bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geotechnical analysis involving strain localization of overconsolidated soils based on unified hardening model with hardening variable updated by a composite scheme
Authors: Tang Jianbin , Chen Xi , Cui Liusheng , Xu Zhe , Liu Guoqiang
Published: April 2024

Strain localization simulation of overconsolidated soils with high overconsolidation ratio (OCR) has been a long‐standing challenge. Some critical state soil models, including the modified Cam‐clay (MCC) model, have been widely applied, but they may not predict the shear dilatancy of overconsolidated soils well in some cases. Hence, the unified hardening (UH) model, which may be viewed as a generalized version of the MCC model, is implemented. It has been recognized, nonetheless, that without resorting to the regularization mechanism, the standard finite element method (FEM) or the second‐order cone programming optimized finite element method (FEM‐SOCP) often experiences instability or interruption of calculating the hardening‐softening responses of overconsolidated soils. To resolve the aforementioned difficulty, the UH model is developed and implemented in the framework of FEM‐SOCP based on the micropolar continuum (mpcFEM‐SOCP) to predict strain localizations of overconsolidated soils. Furthermore, to obviate non‐convexity of mpcFEM‐SOCP induced by material softening, an effective composite update scheme of hardening variable pc, which refers to the implicit variable (IV) scheme for the hardening stage and then refers to the explicit variable (EV) scheme for the softening stage, is proposed. Based on one biaxial compression problem and one rigid strip footing problem, numerical analyses disclose that by applying mpcFEM‐SOCP in conjunction with the composite update scheme of pc, the UH model of micropolar continuum can effectively predict the strain localization behavior of overconsolidated soil during its failure stage, and the stable hardening‐softening responses of overconsolidated soils can be readily attained.
Chemical, synthesis, characterization and electrochemical properties of α‐Fe2O3/ZnO composite nano‐heterojunction for sensing application
Authors: Ngok Sreymean , Razmi Nasrin , Mustafa Elfatih , Liu Xianjie , Chey Chan Oeurn , Willander Magnus , Nur Omer
Published: March 2024

Low temperature hydrothermal methods have been utilized to synthesize Hematite/Zinc oxide α‐Fe2O3/ZnO composite nano‐heterojunction nanorods grown on FTO glass substrates while monitoring the effect of different concentrations of urea on the morphology of the composite nano‐heterojunction. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were used for the structural characterization of the α‐Fe2O3/ZnO different samples. UV‐visible spectroscopy was used for the characteristic absorbance versus wavelength of α‐Fe2O3/ZnO composite nano‐heterojunction which shows an absorption edge from 400 to 560 nm. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique was applied to study of chemical composition of the α‐Fe2O3/ZnO and the obtained information demonstrated a pure phase α‐Fe2O3/ZnO has been achieved. The best efficiency among urea concentrations for the best composite nano‐heterojunction sample was achieved when using 0.2 M of urea. The electrochemical properties of the composite nano‐heterojunction were investigated using a three‐electrode electrochemical cell. Estimation of the electrochemical area shows that both the composite nano‐heterojunction and the bare α‐Fe2O3 have similar values. This confirms that the enhanced electrochemical property of the composite nano‐heterojunction is due to a synergetic effect as expected.
SIRT1 as a potential therapeutic target in pelvic organ prolapse due to protective effects against oxidative stress and cellular senescence in human uterosacral ligament fibroblasts
Authors: Wang Xinyi , Zhang Weiru , Zhou Yue , Li Yang , Xu Xiaoxuan , Xue Jing , Ma Yanhui , Liu Peishu
Published: April 2024

Introduction

The pathogenesis of pelvic organ prolapse (POP), an age‐related disease, has not been fully elucidated. Therapeutic targets of POP are limited. Silencing information regulator 2 related enzyme 1 (SIRT1), a gene considered capable of regulating oxidative stress and cellular senescence, has been widely demonstrated involved in aging and age‐related diseases. The present study aimed to explore the role of SIRT1 in POP in vivo and in vitro.

Methods

Expression levels of SIRT1 in uterosacral ligament (USL) tissues from patients with or without POP were measured using immunohistochemical assays. SRT1720, a SIRT1 agonist, was used to upregulate SIRT1, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used to establish an oxidative stress model in human uterosacral ligament fibroblasts (hUSLFs). The effects of SIRT1 on cell viability, apoptosis, senescence, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected, respectively. Western blot assays were used to examine expression levels of apoptosis‐ and senescence‐associated biomarkers. Unpaired Student's t test, Mann–Whitney U test, χ2 test, and one‐way ANOVA were performed for determining statistically significant differences.

Results

Compared to the control group, expression levels of SIRT1 were downregulated in USL tissues and hUSLFs from patients with POP, and associated with stage (p < 0.05). hUSLFs of patients with POP had lower growth rates (p < 0.0001) than those of the control group, which were improved by upregulating SIRT1 (p < 0.05). The senescent proportion was higher in the POP group than the control group (43.63 ± 10.62% vs. 4.84 ± 5.32%, p < 0.0001), which could be reduced by upregulating SIRT1 (p < 0.0001). High ROS levels in the POP group were also alleviated by SRT1720. H2O2 exposure increased ROS levels, inhibited proliferation, and triggered apoptosis and senescence in hUSLFs of patients without POP in a concentration‐dependent manner. Further, these damages were alleviated by pretreatment with SRT1720.

