bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Social Cost of Blockchain: Externalities, Allocation of Property Rights, and the Role of the Law
Authors: Martino Edoardo D. , Ringe W. Georg
Published: January 2025

In the past decade, the legal and economic literature on blockchain technology and its applications has flourished. This new technology holds great promise for enhancing the efficiency of contracting. Building on the classic Coase theorem, blockchain as a decentralised mechanism of decision-making should be superior to centralised regulation, possibly yielding substantial efficiency gains. Notably, it also has the potential to improve the allocation of property rights and reduce transaction costs.

However, many of these enthusiastic views about what blockchain technology may bring are overblown. This article demonstrates that blockchain creates a variety of new externalities, which cannot be addressed by the decentralised actors using it. The most obvious of them is the environmental externality stemming from the energy-intensive mining process. In addition, more immediate externalities emerge, for example through the operational and legal risks of being part of a blockchain transaction, which are particularly evident in the crypto economy. Moreover, issues surrounding blockchain governance may exacerbate these challenges.

In conclusion, we propose several regulatory strategies to mitigate these shortcomings and harness the full potential of blockchain technology.
Into Buddhism, Yet Hardly an Escape: Monk Dangui and the High Qing Censorship against Him
Authors: Lin Hsueh-Yi
Published: January 2025

In 1775, during the process of collecting books for the Siku quanshu project, an empire-wide literary inquisition was imposed on the deceased monk Jinshi Dangui (1614–80). As the curious case of censorship developed, the trials not only diminished a major Cantonese monastic community and an old bannermen family but also inspired several imperially commissioned historiographical projects. Exploring the historical significance of the Dangui case at the nexus of early Qing Buddhist networks, Qing imperial control, and the politics of historical memory, this study unravels a multi-layered story of the posthumous censorship of Monk Dangui. It cross-examines a broad range of sources including imperial archives, gazetteers, biji, personal records, and literary anthologies to reconstruct a remarkable moment in High Qing censorship and to present a history of a displaced Buddhist community during the Ming–Qing transition; both became obscured after the Qianlong reconstruction of the imperial order.
Institutional Complexity and Corporate Environmental Investments: Evidence from China's Mixed-Ownership Reform of State-Owned Enterprises
Authors: Li Huiying , Chang Yu , Wang Xinchun , Zhang Nan
Published: January 2025

While environmental concerns are increasingly driving firms’ strategic decisions, insights into why firms make heterogeneous environmental investments are limited. Taking an institutional view, we explore the effect of institutional complexity resulting from multiple but incongruent institutional logics within an organization on firms’ environmental investments. Using China's mixed-ownership reform as a research context, we identify a unique condition in which institutional complexity arises as the privatization process results in two coexisting but incongruent institutional logics – namely, state and financial logic. We further propose that privatization plays both enabling and constraining roles in state-owned enterprises’ (SOEs’) strategic decisions about environmental investments, depending on the relative dominance of each institutional logic, resulting in an inverted U-shaped relationship between privatization and environmental investments. Moreover, we examine the moderating effects of CEO background characteristics and firms’ external environmental context to uncover how these factors influence the relative dominance of state or financial logic in privatized SOEs, thereby reshaping SOEs’ environmental investments. Analyses of multisource panel data from Chinese listed SOEs from 2013 to 2020 support our theoretical propositions. The findings contribute to the literature on how institutional factors affect firm environmental practices and provide new insights to better understand the influence of institutional complexity on firm strategic actions.
A new species of Heligmostrongylus Travassos 1917 (Nematoda: Heligmonellidae) in small rodents (Cricetidae and Heteromyidae) from Mexico
Authors: Panti-May J.A. , Chan-Casanova A.J. , Digiani M.C.
Published: January 2025

A new species of Heligmostrongylus (Nematoda: Heligmonellidae) is described from the small rodents Ototylomys phyllotis (Cricetidae: Tylomyinae) and Heteromys gaumeri (Heteromyidae: Heteromyinae) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, based on studies of light and scanning electron microscopy, and partial sequences of COI, ITS1 and 28S rRNA. Heligmostrongylus yucatanensis n. sp. is characterized by a synlophe of 13 interrupted ridges (except those forming careen) in both sexes at midbody; males with a ventral cuticle inflation at anterior region of copulatory bursa, rays 9 and 10 long, comparable in length, and rays 9 strongly curved laterally at a right angle crossing ventrally rays 8; and females with a torsion of 180° to left of the posterior extremity. These characteristics were shared with Heligmostrongylus nematodes reported previously from O. phyllotis and Peromyscus yucatanicus (Cricetidae: Neotominae) also in the Yucatan Peninsula. The absence of intraspecific sequence variations in COI, and the low variation in D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA and ITS1 among the specimens obtained from the different hosts provided strong support that the worms found in the three rodent species belong to the same new species. The nine previously known species of Heligmostrongylus have been reported from caviomorph rodents of the families Cuniculidae, Dasyproctidae, Echimyidae, and Erethizontidae from the Neotropics. The occurrence of H. yucatanensis in three phylogenetically distant rodent species suggests that this nematode species could have the ability to expand its host range by colonizing new hosts.
How can actuarial science contribute to the field of health technology assessment? An interdisciplinary perspective
Authors: Espinosa Oscar , Drummond Michael , Russo Ellyn , Williams David , Wix Donna
Published: January 2025

