bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protein click chemistry and its potential for medical applications
Authors: Amiri Ahmad , Abedanzadeh Sedigheh , Davaeil Bagher , Shaabani Ahmad , Moosavi-Movahedi Ali A.
Published: April 2024

A revolution in chemical biology occurred with the introduction of click chemistry. Click chemistry plays an important role in protein chemistry modifications, providing specific, sensitive, rapid, and easy-to-handle methods. Under physiological conditions, click chemistry often overlaps with bioorthogonal chemistry, defined as reactions that occur rapidly and selectively without interfering with biological processes. Click chemistry is used for the posttranslational modification of proteins based on covalent bond formations. With the contribution of click reactions, selective modification of proteins would be developed, representing an alternative to other technologies in preparing new proteins or enzymes for studying specific protein functions in different biological processes. Click-modified proteins have potential in diverse applications such as imaging, labeling, sensing, drug design, and enzyme technology. Due to the promising role of proteins in disease diagnosis and therapy, this review aims to highlight the growing applications of click strategies in protein chemistry over the last two decades, with a special emphasis on medicinal applications.
Frequency-dependent
$\textrm{H}_{{\infty }}$
control for wind disturbance rejection of a fully actuated UAV
Authors: Bannwarth Jérémie X. J. , Kazemi Shahab , Stol Karl
Published: April 2024

In this paper, an
$\textrm{H}_{{\infty }}$
dynamic output feedback controller is experimentally implemented for the position regulation of a fully actuated tilted-rotor octocopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to improve wind disturbance rejection during station-keeping. To apply the lateral forces, besides the standard tilt-to-translate (attitude-thrust) movement, tilted-rotor UAVs can generate vectored (horizontal) thrust. Vectored-thrust is high-bandwidth but saturation-constrained, while attitude-thrust generates larger forces with lower bandwidth. For the first time, this paper emphasizes the frequency-dependent allocation of weighting matrices in
$\textrm{H}_{{\infty }}$
control design based on the physical capabilities of the fully actuated UAV (vectored-thrust and attitude-thrust). A dynamic model of the tilted-rotor octocopter, including aerodynamic effects and rotor dynamics, is presented to design the controller. The proposed
$\textrm{H}_{{\infty }}$
controller solves the frequency-dependent actuator allocation problem by augmenting the dynamic model with weighting transfer functions. This novel frequency-dependent allocation utilizes the attitude-thrust for low-frequency disturbances and vectored-thrust for high-frequency disturbances, which exploits the maximum potential of the fully actuated UAV. Several wind tunnel experiments are conducted to validate the model and wind disturbance rejection performance, and the results are compared to the baseline PX4 Autopilot controller on both the tilted-rotor and a planar octocopter. The
$\textrm{H}_{{\infty }}$
controller is shown to reduce station-keeping error by up to 50% for an actuator usage 25% higher in free-flight tests.
Phylogenetic trends in TZ staining analysis of six deep dormancy seeds
Authors: Peng Chen Yin , Wu Yu , Huang Wen Hui , Deng Zhi Yun , Sun Xiao Rui , Wang Ming Zhu , Pritchard Hugh W. , Shen Yong Bao , Xu Jin Ya , Yu Xiang Yu , Guo Cong Cong
Published: April 2024

The assessment of seed quality and physiological potential is essential in seed production and crop breeding. In the process of rapid detection of seed viability using tetrazolium (TZ) staining, it is necessary to spend a lot of labour and material resources to explore the pretreatment and staining methods of hard and solid seeds with physical barriers. This study explores the TZ staining methods of six hard seeds (Tilia miqueliana, Tilia henryana, Sassafras tzumu, Prunus subhirtella, Prunus sibirica, and Juglans mandshurica) and summarizes the TZ staining conditions required for hard seeds by combining the difference in fat content between seeds and the kinship between species, thus providing a rapid viability test method for the protection of germplasm resources of endangered plants and the optimization of seed bank construction. The TZ staining of six species of hard seeds requires a staining temperature above 35 °C and a TZ solution concentration higher than 1%. Endospermic seeds require shorter staining times than exalbuminous seeds. The higher the fat content of the seeds, the lower the required incubation temperature and TZ concentration for staining, and the longer the staining time. And the closer the relationship between the two species, the more similar their staining conditions become. The TZ staining method of similar species can be predicted according to the genetic distance between the phylogenetic trees, and the viability of new species can be detected quickly.
Development and validation of a nonverbal consensus-based semantic memory paradigm in patients with epilepsy
Authors: Tran Edwina B. , Vonk Jet M.J. , Casaletto Kaitlin , Zhang Da , Christin Raphael , Marathe Siddharth , Gorno-Tempini Maria Luisa , Chang Edward F. , Kleen Jonathan K.
Published: April 2024

Objective:

Brain areas implicated in semantic memory can be damaged in patients with epilepsy (PWE). However, it is challenging to delineate semantic processing deficits from acoustic, linguistic, and other verbal aspects in current neuropsychological assessments. We developed a new Visual-based Semantic Association Task (ViSAT) to evaluate nonverbal semantic processing in PWE.

