bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Socio-Economic Condition and Livelihood Status Of Fishermen of Adjoining Area Pakdi Tal of Mau District Of Uttar Pradesh, India
Authors: Gupta Gyandeep , Verma Lal Chandra , Chaudhary Richa , Kushwaha Jidendra , Singh Lal Pankaj Kumar
Published: November 2023

The present survey is related to the socio-economic status of the fishermen under capture fisheries from adjacent area of Pakdi Tal (wetland) of Mau District, Uttar Pradesh, India. The primary data was composed by asking questionnaire in Hindi language and secondary data was collected from district fisheries department, news articles and research papers. The current survey reveals the socio-economic condition of people near Pakdi Tal is not upto mark and it might be due to large family size, poor educational status, non-availability of secondary employment opportunities, lack of proper training and non-availability of modem gear and craft and non-arability of market for selling their catch are the important issues faced by the people of Pakdi village. There is lack of self-help group in this village for capturing fish from Pakdi Tal. The primary occupation of the studied area is fishing in Pakdi Tal. The educational status is also not satisfactory and majority of the people had education upto primary school. The majority of people depends on fishing activity and their per day income varied from the range Rs 200-1500. Pakdi Tal is large wetland while it is not used by the farmer for commercial production of fish but there is great potential for fish farming.
Biofloc Technology - Aquaculture A Way Towards Sustainable
Authors: Sharma Mahesh , Kumar Ravi Om Pravesh , Kumari Shweta , Singh A. K.
Published: November 2023

Biofloc technology (BFT) is an eco-friendly technology for higher productivity and also for sustainable development. At present, the biofloc technology is most popular among fish farmers. In this technology toxic materials released from fish's viz., nitrate, nitrite and ammonia were converted to useful product i.e., proteineous feed by the microbes, and hence reduces nitrogenous toxicity of entire culture system. It requires limited or zero water exchange under high stocking density, strong aeration and biota formed by biofloc. Most commonly cultured species in this fish culture system are tilapia and shrimps.
Anmeldelse: Rankeridning eller systemfejl
Authors: Knudsen Tim
Published: November 2023

Anmeldelse af Michael Kobberrød Rasmussen (2023), Tamilsagen og udlændingepolitikken 1982-2001, Odense: Syddansk Universitetsforlag, 352 sider inklusive noter, litteraturfortegnelse og kildeliste samt personregister.
Mastering Media: A Review of Paolo Granata’s MediuM - A Marshall McLuhan Board Game
Authors: Maynard Luke R. J. , Martins Vanessa , Hawkins Kathryn
Published: November 2023

The aim of this paper is to review The MediuM, a board game developed by professor Paolo Granata with his students in the Book & Media Studies Program at St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. It is based on Marshall McLuhan’s Laws of Media and one of its goals is to stimulate creative and fast thinking skills. After playing the game, we inferred that it encourages players to think about how technology, as McLuhan argued, determines society and, at the same time, how people cannot be functionally separated from them.
Can AI Ever Control us Humans: A Probe
Authors: Logan Robert K.
Published: November 2023

Two interrelated thesis are explored in this probe, namely that;

i. AI by itself could never take over and control us humans;

ii. the written word is in a certain sense a form of artificial intelligence whereas the spoken word is a form of natural intelligence.
Research on the Tunneling Radiation of Bosons from the Kerr-Sen-like Black Hole by Einstein-Bumblebee Gravitational Theory
Authors: Tan Xia  , Yang Shu-Zheng  ,   1) (College of physics and electronic engineering, Qilu Normal University, Jinan 250030 , China),   2) (College of Physics and Space Science , China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China)
Published: November 2023

Lorentz-breaking theory not only affects the curved space-time background, but also modifies the dynamic equations of bosons and fermions in curved space-time to some extent. Therefore, we need to make appropriate corrections for the quantum tunneling radiation of bosons and fermions in different black hole spacetimes. New expressions of black hole Hawking temperature and other physical quantities modified by Lorentz-breaking theory and their physical meanings are obtained. In this paper, according to the Kerr-Sen-like (KSL) black hole spacetime metric obtained from Einstein-Bumblebee gravitational theory, by introducing the correction term of the aether-like field vector into the scalar field action and the d'Alembert operator in curved spacetime, and applying the variational principle in curved spacetime, the Lorentzbreaking correction term in the spacetime metric and the new form of the dynamic equation of the bosons with zero spin in KSL spacetime are studied. By correctly selecting the aether-like field vector corresponding to the KSL spacetime metric and solving the modified bosons dynamic equation, the modified quantum tunneling rate is obtained. On this basis, the Hawking temperature and Bekenstein- Hawking entropy of the black hole with Lorentz-breaking correction term are studied. The effects of Lorentz-breaking theory on the distribution of positive and negative energy levels of bosons and the maximum crossing of energy levels are also studied, and then the conditions of quantum non-thermal radiation in the black hole space-time is studied. At the end of this paper, the physical significance of a series of results obtained in this paper is discussed in depth. The results show that the modified form of the bosons dynamic equation in curved spacetime, taking into account Lorentz-breaking theory, is shown in equation (26) and equation (27). The new expressions of the quantum tunneling rate, Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, Hawking temperature and quantum non-thermal radiation energy range of KSL black hole are obtained by applying equation (26) to KSL black hole space-time. These results are useful for studying the quantum tunneling radiation characteristics of black holes. It should be noted that the above research results are obtained under the WKB theory and the semiclassical case. If the effects of different powers of Planck are to be considered, the above research methods and related results need to be used for further modified research by using beyond the semi-classical theory.
Mapping the architecture of the initiating phosphoglycosyl transferase from S. enterica O-antigen biosynthesis in a liponanoparticle
Authors: Dodge Greg J , Anderson Alyssa J , He Yi , Liu Weijing , Viner Rosa , Imperiali Barbara
Published: November 2023

