bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Small Molecular Fluorescent Probes for Alzheimer's Disease Associated Active Species
Authors: Tang Fuyan , Wang Kai , Liu Xueli , Zhang Xiaolei , Zhou Wanting , Mu Zonggao , Zhang Tian , Shu Wei , Liu Yuying , Xiao Haibin
Published: April 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and is the main cause of dementia worldwide. As the pathogenesis of AD is quite complicated, there is continuous attention to AD‐associated active species, such as amyloid‐β plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, metal ions, reactive oxygen/nitrogen/sulphur species, cholinesterase, viscosity, formaldehyde and so on. To this end, a series of small molecular fluorescent probes for these active species have been explored for early diagnosis and even remedy of AD. Herein, we systematacially summarize the versatile fluorescent probes mainly in recent three years, including the relationship between the structure and properties as well as the targeted diagnosis and imaging application of all these fluorescent probes. Moreover, the challenges and perspectives of the AD‐related fluorescent probes are briefly explicated. We firmly expect this review may provide guidance for constructing new AD‐relevant fluorescent probes and promote the clinical study of AD.
Methods for Imaging Inflammation and Transendothelial Migration in Vivo and ex Vivo
Authors: Fang Vivienne , Haynes Maureen E. , Hayashi Vanessa , Arias Erika , Lavine Jeremy A. , Sullivan David P. , Muller William A.
Published: April 2023

Inflammation is the body's response to injury and harmful stimuli and contributes to a range of infectious and noninfectious diseases. Inflammation occurs through a series of well‐defined leukocyte‐endothelial cell interactions, including rolling, activation, adhesion, transmigration, and subsequent migration through the extracellular matrix. Being able to visualize the stages of inflammation is important for a better understanding of its role in diseases processes. Detailed in this article are protocols for imaging immune cell infiltration and transendothelial migration in vascular tissue beds, including those in the mouse ear, cremaster muscle, brain, lung, and retina. Also described are protocols for inducing inflammation and quantifying leukocytes with FIJI imaging software. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Induction of croton oil dermatitis

Alternate Protocol 1: Induction of croton oil dermatitis using genetically fluorescent mice

Basic Protocol 2: Intravital microscopy of the mouse cremaster muscle

Support Protocol: Making a silicone stage

Basic Protocol 3: Wide‐field microscopy of the mouse brain

Basic Protocol 4: Imaging the lungs (ex vivo)

Alternate Protocol 2: Inflating the lungs without tracheostomy

Basic Protocol 5: Inducing, imaging, and quantifying infiltration of leukocytes in mouse retina
Mapping the quantitative field resistance to stripe rust in a hard winter wheat population “Overley” × “Overland”
Authors: Mustahsan Wardah , Guttieri Mary J. , Bowden Robert L. , Garland‐Campbell Kimberley , Jordan Katherine , Bai Guihua , Zhang Guorong
Published: April 2023

Stripe (yellow) rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a devastating disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum) worldwide. In commercial production, stripe rust reduces grain quality, grain yield, and forage yield. This study was conducted to identify quantitative trait locus (QTL) associated with field resistance to stripe rust in hard winter wheat. Stripe rust infection type and severity were rated in recombinant inbred lines (RILs, n = 204) derived from a cross between hard red winter wheat cultivars “Overley” and “Overland” in replicated field trials in the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest. RILs (n = 184) were genotyped with reduced representation sequencing to produce single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from alignment to the “Chinese Spring” reference sequence, IWGSC v2.1, and from alignment to the reference sequence for “Jagger,” which is a parent of Overley. Genetic linkage maps were developed independently from each set of SNP markers. QTL analysis identified genomic regions on chromosome arms 2AS, 2BS, 2BL, and 2DL that were associated with stripe rust resistance using multi‐environment best linear unbiased predictors for stripe rust infection type and severity. Results for the two linkage maps were very similar. PCR‐based SNP marker assays associated with the QTL regions were developed to efficiently identify these genomic regions in breeding populations.
Can green credit policy reduce corporate carbon emission intensity: Evidence from China's listed firms
Authors: Xu Pei , Ye Penghao , Jahanger Atif , Huang Siwei , Zhao Fan
Published: April 2023

Green credit policy is designed to address the global climate risk. However, few studies have investigated empirically whether green credit policy indeed reduces corporate carbon emission intensity. Based on firm‐level data in China and a difference‐in‐differences model, this study explores how corporate carbon emission intensity evolves following the green credit policy. We find that, on the whole, the green credit can effectively reduce corporate carbon emission intensity, while the dynamic negative effect tends to alleviate after 2017. Specifically, green credit reduces corporate carbon emission intensity mainly through lowering investment carbon intensity and enhancing environmental supervision. However, the signaling mechanism of green credit does not significantly alleviate corporate carbon emission intensity. The green credit has a stronger reduction effect on corporate carbon emission intensity with third‐party certification, non‐state‐owned ownership, and high financing constraint. We thereby suggest that innovations should be made to the standards and processes of green credit to ensure sustainability and stability. Quantitative and standardized corporate environmental information disclosure is essential for the low‐carbon effect on green finance innovation.
Bringing light onto the Raunkiæran shortfall: A comprehensive review of traits used in functional animal ecology
Authors: Gonçalves‐Souza Thiago , Chaves Leonardo S. , Boldorini Gabriel X. , Ferreira Natália , Gusmão Reginaldo A. F. , Perônico Phamela Bernardes , Sanders Nathan J. , Teresa Fabrício B.
Published: April 2023

