bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined Ash and Soot Monitoring for Gasoline Particulate Filters Using a Radio-Frequency-Based Sensor
Authors: Walter Stefanie , Schwanzer Peter , Hagen Gunter , Rabl Hans-Peter , Dietrich Markus , Moos Ralf
Published: December 2023

Increasingly stringent emission limits have made particulate filters necessary for gasoline engines. Similar to diesel applications, gasoline particulate filters (GPFs) can be monitored by differential pressure measurement or by the radio-frequency-based filter diagnosis (RF sensor). In addition to measuring the soot loading, ash detection is critical for monitoring the GPF over the entire vehicle lifetime. Because the RF sensor detects the filter loading through a change in the dielectric properties of the GPF, it can detect not only soot but also ash. In diesel applications, the RF sensor has already demonstrated its potential for ash detection. To verify the feasibility of simultaneous ash and soot monitoring for GPFs, filters were loaded with ash on an engine test bench and measured on a lab test bench under defined synthetic exhaust gas conditions. By evaluating resonant modes, soot and ash could be clearly distinguished, as ash mainly affects the resonant frequency, while soot also changes the quality factor due to its high dielectric losses. However, higher soot loadings could not be detected by the resonant parameters, but instead by a frequency-averaged transmission signal. While the presence of ash caused an offset in this signal, its sensitivity to soot was not affected. Thus, the influence of ash can be corrected if the signal in the soot-free filter state is known, e.g., from the behavior of the resonant parameters. Therefore, even with a continuously increasing ash loading over the lifetime of a vehicle, an accurate soot detection is possible with the RF sensor.
A chitosan-based antibacterial hydrogel with injectable and self-healing capabilities
Authors: Chen Rui , Hao Yanan , Francesco Secundo , Mao Xiangzhao , Huang Wen-Can
Published: December 2023

The presence of bacteria directly affects wound healing. Chitosan-based hydrogel biomaterials are a solution as they offer advantages for wound-healing applications due to their strong antimicrobial properties. Here, a double-cross-linking chitosan-based hydrogel with antibacterial, self-healing, and injectable properties is reported. Thiolated chitosan was successfully prepared, and the thiolated chitosan molecules were cross-linked by Ag–S coordination to form a supramolecular hydrogel. Subsequently, the amine groups in the thiolated chitosan covalently cross-linked with genipin to further promote hydrogel formation. In vitro experimental results indicate that hydrogel can release Ag+ over an extended time, achieving an antibacterial rate of over 99% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Due to the reversible and dynamic feature of Ag–S coordination, an antibacterial hydrogel exhibited injectable and self-healing capabilities. Additionally, the hydrogel showed excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability.
Can we provide appropriate tools to measure the effectiveness of climate agreements? The Paris agreement and the role of the European External Action Service
Authors: Brandt Urs Steiner , Svendsen Gert Tinggaard
Published: December 2023

Can we provide appropriate tools to measure the effectiveness of climate agreements? How effective will, for example, the Paris Agreement be? Global emissions levels can be applied as a sole measure of performance. Current emission trends predict 2.7 degrees of temperature increase in the year 2100. The challenge rests in both the unavailability or difficulty of compiling proper data and information and the dynamic aspect which demands estimates of future developments. Furthermore, we argue that regime performance should be evaluated against a non-regime benchmark and compared to the objectives that the regime is created to achieve. In the case of the Paris Agreement, our measurement tools find that the agreement is likely to make a difference but far from sufficient to reach the 1.5-degree target. Reaching the 1.5-degree target is only possible if new negative emission technologies are developed and implemented unrealistically fast. To make the Paris Agreement successful, swift political action is, therefore, necessary from central institutional actors such as the European Union. In particular, climate diplomacy through the European External Action Service may channel the knowledge about measurement tools to partners worldwide.
Influence of urbanization on winter surface temperatures in a topographically asymmetric Tropical City, Bhubaneswar, India
Authors: Nayak Hara Prasad , Nandini Gopinath , Vinoj V. , Landu Kiranmayi , Swain Debadatta , Mohanty Uma Charan , Niyogi Dev
Published: December 2023

Urban areas experience significant alterations in their local surface energy balance due to changes in the thermal properties of impervious surfaces, albedo, land use, and land cover. In addition, the embedded influence of urbanization and heat-trapping in the urban canopy cause city temperature warmer compared to its surroundings peri-urban regions. However, the influence of urbanization on winter surface temperatures remains unclear. In this study, the urbanization influence on winter surface temperature in Bhubaneswar, a tropical two-tier city in India, is assessed using a high-resolution (4 km × 4 km) urban canopy model coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting model. Numerical experiments are conducted with no urban coupling (CTL) and with coupling of a single-layer urban canopy model (UCM) for the winters of 2004 and 2015. The study suggests that both model simulations exhibit a similar warm bias in mean surface temperature (~ 2.2 °C), but UCM’s surface temperature better agrees with the observations compared to CTL. The warm bias in both experiments is primarily contributed by a higher nighttime warm bias (~ 3.2 °C). The study reveals that urbanization contributes to ~ 0.4 °C increase in surface temperature in 2015, especially in the eastern lowland regions of the city, while the impact is minimal in 2004. In the western region, the influence is nullified, possibly due to lower surface specific humidity affecting longwave radiation in a higher terrain setting. This study underscores the significance of terrain and local microclimate conditions in shaping winter urban surface temperatures, shedding light on the complex interplay between urbanization and climate.
A Review of the Application of mNGS in Hematologic Malignancy
Authors: Shi Luyao , Lei Tingting , Huo Yankun , Chen Yufei , Wang Chong , Wang Shujuan
Published: December 2023

