bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between normal-weight obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors among adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Gebremedhin Samson , Mekonene Mulugeta , Hagos Seifu , Baye Kaleab , Shikur Bilal , Berhane Adugnaw , Bekele Tilahun
Published: December 2023

The relationship between normal-weight obesity (NWO)—high percent body fat (%BF) in individuals with normal body mass index (BMI)—and cardiometabolic abnormalities has not been explored in Africa. We determined the prevalence of the NWO and evaluated its association with hypertension, elevated blood sugar and dyslipidaemia among adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among adults 18–64 years (n = 600). Blood pressure, blood glucose, lipid profile, and anthropometric measurements were completed. As a function of skinfold thickness, body density and %BF were estimated using Durnin & Womersley and Siri Equations, respectively. The relationship between the NWO and the outcomes of interest, assessed using adjusted linear and logit models. The age- and sex-standardised prevalence of NWO was 18.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 15.8, 22.2%). Comparison between normal-weight lean (normal %BF and BMI) and normal-weight obese individuals suggested no difference in systolic blood pressure (β = 2.55; 95% CI − 0.82, 5.92); however, diastolic blood pressure (β = 3.77: 95% CI 1.37, 6.18) and odds of hypertension (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.46: 95% CI 1.18, 5.13) were significantly raised in the latter. Similarly, adults with NWO had elevated blood glucose (β = 2.30; 95% CI 1.23, 15.66) and increased odds of high blood sugar level (AOR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.05, 2.67). LDL (β = 8.73: 1.56, 15.90), triglyceride (β = 20.99: 0.78, 41.22), total cholesterol (β = 10.47: 1.44, 19.50), and Cholesterol to HDL ratio (β = 0.65: 0.27, 1.04) were also raised among adults with NWO. NWO is common among adults in Addis Ababa and is associated with cardiometabolic derangements.
COVID-19 infection segmentation using hybrid deep learning and image processing techniques
Authors: Antar Samar , Abd El-Sattar Hussein Karam Hussein , Abdel-Rahman Mohammad H. , F. M. Ghaleb Fayed
Published: December 2023

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has become a worldwide problem that continues to affect people’s lives daily, and the early diagnosis of COVID-19 has a critical importance on the treatment of infected patients for medical and healthcare organizations. To detect COVID-19 infections, medical imaging techniques, including computed tomography (CT) scan images and X-ray images, are considered some of the helpful medical tests that healthcare providers carry out. However, in addition to the difficulty of segmenting contaminated areas from CT scan images, these approaches also offer limited accuracy for identifying the virus. Accordingly, this paper addresses the effectiveness of using deep learning (DL) and image processing techniques, which serve to expand the dataset without the need for any augmentation strategies, and it also presents a novel approach for detecting COVID-19 virus infections in lung images, particularly the infection prediction issue. In our proposed method, to reveal the infection, the input images are first preprocessed using a threshold then resized to 128 × 128. After that, a density heat map tool is used for coloring the resized lung images. The three channels (red, green, and blue) are then separated from the colored image and are further preprocessed through image inverse and histogram equalization, and are subsequently fed, in independent directions, into three separate U-Nets with the same architecture for segmentation. Finally, the segmentation results are combined and run through a convolution layer one by one to get the detection. Several evaluation metrics using the CT scan dataset were used to measure the performance of the proposed approach in comparison with other state-of-the-art techniques in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, precision, and the dice coefficient. The experimental results of the proposed approach reached 99.71%, 0.83, 0.87, and 0.85, respectively. These results show that coloring the CT scan images dataset and then dividing each image into its RGB image channels can enhance the COVID-19 detection, and it also increases the U-Net power in the segmentation when merging the channel segmentation results. In comparison to other existing segmentation techniques employing bigger 512 × 512 images, this study is one of the few that can rapidly and correctly detect the COVID-19 virus with high accuracy on smaller 128 × 128 images using the metrics of accuracy, sensitivity, precision, and dice coefficient.
Orchestration of saccadic eye-movements by brain rhythms in macaque Frontal Eye Field
Authors: Shaverdi Yeganeh , Setarehdan Seyed Kamaledin , Treue Stefan , Esghaei Moein
Published: December 2023

Visual perception has been suggested to operate on temporal ‘chunks’ of sensory input, rather than on a continuous stream of visual information. Saccadic eye movements impose a natural rhythm on the sensory input, as periods of steady fixation between these rapid eye movements provide distinct temporal segments of information. Ideally, the timing of saccades should be precisely locked to the brain’s rhythms of information processing. Here, we investigated such locking of saccades to rhythmic neural activity in rhesus monkeys performing a visual foraging task. We found that saccades are phase-locked to local field potential oscillations (especially, 9–22 Hz) in the Frontal Eye Field, with the phase of oscillations predictive of the saccade onset as early as 100 ms prior to these movements. Our data also indicate a functional role of this phase-locking in determining the direction of saccades. These findings show a tight—and likely important—link between oscillatory brain activity and rhythmic behavior that imposes a rhythmic temporal structure on sensory input, such as saccadic eye movements.
Biological and mechanical influence of three-dimensional microenvironment formed in microwell on multicellular spheroids composed of heterogeneous hair follicle stem cells
Authors: Lee Seungjin , Kim Nackhyoung , Kim Sung-Hwan , Um Soo-Jong , Park Joong Yull
Published: December 2023

