bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of fibre treatment and moisture content on the vibration and acoustic properties of the basalt/hemp hybrid composites
Authors: Chakraborty Samanway , Padmaraj N H , I V Thara Reshma , Hegde Sriharsha 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The hybridization reinforcements of composites allow design engineers to enhance the structural and acoustic properties of synthetic fibre-reinforced materials. Natural fibres are considered to have higher potential for replacing synthetic fibres in the composite industry. The present study aims to develop hybrid composite materials for sound insulation applications in the automotive industry. The hybrid composites were developed by reinforcing Basalt and Hemp fibres with Epoxy using vacuum bagging technique and cured under ambient conditions. Vibration and acoustic experiments were carried out on pristine and aged BHU (Basalt-Hemp-Untreated) and BHT (Basalt-Hemp-Treated) specimens. The fibre treatment and moisture gain influenced the natural frequency and stiffness of the hybrid composites. With the fibre treatment, the natural frequency of the specimens was enhanced by 12.8%. With ageing of both BHU and BHT, specimens showed a reduction in the natural frequency by 16.4% and 23% respectively. Moisture ingression into the composites reduced the stiffness and improved the damping factor of the structure. The aged BHU and BHT showed better acoustic performance compared to the pristine specimens.
Design of experiment approach to identify the dominant geometrical feature of left coronary artery influencing atherosclerosis
Authors: Ashrafee Adiba , Yashfe Syed Muiz Sadat , Khan Nusrat S , Islam Md Tariqul , Azam M G , Arafat M Tarik 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background and Objective. Coronary artery geometry heavily influences local hemodynamics, potentially leading to atherosclerosis. Consequently, the unique geometrical configuration of an individual by birth can be associated with future risk of atherosclerosis. Although current researches focus on exploring the relationship between local hemodynamics and coronary artery geometry, this study aims to identify the order of influence of the geometrical features through systematic experiments, which can reveal the dominant geometrical feature for future risk assessment. Methods. According to Taguchi’s method of design of experiment (DoE), the left main stem (LMS) length (l
LMS), curvature (k
LMS), diameter (d
LMS) and the bifurcation angle between left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (LCx) artery (α
LAD-LCx) of two reconstructed patient-specific left coronary arteries (LCA) were varied in three levels to create L9 orthogonal array. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations with physiological boundary conditions were performed on the resulting eighteen LCA models. Average helicity intensity (h
2) and relative atheroprone area (RAA) of near-wall hemodynamic descriptors were analyzed. Results. The proximal LAD (LAD
proximal) was identified to be the most atheroprone region of the left coronary artery due to higher h
2, large RAA of time averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS < 0.4 Pa), oscillatory shear index (OSI ∼ 0.5) and relative residence time (RRT > 4.17 Pa−1). In both patient-specific cases, based on h
2 and TAWSS, d
lms is the dominant geometric parameter while based on OSI and RRT, α
LAD-LCx is the dominant one influencing hemodynamic condition in proximal LAD (p < 0.05). Based on RRT, the rank of the geometrical factors is: α
LAD-LCx > d
LMS > l
LMS > k
LMS, indicating that α
LAD-LCx is the most dominant geometrical factor affecting hemodynamics at proximal LAD which may influence atherosclerosis. Conclusion. The proposed identification of the rank of geometrical features of LCA and the dominant feature may assist clinicians in predicting the possibility of atherosclerosis, of an individual, long before it will occur. This study can further be translated to be used to rank the influence of several arterial geometrical features at different arterial locations to explore detailed relationships between the arterial geometrical features and local hemodynamics.
Marine-cloud brightening: an airborne concept
Authors: Claudel Christian , Lockley Andrew , Hoffmann Fabian , Xia Younan 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) is a proposed Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) geoengineering technique to enhance Marine Boundary Layer (MBL) cloud albedo. Extant proposals consider 104 − 105 autonomous ships spraying seawater, generating and dispersing sea salt nanoparticles. Alternatively, this paper proposes industrially manufacturing NaCl nanoparticles using ethanol anti-solvent brine precipitation. With desiccation, size optimization and narrowed size distribution, aerosol mass flux reduces by ∼500× (17× for dry mass flux). This facilitates Unmanned Aerial Vehicle delivery (e.g. MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Increased speed and wake turbulence improves areal coverage per vehicle versus ships—reducing fleet size. Utilizing extant airframe designs improves vehicle Technology Readiness Level (TRL)—potentially improving system operational cost (est. $40B · yr
−1) and lead time. This approach further reduces energy requirements (5× less), technical risk and system complexity. Increased readiness amplifies proliferation risk—particularly for inexpensive regional heatwave and hurricane suppression—making governance more urgent.
Sodium-based di-chalcogenide: a promising material for tandem solar cells
Authors: Gómez-Ríos Danilo , Pérez-Walton S , López-Giraldo F E , Peralta J , Espinosa-García W F 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Compounds based on chalcogen elements are widely studied currently due to their many interesting applications for electronic devices. The sodium-based dichalcogenide (NaNbS2) is a fascinating material with storage and conversion energy applications. In this paper, we conduct a first-principles investigation of the structural and thermodynamic stability and electronic properties of this material. We analyze a total of four structures to find the ground state using a fourth-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state: the α and η related to the A-phase and the ζ
1 and ζ
2 related to the B-phase. We carefully address the exchange-correlation effects using the semi- local GGA-PBEsol targeted for solids. To analyze the electronic structure with higher accuracy, we implement the quasi-particle G

