bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Taiwan ended third COVID-19 community outbreak as forecasted
Authors: Wu Yu-Heng , Nordling Torbjörn E. M.
Published: March 2024

Accurate forecasting of community outbreaks is crucial for governments to allocate healthcare resources correctly and implement suitable non-pharmaceutical interventions. Additionally, companies must address critical questions about stock and staff management. Society’s key concern is when businesses and organizations can resume normal operations. Between December 31st 2019 and 2021, Taiwan experienced three separate COVID-19 community outbreaks with significant time intervals in between, suggesting that each outbreak eventually came to an end. We identified the ratio of the 7-day average of local & unknown confirmed to suspected cases as the key control variable and forecasted the end of the third outbreak by the exponential model. We forecasted the end of the third outbreak on Aug. 16th with threshold ratios of $$1.2\cdot 10^{-4}$$

1.2
·

10

-
4

. The real observations crossed the threshold on Aug. 27th, eleven days later than forecasted, with the last case of the third outbreak confirmed and quarantined on Sept. 20th. This demonstrated the accuracy of the proposed forecasting method in predicting the end of a local outbreak. Furthermore, we highlight that the ratio reflects the effectiveness of contact tracing. Effective contact tracing together with testing and isolation of infected individuals is crucial for ending community outbreaks.
5-HT_FAsTR: a versatile, label-free, high-throughput, fluorescence-based microplate assay to quantify serotonin transport and release
Authors: Bukowski Lina , Strøm Markus Emanuel , Andersen Jens Lindengren , Maesen Jannick Bang , Tian Lin , Sinning Steffen
Published: March 2024

The neurotransmitter serotonin plays a pivotal role in mood and depression. It also acts as a vasoconstrictor within blood vessels and is the main neurotransmitter in the gastrointestinal system. In neurotransmission, released serotonin is taken up by serotonin transporters, which are principal targets of antidepressants and the psychostimulant, ecstasy. The investigation of serotonin transporters have relied almost exclusively on the use of radiolabeled serotonin in heterogenous end-point assays. Here we adapt the genetically encoded fluorescent biosensor, iSeroSnFR, to establish and validate the Serotonin (5-HT) Fluorescence Assay for Transport and Release (5-HT_FAsTR) for functional and pharmacological studies of serotonin transport and release. We demonstrate the applicability of the method for the study of a neuronal, high-affinity, low-capacity serotonin transporter (SERT) as well as an extraneuronal low-affinity, high-capacity organic cation transporter and mutants thereof. 5HT_FAsTR offers an accessible, versatile and reliable semi-homogenous assay format that only relies on a fluorescence plate reader for repeated, real-time measurements of serotonin influx and efflux. 5HT_FAsTR accelerates and democratizes functional characterization and pharmacological studies of serotonin transporters and genetic variants thereof in disease states such as depression, anxiety and ADHD.
The Pleistocene high-elevation environments between 2.02 and 0.6 Ma at Melka Kunture (Upper Awash Valley, Ethiopia) based upon stable isotope analysis
Authors: Briatico Giuseppe , Bocherens Hervé , Geraads Denis , Melis Rita T. , Mussi Margherita
Published: March 2024

Pleistocene environments are among the most studied issues in paleoecology and human evolution research in eastern Africa. Many data have been recorded from archaeological sites located at low and medium elevations (≤ 1500 m), whereas few contexts are known at 2000 m and above. Here, we present a substantial isotopic study from Melka Kunture, a complex of prehistoric sites located at 2000—2200 m above sea level in the central Ethiopian highlands. We analyzed the stable carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of 308 faunal tooth enamel samples from sites dated between 2.02 and 0.6 Ma to investigate the animal diets and habitats. The carbon isotopic results indicate that the analyzed taxa had C4-dominated and mixed C3-C4 diets with no significant diachronic changes in feeding behavior with time. This is consistent with faunal and phytolith analyses, which suggested environments characterized by open grasslands (with both C3 and C4 grasses), patches of bushes and thickets, and aquatic vegetation. However, palynological data previously documented mountain forests, woodlands, and high-elevation grasslands. Additionally, the carbon isotopic comparison with other eastern African localities shows that differences in elevation did not influence animal feeding strategies and habitat partitioning, even though plant species vary according to altitudinal gradients. In contrast, the oxygen isotopic comparison suggests significant differences consistent with the altitude effect. Our approach allows us to detect diverse aspects of animal behavior, habitat, and vegetation that should be considered when reconstructing past environments.
CDK12 is a potential biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis and immunomodulation in pan-cancer
Authors: Lu Ke-Qi , Li Zuo-Lin , Zhang Qian , Yin Qing , Zhang Yi-Lin , Ni Wei-Jie , Jiang LiangYun-Zi , He Wei , Wang Bin
Published: March 2024

