bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Variability in the quality of pollen grains in oat amphiploids and their parental species
Authors: Tomaszewska Paulina , Kosina Romuald 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe pollen analysis has become an important technique to evaluate the use of selectively breeding crops, including the three most important grasses to human nutrition. This study aimed to evaluate the reproductive potential of oat species and their hybrid progeny (amphiploids) during three consecutive vegetation seasons. Correlation and regression analyses were used to describe the morphotypes and viability of pollen grains, while numerical taxonomy methods were applied to analyse the relationships between taxa. The results indicated a difference in the size of pollen grains between the growing seasons, but a stable association between the taxa. The viability of pollen grains showed no correlation with pollen length. In the ordination space, amphiploids and parental species were well discriminated. Amphiploids and parental species were characterised by a positive correlation between the pollen size and the level of ploidy; however, along the respective regression line, the amphiploids were located among species with a high level of ploidy. Developmental anomalies of pollen grains were more frequent in amphiploids, with few pollen grains being chromosomally imbalanced, and the formation of micrograins was the most common event. Multiporate pollens being of multiple-spindle mother cells origin can be equivalents of four monoporate microspores. A strong correlation was observed between the frequencies of multiporate grains and micropollens. In the ordination space, monoporate types (species) were discriminated from multiporate types (amphiploids). High viability of pollen in amphiploids proved their genomic/chromosomal stabilisation across many generations of reproduction.
Fragility analysis for vehicle derailment on railway bridges under earthquakes
Authors: Jin Zhibin , Liu Weizhan 
Published: August 2022

AbstractWith the rapid development of high-speed railways around the globe, the safety of vehicles running on bridges during earthquakes has been paid more attention to. In the design of railway bridges, in addition to ensuring the safety of the bridge structure in earthquake, the vehicle safety should also be ensured. Previous studies have focused on the detailed analysis of vehicle derailment on bridges, proposing complex numerical algorithms for wheel–rail contact analysis as well as for parametric analysis, but they are inconvenient for designers. Intensity measure (IM) used in performance-based earthquake engineering is introduced in this study. A method to evaluate the vehicle safety on bridges under earthquakes is proposed with respect to the optimal IM. Then, the vehicle derailment case of the Kumamoto earthquake in Japan verifies the decoupling method of vehicle–bridge interaction model. In the assessment of vehicle derailments, eight IMs are systematically compared: the IMs of bridge deck motion are generally better than those of ground motion; the variation coefficient of spectral intensity of the bridge deck is the smallest at different frequencies. Finally, the derailment fragility cloud map is presented to evaluate the vehicle safety on bridges during earthquakes.
A Multifunctional Anti-Proton Electrolyte for High-Rate and Super-Stable Aqueous Zn-Vanadium Oxide Battery
Authors: Chen Yangwu , Ma Dingtao , Ouyang Kefeng , Yang Ming , Shen Sicheng , Wang Yanyi , Mi Hongwei , Sun Lingna , He Chuanxin , Zhang Peixin 
Published: August 2022

AbstractLarge volumetric expansion of cathode hosts and sluggish transport kinetics in the cathode–electrolyte interface, as well as dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution at Zn anode side are considered as the system problems that cause the electrochemical failure of aqueous Zn-vanadium oxide battery. In this work, a multifunctional anti-proton electrolyte was proposed to synchronously solve all those issues. Theoretical and experimental studies confirm that PEG 400 additive can regulate the Zn2+ solvation structure and inhibit the ionization of free water molecules of the electrolyte. Then, smaller lattice expansion of vanadium oxide hosts and less associated by-product formation can be realized by using such electrolyte. Besides, such electrolyte is also beneficial to guide the uniform Zn deposition and suppress the side reaction of hydrogen evolution. Owing to the integrated synergetic modification, a high-rate and ultrastable aqueous Zn-V2O3/C battery can be constructed, which can remain a specific capacity of 222.8 mAh g−1 after 6000 cycles at 5 A g−1, and 121.8 mAh g−1 even after 18,000 cycles at 20 A g−1, respectively. Such “all-in-one” solution based on the electrolyte design provides a new strategy for developing high-performance aqueous Zn-ion battery.
Quantum Dots Compete at the Acme of MXene Family for the Optimal Catalysis
Authors: Liu Yuhua , Zhang Wei , Zheng Weitao 
Published: August 2022

