bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uptake, acceptability and interpretability of 3‐in‐1 rapid blood self‐testing for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C
Authors: Salvadori Nicolas , Achalapong Jullapong , Boontan Chonlatorn , Piriya Choosakun , Arunothong Surachet , Nangola Sawitree , Kloypan Chiraphat , Prompunt Eakkapote , Khamduang Woottichai , Moolnoi Phornphimon , Pornprasert Sakorn , Ongwandee Sumet , Mary Jean Yves , Jourdain Gonzague , Ngo‐Giang‐Huong Nicole
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Early diagnosis is key to achieving the goal of eliminating transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C. We assessed the uptake, acceptability and interpretability of self‐testing using a 3‐in‐1 rapid diagnostic test (RDT) in facility‐based services.

Methods

Stand‐alone testing services were provided free of charge to consenting individuals aged ≥15 years in five facilities in northern Thailand. Clients were invited to choose between self‐testing by fingerprick or venepuncture by a healthcare worker (HCW). In each facility, several clients could simultaneously self‐test in separate private areas using TriQuik™ (Genlantis, San Diego, CA, USA), a single immunochromatographic cassette detecting HIV‐1/2 antibody, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis C antibody (HCAb). An interactive program on a tablet computer was developed to collect socio‐demographic, behavioural and satisfaction data and provide information to guide the self‐test process, including video instructions, results interpretation and a picture of the cassette for immediate remote review by the HCW. When the HCW interpreted an HIV self‐test as positive, the HCW collected blood by venepuncture for immediate confirmation.

Results

Between October 2020 and April 2022, 4119 clients presented for testing for the first time as part of the project. Of them, 3462 (84.0%) opted for self‐testing. Among self‐testers, 1801 (52.0%) were born female, the median age was 27 years (interquartile range, 22–36), 661 (19.1%) belonged to at least one key population and 2124 (61.4%) had never been tested for HIV; 3329 (99.8% of those who answered) reported being “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the testing process. The proportions of test results interpreted as positive by self‐testers among those interpreted as positive by HCWs were 95% for HIV‐1/2 antibody, 95% for HBsAg and 78% for HCAb.

Conclusions

These proportions were higher than those observed in a previous study evaluating another 3‐in‐1 RDT for HIV, HBsAg and HCAb, possibly due to the use of video instructions instead of paper‐based instructions, lower prevalence and co‐infection rates, or lower percentages of clients with low education level. Multiplex self‐testing simplified and streamlined the service delivery process and was well accepted. HCW assistance proved to be essential in a limited number of cases.
Deep‐Learning‐Based Contrast Synthesis From MRF Parameter Maps in the Knee Joint
Authors: Nykänen Olli , Nevalainen Mika , Casula Victor , Isosalo Antti , Inkinen Satu I. , Nikki Marko , Lattanzi Riccardo , Cloos Martijn A. , Nissi Mikko J. , Nieminen Miika T.
Published: December 2022

Background

Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is a method to speed up acquisition of quantitative MRI data. However, MRF does not usually produce contrast‐weighted images that are required by radiologists, limiting reachable total scan time improvement. Contrast synthesis from MRF could significantly decrease the imaging time.

Purpose

To improve clinical utility of MRF by synthesizing contrast‐weighted MR images from the quantitative data provided by MRF, using U‐nets that were trained for the synthesis task utilizing L1‐ and perceptual loss functions, and their combinations.

Study Type

Retrospective.

Population

Knee joint MRI data from 184 subjects from Northern Finland 1986 Birth Cohort (ages 33–35, gender distribution not available).

Field Strength and Sequence

A 3 T, multislice‐MRF, proton density (PD)‐weighted 3D‐SPACE (sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolution), fat‐saturated T2‐weighted 3D‐space, water‐excited double echo steady state (DESS).

Assessment

Data were divided into training, validation, test, and radiologist's assessment sets in the following way: 136 subjects to training, 3 for validation, 3 for testing, and 42 for radiologist's assessment. The synthetic and target images were evaluated using 5‐point Likert scale by two musculoskeletal radiologists blinded and with quantitative error metrics.

Statistical Tests

Friedman's test accompanied with post hoc Wilcoxon signed‐rank test and intraclass correlation coefficient. The statistical cutoff P <0.05 adjusted by Bonferroni correction as necessary was utilized.

Results

The networks trained in the study could synthesize conventional images with high image quality (Likert scores 3–4 on a 5‐point scale). Qualitatively, the best synthetic images were produced with combination of L1‐ and perceptual loss functions and perceptual loss alone, while L1‐loss alone led to significantly poorer image quality (Likert scores below 3). The interreader and intrareader agreement were high (0.80 and 0.92, respectively) and significant. However, quantitative image quality metrics indicated best performance for the pure L1‐loss.

Data Conclusion

Synthesizing high‐quality contrast‐weighted images from MRF data using deep learning is feasible. However, more studies are needed to validate the diagnostic accuracy of these synthetic images.

Evidence Level

4.