A reflective analysis is presented on the potential added value that actuarial science can contribute to the field of health technology assessment. This topic is discussed based on the experience of several experts in health actuarial science and health economics. Different points are addressed, such as the role of actuarial science in health, actuarial judgment, data inputs and their quality, modeling methodologies and the use of decision-analytic models in the age of artificial intelligence, and the development of innovative pricing and payment models.
Mean field limits of co-evolutionary signed heterogeneous networks
Authors: Gkogkas Marios Antonios , Kuehn Christian , Xu Chuang
Published: January 2025

Many science phenomena are modelled as interacting particle systems (IPS) coupled on static networks. In reality, network connections are far more dynamic. Connections among individuals receive feedback from nearby individuals and make changes to better adapt to the world. Hence, it is reasonable to model myriad real-world phenomena as co-evolutionary (or adaptive) networks. These networks are used in different areas including telecommunication, neuroscience, computer science, biochemistry, social science, as well as physics, where Kuramoto-type networks have been widely used to model interaction among a set of oscillators. In this paper, we propose a rigorous formulation for limits of a sequence of co-evolutionary Kuramoto oscillators coupled on heterogeneous co-evolutionary networks, which receive both positive and negative feedback from the dynamics of the oscillators on the networks. We show under mild conditions, the mean field limit (MFL) of the co-evolutionary network exists and the sequence of co-evolutionary Kuramoto networks converges to this MFL. Such MFL is described by solutions of a generalised Vlasov equation. We treat the graph limits as signed graph measures, motivated by the recent work in [Kuehn, Xu. Vlasov equations on digraph measures, JDE, 339 (2022), 261–349]. In comparison to the recently emerging works on MFLs of IPS coupled on non-co-evolutionary networks (i.e., static networks or time-dependent networks independent of the dynamics of the IPS), our work seems the first to rigorously address the MFL of a co-evolutionary network model. The approach is based on our formulation of a generalisation of the co-evolutionary network as a hybrid system of ODEs and measure differential equations parametrised by a vertex variable, together with an analogue of the variation of parameters formula, as well as the generalised Neunzert’s in-cell-particle method developed in [Kuehn, Xu. Vlasov equations on digraph measures, JDE, 339 (2022), 261–349].
Digital empowerment for rural migrant students in China: Identity, investment, and digital literacies beyond the classroom
Authors: Liu Guangxiang Leon
Published: January 2025

Drawing upon Darvin and Norton’s (2015) model of investment, this article examines how Xing and Jimmy (both pseudonyms) as two male Chinese English as a foreign language learners from rural migrant backgrounds negotiate their identities and assemble their social and cultural resources to invest in autonomous digital literacies for language learning and the assertion of a legitimate place in urban spaces. Employing a connective ethnographic design, this study collected data through interviews, reflexive journals, digital artifacts, and on-campus observations. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach as well as within- and cross-case data analysis methods. The findings indicate that Xing and Jimmy experienced a profound sense of alienation and exclusion as they migrated from under-resourced rural spaces to the urban elite field. The unequal power relations in urban classrooms subjected them to marginalized and inadequate rural identities by denying them the right to speak and be heard. However, engaging with digital literacies in the wild allowed these migrant learners to access a wide range of linguistic, cultural, and symbolic resources, empowering them to reframe their identities as legitimate English speakers. The acquisition of such legitimacy enabled them to challenge the prevailing rural–urban exclusionary ideologies to claim the right to speak. This article closes by offering implications for empowering rural migrant students as socially competent members of the Chinese higher education system in the digital age.
Modeled Surf‐Zone Eddies on a Laboratory Scale Barred Beach With Varying Wave Conditions
Authors: Nuss Emma S. , Moulton Melissa , Suanda Sutara H. , Baker Christine M.
Published: January 2025

Transient rip currents drive cross‐shore transport of nutrients, larvae, sediment, and other particulate matter. These currents are driven by short‐crested wave breaking, which is associated with rotational wave‐breaking forces (vorticity forcing) that generate horizontal rotational motions (eddies) at small scales. Energy from small‐scale eddies is transferred to larger‐scale eddies that interact and enhance cross‐shore exchange. Previous numerical modeling work on planar beaches has shown that cross‐shore exchange increases with increasing wave directional spread, but this relationship is not established for barred beaches, and processes connecting the wavefield to cross‐shore exchange are not well constrained. We investigate surf‐zone eddy processes using numerical simulations (FUNWAVE‐TVD) and large‐scale laboratory observations of varying offshore wave directional spreads (0 to ) and peak period (1.5–2.5 s) on an alongshore uniform barred beach. We find that mean breaking crest length decreases, while crest end density (number of crest ends in a given area) increases, with increasing directional spread. In contrast, vorticity forcing, offshore low‐frequency rotational motion, and cross‐shore exchange peak at intermediate directional spreads . Distributions of the strength of vorticity forcing per crest and across the surf zone suggest that the peak in vorticity forcing at intermediate spreads results from a combination of a larger total breaking area and relatively long crests with large forcing, despite a lower total number of crests. However, low‐frequency rotational motion within the surf zone does not peak at mid‐directional spread, instead plateauing at directional spreads greater than . Results suggest that eddy‐eddy interaction, the transformation of vorticity across the surf zone, and influence of bathymetry are fruitful topics for future work.
Accelerated River Meander Migration on the Tibetan Plateau Caused by Permafrost Thaw
Authors: Sha Anmeng , Li Dongfeng , Walling Des , Zhao Yi , Tian Shang , Chen Dong , Deng Shanshan , Xia Junqiang , Best Jim
Published: January 2025

