bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of dust growth on the observational properties of circumplanetary discs
Authors: Schulik Matthäus , Bitsch Bertram , Johansen Anders , Lambrechts Michiel
Published: February 2025

Dust growth is often indirectly inferred observationally in star-forming environments, is theoretically predicted to produce millimetre-sized particles in circumstellar discs, and has also acted on the predecessors of the terrestrial meteoritic record. For those reasons, it is believed that young gas giants under formation in protoplanetary discs that have putative circumplanetary discs (CPDs) surrounding them, such as PDS 70c, should contain millimetre-sized particles. We modelled the spectra of a set of CPDs, which we obtained from radiation hydrodynamic simulations at varying Rosseland opacities, κ_ R. The κ_ R from the hydrodynamic simulations are matched with consistent opacity sets of an interstellar-medium-like composition, but grown to larger sizes Our high κ_ R hydro data nominally corresponds to 10 μm-sized particles, and our low κ_ R cases correspond to millimetre-sized particles. We investigated the resulting broad spectral features at first, while keeping the overall optical depth in the planetary envelope constant. Dust growth to size distributions dominated by millimetre particles generally results in broad, featureless spectra with black-body like slopes in the far-infrared, while size distributions dominated by small dust develop steeper slopes in the far-infrared and maintain some features stemming from individual minerals. We find that significant dust growth from microns to millimetres can explain the broad features of the PDS 70c data, when upscaling the dust masses from our simulations by one hundred times. Furthermore, our results indicate that the spectral range of 30-500 μm is an ideal hunting ground for broadband features arising from the CPD, but that longer wavelengths observed with ALMA can also be used for massive CPDs.
Accurate astrometry for images with super-wide fields of view
Authors: Yang Xu , Hu Yi , Ashley Michael C.B. , Ma Bin , Wang Wei , Shang Zhaohui
Published: February 2025

Cameras with a super-wide field of view, defined here as being at least 20 degrees on one side, are widely used in site testing and time-domain astronomy. However, they intrinsically require optics with non-linear projections, making it challenging to use traditional astrometric methods. We have developed a generalized astrometric method that is applicable to images with super-wide fields of view. We applied the method to images from an all-sky camera and obtained the astrometric solutions. The positional accuracy we achieve in analysing 5170 all-sky images is typically 0.4 pixels in $(x,y)$. Our method is a generalized method suitable for all images with super-wide fields of view.
Constraining the geometry of the gas surrounding a typical galaxy at z = 3.4 with Ly alpha polarization
Authors: Bolamperti A. , Chang S.-J. , Vernet J. , Zanella A. , Gronke M. , Arrigoni Battaia F. , Calura F. , Iani E. , Vanzella E.
Published: February 2025

Lyman-α ( emission is the intrinsically strongest tracer of recombining ionized hydrogen in young star-forming galaxies, but its origin is still debated. arises when emitted photons scatter in neutral hydrogen, with each scattering event changing their propagation direction and frequency. So far, observational efforts have mostly focused on the surface brightness and spectral profile, which depend on the neutral hydrogen column density, geometry, kinematics, powering mechanism, and on the region from which the photons are emitted. Although different processes produce similar spectra, they have different degrees of polarization that can be used to discriminate between them and to put stringent constraints on the geometry of the galaxy and its circumgalactic medium (CGM) where photons scatter and on their emission mechanism. In this paper, we present the first deep spectropolarimetric observations of a typical clumpy star-forming galaxy at z∼ 3.4, strongly lensed by the cluster of galaxies Abell 2895, taken with the Polarimetric Multi Object Spectroscopy (PMOS) mode of the VLT/FORS2 instrument. We measure a degree of polarization $1σ$ upper limit of $4.6%$. We develop new radiative transfer models assuming a biconical outflow geometry to reproduce the observations. We find that they can be explained by assuming the star-forming galaxy is embedded in a CGM with a biconical outflow geometry with an opening angle of the wind ∼ 30 for line-of-sight angles ≤ 20 ∼ 45 for losangle ≤ 20 ∼ 60 for losangle ≤ 20 and ∼ 75 for losangle ≤ 40 where losangle = 0 means observing in the direction of the outflow. We notice that the constraints from polarization are complementary to those from the spectral line profile, and the joint analysis allows us to break the degeneracies that affect them individually. This study shows the potential of including measurements of the degree of polarization to constrain the symmetry of the gas surrounding typical star-forming galaxies at the cosmic noon and paves the way to deep spatially resolved studies of this kind that will allow the different mechanisms that can originate the emission to be disentangled.
Composite periodogram analysis for low-event-count fast radio burst repeaters
Authors: Aznam Murthadza , Zainal Abidin Zamri , Hashim Norsiah , Goto Tomotsugu , Hashimoto Tetsuya , Hassan Zakie Muhammad , Kumar Jayaganthan Matdhesh
Published: February 2025

