bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Point-of-Care-Ultraschall in Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe
Authors: Recker Florian
Published: October 2023

Der Point-of-Care-Ultraschall (POCUS) hat sich in der medizinischen Diagnostik und Patientenversorgung als unverzichtbare Technik etabliert. Diese innovative Bildgebung ermöglicht es medizinischem Fachpersonal, Ultraschallaufnahmen direkt am Patientenbett oder in dessen unmittelbarer Nähe durchzuführen. Besonders in Akutsituationen beschleunigt dies die Diagnosestellung und erleichtert Therapieüberwachung wie Verlaufskontrollen. POCUS bietet hochwertige Echtzeit-Ultraschallbilder und ist weltweit ein essenzielles Instrument für Ärzte. In der Geburtshilfe und Gynäkologie ist POCUS ein besonders wichtiges Werkzeug. Es verbessert die Diagnosesicherheit, ermöglicht gezielte Therapien und stärkt die Arzt-Patienten-Beziehung. Insbesondere in Notsituationen kann der Einsatz von POCUS lebensrettend werden. Darüber hinaus bietet POCUS die Chance, in unterversorgten Regionen den Zugang zur Bildgebung zu erleichtern. Technologische Fortschritte bringen kompaktere, tragbare Geräte mit Bildqualität. Die Integration in die medizinische Ausbildung wird dabei die POCUS-Fähigkeiten der anwendenden Fachkräfte stärken. Auch in der pränatalen Versorgung und bei gynäkologischen Untersuchungen wird POCUS eine Rolle spielen, wobei telemedizinische Ansätze die Fernbehandlung von Patientinnen verbessern werden. Zusammenfassend revolutioniert POCUS die medizinische Diagnostik und Patientenversorgung. Mit fortschreitender Technologie, gezielter Ausbildung und zunehmender Integration wird es die Patientenversorgung in der Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe weiter optimieren.
Increasing hospitalisation of patients with herpes zoster ophthalmicus—an interdisciplinary retrospective analysis
Authors: Diehl Rebecca , Wiedenmann Cornelius , Reinhard Thomas , Böhringer Daniel , Schauer Franziska
Published: October 2023

Background

The occurrence of herpes zoster is rising globally. Future trends will be influenced by changes in population demographics and the growing number of patients at risk. Overall this poses a challenge for healthcare systems.

Methods

In our interdisciplinary, single-centre retrospective analysis, we aimed to assess the burden of the disease within the Department of Dermatology and the Eye Centre from the Medical Centre, University of Freiburg from 2009—2022. We obtained data from 3034 cases coded using the ICD-10 B02.x. Patients were characterised by sex, age, year of treatment, and type of treatment (inpatient vs. outpatient).

Results

Overall we observed a 200% increase in the number of herpes zoster patients over the 13-year period. Upon closer analysis, this was mainly due to a rise in inpatient treatment for herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

Conclusions

If the incidence of herpes zoster ophthalmicus continues to increase at the current rate the number of hospitalisations of zoster ophthalmicus would double by 2040, assuming guideline-appropriate treatment. Overall, the results show a growing need for inpatient ophthalmological care.
On the link between shadow economy and carbon dioxide emissions: an analysis of homogeneous groups of countries
Authors: Silva Nuno , Fuinhas José Alberto , Shirazi Masoud
Published: October 2023

In the framework of an environmental Kuznets curve, the linkage between shadow economy and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions was evaluated for 145 countries from 1991 to 2017. In assessing the effect of the shadow economy on CO2 emissions, we used panel quantile regression, panel fixed effects, and panel smooth transition regression as estimation methods. In addition, to deal with parameter heterogeneity, we resorted to the procedure of Lin and Ng (2012). We found two country groups that share homogeneous parameters. No environmental Kuznets curve was found for the set of all countries. Nevertheless, one was found for each of the homogeneous parameter country groups. This result supports different turning points for different groups of countries. Shadow economy contributed to reducing CO2 emissions in group 1 and aggravated it in group 2. Manufacturing was revealed to be statistically significant for the countries of group 1. Fossil fuel rents increased the CO2 emissions, mainly in group 2. Urbanization contributed to the hike of CO2 emissions in both country groups but much more intensely for group 1. Evidence of a tendency for decreasing CO2 emissions was also found, reflecting the efficiency gains over time.
Ethnic minority multilingual young learners’ longitudinal development of metacognitive knowledge and breadth of vocabulary knowledge
Authors: Teng Mark Feng , Zhang Lawrence Jun
Published: October 2023

Ethnolinguistic minority students may have lower levels of metacognitive knowledge and English vocabulary knowledge than non-minority students. Nevertheless, few longitudinal studies have examined their growth trajectories of metacognitive knowledge and English vocabulary knowledge over time. Drawing upon a latent growth curve model, the present study aims to contrast two groups of students’ growth trajectories in metacognitive knowledge and breadth of English vocabulary knowledge: with a sample of 115 ethnolinguistic Yao minority and 108 ethnolinguistic majority Han students. The results showed that both groups improved their metacognitive knowledge and breadth of English vocabulary knowledge from third grade to sixth grade in a cumulative trend. Metacognitive knowledge predicted the breadth of English vocabulary knowledge throughout the examined school years. The results also highlighted differences in the students’ development of metacognitive knowledge and breadth of English vocabulary knowledge. The ethnolinguistic Yao minority students lagged behind their ethnolinguistic majority Han counterparts. The findings suggest a need for pedagogical interventions to enhance ethnolinguistic minority students’ metacognitive knowledge and English vocabulary knowledge.
Electrodeposition of SnSe thin film using an organophosphorus [(Me2)3N3PSe] precursor for photovoltaic application
Authors: Ben Hjal Amira , Pezzato Luca , Colusso Elena , Alouani Khaled , Dabalà Manuele
Published: October 2023

