bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mycobiome analyses of critically ill COVID-19 patients
Authors: Weaver Danielle , Gago Sara , Bassetti Matteo , Giacobbe Daniele Roberto , Prattes Juergen , Hoenigl Martin , Reizine Florian , Guegan Hélène , Gangneux Jean-Pierre , Bromley Michael John , Bowyer Paul 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) is a life-threatening complication in patients with severe COVID-19. Previously, acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients with COVID-19 has been associated with lung fungal dysbiosis, evidenced by reduced microbial diversity and
Candida
colonization. Increased fungal burden in the lungs of critically ill COVID-19 patients is linked to prolonged mechanical ventilation and increased mortality. However, specific mycobiome signatures associated with severe COVID-19 in the context of survival and antifungal drug prophylaxis have not yet been determined, and such knowledge could have an important impact on treatment. To understand the composition of the respiratory mycobiome in critically ill COVID-19 patients with and without CAPA and the impact of antifungal use in patient outcome, we performed a multinational study of 39 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Respiratory mycobiome was profiled using internal transcribed spacer 1 sequencing, and
Aspergillus fumigatus
burden was further validated using quantitative PCR. Fungal communities were investigated using alpha diversity, beta diversity, taxa predominance, and taxa abundances. Respiratory mycobiomes of COVID-19 patients were dominated by
Candida
and
Aspergillus
. There was no significant association with corticosteroid use or CAPA diagnosis and respiratory fungal communities. Increased
A. fumigatus
burden was associated with mortality and, the use of azoles at ICU admission was linked with an absence of
A. fumigatus
. Our findings suggest that mold-active antifungal treatment at ICU admission may be linked with reduced
A. fumigatus-
associated mortality in severe COVID-19. However, further studies are warranted on this topic.

IMPORTANCE

Invasive fungal infections are a serious complication affecting up to a third of patients with severe COVID-19. Nevertheless, our understanding of the fungal communities in the lungs during critically ill COVID-19 remains limited. Evidence suggests a higher fungal burden is associated with prolonged ventilation and higher mortality, although the particular organisms responsible for this link are unclear. Antifungal prophylaxis may be beneficial for reducing the burden of fungal co-infections in COVID-19 intensive care. However, the composition of the fungal microbiome in severe COVID-19 in relation to prophylactic antifungals, as well as how this is associated with survival outcomes, is yet to be studied. Our study provides insights into the lung fungal microbiome in severe COVID-19 and has found antifungal treatment to be associated with lower
Aspergillus fumigatus
burden and that higher levels of this pathogen are associated with mortality. Therefore, our study suggests mold-active antifungal prophylaxis may be beneficial in severe COVID-19.
Screening length of a heavy quark–antiquark pair in non-commutative plasma
Authors: Wu Ping-ping , Zhu Xiangrong , Zhang Zi-qiang 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
We investigate the screening length of a heavy quark–antiquark (

$$Q{\bar{Q}}$$

Q

Q

¯

) pair in non-commutative

$${\mathcal {N}}=4$$

N
=
4

super Yang–Mills plasma at strong coupling. We perform the analysis by computing the Wilson loop in a boosted background and consider the axis of the

$$Q{\bar{Q}}$$

Q

Q

¯

pair along different directions. It turns out that the inclusion of non-commutativity increases the screening length, thus enhancing the binding energy of the

$$Q{\bar{Q}}$$

Q

Q

¯

pair. Furthermore, the presence of non-commutativity reduces quarkonium dissociation, in agreement with previous findings of the imaginary potential and entropic force.
Resolution of (heavy) primaries in ultra high energy cosmic rays
Authors: Bortolato Blaž , Kamenik Jernej F. , Tammaro Michele 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Measurements of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) suggest a complex composition with significant contributions from heavy nuclei at the highest energies. We systematically explore how the selection and number of primary nuclei included in the analysis impact the inferred UHECR mass composition. Introducing a distance measure in the space of

