bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
China's dream for chip supremacy: Seeing through the lens of panel display-related IC patents
Authors: Choung Eunji , Koo Min Gyo
Published: March 2023

As China has made it a top priority to enrich and upgrade its chip capabilities across the value chain, some international observers predict that China's semiconductor industry will eventually, if not immediately, surpass its foreign competitors. Others remain skeptical about its presumed tech supremacy for plausible but largely speculative reasons. Is the Chinese semiconductor industry a game-changer or a paper tiger? Is China's indigenous chip technology attractive to, and usable by, foreign technology? One way to look into these half-empty/half-full questions is to comparatively analyze chip patents granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The target domain of this study is integrated circuits (IC) technology, especially thin-film-transistor circuits, where China has recently registered a sharp growth in patent publications. Using the modified forward citation indices of panel display-related IC patents, this study examines whether and to what extent the quantitative growth in the Chinese semiconductor industry has been translated into a gravitational force to pull foreign industries within its sphere of influence. Estimation results of a zero-inflated negative binomial regression analysis show that a Chinese chip patent has a fewer expected modified forward citation index than a non-Chinese patent. These findings indicate that the technological gap between China and advanced countries will take longer to close despite China's accelerated campaign for chip supremacy. This study concludes, with some caveats, that China faces the dual challenge of achieving higher productivity and greater self-reliance, while having to survive in the escalating technological competition with other advanced countries.
Evidence for constraints on probing dynamics: A case study of adjectival concord
Authors: Jarrah Marwan , Abusalim Nimer , Alrashdan Imran
Published: March 2023

Based on facts of adjectival concord in Standard Arabic, this article offers evidence that upward probing (i.e., the goal c-commands the probe) is permitted only if downward probing (i.e., where the probe c-commands the goal) does not result in valuing the probe's uninterpretable feature. Such a constraint on upward probing allows us to account for several intriguing observations in Arabic grammar, including the fact that an adjective can agree in number and gender with one nominal, but in definiteness with another nominal. Hence, on the one hand, this article lends support to Agree proposals according to which absence of a match in the c-command domain of an unvalued feature (uF) is not fatal to the derivation. On the other hand, it speaks against Agree proposals that do not license downward probing or view it as parasitic on upward probing.
Extremal Gromov-Witten invariants of the Hilbert scheme of Points
Authors: Hu Jianxun , Qin Zhenbo
Published: March 2023

We determine all the extremal Gromov-Witten invariants of the Hilbert scheme of$3$points on a smooth projective complex surface. Our result for the genus-$1$case verifies a conjecture that we propose for the genus-$1$extremal Gromov-Witten invariant of the Hilbert scheme ofnpoints withnbeing arbitrary. The main ideas in the proofs are to use geometric arguments involving the cosection localization theory of Kiem and J. Li [17, 23], algebraic manipulations related to the Heisenberg operators of Grojnowski [13] and Nakajima [34], and the virtual localization formulas of Gromov-Witten theory [12, 20, 30].
Making wine, selling grapes, or delivering to a cooperative? Determinants of grape allocation
Authors: Corsi Alessandro , Mazzarino Simonetta , Frontuto Vito
Published: March 2023

A typical characteristic of the wine supply chain in the Old World is the significant share of cooperatives in wine-making that coexists with investor-owned firms and on-farm wine-makers. This paper analyzes the determinants of whether grape growers deliver their grapes to a cooperative winery of which they are members, sell their grapes to outside wineries, or make their own wine on their farm. Our analysis is based on data from a typical wine-producing area in Northern Italy. The explanatory variables comprise the potential prices linked to the different grape allocations and various farmer and farm characteristics. The high share of farmers delivering their grapes to cooperatives can, to a large extent, be explained by their higher price relative to one of the spot markets. On-farm wine-making is favored by larger farms and more educated farmers.
Involutivity of distributions at points of superdense tangency with respect to normal currents
Authors: Delladio Silvano
Published: March 2023

Let ${\mathcal {D}}$ and $T$ be, respectively, a $C^1$ distribution of $k$-planes and a normal $k$-current on ${\mathbb {R}}^n$. Then ${\mathcal {D}}$ has to be involutive at almost every superdensity point of the tangency set of $T$ with respect to ${\mathcal {D}}$.
Into Law's Artifice: Postwar Policing, Sexual Difference, and the Epistemic Gap
Authors: Pitts Yvonne
Published: March 2023

Vice Patrol analyzes how reconfigurations in postwar gay public life, psychiatric research, and policing surveillance technologies recast Americans’ chimerical commitments to purging sexual vice. Before a more radical, visible queer liberation movement emerged after 1969, vice enforcement was not a monolithic project but rather a conglomeration of newly empowered post-Prohibition liquor agents, policing units, and judicial institutions. Enforcement practices and institutional priorities generated inconsistencies over policing sexual difference, creating conflicts that became embedded in judicial processes, themselves fraught with institutional pressures and contradictions. These legal and administrative configurations did more than enforce existing law regulating sexual deviance; they actively produced identifiable targeted groups believed to be predisposed to sexual criminality. Vice Patrol’s insights are urgent; they reveal and explain the historical, institutional, and political processes of negotiating human expression into criminal acts requiring state policing intervention. The intrusive tactics that Lvovsky chronicles did not disappear; they were redirected, which is best articulated in the liberal disillusionment with “urban renewal” and with the Nixon administration's “War on Crime” that targeted “high crime” areas in urban communities of color, propelling forward racialized mass incarceration.
Overcoming death anxiety: a phase I trial of an online CBT program in a clinical sample
Authors: Menzies Rachel E. , Julien Alexandra , Sharpe Louise , Menzies Ross G. , Helgadóttir Fjóla Dögg , Dar-Nimrod Ilan
Published: March 2023

