bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive: From Disclosure to Mandatory Prevention of Adverse Sustainability Impacts in Supply Chains
Authors: Sinnig Julia , Zetzsche Dirk A.
Published: February 2025

This article discusses the EU supply chain legislation, by virtue of the recently adopted Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) which aims to reduce negative sustainability impacts in global supply chains with regard to a list of human rights and environmental standards specified in its Annex I of the CSDDD.

We argue that the CSDDD marks a fundamental change on the EU level, from disclosure duties to mandating prevention of, and compensation for, adverse sustainability impacts in supply chains.

We further find that the CSDDD is a legal transplant combining the principles laid down in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business and those of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, along with elements of French supply chain legislation from 2017 (which relies on a private enforcement model) and the German supply chain law from 2021 (which is based on a public enforcement model). Like all legal transplants, the resulting legal text generally prompts questions about consistency and specifically raises doubts as to whether combining all of the components of a private and a public enforcement model is proportionate for the purpose of the CSDDD which is to ensure that companies take effective steps to counter violations of human rights and environmental standards in global supply chains. The scope provisions (including smaller in-scope EU firms while leaving non-EU peers of a similar size aside) paired with significant high compliance burden provide grounds to argue that the CSDDD impacts on the competitiveness of these smaller in-scope EU companies, and thus the EU economy at large.
Physical Health in Psychosis: a Perspective on the Recovery Paradigm
Authors: Zierotin Anna , Norton Michael John , O’Donoghue Brian , O’Connor Karen , Clarke Mary
Published: February 2025

This paper explores the intersection of physical health and recovery-oriented approaches in psychosis, offering a unique perspective through autoethnography. By combining personal experience with a broader analysis of existing mental health frameworks, the paper highlights the often overlooked importance of physical health in the recovery process for individuals with psychosis. The autoethnographic narrative reveals the complex challenges posed by antipsychotic medications, including weight gain and metabolic complications, and their impact on overall well-being. It emphasizes the dual stigma of mental health challenges and weight gain, highlighting the need for a more integrated, holistic approach to mental health care. Recommendations include enhanced education for healthcare providers, personalized care plans, and a multidisciplinary approach aimed at bridging the gap between physical and mental health in psychosis recovery.
Between Officialdom and Nativeness: Mutually Appropriating the State and the Nuosu-Yi Native Chieftain Clans in Southwest China
Authors: Karlach Jan
Published: February 2025

Southwest China is a region that has been perhaps uniquely shaped over the longue durée by mutual appropriations of status, authority, land, material culture, genealogies, and cultural-historical identities. Drawing on both ethnographic fieldwork and the official and unofficial Chinese and Nuosu-Yi textual evidence, in this article I offer a new view of how, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, native officials were shaped by their efforts at appropriating elements of officialdom (responsibility towards the court) and nativeness (adherence to local customs). My historical textual-cum-anthropological analysis builds on C. Patterson Giersch’s notion of the “middle grounds” between the Chinese state and its borderland peoples to reveal “further ways” of uncovering the history of their history. I show that mutual appropriations of officialdom and nativeness have led to specific forms of acculturation that are neither linear nor irreversible. Cultural hybridizations underpin the current Yi core identity and culture in Liangshan today.
Analyzing dialect (morpho)syntax in Austria: a non-aggregative dialectometric approach
Authors: Vergeiner Philip C. , Bülow Lars , Elspaß Stephan
Published: February 2025

This paper aims to identify and analyze geographical patterns of (morpho)syntactic variation in traditional Austrian dialects using non-aggregative dialectometric methods (factor analysis). Based on a comprehensive dialect corpus obtained by direct dialect interviews including 163 speakers from 40 locations throughout Austria, our analyses of 79 variants of 30 (morpho)syntactic variables not only show geographical patterns in Austria’s dialects, but also address the linguistic basis of the geographical structures revealed. In particular, the results show that variables at the morphology–syntax interface contribute most to geographical structuring. We argue that this finding is related to structural conditions of these variables and the historical development of the respective variants.
Using binary population synthesis to examine the impact of binary evolution on the C, N, O, and S-process yields of solar-metallicity low- and intermediate-mass stars
Authors: Osborn Zara , Karakas Amanda , Kemp Alex , Izzard Robert , Kamath Devika , Lugaro Maria
Published: February 2025

Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars play a significant role in our understanding of the origin of the elements. They contribute to the abundances of C, N, and approximately 50% of the abundances of the elements heavier than iron. An aspect often neglected in studies of AGB stars is the impact of a stellar companion on AGB stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. In this study, we update the stellar abundances of AGB stars in the binary population synthesis code binary_c and calibrate our treatment of the third dredge-up using observations of Galactic carbon stars. We model stellar populations of low- to intermediate-mass stars at solar-metallicity and examine the stellar wind contributions to C, N, O, Sr, Ba, and Pb yields at binary fractions between 0 and 1. For a stellar population with a binary fraction of 0.7, we find

$\sim$

20–25% less C and s-process elements ejected than from a population composed of only single stars, and we find little change in the N and O yields. We also compare our models with observed abundances from Ba stars and find our models can reproduce most Ba star abundances, but our population estimates a higher frequency of Ba stars with a surface [Ce/Y] >