One prevalent class of thin films concerns SnSe (tin selenide), which is the primary focus of this research, with the aim of discovering cost-effective coatings for photovoltaic applications. The electrodeposition method was employed to successfully synthesize tin selenide thin films on glass substrates (ITO and FTO) utilizing the novel organophosphorus precursor [(Me2)3N3PSe]. Notably, this precursor has not been utilized in prior literature. Initial cyclic voltammetry (CV) analyses were performed to thoroughly investigate the electrochemical behavior of the tin and selenium redox systems within the electrolyte. The CV outcomes yielded crucial insights, guiding the establishment of a defined potential range (− 1.1 to − 1.2 V vs. SCE) for effective SnSe film electrodeposition. Films deposited within this potential range exhibited characteristic needle-shaped polycrystalline SnSe structures. Comprehensive analyses of the thin films’ structural, microstructural, and morphological characteristics were conducted, employing X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). The crystallites’ size was determined using the Debye–Scherrer formula. Moreover, a systematic exploration of the impact of deposition potential and substrate type on various film properties was undertaken. The results from XRD and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of an orthorhombic single-phase SnSe under different deposition potentials. SEM/EDS analysis revealed uniform element distribution for deposition potentials of − 1.1 V and − 1 V on ITO and FTO substrates, respectively. The investigation further extended to the optical properties of films on glass substrates (ITO and FTO). Optical data showed a direct optical band gap (Eg) ranging from 1.25 to 2.24 eV for ITO and 1.46 to 2.87 eV for FTO across a wide spectra range. These optical traits, significantly influenced by deposition potential and substrate type, hold promise. Particularly, SnSe thin films deposited on ITO substrates at − 1.1 V displayed distinct advantages for potential photovoltaic applications compared to samples on FTO substrates.

Graphical Abstract
Instrumenten Gezonde Leefomgeving in Nederland
Authors: Dortmans Koen , Melis Korrie , Van Loon-Van der Logt Moniek
Published: October 2023

Samenvatting

De leefomgeving is een van de factoren in een complex samenspel die gezondheidsverschillen veroorzaken. Beleid ten behoeve van gezondheidsbevordering is gebaat bij inzicht in de wijze waarop de leefomgeving gezondheid beïnvloedt. Daartoe zijn in Nederland diverse Instrumenten Gezonde Leefomgeving (IGL) ontwikkeld. In dit artikel beschrijven we in Nederland ontwikkelde IGL. De gevonden IGL verschillen met betrekking tot a) de doelstelling, b) het type data dat ze genereren, structureren of weergeven (kwalitatief/kwantitatief; objectief/subjectief), c) het inhoudelijk bereik (‘scope’; welk aandeel van de leefomgeving op gezondheid het instrument inzichtelijk maakt, en wat niet), d) het type output (beschrijvend/normerend), e) het schaalniveau (buurt, wijk, stad, regionaal, nationaal) en f) de beoogde gebruikers. IGL hanteren daarnaast verschillende indicatoren om aspecten van de leefomgeving inzichtelijk te maken (bijvoorbeeld ‘het percentage groen in de buurt’ en ‘Kan ik voldoende genieten van natuur?’). Deze verschillen in kenmerken en indicatoren zijn toe te schrijven aan verschillen in conceptuele onderbouwing. Dat betekent dat gebruikers – beleidsmakers, onderzoekers, burgers – alvorens een IGL te kiezen kritische vragen moeten stellen, zoals: wat wil ik precies weten, welk doel heb ik met het inzichtelijk maken van de relatie tussen leefomgeving en gezondheid, welke indicatoren passen daarbij, wat brengt het IGL in kaart en wat niet, hoe solide moet het zijn in termen van conceptuele onderbouwing, validiteit en betrouwbaarheid?
The global techno-economic potential of floating, closed-cycle ocean thermal energy conversion
Authors: Langer Jannis , Blok Kornelis
Published: October 2023

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is an emerging renewable energy technology using the ocean’s heat to produce electricity. Given its early development stage, OTEC’s economics are still uncertain and there is no global assessment of its economic potential, yet. Here, we present the model pyOTEC that designs OTEC plants for best economic performance considering the spatiotemporally specific availability and seasonality of ocean thermal energy resources. We apply pyOTEC to more than 100 regions with technically feasible sites to obtain an order-of-magnitude estimation of OTEC’s global technical and economic potential. We find that OTEC’s global technical potential of 107 PWh/year could cover 11 PWh of 2019 electricity demand. At ≥ 120 MWgross, there are OTEC plants with Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) below 15 US¢(2021)/kWh in 15 regions, including China, Brazil, and Indonesia. In the short-to-medium term, however, small island developing states are OTEC’s most relevant niche. Systems below 10 MWgross could fully and cost-effectively substitute Diesel generators on islands where that is more challenging with other renewables. With the global analysis, we also corroborate that most OTEC plants return the best economic performance if designed for worst-case surface and deep-sea water temperatures, which we further back up with a sensitivity analysis. We lay out pyOTEC’s limitations and fields for development to expand and refine our findings. The model as well as key data per region are publically accessible online.
Rhizobium radiobacter pseudo-outbreak linked to tissue-processing contamination
Authors: Stern Rebecca A. , Byrge Kelly C. , Talbot Thomas R.
Published: October 2023

