bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Analysis of Cotton Fiber Infrared Maturity Distribution and Its Relation to Fiber HVI and AFIS Properties
Authors: Liu Yongliang , Chang Sechin
Published: January 2024

Cotton fiber maturity has been reported as average maturity and maturity distribution in a sample, through measuring the fibers in the way of either an individual fiber cross-section or a longitude of several subsamples by cross-sectional image analysis (IA), advanced fiber information system (AFIS), and Cottonscope method. As a different approach, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy was proposed to estimate fiber maturity (MIR) and maturity distribution at a bundle fiber level on the basis of three MIR (low-, mid-, and high) classifications. Although maturity distributions from IA, AFIS, or Cottonscope measurement are reported, they are not related with high-volume instrument (HVI) and AFIS qualities considerably. Novelty of this study examined the effect of individual three MIR indices and additional MIR differentials on HVI and AFIS qualities in commercial cotton fibers. There were statistically significant and moderate-to-strong correlations between the MIR indices and fiber maturity and fineness measurements, and also moderate correlations between the MIR indices and other fiber qualities (for example, HVI strength). In particular, there was a moderate correlation between MIR readings and one fiber length parameter [AFIS L(n)] or two short fiber content (SFC) properties [AFIS SFC(w) and AFIS SFC(n)]. Meanwhile, MIR differential (D3) was observed to be correlated with HVI strength significantly and strongly. The result indicated the capability of ATR FT-IR spectroscopy for monitoring fiber maturity distribution in commercial cotton fibers and further in understanding fiber quality measurement.
Which context matters? Analysing team and club contextual conditions of member commitment in voluntary sports clubs
Authors: Buser Matthias , Schlesinger Torsten , Nagel Siegfried
Published: January 2024

Voluntary sports clubs (VSC) face the challenges of dropouts and unstable membership. Studies have analysed member commitment—that is, the decision to remain in a club—regarding individual member characteristics and structural club conditions. To date, studies have not considered the team context, even though most members participate in teams or training groups. To address this research gap, this study analysed the role of team and club contexts in VSC member commitment. This study applies an innovative three-level model to a sample of 1395 Swiss football club members selected from 138 teams across 42 clubs. This study highlights the relevance of the team context, where pronounced goals of sporting success are detrimental, and a culture of mutual respect benefits member commitment. Based on this study, the team context should be included in theoretical and empirical models of member action in sport clubs.
The Impact of Mobile Broadband and Internet Bandwidth on Human Development—A Comparative Analysis of Developing and Developed Countries
Authors: Bala Patrick
Published: January 2024

This paper examines the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) on human development in developing and developed countries, measured by the human development index (HDI). The analysis relies on new and contemporary measures of ICT, namely mobile broadband and internet bandwidth, which have only recently become available for many countries. Using data from 180 sample countries over the period 2010–2017, the system GMM estimates suggest that the impact of ICT on human development depends on the country’s development stage and the respective telecommunication service. Mobile broadband drives human development in developing countries, while developed countries gain from increasing internet bandwidth. Further analysis reveals that the positive effects in developing countries are due to improvements in health and education. In contrast, in developed countries, this progress is attributable to positive effects on income.
Beratung zu Bewegung in der Hausarztpraxis
Authors: Kastaun Sabrina , Prinz Alicia , Hoppe Sabrina , Gabrys Lars , Wilm Stefan
Published: January 2024

Hintergrund

Regelmäßige Bewegung ist wirksam in der Primär- und Sekundärprävention nicht übertragbarer Krankheiten. Allerdings bewegen sich die meisten Menschen deutlich zu wenig. Fast alle aktuellen Behandlungsleitlinien empfehlen, Patient:innen zu Bewegung zu beraten und zu motivieren. Wie kann solche Beratung wirksam und effizient in der Hausarztpraxis umgesetzt werden?

Ziele der Arbeit

Übersichtliche Darstellung der Relevanz des Themas, von Studien und Empfehlungen zur Umsetzung und Wirksamkeit hausärztlicher Beratung zu Bewegung sowie Ziehen von Schlussfolgerungen für die hausärztliche Praxis und Forschung.

Material und Methoden

Nichtsystematische Zusammenfassung wissenschaftlicher und nichtwissenschaftlicher Literatur zum Thema.

Ergebnisse

Hausärztliche Beratung zu Bewegung kann nachweislich einen Anstoß geben, um Patient:innen zur Bewegungssteigerung zu motivieren. Sie kann als Kurzberatung durchgeführt werden und ist v. a. wirksam, wenn sie ein Unterstützungsangebot, konkrete und für die Patient:innen umsetzbare Empfehlungen sowie fokussierte Folgekontakte enthält. Studien zeigen oft strukturelle Barrieren auf, die der Umsetzung entsprechender Beratung entgegenstehen. Diese Barrieren stellen für die hausärztliche Versorgung relevante Forschungsthemen dar.

