bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving 3D printability and interlayer adhesion in ABS/PP immiscible polymer blends
Authors: Yesu Aleti , T. Ranjana , Goyal Sourabh , Banerjee Shib Shankar
Published: June 2024

Printability and interlayer adhesion are the most critical issues in 3D printing of immiscible polymer blends. It can affect structural integrity and mechanical performance of the printed parts. In this work, an effective strategy to improve the printability and interlayer adhesion of immiscible acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene/polypropylene (ABS/PP) blends was implemented by introducing styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride (SEBS‐g‐MA) as a compatibilizer. The printability of the developed blends was investigated using rheological properties such as absolute value of complex viscosity, loss tangent and die‐swell ratio. Interestingly, it was found that the additive manufactured blends with 20 wt% SEBS‐g‐MA loading showed improved interlaminar shear strength, impact strength, Young's modulus and toughness as compared with the pure blend. Fractography analysis revealed that two different possible failure mechanisms, interface and matrix failure were apparent in the 3D printed samples with and without SEBS‐g‐MA content. This work provides a promising pathway to fabricate the complex structures from polymer blends with improved mechanical properties and surface finish.

Highlights

This study demonstrated improved interlayer adhesion at the printed interface of immiscible ABS/PP blends in presence of SEBS‐g‐MA.

The printability of the developed blends was predicted from rheological properties.

Additive manufactured blends with SEBS‐g‐MA loading showed improved mechanical performance.
Social reproduction in onward migration: Colombian mothers and fathers from Spain to London
Authors: Turcatti Domiziana
Published: June 2024

This paper examines how social reproductive work—particularly childcare and material provision—is experienced by and distributed between fathers and mothers during onward migration. Onward migration is typically defined as the process whereby people leave their homeland, settle in a second country, and then migrate to a third country. Gendered in nature, social reproductive work refers to the activities involved in maintaining people daily and intergenerationally. Several studies explore how families' social reproductive arrangements are disrupted, reconfigured or maintained following migration. Less is known about the organisation of social reproductive labour in families who migrated multiple times. This paper draws from fieldwork with 32 Colombian mothers and 18 Colombian fathers who onward migrated from Spain to London after the 2008 crisis. Fathers typically onward migrated first to fulfil their breadwinning role, while mothers would stay in Spain to look after their children, following later. These arrangements were not necessarily maintained at the onward destination. To cope with downward mobility and precarity in London, some fathers became more involved in social reproductive work viewed as feminine (e.g., childcare), while mothers began outsourcing social reproductive tasks to better meet their families' needs and to seize the opportunities London offers. This paper suggests that onward migrant families renegotiate their social reproductive arrangements to address the socioeconomic challenges and opportunities its members encounter in the onward destination and proposes an understanding of social reproduction as relational and fluid across space and time.
2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides‐Based Composites for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Microwave Absorption Applications
Authors: Dhanasekaran Aravinth , Dhanaraj Kannadassan , Venugopal Velmurugan
Published: June 2024

Due to the advancements in the electronics industry, the demand for new electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and microwave absorption (MA) materials has increased significantly in recent decades. Researchers are investigating a variety of new materials to replace conventional metal sheets in response to these growing demands. Consequently, there is a growing interest in lightweight EMI shielding materials that can meet the demand for lightweight and highly integrated electronic equipment. 2D structural transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are good candidates for EMI shielding and MA due to their unique properties. This article examines the latest developments in TMDCs and their composite nanomaterials, focusing on their EMI shielding effectiveness and MA performance. The investigation includes a thorough examination of these materials’ shielding effectiveness, maximum reflection loss value, and effective absorption bandwidth. Moreover, this review analyzes the challenges and opportunities that arise in the development of TMDCs.
Metamaterial Microwave Sensor for Glucose Level Measurement Based on Strip Line with Complementary Split Ring Resonator
Authors: Rattan Praphaporn , Houngkamhang Nongluck , Orankitanun Teerapong , Phasukkit Pattarapong
Published: June 2024

This research focuses on investigating glucose meters utilizing metamaterial microwave sensors. The metamaterial microwave sensor is designed with a strip line loaded with a complementary split ring. The sensor is designed to conduct Ansys high‐frequency structure simulator and uses conductor material coated on a hydrocarbon ceramic laminate (Roger RO4232) substrate, with a sweep frequency range of 1–6 GHz. The signal of the metamaterial microwave sensor depends on the change in glucose permittivity and conductivity when the glucose concentration changes. The research involves designing a simulation model to explore the impact of complementary split ring size on the sensor's response to changes in glucose permittivity. Additionally, experiments are conducted using the proposed sensor to measure glucose concentration in solution, aiming to analyze trends in sensor response to varying concentrations of glucose and evaluate its sensitivity to changes in glucose concentration. The experimental results indicate that the metamaterial microwave sensor is able to respond to variations in glucose level, a sensitivity of the proposed sensor is 0.0345 dB (mg dL−1)−1 in range of 0–110 mg dL−1 with R2 0.9628.
Adhesion Forces of Dextran on Dental Materials as a Function of Contact Time and pH Value
Authors: Link Anastasija , Ehnert Swen , Müller‐Renno Christine , Hannig Matthias , Ziegler Christiane
Published: June 2024