Background:

Growing research indicates that death anxiety is implicated in many mental health conditions. This increasing evidence highlights a need for scalable, accessible and cost-effective psychological interventions to reduce death anxiety.

Aims:

The present study outlines the results of a phase I trial for one such treatment: Overcome Death Anxiety (ODA). ODA is the first CBT-based online intervention for fears of death, and is an individualised program requiring no therapist guidance.

Method:

A sample of 20 individuals with various mental health diagnoses commenced the ODA program. Death anxiety was assessed at baseline and at post-intervention. Depression, anxiety and stress were also measured.

Results:

In total, 50% (10/20) reached the end of the program and completed post-treatment questionnaires. Of these, 60% (6/10) showed a clinically reliable reduction in their overall death anxiety, and 90% (9/10) showed a reduction on at least one facet of death anxiety. There were no adverse events noted.

Conclusions:

ODA appears to be a safe and potentially effective treatment for death anxiety. The findings have provided initial evidence to support a randomised controlled trial using a larger sample, to further examine the efficacy of ODA.
Development, Validation, and Evidence of Measurement Invariance of a Shortened Measure of Trait Test Anxiety
Authors: Ober Teresa M. , Liu Cheng , Cheng Ying
Published: March 2023

Abstract: We develop and validate a short self-report measure of test anxiety, the Trait Test Anxiety Inventory – Short (TTAI-S) following the Kane (2013) validation framework. Data were collected from three independent samples of young adults in the US ( N = 629; Mage = 22.25 years). Evidence was gathered to support three aspects of the validity argument (i.e., scoring, extrapolation, and generalization). Good internal consistency and confirmed structure of a single factor supported scoring inferences. Scalar measurement invariance between different samples (Internet vs. undergraduate students) and demographic subgroups (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, and parental educational attainment) provided evidence for generalization inferences. Significant associations between the TTAI-S score and theoretically relevant (state test anxiety, performance expectation, and self-confidence in math) and weaker associations with less relevant constructs (enjoyment, motivation, and values in learning math) substantiated extrapolation inferences. Having established measurement invariance, we examined demographic differences and found that students historically underserved or underrepresented in STEM disciplines reported greater test anxiety than their counterparts. These findings support the validity of the TTAI-S, a concise measure that is easy to administer and easy to score. The TTAI-S may be used to further investigate trait test anxiety for a diverse population, particularly factors that may contribute to or mitigate group differences.
Oxygen Dependent Temperature Regulation of Benthic Fluxes in Reservoirs
Authors: Dadi Tallent , Friese Kurt , Wendt‐Potthoff Katrin , Marcé Rafael , Koschorreck Matthias
Published: March 2023

Temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration are critical factors affecting the exchange of solutes between sediment and water; both factors will be affected by warming of lakes and thereby influence water quality. Temperature and oxygen responses of single solute fluxes are well known; however, not much is known about the interaction of temperature and oxygen in regulating the balance of different fluxes in the benthic environment. We analyzed benthic flux (mobilization and immobilization) data of various solutes (dissolved organic carbon (DOC), CH4, NO3−‐N, NH4+‐N, SRP, SO4−, Fe, Mn, and O2) collected from laboratory incubations of 142 sediment cores from 5 different reservoirs incubated under varying in situ temperature and oxygen conditions. Oxygen was the primary driver of benthic fluxes, while temperature and total organic content were secondary. Temperature effects on benthic fluxes were stronger under anoxic conditions which imply that warming will substantially increase the benthic fluxes if the sediment surface becomes anoxic. The varying temperature response of processes underlying the studied fluxes will result in a shift of their relative importance in the benthic environment, especially in shallow lakes that are more vulnerable to warming. For example, more anoxic conditions will shift the equilibrium between net sulfate reduction and methane release toward the latter. We also predict that physical effects of warming leading to hypolimnetic oxygen depletion, that is, stronger stratification and longer hypolimnetic confinement will increase the benthic mobilization of phosphorus, DOC, and methane into water and immobilization of sulfate by the sediments even in deep lakes.
Evaluating Satellite Precipitation Estimates Over Oceans Using Passive Aquatic Listeners
Authors: Bytheway J. L. , Thompson E. J. , Yang J. , Chen H.
Published: March 2023

