bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on consumption behaviors through recession and recovery patterns
Authors: Chen Rui , Li Tong , Li Yong
Published: January 2024

The COVID-19 outbreak has dramatically impacted the economy, particularly consumption behaviors. Studies on how consumption responses to COVID-19 can be a powerful aid for urban consumption recovery. In this paper, based on a high-frequency consumption dataset from January 6, 2020, to April 28, 2020 covering 18 sectors and dataset from the corresponding lunar period in 2021, we look at how COVID-19 changed how people spent their money by looking at patterns of recession and recovery during the pandemic. Specifically, we first explore the recession-recovery pattern of national consumption and the effects of various policies and quantify it using regression methods. Then, recession-recovery patterns across cities are widely studied. We also reveal how consumption structures change during a pandemic and the relationship between patterns of change in citizens’ consumption and the socioeconomic characteristics of cities. And the specific empirical analysis is provided through panel regression models. In general, national consumption represented a Vshaped pattern during the pandemic, experiencing a dramatic decline and a rapid rebound. Consumption is significantly inhibited by lockdown, while it is stimulated positively but gradually by easing policies. Consumption patterns at the city level are associated with socioeconomic characteristics. Cities with high-income groups experience a more significant decline, and cities with a high share of the secondary sector have a higher recovery rate in consumption. The consumption structure redistributes but does not fundamentally change. During the recession and early recovery phase, consumption related to basic living saw a significant rise, whereas leisure-related consumption dropped dramatically and recovered slowly. Our study can assist policymakers in implementing diversified market provisions and targeted lockdown policy adjustments for consumption recovery in cities with different socioeconomic backgrounds.
Enhancement of optical levitation with hyperbolic metamaterials
Authors: Paralı Ufuk , Üstün Kadir , Giden İbrahim Halil
Published: January 2024

The tightly focused laser beam in an optical trap has become a useful tool for many recent research areas. The momentum change in the photon-stream path of incident laser beam induces radiation force that enables trapping and manipulating mesoscopic micron-sized objects. In this study, we report the first analytical demonstration of optical trapping and levitation with radiation pressure on a transparent micron-sized spherical object made of hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM). The optical radial and axial forces acting on dielectric and HMM spherical particles are calculated using ray-optics approximation, assuming an optical levitation trapping setup. We compared the net force acting on the two objects, finding that the net radiation force exerted towards HMM particle is enhanced in the axial direction: The optical force enhancement in the HMM particle is more than ~ 8 times stronger compared to the induced force on the conventional dielectric particle with the corresponding material parameters. Besides, a better performance in the radial stabilization is observed for the HMM particle in comparison with the dielectric case, at which some oscillations and unstable saturation locations for the radial stabilization is monitored for TEM00 beam incidence. Furthermore, “zero-force” paths where radial stabilization of the HMM particle exists are also obtained for both TEM00 and $$TEM_{01}^{*}$$

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laser beam incidences. Such phenomenon does not occur for particles of only dielectric and only metal material, which can be considered as another superiority of the proposed HMM particle.
Identifying key soil characteristics for Francisella tularensis classification with optimized Machine learning models
Authors: Ahmad Fareed , Javed Kashif , Tahir Ahsen , Khan Muhammad Usman Ghani , Abbas Mateen , Rabbani Masood , Shabbir Muhammad Zubair
Published: January 2024

Francisella tularensis (Ft) poses a significant threat to both animal and human populations, given its potential as a bioweapon. Current research on the classification of this pathogen and its relationship with soil physical–chemical characteristics often relies on traditional statistical methods. In this study, we leverage advanced machine learning models to enhance the prediction of epidemiological models for soil-based microbes. Our model employs a two-stage feature ranking process to identify crucial soil attributes and hyperparameter optimization for accurate pathogen classification using a unique soil attribute dataset. Optimization involves various classification algorithms, including Support Vector Machines (SVM), Ensemble Models (EM), and Neural Networks (NN), utilizing Bayesian and Random search techniques. Results indicate the significance of soil features such as clay, nitrogen, soluble salts, silt, organic matter, and zinc , while identifying the least significant ones as potassium, calcium, copper, sodium, iron, and phosphorus. Bayesian optimization yields the best results, achieving an accuracy of 86.5% for SVM, 81.8% for EM, and 83.8% for NN. Notably, SVM emerges as the top-performing classifier, with an accuracy of 86.5% for both Bayesian and Random Search optimizations. The insights gained from employing machine learning techniques enhance our understanding of the environmental factors influencing Ft’s persistence in soil. This, in turn, reduces the risk of false classifications, contributing to better pandemic control and mitigating socio-economic impacts on communities.
Smart energy management in residential buildings: the impact of knowledge and behavior
Authors: Hakawati Baraa , Mousa Allam , Draidi Fadi
Published: January 2024