$+0.2\,$

dex. Our models also predict the rare existence of Ba stars with masses

$ \gt 10\,\textrm{M}_{\odot}$

.
Holding Your Loved Ones through a Museum Exhibit
Authors: Dharap Ishita
Published: February 2025

How do we kiss through a museum’s walls, roughly 8,000 miles away? This is a museum exhibit’s journey, from loneliness and longing to togetherness. An art museum, with its predisposition to distance and sterility, softens its stance and opens itself just a little; the exhibit about Long-Distance Love brings forward familiar, loving voices that are a reminder that we are not alone.
Race, Citizenship/Immigration Status, and Contact with the Welfare State
Authors: Jung Seyoung , Harell Allison , Breidahl Karen Nielsen , Stephenson Laura B
Published: February 2025

The ways in which welfare state programs structure people’s lives have been a central focus of research on policy feedback. While there is rich literature in the USA about racialized experiences with the state, we know little about how immigration history intersects with racial background in moderating experiences with the state nor have there been many studies in other liberal welfare regimes outside the USA. Our study aims to fill this gap by exploring how citizenship status over generations intersects with racial background in structuring interactions with welfare state programs in Canada. Analyzing data from Democracy Checkup surveys spanning from 2020 to 2023, we focus on how needs, capabilities, and experiences may structure government contact and the extent to which these factors explain differences across citizenship and racial categories. We document a recurring difference in the amount of contact among racialized respondents—non-citizens and third-generation citizens—that cannot be explained by either need or capability. Interestingly, our findings suggest that while the greater contact among racialized non-citizens is evaluated more positively in terms of procedure, third-generation racialized citizens generally evaluate their higher contact more poorly. These findings point to the importance of understanding racialized experiences with the state through the lens of citizenship.
Hues of Refuge: Framing Compassion and Condemnation in Refugee Portrayals Through a Political-Media Cycle of Reinforcement
Authors: Diab Jasmin Lilian
Published: February 2025

This study examines biased media portrayals of refugees, focusing on the contrast between Ukrainian and MENA refugees. It proposes a “politics-media cycle of reinforcement” where political agendas influence media narratives, and vice versa. This cycle amplifies racial bias, impacting how refugees are perceived. The research employs a comparative content analysis of Western media and political rhetoric. Findings reveal a stark difference: Ukrainians are seen as deserving victims, while MENA refugees face negative stereotypes. Interviews with media professionals and analysts support these conclusions. The study exposes racialized “othering” that marginalizes specific refugee groups. It confirms a more sympathetic portrayal of Ukrainians, likely due to political and racial factors. This research highlights the need for a more balanced and empathetic approach to all refugees.
Patient safety incidents within adult community-based mental health services in England: A mixed-methods examination of reported incidents, contributory factors, and proposed solutions
Authors: Averill Phoebe , Sevdalis Nick , Henderson Claire
Published: February 2025

Background

Relatively little is known about mental healthcare-related harm, with patient safety incidents (PSIs) in community-based services particularly poorly understood. We aimed to characterize PSIs, contributory factors, and reporter-identified solutions within community-based mental health services for working-age adults.

Methods

We obtained data on PSIs reported within English services from the National Reporting and Learning System. Of retrieved reports, we sampled all incidents reportedly involving ‘Death’, ‘Severe harm’, or ‘Moderate harm’, and random samples of a proportion of ‘Low harm’ or ‘No harm’ incidents. PSIs and contributory factors were classified through qualitative content analysis using existing frameworks. Frequencies and proportions of incident types were computed, and reporter-identified solutions were inductively categorized.

Results

Of 1825 sampled reports, 1443 were eligible and classified into nine categories. Harmful outcomes, wherein service influence was unclear, were widely observed, with self-harm the modal concern amongst ‘No harm’ (15.0%), ‘Low harm’ (62.8%), and ‘Moderate harm’ (37.6%) categories. Attempted suicides (51.7%) and suicides (52.1%) were the most frequently reported events under ‘Severe harm’ or ‘Death’ outcomes, respectively. Incidents common to most healthcare settings were identified (e.g. medication errors), alongside specialty-specific incidents (e.g. Mental Health Act administration errors). Contributory factors were wide-ranging, with situational failures (e.g. team function failures) and local working conditions (e.g. unmanageable workload) widely reported. Solution categories included service user-directed actions and policy introduction or reinforcement.

Conclusions

Study findings provide novel insights into incidents, contributory factors, and reported solutions within community-based mental healthcare. Targets for safety improvement are outlined, aimed at strengthening system-based prevention of incidents.
Task effects in children’s word recall: Expanding the reverse production effect
Authors: López Assef Belén , Zamuner Tania
Published: February 2025

Words said aloud are typically recalled more than words studied under other techniques. In certain circumstances, production does not lead to this memory advantage. We investigated the nature of this effect by varying the task during learning. Children aged five to six years were trained on novel words which required no action (Heard) compared to Verbal-Speech (production), Non-Verbal-Speech (stick out tongue), and Non-Verbal-Non-Speech (touch nose). Eye-tracking showed successful learning of novel words in all training conditions, but no differences between conditions. Both non-verbal tasks disrupted recall, demonstrating that encoding can be disrupted when children perform different types of concurrent actions.
Gluck's Orchestra, or The Future of Timbre
Authors: Dolan Emily I.
Published: February 2025

