bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of cranial osteoderms on the mechanics of the skull in scincid lizards
Authors: Marghoub Arsalan , Kéver Loïc , Williams Catherine J. A. , Abzhanov Arkhat , Vickaryous Matthew , Herrel Anthony , Evans Susan E. , Moazen Mehran
Published: February 2023

Osteoderms (ODs) are calcified organs formed directly within the skin of most major extant tetrapod lineages. Lizards possibly show the greatest diversity in ODs morphology and distribution. ODs are commonly hypothesized to function as a defensive armor. Here we tested the hypothesis that cranial osteoderms also contribute to the mechanics of the skull during biting. A series of in vivo experiments were carried out on three specimens of Tiliqua gigas. Animals were induced to bite a force plate while a single cranial OD was strain gauged. A finite element (FE) model of a related species, Tiliqua scincoides, was developed and used to estimate the level of strain across the same OD as instrumented in the in vivo experiments. FE results were compared to the in vivo data and the FE model was modified to test two hypothetical scenarios in which all ODs were (i) removed from, and (ii) fused to, the skull. In vivo data demonstrated that the ODs were carrying load during biting. The hypothetical FE models showed that when cranial ODs were fused to the skull, the overall strain across the skull arising from biting was reduced. Removing the ODs showed an opposite effect. In summary, our findings suggest that cranial ODs contribute to the mechanics of the skull, even when they are loosely attached.
Extreme accretion events: TDEs and changing‐look AGN
Authors: Komossa S. , Grupe D.
Published: February 2023

We present a review of the topics of X‐ray stellar tidal disruption events (TDEs) and changing‐look active galactic nuclei (AGN). Stars approaching a supermassive black hole (SMBH) can be tidally disrupted and accreted. TDEs were first discovered in the X‐ray regime and appear as luminous, giant‐amplitude flares from inactive galaxies. The early X‐ray observations with ROSAT also established the extreme X‐ray spectral softness of these events with temperatures of order 50–100 eV that continues to be seen in the majority of more recently identified events. While the majority of X‐ray TDEs has been identified from inactive galaxies and some showed the highest amplitudes of variability recorded from galaxy cores (amplitudes exceeding factors of 1000–6000), a small fraction of AGN has been found to be highly variable as well. In AGN, this so‐called changing‐look phenomenon often comes with a strong change in the optical broad emission lines, leading to Seyfert‐type changes between class 1 and class 2. These two forms of activity represent the extremes of variability among active and quiescent galaxies, and have opened up a new window to understanding accretion physics under extreme conditions. Finally, we introduce the term “frozen‐look AGN” to describe systems that show constant line emission despite dramatic changes in the observed ionizing continuum. These systems are best explained by strong changes of absorption along our line‐of‐sight.
Evolution and process of spiritual awakening: A grounded theory study
Authors: Maurya Rakesh K. , Jain Sachin , Grey Brittn , Clarfield Jordan
Published: February 2023

The present study used a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach to explore, examine and develop a grounded theory (GT) of spiritual awakening conceptualisation and process. The authors used the interview data of 34 eminent spiritual teachers who have written books on spirituality, led spiritual retreats and conducted lectures and trainings on spiritual quest. These participants come from diverse backgrounds (e.g., American, Asian, European and Mexican), trainings (e.g., Buddhism, Yoga, Hinduism, Taoism, Christianity and other mindfulness traditions) and professional experiences. The data analysis of the interviews led to the development of the spiritual awakening evolution (SAE) model, explaining the process and evolution of spiritual awakening. According to this model, spiritual awakening evolves through four phases: an initial transient shift in perception, further practice to support spiritual development, surrendering and a continuous journey of spiritual development. As spiritual awakening experiences are transcultural, the SAE model can inform counsellors' understanding of clients' spiritual needs and the meanings of those experiences. Implications for counsellor practitioners, counsellor preparation programmes and research are discussed.
Color at the point of sale: Psychological and communicative implications
Authors: Martínez‐Sánchez María Eugenia , Nicolas‐Sans Ruben , Villoro Armengol Jordi , Bustos Díaz Javier
Published: February 2023

The environment that surrounds a consumer when they are at a point of sale can influence them both psychologically and communicatively. In this sense, the study arises from the need to discover the capacity of influence that colors of the components of the commercial establishment (wall, floor, ceiling, and furniture) have. The aim is to determine whether these factors influence the psychological level (feeling of pleasantness, calmness, etc.) and the communicative experience received in stores. The quasi‐experimental methodology made it possible to study the impact of the independent variables (colors of the different components) on the dependent variables (psychological and communicative). For this purpose, two methods of measurement were constructed: a tool for the analysis of commercial establishments which allowed to establish patterns and a reception protocol capable of measuring both levels of influence of components and colors, by means of a reception test comprising of Level I (psychological) and Level II (communicative). This survey was applied to a total sample of 315 subjects. Overall, the study makes it possible to define which architectural components and colors stores should have in order to exert a certain perceptual influence on the subject. In general terms, this study reflects how the color of the different components of the space can influence the subject's primary perception of the establishment, with respect to the feeling of pleasantness, comfort, stimulation, calmness, security, spaciousness, formality, and warmth, as well as the perception of the quantity and quality of the information received and overall satisfaction and confidence.
Clinically and radiologically successful treatment of spondylitis by guselkumab in a patient with pustulotic arthro‐osteitis
Authors: Ikumi Natsumi , Fujita Hideki
Published: February 2023

