bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Involvement of p38 MAPK and MAPKAPK2 in promoting cell death and the inflammatory response to ischemic stress associated with necrotic glioblastoma
Authors: Kim Soo Yeon , Tang Miaolu , Chih Stephen Y. , Sallavanti Jessica , Gao Yan , Qiu Zhiqiang , Wang Hong-Gang , Li Wei
Published: January 2025

The association of necrosis in tumors with poor prognosis implies a potential tumor-promoting role. However, the mechanisms underlying cell death in this context and how damaged tissue contributes to tumor progression remain unclear. Here, we identified p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38 MAPK, a.k.a. p38) as a key player in promoting cell death and the inflammatory response to ischemic stress associated with necrotic tumors. We found that glioblastoma (GBM) cells expressing patient-derived Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) or phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) active mutants showed enhanced cell death under ischemia-mimetic conditions in vitro and were more likely to develop into necrotic tumors in vivo. Cell death in both settings depended on p38, which is also required for tumor progression driven by KRAS or PI3K. Under ischemia-mimetic conditions, GBM cells undergo reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent cell death. Gene expression in these cells recapitulated multiple features observed in peri-necrotic tumors from patient GBM. Further studies showed the involvement of a positive feedback loop between the p38-MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MAPKAPK2, a.k.a. MK2) signaling axis and the unfolded protein response signaling components activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1α) in driving ischemic tumor cell death. This signaling cascade was further potentiated by RAS or PI3K activation under ischemic conditions, contributing to the inflammatory gene expression response. Therefore, our study suggests that p38 could be targeted to relieve the inflammatory response in necrotic tumors and inhibit GBM progression.
Potential plant extinctions with the loss of the Pleistocene mammoth steppe
Authors: Courtin Jérémy , Stoof-Leichsenring Kathleen R. , Lisovski Simeon , Liu Ying , Alsos Inger Greve , Biskaborn Boris K. , Diekmann Bernhard , Melles Martin , Wagner Bernd , Pestryakova Luidmila , Russell James , Huang Yongsong , Herzschuh Ulrike
Published: January 2025

During the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, the dominant mammoth steppe ecosystem across northern Eurasia vanished, in parallel with megafauna extinctions. However, plant extinction patterns are rarely detected due to lack of identifiable fossil records. Here, we introduce a method for detection of plant taxa loss at regional (extirpation) to potentially global scale (extinction) and their causes, as determined from ancient plant DNA metabarcoding in sediment cores (sedaDNA) from lakes in Siberia and Alaska over the past 28,000 years. Overall, potential plant extinctions track changes in temperature, in vegetation, and in megafauna extinctions at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Estimated potential plant extinction rates were 1.7–5.9 extinctions per million species years (E/MSY), above background extinction rates but below modern estimates. Major potential plant extinction events were detected around 17,000 and 9000 years ago which lag maximum vegetation turnover. Our results indicate that herbaceous taxa and taxa contributing less to beta diversity are more vulnerable to extinction. While the robustness of the estimates will increase as DNA reference libraries and ancient sedaDNA data expand, the available data support that plants are more resilient to environmental changes than mammals.
Principled neuromorphic reservoir computing
Authors: Kleyko Denis , Kymn Christopher J. , Thomas Anthony , Olshausen Bruno A. , Sommer Friedrich T. , Frady E. Paxon
Published: January 2025

Reservoir computing advances the intriguing idea that a nonlinear recurrent neural circuit—the reservoir—can encode spatio-temporal input signals to enable efficient ways to perform tasks like classification or regression. However, recently the idea of a monolithic reservoir network that simultaneously buffers input signals and expands them into nonlinear features has been challenged. A representation scheme in which memory buffer and expansion into higher-order polynomial features can be configured separately has been shown to significantly outperform traditional reservoir computing in prediction of multivariate time-series. Here we propose a configurable neuromorphic representation scheme that provides competitive performance on prediction, but with significantly better scaling properties than directly materializing higher-order features as in prior work. Our approach combines the use of randomized representations from traditional reservoir computing with mathematical principles for approximating polynomial kernels via such representations. While the memory buffer can be realized with standard reservoir networks, computing higher-order features requires networks of ‘Sigma-Pi’ neurons, i.e., neurons that enable both summation as well as multiplication of inputs. Finally, we provide an implementation of the memory buffer and Sigma-Pi networks on Loihi 2, an existing neuromorphic hardware platform.
Inhalable biohybrid microrobots: a non-invasive approach for lung treatment
Authors: Li Zhengxing , Guo Zhongyuan , Zhang Fangyu , Sun Lei , Luan Hao , Fang Zheng , Dedrick Jeramy L. , Zhang Yichen , Tang Christine , Zhu Audrey , Yu Yiyan , Ding Shichao , Wang Dan , Chang An-Yi , Yin Lu , Russell Lynn M. , Gao Weiwei , Fang Ronnie H. , Zhang Liangfang , Wang Joseph
Published: January 2025

