bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Archaeology through tok stori: negotiating the meanings, values and challenges of archaeological research in Solomon Islands
Authors: Radclyffe Charles J. T. , Ale'eke‐Bemama Grinta
Published: August 2024

Tok stori, a Melanesian pidgin term meaning “conversate or share stories”, has emerged over the last decade as a Melanesian research methodology in the fields of education, pedagogy and leadership. This paper contributes to this scholarship by exploring the value of its application to the conceptualisation and practice of archaeological research in Solomon Islands. From our perspectives as Solomon Islander archaeologists, we reflect on our experiences engaging in tok stori with two communities from Santa Isabel and Lauru (Choiseul) while undertaking field work. We use these examples to demonstrate the highly dynamic nature of tok stori in research, serving as a mechanism to build trust and reciprocal relationships centred upon shared social values, but also to facilitate more transactional partnerships fixated on negotiating financial “benefits”. Drawing from our experiences, we also discuss key challenges facing archaeological practice in Solomon Islands. These are a lack of awareness of the purpose and values of archaeological research, and a legacy of monetary enticement we refer to as a “handout mentality” generated by extractive industries. Tok stori, we contend, can aid in navigating these challenges and serves as a valuable research tool for archaeologists due to its adaptability and the cultural bearing it holds for Melanesian peoples.
Towards replacing precipitation ensemble predictions systems using machine learning
Authors: Brecht Rüdiger , Bihlo Alex
Published: August 2024

Forecasting precipitation accurately poses significant challenges due to various factors affecting its distribution and intensity, including but not limited to subgrid variability. Although higher resolution simulations are often considered to improve precipitation forecasts, it is crucial to note that simply increasing resolution may not suffice without appropriate adjustments to parameterization schemes or tuning. Traditionally, ensembles of simulations are used to generate uncertainty predictions associated with precipitation forecasts, but this approach can be computationally intensive. As an alternative, there is a growing trend towards leveraging neural networks for precipitation prediction, which offers potential computational advantages. We propose a new approach to generating ensemble weather predictions for high‐resolution precipitation without requiring high‐resolution training data. The method uses generative adversarial networks to learn the complex patterns of precipitation and produce diverse and realistic precipitation fields, allowing to generate realistic precipitation ensemble members using only the available control forecast. We demonstrate the feasibility of generating realistic precipitation ensemble members on unseen higher resolutions. We use evaluation metrics such as RMSE, CRPS, rank histogram and ROC curves to demonstrate that our generated ensemble is almost identical to the ECMWF IFS ensemble, on which our model was trained on.
Characterizing social communication among minimally verbal children with autism: An application of item response theory
Authors: Schlink Andrew , Kasari Connie
Published: August 2024

Minimally verbal children constitute a portion of the autism spectrum. The paucity of proper measurement tools that sensitively and accurately assess behaviors has been one limiting factor in the improved knowledge of these children. Short of creating and validating a new measurement tool for this subpopulation, this study took an alternative and more immediate approach: conduct a secondary data analysis and examine an existing social communication measure, the Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS), with item response theory. The final sample consisted of 453 minimally verbal children culled from four different completed studies. The IRT models analyzed the frequency of social communication gestures from the ESCS and returned an objective difficulty hierarchy regarding initiations of joint attention and behavior regulation gestures. The best‐fitting and final model was a zero‐inflated negative binomial model (ZINBM), which determined that joint attention gestures were, on average, more difficult than behavior regulation gestures. Joint attentional shows and gives were essentially absent in the children's repertoire, and behavior regulation reaches were the easiest gestures for this sample. The ZINBM separately modeled children with some gestures and children who did not present with any gestures and determined that behavior regulation reaches and gives were likely the first gestures a child will eventually exhibit among children with no gestures. Methodological contributions and potential future applications of IRT are discussed.
Wasserdampf‐Diffusionswiderstand von Massivholz‐ und Furnierschicht‐Holzplatten
Authors: Wick Adrian , Volkmer Thomas
Published: August 2024

Der Werkstoffverbund aus den Materialien Holz und Klebstoff wird durch den Fügeprozess des Klebens über eine Vielzahl von Faktoren beeinflusst, weshalb der Wasserdampf‐Diffusionswiderstand (WDDW) von Holz‐Werkstoffplatten einer gewissen Streuung unterworfen ist. In dieser Arbeit wurden selbst produzierte Zweischichtplatten (2SP) mit einer Variation der Klebstoffmenge von 120–180 g/m2 und industriell produzierte Dreischichtplatten (3SP), Brett‐Sperrholzplatten (BSP) sowie Furnierschichtholz (FSP) auf deren WDDW im trocknen (rel. LF 0–50 %, 23 °C) und feuchten (rel. LF 50–100 %, 23 °C) Prüfklima getestet. Die Untersuchungen zeigen, dass die Ergebnisse stark vom entsprechenden Klebstoffsystem (1 K‐PUR, MUF und PRF), der Klebstoffmenge und der Plattenstärke abhängen. Zusätzliche mikroskopische Auswertungen der Klebfugen‐Ausbildung deuten auf eine Korrelation zwischen dem WDDW und der Dicke des reinen Klebstofffilms hin. Ein Vergleich der Messwerte mit den Angaben in den Datenblättern offenbart eine beträchtliche Differenz. Daraus lässt sich schließen, dass zukünftig die normative Regelung zur Ermittlung des WDDW für die Produktdeklaration nicht über Listenwerte, sondern für jedes Produkt gemäß Prüfnorm EN ISO 12572:2016 [1] eigenständig ermittelt werden sollte.
Die Dämmwirkung von Kastenfenstern
Authors: Kain Günther , Idam Friedrich , Hunger Peter , Bonfert Sabine
Published: August 2024