Trait‐based approaches elucidate the mechanisms underlying biodiversity response to, or effects on, the environment. Nevertheless, the Raunkiæran shortfall—the dearth of knowledge on species traits and their functionality—presents a challenge in the application of these approaches. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the trends and gaps in trait‐based animal ecology in terms of taxonomic resolution, trait selection, ecosystem type, and geographical region. In addition, we suggest a set of crucial steps to guide trait selection and aid future research to conduct within and cross‐taxon comparisons. We identified 1655 articles using virtually all animal groups published from 1999 to 2020. Studies were concentrated in vertebrates, terrestrial habitats, the Palearctic realm, and mostly investigated trophic and habitat dimensions. Additionally, they focused on response traits (79.4%) and largely ignored intraspecific variation (94.6%). Almost 36% of the data sets did not provide the rationale behind the selection of morphological traits. The main limitations of trait‐based animal ecology were the use of trait averages and a rare inclusion of intraspecific variability. Nearly one‐fifth of the studies based only on response traits conclude that trait diversity impacts ecosystem processes or services without justifying the connection between them or measuring them. We propose a guide for standardizing trait collection that includes the following: (i) determining the type of trait and the mechanism linking the trait to the environment, ecosystem, or the correlation between the environment, trait, and ecosystem, (ii) using a “periodic table of niches” to select the appropriate niche dimension to support a mechanistic trait selection, and (iii) selecting the relevant traits for each retained niche dimension. By addressing these gaps, trait‐based animal ecology can become more predictive. This implies that future research will likely focus on collaborating to understand how environmental changes impact animals and their capacity to provide ecosystem services and goods.
Machine learning and magnetic resonance imaging: Differentiating benign from malignant osseous tumors
Authors: Emil N. Suzanne , Sibbitt Randy R. , Sibbitt Wilmer L.
Published: April 2023

Radiomics and machine learning applied to the isolated cartilaginous bone lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly useful to distinguish malignant versus benign bone lesions, to determine whether repetitive imaging over time, to determine dynamic expansion, or immediate excisional biopsy are indicated.
Myeloperoxidase‐Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assesses Inflammatory Activation State in Experimental Mouse Acute Gout
Authors: Zhu Chunrong , Li Yunhe , Deng Qiao , Liu Xinxin , Xia Qian , Zhong Lei , Xia Zhiyang , ShanZhou Qiyue , Lei Jun , Zhu Jiang
Published: April 2023

Background

A novel myeloperoxidase‐activatable manganese‐based (MPO‐Mn) MRI probe may enable the activation state of inflammatory foci to be detected and monitored noninvasively.

Purpose

To evaluate the inflammatory response in a mouse model of acute gout using MPO as an imaging biomarker and a potential therapeutic target.

Study Type

Prospective.

Animal Model

A total of 40 male Swiss mice with monosodium urate crystals induced acute gout.

Field Strength/Sequence

A 3.0 T/T1‐weighted imaging with 2D fast spoiled gradient recalled echo and T2‐weighted imaging with fast recovery fast spin‐echo sequences.

Assessment

The difference in contrast‐to‐noise ratio between left hind limb (lesion) and right hind limb (internal reference) (ΔCNR), and normalized signal‐to‐noise ratio (nSNR) on the right hind limb were calculated and compared. The expression level and activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) were analyzed using western blotting and spectrophotometric quantitation activity assay. MPO‐positive cell infiltration and lesion volume were evaluated using immunofluorescence staining and T2‐weighted images, respectively.

Statistical Tests

Student's t test. A P‐value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results

MPO‐Mn resulted in a significantly higher ΔCNR than Gd‐DTPA (22.54 ± 1.86 vs. 13.90 ± 2.22) but lower nSNR on the reference right hind limb (1.08 ± 0.07 vs. 1.21 ± 0.08). Compared to the nontreatment group, MPO‐inhibition resulted in a significantly reduced contrast enhancement at the lesion (17.81 ± 1.58 vs. 22.96 ± 3.12), which was consistent with a remission of the inflammatory response, as evidenced by a substantial reduction of lesion volume (0.55 ± 0.16 mm3/g vs. 1.14 ± 0.15 mm3/g), myeloperoxidase expression level (0.98 ± 0.09 vs. 1.48 ± 0.19) and activity (0.75 ± 0.12 vs. 1.12 ± 0.07), and inflammatory cell recruitment.

Data Conclusion

MPO‐Mn MRI has potential to evaluate the activation state of inflammatory foci in the experimental model of acute gout.

Evidence Level

1.