The migration of rivers in permafrost landscapes has critical implications for riverine infrastructure, ecosystem stability, and carbon cycling, yet its magnitude and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we leverage four decadal satellite imagery, hydrological observations, and permafrost modeling to investigate meander migration dynamics on the Tibetan Plateau. Our data show that the migration rates of permafrost rivers have increased by 34.6% from 1987 to 2022, in response to the combined effects of increased discharge, riverbank destabilization driven by ground ice melt and extended thawing days (increased by 35 days). In contrast, rivers flowing across seasonally frozen ground exhibited a decline in migration rate by 11.1%, driven by vegetation greening and riverbank stabilization. In a future warming climate for the Tibetan Plateau, the migration rates of permafrost rivers are anticipated to further accelerate, potentially threatening riverine infrastructure safety and aquatic ecosystems, and intensifying the permafrost carbon cycle.
Biogeophysical Radiative Forcings of Large‐Scale Afforestation in Europe Are Highly Localized and Dominated by Surface Albedo Change
Authors: Bright Ryan M. , Caporaso Luca , Duveiller Gregory , Piccardo Matteo , Cescatti Alessandro
Published: January 2025

Large‐scale re‐/afforestation projects afford sizable atmospheric CO2 removals yet questions loom surrounding their potentially offsetting biogeophysical radiative forcings. Forest area change alters not only the surface albedo but also heat, moisture, and momentum fluxes, which in turn modify the atmosphere's radiative, thermodynamical, and dynamical properties. These so‐called radiative forcing “adjustments” have been little examined in re‐/afforestation contexts, and many questions remain surrounding their relevance in relation to the instantaneous forcing from the surface albedo change—and whether they can affect Earth's radiative energy balance in regions remote from where the re‐/afforestation occurs. Here, we quantified biogeophysical radiative forcings and adjustments from realistically scaled re‐/afforestation in Europe at high spatial resolution and found that adjustments with high signal‐to‐noise were largely confined to only a few months and to the region of re‐/afforestation. Adjustments were dominated by perturbed low‐level clouds and rarely exceeded ±25% of the annual albedo change forcing.
Accelerated Permafrost Thaw Linked to Rising River Temperature and Widening Channels
Authors: Zhao Yi , Li Dongfeng
Published: January 2025

River‐controlled permafrost dynamics are crucial for sediment transport, infrastructure stability, and carbon cycle, yet are not well understood under climate change. Leveraging remotely sensed datasets, in‐situ hydrological observations, and physics‐based models, we reveal overall warming and widening rivers across the Tibetan Plateau in recent decades, driving accelerated sub‐river permafrost thaw. River temperature of a representative section (Tuotuohe River) on the central Tibetan Plateau, has increased notably (0.39°C/decade) from 1985 to 2017, facilitating heat transfer into the underlying permafrost via both convection and conduction. Consequently, the permafrost beneath rivers warms faster (0.37°C–0.66°C/decade) and has a ∼0.5 m thicker active layer than non‐inundated permafrost (0.17°C–0.49°C/decade). With increasing river discharge, the inundated area expands laterally along the riverbed (16.4 m/decade), further accelerating permafrost thaw for previously non‐inundated bars. Under future warmer and wetter climate, the anticipated intensification of sub‐river permafrost degradation will pose risks to riverine infrastructure and amplify permafrost carbon release.
Investigations on Bore Capture Modulation on a Macrotidal Beach
Authors: Hart R. M. , Blenkinsopp C. , Stringari C. E. , Power H. E.
Published: January 2025

The ability to empirically and accurately predict runup on natural beaches is made difficult by the random nature of waves and extreme runup events. In some cases, extreme runup events are the result of bore capture where one broken wave passes over the front of and merges with another broken wave or shoreline capture where capture occurs at the instantaneous shoreline. Here we use high resolution Lidar data to investigate potential drivers of bore and shoreline capture on a macro‐tidal dissipative beach. The proportion of runup events that are derived from capture(s) was identified within normalized runup elevation percentiles which increased from 15% in the lowest tenth percentile of runup elevations to 55% of runup events in the highest tenth percentile. Bore capture was found to occur primarily on the rising infragravity wave in both space and time, whereas shoreline capture occurred predominately during the rising and peak phases of the infragravity wave. The occurrence of bore capture was not, however, fully restricted to particular infragravity phases, suggesting multiple drivers of capture. Bore trajectories of pairs of captured bores and non‐captured bores were tracked showing that the probability of capture is also a function of normalized interwave proximity, the ratio of depths beneath consecutive wave crests, and normalized proximity to the mean shoreline. More dissipative beaches therefore not only have more infragravity energy within the surf and swash zones (thus infragravity modulation of bore capture), the wider surf zones provides greater time for bores to capture preceding bores.
Latitudinal Trends in Drivers of the Southern Ocean Spring Bloom Onset
Authors: Schlosser Tamara L. , Strutton Peter G. , Baker Kirralee , Boyd Philip W.
Published: January 2025

