bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Kingdom’s Shōnen Heart
Authors: Hutchinson Rachael
Published: September 2022

Taken by themselves, neither Disney nor Square Enix appears particularly successful at transcultural expression, although both are certainly marketing juggernauts in transmedia franchise operations (Smoodin, 1994; Consalvo, 2013). Disney may be understood in terms of American postwar cultural imperialism, while Square Enix is deeply rooted in conventions of Japanese storytelling. But together, somehow the two achieve a synergy in Kingdom Hearts (2002), coalescing in the figure of Sora, its youthful protagonist. This article performs a close reading of Sora’s visual character design, a transcultural melding of Walt Disney’s own Mickey Mouse and the shōnen figure of earlier Nomura Tetsuya creations. While gameplay dynamics point to a new action-adventure style for Square Enix, the shōnen characteristics of Sora’s appearance combine with his sense of loss and yearning to position the game in the JRPG genre.   Transculturality of the non-player characters (NPCs) in Kingdom Hearts is then considered. These character designs remain static, anchored to their original reference texts. Where the Disney characters fit their settings in an uncomplicated way, providing escapism and nostalgia for the player, Square characters seem to be chosen for their complexity. The use of then-recent Final Fantasy X characters Tidus and Wakka in Destiny Islands is contrasted against the use of darker, brooding characters from older Final Fantasy titles encountered later in the game. Just as loss and yearning define Sora’s shōnen character, the sense of loss manifested by Cloud, Aerith and Leon connect the player to the real-world context of the global late 1990s, speaking to Japanese anxiety following the Hanshin earthquake and Aum Shinrikyo attacks of 1995, and to the despair of ‘Generation X’ following Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994 (Funabashi and Kushner, 2015; Brabazon, 2005). Meanwhile, the deep economic recession of Japan’s ‘lost decade’ (1991-2001) connected perfectly to the post-9/11 unease in America at the time of the game’s release. Overall, I argue that the game’s success stems from its transcultural emphasis on loss and yearning, which fit not only the JRPG genre but also the sense of anxiety pervading both Japan and America at the time.
Cardiovascular Involvement in Patients Recovered from COVID-19: Reality or Fantasy?
Authors: Ruano Martín , Denes Julieta , Carrero María Celeste , Masson Gerardo , Constantin Iván , Pessio Carla , De Stefano Luciano , Stutzbach Pablo
Published: September 2022

Background: COVID-19 infection has been associated with cardiovascular complications in 7-28% of hospitalized patients, with the diagnosis based on biomarkers elevation. Subclinical cardiac involvement in outpatients recovered from COVID-19 represents a growing concern, as well as mid- or long-term cardiovascular effects. Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the usefulness of detecting cardiovascular involvement in outpatients recovered from COVID-19, and its association with symptoms and risk factors. Methods: Between September 2020 and March 2021, 668 patients >18 years were prospectively included. All the patients had to have COVID-19 confirmed diagnosis by a positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test in a respiratory tract sample COVID-19. They were evaluated with physical examination, electrocardiogram (ECG) and Doppler echocardiography. Patients with symptoms suggestive of risk or abnormal findings on ECG or echocardiogram underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) with gadolinium-based contrast agent. Results: Mean age was 42.9 ± 14.9 years and 56.9% were women; 12.9% were hypertensive, 4.3% were diabetic and 6.9% obese. Overall, 57.6% had no cardiovascular risk factors and only 4.2% had a history of cardiovascular disease. The disease was mild in 73.2%; 16.3% required hospitalization and 1.05% needed mechanical ventilation. Only 5 patients had myocarditis diagnosed by CMRI, and both pericardial effusion and abnormal repolarization were significantly associated with myocarditis (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Abnormal ECG or echocardiographic findings were uncommon in our cohort. The diagnosis of viral myocarditis was made in 5 cases with clinical signs and symptoms, and was confirmed by CMRI.
TOXICOMANIA E PULSÃO
Authors: Dantas Salim Anna Luiz , Ferreira Santos Elza
Published: September 2022

Este artigo discorre sobre o funcionamento pulsional nas toxicomanias. A toxicomania é um modo de existir em que a droga se torna central, funcionando como objeto privilegiado da pulsão. Por esse motivo, ela pode ser considerada uma das expressões mais claras da pulsão de morte desfusionada, conquanto não configure uma compulsão à repetição. O toxicômano, prescindindo da relação com os outros, manipula quimicamente as fontes pulsionais com o tóxico, regredindo ao autoerotismo.Palavras-chave:Toxicomania; Pulsão; Droga; Pulsão de Morte.
A MÚSICA NA CLÍNICA DA INFÂNCIA: BORDEJAMENTO DA VOZ
Authors: Soares Ferreira Letícia Maria , Leitão Paravidini João Luiz
Published: September 2022

A essencialidade da musicalidade da voz na constituição do sujeito é tomada neste trabalho como ponto central. O modo como o sujeito lida com a voz, no encontro que faz com o Outro, determina seu funcionamento e sua estrutura psíquica. A amarração entre real e simbólico conta com elementos musicais. Esse artigo procura abordar a tomada do que há de fundamental na música como ferramenta de trabalho na clínica da infância, em que a constituição ainda se vê em processo, podendo elencar sua potencialidade denunciativa, mediadora e transformadora.Palavras-Chave: Voz, Música e Clínica.
Disaggregation of Race and Ethnicity Group Data
Authors: Kader Farah , Chebli Perla
Published: September 2022