Technical Efficacy

Stage 1.
Association of gut microbiota with COVID‐19 susceptibility and severity: A two‐sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Shang Weifeng , Zhang Sheng , Qian Hang , Pan Xiaojun , Huang Sisi , Wen Zhenliang , Liu Jiao , Chen Dechang
Published: April 2023

Evidence supports the observational associations of gut microbiota with the risk of COVID‐19; however, it is unclear whether these associations reflect a causal relationship. This study investigated the association of gut microbiota with COVID‐19 susceptibility and severity. Data were obtained from a large‐scale gut microbiota data set (n = 18 340) and the COVID‐19 Host Genetics Initiative (n = 2 942 817). Causal effects were estimated with inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR‐Egger, and weighted median, and sensitivity analyses were implemented with Cochran's Q test, MR‐Egger intercept test, MR‐PRESSO, leave‐one‐out analysis, and funnel plots. For COVID‐19 susceptibility, IVW estimates suggested that Gammaproteobacteria (odds ratio [OR] = 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89–0.99, p = 0.0295] and Streptococcaceae (OR = 0.95, 95% CI, 0.92–1.00, p = 0.0287) had a reduced risk, while Negativicutes (OR = 1.05, 95% CI, 1.01–1.10, p = 0.0302), Selenomonadales (OR = 1.05, 95% CI, 1.01–1.10, p = 0.0302), Bacteroides (OR = 1.06, 95% CI, 1.01–1.12, p = 0.0283), and Bacteroidaceae (OR = 1.06, 95% CI, 1.01–1.12, p = 0.0283) were associated with an increased risk (all p < 0.05, nominally significant). For COVID‐19 severity, Subdoligranulum (OR = 0.80, 95% CI, 0.69–0.92, p = 0.0018), Cyanobacteria (OR = 0.85, 95% CI, 0.76–0.96, p = 0.0062), Lactobacillales (OR = 0.87, 95% CI, 0.76–0.98, p = 0.0260), Christensenellaceae (OR = 0.87, 95% CI, 0.77–0.99, p = 0.0384), Tyzzerella3 (OR = 0.89, 95% CI, 0.81–0.97, p = 0.0070), and RuminococcaceaeUCG011 (OR = 0.91, 95% CI, 0.83–0.99, p = 0.0247) exhibited negative correlations, while RikenellaceaeRC9 (OR = 1.09, 95% CI, 1.01–1.17, p = 0.0277), LachnospiraceaeUCG008 (OR = 1.12, 95% CI, 1.00–1.26, p = 0.0432), and MollicutesRF9 (OR = 1.14, 95% CI, 1.01–1.29, p = 0.0354) exhibited positive correlations (all p < 0.05, nominally significant). Sensitivity analyses validated the robustness of the above associations. These findings suggest that gut microbiota might influence the susceptibility and severity of COVID‐19 in a causal way, thus providing novel insights into the gut microbiota‐mediated development mechanism of COVID‐19.
Emotional Expression, Perception, and Induction in Music and Dance: Considering Ecologically Valid Intentions
Authors: Susino Marco
Published: April 2023

Cognitive and behavioral studies ranging from biomechanics to motor functions and neural mirroring explorations have extensively investigated the communication of emotions in music and dance. Recognized for their ability to convey and elicit emotions, various studies aim to validate the extent to which auditory expressive cues and embodied expressive movements are able to convey emotions. However, is expressing and evoking emotions a generalized intention of music and dance? Although much data exists based on audience responses (decoders), composers' and choreographers' (encoders) intentions beyond experimental instructions are still being determined. This paper reports two studies investigating the intention of composers and choreographers when creating new works. Results revealed that expressing emotions is not a primary goal yet a significant underlying intention. Furthermore, composers and choreographers aimed for their expressed emotions to be perceived rather than felt. Moreover, the genre conventions determined by stylistic and cultural factors influenced emotion expression, with some genres allowing more expressive cues than others, likely affecting the extent to which emotions are meaningfully conveyed. These findings point to potential cue variance between actual intentions and experiment‐intended stimuli to express and thus communicate emotions. An argument for the importance of ecological validity in laboratory‐based experiments is presented.
Improving grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency of direct‐seeded rice with simplified and nitrogen‐reduced practices under a double‐cropping system in South China
Authors: Fu Youqiang , Huang Nongrong , Zhong Xuhua , Mai Guoxun , Pan Huarong , Xu Haoqi , Liu Yanzhuo , Liang Kaiming , Pan Junfeng , Xiao Jie , Hu Xiangyu , Hu Rui , Li Meijuan , Ye Qunhuan
Published: April 2023

Background

Enhancing grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of rice is of great importance for sustainable agricultural development. Little effort has been made to increase grain yield and NUE of direct‐seeded rice under the double‐cropping system in South China. Field trials were conducted during 2018–2020 with four treatments, including nitrogen‐free, farmers' fertilization practice (FP), ‘three controls’ nutrient management (TC), and simplified and nitrogen‐reduced practice (SNRP).

Results

Grain yield under SNRP averaged 6.46 t ha−1 during the three years and was 23.0% higher than that of FP but comparable to that of TC. Recovery efficiency (REN), agronomic efficiency (AEN), and partial factor productivity (PFPN) of nitrogen under SNRP increased by 12.0–22.7%, 159.3–295.0% and 94.6–112.5% respectively compared with FP. Harvest index and sink capacity increased by 7.3–10.8% and 14.9–21.3% respectively. Percentage of productive tillers (PPT) and biomass after heading increased by 24.0% and 104.5% respectively. Leaf nitrogen concentration at heading and nitrogen accumulation after heading increased by 16.3% and 842.0% respectively. Grain yield was positively correlated with PPT, sink capacity, harvest index, biomass and nitrogen accumulation after heading, REN, AEN, and PFPN.