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are a class of transients characterised by their millisecond-scale duration and relatively high dispersion measures. Some FRBs have been observed to repeat. For such repeating FRBs, measuring the period is key to identifying their physical mechanisms. However, periods have only been measured for two FRBs -- FRB 20112002A and FRB 20180916B -- because most repeating FRBs have a low event count, making it challenging to measure their periods. We aim to introduce a composite periodogram strategy designed to measure periods of repeating FRBs out of low event counts. We combined the χ^2 periodogram with the inactivity fraction periodogram (F_0) to maximise the detection likelihood and minimise noise. Our approach was validated using FRB 20180916B, whereby we successfully recovered the known period with as few as five events. We then applied this method to 17 FRBs whose event counts range from three to 12. A candidate period is identified in FRB 20190804E, FRB 20190915D, FRB 20200223B, FRB 20201130A, and FRB 20201221B, with a probability of chance coincidence ≤ 0.050. Additionally, we did further checks to eliminate false positives and concluded that the candidate periods for FRB 20190804E ($168.39_ $ days) and FRB 20201130A ($11.38^ $ days) are likely close to its true period. These values provide a basis for informed follow-up observations.
Improving the stellar age determination through joint modeling of binarity and asteroseismology. Grid modeling of the seismic red giant binary KIC 9163796
Authors: Grossmann D.H. , Beck P.G. , Mathur S. , Johnston C. , Godoy-Rivera D. , Zinn J.C. , Cassisi S. , Liagre B. , Masseron T. , Garcia R.A. , Hanslmeier A. , Muntean N. , Schimak L.S. , Steinwender L. , Stello D.
Published: February 2025

The typical uncertainties of ages determined for single star giants from isochrone fitting using single-epoch spectroscopy and photometry without any additional constraints are 30-50,%. Binary systems, particularly double-lined spectroscopic binaries, provide an opportunity to study the intricacies of internal stellar physics and better determine stellar parameters, particularly stellar age. By using the constraints from binarity and asteroseismology, we aim to obtain precise age and stellar parameters for the red giant-subgiant binary system a system with a mass ratio of 1.015 but distinctly different positions in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram. We computed a multidimensional model grid of individual stellar models. From different combinations of figures of merit, we used the constraints drawn from binarity, spectroscopy, and asteroseismology to determine the stellar mass, chemical composition, and age of Our combined-modeling approach leads to an age estimation of the binary system of Gyr, which corresponds to a relative error in the age of 9,%. Furthermore, we found both components exhibit an equal initial helium abundance of 0.27 to 0.30, which is significantly higher than the primordial helium abundance, and an initial heavy metal abundance below the spectroscopic value. The masses from our models are in agreement with the masses derived from the asteroseismic scaling relations. By exploiting the distinct positions of the components of we successfully demonstrate that combining asteroseismic and binary constraints leads to a significant improvement in the precision of age estimation, resulting in a relative error in age below 10% for a giant star.
Three-dimensional dynamical evolution of cloud particle microphysics in sub-stellar atmospheres. I. Description and exploring Y-dwarf atmospheric variability
Authors: Lee Elspeth K.H. , Ohno Kazumasa
Published: February 2025

Understanding cloud microphysics and the evolution of cloud structures in sub-stellar atmospheres remains a key challenge in the JWST era. The abundance of new JWST data necessitates models that are suitable for coupling with large-scale simulations, such as general circulation models (GCMs), in order to fully understand and assess the complex feedback effects of clouds on the atmosphere, and their influence on observed spectral and variability characteristics. We aim to develop a two-moment, time-dependent bulk microphysical cloud model that is suitable for GCMs of sub-stellar atmospheres. We derived a set of moment equations for the particle mass distribution and developed a microphysical cloud model employing a two-moment approach. We included homogeneous nucleation, condensation, and collisional microphysical processes that evolve the moments of a particle size distribution in time. We coupled our new two-moment scheme with the Exo-FMS GCM to simulate the evolution of KCl clouds for a WISE 0359-54 Y-dwarf parameter regime, and examined the effect of cloud opacity on the atmospheric characteristics. Our results show a global KCl cloud structure, with a patchy coverage at higher latitudes, as well as an equatorial belt region that shows increased particle sizes and variations in longitude. Patchy regions are long lived, being present over many rotations of the brown dwarf. Our synthetic spectra conform well with JWST observations of WISE 0359-54, but more cloud opacity is required to dampen the spectral features at wavelengths below ∼7 μm. Our GCM shows periodic and sub-rotational variability of the order of 0.5-1% in the Spitzer and micron bands, lower than that observed on other Y-dwarf objects. Our study demonstrates that the two-moment bulk cloud microphysical scheme is a highly suitable method for investigating cloud characteristics and feedback in GCMs and other large scale simulations of sub-stellar atmospheres. Split moment schemes and mixed material grains will be explored in a follow-up study.
A comparison of abundance analyses of first generation stars in multiple populations in 47 Tuc and NGC 3201
Authors: Carretta Eugenio , Bragaglia Angela
Published: February 2025