A new technology called smart energy management makes use of IoT concepts to enhance energy efficiency and lower waste in structures. The goal of this study is to comprehend how household energy management knowledge affects energy usage, user behavior, related expenses, and environmental effect. Through a survey of 100 valid replies in Palestine, the research model assessed the knowledge and consumption habits of building occupants. Smart PLS software was used to analyze the research model using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Using path coefficients and behavior as a mediating variable, the structural model connected the latent variables. The mediation hypotheses were tested using the Preacher and Hayes method, and the indirect effect and confidence intervals were estimated and calculated using bootstrapping. The findings demonstrated that by lowering energy use and enhancing overall building performance, residential buildings that implement smart energy consumption management systems may move toward a more sustainable future. Furthermore, the study found that education and awareness campaigns are necessary to increase residents’ knowledge of these systems to promote energy savings. The results also indicated statistically significant indirect effects, supporting the existence of mediation of the behavior construct. Path coefficient values and P-values were presented to further support the study’s hypotheses. Such smart energy management systems represent an important innovation in building management and can help create more sustainable and efficient buildings.
The influence of adolescents essential and non-essential use of technology and Internet addiction on their physical and mental fatigues
Authors: Aziz Maryam , Chemnad Khansa , Al-Harahsheh Sanaa , Abdelmoneium Azza O. , Bagdady Ahmed , Hassan Diana Alsayed , Ali Raian
Published: January 2024

This study explores the impact of Internet addiction (IA), age, and essential and non-essential technology usage time on the physical and mental fatigue of adolescents. The research surveyed 477 adolescents from Qatar and employed the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ) and Chalder's Fatigue Scale for data collection. Multiple linear regression and Mann–Whitney U tests were utilized for analysis. The findings indicate that IA, non-essential usage time, and age are positively associated with overall fatigue among adolescents. IA and non-essential usage time are positively linked to physical fatigue, while IA, non-essential usage time, and age are positive predictors of mental fatigue. However, essential usage time is negatively associated with mental fatigue. These results highlight the importance of distinguishing technology usage based on intent and necessity, as well as differentiating between physical and mental fatigue when examining problematic technology usage. This study is among the few conducted in the Middle Eastern context.
The immunity and redox clocks in mice, markers of lifespan
Authors: Félix Judith , Martínez de Toda Irene , Díaz-Del Cerro Estefanía , Gil-Agudo Fernando , De la Fuente Mónica
Published: January 2024

Immune function and redox markers are used for estimating the aging rate, namely biological age (BA). However, it is unknown if this BA and its changes can be reflected in longevity. Thus, we must quantify BA in experimental animals. In peritoneal immune cells of 202 female mice (ICR/CD1) in different ages, 10 immune and 6 redox parameters were evaluated to construct two mathematical models for BA quantification in mice by multiple linear regression. Immune and redox parameters were selected as independent variables and chronological age as dependent, developing two models: the Immunity and the Redox Clocks, reaching both an adjusted R2 of 80.9% and a standard error of 6.38 and 8.57 weeks, respectively. Both models were validated in a different group of healthy mice obtaining a Pearson’s correlation coefficient of 0.844 and 0.800 (p < 0.001) between chronological and BA. Furthermore, they were applied to adult prematurely aging mice, which showed a higher BA than non-prematurely aging mice. Moreover, after positive and negative lifestyle interventions, mice showed a lower and higher BA, respectively, than their age-matched controls. In conclusion, the Immunity and Redox Clocks allow BA quantification in mice and both the ImmunolAge and RedoxAge in mice relate to lifespan.
Microstructural brain abnormalities, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction after mild COVID-19
Authors: Scardua-Silva Lucas , Amorim da Costa Beatriz , Karmann Aventurato Ítalo , Batista Joao Rafael , Machado de Campos Brunno , Rabelo de Brito Mariana , Bechelli José Flávio , Santos Silva Leila Camila , Ferreira dos Santos Alan , Koutsodontis Machado Alvim Marina , Vieira Nunes Ludwig Guilherme , Rocha Cristiane , Kaue Alves Silva Souza Thierry , Mendes Maria Julia , Waku Takeshi , de Oliveira Boldrini Vinicius , Silva Brunetti Natália , Nora Baptista Sophia , da Silva Schmitt Gabriel , Duarte de Sousa Jhulia Gabriela , Marchiori de Oliveira Cardoso Tânia Aparecida , Schwambach Vieira André , Barbosa Santos Leonilda Maria , dos Santos Farias Alessandro , Nogueira Mateus Henrique , Cendes Fernando , Lin Yasuda Clarissa
Published: January 2024

Although some studies have shown neuroimaging and neuropsychological alterations in post-COVID-19 patients, fewer combined neuroimaging and neuropsychology evaluations of individuals who presented a mild acute infection. Here we investigated cognitive dysfunction and brain changes in a group of mildly infected individuals. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 97 consecutive subjects (median age of 41 years) without current or history of psychiatric symptoms (including anxiety and depression) after a mild infection, with a median of 79 days (and mean of 97 days) after diagnosis of COVID-19. We performed semi-structured interviews, neurological examinations, 3T-MRI scans, and neuropsychological assessments. For MRI analyses, we included a group of non-infected 77 controls. The MRI study included white matter (WM) investigation with diffusion tensor images (DTI) and functional connectivity with resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI). The patients reported memory loss (36%), fatigue (31%) and headache (29%). The quantitative analyses confirmed symptoms of fatigue (83% of participants), excessive somnolence (35%), impaired phonemic verbal fluency (21%), impaired verbal categorical fluency (13%) and impaired logical memory immediate recall (16%). The WM analyses with DTI revealed higher axial diffusivity values in post-infected patients compared to controls. Compared to controls, there were no significant differences in the functional connectivity of the posterior cingulum cortex. There were no significant correlations between neuropsychological scores and neuroimaging features (including DTI and RS-fMRI). Our results suggest persistent cognitive impairment and subtle white matter abnormalities in individuals mildly infected without anxiety or depression symptoms. The longitudinal analyses will clarify whether these alterations are temporary or permanent.
On-chip Raman spectroscopy of live single cells for the staging of oesophageal adenocarcinoma progression
Authors: Farooq Alisha , Wood Christopher D. , Ladbury John E. , Evans Stephen D.
Published: January 2024

