bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Responses of drinking water bulk and biofilm microbiota to elevated water age in bench-scale simulated distribution systems
Authors: Healy Hannah Greenwald , Ehde Aliya , Bartholow Alma , Kantor Rose S. , Nelson Kara L.
Published: January 2024

Reductions in nonresidential water demand during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of understanding how water age impacts drinking water quality and microbiota in piped distribution systems. Using benchtop model distribution systems, we aimed to characterize the impacts of elevated water age on microbiota in bulk water and pipe wall biofilms. Five replicate constant-flow reactors were fed with municipal chloraminated tap water for 6 months prior to building closures and 7 months after. After building closures, chloramine levels entering the reactors dropped; in the reactor bulk water and biofilms the mean cell counts and ATP concentrations increased over an order of magnitude while the detection of opportunistic pathogens remained low. Water age, and the corresponding physicochemical changes, strongly influenced microbial abundance and community composition. Differential initial microbial colonization also had a lasting influence on microbial communities in each reactor (i.e., historical contingency).
Altermagnetism with non-collinear spins
Authors: Cheong Sang-Wook , Huang Fei-Ting
Published: January 2024

Altermagnetism is introduced as a category of magnetic states with ‘collinear’ antiferromagnetic spins and alternating variations of local structures around spins in such a way that the symmetry allows typical ferromagnetic behaviors. Altermagnets exhibiting ferromagnetic behaviors without any external perturbations (type-I) turn out to belong to the ferromagnetic point group. Other altermagnets (type-II and type-III) can have ferromagnetic behaviors only with external perturbations such as electric current or stress, which conserve parity-time-reversal (PT) symmetry. All types of altermagnets themselves have broken PT symmetry. The concept of altermagnetism can be extended to accommodate non-collinear spins and multiple local-structure variations.
Whole genome sequencing of a novel sea anemone (Actinostola sp.) from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent
Authors: Liu Chang , Bian Chao , Gao Qiang , Gao Zijian , Huang Yu , Wang Lingling , Shi Qiong , Song Linsheng
Published: January 2024

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are usually considered as extreme environments with high pressure, high temperature, scarce food, and chemical toxicity, while many local inhabitants have evolved special adaptive mechanisms for residence in this representative ecosystem. In this study, we constructed a high-quality genome assembly for a novel deep-sea anemone species (Actinostola sp.) that was resident at a depth of 2,971 m in an Edmond vent along the central Indian Ocean ridge, with a total size of 424.3 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 383 kb. The assembled genome contained 265 Mb of repetitive sequences and 20,812 protein-coding genes. Taken together, our reference genome provides a valuable genetic resource for exploring the evolution and adaptive clues of this deep-sea anemone.
Prediction of the aggregation rate of nanoparticles in porous media in the diffusion-controlled regime
Authors: Nguyen Vi T. , Pham Ngoc H. , Papavassiliou Dimitrios V.
Published: January 2024

The fate and aggregation of nanoparticles (NPs) in the subsurface are important due to potentially harmful impacts on the environment and human health. This study aims to investigate the effects of flow velocity, particle size, and particle concentration on the aggregation rate of NPs in a diffusion-limited regime and build an equation to predict the aggregation rate when NPs move in the pore space between randomly packed spheres (including mono-disperse, bi-disperse, and tri-disperse spheres). The flow of 0.2 M potassium chloride (KCl) through the random sphere packings was simulated by the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The movement and aggregation of cerium oxide (CeO2) particles were then examined by using a Lagrangian particle tracking method based on a force balance approach. This method relied on Newton's second law of motion and took the interaction forces among particles into account. The aggregation rate of NPs was found to depend linearly on time, and the slope of the line was a power function of the particle concentration, the Reynolds (Re) and Schmidt (Sc) numbers. The exponent for the Sc number was triple that of the Re number, which was evidence that the random movement of NPs has a much stronger effect on the rate of diffusion-controlled aggregation than the convection.
Residual dynamics learning for trajectory tracking for multi-rotor aerial vehicles
Authors: Kulathunga Geesara , Hamed Hany , Klimchik Alexandr
Published: January 2024

This paper presents a technique to model the residual dynamics between a high-level planner and a low-level controller by considering reference trajectory tracking in a cluttered environment as an example scenario. We focus on minimising residual dynamics that arise due to only the kinematical modelling of high-level planning. The kinematical modelling is sufficient for such scenarios due to safety constraints and aggressive manoeuvres that are difficult to perform when the environment is cluttered and dynamic. We used a simplified motion model to represent the motion of the quadrotor when formulating the high-level planner. The Sparse Gaussian Process Regression-based technique is proposed to model the residual dynamics. Recently proposed Data-Driven MPC is targeting aggressive manoeuvres without considering obstacle constraints. The proposed technique is compared with Data-Driven MPC to estimate the residual dynamics error without considering obstacle constraints. The comparison results yield that the proposed technique helps to reduce the nominal model error by a factor of 2 on average. Further, the proposed complete framework was compared with four other trajectory-tracking approaches in terms of tracking the reference trajectory without colliding with obstacles. The proposed approach outperformed the others with less flight time without losing computational efficiency.
Glyoxal-derived advanced glycation end products (GO-AGEs) with UVB critically induce skin inflammaging: in vitro and in silico approaches
Authors: Sultana Razia , Parveen Amna , Kang Min-Cheol , Hong Seong-Min , Kim Sun Yeou
Published: January 2024

