bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular assessment of Chlamydia psittaci and Circovirus in psittacines from a CETAS in Bahia, Brazil
Authors: Antonio Edma Santos , Fraga Ricardo Evangelista , Sacramento Priscila , Freitas Ayane Lima de , Santana Ana Clara Barbosa , Barbosa Sabrina , Dominato Ramon Costa , Silva Janisete Gomes
Published: February 2025

Mistreatment and unsanitary conditions to which trafficked animals are subjected provide an environment conducive to the proliferation and dissemination of pathogens. The Centros de Triagem de Animais Silvestres (CETAS - Wild Animal Screening Centers), which receive trafficked animals, aim to release them back into the wild, thus making the investigation of pathogens essential. The objective of this study was to conduct an epidemiological study of infections by Chlamydia psittaci and Circovirus in psittacines from wildlife trafficking housed at a CETAS in Bahia. Cloacal swab and blood samples were collected from 135 psittacines, both residents and newly arrived in quarantine, housed at the CETAS in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia. The presence of pathogens was determined by conventional PCR. The PCRs consisted of amplifying the opmA gene and ORF1 to detect C. psittaci and Circovirus, respectively. For C. psittaci, three (2.2%) animals were diagnosed as positive, then treated with antibiotics, retested, and included in the CETAS population after testing negative for the bacterium. Among the 135 psittacines evaluated, 22 (16%) showed feathering abnormalities despite testing negative for Circovirus. This research was the first epidemiological survey of Circovirus infection in psittacines in Bahia and improved the sanitary safety of wildlife release programs.
Assesing Biochar and Compost from the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste on Nutrient Availability and Plant Growth of Lettuce in a Pot Experiment
Authors: Regkouzas Panagiotis , Manolikaki Ioanna , Diamadopoulos Evan
Published: February 2025

Biochars have a high variability in chemical composition, which is determined by types of feedstock and pyrolysis conditions. Elements, such as N, P, K and Ca, retained in biochar could be released and become available to plants. The aim of this study was to understand the effect of biochar and compost addition, derived from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes at two different pyrolysis temperatures 3000C and 6000C, on phosphorus availability and plant growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativaL.) grown in an alkaline loam soil. This type of soil is widely available in Greece, leading us to investigate ways to increase its fertility. A 39 day growth period of lettuce was studied in a greenhouse in triplicate. Treatments comprised of control soils (no addition of biochar or compost), soils treated only with compost (5%) or biochar (5%), and combinations of biochar (5%) plus compost (5%). No fertilization was added. Plant shoot yield and height were determined along with elemental concentration (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu) and uptake of shoots. Results showed that biochar produced at 300℃ combined with compost significantly increased P uptake of lettuce. On the contrary, biochar produced at 600℃ plus compost, along with the two biochar-only treatments, significantly decreased Ca and Mg uptake of lettuce. N, K, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu uptakes were not affected by the application of biochar, compost or the combined treatments. Despite the significant increase of P uptake, plant height and shoot yield were not significantly influenced by any of the treatments.
Enhancing seismic resilience in weak masonry units: the impact of rebar reinforcement in concrete hollow block masonry structures
Authors: Multazam Zamzam , Yamamoto Kenjiro , Timsina Kishor , Shanthanu Rajasekharan , Meguro Kimiro
Published: February 2025

The use of low-compressive-strength concrete hollow blocks (CHB) as construction material in developing countries presents significant challenges to earthquake resilience. Weak CHBs are inherently vulnerable to earthquakes, not just at the structural level (in-plane, out-of-plane wall collapses, and roof failures), but also at individual masonry unit level. This vulnerability increases the risk of structural failures during earthquakes, posing a significant threat to the safety of building occupants. This study investigates the effectiveness of reinforcing bars (rebar) in strengthening weak masonry units. Two experiments were conducted, including static testing with diagonal tension and three-point bending tests, and dynamic testing using a shaking table. Due to limitations in the availability of full-scale CHBs and the capacity of the shaking table, the shaking table tests employed quarter-scale CHBs, while the static tests utilized full-scale CHBs. The performance of a rebar-reinforced house model was compared with an unreinforced house model, demonstrating that rebar can significantly increase the initial stiffness of masonry structures, enhance energy dissipation, and enable the structure to withstand higher input motions, enduring up to run 49 at Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) intensity level 6 ~ . The interaction between the rebar, weak masonry units, and infill mortar is particularly noteworthy. Initial failures in the masonry unit or mortar led to decreased stiffness. However, complex interactions among the rebar, masonry unit, and infill mortar enable the house model to recover and bear the load, demonstrating how rebar reinforcement enhances the structural resilience and load-bearing capacity of masonry walls.
India’s Rice Competitiveness and Its Determinants: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Yadav Alok Kumar , Chattopadhyay Utpal
Published: February 2025

India is a leading producer as well as one of the largest exporters of rice. Export competitiveness of rice thus plays a crucial role in India’s overall trade scenario, particularly in bridging the gaps in country’s soaring trade deficits. The study investigates the impact of key determinants on India’s rice export competitiveness for the period 1990–2020 using the autoregressive distributed lag model. The results reveal that increasing yield of rice and depreciated exchange rate have significant positive impact on India’s rice export competitiveness. In the long run, production cost and export price have a detrimental effect on export of rice from India. However, India’s trade openness and export price do have a mixed effect on export competitiveness of rice in the short run. Moreover, the findings of this study offer some important policy implications for the stakeholders like farmers, exporters, and the government to improve export competitiveness of Agri-products including rice.
Women and Gendered Roles in the History of Diamond Mining in Colonial Ghana
Authors: Sewordor E. Sasu Kwame
Published: February 2025

