bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resilience and functional redundancy of methanogenic digestion microbiome safeguard recovery of methanogenesis activity under the stress induced by microplastics
Authors: Liu Jinting , Xu Guofang , Zhao Siyan , He Jianzhong
Published: December 2023

Microplastics and nanoplastics are emerging pollutants that substantially influence biological element cycling in natural ecosystems. Plastics are also prevalent in sewage, and they accumulate in waste‐activated sludge (WAS). However, the impacts of plastics on the methanogenic digestion of WAS and the underpinning microbiome remain underexplored, particularly during long‐term operation. In this study, we found that short‐term exposure to individual microplastics and nanoplastics (polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polylactic acid) at a low concentration (10 particles/g sludge) slightly enhanced methanogenesis by 2.1%−9.0%, whereas higher levels (30−200 particles/g sludge) suppressed methanogenesis by 15.2%−30.1%. Notably, the coexistence of multiple plastics, particularly at low concentrations, showed synergistic suppression of methanogenesis. Unexpectedly, methanogenesis activity completely recovered after long‐term exposure to plastics, despite obvious suppression of methanogenesis by initial plastic exposure. The inhibition of methanogenesis by plastics could be attributed to the stimulated generation of reactive oxygen species. The stress induced by plastics dramatically decreased the relative abundance of methanogens but showed marginal influence on putative hydrolytic and fermentation populations. Nonetheless, the digestion sludge microbiome exhibited resilience and functional redundancy, contributing to the recovery of methanogenesis during the long‐term operation of digesters. Plastics also increased the complexity, modularity, and negative interaction ratios of digestion sludge microbiome networks, but their influence on community assembly varied. Interestingly, a unique plastisphere was observed, the networks and assembly of which were distinct from the sludge microbiome. Collectively, the comprehensive evaluation of the influence of microplastics and nanoplastics on methanogenic digestion, together with the novel ecological insights, contribute to better understanding and manipulating this engineered ecosystem in the face of increasing plastic pollution.
Cellular senescence: A potential mode of circular RNAs regulating prostate cancer
Authors: Li Yunpeng , Fan Aoyu , Zhang Yunyan , Guo Ziyi , Meng Wei , Pan Wei , Ma Zhongliang , Chen Wei
Published: December 2023

Cellular senescence is a state characterized by permanent cell cycle stoppage, which has long been viewed as a protective mechanism against neoplasia. However, accumulating evidence reveal that cellular senescence variously stimulates tumorigenesis and malignant progression in certain contexts. Senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP) is a crucial feature of senescent cells and the main way they function. Prostate cancer (PCa) is apparently an age‐related tumor with a high prevalence in the elderly. With the aggravation of population aging the morbidity of PCa continues to rise. And with the progress of the disease, most patients eventually develop castration‐resistant PCa (CRPC) or drug resistance, which poses a challenge for the treatment of PCa and aggravates the burden on patients and society. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of endogenous noncoding RNAs formed by back‐splicing of pre‐mRNAs. Characterized by special covalently closed circular structure, they play important regulatory roles in various tumors. Numerous studies have revealed that circRNAs can regulate PCa and cellular senescence in diverse ways. This review explores a potential mode that circRNAs regulate PCa, reveales a significant mechanism of tumorigenesis and progression for PCa, suggesting a new strategy for PCa research.
Antiparasitic effects of peracetic acid on Striped Bass infested with Trichodina spp.
Authors: Farmer Bradley D. , Straus David L. , Deshotel Michael B. , Fuller S. Adam , Reading Benjamin J. , Meinelt Thomas
Published: December 2023

Objective

The antiparasitic effect of peracetic acid (PAA) was evaluated against an infestation of the protozoan Trichodina spp. in naturally infected juvenile domestic seventh-generation (F7) Striped Bass Morone saxatilis.

Methods

Replicated treatments (n = 3) consisted of 1 and 2 mg/L PAA and a control; treatments were applied every other day for three treatments (30-min static exposure). Infestation intensity was enumerated 20–24 h after each treatment by counting the number of Trichodina present in a wet mount of excised gill tissue.

Result

Neither treatment rate was able to completely eradicate the parasite; however, 2 mg/L PAA resulted in a statistically significant reduction, which equated to 75% reduction of observed parasites.

Conclusion

The 2-mg/L PAA treatment regimen in the present study is proposed as a safe, environmentally friendly, and effective method for reducing the intensity of Trichodina infestations in Striped Bass.
Assessing nutrition status, sarcopenia, and frailty in adult transplant recipients
Authors: Ruiz‐Margáin Astrid , Macías‐Rodríguez Ricardo U. , Flores‐García Nayelli C. , Román Calleja Berenice M. , Fierro‐Angulo Oscar M. , González‐Regueiro José A.
Published: December 2023