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have potential implications on several diseases including skin inflammation and aging. AGEs formation can be triggered by several factors such as UVB, glyoxal and methylglyoxal etc. However, little attention has been paid to glyoxal-derived AGEs (GO-AGEs) and UVB-induced skin inflammaging, with none have investigated together. This study aimed to investigate the possible role of GO-AGEs and UVB in skin inflammaging focusing on revealing its molecular mechanisms. The effects of GO-AGEs in the presence or absence of UVB were studied by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting, qPCR, flow cytometry and in silico approaches. In HaCaT cells, GO-AGEs in the presence of UVB irradiation (125 mJ/cm2) dramatically enhanced the release of different pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) with further activation of RAGE signaling pathways (NF-κB, COX 2, and IL- 1β) and increased oxidative stress also noticed in NHEK cells. In NHDF cells, extracellular matrix disruption noted via increasing matrix metalloproteinase release and decreasing collagen type 1 and SIRT1 expression. Besides that, the docking scores obtained from the molecular docking study support the above-mentioned results. This study strongly suggests the pivotal role of GO-AGEs in skin inflammaging and illuminates novel molecular pathways for searching most effective and updated anti-aging therapy.
Advancing energy storage and supercapacitor applications through the development of Li+-doped MgTiO3 perovskite nano-ceramics
Authors: Magar Hend S. , Mansour A. M. , Hammad Ali B. Abou
Published: January 2024

Perovskite oxide materials, specifically MgTiO3 (MT) and Li-doped MgTiO3 (MTxLi), were synthesized via a sol–gel method and calcination at 800 °C. This study explores the impact of varying Li doping levels (x = 0, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1) on the crystalline structure and properties of MgTiO3. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a well-defined rhombohedral MgTiO3 phase. Optical diffuse reflectance measurements provided insights into energy gap values, refractive index, and dielectric constant. Li+ doping enhanced the electrical properties of MgTiO3, with a notable phase transition observed at 50 °C. The study investigated impedance and AC conductivity under varying temperature and frequency conditions (25–120 °C, 4 Hz to 8 MHz). Electrochemical analysis through cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirmed highly electrocatalytic properties for MTxLi, particularly when modified onto screen-printed electrodes. This work not only advances the understanding of Li-doped MgTiO3 nanostructures but also highlights their significant potential for direct electrochemical applications, particularly in the realm of energy storage.
Second order topology in a band engineered Chern insulator
Authors: Lahiri Srijata , Basu Saurabh
Published: January 2024

Haldane model is a celebrated tight binding toy model of a Chern insulator in a 2D honeycomb lattice that exhibits quantized Hall conductance in the absence of an external magnetic field. In our work, we deform the bands of the Haldane model smoothly by varying one of its three nearest neighbour hopping amplitudes ($$t_1$$

t
1

), while keeping the other two (t) fixed. This breaks the $$C_3$$

C
3

symmetry of the Hamiltonian, while the $$M_x*T$$

M
x

∗
T

symmetry is preserved. The symmetry breaking causes the Dirac cones to shift from the K and the K$$'$$

′

points in the Brillouin zone (BZ) to an intermediate M point. This is evident from the Berry curvature plots which show a similar shift in the corresponding values as a function of the deformation parameter, namely $$\frac{t_1}{t}$$

t
1

t

. We observe two different topological phases of which, one is a topological insulator (TI) and the other is a second order topological insulator (SOTI). The Chern number (C) remains perfectly quantized at a value of $$C=1$$

C
=
1

for the TI phase and it goes to zero in the SOTI phase. Furthermore, the evolution of the Wannier charge center (WCC) as the band is smoothly deformed shows a jump in the TI phase indicating the presence of conducting edge modes. We also study the SOTI phase and diagonalize the real space Hamiltonian on a rhombic supercell which shows the presence of in-gap zero energy corner modes. The polarization of the system, namely $$p_x$$

p
x

and $$p_y$$

p
y

, are evaluated, along the x and the y directions, respectively. We see that both $$p_x$$

p
x

and $$p_y$$

p
y

are quantized in the SOTI phase owing to the presence of the inversion symmetry of the system. Finally we establish the SOTI phase as an example of a topological phase with zero Berry curvature and provide an analogy with the two dimensional Su–Schrieffer–Heeger model.
Cardioaortic dimensions in German landrace pigs derived from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Meissner Florian , Galbas Michelle Costa , Szvetics Sophie , von zur Mühlen Constantin , Heidt Timo , Maier Alexander , Bock Michael , Czerny Martin , Bothe Wolfgang , Reiss Simon
Published: January 2024

Pigs are frequently applied as animal models in cardiovascular research due to their anatomical and physiological similarity to humans. For study planning and refinement, precise knowledge of the cardioaortic dimensions is essential. In a retrospective single-center study, the cardioaortic dimensions and left ventricular function of German Landrace pigs were assessed using cardiac MRI. All parameters were compared between male and female pigs and analyzed for correlation with body weight. In total, 15 pigs were included (7 male and 8 female, weight 60.9 ± 7.0 kg). The left ventricle revealed an end-diastolic diameter of 50.5 ± 4.4 mm and an ejection fraction of 51.2 ± 9.8%. The diameters of the ascending and descending aorta were 21.3 ± 2.3 and 16.2 ± 1.4 mm, respectively. There were no significant differences between male and female pigs, except that males had a smaller end-diastolic left ventricular volume (p = 0.041). A moderate correlation was found between body weight and the aortic annulus diameter (R = 0.57, p = 0.027). In conclusion, cardiac MRI allows precise quantification of porcine cardioaortic dimensions. For medical device testing, size differences between pigs and humans should be considered.
Using digital technologies to diagnose in the home: recommendations from a Delphi panel
Authors: Simon David A. , Raza Sara , Shachar Carmel , Glenn Cohen I.
Published: January 2024

