bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
4D Neutron Imaging of Solute Transport and Fluid Flow in Sandstone Before and After Mineral Precipitation
Authors: Shafabakhsh Paiman , Cordonnier Benoît , Pluymakers Anne , Le Borgne Tanguy , Mathiesen Joachim , Linga Gaute , Hu Yi , Kaestner Anders , Renard François
Published: March 2024

In many geological systems, the porosity of rock or soil may evolve during mineral precipitation, a process that controls fluid transport properties. Here, we investigate the use of 4D neutron imaging to image flow and transport in Bentheim sandstone core samples before and after in‐situ calcium carbonate precipitation. First, we demonstrate the applicability of neutron imaging to quantify the solute dispersion along the interface between heavy water and a cadmium aqueous solution. Then, we monitor the flow of heavy water within two Bentheim sandstone core samples before and after a step of in‐situ mineral precipitation. The precipitation of calcium carbonate is induced by reactive mixing of two solutions containing CaCl2 and Na2CO3, either by injecting these two fluids one after each other (sequential experiment) or by injecting them in parallel (co‐flow experiment). We use the contrast in neutron attenuation from time‐resolved tomograms to derive three‐dimensional fluid velocity field by using an inversion technique based on the advection‐dispersion equation. Results show mineral precipitation induces a wider distribution of local flow velocities and leads to alterations in the main flow pathways. The flow distribution appears to be independent of the initial distribution in the sequential experiment, while in the co‐flow experiment, we observed that higher initial local fluid velocities tended to increase slightly following precipitation. The outcome of this study contributes to progressing the knowledge in the domain of reactive solute and contaminant transport in the subsurface using the promising technique of neutron imaging.
Climate Change Is Weakening River Seasonality in the North
Authors: van Deelen Grace
Published: March 2024

Seasonal flow variability is decreasing as climate change alters Earth’s systems, creating challenges for water management.
Characterisation of colistin resistance in Gram-negative microbiota of pregnant women and neonates in Nigeria
Authors: Portal E. A. R. , Sands K. , Farley C. , Boostrom I. , Jones E. , Barrell M. , Carvalho M. J. , Milton R. , Iregbu K. , Modibbo F. , Uwaezuoke S. , Akpulu C. , Audu L. , Edwin C. , Yusuf A. H. , Adeleye A. , Mukkadas A. S. , Maduekwe D. , Gambo S. , Sani J. , Walsh T. R. , Spiller O. B.
Published: March 2024

A mobile colistin resistance gene mcr was first reported in 2016 in China and has since been found with increasing prevalence across South-East Asia. Here we survey the presence of mcr genes in 4907 rectal swabs from mothers and neonates from three hospital sites across Nigeria; a country with limited availability or history of colistin use clinically. Forty mother and seven neonatal swabs carried mcr genes in a range of bacterial species: 46 Enterobacter spp. and single isolates of; Shigella, E. coli and Klebsiella quasipneumoniae. Ninety percent of the genes were mcr-10 (n = 45) we also found mcr-1 (n = 3) and mcr-9 (n = 1). While the prevalence during this collection (2015-2016) was low, the widespread diversity of mcr-gene type and range of bacterial species in this sentinel population sampling is concerning. It suggests that agricultural colistin use was likely encouraging sustainment of mcr-positive isolates in the community and implementation of medical colistin use will rapidly select and expand resistant isolates.
Harnessing whole human liver ex situ normothermic perfusion for preclinical AAV vector evaluation
Authors: Cabanes-Creus Marti , Liao Sophia H. Y. , Gale Navarro Renina , Knight Maddison , Nazareth Deborah , Lau Ngee-Soon , Ly Mark , Zhu Erhua , Roca-Pinilla Ramon , Bugallo Delgado Ricardo , Vicente Ana F. , Baltazar Grober , Westhaus Adrian , Merjane Jessica , Crawford Michael , McCaughan Geoffrey W. , Unzu Carmen , González-Aseguinolaza Gloria , Alexander Ian E. , Pulitano Carlo , Lisowski Leszek
Published: March 2024

Developing clinically predictive model systems for evaluating gene transfer and gene editing technologies has become increasingly important in the era of personalized medicine. Liver-directed gene therapies present a unique challenge due to the complexity of the human liver. In this work, we describe the application of whole human liver explants in an ex situ normothermic perfusion system to evaluate a set of fourteen natural and bioengineered adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors directly in human liver, in the presence and absence of neutralizing human sera. Under non-neutralizing conditions, the recently developed AAV variants, AAV-SYD12 and AAV-LK03, emerged as the most functional variants in terms of cellular uptake and transgene expression. However, when assessed in the presence of human plasma containing anti-AAV neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), vectors of human origin, specifically those derived from AAV2/AAV3b, were extensively neutralized, whereas AAV8- derived variants performed efficiently. This study demonstrates the potential of using normothermic liver perfusion as a model for early-stage testing of liver-focused gene therapies. The results offer preliminary insights that could help inform the development of more effective translational strategies.
Edible mycelium bioengineered for enhanced nutritional value and sensory appeal using a modular synthetic biology toolkit
Authors: Maini Rekdal Vayu , van der Luijt Casper R. B. , Chen Yan , Kakumanu Ramu , Baidoo Edward E. K. , Petzold Christopher J. , Cruz-Morales Pablo , Keasling Jay D.
Published: March 2024