Schlussfolgerung

Mit dem Angebot kurzer Beratung zu Bewegung können Hausärzt:innen einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Reduktion der Krankheitslast durch chronische Krankheiten leisten. Daher sollten wirksame Strategien zur Stärkung der hausärztlich initiierten Bewegungsförderung entwickelt werden. Relevante Ansatzpunkte sind neben der Verbesserung der strukturellen Voraussetzungen auch der Ausbau praktischer Fertigkeiten und des Vertrauens in wirksame Bewegungsberatung seitens der Ärzt:innen.
Statistics Using Stata
Authors: Weinberg Sharon Lawner , Abramowitz Sarah Knapp , Harel Daphna
Published: January 2024

Statistics Using Stata uses a highly accessible and lively writing style to seamlessly integrate the learning of the latest version of Stata (17) with an introduction to applied statistics using real data in the behavioral, social, and health sciences. The text is comprehensive in its content coverage and is suitable at undergraduate and graduate levels. It requires knowledge of basic algebra, but no prior coding experience. It is uniquely focused on the importance of data management as an underlying and key principle of data analysis. It includes a .do-file for each chapter, that was used to generate all figures, tables, and analyses for that chapter. These files are intended as models to be adapted and used by readers in conducting their own research. Additional teaching and learning aids include solutions to all end-of-chapter exercises and PowerPoint slides to highlight the important take-aways of each chapter.
Collaborative Autoethnography and Reclaiming an African Episteme: Investigating “Customary” Ownership of Natural Resources
Authors: Abonga Francis , Atingo Jacky , Awachango Jacob , Denis Akena , Hopwood Julian , James Ocitti , Kinyera Opiyo Dick , Lajul Susan , Lucky Auma , Okello Joseph
Published: January 2024

Collaborative autoethnography can function as a means of reclaiming certain African realities that have been co-opted by colonial epistemes and language. This can be significant in very concrete ways: northern Uganda is suffering a catastrophic loss of tree cover, much of which is taking place on the collective family landholdings that academia and the development sector have categorized as “customary land.” A collaboration by ten members of such landholding families, known as the Acholi Land Lab, explores what “customary ownership” means to them and their relatives, with a view to understanding what may be involved in promoting sustainable domestic use of natural resources, including trees.
Inferring social networks from unstructured text data: A proof of concept detection of hidden communities of interest
Authors: Malaterre Christophe , Lareau Francis
Published: January 2024

Social network analysis is known to provide a wealth of insights relevant to many aspects of policymaking. Yet, the social data needed to construct social networks are not always available. Furthermore, even when they are, interpreting such networks often relies on extraneous knowledge. Here, we propose an approach to infer social networks directly from the texts produced by actors and the terminological similarities that these texts exhibit. This approach relies on fitting a topic model to the texts produced by these actors and measuring topic profile correlations between actors. This reveals what can be called “hidden communities of interest,” that is, groups of actors sharing similar semantic contents but whose social relationships with one another may be unknown or underlying. Network interpretation follows from the topic model. Diachronic perspectives can also be built by modeling the networks over different time periods and mapping genealogical relationships between communities. As a case study, the approach is deployed over a working corpus of academic articles (domain of philosophy of science; N=16,917).
Race and the Yale Report of 1828
Authors: Todorinova Lily
Published: January 2024

This essay recontextualizes the Yale Report of 1828, arguing that the report’s advocacy for classical liberal education should be understood alongside the racial concerns of its authors, some of whom were well-known colonizationists who viewed African American education as a threat to New Haven’s social and economic stability. The Yale Report’s vision for leadership and economic success not only excluded African Americans by default, but created a lasting binary that defined Black educational opportunities in the nineteenth century and beyond. The essay considers the near overlap between the writing of the Yale Report and the failed proposal to establish an African American men’s college in New Haven in 1831, placing the document within a key period in the history of American higher education in which education became highly commodified and racialized. Building upon scholarship on the Yale Report that has already considered its neorepublican aims, this essay opens the possibility of viewing the document beyond its immediate concerns with curricular reform and contemplating the elusive connections between American higher education, race, and power.
Isotropically active particle closely fitting in a cylindrical channel: spontaneous motion at small Péclet numbers
Authors: Brandão Rodolfo
Published: January 2024

Spontaneous motion due to symmetry breaking has been predicted theoretically for both active droplets and isotropically active particles in an unbounded fluid domain, provided that their intrinsic Péclet number

$Pe$

exceeds a critical value. However, due to their inherently small

$Pe$

, this phenomenon has yet to be observed experimentally for active particles. In this paper, we demonstrate theoretically that spontaneous motion for an active spherical particle closely fitting in a cylindrical channel is possible at arbitrarily small

$Pe$

. Scaling arguments in the limit where the dimensionless clearance is

$\epsilon \ll 1$

reveal that when

$Pe=O(\epsilon ^{1/2})$

, the confined particle reaches speeds comparable to those achieved in an unbounded fluid at moderate (supercritical)

$Pe$

values. We use matched asymptotic expansions in that distinguished limit, where the fluid domain decomposes into several asymptotic regions: a gap region, where the lubrication approximation applies; particle-scale regions, where the concentration is uniform; and far-field regions, where solute transport is one-dimensional. We derive an asymptotic formula for the particle speed, which is a monotonically decreasing function of

$\overline {Pe}=Pe/\epsilon ^{1/2}$

and approaches a finite limit as

$\overline {Pe}\searrow 0$

. Our results could pave the way for experimental realisations of symmetry-breaking spontaneous motion in active particles.
Vortex ring breakdown dominating the entrainment of a synthetic jet
Authors: Xu Congyi , Wang Jinjun
Published: January 2024