Kastenfenster sind wesentliche Bestandteile unseres baukulturellen Erbes und haben sich aufgrund ihrer über einen langen Lebenszyklus guten schall‐ und wärmedämmenden Eigenschaften über Jahrhunderte bewährt. Im Zuge der allgemeinen Bestrebungen, die thermische Performance der Gebäudehülle von Bestandsbauten zu verbessern, werden laufend historische Fenster durch moderne, im Regelfall industriell gefertigte Konstruktionen ersetzt. Als Hauptargument für diesen sogenannten Fenstertausch wird vor allem der hohe Wärmedurchgang bei Kastenfenstern ins Treffen geführt. Dabei werden aber für diese historischen Fenster nicht Messergebnisse am realen Bestand, sondern normativ festgelegte Default‐Werte herangezogen und in einer Momentaufnahme mit dem Wärmedurchgang fabrikneuer Isolierglassysteme verglichen. Diese Default‐Werte betragen allerdings das Drei‐ bis Vierfache der Laborwerte der industriell gefertigten Thermofenster. Darüber hinaus wird der Energieverbrauch unterschiedlicher Fensterkonstruktionen nicht über deren gesamten Lebenszyklus unter Einbeziehung des Aufwandes an „grauer Energie“ bewertet und auch ökologische Aspekte wie Nachhaltigkeit und Reparaturfähigkeit werden in diesen Berechnungen äußerst selten berücksichtigt.
Hygrothermische Kennwerte von Holzwerkstoffen
Authors: Rüther Norbert , Sieder Mike
Published: August 2024

Während hinsichtlich des Tragverhaltens von Holzkonstruktionen umfangreiche Versuchsreihen zur Ermittlung von Materialkennwerten durchgeführt werden, die eine statistische Auswertung ermöglichen, werden bauphysikalische Eigenschaften anhand weniger Proben ermittelt, die die üblichen Materialstreuungen unzureichend abdecken können. Insgesamt hat sich über die Jahrzehnte eine unbefriedigende Situation sowohl für die Hersteller von Bauprodukten, aber auch für die PlanerInnen und AnwenderInnen eingestellt. Im Rahmen mehrerer Vorhaben wurden umfangreiche experimentelle und rechnerische Untersuchungen an Materialien, Materialkombinationen und Bauteilen durchgeführt, die insgesamt zu einem größeren Verständnis bauphysikalischer und mechanischer Eigenschaften führen sollen. Die Erkenntnisse können dazu beitragen, mit einer größeren Genauigkeit prognostizieren zu können, wobei die größere Genauigkeit auf der Möglichkeit beruht, mit Wahrscheinlichkeiten rechnen zu können, die die Streuungen der Werte der Materialeigenschaften beinhalten. Mit den Ergebnissen der Arbeiten lassen sich viele bauphysikalische Eigenschaften von Werkstoffen aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen ohne zusätzliche experimentelle Untersuchungen/ Prüfung mit baupraktisch ausreichender Genauigkeit vorhersagen.
Innentemperaturtrends und die unbeabsichtigten Wechselwirkungen
Authors: Hellwig Runa T.
Published: August 2024

In den letzten Jahren ist es auffallend, dass die Innentemperaturen in Wohngebäuden drei Trends folgen: abnehmende räumliche Variation, abnehmende zeitliche Variation und gleichzeitig steigende mittlere Innentemperaturen. Architektonische Gestaltung und die in Neubauten und bei der Gebäudesanierung angewandten Bautechnologien haben sich seit den 70er Jahren stark verändert. Darüber hinaus hat sich das, was als angemessenes Innentemperaturniveau angesehen wird, im Laufe der Zeit verändert. Dies spiegelt sich sowohl in Zitaten aus der Fachliteratur als auch in den Anforderungen der Normen wider. Forschungsarbeiten legen nahe, dass solche veränderten Innentemperaturmuster mit unbeabsichtigten Wechselwirkungen in folgenden Hauptbereichen assoziiert sind: menschliche Gesundheit und Resilienz, menschliche Raumklimawahrnehmung, Umweltauswirkungen von Gebäuden sowie Resilienz von Gebäuden in einem sich verändernden Klima. Mögliche Erklärungsansätze liegen in der Betrachtung des Zusammenspiels von techno‐kulturellen Faktoren, techno‐bauphysikalischen Faktoren, verhaltensbezogenen Faktoren der Bewohner, physiologischen Anpassungsfaktoren und psychologischen Faktoren und nicht in der Betrachtung eines einzelnen dieser Faktoren. Dies führt zu der Frage, ob die etablierten Denkweisen in der Gebäudeplanung und des ‐betriebs in der Zukunft unverändert gelten sollen. Der Aufsatz schließt mit Vorschlägen für eine Anpassung dieser Denkansätze, die eine solche Diskussion unterstützen sollen.
Higher prevalence of dupilumab‐induced ocular adverse events in atopic dermatitis compared to asthma: A daily practice analysis
Authors: Schlösser Anne R. , Bult Lotte , Thelen John C. , Thiadens Alberta A. H. J. , Schappin Renske , Nijsten Tamar E. C. , Veen Johannes C. C. M. in 't , Braunstahl Gerrit J. , Hijnen DirkJan
Published: August 2024

Background

Dupilumab has been shown to be an effective treatment in moderate‐to‐severe atopic dermatitis (AD) and severe asthma (SA). However, comparative real‐world analyses of adverse events (AE), particularly dupilumab‐associated ocular surface disease (DAOSD), are lacking.

