Perspectives For Applications Research Articles

Consumer Behavior in Food Delivery Applications: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

Over the past few years, there has been notable interest among consumers in food delivery applications. Consequently, understanding consumer behavior within this context has become crucial for practitioners seeking to execute effective marketing strategies. While academic studies in this field are gaining traction, there remains a lack of a comprehensive overview. Existing literature on the subject is often fragmented and inconsistent, hindering a thorough comprehension of consumer behavioral patterns in food delivery applications. Thus, this study aims to address this gap by conducting a systematic literature review to organize and synthesize current knowledge on consumer behavior in such applications, elucidating how consumers interact within these platforms. We analyzed 587 journal articles extracted from primary databases (Scopus and Web of Science), ultimately reviewing 112 articles spanning from 2014 to August 2023. Furthermore, we developed a conceptual framework to fully grasp the variables influencing consumer behavior, showcasing frequently reported factors in food delivery application literature. This research also identifies nine directions for further exploration, including regional and country comparisons, methodological approaches, theoretical perspectives, demographic analyses, independent variables, moderating effects, affective and cognitive evaluations, outcome responses, and drone-based food delivery application perspectives. This review is expected to offer valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners.

Do political connections facilitate or inhibit firms' digital transformation? Evidence from China's A-share private listed companies.

Given the advent of the digital era, digital transformation has become necessary for enterprise development. Political connections are the most important resources for enterprise development in most countries. However, the impact of political connections on corporate digital transformation has yet to be verified. This study uses ERNIE, a large language model, to construct a measurement of corporate digital transformation from the perspective of digital technology application through a textual analysis of the annual reports of A-share privately listed companies from 2008 to 2020 and analyzes the impact of political connections on corporate digital transformation and its mechanism of action. The findings demonstrate that political connections have a significant inhibitory effect on corporate digital transformation. This conclusion still holds after a series of robustness and endogeneity tests. The mechanism analyses demonstrate that political connections primarily affect corporate digital transformation through three mechanisms: weakening risk, inhibiting innovation, and enhancing resource crowding. We theoretically expand the understanding of the economic impact of political connections and provide new ideas for accelerating enterprise digital transformation from the perspective of policy makers.

Optical control and coherent coupling of spin diffusive modes in thermal gases

Quantum science and technology devices exploiting collective spins in thermal gases are extremely appealing due to their simplicity and robustness. This comes at the cost of dealing with the random thermal motion of the atoms which is usually an uncontrolled source of decoherence and noise. There are however conditions, for example, when diffusing in a buffer gas, where thermal atoms can occupy a discrete set of stable spatial modes. Diffusive modes can be extended or localized, have different magnetic properties depending on boundary conditions, and can react differently to external perturbations. Here, we selectively excite, manipulate, and interrogate the longest-lived of these modes by using laser light. In particular, we identify the conditions for the generation of modes that are exceptionally resilient to detrimental effects such as light induced frequency shifts and power-broadening, which are often the dominant sources of systematic errors in atomic magnetometers and comagnetometers. Moreover, we show that the presence of spatial inhomogeneities in the pump introduces a coupling that leads to a coherent exchange of excitation between the two longest-lived modes. Our results demonstrate that systematic engineering of the multi-mode nature of diffusive gases has great potential for improving the performance of quantum sensors based on alkali-metal thermal vapors, and opens new perspectives for quantum information applications. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Multi-timescale optimization of integrated energy system with diversified utilization of hydrogen energy under the coupling of green certificate and carbon trading

Promoting renewable energy and developing low-carbon integrated energy systems are noteworthy in the energy sector. However, in existing works on the integrated energy system, the coupling of green certificate and carbon trading mechanism under diversified utilization of hydrogen energy has not been fully considered to provide an incentive effect for uncertain renewable energy resources. Based on these considerations, a multi-timescale optimization of an integrated energy system with diversified utilization of hydrogen energy is studied under the coupling of green certificate and carbon trading mechanism. First, the coupled interaction mechanism of green certificate trading-stepped carbon trading is proposed by linking stepped carbon trading to green certificate trading through green certificates. Furthermore, the establishment of the diversified utilization unit of hydrogen energy addresses carbon emissions from the perspective of energy application and offers fresh concepts for a low-carbon economy. Then, an optimized scheduling model for multiple time scales of day-ahead/intraday/real-time is developed to reduce the impact of renewable energy prediction errors on system operation. Results acquired from case studies demonstrate the effectiveness in terms of achieving economic and low carbon. The accommodation level of renewable energy with a coupling mechanism improves by 3.08% compared to that without considering coupling. In addition, the diversified utilization of the hydrogen energy model enables the reduction in total cost and carbon emission by 5.14% and 2.4927 tonnes in comparison to the traditional power-to-gas mode.