The formation and colonization of biofilms inside the oral cavity are still not understood in detail, although biofilms inside the oral cavity can lead to expensive dental diseases like caries, periodontitis, or the detachment of implants. Such biofilms consist, to a large extent, of proteins, carbohydrates, and other macromolecules. Whereas the interaction of proteins with dental materials is widely studied, the literature does not report interactions of polysaccharides. Here, scanning force spectroscopy is used to investigate the adhesion forces of dextran as an abundant polysaccharide on different dental materials. The focus is dental titanium, accompanied by comparisons with dental gold and silicon as reference material. Different pH values and dental materials mimic representative conditions in the oral cavity. The main finding is that dextran adheres very well to dental materials, but with lower adhesion forces than proteins of similar mass, such as bovine serum albumin. As proteins, the adhesion forces increase with the contact time until a plateau is reached and the forces differ with the dental material. However, in contrast to proteins, pH does not play a role because dextran is uncharged over the measured range between pH 4.5 and pH 13.
Demographic, hemodynamic characteristics, and therapeutic trends of pulmonary hypertension patients: The Pulmonary Hypertension Mexican registry (REMEHIP)
Authors: Jerjes‐Sánchez Carlos , Ramírez‐Rivera Alicia , Hernandez Nayeli Zayas , Cueto Robledo Guillermo , García‐Aguilar Humberto , Gutiérrez‐Fajardo Pedro , Seoane García de León Mario , Moreno Hoyos‐Abril Francisco , Ernesto Beltrán Gámez Miguel , Elizalde Jose , Fccp Tomás Pulido , Sandoval Julio ,   The REMEHIP Investigators
Published: June 2024

Data on demographic characteristics and therapeutic approaches in Latin American pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients are scarce. Pulmonary Hypertension Mexican registry (REMEHIP) is a multicenter Mexican registry of adult and pediatric patients, including prevalent and incident cases. Objective: assess clinical characteristics, treatment trends, and in‐hospital outcomes. Inclusion: age >2 years, diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) (groups 1 and 4), right heart catheterization with mPAP ≥25 mmHg, PWP ≤ 15 mmHg, and PVR > 3 Wood unit (WU). We included 875 PH patients, 619 adults, 133 pediatric idiopathic PAH (IPAH), and 123 chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) patients. We enrolled 48.4% of the incident and 51.6% of the prevalent adult and pediatric patients. PAH adults: age 43 ± 15, females 81.9%, functional class (FC) (I/II) 66.5%, 6‐min walk distance (6MWD) 378 ± 112 m, mPAP 57.3 ± 19.0 mmHg, confidence interval (CI) 3.3 ± 1.5 L/min/m2, PVR 12.0 ± 8.1 WU. PAH pediatrics: age 9 ± 5, females 51.1%, FC (I/II) 85.5%, 6MWD 376 ± 103 m, mPAP 49.7 ± 13.4 mmHg, CI 2.6 ± 0.9 L/min/m2, PVR 16.4 ± 13.5 WU. CTEPH: age 44 ± 17, females 56.1%, FC (I/II) 65.5%, 6MWD 369 ± 126 m, mPAP 49.7 ± 13.4 mmHg, CI 2.6 ± 0.9 L/min/m2, PVR 10.5 + 6.5 WU. When we analyzed the IPAH group separately, it sustained a high functional class I/II incidence. REMEHIP shows better functional class in young females with severe PAH than in American and European patients. Also, PAH pediatric patients had a better functional class than other registries. However, our registry also shows that our population's access to specific pharmacologic treatments is still far from optimal.
Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on psoriatic arthritis: A multiregional observational study
Authors: Yao Ranran , Liang Renge , Lu Jing , Li Hongxia , Zhou Qiao , Li Yuhui , Xu Liling , Cheng Gong , Jia Yuan , Su Yin
Published: June 2024

Background

Little is known about the characteristics of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID‐19 on PsA progression and comprehend the role of COVID‐19 vaccination in the infection course.

Methods

A total of 163 adult patients with PsA from 15 province‐level regions in China were enrolled in this multiregional observational study from January 14, 2023, to March 22, 2023. Data on patient demographics, COVID‐19 status, and disease characteristics were collected through a structured questionnaire survey.

Results

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infections could worsen PsA, with 29.0% (36/124) of patients experiencing deteriorating symptoms. Psoriasis was the symptom that was most exacerbated (22, 61.1%), followed by peripheral arthritis (19, 52.8%) and dactylitis (9, 25.0%). Compared with the patients whose arthritic condition was stable before contracting COVID‐19, those with active PsA experienced more severe COVID‐19 symptoms, reporting higher self‐assessed symptom severity scores and a greater prevalence of dyspnea (42.9% [6/14] vs. 7.3% [9/123]). Moreover, although full vaccination (≥2 doses) could not prevent COVID‐19, it could alleviate the infection symptoms, including diarrhea, fatigue, appetite changes, and axial joint pain. Additionally, fully vaccinated individuals had a higher probability of avoiding deterioration of their PsA condition after infection.