Passive aquatic listeners (PALs) provide high‐quality, high‐resolution estimates of precipitation over ocean regions, but have been underutilized as a reference data set for the evaluation of satellite‐based precipitation estimates (SPEs). PALs are uniquely suited for this purpose due to their 5 km surface listening area when sampling at 1 km depth on drifting Argo Floats, providing rain rate estimates on a spatial scale similar to the native grid spacing of many SPEs. In this study we compare three SPE products (IMERG, CMORPH, and PDIR‐Now) to PAL measurements. Evaluations are performed over tropical, extratropical, and global oceans at SPE native spatiotemporal resolution and longer time scales. We find the SPEs to have rain rate frequency distributions similar to PAL, but with biases and varying performance characteristics that are dependent on region and time scale.
Controls on Ice Cliff Distribution and Characteristics on Debris‐Covered Glaciers
Authors: Kneib Marin , Fyffe Catriona L. , Miles Evan S. , Lindemann Shayna , Shaw Thomas E. , Buri Pascal , McCarthy Michael , Ouvry Boris , Vieli Andreas , Sato Yota , Kraaijenbrink Philip D. A. , Zhao Chuanxi , Molnar Peter , Pellicciotti Francesca
Published: March 2023

Ice cliff distribution plays a major role in determining the melt of debris‐covered glaciers but its controls are largely unknown. We assembled a data set of 37,537 ice cliffs and determined their characteristics across 86 debris‐covered glaciers within High Mountain Asia (HMA). We find that 38.9% of the cliffs are stream‐influenced, 19.5% pond‐influenced and 19.7% are crevasse‐originated. Surface velocity is the main predictor of cliff distribution at both local and glacier scale, indicating its dependence on the dynamic state and hence evolution stage of debris‐covered glacier tongues. Supraglacial ponds contribute to maintaining cliffs in areas of thicker debris, but this is only possible if water accumulates at the surface. Overall, total cliff density decreases exponentially with debris thickness as soon as the debris layer reaches a thickness of over 10 cm.
Efficient and Accurate Pattern Synthesis for Radome‐Enclosed Planar Arrays Using Iterative FFT via Two‐Dimensional Least‐Square Active Element Pattern Expansion
Authors: Bai Jingjing , Liu Yanhui , Yang Shiwen , Hu Jun , Nie Zaiping
Published: March 2023

This work generalizes the iterative fast Fourier transform (FFT) via least‐square active element pattern expansion method to efficiently synthesize two‐dimensional (2D) patterns with accurate sidelobe and mainlobe shape control for planar arrays with radomes. The 2D active element patterns (2D‐AEPs) of a planar array‐radome structure are utilized to include the mutual coupling and radome effect. The 2D‐LSAEPE method is presented to approximate each 2D‐AEP as the pattern by exciting a virtual rectangular subarray with identical element patterns, and the weighting coefficients of the virtual subarray are found by minimizing the least‐square error of the 2D‐AEP approximation. With the help of the 2D‐LSAEPE, the pattern of a planar array with a radome can be efficiently calculated by FFT. To apply the FFT via 2D‐LSAEPE for planar array pattern computation, a blocked accumulating matrix is introduced which relates the virtual and physical excitation vectors. In addition, an interpolation‐based pre‐processing technique is implemented to obtain the virtual element pattern data in uniform grid of the (u, v)‐space so as to meet the requirement of employing the 2D‐FFT. By integrating the FFT with the 2D‐LSAEPE and the interpolation technique, an efficient iterative method is developed to implement accurate pattern synthesis for planar arrays with radomes. Three examples of synthesizing different planar array‐radome systems are conducted. Synthesis results show that the proposed method achieves much more accurate synthesis result than the traditional FFT‐based technique, while taking much less computation time than some other methods. This verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Flood Defense Standard Estimation Using Machine Learning and Its Representation in Large‐Scale Flood Hazard Modeling
Authors: Zhao Gang , Bates Paul D. , Neal Jeff , Yamazaki Dai
Published: March 2023

We propose a machine learning‐based approach to estimate the flood defense standard (FDS) for unlabeled sites. We adopted random forest regression (RFR) to characterize the relationship between the declared FDS and 10 explanatory factors contained in publicly available data sets. We compared RFR with multiple linear regression (MLR) and demonstrated the proposed approach in the conterminous United States (CONUS) and England, respectively. The results showed the following: (a) RFR performed better than MLR, with a Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.85 in the CONUS and 0.76 in England. Unsatisfactory performances of MLR indicated that the relationship between the FDS and explanatory factors did not obey an explicit linear function. (b) RFR revealed river flood factors had higher importance than physical and socio‐economic factors in the FDS estimation. The proposed RFR achieved the highest performance using all factors for prediction and could not provide good predictions (NSE < 0.65) using physical or socio‐economic factors individually. (c) We estimated the FDS for all unlabeled sites in the CONUS and England. Approximately 80% and 29% of sites were identified as high or highest standard (>100‐year return period) in the CONUS and England, respectively. (d) We incorporated the estimated FDS in large‐scale flood modeling and compared the model results with official flood hazard maps in three case studies. We identified obvious overestimations in protected areas when flood defenses were not taken into account; flood defenses were successfully represented using the proposed approach.
The core metabolome and root exudation dynamics of three phylogenetically distinct plant species
Authors: McLaughlin Sarah , Zhalnina Kateryna , Kosina Suzanne , Northen Trent R. , Sasse Joelle
Published: March 2023

