bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benchmarking requirement template systems: comparing appropriateness, usability, and expressiveness
Authors: Großer Katharina , Ahmadian Amir Shayan , Rukavitsyna Marina , Ramadan Qusai , Jürjens Jan
Published: August 2024

Various semi-formal syntax templates for natural language requirements foster to reduce ambiguity while preserving human readability. Existing studies on their effectiveness focus on individual notations only and do not allow to systematically investigate quality benefits. We strive for a comparative benchmark and evaluation of template systems to assist practitioners in selecting appropriate ones and enable researchers to work on pinpoint improvements and domain-specific adaptions. We conduct comparative experiments with five popular template systems—EARS, Adv-EARS, Boilerplates, MASTeR, and SPIDER. First, we compare a control group of free-text requirements and treatment groups of their variants following the different templates. Second, we compare MASTeR and EARS in user experiments for reading and writing. Third, we analyse all five meta-models’ formality and ontological expressiveness based on the Bunge-Wand-Weber reference ontology. The comparison of the requirement phrasings across seven relevant quality characteristics and a dataset of 1764 requirements indicates that, except SPIDER, all template systems have positive effects on all characteristics. In a user experiment with 43 participants, mostly students, we learned that templates are a method that requires substantial prior training and that profound domain knowledge and experience is necessary to understand and write requirements in general. The evaluation of templates systems’ meta-models suggests different levels of formality, modularity, and expressiveness. MASTeR and Boilerplates provide high numbers of variants to express requirements and achieve the best results with respect to completeness. Templates can generally improve various quality factors compared to free text. Although MASTeR leads the field, there is no conclusive favourite choice, as most effect sizes are relatively similar.
Recent changes in distribution and plumage phenologies of the White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) in the Middle East
Authors: Kiat Yosef , Pyle Peter
Published: August 2024

Changes in species geographic distributions, including those of migration routes, stopover sites, and over-wintering grounds, may affect the phenology of breeding and moult. The White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) is a long-distance migrant which breeds in Eurasia and winters in Africa and Australasia. This species is known in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East mainly during the migration seasons although it also breeds locally in eastern Turkey and the Persian Gulf. However, in the last decade, there has been an apparent change in the winter distribution of this species, with increasing observations of individuals during December–February in the Middle East, many of them in breeding plumage. Using data collected from specimens stored at the Natural History Museum at Tring (UK), ringing data from Israel, the online database eBird, and accompanying Macaulay Library (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), we described these recent changes in the seasonal distribution and annual moult cycles. While the birds that breed in the north begin to replace their black body feathers immediately at the end of the breeding season, the birds described here displayed the black body plumage (breeding plumage) throughout the winter (December–February), a plumage pattern that is offset by seven to eight months from those of the northern-hemisphere breeding populations. This might suggest yet-to-be discovered local breeding in the Middle East in February–April. In such cases as this, we hypothesize that examination of plumage phenology may help researchers investigate the timing of as yet unknown breeding phenology.
Perspectivist approaches to natural language processing: a survey
Authors: Frenda Simona , Abercrombie Gavin , Basile Valerio , Pedrani Alessandro , Panizzon Raffaella , Cignarella Alessandra Teresa , Marco Cristina , Bernardi Davide
Published: August 2024

In Artificial Intelligence research, perspectivism is an approach to machine learning that aims at leveraging data annotated by different individuals in order to model varied perspectives that influence their opinions and world view. We present the first survey of datasets and methods relevant to perspectivism in Natural Language Processing (NLP). We review datasets in which individual annotator labels are preserved, as well as research papers focused on analysing and modelling human perspectives for NLP tasks. Our analysis is based on targeted questions that aim to surface how different perspectives are taken into account, what the novelties and advantages of perspectivist approaches/methods are, and the limitations of these works. Most of the included works have a perspectivist goal, even if some of them do not explicitly discuss perspectivism. A sizeable portion of these works are focused on highly subjective phenomena in natural language where humans show divergent understandings and interpretations, for example in the annotation of toxic and otherwise undesirable language. However, in seemingly objective tasks too, human raters often show systematic disagreement. Through the framework of perspectivism we summarize the solutions proposed to extract and model different points of view, and how to evaluate and explain perspectivist models. Finally, we list the key concepts that emerge from the analysis of the sources and several important observations on the impact of perspectivist approaches on future research in NLP.
sQFT: An Autonomous Explanation of the Interactions of Quantum Particles
Authors: Rehren K.-H. , Cardoso L. T. , Gass C. , Gracia-Bondía J. M. , Schroer B. , Várilly J. C.
Published: August 2024