Method:

The ViSAT was adapted from similar predecessors (Pyramids & Palm Trees test, PPT; Camels & Cactus Test, CCT) comprised of 100 unique trials using real-life color pictures that avoid demographic, cultural, and other potential confounds. We obtained performance data from 23 PWE participants and 24 control participants (Control), along with crowdsourced normative data from 54 Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk) workers.

Results:

ViSAT reached a consensus >90% in 91.3% of trials compared to 83.6% in PPT and 82.9% in CCT. A deep learning model demonstrated that visual features of the stimulus images (color, shape; i.e., non-semantic) did not influence top answer choices (p = 0.577). The PWE group had lower accuracy than the Control group (p = 0.019). PWE had longer response times than the Control group in general and this was augmented for the semantic processing (trial answer) stage (both p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

This study demonstrated performance impairments in PWE that may reflect dysfunction of nonverbal semantic memory circuits, such as seizure onset zones overlapping with key semantic regions (e.g., anterior temporal lobe). The ViSAT paradigm avoids confounds, is repeatable/longitudinal, captures behavioral data, and is open-source, thus we propose it as a strong alternative for clinical and research assessment of nonverbal semantic memory.
Carbon Leakage and International Climate Change Law
Authors: Pirlot Alice
Published: April 2024

Carbon leakage – the increase of greenhouse gas emissions in foreign jurisdictions following the introduction of domestic or regional climate mitigation measures – raises key questions in the climate change debate. This includes whether carbon leakage constitutes a threat to the environmental integrity of climate policies and, if so, how this could be mitigated. Through the use of four hypothetical models of international climate change regime, this article argues that international climate change law is a key factor in answering this two-part question. Firstly, the article demonstrates that the architecture of international climate change law affects whether carbon leakage can be considered as undermining the mitigation objective of climate policies. Secondly, it draws attention to the interaction – and potential tension – between carbon leakage prevention measures and international climate change law.
Construction and Validation of a Tool for Measuring Prejudice Toward	Childfree People
Authors: Ciesielski Paweł
Published: April 2024

Abstract: The decision not to have children (childfreeness) often comes with experiencing prejudice and discrimination. In order to explore this prejudice, a new tool was constructed (QPCF – Questionnaire of Prejudice Toward Childfree People). All items of the questionnaire were evaluated by competent judges. Next, a Pilot Study ( N = 155) was conducted to verify the factorial structure of the questionnaire and its reliability, which resulted in revising the questionnaire. Then a second Pilot Study ( N = 169) using a revised version of the tool was used to verify its factorial structure and reliability – both of which were satisfactory. Finally, a Validation Study ( N = 216) was conducted which confirmed the factorial structure, internal and test-retest reliability as well as the tool’s theoretical validity (correlation with sexism and dehumanization of childfree people), however, it failed at obtaining a representative sample. This new tool (QPCF) complies with standards established for psychological questionnaires, however, due to the nature of the samples it is prudent to further validate the tool in future studies, to ensure that the questionnaire’s qualities remain when it is applied to a representative sample. The tool however is ready to be used and adapted to other cultures in the future.
The Internal Consistency of the Moral Injury Event	Scale
Authors: Steen Scott , Law G. Urquhart , Jones Chris
Published: April 2024

Abstract: The Moral Injury Event Scale (MIES) is a tool for measuring exposure to potentially morally injurious event(s) and distress. Although it reported acceptable psychometric properties in its initial development studies, it has since been used in multiple contexts and populations without assessment of its changing properties. A reliability generalization of the MIES and its Sub-Scales was therefore undertaken. A systematic search of electronic databases (PsychINFO; PTSD Pubs; MEDLINE; Scopus; Web of Science) identified 42 studies reporting internal consistencies (Cronbach’s α) up to April 2022. Unfortunately, few studies reported any other form of reliability or validity metric (e.g., test-retest, inter-rater reliability). A random effects model with a Bayesian analytic framework and the DerSimonian-Laird (1986) estimate was used. The review found the MIES to be an internally consistent tool based on α estimates at both Full-scale (α = .88; 95% CI [.87–.89]) and Sub-scales (α = .82–.92; 95% CI [.79–.93]). The review uncovered high heterogeneity and inconsistencies in its administration and modification although figures generally remained above acceptable levels (α ≥ .70). Based on the review, the MIES represents an internally reliably tool for measuring potentially morally injurious events and distress at both Full and Sub-Scales according to pooled Cronbach’s α estimates.
The Influence of Climate Variability and Future Climate Change on Atlantic Hurricane Season Length
Authors: Patricola Christina M. , Hansen Grace E. , Sena Ana C. T.
Published: April 2024

Atlantic hurricane season length is important for emergency management preparation, motivating the need to understand its variability and change. We investigated the influence of ocean variability on Atlantic hurricane season length in observations and a future climate simulated by the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM). We found that multiple factors influence hurricane season length, through their influence on season start and end. Warm western subtropical Atlantic sea‐surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) during boreal spring (before the official hurricane season start) drive early starts to the hurricane season, and vice versa for cool SSTAs. Meanwhile, La Niña in autumn (before the official hurricane season end) drives late ends to the hurricane season, and vice versa for El Niño. E3SM projects a 27‐day increase in future Atlantic hurricane season length given La Niña and warm northern tropical Atlantic SSTAs. This research documents sources of predictability for Atlantic hurricane season length.
Generalizing Microbial Parameters in Soil Biogeochemical Models: Insights From a Multi‐Site Incubation Experiment
Authors: Jian Siyang , Li Jianwei , Wang Gangsheng , Zhou Jizhong , Schadt Christopher W. , Mayes Melanie A.
Published: April 2024

