bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When Can We Trust Regression Discontinuity Design Estimates from Close Elections? Evidence from Experimental Benchmarks
Authors: De Magalhães Leandro , Hangartner Dominik , Hirvonen Salomo , Meriläinen Jaakko , Ruiz Nelson A. , Tukiainen Janne
Published: January 2025

Regression discontinuity designs (RDD) are widely used in the social sciences to estimate causal effects from observational data. Following recent methodological advances, scholars can choose from various RDD estimators for point estimation and inference. This decision is mainly guided by theoretical results on optimality and Monte Carlo simulations because of a paucity of research on the performance of the different estimators in recovering real-world experimental benchmarks. Leveraging exact ties in personal votes in local elections in Colombia and Finland, which are resolved by a random lottery, we assess the performance of various estimators featuring different polynomial degrees, bias-correction methods, optimal bandwidths, and approaches to statistical inference. Using re-running and re-election as outcomes, we document only minor differences in the performance of the various implementation approaches when the conditional expectation function (CEF) of the outcomes in the vicinity of the discontinuity is close to linear. When approximating the curvature of the CEF is more challenging, bias-corrected and robust inference with coverage-error-rate-optimal bandwidths comes closer to the experimental benchmark than more widely used alternative implementations.
‘Integrated Tool Competency’: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Role of the Absent Tools of Musical Composition
Authors: BOYLE MICHAEL
Published: January 2025

How do the tools of musical composition shape the cognitive processes of composition in absentia? In exploring the role of these absent tools, can progress be made towards an extended understanding of imagination and memory? This article posits the conceptual framework of ‘Integrated Tool Competency’ as a way of reconciling the powerful insights of externalist accounts of cognition with the fact that so much of the process of musical composition can take place without directly interacting with compositional tools. Effectively, this concept extends the integration of tools into a composer’s cognition beyond the moment of their use, including both unconscious competencies such as audiation and conscious actions such as imagining using a certain tool. This article proposes the concept of Integrated Tool Competency and discusses its potential ramifications for understanding the tools of composition.
‘The Mind is not Limited by the Skin’: The Expert Piano Technician’s Experience of Working on Pianos of Professional Concert Performers
Authors: CAVETT ESTHER
Published: January 2025

This study explores the experience of concert piano technicians who work on pianos played by the top tier of concert pianists in the world. They identify as craftspeople with a strong sense of vocation, who are autonomous, skilled, yet connected. They consider their pianos to be alive, with their own personalities and agency, needing to be tamed, loved, and negotiated with. The connection between their human fingers and the body of the piano is experienced as one of sensation and vibration rather than conscious thought, leading to ‘flow’. Findings are contextualized through qualitative psychology, Actor Network, and Material Engagement Theory.
Classical Music’s Conflicted Futures: Perspectives on the Industry and Academia from Recent Scholarship
Authors: FORNER JANE ISABELLE
Published: January 2025

If the current state of publishing is anything to go by, the classical music industry and music academia are in a state of crisis. This will come as little surprise to anyone either teaching, researching, or studying music, or existing in the professional world of musical performance. The mushrooming of edited volumes, journal articles, and think-pieces such as op-eds and podcasts, all offering perspectives on variations of classical music’s ‘challenges’ and ‘futures’ is notable, and has only accelerated in recent years. More important than this quantity, however, is the sheer diversity of opinions, revealing how widely the ideological fissures across all corners of academic music studies and the classical music industry have deepened. Fraught debates have spilled over from the relatively insular bubbles of social media discourse and academic publications into national headlines.
Who Debates, Who Wins? At-Scale Experimental Evidence on the Supply of Policy Information in a Liberian Election
Authors: BOWLES JEREMY , LARREGUY HORACIO
Published: January 2025

We examine how the effects of initiatives intended to promote programmatic competition are conditioned by candidates’ often mixed incentives to participate in them. In a nationwide debate initiative designed to solicit and widely rebroadcast policy promises from Liberian legislative candidates, we analyze the randomized encouragement of debate participation across districts. The intervention substantially increased the debate participation of leading candidates but had uneven electoral consequences, with incumbents benefiting at the expense of their challengers. These results are driven by incumbents’ more positive selection into participation on the basis of their policy alignment with voters; voters’ heightened attention to them; and how candidates’ campaigns responded in turn. The results underscore wide variation in candidates’ suitability for programmatic politics and highlight important challenges in transitioning away from clientelistic political equilibria.
“Moderates”
Authors: BROOCKMAN DAVID E. , LAUDERDALE BENJAMIN E.
Published: January 2025

Many Americans express a mix of conservative and liberal views across issues. Prior research indicates these voters are cross-pressured. A recent, influential article “Moderates” (Fowler et al. 2023) argues that these voters instead largely have centrist views on individual issues. To reach this conclusion, “Moderates” develops a method to determine which voters’ views are well-summarized by liberal-conservative ideology. “Moderates” finds that most voters’ views are. It therefore concludes that the large number of such voters with centrist estimated ideologies—“moderates”—must hold centrist views on issues. We show that this method systematically overstates how many voters’ views are well-summarized by liberal-conservative ideology: it assumes voters’ views are unless they either answer questions randomly or form a single cluster with distinctive views. In simulations, we show this problem is large. The article’s core conclusion that many voters who express a mix of conservative and liberal views can be inferred to support centrist policies therefore remains in doubt.
AN UPPER BOUND FOR THE GENERALISED GREATEST COMMON DIVISOR OF RATIONAL POINTS
Authors: BARRIOS BENJAMÍN
Published: January 2025