Hair loss caused by malfunction of the hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and physical damage to the skin is difficult to recover from naturally. To overcome these obstacles to hair follicle (HF) regeneration, it is essential to understand the three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment and interactions of various cells within the HFs. Therefore, 3D cell culture technology has been used in HF regeneration research; specifically, multicellular spheroids have been generally adapted to mimic the 3D volumetric structure of the HF. In this study, we culture HF-derived cells, which are mainly composed of HFSCs, in the form of 3D spheroids using a microwell array and discuss the effects of the 3D cellular environment on HF morphogenesis by expression measurements of Sonic hedgehog signaling and stem cell markers in the HF spheroids. Additionally, the influences of microwell depth on HF spheroid formation and biological conditions were investigated. The biomolecular diffusion and convective flow in the microwell were predicted using computational fluid dynamics, which allows analysis of the physical stimulations occurring on the spheroid at the micro-scale. Although a simple experimental method using the microwell array was adopted in this study, the results provide fundamental insights into the physiological phenomena of HFs in the 3D microenvironment, and the numerical analysis is expected to shed light on the investigation of the geometric parameters of the microwell system.
The influence of upward social comparison on retail trading behaviour
Authors: Andraszewicz Sandra , Kaszás Dániel , Zeisberger Stefan , Hölscher Christoph
Published: December 2023

Online investing is often facilitated by digital platforms, where the information of peer top performers can be widely accessible and distributed. However, the influence of such information on retail investors’ psychology, their trading behaviour and potential risks they may be prone to is poorly understood. We investigate the impact of upward social comparison on risk-taking, trading activity and investor satisfaction using a tailored experiment with 807 experienced retail investors trading on a dynamically evolving simulated stock market, designed to systematically measure various facets of trading activity. We find that investors presented with an upward social comparison take more risk and trade more actively, and they report significantly lower satisfaction with their own performance. Our findings demonstrate the pitfalls of modern investment platforms with peer information and social trading. The broad implications of this study also provide guidelines for improving retail investor satisfaction and protection.
Strain-based method for fatigue failure prediction of additively manufactured lattice structures
Authors: Coluccia Antonio , De Pasquale Giorgio
Published: December 2023

Lattice structures find application in numerous technological domains, including aerospace and automotive industries for structural components, biomedical sector implants, and heat exchangers. In many instances, especially those pertaining to structural applications, fatigue resistance stands as a critical and stringent requirement. The objective of this paper is to advance the analysis of fatigue failure in additively manufactured lattice structures by introducing a predictive fatigue failure model based on the finite element (FE) method and experimentally validating the results. The model utilizes linear homogenization to reduce computational effort in FE simulations. By employing a strain-based parameter, the most critical lattice cell is identified, enabling the prediction of fatigue crack nucleation locations. The Crossland multiaxial fatigue failure criterion is employed to assess the equivalent stress, furnishing the fatigue limit threshold essential for predicting component failure. Inconel 625 specimens are manufactured via the laser-based powder bed fusion of metals additive manufacturing process. In order to validate the model, cantilevers comprising octa-truss lattice cells in both uniform and graded configurations undergo experimental testing subjected to bending loads within the high cycle fatigue regime. The proposed methodology effectively forecasts the location of failure in seventeen out of eighteen samples, establishing itself as a valuable tool for lattice fatigue analysis. Failure consistently manifests in sections of uniform and graded lattice structures characterized by the maximum strain tensor norm. The estimated maximum force required to prevent fatigue failure in the samples is 20 N, based on the computed Crossland equivalent stress.
Automating licking bias correction in a two-choice delayed match-to-sample task to accelerate learning
Authors: Do Jongrok , Jung Min Whan , Lee Doyun
Published: December 2023

Animals often display choice bias, or a preference for one option over the others, which can significantly impede learning new tasks. Delayed match-to-sample (DMS) tasks with two-alternative choices of lickports on the left and right have been widely used to study sensory processing, working memory, and associative memory in head-fixed animals. However, extensive training time, primarily due to the animals' biased licking responses, limits their practical utility. Here, we present the implementation of an automated side bias correction system in an olfactory DMS task, where the lickport positions and the ratio of left- and right-rewarded trials are dynamically adjusted to counterbalance mouse’s biased licking responses during training. The correction algorithm moves the preferred lickport farther away from the mouse’s mouth and the non-preferred lickport closer, while also increasing the proportion of non-preferred side trials when biased licking occurs. We found that adjusting lickport distances and the proportions of left- versus right-rewarded trials effectively reduces the mouse’s side bias. Further analyses reveal that these adjustments also correlate with subsequent improvements in behavioral performance. Our findings suggest that the automated side bias correction system is a valuable tool for enhancing the applicability of behavioral tasks involving two-alternative lickport choices.
Highly efficient and selective integrated directional couplers for multigas sensing applications
Authors: Thottoli Ajmal , Biagi Gabriele , Vorobev Artem S. , Giglio Marilena , Magno Giovanni , O’Faolain Liam , Grande Marco
Published: December 2023

The design and fabrication of a compact, low-loss, broadband directional coupler (DC) based duplexer operating in the near-infrared (NIR) region are demonstrated. The duplexer exhibits high selectivity and coupling efficiency (CE), for target wavelengths of 1530 nm and 1653.7 nm, making it applicable in systems for the multi-gas detection of ammonia and methane. The measured CE for the duplexer is 73% and 76% at 1530 nm and 1653.7 nm respectively. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the duplexer as a broadband and scalable power source for highly sensitive sensing techniques, like quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS). Its compact size and low-loss characteristics make it highly portable and well-suited for drone-based multi-gas detection applications.
Proximate composition, lipid and elemental profiling of eight varieties of avocado (Persea americana)
Authors: Nasri Chaimae , Halabi Yasmina , Hajib Ahmed , Choukri Hasnae , Harhar Hicham , Lee Learn-Han , Mani Vasudevan , Ming Long Chiau , Goh Khang Wen , Bouyahya Abdelhakim , Tabyaoui Mohamed
Published: December 2023