The extant literature on diamond industries in Africa has predominantly focused on men, with few attempts to examine the industry from a gendered lens. I trace women and highlight their gendered roles in the diamond-mining industry in colonial Ghana (Gold Coast). Relying on archival, oral, and visual sources, this article highlights women’s involvement in Ghana’s diamond industry in different capacities—as discoverers, washers, licensed prospectors, and dealers. Ultimately, I argue that the dominance men have enjoyed in studies about diamond mining in Ghana (and Africa generally) reproduces the colonial archive but can be overcome through creative and innovative research.
Streamwise ram effect and tip vortex enhance the lift of a butterfly-inspired flapping wing
Authors: Chen Yixin , Liu Yi , Wang Shizhao
Published: February 2025

Although both butterflies and dragonflies are four-winged insects, their wing geometries and kinematics differ significantly. Butterflies have a much narrower gap between their forewing and hindwing than dragonflies. While previous research has extensively investigated the forewing–hindwing interactions in dragonfly flight, this work focuses on their interactions in butterfly flight. The interactions are studied based on numerical simulations of the Navier–Stokes equations around a butterfly-inspired flapping wing with an adjustable slot, representing the narrow gap between the forewing and hindwing. The slot is controlled by a dihedral angle between the forewing and hindwing. The lift coefficients of wings with different slot sizes and locations are investigated in detail. The results show that the forewing–hindwing interactions can significantly enhance the lift if the slot is properly configured. When the slot is configured by elevating the forewing at a 10-degree dihedral angle relative to the hindwing during flapping flight, the wing generates over 20 % more lift than the model without a slot. The streamwise ram effect and tip-vortex capture are shown to be responsible for the lift enhancement by using a lift decomposition formula. The streamwise ram effect reduces the streamwise velocity beneath the forewing, decreasing the negative vortex lift associated with spanwise vorticity. The tip-vortex capture enhances the positive vortex lift associated with streamwise vorticity when the hindwing captures the tip vortex shedding from the forewing.
COMPACT MODULI OF ENRIQUES SURFACES OF DEGREE 2
Authors: ALEXEEV VALERY , ENGEL PHILIP , GARZA D. ZACK , SCHAFFLER LUCA
Published: February 2025

We describe a geometric, stable pair compactification of the moduli space of Enriques surfaces with a numerical polarization of degree

$2$

, and identify it with a semitoroidal compactification of the period space.
Microstructure and geochemical properties of modern and buried soils and hosting permafrost sediments of the Batagay retrogressive thaw slump
Authors: Lupachev A.V. , Tananaev N.I. , Murton J.B. , Kalinin P.I. , Malyshev V.V. , Danilov P.P.
Published: February 2025

The paleopedology of the world’s largest retrogressive thaw slump, Batagay, is understudied. Micromorphological and geochemical analysis reveal the properties of th host sediments and major pedogenic features. Epigenetic soil profiles of Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 (or older) and 5e are clearly distinguished and well developed due to favorable bioclimatic conditions for pedogenesis, probably similar to modern ones. The oldest unit contains a paleosol similar to a Histic Reductaquic Cryosol, indicating a peat-covered, boggy environment. The MIS 5e unit contains organic-rich Histic Spodic Cryosol with well-developed structure, formed during the interglacial optimum, which was relatively warm and presumably resembled modern bioclimatic conditions. MIS 4–3 deposits contains soil-like bodies enriched in coarse organogenic material resembling incipient Histic Reductaquic Cryosols. Interglacial/interstadial units contain micromorphological evidence of aggregate and pore formation, Fe-oxide and organic matter redistribution and clay accumulation. Stadial deposits show weakly expressed soil structure with uneven aggregates, cryogenic disintegration of plant detritus and rare evidence of accumulation of humic substances. Major elemental ratios indicate intensification of biochemical weathering in paleosols and soil-like bodies. Pedogenically reworked material of stadial sedimentary units with sporadic and incipient soil-like bodies provide a significant source for paleoenvironmental reconstruction of harsh Late Pleistocene environments.
An entomopathogenic strain of Beauveria bassiana (hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) against Eotetranychus kankitus (acarina: Tetranychidae) and its compatibility with Neoseiulus barkeri (acarina: Phytoseiidae)
Authors: Liu Mingxiu , Xiang Dong , Feng Xiaotian , Li Xuanliang , Wang Mian , Wang Zhen , Chen Hanqiu , Liu Huai , Li Yaying
Published: February 2025