A cluster of Rhizobium radiobacter isolates isolated from six unique surgical tissue cultures prompted an investigation ultimately identifying a pseudo-outbreak linked to errant laboratory tissue processing with contaminated, nonsterile saline. Timely response and multidisciplinary collaboration led to tangible system-level interventions and avoidance of unnecessary antibiotic exposures.
Organizations and Values in Science and Technology
Authors: Biddle Justin B.
Published: October 2023

This paper articulates a conceptual framework for examining philosophical issues such as the role of values in science at an organizational level. It distinguishes between three dimensions of organizations – organizational aims, organizational structure, and organizational culture – and it examines how these dimensions relate to values in research and development, with a focus on machine learning systems for predictive policing. This framework can be fruitful in identifying interesting and understudied philosophical problems – including those involving inter-organizational divisions of labor – that might otherwise be difficult to conceptualize.
Incoherent? No, Just Decoherent: How Quantum Many Worlds Emerge
Authors: Franklin Alexander
Published: October 2023

The modern Everett interpretation of quantum mechanics describes an emergent multiverse. The goal of this paper is to provide a perspicuous characterisation of how the multiverse emerges making use of a recent account of (weak) ontological emergence. This will be cashed out with a case study that identifies decoherence as the mechanism for emergence. The greater metaphysical clarity enables the rebuttal of critiques due to Baker (2007) and Dawid and Thébault (2015) that cast the emergent multiverse ontology as incoherent; responses are also offered to challenges to the Everettian approach from Maudlin (2010) and Monton (2013).
SCRIBAL IDENTITY AND SCRIBAL ROLES IN EARLY MEDIEVAL IBERIA: A CASE STUDY OF SANTO DOMINGO DE SILOS, BIBLIOTECA DEL MONASTERIO MS 6
Authors: Hornby Emma , Jones Marcus , Wride Emily
Published: October 2023

This article builds on a close palaeographical, liturgical and musicological reading of a single Old Hispanic manuscript (Santo Domingo de Silos, Biblioteca del Monasterio MS 6) to draw conclusions about scriptorium size, working practices and scribal mobility in early medieval Iberia. We identify eight music scribes who worked in four distinct layers of scribal engagement with the manuscript. These scribes used three different notational styles, and draw on elements of both the León and Rioja melodic dialects. In this manuscript, León notation is used to notate Rioja dialect; Rioja notation can be used to notate León dialect. The notational styles and melodic dialects tell us that different groups of scribes had distinct cultural identities and were likely working across two or three institutions, and at different times. Some scribes specialised in particular solo genres, as we explore, suggesting strongly that some music scribes were also trained as solo singers.
A VISION OF THE NEW JERUSALEM: THE TEXT OF STRIGGIO’S ECCE BEATAM LUCEM
Authors: Butchart David
Published: October 2023

Striggio’s forty-part motet Ecce beatam lucem survives in a unique manuscript source, dated 1587, in the Ratsschulbibliothek in Zwickau. Its text, first published in 1595, formed part of a Pindaric ode written by the neo-Latin poet and Calvinist Paul Schede Melissus (1539–1602). A closer consideration of Melissus’ biography indicates that he probably wrote it after 1575, long after the wedding festivities with which the motet has habitually been associated (Florence, 1565; Munich, 1568). Its subject matter – a Calvinist vision of the New Jerusalem – also makes it an unlikely wedding text and inappropriate for Catholic festivities. Rather, it was probably used as the text of a contrafactum, for an as yet unidentified occasion, with which Striggio himself had little or no connection.
Sociodemographic differences in dietary trends among Iranian adults: findings from the 2005–2016 Iran-WHO STEPS survey
Authors: Ebrahimi Sara , Leech Rebecca M , McNaughton Sarah A , Farzadfar Farshad , Ghasemi Erfan , Saeedi Moghaddam Sahar , Livingstone Katherine M
Published: October 2023

Objective:

To examine trends in the intake of key food groups among Iranian adults between 2005 and 2016, overall, and according to sociodemographic characteristics.

Design:

Repeat cross-sectional data from the Iran-STEPwise approach to risk factor surveillance (Iran-WHO STEPS) 2005–2016 were analysed. Regression analyses were used to evaluate trends in the frequency of fruits, vegetables and fish intake and type of oil used over time. Interactions by sex, age and area of residence were examined.

Setting:

Iran.

Participants:

225 221 Iranian adults.

Results:

The frequency of vegetables (β: −0·03; 95 % CI (−0·06, −0·00); P-trend = 0·030) and fish (β: −0·09; 95 % CI (−0·10, −0·08); P-trend < 0·001) intake and use of solid fat (OR: 0·70; 95 % CI (0·70, 0·72); P-trend < 0·001) declined, whilst the frequency of fruit intake (β-Coeff: 0·03, 95 % CI (0·01, 0·05); P-trend = 0·014) and liquid oil use (OR: 1·40; 95 % CI (1·3, 1·4); P-trend<0·001) rose. Rising trends in fruit intake were larger in mid-aged (40–60 years) and older (>60 years) adults (P-interaction < 0·001), whilst declines in vegetable (P-interaction < 0·001) and fish intake (P-interaction = 0·001) were larger in older adults. The declining use of solid fat was strongest in middle-aged and older adults (P-interaction = 0·035), while the increasing use of liquid oil was strongest in rural areas (P-interaction = 0·011).

