bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Recent Progress of Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts Used at Fuel Cell Level
Authors: Li Jin‐Rong , Liu Ming‐Xu , Liu Xia , Yu Xiang‐Hui , Li Qin‐Zhu , Sun Qi , Sun Tong , Cao Shuang , Hou Chun‐Chao
Published: November 2023

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are gaining significant interest as an attractive substitute for traditional fuel cells, with higher energy density, lower environmental pollution, and better operation efficiency. However, the cathode reaction, i.e., the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), is widely proved to be inefficient, and therefore an obstacle to the widespread development of PEMFCs. The requirement for affordable highly‐efficient ORR catalysts is extremely urgent to be met, especially at fuel cell level. Unfortunately, most previous reports focus on the ORR performance at rotating disk electrodes (RDE) level instead of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) level, making it harder to evaluate ORR catalysts operating under real vehicle conditions. Obviously, it is extremely necessary to develop an in‐depth understanding of the structure‐activity relationship of highly‐efficient ORR catalysts applied at MEA level. In this work, an overview of the latest advances in ORR catalysts is provided with an emphasis on their performance at MEA level, hoping to cover the novel and systemic insights for innovative and efficient ORR catalyst design and applications in PEMFCs.
Effective Encapsulation and Surface Treatment for Damp‐Heat Stable Triple Cation Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Kim Hyojung , Sin Jaegwan , Kim Moonhoe , Kim Gisung , Kim Mijoung , Kim Jaeho , Park Gun , Kim Bora , Jeong Mun Seok , Yang JungYup
Published: November 2023

Multiple‐cation perovskites have been extensively researched for stability enhancement, but limited literature exists on CsFAMA (CFM) solar cell stability under harsh temperature and humidity. This article focuses on the development of damp‐heat‐resistant CFM‐based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) through the implementation of various surface treatment strategies, including antisolvent treatment (AST) control and alkyl‐type interfacial passivation, while also proposing an effective encapsulation structure. The Cs+ ratio in Csx(FA0.91MA0.09)1−xPb(I,Br)3 perovskites is varied in the range of x = 0 to 0.362, and the AST times are explored by adjusting from 8 to 15 s. Remarkably, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) is achieved with significant improvements in open‐circuit voltage and fill factor at an AST time of 12 s. Through precise tuning of the Cs ratio to x = 0.17 (Cs0.17(FA0.91MA0.09)0.83Pb(I,Br)3) and introduction of an octyl‐ammonium iodide interlayer, the highest‐performing device with a PCE of 20.82% is obtained. Additionally, a low‐temperature vacuum lamination is employed, and the conducive tape in a twisted form is extended, which effectively seals the device. This results in superior stability for 500 h under damp‐heat conditions at 85 °C and 85% relative humidity. This encapsulation method holds significant promise as a potential solution for the modularization of PSCs.
Tensor‐based gated graph neural network for automatic vulnerability detection in source code
Authors: Yang Jia , Ruan Ou , Zhang JiXin
Published: November 2023

The rapid expansion of smart devices leads to the increasing demand for vulnerability detection in the cyber security field. Writing secure source codes is crucial to protect applications and software. Recent vulnerability detection methods are mainly using machine learning and deep learning. However, there are still some challenges, how to learn accurate source code semantic embedding at the function level, how to effectively perform vulnerability detection using the learned semantic embedding of source code and how to solve the overfitting problem of learning‐based models. In this paper, we consider codes as various graphs with node features and propose a tensor‐based gated graph neural network called TensorGNN to produce code embedding for function‐level vulnerability detection. First, we propose a high‐dimensional tensor for combining different code graph representations. Second, inspired by the work of tensor technology, we propose the TensorGNN model to produce accurate code representations using the graph tensor. We evaluate our model on 7 C and C++ large open‐source code corpus (e.g. SARD&NVD, Debian, SATE IV, FFmpeg, libpng&LibTiff, Wireshark and Github datasets), which contains 13 types of vulnerabilities. Our TensorGNN model improves on existing state‐of‐the‐art works by 10%–30% on average in terms of vulnerability detection accuracy and F1, while our TensorGNN model needs less training time and model parameters. Specifically, compared with other existing works, our model reduces 25–47 times of the number of parameters and decreases 3–10 times of training time. Results of evaluations show that TensorGNN has better performance while using fewer training parameters and less training time.
Experimental study on mechanical properties of recycled aggregate concrete with polypropylene fiber under combined compression‐shear loading
Authors: Liu Zhihua , Chen Yuliang , Shen Jianzeng , Zheng Wenjing , Luo Zhen
Published: November 2023

To investigate the mechanical properties of polypropylene fiber recycled aggregate concrete (PPFRAC) under compression‐shear, 69 recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) specimens were tested with the parameters of polypropylene (PP) fiber volume content (0, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 kg/m3), recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) replacement rate (0%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100%), and normal stress (0, 3, and 6 MPa). In the tests, the failure pattern of the specimens was observed, and the effects of the polypropylene fiber content on the direct shear stress, compression‐shear stress, initial shear stiffness, and shear ductility coefficient of the PPFRAC were thoroughly investigated. The results show that as the polypropylene fiber content increases, the direct shear stress of concrete (Natural aggregate concrete and 100% recycled coarse aggregate concrete [100%RCA]) first increases and then decreases gradually. Meanwhile, the best PP fiber content is 0.9 kg/m3 in this study. Furthermore, the compression‐shear stress‐displacement curves of specimens were obtained. The compression‐shear strength under normal stress at 6 MPa is approximately 230% greater than at 0 MPa. However, the peak shear stress of concrete is almost not affected by the replacement rate of RCA. Finally, based on the Mohr circle theory, the compression‐shear calculation model of PPFRAC is verified, and the optimal calculation formula is given.
Rocket blast resistance of the fully demountable high performance FRC tongue and groove blocks
Authors: Bozkurt Hasan Basri , Genç Oğuz Kağan , Anil Özgür , Şahmaran Mustafa , Bayer İsmail Raci
Published: November 2023

