bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single-cell guided prenatal derivation of primary fetal epithelial organoids from human amniotic and tracheal fluids
Authors: Gerli Mattia Francesco Maria , Calà Giuseppe , Beesley Max Arran , Sina Beatrice , Tullie Lucinda , Sun Kylin Yunyan , Panariello Francesco , Michielin Federica , Davidson Joseph R. , Russo Francesca Maria , Jones Brendan C. , Lee Dani Do Hyang , Savvidis Savvas , Xenakis Theodoros , Simcock Ian C. , Straatman-Iwanowska Anna A. , Hirst Robert A. , David Anna L. , O’Callaghan Christopher , Olivo Alessandro , Eaton Simon , Loukogeorgakis Stavros P. , Cacchiarelli Davide , Deprest Jan , Li Vivian S. W. , Giobbe Giovanni Giuseppe , De Coppi Paolo
Published: March 2024

Isolation of tissue-specific fetal stem cells and derivation of primary organoids is limited to samples obtained from termination of pregnancies, hampering prenatal investigation of fetal development and congenital diseases. Therefore, new patient-specific in vitro models are needed. To this aim, isolation and expansion of fetal stem cells during pregnancy, without the need for tissue samples or reprogramming, would be advantageous. Amniotic fluid (AF) is a source of cells from multiple developing organs. Using single-cell analysis, we characterized the cellular identities present in human AF. We identified and isolated viable epithelial stem/progenitor cells of fetal gastrointestinal, renal and pulmonary origin. Upon culture, these cells formed clonal epithelial organoids, manifesting small intestine, kidney tubule and lung identity. AF organoids exhibit transcriptomic, protein expression and functional features of their tissue of origin. With relevance for prenatal disease modeling, we derived lung organoids from AF and tracheal fluid cells of congenital diaphragmatic hernia fetuses, recapitulating some features of the disease. AF organoids are derived in a timeline compatible with prenatal intervention, potentially allowing investigation of therapeutic tools and regenerative medicine strategies personalized to the fetus at clinically relevant developmental stages.
Fine-grained urban blue-green-gray landscape dataset for 36 Chinese cities based on deep learning network
Authors: Xu Zhiyu , Zhao Shuqing
Published: March 2024

Detailed and accurate urban landscape mapping, especially for urban blue-green-gray (UBGG) continuum, is the fundamental first step to understanding human–nature coupled urban systems. Nevertheless, the intricate spatial heterogeneity of urban landscapes within cities and across urban agglomerations presents challenges for large-scale and fine-grained mapping. In this study, we generated a 3 m high-resolution UBGG landscape dataset (UBGG-3m) for 36 Chinese metropolises using a transferable multi-scale high-resolution convolutional neural network and 336 Planet images. To train the network for generalization, we also created a large-volume UBGG landscape sample dataset (UBGGset) covering 2,272 km2 of urban landscape samples at 3 m resolution. The classification results for five cities across diverse geographic regions substantiate the superior accuracy of UBGG-3m in both visual interpretation and quantitative evaluation (with an overall accuracy of 91.2% and FWIoU of 83.9%). Comparative analyses with existing datasets underscore the UBGG-3m’s great capability to depict urban landscape heterogeneity, providing a wealth of new data and valuable insights into the complex and dynamic urban environments in Chinese metropolises.
Identification of a CpG-based signature coupled with gene expression as prognostic indicators for melanoma: a preliminary study
Authors: Lin Zhen , Yang Liu
Published: March 2024

DNA methylation is an important part of the genomic biology, which recently allowed the identification of key biomarkers for a variety of cancers, including cutaneous melanoma. Despite the current knowledge in cutaneous melanoma, there is a clear need for new efficient biomarkers in clinical application of detection. We use The Cancer Genome Atlas data as a training set and a multi-stage screening strategy to identify prognostic characteristics of melanoma based on DNA methylation. Three DNA methylation CpG sites were identified to be related to the overall survival in the skin cutaneous melanoma cohort. This signature was validated in two independent datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus. The stratified analysis by clinical stage, age, gender, and grade retained the statistical significance. The methylation signature was significantly correlated with immune cells and anti-tumor immune response. Moreover, gene expression corresponding to the candidate CpG locus was also significantly correlated with the survival rate of the patient. About 49% of the prognostic effects of methylation are mediated by affecting the expression of the corresponding genes. The prognostic characteristics of DNA methylation combined with clinical information provide a better prediction value tool for melanoma patients than the clinical information alone. However, more experiments are required to validate these findings. Overall, this signature presents a prospect of novel and wide-ranging applications for appropriate clinical adjuvant trails.
Structure and chronology of a star dune at Erg Chebbi, Morocco, reveals why star dunes are rarely recognised in the rock record
Authors: Bristow C. S. , Duller G. A. T.
Published: March 2024

Star dunes are the tallest dunes on Earth and are amongst the larger and more spectacular aeolian landforms. Although they are widespread in modern sandy deserts, star dunes are rarely recognised in the rock record probably due to a lack of suitable sedimentary models. This paper presents a new sedimentary model for the structure of a star dune at Erg Chebbi in Morocco (Sahara Desert) on the basis of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys. Individual sedimentary structures in star dunes are similar to those in linear or barchanoid dunes, likely leading to misidentification in the rock record. However, the suite of features described in this paper will permit identification of star dunes in future studies of the rock record. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating shows that accumulation of the Erg Chebbi star dune post-dates the end of the African Humid Period (AHP). At the base of the dune, there is an ~ 8000-year hiatus in the record. Since then, the dune has grown rapidly to create a 100 m high dune within the past 1000 years and is migrating towards the west. Changes in the cross-strata support the idea that star dune construction was accompanied by a change in the wind directions.
NRF2 activation ameliorates blood–brain barrier injury after cerebral ischemic stroke by regulating ferroptosis and inflammation
Authors: Fan Wei , Chen Hongping , Li Meng , Fan Xuehui , Jiang Fangchao , Xu Chen , Wang Yingju , Wei Wan , Song Jihe , Zhong Di , Li Guozhong
Published: March 2024