Objective

This is the first real‐world study to provide insight into the prevalence of AEs associated with dupilumab in AD compared with SA. Secondary objectives were to assess the prevalence, onset and therapeutic strategies of DAOSD and evaluate dupilumab discontinuation rates.

Methods

Data from two daily practice registries including AD and SA patients receiving dupilumab treatment were analyzed. Adverse events, including DAOSD, were evaluated.

Results

In total, 322 AD and 148 SA patients were included. Headaches (23.6%), injection site reactions (10.1%), and influenza‐like symptoms (13.5%) were more prevalent in SA patients. Interestingly, ocular AEs were significantly more prevalent in AD patients (62.1%, p < 0.001), including conjunctivitis (17.1%, p = 0.004). 88% AD and 47% SA patients with ocular AEs received one or more ophthalmic treatment(s). Additionally, 20% of AD and 17.6% of SA patients discontinued dupilumab treatment due to ocular AEs, while only 65% of these AD and none of these SA patients were referred to an ophthalmologist.

Conclusion

The higher incidence of DAOSD in AD patients compared with SA patients in this real‐world study highlights the importance of physician awareness, especially when prescribing dupilumab to AD patients. Conversely, the findings of this study help alleviate potential concerns about ocular AEs in patients with SA who do not have comorbid AD. Furthermore, the effective management of most ocular AEs with ophthalmic treatments suggests favorable tolerability of dupilumab in daily practice, and multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to proactively manage ocular AEs before discontinuing dupilumab.
The power of crowds: The effect of online platform interactions on greenwashing
Authors: Zheng Hui , Zhang Jing
Published: August 2024

Greenwashing is a fraudulent environmental, social and governance (ESG) behavior. Previous literature has explored the impact of unidirectional disclosure on greenwashing. However, how interactive disclosures affect greenwashing has not been fully explored. Given the background of the regulatory transformation of China's capital market, we use data from the Q&A boards of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) “Interactive Easy” and Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) “SSE e‐Interactive” online platforms to investigate the impact of interactive disclosure between firms and retail investors on greenwashing. We find that online platform interactions (OPIs) inhibit greenwashing. Moreover, such negative effects are more pronounced for firms with high‐quality internal controls, high executive shareholding, high analyst coverage, low financing constraints, and executives with overseas backgrounds. Overall, our research provides empirical evidence that OPIs improve capital market efficiency by inhibiting greenwashing.
Revisiting the relationship between ESG, institutional ownership, and corporate innovation: An efficiency perspective
Authors: Li Qiang , Li Minglai , Zhang Lin
Published: August 2024

This paper investigates how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efficiency impacts corporate innovation, highlighting its role as a crucial indicator of resource utilization within firms. Analyzing data from A‐share listed companies in China between 2009 and 2021, we find that ESG efficiency levels are positively correlated with corporate innovation outputs. This indicates that higher ESG efficiency contributes to greater innovation. Our result also reveals that the relationship between ESG efficiency and corporate innovation is moderated by the firm's ownership structure. Specifically, the negative moderating effects of ownership are more pronounced in regions with lower economic development or stringent environmental regulations. Technology‐based firms are particularly affected, exhibiting greater vulnerability to these negative effects. These findings confirm that ESG efficiency is a significant mechanism linking ESG practices to enhanced innovation capabilities. By exploring both the efficiency aspects of ESG performance and the institutional factors influencing ESG‐innovation dynamics, our study makes a notable contribution to the literature, offering new insights into how effective ESG practices can strategically drive innovation within firms.
An NMR study on the keto‐enol tautomerism of 1,3‐dicarbonyl drug precursors
Authors: Liu Xue‐yan , Jia Wei , Liu Cui‐mei , Hua Zhen‐dong
Published: August 2024

The effective implementation of drug precursor legislation has driven the innovation and design of new alternative substances. The application of 1,3‐dicarbonyl precursors as alternative precursors for the synthesis of 1‐phenyl‐2‐propanone (P2P) and 3,4‐methylenedioxyphenyl‐2‐propanone (MDP2P) has created new challenges to legal control. Their 1,3‐dicarbonyl structure allows the precursors to exist as an equilibrium mixture of the tautomeric diketo and keto‐enolic forms during the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. In this study, the keto‐enol tautomerism of four 1,3‐dicarbonyl drug pre‐precursors, α‐phenylacetoacetamide (APAA), methyl α‐phenylacetoacetate (MAPA), ethyl α‐phenylacetoacetate (EAPA), and methyl 2‐(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol‐5‐yl)‐3‐oxobutanoate (MAMDPA) were investigated through NMR. One‐dimensional (1D) and 2D NMR were combined to assign signals for the diketo and keto‐enolic tautomers. Results showed that the keto‐enol tautomerism was solvent‐dependent but was also influenced by the substituent present in the molecule. Further, the analysis results indicated that majority of substances existed mainly in the diketo form. The enol‐keto equilibrium constant (Keq) was stable in dimethyl sulfoxide‐d6 and chloroform‐d, while unstable for some compounds in acetone‐d6 and deuterated methanol. The presence of impurities in the seized sample may disrupt the equilibrium between keto‐enol tautomers in 1,3‐dicarbonyl precursors. After the optimization of several key quantitative parameters, a quantitative NMR method for the quantification of 1,3‐dicarbonyl drug precursors were also developed to facilitate their quantitative analysis. This is the first study to investigate the keto‐enol tautomerism and quantification of 1,3‐dicarbonyl drug precursors by NMR, providing a new approach for structure analysis and quantification of new precursor analogues.
Eucommia ulmoidesOliv. leaves flavonoids attenuate methylglyoxal‐induced endothelial cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo by upregulating AKT‐Nrf2 signaling and downregulating oxidative stress
Authors: Deng Xin , Wu Qianfeng , Liu Youping
Published: August 2024