Conclusions

Active PsA and lack of COVID‐19 vaccination are risk factors for worsening COVID‐19 symptoms and PsA condition after infection. The evidence from this real‐world study suggests that COVID‐19 may exacerbate PsA.
Imprints of large‐scale climate oscillations on river flow in selected Canadian river catchments
Authors: Olusola Adeyemi , Ogunjo Samuel , Olusegun Christiana F.
Published: June 2024

We investigated the impacts of six major climate oscillations on river flow at three stations within the Humber catchments (located in Ontario, ON and Newfoundland and Labrador, NL) from 1970 to 2020 using sensitivity and wavelet analyses. Results indicate that the discharge at East Humber River near Pine (ON) exhibits the highest statistically significant sensitivity, with 0.304 and 0.394 monthly units to the Dipole Mode Index (DMI) and Tropical North Atlantic (TNA), respectively. Monthly significance analysis also highlights the diverse influence of large‐scale climate oscillations on river flow across the three locations. Wavelet analysis reveals significant active multidecadal oscillations for the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) at East Humber River near Pine, with high spectral power. We confirmed that stations within ON demonstrate sensitivities in a similar direction to the large‐scale climate oscillations, contrasting with those observed at NL. The observed inconsistency in the relationship between large‐scale climate oscillations and, for instance, NAO at various locations suggests that the impacts of climate oscillations may manifest differently in different regions. Overall, while inland stations exhibit similar sensitivity patterns, the coastal station demonstrates distinct responses, highlighting the importance of geographical context in understanding the impacts of large‐scale climate oscillations on river flow dynamics.
A sparse factor model for clustering high‐dimensional longitudinal data
Authors: Lu Zihang , Chandra Noirrit Kiran
Published: June 2024

Recent advances in engineering technologies have enabled the collection of a large number of longitudinal features. This wealth of information presents unique opportunities for researchers to investigate the complex nature of diseases and uncover underlying disease mechanisms. However, analyzing such kind of data can be difficult due to its high dimensionality, heterogeneity and computational challenges. In this article, we propose a Bayesian nonparametric mixture model for clustering high‐dimensional mixed‐type (eg, continuous, discrete and categorical) longitudinal features. We employ a sparse factor model on the joint distribution of random effects and the key idea is to induce clustering at the latent factor level instead of the original data to escape the curse of dimensionality. The number of clusters is estimated through a Dirichlet process prior. An efficient Gibbs sampler is developed to estimate the posterior distribution of the model parameters. Analysis of real and simulated data is presented and discussed. Our study demonstrates that the proposed model serves as a useful analytical tool for clustering high‐dimensional longitudinal data.
Fluorine Rich Borate Salt Anion Based Electrolyte for High Voltage Sodium Metal Battery Development
Authors: Lohani Harshita , Duncan Dale T. , Qin Xueping , Kumari Pratima , Kar Mega , Sengupta Abhinanda , Ahuja Aakash , Bhowmik Arghya , Mitra Sagar
Published: June 2024

This study demonstrates the enhanced performance in high‐voltage sodium full cells using a novel electrolyte composition featuring a highly fluorinated borate ester anion (1 M Na[B(hfip)4].3DME) in a binary carbonate mixture (EC:EMC), compared to a conventional electrolyte (1 M Na[PF6] EC:EMC). The prolonged cycling performance of sodium metal battery employing high voltage cathodes (NVPF@C@CNT and NFMO) is attributed to uniform and dense sodium deposition along with the formation of fluorine and boron‐rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the sodium metal anode. Simultaneously, a robust cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) is formed on the cathode side due to the improved electrochemical stability window and superior aluminum passivation of the novel electrolyte. The CEIs on high‐voltage cathodes are discovered to be abundant in C‐F, B‐O, and B‐F components, which contributes to long‐term cycling stability by effectively suppressing undesirable side reactions and mitigating electrolyte decomposition. The participation of DME in the primary solvation shell coupled with the comparatively weaker interaction between Na+ and [B(hfip)4]− in the secondary solvation shell, provides additional confirmation of labile desolvation. This, in turn, supports the active participation of the anion in the formation of fluorine and boron‐rich interphases on both the anode and cathode.
Droplet Microfluidics Powered Hydrogel Microparticles for Stem Cell‐Mediated Biomedical Applications
Authors: Zheng Fangqiao , Tian Ruizhi , Lu Hongxu , Liang Xiao , Shafiq Muhammad , Uchida Satoshi , Chen Hangrong , Ma Ming
Published: June 2024

Stem cell‐related therapeutic technologies have garnered significant attention of the research community for their multi‐faceted applications. To promote the therapeutic effects of stem cells, the strategies for cell microencapsulation in hydrogel microparticles have been widely explored, as the hydrogel microparticles have the potential to facilitate oxygen diffusion and nutrient transport alongside their ability to promote crucial cell‐cell and cell‐matrix interactions. Despite their significant promise, there is an acute shortage of automated, standardized, and reproducible platforms to further stem cell‐related research. Microfluidics offers an intriguing platform to produce stem cell‐laden hydrogel microparticles (SCHMs) owing to its ability to manipulate the fluids at the micrometer scale as well as precisely control the structure and composition of microparticles. In this review, the typical biomaterials and crosslinking methods for microfluidic encapsulation of stem cells as well as the progress in droplet‐based microfluidics for the fabrication of SCHMs are outlined. Moreover, the important biomedical applications of SCHMs are highlighted, including regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, scale‐up production of stem cells, and microenvironmental simulation for fundamental cell studies. Overall, microfluidics holds tremendous potential for enabling the production of diverse hydrogel microparticles and is worthy for various stem cell‐related biomedical applications.
Ion Coupling, Bonding, and Transfer in Narrow Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Neklyudov Vadim , Freger Viatcheslav
Published: June 2024