Eight Moroccan avocado varieties were analyzed for their nutritional composition and physicochemical properties. The nutritional contents of the sample were determined through the evaluation of the moisture, oil, ash, protein, and carbohydrate contents, and energy value calculation. Additionally, macroelements (Ca, Mg, and Na) and microelements (Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn) were determined in the mineral profile. Oils were examined also for their fatty acid, phytosterol, and tocopherol profiles. As a result of the study, the avocado presents significant differences between the eight studied varieties (p < 0.05), with regard to moisture content (57.88 g/100 g to 84.71 g/100 g), oil content (8.41 g/100 g to 57.88 g/100 g), ash (0.57 g/100 g to 1.37 g/100 g), protein content (5.7 g/100 g to 8.61 g/100 g), carbohydrate content (5.63 g/100 g to 14.61 g/100 g), and energy value (99.9 kcal/100 g to 316.8 kcal/100 g). Sodium (5783.01 mg/kg to 12,056.19 mg/kg) was the predominant macro-element in all varieties, followed by calcium (295.95 mg/kg to 531.67 mg/kg), and magnesium (246.29 mg/kg to 339.84 mg/kg). Copper (85.92 mg/kg to 112. 31 mg/kg) was the main microelement in all varieties, followed by iron (8.5 mg/kg to 20.32 mg/kg), and manganese (7.3 mg/kg to 18.45 mg/kg), while zinc (1.72 mg/kg to 5.66 mg/kg) was detected in small amounts. In addition, significant difference was observed in lipid profiles, according to the eight studied varieties (p < 0.05). Avocado oils were mainly composed of monounsaturated fatty acids (76.89 g/100 g to 84.7 g/100 g), with oleic acid (50.38 g/100 g to 71.49 g/100 g) standing out as particularly characteristic, while β-sitosterol (l2365.58 mg/kg to 4559.27 mg/kg), and α-tocopherol (30.08 mg/kg to 182.94 mg/kg) were among its major phytosterols and tocopherols. All avocado varieties represented in this study can be consumed as a fruit as an excellent source of energy, minerals, fatty acids, phytosterols, and tocopherols. The regular consumption of this fruit provides the body with several essential nutrients.
HLA-B*46:01:01:01 and HLA-DRB1*09:01:02:01 are associated with anti-rHuEPO-induced pure red cell aplasia
Authors: Suttichet Thitima Benjachat , Chamnanphon Monpat , Pongpanich Monnat , Chokyakorn Sarun , Kupatawintu Pawinee , Srichomthong Chalurmpon , Chetruengchai Wanna , Chuntakaruk Hathaichanok , Rungrotmongkol Thanyada , Chariyavilaskul Pajaree , Shotelersuk Vorasuk , Praditpornsilpa Kearkiat
Published: December 2023

Treatment of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) can be disrupted by a severe complication, anti-rHuEPO-induced pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). Specific HLA genotypes may have played a role in the high incidence of PRCA in Thai patients (1.7/1,000 patient years vs. 0.03/10,000 patient years in Caucasians). We conducted a case–control study in 157 CKD patients with anti-rHuEPO-induced PRCA and 56 controls. The HLA typing was determined by sequencing using a highly accurate multiplex single-molecule, real-time, long-read sequencing platform. Four analytical models were deployed: Model 1 (additive: accounts for the number of alleles), Model 2 (dominant: accounts for only the presence or absence of alleles), Model 3 (adjusted additive with rHuEPO types) and Model 4 (adjusted dominant with rHuEPO types). HLA-B*46:01:01:01 and DRB1*09:01:02:01 were found to be independent risk markers for anti-rHuEPO-induced PRCA in all models [OR (95%CI), p-values for B*46:01:01:01: 4.58 (1.55–13.51), 0.006; 4.63 (1.56–13.75), 0.006; 5.72 (1.67–19.67), 0.006; and 5.81 (1.68–20.09), 0.005; for DRB1*09:01:02:01: 3.99 (1.28–12.49), 0.017, 4.50 (1.32–15.40), 0.016, 3.42 (1.09–10.74), 0.035, and 3.75 (1.08–13.07), 0.038, in Models 1–4, respectively. HLA-B*46:01:01:01 and DRB1*09:01:02:01 are susceptible alleles for anti-rHuEPO-induced PRCA. These findings support the role of HLA genotyping in helping to monitor patients receiving rHuEPO treatment.
HOXA10 promotes Gdf5 expression in articular chondrocytes
Authors: Murakami Tomohiko , Ruengsinpinya Lerdluck , Takahata Yoshifumi , Nakaminami Yuri , Hata Kenji , Nishimura Riko
Published: December 2023

Growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5), a BMP family member, is highly expressed in the surface layer of articular cartilage. The GDF5 gene is a key risk locus for osteoarthritis and Gdf5-deficient mice show abnormal joint development, indicating that GDF5 is essential in joint development and homeostasis. In this study, we aimed to identify transcription factors involved in Gdf5 expression by performing two-step screening. We first performed microarray analyses to find transcription factors specifically and highly expressed in the superficial zone (SFZ) cells of articular cartilage, and isolated 11 transcription factors highly expressed in SFZ cells but not in costal chondrocytes. To further proceed with the identification, we generated Gdf5-HiBiT knock-in (Gdf5-HiBiT KI) mice, by which we can easily and reproducibly monitor Gdf5 expression, using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. Among the 11 transcription factors, Hoxa10 clearly upregulated HiBiT activity in the SFZ cells isolated from Gdf5-HiBiT KI mice. Hoxa10 overexpression increased Gdf5 expression while Hoxa10 knockdown decreased it in the SFZ cells. Moreover, ChIP and promoter assays proved the direct regulation of Gdf5 expression by HOXA10. Thus, our results indicate the important role played by HOXA10 in Gdf5 regulation and the usefulness of Gdf5-HiBiT KI mice for monitoring Gdf5 expression.
An intercomparison of weather normalization of PM2.5 concentration using traditional statistical methods, machine learning, and chemistry transport models
Authors: Zheng Huang , Kong Shaofei , Zhai Shixian , Sun Xiaoyun , Cheng Yi , Yao Liquan , Song Congbo , Zheng Zhonghua , Shi Zongbo , Harrison Roy M.
Published: December 2023

Traditional statistical methods (TSM) and machine learning (ML) methods have been widely used to separate the effects of emissions and meteorology on air pollutant concentrations, while their performance compared to the chemistry transport model has been less fully investigated. Using the Community Multiscale Air Quality Model (CMAQ) as a reference, a series of experiments was conducted to comprehensively investigate the performance of TSM (e.g., multiple linear regression and Kolmogorov–Zurbenko filter) and ML (e.g., random forest and extreme gradient boosting) approaches in quantifying the effects of emissions and meteorology on the trends of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during 2013−2017. Model performance evaluation metrics suggested that the TSM and ML methods can explain the variations of PM2.5 with the highest performance from ML. The trends of PM2.5 showed insignificant differences (p > 0.05) for both the emission-related ($${{\rm{PM}}}_{2.5}^{{\rm{EMI}}}$$

PM

2.5

EMI

) and meteorology-related components between TSM, ML, and CMAQ modeling results. $${{\rm{PM}}}_{2.5}^{{\rm{EMI}}}$$

PM

2.5

EMI

estimated from ML showed the least difference to that from CMAQ. Considering the medium computing resources and low model biases, the ML method is recommended for weather normalization of PM2.5. Sensitivity analysis further suggested that the ML model with optimized hyperparameters and the exclusion of temporal variables in weather normalization can further produce reasonable results in emission-related trends of PM2.5.
Polarization superposition of room-temperature polariton condensation
Authors: Moriyama Yuta , Inukai Takaya , Hirao Tsukasa , Ueda Yusuke , Takahashi Shun , Yamashita Kenichi
Published: December 2023

A methodology for forming a qubit state is essential for quantum applications of room temperature polaritons. While polarization degree of freedom is expected as a possible means for this purpose, the coupling of linearly polarized polariton condensed states has been still a challenging issue. In this study, we show a polarization superposition of a polariton condensed states in an all-inorganic perovskite microcavity at room temperature. We achieved the energy resonance of the two orthogonally polarized polariton modes with the same number of antinodes by exploiting the blue shift of the polariton condensed state. The polarization coupling between the condensed states results in a polarization switching in the polariton lasing emission. The orthorhombic crystal structure of the perovskite active layer and/or a slight off-axis orientation of the perovskite crystal axis from the normal direction of microcavity plane enables the interaction between the two orthogonally polarized states. These observations suggest the use of polariton polarization states as a promising room temperature quantum technology.
Machine learning identifies risk factors associated with long-term sick leave following COVID-19 in Danish population
Authors: Jakobsen Kim Daniel , O’Regan Elisabeth , Svalgaard Ingrid Bech , Hviid Anders
Published: December 2023

Background

Post COVID-19 condition (PCC) can lead to considerable morbidity, including prolonged sick-leave. Identifying risk groups is important for informing interventions. We investigated heterogeneity in the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on long-term sick-leave and identified subgroups at higher risk.

Methods

We conducted a hybrid survey and register-based retrospective cohort study of Danish residents who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between November 2020 and February 2021 and a control group who tested negative, with no known history of SARS-CoV-2. We estimated the causal risk difference (RD) of long-term sick-leave due to PCC and used the causal forest method to identify individual-level heterogeneity in the effect of infection on sick-leave. Sick-leave was defined as >4 weeks of full-time sick-leave from 4 weeks to 9 months after the test.

Results

Here, in a cohort of 88,818 individuals, including 37,482 with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, the RD of long-term sick-leave is 3.3% (95% CI 3.1% to 3.6%). We observe a high degree of effect heterogeneity, with conditional RDs ranging from −3.4% to 13.7%. Age, high BMI, depression, and sex are the most important variables explaining heterogeneity. Among three-way interactions considered, females with high BMI and depression and persons aged 36–45 years with high BMI and depression have an absolute increase in risk of long-term sick-leave above 10%.