Conclusion

Grain yield and NUE under SNRP were superior to those under FP and comparable to those under TC. Increase in sink capacity, higher PPT, more biomass and nitrogen accumulation after heading, and greater harvest index were responsible for high grain yield and NUE in SNRP with reduced nitrogen fertilizer and labor input. SNRP is a feasible approach for direct‐seeded rice under a double‐cropping system in South China. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Linkages between bacteria and nutrient availabilities in slash‐and‐burn tropical soils vary with feeding‐habit ants
Authors: Wang Shaojun , Zhang Kunfeng , Fan Yuxiang , Zhang Lulu , Guo Xiaofei , Xie Lingling , Xiao Bo , Wang Zhengjun , Guo Zhipeng
Published: April 2023

As important structuring forces in forest ecosystems, ants can drive above‐ and belowground food‐webs and ecosystem functionality. It remains uncertain, however, about how different foraging‐habit ants shape symbiotic bacterial assemblies and nutrient cycling in nest soils. This study quantified the impacts of predatory and honeydew‐feeding ants on soil bacterial communities and nutrient pools in Xishuangbanna tropical forests restored from slash‐and‐burn agriculture. In contrast to reference soils, all ant nests increased the relative abundances of dominant copiotrophs and decreased those of preponderant oligotrophs in the bacterial communities, which was closely associated with the high levels of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in the nests. Honeydew‐feeding ants harbored a high abundance of bacterial trophic groups (i.e., γ‐Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes) preferring low‐quality resource, owing to high increment (103%) in C concentration and low increase (69%) in N level compared to reference soils. In contrast, predatory ants sheltered a high assemblage of bacterial taxa (i.e., β‐Proteobacteria and δ‐Proteobacteria) favoring high‐quality resource, due to increased N level (135%) and decreased C:N ratio (35%) compared to reference soils. We concluded that the foraging‐habit ants shaped symbiotic bacterial assemblages primarily through differential modifications on level and allocation of soil C and N pools. Our results would further the understanding of the fauna roles in driving soil food‐webs as well as nutrient cycling.
A method for successful collection of multicores and gravity cores from Antarctic subglacial lakes
Authors: Rosenheim Brad E. , Michaud Alexander B. , Broda James , Gagnon Alan , Venturelli Ryan A. , Campbell Timothy D. , Leventer Amy , Patterson Molly , Siegfried Matthew R. , Christner Brent C. , Duling Dennis , Harwood David , Dore John E. , Tranter Martyn , Skidmore Mark L. , Priscu John C. ,   SALSA Science Team
Published: April 2023

During the 2018–2019 Antarctic field season, the Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access project team cleanly accessed Mercer Subglacial Lake, West Antarctica, to sample water and sediments beneath 1087 m of overlying ice. A multicorer was successful in sampling the sediment–water interface, with 4 deployments retrieving 10 cores between 0.3 and 0.4 m in length. Gravity coring was also successful, retrieving cores of 0.97 and 1.78 m in glacial diamict. However, sediment cores retrieved by the gravity cores were shorter than the core barrel penetration (as measured by mud streaks on the outside of the coring system), indicating that the system can likely be improved. This manuscript describes the design, implementation, successes, and lessons learned while coring sediments in a subglacial lake.
Monitoring the galvanic corrosion of copper–steel coupling in bentonite slurry during the early oxic phase using coupled multielectrode arrays
Authors: Kosec Tadeja , Hren Miha , Prijatelj Klara , Zajec Bojan , Gartner Nina , Legat Andraž
Published: April 2023

In the case of a two‐part container for spent nuclear fuel, consisting of an iron‐based inner structure with a copper coating, the potential perforation of copper through minor damage may result in intensive galvanic corrosion between copper and steel. The present work focuses on the corrosion of steel galvanically coupled to copper and exposed to a slightly saline environment under oxic conditions. The electrochemical processes on individual electrodes were monitored by coupled multielectrode arrays (CMEAs). The CMEAs were either in contact with groundwater saturated with bentonite or immersed in groundwater only. Very high galvanic corrosion currents were detected between carbon steel and pure copper in the early oxic phase. Additionally, the use of CMEAs further made it possible to monitor the distribution of cathodic currents around the steel electrode, which behaved anodically. Various microscopy and spectroscopy techniques were applied to identify the modes of corrosion and the type of corrosion products present at the end of the period of exposure.
Differential Findings on Anorectal Manometry in Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Defecatory Dysfunction
Authors: Zhou Wendy , Triadafilopoulos George , Gurland Brooke , Halawi Houssam , Becker Laren , Garcia Patricia , Nguyen Linda , Miglis Mitchell , Muppidi Srikanth , Sinn Dong‐In , Jaradeh Safwan , Neshatian Leila
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Gastrointestinal dysfunction, particularly constipation, is among the most common non‐motor manifestations in Parkinson's Disease (PD). We aimed to identify high‐resolution anorectal manometry (HR‐ARM) abnormalities in patients with PD using the London Classification.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of all PD patients at our institution who underwent HR‐ARM and balloon expulsion test (BET) for evaluation of constipation between 2015 and 2021. Using age and sex‐specific normal values, HR‐ARM recordings were re‐analyzed and abnormalities were reported using the London Classification. A combination of Wilcoxon rank sum and Fisher's exact test were used.