The assessment of nutrition status, sarcopenia, and frailty holds significant relevance in the context of adult transplantation, as these factors are associated with an unfavorable prognosis; thus, transplant candidates must undergo a full nutrition assessment. Screening tools may be used to prioritize patients, this can be done using the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 or Royal Free Hospital‐Nutritional Prioritizing Tool. Subsequently, a thorough nutrition‐focused physical examination should be conducted to evaluate clinical signs of nutrition deficiencies, fat and muscle loss, and fluid overload; dietary history and current intake must also be assessed. Apart from physical examination, specific testing for sarcopenia and frailty are recommended. For sarcopenia assessment, specifically for muscle quantification, the gold standard is the cross‐sectional measurement of the muscle at L3 obtained from a computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging; dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry is also a good tool especially when appendicular skeletal muscle index is calculated. Other more readily available options include phase angle from bioelectrical impedance or bioimpedance spectroscopy. In the sarcopenia assessment, muscle function evaluation is required, handgrip strength stands as the primary test for this purpose; this test is also part of the subjective global assessment and is included in some frailty scores. Finally, for frailty assessment, the Short Physical Performance Battery is useful for evaluating physical frailty, and for a multidimensional evaluation, the Fried frailty phenotype can be used. Specifically for liver transplant candidates, the use of Liver Frailty Index is recommended.
Barriers to effective clinical supervision from the perspective of nurses: A descriptive qualitative study
Authors: Atashi Vajihe , Movahedi Najafabadi Maryam , Afshari Atefeh , Ghafari Somayeh
Published: December 2023

Aim

The present study aimed to explain the barriers to effective clinical supervision from the perspective of nurses.

Design

Qualitative descriptive study.

Methods

The present study enrolled 21 nurses selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews, which were digitally recorded and immediately transcribed verbatim, and analysed using content analysis method.

Results

From the nurses' perspective, the influential barriers included poor academic, ethical, communicational, professional competencies at the passive management level, defects in supervision prerequisites, conventional beliefs, ineffective organization, shortage of workforce at the level of inappropriate context, lack of motivation and poor accountability at inadequate professional maturity level.

Public Contribution

The following items affect how clinical supervision is implemented: Motivation, accountability at the personal level, sufficient workforce, conducive conditions, effective organization of resources, and preparing the individual for supervision at the organizational level to implement effective clinical supervision.
Prevalence and risk factors of exposure keratopathy among critically ill patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Chen Yulu , He Jing , Wu Qiuping , Pu Shi , Song Caiping
Published: December 2023

Aims

To identify the incidence, prevalence and risk factors of exposure keratopathy (EK) among critically ill patients.

Design

Systematic review and meta‐analysis, in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 Statement.

Methods

The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), Weipu Database (VIP) and WanFang Database were systematically searched from inception to June 2022. Observational studies that reported EK among paediatric and adult critically ill patients were screened and included original articles based on the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently completed data extraction and quality assessments. Subgroup analysis investigated potential causes of heterogeneity.

Results

Of the 4508 studies identified, 23 studies involving 3519 subjects were included. The pooled prevalence of EK was 34.0%, and the pooled incidence rate of EK was 23.0%. Risk factors associated with EK in critically ill patients included lagophthalmos, chemosis, eye blinks <5 times per minute, mechanical ventilation, sedation, lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score.

Conclusion

This review shows that EK rates are high in critically ill patients and are influenced by multiple factors. Medical staff should pay more attention to EK in critically ill patients, conduct professional evaluations and implement targeted eye care protocols to reduce its occurrence.

Implications for Practice

This study shows the frequency of and multiple risk factors for EK in critically ill patients, which provides evidence‐based guidance for nurses to evaluate the risk of EK in critically ill patients and take appropriate precautions to reduce the risk.

Protocol Registration

The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/) (CRD42022346964).

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.
Tensile, impact, and the damping performance of woven flax‐carbon hybrid polyamide biocomposites
Authors: Bahrami Mohsen , Butenegro Jose Antonio , Mehdikhani Mahoor , Swolfs Yentl , Abenojar Juana , Martinez Miguel Angel
Published: December 2023

Fiber hybridization is suggested to enhance the properties of fiber‐reinforced composites. Regarding the matrix, thermoplastic alternatives to conventional thermosets are needed to balance mechanical performance and sustainability. We combined woven flax and carbon fibers with a polyamide 11 matrix into a hybrid biocomposite and studied its manufacturing process as well as its impact, tensile, and damping properties. Mechanical damage was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray computed tomography. Hybridization significantly improved the tensile properties: 233% higher modulus and 432% higher strength than pure flax composites and 19% higher failure strain than pure carbon composites. Additionally, the hybrid composites exhibited a positive hybrid effect with respect to the impact resistance, characterized by higher displacement at maximum impact force and occurrence of combined damage mechanisms. Although the damping behavior of the hybrid composites remained inferior to that of pure flax composites, their damping factor was 20% higher than that of pure carbon composites. These results provide valuable insights into the mechanical performance of carbon‐flax hybrid composites.

Highlights

Enhanced mechanical performance and impact resistance in woven flax‐carbon/PA11 hybrid biocomposite compared to nonhybrid reference composites.

Superior tensile modulus and strength of hybrid biocomposite than pure flax fiber composite, and greater failure strain than pure carbon fiber composite.

A positive hybridization effect in impact properties with a greater displacement at maximum force and higher dissipated impact energy, indicating enhanced ductility and fracture toughness.