Filamentous fungi are critical in the transition to a more sustainable food system. While genetic modification of these organisms has promise for enhancing the nutritional value, sensory appeal, and scalability of fungal foods, genetic tools and demonstrated use cases for bioengineered food production by edible strains are lacking. Here, we develop a modular synthetic biology toolkit for Aspergillus oryzae, an edible fungus used in fermented foods, protein production, and meat alternatives. Our toolkit includes a CRISPR-Cas9 method for gene integration, neutral loci, and tunable promoters. We use these tools to elevate intracellular levels of the nutraceutical ergothioneine and the flavor-and color molecule heme in the edible biomass. The strain overproducing heme is red in color and is readily formulated into imitation meat patties with minimal processing. These findings highlight the promise of synthetic biology to enhance fungal foods and provide useful genetic tools for applications in food production and beyond.
Effect of mobile food environments on fast food visits
Authors: García Bulle Bueno Bernardo , Horn Abigail L. , Bell Brooke M. , Bahrami Mohsen , Bozkaya Burçin , Pentland Alex , de la Haye Kayla , Moro Esteban
Published: March 2024

Poor diets are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Exposure to low-quality food environments saturated with fast food outlets is hypothesized to negatively impact diet. However, food environment research has predominantly focused on static food environments around home neighborhoods and generated mixed findings. In this work, we leverage population-scale mobility data in the U.S. to examine 62M people’s visits to food outlets and evaluate how food choice is influenced by the food environments people are exposed to as they move through their daily routines. We find that a 10% increase in exposure to fast food outlets in mobile environments increases individuals’ odds of visitation by 20%. Using our results, we simulate multiple policy strategies for intervening on food environments to reduce fast-food outlet visits. This analysis suggests that optimal interventions are informed by spatial, temporal, and behavioral features and could have 2x to 4x larger effect than traditional interventions focused on home food environments.
Unveiling diverse coordination-defined electronic structures of reconstructed anatase TiO2(001)-(1 × 4) surface
Authors: Ma Xiaochuan , Shi Yongliang , Cheng Zhengwang , Liu Xiaofeng , Liu Jianyi , Guo Ziyang , Cui Xuefeng , Sun Xia , Zhao Jin , Tan Shijing , Wang Bing
Published: March 2024

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) exhibit fascinating physicochemical properties, which originate from the diverse coordination structures between the transition metal and oxygen atoms. Accurate determination of such structure-property relationships of TMOs requires to correlate structural and electronic properties by capturing the global parameters with high resolution in energy, real, and momentum spaces, but it is still challenging. Herein, we report the determination of characteristic electronic structures from diverse coordination environments on the prototypical anatase-TiO2(001) with (1 × 4) reconstruction, using high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy/atomic force microscopy, in combination with density functional theory calculation. We unveil that the shifted positions of O 2s and 2p levels and the gap-state Ti 3p levels can sensitively characterize the O and Ti coordination environments in the (1 × 4) reconstructed surface, which show distinguishable features from those in bulk. Our findings provide a paradigm to interrogate the intricate reconstruction-relevant properties in many other TMO surfaces.
Theory of resonantly enhanced photo-induced superconductivity
Authors: Eckhardt Christian J. , Chattopadhyay Sambuddha , Kennes Dante M. , Demler Eugene A. , Sentef Michael A. , Michael Marios H.
Published: March 2024

Optical driving of materials has emerged as a versatile tool to control their properties, with photo-induced superconductivity being among the most fascinating examples. In this work, we show that light or lattice vibrations coupled to an electronic interband transition naturally give rise to electron-electron attraction that may be enhanced when the underlying boson is driven into a non-thermal state. We find this phenomenon to be resonantly amplified when tuning the boson’s frequency close to the energy difference between the two electronic bands. This result offers a simple microscopic mechanism for photo-induced superconductivity and provides a recipe for designing new platforms in which light-induced superconductivity can be realized. We discuss two-dimensional heterostructures as a potential test ground for light-induced superconductivity concretely proposing a setup consisting of a graphene-hBN-SrTiO3 heterostructure, for which we estimate a superconducting Tc that may be achieved upon driving the system.
Graphene-integrated mesh electronics with converged multifunctionality for tracking multimodal excitation-contraction dynamics in cardiac microtissues
Authors: Gao Hongyan , Wang Zhien , Yang Feiyu , Wang Xiaoyu , Wang Siqi , Zhang Quan , Liu Xiaomeng , Sun Yubing , Kong Jing , Yao Jun
Published: March 2024