This Viewpoint discusses the importance of accurately categorizing and collecting race and ethnicity data, matching self-identity with race and ethnicity labels, in an effort to quantify the extent of health disparities.
Global Estimates of Diabetic Retinopathy Prevalence and Progression in Pregnant Individuals With Preexisting Diabetes: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Widyaputri Felicia , Rogers Sophie , Lim Lyndell
Published: September 2022

This study repeats previous meta-analyses of the prevalence and progression of diabetic retinopathy in pregnant populations with preexisting diabetes.
Finite‐time adaptive fuzzy consensus control for nonlinear multi‐agent systems under switching‐directed topologies
Authors: Guan Shiwen , Pang Hongbo , Li Yongming
Published: September 2022

In this article, a finite‐time adaptive fuzzy consensus control problem is solved for a class of uncertain nonlinear multi‐agent systems (MASs), where the agent of each follower is marked as a non‐strict feedback form. During the control design, a finite‐time fuzzy adaptive controller is obtained by adding power integrator techniques and integrating backstepping design. This presented adaptive fuzzy consensus control scheme can guarantee the closed‐loop system semi‐global finite time bounded. In addition, the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood of the origin with arbitrary switching communication topologies. Finally, the effectiveness for presented control approach can be validated by a simulation example.
Intrinsically Electron Conductive, Antibacterial, and Anti‐swelling Hydrogels as Implantable Sensors for Bioelectronics
Authors: Xia Xiangjiao , Liang Quanduo , Sun Xiguang , Yu Dehai , Huang Xinrui , Mugo Samuel M. , Chen Wei , Wang Dong , Zhang Qiang
Published: September 2022

New materials and devices for bioelectronics have emerging applications in healthcare monitoring and disease diagnostics. Hydrogel‐based sensors face great challenges in achieving desirable synergistic performances including intrinsical electron conduction, bacterial resistance, anti‐swelling property, and adhesion to tissues. To address current bottlenecks, poly(Cu‐arylacetylide) derived hydrogels are developed for the first time that demonstrates all these above intriguing performances as a result of the special Cu‐arylacetylide backbone. The hydrogels show the capability of recording electrocardiogram (ECG), electromyogram, implantable epicardial ECG, and transmitting neural signals. Furthermore, the Cu (I) in polymer chains can be substituted by other metal ions such as Au (I), which can create numerous new materials with intriguing performances. This study not only creates a new research field of hydrogels but advances design concepts for implantable electrodes to record bio‐electron.
Vapor–Liquid Transition‐Based Broadband Light Modulation for Self‐Adaptive Thermal Management
Authors: Zhang Chenglin , Yang Jinlong , Li Yong , Song Jianing , Guo Junchang , Fang Yuanlai , Yang Xiao , Yang Qichang , Wang Dehui , Deng Xu
Published: September 2022

Considerable research efforts have aimed to control indoor temperatures to improve daily life and industrial production. However, current strategies, which involve active regulation of energy input or passive regulation of sunlight transmission, cannot control indoor temperatures under all weather conditions. Herein, a self‐adaptive thermal management device (STMD) that uses solar energy (heating) and radiative cooling (cooling) by exploiting the temperature differences across the device is reported. The adaptive heating and cooling functions are achieved by modulating sunlight transmittance and reflectance using a porous SiO2 coating separated/merged with a refractive index‐matched liquid which serves as a shutter. As a result, the STMD in the opaque mode exhibits low transmittance and in the transparent mode exhibits sufficiently high solar transmittance. Taking advantage of this self‐regulated shuttering mechanism, the developed STMD enables i) an increase of ≈10 °C relative to the ambient temperature under a solar intensity of 400 W m−2 in cold weather and ii) a temperature reduction of ≈5 °C under a solar intensity exceeding 900 W m−2 in hot weather. The described design strategy offers an approach for constructing smart light‐controlling devices and thermal‐controlling building materials.
Recent Advances in 2D‐MXene Based Nanocomposites for Optoelectronics
Authors: Ali Sarfraz , Raza Ali , Afzal Amir Muhammad , Iqbal Muhammad Waqas , Hussain Muhammad , Imran Muhammad , Assiri Mohammed A.
Published: September 2022

MXenes have attracted significant attention from the scientific community because of various unique properties that make them appropriate for various attractive applications. As a fast grooming family, owing to 2D transition metal carbides (TMC) as well as transition metal nitrides (TMN), demonstrates versatile promising properties for electrochemical devices. Currently, only a few reports show that MXene nanocomposites possess extraordinary optoelectronic properties. This review briefly discusses the structural and surface chemistry with the extent of optoelectronic properties that can be facilitated in MXenes‐based photonic devices. The systematic synthetic methodologies are also introduced, which are the most suitable for targeted device fabrication. The next and core part of the review is the applications. The current review aims to grasp all possible photonic based‐applications, including solar cells, photodetectors, light emitting diode (LED), phototransistors, and photodiodes, with deep insight into the mechanisms, working conditions, stability parameters, and performance of each type of device. Finally, but most significantly, prospective provides a comprehensive thought and road map for future research possibilities to use these well‐known materials in energy harvesting devices.
Do maternal grandmothers influence breastfeeding duration and infant nutrition? Evidence from Merida, Mexico
Authors: Vázquez‐Vázquez Adriana del Pilar , Fewtrell Mary S. , Chan‐García Hidekel , Batún‐Marrufo Carolina , Dickinson Federico , Wells Jonathan C. K.
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Breast‐feeding is sensitive to somatic, hormonal, behavioral and psychological components of maternal capital. However, through grandmothering, older women may also influence breast‐feeding by transferring informational resources to their daughters. We hypothesized that mothers with prolonged instrumental support from their own mother are more likely to have received advice and to have favorable attitudes/practices regarding breastfeeding, compared to those lacking such support, with implications for the grandchild's somatic capital.

