bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences in weight status among Australian children and adolescents from priority populations: a longitudinal study
Authors: Lung Thomas , Killedar Anagha , Taki Sarah , Wen Li Ming , Dickson Michelle , Howard Kirsten , Baur Louise , Kelly Patrick , Sherriff Simone , Hayes Alison
Published: February 2024

Background and significance

Australia has a high level of cultural and linguistic diversity, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Children from specific cultural and ethnic groups may be at greater risk of overweight and obesity and may bear the additional risk of socioeconomic disadvantage. Our aim was to identify differences in body-mass index z-score (zBMI) by: (1) Cultural and ethnic groups and; (2) Socioeconomic position (SEP), during childhood and adolescence.

Subjects/Methods

We used data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian children (n = 9417) aged 2–19 years with 50870 longitudinal measurements of zBMI. Children were classified into 9 cultural and ethnic groups, based on parent and child’s country of birth and language spoken at home. These were: (1) English-speaking countries; (2) Middle East & North Africa; (3) East & South-East Asia; (4) South & Central Asia; (5) Europe; (6) Sub-Saharan Africa; (7) Americas; (8) Oceania. A further group (9) was defined as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander from self-reported demographic information.

Longitudinal cohort analyses in which exposures were cultural and ethnic group and family socioeconomic position, and the outcome was zBMI estimated using multilevel mixed linear regression models. We stratified our analyses over three periods of child development: early childhood (2–5 years); middle childhood (6–11 years); and adolescence (12–19 years).

Results

Across all three periods of child development, children from the Middle East and North Africa, the Americas and Oceania were associated with higher zBMI and children from the two Asian groups were associated with lower zBMI, when compared to the referent group (English). zBMI was socioeconomically patterned, with increasingly higher zBMI associated with more socioeconomic disadvantage.

Conclusions

Our findings identified key population groups at higher risk of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence. Prevention efforts should prioritize these groups to avoid exacerbating inequalities in healthy weight in childhood.
Renal sympathetic denervation improves pressure-natriuresis relationship in cardiorenal syndrome: insight from studies with Ren-2 transgenic hypertensive rats with volume overload induced using aorto-caval fistula
Authors: Honetschlägerová Zuzana , Husková Zuzana , Kikerlová Soňa , Sadowski Janusz , Kompanowska-Jezierska Elzbieta , Táborský Miloš , Vaňourková Zdenka , Kujal Petr , Červenka Luděk
Published: February 2024

The aim was to evaluate the effects of renal denervation (RDN) on autoregulation of renal hemodynamics and the pressure-natriuresis relationship in Ren-2 transgenic rats (TGR) with aorto-caval fistula (ACF)-induced heart failure (HF). RDN was performed one week after creation of ACF or sham-operation. Animals were prepared for evaluation of autoregulatory capacity of renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and of the pressure-natriuresis characteristics after stepwise changes in renal arterial pressure (RAP) induced by aortic clamping. Their basal values of blood pressure and renal function were significantly lower than with innervated sham-operated TGR (p < 0.05 in all cases): mean arterial pressure (MAP) (115 ± 2 vs. 160 ± 3 mmHg), RBF (6.91 ± 0.33 vs. 10.87 ± 0.38 ml.min–1.g–1), urine flow (UF) (11.3 ± 1.79 vs. 43.17 ± 3.24 µl.min–1.g–1) and absolute sodium excretion (UNaV) (1.08 ± 0.27 vs, 6.38 ± 0.76 µmol.min–1.g–1). After denervation ACF TGR showed improved autoregulation of RBF: at lowest RAP level (80 mmHg) the value was higher than in innervated ACF TGR (6.92 ± 0.26 vs. 4.54 ± 0.22 ml.min–1.g–1, p < 0.05). Also, the pressure-natriuresis relationship was markedly improved after RDN: at the RAP of 80 mmHg UF equaled 4.31 ± 0.99 vs. 0.26 ± 0.09 µl.min–1.g–1 recorded in innervated ACF TGR, UNaV was 0.31 ± 0.05 vs. 0.04 ± 0.01 µmol min–1.g–1 (p < 0.05 in all cases). In conclusion, in our model of hypertensive rat with ACF-induced HF, RDN improved autoregulatory capacity of RBF and the pressure-natriuresis relationship when measured at the stage of HF decompensation.
Microglial inhibition alleviates alpha-synuclein propagation and neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease mouse model
Authors: Thi Lai Thuy , Kim Young Eun , Nguyen Linh Thi Nhat , Thi Nguyen Tinh , Kwak In Hee , Richter Franziska , Kim Yun Joong , Ma Hyeo-il
Published: February 2024

