bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microplasma-assisted synthesis of chromium oxide nanoparticles and their biological activities
Authors: Naeem M , Zahir Sania , Díaz Guillén J C , Díaz-Elizondo José , Iqbal Tariq , Rashid Umair , Nazer Sadia , Iqbal Javed 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Chromium oxide nanoparticles are of significant interest and are widely used in numerous applications due to their exclusive physicochemical properties, including wide bandgap, increased stability, high melting temperature, and antibacterial and antifungal properties. In this study, the atmospheric pressure microplasma technique is used to synthesize chromium oxide nanoparticles by changing the precursor concentration (10, 15, and 20 mM). The nanoparticles are characterized by numerous techniques, including XRD, SEM, FTIR, UV-visible spectroscopy, RAMAN Spectroscopy, and antibacterial and antifungal activities. It is observed in XRD analysis that different phases of chromium oxide nanoparticles, Cr2O3 and CrO2, can be attained when the precursor concentration is changed. As a result, their efficiency can be tuned to different applications. The UV visible results depict that the band gap is reduced by increasing the precursor concentration (Cr(NO3)3.9H2O). The FTIR analysis is used to determine the surface functional groups of synthesized nanomaterials. Our results demonstrate the potential of chromium oxide nanoparticles as effective antibacterial and antifungal agents. Specifically, we found that these nanoparticles exhibit a strong antibacterial impact on gram-negative bacteria and a reasonable effect on gram-positive bacteria under some synthesis conditions. Moreover, they depict significant anti-fungal activity against two pathogenic fungus species, Penicillin Digitatum, and Rhizopus stolonifers. These promising findings, particularly for nanoparticles prepared at the concentration of 10 mM precursor with the Cr2O3 phase, reveal that these nanoparticles can be used efficiently for antibacterial (particularly gram-negative bacteria) and antifungal activities.
WO3/Cu2O-CuO and WO3/Au/Cu2O-CuO heterojunctions photocatalysts for self-cleaning and photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants applications
Authors: Mindil A , Mohamed S H , Alsubaie Abdullah Saad , Rabia Mohamed 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
In this work, a high-performance WO3/Au/Cu2O-CuO heterojunctions was deposited via dc reactive magnetron sputtering, which displayed superhydrophilicity conversion and superior photocatalytic performance for the degradation of methylene blue. WO3, WO3/Cu2O-CuO, WO3/Au and WO3/Au/Cu2O-CuO heterojunctions were sputtered on precleaned glass and Si(100) substrates. The chemical composition, crystal structure, surface morphology, optical absorption, water contact angle and photocatalytic activities of the prepared single and multilayers films were examined to elucidate the correlation between structure and other properties. SEM revealed tiny small nanoparticles for WO3 film, close-packed nanoparticles for WO3/Cu2O-CuO multilayers and nanoparticles with more open structure for WO3/Au/Cu2O-CuO heterojunctions. The WO3/Au/Cu2O-CuO heterojunctions had the highest optical absorption. The estimated band gap values were 3.16, 3.08, 2.97 and 2.65 eV for WO3, WO3/Cu2O-CuO, WO3/Au and WO3/Au/Cu2O-CuO, respectively. The WO3/Cu2O-CuO, WO3/Au and WO3/Au/Cu2O-CuO became superhydrophilic after UV illumination. The remarkable photocatalytic activities of WO3/Au/Cu2O-CuO is attributed to the enhanced efficiency of separation for photogenerated hole–electron pairs.
Numerical investigation and design optimization for enhanced efficiency of Cs2AgBiBr6 perovskite solar cell
Authors: Arif Md Zannatul , Rahman Mustafizur , Chowdhury Nayan Kumar , Islam Saral , Alam Md Ziaul , Reza Md Salim 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Nowadays, environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important. As a result of the imperative to protect society, lead-free perovskites are becoming increasingly important. The lead-free compound cesium silver bismuth bromide (Cs2AgBiBr6) was numerically investigated as a potential candidate for double perovskite solar cells application. In the proposed architecture, we combine FTO/ETL-SnO2/Cs2AgBiBr6/HTL-CuI/Au, all optimized for performance. To optimize the solar cell’s performance, the device configuration was modelled using SCAPS-1D. An evaluation of the impact of various factors, including absorber thickness, defect density, electron affinity, electron and hole transport layer optimization, band diagram analysis, working temperature and quantum efficiency, was conducted. The proposed device configuration exhibited excellent photovoltaic performance, achieving a PCE of 8.15%, a Voc of 1.041 V, a Jsc of 11.79 mA cm−2, an FF of 66.41%, and a quantum efficiency of 99.19% within the visible range. This research highlights the potential of Cs2AgBiBr6 as a promising perovskite material for use in lead-free photovoltaic technology.