Narrow carbon nanotubes (nCNT) are unique mimics of biological channels with water‐ion selectivity attractive for applications such as water purification and osmotic energy harvesting, yet their understanding is still incomplete. Here, an ab initio computation is employed to develop the full picture of ion transfer in nCNT including specificity and coupling between ions. The thermodynamic costs of ion transfer are computed for single ions and ion pairs and used to evaluate different local coupling scenarios including strong (pairing) and weak (free‐ion) coupling as well as “electroneutrality breakdown” (EB), possible for cations only due to their chemisorption‐like interaction with nCNT. The results also indicate that nCNT behaves as a highly polarizable metal‐like shell, which eliminates the dielectric energy when CNT accommodates coupled cation and anion. This allows facile computation and comparison of the full transfer costs, including translation entropy, for different ions in different coupling modes to identify the dominant regime. EB transfer appears most favorable for K+, while anions strongly favor transfer as pairs, except for chloride which favors weak coupling and, at neutral pH, transfers as a trace ion coupled to both cation and OH−. The results demonstrate that, in general, observed ion permeation and conduction in nCNT, especially for anions, reflect a complex ion‐specific and composition‐dependent interplay between different ions.
Oriented Metal Stripping for Highly Reversible Zinc Anode
Authors: Zhang Shimeng , Wu Yu , Gao Jianxiong , Song Yanyun , Jin Bowen , Shao Mingfei
Published: June 2024

Aqueous zinc metal batteries are a viable candidate for next‐generation energy storage systems, but suffer from poor cycling efficiency of the Zn anode. Emerging approaches aim to regulate zinc plating behavior to suppress uncontrolled dendrites, while the stripping process is seldom considered. Herein, an oriented metal stripping strategy is demonstrated to stabilize the Zn anode by removing high‐index facets for exposing the (002) plane through the addition of anionic additive sodium citrate (SC). Consequently, high‐index facets that coordinate strongly with SC are preferentially stripped out due to a reduced stripping barrier, rendering stable (002) facet preponderant in epitaxial plating. After repeat stripping/plating, the ultra‐high proportion of 93% for (002) and large‐size grains of ≈100 µm (six times larger than before) can be obtained. Zn anode shows continuous 25 000 cycles with low overpotential at 100 mA cm−2 in symmetric cells and more than 70 h of stable operation even at an ultra‐high depth of discharge of 92.3%. Moreover, an extremely long lifespan of 12 000 cycles at 10 A g−1 with a high capacity retention of 89% is achieved by the assembled Zn//I2 battery. This work provides a distinctive approach to improving the stripping process to design highly efficient zinc anodes for promising aqueous zinc metal batteries.
A Sunlight‐Driven Self‐Cleaning CuCo‐MOF Composite Membrane for Highly Efficient Emulsion Separation and Water Purification
Authors: He Xuanting , Wu Zixuan , Lu Jihan , Liu Jiaxiang , Li Boyu , Liu Xiaohui , Tao Wenquan , Li Zhuo
Published: June 2024

The fouling phenomenon of membranes has hindered the rapid development of separation technology in wastewater treatment. The integration of materials into membranes with both excellent separation performance and self‐cleaning properties still pose challenges. Here, a self‐assembled composite membrane with solar‐driven self‐cleaning performance is reported for the treatment of complex oil‐water emulsions. The mechanical robustness of the composite membrane is enhanced by the electrostatic attraction between chitosan and metal–organic frameworks (MOF) CuCo‐HHTP as well as the crosslinking effect of glutaraldehyde. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations also revealed the hydrogen bonding interaction between chitosan and CuCo‐HHTP. The composite membrane of CuCo‐HHTP‐5@CS/MPVDF exhibits a high flux ranging from 700.6 to 2350.6 L∙m−2∙h−1∙bar−1 and excellent separation efficiency (>99.0%) for various oil–water emulsions, including crude oil, kerosene, and other light oils. The addition of CuCo‐HHTP shows remarkable photothermal effects, thus demonstrating excellent solar‐driven self‐cleaning capability and antibacterial performance (with an efficiency of ≈100%). Furthermore, CuCo‐HHTP‐5@CS/MPVDF can activate peroxomonosulfate (PMS) under sunlight, quickly removing oil‐fouling and dyes. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the bimetallic sites of Cu and Co in CuCo‐HHTP effectively promoted the activation of PMS. This study provides distinctive insights into the multifaceted applications of MOFs‐derived photothermal anti‐fouling composite membranes.
In Situ Electrochemical Polymerization of Cathode Electrolyte Interphase Enabling High‐Performance Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Sun Shipeng , Yu Jiangtao , Ma Xinyu , Fang Pengda , Yang Mingchen , Yang Jinhua , Wu Mingzhu , Hu Yin , Yan Feng
Published: June 2024