$$X_\textrm{max}$$

X
max

distribution moments, we demonstrate that limiting the analysis to a few primaries can introduce significant biases, particularly as observational data improves. We provide lists of primaries approximately equidistant in the new measure, which guaranty unbiased results at given statistical confidence. Additionally, we explore consistent inclusion of nuclei heavier than iron and up to plutonium, deriving first observational upper bounds on their contributions to UHECR with the Pierre Auger Open Data.
Does Bitcoin Add Any Value To The Investment Portfolios In Emerging Markets? A Case From Tehran Stock Exchange
Authors: Dastkhan Hossein , Saber Hossein 
Published: December 2024

In this study, we investigate how adding Bitcoin can influence the investment portfolios. For this purpose, we consider a portfolio including Bitcoin and the five major sector indices of the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). At first, the asset returns are predicted through an estimation model based on higher moments. In the second step, the properties of Bitcoin in the face of other assets in a portfolio are studied by the asymmetric dynamic conditional correlation (ADCC) model. Then, the optimal weights in the portfolios are estimated. Accordingly, we used four portfolio optimization models with different objective functions, including a hybrid function of the higher moments, predicted risk from the ADCC model, and maximizing Sharpe and Sortino ratios. The out-of-sample results showed the relative efficiency of the proposed model in predicting the asset returns in Tehran Stock Exchange. In addition, the results of the ADCC model showed that Bitcoin plays a risk-hedging role for the pharmaceutical and banking sectors in TSE. We also know Bitcoin as a safe haven for the banking, petrochemical, metals, automobile, and pharmaceutical sectors. The results of portfolio selection also prove the effectiveness of adding Bitcoin with a maximum weight of 10% in the investment portfolios.
Polyhedral Clinching Auctions for Indivisible Goods
Authors: Hirai Hiroshi , Sato Ryosuke 
Published: December 2024

In this study, we propose a polyhedral clinching auction for indivisible goods, which has so far been studied for divisible goods. As in the divisible setting by Goel et al. (2015), our mechanism enjoys incentive compatibility, individual rationality, and Pareto optimality, and works with polymatroidal environments. A notable feature of this mechanism for the indivisible setting is that the entire procedure can be conducted in time polynomial of the number of buyers and goods. Moreover, we show additional efficiency guarantees, recently established by Sato for the divisible setting: the liquid welfare (LW) of our mechanism achieves more than half of the optimal LW, and the social welfare is more than the optimal LW.
Decoy Effect in Search Interaction: Understanding User Behavior and Measuring System Vulnerability
Authors: Chen Nuo , Liu Jiqun , Fang Hanpei , Luo Yuankai , Sakai Tetsuya , Wu Xiao-Ming 
Published: December 2024

This study addresses (1) the influence of the decoy effect, a cognitive bias where the presence of an inferior item alters preferences between two options, on users’ search interactions and (2) the measurement of information retrieval systems’
vulnerability
to the decoy effect.

1

From the perspective of user behavior, this study investigates the influence of the decoy effect in information retrieval (IR) by examining how decoy results affect users’ interaction on search engine result pages (SERPs), particularly in terms of click-through likelihood, browsing dwell time, and perceived document usefulness. We conducted an experiment based upon regression analysis on user interaction logs from three user study datasets which in total encompass 24 topics, 841 unique search sessions, and 2,685 queries. The findings indicate that decoys significantly increase the likelihood of document clicks and perceived usefulness. To investigate whether the influence of the decoy varies across different levels of task difficulty and user knowledge, we ran an additional experiment on one of the three datasets, which encompasses 6 topics, 166 search sessions and 652 queries. The results indicate that when the task is less challenging, users are more likely to click on a document with a decoy. Additionally, they spend more time on the target document and assign it a higher usefulness score. Furthermore, users with lower knowledge levels about the topic tend to give higher usefulness ratings to the target document.