Technical Efficacy

Stage 1.
Identification of histidine‐Ni (II) metal complex by Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Pál Petra , Veres Miklós , Holomb Roman , Szalóki Melinda , Szöllősi Attila Gábor , Csarnovics Istvan
Published: December 2022

Metal ions such as nickel have a strong binding affinity to amino acids and form metal complexes of different geometry. This complex formation is influenced by many factors among others the kind of reactants and their relative concentrations, pH, and its effect on the net charge of the amino acid molecule. In this work, the formation of the histidine‐nickel (II) complex in different conditions was examined by Raman spectroscopy. In addition to the experiments, density functional theory (DFT) calculations on histidine‐nickel complexes were performed in order to elucidate the complex formation mechanism and optimal geometry of the structures as well as to investigate their vibrational properties. The Raman measurements showed double peaks at 1272 and 1297 cm−1, and triple peaks at 1322, 1336, and 1355 cm−1 that belong to the metal complex. The geometry optimizations and total energy calculations of His‐Ni (II) complex revealed that the octahedral geometry and the triplet spin state of Ni ion is the energetically favorable structure. This metal complex is formed through the nitrogen atom of the imidazole side chain, the nitrogen atom of the terminal amino group, and the oxygen atom of the carboxyl group. Experiments with pH revealed that the alkaline pH favors while the change of the concentration of the metal ions does not affect the the His‐Ni (II) complex formation.
Effects of gaseous ozone treatment on the mite pest control and qualitative properties during ripening storage of pecorino cheese
Authors: Grasso Claudia , Eramo Vanessa , Lembo Micaela , Forniti Roberto , Carboni Cristian , Botondi Rinaldo
Published: December 2022

BACKGROUND

Ripened cheeses, such as pecorino, are susceptible to mites and molds contamination on the crust area that must be removed before the product can be marketed. This study investigates the effectiveness of gaseous ozone treatment in the control of microbiological and mite growth without negatively affecting product quality.

RESULTS

Cheese samples were treated with gaseous ozone at 200 and 300 ppb for 8 h per day (overnight) for 150 days in storage rooms under controlled conditions (12 °C and 85% relative humidity). The results showed that ozone at 200 ppb limits the growth of mites starting from 25 days of storage and significantly reduced bacteria, molds, and yeasts counts starting from 75 days of storage. Concerning the physicochemical and qualitative parameters evaluated during ripening (weight loss, moisture content, dry weight, ash, fat, protein, total nitrogen, color, non‐destructive firmness), no significant differences were shown between the control samples and ozone treatment at 200 ppb. Sensory analysis (consumer test) also showed no specific defects with the ozone‐treated samples. It was observed that the ozone treatment at 300 ppb had limited microbiological growth and no alteration of sensory aspects but did not have the same positive impact on some aspects of overall quality, compared with ozone treatment at 200 ppb.

CONCLUSION

The use of gaseous ozone treatments during ripening of pecorino cheese can potentially offer an excellent solution for the control of mite growth, while preserving the quality and sensory characteristics of the product. For this reason, this technique could be very useful for commercial purposes. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Canceling and Inverting Normal and Anomalous Group‐Velocity Dispersion Using Space‐Time Wave Packets
Authors: Hall Layton A. , Abouraddy Ayman F.
Published: December 2022

Angular dispersion can counterbalance normal group‐velocity dispersion (GVD) that increases the wave‐vector length in a dispersive medium. By tilting the wave vector, angular dispersion reduces the axial wave number in this case to match the pre‐GVD value. By the same token, however, angular dispersion fails to counterbalance anomalous GVD, which in contrast reduces the wave‐vector length. Consequently, GVD‐cancellation via angular dispersion has not been demonstrated to date in the anomalous dispersion regime. Here, structed femtosecond pulsed beams, known as ‘space‐time’ wave packets, are designed to realize dispersion‐cancellation symmetrically in either the normal‐ or anomalous‐GVD regimes by virtue of non‐differentiable angular dispersion inculcated into the pulsed field. Furthermore, GVD‐inversion is also verified by reversing the GVD sign experienced by the field with respect to that dictated by the chromatic dispersion of the medium itself.
Localization of Light in Multi‐Helical Arrays of Discrete Coupled Waveguides
Authors: Russell Philip St.J. , Chen Yang
Published: December 2022

Localization of light in disordered or periodically structured dielectric media has been studied for many years. A recent example is coreless (i.e., defect‐free) photonic crystal fiber (PCF), which is observed to confine light when drawn in chiral form from a spinning preform. Although heuristic arguments based on a radially‐dependent photonic bandgap have been advanced, the underlying mechanism is not fully resolved. Here, a novel analytical model for twisted coreless PCF is presented, based on chiral arrays of coupled single‐mode step‐index sub‐cores in which chirality causes the effective axial refractive index of the cores to rise quadratically with radius. It produces results in excellent agreement with numerical solutions of Maxwell's equations, while offering orders of magnitude reductions in computational time. As a result it is possible to treat chiral structures with very large numbers of sub‐cores, to clarify the confinement mechanism, and to establish that exponentially localized helical Bloch modes (HBMs) do indeed form. As an example, localization in hexagonal and honeycomb lattices of chiral coupled sub‐cores is studied, and it is shown that in every case whole families of guided HBMs exist. The results open a new chapter in the 2D localization of light.
Coordination of Noble Metals in Poly(vinyl mercaptoethanol) Particles Prepared by Precipitation/Emulsion Polymerization
Authors: Ziegenbalg Nicole , Ulrich Hans F. , Stumpf Steffi , Mueller Philipp , Wiethan Jürgen , Danner Janette , Schubert Ulrich S. , Adermann Torben , Brendel Johannes C.
Published: December 2022