The absence of early diagnosis contributes to oesophageal cancer being the sixth most common cause of global cancer-associated deaths, with a 5-year survival rate of < 20%. Barrett’s oesophagus is the main pre-cancerous condition to adenocarcinoma development, characterised by the morphological transition of oesophageal squamous epithelium to metaplastic columnar epithelium. Early tracking and treatment of oesophageal adenocarcinoma could dramatically improve with diagnosis and monitoring of patients with Barrett’s Oesophagus. Current diagnostic methods involve invasive techniques such as endoscopies and, with only a few identified biomarkers of disease progression, the detection of oesophageal adenocarcinoma is costly and challenging. In this work, single-cell Raman spectroscopy was combined with microfluidic techniques to characterise the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma through the progression of healthy epithelial, Barrett’s oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines. Principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used to classify the different stages of cancer progression. with the ability to differentiate between healthy and cancerous cells with an accuracy of 97%. Whilst the approach could also separate the dysplastic stages from healthy or cancer with high accuracy—the intra-class separation was approximately 68%. Overall, these results highlight the potential for rapid and reliable diagnostic/prognostic screening of Barrett’s Oesophagus patients.
Bird species richness and diversity responses to land use change in the Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya
Authors: Mugatha Simon M. , Ogutu Joseph O. , Piepho Hans-Peter , Maitima Joseph M.
Published: January 2024

The increasing demand for cultivated lands driven by human population growth, escalating consumption and activities, combined with the vast area of uncultivated land, highlight the pressing need to better understand the biodiversity conservation implications of land use change in Sub-Saharan Africa. Land use change alters natural wildlife habitats with fundamental consequences for biodiversity. Consequently, species richness and diversity typically decline as land use changes from natural to disturbed. We assess how richness and diversity of avian species, grouped into feeding guilds, responded to land use changes, primarily expansion of settlements and cultivation at three sites in the Lake Victoria Basin in western Kenya, following tsetse control interventions. Each site consisted of a matched pair of spatially adjacent natural/semi-natural and settled/cultivated landscapes. Significant changes occurred in bird species richness and diversity in the disturbed relative to the natural landscape. Disturbed areas had fewer guilds and all guilds in disturbed areas also occurred in natural areas. Guilds had significantly more species in natural than in disturbed areas. The insectivore/granivore and insectivore/wax feeder guilds occurred only in natural areas. Whilst species diversity was far lower, a few species of estrildid finches were more common in the disturbed landscapes and were often observed on the scrubby edges of modified habitats. In contrast, the natural and less disturbed wooded areas had relatively fewer estrildid species and were completely devoid of several other species. In aggregate, land use changes significantly reduced bird species richness and diversity on the disturbed landscapes regardless of their breeding range size or foraging style (migratory or non-migratory) and posed greater risks to non-migratory species. Accordingly, land use planning should integrate conservation principles that preserve salient habitat qualities required by different bird species, such as adequate patch size and habitat connectivity, conserve viable bird populations and restore degraded habitats to alleviate adverse impacts of land use change on avian species richness and diversity.
Improving long-term multivariate time series forecasting with a seasonal-trend decomposition-based 2-dimensional temporal convolution dense network
Authors: Hao Jianhua , Liu Fangai
Published: January 2024

Improving the accuracy of long-term multivariate time series forecasting is important for practical applications. Various Transformer-based solutions emerging for time series forecasting. Recently, some studies have verified that the most Transformer-based methods are outperformed by simple linear models in long-term multivariate time series forecasting. However, these methods have some limitations in exploring complex interdependencies among various subseries in multivariate time series. They also fall short in leveraging the temporal features of the data sequences effectively, such as seasonality and trends. In this study, we propose a novel seasonal-trend decomposition-based 2-dimensional temporal convolution dense network (STL-2DTCDN) to deal with these issues. We incorporate the seasonal-trend decomposition based on loess (STL) to explore the trend and seasonal features of the original data. Particularly, a 2-dimensional temporal convolution dense network (2DTCDN) is designed to capture complex interdependencies among various time series in multivariate time series. To evaluate our approach, we conduct experiments on six datasets. The results demonstrate that STL-2DTCDN outperforms existing methods in long-term multivariate time series forecasting.
Assessments of the environmental performance of global companies need to account for company size
Authors: Mastrandrea Rossana , ter Burg Rob , Shan Yuli , Hubacek Klaus , Ruzzenenti Franco
Published: January 2024