The accumulation of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) is widely recognized as the main pathological process in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Additionally, neuroinflammation is considered to be one of the contributing mechanisms in the development of PD. In light of this, it is hypothesized that the reactive microglia exacerbate the propagation of αSyn and neurodegeneration, while the inhibition of microglial activity may mitigate these effects. To test this hypothesis, αSyn preformed fibrils (PFF)-injected PD mouse model was employed. Co-injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and PFF was performed to investigate if microglial reactivity intensified αSyn propagation and neurodegeneration. Additionally, oral administration of PLX5622, a microglial inhibitor that targets the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor, was given for two weeks before and after PFF injection each to explore if microglial inhibition could prevent or reduce αSyn pathology. Intrastriatal co-injection of LPS and PFF resulted in increased microglial reactivity, αSyn accumulation, and neurodegeneration compared to PFF injection alone. However, treatment with PLX5622 significantly suppressed microglial reactivity, reduced αSyn pathology, and alleviated dopaminergic neuron degeneration in the PD mouse model injected with PFF. Based on these findings, it is evident that microglial reactivity plays a crucial role in the progression of αSyn pathology and neurodegeneration in PD. Furthermore, the results suggest that microglial inhibition may hold promise as a therapeutic strategy to delay the progression of αSyn pathology in PD.
Olfactory misinformation provides refuge to palatable plants from mammalian browsing
Authors: Finnerty Patrick B. , Possell Malcolm , Banks Peter B. , Orlando Cristian Gabriel , Price Catherine J. , Shrader Adrian M. , McArthur Clare
Published: February 2024

Mammalian herbivores browse palatable plants of ecological and economical value. Undesirable neighbours can reduce browsing to these plants by providing ‘associational refuge’, but they can also compete for resources. Here we recreated the informative odour emitted by undesirable plants. We then tested whether this odour could act as virtual neighbours, providing browsing refuge to palatable eucalyptus tree seedlings. We found that protection using this method was equivalent to protection provided by real plants. Palatable seedlings were 17–20 times more likely to be eaten by herbivores without virtual, or real, neighbours. Because many herbivores use plant odour to forage, virtual neighbours could provide a useful practical management approach to help protect valued plants.
Chromosome level genome assembly of endangered medicinal plant Anisodus tanguticus
Authors: Song Yongli , Huang Jian-Ping , Wang Yong-Jiang , Huang Sheng-Xiong
Published: February 2024

Anisodus tanguticus is a medicinal herb that belongs to the Anisodus genus of the Solanaceae family. This endangered herb is mainly distributed in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. In this study, we combined the Illumina short-read, Nanopore long-read and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) sequencing technologies to de novo assemble the A. tanguticus genome. A high-quality chromosomal-level genome assembly was obtained with a genome size of 1.26 Gb and a contig N50 of 25.07 Mb. Of the draft genome sequences, 97.47% were anchored to 24 pseudochromosomes with a scaffold N50 of 51.28 Mb. In addition, 842.14 Mb of transposable elements occupying 66.70% of the genome assembly were identified and 44,252 protein-coding genes were predicted. The genome assembly of A. tanguticus will provide genetic repertoire to understand the adaptation strategy of Anisodus species in the plateau, which will further promote the conservation of endangered A. tanguticus resources.
Quantum-walk search in motion
Authors: Sahu Himanshu , Sen Kallol
Published: February 2024

In quantum computing, the quantum walk search algorithm is designed for locating fixed marked nodes within a graph. However, when multiple marked nodes exist, the conventional search algorithm lacks the capacity to simultaneously amplify the marked nodes as well as identify the correct chronological ordering between the marked nodes, if any. To address this limitation, we explore a potential extension of the algorithm by introducing additional quantum states to label the marked nodes. The labels resolve the ambiguity of simultaneous amplification of the marked nodes. Additionally, by associating the label states with a chronological ordering, we can extend the algorithm to track a moving particle on a two-dimensional surface. Our algorithm efficiently searches for the trajectory of the particle and is supported by a proposed quantum circuit. This concept holds promise for a range of applications, from real-time object tracking to network management and routing.
Association of vaccine status, reinfections, and risk factors with Long COVID syndrome
Authors: Romero-Ibarguengoitia Maria Elena , Rodríguez-Torres Juan Francisco , Garza-Silva Arnulfo , Rivera-Cavazos Andrea , Morales-Rodriguez Devany Paola , Hurtado-Cabrera Mauricio , Kalife-Assad Ricardo , Villarreal-Parra Diana , Loose-Esparza Alejandro , Gutiérrez-Arias Juan José , Mata-Porras Yaressi Guadalupe , Ojeda-Salazar Daniela Abigail , Sanz-Sánchez Miguel Angel , González-Cantú Arnulfo , Azzolini Elena , Rescigno Maria
Published: February 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound global impact, characterized by a high fatality rate and the emergence of enduring consequences known as Long COVID. Our study sought to determine the prevalence of Long COVID syndrome within a population of Northeastern Mexico, correlating it with patients' comorbidities, number of COVID-19 reinfection, and vaccination status. Employing an observational cross-sectional approach, we administered a comprehensive questionnaire covering medical history, demographics, vaccination status, COVID-related symptoms, and treatment. Our participant cohort included 807 patients, with an average age of 41.5 (SD 13.6) years, and women accounting 59.3% of the cohort. The follow-up was 488 (IQR 456) days. One hundred sixty-eight subjects (20.9%) met Long COVID criteria. Long COVID-19 was more prevalent when subjects had reinfections (p = 0.02) and less frequent when they had a complete vaccination scheme (p = 0.05). Through logistic regression, we found that male gender (OR 0.5, p ≤ 0.001), blood types of AB− (OR 0.48, p = 0.003) and O− (OR 0.27, p ≤ 0.001) in comparison with A+ and two doses of vaccines (OR 0.5, p = 006) to be protective factors against Long COVID; while higher BMI (OR 1.04, p = 0.005) was a risk factor. We saw that the prevalence of Long COVID was different within vaccinated patients and specific blood types, while being female and a higher BMI were associated with an increased risk of having long-COVID.
Kinematics modeling of the gear-based crank mechanism engine regardless of the compressions ratio variations
Authors: Sakhraoui Amir , Saggar Maroua , Ayari Fayza , Nasri Rachid
Published: February 2024