Gluck has long been celebrated for his operatic reforms. This article examines the role of the orchestra in Gluck's reformed style. I trace how Gluck's audiences learned new audile techniques in order to understand the role of his instrumental accompaniment. This form of listening posed challenges: some eighteenth-century listeners struggled to understand the role of the orchestra. The ‘naturalness’ so prized in the reformed style was achieved, I argue, by having the orchestra take on a larger role, but one that was rhetorically sublimated to the text. This is naturalised today: from Wagnerian music dramas to contemporary films, orchestral accompaniment often serves as a sonic commentary. The tensions in Gluck's reception, then, point to a seismic shift in the history of listening, showing how audiences came to understand the orchestra as a subtext. Gluck's orchestra offers broader lessons for musicology today, in particular for the burgeoning subfield of timbre studies: the form of ‘orchestral listening’ required for Gluck's operas is a form of timbral listening avant la lettre. While timbre is often invoked in order to escape musicology's traditional disciplinary ideologies, the story of Gluckian operatic drama points to the ways that orchestral listening emerged only through acts of disciplining and restraint.
Counsellor Knockolds and Captain Swing: Negotiating urban-rural boundaries in early nineteenth-century East Anglia
Authors: Veach Hyrum
Published: February 2025

Through an in-depth exploration into the Norwich weavers’ riots in 1829 and Swing Riot protests in Swanton Abbott, Norfolk, in January 1831, this article shows urban and rural protests were linked together in multifaceted ways. When these two protests are situated in the context of urban-rural relations, it becomes clear that the participants were part of an active renegotiation of the relationship between city and country brought on because the pressures of industrialization were pushing the two together in ways that many found threatening. Each of those involved had a different vision for what this relationship should look like, as well as a vested interest in ensuring this vision prevailed. By foregrounding how these participants approached the boundaries between urban and rural worlds, this research emphasizes the ways this boundary could be a crucial point of contention in early industrial Britain.
Public Responses to the Renaming of Commemorative Street Names in Post-Communist Poland: Daily Lives, Experiences of Change and Sense of Place
Authors: Ochman Ewa
Published: February 2025

The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe did not bring about widespread destruction of the material heritage of communist dictatorships in the region. In fact, given that – on the whole – public acceptance of the regime change has been high, the process of de-commemoration has been more contested than anticipated. This paper focuses on the process of de-commemoration after the fall of communism in Poland. It examines urban residents’ responses to the renaming of streets, paying close attention to the practices and discursive strategies they adopted to resist change. Investigating these responses provides a means of understanding the multifaceted aspects of the contested nature of de-commemoration and sheds light on the ways in which the top-down remaking of urban streetscapes affected local residents. It also enables us to better understand the nature of the post-communist transition in the region and provides insights into the everyday conflicts that underlie symbolic change.
Norm contestation and framing strategies: the home rule movements in Taiwan and Korea during Japan’s colonial era
Authors: Lai Christina
Published: February 2025

The home rule movements in Taiwan and Korea were two major events that took place at a time when the Taisho Emperor was embracing a more liberal atmosphere. While Taiwan asked for equal standing within the Japanese empire, Korea wanted political independence from colonial rule. The different framing strategies adopted by the social activists lead to the following empirical puzzles: How did the public intellectuals and social activists define their colonial grievances in Taiwan and Korea and seize the window of opportunity in the post-WWI era? And what framing strategies did they apply in promoting their ideas of self-determination?

This article proposes a comparative analysis of Taiwan’s and Korea’s mobilization of international norms, and it investigates how their framing strategies were used in their respective home rule movements during the colonial era. Their rhetoric and mobilization finally led to Japan’s shift to a more conciliatory policy in these two colonies. The finding contributes to the theoretical development of norm contestation and discourse analysis in international relations.

The organizational structure of this article is presented as follows. First, it engages the current literature on social movements, norm diffusion, and East Asian politics, and it explores the framing strategies of the resistance to Japan’s rule by comparing Taiwanese and Korean social movements in the early 1900s. Second, this study offers a framework of norm contestation in capturing how activists in Taiwan and Korea promoted the principle of self-determination. Third, it addresses alternative explanations on the structural factors and agency in these two movements.
Peace Be With You, Calm Now: On the Fate of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony ‘Allegretto’
Authors: van der Zanden Jos
Published: February 2025

In 1811, Beethoven opted for ‘Allegretto' for the second movement of his seventh symphony, to which he added the metronome mark crotchet = MM76. Ever since the work's inception, however, this has been mitigated by taking it as ‘Andante'. By investigating the purpose, rationale, and background, this article attempts to clarify why the original tempo made performers, listeners, and commentators uncomfortable. Exploring the tension between what Beethoven prescribed and what is taken to be good musicianship, three historical processes are evaluated: (i) performances of the symphony during Beethoven's lifetime; (ii) the activities by Beethoven’s one-time companion Anton Schindler in the 1830s and 40s; and (iii) a vast landscape of interpretational enterprise from the early nineteenth century to the present day.