Root exudates are plant-derived, exported metabolites likely shaping root-associated microbiomes by acting as nutrients and signals. However, root exudation dynamics are unclear and thus also, if changes in exudation are reflected in changes in microbiome structure. Here, we assess commonalities and differences between exudates of different plant species, diurnal exudation dynamics, as well as the accompanying methodological aspects of exudate sampling. We find that exudates should be collected for hours rather than days as many metabolite abundances saturate over time. Plant growth in sterile, nonsterile, or sugar-supplemented environments significantly alters exudate profiles. A comparison of Arabidopsis thaliana, Brachypodium distachyon, and Medicago truncatula shoot, root, and root exudate metabolite profiles reveals clear differences between these species, but also a core metabolome for tissues and exudates. Exudate profiles also exhibit a diurnal signature. These findings add to the methodological and conceptual groundwork for future exudate studies to improve understanding of plant-microbe interactions.
Small molecule-nanobody conjugate induced proximity controls intracellular processes and modulates endogenous unligandable targets
Authors: Sun Xiaofeng , Zhou Chengjian , Xia Simin , Chen Xi
Published: March 2023

Chemically induced proximity (CIP) is a powerful tool to study cellular functions. However with current CIP inducers it is difficult to directly modulate unligandable and endogenous targets, and therapeutic translational potential is also restricted. Herein, we combine CIP and chemical nanobody engineering and create cell-permeable small molecule-nanobody conjugate inducers of proximity (SNACIPs). The SNACIP inducer cRGT carrying a cyclic cell-penetrating peptide rapidly enters live cells and dimerizes eDHFR and GFP-variants. cRGT enables minute-scale, reversible, no-wash and dose-dependent control of cellular processes including signaling cascade, cargo transport and ferroptosis. Small-molecule motifs can also be installed via post-translational modifications. Therefore, latent-type SNACIPs including cRTC are designed that are functionally assembled inside living cells. cRTC contains a nanobody against an intrinsically disordered protein TPX2, a microtubule nucleation factor overexpressed in various cancers. Cancer cell proliferation is inhibited and tumor growth is suppressed in vivo. Hence, SNACIPs are valuable proximity inducers for regulating cellular functions.
Optimization of rice panicle architecture by specifically suppressing ligand–receptor pairs
Authors: Guo Tao , Lu Zi-Qi , Xiong Yehui , Shan Jun-Xiang , Ye Wang-Wei , Dong Nai-Qian , Kan Yi , Yang Yi-Bing , Zhao Huai-Yu , Yu Hong-Xiao , Guo Shuang-Qin , Lei Jie-Jie , Liao Ben , Chai Jijie , Lin Hong-Xuan
Published: March 2023

Rice panicle architecture determines the grain number per panicle and therefore impacts grain yield. The OsER1–OsMKKK10–OsMKK4–OsMPK6 pathway shapes panicle architecture by regulating cytokinin metabolism. However, the specific upstream ligands perceived by the OsER1 receptor are unknown. Here, we report that the EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR (EPF)/EPF-LIKE (EPFL) small secreted peptide family members OsEPFL6, OsEPFL7, OsEPFL8, and OsEPFL9 synergistically contribute to rice panicle morphogenesis by recognizing the OsER1 receptor and activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. Notably, OsEPFL6, OsEPFL7, OsEPFL8, and OsEPFL9 negatively regulate spikelet number per panicle, but OsEPFL8 also controls rice spikelet fertility. A osepfl6 osepfl7 osepfl9 triple mutant had significantly enhanced grain yield without affecting spikelet fertility, suggesting that specifically suppressing the OsEPFL6–OsER1, OsEPFL7–OsER1, and OsEPFL9–OsER1 ligand–receptor pairs can optimize rice panicle architecture. These findings provide a framework for fundamental understanding of the role of ligand–receptor signaling in rice panicle development and demonstrate a potential method to overcome the trade-off between spikelet number and fertility.
Superionic effect and anisotropic texture in Earth’s inner core driven by geomagnetic field
Authors: Sun Shichuan , He Yu , Yang Junyi , Lin Yufeng , Li Jinfeng , Kim Duck Young , Li Heping , Mao Ho-kwang
Published: March 2023

Seismological observations suggest that Earth’s inner core (IC) is heterogeneous and anisotropic. Increasing seismological observations make the understanding of the mineralogy and mechanism for the complex IC texture extremely challenging, and the driving force for the anisotropic texture remains unclear. Under IC conditions, hydrogen becomes highly diffusive like liquid in the hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) solid Fe lattice, which is known as the superionic state. Here, we reveal that H-ion diffusion in superionic Fe-H alloy is anisotropic with the lowest barrier energy along the c-axis. In the presence of an external electric field, the alignment of the Fe-H lattice with the c-axis pointing to the field direction is energetically favorable. Due to this effect, Fe-H alloys are aligned with the c-axis parallel to the equatorial plane by the diffusion of the north–south dipole geomagnetic field into the inner core. The aligned texture driven by the geomagnetic field presents significant seismic anisotropy, which explains the anisotropic seismic velocities in the IC, suggesting a strong coupling between the IC structure and geomagnetic field.
Prediction of global potential suitable habitats of Nicotiana alata Link et Otto based on MaxEnt model
Authors: Zhang Yan-Fang , Chen Shu-Tong , Gao Yun , Yang Long , Yu Hua
Published: March 2023