Cell cycle-dependent protein kinase 12 (CDK12) plays a key role in a variety of carcinogenesis processes and represents a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. However, to date, there have been no systematic studies addressing its diagnostic, prognostic and immunological value across cancers. Here, we found that CDK12 was significantly upregulated in various types of cancers, and it expression increased with progression in ten cancer types, including breast cancer, cholangiocarcinoma and colon adenocarcinoma. Moreover, the ROC curves indicated that CDK12 showed diagnostic value in eight cancer types. High CDK12 expression was associated with poor prognosis in eight types of cancer, including low-grade glioma, mesothelioma, melanoma and pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, we conducted immunoassays to explore the exact mechanisms underlying CDK12-induced carcinogenesis, which revealed that increased expression of CDK12 allowed tumours to evade immune surveillance and upregulate immune checkpoint genes. Additionally, mutational studies have shown that amplification and missense mutations are the predominant mutational events affecting CDK12 across cancers. These findings establish CDK12 as a significant biological indicator of cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and immunotherapeutic targeting. Early surveillance and employment of CDK12 inhibitors, along with concomitant immunotherapy interventions, may enhance the clinical outcomes of cancer patients.
Subsurface temperature estimates from a Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) reanalysis provide accurate coral heat stress indices across the Main Hawaiian Islands
Authors: Perelman Jessica N. , Tanaka Kisei R. , Smith Joy N. , Barkley Hannah C. , Powell Brian S.
Published: March 2024

As ocean temperatures continue to rise, coral bleaching events around the globe are becoming stronger and more frequent. High-resolution temperature data is therefore critical for monitoring reef conditions to identify indicators of heat stress. Satellite and in situ measurements have historically been relied upon to study the thermal tolerances of coral reefs, but these data are quite limited in their spatial and temporal coverage. Ocean circulation models could provide an alternative or complement to these limited data, but a thorough evaluation against in situ measurements has yet to be conducted in any Pacific Islands region. Here we compared subsurface temperature measurements around the nearshore Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) from 2010 to 2017 with temperature predictions from an operational Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to evaluate the potential utility of this model as a tool for coral reef management. We found that overall, the ROMS reanalysis presents accurate subsurface temperature predictions across the nearshore MHI region and captures a significant amount of observed temperature variability. The model recreates several temperature metrics used to identify coral heat stress, including predicting the 2014 and 2015 bleaching events around Hawaiʻi during the summer and fall months of those years. The MHI ROMS simulation proves to be a useful tool for coral reef management in the absence of, or to supplement, subsurface and satellite measurements across Hawaiʻi and likely for other Pacific Island regions.
Denoising OCT videos based on temporal redundancy
Authors: Richer Emmanuelle , Solano Marissé Masís , Cheriet Farida , Lesk Mark R. , Costantino Santiago
Published: March 2024

The identification of eye diseases and their progression often relies on a clear visualization of the anatomy and on different metrics extracted from Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) B-scans. However, speckle noise hinders the quality of rapid OCT imaging, hampering the extraction and reliability of biomarkers that require time series. By synchronizing the acquisition of OCT images with the timing of the cardiac pulse, we transform a low-quality OCT video into a clear version by phase-wrapping each frame to the heart pulsation and averaging frames that correspond to the same instant in the cardiac cycle. Here, we compare the performance of our one-cycle denoising strategy with a deep-learning architecture, Noise2Noise, as well as classical denoising methods such as BM3D and Non-Local Means (NLM). We systematically analyze different image quality descriptors as well as region-specific metrics to assess the denoising performance based on the anatomy of the eye. The one-cycle method achieves the highest denoising performance, increases image quality and preserves the high-resolution structures within the eye tissues. The proposed workflow can be readily implemented in a clinical setting.
Quantifying forest disturbance regimes within caribou (Rangifer tarandus) range in British Columbia
Authors: Maltman James C. , Coops Nicholas C. , Rickbeil Gregory J. M. , Hermosilla Txomin , Burton A. Cole
Published: March 2024

Habitat disturbance is a major driver of the decline of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Canada. Different disturbance agents and regimes negatively impact caribou populations to different degrees. It is therefore critical that land managers and scientists studying caribou have a detailed understanding of the disturbance regimes affecting caribou habitat. In this work we use recent advances in satellite-based disturbance detection to quantify polygonal forest disturbance regimes affecting caribou ecotypes and herds in British Columbia (BC) from 1985 to 2019. Additionally, we utilize this data to investigate harvesting rates since the implementation of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and publication of recovery strategies for caribou in BC. Southern Mountain caribou herds are the most threatened yet experienced the highest rates of disturbance, with 22.75% of forested habitat within their ranges disturbed during the study period. Over the study period, we found that in total, 16.4% of forested area was disturbed across all caribou herd ranges. Our findings indicate that caribou in BC face high, and in many cases increasing, levels of habitat disturbance. Our results provide a detailed understanding of the polygonal disturbance regimes affecting caribou in BC at the herd scale, and highlight the need for effective implementation of policies aimed at preserving caribou habitat.
Multi-objective and multi constrained task scheduling framework for computational grids
Authors: Hegde Sujay N. , Srinivas D. B. , Rajan M. A. , Rani Sita , Kataria Aman , Min Hong
Published: March 2024

Grid computing emerged as a powerful computing domain for running large-scale parallel applications. Scheduling computationally intensive parallel applications such as scientific, commercial etc., computational grids is a NP-complete problem. Many researchers have proposed several task scheduling algorithms on grids based on formulating and solving it as an optimization problem with different objective functions such as makespan, cost, energy etc. Further to address the requirements/demands/needs of the users (lesser cost, lower latency etc.) and grid service providers (high utilization and high profitability), a task scheduler needs to be designed based on solving a multi-objective optimization problem due to several trade-offs among the objective functions. In this direction, we propose an efficient multi-objective task scheduling framework to schedule computationally intensive tasks on heterogeneous grid networks. This framework minimizes turnaround time, communication, and execution costs while maximizing grid utilization. We evaluated the performance of our proposed algorithm through experiments conducted on standard, random, and scientific task graphs using the GridSim simulator.
Absorption peak decomposition of an inhomogeneous nanoparticle ensemble of hexagonal tungsten bronzes using the reduced Mie scattering integration method
Authors: Machida Keisuke , Adachi Kenji
Published: March 2024