This article reported the first case of spondylitis due to pustulotic arthro‐osteitis that was successfully treated with anti‐IL‐23p19 antibody guselkumab in terms of improvement in imaging assessment in addition to that of clinical symptoms.
Morphology formation during the nonisothermal thermally‐induced phase separation (TIPS) process
Authors: Ranjbarrad Samira , Chan Philip K.
Published: February 2023

In high‐viscosity polymer solutions and blends, temperature variations during the quench process of the thermally‐induced phase separation (TIPS) influence the dynamics and thermodynamics of phase separation. Hence, this study aims to investigate the impact of temperature variations on the morphology formation during the TIPS process. First, the influence of temporal temperature variations on phase separation is investigated by coupling a transient heat conduction model and the Cahn–Hilliard equation, and the results are compared with the isothermal phase separation process. Next, the morphology formation during phase separation is inspected by applying quench from two opposite sides of the sample to the same and different temperatures through coupling the Fourier heat transfer equation and the Cahn–Hilliard equation. The influence of the enthalpy of demixing on the morphology formation and the competition between the heat and mass transfer is also evaluated. It is confirmed that temporal variations of temperature alone have a significant impact on the morphology formation during the TIPS process. In addition, quenching the system to the same and different temperatures both leads to anisotropic morphology formation, which is affected by the quench rate, quench temperature, solution viscosity, and enthalpy of demixing. Upon applying different quench temperatures from opposite sides, two different types of morphologies and droplet sizes were formed as a result of the difference in the cooling rates between the two sides. Employing the enthalpy of demixing during phase separation induced a shallow quench effect on the deep quench side due to the fact that the heat moved toward the lowest temperature in the system, which led to the formation of a distinctive structure.
Adenine‐Functionalized Dendritic Fibrous Nanosilica as Bifunctional Catalyst for CO2 Fixation into Cyclic Carbonate
Authors: Guha Nikita , Krishnan Sarathkumar , Gupta Sheetal , Rai Dhirendra K.
Published: February 2023

Cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxide to form cyclic carbonate is one of the most promising approaches to mitigate the rising level of CO2 in the atmosphere. Therefore, the design and synthesis of new materials which can efficiently catalyze such reactions has become an important research area. This article reports on the synthesis of a new material, adenine functionalized dendritic fibrous nanosilica (DAD), by functionalizing the surface of dendritic fibrous nanosilica (DFNS) with an N‐containing heterocyclic nucleobase adenine using a bifunctional isocyanate crosslinker ((EtO)3Si(CH2)3NCO). The surface amine functionalities enable DAD to show selective CO2 adsorption (0.44 mmol/g, at 1 bar CO2 pressure and 298 K temperature) due to acid‐base interaction between CO2 and amine groups. Moreover, DAD efficiently catalyzes the fixation of CO2 with a variety of epoxides into corresponding cyclic carbonates in the presence of TBAB (tetrabutylammonium bromide) co‐catalyst under solvent‐free conditions. The DFNS skeleton of DAD offers a high surface area for enhanced CO2 adsorption, while its organic surface groups, adenine and carbamide, boost the selectivity and activate the epoxide ring and CO2 for cycloaddition reaction. The strong covalent linkage of surface groups in DAD renders robust structural integrity, enabling the catalyst to be recycled multiple times with negligible reduction in its catalytic performance.
Implicit propagation of directly addressed grids in lattice Boltzmann methods
Authors: Kummerländer Adrian , Dorn Márcio , Frank Martin , Krause Mathias J.
Published: February 2023

Lattice Boltzmann methods (LBM) are well suited to highly parallel computational fluid dynamics simulations due to their separability into a perfectly parallel collision step and a propagation step that only communicates within a local neighborhood. The implementation of the propagation step provides constraints for the maximum possible bandwidth‐limited performance, memory layout and usage of vector instructions. This article revisits and extends the work on implicit propagation on directly addressed grids started by A‐A
and its shift‐swap‐streaming (SSS) formulation
by reconsidering them as transformations of the underlying space filling curve. In this work, a new periodic shift (PS) pattern is proposed that imposes minimal restrictions on the implementation of collision operators and utilizes virtual memory mapping to provide consistent performance across a range of targets. Various implementation approaches as well as time dependency and performance anisotropy are discussed. Benchmark results for SSS and PS on SIMD CPUs including Intel Xeon Phi as well as Nvidia GPUs are provided. Finally, the application of PS as the propagation pattern of the open source LBM framework OpenLB
is summarized.
Equifinality in infancy: The many paths to walking
Authors: Schneider Joshua L. , Iverson Jana M.
Published: February 2023