Methods

We recruited 90 mother‐infant dyads (52 with grandmaternal support, 38 without) in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. All children were first‐borns, aged ~2 years. Anthropometry and body composition were assessed. Data on grandmother's breastfeeding advice and maternal breastfeeding duration were obtained by questionnaire. Maternal attitudes to breast‐feeding were assessed using the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale.

Results

Women with instrumental support were more likely to have received grandmaternal advice during pregnancy/infancy on exclusive breast‐feeding duration (60% vs. 37%, p = 0.033) and the type of first complementary food (81% vs. 47%, p = 0.001). However, women with support had a less favorable attitude to breastfeeding than those without and breastfed their children for less time (median 5 vs. 10.5 months, p = 0.01). No group differences were found in children's length, weight, skinfolds or lean mass z‐score.

Discussion

Although grandmothers providing instrumental support provided advice regarding breastfeeding, their attitudes may reflect issues beyond nutritional health. Advice of maternal grandmothers did not promote extended breastfeeding, however the differences in breastfeeding attitudes were not associated with the children's nutritional status. Grandmothers should be included in public health interventions promoting breastfeeding.
Outcomes in the Year After First‐Ever Ischemic Stroke in a Bi‐Ethnic Population
Authors: Lisabeth Lynda D. , Brown Devin L. , Dong Liming , Zahuranec Darin B. , Kwicklis Madeline , Shi Xu , Case Erin , Smith Melinda A. , Campbell Morgan , Carrera Joseph F. , Morgenstern Lewis B.
Published: September 2022

Objective

To investigate stroke outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months post‐stroke overall and by ethnicity in a population‐based, longitudinal study.

Methods

First‐ever ischemic strokes (2014–2019, n = 1,332) among Mexican American persons (n = 807) and non‐Hispanic white persons (n = 525) were identified from the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi Project. Data were collected from patient or proxy interviews (baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months post‐stroke) and medical records, including functional (activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living score), neurological (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale), cognitive (Modified Mini‐Mental State Examination), and quality of life (QOL) outcomes (12‐domain Stroke‐specific Quality of Life scale). Outcome trajectories were analyzed using multivariable adjusted linear models, with generalized estimating equations to account for within‐subject correlations; interactions between ethnicity and time were included to investigate ethnic differences in outcomes.

Results

The median age was 67 years (interquartile range 58,78), 48.5% were women, and 60.6% were Mexican American persons. For all outcomes, significant improvement was seen between 3 and 6 months (p < 0.05 for all), with stability between 6 and 12 months. Mexican American persons had significantly worse outcomes compared with non‐Hispanic white persons at all time points (3, 6, and 12 months), with the exception of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, which did not differ by ethnicity at 6 and 12 months, and the average change in outcomes did not vary significantly by ethnicity.

Interpretation

Outcomes were at their worst at 3 months post‐stroke, and ethnic disparities were already present, suggesting the need for early assessment and strategies to improve outcomes and possibly reduce disparities. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:348–356
Primary Gas Pressure Standard Passes Next Stress Test
Authors: Gaiser Christof , Fellmuth Bernd , Sabuga Wladimir
Published: September 2022

In 2020, Nature Physics 16, 177 (2020) presented a primary gas‐pressure standard, based on temperature and electrical measurements and ab initio calculations of the thermophysical properties of helium. It is compared against the world's most accurate primary mechanical pressure standard and the test is successful with a relative uncertainty of 5 parts per million (ppm) at about 7 MPa. This is feasible for two reasons. First, the experimental setup developed for the determination of the Boltzmann constant is capable of achieving a combined relative uncertainty on the level of 2 ppm and the primary mechanical pressure standard 1 ppm. The latter consists of two pressure balances with five piston‐cylinder assemblies. Second, the uncertainties of the theoretical calculations in 2020 are on the level of about 4 ppm. Within the last two years, significant improvement has been achieved for all theoretical quantities involved, and the uncertainty contribution of the theory is below the level of 1 ppm. With doubled sensitivity, the thermodynamic gas‐pressure standard is compared to the most accurate mechanical pressure standard. This stress test for theory and experiment is once again successful.
Enhanced miscibility of PBAT/PLA/lignin upon γ‐irradiation and effects on the non‐isothermal crystallization
Authors: Barros Janetty Jany Pereira , Soares Carlos Pereira , de Moura Esperidiana Augusta Barretos , Wellen Renate Maria Ramos
Published: September 2022

