bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of the addition of antifreeze protein type I on the quality of post-thawed domestic cat epididymal sperm
Authors: Alcaráz L.P. , Pereira P.V.S. , Oliveira T.A. , Correia L.F.L. , Vasconcelos E.M. , Brandão F.Z. , Souza-Fabjan J.M.G.
Published: March 2023

Cryopreservation of domestic cat semen is mainly performed as a model for the establishment of endangered wild feline protocols. The supplementation of antifreeze protein type I (AFP I) to cryopreservation medium has shown improvement in frozen–thawed sperm quality in other species, but its effect on cat semen has not yet been tested. This study aimed to assess the addition of AFP I to cryopreservation medium in domestic cats. Sperm was obtained from the cauda epididymis of orchiectomized cats; sperm was then pooled in Tris buffer and allocated into three treatments, according to AFP I final concentration: 0 (control), 0.1, and 0.5 µg/ml. Nine replicates were cryopreserved in a two-step protocol and subsequently thawed at 37°C for 30 s. There was no difference (P> 0.05) among the control, 0.1 and 0.5 µg/ml groups for parameters such as motility, vitality, functional membrane integrity, mature chromatin, normal morphology, and sperm binding to egg perivitelline membrane. In the 0.5 μg/ml group only, percentages of live sperm with intact acrosome and of sperm with most inactive mitochondria (DAB III) showed a significant reduction, along with a tendency (P= 0.053) to an increase in the percentage of sperm with most active mitochondria (DAB II). In conclusion, the supplementation of 0.1 and 0.5 µg/ml of AFP I did not promote consistent beneficial effects on the overall sperm cryotolerance in domestic cats.
Financing industrial corporations in a developing economy: panel evidence from Imperial Russia
Authors: Gregg Amanda , Nafziger Steven
Published: March 2023

This article explores the financing of early industrial corporations using newly constructed panel data from Imperial Russian balance sheets. We document how corporate capital structures and dividend payout policies reflected internal agency issues, information asymmetries with external investors, life cycle considerations, and other frictions present in the Russian context. In particular, we find that widely held, listed and more profitable corporations were less reliant on debt financing. Asset tangibility was associated with lower debt levels, suggesting that Russian corporate debt was short-term, collateral was largely irrelevant, or agency problems dominated. Finally, we find that many of these same issues, for example ownership structure and access to securities markets, also mattered for financial performance and that dividends may have compensated investors for poor legal protections.
Measurements of Wave‐Induced Attenuation in Saturated Metapelite and the Band‐Limitation of Low‐Frequency Earthquakes
Authors: Fliedner Céline , French Melodie E.
Published: March 2023

The most common explanation for the depletion of high frequency waves that defines low‐frequency earthquakes (LFEs) and very low‐frequency earthquakes (VLFEs) is that fault rupture and slip are slower than typical earthquakes. However, it is difficult to rule out the possibility that the high frequency waves are produced during slip, but attenuated near the LFE source. One reason this hypothesis has been poorly tested is that there are no measurements of attenuation on the relevant rocks. We present the results of forced oscillation experiments that measure the frequency‐dependent attenuation of a chlorite‐rich metapelitic schist, a lithology found along the subduction plate boundary where LFEs and VLFEs have been documented. Experiments were run on dry and water‐saturated schist at effective pressures of 2–10 MPa and at frequencies of 2 × 10−5–30 Hz. We find that pore fluids and low effective pressure result in the attenuation of high frequencies. The frequency‐dependent attenuation is consistent with the concomitant operation of two wave‐induced fluid flow mechanisms, squirt flow, and patchy saturation. When the effects of these mechanisms are extrapolated to geologic conditions using rock physics models, our results predict that attenuation is capable of completely diminishing the frequencies depleted in LFEs and VLFEs. Therefore, LFEs and VLFEs may not necessarily record slow fault slip, but possibly the presence of high fluid pressure.
Pre‐Subduction Architecture Controls Coherent Underplating During Subduction and Exhumation (Nevado‐Filábride Complex, Southern Spain)
Authors: Poulaki Eirini M. , Stockli Daniel F. , Shuck Brandon D.
Published: March 2023

The interplay between structural and metamorphic processes operating along the deep plate interface in subduction zones remains elusive as much of the geologic record is recycled into the mantle. In some cases, metamorphosed subducted rocks are underplated and exhumed to the surface, providing critical constraints on structural processes and the rheological evolution of subduction interfaces at convergent margins. One such exhumed high‐pressure/low‐temperature subduction complex is the Cenozoic Nevado‐Filábride Complex (NFC) in Southern Spain. This study presents new data from the NFC that elucidate the syn‐metamorphic deformation, stacking, and underplating of continental slivers along the subduction interface. The structurally lowest NFC dominantly comprises lithologically monotonous Paleozoic metamorphic basement rocks recorded by apatite U‐Pb ages and shows no evidence for large‐scale internal duplications suggesting it behaved as a coherent basement succession during subduction. In contrast, structurally higher levels of the NFC are characterized by the stacking of older‐on younger coherent slices and distinctly different metamorphic ages. These relationships document syn‐subduction structural repetitions and tectonic stacking of imbricate thin slivers (∼100s m) during subduction underplating. Structurally higher levels of the NFC exhibit both Eocene and Miocene metamorphic zircon rims and apatite ages, along with microstructures indicative of relatively higher temperature metamorphism. Large‐scale underplating and antiformal stacking of slivers in the subduction channel can provide buoyancy forces to underplate and assist exhumation. We demonstrate that the presubduction stratigraphic architecture is a key control on the style and timing of deformation and metamorphism, facilitating coherent subduction underplating.
Discovering highly potent antimicrobial peptides with deep generative model HydrAMP
Authors: Szymczak Paulina , Możejko Marcin , Grzegorzek Tomasz , Jurczak Radosław , Bauer Marta , Neubauer Damian , Sikora Karol , Michalski Michał , Sroka Jacek , Setny Piotr , Kamysz Wojciech , Szczurek Ewa
Published: March 2023

