bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distant two-qubit gates in atomic array with Rydberg interaction using geometric quantum control
Authors: He Ze-Rui , Fu Zhao-Xin , Liang Jia-Hao , Chen Zi-Yuan , Liu Hong-Zhi , Huang Jia-Yi , Ming Yue , Han Zhi-Wei , Lv Qing-Xian , Du Yan-Xiong , Yan Hui
Published: December 2024

Connectivity between qubits plays an irreplaceable role in quantum computation. An urgent task of quantum computation based on atomic arrays is to generate effective coupling between two distant qubits, thereby enhancing connectivity. In this paper, we investigate the realization of two-qubit gates utilizing buffer-atomic configuration, where the non-coding atoms serve as quantum buses to connect the computational qubits. Geometric control is achieved through globally-shined laser pulses in the Rydberg blockade region. It is found that acceleration based on shortcut to adiabaticity can be realized by reshaping the original control waveforms. The proposed distant two-qubit gate demonstrates robustness against systematic errors and random noise. Further numerical simulations indicate that high-fidelity control is maintained even when considering next-nearest-neighbor coupling among the atoms. Thus, our proposal provides a fast and experimentally feasible method for realizing distant two-qubit gates in atomic arrays, which may contribute to improving the scalability of quantum computations.
Ethical Global Citizenship Education
Authors: Bosio Emiliano T.
Published: December 2024

Global Citizenship Education (GCE) plays a central role within UNESCO's education sector, focusing on cultivating the values and knowledge essential for students to evolve into well-informed and responsible global citizens. This Element conceptualises an ethical GCE framework grounded in critical, cosmopolitan, humanistic, value-creating, and transformative principles. Guided by those principles, ethical GCE goes beyond the banking model of education by emphasising a global ethic. Ethical GCE is inclusive, ethically reflective, and socially responsible. It extends beyond imparting knowledge and employable skills, important as they are, focusing on holistic and sustainable development. With further theoretical development and implementation strategies, the ethical GCE framework holds promise for future research and evaluation of the intricate teaching and learning processes within global citizenship, particularly from a values-based perspective.
Communities conquering COVID-19: Black and Latinx community perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 in regions of Michigan hardest hit by the pandemic
Authors: Buyuktur Ayse G. , Cross Fernanda L. , Platt Jodyn , Aramburu Jasmin , Movva Pranati , Zhao Ziyu , Cornwall Tiffany , Hunt Rebecca , McCollum Jo Ann , Reyes Angela , Williams Charles E. , Ramakrishnan Arthi , Israel Barbara , Marsh Erica E. , Woolford Susan J.
Published: December 2024

Introduction:

In Michigan, the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted Black and Latinx communities. These communities experienced higher rates of exposure, hospitalizations, and deaths compared to Whites. We examine the impact of the pandemic and reasons for the higher burden on communities of color from the perspectives of Black and Latinx community members across four Michigan counties and discuss recommendations to better prepare for future public health emergencies.

Methods:

Using a community-based participatory research approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews (n = 40) with Black and Latinx individuals across the four counties. Interviews focused on knowledge related to the pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on their lives, sources of information, attitudes toward vaccination and participation in vaccine trials, and perspectives on the pandemic’s higher impact on communities of color.

Results:

Participants reported overwhelming effects of the pandemic in terms of worsened physical and mental health, financial difficulties, and lifestyle changes. They also reported some unexpected positive effects. They expressed awareness of the disproportionate burden among Black and Latinx populations and attributed this to a wide range of disparities in Social Determinants of Health. These included racism and systemic inequities, lack of access to information and language support, cultural practices, medical mistrust, and varied individual responses to the pandemic.

Conclusion:

Examining perspectives and experiences of those most impacted by the pandemic is essential for preparing for and effectively responding to public health emergencies in the future. Public health messaging and crisis response strategies must acknowledge the concerns and cultural needs of underrepresented populations.
Velocity gradient partitioning in turbulent flows
Authors: Arun Rahul , Colonius Tim
Published: December 2024

The velocity gradient tensor can be decomposed into normal straining, pure shearing and rigid rotation tensors, each with distinct symmetry and normality properties. We partition the strength of turbulent velocity gradients based on the relative contributions of these constituents in several canonical flows. These flows include forced isotropic turbulence, turbulent channels and turbulent boundary layers. For forced isotropic turbulence, the partitioning is in excellent agreement with previous results. For wall-bounded turbulence, the partitioning collapses onto the isotropic partitioning far from the wall, where the mean shearing is relatively weak. By contrast, the near-wall partitioning is dominated by shearing. Between these two regimes, the partitioning collapses well at sufficiently high friction Reynolds numbers and its variations in the buffer layer and the log-law region can be reasonably modelled as a function of the mean shearing strength. Altogether, our results highlight the expressivity and broad applicability of the velocity gradient partitioning as advantages for turbulence modelling.
Bringing the idea of the environment to law: a comparative study of early environmental law textbooks
Authors: Bartie Susan , Hagger Meredith
Published: December 2024