Methylglyoxal (MGO) triggers oxidative stress responses in vascular endothelial cells, leading to apoptosis linked to diabetic vascular complications. Total flavonoids of Eucommia ulmoides leaves (TFEL) display antioxidant activity, yet its prevention of MGO‐induced apoptosis and mechanisms are unclear. Our study used western blotting and ELISA to evaluate protein levels and enzyme activities. Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated using CCK8 assay and PE Annexin V/7‐AAD double staining. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were measured using fluorescence probes. Vascular pathological changes and apoptosis were analyzed through H&E and TUNEL staining. In vitro, MGO‐stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with varying TFEL concentrations. Our results demonstrated that TFEL significantly enhanced cell viability, reduced apoptosis, downregulated caspase‐3 activity, and Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio. Moreover, TFEL markedly suppressed MGO‐induced ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA) production while restoring antioxidant enzyme activity and MMP. TFEL pretreatment promoted the expression of p‐Akt, Nrf2, and HO‐1 proteins. Pharmacological inhibition of p‐Akt significantly suppressed the upregulation of Nrf2 and HO‐1 protein levels mediated by TFEL. Consistently, pharmacological inhibition of Nrf2 or p‐Akt partially abrogated the protective effects of TFEL against MGO‐induced damage in HUVECs. In vivo studies revealed that TFEL (100 and 200 mg/kg) partially restored antioxidant capacity and reduced aortic thickness and apoptosis in MGO‐injured mice. In conclusion, the findings indicate that TFEL mitigates MGO‐induced apoptosis via activation of p‐Akt/Nrf2/HO‐1 and scavenging of oxidative stress, highlighting its potential in diabetic vascular complication management.
Identification of astrocyte‐like cells in an adult ascidian during regeneration of the central nervous system
Authors: Medina Bianca Nicole Santos Paes , Portal Taynan Motta , de Andrade Gomes Carlos Augusto Borges , Nunes‐da‐Fonseca Rodrigo , Allodi Silvana , Monteiro‐de‐Barros Cintia
Published: August 2024

The mechanisms underlying regeneration of the central nervous system (CNS) following lesions have been studied extensively in both vertebrate and invertebrate models. To shed light on regeneration, ascidians, a sister group of vertebrates and with remarkable ability to regenerate their brains, constitute an appropriate model system. Glial cells have been implicated in regeneration in vertebrates; however, their role in the adult ascidian CNS regeneration is unknown. A model of degeneration and regeneration using the neurotoxin 3‐acetylpyridine (3AP) in the brain of the ascidian Styela plicata was used to identify astrocyte‐like cells and investigate their role. We studied the CNS of control ascidians (injected with artificial sea water) and of ascidians whose CNS was regenerating (1 and 10 days after the injection with 3AP). Our results show that the mRNA of the ortholog of glutamine synthetase (GS), a glial‐cell marker in vertebrates, is increased during the early stages of regeneration. Confirming the identity of GS, the protein was identified via immunostaining in a cell population during the same regeneration stage. Last, a single ortholog of GS (GSII) is present in ascidian and amphioxus genomes, while two types exist in fungi, some invertebrates, and vertebrates, suggesting that ascidians have lost the GSI type. Taken together, our findings revealed that a cell population expressing glial‐cell markers may play a role in regeneration in adult ascidians. This is the first report of astrocyte‐like cells in the adult ascidian CNS, and contributes to understanding of the evolution of glial cells among metazoans.
Development of a brief assessment tool to identify children with probable anxiety disorders
Authors: Reardon Tessa , Ukoumunne Obioha C. , Ball Susan , Brown Paul , Ford Tamsin , Gray Alastair , Hill Claire , Jasper Bec , Larkin Michael , Macdonald Ian , Morgan Fran , Sancho Michelle , Sniehotta Falko F. , Spence Susan H. , Stainer Jason , Stallard Paul , Violato Mara , iCATS Team  , Creswell Cathy
Published: August 2024

Background

Difficulties identifying anxiety disorders in primary‐school aged children present significant barriers to timely access to support and intervention. This study aimed to develop a brief assessment tool that can identify children with anxiety disorders in community settings, with a high level of sensitivity and specificity.

Methods

Children (aged 8–11 years), and their parents/carers and teachers from 19 primary/junior schools in England each completed a pool of questionnaire items that assessed child anxiety symptoms and associated impact. Diagnostic assessments (Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule for Children: Child and Parent interviews) were administered by independent assessors to determine the presence/absence of anxiety disorders in children. We created alternative candidate brief child‐, parent‐, teacher‐report questionnaires consisting of the ‘best’ items selected from the wider pool of completed items. We used exploratory factor analysis to reduce the item pool, and multivariable backward elimination logistic regression to identify items that were the strongest predictors of the presence/absence of an anxiety disorder.