Recent optical analyses of cesium-doped hexagonal tungsten bronze have accurately replicated the absorption peak and identified both plasmonic and polaronic absorptions in the near-infrared region, which have been exploited in various technological applications. However, the absorption peaks of tungsten oxides and bronzes have not generally been reproduced well, including those of the homologous potassium- and rubidium-doped hexagonal tungsten bronzes that lacked evidence of polaronic subpeaks. The present study reports a modified and simplified Mie scattering integration method which incorporates the ensemble inhomogeneity effect and allows precise peak decomposition and determination of the physical parameters of nanoparticles. The decomposed peaks were interpreted in terms of electronic structures, screening effect, and modified dielectric functions. The analysis revealed that the plasma frequencies, polaron energies, and the number of oxygen vacancies decrease in the dopant order Cs → Rb → K. The coexistence of plasmonic and polaronic excitations was confirmed for all the alkali-doped hexagonal tungsten bronzes.
Oil spill risk analysis for the NEOM shoreline
Authors: Mittal H. V. R. , Hammoud Mohamad Abed El Rahman , Carrasco Ana K. , Hoteit Ibrahim , Knio Omar M.
Published: March 2024

A risk analysis is conducted considering an array of release sources located around the NEOM shoreline. The sources are selected close to the coast and in neighboring regions of high marine traffic. The evolution of oil spills released by these sources is simulated using the MOHID model, driven by validated, high-resolution met-ocean fields of the Red Sea. For each source, simulations are conducted over a 4-week period, starting from first, tenth and twentieth days of each month, covering five consecutive years. A total of 180 simulations are thus conducted for each source location, adequately reflecting the variability of met-ocean conditions in the region. The risk associated with each source is described in terms of amount of oil beached, and by the time required for the spilled oil to reach the NEOM coast, extending from the Gulf of Aqaba in the North to Duba in the South. To further characterize the impact of individual sources, a finer analysis is performed by segmenting the NEOM shoreline, based on important coastal development and installation sites. For each subregion, source and release event considered, a histogram of the amount of volume beached is generated, also classifying individual events in terms of the corresponding arrival times. In addition, for each subregion considered, an inverse analysis is conducted to identify regions of dependence of the cumulative risk, estimated using the collection of all sources and events considered. The transport of oil around the NEOM shorelines is promoted by chaotic circulations and northwest winds in summer, and a dominant cyclonic eddy in winter. Hence, spills originating from release sources located close to the NEOM shorelines are characterized by large monthly variations in arrival times, ranging from less than a week to more than 2 weeks. Similarly, large variations in the volume fraction of beached oil, ranging from less then 50% to more than 80% are reported. The results of this study provide key information regarding the location of dominant oil spill risk sources, the severity of the potential release events, as well as the time frames within which mitigation actions may need to deployed.
Efficient crystal structure materials as reactive sorbent for the CO2 and CH4 adsorption and storage
Authors: Essehli R. , Aïssa B. , Altamash T. , Lachkar M. , Atilhan M. , El Bali B. , Berdiyorov G. R. , Amhamed A.
Published: March 2024

The efficient dirubidium cobalt bis(dihydrogendiphosphate) dihydrate compound is successfully synthesized in a solution and used as a reactive sorbent for the CO2and CH4gases adsorption and storage. A crystal of this Rb2Co(H2P2O7)2·2H2O compound has been isolated and characterized by single X-ray diffraction analysis and was found to crystallize in the triclinic system ($$P\overline{1}$$P1¯) with the cell parameters (Å): 6.980(1), 7.370(1), 7.816(1), 81.74(1), 70.35(1), 86.34(1); V = 374.68(9) Å3, Z = 2. The crystal-packing consists of a three-dimensional framework made upon corners and edges sharing of [RbO7], [H2P2O7] and [CoO6] entities, furthermore linked by a network of H-bonds. The UV–Vis spectroscopy revealed usual transitions between the ground state 4T1g and the upper levels 4T2g, 4A2g and 4T1g (P). Moreover, the CO2and CH4gases sorption measurements were successfully performed at two different temperatures (25 and 45 °C) and various pressures ranging from vacuum to 50 bar. Our results show that rate of CO2and CH4capturing was 3.10 mmol/g and 2.35 mmol/g at temperature 25 °C and pressure 50 bar, respectively. This compound showed a clear potential for CO2/CH4adsorption and storage thereby paving the way towards its exploration and adaptation for capturing and collecting carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases from the air, and their conversion into hydrocarbon fuels using existing mature technologies. We have also conducted density functional theory calculations to study the CO2and CH4adsorption properties of Rb2Co(H2P2O7)2·2H2O. The simulation results show enhanced adsorption of both types of molecules on the surface of the material.
Shaking table test on seismic performance of a large-span high-rise building
Authors: Sun Laite , Bai Yu , Lai Zhengcong
Published: March 2024