The distinction of the stellar content in globular clusters (GCs) in multiple stellar populations characterized by different amounts of proton-capture elements has been well understood for some time. On the other hand, the existence of noticeable variations in metallicity among GC stars is still debated. In particular, recent spectroscopic analyses claimed the presence of a small variation in metallicity, ∼ 0.1 dex, for the first generation (FG) stars in NGC 3201 and NGC 104 (also called 47 Tuc). However, in both cases the claim is not robust because of the internal error of 0.1 dex associated with the Fe/H values. To verify the existence of a metallicity variation, we compared two analyses performed by the same authors using an identical methodology. We found trends of metallicity as a function of the spectroscopically derived effective temperatures. However, the trends are in opposite directions; in NGC 3201, cooler (and brighter) stars have higher Fe/H values, whereas in 47 Tuc they show lower metallicities. The trend is not statistically significant in the former case, but it is in the latter. The dependence of metallicity on the luminosity along the red giant branch seems to indicate problems in the abundance analysis for 47 Tuc. Finally, the effective temperatures do not show a significant variation as a function of the colour spread along the HST pseudo-colour map, which we should observe if the trends of metallicity with temperature were a real effect of intrinsic scatter in iron. According to this comparison, we conclude that with these analyses, and the associated spurious trends, the issue of metallicity variations in FG stars is not yet resolved.
Influence of a continuous plane gravitational wave on Gaia-like astrometry
Authors: Geyer R. , Klioner S.A. , Lindegren L. , Lammers U.
Published: February 2025

A gravitational wave (GW) passing through an astrometric observer causes periodic shifts of the apparent star positions measured by the observer. For a GW of sufficient amplitude and duration, at a suitable frequency, these shifts might be detected with a astrometric telescope. This paper is aimed at making a detailed analysis of the effects of GWs on an astrometric solution based on observations, which are one-dimensional and strictly differential between two widely separated fields of view, following a prescribed scanning law. We present a simple geometric model for the astrometric effects of a plane GW in terms of the time-dependent positional shifts. Using this model, we discuss the general interaction between the GW and a observation. Numerous astrometric solutions have been computed, taking as input simulated observations that include the effects of a continuous plain GW with constant parameters and periods ranging from ∼,50 days to 100 years. The resulting solutions have been analysed in terms of the systematic errors on astrometric and attitude parameters, as well as the observational residuals. We found that a significant part of the GW signal is absorbed by the astrometric parameters, leading to astrometric errors of a magnitude (in radians) comparable to the strain parameters. These astrometric errors are generally impossible to detect because the true (unperturbed) astrometric parameters are not known with a corresponding level of accuracy. The astrometric errors are especially large for specific GW frequencies that are linear combinations of two characteristic frequencies of the scanning law. Nevertheless, for all GW periods smaller than the time span covered by the observations, significant parts of the GW signal also go into the astrometric residuals. This fosters the hope for a GW detection algorithm based on the residuals of standard astrometric solutions.
Empirical formulation for bead shape prediction in direct energy deposition
Authors: Baek Gyeong-Yun
Published: February 2025

In the metal deposition process, the bead shape plays a critical role in determining the precision and mechanical properties of the final product. Therefore, prior to additive manufacturing, it is essential to determine an optimal bead shape. In this study, the representation of bead shape using an empirical formulation in direct energy deposition, a metal additive manufacturing process, was investigated. Experiments were conducted by depositing SUS316 powder on an AISI D2 substrate and systematically varying major process parameters such as laser power and powder feed rate to observe the resulting changes in bead shapes. The findings revealed that the bead shape changed linearly in response to variations in these process parameters. Through detailed analysis, the effects and interactions of process parameters on the bead shape were predicted, and an empirical formulation based on changes in the cross section of real beads was derived. Remarkably, using only information related to process conditions, the bead shape and area were accurately predicted. Comparison of the cross-sectional values of the actual bead shape and the empirical formulation showed a maximum difference of 0.0287 mm2 and a minimum difference of 0.0002 mm2 in all experiments. These results provide valuable insights for establishing basic data that can be used to create an empirical formulation for bead cross-sectional shape and single bead volume in the metal additive manufacturing process.
Geometries of mixed graphs in complex vector spaces. Hierarchies and clusters in complex networks
Authors: Estrada Ernesto
Published: February 2025

We introduce several geometric measures for mixed graphs represented by complex-valued Hermitian adjacency matrices. We define the communicability functions based on the exponential of the Hermitian adjacency matrix and define complex-valued position vectors. Then, we define a Euclidean distance as well as complex, and Euclidean angles between these positions vectors for mixed graphs. Further we introduce Kähler and Hermitian angles between different planes between position vectors and holomorphic and projection planes, respectively. We find several mathematical relations and inequalities between all these geometric parameters. To illustrate the usability of some of these indices in the study of real-world networks we study the Kähler angle for finding hierarchies and detecting hierarchical clusters of vertices in ecological food webs, networks of co-purchasing of political books, a neuronal network, an Internet trolls network, and a software collaboration graph. These applications give empirical evidence that the Kähler angle contains important information about the structure of mixed graphs which is relevant for real-world applications in the study of complex networks.
Was beeinflusst die Patientenzufriedenheit in der Neuroreha? – Wissenschaft nachgefragt
Authors: Veit Katrin
Published: February 2025

Elizaveta Adolf untersuchte in ihrer Masterarbeit, welche Faktoren die Patientenzufriedenheit in der physiotherapeutischen ambulanten Neurorehabilitation entscheidend beeinflussen. Die Ergebnisse: Bezieht man die Patient*innen aktiv in die Therapiegestaltung mit ein, steigert sich deren Zufriedenheit signifikant. Dabei spielt der von den behandelten Menschen empfundene Fortschritt eine große Rolle. Diese Erkenntnisse können die Behandlungsqualität optimieren und liefern neue Therapieansätze für die Physiotherapie in neurologischen Praxen.
Therapiekonzepte sowie Prävention/Überwindung von Resistenzen
Authors: Kretzschmar Alexander
Published: February 2025