Results

Parents/carers of 646 children provided consent; child/parent/teacher‐report questionnaires were collected for 582/646/565 children respectively; and diagnostic outcome data were collected for 463 children. None of the brief child‐ nor teacher‐report questionnaires achieved acceptable sensitivity/specificity (<75%). Parent‐report questionnaires including between 2 and 9 items that assess anxiety symptoms and/or associated impact achieved acceptable sensitivity and specificity (≥75%).

Conclusions

The two‐item parent‐report measure that assesses distress and impairment associated with anxiety brings the advantage of brevity and has the potential to be used in community settings to improve identification of children with anxiety disorders.
New paradigms to break barriers in early cancer detection for improved prognosis and treatment outcomes
Authors: Ahmad Irfan , Jasim Saade Abdalkareem , Sharma M. K. , S Renuka Jyothi , Hjazi Ahmed , Mohammed Jaafaru Sani , Sinha Aashna , Zwamel Ahmed Hussein , Hamzah Hamza Fadhel , Mohammed Bahira Abdulrazzaq
Published: August 2024

The uncontrolled growth and spread of cancerous cells beyond their usual boundaries into surrounding tissues characterizes cancer. In developed countries, cancer is the leading cause of death, while in underdeveloped nations, it ranks second. Using existing cancer diagnostic tools has increased early detection rates, which is crucial for effective cancer treatment. In recent decades, there has been significant progress in cancer‐specific survival rates owing to advances in cancer detection and treatment. The ability to accurately identify precursor lesions is a crucial aspect of effective cancer screening programs, as it enables early treatment initiation, leading to lower long‐term incidence of invasive cancer and improved overall prognosis. However, these diagnostic methods have limitations, such as high costs and technical challenges, which can make accurate diagnosis of certain deep‐seated tumors difficult. To achieve accurate cancer diagnosis and prognosis, it is essential to continue developing cutting‐edge technologies in molecular biology and cancer imaging.
Value of Two‐Dimensional Shear‐Wave Elastography in Differentiating Pancreatic Steatosis From Pancreatic Fibrosis
Authors: Chen Zhenzhen , Wang Huiyang , Jiang Tian'an
Published: August 2024

Objectives

Pancreatic steatosis (PS) and pancreatic fibrosis (PF) both show increased pancreatic echogenicity on conventional B‐mode ultrasound. In this study, we assessed the applicability of two‐dimensional shear‐wave elastography (2D‐SWE) for their discrimination.

Methods

We gathered data from 120 adults with valid 2D‐SWE measurements, comprising 40 healthy individuals, 55 individuals diagnosed with PS via non‐enhanced computed tomography (CT), and 25 patients clinically diagnosed with non‐calcific chronic pancreatitis. The participants were divided into three groups: normal pancreas (NP), PS, and PF. pancreatic echogenicity, pancreatic stiffness, and CT values between groups were analyzed.

Results

The 2D‐SWE and CT values among the NP, PS, and PF groups all showed significant differences (P < .001). For the diagnosis of PS and PF using 2D‐SWE, the area under the curve (AUC) values were 0.9100 and 0.9940, respectively, with optimal cut‐off values of 5.7 kPa for predicting PS and 8.2 kPa for predicting PF.

Conclusions

The 2D‐SWE technique enabled rapid and quantitative assessment of the hardness of hyperechoic pancreas visualized on conventional B‐mode ultrasound, which holds certain value in distinguishing PS from PF.
Powering Organic Flexible Optical Waveguides and Circuits via Focused Micro‐LEDs for Visible Light Communication
Authors: Khapre Ankur , Kumar Avulu Vinod , Chandrasekar Rajadurai
Published: August 2024

The utilization of organic crystals in visible light communication (VLC) technologies necessitates affordable light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) as sources to run photonic devices. A sustainable strategy is demonstrated utilizing a commercial ultravoilet (UV) LED source to power flexible crystal waveguides of (Z)‐3‐(3′,5′‐bis(trifluoromethyl)‐[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐4‐yl)‐2‐(4‐methoxyphenyl) acrylonitrile (CF3OMe), 9,10‐bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene (BPEA), and 2,2′‐((1E,1′E)‐hydrazine‐1,2‐diylidenebis(methaneylylidene))diphenol (SAA), transducing their respective blue, orange, and yellow fluorescence signals. The focused LED's capability includes i) exciting extremely bent crystal waveguides, ii) evanescently exciting SAA waveguide via energy transfer from a CF3OMe waveguide, and iii) selectively exciting and splitting various signals using a 2 × 2 hybrid directional coupler based on SAA‐BPEA crystals. These demonstrations underscore the practicality of the proposed technique for sustainable applications in photonic systems related to VLC.
Color Holographic Display Based on Complex‐Amplitude Metasurface
Authors: Yin Yongyao , Jiang Qiang , Wang Hongbo , Huang Lingling
Published: August 2024

Holography is an ideal solution for truly 3D display. Complex‐amplitude hologram can realize high quality reconstructions compared to amplitude‐only hologram and phase‐only hologram. It is difficult for conventional spatial light modulators to achieve complex‐amplitude holographic display while ensuring temporal and spatial resolution, let alone color complex‐amplitude holographic display. Benefiting from the subwavelength pixel size and the powerful multi‐dimensional electromagnetic wave control capabilities, a few metasurface hologram with large viewing angle, high resolution, and no high‐order diffraction crosstalk based on complex‐amplitude control have been studied and realized. Nevertheless, colorful complex‐amplitude metasurface holography at visible frequency has not been implemented yet. Here a complex‐amplitude dual‐wavelength metasurface holography is proposed by using a single cross‐shaped meta‐atom. The polarization conversion efficiency of each wavelength channel is controlled by adjusting the geometric size, while the phase value from 0 to 2π is manipulated based on the Pancharatnam–Berry(PB) phase by rotating the meta‐atom. Without spatial multiplexing, the high‐resolution property of the metasurface is retained. The designed metasurface achieves dual‐color holographic display in the far‐field and the experimental results agree well with the simulation results. The proposed metasurface opens a pathway for high quality color holographic displays and other applications that require complex‐amplitude modulation at different wavelengths.
Si/Polymer/Natural Drug Materials Prepared by Sol–Gel Route: Study of Release and Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Viola Veronica , D'Angelo Antonio , Piccirillo Anna Maria , Catauro Michelina
Published: August 2024