Eotetranychus kankitus is an important pest on several agricultural crops, and its resistance to pesticides has promoted the exploration of biological control strategies. Beauveria bassiana and Neoseiulus barkeri have been identified as potential agents for suppressing spider mites. This study aimed to investigate the pathogenicity of B. bassiana on E. kankitus and its compatibility with N. barkeri. Results showed that among the five tested strains of B. bassiana, Bb025 exhibited the highest level of pathogenicity on E. kankitus. Higher application rates (1 × 108 conidia/mL) of Bb025 led to a higher mortality rate of E. kankitus (90.402%), but also resulted in a 15.036% mortality of N. barkeri. Furthermore, preference response tests indicated that both E. kankitus and N. barkeri actively avoided plants sprayed with Bb025 compared to the control group that was sprayed with Tween-80. In a no-choice test, we observed that N. barkeri actively attacked Bb025-treated E. kankitus with no adverse effect on its predatory capacities. Furthermore, N. barkeri laid more eggs when fed on Bb025-treated E. kankitus compared to Tween-80-treated E. kankitus, but the subsequent generation of surviving individuals fed on Bb025-treated E. kankitus was reduced. These findings demonstrate that the Bb025 strain of B. bassiana is highly virulent against E. kankitus while causing less harm to N. barkeri. Consequently, a promising strategy for controlling E. kankitus could involve the sequential utilisation of Bb025 and N. barkeri at appropriate intervals.
A RECONSTRUCTION OF PROBA, CENTO VERGILIANVS 42A–B
Authors: Watson Cristalle N.
Published: February 2025

Proba’s Cento Vergilianus contains a corruption at line 42, sometimes printed as two half-lines separated by a lacuna (42a–b). Previous attempts to emend the passage based upon the four classical elements have met with limited success. This article argues for a novel reconstruction of the passage based upon the six days of the biblical creation, summarized in reverse. Two possible variants of the reconstruction are presented and evaluated on textual, metrical, compositional and contextual grounds.
Republican Kinship in the Society of Princes: The Dutch States General as Corporate Godparent, 1578–1732
Authors: Helmers Helmer
Published: February 2025

Throughout the early modern period, the Dutch States General, as if it were a natural person, frequently stood godfather over foreign children. Based on innovative archival research, this article investigates this unknown phenomenon as ‘corporate godparenthood’ and argues that it was an important tool of republican diplomacy in the Protestant society of princes, particularly in the Holy Roman Empire. Corporate godfatherhood allowed the Dutch Republic to partake, and assert its presence, in familial princely spheres to which it did not otherwise have access. The cultural practices of baptism, including the right of the godparents to name a child and baptismal gift-giving, allowed the States to form lasting kinship relations of mutual obligation in an economy of affection. Corporate godfatherhood had important and long-lasting effects: many of the dynasties with whom the States entered into a kinship relation remained allies for several generations, and supplied the States’ army with troops and officers, while the States assumed the role of benefactor, protector, educator, executor, or legal guardian of various of its princely godchildren.
Is parasitic infection a buffer against metal pollution?
Authors: Leiva N.V. , Montenegro D. , Castro C. , Silva M. , Vidal R. , González M.T.
Published: February 2025

Metal pollution is a major global issue in aquatic environments, affecting environmental quality and potentially altering host–parasite dynamics. This study evaluates the buffering role of a larval trematode Himasthla sp. under experimental conditions to test the effect of copper (Cu) exposure on the survival of the marine snail Echinolittorina peruviana. Snails were collected from intertidal rocky pools over a two-month period from Coloso (23°45’S, 70°28’W), northern Chile, and identified as parasitized or unparasitized. Both groups were then exposed to Cu concentrations (3 and 6 mg/L). Kaplan–Meier curves were used to determine the percentage of survival over time and the respective confidence intervals (CI). A nested ANOVA was conducted to assess whether rediae abundance per snail varied by experiment time, snail status, and Cu concentration. Snail survival was affected by both Cu-concentrations, but the effect was greater at 6 mg/L. At 3 mg/L, 57% (CI: 49.9–66.6%) of unparasitized snails were alive at 192 h, while 56% (CI: 46.6–67.4%) of parasitized snails survived at 216 h. At 6 mg/L, 42% (CI:35-51%) of unparasitized snails survived at 192 h, while 48% of parasitized snails survived at 216 h (CI:39-59%). Regardless of Cu concentration, after 240 h, all unparasitized snails had died, while 15% of parasitized snails remained alive. Dead snails harboured 125±53 rediae, while survivors had 194±73 rediae, with no significant differences between treatments. Our results show that parasitized snails survived longer than unparasitized snails, suggesting a trade-off between parasitism and host survival in polluted environments.
Does corruption undermine fundamental rights protection level? The effects of corruption of lawmakers, judges, bureaucrats, and police and military on labour rights and freedom of association at the country level
Authors: Lee Moonsoo
Published: February 2025

This study investigates whether corruption among public officials undermines fundamental rights, analysing data from 142 countries using the Rule of Law Index, a widely recognised and respected tool for assessing the rule of law worldwide. The results show that corruption among judges and bureaucrats consistently erodes fundamental rights, including labour rights and freedom of association. In advanced democracies, police and military corruption significantly reduces freedom of association, while lawmakers’ corruption undermines labour rights. However, in the broader context, corruption among lawmakers, police, and military officers does not significantly affect these rights. This study emphasises the significant role of bureaucracy in protecting rights and the devastating consequences of bureaucratic corruption. The trend of executive power abuse further complicates this issue. To combat corruption and safeguard fundamental rights, this article recommends robust mechanisms to ensure accountability and transparency, emphasising the importance of democratic oversight.
Gender Equality and Armed Conflict: A Critique of Total Fertility Rate as an Indicator
Authors: Svallfors Signe
Published: February 2025