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) with high‐voltage nickel‐rich cathodes show great potential as energy storage devices due to their exceptional capacity and power density. However, the detrimental parasitic side reactions at the cathode electrolyte interface result in rapid capacity decay. Herein, a polymerizable electrolyte additive, pyrrole‐1‐propionic acid (PA), which can be in situ electrochemically polymerized on the cathode surface and involved in forming cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) film during cycling is proposed. The formed CEI film prevents the formation of microcracks in LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) secondary particles and mitigates parasitic reactions. Additionally, the COO− anions of PA promote the acceleration of Li+ transport from cathode particles and increase charging rates. The Li||NCM811 batteries with PA in the electrolyte exhibit a high capacity retention of 83.83% after 200 cycles at 4.3 V, and maintain 80.88% capacity after 150 cycles at 4.6 V. This work provides an effective strategy for enhancing interface stability of high‐voltage nickel‐rich cathodes by forming stable CEI film.
In Situ Construction of Highly Dispersed Pd on Cobalt Nanoparticle on Hollow Functional Cubic Graphene by Double Framework for ORR
Authors: Fei Shiyuan , He Zejin , Yang Shuai , Li Ji , Li Xuewen , Zhao Hongbin , Xu Qing , Liu Xiaosong , Jiang Zheng
Published: June 2024

Developing advanced functional carbon materials is essential for electrocatalysis, caused by their vast merits for boosting many key energy conversion reactions. Herein, the covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is utilized on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as the template, under the controllable metal atoms thermal migration process successfully in situ constructs Pd–Co alloy nanoparticles on hollow cubic graphene. The electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) evaluation showed excellent performances with a half‐wave potential of 0.866 V, and a limited current density of 4.975 mA cm−2, that superior to the commercial Pt/C and Co nanoparticles. The contrast experiments and X‐ray absorption spectrum demonstrated the aggregated electrons at highly dispersed Pd atoms on Co nanoparticle that promoted the main activities. This work not only enlightens the novel carbon materials designing strategies but also suggests heterogeneous electrocatalysis.
Optimizing Surface State Electrons of Topological Semi‐Metal by Atomic Doping for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Su Meixia , Zhang Yuhao , Liu Guo , Jiang Haiqing , Lin Yuan , Ding Yan , Wu Qingfeng , Wei Wei , Wang Xinge , Wu Tianyu , Tao Kun , Chen Changcheng , Xie Erqing , Zhang Zhenxing
Published: June 2024

Topological materials carrying topological surface states (TSSs) have extraordinary carrier mobility and robustness, which provide a new platform for searching for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts. However, the majority of these TSSs originate from the sp band of topological quantum catalysts rather than the d band. Here, based on the density functional theory calculation, it is reported a topological semimetal Pd3Sn carrying TSSs mainly derived from d orbital and proposed that optimizing surface state electrons of Pd3Sn by introduction heteroatoms (Ni) can promote hybridization between hydrogen atoms and electrons, thereby reducing the Gibbs free energy (ΔGH) of adsorbed hydrogen and improving its HER performance. Moreover, this is well verified by electrocatalytic experiment results, the Ni‐doped Pd3Sn (Ni0.1Pd2.9Sn) show much lower overpotential (−29 mV vs RHE) and Tafel slope (17 mV dec−1) than Pd3Sn (−39 mV vs RHE, 25 mV dec−1) at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. Significantly, the Ni0.1Pd2.9Sn nanoparticles exhibit excellent stability for HER. The electrocatalytic activity of Ni0.1Pd2.9Sn nanoparticles is superior to that of commercial Pt. This work provides an accurate guide for manipulating surface state electrons to improve the HER performance of catalysts.
Quantitative Single‐Cell Comparison of Sensitization to Radiation and a Radiomimetic Drug for Diverse Gold Nanoparticle Coatings
Authors: Howard Douglas , Turnbull Tyron , Wilson Puthenparampil , Paterson David John , Milanova Valentina , Thierry Benjamin , Kempson Ivan
Published: June 2024

Metal‐based nanoparticles (NPs) have entered clinical use for enhancing radiotherapy, but the underlying mechanisms remain ambiguous. Herein, single‐cell analysis of two cell lines in response to megavolt irradiation and a radiomimetic drug, neocarzinostatin (NCS) after coculture with gold NPs with different surface coatings, polyethylene glycol (AuPEG), PEG, and transferrin (AuT) or silica (AuSiO2), is reported. Different surface chemistry presents a major challenge for objective comparison between the biological impacts where major differences in cell‐uptake exist. AuSiO2 NPs are the most efficient for promoting radiosensitization despite being associated with cells 10 times less than the actively targeted AuT NPs. Conversely, for cells exposed to NCS, AuSiO2 NPs impede the radiomimetic action and promote cell survival. AuT NPs enhance death of cells in combination with NCS showing that NPs can sensitize against cytotoxic agents in addition to radiation. While NPs contribute to radiosensitization (or enhancing/impeding chemotherapeutic drug activity), due to cell and cell line heterogeneity, the ultimate radiosensitivity of a cell appears to be dominated by its inherent radiosensitivity and how this cell‐regulated response is manipulated by NPs. This is evidenced through comparison of radiobiological response of cells with equivalent NP association rather than equivalent coculture conditions.
Filler Particle Size Effect on Electrically and Thermally Properties of Thermal Conductive Thermoplastic Polyimide/Hexagonal Boron Nitride Composite Materials Fabricated by the Electrostatic Adsorption Method
Authors: Murakami Yoshinobu , Ichiba Yujin , Kawashima Tomohiro , Hozumi Naohiro
Published: June 2024