Regarding IR system evaluation, this study provides empirical insights into measuring the vulnerability of text retrieval models to potential decoy effect. An evaluation metric, namely DEcoy Judgement and Assessment VUlnerability (DEJA-VU), is proposed to evaluate the possibility of a retrieval model ranking results in a way that could trigger decoy biases. The experiments on the Text REtrieval Conference (TREC) 19 Deep Learning (DL) passage retrieval task and the TREC 20 DL passage retrieval task demonstrate that ColBERT and SPLADE show higher relevance-oriented retrieval effectiveness while also displaying lower vulnerability to decoy effect.
Overall, this work advances the understanding of decoy effect, a well-established concept in cognitive psychology and behavioral economics, in a novel application field (i.e., Information Retrieval). It contributes to modeling users’ search behavior in the context of cognitive biases, as well as assessment of the vulnerability of systems and ranking algorithms to the decoy effect.
Flash-oriented Coded Storage: Research Status and Future Directions
Authors: Li Zhiyue , Zhang Guangyan , Wang Yang 
Published: December 2024

Flash-based solid-state drives (SSDs) have been widely adopted in various storage systems, manifesting better performance than their forerunner HDDs. However, the characteristics of flash media post some drawbacks when deploying SSD-based storage systems. First, flash media have limited program/erase cycles, making them vulnerable to media failures. Second, SSD foreground I/Os can suffer from inconsistent performance due to interference from background operations like garbage collection (GC). The major solution to the above problems is to introduce data redundancy. Redundant data can not only detect raw bit errors and recover lost data but also enable I/O scheduling to sidestep SSDs that are under performance degradation.
Compared with multi-replica, data coding is a more space-efficient way to provide redundancy. However, it is more challenging to simultaneously achieve low access latency, consistent performance, and fast recovery. This article examines the design of coded storage in existing storage systems, with a focus on flash storage systems, and how they address these challenges. The coded storage techniques are categorized into in-device coding, cross-device coding, and cross-machine coding. They are designed for different scenarios and purposes but share some design rationales in common. For each type of coded storage, we begin by presenting the theoretical bases, followed by an overview of how existing studies address the performance and endurance issues of coded storage from a systemic perspective. Finally, we review the history of coded storage, list several key insights from existing works, and speculate some promising directions for flash-oriented coded storage systems.
Unexpected Effect of Mn Doping in Ni-Rich Layered Cathode for Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Kim Min-Su , Park Geon-Tae , Sun Yang-Kook 
Published: December 2024

As the demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with higher energy density, longer cycle life, and lower cost increases, the need for advanced cathode materials has become more urgent.1 To this end, doping additional elements into Ni-rich cathodes is an essential strategy for addressing the instability of the cathode material. Conventionally, Mn is a widely studied dopant owing to its abundance and significantly lower cost than that of other dopant candidates.2 However, the role of Mn doping is poorly understood, associated with unremarkable crystal structural and chemical aspects. Herein, a new role for doping Mn into Ni-rich cathodes and their effects on the microstructural aspect and crystal structure are investigated by calcining concentration gradient (CG) Li[Ni0.910Co0.079Al0.011]O2 (denoted as CG NCA92) and CG Li[Ni0.874Co0.076Al0.010Mn0.040]O2 (denoted as 4%-Mn-doped CG NCA92) cathodes.
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image in cross-sections of 4%-Mn-doped CG NCA92 cathode particles shows much finer and elongated primary particles than the undoped cathode. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis reveals the bonding of two well-ordered layered domains across the (0 1 0) plane. The two symmetrical domains share the same twin boundary at the junction of the two crystal lattices, with the atomic stacking sequence well-preserved on both sides of the twin boundary. Notably, Li+ diffusion pathways are still well-preserved on both sides of the twin boundary and aligned in a straight line to allow the smooth (de)intercalation of Li+.3 Thus, modification of the cathode crystal structure by attenuating the surface energies and producing elongated primary particles at the secondary particle surface contributed in electrochemical performance improvement. The proposed 4%-Mn-doped CG NCA92 cathode demonstrates superior cycling performance, retaining 76.5% after 1000 cycles under fast charging conditions (3 C and 45 °C) in full cell.