Cardiac microtissues provide a promising platform for disease modeling and developmental studies, which require the close monitoring of the multimodal excitation-contraction dynamics. However, no existing assessing tool can track these multimodal dynamics across the live tissue. We develop a tissue-like mesh bioelectronic system to track these multimodal dynamics. The mesh system has tissue-level softness and cell-level dimensions to enable stable embedment in the tissue. It is integrated with an array of graphene sensors, which uniquely converges both bioelectrical and biomechanical sensing functionalities in one device. The system achieves stable tracking of the excitation-contraction dynamics across the tissue and throughout the developmental process, offering comprehensive assessments for tissue maturation, drug effects, and disease modeling. It holds the promise to provide more accurate quantification of the functional, developmental, and pathophysiological states in cardiac tissues, creating an instrumental tool for improving tissue engineering and studies.
Subwavelength dielectric waveguide for efficient travelling-wave magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Gao Yang , Liu Tong , Hong Tao , Fang Youtong , Jiang Wen , Zhang Xiaotong
Published: March 2024

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has diverse applications in physics, biology, and medicine. Uniform excitation of nuclei spins through circular-polarized transverse magnetic component of electromagnetic field is vital for obtaining unbiased tissue contrasts. However, achieving this in the electrically large human body poses a significant challenge, especially at ultra-high fields (UHF) with increased working frequencies (≥297 MHz). Canonical volume resonators struggle to meet this challenge, while radiative excitation methods like travelling-wave (TW) show promise but often suffer from inadequate excitation efficiency. Here, we introduce a new technique using a subwavelength dielectric waveguide insert that enhances both efficiency and homogeneity at 7 T. Through TE11-to-TM11 mode conversion, power focusing, wave impedance matching, and phase velocity matching, we achieved a 114% improvement in TW efficiency and mitigated the center-brightening effect. This fundamental advancement in TW MRI through effective wave manipulation could promote the electromagnetic design of UHF MRI systems.
Screening and validation of reference genes in Dracaena cochinchinensis using quantitative real-time PCR
Authors: Gao Shixi , Peng Junxiang , Rong Mei , Liu Yang , Xu Yanhong , Wei Jianhe
Published: March 2024

Dragon's blood, the red resin derived from the wounded Dracaena, is a precious traditional medicine used by different culture. Dracaena cochinchinensis is one of the main species of Dracaena, and is the endangered medicinal plants in China. The vulnerable status severely limits the medicinal value and wide application of dragon’s blood. Therefore, it’s essential to analyze the mechanisms that form dragon’s blood in order to increase artificial production. To clarify the mechanisms forming dragon’s blood, understanding gene expression in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway is the foundation. However, reference genes of D. cochinchinensis haven’t been analyzed. In this study, expression profiles of seven commonly used housekeeping genes (Actin, α-EF, UBC, β-tubulin, 18S, GAPDH, His) were evaluated by using quantitative real-time PCR combined with the algorithms geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. On the basis of overall stability ranking, the best reference genes were the combinations β-tubulin +UBC for wounded stems and α-EF +18S + Actin for different organs. Reliability of the recommended reference genes was validated by normalizing relative expression of two key enzyme genes PAL1 and CHI1 in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. The results provide a foundation to study gene expression in future research on D. cochinchinensis or other Dracaena.
GestureMoRo: an algorithm for autonomous mobile robot teleoperation based on gesture recognition
Authors: Chen Lei , Li Chunxu , Fahmy Ashraf , Sienz Johann
Published: March 2024

Gestures are a common way people communicate. Gesture-based teleoperation control systems tend to be simple to operate and suitable for most people’s daily use. This paper employed a LeapMotion sensor to develop a mobile robot control system based on gesture recognition, which mainly established connections through a client/server structure. The principles of gesture recognition in the system were studied and the relevant self-investigated algorithms—GestureMoRo, for the association between gestures and mobile robots were designed. Moreover, in order to avoid the unstably fluctuated movement of the mobile robot caused by palm shaking, the Gaussian filter algorithm was used to smooth and denoise the collected gesture data, which effectively improved the robustness and stability of the mobile robot’s locomotion. Finally, the teleoperation control strategy of the gesture to the WATER2 mobile robot was realized, and the effectiveness and practicability of the designed system were verified through multiple experiments.
A study on the impact of marital status on the survival status of prostate cancer patients based on propensity score matching
Authors: Chen Qingquan , Zhu Xi , Hu Yiming , Chen Yao , Dai Rongrong , Li Jiaxin , Zhuang Jiajing , Lin Yifei , Zeng Yifu , You Liuxia , Zeng Yanyu , Huang Qian
Published: March 2024