Antimicrobial peptides emerge as compounds that can alleviate the global health hazard of antimicrobial resistance, prompting a need for novel computational approaches to peptide generation. Here, we propose HydrAMP, a conditional variational autoencoder that learns lower-dimensional, continuous representation of peptides and captures their antimicrobial properties. The model disentangles the learnt representation of a peptide from its antimicrobial conditions and leverages parameter-controlled creativity. HydrAMP is the first model that is directly optimized for diverse tasks, including unconstrained and analogue generation and outperforms other approaches in these tasks. An additional preselection procedure based on ranking of generated peptides and molecular dynamics simulations increases experimental validation rate. Wet-lab experiments on five bacterial strains confirm high activity of nine peptides generated as analogues of clinically relevant prototypes, as well as six analogues of an inactive peptide. HydrAMP enables generation of diverse and potent peptides, making a step towards resolving the antimicrobial resistance crisis.
The dietary sweetener sucralose is a negative modulator of T cell-mediated responses
Authors: Zani Fabio , Blagih Julianna , Gruber Tim , Buck Michael D. , Jones Nicholas , Hennequart Marc , Newell Clare L. , Pilley Steven E. , Soro-Barrio Pablo , Kelly Gavin , Legrave Nathalie M. , Cheung Eric C. , Gilmore Ian S. , Gould Alex P. , Garcia-Caceres Cristina , Vousden Karen H.
Published: March 2023

Artificial sweeteners are used as calorie-free sugar substitutes in many food products and their consumption has increased substantially over the past years1. Although generally regarded as safe, some concerns have been raised about the long-term safety of the consumption of certain sweeteners2–5. In this study, we show that the intake of high doses of sucralose in mice results in immunomodulatory effects by limiting T cell proliferation and T cell differentiation. Mechanistically, sucralose affects the membrane order of T cells, accompanied by a reduced efficiency of T cell receptor signalling and intracellular calcium mobilization. Mice given sucralose show decreased CD8+ T cell antigen-specific responses in subcutaneous cancer models and bacterial infection models, and reduced T cell function in models of T cell-mediated autoimmunity. Overall, these findings suggest that a high intake of sucralose can dampen T cell-mediated responses, an effect that could be used in therapy to mitigate T cell-dependent autoimmune disorders.
The impact of contextual information on aesthetic engagement of artworks
Authors: Darda Kohinoor M. , Chatterjee Anjan
Published: March 2023

Art is embedded in its historical, social, political, and cultural context, and rarely evaluated in isolation. The semantic context created by providing text-based information about an artwork influences how an artwork will be evaluated. In the current study, we investigated how contextual information influences the aesthetic appreciation of artworks. Experiment 1 explored whether contextual information such as artist or technique information influenced aesthetic judgments of abstract artworks by Jackson Pollock. The combination of artist and technique information increased liking and interest for the artworks. Experiment 2 investigated whether contextual information about the artist, technique, or content of representational artworks by Indian and European/American artists influenced aesthetic responses of Northern American participants. We found that artist, content, and technique information compared to no information influenced the aesthetic experience of representational artworks. For both experiments, the effect of contextual information was stronger in participants with little art experience, and those more open to experience, and for artworks from another culture compared to one’s own. In sum, along-with theories of empirical and neuro-aesthetics, the current findings also have implications for aesthetics education and museum curation. It seems crucial to consider the type of artwork, the type of contextual information, its potential to enhance aesthetic experience, and the curatorial background of the museum or exhibition, as well as individual differences of viewers. Artworks that are unfamiliar to its viewers might require more contextual information to have an impact on the viewers, and may lower viewers’ prejudices against artworks/artists originating from an out-group.
Temperature-controlled porcine eye holder for observing intraocular temperature during cataract surgery
Authors: Minami Keiichiro , Yaguchi Saori , Bissen-Miyajima Hiroko
Published: March 2023