Conclusions

SIRT1 is downregulated in patients with POP, and the development of SIRT1 activators or agonists may have applications in the treatment and prevention of POP through antioxidative stress and antisenescence effects.
Intravoxel incoherent motion and diffusion kurtosis imaging and their machine‐learning‐based texture analysis for detection and assessment of prostate cancer severity at 3 T
Authors: Das Chandan J. , Malagi Archana Vadiraj , Sharma Raju , Mehndiratta Amit , Kumar Virendra , Khan Maroof A. , Seth Amlesh , Kaushal Seema , Nayak Baibaswata , Kumar Rakesh , Gupta Arun Kumar
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To evaluate the role of combined intravoxel incoherent motion and diffusion kurtosis imaging (IVIM–DKI) and their machine‐learning‐based texture analysis for the detection and assessment of severity in prostate cancer (PCa).

Materials and methods

Eighty‐eight patients underwent MRI on a 3 T scanner after giving informed consent. IVIM–DKI data were acquired using 13 b values (0–2000 s/mm2) and analyzed using the IVIM–DKI model with the total variation (TV) method. PCa patients were categorized into two groups: clinically insignificant prostate cancer (CISPCa) (Gleason grade ≤ 6) and clinically significant prostate cancer (CSPCa) (Gleason grade ≥ 7). One‐way analysis‐of‐variance, t test, and receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to measure the discriminative ability to detect PCa using IVIM–DKI parameters. A chi‐square test was used to select important texture features of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and IVIM–DKI parameters. These selected texture features were used in an artificial neural network for PCa detection.

Results

ADC and diffusion coefficient (D) were significantly lower (p < 0.001), and kurtosis (k) was significantly higher (p < 0.001), in PCa as compared with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and normal peripheral zone (PZ). ADC, D, and k showed high areas under the curves (AUCs) of 0.92, 0.89, and 0.88, respectively, in PCa detection. ADC and D were significantly lower (p < 0.05) as compared with CISPCa versus CSPCa. D for detecting CSPCa was high, with an AUC of 0.63. A negative correlation of ADC and D with GS (ADC, ρ = −0.33; D, ρ = −0.35, p < 0.05) and a positive correlation of k with GS (ρ = 0.22, p < 0.05) were observed. Combined IVIM–DKI texture showed high AUC of 0.83 for classification of PCa, BPH, and normal PZ.

Conclusion

D, f, and k computed using the IVIM–DKI model with the TV method were able to differentiate PCa from BPH and normal PZ. Texture features of combined IVIM–DKI parameters showed high accuracy and AUC in PCa detection.
Intravoxel incoherent motion as a surrogate marker of perfused vascular density in rat brain
Authors: Callewaert Bram , Gsell Willy , Lox Marleen , Backes Walter H. , Jones Elizabeth A. V. , Himmelreich Uwe
Published: April 2024

Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI has emerged as a valuable technique for the assessment of tissue characteristics and perfusion. However, there is limited knowledge about the relationship between IVIM‐derived measures and changes at the level of the vascular network. In this study, we investigated the potential use of IVIM MRI as a noninvasive tool for measuring changes in cerebral vascular density. Variations in quantitative immunohistochemical measurements of the vascular density across different regions in the rat brain (cortex, corpus callosum, hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus) were related to the pseudo‐diffusion coefficient D* and the flowing blood fraction f in healthy Wistar rats. We assessed whether region‐wise differences in the vascular density are reflected by variations in the IVIM measurements and found a significant positive relationship with the pseudo‐diffusion coefficient (p < 0.05, β = 0.24). The effect of cerebrovascular alterations, such as blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption on the perfusion‐related IVIM parameters, is not well understood. Therefore, we investigated the effect of BBB disruption on the IVIM measures in a rat model of metabolic and vascular comorbidities (ZSF1 obese rat) and assessed whether this affects the relationship between the cerebral vascular density and the noninvasive IVIM measurements. We observed increased vascular permeability without detecting any differences in diffusivity, suggesting that BBB leakage is present before changes in the tissue integrity. We observed no significant difference in the relationship between cerebral vascular density and the IVIM measurements in our model of comorbidities compared with healthy normotensive rats.
Severe behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia successfully treated at home with a blonanserin transdermal patch: A case report
Authors: Yamaguchi Junji , Sadahiro Ryoichi , Hirayama Takatoshi , Wada Saho , Nakahara Rika , Matsuoka Hiromichi
Published: April 2024

Aim

Behavioral psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are sometimes difficult to treat due to severe psychiatric symptoms such as delusions of poisoning and violent behavior. Moreover, in cases of parental neglect, the management of these psychiatric symptoms becomes more difficult. Therefore, home‐visiting doctors sometimes have to manage patients with BPSD and severe psychiatric symptoms, and a new approach is needed. In this case report, the effect of blonanserin transdermal patch on these patients is to be highlighted.