Composite materials with high heat dissipation and acceptable insulating properties are being developed. Minimizing filler contacts in the composite and is crucial for composite insulating materials. Here, an electrostatic adsorption method was used to prepare thermoplastic polyimide (tpPI) / orientation micro‐sized hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) composite insulating materials. Then the effects of h‐BN particle size on the thermal conductivity and DC breakdown strength were investigated. Additionally, the finite element method was used for heat conduction analysis and the results were compared to the measurements. The particle size of the h‐BN significantly influences the dc breakdown strength and the thermal conductivity. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Conclusion
Authors: Tokdoğan Nagehan
Published: June 2024

In the concluding part, I wrap up the discussion of this book and argue that, due to the Neo-Ottomanist symbolic politics, ‘Turks remembered the Ottomans again’. The emphasis on Islam as a major constituent of Turkish national identity has arisen as ‘the return of the repressed’ through the Neo-Ottomanist narrative. I argue that one of the reasons for the endurance of the AKP and its politics of emotions centred around this narrative, is its undeniable appeal to the emotional needs of some segments of society. Nevertheless, I argue that, given the current conditions of the country, this way of conducting politics for the AKP is no longer sustainable, and that the country is experiencing an identity crisis under Erdoğan’s autocratic regime.
The Wave-Memory Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
Authors: Castro Paulo
Published: June 2024

Present quantum mechanics has been a source of puzzlement since its inception in 1927. The theory has been undoubtedly successful predicting results in a large number of experimental situations. However, its heavy epistemological legacy, coming from the initial ideas of Niels Bohr about complementarity and about the possibility for physical description, has turned quantum mechanics in a kind of ontological black box. This work is an attempt to overcome such epistemological opacity, proposing an interpretation that will present Bohrian quantum mechanics formalism and the pilot-wave framework as two complementary and mutually non-exclusive theoretical descriptions of quantum phenomena. The two theories will, hopefully, become the foundations of a new and more complete approach to quantum reality. One that will, simultaneously, serve as a highly efficient predictive formalism and also as an intelligible description about quantum phenomena in four-dimensional spacetime. I will start from the pilot-wave framework, proposing that quantum waves are memory carrying structures that encode probabilistic distributions of the fundamental behaviors of corpuscles. This nomological information, as I will call it, will have a necessitarian weight upon all corpuscles behaviors, in the sense that the only behaviors allowed in Nature are the ones that can be encoded or have been encoded in the quantum wave carriers. Such a picture of quantum physics will imply that corpuscles exchange nomological information with the carrier waves, by means of the guidage or pilot-wave effect. Secondly, I will suggest that the actual Bohrian quantum mechanics formalism, the one used in the Copenhagen School interpretation, describes not the actual states and properties of quantum corpuscular entities, but the nomological information about those states and properties. As such Bohrian quantum mechanics is a description about not the actual physical observable dynamics, but about the dynamics of the nomological information encoded in the carrier quantum waves. The adoption and consistent interplay of both theoretical descriptions, pilot-wave mode and Bohrian mode, will serve epistemological completeness in the study of quantum phenomena.
Introduction
Authors: Chircop Aldo , Goerlandt Floris , Aporta Claudio , Pelot Ronald
Published: June 2024

This chapter introduces area-based management (ABM) in shipping against the historical and policy backdrop of control of international navigation in defined areas of ocean space, culminating with the development of the international law of the sea in the twentieth century. The problematique of ABM in shipping is set out as a deliberate and scientifically supported exercise guided by multiple factors, including how risks posed by ships and risks posed to ships are scientifically assessed and perceived by regulators, rightsholders, stakeholders, and the public at large. Finally, the chapter describes the book’s purposes, approach, research context, structure, and chapters.
Addressing the Cumulative Effects of Marine Shipping Through Area-Based Management Approaches
Authors: Doucette Paula , Mansfield Samuel
Published: June 2024

Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) is a comprehensive initiative launched by the Government of Canada to enhance marine safety, protect marine ecosystems, engage with coastal communities, and improve evidence-based decision-making. The OPP focuses on safeguarding Canadian coasts and waterways by implementing measures to prevent and respond to marine incidents, supporting research and innovation, and establishing stronger Indigenous partnerships to address maritime concerns and promote sustainable marine practices. Under the Oceans Protection Plan, Transport Canada’s Cumulative Effects of Marine Shipping (CEMS) initiative has been working in seven regions of Canada to assess and address the regional cumulative effects of marine shipping, in partnership with Indigenous peoples and guided by the principles of reconciliation. The goal of this chapter is to showcase how area-based management (ABM) is applied in the CEMS initiative by first providing background on the CEMS initiative from a broad perspective and then examining linkages between the initiative and ABM approaches. A case study is described from one regional CEMS assessment being conducted along a section of the Northwest Passage in southern Victoria Island, Nunavut, which resulted in the development of a voluntary measure using an ABM approach to mitigate the impacts of icebreaking activities on caribou migration and hunter safety.
Risk Analysis for Vessel Accident Prevention in Marine Areas: An Accident-Theoretic Perspective on Spatial Aspects of Risk
Authors: Goerlandt Floris
Published: June 2024