Amidst the rising prevalence of respiratory diseases, the importance of effective lung treatment modalities is more critical than ever. However, current drug delivery systems face significant limitations that impede their efficacy and therapeutic outcome. Biohybrid microrobots have shown considerable promise for active in vivo drug delivery, especially for pulmonary applications via intratracheal routes. However, the invasive nature of intratracheal administration poses barriers to its clinical translation. Herein, we report on an efficient non-invasive inhalation-based method of delivering microrobots to the lungs. A nebulizer is employed to encapsulate picoeukaryote algae microrobots within small aerosol particles, enabling them to reach the lower respiratory tract. Post nebulization, the microrobots retain their motility (~55 μm s-1) to help achieve a homogeneous lung distribution and long-term retention exceeding five days in the lungs. Therapeutic efficacy is demonstrated in a mouse model of acute methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia using this pulmonary inhalation approach to deliver microrobots functionalized with platelet membrane-coated polymeric nanoparticles loaded with vancomycin. These promising findings underscore the benefits of inhalable biohybrid microrobots in a setting that does not require anesthesia, highlighting the substantial translational potential of this delivery system for routine clinical applications.
Nonlinear exposure-response associations of daytime, nighttime, and day-night compound heatwaves with mortality amid climate change
Authors: Liu Jiangdong , Kim Ho , Hashizume Masahiro , Lee Whanhee , Honda Yasushi , Kim Satbyul Estella , He Cheng , Kan Haidong , Chen Renjie
Published: January 2025

Heatwaves are commonly simplified as binary variables in epidemiological studies, limiting the understanding of heatwave-mortality associations. Here we conduct a multi-country study across 28 East Asian cities that employed the Cumulative Excess Heatwave Index (CEHWI), which represents excess heat accumulation during heatwaves, to explore the potentially nonlinear associations of daytime-only, nighttime-only, and day-night compound heatwaves with mortality from 1981 to 2010. Populations exhibited high adaptability to daytime-only and nighttime-only heatwaves, with non-accidental mortality risks increasing only at higher CEHWI levels (75th–90th percentiles). In contrast, compound heatwaves posed a super-linear increase in mortality risks after the 25th percentile of CEHWI. Associations of heatwaves with cardiovascular mortality mirrored those with non-accidental mortality but were more pronounced at higher CEHWI levels, while significant associations with respiratory mortality emerged at low-to-moderate CEHWI levels. These results highlight the necessity of considering the nonlinear health responses to heatwaves of different types in disease burden assessments and heatwave-health warning systems amid climate change.
Nanocarrier imaging at single-cell resolution across entire mouse bodies with deep learning
Authors: Luo Jie , Molbay Muge , Chen Ying , Horvath Izabela , Kadletz Karoline , Kick Benjamin , Zhao Shan , Al-Maskari Rami , Singh Inderjeet , Ali Mayar , Bhatia Harsharan Singh , Minde David-Paul , Negwer Moritz , Hoeher Luciano , Calandra Gian Marco , Groschup Bernhard , Su Jinpeng , Kimna Ceren , Rong Zhouyi , Galensowske Nikolas , Todorov Mihail Ivilinov , Jeridi Denise , Ohn Tzu-Lun , Roth Stefan , Simats Alba , Singh Vikramjeet , Khalin Igor , Pan Chenchen , Arús Bernardo A. , Bruns Oliver T. , Zeidler Reinhard , Liesz Arthur , Protzer Ulrike , Plesnila Nikolaus , Ussar Siegfried , Hellal Farida , Paetzold Johannes , Elsner Markus , Dietz Hendrik , Erturk Ali
Published: January 2025

Efficient and accurate nanocarrier development for targeted drug delivery is hindered by a lack of methods to analyze its cell-level biodistribution across whole organisms. Here we present Single Cell Precision Nanocarrier Identification (SCP-Nano), an integrated experimental and deep learning pipeline to comprehensively quantify the targeting of nanocarriers throughout the whole mouse body at single-cell resolution. SCP-Nano reveals the tissue distribution patterns of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) after different injection routes at doses as low as 0.0005 mg kg−1—far below the detection limits of conventional whole body imaging techniques. We demonstrate that intramuscularly injected LNPs carrying SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA reach heart tissue, leading to proteome changes, suggesting immune activation and blood vessel damage. SCP-Nano generalizes to various types of nanocarriers, including liposomes, polyplexes, DNA origami and adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), revealing that an AAV2 variant transduces adipocytes throughout the body. SCP-Nano enables comprehensive three-dimensional mapping of nanocarrier distribution throughout mouse bodies with high sensitivity and should accelerate the development of precise and safe nanocarrier-based therapeutics.
Algae extract-based nanoemulsions for photoprotection against UVB radiation: an electrical impedance spectroscopy study
Authors: Hernández Aura Rocío , Sepulveda Lady , Hata Yoshie , Castellanos Leonardo , Björklund Sebastian , Ruzgas Tautgirdas , Aragón Marcela
Published: January 2025