Following the historical record, the article inquires into the conundrum of Beethoven's intentions, in pursuit of a broader perspective. The case is made that ‘Allegretto' inhered within it an immediacy of performance and that it expressed a repudiation of romantic aesthetics. It is argued that there are good prudential reasons to do away with ‘Andante', an encrustation of romantic error, and to acknowledge, affirm, and valorize ‘Allegretto’ as a thumbprint of style.
Traumatic Human Movement in the Rorschach and the Assessment of Disturbed Mentalization
Authors: Miron Tomer
Published: February 2025

Abstract: Human movement response (M score) is a main variable in the Rorschach and an indicator of psychological strength, reflecting the qualities of mentalization and representation. However, consistently high frequencies of M scores among trauma victims raised a need to understand better the quality of these responses. In this study, we aimed to explore the characteristics of Rorschach M responses of individuals suffering complex trauma. We paid attention to M responses that include trauma-related content and/or thinking disturbance and propose to consider these responses as a potential new variable of traumatic human movement response (trauM). This exploration is illustrated by the analysis of M responses in the Rorschach of two traumatized girls. The first case describes trauM responses that reflect posttraumatic intrusions and dissociation. The second, a longitudinal case study, describes trauM responses that reflect developmental damage and assist in evaluating growth from a state of reduced mental abilities to a more organized state of self. The trauM is conceptualized as reflecting traumatic mentalization. Its usefulness in the assessment of both symptomatic and developmental effects of trauma is described. Further empirical research is needed to validate the trauM and to evaluate its importance in trauma assessment.
The impact of standardization of care for neonates born at 22–23 weeks gestation
Authors: Al Gharaibeh Faris N. , Cortezzo DonnaMaria E. , Nathan Amy T. , Greenberg James M.
Published: February 2025

Objective

Determine the impact of standardization of care and counseling on survival and morbidities of neonates born at 22–23 weeks gestation.

Design

Retrospective cohort study of 244 neonates born at 22–23 weeks gestation between 2015 and 2023 in a large healthcare system. The primary outcome was survival of neonates receiving intensive care to NICU discharge. Secondary outcomes included morbidities and resource utilization.

Results

Neonates born at 22–23 weeks received more intensive care after care standardization (OR 5.4 (95% CI 2.3–12.6), p < 0.0001). Survival remained stable (aOR 0.93 (95% CI 0.32–2.7), p = 0.89) despite more neonates born at 22 weeks receiving intensive care. Resource utilization remained stable.

Conclusions

Standardizing counseling and care increased the provision of antenatal steroids and intensive care for neonates born at 22 weeks gestation. This allowed neonates born at 22 weeks to survive to discharge without increasing morbidity and resource utilization.
Cooperative mechanisms of oxide ion conduction in tellurites with secondary bond interactions and Grotthuss-like processes
Authors: Zhu Zhenyu , Cai Guanqun , Feng Yuxiang , Xu Juping , Chu Shengqi , An Pengfei , Zeng Jianrong , Yin Wen , Gu Yu , Kuang Xiaojun , Sun Junliang
Published: February 2025

Oxide-ion conducting materials are gaining considerable attention in various applications ranging from oxide fuel cells to oxygen permeation membranes. The oxide ion migration mechanisms are the basis for designing oxide-ion conducting materials. Here, enlightened by proton diffusion in hydrogen-bond networks, we report the coordination polyhedra cooperative mechanism with similar Grotthuss process of oxide ion migration in tellurites. Bi2Te2O7 and Bi2Te4O11 were selected due to their abundance of secondary bonds similar to hydrogen bonds and show high oxide ionic conductivity as mixed electronic and ionic conductors. Neutron total scattering experiments with reverse Monte Carlo simulations indicated that the oxide ion migration in those two tellurites is a synergetic effect of mutual transition between Te-O secondary bonds and covalent bonds assisted by Te-O polyhedra rotation. This detailed investigation of the cooperative mechanism with similar Grotthuss process at the atomic scale provides a direction for optimization and discovering oxide ion conducting materials.
Senolytic compounds reduce epigenetic age of blood samples in vitro
Authors: Tharmapalan Vithurithra , Du Marchie Sarvaas Miriam , Bleichert Michael , Wessiepe Martina , Wagner Wolfgang
Published: February 2025

Senolytic drugs raise the expectation that they can specifically eliminate a subset of senescent cells in a given tissue. In this study, we have exemplarily analyzed if a 3-day treatment of human blood samples in vitro would reduce age-associated biomarkers, with a particular focus on epigenetic age-predictions. Of eight tested compounds, JQ1, RG7112, nutlin-3a, and AMG232 reduced epigenetic age, indicating that this approach may be useful in drug screening for senolytic compounds.
Metagenome-assembled-genomes recovered from the Arctic drift expedition MOSAiC
Authors: Boulton William , Salamov Asaf , Grigoriev Igor V. , Calhoun Sara , LaButti Kurt , Riley Robert , Barry Kerrie , Fong Allison A. , Hoppe Clara J. M. , Metfies Katja , Oetjen Kersten , Eggers Sarah Lena , Müller Oliver , Gardner Jessie , Granskog Mats A. , Torstensson Anders , Oggier Marc , Larsen Aud , Bratbak Gunnar , Toseland Andrew , Leggett Richard M. , Moulton Vincent , Mock Thomas
Published: February 2025