Conclusions:

During the nutrition transition, liquid oil use and the frequency of fruit intake rose, while the frequency of vegetables and fish intake declined. Nonetheless, the fatty acid composition and cooking methods are important considerations. The changes observed are concerning from a public health perspective and demonstrate the need for interventions and possible targets for tailored strategies.
Potential advantages of gEUD optimisation as compared with conventional physical optimisation for stereotactic treatment planning
Authors: Sait A Aziz , Jones Glenn W. , Rastogi Nikhil , Mathew Rebecca , Mani Sunil , Berilgen Jason
Published: October 2023

Introduction:

A small number of studies have confirmed the advantage of generalised equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) optimisation for some standard clinical scenarios; however, its performance with complicated stereotactic treatments is yet to be explored. Therefore, this study compared two planning optimisation methods, gEUD and Physical dose, in stereotactic treatments for several complex anatomical locations.

Methods:

Thirty patients were selected, ten each for sites of brain, lung and spine. Two stereotactic plans were generated for each case using the gEUD objective and Physical objective cost functions. Within each of the three sites, dosimetric indices for conformity, gradient and homogeneity, along with parameters of monitor units and dose–volume histograms (DVHs), were compared for statistical significance. Additionally, patient-specific quality assurance was conducted using portal dosimetry, and the gamma passing rate between the two plans was evaluated.

Results:

Optimisation was better with a gEUD objective as compared with Physical objective, notably sparing critical organs. Overall, the differences in mean values for six critical organs at risk favoured gEUD-based over Physical-based plans (all six 2-tailed p-values were < 0·0002). Furthermore, all differences in mean values for DVH parameters favoured gEUD-based plans: GTVmean, GTVmax, PTVD100V, homogeneity index, gradient index and monitor unit (treatment time) (each 2-tailed p < 0·05).

Conclusions:

gEUD optimisation in stereotactic treatment plans has a clear and general statistical advantage over Physical dose optimisation.
Messung kindlicher Interaktionsqualität in Kindertageseinrichtungen
Authors: Schmidt Thilo , Kluczniok Katharina , Ramirez Magdalena Molina , Zimmermann Norman
Published: October 2023

Zusammenfassung: Mit dem Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System (inCLASS) liegt ein Beobachtungsinstrument vor, das zum Ziel hat, Interaktionen in Kitas auf Kindebene erfassen und in ihrer Qualität bestimmen zu können. Der Beitrag geht den Fragen nach, inwieweit das inCLASS diesem Anspruch nach Maßgabe gängiger Gütekriterien gerecht wird und welche Herausforderungen und Limitationen damit verbunden sind. Die Ausführungen stützen sich auf eigene Forschungserfahrungen mit dem Instrument. Über das inCLASS hinaus werden Bezüge zu weiteren Qualitätsmessverfahren (CLASS und KES) hergestellt. Im Ergebnis zeigt das inCLASS einige Stärken und Schwächen. Stärken liegen unter anderem in der forschungsbasierten Ausrichtung auf die Individualebene von Kindern, was es ermöglicht, Verläufe der kindlichen Interaktionsqualität längsschnittlich nachzuzeichnen. Limitationen und Herausforderungen betreffen insbesondere die Faktorenstruktur und die Konfundierung der Erfassung von kindlichen Interaktionen und Kompetenzen.
Contextual Factors Associated With Temptations and Lapses Among Smokers Trying to Quit
Authors: Elling Jan Mathis , de Vries Hein , Candel Math J. J. M. , Crutzen Rik
Published: October 2023

Abstract: People who try to quit smoking might relapse depending on certain contextual factors (e.g., drinking coffee). Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was used to investigate contextual factors during temptation and lapse episodes. Contextual factors included what participants did (activities), who they were with (social environment), and where they were (location). Participants ( N = 103) were smokers motivated to quit within three months. The EMA protocol ( NEMA = 6,457) began on a self-determined quit day and lasted 14 days. Generalized linear mixed models were performed to assess the association between each contextual factor and temptations and lapses. Various contextual factors were positively associated with temptations (e.g., sexual intercourse) and lapses (e.g., being outdoors) relative to random assessments. Lapses relative to temptations were mainly associated with social contextual factors (e.g., being with friends). How contextual factors can be addressed in (just-in-time) relapse prevention interventions should be the focus of future studies.
Meteor Impact Site Holds 200-Million-Year-Old Atmospheric Snapshot
Authors: Cutts Elise
Published: October 2023

Minerals formed in short-lived hydrothermal systems set off by a meteor impact in France preserved information about noble gases in the ancient atmosphere.
Acute Health Effects of Wildfire Smoke Exposure During a Compound Event: A Case‐Crossover Study of the 2016 Great Smoky Mountain Wildfires
Authors: Duncan Sara , Reed Charlie , Spurlock Taylin , Sugg Margaret M. , Runkle Jennifer D.
Published: October 2023

