bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increasing intergovernmental coordination to fight crime: evidence from Mexico
Authors: Alcocer Marco
Published: September 2024

Latin America is the most violent region in the world, with many countries also suffering from high levels of criminality and the presence of powerful criminal organizations. Identifying government responses that improve citizen security is imperative. Existing research argues that improving intergovernmental coordination helps the state combat criminality, but has limited its analysis to political factors that affect coordination. I study the impact of increasing intergovernmental coordination between law enforcement agencies. Using the generalized synthetic control method, original data on the staggered implementation of a police reform that increased intergovernmental police coordination and detailed data on criminal organizations and criminality in Guanajuato, Mexico, I find that the reform weakened criminal organizations and reduced violent crime, but increased violence.
Turcophile, Religious Zealot, and Rebel: The Hungarian Noble Pál Szepessy's Encounters with Grand Vizier Ahmed Köprülü (1661–76)
Authors: Michels Georg B.
Published: September 2024

Pál Szepessy (1636–1685), a Calvinist noble, dedicated his life to the goal of turning Habsburg Hungary into an Ottoman vassal state. He spent much time in the Ottoman world, met with Grand Vizier Ahmed Köprülü (r. 1661–76) on at least four occasions, and regularly visited other Ottoman dignitaries. Szepessy outlined the traumatic effects of Habsburg military occupation and Counter-Reformation on Hungarian society. He was driven by the conviction that God had chosen the Ottomans as his avengers to liberate Hungary from the yoke of the Austrian Antichrist. Szepessy won Köprülü's support for armed uprisings and a guerilla war against the Habsburgs. He also influenced the grand vizier's decision to end the Polish-Ottoman war (1672–76) and turn the Ottoman army against the Habsburg Empire. When Köprülü died in November 1676, the blueprints for Habsburg Hungary's defection to the Ottoman Empire were already in place. They were reactivated by Kara Mustafa in 1682–83. Szepessy's initiatives (and similar efforts by other Hungarians) have been ignored by scholarship; their traces remain dispersed in the Austrian and Hungarian archives. My research draws on Szepessy's appeals to Köprülü; his correspondence with fellow Protestant nobles, family, and Transylvanian supporters; reports of Habsburg spies; dispatches of Habsburg residents at the Porte; and deliberations of the Habsburg War Council. Taken together these sources open a window on the life of an important trans-imperial subject whose life throws into question the clash of civilizations narrative that still dominates much of Habsburg and Central European historical studies.
Introduction
Authors: Yılmaz Yasir
Published: September 2024

The Third International Süleymaniye Symposium explored the Köprülü Era (1656-1710) in Ottoman history, emphasizing new sources and approaches. Scholars from Turkey, Europe, and the U.S. convened to examine the Köprülü grand viziers’ careers and times. In the current special focus section, Yasir Yılmaz, Halef Cevrioğlu, Elizabeth Lobenwein, Georg B. Michels, and Christopher Whitehead offer innovative perspectives, drawing on brand new archival material. We advocate for a comparative approach to the Ottoman grand vizierate, highlight the significance of Habsburg archives in Ottomanist scholarship, debunk new short-term and long-term historical dimensions in the making of the family, and ask new questions about how we should interpret the Köprülü expansionism.
LEGAL PERSONS AND THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY
Authors: Descheemaeker Eric
Published: September 2024

This article examines what the state of the law regarding the tortious protection of the privacy of corporations tells us about the concept of a legal person. Given that non-human persons are capable of having an interest in at least their informational privacy, logic would seem to dictate that they should be recognised such a right protecting their personality. In reality, the law is most hesitant to concede the right to privacy to non-natural persons (the same being true of reputation). This suggests that, for the dominant strand of the law at least, despite the rhetoric, legal persons do not really have rights of personality; in other words, that they are not really persons.
Can ocean heat content regulate Indian summer monsoon rainfall?
Authors: Wang Yue , Wang Xingxing , Zhang Shuai , Chen Guo , Wu Daoyu , Deng Hang , Tang Minsha , Dang Haowen , Jian Zhimin
Published: September 2024

Modern studies suggest that the upper ocean heat content (OHC) in the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) is a better qualitative predictor of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR). But it is still unknown how the OHC is mechanically linked to ISMR and whether it can be applied to long-term climate changes. By analyzing reanalysis datasets across the 20th century, we illustrate that in contrast to those anomalies associated with stronger ISM westerlies, higher ISMR is accompanied with summer surface high pressure and east wind anomalies from the South China Sea to the Bay of Bengal (BOB), and is loosely related to increased western TIO OHC during decayed phases of positive Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) and of El Niño. Except for 1944–1968 AD, this interannually lagged ISMR response to winter OHC is insignificant, probably suppressed by those simultaneous effects of positive IOD and El Niño on ISMR. In our paleoclimatic simulations, this modern observed lagged response is interrupted by seasonally reversed insolation anomalies at the 23,000-year precessional band. Our sensitivity experiments further prove that, the ISMR can be simultaneously reduced by positive IOD-like summer OHC anomalies both for modern and precessional situations. This damping effect is mainly contributed by the warmer western TIO that triggers anomalous surface high pressure, easterly winds, and drastically reduced rainfall from BOB to Arabian Peninsula, but with slightly increased rainfall in the northern ISM region. And the cooler southeastern TIO will only moderately increase rainfall in the southern ISM region.
Low-high latitude forcing on the East Asian winter monsoon evolution since the last glacial maximum
Authors: Zhao Debo , Wan Shiming , Zhou Xinquan , Jiang Shoushu , Li Anchun
Published: September 2024