Methods

The patient is a 91‐year‐old woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She had severe BPSD such as delusion of robbery and violent behavior, and refused oral medications including memantine and yokukansan. Then she was treated with blonanserin transdermal patch (20 mg/day). The severity of psychiatric symptoms of BPSD was assessed over time using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) score. Moreover, the patient's cognitive function was also assessed over time by Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE).

Results

After the introduction of blonanserin patch, the patient's psychiatric symptoms were stabilized markedly, and both NPI and MMSE scores improved. The patient was able to stay at home calmly and was mentally well stabilized to the extent that she did not require hospitalization. No apparent side effects were admitted.

Conclusions

The blonanserin transdermal patch may be able to manage BPSD at home and is effective in patients who refuse oral medications. Home‐visiting doctors may consider the use of blonanserin patches at home for patients with severe BPSD, manifesting as delusions of poisoning and refusing oral drugs.
The plasma‐soluble CSF1R level is a promising prognostic indicator for pediatric Langerhans cell histiocytosis
Authors: Zhu Ting , Wang Chan‐Juan , Lian Hong‐Yun , Ma Hong‐Hao , Wang Dong , Wang Tian‐You , Zhang Rui , Cui Lei , Li Zhi‐Gang
Published: April 2024

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare hematologic neoplasm characterized by the clonal proliferation of Langerhans‐like cells. Colony‐stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) is a membrane‐bound receptor that is highly expressed in LCH cells and tumor‐associated macrophages. In this study, a soluble form of CSF1R protein (sCSF1R) was identified by plasma proteome profiling, and its role in evaluating LCH prognosis was explored. We prospectively measured plasma sCSF1R levels in 104 LCH patients and 10 healthy children using ELISA. Plasma sCSF1R levels were greater in LCH patients than in healthy controls (p < .001) and significantly differed among the three disease extents, with the highest level in MS RO+ LCH patients (p < .001). Accordingly, immunofluorescence showed the highest level of membrane‐bound CSF1R in MS RO+ patients. Furthermore, the plasma sCSF1R concentration at diagnosis could efficiently predict the prognosis of LCH patients treated with standard first‐line treatment (AUC = 0.782, p < .001). Notably, dynamic monitoring of sCSF1R levels could predict relapse early in patients receiving BRAF inhibitor treatment. In vitro drug sensitivity data showed that sCSF1R increased resistance to Ara‐C in THP‐1 cells expressing ectopic BRAF‐V600E. Overall, the plasma sCSF1R level at diagnosis and during follow‐up is of great clinical importance in pediatric LCH patients.
Proteomic insights into paediatric cancer: Unravelling molecular signatures and therapeutic opportunities
Authors: Padhye Bhavna D. , Nawaz Urwah , Hains Peter G. , Reddel Roger R. , Robinson Phillip J. , Zhong Qing , Poulos Rebecca C.
Published: April 2024

Survival rates in some paediatric cancers have improved greatly over recent decades, in part due to the identification of diagnostic, prognostic and predictive molecular signatures, and the development of risk‐directed therapies. However, other paediatric cancers have proved difficult to treat, and there is an urgent need to identify novel biomarkers that reveal therapeutic opportunities. The proteome is the total set of expressed proteins present in a cell or tissue at a point in time, and is vastly more dynamic than the genome. Proteomics holds significant promise for cancer research, as proteins are ultimately responsible for cellular phenotype and are the target of most anticancer drugs. Here, we review the discoveries, opportunities and challenges of proteomic analyses in paediatric cancer, with a focus on mass spectrometry (MS)‐based approaches. Accelerating incorporation of proteomics into paediatric precision medicine has the potential to improve survival and quality of life for children with cancer.
Prenatal detection of mosaicism for a genome wide uniparental disomy cell line in a cohort of patients: Implications and outcomes
Authors: Johansen Margriet , Haskell Gloria T. , Arreola Alexandra , Riordan Christine , Gadi Inder K. , Penton Andrea , Papenhausen Peter R. , Schwartz Stuart
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To investigate the prenatal detection rate of mosaicism by SNP microarray analysis, in which an individual has not one, but two, complete genomes (sets of DNA) in their body, a normal biparental line with a Genome Wide Uniparental Disomy (GWUPD) cell line was used.

Methods

This study retrospectively examines the prenatal detection of GWUPD in a cohort of ∼90,000 prenatal specimens and ∼20,000 products of conceptions (POCs) that were studied by SNP microarray.

Results

In total, 25 cases of GWUPD were detected; 16 cases were detected prenatally with GWUPD (∼0.018%) and 9 POCs revealed GWUPD (0.045%). The nine POC specimens presented with placental abnormalities. The 12 amniotic fluid specimens were ascertained because of abnormal ultrasound findings. Nine of 12 pregnancies had findings consistent with Beckwith‐Wiedemann syndrome or because of abnormal placentas. However, three pregnancies were detected with GWUPD of maternal origin, with less common findings and demonstrated maternal origin. Four other pregnancies showed GWUPD in a chorionic villus sample, but normal findings in amniotic fluid and apparently normal fetal development.