Bacterial cell surface glycoconjugates are critical for cell survival and for interactions between bacteria and their hosts. Consequently, the pathways responsible for their biosynthesis have untapped potential as therapeutic targets. The localization of many glycoconjugate biosynthesis enzymes to the membrane represents a significant challenge for expressing, purifying, and characterizing these enzymes. Here, we leverage cutting-edge detergent-free methods to stabilize, purify, and structurally characterize WbaP, a phosphoglycosyl transferase (PGT) from the Salmonella enterica (LT2) O-antigen biosynthesis. From a functional perspective, these studies establish WbaP as a homodimer, reveal the structural elements responsible for dimerization, shed light on the regulatory role of a domain of unknown function embedded within WbaP, and identify conserved structural motifs between PGTs and functionally unrelated UDP-sugar dehydratases. From a technological perspective, the strategy developed here is generalizable and provides a toolkit for studying other classes of small membrane proteins embedded in liponanoparticles beyond PGTs.
Uncharacterized yeast gene YBR238C, an effector of TORC1 signaling in a mitochondrial feedback loop, accelerates cellular aging via HAP4- and RMD9-dependent mechanisms
Authors: Alfatah Mohammad , Lim Jolyn Jia Jia , Zhang Yizhong , Naaz Arshia , Cheng Trishia Yi Ning , Yogasundaram Sonia , Faidzinn Nashrul Afiq , Lin Jovian Jing , Eisenhaber Birgit , Eisenhaber Frank
Published: November 2023

Uncovering the regulators of cellular aging will unravel the complexity of aging biology and identify potential therapeutic interventions to delay the onset and progress of chronic, aging-related diseases. In this work, we systematically compared gene sets involved in regulating the lifespan of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(a powerful model organism to study the cellular aging of humans) and those with expression changes under rapamycin treatment. Among the functionally uncharacterized genes in the overlap set,
YBR238C
stood out as the only one downregulated by rapamycin and with an increased chronological and replicative lifespan upon deletion. We show that
YBR238C
and its paralogue
RMD9
oppositely affect mitochondria and aging.
YBR238C
deletion increases the cellular lifespan by enhancing mitochondrial function. Its overexpression accelerates cellular aging via mitochondrial dysfunction. We find that the phenotypic effect of
YBR238C
is largely explained by
HAP4
– and
RMD9
-dependent mechanisms. Further, we find that genetic or chemical-based induction of mitochondrial dysfunction increases TORC1 (Target of Rapamycin Complex 1) activity that, subsequently, accelerates cellular aging. Notably, TORC1 inhibition by rapamycin (or deletion of
YBR238C
) improves the shortened lifespan under these mitochondrial dysfunction conditions in yeast and human cells. The growth of mutant cells (a proxy of TORC1 activity) with enhanced mitochondrial function is sensitive to rapamycin whereas the growth of defective mitochondrial mutants is largely resistant to rapamycin compared to wild type. Our findings demonstrate a feedback loop between TORC1 and mitochondria (the
TO
RC1-
MI
tochondria-
TO
RC1 (TOMITO) signaling process) that regulates cellular aging processes. Hereby,
YBR238C
is an effector of TORC1 modulating mitochondrial function.
A Novel Imaging Method (FIM-ID) Reveals that Myofibrillogenesis Plays a Major Role in the Mechanically Induced Growth of Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Jorgenson Kent W. , Hibbert Jamie E. , Sayed Ramy K. A. , Lange Anthony N. , Godwin Joshua S. , Mesquita Paulo H. C. , Ruple Bradley A. , McIntosh Mason C. , Kavazis Andreas N. , Roberts Michael D. , Hornberger Troy A.
Published: November 2023

An increase in mechanical loading, such as that which occurs during resistance exercise, induces radial growth of muscle fibers (i.e., an increase in cross-sectional area). Muscle fibers are largely composed of myofibrils, but whether radial growth is mediated by an increase in the size of the myofibrils (i.e., myofibril hypertrophy) and/or the number of myofibrils (i.e., myofibrillogenesis) is not known. Electron microscopy (EM) can provide images with the level of resolution that is needed to address this question, but the acquisition and subsequent analysis of EM images is a time- and cost-intensive process. To overcome this, we developed a novel method for visualizing myofibrils with a standard fluorescence microscope (FIM-ID). Images from FIM-ID have a high degree of resolution and contrast, and these properties enabled us to develop pipelines for automated measurements of myofibril size and number. After extensively validating the automated measurements, we used both mouse and human models of increased mechanical loading to discover that the radial growth of muscle fibers is largely mediated by myofibrillogenesis. Collectively, the outcomes of this study offer insight into a foundationally important topic in the field of muscle growth and provide future investigators with a time- and cost-effective means to study it.
Structural dynamics of the active HER4 and HER2/HER4 complexes is finely tuned by different growth factors and glycosylation
Authors: Trenker Raphael , Diwanji Devan , Bingham Tanner , Verba Kliment A , Jura Natalia
Published: November 2023

Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 4 (HER4 or ERBB4) carries out essential functions in the development and maintenance of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. HER4 activation is regulated by a diverse group of extracellular ligands including the neuregulin (NRG) family and betacellulin (BTC), which promote HER4 homodimerization or heterodimerization with other HER receptors. Important cardiovascular functions of HER4 are exerted via heterodimerization with its close homolog and orphan receptor, HER2. To date structural insights into ligand-mediated HER4 activation have been limited to crystallographic studies of HER4 ectodomain homodimers in complex with NRG1β. Here, we report cryo-EM structures of near full-length HER2/HER4 heterodimers and full-length HER4 homodimers bound to NRG1β and BTC. We show that the structures of the heterodimers bound to either ligand are nearly identical and that in both cases the HER2/HER4 heterodimer interface is less dynamic than those observed in structures of HER2/EGFR and HER2/HER3 heterodimers. In contrast, structures of full-length HER4 homodimers bound to NRG1β and BTC display more large-scale dynamics mirroring states previously reported for EGFR homodimers. Our structures also reveal the presence of multiple glycan modifications within HER4 ectodomains, modeled for the first time in HER receptors, that distinctively contribute to the stabilization of HER4 homodimer interfaces over those of HER2/HER4 heterodimers.
Wide transition-state ensemble as key component for enzyme catalysis
Authors: Jara Gabriel E , Pontiggia Francesco , Otten Renee , Agafonov Roman V , Martí Marcelo A , Kern Dorothee
Published: November 2023

Transition-state (TS) theory has provided the theoretical framework to explain the enormous rate accelerations of chemical reactions by enzymes. Given that proteins display large ensembles of conformations, unique TSs would pose a huge entropic bottleneck for enzyme catalysis. To shed light on this question, we studied the nature of the enzymatic TS for the phosphoryl-transfer step in adenylate kinase by quantum-mechanics/molecular-mechanics calculations. We find a structurally wide set of energetically equivalent configurations that lie along the reaction coordinate and hence a broad transition-state ensemble (TSE). A conformationally delocalized ensemble, including asymmetric TSs, is rooted in the macroscopic nature of the enzyme. The computational results are buttressed by enzyme kinetics experiments that confirm the decrease of the entropy of activation predicted from such wide TSE. TSEs as a key for efficient enzyme catalysis further boosts a unifying concept for protein folding and conformational transitions underlying protein function.
Wide Transition-State Ensemble as Key Component for Enzyme Catalysis
Authors: Jara Gabriel Ernesto , Pontiggia Francesco , Otten Renee , Agafonov Roman V. , Martí Marcelo A. , Kern Dorothee
Published: November 2023

Transition-state theory has provided the theoretical framework to explain the enormous rate accelerations of chemical reactions by enzymes. Given that proteins display large ensembles of conformations, unique transition states would pose a huge entropic bottleneck for enzyme catalysis. To shed light on this question, we studied the nature of the enzymatic transition state for the phosphoryl-transfer step in adenylate kinase by quantum-mechanics/molecular-mechanics calculations. We find a structurally wide set of energetically equivalent configurations that lie along the reaction coordinate and hence a broad transition-state ensemble (TSE). A conformationally delocalized ensemble, including asymmetric transition states, is rooted in the macroscopic nature of the enzyme. The computational results are buttressed by enzyme kinetics experiments that confirm the decrease of the entropy of activation predicted from such wide TSE. Transition-state ensembles as a key for efficient enzyme catalysis further boosts a unifying concept for protein folding and conformational transitions underlying protein function.
Structure-guided mutagenesis of OSCAs reveals differential activation to mechanical stimuli
Authors: Jojoa-Cruz Sebastian , Dubin Adrienne E , Lee Wen-Hsin , Ward Andrew B
Published: November 2023

The dimeric two-pore OSCA/TMEM63 family has recently been identified as mechanically activated ion channels. Previously, based on the unique features of the structure of OSCA1.2, we postulated the potential involvement of several structural elements in sensing membrane tension (Jojoa-Cruz et al., 2018). Interestingly, while OSCA1, 2, and 3 clades are activated by membrane stretch in cell-attached patches (i.e. they are stretch-activated channels), they differ in their ability to transduce membrane deformation induced by a blunt probe (poking). Here, in an effort to understand the domains contributing to mechanical signal transduction, we used cryo-electron microscopy to solve the structure of Arabidopsis thaliana (At) OSCA3.1, which, unlike AtOSCA1.2, only produced stretch- but not poke-activated currents in our initial characterization (Murthy et al., 2018). Mutagenesis and electrophysiological assessment of conserved and divergent putative mechanosensitive features of OSCA1.2 reveal a selective disruption of the macroscopic currents elicited by poking without considerable effects on stretch-activated currents (SAC). Our results support the involvement of the amphipathic helix and lipid-interacting residues in the membrane fenestration in the response to poking. Our findings position these two structural elements as potential sources of functional diversity within the family.
Unveiling Topic-Remnant Elided Polar Questions
Authors: Stigliano Laura
Published: November 2023