Let X be a smooth projective variety defined over a number field K. We give an upper bound for the generalised greatest common divisor of a point

$x\in X$

with respect to an irreducible subvariety

$Y\subseteq X$

also defined over K. To prove the result, we establish a rather uniform Riemann–Roch-type inequality.
Government Credit and International Trade
Authors: Ru Hong , Yang Endong
Published: January 2025

Using transaction-level trade data from China Customs and loan data from the China Development Bank (CDB), we find that CDB credit to strategic industries at the top of supply chains leads to lower prices, higher volume, and more product varieties and destinations for exports for firms in downstream industries. These positive spillovers stem from reduced intermediate goods prices and increased trade credit from upstream to downstream firms caused by CDB loans. Notably, this surge in import activity displaces U.S. firms within the same industry but bolsters downstream U.S. firms’ business performance and employment.
Exposing the Revolving Door in Executive Branch Agencies
Authors: Emery Logan P. , Faccio Mara
Published: January 2025

We develop an extensive mapping of the revolving door phenomenon by examining the work experience of 420,153 individuals in top corporate positions at 12,869 firms. More than half of these firms have at least one such individual with prior experience in one of 187 executive branch agencies. We find that firms are more likely to receive procurement contracts following the appointment of a former regulator transitioning within 2 years of leaving the agency, a result consistent with the “knowledge” hypothesis. Less-complex contracts signed following the appointment of former regulators are more likely to be renegotiated, increasing costs for the government.
Lifecycle of an introduced Dollfustrema (Bucephalidae) trematode in the Tone River system, Japan
Authors: Saito Y. , Iwata S. , Hayashi M. , Nitta M. , Ishikawa T. , Hagiwara T. , Ikezawa H. , Mano N. , Waki T.
Published: January 2025

During 2021 through 2023, the golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei and freshwater fishes were sampled from 28 sites in the Tone River system, Japan, and adult trematodes of Dollfustrema were found in the fishes. Molecular and morphological analyses based on 28S rDNA and the ITS1−5.8S−ITS2 region revealed the trematode as ‘Dollfustrema hefeiense’, previously reported in Mainland China and likely introduced to Japan. Given that its scientific name was considered invalid, we re-described the species as Dollfustrema invadens n. sp. Additionally, the DNA-based survey helped clarify the trematode’s life cycle in the river system. A sporocyst and metacercariae were detected in the golden mussel’s visceral mass and in the muscles of two small freshwater fish species, respectively. The channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus harboured mature trematodes in its intestine, and adult trematodes were also found in the muscles of fishes infected with metacercariae, suggesting direct metacercariae development in fish muscle. Furthermore, another introduced bucephalid trematode, Prosorhynchoides ozakii, previously reported in the river system, was detected in the mussels and fishes. Moreover, co-infection of both bucephalid trematodes was observed in certain fishes.
Molecular evidence of Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (Pallas, 1781) in cockchafers in rural areas of Elazig, Türkiye
Authors: Celik F. , Tekin A.S. , Uslug M. , Simsek S.
Published: January 2025

The primary definitive host of the giant acanthocephalan, also known as the giant thorny-headed worm Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (Pallas, 1781), is Sus scrofa. The definitive host ingests the parasite by consuming infected scarabaeoid or hydrophilid beetles. This study aimed to ascertain the presence of M. hirudinaceus in the intermediate hosts through molecular analysis. The cockchafers were collected from Elazig province of Türkiye. A total of 30 pools, comprising 10 pools for each of three districts were obtained from cockchafers collected from 10 areas. The gDNA was isolated and PCR was conducted using specific primers which amplify the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (mt-CO1) gene of M. hirudinaceus. Then, the PCR-positive samples were sequenced, and phylogenetic and haplotype analyses were performed. A total of 300 cockchafer adults and/or larvae were collected for this study from different regions of three districts (Sivrice, Baskil, and Keban) in Elazig province of Türkiye. No PCR band was observed in any of the samples in Sivrice (0%). However, a total of 16 samples (5.3%), 10 from the Baskil (10%) and 6 from Keban (6%), showed a PCR band of 491 bp. All sequences were confirmed as M. hirudinaceus. Two distinct haplotypes were detected at two points. Of the total number of sequences, twelve were found to consist of a single haplotype. One of the two haplotypes was comprised of 10 isolates, while the other included six isolates. This study is one of the limited studies on the molecular identification and haplotyping of M. hirudinaceus in cockchafers.
A theory of international technology regulation
Authors: Rabitz Florian
Published: January 2025