Rapid advances in digital technology have expanded the availability of diagnostic tools beyond traditional medical settings. Previously confined to clinical environments, these many diagnostic capabilities are now accessible outside the clinic. This study utilized the Delphi method, a consensus-building approach, to develop recommendations for the development and deployment of these innovative technologies. The study findings present the 29 consensus-based recommendations generated through the Delphi process, providing valuable insights and guidance for stakeholders involved in the implementation and utilization of these novel diagnostic solutions. These recommendations serve as a roadmap for navigating the complexities of integrating digital diagnostics into healthcare practice outside traditional settings like hospitals and clinics.
Sound suppresses earliest visual cortical processing after sight recovery in congenitally blind humans
Authors: Sourav Suddha , Kekunnaya Ramesh , Bottari Davide , Shareef Idris , Pitchaimuthu Kabilan , Röder Brigitte
Published: January 2024

Neuroscientific research has consistently shown more extensive non-visual activity in the visual cortex of congenitally blind humans compared to sighted controls; a phenomenon known as crossmodal plasticity. Whether or not crossmodal activation of the visual cortex retracts if sight can be restored is still unknown. The present study, involving a rare group of sight-recovery individuals who were born pattern vision blind, employed visual event-related potentials to investigate persisting crossmodal modulation of the initial visual cortical processing stages. Here we report that the earliest, stimulus-driven retinotopic visual cortical activity (<100 ms) was suppressed in a spatially specific manner in sight-recovery individuals when concomitant sounds accompanied visual stimulation. In contrast, sounds did not modulate the earliest visual cortical response in two groups of typically sighted controls, nor in a third control group of sight-recovery individuals who had suffered a transient phase of later (rather than congenital) visual impairment. These results provide strong evidence for persisting crossmodal activity in the visual cortex after sight recovery following a period of congenital visual deprivation. Based on the time course of this modulation, we speculate on a role of exuberant crossmodal thalamic input which may arise during a sensitive phase of brain development.
S100A8/A9 promotes endometrial fibrosis via regulating RAGE/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway
Authors: Xin Xing , Liu Hao , Zhang Siwen , Li Pingping , Zhao Xinyang , Zhang Xudong , Li Shuyu , Wu Shanshan , Zhao Fujie , Tan Jichun
Published: January 2024

Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is characterized by endometrial fibrosis. S100A8/A9 plays an important role in inflammation and fibroblast activation. However, the role of S100A8/A9 in IUA remains unclear. In this study, we collect normal and IUA endometrium to verify the expression of S100A8/A9. Human endometrial stromal cells (hEnSCs) are isolated to evaluate fibrosis progression after S100A8/A9 treatment. A porcine IUA model is established by electrocautery injury to confirm the therapeutic effect of menstrual blood-derived stromal cells (MenSCs) on IUA. Our study reveals increased S100A8/A9 expression in IUA endometrium. S100A8/A9 significantly enhances hEnSCs proliferation and upregulates fibrosis-related and inflammation-associated markers. Furthermore, S100A8/A9 induces hEnSCs fibrosis through the RAGE-JAK2-STAT3 pathway. Transplantation of MenSCs in a porcine IUA model notably enhances angiogenesis, mitigates endometrial fibrosis and downregulates S100A8/A9 expression. In summary, S100A8/A9 induces hEnSCs fibrosis via the RAGE-JAK2-STAT3 pathway, and MenSCs exhibit marked effects on endometrial restoration in the porcine IUA model.
Characterization of phyllosphere endophytic lactic acid bacteria reveals a potential novel route to enhance silage fermentation quality
Authors: Zhou Hongzhang , Jia Shangang , Gao Yu , Li Xiaomei , Lin Yanli , Yang Fuyu , Ni Kuikui
Published: January 2024

The naturally attached phyllosphere microbiota play a crucial role in plant-derived fermentation, but the structure and function of phyllosphere endophytes remain largely unidentified. Here, we reveal the diversity, specificity, and functionality of phyllosphere endophytes in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) through combining typical microbial culture, high-throughput sequencing, and genomic comparative analysis. In comparison to phyllosphere bacteria (PB), the fermentation of alfalfa solely with endophytes (EN) enhances the fermentation characteristics, primarily due to the dominance of specific lactic acid bacteria (LAB) such as Lactiplantibacillus, Weissella, and Pediococcus. The inoculant with selected endophytic LAB strains also enhances the fermentation quality compared to epiphytic LAB treatment. Especially, one key endophytic LAB named Pediococcus pentosaceus EN5 shows enrichment of genes related to the mannose phosphotransferase system (Man-PTS) and carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes and higher utilization of carbohydrates. Representing phyllosphere, endophytic LAB shows great potential of promoting ensiling and provides a novel direction for developing microbial inoculant.
The evolution of social-ecological system interactions and their impact on the urban thermal environment
Authors: Chen Bin , Kong Fanhua , Meadows Michael E. , Pan Huijun , Zhu A-Xing , Chen Liding , Yin Haiwei , Yang Lin
Published: January 2024