Incorporating microbial processes into soil biogeochemical models has received growing interest. However, determining the parameters that govern microbially driven biogeochemical processes typically requires case‐specific model calibration in various soil and ecosystem types. Here each case refers to an independent and individual experimental unit subjected to repeated measurements. Using the Microbial‐ENzyme Decomposition model, this study aimed to test whether a common set of microbially‐relevant parameters (i.e., generalized parameters) could be obtained across multiple cases based on a two‐year incubation experiment in which soil samples of four distinct soil series (i.e., Coland, Kesswick, Westmoreland, and Etowah) collected from forest and grassland were subjected to cellulose or no cellulose amendment. Results showed that a common set of parameters controlling microbial growth and maintenance as well as extracellular enzyme production and turnover could be generalized at the soil series level but not land cover type. This indicates that microbial model developments need to prioritize soil series type over plant functional types when implemented across various sites. This study also suggests that, in addition to heterotrophic respiration and microbial biomass data, extracellular enzyme data sets are needed to achieve reliable microbial‐relevant parameters for large‐scale soil model projections.
Europa’s Ocean Might Lack the Ingredients for Life
Authors: Barbuzano Javier
Published: April 2024

The lack of volcanism and tectonic activity on Europa’s seafloor might hinder the moon’s potential to host living organisms.
Radiation Reveal: Moving from research engagement to involvement
Authors: Whittaker Lisa , Dean Jamie A. , Veiga Catarina , Langdon Sophie , Drake Rebecca , Taylor Daniel , Williams Myfanwy-Cerys , Masters Holly , Britton Alex , Cumbo Mia , Burdis Nicole , Mason Kate , Fay Gemma , Smith Emma , Benson Sam , Halil Alfie , Lambert Sophie , Gaze Mark N. , Gains Jenny , Spencer Bella , Taylor-Gee Alice , Terry Samantha Y. A.
Published: April 2024

Here, we report on the process of a highly impactful and successful creative, collaborative, and multi-partner public engagement project, Radiation Reveal. It brought together ten young adults aged 17–25-year-olds with experience of radiotherapy with researchers at Cancer Research UK RadNet City of London across three 2-hour online workshops. Our aims were to 1) initiate discussions between young adults and radiation researchers, and 2) identify what people wish they had known about radiotherapy before or during treatment. These aims were surpassed; other benefits included peer support, participants’ continued involvement in subsequent engagement projects, lasting friendships, creation of support groups for others, and creation and national dissemination of top ten tips for medical professionals and social media resources. A key learning was that this project required a dedicated and (com)passionate person with connections to national cancer charities. When designing the project, constant feedback is also needed from charities and young adults with and without radiotherapy experience. Finally, visually capturing discussions and keeping the door open beyond workshops further enhanced impact. Here, we hope to inform and inspire people to help project the patient voice in all we do.
Mcl-1 mediates intrinsic resistance to RAF inhibitors in mutant BRAF papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Cavallo Maria R. , Yo Jacob C. , Gallant Kayla C. , Cunanan Camille J. , Amirfallah Amirali , Daniali Marzieh , Sanders Alyssa B. , Aplin Andrew E. , Pribitkin Edmund A. , Hartsough Edward J.
Published: April 2024

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most frequent form of thyroid cancer. PTC commonly presents with mutations of the serine/threonine kinase BRAF (BRAFV600E), which drive ERK1/2 pathway activation to support growth and suppress apoptosis. PTC patients often undergo surgical resection; however, since the average age of PTC patients is under 50, adverse effects associated with prolonged maintenance therapy following total thyroidectomy are a concern. The development of mutant-selective BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi), like vemurafenib, has been efficacious in patients with metastatic melanoma, but the response rate is low for mutant BRAF PTC patients. Here, we assay the therapeutic response of BRAFi in a panel of human PTC cell lines and freshly biopsied patient samples. We observed heterogeneous responses to BRAFi, and multi-omic comparisons between susceptible and resistant mutant BRAF PTC revealed overrepresented stress response pathways and the absence of compensatory RTK activation – features that may underpin innate resistance. Importantly, resistant cell lines and patient samples had increased hallmarks of failed apoptosis; a cellular state defined by sublethal caspase activation and DNA damage. Further analysis suggests that the failed apoptotic phenotypes may have features of “minority mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP)” – a stress-related response characterized by fragmented and porous mitochondria known to contribute to cancer aggressiveness. We found that cells presenting with minority MOMP-like phenotypes are dependent on the apoptotic regulator, Mcl-1, as treatment with the Mcl-1 inhibitor, AZD5991, potently induced cell death in resistant cells. Furthermore, PI3K/AKT inhibitors sensitized resistant cells to BRAFi; an effect that was at least in part associated with reduced Mcl-1 levels. Together, these data implicate minority MOMP as a mechanism associated with intrinsic drug resistance and underscore the benefits of targeting Mcl-1 in mutant BRAF PTC.
Microenvironmental reorganization in brain tumors following radiotherapy and recurrence revealed by hyperplexed immunofluorescence imaging
Authors: Watson Spencer S. , Duc Benoit , Kang Ziqi , de Tonnac Axel , Eling Nils , Font Laure , Whitmarsh Tristan , Massara Matteo ,   iMAXT Consortium, Joyce Johanna A. , Watson Spencer S. , Whitmarsh Tristan , Bodenmiller Bernd , Bodenmiller Bernd , Hausser Jean , Joyce Johanna A.
Published: April 2024