Arterial occlusion-induced ischemic stroke (IS) is a highly frequent stroke subtype. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a transcription factor that modulates antioxidant genes. Its role in IS is still unelucidated. The current study focused on constructing a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model for investigating the NRF2-related mechanism underlying cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Each male C57BL/6 mouse was injected with/with no specific NRF2 activator post-tMCAO. Changes in blood–brain barrier (BBB)-associated molecule levels were analyzed using western-blotting, PCR, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence analysis. NRF2 levels within cerebral I/R model decreased at 24-h post-ischemia. NRF2 activation improved brain edema, infarct volume, and neurological deficits after MCAO/R. Similarly, sulforaphane (SFN) prevented the down-regulated tight junction proteins occludin and zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1) and reduced the up-regulated aquaporin 4 (AQP4) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) after tMCAO. Collectively, NRF2 exerted a critical effect on preserving BBB integrity modulating ferroptosis and inflammation. Because NRF2 is related to BBB injury regulation following cerebral I/R, this provides a potential therapeutic target and throws light on the underlying mechanism for clinically treating IS.
Investigating the efficacy of novel organoclay as a rheological additive for enhancing the performance of oil-based drilling fluids
Authors: Mahmoud Ali , Gajbhiye Rahul , Elkatatny Salaheldin
Published: March 2024

Oil-based drilling fluids (OBDFs) are extensively used in the drilling industry due to their superior performance in challenging drilling conditions. These fluids control wellbore stability, lubricate the drill bit, and transport drill cuttings to the surface. One important component of oil-based drilling fluids is the viscosifier, which provides rheological properties to enhance drilling operations. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Claytone-IMG 400, a novel rheological agent, in enhancing the performance of OBDFs under high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) conditions. A comparative analysis was conducted with a pre-existing organoclay (OC) to assess the improvements achieved by Claytone-IMG 400. The OCs were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and particle size distribution (PSD) to identify their mineral and chemical compositions, morphologies, and particle sizes. The drilling fluid density, electrical stability, sagging tendency, rheological properties, viscoelastic properties, and filtration properties were studied to formulate a stable and high-performance drilling fluid. The results confirmed that the novel OC does not affect the drilling fluid density but enhances the emulsion stability with a 9% increment compared with the drilling fluid formulated with MC-TONE. The sagging experiments showed that Claytone-IMG 400 prevented the sagging issues in both static and dynamic conditions. Also, Claytone-IMG 400 improved the plastic viscosity (PV), yield point (YP), and apparent viscosity (AV). The PV, YP, and AV were improved by 30%, 38%, and 33% increments respectively compared with the drilling fluid formulated with MC-TONE. The YP/PV ratio increased with a 6% increment from 1.12 to 1.19. Moreover, the gel strength (GS) was significantly increased, and the filtration properties were enhanced. The filtration volume was reduced by 10% from 5.0 to 4.5 cm3, and the filter cake thickness had a 37.5% reduction from 2.60 to 1.89 mm. The novelty of this study is highlighted by the introduction and evaluation of Claytone-IMG 400 as a new rheological additive for safe, efficient, and cost-effective drilling operations. The results indicate that Claytone-IMG 400 significantly improves the stability and performance of OBDFs, thereby reducing wellbore instability and drilling-related problems.
Gasless transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery for hysterectomy and salpingectomy on a robot platform with flexible devices in a porcine model
Authors: Mei Youwen , Wang Yanjun , Zhang Qiang , Xiong Liling , Xu Li , Hou Qiannan , Chen Jiaojiao , He Li , Lin Yonghong
Published: March 2024

In this report, we described a new technique of gasless V-NOTES for hysterectomy and salpingectomy on a robotic platform with flexible devices in a porcine model. As a result, the gynecological procedures were successfully completed. The total operative time was 110 min, while the docking time was 10 min. The estimated blood loss was estimated to be 10 mL with no intraoperative complications. It revealed that gasless V-NOTES for hysterectomy and salpingectomy on a robotic platform with flexible devices appeared to be feasible and safe in the porcine model and has the potential for clinical use in human beings.
Molecular characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron clade and clinical presentation in children
Authors: Scutari Rossana , Fox Valeria , Fini Vanessa , Granaglia Annarita , Vittucci Anna Chiara , Smarrazzo Andrea , Lancella Laura , Calo’ Carducci Francesca , Romani Lorenza , Cursi Laura , Bernaschi Paola , Russo Cristina , Campana Andrea , Bernardi Stefania , Villani Alberto , Perno Carlo Federico , Alteri Claudia
Published: March 2024