Theoretical study of differential cross sections for the ionization of helium by fast proton impact
Authors: Mondal M , Mandal B , Mistry T , Jana D , Purkait M 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
We present the angular distribution of the ejected electron for single ionization of He by fast proton impact. A four-body formalism of the three-Coulomb wave is applied to calculate the triple differential cross sections at several impact energies in the scattering, perpendicular and azimuthal planes. Moreover, the three-body formalism of three-Coulomb, two-Coulomb and first Born approximation models has also been used to study the many-body effect on electron emission and the validity of the models. In the three-Coulomb wave model, the final state wave function incorporates distortion due to the three-body mutual Coulombic interaction. In this formalism, we use an uncorrelated and correlated Born initial state, which consists of a plane wave for the incoming projectile times a two-electron bound state wavefunction of the helium atom representing the 1s2(1S) state. But, in the case of the three-body formalism, the initial state wavefunction consists of a long-range Coulomb distortion for the incoming projectile and one active electron of the He atom described by the Roothaan–Hartree–Fock wavefunction. The structure with a single or two peaks with unequal intensity is observed in the angular distributions of the triple differential cross sections for the different kinematic conditions. In addition, the influence of static electron correlations is investigated using different bound state wavefunctions for the ground state of the He target. In the four-body formalism, the present computations are very fast by reducing a nine-dimensional integral to a two-dimensional real integral. Despite the simplicity and speed of the proposed quadrature, the comparison shows that the obtained results are in reasonable agreement with the experiment and are compatible with those of other theories.
Detection of 10 to 300 keV fast neutron using CLYC, CLLB and CLLBC scintillators
Authors: Ren Feixu , Han Jifeng , Song Ruiqiang , Qian Sen , Wei Qinhua , Tang Gao , Liu Xingquan , Qu Guofeng , Zhang Junxin , Yi Chuqi , Chen Yangmei , Ren Peipei , Sun Xinyuan , Cai Hua , Ban Huiyun , Wang Zhile , Ren Jing 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
The neutron and gamma detection performance of multimode scintillators including Cs2LiYCl6:Ce (CLYC), Cs2LiLaBr6:Ce (CLLB) and Cs2LiLaBr6-,x
Clx:Ce (CLLBC) were tested in this work. The energy resolution for 662 keV gamma rays was 4.19% for CLLB, which was better than that of 4.80% for CLLBC and 5.27% for CLYC. The Figure of Merit value (FOM) was used to evaluate the neutron/gamma-ray (n/γ) discrimination capability, which was 2.2 for CLYC, superior than that of 1.3 for CLLBC and 1.1 for CLLB. A method for fast neutrons detection within the energy order of 100 keV was proposed, which could be realized using the 6Li(n, α)T reaction by the fact that the peak centers are sensitive to the incident neutron energy. This was validated by test the energy spectra of CLYC using an Am-Be source with various paraffin moderator, where the peak centers of the energy spectra were found to decrease linearly with the paraffin thickness. The Monte-Carlo simulation was conducted to prove the average neutron energy decreased linearly with the paraffin thickness and the energy spectra results were consistent with the experimental results. It could be concluded that 6Li enriched CLYC (CLLB or CLLBC) could be used to detect fast neutrons in the energy range of 10–300 keV, which further expand the application range of CLYC for multimode neutron gamma detection.