The tumor microenvironment plays a crucial role in determining response to treatment. This involves a series of interconnected changes in the cellular landscape, spatial organization, and extracellular matrix composition. However, assessing these alterations simultaneously is challenging from a spatial perspective, due to the limitations of current high-dimensional imaging techniques and the extent of intratumoral heterogeneity over large lesion areas. In this study, we introduce a spatial proteomic workflow termed Hyperplexed Immunofluorescence Imaging (HIFI) that overcomes these limitations. HIFI allows for the simultaneous analysis of > 45 markers in fragile tissue sections at high magnification, using a cost-effective high-throughput workflow. We integrate HIFI with machine learning feature detection, graph-based network analysis, and cluster-based neighborhood analysis to analyze the microenvironment response to radiation therapy in a preclinical model of glioblastoma, and compare this response to a mouse model of breast-to-brain metastasis. Here we show that glioblastomas undergo extensive spatial reorganization of immune cell populations and structural architecture in response to treatment, while brain metastases show no comparable reorganization. Our integrated spatial analyses reveal highly divergent responses to radiation therapy between brain tumor models, despite equivalent radiotherapy benefit.
Optogenetic control of mRNA condensation reveals an intimate link between condensate material properties and functions
Authors: Lee Min , Moon Hyungseok C. , Jeong Hyeonjeong , Kim Dong Wook , Park Hye Yoon , Shin Yongdae
Published: April 2024

Biomolecular condensates, often assembled through phase transition mechanisms, play key roles in organizing diverse cellular activities. The material properties of condensates, ranging from liquid droplets to solid-like glasses or gels, are key features impacting the way resident components associate with one another. However, it remains unclear whether and how different material properties would influence specific cellular functions of condensates. Here, we combine optogenetic control of phase separation with single-molecule mRNA imaging to study relations between phase behaviors and functional performance of condensates. Using light-activated condensation, we show that sequestering target mRNAs into condensates causes translation inhibition. Orthogonal mRNA imaging reveals highly transient nature of interactions between individual mRNAs and condensates. Tuning condensate composition and material property towards more solid-like states leads to stronger translational repression, concomitant with a decrease in molecular mobility. We further demonstrate that β-actin mRNA sequestration in neurons suppresses spine enlargement during chemically induced long-term potentiation. Our work highlights how the material properties of condensates can modulate functions, a mechanism that may play a role in fine-tuning the output of condensate-driven cellular activities.
Functional protein dynamics in a crystal
Authors: Klyshko Eugene , Kim Justin Sung-Ho , McGough Lauren , Valeeva Victoria , Lee Ethan , Ranganathan Rama , Rauscher Sarah
Published: April 2024

Proteins are molecular machines and to understand how they work, we need to understand how they move. New pump-probe time-resolved X-ray diffraction methods open up ways to initiate and observe protein motions with atomistic detail in crystals on biologically relevant timescales. However, practical limitations of these experiments demands parallel development of effective molecular dynamics approaches to accelerate progress and extract meaning. Here, we establish robust and accurate methods for simulating dynamics in protein crystals, a nontrivial process requiring careful attention to equilibration, environmental composition, and choice of force fields. With more than seven milliseconds of sampling of a single chain, we identify critical factors controlling agreement between simulation and experiments and show that simulated motions recapitulate ligand-induced conformational changes. This work enables a virtuous cycle between simulation and experiments for visualizing and understanding the basic functional motions of proteins.
Donor regulatory T cells rapidly adapt to recipient tissues to control murine acute graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Dittmar David J. , Pielmeier Franziska , Strieder Nicholas , Fischer Alexander , Herbst Michael , Stanewsky Hanna , Wenzl Niklas , Röseler Eveline , Eder Rüdiger , Gebhard Claudia , Schwarzfischer-Pfeilschifter Lucia , Albrecht Christin , Herr Wolfgang , Edinger Matthias , Hoffmann Petra , Rehli Michael
Published: April 2024

The adoptive transfer of regulatory T cells is a promising strategy to prevent graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Here, we use a major histocompatibility complex-mismatched mouse model to follow the fate of in vitro expanded donor regulatory T cells upon migration to target organs. Employing comprehensive gene expression and repertoire profiling, we show that they retain their suppressive function and plasticity after transfer. Upon entering non-lymphoid tissues, donor regulatory T cells acquire organ-specific gene expression profiles resembling tissue-resident cells and activate hallmark suppressive and cytotoxic pathways, most evidently in the colon, when co-transplanted with graft-versus-host disease-inducing conventional T cells. Dominant T cell receptor clonotypes overlap between organs and across recipients and their relative abundance correlates with protection efficacy. Thus, this study reveals donor regulatory T cell selection and adaptation mechanisms in target organs and highlights protective features of Treg to guide the development of improved graft-versus-host disease prevention strategies.
3D printable strong and tough composite organo-hydrogels inspired by natural hierarchical composite design principles
Authors: Liu Quyang , Dong Xinyu , Qi Haobo , Zhang Haoqi , Li Tian , Zhao Yijing , Li Guanjin , Zhai Wei
Published: April 2024

