bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minimizing occupant loads in vehicle crashes through reinforcement learning-based restraint system design: assessing performance and transferability
Authors: Mathieu Janis , Gupta Parul , Di Roberto Michael , Vielhaber Michael
Published: May 2024

The optimization of mechanical behavior in safety systems during crash scenarios consistently poses challenges in vehicle development. Hence, a reinforcement learning-based approach for optimizing restraint systems in frontal impacts is proposed. The trained agent, which adjusts five parameters simultaneously, is capable of minimizing loads on a seen and unseen anthropomorphic test device on the co-driver position and is thus able of transferring knowledge. A hundred times higher rate of convergence to reach a similar optimum compared to a global optimization algorithm has been achieved.
Inspiration or indication? Evaluating the qualities of design inspiration boards created using text to image generative AI
Authors: Ranscombe Charlie , Tan Linus , Goudswaard Mark , Snider Chris
Published: May 2024

This study explores the application of image generative AI to support design process by creating inspiration boards. Through an evaluative study, we compare the diversity, quantity, fidelity, and ambiguity of boards generated by image generative AI and traditional methods. The results highlight how generative AI produces a quantity of images, it exhibits limited diversity compared to traditional methods. This suggests a tendency for supporting interpolation rather than extrapolation of ideas, in turn providing insights on best practice and into the optimal stage for its application.
Human-AI collaboration by design
Authors: Song Binyang , Zhu Qihao , Luo Jianxi
Published: May 2024

Human-AI collaboration (HAIC) is a promising strategy to transform engineering design and innovation, yet how to design artificial intelligence (AI) to boost HAIC remains unclear. Accordingly, this paper provides a new, unified, and comprehensive scheme for classifying AI roles. On this basis, we develop an AI design framework that outlines expected AI capabilities, interactive attributes, and trust enablers across various HAIC scenarios, offering guidance for integrating AI into human teams effectively. We also discuss current advancements, challenges, and prospects for future research.
Crisis: a driver for tourism innovation and service design?
Authors: Ericson Åsa , Lugnet Johan , Styvén Maria Ek , Zobel Thomas
Published: May 2024

Tourism entrepreneurs adapted to regulations during COVID-19 by introducing creative solutions. The crisis was said to be a unique opportunity for innovating sustainable businesses. This study investigates crisis as a driver for innovation and its relevance to service design. Interviews with entrepreneurs are the empirical base that highlights that finetuning existing services is an established approach instead of innovative service design. Few expressed lessons were learned from the creative solutions made during the pandemic, suggesting that strategies for innovation need to be developed.
Implementing an open innovation process in the premium marine industry
Authors: Burgess Jonathan , Fanner Rob , McLening Christian
Published: May 2024

Design and manufacturing innovations are important competitive attributes in the premium marine sector. The adoption of an open innovation process has the potential to deliver behavioural and technological transformation. This pilot study illustrates an open innovation approach to explore the benefits of digital innovation when designing new products within the premium marine industry. The research demonstrates how an open innovation approach will flourish when focused on co-creation in collaboration with a network of cross-functional partners.
Empowering design literacy: a toolkit for promoting the design of positive experiences through rules of thumb
Authors: Kokoschko Björn , Wiesner Martin
Published: May 2024

This paper presents a toolkit of heuristics for enabling non-professionals to design for wellbeing, merging design, psychology, and ergonomics. It demystifies design, focusing on happiness and long-term wellbeing, making design principles accessible to all. This toolkit narrows the divide between design theory and practice, advocating design as a tool to enhance life for individuals and society.
Unveiling key user experience issues to facilitate user-centred design of inertial motion capture systems
Authors: Tripathi Charu , Arora Manish , Chakrabarti Amaresh
Published: May 2024

Inertial motion capture has garnered considerable attention within the manufacturing industry for ergonomic assessments due to high reliability and fewer constraints compared to alternative posture tracking direct measurement tools. However, these wearable systems, while ensuring reliability and precision in the results, also introduce a degree of invasiveness. Hence, user experience becomes an important aspect for design and development of such systems. This paper reveals major user experience issues resulting from an experimental study for promoting user-centred design of wearable systems.
The balance between a usable and emotional product design – a comparison of different methods for prioritising relevant influencing factors
Authors: van Remmen Judith , Horber Dennis , Händel Jonas , Miehling Jörg , Wartzack Sandro
Published: May 2024

Designing an equally usable and emotionally appealing product remains a challenge for product developers, not least due to conflicting goals. Product developers need to constantly map the affective user requirements to the product, whereby the requirements for the emotional and usable product design often cannot be equally addressed. The systematic approach presented can help product developers in conflicting decision-making situations to represent these affective user requirements by selecting and prioritising context-relevant influencing factors using multi-criteria decision-making methods.
Addressing cultural inertias for co-design: exploring Chinese participants’ perceptions of design games
Authors: Zhang Ziheng , Patricio Rui , Zuo Tengjia , An Wa , Huang Ruoqing
Published: May 2024