This paper offers an in-depth analysis of a novel elliptical construction Spanish, dubbed Topic-Remnant Elided Polar Questions (or polar TREQs in short). A detailed examination of polar TREQs will provide evidence for the claim that (a) they are a type of TP-Ellipsis, triggered by the presence of an [E]-feature on C, and (b) the remnant is a topicalized XP that undergoes movement out of the ellipsis site. Furthermore, the analysis of polar TREQs in various contexts (in particular, with respect to so-called connectivity effects) confirms the need of syntactic identity between the linguistic antecedent and the ellipsis site to license ellipsis here. Additionally, this study sheds light on the syntactic structure underlying these constructions, particularly the presence of an intermediate TopP position within the embedded clause. Moreover, an examination of the patterns related to the presence or absence of an overt complementizer in this elliptical construction provides empirical support for Merchant's (2001) Sluicing-COMP Generalization. In summary, this paper not only provides a comprehensive account of the syntactic intricacies of a new elliptical construction in Spanish, but also provides valuable insights into the broader landscape of ellipsis phenomena in this language.
PluDG: enhancing task-oriented dialogue system with knowledge graph plug-in module
Authors: Dong Xuelian , Chen Jiale
Published: November 2023

Task-oriented dialogue systems continue to face significant challenges as they require not only an understanding of dialogue history but also domain-specific knowledge. However, knowledge is often dynamic, making it difficult to effectively integrate into the learning process. Existing large language model approaches primarily treat knowledge bases as textual resources, neglecting to capture the underlying relationships between facts within the knowledge base. To address this limitation, we propose a novel dialogue system called PluDG. We regard the knowledge as a knowledge graph and propose a knowledge extraction plug-in, Kg-Plug, to capture the features of the graph and generate prompt entities to assist the system’s dialogue generation. Besides, we propose Unified Memory Integration, a module that enhances the comprehension of the sentence’s internal structure and optimizes the knowledge base’s encoding location. We conduct experiments on three public datasets and compare PluDG with several state-of-the-art dialogue models. The experimental results indicate that PluDG achieves significant improvements in both accuracy and diversity, outperforming the current state-of-the-art dialogue system models and achieving state-of-the-art performance.
Differentiating wild from captive animals: an isotopic approach
Authors: Brasileiro Luiza , Mayrink Rodrigo Ribeiro , Pereira André Costa , Costa Fabio José Viana , Nardoto Gabriela Bielefeld
Published: November 2023

Background

Wildlife farming can be an important but complex tool for conservation. To achieve conservation benefits, wildlife farming should meet a variety of criteria, including traceability conditions to identify the animals’ origin. The traditional techniques for discriminating between wild and captive animals may be insufficient to prevent doubts or misdeclaration, especially when labels are not expected or mandatory. There is a pressing need to develop more accurate techniques to discriminate between wild and captive animals and their products. Stable isotope analysis has been used to identify animal provenance, and some studies have successfully demonstrated its potential to differentiate wild from captive animals. In this literature review, we examined an extensive collection of publications to develop an overall picture of the application of stable isotopes to distinguish between wild and captive animals focusing on evaluating the patterns and potential of this tool.

Survey methodology

We searched peer-reviewed publications in the Web of Science database and the references list from the main studies on the subject. We selected and analyzed 47 studies that used δ13C, δ15N, δ2H, δ18O, and δ34S in tissues from fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. We built a database from the isotope ratios and metadata extracted from the publications.

Results

Studies have been using stable isotopes in wild and captive animals worldwide, with a particular concentration in Europe, covering all main vertebrate groups. A total of 80.8% of the studies combined stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen, and 88.2% used at least one of those elements. Fish is the most studied group, while amphibians are the least. Muscle and inert organic structures were the most analyzed tissues (46.81% and 42.55%). δ13C and δ15N standard deviation and range were significantly higher in the wild than in captive animals, suggesting a more variable diet in the first group. δ13C tended to be higher in wild fishes and in captive mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. δ15N was higher in the wild terrestrial animals when controlling for diet. Only 5.7% of the studies failed to differentiate wild and captive animals using stable isotopes.

Conclusions

This review reveals that SIA can help distinguish between wild and captive in different vertebrate groups, rearing conditions, and methodological designs. Some aspects should be carefully considered to use the methodology properly, such as the wild and captivity conditions, the tissue analyzed, and how homogeneous the samples are. Despite the increased use of SIA to distinguish wild from captive animals, some gaps remain since some taxonomic groups (e.g., amphibians), countries (e.g., Africa), and isotopes (e.g., δ2H, δ18O, and δ34S) have been little studied.
EVASÃO ACADÊMICA NO ENSINO SUPERIOR: A LICENCIATURA EM QUÍMICA EM FOCO
Authors: Deimling Natalia Neves Macedo , De Lima Alessandra Mayra
Published: November 2023