Area-based marine management approaches aim to mitigate the risks and impacts of shipping on human safety at sea and on ecosystems in marine and coastal environments. Through various regulatory initiatives and policy practices, risk assessment has been established as an important element to support decision-making for area-based marine management. This chapter focuses on the use of risk assessment for supporting decisions to manage navigational risks through risk control measures such as the design of vessel traffic separation schemes, the selection and positioning of aids to navigation, and the definition of operational requirements from a vessel traffic management perspective. To facilitate further developments in this domain, this chapter provides a brief overview of risk analysis techniques currently promoted at the international level, and selected approaches proposed in the academic literature are outlined. A discussion is provided on these selected techniques, through the lens of accident causation theories, focusing on how aspects related to the marine space are conceptualized in these techniques. Finally, directions for future research and development are outlined.
Assessing the impacts of EU agricultural policies on the sustainability of the livestock sector: a review of the recent literature
Authors: Adams Nina , Sans Ariane , Trier Kreutzfeldt Karen-Emilie , Arias Escobar Maria Alejandra , Oudshoorn Frank Willem , Bolduc Nathalie , Aubert Pierre-Marie , Smith Laurence Graham
Published: June 2024

How do agricultural policies in the EU need to change to increase the sustainability of livestock production, and what measures could encourage sustainable practices whilst minimising trade-offs? Addressing such questions is crucial to ensure progress towards proclaimed targets whilst moving production levels to planetary boundaries. However, a lack of available evidence on the impacts of recent policies hinders developments in this direction. In this review, we address this knowledge gap, by collating and evaluating recent policy analyses, using three complementary frameworks. The review highlights that recent policy reforms, and especially those of the Common Agricultural Policy, have had a large impact on the sustainability of the livestock sector by contributing to intensification and simplification. This has often resulted in negative impacts (e.g. on greenhouse gas emissions and animal welfare) and while financial support has enabled production, it can also lead to a culture of dependency that limits innovation. At the same time, a lack of regulation and concrete targets, and low levels of stakeholder engagement in policy design have led to delays in the delivery of sustainability objectives. Future policies could take on-board more innovative thinking that addresses the interrelatedness of society, animals, and the environment, to deliver effective targets and support.
An effective multiclass skin cancer classification approach based on deep convolutional neural network
Authors: Houssein Essam H. , Abdelkareem Doaa A. , Hu Gang , Hameed Mohamed Abdel , Ibrahim Ibrahim A. , Younan Mina
Published: June 2024

Skin cancer is one of the most dangerous types of cancer due to its immediate appearance and the possibility of rapid spread. It arises from uncontrollably growing cells, rapidly dividing cells in one area of the body, invading other bodily tissues, and spreading throughout the body. Early detection helps prevent cancer progress from reaching critical levels, reducing the risk of complications and the need for more aggressive treatment options. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) revolutionize skin cancer diagnosis by extracting intricate features from images, enabling an accurate classification of lesions. Their role extends to early detection, providing a powerful tool for dermatologists to identify abnormalities in their nascent stages, ultimately improving patient outcomes. This study proposes a novel deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) approach to classifying skin cancer lesions. The proposed DCNN model is evaluated using two unbalanced datasets, namely HAM10000 and ISIC-2019. The DCNN model is compared with other transfer learning models, including VGG16, VGG19, DenseNet121, DenseNet201, and MobileNetV2. Its performance is assessed using four widely used evaluation metrics: accuracy, recall, precision, F1-score, specificity, and AUC. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed DCNN model outperforms other deep learning (DL) models that utilized these datasets. The proposed DCNN model achieved the highest accuracy with the HAM10000 and ISIC-2019 datasets, reaching $$98.5\%$$

98.5
%

and $$97.1\%$$

97.1
%

, respectively. These experimental results show how competitive and successful the DCNN model is in overcoming the problems caused by class imbalance and raising skin cancer classification accuracy. Furthermore, the proposed model demonstrates superior performance, particularly excelling in terms of accuracy, compared to other recent studies that utilize the same datasets, which highlights the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed DCNN.
Scrutinizing different predictive modeling validation methodologies and data-partitioning strategies: new insights using groundwater modeling case study
Authors: Lal Alvin , Sharan Ashneel , Sharma Krishneel , Ram Arishma , Roy Dilip Kumar , Datta Bithin
Published: June 2024