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide, with exposure to UVB radiation being a significant risk factor for its development. To prevent skin cancer, continuous research efforts have focused on finding suitable photoprotective ingredients from natural sources that are also environmentally friendly. This study aimed to develop oil-in-water photoprotective nanoemulsions containing marine macroalgae extract. A Box–Behnken experimental design was used to identify the most promising formulation composition, resulting in optimal physical properties. These properties, including droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential, were evaluated using dynamic light scattering (DLS). To assess the photoprotection capacity of the formulations, electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was employed to evaluate alterations in the electrical characteristics of excised pig skin membranes placed in Franz cells equipped with a 4-electrode set-up. The final composition of the nanoemulsion was caprylic/capric triglycerides 4%, Macrogolglycerol ricinoleate 30%, and algae extract 1%. The nanoemulsions had an average droplet size of 128.5 ± 8.6 nm, a PDI of 0.25 ± 0.06, and a zeta potential of 45.14 ± 0.02 mV. Compared to the control group, the photoprotective capacity of the oil-in-water nanoemulsions was statistically significant. Specifically, only a 15% reduction in the skin membrane electrical resistance following UVB exposure was observed when the formulation containing algae extract was used, whereas a 50% reduction was observed for the vehicle. In conclusion, this work demonstrates that the developed nanoemulsions based on natural ingredients show promising protective capacity against UVB exposure of the skin.
Impact of irrelevant speech and non-speech sounds on serial recall of verbal and spatial items in children and adults
Authors: Leist Larissa , Lachmann Thomas , Klatte Maria
Published: January 2025

Short-term memory for sequences of verbal items such as written words is reliably impaired by task-irrelevant background sounds, a phenomenon known as the “Irrelevant Sound Effect” (ISE). Different theoretical accounts have been proposed to explain the mechanisms underlying the ISE. Some of these assume specific interference between obligatory sound processing and phonological or serial order representations generated during task performance, whereas other posit that background sounds involuntarily divert attention away from the focal task. To explore the roles of phonological processing, serial order retention, and attention control, we analyzed the effects of environmental non-speech sounds and unfamiliar speech on serial recall of verbal items (pictures representing German nouns) and spatial items (dot locations) in children (n = 137) and adults (n = 98). In the verbal task, both age groups were equally affected by background sounds, with speech impairing recall more than environmental sounds. In the spatial task, no ISE was found in adults and fourth graders, but third graders exhibited significant performance impairment from both sounds. There was no habituation to the sound effects across the experimental trials. The findings indicate that both specific interference and attention capture may contribute to the ISE, with the impact of attention capture potentially decreasing with age.
Defect-assisted reversible phase transition in mono- and few-layer ReS2
Authors: Zograf George , Yankovich Andrew B. , Küçüköz Betül , Agrawal Abhay V. , Polyakov Alexander Yu. , Ciers Joachim , Eriksson Fredrik , Haglund Åsa , Erhart Paul , Antosiewicz Tomasz J. , Olsson Eva , Shegai Timur O.
Published: January 2025

2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials have attracted interest due to their remarkable excitonic, optical, electrical, and mechanical properties, which are dependent on their crystal structure. Consequently, controlling the crystal structure of these materials is essential for fine-tuning their performance, e.g., linear and nonlinear optical, as well as charge transport properties. While various phase-switching TMD materials are available, their transitions are often irreversible. Here, we investigate the mechanism of a light-induced reversible phase transition in mono- and bilayer rhenium disulfide (ReS2). Our observations, based on transmission electron microscopy, nonlinear spectroscopy, and density functional theory, reveal a transition from the ground

$${\rm{T}}^{\prime\prime}$$

T

″

(double-distorted T) to the metastable

$${\rm{H}}^{\prime}$$

H

′

(distorted H) phase under femtosecond laser irradiation or influence of highly-energetic electrons. We show that the formation of sulfur vacancies facilitates this phenomenon. Our findings pave the way toward manipulating the crystal structure of ReS2 and possibly its heterostructures.
Integrating molecular photoswitch memory with nanoscale optoelectronics for neuromorphic computing
Authors: Alcer David , Zaiats Nelia , Jensen Thomas K. , Philip Abbey M. , Gkanias Evripidis , Ceberg Nils , Das Abhijit , Flodgren Vidar , Heinze Stanley , Borgström Magnus T. , Webb Barbara , Laursen Bo W. , Mikkelsen Anders
Published: January 2025

Photonic solutions are potentially highly competitive for energy-efficient neuromorphic computing. However, a combination of specialized nanostructures is needed to implement all neuro-biological functionality. Here, we show that donor-acceptor Stenhouse adduct dyes integrated with III-V semiconductor nano-optoelectronics have combined excellent functionality for bio-inspired neural networks. The dye acts as synaptic weights in the optical interconnects, while the nano-optoelectronics provide neuron reception, interpretation and emission of light signals. These dyes can reversibly switch from absorbing to non-absorbing states, using specific wavelength ranges. Together, they show robust and predictable switching, low energy thermal reset and a memory dynamic range from days to sub-seconds that allows both short- and long-term memory operation at natural timescales. Furthermore, as the dyes do not need electrical connections, on-chip integration is simple. We illustrate the functionality using individual nanowire photodiodes as well as arrays. Based on the experimental performance metrics, our on-chip solution is capable of operating an anatomically validated model of the insect brain navigation complex.
Distinct anthropogenic aerosol and greenhouse gas effects on El Niño/Southern Oscillation variability
Authors: Ren Xianglin , Liu Wei
Published: January 2025