This paper describes investigations in respect of the seismic performance of a large-span high-rise building in a mountainous area. The building consists of a 135 m high shear wall structure and a 174.5 m long steel truss structure, with dampers used to enhance the seismic performance. A 1/40 scale model of the prototype structure was designed, and shaking table tests was conducted. The experiments simulated the wave passage effect and slope amplification effect based on the building site and structural characteristics of the prototype structure. The seismic performance of the prototype structure was analyzed through the damage phenomenon, dynamic characteristics, and dynamic response of the model under earthquake effects. The results show that three seismic waves were delayed by about 0.4 s and amplified by about 1.6 times after passing through the steel frame with viscous dampers, which could effectively simulate the wave passage effect and slope amplification effect in the test. The maximum story drift ratios of the model shear wall structure and steel truss structure were 1/1258 and 1/455 for the SLE and 1/568 and 1/185 for the MCE. The damping devices played a key role in energy dissipation. As a result, this research provides a reference for the seismic design and shaking table testing of large-span high-rise buildings.
A systematic approach for authentication of medicinal Patrinia species using an integration of morphological, chemical and molecular methods
Authors: Wong Kwan-Ho , Zheng Tao , Yue Grace Gar-Lee , Li Man-Ching , Wu Hoi-Yan , Tong Man-Ho , Zhao Xin-Lei , Chen Hu-Biao , Lau Clara Bik-San , Shaw Pang-Chui , Lau David Tai-Wai
Published: March 2024

Four common Patrinia species, including P. heterophylla, P. monandra, P. scabiosifolia and P. villosa, have been documented as herbal medicines with various clinical applications, such as anti-cancer, anti-diarrhea and sedative. However, the authentication of medicinal Patrinia species poses a problem, particularly with the processed herbal materials. This study aimed to systematically authenticate the four medicinal Patrinia species in the market using morphological and chemical characterization, as well as DNA markers. We found the species identity authenticated by traditional morphologies were in good agreement with both chemical and molecular results. The four species showed species-specific patterns in chromatographic profiles with distinct chemical markers. We also revealed the power of complete chloroplast genomes in species authentication. The sequences of targeted loci, namely atpB, petA, rpl2-rpl23 and psaI-ycf4, contained informative nucleotides for the species differentiation. Our results also facilitate authentication of medicinal Patrinia species using new DNA barcoding markers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the application of morphology, chemical fingerprinting, complete chloroplast genomes and species-specific Insertion-Deletions (InDels) in differentiating Patrinia species. This study reported on the power of a systematic, multidisciplinary approach in authenticating medicinal Patrinia species.
Changes in total and per-capital ecosystem service value in response to land-use land-cover dynamics in north-central Ethiopia
Authors: Birhane Emiru , Negash Emnet , Getachew Tesfaye , Gebrewahed Hailemariam , Gidey Eskinder , Gebremedhin Mewcha Amha , Mhangara Paidamwoyo
Published: March 2024

Ecosystems provide a wide range of services crucial for human well-being and decision-making processes at various levels. This study analyzed the major land cover types of north-central Ethiopia and their impact on total and per-capita ecosystem service value (ESV). The ESV was estimated using the benefit-transfer method along the established global and local coefficient values for the periods 1973, 1986, 2001, 2016, and 2024. The findings show that agricultural lands continued to expand at a rate of 563.4 ha year−1, at the expense of forests and grasslands. As a result, the total ESV of the study area declined from $101.4 to $61.03 million and $60.08–$43.69 million, respectively. The ESV per capita was also diminished by $152.4 (37.7%) and $257 (40.6%), respectively. However, land-cover improvement during the period 2001–2016 enhanced the total and per capita ESV in the study area. Therefore, potential future research may be required to develop a valid approach for assessing the robustness and sensitivity of value coefficients for the valuation of the ESV at the landscape level.
Ethno-entomotherapeutic and metabolite profiling of Coridius chinensis (Dallas), a traditional edible insect species of North-East India
Authors: Bonysana Rajkumari , Singh Kabrambam Dasanta , Devi Wahengbam Deepanita , koijam Arunkumar Singh , Kapesa Kokho , Kalita Jatin , Mukherjee Pulok Kumar , Rajashekar Yallappa
Published: March 2024

Edible insects possess several health enhancing properties and play an important role in human nutrition. Coridius chinensis is an edible insect that is considered food and claimed as traditional medicine. In the present study, nutritional contents, chemical composition, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of C. chinensis were analyzed. It was found that the insect sample contains 50.46% moisture, 44.65% protein, 4.45% carbohydrate, 39.42% crude fats, 3.53% ash and 576.11 (Kcal/100 g) energy. Our study highlighted the presence of a significant amount of phenol and flavonoids. The C. chinensis hydro-alcoholic extract showed high antioxidant property and anti-inflammatory activity. GCMS analysis identified 61 volatile compounds. LC–MS analysis of hydroalcoholic extract of C. chinensis revealed the presence of compounds such as etodolac glucuronide, morphine 3-glucuronide, ecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, sufentanil, and palmitoyl ethanololamide. These findings suggest that C. chinensis species can be employed as a valuable food source with excellent therapeutic properties.
The processing of spatial frequencies through time in visual word recognition
Authors: Bertrand Pilon Clémence , Arguin Martin
Published: March 2024