Over the past quarter-century, the literature on gender, peace, and security has evolved into a substantial interdisciplinary field. In this line of work, researchers have investigated the interplay between state security and women’s security, or how gender equality at the state level affects the occurrence of international and intranational conflict. The conclusion is that more gender-equal countries are less prone to engage in warfare, pointing toward a link between women’s security and national security. Various indicators have been used to capture gender equality in this literature, such as the representation of women in parliamentary roles, the proportion of women participating in the labor force, and school enrollment among girls relative to boys.
Quantifying Landfill Emission Potential Using a Weakly Coupled Particle Filter
Authors: Wang L. , Heimovaara T. J.
Published: February 2025

The emission potential, which represents the total leachable mass in landfill waste body, is hard to measure directly. Therefore we propose to quantify it by assimilating available measurements. The leachate production rate is influenced by the total water storage in the waste body, while both total chloride mass and total water storage in the waste body influence the chloride concentration in the leachate. Thus assimilating leachate volume and chloride concentration simultaneously will help quantify the uncertainties in emission potential. This study investigated the feasibility of using a particle filter in a concentration‐volume coupled travel time distribution model to estimate the emission potential. Leachate production rates and chloride concentrations were assimilated simultaneously by a weakly coupled data assimilation method. The time lag issue in the travel time distribution model was solved by adding a daily model error to cover layer states. The proposed method was tested in synthetic experiments first to investigate the performance. The results show that the uncertainties in chloride mass and waste body total water storage were quantified and reduced. The predictions of chloride concentrations were also improved.
Contribution and Mechanisms of BVOCs Emitted From a Typical Large Lake With Algal Bloom to O3 Levels in Lakeside Urban Areas
Authors: Shao Min , Wei Yajing , Lv Shun , Liao Zihang , Zou Jun , Zhu Jialei
Published: February 2025

Lakes near developed cities often experience algal blooms due to eutrophication, leading to odor and biogenic emissions that can potentially interfere with the formation of air pollutants such as O3 around these lakes. However, the impact and its pathways remain poorly understood. This study investigates the contributions of biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions from Lake Taihu to O3 formation in surrounding regions using a numerical approach. Composite analysis, case studies, and process analysis reveal that BVOC emissions from Lake Taihu increase hourly near‐surface O3 concentrations, with a maximum rise of 25.5 μg m−3, improving model performance. The influence of lake BVOC emissions is large on the northwest side of Lake Taihu, primarily determined by the spatial emission patterns and dominant wind fields. The development of the planetary boundary layer, particularly the thermal internal boundary layer, and the enhanced lake breeze play important roles in increasing near‐surface O3 levels over land, whereas variations in temperature play a minor role. Vertical cross‐sections show that interactions between land‐lake breezes and background wind fields are critical for O3 transport, increasing surface concentrations in surrounding areas. Additionally, lake BVOC emissions intensify both daytime and nighttime gas‐phase chemical formation of O3, consuming nitrates and producing additional O3 within the lower troposphere. This study highlights the importance of local thermal circulations and lake BVOC emissions in O3 pollution, emphasizing the need for comprehensive air pollution control strategies in lakeside cities.
Multiple defects renovation and phase reconstruction of reduced-dimensional perovskites via in situ chlorination for efficient deep-blue (454 nm) light-emitting diodes
Authors: Yu Mubing , Qin Tingxiao , Gao Gang , Zu Kelei , Zhang Dongming , Chen Nan , Wang Dengke , Hua Yong , Zhang Hong , Zhao Yong-Biao , Zhu Jiaqi
Published: February 2025

Deep-blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) based on reduced-dimensional perovskites (RDPs) still face a few challenges including severe trap-assisted nonradiative recombination, sluggish exciton transfer, and undesirable bathochromic shift of the electroluminescence spectra, impeding the realization of high-performance PeLEDs. Herein, an in situ chlorination (isCl) post-treatment strategy was employed to regulate phase reconstruction and renovate multiple defects of RDPs, leading to superior carrier cooling of 0.88 ps, extraordinary exciton binding energy of 122.53 meV, and higher photoluminescence quantum yield of 60.9% for RDP films with deep-blue emission at 450 nm. The phase regulation is accomplished via fluorine-derived hydrogen bonds that suppress the formation of small-n phases. Multiple defects, including halide vacancies (shallow-state defects) and lead-chloride antisite defects (deep-state defects), are renovated via C=O coordination and hydroxy-group-derived hydrogen bonds. Consequently, deep-blue PeLEDs with a record maximum external quantum efficiency of 6.17% and stable electroluminescence at 454 nm were demonstrated, representing the best-performing deep-blue PeLEDs.
Long-term patient-reported outcomes following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Beer Sina Alexandra , Blättel Johanna , Reuß Kristina , Maier Claus-Philipp , Faul Christoph , Vogel Wichard , Bethge Wolfgang , Lengerke Claudia
Published: February 2025