Das Anfang der 1980er Jahre entdeckte KRAS (Kirsten Rat Sarcoma) ist derzeit das bekannteste Onkogen mit der höchsten Mutationsrate bei zahlreichen Tumorentitäten, insbesondere beim Pankreaskarzinom, dem nicht-kleinzelligen Lungenkarzinom (NSCLC) und dem kolorektalen Karzinom (CRC). Auf der 36. Jahrestagung des EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposiums on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (ENA 24) diskutierten Forschende über aktuelle Konzepte zur Therapie KRAS/RAS-mutierter Karzinome sowie zur Prävention und Überwindung von Resistenzen.
Die Entwicklung der Atmungstherapeuten in Deutschland – Eine Analyse der aktuellen Weiterbildungs- und Arbeitssituation von Atmungstherapeuten
Authors: Flügge Dennis , Held Matthias
Published: February 2025

Obwohl die Weiterbildung zum Atmungstherapeuten seit über 18 Jahren in Deutschland existiert, gibt es kaum repräsentative Erhebungen zu diesem Tätigkeitsfeld. In dieser Studie sollte herausgefunden werden, welche Berufsgruppen sich von der Weiterbildung angesprochen fühlen, wie zufrieden sie mit der Weiterbildung waren und wo die AT eingesetzt werden. Zudem wird ein Blick darauf geworfen, wie sich die Arbeitsbedingungen nach der Weiterbildung ausgestalten und wie die Zusammenarbeit mit anderen Berufsgruppen funktioniert. Weiter sollte kontrolliert werden, ob es Faktoren gibt, die auf die o.g. Punkte Einfluss haben. Der letzte Aspekt gibt einen Ausblick darauf, wie sich die Atmungstherapie in Deutschland voraussichtlich in Zukunft entwickelt und was für ihre zukünftige Entwicklung wichtig ist.

In einer quantitativen Querschnittsstudie wurde eine teilanonymisierte elektronische Befragung unter angehenden und weitergebildeten Atmungstherapeuten in Deutschland durchgeführt. Die Auswertung der Umfrage wurde zum einen über das (browserbasierte) Programm „Online Umfrage.com“ und zum anderen über das Tabellenkalkulationsprogramm Microsoft Excel durchgeführt. Die Analyse der offenen Fragen wurde mittels der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring durchgeführt.

An der Befragung nahmen 307 angehende und weitergebildete Atmungstherapeuten aus allen Bundesländern und Weiterbildungsjahrgängen teil. Die meisten der Befragten waren im klinischen Bereich tätig. 90% der Befragten waren mit der Weiterbildung eher oder sogar sehr zufrieden. Sie waren zu einem Viertel gar nicht oder nur z.T. für ihre Tätigkeit freigestellt. Die Hälfte der Befragten hat sich nach der Weiterbildung finanziell nicht verbessern können. Dennoch würden 81,25% der Atmungstherapeuten die Weiterbildung weiterempfehlen. Bei der Frage, was für die Zukunft wichtig sei, waren die Antworten vielseitig und reichten von staatlicher Anerkennung über bessere Zusammenarbeit der Weiterbildungsanbieter bis zur besseren Öffentlichkeitsarbeit.

Die Weiterbildung zum Atmungstherapeuten wird als sehr positiv angesehen. Jedoch zeigen sich bei den Themen Vergütung, Freistellung und Weiterbildungsentwicklung noch wesentliche Probleme. Als einer der wichtigsten Einflussfaktoren wurde die Art des Vorgesetzten herausgearbeitet. So sahen sich Atmungstherapeuten, die dem ärztlichen Dienst anstelle der Pflegedienstleitung unterstellt waren, deutlich zufriedener.
Ein ungewöhnlicher Fall von Hämoptysen
Authors: Merres Julika , Fischer Pascal , Stoelben Erich
Published: February 2025

In der vorliegenden Kasuistik handelt sich um einen jungen Patienten mit seit mehreren Monaten vorliegenden Hämoptysen. Eine CT-Thorax-Untersuchung und Bronchoskopie zeigte den seltenen Befund eines Plattenepithelkarzinoms der Trachea. Die Ausbreitungsdiagnostik zeigte keinen Hinweis auf eine Lymphknoten- oder Fernmetastasierung. Daher entschied man sich zur kurativen Operation mittels medianer Sternotomie und Tracheaquerresektion, wobei diese von subglottisch bis Tracheamitte bei langer tumoröser Strecke durchgeführt wurde. Karzinome der Trachea sind eine seltene Ursache für Hämoptysen, an die jedoch differenzialdiagnostisch gedacht werden und die dann in einem entsprechenden Zentrum mit Expertise vorgestellt werden sollte.
Klinisches Management – neue Herausforderungen und Chancen
Authors: Kretzschmar Alexander
Published: February 2025

Auf dem von der Universität Freiburg veranstalteten 15. Freiburg Myeloma Meeting diskutierten Ende 2024 Myelom-Experten aus den USA und Europa neue Trends in der Myelom-Forschung und -therapie. Prof. Paul Richardson, Boston, beleuchtete dabei die gegenwärtige Situation beim therapeutischen Management des multiplen Myeloms, alte und neue Herausforderungen und gab einen Überblick über die Forschungspipeline in der Therapie dieser Erkrankung.
Begünstigen Levonorgestrel freisetzende Intrauterinsysteme Krebserkrankungen?
Authors: Lorenz Judith
Published: February 2025