Conclusions

This cohort with GWUPD mosaicism expands our understanding of GWUPD and has implications for prenatal care and counseling. Additional studies are necessary to understand the rarer maternal GWUPD.
Self‐assembled polypeptoid micelles from amphiphilic polypeptoid copolymers for drug delivery
Authors: Shen Xiran , Wei Tiantian , Liu Di , Yang Kang , Jiang Yangang , Lu Jianwei , Guo Li
Published: March 2024

Amphiphilic block copolymers are characterized by the presence of distinct hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, which are usually arranged in alternating blocks. This unique structure allows these copolymers to self‐assemble into well‐defined nanostructures that exhibit remarkable resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis, high biocompatibility and the ability to be customized with specific structures. These properties make them highly desirable in various applications. Self‐assembled amphiphilic polypeptoids are currently under development as a promising class of pharmaceutical agents. However, the utilization of these peptides as drug carriers for efficient delivery presents a number of challenges. These challenges include less‐than‐optimal loading efficacy and restricted biocompatibility. Herein, a series of stable amphiphilic block copolypeptoids (PNEG‐b‐PNBG and PNEG‐b‐PNHG) were designed and synthesized by controlled ring‐opening polymerization. PNEG chain segments provide hydrophilicity, while PNBG and PNHG chain segments provide hydrophobicity. The hydrophobic molecular chains aggregate in aqueous solutions, resulting in the formation of nano‐assemblies. The self‐assembled amphiphilic block polypeptoid copolymers were investigated. The morphologies of copolymers take the form of micelles from tens of nanometers to a few hundred nanometers. The properties of amphiphilic block copolypeptoids used as drug carriers were further investigated by conducting drug release and cytotoxicity tests. The results indicate that the cumulative release efficiency of self‐assembled polypeptoid copolymers can reach up to about 91%. And they have good biocompatibility and can be expected to be safe materials for efficient drug delivery. This work could provide a facile method for the preparation of amphiphilic block peptoid copolymers for biopharmaceutical applications. © 2024 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Performance of large language models on benign prostatic hyperplasia frequently asked questions
Authors: Zhang YuNing , Dong Yijie , Mei Zihan , Hou Yiqing , Wei Minyan , Yeung Yat Hin , Xu Jiale , Hua Qing , Lai LiMei , Li Ning , Xia ShuJun , Zhou Chun , Zhou JianQiao
Published: April 2024

Background

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition, yet it is challenging for the average BPH patient to find credible and accurate information about BPH. Our goal is to evaluate and compare the accuracy and reproducibility of large language models (LLMs), including ChatGPT‐3.5, ChatGPT‐4, and the New Bing Chat in responding to a BPH frequently asked questions (FAQs) questionnaire.

Methods

A total of 45 questions related to BPH were categorized into basic and professional knowledge. Three LLM—ChatGPT‐3.5, ChatGPT‐4, and New Bing Chat—were utilized to generate responses to these questions. Responses were graded as comprehensive, correct but inadequate, mixed with incorrect/outdated data, or completely incorrect. Reproducibility was assessed by generating two responses for each question. All responses were reviewed and judged by experienced urologists.

Results

All three LLMs exhibited high accuracy in generating responses to questions, with accuracy rates ranging from 86.7% to 100%. However, there was no statistically significant difference in response accuracy among the three (p > 0.017 for all comparisons). Additionally, the accuracy of the LLMs' responses to the basic knowledge questions was roughly equivalent to that of the specialized knowledge questions, showing a difference of less than 3.5% (GPT‐3.5: 90% vs. 86.7%; GPT‐4: 96.7% vs. 95.6%; New Bing: 96.7% vs. 93.3%). Furthermore, all three LLMs demonstrated high reproducibility, with rates ranging from 93.3% to 97.8%.

Conclusions

ChatGPT‐3.5, ChatGPT‐4, and New Bing Chat offer accurate and reproducible responses to BPH‐related questions, establishing them as valuable resources for enhancing health literacy and supporting BPH patients in conjunction with healthcare professionals.
Cauchy kernel correntropy‐based robust multi‐innovation identification method for the nonlinear exponential autoregressive model in non‐Gaussian environment
Authors: Zhao Sirui , Wang Xuehai , Liu Yage
Published: April 2024

This paper discusses the identification problem of the nonlinear exponential autoregressive model in the non‐Gaussian noise environment. To suppress the negative influence caused by the non‐Gaussian noise on the accuracy of the identification, this paper employs a Cauchy kernel correntropy‐based criterion function to present a robust gradient algorithm for calculating the parameter estimates of the model. To solve the difficulty of selecting the step‐size in the gradient algorithm, this paper derives an optimal step‐size related to the bandwidth of the Cauchy kernel. Moreover, in order to improve the accuracy of the parameter estimations, a Cauchy kernel correntropy‐based robust multi‐innovation identification method is developed by utilizing the multi‐innovation identification theory. Two simulation examples exhibit that the proposed algorithms can effectively reduce the negative influence of the non‐Gaussian noise on parameter estimation in contrast with the conventional least mean squares algorithm.
Epistemic conflict and sensemaking in elementary students' navigation of an engineering design task
Authors: Dalvi Tejaswini , Wendell Kristen
Published: March 2024