S‐Vinyl monomers react readily in radical polymerizations resulting in polymers with interesting features such as enhanced refractive indices, increased thermal stability, or the ability to coordinate various metals. Among them, vinyl mercaptoethanol (VME) can be produced in industrial scale, but the poor solubility of the resulting homopolymer limits its application. In this contribution, polymerizations of the monomer are investigated in water forming a heterogeneous system. The good solubility of the monomer in water imparts the system with mixed characteristics between a precipitation and an emulsion polymerization. Evaluating various surfactants, only polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is found to create stable dispersions, although micrometer‐sized particles are formed with a broad size distribution. Nevertheless, the particles are able to coordinate silver or gold ions. Attempts to reduce the noble metal ions by commercial reducing agents fail. However, exposure to sunlight unexpectedly results in a controlled reduction of the metal ions and the formation of composite particles. Silver ion‐containing dispersions demonstrate strong antibacterial properties, while the effect is diminished in the corresponding composite. Overall, the precipitation/emulsion polymerization of VME represents a promising pathway to stable sulfur‐rich polymer dispersions with the ability to coordinate metal ions or form reactive metal composites.
High Dielectric Breakdown Strength Nanoplatelet‐Based Multilayer Thin Films
Authors: Palen Bethany , Iverson Ethan T. , Rabaey Matthew G. , Marjuban Shaik Merkatur Hakim , Long Carolyn T. , Kolibaba Thomas J. , Benson Annie , Castaneda‐Lopez Homero , Grunlan Jaime C.
Published: December 2022

Dielectric materials that can withstand high voltages are of great interest due to the growing need for high‐performance insulation systems in electronics. Polymer nanocomposites have gained popularity as electrical insulators due to their processability, high operating voltage, and tortuous paths for current flow created by the nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. The dielectric breakdown strength of a relatively thick multilayer thin film containing polyethylenimine (PEI) and vermiculite clay (VMT), thickened with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (tris), is evaluated as a function of bilayers (BL) deposited. The resulting nanobrick wall structure of this clay‐based assembly is ideal for protective insulation. An 8 BL PEI+tris/VMT film achieves a dielectric breakdown strength of 245 kV mm−1, with a thickness of 5 µm. With increasing bilayers, the breakdown strength gradually decreases, but 20 BL of PEI+tris/VMT achieves a breakdown voltage of 2.36 kV. This nanoplatelet‐based system is the first “thick growing” layer‐by‐layer deposited film to be used as an insulating layer. Its unusually high breakdown strength can be useful for the protection of various high voltage electronics.
Multi‐Functional Cu‐BTC and ZIF‐67 Grown Chitosan Air Filters for Efficient NO and Particular Matter Removal
Authors: Kim Juran
Published: December 2022

Zeolitic imidazolate framework‐67 (ZIF67) or copper(II)‐benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxylate (CuBTC)‐based chitosan fibers grown in situ on fibers can be used in the development of effective air filters. In this context, herein, metal–organic frameworks (ZIF67 or CuBTC) are grown in situ on chitosan fibers (denoted as C‐ZIF67 or C‐CuBTC), and the NO gas adsorption performance, particular matter filtration efficiency, and antibacterial properties of the fabricated materials against E. coli and S. epidermidis are investigated. The specific surface areas of C‐ZIF67 and C‐CuBTC are 311.9 and 140.1 m2 g−1, respectively, whereas that of the untreated chitosan fibers is 0.1 m2 g−1. For C‐ZIF67, the NO adsorption efficiency rapidly increases up to 78%; specifically, 70% adsorption is maintained for 65 min. For C‐CuBTC, the NO adsorption efficiency rapidly increases up to 54% initially and substantially decreases to 41% after 10 min. Furthermore, C‐ZIF67 exhibits a 3.4 times higher NO adsorption capacity than that of C‐CuBTC. For C‐ZIF67 and C‐CuBTC, the filtration efficiencies against PMs are higher than 99%. However, C‐CuBTC shows a higher antibacterial activity (99.99%) against E. coli and S. epidermidis compared to C‐ZIF67. The C‐ZIF67 and C‐CuBTC, derived from renewable resources, can be good alternatives for commercial synthetic air filters because they are biodegradable, cost‐effective, and environment‐friendly.
Consumers' moral licensing of firms' CSR transgressions
Authors: Kliamenakis Argiro , Grohmann Bianca , Bodur Onur
Published: December 2022