While the awareness of the corporate world toward sustainability is growing, how to assess corporate environmental performance objectively and efficiently remains an open question. Here we estimate the relationship between company size and four environmental indicators to understand the environmental performance of nearly 6500 companies, building on the concept of allometric scaling and using Thomson Reuters EIKON data for the year 2018. We highlight that carbon dioxide emissions, energy use, water and waste production scale with the size according to a power law. This can be used as a benchmark to assess unambiguously a company’s environmental performance. We find that the adopted Environmental, Social & Governance rating is uncorrelated with the environmental performance. Our results suggest that a fair and effective environmental policy should consider the nature of the scaling relationship. Scaling laws suggest the existence of a nexus between an underlying network and corporate metabolism, whose understanding would help in discerning the determinants of environmental impacts.
A phosphate-rich marine reservoir in the redox stratified Ediacaran ocean
Authors: Yang Xiuqing , Mao Jingwen , Bowyer Fred T. , Wu Changzhi , Li Rongxi , Zhao Chao , Yang Guowei , Poulton Simon W.
Published: January 2024

Phosphorus (P) is the key nutrient thought to limit primary productivity on geological timescales, and hence P bioavailability exerted a major influence on Earth’s surface oxygenation dynamics through the Precambrian, with ensuing implications for biological evolution. Here, we document highly elevated P contents in non-glacial Ediacaran (635–541 Ma) iron formations from Northwestern China, with P dominantly occurring as carbonate fluorapatite formed during early diagenesis. These analyses, in combination with marine sediment P contents and phosphorite abundance data, point to a state change in oceanic P concentrations during the Ediacaran, which we attribute to enhanced recycling from marine sediments under redox-stratified conditions. Subsequent elevated rates of primary productivity and organic carbon production may have sustained the contemporaneous first appearance of complex deep marine habitats, and would have increased the extent and stability of surface water oxygen concentrations, leading to conditions conducive to the subsequent evolution of more complex animals.
MinD-RNase E interplay controls localization of polar mRNAs in E. coli
Authors: Kannaiah Shanmugapriya , Goldberger Omer , Alam Nawsad , Barnabas Georgina , Pozniak Yair , Nussbaum-Shochat Anat , Schueler-Furman Ora , Geiger Tamar , Amster-Choder Orna
Published: January 2024

The E. coli transcriptome at the cell’s poles (polar transcriptome) is unique compared to the membrane and cytosol. Several factors have been suggested to mediate mRNA localization to the membrane, but the mechanism underlying polar localization of mRNAs remains unknown. Here, we combined a candidate system approach with proteomics to identify factors that mediate mRNAs localization to the cell poles. We identified the pole-to-pole oscillating protein MinD as an essential factor regulating polar mRNA localization, although it is not able to bind RNA directly. We demonstrate that RNase E, previously shown to interact with MinD, is required for proper localization of polar mRNAs. Using in silico modeling followed by experimental validation, the membrane-binding site in RNase E was found to mediate binding to MinD. Intriguingly, not only does MinD affect RNase E interaction with the membrane, but it also affects its mode of action and dynamics. Polar accumulation of RNase E in ΔminCDE cells resulted in destabilization and depletion of mRNAs from poles. Finally, we show that mislocalization of polar mRNAs may prevent polar localization of their protein products. Taken together, our findings show that the interplay between MinD and RNase E determines the composition of the polar transcriptome, thus assigning previously unknown roles for both proteins.
Pericytes contribute to pulmonary vascular remodeling via HIF2α signaling
Authors: Kim Hyunbum , Liu Yu , Kim Jiwon , Kim Yunhye , Klouda Timothy , Fisch Sudeshna , Baek Seung Han , Liu Tiffany , Dahlberg Suzanne , Hu Cheng-Jun , Tian Wen , Jiang Xinguo , Kosmas Kosmas , Christou Helen A , Korman Benjamin D , Vargas Sara O , Wu Joseph C , Stenmark Kurt R , Perez Vinicio de Jesus , Nicolls Mark R , Raby Benjamin A , Yuan Ke
Published: January 2024

Vascular remodeling is the process of structural alteration and cell rearrangement of blood vessels in response to injury and is the cause of many of the world’s most afflicted cardiovascular conditions, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Many studies have focused on the effects of vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) during vascular remodeling, but pericytes, an indispensable cell population residing largely in capillaries, are ignored in this maladaptive process. Here, we report that hypoxia-inducible factor 2α (HIF2α) expression is increased in the lung tissues of PAH patients, and HIF2α overexpressed pericytes result in greater contractility and an impaired endothelial-pericyte interaction. Using single-cell RNAseq and hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) models, we show that HIF2α is a major molecular regulator for the transformation of pericytes into SMC-like cells. Pericyte-selective HIF2α overexpression in mice exacerbates PH and right ventricular hypertrophy. Temporal cellular lineage tracing shows that HIF2α overexpressing reporter NG2+ cells (pericyte-selective) relocate from capillaries to arterioles and co-express SMA. This novel insight into the crucial role of NG2+ pericytes in pulmonary vascular remodeling via HIF2α signaling suggests a potential drug target for PH.
Evaluating diverse electrode surface patterns of 3D printed carbon thermoplastic electrochemical sensors
Authors: Miller Chloe , Keattch Oliver , Shergill Ricoveer S. , Patel Bhavik Anil
Published: January 2024

