the assumptions of mean-based models can be verified.
Connectedness of COVID vaccination with economic policy uncertainty, oil, bonds, and sectoral equity markets: evidence from the US
Authors: Yousaf Imran , Qureshi Saba , Qureshi Fiza , Gubareva Mariya
Published: March 2023

We examine the connectedness of the COVID vaccination with the economic policy uncertainty, oil, bonds, and sectoral equity markets in the US within time and frequency domain. The wavelet-based findings show the positive impact of COVID vaccination on the oil and sector indices over various frequency scales and periods. The vaccination is evidenced to lead the oil and sectoral equity markets. More specifically, we document strong connectedness of vaccinations with communication services, financials, health care, industrials, information technology (IT) and real estate equity sectors. However, weak interactions exist within the vaccination–IT-services and vaccination–utilities pairs. Moreover, the effect of vaccination on the Treasury bond index is negative, whereas the economic policy uncertainty shows an interchanging lead and lag relation with vaccination. It is further observed that the interrelation between vaccination and the corporate bond index is insignificant. Overall, the impact of vaccination on the sectoral equity markets and economic policy uncertainty is higher than on oil and corporate bond prices. The study offers several important implications for investors, government regulators, and policymakers.
An Overview of Pharmacotherapy in the Management of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder at a Public Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal
Authors: Maniram Jennal , Oosthuizen Frasia , Karrim Saira B.S.
Published: March 2023

This study presents an overview of prescribing patterns and provides insight into the current management practice for the core symptoms and comorbidities of ASD in children. A quantitative retrospective study was conducted at a public hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa by reviewing patient files of children diagnosed with ASD and meeting the inclusion criteria for the study. A descriptive analysis of data was done to identify treatment trends and patient therapeutic outcomes. A total of 181 children met the inclusion criteria of the study. Risperidone was the most frequently prescribed drug (88%) for the management of comorbidities and/or core symptoms of ASD. Drugs prescribed to manage ASD comorbidities included methylphenidate, melatonin, sodium valproate, risperidone, oxybutynin, carbamazepine, and others. Except for risperidone, there were no additional drugs that targeted the core symptoms of ASD. Non-pharmacological therapies were often used collaboratively with medication to manage ASD symptoms. In 41% of patients, there were improvements in their symptoms.
Inexact penalty decomposition methods for optimization problems with geometric constraints
Authors: Kanzow Christian , Lapucci Matteo
Published: March 2023

This paper provides a theoretical and numerical investigation of a penalty decomposition scheme for the solution of optimization problems with geometric constraints. In particular, we consider some situations where parts of the constraints are nonconvex and complicated, like cardinality constraints, disjunctive programs, or matrix problems involving rank constraints. By a variable duplication and decomposition strategy, the method presented here explicitly handles these difficult constraints, thus generating iterates which are feasible with respect to them, while the remaining (standard and supposingly simple) constraints are tackled by sequential penalization. Inexact optimization steps are proven sufficient for the resulting algorithm to work, so that it is employable even with difficult objective functions. The current work is therefore a significant generalization of existing papers on penalty decomposition methods. On the other hand, it is related to some recent publications which use an augmented Lagrangian idea to solve optimization problems with geometric constraints. Compared to these methods, the decomposition idea is shown to be numerically superior since it allows much more freedom in the choice of the subproblem solver, and since the number of certain (possibly expensive) projection steps is significantly less. Extensive numerical results on several highly complicated classes of optimization problems in vector and matrix spaces indicate that the current method is indeed very efficient to solve these problems.
Ensuring Optimal Mental Health Programs and Policies for First Responders: Opportunities and Challenges in One U.S. State
Authors: Fisher Michael P. , Lavender Catherine D.
Published: March 2023