Technology is of increasing importance for international cooperation, yet theory development in rationalist International Relations has not kept pace. I develop a theoretical framework for explaining cooperative outcomes in the international regulation of technology. I propose that uncertainty and the distribution of material capacities create a severe international collective action problem for novel technologies, which precludes robust cooperative outcomes and thus limits joint gains from the appropriation of technological benefits and from the mitigation of technological risks. While the severity of the collective action problem attenuates over time, in principle enabling greater ambition in cooperative outcomes, sociotechnical lock-in reduces the capacities and incentives of state actors to deviate from pre-existing rules. This leads to incremental change whereby rules harden over time but do not change significantly in terms of their regulatory substance. While early regulatory interventions are hampered by collective action problems, late interventions are constrained by lock-in. These temporal dynamics create a tendency towards systemic inefficiency in international technology regulation. I illustrate this argument using the cases of nuclear power and synthetic biology.
FANO FOURFOLDS WITH LARGE ANTICANONICAL BASE LOCUS
Authors: Höring Andreas , Secci Saverio Andrea
Published: January 2025

A famous theorem of Shokurov states that a general anticanonical divisor of a smooth Fano threefold is a smooth K3 surface. This is quite surprising since there are several examples where the base locus of the anticanonical system has codimension two. In this paper, we show that for four-dimensional Fano manifolds the behaviour is completely opposite: if the base locus is a normal surface, and hence has codimension two, all the anticanonical divisors are singular.
Breakdowns and the Aesthetic of Disorientation in Festival-House Music
Authors: SMITH JEREMY W.
Published: January 2025

This article discusses how and why disorientation is used as an aesthetic strategy in breakdown sections of festival-house tracks and performances. Breakdowns in electronic dance music (EDM) have many sound layers removed from the mix. For house music at EDM festivals, this usually includes drums, therefore in many breakdowns it is easy for listeners to lose their metric entrainment. Breakdowns also often introduce a new sound layer, use metrical dissonance, and feature prominent ‘effects’. Through analyses and interviews, the article argues that festival-house breakdowns can be disorienting both physically and psychologically, but that this fulfils multiple purposes for performers, such as providing contrast that makes musical climaxes more exciting and allowing an opportunity for dancers to physically rest. Breakdowns also encourage visual interaction between performers and dancers and allow performers to communicate a narrative. The analyses in the article make interpretations about the meaning of tracks as communicated primarily in breakdown sections.
The overlooked importance of intelligence analysis in IHL
Authors: Voss Loren
Published: January 2025

Decision-makers rely on intelligence to make targeting decisions that comply with international humanitarian law (IHL), yet the relationship between intelligence and the law is not frequently discussed. This article explores crucial elements of intelligence and intelligence analysis that decision-makers should understand to increase their compliance with IHL, focusing on three crucial decision points: (1) the determination of whether a potential target is a military objective, (2) proportionality in attack analysis, and (3) the taking of effective precautions.
The Political Consequences of State Pride
Authors: Wolak Jennifer
Published: January 2025

Separate from their feelings of national pride, Americans may also feel proud of the state where they live. I explore the political consequences of these feelings of state pride. I propose that when people feel proud of the state they reside in, they are more willing to empower their state governments to take action to address state challenges. Using survey responses from a module of the 2020 Cooperative Election Study, I find that people who express greater pride in their state are more likely to advocate for state spending on social programs. Feelings of state pride are also associated with support for policy devolution and the belief that state governments should have more influence over policymaking within the federal system. State governments have incentives to try to cultivate feelings of state pride, as those who feel proud of their state are more willing to empower their state government to effect change.
Learning dynamics of muscle synergies during non-biomimetic control maps
Authors: Tse King Chun , Capsi-Morales Patricia , Piazza Cristina
Published: January 2025

Advanced myoelectric prostheses feature multiple degrees of freedom (DoFs) and sophisticated control algorithms that interpret user motor intentions as commands. While enhancing their capability to assist users in a wide range of daily activities, these control solutions still pose challenges. Among them, the need for extensive learning periods and users’ limited control proficiency. To investigate the relationship between these challenges and the limited alignment of such methods with human motor control strategies, we examine motor learning processes in two different control maps testing a synergistic myoelectric system. In particular, this work employs a DoF-wise synergies control algorithm tested in both intuitive and non-intuitive control mappings. Intuitive mapping aligns body movements with control actions to replicate natural limb control, whereas non-intuitive mapping (or non-biomimetic) lacks a direct correlation between aspects, allowing one body movement to influence multiple DoFs. The latter offers increased design flexibility through redundancy, which can be especially advantageous for individuals with motor disabilities. The study evaluates the effectiveness and learning process of both control mappings with 10 able-bodied participants. The results revealed distinct patterns observed while testing the two maps. Furthermore, muscle synergies exhibited greater stability and distinction by the end of the experiment, indicative of varied learning processes.
Quantifying Magma Water Contents: A New Entrainment Model for Charnockite Formation
Authors: Yang Hang , Yao Jinlong , Cawood Peter A. , Zhao Guochun , Han Yigui , Li Xiaochun , Liu Qian , Zhang Donghai , Wang Xiangsong , Guo Yu
Published: January 2025