Many different pathways can lead to the same result or developmental outcome. What are the developmental routes that result in the onset of walking? In this longitudinal study, we documented patterns of infant locomotion during everyday activities at home for 30 prewalking infants. Using a milestone‐based design, we focused on observations spanning the two months before the onset of walking (M age at walk onset = 11.98 months,SD = 1.27). We examined how much time infants spent in motion and when they moved, whether they were more likely to do so while prone (crawling) or upright with support (cruising or supported walking). Results showed immense variability in infants’ practice regimes en route to walking—some infants spent relatively similar amounts of time crawling, cruising, and supported walking at each session, others preferred one method of travel over the alternatives, and some switched between different types of locomotion from session to session. In general, however, infants spent a larger share of their movement time in upright positions compared to prone. Finally, our densely sampled dataset revealed a clear feature of locomotor development: infants follow many distinct and variable paths to walk onset, regardless of the age at which it is attained.
Effects of a small amount of H2O on negative ion mobility and ion‐molecule reactions in O2 at atmospheric pressure
Authors: Okuyama Yui , Yasuzawa Yuka , Sugawara Hirotake
Published: February 2023

In this study, we have measured the negative ion mobility in O2 at high pressures with a little amount of H2O concentration between 15 and 17,000 ppb. After that, we carried out a Monte Carlo simulation using mobility of electrons, that of the ions obtained in the measurements, and rate coefficients of ion‐molecule reactions. As a result, the mobility value 2.39 cm2/V·s of O4¯ is obtained in ultrahigh purity O2 of which the H2O concentration is between 15 and 100 ppb. Moreover, the mobility decreases with the H2O concentrations at which the ion species are considered to be O2¯·(H2O)n (n = 1, 2, 3). Then, we compared the experimental result with that of the simulation and estimated the ion mobility and rate coefficients of ion molecule reactions. Simulation results using estimated values of the ion mobility and rate coefficients agree well with measurement results.
Comprehensive analysis of T‐cell receptor repertoires reveals antigen‐driven T‐cell clusters in patients with Behçet's syndrome
Authors: Zou Jun , Li Bin , Li Dan , Bao Hua‐fang , She Chun‐hui , Ye Jing‐fen , Cai Jian‐fei , Guan Jian‐long
Published: February 2023

T lymphocytes are the major components of adaptive immunity in Behçet's syndrome (BS) pathology. However, the precise mechanism of T‐cell‐induced inflammatory condition remains to be determined. We applied bulk sequencing of the T‐cell receptor (TCR) β chain in peripheral blood samples from 45 patients with BS and 10 healthy donors as controls. TCR repertoires in BS patients displayed more clonality and less diversity than in healthy donors. Male patients exhibited lower diversity metrics of TCR and had a larger proportion in the top 10 clones than females (p = 0.016). There were no TCR clonality differences in other clinical features, such as age, disease duration, organ involvement, disease severity, and activity. By “Grouping of Lymphocyte Interactions by Paratope Hotspots” (GLIPH2) for antigen prediction, we found distinct 2477 clusters of TCR‐β sequences that potentially recognize similar antigens shared between BS patients. We observed clonal T‐cell expansion in BS patients. Sexual differences in TCR clonal expansion and public TCR groups deserve further study to reveal the underline T‐cell‐mediated immunity in BS.
Recent advances of Au@Ag core–shell SERS‐based biosensors
Authors: Awiaz Gul , Lin Jie , Wu Aiguo
Published: February 2023

The methodological advancements in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique with nanoscale materials based on noble metals, Au, Ag, and their bimetallic alloy Au–Ag, has enabled the highly efficient sensing of chemical and biological molecules at very low concentration values. By employing the innovative various type of Au, Ag nanoparticles and especially, high efficiency Au@Ag alloy nanomaterials as substrate in SERS based biosensors have revolutionized the detection of biological components including; proteins, antigens antibodies complex, circulating tumor cells, DNA, and RNA (miRNA), etc. This review is about SERS‐based Au/Ag bimetallic biosensors and their Raman enhanced activity by focusing on different factors related to them. The emphasis of this research is to describe the recent developments in this field and conceptual advancements behind them. Furthermore, in this article we apex the understanding of impact by variation in basic features like effects of size, shape varying lengths, thickness of core–shell and their influence of large‐scale magnitude and morphology. Moreover, the detailed information about recent biological applications based on these core–shell noble metals, importantly detection of receptor binding domain (RBD) protein of COVID‐19 is provided.
Adult neurogenesis in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Choi Se Hoon , Tanzi Rudolph E.
Published: February 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of age‐related dementia, characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive disturbances. The hippocampus, where adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN), a relatively novel form of brain plasticity that refers to the birth of new neurons, occurs, is one of the first brain regions to be affected in AD patients. Recent studies showed that AHN persists throughout life in humans, but it drops sharply in AD patients. Next questions to consider would be whether AHN impairment is a contributing factor to learning and memory impairment in AD and whether restoring AHN could ameliorate or delay cognitive dysfunction. Here, we outline and discuss the current knowledge about the state of AHN in AD patients, AHN impairment as a potentially relevant mechanism underlying memory deficits in AD, therapeutic potential of activating AHN in AD, and the mechanisms of AHN impairment in AD.
Interventions to increase uptake of influenza vaccination in pregnancy: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Brillo Eleonora , Tosto Valentina , Buonomo Ersilia
Published: February 2023

Background

Maternal influenza vaccination has been introduced in several countries to prevent influenza‐related morbidity and mortality in pregnant women, fetuses, and infants too young to be vaccinated.