Viele Frauen wenden zur Behandlung von Endometriose, Dysmenorrhö oder Menorrhagien oder zur Verhütung Levonorgestrel freisetzende Intrauterinsysteme (LNG-IUS) an. Begünstigt die Progesteronfreisetzung die Entwicklung von Brustkrebs oder gynäkologischen Malignomen, also Endometrium-, Zervix- oder Ovarialkarzinomen? Und welche Rolle spielt diesbezüglich die familiäre Belastung mit Tumorerkrankungen?
Covering Anastomosis to Frozen Elephant Trunk in Secondary Downstream Aorta Replacement
Authors: Chubachi Fumiya , Yoshitake Akihiro
Published: February 2025

There has been an increasing number of secondary downstream aorta replacements following aortic arch repair using a frozen elephant trunk (FET). We present an anastomosis technique to join a frozen elephant graft to a downstream prosthetic graft. The FET is inserted into the downstream graft with continuous sutures, with a two-bite Dacron graft added to the frozen elephant side. This technique may prevent anastomotic leakage between two grafts.
Starmer’s election victory: from the politics of support to the politics of power
Authors: Griffiths Simon
Published: February 2025

Keir Starmer was elected Labour leader in 2020 after the party’s worst election defeat since 1935. Just four years later, the party returned to government with a landslide majority. Scholars have explained the dominance of the Conservative Party through an analysis of the ‘politics of support’ and the ‘politics of power’. This article applies that framework to Labour, focussing on how support was built in the run up to 2024. It examines the politics of support across the party organization, parliament and, most importantly, the electorate. I argue that Starmer’s bid to achieve electoral support relied on two main factors: a ‘decontamination’ strategy related to the party’s immediate past; and a cautious approach that minimized policy commitments and downplayed the role of ideology. The approach was electorally successful, but resulted in shallow support, gained in large part from removing reasons voters in target seats had previously not supported the party. The article concludes by discussing the challenges this strategy of support presents for the ‘politics of power’.
Magnetoacoustic waves in a highly magnetostrictive Fe72Ga28 thin film
Authors: Rovirola Marc , Khaliq M. Waqas , Casals Blai , Begué Adrian , Biskup Neven , Coton Noelia , Hernàndez Joan Manel , Niño Miguel Angel , Foerster Michael , Hernández-Mínguez Alberto , Ranchal Rocío , Costache Marius V. , García-Santiago Antoni , Macià Ferran
Published: February 2025

The interaction between surface acoustic waves and magnetization offers an efficient route for electrically controlling magnetic states. Here, we demonstrate the excitation of magnetoacoustic waves in galfenol thin films with a 28 at. % gallium composition, corresponding to the second magnetostrictive peak in bulk samples. We quantify the amplitude of the induced magnetization oscillations using magnetic imaging in an x-ray photoelectron microscope and estimate the dynamic magnetoelastic constants through micromagnetic simulations. Our findings demonstrate the potential of galfenol thin films for magnonic applications and reveal that, despite strong magnetoelastic coupling, magnetic interactions and spin-wave dispersion relations significantly influence the overall amplitude of magnetoacoustic waves.
Increased critical current density in iron selenide telluride crystals doping with trace amount of cobalt
Authors: Liu C. Y. , Zhang H. , Zhao K. , Cai F. G. , Yang X. S. , Zhao Y.
Published: February 2025

Iron selenide telluride superconductors, succeeding copper oxide superconductors, have refuted the long-standing belief that superconductors are incompatible with ferromagnetic elements. Moreover, their pronounced sensitivity to chemical doping offers a distinct advantage for the investigation of superconductivity mechanisms, thereby enriching the academic discourse in the field. This study employed a self-flux method to synthesize CoxFe1−xSe0.4Te0.6 crystals with trace cobalt (Co) doping at levels below 1%. Extensive structural elucidation and low-temperature physical property assessments have been conducted on the doped crystals, providing a detailed understanding of their material properties and behavior under cryogenic conditions. Our findings revealed that trace Co doping enhances the critical current density under high magnetic fields. Utilizing the Dew-Hughes model, we quantitatively assessed the pinning force and determined that Co doping effectively modulates it, corroborating the observed enhancement in critical current density. These insights advance our understanding of the role of dopants in iron-based superconductors and offer significant theoretical underpinnings for the development of high-performance iron-based superconducting materials.
A bacterial effector manipulates host lysosomal protease activity–dependent plasticity in cell death modalities to facilitate infection
Authors: Lu Zhe , Zhang Yong , Zhong Yanzhao , Qiang Lihua , Ge Pupu , Lei Zehui , Zhao Mengyuan , Fang Yingxu , Li Bingxi , Wang Jing , Chai Qiyao , Liu Cui Hua
Published: February 2025