From 1948 to 1972 the idea of the environment gained solidity within the sciences and in global politics, as a thing or a concept, which spoke of a need to save humanity from the harms it was inflicting on the natural world. As historians Warde, Robin and Sörlin explain, the idea brought about a revolution in the sciences, casting scientists as environmental problem solvers, fundamentally changing the way they worked. In this paper we connect law and lawyers to this history. We ask, did lawyers contribute new meanings to the idea of the environment when they first presented laws and parts of legal practice as ‘environmental’? Were they mere translators of the scientists’ ideas? And did they envisage the emergence of new environmental legal experts, who might change legal culture? We examine the early environmental law textbooks in five countries (Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand and the US) and devise ideal types to explain the associations, values and choices which underpinned their presentation of the ideas of ‘the environment’, ‘environmental law’ and ‘environmental law expert’. We consider that these types are useful conceptual tools which raise ongoing questions about the relationship between environmental law and its broader context.
The potential of fluorogenicity for single molecule FRET and DyeCycling
Authors: Ghosh Srijayee , Schmid Sonja
Published: December 2024

Single Molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET) is a popular technique to directly observe biomolecular dynamics in real time, offering unique mechanistic insight into proteins, ribozymes, and so forth. However, inevitable photobleaching of the fluorophores puts a stringent limit on the total time a surface-tethered molecule can be monitored, fundamentally limiting the information gain through conventional smFRET measurements. DyeCycling addresses this problem by using reversibly – instead of covalently – coupled FRET fluorophores, through which it can break the photobleaching limit and theoretically provide unlimited observation time. In this perspective paper, we discuss the potential of various fluorogenic strategies to suppress the background fluorescence caused by unbound, freely diffusing fluorophores inherent to the DyeCycling approach. In comparison to nanophotonic background suppression using zero-mode waveguides, the fluorogenic approach would enable DyeCycling experiments on regular glass slides with fluorogenic FRET probes that are quenched in solution and only fluoresce upon target binding. We review a number of fluorogenic approaches and conclude, among other things, that short-range quenching appears promising for realising fluorogenic DyeCycling on regular glass slides. We anticipate that our discussion will be relevant for all single-molecule fluorescence techniques that use reversible fluorophore binding.
The challenges of research in the humanitarian sector: An evolving relationship
Authors: Antouly Julien , Leger Vincent , Raillon Camille , Troit Virginie
Published: December 2024

The context of humanitarian action has changed considerably over the past twenty years. These upheavals have given rise to a need to reflect on humanitarian action, as evidenced by the new focus on scientific research by humanitarian actors since the turn of the century. This new approach has led to the creation of numerous organizations dedicated to research within the sector itself, so that scientific knowledge on humanitarian action is no longer produced solely by university researchers. One such organization is the French Red Cross Foundation, founded in 2013. This organization bears witness to the diversity and depth of the issues affecting the humanitarian sector, and the challenges of responding to them. Its history and its past and present difficulties and successes also illustrate the complexity of implementing such a response.

This article aims to analyze and capitalize on several examples of scientific programmes built in direct relation to the humanitarian sector, in order to draw lessons from them (success factors, difficulties encountered, testimonials of applications of research results). In the article, we provide retrospective information on collaboration between the humanitarian and social action sectors and the academic sector, and look to the future by anticipating the shortcomings and needs that organizations – like researchers – will have to address in order to nurture the solidarity practices of tomorrow.
Technological innovation and engineering practice of damage reduction mining and ecosystem restoration in open-pit coal mine
Authors: Li Quansheng , Li Xiaobin
Published: December 2024

Non-technical summary

To address the issues of declining groundwater levels and the degradation of soil ecological functions caused by open-pit coal mining in China. Based on theoretical analysis, laboratory experiments, on-site monitoring, mathematical modeling, and other means, the concept of coal ecological protection mining of ‘damage reduction mining, three-dimensional protection, systematic restoration’ is proposed. The mining concept has achieved remarkable ecological restoration effects, leading the scientific and technological progress of safe, efficient and green mining in open-pit coal mines.

Technical summary

The mechanism of damage propagation among ‘rock-soil-water’ ecological elements in open-pit coal mining was revealed. Adopting comprehensive damage-reducing mining technology throughout the entire stripping process, mining and drainage, shengli open-pit coal mine has doubled its production capacity, and reduced the land excavation and damage by 60 mu/year, reduced the mining area by 1,128 mu, and raised the groundwater level by 2.6–6 m, and the ecological restoration of the drainage field was advanced by more than 1 year. Adopting the three-dimensional water storage technology involves underground reservoirs, aquifer reconstruction, and near-surface distributed water storage units, baorixile open-pit mine has built the world's first open-pit underground water reservoir, with a water storage capacity of 1.22 million m3, and the speed of groundwater level restoration has been increased by more than 70%. By adopting the systematic restoration technology of geomorphology-soil-vegetation in the discharge site, the soil water content in the demonstration area has been increased by 52%, the survival rate of plants has been increased by 34%, and the vegetation coverage has been increased by more than 40%.