Innovation-driven firms must adopt an open design strategy for competitiveness. Co-design games are recommended to foster an open, equal, and collaborative culture. However, most studies focus on the West. East-Asian countries, notably China, face unique challenges due to cultural disparities and inertia. This paper explores design games in the Chinese context through a case study with traditional workshops, revealing participants' perspectives and the potential impact on cultural inertia.
A matrix-based approach to step-wise assess the safety of collaborative robots in manufacturing
Authors: Guertler Matthias R. , Bauer Philipp , Burden Alan
Published: May 2024

Collaborative robots (cobots) allow for flexible manufacturing, supporting more customised product designs. Although safety is key for socio-technical human-cobot workplaces, existing safety assessment support like standards and guidelines require extensive experience and can be experienced as overwhelming. To make cobot risk assessments more accessible, especially for novices, and increase traceability from hazard to risk to mitigation, this paper presents a matrix-based approach that decomposes this daunting activity into smaller better manageable steps.
Variability in complex product/system design: case study in automotive industry
Authors: Lameh José , Dubray Alexandra , Jankovic Marija
Published: May 2024

The complexity of the products/systems requires an in-depth understanding of variability and its impact on all phases, from design to maintenance. This study explores Variability Management (VM) emphasizing its challenges. Conducting semi-structured interviews with experts at Renault Group, the research examines variability aspects, semantics, methods, challenges, and possible solutions. The findings offer practical insights into industrial-scale variability management, addressing the use case of the automotive industry.
Human in the loop: revolutionizing industry 5.0 with design thinking and systems thinking
Authors: Dehbozorgi Mohammad Hossein , Postell James , Ward David , Leardi Carlo , Sullivan Brendan P. , Rossi Monica
Published: May 2024

This study delves into Industry 5.0's Human Centric Manufacturing and Systems (HCM and HCS), emphasizing worker welfare and sustainability. Industry 5.0 advocates a human-centric approach, built upon three foundational pillars safety, inclusivity, and empowerment. The paper highlights the successful integration of Design and Systems Thinking in HCM and proposes a workshop at MADE COMPETENCE CENTRE proving the effectiveness in raising awareness and promoting Human-Centric principles throughout the system life cycle and in achieving Human-Centric Systems (HCS).
Incorporating transition design in the education of an established design subject to empower design students with systems thinking
Authors: An Qingfan , Sanches Pedro
Published: May 2024

Designers’ roles are at a turning point of transforming design from an expert-driven design process within an assumed social and economic order to design practices that advocate design-led societal transition toward more sustainable futures. Design education should be adapted accordingly. Introducing the transition design concept into established design education promotes the sustainable society transition by involving more systems thinking from designers in various sectors. This study reports on a pilot practice and reflection on introducing the transition design concept to design students.
Understanding the art of design thinking facilitation: a novel instrument for observing instructional strategies used by facilitators
Authors: Guaman-Quintanilla Sharon , Alcivar Isabel , Chiluiza Katherine
Published: May 2024

Design Thinking (DT) is considered an innovative and effective pedagogical approach. To enhance the understanding of instructional strategies used by university DT facilitators, we developed the Design Thinking Facilitation Behaviour List, an instrument that matches strategies with observable behaviours in a DT course. We present the design process and validation of the instrument. Results show the instrument's effectiveness in capturing instructional strategies in a DT course, paving the way for future research and improved teaching practices.
Students’ perception of risks in computer-supported collaborative design teams
Authors: Morman Beth , Brisco Ross
Published: May 2024

The recent Covid-19 pandemic created an unprecedented transition to distributed design team collaboration in education and industry, and with the sudden change in working environments, researchers must consider novel risks introduced to the design process. This research established that student perception of risk differs through personal experience and the impact of risks are greater when working online. Recommendations are made on how these risks could be mitigated further to allow the successful implantation of distributed design through computed-supported environment in education.
Proposing an SDGs education model: integrating design thinking and behavioral science “nudges” for high school students
Authors: Zhang Yanfang , Loh Leon , Shimomura Moe , Takano Noriko
Published: May 2024

This study focuses on the development of a creative model of SDGs education that promotes behavior change in upper secondary schools using an approach that combines design thinking and behavioral science nudge methods. The SDGs education for high school students, which utilized design thinking, was used as a case study. Questionnaire surveys of high school students and teachers who participated in the project were conducted. Based on the survey results, a new education model was proposed that can effectively improve SDGs education at the high school level and support educators in this field.
A review of hydraulic energy harvester designs – current practice and future improvements
Authors: Giunta Lorenzo , Roscow James , Liu Jingqi
Published: May 2024

This paper addresses the underexplored domain of hydraulic energy harvesters (HEH). Through a literature review, existing designs are identified, aiding in the categorisation of energy conversion technologies and fluid-mechanical interfaces. Recognizing a lack of standardized approaches to testing HEH, the paper proposes a re-configurable test platform. The platform, accommodating diverse configurations, operates at high pressures, aligns with existing hydraulic setups, and functions in static or dynamic modes. This tool aims to assist researchers further explore the implementation of HEHs.
Supporting the digital thread through the principles of complementarity
Authors: Brovar Yana , Sadeghzadeh Saina , Fortin Clement
Published: May 2024