o

W

o

approximation. Our results for the fourth-order Birch–Murnaghan equation show that the most thermodynamically stable phase at zero temperature is α. To provide experimentalists insights about the possible routes to grow these materials, we calculated the convex hull of the α-model and ζ
1-model, finding that both are energetically stable. Finally, the calculated band gap with quasiparticle corrections for the α-model is 1.03 eV, which suggests possible applications of this material as a bottom cell in modern solar cells.
Design and parametric optimization of lead free perovskite based tandem solar cell for higher efficiency
Authors: Hussain Shahraan , Raj Balwinder , Sharma Divya 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
A critical concern is the creation of effective and eco-friendly photovoltaic materials. The non-toxic perovskite substance methyl ammonium germanium tri-iodide (MAGeI3) has several applications in tandem solar cells. In this research, the efficiency of a multi-junction tandem solar cell with MAGeI3 as the absorbent layer in the top cell and FeSi2 as the absorbent layer in the bottom cell was examined by a thorough simulation utilising SCAPS-1D software. The simulation took into account several variables, including the thickness, energy level, bandgap, and carrier concentration of the various layers. According to the simulation’s findings, the efficiency is 27.25% and the fill factor (FF) is around 80%. MAGeI3 is a safe and effective substitute material compared to other lead-containing perovskite materials. This work emphasises the potential of (MAGeI3) as a productive and eco-friendly component for tandem solar cells.
On the expressivity of embedding quantum kernels
Authors: Gil-Fuster Elies , Eisert Jens , Dunjko Vedran 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
One of the most natural connections between quantum and classical machine learning has been established in the context of kernel methods. Kernel methods rely on kernels, which are inner products of feature vectors living in large feature spaces. Quantum kernels are typically evaluated by explicitly constructing quantum feature states and then taking their inner product, here called embedding quantum kernels. Since classical kernels are usually evaluated without using the feature vectors explicitly, we wonder how expressive embedding quantum kernels are. In this work, we raise the fundamental question: can all quantum kernels be expressed as the inner product of quantum feature states? Our first result is positive: Invoking computational universality, we find that for any kernel function there always exists a corresponding quantum feature map and an embedding quantum kernel. The more operational reading of the question is concerned with efficient constructions, however. In a second part, we formalize the question of universality of efficient embedding quantum kernels. For shift-invariant kernels, we use the technique of random Fourier features to show that they are universal within the broad class of all kernels which allow a variant of efficient Fourier sampling. We then extend this result to a new class of so-called composition kernels, which we show also contains projected quantum kernels introduced in recent works. After proving the universality of embedding quantum kernels for both shift-invariant and composition kernels, we identify the directions towards new, more exotic, and unexplored quantum kernel families, for which it still remains open whether they correspond to efficient embedding quantum kernels.
Interdecadal variability of the pre-monsoon cyclone characteristics over the Bay of Bengal