Social media summary

Damage-reducing mining and systematic ecological restoration in open-pit coal mining are essential for the safe, efficient and green development of coal.
Microseismicity Around Loki's Castle Hydrothermal Vent Field Reveals the Early Stages of Detachment Faulting at the Mohns‐Knipovich Ridge Intersection
Authors: Pilot Matthias , Lien Marie Jakobsen , Schlindwein Vera , Ottemöller Lars , Barreyre Thibaut
Published: December 2024

At slow to ultraslow spreading ridges, the limited melt supply results in tectonic accretion and the exhumation of mantle rocks. Melt supply is focused toward volcanic centers where magmatic accretion dominates. In areas where the ridges reorientate, both types of accretion can occur across the ridge axis with detachment faults developing on the inside corners and hydrothermal vent fields located in close proximity. Microseismicity studies improve the understanding of the tectonic processes at detachment faults and their interplay with hydrothermal vent systems, but are mostly limited to mature detachment faults or short deployment times. This study presents results from a ∼11 months ocean bottom seismometer deployment around the Loki's Castle hydrothermal vent field at the intersection of the slow to ultraslow spreading Mohns and Knipovich Ridge. We observe seismicity to be highly asymmetric with the majority of the plate divergence being accommodated by an emerging detachment fault at the inside corner of the intersection west of Loki's Castle. Seismic activity related to the detachment fault displays a distinct contrast, with continuous low‐magnitude events occurring at depth and episodic large‐magnitude events concentrated in clusters within the footwall. The detachment fault shows no significant roll‐over at shallow depths and the locus of spreading is located east of the detachment. These results suggest that the detachment fault west of Loki’s Castle is at an early development stage.
Improving Land Surface Temperature Estimation in Cloud Cover Scenarios Using Graph‐Based Propagation
Authors: Rolland Iain , Selvakumaran Sivasakthy , Ahmad Shaikh Shaikh Fairul Edros , Hamel Perrine , Marinoni Andrea
Published: December 2024

Land surface temperature (LST) serves as an important climate variable which is relevant to a number of studies related to energy and water exchanges, vegetation growth and urban heat island effects. Although LST can be derived from satellite observations, these approaches rely on cloud‐free acquisitions. This represents a significant obstacle in regions which are prone to cloud cover. In this paper, a graph‐based propagation method, referred to as GraphProp, is introduced. This method can accurately obtain LST values which would otherwise have been missing due to cloud cover. To validate this approach, a series of experiments are presented using synthetically obscured Landsat acquisitions. The validation takes place over scenarios ranging from between 10% and 90% cloud cover across six urban locations. In presented experiments, GraphProp recovers missing LST values with a mean absolute error of less than 1.1°C, 1.0°C and 1.8°C in 90% cloud cover scenarios across the studied locations respectively.
Wave Decay by Submerged Rigid Vegetation Under Orthogonal Wave‐Current Conditions
Authors: Xu Zichen , Lei Jiarui
Published: December 2024

Coastal vegetation has drawn significant attention as a nature‐based solution due to its role in wave attenuation. While the wave energy decay by vegetation has been studied under pure‐wave and co‐directional wave‐current conditions, little research has focused on orthogonal wave‐current conditions, which represent propagating waves and longshore currents in natural coastal environments. An analytical model is derived that incorporates various input parameters, including current‐to‐wave velocity ratio, wave height, wave period, water depth, and vegetation properties, to describe wave decay by rigid submerged vegetation under orthogonal wave‐current conditions. Force experienced by individual cylinders was measured, revealing that the drag coefficient of waves is applicable to orthogonal wave‐current conditions. Wave heights were measured along vegetation patches. The presence of an orthogonal current significantly enhanced wave decay by vegetation. The findings of this study underscore the more complicated orthogonal wave‐current conditions and provide valuable insights for future coastal protection strategies incorporating nature‐based solutions.
Ultraviolet NO and Visible O2 Nightglow in the Mars Southern Winter Polar Region: Statistical Study and Model Comparison
Authors: Soret L. , González‐Galindo F. , Gérard J.‐C. , Thomas I. R. , Ristic B. , Willame Y. , Vandaele A. C. , Hubert B. , Lefèvre F. , Daerden F. , Patel M. R.
Published: December 2024

The Mars NO and the O2 nightglow are produced by the recombination of atoms produced on the dayside by photodissociation and transported to the nightside. These emissions are tracers of the summer to winter pole dynamics in the upper Mars atmosphere. The UV‐visible (UVIS) channel of the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) spectrometer onboard Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is the first instrument able to simultaneously monitor both nightglow emissions. Observations by NOMAD/UVIS during the first part of the Martian year show that both the NO and O2 nightglow emissions are enhanced near the southern winter pole. Their mean brightnesses are 15 and 108 kR, respectively. These nightglow emissions generally occur between 30 and 60 km, the NO emitting layer being consistently located ∼10 km higher than the O2 nightglow layer. Numerical simulations with the Mars Planetary Climate Model (MPCM, v6.1) properly reproduce the nightglow brightness but tend to overestimate the NO peak altitude by ∼10 km. These results suggest that the atomic oxygen density is correctly predicted by the model but that the nitrogen density altitude distribution might not be properly modeled.
Endothelial Pim3 kinase protects the vascular barrier during lung metastasis
Authors: Santio Niina M. , Ganesh Keerthana , Kaipainen Pihla P. , Halme Aleksi , Seyednasrollah Fatemeh , Arbash Emad , Hänninen Satu , Kivelä Riikka , Carpen Olli , Saharinen Pipsa
Published: December 2024