The Southern Ocean spring phytoplankton bloom impacts regional food webs and the marine carbon cycle, but we do not fully understand which drivers—environmental, ecological, or biological—control the timing of the onset of the spring bloom. Nutrients, particularly iron, are likely replete in the austral winter, but the importance of underwater light availability and grazing pressure are topics of ongoing discussion. Furthermore, in the extreme polar winter, phytoplankton physiology may impart additional constraints on the bloom onset. We analyzed biogeochemical (BGC) Argo profiles from the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean, and a one‐dimensional water column turbulence model forced by reanalysis data. Though the surface mixed layer defines where density is homogenous, the presence of enhanced turbulence and the active mixing of constituents, such as chlorophyll fluorescence, is better estimated by the depth of active mixing that we estimate from the turbulence model. We identified two regimes: one north of the subantarctic front where bloom onsets occur around July, before the seasonal maximum in mixing depth and when light availability remained near its annual minimum value. It is likely that changes in the phytoplankton loss rate control the bloom onset in this region. South of the subantarctic front, bloom onsets occur closer to austral spring following enhanced light availability, suggesting that bloom onset is primarily controlled by phytoplankton growth rather than loss terms. Our analysis shows that new insights can be gained into spring bloom phenology from the combination of float and model data.
Dynamics of Near‐Bottom Currents in Cold‐Water Coral and Sponge Areas at Valdivia Bank and Ewing Seamount, Southeast Atlantic
Authors: Mohn Christian , Schwarzkopf Franziska U. , García Patricia Jiménez , Orejas Covadonga , Huvenne Veerle A. I. , Schumacher Mia , Pérez‐Rodríguez Irene , Sarralde Vizuete Roberto , López‐Abellán Luis J. , Dale Andrew C. , Devey Colin , Hansen Jørgen L. S. , Møller Eva Friis , Biastoch Arne
Published: January 2025

This study investigates near‐bottom currents and physical processes from simulations with the hydrodynamic model ROMS‐AGRIF at two seamounts of the northeast Walvis Ridge to obtain valuable insights about drivers of observed occurrences of benthic suspension feeders (cnidarians and sponges) in this data‐poor area. The spatial resolution in each model area was increased across two levels of nested grids from 1,500 m to 500 m resolution with 32 stretched terrain‐following (s‐) layers in the vertical with high resolution close to the bottom. The parent grids receive initial and boundary conditions from the basin‐scale model INALT20 and from solutions of the OTIS inverse tidal model. The model topography is based on GEBCO data with local refinements from multi‐beam data collected during different surveys in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Increasing model resolution is an important advancement for precisely evaluating the intrinsic dynamics within challenging rough terrain. We examined how near‐bottom currents vary over space and time and investigated potential links between observed Cnidarian and Porifera occurrences and ranges of physical variables and processes. We identified a close link between physical processes and species distributions and suggested that physical processes such as kinetic energy dissipation and internal wave dynamics may be considered in future research as proxies of food supply to benthic suspension feeders. Such mechanistic variables may also be used to supplement more traditional descriptors such as water mass and terrain properties in species distribution models, thus enhancing our ability to predict the occurrence of benthic communities characterized by cnidarians and sponges.
A pan-immune panorama of bacterial pneumonia revealed by a large-scale single-cell transcriptome atlas
Authors: Xiao Kun , Cao Yan , Han Zhihai , Zhang Yuxiang , Luu Laurence Don Wai , Chen Liang , Yan Peng , Chen Wei , Wang Jiaxing , Liang Ying , Shi Xin , Wang Xiuli , Wang Fan , Hu Ye , Wen Zhengjun , Chen Yong , Yang Yuwei , Yu Haotian , Xie Lixin , Wang Yi
Published: January 2025

Bacterial pneumonia is a significant public health burden, contributing to substantial morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Current therapeutic strategies beyond antibiotics and adjuvant therapies are limited, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of the disease pathogenesis. Here, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing of 444,146 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells (BALFs) from a large cohort of 74 individuals, including 58 patients with mild (n = 22) and severe (n = 36) diseases as well as 16 healthy donors. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent and histological assays were applied for validation within this cohort. The heterogeneity of immune responses in bacterial pneumonia was observed, with distinct immune cell profiles related to disease severity. Severe bacterial pneumonia was marked by an inflammatory cytokine storm resulting from systemic upregulation of S100A8/A9 and CXCL8, primarily due to specific macrophage and neutrophil subsets. In contrast, mild bacterial pneumonia exhibits an effective humoral immune response characterized by the expansion of T follicular helper and T helper 2 cells, facilitating B cell activation and antibody production. Although both disease groups display T cell exhaustion, mild cases maintained robust cytotoxic CD8+T cell function, potentially reflecting a compensatory mechanism. Dysregulated neutrophil and macrophage responses contributed significantly to the pathogenesis of severe disease. Immature neutrophils promote excessive inflammation and suppress T cell activation, while a specific macrophage subset (Macro_03_M1) displaying features akin to myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSCs) suppress T cells and promote inflammation. Together, these findings highlight potential therapeutic targets for modulating immune responses and improving clinical outcomes in bacterial pneumonia.
Association of novel ERLIN2 gene variants with hereditary spastic paraplegia
Authors: Bermejo Ramírez R. , Villena Gascó N. , Ruiz Palmero L. , Ribes Bueno G. A. , Yamanaka E. S. , Piqueras Flores J. , Flores Barragán J. M. , Buces González E. , Arroyo Andújar J. D.
Published: January 2025

