bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined experimental and DFT approach to BiNbO4polymorphs
Authors: Hossain Md. Zarif , Nishat Sadiq Shahriyar , Ahmed Shahran , Hossain Quazi Shafayat , Khan M. N. I. , Hasan Tarique , Bashar Muhammad Shahriar , Hossain Faysal A. K. M. Sarwar , Syed Ishtiaque M. , Hossain Khandker Saadat , Hussain Sakhawat , Khan Md. Mosaddek , Ahmed Imtiaz
Published: February 2023

Here we present a detailedab initiostudy of two experimentally synthesized bismuth niobate BiNbO4(BNO) polymorphs within the framework of density functional theory (DFT).
MOF-derived nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanofibers with interconnected channels for high-stability Li+/Na+ battery anodes
Authors: Chu Kainian , Hu Mulin , Song Bo , Chen Senlin , Li Junyu , Zheng Fangcai , Li Zhiqiang , Li Rui , Zhou Jingya
Published: February 2023

Heteroatom-doped porous carbon materials have been widely used as anode materials for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries, however, improving the specific capacity and long-term cycling stability of ion batteries remains a major challenge.
First-principles study of sodium adsorption on defective graphene under propylene carbonate electrolyte conditions
Authors: Ryu Chol , Rim Song-Bom , Kang Yong , Yu Chol-Jun
Published: February 2023

First-principles simulations of Na cluster adsorption on defective graphene sheets under propylene carbonate conditions have been performed within joint density functional theory for revealing the mechanism of hard carbon for sodium-ion batteries.
Monitoring vibronic coherences and molecular aromaticity in photoexcited cyclooctatetraene with an X-ray probe: a simulation study
Authors: Nam Yeonsig , Song Huajing , Freixas Victor M. , Keefer Daniel , Fernandez-Alberti Sebastian , Lee Jin Yong , Garavelli Marco , Tretiak Sergei , Mukamel Shaul
Published: February 2023

Monitoring conical intersection and aromaticity changes in photo-relaxation of cyclooctatetraene by TRUECARS and TRXD.
Determination of protein conformation and orientation at buried solid/liquid interfaces
Authors: Guo Wen , Lu Tieyi , Crisci Ralph , Nagao Satoshi , Wei Tao , Chen Zhan
Published: February 2023

A systematic method combining SFG vibrational spectroscopy, isotope labeling, spectra calculation and computer simulation was developed to elucidate interfacial structures of proteins.
Vicinal stereocenters via asymmetric allylic alkylation and Cope rearrangement: a straightforward route to functionally and stereochemically rich heterocycles
Authors: Nilova Aleksandra , Mannchen Michael D. , Noel Abdias N. , Semenova Evgeniya , Grenning Alexander J.
Published: February 2023

Functionally and stereochemically rich saturated heterocycles are accessed stereoselectively from abundant resources. This work showcases the sequenced value of asymmetric allylic alkylation, Cope rearrangement, and Hayashi–Lear oxidative amidation.
Enhanced stability of two-dimensional halide perovskites under an electric field for photocatalytic HI splitting
Authors: Park Seulyoung , Oh Sehoon , Lee Jaichan
Published: February 2023

An electric field improves the stability against humidity of a two-dimensional halide perovskite, BA2MA2Pb3I10. With a suitable range of the electric field, BA2MA2Pb3I10 could be used as a stable photocatalyst for HI splitting.
Cationic vacancies and interface engineering on crystalline–amorphous gamma-phase Ni–Co oxyhydroxides achieve ultrahigh mass/areal/volumetric energy density flexible all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor
Authors: Ren Xue , Li Menggang , Qiu Longyu , Guo Xin , Tian Fenyang , Han Guanghui , Yang Weiwei , Yu Yongsheng
Published: February 2023

Novel gamma-phase Ni–Co oxyhydroxides nanoplate networks with cationic vacancy defects and crystalline–amorphous interfaces achieve ultrahigh mass/areal/volumetric energy-density flexible all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor.
A highly permeable porous organic cage composite membrane for gas separation
Authors: Jiang Zhihao , Wang Ying , Sheng Menglong , Zha Zhiyuan , Wang Jixiao , Wang Zhi , Zhao Song
Published: February 2023

We proposed a facile porous organic cage (POC) composite membrane fabricated with the RCC3 cage crosslinked by terephthaloyl chloride for CO2/N2and CH4/N2separation. The amine-rich subnanochannel provided by RCC3 promoted the rapid penetration of CO2.
Cooperative CO2 adsorption mechanism in a perfluorinated CeIV-based metal organic framework
Authors: Cavallo Margherita , Atzori Cesare , Signorile Matteo , Costantino Ferdinando , Venturi Diletta Morelli , Koutsianos Athanasios , Lomachenko Kirill A. , Calucci Lucia , Martini Francesca , Giovanelli Andrea , Geppi Marco , Crocellà Valentina , Taddei Marco
Published: February 2023