This study examined the temporal profile of spatial frequency processing in a word reading task in 16 normal adult readers. They had to report the word presented in a 200 ms display using a four-alternative forced-choice task (4AFC). The stimuli were made of an additive combination of the signal (i.e. the target word) and of a visual white noise patch wherein the signal-to-noise ratio varied randomly across stimulus duration. Four spatial frequency conditions were defined for the signal component of the stimulus (bandpass Butterworth filters with center frequencies of 1.2, 2.4, 4.8 and 9.6 cycles per degree). In contrast to the coarse-to-fine theory of visual recognition, the results show that the highest spatial frequency range dominates early processing, with a shift toward lower spatial frequencies at later points during stimulus exposure. This pattern interacted in a complex way with the temporal frequency content of signal-to-noise oscillations. The outcome of individual data patterns classification by a machine learning algorithm according to the corresponding spatial frequency band further shows that the most salient spatial frequency signature is obtained when the time dimension within data patterns is recoded into its Fourier transform.
Detection and impact estimation of social bots in the Chilean Twitter network
Authors: Mendoza Marcelo , Providel Eliana , Santos Marcelo , Valenzuela Sebastián
Published: March 2024

The rise of bots that mimic human behavior represents one of the most pressing threats to healthy information environments on social media. Many bots are designed to increase the visibility of low-quality content, spread misinformation, and artificially boost the reach of brands and politicians. These bots can also disrupt civic action coordination, such as by flooding a hashtag with spam and undermining political mobilization. Social media platforms have recognized these malicious bots’ risks and implemented strict policies and protocols to block automated accounts. However, effective bot detection methods for Spanish are still in their early stages. Many studies and tools used for Spanish are based on English-language models and lack performance evaluations in Spanish. In response to this need, we have developed a method for detecting bots in Spanish called Botcheck. Botcheck was trained on a collection of Spanish-language accounts annotated in Twibot-20, a large-scale dataset featuring thousands of accounts annotated by humans in various languages. We evaluated Botcheck’s performance on a large set of labeled accounts and found that it outperforms other competitive methods, including deep learning-based methods. As a case study, we used Botcheck to analyze the 2021 Chilean Presidential elections and discovered evidence of bot account intervention during the electoral term. In addition, we conducted an external validation of the accounts detected by Botcheck in the case study and found our method to be highly effective. We have also observed differences in behavior among the bots that are following the social media accounts of official presidential candidates.
Efficacy of an Internet-based self-help intervention with human guidance or automated messages to alleviate loneliness: a three-armed randomized controlled trial
Authors: Seewer Noëmi , Skoko Andrej , Käll Anton , Andersson Gerhard , Luhmann Maike , Berger Thomas , Krieger Tobias
Published: March 2024

Loneliness is a prevalent and stigmatized phenomenon associated with adverse (mental) health outcomes. However, evidence-based interventions to alleviate loneliness are scarce. This randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov-ID: NCT04655196) evaluated the efficacy of an internet-based cognitive behavioral self-help intervention (ICBT) to reduce loneliness by comparing two intervention groups with guidance or automated messages against a waitlist control group. Adults (N = 243) suffering from loneliness were recruited from the general public and then randomly assigned (2:2:1) to a 10-week ICBT with human guidance (GU) or automated messages (AM) or to a waitlist control group (WL). Loneliness, assessed with the UCLA-9, was the primary outcome. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 10 weeks (post) and analyzed using mixed-effects models. The pooled intervention conditions resulted in lower loneliness scores at post-assessment than the WL (Cohen’s d = 0.57, 95% CI [0.25; 0.89]) and reduced depressive symptoms, social anxiety, social avoidance behavior, and rejection sensitivity (d = 0.32–0.52). The GU group had lower loneliness scores at post-assessment than the AM group (d = 0.42, 95% CI [0.13; 0.70]). ICBT effectively alleviated loneliness, and guidance increased the reduction in loneliness compared to automated messages. Alleviating loneliness with ICBT further seems to reduce the overall burden of psychopathological symptoms.
Variability and high temperature reliability of graphene field-effect transistors with thin epitaxial CaF2 insulators
Authors: Illarionov Yu. Yu. , Knobloch T. , Uzlu B. , Banshchikov A. G. , Ivanov I. A. , Sverdlov V. , Otto M. , Stoll S. L. , Vexler M. I. , Waltl M. , Wang Z. , Manna B. , Neumaier D. , Lemme M. C. , Sokolov N. S. , Grasser T.
Published: March 2024

Graphene is a promising material for applications as a channel in graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) which may be used as a building block for optoelectronics, high-frequency devices and sensors. However, these devices require gate insulators which ideally should form atomically flat interfaces with graphene and at the same time contain small densities of traps to maintain high device stability. Previously used amorphous oxides, such as SiO2 and Al2O3, however, typically suffer from oxide dangling bonds at the interface, high surface roughness and numerous border oxide traps. In order to address these challenges, here we use 2 nm thick epitaxial CaF2 as a gate insulator in GFETs. By analyzing device-to-device variability for about 200 devices fabricated in two batches, we find that tens of them show similar gate transfer characteristics. Our statistical analysis of the hysteresis up to 175oC has revealed that while an ambient-sensitive counterclockwise hysteresis can be present in some devices, the dominant mechanism is thermally activated charge trapping by border defects in CaF2 which results in the conventional clockwise hysteresis. We demonstrate that both the hysteresis and bias-temperature instabilities in our GFETs with CaF2 are comparable to similar devices with SiO2 and Al2O3. In particular, we achieve a small hysteresis below 0.01 V for equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of about 1 nm at the electric fields up to 15 MV cm−1 and sweep times in the kilosecond range. Thus, our results demonstrate that crystalline CaF2 is a promising insulator for highly-stable GFETs.
Use of automated conversational agents in improving young population mental health: a scoping review
Authors: Balan Raluca , Dobrean Anca , Poetar Costina R.
Published: March 2024