This study aims to develop a new class of versatile silica‐based materials for medical applications, synthesized via the sol–gel method. Different molecules are incorporated into the silica matrix to improve its biological properties and to use these materials as better‐performing implants. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is added to silica‐based materials to improve biocompatibility, increase hydrophilicity, and enhance cellular adhesion and growth. The effect of loading the silica/PEG matrix with chlorogenic acid (CGA), a natural compound present in different types of plants, is investigated to understand how the material is affected. The interactions among different components in the hybrid materials are studied by Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Furthermore, the materials are encapsulated in 2% w/v of alginate to evaluate the different releases of CGA, using UV‐Vis Spectrophotometer. Finally, antimicrobial assessment against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa of the several hybrids is observed by measuring the diameter of the zone of inhibition.
Alginate‐Based Emulsion Micro‐Spheres as 5‐Fluorouracil Carriers
Authors: Marudova Maria , Milenkova Sofia , Zahariev Nikolay , Pilicheva Bissera , Yovcheva Temenzhka
Published: August 2024

The present study aims to investigate the potential of alginate microspheres, formulated by emulsion technique, as a drug delivery system for 5‐Fluorouracil. Three different concentrations of alginate, namely 1%, 2%, and 3%, are used in the synthesis. The spheres are characterized in terms of their size, morphology, process yield, and loading efficiency. Based on these parameters, the model formulated from 1% alginate is chosen and loaded with different concentrations of 5‐Fluorouracil achieving polymer to drug mass ratios 2:1, 4:1, and 6:1. The release process of the drug is completed in 3 h, showing burst effect for all models. The faster release from Model 2:1 is associated with the biggest drug amount and its accumulation on the periphery of the spheres.
Residual Stress in Polymeric Composites During Curing
Authors: Verde Raffaele , Grassia Luigi , D'Amore Alberto
Published: August 2024

A numerical procedure to simulate the curing process of polymer‐based composites is proposed. This model is applied to a carbon‐epoxy composite at a micromechanical level to predict residual stress at the end of the process and the evolution of the most important process parameters. A finite element model is written in the Ansys APDL environment and comprises two moduli that must be solved consecutively: the thermal–kinetical and structural modules. At each timestep, first thermal/kinetics problem is solved, then the temperature and degree of conversion profile results are used to calculate the viscoelastic properties, allowing the calculation of residual stress.
Fabrication of Synergistically Induced Carbon Fiber/Graphene Reinforced Polydimethylsiloxane Composites with High Thermal Conductivity
Authors: Ali Zulfiqar , D'Amore Alberto
Published: August 2024

This study compares thermal conductivity results of vertically orientated carbon fiber and graphene, polydimethylsiloxane (V‐CFG/PDMS) composites with randomly orientated R‐CFG/PDMS composites and pure PDMS to highlight the impact of aligned structure on thermal conductive properties. The results reveal that, at 25 wt.% filler loading R‐CFG/PDMS composites exhibit a thermal conductivity of 2.68 W m−1 K−1, while V‐CFG/PDMS achieves maximum thermal conductivity of 4.02 W m−1 K−1. This excellent performance of V‐CF/G PDMS can be attributed to the synergistic effects arising from the combination of carbon fiber and graphene.
Electrospray Fabrication of pH‐Responsive Microspheres for the Delivery of Ozoile
Authors: Ciarleglio Gianluca , Russo Tiziana , Vella Serena , Toto Elisa , Santonicola Maria Gabriella
Published: August 2024

Microspheres (MSs) made from biocompatible natural polymers with pH‐responsive properties, such as alginate and chitosan, are widely exploited as drug delivery systems. In this work, pH‐responsive MS based on alginate/chitosan hydrogels is developed and applied as carriers of Ozoile, a stable ozonide. Ozoile is a bioactive formulation obtained by ozonation of biological olive oil, which is capable of inducing the expression of different genes that are involved in the process of tissue regeneration. The MS containing Ozoile is prepared using an electrospray (ES) technique from alginate/Ozoile emulsions. The MSs are optimized with a chitosan coating to improve their stability and degradation behavior, and so to control the release of Ozoile in time. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, swelling, and degradation analyses are conducted and results use to assess the potential use of the alginate‐based MS for the therapeutic release of Ozoile at specific inflammatory sites.
Characterization of Sequential Trial‐Curable Off‐Stoichiometric Amine‐Epoxy Thermosets with Ionic Liquids
Authors: Dlugaj Anna M. , de Vita Corrado , Arrabiyeh Peter A. , May David
Published: August 2024