El Niño/Southern Oscillation variability has conspicuous impacts on ecosystems and severe weather. Here, we probe the effects of anthropogenic aerosols and greenhouse gases on El Niño/Southern Oscillation variability during the historical period using a broad set of climate models. Increased aerosols significantly amplify El Niño/Southern Oscillation variability primarily through weakening the mean advection feedback and strengthening the zonal advection and thermocline feedbacks, as linked to a weaker annual cycle of sea surface temperature in the eastern equatorial Pacific. They prevent extreme El Niño events, reduce interannual sea surface temperature skewness in the tropical Pacific, influence the likelihood of El Niño/Southern Oscillation events in April and June and allow for more El Niño transitions to Central Pacific events. While rising greenhouse gases significantly reduce El Niño/Southern Oscillation variability via a stronger sea surface temperature annual cycle and attenuated thermocline feedback. They promote extreme El Niño events, increase SST skewness, and enlarge the likelihood of El Niño/Southern Oscillation peaking in November while inhibiting Central Pacific El Niño/Southern Oscillation events.
Deep learning empowered sensor fusion boosts infant movement classification
Authors: Kulvicius Tomas , Zhang Dajie , Poustka Luise , Bölte Sven , Jahn Lennart , Flügge Sarah , Kraft Marc , Zweckstetter Markus , Nielsen-Saines Karin , Wörgötter Florentin , Marschik Peter B.
Published: January 2025

Background

To assess the integrity of the developing nervous system, the Prechtl general movement assessment (GMA) is recognized for its clinical value in diagnosing neurological impairments in early infancy. GMA has been increasingly augmented through machine learning approaches intending to scale-up its application, circumvent costs in the training of human assessors and further standardize classification of spontaneous motor patterns. Available deep learning tools, all of which are based on single sensor modalities, are however still considerably inferior to that of well-trained human assessors. These approaches are hardly comparable as all models are designed, trained and evaluated on proprietary/silo-data sets.

Methods

With this study we propose a sensor fusion approach for assessing fidgety movements (FMs). FMs were recorded from 51 typically developing participants. We compared three different sensor modalities (pressure, inertial, and visual sensors). Various combinations and two sensor fusion approaches (late and early fusion) for infant movement classification were tested to evaluate whether a multi-sensor system outperforms single modality assessments. Convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures were used to classify movement patterns.

Results

The performance of the three-sensor fusion (classification accuracy of 94.5%) is significantly higher than that of any single modality evaluated.

Conclusions

We show that the sensor fusion approach is a promising avenue for automated classification of infant motor patterns. The development of a robust sensor fusion system may significantly enhance AI-based early recognition of neurofunctions, ultimately facilitating automated early detection of neurodevelopmental conditions.
Development of small-molecule fluorescent probes targeting neutrophils via N-formyl peptide receptors
Authors: Xu Qi , Authi Kalwant S. , Kirpotina Liliya N. , Schepetkin Igor A. , Quinn Mark T. , Cilibrizzi Agostino
Published: January 2025

Elaboration of an established ‘address system’ leads to a new series of small-molecule imaging probes specifically targeted to formyl peptide receptors (FPRs), to achieve direct cellular localisation and visualisation of receptor functions.
Bioengineered NanoAid synergistically targets inflammatory pro-tumor processes to advance glioblastoma chemotherapy
Authors: Zhang Gui , Xu Yurui , Zhou Anwei , Yu Yongle , Ning Xinghai , Bao Hongguang
Published: January 2025

Through transcriptomic analysis of glioblastoma tissues from patients, we developed a combined formulation (NanoAid) for improving glioma synergistic chemotherapy.
Enhanced electrochemical performance of a polyaniline-based supercapacitor by a bicontinuous microemulsion nanoreactor approach
Authors: Yeszhan Yelriza , Duisenbekov Sagydat , Kurmangaliyeva Dana , Kazhigitova Dana , Askar Perizat , Tileuberdi Yerbol , Konarov Aishuak , Adilov Salimgerey , Nuraje Nurxat
Published: January 2025

A novel bicontinuous microemulsion nanoreactor was developed to produce unique PANI nanofibers and a 3D crosslinked PANI architecture to enhance the mechanical stability and electrochemical performance for further application in supercapacitors.
Modeling the navigating forces behind BSA aggregation in a microfluidic chip
Authors: Haghparas Zahra , Bouloorchi Tabalvandani Mohammadjavad , Arghavani Payam , Behjati Hosseini Soroush , Badieirostami Majid , Habibi-Rezaei Mehran , Moosavi-Movahedi Ali Akbar
Published: January 2025

BSA aggregation in vials is time-driven, while in microfluidic chips, it is force-driven due to shorter timescales. The aggregation process depends on the balance between time and force.
Ex situ synergistic reinforcement of a MOF-based supramolecular polymer enables tough, highly flexible, and responsive artificial epidermis-inspired hydrogels
Authors: Nimra Al , Sher Muhammad , Khan Mansoor , Shah Luqman Ali , Fu Jun , Ali Essam A.
Published: January 2025

A flexible and tough, poly(lauryl methacrylate-acrylamide)@cobalt-manganese metal organic framework supramolecular composite hydrogel was developed for the detection of various subtle and large human motions successfully.
Speech Kinematics and Perioral Muscle Activity Are Influenced by Stroop Effects
Authors: Kriegel Zoe , Fullenkamp Adam M. , Whitfield Jason A.
Published: January 2025

Purpose:

The current project aimed to examine the effects of two experimental cognitive–linguistic paradigms, the Stroop task and a primed Stroop task, on speech kinematics and perioral muscle activation.