While heat mitigation is crucial to achieving sustainable urban development, an inadequate understanding of the evolution of the urban thermal environment (UTE) and its relationship with socio-ecological systems (SESs) constrains the development of effective mitigation strategies. In this study, we use satellite observations from 2000–2021 to explore the evolving impact of SES interactions on the UTE of 136 Chinese urban areas. The results reveal a nonlinear intensification of the UTE over the period and an indication that an increasing number of urban areas have successfully applied UTE mitigation measures. Spatio-temporal patterns in UTE are shown to be strongly influenced by social and ecological factors and their interactions, whereby the higher the SES status, the stronger the decreasing UTE trend. These findings highlight the need for, and advantages of, developing win-win solutions for urban society and ecology and have important implications in creating integrated strategies for heat mitigation in promoting urban sustainability.
The Molecular Twin artificial-intelligence platform integrates multi-omic data to predict outcomes for pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients
Authors: Osipov Arsen , Nikolic Ognjen , Gertych Arkadiusz , Parker Sarah , Hendifar Andrew , Singh Pranav , Filippova Darya , Dagliyan Grant , Ferrone Cristina R. , Zheng Lei , Moore Jason H. , Tourtellotte Warren , Van Eyk Jennifer E. , Theodorescu Dan
Published: January 2024

Contemporary analyses focused on a limited number of clinical and molecular biomarkers have been unable to accurately predict clinical outcomes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Here we describe a precision medicine platform known as the Molecular Twin consisting of advanced machine-learning models and use it to analyze a dataset of 6,363 clinical and multi-omic molecular features from patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to accurately predict disease survival (DS). We show that a full multi-omic model predicts DS with the highest accuracy and that plasma protein is the top single-omic predictor of DS. A parsimonious model learning only 589 multi-omic features demonstrated similar predictive performance as the full multi-omic model. Our platform enables discovery of parsimonious biomarker panels and performance assessment of outcome prediction models learning from resource-intensive panels. This approach has considerable potential to impact clinical care and democratize precision cancer medicine worldwide.
Identification of a non-canonical chemokine-receptor pathway suppressing regulatory T cells to drive atherosclerosis
Authors: Döring Yvonne , van der Vorst Emiel P. C. , Yan Yi , Neideck Carlos , Blanchet Xavier , Jansen Yvonne , Kemmerich Manuela , Bayasgalan Soyolmaa , Peters Linsey J. F. , Hristov Michael , Bidzhekov Kiril , Yin Changjun , Zhang Xi , Leberzammer Julian , Li Ya , Park Inhye , Kral Maria , Nitz Katrin , Parma Laura , Gencer Selin , Habenicht Andreas J. R. , Faussner Alexander , Teupser Daniel , Monaco Claudia , Holdt Lesca , Megens Remco T. A. , Atzler Dorothee , Santovito Donato , von Hundelshausen Philipp , Weber Christian
Published: January 2024

CCL17 is produced by conventional dendritic cells, signals through CCR4 on regulatory T (Treg) cells and drives atherosclerosis by suppressing Treg functions through yet undefined mechanisms. Here we show that conventional dendritic cells from CCL17-deficient mice display a pro-tolerogenic phenotype and transcriptome that is not phenocopied in mice lacking its cognate receptor CCR4. In the plasma of CCL17-deficient mice, CCL3 was the only decreased cytokine/chemokine. We found that CCL17 signaled through CCR8 as an alternate high-affinity receptor, which induced CCL3 expression and suppressed Treg functions in the absence of CCR4. Genetic ablation of CCL3 and CCR8 in CD4+ T cells reduced CCL3 secretion, boosted FoxP3+ Treg numbers and limited atherosclerosis. Conversely, CCL3 administration exacerbated atherosclerosis and restrained Treg differentiation. In symptomatic versus asymptomatic human carotid atheroma, CCL3 expression was increased, whereas FoxP3 expression was reduced. Together, we identified a non-canonical chemokine pathway whereby CCL17 interacts with CCR8 to yield a CCL3-dependent suppression of atheroprotective Treg cells.
Transdiagnostic neurocognitive dysfunction in children and adolescents with mental illness
Authors: Hilton Rachel A. , Tozzi Leonardo , Nesamoney Sean , Kozlowska Kasia , Kohn Michael R. , Harris Anthony , Clarke Simon , Williams Leanne M.
Published: January 2024

Robust evidence from adult samples indicates that neurocognitive dysfunction is a hallmark of many mental illnesses, contributing to the loss of daily function and quality of life that these illnesses cause. However, it is still unclear whether neurocognitive deficits associated with mental illnesses begin to manifest well before adulthood or impact treatment response. Here we address this gap by evaluating neurocognitive function in four groups of children and adolescents with different mental illnesses compared to their matched healthy peers. Our team evaluated the neurocognitive performance of youth diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (N = 343), anorexia (N = 40), first onset psychosis (N = 25) and functional neurological disorder (N = 56) versus age-matched healthy controls (N = 483), cross-sectionally. Performance was assessed using an objective assessment battery designed for use across diagnoses and settings and validated for its correlations with underlying brain structure and function. The following cognitive domains were assessed: sustained attention, cognitive flexibility, decision speed, executive function, information processing speed, psychomotor response speed, response inhibition, verbal memory and working memory. Distinct profiles of neurocognitive dysfunction were detected for each diagnosis relative to the healthy reference group. Youth with first onset psychosis displayed the most severe and generalized impairments across domains of sustained attention, verbal memory, response inhibition, cognitive flexibility, information processing speed and working memory. Children and adolescents with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder showed impairments in multiple domains of at least moderate severity with the most pronounced impairments in executive function, sustained attention and working memory. Children and adolescents with anorexia displayed more specific moderate impairments limited to cognitive flexibility, response inhibition, sustained attention, decision speed and verbal memory. Impairments in functional neurological disorder were also relatively specific and moderate, limited to executive function, working memory, cognitive flexibility, decision speed and information processing speed. These findings suggest that neurocognitive impairment in mental illness is transdiagnostic and can be detected as early as childhood or adolescence with standardized computerized testing.
Microbiota derived d-malate inhibits skeletal muscle growth and angiogenesis during aging via acetylation of Cyclin A
Authors: Li Penglin , Feng Jinlong , Jiang Hongfeng , Feng Xiaohua , Yang Jinping , Yuan Yexian , Ma Zewei , Xu Guli , Xu Chang , Zhu Canjun , Wang Songbo , Gao Ping , Shu Gang , Jiang Qingyan
Published: January 2024