To establish a coherent Digital Thread, encompassing diverse information obtained during the design process, it is imperative to ensure the traceability of information particularly between engineering and manufacturing teams. A challenge lies in maintaining links between data, particularly in the context of configuration management. Through the principles of complementarity, we explore links between the Engineering and the Manufacturing definitions through a major structural element. We forsee the principles of complementarity as a support for Digital Thread throughout the product lifecycle.
The evolution of design patterns in joint decision-making spaces
Authors: Klöckner Hermann Wolfram , Thoring Katja
Published: May 2024

This paper outlines the evolution of decision-making spaces through selected instantiations, analyzing the role of design in their utility and identifying preliminary patterns in spatial layout. It builds on the combination of two research fields: A) Decision support systems and B) Creative Spaces. The paper aims to take a first step towards combining these two existing research fields by focusing on the spatial design aspects that foster the convergent aspect of creativity and to provide guidance for further research on the design of decision-making spaces.
Enhancing knowledge management in the engineering design process through a communication platform
Authors: Ugurlu Sinan , Grafinger Manfred , Gerhard Detlef , Demircioglu Pinar
Published: May 2024

In today's competitive market, design firms are under pressure to enhance the speed of their decision-making processes to foster innovative products. Due to specialized nature of contemporary technology, enterprises are directed to consider Design for X factors during the product development process like environmental impact and production efficiency. This transformation leads to an increase in gaining knowledge from different fields. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for efficiently acquiring and applying knowledge, aimed at improving knowledge management and sharing practices.
Evaluation of a multi-user requirements axiomatic design decision support tool for manufacturing process selection
Authors: Abela Edward , Farrugia Philip , Vella Pierre , Cassar Glenn , Gauci Maria Victoria
Published: May 2024

Manufacturing process selection presents numerous challenges to designers, including product complexity, consideration of production volumes and part tolerances. This paper introduces a design support tool based on the axiomatic design model to systematically transform requirements into functions and technological capabilities. The results from an evaluation of the implemented prototype tool in the field of medical device design demonstrates its usefulness in selecting the most suitable candidate manufacturing process for a given artifact, while taking into account multiple user requirements.
Automatic evaluation of the misplacement risk during manual assembly based on a CAD design
Authors: De Cock Alexander , Khanyile Ncamisile , Decraemer Bieke
Published: May 2024

In HMLV manufacturing, assembly mistakes by operators are common due to the ever increasing product variability and complexity. If mistakes can be detected early-on in the design process, product designers can reduce the possibility for mistakes. We present an algorithm to automatically detect and evaluate potential misplacements of parts that need to be fastened. Evaluation starts from a product CAD and returns the risk of misplacement as well as visual feedback on possible misplacements. An implementation with FreeCAD of our algorithm is illustrated on different use cases.
Factors that determine design similarity
Authors: Sakamoto Kazuko , Kinzuka Yuya
Published: May 2024

In recent years, the importance of design has been pointed out as a source of competitive advantage. However, creating a great design also increases the risk of copy products being created. In this study, we used an approach based on visual information and conducted an international comparative judgment survey of elements considered to be similar within products.
Mixed reality prototyping: a framework to characterise simultaneous physical/virtual prototyping
Authors: Snider Chris , Kukreja Aman , Cox Christopher Michael Jason , Gopsill James , Kent Lee
Published: May 2024

Immersive reality (XR) technologies, particularly Mixed Reality (MR), offer promising opportunities for enhancing design prototyping. While recent studies often focus on Virtual Reality this work explores the application of MR, where focus lies on interlinking both the physical and digital to maximise benefit. Following a review of XR in design, a descriptive framework is presented to characterise MR prototyping. Two case studies are then presented to highlight the value of bridging the physical and digitalf worlds, before directions for further research in MR-based prototyping are outlined.
Optimization-based design support for engineer-to-order product quotation
Authors: Vidner Olle , Wiberg Anton , Pettersson Robert , Persson Johan A. , Ölvander Johan
Published: May 2024

Quotation of engineer-to-order products provides substantial challenges in effectively managing engineering resources. This paper describes an approach that rationalizes this process by integrating multi-disciplinary design analysis and optimization with a new open-source library for managing engineering knowledge before and after optimization. The approach is applied and evaluated on mechanical rock excavation machines. Adapting the approach and considering the user feedback gathered can lead to an enhanced design space overview during quotation and thus more competitive product offerings.
Criticality-based planning of prototype sequences
Authors: Zorn Stefan , Glaser Tobias , Gericke Kilian
Published: May 2024

The understanding of prototyping has changed in recent years to an approach that accompanies the product development process. This paper examines whether classic approaches from product development are also suitable for planning prototyping sequences. The stepwise process-oriented and the problem-oriented approach are discussed. A criticality assessment is proposed as a metric for the prioritization of the functional areas and a procedure is derived from this. The procedure is illustrated using an example. The result is discussed and future steps are suggested.
Exploring metacognitive processes in design ideation with text-to-image AI tools
Authors: Chang Hao-Yu , Kuo Jo-Yu
Published: May 2024