The East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) has a profound effect on the winter climate in East Asia. The modern EAWM variability is tightly linked to the high-latitude Northern Hemisphere climate change through the Siberian High and can also be regulated by the low-latitude El Niño-Southern Oscillation through oceanic or atmospheric teleconnections. However, the Quaternary EAWM evolution has long been only attributed to the high-latitude climate change, resulting in the uncertainty in interpreting the out-of-phased EAWM variation recording in the East Asian continent and marginal seas. Here we presented a sediment record at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1427 in the southern Japan Sea to reconstruct the EAWM evolution since the last glacial maximum. By combining our record with previous reconstructions and simulations, we found the synchronous relationship between winter monsoon in northern and southern regions of East Asia from ∼24 to 8 ka, but anti-correlated relationship since ∼8 ka. We proposed the winter insolation and Atlantic meridional overturning circulation were the main drivers from last glacial to early Holocene, and then ENSO became a dominant factor in controlling the regional heterogeneity of EAWM evolution in the middle and late Holocene. This research explains much of the controversy in the Quaternary EAWM records and highlights the low-high latitude interaction in East Asian winter climate change.
Mineral chemistry and thermobarometry of Jurassic arc granitoids: implications for petrotectonic and unroofing history of the southern Colombian Andes
Authors: Siachoque Astrid , García-Chinchilla Daniel Alejandro , Zapata Sebastian , Cardona Agustín , Vlach Silvio Roberto Farias , Bustamante Camilo , Chavarría Luisa Fernanda
Published: September 2024

The Jurassic magmatic record in the southern Colombian (Northern Andes) includes numerous subduction-related I-type calc-alkaline granitoids with diverse structures and textures, formed in two main episodes at ∼195 to 165 Ma and ∼165 to 145 Ma. We provide new insights into the mineral chemistry, estimates of intensive parameters and petrogenetic processes of 12 plutonic occurrences in the region, grouped in 4 petrographic associations. Primary mineral assemblages include labradorite-to-oligoclase, alkali feldspars, ferroan enstatite, Mg-rich augite to ferroan-diopside, tschermakite to hastingsite and hornblende and Mg-rich annite; Fe-rich phlogopite and actinolite are post-magmatic phases. Amphibole chemistry indicates that the older (195–165 Ma) Jurassic bodies formed from relatively highly oxidized (fO2 values buffered at −0.1 ≤ NNO ≤ +1.4) hydrous (∼4 to 6 wt % H2O) magmas and their differentiation involves significant crustal assimilation and/or magma mixing, fractional crystallization and late-magmatic re-equilibration processes. In contrast, the younger (165–145 Ma) Jurassic intrusives, derived from subducted-modified mantle sources, record moderately lower oxidized hydrous conditions (fO2 values −0.7 to 0.8 ≤ NNO; ∼5 wt % H2O) with magma evolution mainly controlled by fractional crystallization and late-magmatic re-equilibration processes. Clinopyroxene-only, amphibole-only and amphibole-plagioclase thermobarometry estimations suggest that the Jurassic occurrences crystallized over variable temperature (647°C–1087°C) and pressure (0.7–6.3 kbar) conditions, corresponding to emplacement depths ranging from ∼15, ∼8 to 11, ∼5 to 7 and <4 km along the arc crustal column. The obtained data combined with time evolution allow the identification of exhumed and fragmented arc blocks in the Jurassic magmatic system and provide an essential link between the orogenic deformation event poorly constrained in the Northern Andes.
Control analysis of an underactuated bio-inspired robot
Authors: Testard Nicolas J.S. , Chevallereau Christine , Wenger Philippe
Published: September 2024

This article is devoted to the control of bio-inspired robots that are underactuated. These robots are composed of tensegrity joints remotely actuated with cables, which mimic the musculoskeletal system of the bird neck. A computed torque control (CTC) is applied to these robots as well as an original control called pseudo computed torque control (PCTC). This new control uses the dynamics and the pseudo-inverse of the Jacobian matrix. The stability of the two proposed controls is then analyzed through linearization of the dynamic model and expression of the closed-loop transfer function in the Laplace domain. We show that, depending on the desired trajectory, the CTC can be unstable when the controlled variables are the end effector position and orientation. For a robot with many joints and a limited number of cables, the CTC is always unstable. Instead, the PCTC shows a large domain of stability. The analysis is complemented by experimental tests demonstrating that the CTC and PCTC exhibit similar performance when the CTC is stable. Furthermore, the PCTC maintains stability on trajectories where the CTC becomes unstable, showing robustness to perturbations as well.
The outcomes of imagery-focused interventions in relation to distress in people with delusions: a systematic literature review
Authors: Cairns Aimee J. J. , Taylor Christopher D. J. , Kelly James A.
Published: September 2024

Background:

Imagery-focused therapies within cognitive behavioural therapy are growing in interest and use for people with delusions.

Aims:

This review aimed to examine the outcomes of imagery-focused interventions in people with delusions.

Method:

PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE and CINAHL were systematically searched for studies that included a clinical population with psychosis and delusions who experienced mental imagery. The review was informed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and quality appraisal of all included papers was completed using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool. Information from included texts was extracted and collated in Excel, which informed the narrative synthesis of results.

Results:

Of 2,736 studies identified, eight were eligible for inclusion and rated for quality with an average score of 70.63%. These studies largely supported their aims in reducing levels of distress and intrusiveness of imagery. Four of the eight studies used case series designs, two were randomised controlled trials, and two reported single case studies. It appears that interventions targeting mental imagery were acceptable and well tolerated within a population of people experiencing psychosis and delusions.