Automated conversational agents (CAs) emerged as a promising solution in mental health interventions among young people. Therefore, the objective of this scoping review is to examine the current state of research into fully automated CAs mediated interventions for the emotional component of mental health among young people. Selected databases were searched in March 2023. Included studies were primary research, reporting on development, feasibility/usability, or evaluation of fully automated CAs as a tool to improve the emotional component of mental health among young population. Twenty-five studies were included (N = 1707). Most automated CAs applications were standalone preventions targeting anxiety and depression. Automated CAs were predominantly AI-based chatbots, using text as the main communication channel. Overall, the results of the current scoping review showed that automated CAs mediated interventions for emotional problems are acceptable, engaging and with high usability. However, the results for clinical efficacy are far less conclusive, since almost half of evaluation studies reported no significant effect on emotional mental health outcomes. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that there is a pressing need to improve the existing automated CAs applications to increase their efficacy as well as conducting more rigorous methodological research in this area.
Visualizing thickness-dependent magnetic textures in few-layer Cr2Ge2Te6
Authors: Vervelaki Andriani , Bagani Kousik , Jetter Daniel , Doan Manh-Ha , Chau Tuan K. , Gross Boris , Christensen Dennis V. , Bøggild Peter , Poggio Martino
Published: March 2024

Magnetic ordering in two-dimensional (2D) materials has recently emerged as a promising platform for data storage, computing, and sensing. To advance these developments, it is vital to gain a detailed understanding of how the magnetic order evolves on the nanometer-scale as a function of the number of atomic layers and applied magnetic field. Here, we image few-layer Cr2Ge2Te6 using a combined scanning superconducting quantum interference device and atomic force microscopy probe. Maps of the material’s stray magnetic field as a function of applied magnetic field reveal its magnetization per layer as well as the thickness-dependent magnetic texture. Using a micromagnetic model, we correlate measured stray-field patterns with the underlying magnetization configurations, including labyrinth domains and skyrmionic bubbles. Comparison between real-space images and simulations demonstrates that the layer dependence of the material’s magnetic texture is a result of the thickness-dependent balance between crystalline and shape anisotropy. These findings represent an important step towards 2D spintronic devices with engineered spin configurations and controlled dependence on external magnetic fields.
A unified modelling framework for projecting sectoral greenhouse gas emissions
Authors: Vashold Lukas , Crespo Cuaresma Jesús
Published: March 2024

Effectively tackling climate change requires sound knowledge about greenhouse gas emissions and their sources. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive, sectorally disaggregated, yet comparable projections for greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we project sectoral emissions until 2050 under a business-as-usual scenario for a global sample of countries and five main sectors, using a unified framework and Bayesian methods. We show that, without concerted policy efforts, global emissions increase strongly, and highlight a number of important differences across countries and sectors. Increases in emerging economies are driven by strong output and population growth, with emissions related to the energy sector accounting for most of the projected change. Advanced economies are expected to reduce emissions over the coming decades, although transport emissions often still show upward trends. We compare our results to emission projections published by selected national authorities as well as results from Integrated Assessment Models and highlight some important discrepancies.
Early engagement and co-benefits strengthen cities’ climate commitments
Authors: O’Garra Tanya , Kuz Viktoriya , Deneault Andrew , Orr Christopher , Chan Sander
Published: March 2024

Cities can lead the way in tackling climate change through robust climate actions (that is, measures taken to limit climate change or its impacts). However, escalating crises due to pandemics, conflict and climate change pose challenges to ambitious and sustained city climate action. Here we use global data on 793 cities from the Carbon Disclosure Project 2021 platform to assess how the COVID-19 crisis has affected cities’ reported climate commitments and actions and the factors associated with these impacts. We find climate actions persist despite funding shortfalls; yet only 43% of cities have implemented green recovery interventions. Co-benefits of climate action (for example, health outcomes) and early engagement on sustainability issues (for example, via climate networks) are associated with sustained climate action and finance during COVID-19 and green recovery interventions. Cities should strengthen sustainability co-benefits and relationships with coalitions of actors to support durable climate commitments during crises.
Tissue-specific gelatin bioink as a rheology modifier for high printability and adjustable tissue properties
Authors: Han Hohyeon , Kim Minji , Yong Uijung , Jo Yeonggwon , Choi Yoo-mi , Kim Hye Jin , Hwang Dong Gyu , Kang Dayoon , Jang Jinah
Published: March 2024

This study introduces gelatinized dECM, a tissue-specific rheological modifier, enabling high-resolution printing of flexible tissue constructs with enhanced resilience.
Nano-pelargonidin modulates p53/PARP/HSP 90/XRCC1 signaling axis to combat cypermethrin-induced genotoxicity and metabolic dysfunction in fish: a molecular docking predictedin vivoapproach
Authors: Sow Priyanka , Dey Sudatta , Dey Rishita , Samadder Asmita , Nandi Sisir , Tarafdar Debojyoti , Khuda-Bukhsh Anisur Rahman
Published: March 2024

Nano-pelargonidin protects CM-induced toxicity in tilapia fish by modulating DNA repair proteins corroborating with molecular docking study.
Spread it on thick? Relative effects of condiment addition and slice thickness on eating rate of bread
Authors: Bolhuis Dieuwerke P. , Dekker Matthijs , Renzetti Stefano
Published: March 2024