Neste artigo objetivamos analisar de que maneira a evasão acadêmica tem sido compreendida por coordenadores e estudantes evadidos de 5 cursos de Licenciatura em Química de uma universidade pública federal brasileira. Trata-se de uma pesquisa científica de abordagem qualitativa que teve na análise documental e nos questionários semiabertos as fontes de dados e na triangulação e categorização as técnicas de análise. Participaram do estudo 5 coordenadores de curso e 116 estudantes evadidos. Os resultados indicam os principais fatores que têm gerado evasão acadêmica, entre os quais podemos destacar: dificuldades em conciliar trabalho e estudos, desinteresse pela licenciatura devido à desvalorização da carreira docente, base de conhecimentos insuficiente, pouco auxílio financeiro e problemas nas relações interpessoais durante a graduação.
Emerging Drinking Water Borne Diseases: A Review on Types, Sources and Health Precaution
Authors: Allaq Abdulmutalib Alabeed Alkamil , Mahid Hadi Hamdi , Yahya Esam Bashir , Saleh Ali Mohammed , Sidik Norrizah Jaafar , Abdulsamad Muhanad Abdullah , Saad Nahed R. , Elengoe Asita , Abdul-Aziz Aziyah
Published: November 2023

The global demand for safe drinking water become increasingly important in the past few years due to the growing world population, civilization and increase the sources of contaminations. Millions of peoples every year suffer from different waterborne disease, which may include microbial or disinfectant related diseases. This review, presents an overview on drinking water and their health impact from different aspects, going through different types of physical, chemical, and biological contaminants and their potential effect on human body upon the consumption of their contaminated water. The review also furtherly discusses drinking water treatment techniques such as chlorination, ultraviolet radiation treatment, chlorination, ozonation, heating, and ultra-filtration and the efficiency of these techniques to eliminate different water microorganisms. Drinking waterborne diseases of bacteria, viruses, parasitic protozoa and even some fungi have been also discussed. Finally, health precaution regarding drinking water in term of monitoring of different indicators as well as following the hygienic behaviors was covered to ensure the sustainability and safety of water consumption.
Sequentially N‐Doped Acceptor Primer Layer Facilitates Electron Collection of Inverted Non‐Fullerene Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Xie Jiaqi , Lin Weihua , Wang Dengke , Lu Zheng‐Hong , Zheng Kaibo , Liang Ziqi
Published: November 2023

In most non‐fullerene organic solar cells comprising bulk‐heterojunction active layers, the inter‐domain connectivity of small‐molecule acceptors is generally inferior to those of polymeric donors due to their intrinsic short‐range ordering. This issue is even exacerbated by the physiochemical mismatch between acceptor‐phases and metal‐oxide electron transport layers in most inverted n‐i‐p devices, leading to inefficient electron collection. By pre‐depositing an ultra‐thin acceptor primer layer, it develops a novel acceptor‐enriched‐bottom active layer to reinforce the acceptor‐phase continuity. It is however challenging to preserve the primer layer during non‐orthogonal solvent processing. Thus, sequential n‐type doping is implemented on the surface of the primer layer, which allows to slightly reduce the acceptor solubility by polarity regulation, as well as stabilize the film structure via strong π–π interaction between dopant/host acceptor. Upon acceptor enrichment, higher interfacial electron density enhances the built‐in potential while the enlarged domains suppress both charge‐transfer state and bimolecular recombination. Consequently, the champion device efficiency is greatly improved from ca. 16.1% to 18.0%, mainly resulting from the simultaneously elevated fill factor and short‐circuit current density.
Durable Cation Replenishing to Activate Anion Releasing for Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of Dual‐Ion Full Batteries
Authors: Cheng Zhenjie , Yao Qian , Zheng Cheng , Zhang Fenglong , Song Kepeng , Dong Qingyu , Pan Jun , Yang Jian
Published: November 2023

Dual‐ion batteries, as one of the most promising alternatives to Li‐ion batteries, face severe challenges in terms of side reactions, particularly at the anode. These side reactions result in the consumption of limited cations and the deactivation of anions in graphite during cycling. To date, most reports are focused on reducing these side reactions. Here, a new way is proposed to achieve the stable cycling of dual‐ion batteries using Mg as an example. Mg can be oxidized to Mg2+ during the discharge process, thereby replenishing the cation loss due to the side reactions. Meanwhile, anions are released from graphite to maintain the charge balance in the electrolyte. Another advantage is that the formation of Li3Mg7 during cycles facilitates Li plating/stripping. Therefore, Mg||Graphite exhibits a high Coulombic efficiency (≈96.5%) and a stable cycling performance (≈94.6% after 1700 cycles at 2 C) even without prelithiation, much better than Cu||Graphite and Graphite||Graphite. The mechanism also works for other active metals, such as K, Ca, and Na. The results demonstrate the promising potential of this strategy.
Transient Self‐Assembled Materials with Controllable Lifespan for Programmable Fluorescence
Authors: Gu Ting , Li Hao , Wu Tongyue , Li Xiaoyu , Li Hongpeng , Zhao Hongxin , Xiao Yunlong , Huang Jianbin , Yan Yun
Published: November 2023

Transient structures play a wide range of vital roles in biological systems. Different from static structures that form the skeleton of bio‐tissues, transient structures only occur at certain spatial and temporal scales to undertake their duties in the life circle. Despite the significant progress in the field of artificial molecular self‐assembly studies, it still remains challenging to construct functional transient structures. Herein, the shaping of transient coordinating self‐assembled structures and their fluorescence is reported via host‐guest interaction that disfavors the assembly. The host‐guest interaction between the luminescent ligand and cyclodextrin drastically changes the kinetics of the coordinating self‐assembly, enabling the formation of transient structures. Different from the static equilibrium one with typical monomer emission in the UV region, the transient self‐assembly forms excimers, leading to visible emission. More intriguingly, the life cycle of the transient structures can be easily modulated by varying the host‐guest ratio, ligand‐metal ratio, as well as temperature. This makes it possible to create living patterns that mimic the growth of plants at different life stages. It is therefore envisioned that the creation of transient molecular self‐assembly will open a new paradigm in the field of molecular self‐assembly featuring advanced materials with dynamic functions.
Dielectric Gels with Microphase Separation for Wide‐Range and Self‐Damping Pressure Sensing
Authors: Zhang Changgeng , Wang Zhenwu , Zhu He , Zhang Qi , Zhu Shiping
Published: November 2023