During cataract surgery, the intraocular temperature changes when irrigating low-temperature fluid and ophthalmic viscosurgical devices (OVDs) are inserted in the anterior chamber, and such a temperature variation affects the unfolding of the intraocular lens (IOL). A porcine eye holder was developed for simulating temperature conditions in clinical surgery by maintaining the ocular temperature close to the body temperature. An aluminum holder was designed to fit porcine eyes and maintain the ocular temperature at approximately 36 °C, while surgery was performed at a room temperature of 20 °C. Intraocular temperature was monitored using a thermocouple sensor placed close to the posterior capsule in the vitreous cavity. Temperatures and microscopic image of the anterior chamber were simultaneously recorded. With the use of the eye holder system, the intraocular temperature unstable during surgery was observed, and there were significant reductions during hydrodissection, irrigation and aspiration, OVD insertion in the capsule, and OVD removal after IOL implantation.
Precise prediction of launch speed for athletes in the aerials event of freestyle skiing based on deep transfer learning
Authors: Jiang Daqi , Wang Hong , Chen Jichi , Dong Chuansheng
Published: March 2023

Automatically obtaining the launch speed are powerful guarantees for athletes in the aerials event of freestyle skiing to achieve good results. In most of the published studies describing athletes getting high scores, the assisting sliding distance depends entirely on the coach and even the athlete’s own experience, which may not be optimal. The main goal of the present paper is to use an acquisition system and develop an artificial neural network (ANN) model to automatically obtain the corresponding relationship between assisting sliding distance and speed. The influence of snow friction coefficient, wind speed, wind direction, slope, height and weight can be simulated in the Unity3D engine. The influence of temperature, humidity and tilt angle needs to be measured in real world by professional testers which is strenuous. The neural network is first trained by sufficient simulation data to obtain the encoded feature. Then, the information learned in simulation environment is transferred to another network. The second network uses the data taken from twenty professional testers. Compared with the model without transfer learning, the performance of proposed method has significant improvement. The mean squared error for the testing set is 0.692. It is observed that the speed predicted by the designed deep transfer learning (DTL) model is in good agreement with the experimental measurement results. The results indicate that the proposed transfer learning method is an efficient model to be used as a tool for predicting the assisting sliding distance and launch speed for athletes in the aerials event of freestyle skiing.
Relationship between electrically evoked compound action potential thresholds and behavioral T-levels in implanted children with cochlear nerve deficiency
Authors: Chao Xiuhua , Wang Ruijie , Luo Jianfen , Wang Haibo , Fan Zhaomin , Xu Lei
Published: March 2023

It is challenging to program children with cochlear nerve deficiency (CND) due to limited auditory and speech abilities or concurrent neurological deficits. Electrically evoked compound action potential (ECAP) thresholds have been widely used by many audiologists to help cochlear implant programming for children who cannot cooperate with behavioral testing. However, the relationship between ECAP thresholds and behavioral levels of cochlear nerve in children with CND remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate how well ECAP thresholds are related to behavioral thresholds in the MAP for children with CND. This study included 29 children with CND who underwent cochlear implantation. For each participant, ECAP thresholds and behavioral T-levels were measured at three electrode locations across the electrode array post-activation. The relationship between ECAP thresholds and behavioral T-levels was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results showed that ECAP thresholds were significantly correlated with behavioral T-levels at the basal, middle, and apical electrodes. ECAP thresholds were equal to or higher than the behavioral T-levels for all tested electrodes, and fell within MAP’s dynamic range for approximately 90% of the tested electrodes. Moreover, the contour of the ECAP thresholds was similar to the contour of T-levels across electrodes for most participants. ECAP thresholds can help audiologists select stimulation levels more efficiently for children with CND who cannot provide sufficient behavioral response.
Longitudinal telomere dynamics within natural lifespans of a wild bird
Authors: Pepke Michael Le , Kvalnes Thomas , Wright Jonathan , Araya-Ajoy Yimen G. , Ranke Peter Sjolte , Boner Winnie , Monaghan Pat , Sæther Bernt-Erik , Jensen Henrik , Ringsby Thor Harald
Published: March 2023

Telomeres, the nucleotide sequences that protect the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, shorten with each cell division and telomere loss may be influenced by environmental factors. Telomere length (TL) decreases with age in several species, but little is known about the sources of genetic and environmental variation in the change in TL (∆TL) in wild animals. In this study, we tracked changes in TL throughout the natural lifespan (from a few months to almost 9 years) of free-living house sparrows (Passerdomesticus) in two different island populations. TL was measured in nestlings and subsequently up to four times during their lifetime. TL generally decreased with age (senescence), but we also observed instances of telomere lengthening within individuals. We found some evidence for selective disappearance of individuals with shorter telomeres through life. Early-life TL positively predicted later-life TL, but the within-individual repeatability in TL was low (9.2%). Using genetic pedigrees, we found a moderate heritability of ∆TL (h2 = 0.21), which was higher than the heritabilities of early-life TL (h2 = 0.14) and later-life TL measurements (h2 = 0.15). Cohort effects explained considerable proportions of variation in early-life TL (60%), later-life TL (53%), and ∆TL (37%), which suggests persistent impacts of the early-life environment on lifelong telomere dynamics. Individual changes in TL were independent of early-life TL. Finally, there was weak evidence for population differences in ∆TL that may be linked to ecological differences in habitat types. Combined, our results show that individual telomere biology is highly dynamic and influenced by both genetic and environmental variation in natural conditions.
A high concentration CO2 pool over the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool
Authors: Peter R. , Kuttippurath J. , Chakraborty Kunal , Sunanda N.
Published: March 2023