In this work, geometric and kinematic modeling of the gear-based crank mechanism engine (GBCM) was performed. To this aim, a mechanical approach based on projective computational methods and mechanism theory laws is applied, to which a parametric study has allowed a conclusion on the geometrical and kinematic behaviors of the moving links. The study concluded that the kinematic quantities at connecting rod head are one-half of those at the piston top head. The extrinsic behavior like the stroke of the connecting rod head is twice the crank radius and the piston kinematic are identical to the conventional engine with the same crankshaft ratio regardless of the compression ratio and any gear wheel radius. Hence, all the extrinsic kinematic properties of a classic crankshaft mechanism of the fixed compression ratio engine remain valid for a gear-based crank mechanism engine and can be used for dynamic calculation purposes.
Insights from international environmental legislation and protocols for the global plastic treaty
Authors: Aanesen Margrethe , Ahi Julide C. , Abate Tenaw G. , Khan Farhan R. , de Vries Frans P. , Kite-Powell Hauke , Beaumont Nicola J.
Published: February 2024

Plastic pollution has emerged as a global challenge necessitating collective efforts to mitigate its adverse environmental consequences. International negotiations are currently underway to establish a global plastic treaty. Emphasizing the need for solution-orientated research, rather than focusing on further defining the problems of widespread environmental occurrence and ecological impacts, this paper extracts insights and draws key patterns that are relevant for these international negotiations. The analysis reveals that (i) environmental rather than human health concerns have been the predominant driving force behind previous regulations targeting pollutants, and (ii) the decision to ban or discontinue the use of harmful pollutants is primarily affected by the availability of viable substitutes. These two key findings are relevant to the discussions of the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on the global plastic treaty and underscore the recognition of environmental consequences associated with plastic pollution while emphasizing the need to enhance the knowledge base of potential human health risks. Leveraging the availability of substitutes can significantly contribute to the development and implementation of effective strategies aimed at reducing plastic usage and corresponding pollution.
Cross-platform social dynamics: an analysis of ChatGPT and COVID-19 vaccine conversations
Authors: Alipour Shayan , Galeazzi Alessandro , Sangiorgio Emanuele , Avalle Michele , Bojic Ljubisa , Cinelli Matteo , Quattrociocchi Walter
Published: February 2024

The role of social media in information dissemination and agenda-setting has significantly expanded in recent years. By offering real-time interactions, online platforms have become invaluable tools for studying societal responses to significant events as they unfold. However, online reactions to external developments are influenced by various factors, including the nature of the event and the online environment. This study examines the dynamics of public discourse on digital platforms to shed light on this issue. We analyzed over 12 million posts and news articles related to two significant events: the release of ChatGPT in 2022 and the global discussions about COVID-19 vaccines in 2021. Data was collected from multiple platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, and GDELT. We employed topic modeling techniques to uncover the distinct thematic emphases on each platform, which reflect their specific features and target audiences. Additionally, sentiment analysis revealed various public perceptions regarding the topics studied. Lastly, we compared the evolution of engagement across platforms, unveiling unique patterns for the same topic. Notably, discussions about COVID-19 vaccines spread more rapidly due to the immediacy of the subject, while discussions about ChatGPT, despite its technological importance, propagated more gradually.
Enhanced oil recovery by using modified ZnO nanocomposites in sandstone oil reservoirs
Authors: Ahmadi Yaser , Mansouri Mohsen , Pourafshary Peyman
Published: February 2024

Recently, nanocomposites were employed to improve the extraction of oil in different reservoirs. Due to the unique characteristics of nanoparticles such as small size, efficient altering main mechanisms such as IFT, CA, and viscosity reduction, have received wide attention among researchers. This study investigated the application of a newly designed ZnO-cerium N-composite for EOR at reservoir conditions, and the performance was compared to the standalone ZnO nanoparticles. After performing the morphology of the N-composite, the effect of the N-composites on the wettability alteration, interfacial tension, viscosity, Zeta potential, pH, and density was studied at different N-composites concentrations at reservoir conditions. Based on the results of rock/fluid interactions at the static phase, an optimum concentration was chosen for performing dynamic core flooding experiments. At 100 ppm, the highest stability and the highest reduction in capillary force were observed. The presence of Ce in the structure of the N-composite changes the pore volume of ZnO-Ce compared to ZnO nanoparticles, which affects the surface charge. IFT (mN/m), CA (°), and zeta potential (mV) were (22.51, 40.83, and − 44.36), and (30.50, 50.21, and − 31.05) for ZnO-Ce and ZnO, respectively at 100 ppm. By application of the optimized nanofluid in an oil displacement study, RF in the presence of ZnO-Ce, and ZnO were 37.11% and 71.40%, respectively.
The effects of wing inertial forces and mean stroke angle on the pitch dynamics of hovering insects
Authors: Tahmasian Sevak , Kotulak-Smith Braeden C.
Published: February 2024