The peculiar mechanism of cooperative CO2 adsorption in a perfluorinated CeIV-based metal–organic framework with MIL-140 topology is disclosed using a combination of experimental and computational methods.
Poly(acrylic acid) locally enriched in slurry enhances the electrochemical performance of the SiOx lithium-ion battery anode
Authors: Yang Ming , Chen Peng , Li Jiapei , Qi Ruoxuan , Huang Yudai , Müller-Buschbaum Peter , Cheng Ya-Jun , Guo Kunkun , Xia Yonggao
Published: February 2023

A new concept is developed using locally an enriched PAA binder to enhance the structural stability of the electrode.
Recent advancements in design of nucleic acid nanocarriers for controlled drug delivery
Authors: Mosley Robert J. , Rucci Brendan , Byrne Mark E.
Published: February 2023

This paper reviews the essential properties of nucleic acid nanocarriers and modern additions to the field which have pushed the boundaries of nucleic acid usage.
Microcapsule functionalization enables rate-determining release from cellulose nonwovens for long-term performance
Authors: Eriksson Viktor , Mistral Jules , Yang Nilsson Ting , Andersson Trojer Markus , Evenäs Lars
Published: February 2023

Microcapsule functionalization provides textile materials with controllable release rate-limiting properties. This enables sustained and predictable release of actives and extension of the functional lifetimes of these materials from hours to weeks.
Facile synthesis and characterization of magnesium and manganese mixed oxides for the efficient removal of tartrazine dye from aqueous media
Authors: Al-Wasidi Asma S. , Saad Fawaz A. , Munshi Alaa M. , Abdelrahman Ehab A.
Published: February 2023

Nanomaterials are the most effective class of substances for use as adsorbents in wastewater treatment.
Early Identification of Children at Risk of Communication Disorders: Introducing a Novel Battery of Dynamic Assessments for Infants
Authors: Spicer-Cain Helen , Camilleri Bernard , Hasson Natalie , Botting Nicola
Published: February 2023

Purpose:

Many children with communication disorders (CDs) experience lengthy gaps between parental reporting of concerns and formal identification by professionals. This means that children with CDs are denied access to early interventions that may help support the development of communication skills and prevent possible negative sequelae associated with long-term outcomes. This may be due, in part, to the lack of assessment instruments available for children younger than 3 years of age. This study therefore reports on promising preliminary data from a novel set of valid dynamic assessment (DA) measures designed for infants.

Method:

We recruited 53 low-risk children and two groups of children considered to be at high risk for CDs (
n
= 17, social high risk, and
n
= 22, language high risk) due to family members with language and social communication difficulties. The children were between 1 and 2 years of age and were assessed using a battery of five DA tasks related to receptive vocabulary, motor imitation, response to joint attention, turn taking, and social requesting. A set of standardized measures were also used.

Results:

The DA tasks showed high levels of interrater reliability and relationships with age across a cross-sectional sample of children from the low-risk group. Three tasks showed moderate to strong correlations with standardized measures taken at the same age, with particularly strong correlations between the DA of receptive vocabulary and other receptive language measures. The DA of receptive vocabulary was also the only task to discriminate between the three risk groups, with the social high risk group scoring lower.

Conclusions:

These results provide preliminary information about early DA tasks, forming the basis for further research into their utility. DA tasks might eventually facilitate the development of new methods for detecting CDs in very young children, allowing earlier intervention and support.
Privacy‐preserving remote sensing images recognition based on limited visual cryptography
Authors: Zhang Denghui , Shafiq Muhammad , Wang Liguo , Srivastava Gautam , Yin Shoulin
Published: February 2023

With the arrival of new data acquisition platforms derived from the Internet of Things (IoT), this paper goes beyond the understanding of traditional remote sensing technologies. Deep fusion of remote sensing and computer vision has hit the industrial world and makes it possible to apply Artificial intelligence to solve problems such as automatic extraction of information and image interpretation. However, due to the complex architecture of IoT and the lack of a unified security protection mechanism, devices in remote sensing are vulnerable to privacy leaks when sharing data. It is necessary to design a security scheme suitable for computation‐limited devices in IoT, since traditional encryption methods are based on computational complexity. Visual Cryptography (VC) is a threshold scheme for images that can be decoded directly by the human visual system when superimposing encrypted images. The stacking‐to‐see feature and simple Boolean decryption operation make VC an ideal solution for privacy‐preserving recognition for large‐scale remote sensing images in IoT. In this study, the secure and efficient transmission of high‐resolution remote sensing images by meaningful VC is achieved. By diffusing the error between the encryption block and the original block to adjacent blocks, the degradation of quality in recovery images is mitigated. By fine‐tuning the pre‐trained model from large‐scale datasets, we improve the recognition performance of small encryption datasets for remote sensing images. The experimental results show that the proposed lightweight privacy‐preserving recognition framework maintains high recognition performance while enhancing security.
Relaxation‐based bi‐lever reformulation and decomposition algorithm‐based collaborative optimization of multi‐microgrid for cloud energy storage
Authors: Feng Fei , Du Xin , Si Qiang , Cai Hao
Published: February 2023