Crosstalk between cell death programs confers appropriate host anti-infection immune responses, but how pathogens co-opt host molecular switches of cell death pathways to reprogram cell death modalities for facilitating infection remains largely unexplored. Here, we identify mammalian cell entry 3C (Mce3C) as a pathogenic cell death regulator secreted by
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(Mtb), which causes tuberculosis featured with lung inflammation and necrosis. Mce3C binds host cathepsin B (CTSB), a noncaspase protease acting as a lysosome-derived molecular determinant of cell death modalities, to inhibit its protease activity toward BH3-interacting domain death agonist (BID) and receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), thereby preventing the production of proapoptotic truncated BID (tBID) while maintaining the abundance of pronecroptotic RIPK1. Disrupting the Mce3C–CTSB interaction promotes host apoptosis while suppressing necroptosis with attenuated Mtb survival and mitigated lung immunopathology in mice. Thus, pathogens manipulate host lysosomal protease activity–dependent plasticity in cell death modalities to promote infection and pathogenicity.
PCSK9 potentiates innate immune response to RNA viruses by preventing AIP4-mediated polyubiquitination and degradation of VISA/MAVS
Authors: Fang Han , Shi Mengling , Wang Cong , Zhang Saiting , Kong Na , Ji Mengyao , Wang Yan , Zhou Yidan , Zhu Qiyun , Zhang Yu , Du Shishen , Xu Shuai , Lei Caoqi
Published: February 2025

Upon viral infection, retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs) detect viral RNA to initiate antiviral innate immune response, which is mediated by the mitochondrial adaptor protein VISA virus-induced signaling adaptor; also known as mitochondiral antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS). The stability and activity of VISA are tightly regulated by various posttranslational modifications, among which polyubiquitination plays important roles. Various E3 ubiquitin ligases, including atrophin interacting protein 4 (AIP4), mediate polyubiquitination of VISA and result in its degradation. However, how polyubiquitination of VISA is regulated remains unclear. Here, we uncovered a dual function for proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), a key enzyme in cholesterol homeostasis and a well-known therapeutic target in cardiovascular diseases, modulating host responses to RNA viruses both extracellularly and intracellularly. Secreted PCSK9 inhibited sendai virus (SeV) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection, while the intracellular PCSK9 potentiated RLRs-mediated interferons (IFNs) induction by stabilizing VISA on mitochondria. Viral infection induced the translocation of PCSK9 to mitochondria where it competed with AIP4 for VISA, thereby inhibiting its polyubiquitination and degradation. Consequently, overexpression of PCSK9 enhanced VISA-mediated innate immune response against RNA viral infection, whereas its deficiency had the opposite effects and resulted in more robust replication of the virus.

Pcsk9
−/−

mice produced lower levels of type I IFNs and proinflammatory cytokines, rendering the increased sensitivity to VSV and influenza A virus infection. Altogether, our findings uncovered an important and unexpected role of PCSK9 in virus–host interaction and contribute to the understanding of the sophisticated mechanism governing the proper and efficient immune response to viral infection.
Fluoride-based hydrogen bond chemistry in a layered double hydroxide cathode toward high-performance aqueous NH
4
+
storage
Authors: Sun Fang-Fang , Guan Xinwei , Huang Zi-Hang , Han Xu , Li Hui , Ma Tianyi
Published: February 2025

In aqueous ammonium-ion storage, hydrogen bonds play a pivotal role in the reversible insertion/extraction of NH
4
+
within transition metal oxides/hydroxides. Although fluorine (F) is known for its strong electronegativity and potential to form robust hydrogen bonds with NH
4
+
, its specific influence on NH
4
+
storage remains unexplored. Herein, we systematically investigate the effects of F-based hydrogen bond chemistry within a layered double hydroxide matrix, where F species are introduced and subsequently partially removed via an electrochemical method. Our findings demonstrate that while increasing F doping content accelerates NH
4
+
diffusion due to F’s strong electronegativity, it also triggers crystal shrinkage and depresses storage capacity. To this end, controlled partial removal of F, employing a lye-assistant electrochemical strategy, induces expanded interlayer spacing and distinct edge lattice tearing, thereby facilitating improved NH
4
+
accommodation. The retained F sites couple with emerging exposed O sites maintain a high hydrogen bonding capability, which is further enhanced by the formation of highly active, curved hydroxyl groups centered around F sites. These manipulations significantly boost the NH
4
+
storage performance of the electrode, providing insights into leveraging the strongest F-based hydrogen bond chemistry in developing high-performance ammonium-ion energy storage devices.
Global diversity and energy of animals shaping the Earth’s surface
Authors: Harvey Gemma L. , Khan Zareena , Albertson Lindsey K. , Coombes Martin , Johnson Matthew F. , Rice Stephen P. , Viles Heather A.
Published: February 2025

The collective influence of animals on the processes shaping the Earth’s surface remains largely unknown, with most studies limited to individual species and well-known exemplars. To establish the global geomorphic significance of animals, we systematically reviewed and synthesized evidence across freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Over 600 animal taxa had reported geomorphic effects. For the 495 wild animals and 5 livestock identified to species level, we estimated their global abundance, and collective biomass and energy. While our census is global in scope, a lack of research in the tropics and subtropics, and on less visible animals, leaves them underrepresented in analyses. Most reported species are globally widespread, but some are rare, endemic, and/or threatened, leading to risks that key geomorphic processes cease before we fully understand them. We estimate the collective biomass in wild animal geomorphic agents at ≈0.2 Mt Carbon, equating to a biological energy content of ≈7.6 million GJ. If a conservative minimum 1% of this energy contributes to geomorphic work annually, this yields an energy contribution from wild animal geomorphic agents of ≈76,000 GJ—equivalent to the energy of hundreds of thousands of extreme floods. Uncertainties in biomass estimates and energy partitioning mean this value could credibly be an order of magnitude higher, and countless species remain unreported or undiscovered. The livestock estimates exceed the wild animals estimates by three orders of magnitude. The geomorphic energy of animals is far more influential than previously recognized and future losses, dispersal and introductions of zoogeomorphic species may induce substantive landscape changes.
Fungal-derived methyldeoxaphomins target
Plasmodium falciparum
segregation through the inhibition of PfActin1
Authors: Jiang Tiantian , Lee Jin Woo , Collins Jennifer E. , Schaefer Samuel , Chen Daisy , Nardella Flore , Wendt Karen , Peramuna Thilini G. , Paes Raphaella , McLellan James L. , Bhasin Jasveen , Durst Gregory L. , Hanson Kirsten K. , Chakrabarti Debopam , Cichewicz Robert H. , Winzeler Elizabeth A.
Published: February 2025