This research aims to explore the existence of metacognition during the use of text-to-image generators in the design ideation stage. We recruited five participants with a design background to use Midjourney as an ideation tool and to produce three sketches at the end of their task. Through semi-structured interviews and retrospective verbalization, we collected data on their thought processes. The qualitative analysis revealed clear indications of metacognitive engagement, such as monitoring and evaluating, which opens the path for future research into the impact of AI on design cognition.
How designers think creatively: an exploratory study in the use of visual and emotional mental imagery
Authors: Edgecomb Ian Marcus , Brisco Ross , Wodehouse Andrew
Published: May 2024

Mental Imagery is a focus for design cognition research, with most research focusing on visual mental imagery, it has been highlighted that mental imagery encompasses more aspects than visual, including emotion known as multimodal mental imagery. So as researchers and educators we need to understand the cognitive process and how to best stimulate it. This paper looks at design students use of visual and emotional mental imagery and its impact on their ability to produce creative outcomes during the ideation stage of the design process.
Engaging communities in Sulawesi Island, Indonesia: A collaborative approach to modelling marine plastic debris through open science and online visualization
Authors: Jones Nia H. , Christie David , Demmer Jonathan , Faizal Ibnu , Giebink Noah , Huang Peng , Jones Gaynor , Kantamaneni Komali , Lewis Matthew J. , Pratama Munawir B. , Purba Noir P. , Ward Sophie L. , Robins Peter E.
Published: May 2024

Marine litter poses a complex challenge in Indonesia, necessitating a well-informed and coordinated strategy for effective mitigation. This study investigates the seasonality of plastic concentrations around Sulawesi Island in central Indonesia during monsoon-driven wet and dry seasons. By using open data and methodologies including the HYCOM and Parcels models, we simulated the dispersal of plastic waste over 3 months during both the southwest and northeast monsoons. Our research extended beyond data analysis, as we actively engaged with local communities, researchers and policymakers through a range of outreach initiatives, including the development of a web application to visualize model results. Our findings underscore the substantial influence of monsoon-driven currents on surface plastic concentrations, highlighting the seasonal variation in the risk to different regional seas. This study adds to the evidence provided by coarser resolution regional ocean modelling studies, emphasizing that seasonality is a key driver of plastic pollution within the Indonesian archipelago. Inclusive international collaboration and a community-oriented approach were integral to our project, and we recommend that future initiatives similarly engage researchers, local communities and decision-makers in marine litter modelling results. This study aims to support the application of model results in solutions to the marine litter problem.
A 12-week double-blind randomised controlled trial investigating the effect of dietary supplementation with 125 μg/d vitamin D in adults with asthma
Authors: Watkins Stephanie , Harrison Tanja , Mushtaq Sohail
Published: May 2024

Vitamin D deficiency has previously been linked to higher rates of exacerbation and reduced lung function in asthmatics. Previous randomised controlled trials investigating the effect of vitamin D supplementation have mainly focused on children with asthma. Trials involving adults have typically used bolus dosing regimens, and the main outcomes have been patient-focused without investigating underlying inflammation. The present study aimed to conduct a 12-week placebo-controlled randomised controlled trials administering a daily 125 µg vitamin D3 supplement to adults with mild to moderate asthma. A total of 32 participants were randomised to receive either the 125 μg vitamin D3 supplement or an identical matching placebo. The primary outcome of the study was lung function measured by the ratio of FEV1:FVC (effect size 2·5) with secondary outcomes including asthma symptoms and inflammatory biomarkers. There was a small but statistically significant higher increase in the mean (±sd) ratio of FEV1:FVC from baseline to post-intervention in the vitamin D group (+0·05 ± 0·06) compared with the placebo group (+0·006 ± 0·04, P = 0·04). There was no effect of the intervention on asthma control test scores, or the inflammatory biomarkers measured. There was a moderate, significant association between baseline plasma 25(OH)D concentration and baseline plasma IL-10 (r = 0·527, P = 0·005) and TNF-α (r = −0·498. P = 0·008) concentrations. A daily vitamin D3 supplement led to slightly improved lung function in adult asthmatics and may be a useful adjunct to existing asthma control strategies, particularly for individuals with suboptimal vitamin D status.
Considering climate change impact on the global potential geographical distribution of the invasive Argentine ant and little fire ant
Authors: Li Tong , Jiang Pei , Liu Jingyuan , Zhu Jingquan , Zhao Shouqi , Li Zhihong , Zhong Mina , Ma Chen , Qin Yujia
Published: May 2024