Energy storage devices become an indispensable part of modern power systems with high renewable energy penetration level. To reduce the operating costs, it is a promising way to allow the sharing and leasing of energy storage devices. In this paper, a bi‐lever optimized dispatch scheme is proposed to improve the usage efficiency of cloud energy storage in multi microgrids (MMG) system. Minimizing the operating costs of shared cloud energy storage is the main task of the upper lever while maximizing the profits of MMG is the goal of the lower lever. Moreover, the transaction cost and benefit between the two levers play an important role in system level optimization. This leads to a hybrid optimization problem with both discrete decision variables and continuous decision variables. To solve the problem, a relaxation‐based bi‐lever reformulation and decomposition algorithm is developed. The effectiveness of the proposed bi‐lever dispatch optimization model is verified by carrying out numerical experiments in three scenarios. It is shown that the proposed cloud energy storage service can effectively reduce the operating cost of MMG.
Die Perspektive der Nephrologie
Authors: Bach Dieter
Published: February 2023

Die Dialyse ist eine Erfolgsgeschichte der Medizin, dennoch steht sie jetzt vor einem grundlegenden Wandel. Verantwortlich dafür sind die ökonomischen Rahmenbedingungen: Die Kosten steigen stark bei gleichbleibenden Einnahmen und es besteht die Notwendigkeit, den ökologischen Fußabdruck der Dialyse als eine energieintensive Behandlungsform zu reduzieren. Befördert wird die Entwicklung zur grünen Dialyse von gerätetechnischen Innovationen, die eine baldige Renaissance der Heimdialyse in Aussicht stellen. Folglich werden sich die nephrologischen Leistungserbringenden zukünftig breiter aufstellen müssen.
Einladung zur Jahreshauptversammlung 2023 und Informationen aus dem Vorstand
Authors: Wiegard-Szramek Ina
Published: February 2023

Wenn Sie diese Ausgabe der „Nephrologie aktuell“ bekommen, ist das neue Jahr schon ein paar Tage alt. Aber immer noch jung genug, um Ihnen/Euch einen guten Start in das neue Jahr zu wünschen. Das letzte Jahr war immer noch geprägt durch das Coronavirus. Immer noch waren Abläufe, Terminplanungen und die tägliche Arbeit in Krankenhäusern, Praxen, Gesundheitseinrichtungen und Pflegeheimen bestimmt von Abstrichen, Nachweisen und Impfbescheinigungen. Personalengpässe haben fast alle Bereiche des täglichen Lebens erreicht, so gab es Einschränkungen u. a. bei Bus und Bahn, im Flugbetrieb, in Kitas und Pflegeheimen, im gesamten Gesundheitswesen, der Gastronomie und bei Behörden. Die weltweiten politischen Krisen und der Krieg in der Ukraine brachten weitere große Sorgen und Engpässe in der Versorgung mit bisher Selbstverständlichem.
Clinical Profile, Management, and Outcome of Visceral Artery Pseudoaneurysms: 5-Year Experience in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Shera Faiz Altaf , Shera Tahleel Altaf , Choh Naseer Ahmad , Bhat Mudasir H. , Shah Omair Ashraf , Shaheen Feroze A. , Robbani Irfan , Gojwari Tariq
Published: February 2023

Visceral artery pseudoaneurysms are potentially lethal lesions and tend to rupture in a high proportion of cases, thereby warranting an immediate and active intervention.

We present our experience of splanchnic visceral artery pseudoaneurysms in a university hospital over a 5-year time interval with emphasis on etiology, clinical presentation, management (endovascular/surgical), and final outcome.

This was a retrospective study in which we searched our image database for pseudoaneurysms of visceral arteries over a period of 5 years. The clinical and operative details were retrieved from the medical record section of our hospital. The lesions were analyzed for the vessel of origin, size, etiology, clinical features, mode of treatment, and outcome.

Twenty-seven patients with pseudoaneurysms were encountered. Pancreatitis (8) was the most common cause, followed by previous surgery (7) and trauma (6). Fifteen were managed by the interventional radiology (IR) team, 6 by surgery, and in 6 no intervention was done. Technical and clinical success was achieved in all patients in the IR group with few minor complications. Surgery and no intervention carry a high mortality in such a setting (66 and 50%, respectively).

Visceral pseudoaneurysms are potentially fatal lesions, commonly encountered after trauma, pancreatitis, surgeries, and interventional procedures. These lesions are easily salvageable by minimally invasive interventional techniques (endovascular embolotherapy), and surgeries carry a lot of morbidity and mortality in such cases and a prolonged hospital stay.
Can We Predict Length of Stay for CJR Patients Who Sustain a Displaced Femoral Neck Fracture?
Authors: Meltzer-Bruhn Ariana T. , Esper Garrett W. , Ganta Abhishek , Konda Sanjit R. , Egol Kenneth A.
Published: February 2023

The Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model holds hospitals financially accountable for the outcomes of patients undergoing hip and knee replacements. The purpose of this study is to see if a validated inpatient risk assessment tool can be used to predict patients with poor outcomes following hip arthroplasty. We hypothesize that the validated risk prediction tool (Score for Trauma Triage in the Geriatric and Middle-Aged [STTGMA]) can be modeled to stratify these patients at highest risk for poor outcomes at emergency department (ED) presentation. Between October 2018 and September 2020, 237 patients subject to the CJR bundle program were treated for a displaced femoral neck fracture with total hip arthroplasty or hemiarthroplasty and analyzed for demographics, comorbidities, injury details, and outcomes. A poor outcome was considered to be a longer length of inpatient hospital stay, venous thromboembolism (VTE), or readmission within 30, 60, or 90 days. Each patient's STTGMA score was calculated using their demographics, functional status, and injury details at time of ED admission. Patients were divided into risk quartiles based on STTGMA score. The top 25% risk cohort was compared against the bottom 25% risk cohort using chi-square or t-tests as appropriate. Mean STGGMA scores were 0.046 ± 0.028 in the highest risk cohort and 0.007 ± 0.001 in the lowest risk cohort. STTGMA was able to adequately risk stratify patients at risk for a longer length of inpatient hospital stay (p < 0.01). The STTGMA tool was unable to risk stratify patients with postoperative VTE within 90 days (p = 0.986) or readmission within 90 days (p = 0.087). Providers can calculate STTGMA scores on admission for CJR patients to help identify which patients may require a longer length of inpatient hospital stay. These patients can be targeted with strategies to address these deficiencies.
Topological insulator phases in polycrystalline Bi2Te3 thin films
Authors: Raju Jeswin Mammen , Thomas Kalarikad Jonah
Published: February 2023

Polycrystalline thin films of Bi2Te3, a well-known topological insulator (TI), grown by RF sputtering shows metallic-like transport for a wide range of temperatures, T = 50 K to T = 225 K. For T > 225 K, the sample shows activated transport.. The metallic-like behavior at low temperatures can be understood within a model of overlapping surface states of the TI nanocrystallites in the film, suggesting that TI thin films of polycrystalline nature may also stabilize topologically protected states.
Electromagnetic alternators with composite amorphous alloy shell for improving characteristics
Authors: Hsu Chang-Hung
Published: February 2023

In this study, a magnetic casing encapsulating a generator is used to improve the electromagnetic and power characteristics of the generator. Two types of two-pole AC generators are proposed: one is a bare-bonded (NC) type and the other is an iron-based amorphous alloy material covering the generator casing. In this study, Fe-Si-B amorphous thin strips were annealed between 300 and 380 °C and soaked for 60 min to observe and analyze the structural changes and the evolution of properties under different temperature conditions. After the thin strip is annealed at 400 °C, α-Fe dendrites begin to appear, and at 450 °C, a large number of α-Fe dendrites are formed. The demagnetization rate of the permanent magnet area near the bottom of the pole piece is the highest for the generator with an amorphous alloy shell because the magnetic flux leakage from the side frame of the pole piece changes the magnetic flux path, thereby affecting the demagnetization performance. In this study, three amorphous alloys, HB1-M, HB1, and SA1, were used as the cladding permanent magnet generator shell, and annealing and non-annealing procedures were conducted to observe the influence on the magnetic power of the generator. The magnetic flux on the surface of the amorphous shell was measured by a magnetic fluxmeter. For experiments with an amorphous shell, the results show that the annealed center point magnetic flux densities were approximately HB1-M (15 mT), HB1 (12 mT), and SA1 (10 mT), and the marginal non-annealed amorphous thin strip could reach ∼7–5 mT. The measured generator harmonic component of SA1 is higher than the voltage and current harmonics, reflecting that the magnetization direction of the magnetic shell in the demagnetization region is covered by the magnetic flux density. Because of central flame annealing, the magnetic shell is paramagnetic, and it helps to reduce the noise by at least 5 dB. The generator current harmonic characteristic of the HB1-M material is smaller than that of the HB1 and SA1 materials. In this study, a composite amorphous material was used to cover the generator casing; it was verified that HB1-M + HB1 + SA1 has the lowest noise characteristics for the generator. The generator noise of the composited material (HB1-M + HB1 + SA1) can be reduced to below 69 dB, which is ∼7–9 dB lower than that of a single amorphous material.
A cognitive analysis on Spanish differential object marking based on a modified model of the Transitivity Hypothesis
Authors: Yang Sunghye
Published: February 2023

There are two approaches to Differential Object Marking (dom): The Ambiguity Thesis and the Transitivity Thesis. The Ambiguity Thesis states that a morphological mark for the direct object tends to be used when it possesses the prototypical properties of the subject, such as agenthood, animacy, definiteness or topicality. The Transitivity Thesis argues that languages tend to mark categories with high transitivity values morphologically, rather than lower values. In our study we combined these two approaches to create a systematic model, which is a modified version of the Transitivity Hypothesis of Hopper and Thompson (1980). We postulate that the minimal condition to use dom in Spanish is a cognitive profiling of the referent of the direct object. The degree of profiling can be considered as cognitive prominence and can distinguish from more prototypical uses of dom to less prototypical ones. Our model provides a plausible explanation not only regarding the hierarchical relation between dom properties, but also regarding some problematic uses of dom.
Quantum Anomalous Hall Effects Controlled by Chiral Domain Walls
Authors: Cui Qirui , Liang Jinghua , Zhu Yingmei , Yao Xiong , Yang Hongxin
Published: February 2023