Infection remains a major cause of mortality in individuals diagnosed with hematologic malignancies, both in children and adults. Although the range of infections affecting these patients has undergone significant changes with the widespread use of antibiotics, it is accompanied by an increasing number of drug-resistant strains. To address these concerns, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has emerged as a promising diagnostic tool for detecting pathogens responsible for infectious diseases. At the same time, this approach has gained popularity as a means to identify infection etiology in hematologic disease patients. This review article focuses on the evolution of mNGS technology and its relevance in diagnosing hematologic diseases, discussing both the existing situation for microbial infections among such patients and traditional methods for detecting those infections. To examine the efficacy of this technique for hematologic disease patients, we compare the benefits and drawbacks of its application in light of relevant literature and clinical practice.
Modification strategy of siloxane antifouling coating: adhesion strength, static antifouling, and self-healing properties
Authors: Wang Tong , Chen Shougang , Feng Huimeng , Cao Lin , Zhao Zhipeng , Li Wen
Published: December 2023

Siloxane coatings, characterized by their low surface energy and low elastic modulus, exhibit promising fouling-release properties. However, siloxane antifouling coatings still have certain limitations, which include low adhesion strength, poor antifouling performance, and weak mechanical properties. This review summarizes the modification methods of siloxane coatings, and focuses on three modification strategies: improving coating adhesion, static antifouling performance, and self-healing capabilities. This review provides insight into the preparation methods, enhancement mechanism and key critical issues of the three strategies. Additionally, potential research methods and materials that can further augment siloxane coating performance in the future were evaluated. Computational techniques such as molecular dynamics can aid researchers in understanding structural modification strategies at the molecular level. Photocatalytic antifouling agents are more suitable for future scientific and environmentally friendly design concepts. It is hope that this contribution provides valuable insights for researchers seeking a better understanding of advancements in siloxane antifouling coatings research and aids in developing novel solutions to address marine fouling issues.
Satanism
Authors: Laycock Joseph P.
Published: December 2023

What is Satanism? The word has functioned as a powerful indictment of one's rivals, an expression of rebellion against authority, and sometimes to describe the deliberate worship of dark, supernatural forces. This Element provides a concise overview of Satanism from its origins in early modern Europe through the present. It covers such topics as legends of the black mass, hell-fire clubs, the Romantic Satanism of Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, and nineteenth-century occultists who expressed reverence for Satan. It describes modern Satanic religions including the Church of Satan, The Temple of Set, The Order of Nine Angles, The Satanic Temple, and others. It also addresses contemporary Satanic Panic from the 1980s through QAnon. This Element should prove useful to anyone seeking to learn more about this complicated and frequently misunderstood tradition.
Intelligent Metasurface Sensors
Authors: Li Lianlin , Zhao Hanting , Cui Tie Jun
Published: December 2023

Intelligent electromagnetic (EM) sensing is a powerful contactless examination tool in science, engineering and military, enabling us to 'see' and 'understand' visually invisible targets. Using intelligence, the sensor can organize by itself the task-oriented sensing pipeline (data acquisition plus processing) without human intervention. Intelligent metasurface sensors, synergizing ultrathin artificial materials (AMs) for flexible wave manipulation and artificial intelligences (AIs) for powerful data manipulation, emerge in response to the proper time and conditions, and have attracted growing interest over the past years. The authors expect that the results in this Element could be utilized to achieve the goal that conventional sensors cannot achieve, and that the developed strategies can be extended over the entire EM spectra and beyond, which will produce important impacts on the society of the robot-human alliance.
Fieldwork in New Religious Movements
Authors: Chryssides George D.
Published: December 2023

New religious movements are often described as bizarre and sinister. Direct acquaintance, however, often gives a different impression from media portrayals and even from some academic writing. After decades of undertaking fieldwork, the author George Chryssides discusses his experiences, as well as studies by other scholars, and the issues that fieldwork involves. How do one's personal beliefs and lifestyle impinge on field research? How involved should a participant–observer become? How should we assess what we are told by insiders and ex-members? What ethical problems does field research create? How should we engage in online fieldwork, arising from the increasing use of the Internet, accelerated by the Covid pandemic? These are among the issues which this Element explores, and which will be of interest both to field researchers and to those who read about the fieldwork of others.
Quantitative Easing
Authors: Ashworth Jonathan
Published: December 2023

Before the Great Financial Crisis of 2008-09, significant reductions in official interest rates typically proved sufficient to generate sustainable economic recoveries from downturns. However, with economies and financial markets in freefall during the crisis despite a cut in interest rates to effectively zero, policymakers in some advanced economies launched a major new tool called quantitative easing (QE). This involved central banks purchasing huge amounts of financial assets.