Fabrication of composite hydrogels can effectively enhance the mechanical and functional properties of conventional hydrogels. While ceramic reinforcement is common in many hard biological tissues, ceramic-reinforced hydrogels lack a similar natural prototype for bioinspiration. This raises a key question: How can we still attain bioinspired mechanical mechanisms in composite hydrogels without mimicking a specific composition and structure? Abstracting the hierarchical composite design principles of natural materials, this study proposes a hierarchical fabrication strategy for ceramic-reinforced organo-hydrogels, featuring (1) aligned ceramic platelets through direct-ink-write printing, (2) poly(vinyl alcohol) organo-hydrogel matrix reinforced by solution substitution, and (3) silane-treated platelet-matrix interfaces. Unit filaments are further printed into a selection of bioinspired macro-architectures, leading to high stiffness, strength, and toughness (fracture energy up to 31.1 kJ/m2), achieved through synergistic multi-scale energy dissipation. The materials also exhibit wide operation tolerance and electrical conductivity for flexible electronics in mechanically demanding conditions. Hence, this study demonstrates a model strategy that extends the fundamental design principles of natural materials to fabricate composite hydrogels with synergistic mechanical and functional enhancement.
An update on recent advances in targeted memory reactivation during sleep
Authors: Carbone Julia , Diekelmann Susanne
Published: April 2024

Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR) is a noninvasive tool to manipulate memory consolidation during sleep. TMR builds on the brain’s natural processes of memory reactivation during sleep and aims to facilitate or bias these processes in a certain direction. The basis of this technique is the association of learning content with sensory cues, such as odors or sounds, that are presented during subsequent sleep to promote memory reactivation. Research on TMR has drastically increased over the last decade with rapid developments. The aim of the present review is to highlight the most recent advances of this research. We focus on effects of TMR on the strengthening of memories in the declarative, procedural and emotional memory domain as well as on ways in which TMR can be used to promote forgetting. We then discuss advanced technical approaches to determine the optimal timing of TMR within the ongoing oscillatory activity of the sleeping brain as well as the specificity of TMR for certain memory contents. We further highlight the specific effects of TMR during REM sleep and in influencing dream content. Finally, we discuss recent evidence for potential applications of TMR for mental health, educational purposes and in the home setting. In conclusion, the last years of research have provided substantial advances in TMR that can guide future endeavors in research and application.
Chromospheric and coronal heating in an active region plage by dissipation of currents from braiding
Authors: Bose Souvik , De Pontieu Bart , Hansteen Viggo , Sainz Dalda Alberto , Savage Sabrina , Winebarger Amy
Published: April 2024

The question of what heats the outer solar atmosphere remains one of the longstanding mysteries in astrophysics. Statistical studies of Sun-like stars reveal a correlation between global chromospheric and coronal emissions, constraining theoretical models of potential heating mechanisms. However, spatially resolved observations of the Sun have surprisingly failed to show a similar correlation on small spatial scales. Here we use unique coordinated observations of the chromosphere (from the IRIS satellite) and the low corona (from the Hi-C 2.1 sounding rocket), and machine-learning-based inversion techniques, to show a strong correlation on spatial scales of a few hundred kilometres between heating in the chromosphere and emission in the upper transition region in strong magnetic field regions (‘plage’). Our observations are compatible with an advanced three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulation in which the dissipation of current sheets caused by magnetic field braiding is responsible for heating the plasma simultaneously to chromospheric and coronal temperatures. Our results provide deep insight into the nature of the heating mechanism in solar active regions.
Extensive targeted metabolomics analysis reveals the identification of major metabolites, antioxidants, and disease-resistant active pharmaceutical components in Camellia tuberculata (Camellia L.) seeds
Authors: Ran Zhaohui , Li Zhi , Xiao Xu , Yan Chao , An Mingtai , Chen Juyan , Tang Ming
Published: April 2024