Omnipresent vibrations pose a significant challenge to flexible pressure sensors by inducing unstable output signals and curtailing their operational lifespan. Conventional soft sensing materials possess adequate elasticity but prove inadequate in countering vibrations. Moreover, the utilization of conventional highly‐damping materials for sensing is challenging due to their substantial hysteresis. To tackle this dilemma, dielectric gels with controlled in situ microphase separation have been developed, leveraging the miscibility disparity between copolymers and solvents. The resulting gels exhibit exceptional compression stress, remarkable dielectric constant, and exceptional damping capabilities. Furthermore, flexible pressure sensors based on these microphase‐separated gels show a wide detection range and low detection limit, more importantly, excellent sensing performance on vibrating surfaces. This work offers high potentials for applying flexible pressure sensors in complex practical scenarios and opens up new avenues for applications in soft electronics, biomimetic robots, and intelligent sensing.
Characterization of Chiral Near Field Within Nanogaps Using Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering
Authors: Ye Lulu , Zhang Guanyu , Lin Hai , Li Yanglizhi , Liu Qinyun , Liu Zhongfan , Gong Qihuang , Lu Guowei
Published: November 2023

Chiral nanogap antennas, which exhibit specific chiroptical responses, hold exceptional potential in various chiral applications, including polarization converters, asymmetric catalysis, label‐free chiral recognition, and chiral sensing. However, characterizing the chiral optical fields within nanogaps presents considerable challenges owing to their complex light field responses and spatial dimensions. In this study, the strong modulation of helicity‐resolved surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) signals in graphene by chiral plasmonic antennas, offering a promising approach to characterize chiral near fields within nanogaps is demonstrated. The SERS of achiral monolayer graphene is performed within plasmonic nanogap antennas, including single gold nanorods (GNRs) and GNR dimers on gold microflakes. The Raman scattering intensity of graphene within these nanogap antennas is enhanced approximately sixfold. Furthermore, the degree of cross‐circularly polarized Raman intensity reaches up to ≈45%, indicating a robust chiral optical field. Moreover, under opposite circularly polarized light excitation, the SERS of graphene reveals varying emission intensities attributed to the modulation arising from the chiral antennas in both the excitation and emission processes of Raman scattering. Furthermore, the degree of chirality depends on the antenna configuration and the excitation laser wavelength.
Lanthanide‐Doped Nanomaterials for Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment by Second Near‐Infrared Fluorescence Imaging
Authors: Tong Lingling , Cao Jingjing , Wang Kun , Song Jibin , Mu Jing
Published: November 2023

Lanthanides have unique electronic configurations and stepped energy states of [Xe]4fN, which endows them with advantages including stable luminescence, large stokes shift, wide excitation spectral bands, and long fluorescence lifetime. NIR‐II fluorescence imaging overcomes the strong tissue absorption, scattering, and spontaneous fluorescence interference of traditional fluorescence and can achieve deeper tissue penetration and higher spatial and temporal resolution in vivo imaging. Lanthanides hold great potential for in vivo biosensing and bioimaging. In this work, the design and preparation of nanomaterials doped with different lanthanide elements are reviewed in this paper. Applications of lanthanide‐doped nanomaterials to different tumor therapeutics through NIR‐II fluorescence imaging and the unique potential of NIR lanthanide nanomaterials in tumor diagnosis and therapy are also discussed.
Behind the Indolent Facade: Uncovering the Molecular Features and Malignancy Potential in Lung Minimally Invasive Adenocarcinoma by Single‐Cell Transcriptomics
Authors: Zhang Xin , Liang Boxuan , Huang Yuji , Meng Hao , Li Zhiming , Du Jiaxin , Zhou Lang , Zhong Yizhou , Wang Bo , Lin Xi , Yu Guangchuang , Chen Xuewei , Lu Weixiang , Chen Zhe‐Sheng , Yang Xingfen , Huang Zhenlie
Published: November 2023

The increased use of low‐dose computed tomography screening has led to more frequent detection of early stage lung tumors, including minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA). To unravel the intricacies of tumor cells and the immune microenvironment in MIA, this study performs a comprehensive single‐cell transcriptomic analysis and profiles the transcriptomes of 156,447 cells from fresh paired MIA and invasive adenocarcinoma (IA) tumor samples, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and adjacent normal tissue samples from three patients with synchronous multiple primary lung adenocarcinoma. This study highlights a connection and heterogeneity between the tumor ecosystem of MIA and IA. MIA tumor cells exhibited high expression of aquaporin‐1 and angiotensin II receptor type 2 and a basal‐like molecular character. Furthermore, it identifies that cathepsin B+ tumor‐associated macrophages may over‐activate CD8+ T cells in MIA, leading to an enrichment of granzyme K+ senescent CD8+ T cells, indicating the possibility of malignant progression behind the indolent appearance of MIA. These findings are further validated in 34 MIA and 35 IA samples by multiplexed immunofluorescence. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms that maintain the indolent nature and prompt tumor progression of MIA and can be used to develop more effective therapeutic targets and strategies for MIA patients.
Oxygen‐Bridged Cobalt–Chromium Atomic Pair in MOF‐Derived Cobalt Phosphide Networks as Efficient Active Sites Enabling Synergistic Electrocatalytic Water Splitting in Alkaline Media
Authors: Lv Zepeng , Zhang Huakui , Liu Chenhui , Li Shaolong , Song Jianxun , He Jilin
Published: November 2023