AbstractIt is well known that two-dimensional (2D) MXene-derived quantum dots (MQDs) inherit the excellent physicochemical properties of the parental MXenes, as a Chinese proverb says, “Indigo blue is extracted from the indigo plant, but is bluer than the plant it comes from.” Therefore, 0D QDs harvest larger surface-to-volume ratio, outstanding optical properties, and vigorous quantum confinement effect. Currently, MQDs trigger enormous research enthusiasm as an emerging star of functional materials applied to physics, chemistry, biology, energy conversion, and storage. Since the surface properties of small-sized MQDs include the type of surface functional groups, the functionalized surface directly determines their performance. As the Nobel Laureate Wolfgang Pauli says, “God made the bulk, but the surface was invented by the devil,” and it is just on the basis of the abundant surface functional groups, there is lots of space to be thereof excavated from MQDs. We are witnessing such excellence and even more promising to be expected. Nowadays, MQDs have been widely applied to catalysis, whereas the related reviews are rarely reported. Herein, we provide a state-of-the-art overview of MQDs in catalysis over the past five years, ranging from the origin and development of MQDs, synthetic routes of MQDs, and functionalized MQDs to advanced characterization techniques. To explore the diversity of catalytic application and perspectives of MQDs, our review will stimulate more efforts toward the synthesis of optimal MQDs and thereof designing high-performance MQDs-based catalysts.
Vertical Alignment of Anisotropic Fillers Assisted by Expansion Flow in Polymer Composites
Authors: Niu Hongyu , Guo Haichang , Kang Lei , Ren Liucheng , Lv Ruicong , Bai Shulin 
Published: August 2022

AbstractOrientation control of anisotropic one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) materials in solutions is of great importance in many fields ranging from structural materials design, the thermal management, to energy storage. Achieving fine control of vertical alignment of anisotropic fillers (such as graphene, boron nitride (BN), and carbon fiber) remains challenging. This work presents a universal and scalable method for constructing vertically aligned structures of anisotropic fillers in composites assisted by the expansion flow (using 2D BN platelets as a proof-of-concept). BN platelets in the silicone gel strip are oriented in a curved shape that includes vertical alignment in the central area and horizontal alignment close to strip surfaces. Due to the vertical orientation of BN in the central area of strips, a through-plane thermal conductivity as high as 5.65 W m−1 K−1 was obtained, which can be further improved to 6.54 W m−1 K−1 by combining BN and pitch-based carbon fibers. The expansion-flow-assisted alignment can be extended to the manufacture of a variety of polymer composites filled with 1D and 2D materials, which can find wide applications in batteries, electronics, and energy storage devices.
Intimate Pride: a Tri-Nation Study on Associations between Positive Minority Identity Aspects and Relationship Quality in Sexual Minorities from German-Speaking Countries
Authors: Siegel Magdalena , Randall Ashley K. , Lannutti Pamela J. , Fischer Melanie S. , Gandhi Yuvamathi , Lukas Raphaela , Meuwly Nathalie , Rosta-Filep Orsolya , van Stein Katharina , Ditzen Beate , Martos Tamás , Schneckenreiter Carmen , Totenhagen Casey J. , Zemp Martina 
Published: August 2022

AbstractInvestigations into the intimate relationships of sexual minorities are proliferating, but often adopt a deficit-oriented and US-centered perspective. In this tri-nation online study with sexual minority participants from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland (N = 571), we (i) assessed the construct validity of the German version of a well-known measure for positive minority identity aspects (the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Positive Identity Measure; LGB-PIM), and (ii) explored associations between these aspects (self-awareness, authenticity, community, capacity for intimacy, and social justice) and self-reported relationship quality. Model fit of the German version of the LGB-PIM was deemed acceptable. Higher levels of positive minority identity aspects showed small to moderate associations with higher levels of relationship quality in bivariate analyses, but only capacity for intimacy was linked to relationship quality in higher-order models (controlling for country, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, relationship length, and psychological distress). Results remained robust in several sensitivity analyses. Our results highlight the differential role of positive identity aspects for relationship functioning, with capacity for intimacy as a fruitful leverage point for therapeutic work.
Understanding the romanization spreading on historical interregional networks in Northern Tunisia
Authors: Kostré Margarita , Sunkara Vikram , Schütte Christof , Conrad Nataša Djurdjevac 
Published: August 2022

AbstractSpreading processes are important drivers of change in social systems. To understand the mechanisms of spreading it is fundamental to have information about the underlying contact network and the dynamical parameters of the process. However, in many real-wold examples, this information is not known and needs to be inferred from data. State-of-the-art spreading inference methods have mostly been applied to modern social systems, as they rely on availability of very detailed data. In this paper we study the inference challenges for historical spreading processes, for which only very fragmented information is available. To cope with this problem, we extend existing network models by formulating a model on a mesoscale with temporal spreading rate. Furthermore, we formulate the respective parameter inference problem for the extended model. We apply our approach to the romanization process of Northern Tunisia, a scarce dataset, and study properties of the inferred time-evolving interregional networks. As a result, we show that (1) optimal solutions consist of very different network structures and spreading rate functions; and that (2) these diverse solutions produce very similar spreading patterns. Finally, we discuss how inferred dominant interregional connections are related to available archaeological traces. Historical networks resulting from our approach can help understanding complex processes of cultural change in ancient times.
Copper-Based Catalysts for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction to Multicarbon Products
Authors: Chang Fangfang , Xiao Meiling , Miao Ruifang , Liu Yongpeng , Ren Mengyun , Jia Zhichao , Han Dandan , Yuan Yang , Bai Zhengyu , Yang Lin 
Published: August 2022

AbstractElectrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into fuel and chemicals with added value represents an appealing approach to reduce the greenhouse effect and realize a carbon-neutral cycle, which has great potential in mitigating global warming and effectively storing renewable energy. The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) usually involves multiproton coupling and multielectron transfer in aqueous electrolytes to form multicarbon products (C2+ products), but it competes with the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which results in intrinsically sluggish kinetics and a complex reaction mechanism and places higher requirements on the design of catalysts. In this review, the advantages of electrochemical CO2 reduction are briefly introduced, and then, different categories of Cu-based catalysts, including monometallic Cu catalysts, bimetallic catalysts, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) along with MOF-derived catalysts and other catalysts, are summarized in terms of their synthesis method and conversion of CO2 to C2+ products in aqueous solution. The catalytic mechanisms of these catalysts are subsequently discussed for rational design of more efficient catalysts. In response to the mechanisms, several material strategies to enhance the catalytic behaviors are proposed, including surface facet engineering, interface engineering, utilization of strong metal-support interactions and surface modification. Based on the above strategies, challenges and prospects are proposed for the future development of CO2RR catalysts for industrial applications.
Graphical Abstract
Development and validation of a five-level developmental model for new graduate employees
Authors: Goda Yoshiko , Sudo Kentaro 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe aim of this research was to create a developmental model for new graduate employees according to improvements in their performance. The model’s scope covered the period when employees take part in apprenticeship training after graduation from college or university. The process of developing and validating the model referred to the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction’s competency development model as a framework and involved six steps. This research analyzed 111 freshly graduated recruits who had recently been hired by a leading travel company in Japan. The final model includes five apprenticeship levels, namely beginning, elementary, intermediate, advanced, and end of apprenticeship, with criteria for performance in planning and implementation. To validate the model, three transitions in the developmental levels over six months in 2017 and nine months in 2020 were examined using the model’s performance criteria. The results show that the transitions for the three companies reflect the characteristics of their new graduate employees. This indicates that the proposed model may be valid for determining the development levels of new graduate recruits and can have a certain level of discriminative power. This model can serve as a helpful tool for planning on-the-job and off-the-job training to support new employee development, comprehending their current development levels, and providing a guideline for the next step for further development.
A comprehensive review of planning, modeling, optimization, and control of distributed energy systems
Authors: Hao Junhong , Yang Yongping , Xu Chao , Du Xiaoze 
Published: August 2022

AbstractDistributed energy system, a decentralized low-carbon energy system arranged at the customer side, is characterized by multi-energy complementarity, multi-energy flow synergy, multi-process coupling, and multi-temporal scales (n-M characteristics). This review provides a systematic and comprehensive summary and presents the current research on distributed energy systems in three dimensions: system planning and evaluation, modeling and optimization, and operation and control. Under the regional environmental, resource, and policy constraints, planning distributed energy systems should fully integrate technical, economic, environmental, and social factors and consider device characteristics, system architecture, and source-load uncertainties. Further, this review presents four modeling perspectives for optimizing and analyzing distributed energy systems, including energy hub, thermodynamics, heat current, and data-driven. The system’s optimal operation and scheduling strategies, disturbance analysis, and related control methods are also discussed from the power system and thermal system, respectively. In all, more research is required for distributed energy systems based on an integrated energy perspective in optimal system structure, hybrid modeling approaches, data-driven system state estimation, cross-system disturbance spread, and multi-subject interaction control.
Structure-oriented conversions of plastics to carbon nanomaterials
Authors: Ren Shiying , Xu Xin , Hu Kunsheng , Tian Wenjie , Duan Xiaoguang , Yi Jiabao , Wang Shaobin 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe accumulation of waste plastics has caused serious environmental issues due to their unbiodegradable nature and hazardous additives. Converting waste plastics to different carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) is a promising approach to minimize plastic pollution and realize advanced manufacturing of CNMs. The reported plastic-derived carbons include carbon filaments (i.e. carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers), graphene, carbon nanosheets, carbon sphere, and porous carbon. In this review, we present the influences of different intrinsic structures of plastics on the pyrolysis intermediates. We also reveal that non-charring plastics are prone to being pyrolyzed into light hydrocarbons while charring plastics are prone to being pyrolyzed into aromatics. Subsequently, light hydrocarbons favor to form graphite while aromatics are inclined to form amorphous carbon during the carbon formation process. In addition, the conversion tendency of different plastics into various morphologies of carbon is concluded. We also discuss other impact factors during the transformation process, including catalysts, temperature, processing duration and templates, and reveal how to obtain different morphological CNMs from plastics. Finally, current technology limitations and perspectives are presented to provide future research directions in effective plastic conversion and advanced CNM synthesis.
Food Insecurity May be an Independent Risk Factor Associated With Erectile Dysfunction in the United States: Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data
Authors: Wang Wei , Chen Jiawei , Peng Liao , Gao Xiaoshuai , Lin Lede , Xiong Yang , Zhang Fuxun , Ma Yucheng , Qin Feng , Yuan Jiuhong 
Published: August 2022