Sect. tuberculata plant belongs to the Camellia genus and is named for the “tuberculiform protuberance on the surface of the ovary and fruit”. It is a species of great ornamental value and potential medicinal value. However, little has been reported on the metabolites of C. tuberculata seeds. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the metabolites of C. tuberculata seeds based on UPLC/ESI-Q TRAP-MS/MS with extensively targeted metabolomics. A total of 1611 metabolites were identified, including 107 alkaloids, 276 amino acids and derivatives, 283 flavonoids, 86 lignans and coumarins, 181 lipids, 68 nucleotides and derivatives, 101 organic acids, 190 phenolic acids, 10 quinones, 4 steroids, 17 tannins, 111 terpenoids, and 177 other metabolites. We compared the different metabolites in seeds between HKH, ZM, ZY, and LY. The 1311 identified different metabolites were classified into three categories. Sixty-three overlapping significant different metabolites were found, of which lignans and coumarins accounted for the largest proportion. The differentially accumulated metabolites were enriched in different metabolic pathways between HKH vs. LY, HKH vs. ZM, HKH vs. ZY, LY vs. ZY, ZM vs. LY and ZM vs. ZY, with the most abundant metabolic pathways being 4, 2, 4, 7, 7 and 5, respectively (p < 0.05). Moreover, among the top 20 metabolites in each subgroup comparison in terms of difference multiplicity 7, 8 and 13. ZM and ZY had the highest phenolic acid content. Ninety-six disease-resistant metabolites and 48 major traditional Chinese medicine agents were identified based on seven diseases. The results of this study will not only lead to a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the metabolic properties of C. tuberculata seeds, but also provide a scientific basis for the excavation and further development of its medicinal value.
Radon concentration in seawater as a geochemical indicator of submarine fault activity in the Yatsushiro Sea, Japan
Authors: Kawabata Kuniyo , Tsunomori Fumiaki , Kitamura Yujin , Lin Yen-Yu , Chan Chung-Han , Ma Kuo-Fong
Published: April 2024

This study examined the relationship between radon (222Rn) concentrations in seawater and crustal activity in the Yatsushiro Sea by investigating the submarine fault zone situated at the southern end of the Futagawa–Hinagu fault zone, activated by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake (M7.3). We conducted an analysis of 222Rn concentration in samples of bottom water just above the seafloor and pore water in sediments, utilizing multiple and piston cores from the Hakuho Maru Expedition KH18-3. The findings revealed significantly elevated 222Rn concentrations in the central sites of the Yatsushiro Sea, coinciding with a high-stress field exhibiting dense active faults. Seismicity analysis revealed heightened moment release and a low b-value post the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, indicative of increased seismic activity and the potential for substantial earthquakes in the Yatsushiro Sea vicinity. Our results indicate that heightened concentrations of 222Rn in seawater can serve as an effective tracer for identifying and estimating submarine fault activities. Moreover, our research highlights the utility of 222Rn concentrations in detecting active submarine faults and assessing their activity. It contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the potential for significant earthquakes in the Yatsushiro Sea in the future.
Non-invasive biomarkers for detecting progression toward hypovolemic cardiovascular instability in a lower body negative pressure model
Authors: Murphy Ethan K. , Bertsch Spencer R. , Klein Samuel B. , Rashedi Navid , Sun Yifei , Joyner Michael J. , Curry Timothy B. , Johnson Christopher P. , Regimbal Riley J. , Wiggins Chad C. , Senefeld Jonathon W. , Shepherd John R. A. , Elliott Jonathan Thomas , Halter Ryan J. , Vaze Vikrant S. , Paradis Norman A.
Published: April 2024

Occult hemorrhages after trauma can be present insidiously, and if not detected early enough can result in patient death. This study evaluated a hemorrhage model on 18 human subjects, comparing the performance of traditional vital signs to multiple off-the-shelf non-invasive biomarkers. A validated lower body negative pressure (LBNP) model was used to induce progression towards hypovolemic cardiovascular instability. Traditional vital signs included mean arterial pressure (MAP), electrocardiography (ECG), plethysmography (Pleth), and the test systems utilized electrical impedance via commercial electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and multifrequency electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) devices. Absolute and relative metrics were used to evaluate the performance in addition to machine learning-based modeling. Relative EIT-based metrics measured on the thorax outperformed vital sign metrics (MAP, ECG, and Pleth) achieving an area-under-the-curve (AUC) of 0.99 (CI 0.95–1.00, 100% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity) at the smallest LBNP change (0–15 mmHg). The best vital sign metric (MAP) at this LBNP change yielded an AUC of 0.6 (CI 0.38–0.79, 100% sensitivity, 25% specificity). Out-of-sample predictive performance from machine learning models were strong, especially when combining signals from multiple technologies simultaneously. EIT, alone or in machine learning-based combination, appears promising as a technology for early detection of progression toward hemodynamic instability.
Forward layer-wise learning of convolutional neural networks through separation index maximizing
Authors: Karimi Ali , Kalhor Ahmad , Sadeghi Tabrizi Melika
Published: April 2024

This paper proposes a forward layer-wise learning algorithm for CNNs in classification problems. The algorithm utilizes the Separation Index (SI) as a supervised complexity measure to evaluate and train each layer in a forward manner. The proposed method explains that gradually increasing the SI through layers reduces the input data’s uncertainties and disturbances, achieving a better feature space representation. Hence, by approximating the SI with a variant of local triplet loss at each layer, a gradient-based learning algorithm is suggested to maximize it. Inspired by the NGRAD (Neural Gradient Representation by Activity Differences) hypothesis, the proposed algorithm operates in a forward manner without explicit error information from the last layer. The algorithm’s performance is evaluated on image classification tasks using VGG16, VGG19, AlexNet, and LeNet architectures with CIFAR-10, CIFAR-100, Raabin-WBC, and Fashion-MNIST datasets. Additionally, the experiments are applied to text classification tasks using the DBPedia and AG’s News datasets. The results demonstrate that the proposed layer-wise learning algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art methods in accuracy and time complexity.
Research on the slip deformation characteristics and improvement measures of concrete-faced rockfill dams on dam foundations with large dip angles
Authors: Gao Jun , Han Xiaoke , Han Wenchao , Dang Faning , Ren Jie , Xue Haibin , Fang Jianyin
Published: April 2024