Endothelial cells (ECs) form a tissue-specific barrier for disseminating cancer cells in distant organs. However, the molecular regulation of the ECs in the metastatic niche remains unclear. Here, we analyze using scRNA-Seq, the transcriptional reprogramming of lung ECs six hours after the arrival of melanoma cells in mouse lungs. We discover a reactive capillary EC cluster (rCap) that increases from general capillary ECs in response to infiltrating cancer cells. rCap is enriched for angiogenic and inflammatory pathways and is also found in human lung datasets. The JAK-STAT activated oncogenic Pim3 kinase is a marker of rCap, being upregulated in spontaneous metastasis models. Notably, PIM inhibition increases vascular leakage and metastatic colonization and impairs the EC barrier by decreasing the junctional cadherin-5 and catenins α, β and δ. These results highlight the pulmonary endothelium’s plasticity and its protection by PIM3, which may impair the efficacy of PIM inhibitors in cancer therapies.
Early administration of anamorelin improves cancer cachexia in gastrointestinal cancer patients: an observational study
Authors: Matsumoto Toshihiko , Cho Sien , Nakasya Akio , Nagai Hiroki , Satake Hironaga , Yasui Hisateru
Published: December 2024

To report the efficacy of anamorelin in patients with colorectal and gastric cancer with cachexia and in those receiving systemic chemotherapy. We retrospectively collected real-world data from patients diagnosed with colorectal and gastric cancers experiencing cachexia who were treated with anamorelin. We evaluated the efficacy of treatment by measuring the improvements in appetite and body weight (BW) gain. Between June 2021 and October 2022, 43 cancer patients with cachexia—23 with gastric cancer and 20 with colorectal cancer—were treated with anamorelin. Median observation period was 7.3 months. The participants were 25 males with median age of 71 years and median BMI of 19.7. The ECOG PS distribution was 4, 33, 6 for grades 0, 1, and 2, respectively. Seven patients received supportive care only, while 36 received anamorelin with chemotherapy. Thirty-four had received chemotherapy previously (≤ 2 regimens) and nine had received ≥ 3 regimens. Median anamorelin treatment duration was 2.8 months; overall survival was 7.3 months. After 3 weeks, 24 experienced appetite improvement and 21 gained weight; after 12 weeks, 20 experienced appetite improvement and 15 gained weight. Multivariate analysis showed that anamorelin treatment before second-line chemotherapy and colorectal cancer correlated with appetite improvement and weight gain at 3 weeks. In the univariate analysis, anamorelin treatment before second-line chemotherapy correlated with weight gain at 12 weeks and with improved overall survival in patients with weight gain at 12 weeks. Early anamorelin treatment contributes to appetite improvement and BW gain in colorectal and gastric cancers with cachexia.
A fully automated morphological analysis of yeast mitochondria from wide-field fluorescence images
Authors: Vojtová Jana , Čapek Martin , Willeit Sabrina , Groušl Tomáš , Chvalová Věra , Kutejová Eva , Pevala Vladimír , Valášek Leoš Shivaya , Rinnerthaler Mark
Published: December 2024

Mitochondrial morphology is an important parameter of cellular fitness. Although many approaches are available for assessing mitochondrial morphology in mammalian cells, only a few technically demanding and laborious methods are available for yeast cells. A robust, fully automated and user-friendly approach that would allow (1) segmentation of tubular and spherical mitochondria in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae from conventional wide-field fluorescence images and (2) quantitative assessment of mitochondrial morphology is lacking. To address this, we compared Global thresholding segmentation with deep learning MitoSegNet segmentation, which we retrained on yeast cells. The deep learning model outperformed the Global thresholding segmentation. We applied it to segment mitochondria in strain lacking the MMI1/TMA19 gene encoding an ortholog of the human TCTP protein. Next, we performed a quantitative evaluation of segmented mitochondria by analyses available in ImageJ/Fiji and by MitoA analysis available in the MitoSegNet toolbox. By monitoring a wide range of morphological parameters, we described a novel mitochondrial phenotype of the mmi1Δ strain after its exposure to oxidative stress compared to that of the wild-type strain. The retrained deep learning model, all macros applied to run the analyses, as well as the detailed procedure are now available at https://github.com/LMCF-IMG/Morphology_Yeast_Mitochondria.
BMP-9 mediates fibroproliferation in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva through TGF-β signaling
Authors: Zhao Chengzhu , Inada Yoshiko , Motoike Souta , Kamiya Daisuke , Hino Kyosuke , Ikeya Makoto
Published: December 2024

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder presenting with progressive heterotopic ossification (HO) in soft tissues. Early-stage FOP is characterized by recurrent episodes of painful tissue swelling (flare-ups), with numerous proliferation-activated mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) subsequently causing HO. However, the mechanisms underlying flare-up progression remain unclear. In this study, we evaluated the proliferation of MSCs obtained from FOP patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (FOP-iPSCs) to elucidate the mechanisms underlying flare-ups and found that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-9 mediated enhanced proliferation by abnormal activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling pathway in MSCs from FOP-iPSCs. In FOP model mice, elevated BMP-9 levels correlated with elevated phosphorylation of SMAD2/3 and increased cellular proliferation in the affected tissues, while systemic BMP-9 neutralization and knockout mitigated flare-ups and HO. Thus, BMP-9 aberrantly transduces TGF-β signaling and induces fibroproliferation, initiating flare-ups. This study provides novel insights into the development of future FOP therapies.
Dual-linker Ir–Zr-MOF shows improved porosity to enhance aqueous sulfide photooxidation
Authors: Wei Lian-Qiang , Li Cheng-Li , Wen Chun-Jian , Lai Hong-Fang
Published: December 2024