Toward explainable AI in radiology: Ensemble-CAM for effective thoracic disease localization in chest X-ray images using weak supervised learning.

Chest X-ray (CXR) imaging is widely employed by radiologists to diagnose thoracic diseases. Recently, many deep learning techniques have been proposed as computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) tools to assist radiologists in minimizing the risk of incorrect diagnosis. From an application perspective, these models have exhibited two major challenges: (1) They require large volumes of annotated data at the training stage and (2) They lack explainable factors to justify their outcomes at the prediction stage. In the present study, we developed a class activation mapping (CAM)-based ensemble model, called Ensemble-CAM, to address both of these challenges via weakly supervised learning by employing explainable AI (XAI) functions. Ensemble-CAM utilizes class labels to predict the location of disease in association with interpretable features. The proposed work leverages ensemble and transfer learning with class activation functions to achieve three objectives: (1) minimizing the dependency on strongly annotated data when locating thoracic diseases, (2) enhancing confidence in predicted outcomes by visualizing their interpretable features, and (3) optimizing cumulative performance via fusion functions. Ensemble-CAM was trained on three CXR image datasets and evaluated through qualitative and quantitative measures via heatmaps and Jaccard indices. The results reflect the enhanced performance and reliability in comparison to existing standalone and ensembled models.

Chattering Free Sliding-Mode Controller Design for Underactuated Tower Cranes With Uncertain Disturbance

Tower cranes are widely used in various industrial sites and require a high level of anti-disturbance performance from the crane controller due to the variability of the application environment. Although sliding mode control is a typical anti-disturbance control method, most sliding mode controllers suffer from output chattering and do not reflect well under severe external disturbances. To address these issues from a practical application perspective, a finite time sliding mode control method using the super-twisting algorithm (STA) is proposed for underactuated tower cranes operating in the presence of external disturbances. The proposed method includes a finite-time chattering-free sliding mode controller that eases the output torque chattering problem and a finite-time sliding mode observer based on STA to observe the uncertain disturbances. The observed values are then applied to the controller through feedforward compensation. Experimental results show that the proposed control method effectively weakens output torque chattering, compensates for disturbance quickly, and accurately completes control tasks.

Dynamics of centipede locomotion revealed by large-scale traction force microscopy.

We present a novel approach to traction force microscopy (TFM) for studying the locomotion of 10 cm long walking centipedes on soft substrates. Leveraging the remarkable elasticity and ductility of kudzu starch gels, we use them as a deformable gel substrate, providing resilience against the centipedes' sharp leg tips. By optimizing fiducial marker size and density and fine-tuning imaging conditions, we enhance measurement accuracy. Our TFM investigation reveals traction forces along the centipede's longitudinal axis that effectively counterbalance inertial forces within the 0-10 mN range, providing the first report of non-vanishing inertia forces in TFM studies. Interestingly, we observe waves of forces propagating from the head to the tail of the centipede, corresponding to its locomotion speed. Furthermore, we discover a characteristic cycle of leg clusters engaging with the substrate: forward force (friction) upon leg tip contact, backward force (traction) as the leg pulls the substrate while stationary, and subsequent forward force as the leg tip detaches to reposition itself in the anterior direction. This work opens perspectives for TFM applications in ethology, tribology and robotics.

Improving the performance parameters of organic field-effect transistors via alkyl chain length of boronic acid self-assembled monolayers

Interface modification is a promising technique for enhancing electrical parameters of Organic Field Effect Transistor (OFETs). In OFETs, self-assembled monolayer molecules are widely used for treatment dielectric/semiconductor interface layer. Modification of dielectric/semiconductor layer with SAM molecules ensures a variety of potential applications. Boronic acids with four different alkyl chain lengths (Cn-BA; n = 8, 10, 12, 14) molecules were used in this study to treat the Al2O3 dielectric surface in dinaphtho[2,3-b:2′,3′-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT) based OFETs. Treated with SAMs improve the mobility of Al2O3 surfaces for linear and saturation regime and threshold voltages shifted from positive direction. The morphological and electrical characterizations were performed for fabricated OFET. The results show that alkyl-boronic acids SAM molecules open a new perspective for further optoelectronic applications due to its application for oxide surfaces and controllability.