Water is essential for the formation of granites and continental crust, whereas charnockite, being an important component of deep crust, is inferred to be formed in low‐water environments. Charnockite is an orthopyroxene‐bearing felsic rock, its origin, generation, and preservation remain hotly debated. Quantifying the magma water content of charnockite and further determining the orthopyroxene preservation mechanism is crucial to understanding the petrogenesis of charnockite. Here, we report a ca. 431 Ma peraluminous Gaozhou charnockite with granulitic enclaves in South China. The body displays A‐type characteristics with crustal reworking zircon isotopic features (δ18O = 8.0–9.8 ‰; εHf(t) = −11.5 to −3.4). The charnockite and its enclaves show identical mineral assemblages and comparable orthopyroxene chemical compositions. The two anhydrous minerals of orthopyroxene and garnet are identified as of peritectic and magmatic origins given their textural features and geochemical compositions. Moreover, petrographic observations and bulk geochemical data argue that the peritectic minerals were derived from the entrainment of their granulitic sources. Crystallization phase modeling indicates orthopyroxene would have been completely hydrated and formed biotite when water contents exceed ∼0.3 wt.% near the solidus. Water‐in‐zircon analysis and thermodynamic modeling indicate low magma water conditions (∼0.15 wt.%; 135 ppm, zircon water medians) for the Gaozhou charnockite from early crystallization to final solidification. CO2‐rich fluids flushed the charnockite reservoir further contributing to the stabilization of the orthopyroxene. Therefore, we propose a new entrainment model for the formation of charnockite that requires low‐water environments achieved by high‐temperature melting of dehydrated lower crust granulitic rocks.
A systematic review of Perinatal Antibiotic Stewardship – where we are, where to go?
Authors: Winteler Cristina , Ardabili Sara , Hodel Markus , Stocker Martin
Published: January 2025

The perinatal period is associated with high antibiotic exposure, which raises concerns about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and future health impacts. The aim of this comprehensive systematic review, including publications from 2000 to 2022, is to describe the current evidence and state of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in the perinatal period and to identify gaps in knowledge for future research. The review included 36 studies from the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia, involving a total of 64,798 pregnant women and 84,137 newborns. 33 out of 36 studies reported reduced antibiotic use, suggesting the potential to reduce antibiotic exposure. There is a lack of studies in the antepartum and intrapartum periods, of comprehensive AMS strategies across the entire perinatal period, and from low- and middle-income countries with a high burden of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Future research should include prospective, adequately powered studies including safety endpoints, clinical outcomes and AMR reports.
Enhanced multiscale human brain imaging by semi-supervised digital staining and serial sectioning optical coherence tomography
Authors: Cheng Shiyi , Chang Shuaibin , Li Yunzhe , Novoseltseva Anna , Lin Sunni , Wu Yicun , Zhu Jiahui , McKee Ann C. , Rosene Douglas L. , Wang Hui , Bigio Irving J. , Boas David A. , Tian Lei
Published: January 2025

A major challenge in neuroscience is visualizing the structure of the human brain at different scales. Traditional histology reveals micro- and meso-scale brain features but suffers from staining variability, tissue damage, and distortion, which impedes accurate 3D reconstructions. The emerging label-free serial sectioning optical coherence tomography (S-OCT) technique offers uniform 3D imaging capability across samples but has poor histological interpretability despite its sensitivity to cortical features. Here, we present a novel 3D imaging framework that combines S-OCT with a deep-learning digital staining (DS) model. This enhanced imaging modality integrates high-throughput 3D imaging, low sample variability and high interpretability, making it suitable for 3D histology studies. We develop a novel semi-supervised learning technique to facilitate DS model training on weakly paired images for translating S-OCT to Gallyas silver staining. We demonstrate DS on various human cerebral cortex samples, achieving consistent staining quality and enhancing contrast across cortical layer boundaries. Additionally, we show that DS preserves geometry in 3D on cubic-centimeter tissue blocks, allowing for visualization of meso-scale vessel networks in the white matter. We believe that our technique has the potential for high-throughput, multiscale imaging of brain tissues and may facilitate studies of brain structures.
Features of intermediate and late dry age-related macular degeneration on adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy: Pinnacle Study Report 8
Authors: Hagag Ahmed M. , Holmes Christopher , Raza Ahmer , Riedl Sophie , Anders Philipp , Kaye Rebecca , Prevost Toby , Fritsche Lars G. , Rueckert Daniel , Bogunović Hrvoje , Scholl Hendrick P. N. , Schmidt-Erfurth Ursula , Lotery Andrew J. , Sivaprasad Sobha
Published: January 2025

Background/Objectives

Adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy (AOO) has the potential to provide insights into AMD pathology and to assess the risk of progression. We aim to utilise AOO to describe detailed features of intermediate AMD and to characterise microscopic changes during atrophy development.

Subjects/Methods

Patients with intermediate AMD were recruited into PINNACLE, a prospective observational cohort study. Participants underwent flood-illumination AOO using the commercially available rtx1 camera. AOO images were qualitatively assessed and correlated with clinical imaging including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and infrared scanning laser ophthalmoscopy.

Results

The visibility of cone mosaic was generally compromised in eyes with intermediate AMD. We observed an association between the visibility of cone mosaic on AOO and the detection of a well-defined normal interdigitation zone on OCT. Drusen subtypes were identified on AOO as variations in reflectance at the edge and/or the centre of the druse. The absence of a hyperreflective margin was associated with the loss of the overlying ellipsoid zone on OCT prior to the collapse of the druse. With progressive attenuation of the retinal pigment epithelium and loss of photoreceptor layers, the drusenoid lesion appeared more hyperreflective with very distinctive edges.