This book offers a thorough and perspicacious analysis of QE, which has become a recovery method of last resort. Whilst it was successful in averting another Great Depression and stimulating growth, it remains controversial and continues to promote widespread debate in economics, financial, and political-economy circles. This book is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand central banking in the national economy.
The European Central Bank
Authors: Heine Michael , Herr Hansjörg
Published: December 2023

The European Central Bank administers monetary policy for the eurozone and is tasked with maintaining price stability by keeping inflation below 2 per cent. This brief mandate belies the complexity of managing the monetary policy for the 19 member states of the euro, not to mention the political implications thereof.

This book sets out the history, development and day-to-day workings of this key institutional pillar of the European Union. It assesses its work, independence, the policies and instruments at its disposal and the evolution of its role during, and after, the eurozone crisis of 2010. Incomplete monetary union, Germany's hegemonic ambitions and different economic policies from individual member countries are shown to pose formidable challenges to the ECB's macroeconomic management.
The Occult Laboratory
Authors: Hunter Michael
Published: December 2023

The uncanny ability of certain individuals to foresee future events had long been regarded as a characteristic of the Scottish Highlands, but in the late seventeenth century interest in the phenomenon came to a head, stimulated by English scientific and philosophical curiosity about magic, particularly second sight.

The natural philosopher Robert Boyle and other English savants investigated these Highland beliefs; they found the region a kind of laboratory, strange yet accessible, where data about unusual beliefs could be collected and theories tested. Scottish authors were also stimulated to write accounts of second sight, notably John Fraser, Dean of the Isles, and the Highland minister, Robert Kirk (1644-92), in his famous work, The Secret Commonwealth. These and other texts are included in this book, making available crucial information about belief systems which might otherwise never have been recorded, and illuminating changing contemporary attitudes towards the relationship between the natural and the supernatural.
Association between dietary antioxidants intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a prospective cohort study: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study
Authors: Golmohamadi Melika , Hosseinpour-Niazi Somayeh , Hadaegh Parto , Mirmiran Parvin , Azizi Fereidoun , Hadaegh Farzad
Published: December 2023

The present prospective cohort study aimed to determine whether dietary antioxidants were associated with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Another objective was to find out whether such associations could be modified by the BMI status. A total of 2188 Tehranian adults aged 21–84 years, free of T2DM with the validated FFQ, was entered in the study. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for confounders were used to assess the association between dietary antioxidants and incident T2DM in total population, as well as in subjects with various BMI statuses. During 8·9 (8·1–9·6) years of follow-up, dietary vitamin E significantly decreased the incident T2DM, after adjustment for confounders. However, other dietary antioxidants were not shown to be significantly associated with incident T2DM. The interaction between dietary vitamin E, Mg and BMI status was found to influence the risk of T2DM (Pfor interaction< 0·05). After stratification of subjects based on BMI status, it was found that vitamin E and Mg decreased the risk of T2DM only among normal-weight individual. Also, an inverse association was found among dietary vitamin C, dietary Zn and the risk of T2DM in individuals with normal weight but not in overweight and obese individuals; however, the interaction test tended to be significant for these dietary variables. Dietary antioxidants including vitamin E, vitamin C, Zn and Mg when accompanied by healthy weight, may bring benefits to the prevention of T2DM.
Revisiting Jessup and the imperial origins of transnational law
Authors: Elliot Michael
Published: December 2023

Philip Jessup’s 1956 Storrs Lectures, Transnational Law, developed a case for theorizing law beyond the state which continues to shape understandings of transnational law. Yet while transnational law has assumed increasing importance with globalization, it remains beset by conceptual difficulties. This article suggests that such difficulties are at least partly attributable to misreadings of Transnational Law primarily as proposing a more pragmatic concept to drive law’s progression. Contextualizing the Lectures within Jessup’s involvement in the US’s postwar worldmaking project and the contrasting project pursued by Third World states, and through close textual study, it contends that Transnational Law is better understood as geared to undermining the legal foundations of key efforts to counter Western dominance. It further shows how this reading can aid in clarifying misunderstandings of Jessup’s Lectures that still inform transnational law scholarship and in considering how law’s capacity to sustain inequality and exploitation may be challenged.
Is Gamification a Suitable Means to Improve Applicant Reactions and Convey Information During an Online Test?
Authors: Ohlms Marie L. , Voigtländer Ella , Melchers Klaus G. , Kanning Uwe P.
Published: December 2023

Abstract: This study examined whether gamification of a computer-based cognitive ability test can positively influence applicant reactions. The gamification used a job-related storyline, avatars, and information games that were designed not only to increase enjoyment but also to convey information about the job. 212 participants completed either the gamified or the non-gamified test and answered questions concerning applicant reactions. The results showed that gamification can be used to playfully provide information about the organization and job during an assessment and, thus, can enhance perceived clarity about what to expect in a job. Additionally, the gamified assessment was rated higher on opportunity to perform compared to its traditional version, while no differences were found between the two tests for fairness, job relatedness, and enjoyment.
Atmospheric River Sequences as Indicators of Hydrologic Hazard in Historical Reanalysis and GFDL SPEAR Future Climate Projections
Authors: Bowers C. , Serafin K. A. , Tseng K.‐C. , Baker J. W.
Published: December 2023