Nicotiana alata Link et Otto, widely used in landscaping, is not only of great ornamental value but also of high commercial and medical value. The global potential habitat of N. alata and the environmental factors affecting its distribution are not that clear at present. To provide a reference for the reasonable and extensive planting of N. alata now and in the future, the MaxEnt model was used to predict its global suitable habitats under current and future climate conditions, respectively, based on global geographic distribution data of N. alata and the current and future world bioclimatic variables. The results showed that mean temperature of the driest quarter (bio9), precipitation of driest month (bio14), precipitation seasonality (bio15) and max temperature of warmest month (bio5), were the key bioclimatic variables governing the distribution of N. alata. The global suitable habitats of N. alata were mainly distributed in Europe, the United States, southeastern South America, and China under current climate conditions. Compared with current climate conditions, the future climate decreased suitable habitats of N. alata under SSP1-2.6, and SSP2-4.5 scenario and increased suitable habitats of N. alata under SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5 climatic scenarios. The results provided valuable information and theoretical reference for the reasonable planting of N. alata.
Ultrasensitive tapered optical fiber refractive index glucose sensor
Authors: Ujah Erem , Lai Meimei , Slaughter Gymama
Published: March 2023

Refractive index (RI) sensors are of great interest for label-free optical biosensing. A tapered optical fiber (TOF) RI sensor with micron-sized waist diameters can dramatically enhance sensor sensitivity by reducing the mode volume over a long distance. Here, a simple and fast method is used to fabricate highly sensitive refractive index sensors based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Two TOFs (l = 5 mm) with waist diameters of 5 µm and 12 µm demonstrated sensitivity enhancement at λ = 1559 nm for glucose sensing (5–45 wt%) at room temperature. The optical power transmission decreased with increasing glucose concentration due to the interaction of the propagating light in the evanescent field with glucose molecules. The coating of the TOF with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as an active layer for glucose sensing generated LSPR through the interaction of the evanescent wave with AuNPs deposited at the tapered waist. The results indicated that the TOF (Ø = 5 µm) exhibited improved sensing performance with a sensitivity of 1265%/RIU compared to the TOF (Ø = 12 µm) at 560%/RIU towards glucose. The AuNPs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolent-visible spectroscopy. The AuNPs-decorated TOF (Ø = 12 µm) demonstrated a high sensitivity of 2032%/RIU toward glucose. The AuNPs-decorated TOF sensor showed a sensitivity enhancement of nearly 4 times over TOF (Ø = 12 µm) with RI ranging from 1.328 to 1.393. The fabricated TOF enabled ultrasensitive glucose detection with good stability and fast response that may lead to next-generation ultrasensitive biosensors for real-world applications, such as disease diagnosis.
First evidence of the link between internal and external structure of the human inner ear otolith system using 3D morphometric modeling
Authors: Smith Christopher M. , Curthoys Ian S. , Laitman Jeffrey T.
Published: March 2023

Our sense of balance is among the most central of our sensory systems, particularly in the evolution of human positional behavior. The peripheral vestibular system (PVS) comprises the organs responsible for this sense; the semicircular canals (detecting angular acceleration) and otolith organs (utricle and saccule; detecting linear acceleration, vibration, and head tilt). Reconstructing vestibular evolution in the human lineage, however, is problematic. In contrast to considerable study of the canals, relationships between external bone and internal membranous otolith organs (otolith system) remain largely unexplored. This limits our understanding of vestibular functional morphology. This study combines spherical harmonic modeling and landmark-based shape analyses to model the configuration of the human otolith system. Our approach serves two aims: (1) test the hypothesis that bony form covaries with internal membranous anatomy; and (2) create a 3D morphometric model visualizing bony and membranous structure. Results demonstrate significant associations between bony and membranous tissues of the otolith system. These data provide the first evidence that external structure of the human otolith system is directly related to internal anatomy, suggesting a basic biological relationship. Our results visualize this structural relationship, offering new avenues into vestibular biomechanical modeling and assessing the evolution of the human balance system.
Reconfigurable magnon interference by on-chip dynamic wavelength conversion
Authors: Sarker Md Shamim , Yao Lihao , Yamahara Hiroyasu , Ma Kaijie , Liao Zhiqiang , Terao Kenyu , Tang Siyi , Ramaraj Sankar Ganesh , Seki Munetoshi , Tabata Hitoshi
Published: March 2023