Marital status is an independent prognostic factor for survival in many types of cancers, but its prognostic impact on patients with prostate cancer (PCa) has not been established. The aim of this study was to explore the independent prognostic factors of PCa and to investigate the effect of marital status on survival outcomes in patients with different stratified by PCa. Using the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database, we collected data on 584,655 PCa patients diagnosed between 1975 and 2019. Marital status was classified as married, divorced, widowed, and single. We used the Kaplan–Meier analysis and single multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to determine the effect of marital status on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). In addition, we performed subgroup analyses for different ages, Gleason score and PSA values, and performed a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) to reduce the impact of confounding factors to obtain more accurate matching results. According to our findings, marital status was an independent prognostic factor for the survival of PCa patients and a better prognosis of married patients. Moreover, we also found that factors such as age, TNM stage, Gleason score, and PSA concentration were also considered as important predictors for the prognosis of PCa. The above findings can facilitate early detection and treatment of high-risk PCa patients, prolong their life and reduce family burden.
Machine learning-based algorithms applied to drug prescriptions and other healthcare services in the Sicilian claims database to identify acromegaly as a model for the earlier diagnosis of rare diseases
Authors: Crisafulli Salvatore , Fontana Andrea , L’Abbate Luca , Vitturi Giacomo , Cozzolino Alessia , Gianfrilli Daniele , De Martino Maria Cristina , Amico Beatrice , Combi Carlo , Trifirò Gianluca
Published: March 2024

Acromegaly is a rare disease characterized by a diagnostic delay ranging from 5 to 10 years from the symptoms’ onset. The aim of this study was to develop and internally validate machine-learning algorithms to identify a combination of variables for the early diagnosis of acromegaly. This retrospective population-based study was conducted between 2011 and 2018 using data from the claims databases of Sicily Region, in Southern Italy. To identify combinations of potential predictors of acromegaly diagnosis, conditional and unconditional penalized multivariable logistic regression models and three machine learning algorithms (i.e., the Recursive Partitioning and Regression Tree, the Random Forest and the Support Vector Machine) were used, and their performance was evaluated. The random forest (RF) algorithm achieved the highest Area under the ROC Curve value of 0.83 (95% CI 0.79–0.87). The sensitivity in the test set, computed at the optimal threshold of predicted probabilities, ranged from 28% for the unconditional logistic regression model to 69% for the RF. Overall, the only diagnosis predictor selected by all five models and algorithms was the number of immunosuppressants-related pharmacy claims. The other predictors selected by at least two models were eventually combined in an unconditional logistic regression to develop a meta-score that achieved an acceptable discrimination accuracy (AUC = 0.71, 95% CI 0.66–0.75). Findings of this study showed that data-driven machine learning algorithms may play a role in supporting the early diagnosis of rare diseases such as acromegaly.
Gas-entry pressure impact on the evaluation of hydrogen migration at different scales of a deep geological disposal of radioactive waste
Authors: Saâdi Zakaria
Published: March 2024

Although the importance of gas-entry pressure in simulating two-phase liquid–gas flow in porous media has been studied at the column and borehole scales, its impact on the simulation of transient hydraulic-gas at different scales of a deep geological repository of radioactive waste (DGR) in low permeability clay rock during the post-closure phase has not yet been studied. The purpose of this work is to show that neglecting this phenomenon can lead to underestimation of the maximum gas pressure and water–gas fluxes simulated within the host rock and backfilled drift network. This could impact the performance of the engineered barrier system of a DGR. Simulations performed for a high-level waste disposal cell and for a simplified repository composed of hundreds of disposal cells situated in a clay host rock, show that gas preferentially migrates through the DGR components with low capillary entry pressures, such as the excavation damaged zone (Refers to the zone where fractures develop due to failure of the rock mass around galleries after tunneling) (EDZ), the engineered barriers materials (backfill, bentonite-plug…) and interfaces between the EDZ and these materials. Such a result could have significant consequences on the performance of a repository, due to the accumulation of gas in the drift network and high increase of gas pressure, which could lead to the host rock hydraulic fracturing.
Terahertz bistatic three-dimensional computational imaging of hidden objects through random media
Authors: Yu Quanchun , Cai He , Zhu Xianli , Liu Zihao , Yin Hongcheng , Li Liangsheng
Published: March 2024

Random media pose limitations on the imaging capability of photoelectric detection devices. Currently, imaging techniques employed through random media primarily operate within the laser wavelength range, leaving the imaging potential of terahertz waves unexplored. In this study, we present an approach for terahertz bistatic three-dimensional imaging (TBTCI) of hidden objects through random media. By deducing the field distribution of bistatic terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system, and proposing an explicit point spread function of the random media, we conducted three-dimensional imaging of hidden objects obscured by the random media. Our proposed method exhibits promising applications in imaging scenarios with millimeter-wave radar, including non-invasive testing and biological imaging.
The effect of myeloablative radiation on urinary bladder mast cells
Authors: Smith Jessica , Tan Jonathan Kah Huat , Short Christie , O’Neill Helen , Moro Christian
Published: March 2024

Radiation-induced cystitis is an inflammatory condition affecting the urinary bladder, which can develop as a side effect of abdominopelvic radiotherapy, specifically external-beam radiation therapy or myeloablative radiotherapy. A possible involvement of mast cells in the pathophysiology of radiation-induced cystitis has been indicated in cases of external-beam radiation therapy; however, there is no evidence that these findings apply to the myeloablative aetiology. As such, this study investigated potential changes to urinary bladder mast cell prevalence when exposed to myeloablative radiation. Lethally irradiated C57BL/6J mice that received donor rescue bone marrow cells exhibited an increased mast cell frequency amongst host leukocytes 1 week following irradiation. By 4 weeks, no significant difference in either frequency or cell density was observed. However mast cell diameter was smaller, and a significant increase in mast cell number in the adventitia was observed. This study highlights that mast cells constitute a significant portion of the remaining host leukocyte population following radiation exposure, with changes to mast cell distribution and decreased cell diameter four weeks following radiation-induced injury.
Effect of weight loss before in vitro fertilization in women with obesity or overweight and infertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Jeong Hye Gyeong , Cho Sumin , Ryu Ki-Jin , Kim Tak , Park Hyuntae
Published: March 2024