This study examined opportunities and challenges faced by individuals working to advance mental health policy and programming for first responders. We utilized qualitative content analysis and interviews with 16 firefighters, emergency medical services professionals, law enforcement officers, and others involved in programming or policy in the U.S. state of Ohio. Six themes characterized opportunities and challenges encountered: (1) variations in programming and policy exist across jurisdictions; (2) opportunities exist to enhance mental health awareness and self-care training for first responders; (3) need exists for specialized mental health clinicians accustomed to and capable of effectively working with first responders; (4) confidentiality protections are lacking for peer supporters not trained in critical incident stress management; (5) having an internal champion and broader support is key to program and policy advancement; and (6) interdepartmental collaboration provides opportunities for sharing resources and best practices. Results illustrate continued need for strategic policymaking, program development, and coordination.
Explicit infinite families of bent functions outside the completed Maiorana–McFarland class
Authors: Pasalic Enes , Bapić Amar , Zhang Fengrong , Wei Yongzhuang
Published: March 2023

During the last five decades, many different secondary constructions of bent functions were proposed in the literature. Nevertheless, apart from a few works, the question about the class inclusion of bent functions generated using these methods is rarely addressed. Especially, if such a “new” family belongs to the completed Maiorana–McFarland ($${{{\mathcal {M}}}{{\mathcal {M}}}}^\#$$

M
M

#

) class then there is no proper contribution to the theory of bent functions. In this article, we provide some fundamental results related to the inclusion in $${{{\mathcal {M}}}{{\mathcal {M}}}}^\#$$

M
M

#

and eventually we obtain many infinite families of bent functions that are provably outside $${{{\mathcal {M}}}{{\mathcal {M}}}}^\#$$

M
M

#

. The fact that a bent function f is in/outside $${{{\mathcal {M}}}{{\mathcal {M}}}}^\#$$

M
M

#

if and only if its dual is in/outside $${{{\mathcal {M}}}{{\mathcal {M}}}}^\#$$

M
M

#

is employed in the so-called 4-decomposition of a bent function on $${\mathbb {F}}_2^n$$

F
2
n

, which was originally considered by Canteaut and Charpin (IEEE Trans Inf Theory 49(8):2004–2019, 2003) in terms of the second-order derivatives and later reformulated in (Hodžić et al. in IEEE Trans Inf Theory 65(11):7554–7565, 2019) in terms of the duals of its restrictions to the cosets of an $$(n-2)$$

(
n
-
2
)

-dimensional subspace V. For each of the three possible cases of this 4-decomposition of a bent function (all four restrictions being bent, semi-bent, or 5-valued spectra functions), we provide generic methods for designing bent functions provably outside $${{{\mathcal {M}}}{{\mathcal {M}}}}^\#$$

M
M

#

. For instance, for the elementary case of defining a bent function $$h(\textbf{x},y_1,y_2)=f(\textbf{x}) \oplus y_1y_2$$

h

(
x
,

y
1

,

y
2

)

=
f

(
x
)

⊕

y
1

y
2

on $${\mathbb {F}}_2^{n+2}$$

F
2

n
+
2

using a bent function f on $${\mathbb {F}}_2^n$$

F
2
n

, we show that h is outside $${{{\mathcal {M}}}{{\mathcal {M}}}}^\#$$

M
M

#

if and only if f is outside $${{{\mathcal {M}}}{{\mathcal {M}}}}^\#$$

M
M

#

. This approach is then generalized to the case when two bent functions are used. More precisely, the concatenation $$f_1||f_1||f_2||(1\oplus f_2)$$

f
1

|
|

f
1

|
|

f
2

|
|

(
1
⊕

f
2

)

also gives bent functions outside $${{{\mathcal {M}}}{{\mathcal {M}}}}^\#$$

M
M

#

if $$f_1$$

f
1

or $$f_2$$

f
2

is outside $${{{\mathcal {M}}}{{\mathcal {M}}}}^\#$$

M
M

#

. The cases when the four restrictions of a bent function are semi-bent or 5-valued spectra functions are also considered and several design methods of constructing infinite families of bent functions outside $${{{\mathcal {M}}}{{\mathcal {M}}}}^\#$$

M
M

#

are provided.
VAT fraud and reverse charge: empirical evidence from VAT return data
Authors: Buettner Thiess , Tassi Annalisa
Published: March 2023