This paper discusses the wing inertial effects and the important role of the mean stroke angle on the pitch dynamics of hovering insects. The paper also presents a dynamic model appropriate for averaging and discusses the pitch stability results derived from the model. The model is used to predict the body angle of five insect species during hover, which are in good agreement with the available experimental results from different literature. The results suggest that the wing inertial forces have a considerable effect on pitch dynamics of insect flight and should not be ignored in dynamic analysis of hovering insects. The results also suggest that the body of hovering insects can not be vibrationally stabilized in a non-vertical orientation. Instead, the pitch angle of a hovering insect’s body is mainly due to a balance of the moment of the insect’s weight and the aerodynamic moment due to flapping kinematics with a nonzero mean stroke angle. Experiments with a flapping wing device confirm this results. To clearly explain the used model and clarify the difference between vibrational and non-vibrational stabilization, first this paper discusses the vibrational control of a three-degree-of-freedom force-input pendulum with its pivot moving in a vertical plane.
A multiplex metabolomic approach for quality control of Spirulina supplement and its allied microalgae (Amphora & Chlorella) assisted by chemometrics and molecular networking
Authors: Hegazi Nesrine , Khattab Amira R. , Saad Hamada H. , Abib Bishoy , Farag Mohamed A.
Published: February 2024

Microalgae species are of economic importance regarded as “green gold” being rich in bioactive compounds. Spirulina and Chlorella are the most popular microalgal species and are marketed as healthy food supplements. At the same time, Amphora holds potential as a source of healthy lipids and essential fatty acids. Yet, there are considerable variations in their reported chemical composition, and less is known about their compositional differences. A multiplexed metabolomic approach was adopted for the quality control (QC) of Spirulina supplements and to compare its constitutive metabolome to Chlorella and Amphora. The adopted protocol comprised gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS/MS), and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry (UV/Vis) for mapping their primary and secondary metabolome. Interestingly, UPLC-HRMS/MS analysis delineated the abundance of fatty acids in Amphora versus glycolipids enrichment in Spirulina, and porphyrins were the main pigments identified in Spirulina, with scarce occurrence in Chlorella. Orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) analysis of GC–MS data set revealed palmitic acid, 3-mannobiose, and glyceryl-glycoside as being most enriched in Spirulina, versus sucrose and leucine in Chlorella and Amphora, respectively. Despite being of low discriminatory potential, UV/Vis OPLS-DA modeling showed that Spirulina was distinguished with the UV absorbances of carotenoids and chlorophyll pigments, as indicated by its OPLS-DA derived S-plot. Our study provides a QC approach for the analysis of the microalgal species and poses alternative spectral and compositional markers for their discrimination.
Clinical outcomes and spinal growth after posterior hemivertebra resection and short segment fusion in children
Authors: Du Yuxuan , Zhang Hongqi , Wang Yuxiang
Published: February 2024

To evaluate the corrective effect of posterior hemivertebra resection and short-segment fusion surgery on pediatric patients and to assess the impact of short-segment fixation surgery on vertebral development during follow-up, a retrospective analysis was performed on 28 pediatric patients who underwent posterior hemivertebra resection surgery. The corrective effect was evaluated by comparing indicators such as segmental scoliosis Cobb angle, upper and lower compensatory curves and trunk balance at different time points. Meanwhile, the vertebral and spinal canal diameters of instrumented vertebrae and adjacent noninstrumented vertebrae were measured and compared to assess vertebral and spinal canal development. The correction rate of segmental scoliosis was 72.2%. The estimated mean vertebral volume of the instrumented vertebra was slightly lower than that of the unfused segment at the final follow-up, but the difference was not statistically significant. The growth rate of the spinal canal during follow-up was much smaller than that of the vertebral body. In summary, internal fixation at a young age shows no significant inhibitory effects on spinal development within the fusion segment. Posterior hemivertebra resection and short-segment fusion surgery are safe and effective.
Alternative conformations of a group 4 Late Embryogenesis Abundant protein associated to its in vitro protective activity
Authors: Rendón-Luna David F. , Arroyo-Mosso Inti A. , De Luna-Valenciano Haydee , Campos Francisco , Segovia Lorenzo , Saab-Rincón Gloria , Cuevas-Velazquez Cesar L. , Reyes José Luis , Covarrubias Alejandra A.
Published: February 2024

Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins are a group of intrinsically disordered proteins implicated in plant responses to water deficit. In vitro studies revealed that LEA proteins protect reporter enzymes from inactivation during low water availability. Group 4 LEA proteins constitute a conserved protein family, displaying in vitro protective capabilities. Under water deficiency or macromolecular crowding, the N-terminal of these proteins adopts an alpha-helix conformation. This region has been identified as responsible for the protein in vitro protective activity. This study investigates whether the attainment of alpha-helix conformation and/or particular amino acid residues are required for the in vitro protective activity. The LEA4-5 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana was used to generate mutant proteins. The mutations altered conserved residues, deleted specific conserved regions, or introduced prolines to hinder alpha-helix formation. The results indicate that conserved residues are not essential for LEA4-5 protective function. Interestingly, the C-terminal region was found to contribute to this function. Moreover, alpha-helix conformation is necessary for the protective activity only when the C-terminal region is deleted. Overall, LEA4-5 shows the ability to adopt alternative functional conformations under the tested conditions. These findings shed light on the in vitro mechanisms by which LEA proteins protect against water deficit stress.
Mechanism matters: mortality and endothelial cell damage marker differences between blunt and penetrating traumatic injuries across three prehospital clinical trials
Authors: Donohue Jack K. , Gruen Danielle S. , Iyanna Nidhi , Lorence John M. , Brown Joshua B. , Guyette Francis X. , Daley Brian J. , Eastridge Brian J. , Miller Richard S. , Nirula Raminder , Harbrecht Brian G. , Claridge Jeffrey A. , Phelan Herb A. , Vercruysse Gary A. , O’Keeffe Terence , Joseph Bellal , Neal Matthew D. , Billiar Timothy R. , Sperry Jason L.
Published: February 2024