Simulation and analysis of the single event transient characteristics of SiGe HBT at low-temperature environment
Authors: Adekoya Mathew Adefusika , Liu Shuhuan , Wang Chao , Du Xiaozhi , Xing Tian , Wang Xuan , Li Haodi , Guo Yixian , Zhou Junye , Zhang Ximin , Wang Yutian 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This study investigates the temperature dependence of single event transient (SET) effects in silicon germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs). Using Silvaco TCAD simulations, we analyze the influence of linear energy transfer (LET), emitter bias voltage, and striking angle across a temperature range from 100 K to 300 K. The results reveal that temperature significantly affects emitter pulse current and charge collection induced by heavy ions. Higher temperatures increase charge collection, while lower temperatures correspond to higher emitter current and shorter pulse width. The study also observes an increase in bandgap energy (from 1.12 eV to 1.16 eV) and electrostatic potential (from 1.19 V to 1.25 V) with decreasing temperature. The study highlights the crucial role of temperature in SiGe HBT performance under radiation threats and emphasizes drift and diffusion mechanisms as dominant for charge collection.
Multifunctional targeting of docetaxel plus bakuchiol micelles in the treatment of invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer
Authors: Li Qi-yan , Zhu Ri-ran , Yu Hai-ying , Liu Chun-lin , Diao Fei-yan , Jiang Ya-qi , Lin Yong-qiang , Li Xue-tao , Wang Wei-jian 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
The invasion and metastasis of tumors pose significant challenges in the treatment of ovarian cancer (OC), making it difficult to cure. One potential treatment approach that has gained attention is the use of matrix metalloproteinase reactive controlled release micelle preparations. In this study, we developed a novel PEG5000-PVGLIG-hyaluronic acid docetaxel/bakuchiol (PP-HA-DTX/BAK) micelles formulation with desirable characteristics such as particle size, narrow polydispersity index, and a ZETA potential of approximately −5 mV. The surface modification with HA facilitates tumor penetration into the tumor interior, while the incorporation of DSPE-PEG2000-PVGLIG-PEG5000 helps conceal DSPE-PEG2000-HA, reducing off-target effects and prolonging drug circulation time in vivo. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that these micelles effectively inhibit proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of OC cells while promoting apoptosis. Therefore, our findings suggest that PP-HA-DTX/BAK micelles represent a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for treating OC.
Influence of different pressure regimes on the properties of an engineered small-diameter vascular scaffold tested in a custom-made bioreactor
Authors: Ferrari Pier Francesco , De Negri Atanasio Giulia , Pralits Jan Oscar , Di Lisa Donatella , Pastorino Laura , Palombo Domenico , Perego Patrizia 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Vascular tissue engineering endeavors to design, fabricate, and validate biodegradable and bioabsorbable small-diameter vascular scaffolds engineered with bioactive molecules, capable of meeting the challenges imposed by commercial vascular prostheses. A comprehensive investigation of these engineered scaffolds in bioreactor is deemed essential as a prerequisite before any in vivo experimentation in order to get information regarding their behavior under physiological conditions and predict the biological activities they will possess. This study focuses on an innovative electrospun scaffold made of poly(caprolactone) and poly(glycerol sebacate), integrating quercetin, able to modulate inflammation, and gelatin, necessary to reduce permeability. A custom-made bioreactor was used to assess the performances of the scaffolds maintained under different pressure regimes, covering the human physiological pressure range. As results, the 3D microfibrous architecture was notably influenced by the release of bioactives, maintaining the adequate properties needed for the in vivo regeneration and scaffolds showed mechanical properties similar to human native artery. Release of gelatin was adequate to avoid blood leakage and useful to make the material porous during the testing period, whereas the amount of released quercetin was useful to counteract the post-surgery inflammation. This study showcases the successful validation of an engineered scaffold in a bioreactor, enabling to consider it as a promising candidate for vascular substitutes in in vivo applications. Our approach represents a significant leap forward in the field of vascular tissue engineering, offering a multifaceted solution to the complex challenges associated with small-diameter vascular prostheses.&#xD;
Incorporation of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) for the modulation of physio-chemical characteristics and cell proliferation environment of the composite hydrogel microspheres