Objectives

To analyze the available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness of pregnant women‐focused interventions to increase influenza vaccination uptake during pregnancy.

Search Strategy

Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Trial were searched on August 25, 2021.

Selection Criteria

RCTs assessing the effectiveness of pregnant women‐focused interventions in increasing influenza vaccination among pregnant women were included.

Data Collection and Analysis

Two independent reviewers extracted data. A random‐effects meta‐analysis was conducted to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs).

Main Results

Seven RCTs were selected. Overall, the interventions had a significant effect in increasing influenza vaccination during pregnancy compared with standard care (OR 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25–2.54; P = 0.001; I2 = 67%). However, subgroup analysis suggested that influenza vaccination uptake only was associated with educational interventions (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.93–3.81; P < 0.001; I2 = 0%).

Conclusions

We found that several educational interventions for pregnant women can effectively increase influenza vaccination uptake in this population. Specifically, pamphlets, websites, and brief one‐to‐one education can be effective tools.

Registration

CRD42021269478.
Subspace shrinkage in conjugate Bayesian vector autoregressions
Authors: Huber Florian , Koop Gary
Published: February 2023

Macroeconomists using large datasets often face the choice of working with either a large vector autoregression (VAR) or a factor model. In this paper, we develop a conjugate Bayesian VAR with a subspace shrinkage prior that combines the two. This prior shrinks towards the subspace which is defined by a factor model. Our approach allows for estimating the strength of the shrinkage and the number of factors. After establishing the theoretical properties of our prior, we show that it successfully detects the number of factors in simulations and that it leads to forecast improvements using US macroeconomic data.
Encouragement from the right source: Evaluating the impact of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program in the Ohio Western Lake Erie Basin
Authors: Walpole Hugh D. , Wilson Robyn S. , Vollmer‐Sanders Carrie L. , Johnson Kris A.
Published: February 2023

Harmful algal blooms are a considerable environmental issue predominantly caused by runoff of nutrients from agricultural lands. One high‐profile set of practices promoted to combat this threat is the 4Rs of nutrient stewardship that concern using the right source of nutrients at the right rate and right time in the right place. While outreach for agricultural conservation is often undertaken by governmental or nonprofit entities, there is increasing interest in engaging agricultural retailers to leverage the trust that already exists between farmers and their agribusiness professionals. The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program, implemented in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) in 2014, certifies crop advising companies and agronomy retailers or Nutrient Service Providers (NSPs) to promote best practices in nutrient management. This program has since grown and now exists in six US states and the province of Ontario and Prince Edward Island in Canada. Using a survey of farmers in the WLEB, we investigate the impact of working with certified NSPs over time on farmers’ reported 4R‐related behaviors. We find evidence that working with a certified NSP has a positive impact on 4R behaviors that is independent of other potential explanations for this change (e.g., farmer concern about nutrient loss, local regulatory efforts, and exposure to general 4R‐related outreach). Overall, these results suggest that the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program is having an independent, positive impact on farmer behavior, and engaging with agricultural retailers and agronomists can be effective at advancing adoption of environmentally impactful nutrient management practices.
Three toes and three modes: Dynamics of terrestrial, suspensory, and vertical locomotion in brown‐throated three‐toed sloths (Bradypodidae, Xenarthra)
Authors: Young Melody W. , McKamy Andrew J. , Dickinson Edwin , Yarbro Johnathan , Ragupathi Ashwin , Guru Navjot , Avey‐Arroyo Judy A. , Butcher Michael T. , Granatosky Michael C.
Published: February 2023

Living sloths exhibit numerous anatomical specializations towards inverted quadrupedalism, however, previous studies have noted a more varied locomotor repertoire than previously anticipated. In this study, we present spatiotemporal gait characteristics and triaxial kinetic data from the brown‐throated three‐toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) across three locomotor modes: terrestrial quadrupedal “crawling”, suspensory walking, and vertical climbing. Compared to quadrupedal crawling and suspensory walking, B. variegatus adopted longer contact times and stride durations, larger duty factors, and greater speed during vertical climbing. Net fore‐aft impulses were significantly greater during vertical climbing in both limb pairs than in quadrupedal crawling and suspensory walking. Functionally, during quadrupedal crawling and vertical climbing, both limb pairs served propulsive roles, while differentiation between a propulsive forelimb and braking hindlimb was observed during suspension. Net tangential forces differentiated vertical climbing kinetics from the other modes of locomotion, with the introduction of bidirectional pulling and pushing forces in the forelimb and hindlimb, respectively. The net mediolateral impulses were similar in vertical climbing and quadrupedal crawling as both limb pairs directed forces in one direction, whereas during suspensory walking, the laterally dominant forelimb was opposed by the medially dominant hindlimb. In total, this study provides novel data on the diverse locomotor dynamics in a slow‐moving arboreal tetrapod and posits new testable hypotheses about the neuroplasticity and ease of transitioning between locomotor behaviors. The strikingly similar kinetic profiles of quadrupedal crawling and suspensory walking compared to vertical climbing suggest shared neuromuscular and mechanical demands between these mirrored locomotor modes.
The impact of development strategy choice on capital mobility and economic growth
Authors: Kenh Sovath
Published: February 2023