In order to stop Value-Added Tax (VAT) fraud, EU member states use the so-called reverse-charge (RC) mechanism, which effectively removes VAT withholding and refunding in business-to-business transactions. Using the German VAT return data, we examine the effects of the introduction of RC and find that requests of input tax refunding decline sharply in the affected industries, supporting the presence of fraud prior to the introduction of RC. Based on our estimates, we quantify the revenue losses from VAT fraud prior to RC implementation in these industries to be around 5% of VAT revenues.
Optimisation of the Zr:Ti ratio in bulk lead zirconate titanate for templated grain growth using BaTiO3 seeds
Authors: Mantheakis Edoardo F. , Watson Beecher H. , Brova Michael J. , Messing Gary L. , Stoica Laura A. , Reaney Ian M.
Published: March 2023

Presented here is a proof of concept demonstration of the templated grain growth (TGG) process for the development of [001]c fibre-textured Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 (PZT) ceramics. BaTiO3 platelets (5 and 10 vol.%) were selected to seed growth of highly oriented PZT grains resulting in texture fractions as high as 94%. The TGG process in PZT was observed to be critically dependent upon the addition of excess PbO liquid phase and may be driven by BaTiO3 dissolution into the matrix. Solid solution incorporation of BaTiO3 during sintering resulted in a structural shift away from the PZT morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) and a decrease in Curie temperature (TC) by ~ 40 °C which still exceeded > 300 °C. Modification of the Zr:Ti ratio in untextured ceramic analogues was explored as a strategy to tailor dielectric, ferroelectric, and electromechanical properties. An initial PZT matrix composition of Pb(Zr0.56Ti0.44)O3 resulted in a final bulk Pb0.947Ba0.053(Zr0.531Ti0.469)O3 ceramic having MPB-like properties of d33 = 453 pC/N, tan δ = 0.017, TC = 340 °C, and Ec = 9.3 kV/cm, which was observed to be similar to commercial ‘soft’ PZT-5A1.
A patent-based analysis of the evolution of basic, mission-oriented, and applied research in European universities
Authors: Angori Gabriele , Marzocchi Chiara , Ramaciotti Laura , Rizzo Ugo
Published: March 2023

The dynamics of basic and applied research at university and industry have steadily changed since the Eighties, with the private sector reducing its investments in science and universities experiencing significant remodelling in the governance of their funding. While studies have focussed on documenting these changes in industry, less attention has been paid to observe the trajectories of basic and applied research in universities. This work contributes to fill this gap by looking at the evolution of publicly funded research that has been patented by universities between 1978 and 2015. First, we adopt a critical perspective of the basic versus applied dichotomy and identify patents according to three typologies of research: basic, mission-oriented, and applied research. Second, we describe the evolution of these three typologies in universities compared to industry. Our results show that over the years, patents from academic research that was publicly funded have become more oriented towards pure basic research, with mission-oriented basic research and pure applied research decreasing from the late 1990s. These results complement and extend the literature on basic and applied research dynamics in the private sector. By introducing mission-oriented research as a type of basic research with consideration of use, the work problematises the basic and applied research dichotomy and provides insights into the evolution of academic research focus, offering a more complex picture of how university research contributes to industry and broader social value creation.
Cardiovascular involvement in Erdheim–Chester diseases is associated with myocardial fibrosis and atrial dysfunction
Authors: Palmisano Anna , Campochiaro Corrado , Vignale Davide , Tomelleri Alessandro , De Luca Giacomo , Bruno Elisa , Monti Caterina B. , Cavalli Giulio , Dagna Lorenzo , Esposito Antonio
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Erdheim–Chester disease (ECD) is a rare multisystem histiocytosis, whose cardiovascular involvement has not been systematically characterized so far. We aimed to systematically (qualitatively and quantitatively) describe the features of cardiovascular involvement in a large cohort of ECD patients and to evaluate its impact on myocardial fibrosis extension and cardiac function.

Material and methods

Among 54 patients with biopsy-proven ECD, 29 patients (59 ± 12 years, 79% males) underwent 1.5-T CMR using a standardized protocol for qualitative and quantitative assessment of disease localization, evaluation of atrial and ventricular function, and assessment of non-dense and dense myocardial fibrosis.

Results

The right atrioventricular (AV) groove was the most commonly affected cardiac site (76%) followed by the right atrial walls (63%), thoracic aorta (59%), and superior vena cava (38%). Right AV groove involvement, encasing the right ventricular artery, was associated with non-dense myocardial fibrosis in the infero-septal (20/26 patients) and the inferior (14/26 patients) mid-basal left ventricular (LV) wall. In two patients with right AV groove localization, LGE revealed myocardial infarction in the same myocardial segments. Three out of five patients with left AV groove involvement had non-dense LGE on the lateral LV mid-basal wall. Bulky right atrial pseudomass was associated with atrial dysfunction and superior and inferior vena cava stenosis.