Therapeutic progress has improved the overall survival of patients treated with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). Thus, the impact on quality of life (QoL) becomes increasingly relevant. However, QoL is not monitored regularly in clinical practice, and most trials stop QoL assessments early post-alloHCT, missing long-term dynamics. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 214 adult alloHCT recipients (average age 53 y, 42.5% female, median follow-up 56 months) to evaluate QoL using patient-reported outcome measurements (PROMs), spanning a period from 30 days to over 10 years post-transplant. Participants completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 and FACT-BMT at a single follow-up timepoint to investigate QoL-related factors. Comparing long-term follow-up patients (beyond year 3, n = 125) with short-term follow-up patients (day 30 to month 12, n = 89) shows significantly better long-term QoL outcomes (P = 0.016). However, PROM symptom scales indicate moderate fatigue and insomnia rates in long-term survivors. Better QoL was associated with male gender, lower ECOG, RIC conditioning, no relapse, no ongoing immunosuppression and full-time work. Summarized, while we observe encouraging long-term outcomes, our data suggest that QoL recovery remain highly individual. We strongly recommend the use of PROMs to enhance our understanding of long-term survivorship post-alloHCT.
Targeting macrophage polarization by inhibiting Pim2 alleviates inflammatory arthritis via metabolic reprogramming
Authors: Xu Xiaojun , Xu Peitao , Shen Guozhen , Peng Xiaoshuai , Liu Zhidong , Chen Chaoqiang , Yu Wenhui , Su Zepeng , Lin Jiajie , Zheng Guan , Ye Guiwen , Wang Peng , Xie Zhongyu , Wu Yanfeng , Shen Huiyong , Li Jinteng
Published: February 2025

Macrophage polarization and energy metabolic reprogramming play pivotal roles in the onset and progression of inflammatory arthritis. Moreover, although previous studies have reported that the proviral integration of Moloney virus 2 (Pim2) kinase is involved in various cancers through the mediation of aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells, its role in inflammatory arthritis remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that multiple metabolic enzymes are activated upon Pim2 upregulation during M1 macrophage polarization. Specifically, Pim2 directly phosphorylates PGK1-S203, PDHA1-S300, and PFKFB2-S466, thereby promoting glycolytic reprogramming. Pim2 expression was elevated in macrophages from patients with inflammatory arthritis and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model mice. Conditional knockout of Pim2 in macrophages or administration of the Pim2 inhibitor HJ-PI01 attenuated arthritis development by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization. Through molecular docking and dynamic simulation, bexarotene was identified as an inhibitor of Pim2 that inhibits glycolysis and downstream M1 macrophage polarization, thereby mitigating the progression of inflammatory arthritis. For targeted treatment, neutrophil membrane-coated bexarotene (Bex)-loaded PLGA-based nanoparticles (NM@NP-Bex) were developed to slow the progression of inflammatory arthritis by suppressing the polarization of M1 macrophages, and these nanoparticles (NPs) exhibited superior therapeutic effects with fewer side effects. Taken together, the results of our study demonstrated that targeting Pim2 inhibition could effectively alleviate inflammatory arthritis via glycolysis inhibition and reversal of the M1/M2 macrophage imbalance. NM@NPs loaded with bexarotene could represent a promising targeted strategy for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis.
Expectation violations signal goals in novel human communication
Authors: Buidze Tatia , Sommer Tobias , Zhao Ke , Fu Xiaolan , Gläscher Jan
Published: February 2025

Communication, often grounded in shared expectations, faces challenges when a Sender and Receiver lack a common linguistic background. Our study explores how people instinctively turn to the fundamental principles of the physical world to overcome such barriers. Specifically, through an experimental game in which Senders convey messages via trajectories, we investigate how they develop novel strategies without relying on common linguistic cues. We build a computational model based on the principle of expectancy violations and a set of common universal priors derived from movement kinetics. The model replicates participant-designed messages with high accuracy and shows how its core variable—surprise—predicts the Receiver’s physiological and neuronal responses in brain areas processing expectation violations. This work highlights the adaptability of human communication, showing how surprise can be a powerful tool in forming new communicative strategies without relying on common language.
Interpolating numerically exact many-body wave functions for accelerated molecular dynamics
Authors: Rath Yannic , Booth George H.
Published: February 2025

While there have been many developments in computational probes of both strongly-correlated molecular systems and machine-learning accelerated molecular dynamics, there remains a significant gap in capabilities in simulating accurate non-local electronic structure over timescales on which atoms move. We develop an approach to bridge these fields with a practical interpolation scheme for the correlated many-electron state through the space of atomic configurations, whilst avoiding the exponential complexity of these underlying electronic states. With a small number of accurate correlated wave functions as a training set, we demonstrate provable convergence to near-exact potential energy surfaces for subsequent dynamics with propagation of a valid many-body wave function and inference of its variational energy whilst retaining a mean-field computational scaling. This represents a profoundly different paradigm to the direct interpolation of potential energy surfaces in established machine-learning approaches. We combine this with modern electronic structure approaches to systematically resolve molecular dynamics trajectories and converge thermodynamic quantities with a high-throughput of several million interpolated wave functions with explicit validation of their accuracy from only a few numerically exact quantum chemical calculations. We also highlight the comparison to traditional machine-learned potentials or dynamics on mean-field surfaces.
Microbiome modulation of implant-related infection by a novel miniaturized pulsed electromagnetic field device
Authors: Souza João Gabriel S. , Azevedo Fabio , Borges Maria Helena Rossy , Costa Raphael Cavalcante , Shiba Takahiko , Barak Shlomo , Mayer Yaniv , Figueiredo Luciene Cristina de , Feres Magda , Barão Valentim A. R. , Shibli Jamil A.
Published: February 2025