An understanding of how sensemaking unfolds when elementary students engage in engineering design tasks is crucial to advancing engineering teaching and learning at K‐12 levels. Sensemaking has been widely studied in the context of science as a discipline. In this paper, we seek to contribute to the more nascent efforts to build theory about the characteristics of sensemaking in elementary school engineering. We report on an interpretive case study of a 3rd grade student team who worked with minimal adult intervention to design a solution to an engineering challenge. Considering the entire trajectory of their design process, from the given problem to the solution, we observed that they navigated through multiple epistemic conflicts while making decisions that informed their final solution. We found that these conflicts served asopportunities for sensemakingand that exploring how the students resolved conflicts shed light on their sensemaking processes. Analysis of the team's navigation through epistemic conflicts to come to a design decision helped identify two distinct kinds of engineering sensemaking: student engagement in functional reasoning as they suggested design ideas, and student engagement in mechanistic reasoning as they interpreted test results. Both processes facilitated knowledge building, which in turn supported students' engineering design decisions.
Approximate balancing weights for clustered observational study designs
Authors: Ben‐Michael Eli , Page Lindsay , Keele Luke
Published: April 2024

In a clustered observational study, a treatment is assigned to groups and all units within the group are exposed to the treatment. We develop a new method for statistical adjustment in clustered observational studies using approximate balancing weights, a generalization of inverse propensity score weights that solve a convex optimization problem to find a set of weights that directly minimize a measure of covariate imbalance, subject to an additional penalty on the variance of the weights. We tailor the approximate balancing weights optimization problem to the clustered observational study setting by deriving an upper bound on the mean square error and finding weights that minimize this upper bound, linking the level of covariate balance to a bound on the bias. We implement the procedure by specializing the bound to a random cluster‐level effects model, leading to a variance penalty that incorporates the signal‐to‐noise ratio and penalizes the weight on individuals and the total weight on groups differently according to the the intra‐class correlation.
Strong Yet Tough Transparent Paper with Superb Foldability
Authors: Lin Xiaoqi , Li Yujie , Fang Zhiqiang , Li Guanhui , Liu Yu , Qiu Xueqing
Published: April 2024

Transparent paper manufactured from wood fibers is emerging as a promising, cost‐effective, and carbon‐neutral alternatives to plastics. However, fully exploring their mechanical properties is one of the most pressing challenges. In this work, a strong yet tough transparent paper with superior folding endurance is prepared by rationally altering the native fiber structure. Microwave‐assisted choline chloride/lactic acid deep eutectic solvent (DES) pulping is first utilized to isolate wood fibers from spruce wood. During this process, the S1 layer within the fibers is partially disrupted, forming protruding microfibrils that play a crucial role in enhancing cellulose accessibility. Subsequently, carboxymethylation treatment is applied to yield uniformly swollen carboxymethylated wood fibers (CM fibers), which improves the interaction between CM fibers during papermaking. The as‐prepared transparent paper not only shows a 90% light transmittance (550 nm) but also exhibits impressive mechanical properties, including a folding endurance of over 26 000, a tensile strength of 248.4 MPa, and a toughness of 15.6 MJ m−3. This work provides a promising route for manufacturing transparent paper with superior mechanical properties from wood fibers and can extend their use in areas normally dominated by high‐performance nonrenewable plastics.
Flexible Supercapacitor with Wide Electrochemical Stable Window Based on Hydrogel Electrolyte
Authors: Qi Zhixian , Ren Ruili , Hu Jingwen , Chen Ying , Guo Yonggui , Huang Yue , Wei Junfu , Zhang Huan , Pang Qianchan , Zhang Xiaoqing , Wang Huicai
Published: April 2024

Hydrogel electrolyte can endow supercapacitors with excellent flexibility, which has developed rapidly in recent years. However, the water‐rich structures of hydrogel electrolyte are easy to freeze at subfreezing and dry at high temperatures, which will affect its energy storage characteristics. The low energy density of micro supercapacitors also hinders their development. Herein, a strategy is proposed to reduce the free water activity in the hydrogel to improve the operating voltage and the energy density of the device, which is achieved through the synergistic effect of the hydrogel skeleton, N, N’‐dimethylformamide (DMF), NaClO4 and water. High concentrations of DMF and NaClO4 are introduced into sodium alginate/polyacrylamide (SA/PAAM) hydrogel through solvent exchange to obtain SA/PAAM/DMF/NaClO4 hydrogel electrolyte, which exhibited a high ionic conductivity of 82.1 mS cm−1, a high breaking strength of 563.2 kPa, and a wide voltage stability window of 3.5 V. The supercapacitor devices are assembled by the process of direct adhesion of the hydrogel electrolyte and  laser induced graphene (LIG). The micro‐supercapacitor exhibited an operating voltage of 2.0 V, with a specific capacitance of 2.41 mF cm−2 and a high energy density of 1.34 µWh cm−2, and it also exhibit a high cycle stability, good flexibility, and integration performance.
Effect of Meso‐ or β‐Functionalization of Porphyrins on the Photovoltaic Properties of Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Caballero Rubén , Domínguez Rocío , S. Shyam Shankar , Privado María , Prieto Pilar , de la Cruz Pilar , Singhal Rahul , Sharma Ganesh D. , Langa Fernando
Published: March 2024