Improved damping behavior in hybrid biocomposite compared to the pure carbon composite.
A review on antibacterial potential of poly‐ionic liquid‐based biomaterials
Authors: Panda Itishree , Samal Sangram Keshari , Pradhan Sanghamitra
Published: December 2023

In recent years, bacterial infection has become one of the significant clinical challenges. The overuse or misuse of antibiotics increases the number of antibiotic‐resistant bacterial pathogens and causes enormous medical burdens with high morbidity and mortality. Several strategies have been adopted to tackle this; poly‐ionic liquids (PILs), a class of ionic liquids (ILs) systems demonstrating a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities, have been widely used in biomedical applications. During polymerization, the charge density of the cations, molecular weight, and hydrophobic behavior can be regulated to accomplish more potent antibacterial efficacy with low cytotoxicity. However, inadequate literature is available highlighting the application of PIL‐based materials in biomedical applications. Keeping this in mind, the recent advances in PIL‐based biomaterials formed by conjugating PIL with natural and synthetic polymers as effective antimicrobial agents have been the focus area of this review.
Transitions towards green productivity in Africa: Do sovereign debt vulnerability, eco‐entrepreneurship, and institutional quality matter?
Authors: Amowine Nelson , Balezentis Tomas , Zhou Zhixiang , Streimikiene Dalia
Published: December 2023

Improving green productivity (GP) is critical for achieving global sustainable green development. Yet, past efficiency studies on the African continent have ignored Africa's GP, estimation, and driving factors. Specifically, the role of sovereign debt vulnerability, environmental entrepreneurship, and institutional quality in ensuring Africa's green productivity development is lacking. Therefore, this study built a meta‐frontier biennial weighted modified data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to evaluate green productivity across resource‐intensive and non‐resource‐intensive African countries from 2010 to 2019. Further, the study adopted the global Malmquist‐Luenberger productivity index (GML) to investigate the dynamic changes in African green productivity growth. The results suggest that only a few African countries are efficient, implying more room for improvement for the other countries. The heterogeneity of green productivity across the resource's classification exhibits significant disparity. The technology gap also prevails among the two resource classifications of African countries. The GML index indicates that Africa's green productivity is mainly explained by technical change instead of efficiency change. The bootstrap truncation regression suggests an inverted U‐shaped nexus between growth and green productivity in Africa and resource‐intensive countries (RIC). Green environmental entrepreneurship positively affects green productivity in Africa. On the components of institutional quality, we observed that the rule of law positively influences green productivity in non‐resource‐intensive countries (NRIC) and the whole of Africa. In contrast, political stability, government effectiveness, voice and corruption negatively affected green productivity in NRIC. Also, foreign direct investment (FDI) and sovereign debt vulnerability negatively correlate to green productivity in Africa as a whole and NRIC, respectively. The findings of this study aid in raising awareness of green productivity in developing countries, which is crucial in boosting global green development.
Synthesis of New Indole‐Based Thiazole Derivatives as Potential Antiglycation and Antiα‐Glucosidase Agents: In Vitro and In Silico Studies
Authors: Ullah Asad , Aleem Umair , Shaheen Siddiqui Bina , Haider Sajjad , Khan Majid , Anjum Sajjad , Jahan Humera , Rigano Daniela , Choudhary M. Iqbal , Atta‐ur‐Rahman  , Ul‐Haq Zaheer , Begum Sabira
Published: December 2023

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease, characterized by the elevated levels of blood glucose, known as hyperglycemia. It is one of the serious health challenges, and is rapidly becoming a significant cause of morbidity, and mortality, worldwide. The persistent hyperglycemic state in diabetes mellitus leads to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which is identified as a key factor involved in the progression of diabetes, and diabetes‐associated late complications. keeping in view the medicinal properties of indole, and thiazole, in the present study, novel indole‐based thiazoles (1–26) were synthesized, and evaluated for theirin vitro α‐glucosidase, and antiglycation activities. These indole‐based thiazoles were characterized from their spectral data. All these compounds showed moderate to excellent antiglycation activity (IC50between 642.2±0.013 to 46.93±0.003 μM) including compounds17,20,22–26which showed a significant antiglycation activity as the reference molecule, rutin (IC50=56±0.008 μM) used as standard. Further, these derivatives exhibited significantα‐glucosidase inhibition activity (P<0.001) with IC50in the range of 111.8±0.9001 and 666.5±1.0111 μM (standard drug acarbose: IC50=855.8±1.2001 μM). Binding interactions of these compounds withα‐glucosidase enzyme were studiedin silico, which showed strong correlation with the experimental data. Inhibition ofα‐glucosidase enzyme, and AGEs formation by these compounds suggest them as promising scaffolds for further studies.
Eu3+ and Tb3+ Coordination Compounds with π‐conjugated Ligands: Luminescence and Structural Properties
Authors: Moraes Fernandes Nathália Maria , Barbosa‐Reis Gustavo , Oliveira‐Silva Diogo , Bagatin Izilda A.
Published: December 2023