Conclusions

This cross-sectional study supports the potential value of AOO for providing information on intermediate AMD and the development of atrophic lesions that cannot be seen in conventional imaging modalities. The ongoing longitudinal PINNACLE study is assessing the significance of the described findings.
Reconstructing skeletal homeostasis through allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in myelofibrosis
Authors: Schäfersküpper Mathias , Simon Alexander , Yorgan Timur A. , von Brackel Felix N. , Delsmann Maximilian M. , Baranowsky Anke , Gagelmann Nico , Ayuk Francis , Schinke Thorsten , Amling Michael , Kröger Nicolaus , Rolvien Tim
Published: January 2025

Myeloproliferative neoplasm-associated myelofibrosis is a clonal stem cell process characterized by pronounced bone marrow fibrosis associated with extramedullary hematopoiesis and splenomegaly. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) represents the only curative treatment leading to bone marrow fibrosis regression. Here we provide an in-depth skeletal characterization of myelofibrosis patients before and after allo-HSCT utilizing clinical high-resolution imaging, laboratory analyses, and bone biopsy studies. Despite unimpaired bone microarchitecture at peripheral skeletal sites, we observe a marked increase in bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and proximal femur, which is histologically related to severe bone marrow fibrosis and osteosclerosis, fully normalizing after allo-HSCT. Importantly, the regression of fibrosis is accompanied by vanishing osteosclerosis along with restored osteoclastic resorption activity and whole-body calcium homeostasis. Together, our results provide evidence for an extensive reconstruction of skeletal homeostasis by allo-HSCT in MF, leading to rapid resolution of osteosclerosis.
Metabolic activities are selective modulators for individual segmentation clock processes
Authors: Matsuda Mitsuhiro , Lázaro Jorge , Ebisuya Miki
Published: January 2025

Numerous cellular and molecular processes during embryonic development prompt the fundamental question of how their tempos are coordinated and whether a common global modulator exists. While the segmentation clock tempo scales with the kinetics of gene expression and degradation processes of the core clock gene Hes7 across mammals, the coordination of these processes remains unclear. This study examines whether metabolic activities serve as a global modulator for the segmentation clock, finding them to be selective instead. Several metabolic inhibitions extend the clock period but affect key processes differently: glycolysis inhibition slows Hes7 protein degradation and production delay without altering intron delay, while electron transport chain inhibition extends intron delay without influencing the other processes. Combinations of distinct metabolic inhibitions exhibit synergistic effects. We propose that the scaled kinetics of segmentation clock processes across species may result from combined selective modulators shaped by evolutionary constraints, rather than a single global modulator.
Exploring the utility of different bulking agents for speeding up the composting process of household kitchen waste
Authors: Mussa Sania , Farhan Muhammad , Ahmad Shoaib , Zahra Khadija , Kanwal Amina , Khan Qaiser Farid , Afzaal Muhammad , Wahid Abdul , Sarker Pallab K. , El-Sheikh Mohamed A. , Ali Shafaqat
Published: January 2025

Household kitchen waste (HKW) is produced in large quantity and its management is difficult due to high moisture content and complex organic matter. Aerobic composting of HKW is an easy, efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly method. This study is designed to achieve a zero-waste concept and to convert HKW. We optimized the type and size of three different bulking agents to speed up the composting process. The tested bulking agents were fallen leaves, sawdust and fly ash. The results showed a higher and longer thermophilic phase (55oC) for 11 days in C2. Higher moisture content (69%) and higher organic matter degradation (38.4%) were also observed in C2. The pH range in all compost treatments was 7-8.5, Electrical conductivity range was 1.8–3.55 mS/cm, C/N ratio range was 15.4–18.1, water holding capacity range was 3.25–4.3 g water/g dry sample, total potassium range was 1.52–1.61%, total phosphorous range was 0.83–1.14%. The highest germination index (119.1%) was also obtained in C2. The highest chili height (16.7 cm), greater number of leaves (20), greater shoot fresh weight (4.75 g) and root fresh weight (1.2 g) was obtained in the presence of C2. Similarly, greater water WHC (2.8 g water/g DW), higher porosity (55.49%) and higher aggregate stability (54.14%) of soil was also obtained by C2. This research effectively reduced the maturation time to 32 days and converted kitchen waste into compost (resource). This is a very practical idea for home composting and kitchen gardening to combat food security issues in developing countries.
Nomogram models for predicting outcomes in thyroid cancer patients with distant metastasis receiving 131iodine therapy
Authors: Jin Shui , Ye Xuemei , Ye Ting , Chen Xinyu , Ji Jianfeng , Wang Jinyu , Zhu Xin , Mao Xiaochun , Higuchi Takahiro , Yi Heqing
Published: January 2025

This study aimed to establish and validate prognostic nomogram models for patients who underwent 131I therapy for thyroid cancer with distant metastases. The cohort was divided into training (70%) and validation (30%) sets for nomogram development. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Nomograms were developed based on these predictors, and Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed for validation. Among 451 patients who were screened, 412 met the inclusion criteria and were followed-up for a median duration of 65.2 months. The training and validation sets included 288 and 124 patients, respectively. Pathological type, first 131I administrated activity, and lesion 131I uptake in lesions were independent predictors for PFS. For OS, predictors included gender, age, metastasis site, first 131I administrated activity, 131I uptake, pulmonary lesion size, and stimulated thyroglobulin levels. These predictors were used to construct nomograms for predicting PFS and OS. Low-risk patients had significantly longer PFS and OS compared to high-risk patients, with 10-year PFS rates of 81.1% vs. 51.9% and 10-year OS rates of 86.2% vs. 37.4%. These may aid individualized prognostic assessment and clinical decision-making, especially in determining the prescribed activity for the first 131I treatment.
Long term study on blood glucose levels in wintering great tits Parus major in sites differing in artificial food availability
Authors: Kaliński Adam , Glądalski Michał , Markowski Marcin , Skwarska Joanna , Wawrzyniak Jarosław , Bańbura Jerzy , Zieliński Piotr
Published: January 2025