The Multidisciplinary Observatory for Study of the Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition consisted of a year-long drifting survey of the Central Arctic Ocean. The ecosystems component of MOSAiC included the sampling of molecular data, with metagenomes collected from a diverse range of environments. The generation of metagenome-assembled-genomes (MAGs) from metagenomes are a starting point for genome-resolved analyses. This dataset presents a catalogue of MAGs recovered from a set of 73 samples from MOSAiC, including 2407 prokaryotic and 56 eukaryotic MAGs, as well as annotations of a near complete eukaryotic MAG using the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) annotation pipeline. The metagenomic samples are from the surface ocean, chlorophyll maximum, mesopelagic and bathypelagic, within leads and under-ice ocean, as well as melt ponds, ice ridges, and first- and second-year sea ice. This set of MAGs can be used to benchmark microbial biodiversity in the Central Arctic Ocean, compare individual strains across space and time, and to study changes in Arctic microbial communities from the winter to summer, at a genomic level.
A single-phase seven-level switched capacitor with common ground inverter and improved phase-shift modulation technique
Authors: Saif Bisma , Sarwar Adil , Ahmad Shafiq , Lu Shiue-Der , Liu Hwa-Dong
Published: February 2025

Lately, transformer-less Researchers in the fields of power electronics and renewable energy have taken notice of photovoltaic inverters because of their great efficiency, low cost, and small size. However, higher efficiency typically results in more components, making the inverter costly and bulky. This article proposes a single-phase seven-level transformer-less with common ground topology. The proposed topology utilizes 10 switches, 4 capacitors and 1 diode. This article also suggests an improved Phase Shift (PS) Modulation Technique which reduces overall losses. When implemented with improved Phase Shift (PS), the total highest attainable efficiency of the proposed topology is 98.05% at 15 W. The THD% of voltage harmonics is reduced to 15.29% from 17.20% and for current harmonics is reduced to 5.07% from 10.15%. The reliability of the proposed inverter has also been analyzed. The simulation as well as hardware results have been presented to validate the performance of the proposed inverter.
A novel aggregated coefficient ranking based feature selection strategy for enhancing the diagnosis of breast cancer classification using machine learning
Authors: Sreehari E. , Dhinesh Babu L. D.
Published: February 2025

Effective Breast cancer (BC) analysis is crucial for early prognosis, controlling cancer recurrence, timely medical intervention, and determining appropriate treatment procedures. Additionally, it plays a significant role in optimizing mortality rates among women with breast cancer and increasing the average lifespan of patients. This can be achieved by performing effective critical feature analysis of the BC by picking superlative features through significant ranking-based Feature Selection (FS). Various authors have developed strategies relying on single FS, but this approach may not yield excellent results and could lead to various consequences, including time and storage complexity issues, inaccurate results, poor decision-making, and difficult interpretation of models. Therefore, critical data analysis can facilitate the development of a robust ranking methodology for effective feature selection. To solve these problems, this paper suggests a new method called Aggregated Coefficient Ranking-based Feature Selection (ACRFS), which is based on tri chracteristic behavioral criteria. This strategy aims to significantly improve the ranking for an effective Attribute Subset Selection (ASSS). The proposed method utilized computational problem solvers such as chi-square, mutual information, correlation, and rank-dense methods. The work implemented the introduced methodology using Wisconsin-based breast cancer data and applied the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) to the obtained data subset. Later, we employed models such as decision trees, support vector machines, k-nearest neighbors, random forests, stochastic gradient descent, and Gaussian naive bayes to determine the type of cancer. The classification metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, kappa score, and Matthews coefficient were utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of the suggested ACRFS approach. The proposed method has demonstrated superior outcomes with fewer features and a minimal time complexity.
CD4 expression controls epidermal stem cell balance
Authors: Brandes Nadine , Hahn Heidi , Uhmann Anja
Published: February 2025

The balance of stem cell populations is essential for the maintenance, renewal, and repair of the mammalian epidermis. Here, we report that CD4, which is a typical marker of helper T cells, monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells, is also expressed on murine K5+ keratinocytes. Lineage tracing of CD4+ cells reveals that their epidermal progeny has self-renewal abilities and clonogenic potential. The progeny of CD4+ epidermal cells contributes to epidermal renewal and progressively colonizes the interfollicular epidermis and hair follicles with age, thereby developing to all epidermal lineages. Wound healing studies furthermore show that the progeny of CD4+ epidermal cells accumulates at wound sites. Finally, using CD4 knockout mice we demonstrate that CD4 expression is essential for maintaining fast-cycling epidermal stem cells during homeostasis and that CD4 loss mitigates the age-related decline in wound repair capacity. Collectively, our data support the conclusion that CD4 expression is required for long-term maintenance of the epidermal stem cell balance.
Dairy calves provided with environmental enrichment are more active, playful and have fewer feeding interruptions
Authors: Occhiuto Francesca , Vázquez-Diosdado Jorge A. , Thomas Matthew , Gayner Emma R. , King Andrew J. , Kaler Jasmeet
Published: February 2025