Method:

Acoustic, kinematic, and surface electromyographic data were collected from the verbal responses of 30 young adult healthy control participants in choice response, classic Stroop, and primed Stroop tasks. The classic and primed Stroop tasks included congruent and incongruent trials. Across all three tasks, the set of possible responses was limited to the same three possible color words (red, green, and black) to facilitate performance comparisons between tasks.

Results:

Trials with ink–word incongruence in the Stroop tasks resulted in significantly higher muscle activation in the upper lip during response selection. In addition, a prime word within the Stroop task resulted in more spatial variation in lip + jaw movements for the spoken responses. These results were accompanied by the expected longer response times for incongruent trials in both classic and primed Stroop tasks.

Conclusions:

These findings may suggest that more central cognitive–linguistic interference processes may lead to inefficiencies in more peripheral speech motor control. Future research should investigate the pattern of these effects in older adults with and without motor speech disorders for research and clinical applications.
Determining the absolute chemical abundance of nitrogen and sulfur in the quasar outflow of 3C298
Authors: Dehghanian M. , Arav N. , Sharma M. , Byun D. , Walker G.
Published: January 2025

Context. Quasar outflows are key players in the feedback processes that influence the evolution of galaxies and the intergalactic medium. The chemical abundance of these outflows provides crucial insights into their origin and impact.

Aims. We determine the absolute abundances of nitrogen and sulfur and the physical conditions of the outflow seen in quasar 3C298.

Methods. We analyzed archival spectral data from the Hubble Space Telescope for 3C298. We measured the ionic column densities from the absorption troughs and compared the results to photoionization predictions made with the Cloudy code for three different spectral energy distributions (SEDs), including MF87, UV-soft, and HE0238 SEDs. We also calculated the ionic column densities of the excited and ground states of N III to estimate the electron number density and location of the outflow using the Chianti atomic database.

Results. The MF87, UV-soft, and HE0238 SEDs yield nitrogen and sulfur abundances at supersolar, solar, and subsolar values, respectively, with a spread of 0.4–3 times solar. Additionally, we determined an electron number density of log(ne)≥3.3 cm−3, and the outflow might extend up to a maximum distance of 2.8 kpc.

Conclusions. Our results indicate a solar metallicity within an uncertainty range of 60% that is driven by variations in the chosen SED and photoionization models. This study underscores the importance of the SED impact on determining chemical abundances in quasar outflows. These findings highlight the necessity of considering a wider range of possible abundances that span from subsolar to supersolar values.
Stationary Mean Field Games on networks with sticky transition conditions
Authors: Camilli Fabio , Berry Jules
Published: January 2025

We study stochastic Mean Field Games on networks with sticky transition conditions. In this setting, the diffusion process governing the agent's dynamics can spend finite time both in the interior of the edges and at the vertices. The corresponding generator is subject to limitations concerning second-order derivatives  and the invariant measure breaks down into a combination of an absolutely continuous measure within the edges and a sum of Dirac measures positioned at the vertices. Additionally, the value function, solution to the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation, satisfies generalized Kirchhoff conditions at the vertices.
Solar-Thermal Performance of Sparked Stainless Steel-based Solar Absorber under Solar Concentration
Authors: Tapsanit Piyawath
Published: January 2025

Solar absorbers are indispensable components in concentrated solar-thermal (CST) energy systems. Material selection is crucial in optimizing the performance of these systems. Traditional fabrication methods for solar absorbers often rely on chemical processes, which can be both costly and environmentally detrimental. This study presents the first investigation of the solar-thermal performance of a stainless steel absorber fabricated through a non-chemical sparking process in a tip-substrate configuration. Stainless steel, recognized for its cost-effectiveness and high-temperature thermal stability, emerges as a promising candidate for solar absorber applications. The sparked stainless steel exhibited enhanced solar absorptivity of 84.0% and thermal emissivity of 47.3%, representing increases of approximately 33% and 13.7%, respectively, compared to bare stainless steel. Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy confirmed the formation of a random nanotexture of magnetite on the sparked surface, contributing to the improved optical properties. The solar-thermal performance of the sparked stainless steel is maximized at 84.0% when the absorber temperature aligns with the ambient temperature or under conditions of extreme optical concentration. To maintain a solar-thermal performance exceeding 70% at elevated absorber temperatures of 150 °C, 250 °C, 350 °C, and 450 °C, optical concentrations of 5, 13, 28, and 52, respectively, are required.
Integrating Wind Energy in Desalination: A Water-Food-Energy Nexus Approach in Dakhla, Morocco
Authors: Elhabnouny Mohammed , Ouadrhiri Salma , Menchafou Youssef , Zejli Driss , Saad Aouatif
Published: January 2025