When multiple atmospheric rivers (ARs) occur in rapid succession, the combined effect on the hydrologic system can lead to more flooding and damage than would be expected from the individual events. This temporally compounding risk is a source of growing concern for water managers in California. We present a novel moving average‐based definition of AR “sequences” that identifies the time periods of elevated hydrologic hazard that occur during and after consecutive AR events. This marks the first quantitative evaluation of when temporal compounding is contributing to AR flood risk. We also assess projected changes in sequence frequency, intensity, and duration in California using the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Seamless System for Prediction and EArth system Research (GFDL SPEAR) global coupled model. Sequence frequency increases over time and is fairly uniform across the state under both intermediate (SSP2–4.5) and very high (SSP5–8.5) emissions scenarios, with the largest changes occurring by the end of the century (+0.72 sequences/year in SSP2–4.5, +1.13 sequences/year in SSP5–8.5). Sequence intensity and duration both see increases in the medians and extreme values of their respective distributions relative to the historical baselines. In particular, “super‐sequence” events longer than 60 days are projected to occur 2–3x more frequently and to emerge in places that have never seen them in the historical record. In a world where California precipitation is becoming more variable, our definition of sequences will help identify when and where hydrologic impacts will be most extreme, which can in turn support better management of the state's highly variable water resources and inform future flood mitigation strategies.
Effects of Solar Wind Density and Velocity Variations on the Martian Ionosphere and Plasma transport—A MHD Model Study
Authors: Song Yihui , Lu Haoyu , Cao Jinbin , Wu Xiaoshu , Liu Yang , Li Shibang , Wang Siqi , Wild James A. , Zhou Chenling , Wang Jianxuan , Chen Nihan
Published: December 2023

Solar wind dynamic pressure, consisting solar wind density nsw and velocity Vsw, is an important external driver that controls Martian plasma environment. In this study, a 3D magnetohydrodynamic model is applied to investigate the separate influences of solar wind density and velocity on the Martian ionosphere. The spatial distributions of ions in the dayside and near nightside ionosphere under different nsw and Vsw are analyzed, as well as the ion transport process. We find that for the same dynamic pressure condition, the ionosphere extends to higher altitudes under higher solar wind density, indicating that a solar wind velocity enhancement event is more efficient at compressing the Martian ionosphere. A higher Vsw will result in a stronger induced magnetic field, shielding the Martian ionosphere, preventing the penetration of solar wind particles. For the same dynamic pressure, increasing nsw (decreasing Vsw) leads to a higher horizontal ion velocity, facilitating day‐to‐night plasma transport. As a result, the ionosphere extends farther into the nightside. Also, the ion outflow flux is larger for high nsw, which may lead to a higher escape rate. Moreover, the strong crustal fields in the southern hemisphere also cause significant effect to the ionosphere, hindering horizontal ion transport. An additional outflow channel is also provided by the crustal field on the southern dayside, causing different responses of flow pattern between local and global scale while the solar wind condition is varied.
Low‐Velocity Structure of Subducted Oceanic Crust in the Upper Mantle: Insights From High Pressure and Temperature Elasticity Measurements of Aragonite
Authors: Li Luo , Yu Yingxin , Mao Zhu , Zhang Wen , Lu Jiaqi , Li Xinyang
Published: December 2023

This study examines the effects of water and carbon on the velocity profiles of subducted oceanic crust in the upper mantle. High pressure and temperature Brillouin measurements were conducted to determine the single‐crystal elasticity of aragonite (CaCO3) up to 20 GPa and 600 K, respectively. Using the finite‐strain method, we determined the elastic parameters: KS0 = 70.7 GPa, G0 = 36.1(3) GPa with KS′ = 5.0(1), G′ = 1.3(1), ∂KS/∂T = −0.020(2) GPa/K, and ∂G/∂T = −0.015(1) GPa/K. When combined with literature results, our findings reveal that neither hydrous minerals nor carbonate alone can explain the observed 3%–4% and 3%–7% low velocity anomalies in the compressional (VP) and shear‐wave (VS) velocities of subducted oceanic crust in the circum‐Pacific region at 150–250 km depth. Considering the combined effect of water and carbonate, the addition of 5.9–6.9 vol.% aragonite together with 10 vol.% lawsonite in the oceanic crust can produce a 3%–4% and 6.1%–8.1% low velocity anomalies in the VP and VS at 150–250 km depth, respectively, consistent with the seismic observations in the region. Complete dehydration of lawsonite accompanied by the gradual decarbonization of the subducted oceanic crust explains the absence of low‐velocity anomalies below 300‐km depth. Our findings help for a better understanding of the possible influence of carbon and water on seismic velocities of the mantle. As a result, the circulation of carbon and water may be better understood while taking the complex velocity structure of subduction zones and mineral physics findings into account.
p140Cap modulates the mevalonate pathway decreasing cell migration and enhancing drug sensitivity in breast cancer cells
Authors: Centonze Giorgia , Natalini Dora , Grasso Silvia , Morellato Alessandro , Salemme Vincenzo , Piccolantonio Alessio , D’Attanasio Giacomo , Savino Aurora , Bianciotto Olga Teresa , Fragomeni Matteo , Scavuzzo Andrea , Poncina Matteo , Nigrelli Francesca , De Gregorio Mario , Poli Valeria , Arina Pietro , Taverna Daniela , Kopecka Joanna , Dupont Sirio , Turco Emilia , Riganti Chiara , Defilippi Paola
Published: December 2023