Anthropogenic emissions have produced significant amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere since the beginning of the industrial revolution. High levels of atmospheric CO2 increases global temperature as CO2 absorbs outgoing longwave radiation and re-emits. Though a well-mixed greenhouse gas, CO2 concentration is not uniform in the atmosphere across different altitudes and latitudes. Here, we uncover a region of high CO2 concentration (i.e. CO2 pool) in the middle troposphere (500–300 hPa) over the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool (IPWP, 40° E–140° W, 25° S–25° N), in which the CO2 concentration is higher than that of other regions in the same latitude band (20° N–20° S), by using CO2 satellite measurements for the period 2002–2017. This CO2 pool extends from the western Pacific to the eastern Indian Ocean. Much of the CO2 pool is over the western Pacific Ocean (74.87%), and the remaining lies over the eastern Indian Ocean (25.13%). The rising branch of Walker circulation acts as a “CO2 Chimney” that constantly transports CO2 released from the natural, human-induced and ocean outgassing processes to the middle and upper troposphere. The CO2 pool evolves throughout the year with an average annual trend of about 2.17 ppm yr−1, as estimated for the period 2003–2016. Our analysis further reveals that La Niña (El Niño) events strengthen (weaken) the CO2 pool in the mid-troposphere. The radiative forcing for the CO2 pool suggests more warming in the region and is a grave concern for global warming and climate change.
The effect of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane (DOTAP) Addition on the physical characteristics of β-ionone liposomes
Authors: Miatmoko Andang , Asmoro Febe Harum , Azhari Andre Alwi , Rosita Noorma , Huang Chin-Shiu
Published: March 2023

β-ionone (ION) is a cyclic terpenoid compound that demonstrates considerable potential for the prevention and treatment of cancer. However, the water solubility of β-ionone is poor and the compound demonstrates low permeability. Liposomes have been reported as increasing both qualities. In this study, the development of β-ionone liposomes was initiated by adding 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane (DOTAP) to produce cationic liposomes as a means of enhancing binding to cancer cells. Liposomes composed of β-ionone, HSPC, cholesterol, and DSPE-mPEG2000 were prepared using the thin layer hydration method. Cellular uptake studies were carried out with HeLa cells incubated with β-ionone liposomes for two hours. The results indicated that the addition of DOTAP increased particle size and affected the spectroscopical and thermogram profiles of the liposomes, thereby confirming reduction in liposome crystallinity, while the zeta potential became positive. Moreover, the calcein release profile further showed that additional DOTAP increased both membrane fluidity and cellular uptake in HeLa cells In conclusion, adding DOTAP affected the physicochemical cationic properties of liposome and improved cellular uptake in HeLa cells.
A 1,3-boron shift reaction of homoallenylboronates to synthesise 2-boryl-1,3-dienes
Authors: Sakamoto Ryota , Odagi Minami , Yamanaka Masahiro , Nagasawa Kazuo
Published: March 2023

We describe a 1,3-boron shift-type reaction of homoallenylboronates at the center (sp) carbon in allenes to afford 2-boryl-1,3-dienes with a variety of substituents.
Healing double vacancy defects on graphene: reconstruction by C2adsorption
Authors: Alamdari Parisa , Sharif Farhad , Mazinani Saeedeh , Sastre German , Garcia Hermenegildo
Published: March 2023

The possibility of SW formationviaa mechanism other than carbon–carbon bond rotation.
Tensile strain and finite size modulation of low lattice thermal conductivity in monolayer TMDCs (HfSe2 and ZrS2) from first-principles: a comparative study
Authors: Chen Guofu , Bao Wenlong , Wang Zhaoliang , Tang Dawei
Published: March 2023

With excellent physical and chemical properties, 2D TMDC materials have been widely used in engineering applications, but they inevitably suffer from the dual effects of strain and device size, thermal transport inside the materials need to be further discussed.
In vitro and in vivo antitumor activity of novel half-sandwich ruthenium complexes containing quinoline derivative ligands
Authors: He Xiangdong , Chen Jun , Kandawa-Shultz Martha , Shao Guoqiang , Wang Yihong
Published: March 2023

A series of half-sandwich ruthenium complexes containing quinoline derivative ligands was synthesized, which had excellent antitumor toxicity toward a variety of cell lines and can localize lysosomes.
Achieving superior methanol oxidation electrocatalytic performance by surface reconstruction of PtNi nanoalloys during acid etching process
Authors: Chen Xu , Zhao Jinyu , Lian Jie , Wang Xiaomin
Published: March 2023

The Pt1.5Ni-NGA catalyst was fabricated via a facile acid-etching reconstruction strategy. Owing to the abundant surface defects, Pt1,5Ni-NGA exhibits a remarkable MOR performance and excellent anti-poisoning ability.
Membrane permeabilization can be crucially biased by a fusogenic lipid composition – leaky fusion caused by antimicrobial peptides in model membranes
Authors: Beck Katharina , Nandy Janina , Hoernke Maria
Published: March 2023

Systematic variation of vesicle lipid composition shows that PE-lipids enhance leaky fusion, an effect potentially causing misinterpretation regarding antimicrobial activity.
A photovoltaic–hydrovoltaic-coupled carbon-based, all-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite solar cell
Authors: Tan Jin , Dou Jie , Tang Qunwei
Published: March 2023