2-Phenylquinoline-4-carboxylic acid-Ir(iii) complex (Irphen) was successfully assembled into a Zr-MOF, which showed high efficiency in catalyzing sulfide photooxidation with blue light irradiation under aqueous condition.
Halogen-bond chemistry-rectified hypervalent tellurium redox kinetics towards high-energy Zn batteries
Authors: Qi Jintu , Tang Yongchao , Wei Yue , Liu Guigui , Yan Jianping , Feng Zhenfeng , Han Zixin , Ye Minghui , Du Wencheng , Yang Qi , Zhang Yufei , Wen Zhipeng , Liu Xiaoqing , Li Cheng Chao
Published: December 2024

A halogen-bond chemistry-rectified Te0/Te4+ redox with an almost maximized capacity contribution (ca. 90.0%) is achieved for high-energy Zn batteries in localized concentrated ILEs, far surpassing those in aqueous systems (ca. 33.0%).
Electromigration-driven linear actuator operations of Co nanorods inside and outside multi-walled carbon nanotubes with stroke of tens of nanometers
Authors: Matsuyama Shogo , Kohno Hideo
Published: December 2024

By using electromigration motions of Co nanorods inside and outside multi-walled carbon nanotubes, nanoscale linear actuator operations are realized.
Flow synthesis and multidimensional parameter screening enables exploration and optimization of copper oxide nanoparticle synthesis
Authors: Munyebvu Neal , Akhmetbayeva Zarina , Dunn Steven , Howes Philip D.
Published: December 2024

Copper-based nanoparticles (NPs) are highly valued for their wide-ranging applications, with particular significance in CO2 reduction. This paper explores a multiparametric approach to CuO synthesis using a flow reactor.
Spintronic devices and applications using noncollinear chiral antiferromagnets
Authors: Shukla Ankit , Qian Siyuan , Rakheja Shaloo
Published: December 2024

Non-collinear chiral antiferromagnets display strong magneto-transport signatures, while their octupole moment can be controlled and read fully electrically, making them useful in classical, neuromorphic, and quantum information processing domains.
Mechanical and electromechanical properties of 2D materials studied via in situ microscopy techniques
Authors: Wang Bing-Jie , Wu Wei-Long , Wei Xian-Long , Chen Qing
Published: December 2024

This review summarizes recent advancements in in situ microscopy techniques applied to the study of mechanical and electromechanical properties of 2D materials. The latest results, corresponding challenges and future opportunities are discussed.
An oxygen-scavenging system without impact on DNA mechanical properties in single-molecule fluorescence experiments
Authors: Gao Shang , Liang Jialun , Tan Chuang , Ma Jie
Published: December 2024

Using magnetic tweezers, we discovered that commonly used PCD and POC oxygen scavenging systems (OSSs) can alter DNA mechanical properties while BOD OSS does not. BOD OSS also exhibited superior performance in enhancing dye stability.
Simple and versatile electrochemical synthesis of highly substituted 2,1-benzisoxazoles
Authors: Lenhard Marola S. , Winter Johannes , Sandvoß Alexander , Gálvez-Vázquez María de Jesús , Schollmeyer Dieter , Waldvogel Siegfried R.
Published: December 2024

A simple, sustainable and scalable electrochemical method providing direct access to a highly diverse range of 3-(acylamidoalkyl)-2,1-benzisoxazoles by cathodic reduction of widely accessible nitro arenes was established.
Sensing behavior of CdS-TiO2 thick films for the detection of hydrocarbons
Authors: Vishwakarma Ankit Kumar , Sharma Ajaya Kumar , Verma Arpit , Yadav B. C. , Yadava Lallan
Published: December 2024

Undoped titanium dioxide (TiO2) and CdS-doped TiO2 (CdS-TiO2) thick films were used to fabricate thick film gas sensors on an alumina substrate.
Multi-target macrocycles: pyrogallol derivatives to control multiple pathological factors associated with Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Kwak Jimin , Yi Yelim , Park Seongmin , Lim Mi Hee
Published: December 2024

Simple structural tweaks to pyrogallol derivatives yield multifunctional reagents targeting and controlling key pathological factors associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Droplets sliding on soft solids shed elastocapillary rails
Authors: Xue Nan , Wilen Lawrence A. , Style Robert W. , Dufresne Eric R.
Published: December 2024

Behind a droplet moving on a soft substrate, we observe a pair of ‘elastocapillary rails,’ which are substrate deformations that relax over time.
Dissipative particle dynamics simulations on the self-assembly of rod-coil asymmetric diblock molecular brushes bearing responsive side chains
Authors: Zhu Hao , Feng Weisheng , Wang Yueyao , Li Zhengyi , Xu Binbin , Lin Shaoliang
Published: December 2024