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been widely acknowledged as a prominent vehicle to transfer technology, increase productivity and promote economic growth in recipient countries. However, FDI's contribution to economic growth can be more or less pronounced across countries conditioned on the development strategy adopted. This paper theoretically and empirically explores the impact of FDI inflows on economic growth when a comparative advantage development strategy is followed and when it is defied. By employing cross‐country panel data evidence for 72 countries over the 1971–2019 period, the results suggest that FDI is an essential driver for economic growth. However, the greater the level of defiance from comparative advantages estimated by the technology choice index (TCI), the lower the FDI inflow contributes to economic growth. The findings are more significant for the instrumental variable approach postulating the potential endogeneity of FDI and TCI and decomposed FDI by sector.
Diurnal cycle of precipitation over the southeastern Tibetan Plateau and surrounding regions: Insights from intensity–frequency structure
Authors: Zhao Yin , Li Jian , Li Puxi
Published: February 2023

Besides the respective importance of the frequency, intensity and diurnal cycle of precipitation, the diurnal cycle of intensity–frequency structure could reveal more physical details about the evolution process of precipitation systems. Here, an objective method to quantitatively depict the diurnal cycle of intensity–frequency structure of precipitation is proposed, and applied to complex terrains of the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) and its surroundings. Results show the diurnal cycle of precipitation over the high terrain has a unimodal night peak, while low terrain with a frequency‐dominated night peak and an intensity‐dominated afternoon peak. Both weak and intense precipitation are more frequent at night than those in the afternoon over unimodal regions compared to bimodal regions. Further analysis reveals different diurnal evolution process of intensity–frequency structure within unimodal and bimodal regions, respectively, which reflects different spatiotemporal traits and evolution process of precipitation. Among unimodal regions, the elevated southeastern TP is featured by the synchronous decrease in both weak and intense precipitation from the night peak to the afternoon minimum. While the decrease of total precipitation in regions with lower terrain is dominated by the decrease of intense precipitation, but with an increase in weak precipitation simultaneously. Regarding bimodal regions, the intense precipitation over southern Hengduan Mountains has a more prominent role in leading the diurnal cycle of precipitation amount, compared with that over the southeastern Yungui Plateau. The proposed method provides a new perspective with more physical details to investigate precipitation characteristics in complex terrains, which could be further used to reasonably evaluate and improve the performance of numerical models.
Northern bobwhite subspecies exhibit reduced survival and reproduction when translocated outside their native range
Authors: Palarski John , Kubečka Bradley W. , Rollins Dale , Ruzicka Rebekah E. , Mathewson Heather A.
Published: February 2023

The popularity of translocation as a conservation tool to reintroduce and re‐stock existing populations of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) to restored habitat has increased following decades‐long decline; however, population sources are limited to a few areas in the United States where stable or increasing populations remain. Understanding how demographic parameters of translocated individuals vary by source region and subspecies will help increase the effectiveness of translocation as a recovery tool. Our objectives were to compare survival, movements, and reproduction of 2 translocated subspecies of bobwhite. We translocated 665 bobwhites (n = 253 northwest Texas [C. v. taylori];n = 412 south Texas [C. v. texanus]) to an 890‐ha site in northcentral Texas, USA, during March 2019–2021 and radio‐marked 380 (n = 184 northwest Texas;n = 196 south Texas). The northwest subspecies is considered the subspecies native to the release site. Radio‐marked bobwhites from south Texas were 1.25 times (95% CI = 0.98–1.60) more likely to die on the study site than individuals from northwest Texas. Home ranges (95% kernel density estimator) were larger for bobwhites sourced from northwest Texas (51 ha, 95% CI = 39–63 ha) compared to individuals from south Texas (32 ha, 95% CI = 22–42 ha). Individuals from northwest Texas were 1.5 times (95% CI = 1.10–1.80) more likely to leave the study site but 3.2 times (95% CI = 2.32–4.19) more likely to return to the study site after dispersing. Radio‐marked bobwhites from northwest Texas produced 44% more nests per female than birds from south Texas. Managers who wish to use non‐native subspecies of bobwhite to supplement a translocation effort should be cognizant of the potential reductions in survival and reproduction that may occur.
Co‐Generation of Orthogonal Soliton Pair in a Monolithic Fiber Resonator with Mechanical Tunability
Authors: Qin Chenye , Du Junting , Tan Teng , Chang Bing , Jia Kunpeng , Liang Yupei , Wang Wenting , Guo Yanhong , Xia Handing , Zhu Shining , Rao Yunjiang , Xie Zhenda , Yao Baicheng
Published: February 2023