Successful applications of a conceptually novel setup of Quantum Field Theory, that accounts for all subtheories of the Standard Model (QED, Electroweak Interaction and Higgs, Yang–Mills and QCD) and beyond (Helicity 2), call for a perspective view in a broader conceptual context. The setting is “autonomous” in the sense of being intrinsically quantum. Its principles are: Hilbert space, Poincaré symmetry and causality. Its free quantum fields are obtained from Wigner’s unitary representations of the Poincaré group, with only physical and observable degrees of freedom. A “quantization” of an “underlying” classical theory is not needed. It allows renormalizable perturbation theory with interactions whose detailed structure, and in some cases even the particle content, is predicted by internal consistency. The results confirm and extend observable predictions for the interactions of the Standard Model without assuming a “principle” of gauge invariance.
Positive cooperativity in synergistic activation of Wnt proteins
Authors: Bonnet Clemence , Han Christiana S. , Deng Sophie X. , Zheng Jie J.
Published: August 2024

Background

Wnt proteins are crucial for embryonic development, stem cell growth, and tissue regeneration. Wnt signaling pathway is activated when Wnt proteins bind to cell membrane receptors.

Methods and results

We employed a luciferase reporter assay in HEK293STF cells to measure Wnt protein-induced signaling. We observed that Wnt3a uniquely promotes the Wnt/β-catenin pathway through positive cooperativity. Additionally, MFH-ND, a molecular mimic of Wnt ligands, markedly increased Wnt3a-induced signaling in a dose-responsive manner. This suggests that various Wnt ligands can synergistically enhance Wnt pathway activation.

Conclusions

The study suggests the likelihood of various Wnt ligands coexisting in a single signalosome on the cell membrane, providing new insights into the complexities of Wnt signaling mechanisms.
Particle filter data assimilation for ubiquitous unstable trajectories of two-dimensional three-state cellular automata
Authors: Furukawa Ken , Sakamoto Hideyuki , Ohhigashi Marimo , Shima Shin-ichiro , Sluka Travis , Miyoshi Takemasa
Published: August 2024

Estimating the states of error-growing (sensitive to initial state) cellular automata (CA) based on noisy imperfect data is challenging due to the discreteness of the dynamical system. This paper proposes particle filter (PF)–based data assimilation (DA) for three-state error-growing CA and demonstrates that the PF-based DA can predict the present and future state even with noisy and sparse observations. The error-growing CA used in the present study comprised a competitive system of land, grass, and sheep. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first application of DA to such CA. The performance of DA for different observation sets was evaluated in terms of observational error, density, and frequency, and a series of sensitivity tests of the internal parameters in the DA was conducted. The inflation and localization parameters were tuned according to the sensitivity tests.
A scaling law approach to rate fabrication tolerances of double-sided electrostatic actuators
Authors: Wall Franziska , Schenk Hermann A. G. , Melnikov Anton , Kaiser Bert
Published: August 2024

Symmetric double-sided electrostatic actuators in push-pull configuration are particularly suitable for linear actuation with low harmonic distortion. However, their motion still is largely determined by pull-in instabilities that are sensitive to geometry variations. A considerable simulation effort is therefore required when assessing manufacturing tolerances during the design process or determining the optimal operating point. Recently, an accurate method was demonstrated, allowing for the numerically inexpensive and experimentally non-destructive extraction of the full quasi-static performance of a clamped-free beam-like electrostatic micro-mechanical actuator with complex 3D design. The key step was to determine the voltage scaling related to the pull-in voltage based on data collected far away from pull-in conditions. This relates a dimensionless ansatz to the physical input voltages as well as the output like e.g. the actuator’s tip deflection. For the chosen approach, however, the relationship between the model and the geometry parameters is unknown. In this paper we propose a method to enable quantifying the impact of geometry parameter variations. In particular, we adapt the model equation for the case of symmetry-breaking tolerances on the basis of few FEM-simulations. The quasi-static pull-in instability, as well as the nonlinear deflection, are consistently reproduced over the full range of relevant combinations of signal and bias voltages. Our analysis was developed in the context of a specific electro-acoustic transducer. However, we find indications that the underlying method is in fact applicable to a much broader range of micro-mechanical actuators.
Quadruple impact of SPM, XPM, FWM and SRS nonlinear impairments on the performance of DWDM-PON
Authors: Karlık Sait Eser
Published: August 2024

Recently, dense wavelength division multiplexing passive optical networks (DWDM-PONs) have become a considerable choice for 5G and beyond fronthaul implementations. Formerly, we have proposed a full-duplex bidirectional DWDM-PON architecture convenient for those implementations and analyzed the combined dual impact of four-wave mixing (FWM) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) nonlinear impairments on the proposed architecture. Meanwhile, a detailed literature analysis showed us that the combined quadruple impact of self phase modulation (SPM), cross phase modulation (XPM), FWM and SRS on the performance of bidirectional DWDM-PONs have never been researched up to now. In this paper, quadruple impact of SPM, XPM, FWM and SRS on the performance of both uplink channels (ULCs) and downlink channels (DLCs) of the formerly proposed DWDM-PON has been analyzed with simulations. Simulations have been performed in O-band region for ULCs and in C-band region for DLCs of 2 × 15- and 2 × 63-channel DWDM-PONs having 12.5 GHz, 25 GHz, 50 GHz, 100 GHz equally-spaced channels. The quadruple impact of optical nonlinear impairments on the DWDM-PON performance has been analyzed with signal-to-crosstalk ratio (SXR) simulations performed under varying channel input powers and channel lengths. Results show that under the quadruple nonlinear impact reliable bidirectional transmission with an SXR over 23 dB can be achieved for channel input powers below 0.58 mW and 0.16 mW in 2 × 15- and 2 × 63-channel DWDM-PONs, respectively, for all channel spacing values and 25 km transmission lengths. Moreover, results also imply that variations in channel lengths do not significantly affect SXR at both ULCs and DLCs of 2 × 15- and 2 × 63-channel DWDM-PONs for lengths exceeding 50 km. The thorough analysis presented in the paper will give a new insight for analysis of conventional and next generation PONs.
Understanding narratives in different media formats: Processes and products of elementary-school children’s comprehension of texts and videos
Authors: Venneker Dianne , Helder Anne , van den Broek Paul
Published: August 2024

