bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Roads reduce breeding occupancy and productivity in barn owls
Authors: Busby Brian T. , Gordon Michael P. , Belthoff Jim 
Published: May 2024

AbstractUrbanization and expanding road networks threaten some avian populations through habitat loss and degradation. Barn owls (Tyto alba) have been particularly affected through roadway mortality, loss of grassland, and conversion or destruction of nesting sites. To combat declines and bolster reproduction, and as part of integrated pest management to reduce crop damage, some land managers provide supplemental owl nesting sites via the installation of nest boxes. If nearby habitat and land cover characteristics are not considered when placing boxes, such as major roads or other anthropogenic features, owls could be attracted to locations that could hinder populations further. We investigated the effects of roads and urban areas on barn owl breeding occupancy and productivity to provide information to help guide the placement of nest boxes. We monitored >300 nest boxes over the 2020 and 2021 breeding seasons in southwestern Idaho, USA, where substantial roadway mortality of barn owls occurs. Barn owls occupied >60% of nest boxes, but the likelihood of breeding occupancy decreased with increasing proximity of nest boxes to roads. Boxes 500 m from roads had a predicted probability of occupancy of over 0.9, which was nearly double that of boxes within 100 m. Proximity to roads also was associated with reduced productivity such that boxes within 100 m of roads were predicted to produce approximately 1 fewer fledgling than those 500 m away. There was no evidence that the proportion of urban area surrounding nest boxes substantially influenced breeding occupancy or productivity. Thus, land managers can consider placing nest boxes for barn owls farther from roads when possible as a potential tactic to increase the probability of breeding occupancy and to foster higher productivity.
Smith machine squats pose high risk to ACL graft integrity after the ACL reconstruction and conventional squats are a safer alternative
Authors: Kotiuk Viktor , Ziółek Tomasz , Kostrub Oleksandr , Blonskyi Roman , Podik Volodymyr , Smirnov Dmytro 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of squats after the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction on the ACL graft, considering new data on biomechanics, posterior tibial slope (PTS) and anterolateral ligament (ALL).MethodsUtilising finite element analysis on the new 14‐component knee joint model, we have evaluated stresses on the knee elements separately for the knee with a native double‐bundle ACL and with a single‐bundle ACL graft for the 5° and 14° PTS variants during both conventional and Smith machine horizontal squats.ResultsReplacing a native ACL with a single‐bundle graft causes an overstrain on the graft compared to the intact ACL under all conditions. Stresses on the ACL, ACL graft and ALL are much higher during the Smith machine squats compared to the conventional ones. The stress on the menisci is 3.6–4.9 times higher with conventional squats. PTS at the squats' lowest point minimally affects ACL stress but impacts menisci.ConclusionsThe single‐bundle ACL reconstruction (ACLR) does not reproduce the biomechanics of the native ACL and increases stresses in most knee joint elements, according to the current study. Conventional squats are relatively safe for the ACL graft at their lowest point. Passing the half‐squat position is the most dangerous point. Smith machine horizontal squats produce stress on the ACL graft several times higher than its estimated breaking load and dangerous stress levels on the ALL. During the rehabilitation following ACLR, it is advisable to prioritise the conventional squats over Smith machine squats until ligamentisation is complete.Level of EvidenceLevel III.