A physical proof-of-concept carbon-based, all-inorganic Cs0.91Rb0.09PbBr3 PSC is made by coupling photovoltaic and hydrovoltaic effects to harvest solar energy and steam energy.
Selective multi-electron aggregation at a hypervalent iodine center by sequential disproportionation
Authors: Thai Phong , Frey Brandon L. , Figgins Matthew T. , Thompson Richard R. , Carmieli Raanan , Powers David C.
Published: March 2023

We report a strategy to aggregate two- or four interfacial electron transfers at an iodine center as an approach to multi-electron electrosynthesis. The intermediates are characterized via UV-vis spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray crystallography.
First-principles predictions for shear viscosity of air components at high temperature
Authors: Valentini Paolo , Verhoff Ashley M. , Grover Maninder S. , Bisek Nicholas J.
Published: March 2023

The direct molecular simulation method is used to obtain viscosity data fromab initiopotential energy surfaces for air over a wide range of temperatures. These data are important for constitutive laws used to simulate hypersonic flows.
High mobility and excellent thermoelectric performance monolayer ZnX2Z4 (X = In, Al, Ga; Z = S, Se, Te) materials
Authors: Shi Li , Lv Chunyan , Wei Haoran , Xu Wangping , Wang Rui , Fan Jing , Wu Xiaozhi
Published: March 2023

Recently, two-dimensional (2D) layered polarized ZnIn2S4 nanosheets have been successfully synthesized in experiments.
Topotactic transformation of metal–organic frameworks to iron-based catalysts for the direct hydrogenation of CO2 to olefins
Authors: Yang Qingqing , Wang Ruifeng , Zhang Xiong , Wang Shifu , Yu Qi , Su Xiong , Li Xuning , Huang Yanqiang
Published: March 2023

The effects of different metal promoters in MFe/C catalysts on CO2 hydrogenation were investigated and specific Fe sites within Fe5C2 (sites II and III) were found positively correlated to the O/P ratio and olefin selectivity.
A {Cu2I3−}∞chain hybrid with two-step phase transition, switchable dielectrics, thermochromism and piezochromism
Authors: Li Qing-Qing , Pan Xue-Wei , Zhang Jin , Zhai Lu , Ren Xiao-Ming
Published: March 2023

A cuprous iodide tetrahedral chain hybrid undergoes a two-step phase transition, leading to switchable dielectrics, and displays thermochromism and piezochromism.
Naringin regulates intestinal microorganisms and serum metabolites to promote spermatogenesis
Authors: Dong Pei-Yu , Liang Sheng-Lin , Li Long , Liu Jing , Zhang Shu-Er , Klinger Francesca Gioia , Shen Wei , Zhang Xi-Feng
Published: March 2023

Naringin (NAR) is a dihydroflavonoid with various biological activities and pharmacological effects, especially natural antioxidant activity.
Synthesis of MnO2 sub-microspheres with effective oxidase-mimicking nanozymes for the colorimetric assay of ascorbic acid in orange fruits and juice
Authors: Isho Ramya D. , Sher Mohammad Nidhal M. , Omer Khalid M.
Published: March 2023

An efficient colorimetric platform for the sensitive determination of ascorbic acid was developed based on an oxidase-mimicking nanozyme of MnO2 sub-microspheres, with a linear detection range of 1.0–100 μM and a limit of detection of 0.33 μM.
Direct synthesis of propylene glycol methyl ether from propylene using an Al-TS-1 catalyst: Ti–Al synergy
Authors: Guo Yanke , Qin Qiaoyun , Zhu Jing , Wang Baohe
Published: March 2023

Al increases the Lewis acidity of Ti active sites and simultaneously Ti increases the Brønsted acidity of the Al active sites.
An effective strategy for CO2 reduction to C1 products using Cu-embedded MoS2 electrocatalyst: DFT study
Authors: Doulassiramane Thamarainathan , Arumugam Natarajan , Almansour Abdulrahman I. , Mahalingam Sakkarapalayam M. , Padmanaban Ramanathan
Published: March 2023

An MoS2 monolayer with embedded Cu has enhanced CO2 reduction reaction activity with an appreciably low overpotential compared to pristine MoS2.
Microwave assisted sol–gel approach for Zr doped TiO2 as a benign photocatalyst for bismark brown red dye pollutant
Authors: Divya Gorli , Jaishree G. , Sivarao T. , Lakshmi K. V. Divya
Published: March 2023

A microwave supported sol–gel approach was developed in this study to fabricate Zr-doped TiO2 mesoporous nanostructures for efficient photocatalytic activity on bismark brown red (BBR) dye under visible light illumination.
From the ‘black box' to ‘domino effect' mechanism: what have we learned from the structures of respiratory complex I
Authors: Sazanov Leonid A.
Published: March 2023