This study investigated similarities and differences in children’s (N = 83, grades 4–6) narrative comprehension between text, audio, and non-verbal video, including measures of both comprehension products and processes. The aim was to understand how children engage with information across various media and, in doing so, address inconsistent findings in the existing literature. Comprehension products were assessed through open-ended questions and recall, and comprehension processes through think-aloud protocols. Results revealed that children answered more comprehension questions correctly for video versions of the narratives than for text versions, particularly children with lower reading comprehension skills. No advantage of video over text was found for the recall task. Think-aloud responses during narrative comprehension revealed similar processing patterns for text and video, with a general tendency to report information close to the story rather than elaborate based on background knowledge. However, video versions prompted children to activate background knowledge to a greater extent than did text versions, suggesting an advantage of video at the situation-model level. Notably, differences between video and text versions cannot be attributed solely to the absence of decoding demands in video, as similar differences were found between video and audio versions. These results suggest (a) considerable similarities in both process and product across media, but (b) non-verbal videos elicit more situation-model processes than texts do, (c) non-verbal videos have an advantage over text with regard to performance on the comprehension questions, especially for less-skilled comprehenders. These findings illustrate the nuanced relationship between media affordances and comprehension processes and outcomes.
Thematic Coherence in Classroom Discourse: A Question Centered Approach
Authors: Hejl Cæcilie Damgaard Ketil , Petersen Esben Nedenskov
Published: August 2024

This article discusses the place of thematic coherence in various approaches to educational dialogue and proposes a unifying approach to the analysis of thematic coherence of classroom conversations based on research in educational dialogue, philosophy of language and recent advances in linguistic research on discourse structure. Addressing the same main question is crucial to preserving thematic coherence in a conversation and is considered a key criterion of quality in classroom dialogues across the field of research in dialogic teaching, e.g., in Alexander’s Dialogic Teaching, Michaels and colleagues’ Accountable Talk, and Mercer’s Interthinking. Nonetheless, a shared definition of thematic coherence is missing in the field. In order to provide such a conception, we propose a question centered approach to evaluating the thematic coherence of educational discourse. On this proposal, the thematic coherence of a conversation depends on how a conversational contribution relates to a conversation’s overall question under discussion. We show how this approach may be used to examine thematic coherence and incoherence and argue that the proposal’s focus on utterance level features of discourse has an advantage in helping researchers track how specific linguistic features of dialogue shape classroom conversations.
Optimizing cell association in 5G and beyond networks: a modified load-aware biased technique
Authors: Alam Mohammed Jaber , Chugh Ritesh , Azad Salahuddin , Hossain Md Rahat
Published: August 2024

Cellular networks are moving towards increasing heterogeneity by deploying more small cells into macro base station (MBS) to meet rapidly growing traffic demands. To leverage the advantages of these small cells, mobile users should be offloaded onto small base stations (BSs), which will typically be lightly populated and can give a higher data rate by presenting the mobile users with many more channels than the MBS. Likewise, a more balanced cell association will lessen the pressure on the MBS, allowing it to serve its remaining users more effectively. This paper addresses the cell association challenge for Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning in terms of throughput and load-balancing for 5G and future generation networks. This problem is quite challenging because BSs have varying backhaul capacities and users have varying QoS needs. Most of the previous studies are based on reference signal received power (RSRP), signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) or its variants and most importantly majority of them are not load-aware. Therefore, a modified load-aware biased cell association scheme based on distance is proposed to attain better QoS provisioning in terms of throughput and load-balancing. Simulation results depict that the proposed load-aware-based method outperforms conventional cell association schemes based on RSRP and its variants, and in terms of throughput and load-balancing. Furthermore, the algorithm’s complexity has been assessed through a comparison and analysis of computational time, demonstrating better performance compared to state-of-the-art techniques.
Causes and predictors of recurrent unplanned hospital admissions in heart failure patients: a cohort study
Authors: Kalter-Leibovici Ofra , Murad Havi , Ziv Arnona , Keidan Tomer , Orion Alon , Afel Yoav , Gilutz Harel , Freimark Dov , Klibansky-Marom Rachel , Freedman Laurence , Silber Haim
Published: August 2024