Two ERLIN2 variants (NM_007175.8:c.660delA and NM_007175.8:c.869C>T) were detected in a Spanish patient with hereditary spastic paraplegia via whole-exome sequencing and software-based pathogenic variant selection. Segregation analysis revealed that the patient’s two affected siblings carried both variants, whereas their offspring, carrying only one variant, were asymptomatic, indicating the autosomal recessive nature of the disease. These findings suggest that the identified variants can be classified as pathogenic when they are present as compound heterozygous variants.
Clinical characteristics of the Ala21Val variant in the myelin proteolipid protein 1 (PLP1) gene associated with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease in a Brazilian male patient
Authors: Manzke Pedro , Brandão Pedro Renato P. , Balieiro Talita , de Carvalho Bispo Diógenes Diego , Osório Maria Joana , Barra Gustavo Barcelos
Published: January 2025

Here, we report the case of a 29-year-old male with classic Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) harboring the PLP1 variant NM_000533.5:c.62 C > T, leading to an NP_000524.3:p.(Ala21Val) alteration in the first transmembrane domain of the protein. He presented with developmental delays, nystagmus, spastic paraparesis, optic atrophy, dysphagia, appendicular ataxia, and progressive head tremor. Brain MRI revealed hypomyelination, diffuse white matter hyperintensity, and atrophy of the corpus callosum and cerebellum, expanding the known clinical spectrum of PMD.
A novel UBA1 gene mutation in a patient with infantile respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Miyata Masafumi , Kojima Arisa , Kawai Yuri , Uchida Hidetoshi , Boda Hiroko , Ishihara Naoko , Inagaki Hidehito , Yoshikawa Tetsushi , Kurahashi Hiroki
Published: January 2025

UBA1 is an E1 ubiquitin-activating enzyme that initiates the ubiquitylation of target proteins and is thus a key component of the ubiquitin signaling pathway. Three disorders are associated with pathogenic variants of the UBA1 gene: vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic (VEXAS) syndrome, lung cancer in never smokers (LCINS), and X-linked spinal muscular atrophy (XL-SMA, SMAX2). We here report a case of infantile respiratory distress syndrome followed by continuing neuromuscular symptoms. We identified a de novo hemizygous mutation, c.1660 C > T (p.Pro554Ser), in exon 15 of the UBA1 gene in this baby. This missense mutation was located with the AAD (active adenylation domain) of the protein, a known hotspot of SMAX2 mutations. This case lends support to the genotype-phenotype correlation regarding the UBA1 mutation and its related diseases.
Parasitic structure defect blights sustainability of cobalt-free single crystalline cathodes
Authors: Yu Lei , Dai Alvin , Zhou Tao , Huang Weiyuan , Wang Jing , Li Tianyi , He Xinyou , Ma Lu , Xiao Xianghui , Ge Mingyuan , Amine Rachid , Ehrlich Steven N. , Ou Xing , Wen Jianguo , Liu Tongchao , Amine Khalil
Published: January 2025

Recent efforts to reduce battery costs and enhance sustainability have focused on eliminating Cobalt (Co) from cathode materials. While Co-free designs have shown notable success in polycrystalline cathodes, their impact on single crystalline (SC) cathodes remains less understood due to the significantly extended lithium diffusion pathways and the higher-temperature synthesis involved. Here, we reveal that removing Co from SC cathodes is structurally and electrochemically unfavorable, exhibiting unusual voltage fade behavior. Using multiscale diffraction and imaging techniques, we identify lithium-rich nanodomains (LRNDs) as a heterogeneous phase within the layered structure of Co-free SC cathodes. These LRNDs act as critical tipping points, inducing significant chemo-mechanical lattice strain and irreversible structural degradation, which exacerbates the voltage and capacity loss in electrochemical performance. Our findings highlight the considerable challenges of developing Co-free SC cathodes compared to polycrystalline ones and emphasize the need for new strategies to balance the interplay between cost, sustainability, and performance.
Steroid hormone-induced wingless ligands tune female intestinal size in Drosophila
Authors: Zipper Lisa , Corominas-Murtra Bernat , Reiff Tobias
Published: January 2025

Female reproduction comes at great expense to energy metabolism compensated by extensive organ adaptations including intestinal size. Upon mating, endocrine signals orchestrate a 30% net increase of absorptive epithelium. Mating increases production of the steroid hormone Ecdysone released by the Drosophila ovaries that stimulates intestinal stem cell (ISC) divisions. Here, we uncover the transcription factor crooked legs (crol) as an intraepithelial coordinator of Ecdysone-induced ISC mitosis. For the precise investigation of non-autonomous factors on ISC behaviour, we establish Rapport, a spatiotemporally-controlled dual expression and tracing system for the analysis of paracrine genetic manipulation while tracing ISC behaviour. Rapport tracing reveals that Ecdysone-induced Crol controls mitogenic Wnt/Wg-ligand expression from epithelial enterocytes activating ISC mitosis. Paracrine Wg stimulation is counterbalanced by Crol-repression of string/CDC25 and CyclinB autonomously in ISC. Rapport-based ISC tumours confirm paracrine stimulation through the Ecdysone-Crol-Wg axis on mitotic behaviour, whereas the autonomous anti-proliferative role of Crol in ISC is conserved in models of colorectal cancer. Finally, mathematical modelling corroborates increasing enterocyte numbers and Wnt/Wg-degradation to set a stable post-mating intestinal size. Together, our findings provide insights into the complex endocrine growth control mechanisms during mating-induced adaptations and might help untangling pleiotropic hormonal effects observed in gastrointestinal tumorigenesis.
Targeting mutant p53: Evaluation of novel anti-p53R175H monoclonal antibodies as diagnostic tools
Authors: Spiegelberg Diana , Hwang Le-Ann , Pua Khian Hong , Kumar Sashwini Chandra , Koh Xin Yu , Koh Xiao Hui , Selvaraju Ram Kumar , Sabapathy Kanaga , Nestor Marika , Lane David
Published: January 2025