Lignin is natural and renewable polymer, the second most abundant on Earth. Properly used it can reduce synthetic and oil based materials in addition to contributing to the biodegradable systems. In this work, the kraft lignin was subjected to gamma radiation at absorbed doses of 30, 60, and 90 KGy in order to increase the interaction with “Poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT)/Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)” blend (Ecovio®). PBAT/PLA/lignin blends with 10% of the weight of lignin were produced by extrusion using twin‐screw extruder and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM). FTIR spectra showed partial miscibility between PBAT/PLA and lignin, most due to the hydrogen bond between PBAT/PLA carbonyl and lignin hydroxyl, being intensified in irradiated lignin compounds. As evidenced on DSC scans, in PBAT/PLA/irradiated lignin the crystallization peak was shifted to lower temperatures and the crystallization rate decreased. Crystallization kinetics was modeled using Pseudo Avrami, and isoconversional models of Friedman and Vyazovkin. Pseudo‐Avrami displayed linearity deviation at beginning and crystallization ending due to the nucleation and secondary crystallization, while from Friedman and Vyazovkin the activation energy () was higher for PBAT/PLA/irradiated lignin 30 KGy, characterizing crystallization with higher energy consumption. FE‐SEM images showed better dispersion and miscibility in PBAT/PLA/irradiated lignin. The results indicate that the irradiation of Kraft lignin promotes miscibility and compatibility of PBAT/PLA/lignin.
Strategic Design of Luminescent Rhenium(I), Ruthenium(II), and Iridium(III) Complexes as Activity‐Based Probes for Bioimaging and Biosensing
Authors: Lee Lawrence Cho‐Cheung , Lo Kenneth Kam‐Wing
Published: September 2022

The rapid development of responsive fluorescent probes has advanced optical imaging for biological research and biomedical applications. Among different sensing strategies, activity‐based sensing, which exploits the unique reactivity of the target chemical species to achieve high chemoselectivity, has emerged as a promising paradigm for the development of responsive probes for selective molecular imaging. Luminescent transition metal complexes have received considerable attention for bioimaging and biosensing applications over the last decade due to their remarkable photophysical behavior including intense emission with large Stokes’ shifts, long emission lifetimes, strong two‐photon absorption, and high photostability. In this Review, we summarize the design strategies and applications of luminescent complexes of rhenium(I), ruthenium(II), and iridium(III) polypyridines as activity‐based probes for the detection of various chemical species and bioactive molecules in live cells and organisms. The current challenges and future prospects of these complexes as activatable reagents for disease diagnosis and treatment are also discussed.
Does the presence of an environmental committee strengthen the impact of board gender diversity on corporate environmental disclosure? Evidence from sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Gerged Ali Meftah , Chijoke‐Mgbame Aruoriwo Marian , Konadu Renata , Cowton Christopher J.
Published: September 2022

This study examines the relationship between board gender diversity, the presence of environmental committees and corporate environmental disclosure (CED). Using 1130 firm‐year observations of 113 firms listed across five sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) stock markets from 2010 to 2019, we find that the extent of CED in SSA is low compared with developed countries. However, panel quantile regression analysis reveals that the presence of women directors is positively associated with CED, and the relationship is contingent on the presence of an environmental committee. The study makes three principal contributions: It adds to the limited literature on the relationship between board gender diversity and CED, where virtually all previous studies have been conducted in developed countries; it is the first to examine the direct relationship between environmental committees and CED in the developing world; and, most importantly, it is the first study to examine the possible moderating influence of environmental committees.
Caesium Acetate‐Based Electrolytes for Aqueous Electrical Double Layer Capacitors
Authors: Liu Siqi , Stettner Timo , Klukas Ronald , Porada Thomas , Furda Kristina , Fernández Alba Martín , Balducci Andrea
Published: September 2022

In this work, we report about the use of caesium acetate (CsOAc)‐based electrolytes for Electrical Double Layer Capacitors (EDLCs). We showed that solutions of 6.4 m CsOAc in H2O, which is a highly concentrated aqueous electrolyte, and 21 m CsOAc in H2O, which is a Water in Salt Electrolyte (WiSE), display very favourable chemical‐physical properties. EDLCs containing 21 m CsOAc in H2O as electrolyte display operating voltage of 1.7 V. These devices display good energy density and are able to retain all their initial capacitance after 400 hours of floating at 1.7 V. On the other hand, EDLCs containing 6.4 m CsOAc in H2O as electrolyte display operative voltage of 1.6 V and are delivering at 10 A g−1 very high energy and power density (4 Wh kg−1 and 14.1 kW kg−1, respectively). Furthermore, they can retain 91 % of their initial capacitance after 400 hours of floating at 1.6 V. This performance, which is among the highest so far reported for aqueous‐based EDLCs, indicates that CsOAc can be considered a very promising salt for the realization of advanced EDLCs.
Time‐cost efficient memory configuration for serverless workflow applications
Authors: Li Zengpeng , Yu Huiqun , Fan Guisheng
Published: September 2022