Within the scope of this study, the design and testing of a fully demountable high‐performance fiber‐reinforced concrete (FRC) barriers with high resistance to sudden dynamic explosion and impact loadings is investigated. In order to solve such an engineering problem, a special FRC “tongue and groove” blocks are designed in a way that could be constructed by two persons to form barriers of various shapes and sizes by combining them easily. The structures produced with these blocks were produced using a hybrid, special FRC mixture in order to resist various bullets, rocket launchers, and explosion effects to protect the person behind them. Within the scope of this study, the resistance of five different special FRC mixtures with different properties against sudden dynamic blasting effects was determined by comparing and interpreting the acceleration‐time and strain‐time measurements taken from the wall directly. The results obtained from the dynamic blasting tests carried out in the field were compared with the results of the numerical analysis performed using the Ls‐Dyna finite element software. As a result of the study, the barrier structure produced with special FRC, in which hybrid nylon and steel fibers are used as reinforcement, exhibited the most successful results for absorbing the energy caused by the rocket blast loadings.
Balkan‐Anatolian biogeographic links and the evolutionary significance of Anatolian mountains, as evidenced by Cardamine (Brassicaceae)
Authors: Kantor Adam , Šlenker Marek , Kučera Jaromír , Marhold Karol , Dönmez Ali A. , Yüzbaşıoğlu Sırrı , Zozomová‐Lihová Judita
Published: November 2023

Anatolia is a significant centre of biodiversity and endemism with diversity hotspots located mainly in mountain ranges. Its complex geological history and heterogeneous topography have generated natural barriers to gene flow that favour speciation, and migration corridors that accentuate its transitional biogeographic position. While more attention has been paid to the predominant Irano‐Turanian and Mediterranean xerophytic elements, the evolution of species adapted to wet habitats with limited occurrence is understudied in this area. Here, we investigated Cardamine representatives in northern Anatolia with the aims of resolving the taxonomically uncertain populations previously assigned to either C. uliginosa or C. tenera from northwestern Anatolia (Uludağ,) and elucidating the genetic structure of (sub)alpine C. uliginosa recorded mainly from the North Anatolian Mts. (Pontic Mts.). Using a combination of phylogenomic (Hyb‐Seq), morphometric, and flow cytometric analyses, we support a distinct position of the northwestern Anatolian populations, described here as a new species Cardamine anatolica. Apart from Uludağ, a few other sites were found in the montane to subalpine belts in the Marmara and Aegean regions. A sister phylogenetic position of C. anatolica to C. acris, a widespread and polymorphic Balkan species, supports the existence of biogeographic links between these areas and suggests a vicariance scenario. We revealed a pronounced intraspecific diversification of C. uliginosa with geographic structuring and admixture in the Pontic Mts., which highlights this area as a significant hotspot of biodiversity not only at the species level but also at the level of genetic variation. Due to the common misinterpretation of the species treated here, we revise their distributional data, provide details on their morphological differentiation, and present an identification key. The study highlights the evolutionary importance of Anatolian mountains, which promote speciation, favour accumulation of diversity, and serve as a meeting place of colonization routes.
A phylogeny of Cereus (Cactaceae) and the placement and description of two new species
Authors: Taylor Nigel P. , Zappi Daniela C. , Romeiro‐Brito Monique , Telhe Milena C. , Franco Fernando F. , Moraes Evandro M.
Published: November 2023

A new study of the phylogeny of Cereus investigates generic monophyly and previous subgeneric classification. A coalescent approach was used to assess phylogenetic relationships among Cereus species based on nuclear orthologous genes captured by the Cactaceae591 probe set. The analysis included two unusual new taxa from eastern and northern Brazil to ascertain their position within the genus. Amongst the additional taxa, one was found to be early derived to the Atlantic Forest and coastal Cereus species and is described as C. ingens. Its imposing habit, considerably broader flower, yellow fruits and large seeds differentiate it from other Cereus species, and its inland agreste forest habitat in Minas Gerais and Bahia leads it to be categorized as Endangered, as little remains of this vegetation type. A second new species, C. gerardi, is described from the state of Tocantins (northern Brazil). Vegetatively this taxon is remarkable for resembling members of Pilosocereus, but has typical Cereus flowers, matching those of the type of the genus, C. hexagonus. The definition and relationships of the genus within the tribe Cereeae were made more evident, partly recovering three of the four pre‐existing subgenera.
Recent Development of Electrolytes for Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries (Aorfbs): Current Status, Challenges, and Prospects
Authors: Mansha Muhammad , Ayub Asif , Khan Ibad Ali , Ali Shahid , Alzahrani Atif Saeed , Khan Majad , Arshad Muhammad , Rauf Abdul , Akram Khan Safyan
Published: November 2023