Femtosecond Laser 3D Nano‐Printing for Functionalization of Optical Fiber Tips

AbstractFunctionalized optical fiber tips featuring miniature sizes and diverse functions have broken the limitations of traditional optical fiber with fixed shapes and single materials, significantly enriching the application scenarios in communication, sensing, imaging, and other fields. However, the unconventional shape presents challenges in manufacturing arbitrarily sophisticated 3D micro/nano structures on optical fiber tips. Femtosecond laser 3D nano‐printing (FL‐3DNp) technology injects new vitality into the functionalization of fiber tips due to its high‐precision, customizable structure, and real 3D processing abilities, as well as advantages of non‐vacuum, maskless, and plentiful materials. This paper extensively compares the key performance parameters of various micro‐nano manufacturing technologies for functionalizing optical fiber probes and focuses on the FL‐3DNp technology. In addition, the latest research progresses are systematically presented from the perspective of structure and application. Finally, the current research challenges and future development directions in this emerging field are discussed, aiming at providing scientific and industrial guidance for FL‐3DNp in functionalizing optical fibers.

Dietary intervention in acne management: review of the literature and future prospective

Acne is a common skin disease, affecting millions of subjects worldwide. Several processes and mechanisms have been identified in acne pathogenesis. Among these, it is known that acne or its worsening is also related to metabolic factors and nutritional influences. In this scenario, we carried out a review of the current literature in order to investigate the role of diet in acne disease, offering a wide perspective for possible clinical applications. A total of 55 manuscripts were considered. In particular, the role of the Western diet, glycemic index, glycemic load, dairy products, fats, fatty acids, Mediterranean diet, ketogenic diet, and dietary supplements in acne management has been investigated. On one hand, dairy products, foods with high glycemic load and glycemic index, fatty acids and fats seem to worsen the severity; on the other hand, Mediterranean and ketogenic diet, and oral supplements seem to improve the disease. Despite the conflicting results and conclusions in the scientific literature about the impact of nutrition in acne, mainly related to the severla limitations of the study design, several prospective, controlled, well-designed studies have recently demonstrated the role of some specific nutrition influenced mediators on acne severity.

Heterogeneous CuS QDs/BiVO4@Y2O2S Nanoreactor for Monitorable Photocatalysis.

Exploration of multifunctional integrated catalysts is of great significance for photocatalysis toward practical application. Herein, a 1D confined nanoreactor with a heterogeneous core-shell structure is designed for synergies of efficient catalysis and temperature monitoring by custom encapsulation of Z-scheme heterojunction CuS quantum dots/BiVO4 (CuS QDs/BiVO4) and Y2O2S-Er, Yb. The dispersed active sites created by the QDs with high surface energy improve the mass transfer efficiency, and the efficient electron transport channels at the heterogeneous interface extend the carrier lifetime, which endows the nanoreactor with excellent catalytic performance. Meanwhile, real-time temperature monitoring is realized based on the thermally coupled levels 2H11/2/4S3/2→4I15/2 of Er3+ using fluorescence intensity ratio, which enables the monitorable photocatalysis. Furthermore, the nanoreactor with a multidimensional structure increases effective intermolecular collisions to facilitate the catalytic process by restricting the reaction within distinct enclosed spaces and circumvents potential unknown interaction effects. The design of multi-space nanoconfined reactors opens up a new avenue to modulate catalyst function, providing a unique perspective for photocatalytic applications in the mineralization of organic pollutants, hydrogen production, and nitrogen fixation.

Analysis on patent layout of silicon carbide ceramic membrane technology in global

Silicon carbide ceramic membranes are known as a new generation of membrane products due to their excellent chemical stability and high flux advantages. This article, based on the PatSnap patent analysis, analyzes the global patents of silicon carbide ceramic membranes, preparation methods, devices and equipment, application-related patents, and applicants from perspectives of patent applications, patent layouts, and international patent classification technical categories. It concludes that the technological hotspots in the field of silicon carbide ceramic membranes are concentrated on improving separation efficiency through separation applications, providing a reference for the technical improvement, application, and patent layout of silicon carbide ceramic membranes.