p140Cap is an adaptor protein involved in assembling multi-protein complexes regulating several cellular processes. p140Cap acts as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer (BC) and neuroblastoma patients, where its expression correlates with a better prognosis. The role of p140Cap in tumor metabolism remains largely unknown. Here we study the role of p140Cap in the modulation of the mevalonate (MVA) pathway in BC cells. The MVA pathway is responsible for the biosynthesis of cholesterol and non-sterol isoprenoids and is often deregulated in cancer. We found that both in vitro and in vivo, p140Cap cells and tumors show an increased flux through the MVA pathway by positively regulating the pace-maker enzyme of the MVA pathway, the 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), via transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms. The higher cholesterol synthesis is paralleled with enhanced cholesterol efflux. Moreover, p140Cap promotes increased cholesterol localization in the plasma membrane and reduces lipid rafts-associated Rac1 signalling, impairing cell membrane fluidity and cell migration in a cholesterol-dependent manner. Finally, p140Cap BC cells exhibit decreased cell viability upon treatments with statins, alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic at low concentrations in a synergistic manner. Overall, our data highlight a new perspective point on tumor suppression in BC by establishing a previously uncharacterized role of the MVA pathway in p140Cap expressing tumors, thus paving the way to the use of p140Cap as a potent biomarker to stratify patients for better tuning therapeutic options.
The RNA m6A demethylase ALKBH5 drives emergency granulopoiesis and neutrophil mobilization by upregulating G-CSFR expression
Authors: Liu Yang , Song Renjie , Lu Zhike , Zhao Lu , Zhan Xinyi , Li Yini , Cao Xuetao
Published: December 2023

Emergency granulopoiesis and neutrophil mobilization that can be triggered by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) through its receptor G-CSFR are essential for antibacterial innate defense. However, the epigenetic modifiers crucial for intrinsically regulating G-CSFR expression and the antibacterial response of neutrophils remain largely unclear. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification and the related demethylase alkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5) are key epigenetic regulators of immunity and inflammation, but their roles in neutrophil production and mobilization are still unknown. We used cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced polymicrobial sepsis to model systemic bacterial infection, and we report that ALKBH5 is required for emergency granulopoiesis and neutrophil mobilization. ALKBH5 depletion significantly impaired the production of immature neutrophils in the bone marrow of septic mice. In addition, Alkbh5-deficient septic mice exhibited higher retention of mature neutrophils in the bone marrow and defective neutrophil release into the circulation, which led to fewer neutrophils at the infection site than in their wild-type littermates. During bacterial infection, ALKBH5 imprinted production- and mobilization-promoting transcriptome signatures in both mouse and human neutrophils. Mechanistically, ALKBH5 erased m6A methylation on the CSF3R mRNA to increase the mRNA stability and protein expression of G-CSFR, consequently upregulating cell surface G-CSFR expression and downstream STAT3 signaling in neutrophils. The RIP-qPCR results confirmed the direct binding of ALKBH5 to the CSF3R mRNA, and the binding strength declined upon bacterial infection, accounting for the decrease in G-CSFR expression on bacteria-infected neutrophils. Considering these results collectively, we define a new role of ALKBH5 in intrinsically driving neutrophil production and mobilization through m6A demethylation-dependent posttranscriptional regulation, indicating that m6A RNA modification in neutrophils is a potential target for treating bacterial infections and neutropenia.
A direction-selective cortico-brainstem pathway adaptively modulates innate behaviors
Authors: Liu Jiashu , He Yingtian , Lavoie Andreanne , Bouvier Guy , Liu Bao-hua
Published: December 2023

Sensory cortices modulate innate behaviors through corticofugal projections targeting phylogenetically-old brainstem nuclei. However, the principles behind the functional connectivity of these projections remain poorly understood. Here, we show that in mice visual cortical neurons projecting to the optic-tract and dorsal-terminal nuclei (NOT-DTN) possess distinct response properties and anatomical connectivity, supporting the adaption of an essential innate eye movement, the optokinetic reflex (OKR). We find that these corticofugal neurons are enriched in specific visual areas, and they prefer temporo-nasal visual motion, matching the direction bias of downstream NOT-DTN neurons. Remarkably, continuous OKR stimulation selectively enhances the activity of these temporo-nasally biased cortical neurons, which can efficiently promote OKR plasticity. Lastly, we demonstrate that silencing downstream NOT-DTN neurons, which project specifically to the inferior olive—a key structure in oculomotor plasticity, impairs the cortical modulation of OKR and OKR plasticity. Our results unveil a direction-selective cortico-brainstem pathway that adaptively modulates innate behaviors.
Nuclear RPSA senses viral nucleic acids to promote the innate inflammatory response
Authors: Jiang Yan , Sun Siqi , Quan Yuan , Wang Xin , You Yuling , Zhang Xiao , Zhang Yue , Liu Yin , Wang Bingjing , Xu Henan , Cao Xuetao
Published: December 2023