Since its emergence, SARS-CoV-2 Omicron clade has shown a marked degree of variability and different clinical presentation compared with previous clades. Here we demonstrate that at least four Omicron lineages circulated in children since December 2021, and studied until November 2022: BA.1 (33.6%), BA.2 (40.6%), BA.5 (23.7%) and BQ.1 (2.1%). At least 70% of infections concerned children under 1 year, most of them being infected with BA.2 lineages (n = 201, 75.6%). Looking at SARS-CoV-2 genetic variability, 69 SNPs were found to be significantly associated in pairs, (phi <  − 0.3 or > 0.3 and p-value < 0.001). 16 SNPs were involved in 4 distinct clusters (bootstrap > 0.75). One of these clusters (A23040G, A27259C, T23617G, T23620G) was also positively associated with moderate/severe COVID-19 presentation (AOR [95% CI] 2.49 [1.26–4.89] p-value: 0.008) together with comorbidities (AOR [95% CI] 2.67 [1.36–5.24] p-value: 0.004). Overall, these results highlight the extensive SARS-CoV-2 Omicron circulation in children, mostly aged < 1 year, and provide insights on viral diversification even considering low-abundant SNPs, finally suggesting the potential contribution of viral diversification in affecting disease severity.
The impact of medial temporal and parietal atrophy on cognitive function in dementia
Authors: Susianti Noor Alia , Prodjohardjono Astuti , Vidyanti Amelia Nur , Setyaningsih Indarwati , Gofir Abdul , Setyaningrum Cempaka Thursina Srie , Effendy Christantie , Setyawan Nurhuda Hendra , Setyopranoto Ismail
Published: March 2024

Although medial temporal atrophy (MTA) and parietal atrophy (Koedam score) have been used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease (AD), early detection of other dementia types remains elusive. The study aims to investigate the association between these brain imaging markers and cognitive function in dementia. This cross-sectional study collected data from the Memory Clinic of Dr. Sardjito General Hospital Yogyakarta, Indonesia from January 2020 until December 2022. The cut-off value of MTA and Koedam score was set with Receiver Operating Curve. Multivariate analysis was performed to investigate the association between MTA and Koedam score with cognitive function. Of 61 patients, 22.95% had probable AD, 59.01% vascular dementia, and 18.03% mixed dementia. Correlation test showed that MTA and Koedam score were negatively associated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Indonesian Version (MoCA-INA) score. MTA score ≥ 3 (AUC 0.69) and Koedam score ≥ 2 (AUC 0.67) were independently associated with higher risk of poor cognitive function (OR 13.54, 95% CI 1.77–103.43, p = 0.01 and OR 5.52, 95% CI 1.08–28.19, p = 0.04). Higher MTA and Koedam score indicate worse cognitive function in dementia. Future study is needed to delineate these findings as prognostic markers of dementia severity.
Quantifying sources of subseasonal prediction skill in CESM2
Authors: Richter Jadwiga H. , Glanville Anne A. , King Teagan , Kumar Sanjiv , Yeager Stephen G. , Davis Nicholas A. , Duan Yanan , Fowler Megan D. , Jaye Abby , Edwards Jim , Caron Julie M. , Dirmeyer Paul A. , Danabasoglu Gokhan , Oleson Keith
Published: March 2024

Subseasonal prediction fills the gap between weather forecasts and seasonal outlooks. There is evidence that predictability on subseasonal timescales comes from a combination of atmosphere, land, and ocean initial conditions. Predictability from the land is often attributed to slowly varying changes in soil moisture and snowpack, while predictability from the ocean is attributed to sources such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Here we use a set of subseasonal reforecast experiments with CESM2 to quantify the respective roles of atmosphere, land, and ocean initial conditions on subseasonal prediction skill over land. These reveal that the majority of prediction skill for global surface temperature in weeks 3–4 comes from the atmosphere, while ocean initial conditions become important after week 4, especially in the Tropics. In the CESM2 subseasonal prediction system, the land initial state does not contribute to surface temperature prediction skill in weeks 3–6 and climatological land conditions lead to higher skill, disagreeing with our current understanding. However, land-atmosphere coupling is important in week 1. Subseasonal precipitation prediction skill also comes primarily from the atmospheric initial condition, except for the Tropics, where after week 4 the ocean state is more important.
Adaptive Darwinian off-target resistance mechanisms to selective RET inhibition in RET driven cancer
Authors: Subbiah Vivek , Gouda Mohamed A. , Iorgulescu J. Bryan , Dadu Ramona , Patel Keyur , Sherman Steven , Cabanillas Maria , Hu Mimi , Castellanos Luz E. , Amini Behrang , Meric-Bernstam Funda , Shen Tao , Wu Jie
Published: March 2024

Patients treated with RET protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) selpercatinib or pralsetinib develop RET TKI resistance by secondary RET mutations or alterative oncogenes, of which alterative oncogenes pose a greater challenge for disease management because of multiple potential mechanisms and the unclear tolerability of drug combinations. A patient with metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) harboring a RET activation loop D898_E901del mutation was treated with selpercatinib. Molecular alterations were monitored with tissue biopsies and cfDNA during the treatment. The selpercatinib-responsive MTC progressed with an acquired ETV6::NTRK3 fusion, which was controlled by selpercatinib plus the NTRK inhibitor larotrectinib. Subsequently, tumor progressed with an acquired EML4::ALK fusion. Combination of selpercatinib with the dual NTRK/ALK inhibitor entrectinib reduced the tumor burden, which was followed by appearance of NTRK3 solvent-front G623R mutation. Preclinical experiments validated selpercatinib plus larotrectinib or entrectinib inhibited RET/NTRK3 dependent cells, whereas selpercatinib plus entrectinib was necessary to inhibit cells with RET/NTRK3/ALK triple alterations or a mixture of cell population carrying these genetic alterations. Thus, RET-altered MTC adapted to selpercatinib and larotrectinib with acquisition of ETV6::NTRK3 and EML4::ALK oncogenes can be managed by combination of selpercatinib and entrectinib providing proof-of-concept of urgency of incorporating molecular profiling in real-time and personalized N-of-1 care transcending one-size-fits-all approach.
ScLinear predicts protein abundance at single-cell resolution
Authors: Hanhart Daniel , Gossi Federico , Rapsomaniki Maria Anna , Kruithof-de Julio Marianna , Chouvardas Panagiotis
Published: March 2024