Recently, workflow applications are increasingly migrated to Function‐as‐a‐Service platforms which are easy to manage, highly‐scalable, and pay‐as‐you‐go. Meanwhile, users face challenges in migration of serverless applications because of the lack of efficient algorithm for workflow memory configuration to optimize the performance. To this end, this article proposes a heuristic urgency‐based algorithm UWC and a meta‐heuristic hybrid algorithm BPSO to tackle the time‐cost tradeoff. UWC sorts functions and allocates each function an appropriate memory size by greedy strategy. BPSO hybridizes particle swarm optimization as well as beetle antennae search algorithm to guide particles to search directionally and utilizes nonlinear inertia weight to avoid local premature convergence. Extensive experiments with classical serverless application demonstrate that UWC and BPSO are very competitive in comparison with existing algorithms as they can find the optimal workflow memory configuration.
Weighted ridge and Liu estimators for linear regression model
Authors: Babar Iqra , Chand Sohail
Published: September 2022

In linear regression model, ridge regression and two‐parameter Liu estimator (LE) are the most widely used methods in recent decade to overcome the problem of multicollinearity especially for ill conditioned cases. In this article, we propose new weighted ridge and Liu estimators which remain positive for each level of multicollinearity and also give smaller mean squared error (MSE) than the existing ridge regression and existing Liu estimators. In addition, a new adaptive LE for k which accounts for the error variance is also proposed to assess the ill condition cases. Furthermore, new weighted ridge estimator of Kibria arithmetic mean method and two parameter Liu estimator with Liu method are also proposed.
Extensive Monte‐Carlo simulations are used to evaluate the performance of proposed estimators. Based on MSE criterion, the proposed estimators perform better than the existing estimators in many situations including severe multicollinearity and small signal‐to‐ noise ratio. Two real life applications are also provided to illustrate the usefulness of new estimators.
Metal‐Free N‐Doped Carbon Catalyst Derived from Chitosan for Aqueous Formic Acid‐Mediated Selective Reductive Formylation of Quinoline and Nitroarenes
Authors: Chauhan Arzoo , Banerjee Arghya , Kar Ashish Kumar , Srivastava Rajendra
Published: September 2022

A chitosan‐derived metal‐free N‐doped carbon catalyst was synthesized and investigated for selective reductive formylation of quinoline to N‐formyl‐tetrahydroquinoline and nitroarenes to N‐formyl anilides via aqueous formic acid (FA)‐mediated catalytic transformation. FA dissociated on the catalyst surface and acted as a hydrogenating and formylating source for selective N‐formylation of N‐heteroarenes. The carbonized catalyst prepared at 700 °C offered the best activity. A 92 % yield of N‐formyl‐tetrahydroquinoline after 14 h and >99 % yield for N‐formyl anilide after 12 h at 160 °C were obtained. The excellent catalytic activity was correlated with the type of “N” species and the basicity of the catalyst. Density functional theory calculations revealed that a water‐assisted FA decomposition pathway (deprotonation and dehydroxylation) generated the surface adsorbed −H and −HCOO species, required for the formation of N‐formylated products. In addition, the selective formation of N‐formyl‐tetrahydroquinoline and N‐formyl anilides was explained by a comprehensive reaction energetics analysis.
Review on Recent Applications of Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Materials in CO2 Capture and Energy Conversion and Storage
Authors: Al-Hajri Wadha , De Luna Yannis , Bensalah Nasr
Published: September 2022

Carbon materials play an integral role in our everyday lives. Extensive research has been carried out on the applications of carbon materials in its various morphologies and properties. The addition of dopants in carbon materials, whether in situ or post‐treatment, has gained significant interest and has driven researchers to explore its benefits and address existing issues. Nitrogen doping, in particular, has been shown to be a highly effective strategy in creating advanced materials for various applications, such as CO2 capture, energy conversion, and energy storage. However, the key factors that contribute to the properties and performance of the material, such as method of synthesis, starting materials, level of doping, and porosity, should be considered and studied at great depths. In this review, the synthesis methods of N‐doped carbon materials and their recent progress in CO2 adsorption, energy conversion, and energy storage applications is discussed. These applications represent some of the most important and promising solutions to burgeoning issues in environmental and energy fields. In addition, the remaining issues with N‐doped carbon materials and the possible strategies to overcome them will be discussed.
FlexTrail Printing as Direct Metallization with Low Silver Consumption for Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells: Evaluation of Solar Cell and Module Performance
Authors: Schube Jörg , Jahn Mike , Pingel Sebastian , De Rose Angela , Lorenz Andreas , Keding Roman , Clement Florian
Published: September 2022

FlexTrail printing has been invented and developed for (fine‐line) printing of various fluids, e.g., particle‐based metal‐containing fluids, etchants, and liquid‐phase pyrophoric media. Compared to other printing techniques, FlexTrail is highly independent of the fluids’ viscosity. Using this printing approach, feature sizes of 10 μm and below are reached. This work utilizes FlexTrail as a direct metallization method for printing of silver‐nanoparticle‐based front electrodes on busbarless silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. Thereby, only (9.4 ± 0.9) mg of silver is consumed for printing of a busbarless front grid, which exhibits 80 contact fingers of 156 mm in length. This means a silver reduction of more than 60% compared to screen printing. Solar cells with M2+ wafer size and FlexTrail‐printed front grids reach conversion efficiencies of up to (22.87 ± 0.01)%, which is similar to screen‐printed reference cells. To further demonstrate the practicability of FlexTrail metallization beyond cell level, a FlexTrail‐printed SHJ cell is further processed into a 200 mm × 200 mm‐sized one‐cell module applying SmartWire Connection Technology for interconnection. This module exhibits a maximum power of (5.0 ± 0.1) W, underlining the great potential of FlexTrail printing for the metallization of high‐power SHJ devices with significant silver reduction.
Assessment of the thermal efficiency of subcritical power generation cycles using environmentally friendly fluids at various heat source temperatures
Authors: Ahmed Aram M.
Published: September 2022