This study explores the wind energy potential for a wind-powered desalination project in Dakhla, Morocco, by analyzing two models: the Weibull distribution and the WAsP model. Over two years of wind data were processed to estimate energy production, with the Weibull model offering a baseline and the WAsP model refining predictions with site-specific variables. The project, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), serves 219 agricultural estates over 5200 hectares and ensures potable water for Dakhla’s residents. The PPP framework promotes financial sustainability, with funding shared between public and private stakeholders, ensuring long-term viability in addressing the region’s water-energy needs.
Relationship analysis between deterioration of switch support and railway passenger comfort using machine learning
Authors: Sresakoolchai Jessada , Cheputeh Ni-Asri
Published: January 2025

Passenger comfort is one of the critical factors in the railway system. Passenger comfort plays an important role in the success and effectiveness of railway transportation systems in terms of passenger satisfaction, health and well-being, economy, competition capability, and safety. For the railway infrastructure, one of the important components is a switch. Switches in the railway system have the function of guiding rolling stocks or trains to the preferred directions and tracks. However, switches are the components of the railway infrastructure that can negatively affect railway passenger comfort due to their geometry and the functions that are used to change the direction of rolling stocks. This study aims to study the relationship between the deterioration of railway switch support and railway passenger comfort by using machine learning. The data used in the study are axle box accelerations that are numerically simulated from verified multi-body simulation models. The machine learning technique used in the study is the convolutional neural network. The indicator used to evaluate the machine learning model’s performance is the accuracy. From the machine learning model development and training, the accuracy of the machine learning model is higher than 80% which is satisfied. Railway operators can benefit from the study’s findings by applying the developed machine learning model to collect data to evaluate the deterioration of railway switch support and the effect on railway passenger comfort.
Finite Element Analysis for Estimating Strength and Fatigue of the APM Structure
Authors: Klabklay Teerawat , Sumpavakup Chaiyut , Khumkrong Asawadech , Thasanavirud Natthikan , Pensuk Pannachai
Published: January 2025

APM stands for autonomous people mover, which is a mass transit system widely used in many airports to transport passengers between terminals. This article focuses on APM structure newly designed comprising five components namely, chassis, floor, body, roof, and support. The objective of this article is to estimate the strength and fatigue of each component to assess safety. The finite element analysis is implemented to figure out the key results in both static and fatigue load analysis as follows: maximum displacements, maximum stresses and minimum factors of safety in static load, and minimum fatigue life cycles. The grid independence test, which is a significant process in numerical method, is carried out. The results show that the maximum displacements of the chassis, floor, body, roof, and support provide 13.3, 1.13, 0.21, 2.0, and 0.06 millimeters, respectively. The maximum stresses are about 155, 138, 35.9, 167, and 58.2 MPa, respectively, which do not exceed yield strength of material. The minimum factors of safety are about 1.6, 1.8, 7.0, 1.5, and 4.3, respectively, which are in accordance with APM standards. The minimum fatigue life cycles are obtained 1.4, 1.25, 4.81, 1.03, and 2.96 million cycles, respectively, which are not less than the infinite life cycle. Thus, it is obvious that all five components of APM structure are adequate strength and safe to function.
Mechanical adhesion energy of thermal oxide scale on 0.01 and 0.12 wt.% Si-containing hot-rolled steels
Authors: Issaard Wannapha , Thublaor Thammaporn , Nilsonthi Thanasak
Published: January 2025

The mechanical adhesion energy of thermal oxide scales plays a critical role in the quality and efficiency of the hot rolling process, as the formation of oxide scales on steel surfaces can lead to defects that adversely affect material performance. This study aims to investigate the adhesion behavior of thermal oxide scales on as-received hot-rolled steels containing 0.01 wt.% Si and 0.12 wt.% Si, utilizing a tensile testing machine equipped with an observation setup and acoustic emission monitoring. Results indicate that the average scale thickness for the 0.01 wt.% Si and 0.12 wt.% Si steels were 10.83 ± 0.76 µm and 8.13 ± 1.08 µm, respectively, with the oxide scales consisting of hematite, magnetite, wustite, and iron. The strain associated with initial scale spallation was measured to calculate mechanical adhesion energy, revealing values of 5.46 ± 0.01% for 0.01 wt.% Si and 7.08 ± 0.20% for 0.12 wt.% Si. The computed mechanical adhesion energy ranged from 1093 J/m2 to 1565 J/m2, demonstrating that higher silicon content correlates with enhanced scale adhesion. Consequently, the scale on the higher Si-containing steel proved more challenging to remove after the hot rolling process, which has significant implications for processing and surface quality in steel manufacturing.
The production and characterization of PBT/PBS fiber dyeable with dispersed dye
Authors: Metanawin Siripan , Sirifongnukul Warot , Metanawin Tanapak
Published: January 2025