Variations in the surface patterns of 3D printed electrochemical sensor can alter the analytical performance of the sensor for the detection of analytes.
Formation, control and functionalization of nanoporous zinc by selective corrosion of Al–Zn alloys with varying compositions
Authors: Zhang Xueying , Yu Bin , Zhang Chi , Zhang Zhonghua
Published: January 2024

Nanoporous zinc with a bicontinuous ligament/channel structure has abundant active sites and fast charge transfer behavior, leading to efficient conversion of CO2 to CO.
Silver nanowires/cellulose flexible transparent conductive films for electromagnetic interference shielding and electrothermal conversion
Authors: Guo Zhijiang , Li Xiaoli , Li Ning , Liu Xuanji , Hao Longhui , Wang Yuxuan , Deng Wei , Bai Haoxuan , Liang Jianguo , Chen Zhanchun
Published: January 2024

Currently, electromagnetic shielding materials need to meet the characteristics of lightweight, high transmittance, and robust conductivity.
Kinetic modelling of cobalt-catalyzed propene hydroformylation: a combined ab initio and experimental fitting protocol
Authors: Guo Luxuan , Harvey Jeremy N.
Published: January 2024

The mechanism of propene hydroformylation is studied with quantum chemistry and kinetic modelling. This yields detailed insight into mechanisms, and reveals the essential role of a complex between hydridocobalttricabonyl and toluene.
Unraveling the origin of broadband yellow emission in Bi3+-doped LuXnGaO4 (Xn = Mg, Zn) phosphors
Authors: Geng Wanying , Zhou Xufeng , Ding Jianyan , Wu Quansheng
Published: January 2024

A combined experimental and theoretical approach was utilized to elucidate the origin of extra-ionic electronic transition in LuXnGaO4:Bi3+ phosphors.
Ag-based coordination polymer-enhanced photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin and nitrophenol
Authors: Ma Zhihu , Song Xiaoming , Li Zhaoyu , Ren Yixia , Wang Jijiang , Liang Yucang
Published: January 2024

A novel Ag coordination polymer (Ag-TIPA) was rationally designed, successfully prepared and used for the photodegradation of ciprofloxacin and nitrophenol, showing excellent photocatalytic performance and high reusability.
Alkali to alkaline earth metals: a DFT study of monolayer TiSi2N4 for metal ion batteries
Authors: Ahmad Sheraz , Din H. U. , Nguyen Cuong Q. , Nguyen Son-Tung , Nguyen C.
Published: January 2024

A significant problem in the area of rechargeable alkali ion battery technologies is the exploration of anode materials with overall high specific capacities and superior physical properties.
Peraurated ruthenium hydride carbonyl clusters: aurophilicity, isolobal analogy, structural isomerism, and fluxionality
Authors: Cesari Cristiana , Bortoluzzi Marco , Femoni Cristina , Forti Francesca , Iapalucci Maria Carmela , Zacchini Stefano
Published: January 2024

Carbonyl clusters containing HRu4Au, HRu4Au2, HRu4Au3, and Ru4Au4 cores have been obtained and characterized by spectroscopic, structural and computational methods, revealing their aurophilicity, structural isomerism and fluxionality.
Exogenous silica nanoparticles improve drought tolerance in ginger by modulating the water relationship
Authors: Zhu Yongxing , Xi Keyong , Ma Huihui , Yang Peihua , Wang Yanhong , Li Huiling , Yin Junliang , Qin Manli , Liu Yiqing
Published: January 2024

Silica nanoparticles improve drought tolerance of ginger seedling.
Preparation and characterization of Antarctic krill oil/quercetin co-loaded liposomes and their protective effect on oleic acid-induced steatosis and oxidative stress in vitro
Authors: Li Yu-Jie , Chi Hai , Liu Guo-Qin
Published: January 2024

This study aims to introduce a new liposome to co-load Antarctic krill oil (AKO) and quercetin (QC) as a new delivery formulation to enrich the application of AKO and QC.
A water-soluble type II photosensitizer for selective photooxidation reactions of hydroazaobenzenes, olefins, and hydrosilanes in water
Authors: Zhang Rong-Zhen , Niu Kai-Kai , Bi Yu-Song , Liu Hui , Yu Sheng-Sheng , Wang Yue-Bo , Xing Ling-Bao
Published: January 2024

A water-soluble type II photosensitizer with excellent water solubility was utilized for selective photooxidation reactions of hydroazaobenzenes, olefins, and hydrosilanes in water.
Modelling and breaking down the biophysical barriers to drug delivery in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Kpeglo Delanyo , Haddrick Malcolm , Knowles Margaret A. , Evans Stephen D. , Peyman Sally A.
Published: January 2024

Developing tumour models that recapitulate the biophysical barriers that lead to drug resistance in cancer is critical in assessing new drugs and delivery mechanisms.
Enhancing photoluminescence performance of perovskite quantum dots with plasmonic nanoparticles: insights into mechanisms and light-emitting applications
Authors: Kumar Gautham , Lin Chien-Chung , Kuo Hao-Chung , Chen Fang-Chung
Published: January 2024

The PLQY of perovskite quantum dots increases when blended with Au nanoparticles, primarily due to accelerated radiative recombination. These nanocompositions are employed in light-emitting diodes as performance-enhancing color conversion layers.
Polyenolate-mediated reaction cascade initiated by higher-order-cycloaddition for the construction of polycarbocyclic scaffolds
Authors: Cieśliński Adam , Skrzyńska Anna , Przydacz Artur , Albrecht Łukasz
Published: January 2024