The understanding of the entrainment mechanism of synthetic jets can help optimise the synthetic jet actuators in engineering applications. It is generally believed that vortex rings or strong velocity fluctuations in the near field of the synthetic jet are responsible for its enhanced entrainment. However, in recent years, it has been found that the enhanced entrainment of the synthetic jet may be caused by the instability or the vortex ring breakdown in the transition region. To shed new light on this issue, synthetic jets with different Reynolds numbers and dimensionless stroke lengths are investigated with time-resolved two-dimensional particle image velocimetry. Based on the analyses of velocity triple-decomposition, Fourier mode decomposition and phase-averaged

$\lambda _{ci}D/U_0$

field, the streamwise positions of the vortex ring breakdown are determined for the synthetic jets, and the entrainment coefficient can be divided into three components, i.e. the coherent turbulent kinetic energy production, the random turbulent kinetic energy production and the shape of the velocity profile. It is found that the entrainment coefficient is dominated by the component related to the random turbulent kinetic energy production, and reaches its peak value at the position of vortex ring breakdown. The results obtained in different cases show a strong correlation between vortex ring breakdown and entrainment enhancement. From the perspective of instantaneous snapshot, the mechanism of vortex ring breakdown enhanced entrainment is revealed, that is, vortex ring breakdown enhanced the small-scale vortex near the turbulent/non-turbulent interface, resulting in an increase of enstrophy production, and thus enhanced local entrainment.
Inertial wave super-attractor in a truncated elliptic cone
Authors: Favier Benjamin , Le Dizès Stéphane
Published: January 2024

We consider inertial waves propagating in a fluid contained in a non-axisymmetric three-dimensional rotating cavity. We focus on the particular case of a fluid enclosed inside a truncated cone or frustum, which is the volume that lies between two horizontal parallel planes cutting an upright cone. While this geometry has been studied in the past, we generalise it by breaking its axisymmetry and consider the case of a truncated elliptic cone for which the horizontal sections are elliptic instead of circular. The problem is first tackled using ray tracing, where local wave packets are geometrically propagated and reflected within the closed volume without attenuation. We complement these results with a local asymptotic analysis and numerical simulations of the original linear viscous problem. We show that the attractors, well known in two dimensional or axisymmetric domains, can be trapped in a particular plane in three dimensions provided that the axisymmetry of the domain is broken. Contrary to previous examples of attractors in three-dimensional domains, all rays converge towards the same limit cycle regardless of initial conditions, and it is localised in the bulk of the fluid.
New Data on the External Canal at the Tetzcotzinco Site, Mexico
Authors: Prusaczyk Daniel , Rzeźnik Stanisław , Kulesza Marcin , Juszczyk Karolina
Published: January 2024

This report presents new documentation of the external canal in the Late Postclassic site of Tetzcotzinco in the municipality of Texcoco, Mexico. This structure was previously considered a waterwork separate from the monumental water-management system discovered in the central part of the site. However, reanalysis of the course of this canal allowed us to reassess its function and revise the existing Tetzcotzinco maps. We propose that this structure formed part of the main water-management system of the site.
Karamata's theorem for regularized Cauchy transforms
Authors: Langer Matthias , Woracek Harald
Published: January 2024

We prove Abelian and Tauberian theorems for regularized Cauchy transforms of positive Borel measures on the real line whose distribution functions grow at most polynomially at infinity. In particular, we relate the asymptotics of the distribution functions to the asymptotics of the regularized Cauchy transform.
MULTIMEDIA AT MINOAN MYRTOS–PYRGOS, CRETE
Authors: Weingarten Judith , Ferrara Silvia , Cadogan Gerald
Published: January 2024

The Minoan settlement of Myrtos–Pyrgos on the south coast of Crete has produced five seals (and one unfinished seal), 11 seal impressions on clay vessels, two roundels and one nodulus, as well as two Linear A tablets and two inscriptions on clay vessels. Dating between Early Minoan II and Late Minoan IB, these documents form valuable evidence for the development of sealing, marking and writing practices at a small but important rural settlement, including a penchant for using antique seals for stamping jars. They contribute too to understanding the regional hierarchical and, probably, political cultures of Crete throughout this long period, especially in the late Protopalatial phase of Middle Minoan IIB, when there seems to have been a special relationship with Malia on the north coast, and again in Late Minoan IB, when there was a relationship with Knossos. Finally, the paper discusses a pithos fragment from Tel Haror in Israel, which appears to have an inscription in Cretan Hieroglyphic or Linear A, and may well have been a product of Myrtos or nearby.
THE SWORD IS A PLOUGHSHARE? INTERPRETING THE ‘ARMED WOMAN’ IN LATE BRONZE AGE AEGEAN ART
Authors: O'Brien Stephen
Published: January 2024

Despite Late Bronze Age Aegean art containing a number of depictions of armed women, unacknowledged preconceptions about gender continue to divert thoughts away from past women exercising violent or coercive power, and thus affecting significantly our understanding of Late Bronze Age Aegean societies in general. This paper examines the depiction of armed women in the art of the Late Bronze Age Aegean and considers how previous generations of researchers have chosen to interpret it. The author then uses recent developments in gender theory and political theory to suggest that the connection of women to power needs to be reassessed.
Novel word learning ability in 24-month-olds: The interactive role of mother’s work status and education level
Authors: HUANG Rong , WANG Tianlin
Published: January 2024