Conclusions

Our study supports significant individual-level heterogeneity in the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on long-term sick-leave, with age, sex, high BMI, and depression identified as key factors. Efforts to curb the PCC burden should consider multimorbidity and individual-level risk.
Tackling the outer membrane: facilitating compound entry into Gram-negative bacterial pathogens
Authors: Saxena Deepanshi , Maitra Rahul , Bormon Rakhi , Czekanska Marta , Meiers Joscha , Titz Alexander , Verma Sandeep , Chopra Sidharth
Published: December 2023

Emerging resistance to all available antibiotics highlights the need to develop new antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action. Most of the currently used antibiotics target Gram-positive bacteria while Gram-negative bacteria easily bypass the action of most drug molecules because of their unique outer membrane. This additional layer acts as a potent barrier restricting the entry of compounds into the cell. In this scenario, several approaches have been elucidated to increase the accumulation of compounds into Gram-negative bacteria. This review includes a brief description of the physicochemical properties that can aid compounds to enter and accumulate in Gram-negative bacteria and covers different strategies to target or bypass the outer membrane-mediated barrier in Gram-negative bacterial pathogens.
Correction: Virus-mimicking nanosystems: from design to biomedical applications
Authors: Liu Hao-Yang , Li Xiao , Wang Zhi-Gang , Liu Shu-Lin
Published: December 2023

Correction for ‘Virus-mimicking nanosystems: from design to biomedical applications’ by Hao-Yang Liu et al., Chem. Soc. Rev., 2023, 52, 8481–8499, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CS00138E.
Fluorinated phosphonium ionic liquid boosts the N2-adsorbing ability of TiO2 for efficient photocatalytic NH3 synthesis
Authors: Gong Xiangjiao , Chong Ben , Xia Mengyang , Li He , Ou Honghui , Yang Guidong
Published: December 2023

A novel ionic liquid ([P4,4,4,4][PF6])–water reaction solution system was constructed, transforming the TiO2−x surface to aerophilic. N2 dissolution and adsorption were promoted, greatly improving N2 fixation performance.
Insights into size effects of Pt/Al2O3 catalysts on hydrogen production from methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation
Authors: Wu Yiqing , Li Yuanyuan , Yu Xinbin , Ma Xiaohan , Boebinger Matthew , Weber Juliane , Wu Zili
Published: December 2023

A volcano trend is observed for the intrinsic activity of Pt/Al2O3 catalysts in methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation.
Photocatalytic production of H2O2 from wastewater under visible light by chlorine and ZnIn2S4 co-decorated TpPa-1
Authors: Xia Guanglu , Qiu Jianhao , Dai Dingliang , Tang Yong , Wu Zhonghao , Yao Jianfeng
Published: December 2023

A covalent organic framework (COF) named TpPa-1 was co-modified by chlorine grafting and ZnIn2S4 integration for concurrent photocatalytic H2O2 generation and wastewater purification under visible light.
Electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO by Fe(iii) carbazole–porphyrins in homogeneous molecular systems
Authors: Sun Hai , Wu Jiahui , Tian Fengkun , Zhang Guodong , Xia Zixiang , Rong Jiaxin , Qin Jun-Sheng , Rao Heng
Published: December 2023

Iron porphyrin can electrocatalytically reduce CO2 to CO by applying a voltage in a homogeneous solution.
MaScQA: investigating materials science knowledge of large language models
Authors: Zaki Mohd , Jayadeva  , Mausam  , Krishnan N. M. Anoop
Published: December 2023

Different materials science domains from which questions are present in Materials Science Question Answering (MaScQA) database.
An Fe3+ induced etching and hydrolysis precipitation strategy affords an Fe–Co hydroxide nanotube array toward hybrid water electrolysis
Authors: Lu Chengyi , Shi Xiao , Li Juchen , Wang Xuefei , Luo Silun , Zhu Wenxin , Wang Jianlong
Published: December 2023

A branched FeCo-based hydroxide nanotube array is prepared by a facile ion-exchange and hydrolysis precipitation strategy toward enhanced water oxidation.
Etching-induced ion exchange engineering of two-dimensional layered NiFeCo-based hydroxides for high energy charge storage
Authors: Xiong Chenhan , Cao Wei , Long Qiang , Chen Jiaqi , Yu Yanqiu , Lian Xinming , Huang Jianhua , Du Guoping , Chen Nan
Published: December 2023

A straightforward and efficient strategy is presented for the electrochemical in situ self-growth of nanostructured NiFeCo-THs on nickel foam substrates.
Technological and health properties and main challenges in the production of vegetable beverages and dairy analogs
Authors: Andressa Irene , Kelly Silva do Nascimento Glauce , Monteiro dos Santos Tatiane , Rodrigues Rosane da Silva , de Oliveira Teotônio Daniela , Paucar-Menacho Luz María , Machado Benassi Vivian , Schmiele Marcio
Published: December 2023

The consumption of plant-based beverages has been driven by nutritional appeals and as health promoters for individuals with dietary restrictions related to cow's milk or due to ethical, philosophical and environmental factors and lifestyle choices.
Characterization, mechanism and in vivo validation of Helicobacter pylori antagonism by probiotics screened from infants’ feces and oral cavity
Authors: Li Junyi , Peng Fei , Huang Hui , Xu Xiaoyan , Guan Qianqian , Xie Mingyong , Xiong Tao
Published: December 2023

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a major cause of chronic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric carcinoma.
Astaxanthin slows down skeletal muscle atrophy in H22 tumor-bearing mice during sorafenib treatment by modulating the gut microbiota
Authors: Ren Pengfei , Yue Han , Tang Qingjuan , Wang Yuming , Xue Changhu
Published: December 2023