Sight and blindness: The relationship between ostracod eyes, water depth, and light availability in the Arctic Ocean
Authors: Zhang Jingwen , Yasuhara Moriaki , Wei Chih‐Lin , Tian Skye Yunshu , Aye Kyawt K. T. , Gemery Laura , Cronin Thomas M. , Frenzel Peter , Horne David J. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractEye loss has been a long‐standing interest in evolutionary biology. Many organisms that inhabit environments without light penetration, for example the deep sea, exhibit eye loss and thus become blind. However, water‐depth distribution of eyes in marine organisms is poorly understood. Ostracods are widely distributed crustaceans, and many sighted marine ostracods have eye tubercles (lenses) on their shells. Since eye tubercles are visible on the shells illustrated in much literature, it is easy to determine their presence or absence via a literature survey. Here, we used a large Arctic‐wide ostracod census dataset (Arctic Ostracode Database) to calculate the eye index (the percentage of species with eyes), and compare them with water depth and light availability. As water depth increases, eye index values decrease and become constantly zero in water deeper than 1000 m. Similar decline of sighted species with increasing depth is also known in isopods and amphipods, suggesting that it may be common in other crustaceans and perhaps in deep‐sea organisms in general. We also show that eye index values increase as light availability increases. This study is the first to quantify how distributions of sighted and blind species change with light availability, giving baseline information on vision in the deep sea.
Ultra‐Sparse Aperiodic Silicon Optical Phased Array Using High‐Performance Thermo‐Optic Phase Shifter
Authors: Qiu Huaqing , Liu Yong , Meng Xiansong , Guan Xiaowei , Ding Yunhong , Hu Hao 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIntegrated optical phased array (OPA) is evolving into a transformational technology for LiDAR and free‐space optical communication systems due to its distinctive qualities of compact size, rapid scanning, and low cost. When the integrated OPA is utilized for long‐range vehicle LiDAR (300 m range), a large emission aperture (mm‐cm length) is required. However, a large aperture typically necessitates thousands of phase‐controlled emitters and consumes tens of watts when utilizing traditional thermo‐optic phase shifters. Here, an easy‐to‐understand theory is proposed and an ultra‐sparse aperiodic OPA is experimentally demonstrated with a large aperture (6 mm 5 mm) using just 120 phase‐controlled emitters. In the azimuthal () direction, high resolvable points of 1300 have attained within a field of view (FOV) beam steering range of . The consumed electric power is only 0.47 W thanks to the ultra‐sparse aperiodic spacing (50 average pitch) and the high‐performance optical phase shifters. The fabrication‐robust thermo‐optic phase shifter achieved high performance in all relevant aspects including power consumption (3.1 mW/), driving voltage (1.1 V for 2), insertion loss (0.6 dB), modulation bandwidth (34 kHz), and footprint (42 42 ), acting as an ideal phase tuning component in large‐scale photonic integrated circuits.
Clinical and Biomedical Applications of Lensless Holographic Microscopy
Authors: Potter Colin J. , Xiong Zhen , McLeod Euan 
Published: May 2024

AbstractMany clinical procedures and biomedical research workflows rely on microscopy, including diagnosis of cancer, genetic disorders, autoimmune diseases, infections, and quantification of cell culture. Despite its widespread use, traditional image acquisition and review by trained microscopists is often lengthy and expensive, limited to large hospitals or laboratories, precluding use in point‐of‐care settings. In contrast, lensless or lensfree holographic microscopy (LHM) is inexpensive and widely deployable because it can achieve performance comparable to expensive and bulky objective‐based benchtop microscopes while relying on components that cost only a few hundred dollars or less. Lab‐on‐a‐chip integration is practical and enables LHM to be combined with single‐cell isolation, sample mixing, and in‐incubator imaging. Additionally, many manual tasks in conventional microscopy are instead computational in LHM, including image focusing, stitching, and classification. Furthermore, LHM offers a field of view hundreds of times greater than that of conventional microscopy without sacrificing resolution. Here, the basic LHM principles are summarized, as well as recent advances in artificial intelligence integration and enhanced resolution. How LHM is applied to the above clinical and biomedical applications is discussed in detail. Finally, emerging clinical applications, high‐impact areas for future research, and some current challenges facing widespread adoption are identified.