The kinetics study of the self-assembly behaviors of asymmetric diblock molecular brushes (ADMBs) reveals that the one-dimensional growth of nanowires follows the step-growth polymerization mechanism.
Accessing mixed cluster rare-earth MOFs with reduced connectivity via linker expansion and desymmetrization: co-assembly of 6-c and 10-c hexanuclear clusters in RE-stc-MOF-1
Authors: Loukopoulos Edward , Tsangarakis Constantinos , Froudas Konstantinos G. , Vassaki Maria , Angeli Giasemi K. , Trikalitis Pantelis N.
Published: December 2024

A desymmetrized 4-c linker directs the co-assembly of 6-c hexagonal and 10-c square bipyramidal rare-earth clusters, resulting in a unique six-nodal (3,3,3,3,6,10)-c net.
Side-chain regulated topology of 2D covalent organic frameworks and its impact on photocatalytic synthesis of H2O2
Authors: Sun Shuai , Han Chao-Qin , Guo Jia-Xin , Wang Lei , Wang Ze-Yang , Lu Gonghao , Liu Xiao-Yuan
Published: December 2024

Two kinds of COFs with kgm and fes underlying nets were synthesized via tuning side-chain lengths of organic building units, where topologies of COFs exhibit significantly different activities for H2O2 photosynthesis.
“This or that” – light emission from hybrid organic–inorganic vs. coordination Cu(i) halides
Authors: Popy Dilruba A. , Saparov Bayram
Published: December 2024

This review clarifies the confusion regarding similarities and differences between the photoluminescent hybrid organic–inorganic and coordination Cu(i) halides, including their crystal and electronic structures, and optical properties.
Ultralong near-infrared persistent luminescence in a Cr3+-doped gallogermanate for multifunctional applications
Authors: Zhao Fangyi , Shao Yuhe , Mao Qinan , Zhu Yiwen , Yang Heyi , Ding Yang , Liu Quanlin , Zhong Jiasong
Published: December 2024

Mg8.9Ga14.2Ge4.9O40:Cr3+ phosphors exhibit ultralong broadband near-infrared persistent luminescence with a duration longer than 55 h for multifunctional applications.
Concurrent Cognitive Task Alters Postural Control Performance of Young Adults With Unilateral Cochlear Implants
Authors: Orhan Emre , Batuk İsa Tuncay , Batuk Merve Ozbal
Published: December 2024

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to investigate the balance performances of young adults with unilateral cochlear implants (CIs) in a dual-task condition.

Method:

Fifteen young adults with unilateral CIs and 15 healthy individuals were included in the study. The balance task was applied using the Sensory Organization Test via Computerized Dynamic Posturography. The Backward Digit Recall task was applied as an additional concurrent cognitive task. In the balance task, participants completed four different conditions, which gradually became more difficult: Condition 1: fixed platform, eyes open; Condition 3: fixed platform, eyes open and visual environment sway; Condition 4: platform sway, eyes open; Condition 6: platform sway, eyes open and visual environment sway. To evaluate the dual-task condition performance, participants were given cognitive and motor tasks simultaneously.

Results:

Visual (
p
= .016), vestibular (
p
< .001), and composite balance scores (
p
< .001) of CI users were statistically significantly lower than the control group. Condition 3 (
p
= .003), Condition 4 (
p
= .007), and Condition 6 (
p
< .001) balance scores of CI users in the single-task condition were statistically significantly lower than controls. Condition 6 (
p
< .001) balance scores of CI users in the dual-task condition were statistically significantly lower than the control group. Condition 1 score (
p
= .002) of the CI users in the dual-task condition showed a statistically significant decrease compared to the balance score in the single-task condition, while the Condition 6 score (
p
= .011) in the dual-task condition was statistically significantly higher than the balance score in the single-task condition.

Conclusions:

The balance performance of individuals with CIs in the dual-task condition was worse than typical healthy individuals. It can be suggested that dual-task performances should be included in the vestibular rehabilitation process in CI users in the implantation process in terms of balance abilities in multitasking conditions and risk of falling.
Eppur si muove: Evidence of disc precession or a sub-milliparsec SMBH binary in the QPE-emitting galaxy GSN 069
Authors: Miniutti G. , Franchini A. , Bonetti M. , Giustini M. , Chakraborty J. , Arcodia R. , Saxton R. , Quintin E. , Kosec P. , Linial I. , Sesana A.
Published: December 2024

X-ray quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are intense soft X-ray bursts from the nuclei of nearby low-mass galaxies typically lasting about one hour and repeating every few hours. Their physical origin remains a matter of debate, although so-called impact models appear promising. These models posit a secondary orbiting body piercing through the accretion disc around the primary supermassive black hole (SMBH) in an extreme mass-ratio inspiral (EMRI) system. In this work, we study the QPE timing properties of GSN 069, the first galactic nucleus in which QPEs have been identified. We primarily focus on observed minus calculated (O–C) diagrams. The O–C data in GSN 069 are consistent with a super-orbital modulation of several tens of days, whose properties do not comply with the impact model. We suggest that rigid precession of a misaligned accretion disc or, alternatively, the presence of a second SMBH forming a sub-milliparsec binary with the inner EMRI is needed to reconcile the model with the data. In both cases, the quiescent accretion disc emission should also be modulated on similar timescales. Current X-ray monitoring indicates that this might be the case, although a longer baseline of higher cadence observations is needed to confirm the tentative X-ray flux periodicity on firm statistical grounds. Future dedicated monitoring campaigns will be crucial to test the overall impact-plus-modulation model in GSN 069 and in analogy between the two proposed modulating scenarios. If our interpretation is correct, QPEs in GSN 069 represent the first electromagnetic detection of a short-period EMRI system in an external galaxy, paving the way to future multi-messenger astronomical observations. Moreover, QPEs encode unique information on SMBHs inner environments, which can be used to gain insights on the structure and dynamics of recently formed accretion flows and to possibly infer the presence of tight SMBH binaries in galactic nuclei.
COVID-19 and Hearing: Pure Tone, Speech, and High-Frequency Audiometry
Authors: Yildirim Gökay Nuriye , Cesur Aksoy Gökçen , Karamert Recep
Published: December 2024

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its effects on hearing performance have been an interesting topic for researchers recently.

