bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ring‐opening (co)polymerization strategies of selected oxacyclic monomers to control and provide tailored polymers with desired properties
Authors: Trzebicka Barbara , Wałach Wojciech , Kurcok Piotr , Kowalczuk Marek 
Published: May 2024

AbstractRing‐opening polymerization (ROP) is a versatile synthetic method used to produce polymers from cyclic monomers, particularly oxacyclic monomers such as lactones and cyclic ethers. Oxacyclic monomers polymerize with anionic or cationic initiators. For selected monomers, such as glycidol, β‐butyrolactone and higher lactones, methods, and mechanisms of polymerization are presented, the understanding of which has allowed control of these processes. The use of appropriate polymerization techniques and methods, as well as conducting the copolymerization, mainly block copolymerization, makes it possible to control the architecture, molar mass, and end groups of the resulting polymers. These parameters determine the properties of macromolecules, such as solubility, ability to aggregate in aqueous solutions, thermoresponsiveness, and degradability. By carefully selecting monomers, catalysts, and polymerization conditions, ROP strategies can be tailored to produce polymers with precise molecular structures and desired properties for a wide range of applications. This review mainly focuses on precisely controlled syntheses that lead to well‐defined macromolecules consisting mostly of polyether and/or polyester chains.
Synergistic surface modification of anhydrous calcium sulfate by polydopamine/oleylamine and its application in reinforced HDPE composites
Authors: Xu Weicheng , Fang Keneng , Chen Qianlin 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn the study, polydopamine and oleylamine cooperated to modify the surface of anhydrous calcium sulfate prepared from phosphogypsum, and HDPE matrix composites with different filler content were prepared by filling HDPE before and after modification. The results show that when the filler content is 5 wt%, the elongation at break of mCSA/HDPE composite is 31.7% and 89% higher than that of HDPE and CSA/HDPE. Respectively, when the filler content is as high as 25 wt%, the flexural strength is still 16.8% higher than that of HDPE. After modification, the compatibility and dispersibility of anhydrous calcium sulfate in HDPE were improved, and the crystal structure of anhydrous calcium sulfate was not significantly changed, thus the mechanical properties and thermal stability of mCSA/HDPE composites were improved. Overall, after modification, not only the mechanical properties of the composites are improved, but also the content of inorganic powder as filler added to HDPE is increased, which can be regarded as a method for effective utilization of phosphogypsum.Highlights
Calcium sulfate was modified by polydopamine and oleylamine
The mechanical and thermal properties of the modified calcium sulfate/HDPE composites are good.
The resource utilization of phosphogypsum was carried out
Assistive technologies for visual impairments: Development and validation of self‐efficacy scale for preservice teachers
Authors: Baser Derya , Kamali‐Arslantas Tugba 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis article describes the development and validation process of a scale designed to assess the assistive technology (AT) knowledge of preservice special education teachers related to visual impairment (VI). The scale was administered to two groups of preservice special education teachers, and data from the first group (N = 291) were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The results of the EFA revealed that the scale had a five‐factor structure, which included “braille technologies,” “accessibility for documents and software,” “AT for diverse needs,” “AT for accessing print,” and “AT for transforming content into accessible digital format.” Based on the findings of the EFA, the researchers revised the scale and applied it to the second group of preservice teachers (N = 119) to confirm the five‐factor structure through a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The fit indices calculated during the CFA indicated a good model fit. By following a systematic approach, a valid 23‐item scale for assessing AT knowledge related to VI was developed. This study offers a useful assessment tool and knowledge constructs for designing AT courses.
Species Scale and Primordial Gravitational Waves
Authors: Scalisi Marco 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe species scale is a field‐dependent UV cut‐off for any effective field theory weakly coupled to gravity. In this letter, it is shown that in the context of inflationary cosmology, a detection of primordial gravitational waves will set an upper bound on the decay rate of the species scale. Specifically, this is derived in terms of the tensor‐to‐scalar ratio of power spectra of primordial perturbations. Given the targets of current and next generation experiments, it is shown that any successful detection would signify that this upper limit is of the order of unity, which is consistent with recent discussions in the literature.
Possibilities of population thinking: Histories and futures of Population Geography through reflections on 50 years of the Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of British Geographers) Population Geography Research Group
Authors: Finney Nissa , Botterill Kate , Cranston Sophie , Darlington‐Pollock Fran , McCollum David , Shubin Sergei 
Published: May 2024