Results

36 patients (19 women) with median age 71 (interquartile range [IQR]: 69–74) years, were included. Using the London Classification, 7 (19%) patients had anal hypotension, 17 (47%) had anal hypocontractility, and 3 women had combined hypotension and hypocontractility. Anal hypocontractility was significantly more common in women compared to men. Abnormal BET and dyssynergia were noted in 22 (61%) patients, while abnormal BET and poor propulsion were only seen in 2 (5%). Men had significantly more paradoxical anal contraction and higher residual anal pressures during simulated defecation, resulting in more negative recto‐anal pressure gradients. Rectal hyposensitivity was seen in nearly one third of PD patients and comparable among men and women.

Conclusion

Our data affirms the high prevalence of anorectal disorders in PD. Using the London Classification, abnormal expulsion and dyssynergia and anal hypocontractility were the most common findings in PD. Whether the high prevalence of anal hypocontractility in females is directly related to PD or other confounding factors will require further research.
Influence of cerebrospinal fluid on power absorption during transcranial magnetic resonance‐guided focused ultrasound treatment
Authors: Slominski Emma , Marchant Joshua , Judd Wesley , Alexander Matthew D. , Rolston John D. , Odéen Henrik , Rieke Viola , Christensen Douglas A. , Parker Dennis L.
Published: April 2023

Background

Ultrasound beam aberration correction is vital when focusing ultrasound through the skull bone in transcranial magnetic resonance‐guided focused ultrasound (tcMRgFUS) applications. Current methods make transducer element phase adjustments to compensate for the variation in skull properties (shape, thickness, and acoustic properties), but do not account for variations in the internal brain anatomy.

Purpose

Our objective is to investigate the effect of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain anatomy on beam focusing in tcMRgFUS treatments.

Methods

Simulations were conducted with imaging data from 20 patients previously treated with focused ultrasound for disabling tremor. The Hybrid Angular Spectrum (HAS) method was used to test the effect of including cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and brain anatomy in determining the element phases used for aberration correction and beam focusing. Computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images from patient treatments were used to construct a segmented model of each patient's head. The segmented model for treatment simulation consisted of water, skin, fat, brain, CSF, diploë, and cortical bone. Transducer element phases used for treatment simulation were determined using time reversal from the desired focus, generating a set of phases assuming a homogeneous brain in the intracranial volume, and a second set of phases assigning CSF acoustic properties to regions of CSF. In addition, for three patients, the relative effect of separately including CSF speed of sound values compared to CSF attenuation values was found.

Results

We found that including CSF acoustic properties (speed of sound and attenuation) during phase planning compared to phase correction without considering CSF increased the absorbed ultrasound power density ratios at the focus over a range of 1.06 to 1.29 (mean of 17% ± 6%) for 20 patients. Separately considering the CSF speed of sound and CSF attenuation showed that the increase was due almost entirely to including the CSF speed of sound; considering only the CSF attenuation had a negligible effect.

Conclusions

Based on HAS simulations, treatment planning phase determination using morphologically realistic CSF and brain anatomy yielded an increase of up to 29% in the ultrasound focal absorbed power density. Future work will be required to validate the CSF simulations.
Synthesis and design of hypercrosslinked porous organic frameworks containing tetraphenylpyrazine unit for high‐performance supercapacitor
Authors: Ejaz Mohsin , Mohamed Mohamed Gamal , Chang Wan‐Chun , Kuo Shiao‐Wei
Published: April 2023

Human society faces significant environmental challenges due to the rapid production and consumption of fossil fuels. Therefore, developing effective and environmentally friendly methods of generating and storing energy is essential. Hypercrosslinked polymers (HPPs) have become increasingly popular due to their diverse preparation methods, simple functionalization, large specific surface area, low cost, mild reaction conditions, high chemical and thermal stability, and small size. We synthesized two hypercrosslinked porous organic polymers using Friedel‐Crafts reactions of 2,3,5,6‐tetraphenyl pyrazine (Pyra) with 4,4′‐bis(chloromethyl)biphenyl (BP), and dimethoxymethane (DDM), resulting in Pyra‐BP‐HPP and Pyra‐DDM‐HPP, respectively. The chemical structures and thermal stability of these polymers were confirmed through solid‐state 13C NMR, FTIR, and TGA. The surface area of Pyra‐BP‐HPP and Pyra‐DDM‐HPP was determined to be 984 and 435 m2 g−1, respectively, with micro and mesoporous structures present. Pyra‐BP‐HPP displayed a high specific capacitance of 94 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, with a capacity retention of 95% after 2000 cycles, which can be attributed to its larger surface area, microporosity, and abundance of electron‐rich phenyl rings when compared to Pyra‐DDM‐HPP.
Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of Highly Active Single‐Atom Fe/N/C Catalysts for High‐Performance Aqueous and Flexible All‐Solid‐State Zn‐Air Batteries
Authors: Han Yi , Wei Qiliang , Fu Yanqing , Zhang Dongdong , Li Pan , Shan Xiaofeng , Yang Hongli , Zhan Xiaoqiang , Liu Xincai , Yang Weiyou
Published: April 2023