Using both online and offline measures, this study investigates how maternal education and work status (stay-at-home, part-time, full-time) are jointly associated with infants’ word learning ability and vocabulary size. One hundred 24-month-old infants completed a lab-based mutual exclusivity task, which assesses infants’ novel word learning ability. Caregivers reported infants’ productive vocabulary size using the MCDIs. There was no evidence for an association between infants’ productive vocabulary size and maternal education, maternal work status, or their interaction. However, infants’ novel word learning ability was significantly related to both maternal factors and their interaction. The positive association between maternal education and word learning performance was attenuated for infants of part-time and full-time working mothers compared to infants with at home mothers. These findings suggest that using real-time measures with high task demand may better capture developmental differences in infants and expand our understanding of maternal factors contributing to early language development.
Mental maps, practical mastery and environmental experience: an analysis of the wayfinding culture of Evenki reindeer herders and hunters
Authors: Fernández Velasco Pablo , Gleizer Anna
Published: January 2024

The present work explores the link between navigational processes and the experience of place by considering the case of Evenki reindeer herders and hunters. Our analysis shows how the idiosyncratic wayfinding methods of the Evenki result in a unique experience of place – a case that elucidates the important question of the impact of navigational processes on environmental experience, and that advances the debate between mental map theory and practical mastery theory in anthropology. We defend that their wayfinding methods – involving a particular gait, path networks, and vast hydrological and toponymical knowledge – allow the Evenki to navigate without a need for integrating egocentric and allocentric frames of reference. As a result, the Evenki experience themselves as free individuals moving through an environment that is alive and rife with possibility. This analysis reveals the ways in which wayfinding processes relying predominantly on route knowledge – as opposed to survey knowledge – affect environmental experience. Alternative methods of wayfinding can be seen as a form of resistance to the uniformisation of landscapes, and as a way of embracing the heterogeneity of space.
Dual band circularly polarized partially reflecting surface-loaded dielectric resonator-based MIMO antenna for mm-wave 5G applications
Authors: Shukla Pawan Kumar , Sikandar  , Tripathi Vijay Shanker , Sharma Anand
Published: January 2024

A two-port ceramic-based antenna loaded with partially reflecting surface (PRS) is structured and explored. Fan-shaped slot is utilized to create circularly polarized wave in both frequency ranges. Dual frequency ranges are due to hybrid mode creation inside the ceramic material, i.e. HEM11δ and HEM12δ modes. PRS is used to change the phase gradient, which in turn tilts the radiation beam (±35°) obtained from different port in opposite direction. This concept is useful to reduce the envelop correlation coefficient using far-field. Experimental verification confirms that the designed antenna works from 26.1 to 27.5 GHz and 31.7 to 33.6 GHz along with less than 3-dB axial ratio from 26.5 to 27.1 GHz and 31.9 to 33.1 GHz respectively. Orthogonal placement of ports introduces the concept of polarization diversity and decreases the coupling between ports by an amount of −25 dB. Good gain value (up to 7.0 dBi) and better value of diversity performance make the designed radiator applicable for 5 G millimeter-wave uses.
“I am a Sincere Believer”: Rethinking Religiosity and Identity in the Early Soviet Union
Authors: Silano Francesca
Published: January 2024

This article challenge scholars of religion in the early Soviet Union specifically, and scholars of early Soviet history more generally, to reconsider the ways in which we have conceived of religiosity and Soviet identity in the early years of the USSR. It argues that there was a significant subset of people who considered themselves to be both religious and Soviet in these years, in which what it meant to be both was still not clearly defined. The article draws on archival interrogation records and trial testimonies from the 1922 “Trial of the Fifty-Four” in which thirty-two laymen were charged with counterrevolutionary activity. We have the unique opportunity of hearing the voices of believers from various educational, social, and class backgrounds as they describe what they think it means to be religious and Soviet. The sources thus not only contribute to our understanding of early-Soviet religiosity, but also of early-Soviet identity in general.
Writing within the Pain: Russophone Anti-War Poetry Of 2022
Authors: Kukulin Ilya
Published: January 2024

This paper is focused on the growth of Russophone poetry after the beginning of the second phase of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 (the first phase started in 2014). There have been many poetic publications by both those who support the war (in Russia) and those who oppose the war and the political repression of the current Kremlin regime; authors of the latter kind can live in Russia and in other countries. Speaking of the anti-war poetry, I write of the convergence of two movements that previously used to exist separately: poetry addressed to the widest audience (poetry-1) and aimed at analyzing language and ideology and addressed to the audience aware of complex forms of postmodern culture (poetry-2). Today the authors of these movements are developing tools not only to counter militaristic propaganda, but also to question the cultural and social conventions of contemporary Russia.
Transprofessionelle Zusammenarbeit – Ein Modell für die Psychiatrie
Authors: Schmitz Daniela , Höhmann Ulrike
Published: January 2024

Was ist zu diesem Thema bereits bekannt?

Zu inter- und transprofessioneller Zusammenarbeit bestehen zahlreiche Veröffentlichungen für unterschiedliche Praxisfelder mit unterschiedlichen Konstellationen der beteiligten Berufsgruppen.

Wie wird eine neue Perspektive eingebracht?

Es mangelt jedoch an einer Präzisierung und den Definitionen entsprechenden Verwendung der Begriffe. Daher werden in diesem Beitrag die Begriffe Multi-, Inter-, Trans-Professionalität und -Disziplinarität in ihren Grundzügen bestimmt.

Was sind die Auswirkungen für die Praxis?