Concerns for farm animal welfare have led to the use of environmental enrichment to stimulate natural behaviours and promote positive emotions. In cattle, the provision of brushes is sometimes recommended but their use in calves and the effects they may have are not well established. The use of precision technologies enables the collection of detailed behavioural data that can be used as welfare indicators. Here we use ultra-wideband location sensors to measure activity and play, along with automatic milk feeders to measure feeding. We assessed the effects of stationary brushes on the behaviour of 226 dairy calves for up to 72 days. Half of the calves had access to the brushes for half of the experimental period. Using a mixed-effects linear model we showed that when brushes were present calves had significantly higher activity, fed slower, had fewer interruptions in their meals and spent less time around the feeder, suggesting reduced competition. Furthermore, calves that had access to brushes during the trial were more active and playful, even on days when the brushes were not available, compared to the control group. This finding indicates for the first time that enrichment may have a lasting effect on calf behaviour and welfare.
Perceptual space and adjective rating of 2.5D tactile patterns
Authors: Hwang Inwook , Yun Sungryul , Park Jaeyoung
Published: February 2025

The present study investigates the human haptic perception of 2.5D tactile patterns based on adjective ratings and how physical factors, such as the bump diameter of the pattern or material, affect their tactile perception. We designed fifty tactile patterns by varying the pattern’s bump diameter, pattern uniformity, and material and evaluated the effect of the parameters on haptic perception by conducting a couple of human subject experiments. In Experiment 1, the perceived intensities of the tactile patterns were tested for a total of ten properties (adjective pairs). The experimental results indicate significant effects of the factors, the bump diameter, pattern type, and material on the perceived intensities of the 2.5D patterns. In Experiment 2, a cluster sorting of the tactile patterns was conducted, and a haptic perceptual space was constructed with an MDS (multi-dimensional scaling). The results indicate a grouping of the samples by bump diameter and an effect of sample pattern uniformity for larger 2.5D tactile patterns. Overall, the present study showed that bump diameter, pattern type, and material significantly affected the perception of 2.5D tactile patterns based on the adjective ratings, and the 2.5D patterns could be grouped by the pattern’s bump diameter and uniformity.
The relationship between perception and landscape characteristics of recreational places with human mental well-being
Authors: Vanhöfen Janina , Härtel Talia , Reichert Giovanna , Randler Christoph
Published: February 2025

Being outdoors benefits both humans’ physical and mental well-being, but the reasons for this connection are difficult to pinpoint. This study examines 40 recreational areas to understand their individual characteristics’ impact on mental well-being. We interviewed 1184 visitors on their perception of the place and feeling of mental well-being. In a second survey, 49 participants were shown images of the areas to assess whether they perceived them in the same way as people on-site did. Biologists then evaluated the areas through bird and biotope surveys, also assessing various other landscape characteristics of the study areas. Analysis using a two-level multivariate GLM revealed that perceived naturalness and perceived bird diversity are significant predictors of improved mental well-being. On the flip side, mental well-being declines with increased human impact, as indicated by the amount of infrastructure and the Human Footprint Index value. Notably, perceived naturalness positively correlates with actual bird diversity (p = 0.005) and negatively with human impact (p = 0.006). A strong perception of birds enhances the mental well-being of greenspace visitors (p < 0.001), while a high birding specialization negatively affects recalled restoration (p = 0.014). The estimated restoration value (p = 0.001) and estimated beauty (p < 0.001) from the online survey correlate positively with emotions experienced on-site. The perception of naturalness in images aligns with on-site perception, suggesting pathways for future research and the design of recreational areas.
Micromechanical behavior of the apple fruit cuticle investigated by Brillouin light scattering microscopy
Authors: Landes Timm , Khanal Bishnu P. , Bethge Hans Lukas , Lehrich Tina , Kilic Maximilian Seydi , Renz Franz , Zabic Miroslav , Knoche Moritz , Heinemann Dag
Published: February 2025

The cuticle is a polymeric membrane covering all plant aerial organs of primary origin. It regulates water loss and defends against environmental stressors and pathogens. Despite its significance, understanding of the micro-mechanical properties of the cuticle (cuticular membrane; CM) remains limited. In this study, non-invasive Brillouin light scattering (BLS) spectroscopy was applied to probe the micro-mechanics of native CM, dewaxed CM (DCM), and isolated cutin matrix (CU) of mature apple fruit. The BLS signal arises from the photon interaction with thermally induced pressure waves and allows for imaging with mechanical contrast. The derived loss tangent showed significant differences with wax extraction from the CM and further with carbohydrate extraction from the DCM, consistent with tensile test results. Spatial heterogeneity between anticlinal and periclinal regions was observed by BLS microscopy of CM and DCM, but not in CU. The key conclusions are: (1) BLS is sensitive to micro-mechanical variations, particularly the strain-stiffening effect of the cutin framework, offering insights into the CM’s micro-mechanical behavior and underlying chemical structures; (2) CM and DCM exhibit spatial micro-mechanical heterogeneity between periclinal and anticlinal regions.
Relaxation of mucosal fibronectin fibers in late gut inflammation following neutrophil infiltration in mice
Authors: Rappold Ronja , Kalogeropoulos Konstantinos , La Regina Gianna , auf dem Keller Ulrich , Slack Emma , Vogel Viola
Published: February 2025

