bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Risk of acute pancreatitis among new users of empagliflozin compared to sulfonylureas in patients with type 2 diabetes: A post‐authorization safety study
Authors: Fazeli Farsani Soulmaz , Iglay Kristy , Zhang Ling , Niyonkuru Christian , Nessralla Laurieann , Girman Cynthia J. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPurposeThis study was undertaken to evaluate the potential risk of acute pancreatitis with empagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) newly initiating empagliflozin.MethodsData from two large US claims databases were analyzed in an observational study of patients with T2D receiving metformin who were newly prescribed empagliflozin versus sulfonylurea (SU). Because dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists have been associated with the risk of acute pancreatitis in some studies, patients on these agents were excluded. Using pooled analyses of data from the two databases (2014–2021), patients initiating empagliflozin were matched 1:1 within database to patients initiating SU using propensity scores (PS) that incorporated relevant demographic and clinical characteristics. Prespecified sensitivity analyses were performed for design parameters.ResultsThe analyses identified 72 661 new users of empagliflozin and 422 018 new users of SUs, with both patient groups on concurrent metformin therapy. Baseline characteristics within treatment groups appeared to be similar across the 72 621 matched pairs. After mean follow‐up of ~6 months, incidence rates of acute pancreatitis in the pooled matched cohort were 10.30 (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.29–11.39) events per 1000 patient‐years (PY) for empagliflozin and 11.65 (95% CI 10.59–12.77) events per 1000 PY for SUs. On a background of metformin, patients newly initiating empagliflozin did not have an increased risk of acute pancreatitis compared with those initiating an SU (pooled PS matched hazard ratio 0.88 [0.76–1.02]) across 75621.42 PY of follow‐up.ConclusionsThe results of this voluntary post‐approval safety study provide additional evidence that the use of empagliflozin for the treatment of T2D is not associated with an increased risk of acute pancreatitis.
Functional Soft Materials with Resistance to Liquid Leakage for Thermal Energy Storage
Authors: Zhang Haiquan , Fang Qiaoming , Wang Fege , Cao Bozhou , Wang Ling , He Wei , Chen Songjiao , Wang Ning 
Published: May 2024

AbstractFunctional soft materials have great potential commercial applications in thermal energy storage, which are required to have a long life, good flexibility, and resistance to liquid leakage. Herein, a composite hydrogel with thermal storage properties is prepared through coupling molecular self‐assembly and in situ polymerization. Hydrophobic stearic acid (SA), as a thermal storage phase change material (PCM), is dispersed in polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel network in the form of oil–water emulsion (O/W). The PAM polymer network with good flexibility physically limits high‐frequency collision between SA PCM droplets. This unique design avoids demulsification in phase change emulsion so that the as‐prepared hydrogel composite can resist liquid leakage. The PAM hydrogel network plays the role of heterogeneous nucleation, resulting in the super‐cooling of SA emulsion at only 0.3 °C. On the other hand, SA PCM droplets in as‐prepared soft material do not directly contact with liquid water, so melting/crystallization process is independent of water. As a result, the soft material exhibits a thermal storage density of up to 99.3 J g−1. The present study is an important step toward designing soft energy storage materials.
ProBAN: Neural network algorithm for predicting binding affinity in protein–protein complexes
Authors: Bogdanova Elizaveta Alexandrovna , Novoseletsky Valery Nikolaevich 
Published: May 2024

AbstractDetermining binding affinities in protein–protein and protein–peptide complexes is a challenging task that directly impacts the development of peptide and protein pharmaceuticals. Although several models have been proposed to predict the value of the dissociation constant and the Gibbs free energy, they are currently not capable of making stable predictions with high accuracy, in particular for complexes consisting of more than two molecules. In this work, we present ProBAN, a new method for predicting binding affinity in protein–protein complexes based on a deep convolutional neural network. Prediction is carried out for the spatial structures of complexes, presented in the format of a 4D tensor, which includes information about the location of atoms and their abilities to participate in various types of interactions realized in protein–protein and protein–peptide complexes. The effectiveness of the model was assessed both on an internal test data set containing complexes consisting of three or more molecules, as well as on an external test for the PPI‐Affinity service. As a result, we managed to achieve the best prediction quality on these data sets among all the analyzed models: on the internal test, Pearson correlation R = 0.6, MAE = 1.60, on the external test, R = 0.55, MAE = 1.75. The open‐source code, the trained ProBAN model, and the collected dataset are freely available at the following link https://github.com/EABogdanova/ProBAN.