In recent years, aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) have attracted considerable attention due to advancements in grid‐level energy storage capacity research. These batteries offer remarkable benefits, including outstanding capacity retention, excellent cell performance, high energy density, and cost‐effectiveness. The organic electrolytes in AORFBs exhibit adjustable redox potentials and tunable solubilities in water. Previously, various types of organic electrolytes, such as quinones, organometallic complexes, viologens, redox‐active polymers, and organic salts, were extensively investigated for their electrochemical performance and stability. This study presents an overview of recently published novel organic electrolytes for AORFBs in acidic, alkaline, and neutral environments. Furthermore, it delves into the current status, challenges, and prospects of AORFBs, highlighting different strategies to overcome these challenges, with special emphasis placed on their design, composition, functionalities, and cost. A brief techno‐economic analysis of various aqueous RFBs is also outlined, considering their potential scalability and integration with renewable energy systems.
Evodiamine attenuates oxidative stress and ferroptosis by inhibiting the MAPK signaling to improve bortezomib‐induced peripheral neurotoxicity
Authors: Tang Yunlong , Gu Weiying , Cheng Lingling
Published: November 2023

Background

Bortezomib (BTZ) is a commonly used antitumor drug, but its peripheral neuropathy side effect poses a limitation on its dosage. Evodiamine (EVO) exhibits various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and anticancer effects. The purpose of this investigation is to confirm the impact of EVO on BTZ‐induced peripheral neurotoxicity.

Methods

GeneCards and HERB were applied to analyze the targets of peripheral neurotoxicity and EVO. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enrichment analysis of the hub genes were identified by DAVID. Rat dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGs) and rat RSC96 Schwann cells (SCs) were treated with BTZ to simulate peripheral neurotoxicity. BTZ‐induced peripheral neurotoxicity was assessed by detecting cell viability, proliferation, oxidative stress, and ferroptosis in DRGs and SCs. The mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling was scrutinized by Western blot assay.

Results

The Venn diagram for the overlapping targets of EVO and peripheral neurotoxicity showed that EVO might regulate peripheral neurotoxicity by influencing cell oxidative stress, ferroptosis, and MAPK signaling pathway. EVO attenuated BTZ‐induced toxicity in DRGs and SCs. EVO attenuated BTZ‐induced oxidative stress damage in DRGs and SCs by reducing reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde levels and enhancing glutathione level. EVO attenuated BTZ‐induced ferroptosis in DRGs and SCs. EVO inhibited BTZ‐induced activation of the MAPK signaling in DRGs and SCs. Activation of the MAPK signaling reversed the neuroprotective effect of EVO on BTZ‐induced oxidative stress injury and ferroptosis.

Conclusion

EVO attenuated oxidative stress and ferroptosis by inhibiting the MAPK signaling to improve BTZ‐induced peripheral neurotoxicity.
No evidence of association between inherited thrombophilia and increased risk of liver fibrosis
Authors: Ezcurra Iranzu , Puente Ángela , Cuadrado Antonio , Tamayo Ibai , Iruzubieta Paula , Arias‐Loste María Teresa , González Francisco José , Pellón Raúl , Sánchez Sara , Crespo Juan , Acebo Mercedes , López‐Hoyos Marcos , Pérez Rocío , Cuesta Amalia , Antón Ángela , Echavarría Víctor , Fábrega Emilio , Crespo Javier , Fortea Jose Ignacio
Published: November 2023

Background

Preliminary evidence suggests that inherited hypercoagulable disorders can lead to an increased risk of significant liver fibrosis.

Objective

We aimed to investigate the prevalence of significant fibrosis in patients with inherited thrombophilia, assessed by using liver stiffness (LS), and to compare this prevalence to that found in a large population‐based cohort from the same region.

Methods

This was a single‐center, cross‐sectional study. A complete laboratory analysis for liver disease, LS by transient elastography and an abdominal ultrasound were performed in patients with inherited thrombophilia diagnosed between May 2013‐February 2017. These patients were propensity score matched (ratio 1:4) with a population‐based cohort from the same region (PREVHEP‐ETHON study; NCT02749864; N = 5988).

Results

Of 241 patients with inherited thrombophilia, eight patients (3.3%) had significant fibrosis (LS ≥8 kPa). All of them had risk factors for liver disease and met diagnostic criteria for different liver diseases. After matching 221 patients with thrombophilia with 884 patients of the PREVHEP‐ETHON cohort, the prevalence of significant fibrosis was similar between both cohorts (1.8% vs. 3.6%, p = 0.488). Multivariate analysis showed that age and liver disease risk factors, but not belonging to the thrombophilia cohort, were associated with the presence of significant fibrosis. The magnitude of the increased risk of significant fibrosis in patients with risk factors for liver disease was also similar in both cohorts.

Conclusions

Our findings do not provide evidence supporting an association between inherited thrombophilia and an increased risk of significant liver fibrosis, independent of the presence of liver‐related causes of fibrosis.
Accuracy of portable ultrasound machines for obstetric biometry
Authors: Rittenhouse K. J. , Vwalika B. , Sebastião Y. , Pokaprakarn T. , Sindano N. , Shah H. , Stringer E. M. , Kasaro M. P. , Cole S. R. , Stringer J. S. A. , Price J. T.
Published: November 2023

Objective

To evaluate the accuracy of two portable ultrasound machines (PUM) in assessing fetal biometry and estimated gestational age (EGA).