Porphyrin derivatives are widely used as donors in organic solar cells (OSCs) due to their excellent optical and electrochemical properties. Although porphyrins can be functionalized at the meso‐ and β‐positions, only meso‐functionalized porphyrins have been reported as OSCs. Consequently, a direct comparison of the properties of porphyrins functionalized at these two positions is needed. The synthesis of two similar D–π–A–π–D materials is described herein and these compounds contain benzothiadiazole as the acceptor core and two Ni‐porphyrins as donors functionalized at the meso‐ and β‐positions to give RC19 and RC20, respectively. The optical and electrochemical properties of these compounds are reported. All‐small‐molecule OSCs based on RC19:TOCR1 and RC20:TOCR1 active layers show power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 13.72% and 5.20%, respectively. It should be noted that the PCE of 13.72% obtained for RC19:TOCR1 devices is, to one's knowledge, the highest value reported for porphyrin‐based binary OSCs. The higher PCE obtained for RC19 is due to its higher photon harvesting ability, more efficient exciton dissociation and charge transfer, balanced charge transport, and lower bimolecular and trap‐assisted recombination.
Examining key capitals contributing to students' science‐related career expectations and their relationship patterns: A machine learning approach
Authors: Tan Lihua , Chen Fu , Wei Bing
Published: April 2024

Through the lens of science capital, this research aims to detect the key factors and their main effects in identifying students with science‐related career expectations. A machine learning approach (i.e., random forest) was employed to analyze a dataset of 519,334 15‐year‐old students from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015. The global analysis identified 25 key factors out of 88 contextual features: (1) for “how you think,” making students feel science is relevant, enjoyable, and interesting is relatively more crucial than being ambitious and confident; (2) for “what science you know,” students' science and math literacy, epistemological beliefs, and awareness of environmental matters were the key factors; (3) for “who you know,” parents valuing science, expecting their children to enter science, and providing emotional support were as similar as or even more important than their economic, social, and cultural status (ESCS)‐related constructs, while teachers fairness ranked the top among all teaching‐related features; and (4) for “what you do,” appropriate science learning time, engagement in science activities, and ICT use for schoolwork were key factors. These findings indicate a relatively optimistic situation, as the most key capitals were malleable for educators. Accumulated local effect plots further discriminated how these key capitals related to students' career expectations in four distinct ways: “increasing,” “S‐shaped,” “inverted‐U‐shaped,” and “decreasing,” shedding light on how we could optimize key resources to enhance aspirations. The comparison between global and Hong Kong analyses suggests the key factors identified by the global model were generally effective but not necessarily essential for a specific region. The cross‐cultural generalizability or prevalence of capitals might vary by their forms.
Reliability Optimization of Traffic Routing in Train Communication Networks Based on Faulty Link Diagnosis
Authors: Ren Ziyang , He Deqiang , Liu Qi , Shan Sheng , Chen Qilin
Published: April 2024

With the increasing adoption of industrial Ethernet in train communication network (TCN), the limitations of insufficient reliability and incompatibility between different Ethernet technologies have become increasingly apparent. To address these challenges, time‐sensitive networking (TSN) has emerged as a solution, enabling multi‐network convergence and enhancing data transmission determinism and reliability through techniques such as frame replication and elimination for reliability (FRER). However, the utilization of these policies will adversely affect schedulability due to increased network load. To address the issue of link failures in TCN topologies, a routing policy based on faulty link diagnosis is proposed. The proposed policy utilizes an improved max‐min ant system (IMMAS) for diagnosing and resolving faulty links. Furthermore, a routing optimization algorithm is introduced to enhance transmission reliability by planning alternative paths for traffic. To evaluate the performance of the proposed routing algorithm, multiple sets of test cases are conducted separately under different failure scenarios to compare them with other routing policies. The results demonstrate the superior reliability of the proposed routing policy over alternative approaches. Additionally, the traffic utilizing the proposed routing policy show improved schedulability following integer linear programming (ILP) scheduling. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Repositioning the role of supervisors on short initial preparation courses
Authors: Chinn Richard , Lamb Melissa
Published: April 2024

This article suggests ways in which teacher supervisors and trainers on short courses can reposition their role by making the feedback conference more collaborative and trainee‐led. The authors argue that by taking a more dialogic approach and exploring critical incidents, trainee teachers can develop reflective skills and take more ownership of their development.
SDG 8 – Decent work and sustainability: The case of a public security organization in Brazil
Authors: Arigony Marcelo Mendes , Rejane da Rosa Gama Madruga Lúcia , Avila Lucas Veiga , Schvartz Marceli Adriane , Arigony Ana Luiza Ortiz
Published: April 2024

The recognition of the importance of work and the worker in the context of sustainability and social responsibility led the International Labor Organization (ILO) to construct the central concept of this research. This study aims to analyze the work environment in police organizations from the perspective of the concept of work that the ILO has termed Decent Work. The questionnaire was constructed based on the literature and validated by experts. Subsequently, it was made available through Google Forms® and submitted to the respondents. The research was based on ILO indicators (employment opportunities; adequate income; decent working hours; reconciliation of work, personal, and family life; stability and security at work; equal opportunities and treatment in employment; safe working environment; social dialogue; representation of workers and employers), and involved the participation of 704 respondents. The main pieces of evidence include: partial compliance with the indicators of decent work, with a negative emphasis on the working environment, where 59.39% classified it as unsafe, followed by evidence of low institutional concern for employees.
Right‐sided acute diverticulitis in a North African country: Presentation and management in one surgical center
Authors: Jedidi Laila , Mabrouk Aymen , Ghali Hela , Ben Dhaou Anis , Ben Lahouel Senda , Daldoul Sami , Said Latiri Houyem , Ben Moussa Mounir
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Right‐sided diverticulitis is a rare entity in North Africa. Therefore, it is usually misdiagnosed, and the management of cecal diverticulitis is aggressive in most cases, whereas nowadays, most studies recommend a conservative approach with promising results. This study aims to describe the presentation, management, and outcomes of right‐sided diverticulitis (RSD) and to present the experience of one surgical center in Tunisia.