My group and myself have studied respiratory complex I for almost 30 years, starting in 1994 when it was known as a L-shaped giant ‘black box' of bioenergetics. First breakthrough was the X-ray structure of the peripheral arm, followed by structures of the membrane arm and finally the entire complex from Thermus thermophilus. The developments in cryo-EM technology allowed us to solve the first complete structure of the twice larger, ∼1 MDa mammalian enzyme in 2016. However, the mechanism coupling, over large distances, the transfer of two electrons to pumping of four protons across the membrane remained an enigma. Recently we have solved high-resolution structures of mammalian and bacterial complex I under a range of redox conditions, including catalytic turnover. This allowed us to propose a robust and universal mechanism for complex I and related protein families. Redox reactions initially drive conformational changes around the quinone cavity and a long-distance transfer of substrate protons. These set up a stage for a series of electrostatically driven proton transfers along the membrane arm (‘domino effect'), eventually resulting in proton expulsion from the distal antiporter-like subunit. The mechanism radically differs from previous suggestions, however, it naturally explains all the unusual structural features of complex I. In this review I discuss the state of knowledge on complex I, including the current most controversial issues.
Identification and characterization of the Doublesex gene and its mRNA isoforms in the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana
Authors: Wu Wen-Tao , Xu Lian-Ying , Yan Zhi-Jun , Bi Ning , Cheng Cai-Yuan , Yang Fan , Yang Wei-Jun , Yang Jin-Shu
Published: March 2023

Doublesex (DSX) proteins are members of the Doublesex/mab-3-related (DMRT) protein family and play crucial roles in sex determination and differentiation among the animal kingdom. In the present study, we identified two Doublesex (Dsx)-like mRNA isoforms in the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana (Kellogg 1906), which are generated by the combination of alternative promoters, alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation. The two transcripts exhibited sex-biased enrichment, which we termed AfrDsxM and AfrDsxF. They share a common region which encodes an identical N-terminal DNA-binding (DM) domain. RT-qPCR analyses showed that AfrDsxM is dominantly expressed in male Artemia while AfrDsxF is specifically expressed in females. Expression levels of both isoforms increased along with the developmental stages of their respective sexes. RNA interference with dsRNA showed that the knockdown of AfrDsxM in male larvae led to the appearance of female traits including an ovary-like structure in the original male reproductive system and an elevated expression of vitellogenin. However, silencing of AfrDsxF induced no clear phenotypic change in female Artemia. These results indicated that the male AfrDSXM may act as inhibiting regulator upon the default female developmental mode in Artemia. Furthermore, electrophoretic mobility shift assay analyses revealed that the unique DM domain of AfrDSXs can specifically bind to promoter segments of potential downstream target genes like AfrVtg. These data show that AfrDSXs play crucial roles in regulating sexual development in Artemia, and further provide insight into the evolution of sex determination/differentiation in sexual organisms.
Visual attention during neonatal pain assessment: A 2‐s exposure to a facial expression is sufficient
Authors: Orsi Rafael Nobre , Carlini Lucas Pereira , Heiderich Tatiany Marcondes , da Silva Giselle Valério Teixeira , Soares Juliana do Carmo Azevedo , Balda Rita de Cássia Xavier , Barros Marina Carvalho de Moraes , Guinsburg Ruth , Thomaz Carlos Eduardo
Published: March 2023

Newborn infants are exposed to painful experiences, routinely practised clinically, that might increase their short‐ and long‐term morbidity and mortality. Facial expression has been widely used in clinical practice to assess pain in newborns. However, the inherent human visual attention required to make such vital inference is poorly understood. It is also unknown whether this inference occurs differently when comparing health professionals with non‐health ones. To investigate these issues, the authors have recorded and monitored the pupil size signal of 102 subjects (44 experts, 29 parents, and 29 non‐experts) while visually analyzing 20 frontal face images of 10 distinct newborns after a painful procedure (positive stimulus) and at painless rest (negative stimulus). Our experimental results show that neonatal pain assessment is more cognitively demanding when analyzing the presence of pain rather than its absence. In addition, the pupil responses for both positive and negative stimuli and all sample groups of subjects present experimentally a common temporal pattern, disclosing that a 2‐s exposure to a facial expression is sufficient to make this assessment, regardless of whether performed by health professionals or non‐health ones.
Operating principle and performance analysis of a novel flux–torque regulation hybrid excitation machine with axial–radial magnetic circuit using magnetic network
Authors: Qiu Hongbo , Zhang Yuqing , Ma Xiaolu , Yang Cunxiang
Published: March 2023

In order to solve the problem of the decreasing torque density caused by the complex structure of the hybrid excitation machine, a novel flux–torque regulation hybrid excitation machine with axial–radial magnetic circuit is proposed by the authors, which innovatively realises the increase of additional torque and the regulation of the magnetic field by an axial structure. In particular, the additional torque has a certain boost to the output torque under the flux‐weakening condition of the machine. Based on the equivalent magnetic network model, the flux regulation principle of the machine is analysed, and the expressions for the flux linkage and no‐load back electro‐motive force are given to obtain the important factors affecting the flux regulation. Based on the analysis of complex forces generated by the rotating permanent magnet in the coupling magnetic fields, the generation and control principle of the additional torque is expounded. The expression of the additional torque is derived by the Maxwell stress tensor method, which can determine the main influencing factors and these relationships. Finally, the rationality of the proposed hybrid excitation machine structure is verified by experiments.
Enhanced models with time‐series coefficients used for electric arc furnace
Authors: Babaei Zahra , Samet Haidar , Jalil Masoud
Published: March 2023