AbstractReflecting critically on 50 years of the Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of British Geographers) (RGS‐IBG) Population Geography Research Group (PopGRG), and drawing on interviews with leading population geographers of the British Isles, this paper identifies defining features of Population Geography that attest to its longevity: personal connections and material production; fluidity and adaptability over time and through interdisciplinary contexts; and utility, vitality and relevance of the subdiscipline. We argue that continuation of care, material production and nimbleness can sustain the subdiscipline in the context of ongoing neoliberalisation across Higher Education. To remain vital, Population Geography must also decolonise and promote ‘population thinking’ to more boldly and critically attend to contemporary global challenges.
A new era for African health systems: Market shaping and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Authors: Kamara Jonta , Essien Ukeme , Labrique Alain 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic has forced a reflection on the origins of supplies in African healthcare market and underscored the need for an increase in local manufacturing of medical supplies. Several African countries’ health markets have been heavily reliant on imports. First, this article demonstrates how the African healthcare market has had a high import dependency and the role that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could play to reverse this. It is estimated that African countries import between 80% and 94% of medical supplies, 75% of testing kits, between 70% and 95% of pharmaceuticals, and 99% of vaccines. Second, during the COVID‐19 pandemic, countries imposed export restrictions which impacted the flow of medical supplies to African countries. This finding highlighted the limited production capabilities on the African continent and reiterated the need to strengthen continental value chains and local manufacturing capacity to establish the continent's New Public Health Order. Third, there was the emergence of local innovations seeking to minimize the impact of these supply chain disruptions. Using case studies on the local production of COVID‐19 testing kits and personal protective equipment, the article highlights progress made toward health market reform. It calls attention to the implementation of the AfCFTA to strengthen the supply, manufacturing, and trade of medical resources. Fourth, this article highlights countries that have African‐made pharmaceuticals and vaccinations and the importance of regional hubs to expand these products in African healthcare markets. It concludes by discussing investments made to expand local manufacturing of health products.
Acceleration model considering multi‐stress coupling effect and reliability modeling method based on nonlinear Wiener process
Authors: Yi Xiaojian , Wang Zhezhe , Liu Shulin , Tang Qing 
Published: May 2024