The pumped storage power station (PSPS) is an important measure to achieve the strategic goal of “dual carbon”. As one of the preferred types for the upper reservoir dams of PSPSs, the concrete-faced rockfill dam (CFRD) often has a dam foundation on a steep transverse slop and is prone to produce slip deformation along the slope, resulting in poor anti-sliding stability of the dam slope. It is dangerous for the operation safety of PSPSs. Therefore, the slip deformation of CFRDs on dam foundations with large dip angles is investigated. The mechanism for the initiation of slip deformation is revealed. The design measures of physical mechanic and geometric structure are proposed to reduce slip deformation. The results show that the larger sliding forces and smaller anti-sliding forces are the fundamental reasons that CFRDs on dam foundations with large dip angles are prone to produce slip deformation. The larger the dip angle of the dam foundation, the larger the slip deformation of the dam body and face slab, and the smaller the safety factor of the dam slope. When the dip angle of the dam foundation is greater than 15°, the safety factor of the dam slope is less than the minimum value of 1.5 required by codes. The addition of pressure slopes can effectively reduce the slip deformation of the dam body or face slab and significantly improve the anti-sliding stability of the dam slope. When the height or width of the pressure slope platform is greater and the cohesion or internal friction angle of the pressure slope is larger, the slip deformations of the dam body and face slab are smaller, and the safety factor of the dam slope is greater. It is recommended that the height and width of the pressure slope platform be 1/2 times the maximum height of the main dam, and the density (cohesion and internal friction angle) of the pressure slope be equivalent to that of the main dam’s rockfill material. The research results can provide theoretical and technical support for the design and construction of CFRDs for the upper reservoir of PSPSs.
Bridging the gap between academic research and industrial development in advanced all-solid-state lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Lee Jieun , Zhao Chen , Wang Changhong , Chen Anna , Sun Xueliang , Amine Khalil , Xu Gui-Liang
Published: April 2024

This review builds upon the fundamentals and substantial progress achieved, aiming to inspire the battery community to advance all-solid-state lithium–sulfur batteries toward practical applications and accelerate the industrialization process.
KOH-mediated synthesis of amides from azides and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds
Authors: Yang Zhuoran , Xu Yao , Liao Xiaoming , Wang Wenjun , Lyu Chang , Zhang Xiaoxiang
Published: April 2024

Aryl amides were prepared through KOH-mediated [3+2] cycloaddition/Wolff rearrangement from organic azides and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds.
Solid-phase microextraction – a future technique in pharmacology and coating trends
Authors: Owczarzy Aleksandra , Kulig Karolina , Piordas Katarzyna , Piśla Patrycja , Sarkowicz Patrycja , Rogóż Wojciech , Maciążek-Jurczyk Małgorzata
Published: April 2024

SPME can be used in pharmaceutical and medical science. It has great potential combined with instrumental methods. The fibers are now commercially available, but the need to develop quick extraction methods is also taking advantage of nanotechnology to obtain new types of extraction fibers.
Surface modified copper foam with cobalt phthalocyanine carbon nanotube hybrids for tuning CO2 reduction reaction products
Authors: Rivera-Reyes Javier O. , Billings Keith J. , Metzler Carmen L. , Lagle Richard M. , Drabo Mebougna , Palai Ratnakar , Jones John-Paul , Piñero Cruz Dalice M.
Published: April 2024

Surface modification of Cu foam electrode using a CoPc-MWCNT hybrid enhances CO2RR while minimizing HER.
Exploring mitochondrial targeting: an innovative fluorescent probe reveals Nernstian potential and partitioning combination
Authors: Ordóñez-Hernández Javier , Ceballos-Ávila Daniela , Real Fernando H. , Tovar-Y-Romo Luis B. , Jiménez-Sánchez Arturo
Published: April 2024

This study proposes a mitochondrial targeting optimization by uncovering the synergistic influence of Nernst potential and partitioning contributions, reshaping our understanding of cellular localization.
Intercalating a potassium–aqua complex cation into an α-MoO3 layer without reducing molybdenum: a potential storage system
Authors: Jana Debu , Mishra Shalini Sanjay , Das Samar K.
Published: April 2024

We have prepared a rod-shaped MoO3 material, [MoVI3O9{K(H2O)4}(CH3COO)]·H2O intercalating potassium-aqua-complex acetate into its lamellar space, via a green aqueous synthesis; the compound acts as a potential storage system of alkali metal ions.
Hysteresis in memristors produces conduction inductance and conduction capacitance effects
Authors: Bisquert Juan , Roldán Juan B. , Miranda Enrique
Published: April 2024

Memristors display hysteresis effects in the form of self-crossing looping current–voltage curves. We show intrinsic dynamic inductor-like (conduction inductance) and capacitance-like (conduction capacitance) behaviours.
Bimetallic nickel molybdenum nitride catalyst with low pressure and reduced hydrogen consumption for hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate to ethanol: the impact of reduction temperature on catalytic performance
Authors: Gong Jiang , Zhang Hanqing , Shu Weihan , Zheng Fengling , Zhang Chuancai , Wang Hao , Zhang Ni , Dai Bin
Published: April 2024