Despite progress in therapy, heart failure (HF) inflicts a heavy burden of hospital admissions. In this study, we identified among 1360 community-dwelling HF patients (mean age 70.7 ± 11.3 years, 72.5% men) subgroups sharing similar profiles of unplanned hospital admissions, based on the admission causes and frequency of each cause. Hospital discharge summaries were reviewed for the main admission cause. Patient subgroups were identified via cluster analysis. We investigated baseline predictors associated with these subgroups, using multinomial logistic models. During 3421 patient-years, there were 5192 hospital admissions, of which 4252 (82%) were unplanned. We identified five patient subgroups (clusters 1–5) with distinctive hospitalization profiles. HF accounted for approximately one-third of admissions in the first patient cluster (23% of the patient sample). In contrast, patients in the second cluster (39% of the patient sample) were hospitalized for various reasons, with no single prominent admission cause identified. The other three clusters, comprising 16% of the patient sample, accounted for 42% of all unplanned hospitalizations. While patients in the third cluster were hospitalized mainly due to ischemic heart disease and arrhythmia, patients in the fourth and fifth clusters shared a high burden of recurrent HF admissions. The five patient clusters differed by baseline predictors, including age, functional capacity, comorbidity burden, hemoglobin, and cause of HF. HF patients differ significantly in the causes and overall burden of unplanned hospitalizations. The patient subgroups identified and predictors for these subgroups may guide personalized interventions to reduce the burden of unplanned hospitalizations among HF patients. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00533013. Registered 20 September 2007. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00533013.
Pediatric cancer—pathology and microenvironment influence: a perspective into osteosarcoma and non-osteogenic mesenchymal malignant neoplasms
Authors: Sergi Consolato M.
Published: August 2024

Pediatric cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related death among children aged 1–14 years. A few risk factors have been conclusively identified, including exposure to pesticides, high-dose radiation, and specific genetic syndromes, but the etiology underlying most events remains unknown. The tumor microenvironment (TME) includes stromal cells, vasculature, fibroblasts, adipocytes, and different subsets of immunological cells. TME plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis, cancer formation, progression, dissemination, and resistance to therapy. Moreover, autophagy seems to be a vital regulator of the TME and controls tumor immunity. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved intracellular process. It enables the degradation and recycling of long-lived large molecules or damaged organelles using the lysosomal-mediated pathway. The multifaceted role of autophagy in the complicated neoplastic TME may depend on a specific context. Autophagy may function as a tumor-suppressive mechanism during early tumorigenesis by eliminating unhealthy intracellular components and proteins, regulating antigen presentation to and by immune cells, and supporting anti-cancer immune response. On the other hand, dysregulation of autophagy may contribute to tumor progression by promoting genome damage and instability. This perspective provides an assortment of regulatory substances that influence the features of the TME and the metastasis process. Mesenchymal cells in bone and soft-tissue sarcomas and their signaling pathways play a more critical role than epithelial cells in childhood and youth. The investigation of the TME in pediatric malignancies remains uncharted primarily, and this unique collection may help to include novel advances in this setting.
Understanding behaviour through theoretical morphology: the case of helical-shaped burrows
Authors: De Renzi Miquel , Mayoral Eduardo
Published: August 2024

Helical burrows are well known from the fossil record (Gyrolithes, produced by invertebrates, being the most frequent in the marine record, while Daimonelix or devil’s corkscrew, created by vertebrates, being the equivalent in the continental record) and reflect a typical behaviour. Mostly, they approach the form of a circular helix (CH), although conical helices can also be found. An ideal helical surface consists of a circular generating curve (GC), generally similar to an ellipse, the centre of which traces a CH. To avoid overlapping of successive whorls, this surface follows strict constraints, otherwise, the structure would collapse (forbidden forms). This paper presents a model for describing the burrows that includes four dimensionless parameters based on the CH: relative pitch, adaxial ratio, helix slope and eccentricity. These parameters are not independent, but linked by an equation. It is possible to compute their critical values, which determine the appearance of forbidden forms. The conceptual framework of theoretical morphology enables possible and forbidden forms to be systematically simulated by starting from a circular GC and changing the parameters’ values. Due to the equation governing these parameters, the theoretical morphospace that they determine cannot include a continuous gradation of all possible arrangements of their values. The parameters are also analysed in terms of their behavioural and biological meaning; in this way, the meaningful parameters are found to be eccentricity, helix slope and adaxial ratio. Relative pitch and the angle of the whorl of ichnologists are a geometrical consequence of the former. All these issues are applied to a sample of real specimens of Gyrolithes.
Turbulence Around Auroral Arcs
Authors: Ivarsen Magnus F. , Huyghebaert Devin R. , Gillies Megan D. , St‐Maurice Jean‐Pierre , Themens David R. , Oppenheim Meers , Gustavsson Björn J. , Billett Daniel , Pitzel Brian , Galeschuk Draven , Donovan Eric , Hussey Glenn C.
Published: August 2024