Conclusions

In ECD patients, AV groove localization is associated with LV wall fibrosis in the downstream coronary territories, suggesting hemodynamic alterations due to coronary encasement. Conversely, atrial pseudomass ECD localizations impact on atrial contractility causing atrial dysfunction and are associated with atrio-caval junction stenosis.
The Influence of a Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass on Plasma Concentrations of Antidepressants
Authors: Garin Paul , Favre Lucie , Vionnet Nathalie , Frantz Johanna , Eap Chin B. , Vandenberghe Frederik
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) involves alterations of the gastrointestinal tract resulting in altered absorption. Patients with obesity have a higher prevalence of depression, and antidepressants are often prescribed. Alterations caused by RYGB could modify drug bioavailability and cause potential subtherapeutic plasma concentrations, increasing the risk of depressive relapse. The aim of this study was to describe the evolution of trough drug dose-normalized antidepressant plasma concentrations before and after RYGB.

Materials and Methods

This naturalistic prospective case series considers patients with trough plasma concentrations in a 1-year timeframe before and after RYGB. Only antidepressants prescribed to at least three patients were included in the present study.

Results

Thirteen patients (n = 12 females, median age 44 years, median BMI before intervention = 41.3 kg/m2) were included. Two patients were treated concurrently with fluoxetine and trazodone; the remaining patients were all treated with antidepressant monotherapy. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) values for duloxetine (n = 3), escitalopram (n = 4), fluoxetine (n = 4), and trazodone (n = 4) before (median 4.7 weeks) and after (median 21.3 weeks) RYGB intervention were analyzed. Compared to preintervention, median [interquartile range] decreases in dose-normalized trough plasma concentrations for duloxetine (33% [− 47; − 23]), escitalopram (43% [− 51; − 31]), fluoxetine (9% [− 20; 0.2]), and trazodone (16% [− 29; 0.3]) were observed.

Conclusion

This study shows a decrease in plasma antidepressant concentrations following RYGB. TDM before and after RYGB, in addition to close monitoring of psychiatric symptomatology, may help optimize antidepressant treatment after bariatric surgery. These results also highlight the need for prospective studies assessing the clinical evidence available through TDM in these patients.

Graphical Abstract
Harmonic Analysis Associated with the Jacobi–Dunkl Operator on $$(-\pi ,\pi )$$: Exotic Cases
Authors: Stempak Krzysztof
Published: March 2023

We investigate some spectral properties of a second order differential-difference operator $$J_{\alpha ,\beta }$$

J

α
,
β

on $$L^2((-\pi ,\pi ),d\mu _{\alpha , \beta })$$

L
2

(

(
-
π
,
π
)

,
d

μ

α
,
β

)

, $$\alpha ,\beta \in \mathbb {R}$$

α
,
β
∈
R

, called the Jacobi–Dunkl operator of compact type. Using an idea of Hajmirzaahmad, in exotic cases, e.g. when at least one of the two parameters $$\alpha ,\beta $$

α
,
β

is $$\le -1$$

≤
-
1

, we construct exotic orthonormal bases that consist of eigenfunctions of $$J_{\alpha ,\beta }$$

J

α
,
β

. This allows one to consider natural self-adjoint exotic extensions of $$J_{\alpha ,\beta }$$

J

α
,
β

and the corresponding exotic Jacobi–Dunkl and Jacobi–Dunkl–Poisson semigroups.
Wearable chest sensor for stride and respiration detection during running
Authors: Bernhart Severin , Harbour Eric , Kranzinger Stefan , Jensen Ulf , Finkenzeller Thomas
Published: March 2023