The development of low‐cost single‐atom electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is highly desired but remains a grand challenge. Superior to the conventional techniques, a microwave‐assisted strategy is reported for rapid production of high‐quality Fe/N/C single‐atom catalysts (SACs) with profoundly enhanced reaction rate and remarkably reduced energy consumption. The as‐synthesized catalysts exhibit an excellent ORR performance with a positive half‐wave potential up to 0.90 V, a high turnover frequency of 0.76 s−1, as well as a satisfied stability with a lost half‐wave potential of just 27 mV over 9000 cycles (much better than that of Pt/C with 107 mV lost) and good methanol resistance. The open‐circuit voltages of as‐constructed aqueous and flexible all‐solid‐state Zn‐air batteries (ZABs) are 1.56 and 1.52 V, respectively, higher than those of 20% Pt/C‐based ones (i.e., 1.43 and 1.38 V, respectively). Impressively, they afford a peak power density of 235 mW cm−2, which exceeds that of Pt/C (i.e., 186 mW cm−2), and is comparable to the best ones of Fe/N/C‐based ZABs ever reported.
Macromolecular Engineering: From Precise Macromolecular Inks to 3D Printed Microstructures
Authors: Catt Samantha O. , Hackner Maximillian , Spatz Joachim P. , Blasco Eva
Published: April 2023

Macromolecules with complex, defined structures exist in nature but rarely is this degree of control afforded in synthetic macromolecules. Sequence‐defined approaches provide a solution for precise control of the primary macromolecular structure. Despite a growing interest, very few examples for applications of sequence‐defined macromolecules exist. In particular, the use of sequence‐defined macromolecules as printable materials remains unexplored. Herein, the rational design of precise macromolecular inks for 3D microprinting is investigated for the first time. Specifically, three printable oligomers are synthesized, consisting of eight units, either crosslinkable (C) or non‐functional (B) with varied sequence (BCBCBCBC, alternating; BBCCCBB, triblock; and BBBBCCCC, block). The oligomers are printed using two‐photon laser printing and characterized. It is clearly demonstrated that the macromolecular sequence, specifically the positioning of the crosslinkable group, plays a critical role in both the printability and final properties of the printed material. Thus, through precise design and printability of sequence‐defined macromolecules, an exciting avenue for the next generation of functional materials for 3D printing is created.
Topological Insulator Bi2Se3‐Assisted Heterostructure for Ultrafast Charging Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Xie Minggang , Li Chunguang , Zhang Siqi , Zhang Zhe , Li Yuxin , Chen Xiao‐Bo , Shi Zhan , Feng Shouhua
Published: April 2023

The development of fast charging materials offers a viable solution for large‐scale and sustainable energy storage needs. However, it remains a critical challenge to improve the electrical and ionic conductivity for better performance. Topological insulator (TI), a topological quantum material that has attracted worldwide attention, hosts unusual metallic surface states and consequent high carrier mobility. Nevertheless, its potential in promising high‐rate charging capability has not been fully realized and explored. Herein, a novel Bi2Se3‐ZnSe heterostructure as excellent fast charging material for Na+ storage is reported. Ultrathin Bi2Se3 nanoplates with rich TI metallic surfaces are introduced as an electronic platform inside the material, which greatly reduces the charge transfer resistance and improves the overall electrical conductivity. Meanwhile, the abundant crystalline interfaces between these two selenides promote Na+ migration and provide additional active sites as well. As expected, the composite delivers the excellent high‐rate performance of 360.5 mAh g−1 at 20 A g−1 and maintains its electrochemical stability of 318.4 mAh g−1 after 3000 long cycles, which is the record high for all reported selenide‐based anodes. This work is anticipated to provide alternative strategies for further exploration of topological insulators and advanced heterostructures.
Food avoidance and fasting in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: Experience from the Nancy IBD nutrition clinic
Authors: Bonsack Olivier , Caron Bénédicte , Baumann Cedric , Heba Anne Charlotte , Vieujean Sophie , Arnone Djesia , Netter Patrick , Danese Silvio , Quilliot Didier , Peyrin‐Biroulet Laurent
Published: April 2023

Background

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consider that their diet is important for controlling symptoms and frequently ask their physician for additional guidance on this matter. The objectives of the present study of patients with IBD were to characterize the prevalence of exclusion diets and fasting and to identify associated risk factors.

Methods

Using an anonymous questionnaire, we screened patients attending our IBD nutrition clinic between November 2021 and April 2022 for exclusion diets. The avoidance of a food category completely was defined as total exclusion and avoidance most of the time was defined as partial exclusion. We also asked patients whether they fasted totally, intermittently, or partially.

Result

A total of 434 patients with IBD were included. On inclusion, 159 patients (36.6%) totally excluded at least one food category and 271 (62.4%) partially excluded at least one food. Intermittent, total, or partial fasting was reported by 30.8% of the patients. Disease activity (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval] = 1.7 [1.1–2.7], p = 0.0130) and treatment with a small‐molecule or an investigational drug (OR = 4.0 [1.5–10.6], p = 0.0059) were independently associated with an exclusion diet. A history of stenosis (OR = 2.0 [1.2–3.2], p = 0.0063) and active disease (OR = 1.9 [1.2–3.1], p = 0.0059) were associated with fasting.