Blood glucose concentration is one of the fundamental biochemical indices in the physiology of birds and other vertebrates. Since glucose serves as the main fuel for metabolic energy, its proper level in the blood serum is crucial to the individual in terms of physiological health, which leads to applying it as an ecophysiological indicator. Such an indicator may be especially useful during energetically demanding periods, such as winter at northern latitudes. Therefore, the main objective of this paper was to examine the variation in blood glucose in wintering the great tits (Parus major) in nine consecutive winters at two sites that differed with respect to the amount of human-provided food. We assumed that trophic conditions resulting from the use of artificial feeders that vary between sites across the years would affect the metabolic performance of birds and their physiological condition, which should be reflected in the blood glucose levels of wintering individuals. We showed that both females and males were characterised by significantly higher glucose levels at the study site, which was characterised by the high accessibility to human-provided food sources (forest clearing) than at the site with low and irregular artificial feeding. The difference remained distinct throughout most of the winter seasons of the study. We also revealed a substantial variation between seasons in blood glucose concentration in the case of male great tits. In general, we show that avian blood glucose can be used as an ecophysiological indicator of the trophic conditions of the environment in which individuals from small passerine species winter.
Effects of forest age and stand density on the growth, soil moisture content, and soil carbon content of Populus simoni plantations in the sandy area of western Liaoning, Northeast China
Authors: Chen Hao , Zhang Zhaowei , Yang Xiangyu , Ai Xin , Wang Yutao , Liu Ping
Published: January 2025

Poplar (Populus simoni) plantations are crucial in the sandy regions of western Liaoning, serving key roles in wind protection, sand stabilization, soil moisture regulation, and carbon sequestration. However, challenges such as suboptimal stand quality and limited ecological benefits persist. This study aims to elucidate the growth dynamics of poplar plantations and their impact on soil moisture content and soil carbon content in this region. We established 75 standard plots across various age groups and stand densities in Fuxin City, measuring poplar diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height (TH), soil moisture content, and soil carbon content. We found that DBH and TH increase with increasing stand density in young and middle-aged forests, but the opposite is true at near-maturity, maturity, and over-maturity, where DBH and TH decrease with increasing stand density. Soil moisture content rises with stand density in younger forests, while soil carbon content increases with age, with surface soil layers exhibiting higher carbon concentrations. The soil carbon stock in these plantations is approximately 3.0 × 106 tons, the highest recorded in Fuxin City. This research provides a foundation for the effective management and development of poplar plantations in wind-prone, sandy areas. Overall, optimizing stand density and managing forest age distribution are essential for enhancing the ecological and carbon sequestration benefits of poplar plantations in this region.
Dominant inflation of the Arctic Ocean’s Beaufort Gyre in a warming climate
Authors: Wang Qiang , Shu Qi , Wang Shizhu , Li Xinyue , Danilov Sergey , Qiao Fangli , Song Zhenya , Wang Fan , Jung Thomas
Published: January 2025

The Arctic Ocean’s Beaufort Gyre, the largest Arctic freshwater reservoir, plays a crucial role for climate and marine ecosystems. Understanding how it changes in a warming climate is therefore essential. Here, using high-resolution simulations and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 data, we find that the Beaufort Gyre will increasingly accumulate freshwater, elevate sea level, and spin up its circulation as the climate warms. These changes, collectively referred to as inflation, are more pronounced in the Beaufort Gyre region than in other Arctic areas, amplifying the spatial asymmetry of the Arctic Ocean. The inflation is driven by increased surface freshwater fluxes and intensified surface stress from wind strengthening and sea ice decline. Current climate models tend to underestimate this inflation, which could be alleviated by high-resolution ocean models and improved atmospheric circulation simulations. The inflation of the Beaufort Gyre underscores its growing importance in a warming climate.
Trade-off between pollinator-wildflower diversity & grassland yields
Authors: Balfour Nicholas J. , Harris Ciaran , Storkey Jonathan , Ratnieks Francis L. W.
Published: January 2025

This is a critical moment for land use policy globally, with many countries (e.g. the UK and the European Union) currently undertaking significant green reforms of their agricultural policies. Despite their importance for maintaining agricultural outputs and plant diversity, the effects of artificial soil enrichment on pollinators remain poorly understood. Our two-year study at the world’s longest-running ecological experiment, Park Grass, Rothamsted, examines the relationship between soil fertilisation, grassland yield and biodiversity. Our data show a large and significant negative effect of the major plant nutrients (NPK) on the abundance, species richness and functional diversity of both pollinators and flowering plants. The results also indicate a large and significant trade-off between productivity and biodiversity. Our findings are a salutary reminder of the challenge in reconciling conflicting aims in farmland management and strongly suggest that financial incentives are necessary to offset yield reductions to improve biodiversity outcomes in agricultural grasslands.
Efficacy and mechanisms of concentrated growth factor on facial nerve rehabilitation in a rabbit model
Authors: Yang Xiaochen , Hou Zhengyao , Wang Kexin , Li Jieying , Shang Wei , Wang Lin , Song Kai
Published: January 2025