The interplay of texture manipulations and their effects on oral processing and eating rate of bread.
AlSi10Mg hollow-strut lattice metamaterials by laser powder bed fusion
Authors: Noronha Jordan , Leary Martin , Brandt Milan , Qian Ma
Published: March 2024

Intricate submillimetre scale AlSi10Mg hollow-strut lattices can be fabricated by LPBF, and observe yield strength superior to metal solid-strut lattices.
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of novel chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidinones as therapeutic agents for triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Carvalho Luísa , de Lima Fábio Pedroso , Cerqueira Mónica , Silva Ana , Pontes Olívia , Oliveira-Pinto Sofia , Guerreiro Sara , Costa Marta D. , Granja Sara , Maciel Patrícia , Longatto-Filho Adhemar , Baltazar Fátima , Proença Fernanda , Costa Marta
Published: March 2024

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, and the limited therapeutic options show poor efficacy in patients, associated to severe side effects and development of resistance.
Unexpected reversal of reactivity in organic functionalities when immobilized together in a metal–organic framework (MOF)
Authors: Matseketsa Pricilla , Mafukidze Donovan , Pothupitiya Lahiru , Otuonye Udo P. , Mutlu Yasemin Çimen , Averkiev Boris B. , Gadzikwa Tendai
Published: March 2024

The reactivity of hydroxyl-bearing MOF linkers with isocyanates is influenced by their mutual confinement with amine-bearing linkers within the pores of the framework.
Fabrication of polymeric microspheres for biomedical applications
Authors: Li Xuebing , Li Luohuizi , Wang Dehui , Zhang Jun , Yi Kangfeng , Su Yucai , Luo Jing , Deng Xu , Deng Fei
Published: March 2024

A systematic summary of fabrication technologies, a variety of structures and biomedical applications of polymeric microspheres.
Intermetallic Pd–Y nanoparticles/N-doped carbon nanotubes as multi-active catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction, ethanol oxidation reaction, and zinc–air batteries
Authors: Roy Nipa , Ahmed Mohammad Shamsuddin , Lee Hyo Kyoung , Jeon Seungwon
Published: March 2024

Intermetallic PdY/NCNTs were designed as a multifunctional catalyst for ORR, EOR, and ZAB, exhibiting remarkable catalytic activity and stability. In addition, the PdY/NCNTs-fabricated ZAB air cathode achieved a higher power density than the benchmark Pt/C.
A scalable fabrication method for gold nanodisk-upconverting nanoparticle hybrid nanostructures
Authors: Ba Tis Taleb , Sabo Cobi , Xu Bo , Corbella Bagot Conrad , Rappeport Eric , Park Wounjhang
Published: March 2024

A new nanofabrication approach is reported for the scalable production of plasmonically modulated upconverting nanoparticles, with the potential for force sensing.
Activation of fluoride anion as nucleophile in water with data-guided surfactant selection
Authors: Sharma Krishna , McCorry Alison , Boobier Samuel , Mottram James , Napier Rachel , Ashworth Ian W. , Blacker A. John , Kapur Nikil , Warriner Stuart L. , Wright Megan H. , Nguyen Bao N.
Published: March 2024

A principal component surfactant_map was developed for 91 commercially surfactants for use in surfactant-enabled organic reactions in water. The map led to activation of fluoride anion, usually strongly hydrated, as an active nucleophile in water.
Initial SEI formation in LiBOB-, LiDFOB- and LiBF4-containing PEO electrolytes
Authors: Andersson Edvin K. W. , Wu Liang-Ting , Bertoli Luca , Weng Yi-Chen , Friesen Daniel , Elbouazzaoui Kenza , Bloch Sophia , Ovsyannikov Ruslan , Giangrisostomi Erika , Brandell Daniel , Mindemark Jonas , Jiang Jyh-Chiang , Hahlin Maria
Published: March 2024

A limiting factor for solid polymer electrolyte (SPE)-based Li-batteries is the functionality of the electrolyte decomposition layer that is formed at the Li metal anode during battery operation.
Cellulose-based green triboelectric nanogenerators: materials, form designs, and applications
Authors: Fang Shize , Ji Xingxiang , Wang Huihui , Jiang Hong , Gao Meng , Liu Hongbin , Liu Yang , Cheng Bowen
Published: March 2024

Due to the boom in flexible and wearable electronics, eco-friendly and low-cost energy conversion devices are urgently needed.
Electrochemical nitrate reduction for ammonia production: amorphous or crystalline oxidized copper catalyst?
Authors: Peng Quanxiao , Xing Dandan , Dong Liuqi , Fu Yuhan , Lu Jixue , Wang Xiaoyu , Wang Changhong , Guo Chunxian
Published: March 2024

An amorphous oxidized copper (a-O–Cu) is designed to investigate for electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia. It is found that a-O–Cu has high capability for water dissociation and amorphous structure-enabled high catalytic activity.
Versatile electrochemical manufacturing of mixed metal sulfide/N-doped rGO composites as bifunctional catalysts for high power rechargeable Zn–air batteries
Authors: Sanchez Jaime S. , Xia Zhenyuan , Mirehbar Keyvan , Sasidharan Sankar , Aravindh S. Assa , Liscio Andrea , Sun Jinhua , Christian Meganne , Palma Jesus , Palermo Vincenzo , Marcilla Rebeca
Published: March 2024