The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) and the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) are among the top 100 invasive alien species globally, causing significant ecological and economic harm. Therefore, it is crucial to study their potential geographic distribution worldwide. This study aimed to predict their global distribution under current and future climate conditions. We used distribution data from various sources, including CABI, GBIF, and PIAKey, and key climate variables selected from 19 environmental factors to model their potential geographic distribution using MaxEnt. The AUC values were 0.925 and 0.937 for L. humile and W. auropunctata, respectively, indicating good predictive performance. Suitable areas for L. humile were mainly in southern North America, northern South America, Europe, central Asia, southern Oceania, and parts of Africa, while W. auropunctata suitable areas were mostly in southern North America, most of South America, a small part of Europe, southern Asia, central Africa, and some parts of Oceania. Under climate change scenario, suitable areas for L. humile increased, while highly suitable areas for W. auropunctata decreased. The top four countries with the largest areas of overlapping suitable habitat under current climate were Brazil, China, Australia, and Argentina, while under future SSP585 climate scenario, the top four countries were Brazil, China, Indonesia, and Argentina. Some countries, such as Estonia and Finland, will see an overlapping adaptation area under climate change. In conclusion, this study provides insight into controlling the spread and harm of L. humile and W. auropunctata.
An acoustic exploration of sibilant contrasts and sibilant merger in Mixean Basque
Authors: Egurtzegi Ander , Krajewska Dorota , Carignan Christopher , Urrestarazu-Porta Iñigo
Published: May 2024

This exploratory study investigates sibilants in Mixean Low Navarrese, an endangered variety of Basque. This variety has been described with ten different contrastive sibilants: /s̻, s̺, ʃ, t͡s̻, t͡s̺, t͡ʃ, z̻, z̺, ʒ, d͡z̺/. The objective of the paper is to (a) provide a detailed description of the acoustics of Mixean sibilants, and (b) elucidate whether ten categories can be proposed based only on acoustical data, or whether fewer categories should be considered. The study is based on free-conversation data of ten subjects (three females, seven males) aged between 80 and 85 years. We analyze metrics reflecting the place of articulation (spectral moments, and especially the center of gravity (CoG)), including also the temporal dynamics of CoG (using the discrete cosine transform of CoG measurements of nine intervals of each phone). We also explore the acoustic correlates of the contrasts between (a) voiced and voiceless sounds and (b) fricative and affricate sounds. The results show that only seven categories can be proposed based on acoustic measurements. The lamino-alveolar series reliably contrasts with the rest, but the distinction does not hold between the apico-alveolar and the postalveolar series. We found minimal differences in the analysis of dynamic data, and none in the static analysis.
Diffuse-interface approximation and weak–strong uniqueness of anisotropic mean curvature flow
Authors: Laux Tim , Stinson Kerrek , Ullrich Clemens
Published: May 2024

The purpose of this paper is to derive anisotropic mean curvature flow as the limit of the anisotropic Allen–Cahn equation. We rely on distributional solution concepts for both the diffuse and sharp interface models and prove convergence using relative entropy methods, which have recently proven to be a powerful tool in interface evolution problems. With the same relative entropy, we prove a weak–strong uniqueness result, which relies on the construction of gradient flow calibrations for our anisotropic energy functionals.
Darker Legacies Of Anti-corruption: Fascist Criticisms of the Law in Inter-war Romania
Authors: Cercel Cosmin
Published: May 2024

The aim of this article is to open a new way of understanding corruption by examining its place within the law and culture of the European semi-periphery, with a focus on inter-war Romania. My intention is to operate a twofold displacement of the analysis of the anti-corruption and the status of constitutional practice in this context. First, I aim to reposition the question of political corruption within a jurisprudential and legal historical context. In this way I inquire what is the legal theoretical importance of political corruption in a post-dependency context? In other words, what can the representation of corruption entail for law, and for a particular legal historical trajectory within the European periphery. Second, I move towards exploring the context of the inter-war period as well as the discursive construction of political corruption within the law and through the fascist criticism levelled against it.
Algebraic constraints and algorithms for common lines in cryo-EM
Authors: Muller Tommi , Duncan Adriana L. , Verbeke Eric J. , Kileel Joe
Published: May 2024

We revisit the topic of common lines between projection images in single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). We derive a novel low-rank constraint on a certain 2n × n matrix storing properly scaled basis vectors for the common lines between n projection images of one molecular conformation. Using this algebraic constraint and others, we give optimization algorithms to denoise common lines and recover the unknown 3D rotations associated with the images. As an application, we develop a clustering algorithm to partition a set of noisy images into homogeneous communities using common lines, in the case of discrete heterogeneity in cryo-EM. We demonstrate the methods on synthetic and experimental datasets.
Pink purslane (Portulaca pilosa) control with postemergence herbicides
Authors: Shay Nicholas J. , Prostko Eric P.
Published: May 2024