Concentrated growth factor (CGF) accelerates facial nerve rehabilitation in rabbits by enhancing Schwann cell activity, activating the PDGFRβ pathway, and facilitating axon and myelin regeneration.
Structural analysis and water adsorption properties of chloranilate anion–terpyridine metal complexes forming hydrogen-bonded frameworks
Authors: Mishima Akio , Mori Runa , Kanazashi Ken , Hamaguchi Tomohiko , Ishikawa Ryuta , Kawata Satoshi
Published: January 2025

Emerging microporous hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) are expected to overcome water shortages owing to their potential in harvesting and releasing water at low energies.
Probing the structural transformation and bonding of metal–boride clusters MB3 (M = La, Ta, Re, Ir)
Authors: Jiang Xue-Lian , Dong Xin-Ran , Xu Cong-Qiao , Li Jun
Published: January 2025

Quantum-chemistry calculations reveal a Jahn–Teller effect induced 2D-to-3D structural transformation from the early-metal (La, Ta) to late-metal (Re, Ir) doped triboron clusters MB3 (M = La, Ta, Re, Ir).
Antibacterial and surface properties of post-light-activated metal-free phthalocyanine-deposited TiO2 nanotube smart surfaces
Authors: Durdu Salih , Caglar Yasemin , Ozcan Kadriye , Saka Ece Tugba
Published: January 2025

The utilisation of implantable medical devices has become safer and more prevalent since the establishment of sterilisation methods and techniques a century ago.
An overloaded pure silica zeolite ISV synthesized using a phosphonium cation
Authors: Yu Huajian , Balestra Salvador R. G. , Gao Zihao Rei , Camblor Miguel A.
Published: January 2025

A pure silica ISV zeolite prepared with a large phosphonium cation is overloaded with cations relative to both fluoride anions and large-pore channel crossings (excess balanced with defects). Calculations explain how and why the overloading occurs.
Optical properties and photobleaching of wildfire ashes aqueous extracts
Authors: Leresche Frank , Fischer Sarah J. , Buckley Shelby , Rosario-Ortiz Fernando L.
Published: January 2025

This study presents photochemical (singlet oxygen), optical properties (absorbance, fluorescence), photobleaching and photomineralization experiments of wildfire ash leachates. Results indicate that ash leachates are more labile than control soils.
Achieving 27.20% efficiency for a lead-free double perovskite solar cell with all inorganic Cs2BiAgI6 using AZO UTL as a passivation layer
Authors: Mohandes Aminreza , Moradi Mahmood
Published: January 2025

The layers, crystal structure, performance parameters and energy band alignments of lead-free double perovskite, Cs2BiAgI6, solar cell. These results offer a theoretical framework for enhancing the efficiency.
Metal-coordination-driven self-assembly of DNA nanohybrids for robust intracellular anti-tuberculosis therapy
Authors: Zhang Kaidi , Sun Hong , Gao Xingchen , Liang Tong , Gao Xiaoyi , Song Houhui , Guan Chiyu , Sun Zhaogang , Zhang Jingfang
Published: January 2025

This study presents a DNA-based nanoarchitecture that enhances tuberculosis treatment by combining isoniazid and CpG through Fe2+-assisted coordination-driven self-assembly to boost host immune response.
Cross-coupling reaction of cyclic quaternary ammonium salts with arylzinc reagents, arylboron reagents, and silylboronates
Authors: Jiang Hong-Xia , Wang Zhong-Xia
Published: January 2025

The Ni-catalyzed reaction of benzocyclic quaternary ammonium salts with aryl-zinc or -boron reagents affords amino-retentive arylation products, while the reaction with PhMe2SiBpin in the presence of LiOtBu gives amino-retentive silylation products.
Complexes (TBA+){(TMI-NPS)2·LnIIII4}− (Ln = Dy, Tb) with two axial photochromic spiropyran ligands: photoswitching and zero-field SIM behaviour with a high magnetization blocking barrier for the Dy complex
Authors: Osipov Nikita G. , Faraonov Maxim A. , Kuzmin Aleksey V. , Khasanov Salavat S. , Dmitriev Alexey A. , Gritsan Nina P. , Denisov Nikolay N. , Otsuka Akihiro , Kitagawa Hiroshi , Konarev Dmitri V.
Published: January 2025

Spiropyrans coordinate to DyIII and TbIII iodides to form crystalline (TBA+){(TMI-NPS)2·LnIIII4}−·0.5C6H4Cl2 (1 and 2). 1 is a single-ion magnet (SIM) with large Ueff = 470 cm−1, 2 is a field-induced SIM. The complex with Dy is photoresponsive.
Multi-stimuli responsive smart materials: cyanine amphiphile self-assembly for photochromic and pH-switching applications
Authors: Tseng Tzu-Yu , Yeh Yao-Chun , Hsing Wei , Fu Lien-Chen , Yeh Mei-Yu
Published: January 2025