Conclusions:

Some therapeutic improvement was reported, although the studies consisted of mainly small sample sizes. Clinical implications include that people with a diagnosis of psychosis can engage with imagery-focused therapeutic interventions with limited adverse events. Future research is needed to tackle existing weaknesses of design and explore the outcomes of imagery interventions within this population in larger samples, under more rigorous methodologies.
Influential Relationship Questionnaire (IRQ): psychometric characteristics of an abbreviated Spanish version
Authors: Vázquez Morejón Antonio J. , López Narbona Marta , Romero González Miguel , Vázquez-Morejón Raquel
Published: September 2024

Background:

The relevance of family relationships in the outcome of various disorders has been highlighted from different domains. Specifically, empirical studies on the relationship between the outcome of schizophrenia and various affective dimensions of family relationships have allowed the identification of particularly relevant aspects: criticism, hostility, and over-protection.

Aims:

The present study aims to adapt and validate an abbreviated Spanish version of the Influential Relationship Questionnaire (IRQ), an instrument that measures the patient’s own perception of the affective dimensions of family relationships.

Method:

Participants were 188 patients (63.8% male) of the Public Health Service in Andalusia (Spain) with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or a related disorder. One hundred and thirty-six participants provided data related to both father and mother, and 52 only related to mother or father, so the analyses were carried out with a total of 324 questionnaires. Simultaneously, in 130 participants, the Perceived Criticism Scale was applied, and in 50 cases, relatives were asked to complete the Family Attitudes Scale.

Results:

Principal component analysis allowed for the identification of four factors that explained 61.53% of the total variance (criticism, over-protection, restriction, and care). The values of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, as well as the omega coefficient, showed high consistency. The temporal reliability for an interval of 3 months was high. The correlations between the IRQ dimensions and the other variables included in the study were significant and in the expected direction.

Conclusions:

The results support the reliability and validity of the abbreviated version of the IRQ.
Vertical specialization, global expansion of supply chain, and convergence
Authors: Beladi Hamid , Marjit Sugata , Oladi Reza , Raei Sepideh
Published: September 2024

In this paper, we construct an elaborate general equilibrium model with a continuum of production fragments for an intermediate good, then incorporate it in a growth model to address the effects of global production fragmentation, vertical specialization, and trade on growth and inequality for a small developing country. Among other things, we show that a small developing economy grows faster than the rest of the world as a result of global fragmentation and trade in intermediates if it is skilled-labor scarce. We further address the effects of such a trade opening on wage inequality.
Elderly care in an aging population: The impact of parental care needs on adult children
Authors: Wang Jue , Youderian Xiaoyan
Published: September 2024

One of the challenges of population aging is the rising demand of elder care. Adult children fill a substantial portion of this care need. To understand its implication on their labor market choices and welfare outcomes, we build a simple static model where households can spend time and money producing care. We calibrate the model using data from the American Community Survey, the Health and Retirement Study, and National Health and Aging Trends Study/National Study of Caregiving to match moments in the labor market and caregiving patterns. With the calibrated model, we consider a few government programs under a projected aging population structure. Our results show that care subsidy and Medicaid expansion both cause a shift from informal care to formal care, relieving adult children from care burdens and thus improving their welfare. Caregiver allowance appears to have little effects on caregiving behaviors, which leads to minimal welfare improvement.
Teenage childbearing and the welfare state
Authors: Di Nola Alessandro , Kocharkov Georgi , Mellert Jan , Wang Haomin
Published: September 2024

Teenage childbearing is a common incident in developed countries. However, teenage births are much more likely in the USA than in any other industrialized country. Most of these births are delivered by female teenagers from low-income families. The hypothesis put forward here is that the welfare state (a set of redistributive institutions) has a significant influence on teenage childbearing behavior. We develop an economic theory of parental investments and the risky sexual behavior of teenagers. The model is estimated to fit stylized facts about income inequality, intergenerational mobility, and the sexual behavior of teenagers in the USA. The welfare state institutions are introduced via tax and public education expenditure functions derived from US data. In a quantitative experiment, we impose Norwegian taxes and education spending in the economic environment. The Norwegian welfare state institutions go a long way in explaining the differences in teenage birth rates between the USA and Norway.
Industry clusters and macroeconomic (in)stability
Authors: Chang Cheng-wei
Published: September 2024

While the competitive behavior of firms with regard to entry and exit activities serves as a driving force behind the business cycle, little attention has been paid to the issue of industry clusters when discussing belief-driven cyclical fluctuations. Faced with this deficiency, this study analyzes the possibility of the emergence of equilibrium indeterminacy from the perspective of industrial organization. By analyzing the effects of endogenous overhead costs in the market, this paper finds that belief-driven business cycle fluctuations are related to industry clusters. More specifically, a stronger spillover effect or a less pronounced congestion effect tends to increase the likelihood of local indeterminacy.
Music of the Clocks and Spheres: Mozart and Haydn's Experiments with Time
Authors: Pesic Peter
Published: September 2024