Electric arc furnace (EAF) is one of the most disturbing loads in the power system as it is highly time‐varying and nonlinear. In this paper, new models based on the instantaneous EAF voltage and current, recorded from EAFs in Mobarakeh steel company in Isfahan/Iran are proposed. The focus of this paper is on developing efficient models based on the Schwarz model where three modified types are proposed. The original Schwarz model has four constant parameters. Unlike the original Schwarz model which uses invariant parameters, the time‐varying nature of the arc's parameters is considered in the proposed models. The first modified model has two constant model orders and two time‐varying coefficients. Additionally, to further enhance the model's accuracy, in the second modified model, six parameters include three constant model orders, and three time‐varying coefficients exist. The third model uses all the original model's parameters as time‐series parameters. The parameters of the time‐varying model are derived using autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models. The accuracy of the proposed model is evaluated by calculating the active power, harmonics, instantaneous flicker, and short‐term flicker. Finally, three MATLAB codes are provided to generate the model parameters time series.
Postfault optimal islanding of smart grids using a reinforcement learning approach
Authors: Rezapour Hamed , Jamali Sadegh
Published: March 2023

This paper presents a method for optimal reconfiguration of smart grids following the occurrence of short circuit faults. Due to restoration delays, the aim of the proposed approach is to save the maximum possible number of loads by forming stable islands and serving loads with Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). The islanding plan aims to prevent island instability and to help DERs continue supplying the maximum number of loads by the optimal network reconfiguration. Fault isolation is carried out by the protection system and the proposed procedure is commenced right after the fault isolation by controlling the condition of the network remote‐controlled switches. The proposed islanding plan is a novel method by this paper in the management of the postfault conditions of smart grids. Furthermore, a Q‐learning reinforcement approach is presented as the optimization tool because of its great capability and fast response for the determination of optimal reconfiguration. Numerous simulation tests for various fault locations on a 6‐bus and a 33‐bus test networks show the effectiveness of the proposed method in the improvement of postfault network reliability and sustainability.
MaNGIA: 10 000 mock galaxies for stellar population analysis
Authors: Sarmiento Regina , Huertas-Company Marc , Knapen Johan H. , Ibarra-Medel Héctor , Pillepich Annalisa , Sánchez Sebastián F. , Boecker Alina
Published: March 2023

Context. Modern astronomical observations give unprecedented access to the physical properties of nearby galaxies, including spatially resolved stellar populations. However, observations can only give a present-day view of the Universe, whereas cosmological simulations give access to the past record of the processes that galaxies have experienced in their evolution. To connect the events that happened in the past with galactic properties as seen today, simulations must be taken to a common ground before being compared to observations. Therefore, a dedicated effort is needed to forward-model simulations into the observational plane.

Aims. We emulate data from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, which is the largest integral field spectroscopic galaxy survey to date with its 10 000 nearby galaxies of all types. For this, we use the latest hydro-cosmological simulations IllustrisTNG to generate MaNGIA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies with IllustrisTNG Astrophysics), a mock MaNGA sample of similar size that emulates observations of galaxies for stellar population analysis.

Methods. We chose TNG galaxies to match the MaNGA sample selection in terms of mass, size, and redshift in order to limit the impact of selection effects. We produced MaNGA-like datacubes from all simulated galaxies, and processed them with the stellar population analysis code pyPipe3D. This allowed us to extract spatially resolved maps of star formation history, age, metallicity, mass, and kinematics, following the same procedures used as part of the official MaNGA data release.

Results. This first paper presents the approach used to generate the mock sample and provides an initial exploration of its properties. We show that the stellar populations and kinematics of the simulated MaNGIA galaxies are overall in good agreement with observations. Specific discrepancies, especially in the age and metallicity gradients in low- to intermediate-mass regimes and in the kinematics of massive galaxies, require further investigation, but are likely to uncover new physical understanding. We compare our results to other attempts to mock similar observations, all of smaller datasets.

Conclusions. Our final dataset is released with this publication, consisting of ≳10 000 post-processed datacubes analysed with pyPipe3D, along with the codes developed to create it. Future work will employ modern machine learning and other analysis techniques to connect observations of nearby galaxies to their cosmological evolutionary past.
Chancen und Herausforderungen des neuen
MT-Berufe-Gesetzes
Authors: Gührs Erik , Wiertz Michael
Published: March 2023

Am 01.01.2023 sind die Neuerungen des Gesetzes über die Berufe in der
medizinischen Technologie (MT-Berufe-Gesetz – MTBG) in Kraft getreten.
Die Änderungen und Herausforderungen, die damit im Berufsalltag und in
der Ausbildung von Medizinischen Technolog*innen in der Radiologie
verbunden sind, werden in diesem Übersichtsartikel zusammengefasst.
Digitale SPECT und PET: Klinische Konsequenzen
Authors: Rogasch Julian M.M.
Published: March 2023