Pink purslane is often ranked as one of the most troublesome weeds in vegetable production systems in Georgia. Pink purslane encroachment along field edges and in-field of agronomic crops has recently increased. Postemergence herbicides are an effective component of agronomic crop weed management. However, little research has addressed pink purslane control in agronomic crops. Therefore, greenhouse and field studies were conducted from 2022 to 2023 in Tifton, Georgia, to evaluate the response of pink purslane to postemergence herbicides commonly used in agronomic crops. Greenhouse screening provided preliminary evidence whereby 13 of the 21 postemergence herbicides evaluated provided ≥80% aboveground biomass reductions. These 13 herbicides were then used for field studies. Results from the field studies, pooled across two locations, indicated that only three of the 13 herbicides provided aboveground biomass reductions of ≥70% compared to the nontreated control. Those herbicides included atrazine at 1,682 g ai ha−1, glufosinate at 656 g ai ha−1, and lactofen at 219 g ai ha−1 with 79%, 70%, and 83% biomass reduction, respectively (P < 0.05). This research suggests that many of the postemergence herbicides used on agronomic crops will not effectively control pink purslane. Thus, when trying to manage pink purslane with postemergence herbicides in agronomic crops, growers should plant crops or cultivars that are tolerant of either atrazine, glufosinate, lactofen, or a combination of these.
Morphology‐Dependent Magnetic Properties in Shallow‐Water Ferromanganese Concretions
Authors: Wasiljeff Joonas , Salminen Johanna M. , Roberts Andrew P. , Hu Pengxiang , Brown Maxwell , Kuva Jukka , Lukkari Sari , Jolis Ester M. , Heinsalu Atko , Hong Wei‐Li , Lepland Aivo , Suuroja Sten , Parkkonen Joni , Virtasalo Joonas J.
Published: May 2024

Ferromanganese concretions commonly occur in shallow‐water coastal regions worldwide. In the Baltic Sea, they can record information about past and present underwater environments and could be a potential source for critical raw materials. We report on their microstructural characteristics and magnetic properties and link them to their formation mechanisms and environmental significance. Microstructural investigations from nano‐ and micro‐computed tomography, electron microscopy, and micro‐X‐ray fluorescence elemental mapping reveal diverse growth patterns within concretions of different morphologies. Alternating Fe‐ and Mn‐rich growth bands indicate fluctuating redox conditions during formation. Bullet‐shaped magnetofossils, produced by magnetotactic bacteria, are present, which suggests the influence of bacterial activity on concretion formation. Spheroidal concretions, which occur in deeper and more tranquil environments, have enhanced microbial biomineralization and magnetofossil preservation. Conversely, crusts and discoidal concretions from shallower and more energetic environments contain fewer magnetofossils and have a greater detrital content. Our results provide insights into concretion formation mechanisms and highlight the importance of diagenetic processes, oxygen availability, and bacterial activity in the Baltic Sea.
Latitudinal Profiles of Auroral Forms/Motions and Plasma Properties Based on Simultaneous Image‐Particle Measurements by Reimei in the Midnight Auroral Oval
Authors: Hirahara Masafumi , Fukuda Yoko , Ebihara Yusuke , Seki Kanako , Sakanoi Takeshi , Asamura Kazushi , Takada Taku , Yamazaki Atsushi , Kasaba Yasumasa , Saito Hirobumi
Published: May 2024

We present the simultaneous and conjugated auroral emission and particle data obtained by a low‐altitude polar‐orbiting micro‐satellite, Reimei, for elucidating their latitudinal distributions and variations in the nightside auroral oval. Here are reported a few notable examples of the Reimei observations with high time and spatial resolutions, namely ∼120 msec. and ∼1.2 km × 1.2 km for multispectral auroral images and 40 msec. for energy‐pitch angle distributions of electrons and ions with energies of 10 eV–12 keV, respectively. The auroral images show various fine‐scale auroral activities characterized by the following types of auroral forms and variations: faint bands, streaming multiple arcs, shearing arcs, and vortices/curls, which are typical of the latitudinal properties of auroras. The particle analyzer simultaneously observed various properties of electron energy‐pitch angle and latitudinal distributions, and their temporal variations, each of which corresponds to a type of the auroral activities. Their features are summarized below. Reimei repetitively observed inverted‐V signatures of low‐energy (<1 keV) field‐aligned electrons in addition to the higher‐energy (several keV) diffuse electrons in low‐latitude auroral oval. In more active regions at higher latitudes, the dominant energy flux responsible for the multiple‐arc emissions was carried by the well‐known inverted‐V electron precipitation. The rapidly rotating vortices or so‐called curls of fine‐scale discrete auroras near the poleward boundary of the auroral oval were closely associated with the significant energy fluxes of spiky field‐aligned electron bursts with energy‐time dispersions produced by dispersive Alfvén waves.
A Numerical Study on the Impact of E × B Drift on the Vertical Distribution of the Plasma Density Over the Geomagnetic Equatorial Ionospheric Region
Authors: Ashok Arya , Ambili K. M. , Choudhary R. K.
Published: May 2024