Injury mechanism is an important consideration when conducting clinical trials in trauma. Mechanisms of injury may be associated with differences in mortality risk and immune response to injury, impacting the potential success of the trial. We sought to characterize clinical and endothelial cell damage marker differences across blunt and penetrating injured patients enrolled in three large, prehospital randomized trials which focused on hemorrhagic shock. In this secondary analysis, patients with systolic blood pressure < 70 or systolic blood pressure < 90 and heart rate > 108 were included. In addition, patients with both blunt and penetrating injuries were excluded. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Mortality was characterized using Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional-hazards models. Generalized linear models were used to compare biomarkers. Chi squared tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum were used to compare secondary outcomes. We characterized data of 696 enrolled patients that met all secondary analysis inclusion criteria. Blunt injured patients had significantly greater 24-h (18.6% vs. 10.7%, log rank p = 0.048) and 30-day mortality rates (29.7% vs. 14.0%, log rank p = 0.001) relative to penetrating injured patients with a different time course. After adjusting for confounders, blunt mechanism of injury was independently predictive of mortality at 30-days (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.06–3.20, p = 0.029), but not 24-h (HR 1.65, 95% CI 0.86–3.18, p = 0.133). Elevated admission levels of endothelial cell damage markers, VEGF, syndecan-1, TM, S100A10, suPAR and HcDNA were associated with blunt mechanism of injury. Although there was no difference in multiple organ failure (MOF) rates across injury mechanism (48.4% vs. 42.98%, p = 0.275), blunt injured patients had higher Denver MOF score (p < 0.01). The significant increase in 30-day mortality and endothelial cell damage markers in blunt injury relative to penetrating injured patients highlights the importance of considering mechanism of injury within the inclusion and exclusion criteria of future clinical trials.
Evaluating the pedestrian level of service for varying trip purposes using machine learning algorithms
Authors: Paul Deborah , Moridpour Sara , Venkatesan Srikanth , Withanagamage Nuwan
Published: February 2024

The pedestrians’ feeling of comfort while walking on footpaths varies according to the time of day, environment, and the purpose of the trip. The quality of service offered by pedestrian facilities such as walkways, intersections, and public places is evaluated by the Pedestrian level of service (PLOS) and has been measured from time to time, to upgrade and maintain the sustainable travel choice of people. This paper aims to focus on the level of service based on three main trip purposes such as work, education, and recreation, while considering various path characteristics and pedestrian flow characteristics that affect the pedestrian’s feeling of comfort on the walkways. The data has been collected using pedestrian questionnaire surveys and pedestrian sensors in the Melbourne central business district and the significant factors that influence the PLOS for each trip purpose will be chosen using the Mutual Information gain, which is found to be different for each trip purpose. The major influencing factors that affect the PLOS will be used to develop machine learning models for three trip purposes separately using Random Forest and Light-GBM algorithm in Python. The accuracy of prediction using the light GBM model is 0.74 for education, 0.80 for recreation, and 0.70 for work trip purposes. It is found using SHAP which stands for Shapely Additive explanations that the factors such as interpersonal distance, distance from vehicles, construction sites, vehicle volume, traffic noise, and footpath surface are the most influencing variables that affect the PLOS based on three different trip purposes.
Uncertainties in measuring precipitation hinders precise evaluation of loss of diversity in biomes and ecotones
Authors: Navarro Andrés , Lee Gyuwon , Martín Raúl , Tapiador Francisco J.
Published: February 2024

Assessing changes in the distribution of biological communities that share a climate (biomes) is essential for estimating their vulnerability to climate change. We use CMIP6 climate models to calculate biome changes as featuring in classifications such as Holdridge’s Life Zones (climate envelopes). We found that transitional zones between biomes (known as ecotones) are expected to decline under all climate change scenarios, but also that model consensus remains low. Accurate assessments of diversity loss are limited to certain areas of the globe, while model consensus is still poor for half of the planet. We identify where there are robust estimates of changes in biomes and ecotones, and where consensus is lacking. We argue that caution should be exercised in measuring biodiversity loss in the latter, but that greater confidence can be placed in the former. We find that shortcomings in the life zone classification are related to inter-model variability, which ultimately depends on a larger problem, namely the accurate estimation of precipitation compared to CRU. Application of the methodology to other climate classifications confirms the findings.
Sponge-derived matter is assimilated by coral holobionts
Authors: Reigel Alicia M. , Easson Cole G. , Apprill Amy , Freeman Christopher J. , Bartley Michaela M. , Fiore Cara L.
Published: February 2024