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of data from the Fetal Age Machine Learning Initiative, an observational study of pregnant women in the USA and Zambia. Each participant underwent ultrasound assessment by an experienced sonographer using both a high‐specification ultrasound machine (HSUM) and a PUM (Butterfly iQ or Clarius C3) to measure fetal biometry and calculate EGA at each visit. By comparing paired PUM and HSUM scans, we estimated agreement between individual biometry measurements and aggregate gestational age estimates by reporting mean difference, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman plots, adjusting for trend.

Results

Between April and December 2021, 818 participants contributed 1386 paired PUM–HSUM ultrasound investigations, of which 991 PUM scans were obtained using the Butterfly iQ device and 395 using the Clarius C3 device. Gestational age at scan ranged from 7 to 38 weeks. Compared with HSUM, the Butterfly iQ PUM had a mean difference of −0.20 (95% CI, −0.60 to 0.20) days in the first trimester and −0.68 (95% CI, −0.93 to −0.44) days in the second/third trimesters. Compared with HSUM, the Clarius C3 PUM had a mean difference of −0.47 (95% CI, −1.11 to 0.18) days in the first trimester and −1.67 (95% CI, −2.10 to −1.25) days in the second/third trimesters. ICCs were 0.989 or greater throughout. Increasing gestational age was associated with increasing error and absolute error in EGA and fetal biometry. Both PUM devices demonstrated a modest trend toward underestimation of EGA with advancing gestational age in second/third‐trimester scans, compared with HSUM.

Conclusion

The Butterfly iQ and Clarius C3 PUM devices were highly accurate in performing fetal biometry in a diverse population from the USA and Zambia. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Characterisation of cataracts and other ophthalmic findings in various species of captive penguins
Authors: González‐Alonso‐Alegre Elisa M. , Martínez‐Nevado Eva , de Quadros Lino Pérez , de la Riva‐Fraga Manuel , Rodríguez‐Álvaro Alfonso
Published: November 2023

Background

The identification of ophthalmic diseases that affect vision and/or cause discomfort should be a priority in captive penguins to improve their overall health and quality of life.

Methods

A routine ophthalmological examination was performed on 80 clinically normal penguins (160 eyes), and any lesions observed were recorded.

Results

Ocular lesions were frequent (56% of penguins), with cataracts being the most common (48.8% of penguins). Cortical cataracts (63% of eyes) and posterior subcapsular cataracts (27.4%) were the most commonly occurring. All maturation stages were found; incipient cataracts (52.1% of eyes with cataracts) were predominant, while Morgagnian cataracts (8.2%) were the least frequent. A correlation existed between lenticular changes and increasing age. Uveitis was present in 43.8% of eyes with cataracts, and ectropion uveae was the predominant clinical sign. Other ocular findings included blepharitis (3.8% of all eyes), corneal leukoma (5.6%) and posterior lens subluxation (7.5%).

Limitations

The small number of birds of some species prevented the comparison of ophthalmic findings between species.

Conclusion

This study corroborates the high prevalence of ocular lesions in captive penguins. Cataracts were frequent and age related. Most cataracts were cortical, and the predominant maturation stage was incipient. Lens‐induced uveitis was a common finding. Lowered intraocular pressure was related to cataract formation.
Abdominal ultrasound features and reference values in healthy guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)
Authors: Gómez Martin Noemi , Domínguez Miño Elisabet , García de Carellán Alejandra , Vilalta Solé Laura
Published: November 2023

Background

This study aimed to determine the ultrasonographic features and reference values of the abdominal anatomy in guinea pigs.

Methods

A complete abdominal ultrasonographic examination was performed in 20 adults and 20 young guinea pigs. The thickness of the wall of the gallbladder, stomach, duodenum, caecum, colon and urinary bladder (UB) was measured. Also, the adrenal glands (AGs) (width of the cranial and caudal poles, length), kidneys (length, width, height), ovaries (length, width), testes (length, width), uterus (width) and seminal glands (width) and the thickness of the spleen and pancreas were measured. All the measurements were compared between age groups and sexes.

Results

The liver, gallbladder, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, UB, AGs and great vessels were clearly visualised in all the guinea pigs. No significant statistical differences were found between the sexes, but there were statistically significant differences in the size of the kidneys, AGs, pancreas, spleen and reproductive organs between age groups. No significant differences in the wall thickness of the digestive system, gallbladder and UB were observed between groups.

Limitations

The main limitation of this study is the lack of gross anatomical or histological correlation.

Conclusions

The results of this study support the use of ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool in guinea pigs and provide reference values for the abdominal organs of this species.
Improving evapotranspiration computation with electrical resistivity tomography in a maize field
Authors: Chou Chunwei , Peruzzo Luca , Falco Nicola , Hao Zhao , Mary Benjamin , Wang Jiannan , Wu Yuxin
Published: November 2023