Soliton frequency combs generated in microresonators offer powerful tools for optical metrology, due to the high time‐frequency resolution. Here, via exciting the intracavity Brillouin laser in a high Q monolithic fiber resonator, a pair of orthogonal Kerr soliton combs is generated, which share the same repetition (frep ≈ 1.001 GHz) due to the soliton trapping but different central wavelengths (≈ 9.278 GHz). They offer rich dual‐comb beat notes with minimum phase noise down to −166.5 dBc Hz−1@1 MHz. Thanks to the geometric flexibility of the monolithic fiber resonator, the orthogonal soliton pair is found to be mechanically controllable with high precision. Specifically, by applying external stress on the microcavity in a range of ≈ 0–7.33 mN, the difference of their carrier‐envelope‐offset frequencies (Δfceo) is linearly tunable with a response of 0.3 kHz µN−1, meanwhile, tunability of the frep reaches 0.4 kHz µN−1. Such an orthogonally polarized dual soliton with stress controllability combining Brillouin excitation and parametric oscillation can offer a miniature all‐in‐fiber tool for wide applications ranging from frequency‐adjustable photonic microwave sources to highly sensitive gyroscopes.
High‐Performance Mode‐Multiplexing Device with Anisotropic Lithium‐Niobate‐on‐Insulator Waveguides
Authors: Zhao Weike , Liu Ruoran , Zhu Mingyu , Guo Zehao , He Jianghao , Li Hanwen , Pan Bingcheng , Yu Zejie , Liu Liu , Shi Yaocheng , Dai Daoxin
Published: February 2023

Thin‐film lithium‐niobate photonics has attracted intensive attention due to its superior material properties. In particular, multimode lithium‐niobate photonics is becoming attractive for the applications of high‐capacity optical interconnects and high‐efficiency nonlinear optics. However, multimode manipulation in lithium‐niobate‐on‐insulator (LNOI) waveguides is not easy because there might occur some mode hybridness due to the vertical asymmetry as well as the material anisotropy. In this paper, high‐performance mode‐multiplexing devices with anisotropic LNOI waveguides are proposed, consisting of a multi‐channel mode (de)multiplexer and a sharp multimode waveguide bend (MWB). The mode (de)multiplexer is designed with Z‐propagation LNOI waveguides to avoid the mode hybridness. Meanwhile, the sharp MWB is designed to connect with a Y‐propagation waveguide, enabling access to the highest electro‐optic coefficient and second‐order nonlinear coefficient. The fabricated mode (de)multiplexer has a low excess loss less than 0.2 dB as well as low crosstalk less than ‐19 dB in the wavelength range of 1520–1600 nm. These high‐performance multimode photonic devices are useful for developing multimode LN photonics.
Spectral Manipulation of X‐Ray Excited Optical/Persistent Luminescence by Constructing Metal–Organic Framework@Fluoride Nanoparticles Composites
Authors: Xu Weixin , Lei Lei , Wang Yubin , Prasad Paras N. , Chen Liang , Xu Shiqing
Published: February 2023

Lanthanide doped fluoride nanoparticles (NPs) possess superior X‐ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) and persistent luminescence (XEPL), which attracts great attention in many fields. Manipulating profiles of XEOL and XEPL spectra is of siginificance for new emerging applications, however, the intrinsic sharp 4f–4f transitions of trivalent lanthanide ions only generate narrow emission profiles. Here, a convenient and versatile strategy is demonstrated to greatly modulate the emission spectrum in a broad wavelength range by constructing a new class of metal–organic framework (MOF)@NPs composites which involves electrostatic binding of positively charged various rare‐earth containing fluoride nanoparticles with the same negatively charged surface of a MOF. The emission profile can be facile designed through controlling the attached NPs composition and their relative contents on the MOF crystals. For the first time, the MOF@NPs composites are employed to realize full XEOL spectrum for multiple organic molecules sensing using the matching of their absorption profiles with the XEOL of a specific NP to effect energy transfer. In addition, time and temperature dependent multicolor XEPL evolution provides advanced information encryption. These findings can promote the exploration of a new type of nanoscintillators with innovative XEOL and XEPL performances.
Coacervate‐Filled Lipid Vesicles for Protein Delivery
Authors: Yeh Chia‐Wei , Wang Yadong
Published: February 2023