Compositions for musical clocks made possible a newly objective exploration of the relationship between music and time. Works by George Frideric Handel, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach reflected the absolute and uniform flow of Newtonian time. In contrast, Leopold Mozart's clock music alternated between two different metres and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart used more complex tempo ratios in a musical installation (k608) built around a dramatically illuminated pendulum. Repeated thousands of times, this installation pitted clock against music, in effect providing a new kind of experiment that favoured relative Leibnizian time over uniform Newtonian time. As if responding to k608, Joseph Haydn incorporated his own clock music into his Symphony No. 101 in order to underline, yet then to stop, time, while Schubert's Fantasy in F minor, d940, brought these temporal experiments into a new realm of intimate musical experience.
Genetic analysis of village pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivar populations in northeastern Türkiye
Authors: Çoban Abdulbaki , Değirmenci Funda Ö. , Uluğ Asiye , Ateş Mevlüde Alev , Yüksel Emrah , Eminağaoğlu Özgür , Kaya Zeki
Published: September 2024

Pear (Pyrus communis L.) stands out as a prominent fruit species in temperate regions worldwide. The Çoruh River basin, nestled in the lower Caucasus in Türkiye, serves as a valuable repository of pear germplasm. To elucidate the genetic structure of pear populations in this region, 84 village pear cultivar genotypes (land races) from six villages, sample garden collections (SCC), and wild Panta root stock populations were analysed using eleven microsatellite markers. Genetic diversity and structure analyses indicated that village pear cultivar populations exhibit substantial genetic diversity and admixture. This diversity is attributed to local farming practices such as phenotypic selection and widespread dispersal of clonal materials. The genetic structure analysis, combined with the identification of private alleles, indicates that the pear genetic resources in the Çoruh river basin likely has originated from two gene pool sources, specifically the Meydancık and Camili village pear traditional cultivar populations. The Camili village pear cultivar population as a new in situ genetic reserve site has been proposed. Despite the existence an ex situ conservation site, the study suggests inadequateness of SCC as an ex situ site in capturing the full extent of genetic diversity of village pear cultivar genetic resources. Thus, enriching the genetic diversity in the SCC ex situ site is essential for effective pear genetic resource conservation in the Çoruh river basin. These findings contribute valuable insights for the development of targeted conservation strategies, ensuring the preservation of pear genetic resources in this region.
(How) Would You Continue Working? A Comparison of Responses to the Lottery Question and a Basic Income Question
Authors: Posch Melina , Hüffmeier Joachim , Cevik Ali , John Juliane , Zacher Hannes
Published: September 2024

Abstract: The introduction of a basic income (BI) is a controversial topic. A key psychological question is whether most employees would stop or, as suggested by lottery question research, continue working. We addressed this question through two surveys with 268 and 640 employees, examining their plans regarding working if they won the lottery (lottery question) or received a monthly BI (BI question) as well as their reasons for continuing to work. More than 90 % (Study 1) and more than 80 % (Study 2) of respondents planned to continue working in both scenarios. In response to the BI question, more participants indicated they would continue working as before and fewer planned to pursue a different kind of work or to stop working. Financial reasons to continue working were reported more frequently in response to the BI question. Our findings suggest that the generalizability of lottery question research to the BI is limited, which necessitates specific research on the BI.
Analytic Parameterization of Longwave Optical Properties of Bulk Vegetation Layer Permitting Non‐Zero Leaf Reflectivity and Its Implementation in CLM5
Authors: Gim Hyeon‐Ju , Park Seon Ki
Published: September 2024

For modern land surface models (LSMs) representing a singular bulk vegetation layer, the longwave optical properties (i.e., emissivity, reflectivity, and transmittivity) of vegetation layer are derived with a simplified constraint of assuming zero leaf reflectivity. This constraint is necessary, for instance, to the Beer–Lambert (B–L) law to establish a relationship between the optical properties and leaf area index. However, the simplified constraint leads to an overestimation of land surface emissivity in the vegetated regions. In this study, we introduce a new scheme considering realistic leaf reflectivity values rather than assuming zero. This new scheme is based on the relationship derived from the B–L law, but it is statistically augmented to consider the effects of leaf reflections. It is designed to emulate a multi‐vegetation‐layer numerical model known as the Norman model, which is capable of numerical calculations of multi‐reflections among leaves. This new method consists of only a couple of simple equations; despite its simplicity, it very closely mimics the Norman model; The discrepancy of the results between the new method and the Norman model is less than measurement uncertainties for any combination of input parameters. When the new scheme is implemented in the Community Land Model version 5 (CLM5), the land surface emissivity values are simulated much more consistently with global measurements, resulting in significant alterations of land surface energy budget. The enhanced realism through our new scheme is poised to contribute to more accurate numerical weather and climate simulations.
Two‐Spacecraft Observations of Asymmetric Martian Bow Shock: Conjunctions of Tianwen‐1 and MAVEN
Authors: Cheng Long , Wang Yuming , Lillis Robert , Halekas Jasper , Langlais Benoit , Zhang Tielong , Gruesbeck Jacob R. , Mitchell David L. , Curry Shannon
Published: September 2024

The Martian bow shock has been extensively studied through magnetic field and plasma instrument observations from various Mars space missions. However, prior investigations primarily involve statistical analyses based on single spacecraft crossings, leaving the asymmetry of the Martian bow shock unstudied through simultaneous two‐spacecraft observations. In this study, utilizing simultaneous observations from Tianwen‐1 and MAVEN, we examine the instantaneous asymmetry of the Martian bow shock. We present the asymmetry of the Martian bow shock in the Mars‐Solar‐Electric and Mars‐Solar‐Orbital reference frames, possibly influenced by the solar wind motional electric field and Martian crustal magnetic field, respectively. Moreover, we suggest that the bow shock exhibits increased asymmetry under stronger solar wind motional electric field conditions. This study highlights how a two‐point observation approach offers valuable insights into the dynamic behavior of the Martian induced magnetosphere.
Quantum dots get a bright upgrade
Authors: Ding Fei
Published: September 2024