We report the interplay between two different topological phases in condensed matter physics, the magnetic chiral domain wall (DW), and the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect. It is shown that the chiral DW driven by Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction can divide the uniform domain into several zones where the neighboring zone possesses opposite quantized Hall conductance. The separated domain with a chiral edge state (CES) can be continuously modified by external magnetic field-induced domain expansion and thermal fluctuation, which gives rise to the reconfigurable QAH effect. More interestingly, we show that the position of CES can be tuned by spin current driven chiral DW motion. Several two-dimensional magnets with high Curie temperature and large topological band gaps are proposed for realizing these phenomena. The present work thus reveals the possibility of chiral DW controllable QAH effects.
Searching for the axion-like particle at the EIC*
Authors: Liu Yandong , Yan Bin
Published: February 2023

The axion-like particle (ALP) is a well motivated new particle candidate for beyond the standard model. In this study, we propose to probe the ALP via photon fusion scattering at the upcoming Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) with electron and proton energies of

and

, respectively. We can constrain the effective coupling strength between the ALP and photons to be

at the

confidence level with an integrated luminosity of

for the mass range

. Such bounds may be significantly improved if we consider the nucleus beam at the EIC. We also demonstrate that the limits from the EIC can be stronger than the off Z-pole measurement at the LEP and light-by-light scattering with pp collisions at the LHC.
Teaching Design Management tools during a pandemic: A Peruvian case study
Authors: Brioso X , Calderon-Hernandez C
Published: February 2023

During the year 2020, the sanitary emergency norm forced universities to teach under the remote learning method, representing a challenge of designing courses that require high effectiveness. The purpose of this work is to present the strategies that were successfully applied during the teaching of design management tools for a building project, implemented in a course part of the Civil Engineering master of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. The methodology considered the effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic and had as objective to develop soft skills and employability, for which a balanced use of virtual platforms as well as software was proposed for videoconference and laboratories. On the other hand, during this course, students developed a proposal for integrated planning and management of the design phase using tools of norms and guidelines of project management systems such as ISO 21500, Lean Construction, Building Information Modeling, PMBOK of the Project Management Institute, Integrated Project Delivery, among others. Under this framework, the participation of stakeholders, multicriteria decision making, development of project design deliverables and project sequence was analyzed, which presented an important change under the collaborative contracts. The success of this methodology is reflected in the high quality of final papers and expositions, the result of surveys taken - effectiveness of 99%-, and in the improvement opportunities detected. This paper presents important information that may be adapted by academic and practitioners during the phases of the pandemic and post-pandemic.
Powering internet-of-things from ambient energy: a review
Authors: Chatterjee Arindom , Lobato Carlos Nuñez , Zhang Haiwu , Bergne Achilles , Esposito Vincenzo , Yun Shinhee , Insinga Andrea Roberto , Christensen Dennis Valbjørn , Imbaquingo Carlos , Bjørk Rasmus , Ahmed Hamsa , Ahmad Mariam , Ho Chun Yuen , Madsen Morten , Chen Jixi , Norby Poul , Chiabrera Francesco Maria , Gunkel Felix , Ouyang Ziwei , Pryds Nini
Published: February 2023

Internet-of-thing (IoT) is an assembly of devices that collect and share data with other devices and communicate via the internet. This massive network of devices, generates and communicates data and is the key to the value in IoT, allowing access to raw information, gaining insight, and making an intelligent decisions. Today, there are billions of IoT devices such as sensors and actuators deployed. Many of these applications are easy to connect, but those tucked away in hard-to-access spots will need to harvest ambient energy. Therefore, the aim is to create devices that are self-report in real-time. Efforts are underway to install a self-powered unit in IoT devices that can generate sufficient power from environmental conditions such as light, vibration, and heat. In this review paper, we discuss the recent progress made in materials and device development in power- and, storage units, and power management relevant for IoT applications. This review paper will give a comprehensive overview for new researchers entering the field of IoT and a collection of challenges as well as perspectives for people already working in this field.
Interphase formation with carboxylic acids as slurry additives for Si electrodes in Li-ion batteries. Part 2: a photoelectron spectroscopy study
Authors: Jeschull Fabian , Pham Hieu Quang , Ghamlouche Ahmad , Thakur Pardeep K , Trabesinger Sigita , Maibach Julia
Published: February 2023

Preparing aqueous silicon slurries in presence of a low-pH buffer improves the cycle life of silicon electrodes considerably because of higher reversibility of the alloying process and higher resilience towards volume changes during (de)alloying. While the positive effects of processing at low pH have been demonstrated repeatedly, there are gaps in understanding of the buffer’s role during the slurry preparation and the effect of buffer residues within the electrode during cycling. This study uses a combination of soft and hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to investigate the silicon particle interface after aqueous processing in both pH-neutral and citrate-buffered environments. Further, silicon electrodes are investigated after ten cycles in half-cells to identify the processing-dependant differences in the surface layer composition. By tuning the excitation energy between 100 eV and 7080 eV, a wide range of probing depths were sampled to vertically map the electrode surface from top to bulk. The results demonstrate that the citrate-buffer becomes an integral part of the surface layer on Si particles and is, together with the electrode binder, part of an artificial solid-electrolyte interphase that is created during the electrode preparation and drying.
Activating an evidence-based identity increases the impact of evidence on policymaker beliefs about local climate policies
Authors: Hirsch K C Payne , Wong-Parodi Gabrielle
Published: February 2023