New lanthanide‐based luminescent coordination compounds containing quinoline derivatives and 2‐(4‐hydroxyazobenzene)benzoic acid (HABA) were synthesized. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV‐Vis spectra, Elemental analyses, Energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (EDXRF), and mass spectrometry (MALDI) were applied for six complexes′ structural elucidation. In addition, photoluminescence spectroscopy was performed in the solid state. Eu3+ and Tb3+ compounds linked to the π‐conjugated system described energy transfer to the metal through the antenna effect. Emission spectra depicted bands at 616–617 nm, characteristics of red light for Europium complexes, assigned as hypersensitive 5D0→7F2 transition, and depicted bands at 540–542 nm (green light) for Terbium complexes, assigned as 5D4→7F5 transition.
A Network Pharmacology Study of the Active Components of Fufang Huangbai Ye for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Ke Jianlin , Yang Jingjing , Jiang Xueliang , Wang Lei
Published: December 2023

Computational study of the chemical constituents of the traditional Chinese medicinal plant HuangBai against therapeutic targets of ulcerative colitis by using network pharmacology with intent to identify potential candidates to develop novel therapy. Biomolecular proteins like IL1, IL6, JAK2, TNFα, TNFR1, etc. are found to be actively involved in the pathophysiological progression of ulcerative colitis. One of the most popular traditional Chinese medicinal plants, HuangBai, has been used since traditional times for the treatment of colon‐related issues, including inflammatory bowel disease. Thus, in the current research, an attempt has been made to identify the most potent chemical constituent of the concerned plant having therapeutic potential for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Docking based screening of the prepared ligand library from the chemical constituent of the HuangBai plant against the therapeutic targets involved in the inflammatory reactions associated with ulcerative colitis. Docking results were further confirmed by performing in‐vitro cell line studies. Amurensin and melianone are found to be potent leads targeting inflammatory targets involved in the progression of ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases. Thus, it has been concluded that amurensin and melianone can be used for the development of novel therapeutics to benefit patients with ulcerative colitis.
Cisplatin Destabilizes RNA : DNA Hybrid Structures and Inhibits RNA Function in a CRISPR Model System
Authors: Jain Swapan S. , Ratnikov Danil , Omi Fuadur , Al‐Rubaiye Humam , Fallah Adam , Saccomanno Sage
Published: December 2023

RNA has received enormous attention as a biomolecule in the fields of medicine, public health, and biotechnology. Over the last decade, various types of RNA molecules have been exploited as valuable drug targets by different classes of pharmaceutical agents in combating infections and diseases. In this work, we have investigated the binding of Cisplatin to RNA within double stranded RNA : DNA hybrid structures. UV melting and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry studies reveal that Cisplatin binding leads to destabilization of hybrid duplex likely due to Cisplatin‐RNA adduct formation. Gel electrophoretic analysis using an in vitro CRISPR‐Cas9 model system shows that Cisplatin binding to guide RNA leads to a concentration‐dependent reduction in target DNA cleavage.
A Photoelectromagnetic 3D Metal‐Organic Framework from Flexible Tetraarylethylene‐Backboned Ligand and Dynamic Copper‐Based Coordination Chemistry
Authors: Liu Haohao , Wang Shuodong , Huang Mengfan , Bian Qilong , Zhang Yang , Yang Kun , Li Bo , Yao Wenhuan , Zhou Yizhao , Xie Sheng , Tang Ben Zhong , Zeng Zebing
Published: December 2023

Porous frameworks that display dynamic responsiveness are of interest in the fields of smart materials, information technology, etc. In this work, a novel copper‐based dynamic metal‐organic framework [Cu3TTBPE6(H2O)2] (H4TTBPE = 1,1,2,2‐tetrakis(4″‐(1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)‐[1,1″‐biphenyl]‐4‐yl)ethane), denoted as HNU‐1, is reported which exhibits modulable photoelectromagnetic properties. Due to the synergetic effect of flexible tetraarylethylene‐backboned ligands and diverse copper‐tetrazole coordination chemistries, a complex 3D tunneling network is established in this MOF by the layer‐by‐layer staggered assembly of triplicate monolayers, showing a porosity of 59%. These features further make it possible to achieve dynamic transitions, in which the aggregate‐state MOF can be transferred to different structural states by changing the chemical environment or upon heating while displaying sensitive responsiveness in terms of light absorption, photoluminescence, and magnetic properties.
Fabrication, Evaluation, and Multiscale Simulation of Piezoelectric Composites Reinforced Using Unidirectional Carbon Fibers for Flexible Motion Sensors
Authors: Yu Yaonan , Luo Chao , Suto Takayuki , Uetsuji Yasutomo , Narita Fumio
Published: December 2023