Developing a bright, deterministic source of entangled photon pairs has been an outstanding scientific and technological challenge. Semiconductor quantum dots are a promising candidate for this task. A new device combining a circular Bragg resonator and a piezoelectric actuator achieves high brightness and entanglement fidelity simultaneously, overcoming previous limitations. This breakthrough enhances quantum dot applications in entanglement-based quantum communication protocols.
Dissociable dorsal medial prefrontal cortex ensembles are necessary for cocaine seeking and fear conditioning in mice
Authors: Liu Shuai , Nawarawong Natalie , Liu Xiaojie , Liu Qing-song , Olsen Christopher M.
Published: September 2024

The dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) plays a dual role in modulating drug seeking and fear-related behaviors. Learned associations between cues and drug seeking are encoded by a specific ensemble of neurons. This study explored the stability of a dmPFC cocaine seeking ensemble over 2 weeks and its influence on persistent cocaine seeking and fear memory retrieval. In the first series of experiments, we trained TetTag c-fos-driven-EGFP mice in cocaine self-administration and tagged strongly activated neurons with EGFP during the initial day 7 cocaine seeking session. Subsequently, a follow-up seeking test was conducted 2 weeks later to examine ensemble reactivation between two seeking sessions via c-Fos immunostaining. In the second series of experiments, we co-injected viruses expressing TRE-cre and a cre-dependent inhibitory PSAM-GlyR into the dmPFC of male and female c-fos-tTA mice to enable “tagging” of cocaine seeking ensemble or cued fear ensemble neurons with inhibitory chemogenetic receptors. These c-fos-tTA mice have the c-fos promoter that drives expression of the tetracycline transactivator (tTA). The tTA can bind to the tetracycline response element (TRE) site on the viral construct, resulting in the expression of cre-recombinase, which enables the expression of cre-dependent inhibitory chemogenetic receptors and fluorescent reporters. Then we investigated ensemble contribution to subsequent cocaine seeking and fear recall during inhibition of the tagged ensemble by administering uPSEM792s (0.3 mg/kg), a selective ligand for PSAM-GlyR. In both sexes, there was a positive association between the persistence of cocaine seeking and the proportion of reactivated EGFP+ neurons within the dmPFC. More importantly, inhibition of the cocaine seeking ensemble suppressed cocaine seeking, but not recall of fear memory, while inhibition of the fear ensemble reduced conditioned freezing but not cocaine seeking. The results demonstrate that cocaine and fear recall ensembles in the dmPFC are stable, but largely exclusive from one another.
Impact of different disinfection protocols on the bond strength of NeoMTA 2 bioceramic sealer used as a root canal apical plug (in vitro study)
Authors: Omar Nada , Kabel Nihal Refaat , Masoud Muhammad Abbass , Hamdy Tamer M.
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Treatment of an immature permanent tooth required a special disinfection protocol due to the presence of thin radicular walls, which are prone to fracture. Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) has been proposed as a root repair material for root canal treatment. The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the push-out bond strength of conventional White MTA cements and second generation NeoMTA 2 in imitated immature roots treated with different disinfection protocols, which are 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), followed by 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and NaOCl, followed by 20% etidronic acid (HEBP).

Methods

The root canals of freshly extracted single-root teeth were manually prepared until 90 K-file to imitate immature roots. Roots were randomly divided into four groups (G) according to the disinfection protocol (n = 15 per group). where G1 (NaOCl + EDTA + White MTA) and G2 (NaOCl + EDTA + NeoMTA 2) While G3 (NaOCl + HEBP + White MTA) and G4 (NaOCl + HEBP + NeoMTA 2) All groups were activated with manual agitation. All specimens were incubated for 48 h. The apical third of each root was perpendicularly sectioned to attain a slice of 3 mm thickness. Push-out bond strength values were assessed using a two-way ANOVA and a Student’s t test.

Results

G3 and G4 that were treated with HEPB showed higher significant push-out bond strength mean values than G1 and G2 treated with an EDTA chelating agent. Irrespective of the chelating agent used, it was found that both NeoMTA 2 and White MTA had no significant influence on push-out bond strength mean values (p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion

The combined use of 5.25% NaOCl and 20% HEBP increased the push-out strength values of both NeoMTA 2 and White MTA, rendering them suitable to be used as an alternative chelating agent to EDTA.
A deep learning method for simultaneous denoising and missing wedge reconstruction in cryogenic electron tomography
Authors: Wiedemann Simon , Heckel Reinhard
Published: September 2024