A probabilistic fatigue life assessment method for wind turbine blade based on Bayesian GPR with the effects of pitch angle
Authors: Zhang Xiaoling , Zhang Kejia , Chen Zhongzhe 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe fatigue behavior of large wind turbine blades is complex and stochastic due to their complex structure and operating environment. This paper focuses on developing a probabilistic fatigue life assessment method for wind turbine blades considering the uncertainties from wind velocity, material mechanical properties, pitch angle, and layer thickness. To improve the efficiency of stochastic fatigue behavior analysis of wind turbine blade, unidirectional fluid‐structure coupling (UFSC) and bidirectional fluid‐structure coupling (BFSC) analysis are employed to analyze the stochastic response. Then, Gaussian process regression (GPR) and Bayesian updating are combined to establish the stochastic fatigue behavior prediction model for wind turbine blade. On this basis, a modified S‐N curve formulation is proposed, and the fatigue life of wind turbine blade is analyzed by the modified S‐N curve and compared with the three‐parameter Weibull model. The results indicate that the proposed method for fatigue life assessment has better accuracy. The proposed probabilistic fatigue life assessment method with high accuracy and high efficiency, which is beneficial for the fatigue reliability design of wind turbine blades.
Adaptive neural network‐based practical fixed‐time consensus tracking for second‐order nonlinear multi‐agent systems with switching topologies
Authors: Dong Yan , Lu Weihua , Chen Junwei , Cao Jinde , Xu Shunlin 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe current study concerns the practical fixed‐time consensus tracking problem of second‐order nonlinear multi‐agent systems (MASs) with switching topologies. The neural network (NN) and adaptive technique are adopted to compensate the unknown nonlinearities of the followers. Then, an adaptive NN‐based fixed‐time controller is designed under switching interaction topologies. In order to give the rigorous proof of the practical fixed‐time consensus tracking, a novel lemma for analyzing the practical fixed‐time stability of the switched error system is firstly established, then by constructing appropriate topology‐dependent multiple Lyapunov functions, we theoretically show that the practical fixed‐time consensus tracking of the closed‐loop MASs can be ensured provided that the dwell time of the switching topologies is larger than a predefined threshold and further the involved control parameters are suitably selected. Moreover, the settling time estimation is explicitly given, which is regardless of the system's initial values. The theoretical results are finally verified via a numerical simulation.
Microwave Properties of Composite Films Based on Polyvinyl Chloride and Brominated Activated Carbon
Authors: Grishchenko Liudmyla M. , Zhytnyk Dmytro O. , Matushko Igor P. , Diyuk Vitaliy E. , Noskov Yuriy V. , Malyshev Volodymyr Yu. , Moiseienko Vladyslav A. , Boldyrieva Olga Yu. , Lisnyak Vladyslav V. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBrominated activated carbon (AC/Br2) powder was used as a filler in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) to prepare PVC‐based composite films by hot pressing. The AC/Br2 filler was obtained by liquid phase bromination and contained both oxygen and bromine. In comparison with the unmodified AC, the AC/Br2 was subjected to thermogravimetric analysis in air and argon and temperature‐programmed desorption mass spectrometry in vacuum, which identified carbon‐oxygen and bromine groups and showed the comparable thermal stability of AC/Br2 and AC. XPS shows the predominance of phenolic groups among the carbon‐oxygen groups. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy showed preserved morphology and microstructure, while N2 adsorption showed a microporosity decrease after bromination. FTIR analysis suggested non‐chemical interactions between PVC and AC/Br2. As the AC/Br2 content in the PVC‐based composite films increases from 0.2 to 30 wt %, the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) reflection at Ka‐band microwave frequencies increases. To reduce the EMR reflection, the proposed composite films should contain a maximum of 0.2 wt % AC/Br2. The results indicate that the microwave properties of PVC‐based composite films can be tuned by adjusting the AC/Br2 content.