Macromolecularly crowded coacervate is useful in protein delivery for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, coacervate tends to aggregate easily, which impedes their application. Here, this work presents a method to prepare coacervate with enhanced stability. This work assembles phospholipids on the surface of a coacervate to form lipocoacervate (LipCo). The resultant LipCo possesses a discrete spherical structure with a coacervate interior and phospholipid outer shell. The size of LipCo does not change over the four‐week observation window, whereas coacervate coalesced into one bulk phase within 30 min. This work uses vascular endothelial growth factor‐C (VEGF‐C) and fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2) as examples to test LipCo's ability to maintain protein bioactivity. The in vitro lymphangiogenesis assay demonstrates that human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) formed increased network of cord in VEGF‐C and FGF‐2 loaded LipCo group compared to free proteins and proteins loaded in coacervate. Overall, LipCo could serve as a protein delivery vehicle with improved colloidal stability.
Firm investment and financial autonomy: A transaction cost economics and firm lifecycle approach
Authors: Zhao Xu , Chen Qi‐an , Zhang Haitao
Published: February 2023

This study examines how firm's investments relate to financial autonomy across different stages of lifecycle. With 1367 Chinese listed companies from 1990 to 2018, the results indicate that firms with high (low) financial autonomy tend to over‐invest (under‐invest). Accordingly, financially autonomous firms have lower valuation. While corporate governance mitigates both over‐ and under‐investment over time in China, such an effect becomes statistically insignificant after considering different magnitudes of financial autonomy. The Chinese policy makers should consider designing more solid corporate governance to control the opportunism of managers who are more financially independent.
A micromechanics‐based approach to damage propagation criterion in viscoelastic fractured materials regarded as homogenized media
Authors: Aguiar Cássio B. , Maghous Samir
Published: February 2023

This paper aims to formulate a damage propagation criterion in microfractured viscoelastic materials, relying upon a micromechanics reasoning together with thermodynamics concepts. The fracture density is regarded as damage parameter at macroscopic scale. The equivalent behavior of the heterogeneous material (solid matrix + fractures) is first formulated within the framework of viscoelastic homogenization theory. In this context, relevant relationships relating local fields to macroscopic fields are derived, thus allowing a clear micromechanical interpretation of quantities involved in the upscaling process, such as the residual or viscous strains. Based on thermodynamic concepts, the energy dissipation and the free energy of the homogenized viscoelastic material are deduced at the macroscopic scale. The formulation of an energetic‐based criterion for damage propagation in viscoelastic fractured materials is then achieved by viewing the macroscopic energy release rate as the thermodynamic force responsible for propagation. Due to the delayed deformation component, the formulation is time‐dependent. Since it is formulated directly at the homogenized material level, the main advantage of the approach developed in this work is the rigorous determination of the energy release rate expression, without neglecting any residual term. In the last part of the paper, several numerical applications are performed to illustrate the main features of the modeling and to provide comparison with available simplified formulations. Finally, the proposed damage propagation criterion is applied to give qualitative insights on fracturing process of sedimentary layered rocks at geological times scale viewed as a long‐term mechanical damage problem, emphasizing the viscosity effects in preventing fracture propagation.
Hybrid time‐dependent reliability analysis under a mixture of random and interval uncertainties
Authors: Zhou Changcong , Gao Shiju , Chang Qi , Zhao Haodong
Published: February 2023

A new time‐dependent reliability analysis model with a mixture of random variables and interval variables is proposed in this paper. First, samples of random variables are generated according to their probability density functions. Then, the samples are substituted into the performance function to obtain the interval processes corresponding to these samples. The reliability index of each interval process is computed to finally obtain the upper and lower bounds of failure probability. The adaptive Kriging surrogate model based on the global addition strategy is used in the calculation process to increase the computational efficiency. The accuracy of the computational strategy is demonstrated by a mathematical example and three engineering practical cases. The proposed new hybrid time‐dependent reliability model is compared to the conventional hybrid reliability model. The comparison results show that the proposed model is more convenient to implement than the conventional reliability model. It can accurately evaluate the reliability of the structure and can be applied to real‐world engineering practice thereby providing assistance and guidance for hybrid time‐dependent reliability analysis of structures.
A two‐decade population‐based study on the effect of hypertension in the general population with obesity in the United States
Authors: Kong Gwyneth , Chin Yip H. , Lim Jieyu , Ng Cheng H. , Kannan Shankar , Chong Bryan , Lin Chaoxing , Chan Kai E. , Anand Vickram V. , Lee Ethan C. Z. , Loong Shaun , Wong Zhen Y. , Khoo Chin M. , Muthiah Mark , Foo Roger , Dimitriadis Georgios K. , Figtree Gemma A. , Wang Yibin , Chan Mark , Chew Nicholas W. S.
Published: February 2023

Objective

With rising prevalence of hypertension and obesity, the effect of hypertension in obesity remains an important global issue. The prognosis of the US general population with obesity based on hypertension control was examined.

Methods

This study examined participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2018. Individuals with obesity were stratified into no hypertension, controlled hypertension, and uncontrolled hypertension. The study outcome was all‐cause mortality. Cox regression of all‐cause mortality was adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, diabetes, and previous myocardial infarction.