Accessing Functionalized Ultra‐High Molecular Weight Poly(α‐olefin)s via Hafnium‐Mediated Highly Isospecific Copolymerization
Authors: Zhou Guanglin , Mu Hongliang , Jian Zhongbao 
Published: May 2024

AbstractInspired by the favorable impact of heteroatom‐containing groups in phenoxy‐imine titanium and late transition metal catalysts, a series of novel pyridylamido hafnium catalysts bearing ─OMe (Cat‐OMe), ─CF3 (Cat‐CF3), and ─C6F5 (Cat‐C6F5) substituents are designed and synthesized. Together with the established hafnium catalysts Cat‐H and Cat‐iPr by Dow/Symyx, these catalysts are applied in the polymerization of α‐olefins, including 1‐hexene, 1‐octene, and 4M1P, as well as in the copolymerization of these α‐olefins with a specifically designed polar monomer. The enhancement of polymer molecular weight derived from catalyst modification and the incorporation of polar monomers is discussed in detail. Notably, the new catalysts are all highly active for α‐olefins polymerization, with catalyst Cat‐CF3 producing isotactic polymers with the highest molecular weight (Mw = 1649 kg mol−1); in copolymerization with polar monomers, catalyst Cat‐OMe yields isotactic copolymer with the highest molecular weight (Mw = 2990 kg mol−1). Interestingly, catalyst Cat‐C6F5 bearing a ─C6F5 group in the N‐aryl moiety gives rise to poly(α‐olefin) with reduced stereoselectivity. The findings of this study underscore the potential of heteroatom‐containing groups in the development of early transition metal catalysts and the synthesis of polymer with novel structures.
The serine protease CORIN promotes progression of gastric cancer by mediating the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway
Authors: Hong Runqi , Zhang Xiaotian , Zhang Yi , Bei Lanxin , Yang Ju , Xia Jie , Hu Zhiqing , Cao Zhipeng , Chen Rui , Chen Liang , Niu Gengming , Ke Chongwei 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe serine protease CORIN catalyzes pro‐atrial natriuretic peptide (pro‐ANP) into an active ANP and maintains homeostasis of the internal environment. However, it is unclear whether CORIN participates in the regulation of tumor progression. We analyzed the expression profile of CORIN in gastric cancer tissues (GCs) and adjacent nontumoral tissues (NTs). We investigated the prognostic value of CORIN in GC patients. We characterized the in vitro and in vivo activity of CORIN in cultured GC cells with gain‐of‐function and loss‐of‐function experiments. The underlying mechanism was explored by using bioinformatics, a signaling antibody array, and confirmative western blot analyses, as well as rescue experiments with highly selective small‐molecule inhibitors targeting the ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway. CORIN was upregulated in GCs than in NTs. Overexpression of CORIN was correlated with unfavorable prognoses in patients with GC. Ectopic expression of CORIN was promoted, whereas silencing of CORIN suppressed proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of GC cells, and tumor growth in vivo. Overexpression of CORIN‐induced epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and activation of the ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway, while silencing of CORIN yielded opposite results. The in vitro tumor‐promoting potency of CORIN could be antagonized by selective inhibitors targeting the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway. In conclusion, CORIN is a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for GC patients, which may promote tumor progression by mediating the ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway and EMT in GC cells.
Intellectual property judicial protection, innovation factor input, and corporate innovation: Evidence from the establishment of intellectual property courts in China
Authors: Nie Changfei , Qi Ziyan , Feng Yuan 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBased on the establishment of China's intellectual property (IP) courts, this article examines the impact of intellectual property judicial protection (IPJP) on corporate innovation using the sample of China's A‐shared listed firms from 2013 to 2021 by the time‐varying difference‐in‐differences (DID) model. The result shows that IP courts have a significant positive effect on corporate innovation, mainly by increasing innovation factor input, including expenditure of R&D funds and R&D personnel quantity. Additionally, the effect is stronger for invention patents and in non‐state‐owned firms, small firms, high‐tech firms, and firms with low financing constraints.