The spectacular visual displays from the aurora come from curtains of excited atoms and molecules, impacted by energetic charged particles. These particles are accelerated from great distances in Earth's magnetotail, causing them to precipitate into the ionosphere. Energetic particle precipitation is associated with currents that generate electric fields, and the end result is a dissipation of the hundreds of gigawatts to terrawatts of energy injected into Earth's atmosphere during geomagnetic storms. While much is known about how the aurora dissipates energy through Joule heating, little is known about how it does so via small‐scale plasma turbulence. Here we show the first set of combined radar and optical images that track the position of this turbulence, relative to particle precipitation, with high spatial precision. During two geomagnetic storms occurring in 2021, we unambiguously show that small‐scale turbulence (several meters) is preferentially created on the edges of auroral forms. We find that turbulence appears both poleward and equatorward of auroral forms, as well as being nestled between auroral forms in the north‐south direction. These measurements make it clear that small scale auroral plasma turbulence is an integral part of the electrical current system created by the aurora, in the sense that turbulent transport around auroral forms enhances ionospheric energy deposition through Joule heating while at the same time reducing the average strength of the electric field.
A Survey of EMIC Waves in Van Allen Probe Data
Authors: Inglis Andrew R. , Murphy Kyle R. , Halford Alexa
Published: August 2024

Using an automated novel approach we conduct a reproducible systematic survey of electromagnetic ion cyclotron wave activity detected by Van Allen Probe B during the time period 2013 January 1–2019 July 15. We identify approximately 500 hr of EMIC wave activity, an occurrence rate of ∼ 0.85%. Accounting for satellite dwell time, we find that EMIC waves preferentially occur on the dayside, between 9 and 15 magnetic local time. This is true for both the H+ and He+wavebands. Higher amplitude waves are found at higher values of L shell, while weaker waves occur at low L. The highest amplitudes are concentrated at high L near dawn and dusk. It is also found that EMIC wave occurrence is enhanced during periods of strong geomagnetic activity, with an occurrence rate of 2.7%. During storm times, waves preferentially occur in the afternoon and early evening sectors. The full list of electromagnetic ion cyclotron wave detection times and their properties is made publicly available to the community. This provides a reference catalog for comparison with other magnetospheric phenomena and other wave databases.
Nonlinear Drift‐Bounce Resonance Between Charged Particles and Ultralow Frequency Waves
Authors: Li Li , Zhou Xu‐Zhi , Omura Yoshiharu , Zong Qiu‐Gang , Liu Ying , Rankin Robert , Yue Chao , Zhuang Yan , Ren Jie , Wang Shan , Fu Sui‐Yan
Published: August 2024

Ultra‐low frequency (ULF) waves contribute significantly to the dynamic evolution of Earth's magnetosphere by accelerating and transporting charged particles within a wide energy range. A substantial excitation mechanism of these waves is their drift‐bounce resonant interactions with magnetospheric particles. Here, we extend the conventional drift‐bounce resonance theory to formulate the nonlinear particle trapping in the ULF wave‐carried potential well, which can be approximately described by a pendulum equation. We also predict the observable signatures of the nonlinear drift‐bounce resonance, and compare them with spacecraft observations. We further discuss potential drivers of the pendulum including the convection electric field and the magnetospheric dayside compression, which lead to additional particle acceleration or deceleration depending on magnetic longitude. These drivers indicate preferred regions for nonlinear ULF wave growth, which are consistent with previous statistical studies.
Observations and Model of Subauroral Sporadic E Layer Irregularities Driven by Turning Shears and Dynamic Instability
Authors: Hysell D. L. , Bui M. X. , Larsen M. F.
Published: August 2024

Observations of coherent scatter from patchy sporadic E layers in the subauroral zone made with a 30‐MHz coherent scatter radar imager are presented. The quasiperiodic (QP) echoes are similar to what has been observed at middle latitudes but with some differences. The echoes arise from bands of scatterers aligned mainly northwest to southeast and propagating to the southwest. A notable difference from observations at middle latitudes is the appearance of secondary irregularities or braids oriented obliquely to the primary bands and propagating mainly northward along them. We present a spectral simulation of the patchy layers that describes neutral atmospheric dynamics with the incompressible Navier Stokes equations and plasma dynamics with an extended MHD model. The simulation is initialized with turning shears in the form of an Ekman spiral. Ekman‐type instability deforms the sporadic E layer through compressible and incompressible motion. The layer ultimately exhibits both the QP bands and the braids, consequences mainly of primary and secondary neutral dynamic instability. Vorticity due to dynamic instability is an important source of structuring in the sporadic E layer.
Basal forebrain-lateral habenula inputs and control of impulsive behavior
Authors: Hwang Eun-Kyung , Zapata Agustin , Hu Vivian , Hoffman Alexander F. , Wang Hui-Ling , Liu Bing , Morales Marisela , Lupica Carl R.
Published: August 2024