Conclusion

In this real‐world study, approximately two‐thirds of our patients with IBD reported the partial or total exclusion of at least one food category and one third reported fasting. A systematic nutritional evaluation might improve clinical management and quality of care for patients with IBD both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Water is life and death: Symbolic representation in all customs and rituals in India
Authors: Singha Ranjit , Singha Surjit
Published: April 2023

For the Koch, Koch Rajbongshi, and Rajbanshi people of India, water is central to their culture. They share river music and ancestry. They lost their language in 1931 and split into three or more clans due to flood relocation. They also introduced food, the river, the sun, the moon, the bamboo tree, and cactus plant worship to the highlands. The parent group was identified as tribal in the 1931 census. Still, the Indian government could not grant Koch, Koch Rajbongshi, and Rajbanshi “scheduled tribe” status for Assam and conserve their culture, traditions, and language. Indian scientists are trying to solve Assam's centuries‐old flood issues, which are worsening. The new Indian water framework must treat “water access” and “value of water resources” as “essentially good” and “human rights” issues. India must review its Assam flood failures and compensate locals. Assam needs political, social, economic, and administrative procedures to develop and manage water resources and offer services at different societal levels.
Claiming (through) Space: Topographies of Enslavement, the Literary Heterotopia of the Underground Railroad, and the Co-agency of the Non-human
Authors: Klestil Matthias
Published: April 2023

This chapter reads the Underground Railroad ecocritically as a literary heterotopia (Foucault) of the fugitive slave narrative that became vital to an African American spatial and environmental imagination. A turn to a variety of texts ranging from abolitionist writing to slave narratives by Bayley (1825), Curry (1840), Douglass (1845), Bibb (1849), and J. Brown (1855) demonstrates that this literary heterotopia became a means of claiming (through) space in a twofold sense. First, it enabled fugitives’ reclaiming themselves by reinterpreting relations between space and body, and by subversively playing with an antebellum popular discourse of the “Liberty Line.” Second, this subversive play provided a means of claiming space in the sense of imagining a literary Underground Railroad, which narrators could employ as a “discursive loophole” to express African American environmental knowledge.
Resisting (through) the Eye: Antebellum Visual Regimes, the Slave Narrative’s Rhetoric of Visibility, and African American Strategic Pastoral
Authors: Klestil Matthias
Published: April 2023

This chapter turns to the pastoral and its involvement in antebellum African American expressions of environmental knowledge. Conceptualizing the idea of a “strategic pastoral,” seen in moments in which pastoral elements become part of a doubled (visual) perspective in slave narratives, provides a means for examining how this writing technique enables an articulation of environmental knowledge, social critique, and utopian hope. Through a variety of texts and with a specific focus on the narratives by Frederick Douglass (1845) and Henry Box Brown (1849), this chapter demonstrates where, how, and with what effects slave narratives strategized pastoral elements. This also suggests an alternative framework for thinking about the (anti)pastoral in ecocritical readings of African American literature.
Transforming Space: Nature, Education, and Home in Charlotte Forten and William Wells Brown
Authors: Klestil Matthias
Published: April 2023

This chapter looks at Charlotte Forten’s journals and William W. Brown’s My Southern Home (1880) as indicating a post-Emancipation reconfiguration of literary space in African American writing that offered new ways for expressing environmental knowledge. One significant effect of this reconfiguration was that articulations of environmental knowledge shifted from “loopholes” like the slave narrative’s literary heterotopia of the Underground Railroad into broader literary spaces of education and home. Forten uses a host of such spaces in her picturesque depictions of houses and schools to create an alternative discourse of nature as a multifaceted refuge and to condemn slavery and racism. Brown’s text is a subversive trickster narrative that expresses a post-Emancipation form of black agrarianism while negotiating the ambivalent relationship of African Americans to the South.
Introduction
Authors: Dall’Asta Monica , Migozzi Jacques , Pagello Federico , Pepper Andrew
Published: April 2023

The introduction offers a way of reading contemporary European crime fiction that pays attention to the national crime fiction traditions of discrete European countries and explores the transcultural, transnational elements of this emerging form. Our expansive understanding of this form is organized around three central aspects: firstly, the internationalization of European crime fiction as a driver of narrative ‘glocalization’; secondly, the complex forms of political engagement at play in this body of work, where the progressive articulation of new identities forged at the crossroads of ethnicity, gender and sexuality is set against insights into political corruption, racism and state violence; and thirdly, an emphasis on the centrality of historical recovery where the excavation and interrogation of traumatic histories is understood as a reflection on present circumstances.
Noir Bearing Gifts: The Greek Shoah and Its Memory in Philip Kerr’s Greeks Bearing Gifts
Authors: Dermentzopoulos Christos , Flitouris Lampros , Filippaios Nikos
Published: April 2023

This chapter considers one of Philip Kerr’s late period Bernie Gunther novels, Greeks Bearing Gifts (2018), for the ways it engages with one of the darkest moments in twentieth-century Greek history: the extermination of the Thessaloniki Jews during the German occupation of Greece (1939–1944). The chapter argues that Gunther’s democratic and humanist perspective, informed by a particular understanding of Marxism, which Gunther openly acknowledges, sets in motion the act of historical recovery: what is to be recovered and why it is important to do so. Kerr’s novel is not treated as objective or official history but rather history from below—where new understandings and accounts of what occurred in the past emerge from eyewitness testimonies to contest and overturn received understandings.
When Programs Have to Watch Paint Dry
Authors: Ahman Danel
Published: April 2023

We explore type systems and programming abstractions for the safe usage of resources. In particular, we investigate how to use types to modularly specify and check when programs are allowed to use their resources, e.g., when programming a robot arm on a production line, it is crucial that painted parts are given enough time to dry before assembly. We capture such temporal resources using a time-graded variant of Fitch-style modal type systems, develop a corresponding modally typed, effectful core calculus, and equip it with a graded-monadic denotational semantics illustrated by a concrete presheaf model. Our calculus also includes graded algebraic effects and effect handlers. They are given a novel temporally aware treatment in which operations’ specifications include their execution times and their continuations know that an operation’s worth of additional time has passed before they start executing, making it possible to safely access further temporal resources in them.
Reverse Bisimilarity vs. Forward Bisimilarity
Authors: Bernardo Marco , Rossi Sabina
Published: April 2023