Für die Praxis werden aus den Begrifflichkeiten Kriterien für die Reflexion der jeweiligen berufsgruppenübergreifenden Zusammenarbeit abgeleitet.
Oral manifestations of long COVID and the views of healthcare professionals
Authors: Patel Dhruvi , Louca Chris , Machuca Vargas Carolina
Published: January 2024

Introduction Oral manifestations have been observed with this condition; however, little is known about their impact on the healthcare professionals routinely managing these patients.

Aims To investigate the prevalence of the oral manifestations of long COVID and the healthcare professionals' views, experiences and practices for managing these conditions.

Materials and methods A cross-sectional mixed-methods study, including a self-reported online questionnaire (n = 104) and healthcare professionals' (n = 7) semi-structured interviews, was conducted. Descriptive statistics and reflexive thematic analysis were used to analyse the data.

Results In total, 78% of respondents reported one or more oral conditions associated with COVID-19. Changes in the sense of taste and/or smell (58%), dry mouth (48.1%) and mouth sores (45.7%) were frequently reported. Themes identified from healthcare professionals' interviews were areas for research, management and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Discussion Allied healthcare professionals may assist dental professionals with managing oral manifestations of long COVID. Inadequate access to NHS dentistry is deterring patients worried about their oral symptoms and the limited oral knowledge of healthcare professionals affects their ability to manage patients.

Conclusion Healthcare professionals have observed oral manifestations in individuals diagnosed with long COVID; however, further information and training on this topic would assist them with managing patients and increasing awareness among clinicians.
Urinary microbiome-based metagenomic signature for the noninvasive diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Cho Eun Ju , Kim Boram , Yu Su Jong , Hong Suk Kyun , Choi YoungRok , Yi Nam-Joon , Lee Kwang-Woong , Suh Kyung-Suk , Yoon Jung-Hwan , Park Taesung
Published: January 2024

Background

Gut microbial dysbiosis is implicated in chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the role of microbiomes from various body sites remains unexplored. We assessed disease-specific alterations in the urinary microbiome in HCC patients, investigating their potential as diagnostic biomarkers.

Methods

We performed cross-sectional analyses of urine samples from 471 HCC patients and 397 healthy controls and validated the results in an independent cohort of 164 HCC patients and 164 healthy controls. Urinary microbiomes were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A microbial marker-based model distinguishing HCC from controls was built based on logistic regression, and its performance was tested.

Results

Microbial diversity was significantly reduced in the HCC patients compared with the controls. There were significant differences in the abundances of various bacteria correlated with HCC, thus defining a urinary microbiome-derived signature of HCC. We developed nine HCC-associated genera-based models with robust diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve [AUC], 0.89; balanced accuracy, 81.2%). In the validation, this model detected HCC with an AUC of 0.94 and an accuracy of 88.4%.

Conclusions

The urinary microbiome might be a potential biomarker for the detection of HCC. Further clinical testing and validation of these results are needed in prospective studies.
Chemo-mechanical failure mechanisms of the silicon anode in solid-state batteries
Authors: Huo Hanyu , Jiang Ming , Bai Yang , Ahmed Shamail , Volz Kerstin , Hartmann Hannah , Henss Anja , Singh Chandra Veer , Raabe Dierk , Janek Jürgen
Published: January 2024

Silicon is a promising anode material due to its high theoretical specific capacity, low lithiation potential and low lithium dendrite risk. Yet, the electrochemical performance of silicon anodes in solid-state batteries is still poor (for example, low actual specific capacity and fast capacity decay), hindering practical applications. Here the chemo-mechanical failure mechanisms of composite Si/Li6PS5Cl and solid-electrolyte-free silicon anodes are revealed by combining structural and chemical characterizations with theoretical simulations. The growth of the solid electrolyte interphase at the Si|Li6PS5Cl interface causes severe resistance increase in composite anodes, explaining their fast capacity decay. Solid-electrolyte-free silicon anodes show sufficient ionic and electronic conductivities, enabling a high specific capacity. However, microscale void formation during delithiation causes larger mechanical stress at the two-dimensional interfaces of these anodes than in composite anodes. Understanding these chemo-mechanical failure mechanisms of different anode architectures and the role of interphase formation helps to provide guidelines for the design of improved electrode materials.
Complete biosynthesis of the potent vaccine adjuvant QS-21
Authors: Martin Laetitia B. B. , Kikuchi Shingo , Rejzek Martin , Owen Charlotte , Reed James , Orme Anastasia , Misra Rajesh C. , El-Demerdash Amr , Hill Lionel , Hodgson Hannah , Liu Yuzhong , Keasling Jay D. , Field Robert A. , Truman Andrew W. , Osbourn Anne
Published: January 2024

QS-21 is a potent vaccine adjuvant currently sourced by extraction from the Chilean soapbark tree. It is a key component of human vaccines for shingles, malaria, coronavirus disease 2019 and others under development. The structure of QS-21 consists of a glycosylated triterpene scaffold coupled to a complex glycosylated 18-carbon acyl chain that is critical for immunostimulant activity. We previously identified the early pathway steps needed to make the triterpene glycoside scaffold; however, the biosynthetic route to the acyl chain, which is needed for stimulation of T cell proliferation, was unknown. Here, we report the biogenic origin of the acyl chain, characterize the series of enzymes required for its synthesis and addition and reconstitute the entire 20-step pathway in tobacco, thereby demonstrating the production of QS-21 in a heterologous expression system. This advance opens up unprecedented opportunities for bioengineering of vaccine adjuvants, investigating structure–activity relationships and understanding the mechanisms by which these compounds promote the human immune response.
City-level building operation and end-use carbon emissions dataset from China for 2015–2020
Authors: Yu Yanhui , You Kairui , Cai Weiguang , Feng Wei , Li Rui , Liu Qiqi , Chen Liu , Liu Yuan
Published: January 2024