Innate sensors initiate the production of type I interferons (IFN-I) and proinflammatory cytokines to protect host from viral infection. Several innate nuclear sensors that mainly induce IFN-I production have been identified. Whether there exist innate nuclear sensors that mainly induce proinflammatory cytokine production remains to be determined. By functional screening, we identify 40 S ribosomal protein SA (RPSA) as a nuclear protein that recognizes viral nucleic acids and predominantly promotes proinflammatory cytokine gene expression in antiviral innate immunity. Myeloid-specific Rpsa-deficient mice exhibit less innate inflammatory response against infection with Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) and Influenza A virus (IAV), the viruses replicating in nucleus. Mechanistically, nucleus-localized RPSA is phosphorylated at Tyr204 upon infection, then recruits ISWI complex catalytic subunit SMARCA5 to increase chromatin accessibility of NF-κB to target gene promotors without affecting innate signaling. Our results add mechanistic insights to an intra-nuclear way of initiating proinflammatory cytokine expression in antiviral innate defense.
Probing optical anapoles with fast electron beams
Authors: Maciel-Escudero Carlos , Yankovich Andrew B. , Munkhbat Battulga , Baranov Denis G. , Hillenbrand Rainer , Olsson Eva , Aizpurua Javier , Shegai Timur O.
Published: December 2023

Optical anapoles are intriguing charge-current distributions characterized by a strong suppression of electromagnetic radiation. They originate from the destructive interference of the radiation produced by electric and toroidal multipoles. Although anapoles in dielectric structures have been probed and mapped with a combination of near- and far-field optical techniques, their excitation using fast electron beams has not been explored so far. Here, we theoretically and experimentally analyze the excitation of optical anapoles in tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanodisks using Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) in Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM). We observe prominent dips in the electron energy loss spectra and associate them with the excitation of optical anapoles and anapole-exciton hybrids. We are able to map the anapoles excited in the WS2 nanodisks with subnanometer resolution and find that their excitation can be controlled by placing the electron beam at different positions on the nanodisk. Considering current research on the anapole phenomenon, we envision EELS in STEM to become a useful tool for accessing optical anapoles appearing in a variety of dielectric nanoresonators.
USP7/Maged1-mediated H2A monoubiquitination in the paraventricular thalamus: an epigenetic mechanism involved in cocaine use disorder
Authors: Cheron Julian , Beccari Leonardo , Hagué Perrine , Icick Romain , Despontin Chloé , Carusone Teresa , Defrance Matthieu , Bhogaraju Sagar , Martin-Garcia Elena , Capellan Roberto , Maldonado Rafael , Vorspan Florence , Bonnefont Jérôme , de Kerchove d’Exaerde Alban
Published: December 2023

The risk of developing drug addiction is strongly influenced by the epigenetic landscape and chromatin remodeling. While histone modifications such as methylation and acetylation have been studied in the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens (NAc), the role of H2A monoubiquitination remains unknown. Our investigations, initially focused on the scaffold protein melanoma-associated antigen D1 (Maged1), reveal that H2A monoubiquitination in the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) significantly contributes to cocaine-adaptive behaviors and transcriptional repression induced by cocaine. Chronic cocaine use increases H2A monoubiquitination, regulated by Maged1 and its partner USP7. Accordingly, Maged1 specific inactivation in thalamic Vglut2 neurons, or USP7 inhibition, blocks cocaine-evoked H2A monoubiquitination and cocaine locomotor sensitization. Additionally, genetic variations in MAGED1 and USP7 are linked to altered susceptibility to cocaine addiction and cocaine-associated symptoms in humans. These findings unveil an epigenetic modification in a non-canonical reward pathway of the brain and a potent marker of epigenetic risk factors for drug addiction in humans.
Ground-state electron transfer in all-polymer donor:acceptor blends enables aqueous processing of water-insoluble conjugated polymers
Authors: Liu Tiefeng , Heimonen Johanna , Zhang Qilun , Yang Chi-Yuan , Huang Jun-Da , Wu Han-Yan , Stoeckel Marc-Antoine , van der Pol Tom P. A. , Li Yuxuan , Jeong Sang Young , Marks Adam , Wang Xin-Yi , Puttisong Yuttapoom , Shimolo Asaminew Y. , Liu Xianjie , Zhang Silan , Li Qifan , Massetti Matteo , Chen Weimin M. , Woo Han Young , Pei Jian , McCulloch Iain , Gao Feng , Fahlman Mats , Kroon Renee , Fabiano Simone
Published: December 2023