Endurance running is among the most popular physical activities partially due to its low barriers to entry. However, some people avoid running because of respiratory distress, and respiratory monitoring could help prevent this. Wearable sensors are valuable for respiration detection during exercise and enable respiratory feedback in real time. Therefore, this study presents a wearable chest-mounted stride and respiration sensor including step and flow reversal event detection algorithms. The algorithms were evaluated using precision and recall between detected and reference events with respect to different levels of breathing depth, motion artifact, thoracic skin temperature and sweat. Overall F1 scores reached 93.2%, 97.4% and 97.2% for step, expiration and inspiration events, respectively. No significant effect on event detection performance was observed for breathing depth, stride motion artifact, or thoracic skin temperature. In contrast, sweat level slightly decreased detection performance. Consequently, this sensor is able to accurately measure stride and respiration during running and could be suitable for use as a system to guide runners’ respiration during exercise.
Cutting mechanism of a special 3D concave-shaped PDC cutter applicable to the Weiyuan shale
Authors: Ke Xiaohua , Sun Jinsheng , Yang Xiongwen , Ma Chi , Yu Jiaqing , Huang Kuiling
Published: March 2023

The Weiyuan shale gas field faces problems of long drilling cycles and high development costs. Improving the drilling efficiency of polycrystalline diamond compact bits in shale formations will significantly reduce the overall well cost and duration. Previous applications have demonstrated that conventional PDC bits on the market cannot meet the demand for drilling acceleration. In this work, a new three-dimensional concave-shaped PDC cutter was proposed to improve drilling efficiency. The special 3D concave-shaped cutter has two symmetrical curved ridges on the concave surface and a circular plane at the center. The cutting mechanism of the new 3D concave-shaped cutter has been studied by laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. The research data revealed that, compared with a flat cutter, the tangential force of the original 3D concave-shaped cutter was reduced by 1.4%–35.0%, the axial force was reduced by 6.7%–37.6%, and the mechanical specific energy (MSE) was reduced by 1.6%–35.59%. Simulations showed that the shear action of the 3D concave-shaped cutter was divided into two continuous parts, with the sides and the center surface being stressed successively, which is helpful for extending shear cracks, forming trilobal cuttings, and improving cutting efficiency. With the special 3D concave-shaped cutter, an 8½-inch drill bit was designed and manufactured and tested on the Longmaxi shale in the Weiyuan block. Through field tests, we further compared the performance of the 3D concave-shaped cutter PDC bit with that of the flat cutter PDC bit. The 3D concave-shaped PDC bit had a 41.8% better footage and 22.6% better rate of penetration (ROP) in field test.
Reliability-enhanced surrogate-assisted particle swarm optimization for feature selection and hyperparameter optimization in landslide displacement prediction
Authors: Wang Yi , Wang Kanqi , Zhang Maosheng , Gu Tianfeng , Zhang Hui
Published: March 2023

Landslides are dangerous disasters that are affected by many factors. Neural networks can be used to fit complex observations and predict landslide displacement. However, hyperparameters have a great impact on neural networks, and each evaluation of a hyperparameter requires the construction of a corresponding model and the evaluation of the accuracy of the hyperparameter on the test set. Thus, the evaluation of hyperparameters requires a large amount of time. In addition, not all features are positive factors for predicting landslide displacement, so it is necessary to remove useless and redundant features through feature selection. Although the accuracy of wrapper-based feature selection is higher, it also requires considerable evaluation time. Therefore, in this paper, reliability-enhanced surrogate-assisted particle swarm optimization (RESAPSO), which uses the surrogate model to reduce the number of evaluations and combines PSO with the powerful global optimization ability to simultaneously search the hyperparameters in the long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network and the feature set for predicting landslide displacement is proposed. Specifically, multiple surrogate models are utilized simultaneously, and a Bayesian evaluation strategy is designed to integrate the predictive fitness of multiple surrogate models. To mitigate the influence of an imprecise surrogate model, an intuitional fuzzy set is used to represent individual information. To balance the exploration and development of the algorithm, intuition-fuzzy multiattribute decision-making is used to select the best and most uncertain individuals from the population for updating the surrogate model. The experiments were carried out in CEC2015 and CEC2017. In the experiment, RESAPSO is compared with several well-known and recently proposed SAEAs and verified for its effectiveness and advancement in terms of accuracy, convergence speed, and stability, with the Friedman test ranking first. For the landslide displacement prediction problem, the RESAPSO-LSTM model is established, which effectively solves the feature selection and LSTM hyperparameter optimization and uses less evaluation time while improving the prediction accuracy. The experimental results show that the optimization time of RESAPSO is about one-fifth that of PSO. In the prediction of landslide displacement in the step-like stage, RESAPSO-LSTM has higher prediction accuracy than the contrast model, which can provide a more effective prediction method for the risk warning of a landslide in the severe deformation stage.
„Wider die Natur“ – Zur sozialpsychologischen Dimension des Bündnisses von Verschwörungsdenken und Spiritualität in den Corona-Protesten. Eine Fallanalyse
Authors: Knasmüller Florian , Menzel Gero , Reuss Tobias , Brunner Markus , Heller Ayline
Published: March 2023