Polyenolate activation constitutes a powerful strategy, enabling the formation of higherenes. Alkylidenemalononitriles derived from indene-2-carbaldehydes upon deprotonation participate in a cascade involving [10 + 2]-cycloaddition followed by Michael addition and aldol condensation.
Synthesis of 2-amino-9H-chromeno[2,3-d]thiazol-9-ones with anti-inflammatory activity via cascade reactions of 2-amino-3 iodochromones with amines and carbon disulfide
Authors: Tan Jiangtao , He Yifan , Lin Yu , Zhong Yuanchen , He Shijun , Zuo Jianping , Yang Chunhao
Published: January 2024

A concise and efficient protocol for constructing a chromone fused thiazole scaffold via a copper-promoted cascade reaction was developed. Representative compound c12 showed good anti-inflammatory activity.
Novel porphyrin derivative containing cations as new photodynamic antimicrobial agent with high efficiency
Authors: Zhang Jiajing , Yuan Xiaoqian , Li Hongsen , Yu Liting , Zhang Yulong , Pang Keyi , Sun Chaoyue , Liu Zhongyang , Li Jie , Ma Liying , Song Jinming , Chen Lingxin
Published: January 2024

A new photosensitizer consisting of ammonium salt, TMP(+) was synthesized and achieved the synergistic effect of photodynamic and chemical antibacterial activity. Experiments showed promising bactericidal properties, while accelerating the healing of Staphylococcus aureus infected mice.
A simple and reliable QSPR model for prediction of chromatography retention indices of volatile organic compounds in peppers
Authors: Ahmadi Shahin , Lotfi Shahram , Hamzehali Hamideh , Kumar Parvin
Published: January 2024

A simple and reliable QSPR model for the retention indices (RIs) of 273 identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of different types of pepper was developed with CORAL software. The proposed theoretical model is applied to estimate the retention indices (RIs) of new VOCs.
Berberine mediated fluorescent gold nanoclusters in biomimetic erythrocyte ghosts as a nanocarrier for enhanced photodynamic treatment
Authors: Pearl Wrenit Gem , Selvam Rajakar , Karmenyan Artashes V. , Perevedentseva Elena V. , Hung Shih-Che , Chang Hsin-Hou , Shushunova Natalia , Prikhozhdenko Ekaterina S. , Bratashov Daniil , Tuchin Valery V. , Cheng Chia-Liang
Published: January 2024

Gold nanoclusters loaded with berberine into erythrocyte ghosts represent a promising biomimetic nanotheranostic agent for biomedical imaging and therapeutic applications.
Effective colloidal emulsion droplet regulation in flow-focusing glass capillary microfluidic device via collection tube variation
Authors: Jiang Tianyi , Wu Hao , Liu Shuofu , Yan Hui , Jiang Hongyuan
Published: January 2024

The geometrical influence of the glass capillary collection tube on the generation of colloidal emulsion droplets was experimentally analyzed, where the numerical discrepancy of the droplets was ascribed to the variation of the flow-focusing effect.
Diagnosis of infectious diseases: complexity to convenience
Authors: Syed Sahil , Rahaman Alisha , Mondal Abhijit , Shaligram Shraddha , Pawar Shrikant P.
Published: January 2024

Transformation in diagnostic techniques, evolving from time-consuming and laboratory-based methods to rapid, POC options (left to right) – plate culture, microscopy, ELISA, PCR, smartphone-based ELISA, miniaturized PCR, photonic PCR, biosensors.
Synthesis of C3-symmetric star shaped amphiphiles for drug delivery applications
Authors: Mittal Ayushi , Aarti  , Vats Sudhanshu , Zabihi Fatemeh , Achazi Katharina , Rancan Fiorenza , Vogt Anika , Haag Rainer , Sharma Sunil K.
Published: January 2024

C
3-Symmetric star-shaped aromatic compounds are known to possess unique characteristics which facilitate their industrial and biomedical applications.
Tuning disorder in structurally colored bioinspired photonic glasses
Authors: Demirörs Ahmet F. , Manne Kalpana , Magkiriadou Sofia , Scheffold Frank
Published: January 2024

Disorder in a colloidal assembly and the photonic response can be tuned by changing the electric field strength.
Co-sintering a cathode material and garnet electrolyte to develop a bulk-type solid-state Li metal battery with wide electrochemical windows
Authors: Hayashi Naohiro , Watanabe Ken , Shimanoe Kengo
Published: January 2024

Co-sintering a cathode material and the Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZ) electrolyte can assist in fabricating bulk-type all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs).
Harnessing point-defect induced local symmetry breaking in a tetragonal-HfO2 system through sterically mismatched ion doping
Authors: Bakhtiar Syed Ul Hasnain , Ai Pu , Sattar Harse , Ali Sharafat , Al-Fatesh Ahmed Sadeq , Zhao Junlei , Wen Dong , Fu Qiuyun
Published: January 2024

Defect-engineering is a frequent approach to modify the material's properties.
Mechanofluorochromism and self-recovery of alkylsilylpyrene-1-carboxamides
Authors: Hirai Yuichi , Wrona-Piotrowicz Anna , Zakrzewski Janusz , Ciechańska Magdalena , Ohmura Takahito , Takeda Takashi , Nakanishi Takayuki , Métivier Rémi , Allain Clémence
Published: January 2024

The stimuli-responsive properties of mechanofluorochromic pyrene derivatives, including spontaneous solid-state recovery processes, are elucidated through crystallography, spectroscopy, and nanomechanics.
Otoscopic Abnormalities for the U.S. Population Aged 6–80+ Years: Prevalence and Consequences for Hearing
Authors: Humes Larry E.
Published: January 2024

Purpose:

U.S. national data for otoscopic examinations of 13,055 individuals aged 6–80+ years included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey surveys for 2011–2012, 2015–2016, and 2017–2020 were analyzed and described.