Despite corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagement, firms may be implicated in CSR transgressions. Research is equivocal on whether CSR buffers negative consumer responses to subsequent firm transgressions. This research extends the observer moral licensing framework to consumer‐firm contexts and examines under what conditions consumers license transgressions following firms' CSR engagement. Study 1 demonstrates that consumer responses to firm transgressions depend on whether the transgression occurs in the same (vs. different) domain relative to CSR engagement and on transgression ambiguity. Study 2 shows that consumer responses to transgressions are less negative when a firm has (vs. has not) previously engaged in CSR. It replicates a shielding effect of CSR that is contingent on transgression domain relative to prior CSR and transgression ambiguity, and finds that blatant same domain transgressions generate hypocrisy perceptions and mitigate licensing effects. Study 3 further extends the moral licensing framework and shows that firm communication that situates CSR efforts on a continuum (continuous CSR positioning) before a transgression moderates, and insincere firm motive attributions mediate, the detrimental effect of blatant same domain transgressions.
CircDUSP1 regulates tumor growth, metastasis, and paclitaxel sensitivity in triple‐negative breast cancer by targeting miR‐761/DACT2 signaling axis
Authors: Huang Shulin , Xie Jing , Lei Shanshan , Fan Peizhi , Zhang Chaojie , Huang Zhongcheng
Published: December 2022

Triple‐negative breast cancer TNBC) is a malignant tumor with high incidence and high mortality that threaten the health of women worldwide. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new class of noncoding RNAs that participate in the biological processes of various tumors, but the regulatory roles of circRNAs in TNBC have not been fully elucidated. In this study, the expression and characterization of circDUSP1 was detected via quantitative real‐time PCR, nuclear‐cytoplasmic fractionation assay, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Then, in vitro and in vivo functional experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of circDUSP1 in TNBC. The interaction among circDUSP1, miR‐761, DACT2 were confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull‐down, and RNA immunoprecipitation experiments. We identified the circRNA named circDUSP1 that was inversely correlated with tumorigenesis and progression in TNBC. Overexpression of circDUSP1 significantly attenuated cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, while increased the sensitivity of TNBC cells to paclitaxel. In‐depth mechanism analysis indicated that circDUSP1 acts as an endogenous sponge of miR‐761 to reduce its suppression on target gene DACT2 expression in TNBC. Upregulation of miR‐761 or downregulation of DACT2 partially reversed the biological process of TNBC and the prognosis of paclitaxel affected by circDUSP1. Taken together, our findings revealed a role for the regulation of the miR‐761/DACT2 axis by circDUSP1 in the biological process of TNBC. These results provided new insights into the biological mechanism and targeted therapy of TNBC.
Wide‐beam bent cross‐shaped DRA antenna for wide‐angle beam‐scanning phased array
Authors: Liu Hongmei , Zhang Tielin , Yu Da , Fang Shaojun , Wang Zhongbao
Published: December 2022

In the paper, a bent cross‐shaped dielectric resonator antenna element with wide half‐power beamwidth of 224.9° is proposed and applied for designing a 1 × 8 wide‐angle beam‐scanning linear phased array. To obtain small gain drop and reduce the mutual coupling of the scanning array, the dielectric wall loaded rectangular truncated slots are inserted. For validation, a prototype operating at 5.8 GHz is designed. Measurement results indicate that the main beam of the designed phased array can scan from −70° to +70° GHz with a gain drop of less than 1.75 dB and a sidelobe level of less than −5.08 dB.
Does anthocyanins consumption affect weight and body composition? A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Yarhosseini Faezeh , Darand Mina , Sangsefidi Zohreh Sadat , Mozaffari‐Khosravi Hassan , Hosseinzadeh Mahdieh
Published: December 2022

Background and Aims

Anthocyanins (ACNs) are water‐soluble plant pigments belong to flavonoids with beneficial effects on health and disease prevention. Some studies have examined the effect of ACNs on anthropometric and body composition indices, but the findings were inconsistent. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to investigate the effect of ACNs and sources rich in anthocyanins on body mass index (BMI), body weight (BW), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist‐hip ratio (WHR), percentage of fat mass (PFM) and fat free mass (FFM).

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched with no limitation until May 2021 to find relevant randomized controlled clinical trials (RCT). The risk of bias was assessed utilizing Cochrane collaboration's tool. Weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained using a random effects model.

Results

A total of 31 RCTs (with 0.77–640 mg/day of ACNs supplementation for 28–90 days) with 1438 participants were included. No significant effect was found in BMI, WC, HC, WHR, PFM and FFM after ACNs consumption.

Conclusions

The results showed that ACNs did not significantly affect anthropometric and body composition parameters. Further high‐quality RCTs are required to validate these findings.
Oral SARS‐CoV‐2 reduction by local treatment: A plasma technology application?
Authors: von Woedtke Thomas , Gabriel Gülsah , Schaible Ulrich E. , Bekeschus Sander
Published: December 2022

The SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic reemphasized the importance of and need for efficient hygiene and disinfection measures. The coronavirus' efficient spread capitalizes on its airborne transmission routes via virus aerosol release from human oral and nasopharyngeal cavities. Besides the upper respiratory tract, efficient viral replication has been described in the epithelium of these two body cavities. To this end, the idea emerged to employ plasma technology to locally reduce mucosal viral loads as an additional measure to reduce patient infectivity. We here outline conceptual ideas of such treatment concepts within what is known in the antiviral actions of plasma treatment so far.
Neuronal‐like Irregular Spiking Dynamics in Highly Volatile Memristive Intermediate‐scale AgPt‐Nanoparticle Assemblies
Authors: Carstens Niko , Strunskus Thomas , Faupel Franz , Hassanien Abdou , Vahl Alexander
Published: December 2022