Coral reef biodiversity is maintained by a complex network of nutrient recycling among organisms. Sponges assimilate nutrients produced by other organisms like coral and algae, releasing them as particulate and dissolved matter, but to date, only a single trophic link between sponge-derived dissolved matter and a macroalgae has been identified. We sought to determine if sponge-coral nutrient exchange is reciprocal using a stable isotope ‘pulse-chase’ experiment to trace the uptake of 13C and 15N sponge-derived matter by the coral holobiont for three coral species (Acropora cervicornis, Orbicella faveolata, and Eunicea flexuosa). Coral holobionts incorporated 2.3–26.8x more 15N than 13C from sponge-derived matter and A. cervicornis incorporated more of both C and N than the other corals. Differential isotopic incorporation among coral species aligns with their ecophysiological characteristics (e.g., morphology, Symbiodiniaceae density). Our results elucidate a recycling pathway on coral reefs that has implications for improving coral aquaculture and management approaches.
Graphene-based Materials for Water Remediation: Recent Advances on Pollutant Sorption, Photodegradation and Filtration
Authors: Henriques Bruno , Ferreira Nicole , Kocijan Martina , Vukšić Milan , Ünlü Burak , Türk Serbülent , Özacar Mahmut , Gonçalves Gil
Published: February 2024

The discovery of graphene, a two-dimensional material with an atomic layer of sp2-hybridized carbon atoms in a hexagonal structure, and related materials, has drawn increasing attention for environmental purposes, particularly water remediation. Graphene-based materials (GBM) have inherent features, such as large specific surface area and high diversity of functional groups, that allow the establishment of different interactions with ions, molecules, and nanoparticles, giving rise to sustainable, scalable, and effective pollution treatment technology. This chapter aims to give an overview of the recent research work being developed with GBM to create high-throughput technologies for water remediation, focused on sorption, photodegradation, and filtration of a wide range of pollutants. Here, the synthesis, processing parameters, and interaction mechanism of GBM are summarized and discussed, including novel strategies to enhance the performance, recyclability, and robustness of the process, complying with the 3 Rs development initiative (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). This review is intended to provide some exciting information for the design and manufacture of GBM for the removal of heavy metal ions and degradation of organic compounds from waste water and contaminated water for the development of sustainable technologies for environmental pollution management.
Factors Influencing TiO2-based Composites for Water Decolorization: A Systematic Review
Authors: Daniel Likius Shipwiisho , Uahengo Veikko , Rahman Ateeq
Published: February 2024

The widespread use of synthetic dyes and their release into aquatic environments poses significant risks to human health and ecosystems. As a process for dye removal that is environmentally benign and green, photocatalysis has gained a lot of interest. Composites made of TiO2 have demonstrated potential as photocatalytic materials for water decolorization. In this study, we used key phrase analysis, keyword co-occurrence, and bibliographic couplings to examine 131 articles from the Scopus database (2017–2023). We investigated how TiO2-based composites—including doped TiO2, mixed metal oxides and supporting substrates—could be categorized based on composition. We studied various factors, such as pH, temperature, coexisting compounds, reaction time, light intensity, and initial dye concentration. These factors were found to influence the performance and stability of TiO2-based composites in water decolorization. It was discovered that doping is a method for improving light absorption of TiO2 by reducing its bandgap. The relationships between these variables also imply that the ideal photocatalytic conditions may differ based on the particular composite, dye, and environmental conditions used. Consequently, optimizing these parameters is crucial for obtaining the best photocatalytic activity.
Intracellular artificial supramolecular architectures based on de novo designed peptides
Authors: Miki T. , Hashimoto M. , Takahashi H. , Shimizu M. , Mihara H.
Published: February 2024

Synthetic peptides, designed from scratch, are valuable building blocks for the fabrication of artificial nanoscale architectures. In recent years, the designed peptides have been applied to intracellular applications such as protein labelling, controlling of protein activation and assembly, and as drug carriers, etc. This chapter summarizes some recent reports to highlight progress in the de novo design of coiled-coil peptides, small synthetic peptides, and β-sheet peptides used in living cells or in vivo.
Self-assembly of cyclic peptides
Authors: Hwang Euimin , Lim Yong-beom
Published: February 2024

Because cyclic peptides present a benefit of reduced conformational freedom, they have been widely used to mimic the native secondary and tertiary structures of proteins. Although molecular constraint introduced in large cyclic peptides consisting of more than approximately 20 amino acid residues is relatively small, we have found that self-assembly can further constrain these molecules to a significant extent. Over the last decade, we have shown that the self-assembly of large cyclic peptides induces the conformational transition from a random coil to a nearly perfect α-helix, resulting in the formation of highly thermostable, homogeneous and unique molecular nanoscale assemblies. This chapter describes our recent studies on the self-assembly of cyclic and pseudo-cyclic peptides and provides insights into the design and synthesis of self-assembling diblock or triblock cyclic peptides.
Ag supraparticles with 3D hot spots to actively capture molecules for sensitive detection by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Zhu Mingrui , Zhou Guoliang , Dong Ronglu , Li Pan , Yang Liangbao
Published: February 2024

3D supraparticles with non-close-packed structures are self-assembled through ultrasonic self-assembly at the liquid–liquid interface, and can actively capture molecules into hot spot areas to achieve highly sensitive detection by SERS.
Retro-BLEU: quantifying chemical plausibility of retrosynthesis routes through reaction template sequence analysis
Authors: Li Junren , Fang Lei , Lou Jian-Guang
Published: February 2024

Retro-BLEU is a statistical metric to evaluate the plausibility of model-generated retrosynthesis routes based on reaction template sequences analysis.
Exploring binding preferences: Cu(ii), Ni(ii), and Zn(ii) complexes of mycobacterial GroEL1 His-rich and Glu/His-rich domains
Authors: Rola Anna , Gumienna-Kontecka Elżbieta , Potocki Sławomir
Published: February 2024