Electrochemical water splitting offers a most promising pathway for “green hydrogen” generation. Even so, it remains a struggle to improve the electrocatalytic performance of non‐noble metal catalysts, especially bifunctional electrocatalysts. Herein, aiming to accelerate the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, an oxygen‐bridged cobalt–chromium (Co‐O‐Cr) dual‐sites catalyst anchored on cobalt phosphide synthesized through MOF‐mediation are proposed. By utilizing the filling characteristics of 3d orbitals and modulated local electronic structure of the catalytic active site, the well‐designed catalyst requires only an external voltage of 1.53 V to deliver the current density of 20 mA cm−2 during the process of water splitting apart from the superb HER and OER activity with a low overpotential of 87 and 203 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, respectively. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) calculations are utilized to unravel mechanistic investigations, including the accelerated adsorption and dissociation process of H2O on the Co‐O‐Cr moiety surface, the down‐shifted d‐band center, a lowered energy barrier for the OER and so on. This work offers a design direction for optimizing catalytic activity toward energy conversion.
Toward Tunable Protein‐Driven Hydrogel Lens
Authors: Kaeek Maria , Khoury Luai R.
Published: November 2023

Despite the significant progress in protein‐based materials, creating a tunable protein‐activated hydrogel lens remains an elusive goal. This study leverages the synergistic relationship between protein structural dynamics and polymer hydrogel engineering to introduce a highly transparent protein–polymer actuator. By incorporating bovine serum albumin into polyethyleneglycol diacrylate hydrogels, the authors achieved enhanced light transmittance and conferred actuating capabilities to the hydrogel. Taking advantage of these features, a bilayer protein‐driven hydrogel lens that dynamically modifies its focal length in response to pH changes, mimicking the adaptability of the human lens, is fabricated. The lens demonstrates durability and reproducibility, highlighting its potential for repetitive applications. This integration of protein‐diverse biochemistry, folding nanomechanics, and polymer engineering opens up new avenues for harnessing the wide range of proteins to potentially propel various fields such as diagnostics, lab‐on‐chip, and deep‐tissue bio‐optics, advancing the understanding of incorporating biomaterials in the optical field.
CeNCl‐CeO2 Heterojunction‐Modified Ni Catalysts for Efficient Electroreduction of CO2 to CO
Authors: Liu Li , Wang Fei , Chu Xiang , Zhang Lingling , Zhang Shuaishuai , Wang Xiao , Che Guangbo , Song Shuyan , Zhang Hongjie
Published: November 2023

Renewable‐electricity‐powered electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2RR) is considered one of the most promising ways to convert exhaust CO2 into value‐added chemicals and fuels. Among various CO2RR products, CO is of great significance since it can be directly used as feedstock to produce chemical products through the Fischer–Tropsch process. However, the CO2‐to‐CO electrocatalytic process is often accompanied by a kinetically competing side reaction: H2 evolution reaction (HER). Designing electrocatalysts with tunable electronic structures is an attractive strategy to enhance CO selectivity. In this work, a CeNCl‐CeO2 heterojunction‐modified Ni catalyst is successfully synthesized with high CO2RR catalytic performance by the impregnation‐calcination method. Benefiting from the strong electron interaction between the CeNCl‐CeO2 heterojunction and Ni nanoparticles (NPs), the catalytic performance is greatly improved. Maximal CO Faradaic efficiency (FE) is up to 90% at −0.8 V (vs RHE), plus good stability close to 12 h. Detailed electrochemical tests and density functional theory (DFT) calculation results reveal that the introduction of the CeNCl‐CeO2 heterojunction tunes the electronic structure of Ni NPs. The positively charged Ni center leads to an enhanced local electronic structure, thus promoting the activation of CO2 and the adsorption of *COOH.
Deformation Mechanisms of Inorganic Thermoelectric Materials with Plasticity
Authors: Ge Bangzhi , Li Ruoyan , Zhu Menghua , Yu Yuan , Zhou Chongjian
Published: November 2023