Neuromorphic computing seeks functional materials capable of emulating brain‐like dynamics to solve computational problems with time and energy efficiency, outclassing current transistor‐based hardware architectures. Major efforts are focused on integrating memristive devices into highly regular circuits (i.e., crossbar arrays), where the information representation in individual memristive devices is closely oriented toward the behavior of artificial neurons. However, artificial neurons are rather rigid mathematical concepts than realistic projections of complex neuronal dynamics. Neuroscience suggests that highly efficient information representation on the level of individual neurons relies on dynamical features such as excitatory and inhibitory contributions, irregularity of firing patterns, and temporal correlations. Here, a conductive atomic force microscopy approach is applied to probe the memristive dynamics of nanoscale assemblies of AgPt‐nanoparticles at the stability border of the conducting state, where physical forces causing the formation and decay of filamentary structures appear to be balanced. This unveils a dynamic regime, where the memristive response is governed by irregular firing patterns. The significance of such a dynamical regime is motivated by close similarities to excitation and inhibition‐governed behavior in biological neuronal systems, which is crucial to tune biological neuronal systems into a state most suitable for information representation and computation.
The outcomes of COVID‐19 pneumonia in children—clinical, radiographic, and pulmonary function assessment
Authors: Bogusławski Stanisław , Strzelak Agnieszka , Gajko Kacper , Peradzyńska Joanna , Popielska Jolanta , Marczyńska Magdalena , Kulus Marek , Krenke Katarzyna
Published: December 2022

Objectives

The goal of this study was to assess the pulmonary sequelae of COVID‐19 pneumonia in children.

Study Design

Children (0–18 years old) diagnosed with COVID‐19 pneumonia hospitalized between March 2020 and March 2021 were included in this observational study. All children underwent follow‐up visits 3 months postdischarge, and if any abnormalities were stated, a second visit after the next 3 months was scheduled. Clinical assessment included medical history, physical examination, lung ultrasound (LUS) using a standardized protocol, and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). PFTs results were compared with healthy children.

Results

Forty‐one patients with COVID‐19 pneumonia (severe disease n = 3, mechanical ventilation, n = 0) were included in the study. Persistent symptoms were reported by seven (17.1%) children, the most common was decreased exercise tolerance (57.1%), dyspnea (42.9%), and cough (42.9%). The most prevalent abnormalities in LUS were coalescent B‐lines (37%) and small subpleural consolidations (29%). The extent of LUS abnormalities was significantly greater at the first than at the second follow‐up visit (p = 0.03). There were no significant differences in PFTs results neither between the study group and healthy children nor between the two follow‐up visits in the study group.

Conclusions

Our study shows that children might experience long‐term sequelae following COVID‐19 pneumonia. In the majority of cases, these are mild and resolve over time.
A data‐driven distributed fault detection scheme based on subspace identification technique for dynamic systems
Authors: Cheng Chao , Wang Qiang , Nikitin Yury , Liu Chun , Zhou Yang , Chen Hongtian
Published: December 2022

With the aid of the subspace technique and the average consensus algorithm, the main objective of this article is to develop a data‐driven design of distributed fault detection for dynamic systems using the measurement in a complex sensor network. Specifically, the design process consists of two stages: distributed off‐line learning and distributed online fault detection. Among them, the distributed off‐line learning stage involves the average consensus algorithm and parameter identification by subspace technique. It is worth mentioning that, the distributed fault detection approach has the same performance as the centralized fault detection approach and avoids complex information exchange. In the end, a numerical simulation example and a case study of the three‐phase flow facility are illustrated to show that the proposed distributed approach can accomplish the fault detection task successfully.
Village morphology and the construction of place identity in the Aihui area along the Heilongjiang River, China
Authors: Wei Dong , Yani Yang , Yu Dong
Published: December 2022

Place identity is the emotional connection between people and a place. It is significant for local development and people's satisfaction and happiness in where they reside. The physical environment is one of the most important factors affecting people's emotions toward a place. In order to clarify the theoretical analytical framework of the process from village space morphology to place identity, this study takes the area of Aihui along the Heilongjiang River, China, as a case study. The research was conducted considering two aspects: First, we analyzed the space morphology of the villages in the Aihui district and interpreted their locality. On this basis, we conducted a survey of villagers’ subjective perceptions of the village space and their place identity through in‐depth interviews. From the collected interview texts, we extracted, verified, and analyzed the role of morphological constituents in the construction of place identity. Second, a comprehensive framework was established. The features of space morphology are the projections of locality in physical space. People use morphological constituents to construct an image of the village and scenes of local life. Morphological constituents with local characteristics can help enhance people's place identity.
A novel robust estimation for high‐dimensional precision matrices
Authors: Wang Shaoxin , Xie Chaoping , Kang Xiaoning
Published: December 2022