Hydrogeophysical methods have been increasingly used to study subsurface soil–water dynamics, yet their application beyond the soil compartment or the quantitative link to soil hydraulic properties remains limited. To examine how these methods can inform model‐based evapotranspiration (ET) calculation under varying soil water conditions, we conducted a pilot‐scale field study at an experimental maize plot with manipulated irrigation treatments. Our goal was to develop a workflow for (1) acquiring and inverting field electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data, (2) correlating ERT to soil hydraulic properties, (3) spatially characterizing soil water stress that feeds into ET modeling (the FAO‐56 model), and (4) evaluating the performance of ERT‐based ET computation. Our results showed that ERT was able to capture decimeter‐scale soil water content (SWC) dynamics from root water uptake and irrigation manipulation and the contrast of soil water stress between deficiently and fully irrigated maize. We also demonstrated the flexibility of using ERT to spatially integrate soil water stress in the soil volume of interest, which could be adjusted based on different crops and plot layouts. The integration of the ERT datasets into ET modeling provided insights into the spatial heterogeneity of the subsurface that has been challenging for point‐based sensing, which can further our understanding of the hydraulic dynamics in the soil‐plant‐atmosphere continuum.
Varieties of approaches to constructing physical climate storylines: A review
Authors: Baldissera Pacchetti Marina , Coulter Liese , Dessai Suraje , Shepherd Theodore G. , Sillmann Jana , Van Den Hurk Bart
Published: November 2023

The physical climate storyline (PCS) approach is increasingly recognized by the physical climate research community as a tool to produce and communicate decision‐relevant climate risk information. While PCS is generally understood as a single concept, different varieties of the approach are applied according to the aims and purposes of the PCS and the scientists that build them. To unpack this diversity of detail, this article gives an overview of key practices and assumptions of the PCS approach as developed by physical climate scientists, as well as their ties to similar approaches developed by the broader climate risk and adaptation research community. We first examine varieties of PCSs according to the length of the causal chain they explore, and the type of evidence used. We then describe how they incorporate counterfactual elements and the temporal perspective. Finally, we examine how value judgments are implicitly or explicitly included in the aims and construction of PCSs. We conclude the discussion by suggesting that the PCS approach can further mature in the way it incorporates the narrative element, in the way it incorporates value judgments, and in the way that the evidence chosen to build PCSs constrains what is considered plausible.

This article is categorized under:

Assessing Impacts of Climate Change > Scenario Development and Application

Climate, History, Society, Culture > Technological Aspects and Ideas

Paleoclimates and Current Trends > Modern Climate Change
Method for estimating the future annual mass of decommissioned wind turbine blade material in Denmark
Authors: Bech Abrahamsen Asger , Beauson Justine , Wilhelm Lund Kristine , Skov Madsen Erik , Philipp Rudolph David , Pagh Jensen Jonas
Published: November 2023

A model of the evolution of the onshore wind turbine blade mass installed in Denmark is proposed described by a Weibull distribution, and the age of the blades is estimated from decommissioning data to
= 29 years when half of the blade mass of an installation year has been decommissioned. This is considerably longer than the 20 year design lifetime of onshore turbines, which is often assumed to be an estimate of the End‐of‐Life of turbine blades. Thus, blade waste predictions using the simple assumption may predict that installed blade masses are entering recycling processes about 9 years sooner that what is observed in Denmark. The blade mass for decommissioning in Denmark is estimated to peak at 2000 and 5000 ton/year in 2028 and 2045 using the Weibull model.
Hydroxyl radical‐driven transformations of bisphenol A and 2,4‐dinitroanisole: Experimental and computational analysis
Authors: Schober Jaya Das , Burdsall Adam C. , Searcy Troy , Hart Jeffry , Shade Megan , Harper Willie F.
Published: November 2023

This study used experimental and computational analysis to investigate the advanced oxidation of bisphenol A (BPA) and 2,4‐dinitroanisole (DNAN). The pseudo first‐order reaction rate constants depended on the molar peroxide ratio and were between 0.13 and 0.28 min−1 for BPA and between 0.018 and 0.032 min−1 for DNAN. The kinetic differences appear to be due in part to the energy requirements for oxidation, which depended on the reaction mechanism but were typically lower for BPA than they were for DNAN. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to develop transformation pathways that included experimentally‐detected byproducts. The most energetically favored pathway for BPA oxidation begins with the formation of hydroxylated derivatives, while for DNAN, the most energetically favorable degradation pathway begins with the substitution of the methoxy group. Overall, these findings demonstrate the power of combining experimental and computational tools to reveal transformation mechanisms during water treatment.

Practitioner Points

Advanced oxidation transformations for two emerging water pollutants, bisphenol A and dinitroanisole, was investigated.

The observed reaction kinetics depended on molar peroxide ratio in a manner that is in keeping with previous findings.

Density functional theory‐based analysis revealed reaction energy requirements and degradation pathways.
Fates and functions of RNA‐binding proteins under stress
Authors: Goswami Binita , Nag Sharanya , Ray Partho Sarothi
Published: November 2023