The effect of weight loss before in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures on pregnancy outcomes in women with overweight or obesity and infertility remains controversial. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigated whether weight loss before IVF in these women affected the IVF results and reproductive outcomes. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched from the inception dates until December 2022, using combinations of relevant keywords. Only six randomized controlled trials, including 1627 women with obesity or overweight, were analyzed. The weight change in the intensive care group, compared to the control group who underwent IVF without weight loss was – 4.62 kg (mean difference; 95% confidence interval [CI] − 8.10, − 1.14). Weight loss before IVF did not significantly increase the live birth rate in women with obesity or overweight and infertility (odds ratio, 1.38; 95% CI 0.88, 2.10). The clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, ongoing pregnancy, and ectopic pregnancy rates did not differ between the weight loss and control groups before IVF. This meta-analysis demonstrated that even significant weight loss before IVF in women with obesity or overweight and infertility did not improve the live birth, clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, or ectopic pregnancy rates. PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42023455800.
Self-propelling bacteria-based magnetic nanoparticles (BacMags) for targeted magnetic hyperthermia therapy against hypoxic tumors
Authors: Kaur Tashmeen , Sharma Deepika
Published: March 2024

Anaerobic bacteria deliver anisotropic magnetic nanocarriers to hard-to-reach hypoxic tumor cores. The enhanced heating effect at the cores of tumors acts as a smart therapeutic approach for improved magnetic hyperthermia-based cancer therapy.
Thermal evaporation-driven fabrication of Ru/RuO2 nanoparticles onto nickel foam for efficient overall water splitting
Authors: Hou Yan , Qin Zheng , Han Xu , Liu Yingxin , Zhang Wei , Cao Xueqin , Cao Yongyong , Lang Jian-Ping , Gu Hongwei
Published: March 2024

A self-supported substrate material of Ru/NF could be obtained by a two-stage metal–organic thermal evaporation strategy. The synergistic effect between Ru and RuO2 species greatly promotes water splitting.
Aza-Achmatowicz rearrangement coupled with intermolecular aza-Friedel–Crafts enables total syntheses of uleine and aspidosperma alkaloids
Authors: Ma Foqing , Li Yunlong , Akkarasereenon Kornkamon , Qiu Huiying , Cheung Yuen Tsz , Guo Zhihong , Tong Rongbiao
Published: March 2024

An intermolecular aza-Friedel–Crafts reaction of indoles with aza-Achmatowicz rearrangement products is achieved efficiently with Brønsted acid and applied to collective total syntheses of three uleine-type and six aspidosperma alkaloids.
Magnetic dipole γ-ray strength functions of heavy nuclei in the configuration-interaction shell model
Authors: Alhassid Y. , Fanto P. , Mercenne A.
Published: March 2024

A low-energy enhancement (LEE) has been observed in the deexcitation γ-ray strength function (γSF) of compound nuclei. The LEE has been a subject of intense experimental and theoretical interest since its discovery, and, if the LEE persists in heavy neutron-rich nuclei, it would have significant effects on calculations of r-process nucleosynthesis. Standard configuration-interaction (CI) shell-model calculations in medium-mass nuclei have attributed the LEE to the magnetic dipole γSF but such calculations are computationally intractable in heavy nuclei. We review a combination of beyond-mean-field many-body methods within the framework of the CI shell model that enables the calculation of γSF in heavy nuclei, and discuss the recent theoretical identification of a LEE in the magnetic dipole γSF of lanthanide isotopes.
Up and down the Riemann surfaces of the Λ baryon form factors
Authors: Pacetti Simone , Tomasi-Gustafsson Egle , Mangoni Alessio , Shekhovtsova Olga
Published: March 2024

The recent measurement of the modulus and phase of the ratio GΛE/GΛM, between the electric and the magnetic Λ form factors, performed by the BESIII experiment, offers the unique possibility of exploring for the first time ever the complex structure of this form factor ratio. The investigation is made possible by a dispersive procedure based on analyticity and a set of firstprinciple constraints, that is defined ad hoc.
Fast proton-induced fission of 238U from threshold to 40 MeV
Authors: Oprea Cristiana , Oprea Alexandru Ioan
Published: March 2024