In this paper we propose a new robust estimation of precision matrices for high‐dimensional data when the number of variables is larger than the sample size. Different from the existing methods in literature, the proposed model combines the technique of modified Cholesky decomposition (MCD) with the robust generalized M‐estimators. The MCD reparameterizes a precision matrix and transforms its estimation into solving a series of linear regressions, in which the commonly used robust techniques can be conveniently incorporated. Additionally, the proposed method adopts the model averaging idea to address the ordering issue in the MCD approach, resulting in an accurate estimation for precision matrices. Simulations and real data analysis are conducted to illustrate the merits of the proposed estimator.
Fabrication of Poly(3, 4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)/O−S Co‐Doped Porous Carbon Composites as Electrode Materials for Supercapacitors
Authors: Qin Jie , Li Chunmei , Lu Wei , Zheng Hong
Published: December 2022

A facile approach to obtain electrode materials with excellent electrochemical properties is essential for the development of supercapacitors. We synthesized coral‐like Poly(3, 4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)/O−S‐doped porous carbon composites (PEDOT/S‐PCM) to be used as electrode materials for supercapacitors. S‐PCM was obtainted by the carbonization and activation of Poly(3, 4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)/reduced graphene oxide (PEDOT/rGO), and its structure was stabilized by doping the ablated Poly(3, 4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) into the lamellae of graphene. The dual doping of sulfur and oxygen can prevent the graphene sheets from collapsing and provide an abundance of active sites. Under the optimized conditions, the PEDOT/S‐PCM composite shows a high specific capacitance of 278 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 and a significant capacitance retention of 91 % after 1000 cycles at a current density of 10 A g−1. PEDOT/S‐PCM could be a promising candidate as an electrode material for supercapacitor due to their good morphology and excellent electrochemical performance.
Diverse knowledge exploration and diffusion in MNCs
Authors: Berry Heather
Published: December 2022

Research Summary

This article examines the influence that intra‐firm manufacturing linkages have on knowledge exploration outcomes in foreign subsidiaries. Although it is common to focus on the importance of keeping exploratory units separate from other firm operations to encourage a more diverse range of solutions, I explore the role that strong manufacturing outflows play in encouraging both the search for diverse knowledge and the diffusion of that knowledge across multinational corporation (MNC) operations. Empirical results from a comprehensive panel of US MNCs merged with the Derwent worldwide patent data reveal that foreign exploratory units with strong intra‐firm manufacturing outflows are more likely to include new‐to‐the‐MNC technology domains in their innovations and that these diverse innovations are more likely to diffuse out of units that have strong intra‐firm manufacturing outflows.

Managerial Summary

Although foreign exploratory units can provide MNCs with opportunities to tap into diverse knowledge clusters to enhance the competitiveness of a firm, many studies report firm biases against new and unfamiliar knowledge that has been generated in foreign operations. This article explores the role that manufacturing linkages play in providing visible signals of local operation competencies to the rest of an MNC, helping to overcome biases against new and unproven technology domains and enabling foreign exploratory units to pursue diverse, local knowledge inputs and specialization for the MNC. The empirical results confirm that foreign exploratory units that manufacture inputs and products for other MNC operations are more likely to use new‐to‐the‐MNC technology domains in their innovations than foreign exploratory units without such linkages.
Metal‐Organic Frameworks for Greenhouse Gas Applications
Authors: Dong Anrui , Chen Dandan , Li Qipeng , Qian Jinjie
Published: December 2022

Using petrol to supply energy for a car or burning coal to heat a building generates plenty of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor (H2O), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone (O3), fluorinated gases. These up‐and‐coming metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) are structurally endowed with rigid inorganic nodes and versatile organic linkers, which have been extensively used in the GHG‐related applications to improve the lives and protect the environment. Porous MOF materials and their derivatives have been demonstrated to be competitive and promising candidates for GHG separation, storage and conversions as they shows facile preparation, large porosity, adjustable nanostructure, abundant topology, and tunable physicochemical property. Enormous progress has been made in GHG storage and separation intrinsically stemmed from the different interaction between guest molecule and host framework from MOF itself in the recent five years. Meanwhile, the use of porous MOF materials to transform GHG and the influence of external conditions on the adsorption performance of MOFs for GHG are also enclosed. In this review, it is also highlighted that the existing challenges and future directions are discussed and envisioned in the rational design, facile synthesis and comprehensive utilization of MOFs and their derivatives for practical applications.
Inherent Capability of Self‐Assembling Nanostructures in Specific Proteasome Activation for Cancer Cell Pyroptosis
Authors: Luo Qian‐Wei , Yao Lu , Li Ling , Yang Zhuo , Zhao Mei‐Mei , Zheng Yong‐Zhe , Zhuo Fang‐Fang , Liu Ting‐Ting , Zhang Xiao‐Wen , Liu Dan , Tu Peng‐Fei , Zeng Ke‐Wu
Published: December 2022

