bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High resolution fluorescence imaging of the alveolar scaffold as a novel tool to assess lung injury
Authors: Lindstedt Sandra , Wang Qi , Niroomand Anna , Stenlo Martin , Hyllen Snejana , Pierre Leif , Olm Franziska , Bechet Nicholas B.
Published: March 2024

Acute lung injury (ALI) represents an aetiologically diverse form of pulmonary damage. Part of the assessment and diagnosis of ALI depends on skilled observer-based scoring of brightfield microscopy tissue sections. Although this readout is sufficient to determine gross alterations in tissue structure, its categorical scores lack the sensitivity to describe more subtle changes in lung morphology. To generate a more sensitive readout of alveolar perturbation we carried out high resolution immunofluorescence imaging on 200 μm lung vibratome sections from baseline and acutely injured porcine lung tissue, stained with a tomato lectin, Lycopersicon Esculentum Dylight-488. With the ability to resolve individual alveoli along with their inner and outer wall we generated continuous readouts of alveolar wall thickness and circularity. From 212 alveoli traced from 10 baseline lung samples we established normal distributions for alveolar wall thickness (27.37; 95% CI [26.48:28.26]) and circularity (0.8609; 95% CI [0.8482:0.8667]) in healthy tissue. Compared to acutely injured lung tissue baseline tissue exhibited a significantly lower wall thickness (26.86 ± 0.4998 vs 50.55 ± 4.468; p = 0.0003) and higher degree of circularityϕ≤ (0.8783 ± 0.01965 vs 0.4133 ± 0.04366; p < 0.0001). These two components were subsequently combined into a single more sensitive variable, termed the morphological quotient (MQ), which exhibited a significant negative correlation (R2 = 0.9919, p < 0.0001) with the gold standard of observer-based scoring. Through the utilisation of advanced light imaging we show it is possible to generate sensitive continuous datasets describing fundamental morphological changes that arise in acute lung injury. These data represent valuable new analytical tools that can be used to precisely benchmark changes in alveolar morphology both in disease/injury as well as in response to treatment/therapy.
Effects of kinect-based virtual reality training on bone mineral density and fracture risk in postmenopausal women with osteopenia: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Riaz Saima , Shakil Ur Rehman Syed , Hafeez Sana , Hassan Danish
Published: March 2024

Osteopenia is a condition characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) that increases fracture risk, particularly among postmenopausal women (PMW). This study aimed to determine the effects of Kinect-based VRT on BMD and fracture risk in PMW with osteopenia. The study was a prospective, two-arm, parallel-design, randomized controlled trial. The study enrolled 52 participants, 26 randomly assigned to each group. In the experimental group, Kinect-based VRT was provided thrice weekly for 24 weeks for 45 min/session. Both groups were instructed to engage in a daily 30-min walk outdoors. The fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) was used to calculate fracture risk, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure lumbar spine and femur neck BMD. Both variables were assessed at baseline and 24 weeks afterwards. After 24 weeks of Kinect-based VRT, the experimental group showed significant BMD increases in the right and left femoral necks and lumbar spine (p value < 0.001). In the control group, the BMD at the right and left femoral necks showed fewer significant changes (p value < 0.022 and 0.004, respectively). In the control group, lumbar spine BMD did not change (p = 0.57). The experimental group showed significantly lower FRAX scores for hip fracture prediction (HFP) and hip prediction of major osteoporotic (HPMO) at both femoral necks (p value < 0.001) than the control group (p = 0.05 and p = 0.01, respectively), but no significant change at the left femoral neck for HFP (p = 0.66) or HPMO (p = 0.26). These findings indicate that a Kinect-based VRT intervention resulted in significantly increased BMD and a reduced fracture risk, as predicted by HFP and HPMO measurements. These improvements were more pronounced in the experimental group than in the control group. Thus, Kinect-based VRT may be utilized as an effective intervention to improve BMD and reduce fracture risk in postmenopausal women with osteopenia.
Caveolin-1 gene expression provides additional prognostic information combined with PAM50 risk of recurrence (ROR) score in breast cancer
Authors: Godina Christopher , Belting Mattias , Vallon-Christersson Johan , Isaksson Karolin , Bosch Ana , Jernström Helena
Published: March 2024

Combining information from the tumor microenvironment (TME) with PAM50 Risk of Recurrence (ROR) score could improve breast cancer prognostication. Caveolin-1 (CAV1) is a marker of an active TME. CAV1 is a membrane protein involved in cell signaling, extracellular matrix organization, and tumor-stroma interactions. We sought to investigate CAV1 gene expression in relation to PAM50 subtypes, ROR score, and their joint prognostic impact. CAV1 expression was compared between PAM50 subtypes and ROR categories in two cohorts (SCAN-B, n = 5326 and METABRIC, n = 1980). CAV1 expression was assessed in relation to clinical outcomes using Cox regression and adjusted for clinicopathological predictors. Effect modifications between CAV1 expression and ROR categories on clinical outcome were investigated using multiplicative and additive two-way interaction analyses. Differential gene expression and gene set enrichment analyses were applied to compare high and low expressing CAV1 tumors. All samples expressed CAV1 with the highest expression in the Normal-like subtype. Gene modules consistent with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), hypoxia, and stromal activation were associated with high CAV1 expression. CAV1 expression was inversely associated with ROR category. Interactions between CAV1 expression and ROR categories were observed in both cohorts. High expressing CAV1 tumors conferred worse prognosis only within the group classified as ROR high. ROR gave markedly different prognostic information depending on the underlying CAV1 expression. CAV1, a potential mediator between the malignant cells and TME, could be a useful biomarker that enhances and further refines PAM50 ROR risk stratification in patients with ROR high tumors and a potential therapeutic target.
Unraveling diffusion behavior in Cu-to-Cu direct bonding with metal passivation layers
Authors: Jeong Min Seong , Park Sang Woo , Kim Yeon Ju , Kim Ji Hun , Hong Seul Ki , Kim Sarah Eunkyung , Park Jong Kyung
Published: March 2024