Abstracts

The building sector, which accounts for over 20% of China’s total energy-related carbon emissions, has great potential to reduce emissions and is critical to achieving China’s emissions peak and carbon neutrality targets. However, the lack of data on operational carbon emissions and end-use carbon emissions in the building sector at the city level has become a major barrier to the development of building energy conservation policies and carbon peaking action plans. This study uses a combination of “top-down” and “bottom-up” methods to account for the operational carbon emissions of buildings in 321 cities in China from 2015 to 2020. The energy consumption in buildings is further broken down into six end uses: central heating, distributed heating, cooking and water heating (C&W), lighting, cooling, appliances and others (A&O). The dataset can serve as a reference to support city-level policies on peak building emissions and is of great value for the improvement of the carbon emissions statistical accounting system.
Not just crop or forest: an integrated land cover map for agricultural and natural areas
Authors: Kammerer Melanie , Iverson Aaron L. , Li Kevin , Goslee Sarah C.
Published: January 2024

Due to the key role surrounding landscape plays in ecological processes, a detailed characterization of land cover is critical for researchers and conservation practitioners. Unfortunately, in the United States, land cover data are split across thematic datasets that emphasize agricultural or natural vegetation, but not both. To address this gap, we merged two datasets, the LANDFIRE National Vegetation Classification (NVC) and USDA-NASS Cropland Data Layer (CDL), to produce integrated ‘Spatial Products for Agriculture and Nature’ (SPAN). Our workflow leveraged strengths of the NVC and the CDL to create detailed rasters comprising both agricultural and natural land-cover classes. We generated SPAN annually from 2012–2021 for the conterminous United States, quantified agreement and accuracy of SPAN, and published the complete computational workflow. In our validation analyses, we found that approximately 5.5% of NVC agricultural pixels conflicted with the CDL, but we resolved most conflicts, leaving only 0.6% of agricultural pixels unresolved in SPAN. These ready-to-use rasters characterizing both agricultural and natural land cover will be widely useful in environmental research and management.
Cloning, characterization, and spatio-temporal expression patterns of HdhSPARC and its responses to multiple stressors
Authors: Hanif Md Abu , Hossen Shaharior , Choi Cheol Young , Kho Kang Hee
Published: January 2024

SPARC is an extracellular Ca2+-binding, secreted glycoprotein that plays a dynamic role in the growth and development of organisms. This study aimed to describe the isolation, characterization, and expression analysis of HdhSPARC in Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) to infer its potential functional role. The isolated HdhSPARC was 1633 bp long, encoding a polypeptide of 284 amino acid residues. Structurally, the SPARC protein in abalone is comprised of three biological domains. However, the structure of this protein varied between vertebrates and invertebrates, as suggested by their distinct clustering patterns in phylogenetic analysis. In early development, HdhSPARC was variably expressed, and higher expression was found in veliger larvae. Moreover, HdhSPARC was highly expressed in juvenile abalone with rapid growth compared to their slower-growing counterparts. Among the testicular development stages, the growth stage exhibited higher HdhSPARC expression. HdhSPARC was also upregulated during muscle remodeling and shell biomineralization, as well as in response to different stressors such as heat shock, LPS, and H2O2 exposure. However, this gene was downregulated in Cd-exposed abalone. The present study first comprehensively characterized the HdhSPARC gene, and its spatio-temporal expressions were analyzed along with its responses to various stressors.
Usefulness of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra for rapid diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Tunisia
Authors: Bouzouita Imen , Ghariani Asma , Dhaou Khouloud Ben , Jemaeil Sabrine , Essaalah Leila , Bejaoui Sana , Draoui Henda , El Marzouk Naceur , Mehiri Emna , Slim-Saidi Leila
Published: January 2024

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) remains a challenging diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Cepheid, USA) for rapid diagnosis of EPTB in Tunisia. Eight hundred and forty-seven extrapulmonary samples collected from 2017 to 2021, were subjected to Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra. Microscopy and culture were performed for all the specimens. The accuracy of Xpert Ultra was evaluated in comparison to the culture. Xpert Ultra diagnosed EPTB with a global sensitivity of 80.66% (74.3–85.75) and specificity of 70.87% (67.31–74.20). The molecular test was most accurate when performed in cerebrospinal fluids, bones and joints and cutaneous specimens showing a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity ranging from 70.60 to 91.11%. In lymph node samples comprising aspirates and biopsies, the sensitivity of Xpert Ultra was high 87.50% (77.23–93.53), however, the specificity was 51.08% (44.67–57.46). For pleural samples, the Xpert Ultra sensitivity was 77.50% (68.34–84.68) ranging from 71.43 to 80% in pleural biopsies and fluids respectively. The specificity in all pleural specimens was 79.56% (74.40–83.91). Xpert Ultra showed promise in the diagnosis of EPTB. The performances varied according to the site of the disease. The test may be more valuable if used in combination with other diagnostic modalities.
Loss of Pax3 causes reduction of melanocytes in the developing mouse cochlea
Authors: Udagawa Tomokatsu , Takahashi Erisa , Tatsumi Norifumi , Mutai Hideki , Saijo Hiroki , Kondo Yuko , Atkinson Patrick J. , Matsunaga Tatsuo , Yoshikawa Mamoru , Kojima Hiromi , Okabe Masataka , Cheng Alan G.
Published: January 2024