Metabolites derived from the intestinal microbiota play an important role in maintaining skeletal muscle growth, function, and metabolism. Here, we found that D-malate (DMA) is produced by mouse intestinal microorganisms and its levels increase during aging. Moreover, we observed that dietary supplementation of 2% DMA inhibits metabolism in mice, resulting in reduced muscle mass, strength, and the number of blood vessels, as well as the skeletal muscle fiber type I/IIb ratio. In vitro assays demonstrate that DMA decreases the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells and suppresses the formation of blood vessels. In vivo, we further demonstrated that boosting angiogenesis by muscular VEGFB injection rescues the inhibitory effects of d-malate on muscle mass and fiber area. By transcriptomics analysis, we identified that the mechanism underlying the effects of DMA depends on the elevated intracellular acetyl-CoA content and increased Cyclin A acetylation rather than redox balance. This study reveals a novel mechanism by which gut microbes impair muscle angiogenesis and may provide a therapeutic target for skeletal muscle dysfunction in cancer or aging.
Rapid autoxidation of ferrous heme-Aβ complexes relevant to Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Roy Madhuparna , Dey Abhishek , Dey Somdatta Ghosh
Published: January 2024

The heme(iii)-O2˙− intermediate is a key detrimental species in the heme-Aβ mediated oxidative stress generation in Alzheimer’s disease via H2O2 formation in aqueous medium and Tyr10 residue plays an important role.
Temperature-dependent differential capacitance of an ionic liquid-graphene-based supercapacitor
Authors: Prakash Kiran , Sathian Sarith P.
Published: January 2024

Temperature dependence of the double layer capacitance of ionic liquids.
Highly efficient production of aromatics from C2H5Cl coupling with CO over H-zeolites
Authors: Li Bin , Fang Xudong , Liu Hongchao , Chen Zhiyang , Xie Mingguan , Yang Leilei , Zhu Wenliang
Published: January 2024

Zhu's team reported a route via coupling conversion of CO and C2H5Cl (an essential C2H2 derivative) catalyzed by acidic zeolites, which obtains 72% aromatics selectivity. This work provides a new insight for natural gas conversion on H-zeolites.
Fluoro-bridged rare-earth metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Abbas Muhammad , Sheybani Simin , Mortensen Marie L. , Balkus Kenneth J.
Published: January 2024

Rare-earth (RE) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) offer unique optical, electronic, and magnetic properties.
Formation of EGCG oxidation self-assembled nanoparticles and their antioxidant activity in vitro and hepatic REDOX regulation activity in vivo
Authors: Wu Ximing , Wang Yijun , Wang Dongxu , Wang Ziqi , Yang Mingchuan , Yang Lumin , Wang Fuming , Wang Wei , Zhang Xiangchun
Published: January 2024

For the frist time, we revealed the formation of EGCG oxidation self-assembled nanoparticles (ENPs) and systemically investigated the biological characteristics of ENPs and EGCG in the REDOX activity as well as in the biosafety in vitro and in vivo.
Ginsenoside – a promising natural active ingredient with steroidal hormone activity
Authors: Li Jun , Zhao Jiarui , Wang Xinhe , Lin Zhi , Lin He , Lin Zhe
Published: January 2024

Ginsenosides are a class of natural products with hormone-like activity of triterpenoid saponins and have a variety of pharmacological activities such as anti-aging, immune regulation and cognitive improvement.
Recycling spent LiNi1−x−yCoxMnyO2 cathodes to efficient catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Chen Mingfei , Zhou Yixin , Wang Li , Xue Gang , Guo Jiashuo , Wang Yaping
Published: January 2024

This work develops a green strategy to recycle spent LiNi1−x−yCoxMnyO2 cathodes to hydroxide catalysts for the OER. The performance of hydroxides with various compositions is compared and the one made from LiNi0.33Co0.33Mn0.33O2 shows superior properties.
Ruthenium terpyridine complexes based on dppz ligands as photodynamic antimicrobial agents against Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Wang Zhun , Shi Beibei , Zhu Jing , Xiong Yanshi , Duan Xuemin , Liao Xiangwen , Wang Jintao
Published: January 2024

A series of ruthenium complexes with dppz ligands were designed and synthesized as antimicrobial photosensitizers against S. aureus. These complexes showed significant antibacterial ability against S. aureus both in vitro and in vivo.
Elucidating the role of diverse mineralisation paradigms on bone biomechanics – a coarse-grained molecular dynamics investigation
Authors: Tavakol Mahdi , Vaughan Ted J.
Published: January 2024