The fast proton-induced fission of 238U has been analyzed from the threshold up to 40 MeV. Fission observables and isotope production were analyzed using TALYS and our own programs. Fission process was described by Brosa model. In the fast proton interaction, residual nuclei by mean of different (p,p’), (p,xn), (p,xp), (p,xα) (x=1,2,…,n) and other processes are formed. In the case of 238U, residual nuclei can also fission, contributing to the investigated observables and isotope production. Comparing theoretical results and experimental data from literature, parameters of the optical potential, fission barrier and type of nucleus deformation were extracted. Cross sections and isotope yields obtained in neutron-induced fission process were compared with proton case and with EXFOR data.
How can we simulate ionizing radiation at aviation altitudes from TGFs?
Authors: Sihver L. , Ploc O. , Kákona M. , Turek K. , Kákona J. , Šlegl J. , Ruban Y. , Velychko O. , Sommer M. , Langer R.
Published: March 2024

So-called thunderclouds, which are large dark clouds that are able to generate thunder and lightning, can act as natural particle accelerators, producing complex high-energy phenomena such as terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) and gamma-ray glows. These events are often described through the mechanism of relativistic runaway electron avalanches (RREAs), cascades of high-energy electrons accelerated by atmospheric electric fields. Since the energies of the RREAs are up to several tens of MeV, they can also trigger nuclear reactions with atoms of the air and in the soil while entering the ground. Although these phenomena are intriguing, their lack of precise measurement and still not completely understood origins pose a significant challenge for assessing their impact on aviation safety. This paper introduces the project Research Centre of Cosmic Rays and Radiation Events in Atmosphere (CRREAT), aimed at providing measurements of TGFs, thunderstorm ground enhancements (TGEs), and other ionizing radiation phenomena during thunderstorms, as well as at aviation altitudes, stratosphere, and low Earth orbits (LEO). The paper argues that without accurate data on the origins and physical characteristics of TGEs and TGFs, it is impossible to reliably simulate their impact on aircraft crews and passengers. The paper also mentions how the general-purpose 3D Monte Carlo (MC) code PHITS can be used for future simulations and comparisons with measurements related to ionizing radiation phenomena in the atmosphere.
Antiproton at rest and in-flight within Intra-Nuclear Cascade Liege model (INCL)
Authors: Zharenov Demid , David Jean-Christophe , Cugnon Joseph , Hirtz Jason
Published: March 2024

Antiproton-nucleus reaction is a versatile tool. It can be used to study fundamental behavior of antimatter (e.g., at CERN AD facility), neutron halo and skin of atomic nuclei (e.g., PUMA project), hyperon-antihyperon interaction (project at GSI FAIR), to name but a few. Since final state interactions are also important in such reactions and that the intranuclear cascade code INCL is known to do it well, it is naturally that its developers have been asked to add this new projectile to the list. Therefore, recent results of the new INCL version with antiproton as projectile are presented with comparisons to experimental data in wide energy range. The new version will be made available also in GEANT4, allowing to simulate future complex experiments involving p.
Medical radionuclide research activities at JRC-Geel
Authors: Tsinganis Andrea , Crespo Pablo Serra , Plompen Arjan , Heyse Jan , Oberstedt Stephan , Moreno Ana Ruiz , Fumagalli Francesco
Published: March 2024

A programme to study photon- and neutron-induced reactions of medical interest, as well as accelerator-based methods of medical radionuclide production, has been instituted at JRC-Geel, making use of both existing and new infrastructure. A new electron beamline that can deliver quasi-monoenergetic beams has been commissioned at the GELINA electron linac and will be primarily dedicated to the study of photonuclear reactions and for medical radioisotope production studies via photon irradiation. The recently renewed MONNET 3.5 MV Tandem accelerator provides light ion beams for reactionbased quasi-mono-energetic neutron production and has been used for the study of 99Mo production via neutron irradiation of molybdenum nanoparticles. In this work we present an overview of the medical radionuclide activities at JRCGeel, with particular attention to aspects of the design, development and operational challenges of the new GELINA electron beamline. Some future perspectives of the programme are also discussed.
Developing a New Web Service for Experimental Nuclear Reaction Database (EXFOR) Using RESTful API and JSON
Authors: Okumura Shin , Schnabel Georg , Koning Arjan
Published: March 2024

Efficient data mining from the Experimental Nuclear Reaction Database (EXFOR) has a potential for utilization of modern computational analysis techniques to find trends, shortcomings and hidden patterns in the database, which in turn helps improve our knowledge of nuclear physics. To facilitate the data mining, we have developed two EXFOR parsing computer programs (EXFOR Parser) to convert the data in the database stored in the EXFOR format into the widely adopted JSON format. The converted JSON data are used for further processing to extract individual physical observables and generate tabulated data (x, y, dx, dy) where all units of measurement are standardized. Furthermore, we have developed REST APIs and an open web system for easy access and quick visualizations of these converted datasets.
A Feminist Study of the English Translation of Can Xue’s The Gloomy Mood of Ah Mei on a Sunny Day
Authors: Ling He
Published: March 2024