Methods

This is a retrospective study including all patients presented with RSD, in the Department of Surgery “A” of the Charles Nicolle Hospital between 2007 and 2021.

Results

Forty patients were included in our study. The mean age was 42 years with a standard deviation of 14. The sex ratio was 1.1. Only 2 patients had chronic constipation. All patients presented right‐sided abdominal pain, and only 3 patients had diarrhea. Twenty one patients were diagnosed during surgery. Fourteen patients were treated successfully by conservative management. An operative procedure was performed in 26 cases: 21 had a diverticulectomy (80%), two had an ileal resection (8%), and three had a right colectomy (11.5%). No postoperative events occurred with a short hospital stay (5 ± 3 days). Follow‐up showed no recurrences.

Conclusion

Right‐sided diverticulitis has a lower incidence and complication rate compared to left‐sided diverticulitis. Conservative treatment has demonstrated favorable outcomes in managing RSD, although the available evidence remains limited.
Finland: Populist Polarisation of the Finnish Political Communication
Authors: Herkman Juha , Sibinescu Laura , Palonen Emilia
Published: March 2024

The chapter discusses the political context in Finland during the 2019 EP elections and introduces the political communication environment of the country. Particular attention is given to the role of Twitter in Finnish political communication and populism in country’s party field during the twenty-first century. The empirical Twitter analysis focuses on 4211 tweets sent from 123 Twitter accounts by various political actors during a one-month period in May 2019. About one-quarter of the tweets were sent from the account of a political party, and more than three-quarters were sent by individuals, demonstrating that Twitter in Finland serves as a platform for personal campaigning. Tweeting was favoured especially by young, female and not yet established political actors who cannot gain much attention in news media. Pro-European liberal National Coalition and Greens affiliated actors were the most active tweeters creating a joint ‘us-Europeans’ spirit, but in retweeting and commenting, the populist radical right and radical left were also emphasised. The European themes concerning the elections, the EU and encouraging voting for one’s own party were popular Finnish tweeting themes, but a clear antagonism between the radical right Finns Party and other political parties characterised both the Twitter topics and the networks in Finland. Therefore, populism in Finland has remained ‘fringe’.
Fire Management and Preparedness in the Czech Republic
Authors: Barroso Petra Martínez , Winkler Jan , Vaverková Magdalena Daria
Published: March 2024

Fire management and preparedness in the Czech Republic (CR) is evaluated based on a broad knowledge platform consisting of official documents of the Fire and Rescue Service of the Czech Republic (FRS CR), laws of the CR, as well as scientific works from Czech universities and professional publications. The composition of the forests, mostly composed of coniferous tree species, has been conditioned by historical events and closely connects to the current health state of the Czech forests, which has been seriously affected by the bark beetle calamity. The most common types of forest fires in the CR are due to its geographical location surface fires. The main cause of fire ignition is human carelessness. The number of forest fires in the Czech Republic has an increasing tendency, however, the burnt area does not grow proportionally to the number of fires thanks to the high-quality technical equipment of the Czech firefighters and their timely response. The forest fire prevention strategy belongs to the competency of the state-owned enterprise Lesy of the Czech Republic which in cooperation with scientific institutions and universities focuses on optimizing collaboration with the Fire and Rescue Service of the Czech Republic; creation of methodologies and recommendations in the field of fire prevention; enlightenment and education of the public; and recovering the landscape capacity to maintain water. Due to changing climatic conditions, the fire regime in the CR will likely change and the current approach will need to be adjusted.
Preliminary Assessment of the Wildfire Risks as a Tool for Their Management. The Case of Bulgarian Forests
Authors: Stoyanov Todor
Published: March 2024

The primary objective of this book chapter is to present an updated methodology for fire risk assessment, particularly in the context of Bulgarian forests. This update is essential due to the existing disparities among the tools and approaches used in previous assessments. The focus of this study is to develop a unified methodology for conducting preliminary risk assessments of wildfires, considering them as one of the most prevalent and natural disasters in forest ecosystems. The significance of such an updated methodology lies in the fact that different assessments can yield varying results for the same region, creating challenges for the development of sustainable land management plans and effective responses to potential wildfires. For instance, when using the approved national “Methodology for determining the risk of forest fires in the country” sanctioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Forests (MAFF) of Bulgaria, which aligns with European requirements, some areas, like the territory of the State Forestry “Botevgrad” (TP SFE “Botevgrad”), were categorized as having a medium risk of wildfires. However, in the Forest Management Plan of TP SFE “Botevgrad,” the degree of wildfire risk was classified as low. In light of these discrepancies, we have taken the initiative to enhance the methodology by including risk calculations for smaller units, such as subdivisions, sections, and enterprises. This approach seeks to provide a more accurate and detailed assessment of wildfire risk in specific forest areas.
Sectoral Growth and Export Earnings
Authors: O’Malley Eoin
Published: March 2024