Using an in–house developed Quasi Two–Dimensional (QTD) physics–based ionospheric model, the impact of E × B drift velocity on the vertical distribution of the electron density over the equatorial latitude has been investigated. The vertical drift measurements from (a) drift analysis software of Digisonde (b) derived from Digisonde ionograms (c) calculated from the Scherliess–Fejer (SF) model, and (d) obtained from the magnetometer ΔH measurements have been used in this study. Four quiet days in a low solar activity year, representing four seasons of the year 2010, have been chosen for the study. The model–derived electron density profiles using the vertical drifts from all four methods matched well with the Digisonde observation below ∼150 km at all the Local Times (LTs) for all 4 days. However, since the Digisonde–derived drifts were very low, centered mostly around zero, it led to the overestimation/underestimation of the F–region peak plasma density (nmF2)/height (hmF2). The model simulated electron density profiles using the SF model, and ΔH derived vertical drifts showed good agreement with the observation up to an altitude of ∼350 km. The study showed that vertical drift is a factor that controls the nmF2 trough around noon over the equatorial latitude. It is seen that plasma diffusion occurs only beyond an altitude of 350 km, while the range of altitudes between 320 and 350 km acts as the “diffusion threshold height.” This finding has significant implications for understanding plasma dynamics in the equatorial ionosphere.
Forecasting 24‐Hr Total Electron Content With Long Short‐Term Memory Neural Network
Authors: Adolfs Marjolijn , Hoque Mohammed Mainul , Shprits Yuri Y.
Published: May 2024

An accurate prediction of the ionospheric state is important for correcting ionospheric propagation effects on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals used in precise navigation and positioning applications. The main objective of the present work is to find a total electron content (TEC) model which gives a good estimate of ionospheric state not only during quiet but also during perturbed ionospheric conditions. For this, we implemented several long short‐term memory (LSTM)‐based models capable of predicting TEC up to 24 hr ahead. For the first time, we used the solar wind forcing parameters Wprot (a measure of the ionospheric disturbance during storm time) and Econv (measure of the solar wind parameters) as driver parameters. We found that using external drivers does not improve the accuracy of TEC predictions significantly. The final model is trained with data from the last two solar cycles using TEC from the rapid UQRG global ionosphere maps (GIMs). Data from the years 2015 and 2020 were excluded from the training data set and used for testing. The performance of the LSTM‐based TEC model is tested for near real‐time (RT) cases as well by using RT products (IRTG GIMs) as historical TEC inputs. We compared the performance of the LSTM‐based model to a quiet‐time feed forward neural network (FNN)‐based model and the Neustrelitz TEC model (NTCM). The results indicate that the LSTM‐based model proposed here is outperforming the FNN‐based model and NTCM in both cases, that is, using the UQRG or the IRTG GIMs as input for the historical TEC.
Crossover from gas-like to liquid-like molecular diffusion in a simple supercritical fluid
Authors: Ranieri Umbertoluca , Formisano Ferdinando , Gorelli Federico A. , Santoro Mario , Koza Michael Marek , De Francesco Alessio , Bove Livia E.
Published: May 2024

According to textbooks, no physical observable can be discerned allowing to distinguish a liquid from a gas beyond the critical point. Yet, several proposals have been put forward challenging this view and various transition boundaries between a gas-like and a liquid-like behaviour, including the so-called Widom and Frenkel lines, and percolation line, have been suggested to delineate the supercritical state space. Here we report observation of a crossover from gas-like (Gaussian) to liquid-like (Lorentzian) self-dynamic structure factor by incoherent quasi-elastic neutron scattering measurements on supercritical fluid methane as a function of pressure, along the 200 K isotherm. The molecular self-diffusion coefficient was derived from the best Gaussian (at low pressures) or Lorentzian (at high pressures) fits to the neutron spectra. The Gaussian-to-Lorentzian crossover is progressive and takes place at about the Widom line intercept (59 bar). At considerably higher pressures, a liquid-like jump diffusion mechanism properly describes the supercritical fluid on both sides of the Frenkel line. The present observation of a gas-like to liquid-like crossover in the self dynamics of a simple supercritical fluid confirms emerging views on the unexpectedly complex physics of the supercritical state, and could have planet-wide implications and possible industrial applications in green chemistry.
FOXC1 regulates endothelial CD98 (LAT1/4F2hc) expression in retinal angiogenesis and blood-retina barrier formation
Authors: Bhakuni Teena , Norden Pieter R. , Ujiie Naoto , Tan Can , Lee Sun Kyong , Tedeschi Thomas , Hsieh Yi-Wen , Wang Ying , Liu Ting , Fawzi Amani A. , Kume Tsutomu
Published: May 2024

Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, is essential for the development of new organ systems, but transcriptional control of angiogenesis remains incompletely understood. Here we show that FOXC1 is essential for retinal angiogenesis. Endothelial cell (EC)-specific loss of Foxc1 impairs retinal vascular growth and expression of Slc3a2 and Slc7a5, which encode the heterodimeric CD98 (LAT1/4F2hc) amino acid transporter and regulate the intracellular transport of essential amino acids and activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). EC-Foxc1 deficiency diminishes mTOR activity, while administration of the mTOR agonist MHY-1485 rescues perturbed retinal angiogenesis. EC-Foxc1 expression is required for retinal revascularization and resolution of neovascular tufts in a model of oxygen-induced retinopathy. Foxc1 is also indispensable for pericytes, a critical component of the blood-retina barrier during retinal angiogenesis. Our findings establish FOXC1 as a crucial regulator of retinal vessels and identify therapeutic targets for treating retinal vascular disease.
Single-zinc vacancy unlocks high-rate H2O2 electrosynthesis from mixed dioxygen beyond Le Chatelier principle
Authors: Huang Qi , Xia Baokai , Li Ming , Guan Hongxin , Antonietti Markus , Chen Sheng
Published: May 2024