Dental implant-related infections, which lack effective therapeutic strategies, are considered the primary cause for treatment failure. Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) technology has been introduced as a safe and effective modality for enhancing biological responses. However, the PEMF effect on modulating microbial diversity has not been explored. Thus, we tested a miniaturized PEMF biomedical device as a healing component for dental implants. PEMF activation did not alter the chemical composition, surface roughness, wettability, and electrochemical performance. PEMF effectively controlled chronic in vitro polymicrobial microbial accumulation. The in vivo study where devices were inserted in the patients’ oral cavities and 16S RNA sequencing analysis evidenced a fivefold or more reduction in 23 bacterial species for PEMF group and the absence of some species for this group, including pathogens associated with implant-related infections. PEMF altered bacterial interactions and promoted specific bacterial pathways. PEMF has emerged as an effective strategy for controlling implant-related infections.
Glacial isostatic adjustment reveals Mars’s interior viscosity structure
Authors: Broquet A. , Plesa A.-C. , Klemann V. , Root B. C. , Genova A. , Wieczorek M. A. , Knapmeyer M. , Andrews-Hanna J. C. , Breuer D.
Published: February 2025

Investigating glacial isostatic adjustment has been the standard method to decipher Earth’s interior viscosity structure1,2, but such an approach has been rarely applied to other planets because of a lack of observational data3,4. The north polar cap of Mars is the only millions-of-years-old surface feature that can induce measurable surface deformation on this planet, thereby holding clues to its present-day internal viscosity structure5,6. Here we investigate the emplacement of this ice cap by combining thermal evolution models7, viscoelastic deformation calculations8 and radar observations6. We show that downward motion of the northern regions is ongoing and can be constrained by analyses of the time-variable gravity field9 and NASA’s InSight seismic moment rate10. Only models with present-day high viscosities (2–6 × 1022 Pa s for depths greater than 500 km), strong mantle depletion in radiogenic elements (more than 90%) and thick average crusts (thicker than 40 km) are consistent with the negligible flexure beneath the polar cap seen by radars. The northern lithosphere must deform at less than 0.13 mm per year and have a seismic efficiency less than 0.3 to satisfy gravity and seismic constraints, respectively. Our models show that the north polar cap formed over the last 1.7–12.0 Myr and that glacial isostatic adjustment can be further constrained by future gravity recovery missions to Mars11,12.
Interplay of geometrical and spin chiralities in 3D twisted magnetic ribbons
Authors: Farinha André M. A. , Yang See-Hun , Yoon Jiho , Pal Banabir , Parkin Stuart S. P.
Published: February 2025

Chirality is a ubiquitous and fundamental asymmetry in nature1,2. Recently, the interaction of chiral objects with spin currents has attracted enormous attention from both scientific and technological perspectives3–5. Of particular interest is the current-driven motion of chiral topological excitations such as chiral magnetic domain walls in chiral three-dimensional magnetic structures that could allow for high-density memory-storage devices. Here we use state-of-the-art multiphoton lithography6,7 to create three-dimensional chiral magnetic ribbons and perform current-induced motion of chiral domain walls. The ribbons are designed to have a clockwise or anticlockwise chiral twist with a variable magnitude. We find that domain walls can either pass through the ribbon or are impeded, depending on their chirality and configuration and the geometrical chiral twist of the ribbon. The interplay between the magnetic exchange energy and the geometrical twist generates a torsional field that favours chiral Bloch-type walls rather than the Néel-type wall favoured by the intrinsic magnetic properties of the magnetic ribbon itself. Furthermore, the interplay of spin chirality and chiral twist results in a non-reciprocal domain wall motion, namely, a domain wall filter or diode8–10. Our findings show how the interplay between geometrical and spin chiralities can lead to new functionalities that could allow for innovative chiral spintronics.
Humans in Africa’s wet tropical forests 150 thousand years ago
Authors: Ben Arous Eslem , Blinkhorn James A. , Elliott Sarah , Kiahtipes Christopher A. , N’zi Charles D. , Bateman Mark D. , Duval Mathieu , Roberts Patrick , Patalano Robert , Blackwood Alexander F. , Niang Khady , Kouamé Eugénie Affoua , Lebato Edith , Hallett Emily , Cerasoni Jacopo N. , Scott Erin , Ilgner Jana , Alonso Escarza Maria Jesús , Guédé Francois Yodé , Scerri Eleanor M. L.
Published: February 2025

Humans emerged across Africa shortly before 300 thousand years ago (ka)1–3. Although this pan-African evolutionary process implicates diverse environments in the human story, the role of tropical forests remains poorly understood. Here we report a clear association between late Middle Pleistocene material culture and a wet tropical forest in southern Côte d’Ivoire, a region of present-day rainforest. Twinned optically stimulated luminescence and electron spin resonance dating methods constrain the onset of human occupations at Bété I to around 150 ka, linking them with Homo sapiens. Plant wax biomarker, stable isotope, phytolith and pollen analyses of associated sediments all point to a wet forest environment. The results represent the oldest yet known clear association between humans and this habitat type. The secure attribution of stone tool assemblages with the wet forest environment demonstrates that Africa’s forests were not a major ecological barrier for H. sapiens as early as around 150 ka.
Enhancement of thermofluid characteristics via a triple-helical tube heat exchanger
Authors: Gomaa Abdalla , Gamal Yehia , Abdelmagied Mahmoud M.
Published: February 2025