In 2016, unprecedented intense wildfires burned over 150,000 acres in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States. Smoke from these fires greatly impacted the region and exposure to this smoke was significant. A bidirectional case‐crossover design was applied to assess the relationship between PM2.5 (a surrogate for wildfire smoke) exposure and respiratory‐ and cardiovascular‐related emergency department (ED) visits in Western North Carolina during these events. For 0‐, 3‐, and 7‐day lags, findings indicated a significant increase in the odds of being admitted to the ED for a respiratory (ORs: 1.055, 95% CI: 1.048–1.063; 1.083, 1.074–1.092; 1.066, 1.058–1.074; respectively) or cardiovascular event (ORs: 1.052, 95% CI: 1.045–1.060; 1.074, 1.066–1.081; 1.067, 1.060–1.075; respectively) for every 5 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 over a chosen cutpoint of 20.4 μg/m3. For all endpoints assessed except for emphysema, there were statistically significant increases in odds from 5.1% to 8.3%. In general, this increase was most pronounced 3 days after exposure. Additionally, individuals aged 55+ generally experience higher odds of heart disease at the 3‐ and 7‐day lag points, and Black/African Americans generally experience higher odds of asthma at the 3‐day lag point. In general, larger fires and increased numbers of fires within counties resulted in higher health burden at same day exposure. In a secondary analysis, the odds of an ED visit increased by over 40% in several cases among people exposed to days above the Environmental Protection Agency 24‐hr PM2.5 standard of 35 μg/m3. Our findings provide new understanding on the health impacts of wildfires on rural populations in the southeastern US.
Majority of Southern Ocean Seasonal Sea Ice Zone Bloom Net Community Production Precedes Total Ice Retreat
Authors: McClish S. , Bushinsky S. M.
Published: October 2023

The Southern Ocean seasonal sea ice zone (SIZ) spring is characterized by sea ice retreat and the development of phytoplankton blooms. Until recently, assessing SIZ blooms and associated net community production (bNCP) has been limited by a lack of under‐ice observations. We relate the timing of phytoplankton growth to the drawdown of surface nitrate and sea ice cover and estimate bNCP from biogeochemical profiling float observations. The onset of biological production closely follows initial sea ice breakup and, on average, 64% of bNCP occurs before total sea ice retreat. This indicates that satellite‐derived estimates largely miss under‐ice production and underestimate SIZ bNCP. Float bNCP estimates range from <1 to >4 mol C m−2 bloom−1, with higher bNCP when sea ice breakup occurs early in the year, and the highest bNCP near topographic features that may increase micronutrient supply. Our results suggest changes in Southern Ocean sea ice will influence future bNCP.
Improving Phenology Representation of Deciduous Forests in the Community Land Model: Evaluation and Modification Using Long‐Term Observations in China
Authors: Lv Yan , Zhang Li , Li Pan , He Honglin , Ren Xiaoli , Xie Zongqiang , Wang Yang , Wang Anzhi , Shi FuSun , Chang Ruiying , Xiao Jingfeng , Wang Xufeng
Published: October 2023

Phenology is an important factor indicating environmental changes and regulates the variations of carbon, water, and energy exchange. However, phenology models exhibit large uncertainties due to limited understanding of its mechanisms. In this study, we modified deciduous phenology scheme based on the evaluation of different phenological models using long‐term observations at Chinese Ecosystem Research Network with CLM4.5. The alternating leaf unfolding model and summer‐influenced autumn leaf falling model that we proposed, performed best in simulating leaf‐unfolding and leaf‐falling. Compared with the observed and remote‐sensed phenology, the modified model could better simulate the phenological dates at the site and regional scale. Moreover, the modified model improved the simulation of gross primary productivity (GPP) by decreasing the errors of modeled carbon uptake duration and amplitude. Furthermore, the advance in leaf‐unfolding slowed down from 0.20 days/year during 1981–2015 to 0.11 days/year during 2016–2100 under RCP4.5 because of the slowdown of climate warming, but the delay in leaf‐falling changed little. By the last decade of the twenty‐first century, the leaf‐unfolding would advance (8 days) and leaf‐falling would delay (16 days). The subtropical region had large interannual variation (IAV) in leaf‐unfolding because of the high sensitivity to temperature. The phenological dates IAV in the cold temperate region increased due to enhanced temperature IAV. We suggest that the deciduous phenology models, especially the leaf‐falling process, used in Community Land Model need to be improved to reduce the errors in predicting phenology and carbon flux in the future.
Implanting HxYO2−x sites into Ru-doped graphene and oxygen vacancies for low-overpotential alkaline hydrogen evolution
Authors: Li Xiang , Deng Wei , Weng Yun , Zhang Jingjing , Mao Haifang , Lu Tiandong , Zhang Wenqian , Yang Renqiang , Jiang Fei
Published: October 2023

Highly efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are essential for sustainable hydrogen energy. The controllable production of hydrogen energy by water decomposition depends heavily on the catalyst, and it is extremely important to seek sustainable and highly efficient water-splitting electrocatalysts for energy applications. Herein, bimetallic RuYO2−x nanoparticles (Ru: 8.84 at.% and Y: 13 at.%) with high densities and low loadings were synthesized and anchored on graphene through a simple solvothermal strategy by synthesizing hydrogen yttrium ketone (HxYO2−x) serving as an inserted medium. Electron microscopy demonstrated that the RuYO2−x/C was composed of densely arranged particles and graphene flakes. Electrochemical results showed that the RuYO2−x/C had a remarkably low overpotential of η10 = 56 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline media, a Tafel slope of 63.18 mV dec−1, and 24 h of stability. The oxygen vacancies of RuYO2−x/C provided a large proton storage capacity and a strong tendency to bind hydrogen atoms. DFT calculations showed that RuYO2−x/C catalysts with more Ru-O-Y bonds and VO dramatically decreased the energy barrier for breaking H-OH bonds. Moreover, the robust metal-support interactions provided optimized energies for hydrogen adsorption and desorption, which explained the high activity and favorable kinetics for RuYO2−x/C catalytic hydrogen precipitation in alkaline electrolyte reactions. This work presents a hydrogen insertion method for the preparation of low-loading, high-density, high-performance and stable water decomposition catalysts for hydrogen production.
All-optical observation of giant spin transparency at the topological insulator BiSbTe1.5Se1.5/Co20Fe60B20 interface
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Suchetana , Pal Pratap Kumar , Manna Subhadeep , Mitra Chiranjib , Barman Anjan
Published: October 2023