Cu/SiO2hybrid bonding presents a promising avenue for achieving high-density interconnects by obviating the need for microbumps and underfills. Traditional copper bonding methods often demand temperatures exceeding 400 °C, prompting recent endeavors to mitigate bonding temperatures through investigations into metal passivation bonding. In this study, we scrutinized the diffusion behavior associated with various metal passivation layers (Platinum, Titanium, Tantalum, and Chromium) in the context of low-temperature direct copper bonding and delved into the essential bonding mechanisms. We observed a deviation from conventional metal–metal bonding factors, such as surface roughness and grain size, in the diffusion behavior. Remarkably, our analysis revealed a pronounced correlation between the crystallinity of the metal passivation layers and diffusion behavior, surpassing the influence of other experimental factors. Subsequent post-bonding examinations corroborated consistent diffusion behavior in Pt and Cr passivation samples with disparate crystallinities, reinforcing the significance of crystallinity in the bonding process. Our findings underscore crystallinity as a pivotal factor governing diffusion behavior, even under varied bonding conditions. These insights are instrumental in achieving exceptional bonding characteristics at lower temperatures in Cu/SiO2hybrid bonding. Implications of this study extend to the prospect of advancing highly integrated systems through die-to-wafer bonding, marking a substantial stride toward future applications.
Mimicking clinical trials with synthetic acute myeloid leukemia patients using generative artificial intelligence
Authors: Eckardt Jan-Niklas , Hahn Waldemar , Röllig Christoph , Stasik Sebastian , Platzbecker Uwe , Müller-Tidow Carsten , Serve Hubert , Baldus Claudia D. , Schliemann Christoph , Schäfer-Eckart Kerstin , Hanoun Maher , Kaufmann Martin , Burchert Andreas , Thiede Christian , Schetelig Johannes , Sedlmayr Martin , Bornhäuser Martin , Wolfien Markus , Middeke Jan Moritz
Published: March 2024

Clinical research relies on high-quality patient data, however, obtaining big data sets is costly and access to existing data is often hindered by privacy and regulatory concerns. Synthetic data generation holds the promise of effectively bypassing these boundaries allowing for simplified data accessibility and the prospect of synthetic control cohorts. We employed two different methodologies of generative artificial intelligence – CTAB-GAN+ and normalizing flows (NFlow) – to synthesize patient data derived from 1606 patients with acute myeloid leukemia, a heterogeneous hematological malignancy, that were treated within four multicenter clinical trials. Both generative models accurately captured distributions of demographic, laboratory, molecular and cytogenetic variables, as well as patient outcomes yielding high performance scores regarding fidelity and usability of both synthetic cohorts (n = 1606 each). Survival analysis demonstrated close resemblance of survival curves between original and synthetic cohorts. Inter-variable relationships were preserved in univariable outcome analysis enabling explorative analysis in our synthetic data. Additionally, training sample privacy is safeguarded mitigating possible patient re-identification, which we quantified using Hamming distances. We provide not only a proof-of-concept for synthetic data generation in multimodal clinical data for rare diseases, but also full public access to synthetic data sets to foster further research.
Common mouse models of chronic kidney disease are not associated with cachexia
Authors: Lair Benjamin , Lac Marlène , Frassin Lucas , Brunet Manon , Buléon Marie , Feuillet Guylène , Maslo Claire , Marquès Marie , Monbrun Laurent , Bourlier Virginie , Montastier Emilie , Viguerie Nathalie , Tavernier Geneviève , Laurens Claire , Moro Cedric
Published: March 2024

The 5/6 nephrectomy and adenine-induced nephropathy mouse models have been extensively used to study Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)-related cachexia. One common caveat of these CKD models is the cross-sectional nature of comparisons made versus controls. We here performed a comprehensive longitudinal assessment of body composition and energy metabolism in both models. The most striking finding is that weight loss is largely driven by reduced food intake which promotes rapid loss of lean and fat mass. However, in both models, mice catch up weight and lean mass a few days after the surgery or when they are switched back to standard chow diet. Muscle force and mass are fully recovered and no sign of cachexia is observed. Our data demonstrate that the time-course of kidney failure and weight loss are unrelated in these common CKD models. These data highlight the need to reconsider the relative contribution of direct and indirect mechanisms to muscle wasting observed in CKD.
AKAP150-anchored PKA regulates synaptic transmission and plasticity, neuronal excitability and CRF neuromodulation in the mouse lateral habenula
Authors: Simmons Sarah C. , Flerlage William J. , Langlois Ludovic D. , Shepard Ryan D. , Bouslog Christopher , Thomas Emily H. , Gouty Kaitlyn M. , Sanderson Jennifer L. , Gouty Shawn , Cox Brian M. , Dell’Acqua Mark L. , Nugent Fereshteh S.
Published: March 2024