References:

[1] N.-Y. Park, G.-T. Park, S.-B. Kim, W. Jung, B.-C. Park, Y.-K. Sun, ACS Energy Lett. 2022,7, 2362.
[2] M. M. E. Cormier, N. Zhang, A. Liu, H. Li, J. Inglis, J. R. Dahn, J. Electrochem. Soc. 2019, 166, A2826.
[3] H. Chung, Y. Li, M. Zhang, A. Grenier, C. Mejia, D. Cheng, B. Sayahpour, C. Song,M.H. Shen, R. Huang, E. A.Wu, K.W. Chapman, S. J. Kim, Y. S. Meng, Chem. Mater. 2022, 34, 7302.
Structural and Transport Properties of Lithiated, Sodiated and Magnesiated Nanoporous TiO2
Authors: Rikhotso Blessing Nkateko , Ngoepe Phuti Esrom 
Published: December 2024

Sodium and magnesium-ion batteries are among the most compelling alternatives to Li-ion batteries since both have advantages in safety and resource abundance. Efforts to develop Na-ion batteries are aimed at lowering costs compared to Li-ion batteries, while magnesium can offer higher capacities due to its divalent ion. Both are far less explored than the technologically mature lithium-ion battery, but are attracting considerable interest as the energy density limits of Li-ion batteries is reached [1,2]. Sodium benefits from known electrochemical properties, and the major difference is that the larger sodium ion puts more strain on the host lattice, leading to pulverization during cycling [3]. On the other hand, the strong electrostatic interactions between the highly polarized divalent magnesium ions and the host lattice of the electrode and usually leads to slow solid-state insertion/diffusion kinetics of magnesium ions in the lattice [4].
The current study explores the impact of charging anode TiO2 nanoporous materials with lithium, sodium and magnesium mobile ions, using a molecular dynamics based simulated amorphisation and recrystallisation approach [5]. The method was previously employed to generate nano-architectures of TiO2 [6]. Structural properties are deduced from microstructures and simulated XRDs whilst transport properties are obtained from diffusion coefficients and activation energies, over a wide range of temperatures. Microstructures of all nano-architectures depict predominance of zigzag-straight tunnels, corresponding to brookite-rutile polymorphs, which provide pathways for mobile ions. On the whole, diffusion coefficients (D) of mobile ions for all nano-architectures depict the following trend DLi> DNa > DMg. The study provides valuable insights on the extent to which nanoporous structures can expedite use of less explored but earth abundant and affordable sodium and magnesium ion batteries.

References

[1] C. Delmas, Adv. Energy Mater. (2018), 8, 1703137.
[2] H.D. Yoo, I. Shterenberg, Y. Gofer, G. Gershinsky, N. Pour, D. Aurbach, Energy Environ. Sci (2013) 6, 2265.
[3] S.-W. Kim, D.-H. Seo, G. Ceder, K. Kang, Adv. Energy Mater. (2012), 2, 710.
[4] N. Wu, Y. Yang, Q. Zhang, X. Zhang, X. Du, J. Mater. Sci, (2020), 55, 16674.
[6] M.G. Matshaba, D.C. Sayle, P.E Ngoepe, J. Phys. Chem. C, (2016), 120, 14001
Numerical Analysis of Operation Characteristics in Thermal Driven Adsorption Systems with Different Adsorbent Packing Method
Authors: Bae Kyungjin , Kwon Ohkyung 
Published: December 2024