Single-cell multi-omics have transformed biomedical research and present exciting machine learning opportunities. We present scLinear, a linear regression-based approach that predicts single-cell protein abundance based on RNA expression. ScLinear is vastly more efficient than state-of-the-art methodologies, without compromising its accuracy. ScLinear is interpretable and accurately generalizes in unseen single-cell and spatial transcriptomics data. Importantly, we offer a critical view in using complex algorithms ignoring simpler, faster, and more efficient approaches.
On the need for a multi-dimensional framework to measure accessibility to urban green
Authors: Battiston Alice , Schifanella Rossano
Published: March 2024

With the recent expansion of urban greening interventions, the definition of spatial indicators to measure the provision of urban greenery has become pivotal in informing the policy-design process. By analyzing the stability of the population and area rankings induced by several indicators of green accessibility for over 1000 cities worldwide, we investigate the extent to which using a single metric provides a reliable assessment of green accessibility in a city. The results suggest that, due to the complex interaction between the spatial distribution of greenspaces in an urban center and its population distribution, a single indicator may inadequately differentiate across areas or subgroups of the population, even when focusing on one form of green accessibility. From a policy standpoint, this indicates the need to switch toward a multi-dimensional framework capable of organically evaluating a range of indicators at once.
Identification of reliable locations for wind power generation through a global analysis of wind droughts
Authors: Antonini Enrico G. A. , Virgüez Edgar , Ashfaq Sara , Duan Lei , Ruggles Tyler H. , Caldeira Ken
Published: March 2024

Wind droughts, or prolonged periods of low wind speeds, pose challenges for electricity systems largely reliant on wind generation. Using weather reanalysis data, we analyzed the global distribution of and trends in wind droughts using an energy deficit metric that integrates the depth and duration of wind droughts. We identified regions with high power densities, low seasonal variability, and limited weather fluctuations that favor wind power generation, such as the American Midwest, Australia, the Sahara, Argentina, Central Asia, and Southern Africa. Northwestern Europe has high power densities but experiences more frequent and prolonged wind droughts due to higher weather variability. We found little evidence for strong trends in wind droughts over recent decades in most places. Rather, the most severe wind droughts in many places occurred before wind power substantially penetrated power systems, which suggests that historical weather data can be useful in designing reliable wind-reliant electricity systems.
Complete transition from mantle plume to mantle exhumation on the Central Atlantic Guyana/Suriname margin
Authors: Kilsdonk Bill , Trude James , Grow Tim , Ott Bryan , Manatschal Gianreto
Published: March 2024

Modern data are clarifying tectonic transitions from continents to oceans. The importance of magmatic additions relative to mechanical extension varies between cases and through time based on observations of isolated margins and ridges. Magma poor spreading centers and magma rich continental margins are both well known. Here we present data to document the complete and continuous evolution from a magma rich Central Atlantic margin to a magma-starved ocean floor. Tectonic changes correlate with separation rate changes. Early Jurassic hotspot volcanism initially overwhelmed slow extension to build the Demerara Plateau at the eastern edge of the margin, but hotspot activity waned near the end of the Middle Jurassic. Normal spreading rates and normal thickness oceanic crust prevailed through most of the Oxfordian. Spreading slowed in the Kimmeridgian but magmatic addition slowed even more, evidenced by normal faults that offset the full oceanic crust and by outboard exhumed mantle.
Population-level comparisons of gene regulatory networks modeled on high-throughput single-cell transcriptomics data
Authors: Osorio Daniel , Capasso Anna , Eckhardt S. Gail , Giri Uma , Somma Alexander , Pitts Todd M. , Lieu Christopher H. , Messersmith Wells A. , Bagby Stacey M. , Singh Harinder , Das Jishnu , Sahni Nidhi , Yi S. Stephen , Kuijjer Marieke L.
Published: March 2024

Single-cell technologies enable high-resolution studies of phenotype-defining molecular mechanisms. However, data sparsity and cellular heterogeneity make modeling biological variability across single-cell samples difficult. Here we present SCORPION, a tool that uses a message-passing algorithm to reconstruct comparable gene regulatory networks from single-cell/nuclei RNA-sequencing data that are suitable for population-level comparisons by leveraging the same baseline priors. Using synthetic data, we found that SCORPION outperformed 12 existing gene regulatory network reconstruction techniques. Using supervised experiments, we show that SCORPION can accurately identify differences in regulatory networks between wild-type and transcription factor-perturbed cells. We demonstrate SCORPION’s scalability to population-level analyses using a single-cell RNA-sequencing atlas containing 200,436 cells from colorectal cancer and adjacent healthy tissues. The differences between tumor regions detected by SCORPION are consistent across multiple cohorts as well as with our understanding of disease progression, and elucidate phenotypic regulators that may impact patient survival.
Unique transcriptomes of sensory and non-sensory neurons: insights from Splicing Regulatory States
Authors: Ciampi Ludovica , Serrano Luis , Irimia Manuel
Published: March 2024