The continuously remodeled extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a pivotal role in gastrointestinal health and disease, yet its precise functions remain elusive. In this study, we employed laser capture microdissection combined with low-input proteomics to investigate ECM remodeling during Salmonella-driven inflammation. To complement this, we probed how fibronectin fiber tension is altered using a mechanosensitive peptide probe. While fibronectin fibers in healthy intestinal tissue are typically stretched, many lose their tension in intestinal smooth muscles only hours after infection, despite the absence of bacteria in that area. In contrast, within the mucosa, where Salmonella is present starting 12 h post infection, fibronectin fiber relaxation occurred exclusively during late-stage infection at 72 h and was localized to already existing clusters of infiltrated neutrophils. Using N-terminomics, we identified three new cleavage sites in fibronectin in the inflamed cecum. The unique, tissue layer-specific changes in the molecular compositions and ECM fiber tension revealed herein might trigger new therapeutic strategies to fight acute intestinal inflammation.
Neighbouring Cu–B6 electron reservoirs in α-borophene promote long-range C–C coupling to generate C2 products from CO2
Authors: Wang Hongguang , Bai Peiyao , Ren Yiming , Wei Shilin , Xu Lang
Published: February 2025

The neighbouring Cu–B6 electron reservoirs formed in α-borophene promote a unique long-range C–C coupling, enabling the electrogeneration of C2 products from CO2.
Photocatalytic norfloxacin degradation enabled by a dual S-scheme nanocellulose-based Ag2WO4/NiO/MoO3 tertiary heterojunction
Authors: Sambyal Shabnam , Chauhan Vinay , Shandilya Pooja , Priye Aashish
Published: February 2025

The escalating presence of antibiotic contaminants, such as norfloxacin (NFX), in water resources poses a pressing environmental challenge, demanding the development of innovative and sustainable remediation technologies.
Ice nucleation onto model nanoplastics in the cirrus cloud regime
Authors: Girlanda Omar , Li Guangyu , Mitrano Denise M. , Dreimol Christopher H. , Kanji Zamin A.
Published: February 2025

In the cirrus cloud regime, nanoplastics can act as ice nucleating particles, promoting ice formation in the atmosphere.
Biomimetic bone hydrogel enables a seamless interface for aqueous battery and human/machine interaction
Authors: Yao Lingbo , Wang Yichao , Jiang Lvzhang , Wang Gege , Chi Xiaowei , Liu Yu
Published: February 2025

An ultra-dense biomimetic bone hydrogel with a seamless interfacial structure was designed for aqueous batteries and on-skin monitoring systems.
The role of Fe incorporation into Ni-MOF-74 derived oxygen evolution electrocatalysts for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis
Authors: Linke Julia , Rohrbach Thomas , Clark Adam Hugh , Borca Camelia , Huthwelker Thomas , Buchauer Fabian Luca , Kraglund Mikkel Rykær , Chatzichristodoulou Christodoulos , Meade Eibhlin , Guehl Julie , Wojtas Mateusz , Ranocchiari Marco , Schmidt Thomas Justus , Fabbri Emiliana
Published: February 2025

The Fe uptake influence on Ni-MOF-74 derived oxygen evolution electrocatalysts is studied bridging operando XAS studies with implementation in AEM-WE.
Unmasking the lipid landscape: carbamazepine induces alterations in Leydig cell lipidome
Authors: Nobre Inês , Guerra Inês M. S. , Pinho Marisa , Martins Ana D. , Goracci Laura , Bonciarelli Stefano , Melo Tânia , Domingues Pedro , Paiva Artur , Oliveira Pedro F. , Domingues M. Rosário
Published: February 2025

Leydig cells rely on lipids and fatty acids (FA) for essential functions like maintaining structural integrity, energy metabolism, and steroid hormone synthesis, including testosterone production.
Fabrication of novel ternary g-C3N4/Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe1.8Mn0.2O4/rGO hybrid nanocomposites for humidity sensing
Authors: Rahman Moksodur , Rahman Md. Lutfor , Biswas Bristy , Ahmed Md. Farid , Ali Shaikh Md. Aftab , Jahan Shirin Akter , Sharmin Nahid
Published: February 2025

This research focuses on the fabrication of novel ternary g-C3N4/Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe1.8Mn0.2O4/rGO hybrid nanocomposites (NCs) for humidity sensing applications.
Cost-effective fabrication of submicron-scale patterns enabled by microcontact printing with a pre-strained soft elastomeric stamp
Authors: Jo Eunhwan , Sim Jaesam
Published: February 2025

This study introduces a scalable, cost-effective method to achieve submicron-scale pattern reduction by combining microcontact printing with a pre-strained soft elastomeric stamp.
A trans-palladium dichloride complex with a bulky organosulfur ligand: syntheses, structure, and applications in catalytic alkylation of acetophenone and secondary alcohols using alcohols
Authors: K. Gaatha , Kumar Sunil , Sharma Ashutosh , Bhuvanesh Nattamai , Roy Partha , Joshi Hemant
Published: February 2025