This study aims to investigate the effect of the various heat source temperature (Tmax) on thermal efficiency (ηth) for the organic rankine cycle (ORC), trilateral flash cycle (TFC), and partial evaporator (PE‐ORC). For this purpose, HFE7000, HFE7100, and HFE7500 were used as working fluids (WFs). The results indicate that by using HFE7000, the maximum ηth was obtained for all used power cycles and temperature ranges. Compared to HFE7100, HFE7500 has higher ηth at TFC, and PE‐ORC at low Tmax, while HFE7100 has the maximum value at high Tmax. The ηth at Tmax = 353 K for TFC were 8.71%, 8.34%, and 8.59%, while for ORC 12.38%, 11.82%, and 11.71% for HFE7000, HFE7100, and HFE7500, respectively. At Tmax = 423 K for TFC were 17.65%, 16.26%, and 16.52%, while for ORC were 18.56%, 17.38%, and 16.59% for HFE7000, HFE7100, and HFE7500, respectively. The ηth results indicate that the maximum improvement at TFC by using HFE7000, and the minimum was at HFE7100, while for ORC, the maximum was at HFE7000, and the minimum was at HFE7500. Therefore, the HFE7000 fluid behaves as normal dry fluids at any used temperature, while HFE7100 as normal dry WFs at low Tmax while behaving as very dry WFs at Tmax extremely close to its Tcr. HFE7500 behaves as very dry working fluids. The ηth intersections temperature was at Tmax = 425.2 K and Tmax = 455.9 K for HFE7500 and HFE7100, respectively. However, there is no ηth intersection for HFE7000.
Reinforcement optimization for decentralized service placement policy in IoT‐centric fog environment
Authors: Sulimani Hamza , Sajjad Akbar Muhammad , Alghamdi Wael Y. , Kaiwartya Omprakash , Jan Tony , Simoff Simeon , Prasad Mukesh
Published: September 2022

A decentralized service placement policy plays a key role in distributed systems, such as fog computing, where sharing workloads fairly among active computing nodes is critical. A decentralized policy is an inherent feature of the service placement process that may improve load balancing among computers and can reduce the latency in many real‐time Internet of Things (IoT) applications. This article proposes reinforcement optimization for a decentralized service placement policy, which attempts to mitigate some of the drawbacks of existing service placement policies. Matching task size with node specifications and the allocation of less popular but time‐sensitive applications in the fog layer are the primary contributions of this study. Extensive experimental comparisons are made between the proposed algorithm and other well‐known algorithms over service latency, network usage, and computing usage using the iFogSim simulator. A microservice‐based application with varying sizes of computing requests are tested experimentally and show that the proposed algorithm effectively serves computing instances that are closer to users, reducing service latency and network usage. Compared to the existing models, the proposed modified algorithm reduces service latency by 24.1%, network usage by 4%, and computing usage by 20%, thus highlighting positive outcomes when using the proposed algorithm for fog analytics in future real‐time IoT applications.
An efficient lightweight encryption model with re‐encryption scheme to create robust blockchain architecture for COVID‐19 data
Authors: Avula Gopalakrishna Chandini , Basarkod Prabhugoud I.
Published: September 2022

Handling electronic health records from the Internet of Medical Things is one of the most challenging research areas as it consists of sensitive information, which targets attackers. Also, dealing with modern healthcare systems is highly complex and expensive, requiring much secured storage space. However, blockchain technology can mitigate these problems through improved health record management. The proposed work develops a scalable, lightweight framework based on blockchain technology to improve COVID‐19 data security, scalability and patient privacy. Initially, the COVID‐19 related data records are hashed using the enhanced Merkle tree data structure. The hashed values are encrypted by lattice based cryptography with a Homomorphic proxy re‐encryption scheme in which the input data are secured. After completing the encryption process, the blockchain uses inter planetary file system to store secured information. Finally, the Proof of Work concept is utilized to validate the security of the input COVID based data records. The proposed work's experimental setup is performed using the Python tool. The performance metrics like encryption time, re‐encryption time, decryption time, overall processing time, and latency prove the efficacy of the proposed schemes.
Optimizing teaching effectiveness in dental education for a new generation of learners
Authors: Walinski Christopher J. , Ontiveros Joe C. , Liu Fei , Crain Geralyn , Vardar‐Sengul Saynur
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Today's dental students, Generation Z (Gen Z), are said to learn differently than those of previous generations. As generations of dental students vary, our teaching styles must keep up with unique and changing groups of individuals.

Methods

This article discusses learner‐focused teaching methods including techniques that address the characteristics of Gen Z learners. Blended learning methods that combine online media with traditional face‐to‐face sessions, team‐based learning, and a flipped classroom format have previously been suggested as ways to increase learning effectiveness and student satisfaction.