Green Chemistry Approach for One‐Step Synthesis of Iodinated Graphene Material for Supercapacitor Applications
Authors: Kalicharan Alvin , Pitchaimani Jayaraman , Barath Kanna C. , Rajesh Vudata , Tamtam Mohan Rao , Koutavarapu Ravindranadh , Baby Shakila P. , Ramesh Pugalenthi 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIodinated graphene is a promising 2D material with unique physical and chemical characteristics. A new synthesis method that combines iodine intercalation and surface reduction of graphite sheets in a single step was developed. This method uses NaIO4 and m‐CPBA to efficiently incorporate iodine and selectively remove oxygen from the graphene network at room temperature. The presence of iodine moieties in the graphene network was confirmed using various techniques such as XPS photoelectron spectroscopy, HR‐TEM, XRD, FT‐IR, TGA, and Raman spectroscopy. The high iodine content of the material enhanced the d‐spacing and ion mobility of the electrolyte, thereby improving the storage capacity. In addition, the potential of iodinated graphene as an electrode material was investigated through EIS, CV, and GCD using 1 M H2SO4 solution as the electrolyte. The iodinated graphene material exhibited EDL capacitance and demonstrated an impressive specific capacitance of 535.4 F g−1 at a high rate, with a current density of 1 A g−1. Moreover, it exhibited exceptional stability over 5000 cycles. These halogenated graphene derivatives are attractive options for use in supercapacitors.
Controllable Design of Metal‐Organic Framework‐Derived Vanadium Oxynitride for High‐Capacity and Long‐Cycle Aqueous Zn‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Liu Yuexin , Zhang Jing , Liu Yuan , Zhang Mingcheng , Pan Zhenghui , Cai Kefeng 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIntroducing N atoms in vanadium oxides (VOx) of aqueous Zn‐ion batteries (ZIBs) can reduce their bandgap energy and enhance their electronic conductivity, thereby promoting the diffusion of Zn2+. The close‐packed vanadium oxynitride (VON) generated often necessitates the intercalation of water molecules for restructuring, rendering it more conducive for zinc ion intercalation. However, its dense structure often causes structural strain and the formation of by‐products during this process, resulting in decreased electrochemical performance. Herein, carbon‐coated porous V2O3/VN nanosheets (p‐VON@C) are constructed by annealing vanadium metal‐organic framework in an ammonia‐contained environment. The designed p‐VON@C nanosheets are efficiently converted to low‐crystalline hydrated N‐doped VOx during subsequent activation while maintaining structural stability. This is because the V2O3/VN heterojunction and abundant oxygen vacancies in p‐VON@C alleviate the structural strain during water molecule intercalation, and accelerate the intercalation rate. Carbon coating is beneficial to prevent p‐VON@C from sliding or falling off during the activation and cycling process. Profiting from these advantages, the activated p‐VON@C cathode delivers a high specific capacity of 518 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and maintains a capacity retention rate of 80.9% after 2000 cycles at 10 A g−1. This work provides a pathway to designing high‐quality aqueous ZIB cathodes.
Magnetic soft centirobot to mitigate biological threats
Authors: Vaghasiya Jayraj V. , Mayorga‐Martinez Carmen C. , Zelenka Jaroslav , Sharma Shelja , Ruml Tomas , Pumera Martin 
Published: May 2024

AbstractSoft robots have drawn a lot of interest in the field of human–robot interfaces because they can mimic the propulsion of soft bodies and archive complex tasks that cannot be made by rigid robots such as performing the complex motion, avoiding collisions by absorbing impacts, and shape adaptation by elastic deformation. Herein, drawing inspiration from creatures in the Cambrian period, such as Hallucigenia, we develop a centimeter‐sized soft robot with multiple magnetic legs (referred to as a soft centirobot). This robot is equipped with graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) nanosheets to kill biological threats by photogenerated reactive oxygen species under black light illumination. The motion of g‐C3N4 soft centirobot is controlled by magnetic actuation even in complex wastewater samples (with a relative speed of 0.12 body lengths per second). The magnetic multilegs work as a propeller to walk across and cover large regions, and water disinfection is more efficient than what could be achieved by nano/micrometer scale sheets of g‐C3N4. Finally, factors affecting the accelerated propulsion of g‐C3N4 soft centirobot such as design principle, structure geometry, body mass, driving mechanism, and magnetic sensitivity, have been investigated. We envision that such a photoactive 2D material‐based integrated centimeter‐sized robot shall find application in many areas where pathogen removal is required.