Cryogenic electron tomography is a technique for imaging biological samples in 3D. A microscope collects a series of 2D projections of the sample, and the goal is to reconstruct the 3D density of the sample called the tomogram. Reconstruction is difficult as the 2D projections are noisy and can not be recorded from all directions, resulting in a missing wedge of information. Tomograms conventionally reconstructed with filtered back-projection suffer from noise and strong artefacts due to the missing wedge. Here, we propose a deep-learning approach for simultaneous denoising and missing wedge reconstruction called DeepDeWedge. The algorithm requires no ground truth data and is based on fitting a neural network to the 2D projections using a self-supervised loss. DeepDeWedge is simpler than current state-of-the-art approaches for denoising and missing wedge reconstruction, performs competitively and produces more denoised tomograms with higher overall contrast.
Phase transition kinetics of superionic H2O ice phases revealed by Megahertz X-ray free-electron laser-heating experiments
Authors: Husband R. J. , Liermann H. P. , McHardy J. D. , McWilliams R. S. , Goncharov A. F. , Prakapenka V. B. , Edmund E. , Chariton S. , Konôpková Z. , Strohm C. , Sanchez-Valle C. , Frost M. , Andriambariarijaona L. , Appel K. , Baehtz C. , Ball O. B. , Briggs R. , Buchen J. , Cerantola V. , Choi J. , Coleman A. L. , Cynn H. , Dwivedi A. , Graafsma H. , Hwang H. , Koemets E. , Laurus T. , Lee Y. , Li X. , Marquardt H. , Mondal A. , Nakatsutsumi M. , Ninet S. , Pace E. , Pepin C. , Prescher C. , Stern S. , Sztuk-Dambietz J. , Zastrau U. , McMahon M. I.
Published: September 2024

H2O transforms to two forms of superionic (SI) ice at high pressures and temperatures, which contain highly mobile protons within a solid oxygen sublattice. Yet the stability field of both phases remains debated. Here, we present the results of an ultrafast X-ray heating study utilizing MHz pulse trains produced by the European X-ray Free Electron Laser to create high temperature states of H2O, which were probed using X-ray diffraction during dynamic cooling. We confirm an isostructural transition during heating in the 26-69 GPa range, consistent with the formation of SI-bcc. In contrast to prior work, SI-fcc was observed exclusively above ~50 GPa, despite evidence of melting at lower pressures. The absence of SI-fcc in lower pressure runs is attributed to short heating timescales and the pressure-temperature path induced by the pump-probe heating scheme in which H2O was heated above its melting temperature before the observation of quenched crystalline states, based on the earlier theoretical prediction that SI-bcc nucleates more readily from the fluid than SI-fcc. Our results may have implications for the stability of SI phases in ice-rich planets, for example during dynamic freezing, where the preferential crystallization of SI-bcc may result in distinct physical properties across mantle ice layers.
Black sand nanoparticles and heat stress impacts the neurological and oxidative stress indices and splenic-renal histology of Clarias gariepinus
Authors: Sayed Alaa El-Din Hamid , Said Rashad E. M. , El-Aal Mohamed Abd , Saad Eman , Kamel Walied A. , Hamed Mohamed
Published: September 2024

In Egypt, while many studies have focused on the radiometry and mineralogy of black sands, research on their effects on nearby aquatic organisms is rare. This study aimed to assess the combined effects of heat stress (HS) and black sand nanoparticles (BS-NPs) on renal function, antioxidant responses (TAC, SOD, CAT), neuro-stress indicators (AchE, cortisol), and to conduct histopathological investigations in the kidney and spleen tissues of African catfish Clarias gariepinus over a 15-day period to exposure to control, HS (32 °C), BS (6.4 g/kg diet) and HS + BS groups. The outcomes revealed that thermal stress alone showed no significant difference from the control. However, creatinine and uric acid levels were significantly higher in the BS-NPs and HS + BS-NPs groups (p < 0.001). Antioxidant markers (TAC, SOD, and CAT) were substantially reduced across all treated groups (0.05 ≥ p < 0.0001). AchE levels were significantly elevated in BS-NPs and HS + BS-NPs (p < 0.001), while cortisol levels were higher in these groups but not significantly different in HS. Degeneration and necrosis in the white and red pulps, scattered lymphocytes, and increased collagen fiber surrounding blood vessels and the lining of the ellipsoid structure were all evident in the spleen, along with the enlargement of the melanomacrophage centers with big granular, irregular, and brown pigments (hemosiderin). Our study, therefore, provides new insights into how heat stress, an abiotic environmental factor, influences the toxicity of black sand nanoparticles in catfish.
Female sex bias in Iberian megalithic societies through bioarchaeology, aDNA and proteomics
Authors: Díaz-Zorita Bonilla Marta , Jiménez Aranda Gonzalo , Sánchez Romero Margarita , Fregel Rosa , Rebay-Salisbury Katharina , Kanz Fabian , Vílchez Suárez Miriam , Robles Carrasco Sonia , Becerra Fuello Paula , Ordónez Alejandra C. , Wolf Michael , González Serrano Javier , Milesi García Lara
Published: September 2024

Uncertainties regarding traditional osteological methods in biological sex estimation can often be overcome with genomic and proteomic analyses. The combination of the three methodologies has been used for a better understanding of the gender-related funerary rituals at the Iberian megalithic cemetery of Panoría. As a result, 44 individuals have been sexed including, for the first time, non-adults. Contrary to the male bias found in many Iberian and European megalithic monuments, the Panoría population shows a clear sex ratio imbalance in favour of females, with twice as many females as males. Furthermore, this imbalance is found regardless of the criterion considered: sex ratio by tomb, chronological period, method of sex estimation, or age group. Biological relatedness was considered as possible sociocultural explanations for this female-related bias. However, the current results obtained for Panoría are indicative of a female-centred social structure potentially influencing rites and cultural traditions.
A colorimetric-aptamer-based assay for the determination of enrofloxacin through triggering the aggregation of gold nanoparticles
Authors: Kong Wei-Chuang , Li Chen-Chen , Zhang Ai-Hong , Li Xin-Long , Gong Qian-Rui , Jin Bing-Tan , Jia Xiao-Juan , Liu Xu-Ying , Kang Yan-Fei
Published: September 2024