Purpose The objective of this study was to assess the audiological profile of people affected by COVID-19 and also to compare them with a control group who has never had COVID-19.

Research Design An experimental study.

Study Sample The study group consisted of 54 participants, aged 18 to 60, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 by polymerase chain reaction and recovered at least 2 months prior to audiological assessment. The control group consisted of 60 subjects in the same age range who did not have a history of COVID-19 or hearing loss.

Data Collection and Analysis Post-COVID audiological data were compared. The pre-COVID-19 audiological data of 43 subjects in the study group were also compared with their post-COVID-19 data. All participants were evaluated with pure tone audiometry, acoustic immittancemetry, speech audiometry, and high-frequency audiometry.

Results Pure tone hearing thresholds, speech recognition and discrimination scores, and high-frequency hearing thresholds were all statistically different between the study and control groups (p < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences between the study group's pure tone hearing thresholds before and after COVID-19 (p < 0.05).

Conclusion COVID-19 can adversely affect hearing performance. Further studies including auditory brainstem response, otoacoustic emissions, and similar cross-check tests are needed to reveal further effects of COVID-19 on hearing.
Magnetic Compression Anastomosis for Treatment of Post-cholecystectomy Bile Duct Injury Related Biliary Strictures
Authors: Garg Parul , Sharma Malay
Published: December 2024

The management of post-cholecystectomy biliary strictures remains challenging. While endoscopic and percutaneous biliary procedures have shown high success rates in treating these benign biliary strictures, sometimes the guidewire cannot be negotiated across the stricture, making the stricture refractory to management by the endoscopic or percutaneous route. Magnetic compression anastomosis is a nonsurgical alternative used on the endoscopic and percutaneous biliary platform to create a passage across the refractory biliary stricture. We report three cases of uncrossable bile duct strictures managed with magnetic compression anastomosis. This report highlights the utility of a relatively simple technique for managing complex problems.
White Matter Dissection: Lessons from the United Kingdom National Neuroanatomy Undergraduate Competition 2023
Authors: Gardee Ameerah , Goonewardena Eranga , Lub Sytske , Ashraf Mohammad , Ismahel Hassan , Chaudhary Attika , Al-Salloum Laulwa Nasser , Border Scott
Published: December 2024

Objective This narrative highlights a student-led initiative that explored white matter dissection techniques within the framework of the National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition 2023.

Materials and Methods The project aimed to enhance neuroanatomical education by developing a novel approach to dissection that deviates from the traditional Klingler’s method. Instead, it incorporated contemporary techniques, including diffusion tensor imaging and other radiological tools, to ensure greater anatomical precision and enrich the learning experience.

Results The dissections focused on key white matter structures, such as the uncinate fasciculus and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and outlined a step-by-step methodology for creating high-quality specimens. These specimens are designed to serve as educational resources, particularly for students with limited access to formal neuroanatomy courses.

Conclusion This study emphasizes the critical role of hands-on dissection in neuroanatomy education, showcasing its ability to enhance student engagement, deepen anatomical understanding, and inspire interest in clinical neuroscience careers. By introducing innovative educational tools and methodologies, this initiative makes a meaningful contribution to addressing the issue of “neurophobia” in medical education.
How do elite core actors assess trust in national and EU authorities? The varying role of generalised trust at different governmental levels
Authors: Kappler Moritz , Schomaker Rahel , Guaschino Edoardo , Verhoest Koen
Published: December 2024

In this paper, we position generalised trust as central to the debate on elites’ assessments of trust in EU multi-level governance. We leverage one of the most influential factors in explaining political trust in single-government studies to understand variations in trust towards political authorities at various levels. Departing from existing studies, we hypothesise the dual nature of generalised trust: while it influences how individuals assess their trust in political authorities, its impact varies depending on different degrees of perceived similarity of these authorities at either the national or the EU level. To test our hypotheses, we conducted an elite vignette experiment involving 567 decision-makers from public and private stakeholders within regulatory regimes in eight countries. The results reveal a significant positive effect of generalised trust on political trust when evaluating a national-level regulatory agency. However, trust assessments of EU-level regulatory agencies appear to be largely unaffected by generalised trust levels. Furthermore, we observed notable differences in trust assessment between private and public stakeholders, reinforcing our argument that similarity and community belonging underlie the influence of generalised trust on political trust. Our study suggests that EU-level political authorities may derive less benefit from high levels of generalised trust, compared to national political authorities. However, in instances where generalised trust is low, political authorities at the EU level have comparatively more opportunities to cultivate trust in them.
Trapped in the grey zone: NATO-CSDP relations in a new era of European security governance
Authors: Helferich John
Published: December 2024