Evidence-based policymaking has the potential to improve the efficiency and impact of climate mitigation and adaptation policies, but that promise cannot be fulfilled if policymakers fail to change their minds (update their beliefs) when presented with new evidence. Research suggests that individuals often resist changing their mind, especially on polarized topics like climate action. Here we explore whether an ‘evidence-based policymaker’ intervention can reduce resistance when policymakers interpret new information. We hypothesize that, if policymakers wish to see themselves as ‘evidence-based’, reminding them of that identity can make changing their beliefs more comfortable. This is because belief-updating provides an opportunity to affirm their identity as an evidence-based policymaker. In two survey studies of state and local U.S. policymakers—a neutral policy pilot (n = 152) and a polarizing climate policy experiment (n = 356)—we show that the intervention was effective, even when evidence was incompatible with prior policy beliefs or party ideology. This finding suggests that making evidence-based identities salient when presenting new evidence could increase that information’s impact on climate policymaking.
Symmetrization of rational maps: Arithmetic properties and families of Lattès maps of ℙ^{𝕜}
Authors: Gauthier Thomas , Hutz Benjamin , Kaschner Scott
Published: February 2023

In this paper we study properties of endomorphisms of

P

k

\mathbb {P}^k

using a symmetric product construction

(

P

1

)
k

/

S

k

≅

P

k

(\mathbb {P}^1)^k/\mathfrak {S}_k \cong \mathbb {P}^k

. Symmetric products have been used to produce examples of endomorphisms of

P

k

\mathbb {P}^k

with certain characteristics,

k
≥
2

k\geq 2

. In the present note, we discuss the use of these maps to enlighten stability phenomena in parameter spaces. In particular, we study

k
k

-deep post-critically finite maps and characterize families of Lattès maps.
Towards an Ecocritical Adaptation Studies
Authors: Geal Robert
Published: February 2023

Arguments that ‘it is time for adaptation studies to take an x turn’ have proliferated in the inevitably methodologically eclectic field of adaptation studies. However, there are still methodologies with which adaptation studies has not yet engaged in detail, and which could be enriched by certain existing adaptation studies conventions. One such approach is ecocriticism: analyses of how various cultural practices reflect and inform human attitudes and behaviours towards the non human world around us. This article outlines how the study of adaptation has thus far engaged with ecocritical issues, and indicates how existing adaptation studies protocols offer useful tools to extend the ecocritical project in a diachronic and intercultural manner.
GO Bench: shared hub for universal benchmarking of machine learning-based protein functional annotations
Authors: Dickson Andrew , Asgari Ehsaneddin , McHardy Alice C , Mofrad Mohammad R K
Published: February 2023

Motivation

Gene annotation is the problem of mapping proteins to their functions represented as Gene Ontology (GO) terms, typically inferred based on the primary sequences. Gene annotation is a multi-label multi-class classification problem, which has generated growing interest for its uses in the characterization of millions of proteins with unknown functions. However, there is no standard GO dataset used for benchmarking the newly developed new machine learning models within the bioinformatics community. Thus, the significance of improvements for these models remains unclear.

Results

The Gene Benchmarking database is the first effort to provide an easy-to-use and configurable hub for the learning and evaluation of gene annotation models. It provides easy access to pre-specified datasets and takes the non-trivial steps of preprocessing and filtering all data according to custom presets using a web interface. The GO bench web application can also be used to evaluate and display any trained model on leaderboards for annotation tasks.

Availability and implementation

The GO Benchmarking dataset is freely available at www.gobench.org. Code is hosted at github.com/mofradlab, with repositories for website code, core utilities and examples of usage (Supplementary Section S.7).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
DBDIpy: a Python library for processing of untargeted datasets from real-time plasma ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Weidner Leopold , Hemmler Daniel , Rychlik Michael , Schmitt-Kopplin Philippe
Published: February 2023

Motivation

Plasma ionization is rapidly gaining popularity for mass spectrometry (MS)-based studies of volatiles and aerosols. However, data from plasma ionization are delicate to interpret as competing ionization pathways in the plasma create numerous ion species. There is no tool for detection of adducts and in-source fragments from plasma ionization data yet, which makes data evaluation ambiguous.

We developed DBDIpy, a Python library for processing and formal analysis of untargeted, time-sensitive plasma ionization MS datasets. Its core functionality lies in the identification of in-source fragments and identification of rivaling ionization pathways of the same analytes in time-sensitive datasets. It further contains elementary functions for processing of untargeted metabolomics data and interfaces to an established ecosystem for analysis of MS data in Python.

Availability and implementation

DBDIpy is implemented in Python (Version ≥ 3.7) and can be downloaded from PyPI the Python package repository (https://pypi.org/project/DBDIpy) or from GitHub (https://github.com/leopold-weidner/DBDIpy).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Diagnostic challenges of recurrent left atrial mass: a case report
Authors: Gomes Daniel A , Ramos Sância , Ferreira Jorge
Published: February 2023

Background

Differential diagnosis of left atrial (LA) masses is challenging because there is a significant overlap in the epidemiological, clinical, and imaging characteristics. Even some histological features can be similar across different types of cardiac masses. Therefore, continuous case discussion between the clinician and the pathologist is essential for a correct diagnosis.