Cochlear melanocytes are intermediate cells in the stria vascularis that generate endocochlear potentials required for auditory function. Human PAX3 mutations cause Waardenburg syndrome and abnormalities of skin and retinal melanocytes, manifested as congenital hearing loss (~ 70%) and hypopigmentation of skin, hair and eyes. However, the underlying mechanism of hearing loss remains unclear. Cochlear melanocytes in the stria vascularis originated from Pax3-traced melanoblasts and Plp1-traced Schwann cell precursors, both of which derive from neural crest cells. Here, using a Pax3-Cre knock-in mouse that allows lineage tracing of Pax3-expressing cells and disruption of Pax3, we found that Pax3 deficiency causes foreshortened cochlea, malformed vestibular apparatus, and neural tube defects. Lineage tracing and in situ hybridization show that Pax3+ derivatives contribute to S100+, Kir4.1+ and Dct+ melanocytes (intermediate cells) in the developing stria vascularis, all of which are significantly diminished in Pax3 mutant animals. Taken together, these results suggest that Pax3 is required for the development of neural crest cell-derived cochlear melanocytes, whose absence may contribute to congenital hearing loss of Waardenburg syndrome in humans.
Predictors of never testing for HIV among sexually active individuals aged 15–56 years in Rwanda
Authors: Niyompano Hosee , Biracyaza Emmanuel , Hakizayezu François , Niyoyita Jean Claude , Ndayisenga Jerome , Omolo Jared , Umubyeyi Aline
Published: January 2024

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing services are known as the primary step in preventing the spread of HIV. However, access to these crucial services varies across regions within continents due to disparities in healthcare infrastructure, resources, and awareness. Approximately one in every five people living with HIV (PLWH) encounters obstacles in accessing HIV testing, notably in Eastern and Southern Africa, where geographical, resource, awareness, and infrastructure limitations prevail. Consequently, HIV remains a significant public health concern in these regions, necessitating expanded testing efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS disaster. Despite these challenges, there is a lack of scientific evidence on the prevalence of HIV testing and its determining factors in Rwanda. This study determined the prevalence of never being tested for HIV and its associated factors among sexually active individuals aged 15–56 who participated in the Rwanda AIDS Indicators and HIV Incidence Survey (RAIHIS). This cross-sectional study enrolled 1846 participants. The variables were extracted from the RAIHIS dataset and statistically analyzed using STATA software version 13. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were employed to identify predictors of never having undergone HIV testing, with a 95% confidence interval and a 5% statistical significance level applied. The prevalence of non-testing for HIV was 17.37%. Being aged 15–30 years (aOR 2.57, 95%CI 1.49–4.43, p < 0.001) and male (aOR 2.44, 95%CI 1.77–3.36, p < 0.001) was associated with an increase in the odds of never testing for HIV. Further, those from urban area were less likely than those living in rural areas to have never tested for HIV (aOR 0.31; 95% CI 0.38–0.67; p < 0.001). Participants who were not aware of HIV test facilitates were more likely to have never undergone HIV testing (aOR 1.75; 95% CI 1.25–2.47; p = 0.031) than their counterparts. While the prevalence of HIV non-testing remains modest, the significance of youth, male gender, lack of awareness, and rural residence as influential factors prompts a call for inventive strategies to tackle the reasons behind never having undergone HIV testing. Further exploration using mixed methodologies is advocated to better comprehend socio-cultural impacts and causation relating to these identified factors.
Bezafibrate attenuates immobilization-induced muscle atrophy in mice
Authors: Nakamura Satoshi , Sato Yuiko , Kobayashi Tami , Oya Akihito , Fujie Astuhiro , Matsumoto Morio , Nakamura Masaya , Kanaji Arihiko , Miyamoto Takeshi
Published: January 2024

Muscle atrophy due to fragility fractures or frailty worsens not only activity of daily living and healthy life expectancy, but decreases life expectancy. Although several therapeutic agents for muscle atrophy have been investigated, none is yet in clinical use. Here we report that bezafibrate, a drug used to treat hyperlipidemia, can reduce immobilization-induced muscle atrophy in mice. Specifically, we used a drug repositioning approach to screen 144 drugs already utilized clinically for their ability to inhibit serum starvation-induced elevation of Atrogin-1, a factor related to muscle atrophy, in myotubes in vitro. Two candidates were selected, and here we demonstrate that one of them, bezafibrate, significantly reduced muscle atrophy in an in vivo model of muscle atrophy induced by leg immobilization. In gastrocnemius muscle, immobilization reduced muscle weight by an average of ~ 17.2%, and bezafibrate treatment prevented ~ 40.5% of that atrophy. In vitro, bezafibrate significantly inhibited expression of the inflammatory cytokine Tnfa in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, a murine macrophage line. Finally, we show that expression of Tnfa and IL-1b is induced in gastrocnemius muscle in the leg immobilization model, an activity significantly antagonized by bezafibrate administration in vivo. We conclude that bezafibrate could serve as a therapeutic agent for immobilization-induced muscle atrophy.
Optimization of the process parameters for the AlN crystal growth in the PVT method through an improved numerical simulation considering partial pressure of gas phases
Authors: Peng C. J. , Yao X. G. , Miao X. Y. , Chen S. W. , Lu Q. F. , Han X. J. , Shi D. , Shao Y. L. , Wu Y. Z. , Hao X. P.
Published: January 2024