The scaffolding A-kinase anchoring protein 150 (AKAP150) is critically involved in kinase and phosphatase regulation of synaptic transmission/plasticity, and neuronal excitability. Emerging evidence also suggests that AKAP150 signaling may play a key role in brain’s processing of rewarding/aversive experiences, however its role in the lateral habenula (LHb, as an important brain reward circuitry) is completely unknown. Using whole cell patch clamp recordings in LHb of male wildtype and ΔPKA knockin mice (with deficiency in AKAP-anchoring of PKA), here we show that the genetic disruption of PKA anchoring to AKAP150 significantly reduces AMPA receptor-mediated glutamatergic transmission and prevents the induction of presynaptic endocannabinoid-mediated long-term depression in LHb neurons. Moreover, ΔPKA mutation potentiates GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory transmission while increasing LHb intrinsic excitability through suppression of medium afterhyperpolarizations. ΔPKA mutation-induced suppression of medium afterhyperpolarizations also blunts the synaptic and neuroexcitatory actions of the stress neuromodulator, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), in mouse LHb. Altogether, our data suggest that AKAP150 complex signaling plays a critical role in regulation of AMPA and GABAA receptor synaptic strength, glutamatergic plasticity and CRF neuromodulation possibly through AMPA receptor and potassium channel trafficking and endocannabinoid signaling within the LHb.
Unusual nucleophilic reactivity of a dithiolene-based N-heterocyclic silane
Authors: Tran Phuong M. , Wang Yuzhong , Lahm Mitchell E. , Wei Pingrong , Schaefer Henry F. , Robinson Gregory H.
Published: March 2024

Dithiolene-based N-heterocyclic silane demonstrates unusual dual nucleophilic reactivity toward boron halides.
Structure characteristics, protective effect and mechanisms of ethanol-fractional polysaccharides from Dendrobium officinale on acute ethanol-induced gastritis
Authors: Zhu Hua , Xu Lei , Chen Peng , Li Zhenhao , Yu Wujin , Sun Peilong , Wu Jianyong , Cai Ming
Published: March 2024

Gastritis is a common disease characterized by gastric ulcers and severe bleeding.
A (μ-oxo) dicopper complex anchoring graphitized mesoporous carbon surface prepared by an in situ electrochemical method for bioinspired electrocatalytic reduction of nitrite to ammonia and sensing
Authors: Saikrithika Sairaman , Saravanan Natarajan , Almeida M. Gabriela , Kumar Annamalai Senthil
Published: March 2024

The design and development of functional biomimetic systems that resemble natural enzymes is highly challenging.
Native and engineered extracellular vesicles: novel tools for treating liver disease
Authors: Jiang Shuangshuang , Tian Siyuan , Wang Punan , Liu Jingyi , Sun Keshuai , Zhou Xia , Han Ying , Shang Yulong
Published: March 2024

This review summarizes the application of native and engineered EVs to treat various liver diseases, which helps understand the current scenario and future research direction.
Modulating Fermi energy in few-layer MoS2via metal passivation with enhanced detectivity for near IR photodetector
Authors: Abinaya R. , Vinoth E. , Harish S. , Ponnusamy S. , Archana J. , Shimomura M. , Navaneethan M.
Published: March 2024

The passivated metal layer actively controlled the relaxation of quantum confinement along the perpendicular axis of MoS2, which boosted the near infrared response compared to unaltered MoS2.
Photocatalytic activity of Rose Bengal encapsulated in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (RB@ZIF-8): an innovative approach for the one pot synthesis of highly functionalized tetrahydropyridines and study of their anti-tubercular activity
Authors: Goswami Munmee , Paul Pooja , Pandya Chayan , Nongkhlaw Ridahunlang , Dutta Arup , Kumari Jyothi , Sriram Dharmarajan , Sivaramakrishna Akella , Nongkhlaw Rishanlang
Published: March 2024

The synthesis of tetrahydropyridine derivatives under visible-light irradiation using a photoactive metal–organic framework and the evaluation of their anti-tubercular activities.
From alkaline earth to coinage metal carboranyls
Authors: Pearce Kyle G. , Morris Louis J. , Robinson Thomas P. , Johnson Andrew L. , Mahon Mary F. , Hill Michael S.
Published: March 2024

The β-diketiminato carboranyl complexes, [(BDI)Ae(o-C2B10H11)] (Ae = Mg or Ca), have been synthesised and [(BDI)Mg(o-C2B10H11)] reacted with NHCIPrMCl to provide NHCIPrM(o-C2B10H11), rare C-bonded coinage metal derivatives of (o-C2B10H11)−.
Regulating water decontamination and food safety by a reusable, nano-sized MOF@cotton@chitosan composite through nanomolar detection of the drug nitroxinil and organoarsenic feed additive p-arsanilic acid
Authors: Ghosh Subhrajyoti , Mal Debjit , Biswas Shyam
Published: March 2024

MOF@cotton@chitosan composite for nanomolar fluorescence sensing of nitroxinil drug and p-arsanilic acid in real samples is presented.
Folic acid supplementation prevents high body fat-induced bone loss through TGR5 signaling pathways
Authors: Zhang Yaxi , Wei Jieqiong , Feng Xiangling , Lin Qian , Deng Jing , Yuan Yuehan , Li Min , Zhai Bingfang , Chen Jihua
Published: March 2024