Marketing Strategy and Brand Building of Agricultural Products from the Perspective of Digital Media Application

Marketing Strategy and Brand Building of Agricultural Products from the Perspective of Digital Media Application

Structure and magnetic properties of the spinel-polymer composites

The development of the functional magnetic composites with determined properties is important task for modern material sciences. Control of magnetic and electrodynamic properties realized by the ceramic/polymer composites preparation. Conduction of the investigations of the correlation between chemical composition of the fillers (magnetic powders) and their concentration in the polymer matrix is the best way for solving this task. Two- and tree-component spinel-polymer composites were produced by thermal pressing. As spinels, CoFe2O4 (CF) and Ni0.4Cu0.2Zn0.4Fe2O4 (NCZFO) were used. As a polymer, FEP was used. The concentration of the spinels in the polymer matrix was fixed at 20 mass.%. Investigation of the structural features and magnetic properties were carried out. The impact of the chemical composition and phase ratio of the composites on crystal structure, microstructure, and magnetic properties were established. Magnetic measurements were performed at 300 and 10 K in the fields up to 70 kOe. It was demonstrated that the synergetic effect of ceramic composites violates of the principle of additivity in two-phase ceramic composites. The impact of the polymer matrix on magnetic properties was demonstrated. It opens new perspectives for practical applications of such kind of materials.

Clinical application and future perspectives of HIF-PH inhibitors

Anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs due to insufficient production of erythropoietin to compensate for the decrease in hemoglobin. Anemia in CKD has traditionally been treated with periodic injections of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), which are recombinant human erythropoietin preparations. Although ESA improved anemia in CKD and dramatically improved the quality of life of patients, there are some patients who are hyporesponsive to ESA, and the use of large doses of ESA in these patients may have a negative impact on patient prognosis. Currently, HIF prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PH) inhibitors have been approved in Japan as a new treatment for anemia in CKD. HIF-PH inhibitors activate HIF and promote the production of endogenous erythropoietin. The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for groundbreaking research that uncovered the HIF pathway. Because HIF-PH inhibitors improve both erythropoietin production and iron metabolism, they are expected to be effective in treating ESA hyporesponsiveness and solve the inconvenience of injectable preparations. On the other hand, its effects are systemic and multifaceted, and long-term effects must be closely monitored.

Recent advances in nano-enabled plant salt tolerance: Methods of application, risk assessment, opportunities and future perspectives

Salinity is a big issue threatening global food security. Among the different strategies, nanotechnology has shown tremendous potential for crop production under abiotic stresses, such as salinity. In this review, we discussed the environmental challenges associated with the different methods of nanomaterials application, including seed nanopriming, foliar, and soil/root application. Based on the previous research, nanopriming uses less nanomaterials and has minimum concerns about environmental safety and the food chain. We discussed in detail the preventive measures based on the application methods for the safe and sustainable use of nanomaterials in agriculture. Furthermore, we summarized the role of antioxidant enzyme-triggering nanomaterials and direct reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging nanomaterials (nanozymes) in plant salt tolerance. Nanomaterials improve sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) homeostasis through various anatomical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms while improving plant salt tolerance. The role of nanomaterials in modulating plant photosynthesis and hormonal balance is largely overlooked. We also identified research gaps, providing guidelines for future research work. This review aimed to provide guidelines for the researchers to understand better the proper designing of NPs and different plant-related factors while using NPs for plant stress tolerance. It will help to improve the delivery efficiency of NPs into plants. Furthermore, after gaining sufficient scientific knowledge and better understanding, NPs can be integral to sustainable agriculture, saving costs and reducing biosafety concerns and environmental pollution.

A novel 3D-printed unit cell with the compression-torsion coupling effect and negative Poisson’s ratio

Metamaterials have received extensive research interests since they can be artificially designed to achieve unprecedent material properties beyond what we can obtain from the nature. As such, it is widely acknowledged that metamaterials have great potential application perspectives in many areas, e.g., mechanical engineering, civil engineering, aerospace, biomedical engineering, etc. Recently, mechanical metamaterials that are designed based on multi-functional properties or behaviours have received much attention due to the increasing demands of new materials with superior properties. Inspired by the grasshopper’s leg, this paper proposes a novel unit cell where 3D ‘zig-zag’ rods are introduced to connect the circular planar elements. The mechanical behaviours of this novel unit cell under axial compression are studied both experimentally and numerically. In particular, the effect of different geometric parameters of the 3D ‘zig-zag’ rod on both compression-torsion coupling (CTC) and negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR) are studied for this novel unit cell. Compared with previous designs, the novel unit cell proposed in this work can improve the design flexibility, achieve large NPR, strong CTC, and high load-carrying capacity, simultaneously. Finally, this work can provide some references for designing novel metamaterials with multiple deformation mechanisms.

Research on Fatigue Driving Detection Technology Based on CA-ACGAN.