The amount of extrafibrillar mineralisation affects the mechanical properties of collagen fibrils owing to a change in the residual strain and residual stress values.
Synergistic nucleation regulation using 4,4′,4′′-tris(carbazol-9-yl)-triphenylamine and moisture for stably air-processed high-performance perovskite photodetectors
Authors: He Guo , Yang Dezhi , Tao Sizhe , Yang Liqing , Guo Dechao , Zheng Jingbo , Li Ji , Chen Jiangshan , Ma Dongge
Published: January 2024

A synergistic nucleation strategy for producing an air-processed high-performance perovskite photodetector.
Ilmenite-derived titanic acid species: exploring their outstanding light-independent antibacterial activity
Authors: Wickramasinghe Nadeera Dilshan , Sampath A. H. Janaka , Nanayakkara Chandrika M. , de Silva K. M. Nalin , de Silva Rohini M.
Published: January 2024

The emergence of resistance in detrimental pathogenic bacteria towards well-recognized antibiotics has greatly impacted global medicine, consequently exploring potent antibacterial compounds is becoming a potential area of research.
Green synthesis of carbon dots from fish scales for selective turn off–on detection of glutathione
Authors: Zhang Yi , Lei Chunyu , Dong Ping , Fu Peiyang , Zhang Yun , Hua Ruifang
Published: January 2024

Carbon dots as fluorescence probes were fabricated using grass carp fish scales as the carbon source via one-step synthesis based on a pyrolytic reaction. The GF-CDs can serve as fluorescent probes for selective turn off–on detection of glutathione.
Investigation of the structural, surface topographical, fractal, capacitive, and electrical properties of a defect brownmillerite perovskite material KBiFeMnO5 for electronic devices
Authors: Panda Debasish , Hota Sudhansu Sekhar , Choudhary Ram Naresh Prasad
Published: January 2024

This article reports the development and characterizations (structural, surface topographical, fractal, dielectric, transport, impedance, resistive, and current–voltage properties) of a defect brownmillerite material KBiFeMnO5.
Terminal dysprosium and holmium organoimides
Authors: Rieser Theresa E. , Schädle Dorothea , Maichle-Mössmer Cäcilia , Anwander Reiner
Published: January 2024

TptBu,MeLn(NC6H3iPr2-2,6)(dmap) (Ln = Dy, Ho) display the first terminal imides of open-shell mid-sized lanthanides, exhibiting reactivity similar to Chen's seminal scandium terminal imide.
Tracing mechanistic pathways and reaction kinetics toward equilibrium in reactive molten salts
Authors: Gibson Luke D. , Roy Santanu , Khanal Rabi , Chahal Rajni , Sedova Ada , Bryantsev Vyacheslav S.
Published: January 2024

In the dynamic environment of multi-component reactive molten salts, speciation unfolds as a complex process, involving multiple competing reaction pathways that are likely to face free energy barriers before reaching the reaction equilibria.
Preparation of nitrogen‐doped carbon materials by orthogonal array design for supercapacitors
Authors: Zhong Cungui , Liu Dayong
Published: January 2024

Here, the authors report a practical method for preparing nitrogen‐doped carbon materials using an orthogonal array design. The material with the highest specific capacitance value of 262 F·g−1 at a current density of 1 A·g−1 was obtained under the conditions (KOH as activation agent, activation temperature of 600°C, activation time of 3 h, respectively). Its high electrochemical properties are attributed to its high surface area and additional pseudo‐capacitance. After 5000 cycles, the specific capacitance remained 92.8%, with good cycle stability. Textural characterization of the carbon materials was performed using N2 adsorption/desorption and scanning electron microscopy.
Driving Factors for Sustainable Livestock Development in Indonesia: Study on Beef Cattle Commodities
Authors: Amam Amam , Luthfi Muchamad , Prihatin Koko Wisnu , Wankar Tian Jihadhan
Published: January 2024

Driving factors for the development of smallholder beef cattle farming include consumption needs and market availability, government policies and institutional, social and cultural support from the community, availability of animal feed sources, availability of upstream and downstream industries, as well as regional carrying capacity and the use of appropriate technology. The aim of the research is to analyze the influence of driving factors on sustainable livestock development in beef cattle commodities. The research variables consist of driving factors (X) and the five dimensions of sustainable livestock development, namely the ecological dimension (Y1), the economical dimension (Y2), the social and cultural dimension (Y3), the institutional dimension (Y4), and the technological dimension (Y5). Research data was obtained by means of Focus Group Discussion (FGDs), filling in questionnaires, and interviews. The research respondents consisted of 60 small-scale beef cattle fattening farmers with ownership of 7-60 heads in Bondowoso District. Data were analyzed partially using simple linear regression with SPSS 26.0. The research results showed that driving factors had a positive and significant influence on sustainable livestock development, especially on the ecological dimension of 0.492, the economical dimension of 0.376, the social and cultural dimension of 0.327, and the institutional dimension of 0.442. The research conclusion shows that the driving factors for sustainable livestock development are worthy of the attention of all stakeholders in beef cattle livestock commodities, for example, in the ecological dimension, farmers are able to manage and process livestock waste to be used as plant fertilizer. In the economical dimension, farmers are able to play a role in increasing livestock business income. In the social and cultural dimensions, it is able to encourage the participation of family members in the livestock farming business. In the institutional dimension, farmers actively participate in livestock coaching and extension programs.
Quality and Proportion of Spermatozoa in the Percoll Density Gradient Centrifugation Sexing Method at Different Gradients using AndroMed® Diluent
Authors: Simbolon Chairun Nisa Aperi , Pramudhita Anggita Dian , Rizqianti Rr. Ani , Yekti Aulia Puspita Anugra , Isnaini Nurul , Susilawati Trinil
Published: January 2024