Exposure to stress activates a well‐orchestrated set of changes in gene expression programs that allow the cell to cope with and adapt to the stress, or undergo programmed cell death. RNA–protein interactions, mediating all aspects of post‐transcriptional regulation of gene expression, play crucial roles in cellular stress responses. RNA‐binding proteins (RBPs), which interact with sequence/structural elements in RNAs to control the steps of RNA metabolism, have therefore emerged as central regulators of post‐transcriptional responses to stress. Following exposure to a variety of stresses, the dynamic alterations in the RNA‐protein interactome enable cells to respond to intracellular or extracellular perturbations by causing changes in mRNA splicing, polyadenylation, stability, translation, and localization. As RBPs play a central role in determining the cellular proteome both qualitatively and quantitatively, it has become increasingly evident that their abundance, availability, and functions are also highly regulated in response to stress. Exposure to stress initiates a series of signaling cascades that converge on post‐translational modifications (PTMs) of RBPs, resulting in changes in their subcellular localization, association with stress granules, extracellular export, proteasomal degradation, and RNA‐binding activities. These alterations in the fate and function of RBPs directly impact their post‐transcriptional regulatory roles in cells under stress. Adopting the ubiquitous RBP HuR as a prototype, three scenarios illustrating the changes in nuclear‐cytoplasmic localization, RNA‐binding activity, export and degradation of HuR in response to inflammation, genotoxic stress, and heat shock depict the complex and interlinked regulatory mechanisms that control the fate and functions of RBPs under stress.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein‐RNA Interactions: Functional Implications
Entropy study of electromagnetohydrodynamic trihybrid nanofluid flow within non‐uniform peristaltic across microchannel
Authors: Elsaid Essam M. , Sayed Amir A. M. , Abdel‐wahed Mohamed S.
Published: November 2023

In this work, an inspection of the entropy generation of ternary nanofluids inside an irregular peristaltic channel resulting from heat transfer and fluid viscosity in addition to the combined effects of electric and magnetic fields is conducted. The flow is supposed to be subject to a combination of external forces such as an electric field, a magnetic field, thermal radiation, and Joule heating due to the Lorentz force. This model is a representation of the heat transfer processes of heat exchangers and some types of solar cells. Variation in channel width is an effective factor that has not been addressed by many researchers before, these assumptions are simulated by a set of nonlinear partial differential equations due to the dual effect of electric and magnetic forces and under the influence of special boundary conditions. This set of equations has been converted to non‐dimensional equations and then solved analytically to study the behavior of velocities, heat transfer, and the rate of entropy generation inside the channel under the influence of important embedded parameters. Some notable results have been reached, such as a clear growth of the entropy generation system by using more than one type of nanoparticle as a result of the improvement that occurs in the thermal and magnetic conductivity of the fluid, in addition to the increase in viscosity. The irreversibility resulting from friction and the electric and magnetic fields clearly rises in the middle and diminishes at the walls compared to the irreversibility resulting from thermal transfer.
In Conversation with Max Liboiron: Towards an Everyday, Anticolonial Feminist Science (Education) Practice
Authors: Liboiron Max , Higgins Marc , Tolbert Sara
Published: November 2023

This interview with Max Liboiron took place over Zoom in May 2022. Marc Higgins and Sara Tolbert (interviewers) have been interested in Max’s work on anticolonial and feminist science as well as the work of the CLEAR Lab, and the implications for science education. They invited Max to participate in this online dialogue about these topics, among others. In the conversation that is edited and transcribed in this chapter, Max elaborates on what it means to do and teach anticolonial, feminist, and land-based science.
Conclusion: Amplifying Science Education Research with(in) a Minor Key
Authors: Wallace Maria , Higgins Marc
Published: November 2023

Science educators are invited to consider the always-already capacity of Nature to address some of the persistent dilemmas confronting our work as science educators in this contemporary moment—a minor language. By enacting science education research in a minor tenor (as opposed to majoritarian thought), deterritorialization, political immediacy, and collective enunciation become intentional practices of grappling (as opposed to mere byproducts). Images of what is possible for science education research within a new tenor are illuminated.
What Future Do Young Mozambicans Envision in a Time of Humanitarian and Environmental Crisis?
Authors: Barraza Laura
Published: November 2023

Education for the future provides the opportunity for empowerment, so that individuals can work towards their chosen future. Therefore, images of the future play a crucial role in determining human behaviour and present-day actions, on both the personal and societal levels (Hicks, D., & Holden, C., Visions of the future: Why we need to teach for tomorrow. Trentham Books, 1995). This research, conducted in Mozambique, explores emerging ideas of the future in vulnerable communities, through the discussion of concepts such as resilience, social vulnerability, cultural identity, shifting values and living with uncertainty, as critical elements for the future in a community recently affected by environmental issues. Using feminist standpoint theory, I look at the vision that a community of young Mozambicans have towards the future in light of the current impact of Cyclone Idai.
No asymptotic acceleration without higher-dimensional de Sitter vacua
Authors: Hebecker Arthur , Schreyer Simon , Venken Gerben
Published: November 2023

Abstract

There has recently been considerable interest in the question whether and under which conditions accelerated cosmological expansion can arise in the asymptotic regions of field space of a d-dimensional EFT. We conjecture that such acceleration is impossible unless there exist metastable de Sitter vacua in more than d dimensions. That is, we conjecture that ‘Asymptotic Acceleration Implies de Sitter’ (AA⇒DS). Phrased negatively, we argue that the d-dimensional ‘No Asymptotic Acceleration’ conjecture (a.k.a. the ‘strong asymptotic dS conjecture’) follows from the de Sitter conjecture in more than d dimensions. The key idea is that the relevant field-space asymptotics almost always correspond to decompactification and that the only positive energy contribution which decays sufficiently slowly in this regime is the vacuum energy of a higher-dimensional metastable vacuum. This result is in agreement with recent Swampland bounds on the potential in the asymptotics in field space from e.g. the species bound, but is significantly more constraining. We further note that for our asymptotic decompactification limits based on higher-dimensional de Sitter, the Kaluza-Klein scale always falls below the Hubble scale asymptotically. In fact, this occurs whenever $$ \left|{V}^{\prime}\right|/V\le 2\sqrt{\left(d+k-2\right)/k\left(d-2\right)} $$