Results

In this paper, the characteristics and preferences of Gen Z students are described along with the challenges they create with conventional teaching methods. An implementation strategy using principles from organizational agility and Bolman and Deal's Four Frames Model is proposed for dental schools to transition to a more learner‐centered teaching approach.

Conclusions

The suggested strategy can be customized and could be useful to schools that wish to enhance their teaching methods to meet the learning needs of Gen Z dental students and beyond.
Ozone at low concentration modulates microglial activity in vitro: A multimodal microscopy and biomolecular study
Authors: Lacavalla Maria Assunta , Inguscio Chiara Rita , Cisterna Barbara , Bernardi Paolo , Costanzo Manuela , Galiè Mirco , Scambi Ilaria , Angelini Osvaldo , Tabaracci Gabriele , Malatesta Manuela
Published: September 2022

Oxygen‐ozone (O2‐O3) therapy is an adjuvant/complementary treatment based on the activation of antioxidant and cytoprotective pathways driven by the nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2). Many drugs, including dimethyl fumarate (DMF), that are used to reduce inflammation in oxidative‐stress‐related neurodegenerative diseases, act through the Nrf2‐pathway. The scope of the present investigation was to get a deeper insight into the mechanisms responsible for the beneficial result of O2‐O3 treatment in some neurodegenerative diseases. To do this, we used an integrated approach of multimodal microscopy (bright‐field and fluorescence microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy) and biomolecular techniques to investigate the effects of the low O3 concentrations currently used in clinical practice in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐activated microglial cells human microglial clone 3 (HMC3) and in DMF‐treated LPS‐activated (LPS + DMF) HMC3 cells. The results at light and electron microscopy showed that LPS‐activation induced morphological modifications of HMC3 cells from elongated/branched to larger roundish shape, cytoplasmic accumulation of lipid droplets, decreased electron density of the cytoplasm and mitochondria, decreased amount of Nrf2 and increased migration rate, while biomolecular data demonstrated that Heme oxygenase 1 gene expression and the secretion of the pro‐inflammatory cytokines, Interleukin‐6, and tumor necrosis factor‐α augmented. O3 treatment did not affect cell viability, proliferation, and morphological features of both LPS‐activated and LPS + DMF cells, whereas the cell motility and the secretion of pro‐inflammatory cytokines were significantly decreased. This evidence suggests that modulation of microglia activity may contribute to the beneficial effects of the O2‐O3 therapy in patients with neurodegenerative disorders characterized by chronic inflammation.

Highlights

Low‐dose ozone (O3) does not damage activated microglial cells in vitro

Low‐dose O3 decreases cell motility and pro‐inflammatory cytokine secretion in activated microglial cells in vitro

Low‐dose O3 potentiates the effect of an anti‐inflammatory drug on activated microglial cells
Tuning structural properties, morphology and magnetic characteristics of nanostructuredNi‐Co‐Fe/ITOternary alloys by galvanostatic pretreatment process
Authors: Saraç Umut , Trong Dung Nguyen , Baykul Mevlana Celalettin , Long Van Cao , Ţălu Ştefan
Published: September 2022

In this research, the structural properties, surface morphology, and magnetic characteristics of nanostructured ternary ferromagnetic alloys grown by a cost‐effective and effortless two‐step electrochemical deposition method on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates with and without a galvanostatic pretreatment process (GPP) were examined. The GPP was applied at various pretreatment current densities (PCDs) such as −10, −20, and − 30 mA/cm2. The effect of the PCD on the Ni, Co, and Fe contents is found to be insignificant and all resultant Ni‐Co‐Fe thin films show an abnormal co‐deposition. The films have nano‐sized crystallites ranging from 17.3 to 19.6 nm and showed a face‐centered cubic structure with the [111] preferential growth. Compared to the non‐GPP applied Ni‐Co‐Fe film, growing the ternary Ni‐Co‐Fe film on ITO at the PCD of −30 mA/cm2causes an improvement in the crystal quality and a reduction in the particle size from 150 ± 50 to 70 ± 20 nm. A decrement in the surface roughness and coercivity was also achieved by applying the GPP at the PCD of −30 mA/cm2, but the opposite is true for the GPP performed at the PCD of −10 mA/cm2. The GPP has an effect on the magnetic Squareness Ratio (SQR), but the influence of the PCD on the SQR parameter is negligible. The obtained findings reveal that the properties of the Ni‐Co‐Fe/ITO ternary alloys can be tuned through the GPP applied in various PCDs.

Highlights

• The effect of the PCD on the Ni, Co, and Fe contents is found to be insignificant.

• The films have nano‐sized crystallites and showed a face‐centered cubic structure with the [111] preferential growth.

• The analysis reveals that the GPP changes the crystal quality,Hcparameter, surface roughness, and particle size of the films.

• The GPP has an effect on the magnetic squareness ratio (SQR), but the influence of the PCD on the SQR parameter is negligible.

• The films had nano‐sized crystallites ranging from 17.3 to 19.6 nm.