Authors: Jena Biswajit , Pattnaik Sandeep 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The low-pressure systems intensified to cyclones prior to the onset of the Indian summer monsoon season over the North Indian Ocean are referred to as pre-monsoon season (PMS) cyclones. Climate change is amplifying the pre-monsoon cyclone landscape, fostering more frequent and intense storms with altered tracks, resulting in heightened risks for coastal communities and economies. This study investigates the interdecadal variations in tropical cyclone and key large-scale atmospheric parameters that influence the characteristics of cyclones, including track, frequency over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) during the pre-monsoon season from 60 years of data. The large-scale atmospheric parameters are analyzed by calculating climatological anomalies. It is noted that the frequency of cyclones making landfall over the eastern Indian coastal landmass has increased in the recent decade compared to the past five decades. Compared to the past fifty years, the percentage frequency has increased in the recent ten years by 50%. At the low level, stronger easterlies are dominant and upper-level jet streams shift to lower latitudes, indicating that the path of cyclones has shifted from the north (N)-northeast (NE) to the northwest (NW), i.e. towards the east Indian coastal landmass, over the recent decade. In contrast to the previous five decades, an unusual low-pressure region has emerged over the NW India and Pakistan regions, creating a favorable path for cyclones moving towards the Indian region in recent decade. Cyclones have been more intense in the recent decade than they were in the previous five decades, according to the rise in low- and mid-level specific humidity and temperature over the BoB.
Highly stretchable kirigami-patterned nanofiber-based nanogenerators for harvesting human motion energy to power wearable electronics
Authors: Ning Chuan , Xiang Shengxin , Sun Xiupeng , Zhao Xinya , Wei Chuanhui , Li Lele , Zheng Guoqiang , Dong Kai 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Wearable electronics are advancing towards miniaturization and flexibility. However, traditional energy supply methods have largely hindered their development. An effective solution to this problem is to convert human mechanical energy into electricity to power wearable electronic devices. Therefore, it is greatly attractive to design flexible, foldable and even stretchable energy harvesting devices. Herein, we use the electrospinning and kirigami approach to develop a type of highly stretchable kirigami-patterned nanofiber-based triboelectric nanogenerator (K-TENG). Due to its innovative structural design, the K-TENG can achieve a tensile strain of 220%, independent of the tensile properties of the material itself. When a person swings their arms, the K-TENG fixed to the clothing can convert mechanical energy from human movement into electrical energy. The produced electricity can directly drive 50 LED lights and a digital watch, or be stored in a lithium battery to charge the smartwatch and smartphone, respectively. This study employs a new method to fabricate a stretchable triboelectric nanogenerator and demonstrates its promising applications in wearable power technology.
Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index as a Marker of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Treated Hypertensives: Findings From the Pamela Study
Authors: Cuspidi Cesare , Facchetti Rita , Quarti-Trevano Fosca , Dell’Oro Raffaella , Mancia Giuseppe , Grassi Guido 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Findings regarding the association between Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI) and cardiac hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD), such as left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) assessed by echocardiography, in elderly hypertensive patients are scanty. We sought to investigate this issue in the hypertensive fraction of the general population treated with anti-hypertensive drugs enrolled in the Pressioni Monitorate E Loro Associazioni (PAMELA) study.

METHODS
The study included 239 out of 562 participants who attended the second and third surveys of the PAMELA study performed after 10 and 25 years from the initial evaluation. Data collection included medical history, anthropometric parameters, office, home, ambulatory blood pressure (BP), blood examinations, echocardiography, and CAVI measurements.