Piezoelectric composite materials can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, thus promoting battery‐free motion‐sensing systems. However, their substandard mechanical performance limits the capability of sensors developed using flexible piezoelectric materials. This study introduces a novel design strategy for preparing high‐strength flexible piezoelectric composite materials comprising unidirectional carbon fiber–reinforced potassium sodium niobate (K0.5Na0.5NbO3) nanoparticle–filled epoxy resin (UDCF/KNN–EP). The fibers significantly improve the Young's modulus of UDCF/KNN–EP along the fiber direction, which reaches 282.5 MPa. Moreover, the composite exhibits excellent stretchability and piezoelectric response () in the cross‐fiber direction under cyclic tensile loading. Multiscale finite element analysis is performed via simulation, which allows theoretical examination of the experimental results and the material's mechanical response mechanism. Finally, UDCF/KNN–EP is seamlessly incorporated into athletic gear and used to measure the impact caused by baseball catching and track footfall patterns. This study harnesses the superior strength of carbon fibers to enhance the durability and dependability of self‐powered sensors without compromising flexibility in specific directions.
Silicon Nanowire Array Weaved by Carbon Chains for Stretchable Lithium‐Ion Battery Anode
Authors: Su Pengfei , Zhang Ziqi , Luo Linshan , Zhang Zhiyong , Lan Chaofei , Li Yahui , Xu Shaowen , Han Xiang , Lin Guangyang , Li Cheng , Huang Wei , Chen Songyan
Published: December 2023

To manufacture flexible batteries, it can be a challenge for silicon base anode materials to maintain structural integrity and electrical connectivity under bending and torsion conditions. In this work, 1D silicon nanowire array structures combined with flexible carbon chains consisting of short carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and long carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are proposed. The CNFs and CNTs serve as chain joints and separate chain units, respectively, weaving the well‐ordered Si nanowire array into a robust and integrated configuration. The prepared flexible and stretchable silicon array anode exhibits excellent electrochemical performance during dynamic operation. A high initial specific capacity of 2856 mAh g−1 is achieved. After 1000 cycles, a capacity retention of 60% (1602 mAh g−1) is maintained. Additionally, the capacity attenuation is less than 1% after 100 bending cycles. This excellent cycling stability is obtained with a high Si loading of 6.92 mg cm−2. This novel approach offers great promise for the development of high‐loading flexible energy‐storage devices.
Smart Enzyme‐Like Polyphenol‐Copper Spray for Enhanced Bacteria‐Infected Diabetic Wound Healing
Authors: Shao Nannan , Huang Siyan , Huang Yueyue , Pan Mengmeng , Xie Yuyu , Chen Qizhu , Chen Chunxiu , Pan Jingye , Zhou Yunlong
Published: December 2023

Developing functional medical materials is urgent to treat diabetic wounds with a high risk of bacterial infections, high glucose levels and oxidative stress. Here, a smart copper‐based nanocomposite acidic spray has been specifically designed to address this challenge. This copper‐based nanocomposite is pH‐responsive and has multienzyme‐like properties. It enables the spray to effectively eliminate bacteria and alleviate tissue oxidative pressure, thereby accelerating the healing of infected diabetic wounds. The spray works by generating hydroxyl radicals through catalysing H2O2, which has a high sterilization efficiency of 97.1%. As alkaline micro‐vessel leakage neutralizes the acidic spray, this copper‐based nanocomposite modifies its enzyme‐like activity to eliminate radicals. This reduces the level of reactive oxygen species in diabetic wounds by 45.3%, leading to a similar wound‐healing effect between M1 diabetic mice and non‐diabetic ones by day 8. This smart nanocomposite spray provides a responsive and regulated microenvironment for treating infected diabetic wounds. It also offers a convenient and novel approach to address the challenges associated with diabetic wound healing.
Gap State‐Modulated Van Der Waals Short‐Term Memory with Broad Band Negative Photoconductance
Authors: Xu Boyu , Guo Dan , Dong Weikang , Gao Huiying , Zhu Peng , Wang Zhiwei , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Luo Zhaochu , Zheng Fawei , Zheng Shoujun , Zhou Jiadong
Published: December 2023

Floating gate memory (FGM), composed of van der Waals (vdW) junctions with an atomically thin floating layer for charge storage, is widely employed to develop logic‐in memories and in‐sensor computing devices. Most research efforts of FGM are spent on achieving long‐term charge storage and fast reading/writing for flash and random‐access memory. However, dynamic modulation of memory time via a tunneling barrier and vdW interfaces, which is critical for synaptic computing and machine vision, is still lacking. Here, a van der Waals short‐term memory with tunable memory windows and retention times from milliseconds to thousands of seconds is reported, which is approximately exponentially proportional to the thickness h‐BN (hexagonal boron nitride) barrier. The specific h‐BN barrier with fruitful gap states provides charge release channels for trapped charges, making the vdW device switchable between positive photoconductance and negative photoconductance with a broadband light from IR to UV range. The dynamic short‐term memory with tunable photo response highlights the design strategy of novel vdW memory vis interface engineering for further intelligent information storage and optoelectronic detection.
Research Progress of Prussian Blue and Its Analogs as High‐Performance Cathode Nanomaterials for Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Yuan Tiefeng , Chen Ya , Gao Xin , Xu Runjing , Zhang Zhiyuan , Chen Xiaodong , Cui Lifeng
Published: December 2023

Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) are investigated as promising alternatives to lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) on account of the economical abundance and reliable availability of sodium, as well as its analogous chemical properties compared to lithium. Nevertheless, the performance of SIBs is severely restricted by the availability of satisfactory cathode nanomaterials with stable frameworks to accommodate the transportation of large‐sized Na+ ions. These challenges can be effectively resolved when exploiting Prussian blue (PB) and its analogs (PBAs) as SIB cathodes. This is mainly because PB and PBAs have 3D open frameworks with large interstitial space, which are more favorable for fast insertion/extraction of Na+ ions during the charging/discharging process, thus enabling the improvement of integrated performance in SIB systems. This overview offers a comprehensive summarization of recent advancements in the electrochemical performance of PB and PBAs when employing them as cathodes in SIBs. For better understanding, the fabrication strategy, structural characterization, and electrochemical performance exposition are systematically organized and explained according to tuning PB and metal‐based PBAs. Additionally, the current trajectories and prospective future directions pertaining to the utilization of PB and PBA cathodes in the SIB system are thoroughly examined and deliberated upon.
The progress, challenges, and perspectives of directed greybox fuzzing
Authors: Wang Pengfei , Zhou Xu , Yue Tai , Lin Peihong , Liu Yingying , Lu Kai
Published: December 2023

Greybox fuzzing is a scalable and practical approach for software testing. Most greybox fuzzing tools are coverage‐guided as reaching high code coverage is more likely to find bugs. However, since most covered codes may not contain bugs, blindly extending code coverage is less efficient, especially for corner cases. Unlike coverage‐guided greybox fuzzing which increases code coverage in an undirected manner, directed greybox fuzzing (DGF) spends most of its time allocation on reaching specific targets (e.g. the bug‐prone zone) without wasting resources stressing unrelated parts. Thus, DGF is particularly suitable for scenarios such as patch testing, bug reproduction, and special bug detection. For now, DGF has become an active research area. However, DGF has general limitations and challenges that are worth further studying. Based on the investigation of 42 state‐of‐the‐art fuzzers that are closely related to DGF, we conducted the first in‐depth study to summarize the empirical evidence on the research progress of DGF. This paper studies DGF from a broader view, which takes into account not only the location‐directed type that targets specific code parts but also the behavior‐directed type that aims to expose abnormal program behaviors. By analyzing the benefits and limitations of DGF research, we try to identify gaps in current research, meanwhile, reveal new research opportunities and suggest areas for further investigation.
Gallic acid attenuates metastatic potential of human colorectal cancer cells through the miR‐1247‐3p‐modulated integrin/FAK axis
Authors: Huang Chi‐Chou , Tsai Ming‐Chang , Wu Yi‐Liang , Lee Yi‐Ju , Yen An‐Ting , Wang Chau‐Jong , Kao Shao‐Hsuan
Published: December 2023

Colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibits highly metastatic potential even in the early stages of tumor progression. Gallic acid (GA), a common phenolic compound in plants, is known to possess potent antioxidant and anticancer activities, thereby inducing cell death or cell cycle arrest. However, whether GA reduces the invasiveness of CRC cells without inducing cell death remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to investigate the antimetastatic activity of low‐dose GA on CRC cells and determine its underlying mechanism. Cell viability and tumorigenicity were analyzed by MTS, cell adhesion, and colony formation assay. Invasiveness was demonstrated using migration and invasion assays. Changes in protein phosphorylation and expression were assessed by Western blot. The involvement of microRNAs was validated by microarray analysis and anti‐miR antagonist. Our findings showed that lower dose of GA (≤100 μM) did not affect cell viability but reduced the capabilities of colony formation, cell adhesion, and invasiveness in CRC cells. Cellularly, GA downregulated the cellular level of integrin αV/β3, talin‐1, and tensin and diminished the phosphorylated FAK, paxillin, Src, and AKT in DLD‐1 cells. Microarray results revealed that GA increased miR‐1247‐3p expression, and pretreatment of anti‐miR antagonist against miR‐1247‐3p restored the GA‐reduced integrin αV/β3 and the GA‐inhibited paxillin activation in DLD‐1 cells. Consistently, the in vivo xenograft model showed that GA administration inhibited tumor growth and liver metastasis derived from DLD‐1 cells. Collectively, our findings indicated that GA inhibited the metastatic capabilities of CRC cells, which may result from the suppression of integrin/FAK axis mediated by miR1247‐3p.
Diet of the North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) in North Carolina using 2 methods
Authors: Sanders Charles W. , Spear Stephen F. , Black Kristina , Olfenbuttel Colleen , DePerno Christopher S.
Published: December 2023