Reversibility is the capability of a system of undoing its own actions starting from the last performed one, in such a way that a past consistent state is reached. This is not trivial for concurrent systems, as the last performed action may not be uniquely identifiable. There are several approaches to address causality-consistent reversibility, some including a notion of forward-reverse bisimilarity. We introduce a minimal process calculus for reversible systems to investigate compositionality properties and equational characterizations of forward-reverse bisimilarity as well as of its two components, i.e., forward bisimilarity and reverse bisimilarity, so as to highlight their differences. The study is conducted not only in a nondeterministic setting, but also in a stochastic one where time reversibility and lumpability for Markov chains are exploited.
Preservation and Reflection of Bisimilarity via Invertible Steps
Authors: Turkenburg Ruben , Kupke Clemens , Rot Jurriaan , Schoen Ezra
Published: April 2023

In the theory of coalgebras, distributive laws give a general perspective on determinisation and other automata constructions. This perspective has recently been extended to include so-called weak distributive laws, covering several constructions on state-based systems that are not captured by regular distributive laws, such as the construction of a belief-state transformer from a probabilistic automaton, and ultrafilter extensions of Kripke frames.

In this paper we first observe that weak distributive laws give rise to the more general notion of what we call an invertible step: a pair of natural transformations that allows to move coalgebras along an adjunction. Our main result is that part of the construction induced by an invertible step preserves and reflects bisimilarity. This covers results that have previously been shown by hand for the instances of ultrafilter extensions and belief-state transformers.
Quantitative Safety and Liveness
Authors: Henzinger Thomas A. , Mazzocchi Nicolas , Saraç N. Ege
Published: April 2023

Safety and liveness are elementary concepts of computation, and the foundation of many verification paradigms. The safety-liveness classification of boolean properties characterizes whether a given property can be falsified by observing a finite prefix of an infinite computation trace (always for safety, never for liveness). In quantitative specification and verification, properties assign not truth values, but quantitative values to infinite traces (e.g., a cost, or the distance to a boolean property). We introduce quantitative safety and liveness, and we prove that our definitions induce conservative quantitative generalizations of both (1) the safety-progress hierarchy of boolean properties and (2) the safety-liveness decomposition of boolean properties. In particular, we show that every quantitative property can be written as the pointwise minimum of a quantitative safety property and a quantitative liveness property. Consequently, like boolean properties, also quantitative properties can be $$\min $$
min
-decomposed into safety and liveness parts, or alternatively, $$\max $$
max
-decomposed into co-safety and co-liveness parts. Moreover, quantitative properties can be approximated naturally. We prove that every quantitative property that has both safe and co-safe approximations can be monitored arbitrarily precisely by a monitor that uses only a finite number of states.
Fast Matching of Regular Patterns with Synchronizing Counting
Authors: Holík Lukáš , Síč Juraj , Turoňová Lenka , Vojnar Tomáš
Published: April 2023

Fast matching of regular expressions with bounded repetition, aka counting, such as $$\texttt {(ab)\{50,100\}}$$

(
ab
)
{
50
,
100
}

, i.e., matching linear in the length of the text and independent of the repetition bounds, has been an open problem for at least two decades. We show that, for a wide class of regular expressions with counting, which we call synchronizing, fast matching is possible. We empirically show that the class covers nearly all counting used in usual applications of regex matching. This complexity result is based on an improvement and analysis of a recent matching algorithm that compiles regexes to deterministic counting-set automata (automata with registers that hold sets of numbers).
Pebble minimization: the last theorems
Authors: Douéneau-Tabot Gaëtan
Published: April 2023

Pebble transducers are nested two-way transducers which can drop marks (named “pebbles”) on their input word. Such machines can compute functions whose output size is polynomial in the size of their input. They can be seen as simple recursive programs whose recursion height is bounded. A natural problem is, given a pebble transducer, to compute an equivalent pebble transducer with minimal recursion height. This problem has been open since the introduction of the model.

In this paper, we study two restrictions of pebble transducers, that cannot see the marks (“blind pebble transducers” introduced by Nguyên et al.), or that can only see the last mark dropped (“last pebble transducers” introduced by Engelfriet et al.). For both models, we provide an effective algorithm for minimizing the recursion height. The key property used in both cases is that a function whose output size is linear (resp. quadratic, cubic, etc.) can always be computed by a machine whose recursion height is 1 (resp. 2, 3, etc.). We finally show that this key property fails as soon as we consider machines that can see more than one mark.
Just Testing
Authors: van Glabbeek Rob
Published: April 2023

The concept of must testing is naturally parametrised with a chosen completeness criterion, defining the complete runs of a system. Here I employ justness as this completeness criterion, instead of the traditional choice of progress. The resulting must-testing preorder is incomparable with the default one, and can be characterised as the fair failure preorder of Vogler. It also is the coarsest precongruence preserving linear time properties when assuming justness.

As my system model I here employ Petri nets with read arcs. Through their Petri net semantics, this work applies equally well to process algebras. I provide a Petri net semantics for a standard process algebra extended with signals; the read arcs are necessary to capture those signals.