Case summary

We present a case of a patient with a history of cardiac surgery for LA tumour. Histology was compatible with thrombus, although no predisposing causes nor genetic or acquired thrombophilia were identified. After 14 years, the recurrence of LA mass was diagnosed with a routine echocardiography. A review of histological preparations from 2007 with immunohistochemistry techniques not available at that time (calretinin) was consistent with a myxoma. The patient underwent cardiac reoperation with LA mass and interatrial septum excision. Final diagnosis was compatible with a myxoma recurrence.

Discussion

Myxoma is the second most frequent benign primary cardiac tumour. Left atrial thrombi can occasionally mimic the typical echocardiographic appearance of a myxoma, and pathological features can sometimes overlap generating diagnostic confusion. Calretinin fixation is useful for differential diagnosis once it is only identified in myxomas but not in thrombi. Any discrepancy between clinical findings and histology should always mandate a review of histological preparations.
Effects of a digital learning platform on health behaviours in stroke patients from baseline to 6 months after discharge: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Li Zhuoran , Li Jingjing , Yang Lijun , Tan Juxiang , Zhu Fenyan , Wan Li-Hong
Published: February 2023

Aims

Improving the health behaviour can help prevent stroke recurrence. The existing health education interventions require more human resource. There is a lack of constructing a low-cost, highly universal, and easy-to-use stroke secondary prevention platform based on the existing medical resources.

Methods and results

This was a randomized controlled trial to test the effects of a digital learning platform on the health knowledge, beliefs, and behaviours of stroke patients from baseline to 6 months after discharge. The control group received routine health education while the intervention group received health belief education during hospitalization and used a digital learning platform for 6 months after discharge. The health knowledge was assessed by The Stroke Health Knowledge Questionnaire, health beliefs by The Short Form Health Belief Model Scale for Stroke Patients, and health behaviours by the Stroke Health Behavior Scale. A total of 90 patients were included: 45 each in the intervention group and the control group, of whom 38 and 37 completed the study, respectively. At 6 months after discharge, (1) the health knowledge score of the intervention group was insignificantly higher than that of the control group, (2) the health belief score of the intervention group was significantly higher than that of the control group, and (3) the intervention group had higher health behaviour scores especially in physical activity than that of the control group. Other health behaviour dimensions have time effect, but not significant.

Conclusions

The digital learning platform can improve health behaviours of stroke patients 6 months after discharge, especially in physical activity.

Registration

ChiCTR1800019936
Efficient transfection of Atlantic salmon primary hepatocyte cells for functional assays and gene editing
Authors: Datsomor Alex K , Wilberg Ragnhild , Torgersen Jacob S , Sandve Simen R , Harvey Thomas N
Published: February 2023

The expansion of genomic resources for Atlantic salmon over the past half decade has enabled efficient interrogation of genetic traits by large-scale correlation of genotype to phenotype. Moving from correlation to causation will require genotype–phenotype relationships to be tested experimentally in a cost-efficient and cell context-relevant manner. To enable such future experiments, we have developed a method for the isolation and genetic manipulation of primary hepatocytes from Atlantic salmon for use in heterologous expression, reporter assay, and gene editing experiments. We chose the liver as the tissue of interest because it is the metabolic hub and many current Atlantic salmon research projects focus on understanding metabolic processes to improve traits such as the growth rate, total fat content, and omega-3 content. We find that isolated primary hepatocytes are optimally transfected with both plasmid and ribonucleoprotein using a Neon electroporator at 1,400 V, 10 ms, and 2 pulses. Transfection efficiency with plasmid and cutting efficiency with ribonucleoprotein were optimally 46% and 60%, respectively. We also demonstrate a 26 times increase in luciferase expression under the promoter of the key liver metabolic gene, elovl5b, compared to an empty vector, in line with expected liver-specific expression. Taken together, this work provides a valuable resource enabling transfection and gene editing experiments in a context-relevant and cost-effective system.
Increased Sampling and Intracomplex Homologies Favor Vertical Over Horizontal Inheritance of the Dam1 Complex
Authors: van Rooijen Laura E , Tromer Eelco C , van Hooff Jolien J E , Kops Geert J P L , Snel Berend
Published: February 2023