Starch and Shellac Polymer Blends: A Promising Material for Extending Postharvest Fruit Shelf Life
Authors: Krongrawa Wantanwa , Piyawatakarn Piyapoom , Piriyaprasarth Suchada , Patomchaiviwat Vipaluk , Sriamornsak Pornsak , Chansatidkosol Siraprapa , Limmatvapirat Chutima , Limmatvapirat Sontaya 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis study optimizes edible coatings made from starch and shellac (SHL) polymer blends to enhance postharvest preservation of fruits. Various starch:SHL ratios are explored for the following four different starch sources: rice (RIC), corn (COR), glutinous rice (GLU), and tapioca (TAP). The resulting polymer blend films are comprehensively analyzed via X‐ray diffraction, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, and studies of swelling behavior, water solubility, water vapor permeability, and mechanical properties. Phase separation is noted in the RIC:SHL and COR:SHL polymer blend films, while the TAP:SHL and GLU:SHL polymer blend films exhibit homogeneity without discernible interactions between starch and SHL. However, the TAP:SHL blend films exhibit superior mechanical properties compared with the GLU:SHL polymer blend films. Furthermore, the wettability, swelling, and water vapor permeability decrease upon increasing the SHL content in the polymer blend films. Noteworthily, the TAP:SHL polymer blend demonstrates favorable properties for use in fruit coatings. In contrast to the 100% SHL film, the TAP:SHL coatings do not exacerbate anaerobic respiration‐related browning during storage assessment. The findings highlight TAP:SHL polymer blend as a promising renewable material for extending fruit shelf life postharvest.
Gaze of Kampo specialists during simulated dynamic abdominal examinations: A cross‐sectional study using a wearable eye tracker
Authors: Yamada Rie , Xu Kuangzhe , Fujimoto Makoto , Kido Toshiki 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAimWe aimed to clarify the characteristics of the Kampo specialists' gaze during Kampo abdominal examinations on simulated patients and obtain suggestions for improving medical students' gaze during Kampo medicine abdominal examinations.MethodsWe recorded and quantitatively evaluated the gazes of eight Kampo specialists and six medical students using a wearable eye tracker during abdominal examinations of simulated patients.ResultsWhen specific sites were observed during abdominal examinations, the Kampo specialists' gaze toward the simulated patient's face was significantly higher than that of the medical students (mean = 1.019, 95% highest density interval: 0.159–2.050). A significant difference was also observed between the two populations regarding the specific sites observed. The medical students' gaze durations toward the simulated patient's eyes (mean = −2.696; 95% highest density interval: −4.961 to −0.744), face (mean = −1.881; 95% highest density interval: −3.353 to −0.691), upper limbs (mean = −1.707; 95% highest density interval: −2.932 to −0.500), and lower limbs (mean = −2.555; 95% highest density interval: −4.730 to −0.654) were significantly longer than those of Kampo specialists.ConclusionsThe medical students' gazes were dispersed; those of Kampo specialists were focused and of short durations. These findings suggest that Kampo specialists quickly collect essential diagnostic information and look away from the patient's face to concentrate on considering the Kampo medicine diagnosis. Teaching Kampo specialists' gaze techniques in Kampo medicine education could lead to improvements in the gaze of medical students during abdominal examinations.
A rapid monitoring protocol to estimate unharvested corn biomass in waterfowl impoundments
Authors: Highway Cory J. , Masto Nicholas M. , Blake‐Bradshaw Abigail G. , Keever Allison C. , Feddersen Jamie C. , Hagy Heath M. , Combs Daniel L. , Cohen Bradley S. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractConservation planners use bioenergetic models to develop habitat objectives that satisfy energetic demands of waterfowl during nonbreeding periods. In turn, natural resource managers should estimate yield and availability of natural and cultivated waterfowl forage to monitor contributions to objectives and support adaptive resource management. Because bioenergetic models are particularly sensitive to unharvested flooded croplands, we developed a rapid methodology to estimate biomass of unharvested flooded corn (Zea mays) and tested our methodology in impounded corn fields planted and flooded in western Tennessee during autumn and winter of 2019–2021. We evaluated accuracy of our rapid assessment method and conducted simulations to assess variance‐bias trade‐offs relative to sample size. Rapid assessments lasted 20 min ± 10 minutes per field. Our rapid assessment method underestimated number of kernels per ear by 2.6% ± 0.5%. After adjusting for underestimation bias, corn biomass across all surveys was 5,500 kg/ha ± 250 kg/ha, which is similar yield to previous literature from waterfowl impoundment fields. Sampling 15 ears per field allowed field biomass to be estimated within acceptable accuracy (i.e., variance [SE] of mean percent error <1.8%). We recommend our rapid yield assessment method be incorporated into habitat monitoring protocols to efficiently and precisely estimate corn biomass for improved conservation planning initiatives. Additionally, our rapid assessment method allows managers to monitor field yield rapidly, enabling estimates of corn depletion and availability throughout the nonbreeding season for waterfowl to support management decisions.