Alternative Splicing (AS) programs serve as instructive signals of cell type specificity, particularly within the brain, which comprises dozens of molecularly and functionally distinct cell types. Among them, retinal photoreceptors stand out due to their unique transcriptome, making them a particularly well-suited system for studying how AS shapes cell type-specific molecular functions. Here, we use the Splicing Regulatory State (SRS) as a novel framework to discuss the splicing factors governing the unique AS pattern of photoreceptors, and how this pattern may aid in the specification of their highly specialized sensory cilia. In addition, we discuss how other sensory cells with ciliated structures, for which data is much scarcer, also rely on specific SRSs to implement a proteome specialized in the detection of sensory stimuli. By reviewing the general rules of cell type- and tissue-specific AS programs, firstly in the brain and subsequently in specialized sensory neurons, we propose a novel paradigm on how SRSs are established and how they can diversify. Finally, we illustrate how SRSs shape the outcome of mutations in splicing factors to produce cell type-specific phenotypes that can lead to various human diseases.
Cell-mediated exon skipping normalizes dystrophin expression and muscle function in a new mouse model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Galli Francesco , Bragg Laricia , Rossi Maira , Proietti Daisy , Perani Laura , Bacigaluppi Marco , Tonlorenzi Rossana , Sibanda Tendai , Caffarini Miriam , Talapatra Avraneel , Santoleri Sabrina , Meregalli Mirella , Bano-Otalora Beatriz , Bigot Anne , Bozzoni Irene , Bonini Chiara , Mouly Vincent , Torrente Yvan , Cossu Giulio
Published: March 2024

Cell therapy for muscular dystrophy has met with limited success, mainly due to the poor engraftment of donor cells, especially in fibrotic muscle at an advanced stage of the disease. We developed a cell-mediated exon skipping that exploits the multinucleated nature of myofibers to achieve cross-correction of resident, dystrophic nuclei by the U7 small nuclear RNA engineered to skip exon 51 of the dystrophin gene. We observed that co-culture of genetically corrected human DMD myogenic cells (but not of WT cells) with their dystrophic counterparts at a ratio of either 1:10 or 1:30 leads to dystrophin production at a level several folds higher than what predicted by simple dilution. This is due to diffusion of U7 snRNA to neighbouring dystrophic resident nuclei. When transplanted into NSG-mdx-Δ51mice carrying a mutation of exon 51, genetically corrected human myogenic cells produce dystrophin at much higher level than WT cells, well in the therapeutic range, and lead to force recovery even with an engraftment of only 3–5%. This level of dystrophin production is an important step towards clinical efficacy for cell therapy.
Columnar liquid crystals based on antiaromatic expanded porphyrins
Authors: Nguyen Duong D. , Labella Jorge , Laforga-Martín Juan , Folcia César L. , Ortega Josu , Torres Tomás , Sierra Teresa , Sessler Jonathan L.
Published: March 2024

Antiaromatic expanded porphyrins designed to self-assemble into columnar liquid crystalline (LC) structures are synthesized and characterized by multiple techniques. The substituents were found to play a crucial role in modulating the LC behaviour.
Large valley splitting induced by spin–orbit coupling effects in monolayer W2NSCl
Authors: Lan Mengxian , Wang Suen , Liu Xiaoyu , Ma Sai , Qiao Shiqian , Li Ying , Wu Hong , Li Feng , Pu Yong
Published: March 2024

Valley splitting induced by spin-orbit coupling.
Ta+ and Nb+ + CO2: intersystem crossing in ion–molecule reactions
Authors: Huber Maximilian E. , Lewis Tucker W. R. , Meta Marcel , Ard Shaun G. , Liu Yang , Sweeny Brendan C. , Guo Hua , Ončák Milan , Shuman Nicholas S. , Meyer Jennifer
Published: March 2024

The role of intersystem crossing (ISC) in the dynamics and kinetics of gas-phase ion–molecule reactions is investigated by a mix of experimental and theoretical methods. We found that ISC can act as a bottleneck even for highly efficient reactions.
Composite interfaces of g-C3N4 fragments loaded on a Cu substrate for CO2 reduction
Authors: Gong Qiang , Xiong Jianling , Zhou Tanyu , Bao Wenkai , Zhang Xiuyun , Liu Guiwu , Qiao Guanjun , Xu Ziwei
Published: March 2024

The composite interfaces of g-C3N4 fragments loaded on different Cu facets show competitive CO2RR catalytic performance with high efficiency and product selectivity.
Electrochemical coupling in subnanometer pores/channels for rechargeable batteries
Authors: Lei Yao-Jie , Zhao Lingfei , Lai Wei-Hong , Huang Zefu , Sun Bing , Jaumaux Pauline , Sun Kening , Wang Yun-Xiao , Wang Guoxiu
Published: March 2024

This review categorizes subnanometer pores/channels (SNPCs) from structural perspective and demonstrates electrochemical couplings in SNPCs for batteries while proposing corresponding challenges and future research directions.
Photochromism and single-component white light emission from a metalloviologen complex based on 1,5-naphthyridine
Authors: Zhang Ning-Ning , Zhang Ya-Nan , Li Li , Li Zhen-Yu , Liu Ya-Tong , Dong Yunyun , Yan Yong , Wang Ming-Sheng
Published: March 2024

A novel 1,5-naphthalene based metalloviologen complex with reversible photochromism and intrinsic white light emission was synthesized.
Aptamer AS411 interacts with the KRAS promoter/hnRNP A1 complex and shows increased potency against drug-resistant lung cancer
Authors: Zhu Yuejie , Li Xiang , Zhang Qi , Yang Xiantao , Sun Xudong , Pan Yi , Yuan Xia , Ma Yuan , Xu Bo , Yang Zhenjun
Published: March 2024