AbstractEstablishing an accurate accelerated degradation model is paramount for ensuring precise reliability evaluation results. Unfortunately, current accelerated degradation tests often lack test groups for investigating multi‐stress coupled phenomena. Consequently, existing multi‐stress accelerated models fail to adequately consider the impact of stress coupling when data with stress coupling information is absent. This limitation leads to the development of inaccurate models, ultimately affecting the precision of reliability assessment. To address this challenge, this paper introduces a new modeling method for multi‐stress accelerated degradation models that takes into account stress coupling effects. The proposed modeling method aims to improve the accuracy of reliability assessment under multi‐stress conditions. In the proposed model, the main effect function of stress is determined based on existing single‐stress accelerated models. The coupling effect is first examined through the Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), and then the functional form of the coupling effect function is determined from the given candidate functions through correlation analysis. Next, the coupling effect is incorporated into a Wiener process to establish a multi‐stress accelerated degradation model, and the two‐step estimation method combining Least Squares Method (LSM) and Differential Evolution Algorithm (DEA) is proposed. The accuracy and effectiveness of the coupling effect test method, model establishment, and parameter estimation method were validated using two Monte Carlo simulation experimental data sets. Finally, the superiority of the proposed model is demonstrated through examples, providing feasible ideas and technical support for the research on multi‐stress accelerated degradation modeling considering stress coupling.
Control chart for detecting the scale parameter of the zero‐inflated Poisson model
Authors: Zhao Aijun , Liu Liu , Lai Xin , Chong Ka Chun 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWhen monitoring risk in public health, count data commonly exhibit an excessive number of zero, and the zero‐inflated Poisson (ZIP) model is often used to fit this type of data. Most previous methods for monitoring of the ZIP model have focused on the changes in the location parameter and the existence of the scale parameter and usually assumed that the scale parameter is zero in the H0 stage. However, in an objective environment, data often have certain fluctuations, meaning that the scale parameter always exists. Therefore, it is more meaningful to monitor the changes in the scale parameter on top of the predefined baseline than to monitor its existence. In this study, we derive a score test statistic based on the generalized Henderson's joint likelihood function, construct a risk‐adjusted exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control chart to monitor the variability of the random effects variance component in the ZIP mixed‐effects model. And the convergence property of the score test statistic is proved through derivation, which shows that the new method has theoretical reliability. The simulation results Indicate that when the scale parameter has different predefined baselines and different variation amplitudes, the proposed method is more effective than the existing RA‐ZIP and PR‐ZIP control charts. In addition, the proposed method is applied to real data from a Hong Kong hospital for online influenza surveillance to demonstrate its practicability.
The influence of environmental cues on behavioral response: An assessment of the Protective Action Decision Model in the context of COVID‐19
Authors: Silver Amber , Koyratty Nadia , Penta Samantha , Clay Lauren 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe Protective Action Decision Model has emerged within the literature as a theoretical model with promising predictive ability, particularly in the context of short‐term behavioral response and longer‐term hazard adjustments. However, the applicability of the model in the context of public health hazards is less certain. Accordingly, this research utilizes an online questionnaire instrument disseminated via Qualtrics to residents of New York State at three points in the COVID‐19 pandemic (October 2020, January 2021, and May–June 2021) to examine whether changes to the built environment (i.e., signs requiring masking, signs requiring social distancing, and presence of hand sanitizing stations) influenced threat perceptions (i.e., perception of severity and likelihood of infection), and in turn, behavioral responses (i.e., masking, social distancing, and hand sanitizing) at different points in time. The results demonstrate that changes in the built environment were positively associated with behavioral responses at different points in the pandemic, rather than being mediated through threat perception, as predicted by the Protective Action Decision Model (PADM). The paper concludes with a brief discussion of how these findings may guide future research on environmental cues, threat perceptions, and behavioral response to better understand protective action decision‐making in the context of an ongoing public health hazard.
Fault‐tolerant control for multi‐agent systems: Addressing actuator and sensor faults in leaderless/leader‐follower architectures
Authors: Ye Zhengyu , Jiang Bin , Yu Ziquan , Cheng Yuehua 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis paper addresses the issue of actuator and sensor faults causing instability in leaderless/follower multi‐agent systems (MASs) and investigates adaptive fault‐tolerant control (FTC) algorithms to secure stability. Sensor faults can disrupt conventional observers by interfering with system state measurements. To address this issue, the descriptor approach is introduced to construct an augmented system from the original system, which converts the faults into components of the augmented system state. Next, by utilizing a sliding‐mode term to compensate for the lumped uncertainty's impact, an observer is designed to realize state estimation for the augmented system. Then, based on the estimations, adaptive FTC protocols are investigated for leaderless/leader‐follower MASs to retain stability against concurrent faults and uncertainties. To enhance control efficiency, the control gains are updated with the estimations from neighbors and proved to be ultimately upper bounded. Finally, the proposed method is validated through numerical simulations of multiple quadrotors.
Adaptive backstepping sliding mode compensation control for electro‐hydraulic load simulator with backlash links
Authors: Li Jianying , Li Weidong , Du Xiaoyan 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWhen a mechanical backlash between the loading piston rod and the steering gear piston rod connection of the electro‐hydraulic load simulator (EHLS), it will lead to poor loading accuracy. To solve this problem, an adaptive backstepping sliding mode controller based on the backlash feedforward compensation and state observer is proposed. First, the mechanism of surplus force generation in the EHLS is analyzed, and a mathematical model containing position disturbance and backlash nonlinearity is established based on the analysis results. Second, a state observer is designed to estimate the system state and the parameter adaptive law is designed to estimate the system parameters. Third, the adaptive backstepping method is combined with the non‐singular terminal sliding mode control (NTSMC) strategy to deal with the position disturbance and parameter uncertainty and to enhance the system's dynamic performance. Finally, a backlash feed‐forward compensator is engineered to restrain the detrimental effects caused by the backlash nonlinearity, and the simulation experimental results show that the designed new method can realize the precise loading of the EHLS under different working conditions, and the surplus force is suppressed better at the same time.
Implementation of hand‐object pose estimation using SSD and YOLOV5 model for object grasping by SCARA robot
Authors: Sivabalakrishnan Ramasamy , Senthil Kumar Angappamudaliar Palanisamy , Saminathan Janaki 
Published: May 2024

AbstractEnforcement of advanced deep learning methods in hand‐object pose estimation is an imperative method for grasping the objects safely during the human–robot collaborative tasks. The position and orientation of a hand‐object from a two‐dimensional image is still a crucial problem under various circumstances like occlusion, critical lighting, and salient region detection and blur images. In this paper, the proposed method uses an enhanced MobileNetV3 with single shot detection (SSD) and YOLOv5 to ensure the improvement in accuracy and without compromising the latency in the detection of hand‐object pose and its orientation. To overcome the limitations of higher computation cost, latency and accuracy, the Network Architecture Search and NetAdapt Algorithm is used in MobileNetV3 that perform the network search for parameter tuning and adaptive learning for multiscale feature extraction and anchor box offset adjustment due to auto‐variance of weight in the level of each layers. The squeeze‐and‐excitation block reduces the computation and latency of the model. Hard‐swish activation function and feature pyramid networks are used to prevent over fitting the data and stabilizing the training. Based on the comparative analysis of MobileNetV3 with its predecessor and YOLOV5 are carried out, the obtained results are 92.8% and 89.7% of precision value, recall value of 93.1% and 90.2%, mAP value of 93.3% and 89.2%, respectively. The proposed methods ensure better grasping for robots by providing the pose estimation and orientation of hand‐objects with tolerance of −1.9 to 2.15 mm alongx, −1.55 to 2.21 mm alongy, −0.833 to 1.51 mm alongzaxis and −0.233° to 0.273° alongz‐axis.
A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Tiktok’s Most Popular Dermal Filler Videos
Authors: Baun Heloise , Cerri-Droz Patricia , Khan Samavia , Alper David , Rao Babar 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
Dermal filler injections pose serious risks when administered by untrained individuals or when food and drug administration (FDA) guidelines are not adhered to. This issue may potentially be compounded by a growing reliance on social media platforms for health information.