Driver fatigue represents a significant peril to global traffic safety, necessitating the advancement of potent fatigue monitoring methodologies to bolster road safety. This research introduces a conditional generative adversarial network with a classification head that integrates convolutional and attention mechanisms (CA-ACGAN) designed for the precise identification of fatigue driving states through the analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) signals. First, this study constructed a 4D feature data model capable of mirroring drivers' fatigue state, meticulously analyzing the EEG signals' frequency, spatial, and temporal dimensions. Following this, we present the CA-ACGAN framework, a novel integration of attention schemes, the bottleneck residual block, and the Transformer element. This integration was designed to refine the processing of EEG signals significantly. In utilizing a conditional generative adversarial network equipped with a classification header, the framework aims to distinguish fatigue states effectively. Moreover, it addresses the scarcity of authentic data through the generation of superior-quality synthetic data. Empirical outcomes illustrate that the CA-ACGAN model surpasses various extant methods in the fatigue detection endeavor on the SEED-VIG public dataset. Moreover, juxtaposed with leading-edge GAN models, our model exhibits an efficacy in in producing high-quality data that is clearly superior. This investigation confirms the CA-ACGAN model's utility in fatigue driving identification and suggests fresh perspectives for deep learning applications in time series data generation and processing.

Redox active plant phenolic, acetosyringone, for electrogenetic signaling

Redox is a unique, programmable modality capable of bridging communication between biology and electronics. Previous studies have shown that the E. coli redox-responsive OxyRS regulon can be re-wired to accept electrochemically generated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as an inducer of gene expression. Here we report that the redox-active phenolic plant signaling molecule acetosyringone (AS) can also induce gene expression from the OxyRS regulon. AS must be oxidized, however, as the reduced state present under normal conditions cannot induce gene expression. Thus, AS serves as a “pro-signaling molecule” that can be activated by its oxidation—in our case by application of oxidizing potential to an electrode. We show that the OxyRS regulon is not induced electrochemically if the imposed electrode potential is in the mid-physiological range. Electronically sliding the applied potential to either oxidative or reductive extremes induces this regulon but through different mechanisms: reduction of O2 to form H2O2 or oxidation of AS. Fundamentally, this work reinforces the emerging concept that redox signaling depends more on molecular activities than molecular structure. From an applications perspective, the creation of an electronically programmed “pro-signal” dramatically expands the toolbox for electronic control of biological responses in microbes, including in complex environments, cell-based materials, and biomanufacturing.

Screening of low-Cd-accumulating and Cd-remediating oilseed rape varieties using a newly indicator system for risk management of Cd-contaminated agricultural land

Although oilseed rape is frequently used as an alternative planting crop in the phytoremediation of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated agricultural land, methods for screening excellent oilseed rape varieties in this regard are inadequate. Herein, we developed a screening method that incorporates Cd accumulation, distribution, and removal, economic output, adaptability to Cd-contaminated agricultural land, and trace element variation. A Cd-adaptability index (Cd-AI) based on 10 agronomic traits was used to measure the adaptability of varieties to Cd-contaminated agricultural land. Moreover, to simplify the evaluation of adaptability, yield, biomass, and pod number with high weightings were selected to construct a discriminant function for Cd-contaminated agricultural land adaptability (correctly classified 94.20%). In a 2 year field trial, we evaluated 225 oilseed rape varieties, among which we identified two promising low-Cd-accumulating and two Cd-remediating varieties. For the low-Cd-accumulating varieties (HuYou17 and DeXingYou558), we obtained grain bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values of 0.07 and 0.08, BAFsoil-stalk values of <1, and economic outputs of RMB 25,054 and 32,292 yuan hm−2, respectively. Similarly, the Cd-remediating varieties (ZaoZa8 and YuYou61) were characterized by BAFsoil-stalk values of 4.65 and 3.61, BAFsoil-grain values of 0.16 and 0.16, Cd removals of 69.02 and 58.25 g hm−2, and economic outputs of RMB 31,189 and 24,962 yuan hm−2, respectively. Compared with the control variety, we detected lower uptakes of multiple trace elements (3–43%) in the low-Cd-accumulating varieties, whereas the Cd-remediating varieties were characterized by 15.40% and 8.30% increases in the accumulation of magnesium and zinc, respectively. Our findings augment the evaluation indices used for evaluating oilseed rape varieties and provide valuable insights from the perspectives of varietal screening and promotional application. The effective varieties identified have application potential for safe production and the remediation of agricultural land without interrupting annual agricultural production, and provide an economically sustainable approach for the utilization of Cd-contaminated agricultural land.