Spin waves (SWs), an ultra-low power magnetic excitation in ferro or antiferromagnetic media, have tremendous potential as transport less data carriers for post-CMOS technology using their wave interference properties. The concept of magnon interference originates from optical interference, resulting in a historical taboo of maintaining an identical wavevector for magnon interference-based devices. This makes the attainment of on-chip design reconfigurability challenging owing to the difficulty in phase tuning via external fields. Breaking the taboo, this study explores a novel technique to systematically control magnon interference using asymmetric wavevectors from two different SW modes (magnetostatic surface SWs and backward volume magnetostatic SWs) in a microstructured yttrium iron garnet crossbar. Using this system, we demonstrate phase reconfigurability in the interference pattern by modulating the thermal landscape, modifying the dispersion of the interfering SW modes. Thus, we manifest that such a tunable interference can be used to implement reconfigurable logic gates operating between the XNOR and XOR modes by using symmetric and asymmetric interference, respectively.
Methanol electro oxidation on Ni–Pt–CrO/CNFs composite: morphology, structural, and electrochemical characterization
Authors: Abdel-Hady E. E. , Gamal Ahmed , Hamdy Hany , Shaban Mohamed , Abdel-Hamed M. O. , Mohammed Mahmoud A. , Mohammed Wael M.
Published: March 2023

In this work, prepared nanoparticle samples of Ni1-xCrxwith a fixed ratio of platinum (3%) were synthesized and loaded onto carbon nanofibers, which were produced by an electrospinning technique and carbonized at 900 °C for 7 h in an argon atmosphere. A variety of analysis techniques were applied to examine the stoichiometry, structure, surface morphology, and electrochemical activity. The carbonization process produces carbon nanofibers decorated with metal nanoparticles. Typical fibre diameters are 250–520 nm. The fibre morphologies of the treated samples don’t exhibit any overt alterations. A study of the samples’ methanol electrocatalytic capabilities was conducted. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance measurements were used to investigate catalytic performance and electrode stability as a function of electrolyte concentration, scan rate, and reaction time. The electrooxidation reaction’s activation energy is increased, and the electrode’s stability is increased, when Cr is added to Ni. In sample C3, the maximum current density (JPE) was 170.3 mA/cm2at 0.8 V with an onset potential of 0.352 V. Utilizing our electrocatalysts, the electrooxidation of methanol involves a mix of kinetic and diffusion control limiting reactions. This study has shown how to fabricate a powerful Ni–Pt–Cr-based methanol electrooxidation catalyst using a novel approach.
Astrocytes actively support long-range molecular clock synchronization of segregated neuronal populations
Authors: Giantomasi Lidia , Ribeiro João F. , Barca-Mayo Olga , Malerba Mario , Miele Ermanno , De Pietri Tonelli Davide , Berdondini Luca
Published: March 2023

In mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus is the master circadian pacemaker that synchronizes the clocks in the central nervous system and periphery, thus orchestrating rhythms throughout the body. However, little is known about how so many cellular clocks within and across brain circuits can be effectively synchronized. In this work, we investigated the implication of two possible pathways: (i) astrocytes-mediated synchronization and (ii) neuronal paracrine factors-mediated synchronization. By taking advantage of a lab-on-a-chip microfluidic device developed in our laboratory, here we report that both pathways are involved. We found the paracrine factors-mediated synchronization of molecular clocks is diffusion-limited and, in our device, effective only in case of a short distance between neuronal populations. Interestingly, interconnecting astrocytes define an active signaling channel that can synchronize molecular clocks of neuronal populations also at longer distances. At mechanism level, we found that astrocytes-mediated synchronization involves both GABA and glutamate, while neuronal paracrine factors-mediated synchronization occurs through GABA signaling. These findings identify a previously unknown role of astrocytes as active cells that might distribute long-range signals to synchronize the brain clocks, thus further strengthening the importance of reciprocal interactions between glial and neuronal cells in the context of circadian circuitry.
Evolution process and failure mechanism of a large expressway roadside landslide
Authors: Zhang Jian , Zhang Shihua , Ding Yong , Zhu David Z.
Published: March 2023

Site investigation, deformation monitoring, laboratory test, and theoretical calculations were used to analyze the evolution details of a large expressway roadside landslide during the start-up sliding process. The monitoring results show that the initial deformation and failure occurred on the protective wall at the slope toe, then gradually developed to the upper part of the slope, and finally led to tensile cracks at the slope trailing edge. Accelerated deformation of the slope support structures, such as the protective wall at the slope toe, the anti-slide pile, and the anchor cable, were observed during the continuous extreme rainfall. The infiltrated rainwater can change the weight, the osmotic pressure, the anti-sliding force, the sliding force of the sliding mass, and further soften the fully weathered tuff soil and reduce its strength, resulting in the landslide occurrence. Block the slope surface runoff is an effective measure to reduce the landslide risk. The current analysis will be helpful to the prevention, control, and emergency disposal of similar landslides.
Different impacts of TP53 mutations on cell cycle-related gene expression among cancer types
Authors: Sasaki Keiju , Takahashi Shin , Ouchi Kota , Otsuki Yasufumi , Wakayama Shonosuke , Ishioka Chikashi
Published: March 2023