Folic acid intake was correlated with BMD, and the association may be mediated by BFR. Meanwhile, folic acid supplementation can improve bone loss in high-body fat mice, and its mechanism may be related to LCA and TGR5 signaling pathways.
Design, synthesis and antibacterial activity evaluation of ebselen derivatives in NDM-1 producing bacteria
Authors: Meng Wanli , Liu Chenyu , Wu Guangxin , Bai Zhongyue , Wang Zhihao , Chen Sheng , Wan Shengbiao , Liu Wandong
Published: March 2024

Compound A4 is a potent covalent inhibitor of NDM-1.
Expanding the scope of the successive ring expansion strategy for macrocycle and medium-sized ring synthesis: unreactive and reactive lactams
Authors: Yang Zhongzhen , Arnoux Marion , Hazelard Damien , Hughes Owen R. , Nabarro Joe , Whitwood Adrian C. , Fascione Martin A. , Spicer Christopher D. , Compain Philippe , Unsworth William P.
Published: March 2024

New Successive Ring Expansion (SuRE) protocols are described for use on unreactive lactams, as well as iminosugar derived lactams.
Design, synthesis and activity evaluation of arctigenin derivatives with HDAC inhibition activity
Authors: Jiang Xinyue , Yan Yuchao , Yang Huali , Cheng Maosheng , Dou Deqiang , Liu Yang
Published: March 2024

This study demonstrated that an arctigenin derivative B7 induced apoptosis in leukemia MV411 cells by enhancing histone acetylation levels and activating the Caspase-3 pathway.
Copper-catalyzed synthesis of primary amides through reductive N–O cleavage of dioxazolones
Authors: Bae Hyeonwoong , Park Jinhwan , Yoon Rahyun , Lee Seunghoon , Son Jongwoo
Published: March 2024

Reaction of dioxazolones in the presence of a copper catalyst and a silane is represented. Mild reductive reaction conditions for the N–O bond cleavage and large-scale protocols are also highlighted with excellent tolerance in the presence of water.
Protein painting for structural and binding site analysis via intracellular lysine reactivity profiling with o-phthalaldehyde
Authors: Zheng Zhenxiang , Zeng Ya , Lai Kunjia , Liao Bin , Li Pengfei , Tan Chris Soon Heng
Published: March 2024

We developed an intracellular chemical covalent labeling method based on lysine reactive shift coupled with a new data analysis strategy RAPID to analyze the intracellular conformational changes of proteins and ligand-binding sites on a proteome scale.
Interfacial polymerization of PEDOT sheath on V2O5 nanowires for stable aqueous zinc ion storage
Authors: Yang Ting , Xin Diheng , Zhang Nan , Li Jing , Zhang Xianchi , Dang Liqin , Li Qi , Sun Jie , He Xuexia , Jiang Ruibin , Liu Zonghuai , Lei Zhibin
Published: March 2024

Interfacial polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) on V2O5 nanowires generates the V2O5@PEDOT core-sheath structure, which enhances conductivity, suppresses electrode dissolution, and stabilizes V2O5 nanowires for zinc ion storage.
The complement system in neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Nimmo Jacqui , Byrne Robert A.J. , Daskoulidou Nikoleta , Watkins Lewis M. , Carpanini Sarah M. , Zelek Wioleta M. , Morgan B. Paul
Published: March 2024

Complement is an important component of innate immune defence against pathogens and crucial for efficient immune complex disposal. These core protective activities are dependent in large part on properly regulated complement-mediated inflammation. Dysregulated complement activation, often driven by persistence of activating triggers, is a cause of pathological inflammation in numerous diseases, including neurological diseases. Increasingly, this has become apparent not only in well-recognized neuroinflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosis but also in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases where inflammation was previously either ignored or dismissed as a secondary event. There is now a large and rapidly growing body of evidence implicating complement in neurological diseases that cannot be comprehensively addressed in a brief review. Here, we will focus on neurodegenerative diseases, including not only the ‘classical’ neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, but also two other neurological diseases where neurodegeneration is a neglected feature and complement is implicated, namely, schizophrenia, a neurodevelopmental disorder with many mechanistic features of neurodegeneration, and multiple sclerosis, a demyelinating disorder where neurodegeneration is a major cause of progressive decline. We will discuss the evidence implicating complement as a driver of pathology in these diverse diseases and address briefly the potential and pitfalls of anti-complement drug therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.
Temporal convex combination‐based secure distributed estimation against cyberattacks and noisy input
Authors: Zhang Zhanxi , Jia Lijuan , Peng Senran , Yang Zi‐Jiang , Tao Ran
Published: March 2024

This paper proposes a new secure distributed estimation for cyber‐physical systems against adversarial attacks with noisy input. To mitigate the effect of attacks, a novel distributed attack detection based on a reliable reference estimation obtained by temporal convex combination is proposed. Furthermore, for more effective and robust performance, an adaptation rule to adjust convex combination weights is presented, in which the generalized correntropy method with nonlinear loss function and stochastic gradient descent are utilized. Besides, to eliminate input noise, a bias‐compensation method in local adaptation of the secure distributed estimation is proposed. Simulations show superior dynamic and real‐time adaptability of the proposed algorithm under complex attacking scenarios.
Accelerated thermal ageing on performance of polypropylene‐based semiconducting screen for high voltage direct current cable applications—Effect of antioxidants
Authors: Wang Haitian , Luo Yi , Zhou Mingyu , Ren Xintong , Chen George
Published: March 2024