This study contrasts the Cu(ii)/Ni(ii)/Zn(ii) complex stability of GroEL1 C-terminal domains: His-rich ABS (M. abscessus) and Glu/His-rich XEN (M. xenopi). ABS forms more stable complexes, favoring histidine over glutamic acid for metal ion binding.
Solvent modulation of the morphology of homochiral gadolinium coordination polymers and its impact on circularly polarized luminescence
Authors: Hou Ting , Zhao Chen-Chen , Bao Song-Song , Zhai Zhi-Min , Zheng Li-Min
Published: February 2024

The morphology of Gd(NO3)3/R-,S-AnempH2 assemblies is controlled by solvent. The spiral bundles (R-,S-1) are CPL active with asymmetric factor 2.8 times larger than that of crystals (R-,S-2), while spindle-shaped particles (R-,S-3) are CPL inactive.
Efficient sulfur atom-doped three-dimensional porous MXene-assisted sodium ion batteries
Authors: Zhang Linlin , Chen Yiguang , Yu Lianghao , Tao Xin , Tang Lan , Ye Liangzheng , Liu Yu , Han Lu , Li Hengzheng , Ling Yihan , Zhu Guang , Jin Huile
Published: February 2024

MXene doped with sulfur creates a 3D porous structure with increased layer spacing which demonstrated exceptional rate performance and good cycling stability as sodium ion battery anodes, with a long-term cycling performance of 256.1 mAh g−1 even after 2480 cycles at 5 A g−1.
Double selective ionic gel with excellent thermopower and ultra-high energy density for low-quality thermal energy harvesting
Authors: Hu Jindong , Wei Jiuyang , Li Jinming , Bai Long , Liu Yang , Li Zhiguo
Published: February 2024

Thermodiffusion and thermogalvanic effects of single redox electrolytes are synergistically utilized and enhanced by double selective gel design of ionic thermoelectric cells, generating remarkable thermopower and energy output in a long-cycle mode.
Revisiting group 4–7 transition metals for heterogeneous ammonia synthesis
Authors: Gao Wenbo , Wang Yawei , Wang Qianru , Sun Zhaolong , Guo Jianping , Chen Ping
Published: February 2024

Group 4–7 metals are usually inactive for NH3 synthesis catalysis and have gained far less attention as compared to Fe and Ru. This mini-review discusses potential strategies to activate these metals, aiming to find novel catalysts for NH3 synthesis.
Construction of biomass-based amines via Ir-mediated N-alkylation: kinetic analysis
Authors: Liang Meixiang , Xu Zhongmou , Zhou Tianhao , Chen Limin , Chen Jinzhu
Published: February 2024

Kinetic analysis was performed for the construction of biomass-based amines by N-alkylation using an Ir complex immobilized in covalent triazine frameworks.
Field emission from vertically oriented 2D manganese monosulfide sheets derived via a chemical route
Authors: Mahajan Anima , Jha Menaka , Ghosh Santanu
Published: February 2024

Field emission properties were demonstrated in vertically grown manganese sulfide (MnS) synthesized using a chemical route.
TiF4-catalyzed direct amidation of carboxylic acids and amino acids with amines
Authors: Alawaed Abdulkhaliq A. , Ramachandran P. Veeraraghavan
Published: February 2024

Catalytic titanium tetrafluoride enables the direct amidation of aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic acids and N-protected amino acids with aromatic and aliphatic amines, yielding structurally diverse carboxamide and peptide products.
α-Diimine-mediated C–H functionalization of arenes for aryl–aryl cross-coupling reactions
Authors: Babaguchi Kotono , Bedi Deepika , Chacon-Teran Miguel A. , Findlater Michael
Published: February 2024

BIAN emerges as a new initiator for BHAS; structural characterization of the BIAN-supported radical ion salt is also disclosed.
Visible light-promoted difluoromethylthiolation of cycloalkanols by C–C bond cleavage
Authors: He Kehan , Mei Yan , Jin Na , Liu Yutao , Pan Fei
Published: February 2024

An efficient, transition metal-free, photocatalytic difluoromethylthiolation of cycloalkanols by C–C bond cleavage to synthesize distal difluoromethylthiolated alkyl ketones has been achieved.
High performance alkyl dialkoxyalkanoate bioderived transportation fuels accessed using a mild and scalable synthetic protocol
Authors: Myllenbeck Nicholas R. , Monroe Eric , Sarwar Mysha , Alleman Teresa , Hays Cameron , Luecke Jon , Zhu Junqing , McEnally Charles , Pfefferle Lisa , George Anthe , Davis Ryan W.
Published: February 2024

Pyruvate-derived dialkoxyalkanoates (DAOAs) were synthesized in good yield using a mild protocol. Combustion performance and physical properties of DAOAs compare favorably to other low-carbon diesel fuels.
Ethanol sensing mechanism of ZnO nanorods revealed by DRIFT spectroscopy and DFT calculations
Authors: Shinkai Takeshi , Agutaya Jonas Karl Christopher N. , Manna Biplab , Boepple Matthias , Iwai Masaru , Masumoto Keigo , Koga Kanako , Kawanami Koki , Nakamura Yusui , Quitain Armando T. , Suematsu Koichi , Inomata Yusuke , Barsan Nicolae , Kida Tetsuya
Published: February 2024