Understanding the direct interaction of nanostructures per se with biological systems is important for biomedical applications. However, whether nanostructures regulate biological systems by targeting specific cellular proteins remains largely unknown. In the present work, self‐assembling nanomicelles are constructed using small‐molecule oleanolic acid (OA) as a molecular template. Unexpectedly, without modifications by functional ligands, OA nanomicelles significantly activate cellular proteasome function by directly binding to 20S proteasome subunit alpha 6 (PSMA6). Mechanism study reveals that OA nanomicelles interact with PSMA6 to dynamically modulate its N‐terminal domain conformation change, thereby controlling the entry of proteins into 20S proteasome. Subsequently, OA nanomicelles accelerate the degradation of several crucial proteins, thus potently driving cancer cell pyroptosis. For translational medicine, OA nanomicelles exhibit a significant anticancer potential in tumor‐bearing mouse models and stimulate immune cell infiltration. Collectively, this proof‐of‐concept study advances the mechanical understanding of nanostructure‐guided biological effects via their inherent capacity to activate proteasome.
Defect Healing in Graphene via Rapid Thermal Annealing with Polymeric “Nanobandage”
Authors: Senger Claire , Fan Xiao , Pagaduan James Nicolas , Zhang Xiaoyu , Ping Jinglei , Katsumata Reika
Published: December 2022

Overcoming throughput challenges in current graphene defect healing processes, such as conventional thermal annealing, is crucial for realizing post‐silicon device fabrication. Herein, a new time‐ and energy‐efficient method for defect healing in graphene is reported, utilizing polymer‐assisted rapid thermal annealing (RTA). In this method, a nitrogen‐rich, polymeric “nanobandage” is coated directly onto graphene and processed via RTA at 800 °C for 15 s. During this process, the polymer matrix is cleanly degraded, while nitrogen released from the nanobandage can diffuse into graphene, forming nitrogen‐doped healed graphene. To study the influence of pre‐existing defects on graphene healing, lattice defects are purposefully introduced via electron beam irradiation and investigated by Raman microscopy. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals successful healing of graphene, observing a maximum doping level of 3 atomic nitrogen % in nanobandage‐treated samples from a baseline of 0–1 atomic % in non‐nanobandage treated samples. Electrical transport measurements further indicate that the nanobandage treatment recovers the conductivity of scanning electron microscope‐treated defective graphene at ≈85%. The reported polymer‐assisted RTA defect healing method shows promise for healing other 2D materials with other dopants by simply changing the chemistry of the polymeric nanobandage.
Polyurethane‐polypyrrole hybrid structural color films for dual‐signal mechanics sensing
Authors: Shao Changmin , Yu Yunru , Fan Qihui , Wang Xiaochen , Ye Fangfu
Published: December 2022

The monitoring of mechanical indexes involved in body movement has attracted immense interest in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we present a hybrid flexible conductive structural color (SC) film with the capability of dual‐signal mechanics screening. The film is constructed by oxidatively polymerizing pyrrole on the surface of an inverse opal polyurethane (IPU) membrane, which can be utilized to measure the mechanical indexes through resistance change. Owing to the inverse opal structure, the film shows visual structural color change when stretched and released according to the body movement. Additionally, the highly uniform ordered porous structure endows the conductive film with a lower coefficient of variance on relative resistance change. Benefiting from these features, we have demonstrated that such a flexible conductive SC film could monitor Parkinson's disease (PD) by detecting mechanical indexes simultaneously via dual signals. These features indicate the great value of the stretchable conductive SC films in mechanics sensing applications.
Low area and high throughput implementation of advanced encryption standard hardware accelerator on FPGA using Mux‐Demux pair
Authors: Renugadevi N. , Julakanti Stheya , Vemula Sai Charan , Bhatnagar Somya , Thangallapally Shirisha
Published: December 2022

Now‐a‐days advanced cryptographic algorithms are needed in order to improve data security and confidentiality. One such algorithm used prominently is advanced encryption standard (AES) algorithm. AES is a complex algorithm with multiple rounds of processing data and occupies more space or area when implemented on hardware. Since each sub‐step of computation has a similar structure, the proposed method employs the novel idea of using the same hardware to implement the AES functionality. Hence the number of logical units occupied are leveraged. The proposed scheme, Mux‐Demux pair method (MDP), uses a mux‐demux structure. It is implemented on Virtex‐7 and ZynQ7000 FPGAs and the code is written in Verilog HDL language in the Vivado software. The proposed work when simulated on Virtex‐7 occupies an area of 1932 slices, giving an optimized throughput of 10.167 Gbps while the work simulated on ZynQ7000 occupies an area of 3253 slices, resulting in a throughput of 23.858 Gbps.
Secure quantum computing for healthcare sector: A short analysis
Authors: Pulipeti Srikanth , Kumar Adarsh
Published: December 2022

Quantum computing research might lead to “quantum leaps,” and it could have unanticipated repercussions in the medical field. This technique has the potential to be used in a broad range of contexts, some of which include the development of novel drugs, the individualization of medical treatments, and the speeding of deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing. This work has assembled a list of the numerous methodologies presently employed in quantum medicine and other disciplines pertaining to healthcare. This work has created a list of the most critical concerns that need to be addressed before the broad use of quantum computing can be realized. In addition, this work investigates in detail the ways in which potential future applications of quantum computing might compromise the safety of healthcare delivery systems from the perspective of the medical industry and the patient‐centric healthcare system. The primary objective of this investigation into quantum cryptography is to locate any potential flaws in the cryptographic protocols and strategies that have only very recently been the focus of scrutiny from academic research community members.
Jamming power: Youth agency and community‐driven science in a critical technology learning program
Authors: Vakil Sepehr , Reith Alisa , Melo Natalie Araujo
Published: December 2022