We developed a rapid colorimetric method for ENR detection with a 1.72 nM LOD that is applicable to various samples, including water, milk, serum and urine, and integrated it with a smartphone platform for convenient on-site detection.
Rational design of monodispersed Au@Pt core–shell nanostructures with excellent peroxidase-mimicking activity for colorimetric detection of Cr(vi)
Authors: Zhou Taohong , Lin Jin , Jin Fengmei , Yao Yanxing , Li Zhihao , Wang Lihua
Published: September 2024

A core–shell Au@Pt nanozyme-based colorimetric assay was developed for the rapid and sensitive detection of Cr(vi).
Quantification of creatinine in whole blood by a paper-based device using an RGB sensor
Authors: Gautam Neha , Verma Ranjana , Muduli Priya Ranjan , Kar Shantimoy , Sarkar Arnab
Published: September 2024

Creatinine, an important biomarker for renal diseases, can be estimated under point-of-care diagnostics.
Fundamental studies of ruthenium species supported on boron nitride nanotubes: metal loading and pretreatment effects on CO oxidation
Authors: Choi Jinwon , Pophali Amol , Kim Byeongseok , Yoon Kwangsuk , Kim Thomas You-Seok , Song Hocheol , Shim Sang Eun , Kim Jaewoo , Kim Taejin
Published: September 2024

RuOx/BNNT catalysts were prepared with varying metal loadings and under oxidation and reduction conditions. RuOx/BNNT showed superior catalytic activity than Ru/BNNT. The catalyst will be favorable to the ER mechanism over the LH mechanism.
Effect of ligand substituents on the reactivity pathways of copper(ii) complexes towards electrocatalytic water oxidation
Authors: Kuilya Hemrupa , Das Pranjal , Basak Swati , Sarma Debajit , Mazumdar Pradyumna , Choudhury Diganta , Kalita Apurba
Published: September 2024

Electrocatalytic water oxidation activity of copper (ii) complexes with aryl oxime ligands increases with the increasing electron-donating nature of the ligands
Revolutionizing energy storage with advanced reduced graphene oxide-wrapped MnSe@CoSe@FeSe2 nanowires
Authors: Mohammadi Zardkhoshoui Akbar , Hosseiny Davarani Saied Saeed
Published: September 2024

Reduced graphene oxide-wrapped MnSe@CoSe@FeSe2 nanowires are fabricated for supercapacitors.
Enhancing oxygen reaction kinetics in lanthanum nickelate Ruddlesden–Popper electrodes via praseodymium oxide infiltration for solid oxide cells
Authors: Farias Morena B. , Araújo Allan J. M. , Paskocimas Carlos A. , Fagg Duncan P. , Loureiro Francisco J. A.
Published: September 2024

The infiltration of 10 wt% PrOx reduced polarization resistance (Rpol) for La2NiO4+δ and La4Ni3O10−δ oxygen electrodes in solid oxide cells, highlighting its significant impact on electrochemical performance.
Ferroelectricity in CsPb2Nb3O10 and exfoliated 2D nanosheets
Authors: Li Yan , Shimada Masanari , Kobayashi Makoto , Yamamoto Eisuke , Canton-Vitoria Ruben , Liu Xiaoyan , Osada Minoru
Published: September 2024

A new Pb-based perovskite ferroelectric (CsPb2Nb3O10) provides a novel platform for investigating ferroelectric properties in 3D and 2D forms.
Naphtho[1,2-c:5,6-c′]bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole) enables the design of efficient halogen-free polymer donors and fabrication of organic solar cells with >19% efficiency
Authors: Jia Tao , Luo Yongmin , Hai Yulong , Lin Tao , Qin Xudong , Ma Ruijie , Fan Kezhou , Sergeev Aleksandr A. , Dela Peña Top Archie , Li Yao , Li Mingjie , Wong Kam Sing , Li Gang , Wu Jiaying , Liu Shengjian , Huang Fei
Published: September 2024

Fusion and isomerization strategies are used to develop an electron-withdrawing motif naphtho[1,2-d:5,6-d′]bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole) (iNT) and a halogen-free polymer donor achieving an efficiency of 19.1%.
Effect of extracellular organic matter (EOM) accumulation on algal proliferation and disinfection by-product precursors during cyclic cultivation
Authors: Lin Jr-Lin , Sidik Fahrudin
Published: September 2024

Algal blooms, driven by nutrient enrichment from nitrogen and phosphorus, pose significant challenges to water treatment processes, particularly due to the accumulation of extracellular organic matter (EOM).
Assessing the conjugation efficiency of surface-modified extracellular vesicles using single nanovesicle analysis technologies
Authors: Goldbloom-Helzner Leora , Bains Harjn , Loll Emma G. , Henson Tanner , Mizenko Rachel R. , Kumar Priyadarsini , Tan Cheemeng , Farmer Diana L. , Carney Randy P. , Wang Aijun
Published: September 2024

Orthogonal platforms with single vesicle resolution were applied to determine and optimize the efficiency of conjugating the myelin-targeting aptamer LJM-3064 to single EVs (Apt-EVs).
In situ thermosensitive H2O2/NO self-sufficient hydrogel for photothermal ferroptosis of triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Sankaranarayanan Sri Amruthaa , Eswar Kalyani , Srivastava Rupali , Thanekar Ajinkya Madhukar , Gubige Mounika , Bantal Veeresh , Rengan Aravind Kumar
Published: September 2024