The potential of using eco‐friendly thermoplastic polypropylene (PP)‐based insulation for high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable has been widely investigated but much less work on the PP‐based semiconducting screen (SC). Considering a long service life (>30 years) under high temperature and high electrical stress is required for typical HVDC cables, and investigations on the effect of antioxidant (AO) concentration and thermal oxidative stability, mechanical, and electrical properties of PP‐based SCs have been conducted. It has been demonstrated that an appropriate combination and amounts of AOs are critical for achieving high thermal stability and maintaining the mechanical properties of SC after ageing in a harsh environment (150°C, with Cu, in air, 7 days). Although higher amounts of space charges have been observed in SC/PP/SC samples with higher AO concentrations, the impact on space charge behaviours is less after ageing, suggesting that ageing (or operating at high temperature) leads to microstructure evolution in SC and can potentially mitigate space accumulation in PP‐based insulating materials.
A Delaunay triangulation based dynamic pricing approach to profit‐driven crowdsourced package delivery
Authors: Zhou Zhifeng , Chen Rong , Deng Wu
Published: March 2024

Crowdsourced package delivery (CPD) has gained great interest from the logistics industry and academe due to its signficant economic and environmental impact. A number of progresses have been reported; however, dynamic pricing, as a special and significant part of the uncertain CPD markets, is far less explored. To address the problem, a novel Delaunay Triangulation (DT) based pricing strategy is proposed for dealing with the imbalanced demand and supply in local markets with the aim to maximizing the profit of the CPD platform. To cater to drivers’ wishes further, the hyperbolic temporal discounting function is applied to estimate their psychological rewards in order to increase the possibility of package acceptance. A three‐stage framework consisting of the DT‐based pricing, the matching pruning and the package assigning algorithm is proposed, to figure out the best‐possible package‐driver matching. With the dataset generated by Brinkhoff road network generator in the city of Jinan and Luoyang, China, a series of experiments is conducted to evaluate the proposed approach against several representative baseline approaches. Experimental results show that the approach significantly outperforms the other approaches in terms of effectiveness and efficiency.
Analysis and optimization of the automated TIG welding process parameters on SS304 incorporating Taguchi optimization technique
Authors: Thangavel Subramaniam , Maheswari Chenniappan , Priyanka Elanthakadu Bhaskaran , Stonier Albert Alexander , Peter Geno , Ganji Vivekananda
Published: March 2024

The present research work focused on optimizing the input parameters of the automated TIG welding process of SS304 metal. Since SS304 possesses high inter‐granular toughness and corrosion resistance with increased lifespan in the pressure vessel and automobile sector, SS304 is mainly referred for gas arc welding compared with SS 202. The SS304 workpieces of 60 mm × 40 mm × 4 mm with dimension are utilized in the experiment and the same metal has been used as the filler material. The TIG welding experimental lab‐scale setup utilizes a 2‐axis servo workbench programmed with PLC to perform an automatic trajectory path using Taguchi design of optimization to obtain the optimal welding parameters for the SS304 welding process. To analyze the influence of welding current, welding speed, gas flow rate, and welding arc length on the tensile strength and hardness based on predicted R‐squared, p‐value and co‐efficient of the sum of squares from are verified. From the regression analysis, the predicted model R‐squared value holds 95.78% and 94.83% for the hardness and tensile strength respectively associating with the actual coefficient confirming the model which has maximum precision. Further, it is inferred that on increasing welding current and welding speed, the hardness of the welded joints seems to increase whereas when the minimum gas flow rate is maintained, the tensile strength of the SS304 decreases drastically. Overall, among the four input factors, the welding current is a major influencing parameter on the SS304 which is directly proportional to tensile strength and hardness.
Systematic analysis of butterflies in Bukhara region
Authors: Rayimov A.R. , Normurodov M.D.
Published: March 2024

Our research analyzes the diversity, abundance, distribution by biotope and seasonal changes in the species composition of butterflies found in Bukhara region. It is inevitable that diverse biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic factors affect the butterfly fauna. The aggravation of climatic conditions occurring in subsequent years, as well as changes in the types of crops, will naturally affect the butterflies of Bukhara region. In particular, planting new varieties of crops, in turn, contribute to an increase in the inherent diversity of insects, especially invasive species in the country.
Snow accumulation specifics in Moscow in winter 2023/24
Authors: Frolov D.M. , Seliverstov Yu.G. , Koshurnikov A.V. , Gagarin V.E. , Nikolaeva E.S.
Published: March 2024

The paper presents the results of studies of snow accumulation peculiarities in Moscow in winter 2023/24 and compares them with the previous winter seasons. Various studies of snow cover in the world have a history of more than a century [1-5]. Studies of snow cover at the MSU Meteoobservatory observation site have been conducted by the Faculty of Geography staff for several decades [6-7].
Stable habits and psychological attitudes in the behavior of people seeking financial well-being and pro-environmental behaviour
Authors: Romanova Elena
Published: March 2024