AbstractIntroductionWhile food insecurity is a global public health problem associated with obesity, diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease, literature regarding the relationship between food insecurity and erectile dysfunction (ED) is scarce.AimWe aimed to determine the associations between food insecurity and ED in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.MethodsData was extracted from 3,891 participants (aged ≥ 20 years) with ED in the 2001–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with sampling weights was conducted to evaluate the associations.Main outcome measureFood security was assessed utilizing the Household Food Security Module. A single-question self-report from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study was utilized to evaluate ED status.ResultsApproximately 10.2% of individuals had food insecurity. Food insecurity was significantly associated with ED after full adjustment (odds ratio [OR] 1.56; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.16–2.09; P = .003). Men with very low food insecurity had 59% higher risks of ED compared with those having high food security (OR 1.59; 95% CI 1.13–2.27; P = .006). Moreover, the associations were stronger in the old people (age ≥ 60) (OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.26–3.66; P = .004).ConclusionsFood insecurity might be associated with higher risks of developing ED.
Climate Change Adaptation in The Gambia: The Role of Kanyeleng Communication and Performance
Authors: McConnell Bonnie B. , Jallow Sheikh Omar 
Published: August 2022

AbstractTraditional communicators known askanyelenghave increasingly taken on roles in climate change adaptation in The Gambia. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted from 2018 to 2019, McConnell and Jallow show that kanyeleng performers contribute to disseminating information about climate change adaptation while also creating the social conditions necessary for citizens to hear and respond effectively to that information. Understandings of climate change in The Gambia intersect with broader concerns about loss of traditional and religious values. Through their performances, kanyeleng work as mediators to resolve tensions associated with climate change adaptation and integrate Indigenous environmental knowledge and climate science.
Rates of ecological knowledge learning in Pemba, Tanzania: Implications for childhood evolution
Authors: Pretelli Ilaria , Borgerhoff Mulder Monique , McElreath Richard 
Published: August 2022

AbstractHumans live in diverse, complex niches where survival and reproduction are conditional on the acquisition of knowledge. Humans also have long childhoods, spending more than a decade before they become net producers. Whether the time needed to learn has been a selective force in the evolution of long human childhood is unclear, because there is little comparative data on the growth of ecological knowledge throughout childhood. We measured ecological knowledge at different ages in Pemba, Zanzibar (Tanzania), interviewing 93 children and teenagers between 4 and 26 years. We developed Bayesian latent-trait models to estimate individual knowledge and its association with age, activities, household family structure and education. In the studied population, children learn during the whole pre-reproductive period, but at varying rates, with the fastest increases in young children. Sex differences appear during middle childhood and are mediated by participation in different activities. In addition to providing a detailed empirical investigation of the relationship between knowledge acquisition and childhood, this study develops and documents computational improvements to the modelling of knowledge development.
Performing (during) the Coronavirus Crisis: The Italian Populist Radical Right between National Opposition and Subnational Government
Authors: Pirro Andrea L.P. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe first year of COVID-19 confirmed the standing of the populist radical right in Italy. While sitting in opposition at the national level, Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy and Matteo Salvini's League shared common criticism of the Conte II government but experienced diverging trajectories in terms of popularity. The first had enjoyed growing support since the 2018 general election, whereas the second lost out after leaving the government coalition in 2019. These changes can be partly attributed to the different agency of their leaderships. Looking at the League's performance at the helm of key regions affected by the pandemic, moreover, its governors elaborated different responses to the crisis, which ostensibly reflect the varying allegiances and visions animating the internal life of the party. Overall and collectively considered, the Italian populist radical right broke even during the first year of COVID-19, but the crisis exposed the first cracks in Salvini's leadership.