Herein we report the finding and structure determination of a natural product based on the methyldeoxaphomin scaffold family from the fungus
Trichocladium asperum
that shows promising antiplasmodial activity and selectivity against host cells. In vitro evolution and whole genome analysis in
Plasmodium falciparum
with the most potent member, NPDG-F (EC
50
of 550 nM in Dd2; 290 nM in 3D7), shows that parasite resistance to methyldeoxaphomins is strongly associated with mutations in PfActin1 (PF3D7_1246200), a critically essential ATPase needed for all stages of parasite development. Molecular docking study with available PfActin1 crystal structure shows NPDG-F occupies the same allosteric binding pocket as the known actin inhibitor cytochalasin D. The direct PfActin1 target engagement in the allosteric site was supported by cross-resistance studies, isobologram analysis with other PfActin1 inhibitors, and the structure–activity relationships for the methyldeoxaphomin family. When added to in vitro culture, NPDG-F induced morphological abnormalities in merozoite cellularization during schizogony in both the
Plasmodium
blood and liver stages. Our data provide chemical validation that PfActin1 is an attractive, pan-lifecycle target and inform strategies for the design of more selective inhibitors.
A circRNA–mRNA pairing mechanism regulates tumor growth and endocrine therapy resistance in ER-positive breast cancer
Authors: Yi Jia , Du Jiao , Chen Xue , Nie Rui-chao , Hu Guo-sheng , Wang Lei , Zhang Yue-ying , Chen Shang , Wen Xiao-sha , Luo Di-xian , He Hua , Liu Wen
Published: February 2025

The molecular mechanisms underlying estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast carcinogenesis and drug resistance remain incompletely understood. Elevated expression of CCND1 is linked to enhanced invasiveness, poorer prognosis, and resistance to drug therapies in ER-positive breast cancer. In this study, we identify a highly expressed circular RNA (circRNA) derived from
FOXK2
, called circFOXK2, which plays a key role in stabilizing
CCND1
mRNA, thereby promoting cell cycle progression, cell growth, and endocrine therapy resistance in ER-positive breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, circFOXK2 binds directly to
CCND1
mRNA via RNA–RNA pairing and recruits the RNA-binding protein ELAVL1/HuR, stabilizing the
CCND1
mRNA and enhancing CCND1 protein levels. This results in activation of the CCND1–CDK4/6–p-RB–E2F signaling axis, driving the transcription of downstream E2F target genes and facilitating the G1/S transition during cell cycle progression. Notably, targeting circFOXK2 with antisense oligonucleotide (ASO-circFOXK2) suppresses ER-positive breast cancer cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, combination therapy with ASO-circFOXK2 and tamoxifen exhibits synergistic effects and restores tamoxifen sensitivity in tamoxifen-resistant cells. Clinically, high circFOXK2 expression is positively correlated with
CCND1
levels in both ER-positive breast cancer cell lines and patient tumor tissues. Overall, our findings reveal the critical role of circFOXK2 in stabilizing the oncogene
CCND1
and promoting cancer progression, positioning circFOXK2 as a potential therapeutic target for ER-positive breast cancer in clinical settings.
Antagonizing
cis-
regulatory elements of a conserved flowering gene mediate developmental robustness
Authors: Lanctot Amy , Hendelman Anat , Udilovich Peter , Robitaille Gina M. , Lippman Zachary B.
Published: February 2025

Developmental transitions require precise temporal and spatial control of gene expression. In plants, such regulation is critical for flower formation, which involves the progressive maturation of stem cell populations within shoot meristems to floral meristems, followed by rapid sequential differentiation into floral organs. Across plant taxa, these transitions are orchestrated by the F-box transcriptional cofactor gene
UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS
(
UFO
). The conserved and pleiotropic functions of
UFO
offer a useful framework for investigating how evolutionary processes have shaped the intricate
cis-
regulation of key developmental genes. By pinpointing a conserved promoter sequence in an accessible chromatin region of the tomato ortholog of
UFO
, we engineered in vivo a series of
cis-
regulatory alleles that caused both loss- and gain-of-function floral defects. These mutant phenotypes were linked to disruptions in predicted transcription factor binding sites for known transcriptional activators and repressors. Allelic combinations revealed dosage-dependent interactions between opposing alleles, influencing the penetrance and expressivity of gain-of-function phenotypes. These phenotypic differences support that robustness in tomato flower development requires precise temporal control of
UFO
expression dosage. Bridging our analysis to
Arabidopsis
, we found that although homologous sequences to the tomato regulatory region are dispersed within the
UFO
promoter, they maintain similar control over floral development. However, phenotypes from disrupting these sequences differ due to the differing expression patterns of
UFO
. Our study underscores the complex
cis-
regulatory control of dynamic developmental genes and demonstrates that critical short stretches of regulatory sequences that recruit both activating and repressing machinery are conserved to maintain developmental robustness.
Do LLMs write like humans? Variation in grammatical and rhetorical styles
Authors: Reinhart Alex , Markey Ben , Laudenbach Michael , Pantusen Kachatad , Yurko Ronald , Weinberg Gordon , Brown David West
Published: February 2025