The work aimed to study the color properties of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) modified with various contents of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS). The PBT/PBS fibers were successfully prepared using a melt-spinning process. The PEO-g-MA, 2 wt%, was used as a coupling agent. A disperse dye: blue dye was applied as a dyeing material for PBT/PBS fibers. The fibers were dyed at the temperature of 98 °C (using the classic process for PBT fibers). The morphology, mechanical properties, thermal properties, crystal structure, and dyeability were also investigated. The fiber dyeing results are explored in CIELAB (position data of color coordinates L*, a*, b*) color systems. The results show the relationship between the dyeability of PBT/PBS fibers and the contents of PBS in the polymer matrix. The SEM image of the fiber of PBT100 and PBT:PBS blend after dyeing shows that the color dyeing on the fiber increased with PBS contents, supporting the result from spectroscopy.
Enrichment of Second Generation Ethanol Concentration Obtained from Napier Grass Pretreated with Sulfuric Acid and Hydrothermal Pretreatment
Authors: Phakeenuya Vanarat , Panakkal Elizabeth Jayex , Gundupalli Marttin Paulraj , Klinjapo Roungdao , Sriariyanun Malinee , Tantayotai Prapakorn
Published: January 2025

Enhancing sugar concentration is crucial for improving ethanol yield in biorefinery processes, enabling more efficient downstream recovery. This study investigates the hydrothermal pretreatment of Napier grass with 2% sulfuric acid to boost sugar recovery and ethanol production by incorporating a concentration step. After pretreatment, the liquid fractions were concentrated two-fold and four-fold through rotary evaporation and freeze-drying, resulting in a significant increase in sugar levels, with a 3.5-fold rise in sugar concentration achieved through rotary evaporation compared to unconcentrated samples. However, ethanol production was limited by elevated levels of inhibitors, such as acetic acid and furfural. The maximum ethanol concentration reached was 2.43%, from a liquid fraction concentrated four-fold. These results highlight the necessity of concentration techniques to improve sugar recovery, while also emphasizing the importance of removing inhibitors to increase ethanol yields and enhance the overall efficiency of biorefining processes.
Effect of extraction conditions on antioxidant activities of Xanthium strumarium L. sprouts extracts
Authors: Chanakul Waraporn , Maitip Jakkrawut , Bootdee Susira
Published: January 2025

This research aims to obtain the Xanthium strumarium sprouts extract with the most potent antioxidant activities. The single-factor experiments were used to extract. Factors of extraction, including temperatures (40, 50, 60, and 70°C), time (6, 8, 10, 20, and 30 minutes), and % ethanol in solvent (40, 50, 60, and 70 % EtOH), were applied in the ultrasonic assist extraction of 40°C oven-dried Xanthium strumarium sprouts 1 gram in 25 mL of solvent. Extraction yield (% yield) and % inhibition of active radical DPPH and ABTS were determined, and the correlation to varied factors was analyzed using a statistical program (SPSS). The results showed that, at low temperatures, it would give a low % yield but not affect antioxidant activities. The longer extraction time did not provide a different % yield than the shorter one. The extraction yield is a little better when 50% ethanol is used in water as a solvent and does not affect antioxidant activities. As they observe, we can conclude that the antioxidant activities of extracts do not depend on temperature, time, or % EtOH in solvents. The % inhibition of ABTS radicals is higher than that of DPPH radicals in all experiments, and it can be relied on that the active components in this extract are more polar and favorable to solute in water than EtOH.
Solvent solutions: comparing extraction methods for edible oils and proteins in a changing regulatory landscape. General introduction
Authors: Carré Patrick , Berthold Sebastian , Piofczyk Thomas , Bothe Sarah , Hadjiali Sara
Published: January 2025

Hexane is currently the dominant solvent in the oil extraction industry, valued for its efficiency, low cost, and ability to preserve the quality of oils and proteins. However, this solvent poses health and environmental risks due to its toxicity. Recently, EFSA recommended a reevaluation of hexane as a processing aid due to gaps in toxicity studies and population exposure data. Consequently, a reduction in tolerated residue limits or usage restrictions can be anticipated, potentially leading industrialists to consider alternative solutions. The series of articles introduced here aims to examine the potential consequences of replacing hexane with alternative solvents listed in Directive 2009/32/EC. This comprehensive dossier, comprising eight articles, thoroughly investigates various critical aspects of oilseed extraction. The series explores physicochemical properties (Part 1), safety considerations (Part 2), processing impacts (Part 3), energy consumption (Part 4), oil quality (Part 5), protein meal quality (Part 6), technological comparisons (Part 7), and alternative extraction technologies (Part 8). This in-depth exploration provides a holistic analysis of the challenges and opportunities associated with transitioning from hexane to alternative solvents in the oilseed extraction industry.
A hybrid variable neighborhood search for a real-world petrol station replenishment problem with multi-compartment vehicles
Authors: Liu Zhishuo , Cheng Yinan , Tian Fang , Zhou Wenhui
Published: January 2025