V
′

/
V
≤
2

d
+
k
−
2

/
k

d
−
2

asymptotically, with k the number of decompactifying internal directions. This is steeper than what is needed for accelerated expansion.
Seiberg-Witten curves with O7±-planes
Authors: Hayashi Hirotaka , Kim Sung-Soo , Lee Kimyeong , Yagi Futoshi
Published: November 2023

Abstract

We construct Seiberg-Witten curves for 5d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1 gauge theories whose Type IIB 5-brane configuration involves an O7-plane and discuss an intriguing relation between theories with an O7+-plane and those with an O7−-plane and 8 D7-branes. We claim that 5-brane configurations with an O7+-plane can be effectively understood as 5-brane configurations with a set of an O7−-plane and eight D7-branes with some special tuning of their masses such that the D7-branes are frozen at the O7−-plane. We check this equivalence between SU(N) gauge theory with a symmetric hypermultiplet and SU(N) gauge theory with an antisymmetric with 8 fundamentals, and also between SO(2N) gauge theory and Sp(N) gauge theory with eight fundamentals. We also compute the Seiberg-Witten curves for non-Lagrangian theories with a symmetric hypermultiplet, which includes the local ℙ2 theory with an adjoint.
A note on rank 5/2 Liouville irregular block, Painlevé I and the $$ \mathcal{H} $$0 Argyres-Douglas theory
Authors: Poghosyan Hasmik , Poghossian Rubik
Published: November 2023

Abstract

We study 4d type $$ \mathcal{H} $$
H
0 Argyres-Douglas theory in Ω-background by constructing Liouville irregular state of rank 5/2. The results are compared with generalized Holomorphic anomaly approach, which provides order by order expansion in Ω-background parameters ϵ1,2. Another crucial test of our results provides comparison with respect to Painlevé I τ-function, which was expected to be hold in self-dual case ϵ1 = −ϵ2. We also discuss Nekrasov-Shatashvili limit ϵ1 = 0, accessible either by means of deformed Seiberg-Witten curve, or WKB methods.
3d exceptional gauge theories and boundary confinement
Authors: Okazaki Tadashi , Smith Douglas J.
Published: November 2023

Abstract

We find boundary confining dualities of 3d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 supersymmetric gauge theories with exceptional gauge groups. The half-indices which enumerate the boundary BPS local operators in the presence of Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions for gauge fields are identified with the Askey-Wilson type q-beta integrals and Macdonald type sums respectively. New conjectural identities of E6 and E7 integrals and sums are derived from the boundary confining dualities. We also consider theories with a vector multiplet and adjoint chiral, which correspond to an $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 vector multiplet, with appropriate boundary conditions. We argue for the boundary confinement of the $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 vector multiplet and comment on such theories also with classical gauge groups.
The Hypervariable Tpr Multigene Family of Theileria Parasites, Defined by a Conserved, Membrane-Associated, C-Terminal Domain, Includes Several Copies with Defined Orthology Between Species
Authors: Palmateer Nicholas C. , Munro James B. , Nagaraj Sushma , Crabtree Jonathan , Pelle Roger , Tallon Luke , Nene Vish , Bishop Richard , Silva Joana C.
Published: November 2023

Multigene families often play an important role in host-parasite interactions. One of the largest multigene families in Theileria parva, the causative agent of East Coast fever, is the T. parva repeat (Tpr) gene family. The function of the putative Tpr proteins remains unknown. The initial publication of the T. parva reference genome identified 39 Tpr family open reading frames (ORFs) sharing a conserved C-terminal domain. Twenty-eight of these are clustered in a central region of chromosome 3, termed the “Tpr locus”, while others are dispersed throughout all four nuclear chromosomes. The Tpr locus contains three of the four assembly gaps remaining in the genome, suggesting the presence of additional, as yet uncharacterized, Tpr gene copies. Here, we describe the use of long-read sequencing to attempt to close the gaps in the reference assembly of T. parva (located among multigene families clusters), characterize the full complement of Tpr family ORFs in the T. parva reference genome, and evaluate their evolutionary relationship with Tpr homologs in other Theileria species. We identify three new Tpr family genes in the T. parva reference genome and show that sequence similarity among paralogs in the Tpr locus is significantly higher than between genes outside the Tpr locus. We also identify sequences homologous to the conserved C-terminal domain in five additional Theileria species. Using these sequences, we show that the evolution of this gene family involves conservation of a few orthologs across species, combined with gene gains/losses, and species-specific expansions.
Boundedness Through Nonlocal Dampening Effects in a Fully Parabolic Chemotaxis Model with Sub and Superquadratic Growth
Authors: Chiyo Yutaro , Düzgün Fatma Gamze , Frassu Silvia , Viglialoro Giuseppe
Published: November 2023