Large language models (LLMs) are capable of writing grammatical text that follows instructions, answers questions, and solves problems. As they have advanced, it has become difficult to distinguish their output from human-written text. While past research has found some differences in features such as word choice and punctuation and developed classifiers to detect LLM output, none has studied the rhetorical styles of LLMs. Using several variants of Llama 3 and GPT-4o, we construct two parallel corpora of human- and LLM-written texts from common prompts. Using Douglas Biber’s set of lexical, grammatical, and rhetorical features, we identify systematic differences between LLMs and humans and between different LLMs. These differences persist when moving from smaller models to larger ones and are larger for instruction-tuned models than base models. This observation of differences demonstrates that despite their advanced abilities, LLMs struggle to match human stylistic variation. Attention to more advanced linguistic features can hence detect patterns in their behavior not previously recognized.
A long-distance inhibitory system regulates haustoria numbers in parasitic plants
Authors: Kokla Anna , Leso Martina , Šimura Jan , Wärdig Cecilia , Hayashi Marina , Nishii Naoshi , Tsuchiya Yuichiro , Ljung Karin , Melnyk Charles W.
Published: February 2025

The ability of parasitic plants to withdraw nutrients from their hosts depends on the formation of an infective structure known as the haustorium. How parasites regulate their haustoria numbers is poorly understood, and here, we uncovered that existing haustoria in the facultative parasitic plants
Phtheirospermum japonicum
and
Parentucellia viscosa
suppressed the formation of new haustoria located on distant roots. Using
Phtheirospermum,
we found that this effect depended on the formation of mature haustoria and could be induced through the application of external nutrients. To understand the molecular basis of this root plasticity, we analyzed hormone response and found that existing infections upregulated cytokinin-responsive genes first at the haustoria and then more distantly in
Phtheirospermum
shoots. We observed that infections increased endogenous cytokinin levels in
Phtheirospermum
roots and shoots, and this increase appeared relevant since local treatments with exogenous cytokinins blocked the formation of both locally and distantly formed haustoria. In addition, local overexpression of a cytokinin-degrading enzyme in
Phtheirospermum
prevented this systemic interhaustoria repression and increased haustoria numbers locally. We propose that a long-distance signal produced by haustoria negatively regulates future haustoria, and in
Phtheirospermum
, such a signaling system is mediated by a local increase in cytokinin to regulate haustoria numbers and balance nutrient acquisition.
High spatial resolution charge sensing of quantum Hall states
Authors: Chiu Cheng-Li , Wang Taige , Fan Ruihua , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Liu Xiaomeng , Zaletel Michael P. , Yazdani Ali
Published: February 2025

Charge distribution offers a unique fingerprint of important properties of electronic systems, including dielectric response, charge ordering, and charge fractionalization. We develop an architecture for charge sensing in two-dimensional electronic systems in a strong magnetic field. We probe local change of the chemical potential in a proximitized detector layer using scanning tunneling microscopy, allowing us to infer the chemical potential and the charge profile in the sample. Our technique has both high energy (<0.3 meV) and spatial (<10 nm) resolution exceeding that of previous studies by an order of magnitude. We apply our technique to study the chemical potential of quantum Hall liquids in monolayer graphene under high magnetic fields and their responses to charge impurities. The chemical potential measurement provides a local probe of the thermodynamic gap of quantum Hall ferromagnets and fractional quantum Hall states. The screening charge profile reveals spatially oscillatory response of the quantum Hall liquids to charge impurities and is consistent with the composite Fermi liquid picture close to the half-filling. Our technique also paves the way to map moiré potentials, probe Wigner crystals, and investigate fractional charges in quantum Hall and Chern insulators.
High Spatial Resolution and Dynamic OFDR-Based Method for Detecting Ship Structural Response
Authors: He Bo , Fu Xuelei , Gui Xin , Li Zhengying
Published: February 2025

Ships, as thin-walled structures, experience various structural responses at critical components and may even fail under sustained time-varying wave forces. Understanding the structural behaviors of key components during operation is essential for accurate ship safety assessments. The lack of an effective strain monitoring system that integrates both high spatial resolution and dynamic monitoring capabilities affects the timely detection of these structural responses. This paper presents a high spatial resolution dynamic strain monitoring system using optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR), achieving a system spatial resolution of 0.11 mm, a sensing spatial resolution of 20 mm, and a sampling frequency of 10 Hz. A box girder model of a river-sea-going ship is employed to simulate structural responses under wave-induced conditions. Simulation results validate the system's accuracy. By analyzing strain distribution and variation, this study explores the dynamic collapse behavior of structures under wave forces.