A trans-Pd(ii) complex mediated α-alkylation of acetophenone and β-alkylation of secondary alcohols with alcohols is presented. The developed synthetic methodology was extended for syntheses of quinolines.
Atomistic modelling of electron beam induced structural transformations in deposited metal clusters
Authors: Bounas Ioannis , Verkhovtsev Alexey V. , Pavloudis Theodoros , Sushko Gennady B. , Kioseoglou Joseph , Palmer Richard E. , Solov'yov Andrey V.
Published: February 2025

An icosahedral Au309 cluster (left) transforming into a quasi-decahedral structure (right) due to energy transferred to the cluster by hard collisions with energetic projectile electrons from electron beam irradiation.
An insight into the structure of acebutolol tetraphenylborate: crystal structure and quantum chemical calculations
Authors: Mansour Ahmed M. , Mostafa Gamal A. E. , Radacki Krzysztof , Ali Essam A. , Shehab Ola R.
Published: February 2025

Comprehensive experimental and theoretical studies were executed to get an insight into the nature of the charge transfer in the acebutolol tetraphenylborate complex.
Discovery of new benzothiazole-1,2,3-triazole hybrid-based hydrazone/thiosemicarbazone derivatives as potent EGFR inhibitors with cytotoxicity against cancer
Authors: Aljuhani Ateyatallah , Nafie Mohamed S. , Albujuq Nader R. , Alsehli Mosa , Bardaweel Sanaa K. , Darwish Khaled M. , Alraqa Shaya Y. , Aouad Mohamed Reda , Rezki Nadjet
Published: February 2025

New benzothiazole-1,2,3-triazole hybrids-based hydrazone/thiosemicarbazone derivatives exhibited potent EGFR inhibitors with cytotoxicity against breast cancer.
Recent advances in the synthesis, reaction, and bio-evaluation potential of purines as precursor pharmacophores in chemical reactions: a review
Authors: Ragab Ahmed
Published: February 2025

Purines as precursor pharmacophores in chemical reactions.
A review on synthesis of furonaphthoquinones through lawsone derivatives annulation reactions and their biological properties
Authors: Olyaei Abolfazl , Sadeghpour Mahdieh , Sajjadi Seyede Bita
Published: February 2025

Furonaphthoquinones and their dihydro derivatives have attracted significant attention due to their diverse pharmacological activities.
Hydrogenation of CO2 to synthetic natural gas (SNG) with 100% selectivity over a Ni–ZnO–MgO catalyst
Authors: Meena Mahendra Kumar , Biswas Shalini , Biswas Prakash
Published: February 2025

The CO2 hydrogenation activity of the Ni–ZnO–MgO catalyst prepared by the co-precipitation technique is evaluated in a down-flow tubular reactor.
Zn(ii)-driven impact of monomeric transthyretin on amyloid-β amyloidogenesis
Authors: Yi Yelim , Kim Bokyung , Kim Mingeun , Ko Young Ho , Kim Jin Hae , Lim Mi Hee
Published: February 2025

Zn(ii) coordination to monomeric transthyretin (M-TTR) forms a ternary complex with amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides and promotes their hydrolysis, which directs M-TTR's anti-amyloidogenic activity through inhibiting their primary nucleation.
Hot off the press
Authors: Hill Robert A. , Sutherland Andrew
Published: February 2025

A personal selection of 32 recent papers is presented covering various aspects of current developments in bioorganic chemistry and novel natural products, such as hyperzrone A from Hypericum beanii.
Baryonic Ecosystem IN Galaxies (BEINGMgII). Host galaxies of ultra-strong absorbers in the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey
Authors: Joshi Ravi , Das Sarbeswar , Fumagalli Michele , Fossati Matteo , P'eroux C'eline , Chaudhary Reena , Hassen Yesuf M. , Luis Ho C.
Published: February 2025

We study the galaxies hosting ultra-strong (USMgII) absorbers at small impact parameters of ∼ arcsecond (5 - 20 kpc) spanning a redshift range of allabszmin z using deep high-resolution images from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Survey and spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Our aim is to explore the physical origin of the USMgII absorbers and characterize the associated galaxies. We performed a galaxy spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting using optical and near-IR multiband data to identify potential absorber host galaxies. Further, we searched for the nebular emission line from absorber galaxies in the SDSS fiber spectra. From a total of USMgII absorbers with ge 3 Å, along quasar sight lines, we detected galaxies based on nebular emission detected at the ge 2σ level. Utilizing the emission from the stacked spectrum and employing the best-fit galaxy SED template, we further identified galaxies, leading to a total of bona fide USMgII galaxies. With a prerequisite of having a minimum of four HSC passbands available, we found a detection rate of ∼ at an average impact parameter of kpc. We find that galaxies hosting USMgII systems are typically star-forming main sequence galaxies, with exhibiting a starburst nature. The non-zero emission along the "clear" sight lines, with no stellar counterpart, indicates that the USMgII absorbers may likely emanate from the unseen faint galaxies near the quasar. The USMgII absorbers preferentially align along the major and minor axes of the galaxy, which suggests that they originate in the disk or large-scale wind. We show that the distribution of as a function of the impact parameter indicates a discernible radial dependence for the "disk" and "wind" subsets, with the observed large scatter in potentially attributed to large-scale outflows. The quasar sight line hosting USMgII systems show a factor of three higher galaxy surface density at impact parameters of lesssim 50kpc, highlighting the multiple pathways that give rise to USMgII absorption.