Kinetochores connect chromosomes to spindle microtubules to ensure their correct segregation during cell division. Kinetochores of human and yeasts are largely homologous, their ability to track depolymerizing microtubules, however, is carried out by the nonhomologous complexes Ska1-C and Dam1-C, respectively. We previously reported the unique anti-correlating phylogenetic profiles of Dam1-C and Ska-C found among a wide variety of eukaryotes. Based on these profiles and the limited presence of Dam1-C, we speculated that horizontal gene transfer could have played a role in the evolutionary history of Dam1-C. Here, we present an expanded analysis of Dam1-C evolution, using additional genome as well as transcriptome sequences and recently published 3D structures. This analysis revealed a wider and more complete presence of Dam1-C in Cryptista, Rhizaria, Ichthyosporea, CRuMs, and Colponemidia. The fungal Dam1-C cryo-EM structure supports earlier hypothesized intracomplex homologies, which enables the reconstruction of rooted and unrooted phylogenies. The rooted tree of concatenated Dam1-C subunits is statistically consistent with the species tree of eukaryotes, suggesting that Dam1-C is ancient, and that the present-day phylogenetic distribution is best explained by multiple, independent losses and no horizontal gene transfer was involved. Furthermore, we investigated the ancient origin of Dam1-C via profile-versus-profile searches. Homology among 8 out of the 10 Dam1-C subunits suggests that the complex largely evolved from a single multimerizing subunit that diversified into a hetero-octameric core via stepwise subunit duplication and subfunctionalization of the subunits before the origin of the last eukaryotic common ancestor.
Constructivist memory politics: Armenian genocide recognition in Latvia
Authors: Fittante Daniel
Published: February 2023

Scholars have done a great deal to unpack the motivations sitting behind nationalists’ appropriation of Holocaust-related memory laws in several eastern European and Baltic states. While these accounts have shed important light on memory politics, there remains much scope for further study. For example, several Eastern European and Baltic states have passed resolutions recognizing the Armenian genocide, as well. Furthermore, the existing literature does not provide any analytical tools to conceptualize the dynamic and complex processes giving rise to memory laws. This article broadens the memory laws scholarship through an original analysis of Latvia's Armenian genocide recognition resolution of 2021. The findings highlight how diverse actors support and pass memory laws through a process of constructivist memory politics. Constructivist memory politics involves the strategies political actors employ to change the salience or meaning of historical events in the creation and promotion of memory laws. Although the analysis focuses on a single case, it provides the analytical tools to reorient how scholars approach memory laws both in Europe and elsewhere.
Challenges when designing blue bond financing for Small Island Developing States
Authors: March Antaya , Failler Pierre , Bennett Michael
Published: February 2023

The paper presents the blue economy development in The Bahamas with an analysis of the conditions for using blue bonds as a financing mechanism. As part of the activities to be pursued for the issuance of a blue bond, the paper provides an identification of investment projects that could be financed through blue bonds. In addition to its blue economy activities, the government seeks to enhance the coastal ecosystems’ resilience and their capacity to reduce the effects of strong climatic events following the Dorian Hurricane in September 2019. In this context, investments in the protection and restoration of ecosystems that increase public goods are therefore needed, especially in the context of the 30 × 30 target. The paper furthermore highlights the key challenges The Bahamas is facing for the development of suitable blue financial mechanisms, including the need for a robust institutional framework to ensure an efficient implementation of a blue financing scheme. By explicitly reflecting on the challenges for a country like the Bahamas, the paper seeks to provide a realistic account of the role and potential of bonds for financing sustainable development in marine environments.
Endoscopic evaluation technique using a camera port for valve-sparing root reconstruction
Authors: Kawasaki Yusuke , Suenaga Etsuro , Nakatsu Taro , Minatoya Kenji
Published: February 2023

Intraoperative aortic valve evaluation should be accurate in valve-sparing root replacement to minimize postoperative aortic valve regurgitation. Ascending aorta de-clamping and weaning of cardiopulmonary bypass are required in intraoperative transoesophageal echocardiography. Aortic valve endoscopy aids in the magnification of structures and enables image sharing within the operative team. While a rigid endoscope and saline infusion line are directly inserted from the Valsalva graft end, a Kelly clamp is needed for graft gap closure, affecting the valve morphology due to graft deformation. The accurate inner pressure of the neo-Valsalva sinus cannot be measured in this method. We propose a technique to accurately evaluate aortic valve conformation using a balloon blunt-tip system that enables aortic valve evaluation under the measured pressure and without Valsalva graft deformation.
Cancer referrals at African Inland Church Kijabe Hospital, Kiambu County (2014–2020) and the impact of COVID-19
Authors: Kamita Moses , Bird Peter , Akinyi Beryl , Kamau Rosemary Wangari , Carter Robert , Muma Sarah , Adam Mary , Makori Timothy , Figueroa Jonine D , Makokha Francis
Published: February 2023

In Kenya, cancer is the third leading cause of death. The African Inland Church Kijabe Hospital (AICKH) is a level 4 missionary hospital. The hospital serves the Kenyan population in many areas, including cancer care, and some of these services were affected during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We aimed to leverage a recently established hospital-based cancer registry of patients treated at AICKH between 2014 and 2020 to describe the cancer cases and patient referral patterns seen at AICKH during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A cross-sectional retrospective survey was conducted through medical records abstraction in the surgery, breast clinic, palliative care and pathology departments. A total of 3279 cases were included in the study, with females accounting for 58.1% of the cases. The top-three cancers overall were breast (23.0%), oesophagus (20.5%) and prostate (8.6%). There was a minimal increase in the number of cancer cases in 2020 (1.7%) compared with 2019, with an increase of 19.3% in 2019 compared with 2018. In conclusion, AICKH is one of the few hospitals in Kenya where a large number of cancer patients seek healthcare, and referral of cancer cases changed in 2020, which may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Future efforts can leverage this registry to determine the impacts of cancer diagnosis and treatment on survival outcomes.