The rise of three-dimensional topological insulators as an attractive playground for the observation and control of various spin-orbit effects has ushered in the field of topological spintronics. To fully exploit their potential as efficient spin-orbit torque generators, it is crucial to investigate the efficiency of spin injection and transport at various topological insulator/ferromagnet interfaces, as characterized by their spin-mixing conductances and interfacial spin transparencies. Here, we use all-optical time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometry to demonstrate efficient room-temperature spin pumping in Sub/BiSbTe1.5Se1.5(BSTS)/Co20Fe60B20(CoFeB)/SiO2 thin films. From the modulation of Gilbert damping with BSTS and CoFeB thicknesses, the spin-mixing conductances of the BSTS/CoFeB interface and the spin diffusion length in BSTS are determined. For BSTS thicknesses far exceeding the spin diffusion length, in the so-called “perfect spin sink” regime, we obtain an interfacial spin transparency as high as 0.9, promoting such systems as scintillating candidates for spin-orbitronic devices.
Lanthanide molecular nanomagnets as probabilistic bits
Authors: Gutiérrez-Finol Gerliz M. , Giménez-Santamarina Silvia , Hu Ziqi , Rosaleny Lorena E. , Cardona-Serra Salvador , Gaita-Ariño Alejandro
Published: October 2023

Over the decades, the spin dynamics of a large set of lanthanide complexes have been explored. Lanthanide-based molecular nanomagnets are bistable spin systems, generally conceptualised as classical bits, but many lanthanide complexes have also been presented as candidate quantum bits (qubits). Here, we offer a third alternative and model them as probabilistic bits (p-bits), where their stochastic behaviour constitutes a computational resource instead of a limitation. Employing an ad-hoc modelling tool for molecular spin p-bits and molecular nanomagnets, we simulate a minimal p-bit network under realistic conditions. Finally, we go back to a recently published dataset and screen the best lanthanide complexes for p-bit behaviour, lay out the performance of the different lanthanide ions and chemical families and offer some chemical design considerations.
Resource-efficient simulation of noisy quantum circuits and application to network-enabled QRAM optimization
Authors: Bugalho Luís , Cruzeiro Emmanuel Zambrini , Chen Kevin C. , Dai Wenhan , Englund Dirk , Omar Yasser
Published: October 2023

Giovannetti, Lloyd, and Maccone (2008) proposed a quantum random access memory (QRAM) architecture to retrieve arbitrary superpositions of N (quantum) memory cells via quantum switches and $$O(\log (N))$$

O

(

log

(

N

)

)

address qubits. Toward physical QRAM implementations, Chen et al. (2021) recently showed that QRAM maps natively onto optically connected quantum networks with $$O(\log (N))$$

O

(

log

(

N

)

)

overhead and built-in error detection. However, modeling QRAM on large networks has been stymied by exponentially rising classical compute requirements. Here, we address this bottleneck by: (1) introducing a resource-efficient method for simulating large-scale noisy entanglement, allowing us to evaluate hundreds and even thousands of qubits under various noise channels; and (2) analyzing Chen et al.’s network-based QRAM as an application at the scale of quantum data centers or near-term quantum internet; and (3) introducing a modified network-based QRAM architecture to improve quantum fidelity and access rate. We conclude that network-based QRAM could be built with existing or near-term technologies leveraging photonic integrated circuits and atomic or atom-like quantum memories.
Multifunctional effects of Lactobacillus sakei HEM 224 on the gastrointestinal tract and airway inflammation
Authors: Kim Hye-Shin , Oh Hanna , Kim Bobae , Ji Yosep , Holzapfel Wilhelm H. , Kang Hyeji , Arellano-Ayala Karina
Published: October 2023

Mucosal tissues serve as the first defense line and their commensal microbiota play a role in sustaining of host health. This study aimed to isolate and evaluate a putative probiotic strain on various mucosal regions. Lactobacillus sakei HEM 224 was isolated from traditional Korean kimchi and identified. In the safety assessment L. sakei HEM 224 showed negative results for hemolysis, biogenic amine production and transferable antibiotic resistance. The probiotic potential of strain HEM 224 in diverse mucosal areas was shown in two different models, viz. a murine model with colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and an allergic airway inflammation model induced by ovalbumin (OVA). In the colitis model, oral administration of L. sakei HEM 224 improved colitis physiology with immunomodulation, enhancing barrier components and gut microbiota alteration. In the allergic airway inflammation model, the intranasal administration of the strain decreased type 2 inflammation and enhanced epithelial barrier integrity from the airways. These results demonstrate that L. sakei HEM 224 can ameliorate inflammatory conditions in both the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts through the reinforcement of the epithelial barrier and immunomodulation.
CT-based measurement of visceral adipose tissue volume as a reliable tool for assessing metabolic risk factors in prediabetes across subtypes
Authors: Kim Jihyun , Kim Keunyoung
Published: October 2023