About 50% of all cancers carry a mutation in p53 that impairs its tumor suppressor function. The p53 missense mutation p53R175H (p53R172H in mice) is a hotspot mutation in various cancer types. Therefore, monoclonal antibodies selectively targeting clinically relevant mutations like p53R175H could prove immensely value. We aimed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo binding properties of two novel anti-p53R175H monoclonal antibodies and to assess their performance as agents for molecular imaging. In vitro, 125I-4H5 and 125I-7B9 demonstrated long shelf life and antigen-specific binding. Our in vivo study design allowed head-to-head comparison of the antibodies in a double tumor model using repeated SPECT/CT imaging, followed by biodistribution and autoradiography. Both tracers performed similarly, with marginally faster blood clearance for 125I-7B9. Repeated molecular imaging demonstrated suitable imaging characteristics for both antibodies, with the best contrast images occurring at 48 h post-injection. Significantly higher uptake was detected in the mut-p53-expressing tumors, confirmed by ex vivo autoradiography. We conclude that molecular imaging with an anti-p53R175H tracer could be a promising approach for cancer diagnostics and could be further applied for patient stratification and treatment response monitoring of mutant p53-targeted therapeutics.
CAR T-cell-associated secondary malignancies challenge current pharmacovigilance concepts
Authors: Berg Philipp , Ruppert-Seipp Gabriele , Müller Susanne , Maurer Gabriele D , Hartmann Jessica , Holtick Udo , Buchholz Christian J , Funk Markus B
Published: January 2025

Suspected adverse reactions following chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) treatment include more and more cases of secondary T-cell malignancies. The causality assessment of such suspected reactions challenges established evaluation practices due to (i) patient and product-specific risk factors and (ii) incomplete data available with post-marketing reports submitted to competent authorities. This is of particular relevance for gene therapy products that integrate into the host genome. We present a summary of case reports related to different CAR T products and the rationale for case causality assessment. In this context, possible pathophysiologic mechanisms and differences between CAR T products to be taken into account are discussed. The unparalleled complexity of the case follow-up and the multistep process of cancer development necessitates a case-by-case consideration. This highlights challenges in the pharmacovigilance of advanced therapy medicinal products and underlines the importance of testing for vector presence, integration location and gene expression profile for an informed case assessment of suspected secondary malignancies with the aim to obtain a better understanding of contributing factors.
A universal two-step strategy for multiple DNA MTase activity: enhancing sensitivity through CRISPR/Cas12a-assisted hyperbranched rolling circle amplification (CA-HRCA)
Authors: Zhou Shiying , Sun Human , Deng Liyuan , Zhu Shuyu , Chen Jian , Huo Danqun , Hou Changjun
Published: January 2025

A universal two-step strategy based on CRISPR/Cas12a-assisted hyperbranched rolling circle amplification (CA-HRCA) for DNA MTase activity detection is constructed, which successfully achieves the detection of Dam MTase and M.SssI MTase.
Sustainable upgrading of biomass: a thermodynamic approach to fine-tuning product selectivity for glycerol oxidation
Authors: Pérez-Torres Andrés F. , Kong Heejung , Abdi Fatwa F. , van de Krol Roel , Favaro Marco
Published: January 2025

For electrochemical glycerol oxidation, thermodynamic insights show that applied bias, more than temperature, drives reaction selectivity—unlocking potential for optimized, targeted reactions.
Biobased vitrimers: towards sustainability and circularity
Authors: Mariani Alberto , Malucelli Giulio
Published: January 2025

Bio-based vitrimers represent a green and sustainable bridge between thermoplastics and thermosets.
Phosphorus-doped nickel–iron hydroxides/MXene for efficient electrochemical water oxidation
Authors: Cao Ya , Liu Jiangchuan , Xu Siqi , Yang Yunjiao , Yu Yi , Chen Zhidong , Liu Changhai
Published: January 2025

NiFeP/Ti2C@NF was synthesized from a hydrothermal process and chemical conversion, and exhibited a low overpotential of 177 mV at j = 50 mA cm−2, a low Tafel slope of 56 mV dec−1, and a very competitive stable activity in alkaline electrolyte.
Visualization of twin formation of β-Ga2O3 by edge-defined film-fed growth
Authors: Zhang Shengnan , Sun Kewei , Xiu Xiangqian , Wang Yingmin , Huo Xiaoqing , Zhou Jinjie , Zhang Rong , Zheng Youdou
Published: January 2025

2-Inch twin-free (2̄01) oriented β-Ga2O3 wafers with high quality have been successfully achieved by an EFG method.
CO2 adsorption in natural deep eutectic solvents: insights from quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics
Authors: Zhu Chengxu , Wood Hannah , Carbone Paola , D’Agostino Carmine , de Visser Sam P.
Published: January 2025

A combination of molecular dynamics and density functional theory calculations explore the solubility of CO2 in natural eutectic solvents composed of l-arginine and glycerol and identify key hydrogen bonding interactions.
Kinetic processes of interfacial transport of reactive species across plasma–water interfaces: the effect of temperature
Authors: Green Frederick J , Hasan Mohammad I
Published: January 2025