Waste heat generated from industrial processes, such as data centers, is often discarded due to its low temperature, making reuse difficult. Adsorption systems have been proposed as a solution to utilize this low-grade waste heat. These systems consist of adsorption beds, an evaporator, and a condenser, with the adsorption bed—typically comprising a fin-tube heat exchanger and adsorbents—playing a central role in system operation. The adsorbent facilitates adsorption and desorption processes, driving system functionality. Two primary methods exist for packing the adsorbent into the adsorption bed: filling the void spaces around the heat exchanger with adsorbent particles, and coating the surface of the heat exchanger fins. These different packing methods affect the heat and mass transfer characteristics of the adsorption bed and, consequently, influence the overall system performance. This study presents a numerical analysis of the operational characteristics of an adsorption system using two distinct adsorbent packing methods, and evaluates their performance. Under typical operating conditions with a heat source temperature of 80°C, the coating model demonstrated a cooling capacity of 2.05 kW, an SCP of 0.117 kW/kg, and a COP of 0.333. Compared to the packing model, the coating model achieved 41% and 61% increases in cooling capacity and COP, respectively. Notably, the SCP showed a significant improvement of 153%. These results indicate that, despite using less adsorbent, the coating model not only offers better system performance but also presents a more economical approach to adsorption system development.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning(KETEP) grant funded by the Korea government(MOTIE)(No. 20202020800200, Development and demonstration of smart design platform technology for thermal energy-intensive industrial facilities).
Studying-Polymers-on-a-Chip (SPOC): Automated, High-Throughput Screening of Increased Ionic Conductivity Polymer Electrolytes.
Authors: Marufu Michell , Schwartz Johanna , Jimenez Jayvic 
Published: December 2024

Advancements of solid polymer electrolytes are critical for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries within our highly energy-dependent society. Research techniques that speed up materials discovery are crucial to meet this need. Towards this end we have invented a Studying-Polymers-On-a-Chip (SPOC) platform that integrates active mixing direct ink-write 3D printing, in-situ impedance characterization and machine learning experimental planning systems. Collectively, this technology enables automated high-throughput screening of increased ionic conductivity polymer electrolytes. We report a threefold increase in ionic conductivity of polyethylene glycol (PEG) based electrolytes with the addition of silica-based fillers. We have begun work on tailoring this platform to screen Anion Exchange Membranes (AEMs) and their degradation behavior.
This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.
Mixed-Dimensionality Heterostructures (TMDs@SWCNTs) for Gas Sensing Applications
Authors: Taoum Haifa , Florea Ileana , Sorin Costel 
Published: December 2024

In today's world of technological innovation, semiconductors play a crucial role. To satisfy the escalating demand for enhanced functionalities, new concepts of mixed-dimensional heterostructure have emerged. By combining two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials with one-dimensional (1D) nanomaterials, the resulting hybrid Van der Waals heterostructures will have improved performances due to synergistic effects.
Transition Metal Chalcogenides (TMDs) and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) promise enhanced performances in multiple eras, notably in gas sensing. Their unique properties, like ultra-high surface-to-volume ratio, and thermal, electrical, and mechanical stability, make them suitable for such activity. [1] [2] The purpose is to create a gas sensor that has low dimensions with superior performance in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. Gas sensors that are based on high-quality WS2@SWCNTs and MoS2@SWCNTs heterostructures were fabricated using a bottom-up dry approach, employing a sequential growth method that combines Chemical Vapor Deposition and Molecular Beam Epitaxy techniques. The as-grown materials exhibit high crystalline structures and high purity at the interfaces, as demonstrated by various characterization techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, and Photoemission Analysis techniques, which are usually challenging to achieve. Additionally, a difference in electronic properties was observed. Since the electronic properties of WS2 and MoS2 are intrinsically different, an opposite type of doping was expected where the WS2@SWCNTs have proven to be an n-type semiconductor and MoS2@SWCNTs are a p-type semiconductor. This achievement opens the door to further scientific exploration and advancement. To assess their performance, various tests, including humidity sensing, temperature, and blue light excitation, have been conducted. These tests reveal interesting stability under high temperatures and elevated relative humidity conditions, with a good response recovery.
Further measurements will be performed to evaluate the selectivity, sensibility, and ability to perform monitoring functioning of TMDs@SWCNTs nanosensors in the presence of different byproduct gas molecules.