Water-based conductive inks are vital for the sustainable manufacturing and widespread adoption of organic electronic devices. Traditional methods to produce waterborne conductive polymers involve modifying their backbone with hydrophilic side chains or using surfactants to form and stabilize aqueous nanoparticle dispersions. However, these chemical approaches are not always feasible and can lead to poor material/device performance. Here, we demonstrate that ground-state electron transfer (GSET) between donor and acceptor polymers allows the processing of water-insoluble polymers from water. This approach enables macromolecular charge-transfer salts with 10,000× higher electrical conductivities than pristine polymers, low work function, and excellent thermal/solvent stability. These waterborne conductive films have technological implications for realizing high-performance organic solar cells, with efficiency and stability superior to conventional metal oxide electron transport layers, and organic electrochemical neurons with biorealistic firing frequency. Our findings demonstrate that GSET offers a promising avenue to develop water-based conductive inks for various applications in organic electronics.
High quality factor metasurfaces for two-dimensional wavefront manipulation
Authors: Hail Claudio U. , Foley Morgan , Sokhoyan Ruzan , Michaeli Lior , Atwater Harry A.
Published: December 2023

The strong interaction of light with micro- and nanostructures plays a critical role in optical sensing, nonlinear optics, active optical devices, and quantum optics. However, for wavefront shaping, the required local control over light at a subwavelength scale limits this interaction, typically leading to low-quality-factor optical devices. Here, we demonstrate an avenue towards high-quality-factor wavefront shaping in two spatial dimensions based on all-dielectric higher-order Mie-resonant metasurfaces. We design and experimentally realize transmissive band stop filters, beam deflectors and high numerical aperture radial lenses with measured quality factors in the range of 202–1475 at near-infrared wavelengths. The excited optical mode and resulting wavefront control are both local, allowing versatile operation with finite apertures and oblique illumination. Our results represent an improvement in quality factor by nearly two orders of magnitude over previous localized mode designs, and provide a design approach for a new class of compact optical devices.
Engineering a synthetic energy-efficient formaldehyde assimilation cycle in Escherichia coli
Authors: Wu Tong , Gómez-Coronado Paul A. , Kubis Armin , Lindner Steffen N. , Marlière Philippe , Erb Tobias J. , Bar-Even Arren , He Hai
Published: December 2023

One-carbon (C1) substrates, such as methanol or formate, are attractive feedstocks for circular bioeconomy. These substrates are typically converted into formaldehyde, serving as the entry point into metabolism. Here, we design an erythrulose monophosphate (EuMP) cycle for formaldehyde assimilation, leveraging a promiscuous dihydroxyacetone phosphate dependent aldolase as key enzyme. In silico modeling reveals that the cycle is highly energy-efficient, holding the potential for high bioproduct yields. Dissecting the EuMP into four modules, we use a stepwise strategy to demonstrate in vivo feasibility of the modules in E. coli sensor strains with sarcosine as formaldehyde source. From adaptive laboratory evolution for module integration, we identify key mutations enabling the accommodation of the EuMP reactions with endogenous metabolism. Overall, our study demonstrates the proof-of-concept for a highly efficient, new-to-nature formaldehyde assimilation pathway, opening a way for the development of a methylotrophic platform for a C1-fueled bioeconomy in the future.
Extendable piezo/ferroelectricity in nonstoichiometric 2D transition metal dichalcogenides
Authors: Hu Yi , Rogée Lukas , Wang Weizhen , Zhuang Lyuchao , Shi Fangyi , Dong Hui , Cai Songhua , Tay Beng Kang , Lau Shu Ping
Published: December 2023

Engineering piezo/ferroelectricity in two-dimensional materials holds significant implications for advancing the manufacture of state-of-the-art multifunctional materials. The inborn nonstoichiometric propensity of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides provides a spiffy ready-available solution for breaking inversion centrosymmetry, thereby conducing to circumvent size effect challenges in conventional perovskite oxide ferroelectrics. Here, we show the extendable and ubiquitous piezo/ferroelectricity within nonstoichiometric two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides that are predominantly centrosymmetric during standard stoichiometric cases. The emerged piezo/ferroelectric traits are aroused from the sliding of van der Waals layers and displacement of interlayer metal atoms triggered by the Frankel defects of heterogeneous interlayer native metal atom intercalation. We demonstrate two-dimensional chromium selenides nanogenerator and iron tellurides ferroelectric multilevel memristors as two representative applications. This innovative approach to engineering piezo/ferroelectricity in ultrathin transition metal dichalcogenides may provide a potential avenue to consolidate piezo/ferroelectricity with featured two-dimensional materials to fabricate multifunctional materials and distinguished multiferroic.
Wearable, epidermal devices for assessment of swallowing function
Authors: Rafeedi Tarek , Abdal Abdulhameed , Polat Beril , Hutcheson Katherine A. , Shinn Eileen H. , Lipomi Darren J.
Published: December 2023