A compact ultra‐wide‐beam quasi‐coaxial‐structure fed crossed‐dipole
Authors: Shen Yufan , Yan Binyun , Gao Xiang , Sheng Weixing 
Published: May 2024

AbstractA compact ultra‐wide‐beam crossed‐dipole antenna for K‐band phased arrays is proposed. The superior wide beamwidth is achieved by loading four vertical parasitic structures around the dipole patches. A quasi‐coaxial feeding structure is proposed as the antenna size is limited in K‐band, and it cannot be coaxially fed by the conventional feeding method. This structure is constructed by using PCB through‐plated vias, achieving a compact design. The antenna has a compact size of 0.37λ × 0.37λ × 0.35λ (λ is the free space wavelength). The simulated and measured results show that a half‐power beamwidth of more than 140° (from −71° to 72°) and an axial ratio beamwidth of 100° (from −51° to 49°) can be realized.
Design of compact low‐profile single‐layer filtering antenna based on half‐mode patches
Authors: Yan Dong , Tang Hao‐Chun , Xie Haofei , Li Dajiang , Hu Kun‐Zhi , Chen Zhiyuan 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn this paper, a single‐layer filtering antenna based on half‐mode patches is proposed. It consists of a main driven patch and a parasitic patch. A U‐shaped slot is first etched on the main driven patch to generate a new resonant mode and a radiation null simultaneously. Four pairs of shorting pins are introduced on the main driven patch to raise its operating frequency to near that of the U‐shaped slot, thus broadening the impedance bandwidth (IBW). Additionally, a parasitic patch is introduced near the driven patch to introduce an extra half‐TM10 mode and an extra radiation null, significantly enhancing the IBW and the upper‐edge selectivity of the antenna. A prototype was fabricated and tested for validation. It achieves a peak realized gain of 6.55 dBi and −10‐dB IBW of 8.8%, and exhibits good out‐of‐band rejection performance while maintaining a low profile of 0.017 λ0 and a compact transverse size of 0.29 λ02.
An enhanced micromechanical rock–pile interface model with application to rock‐socketed pile modeling
Authors: Liang Rui , Yin Zhen‐Yu , Yin Jian‐Hua , Wu Pei‐Chen , Chen Ze‐Jian 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe increasing use of rock‐socketed piles highlights the importance of developing a suitable design method for their bearing capacity. This study quantifies the shear behavior of the rock–pile interface, which generally dominates the bearing capacity of rock‐socketed piles under service load. A micromechanics‐based rock–pile interface model with idealized nonuniform profile is proposed with two enhancements: (1) the slip line method together with nonlinear Hoek–Brown failure criteria is integrated to identify the critical shear displacement of rock asperity; and (2) the residual stage of shear behavior is properly considered with the rounding progress of sheared rubbles. The enhanced interface model is first validated by the direct shear test results under constant normal stiffness. Then, the interface model is implemented via user‐defined FRIC into the finite element code ABAQUS without the need of explicitly building the rock–pile interface profile. Accordingly, the model is applied to simulate and analyze two field cases involving rock‐socketed piles. Comparison between the predictions and field observed results shows this method can well capture the axial load transfer behavior of pile socket into weak rock.
Comparison between supervised and physics‐informed unsupervised deep neural networks for estimating cerebral perfusion using multi‐delay arterial spin labeling MRI
Authors: Ishida Shota , Fujiwara Yasuhiro , Takei Naoyuki , Kimura Hirohiko , Tsujikawa Tetsuya 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis study aimed to implement a physics‐informed unsupervised deep neural network (DNN) to estimate cerebral blood flow (CBF) and arterial transit time (ATT) from multi‐delay arterial spin labeling (ASL), and compare its performance with that of a supervised DNN and the conventional method. Supervised and unsupervised DNNs were trained using simulation data. The accuracy and noise immunity of the three methods were compared using simulations and in vivo data. The simulation study investigated the differences between the predicted and ground‐truth values and their variations with the noise level. The in vivo study evaluated the predicted values from the original images and noise‐induced variations in the predicted values from the synthesized noisy images by adding Rician noise to the original images. The simulation study showed that CBF estimated using the supervised DNN was not biased by noise, whereas that estimated using other methods had a positive bias. Although the ATT with all methods exhibited a similar behavior with noise increase, the ATT with the supervised DNN was less biased. The in vivo study showed that CBF and ATT with the supervised DNN were the most accurate and that the supervised and unsupervised DNNs had the highest noise immunity in CBF and ATT estimations, respectively. Physics‐informed unsupervised learning can estimate CBF and ATT from multi‐delay ASL signals, and its performance is superior to that of the conventional method. Although noise immunity in ATT estimation was superior with unsupervised learning, other performances were superior with supervised learning.