Functional properties caused by TP53 mutations are involved in cancer development and progression. Although most of the mutations lose normal p53 functions, some of them, gain-of-function (GOF) mutations, exhibiting novel oncogenic functions. No reports have analyzed the impact of TP53 mutations on the gene expression profile of the p53 signaling pathway across cancer types. This study is a cross-cancer type analysis of the effects of TP53 mutations on gene expression. A hierarchical cluster analysis of the expression profile of the p53 signaling pathway classified 21 cancer types into two clusters (A1 and A2). Changes in the expression of cell cycle-related genes and MKI67 by TP53 mutations were greater in cluster A1 than in cluster A2. There was no distinct difference in the effects between GOF and non-GOF mutations on the gene expression profile of the p53 signaling pathway.
Magnetic anchor technique assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy in swine
Authors: Zhang Miaomiao , Ma Jia , Gai Jingci , Zhang Zhixuan , Wang Haohua , Zhang Yuhan , Ren Yuxiang , Lyu Yi , Yan Xiaopeng
Published: March 2023

Magnetic anchor device based on the principle of magnet heteropolar attraction can assist laparoscopic surgery and reduce abdominal wall trauma. This study explored the feasibility of use of our self-designed magnetic anchor device for reduced-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) through animal experiments. Twelve experimental pigs (15–20 kg) were randomly divided into study group (magnetic anchor technique assisted 2-port LC, n = 6) and control group (conventional 3-port LC, n = 6). Operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. LC was successfully performed in all 12 pigs. There was no significant between-group difference with respect to operative time (study group: 35.83 ± 5.12 min; control group: 34.50 ± 5.13 min, P = 0.662) or intraoperative blood loss (< 50 mL per animal in both groups). In the experimental group, there was no malfunction of the magnetic anchoring device, the use process was smooth, and the tissue traction and surgical field exposure were satisfactory. There were no perioperative complications such as bile duct injury, bile leakage, or bleeding in both groups. We demonstrated the feasibility of use of the self-designed magnetic anchor device in reduced-port LC. The device has important clinical application value.
Anomalous Mechanical Behaviour Arising From Framework Flexibility
Authors: Marmier Arnaud
Published: March 2023

This chapter describes in detail the framework of anisotropic elasticity to introduce exotic elastic and thermoelastic properties that are often prevalent and extreme in MOFs: negative linear compressibility (NLC), negative thermal expansion (NTE) and negative Poisson's ratio (NPR). The complete elastic tensors of 56 MOFs are collated and analysed to reveal that NPR is very common in non-cubic MOF structures, but the mechanisms are not yet clear. This is in contrast to NLC and NTE, which derive from the interplay between rigid, stiff building blocks and compliant joint flexing in ‘wine-rack’ type motions and dynamic equivalents. As the existence of flexible mechanisms seems to allow large and unusual framework deformations, several potential measures of materials and framework flexibility are considered, from ad hoc elastic anisotropy metrics to graph-theoretical and group-theoretical analyses, including physical models.
High-pressure Mechanical Behaviour Under Hydrostatic Compression
Authors: Moggach Stephen A. , Turner Gemma F.
Published: March 2023

This chapter provides an overview of the structural response of MOFs to high-hydrostatic pressure and methods used for in situ structural characterisation under such conditions. Flexible MOFs undergo pressure-stimulated structural distortions, phase transitions, and guest-mediated processes relevant to numerous practical applications. The structural changes usually occur with retention of the framework crystallinity, allowing flexible behaviour to be followed by high-pressure crystallography and/or spectroscopy. Identification of generalised structural responses to hydrostatic pressure across frameworks sharing common structural features or topologies is presented, and their structure–property relationships are discussed, an understanding of which is necessary to realise rational design of MOFs with predictable properties.
What is ‘Active Matter’?
Authors: Gentile Luigi , Kurzthaler Christina , Stone Howard A.
Published: March 2023

Over the past decades, active matter systems have attracted the attention of scientists from different areas, including physics, engineering, biology, and the human sciences. These systems involve agents that convert some type of energy into directed motion. Examples range from swimming microorganisms to crawling cells to synthetic active colloids. A striking feature of active materials is that they are strongly driven out of equilibrium and therefore display a variety of unusual phenomena at the single as well as collective level, which differ drastically from their passive counterparts. In this preface, we provide an overview of the main avenues of research in active matter and bring together the topics addressed in our book. We conclude by discussing future research directions in this rapidly-evolving, interdisciplinary research field.
Hydrodynamics of Cell Swimming
Authors: Kurzthaler Christina , Stone Howard A.
Published: March 2023

To optimize their survival strategies many microorganisms use a variety of different swimming mechanisms, which often rely on the use of cellular appendages, such as flagella or cilia. In this chapter, we revisit different models for the hydrodynamics of cell swimming, including the paradigmatic squirmer model and Taylor's swimming sheet. We further discuss the impact of noise and biophysical reorientation mechanisms on their dynamics and elucidate their hydrodynamic interactions with nearby boundaries, which have different material properties, and other agents. We also address different active transport phenomena in non-Newtonian fluids, in the presence of external forces, gradients, and flows. Finally, we comment on examples of how microorganisms and mammalian cells stir their surrounding fluid to achieve different biological functions.
Rheology of Active Fluids
Authors: Lanzaro Alfredo , Gentile Luigi
Published: March 2023