An investigation of the thermal and hydraulic performance of a novel triple-helical tube heat exchanger, the THTHE, is presented. The novel design is a modified design of a DHTHE created by adding a third tube to a DHTHE tube. The third passage is expected to enhance the thermal performance of the DHTHE as a result of an increase in the temperature gradient between the hot and cold fluids. The effects of the coil radius, inner annulus spacing, water inlet temperature, direction of flow arrangement, and Dean number were explored. Five test samples with different coil radii of 150 mm, 125 mm, and 90 mm and different inner annulus spacings of 6.2 mm, 9 mm, and 12 mm were examined. The test samples were designed, fabricated, and tested to demonstrate the influence of design parameters on the thermal and hydraulic performance of the triple-helical tube heat exchanger. The experimental runs were conducted on the hot water side with the water inlet temperature T

h,i
ranging from 50:80 °C. Moreover, at Dean number 400 ≤ De

h
 ≤ 5500, corresponding to Reynolds number 2700 ≤ Re

h
 ≤ 31,000. Compared with the double-helical tube heat exchanger, the THTHE resulted in a higher Nusselt number by 146.1% and 109.3% for both the counterflow and parallel-flow arrangements, respectively. Furthermore, lowering the hot water source temperature from 80 to 50 °C results in a 60.6% increase in the Nusselt number of 60.6%, with no increase in the pumping power. Additionally, with a decreasing coil radius from 150 to 90 mm and inner annulus spacing from 12 to 6.2 mm, a significant increase in Nu occurs by 58.2% and 130.4%, respectively. A general correlation was presented for predicting Nu, f, and ε.
Quantitative autofluorescence is increased in clinically unaffected fellow eyes from patients with posterior uveitis
Authors: Finger Robert P. , Jungblut Julie , Just Marie D. , Terheyden Jan H. , Holz Frank G. , Liegl Raffael , Ach Thomas , Wintergerst Maximilian W. M.
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this prospective case-control study is to investigate differences in quantitative autofluorescence (qAF) in clinically affected and unaffected eyes of patients with inactive posterior uveitis compared to healthy, age-matched controls. Patients with posterior uveitis and healthy controls were imaged using fundus autofluorescence (488 nm excitation; Spectralis HRA + OCT; Heidelberg Engineering) to measure qAF values using the proprietary HEYEX software. Mean background qAF (excluding vessels and retinal lesions) across all segments (as previously defined by Delori et al.) and in the segment with the highest mean qAF value were compared between affected and unaffected eyes from patients with posterior uveitis, and healthy age-matched control eyes using the Kruskal-Wallis-test. A total of 83 eyes from 83 patients were included: 33 affected eyes (33 patients with uni-/bilateral posterior uveitis), 21 clinically unaffected eyes (21 patients with unilateral posterior uveitis), and 29 healthy, age-matched control eyes (29 patients). Mean qAF values were significantly higher (p-value < 0.0001) in both clinically affected (177.0 ± 83.8 qAF arbitrary units [qAF a.u.]) and unaffected (173.8 ± 56.4 qAF a.u.) eyes compared to healthy, age-matched controls (135.7 ± 41.8 qAF a.u.). Likewise, mean qAF in the segment with the highest mean qAF value was significantly higher (p-value: <0.01) in affected (243.2 ± 103.1 qAF a.u.) and unaffected eyes (227.1 ± 63.4 qAF a.u.) in comparison to controls (168.9 ± 48.5 qAF a.u.). In conclusion, both clinically affected and unaffected eyes from patients with posterior uveitis demonstrated increased fundus autofluorescence. The results of our study could indicate subclinical inflammation in currently inactive and (yet) unaffected eyes of posterior uveitis patients. This could be caused by accumulation of fluorophores or an increased metabolic activity generated by low-grade inflammation. As these changes may precede future inflammation in yet unaffected eyes, additional longitudinal studies including analysis of eyes with active disease are warranted.
DeepCristae, a CNN for the restoration of mitochondria cristae in live microscopy images
Authors: Papereux Salomé , Leconte Ludovic , Valades-Cruz Cesar Augusto , Liu Tianyan , Dumont Julien , Chen Zhixing , Salamero Jean , Kervrann Charles , Badoual Anaïs
Published: February 2025