Complexes of Alkali Metal and the Ammonium Ion with the Cyclodimethylsiloxane Ligands D7 and D8 (D=Me2SiO)
Authors: Richter Roman‐Malte , von Hänisch Carsten 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWe present complexes of alkali metal ions and the ammonium ion with the large cyclodimethylsiloxanes D7 and D8 (D=Me2SiO). The formation of such complexes is accompanied by rearrangements of the ligands to form complexes with a suitable ring size for the metal used. These rearrangements could be suppressed by suitable reaction conditions and rapid work‐up of the reaction mixtures. This enabled the isolation of [Li(D7)][GaI4] (1), [Li(D8)][GaI4] (2), [Na(D8)][GaI4] (3), [K(D8)][GaI4] (4) and [NH4(D8)][GaI4] (5). All of the prepared compounds were analysed using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction as well as multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. This reveals very different coordination modes in the compounds obtained.
Comparative Experimental Study on Improving Structural Performance of the Base Upright Profiles of Steel Storage Pallet Racks Under Operational Conditions
Authors: Taranu George , Ungureanu Viorel , Nagy Zsolt , Luca Septimiu-George , Alexa-Stratulat Mihai-Sergiu , Toma Ionut-Ovidiu 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn recent decades, economic growth and globalization have spurred increased demand for efficient storage systems, leading to the extensive production of industrial racks from cold-formed steel profiles. Technological advances and research have significantly enhanced the optimization and mechanical efficiency of these profiles. However, older structures often require reassessment and strengthening to meet current and future load-bearing requirements, especially when systems are continuously in use and interventions must be minimized in terms of time and complexity. This paper investigates two strengthening solutions designed to improve the structural performance under various loading conditions, using experimental research to assess and understand the behavior of reinforced profiles. It presents a comparative analysis of the axial compression behavior of the base upright profiles of steel storage racks, each 1 m in length. A specific open cross-section with perforations was utilized, and a total of 13 specimens were tested: 5 unreinforced, 3 with ‘2L-shaped profiles’ for method 1, and 5 with ‘1C-shaped profile’ for method 2. For the strengthened profiles, both methods were secured inside the original profile using M8 bolts. The results demonstrate a 25% improvement in compression resistance capacity for method 2 and 4% for method 1, underscoring the effectiveness of these interventions.
Wind Aerodynamics and Related Energy Potential of Urban High-Rise Vertical Farms
Authors: Xie Simeng , Martinez-Vazquez Pedro , Baniotopoulos Charalampos 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis paper presents the development of a benchmark vertical farm that could potentially enable the sustainable development of urban and rural areas. The investigation seeks to tackle global issues linked to sustainability development goals such as zero hunger, affordable clean energy, industry innovation and infrastructure, amongst others. Vertical farms enable plant-friendly environments in urban skyscrapers through agricultural techniques, often identified as consuming large amounts of energy. These facilities could be fully embedded into urban planning as clean energy sources such as solar and wind are fully utilised. This paper scrutinises the potential for wind energy utilisation in a vertical farm with different planting corridor widths. The study also seeks to clarify the potential for energy harvesting by identifying suitable micro wind turbines installed in the façade and roof. The vertical farm prototype is elliptical and has a total height of 108 m, 80 m width, and 60 m chord. This paper studied the prototype with corridor widths of 3 m, 4 m, 5 m, and 6 m, respectively. The maximum inlet wind speed was defined as 20 m/s, and the atmospheric boundary layer condition was applied to simulate an urban wind environment and observe the aerodynamics of the farm. The results showed that the benchmark building with a corridor of 5m-width has the best potential for wind energy harvesting, particularly when the wind turbines are located on the roof.