Schematic illustrating calcium peroxide (CaO2) nanoparticles capable of supplying H2O2/NO upon NIR trigger, synergising with a ferroptosis inducer, RSL-3 (CPIR NPs) for photothermal ferroptosis through mitochondrial damage and lipid peroxidation.
Influence of the TiN diffusion barrier on the leakage current and ferroelectricity in an Al-doped HfOx ferroelectric memristor and its application to neuromorphic computing
Authors: Lim Eunjin , Seo Euncho , Kim Sungjun
Published: September 2024

The TiN electrode as the diffusion barrier of W suppresses the leakage current and induces a larger remanent polarization and a smaller coercive voltage. The improved ferroelectric memristors can also be applied to neuromorphic computing.
NiCo-MOFs in situ anchored on graphdiyne with metal-like properties form a strongly coupled electron transport interface and construct an ohmic contact to achieve efficient charge–hole spatial separation
Authors: Liu Zhenkun , Wang Jing , Liu Guangbo , Jin Zhiliang , Tsubaki Noritatsu
Published: September 2024

Metals exhibit unique characteristics in photocatalysis, and their incorporation into semiconductors can result in remarkable features.
pH-Responsive self-assembled polymer-photosensitizer conjugate for activable photodynamic therapy
Authors: Banerjee Tanushri , Dan Krishna , Ghosh Suhrit
Published: September 2024

This paper reports synthesis, aqueous self-assembly and relevance of the pH-triggered activable photodynamic therapy of amphiphilic polyurethane (P1S) functionalized with a heavy-atom free organic photosensitizer.
Design strategy and preliminary antiproliferative investigation of a modified lignan skeleton derived from aryne and statin
Authors: Lei Yu , Wen Yinshan , Xu Xiaoliang , Hu Qiong , Chang Meng , Qiang Ruihua , Hu Yimin
Published: September 2024

We have developed a novel method to synthesize modified lignan derivatives. These compounds exhibited moderate antiproliferative effects and the IC50 values were in the micromolar range.
Transition-metal-free iterative two-fold reductive coupling and 1,3-borotropic shift to form 1,4-skipped dienes
Authors: Varalaxmi Kasarla , Pradhan Kangkan , Begam Hasina Mamataj , Polley Arghya , Kumar Deepak , Jana Ranjan
Published: September 2024

A transition-metal-free, two-fold reductive coupling between α,β-unsaturated tosylhydrazones and boronic acid via 1,3-allylic borotropic shift cascade in a single operation to access stereoselective (E,E)-1,4-skipped dienes.
Tailoring lipid nanoparticle dimensions through manufacturing processes
Authors: McMillan Caitlin , Druschitz Amy , Rumbelow Stephen , Borah Ankita , Binici Burcu , Rattray Zahra , Perrie Yvonne
Published: September 2024

LNP particle size control can be achieved through manufacturing processes. Changes in particle size affect in vitro efficacy but not in vivo potency. Created with BioRender.com.
Nano-steps in altered opioid pharmacokinetics: a perspective on potential drug delivery post-bariatric surgery applications
Authors: Avanu A. E. , Ciubotariu A. M. , Ciornei A. M. , Cozmîncă A. D. , Dodi G.
Published: September 2024

Multifaceted elements in addressing the obese population: the blood brain barrier, nano-sized drug carriers, criteria for bariatric surgery as a treatment option, and comparative portrayal of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and vertical sleeve gastrectomy.
Large ferroelectricity in Hf0.85Ce0.15O2−δ polycrystalline thin films via lattice expansion
Authors: Li Hangren , Tu Jie , Xi Guoqiang , Liu Xiuqiao , Liu Xudong , Du Siyuan , Lu Dongfei , Zu Da , Zhang Yuxuan , Wang Qingxiao , Zheng Dongxing , Zhang Xixiang , Tian Jianjun , Zhang Linxing
Published: September 2024

After stabilizing the ferroelectric phase, the single-cell volume was increased by annealing temperature, which further enhances the ferroelectric property.
Photoinduced cross-coupling of aryl halides enabled by n-tetrabutylphosphonium phthalate
Authors: Tian Chao , Shi Lei
Published: September 2024

Phthalate acts as an electron shuttle bridge to realize aryl cross-coupling reactions by two-point non-covalent interaction.
Asymmetric synthesis of bis-spiro cyclopropane skeletons via bifunctional phosphonium salt-catalyzed [2 + 1] annulation
Authors: Yu Xiaojun , Wang Fan , Du Juan , Tan Jian-Ping , Pan Jianke , Zhu Lixiang , Wang Tianli
Published: September 2024

A new approach for constructing enantiopure spiroskeletons was developed via bifunctional phosphonium salt-catalyzed [2 + 1] annulation. These novel scaffolds have potential to facilitate the discovery and development of new chiral drugs.
Corrosion inhibition performance of benzimidazole derivatives for protection of carbon steel in hydrochloric acid solution
Authors: Timoudan N. , Al-Gorair Arej S. , El Foujji L. , Warad I. , Safi Z. , Dikici B. , Benhiba F. , Qaiss A. El Kacem , Bouhfid R. , Bentiss F. , Al-Juaid Salih S. , Abdallah Metwally , Zarrouk A.
Published: September 2024

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the corrosion inhibition properties of new benzimidazol derivatives LF1 and LF2 have been examined for inhibiting of Carbon-Steel in 1.0 M HCl.
Anisotropic half-metallicity in zigzag edge SiP3 nanoribbons
Authors: Adhikary Souren , Dutta Sudipta
Published: September 2024

Varying edge terminations of two-dimensional SiP3 lead to diverse properties, especially the single conducting spin channel only under forward bias.