Electrodeposition was used for direct synthesis of nitrogen-dopged reduced graphene oxide (NrGO) and mixed transition metal sulfides (NCMS). The resulting NCMS/NrGO composite exhibits excellent OER/ORR peroformance as Zn–air battery cathode.
Thermoelectric performance optimization of n-type PbTe by In and Cu2Te co-doping and anomalous temperature-dependent transport
Authors: Gao Feng , Cai Jianfeng , Li Mancang , Chen Zhiyu , Wang Yu , Zhang Zongwei , Chen Lulu , Hu Ding , Tan Xiaojian , Wu Jiehua , Liu Guoqiang , Ge Zhenhua , Jiang Jun
Published: March 2024

The thermoelectric performance of p-type PbTe was found to be superior to that of n-type PbTe, mainly owing to the successful band engineering of the p-type materials.
A ligand-incorporating strategy towards single-component white light in ionic zero-dimensional indium chlorides
Authors: Lin Hao-Wei , Ablez Abdusalam , Deng Zhong-Hua , Chen Zhi-Hua , Peng Ying-Chen , Wang Ze-Ping , Du Ke-Zhao , Huang Xiao-Ying
Published: March 2024

Design strategy for In(iii)-based IOMHs as single-component white-light materials.
Ferroelectricity of alkylamide-substituted triptycene derivatives
Authors: Mizoue Ryohei , Takeda Takashi , Dekura Shun , Kato Mikiya , Fukui Tomoya , Shoji Yoshiaki , Fukushima Takanori , Yamane Saya , Suzuki Yasutaka , Kawamata Jun , Akutagawa Tomoyuki
Published: March 2024

Ferroelectricity based on inversion dynamics of intermolecular amide hydrogen bonds in two-dimensional layers formed by three-fold symmetric triptycene molecules.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of new naphthalimide–thiourea derivatives as potent antimicrobial agents active against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Rana Preeti , Parupalli Ramulu , Akhir Abdul , Saxena Deepanshi , Maitra Rahul , Imran Mohmmad , Malik Pradip , Mahammad Ghouse Shaik , Joshi Swanand Vinayak , Srikanth Danaboina , Madhavi Y. V. , Dasgupta Arunava , Chopra Sidharth , Nanduri Srinivas
Published: March 2024

Novel series of naphthalimide thiourea derivatives were synthesised and evaluated against bacterial pathogen panel and mycobacterial pathogen panel.
An adjustable multistage resistance switching behavior of a photoelectric artificial synaptic device with a ferroelectric diode effect for neuromorphic computing
Authors: Lai Xi-Cai , Tang Zhenhua , Fang Junlin , Feng Leyan , Yao Di-Jie , Zhang Li , Jiang Yan-Ping , Liu Qiu-Xiang , Tang Xin-Gui , Zhou Yi-Chun , Shang Jie , Zhong Gao-Kuo , Gao Ju
Published: March 2024

The ever-growing information data has driven the pursuit of advanced BFCO thin-film synapses, which have multifunctionality, adjustable plasticity, unique photoelectric response, and optical memory effects detected by femtosecond lasers.
Aluminothermic reduction of CeO2: mechanism of an economical route to aluminum–cerium alloys
Authors: Amon Alfred , Moore Emily E. , Henderson Hunter B. , Shittu Jibril , Kunz Martin , Kastamo Shane , Huotari Nikolai , Loukus Adam , Ott Ryan , Weiss David , McCall Scott K.
Published: March 2024

Time-resolved X-ray diffraction enabled mechanistic insight into the aluminothermic reduction of CeO2. The environmentally friendly process enables a direct route to Al–Ce alloy production and a high-value use for excess Ce from rare earth mining.
Rational ligand design for enhanced carrier mobility in self-powered SWIR photodiodes based on colloidal InSb quantum dots
Authors: Chatterjee Subhashri , Nemoto Kazuhiro , Sun Hong-Tao , Shirahata Naoto
Published: March 2024

This study demonstrates selective ligand engineering of InSb colloidal quantum dots (CQD) for enhancing the figure of merit of self-powered short-wave infrared (SWIR) photodiodes.
Characterization of a unique attachment organelle: Single-cell force spectroscopy of Giardia duodenalis trophozoites
Authors: Gunaratnam Gubesh , Leisering Ricarda , Wieland Ben , Dudek Johanna , Miosge Nicolai , Becker Sören L. , Bischoff Markus , Dawson Scott C. , Hannig Matthias , Jacobs Karin , Klotz Christian , Aebischer Toni , Jung Philipp
Published: March 2024

FluidFM-based detachment of single Giardia duodenalis trophozoites from a flat glass surface revealed a unique detachment characteristic and adhesion mode for this type of parasite, compared to yeast cells or human keratinocytes.
Exploring single-molecule interactions: heparin and FGF-1 proteins through solid-state nanopores
Authors: Thyashan Navod , Ghimire Madhav L. , Lee Sangyoup , Kim Min Jun
Published: March 2024

We present a successful discrimination of heparin, FGF-1, and heparin–FGF-1 complexes at a single-molecule level through solid-state nanopores.
Albumin–ruthenium catalyst conjugate for bio-orthogonal uncaging of alloc group
Authors: Taylor Kimberly S. , McMonagle Madison M. , Guy Schaelee C. , Human-McKinnon Ariana M. , Asamizu Shumpei , Fletcher Heidi J. , Davis Bradley W. , Suyama Takashi L.
Published: March 2024

An organo–ruthenium catalyst conjugated to albumin efficiently unmasks an alloc group under physiologically relevant conditions.