River otters (Lontra canadensis) are key predators in North Carolina's aquatic systems, but they are often seen as competitors by anglers and fish hatcheries. River otter diets typically consist of fish and crayfish, but also include occasional herpetofauna, mammals, and birds. While standard diet studies focus on identification of prey through manual examination of stomach contents and feces, metabarcoding DNA analysis has become more popular to determine the presence or frequency of species that are often missed, misidentified, or underestimated. We collected river otter carcasses from licensed trappers and fur dealers across North Carolina from the 2009–10 trapping season through the 2015–16 season. We conducted necropsies and analyzed the stomach contents using standard observational methods and metabarcoding DNA analysis. We manually examined 522 river otter stomachs, of which 377 contained prey items. Decapods (crustaceans) were identified in 41% of stomachs and made up similar percentages within each Furbearer Management Unit (FMU). The order Perciformes composed the majority (62%) of fish prey across all stomach samples. Coastal Plain river otters primarily consumed crustaceans (50%) and fish (40%). Piedmont and Mountain river otters consumed fish (32% and 42%, respectively) most often followed by crustaceans (62% and 50%, respectively). Prey selection was similar between the sexes. Out of 368 samples, metabarcoding DNA examination was able to reliably match 164 prey items to species, 5 classes, 18 orders, 25 families, and 42 genera. Fishes made up 33% of the identifications, particularly Perciformes (13%), Cypriniformes (7%), and Siluriformes (5%). Twelve percent of identifications was made up by Amphibia, split evenly by Anura and Urodela. No birds or reptiles were detected in the Mountain or Piedmont FMUs, and no mammals were detected in the Coastal Plain or Mountain FMU. Overall, river otters in North Carolina consume a large variety of prey that varied regionally. The manual examination provided identifications that were not provided by the DNA examination (i.e., crayfish, brown snakes), while the DNA examination provided a more accurate identification of the broad array of prey items. To understand the composition of annual river otter diets we encourage managers to expand research to evaluate river otter diets year‐round and incorporate additional noninvasive methods (e.g., scat surveys) throughout the year.
Introduction: The Posthumanist Epistemology of Practice Theory
Authors: Cozza Michela , Gherardi Silvia
Published: December 2023

This chapter provides an overview of the book while introducing the main concepts of a posthumanist epistemology of practice theory. In particular, the Introduction articulates the framework of the entire book which is aimed at raising a series of radical epistemological questions about what research practices entail, how such practices—in their variety—generate knowledge, and what are the ethico-onto-epistemological implications of decentering the human beings as the main actors of the research agencement.
Knowing-in-Practice, Its Traces and Ingredients
Authors: Huvila Isto , Sköld Olle , Andersson Lisa
Published: December 2023

This chapter inquires into how two specific types of epistemic artefacts—traces and ingredients—work together and against each other in conveying understanding of past knowledge-making activities. The discussion draws from an analysis of Swedish and French archaeological investigation reports and from how they, as traces and ingredients, contribute to knowing-in-practice in multiple parallel ways as a part of archaeological practice—literally in practice. Traces and ingredients have different epistemic opportunities and limitations to act as records of the past and goads to action even if many traces can act as ingredients and vice versa albeit with certain limitations that are useful to be aware of. Being aware of how an epistemic artefact works in an epistemic sense—for example as a trace or an ingredient—can help to use them accordingly to what they are capable of, to avoid uses that go against their potential, and to develop better ones.
Dancing Urban Waters. A Posthuman Feminist Perspective on Arts-Based Practice for Sustainable Education
Authors: Bruzzone Silvia , Stridsberg Henny
Published: December 2023

The chapter explores how arts-based practices informed by posthuman feminism can contribute to expanding ways of learning and knowing about sustainability. Posthuman feminism relocates agency from the human subject to heterogenous assemblages of humans and nonhumans and anchors subjectivity to the body and materiality. From a pedagogical perspective, this means subverting the traditional approaches rooted in the reproduction of a given area of knowledge and taking all materialities, including the body, into account in the learning process as a way of becoming with the world. The authors set up a workshop in which they mobilise creative dance in order to explore different approaches to urban water, in particular flooding, with students of industrial engineering. The students explore the materialities involved in urban flooding through corporeal interactions and creative tasks. They physically experience becoming bodies of water, encountering and intra-acting with “hard”, protective infrastructures as well as more sustainable solutions under the new paradigm “more room for water”. Through these bodily practices, the students multiply the ways of experiencing connectedness with urban water beyond control and mastery as part of a watery subjectivity. The experiment and methodology also contribute to the conversation on post-qualitative research in the framework of a posthumanist epistemology of practice.
Alice in Wondertheatre: An Affective Ethnography
Authors: Pellegrinelli Carmen , Parolin Laura Lucia
Published: December 2023

In March 2020, Bergamo was hit by the first wave of the pandemic. More than 6000 people have died in the area, where the emergency facilities lived in a stressful situation for months. In January 2022, a group of ER doctors and nurses from the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo (Italy)—the frontline in the crisis—wanted to reflect collectively on their experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. The group set up a one-year-long theatre workshop involving around twenty colleagues from the ER. The workshop was also aimed at preparing a theatre show, “Giorni muti, notti bianche” (Silent days, sleepless nights), presented in the Bergamo’s main theatre. By participating in the theatre workshop, we conducted a collaborative affective ethnography to investigate the dimension of affects in the ER professionals’ work practices during the first wave of the pandemic. This chapter is based on an affective ethnography and it considers the characteristics of this (post)qualitative research method and its potential for organisational scholars.
Top quark mass calibration for Monte Carlo event generators — an update
Authors: Dehnadi Bahman , Hoang André H. , Jin Oliver L. , Mateu Vicent
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We generalize and update our former top quark mass calibration framework for Monte Carlo (MC) event generators based on the e+e− hadron-level 2-jettiness τ2 distribution in the resonance region for boosted $$ t\overline{t} $$
t