A novel heat sink at the top of the crucible improves the seed surface growth uniformity by 89%.
Highly efficient and fast modulation of magnetic coupling interaction in the SrCoO2.5/La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 heterostructure
Authors: Ji Huihui , Wang Siqi , Zhou Guowei , Zhou Xuanchi , Dou Jiarui , Kang Penghua , Chen Jingsheng , Xu Xiaohong
Published: January 2024

The magnetic coupling interaction and electric properties in the SrCoO2.5/LaCaMnO3 bilayer can be efficiently modulated within a fast response time.
Size-dependent linear and nonlinear optical responses of silicon clusters
Authors: Zhong Quanjie
Published: January 2024

The optical responses of silicon clusters are controlled by the nuclear binding strength of lone-pair electrons, lone-pair-number-to-atomic-number ratio and geometry.
A nano-copper particle-modified zinc anode as a protective coating enables dendrite-free aqueous zinc-ion batteries
Authors: Zhu Hongchuan , Zhao Mingshu , Shi Mangmang , Yuan Chenjie , Li Feng , Su Zhou , Jiao Lidong , Li Min , Yang Sen
Published: January 2024

A nano-copper particle protective layer was constructed on the surface of zinc, effectively promoting homogeneous stripping/plating and alleviating dendrite formation. The lifespan of the assembled symmetric battery is greatly extended (>3200 h).
Synergistic CuCoS–PANI materials for binder-free electrodes in asymmetric supercapacitors and oxygen evolution
Authors: Hassan Haseebul , Iqbal Muhammad Waqas , Alrobei Hussein , Riasat Fareeha , Afzal Amir Muhammad , Saeedi Ahmad M. , Albargi Hasan B. , Rehmat Arslan
Published: January 2024

In advanced electronics, supercapacitors (SCs) have received a lot of attention.
A robust and highly compressible polyacrylamide co-polymer hydrogel developed through g-C3N4 initiated photopolymerisation and its photocatalytic activity towards dye removal
Authors: Ahmed Asfi , Saikia Priyankamoni , Ray Priyanka , Dutta Riku , Dolui Swapan K.
Published: January 2024

Photocatalytic hydrogels have drawn significant interest in many research fields, including energy conversion and wastewater treatment.
Photoluminescence from FRET pairs coupled with Mie-resonant silicon nanospheres
Authors: Ozawa Keisuke , Adachi Masato , Sugimoto Hiroshi , Fujii Minoru
Published: January 2024

Donor–acceptor molecules decorated silicon nanospheres with diameters of 100–200 nm exhibiting Mie resonances in the visible range is fabricated and the effect of Mie resonances on their photoluminescence properties is studied.
Solid-state polymer electrolytes in lithium batteries: latest progress and perspective
Authors: Mu Jingbo , Liao Shimin , Shi Linlin , Su Bihai , Xu Feng , Guo Zengcai , Li Hailing , Wei Fangfang
Published: January 2024

This review provides a comprehensive overview of solid-state polymer electrolytes performance characteristics of various chemical structures such as ethers, esters, nitrile and vinylidene fluoride.
Boosting the thermoelectric performance of Yb-filled skutterudites through the incorporation of YSb nanoprecipitates
Authors: Qin Dandan , Shi Wenjing , Wang Xin , Zou Cunlei , Shang Chun , Cui Xiangcheng , Kang Huijun , Lu Yunzhuo , Sui Jiehe
Published: January 2024

In this work, a ZTmax of ∼1.35 at 873 K is obtained for a Y0.05Yb0.2Co4Sb12 alloy, attributed to the synergistic effects of well-formed nanoscale YSb precipitates and Yb as effective fillers.
Recent advances in highly-efficient near infrared OLED emitters
Authors: dos Santos Paloma L. , Stachelek Patrycja , Takeda Youhei , Pander Piotr
Published: January 2024

This work describes recent developments in near-infrared (NIR) organic light-emitting diode (OLED) emitters. We discuss applications of NIR OLEDs as well as various groups of highly luminescent materials used in the OLED emissive layer.
Construction of novel 1D nickel phosphonate nanorod modified 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance
Authors: Song Xin-Lian , Zhai Sixiang , Ren Jin-Tao , Gao Lijiao , Yuan Zhong-Yong
Published: January 2024

A novel 1D nickel phosphonate is designed to modify 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets for photocatalytic hydrogen production, which provides new insights into the design of composite constituents and extended application of metal phosphonates.
Instantaneous normal modes of glass-forming liquids during the athermal relaxation process of the steepest descent algorithm
Authors: Shimada Masanari , Shiraishi Kumpei , Mizuno Hideyuki , Ikeda Atsushi
Published: January 2024

Understanding glass formation by quenching remains a challenge in soft condensed matter physics.
Activity affects the stability, deformation and breakage dynamics of colloidal architectures
Authors: Jonas H. J. , Schall P. , Bolhuis P. G.
Published: January 2024

To gain insight in the non-equilibrium physics of active gels, we conduct a numerical investigation into the effect of introducing active forces into chains and rings composed of dipatch and tripatch colloidal particles.