Bei der Betrachtung physikalischer Vorteile von neuartigen Technologien
für Gammakameras und PET-Scanner sollte stets auch der konkrete Mehrwert
für die Patientinnen und Patienten beachtet und
überprüft werden. Dieser CME-Artikel bietet einen
Überblick über mögliche klinische Konsequenzen und
Vorteile dieser Technologien und insbesondere die bisherige klinische
Evidenz.
Preparation of Divergent Intermediates and Convergent Synthesis of Phytofluene
Authors: Boo Chanyoung , Kim Hyein , Koo Sangho , Yang Huijeong , Han Seunghyo , Yeo Huisu , Seo Chibeom
Published: March 2023

Practical synthetic methods for biogenetically and pharmaceutically important phytofluene were developed through the divergent preparation of key C20 substrates from a common intermediate and convergent synthesis by Wittig and Julia–Kocienski olefinations. Expeditious synthesis of phytofluene was also proposed based on the Julia sulfone-mediated chain-extension and double elimination method. Stereochemical outcomes of these olefination methods for phytofluene were compared and the Julia–Kocienski method was the mildest and most efficient reaction condition to produce all-(E)-phytofluene. Complete 1H and 13C NMR analysis of all-(E)-phytofluene is reported for the first time. Phytofluene undergoes facile thermal isomerization to other Z-isomers above room temperature, which was also confirmed with a C30 phytofluene homologue.
Research Progress on the Mechanism of the Effective Components of Duzhong (Eucommiae Cortex) on Lumbar Disk Herniation
Authors: Yang Bowen , Zhang Yanjun , Qi Hongxia , Zhang Yang
Published: March 2023

Duzhong (Eucommiae Cortex) is one of the most commonly used Chinese herb in the treatment of lumbar disk herniation (LDH). Both the single use of it and as a Chinese herbal compound have significant clinical efficacy. Its effective components including lignans, flavonoids, iridoid terpenes, polysaccharides, etc., participate in the treatment of LDH through multiple channels, which can effectively inhibit immune and inflammatory reactions, promote the repair of intervertebral disk bone tissues, protect neurological functions, enhance cell metabolism, regulate endocrine, etc. The signal pathways of Wnt/β-catenin, TNF, HL-1, MAPK, PI3K/AKT, and NF-κB may be also involved. The action mechanism of Duzhong (Eucommiae Cortex) on LDH is characterized by multiple paths, multiple targets, and multiple component cross-actions, but the direct effects of specific components of Duzhong (Eucommiae Cortex) on LDH pathological tissues have not been clarified in the existing studies. At present, the study on the efficacy of Chinese herbs has not yet included the chemical reactions among the pharmaceutical components and pharmaceutical processing, etc. Relevant experimental studies need to further extract the effective components through purification technology, analyze the target information between Duzhong (Eucommiae Cortex) and LDH through network pharmacology and biology, and strengthen the influence of different processing methods on the pharmaceutical effects of Chinese herbs to increase the choice of clinical medication. In the experimental study, the animal cell models were finely constructed, and the pathological targets of LDH were excavated, which was conducive to the development and application of new drugs.
Raising critical currents in YBaCuO-type high-temperature superconductors by Mo substitution
Authors: Rogacki K. , Los A. , Dabrowski B.
Published: March 2023

In this work, we investigated the critical currents and pinning mechanisms in single crystals of the high-temperature superconductor Y123 with Mo substituted into CuO chains. The single crystals were annealed in oxygen at low (130–140 atm) and high (255 atm) pressure, which significantly influenced the observed properties. Magnetic hysteresis loops were measured at various temperatures in fields up to 14 T, for both H||c and H⊥c. On the basis of these measurements, the densities of critical currents were calculated using the Bean critical state model. Then, using the Kramer approach and the Dew-Hughes model, scaling of the pinning force was performed and the type of pinning centers and pinning mechanisms dominant in different field and temperature ranges were determined. Due to Mo substitution, the critical current density in single crystals annealed in oxygen under high pressure increased several times at lower temperatures, e.g., 3–4 times for T = 4–35 K and μ0H = 1–8 T, and by an order of magnitude at higher temperatures, e.g., for T = 65–75 K and μ0H = 2–3 T. For these single crystals, Δκ volume-like pinning centers (Mo2O11 octahedra dimers) and normal point-like pinning centers (interstitial oxygen) were identified as dominant at lower and higher fields, respectively.
Conformation-dependent molecular association and spectral properties of 4-pentyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl liquid crystal in different phases
Authors: Bezrodna T. , Nesprava V. , Melnyk V. , Klishevich G. , Curmei N. , Gavrilko T. , Roshchin O. , Baran J. , Drozd M.
Published: March 2023

The 4-pentyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) molecule conformation and structure alignment have been investigated by means of temperature variable Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy in a wide temperature range (from −90 to 50 °C) covering the 5CB glass-like, metastable and stable crystalline, nematic and isotropic phases defined by differential scanning calorimetry measurements. The corresponding FTIR absorption and PL emission bands reflect a strong dipolar association and a formation of at least two types of 5CB dimeric structures with antiparallel or parallel orientation in the planar configuration. No formation of hydrogen bonds between the cyano groups and hydrogen atoms of the adjacent benzene ring has been found. Besides, a small amount of the 5CB monomer structure has been shown to be present in all phases. The observed temperature-induced changes in the IR and PL spectra can be used as an independent source of experimental information on conformational equilibria and structure alignment of 5CB in different states under the phase transitions.