Improving the quality of life through increased well-being is the goal of many modern people. An increase in income through the formation of a habit to raise the standard of living and an appropriate attitude leads people to increase consumption, which in turn can negatively affect the environmental situation. A deterrent to the negative impact of an increase in the standard of living is adherence to stable habits and attitudes that people may have formed during the period when their financial condition was at a lower level. The article presents the results of a study of the stable habits and attitudes of Russian-speaking members of the international investor club aimed at increasing their own financial flow, standard of living, and quality of life. The results showed that more than 70% of respondents correlate their habits and behavior with the impact they have on the world around them, and more than 90% note the presence of habits and attitudes of sustainable behavior. The results of the study show that the formation of the psychological attitude "I am worthy" has a positive impact on the environmental behavior of people aimed at improving their own well-being.
Itô-Krylov’s Formula for a Flow of Measures
Authors: Cavallazzi Thomas
Published: March 2024

In this article, we prove Itô’s formula for the flow of measures associated with an Itô process having a bounded drift and a uniformly elliptic and bounded diffusion matrix, and for functions in an appropriate Sobolev-type space. This formula is the almost analogue, in the measure-dependent case, of the Itô-Krylov formula for functions in a Sobolev space on R+ × Rd.
Literature Review of Mixed Reality Research
Authors: Aiersilan Aizierjiang , Ye Xianze , Su Guanpeng
Published: March 2024

The global evolution of mixed reality, driven by recent technological advancements, promises to transform industries and daily life by enhancing functionalities and services. This short review assesses highly cited papers over the last two decades from an over a thousand of research papers on mixed reality. Emphasizing papers published in 2022 and 2023, it delves into the contemporary applications of mixed reality, highlighting its potential in digitally enhanced simulations and utilities amidst the expansive language model era. Additionally, the review examines both the possibilities and constraints of these innovative solutions, shedding light on emerging research domains like education, telemedicine, remote control, and graphics optimization in real-time rendering.
ICT Governance in Higher Education: A Case Study of a Vocational College in Libya
Authors: Etkkali Ali , Placide Poba-Nzou
Published: March 2024

This study focuses on ICT governance in higher education in a developing country. The research employs an interpretive single case study to describe and understand ICT governance at Alpha, a vocational computer college in Libya. Fourteen key informants, including deans, teachers, and students, participated in the interviews. Consistent with previous studies, our results reveal formal ICT governance arrangements at Alpha College. However, Alpha College leverages its general management structure and processes to make ICT decisions and fulfill the needs of the college stakeholders. In addition, the structure supporting ICT decision-making at Alpha College qualifies as “Centralized” while the ICT archetype of “Business Monarchy” best describes its ICT governance arrangements. Surprisingly, our study also reveals the hybridization of the role of the Dean through the integration of “entrepreneurial activities” amid his efforts to fulfill the ICT needs of the college in the context of severe budget constraints.
20.2.4.2 Alkanedioic Acids and Derivatives (Update 2024)
Authors: Yang Z. , Dong K.
Published: March 2024

Thiocarboxylic acid S-esters are synthetically versatile building blocks that can be smoothly interconverted into a wide array of valuable functional groups including aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and amides. This review, which is an update to an earlier Science of Synthesis contribution (Section 20.8), covers synthetic strategies to access thiocarboxylic acid S-esters and other derivatives, and primarily focuses on the literature published between 2006 and 2023. Additionally, robust methods to prepare seleno- and tellurocarboxylic acid esters, which are becoming widely used synthons in total synthesis and peptide chemistry, are highlighted.
20.8.13 Thiocarboxylic S-Acid, Selenocarboxylic Se-Acid, and Tellurocarboxylic Te-Acid Derivatives (Update 2024)
Authors: Cellnik T. , Jo W. , Healy A.
Published: March 2024

Thiocarboxylic acid S-esters are synthetically versatile building blocks that can be smoothly interconverted into a wide array of valuable functional groups including aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and amides. This review, which is an update to an earlier Science of Synthesis contribution (Section 20.8), covers synthetic strategies to access thiocarboxylic acid S-esters and other derivatives, and primarily focuses on the literature published between 2006 and 2023. Additionally, robust methods to prepare seleno- and tellurocarboxylic acid esters, which are becoming widely used synthons in total synthesis and peptide chemistry, are highlighted.
22.4.9.2 Amidines (Imidamides) N-Substituted by Metals, Halogens, Oxygen, and Other Heteroatoms (Update 2024)
Authors: Huang H. , Deng G.-J. , Ji X.
Published: March 2024

The amidine (or imidamide) group is an important structural unit of organic molecules, including numerous bioactive naturally occurring products, drugs, pesticides, functional materials, and others. Substituted amidines have the general formula R1C(NR2)NR3R4, where R2, R3, and R4 can be metal or halogen atoms, or amino, hydroxy, or silyl groups, or others. These compounds also have wide applications in the construction of complex functionalized molecules. Herein, we showcase new synthetic methodologies developed between 2005 and 2022 for the preparation of amidines that are substituted at one of the nitrogen atoms by metals, halogens, oxygen, or other heteroatoms.
Zero-point energy effects on the stability of water clusters: Implications on the uptake of hydrogen isotope substituted water on ice and clathrate hydrate phases
Authors: Ohmura Ryo , Alavi Saman
Published: March 2024