This paper critically examines the complementarity of NATO and the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), proposing a reassessment of their roles to explore potential reforms. It contributes to the forum on “Organising European Security” by tracing the historical origins of issues, such as “consensus escapism”, that challenge European security governance. In addressing this issue, the paper explores three scenarios for institutional reform: abolishing the CSDP, integrating it into NATO, or pursuing European strategic autonomy. The analysis shows that while such reforms could reduce strategic ambiguities, they might also undermine crucial community maintenance functions, especially those fulfilled by the CSDP for the EU. Following the Ukraine invasion, the structural parameters of NATO/CSDP relations have remained largely unchanged; however, the analysis indicates an emerging dynamic of a “compartmentalised geographic approach” to strengthening European security. This approach, while not eliminating NATO-CSDP ambiguities, may allow for a viable balance of community maintenance and power projection in a changing security landscape.
Landau–Ginzburg/conformal field theory correspondence for x
d and module tensor categories
Authors: Ros Camacho Ana , Wasserman Thomas A.
Published: December 2024

The Landau–Ginzburg/Conformal Field Theory (LG/CFT) correspondence predicts tensor equivalences between categories of matrix factorisations of certain polynomials and categories associated to the N = 2 supersymmetric conformal field theories. We realise this correspondence for the potential xd for any d ≥ 2, where previous results were limited to odd d. Our proof first establishes the fact that both sides of the correspondence carry the structure of module tensor categories over the category of Zd-graded vector spaces equipped with a non-trivial braiding. This allows us to describe the CFT side as generated by a single object as a module tensor category, and use this to efficiently provide a functor realising the tensor equivalence.
Chiral metal-containing semiconductor nanocrystals: Construction, optical activity, and application
Authors: Chen Yi , Li Junzi , Qiu Xin , Zhang Qin , Liu Peizhao , Cheng Jiaji , He Tingchao
Published: December 2024

In recent years, chiral semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted extensive interest from researchers and significant research progress has been made. In order to provide researchers with a comprehensive and in-depth perspective in this topic, this review will summarize the recent research progress in the chiral semiconductor NCs, including synthesis methods, chiral mechanism, and relevant application. First, this review will discuss the construction strategies of various chiral semiconductor NCs. Second, the optical activities of different types of chiral semiconductor NCs, such as circular dichroism and circularly polarized luminescence, will be analyzed in depth, and the chiral origins will be discussed at the microscopic level. Third, we will summarize the applications of chiral semiconductor NCs in optoelectronic devices, nonlinear optics, and biomedicine. Finally, we will discuss the opportunities and challenges in the study of chiral semiconductor NCs.
Application of tunneling magnetoresistance in electromagnetic tomography system construction
Authors: Wang Chao , Ye Song , Liang Xiao , Luan Xinyu
Published: December 2024

Tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) is a magnetic sensor that measures the magnetic induction component toward a sensitive axis. It is used in electromagnetic tomography (EMT) systems for its high sensitivity, frequency independence, and small size. TMR-based EMT (TMR-EMT) system construction and performance enhancement require a more comprehensive understanding of TMR characteristics. This paper introduces the construction principle of a TMR-EMT system, studies effect of TMR quantity on imaging results, compares the difference between TMR-EMT and coil-based EMT (Coil-EMT) in imaging results, analyzes the influence of TMR characteristics on the measurements, and gives the corresponding solutions. Simulations and experiments indicate that adding more TMRs could enhance imaging quality, obtaining better results than Coil-EMT imaging quality. The experimental results show that dynamically adjusting the excitation amplitude and downward zero-crossing switching can effectively improve the problems of output saturation and deteriorating consistency of measurements caused by TMR nonlinear characteristic.
On-chip fabrication of tailored 3D hydrogel scaffolds to model cancer cell invasion and interaction with endothelial cells
Authors: Cantoni Federico , Barbe Laurent , Roy Ananya , Wicher Grzegorz , Simonsson Stina , Forsberg-Nilsson Karin , Tenje Maria
Published: December 2024

The high mortality associated with certain cancers can be attributed to the invasive nature of the tumor cells. Yet, the complexity of studying invasion hinders our understanding of how the tumor spreads. This work presents a microengineered three-dimensional (3D) in vitro model for studying cancer cell invasion and interaction with endothelial cells. The model was generated by printing a biomimetic hydrogel scaffold directly on a chip using 2-photon polymerization that simulates the brain's extracellular matrix. The scaffold's geometry was specifically designed to facilitate the growth of a continuous layer of endothelial cells on one side, while also allowing for the introduction of tumor cells on the other side. This arrangement confines the cells spatially and enables in situ microscopy of the cancer cells as they invade the hydrogel scaffold and interact with the endothelial layer. We examined the impact of 3D printing parameters on the hydrogel's physical properties and used patient derived glioblastoma cells to study their effect on cell invasion. Notably, the tumor cells tended to infiltrate faster when an endothelial cell barrier was present. The potential for adjusting the hydrogel scaffold's properties, coupled with the capability for real-time observation of tumor-endothelial cell interactions, offers a platform for studying tumor invasion and tumor–endothelial cell interactions.