Plasma-water MD simulations reveal temperature's impact on interfacial transport. By optimizing plasma chemistry for HNO3, a potential of 250% increase in nitrogen uptake can be achieved, highlighting the critical role of chemical tuning.
Advancing predictive toxicology: overcoming hurdles and shaping the future
Authors: Masarone Sara , Beckwith Katie V. , Wilkinson Matthew R. , Tuli Shreshth , Lane Amy , Windsor Sam , Lane Jordan , Hosseini-Gerami Layla
Published: January 2025

Exploring the integration of AI, data-driven approaches, and systems biology to advance predictive toxicology, leveraging ‘omics’ data and in silico modelling to address translational challenges and improve safety assessments in drug discovery.
Inorganic–organic hybrid nanoparticles with carbonate-triggered emission-colour-shift
Authors: Ritschel Christian , Daumann Lena J. , Feldmann Claus
Published: January 2025

(Eu3+4[PTC]4–3)0.78(Eu3+[TREN-1,2-HOPO]3−)0.22 nanoparticles show a shift of the emission colour from red to green triggered by carbonate, allowing a luminescence-driven qualitative and quantitative determination of the carbonate content in water.
A mononuclear iron(ii) complex constructed using a complementary ligand pair exhibits intrinsic luminescence–spin-crossover coupling
Authors: Chen Du-Yong , Yi Cheng , Li Xin-Feng , Zhou Ren-He , Zhang Li-Yan , Cai Rui , Meng Yin-Shan , Liu Tao
Published: January 2025

In this work, we utilized a complementary ligand pair as an intramolecular luminophore to construct a new Fe-based SCO complex. The SCO–luminescence coupling effect was investigated by variable-temperature spectroscopic methods and DFT calculations.
Enhanced second harmonic generation in a Fdd2 polymorph of C12H8N2O4Zn for UV nonlinear optical applications
Authors: Gou Jie , Yang Can , Wang YunJie , Zhu Yaolong , Zhu Qingwen , Su Xin , Wu Qi
Published: January 2025

Polymorph C12H8N2O4Zn in the Fdd2 phase has been discovered to exhibit enhanced second harmonic generation.
Exploring acidity-dependent PCET pathways in imino-bipyridyl cobalt complexes
Authors: Lee Jueun , Jung Daeun , Seo Junhyeok
Published: January 2025

This study explores the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) pathways of two high-spin Co complexes, highlighting how internal spin-state interactions and the external pKa values of proton sources influence catalytic mechanisms.
Biophysical interactions between self-sufficient cytochrome P450 from Tepidiphilus thermophilus and ilaprazole
Authors: You Jaejeong , Hwang Yunha , Jeong Yeon-Ju , Yeom Soo-Jin , Yun Chul-Ho , Kang Hyun Goo , Lee Seung Jae
Published: January 2025

CYP116B46, a self-sufficient enzyme with a reductase, hydroxylates the proton pump inhibitor ilaprazole with a strong binding affinity (Kd = 0.12 ± 0.02 μM).
Removal of antibiotic resistance genes and co-selectors in a full-scale sewage treatment plant during droughts and floods
Authors: Dixit Sourabh , Vijayan Jayavignesh , Singh Harshita , Nambi Indumathi M. , Renganathan T. , Ravikrishna R. , Singh Gargi
Published: January 2025

The 60 MLD STP failed to remove ARGs, irrespective of the weather conditions of droughts and floods. Two ARGs were selected in the maturation pond – tetW and blaOXA-1.
Ultralight flexible 3D nickel micromesh decorated with NiCoP for high stability alkaline zinc batteries
Authors: Abdul Zana Karim , Nie Zeqi , Zhang Yapeng , Liu XiuXue , Wang Xiaohu , Gilbert Niwamanya , Wei Donghai , Zhang Wen , Zhang Guanhua
Published: January 2025

The stability of the positive and negative electrodes in alkaline zinc-ion batteries is improved by the incorporation of highly oriented metal micromesh electrode structures and interfacial modifications.
Photocatalytic acceptorless dehydrogenation of flavanones by cationic Eosin Y as a bifunctional catalyst
Authors: Yi Peiyu , Wu Yufeng , Wang Juntao , Liu Qilei , Xing Yafeng , Lu Yue , Ma Cunfei , Duan Liyuan , Zhao Jingnan , Meng Qingwei
Published: January 2025

We report the first example of photocatalytic acceptorless dehydrogenation using cationic Eosin Y as a bifunctional photocatalyst, without metal catalysts or HAT reagents.
Visible-light-mediated selenocyclization of o-vinylanilides with diselenides
Authors: Wang Xuecheng , Guo Jiajie , Xue Shaofan , Wang Zikun , Zhao Jincan
Published: January 2025

A visible-light-induced selenocyclization of o-vinylanilides with diselenides using molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant has been developed.
Post-SELEX modification of quinine aptamers through neoacetalization
Authors: Kähkölä Heidi , Herath Muditha , Virta Pasi , Lönnberg Tuomas
Published: January 2025

Two modified aptamers for quinine were synthesized by a neoacetalization-based post-SELEX method. One of the aptamers dimerized upon binding quinine at high concentration.
Cation radicals, borenium cations, and a dication from the oxidation of B-tolyl BIII subporphyrins
Authors: Xie Zixuan , Ji Xiaoheng , Zeng Xu , Shimizu Daiki , Tanaka Takayuki , Rao Yutao , Zhou Mingbo , Xu Ling , Osuka Atsuhiro , Song Jianxin
Published: January 2025

Oxidation of B-tolyl BIII subporphyrins afforded the corresponding cation radicals, which underwent homolytic dissociation to give borenium cations. This reaction is a highly convenient method for the synthesis of BIII subporphyrin borenium cations.
Chemical modulation and defect engineering in high-performance GeTe-based thermoelectrics
Authors: Jiang Yilin , Yu Jincheng , Li Hezhang , Zhuang Hua-Lu , Li Jing-Feng
Published: January 2025

The crystal structure, chemical bonding characteristics, band structure, and phonon dynamics of GeTe are revealed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms that contribute to its exceptional performance.
Hierarchical structures of surface-accessible plasmonic gold and silver nanoparticles for SERS detection
Authors: Trinh Nhu-Bao , Nguyen Thu Anh , Lam Truong Son-Hai , Vo Khuong Quoc
Published: January 2025

The enhancement of hot-spot intensity for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection can be achieved through the utilization of hierarchical structures comprised of surface-accessible plasmonic gold and silver nanoparticles.
Photocatalytic abatement of ambient NOx by TiO2 coated solar panels
Authors: Molar Jesse , Herckes Pierre , Fraser Matthew P.
Published: January 2025

TiO2-based photocatalytic coatings applied to glass substrates, such as solar panels, demonstrated the ability to reduce NOx concentrations by up to 36% in laboratory settings and generate nitrate flux values of up to 33 mg per m2 per day in field tests.
A carbon quantum dot (CQD) modified-CuZn bimetallic catalyst for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction
Authors: Shi Long , Yang Yuzhu , Song Jia , Yang Lin , Dai Zhongde , Yao Lu , Jiang Wenju
Published: January 2025

The development of highly selective and active catalysts for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (CO2ER) is essential for its practical application.
Moisture-resistant perovskite solar cells: the role of 1,1′-methylenebispyridinium dichloride in enhancing stability and performance
Authors: Hu Yong , Dai Letian , Sun Tianyu , Shi Haodan , Xu Ying , Huang Junyi , Li Xiongjie , Shen Yan , Wang Mingkui
Published: January 2025

Incorporating DipyCl2 into perovskite solar cells boosts moisture resistance and operational stability, achieving a power conversion efficiency of 24.2% and retaining 80% of efficiency after 2000 hours of air exposure.
Room-temperature synthesis of highly luminescent methylammonium lead bromide nanocubes encapsulated in block copolymer micelles: impact of solvent choice on crystallization and stability
Authors: Junisu Belda Amelia , Sun Ya-Sen , Zhao Bo-Cheng
Published: January 2025

The choice of solvent (methanol and DMF) for transporting MA+ and Br− ions from the TMB phase to the micelle core significantly influences the dimensions of the resulting MAPbBr3 perovskite.
Fabrication of CuInS2/ZnS quantum dot nanocomposite films and investigation of their influence on performance of soda glass-based luminescent solar concentrators
Authors: Imakiire Yu , Iso Yoshiki , Isobe Tetsuhiko
Published: January 2025

The concentration and thickness of the nanocomposite film with CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots were optimized. Furthermore, the influence of the optical absorption of the light guide plate on the luminescent solar concentrator was also investigated.
Immobilization of laccase on different functional groups and degree of conjugation modified COFs for simultaneous photochemical-enzymatic removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol and uranium (U(vi))
Authors: Zhong Xin , Ji Zhehong , Ling Qian , Sun Lifu , Hu Baowei
Published: January 2025

Fabricating an efficient photocatalyst-enzyme hybrid system was performed to investigate the catalytic performance of simultaneous U(VI) photo-reduction and 2,4-DCP photo-oxidation.
Mandarin Chinese Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the Caregiver Analysis of Reported Experiences With Swallowing Disorders Screening Tool
Authors: Zhao Lancai , Li Sihan , Qiu Yufeng , Zhu Xueqiong , Shao Jing , Zhang Huafang
Published: January 2025

Purpose:

The caregiver burden of individuals with dysphagia is a major concern. Currently, assessment tools specifically designed for this population are lacking. The present study aimed to translate the Caregiver Analysis of Reported Experiences with Swallowing Disorders (CARES) Questionnaire into Mandarin Chinese and evaluate its psychometric properties.

Method:

This study analyzed the psychometric properties of the Mandarin Chinese version of the CARES questionnaire using classical measurement theory and Rasch model analysis.

Results:

Classical measurement theory: The item-level content validity index of the Mandarin Chinese version of the CARES questionnaire ranged from .83 to 1.00, and the scale-level content validity index ranged from .93 to .95. The correlation coefficient between the total scores, subscale scores of the CARES questionnaire, and Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview scores was between .82 and .87 (
p
< .01). There were significant relationships between dysphagia-specific burden (CARES) and perceived swallowing impairment (Eating Assessment Tool-10) and diet restrictiveness (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale). The overall Cronbach's α coefficient of the Mandarin Chinese version of the CARES questionnaire was .81. Item response theory: The Mandarin Chinese version of the CARES questionnaire was unidimensional. The item difficulty and individual ability were evenly distributed. The total item reliability was .96, the person reliability was .79, the item separation index was 4.95, and the person separation index was 1.93.

Conclusion:

The Mandarin Chinese version of the CARES questionnaire demonstrates satisfactory reliability and validity and can be utilized as a specific assessment tool for evaluating the informal caregiver burden of individuals with dysphagia.