Astaxanthin supplementation altered the amino acid metabolism in tumor-bearing mice by modulating intestinal flora, thereby reducing the rate of skeletal muscle atrophy in tumor-bearing mice undergoing treatment.
Re-engineered theranostic gold nanoparticles for targeting tumor hypoxia
Authors: Mittal Sweety , Kumar Chandan , Mallia Madhava B. , Sarma Haladhar Dev
Published: December 2023

Developing nanovehicles for selective delivery of a radiation dose/drug to hypoxic tumors is a present-day clinical requirement for effective treatment of cancer.
NiGraf: a new nickel-based molecularly doped metal for enhanced water electrolysis
Authors: Pagliaro Mario , Pagliaro Maria V. , Caliandro Rocco , Giannini Cinzia , Ciriminna Rosaria , Lavacchi Alessandro
Published: December 2023

Graphene oxide 3D entrapped in Ni-based nanoparticles establishes a new class of catalytic materials highly promising towards enhanced alkaline water electrolysis as NiGraf can be used to mediate both H2 and O2 evolution reactions at room temperature.
Zinc oxide–copper model nanocatalysts for CO2 hydrogenation: morphology and interface effects
Authors: Hadaoui Sonia , Liu Hang , Lei Zhang , Lebègue Sébastien , Benbalagh Rabah , Courty Alexa , Naitabdi Ahmed
Published: December 2023

ZnO ultrathin films epitaxilly grown on Cu(111) as model nanocatalysts for the CO2 hydrogenation reaction toward methanol. Two primary reaction pathways were evidenced as a function of the ZnO thickness: slow (thick) and fast (thin).
An alkoxyborate-bridging Dy2 single-molecule magnet with ferromagnetic coupling
Authors: Zhou Ying-Qian , Deng Wei , Du Shan-Nan , Chen Yan-Cong , Ruan Ze-Yu , Wu Si-Guo , Liu Jun-Liang , Tong Ming-Liang
Published: December 2023

An alkoxyborate-bridging Dy2 single-molecule magnet featuring ferromagnetic coupling exhibits an over 100-fold increase in the zero-field relaxation time at 2 K compared to its Y(iii)-diluted analogue.
Copper-catalyzed desymmetric silylative-cyclization of 1,6-diynes for synthesis of spirocyclic compounds
Authors: Shan Cui-Cui , Wang Zi-Lu , Xu Yun-He
Published: December 2023

The silylative-cyclization desymmetrization of 1,6-diynes has been realized. This reaction enabled the construction of silyl-functionalized spirocyclic oxindoles, indanone, quinolinone, and tetralone derivatives from readily available 1,6-diynes.
An aerobic copper-catalyzed multi-component reaction strategy for N′,N′-diaryl acylhydrazine synthesis: reactions and mechanism
Authors: Deng Lei , Guo Wei , Yang Xiaojuan , Zheng Lvyin , Wu Yingying , Yang Beining , Wang Yihan , Chen Deliang
Published: December 2023

A sequential multi-component reaction of aldehydes and aryl hydrazines for the synthesis of N',N'-diaryl acylhydrazines with high regioselectivity has been achieved via an aerobic copper-catalyzed process.
Incorporation of a self-immolative spacer enables mechanically triggered dual payload release
Authors: Tseng Yu-Ling , Zeng Tian , Robb Maxwell J.
Published: December 2023

Enabled by the unique fragmentation of a 5-aryloxy-substituted 2-furylcarbinol derivative, a self-immolative linker endows a mechanophore for achieving the mechanically triggered release of two distinct cargo molecules with tunable kinetic profiles.
Correction: Pure measures of bending for soft plates
Authors: Virga Epifanio G.
Published: December 2023

Correction for ‘Pure measures of bending for soft plates’ by Epifanio G. Virga, Soft Matter, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3SM01123B.
Optimizing geographic locations for electric vehicle battery recycling preprocessing facilities in California
Authors: Haynes Megan W. , González Rodrigo Cáceres , Hatzell Marta C.
Published: December 2023

Optimizing the location of lithium ion battery preprocessing facilities.
Solar-powered CO2marvel: ultrahigh graphene quantum dots covalently coupled with PhS unleash effective photocatalysis for valuable chemical transformation
Authors: Agrawal Jyoti , Shahin Rehana , Singh Chandani , Singh Satyam , Shukla Ravindra K. , Mishra Shaifali , Singh Pooja , Baeg Jin-OoK. , Yadav Rajesh K. , Gupta Navneet K.
Published: December 2023

Carbon dioxide is particularly significant because it is the most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted by human activities.
Synchronous stabilization of Li–S electrodes by a 1T MoS2@AAO functional interlayer
Authors: Shi Binchao , Wang Yue , Liu Ertai , Mei Shilin , Yao Chang-Jiang
Published: December 2023

1T MoS2@AAO interlayer bearing short path for Li+ and efficient adsorption and catalytic effect for polysulfides was demonstrated, leading to excellent long-cycling stability of lithium-sulufr batteries.
Tumor-targeting polymer nanohybrids with amplified ROS generation for combined photodynamic and chemodynamic therapy
Authors: Chen Xiaodan , Cheng Danling , Yu Ningyue , Feng Jian , Li Jingchao , Lin Lin
Published: December 2023

Tumor-targeting polymer nanohybrids with amplified reactive oxygen species generation are developed for photodynamic and chemodynamic combinational therapy of cancer, achieving obvious inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis.
The impact of hydrogen peroxide production in OECTs for in vitro applications
Authors: Lubrano Claudia , Bettucci Ottavia , Dijk Gerwin , Salleo Alberto , Giovannitti Alexander , Santoro Francesca
Published: December 2023