To study the effect of hydrogen isotope substitution on the uptake of water during formation of clathrate hydrates, the harmonic intermolecular librational modes of selected water clusters (X2O)n with n = 2–6 and hydrogen isotopes X = H, D, and T are studied. The effects of the quantum mechanical zero-point energy (ZPE) in each cluster on the binding energies of the H2O, D2O, and T2O clusters are determined, with ZPE leading to the smallest binding energies in the H2O clusters and the largest binding energies in the T2O clusters. Corrections for anharmonicity of the librational modes are considered, and these bring the frequency ranges of the calculated intermolecular librational modes in the clusters to the experimental ranges of the librational modes in the infrared spectra of H2O and D2O solid ice and clathrate hydrate phases, and liquid H2O water. These calculations show the expected ranges of the binding energy of tritiated water onto a solid ice and clathrate hydrate surface and can help quantify the isotopic enrichment on a growing clathrate hydrate phase from the solution.
The evaluation of machining performances and surface roughness of TZM-molybdenum superalloy processed by silicon carbide powder mixed EDM process using RSM and ANOVA
Authors: Surani Kapil , L Natrayan , Irfanul Haque Siddiqui Md , Kumar Abhinav , Asif shah Mohd , Ashraf Intesaaf
Published: March 2024

In the present era, the concept of Industry 4.0 plays a significant part in improving the efficiency, quality, and utilization of resources by automation and enabling intelligent operations in manufacturing processes. As a result, there is a requirement to develop an environment that improves efficiency as well as quality in order to accomplish net zero in manufacturing. The objective of powder mixed electric discharge machining (PMEDM) is to enhance the quality of the surface and machining efficiency of traditional electrical discharge machining. The PMEDM method was applied to TZM-molybdenum superalloy in the present investigation by incorporating silicon carbide particles into the dielectric medium. Powder concentration, peak current, pulse on time, pulse off time, and gap voltage were the considered input variables for the investigation. The impacts of the input variables on the surface of the specimen’s roughness and the rate of material removal (MRR) were examined. The experiment model was built using response surface methodology. To find out if the input factors were significant with regard to each response, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. Powder concentration, pulse current, gap voltage, and pulse on time are found to be the important input variables for both surface roughness and MRR based on ANOVA analysis.
Why we are angry @them: A virtual ethnographic journey across the empathy wall towards deeper understandings of Dutch radical-right anger
Authors: Korstenbroek Timo
Published: March 2024

Exclusionary populist radical-right sentiments have flooded liberal-democratic societies and their digital landscapes in recent decades. A key feat of such populism is nativism: the vehement opposition to non-native Others supposedly threatening the native majority’s national identity. Arguing for the importance of creating deep understandings in order to respond to the exclusionary nature of such nativism, this article builds on ethnographic research that engaged with the narratives of Dutch nativists active within an ever-more pertinent context: the virtual community. By acknowledging my own subjectivities that often contrasted sharply with those of my respondents, I ventured across what Hochschild calls the empathy wall to find moments of mutual recognition by extensively talking with and listening to my respondents. This approach, I argue, creates new insights into ways to understand and respond to nativist sentiments within liberal-democratic societies, and offers new understandings of the role digital media play for nativist supporters.
Research on multitask model of object detection and road segmentation in unstructured road scenes
Authors: Gao Chengfei , Zhao Fengkui , Zhang Yong , Wan Maosong
Published: March 2024

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and computer vision technology, autonomous driving technology has become a hot area of concern. The driving scenarios of autonomous vehicles can be divided into structured scenarios and unstructured scenarios. Compared with structured scenes, unstructured road scenes lack the constraints of lane lines and traffic rules, and the safety awareness of traffic participants is weaker. Therefore, there are new and higher requirements for the environment perception tasks of autonomous vehicles in unstructured road scenes. The current research rarely integrates the target detection and road segmentation to achieve the simultaneous processing of target detection and road segmentation of autonomous vehicle in unstructured road scenes. Aiming at the above issues, a multitask model for object detection and road segmentation in unstructured road scenes is proposed. Through the sharing and fusion of the object detection model and road segmentation model, multitask model can complete the tasks of multi-object detection and road segmentation in unstructured road scenes while inputting a picture. Firstly, MobileNetV2 is used to replace the backbone network of YOLOv5, and multi-scale feature fusion is used to realize the information exchange layer between different features. Subsequently, a road segmentation model was designed based on the DeepLabV3+ algorithm. Its main feature is that it uses MobileNetV2 as the backbone network and combines the binary classification focus loss function for network optimization. Then, we fused the object detection algorithm and road segmentation algorithm based on the shared MobileNetV2 network to obtain a multitask model and trained it on both the public dataset and the self-built dataset NJFU. The training results demonstrate that the multitask model significantly enhances the algorithm’s execution speed by approximately 10 frames per scond while maintaining the accuracy of object detection and road segmentation. Finally, we conducted validation of the multitask model on an actual vehicle.
A cosmic glitch in gravity
Authors: Wen Robin Y. , Hergt Lukas T. , Afshordi Niayesh , Scott Douglas
Published: March 2024