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a well-established risk factor for the development of diabetes in individuals with prediabetes. We aimed to evaluate various adiposity and metabolic indices, including visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume measured by CT, in individuals with prediabetes, based on their different subtypes. This retrospective study included 78 prediabetes individuals aged ≥ 20 years whose VAT volumes were evaluated by CT. Individuals were classified into prediabetes subtypes: impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and combined IFG and IGT (C-IFG/IGT). We conducted a comparison of the patients’ adiposity indices and their associations with one other, as well as with insulin resistance, based on the different prediabetes subtypes. Individuals with C-IFG/IGT had higher levels of visceral obesity than those with IFG or IGT. VAT volume was more strongly associated with insulin resistance than other adiposity indices, regardless of prediabetes subtypes. Additionally, VAT volume and liver attenuation index showed a significant correlation with the other indices studied across the prediabetes subtypes. CT-based measurement of VAT volume may be a valuable tool for evaluating metabolic risk factors among individuals with prediabetes.
Physiological and biochemical mechanisms of grain yield loss in fumitory (Fumaria parviflora Lam.) exposed to copper and drought stress
Authors: Tashakorizadeh Mansoureh , Golkar Pooran , Vahabi Mohammad Reza , Ghorbanpour Mansour
Published: October 2023

Soil contamination with heavy metals adversely affects plants growth, development and metabolism in many parts of the world including arid and semi-arid regions. The aim of this study was to investigate the single and combined effects of drought and copper (Cu) stresses on seed yield, and biochemical traits of Fumaria parviflora in a split – factorial experiment at Research Field of Payam-E-Noor university of Kerman during 2019. The collected seeds from two Cu contaminated regions were evaluated under drought and Cu (0, 50, 150, 300, and 400 mg/kg) stresses. Drought stress levels were depletion of 50% (D1), 70% (D2) and 85% (D3) soil available water. The individual effects of drought and copper stresses were similar to each other as both reduced seed yield. The highest seed yield was observed at Cu concentration of 50 mg/kg under non-drought stress conditions. The maximum values of malondialdehyde (0.47 µmol/g), proline (2.45 µmol/g FW), total phenolics (188.99 mg GAE/g DW) and total flavonoids (22.1 mg QE/g DW) were observed at 400 mg/kg Cu treatment. However, the strongest antioxidant activity (83.95%) through DPPH assay, and the highest total soluble carbohydrate (115.23 mg/g DW) content were observed at 300 and 150 mg/kg Cu concentration under severe drought stress, respectively. The highest amount of anthocyanin (2.18 µmol/g FW) was observed at 300 mg/kg Cu and moderate drought stress. The findings of this study showed a high tolerance of F. parviflora plant to moderate drought stress and Cu exposure up to 150 mg/kg by modulating defense mechanisms, where grain yield was slightly lower than that of control. The results could also provide a criterion for the selection of tolerance species like F. parviflora for better acclimatization under Cu mines and/or agricultural contaminated soils subjected to drought stress.
TPPP3 promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition via Snail1 in glioblastoma
Authors: Xu Xu , Hou Yunan , Long Niya , Jiang Lishi , Yan Zhangwei , Xu Yuan , Lv Ying , Xiang Xin , Yang Hua , Liu Jian , Qi Xiaolan , Chu Liangzhao
Published: October 2023

Tubulin polymerization promoting protein 3 (TPPP3), a member of the tubulin polymerization family, participates in cell progressions in several human cancers, its biological function and the underlying mechanisms in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remain unclear. Here, we investigated the role and application value of TPPP3 in gliomas and found that the expression of TPPP3 in glioma was higher than that in normal brain tissue (NBT), and increased with the grade of glioma. Up-regulation of TPPP3 expression in glioblastoma cells confer stronger ability of migration, invasion, proliferation and lower apoptosis in vitro. Inhibition of TPPP3 expression in GBM could reduce the migration, invasion, proliferation and induce the apoptosis of glioblastoma cells. TPPP3 affected the process of EMT by regulating the expression of Snail 1 protein. In clinical data analysis, we found a positive correlation between TPPP3 and Snail1 protein expression levels in glioblastomas. Low TPPP3 expression leads to better survival expectations in glioblastomas patients. The content of this study paves the way for further in-depth exploration of the role of TPPP3 in glioblastoma in the future, and provides new treatment and research directions.
The relationship between insulin resistance, serum alkaline phosphatase, and left ventricular dysfunction following myocardial infarction
Authors: Guo Qifeng , Miao Mengdan , Duan Linan , Liu Yongsheng , Qiu Yahui , Feng Xuejuan , Liang Shisen , Xiao Weiqiang , Zheng Mingqi , Wei Mei , Liu Gang
Published: October 2023

The occurrence of heart failure following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) significantly increases the risk of post-infarction mortality. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) is considered to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and adverse outcomes. Furthermore, in recent years, alkaline phosphatase has been associated with insulin resistance (IR). Our aim was to investigate the correlation between IR substitutes (triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio), AP, and LV dysfunction in patients admitted after AMI. The retrospective study included 810 patients who underwent coronary angiography for myocardial infarction at the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from August 2018 to December 2021. Patients were categorized into three groups based on their serum AP levels. Clinical characteristics at admission, cardiac echocardiography findings, coronary angiography results, and biochemical markers such as serum AP levels and triglycerides (TG) were recorded during hospitalization. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was assessed using cardiac echocardiography conducted from the time of admission until the coronary angiography procedure. A total of 774 patients with AMI were included in this study. The TyG index is significantly correlated with the TG/HDL-C ratio. (R = 0.739, P < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated serum AP (OR 2.598, 95% CI 1.331–5.071, P = 0.005), presence of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery as the infarct-related artery (IRA) (OR 2.452, 95% CI 1.352–4.449, P = 0.003), and triglyceride (TG) levels (OR 0.652, 95% CI 0.429–0.992, P = 0.046) were protective risk factor for an admission LVEF < 40% following AMI. The serum alkaline phosphatase and LAD as IRA are independent risk factors for severe reduction in LVEF during hospitalization for AMI. Conversely, triglyceride are independent protective factor for severe reduction in LVEF during AMI hospitalization.
Basic physical properties and potential application of graphene oxide fibers synthesized from rice husk
Authors: Castro-Ladino J. R. , Cuy-Hoyos C. A. , Prías-Barragán J. J.
Published: October 2023