Schematics of OECT with oxygen sensitive polymer (left) and air-stable polymer (right), showing electrochemical reaction with oxygen and cells cytotoxicity.
Eu3+/Tb3+-modified Cd(ii) coordination polymers for effective detection of uric acid and lung cancer biomarker N-acetylneuraminic acid
Authors: Li Hongjian , Chen Yuqian , Zhao Hengyi , Zou Huiqi , Yan Hui , Lu Jing , Hao Hongguo , Dou Jianmin , Li Yunwu , Wang Suna
Published: December 2023

Cd-CP2 and Eu3+/Tb3+-functionalized samples were obtained for effective detection of uric acid (UA) and N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA).
Improving plastic pyrolysis oil quality via an electrochemical process for polymer recycling: a review
Authors: Catizane César , Jiang Ying , Sumner Joy
Published: December 2023

In this review we discuss the application of electrochemical hydrogenation for pyrolysis oil upgrading, thus facilitating a circular polymer economy and low-carbon fuel production.
Phonemic Feature Scoring as a Tool for Progress Monitoring During Language Interventions for Children With Autism and Minimal Verbal Skills
Authors: Pitt Adrienne R. , Osabuohien Lindsay W. , Brady Nancy C.
Published: December 2023

Purpose:

An increasing number of studies focus on verbal treatments for children with autism and minimal verbal skills. However, clinical tools for progress monitoring during interventions are lacking. The aim of this clinical focus article is to provide illustrations on the utility of a phonemic feature scoring system as a progress-monitoring tool, focusing on benefits and limitations as well as indications for use.

Method:

Current practices for progress monitoring during language interventions with children with autism and minimal verbal skills are reviewed. A phonemic feature scoring tool is provided to aid clinicians in assessing the accuracy and consistency of expressive word productions. The authors illustrate the use of phonemic feature scoring as a progress-monitoring tool for two children with autism and minimal verbal skills, contrasting the phonemic feature scoring system to correct/incorrect, phoneme-level, and whole-word scoring.

Results:

Case 1 demonstrates a scenario where the child's speech intelligibility is low and clinical use of the phonemic feature scoring system captures discrete changes in speech production progress not represented by correct/incorrect, phoneme-level, and whole-word scoring. However, Case 2 represents a situation where once a child's speech intelligibility improves, the phonemic feature scoring system is no longer needed, and correct/incorrect scoring may be sufficient.

Conclusion:

The phonemic feature scoring system allows clinicians to track phonemic feature changes in word productions and provides detailed progress monitoring information, leading to adaptations of the intervention for each individual.
Determining the Diagnostic Accuracy of the Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills for College Students
Authors: Choi-Tucci Alexander , White Melissa , Plante Elena
Published: December 2023

Purpose:

This study sought to determine whether the Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills (TILLS; Nelson et al., 2016) can accurately identify language disorders in college-aged adults.

Method:

Fifty-nine college students between the ages of 18 and 23 years were administered the test battery validated by Fidler et al. (2011) for the diagnosis of language disorders as well as the Identification Core (ID Core) subtests of the TILLS validated for ages 12–18 years. Sensitivity and specificity information was calculated for the TILLS at various cut-scores to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the ID Core for this population. Discriminant function analysis was also performed to determine if sensitivity and specificity could be improved using empirically derived discriminant scores.

Results:

The recommended cut-score of 42 for ages 12–18 years underidentified individuals with language disorders in this sample. An adjusted cut-score of 51 maximized sensitivity and specificity to acceptable levels. Discriminant function analysis also yielded acceptable sensitivity and specificity (> 80%).

Conclusion:

Using either an adjusted cut-score for the ID Core or weighted discriminant scores, the TILLS can be used to accurately differentiate between college-aged adults with and without language disorders.
Multimodality for improved CNN photometric redshifts
Authors: Ait Ouahmed R. , Arnouts S. , Pasquet J. , Treyer M. , Bertin E.
Published: December 2023

Photometric redshift estimation plays a crucial role in modern cosmological surveys for studying the universe’s large-scale structures and the evolution of galaxies. Deep learning has emerged as a powerful method to produce accurate photometric redshift estimates from multiband images of galaxies. Here, we introduce a multimodal approach consisting of the parallel processing of several subsets of prior image bands, the outputs of which are then merged for further processing through a convolutional neural network (CNN). We evaluate the performance of our method using three surveys: the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey (CFHTLS), and the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC). By improving the model’s ability to capture information embedded in the correlation between different bands, our technique surpasses state-of-the-art photometric redshift precision. We find that the positive gain does not depend on the specific architecture of the CNN and that it increases with the number of photometric filters available.
Swarming in stellar streams: Unveiling the structure of the Jhelum stream with ant colony-inspired computation
Authors: Awad P. , Canducci M. , Balbinot E. , Viswanathan A. , Woudenberg H. C. , Koop O. , Peletier R. , Tiňo P. , Starkenburg E. , Smith R. , Bunte K.
Published: December 2023