Swallowing is an ensemble of voluntary and autonomic processes key to maintaining our body’s homeostatic balance. Abnormal swallowing (dysphagia) can cause dehydration, malnutrition, aspiration pneumonia, weight loss, anxiety, or even mortality—especially in older adults—by airway obstruction. To prevent or mitigate these outcomes, it is imperative to regularly assess swallowing ability in those who are at risk of developing dysphagia and those already diagnosed with it. However, current diagnostic tools such as endoscopy, manometry, and videofluoroscopy require access to clinical experts to interpret the results. These results are often sampled from a limited examination timeframe of swallowing activity in a controlled environment. Additionally, there is some risk of periprocedural complications associated with these methods. In contrast, the field of epidermal sensors is finding non-invasive and minimally obtrusive ways to examine swallowing function and dysfunction. In this review, we summarize the current state of wearable devices that are aimed at monitoring swallowing function and detecting its abnormalities. We pay particular attention to the materials and design parameters that enable their operation. We examine a compilation of both proof-of-concept studies (which focus mainly on the engineering of the device) and studies whose aims are biomedical (which may involve larger cohorts of subjects, including patients). Furthermore, we briefly discuss the methods of signal acquisition and device assessment in relevant wearable sensors. Finally, we examine the need to increase adherence and engagement of patients with such devices and discuss enhancements to the design of such epidermal sensors that may encourage greater enthusiasm for at-home and long-term monitoring.
Superconductivity in a ferroelectric-like topological semimetal SrAuBi
Authors: Takahashi Hidefumi , Sasaki Tomohiro , Nakano Akitoshi , Akiba Kazuto , Takahashi Masayuki , Mayo Alex H. , Onose Masaho , Kobayashi Tatsuo C. , Ishiwata Shintaro
Published: December 2023

Given the rarity of metallic systems that exhibit ferroelectric-like transitions, it is apparently challenging to find a system that simultaneously possesses superconductivity and ferroelectric-like structural instability. Here, we report the observation of superconductivity at 2.4 K in a layered semimetal SrAuBi characterized by strong spin–orbit coupling (SOC) and ferroelectric-like lattice distortion. Single crystals of SrAuBi have been successfully synthesized and found to show a polar-nonpolar structure transition at 214 K, which is associated with the buckling of Au-Bi honeycomb lattice. On the basis of the band calculations considering SOC, we found significant Rashba-type spin splitting and symmetry-protected multiple Dirac points near the Fermi level. We believe that this discovery opens up new possibilities of pursuing exotic superconducting states associated with the semimetallic band structure without space inversion symmetry and the topological surface state with the strong SOC.
Chemoselective umpolung of thiols to episulfoniums for cysteine bioconjugation
Authors: Hartmann Philipp , Bohdan Kostiantyn , Hommrich Moritz , Juliá Fabio , Vogelsang Lara , Eirich Jürgen , Zangl Rene , Farès Christophe , Jacobs Julia Beatrice , Mukhopadhyay Dwaipayan , Mengeler Johanna Marie , Vetere Alessandro , Sterling Marie Sophie , Hinrichs Heike , Becker Stefan , Morgner Nina , Schrader Wolfgang , Finkemeier Iris , Dietz Karl-Josef , Griesinger Christian , Ritter Tobias
Published: December 2023

Cysteine conjugation is an important tool in protein research and relies on fast, mild and chemoselective reactions. Cysteinyl thiols can either be modified with prefunctionalized electrophiles, or converted into electrophiles themselves for functionalization with selected nucleophiles in an independent step. Here we report a bioconjugation strategy that uses a vinyl thianthrenium salt to transform cysteine into a highly reactive electrophilic episulfonium intermediate in situ, to enable conjugation with a diverse set of bioorthogonal nucleophiles in a single step. The reactivity profile can connect several nucleophiles to biomolecules through a short and stable ethylene linker, ideal for introduction of infrared labels, post-translational modifications or NMR probes. In the absence of reactive exogenous nucleophiles, nucleophilic amino acids can react with the episulfonium intermediate for native peptide stapling and protein–protein ligation. Ready synthetic access to isotopologues of vinyl thianthrenium salts enables applications in quantitative proteomics. Such diverse applications demonstrate the utility of vinyl-thianthrenium-based bioconjugation as a fast, selective and broadly applicable tool for chemical biology.
T1DiabetesGranada: a longitudinal multi-modal dataset of type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Rodriguez-Leon Ciro , Aviles-Perez Maria Dolores , Banos Oresti , Quesada-Charneco Miguel , Lopez-Ibarra Lozano Pablo J. , Villalonga Claudia , Munoz-Torres Manuel
Published: December 2023

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) patients face daily difficulties in keeping their blood glucose levels within appropriate ranges. Several techniques and devices, such as flash glucose meters, have been developed to help T1D patients improve their quality of life. Most recently, the data collected via these devices is being used to train advanced artificial intelligence models to characterize the evolution of the disease and support its management. Data scarcity is the main challenge for generating these models, as most works use private or artificially generated datasets. For this reason, this work presents T1DiabetesGranada, an open under specific permission longitudinal dataset that not only provides continuous glucose levels, but also patient demographic and clinical information. The dataset includes 257 780 days of measurements spanning four years from 736 T1D patients from the province of Granada, Spain. This dataset advances beyond the state of the art as one the longest and largest open datasets of continuous glucose measurements, thus boosting the development of new artificial intelligence models for glucose level characterization and prediction.