Deficits in impulse control are observed in several neurocognitive disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), substance use disorders (SUDs), and those following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Understanding brain circuits and mechanisms contributing to impulsive behavior may aid in identifying therapeutic interventions. We previously reported that intact lateral habenula (LHb) function is necessary to limit impulsivity defined by impaired response inhibition in rats. Here, we examine the involvement of a synaptic input to the LHb on response inhibition using cellular, circuit, and behavioral approaches. Retrograde fluorogold tracing identified basal forebrain (BF) inputs to LHb, primarily arising from ventral pallidum and nucleus accumbens shell (VP/NAcs). Glutamic acid decarboxylase and cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R) mRNAs colocalized with fluorogold, suggesting a cannabinoid modulated GABAergic pathway. Optogenetic activation of these axons strongly inhibited LHb neuron action potentials and GABA release was tonically suppressed by an endogenous cannabinoid in vitro. Behavioral experiments showed that response inhibition during signaled reward omission was impaired when VP/NAcs inputs to LHb were optogenetically stimulated, whereas inhibition of this pathway did not alter LHb control of impulsivity. Systemic injection with the psychotropic phytocannabinoid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), also increased impulsivity in male, and not female rats, and this was blocked by LHb CB1R antagonism. However, as optogenetic VP/NAcs pathway inhibition did not alter impulse control, we conclude that the pro-impulsive effects of Δ9-THC likely do not occur via inhibition of this afferent. These results identify an inhibitory LHb afferent that is controlled by CB1Rs that can regulate impulsive behavior.
N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor elicits a neuroprotection against ischemic neuronal injury by restoring autophagic/lysosomal dysfunction
Authors: Qiu Miaomiao , Zhao Xiaoming , Guo Tao , He Hongyun , Deng Yihao
Published: August 2024

Autophagosome-lysosome fusion defects play a critical role in driving autolysosomal dysfunction, leading to autophagic/lysosomal impairment in neurons following ischemic stroke. However, the mechanisms hindering autophagosome-lysosome fusion remain unclear. Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) is an essential ATPase to reactivate STX17 and VAMP8, which are the paired molecules to mediate fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes. However, NSF is frequently inactivated to inhibit the reactivation of STX17 and VAMP8 in ischemic neurons. Herein, we investigated whether autophagosome-lysosome fusion could be facilitated to alleviate autophagic/lysosomal impairment in ischemic neurons by over-expressing NSF. Rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and HT22 neuron ischemia model of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) were prepared, respectively. The results demonstrated that NSF activity was significantly suppressed, accompanied by reduced expressions of STX17 and VAMP8 in penumbral neurons 48 h post-MCAO and in HT22 neurons 2 h post-OGD. Moreover, the attenuated autolysosome formation accompanied by autophagic/lysosomal dysfunction was observed. Thereafter, NSF activity in HT22 neurons was altered by over-expression and siRNA knockdown, respectively. After transfection with recombinant NSF-overexpressing lentiviruses, both STX17 and VAMP8 expressions were concurrently elevated to boost autophagosome-lysosome fusion, as shown by enhanced immunofluorescence intensity co-staining with LC3 and LAMP-1. Consequently, the OGD-created autophagic/lysosomal dysfunction was prominently ameliorated, as reflected by augmented autolysosomal functions and decreased autophagic substrates. By contrast, NSF knockdown conversely aggravated the autophagic/lysosomal impairment, and thereby exacerbated neurological damage. Our study indicates that NSF over-expression induces neuroprotection against ischemic neuronal injury by restoring autophagic/lysosomal dysfunction via the facilitation of autophagosome-lysosome fusion.
Gauge field dynamics in multilayer Kitaev spin liquids
Authors: Joy Aprem P. , Rosch Achim
Published: August 2024

The Kitaev spin liquid realizes an emergent static $${{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$

Z

2

gauge field with vison excitations coupled to Majorana fermions. We consider Kitaev models stacked on top of each other, weakly coupled by Heisenberg interaction ∝ J⊥. This inter-layer coupling breaks the integrability of the model and makes the gauge fields dynamic. Conservation laws and topology keep single visons immobile. However, an inter-layer vison pairs can hop with a hopping amplitude linear in J⊥ confined to the layer, but their motion is strongly influenced by the type of stacking. For AA stacking, an interlayer pair has a two-dimensional motion but for AB or ABC stacking, sheet conservation laws restrict its motion to a one-dimensional channel within the plane. For all stacking types, an intra-layer vison-pair is constrained to move out-of-plane only. Depending on the anisotropy of the Kitaev couplings Kx, Ky, Kz, the intra-layer vison pairs can display either coherent tunnelling or purely incoherent hopping. When a magnetic field opens a gap for Majorana fermions, there exist two types of intra-layer vison pairs - a bosonic and a fermionic one. Only the bosonic pair obtains a hopping rate linear in J⊥. We use our results to identify the leading instabilities of the spin liquid phase induced by the inter-layer coupling.
Geometry of plastic deformation in metals as piecewise isometric transformations
Authors: Beygelzimer Yan , Filippov Alexander , Orlov Dmytro
Published: August 2024