Method:

Analyses were primarily descriptive and relied on prevalence estimates, supported by logistic-regression analyses, and distribution-free medians. Otoscopic examinations were performed by trained technicians with review and supervision by a clinical audiologist. Effects of age, sex, and race/ethnicity were also examined.

Results:

Overall, the prevalence of abnormal otoscopy was approximately 12%–15% with higher prevalence among males at most ages and for both sexes for age ≥ 60 years. Typically, 93% or more of the observed abnormalities were due to excessive or impacted cerumen, mainly the former. Logistic-regression analyses for the 6–19-year-olds found that only race/ethnicity affected the odds with non-Hispanic Blacks and Asians have higher odds for otoscopic abnormalities than non-Hispanic Whites. For 20- to 69-year-old adults, the odds of having abnormal otoscopic findings were about twice as high for males versus females, 60-year-olds versus 20-year-olds, and non-Hispanic Blacks versus non-Hispanic Whites. Overall, the effect of otoscopic abnormalities on the pure-tone averages for 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz and 3000, 4000, and 6000 Hz were negligible (< 3 dB), and this did not vary substantially with sex, race/ethnicity, or age.

Conclusion:

Abnormal otoscopy, typically excessive cerumen, was observed in about 12%–15% of the individuals in this national sample, but the presence of such abnormalities had minimal effect on hearing sensitivity.
Electrical insulator defect detection with incomplete annotations and imbalanced samples
Authors: Pang Fengqian , Lei Chunyue , Zeng Jingsheng
Published: January 2024

Insulators are one of the key components in high‐voltage power systems that prevent transmission lines from grounding. Since they are exposed to different kinds of harsh environments and climates, periodic inspection is indispensable for the safety and high quality of power grid. Nowadays, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection is more widely used, facilitating incorporation of convolutional neural network‐based detectors in the insulator detection task. However, these methods are generally based on the assumption that the image samples are balanced among different categories and possess completely ideal annotations. The problem of sample imbalance or incomplete annotation is rarely investigated in depth for insulator defect detection. Here, insulator defect detection with imbalanced data and incomplete annotations is focused on. The proposed framework, named Pi‐index, introduces positive unlabelled (PU) learning to solve the problem of incomplete annotation and designs a novel index the class prior, which is a key parameter in PU learning. Moreover, focal loss is integrated in our framework to alleviate the effect of sample imbalance. Experiment results demonstrate that the proposed framework achieves better performance than the baseline methods in situations of sample imbalance and missing annotation.
The collective dynamics of a stochastic Port-Hamiltonian self-driven agent model in one dimension
Authors: Ehrhardt Matthias , Kruse Thomas , Tordeux Antoine
Published: January 2024

This paper studies the collective motion of self-driven agents in a one-dimensional space with periodic boundaries, using a stochastic Port-Hamiltonian system (PHS) with symmetric nearest-neighbor interactions and additive Brownian noise as an external input. In the case of a quadratic potential the PHS is an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process for which we explicitly determine the distribution for any time t ≥ 0 and in the limit t → ∞. In particular, we characterize the collective motion by showing that the agents’ positions tend to build exactly one cluster. This is confirmed in simulations that show rapid and coordinated motion among agents, driven by noise, despite the absence of a preferred direction of motion in the model. Remarkably, the theoretical properties observed in the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process also emerge in simulations of the nonlinear model incorporating a general interaction potential.
Delayed presentation of lower cervical facet dislocations: What to learn from past reports?
Authors: Nkurikiyumukiza Laurent , Buteera Alex Mathias , El-Sharkawi Mohammad Mostafa
Published: January 2024

Delayed presentation of lower cervical facet dislocations is uncommon, and there is no standardized way to approach these neglected injuries. The literature on neglected lower cervical facet dislocations is limited to case reports and few retrospective studies. This justifies the need for a comprehensive review of this condition. Our purpose was to elaborate a review on the epidemiology, clinical and radiological presentation, and treatment techniques and approach to these neglected injuries. Middle-aged adults from 30 to 50 represent 73.8% of reported cases, and most of them are males (72.0%). The most affected level is C5–C6 (43.0%). While most delays are due to missed injuries (52.1%) and ineffective non-operative treatment (36.2%), the other reason for delay is negligence in seeking medical care (11.7%). Patients present with variable degrees of neurological deficit, persistent neck pain, and neck stiffness. Reported approaches and techniques to reduce and stabilize these injuries are highly variable and depend on the surgeon’s judgment, experience, and preference. Fibrotic tissues and bony fusion around the dislocated facet joint contribute to the reduction challenge, and 77.0% of closed reduction attempts fail. Anterior and posterior approaches to the cervical spine are used selectively or in combination for surgical release, reduction, and stabilization. Despite the lack of standardized treatment guidelines and different approaches, most of the authors reported improvement in pain, balance, and neurology post-surgery. Starting with the posterior surgical approach aims to achieve reduction compared to the anterior approach which largely aims at spinal decompression. Given the existing controversies, the need for quality prospective studies to determine the best treatment approach for lower cervical facet dislocations presenting with delay is evident.
Messung von Handlungsmöglichkeiten (capabilities) für
körperliche Aktivität: Entwicklung und Erprobung eines
Messinstruments für ältere Menschen
Authors: Boyer Lisa , Sauter Alexandra , Loss Julika
Published: January 2024