The utilization of sexing technology is an effort made to improve the efficiency of livestock farming, which was created to predict the sex of the calves born so that it can be adjusted to the objectives of the farm. This study aims to analyze the quality and proportion of sexed spermatozoa using the percoll density centrifugation method at different gradients with AndroMed® diluent. The research material used was fresh semen from Belgian Blue Bull aged six years with a body weight of 600 kg and fresh semen quality motility ≥70%. This research is a laboratory experiment with two treatments and ten replicates. The treatments in the study were T0: Ten Gradient density percoll + AndroMed® and T1: Five Gradient density percoll + AndroMed®. The research analysis used a dependent t-test. The statistical analysis showed a significant difference (P<0.05) in treating ten gradients with five gradients in each layer regarding individual motility, viability, abnormality, and total motile spermatozoa. At the same time, in concentration, there was no difference (P>0.05) in the treatment of 10 gradients with five gradients. The average results on individual motility, abnormality, concentration, and total motile spermatozoa showed treatment of 10 gradients better than treatment of 5 gradients in each layer. At the same time, the variable viability showed that the gradient treatment is better than the five-gradient treatment. Proportion of spermatozoa in the Upper Layer T0 X (23.4%), Y (76.8%) and T1 X (16.9%), Y (83.1%). The proportion of Spermatozoa in the Bottom Layer was T0 X (84.1%), Y (15.9%), and T1 X (83%), Y (17%), respectively. In conclusion, sexing spermatozoa with the Percoll 10 and 5 Gradient Density Centrifugation method can separate X and Y spermatozoa.
On the global well-posedness for the compressible Hall-MHD system
Authors: Han Bin , Hu Ke , Lai Ning-An
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we prove the global well-posedness of the Cauchy problem to the 3-D compressible Hall-magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) system supplemented with a class of large initial data in Besov spaces. By exploiting the intrinsic structure of the compressible Hall-MHD equations, we obtain the diffusion and the dispersive effects for the mixed hyperbolic-parabolic system. Based on this important observation, we prove that the compressible Hall-MHD system exists a global solution with the initial data close to a stable equilibrium.
Topanga: A kinetic ion plasma code for large-scale ionospheric simulations on magnetohydrodynamic timescales
Authors: Belyaev Mikhail A. , Larson David J. , Cohen Bruce I. , Clark Stephen E.
Published: January 2024

Topanga is a kinetic ion code developed for simulating large-scale plasma phenomena in the Earth's ionosphere on magnetohydrodynamic timescales. It is a domain-decomposed parallel code that runs on high-performance computing platforms. Features of Topanga include spherical geometry for simplified boundary conditions and computational efficiency; a hybrid plasma model with inertia-less fluid electrons, kinetic ions, and an electric field specified via an Ohm's law; a Maxwell-FDTD (finite difference time domain) plasma model which retains the displacement current in Maxwell's equations and models electron currents in the ionosphere with a tensor conductivity; sponge-layer boundary conditions for absorption of electromagnetic and plasma waves incident on the domain boundaries; and a novel mixed-implicit algorithm for evolving the EM fields inside the Maxwell-FDTD region that is stable over many orders of magnitude in the electron–ion collision frequency. We verify the numerical methods used in Topanga on a pair of test problems. The first test involves modeling a three-dimensional collisionless shock using the hybrid set of equations. The second test involves modeling a spherical TEM mode in vacuum using the Maxwell-FDTD set of equations. Finally, we demonstrate how using the combined set of hybrid and Maxwell-FDTD equations to model the Starfish Prime high-altitude nuclear test recovers a “missing” EM signal on the ground that is not present when using only the hybrid set of equations. The magnitude of this signal in the simulation containing the Maxwell-FDTD region agrees well with the E3a portion of the magnetohydrodynamic electromagnetic pulse from Starfish Prime.
Probe beam deflection technique with liquid immersion for fast mapping of thermal conductance
Authors: Sun Jinchi , Cheng Zhe , Liang Jianbo , Shigekawa Naoteru , Kawamura Keisuke , Uratani Hiroki , Sakaida Yoshiki , Cahill David G.
Published: January 2024

Frequency-domain probe beam deflection (FD-PBD) is an experimental technique for measuring thermal properties that combines heating by a modulated pump laser and measurement of the temperature field via thermoelastic displacement of the sample surface. In the conventional implementation of FD-PBD, the data are mostly sensitive to the in-plane thermal diffusivity. We describe an extension of FD-PBD that introduces sensitivity to through-plane thermal conductance by immersing the sample in a dielectric liquid and measuring the beam deflection created by the temperature field of the liquid. We demonstrate the accuracy of the method by measuring (1) the thermal conductivity of a 310 nm thick thermally grown oxide on Si, (2) the thermal boundary conductance of bonded interface between a 3C-SiC film and a single crystal diamond substrate, and (3) the thermal conductivities of several bulk materials. We map the thermal boundary conductance of a 3C-SiC/diamond interface with a precision of 1% using a lock-in time constant of 3 ms and dwell time of 15 ms. The spatial resolution and maximum probing depth are proportional to the radius of the focused laser beams and can be varied over the range of 1–20 μm and 4–80 μm, respectively, by varying the 1/e2 intensity radius of the focused laser beams from 2 to 40 μm. FD-PBD with liquid immersion thus enables fast mapping of spatial variations in thermal boundary conductance of deeply buried interfaces.
High conductivity of n-type β-Ga2O3(010) thin films achieved through Si doping by mist chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Hosaka Shoma , Nishinaka Hiroyuki , Ogawa Temma , Miyake Hiroki , Yoshimoto Masahiro
Published: January 2024