Flexible inorganic thermoelectric (TE) materials are beneficial to the development of wireless wearable devices due to their plasticity and high performance. Recently, many novel inorganic semiconductors with plasticity, such as ZnS single crystal, Ag2S‐based alloys, as well as single‐crystalline InSe and SnSe2, attract great attention. They are supposed to break the predicament between power output and mechanical deformability for TE systems with plasticity. To better understand the deformation of TE materials with plasticity and explore new systems, different deformation mechanisms for these plastically deformable inorganic TE materials are summarized. First, the concepts and requirements for inorganic TEs are presented with plasticity in wearable devices. Afterward, their mechanical properties and deformation mechanisms are elaborated including dislocation glide, interlayer slippage of atomic stacks, dual slippage of atomic stacks and dislocations, as well as phase transformation. Finally, a general outlook from previous research is suggested for forecasting the future directions. It is anticipated that this review can guide the design of inorganic TE materials with plasticity and provide insight into the wider application of plastically deformable inorganic semiconductors in electronic materials and devices.
Exploring cultural sensitivity during distance simulations in pediatric emergency medicine
Authors: Fayyaz Jabeen , Jaeger Margret , Takundwa Prisca , Iqbal Ammarah U. , Khatri Adeel , Ali Saima , Mukhtar Sama , Saleem Syed Ghazanfar , Whitfill Travis , Ali Inayat , Duff Jonathan P. , Kardong‐Edgren Suzan (Suzie) , Gross Isabel Theresia
Published: November 2023

Background

Cultural sensitivity (CS) training is vital to pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) curricula. This study aimed to explore CS in Yale PEM fellows and emergency medicine (EM) residents at Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN) in Pakistan through distance simulation activities.

Methods

This mixed‐methods analysis of an educational intervention was conducted at Yale University in collaboration with IHHN. We approached seven U.S. PEM fellows and 22 Pakistani EM residents. We performed a baseline CS assessment using the Clinical Cultural Competency Questionnaire (CCCQ). Afterward, the U.S. PEM fellows facilitated the Pakistani EM residents through six distance simulation sessions. Qualitative data were collected through online focus groups. The CCCQ was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and content analysis was used to analyze the data from the focus groups.

Results

Seven U.S. PEM fellows and 18 of 22 Pakistani EM residents responded to the CCCQ at the beginning of the module. The mean (±SD) CCCQ domain scores for the U.S. PEM fellows versus the Pakistani EM residents were 2.56 (±0.37) versus 2.87 (±0.72) for knowledge, 3.02 (±0.41) versus 3.33 (±0.71) for skill, 2.86 (±0.32) versus 3.17 (±0.73) for encounter/situation, and 3.80 (±0.30) versus 3.47 (±0.47) for attitude (each out of 5 points). Our qualitative data analysis showed that intercultural interactions were valuable. There is a common language of medicine among the U.S. PEM fellows and Pakistani EM residents. The data also highlighted a power distance between the facilitators and learners, as the United States was seen as the standard of “how to practice PEM.” The challenges identified were time differences, cultural practices such as prayer times, the internet, and technology. The use of local language during debriefing was perceived to enhance engagement.

Conclusion

The distance simulation involving U.S. PEM fellows and Pakistani EM residents was an effective approach in assessing various aspects of intercultural education, such as language barriers, technical challenges, and religious considerations.
Comparison of mucus and serum biomarker sampling in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps
Authors: Mueller Sarina Katrin , Wendler Olaf , Mayr Susanne , Traxdorf Maximilian , Koch Michael , Mantsopoulos Konstantinos , Sievert Matti , Grundtner Philipp , Iro Heinrich , Bleier Benjamin S.
Published: November 2023

Objective

The objective of this study was to analyze advantages and disadvantages of mucus and serum for biomarker analysis.

Methods

This study includes prospective study of 61 CRS with nasal polyps patients who were followed over 24 months and over nine time points after functional endoscopic sinus surgery. At each time points, the nasal polyp score (NPS) was assessed and mucus as well as serum was collected. Selected were measured in mucus and serum. Mean, standard deviation and variance, undetectable values, and the correlation of the biomarkers to the NPS over time and to early recurrences were calculated, and the effect of surgery on the biomarkers was assessed. Additionally, the diurnal rhythm of all biomarkers was measures in order to assure stable biomarker values during sampling times.

Results

All biomarkers showed stable values during sampling times. Serum biomarker levels displayed higher percentages of undetectable values compared to mucus biomarkers. Mucus periostin (p < 0.001, r = 0.89), mucus IgE (p < 0.001, r = 0.51), serum periostin (p < 0.001, r = 0.53), mucus CST1 (p < 0.001, r = 0.27), and serum IgE (p < 0.01, r = −0.18) were the best marker and medium combinations to track the NPS over time and to predict recurrences. Mucus serpinF2 was negatively correlated and predicted early recurrences (p = 0.026, R2 = 0.015).

Conclusions

Serum and mucus both represent viable mediums for “liquid biopsies.” The most promising biomarker/medium combinations over time to track disease severity were mucus periostin, mucus IgE, serum periostin, mucus CST1, and serum IgE. Mucus serpinF2 was the best biomarker to predict early recurrences.
Histologic characterization of primary ciliary dyskinesia chronic rhinosinusitis
Authors: Kim Sulgi , Li Lang , Lin Feng‐Chang , Stack Taylor , Lamb Meredith M. , Mohammad Ibtisam , Norris Meghan , Klatt‐Cromwell Cristine , Thorp Brian D. , Ebert Charles S. , Masters Daniel , Senior Brent A. , Askin Frederic B. , Kimple Adam J.
Published: November 2023

Key points

We present the largest cohort of structured histopathology reports on primary ciliary dyskinesia‐related chronic rhinosinusitis (PCD‐CRS).

Despite endoscopic differences, PCD‐CRS and cystic fibrosis‐related chronic rhinosinusitis (CF‐CRS) had similar structured histopathology reports.

Compared to healthy patients and those with idiopathic chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps, patients with PCD‐CRS had an increased neutrophil count.