The halo of the Milky Way galaxy hosts multiple dynamically coherent substructures known as stellar streams that are remnants of tidally disrupted orbiting systems such as globular clusters (GCs) and dwarf galaxies (DGs). A particular case is that of the Jhelum stream, which is known for its unusual and complex morphology. Using the available data from the Gaia DR3 catalog, we extracted a region on the sky that contains Jhelum, and fine-tuned this selection by enforcing limits on the magnitude and proper motion of the selected stars. We then applied the novel Locally Aligned Ant Technique (LAAT) on the position and proper motion space of stars belonging to the selected region to highlight the stars that are closely aligned with a local manifold in the data and the stars belonging to regions of high local density. We find that the overdensity representing the stream in proper motion space is composed of two components, and show the correspondence of these two signals to the previously reported narrow and broad spatial components of Jhelum. We then made use of the radial velocity measurements provided by the S5 survey and confirm, for the first time, a separation between the stars belonging to the two components in radial velocity. We show that the narrow and broad components have velocity dispersions of
4.84+1.23-0.79 km s-1
and 19.49+2.19-1.84 km s−1, and metallicity dispersions of
0.15+0.18-0.10
and 0.34+0.13-0.09, respectively. These measurements, as well as the given difference in component widths, could be explained with a probable scenario where Jhelum is the remnant of a GC embedded within a DG and where both were accreted onto the Milky Way during their infall. Although the properties of Jhelum could be explained with this merger scenario, other progenitors of the narrow component remain possible such as a nuclear star cluster or a DG. To rule these possibilities out, we would need more observational data of member stars of the stream. Our analysis shows that the internal structure of streams holds great information on their past formation history, and therefore provides further insight into the merger history of the Milky Way.
Fluorescent Fe K line emission of γ Cas stars
Authors: Rauw G.
Published: December 2023

Context. γ Cas stars are early-type Be stars that exhibit an unusually hard and bright thermal X-ray emission. One of the proposed scenarios to explain these properties postulates the existence of a neutron star companion in the propeller stage, during which the magnetosphere of a rapidly rotating neutron star repels infalling material.

Aims. To test this model, we examined the fluorescent Fe Kα emission line at ~6.4keV in the X-ray spectra of γ Cas stars, which offers a powerful diagnostic of both the primary source of hard X-rays and the reprocessing material.

Methods. We computed synthetic line profiles of the fluorescent Fe Kα emission line in the framework of the propelling neutron star scenario. Two reservoirs of material contribute to the fluorescence in this case: the Be circumstellar decretion disk and a shell of cool material that surrounds the shell of X-ray-emitting plasma around the putative propelling neutron star.

Results. We analysed the synthetic line profiles and expected equivalent widths of the lines for three well-studied γ Cas stars. The predicted line strengths fall short of the observed values by at least an order of magnitude. Pushing the model parameters to reproduce the observed line strengths led to column densities towards the primary X-ray source that exceed the observationally determined values by typically a factor of 20, and would further imply a higher X-ray luminosity than observed.

Conclusions. The strengths of the observed Fe Kα fluorescent emission lines in γ Cas stars are inconsistent with the expected properties of a propeller scenario as proposed in the literature.
Polymorphism of the SLC25A30 gene in Indonesian sheep and its association with carcass characteristics
Authors: Makmur Fajriani Mutmainnah , Listyarini Kasita , Noor Ronny Rachman , Damayanthi Evy , Gunawan Asep
Published: December 2023

Carcass characteristics are one of the factors that significantly impact the quality of meat. Genetic improvement in carcass characteristics is required to encourage interest among consumers. The objective of this study was to discover the presence of the SLC25A30 gene polymorphism at SNP g.15912281 A>T and its potential association with carcass characteristics in Indonesian sheep. The study used 153 rams, consisting of 87 Javanese thin-tail sheep, 20 Javanese fat-tail sheep, 10 Garut composite sheep, 10 Compass Agrinak sheep, 10 Barbadoss cross sheep and 16 jonggol sheep. The PCR-RFLP method was used to investigate the SLC25A30|SspI polymorphism. The association between the SLC25A30 gene and carcass characteristics was analyzed using the T-Test method. The results showed that the SLC25A30 (g.15912281 A>T) gene polymorphism was polymorphic in all breeds. The genotypes identified in the polymorphism were AA, AT and TT. The SLC25A30 gene was significantly associated (P<0.05) with carcass characteristics (slaughter weight, hot carcass, carcass percentage, carcass length and cold carcass). In conclusion, the genotype that can be recommended for selecting good meat quality is the TT genotype respectively than the AT and AA genotype The SLC25A30 (g.15912281 A>T) gene indicates as a prospective gene for the purpose of identifying carcass characteristics in lamb meat.
Performance of a room air conditioner under varied duration of system evacuation
Authors: Simbolon Luga Martin , Najmudin Hafid , Setyawan Andriyanto , Septiany Risma
Published: December 2023

Refrigeration system evacuation is one of the most important steps in achieving refrigeration or air conditioning system quality. This procedure is used to remove water vapor and non-condensable gas from the pipeline and the heat exchangers that can be dangerous for a vapor compression refrigeration system. In this paper, the performance of an air conditioner (AC) was experimentally tested under varied duration of system evacuation from 0 to 60 minutes with an increment of 15 minutes. Cooling capacity, power consumption, and coefficient of performance were tested in accordance with ISO 5151 and ISO 16358-1. Generally, the ISO 16358-1 gives the lower power consumption and higher cooling capacity and coefficient of performance. ISO 16358-1 test results in 12.8% lower power consumption than that of ISO 5151. On the contrary, ISO 16358-1 test gives higher cooling capacity and coefficient of performance by 11.5% and 6.2%, respectively. It is also observed from this study that the longest evacuation period results in the most efficient operation, thus providing less effect on climate change and less environmental impact. However, it should be observed in a longer period of operation.