ZnO nanorods enhanced the gas response properties of ZnO. The sensitization mechanism of ZnO nanorods for ethanol sensing was revealed by DRIFT spectroscopy and DFT calculations.
4D printing MOF-derived/multi-fluorination nanocomposites for ultra-efficient electromagnetic wave absorption and robust environment adaptivity
Authors: Li Kun , Han Liuwenlin , Wang Tiancheng , Zhang Junying , Cheng Jue
Published: February 2024

A 4D-printed absorber exhibited excellent shape memory, electromagnetic wave absorption, superamphiphobicity, long-term anticorrosion, and flame retardancy performance.
Design of a light-sensitive tubular MoS2/C composite as the cathode for photo-enhanced rechargeable zinc-ion batteries
Authors: Cao Mengjue , Wang Duoying , Feng Yi , Gu Xiaoli , Yao Jianfeng
Published: February 2024

Utilizing solar energy to charge electrical energy storage devices has currently emerged as a hot and promising research direction to replace the traditional charging processes.
Interfacial design towards stable zinc metal-free zinc-ion batteries with high energy density
Authors: Xiong Ting , Zhang Deqiang , Yeo Jing Ying , Zhan Yufeng , Ong Yong Kang , Alava Limpo Carlos Maria , Shi Lu , Rao Yifan , Pu Yanhui , Lai Wenhui , Lee Jonghak , Vincent Lee Wee Siang , Özyilmaz Barbaros
Published: February 2024

Graphene and positively polarized P(VDF-TrFE) assist in controlling Zn nucleation and growth on a Cu substrate, enabling high-performance zinc metal-free zinc-ion batteries.
A promising ‘single’ and ‘dual’ drug-nanocomposite enriched contact lens for the management of glaucoma in response to the tear fluid enzyme
Authors: Kumara B. N. , Velmurugan K. , Ghate M. Vivek , Shambhu R. , Nirmal Jayabalan , Prasad K. Sudhakara
Published: February 2024

Latanoprost and latanoprost-timolol loaded contact lens for the management of glaucoma.
A cascade nanoplatform for intelligent response to tumor microenvironment and collaborative cancer therapy
Authors: Li Tong , Rong Mingjie , Wang Yuzhu , Sun Wenbo , Lu Lehui
Published: February 2024

The DCZCu nanoplatform provides a powerful multimodal synergistic anticancer strategy for tumor growth inhibition in terms of enhanced chemotherapy.
Allosteric regulation in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
Authors: Wei Yong , Chen Amy X. , Lin Yuewei , Wei Tao , Qiao Baofu
Published: February 2024

Pathways of allosteric regulation in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein are revealed, suggesting the presence of an allosteric regulation network.
Twisted-internal charge transfer (TICT) state mechanisms may be less common than expected
Authors: Joulaei-Zonouz Sara , Wiebe Heather , Prüfert Chris , Loock Hans-Peter
Published: February 2024

A combined experimental and ab initio study of the excited state dynamics of an organic fluorophore shows the complexities in identifying twisted-internal charge transfer (TICT) states from solvatochromic shifts and frontier orbitals, alone.
Electrochemical selenofunctionalization of unactivated alkenes: access to β-hydroxy-selenides
Authors: Dapkekar Anil Balajirao , Satyanarayana Gedu
Published: February 2024

Herein, we demonstrate the electrochemical construction of β-hydroxy selenides starting from aryl allyl ethers/allyl benzoates and diaryl diselenides under additive-free electrochemical conditions.
Kinetochore–microtubule error correction for biorientation: lessons from yeast
Authors: Li Shuyu , Kasciukovic Taciana , Tanaka Tomoyuki U.
Published: February 2024

Accurate chromosome segregation in mitosis relies on sister kinetochores forming stable attachments to microtubules (MTs) extending from opposite spindle poles and establishing biorientation. To achieve this, erroneous kinetochore–MT interactions must be resolved through a process called error correction, which dissolves improper kinetochore–MT attachment and allows new interactions until biorientation is achieved. The Aurora B kinase plays key roles in driving error correction by phosphorylating Dam1 and Ndc80 complexes, while Mps1 kinase, Stu2 MT polymerase and phosphatases also regulate this process. Once biorientation is formed, tension is applied to kinetochore–MT interaction, stabilizing it. In this review article, we discuss the mechanisms of kinetochore–MT interaction, error correction and biorientation. We focus mainly on recent insights from budding yeast, where the attachment of a single MT to a single kinetochore during biorientation simplifies the analysis of error correction mechanisms.
Power Resource Allocation Algorithm for Dual‐Function Radar–Communication System
Authors: Xiao Yue , Zhang Zhenkai , Shang Xiaoke
Published: February 2024

In this paper, a power allocation algorithm of dual‐function radar–communication system with limited power is proposed to obtain better overall system performance measured by the weighted summation of radar signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) and communication channel capacity. First, a power allocation model is established to maximize the radar SINR and communication channel capacity with limited transmitted power. Then, the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) conditions are used to solve the optimal objective function under the condition that only radar SINR or communication channel capacity is considered, respectively. Finally, the optimal value is combined with the original model and transformed into a single objective optimization model, and the optimal power is obtained by solving the model through the iterative optimization algorithm. Simulation results show that, compared with other power allocation algorithms, the proposed algorithm can achieve better radar‐communication integration performance under the same transmit power.