We investigate a model that modifies general relativity on cosmological scales, specifically by having a `glitch' in the gravitational constant between the cosmological (super-horizon) and Newtonian (sub-horizon) regimes, as motivated e.g. in the Hořava-Lifshitz proposal or in the Einstein-aether framework. This gives a single-parameter extension to the standard ΛCDM model, which is equivalent to adding a dark energy component, but where the energy density of this component can have either sign. Fitting to data from the Planck satellite, we find that negative contributions are, in fact, preferred. Additionally, we find that roughly one percent weaker superhorizon gravity can somewhat ease the Hubble and clustering tensions in a range of cosmological observations, although at the expense of spoiling fits to the baryonic acoustic oscillation scale in galaxy surveys. Therefore, the extra parametric freedom offered by our model deserves further exploration, and we discuss how future observations may elucidate this potential cosmic glitch in gravity, through a four-fold reduction in statistical uncertainties.
2D asymmetric diffraction grating controlled by vortex light in double-Λ-type atomic system
Authors: Wang Ke , Zhang Duo , Zhao Kunpeng , Wang Mei
Published: March 2024

A two-dimensional (2D) asymmetric diffraction grating controlled by vortex light in a double-Λ-type atomic system is studied. Such an atomic system is driven by a weak traveling-wave probe field and a signal field, a position-dependent strong standing-wave (SW) control field, and a Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) vortex field. Due to the asymmetric properties of the LG vortex field, the probe photons can be asymmetrically diffracted into four different domains after passing through the atomic media. The Diffraction patterns and intensities of the 2D asymmetric diffraction grating can be manipulated by the detuning of the probe field, the interaction length, and the intensity of SW control field. In addition, the relative phase and the azimuth parameter which is closely related to the vortex light also can be used to regulate the asymmetric diffraction grating effectively. This work may provide useful reference for optical information processing, especially for the design of optical beam dividers with desired intensities and novel quantum devices requiring asymmetric optical transmission.
Calibration system correction factor for measuring the reference air kerma rate (RAKR) applied to high dose rate 192Ir sources (HDR)
Authors: da Silva Douglas Batista , da Silva Ademir Xavier , Alves Carlos Frederico Estrada , Magalhaes Luis Alexandre Gonçalves
Published: March 2024

The aim of this study was to use computer simulation to analyze the impact of the aluminum fixing support on the Reference Air Kerma (RAK), a physical quantity obtained in a calibration system that was experimentally developed in the Laboratory of Radiological Sciences of the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (LCR-UERJ). Correction factors due to scattered radiation and the geometry of the 192Ir sources were also sought to be determined. The computational simulation was validated by comparing some parameters of the experimental results with the computational results. These parameters were: verification of the inverse square law of distance, determination of (RAKR), analysis of the source spectrum with and without encapsulation, and the sensitivity curve of the Sourcecheck 4PI ionization chamber response, as a function of the distance from the source along the axial axis, using the microSelectron-v2 (mSv2) and GammaMedplus (GMp) sources. Kerma was determined by activity in the Reference air, with calculated values of 1.725 × 10−3 U. Bq−1 and 1.710 × 10−3 U. Bq−1 for the ionization chamber NE 2571 and TN 30001, respectively. The expanded uncertainty for these values was 0.932% and 0.919%, respectively, for a coverage factor (k = 2). The correction factor due to the influence of the aluminum fixing support for measurements at 1 cm and 10 cm from the source was 0.978 and 0.969, respectively. The geometric correction factor of the sources was ksg = 1.005 with an expanded uncertainty of 0.7% for a coverage factor (k = 2). This value has a difference of approximately 0.2% compared to the experimental values.
Two-photon polymerization lithography for imaging optics
Authors: Wang Hao , Pan Cheng-Feng , Li Chi , Menghrajani Kishan S , Schmidt Markus A , Li Aoling , Fan Fu , Zhou Yu , Zhang Wang , Wang Hongtao , Nair Parvathi Nair Suseela , Chan John You En , Mori Tomohiro , Hu Yueqiang , Hu Guangwei , Maier Stefan A , Ren Haoran , Duan Huigao , Yang Joel K W
Published: March 2024

Optical imaging systems have greatly extended human visual capabilities, enabling the observation and understanding of diverse phenomena. Imaging technologies span a broad spectrum of wavelengths from x-ray to radio frequencies and impact research activities and our daily lives. Traditional glass lenses are fabricated through a series of complex processes, while polymers offer versatility and ease of production. However, modern applications often require complex lens assemblies, driving the need for miniaturization and advanced designs with micro- and nanoscale features to surpass the capabilities of traditional fabrication methods. Three-dimensional (3D) printing, or additive manufacturing, presents a solution to these challenges with benefits of rapid prototyping, customized geometries, and efficient production, particularly suited for miniaturized optical imaging devices. Various 3D printing methods have demonstrated advantages over traditional counterparts, yet challenges remain in achieving nanoscale resolutions. Two-photon polymerization lithography (TPL), a nanoscale 3D printing technique, enables the fabrication of intricate structures beyond the optical diffraction limit via the nonlinear process of two-photon absorption within liquid resin. It offers unprecedented abilities, e.g. alignment-free fabrication, micro- and nanoscale capabilities, and rapid prototyping of almost arbitrary complex 3D nanostructures. In this review, we emphasize the importance of the criteria for optical performance evaluation of imaging devices, discuss material properties relevant to TPL, fabrication techniques, and highlight the application of TPL in optical imaging. As the first panoramic review on this topic, it will equip researchers with foundational knowledge and recent advancements of TPL for imaging optics, promoting a deeper understanding of the field. By leveraging on its high-resolution capability, extensive material range, and true 3D processing, alongside advances in materials, fabrication, and design, we envisage disruptive solutions to current challenges and a promising incorporation of TPL in future optical imaging applications.