This work deals with a chemotaxis model where an external source involving a sub and superquadratic growth effect contrasted by nonlocal dampening reaction influences the motion of a cell density attracted by a chemical signal. We study the mechanism of the two densities once their initial configurations are fixed in bounded impenetrable regions; in the specific, we establish that no gathering effect for the cells can appear in time provided that the dampening effect is strong enough. Mathematically, we are concerned with this problem $$\begin{aligned} {\left\{ \begin{array}{ll} u_t=\Delta u-\chi \nabla \cdot (u\nabla v)+au^\alpha -bu^\alpha \int _\Omega u^\beta &{}\textrm{in}\ \Omega \times (0, T_{max}),\\ \tau v_t=\Delta v-v+u &{}\textrm{in}\ \Omega \times (0, T_{max}),\\ u_\nu =v_\nu =0 &{}\textrm{on}\ \partial \Omega \times (0, T_{max}),\\ u(x, 0)=u_0(x)\ge 0, v(x,0)=v_0(x)\ge 0, &{}x \in {\bar{\Omega }}, \end{array}\right. } \quad {\Diamond } \end{aligned}$$

u
t

=
Δ
u
-
χ
∇
·

(
u
∇
v
)

+
a

u
α

-
b

u
α

∫
Ω

u
β

in

Ω
×
(
0
,

T

max

)
,

τ

v
t

=
Δ
v
-
v
+
u

in

Ω
×
(
0
,

T

max

)
,

u
ν

=

v
ν

=
0

on

∂
Ω
×
(
0
,

T

max

)
,

u

(
x
,
0
)

=

u
0

(
x
)

≥
0
,
v

(
x
,
0
)

=

v
0

(
x
)

≥
0
,

x
∈

Ω

¯

,

◊

for $$\tau =1$$

τ
=
1

, $$n\in {\mathbb {N}}$$

n
∈
N

, $$\chi ,a,b>0$$

χ
,
a
,
b
>
0

and $$\alpha , \beta \ge 1$$

α
,
β
≥
1

. Herein u stands for the population density, v for the chemical signal and $$T_{max}$$

T

max

for the maximal time of existence of any nonnegative classical solution (u, v) to system ($$\Diamond $$
◊
). We prove that despite any large-mass initial data $$u_0$$

u
0

, whenever

(The subquadratic case) $$1\le \alpha <2 \quad \text {and} \quad \beta >\frac{n+4}{2}-\alpha ,$$

1
≤
α
<
2

and

β
>

n
+
4

2

-
α
,

(The superquadratic case) $$\beta >\frac{n}{2} \quad \text {and} \quad 2\le \alpha < 1+ \frac{2\beta }{n},$$

β
>

n
2

and

2
≤
α
<
1
+

2
β

n

,

actually $$T_{max}=\infty $$

T

max

=
∞

and u and v are uniformly bounded. This paper is in line with the result in Bian et al. (Nonlinear Anal 176:178–191, 2018), where the same conclusion is established for the simplified parabolic-elliptic version of model ($$\Diamond $$
◊
), corresponding to $$\tau =0$$

τ
=
0

; more exactly, this work extends the study to the fully parabolic case Bian et al. (Nonlinear Anal 176:178–191, 2018).
A clinical perspective on imaging in juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Authors: Tarsia Maria , Zajc Avramovič Mojca , Gazikalović Ana , Ključevšek Damjana , Avčin Tadej
Published: November 2023

In recent years, imaging has become increasingly important to confirm diagnosis, monitor disease activity, and predict disease course and outcome in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Over the past few decades, great efforts have been made to improve the quality of diagnostic imaging and to reach a consensus on which methods and scoring systems to use. However, there are still some critical issues, and the diagnosis, course, and management of JIA are closely related to clinical assessment. This review discusses the main indications for conventional radiography (XR), musculoskeletal ultrasound (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), while trying to maintain a clinical perspective. The diagnostic-therapeutic timing at which one or the other method should be used, depending on the disease/patient phenotype, will be assessed, considering the main advantages and disadvantages of each imaging modality according to the currently available literature. Some brief clinical case scenarios on the most frequently and severely involved joints in JIA are also presented.

Graphical abstract
Heliconiini butterflies as a case study in evolutionary cognitive ecology: behavioural innovation and mushroom body expansion
Authors: Young Fletcher J. , Montgomery Stephen H.
Published: November 2023

The evolutionary relationships between ecology, cognition, and neurobiology remain elusive, despite important contributions from functional studies and comparative analyses. Recently, Heliconius butterflies and their Heliconiini allies have emerged as a promising system for investigating the evolution and ecology of cognition. In Heliconius, regions of the brain involved in learning and memory, called the mushroom bodies, have quadrupled in size and contain up to 8 times more neurons than closely related genera. This expansion, largely driven by increased dedication to processing visual input, occurred relatively recently (~12–18 Ma) and coincides with the evolution of a novel foraging behaviour — trapline foraging between pollen resources, which provide an adult source of amino acids. Behavioural experiments show that, relative to other Heliconiini, Heliconius exhibit superior visual long-term memory and non-elemental learning, behaviours which have putative relevance for visual learning during traplining, while exhibiting no differences in shape learning or reversal learning. These cognitive differences are also associated with changes in the plastic response of the mushroom body to learning and experience. Heliconius thus constitute a clear example of a suite of neural adaptations that coincides with a novel behaviour reliant on distinct cognitive shifts. We highlight the Heliconiini as a well-positioned, developing case study in cognitive ecology and evolution, where there is the possibility of synthesising comparative neuroanatomical, developmental and behavioural data with extensive genomic resources. This would provide a rich dataset linking genes, brains, behaviour, and ecology, and offer key insights into the mechanisms and selective pressures shaping the evolution of interspecific cognitive variation.