This work aims to develop sequential trial‐curable off‐stoichiometric thermosets, patterning the approach upon the dual‐curing processing, which is a promising method to tailor material properties by combining two polymerization reactions. The presented epoxy resin systems are based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DG) as an epoxy resin, Gaskamine 240 (G) as a low‐temperature amine curing agent, and 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium dicyanamide (IL) as an ionic liquid, which is known by its potential efficient latency. Therefore, three curing polymerization reactions take place, in contrast to common dual‐curable formulations. In this study, the target is to still separate the first curing process – which is the epoxy‐amine condensation reaction – from the remaining two curing processes, which are triggered by IL. The trial‐curable systems offer the possibility to achieve different intermediate materials, from highly viscous through shape‐conformable to rigid. This is attained by changing the relative contribution of the first and the other two curing steps, e.g. the change in the amount of G. Another motivation to use IL is to enhance the glass transition temperature of final samples; the values are between 84.4 and 152.2 °C.
Hydrothermal Approach to (Co, Zr) Co‐Doped Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Synthesis: Structural and Magnetic Characterization
Authors: Yaqoob Saba , Ali Zulfiqar , D'Amore Alberto
Published: August 2024

This study investigates the hydrothermal synthesis of (Co, Zr) co‐doped iron oxide nanoparticles, varying the synthesis for 4 and 6 h at 150 °C. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis discloses crystalline sizes from 16 to 24 nm. Magnetic characterization through vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) indicates ferromagnetic behavior, as shown by magnetic hysteresis (MH) loops, with a maximal magnetic saturation of approximately 40 emu g−1 achieved in samples subjected to a 6‐h reaction time. This highlights the critical influence of the 6‐h duration in optimizing the magnetic properties of the synthesized nanoparticles.
Correlation Between Local and Bulk Relaxation Phenomena in Glassy Polystyrene
Authors: Grassia Luigi , D'Amore Alberto
Published: August 2024

The intermolecular forces are of great importance to scientists in a wide field of disciplines as the progress of interactions between molecules determines the bulk properties of substances. It is a matter of fact that the approximation of thermodynamic and transport properties of polymers requires a realistic intermolecular potential associated with the topological constraints of the matter, namely the specific one‐to‐one secondary interactions between molecular groups. The out‐of‐equilibrium volume relaxation in glassy polymers remains confined to the phenomenological observation of bulk properties. The Lennard‐Jones (LJ)‐type potentials and the Tait equation are compared in this communication. It is shown that the subtle relaxation responses observed in glassy polymers can be suitably described using both the local (LJ) interactions and the phenomenological Tait equation for bulk behavior. The approach is based on the oversimplified assumption that the volume relaxation phenomena are the isotropic manifestation of random relaxations of local directional interactions of secondary bonds. The results appear surprisingly appealing, given the straightforward approach.
Development of Recycled PET Core Materials for the Manufacturing of Fiber Reinforced Polymeric Composites in Sandwich Form
Authors: Başer Gülnur , Kabaca Rümeysa Zeynep , Kılıç Sefa Enes
Published: August 2024

In this study, the structural performance of recycled PET foams that are developed as a core material from PET wastes from core‐kit manufacturing process is studied. Compression molding under heat method is used to manufacture recycled PET cores by using waste PET foam powders. Unsaturated polyester resin is used as a binder to collect and bond PET powders to get a compact form. Binder is mixed with waste PET powder and the blend is compressed under the heat with a pressure in a mold. The various powder/binder mixing ratios as 50/50, 60/40, and 78/22 are used to see effect of mixing ratio on density and flexural strength. Moreover, waste short glass fibers are added to mixture to increase strength of core material. The results reveal that flexural strength and density decreases with the increasing of powder content in mixing. In addition, it is noticed that sandwich composite structure prepared with recycled cores shows better bending and shear properties than those of sandwich composites prepared with virgin foam core materials. The results presented here may serve as utilization of foam core wastes from core‐kit manufacturing process by recycling via compression molding applications.
Gravure Printed Composites Based on Lithium Manganese Oxide: A Study Case for Li‐Ion Batteries Manufacturing
Authors: Montanino Maria , Paoletti Claudia , De Girolamo Del Mauro Anna , Sico Giuliano
Published: August 2024

Aimed by the increasing interest in the field of printed batteries, the study recently has demonstrated the possibility to successfully gravure print composites working as electrodes for Li‐ion batteries. Gravure is one of the most appealing printing technique for the mass production of functional layers due to its unique ability to couple high speed and high resolution. The ink formulation is challenging because of the low viscosity ink requirement which makes difficult to obtain the proper functionality of the layer, especially in case of composite materials like electrodes, and a mass loading suitable for practical applications. Changing a material of the composite implies the study of a new gravure ink in terms of formulation and preparation process. Ruling the ink preparation can strongly decrease the process time promoting the industrial use of the gravure printing. For this reason, the study proposes a methodology, mainly based on the capillary number, able to suggest the best receipt for each specific ink. Here, a study case is reported, using lithium manganese oxide (LMO) as active material for the gravure printed cathode manufacturing. Such work gives the possibility to show the proposed methodology for ruling the ink preparation.
BDD‐based optimized majority/minority gate using electro‐optic Mach‐Zehnder interferometer
Authors: Chattopadhyay Tanay
Published: August 2024