Deformation mechanisms of crystalline solids has been the subject of research for more than two centuries. The theory of dislocations dominates modern views but still has significant gaps demanding the introduction of additional concepts for the coherent quantitative description of physical phenomena. In this work, we propose a coherent geometric description of motion and deformation in crystalline solids as piecewise isometric transformations (PWIT). The latter only includes operations that, similar to interatomic spacing in crystalline lattice, do not alter distances between reference points, i.e. translations, rotations and mirror reflections. The difference between solid-body translations and plastic deformations is that the isometric transformations have discontinuities that in real-life materials realise through dislocations (termination of shifts), disclinations (termination of rotations), and twins (mirror reflections). The conceptual description of plastic deformations as PWIT can be useful for the better description of physical phenomena, proposing new hypothesis, and for developing predictive analytical models. In this paper, the use of this conceptual description enables proposing new hypothesis about the nature of such interesting phenomena in severe plastic deformation as (i) stationary ‘solid state turbulence’ stage in high pressure torsion, and (ii) rate of mass transfer (mechanically assisted diffusion) in simple-shear deformation.
Neolithic Yersinia pestis infections in humans and a dog
Authors: Susat Julian , Haller-Caskie Magdalena , Bonczarowska Joanna H. , da Silva Nicolas A. , Schierhold Kerstin , Rind Michael M. , Schmölcke Ulrich , Kirleis Wiebke , Sondermann Holger , Rinne Christoph , Müller Johannes , Nebel Almut , Krause-Kyora Ben
Published: August 2024

Yersinia pestis has been infecting humans since the Late Neolithic (LN). Whether those early infections were isolated zoonoses or initiators of a pandemic remains unclear. We report Y. pestis infections in two individuals (of 133) from the LN necropolis at Warburg (Germany, 5300–4900 cal BP). Our analyses show that the two genomes belong to distinct strains and reflect independent infection events. All LN genomes known today (n = 4) are basal in the phylogeny and represent separate lineages that probably originated in different animal hosts. In the LN, an opening of the landscape resulted in the introduction of new rodent species, which may have acted as Y. pestis reservoirs. Coincidentally, the number of dogs increased, possibly leading to Y. pestis infections in canines. Indeed, we detect Y. pestis in an LN dog. Collectively, our data suggest that Y. pestis frequently entered human settlements at the time without causing significant outbreaks.
Peripheral sequestration of huntingtin delays neuronal death and depends on N-terminal ubiquitination
Authors: Boulos Ayub , Maroun Dunia , Ciechanover Aaron , Ziv Noam E.
Published: August 2024

Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by a glutamine repeat expansion in the protein huntingtin. Mutated huntingtin (mHtt) forms aggregates whose impacts on neuronal survival are still debated. Using weeks-long, continual imaging of cortical neurons, we find that mHtt is gradually sequestrated into peripheral, mainly axonal aggregates, concomitant with dramatic reductions in cytosolic mHtt levels and enhanced neuronal survival. in-situ pulse-chase imaging reveals that aggregates continually gain and lose mHtt, in line with these acting as mHtt sinks at equilibrium with cytosolic pools. Mutating two N-terminal lysines found to be ubiquitinated in HD animal models suppresses peripheral aggregate formation and reductions in cytosolic mHtt, promotes nuclear aggregate formation, stabilizes aggregates and leads to pervasive neuronal death. These findings demonstrate the capacity of aggregates formed at peripheral locations to sequester away cytosolic, presumably toxic mHtt forms and support a crucial role for N-terminal ubiquitination in promoting these processes and delaying neuronal death.
Chirality-driven amplification of sensitive polarized light detection in alternating cation-intercalated perovskites
Authors: Li Hang , Zhu Tingting , Guan Qianwen , Ye Huang , You Shihai , Zhang Chengshu , Wang Yifei , Wang Peng , Ji Chengmin , Luo Junhua
Published: August 2024

Chirality-induced bulk photovoltaic effect realizes the amplification of polarized light sensitive detection in an alternating cation-intercalated perovskite.
Enhancing pre-service teachers’ classroom management competency in a large class context: the role of fully immersive virtual reality
Authors: Li Li , Hu Yongbin , Yang Xianmin , Wu Meiling , Tao Pengrui , Chen Meitan , Yang Chuanwen
Published: August 2024