RESULTS
In the whole study sample (age 69 ± 9 years, 54% males), CAVI was positively correlated with age, office, home, ambulatory systolic BP, LV mass (LVM) index, and negatively associated with body mass index (BMI). In multivariate analysis, CAVI was associated with the LVM index (P &lt; 0.05) independently of major confounders. The participants with LVH exhibited significantly higher CAVI (10.6 ± 2.8 vs. 9.2 ± 1.8 m/s P &lt; 0.001), larger left atrial diameter, and lower LV ejection fraction values than their counterparts without it. The CAVI value of 9.4 m/s was the best cut-off for prediction of LVH in the whole sample.

CONCLUSIONS
Our study provides new evidence of an independent association between CAVI and LVH in treated elderly hypertensive patients and suggests that the use of this metric of arterial stiffness could not only be used to evaluate vascular damage but also to stratify the risk of LVH.
MERITS: a web-based integrated Mycobacterial PE/PPE protein database
Authors: He Zhijie , Wang Cong , Guo Xudong , Sun Heyun , Bi Yue , Pitt Miranda E , Li Chen , Song Jiangning , Coin Lachlan J M , Li Fuyi 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Motivation
PE/PPE proteins, highly abundant in the Mycobacterium genome, play a vital role in virulence and immune modulation. Understanding their functions is key to comprehending the internal mechanisms of Mycobacterium. However, a lack of dedicated resources has limited research into PE/PPE proteins.

Results
Addressing this gap, we introduce MycobactERIal PE/PPE proTeinS (MERITS), a comprehensive 3D structure database specifically designed for PE/PPE proteins. MERITS hosts 22 353 non-redundant PE/PPE proteins, encompassing details like physicochemical properties, subcellular localization, post-translational modification sites, protein functions, and measures of antigenicity, toxicity, and allergenicity. MERITS also includes data on their secondary and tertiary structure, along with other relevant biological information. MERITS is designed to be user-friendly, offering interactive search and data browsing features to aid researchers in exploring the potential functions of PE/PPE proteins. MERITS is expected to become a crucial resource in the field, aiding in developing new diagnostics and vaccines by elucidating the sequence-structure-functional relationships of PE/PPE proteins.

Availability and implementation
MERITS is freely accessible at http://merits.unimelb-biotools.cloud.edu.au/.
GPro: generative AI-empowered toolkit for promoter design
Authors: Wang Haochen , Du Qixiu , Wang Ye , Xu Hanwen , Wei Zheng , Wang Xiaowo 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Motivation
Promoters with desirable properties are crucial in biotechnological applications. Generative AI (GenAI) has demonstrated potential in creating novel synthetic promoters with significantly enhanced functionality. However, these methods' reliance on various programming frameworks and specific task-oriented contexts limits their flexibilities. Overcoming these limitations is essential for researchers to fully leverage the power of GenAI to design promoters for their tasks.

Results
Here, we introduce GPro (Generative AI-empowered toolkit for promoter design), a user-friendly toolkit that integrates a collection of cutting-edge GenAI-empowered approaches for promoter design. This toolkit provides a standardized pipeline covering essential promoter design processes, including training, optimization, and evaluation. Several detailed demos are provided to reproduce state-of-the-art promoter design pipelines. GPro's user-friendly interface makes it accessible to a wide range of users including non-AI experts. It also offers a variety of optional algorithms for each design process, and gives users the flexibility to compare methods and create customized pipelines.