Le Chatelier’s principle is a basic rule in textbook defining the correlations of reaction activities and specific system parameters (like concentrations), serving as the guideline for regulating chemical/catalytic systems. Here we report a model system breaking this constraint in O2 electroreduction in mixed dioxygen. We unravel the central role of creating single-zinc vacancies in a crystal structure that leads to enzyme-like binding of the catalyst with enhanced selectivity to O2, shifting the reaction pathway from Langmuir-Hinshelwood to an upgraded triple-phase Eley-Rideal mechanism. The model system shows minute activity alteration of H2O2 yields (25.89~24.99 mol gcat
−1 h−1) and Faradaic efficiencies (92.5%~89.3%) in the O2 levels of 100%~21% at the current density of 50~300 mA cm−2, which apparently violate macroscopic Le Chatelier’s reaction kinetics. A standalone prototype device is built for high-rate H2O2 production from atmospheric air, achieving the highest Faradaic efficiencies of 87.8% at 320 mA cm−2, overtaking the state-of-the-art catalysts and approaching the theoretical limit for direct air electrolysis (~345.8 mA cm−2). Further techno-economics analyses display the use of atmospheric air feedstock affording 21.7% better economics as comparison to high-purity O2, achieving the lowest H2O2 capital cost of 0.3 $ Kg−1. Given the recent surge of demonstrations on tailoring chemical/catalytic systems based on the Le Chatelier’s principle, the present finding would have general implications, allowing for leveraging systems “beyond” this classical rule.
Severe drought exposure in utero associates to children’s epigenetic age acceleration in a global climate change hot spot
Authors: Qiao Xi , Straight Bilinda , Ngo Duy , Hilton Charles E. , Owuor Olungah Charles , Naugle Amy , Lalancette Claudia , Needham Belinda L.
Published: May 2024

The goal of this study is to examine the association between in utero drought exposure and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) in a global climate change hot spot. Calculations of EAA in adults using DNA methylation have been found to accurately predict chronic disease and longevity. However, fewer studies have examined EAA in children, and drought exposure in utero has not been investigated. Additionally, studies of EAA in low-income countries with diverse populations are rare. We assess EAA using epigenetic clocks and two DNAm-based pace-of-aging measurements from whole saliva samples in 104 drought-exposed children and 109 same-sex sibling controls in northern Kenya. We find a positive association between in utero drought exposure and EAA in two epigenetic clocks (Hannum’s and GrimAge) and a negative association in the DNAm based telomere length (DNAmTL) clock. The combined impact of drought’s multiple deleterious stressors may reduce overall life expectancy through accelerated epigenetic aging.
Mechanical-scan-free multicolor super-resolution imaging with diffractive spot array illumination
Authors: Xu Ning , Bohndiek Sarah E. , Li Zexing , Zhang Cilong , Tan Qiaofeng
Published: May 2024

Point-scanning microscopy approaches are transforming super-resolution imaging. Despite achieving parallel high-speed imaging using multifocal techniques, efficient multicolor imaging methods with high-quality illumination are currently lacking. In this paper, we present for the first time Mechanical-scan-free multiColor Super-resolution Microscopy (MCoSM) with spot array illumination, which enables mechanical-scan-free super-resolution imaging with adjustable resolution and a good effective field-of-view based on spatial light modulators. Through 100–2,500 s super-resolution spot illumination with different effective fields of view for imaging, we demonstrate the adjustable capacity of MCoSM. MCoSM extends existing spectral imaging capabilities through a time-sharing process involving different color illumination with phase-shift scanning while retaining the spatial flexibility of super-resolution imaging with diffractive spot array illumination. To demonstrate the prospects of MCoSM, we perform four-color imaging of fluorescent beads at high resolution. MCoSM provides a versatile platform for studying molecular interactions in complex samples at the nanoscale level.
Optogenetic activation of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons induces brain-wide activation
Authors: Hamada Hiro Taiyo , Abe Yoshifumi , Takata Norio , Taira Masakazu , Tanaka Kenji F. , Doya Kenji
Published: May 2024

Serotonin is a neuromodulator that affects multiple behavioral and cognitive functions. Nonetheless, how serotonin causes such a variety of effects via brain-wide projections and various receptors remains unclear. Here we measured brain-wide responses to optogenetic stimulation of serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) of the male mouse brain using functional MRI with an 11.7 T scanner and a cryoprobe. Transient activation of DRN serotonin neurons caused brain-wide activation, including the medial prefrontal cortex, the striatum, and the ventral tegmental area. The same stimulation under anesthesia with isoflurane decreased brain-wide activation, including the hippocampal complex. These brain-wide response patterns can be explained by DRN serotonergic projection topography and serotonin receptor expression profiles, with enhanced weights on 5-HT1 receptors. Together, these results provide insight into the DR serotonergic system, which is consistent with recent discoveries of its functions in adaptive behaviors.