This chapter on the rheology of active fluids is an attempt to correlate theoretical and experimental work. A considerable amount of theoretical work and most of the experimental data focus on the rheology of active fluids in a Newtonian matrix, which displays uncommon macroscopic rheological behaviours, such as the apparent superfluid-like state of the pusher suspensions. The failure of the “scallop theorem” for reciprocal swimmers in a non-Newtonian matrix is highlighted. Finally, recent findings concerning the turbulent-like behaviour in concentrated systems are described in detail.
Evolution of the Fundamentals of Solid-phase Microextraction
Authors: Pawliszyn Janusz
Published: March 2023

Sample preparation is a critical step in an analytical process. However, approaches to optimizing the associated parameters are often based on trial and error rather than rational scientific methodologies. If an extraction method provides good recovery, it is assumed that it works well and no further consideration is given to the underlying principles driving its performance. Such a perspective suggests that, when it comes to sample preparation, the fundamentals of method optimization are not as important as in other technologies, such as electrochemistry or chromatography. This is the main reason why the fundamentals of sample preparation are not typically covered in analytical chemistry curricula. Throughout my scientific career, I have carefully considered the underlying principles of sample-preparation procedures, which has led to the development of a range of extraction technologies that have been put to practical use in many labs around the world including Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME). Special attention is given in this chapter to the potential benefits of using SPME, such as higher enrichment and better performance in the characterization of complex systems, including in vivo investigations. Furthermore, optimal approaches to addressing challenges such as swelling and saturation effects are also discussed, as such issues can impair accurate quantification. The information about the operational details of SPME provided in this chapter will not only be critical for facilitating its continued evolution, but it will also be an invaluable resource for both SPME users and other scientists interested in gaining greater insight into extraction principles in general.
The Effect of Vacuum on Headspace SPME: Theory and Practice
Authors: Psillakis E.
Published: March 2023

Headspace SPME (HS-SPME) sampling under reduced pressure conditions accelerates the extraction kinetics of analytes exhibiting long equilibration times via regular HS-SPME. At the same time, the extraction of analytes that reach equilibrium fast is not affected. In all optimized vacuum-assisted HS-SPME methods, extraction times are greatly reduced and/or sampling temperatures are substantially lower compared to the standard methodology. This Chapter gives an overview of the fundamental concepts describing the pressure dependence of HS-SPME. The discussion proceeds by presenting the synergistic effect of a vacuum and other important variables considered during HS-SPME method optimization. The practical aspects, applications, and current knowledge in the field are highlighted throughout the Chapter.
Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction: A Versatile, Sensitive and Robust Technique for Targeted and Untargeted Analyses
Authors: David F. , Ochiai N. , Sandra P.
Published: March 2023

Developed in the late 1990s, stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) has become a very powerful extraction and enrichment technique for the determination of organic compounds in a large variety of liquid, semi-liquid and solid matrices. Based on the same sorptive extraction fundamentals as solid phase micro-extraction (SPME), SBSE had found its way to research and routine laboratories since coated stir bars and dedicated desorption equipment have become commercially available. In this chapter, the development, fundamentals, workflows and new modes of SBSE are discussed. Most attention is paid to the use of stir bars coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), since these sorptive extraction devices have proven robustness and can be considered a valuable tool in an analytical toolbox.
Direct Coupling of SPME to Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Mirabelli Mario F.
Published: March 2023

Solid-phase microextraction devices are normally analyzed by gas or liquid chromatography. Their use has become increasingly widespread since their introduction in 1990, and nowadays most analytical laboratories use or have used SPME as an efficient and green method to perform analyte extraction and sample clean-up in one step. The SPME technique is intrinsically flexible, and allows for a high degree of optimization with regard to the extracting phase, as well as the way sample is analyzed. Since its introduction, researchers have been trying different ways to transfer analytes extracted from the solid phase to a mass spectrometer, with the aim to increase throughput and reduce solvent, gas usage and costs associated with conventional chromatographic techniques. Furthermore, but not less important, for pure fun of developing new, more efficient and sensitive analytical strategies! This chapter aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the most relevant non-chromatographic mass spectrometric approaches developed for SPME. Technical aspects of each SPME-MS approach will be discussed, highlighting their advantages, disadvantages and future potential developments. Particular emphasis will be given on the most recent direct coupling approaches using novel ionization approaches, and a concise overview of the existing applications will also be provided.
Application of In-tube SPME to Analysis of Stress-related Biomarkers
Authors: Kataoka Hiroyuki
Published: March 2023

Stress is thought to trigger not only neuropsychiatric disorders but various lifestyle-related diseases, and can affect a person's quality of life and work productivity. Therefore, more and more people are not only avoiding stressful situations but actively pursuing comfort. Therefore, a method to objectively and quantitatively evaluate stress and relaxation at the pre-disease stage is desirable. This chapter outlines stress and relaxation evaluation methods that have been used to date, and introduces simple and sensitive online automated systems for the analysis of stress biomarkers using in-tube solid-phase microextraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. These analysis systems measure the levels of trace chemicals in samples obtained from humans, including endocrine and autonomic nervous system stress-related biomarkers (steroid hormones, catecholamines, and related metabolites) and relaxation-related biomarkers (serotonin and related metabolites, and oxytocin) that are produced at times of stress and relaxation.