In this article, an optical majority/minority circuit has been designed using four electro‐optic Mach‐Zehnder interferometers. The binary decision diagram (BDD) is used to optimize the Boolean logical expression. In this design we get two outputs, one performs majority logic and the other performs minority logic simultaneously. Numerical simulation has been done with the obtained data from the beam propagation method. Pseudo‐eye diagram is also plotted to find amplitude modulation (AM) and extinction ratio (ER). AM and ER are found nearly 0.4 and 13 dB, respectively. A new parameter, the optical circuit complexity factor (OCC) factor has been calculated and from the result, it has been shown that the proposed design is more optimized than other majority/minority gate designs so far.
Novel spin‐lock time sampling strategies for improved reproducibility in quantitative T1ρ mapping
Authors: Jogi Sandeep Panwar , Peng Qi , Jafari Ramin , Otazo Ricardo , Wu Can
Published: August 2024

This study aimed to optimize the sampling of spin‐lock times (TSLs) in quantitative T1ρ mapping for improved reproducibility. Two new TSL sampling schemes were proposed: (i) reproducibility‐guided random sampling (RRS) and (ii) reproducibility‐guided optimal sampling (ROS). They were compared to the existing linear sampling (LS) and precision‐guided sampling (PS) schemes for T1ρ reproducibility through numerical simulations, phantom experiments, and volunteer studies. Each study evaluated the four sampling schemes with three commonly used T1ρ preparations based on composite and balanced spin‐locking. Additionally, the phantom and volunteer studies investigated the impact of B0 and B1 field inhomogeneities on T1ρ reproducibility, respectively. The reproducibility was assessed using the coefficient of variation (CoV) by repeating the T1ρ measurements eight times for phantom experiments and five times for volunteer studies. Numerical simulations resulted in lower mean CoVs for the proposed RRS (1.74%) and ROS (0.68%) compared to LS (2.93%) and PS (3.68%). In the phantom study, the mean CoVs were also lower for RRS (2.7%) and ROS (2.6%) compared to LS (4.1%) and PS (3.1%). Furthermore, the mean CoVs of the proposed RRS and ROS were statistically lower (P < 0.001) compared to existing LS and PS schemes at a B1 offset of 20%. In the volunteer study, consistently lower mean CoVs were observed in bilateral thigh muscles for RRS (9.3%) and ROS (9.2%) compared to LS (10.9%) and PS (10.2%), and the difference was more prominent at B0 offsets higher than 50 Hz. The proposed sampling schemes improve the reproducibility of quantitative T1ρ mapping by optimizing the selection of TSLs. This improvement is especially beneficial for longitudinal studies that track and monitor disease progression and treatment response.
Improved visualization of the chorda tympani with photon counting detector CT
Authors: Joseph Annie , Farnsworth Paul J. , Campeau Norbert G. , Leng Shuai , Carlson Matthew L. , Benson John C. , Madhavan Ajay , Lane John I.
Published: August 2024

Background and Purpose

To compare the performance of the photon‐counting detector (PCD)‐CT against a cutting‐edge energy‐integrated detector (EID)‐CT to visualize different segments of the chorda tympani nerve.

Materials and Methods

An IRB‐approved protocol prospectively enrolled patients for temporal bone CT on both EID‐CT and PCD‐CT scanners. Fellowship‐trained neuroradiologists compared visualization of chorda tympani segments on each scanner using a 5‐point Likert scale (1 indicating EID is far superior to PCD, 3 indicating they are equivalent, and 5 indicating PCD is far superior to EID). Scores were averaged across segments and tested using a one‐sample Wilcoxon signed‐rank test with a one‐sided alternative hypothesis.

Results

Forty temporal bones were evaluated. Average Likert scores for visualization of chorda tympani segments‐chorda tympani canal/proximal segment, middle ear/posterior tympanic segment, and petrotympanic fissure/distal segment‐ on the PCD compared to EID scanner were 4.2 (SD = 0.4), 4.4 (0.5), and 4 (0.0), respectively. The anterior tympanic segment of the chorda tympani was not well visualized on either platform or therefore not scored. PCD compared to the EID scanner had better overall performance (Median = 4.2, 95% CI: [4.1, 5.0], p‐value <  .001).

Conclusion

PCD‐CT improves visualization of the petrous and intratympanic chorda tympani nerve segments, chorda tympani canaliculus, and petrotympanic fissure compared to comparable EID‐CT examinations. The improved visualization of the chorda tympani is important for the characterization of middle ear pathology involving this structure and presurgical planning to determine the size of the facial recess for cochlear implantation and to estimate the risk of nerve injury.
Ancient DNA reveals population trends of Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata) in Northwestern Patagonia
Authors: Abbona Cinthia Carolina , Johnson Jeff A. , Giardina Miguel , Otaola Clara , Neme Gustavo A. , Wolverton Steve
Published: August 2024

The Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), a large flightless bird native to South America, held historical significance as a vital resource for Patagonian hunter–gatherer societies. Despite the species' cultural and ecological importance, the historical population dynamics of R. pennata remain poorly understood. Although present in the archaeological record, its abundance is not consistently documented and the reasons remain unclear. This study investigates the late Holocene population trends of R. pennata using ancient DNA analysis. By analyzing complete mitochondrial genome sequences from dated archaeological specimens, we reveal a significant population increase from 700 to 500 years Before Present (BP), followed by a period of relative stability from 500 to 300 years BP. Subsequently, a subtle decline in population size is observed, coinciding with the arrival of European settlers; however, due to considerable uncertainty in population estimates, definitive conclusions regarding this decline are challenging to make. Historical records indicate heightened rhea hunting during this period, coterminous with a decrease in the abundance of rhea eggshell fragments. It is suggested that climatic factors may have influenced these population dynamics, particularly favoring rhea population growth from 700 to 500 years BP. This study contributes to our understanding of the historical ecology and human‐rhea interactions in Patagonia, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in reconstructing past population dynamics.