Seit dem Aufkommen lautstarker und öffentlichkeitswirksamer Proteste gegen die Corona-Politik wird immer öfter das Konzept der conspirituality bemüht, um den ideologischen Kitt des heterogenen Protestmilieus theoretisch zu bestimmen. Im vorliegenden Artikel wird zum einen nachgezeichnet, wie sich verschwörungs- und esoterisch-spirituelles Denken in der conspirituality miteinander verzahnt und wie diese Vorstellungs- und Gefühlswelten von okkulten Milieus ausgehend diffundierten und allmählich popularisiert wurden. Zum anderen wird anhand einer tiefenhermeneutischen Einzelfallanalyse eines biografisch-narrativen Interviews mit einer Protestteilnehmerin gezeigt, dass die Ideologiefragmente auf idiosynkratische Weise angeeignet und in die eigenen Deutungssysteme eingeflochten werden. Durch diese Herangehensweise gerät weiterhin in den Blick, welche Unsicherheiten durch die Pandemie und die politischen Versuche dieser Herr zu werden ausgelöst wurden und wie diese zu lebensgeschichtlichen Erfahrungs- und Beziehungsmustern der Interviewten stehen. Vor diesem Hintergrund, so das Fazit der Studie, dient die conspirituality als Schiefheilungsschablone, die es erlaubt gesellschaftlich (mit-)produzierte, innere Konfliktlagen zu bearbeiten und abzufedern, indem unerträgliche Affekte, Ambivalenzen und Ängste, aber auch unerfüllte Wünsche nach Harmonie und Geborgenheit projektiv entweder in die Natur gelegt oder bösartigen Verschwörer:innen zugeschrieben werden.
Relational, Appreciative, and Process-oriented Digital Storytelling: A Duoethnography
Authors: Brailas Alexios , Sotiropoulou Chara
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we propose an approach to group and community digital storytelling based on the following pillars: (a) extensive periods dedicated to group forming; facilitating meaningful interactions and members synergies through organized group work activities, (b) cultivating an appreciative and inclusive culture that takes advantage of the individual differences, and (c) a process-oriented practice, informed by systems thinking, that listen to the individuals’ voices and needs as well as to the group-as-a-whole process. In this context, digital storytelling could help people and communities to re-author themselves in more empowering, meaningful, and life-promoting ways. In the first part of this work, we discuss the theoretical underpinnings of our approach, we describe the details of a first pilot offering, and we provide an initial narrative evaluation by the participants. In the second part, we engage in an evocative duoethnography of our practice to provide a narrative, performative, in-context, and dense description of our lived experience as designers and facilitators, and as human beings that we actively participated in the unfolding of our program. Implications for the transformative power of duoethnography are discussed.
Near, Far, Wherever We Are: Space Exploration Urgently Needs an Ethics-Informed Planning Revolution
Authors: Smith Helen
Published: March 2023

Projects concerning space are hugely valuable to our species. Two notable physical districts are (a) the various orbits local to earth and (b) areas that are more remotely located in the interplanetary and interstellar regions. However, the legacy of decades of human space observation, exploitation, and exploration has not always been positive. Environments have been impacted and key groups have been inconvenienced and even their safety threatened due to the ventures of some actors. If such activity continues, the damage caused to our societies, our local space, and even our outer space might become irretrievable. This paper calls for actors to work with their fellow earthlings to identify and address the negative consequences of space endeavours prior to their eventuation. By employing notions of long-view sustainability, we may visualise how our projects affect not only the environment, but also us, and the legacy that we leave for our future generations.