Authors: Liying Qin , Yining Yang , Yongjian Sun , Guojiang Han , Wenli Dong , Baoqin Han , Ting Su , Liming Jin , Chao Zhou , Yan Yang 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Hydrogels have excellent swelling properties and have been widely applied in tissue engineering because of their similarity to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Sodium alginate (SA) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) were prepared into hydrogel microspheres with Ca2+ crosslinking in our study. The morphology, inner structure, mechanical properties, water content, swelling rate and BMP-2 loading and releasing properties were characterized. Our results showed that the composite SA /CMCS hydrogel microspheres were translucent and spherical in shape with uniform particle size. The incorporation of CMCS further increased the diameters of the microspheres, internal pore structure, water content, and mechanical properties of the SA/CMCS hydrogel microspheres. At the same SA concentration, with the increase of CMSC concentration, the diameter of microspheres could be increased by about 0.4 mm, the water content can be increased about 1%–2%. As for the mechanical properties, the compressive strength can be increased by 0.04–0.1 MPa, and the modulus of elasticity can be increased by 0.1–0.15 MPa. BMP-2 was chosen as a model agent and it could be loaded into SA/CMCS microspheres, and the incorporation of CMCS increased BMP-2 loading. The encapsulated BMP-2 was sustainably released in vitro. The leaching solutions of the SA/CMCS hydrogel microspheres exhibited good cytocompatibility and could increase ALP activity, ALP expression, and biomineralization on MC3T3-E1 cells. After 7 d of co-culture, ALP activities in S2.5C2 and S2.5C3 groups was increased by 50% and 45% compared with that of the control group. When embedded in the SA/CMCS microspheres, the MC3T3-E1 cells were evenly distributed inside the hydrogel microspheres and remained viable. Transcriptomic studies showed that incorporation of CMCS induced upregulation of 1141 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and downregulation of 1614 DEGs compared with SA microspheres. The most significantly enriched pathways were the Wnt and MAPK signaling pathways induced by the incorporation of CMCS and BMP-2. In conclusion, our results indicated that the physiochemical characteristics of the SA hydrogel microspheres could be greatly modulated by CMCS to better mimic the ECM microenvironment and induce osteo-inductive activities of MC3T3-E1 cells.
Enhancing mechanical performance of hydroxyapatite-based bone implants via citric acid post-processing in binder jetting additive manufacturing
Authors: Huang Zhijie , Li Jiangtao , He Bing , Lu Bing , Li Yang , Zhang Rui , Lu Jingxiang , Wang Zemin , Li Xiangyou 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Binder jetting is a promising technology in the additive manufacturing of bone implants, particularly for printing brittle bioceramics that are susceptible to thermal residual stresses. However, challenges in this field include low strength and undesirable size changes due to post-sintering treatments, as well as the absence of necessary organic matter like Glycosaminoglycans, citric acid (CA), etc. To address these issues, a novel approach was introduced using CA as a post-processing agent to enhance the mechanical performance of green samples and add organic matter, with boric acid (BA) as a control. A hydroxyapatite (HA) based powder mixed with 25 wt.% high-viscosity polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was prepared and printed using a self-made printer with deionized water as the binder. The post-processing effects were analyzed in terms of mechanical properties and microstructure. The application of 5 wt.% CA solution increased the thickness of the PVA film between HA particles by 320.0%, leading to an increase in compressive strength (7.37 ± 0.28 MPa) and modulus (102.81 ± 6.74 MPa) by 840.7% and 1571.3%, respectively, achieving the mechanical standards for human trabecular bone. This work presents a simple and rapid room-temperature post-processing strategy for enhancing the mechanical properties of bone implants produced by binder jetting additive manufacturing.
No-tillage farming enhances widespread nitrate leaching in the US Midwest
Authors: Huang Yawen , Ren Wei , Lindsey Laura E , Wang Lixin , Hui Dafeng , Tao Bo , Jacinthe Pierre-Andre , Tian Hanqin 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Conservation tillage has been promoted as an effective practice to preserve soil health and enhance agroecosystem services. Changes in tillage intensity have a profound impact on soil nitrogen cycling, yet their influence on nitrate losses at large spatiotemporal scales remains uncertain. This study examined the effects of tillage intensity on soil nitrate losses in the US Midwest from 1979–2018 using field data synthesis and process-based agroecosystem modeling approaches. Our results revealed that no-tillage (NT) or reduced tillage intensity (RTI) decreased nitrate runoff but increased nitrate leaching compared to conventional tillage. These trade-offs were largely caused by altered water fluxes, which elevated total nitrate losses. The structural equation model suggested that precipitation had more pronounced effects on nitrate leaching and runoff than soil properties (i.e. texture, pH, and bulk density). Reduction in nitrate runoff under NT or RTI was negatively correlated with precipitation, and the increased nitrate leaching was positively associated with soil bulk density. We further explored the combined effects of NT or RTI and winter cover crops and found that incorporating winter cover crops into NT systems effectively reduced nitrate runoff but did not significantly affect nitrate leaching. Our findings underscore the precautions of implementing NT or RTI to promote sustainable agriculture under changing climate conditions. This study provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between tillage intensity and nitrate loss pathways, contributing to informed decision-making in climate-smart agriculture.