Einleitung Die vorliegende Studie beschäftigt sich, basierend auf
dem Capability-Ansatz nach Sen, mit der Operationalisierung von
Handlungsmöglichkeiten (capabilities) zur Führung eines aktiven
Lebensstils. Durch die Erhebung von capabilities können
Veränderungsprozesse abgebildet und die Entwicklung von
Interventionsmaßnahmen zur Förderung körperlicher
Aktivität bei verschiedenen Bevölkerungsgruppen, z. B.
Senior:innen, unterstützt werden. Bisher liegt jedoch kein
standardisiertes deutschsprachiges Instrument zur Messung bewegungsbezogene
capabilities vor.

Methoden Aufbauend auf einer explorativen Interviewstudie (Sauter et al.,
2019), die relevante bewegungsbezogene capabilities bei Senior:innen
identifiziert hat, wurde ein standardisierter Fragebogen mit 41 Items
konzipiert. Es wurden zwei unterschiedliche Fragenformulierungen zur Abfrage
wahrgenommener Handlungsmöglichkeiten konzipiert. Zur Validierung des
Instruments wurde die „think-aloud-Methode“
durchgeführt. Dabei wurden alle mündlichen Kommentare beim
Ausfüllen des Fragebogens aufgezeichnet und ergänzende
Interviews zur Verständlichkeit und Anwendbarkeit geführt. Die
Stichprobe umfasste 16 Senior:innen (w=9, MW=66,3 Jahre).

Ergebnisse Die Befragten bewerteten die Anwendbarkeit und
Verständlichkeit des Instruments insgesamt als positiv. Zur Abfrage
wahrgenommener Handlungsmöglichkeiten wurde die Formulierung
„Ich habe die Möglichkeit, dass…“ favorisiert.
In wenigen Punkten zeigten sich Verständnisschwierigkeiten und
Unklarheiten. Anschließende inhaltliche Änderungen dienten der
Konkretisierung der Fragestellungen in Bezug auf z. B. unklare Begriffe
wie „Laufwege“.

Fazit Der entwickelte Fragebogen scheint geeignet, um in der Gruppe
älterer Menschen die jeweiligen Handlungsmöglichkeiten
für körperliche Aktivität zu erfassen und steht sowohl
in englischer sowie in deutscher Sprache zur Verfügung. Damit leistet
die Arbeit einen Beitrag zur Operationalisierung von capabilities in der
Gesundheitsförderung. Weitere Forschung sollte die Anwendbarkeit des
Instruments bei anderen Bevölkerungsgruppen testen und
Objektivität, Reliabilität und Validität
überprüfen.
Foveal-Sparing ILM Peeling with ILM Flap Transposition over the Macular Hole for Repair of Full-Thickness Macular Holes
Authors: Leisser Christoph , Findl Oliver
Published: January 2024

Background Full-thickness macular holes, defined as full-thickness defects of the fovea, lead to central scotoma and deterioration of vision. Apart from peeling of the internal limiting membrane (ILM), ILM flap techniques have been reported to have potential in improving results in macular hole surgery. In addition, foveal-sparing ILM peeling gives a high macular hole closure rate and improvement in postoperative visual acuity. The aim of this study was to examine outcomes in a cohort of patients with full-thickness macular holes that underwent vitrectomy with foveal-sparing ILM peeling and transposition of an ILM flap over the macular hole.

Methods This retrospective study included patients scheduled for pars plana vitrectomy with foveal-sparing ILM peeling, combined with ILM flap transposition over the macular hole, for macular hole repair. All patients received a gas tamponade with 20% sulphur hexafluoride and were encouraged to undergo postoperative face-down positioning for 48 hours after surgery. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of the macula and distance-corrected visual acuity (DCVA) were performed before and 3 months after surgery.

Results In total, 42 eyes of 42 patients were included in this study. Leaving a broad area of residual ILM at the foveal rim led to a high risk of failure in macular hole closure, while leaving a narrow zone of residual ILM at the foveal rim resulted in high macular hole closure rates (97% type 1 closure and 3% type 2 closure), with a median improvement of DCVA of 4 lines [interquartile range (IQR): 3 to 6] among pseudophakic and 3.5 lines (IQR: 2 to 5) among phakic patients.

Conclusions A combination of foveal-sparing ILM peeling with ILM flap techniques was shown to be a safe and effective surgical option for patients with full-thickness macular holes, resulting in a high macular hole closure rate and improvement in visual acuity in the majority of patients.