In dialogue with science education and learning sciences research, in this article we develop a disciplinary‐specific view on youth and community agency for community‐based technology education. Cultivating agency is a central principle in our design and empirical study of the Young People's Race, Power, and Technology Program (YPRPT), a program designed to engage youth in critical inquiry about the technologies impacting their local communities. In this article, drawing from our multiyear partnership with a community‐based youth organization, we examine how agency was supported and constrained as a function of the practices we engaged in as a research team committed to participatory and justice‐centered education. Our findings illustrate ways that the emergence and enactment of agency, at both individual and community levels, works to interrupt, subvert, and creatively “jam” systems of power. We argue that cultivating agency in community‐driven science and technology learning requires an honest reckoning with the deeply entrenched racial and economic oppression in the United States. We contend that it is equally essential to commit to learning from, co‐designing with, and working in solidarity alongside the youth and communities that are most impacted by technologies that mediate our experiences—toward unveiling, resisting, and reimagining their powerful roles in our collective lives.
The use of Big Data to mitigate waste in agri‐food supply chains
Authors: Ouro‐Salim Omar , Guarnieri Patricia , Leitão Fabrício Oliveira
Published: December 2022

Due to the increase in food waste worldwide, food supply chains (FSCs) have started to adopt smart technologies and assets aiming to reduce it and several inefficiencies. In light of this, the objective of this research was to verify the state of the art in information technology, more specifically the use of Big Data and its role in reducing food waste. This is descriptive research with a qualitative approach, whose technical procedure was the systematic literature review (SLR), with a time cut off the last 10 years, 2010 to 2020, which analyzed the scientific databases Scopus, Sage, and Taylor & Francis. The results were analyzed using the precepts of the thematic categorical content analysis and indicated low use of Big Data. Still, few published articles address the recycling and valorization of food waste to minimize its waste. Finally, it is presented the existing gaps in the literature and recommendations for future studies.
Symmetry resolved entanglement of excited states in quantum field theory. Part II. Numerics, interacting theories and higher dimensions
Authors: Capizzi Luca , De Fazio Cecilia , Mazzoni Michele , Santamaría-Sanz Lucía , Castro-Alvaredo Olalla A.
Published: December 2022

Abstract

In a recent paper we studied the entanglement content of zero-density excited states in complex free quantum field theories, focusing on the symmetry resolved entanglement entropy (SREE). By zero-density states we mean states consisting of a fixed, finite number of excitations above the ground state in an infinite-volume system. The SREE is defined for theories that possess an internal symmetry and provides a measure of the contribution to the total entanglement of each symmetry sector. In our work, we showed that the ratio of Fourier-transforms of the SREEs (i.e. the ratio of charged moments) takes a very simple and universal form for these states, which depends only on the number, statistics and symmetry charge of the excitations as well as the relative size of the entanglement region with respect to the whole system’s size. In this paper we provide numerical evidence for our formulae by computing functions of the charged moments in two free lattice theories: a 1D Fermi gas and a complex harmonic chain. We also extend our results in two directions: by showing that they apply also to excited states of interacting theories (i.e. magnon states) and by developing a higher dimensional generalisation of the branch point twist field picture, leading to results in (interacting) higher-dimensional models.
Prospects for $$ {B}_{(s)}^0 $$ → π0π0 and $$ {B}_{(s)}^0 $$ → ηη modes and corresponding CP asymmetries at Tera-Z
Authors: Wang Yuexin , Descotes-Genon Sébastien , Deschamps Olivier , Li Lingfeng , Chen Shanzhen , Zhu Yongfeng , Ruan Manqi
Published: December 2022

Abstract

The physics potential of measuring $$ {B}_{(s)}^0 $$

B

s

0

→ π0π0 and $$ {B}_{(s)}^0 $$

B

s

0

→ ηη decays via four-photon final states at Tera-Z phase of CEPC or FCC-ee is investigated in this paper. We propose an electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) with both high energy resolution and excellent separation power to efficiently reconstruct π0 and η from hadronic final states with high photon multiplicity. The resulting B-meson mass resolution is approximately 30 MeV, allowing 3 σ separation between B0 and $$ {B}_s^0 $$

B
s
0

. With the assistance of the b-jet tagging, the relative sensitivities to B0→ π0π0, $$ {B}_s^0 $$

B
s
0

→ π0π0, B0→ ηη, and $$ {B}_s^0 $$

B
s
0

→ ηη signal strengths at Tera-Z are projected as 0.45%, 4.5%, 18%, and 0.95%, respectively. Their dependence on various detector performances is also discussed. In addition, B0→ π0π0 and its two isospin-related modes are paid special attention due to their roles in the determination of the CKM angle α (ϕ2). The anticipated precisions of their branching-ratio and CP-asymmetry measurements at Tera-Z are evaluated. We show that the measurement of the time-integrated B0→ π0π0CP asymmetry at Tera-Z is complementary to B-factory ones. The precision on α combining Z- and B-factory results reaches 0.4°, lower than the systematic uncertainties attached to isospin breaking.