Encapsulated by cytidinyl lipid, G-quadruplex based aptamer AS1411 etc. entered nucleus and targeted to KRAS promoter/hnRNP A1 complex, showed higher activity against drug-resistant lung cancer.
Synthesis of large-sized spherical Co–C alloys with soft magnetic properties though a high-pressure solid-state metathesis reaction
Authors: Jia Xu , Zhang Leilei , Tian Yi , Wu Binbin , Tao Yu , He Duanwei , Yang Baocheng , Boi Filippo S. , Lei Li
Published: March 2024

This study reports a novel high-pressure solid-state metathesis (HSM) reaction to produce spherical bulk (diameters 2–4 mm) Co–C alloys (Co3C and Co1−xCx) and a study of the formation and decomposition behaviors of spherical Co–C alloys under high temperature and pressure conditions.
Building (001) oriented FAPbI3 films for high-performing perovskite solar cells
Authors: Ren Yingke , Fu Hongyang , Sun Yingjie , Li Zhaoqian , Guo Xinge , An Xingtao
Published: March 2024

The solution processed FAPbI3 perovskite usually suffers from chaotic orientations.
Pt–TiO2 catalysts for glycerol photoreforming: comparison of anatase, brookite and rutile polymorphs
Authors: Pecoraro Claudio Maria , Mino Lorenzo , Kozyr Elizaveta , Palmisano Leonardo , di Franco Francesco , Loddo Vittorio , Santamaria Monica , Bellardita Marianna
Published: March 2024

Pt-anatase, -rutile and -brookite TiO2 photocatalysts were used for glycerol photoreforming. Pt-brookite showed the highest surface hydration and the highest H2 production.
Stable mass-selected AuTiOx nanoparticles for CO oxidation
Authors: Tankard Rikke Egeberg , Romeggio Filippo , Akazawa Stefan Kei , Krabbe Alexander , Sloth Olivia Fjord , Secher Niklas Mørch , Colding-Fagerholt Sofie , Helveg Stig , Palmer Richard , Damsgaard Christian Danvad , Kibsgaard Jakob , Chorkendorff Ib
Published: March 2024

AuTiOx nanoparticles with a core–shell structure on TiO2 show improved stability for CO oxidation compared to pure Au nanoparticles.
Searching for stable copper borozene complexes in CuB7− and CuB8−
Authors: Chen Wei-Jia , Pozdeev Anton S. , Choi Hyun Wook , Boldyrev Alexander I. , Yuan Dao-Fu , Popov Ivan A. , Wang Lai-Sheng
Published: March 2024

We report the experimental observation and spectroscopic characterization, and structure and bonding analyses of copper–borozene complexes.
Theoretical study of Au–NX–C catalysts for H2O2 electrosynthesis via two-electron oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Ren Xuefeng , Dong Xiaoman , Wu Zhuofan , Cao Jianghui , Yang Xiaoxuan , Hao Jian , Liu Lifen , Wu Gang , Liu Anmin
Published: March 2024

Single-atom catalysts demonstrate remarkable activity and selectivity in H2O2 electrosynthesis via two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
Novel half Salphen cobalt(iii) complexes: synthesis, DNA binding and anticancer studies
Authors: Bonsignore Riccardo , Trippodo Elisa , Di Gesù Roberto , Carreca Anna Paola , Rubino Simona , Spinello Angelo , Terenzi Alessio , Barone Giampaolo
Published: March 2024

Novel DNA binding half Salphen cobalt(iii)complexes with promising anticancer activity on 3D cultured models.
Synthesis and preclinical evaluation of BOLD-100 radiolabeled with ruthenium-97 and ruthenium-103
Authors: Happl B. , Balber T. , Heffeter P. , Denk C. , Welch J. M. , Köster U. , Alliot C. , Bonraisin A.-C. , Brandt M. , Haddad F. , Sterba J. H. , Kandioller W. , Mitterhauser M. , Hacker M. , Keppler B. K. , Mindt T. L.
Published: March 2024

Radiolabeling of the chemotherapeutic agent BOLD-100 with ruthenium-103 enables animal experiments with lower amounts of injected drug. This leads to a relatively higher tumor uptake and promising tumor-to-background ratio for future imaging studies.
NHC-ligated indenyl- and fluorenyl-substituted Alanes and Gallanes: synthons towards indenyl- and fluorenyl-bridged (AlC)n-heterocycles (n = 2,3)
Authors: Werner Luis , Hagn Julika , Gerstner Alexander , Radius Udo
Published: March 2024

Synthesis and characterization of NHC-ligated alanes with one or two indenyl and fluorenyl substituents is presented. These compounds eliminate indene or fluorene upon heating resulting in dimeric or trimeric Al2C, Al2C2 and Al3C3 ring systems.
Degradation of PET microplastic particles to monomers in human serum by PETase
Authors: Lopez-Lorenzo Ximena , Hueting David , Bosshard Eliott , Syrén Per-Olof
Published: March 2024

This study provides the first evidence of hydrolysis of PET microplastics in human serum by esterases, to combat the microplastic contamination in humans.
A promise to a sustainable future: 10 years of the Green Chemistry Commitment at Beyond Benign
Authors: Cannon Amy S. , Warner John C. , Vidal Juliana L. , O'Neil Natalie J. , Nyansa Monica M. S. , Obhi Nimrat K. , Moir Jonathon W.
Published: March 2024

The Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) was founded in 2013 to host a community of practice around green chemistry in higher education. 10 years later, the GCC empowers a worldwide community to use chemistry tools to create a sustainable planet.
Selective activation of MoS2 grain boundaries for enhanced electrochemical activity
Authors: Raman Radha , Muthu Jeyavelan , Yen Zhi-Long , Qorbani Mohammad , Chen Yu-Xiang , Chen Ding-Rui , Hofmann Mario , Hsieh Ya-Ping
Published: March 2024

Oxidative activation of MoS2 enhances the electrochemical performance of grain boundaries for the scalable realization of metal-free hydrogen evolution catalysts.
Efficient hydrogenation of cyclohexyl acetate to cyclohexanol with Cu–Zr catalysts
Authors: Cui Kai , Qi Yuanyuan , Song Tongyang , Wu Peng , Li Xiaohong
Published: March 2024

A Cu3Zr7-SG catalyst prepared by the sol–gel method was active and selective for the hydrogenation of acetic acid–derived cyclohexyl acetate to yield cyclohexanol (an important chemical to produce ε-caprolactam) with co-production of ethanol.
B(C6F5)3 grafted inorganic fillers for supported titanium-catalyzed synthesis of UHMWPE composites
Authors: Bi Zhengxing , Zhang Zhao , Bahri-Laleh Naeimeh , Wang Quan , Zou Chen
Published: March 2024

The preparation of polyolefin composites using inorganic fillers is one of the most important strategies for cost reduction and property enhancement.
Copper-catalyzed selective construction of vinyl sulfones employing TosMIC as a C1 synthon and sulfone source
Authors: Cai Qun , Si Meng-Jie , Shi Xin-Ru , Liao Meng , Liu Fa-Chuang , Wang Min , Li Ke-Xin , Chen Yong-Ting , Wu An-Xin
Published: March 2024

A novel strategy for the selective synthesis of (E)-vinyl sulfone derivatives from p-tosylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) and ortho-substituted benzaldehydes has been established.
Effect of destability time on microstructure and properties of hypoeutectic high chromium cast iron
Authors: Xiong Lingyun , Liu Yaru , Zeng Qing , Lai JianPing , Qiao Xiang
Published: March 2024

The present work investigated the effect of destabilization time on the mechanical properties and microstructure evolution of high chromium cast iron, and scanning electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis techniques were employed.
A mild protocol for efficient preparation of functional molecules containing triazole
Authors: Leng Jing , Xu Jie , Li Yanan , Wang Shi-Meng , Qin Hua-Li
Published: March 2024

Novel triazole molecules containing sulfonyl fluoride functionalities were achieved through Cu-catalyzed click chemistry, and the sulfonyl fluoride moieties were cleaved under base conditions to produce N-unsubstituted triazoles quantitatively.
Introduction to the RSC Advances themed collection on New insights into biomolecular systems from large-scale simulations
Authors: O’Mara Megan L. , Rauscher Sarah , Wetmore Stacey D.
Published: March 2024

Megan O’Mara, Sarah Rauscher and Stacey Wetmore introduce the RSC Advances themed collection on New insights into biomolecular systems from large-scale simulations.
Improved UNet‐based magnetic resonance imaging segmentation of demyelinating diseases with small lesion regions
Authors: Liu Minhui , Wang Tianlei , Liu Dekang , Gao Feng , Cao Jiuwen
Published: March 2024

Accurate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) segmentation plays a critical role in the diagnosis and treatment of demyelinating diseases. But the existing automatic segmentation methods are not suitable for the segmentation of demyelinating lesions with small lesion size, highly diffuse edges and complex boundary shapes. An improved model is proposed for demyelinating diseases MRI segmentation based on the U‐shaped structure convolution neural networks (UNet). A context information weighting fusion (CIWF) module and a modified channel attention (MCA) module are developed and embedded in UNet to address the small lesion region and diffuse edge issues. The CIWF module can dynamically screen and fuse shallow and deep features at different stages, making the model pay more attention to small lesions. The MCA module enables the model to learn diverse features by adding weights to the channel, which helps in diffuse edge segmentation. Comparisons with many existing methods on real‐world demyelinating disease MRI segmentation dataset show that our method achieve the highest Dice metric.
Multi‐agent trajectory prediction with adaptive perception‐guided transformers
Authors: Nguyen Ngan Linh , Yoo Myungsik
Published: March 2024

The ability to predict the trajectory of an autonomous vehicle accurately is crucial for safe and efficient navigation. However, predicting diverse and multimodal futures can be challenging. Recent approaches such as attention and graph neural networks have achieved state‐of‐the‐art performance by considering agent interactions and map contexts. This study focused on multi‐agent prediction using an agent‐centric approach with transformers. This enables parallel computation and a comprehensive understanding of the environment. Two main features are introduced: an adaptive receptive field (ARF) that captures the relevant surroundings for each agent, and perception encoding, which serves as spatial context embeddings. The ARF adapts to the agent's velocity and rotation, focusing attention ahead at high speeds or to the sides when it is slower. Perception encoding divides agents or lanes into levels and encodes the information of each level. This approach enables the efficient encoding of complex spatial relationships. The proposed method combines these advances with transformer modelling for multi‐agent trajectory prediction while ensuring real‐time prediction capabilities. The approach is evaluated on the Argoverse benchmark and better performance than the state‐of‐the‐art baseline is achieved. By addressing challenges such as multimodal outputs and robustness, the study enhances the safety and efficiency of autonomous driving systems by more accurately predicting trajectories.
Active galactic nucleus X-ray luminosity function and absorption function in the Early Universe (3 ≤ z ≤ 6)
Authors: Pouliasis E. , Ruiz A. , Georgantopoulos I. , Vito F. , Gilli R. , Vignali C. , Ueda Y. , Koulouridis E. , Akiyama M. , Marchesi S. , Laloux B. , Nagao T. , Paltani S. , Pierre M. , Toba Y. , Habouzit M. , Vijarnwannaluk B. , Garrel C.
Published: March 2024