• The films were ferromagnetic, and theHcand SQR parameters of the films ranged from 30.2 to 42.7 Oe and from 8.8% to 19.6%.
The SwedishCOG6‐CDGexperience and a comprehensive literature review
Authors: Xia Zhi‐Jie , Ng Bobby G. , Jennions Elizabeth , Blomqvist Maria , Sandqvist Wiklund Anneli , Hedberg‐Oldfors Carola , Gonzalez Carlos Rodriguez , Freeze Hudson H. , Ygberg Sofia , Eklund Erik A.
Published: September 2022

Here, we present the first two Swedish cases of Conserved Oligomeric Golgi complex subunit 6‐congenital disorders of glycosylation (COG6‐CDG). Their clinical symptoms include intellectual disability, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), delayed brain myelinization, progressive microcephaly, joint laxity, hyperkeratosis, frequent infections, and enamel hypoplasia. In one family, compound heterozygous variants inCOG6were identified, where one (c.785A>G; p.Tyr262Cys) has previously been described in patients of Moroccan descent, whereas the other (c.238G>A; p.Glu80Lys) is undescribed. On the other hand, a previously undescribed homozygous duplication (c.1793_1795dup) was deemed the cause of the disease. To confirm the pathogenicity of the variants, we treated patient and control fibroblasts with the ER‐Golgi transport inhibitor Brefeldin‐A and show that patient cells manifest a significantly slower anterograde and retrograde ER‐Golgi transport.
The risk of classical galactosaemia in newborns with borderline galactose metabolites on newborn screening
Authors: Bernhardt Isaac , Glamuzina Emma , Ryder Bryony , Knoll Detlef , Heather Natasha , De Hora Mark , Webster Dianne , Wilson Callum
Published: September 2022

Newborn screening (NBS) for classical galactosaemia (CG) facilitates early diagnosis and treatment to prevent life‐threatening complications, but remains controversial, and screening protocols vary widely between programmes. False‐negatives associated with first‐tier screening of total galactose metabolites (TGAL) are infrequently reported; however, newborns with TGAL below the screening threshold have not been systematically studied. Following the diagnosis of CG in two siblings missed by NBS, a retrospective cohort study of infants with TGAL just below the cut‐off (1.5 mmol/L blood) was conducted. Children born in New Zealand (NZ) from 2011 to 2019, with TGAL 1.0–1.49 mmol/L on NBS were identified from the national metabolic screening programme (NMSP) database, and clinical coding data and medical records were reviewed. GALT sequencing was performed if CG could not be excluded following review of medical records. 328 infants with TGAL 1.0–1.49 mmol/L on NBS were identified, of whom 35 had ICD‐10 codes relevant to CG including vomiting, poor feeding, weight loss, failure to thrive, jaundice, hepatitis, Escherichia coli urinary tract infection, sepsis, intracranial hypertension and death. CG could be excluded in 34/35, due to documentation of clinical improvement with continued dietary galactose intake, or a clear alternative aetiology. GALT sequencing in the remaining individual confirmed Duarte‐variant galactosaemia (DG). In conclusion, undiagnosed CG appears to be rare in those with TGAL 1.0–1.49 mmol/L on NBS; however, our recent experience with missed cases is nevertheless concerning. Further work is required to establish the optimum screening strategy, to maximize the early detection of CG without excess false‐positives.
Postbreeding movements and molting ecology of female gadwalls and mallards
Authors: Kohl Jeffrey D. , Casazza Michael L. , Overton Cory T. , Herzog Mark P. , Ackerman Joshua T. , Feldheim Cliff L. , Eadie John M.
Published: September 2022

The wing molt is an important annual life‐history event that occurs in waterfowl and molt site selection can play an important role in determining survival. We tracked postbreeding movements of gadwall (Mareca strepera) and mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) females that bred in the Suisun Marsh (Suisun) of California, USA, to determine molt site selection and wing molt chronology. We attached backpack transmitters with global positioning system and global system for mobile communications (GPS‐GSM) technology to female gadwalls and mallards within Suisun and tracked the birds following the breeding season during 2015–2018. We determined molt locations for 52 female gadwalls and 112 female mallards. Thirty of the marked gadwall females selected 2 regions within southern Oregon‐northeastern California (SONEC) to undergo molt; 16 molted in the Upper Klamath Basin (southern OR) and 14 in the Lower Klamath Basin (northeastern CA). A large portion of female mallards molted in Suisun (n = 34) and the Sacramento Valley in California (n = 31) but also used the Upper Klamath Basin (n = 13), Lower Klamath Basin (n = 12), and the Yolo–Delta region in California (n = 12). On average, gadwalls departed Suisun on 30 July (±17.82 days [SD]), and mallards departed on 24 July (±22.69 days). Mean start date of molt for each species was similar: 27 August (±16.09 days) for gadwalls and 26 August (±21.03 days) for mallards. Molt end date was analogous for each species as well. Molt ended on average 1 October (±15.52 days) for gadwalls and on 5 October (±18.34 days) for mallards. Gadwalls and mallards showed intraspecific differences in average molt start and end date within the 3 main geographical zones: Suisun, Central Valley of California (Central Valley), and SONEC. Mean duration of wing molt for gadwalls was 34.72± 8.62 days and 41.09 ± 12.54 days for mallards. Both species primarily selected permanent marsh to undergo wing molt (gadwalls = 90.4%, mallards = 63.4%). Conservation and active management of these high‐use molting areas used by California's primary breeding waterfowl species could enhance postbreeding survival, leading to increased breeding waterfowl populations.