Groundwater salinity is a critical factor affecting water quality and ecosystem health, with implications for various sectors including agriculture, industry, and public health. Hence, the reliability and accuracy of groundwater salinity predictive models are paramount for effective decision-making in managing groundwater resources. This pioneering study presents the validation of a predictive model aimed at forecasting groundwater salinity levels using three different validation methods and various data partitioning strategies. This study tests three different data validation methodologies with different data-partitioning strategies while developing a group method of data handling (GMDH)-based model for predicting groundwater salinity concentrations in a coastal aquifer system. The three different methods are the hold-out strategy (last and random selection), k-fold cross-validation, and the leave-one-out method. In addition, various combinations of data-partitioning strategies are also used while using these three validation methodologies. The prediction model’s validation results are assessed using various statistical indices such as root mean square error (RMSE), means squared error (MSE), and coefficient of determination (R2). The results indicate that for monitoring wells 1, 2, and 3, the hold-out (random) with 40% data partitioning strategy gave the most accurate predictive model in terms of RMSE statistical indices. Also, the results suggested that the GMDH-based models behave differently with different validation methodologies and data-partitioning strategies giving better salinity predictive capabilities. In general, the results justify that various model validation methodologies and data-partitioning strategies yield different results due to their inherent differences in how they partition the data, assess model performance, and handle sources of bias and variance. Therefore, it is important to use them in conjunction to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the groundwater salinity prediction model's behavior and performance.
Curvature-constrained Steiner networks with three terminals
Authors: Grossman Peter A. , Kirszenblat David , Brazil Marcus , Rubinstein J. Hyam , Thomas Doreen A.
Published: June 2024

A procedure is presented for finding the shortest network connecting three given undirected points, subject to a curvature constraint on both the path joining two of the points and the path that connects to the third point. The problem is a generalisation of the Fermat–Torricelli problem and is related to a shortest curvature-constrained path problem that was solved by Dubins. The procedure has the potential to be applied to the optimal design of decline networks in underground mines.
The Effectiveness of Preventative Interventions to Reduce Mental Health Problems in at-risk Children and Young People: A Systematic Review of Reviews
Authors: McGovern R. , Balogun-Katung A. , Artis B. , Bareham B. , Spencer L. , Alderson H. , Brown E. , Brown J. , Lingam R. , McArdle P. , Newham J. J. , Wojciechowska A. , Rankin J. , Redgate S. , Thomason P. , Kaner E.
Published: June 2024

Mental health problems are the leading cause of childhood disability worldwide, resulting in poor outcomes for children and young people that persist into adulthood. It is essential that those young people most at risk of developing mental health problems receive effective preventative interventions. Whilst there have been a number of systematic reviews which have examined the effectiveness of secondary prevention interventions for specific groups of children and young people, or to address identified mental health concerns, no review has engaged with the breadth of this literature. We conducted a systematic review of systematic reviews to map this complex field of secondary preventative interventions and identify effective interventions to prevent mental health problems in children and adolescents aged 3–17 years. The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO. We searched five electronic databases from inception to February 2023. The certainty of the evidence was appraised using the AMSTAR 2. We included 49 unique systematic reviews each including between 2 and 249 (mean 34) unique studies; the majority of which were reviews which included only or mostly randomised controlled trials (70%). The reviews examined selective interventions (defined as interventions which are delivered to sub-group populations of young people at increased risk of mental health problems) (n = 22), indicated interventions (defined as interventions which target young people who are found to have pre-clinical symptoms) (n = 15) or a synthesis of both (n = 12). The certainty of the evidence in the reviews was rated as high, (n = 12) moderate (n = 5), low (n = 9) and critically low (n = 23). We found evidence to support both selective and indicated interventions in a range of populations and settings, with most of this evidence available for children and young people in their mid-years (6–10 years) and early adolescence (11–13 years). There was a large body of evidence suggesting that resilience enhancing, cognitive behaviour therapy-based and psychoeducational interventions for children who experience adversity, or those with subclinical externalising problems may offer promise. Early selective interventions for a subpopulation of children and young people who have experienced adversity which combines risk reduction and resilience enhancing approaches directed at children and their families may be effective at reducing mental health problems.
Release of elements and phenolic and flavonoid compounds from herbs and spices into acacia honey during infusion
Authors: Czipa Nikolett , Phillips Clive J. C. , Topa Emőke , Kovács Béla
Published: June 2024

Acacia honey was infused with basil, oregano, marjoram, dill, garlic or cinnamon at infusion rates of 0–5% by mass for a 6 months period. After removal of the infusates, macro and micro element concentrations were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined spectroscopically. The greatest release of elements, phenols and flavonoids, (% release/1% infusion rate) were for phenols (1.22–3.74, respectively), flavonoids (0.12–2.18), K (0.39–0.78), P (0.14–0.87), and S (0.07–0.85). The least release was for Ba (0.04–0.17), Fe (0.03–0.41) and B (− 0.006 to 2.33). Dill showed the most important effect on the Na concentration of honey enriched (at 5.00%) with > 90 times higher content (328 ± 4 mg/kg) compared to control honey (3.46 ± 0.07 mg/kg). Sr content was more than 50 times higher in honey enriched with marjoram (1383 ± 10 µg/kg), and honey enriched with dill showed more than 30 times higher Fe content (4112 ± 14 µg/kg). Enrichment with dill had the greatest effect on Ca, Cu, K, Mg, Na and Fe content of control honey, and garlic had the most important effect on the B, P, S, Zn, TP and TF content. Enrichment with these herbs and spices resulted in increases in element, total phenolic and flavonoid content of acacia honey.