Currently, β-Ga2O3 has attracted significant attention as a wide bandgap semiconductor, and numerous growth techniques are being explored to control its carrier concentration for various applications. In this study, we investigated the homoepitaxial growth of Si-doped β-Ga2O3 thin films on a Fe-doped β-Ga2O3 substrate using the mist chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique developed in our group to obtain highly conductive thin films. Using mist CVD, we obtained highly crystalline Si-doped β-Ga2O3 thin films with a full-width at half-maximum of ∼40 arc sec for the (020) peak in the x-ray diffraction rocking curve. Atomic force microscopy studies indicated considerably smooth surfaces of the films with a small root mean square roughness (less than 0.5 nm). Furthermore, we controlled the carrier concentration in the range of 3.85 × 1018 to 2.58 × 1020 cm−3 by varying the Si concentration in the precursor solution. The film exhibits the highest conductivity of 2368 S/cm (mobility = 57.2 cm2/V s at the carrier concentration of 2.58 × 1020 cm−3). This study is expected to promote the application of β-Ga2O3 in devices.
Strain-controlled charge and spin current rectifications in spin–orbit coupled graphene nano-ribbon: A new proposition
Authors: Majhi Joydeep , Maiti Santanu K.
Published: January 2024

In this work, we investigate the possibilities of performing charge and spin current rectifications using graphene nano-ribbon in the presence of Rashba spin–orbit (SO) interaction. More specifically, we explore the specific role of mechanical strain on these two different types of current rectifications. The system is simulated by a tight-binding framework, where all the results are worked out based on the standard Green’s function formalism. In order to have current rectification, an asymmetry is required, which is incorporated through uncorrelated disorder among the constituent lattice points. From our extensive numerical analysis, we find that reasonably large charge and spin current rectifications can be obtained under strained conditions, and all the physical pictures are valid for a broad range of tight-binding parameters. The rectification properties are studied mostly for zigzag graphene nano-ribbons; however, an armchair ribbon is also taken into account for a clear comparison. Our work may provide a new direction of getting strain-controlled current rectifications in similar kinds of other physical systems as well.
Theoretical examination of nuclear spin diffusion in light-induced spin coherences in photosystem I
Authors: Jeong Yeonjun , Bindra Jasleen K. , Niklas Jens , Utschig Lisa M. , Poluektov Oleg G. , Jasper Ahren W.
Published: January 2024

Microsecond coherence times are predicted in spin dynamics calculations of a donor–acceptor electron spin pair P+A1A− created upon light excitation of photosystem I (PSI). The effects of nuclear spin diffusion (NSD) due to the anisotropic protein environment on the predicted coherence times TM are studied. Closely positioned pairs and triples of protons located 5–8 Å from the electron spin are shown to largely control TM. Knowledge of the crystal structure of PSI allows for spin dynamics calculations where specific cofactors and amino acid residues are removed or replaced and the identification of anisotropic environmental features controlling electronic decoherence. Finally, we show that NSD alone cannot explain the >3× shorter experimentally observed coherence times and suggest that methyl groups at key protein sites may explain this discrepancy.
The effects of strain compensation in type-II GaAsSb/InGaAs quantum wells grown on GaAs (001) substrates
Authors: Zon  , Voranthamrong Samatcha , Cheng Chao-Chia , Lo Tzu-Wei , Li Zhen-Lun , Liu Chun-Nien , Chiang Chun-De , Hung Li-Wei , Hsu Ming-Sen , Liu Wei-Sheng , Chyi Jen-Inn , Tu Charles W.
Published: January 2024

The effect of the GaAsP strain-compensating layer on type-II GaAs1−xSbx/InyGa1−yAs was investigated. GaAsSb/InGaAs multiple quantum wells (MQWs) without and with GaAsP strain-compensating layers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Increasing Sb or In compositions can extend photoluminescence (PL) emission at longer wavelength along with the highly induced compressive strain in the QWs. The power-dependent PL measured at low temperature reveals the type-II band characteristics of the GaAs1−xSbx/InyGa1−yAs system. A detailed analysis of the experimental data reveals that the GaAsP layers compensate the compressive strain of GaAsSb/InGaAs. The type-II QWs with GaAsP layers, (8 nm) GaAs0.84Sb0.16/(2.5 nm) In0.3Ga0.7As/(10 nm) GaAs0.85P0.15, emits PL at ∼1.1 μm, up to 210 K, while the PL of those strained sample without GaAsP vanishes at lower temperature. In view of the described sample, x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis along with the simulation shows the validity of the procedure, resulting in nearly matched parameters of QW thicknesses and material compositions—(8.9 nm) GaAs0.835Sb0.165/(2.3 nm) In0.3Ga0.7As/(10.3 nm) GaAs0.85P0.15, with those of the designed QW. The thicknesses of QW from the TEM image, (8.6 nm) GaAsSb/(3.1 nm) InGaAs/(10.1 nm) GaAsP, agree well with the XRD results.