The synthesis method and correlation between compositional, vibrational, and electrical properties in graphene oxide fibers (GOF) are presented and discussed here, as well as a potential application through the development of a heater device based on GOF. The GOF samples were synthesized from rice husk (RH), via a thermal decomposition method, employing an automated pyrolysis system with a controlled nitrogen atmosphere, varying carbonization temperature (TCA) from 773 to 1273 K. The compositional analysis shows peaks in the XPS spectrum associated with C1s and O1s, with presence of hydroxyl and epoxy bridges; the oxide concentration (OC) of samples varied from 0.21 to 0.28, influenced by TCA. The GOF samples exhibit fiber morphology, vibrational characteristics which are typical of graphene oxide multilayers, and electrical behavior that scales with OC. The electrical response shows that OC decreases and increases electrical conductivity at the polycrystalline phase, possibly attributed to the desorption of some oxides and organic compounds. In addition, physical correlations between OC and its vibrational response showed that decreasing OC increases edge defect density and decreases crystal size as a result of thermal decomposition processes. The correlation between OC and physical properties suggests that by controlling the OC in GOF, it was possible to modify vibrational and electrical properties of great interest in fabrication of advanced electronics; consequently, we show a potential application of GOF samples by developing an electrically controlled heater device.
Single-cell metal–phenolic nanocoatings protect strictly anaerobic methanogens for methane production at an atmospheric oxygen level
Authors: Ma Jing-Ya , Zhong Qi-Zhi , Sun Xiao-Dong , Yang Yang , Feng Li-Juan , Duan Jian-Lu , Liu Xiao-Yu , Li Xiao-Hua , Hao Jingcheng , Cui Jiwei , Yuan Xian-Zheng
Published: October 2023

MPN coating was formed on individual M. acetivorans surfaces by converting the TA–Fe2+ complex into TA–Fe3+ species, which reduced the contact of oxygen molecules with M. acetivorans and allowed M. acetivorans to produce methane in the presence of oxygen.
Diastereoselective 1,2-difunctionalization of 1,3-enynes enabled by merging photoexcited Hantzsch ester with chromium catalysis
Authors: Wu Jia , Xu Xiangyun , Duan Chongwen , Chen Shan , Wang Dan , Fang Likui , Tang Weiyang , Li Fusheng
Published: October 2023

We present a comprehensive account of the regio- and diastereoselective radical multicomponent 1,2-dialkylation of 1,3-enynes via photoexcited Hantzsch ester and chromium co-catalysis to furnish highly valuable homopropargylic alcohols.
RGB depth salient object detection via cross‐modal attention and boundary feature guidance
Authors: Meng Lingbing , Yuan Mengya , Shi Xuehan , Zhang Le , Liu Qingqing , Ping Dai , Wu Jinhua , Cheng Fei
Published: October 2023

RGB depth (RGB‐D) salient object detection (SOD) is a meaningful and challenging task, which has achieved good detection performance in dealing with simple scenes using convolutional neural networks, however, it cannot effectively handle scenes with complex contours of salient objects or similarly coloured salient objects and background. A novel end‐to‐end framework is proposed for RGB‐D SOD, which comprises of four main components: the cross‐modal attention feature enhancement (CMAFE) module, the multi‐level contextual feature interaction (MLCFI) module, the boundary feature extraction (BFE) module, and the multi‐level boundary attention guidance (MLBAG) module. The CMAFE module retains the more effective salient features by employing a dual‐attention mechanism to filter noise from two modalities. In the MLCFI module, a shuffle operation is used for high‐level and low‐level channels to promote cross‐channel information communication, and rich semantic information is extracted. The BFE module converts salient features into boundary features to generate boundary maps. The MLBAG module produces saliency maps by aggregating multi‐level boundary saliency maps to guide cross‐modal features in the decode stage. Extensive experiments are conducted on six public benchmark datasets, with the results demonstrating that the proposed model significantly outperforms 23 state‐of‐the‐art RGB‐D SOD models with regards to multiple evaluation metrics.
Image representation and reconstruction by compositing Gaussian ellipses
Authors: Cheng Chang‐Chieh
Published: October 2023

In this paper, a method of stroke‐based rendering is proposed for image representation and reconstruction. The proposed method involves compositing a set of ellipses that greatly vary in location, size, rotation angle, color, and opacity. This study proves that alpha compositing is differentiable if a two‐dimensional Gaussian function is used to draw a solid ellipse. The gradient method can then be employed for automatically identifying the parameters of each ellipse such that the difference between the input image and the composited image is minimized. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method can represent various types of images including portraits, landscapes, buildings, street scenes, artificial objects, medical images etc. The proposed method can particularly render the most details and significant features of an input image with fewer strokes compared to other stroke‐based rendering algorithms. This study also demonstrates that the proposed method can be applied in painting style simulation and sparse‐view computed tomography imaging.