Unveiling the role of past vapor pressure deficit through soil moisture in driving tropical vegetation productivity
Authors: Verma Akash , Ghosh Subimal 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
The impact of soil moisture (SM) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) on gross primary productivity (GPP) variability in ecosystems is a topic of significant interest. Previous studies have predominantly focused on real-time associations between SM, VPD, and carbon uptake, attributing SM as the principal driver of GPP variability due to its direct and indirect effects through VPD. Using an information theory-based process network approach, we discovered that the influence of past VPD, mediated through its effects on SM, emerges as the primary driver of GPP variability across tropical regions. The past VPD conditions influence GPP directly and also affect SM in real-time alongside GPP, which subsequently impacts GPP variability. Examining land-atmosphere feedback using information theory reveals that past VPD conditions influence SM, but not the reverse. These causal structures explain the consistent decline in GPP with increasing VPD trends observed in tropical regions, which are not consistent with SM trends. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering the influence of past VPD mediated by SM when analyzing complex land-vegetation-atmosphere interactions.
Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) forecasts based on convolutional neural network with sea level pressure precursor
Authors: Tao Yuqi , Qiu Chunhua , Wang Dongxiao , Li Mingting , Zhang Guangli 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Forecasting the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is crucial because of its significant impact on regional and global climates. While traditional dynamic and empirical models suffer from systematic errors due to nonlinear processes, convolutional neural networks (CNN) are nonlinear in nature and have demonstrated remarkable El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and IOD forecasting skills based on oceanic predictors, particularly sea surface temperature and heat content. However, it is difficult to measure heat content and easily introduces uncertainties, prompting the need to explore atmospheric predictors for IOD forecasts. Based on sensitivity prediction experiments, we identified the sea level pressure (SLP) signal as a crucial predictor, which forecasts IOD at a 7 month lead. In addition, the CNN model improves monthly forecasting accuracy while reducing errors by 13.43%. Utilizing the heatmap analysis, we elucidated that the multi-seasonal predictability of the IOD primarily originates from mid-latitude climate variability. Besides ENSO signals in the Pacific Ocean, our study highlights the significant impact of remote climate forcing in the South Indian Ocean, tropical North Indian Ocean, and Northwest Pacific Ocean on IOD forecasts. By introducing the SLP precursor and extratropical zones into IOD forecasts, our study offers fresh insights into the underlying dynamics of IOD evolution.
Scaling of entangling-gate errors in large ion crystals
Authors: He Wenhao , Zhang Wenhao , Yuan Xiao , Shen Yangchao , Zhang Xiao-Ming 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Trapped-ion has shown great advantages in building quantum computers. While high fidelity entangling-gate has been realized for a few ions, how to maintain the high fidelity for large scale trapped-ions remains an open problem. Here, we present an analysis of arbitrary scale ion chains and focus on motional-related errors, reported as one of the leading error sources in state-of-the-art experiments. We theoretically analyze two-qubit entangling-gate infidelity in a large ion crystal under the phase insensitive configuration. To verify our result, we develop an efficient numerical simulation algorithm that avoids exponential increases in of the Hilbert space dimension. For the motional heating error, we derive a much tighter bound of gate infidelity than previously estimated

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, and we give an intuitive understanding from the trajectories in the phase space of motional modes. Our discoveries may inspire the scheme of pulse design against incoherent errors and shed light on the way toward constructing scalable quantum computers with large ion crystals.