This chapter analyses the contributions of different sectors to economic growth during the boom, focusing particularly on the contributions of sectors to exports because, in a small and very open economy, export growth makes an essential contribution that drives the rest of the economy. As an essential part of this, it examines the net foreign earnings accruing to the Irish economy after deducting the profit outflows and payments for imported inputs that were associated with each sector’s exports. Most manufacturing sectors looked less important in terms of net foreign earnings than they appeared when seen in terms of exports, while the reverse was true for market services and the food sector. Although export growth weakened substantially after 2000, the composition of exports was changing in a way that allowed the growth of net foreign earnings to remain strong for about the next five years. It was only in the final few years of the boom—2005–2007—that the pace of economic growth was not genuinely sustainable and became dependent on a debt-fuelled property and construction boom.
Fazit
Authors: Tkotzyk Vanessa
Published: March 2024

Zum Abschluss werden in Abschnitt 7.1 die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit zusammengefasst und in Abschnitt 7.2 die Limitationen dieser Arbeit aufgezeigt sowie Vorschläge für weiterführende Forschung unterbreitet.
Handlungsempfehlungen
Authors: Albrecht Joanna , Hüning Nadine
Published: April 2024

Wie bereits angeführt, liefert diese Forschungsarbeit einen ersten umfassenden Blick auf die Thematik Digitale Teilhabe von MgB in der Eingliederungshilfe. Basierend auf den gewonnenen Erkenntnissen und der Beantwortung der Forschungsfragen werden nachfolgend spezifische Handlungsempfehlungen auf forschungs- und praxisbezogener sowie politischer Ebene abgeleitet, um Digitale Teilhabe von MgB sowie den Einsatz und die Weiterentwicklung der entwickelten Definition, des Modells sowie des Erhebungsinstrumentes zu fördern.
Digitalisierung und Mediatisierung in Lebensbereichen
Authors: Albrecht Joanna , Hüning Nadine
Published: April 2024

„In einer digital vernetzten Welt bleibt kein Lebensbereich unberührt“, denn tiefgreifende Veränderungen und Entwicklungen im Zuge der Digitalisierung und Mediatisierung manifestieren sich in allen Lebensbereichen. Dadurch entstehen für die Gesellschaft fortwährend Potenziale und Herausforderungen im Umgang mit dem digitalen Wandel, die vor allem während der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-Pandemie] präsent wurden. Vor allem, um soziale Begegnungen aufrechtzuerhalten, wurden und werden Aktivitäten in diesen Bereichen teilweise oder vollständig in den digitalen Bereich verlagert oder neue digitale Aktivitäten wurden und werden geschaffen.
Teilhabe von Menschen mit einer geistigen Beeinträchtigung in digitalisierten Lebensbereichen
Authors: Albrecht Joanna , Hüning Nadine
Published: April 2024

Die Eingliederungshilfe ist in der fachlichen Arbeit in mehrfacher Weise mit der Mediatisierung konfrontiert. Die Lebensbereiche der Klienten wandeln sich und die sozialen Ungleichheiten werden über das Medienhandeln (re-)produziert. Zudem verändern sich mit der Digitalisierung Arbeitsprozesse sowie Erbringungsformen in der Eingliederungshilfe und folglich auch die Anforderungen an die Fachkräfte, die dazu unter anderem Medienkompetenzen und medienpädagogische Kompetenzen benötigen.
Ergebnisse
Authors: Albrecht Joanna , Hüning Nadine
Published: April 2024

Nachfolgend werden die Ergebnisse des sequenziellen Mixed-Methods-Studiendesigns entlang der angewandten Methoden aufgezeigt. Demnach werden zunächst die Erkenntnisse der literaturbasierten Definitions- und Modellentwicklung Digitaler Teilhabe von MgB (DDT1 und MDT1) dargelegt. Anschließend werden die Ergebnisse der empirischen Weiterentwicklung der Definition (DDT2) und des Modells Digitaler Teilhabe (MDT2–MDT4) dargestellt. Das Kapitel schließt mit der Erläuterung der Erkenntnisse zur Entwicklung und Prüfung des Erhebungsinstruments Digitaler Teilhabe von MgB in der Eingliederungshilfe (EIDT1–EIDT3) ab.
From conformal to confining field theories using holography
Authors: Fatemiabhari Ali , Nunez Carlos
Published: April 2024

Abstract

We construct a new family of Type IIB backgrounds that are dual to five dimensional conformal field theories compactified and deformed by VEVs of certain operators. This generates an RG flow into a smooth background dual to non-SUSY gapped field theories in four dimensions. We study various holographic observables: a monotonic quantity associated with the number of degrees of freedom, Wilson loops that interpolate between conformal and confining behaviour with the possibility of screening, Entanglement Entropy, etc. We also give a prescription to compute the Holographic Complexity in this type of backgrounds and calculate the spectrum of spin-two glueballs of the field theories.