Mitochondria play an essential role in the life cycle of eukaryotic cells. However, we still don’t know how their ultrastructure, like the cristae of the inner membrane, dynamically evolves to regulate these fundamental functions, in response to external conditions or during interaction with other cell components. Although high-resolution fluorescent microscopy coupled with recently developed innovative probes can reveal this structural organization, their long-term, fast and live 3D imaging remains challenging. To address this problem, we have developed a CNN, called DeepCristae, to restore mitochondria cristae in low spatial resolution microscopy images. Our network is trained from 2D STED images using a novel loss specifically designed for cristae restoration. To efficiently increase the size of the training set, we also developed a random image patch sampling centered on mitochondrial areas. To evaluate DeepCristae, quantitative assessments are carried out using metrics we derived by focusing on the mitochondria and cristae pixels rather than on the whole image as usual. Depending on the conditions of use indicated, DeepCristae works well on broad microscopy modalities (Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED), Live-SR, AiryScan and LLSM). It is ultimately applied in the context of mitochondrial network dynamics during interaction with endo/lysosome membranes.
Bioengineered 3D microvessels and complementary animal models reveal mechanisms of Trypanosoma congolense sequestration
Authors: Porqueddu Teresa , Zorrinho-Almeida Maria , De Niz Mariana , Casas-Sánchez Aitor , Introini Viola , Sanz Sender Silvia , Carrasqueira Diana , Figueiredo Luísa M. , Bernabeu Maria , Silva Pereira Sara
Published: February 2025

In the mammalian host, Trypanosoma congolense cytoadheres, or sequesters, to the vascular endothelium. Although sequestration influences clinical outcome, disease severity and organ pathology, its determinants and mediators remain unknown. Challenges such as the variability of animal models, the only-recently developed tools to genetically manipulate the parasite, and the lack of physiologically-relevant in vitro models have hindered progress. Here, we engineered brain and cardiac 3D bovine endothelial microvessel models that mimic the bovine brain microvasculature and the bovine aorta, respectively. By perfusing these models with two T. congolense strains, we investigated the roles of flow for parasite sequestration and tropism for different endothelial beds. We discovered that sequestration is dependent on cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signalling, closely linked to parasite proliferation, but not associated with parasite transmission to the tsetse fly vector. Finally, by comparing the expression profiles of sequestered and non-sequestered parasites collected from a rodent model, we showed gene expression changes in sequestered parasites, including of surface variant antigens. This work presents a physiologically-relevant platform to study trypanosome interactions with the vasculature and provides a deeper understanding of the molecular and biophysical mechanisms underlying T. congolense sequestration.
No evidence for decision fatigue using large-scale field data from healthcare
Authors: Andersson David , Lindberg Malou , Tinghög Gustav , Persson Emil
Published: February 2025

Decision fatigue is the idea that making decisions is mentally demanding and eventually leads to deteriorated decision quality. Many studies report results that appear consistent with decision fatigue. However, most of this evidence comes from observed sequential patterns using retrospective designs, without preregistration or external validation and with low precision in how decision fatigue is operationalized. Here we conducted an empirical test of decision fatigue using large-scale, high-resolution data on healthcare professionals’ medical judgments at a national telephone triage and medical advice service. This is a suitable setting for testing decision fatigue because the work is both hard and repetitive, yet qualified, and the variation in scheduling produced a setting where level of fatigue could be regarded as near random for some segments of the data. We hypothesized increased use of heuristics, more specifically convergence toward personal defaults in case judgments, and higher assigned urgency ratings with fatigue. We tested these hypotheses using one-sided Bayes Factors computed from underlying Bayesian generalized mixed models with random intercepts. The results consistently showed relative support for the statistical null hypothesis of no difference in decision-making depending on fatigue (BF0+ > 22 for all main tests). We thus found no evidence for decision fatigue. Whereas these results don’t preclude the existence of a weaker or more nuanced version of decision fatigue or more context-specific effects, they cast serious doubt on the empirical relevance of decision fatigue as a domain general effect for sequential decisions in healthcare and elsewhere.
Nanosheet-to-nanoparticle transformation in charged water microdroplets: a pathway for 2D to 0D materials
Authors: Spoorthi B. Krishnamurthy , Chowdhuri Angshuman Ray , Mondal Biswajit , Manna Sujan , Mahapatra Anubhav , Kini Amoghavarsha Ramachandra , Pradeep Thalappil
Published: February 2025

Electrospray-driven transformation of 2D materials to 0D structures within the reactive environment of charged water microdroplets.
High-throughput robotic collection, imaging, and machine learning analysis of salt patterns: Composition and concentration from dried droplet photos
Authors: Batista Bruno , S. V. Amrutha , Yan Jie , Dangi Beni B , Steinbock Oliver
Published: February 2025

Macroscopic deposit patterns resulting from dried solutions and dispersions are often perceived as random and without meaningful information. Their formation is governed by a bewildering interplay of evaporation, crystal nucleation...
Harnessing Borane-Potassium Cooperativity for Sulfurated Ring-Opening Copolymerisation
Authors: Manjunatha Bhargav R , Sun Marcus Kailey , Gomila Rosa Maria , Frontera Antonio , Plajer Alex Johannes
Published: February 2025

Sulfur-containing polymers, such as thioesters and thiocarbonates, can exhibit improved thermal properties and degradability compared to their all-oxygen analogues, yet their synthesis remains challenging. In this respect, ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP)...
Semiconducting Liquid Crystalline Dispersions with Precisely Adjustable Band Gaps and Polarized Photoluminescence
Authors: Wang Pei-Xi , Zhou Tingting , Guo Penghao , Jiang Xuelian , Zhao Hongbo , Zhang Qing
Published: February 2025

Simultaneously possessing energy conversion properties and reconfigurable anisotropic structures due to their fluidity, semiconducting liquid crystals are an emerging class of soft materials for generating and detecting polarized photons. However,...