Results

Of 16,386 individuals with obesity, 53.1% had no hypertension, 24.7% had controlled hypertension, and 22.2% had uncontrolled hypertension. All‐cause mortality was significantly higher in uncontrolled hypertension (17.1%), followed by controlled hypertension (14.8%) and no hypertension (4.0%). Uncontrolled hypertension had the highest mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] 1.34, 95% CI: 1.13‐1.59, p = 0.001), followed by controlled hypertension (HR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10‐1.34, p < 0.001), compared with no hypertension after adjustment. The excess mortality trend was more pronounced in females, those with diabetes, and those older than age 65 years.

Conclusions

The incremental mortality risk in controlled and uncontrolled hypertension, compared with the normotensive counterparts, irrespective of sex, age, and diabetes status, urges health care providers to optimize hypertension control and advocate weight loss to achieve better outcomes in obesity.
Influence of filler type and content on thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of thermoplastic compounds
Authors: Wolfsgruber Nina , Tanda Andreas , Archodoulaki Vasiliki‐Maria , Burgstaller Christoph
Published: February 2023

Combining thermal conductivity with electrical isolation is a very interesting topic for electronic applications in order to transfer the generated heat. Typical approaches combine thermally conductive fillers with a thermoplastic matrix. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of different fillers and matrices on the thermal conductivity of the polymer matrix composites. In this study, various inorganic fillers, including aluminum oxide (Al2O3), zinc oxide (ZnO), and boron nitride (BN) with different shapes and sizes, were used in matrix polymers, such as polyamide 6 (PA6), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and polysulfone (PSU), to produce thermally conductive polymer matrix composites by compounding and injection molding. Using simple mathematical models (e.g., Agari model, Lewis–Nielson model), a first attempt was made to predict thermal conductivity from constituent properties. The materials were characterized by tensile testing, density measurement, and thermal conductivity measurement. Contact angle measurements and the calculated surface energy can be used to evaluate the wetting behavior, which correlates directly with the elastic modulus. Based on the aforementioned evaluations, we found that besides the volume fraction, the particle shape in combination with the intrinsic thermal conductivity of the filler has the greatest influence on the thermal conductivity of the composite.
Purcell and Collection Efficiency Enhancement of Single NV‐ Center Emission Coupled to an Asymmetric Tamm Structure
Authors: Singh Nitesh , Nair Rajesh V.
Published: February 2023

The resonant modes associated with engineered photonic structures of different spatial‐dimension are essential to obtain bright on‐demand single photon sources for quantum technologies. Negatively‐charged nitrogen‐vacancy (NV‐) center in diamond is proposed as an excellent single‐photon source at room temperature. The possible optical readout of spin states in diamond makes it a good candidate for the spin‐photon interface. However, poor light collection, feeble zero‐phonon line, low emission rate, and broad phonon‐induced emission limit the use of NV‐ centers in quantum technologies. Here, a feasible, easy‐to‐fabricate, asymmetric Tamm structure coupled with a single NV‐ center to enhance the emission rate of zero phonon line (ZPL) with better light collection efficiency is presented. The asymmetric Tamm structure shows dual resonant mode with one of the modes coinciding with NV‐ ZPL wavelength of 640 nm. The mode quality factor (Q‐factor) is 140, which is greater than the Q‐factor of conventional Tamm structure and hence, improved field intensity localization. The authors achieved four times Purcell enhancement and five times enhanced light collection efficiency at 640 nm. The proposed asymmetric Tamm structure helps to generate bright single photons using NV‐ center and improves the efficacy of the spin‐photon interface.
Predictive soil mapping based on the similarity of environmental covariates using a spatial convolutional autoencoder
Authors: Su Li , Zhang Meiyu , Wang Bing
Published: February 2023

Individual predictive soil mapping (iPSM) can predict the soil properties and quantify the prediction uncertainty by using a limited quantity of soil samples. This method assumes that the locations with similar environmental conditions have similar soil properties. The similarity between the locations in the iPSM is calculated based on the environment covariates corresponding to each location. However, this method does not consider the spatial structure information of covariates at the locations. To address this shortcoming, this study proposes a convolutional autoencoder (CAE) model to obtain new covariates called the CAE covariates. These covariates represent the spatial structure information of environment covariates at a certain location. The iPSM based on the similarity calculated using the CAE covariates is applied to predict clay, silt, and sand. A total of 60 sets of compressed CAE covariates are generated based on different spatial neighborhoods and embedded layer sizes. Compared to the original covariates, the iPSM based on the similarity calculated by the CAE covariates improves the prediction accuracy and significantly reduces the prediction uncertainty for clay, silt, and sand. For embedded 20 of neighborhood 9, the improvements in clay, silt, and sand are the highest, and they are 20.2%, 15.8%, and 18.5%, respectively. The largest improvement in the average uncertainty is 96.4% for embedded 5 of neighborhood 13. By applying a range of user‐defined thresholds, the proposed method improves the prediction accuracy for clay, silt, and sand, reduces the prediction uncertainty, and expands the prediction area simultaneously. The trade‐off between the prediction accuracy and the areas that can be predicted by the iPSM is alleviated. The CAE covariates are promising for other machine learning algorithms for digital soil mapping and models that require using spatial environment variables as an input.