t
¯

production, that was used to relate the Pythia 8.205 top mass parameter $$ {m}_t^{\textrm{MC}} $$

m
t
MC

to the MSR mass $$ {m}_t^{\textrm{MSR}}(R) $$

m
t
MSR

R

and the pole mass $$ {m}_t^{\textrm{pole}} $$

m
t
pole

. The current most precise direct top mass measurements specifically determine $$ {m}_t^{\textrm{MC}} $$

m
t
MC

. The updated framework includes the addition of the shape variables sum of jet masses τs and modified jet mass τm, and the treatment of two more gap subtraction schemes to remove the $$ \mathcal{O} $$
O
(ΛQCD) renormalon related to large-angle soft radiation. These generalizations entail implementing a more versatile shape-function fit procedure and accounting for a certain type of (mt/Q)2 power corrections to achieve gap-scheme and observable independent results. The theoretical description employs boosted heavy-quark effective theory (bHQET) at next-to-next-to-logarithmic order (N2LL), matched to soft-collinear effective theory (SCET) at N2LL and full QCD at next-to-leading order (NLO), and includes the dominant top width effects. Furthermore, the software framework has been modernized to use standard file and event record formats. We update the top mass calibration results by applying the new framework to Pythia 8.305, Herwig 7.2 and Sherpa 2.2.11. Even though the hadron-level resonance positions produced by the three generators differ significantly for the same top mass parameter $$ {m}_t^{\textrm{MC}} $$

m
t
MC

value, the calibration shows that these differences arise from the hadronization modeling. Indeed, we find that $$ {m}_t^{\textrm{MC}} $$

m
t
MC

agrees with $$ {m}_t^{\textrm{MSR}} $$

m
t
MSR

(1 GeV) within 200 MeV for the three generators and differs from the pole mass by 350 to 600 MeV.
Hawking radiation in Lorentz violating gravity: a tale of two horizons
Authors: Del Porro F. , Herrero-Valea M. , Liberati S. , Schneider M.
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Since their proposal, Lorentz violating theories of gravity have posed a potential threat to black hole thermodynamics, as superluminal signals appeared to be incompatible with the very black hole notion. Remarkably, it was soon realized that in such theories causally disconnected regions of space-time can still exist thanks to the presence of universal horizons: causal barriers for signals of arbitrary high speed. Several investigations, sometimes with contrasting results, have been performed so to determine if these horizons can be associated with healthy thermodynamic properties similar to those associated with Killing horizons in General Relativity. In this work we offer what we deem to be the final picture emerging from this and previous studies. In summary we show that: 1) there is a thermal, and most of all species-independent, emission associated to universal horizons, determined by their surface gravity; 2) due to the modified dispersion relation of the matter fields, the low energy part of the emitted spectrum is affected by the presence of the Killing horizon, in a way similar to an effective refractive index, leading at low energies (w.r.t. the Lorentz breaking scale) to an emission that mimics a standard Hawking spectrum (i.e. one determined by the Killing horizon surface gravity); 3) the whole picture is compatible with a globally well defined vacuum state i.e. an Unruh state associated with preferred observers, which however at very low energies it is basically indistinguishable from the standard Unruh vacuum associated to metric free-falling observers. One can then conclude that Hawking radiation is remarkably resilient even within the context of gravitational theories entailing the breakdown of local Lorentz invariance.
Higher logarithms and ε-poles for the MS-like renormalization prescriptions
Authors: Meshcheriakov N. P. , Shatalova V. V. , Stepanyantz K. V.
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We consider a version of dimensional regularization (reduction) in which the dimensionful regularization parameter Λ is in general different from the renormalization scale μ. Then in the scheme analogous to the minimal subtraction the renormalization constants contain ε-poles, powers of ln Λ/μ, and mixed terms of the structure ε−q lnp Λ/μ. For the MS-like schemes we present explicit expressions for the coefficients at all these structures which relate them to the coefficients in the renormalization group functions, namely in the β-function and in the anomalous dimension. In particular, for the pure ε-poles we present explicit solutions of the ’t Hooft pole equations. Also we construct simple all-loop expressions for the renormalization constants (also written in terms of the renormalization group functions) which produce all ε-poles and logarithms and establish a number of relations between various coefficients at ε-poles and logarithms. The results are illustrated by some examples.
Wave function of the sexaquark or compact H-dibaryon
Authors: Farrar Glennys R. , Wintergerst Nico
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We derive and explicitly display the internal wave function of a color-, flavor- and spin- singlet dibaryon composed of uuddss quarks in a spatially symmetric state, in the approximation of exact SU(3) flavor symmetry. This wavefunction shows that the often-used superposition of ΛΛ, NΞ and ΣΣ baryons, relevant for di-baryon molecules, accounts for only 1/5 of a spatially symmetric six-quark color-flavor-spin-singlet state, with the remaining 4/5 consisting of products of color-octet baryons. Using the correct wavefunction has important implications for calculations of the mass of the lowest-lying flavor-singlet dibaryon, as we illustrate using the Cornell potential. We also provide a compact representation of the state in terms of creation operators, and comment on the impact of not using the optimal operator in lattice studies of this system.