Objective
Our objective was to analyze the quality of health information in videos published on dermal filler on TikTok.

Methods
We searched three hashtags, #filler (2.4 billion views), #dermalfiller (132.8 million views), and #fillersinjection (137.0 million views) and assessed the top videos returned by TikTok’s algorithm that met inclusion criteria. The quality of health information was evaluated using the DISCERN instrument, a validated tool that uses a 1 to 5 scale to assess consumer health information.

Results
Videos received a mean DISCERN score of 1.64 (SD 0.33), indicating significantly low quality. 7% of the videos promoted non-FDA-approved uses of filler. Notably, videos posted by physician assistants or physicians received the highest mean scores (1.92 and 1.72) as well as videos categorized as educational (1.99).

Conclusion
Dermatologists should be aware of the high viewership of low-quality TikTok videos on dermal filler. Dermatologists shall, therefore, understand the importance of their role in providing education to patients on this topic.
2,3,5‐Trisubstituted Thiazolidinone Derivatives as Potential Antimicrobial and Antitubercular Agents and In Silico Studies
Authors: Nefisath P. , Kumar Vasantha , Shashiprabha  , Patil Shashank M. , Ramu Ramith , S Shradha , Dasappa Jagadeesh Prasad 
Published: May 2024

AbstractA series of novel 2,3,5‐trisubstituted thiazolidinone derivatives was designed and synthesized. Compounds were tested for their antimicrobial and antitubercular activities. Compounds 3‐(2,4‐difluorobenzyl)‐5‐[(5‐methylfuran‐2‐yl)methylidene]‐2‐(phenylimino)‐1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐one (5 c) and 3‐(2,4‐difluorobenzyl)‐2‐((3‐fluorophenyl)imino)‐5‐((Z)‐4‐hydroxybenzylidene) thiazolidin‐4‐one (6 f) exhibited remarkable antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli respectively. All compounds except 3‐(2,4‐difluorobenzyl)‐5‐((3‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl)methylene)‐2‐(phenylimino)thiazolidin‐4‐one (5 a) and (6 f) exposed excellent antitubercular activity in comparison with the standard drugs against H37RV strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (ATCC No‐ 27294). In addition, molecular docking and dynamic simulations studies were performed with E. coli Mur B (EMB) (PDB ID: 2Q85), Aspergillus fumigatus sterol 14‐alpha demethylase (ASD) (PDB ID: 4UYM) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis pantothenate synthetase (MPS) (PDB ID: 3IVX) proteins against all compounds and the most potent compound (5 c) displayed higher binding proficiency. These compounds may serve as lead compounds for further optimization to achieve promising therapeutic properties.
DFT and TD‐DFT Study of Many‐Body and Hydrogen Bonding Interactions: Nitrosamine Oligomers
Authors: Kaluva Sumalya , Kharat Bhagwat , Wadnerkar Nitin , Naganathappa Mahadevappa 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis study focuses on the properties and intermolecular interactions of nitrosamine oligomers, which are important in both semiconductor manufacturing and nuclear waste management. The study explores various configurations of nitrosamine oligomers, ranging from monomers to pentamers in linear, ladder, and cyclic clusters, with the finding that dimer cyclic forms and hexamers and above are unstable. Many‐body analysis revealed that two‐body interaction energies made remarkable contributions to the binding energy, while the sum of 3‐, 4‐, and 5‐body energy contributed less, indicating the decrease in stability of nitrosamine from dimer to pentamer clusters. Using advanced computational techniques, such as dispersion‐corrected B3LYP‐D3 and TD‐DFT, the study investigates the vibrational modes and electronic absorption spectra of nitrosamine oligomers. The results reveal that different configurations can significantly affect the vibrational modes and electronic properties of nitrosamine oligomers. The NH2 symmetric and asymmetric modes were particularly intense in various forms of nitrosamine oligomers. The wavelengths of electronic transition, oscillator strength, and HOMO to LUMO gap were reported. Additionally, the study reports on nitrosamine oligomers’ hydrogen‐bonded cooperativity and binding energy contributions. Overall, these findings offer valuable insights into the stability and properties of nitrosamine oligomers, with potential applications in materials science and chemical engineering.