From the perspective of feminist translation, this study makes an analysis of the English version of Can Xue’s The Gloomy Mood of Ah Mei on a Sunny Day translated by Ronald R. Janssen and Zhang Jian. The conclusion shows that the translators adopt the two feminist translation strategies—supplementing and hijacking—in the process of translation. By these means, Ah Mei’s feelings, thoughts, and attitude to marriage are revealed. The translated works not only reproduces feminism presented in the source text, but also makes the implied feminist consciousness of the author obviously conveyed. It shows the creative rewriting of the translators, which enhances the value of the English translation and benefits its dissemination and acceptance in the English world.
Interpreting Studies: A Comprehensive Analysis
Authors: Wang Jianing
Published: March 2024

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of Interpreting Studies, a field that plays a pivotal role in bridging linguistic and cultural gaps in today’s globalized world. It explores the key concepts, methodologies, challenges, and future prospects within this dynamic discipline. By examining the history, evolution, and various approaches in Interpreting Studies, this article aims to shed light on its significance and potential contributions to cross-cultural communication.
A Comparative Analysis of Female Consciousness through the Avenging Female Figures in Western and Chinese Literature – A Case Study of Medea and He Hongyao
Authors: Zhang Zhenni
Published: March 2024

Classical female figures like Medea and He Hongyao are prevalent in Western and Chinese literary tragedies. Despite their distinct literary backgrounds, these avenging women face diverse destinies. This paper focuses on analyzing the fate, outcomes, and the representation of female consciousness and tragic reasons in these two avenging female characters to delve deeper into the differences in female consciousness in Western and Chinese literature.
An Experimental Analysis on Degree Adverb “Hen” of Yuanjiang Dialect Xiang Chinese
Authors: Fen Zhang , Qi Gong
Published: March 2024

This paper examines the phonetic properties of the degree adverb “hen” in Yuanjiang dialect (YJD hereafter) with empirical data from local people. Three sets of parameters, i.e. fundamental frequency (F0), duration and tone value (T-value), were analyzed. The degree adverb “hen” in YJD can be used as not only an adverbial but also a complement, and the sound of “hen” varies with syntactic functions and semantics. The results show that “hen” as an adverbial can be read as both “[xei45]” which means “very” and “[xei21]” which implies nearly no practical meaning, and that “hen” being a complement is uttered as “[xei41]”, indicating the meaning of “very” but carrying higher degree and stronger intonation than “[xei45]”. According to phonetic experiments, the sound change of “hen” in YJD lies in the change of tone value without transforming the initial consonant and vowel. Such phonetic phenomenon of ‘‘hen” in YJD is neither literal and colloquial readings nor tone sandhi, but a polyphonic phenomenon caused by internal inflexion.
Feng Zhi’s Spatiotemporal View of “Spirit of engagement through Landscape” in His Sonnet Collection
Authors: Zheng Yingying
Published: March 2024

In the time of national crisis, Feng Zhi’s experience of displacement made him deeply feel the close connection between group experience, historical events and individual life. The unresolved spiritual depression prompted him to persistently seek a positive way of entering the world in his ordinary life and natural landscape. He was inspired by the nature of “wilderness”, “path”, “mountain and river”, etc., and then “fed back” his thoughts to nature, consciously extending his life experience in his poetry collection.
Exploring the Influence and Potential of New Media on Traditional Cultural Communication
Authors: Wei Haotian
Published: March 2024

This paper delves into the dynamic relationship between new media and traditional cultural communication, aiming to shed light on their impact, competitive advantages, and audience dynamics. It begins by unveiling the evolving landscape of new media platforms, highlighting the challenges faced by traditional cultural communication, and underscoring the positive influence wielded by new media in this context. Subsequently, the study scrutinizes the competitive edges inherent in new media platforms, encompassing their expansive reach, cost-efficiency, and heightened interactivity. The article also navigates through the shifting demographics of traditional cultural communication’s audience, focusing on the preferences and heightened engagement of the younger generation. In conclusion, the findings of this research are synthesized, culminating in a forward-looking proposal for the future evolution of traditional cultural communication. The digital age brings with it the risk of oversimplification and misrepresentation. Traditional cultural elements may be distilled into bite-sized, easily digestible content, potentially diluting their depth and significance. Additionally, there is the challenge of discerning authentic cultural representation from appropriation and commercialization.
Research on Influencing Factors of Users’ Sharing Intention in Health Science Popularization Short Videos
Authors: Li Shaoyang
Published: March 2024

With the rapid development of the short video industry, various vertical fields of short videos have also emerged, and the medical and health field has received widespread attention. Famous doctors, public hospitals, and health institutions have joined short video platforms to publish health science popularization short videos and spread health knowledge. To improve the dissemination of health information, this study combines elaboration likelihood model and information ecology theory to construct a factor model of users’ willingness to share health science popularization short videos to help spread Health Science Popularization Short Videos.
Analysis of “Justice Online” Mobile Game Based on Creative Communication Management Theory
Authors: Fu Huiyao
Published: March 2024

2023, China’s mobile game market competition is very fierce, and an open world 3D martial arts action MMO mobile game "Justice Online" mobile game was officially launched on 30 June, and quickly stood out in a crowd of hand tour. Based on the creative communication management theory, this paper analyses the creative communication strategy of "Justice Online" mobile game from the participants of creative communication and the path of realization, and thinks about the inspiration of its success, so as to provide a reference for the game marketing communication.
The influence of Xiaohongshu female bloggers on female values
Authors: Qian Luyi
Published: March 2024