Studies on the Petrol Station Replenishment Problem (PSRP) have many challenges because of the limitations in real-world PSRP, including diverse oil products, various vehicle models, multiple compartments in each vehicle, a finite set of vehicles, restricted tank capacities of petrol stations, and the preparation time and cost for discharge. To address those problems, this paper proposes a novel PSRP model considering the following realistic scenarios: each vehicle has multiple compartments and is allowed for multiple trips; vehicles are heterogeneous; petrol stations have hard time windows; external vehicles can be rented when internal vehicles are not enough; after arrival, each vehicle must prepare for a certain time before discharge. The objective is to minimize the overall costs including vehicles’ fixed costs, traveling costs, and preparation costs. A Hybrid Variable Neighborhood Search algorithm (HVNS) combined with a Simulated Annealing-based acceptance criterion is developed to solve the problem. Various experiments are conducted on different scale instances and a practical application of PetroChina. Experimental results show that compared with CPLEX and other heuristics, HVNS can effectively solve the problem in terms of solution quality and computing time.
Balconies can guide wind turbine placement in cities
Authors: Patrick Chris
Published: January 2025

The presence and geometry of balconies influences wind patterns and wind energy potential.
Observation of edge kink-like modes induced by resonant magnetic perturbations in KSTAR plasmas and their effects on density pump-out
Authors: Lee J. K. , Seol J. , Lee H. H. , Liu Y. Q. , Lee S. G. , Lee J. , Kim B. , Lee Y. H.
Published: January 2025

In tokamaks, it is commonly observed that the application of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) leads to a reduction in plasma density. In this study, we show that this decrease in density is accompanied by kink-like modes in the plasma edge region in KSTAR. The dynamics of these modes is observed in the toroidal and poloidal directions using multiple diagnostics. It is captured that the phase of the edge kink-like modes aligns with the phase of the applied RMPs. In particular, a nonuniform plasma surface displacement due to these modes is measured along the poloidal direction using a novel image processing technique on in-vessel TV data. The symmetry-breaking effect of the displacement is known to be much larger than that of the applied RMPs. Thus, the modification in the magnetic field strength B on the distorted surface due to the displacement can lead to significant enhancement of the neoclassical particle transport. In this study, we calculate the enhanced neoclassical electron particle flux using the experimentally estimated variation of B in the presence of the edge kink-like modes. Transport analysis shows that the enhanced particle transport caused by the broken symmetry in the presence of the edge kink-like modes can account for a significant portion of the observed density pump-out by RMPs.
Benchmark between N-body, PIC, and semi-Lagrangian simulations of Landau-damped Langmuir wave
Authors: Lesur M. , Moritz J. , Gravier E. , Drouot T.
Published: January 2025

This work presents a benchmark study comparing three distinct numerical methods—Particle-In-Cell (PIC), semi-Lagrangian, and N-body simulations—for analyzing the damping of Langmuir waves in a one-dimensional Vlasov–Poisson plasma system. Each approach has unique advantages in terms of accuracy, resolution, and computational cost. The comparison aims to discriminate between numerical artifacts and physical phenomena, identifying the contribution of finite particle numbers and boundary conditions in both linear and nonlinear regimes. The study demonstrates strong agreement between the PIC and semi-Lagrangian methods in both regimes. N-body simulations, while requiring a specific method to overcome statistical noise, agree in the limit of many bodies (>500). Crucial subtleties regarding initial and boundary conditions are discussed throughout.
Semicollisional heat flux in relativistic plasmas
Authors: Bendib-Kalache K. , Bendib A.
Published: January 2025

The generalized heat flux in plasmas is analytically calculated using the linear relativistic Fokker–Planck equation. The thermal conductivity and the convective heat flux coefficients are calculated for arbitrary collisionality and plasma temperature. The role of relativistic effects coupled with nonlocal effects on the transport is studied. It was found that the thermal conductivity coefficient decreases with increasing Knudsen number and increasing relativistic effects. In addition, the convective heat flux coefficient is significant in the collisionless range and for the weakly relativistic regime. In particular, in laser-created plasmas, the damping of the plasma eigenmodes should increase with increasing relativistic effects and decrease with increasing nonlocal effects. Consequently, the growth rates of parametric instabilities in plasmas created in the context of inertial confined fusion are expected to be reduced by relativistic effects.
Wind energy potential in compact urban areas with balconies
Authors: Wang Wen-Yu , Tsai Min-Chen , Liu Zhong-Han
Published: January 2025

The rapid global development of urbanization has led to increased building densities. Wind-energy-harnessing dense building array in urban areas is a contemporary initiative to increase the share of affordable and clean energy in global energy production. This study comprehensively investigates the accuracy of computational fluid dynamics simulations for predicting mean and turbulent wind characteristics over a typical 3 × 3 building array placed in close proximity. The three-dimensional steady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes and Reynolds stress model models provide the most accurate wind velocity, turbulence intensity, and wind power density predictions for a typical building array. We evaluate various impact parameters of urban building arrays, including (1) plan area density, (2) unequal building height arrangements with and without balconies, (3) balcony depth, and (4) balcony density. Based on our results, we recommend a plan area density (λp) of 0.4 as the mounting site of wind turbines due to its excellent average power density and unacceptable turbulence region. The arrangement of buildings, the presence of balconies, and balcony design significantly modify urban wind patterns. The depth of balconies from 2.5 to 10 mm will increase average wind power density by 25% at wind directions of 0°, and the difference is minimal at wind direction of 45°. Lower balcony densities are more suitable for installing wind turbines on rooftops. Furthermore, the results provide design guidelines for compact building arrays with balconies for urban planning and wind energy exploitation.