We designed the asymmetric cyanine amphiphile DPIIF, which exhibits reversible photochromism, pH responsiveness, and sol–gel transitions, offering potential applications in information security, anti-counterfeiting, and biomedical studies.
Plasmonic Cu-supported amorphous RuP for efficient photothermal CO2 hydrogenation to CO
Authors: Li Xiuping , Wang Jiaqi , Yin Bolin , Liu Kaihong , Zhao Jingjing , Jiang Bo , Li Hexing
Published: January 2025

Plasmonic Cu-supported amorphous RuP for efficient photothermal CO2 hydrogenation to CO.
Green one-pot synthesis of quinoxaline derivatives using sulfo-anthranilic acid functionalized alginate-MCFe2O4 nanostructures: a novel superparamagnetic catalyst with antiproliferative potential
Authors: Lai Ying , Zhang Ruoyu
Published: January 2025

This study presents an eco-friendly, multi-component synthesis of 2-aminoimidazole–linked quinoxaline Schiff bases using a novel superparamagnetic acid catalyst.
Superior photocatalytic activity of Mn vanadate/reduced graphene oxide magnetic nanocomposite for the oxidation of methylene blue dye under sunlight irradiation
Authors: Rahmatpour Fatemeh , Monadi Niaz
Published: January 2025

Synthesis of magnetic rGO/Fe3O4/MnV2O6 heterostructure as potential photocatalyst for degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye.
Precise functionalization in nano-confinement: a bottom-up approach to the evolution of selective molecular receptors
Authors: Tan Ya-Mei , Zhang Lu-Mei , Bai Qixia , Zhang Zhe , Wang Pingshan , Zhang Qi
Published: January 2025

Precise endo-functionalization tailors the host cavity to fit the shape and charge distribution of target guest molecules, offering a novel bottom-up strategy for constructing customized molecular receptors.
Substitution of magnesium towards stabilizing low-nickel layered oxides for high voltage and cost-effective sodium-ion batteries
Authors: Ma Yongliang , Zhang Haihan , Xie Liang , Hua Weibo , Huang Zhengxin , Sun Xiaohui , Luo Jintian , Shu Chengyong , Yang Kang , Tang Wei
Published: January 2025

The NMNFM obtained by Mg doping through NNFM exhibits a high reversible capacity of 153 mAh g−1 at 0.1C, with excellent capacity retention after 100 cycles, achieving a capacity retention rate of 82.1%.
Li-doped 2D aza-fused covalent organic framework: a promising avenue for hydrogen storage
Authors: Beniwal Preeti , Dhilip Kumar T. J.
Published: January 2025

In this article, we used DFT calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, to study two-dimensional (2D) aza-fused covalent organic framework (aza-COF) doped with Li, which is shown to be a promising material for hydrogen storage applications.
Excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performances of FeCoNiAlTix high-entropy alloys with superior oxidation resistance
Authors: Wang Yansi , Fang Liyang , Xu Chenran , Chen Xiaoling , Lu Zhiyou , Xu Guanglong , Yang Lingwei , Ouyang Yifang , Tao Xiaoma
Published: January 2025

In this work, FeCoNiAlTi0.6 HEA with strong electromagnetic-wave absorption performances and excellent oxidation resistance was developed by introducing the element Ti into the FeCoNiAl-based HEA to control the phase structure transformation.
Photo-thermally controlled Cu nanoparticles density in SWCNT/Cu nanocomposites-based flexible EMI shielding electrodes
Authors: Lee Jae-Won , Kim Juhee , Kim Min Su , Hong Kyong-Soo , Yang Imjeong H.-S. , Jeong Hee Jin
Published: January 2025

In this study, single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)/Cu nanocomposites were systematically synthesized from oxidized SWCNTs and Cu formate via photothermal heating.
Preparation of magnetic‐oriented electronic packaging composite materials with improved thermal conductivity and insulating properties by filling magnetic BN@Fe3O4 core‐shell particles into epoxy
Authors: You Zeyu , Weng Ling , Guan Lizhu , Zhang Xiaorui , Wu Zijian , Chen Hao , Zhao Wei
Published: January 2025

Epoxy resin (EP), as a resin material with excellent insulation performance, has been widely applied in fields such as electronics, coatings, ships etc. However, epoxy resins generally have poor thermal conductivity, which limits their application in the field of new generation of electronic packaging. To address the key issues mentioned above, the BN@Fe3O4 particles with positive out‐of‐plane thermal conductivity were successfully prepared in this study, having a core‐shell structure with rough surfaces as well. As a thermal conductive powder, the disadvantage of hexagonal boron nitride being easily agglomerated in resin has been improved. By applying an external magnetic field, three‐dimensional thermal conduction pathways were constructed in the matrix. The physical and chemical properties of the BN@Fe3O4 powder and its composite materials were analysed and tested. The experiment indicates that the thermal conductive magnetic powder BN@Fe3O4 had been successfully prepared. When the filling amount of BN@Fe3O4 reached 27.5 vol%, the out‐of‐plane thermal conductivity of the composite material was 1.758 W m−1 K−1, which was 982.12% that of pure EP. At this point, the mechanical behaviour and insulation performance of EP composite materials can be effectively guaranteed at the same order of magnitude as pure EP performance.