Quantifying human activity intensity in the Qinling‐Daba Mountains
Authors: Xie Wenqi , Yao Yonghui 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Human activities profoundly impact the Earth system such as climate change, biodiversity, disease transmission. Accurately acquiring and assessing the human activity intensity (HAI) is crucial to exploring human‐nature relationships. However, the mismatch of geospatial data products between humans and natural environmental factors is a data bottleneck that restricts the innovation and development of regional human‐Earth systems. Nowadays, some HAI data products exist, such as the global human footprint map and the cumulative human modification map, but their spatial resolution is still too coarse (1 km) for regional research. Importantly, there are limitations to the method of mapping HAI: an incomplete indicator system that ignores the natural dimension makes the assessment of HAI less accurate and comprehensive; ignoring correlations among indicators, subjective weighting method and overlapping indicators lead to potential overestimation of HAI.

Here, a new approach to improve the quantification of HAI at the regional scale was presented and the HAI of the Qinling‐Daba Mountains (QinBa) was mapped and analysed as a case study. First. an improved indicator system was constructed from two dimensions: natural environment and resources (including topography and river density), social and economics (including population density, degree of land modification, remoteness from roads/railways, remoteness from settlements and road density). The models for scoring the indicators were then improved. Additionally, principal component analysis was adopted to transform seven indicators into four independent principal components (PCs). The four PCs were combined based on their variance contribution to generate the HAI map, effectively eliminating redundancy and correlation among the indicators.

The results showed that the improved method solved the problem of overestimation in previous studies and objectively mapped the HAI of QinBa. We found that although QinBa's HAI was moderate (MHAI = 0.48), places with low HAI were isolated as ‘islands’ by places with high HAI, indicating that the scope of human activities in this area is extensive.

This study not only provides novel insights into quantifying HAI but also provides high‐resolution HAI data (100 m) and priority attention zones for human‐nature interaction studies in QinBa, which can help guide policy‐making for management and conservation efforts.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Synergistic fabrication, characterization, and prospective optoelectronic applications of DES grafted activated charcoal dispersed PVA films
Authors: Lokesh Kumar S. , Binish C. J. , Rajprasad J. , Tabassum Sumaiya , Sadaiyandi Vivekananthan , Ramaraj Sankar Ganesh , Wadaan Mohammad Ahmad , Vatin Nikolai Ivanovich , Govindaraju Santhosh , Vijayasankar A. V. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis study investigates the synthesis, analysis, and utility of films comprising deep eutectic solvent (DES) grafted activated charcoal (AC) within a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix for optoelectronic device applications. The fabrication process involves the dispersion of DES functionalization AC into the PVA solution, followed by casting onto substrates with controlled drying. Comprehensive characterization encompassing X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and impedance spectroscopy which discerns the films microstructure, morphology, conductance, band‐gap, and optical traits. The DES grafted AC infusion with variable concentration has significantly influenced optical absorbance and reduced the band gap indicating efficient charge mobility. Furthermore, the impedance analysis has revealed the electrical conduction of the film to be 1.8 × 10−6 Ω−1 m−1. In summary, the dispersion of DES modified AC in the PVA matrix have converted the insulating PVA to a semiconducting polymeric film with reduced band‐gap and increased absorption, which present a propitious avenue for wide array of optoelectronic devices, such as thin film transistors, photovoltaics, LEDs, photodetectors, and many such applications.