The bimetallic nickel molybdenum nitride (Ni3Mo3N) catalyst exhibits exceptional performance with a high EtOH yield (>97.5%) under low pressure (0.5 MPa) and minimal hydrogen consumption (H2/DMO (mol)) conditions.
Catalytic dehydration of sorbitol to isosorbide over sulfonated phenolic resins with surface hydrophobic modification
Authors: Zhang Kaizhe , Wang Kang , Wang Xitao
Published: April 2024

Sulfonated phenolic resins with excellent catalytic properties for dehydration of sorbitol to isosorbide were constructed.
Design of functional isocyanate-free poly(oxazolidone)s under mild conditions
Authors: Razavi-Esfali Maliheh , Habets Thomas , Siragusa Fabiana , Grignard Bruno , Sardon Haritz , Detrembleur Christophe
Published: April 2024

Allyl-containing bis(oxazolidone)s, obtained by depolymerization of polycarbonates, are polymerized with dithiols to deliver functional poly(oxazolidone)s, easily derived by thioether oxidation to sulfoxides or sulfones, or by S-alkylation.
Synthesis of sodium (oxalate) difluoro borate-based hybrid electrolyte salts with enhanced interfacial properties for NaNi0.3Fe0.4Mn0.3O2 cathodes
Authors: Zhang Jia , Li Jianwei , Jia Guofeng , Wang Huaiyou , Wang Min
Published: April 2024

In this study, sodium (oxalate) difluoro borate-based hybrid electrolyte salts with enhanced NaNi0.3Fe0.4Mn0.3O2 cathode interface properties were synthesized.
Theory and simulation of ligand functionalized nanoparticles – a pedagogical overview
Authors: Vo Thi
Published: April 2024

Synthesizing reconfigurable nanoscale synthons with predictive control over shape, size, and interparticle interactions is a holy grail of bottom-up self-assembly.
Point cloud registration method for indoor depth sensor acquisition system based on dual graph computation with irregular shape factors
Authors: Yuan Munan , Li Xiru
Published: April 2024

The registration performance determines the widespread indoor application of 3D models acquired by depth sensors. Many advanced registration methods lack comprehensive feature aggregation and poor generalization capabilities, which improves the mismatching ratio. Here, a dual graph network is proposed by incorporating irregular shape factors to make point cloud features more expressive. At first, we transform point cloud sets into the stellar graph within the local neighbourhood of each point. The deep feature and shape factor of each point are combined in the directional‐connected irregular projection space. Subsequently, the combined features are modelled as the second graph. By the attention mechanism computation, feature information is continuously aggregated with intra‐graph and inter‐graph. Finally, a loss function is utilized to confirm point correspondence and perform the registration through singular value decomposition. Extensive experiments validate that the proposed point cloud registration method achieves state‐of‐the‐art performance.
Out-of-focus holography at the Effelsberg telescope
Authors: Cassanelli T. , Bach U. , Winkel B. , Kraus A.
Published: April 2024

Context. Out-of-focus (OOF) holography can be used to determine the aperture deformations of radio telescopes that lead to errors in the phase of the complex aperture distribution. In contrast to traditional methods, OOF holography can be performed without a reference antenna, which has a number of practical advantages.

Aims. The aim of this work is to develop a standard procedure for OOF holography at the Effelsberg telescope. This includes performing OOF holography observations and the development of dedicated software, the pyoof package, to compute aberrations of the telescope’s optical system.

Methods. Based on the OOF holography method developed at the Green Bank telescope, we adapted the approach to the Effelsberg 100 m telescope in order to determine the aberrations of the aperture phase distribution (phase-error maps).

Results. The developed OOF holography software is presented as well as the results from observations at Effelsberg. Early results reveal gravitation-related residual deformation not contained in the previously existing aperture and pointing model, and hence we propose changes to the model to counteract aberrations in the telescope’s surface.

Conclusions. The OOF holography method (observations and pyoof package) works as expected at the Effelsberg 100 m telescope and is able to validate the good performance of the existing finite element model. Test measurements show that slight improvements of the aperture efficiency and gain elevation dependence are possible but limited in the current configuration.
Adaptation of the phase distance correlation periodogram to account for measurement uncertainties
Authors: Binnenfeld A. , Shahaf S. , Zucker S.
Published: April 2024

We present an improvement of the phase distance correlation (PDC) periodogram to account for uncertainties in the time-series data. The PDC periodogram introduced in our previous papers is based on the statistical concept of distance correlation. By viewing each measurement and its accompanying error estimate as a probability distribution, we are able to use the concept of energy distance to design a distance function (metric) between measurement-uncertainty pairs. We used this metric as the basis for the PDC periodogram, instead of the simple absolute difference. We demonstrate the periodogram’s performance using both simulated and real-life data. This adaptation makes the PDC periodogram much more useful, demonstrating it can be helpful in the exploration of large time-resolved astronomical databases, ranging from Gaia radial velocity and photometry data releases to those of smaller surveys, such as APOGEE and LAMOST. We have made a public GitHub repository available, with a Python implementation of the new tools available to the community.