The social media industry in China is diverse, among which an app with a significant female user base is Xiaohongshu. This article discovers that female users’ values are easily influenced by bloggers through an in-depth analysis of the accounts of three different types of female bloggers on the platform (dress-sharing bloggers, fitness bloggers, and shopping-sharing bloggers) and paying attention to their fan characteristics. This article finds that the values of female users are easily influenced by bloggers. On one hand, these mainstream popular videos can not only influence users’ thoughts but also give them help and motivation. This article investigates the phenomena of Xiaohongshu users across a range of age groups and concludes that Xiaohongshu will significantly alter women’s shopping demand and aesthetics. These images and videos will aid female followers in establishing a proper value if the Xiaohongshu bloggers are able to provide accurate and authentic information. On the other side, material provided by bloggers that is not wholly useful might have a negative impact on women’s values.
Brand Strategy Impact Study of SKIMS and the Potential Brand Trajectory Post AI Integration
Authors: Zhang Yanxi
Published: March 2024

This paper delves into SKIMS’ strategic positioning in the contemporary fashion industry, emphasizing its robust Direct-to-Consumer model that enables genuine consumer engagement. The brand’s utilization of celebrity endorsements, especially its founder, Kim Kardashian, facilitates a compelling blend of global recognition and authentic consumer connections. Central to SKIMS’ success is its ability to cater to modern consumer preferences for personalization and diversification, effectively distinguishing itself from competitors like Victoria’s Secret. SKIMS exhibits a unique synergy that accentuates its industry dominance through strategic influencer collaborations and a pronounced digital presence. However, inherent challenges emerge, notably the potential pitfalls of relying heavily on celebrity-driven branding and navigating product diversity in a saturated market. The allure of celebrity endorsement provides immediate brand benefits but could pose long-term vulnerabilities given the unpredictable nature of celebrity dynamics. A transformative insight from this paper is the pivotal role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in modern marketing for SKIMS. AI’s predictive capabilities bolster SKIMS’ inventory management and consumer engagement, promoting real-time adaptability in marketing strategies. Thus, while SKIMS showcases a blend of strategic insight and technological integration, it must also address the inherent challenges of the evolving fashion landscape. In essence, SKIMS’ journey offers valuable lessons for brands navigating the complexities of modern consumerism and market dynamics.
Traits vary differently across a lowland forest–sand dune gradient in two common trees of the Amazon restinga coast
Authors: Rebelo Luane G. B. , Silva Mateus C. , da Silva Handria J. A. , Gurgel Ely Simone C. , Barbosa Beatriz V. , Teodoro Grazielle S.
Published: March 2024

Intraspecific trait variation is a key feature that enables species to occur in heterogeneous landscapes. We studied Clusia grandiflora and Anacardium occidentale traits over a forest–dune gradient on the Brazilian Amazon coast (restinga). C. grandiflora showed a drought-avoidance strategy, storing water in its leaves, whereas A. occidentale showed conservative resource use in leaves, evidenced by its high dry-matter content and acquisitive resource in wood, showing lower wood density. Only A. occidentale changed its trait values through the forest–dune gradient, showing more conservative leaves in dunes and shrublands, despite a lower wood density than in forest. Leaf and wood traits are likely to be decoupled among Amazon coastal trees and their responses to environmental gradients are species-specific.
Open field hardening improves leaf physiological drought tolerance in young plants of Sindora siamensis
Authors: Paethaisong Warunya , Lakhunthod Preeyanuch , Santanoo Supranee , Chandarak Natthamon , Onwan Sujittra , Kaewjampa Naruemol , Dongsansuk Anoma
Published: March 2024

The effect of drought stress on leaf physiology was studied in 10-month-old plants of Sindora siamensis. Plants were either placed in an open greenhouse (unhardening; UH) or in an open field (open field hardening; H) for 45 days. Both the UH and H plants stopped receiving water (D) until the initial drought injury and then rewatered (R) until complete recovery. Results showed necrosis in the leaves of UH + D, while H + D showed wilting at Day 7 after drought. A greater degree of necrosis was found in UH + D + R but made complete recovery in H + D + R at Day 4 after rewatering. Drought stress resulted in decreased leaf area in H, and reduced leaf and stem water status, PSII efficiency, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate in both UH and H. It also resulted in an increase in water use efficiency in both UH and H. Electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde contents in UH were markedly increased due to drought stress. These results suggest that unhardened young plants of Sindora exposed to drought exhibited enhanced stomata behaviour by minimising open stomata and transpiration, resulting in high efficiency of water usage. However, there was still membrane damage from lipid peroxidation, which caused necrosis. Open field hardened plants exposed to drought demonstrated reduced open stomata and transpiration, thereby preserving leaf and soil water status and enhancing water use efficiency. This may be a reduction in lipid peroxidation though an oxidative scavenging mechanism that causes a slight alteration in membrane stability and a slight necrosis.