Effective classroom management is essential for creating an optimal learning environment, particularly in large classes. However, pre-service teachers often struggle to develop this competency through traditional training methods such as instructional videos and role-playing, which fail to provide authentic practice opportunities. This study investigated the efficacy of an innovative Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) system, ClassMaster, in enhancing pre-service teachers’ classroom management skills. A quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 57 pre-service teachers randomly assigned to either an IVR group using ClassMaster or a control group using video-based learning. Participants’ classroom management competencies, self-efficacy, attitudes, and reflective thinking were assessed through pre-tests, post-tests, and delayed tests. Results revealed that while both methods improved immediate classroom management competencies equally, the IVR group demonstrated significantly better performance on delayed tests, indicating enhanced long-term knowledge retention. The IVR group also reported more positive attitudes towards classroom management. Reflective thinking levels were comparable between the two groups. Qualitative interviews highlighted the perceived benefits of the IVR system, including its innovative, immersive, and practical nature, which contributed to a profound and lasting impact on participants’ learning experiences. The study concludes that IVR-based learning, through systems like ClassMaster, offers a promising approach to enhancing pre-service teachers’ classroom management competencies, particularly in large class contexts. The research underscores the potential of IVR as a transformative tool in teacher education, warranting further exploration and integration into teacher training programs.
Silane modified Cr2O3/polyimide nanocomposite films with excellent surface insulation performance for space applications
Authors: Li Wenrui , Yang Xiong , Qi Changchun , Zhang Yucheng , Dong Yibo , Zhao Xin , Gao Zhiliang , Feng Na , Song Baipeng , Zhang Guan-Jun
Published: August 2024

The exploration of deep space significantly increases the probability of spacecraft failures due to surface electrostatic discharge, which imposes higher vacuum insulation protection requirements on polyimide (PI), the external insulation material of spacecrafts. To address this challenge, this study proposes using silane coupling agent KH550 for organic grafting treatment of Cr2O3 nanoparticles, which are then used to dope and modify PI to enhance the vacuum surface insulation of PI films. The KH550 grafting improves the interface strength between the fillers and the matrix, allowing the fillers to be uniformly dispersed in the matrix. Compared to pure PI films, the prepared PI-Cr2O3@KH550 composite films exhibit significantly enhanced vacuum surface flashover voltage, improved surface/volume resistivity, and dielectric properties. The results demonstrate that PI composite films with 0.8% by mass of Cr2O3@KH550 show the most notable performance improvement, with the DC flashover voltage and impulse flashover voltage in vacuum increasing by 20.7% and 27.8%, respectively. The doping of chromium oxide nanoparticles introduces more deep traps into the PI films and reduce the surface resistivity. The higher deep trap density inhibits charge migration, thereby alleviating secondary electron emission and surface electric field distortion. Simultaneously, the lower surface resistivity facilitates dissipating surface charges and improves the surface insulation. These findings are of significant reference value for promoting the enhancement of aerospace insulation performance.
Analysis and prediction of sputtering yield using combined hierarchical clustering analysis and artificial neural network algorithms
Authors: CHEN 陈 Yu 煜 , LUO 罗 Jiawei 嘉伟 , LEI 雷 Wen 玟 , SHEN 沈 Yan 岩 , CAO 曹 Shuai 帅
Published: August 2024

Sputtering is a crucial technology in fields such as electric propulsion, materials processing and semiconductors. Modeling of sputtering is significant for improving thruster design and designing material processing control algorithms. In this study we use the hierarchical clustering analysis algorithm to perform cluster analysis on 17 descriptors related to sputtering. These descriptors are divided into four fundamental groups, with representative descriptors being the mass of the incident ion, the formation energy of the incident ion, the mass of the target and the formation energy of the target. We further discuss the possible physical processes and significance involved in the classification process, including cascade collisions, energy transfer and other processes. Finally, based on the analysis of the above descriptors, several neural network models are constructed for the regression of sputtering threshold E
th, maximum sputtering energy E
max and maximum sputtering yield SY
max. In the regression model based on 267 samples, the four descriptor attributes showed higher accuracy than the 17 descriptors (R
2 evaluation) in the same neural network structure, with the 5×5 neural network structure achieving the highest accuracy, having an R
2 of 0.92. Additionally, simple sputtering test data also demonstrated the generalization ability of the 5×5 neural network model, the error in maximum sputtering yield being less than 5%.
Development of multi droplet-based electricity generator system for energy harvesting improvement from a single droplet
Authors: Gwon Girak , Kam Dongik , Jang Sunmin , La Moonwoo , Choi Dongwhi
Published: August 2024

Due to high output performance, the droplet-based electricity generator (DEG) is garnering attention as a promising alternative power source for small electronic devices. Accordingly, to utilize the DEG as a power source, the efforts to boost the output have focused on methods to modify material modification and introduce surface structure. However, the behavior feature that the reconfigured droplet falls after the DEG operation leaves room for one more droplet energy harvesting from a single droplet. Here, a multi DEG system (MDEG) constructed with multiple DEG units is proposed to harvest more energy from a single droplet. The continuous movement of a water droplet is realized through the inclined stair structure of the MDEG, resulting in electrical energy generation from a single water droplet as many times as it falls. In particular, 2-step MDEG consisting of two DEG units can have 45% higher performance than a single DEG. Therefore, this study implies a contribution to the development of DEGs by considering the droplet dynamics, which has been overlooked in existing DEG studies.