The X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of active galactic nuclei (AGN) offers a robust tool to study the evolution and the growth of the supermassive black-hole population over cosmic time. Owing to the limited area probed by X-ray surveys, optical surveys are routinely used to probe the accretion in the high-redshift Universe z ≥ 3. However, optical surveys may be incomplete because they are strongly affected by dust redenning. In this work we derive the XLF and its evolution at high redshifts (z ≥ 3) using a large sample of AGN selected in different fields with various areas and depths covering a wide range of luminosities. Additionally, we put the tightest yet constraints on the absorption function in this redshift regime. In particular, we used more than 600 soft X-ray selected (0.5 − 2 keV) high-z sources in the Chandra deep fields, the Chandra COSMOS Legacy survey, and the XMM-XXL northern field. We derived the X-ray spectral properties for all sources via spectral fitting, using a consistent technique and model. To model the parametric form of the XLF and the absorption function, we used a Bayesian methodology, allowing us to correctly propagate the uncertainties for the observed X-ray properties of our sources and also the absorption effects. The evolution of XLF is in agreement with a pure density evolution model similar to what is witnessed at optical wavelengths, although a luminosity-dependent density evolution model cannot be securely ruled out. A large fraction (∼60%) of our sources are absorbed by column densities of NH ≥ 1023 cm−2, while ∼17% of the sources are Compton-Thick. Our results favour a scenario where both the interstellar medium of the host and the AGN torus contribute to the obscuration. The derived black hole accretion rate density is roughly in agreement with the large-scale cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, if one takes into account the results that the X-ray AGN are hosted by massive galaxies, while it differs from that derived using JWST data. The latter could be due to the differences in the AGN and host-galaxy properties.
The Great Dimming of Betelgeuse: The photosphere as revealed by tomography over the past 15 yr
Authors: Jadlovský Daniel , Granzer Thomas , Weber Michael , Kravchenko Kateryna , Krtička Jiří , Dupree Andrea K. , Chiavassa Andrea , Strassmeier Klaus G. , Poppenhäger Katja
Published: March 2024

Context. Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star of semi-regular variability, reached a historical minimum brightness in February 2020, known as the Great Dimming. Even though the brightness has returned to the values prior to the Great Dimming now, it continues to exhibit highly unusual behavior.

Aims. Understanding the long-term atmospheric motions of Betelgeuse and its variability could be a clue to the nature of the Great Dimming and the mass-loss process in red supergiants. Our goal is to study long-term dynamics of the photosphere, including during the Great Dimming.

Methods. We applied the tomographic method, which allows different layers in the stellar atmosphere to be probed in order to reconstruct depth-dependent velocity fields. The method is based on the construction of spectral masks by grouping spectral lines from specific optical depths. These masks are cross-correlated with the observed spectra to recover the velocity field inside each atmospheric layer.

Results. We obtained about 2800 spectra over the past 15 yr that were observed with the STELLA robotic telescope in Tenerife. We analyzed the variability of five different layers of Betelgeuse’s photosphere. We found phase shift between the layers, as well as between the variability of velocity and photometry. The time variations of the widths of the cross-correlation function reveal propagation of two shockwaves during the Great Dimming. For about 2 yr after the dimming, the timescale of variability was different between the inner and outer photospheric layers. By 2022, all the layers seemingly started to follow a similar behavior as before the dimming, but pulsating with higher frequency corresponding with the first overtone.

Conclusions. The combination of the extensive high-resolution spectroscopic data set with the tomographic method revealed the variable velocity fields in the photosphere of Betelgeuse, for the first time in such detail. We were also able to find new insights related to the Great Dimming event and its aftermath, namely the discovery of another shockwave and the subsequent rearrangement of the photosphere. Our results demonstrate that powerful shocks are the triggering mechanism for episodic mass-loss events, which may be the missing component to explain the mass-loss process in red supergiants.
Les couleurs structurelles des cristaux liquides biologiques
Authors: Mitov Michel
Published: March 2024

Chitine, collagène et cellulose peuvent s’organiser en cristal liquide cholestérique. Sa structure torsadée confère aux carapaces des scarabées, écailles de poissons, plantes et fruits irisés des propriétés de réflexion sélective et de polarisation circulaire dépendantes des caractéristiques physiques de la torsion.
A Functional Study of Film Sound Design in Science Fiction Films
Authors: Fang Zhuxin
Published: March 2024

As a form of art combining audio and visual, movie sound effect is an important element in building the story world of the movie. When sound films first appeared, they were recognized and welcomed by the public, and it is extremely important to use sound effects in narrative films so that the audience can have a better connection with the fictional world. As one of the popular cinema genres, science fiction movies were loved by the audience when they first appeared, attracting the audience's attention with brilliant special effects, but the role played by sound effects in them should not be neglected. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of sound effects in science fiction films, and will use Avatar, Inception, The Prestige and Gravity, the four films, respectively, to explain the three functions that sound effects have. They are to enhance the realism of the movie, to help complete the temporal construction of the movie and to express the inner world of the characters.