Availability and implementation
GPro is released as an open-source software under the MIT license. The source code for GPro is available on GitHub for Linux, macOS, and Windows: https://github.com/WangLabTHU/GPro, and is available for download via Zenodo repository at https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.10681733.
Information-incorporated gene network construction with FDR control
Authors: Wang Hao , Qiu Yumou , Guo Hongqing , Yin Yanhai , Liu Peng 
Published: March 2024

AbstractMotivationLarge-scale gene expression studies allow gene network construction to uncover associations among genes. To study direct associations among genes, partial correlation-based networks are preferred over marginal correlations. However, FDR control for partial correlation-based network construction is not well-studied. In addition, currently available partial correlation-based methods cannot take existing biological knowledge to help network construction while controlling FDR.ResultsIn this paper, we propose a method called Partial Correlation Graph with Information Incorporation (PCGII). PCGII estimates partial correlations between each pair of genes by regularized node-wise regression that can incorporate prior knowledge while controlling the effects of all other genes. It handles high-dimensional data where the number of genes can be much larger than the sample size and controls FDR at the same time. We compare PCGII with several existing approaches through extensive simulation studies and demonstrate that PCGII has better FDR control and higher power. We apply PCGII to a plant gene expression dataset where it recovers confirmed regulatory relationships and a hub node, as well as several direct associations that shed light on potential functional relationships in the system. We also introduce a method to supplement observed data with a pseudogene to apply PCGII when no prior information is available, which also allows checking FDR control and power for real data analysis.Availability and implementationR package is freely available for download at https://cran.r-project.org/package=PCGII.
Effect of rearing density on female investment in reproduction and melanotic encapsulation response in the sand cricket (Gryllus firmus) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)
Authors: Kelly Clint D , L’Heureux Valerie 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The density-dependent prophylaxis hypothesis posits that because pathogens are expected to be transmitted among conspecifics in crowded conditions, individuals living in such conditions should minimize their chance of infection and maximize survival by elevating their baseline immunity. Further, if individuals developing in crowded conditions indeed allocate more resources to immunity then resource allocation to other life-history traits, such as reproduction, should decline. We tested these hypotheses by rearing sand crickets (Gryllus firmus) at either low or high density in the laboratory and quantified immune function (melanotic encapsulation response) and reproductive investment (ovary mass, egg size) at adulthood. The results did not support the density-dependent prophylaxis hypothesis, but we did find that rearing density significantly affected investment in two reproductive traits, with average ovary mass and egg size both being larger in low-density crickets. We discuss possible explanations for the lack of a trade-off between immunity and reproduction in our study.
Weapon allometry and shape variation in the Helm’s stag beetle (Geodorcus helmsi)
Authors: Grey L , Holwell G I , Jandt J M , Johnson S 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Many animals develop and use exaggerated weapons in contests over access to mating opportunities. Stag beetles (family Lucanidae) show striking sexual dimorphism, where the males have heavily exaggerated mandibles that the females do not possess. In some genera, size and shape can also vary drastically between small and large males resulting in discrete alternative male morphs, described as male dimorphism. The genus Geodorcus is a poorly studied and threatened group of stag beetles that are endemic to New Zealand. Geodorcus helmsi is the most widespread species in this genus and presents an opportunity to test for the presence of both sexual and male dimorphism and investigate the scaling relationships (allometry) of mandibles in this group. We used linear and geometric morphometric analyses on wild populations and museum specimens from Stewart Island, New Zealand, to assess whether G. helmsi exhibits male dimorphism. We found that within a single population, there is no evidence for alternative male morphs, but a gradual shift between smaller and larger individuals. We also found that male mandibles exhibit steep positive allometry in contrast to the negative allometry found in the mandibles of females, as is often found for sexually selected weaponry. Moreover, we found evidence that left and right mandibles of G. helmsi are subtly asymmetric. Our results provide context for the competitive behaviour observed in this species, and give insights into potential trade-offs between smaller and larger individuals of the Helm’s stag beetle.
Retracted: Causal relationship between multiparameter brain MRI phenotypes and age: evidence from Mendelian randomization
Authors: Wang Xinghao , Chen Qian , Liu Yawen , Sun Jing , Li Jia , Zhao Pengfei , Cai Linkun , Liu Wenjuan , Yang Zhenghan , Wang Zhenchang , Lv Han 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
This article has been retracted. Please see: https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcae461